Baekhyun had a passion for books. He would read anything set in front of him. Some people thought he was odd, maybe a little backward, because he preferred the company of books over that of a person any day. Baekhyun just shook his head at the accusations and went back to reading. 

For a book-loving person Baekhyun had a dream job. Using the money he inherited from a great aunt he didn't even know existed until her lawyer called telling him to come pick up the hefty check, he opened his oven bookstore. Sitting in stacks and stacks of brand new books Baekhyun realised he had finally found his true home. 

~~

Chanyeol was new to town, having just moved from Seoul to this slightly (note the heavy sarcasm) less populated town was a bit of a shell shock. One day, after much pushing and shoving from his exasperated roommate, Chanyeol finally stopped complaining about there not being anything to do and went out to explore what few possibilities this town had to offer. 

In his walk through the town Chanyeol noticed a small bookstore on a corner, it's name 'Byun's Books' made Chanyeol chuckle. He'd never been the most avid reader of book, but perhaps reading a good book would cure some of his jitteriness when he sat at home for too long. 

When he walked in he expected something relatively... Put together, just based on the few retail chain bookstores he'd been into in his life. When he saw a stack here, a crumbled tower of books there, instead of feeling a little off put at the untidiness of the store, he felt a sense of home. Chanyeol shook his head, what a weird thought. 

Chanyeol rounded the corner of what he had to assume was the register for the desk clerk when his shoulder hit a precariously stacked tower of books and toppled it over. 'Damn my luck..' He thought to himself. As they fell he heard a high pitched squeal right before the impact of the books. When he looked at the damage that the books had done, he realised he hadn't knocked them to the floor, he had knocked every single one of the books on top of a young man. 

"Holy! Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Chanyeol cursed. "Are you ok?" Chanyeol scrambled to dig the boy out. 

"Yea, yea I'm fine. What are you here for?" The boy asked, dusting off his clothes and holding out a hand. "I'm Baekhyun, the owner."

"Chanyeol, nice to meet you, Baek. I..." Chanyeol slapped his head. "I'm sorry, habit I swear! I didn't mean to act so informal with you, sir."

"Sir? I couldn't be that much older than you Chanyeol, no need to be so frightened." Baekhyun smiled widely at the still flustered boy standing in the middle of his personal haven. 

"I'm still sorry, Baekhyun. I've just got a bad habit of giving nicknames to people even if I don't really know then." Chanyeol shyly looked to the ground, kicking his foot like a schoolboy afraid of being scolded. 

"Oh, hush, it's a small town. We're all friends here, call me whatever you like." Baekhyun smiled again, this time Chanyeol really looked at it and his heart fluttered like a butterfly. Baekhyun was gorgeous, and his smile was so contagious Chanyeol grinned along with him. 

"So, Baek," Baekhyun grinned at Chanyeol again. "Are you looking for any part-time help around here? I just moved here from Seoul with a friend and could use some cash." Baekhyun hummed and tapped his chin in thought. 

"Well, I mean, I've done this by myself for a while now, I can handle it alone and everything..." Baekhyun looked up to see Chanyeol looking absolutely crestfallen. "But you working here would be tremendously helpful. Especially if you shelve books for me." Chanyeol broke into the biggest smile. 

"Awesome! When can I start?" Baekhyun laughed and told him tomorrow if he liked. 

~~

"So, what did you do in town?" Sehun, Chanyeol's roommate, asked. Chanyeol chuckled and scratched the back of his head. 

"I... Uh... Got myself a part time job." Sehun paused and slowly turned to stare blankly at Chanyeol. 

"Wh... You did what?"

"A job, at a bookstore. The owner, Baekhyun..."

"Say no more," Sehun interrupted. "I get it now, you sly dog." Sehun winked suggestively. 

"What... What's that supposed to mean you brat?!"

"You wanna tap that, I get it Chanyeol, I'd do the same thing to that hottie at the coffee shop by the movie theatre if I thought he'd look twice at me..." Sehun sighed wistfully. "I'm sure he's very nice." Sehun narrowly escaped Chanyeol throwing everything he could reach within a two foot radius of himself. 

"I'm not even gay!" Chanyeol yelled after him. 

"Totally gay for Baekhyun!" Sehun yelled back from the safety of his room. 

~~

Baekhyun opened the store the following day with a smile. He was excited for Chanyeol's first day, even if yesterday the other did manage to knock over a very large stack of very large books on top of him. After opening up the store he walked in and say his bags in his small office. Before long he heard the front bell ring. "Chanyeol, I'm back here!" Baekhyun yelled towards the door the other had just entered through. In a few seconds Baekhyun saw Chanyeol peek around the door to the office, smiling brightly. 

"Hey Baek!" He greeted, holding out two bags. "I brought donuts!" Chanyeol looked so excited about the breakfast he brought that Baekhyun didn't have the heart to tell him that he didn't actually like donuts.

"Thanks, Chanyeol!" Baekhyun laughed at the sheepish grin on the others face and forced a smile on his face- which wasn't hard around the other, he practically radiated happiness- "just set them over here and we'll eat them as we get started."

Chanyeol smiled and sat the donuts down, turning and following Baekhyun out to the main part do the store. 

"Those boxes over there need to be moved to the back of the store room. If you would?"

"Well, you're my boss now, so I guess I kind of have to." Chanyeol grinned as he hefted the boxes in the air. "But I don't mind at all." Chanyeol was ninety percent sure he saw Baekhyun flush before turning back to the shelf of mystery books. 

The day went on just like that, Chanyeol saying things that brought a bright red flush to Baekhyun's face, while Baekhyun cursed himself for acting like a school girl with a crush. 

After saying their goodbyes, Chanyeol all but skipped home. When he reached his small two bedroom apartment he stopped in his tracks, Sehun stared at him oddly.

"Oh my god." Chanyeol whispered. 

"What?" Sehun asked, confused.

"I'm totally gay for Baekhyun."

~~~

The next week and a half went along like the first day, Baekhyun blushing madly every time Chanyeol would do something even the slightest bit gentlemanly. Chanyeol had no idea why every time he saw Baekhyun laugh or smile his heart would all but jump out of his chest, the only thing he could come up with was perhaps he was in the middle of a very prolonged heart attack. 

Three weeks to the day that Chanyeol and Baekhyun met they found themselves walking into town together, laughing and joking around like old friends. Chanyeol was pretty sure he had seen Sehun in a coffee all but eating the face off of one of the male baristas, he chuckled and made a mental note to remember to make fun of Sehun when he got home. The two walked through the square, as they passed one of the few houses in the middle of the town they saw an older woman sitting on her front porch. 

"You two young men, come up here!" She yelled towards them. Beckoning them up to the porch with her. Chanyeol and Baekhyun exchanged glances before walking up the steps towards the old woman. 

"Yes ma'm? Is there something you need?" Baekhyun asksd politely, his hands clasped together in front of him. 

"I just felt the need to tell you two beautiful boys that you need to stay strong and remember that love is love- no matter the gender." She smiled softly while Chanyeol felt his face heat up tremendously. When he looked over to Baekhyun he saw the other was also sporting a pretty major blush. 

"Uh... Ma'm... Yea- uh- we aren't in a relationship," Baekhyun stuttered out, visibly embarrassed. The old woman winked at them, her eyes twinkling. 

"Just remember what I said boys." Chanyeol and Baekhyun nodded and bowed politely before walking away from the old woman. They stayed silent for the entire trip back to the bookstore. 

For the next week Chanyeol and Baekhyun were a little new reserved around each other, not laughing and joking like they had been. Finally Chanyeol had had enough. 

"Baek, we can't let what that crazy old wo-" Chanyeol was cut off as Baekhyun grabbed the back of his head and smashed their lips together. Chanyeol felt his heart nearly try to break through his ribs again. 

"Let's take that crazy old woman's advice." Baekhyun said breathlessly. Chanyeol smiled and pulled Baekhyun back to him. 

"Sounds good to me, Baek."

~*~*~*~

 

A/N- finally typed up this piece of nendjeixgwvvw. Don't even ask. Blargh. I've been as sick as a dog since last Saturday, so that puts a bit of a cramp on my imagination/imaginary writing ability. 

Enjoy!~