The really stupid thing about the entire fight was that it was about Chanyeol. Chanyeol had intervened in Baekhyun's fight about him and it was the stupidest thing that had ever happened.

Baekhyun groaned, collapsing onto the bed and feeling completely worthless. He didn't normally get beat up, and he didn't normally have reasons that deserved getting pushed against lockers, but apparently Chanyeol was his weakness.

Before he had even come, he was already getting made fun of. One of the students knew him, and he spread rumors, a ton of rumors that would make any celebrity's career plummet with no hope of coming back, and since Chanyeol wasn't a celebrity, he didn't have anyone on his side before the rumors started, meaning that Baekhyun saw him and immediately felt a need to protect him, so he took on the task of being Chanyeol's friend, and hence him suddenly getting pushed into lockers and now sitting next to his bed with a bloody lip and wishing Chanyeol would come into the room and give him a hug but the guy is probably too stupid to realize that Baekhyun didn't actually mean what he had said.

So instead he just sat there and felt utterly miserable for himself for a few hours until he heard Chanyeol exit the bathroom and knock on the door.

"What is it?!"

Baekhyun lifted his head to stare at the block of wood his best friend stood behind.

"I just finished a shower, could I come in and change?"

"Yeah whatever."

Chanyeol stepped in, a towel wrapped around his waist, and Baekhyun couldn't believe his eyes. The boy was utterly perfect, his torso long, the slightest hint of abs, and water droplets still dripping down from his shaggy wet hair. He was very obviously trying to hide himself as he got on his knees beside the bed and hastily grabbed a shirt, holding it to his chest as he looked for his other clothes.

Baekhyun couldn't help but lean over just a little bit to see the boy's spine protruding from his back and feeling just the slightest bit by the appearance of so much skin.

"Baekhyun," Chanyeol's voice was incredibly matter-of-fact which was enough to pull Baekhyun out of his thoughts.

"Um, yeah?"

"You have to turn away and cover your eyes. You can't see me putting on my pants."

Baekhyun snorted, spinning in the desk chair and facing the window.

"Fine." He glared at the street. "What kind of guy are you anyway, being shy like this. I'm just another guy it's not like I'm going to scream at the size of your ."

Chanyeol moved behind him, spinning him around from the chair and towering over him, now fully clothed which was somewhat disappointing for Baekhyun.

"Yeah, but we're both gay so I mean..." Chanyeol avoided his eyes. "Why would you want to see me anyway, unless, maybe, you like me?"

Baekhyun shoved him away, standing up straight.

"Why would you say that?!"

"Well do you?"

Baekhyun glared at him, mumbling.

"I only like you as much as I like coffee."

Chanyeol didn't know that Baekhyun was absolutely crazy about coffee, and that just happened to be the only way he could force himself to confess.

Chanyeol frowned.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Nothing."

The giant grabbed his phone from the bedside table, collapsing onto Baekhyun's covers and scrolling through.

"Baekhyun why were you angry at me."

Baekhyun walked to his desk and grabbed a manhwa, flipping through it.

"I still am."

He walked to the bed, sitting next to Chanyeol, probably too close for someone who was supposedly still holding a grudge.

"Well, why?"

"You didn't need to interfere."

"I was worried about you. You were bleeding."

Baekhyun lay down, holding the manhwa above his head although he was completely unable to pay attention to it.

"Chanyeol, why would you be worried?"

"I don't know." He cleared his throat a little. "It's not like I like you or anything." Baekhyun nodded. "But as I said, you were bleeding so..."

He turned his head, and Baekhyun looked over at them, only to have the two boys realizing that they were hardly a few centimeters away from each other's faces and suddenly things were getting very close and very awkward as Chanyeol swallowed, his Adams apple moving gently, and Chanyeol couldn't help but take his eyes off of Baekhyun's perfect - if not slightly damaged - lips.

"You still are."

"What?"

Baekhyun lifted his hand to his lip and shied away from his own touch as he winced at the pain.

Chanyeol sat up.

"C'mon, let me treat it. Let's go into the bathroom."

Baekhyun followed him slowly, full of reluctance as he stood against the counter while Chanyeol rummaged through a first aid kit. He grabbed a q-tip, dipping it in some sort of disinfectant and Baekhyun watched, holding his head up for Chanyeol to fix.

Chanyeol leaned down, squinting and trying not to get it into Baekhyun's mouth, only to have Baekhyun getting overly frustrated - and flustered - and hit his hand away, cheeks red.

"Just let me do it for s sake."

Chanyeol shook his head.

"You took care of me when I was sick this is the least I can do. You're just... Short."

He bent over again, and Baekhyun rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on Chanyeol, just let me do it. It would be better than having you insult my height."

Chanyeol shook his head once again, and instead set down the q-tip, wrapping his arms around Baekhyun, his hands cupping the other boy's thighs.

Baekhyun was beyond embarrassed, ready to push the latter away until he felt himself being lifted and Chanyeol gently set him on the counter, smiling reassuringly and grabbing the q-tip once again.

"See? That's better. I can totally do this."

Baekhyun winced at the stinging on his lip as the q-tip actually met the wound this time, ignoring Chanyeol's eyes and trying to stare at a very annoying looking spot on the wall.

Chanyeol finished, grabbing a small band-aid to keep it from scarring and grinning, pleased with himself.

"Now it'll be fine. I swear."

Baekhyun nodded, jumping down from the counter and walking out of the bathroom, followed by Chanyeol who turned off the light and went with the smaller to his room, closing the door behind them and watching as Baekhyun sighed, curling up onto the bed.

"Baekhyun, really." Chanyeol looked at the pitiful mess, the hair hanging over his eyes as he toyed with the ear of his teddy bear. "it's so incredibly obvious that the fight is still bothering you, so tell me what it was about, tell me what had happened."

"The fight was about you."

"What?"

Chanyeol looked at him in amazement.

"It was about you. They were making fun of you, and fun of me for hanging out with you. I didn't like it, so I punched one of them."

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun in concern, balling his fists.

"If I'm that awful to be a friend with, then maybe you should stop being friends with me. I don't want it to get you beat up even more."

"No!"

Baekhyun instantly looked up at the bright eyed boy, pondering his next words.

"I like having you as a friend. I don't want you to go." He paused, returning to his previous state, fingers pulling at the stitches of the old stuffed toy as he mumbled. "But Chanyeol, could you do me a favor?"

"What.... What is it?"

"Could you come over here, and lay down with me."

Chanyeol couldn't exactly understand what he meant. He did say he had no feeling for him after all, didn't he?

"Baekhyun?"

"Just shut up and lay down beside me."

Chanyeol nodded, moving to the other bed and slowly getting on, feeling the heat radiating from Baekhyun's back and holding his breath at the close proximity.

"Chanyeol," Baekhyun's voice was so soft and quiet, Chanyeol wasn't even sure if it was actually Baekhyun speaking or just a breeze from outside. "hug me. Make me feel better."

Ever so slowly, Chanyeol turned to face Baekhyun's back, one arm sliding underneath him and one moving over, going underneath Baekhyun's arm and hugging him tightly, slightly above the waist.

Baekhyun's heart was beating at an insane pace, and it was incredibly hot in the room whether there was another person attached to him or not, but he couldn't care less because Chanyeol's touch was the most pleasant thing he had ever felt and he was completely sure he would never want the other to let go.

"Baekhyun, thank you for standing up for me. Things will be all right. I'll be here for you, always." He stopped, his eyes looking over the back of Baekhyun's head as he stuttered. "A-As your friend of course." He couldn't help but to bury his face into Baekhyun's neck the slightest bit, focusing on the other's soft breathing. "So go to sleep, because we're going to be all right."

Baekhyun smiled to himself.

If only he had the courage to get his feelings out there, and tell Chanyeol he didn't just want a "friend". He wanted Chanyeol to do this every night, to give him soft kisses upon waking up and to smile gratefully as Baekhyun handed him a cup of coffee and they snuggled on the couch. That's what he really wanted. Why were feelings so damn complicated. Why couldn't Chanyeol like him back. This was just one big facade of him asking Chanyeol to pretend like he felt the same as they lay on the bed.

But Chanyeol, all he could think at the very moment, was how lucky he was to even be so much as this close to the boy.

Baekhyun felt like his heart would burst but he liked it, the overwhelming feeling of being suffocated by your own incredibly sappy emotions. He just wished he was facing Chanyeol instead of a teddy bear, and in his dreams, their lips would meet.

                                     ✴ Never Before ✴