Title:Midnight Pianist
Author:bleedinglips
Pairing:Chanbaek/Baekyeol, bff!Chansoo
Genre:Romance, drama, ghost!AU
Rating:PG
Disclaimer:I own nothing beside this fic
Word Count:4,295
Summary:Never in his life, Park Chanyeol would think that he would fell for a ghost. The problem was, when it happened, he did nothing to stop himself.

Chanyeol cracked his eyes open.

It was faint, but he could hear the sound of piano being played downstairs. He could feel the shiver down his spine and the hair on his nape were all standing. He blinked, and his hand reaching for the nightstand to get his phone. He pressed the button to turn on the screen and squinted when he saw that it was past midnight. He pouted, trying to remember who could play a piano in this house.

His dad was a guitar expert... his mom was awkward with musical instruments... and Chanyeol was good with guitar and drums.

Who the hell played the piano?

Quietly, Chanyeol slipped off his blanket and tiptoed to his door. He opened it slowly, hissed a little when the door creaked, and walked outside. As he got nearer to the stairs, the sound was getting clearer. When his foot stepped on the first staircase, he suddenly regretted his decision. What the hell was he doing? Heck, he couldn’t even afford himself to finish a horror movie every time he was having a movie marathon with Kyungsoo. What if the pianist was a... ghost?

The tall boy held his breath, not sure about what to do. But just as he his lips to decide to go back to his room and sleep, or to go downstairs and take a look at the piano, the sound disappeared. He waited just to make sure, and sighed in relief because the piano stopped playing.

Still scared, he made his way back to his bedroom with wobbly legs.

(“Mom did you learn piano?”

“Of course not, Chanyeolie. Finish your breakfast, you’re going to be late.”)

Chanyeol forgot last night’s incident as soon as he arrived at school. He spotted Kyungsoo, his best friend who was walking slowly and hugged him from behind just to be scolded. Kyungsoo, just as his usual self, would laugh together with his giant friend.

Days went like usual.

But four days after the first incident, it happened again.

Chanyeol went downstairs around midnight between his studies because he was thirsty, and just as he had his first gulp, the sound of the piano reached his ears. He stopped gulping and focused to the song, and he realized that it was different from the previous song he had heard before. The song was extremely sad that he felt like crying (out of fear or amazement).

Everything was going to be a mystery if he didn’t check it out now.

After a good two minutes of gathering courage, Chanyeol put the glass near the sink, gritted his teeth and bravely walked to the room where the piano was placed. The melodic sound was so beautiful, but he wasn’t sure if the pianist was beautiful too, like other professional pianists he had ever seen.

His breath was ragged as he was just a step away to the doorway. His tongue peeked to his lips nervously, his breath was held, and his head finally moved so his eyes could absorb any creepy sight he was going to have. He pressed his lips into thin line, and when he got the perfect view of the piano, his eyes went as wide as a saucer.

Instead of terrified, he was mesmerized.

He was expecting a pale woman in a white dress that was already ripped here and there, dirty and bloody skin, messy long hair, creepy eyes and fangs in . The images of usual ghosts from the movies Kyungsoo brought him appeared in his mind all of a sudden, and he felt stupid for flinching because of that.

The sight before his eyes was a total opposite.

The one played the piano was a ghost, Chanyeol was extremely sure. It was a boy clad in a white shirt and black trousers. His side view was so beautiful that Chanyeol couldn’t afford himself to look away even for a second. His fingers were slim and pretty, and the way they played the song was extremely elegant. He looked like those kids in some talent show who had been learning how to play piano since the age of 3. Chanyeol had his focus more at the boy’s face instead of the song he was playing, and he didn’t even realize that he hadn’t blinked even once.

The song ended, and the boy put the fallboard down slowly. He turned his head to see a frozen Chanyeol right a step away from the doorway, and the tall boy couldn’t help but feeling fascinated. The boy was practically the most beautiful male he had ever seen—heck, he was even more beautiful than his senior Kim Junmyeon. And even though he was a ghost with pale skin and dark aura, Chanyeol found a perfectly shaped face, round eyes and pretty thin lips. Chanyeol blinked when he caught misery in the ghost’s eyes.

The ghost stepped closer, and Chanyeol was questioning himself about why he didn’t flee to his room upstairs. Their getting closer distance made Chanyeol had to lower his head because of the obvious height difference. The ghost’s head barely reached his chin. He was looking up at Chanyeol with his gloomy, droopy eyes.

When he lifted his hand to cover Chanyeol’s eyes, the darkness didn’t leave.

(“Chanyeol oh my God how did you end up here? What happened?” Chanyeol’s mother shook his son awake and the latter groaned because his back hurt. The tall boy tried to sit while looking at his mother.

“Was that a bad dream, or a nice dream?”

“Did you sleepwalk?”)

“Do Kyungsoo Do Kyungsoo Kyungsoo-ya Kyungsoo-yaaa you should listen to my story I’m not even kidding please have a seat take off your earphones and I will speak in a crystal clear mode so I don’t have to repeat things okay so are you ready?”

Kyungsoo stared at Chanyeol with his unamused stare, but he pulled his earphones’ cables anyway. He laid his back on his chair, eyes on Chanyeol. “What is it?”

Chanyeol exhaled and his lips. “There’s a ing ghost in my house.”

The statement triggered Kyungsoo’s interest. He straightened his back and stared at Chanyeol curiously, and on the other hand, Chanyeol, was somewhat proud because it usually wasn’t easy to make Kyungsoo listen to his stories that serious.

“How do you know?” Kyungsoo asked, and Chanyeol grinned.

“So last night I was at the kitchen, drinking some holy water because I was freaking thirsty in the middle of the night... and suddenly, there was someone playing the piano! I approached the room and I saw a ghost was playing the piano,” Chanyeol explained with a happy smile on his face, and Kyungsoo was a bit taken aback because of his friend’s excitement.

“Why... why are you so hyper about it? Wasn’t the ghost... scary?” Chanyeol heard bewilderment in Kyungsoo’s voice and found it funny, but he tried his best not to laugh.

“The ghost was a young boy and very, very pretty.” Chanyeol emphasized the last word and Kyungsoo’s jaw dropping face was so hilarious that Chanyeol couldn’t hold his laugh anymore. He clapped his hands like a seal and pointed to Kyungsoo. “Don’t make a face, you fool, you look like an idiot.”

“Did you just say that the ghost was beautiful?? Have you lost your mind, Park Dumbyeol??” Kyungsoo absently raised his voice because, for God’s sake was there even a ghost that was pretty? Sometimes Kyungsoo questioned why his destiny had leaded him to a hyper-active, idiotic Park Chanyeol.

“He was practically the most beautiful boy I have ever seen.” Chanyeol stared at nothing on the ceiling, and his smile was so sincere that Kyungsoo wanted to rip it off from his face. Don’t get him wrong, Kyungsoo liked Chanyeol’s smile a lot, but come on, smiling because of a pretty ghost? Chanyeol shifted his gaze to Kyungsoo with a sheepish smile. “I’m looking forward to meet him again.”

Kyungsoo shook his head disapprovingly. “Park Chanyeol, you’re really, really weird.”

Chanyeol widened his smile. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Not caring how much Chanyeol was looking forward to meet the beautiful ghost, nothing happened for seven days straight. Even though the tall boy had purposefully drunk a lot of coffee so he would be awake until past midnight, there was no sound coming from the piano. His house was a peaceful quietness for a whole week.

On the eighth day, when Chanyeol was practicing his new song until past midnight, the sound was heard again. With his left fingers formed a F#m chord on the strings and his right hand held a pick, Chanyeol froze on his spot. He stared at his door, and he furrowed his eyebrows as he noticed that tonight’s song sounded somewhat full of fury. Quietly, he put his guitar on his bed and walked outside. He breathed heavily as he walked down the stairs, his steps had more courage than the previous time.

When he peeked to the room, he gasped. The ghost was crying, his sobs were so painful like he was hurt physically. The way his fingers pressed the keys was harsh and gloomily depressed. Chanyeol’s heart was beating inside his ribcage rapidly as his eyes widened in horror. The boy was still beautiful, but the anger flowing out his body made Chanyeol scared.

Before he knew, the words slipped out his mouth: “Are you okay?”

The ghost snapped his head to the tall male and Chanyeol regretted what he had done. Did I just ask a ghost if he was okay what am I thinking of course no ghosts are okay he will kill me tonight my mom will yell and my father will play sad songs in my funeral and Kyungsoo will have no friends I AM DEAD.

With ragged breath and glaring stare, the ghost stepped closer to Chanyeol like the last time, but tonight his steps were faster that Chanyeol didn’t have time to let out even a single HEEELP! and when he knew it, he tripped and his back landed on the couch. The ghost hovered above him, put his hands on Chanyeol’s neck and the latter couldn’t help but being close to tears.

The expected headlock like what Kyungsoo always did to him never came, instead, the ghost lowered his head beside Chanyeol’s just a second before he lost his consciousness again. During that time, Chanyeol could’ve sworn that he heard the faint whisper from the ghost.

Help me.

(“Chanyeolie did you sleepwalk again? Should I lock your room for you?”

“Ugh, Mom please.”)

“You know,” Kyungsoo said as he scooped the rice with the spoon, “moving to an old house with an old piano in it, a ghost played the piano at midnight... that sounded like those boring horror movies.”

Chanyeol clicked his tongue in dislike and Kyungsoo ate his rice in response. Chanyeol poked the sausage with his chopsticks. “There are no pretty ghosts in those ‘boring’ horror movies.”

“Of course there are none.” Kyungsoo lifted some vegetables and put them in his mouth. “So, did something happen?”

Chanyeol snorted. “It’s rare for you to ask things.”

Kyungsoo put his chopsticks down, tilted his head and stared at Chanyeol. “Do you need me to care about you or not?”

“Aigoo, you’re so scary.” Chanyeol his lips and sighed. “The ghost cried last night.”

Kyungsoo trapped the chopsticks between his teeth, he said nothing, but his eyes were questioning Chanyeol’s remark. Being close friends for nearly five years meant you could read your friend’s heart from such simple gestures and gazes. Without Kyungsoo asking, Chanyeol continued his story.

“The song, instead of sad, it implied depression, anger, frustration... he played it with fury all over his face.” Chanyeol gestured his fingers in front of his face. “He looked disappointed, vengeful—I don’t know, but if you saw the scene, it was so painful.  And you know what? He approached me, made me tripped and fell on the couch, and he suddenly whispered ‘help me’ right in front of my ears.”

“He asked you to help him?” Kyungsoo got a nod. “How did his voice sound like?”

Chanyeol shrugged. “Hoarse. You know how people sound after crying.”

“This is getting serious. In horror movies, ghosts haunt around because there was something wrong with their live, or maybe their death. In your case, I suppose it was because the ghost hasn’t done something before he died. It must have something to do with the piano.” Kyungsoo touched his chin as a habit every time he was thinking about something.

“Don’t play detective, Kyungsoo-ya.” Kyungsoo glared at Chanyeol. The taller boy pressed his lips to a thin line, he never liked the way Kyungsoo shot his deadly glare. “Well, I guess you hit some points there.”

“Since you’ve got the courage to approach him like that, try to talk to him. He’s a ghost, he might do something you don’t expect, so make sure you behave.”

Chanyeol pouted, he wanted to object Kyungsoo’s suggestion, but he didn’t have any choices at the moment (because he believed the calm Kyungsoo could make a right decision for him), so he nodded and promised himself to do it once the ghost appeared.

(Un)fortunately, the ghost appeared again that night.

Actually Chanyeol had no idea if the ghost was there. He just happened to not be able to sleep until almost 12 a.m. and went downstairs to get some midnight snacks from the cupboards. He found a bag of chips and a bar of almost-expired chocolate. He also poured himself a glass of chocolate milk and ready to walk upstairs, when he remembered the ghost.

So he walked to the piano room with snacks and a glass in his hands. He peeked into the room and blinked a few times when he saw the ghost was sitting on his usual seat, head lowered and hands hanging lifelessly between his parted legs. He hadn’t lifted the fallboard, and his eyes bored at the piano—he looked like having no intention to play it anytime soon.

Stunned by the picture-like view, Chanyeol didn’t realize that the chips bag slipped off his hand and hit the floor with an uncomfortable rustling sound. Chanyeol froze, his eyes shifted from the chips to the boy who was looking at him plainly. He gulped, gathering courage to stare back at the boy and arranging lines of ‘things to talk to a ghost’ in his mind. He bent to pick the chips bag and his lips awkwardly.

“Um, hi,” was all he managed to say. Realizing that the ghost won’t reply such thing, he abruptly added, “sorry to bother you. I mean, I thought you didn’t come. You’re—you’re not playing the piano?”

Even though he cursed himself inwardly for stuttering like that, he was more than relieved when the boy shook his head lightly. Slowly he shifted his feet inside the room and plopped himself on the small couch. “I’m Chanyeol. Park Chanyeol.”

He was wondering if he was actually out of mind, because, seriously he was talking to a ghost! He didn’t expect the ghost to reply, but he couldn’t help but held his breath when the boy opened up his mouth to speak, “Baekhyun,” he said softly, “Byun. Baekhyun.”

Chanyeol never forgot that name.

“Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said as he put an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder and pulled the younger closer to him. Kyungsoo almost lost his balance, but Chanyeol quickly held him with his free hand as they continued walking through the hallway. Once Kyungsoo got his balance back, he looked up at Chanyeol, confused.

“Who’s that?”

“The ghost. He told me his name the other day. His voice was so pretty,” he replied while his eyes disappearing to moon crescents and wandering to nothingness, his lips formed a very pretty smile and Kyungsoo didn’t mean to scoff at that. “What?”

“You even managed to know his name. You’re kind of... amazing.” Kyungsoo nodded and Chanyeol clicked his tongue because Kyungsoo didn’t sound impressed, like, at all. He wanted to protest, but just as the best friend he was, he knew better than to object Kyungsoo’s words. “But... what happened after he had told you his name?”

Cold wind hit their bodies as they stepped out of the school building and Kyungsoo threw his palms over his mouth, Chanyeol wrapped his arm around Kyungsoo’s neck because he knew his friend didn’t bring his scarf today. “I haven’t told you this, but Baekhyun’s really weird. None of our meetings lasted for more than 5 minutes, because he would always approach me and knocked me unconscious. My mother even wondered if I’ve been sleepwalking every time I wake up on the floor downstairs.”

“Even after he told you his name?”

“Exactly. It was the first time we met without him playing the piano. He came to me and covered my eyes with his hands, and I opened my eyes in the morning to a loud ‘Chanyeolie why did you break the glass?! Now there’s milk all over the floor!’ and my mom didn’t even laugh when I said ‘don’t cry over spilt milk’ to her,” Chanyeol groaned lightly with a frown, but snickered when Kyungsoo let out a small giggle. “See, it’s even funny to you!”

“That’s not the point, idiot. Anyway, I’m somehow proud of you. I mean, all those horror movie marathons we did, you couldn’t even watch them to the end. And now you talk to a ghost like it’s nothing.”

“As long as he stays that pretty, I won’t mind talking to him for the whole night.”

Kyungsoo stared at him quietly. “You like him, don’t you.”

Chanyeol choked on nothing. “What?”

“Okay you like him.”

“Kyungsoo he’s a ghost!”

“I remember in 7th grade you wrote ‘pretty, much shorter than me, plays musical instrument, has a good voice’ as your type.”

“Um. And then?”

“And then I happened to be your bestfriend. If only I were prettier and I could play an instrument, you would’ve fallen for me.”

“What makes you so sure about that?”

“Because the ghost is pretty and he plays piano. I bet he’s got small frame. So you like him.”

“Do Kyungsoo!”

“Ssh, don’t whine. There are some people with ual disorder. ias, exhibitionisms... maybe you’re one of them.”

Chanyeol puffed his cheeks in annoyance as he released his arms from Kyungsoo’s neck to let him sit at the bus shelter first. Chanyeol lifted his arm to take a look at his watch, and then turned to see the bus schedule behind him. He mumbled something about the bus is arriving in a minute or two, and yawned.

“You lost a lot of sleep because of Byun Baekhyun, didn’t you.”

“It’s okay,” Chanyeol said, still yawning. He ended his yawn by covering his mouth with his palm and letting out a muffled low voice. “It’s not like he told me to do that.”

Kyungsoo wanted to say and you’re still refusing to say that you like him, but he let it left unsaid. “Try to have a conversation with him. Maybe it would be easier for you to get closer to him.”

“Kyungsoo-ya, I don’t like him!” Chanyeol groaned in frustration.

“You can start from a casual topic, like, what songs he likes to play, or since when he learns piano. After he’s comfortable with you, you can ask him about his death. Oh, you guys can have duet, too!”

The older male only dragged his palm over his face, didn’t understand why Kyungsoo was so persistent about this. The bus pulled up at the shelter and Kyungsoo nudged him with his elbow because it was his bus. Chanyeol waved to Kyungsoo and the latter waved back with a smile.

Even though he had stubbornly said that he didn’t like Baekhyun, once he was in the bus, he kind of regretted what he had said. He didn’t understand why Kyungsoo always managed to read his heart even before himself. Kyungsoo is indeed a satan, he thought.

“I’m home,” Chanyeol greeted as he entered his house. He hissed because it was cold and he wiggled his body in an attempt to shrug off the cold while toeing off his shoes.

“Welcome home, Dear,” Chanyeol’s mom answered from the piano room, and Chanyeol’s head snapped at the direction of the room. He walked quickly there to find his mom was cleaning the piano using a cloth. He realized he had given too much attention at Baekhyun’s face that he didn’t see the dirt all over the piano. “I bought some marshmallows. You can go and make some hot chocolate.”

Chanyeol only nodded. He wasn’t in the mood to drink hot chocolate. “Need a hand?”

“Hm?” Chanyeol’s mom smiled at her son, and she giggled. “It’s rare for you to offer helps.”

Because that piano is Baekhyun’s. “The piano is big. My arms are longer than yours, it would be easier for me to clean it. You can clean the windows... or something else.”

“Okay.” Chanyeol’s mom put the cloth on the piano, and she walked towards the door. “But change your clothes first. If you need something I will be in the kitchen.”

“Yeah, sure.”

With that, Chanyeol spent the entire evening by cleaning the piano all by himself until the classical instrument was sparkling nicely. It still looked old, but since it was clean, the view was more comfortable. Chanyeol imagining Baekhyun sitting there, pretty fingers formed some chords and played Beethoven’s songs as he ran his fingers on the keys—

Chanyeol snapped.

“It was so hard to confess to mom and dad that I’m gay. Gay is already a thing.” Chanyeol sighed. “Do I really have ual disorder?”

Chanyeol’s hard work on cleaning the piano didn’t go wasted. Just as soon as he swung his legs on his bed, Baekhyun played the piano. The vague sound of the keys hit him straight on the head and he quickly snatched one of his jackets before running downstairs with sleepy eyes.

He was out of breath once he was in front of the piano room just to see Baekhyun was deep inside his self-performance, with lips pressed together and eyes looked melancholy. Chanyeol smiled—Baekhyun looked better playing a clean piano.

The taller boy waited until Baekhyun hit the last bits of the keys of the song, and he absently clapped in delight. Baekhyun turned his head at him and Chanyeol stopped clapping. His hands froze in front of his face before he bent his fingers awkwardly and hid them behind his body.

“Uh. Hi. Again,” Chanyeol greeted awkwardly. Baekhyun didn’t even blink at him and it made him nervous. “Uh. The song! It was Beethoven’s Symphony No.5, right? It was good! You... you did a great job!”

Baekhyun stood from his seat and approached Chanyeol. The latter parted his legs wider and positioned his arms in front of his chest—even though he didn’t learn martial arts, he knew the basic moves to defend ourselves (but seriously, from a ghost you couldn’t even touch?).

The ghost got closer to Chanyeol and he lifted his hand, palm facing Chanyeol’s face—he was going to make the human losing his consciousness again. Kyungsoo’s words of telling him to have a conversation with Baekhyun echoed in his mind, so he decided to start now.

“Wait!” Chanyeol straightened his arms in front of his body in an attempt to stop Baekhyun from inching closer towards him, and it somehow worked, because Baekhyun instantly glued his feet to the floor. “Why do you always have to knock me unconscious? I mean, why don’t we have a little chit-chat?”

Baekhyun seemed to be taken aback, because his face looked surprised—his lips parted slightly and his eyes widened a bit, but for a ghost that could be counted as a surprised face. He looked at Chanyeol with disbelief in his eyes, and Chanyeol smiled a bit because Baekhyun seemed to change his mind.

“Why...” Baekhyun started and Chanyeol was startled, Baekhyun’s voice was really soft. “Why... do you want to talk to me?”

“Uh...” Because Kyungsoo told me so? “I want to know you better.” Kyungsoo said our relationship can go deeper if we have a conversation first. “I’m... curious about you.”

“That’s all?”

Because I have ual disorder?

“I... want us to be friends.”

Chanyeol and Baekhyun ended up talking until it was past 3 a.m. They didn’t talk that much because Chanyeol started everything by asking Baekhyun trivial questions, and Baekhyun always took time to response. The way the ghost talked also awfully slow, but Chanyeol liked it, because that way he could listen to his voice longer.

From their first conversation, Chanyeol knew that Baekhyun liked to play classical songs and sometimes the songs he had made. Baekhyun only came before midnight and would start playing when it was past midnight.

Their talk was disturbed by some clanking sound in the kitchen, and they were both startled.

“What—what time is it now?” Baekhyun asked, looked panic.

Chanyeol wasn’t using his watch, but he always had a sharp awareness about time. “Around three in the morning.”

“I... I gotta go.” Baekhyun shifted on his feet awkwardly. He looked at Chanyeol nervously, and the taller male got the meaning of that gaze right away.

“I’ll go back to my room. Thank you for the talk, it was fun. Bye, Baekhyun-ah,” Chanyeol said as he stood from the couch and walked outside the room. He was five steps away when he turned his head to look at the room, but Baekhyun was nowhere to be found. He was indeed a ghost. “Kyungsoo will call me crazy because of this.”

A/n:Hello I'm sorry this is so dumb and I and thank you for reading