-Ω-

Byun Baekhyun probably didn’t like Do Kyungsoo to begin with. He didn’t want to lose to Kyungsoo in terms of popularity. Instead of making an enemy he rather ride on Kyungsoo’s fame and share the spotlight. His feelings for Kyungsoo only started developing after hearing Kyungsoo sing. The initial plan was to ride on Kyungsoo’s trend & overshine him during the duet, unfortunately, Baekhyun underestimated Kyungsoo. Instead he became a fan of Do Kyungsoo and that’s when the warm feelings brews into love.

Byun Baekhyun could be quite an airhead sometimes but he doesn’t really care about what others have to say. If he thinks that being with Kyungsoo would make him happy, he would drop everything to be with Kyungsoo and that includes girls, free s. When love still goes on, it was only Kyungsoo that he wanted and he would have things his way. Baekhyun enrolled into an Arts Major in Seoul Arts Academy to pursue singing since his grades aren’t fantastic, nonetheless, he graduated with decent grades and became a full time house husband.

There isn’t much future for an Arts graduate considering he isn’t the top 5% of his cohort. It wasn’t as though he didn’t try or apply for jobs. Since his final year, he have been actively participating in auditions annually in the big three companies but to only be rejected, then he started to auditioning for smaller agencies but still had no luck of being accepted as a trainee. His dreams shattered and stepped over by people younger individuals with no proper music background but the ‘X’ factor judges looked for. Going home to a man who only hides in his own study room buried in books doesn’t make things any better. The last time Baekhyun cried and asked for Kyungsoo’s comfort, Kyungsoo simply hugged him and told him ‘It’s okay, there’s always next time’ and went back to do his own things.

Over the period of 4 years, Baekhyun questioned if Kyungsoo ever loved him. Kyungsoo never said ‘Yes’ he simply smiled. It was Baekhyun who assumed that it was a ‘Yes’. Kyungsoo’s bad with words, he isn’t a touchy type of person as well. Kyungsoo always needed personal space and time which made Baekhyun feel as though Kyungsoo is constantly distanting himself from him. Over time, Baekhyun had also grew accustomed to such treatment, he couldn’t really care less as long as he gets to stay in the house for free and see Kyungsoo every day. He would still do his part as a partner, he would hold on to this relationship, as long as Kyungsoo was still in his life.

But times changed, conditions changed and so does human. With Kyungsoo accepted into the Bureau of Narcotics things got worse. Kyungsoo’s temper got worse, most of the nights Baekhyun would be warming up the bed for no one, cooking for no one. His heart slowly turned cold and went out to seek comfort. On days that were hard to pass, Baekhyun would walk down the streets to get a couple of drinks to drown his sorrow away. Alcohol was his friend, alcohol was his remedy for pain and sleepless nights. It eventually became a habit, a sleeping pill addiction.

-Ω-

Baekhyun doesn’t remember how many glasses of whiskey he had that night but it was definitely more than yesterday. His alcohol tolerance has no doubt went up, he smiles as he swirls the ice cubes in the amber liquid. ‘Melt me down or burn me out’ he finishes the glass in one shot. His temple resting on his limp arm over the counter, ‘Hey you alright?’ a deep husky voice shook his shoulders. Baekhyun shakes his head pouting. ‘You shouldn’t be drinking this much.’ Baekhyun wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol but he found the voice alluring, comforting. It’s robust and husky, the thickness of the sound reminded him of Kyungsoo when he first heard him sing. ‘I like you.’ Baekyhun slurred. The voice chuckled. ‘Let’s get you back home.’ Baekhyun nodded and out.

It wasn’t til the next day morning that Baekhyun started to panic about how he got his drunk home. He couldn’t recall much of last night but he was certain he felt like he was in baby Jesus’s hands, his body curled in a warm and soft cot. A soft mellow voice humming to an unfamiliar tune as his hands and feet dangle in the mid-air; it felt like he was on cloud nine. But there was no face, no recollection of any events that led to the bed. He looked around him in the room; nothing. As if nothing happened, he woke up like every other day. The same but different day except yesterday night was not like any other day.   He quickly got of bed to the living room. Kyungsoo isn’t home yet, he probably didn’t come home again. Baekhyun let out a sigh of relief.

‘What’s the matter? Are you guilty of something?’

Baekhyun jumped. ‘What the Do Kyungsoo? You sneaking up on me?’ He screeched.

‘You reek of alcohol, Byun Baekhyun-sshi. Please go wash up & change the bedsheet. I’m not sleeping on those dirty sheets.’ Kyungsoo patted on Baekhyun’s bird nest-like head and continued towards the kitchen sipping his coffee.

‘I’m going to be working overtime tonight. Don’t cooked dinner. Just go get yourself fed & rest early.’ Kyungsoo said emotionlessly as he washed his mug in the sink without a single eye contact. Kyungsoo left for work as usual.

For some reason, Baekhyun’s heart was warmed for a split second and smashed onto the cold hard ground in the next. He didn’t like how Kyungsoo played with his feelings. How Kyungsoo called him ‘Byun Baekhyun-ssi’, how Kyungsoo ruffled with his hair, how Kyungsoo just left without any feelings attached. Kyungsoo didn’t even once look him in the eye. Baekhyun was once again confused about Kyungsoo’s feelings and he hated that but that didn’t stop him from removing the bedsheets and putting on a new set so that Kyungsoo could have clean sheets to sleep on when he finished his shift. Neither did that stopped him for going out for a drink again to find his honest self and he need to understand why did he even feel a slight hint of guilt when he didn’t even do anything wrong.

-Ω-

Tonight, Byun Baekhyun didn’t go for the hard liquor like he used too. Instead he order some pizza and a jug of beer to fill his empty stomach and heart. More importantly, he’s trying to recall what happened last night, he needed to find that sound again. Chewing the never ending cheese off the pizza, he looked amongst the crowd to find someone he would consider familiar but he heard the same voice again. The same deep, mellow voice at the centre of the crowd. A tall boy, crouching over, tuning his guitar. His face didn’t match up to his voice. He had big ears, puppy eyes and wide smile. He tapped on the microphone a few times before clearing his voice, ‘Hello Everyone, I’m Park Chanyeol and I’ll be singing ‘Hotel California.’ And the crowd clapped. ‘Such an old school classic’, Baekhyun thought smiling at himself. When Chanyeol opened his mouth to sing, Baekhyun’s jaws stopped. Chanyeol reminded Baekhyun of Kyungsoo, when Kyungsoo first opened his mouth. It’s this sound; this soft, rich, velvety sound that makes his heart race. It’s a sound that Baekhyun can never have. His heartstrings pulled by Chanyeol’s strums and knocks before he realized the song was over, his pizza had all turned stone cold.

‘Hey you feeling better?’ The same voice as last night asked.

‘Ye..Yeah’ Baekhyun gulped flushing at Chanyeol’s face next to his, smiling widely.

‘Want… Want a drink?’ Baekhyun offered.

‘Sure.’ Chanyeol took the glass in Baekhyun’s hands and topped it up from the jug, finishing it in one shot.

Baekhyun stared at Chanyeol’s adam apple going up and down as he finished the beer, he swallowed hard.

‘So why ain’t you having whiskey as usual?’ Chanyeol asked, ‘I see you here almost every night getting wasted.’

‘Maybe it’s time for a change?’ Baekhyun laughed awkwardly. ‘Did you send me home last night?’

‘Yupp, I did send you home last night.’ Chanyeol nodded.

‘How do you know where I live?’

‘Your identification card have your address on it.’ Chanyeol patted on Baekyun’s right pocket on his coat. ‘I’ve been watching you for quite some time you know?’

‘Creeper.’ Baekhyun pouted and poured himself another glass.

‘Well, if you weren’t that drunk these many times, you probably would have remembered me, instead of calling me Kyungsoo.’ Chanyeol replied. Baekhyun choked.

‘Hey! You okay?’ Chanyeol panicked, hitting Baekhyun’s back repeatedly.

‘I’m okay.’ His faced flushed red in embarrassment. ‘Wait, did I call you Kyungsoo?’

‘Everytime, I would come over to you after my performance and you would tell me that you like me and you’ll pass out after that.’ Chanyeol bit his lower lip and giggled. ‘But who’s Kyungsoo?’

Baekhyun paused for a while. He couldn’t answer that questions himself. His face was burning hot, his ears were fuming. Is Kyungsoo his lover? His housemate? Or is Kyungsoo just a friend? He frowned at that question. Chanyeol waited for an answer eagerly. ‘Byun Baekhyun-ssi’ Baekhyun recalls the mornings he goes through every single day, he looks up at Chanyeol & replied, ‘He’s my friend, we are housemates.’ Chanyeol’s eye brow raised, his lips curled.

‘You sure? It doesn’t sound that simple.’

Baekhyun nodded. ‘I used to have a huge crush on him.’

‘Oh~ I see.’ Chanyeol pursed his lips, nodding slowly. ‘Do you think I can do better than Kyungsoo?’ He moved closer to Baekhyun and whispered into his ears. ‘I think I can do better Kyungsoo.’

Baekhyun’s fingers curled into a fist, his whispers filled with alcohol sent chills down Baekhyun’s spine, making him squirm like a little girl. He turned over to push Chanyeol over but to only have their lips meet. Baekhyun could hear his heart pounding on his ear drums, he hasn’t felt anything like this in a while. For once, he felt like his heart was beating instead of breaking. He closed his eyes for a while before pulling away.

‘You like me, don’t you?’ Chanyeol put his arms around Baekhyun, pressing his cheeks on Baekhyun’s cherry red cheeks. Baekhyun kept quiet but he didn’t resist Chanyeol’s touch, ‘Silent means consent.’ Chanyeol whispered again. Baekhyun doesn’t know if he’s doing the right thing but at least he knew this time he isn’t drunk; he’s wide awake. Perhaps it’s time for Byun Baekhyun to be loved, he’s tired of loving Do Kyungsoo. It’s about time he felt alive again. Guilty pleasure it may seem to be, but life’s a roller coaster, this going to one hell of an emotional ride and thrill but at least, Baekhyun know he’s living it for himself now.