A/N: So recently, I was asked to prepare a short story (no more than 1'000 words...I did 1'044 lol) on the concept of 'discovery'. Obviously, that's extremely vague, so I decided to adapt I See You to fit the criteria.
As I won't be able to update for an indeterminable amount of time, I've decided to upload the short story adaptation as a bonus and apology, so I hope you enjoy this little Baekhyun ~ blind Chanyeol piece.

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Baekhyun sprinted from the house, aggressively swiping at the tears streaming down his blushing cheeks as his parents screamed horrid obscenities behind him. Even as his mother cried out his name, he continued to run, arms pumping powerfully and feet pounding against the harsh, uneven sidewalk. He ran until his lungs felt like they were on the verge of collapsing, ran until his body transformed into a tumbling mess of limbs. Gasping, he stumbled towards a rusty park bench, too exhausted and too blinded by a steady flow of salty tears to notice the presence beside him.

He blinked rapidly, trying to force the wetness away. If there was anything he hated, it was crying. When he got over emotional, his face seemed to swell and his eyes grew to be significantly puffy, so people often mistook him for some kind of drug addict. He knew his expression contorted when he sniffled like a child, so he applied his slender fingers to his eyes, dabbing them dry.

The eruption of a soothingly deep voice beside him made him jump, toppling off the bench and onto the clumps of earth below. ‘Why are you crying?’

Baekhyun gazed up to see a boy about his age, with sparkling hazel eyes and ears that jutted out, reminiscent of that bizarre green elf from Star Wars…Yoda? He was smiling, glistening, straight white teeth on full view and he held a welcoming hand out. With an awkward cough Baekhyun took the boy’s hand, attempting to ignore the smooth sensation of it against his own skin, and used the support as a leverage to get himself back onto the bench. He plonked down with a grunt and loud thud, to notice that whilst his little legs dangled through the air, the other boy had his huge feet planted firmly on the ground. Feeling self-conscious, Baekhyun slid further along the bench and tugged his knees into his chest, cutely burying his face.

The other boy, noticing that Baekhyun had ignored his question, began to speak again. He spoke about himself, distracting Baekhyun from his thoughts, making him forget the vision of his parents arguing and soon, the slighter boy was huddled up against him, listening intently.

His name was Chanyeol and he was in fact, completely blind. Baekhyun originally disputed this, stating that there was no way Chanyeol couldn’t see if he so effortlessly knew that he was crying.  Chanyeol laughed at this and explained that it was totally impossible for anyone to miss Baekhyun’s sobs, because they were so terribly deafening that they could likely be heard for miles. Baekhyun sulked for a few seconds following that conversation, but almost immediately curled into Chanyeol again, enjoying the warmth he provided and the stories he told.

The image of two boys, bodies almost knitted snugly together, became a reoccurring thing, because Baekhyun’s parents fought all too often and Chanyeol just enjoyed venturing out of the house. They grew closer through the retelling of awful ‘Dad jokes’, hilarious puns used in advertisements and mythological stories, as well as through their strange, shared adoration of the beagle breed. Chanyeol claimed that people sometimes told him he looked like a puppy and Baekhyun very quickly confirmed the fact, describing all of his features in beautiful detail so that he could concoct an image in his mind.

Eventually, Baekhyun found that he went to Chanyeol for all of his problems, entirely shrugging off his parent’s attempts to reach out to him. When his mother asked him what he wanted for dinner, he thought about the unique faces Chanyeol pulled whilst slurping noodles. When his father asked him how his studies were going, he thought about how well Chanyeol’s husky voice would be suited to teaching. When either of them asked why he was always so distant, he didn’t answer, because he was far too preoccupied with thinking about Chanyeol.

In due time, they learnt of the cause behind their son’s distracted mind, because a new presence began to lighten their entire household. When a tall, lanky boy with clumsy feet and magical ears appeared in the doorway, the atmosphere transformed immediately and both parents quite hurriedly realised that Chanyeol’s polite mannerisms and gentle humour were exactly what their son needed, maybe even what they needed. He brought the family together, his jokes upturning everyone’s mouths and his singing, accompanied by the skilful caressing of his guitar’s strings, was able to lift various weights from their shoulders. Baekhyun was the happiest he had ever been.

He often contemplated why he felt this way, how Chanyeol was able to have such a positive effect on him. He thought that it was because he was inspiring, not once letting his disability become a disadvantage or that maybe it was because he was so kind, never daring to utter an insult of any kind. He concluded, however, that these reasons were true, but completely wrong.

It was a dark, chilly evening when Baekhyun discovered what the real reason was. He was outside, shimmering snowflakes falling softly against his porcelain white skin and the flickering of a smashed streetlight illuminating the silhouette of his small figure. Yet again, he had escaped his house. This time, it was because his parents just didn’t seem to understand him, didn’t seem to grasp the words that poured whole-heartedly from his pink lips. He was exhausted with trying to get them to recognize his feelings amidst their own conflicts, and had jogged straight to the eroded park bench. Chanyeol was already waiting.

When Chanyeol listened, nodding every so often and offering pieces of helpful advice at all the appropriate times, Baekhyun had one of those enlightening light-bulb moments. The larger boy made him feel so at ease, so overly joyous, because he could read his mind. Chanyeol was blind, but he was the only one who could truly see Baekhyun.

Chanyeol was also cut off mid-speech by the sensation of tiny, slender arms wrapping him in a grateful embrace. He was clothed in multiple layers, all thick and woollen, so even though he couldn’t feel tears soaking the material, his ears prickled at the sound of muffled whines.

Hugging the slighter boy in return, Chanyeol whispered four very familiar words. ‘Why are you crying?’