Park Chanyeol has spent most of his life on his own, an outcast, a loner if you will. Of course, this is not by choice, but more of an unfortunate fact. He’s tried to make friends, but all efforts have been futile and fruitless. No matter what he tries, what he says, or how he acts, nothing changes. He’s always left behind, every single time, without fail.

 

It’s not that opportunities to acquaint himself with others are scarce, quite the reverse, in fact. He’s constantly surrounded by new faces, but he finds himself ostracized because he looks intimidating, or so he’s overheard (it’s not like anyone ever says anything to him directly).

 

He strives to remain positive (if there’s a will, there’s a way, right?) and he keeps telling himself that the next time will be different, that someone will look past his appearance and realise that he’s a diamond in the rough, just waiting to be discovered.

 

But alas, his external demeanour has kept everyone at bay and it’s happened on so many occasions that Chanyeol has stopped trying to keep track of all the times he’s been shunned by his cohort. At some point, inevitably, he was forced to accept the harsh reality that he will probably spend the rest of his life in solitude.

 

It’s always the same, someone arrives at his current residence, looking for a new addition to their family. Initially, their eyes land on Chanyeol, of course they would, he’s the largest of the flock, and therefore sticks out like a sore thumb. But before long their attention is diverted elsewhere.

 

Regardless of who it may be--an individual, a couple, a family, someone old, someone young--it doesn’t matter: they don’t ever pick Chanyeol.

 

“He’s too big for us” he hears for the umpteenth time. It’s not like he can help his size. If only they gave him a chance, he pleads silently, they’d grow to love him and there’s no one with a larger heart than he. He would cherish them, treasure them, and love unconditionally.

 

But he never gets chosen. They always leave with a new family member that isn’t he and once again, Chanyeol’s left all alone.

 

Chanyeol sees the new ones come and go--it’s usually the pretty ones or the cute ones who get chosen the quickest. He laughs bitterly when he hears the excited chatter once the others discover that they’ll be whisked away to begin their journey with a new family, a new home, and a new life.

 

Sometimes Chanyeol feels that he shouldn’t just accept his seeming fate of isolation, that he ought not to lose hope of being welcomed into a new home. If there’s something that Chanyeol wants more than anything, it’s, a place to call home, a place where he belongs. What a feeling it must be, to have a home, a real home, not just a roof over one’s head. A house does not make a home, he thinks, this place isn’t my home.

 

Home sweet home.

 

Home is where one starts from.

 

Home is where the heart is.

 

Home is where Park Chanyeol’s story begins.

 

Today is just like any other day. No one is talking to Chanyeol (what else is new?). He remains in his designated spot, segregated from the others. He’s okay with it, he really is, he’s not resentful or anything. The larger ones have to stick together, only he doesn’t have any companions because he’s the only one of his grand stature.

 

Chanyeol hears the door open, and rather than waiting with bated breath along with the rest of them, he rolls his eyes and continues wallowing in self pity. He’s distracted by the disgruntled exhales and mutters of “Oh, it’s just him.” It must just be the owner, and not someone looking for a prospective family member.

 

“Please welcome our latest edition!” Chanyeol hears the man croon.

 

He wills himself not to look at the new arrival. Chances are that they’ll be gone before they’ve even had a chance to settle in. Whatever, it’s not like they’ll form an everlasting bond of friendship anyway, so what’s the point of even thinking about–

 

He looks.

 

Goddamn it, Park Chanyeol!

 

His breath hitches at the sight bestowed before him.

 

Wow, he’s so pretty and delicate looking. He’ll have no problem finding a new home, not when he looks like that. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets snapped up within the week. Lucky for some.

 

“Hey.”

 

When was the last time anyone showed a slight bit of interest in me? Chanyeol broods, There used to be a few nibbles every now and then, even if it did amount to nothing concrete. These days though, nothing.

 

“Hey!”

 

God, this new kid is annoying. Can’t he keep it down a little?! He’s just arrived and he thinks he can just take over when I’ve been here the longest? Who does he think he is?

 

“Hey, big guy!”

 

He’s got some real nerve calling me big when he doesn’t even– Wait, is he actually talking to me? To me?!

 

“M-Me?” Chanyeol glances up.

 

“I don’t see anyone else here as big as you, do you?” the new arrival quips.

 

Chanyeol winces involuntarily at the choice of word used to describe him. He feels like he’s been er punched.

 

“Oh hey, I didn’t mean to offend you there. I just haven’t seen–”

 

The new kid is interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. He immediately straightens up and puts his game face on. Chanyeol scoffs to himself, he can practically hear the guy screaming ‘Pick me!’ as if he had the power to control minds and influence his selection.

 

Chanyeol hears the heavy steps of a man approaching, perusing the potential additions to his home. The man glances at the new kid before turning his attention to Chanyeol. Chanyeol can feel the man’s scrutiny; it feels uncomfortable, yet strangely pleasant at the same time.

 

The unfamiliar man has sharp features and a strong set of eyebrows, eyebrows that are currently furrowed as he examines Chanyeol more closely and meticulously. Chanyeol’s first impression is that the man appears threatening, but as the man’s facial expression relaxes, Chanyeol notes that he has kind eyes and a warm, gummy smile.

 

No, Chanyeol cannot allow himself to get attached to the man. He closes his eyes and tells himself, “He’s not going to choose me, don’t delude yourself into thinking that you’ve got a chance. Don’t do this to yourself, don’t even–”

 

“This one.”

 

Chanyeol jerks his eyes open, “Which one? Which one?!” Chanyeol is frantically searching for the answer. He gazes at the strange man and he stops breathing when he notices the long finger pointing to him, him.

 

Chanyeol can feel the ache settling in from smiling too hard, but he couldn’t care less. He hears the faint cheers of his former associates as the man leads him away and for the first time in his life, he sincerely and wholeheartedly wishes that they each manage to experience the same euphoria that he’s currently feeling.

 

“I can’t wait to introduce you to the rest of the family,” he hears the benevolent man say, his voice full of affection. “I think you’re going to love your new home.”

 

Home.

 

Park Chanyeol finally has a place to call home.

 

“Oh wow, look at how big he is!”

 

“Where on earth did this guy come from? He’s massive!”

 

“How can he be so huge?!”

 

It’s been less than five minutes since Chanyeol’s been presented to his new family and he’s already being bombarded with jabs about his magnitude. He zones out, ignoring all the comments, as he gives them all a once over. His attention is suddenly diverted to one subject in particular and he finds himself unable to look away. “H-Hi,” he stammers, “What’s your name?”

 

“Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo,” comes a timid response.

 

“Hi Kyungsoo, I’m Chanyeol,” he beams as he introduces himself. He prays to every god and deity that Kyungsoo won’t be like rest of them and reject him solely because of his large stature.

 

“Hi Chanyeol, nice to meet you,” Kyungsoo replies, this time with more confidence.

 

The beauty that is Do Kyungsoo has rendered Chanyeol absolutely and utterly speechless. Chanyeol has never been at a loss for words (not that he’s had anyone to speak to, but he’s always had a very healthy relationship with… himself).

 

Kyungsoo may have been small, but he has curves in all the right places and Chanyeol is positive that Kyungsoo is glowing, literally iridescent; he’s never seen anything so breathtaking.

 

Chanyeol anticipates getting better acquainted with his newfound object of infatuation. He ponders on the appropriate length of time he’s required to wait before he can propose sticking his end into Kyungsoo’s hole without offending him. He shudders with arousal at the mental images of leaving his shavings scattered everywhere. Hopefully his tip won’t break off and get lodged between Kyungsoo’s blade and base when he bottoms out.

 

Oh, one thing that should be noted, Park Chanyeol is a pencil and Do Kyungsoo a sharpener. Now that that’s cleared up and everyone’s on the same page, let’s continue, shall we?

 

Chanyeol’s adoration for Kyungsoo does not go unnoticed by the other stationery. His puppy dog eyes, trying to follow Kyungsoo everywhere he goes (as best as he can, he is a pencil after all) was the talk of the town pencil case.

 

“Oh look, he’s rolling after Soo again.”

 

“When will he learn?”

 

“Leave him alone. Bless him, the poor sod.”

 

Chanyeol doesn’t care about what the others think. The only one that matters is Kyungsoo, and well… he isn’t quite sure where he stands with the sharpener. Kyungsoo had been pleasant enough when Chanyeol had first arrived, but it’s been a whole week since then, and they haven’t had the opportunity to… bond.

 

“It’s not as if he’ll ever know what it’ll feel like to be inside of him, the blade cutting into you as you’re rotating in his tight hole.”

 

Chanyeol halts his rolling pursuit of the sharpener and shoots a death glare at the pencil who had just spoken.

 

“Oh , you’ve done it now, Byun Baek. He looks like he wants to snap you in two,” Kim Jongdae says, a putty eraser and best friend to the writing tool that is Byun Baekhyun.

 

“He can if he wants,” Baekhyun goads, “Of course that’ll mean I’ll get to into Soo again and we all know how good that feels. Oh wait, Chanyeol doesn’t. Oops, my bad. I keep forgetting you’re too big for our little Soo.”

 

“Shut up, Byun.”

 

Chanyeol rolls his thick length to face the new voice--it’s Kyungsoo coming to his rescue like a knight in shining armour.

 

“Stop teasing him or I’ll make sure your tip gets stuck next time I have to sharpen you,” Kyungsoo warns.

 

“It’s not like you to make idle threats, Soo,” Jongdae comments. “Maybe we’ve got it wrong. Maybe it’s Soo who–”

 

“Hey guys, let’s not fight,” a plastic ruler, Kim Junmyeon, interrupts. “We all need to stick together, remember what I always say: We are one!”

 

“Stick together? You’re a ruler, Junmyeon, not glue,” Jongdae remarks, “The only one who can make us stick together is Tao. Speaking of, where is Tao? I haven’t seen him around lately. Maybe he’s left us and gone canoodling with the stack of papers again.”

 

“Yeah, shut it, Junmyeon. Who put you in charge? Just because you’re a ruler doesn’t mean you’re the ruler of us. You can’t even move unless we help you,” Baekhyun adds, laughing at his jab to the ruler.

 

“We need to draw the line somewhere, right guys?” Junmyeon chuckles at his own awful pun. He’s the only one whoever finds his jokes funny. Well, sometimes Yixing laughs, but then again, no one is sure if the Sharpie ever fully understands the humour behind the witty jests.

 

“Guys, keep it down. Sehun is trying to take a nap,” Jongin hisses as he cradles Sehun lovingly in his holder.

 

Chanyeol remains in a state of perpetual denial when he attempts to convince himself that he doesn’t feel a pang of jealousy at Jongin and Sehun’s affectionate embrace, and doesn’t resent the fact that he’s unable to do the same with Kyungsoo. Hell, he can’t even be inserted inside of Kyungsoo’s entrance, let alone feel his tip in the clutches of the sharpener’s chamber.

 

Chanyeol’s sure that if he had tear ducts, he would’ve wept an ocean the moment he realised that he was too big for Kyungsoo’s hole. Damn his thick girth, why couldn’t he be like all the the regular pencils? Why did he have to be a jumbo sized pencil that requires the larger aperture, one only found in a double-barrelled sharpener. During his cogitations, not once does Chanyeol criticise Kyungsoo for not being the type of sharpener who could accommodate his endowment because he believes that Kyungsoo is perfect, just the way he is.

 

“Why the hell does he need to take a nap? He’s a pencil,” Baekhyun points out, “I’ll make all the noise I want, thank you very much.”

 

“I will poke you, Baekhyun. I will bore holes all over your body,” Jongin vows, glancing at his needle point for good measure.

 

“You wouldn’t dare,” Baekhyun gasps, backing up and settling beside Jongdae for protection.

 

“When it comes to Sehun, y’all need to back the hell up. Jongin shows no mercy,” Yixing says. Everyone is surprised at how astute Yixing can be on occasion. “Wait, what are you meant to be again, Jongin? You have two legs but you’re not human like our owner.” And then other times he’s just… Yixing.

 

“He’s a compass, Yixing,” Junmyeon reminds him.

 

“Oh, right. A compass, I remember now,” Yixing beams. “But wait. If he’s a compass, where are his arrows?”

 

“Arrows?” Junmyeon asks in confusion.

 

“You know, to point north?” Yixing elaborates.

 

Jongdae leans against Baekhyun, and they both groan in exasperation. “Not that kind of compass. He draws circles,” Jongdae explains.

 

“That makes more sense, I was wondering why a navigation tool would shack up with a mini pencil. But then again…” Yixing pauses, shifting his gaze back and forth between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo. “Sometimes you can’t help how you feel.”

 

“You mean how good it feels to be plunged into Soo’s tight entrance? Feeling him swallow your tip whole?” Baekhyun cackles gleefully.

 

“Keep it down! This is my last warning,” Jongin apprises.

 

“Ah, pipe down before I squeeze inside you and bust your adjusting nut. How would you like it if you’re no longer able to grip onto Sehun’s tight body anymore?” Baekhyun pays no heed to Jongin’s threats.

 

Jongdae roars with laughter, rocking back and forth, “Bust your nut! He said he was gonna bust your nut! Good one, Byun Baek!”

 

Jongin glowers at Jongdae.

 

“Hey man, you can scowl at me all you want. Your needle point can’t do any damage to me. I’m putty, I can be remoulded endlesslyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!” Jongdae screeches in a high pitched wail.

 

“Hey, what’s going on?” Sehun murmurs, his voice thick with sleep.

 

“He’s awake! ! Run for your lives!” Baekhyun hollers before rolling away as fast as his cylindrical wooden body can go.

 

Junmyeon steps in, attempting to mediate the situation, “Now, let’s be civil here. No need to– Jongin, why are you looking at me like that? Why are you pointing your needle at me? Jongin, need I remind you that I didn’t make any loud noises? Jongin, I– Someone help me! I can’t move! I need help moving!”

 

“I’ll save you, Junmyeon!” Yixing rushes forward to aid the ruler.

 

Chanyeol hears Kyungsoo exhale with a heavy sigh. “What’s wrong, Soo?” Kyungsoo whips his tiny body around to face Chanyeol. , this is the first time Chanyeol has referred to Kyungsoo with a nickname. What if he reprimands him for the use? What if they’ve not quite reached that level of friendship, and Chanyeol’s gone and put his big fat tip in his big fat–

 

“Hey, let’s move to the other end of the table, away from all the ruckus,” Kyungsoo suggests.

 

“Sure, lead the way and I’ll follow you, Soo.” Kyungsoo looks at Chanyeol again. The pencil clears his throat. “I mean, Kyungsoo,” he corrects.

 

“You can call me ‘Soo’, you know,” Kyungsoo says, barely audible. “If you want to, I mean.”

 

“I do want to!” Chanyeol exclaims enthusiastically.

 

Kyungsoo laughs and Chanyeol’s lead melts into a puddle of goo. He could listen to the sweet song that is Do Kyungsoo’s laughter for as long as he’s a pencil, and let’s face it, seeing as he doesn’t fit inside of Kyungsoo, chances are that’ll be for a long, long, long time.

 

“What are you thinking about?” Kyungsoo’s question snaps Chanyeol out of his reverie.

 

“Who, m-me?” Chanyeol stammers.

 

Kyungsoo giggles again and Chanyeol’s insides flip. “Yes, you.” Kyungsoo nudges him with his small metal frame and it sends shivers down his wooden body.

 

“I was just thinking about…” Chanyeol’s voice trails off.

 

“Chanyeol, what’s wrong?” Kyungsoo asks, his tone full of concern.

 

Chanyeol rolls back and forth. “It’s stupid, forget about it. It’s nothing, it’s not important.”

 

Kyungsoo shuffles in front of Chanyeol, blocking his path to roll forward. “Chanyeol, please. Nothing’s unimportant. I want to know. Only if you want to tell me, of course. If it’s personal and you don’t feel comfortable sharing with me then I completely understand so–”

 

“I feel useless sometimes,” Chanyeol interrupts Kyungsoo’s rambling.

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything and the two of them remain silent, the faint background noise of the ongoing kerfuffle the only sound heard.

 

“Why?” Kyungsoo finally breaks the silence.

 

“I just…” Chanyeol hesitates.

 

“You just?” Kyungsoo coaxes.

 

“Like everyone here has a function, you know? He uses each and every one of us… except me.” Chanyeol begins to slowly wobble backwards.

 

Kyungsoo scurries after him, “But you have a purpose!” he calls out after the pencil.

 

Chanyeol freezes in motion, “I-I do?”

 

“It might not mean much to you, but ever since you’ve arrived… you…” Kyungsoo swivels, turning his back to Chanyeol. “Youjustmakethingsmorebearablearoundhere,” he slurs the words together, too embarrassed to break it down into a coherent sentence.

 

Chanyeol staggers into Kyungsoo, almost sending him flying off the desk, “! Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that!”

 

“It’s okay, no harm no foul,” the sharpener assures.

 

“See, I’m pointless,” Chanyeol moroses.

 

Kyungsoo stifles a snigger, “I don’t mean to laugh, but I can’t help it.”

 

“You can’t help it?”

 

“Pointless, you’ve yet to be sharpened, thus you are technically pointless,” Kyungsoo explains.

 

The awkward silence returns.

 

“Look, Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo speaks up, “If anyone’s useless, it’s me.”

 

“What? No!” Chanyeol protests.

 

“I wish I could sharpen you, Chanyeol. I really do, but I’m just not… big enough,” Kyungsoo sighs. “You probably didn’t realise but I could practically feel your pain when He tried to squeeze you into my hole only to realise you didn’t fit.”

 

“I… didn’t think anyone noticed,” he admits.

 

“I’m more observant than you give me credit for. I know I’m just a little guy but I see things. I just don’t like to be vocal like Baekhyun and Jongdae,” Kyungsoo continues.

 

“But that still doesn’t make you the useless one. It’s me, I’m too big,” the pencil sighs. “I was actually worried that you would hate me,” Chanyeol confesses.

 

“Hate you? Why would I hate you?” Kyungsoo asks incredulously.

 

“For making you feel that way. You’re amazing, Soo,” Chanyeol whispers the compliment.

 

“I’m… amazing?” Kyungsoo asks in disbelief.

 

“Not only do you have a purpose in life, you also enable others to fulfill their roles as pencils. What are we if we don’t have a function? At least you can still sharpen the regular sized pencils like Baekhyun. And let’s not forget Sehun, you sharpen him too. You give them life, metaphorically speaking. You’re indispensable, unlike me who is pretty much redundant, worthless, unnecessary.”

 

“Don’t you dare say that about yourself! Just because you’re still untouched doesn’t mean you’re not important,” the sharpener reiterates. “And please, I wish I didn’t have to sharpen Baekhyun’s end,” Kyungsoo shudders. “Every time I feel him inside of me, I want Him to give me a hot scalding shower to clean away all essences of that dirty lead from my barrel, but well, rust issues and all that so it’s off the table.”

 

“What about Sehun?” Chanyeol asks tentatively.

 

“Sehun?” Kyungsoo repeats.

 

“Do you… enjoy sharpening Sehun?” Chanyeol questions again.

 

“Sehun is a necessity but everyone knows that he belongs to Jongin,” Kyungsoo replies. “You know,” he laughs before continuing, “I was kinda… wary of approaching you.”

 

“Me? Why? Is it because I’m oversized and intimidating?” Chanyeol asks despondently.

 

“No!” Kyungsoo blurts out, “Not at all! It’s because I didn’t want to be a constant reminder.”

 

“A constant reminder of what?”

 

“That I’ve stood in the way of you being sharpened. I’m the reason why you can’t fulfill your destiny, your duty as a pencil. I guess I was afraid that you would be the one to hate me, not the other way around.” Kyungsoo chuckles, “I guess we were both kinda feeling the same way, huh?”

 

“So let me just get this clear,” Chanyeol begins, “You don’t hate me?”

 

Kyungsoo shakes his frame from side to side.

 

“Okay, good. I don’t hate you either,” Chanyeol asserts. “So maybe… hopefully… kinda… if you want to… perha–”

 

“Just come out with it already,” Kyungsoo cuts him off, growing impatient to the pencil’s vacillation.

 

“We could… hang out more?” Chanyeol finishes sheepishly.

 

“I’d like that,” Kyungsoo beams.

 

Chanyeol sighs with relief, not realising he had been holding his breath awaiting Kyungsoo’s response.

 

“So, do you think we should go back and see what damage has been done?” Kyungsoo begins to roll Chanyeol gently before the latter has a chance to answer.

 

This feels nice, Chanyeol thinks. He wouldn’t mind getting used to the idea of Kyungsoo rolling him around everywhere he went. The pencil doesn’t know quite what to make of the scene before them when they arrive back where the other stationery had congregated.

 

“I’ve been here seven years, unscathed and now… Just look at me! No, wait, don’t look at me!” Junmyeon sobs, “Can someone please push me behind the paint brush pot? I can’t bear the thought of you guys seeing me like this.”

 

“What happened here?” Chanyeol asks, surveying the product of Jongin’s wrath.

 

“Jongin may have gotten carried away and marked Junmyeon,” Yixing relays what had transpired in Chanyeol and Kyungsoo’s absence.

 

“Marked?” Kyungsoo asks.

 

“Jongin branded him with the word ‘Loser’!” Jongdae guffaws.

 

“That’s rough,” Chanyeol remarks, backing slowly away from Jongin, while making sure to shield Kyungsoo at the same time.

 

“I warned you guys, but none of you would listen. You all thought I was bluffing, but Jongin doesn’t bluff when it comes to his baby. Isn’t that right, Sehunnie?” Jongin coos at Sehun, too engrossed with the love of his life even to express remorse for defacing an innocent party.

 

“Is it safe to come out yet?” Baekhyun calls out from an as yet unknown location.

 

“Not yet, bruh! If I were you, I’d stay there for a while,” Jongdae yells at nowhere in particular.

 

“Aww man! Sehun! Help a pencil out, won’t you? Pencil to pencil, calm your compass companion’s . Pleeeease?” Baekhyun pleads, his voice tinged with desperation.

 

Chanyeol gazes down at Kyungsoo, “Wanna get back outta here?” he proposes to the sharpener.

 

“I thought you’d never ask,” Kyungsoo replies, allowing his light metal body to be pushed along by Chanyeol’s rolling form.

 

Jongdae smirks as he catches the two sneaking off, “Would you look at that? It appears that there might be something there that wasn’t there before.”

 

“What?” Yixing asks.

 

“Something there that wasn't there before,” Jongdae repeats in singsong.

 

“What’s there?” Yixing questions again.

 

“Maybe I’ll tell you when you’re older. But say, do you smell that, Yixing?”

 

“Oh, I think that might be my ink, sorry,” the pen apologises.

 

“Not you. I’m talking about them. Chanyeol. Kyungsoo. Alone,” he clarifies.

 

“Well, I can see them, I’m not sure about smelling them. Maybe they’re too far away?” the pen offers.

 

“Can you feel the love tonight?” Jongdae breaks into singsong again.

 

“It’s night? Shouldn’t we be asleep then?” Yixing queries.

 

“We’re stationery. We don’t need to sleep! Do you hear that, Jongin? We. Don’t. Need. Sleep!” Baekhyun pipes up from a still unknown location.

 

“Watch it, or else you’ll be dead lead when I find you,” Jongin growls.

 

“Sehun, control your compass!” the pencil implores.

 

Jongdae bursts into singsong once more, ignoring his best friend’s potential demise (who said the friendship between a pencil and an eraser wasn’t legit?) “Chanyeol and Kyungsoo sitting on a desk...”

 

“S-H-A-R-E-P-I-N-I-N-G,” Yixing joins in.

 

“That’s not how you spell ‘sharpening’, Yixing,” Junmyeon squeaks from his hiding place.

 

“It’s okay, Yixing. You tried,” Jongdae comforts, “But how about you leave the singing to your resident main vocalist?”

 

“Says who? You’re just an eraser!” Baekhyun chimes in again.

 

Jongdae huffs, offended by the pencil’s words, “Do you want me to reveal your safe haven to Jongin?”

 

“I love you, my beautifully mouldable fixer of my markings. Please sing to me with your splendid putty voice.”

 

“That’s what I thought!”

 

“Guys, Sehun’s nodding off again. Time to keep it down,” Jongin cautions. This time, no one dares make another sound.

 

“Don’t you think it’s nice?” Chanyeol asks the sharpener from the other side of the desk, “The way Jongin takes care of Sehun?”

 

Kyungsoo topples back, perching against Chanyeol’s cylindrical form. “They’ve been inseparable for as long as I’ve known them.”

 

“They were made for each other, weren’t they? Like, were there any other pencils before Sehun came along?”

 

“Nope, it’s been Jongin and Sehun from the very start. They were each other’s firsts,” Kyungsoo reminisces.

 

“Must be nice, to have had that feeling of belonging to someone from the very start. What about you, Soo? Do you remember your first?”

 

“The first pencil that I sharpened?” Kyungsoo asks.

 

“Was… it Baekhyun?” Chanyeol whispers.

 

“It wasn’t, no. It was another pencil who is no longer with us.” Kyungsoo shuffles uncomfortably.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to dredge up any painful memories,” Chanyeol attempts to console the sharpener.

 

“It’s alright, it’s a fact of stationery life, isn’t it? You get used and…,” Kyungsoo exhales. “He was happy though. Like he once told me, he felt fulfilled.”

 

“Oh, that’s nice?” Chanyeol squeaks. He doesn’t mean for his voice to come out an octave higher than usual.

 

“Is it though? I’ve never told anyone this but sometimes I hate the fact that I’m a sharpener. Like, I basically wear you guys down until you’re unuseable and then you get disposed of; that’s on me. You mentioned before that it made me useful but I can’t even begin to describe how guilty I feel when I recall all the pencils I’ve caused to--” Kyungsoo chokes on a dry sob.

 

Chanyeol doesn’t know how to make Kyungsoo feel better, he’s never thought about it from his perspective before. He weeps inside for the heavy burden Kyungsoo has had to bear alone. His own lonely life before He had purchased him seems trivial in comparison.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to unload this on you.” Kyungsoo tries to compose himself. “This is what I meant earlier when I said that I felt more at ease when you arrived. Or maybe it was after we found out that I couldn’t sharpen you. Like, I knew I wouldn’t be the reason behind your disposal. God, that sounds so tactless.”

 

“It’s okay, I get what you’re trying to say. I’m glad you felt you could confide in me.”

 

Kyungsoo nuzzles into Chanyeol’s hardness, “Enough about me, what about your story? What was your life like before you entered this crazy household.”

 

Chanyeol clears his throat, “It was lonely. Very lonely, which is why I love it here. Everyone made me feel welcomed, even if it is through mockery and ridicule. It’s better than not being acknowledged at all.”

 

“I didn’t know you went through that. I’m sorry, Yeol,” Kyungsoo pauses, “Wait, can I call you that?”

 

Chanyeol feels as though his lead is going to burst and shatter his wooden body. “Y-Yeah, you can call m–”

 

“Chanyeol, Soo, save meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” Baekhyun screams at the top of his graphite core, intruding on Chanyeol and Kyungsoo’s special bonding time.

 

The pencil and sharpener watch in shock as they witness a pencil hurtling across the desk with a compass hopping along in hot pursuit.

 

“Are you sure you that you love it here?” the sharpener questions.

 

“There’s no place I’d rather be,” Chanyeol affirms, “There’s no place like home.”

 

“Sehun, tell Chanyeol how it feels.”

 

“Don’t listen to Baekhyun. It’s alright, baby. You really don’t have to, Sehunnie.”

 

“Jongin, please stop babying Sehun, it’s revolting. Hey, don’t look at me like that.”

 

“Yeah, Baek’s right. Do you have a or something? Does Sehun call you ‘Daddy’ when you guys are doing it?”

 

“Jongdae, please. Let’s not discuss their personal lives.”

 

“But aren’t you the slightest bit curious, Yixing?”

 

“Hey! What are you guys talking about, come closer! I can’t hear you.”

 

“Sssh, we’re trying to have a conversation here, Junmyeon.”

 

“Don’t be mean to Junmyeon, Jongdae. It’s not his fault he can’t move on his own.”

 

“Do you have a crush on Junmyeon or something? Or are you two secretly doing it already and we just don’t know about it?”

 

“Byun Baekhyun, get your lead out of the gutter. Yixing and I are not engaging in .”

 

“Is it just me or is it really hot in here?” Yixing uncaps his lid. “Ahh, that feels better. I was starting to feel claustrophobic under there.”

 

Jongdae uses Yixing’s top as a makeshift seat. “Look, Sehun. Only you and Baek can tell Chanyeol what he’s missing out on. And seeing as Chanyeol doesn’t believe a single word that Baek says…” Baekhyun mock gasps at the revelation. “… I think you owe it to him to tell him what he doesn’t know.”

 

“But…” Sehun shrinks behind Jongin. “I don’t want to make Chanyeol hyung sad.”

 

“You won’t.”

 

“Baekhyun, there’s no need to rub it in Chanyeol’s face when it’s not even an option for him.”

 

“Junmyeon, please stop being a ...tator.”

 

“Ha ha, very funny, Jongdae.”

 

Jongdae ignores the ruler and continues to persuade Sehun, “You like Chanyeol, right?”

 

“...Yes.”

 

“Then, you want him to feel welcomed, don’t you? Like, think of it as an initiation.”

 

Chanyeol, who has been secretly eavesdropping on the entire conversation, scoffs at Jongdae’s words. “An initiation to what? We’re not exactly an exclusive fraternity.”

 

“Chanyeol hyung!” Sehun greets the larger pencil.

 

“So, guys. This whole conversation reminds me of something that I’ve been thinking for a while now,” Yixing announces.

 

“That’d be a first,” Baekhyun mutters under his breath.

 

“Baekhyun!”

 

“Chanyeol, don’t interrupt Yixing when he’s trying to speak,” Baekhyun jibes obnoxiously.

 

“Y-you were the one who...” the large pencil splutters. “Never mind. Carry on, Yixing.”

 

Yixing takes a deep breath before speaking, “Being used by Him, it’s like a rite of passive, isn’t it? It’s like–”

 

“Wait, a rite of what?” Chanyeol interrupts.

 

“He means passage!” Junmyeon butts in from a distance.

 

“It’s… passage? I always thought it was passive.”

 

Baekhyun and Jongdae look at each other; Chanyeol can hear faint whispers of “You ask him!” and “No, you ask him, I asked him last time.” The hushed exchanges cease and they divert their gaze to Chanyeol instead; subtle jerks and nudges indicating that they want Chanyeol to be the one to pry further. Curiosity getting the better of him, and he takes one for the team. “Passive? Why did you think it was a ‘rite of passive’?”

 

Yixing teeters back and forth, “Because I thought that like… As stationery, we’re like passive, aren’t we? We just accept our fate and allow ourselves to be used without resistance. It’s our role as tools to be used, no?”

 

“Wow, that’s deep,” Jongdae replies in awe.

 

“That’s like getting rammed inside Kyungsoo’s hole kinda deep,” Baekhyun adds. Chanyeol knocks the pencil over with a hard shove.

 

“Even though we are expandable–”

 

Jongdae folds into himself to prevent any snarky remarks from escaping. Baekhyun dives into his best friend’s rubber form for the very same reason. Junmyeon, on the other hand, has a compelling need to correct and straighten everything in his path. Unable to let the mistake slide, he yells out, “Expendable!”

 

“I’ve heard it both ways, to be honest,” Baekhyun wisecracks.

 

“T-That doesn’t even’t make sense!” the ruler splutters.

 

“Even though we are expendable,” Yixing corrects, “I really believe that I would rather be utilised over just being for display purposes only…”

 

Chanyeol begins whimpering like a kicked puppy pencil.

 

“Sorry, Chanyeol. I didn’t mean to–”

 

“Now tell him all about how it feels to have His massive hands curled around your body. His fingers gripping onto you as he works your body and you feel that sensation in your gut, your essence just spilling over the page!” Baekhyun exclaims, rolling around in circles. “It’s the best feeling in the world, isn’t it? Tell him, Yixing!”

 

“Baekhyun, assess the situation,” Jongin scolds. “Sorry about that, Chanyeol. Baekhyun can get a little… excited sometimes.”

 

“Does it really feel that good? To be wielded?” Chanyeol squeaks.

 

“Uh huh! It’s the best feeling in the world,” Baekhyun responds, still rotating.

 

Yixing hesitates before answering tentatively, “There’s no words to describe it. It’s something you need to experience for yourself. Even if my ink is depleted… that’s the word, right? Depleted?” Everyone nods proudly. “Yeah, when my ink is depleted, I won’t have any regrets.”

 

“I see,” Chanyeol replies despondently, remembering the conversation he had had with Kyungsoo. He recalls the sharpener discussing his first time and how the pencil had described it as a gratifying fulfillment.

 

“Aww, cheer up, mate,” Baekhyun shuffles over to the larger pencil, “Maybe He’ll adopt a new sharpener just for you?”

 

Chanyeol’s core begins to tingle, the prospect of getting his end sharpened and finally being able to experience what it feels like to have real tip contact with the smooth surface of a sheet of paper overwhelms him.

 

He wasn’t aware of the burning desire that was apparently lying dormant inside of him. He thought his only wish was to find a place to belong, and he truly believes he has found it here with Kyungsoo and the others. Does he want the Man to use his body as a tool for His drawings, even if that means being with a sharpener who isn’t Kyungsoo?

 

“Are you alright, Chanyeol?” Yixing snaps the pencil out of his reverie.

 

“I think he’s just thinking about whether or not he’ll accomplish his duty as a pencil,” Jongdae supposes. “You want to be sharpened, don’t you?”

 

“What? No!” he denies.

 

Baekhyun scoffs, “Just admit it already.”

 

“M-Maybe?”

 

“One more time with confidence!” Baekhyun cheers.

 

“I think I want to be sharpened.” Chanyeol hears a shrill squeak emanate from behind him; he doesn’t dare turn around.

 

“Y-You… want to be… s-sharpened?” a timid voice cracks.

 

“S-Soo…” Chanyeol’s graphite interior feels heavier than usual, weighing his body down. The large pencil whips his body around to face the sharpener but he’s greeted with the sight of the small metal device scurrying away, bobbing along the desk. “Soo, wait!” he calls out after him.

 

He finds Kyungsoo cowering behind a pile of scrunched up paper the Man had left discarded on the desk. “Please, Soo. Hear me out,” he implores. “Please, I beg of you.”

 

Chanyeol feels a wave of relief when he sees Kyungsoo peek out from behind the paper. Before Chanyeol has the chance to explain himself, the two hear the door open. They both freeze, trying to remain as stationary as possible.

 

The Man approaches his work station, “That’s strange. I’m sure I put the lid back on the pen, and where’s the sharpener gone? Ah, there you are.”

 

Chanyeol watches helplessly as The Man picks Kyungsoo up between his large fingers along with Baekhyun, Jongdae, Junmyeon, and Yixing, and carries them away, away from him. When the door closes behind The Man, Chanyeol lets out an anguished howl, “Noooo! Soooooo!”

 

He feels Jongin embrace him between his limbs. “They’ll come back, Chanyeol. You know they will.”

 

“Yeah, Chanyeol hyung!” Sehun adds, “They always come back.”

 

“I miss you already, Soo,” the pencil murmurs under his breath, inaudible to the pair.

 

Chanyeol’s been with The Man (or Artist --Junmyeon had once disclosed that He was an Artist) for almost a year now. Chanyeol’s still exactly the same, perhaps the only constant in his not so new home. Everyone else has changed in some shape or form--Baekhyun is a little shorter, Jongdae a little darker, Yixing is drying out but still hanging in there, and Junmyeon’s measurements and numbers have faded, though he’s still effective in drawing straight lines.

 

By all appearances, the sharpener’s looks have remained unchanged, but the same cannot be said for his state of mind. Kyungsoo has started to develop an image complex: he’s self conscious, sure that his silver frame has dulled, even though Chanyeol keeps reassuring the him that he shines just as brightly as the day they met.

 

Chanyeol is worried that Kyungsoo’s inferiority issues may grow into a full blown body dysmorphic disorder. But even if that is the case, Chanyeol knows he’d be right by the sharpener’s side to help him through it.

 

Chanyeol is certain beyond a shadow of doubt that he’s very much in love with Kyungsoo, the fact that they’re inanimate objects notwithstanding. What he’s not sure of, however, is whether the sharpener reciprocates his feelings.

 

To characterise Chanyeol and Kyungsoo’s relationship as strictly platonic wouldn’t be entirely accurate, not that anything has transpired between the two. The way Kyungsoo behaves toward him isn’t exactly ambivalent--Chanyeol has caught the sharpener glancing at him a few times, his gaze lingering a tad too long to be considered a mere happenstance.

 

It’s just that there hasn’t been any explicit confession of feelings. The last thing the pencil wants to do is make their relationship awkward by pointing his blunt end at the sharpener and making an irrevocable proclamation of love. For all the pencil knows, Kyungsoo has a serious staring issue--a problem that only Chanyeol is subjected to since no one else seems to be the target of the sharpener’s extended gaze.

 

Sure, they’ve enjoyed the frequent occasions when they’ve stayed up all night talking about anything and everything. What would they want to be if they weren’t stationery? A penguin, Kyungsoo says. “They just look so squishy and cute, well, from what I’ve seen from His drawings anyway.”

 

Chanyeol had reservations about basing his answer on Kyungsoo’s, but it didn’t deter him too much, “I’d want to be a giraffe, that way we’d get to be together, but as animals this time.” “You’re so silly, Yeol, penguins and giraffes aren’t animal friends,” Kyungsoo teases. Chanyeol felt that the sharpener’s laughter was well worth the pencil having given a ‘silly’ answer. Chanyeol actually had no idea what had been silly about it, but he didn’t want Kyungsoo to deem him even more so by protesting.

 

“Well, they could be. There’s no rule against it, is there?” is all that he offers in return. Kyungsoo sighs before agreeing, “If it’s us, then definitely. We’d be the first penguin and giraffe to spend all of our time together. Us against the world, Yeol.” ‘Us’, Chanyeol had liked the sound of that.

 

They’ve told each other all about their lives before they crossed paths. Chanyeol chooses not to confess, for fear he’d scare the other away, that he can barely remember his life before meeting Kyungsoo; the sharpener is all that he can think about these days.

 

The two have also had the occasional sleepover, and Chanyeol enjoys the sensation of the cool metal of Kyungsoo's form against his. The others (read: Baekhyun and Jongdae) had mocked and ridiculed him that one time when they discovered that the pencil had woken up with a serious case of morning wood. He couldn't help it though, Kyungsoo had pretty much straddling him all night long. Chanyeol has been silently thanking The Artist for perching the sharpener on his large flank for days. He's also been trying not to read too much into Kyungsoo’s not shuffling off him as soon as they were left alone.

 

All Chanyeol would allow himself to conclude about why Kyungsoo had remained atop him was that the sharpener was simply too lazy to move. Yup, that must be it. There's no way Kyungsoo had any ulterior motives such as reciprocating the pencil's romantic feelings... right?

 

(Or perhaps there’s something there that wasn’t there before?)

 

Chanyeol’s currently waiting for Kyungsoo to arrive at their rendezvous point for their daily meetups. He’s been waiting for the sharpener for more than an hour now, yet Kyungsoo’s nowhere to be seen.

 

He hears shuffling from behind, “Soo? Oh, it’s just you,” the pencil says, unable to hide his disappointment.

 

“Well, hello to you too! Aww, are you all upset because Soo stood you up? Do you think that he took one look at you and left without showing his blade?” Baekhyun rouses.

 

“This isn’t our first date. Kyungsoo knows what I look like,” Chanyeol points out.

 

“So these little meetings of yours are dates, then? I knew it, Jongdae owes me a rubber massage,” Baekhyun giggles with delight.

 

“It’s not! That’s not what I meant!” Chanyeol splutters. “We’re just hanging out, okay?”

 

“Suuuuuuuuuure. If you say so, Yeol. Or is Soo the only one who can call you that?”

 

Chanyeol grits his lead. “Just Soo.”

 

“Look, we all know that you want to jump Soo’s barrel, even Yixing’s penned it out. Why don’t you just tell him how you feel?” Baekhyun asks.

 

“I don’t want to make it awkward between us. It’s not like either of us can leave if things don’t work out.”

 

“Grow some lead balls and just confess,” Baekhyun encourages. “You might be surprised is all I’m saying.” He continues before offering Chanyeol the opportunity to respond, “Anyways, I’ll leave you to it. I hope Soo shows up soon. Good luck, Chanyeol. I know I like to be the sharp tip in your side, but you’re actually like the closest thing I’ve ever had to a brother. Though, if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll tell Jongin that I caught you trying to grind against Sehun the last time we were in the pencil case.”

 

“I… That was kinda nice of you to say, I guess? Thanks, Baekhyu–Baek. And don’t fret, I won’t repeat a single word,” the pencil promises.

 

Baekhyun pencil bumps Chanyeol before rolling away, “Don’t sweat it. Now get that sharpener and do us pencils proud!”

 

Another hour passes and Kyungsoo is still nowhere in sight. As time goes by, the anxiety grows too overwhelming, so Chanyeol decides to look for the sharpener. He checks in with Junmyeon and Yixing, but neither knows where on the desk Kyungsoo could be.

 

After endless searching between papers and other various clutter on the flat surface (the Artist has been keeping the desk very unkempt as of late), Chanyeol sighs as he rests against a drying canvas. The pencil observes the artwork, trying to discern what the subject of the illustration is. He’s not sure if it’s supposed to be an abstract drawing or some kind of impressionism he’s not aware of --he’s no art aficionado. He comes to the conclusion that it’s some sort of dragon-alpaca hybrid… or perhaps an amalgam of a crocodile, a goat, and… wait… is the creature wearing a gold chain and sunglasses?

 

Chanyeol notices a line of text and reads the caption aloud, “Get yo swag on.” His owner is definitely a peculiar man, a strange man indeed. The pencil is about to shift from his spot, and continue his quest to find the missing sharpener when he hears a hushed sniffle. He freezes, careful not to make a sound. He hears another soft cry. His attention darts to the origin of the snivelling, it appears to be emanating from the paint bottles.

 

Chanyeol rolls tentatively towards the colourful containers, careful not to disturb them; he’s not exactly friends with them. Junmyeon had explained that everyone had the tendency to remain integrated amongst their own kind. “Hi, excuse me, sorry, hey, just squeezing in here, apologies,” he mutters as he weaves his way through the crowd. He knows he’s closing in, he can hear the cries growing louder. Wait, why does it sound familiar? “Soo? Is that you?” he calls out.

 

The sobs cease and the pencil hears a squeak. “...No,” comes a trembling voice.

 

Chanyeol peers behind a black bottle of paint, observing the small sharpener cowering behind the large container, “I’ve been worried about you, Soo. How long have you been hiding behind here?”

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t respond. Chanyeol slips in, pulling up beside Kyungsoo, his frame brushing against the other’s. As soon as the sharpener feels the pencil’s contact, he bursts into sobs. “I’ve just been thinking about the future and oh my God, why am I even crying? This is so embarrassing!” Kyungsoo wails.

 

Chanyeol’s lead breaks for Kyungsoo, he hates seeing the sharpener in this state. He wishes he knew how to console the other, but his mind is coming up empty. Kyungsoo hiccups and Chanyeol summons all the strength running through his thick hard body to not coo at him and barrage him with a rapid stream of baby talk. Yeah, that probably wouldn’t go down well at all.

 

On a serious note though, how is possible for the sharpener to be so cute? Chanyeol reckons it must defy the laws of physics or biology or some kind of science . The pencil also ponders if one can flat out expire due to an overload of adorable behaviour? He swears he’s on the verge of disintegrating into ash (or perhaps he’s been watching too much anime when the Artist conducts his ‘research’).

 

“Soo…” Chanyeol whispers.

 

“I know, I’m being stupid,” the sharpener berates himself, “I just… I just…” Kyungsoo falls into a fit of hysterical sobbing again.

 

“Sssssh,” Chanyeol gently soothes. “What’s brought this all on, Soo?”

 

“I can feel it, Yeol. I feel it.”

 

“Feel what?”

 

Kyungsoo shuffles away from Chanyeol, the latter feeling empty with the sudden loss. The sharpener turns away and exhales deeply, “I know my blade is getting dull. I feel it in the way He rotates Baekhyun and Sehun. He uses a lot more pressure now, it’s starting to hurt a little.

 

“You probably think I’m being overly paranoid but what if he just buys a new sharpener? It’s not like they’re exactly hard to come by. And if for some reason, he doesn’t choose to replace me just yet, what about when I rust? I’ll be useless then, dangerous even. He’ll have no choice but to… throw me away.

 

“When that happens, I won’t get to stay with you guys anymore. I’ll be in a landfill somewhere and you’ll probably forget about me–”

 

“I won’t ever forget you,” Chanyeol interrupts. “I would never be able to forget you,” he adds quietly.

 

Kyungsoo whips his body around to face the pencil, “You say that now but what about when it’s been a year, two years? You can’t say that you–”

 

“I can and I will say it! I will never forget you, Soo. No amount of time would be able to change that,” the pencil asserts. “Not when I…” Chanyeol falters, he’s not quite ready to profess his feelings to the sharpener just yet.

 

“Not when you?”

 

Chanyeol clears his passage a couple of times, “I just won’t.”

 

Kyungsoo leans forward, closing any distance between the two, “Oh.” He pauses before hobbling back a couple of inches, “I thought you were finally going to tell me how much you like me.”

 

Chanyeol gapes in disbelief, his wooden flank fumbling for a few moments before Kyungsoo rushes to steady him.

 

“Easy there, Yeol.” Chanyeol utilises the sharpener's small frame to support him. “Erm… are you going to say anything?”

 

“Wait, what? How? Why? Who? When? Where? What?” he babbles incoherently.

 

Kyungsoo giggles, “You’re not exactly discreet, Yeol.”

 

“What? Excuse me? How? What? Why? What? Where? What? Please come again,” the pencil continues to mutter to himself. Kyungsoo waits patiently for the pencil to compose himself and construct a proper sentence. “How… long have you known?” Chanyeol asks after fifteen minutes have passed.

 

“Erm, since the first day you arrived?”

 

“Since the beginning?!” Chanyeol exclaims incredulously. “Oh, shoot. Sorry, I didn’t mean to shout at you.”

 

“I think everyone knows, Yeol.”

 

“They all know?!” Chanyeol yells again involuntarily. “Wait, I guess Baek was right before how embarrassing.”

 

“Okay, maybe Yixing doesn’t know,” Kyungsoo states. “But then again, I’m not sure what goes on in that nib of his. Sometimes I think he genuinely believes that he’s a horse or a unicorn or something. I’ve caught him neighing to himself and spout some nonsense about his ink being able to heal things.”

 

Chanyeol sighs, “I bet you all laughed about it behind my back. Oh look at that stupid pencil following Soo around. He doesn’t have a chance in hell, Soo is way out of his league.” He rocks back and forth despondently.

 

Before Kyungsoo has the opportunity to confirm or deny the accusation, Chanyeol continues, “Look, I’m fully aware that we can’t ever be a thing. I’m not deluding myself into thinking that you’d ever feel the same way. I mean, let’s face it--you’re you and I’m me.” The pencil laughs bitterly. “But your friendship means a lot to me, Soo. Even though it’s not ideal, it’s better than nothing, I’ll take what I can get.

 

“Wherever you go, I’d follow you. I don’t even care where it is, I just want to be with you. As long as you want me to accompany you, of course. If you ever decide that you don’t want me around anymore, just say the word and I’ll respect your wishes. That doesn’t mean I want to leave you, because I don’t. I want to stay by your side forever, until the end of time. I know that sounds pretty heavy but I swear to you, it’s the truth.

 

“Crap, I’ve just spilled a year’s worth of pent up feelings in a matter of seconds. Actual word vomit, what’s wrong with me? Please, someone needs to stop me before I announce that I want to have your babies. Oh dear God, I don’t want your babies. I mean--! I don’t not want your babies, if we could even have babies. If you asked me to have your babies, I’d be more than happy to. Why am I still talking?

 

“Please just ignore what I just said, I don’t want this to change our relationship. Please, Soo. Please tell me that we can just pretend like this conversation never happened and go back to being how things were--as friends, just friends.”

 

Chanyeol notices Kyungsoo’s breath hitching when he emphasised the word ‘friends’. He remains silent, not making a peep as he awaits Kyungsoo’s response. The sharpener is seemingly deep in thought, carefully deliberating over how to interpret Chanyeol’s words. His mouth opens, as though he’s about to say something, but immediately closes it before any words escape.

 

“So...” they both begin simultaneously.

 

“You go first,” Chanyeol offers.

 

Kyungsoo swivels his body from side to side, “No, you go first.”

 

“Please, Soo,” the pencil insists.

 

“Well… I’ve given it some thought and I don’t think we can go back to how we were before,” the sharpener’s voice cracks slightly.

 

Whatever the sharpener is about to say, Chanyeol doesn’t think it can be good. He hears the other exhale. Yup, it’s definitely going to be bad news. He tries to present a brave face, giving no indication that his insides are shattering. He just needs to hold it together long enough to find an isolated spot where he can weep to his graphite heart’s content.

 

“…Because I think…”

 

It’s coming, Park Chanyeol. Brace yourself for a world of hurt and pain.

 

“…that maybe…”

 

Just breathe, you can do this. You’ll get through this… somehow.

 

“…perhaps…”

 

This is torture, actual torture. He must be some sort of CIA agent sent to extract information from me or something. Not that I know anything of relevance. I’m just your average pencil who’s lived an average life. There’s nothing I could possibly offer to warrant a professionally trained...

 

“We could be more than friends,” the sharpener finishes, his voice barely above a whisper.

 

“What?” the pencil squeaks. The high octave startles him, he didn’t realise that it was possible to emit such a high pitched sound. He attempts asking the question again, this time without deafening everyone within a hundred mile radius, “I mean, what’s that now?”

 

“If you like me and I like you–”

 

“Shove me in a barrel and spin me around. You l-like me?” Chanyeol asks, still apprehensive.

 

“Well, yeah. I thought that was obvious?”

 

“Er, n-no?!” Chanyeol splutters very unattractively.

 

“Oh.”

 

The pencil is rendered speechless. Kyungsoo likes him, actually likes him. Oh wait, what if he means like in a I-think-you’re-cool-and-all-but-I-don’t-want-you-anywhere-near-my-hole kind of way?

 

“So, when you say ‘like’, what kind of way do you mean?” he asks sheepishly.

 

The sharpener bumps the pencil. “In the same way that you like me, silly!”

 

Chanyeol chokes. Kyungsoo chortles. Chanyeol is still in a state of disbelief that the sharpener reciprocates his feelings, his love isn’t quite so unrequited after all. He’s afraid that he’s going to wake up and it all will have been a dream, but he reminds himself that pencils are incapable of dreaming.

 

He’s finally able to relax without having to be conscious of his actions, afraid he may inadvertently reveal his feelings (though apparently he had been an open book all along). No longer needing to conceal anything from the sharpener, Chanyeol shuffles clumsily toward Kyungsoo to close the (almost nonexistent) distance between the them. He sighs contently as he feels the cool metal frame pressed against his hard wooden body.

 

They rest comfortably, appreciating each other’s company without the need for small talk. It's the peaceful sort of quiet that one attains through a certain degree of closeness.

 

After several hours pass of basking in each other's presence without so much as a peep from either one, Kyungsoo is the first to pipe up. “Hey, Yeol?” he says, breaking the silence.

 

“Hmm?”

 

The sharpener stands up, barrel to the ground as he looks to the pencil. “What are you thinking about?”

 

“Me?”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Chanyeol hesitates for a moment, unsure as to how he should respond. “I was just thinking about…" he pauses again, and Kyungsoo gently nudges the pencil to continue, "...how much I wish we had lips?”

 

Kyungsoo does a double take, he isn't sure he heard the pencil correctly. “Lips?!”

 

“So that we can… you know… kiss…” Chanyeol trails off. He rolls back slightly, too embarrassed at how silly that may have sounded to look Kyungsoo in the blade.

 

“Oh," Kyungsoo responds softly, barely above a whisper.

 

“I know. It’s stupid. Pretend that I didn’t say anythi–”

 

“We could press against each other and pretend that we’re kissing,” Kyungsoo interrupts. “I mean, only if you want to, of course,” he adds shyly as he moves in closer.

 

Chanyeol pushes his length against Kyungsoo’s smooth frame gently, “I wish I had limbs so I could wrap my arms around you.”

 

“That would be nice," the sharpener agrees.

 

“Soo?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I mean it, you know? About following you anywhere,” Chanyeol reiterates, trying his best not to lay it on too strong. He’s doesn’t want to repeat himself to the point where he sounds like a creeper.

 

“I’d follow you anywhere, too,” Kyungsoo reveals.

 

Chanyeol exhales with relief. The two gaze fondly at each other until a shrill voice ruins the moment, shattering the romantic atmosphere.

 

“Ewww, you two are gross! Get a drawer, you’re making me want to throw up lead!”

 

“Leave them alone, Baekhyun!”

 

“Stop being such a straight edge, Junmyeon!”

 

“Well, I’m a ruler, I was born to rule!”

 

The two glance up and realise that they've had an audience, for who knows how long. What they do know for sure is how much they’d like to have their privacy back. Soo shoots Baekhyun a menacing look, as if to say "I will sharpen you down til you're nothing more than a little nub.” The pencil yelps with fear and scurries away as fast as his petit wooden frame can roll him.

 

Junmyeon diverts his gaze to the ceiling, whistling awkwardly as he tries not to gawk at the two lovebirdsstationery. "I'm just going to wait for Yixing to arrive so he can push me away, sorry for any inconvenience."

 

Kyungsoo leans against Chanyeol, perching the top of his frame against the other’s large flank. “Still love it here?” Kyungsoo asks. Once the pen arrives, the two can hear Junmyeon hiss at Yixing to hurry up, finally leaving the pencil and sharpener on their own.

 

They also hear Baekhyun and Jongdae roaring with laughter as they clatter away, another member of their little group in hot pursuit. Chanyeol assumes it's Jongin because he can just make out Sehun’s voice saying “Just leave it be so we can have more snuggle-cuddle time.”

 

“I think I love it even more now,” Chanyeol whispers in Kyungsoo’s barrel, ignoring the commotion behind the paint bottles, “There’s no place that I’d rather be.”

 

“Soo? I'm back!" Chanyeol calls out for the sharpener in excitement. The Artist had taken him on a trip for a few days, for reasons unknown. Chanyeol had found himself at the bottom of some kind of satchel, untouched and unacknowledged for the entirety of the short vacation.

 

He wishes that the Artist had brought Kyungsoo along with him, it would’ve been like a romantic getaway--just the two of them without the gawking eyes that they’ve grown accustomed to. With limited space on the desktop, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Chanyeol and Kyungsoo are always bumping into the others. But alas, it was a gut wrenching experience for the pencil, each second was spent anticipating his return back to his Soo. It's the longest that the pencil had been away from the sharpener and he hopes that it'll be an isolated incident, never to be repeated again.

 

Chanyeol rolls along the desktop in search of the sharpener, but he's nowhere to be found; no one appears to be around for that matter. He passes the empty water jar and catches his reflection on the transparent surface. He screeches to a halt and gazes at the marking on his wooden flank; ‘DKS’ it reads. The sharpener has a similar matching ‘PCY’ etched onto his metal frame.

 

Chanyeol admires the amateur branding and giggles affectionately at the fond memory of when they had decided to get couple tattoos; his feelings for the sharpener visible for the world to see, he belonged to Do Kyungsoo and Kyungsoo to him.

 

The pencil had suggested that they ask Yixing to do the honours but Kyungsoo had opted for a more permanent option. Jongin’s needle point did hurt a little more than he would've preferred but the results were definitely worth it--there'd be no fear that it'd smudge or fade over time.

 

Chanyeol shimmies his body, shaking the memory from his primary focal point. He needs to move his lead into gear and locate Kyungsoo. He overhears a series of faint murmurs and heads over to the direction of origin; no amount of mental preparation could’ve steeled him for the sight he was about to witness.

 

“Yeah, that’s it, Jongdae. Rub your body all over me,” Baekhyun moans as the eraser envelops his body into his putty shape.

 

“ inside me, Baek. Don’t worry about being too rough, I can take it. Stretch me out with your thick hard tip!”

 

“You feel so tight, Jongdae.”

 

“And you feel so good inside of me. And the good thing is that I’m rubber, practically a . We won’t need to worry about pregnancy and STDs.”

 

Baekhyun ceases his movement. “Am I the only one who remembers that we’re ing stationery?!”

 

“Just shut up and keep going,” Jongdae shoots back.

 

Chanyeol slowly backs away, careful not to let his presence be known. Once he’s out of sight, a flood of relief washes over him. He does not want either Baekhyun or Jongdae suggesting that he and Kyungsoo join them for a fourway. Or worse, suggest having a swing night and swap partners to 'spice things up a little'. He's very satisfied with the lack of progression of intimacy with the sharpener, thank you very much.

 

He swings his body around and catches sight of Yixing in his peripheral. "Hey, Yixing, wait up!" Chanyeol shoots his body full speed ahead to catch up with the pen.

 

"Oh, hey there, Chanyeol. What's up?" Yixing asks as he lays his body on top of Junmyeon.

 

Chanyeol feels slight pity for the pen, he's been shafted with the duty of transporting the ruler around when required. "You alright there, Yixing? You're looking a bit... you don't feel dry or anything do you? Do you want me to get you some water so you can moisten your nib a little?"

 

"No, I'm fine, thanks. Just gonna take a little break. It's a workout, lugging this dead weight around with me all the time."

 

"Hey!" Junmyeon protests. "You know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary, you know that it’s physically impossible for me to move on my own. But if I'm that much of a burden on you, I guess I could ask someone... else. Or perhaps I'll just remain stationary. You guys can call me the–"

 

Not again, Junmyeon. Don't say it, Chanyeol pleads silently, Don't you dare say it, I will snap your brittle plastic body in two I swear to–

 

"–stationary stationery! Geddit?!" Junmyeon guffaws and Yixing looks deep in thought, most likely trying to process and decipher the joke.

 

"Anyways," Chanyeol changes the topic of conversation swiftly as he quells the urge to push the ruler off the desk, "Have either of you seen Soo by any chance?"

 

"Soo?" they both ask simultaneously.

 

"Jinx!" Junmyeon cries out, initiating the age old classic gameplay.

 

"Yixing," Chanyeol addresses the pen immediately, effectively ending the jinx in 0.023892 seconds.

 

"Why, Chanyeol, why?" Junmyeon sulks, "You could've at least given me five minutes."

 

Chanyeol sighs, "I have no times for your childish antics, I need to find Soo."

 

"H-have you tried asking Baekhyun?" the ruler asks. Chanyeol notes that Junmyeon’s voice sounds a little shaky for some reason.

 

"Who gave you permission to speak my name? Bow down to the almighty you worthless budget tools. Found in a multipack, bought at the pound shop," Baekhyun bellows as he joins the other three.

 

"Baek, if we were purchased as part of a multipack, where are our brothers and sisters then?" Yixing says in response to Baekhyun’s insult.

 

Junmyeon and Chanyeol snort as Baekhyun struggles to answer the pen. "I know you are but what am I? I'm rubber and you're glue, it bounces off me and sticks to you," he retorts childishly.

 

"I'm a pen. You're a pencil. Jongdae's the eraser and Tao's the glue. Are you feeling okay there? Did you hit your tip again?"

 

"Yeah, probably when he and Jongdae–"

 

"What's this about Jongdae?" the eraser interrupts Chanyeol as he hobbles over to join the rest of the gang.

 

"Baekhyun is having a little identity crisis. He thinks that he's an eraser and that I'm Tao," Yixing explains.

 

They all shift their focus onto the pencil in question. “Er, Baekhyun, you’ve still got a bit of white stuff left on you from er… when you and Jongdae, y’know…” Chanyeol points out.

 

“Oh , lemme get that for you, Baek.” Jongdae embraces Baekhyun’s body, picking up all traces of himself that he left behind. “All good now, babe.”

 

“So erm, guys? Do you know where Soo is? I’ve been trying to find him…” he trails off when he catches the solemn expressions on the others’ faces. “Guys, what’s wrong?”

 

Yixing looks at Junmyeon, who in turn looks at Jongdae. The eraser avoids Chanyeol’s stare and starts to whistle, feigning innocence under the pencil’s burning gaze. Chanyeol hones in on Baekhyun who begins to chuckle nervously under the pressure of the glare.

 

“Baekhyun?” Chanyeol focuses on the other pencil.

 

“2B or not 2B?” Baekhyun blurts out.

 

“What?” the others respond in unison.

 

“That is the question!” Baekhyun shouts out before making a run roll for it.

 

“Byun Baekhyun, you get back here!” Chanyeol shouts after the pencil before cursing him under his breath. So much for brotherpencil hood. He looks to the remaining stationery for an explanation behind their suspicious behaviour. "Anytime now, guys. Anytime now."

 

"So..." Junmyeon begins, "About Soo. Before I say anything, I'd just like to point out that you shouldn't like shoot the messenger, or say, snap the messenger in two, if you catch my drif–"

 

"For the love of graphite, just line it out for me. Where is Soo?" Chanyeol interrupts in exasperation.

 

"We don't know," Yixing finally reveals.

 

Chanyeol looks at the pen, and then to Junmyeon and Jongdae. "What do you mean you don't know? How can you not know? He can't have just vanished. He needs to be somewhere. Who was the last one to see him?"

 

The three are unable to offer the pencil any words of comfort, the awkward silence unnerving him.

 

"You're pulling my lead, aren't you? Soo and Baekhyun are somewhere watching me right now, right? Soo, come out now. Your blade is so busted! And I will crush you, Byun Baekhyun. Just you wait, you'd better watch out when you roll around with your skinny short self! I might enlist the help of Jongin and have you whittled down to a toothpick!"

 

"We're not messing with you, honest. We haven't seen him for a while. I thought he was just missing you and wanted some time alone to sulk. He must be around somewhere though, come, I'll help you go look for him." The eraser nudges Chanyeol, manoeuvering the larger pencil around Junmyeon and Yixing.

 

"Man, I think you need to lose some weight, you're a lot heavier than Baekhyun," Jongdae huffs after he manages to budge Chanyeol a mere five centimetres or so.

 

"Soo, where are you?" Chanyeol mutters to himself as Jongdae continues to the pencil around the desktop.

 

Several days pass without any word from Kyungsoo. Chanyeol’s lead is about to expel out of his wooden body, he’s that overwrought with worry. He’d overheard the Artist looking for the sharpener on a few occasions and for some unknown reason, Chanyeol can’t seem to shift the uneasy feeling that he’s been experiencing in the hollowed out frame of his.

 

"Still no word from him?" Jongin asks with a nuzzling Sehun firmly in his grip.

 

Chanyeol rocks his body back and forth, "No, I've looked everywhere. I... I'm worried, Jongin. I'm really worried."

 

"Hang in there, Chanyeol hyung," Sehun says, trying to offer words of encouragement.

 

Chanyeol sighs, "Thanks guys, I think I'm just going to make another round, see if I've missed anything."

 

"I'll call the rest of the guys to begin another round of searching."

 

"You don't have to do that, Jongin," the pencil says, "I've wasted enough of your time already. I can just–"

 

"Don't be silly!" the compass jabs the large pencil with his needle, "You're not the only one worried about him, you know? He's family; you're family."

 

Chanyeol hisses at the sharp prick, "Thanks, Jongin, for everything. I just... I just miss him and my lead is going into overdrive, thinking the worse. I..."

 

"You don't need to explain anything. If anything happened to Sehunnie, I would be the same, or worse even."

 

The pencil exhales deeply again, "I'm just going to go and see if..."

 

"Go," the compass urges "I'll let you know if I hear any news."

 

"Thanks," Chanyeol calls behind him as he rolls across the flat plain of the desktop's surface.

 

"Do you think Soo hyung is ever coming back?" Sehun squeaks.

 

Jongin tightens his hold on the small pencil, "I hope so, Sehunnie. I hope so, for Chanyeol's sake. I can’t even imagine what he must be going through."

 

"You won't ever leave me, will you?" The fear in Sehun's voice has Jongin recoiling, as though the hinge connecting his components together is about to fall apart, leaving his body in fragments.

 

The compass pulls the pencil closer to him. "Never," he whispers, watching helplessly as his friend continues his search for the missing sharpener. "I won't ever let you out of my sight."

 

"What are we going to do when he finds out?"

 

"Who's going to tell him?"

 

"I don't want to be here to witness his lead breaking."

 

"Will he be alright?"

 

Chanyeol observes the congregation of stationery friends, talking in hushed tones. He approaches tentatively, unsure of the purpose of the gathering. If it pertains to the whereabouts of his beloved Soo, he doubts the news is good. If it were, he's certain he would've heard about it immediately, Baekhyun screaming at the top of his lungs and Jongdae using his body as a trampoline, bouncing from his wooden frame as they gave him the news.

 

"Hey, guys," he announces his presence.

 

"Chanyeol, hey..." Junmyeon greets softly. "How are you holding up?"

 

"I'm... have you guys heard anything?" Chanyeol questions apprehensively.

 

Before they have a chance to respond, they hear the door creak open followed by heavy footsteps entering the room. The Artist approaches and sets his satchel on the desk with a clumsy hand and accidentally sends the writing supplies clattering around the desk, with Chanyeol tumbling to the ground.

 

"Oh, crap!" the Artist curses himself as he reaches for the large pencil and he sets him gently back onto the desk. He clears the surface with a sweep of his long arm, relegating the others to spectate from the sidelines; Chanyeol the sole tool left front and centre.

 

"I've got a surprise for you," he declares as he reaches into his bag, retrieving an item from its contents. The Artist places the object beside Chanyeol and beams in satisfaction, "Say hi to your new friend!"

 

Chanyeol glances over to said 'new friend' and screams internally when he realises who what his new friend is. He wants to roll away, out of the clutches of his owner. He doesn't want to welcome the new arrival, or even acknowledge his presence. Chanyeol's sure that there's nothing wrong with him and that they'd get on just fine in other circumstances, but the Artist has another thing coming if He thinks that the two will bond in the way that He's expecting for them to.

 

When the Artist leaves, the two look at each other, neither party uttering a single word. The awkward tension is almost palpable.Chanyeol attempts to strike a conversation and introduce himself several times but chickens out each time.

 

"Why isn't anyway coming out to help me?" he mumbles to himself.

 

"Did you say something?" the new arrival asks.

 

"N-no, I was just t-talking to myself," the pencil splutters.

 

"I see."

 

"Is the coast clear?" Junmyeon asks cautiously, his voice startling the other.

 

"Yeah, you guys can all come out" Chanyeol affirms.

 

The gang make their way to Chanyeol and gasp when they catch sight of the new guy.

 

"He's..."

 

"...a..."

 

"...sharpener."

 

"I can't believe He's replacing Soo already, it hasn't even been a week yet and–"

 

"Ssssh!" Jongin hushes Baekhyun, jabbing him with his needle point.

 

"I gotta say, you guys are doing a bang up job of making a sharpener feel welcome," the new sharpener comments sarcastically.

 

"Sorry, it's just..." Junmyeon tries to explain before trailing off, the truth too painful to express.

 

"I'm replacing someone dear to you," the new sharpener finishes.

 

Chanyeol winces at the word 'replace’. He feels like he's just been snapped in two. The pencil is still reeling from the sharpener's words when the new sharpener notices Chanyeol’s reaction and cowers from the group, already feeling like an outcast.

 

"I think I'm just going to..."

 

"Don't be silly," Junmyeon interjects, "Where are our manners? Let's introduce ourselves. I'm Junmyeon, nice to meet you."

 

"Hi, Junmyeon, I'm Minseok."

 

"Minseok, Minseok, Minseok. Hello, Minseok, I'm Yixing."

 

"Hi, Yixing."

 

The stationery introduce themselves one by one except for Chanyeol, he doesn't want to get acquainted with a new sharpener, he just wants his sharpener: Soo.

 

Jongdae softly nudges Chanyeol to prompt him to greet Minseok. "Urhmchanyurr," he mumbles incoherently.

 

Minseok clears his airway, "Okay, I get the impression that you don't want me here?"

 

"Don't be silly, Chanyeol's just going through a rough time recently. Once we find... Once we... Once..." Junmyeon doesn't have the heart to mention the lost sharpener's name.

 

"Wow, this is so awkward. You'd think I'd sharpened your entire families into stubs or something." Minseok laughs dryly. "Okay, how about this, why don't you guys just ask me questions and I'll answer them to the best of my ability. Hopefully, when you guys get to know me a little better, you'll see that I'm not a bad sharpener. Honestly, I don't bite, I just sharpen."

 

"Oh great, you and Junmyeon are going to get on like two pens in a pack," Baekhyun groans.

 

"So, anyone? Draw up your questions." Minseok and Junmyeon chortle together whilst Baekhyun and Jongdae shake their bodies to express their disdain in regard to the puns.

 

"Minseok, why are you so fat?" Yixing is the first to address the sharpener with a question.

 

"Yixing! You can't just ask people that," Junmyeon scolds.

 

"No, it's fine. I'm wider than most sharpeners because I've got two blades and two barrels." Minseok topples over and moons the group.

 

Baekhyun and Yixing surges forward to obtain a better view of the sharpener's exposed holes. Baekhyun admires the openings and feels an overwhelming sensation of exhilaration--he can't wait to take a ride in Minseok's cavity, feeling how snug he fits in the orifice as his body is turned and twisted and his shavings are ed.

 

"Chanyeol, he has two holes. Count them, one, two. You know what that means right?" the pencil rolls over to the larger one.

 

"Byun Baekhyun, don't you dare go there," Junmyeon cautions, preempting what the pencil is about to say.

 

"We’re going to have a wild time, bruh. It's going to be an awesome . Let's get some sharpening going, ménage à trois style. I've been waiting for some double penetrating. Yo, Minseok. Do you think you can handle getting double stuffed by the two of us?"

 

"Byun Baekhyun! Don't be so crass!" the ruler reprimands.

 

"What? I'm just trying to– You know what, I don't even know why I bother. I just wanted to lighten the mood! Soo's got to be around here somewhere, it's not like he died for lead's sake–"

 

Jongdae pounces on Baekhyun to shut the pencil up, his lack of tact is starting to cause some serious harm; each word is like a hole piercing Chanyeol’s body. The large pencil is grateful for the eraser’s attempt at damage control.

 

"But just think about how it's finally going to feel to lose your ity as you into Minseo–" This time Jongin and Yixing ally with Jongdae to prevent him from speaking any further.

 

"Don't listen to Baekhyun, Chanyeol hyung. You don't have to... do it with Minseok if you don't want to," Sehun assures.

 

"Minseok's barrel looks nice enough, you could do worse.” Baekhyun’s remarks are muffled by the others but is still coherent enough for everyone to understand.

 

"Erm, guys? I'm still here, you know?" Minseok announces, reminding everyone of his existence.

 

"Of course, of course. Welcome to the family! I do apologise, I only wish it were under better circumstances. We've lost a dear family member, you see," Junmyeon attempts to explain to the new sharpener why his arrival was met with a less than enthusiastic response.

 

"He's not lost!" Sehun contends, "He's just... somewhere that we don't know of right now. But we'll find him!" Sehun bursts into a hushed sob.

 

"Yeah, we'll find him for sure," Jongin echoes as he tries to pacify his boypencil.

 

"It's okay, guys. You don't have to explain. I get it, when someone I loved was taken away from me, I wanted to give up. I didn't want to sharpen another pencil again, just the mere sight of one would get my blade quiver with anger." Minseok sighs as he recalls a painful past, "But I've accepted my fate and now I want to honour my role as a sharpener. Not just for me, but for him, too.”

 

"Wow, that’s so deep," Junmyeon whispers in awe.

 

"Deeper than his hole?" Baekhyun wisecracks, earning him a flying kick from the eraser.

 

“Look, Baek. It was kinda funny before, riling Chanyeol up. But with the way things are…” Jongdae sends the larger pencil a look of pity, “I think it’s time to stop joking around. If you keep it up, it’s just cruel, bruh.”

 

Chanyeol can feel his insides churning. He needed a time out. "I think I need to... lie on my side for a while. Alone. But er... welcome, Minseok. It was nice to meet you and I'm sure I'll be seeing you around." The pencil makes a sound resembling both a laugh and a sob as he begins to roll away.

 

Sehun attempts to chase after Chanyeol, shimmying his thin body to escape Jongin's clasp. Jongin tightens his hold, much to the surprise of the other, "Leave him, Sehunnie. Give him a little space, he'll be okay."

 

"I hope so. I want Soo to come back so Chanyeol hyung can stop moping and we can all be a happy family again."

 

"We all do, Sehunnie," Jongin rocks Sehun back and forth, "We all do."

 

"Chanyeol hyung! Where's Chanyeol hyung?! Chanyeol hyung, where is he?!" Sehun shouts hysterically to the group, enquiring to the whereabouts of the jumbo pencil.

 

Sehun's frantic rolling startles Jongin, who hops to his boyfriend's side immediately, "Baby, what's wrong?"

 

"I heard him! I heard Soo hyung! I need to tell Chanyeol hyung!"

 

"Woah, you found Soo? Way to go there, little guy." Baekhyun side bumps the mini pencil, immediately backing off when he feels Jongin's glare boring holes into him.

 

"We need to find Chanyeol hyung, Nini! We need to tell him where Soo hyung is!"

 

"Y-You found Soo?" Chanyeol suddenly appears, seemingly out of thin air.

 

"Chanyeol hyung! Chanyeol hyung!" Sehun rolls toward the other pencil at an incredible speed. "Hurry! Follow me, I'll take you to Soo!" Sehun propels forward, flying across the desktop at the speed of light, with Chanyeol hot on his trail.

 

They reach the end of the desk, where the desk meets the wall, when Sehun slows down to a halt.

 

"Sehun?"

 

"We're here, Chanyeol hyung. This is where Soo is!"

 

Chanyeol looks around in confusion, his beloved sharpener is nowhere in sight. "Are you playing with me, Sehun? Did Baekhyun put you up to this?"

 

"No, hyung! Sssssh, just listen!"

 

Chanyeol shuts up but he isn't able to hear a peep, "Sehun, I don't hear anything!"

 

"You can't hear the sniffling?"

 

"No! I don't hear anythin–" the larger pencil stops abruptly. He can just about make out a sound emanating from the slight crevice between the desk and the wall. "Wait a second." Chanyeol carefully aligns himself on the edge of the desk, careful not to slip through the crack. He peers into the darkness but is unable to detect anything.

 

"Soo Soo, are you down there?" He calls out but is greeted with no response. "Soo?"

 

He feels Sehun climb on top of his body, using his weight as an anchor to prevent him from toppling over. "Wait, Sehun, I can't see anything, I'm going to need to get closer."

 

"Closer?"

 

"Like somehow lowering myself to get a better look."

 

Sehun gasps, "But what if you fall down?"

 

"It's a risk that I'm going to have to take if Soo Soo is down there."

 

He feels Sehun climb down, the weight lifting off his flank. He gingerly lowers his body over the edge. Chanyeol loses his balance and takes a nosedive, his head hitting the wall.

 

"Chanyeol hyung!" The bigger pencil hears the smaller cry out in alarm.

 

Chanyeol braces himself for the impact of his body hitting the ground, but instead he finds himself hanging over the edge of the desk at an angle, the wall keeping him from plummeting straight down into the dark pit. He exhales a large sigh of relief, "I'm okay, Sehun."

 

"I-I'm going to get the others. Don't move, Chanyeol hyung. Just stay there," Sehun instructs and the other can hear the former clatter away.

 

", if I drop and he's not even there, I'm screwed." Chanyeol waits for the others to arrive, careful not to move a millimetre. Growing impatient, he decides to call out for the lost sharpener again, "Soo Soo, are you there? Can you hear me?"

 

"Yeol?" The sharpener's quiet voice is barely discernible from the abyss.

 

"Soo Soo?" Chanyeol calls out, "Is that you?"

 

"It's me!" Soo responds.

 

"Soo!" Chanyeol is unable to contain his elation. He's missed the sharpener so much. Unfortunately, the excitement of his discovery results in the pencil accidentally shifting his weight. "Woah!" he cries out as he feels his body slipping closer to the chasm.

 

"Yeol? What's happening?" Kyungsoo enquires, his voice sounding panicked.

 

Chanyeol pushes against the wall to halt his descent. "I'm fine, everything's fine," he reassures the sharpener. He sighs in relief when he hears the others arrive; they'll rescue him and they'll figure out a way to get his Kyungsoo back.

 

"Holy lead, look at the stance you're in! It's pretty suggestive, your long thick girth just exposed like that. You're in a very vulnerable position, to be honest," Chanyeol hears Baekhyun quip somewhere behind him.

 

"Just pull me up, somebody! Quickly, before I slip!" the pencil growls.

 

Jongin slides beneath Chanyeol and clamps his other leg on top of the pencil. The rest of the gang (sans Junmyeon) push the compass' body as they haul Chanyeol back to safety.

 

"Phew, that was rough. You need to lose weight, dude," Jongdae pants, trying to catch his breath.

 

"Hey, Soo! It's me, Baek!" the other pencil yells out to the sharpener. "Why don't you just shuffle outta there and lay on the floor until He finds you?"

 

"Don't you think I would've have done that already if that were an option? There's something blocking the way!" Kyungsoo shouts back.

 

"Roughly how tall is this obstruction? Would you be able to use my body as a bridge?" Junmyeon asks.

 

"I-I don't think you're long enough!"

 

"Hang in there, Soo!" Yixing encourages the sharpener not to give up.

 

"Guys," Chanyeol calls for everyone's attention, "How are we going to get Soo out of there?

 

The stationery turn their gaze to the ruler who takes a moment to ruminate over the options. After a couple of minutes, Junmyeon breaks the news to Chanyeol, "I... I don't think that we can, Chanyeol. If–"

 

"There's got to be a way, I'm not leaving him," the large pencil interrupts. "I'm not, I can't."

 

"Chanyeol..."

 

"I need to be with him, I can't live without him," the pencil says with sadness in his voice. "I... I just can't."

 

"What are you going to do?" Baekhyun asks.

 

"There's only one thing that I can do." The pencil says before he gives everyone a nudge, the closest thing he can offer as an embrace. “If we can’t get him back, then I need to join him.”

 

"Are you sure you've thought this through? You know there's no going back after this. Please give it some more thought," Junmyeon urges.

 

"I've been away from Soo Soo long enough, I don't want to wait any longer.” Chanyeol stands his ground, demonstrating an unwavering resolve. “Take care of them, Junmyeon. And Minseok, don't let Baekhyun or Jongdae bully you."

 

"Hey!" the other pencil and eraser cry out in unison.

 

"Chanyeol hyung?" Sehun squeaks, "Do you have to leave us?"

 

Chanyeol scoots over to the little pencil, "How would you feel if you had to part from Jongin?"

 

"I'd feel sad," the mini pencil responds.

 

"Then you understand, right?"

 

Sehun gently rocks his body back and forth in agreement, "...Yes."

 

"It's okay, Sehunnie. We'll visit, I promise," Jongin comforts the little pencil who has begun to weep quietly. "You take care of Soo, okay hyung?"

 

"Of course," the pencil promises. "We won't be going anywhere, we'll be right here if you wanna talk–"

 

"Yeol, listen to me," Kyungsoo calls out for the pencil as loudly as he can, interrupting the latter's farewell. The sharpener takes a deep breath before continuing. "Don't join me, don't throw your life away like this. I know there's a new sharpener with you guys now, one that'll be able to help you fulfill your duty as a pencil."

 

"Soo, no!" Chanyeol protests vehemently. “I’m sorry, but I can’t, no, I won’t do that.”

 

"It’s not like I’m asking you to forget about me. Call me selfish, but I... I don’t want things to change between us. I’m just saying that there’s no need for you to join me to make that happen. It’s not like I’m going anywhere so please don’t act so rashly. This isn’t goodbye? You can come visit me here anytime you want. Sure, we'll have to strain our voices and shout if we want to communicate, but it'll be better than nothing, right?

 

"I'm sure the others will understand if we're being a bit noisy, explain to it them and apologise in advance for the nuisance that we'll cause. And we might need a lookout just in case He comes into the room and you're not paying attention, which let’s face it, is probably going to happen. They can each take turns and rotate shifts, it'll be fine. We'll make this work, Yeol. I know we can–"

 

Chanyeol doesn't allow Kyungsoo to finish his lengthy speech, he glances at the others one final time before propelling his body into the narrow crack. He clatters when he hits the bottom, cursing aloud as a result of the painful fall.

 

"Yeol! What did you do?!" Kyungsoo cries out in shock.

 

The narrow space that Chanyeol find himself in is absent of any light, the darkness consuming him. The lack of illumination means that the pencil is unable to see the sharpener but Chanyeol can feel Kyungsoo scoot toward him.

 

"Soo Soo... I'm here. I'm finally here," he whispers.

 

"W-Why? Why did you come down here?" Kyungsoo asks, his voice fraught with emotion.

 

"It's you, Soo Soo. How could I ever leave you down here by yourself?" the pencil responds.

 

"But you were so close to being sharpened, to know what it feels like to be utilised. Why did you throw that all away just for a small nobody sharpener like me?" Kyungsoo chokes on the last few words.

 

"That's not what I want though, Soo Soo. It was what I wanted, a long time ago, before I met you. I know now that my destiny isn't to be sharpened and be used to draw portraits or whatever, so I don't belong up there."

 

"No?"

 

"No. I belong with you," Chanyeol breathes.

 

Kyungsoo sniffles before breaking out into laughter, "You're lucky that we're confined to a narrow space that doesn't allow much room for movement. Otherwise, I'd slap your silly pencilhead for being so cheesy!"

 

"I'm leadbroken," Chanyeol mock sobs before rolling his body back and forth, rubbing against the sharpener's frame.

 

"Yeol..." Kyugnsoo shudders at the friction.

 

"I want... I want to kiss you again," the pencil confesses.

 

"Again?" Kyungsoo chuckles softly, "We didn't exactly kiss the last time."

 

“Maybe if I roll back and forth, it could be like an eskimo kiss?” Chanyeol suggests.

 

"You guys don't even have noses! Need I remind you that Chanyeol is a pencil and Soo is a sharpener?!" Baekhyun bellows from the desktop above.

 

"Guys, don't listen to him. He's just jealous that Jongdae won't commit to him on an exclusive basis," Yixing calls out.

 

"That's right, I ain't no string. You can't tie me down."

 

“Oh my God, that’s a good one, Jongdae,” Junmyeon guffaws.

 

“For the love of holy graphite, you two need to stop hanging out together. The puns are making my lead go soft,” Baekhyun remarks but doesn't pull away when Jongdae clings onto the pencil's wooden frame.

 

"You don't mean that, I know you love me, Byun Baekhyun," the eraser teases.

 

"Sssssh," Sehun hushes the two, "I'm trying to listen."

 

They all huddle together to spectate the romantic love scene unfolding before them below.

 

"I can't see anything though."

 

"It's okay, Yixing. Just listen."

 

"So..." Kyungsoo says.

 

"So..." Chanyeol echoes.

 

"Will you still love it here?" Kyungsoo asks tentatively. "I mean, the circumstances have changed now. It'll just be you and me, no one else."

 

"I don't need anybody else, I told you already."

 

"But how can you be so sure?"

 

"Because spending the last week without you was the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. It hurt more than all the times I've been rejected, all the malicious words that were spat at me about being too large. None of that compared to how it felt when I thought that I'd lost you. Not even if you combined it all and multiplied it by a gajillion," Chanyeol professes.

 

Kyungsoo laughs, "That's not a real number, silly."

 

"But my love is," the pencil affirms.

 

"W-Wait, w-what?" Kyungsoo splutters.

 

"Er..." Chanyeol takes a deep breath before repeating himself, “I think I might… love you?”

 

“You don't sound so sure this time, perhaps you should wait until you’re 100% sure before you go around blindly confessing to me.” The disappointment in Kyungsoo's tone hits Chanyeol hard.

 

The pencil lurches forward, pinning the sharpener against the wall, “I know that I do. I love you, Do Kyungsoo.”

 

A loud cheer interrupts above as the two hear cries and shouts of “Finally!” and "About time, guys!"

 

The pencil knows that the others only want the best for him and Kyungsoo and that their metaphoric hearts are in the right place, but that doesn't negate the fact that he wants them to roll off and give the couple some privacy. He's in two minds about releasing a string of profanities to convey that sentiment but he decides against it, deeming it likely to spoil the current romantic mood.

 

"I love you, Soo Soo," he repeats, with the most sincerity and affection he can muster.

 

“I love you, too,” Kyungsoo whispers. “I love you, Park Chanyeol.”

 

Chanyeol has never experienced such a feeling of euphoria in his entire lifetime. It doesn't matter if they remain in their current location, long forgotten by the Artist and those he's referred to as family and friends for the past year; there's nowhere else he'd rather be. Wherever he is, wherever he may go, as long as he’s with Kyungsoo, he’s home.

 

Chanyeol isn’t sure how much time has passed since he and Kyungsoo have been residing in the crack between the desk and the wall. He estimates that it’s been at least a few years, judging by the thick layer of dust that’s accumulated since his arrival.

 

It’s been awhile since his old friends have checked in on them. Chanyeol worries about their fate and prays that they’re all safe and sound. More importantly, he hopes that they’re all together and he knows that the sharpener shares that sentiment.

 

The two talk often about their former lives atop the desk, fondly reminiscing at some of the antics that had gone on.

 

“Do you remember that song Baek always used to sing that drove everyone crazy? How did it go again? Wait, wait, I think I remember.”

 

“They see me rollin’, they hatin’,” they sing along together before bursting into a fit of laughter.

 

“Yeah, Baek was quite the character, wasn’t he?”

 

“That he was,” Kyungsoo chuckles affectionately. “And do you remember the way he always used to provoke you? Shaking his freshly sharpened tip in front of you?”

 

Chanyeol nudges the sharpener, “Every single time. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he’d always go on and on, asking me if I knew where he’d been, as though it really needed to be said. And how good it felt and…”

 

“You know it didn’t mean anything though, right? It was just my job.”

 

“Yeah, it’s just, I wonder what they’re up to, you know?” Though Chanyeol would never admit it out loud, he did miss the other pencil. He misses everyone, in fact. “Do you think that Junmyeon and Yixing ever hooked up?”

 

Kyungsoo leans into Chanyeol, “Maybe, who knows? I’d like to think that we’ll be reunited again and they can tell us for themselves.”

 

Chanyeol presses his body against Kyungsoo for a ‘kiss’. “That would be nice, baby,” he whispers against his beloved’s metal frame. The pencil can feel the sharpener vibrate against his wooden frame, and he pushes Kyungsoo up against the wall, pinning him there. “I really want to be inside you, Soo,” he growls into the sharpener’s barrel.

 

Kyungsoo whines wantonly at the friction that the rubbing is causing, “That feels good, Yeol Don’t stop! Yes, keep going! Yeol, I think I’m abou–”

 

The two immediately come to a halt when they hear the desk being dragged across the floor, away from the wall up against which they’ve been trapped. Gravity takes effect and they tumble to the floor.

 

They’re scooped up by a pair of big strong hands. “Oh, wow. It’s been years since I last saw you guys, is this where you two have been hiding all along?”

 

Chanyeol panics momentarily as he loses sight of Kyungsoo, his length shrouded in a soft material, most likely to clean the pencil after years of neglect. It only lasts a few seconds before his vision is restored and sees Kyungsoo safely in front of him.

 

The Artist is about to leave when he notices an unfamiliar object in his peripheral vision. He bends down and upon closer inspection, he realises it’s another pencil. Or rather, it’s a miniature pencil with a cap on it. What’s strange about this foreign item is that the lid has an inbuilt sharpener to it.

 

The man furrows his brow in confusion, “I don’t recall ever buying this, I would definitely have remembered this handy little thing. Where did it come from?”

 

The human fails to notice the knowing glance that the pencil and sharpener exchange, oblivious to the secret that only they know.

 

“Oh my God, guys! GUYS! Is that Soo and Chanyeol? Are my lines deceiving me?” Junmyeon yells out in elation.

 

“, it is! They’re back!” Jongdae’s exclaims as he bounces for joy. He gets a bit too carried away with excitement and ends up ricocheting off the walls.

 

“Wait, weren’t they here with us all along?” Yixing asks, deep in thought. As per usual, the rest of them pay no attention to the pen.

 

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo smile fondly at the old gang, the pencil takes a deep breath before speaking, “Hey guys, it’s good to see you all again.”

 

The stationery rush towards them, cheering and whooping as they tackle the two. “Pileup!” Baekhyun screams as he hurtles for the sharpener. Jongdae flings his rubber body at Chanyeol but just ends up bouncing back in the opposite direction and straight into Yixing. Jongin and Sehun join the antics and find themselves entangled with Baekhyun. Junmyeon decides to throw caution to the wind and clatters on top of the heap with help from Yixing.

 

Chanyeol, of course, remains upright. Though not through lack of trying from Jongdae, the eraser attempts countless times to spear tackle the large pencil but to no avail. He eventually gives up and screams “Five star frog splash!” He executes an aerial wrestling attack on the mound after Yixing hesitantly joins the stack.

 

“Come on, Minseok. Join us!” Baekhyun invites the double-barrelled sharpener and sounding extremely muffled whilst doing so.

 

“Yeah, join in on the party,” everyone choruses.

 

Minseok approaches the pile slowly. “Hey, er, Soo is it?” he asks sheepishly.

 

"Yeah, hi, I'm Kyungsoo, or you can call me Soo," a strained voice emanates from the bottom of the pile.

 

“Everyone, get off my Soo,” Chanyeol orders. “Let the two of them introduce themselves properly, sharpener to sharpener.”

 

“Oh yeeeeah,” Baekhyun’s still barely audible, “Soo hasn’t officially met Seok Seok.”

 

Jongdae, having just followed Chanyeol’s request, dives back into the heap, pushing and shoving the rest of the guys out of his path as he attempts to smother the pencil, “Seok Seok? Have you been cheating on me? Have you been sharpening yourself without my permission?”

 

Jongin and Sehun peel the raging eraser from the pencil. Baekhyun just laughs, "Chill, baby. He's just a hole, no offence, Seok Seok. But it doesn't mean anything, honest. Tell him, Seok Seok."

 

"Please stop calling me that. I never said you could call me that," Minseok groans.

 

"But you can call me Baek Baek if you want."

 

"NO, HE WILL NOT!" Jongdae screeches.

 

"Wait, hang on," Chanyeol interjects, "Let me get this straight, since Soo and I have been away, you two... have become official?"

 

"Baek Baek," Jongdae pauses for a second as he glares at Minseok, "Just couldn't get enough of this putty booty."

 

"Even though he’s stretchy, he's still really tight when I inside of him," the pencil adds.

 

Junmyeon lets out an awkward cough, "Enough of this now. We don't want to scare Chanyeol and Soo away, especially since we've only just been reunited after so long."

 

"Wait, why do Soo and Minseok need to introduce themselves to each other if they're brothers? Don't they already know each other?" Yixing queries.

 

"Anyways," Baekhyun ignores the pen, the pencil has no doubt that Junmyeon will explain everything later. "Soo, this is Minseok. He's been doing a bang up job of sharpening my end in your absence." Baekhyun leans his back on Minseok's broad frame.

 

Minseok takes a step back, causing the pencil to lose his balance and topple to the ground. "Hi Kyungsoo, I just hope that you know that it was never my intention to replace you. I've heard so much about you and how revered you were by everyone. It was a big hole to fill, I'll tell you that. I hope there's no hard feelings?"

 

"Hi Minseok," the smaller sharpener greets, "There’s no need to explain anything. Besides, it was my own fault for getting myself stuck down there in the first place. There's absolutely no hard feelings whatsoever. I hope that the others have been treating you well. I know they can be a handful, but they're family."

 

"Yeah, they're alright," Minseok responds.

 

"Hey!" Baekhyun and Jongdae cry out in unison.

 

"Can't you see that they're trying to have a moment?" Jongin hisses as he pokes the pencil and eraser with his needle point.

 

“I've really missed you guys. I'm glad to be back." Kyungsoo leans against Chanyeol. "We're glad to be back. Speaking of, what is this place?” Kyungsoo asks, taking in their new home.

 

“It’s a display cabinet of some sort. Apparently the Artist made it big time a couple of years back. He upgraded and didn’t have use for us anymore,” Junmyeon explains.

 

“Yeah, He’s too good for using the budget materials now, he’s got to use the premium art supplies,” Baekhyun remarks.

 

“Don’t be so hard on Him. He could’ve just thrown us away, but he didn’t,” Junmyeon defends.

 

Yixing joins in, “Yeah, why did he keep us here? It feels like we’re in a mausoleum.”

 

“Museum,” everyone corrects.

 

“I overheard him saying that it was because we hold sentimental value or something like that. Which is a good thing because it means that I won't ever get separated from my baby. Isn't that right, Sehunnie?” Jongin starts to coo at his pencilfriend and everyone coughs dramatically.

 

"Before you say anything, Yixing," Baekhyun slides closer to the pen, "We do not need to see a doctor for our coughs, we can't contract colds, okay?"

 

"I wasn't going to say anything though? I know that everyone was coughing because Jongin was babying Sehun in front of us again. Please don’t assume things about me, Baekhyun. I’m not as slow as you think I am," the pen shoots back.

 

"You got told," Sehun quips from the embrace of Jongin.

 

Baekhyun decides to not retort with anything for fear he might end up with a gaping hole where his lead should be.

 

"Enough guys, let's just celebrate that we're finally all back together again. We are one!" Junmyeon cheers before halting suddenly. "You know, I really didn't think that I'd get to see you guys again. I thought you two were... goners," he trails off with a hushed whisper.

 

"Junmyeon, forever with the dramatics." Jongdae rouses.

 

Junmyeon grunts as he tries to squash the eraser for his rude quip, he manages to budge a millimetre before surrendering in defeat. "I'm just glad that you two are back, though it was quite a shock, I must say."

 

“You almost gave me a lead attack, we’re not spring chickens anymore!” Baekhyun charges at Chanyeol in an attempt to knock down the larger as payback, only to end up flat on his wooden back.

 

“I thought Baekhyun was the one always reminding us that we were stationery,” Yixing whispers to Chanyeol. "Has he forgotten that he's a pencil?"

 

“It's a... Never mind. Ask Junmyeon later." Chanyeol shafts the responsibility to the ruler with no remorse or guilt.

 

Chanyeol sighs contently as he watches the others squabble over the usual antics. Baekhyun is trying to rile up Jongin by describing how Minseok's blade feels in his "glorious" barrel with unnecessarily graphic details. Sehun quietly stands beside the compass, attempting to calm Jongin down and talk him out of committing pencilcide.

 

Chanyeol turns to the other side of the display cabinet and observes Yixing trying to push Junmyeon after Jongdae, who has most likely made another offensive wisecrack. The ruler has always been a stickler for niceties and the eraser a glutton for punishment.

 

Minseok, not quite as rowdy as the other lot, spectates from the sidelines. He cackles at the stupidity and adds his personal commentary every now and then. They’re an eclectic bunch but Chanyeol thinks that each and every one of them is special to him in his own way.

 

He glances over to Kyungsoo who also happens to be watching the others. Kyungsoo has been acquainted with them a lot longer than he, there's no doubt in the pencil's mind that the sharpener had missed them, even if he refuses to admit it. Chanyeol continues to stare lovingly at Kyungsoo; he couldn't possibly imagine being without him, the sharpener of his life.

 

There's not an ounce of lead in Chanyeol's wooden body that isn't devoted to the sharpener. Park Chanyeol is utterly and irrevocably in love with Do Kyungsoo and anyone who saw the pencil and sharpener together would be able to see, nay, feel the love shared between the two of them.

 

His love is Do Kyungsoo; his home is Do Kyungsoo; his family is Do Kyungsoo. Speaking of family, he can't wait to introduce his and Kyungsoo's secret to the rest of them. The large pencil is about to indicate to his sharpener that it's due time for their revelation when he's interrupted.

 

“Wait, who’s that?” Yixing asks, the first of the gang to notice the tool who had been obscured behind the towering pencil.

 

“Ah," Chanyeol begins. "Soo, would you like to do the honours? Gather round everyone, there’s something Soo and I would like to tell you all.”

 

"So, yeah. Chanyeol and I want you to meet someone,” Soo announces. He ushers the reluctant miniature pencil away from his hiding spot and into the centre of the gathering. The new addition whimpers quietly as he attempts to roll back into safety but Kyungsoo blocks his path. "Sorry, he's a bit shy,” he tells the others.

 

The rest of the clan wait with eager eyes and bated breath. Chanyeol gently nudges the mini writing instrument, encouraging him to follow the sharpener, "We're right here, baby. Don't be scared, they won’t hurt you."

 

Once he settles down in between the clutches of Kyungsoo and Chanyeol, the sharpener begins again, his voice full of pride, “Guys, we want you to meet Seo Jun, our son.”

 

 

 

 

---

a/n: erm... so yeah.... you just read a fic about a pencil and sharpener. hurhurhur. //slides away.

as always.. please comment, upvote and subscribe~ muchos appreciation!!! ^^

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