817% ((2/2))
title: 817%
pairing: baekhyun/chanyeol
rating: m ((mentions of sex))
length: 12.2k
warning ((highlight)): homophobia
summary: baekhyun's broken and his personal bandaid comes in the form of chanyeol
Baekhyun’s phone rings, echoing throughout the silence of the library, and he fumbles in his pocket, quickly trying to answer the call before anyone else shoots him a look.
“Hello?” He whispers, shutting himself in the backroom behind reception.
“Hi Baekhyun! Why are you whispering? Did I catch you at a bad time?” Chanyeol says over the line, worry crawling into his voice.
“Kind of, I was just stacking shelves at the library.”
“Oh, oops. I apologize to everyone working. Sorry!” Chanyeol practically yells the last part and Baekhyun has to hold the phone at arm’s length away from his ear to avoid going deaf. “Did they hear me?”
“I’m in the backroom.”
“Oh.”
Baekhyun chuckles. “So, did you need anything?”
“Need?” Chanyeol repeats, and Baekhyun can hear the confusion.
“Why did you call?”
“Oh, I wanted to ask if you were free to get some food with me, but I already got my answer,” Chanyeol laughs. “When do you get off?”
Baekhyun glances up at the clock, “I’ll be done in roughly half an hour.”
“I can wait until then. I’ll meet you at the front of the library. Bye Baekhyun!” Chanyeol hangs up, and Baekhyun’s left listening to the dull tone.
Then the door opens and Baekhyun quickly puts his phone on silent, shoving it back into his pocket.
“You’re not supposed to use this room for secret personal calls, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo jokes, shrugging out of his black smock apron the university gave the library employees as their uniform.
“I forgot to turn my phone off,” Baekhyun gives as an excuse, smiling at the younger.
“So who was that?” Kyungsoo asks with a smirk, grabbing his jacket out of his designated cubby now that his shift is over.
“Just a friend,” Baekhyun says, lightly elbowing him in the side.
“The tall guy who helped you all last Saturday?”
Baekhyun freezes, slowly turning around. “You didn’t work that day. How do you know?”
“Lu Han told me. We have our own gossip too, you know.” Kyungsoo gives him a sly wink, sliding out the door and leaving Baekhyun to gawk after him.
“So how come you wanted to eat lunch with me?” Baekhyun asks as he takes a spoonful of his noodle soup.
“Well Zitao was busy, and you’re the only other person I thought of,” Chanyeol replies, blowing on his own food.
Baekhyun remains silent, pondering on whether to ask or not, and the question is already slipping past his lips before he’s fully decided. “Chanyeol, remember that day in the bookstore?”
“Mhm, what about it?”
“Well,” Baekhyun fidgets with the end of his sleeves, and he can’t very well just say ‘never mind’ now that he’s already brought the subject up so he continues, “you told me you like doing things that make me smile. Why?”
Chanyeol pauses, slowly lowering his spoon to his bowl and his gaze flickers to his lap.
“Well, when I first met you with Zitao, of course you smiled and looked really friendly to talk to. But there was… something, I don’t really know how to put it. There was still a part of you that seemed sad. And then over time, when we were at the takeout shop or club and you were dancing and having a good time, your smile became more… real. And that’s what I want to see - I want to be around you when you’re happy, because it makes me happy.”
Chanyeol bites on his lower lip, glancing up at Baekhyun through his eyelashes.
“Oh.” Baekhyun kind of feels like his heart is going to burst out his chest and he’s trying really hard to not smile, but when Chanyeol’s looking at him like that and saying those words that sound like they’re spoken so utterly truthful and heartfelt, he lets the corners of his mouth curl up and he’s practically giggling.
“Was that what you wanted to hear?” Chanyeol asks, sticking his spoon in his mouth with a grin that Baekhyun returns.
“Maybe.”
“I actually had something to ask you,” Chanyeol says once their bowls are cleared and they’re waiting on the bill.
“Hm?” Baekhyun is curious, taking a sip of water as he watches Chanyeol pull out an envelope from his coat.
“I have two tickets to this concert, they were actually given to a friend by someone for his birthday, and he had already pre-ordered them himself.” Chanyeol hands him the envelope, “But anyways, since he didn’t know what to do with these, he offered them to me. I don’t know if you’re busy or anything on the day, but if not, would you like to go with me?” Chanyeol hands him the envelope and Baekhyun’s mind is blurring out the last few sentences because he’s holding a pair of tickets to Wufan’s favourite group, and the situation is reminding him an awful lot of his own.
“Y-your friend just gave these to you?” Baekhyun asks, a slight tremble in his voice and he’s internally beating himself up for sounding so weak.
“Um, yeah. He said he didn’t need them, and that they were just dropped at his doorstep. Told me he wasn’t friends with the person who gave them to him anymore as well.” Chanyeol is sounding worried, and he reaches out a hand to place over Baekhyun’s. “Are you okay?”
Baekhyun swallows, staring down at the tickets with tears in his eyes. “What’s your friend’s name?”
“Wufan. Do you know him? He’s really tall, taller than me even! I don’t know if you’ve seen him around campus but-”
“Sorry Chanyeol, I have to go.” Baekhyun interrupts him, his things already in his hand, and he doesn’t stop when he hears Chanyeol call out for him to wait.
It’s the second time he’s run out on him.
Chanyeol calls Baekhyun when the latter is on the bus heading home and trying to wipe his face dry. He now realizes why Chanyeol looked so familiar to him, and it’s just bringing up more questions he doesn’t even know if he wants the answers to. He rejects the call, immediately turning his phone off so Chanyeol can’t text him either.
He shuts himself in his room, curled up in his blankets with his stereo volume turned up loud to drown out the sounds of Jongin hammering on his door. He had come around half an hour after Baekhyun got back, using his key under the doormat to get in after Baekhyun hadn’t answered the door.
“Baekhyun, open the door! Chanyeol called me. He’s worried. I’m worried. We all are. Please?” Jongin raps lightly, once Baekhyun’s playlist has stopped blasting.
Baekhyun ignores him, falling asleep to more knocking and Jongin’s muffled voice through the door.
When he wakes up he can hear Jongin in the kitchen, banging a pot against the stove and muttering out an ‘oh shit’. Baekhyun glances at his clock, realizing he’s been napping for a little over an hour. He softly gets up to the bathroom, wiping his face with a washcloth and staring at his reflection in the mirror, red eyes and ruffled clothes.
Jongin doesn’t chastise him for not letting him in when Baekhyun finally walks into the kitchen. He settles for watching him with careful eyes, waiting for Baekhyun to speak first.
“Sorry, Jongin,” Baekhyun apologizes, feeling extremely small under his gaze.
“What happened?” Jongin asks, and brings over a mug of hot chocolate as he joins him at the table.
Baekhyun takes a deep breath. “Wufan. Wufan happened.”
It’s much later and Baekhyun’s mug is still untouched, the drink cold and tissue box half empty.
He wasn’t expecting to tell Jongin everything, but just after saying Wufan’s name, it all spilled out and before he knew it, he was crying again and Jongin was rubbing his back, trying to comfort him.
“Baekhyun, you should have told us.”
“There was nothing to say. What happens between Wufan and me shouldn’t concern you guys.”
“Baek, you’re our friend. No matter what happens, we’re going to be worried for you,” Jongin assures, and he gives him a soothing smile. “And you know, we’re not the only ones.”
Baekhyun tilts his head quizzically, before realizing who he’s talking about and his face drops.
“Jongi-”
“You should call Chanyeol, he’s really worried about you.”
“I can't,” Baekhyun lets out an exasperated sigh, planting his face onto the table. “He probably hates me.”
“He doesn’t,” Jongin says, getting up to microwave Baekhyun’s cocoa.
“How do you know?”
“Because if he hated you, he wouldn’t have called Zitao to get Joonmyun’s number, and then Minseok and my number, and pleaded for at least one of us to go check if you were okay.”
“Maybe he’s just the concerned-but-I-still-don’t-like-you type,” Baekhyun says timidly.
“Wake up!” Jongin snaps his fingers in front of his face, “Chanyeol likes you, Baekhyun, though God knows why.” He shakes his head. “You’re annoying, pretty tiny, such a nerd-”
“Okay, I get it! Thank you for captioning that,” Baekhyun retorts. Jongin winks and brings his now steaming-again mug over, sitting down and placing a comforting hand over Baekhyun’s.
“You really should do something, Baekhyun. Chanyeol’s a good guy, and he’s not going to wait around forever.”
When Jongin leaves and Baekhyun’s left alone, he gets out his laptop and logs onto Facebook, swallowing for a moment before typing Joonmyun’s name into the search bar. He clicks on his Photos link and the pictures from Wufan’s birthday come up.
Baekhyun stares at them, scrolling through until he gets to a particular set of photos and his breath halts.
He’s looking at a picture of Wufan, his arm slung over another male with dark brown eyes and wavy brown hair, and a smile that Baekhyun knows all too well. They’re both grinning at the camera and Chanyeol’s got on one of those party hats only cool at birthday parties when they were eight years old.
He turns on his phone to see five missed calls and three texts from Chanyeol. He doesn’t read any of them, shutting his laptop and closing his eyes before falling asleep.
to: jongin =3=
thanks for everything.
to: chanyeol ^0^
I’m sry about yesterday. I’d like to make it up to you. can we meet up today?
Baekhyun doesn’t expect Chanyeol to be free today, but he gives it a shot anyways. He gets a reply when he’s making breakfast, turning the stove off without bothering to finish cooking his half-fried eggs, and grabs his jacket.
Baekhyun fiddles with his shirt while he’s waiting, brushing non-existent dirt off and making sure there aren’t any crinkles. It’s not like he’s trying to impress Chanyeol but it’s something to keep himself occupied so he doesn’t have to worry about the actual date itself.
Not that this is a date.
Chanyeol arrives a few minutes later, mumbling an apology that his sister had called him before he left.
“Oh, if you were busy we could have met up later or-”
“No, don’t worry about it,” Chanyeol says, and despite the grin, Baekhyun knows he’s just being friendly.
He waits for Chanyeol to order a cup of coffee. “I wanted to apologize, for running out on you. Again. You probably think I’m really annoying and hate me, and I’ll pay you back for the lunch and everything.”
“I don’t hate you, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol laughs, and Baekhyun looks up to see the sincerity back in his grin.
“What? How? I’ve left you standing and most likely wondering what the hell is wrong with me twice, and-”
“I think you’re complicated, and you confuse me a lot of the time. But I meant what I said. I like to see you smile. I want to be there when you do. I don’t know why, but you mean a lot to me, Baekhyun. Even if that means having to deal with any of your problems, because I’d like to help you. I also know I don’t have any right to ask you about your own personal life, but if you ever want, I’m here to listen. I don’t think you’ll tell me right now what made you so distressed, but one day you should, so I can avoid upsetting you again,” Baekhyun almost wants to curl into a ball right there because the stare he’s getting from Chanyeol is bordering on something between affection and concern and it’s making that fluttery feeling in his stomach appear.
He doesn’t know how to respond so he just sits there, opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish. He needs to say something to fill the silence, but then Chanyeol continues and his problem is solved.
“I think it’s fairly obvious I like you, from that kiss and all. And in case you didn’t actually get that, this is me telling you now: I like you, Byun Baekhyun. I don’t expect you to say you like me back right now at all, but I know you feel something for me,” Chanyeol smirks, and Baekhyun is slightly amused.
“And how do you know?” He asks back with an almost cocky tone.
“Because I’m really tall, I’m good looking, I read and I’m pretty smart, I drink tea, as you’ve experienced first hand, I might add,” Chanyeol winks. “I’ll take you places and buy you things,” he tilts his head and strokes his chin as he pretends to think, “and I’ve never seen you smile as wide or as much as you do with anyone else but me.”
Baekhyun doesn’t manage to stifle his laugh as well as he’d hoped, nearly snorting in Chanyeol’s face. “How do you know I don’t smile more with other people?”
“Because I’m the light in your life, Baekhyun. And I’ll wait until whenever it is you’re ready to say you like me back too.”
“And you’re sure I’m going to say it back?”
Chanyeol softens his gaze. “I’m eight hundred and seventeen percent positive.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t try and stop me from paying for your coffee.”
“You can consider this as picking up your tab from yesterday,” Chanyeol smiles, before checking his watch. “Oh shit, I need to run an errand for my sister before the place closes. I’ll see you later?”
Baekhyun feels a little disappointed, and he knows it’s fairly evident on his face when Chanyeol grins and taps Baekhyun’s chin with his index finger. “Are you sad about that? Wow, I didn’t expect you to miss me this much already.”
Baekhyun sends him a glare, lightly pushing his hand away. “I’m not sad about anything.”
“Oh, really?”
Baekhyun deadpans. “Really. I just thought we might… I don’t know go hang out after this or something.”
“Well, if you’re going to miss being in my presence this much,” Chanyeol laughs at the look on Baekhyun’s face, ruffling his hair, “you can come with me to the pet store.”
“The pet store?” Baekhyun repeats, and has to quickly jog up to Chanyeol once the latter starts walking off.
“Yeah, I need to go grab something my sister ordered from the store. Are you going to come with?” Chanyeol gives him a cheeky grin, and pinches Baekhyun’s cheek. Baekhyun swats his hand away, trying to frown so his response of ‘yeah, sure whatever’ comes off as believable.
“Aw, these kitties are so cute!” Baekhyun almost squeals, curling his index fingers through the bars as a soft grey kitten comes up to place its paws around Baekhyun’s right finger. “Oh my gosh, Chanyeol! Come look at this!” Baekhyun frantically waves him over with his unoccupied hand, beaming as he watches the kitten rub its little nose against the tip of his finger.
Chanyeol slowly strolls over, his smile slowly growing as he hears Baekhyun’s laughter. It’s the kind that’s really pleasant to listen, all warm and genuine. He sticks his own finger through the bars and is surprised when another kitty, a striped brown one, comes up to sniff at him. Baekhyun coos again, and his laugh is so bubbly and giggly, Chanyeol’s practically in awe with how beautifully child-like it sounds.
Baekhyun ends up going all over the store, playing as much as he can with the puppies and rabbits, and Chanyeol has to drag him out thirty minutes after he’s already gotten the collar his sister wanted for her pet dog.
“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun softly says as they wait for the bus back to campus. “You know those tickets?”
“Oh…” Chanyeol’s eyes go wide. “Yeah, what about them?”
“Well, if you haven’t already asked someone else,” Baekhyun takes in a deep breath, “I-I wouldn’t mind going with you.”
Chanyeol’s face seems to brighten, and he nods excitedly. “Really? Cool!”
“Yeah, I think it’d be fun to go with you,” Baekhyun returns his smile. “But, what were you going to do if I said no?”
“I was actually going to offer them to one of my friends, because I don’t think I would have wanted to go if you didn’t want to come with. So I’m really glad you said yes.”
Baekhyun gets that fluttery feeling again that he’s started to feel very often around Chanyeol, and he silently agrees with him.
“To tell you the truth, I’m a lot more excited for the opening group than the main band.”
“Really?” Baekhyun raises his eyebrows.
“Yeah, they’re part of the reason I took the tickets.” Chanyeol takes the ripped tickets from the employee, ignoring the judging look on the guy’s face, and motions for Baekhyun to go through the doors first. “I’ve liked them for a lot longer than the main group, and I just find their music nicer to listen to. How about you?”
“Oh, I don’t really know any of the groups. I’ve only listened to a couple of songs Wu-I mean, a friend-had suggested to me.”
“Seriously?” Chanyeol asks with astonished eyes, and Baekhyun nods as they walk to the general floor. “Then how come you agreed to come with?”
Baekhyun shrugs, thinking he’s gotten a lot better at playing cool recently. “I thought it’d be a nice change of scene. I don’t really get out and do a lot of stuff with the other guys.”
Chanyeol flashes their tickets at the security and he lets them pass through. It’s not even two seconds later when Chanyeol’s face lights up and he grabs Baekhyun’s hand, pulling him along as they half-run (at the speed at which Chanyeol’s going) to their allocated seats.
“This is so cool! I’m so excited!” He exclaims, and Baekhyun has to bite his bottom lip to stop himself from smiling so wide. Even though Chanyeol might not realize it, it’s enough for Baekhyun to know that he’s the reason Chanyeol’s smile is so perfectly big. In the end, he’s glad Wufan gave the tickets to Chanyeol, if it makes him this happy to go to the concert.
“Oh my gosh, that was amazing!” Chanyeol shouts, and Baekhyun has to yell back because their ears are still ringing from how loud the volume was.
“I’m really glad they played that last song! I actually knew it!” Baekhyun laughs, and Chanyeol places his hands on his shoulders, trying to manoeuvre the two of them through the thick mass of people all trying to exit the venue at the same time. One of Chanyeol’s hands drop, and soon Baekhyun feels something brush his own hand, and then Chanyeol’s locking their fingers together, holding on tightly so they don't lose each other. Baekhyun glances back at Chanyeol slightly shocked, but squeezes the younger’s hand anyways, and turns back to face the front so Chanyeol doesn’t see his cheeks redden.
They make it outside and he feels the tug before he hears Chanyeol’s voice, and Baekhyun is being spun around.
“Wufan! I was wondering if we were going to run into you or not. This is Baekhyun,” Chanyeol lets go of his hand to gently drape his arm around Baekhyun’s shoulders after the two of them exchange a short bro shake. “Baek, this is Wufan.”
Baekhyun freezes, and he’s staring up at a face he hasn’t seen in more than six months, and his mind is screaming at him to just run so he doesn’t have to deal with this. But he can’t just leave Chanyeol again, so he shuts his eyes tight and puts on the best smile he can muster at that moment, sticking out his hand.
“Hello Wufan. It’s nice to meet you.”
He doesn't expect Wufan to reciprocate at all, but he’s sliding his hand into Baekhyun’s and giving it a light shake. Baekhyun doesn’t miss the way Wufan lets the palm of his hand brush against his pants when he pulls away, and he doesn’t know if he’s trying to wipe the Baekhyun off his hand or it’s because he’s feeling about as clammy and nervous as Baekhyun is right now. He goes with the latter, giving Wufan the benefit of the doubt. He doesn’t notice the girl at Wufan’s side until she gives a little wave and introduces herself as Sehua.
Chanyeol responds, and Baekhyun gives a little nod. The muscles in his shoulders are tensing up and Baekhyun doesn’t think Chanyeol has noticed how sick he feels, and probably looks.
“How did you guys find the show?” Chanyeol asks, and Baekhyun kind of wants to pull him away right now so they can just leave, but then Chanyeol starts to softly massage Baekhyun’s shoulder and he’s trying to calm him down.
“Oh, it was really cool, I love both bands! I’m really glad Wufan took me.”
She’s so tall, perfect height for Wufan, with her straight blonde hair and cute face. It’s hard for Baekhyun to hate her, especially when she seems so down-to-earth. He settles for shooting her a friendly grin, not wanting to talk more and lengthen out this conversation.
“Do you guys want to go grab some coffee or something?” Chanyeol suggests, and Baekhyun wants the ground to swallow him up whole. He’s feeling like he could smack Chanyeol around the head because that is the very last thing he wants, but Wufan is politely declining, and Baekhyun can let out the breath he was holding in relief.
“Nah, it’s okay man. It’s pretty late and we should head back to campus.”
“Oh, are you two grabbing the bus back there? So are we! Shall we walk together?” Chanyeol asks enthusiastically.
It’s really difficult to keep his fists at his side and not land one in Chanyeol’s gut when he keeps trying to extend the amount of bonding the two pairs can do together. Wufan can’t seem to think of a reason not to because he doesn’t say anything, and Baekhyun can’t just blurt out ‘um, I hate Wufan so I’d rather not, thank you’ so he lets Chanyeol lead them all towards the bus stop.
Chanyeol slips his hand into Baekhyun’s along the way, giving it a squeeze, and it’s an unfamiliar action but it comforts Baekhyun enough to slightly quell the anxiety that’s been slowly growing inside him.
Chanyeol talks enough for the both of them, Baekhyun adding in little additional comments when he has to correct Chanyeol or when Sehua asks him something directly. It’s Chanyeol’s laughter, the two of their hands still clasped together, that’s making his uneasiness slowly ebb away and he finds himself smiling again, even in a situation like this. He feels Chanyeol’s fingers tighten around his own every so often, and it’s giving him the comfort he needs that everything is going to be okay.
Baekhyun can’t help but wonder if Sehua is Wufan’s girlfriend or just a friend, but it’s when they reach campus and they part ways that he sees Wufan’s arm come around her waist as they walk away. It’s not like he’s jealous, but it still stings a little and Baekhyun has to turn away from the scene so his eyes don’t well up. He wonders what happened with Yixia, but the thought is quickly brushed away.
“Thanks for coming out with me tonight, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol softly says, and his gaze is careful as he squeezes his hand.
“No, it’s okay, don’t worry. Thanks for asking me,” Baekhyun beams, and he’s being really sincere when he says, “I had a lot of fun with you.”
“I’m glad,” Chanyeol’s eyes crinkle at the corners. “I’m sorry if meeting Wufan made you a little uneasy. I know the last time I brought him up you got upset, and I was just wondering if there’s anything-”
“I-I’d really rather not talk about it right now, if that’s okay.” Baekhyun says, a little too bitterly than he wanted.
“No, no, I understand. Sorry if I’m intruding.” Chanyeol kind of shrinks back, and Baekhyun feels guilty for being so harsh.
“You’re not. It's just me.” Baekhyun assures him, and he reaches out to hold Chanyeol’s other hand, facing him fully. He can hear the bus coming, so he makes it quick. “I really appreciate you taking me out tonight.”
He tiptoes up, and Chanyeol senses what he’s going to do before it’s even happening, a slight raise of his eyebrows as if to ask ‘are you sure?’. Baekhyun gives the tiniest of nods before he’s closing his eyes and pressing his lips to Chanyeol’s. It’s a very short kiss, a peck almost, but it’s soft and sweet, and Baekhyun thinks he’s conveying enough to Chanyeol when he pulls away and gets on the bus, not looking back as he hides his face in Chanyeol’s red scarf that’s tightly wrapped around his neck.
from: joonmyun ^u^
so are you and chanyeol dating now or what??
to: joonmyun ^u^
you should stop believing everything you hear from zitao.
from: joonmyun ^u^
it was actually jongin who told me
from: minseok *o*
congrats!! \^o^/
to: joonmyun ^u^
tell jongin I’m going to murder him.
from: zitao ^w^
can’t believe the two of you were shacking up behind my back.
from: jongin =3=
I told joonmyun and minseok jsyk. don’t be mad byunbaek ;-)
to: chanyeol (^0^)~♡
so who did zitao tell?
from: chanyeol (^0^)~♡
everyone we know. I think he posted it on facebook.
from: chanyeol (^0^)~♡
at least it saves us the trouble of announcing it to everyone.
to: zitao ^w^
we did not do any “shacking up”.
“When does Chanyeol perform?”
“He’s near the end of the show, I think.” Baekhyun peers down at the schedule, scanning for Chanyeol’s name in the programme.
“Oh my God, this thing has already been on for an hour and we’re not even halfway through.” Jongin moans, slumping into his seat.
Baekhyun rolls up his programme and whacks Jongin on the head. “Shut up. We’re here to support Chanyeol.”
Joonmyun hums in agreement on the other side of Baekhyun, before leaning towards him and not-so-softly-whispering, “it’s because Jongin hasn’t gotten laid in a few weeks. This kid keeps turning him down.”
“Fuck you, Joonmyun,” Jongin hisses. “He didn’t ‘turn me down’.”
“Right, so that black-eye you have is from walking into a door?” Minseok chuckles.
“Not my fault… who the hell knew Lu Han had an arm like that…” Jongin mutters, and Baekhyun almost chokes on his soda.
“Hold on… you tried hitting on Lu Han? And Lu Han turned you down?”
“I just said that he didn’t turn me down! You’re all assholes.” Jongin crosses his arms and pulls his snapback low over his face. Zitao stifles a laugh and they sit in silence, until Jongin suddenly sits up, raising the brim of his hat. “Wait. How do you know Lu Han?”
“He works with me at the library. If you really wanted to get his number, you could have asked.”
“What the hell, Byun Baekhyun! Why do you never tell me these things?!” Jongin practically yells, and it’s a good thing it’s the first intermission right now otherwise they would be on the receiving end of some very dirty looks.
“It’s not my fault you guys never visit me at the library,” Baekhyun has to pry Jongin’s fingers from his shirt, smoothing down the creases his nails left in the cloth. Then the audience is clapping and Baekhyun places his index finger in front of his mouth, silencing whatever Jongin was about to retort because the red curtains are being drawn and the second part of the show is about to start.
“Seven, seven, seven…” Baekhyun mutters to himself as he tries to locate the right numbered section he was sitting in. The line to the bathroom was way too long for his liking, and the third and final part is going to begin soon. He doesn’t want to miss Chanyeol’s performance, even though Zitao’s already set up a video camera so they have it all recorded.
He’s too preoccupied finding his row that he doesn’t watch where he’s going and runs into someone, the male catching onto his wrists to stop Baekhyun from falling backwards.
“Oh, thanks,” Baekhyun says, a hand gingerly placed over his chest. He looks up to see Wufan, who immediately straightens, running a hand through his hair once he realizes who he’s bumped into. Baekhyun blinks, and the atmosphere is awkward. But he doesn't feel that emptiness in his chest anymore when he thinks of Wufan, and maybe that’s why it’s weirder that he’s looking up at a person that doesn’t make him cry anymore.
In fact, he doesn’t feel anything but a little bit of irritation, and so Baekhyun spins on his heel, brushing past him without another word.
“Baek, wait!” Wufan’s hand is closing around his wrist and gripping him tightly to stop him from walking away. “I-I bought those tickets for you and me, the ones that Sehua and I used, before I got yours as a gift. I… I just want you to know that.”
“Is that supposed to mean something to me?”
“I didn’t know Chanyeol was going to take you. I didn’t even know you two knew each other.” Wufan says, and he sounds sincere, but Baekhyun doesn’t care.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me anymore, Wufan.” Baekhyun grits out, finally yanking his arm away.
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what? For not calling like you said you would? For not fucking texting? For not having the decency to talk to me about this instead of running away like a coward?”
“I didn’t know what to do! I was confused, and everything was just a mess-”
“That’s a shitty ass excuse, Wufan. Don’t play the victim here when you know I went through a hell of a lot more than you did.” It’s aggravating and annoying, and Baekhyun feels like he wants to punch him. To bring Wufan pain, and make him hurt as much as Baekhyun did.
“I know, I know, Baek. I’m sorry, I really am. I don’t expect you to be my friend again, or to forgive me, but I just don’t want you to be mad at me anymore.” And then somewhere in the last sentence, Baekhyun feels his anger dissipate.
“I’m not angry. Not really.” He says softly. The lights dim and everyone in the sections start to clap, the others that were milling around rushing past the two of them to get to their seats. Baekhyun looks back to see the curtain being drawn. “I have to go. Bye Wufan.”
“Y-you seem happy with him.” Wufan blurts out, and Baekhyun stops in his tracks. He doesn’t say anything, and Wufan continues. “I’m… I’m happy for you, Baekhyun. He’s making you smile a lot more than you used to.”
Baekhyun stays silent for a moment, only muttering a soft 'I'll see you around, Wufan' before spinning on his heel and walking away back to his seat.
“That was great!” Baekhyun excitedly says as soon as the show is over and Chanyeol is walking out from backstage. Chanyeol scoops him in a huge hug, spinning him around, and Baekhyun has to wrap his arms closely around Chanyeol’s neck to avoid snapping his guitar strapped to his back.
“Can you guys not be gross, please,” Jongin says, not even trying to hide his disgust.
“Chanyeol!” Baekhyun screeches out, giggling too much as Chanyeol’s hair brushes against his neck and tickles him. “Put me down!”
Chanyeol obeys, but not before giving him a kiss.
“Good job, Chanyeol,” Minseok pats him on the back, and Zitao and Joonmyun follow closely behind, giving their congratulations and ‘well done’ wishes as Zitao turns his camera on to show Chanyeol his performance straightaway.
They all decide to go for a celebratory meal afterwards, and Baekhyun hangs back as he waits for Chanyeol to put on his coat.
He grabs his guitar off his back, and Chanyeol chuckles, reaching out for it. “Give that to me, Baekhyun.”
“No! I can carry it.” Baekhyun insists, switching it from hand to hand to decide what’s the most comfortable position to carry it.
“It’s practically bigger than you,” Chanyeol quips, and Baekhyun relents, handing it over. Chanyeol leans down to give him a kiss on the forehead, curling an arm around his shoulders and following the others.
“By the way, am I still coming over tomorrow night?” Chanyeol leans down to whisper into Baekhyun’s ear as they exit the concert hall.
Baekhyun pokes Chanyeol’s nose. “Of course! We need to stay up so we can exchange Christmas gifts at midnight.”
Chanyeol grins, pecking Baekhyun’s lips.
Chanyeol will never be Wufan. He’s not as tall, and he has a lighter hair colour. He wears glasses, along with a really confused and cute expression whenever he reads, his eyebrows knitting together. He likes sushi a lot (Baekhyun swears they have it at least once a week) and he always asks to get sweet popcorn. He likes cuddling and kissing Baekhyun a lot.
Chanyeol isn’t Baekhyun’s first love.
But Chanyeol’s willing to give Baekhyun what Wufan wouldn’t, and that makes him all the more special. He’s the one Baekhyun goes to when he’s angry or sad, and he doesn’t judge Baekhyun for anything (except for putting peanut butter on ice cream). He’s the one who sends Baekhyun good morning texts on the days he doesn’t sleep over, and helps Baekhyun to stack shelves at the library the majority of the time when he can.
Chanyeol isn’t even his second love, but Baekhyun thinks, with every time he falls asleep in the younger's arms, that Chanyeol’s slowly getting there. He’s eight hundred and seventeen percent positive of that.
pairing: baekhyun/chanyeol
rating: m ((mentions of sex))
length: 12.2k
warning ((highlight)): homophobia
summary: baekhyun's broken and his personal bandaid comes in the form of chanyeol
Baekhyun’s phone rings, echoing throughout the silence of the library, and he fumbles in his pocket, quickly trying to answer the call before anyone else shoots him a look.
“Hello?” He whispers, shutting himself in the backroom behind reception.
“Hi Baekhyun! Why are you whispering? Did I catch you at a bad time?” Chanyeol says over the line, worry crawling into his voice.
“Kind of, I was just stacking shelves at the library.”
“Oh, oops. I apologize to everyone working. Sorry!” Chanyeol practically yells the last part and Baekhyun has to hold the phone at arm’s length away from his ear to avoid going deaf. “Did they hear me?”
“I’m in the backroom.”
“Oh.”
Baekhyun chuckles. “So, did you need anything?”
“Need?” Chanyeol repeats, and Baekhyun can hear the confusion.
“Why did you call?”
“Oh, I wanted to ask if you were free to get some food with me, but I already got my answer,” Chanyeol laughs. “When do you get off?”
Baekhyun glances up at the clock, “I’ll be done in roughly half an hour.”
“I can wait until then. I’ll meet you at the front of the library. Bye Baekhyun!” Chanyeol hangs up, and Baekhyun’s left listening to the dull tone.
Then the door opens and Baekhyun quickly puts his phone on silent, shoving it back into his pocket.
“You’re not supposed to use this room for secret personal calls, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo jokes, shrugging out of his black smock apron the university gave the library employees as their uniform.
“I forgot to turn my phone off,” Baekhyun gives as an excuse, smiling at the younger.
“So who was that?” Kyungsoo asks with a smirk, grabbing his jacket out of his designated cubby now that his shift is over.
“Just a friend,” Baekhyun says, lightly elbowing him in the side.
“The tall guy who helped you all last Saturday?”
Baekhyun freezes, slowly turning around. “You didn’t work that day. How do you know?”
“Lu Han told me. We have our own gossip too, you know.” Kyungsoo gives him a sly wink, sliding out the door and leaving Baekhyun to gawk after him.
“So how come you wanted to eat lunch with me?” Baekhyun asks as he takes a spoonful of his noodle soup.
“Well Zitao was busy, and you’re the only other person I thought of,” Chanyeol replies, blowing on his own food.
Baekhyun remains silent, pondering on whether to ask or not, and the question is already slipping past his lips before he’s fully decided. “Chanyeol, remember that day in the bookstore?”
“Mhm, what about it?”
“Well,” Baekhyun fidgets with the end of his sleeves, and he can’t very well just say ‘never mind’ now that he’s already brought the subject up so he continues, “you told me you like doing things that make me smile. Why?”
Chanyeol pauses, slowly lowering his spoon to his bowl and his gaze flickers to his lap.
“Well, when I first met you with Zitao, of course you smiled and looked really friendly to talk to. But there was… something, I don’t really know how to put it. There was still a part of you that seemed sad. And then over time, when we were at the takeout shop or club and you were dancing and having a good time, your smile became more… real. And that’s what I want to see - I want to be around you when you’re happy, because it makes me happy.”
Chanyeol bites on his lower lip, glancing up at Baekhyun through his eyelashes.
“Oh.” Baekhyun kind of feels like his heart is going to burst out his chest and he’s trying really hard to not smile, but when Chanyeol’s looking at him like that and saying those words that sound like they’re spoken so utterly truthful and heartfelt, he lets the corners of his mouth curl up and he’s practically giggling.
“Was that what you wanted to hear?” Chanyeol asks, sticking his spoon in his mouth with a grin that Baekhyun returns.
“Maybe.”
“I actually had something to ask you,” Chanyeol says once their bowls are cleared and they’re waiting on the bill.
“Hm?” Baekhyun is curious, taking a sip of water as he watches Chanyeol pull out an envelope from his coat.
“I have two tickets to this concert, they were actually given to a friend by someone for his birthday, and he had already pre-ordered them himself.” Chanyeol hands him the envelope, “But anyways, since he didn’t know what to do with these, he offered them to me. I don’t know if you’re busy or anything on the day, but if not, would you like to go with me?” Chanyeol hands him the envelope and Baekhyun’s mind is blurring out the last few sentences because he’s holding a pair of tickets to Wufan’s favourite group, and the situation is reminding him an awful lot of his own.
“Y-your friend just gave these to you?” Baekhyun asks, a slight tremble in his voice and he’s internally beating himself up for sounding so weak.
“Um, yeah. He said he didn’t need them, and that they were just dropped at his doorstep. Told me he wasn’t friends with the person who gave them to him anymore as well.” Chanyeol is sounding worried, and he reaches out a hand to place over Baekhyun’s. “Are you okay?”
Baekhyun swallows, staring down at the tickets with tears in his eyes. “What’s your friend’s name?”
“Wufan. Do you know him? He’s really tall, taller than me even! I don’t know if you’ve seen him around campus but-”
“Sorry Chanyeol, I have to go.” Baekhyun interrupts him, his things already in his hand, and he doesn’t stop when he hears Chanyeol call out for him to wait.
It’s the second time he’s run out on him.
Chanyeol calls Baekhyun when the latter is on the bus heading home and trying to wipe his face dry. He now realizes why Chanyeol looked so familiar to him, and it’s just bringing up more questions he doesn’t even know if he wants the answers to. He rejects the call, immediately turning his phone off so Chanyeol can’t text him either.
He shuts himself in his room, curled up in his blankets with his stereo volume turned up loud to drown out the sounds of Jongin hammering on his door. He had come around half an hour after Baekhyun got back, using his key under the doormat to get in after Baekhyun hadn’t answered the door.
“Baekhyun, open the door! Chanyeol called me. He’s worried. I’m worried. We all are. Please?” Jongin raps lightly, once Baekhyun’s playlist has stopped blasting.
Baekhyun ignores him, falling asleep to more knocking and Jongin’s muffled voice through the door.
When he wakes up he can hear Jongin in the kitchen, banging a pot against the stove and muttering out an ‘oh shit’. Baekhyun glances at his clock, realizing he’s been napping for a little over an hour. He softly gets up to the bathroom, wiping his face with a washcloth and staring at his reflection in the mirror, red eyes and ruffled clothes.
Jongin doesn’t chastise him for not letting him in when Baekhyun finally walks into the kitchen. He settles for watching him with careful eyes, waiting for Baekhyun to speak first.
“Sorry, Jongin,” Baekhyun apologizes, feeling extremely small under his gaze.
“What happened?” Jongin asks, and brings over a mug of hot chocolate as he joins him at the table.
Baekhyun takes a deep breath. “Wufan. Wufan happened.”
It’s much later and Baekhyun’s mug is still untouched, the drink cold and tissue box half empty.
He wasn’t expecting to tell Jongin everything, but just after saying Wufan’s name, it all spilled out and before he knew it, he was crying again and Jongin was rubbing his back, trying to comfort him.
“Baekhyun, you should have told us.”
“There was nothing to say. What happens between Wufan and me shouldn’t concern you guys.”
“Baek, you’re our friend. No matter what happens, we’re going to be worried for you,” Jongin assures, and he gives him a soothing smile. “And you know, we’re not the only ones.”
Baekhyun tilts his head quizzically, before realizing who he’s talking about and his face drops.
“Jongi-”
“You should call Chanyeol, he’s really worried about you.”
“I can't,” Baekhyun lets out an exasperated sigh, planting his face onto the table. “He probably hates me.”
“He doesn’t,” Jongin says, getting up to microwave Baekhyun’s cocoa.
“How do you know?”
“Because if he hated you, he wouldn’t have called Zitao to get Joonmyun’s number, and then Minseok and my number, and pleaded for at least one of us to go check if you were okay.”
“Maybe he’s just the concerned-but-I-still-don’t-like-you type,” Baekhyun says timidly.
“Wake up!” Jongin snaps his fingers in front of his face, “Chanyeol likes you, Baekhyun, though God knows why.” He shakes his head. “You’re annoying, pretty tiny, such a nerd-”
“Okay, I get it! Thank you for captioning that,” Baekhyun retorts. Jongin winks and brings his now steaming-again mug over, sitting down and placing a comforting hand over Baekhyun’s.
“You really should do something, Baekhyun. Chanyeol’s a good guy, and he’s not going to wait around forever.”
When Jongin leaves and Baekhyun’s left alone, he gets out his laptop and logs onto Facebook, swallowing for a moment before typing Joonmyun’s name into the search bar. He clicks on his Photos link and the pictures from Wufan’s birthday come up.
Baekhyun stares at them, scrolling through until he gets to a particular set of photos and his breath halts.
He’s looking at a picture of Wufan, his arm slung over another male with dark brown eyes and wavy brown hair, and a smile that Baekhyun knows all too well. They’re both grinning at the camera and Chanyeol’s got on one of those party hats only cool at birthday parties when they were eight years old.
He turns on his phone to see five missed calls and three texts from Chanyeol. He doesn’t read any of them, shutting his laptop and closing his eyes before falling asleep.
to: jongin =3=
thanks for everything.
to: chanyeol ^0^
I’m sry about yesterday. I’d like to make it up to you. can we meet up today?
Baekhyun doesn’t expect Chanyeol to be free today, but he gives it a shot anyways. He gets a reply when he’s making breakfast, turning the stove off without bothering to finish cooking his half-fried eggs, and grabs his jacket.
Baekhyun fiddles with his shirt while he’s waiting, brushing non-existent dirt off and making sure there aren’t any crinkles. It’s not like he’s trying to impress Chanyeol but it’s something to keep himself occupied so he doesn’t have to worry about the actual date itself.
Not that this is a date.
Chanyeol arrives a few minutes later, mumbling an apology that his sister had called him before he left.
“Oh, if you were busy we could have met up later or-”
“No, don’t worry about it,” Chanyeol says, and despite the grin, Baekhyun knows he’s just being friendly.
He waits for Chanyeol to order a cup of coffee. “I wanted to apologize, for running out on you. Again. You probably think I’m really annoying and hate me, and I’ll pay you back for the lunch and everything.”
“I don’t hate you, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol laughs, and Baekhyun looks up to see the sincerity back in his grin.
“What? How? I’ve left you standing and most likely wondering what the hell is wrong with me twice, and-”
“I think you’re complicated, and you confuse me a lot of the time. But I meant what I said. I like to see you smile. I want to be there when you do. I don’t know why, but you mean a lot to me, Baekhyun. Even if that means having to deal with any of your problems, because I’d like to help you. I also know I don’t have any right to ask you about your own personal life, but if you ever want, I’m here to listen. I don’t think you’ll tell me right now what made you so distressed, but one day you should, so I can avoid upsetting you again,” Baekhyun almost wants to curl into a ball right there because the stare he’s getting from Chanyeol is bordering on something between affection and concern and it’s making that fluttery feeling in his stomach appear.
He doesn’t know how to respond so he just sits there, opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish. He needs to say something to fill the silence, but then Chanyeol continues and his problem is solved.
“I think it’s fairly obvious I like you, from that kiss and all. And in case you didn’t actually get that, this is me telling you now: I like you, Byun Baekhyun. I don’t expect you to say you like me back right now at all, but I know you feel something for me,” Chanyeol smirks, and Baekhyun is slightly amused.
“And how do you know?” He asks back with an almost cocky tone.
“Because I’m really tall, I’m good looking, I read and I’m pretty smart, I drink tea, as you’ve experienced first hand, I might add,” Chanyeol winks. “I’ll take you places and buy you things,” he tilts his head and strokes his chin as he pretends to think, “and I’ve never seen you smile as wide or as much as you do with anyone else but me.”
Baekhyun doesn’t manage to stifle his laugh as well as he’d hoped, nearly snorting in Chanyeol’s face. “How do you know I don’t smile more with other people?”
“Because I’m the light in your life, Baekhyun. And I’ll wait until whenever it is you’re ready to say you like me back too.”
“And you’re sure I’m going to say it back?”
Chanyeol softens his gaze. “I’m eight hundred and seventeen percent positive.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t try and stop me from paying for your coffee.”
“You can consider this as picking up your tab from yesterday,” Chanyeol smiles, before checking his watch. “Oh shit, I need to run an errand for my sister before the place closes. I’ll see you later?”
Baekhyun feels a little disappointed, and he knows it’s fairly evident on his face when Chanyeol grins and taps Baekhyun’s chin with his index finger. “Are you sad about that? Wow, I didn’t expect you to miss me this much already.”
Baekhyun sends him a glare, lightly pushing his hand away. “I’m not sad about anything.”
“Oh, really?”
Baekhyun deadpans. “Really. I just thought we might… I don’t know go hang out after this or something.”
“Well, if you’re going to miss being in my presence this much,” Chanyeol laughs at the look on Baekhyun’s face, ruffling his hair, “you can come with me to the pet store.”
“The pet store?” Baekhyun repeats, and has to quickly jog up to Chanyeol once the latter starts walking off.
“Yeah, I need to go grab something my sister ordered from the store. Are you going to come with?” Chanyeol gives him a cheeky grin, and pinches Baekhyun’s cheek. Baekhyun swats his hand away, trying to frown so his response of ‘yeah, sure whatever’ comes off as believable.
“Aw, these kitties are so cute!” Baekhyun almost squeals, curling his index fingers through the bars as a soft grey kitten comes up to place its paws around Baekhyun’s right finger. “Oh my gosh, Chanyeol! Come look at this!” Baekhyun frantically waves him over with his unoccupied hand, beaming as he watches the kitten rub its little nose against the tip of his finger.
Chanyeol slowly strolls over, his smile slowly growing as he hears Baekhyun’s laughter. It’s the kind that’s really pleasant to listen, all warm and genuine. He sticks his own finger through the bars and is surprised when another kitty, a striped brown one, comes up to sniff at him. Baekhyun coos again, and his laugh is so bubbly and giggly, Chanyeol’s practically in awe with how beautifully child-like it sounds.
Baekhyun ends up going all over the store, playing as much as he can with the puppies and rabbits, and Chanyeol has to drag him out thirty minutes after he’s already gotten the collar his sister wanted for her pet dog.
“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun softly says as they wait for the bus back to campus. “You know those tickets?”
“Oh…” Chanyeol’s eyes go wide. “Yeah, what about them?”
“Well, if you haven’t already asked someone else,” Baekhyun takes in a deep breath, “I-I wouldn’t mind going with you.”
Chanyeol’s face seems to brighten, and he nods excitedly. “Really? Cool!”
“Yeah, I think it’d be fun to go with you,” Baekhyun returns his smile. “But, what were you going to do if I said no?”
“I was actually going to offer them to one of my friends, because I don’t think I would have wanted to go if you didn’t want to come with. So I’m really glad you said yes.”
Baekhyun gets that fluttery feeling again that he’s started to feel very often around Chanyeol, and he silently agrees with him.
“To tell you the truth, I’m a lot more excited for the opening group than the main band.”
“Really?” Baekhyun raises his eyebrows.
“Yeah, they’re part of the reason I took the tickets.” Chanyeol takes the ripped tickets from the employee, ignoring the judging look on the guy’s face, and motions for Baekhyun to go through the doors first. “I’ve liked them for a lot longer than the main group, and I just find their music nicer to listen to. How about you?”
“Oh, I don’t really know any of the groups. I’ve only listened to a couple of songs Wu-I mean, a friend-had suggested to me.”
“Seriously?” Chanyeol asks with astonished eyes, and Baekhyun nods as they walk to the general floor. “Then how come you agreed to come with?”
Baekhyun shrugs, thinking he’s gotten a lot better at playing cool recently. “I thought it’d be a nice change of scene. I don’t really get out and do a lot of stuff with the other guys.”
Chanyeol flashes their tickets at the security and he lets them pass through. It’s not even two seconds later when Chanyeol’s face lights up and he grabs Baekhyun’s hand, pulling him along as they half-run (at the speed at which Chanyeol’s going) to their allocated seats.
“This is so cool! I’m so excited!” He exclaims, and Baekhyun has to bite his bottom lip to stop himself from smiling so wide. Even though Chanyeol might not realize it, it’s enough for Baekhyun to know that he’s the reason Chanyeol’s smile is so perfectly big. In the end, he’s glad Wufan gave the tickets to Chanyeol, if it makes him this happy to go to the concert.
“Oh my gosh, that was amazing!” Chanyeol shouts, and Baekhyun has to yell back because their ears are still ringing from how loud the volume was.
“I’m really glad they played that last song! I actually knew it!” Baekhyun laughs, and Chanyeol places his hands on his shoulders, trying to manoeuvre the two of them through the thick mass of people all trying to exit the venue at the same time. One of Chanyeol’s hands drop, and soon Baekhyun feels something brush his own hand, and then Chanyeol’s locking their fingers together, holding on tightly so they don't lose each other. Baekhyun glances back at Chanyeol slightly shocked, but squeezes the younger’s hand anyways, and turns back to face the front so Chanyeol doesn’t see his cheeks redden.
They make it outside and he feels the tug before he hears Chanyeol’s voice, and Baekhyun is being spun around.
“Wufan! I was wondering if we were going to run into you or not. This is Baekhyun,” Chanyeol lets go of his hand to gently drape his arm around Baekhyun’s shoulders after the two of them exchange a short bro shake. “Baek, this is Wufan.”
Baekhyun freezes, and he’s staring up at a face he hasn’t seen in more than six months, and his mind is screaming at him to just run so he doesn’t have to deal with this. But he can’t just leave Chanyeol again, so he shuts his eyes tight and puts on the best smile he can muster at that moment, sticking out his hand.
“Hello Wufan. It’s nice to meet you.”
He doesn't expect Wufan to reciprocate at all, but he’s sliding his hand into Baekhyun’s and giving it a light shake. Baekhyun doesn’t miss the way Wufan lets the palm of his hand brush against his pants when he pulls away, and he doesn’t know if he’s trying to wipe the Baekhyun off his hand or it’s because he’s feeling about as clammy and nervous as Baekhyun is right now. He goes with the latter, giving Wufan the benefit of the doubt. He doesn’t notice the girl at Wufan’s side until she gives a little wave and introduces herself as Sehua.
Chanyeol responds, and Baekhyun gives a little nod. The muscles in his shoulders are tensing up and Baekhyun doesn’t think Chanyeol has noticed how sick he feels, and probably looks.
“How did you guys find the show?” Chanyeol asks, and Baekhyun kind of wants to pull him away right now so they can just leave, but then Chanyeol starts to softly massage Baekhyun’s shoulder and he’s trying to calm him down.
“Oh, it was really cool, I love both bands! I’m really glad Wufan took me.”
She’s so tall, perfect height for Wufan, with her straight blonde hair and cute face. It’s hard for Baekhyun to hate her, especially when she seems so down-to-earth. He settles for shooting her a friendly grin, not wanting to talk more and lengthen out this conversation.
“Do you guys want to go grab some coffee or something?” Chanyeol suggests, and Baekhyun wants the ground to swallow him up whole. He’s feeling like he could smack Chanyeol around the head because that is the very last thing he wants, but Wufan is politely declining, and Baekhyun can let out the breath he was holding in relief.
“Nah, it’s okay man. It’s pretty late and we should head back to campus.”
“Oh, are you two grabbing the bus back there? So are we! Shall we walk together?” Chanyeol asks enthusiastically.
It’s really difficult to keep his fists at his side and not land one in Chanyeol’s gut when he keeps trying to extend the amount of bonding the two pairs can do together. Wufan can’t seem to think of a reason not to because he doesn’t say anything, and Baekhyun can’t just blurt out ‘um, I hate Wufan so I’d rather not, thank you’ so he lets Chanyeol lead them all towards the bus stop.
Chanyeol slips his hand into Baekhyun’s along the way, giving it a squeeze, and it’s an unfamiliar action but it comforts Baekhyun enough to slightly quell the anxiety that’s been slowly growing inside him.
Chanyeol talks enough for the both of them, Baekhyun adding in little additional comments when he has to correct Chanyeol or when Sehua asks him something directly. It’s Chanyeol’s laughter, the two of their hands still clasped together, that’s making his uneasiness slowly ebb away and he finds himself smiling again, even in a situation like this. He feels Chanyeol’s fingers tighten around his own every so often, and it’s giving him the comfort he needs that everything is going to be okay.
Baekhyun can’t help but wonder if Sehua is Wufan’s girlfriend or just a friend, but it’s when they reach campus and they part ways that he sees Wufan’s arm come around her waist as they walk away. It’s not like he’s jealous, but it still stings a little and Baekhyun has to turn away from the scene so his eyes don’t well up. He wonders what happened with Yixia, but the thought is quickly brushed away.
“Thanks for coming out with me tonight, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol softly says, and his gaze is careful as he squeezes his hand.
“No, it’s okay, don’t worry. Thanks for asking me,” Baekhyun beams, and he’s being really sincere when he says, “I had a lot of fun with you.”
“I’m glad,” Chanyeol’s eyes crinkle at the corners. “I’m sorry if meeting Wufan made you a little uneasy. I know the last time I brought him up you got upset, and I was just wondering if there’s anything-”
“I-I’d really rather not talk about it right now, if that’s okay.” Baekhyun says, a little too bitterly than he wanted.
“No, no, I understand. Sorry if I’m intruding.” Chanyeol kind of shrinks back, and Baekhyun feels guilty for being so harsh.
“You’re not. It's just me.” Baekhyun assures him, and he reaches out to hold Chanyeol’s other hand, facing him fully. He can hear the bus coming, so he makes it quick. “I really appreciate you taking me out tonight.”
He tiptoes up, and Chanyeol senses what he’s going to do before it’s even happening, a slight raise of his eyebrows as if to ask ‘are you sure?’. Baekhyun gives the tiniest of nods before he’s closing his eyes and pressing his lips to Chanyeol’s. It’s a very short kiss, a peck almost, but it’s soft and sweet, and Baekhyun thinks he’s conveying enough to Chanyeol when he pulls away and gets on the bus, not looking back as he hides his face in Chanyeol’s red scarf that’s tightly wrapped around his neck.
from: joonmyun ^u^
so are you and chanyeol dating now or what??
to: joonmyun ^u^
you should stop believing everything you hear from zitao.
from: joonmyun ^u^
it was actually jongin who told me
from: minseok *o*
congrats!! \^o^/
to: joonmyun ^u^
tell jongin I’m going to murder him.
from: zitao ^w^
can’t believe the two of you were shacking up behind my back.
from: jongin =3=
I told joonmyun and minseok jsyk. don’t be mad byunbaek ;-)
to: chanyeol (^0^)~♡
so who did zitao tell?
from: chanyeol (^0^)~♡
everyone we know. I think he posted it on facebook.
from: chanyeol (^0^)~♡
at least it saves us the trouble of announcing it to everyone.
to: zitao ^w^
we did not do any “shacking up”.
“When does Chanyeol perform?”
“He’s near the end of the show, I think.” Baekhyun peers down at the schedule, scanning for Chanyeol’s name in the programme.
“Oh my God, this thing has already been on for an hour and we’re not even halfway through.” Jongin moans, slumping into his seat.
Baekhyun rolls up his programme and whacks Jongin on the head. “Shut up. We’re here to support Chanyeol.”
Joonmyun hums in agreement on the other side of Baekhyun, before leaning towards him and not-so-softly-whispering, “it’s because Jongin hasn’t gotten laid in a few weeks. This kid keeps turning him down.”
“Fuck you, Joonmyun,” Jongin hisses. “He didn’t ‘turn me down’.”
“Right, so that black-eye you have is from walking into a door?” Minseok chuckles.
“Not my fault… who the hell knew Lu Han had an arm like that…” Jongin mutters, and Baekhyun almost chokes on his soda.
“Hold on… you tried hitting on Lu Han? And Lu Han turned you down?”
“I just said that he didn’t turn me down! You’re all assholes.” Jongin crosses his arms and pulls his snapback low over his face. Zitao stifles a laugh and they sit in silence, until Jongin suddenly sits up, raising the brim of his hat. “Wait. How do you know Lu Han?”
“He works with me at the library. If you really wanted to get his number, you could have asked.”
“What the hell, Byun Baekhyun! Why do you never tell me these things?!” Jongin practically yells, and it’s a good thing it’s the first intermission right now otherwise they would be on the receiving end of some very dirty looks.
“It’s not my fault you guys never visit me at the library,” Baekhyun has to pry Jongin’s fingers from his shirt, smoothing down the creases his nails left in the cloth. Then the audience is clapping and Baekhyun places his index finger in front of his mouth, silencing whatever Jongin was about to retort because the red curtains are being drawn and the second part of the show is about to start.
“Seven, seven, seven…” Baekhyun mutters to himself as he tries to locate the right numbered section he was sitting in. The line to the bathroom was way too long for his liking, and the third and final part is going to begin soon. He doesn’t want to miss Chanyeol’s performance, even though Zitao’s already set up a video camera so they have it all recorded.
He’s too preoccupied finding his row that he doesn’t watch where he’s going and runs into someone, the male catching onto his wrists to stop Baekhyun from falling backwards.
“Oh, thanks,” Baekhyun says, a hand gingerly placed over his chest. He looks up to see Wufan, who immediately straightens, running a hand through his hair once he realizes who he’s bumped into. Baekhyun blinks, and the atmosphere is awkward. But he doesn't feel that emptiness in his chest anymore when he thinks of Wufan, and maybe that’s why it’s weirder that he’s looking up at a person that doesn’t make him cry anymore.
In fact, he doesn’t feel anything but a little bit of irritation, and so Baekhyun spins on his heel, brushing past him without another word.
“Baek, wait!” Wufan’s hand is closing around his wrist and gripping him tightly to stop him from walking away. “I-I bought those tickets for you and me, the ones that Sehua and I used, before I got yours as a gift. I… I just want you to know that.”
“Is that supposed to mean something to me?”
“I didn’t know Chanyeol was going to take you. I didn’t even know you two knew each other.” Wufan says, and he sounds sincere, but Baekhyun doesn’t care.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me anymore, Wufan.” Baekhyun grits out, finally yanking his arm away.
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what? For not calling like you said you would? For not fucking texting? For not having the decency to talk to me about this instead of running away like a coward?”
“I didn’t know what to do! I was confused, and everything was just a mess-”
“That’s a shitty ass excuse, Wufan. Don’t play the victim here when you know I went through a hell of a lot more than you did.” It’s aggravating and annoying, and Baekhyun feels like he wants to punch him. To bring Wufan pain, and make him hurt as much as Baekhyun did.
“I know, I know, Baek. I’m sorry, I really am. I don’t expect you to be my friend again, or to forgive me, but I just don’t want you to be mad at me anymore.” And then somewhere in the last sentence, Baekhyun feels his anger dissipate.
“I’m not angry. Not really.” He says softly. The lights dim and everyone in the sections start to clap, the others that were milling around rushing past the two of them to get to their seats. Baekhyun looks back to see the curtain being drawn. “I have to go. Bye Wufan.”
“Y-you seem happy with him.” Wufan blurts out, and Baekhyun stops in his tracks. He doesn’t say anything, and Wufan continues. “I’m… I’m happy for you, Baekhyun. He’s making you smile a lot more than you used to.”
Baekhyun stays silent for a moment, only muttering a soft 'I'll see you around, Wufan' before spinning on his heel and walking away back to his seat.
“That was great!” Baekhyun excitedly says as soon as the show is over and Chanyeol is walking out from backstage. Chanyeol scoops him in a huge hug, spinning him around, and Baekhyun has to wrap his arms closely around Chanyeol’s neck to avoid snapping his guitar strapped to his back.
“Can you guys not be gross, please,” Jongin says, not even trying to hide his disgust.
“Chanyeol!” Baekhyun screeches out, giggling too much as Chanyeol’s hair brushes against his neck and tickles him. “Put me down!”
Chanyeol obeys, but not before giving him a kiss.
“Good job, Chanyeol,” Minseok pats him on the back, and Zitao and Joonmyun follow closely behind, giving their congratulations and ‘well done’ wishes as Zitao turns his camera on to show Chanyeol his performance straightaway.
They all decide to go for a celebratory meal afterwards, and Baekhyun hangs back as he waits for Chanyeol to put on his coat.
He grabs his guitar off his back, and Chanyeol chuckles, reaching out for it. “Give that to me, Baekhyun.”
“No! I can carry it.” Baekhyun insists, switching it from hand to hand to decide what’s the most comfortable position to carry it.
“It’s practically bigger than you,” Chanyeol quips, and Baekhyun relents, handing it over. Chanyeol leans down to give him a kiss on the forehead, curling an arm around his shoulders and following the others.
“By the way, am I still coming over tomorrow night?” Chanyeol leans down to whisper into Baekhyun’s ear as they exit the concert hall.
Baekhyun pokes Chanyeol’s nose. “Of course! We need to stay up so we can exchange Christmas gifts at midnight.”
Chanyeol grins, pecking Baekhyun’s lips.
Chanyeol will never be Wufan. He’s not as tall, and he has a lighter hair colour. He wears glasses, along with a really confused and cute expression whenever he reads, his eyebrows knitting together. He likes sushi a lot (Baekhyun swears they have it at least once a week) and he always asks to get sweet popcorn. He likes cuddling and kissing Baekhyun a lot.
Chanyeol isn’t Baekhyun’s first love.
But Chanyeol’s willing to give Baekhyun what Wufan wouldn’t, and that makes him all the more special. He’s the one Baekhyun goes to when he’s angry or sad, and he doesn’t judge Baekhyun for anything (except for putting peanut butter on ice cream). He’s the one who sends Baekhyun good morning texts on the days he doesn’t sleep over, and helps Baekhyun to stack shelves at the library the majority of the time when he can.
Chanyeol isn’t even his second love, but Baekhyun thinks, with every time he falls asleep in the younger's arms, that Chanyeol’s slowly getting there. He’s eight hundred and seventeen percent positive of that.