*

"WHAT'S UP! IT'S OUR BOY CHANYEOL!!!"

"Hey, Chanyeol!!!!"

"Why did you come just now? I've been waiting for you."

The moment Chanyeol sets foot at the mansion as soon as Kyungsoo opens the door for him, he is right away enveloped by Jongin slinging an arm around his shoulder. He isn't able to do anything anymore when Jongin ruffles his hair like he's some sort of an overgrown puppy while Luhan boldy clings into his arm.

"Hey! You wanna play xbox with me and Sehun?"

"Uh, I just wanted to--"

"No, he's not playing with you! He's going shopping with me! Can I use your credit card?"

"But I just like to--"

"Give me that." Kyungsoo snatches the paper bag full of corndogs and spicy rice cakes from Chanyeol's hand. "Is this all what you've got today?" Yesterday, Chanyeol brought them oatmeal cookies and ice cream and they were delicious as fuck.

"I'm sorry," Chanyeol says, "I forgot to bring iced coffee..."

"It's fine. Just bring it next time." Kyungsoo quickly heads to the kitchen to prepare the snacks for everyone.

Even with Jongin strangling his neck and forcing him to play video games with him, and Luhan now touching his butt to rob him his wallet, Chanyeol still looks around the living room in search for Baekhyun.

He doesn't spot Baekhyun, though. He only sees Sehun quietly sitting on the couch reading a book. He wants to ask him where Baekhyun is, but he's afraid Sehun would just ignore him again, just like what the male did to him yesterday when he tried to talk about the weather.

Baekhyun suddenly emerges from behind Luhan and Jongin, grabbing both their arms which are all over Chanyeol. Feeling an aura of something strange and creepy, the couple slowly turn their heads only to see Baekhyun glaring at them.

"Don't. Touch. Him," Baekhyun mutters within gritted teeth, practically peeling Luhan's hand off Chanyeol's waist while shoving Jongin away in the process.

Frightened, Luhan steps aside while Jongin hides behind his boyfriend's back. Chanyeol glances left to right as though he was lost, and that is only when he sees Baekhyun standing small behind him--- who is, when their eyes meet--- instantly smiling sweetly at him.

He beams brightly at Baekhyun in return, "Hi, Baekhyun."

"Hello~"

"Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yes, how about you?"

"I slept well last night, too."

"That's great."

"Did you see the text that I sent you?"

"What text?"

"That good night text with a smiley."

"Oh, that? Yes, I did! I replied with a smiley, too."

"Really? I haven't seen it yet!"

Kyungsoo, who's coming directly from the kitchen and serving the food on the table, rolls his eyes hearing their sappy conversation. "Oh, god. They're at it again." He rapidly slaps Sehun's hand trying to sneak one corndog, "Hey, guys. Food's ready!"

Everybody excitedly gathers around the table at the living room except for Chanyeol and Baekhyun still talking about their good night texts.

"Baekhyun?"

"What is it?"

"For you," Chanyeol says, getting something from his coat pocket and handing it towards Baekhyun. He clears his throat and rubs his ear. "I kind of... picked it up on my way here and I thought you might like it."

Baekhyun briefly stares at the bright yellow sunflower offered in front of him, before looking up to Chanyeol's shy face. "Are you giving it to me?"

Chanyeol quietly nods.

Jongin is halfway to eating his corndog when he feels a strong slap on his back courtesy of Luhan wildly squealing like a pig. Kyungsoo is smiling as well though he tries to hide it, meanwhile Sehun is just staring blankly at the moment.

Looking at the scene in front of them, Jongin notes how Baekhyun's lips form into a wide radiant smile as the smaller carefully takes the flower from Chanyeol's fingertips.

He shakes his head and laughs. "You know what. Let's just get out of here," then he pulls Luhan with him while the latter argues he still wants to see the two kiss. Kyungsoo follows his boyfriends, giving Chanyeol and Baekhyun privacy.

"Thank you. It's really pretty," Baekhyun says as he tries hard not to furiously blush at that sweet gesture, especially when Chanyeol mumbles that both the flower and him are really pretty. "Right! I'll put this in a vase!" He chuckles. "Wait here."

"Okay," Chanyeol answers, taking a seat on the couch cautiously.

Looking to his right, he further realizes that Sehun is still there, breathing and existing next to him. Sehun gives him a nonchalant look before resuming to reading his book entitled Behind Closed Gates.

Chanyeol silently clears his throat and sits properly, contemplating what to say to the other male first to alleviate this awkward atmosphere. Yura told him to be friendly even with people who seem to hate him, and judging by how Sehun is acting towards him, he might've hated him from the past.

Sehun closes his book with a soft thud, before finally recognizing Chanyeol's presence.

"Hey."

Chanyeol almost gets a seizure. "Huh?!"

"You wanna go outside and talk?"

Since it's a weekend today and summer is just around the corner, the guys agree to go swimming at their home pool. Luhan is the first to excitedly dive into the water with a pink elephant floater worn around his waist, meanwhile Jongin follows after him in his adonis-like glory. He has managed to put on shades to cover his eyes as he models down the pool stairs wearing a pair of tight trunks hugging his crotch and rear.

Kyungsoo comes walking together with Baekhyun, both are like minions with matching blue and yellow beach shorts in their topless figure. Baekhyun is holding a chocolate donut floater and Kyungsoo a glass of fresh orange juice.

Sehun decides to just watch from his spot at the veranda, enjoying the view of the guys having fun at the pool. Chanyeol feels slightly envious of them swimming into the water playing pass the ball, but sitting with Sehun here tells him it is more important than what lies before him now.

Baekhyun longingly stares at Chanyeol and Sehun sitting from a far. He sees Chanyeol happily waving at him and Sehun mouthing at him, Don't worry, I won't tell him anything. I promise.

Sehun is the first to speak, "Do you have anything you're curious about?"

"How are we like before?" Chanyeol asks.

"We used to hate each other before."

"Why?"

"We both liked the same person," Sehun replies truthfully, as he now looks at Baekhyun laughing at the distance. Chanyeol traces where Sehun's eyes are aimed at, and he confirms it is indeed the person he already has in mind.

"Because I'm sick of looking at you being like this," Sehun says, and his voice is laced with a hint of disappointment which Chanyeol can't obviously decipher, "I just want you to listen to me while I say whatever I want to say. You can ask questions if you want to."

"I understand," Chanyeol replies.

"I'm speaking from the general perspective, you see. I'm not pertaining to anybody," Sehun starts, "I'm stating this as a point of view of someone who has seen everything."

He leans back more comfortably on his chair. "If you're going to like someone and it happens to be Baekhyun, then everybody is gonna be your rival."

Chanyeol furrows his eyebrows in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Sehun evil-smiles at the back of his mind. It's now the moment of his revenge. After all what Chanyeol did to him back then? It's now time to make him pay for all the things he did to him and Baekhyun. There's no harm on scaring Chanyeol a little, right?

"Do you really want to hear facts about it?"

"Yes," Chanyeol says in pure determination, "Please tell me what I have to know."

"Those people. They're not just how you see them, especially around Baekhyun."

"Why do you say so?"

"Well first, you have Luhan. Just look at him, the way how he touches Baekhyun so close," Sehun says, gesturing his mouth at Luhan now intimately hugging Baekhyun's waist like a snake while they're at the water slide, "I mean, is that how you touch your friend? No, I think not. He is a sly fox. Whatever he wants, he gets it. And if he would want Baekhyun in an instant, he'll definitely have him in no time."

Chanyeol just stares at them.

"I'm telling this to you because let's just say I'm concerned. Back in high school, at the student council before, those two, Luhan and Baekhyun. They had some special bond."

"Special bond?"

"Yeah, but I won't elaborate that to you. They were super close to the point that," Sehun coughs into his fist, "I said I'm not gonna tell you anything. That's for you to remember."

Chanyeol keeps his mouth shut, looking down at his own glass of lemonade before deciding to drink it bottoms-up. It's extremely sour and he thinks he wants more.

"Next is Jongin. Just look at that piece of shit," Sehun says, as though he has some hidden grudge towards the male, "He may appear handsome and all, kind, soft and warm, but no. Don't be deceived by his looks. He's actually a total player." He shakes his head. "Whoever catches his eye, he makes them his boyfriend."

Chanyeol is intrigued, "What?"

"Jongin and Kyungsoo, they're like a married couple. They've been together for a long time. Jongin got Kyungsoo for himself first but it wasn't enough," Sehun tsks to himself, "Luhan came into his life so he also made him his boyfriend. They all started dating and living together as three but that wasn't just it! He was also trying to get me---" He clears his throat when he feels Chanyeol deeply listening, "I mean, as I was saying, just observe at how he ogles at Baekhyun."

Chanyeol intently studies Jongin.

"It's like he's undressing Baekhyun with his eyes."

At the pool is Baekhyun bursting out into a laugh when Jongin splashes water at his face.

"Yes," Chanyeol mutters with a glare, "You're right."

"See? But don't forget about Kyungsoo."

"Kyungsoo, too? But he looks nice."

"Nice? Hah! You thought that the owner of those wide cute eyes has a pure soul? No. Kyungsoo, he is the most dangerous of all," Sehun tells him, "He could snatch Baekhyun in a blink of an eye and even make him beg on his knees."

"B-beg on his knees?"

"Yeah, that's just how powerful he is. He turns everyone into his slave. The moment Kyungsoo touches Baekhyun if he would wish to, he could own him entirely. Baekhyun couldn't help but just submit into him regardless of the situation."

Chanyeol turns to scrutinize the scene at the swimming pool, at Baekhyun clinging to Kyungsoo's neck for a piggyback ride in the water.

"Do you now understand how Baekhyun is everyone's apple of the eye?"

"But how about you?"

"Me?"

"I saw you kissing Baekhyun that time but Baekhyun told me you're not even his boyfriend. How could you explain that?" Chanyeol asks, "Why would you do that?"

Sehun can easily tell Chanyeol looking mad by the way he spits those words, and that fact makes him let out a smirk.

"Oh, that?"

"Yes."

"That's because we've already been together for a long time. It'll take many years to reach that level of intimate relationship, to the point that we could do everything without having to explain it to anyone."

"And how does that even matter?"

"How does that even matter?" Sehun mocks, chuckling confidently under his breath, "Listen. If there is someone who knows Baekhyun better than anyone else in this world," he smiles, "That would be me."

Chanyeol feels the need to clench his fist for some odd reason.

"I already knew him even before you met him at the student council, especially now in this situation that you've lost your memories," Sehun says, "To him, you're now just a no one compared to the old Chanyeol he met before."

Chanyeol only stays silent because he has nothing to respond to that. It hurts, he can feel it. Sehun is just too harsh with his words.

"Like I've said, if you're going to like someone and it happens to be Baekhyun, then it's not gonna be that easy," Sehun says, "This place and this whole situation, is not for weaklings like you."

He is about to leave when he remembers something.

"Oh, and one more thing. Even those guys are like that, they didn't leave Baekhyun behind unlike what you did," Sehun mutters, a surge of angry feeling coming up once again, "They stayed with him through his darkest times and took care of him when Baekhyun was suffering because of you."

He stands up and dusts his pants, and he can still feel Chanyeol's eyes boring holes on his back. He deems to ignore it though, but Chanyeol calling for him indicates the conversation won't just end right there.

"Sehun."

Sehun looks at him, "What is it?"

"Was it Baekhyun?" Chanyeol asks hesitantly, "Was Baekhyun the person we both liked?"

Sehun doesn't answer, "Do you remember anything?"

"No. I don't," Chanyeol says, shaking his head, "But if I'm going to feel the same way about Baekhyun again, then I guess I won't be able do something about it..."

"But what about him?"

"What?

"Won't you consider how he'd feel?"

That makes Chanyeol pause.

"What if he leads another life now and ends up feeling that way with someone else?" Sehun says, "And that person happens to be me?"

There's a look of apprehension flashing on Chanyeol's eyes. He admits he is surprised and taken a back, and there must be a part of him feeling alarmed and uneasy.

"Will you be able to do something about it?"

Chanyeol doesn't answer.

"I've been with him the whole time, I've never left him alone, and more importantly, I know what Baekhyun had been through," Sehun says, "Unlike you who doesn't even remember anything aside from his name."

Chanyeol feels very guilty especially now that he knows he can't do anything about the situation. Trying hard to remember everything is not the best way to quickly gain back memories of the past, and he himself isn't certain if he still wants to find them out after hearing everything that Sehun said.

"Then I won't let that happen," he says after a long minute of silence, "I won't let you take Baekhyun away from me."

"Okay then," Sehun says, "Good luck." He proceeds to go ahead, grabbing a towel hanging on the backrest of a chair as he goes to Baekhyun sitting on the edge of the pool.

Chanyeol glares at his back, "What a fucking asshole."

"What did you tell Chanyeol sunbae?" Baekhyun asks Sehun, taking the towel he offered to him while using it to dry his hair.

Sehun shrugs, "I just threatened him a little."

Baekhyun furrows his eyebrows, "What?"

"Hey! Pass me the ball!" Sehun yells as he submerges himself into the water after removing his top. He ignores Baekhyun now scowling at him.

"I hate you," Baekhyun mutters, smacking Sehun's head before he decides to get out of the pool. It's getting a bit cold now so he wraps the towel around his body like he's a burrito.

Seeing Chanyeol now retreating the house, a smile spreads on his mouth, skipping on his toes to follow him inside.  "Chanyeol!"

Chanyeol pauses walking, turning his head to notice Baekhyun grinning ear-to-ear at him while cocooned inside the towel. His hair is still soaked and there's water dripping to his face.

"What did you and Sehun talk about? Hm?" Baekhyun curiously asks, tilting his head cutely, "Tell me, I want to know!"

Chanyeol tears his gaze away, "It's nothing." Then he continues walking again. But being a persistent person that he is, Baekhyun follows him around the house like a puppy.

"Hey! I'm really curious! Just say it, okay? I promise, I'm not gonna tell anyone!"

Baekhyun gets this chance to hold Chanyeol's wrist so that he can face him, "Hey! What did Sehun tell you?"

"It's none of your business."

"What? What did you just say?! Hey! Look at me!"

Annoyed when he senses a touch on his hand, Chanyeol yanks it away so that Baekhyun ends up grabbing air.

"I told you, it's nothing! Didn't you hear what I just said!?"

Baekhyun tenses, feeling his heart stop at the sudden raise of voice.

Silence.

He looks at Chanyeol with a shocked expression on his face, and he can see Chanyeol's eyes flickering a split-second into something he has already seen before, something he's been really accustomed to.

Baekhyun weakly steps back, and that is only when Chanyeol falters, immediately regretting what he just said and did. He looks scared when he quickly bows his head to apologize.

"I'm very sorry, Baekhyun! I didn't mean to yell at you like that."

"No, it's fine....." Baekhyun mutters, still in a state of daze as he stares blankly at Chanyeol. "It's actually fine...... It's okay....." His lips slowly stretches into an unconscious smile, and he can feel himself getting teary-eyed. "You should..... do that more often.... It's all right...."

Chanyeol looks baffled, "W-what?"

Baekhyun snaps out of his trance, shaking his head to himself. "Nothing." He's back to grinning again. "I'm sorry, I won't ask anymore if you don't want to tell me."

"Baekhyun..."

"Yes?"

"Your, uh---" Chanyeol points at the floor, then he does the job himself to pick up the towel to cover Baekhyun's exposed body entirely. He coughs. "There."

Baekhyun laughs, "Have you taken a shower yet?"

"I already have. Why?"

"You wanna do it again?"

"What?"

"Let's shower together."

Chanyeol squeezes the shampoo bottle on his hand, rubbing his palms to make bubbles. He lathers it gently on Baekhyun's hair as he hums a tune he heard once in a commercial. They're in the bathroom right now taking a bath--- Chanyeol sitting on the edge of the bathtub while Baekhyun sitting inside the tub in between Chanyeol's parted legs.

"Am I doing this right?" Chanyeol asks as he peeks at Baekhyun's face. The other male smiles as a response. "You really have soft hair, Baekhyun."

"That's because you frequently do this to me. You know, shampooing my hair," Baekhyun says, his voice echoing inside the bathroom as he chuckles, "We'd always shower together after we," have sex, "spend time together!"

"Really?"

"Yes. Do you wanna come here and join me?"

Chanyeol finds himself nodding at the proposition, so when Baekhyun moves on the other side of the spacious tub, he sits across him so that he and Baekhyun are facing each other. Baekhyun has his legs hugged against his chest under the soapy water, so he imitates him too, putting his arms on top of his bent knees.

The silence falling in between the two is nice and comfortable as Baekhyun stares lovingly at Chanyeol's face this near. He sways his head to the side and beams at him first, watching how Chanyeol mirror his actions. Having the water caress against his body gently, he knows it's the same feeling as how his heart beats steadily before and now, the moment Chanyeol smiles back at him with his adorable eyes and lips.

Chanyeol doesn't say anything when he slowly reaches out to Baekhyun's face, using his thumb to carefully wipe the soapy residue off Baekhyun's slippery cheek. In return, Baekhyun scoops some bubbles on the water and blows it to Chanyeol, resulting to the both of them bursting out into childish laughter.

"Baekhyun."

"Hm?"

"I remembered something," Chanyeol mutters as he looks at Baekhyun, and Baekhyun is just keeping himself from not falling asleep to Chanyeol's deep soothing voice reverberating inside the bathroom, "When I was watching you at the pool, a memory flashed back in my mind..."

"Really? What is it?" Baekhyun asks, now piqued with interest.

"Well, it was night time. I saw myself with someone at the pool. I asked him to skinny-dip with me, so we both took our clothes off before getting into the water," Chanyeol narrates while wearing a little smile on his face, "Do you know who I saw with me in that memory I recalled?"

"No?" Baekhyun shakes his head, "Who was it, then?"

Chanyeol smiles, "It's you."

Baekhyun feels his heart race incredibly fast as the other male gazes so fondly at him. It reminds him of the way Chanyeol looks at him whenever he did something that makes him proud.

"Baekhyun, we were together that time, right?"

"Yes, we were. That was back in high school. It was the first time we skinny-dipped together."

"First time? So there's a second time, then?"

"Yes. And a third, and a fourth, and a fifth..."

Chanyeol hums, "I'm really curious of those!"

"You should remember it, then!" Baekhyun exclaims, then he is standing up from the tub to proceed to the shower. Good thing he is wearing underwear.

"Okay, I'll try my best."

"Come on, let's rinse."

Turning the shower off once he's done, Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun beside him who's still scrubbing his body. "I'll go ahead first," he curtly says, leaving the bathroom when Baekhyun just nods.

"I'll wait for you outside!" Chanyeol says one last time.

"Okay!"

The moment Baekhyun hears the silent click of the door closing behind him, he immediately mutters a curse while slumping against the wall dejectedly. "Shit!"

Then he peeks down at the tent on his briefs, freeing his raging hard-on that he's been actually enduring ever since Chanyeol stepped into the bathtub with him. He squeezes his eyes shut and grabs his erect dick to furiously stroke it inside his hand.

"Oh god, please... Ahh..." Baekhyun whimpers while he jacks off his cock in pleasure, feeling a surge of guilt now that he's thinking of Chanyeol pounding his asshole under the shower. "Shit... Just come out already... I need a release... Ugh... Ahhh... Faster..."

He just needs three minutes to do this. No, two minutes will do. He just wants to relieve himself right now even out of frustration so it won't be that uncomfortable and painful tonight. He just badly wants to climax and spurts his load to get this shit over with.

Baekhyun clenches his fist as he feels his orgasm finally approaching, bringing his balled hand to his mouth to bite his knuckles not to make a single noise. Trails of white cum paints the bathroom floor dripping from the tip of his hard cock, and he lets out a silent cry during his heavy panting. He keeps pumping his throbbing dick into his finish, lazily jerking his length to ejaculate.

That's why he doesn't hear the door opening and Chanyeol asking him where to get extra towels.

Chanyeol blankly stares at the shocking sight in front of him--- at Baekhyun in his naked glory under the shower pleasuring himself.

Realizing the current situation, his eyes utterly widen in great surprise as an angry blush spreads on his cheeks in pure embarrassment. What he does after is to abruptly shut the door close and runs away back into Baekhyun's room.

Baekhyun then hears the door slamming with Chanyeol's heavy footsteps fading away, and right then and there he knows he has completely fucked up. He face-plams to himself and silently wishes to just disappear from the face of the earth right fucking now.

"I'm really really sorry if I just barged in without even knocking," Chanyeol immediately apologizes as soon as Baekhyun comes out of the shower now completely dressed. The male won't even look at his eyes, clearly obvious that he's still flustered and shy about what he saw. "I didn't see anything! I promise!"

Baekhyun feels embarrassed to the core as well, but he shouldn't show it to Chanyeol not to make him the loser here. He must play it cool as if he hasn't been just caught masturbating red handed.

Well. At least Chanyeol didn't hear him moan his name.

Baekhyun forces out an awkward laugh, "Nah, it's fine. I mean, everybody does it to relieve stress anyway, you know, for health purposes!" He chuckles again, hoping that Chanyeol would buy his lie. "You just happen to see me doing it this time of the week. I'm sorry for making you see that."

Chanyeol looks somehow convinced. He lifts his eyes and rubs his nape. "Oh... Is that so?"

"Yes! And you see, that's completely normal to us guys," Baekhyun shrugs his shoulders, "You should try doing it, too."

"Me?"

"Of course. After you wake up in the morning is the best time to do it!"

At home under the shower as soon as he wakes up in the morning the next day, Chanyeol finds himself seriously glaring down at his own flaccid dick with furrowed eyebrows. He gives it a few experimental touch and stroke, before he curiously mutters to himself:

"Is this how he did it?"

*

To be continued.