Title: Avec Toi
Pairing: Chanyeol/Baekhyun
Rating: PG
Genre: Romance, Angst, Bestfriends!au, Straight!Chanyeol
Word Count: 2.7k words

Summary: "Hi, you're Baekhyun, right?" That was how their first conversation started.

"Yes, I am."

"Finally. I've been dying to meet you."

"Really?"

And a tale of friendship began.

Notes: The title means, 'With You' in French. This is one of the tracks in EXO's 5th Album, Don't Mess Up My Tempo.

This is for Winter who requested this. I hope you like it.

Btw, prepare some tissues?

*

The first time Baekhyun realized he was gay, was not when he was seven years old.

It was when he debuted back in 2012.

He thought he was just a normal boy who loved to sing when he was younger, a high school heartthrob who was adored and liked by everyone, a model student fancied by his teachers, a funny and easy-go-lucky friend who often treat his classmates to lunch.

But all of his conventional beliefs, every single one of his wonted standards changed the moment he stepped foot at SM Entertainment, that exact moment he met this someone who made him swing the other way.

"Hi, you're Baekhyun, right?" That was how their first conversation started.

"Yes, I am."

"Finally. I've been dying to meet you."

"Really?"

And a tale of friendship began.

He should've just shaken Park Chanyeol's hand that time. He should've just tapped his shoulder and nodded when he told him he was looking forward to working together with him. He should've just laughed it off when he said his voice was beautiful and he wanted to do a duet with him in the near future.

But he didn't.

And that was why it all started.

He stared at Chanyeol's eyes and admired how pretty and expressive they were. He listened to his voice and realized how deep and soothing it was. He didn't notice himself believing in his words when Chanyeol said they were destined for each other, that he has found his forever through him when he felt a spark as they had a ten-second eye contact.

Now it's too late, he's now head over heels in love with this man, and it has been eight years and still counting.

How could he not? He's the Park Chanyeol, for heaven's sake. He could write a list of million reasons why he fell for this soft-hearted Chanyeollie.

Let's just bring it down into five.

1. He's tall.

"Do you need this?"

He blinked at the sudden arm appearing to his right. The next thing he knew, the cereal he was trying to reach was already in front of his face.

"Thank you--"

Chanyeol grinned at him, "I got it first, it's mine now." Then he was running off into the living room with the box of cereal in hand. "Hahahaha!"

"Hey! That's mine!"

"Why are you too short anyway?!"

"You stupid prick, give it back!" Baekhyun sneered at the tall male, yet deep inside in his heart he was somewhat happy when Chanyeol bought him ten boxes of whole grain cereal the next day with a note:

This is for my short friend so he could grow 5 inches taller.

2. He's handsome.

"I envy you, hyung. Every concept looks good on you," Sehun told Chanyeol beside him as they were getting their hair and make ups done. Baekhyun was on the other side of the dressing room, lowkey peeking at the mirror to have a better view of Chanyeol's face.

His nose. His jaw. His ears. His everything. He's so perfect.

"Hah, I know right?" Chanyeol said, threading his fingers through his nicely styled pushed-back hair, and boy, he looked goddamned attractive and hot with red hair. The bluish-gray contact lenses even made his smokey eye make up stood out, and Baekhyun made a mental note to save some HQ pictures on his phone later from Chanyeol's fansite.

"I'm too handsome that someone couldn't keep their eyes off me. Right, Baekhyun?"

Baekhyun choked on his own saliva when Chanyeol caught him staring. He had to pound his chest repeatedly as he coughed like he was dying, trying not to appear guilty in front of a guffawing Chanyeol.

"Hello, Mom? Yes, I'm in the middle of recording right now--- what? I can't hear you clearly---" And Baekhyun sneaked out with a phone in his ear, faking a call just to avoid Sehun's suspicious stare and Chanyeol's never ending proclamation of how handsome he was.

Well, he was right, though.

3. He's sexy.

"Two kiwis, three strawberries and one apple are missing," Chanyeol said while he rummaged through his gym bag. He turned accusingly at Baekhyun. "Did you steal my fruits again?"

"I'm just worried that you're dieting too much," Baekhyun said while munching the fruit Chanyeol is supposed to be having for lunch. Sticking with him to the gym has its perks. He got to have free snacks from Chanyeol and of course, he got to see Chanyeol working out his sexy body.

"Let's have pizza instead after this," Baekhyun suggested, eyeing Chanyeol's chiseled abs peeking under his tight wife beater. The way he flexed his muscles as he carried the dumbbell in front of him makes him suddenly thirsty. How he wished he could touch those firm thighs and feel how strong they were. It'd also be good if he could just reach out a little and cling to his sweaty biceps and hug them close all day and---

"Baekhyun. What the hell?"

"Huh..."

"You're drooling."

Instantly, he snapped out of his day dream and wiped the side of his mouth which is actually wet. Chanyeol chuckled.

"I guess you were really hungry," Chanyeol said, slinging a brotherly arm around his neck and oh god, how nice it felt indeed. "Fine. Let's have pizza."

Can I just have you instead?

4. He's Loey.

"Chanyeol contributed in composing some of the tracks in our new album," Junmyeon told the press when a reporter asked about Don't Mess Up My Tempo. "Such as Gravity, With You, and Sehun's rap part in Tempo."

"I got inspiration from watching the members that's why I'm able to write the lyrics," Chanyeol said. Baekhyun who was seated four members away, bowed his head and secretly smiled. Well, the tea has been spilled. He knew it was him whom Chanyeol was talking about.

"Why were you smiling all through out the press con?" Chanyeol asked him. They were at the van heading back to the dorm. "Did something funny happen?"

"It was me, right?" Baekhyun muttered as he smiled so bright, and that was the worst decision he ever did in his entire life, "Your inspiration when you wrote With You. That song is for me, right?"

He shouldn't have said that. He should've just kept it to himself like what he did in the past eight years.

Chanyeol gave him a look-- a combination of confusion and amusement. "What?"

"Sometimes I think when I see you laughing brightly, that your eyes and lips and everything else seem to look like me," he recited the lyrics, "It's like your pitch black eyes take in my light and shine just as brightly as I do. Sometimes, I see myself when I look at you..."

It took a few seconds before Chanyeol understood, "Oh, that."

"What's with that reaction?" he lifted an eyebrow, bumping Chanyeol's shoulder teasingly, "I knew it, Chanyeol. You love me and you have feelings for me. The song just spilled everything you feel from the very start. Ah, why didn't I realize that sooner?"

"Of course, I love you."

He wished it just ended right there.

"But I don't love you like how you love me."

He wished he didn't just hear that.

"Baekhyun, I know you are gay," Chanyeol said, and the way he laughed so casually are daggers piercing into his heart, "But I'm not like you, okay?" He groaned and leaned back, wearing his face mask to cover his eyes as he snuggled closer to him. "Now, I wanna sleep. Stay still."

"Okay," Baekhyun just answered.

"And don't stare at me like that. It won't work on me."

"Okay..."

He cried all night to sleep and woke up tomorrow morning like everything was fine.

5. He's straight.

Yes. Baekhyun loves Chanyeol because he is straight. Chanyeol doesn't have to be gay for Baekhyun to like him. For him it's enough, having Chanyeol close to him like this, seeing him everyday, being teased by him. It's all okay.

As long as Chanyeol wouldn't have a girlfriend.

But he did.

"She's pretty, right?"

Really, Chanyeol just had to ask him that question?

"I met her in Japan during our The War promotions and we started going out since then."

Baekhyun forced a smile. "Yeah, you told me that for like, every time you showed me a picture of her? She's that Yukiko? Akiko? Michiko, right? I'm sorry, who is she again?"

He knew. Of course, he fucking knew. Why would he not? He was with Chanyeol since debut and it would be a miracle if he wouldn't find out his friend slash love of his life was dating someone. The reason why Chanyeol was flying to Tokyo without prior notice, the reason why he was so good in Japanese, the reason why he loved anime and all that weird stuff, was all because of his Japanese girlfriend. He hates that girl. She's tall, she's a model, she's rich, she's Japanese-- she's everything that he isn't.

"Why are you getting grumpy all of a sudden?" Chanyeol chuckled. "Don't tell me you're jealous?"

Oh, for fuck's sake. If only he knew. He could kill someone right now.

"Me? Jealous? Hah. I only loved you since trainee days, Chanyeol. Of course, I'm not jealous of your Japanese girlfriend!"

"You need to move on from me, seriously," Chanyeol shrugged him off, "Maybe you should start seeing someone, too. Ah! How about I set you up on a date with her brother, Yuki---"

"No," he rolled his eyes, Chanyeol wouldn't stop bringing this topic up again, "Just because I'm not straight and you're straight doesn't mean you should pair me up with every gay guy you know. I don't like any of them." He coughed. "I only like you."

"Wow, the audacity," Chanyeol raised his arms, smiling. "When you confess to me like that everyday, I might start falling for you."

"Really?"

Chanyeol laughed, then he turned serious again. "In your wildest dreams."

"Chanyeol," Baekhyun said, feeling his heart break into pieces for the umpteenth time, "That really hurt so much."

"I don't want to give you false hope, Baekhyun. I'm saying this as a true friend," Chanyeol replied, "Even if I want to love you like how you feel for me, I just couldn't. I only see you as a friend, nothing more."

"Sure. Friend," Baekhyun swallowed back the tears threatening to escape his eyes, "Thank you for always being honest."

"You're welcome."

Of course, he tried everything, every possible way in this world to make Chanyeol fall for him. He even searched the internet, How to make you straight best friend fall for you. He did all the steps--- get clingy, be submissive, act like a girl--- everything. But nothing happened. He even tried to seduce him when they showered together, but he ended up having a boner instead while Chanyeol stayed nonchalant.

In the end he just gave up. He just loved Chanyeol even though he is straight, just like how Chanyeol accepted him for what he is.

"I hope you find someone who can love you like how you love me," Chanyeol said that night before they slept. Maybe he realized, just maybe, that he hurt Baekhyun because of what he said earlier. "I'm sorry, Baekhyun..."

It was eleven o'clock in the evening and everyone has already dozed off. Chanyeol had followed him to the balcony when he found his bed empty.

"Chanyeol."

"Hm?"

"If I were a girl, would you fall in love with me?"

Baekhyun had been dying to ask that question.

"No."

And Chanyeol's answer definitely hurt a lot.

"Why?"

"Because you are Baekhyun," Chanyeol answered. He looked up to the full moon and shoved his hands inside his pockets. "Regardless of who you are, or whether you are a girl or a boy, or I am straight or not, I won't fall in love with you. Because you are Baekhyun."

"That was so cruel." Baekhyun let out a depressing laugh. "Maybe I couldn't really reach your standards." His tears finally rolled down his cheeks nonstop. "Maybe I was too noisy, maybe I was too annoying. Maybe I had a terrible attitude that you didn't like that's why---"

"No, please don't say that! You're---" Chanyeol trailed off, "Baekhyun, you are perfect."

He looked up to him with red puffy eyes. "Then why not? Why won't you love me back?"

"I want to be with you for a long time," Chanyeol said, "I told you when we first met. That time when our eyes looked at each other, I knew it already that I'm gonna be with you forever... But not on that way. Not on that way that you want." He smiled a wistful one. "I would want to hold your hands but not to intertwine them. I would also want to kiss your forehead but not your lips. I would want to stay by your side, but not as your lover."

Baekhyun sobbed into the silence of the night, and he knew Chanyeol could hear him cry.

"You are the only person I am the most comfortable with," Chanyeol said, "I don't want to lose this special relationship I have with you."

"Me, too..."

"I know I might've hurt you and have always been hurting you everytime I don't take your feelings seriously, but it's my way not to make things difficult between us," Chanyeol said. "I want to be a long-time friend to you whom you can lean on even if we are not EXO anymore. I want to be there for you until we grow old, Baekhyun."

"And I still want to love you even if you won't love me back," Baekhyun muttered in between his hiccups. Chanyeol got closer to him and soothed his back comfortingly, "Just please don't avoid me and don't push me away. Don't tell me to stop loving you, okay? I can handle my own feelings, it's not your problem anymore, it's mine. I fell for you even though you are straight, and I must take responsibility of my own heart because I did this to myself and I---"

Chanyeol pulled him into a hug. "Sshh."

Baekhyun froze because of the sudden skinship. His face is now shoved against Chanyeol's chest, and he shouldn't be blushing right now but fuck it, his heart was now beating so fast. He wanted to savor this moment forever, imagining Chanyeol as his boyfriend and they're hugging under the moonlight. What a romantic sight.

"I know what you're thinking."

"What..."

Chanyeol smiled. "I don't want to embarrass you more so I won't say it out loud."

"I love you," Baekhyun said without glancing up to Chanyeol's face.

"Thank you," Chanyeol answered, then he peeked down at him and cupped his face soaked with tears. Lowering down a little, he gave him a chaste kiss on the forehead, "And I'm sorry."

Baekhyun admitted his heart melted at that sweet gesture. But that doesn't change the fact that Chanyeol is straight and he will forever be.

"If you're really sorry, then you should've kissed my lips instead."

Shaking his head, Chanyeol cackled, "No. That's only for my future wife."

"What a lucky bitch," Baekhyun said while wiping his snot and tears using the handkerchief Chanyeol offered, "I'm definitely gonna kill her when CBX goes to Japan."

"And I'm definitely gonna kill whoever dared mess up with your heart."

"You should kill yourself then."

Chanyeol kept silent at that. "Well, except for me." He cleared his throat. "If someone dared to hit on you, hook up with you, or ask for your number, you should tell me." He pounded on his chest. "I'll make sure no one can ever hurt you over my dead body."

Baekhyun managed to laugh at that. "Now you're being like a mother."

"I could be anyone in your life except your lover," Chanyeol said again, and it still hurt the second time around, "At least that way, we won't go through complicated relationships and break-ups. Right?"

"You have a point," Baekhyun shrugged. He finally smiled. "Chanyeol, I want to stay like this with you."

"I want to stay like this with you, too."

"Okay."

Chanyeol chuckled, and reached out to ruffle his hair. "Okay."

If Baekhyun is going to evaluate the mental list he made as to why he loves Chanyeol, he will add one more reason among his millions of reasons.

6. He's my best friend.

*

END