The first thing Baekhyun notices is Chanyeol's smile.

He looks really happy, Baekhyun speculates. And it's strange, because it's not his birthday and he's not the one getting gifts and food. Instead, he's the one giving, throwing the jumbo-sized bear onto Baekhyun's face and making him stumble back.

"I got you that present a few days ago but you didn't know that—"

Baekhyun cuts Chanyeol off, afraid of his volume at this time of night. "Shut the hell up!" he hisses. "It's midnight and you'll wake up Jongdae!"

Chanyeol recoils a bit but he recovers just as quick, already used to being told to be quiet. People do it a lot, anyway. They say his laugh is annoying.

"Sorry," he whispers.

It's at that moment that the bedroom door opens, a messily-dressed Jongdae emerging from inside.

Baekhyun stares as Jongdae goes to slip on his shoes, speaking up before he leaves. "What are you doing?"

"Um. Going out? What does it look like?" he asks, opening the door. "Probably gonna go raid Junmyeon's fridge and sleep on his kitchen table while you two do whatever it is that people in denial do."

Baekhyun scoffs when Jongdae leaves, falling onto the one-seater while smothering the teddy-bear.

Chanyeol sits down on the couch opposite to his, setting the food down on the coffee table. Baekhyun notices that Chanyeol isn't as smiley as before and he feels bad because he kind of knows that it's his fault for telling him to shut up.

"Hey," Baekhyun whispers, and Chanyeol looks up from where he was staring at the bag of food blankly.

Chanyeol is met with the sight of Baekhyun, hidden behind the bear that now sat on his lap. He's flapping around the bear's arms like it was alive, acting like a complete child and making Chanyeol raise an eyebrow in amusement.

He sees a brief flash of Baekhyun's face off on the side, as if the shorter was checking if Chanyeol was looking at him. When it's confirmed, Baekhyun's hidden again and speaking. "I'm really—" he drags out the word and makes the bear open its arms wide, "—happy that you're the first person to say happy birthday to me."

Chanyeol can't hold back the smile on his face, leaning back in his seat as he continues to watch Baekhyun.

"It's very, very, very..." There's a dramatic pause and Chanyeol's anticipating Baekhyun's next word, knowing, somewhere in the back of his mind, that Baekhyun's trying to cheer him up. "Endearing," he finishes.

Chanyeol can't hold back his chuckle, remembering their phone call all those days ago.

"And I wanted to say sorry," the bear shifts in Baekhyun's arms and now he can fully see Baekhyun's face. With his pouting lips and his messy hair, Chanyeol questions how he can ever be mad at the shorter. "Because you arrived here at midnight to give me gifts and the first thing I did was tell you that I hate you, and then I told you to shut up. I'm a real asshole sometimes."

Chanyeol smiles softly at Baekhyun, the brunet's cheeks blushing lightly.

Seeing the way that Chanyeol stares at him; Baekhyun feels his heart speed up. There's really no one else that looks at him like that—like he can never do any wrong. Like he's the only thing that matters.

It always opens his eyes. He realizes everytime that Chanyeol really cares for him. He always has, in every way. He had his own reasons to reject Baekhyun and that can't override all the good things he's done—all of the times where he took care of Baekhyun and let him lean on his shoulder. Baekhyun was wrong in thinking that a mishap could erase all of that.

"A-And I'm not sorry for only that," Baekhyun suddenly adds. He figures that this is probably a good time to apologize for everything that he did. He was never a perfect friend, and yet, he selfishly thought that Chanyeol was supposed to be perfect.

He never really deserved Chanyeol and his friendship, and he acted terribly whenever something went wrong. He was far from a good friend—a prime example being when he exposed Chanyeol of being scared of a specific teacher and getting teased for it by all of their friends, and when he left the taller sleeping in the library. 

"I said and did some really mean things to you, as a hater and as a friend. I was just angry, and I guess I let that stuff control me..." he trails off, and then he remembers his thoughts during their little movie rendez-vous a few days ago.

It's because of Chanyeol's kindness that he starts tearing up, hiding behind the bear again to cover his embarrassment. He wraps his arms around its waist as he thinks about that past week or so; how he made it evident that he only liked Chanyeol as a friend (even if that wasn't true) but Chanyeol didn't do anything about it. He really only wanted to be with him in any way. There was no resentment that Baekhyun didn't like him that way. Chanyeol didn't expect him to fall to his knees and accept his love. He might've been sad that his feelings weren't returned, but knowing him, he was more glad that he could be by Baekhyun's side anyway.

And then the idiot prepares an early birthday party, and he arrives at his place to wish him happy birthday before anyone else. He always makes Baekhyun feel better, even when he didn't know who he was.

"Are you crying?" Chanyeol asks the obvious, and Baekhyun scoffs.

"No."

"You're crying."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because you're too nice," Baekhyun admits, sniffling. He feels guilty that he has to mess up the bear's fur with his tears. "And because I don't like Kris."

"What happened with Kris?"

"He's a nice dude, but I just can't like him."

"And why not? Is he not your type?"

"He is my type," Baekhyun states. He pauses, thoughts filling his mind at an incredibly alarming speed.

Though at this point, he can't really care about what's right and wrong, because all he can really think about is Chanyeol.

"But there's someone that's exactly my type, and I care for him a lot more," Baekhyun speaks, knowing that he's crazy and the circumstances and setting is all wrong—but who actually has time to prepare for that? "He's kind of—really—amazing. He's always been by my side even when he wasn't. He cares for me a hundred times more than anyone else and he shows it a thousand more times than I show him. I totally like him."

"Then why not be with that guy?"

"I don't know. I'm in the midst of confessing to him."

It's a little funny, Chanyeol decides, hearing all of this come from behind a bear.

He can't really believe this isn't a part of his dream, but with a pinch to his thigh he realizes that he's definitely awake.

"Well, what are you going to say to steal his heart?" Chanyeol asks, standing up from his seat without a sound.

"I don't know, maybe—Chanyeol I really like you and I know I've been pushing you away for the past week and we haven't seen each other in so long but when I said that I loved you all those years ago I still do and it never really stopped and I've been rejecting you because I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that I could still love someone that I haven't seen in years but it's true and—"

"Ah. I'm afraid he can't accept that confession," Chanyeol answers, and Baekhyun pauses so quickly that it's kind of scary. "I mean, how is he supposed to be in a relationship with a bear? That's ridiculous!"

"I swear to god," he hears Baekhyun mumble.

Chanyeol standing in front of Baekhyun right now, who's still hidden behind his birthday gift.

He puts a hand onto the teddy bear's head and pulls it forward while pushing it down, exposing Baekhyun's red face.

"Say it to my face, Baekhyun," Chanyeol requests, eyes searching Baekhyun's own. There are no more jokes now, and Chanyeol's voice is low, sincere, and everything that sends shivers down Baekhyun's spine. "So that I know you're saying the truth."

"I love you."

There's really no hesitation, and Chanyeol grins at that, feeling so happy that he could fly. There's also no hesitation in Chanyeol's own answer, those three words being returned before Baekhyun's chin is being tilted up and a long-overdue kiss is placed on his soft lips.

When he pulls back, Baekhyun surges forward to kiss him again.

"The only reason I'm not freaking out and asking sixty thousand questions is because I kind of couldn't wait to kiss you," Chanyeol admits.

"Well then keep doing it. My lips are cold."

"It's May. It's hot outside."

"You're hot."

"Thanks."

"Now, back to the kissing!"

Baekhyun has to admit that this is the best present yet.

—

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

am i being condemmed yet

yeah sorry for ruining all of my books

at least the rising action and climax was okay??? resolution is 1/10 compared to the rest of it :^)

lololololol anyway I hOpe you enjoyed this, and the end is nigh y'all

p.s chanyeol dies in a plane crash

hope y'all had a good day yayyyy

P-Nut oot.