"I-" Chanyeol stares at the semi-transparent bottle in the brunet's delicate hold. His words get stuck in his throat as the memories flood back into him. He lowers himself slowly onto the ground. "I get cut easily while playing basketball. It's always nice to have it on hand." Who am I trying to convince?

"How do you get cut?"

"You'd be surprised at the amount of damage a sharp nail can do when it's flailing around near your arm or face." Chanyeol cracks a grin.

"Sure. Why are you on the ground?"

"I'm tired. You're heavy."

"Oh come on. I'm lighter than you!"

"I know that, but you're still heavy."

"It's funny. I had a pretty bad encounter with rubbing alcohol today too."

"Oh really?" Chanyeol tries his best to sound surprised.

"Yeah. Someone tried to mess with my paints. I still don't know who. I mean, I was trying to paint you. Who would want to mess that up?"

"Wow." Chanyeol tries his best to keep a straight face. "How is it going, by the way?"

"Give me your number, I'll text it to you."

After Chanyeol tells him the ten digit code, Baekhyun sends out the photo, his phone making a satisfying swoosh.

He quickly goes in and renames the contact 'Dumb Elf'.

"It's not bad."

"You don't seem too surprised."

"I saw the first draft version."

"Still..."

"You seem disappointed."

"I'm dissatisfied. Is it bad?"

"I just said that's it's not bad."

"Fine. Do you not like it?"

"I do like it."

Baekhyun pouts.

"I genuinely like it, okay? Besides, when has my opinion ever mattered to you?"

Baekhyun blinks rapidly and looks away. "You're the subject of my art, why not?"

"Are you sure that's the only reason?"

No. "Yes."

"Come here."

"Hm?" Baekhyun leans against the wall and slides to the ground. Chanyeol wraps an arm around the brunet.

"What am I to you?"

Baekhyun furrows his eyebrows. "What? Why do you want to know?"

"It's a fair question, isn't it?"

"I suppose..."

"So..."

"I don't know."

"Oh, even you don't know. Wonderful."

"What did you want me to say?" Baekhyun mentally rolls his eyes.

"Something a little less vague!"

I like you... I think? "I don't have a better answer."

"You know what, never mind then." Chanyeol shakes his head. "When do you need to be home?"

Baekhyun sneaks a glance at the clock that hung in the corner of the huge room. "Sometime soon."

"Then I'll tell my driver to bring you back now?"

You aren't coming? The words were at the tip of the brunet's tongue before he swallowed them back. Of course he isn't coming. You're hoping for too much. Baekhyun hastily picks himself up and out of Chanyeol's hold. "Fine."

The giant feels cold instantly. I was hoping for some sort of rebuttal, some sort of indication that he didn't want to go yet. That he wanted to be near me. "Okay." Chanyeol pulls out his phone and texts his driver a curt message. The phone buzzes almost instantly. The giant quickly glances over the message. "Go downstairs. He'll be out in the front."

"Thanks." The brunet grabs his bag—which was underneath Chanyeol's—and steps out of the room. The door closes behind him, and Chanyeol's alone again. Again.

After Baekhyun's back home, he flops down on his bed and attempts to clear his head. Argh! Park, sort yourself out! Grudgingly, he gets up and decides to start making an outline for his paper.

Awhile passes without much improvement in Baekhyun's relationship with Chanyeol. Kyungsoo and Jongin however, are a different story. The two have spent more and more time together, Kyungsoo even occasionally staying and watching the sun-kissed male practice. Chanyeol would alway stare strangely at the owl-eyed boy. Who wants to see a group of ten sweaty boys run around with a constantly yelling coach?

Afterwards, Kyungsoo would alway treat Jongin to iced coffee, knowing that his friend—boyfriend? Kyungsoo really didn't know what to label them as, and Jongin never brought the subject up—would always be in need of a refreshing drink.

The two had shared a few on-the-mouth kisses—actual kisses, as Kyungsoo calls it—and it was always amusing to see how Jongin would get slightly flustered and look away. Kyungsoo never thought the sun-kissed male was the type to be shy.

And Kyungsoo had to laugh at the way Jongin was making it way too obvious how he felt about Jongdae and Minseok. Occasionally, he would accidentally bump—more like lightly shove—into Jongdae, conveniently right when he was beside Minseok, ramming the dino-boy into the shoulder of the steamed bun. (Kyungsoo had recently begun referring to Minseok as that, because of the boy's obsessiveness over the food. He had become quiet close with some of the members on the basketball team.)

But as much as Jongin was good—because being obvious is really good in this case. (Kyungsoo had to roll his eyes at that one.)—at playing matchmaker, he really couldn't make heads or tails out of his current relationship. It was clear that Jongin was new to the whole love thing.

Frankly, Kyungsoo was getting a little tired, but Jongin promised him that it would be soon, so the owl-eyed boy decided to wait a while longer. He had more important things to worry about. Like what to get Jongin for his birthday. And wondering what Jongin would get him. They had both agreed to exchange their gifts on January thirteenth, one day after Kyungsoo's actual birthday, and one day prior to Jongin's. It was the tenth now. Time was ticking for the short boy.

Speaking of gifts, Kyungsoo is currently window shopping in front of a hat shop, seeing how much Jongin enjoyed his last gift. But is a hat too bland?

- § -

What do you think Kyungsoo should get Jongin? And what do you think Jongin has in store for Kyungsoo? (Please give me ideas for Kyungsoo's gift! I seriously don't have a clue rn...)

Have a great rest of your day/night!

<3

(New book published! Check it out!)

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