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PART THREE
"I  N E E D  Y O U"
III : VIII

"I have a boyfriend."

"Wait what?" Luhan questioned, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked at Minseok.

"Yeah, um... I'm sorry but I can't exactly... return your feelings."

"Oh. Of course, I'll just—thanks, though? For putting up with my texts even though they were pretty annoying," Luhan smiled and Minseok did the same.

"They were funny, don't worry. And I'm sorry for not telling you earlier."

"No worries, it would've probably been really awkward. Timing is everything, anyway." Luhan waved goodbye to his ex-crush and sighed, picking at the pieces of lint on his sweater.

Deciding that he needed a good drink, he made his way over to the bar that was near Minseok's house (because he was dropping the other off) and entered the jazzy place, glad that there was none of the super loud remixes that he was starting to become extremely tried of.

He sat himself down on one of the stools and ordered a drink, finishing it faster than he ever did. He wasn't actually that upset that Minseok was taken, just more frustrated that he never found someone special. He had dated before—this one guy named Junmyeon, two years ago, and then this other guy named Sehun—but they just never really worked out. Junmyeon ended up being straight and Sehun had to move away, which proved just how lucky Luhan was with this kind of stuff.

Luhan spent another few hours there before he decided to head over to Baekhyun's house, taking a cab over and arriving there quickly. He felt a little guilty that he had told Baekhyun he would be busy on Christmas since he had a date scheduled with Minseok (which really ended up just being an outing because the guy was taken) and was now going to randomly show up at his place.

Just as he was pulling open the door to the apartment building, he bumped into someone, stopping quickly. That person didn't stop for a second and just kept walking, their head lowered and audible sniffs being heard.

"Wait," Luhan called, and the figure finally halted. He definitely knew that person. "Wendy? Are you okay?"

The girl quickly wiped at her eyes before she turned to Luhan, giving him a small smile.

"Yes? I guess?"

Luhan still had a small grudge on Wendy for saying all that stuff about Baekhyun, but he figured that she had her own reasons—so out of the kindness of his heart, he said, "Wanna take a walk with me?"

And that's how they ended up strolling randomly on the streets, talking only when they had something to say.

Sometime during their walk, when they sat down on a freezing cold bench, Luhan pursed his lips. "You and Chanyeol..."

"God, don't remind me," Wendy said, letting out a deep sigh.

"You love him?" Luhan asked, finally bringing up the question that he had wanted to ask for a while now.

It took Wendy a while to answer, maybe even five minutes, but when she finally did, she nodded before she spoke. "Yeah. A lot."

"Thought so."

"You know, I'm really sorry for saying all of that stuff before," Wendy said, her voice audibly wavering, "It's just—it's kind of hard seeing the person you love chase after someone for such a long time. It... really broke my heart."

Luhan hummed, knowing the feeling. "We were both just defending people that we love."

Wendy turned to him with a look of surprise on her face and Luhan nodded.

"Yeah, I'm in the same boat as you. And I've done bad things too..." He thought back to all the time he spent with Baekhyun and he sighed. "I'm pretty sure we were both trying to convince our crushes to break up with each other, even though we knew we'd both just be seen as best friends in the end."

"Definitely."

Luhan kicked at the snow on the ground, wondering why the park had to look so beautiful on such a grim night. Holding his hand out, he caught the snowflakes that had begun to steadily fall from the sky, watching through the dim light how it melted in his hand.

"'Why did they have to fall in love with each other and not us?' Is what I'm thinking right now." Luhan then looked up at the sky, now the one holding back his tears. "And I even tried to like Minseok more than him, hoping that I could get over Baekhyun because I knew he'd end up with Chanyeol."

Wendy turned to stare at Luhan and gave him a small smile even if he wasn't looking. "Fate's a bitch. And sadly, it was just on Chanyeol and Baekhyun's side."

"Fuck you fate," Luhan said, as if the belief could actually hear him. Deciding that no one would care anyway, he started yelling. "You're an asshole!"

After a moment, Wendy joined in. "Yeah! I hope you experience heartbreak too you fucker!"

They yelled at the sky for a few more seconds before laughing at their stupidity, blaming the entire thing on heartbreak.

When they calmed down, Wendy let out what seemed to be her tenth sigh of the night, shoving her hands into her pockets. "Thanks for walking with me even though it's cold as hell."

"Yup. Don't get the wrong idea. I'm gay."

"You're not my type anyway."

The two snorted.

The rest of their night was spent thinking about their lovers, feeling melancholic that even if they didn't have their own happy ending, at least Chanyeol and Baekhyun had theirs.

~

"That was unfair!" Baekhyun exclaimed, punching Chanyeol in the shoulder and getting a patch of white onto his shirt in the process.

"In what way?" Chanyeol questioned, a mischevious grin on his face as he wiped off the flour Baekhyun had just placed onto his shirt.

"Well, one," Baekhyun began, stepping closer to Chanyeol to seem more intimidating (or just to get closer to him), "You actually know what you're doing. Two," he lifted his flour-filled hand and placed it on Chanyeol's cheek affectionately, laughing to himself when Chanyeol cringed, "You tricked me into thinking this was easy." Chanyeol scoffed and Baekhyun simply ignored it, continuing, "Three, you're taller than me."

Chanyeol's hands somehow found their way onto Baekhyun's hips and he mindlessly rocked them side to side, humming as if he was in thought. "How does me being tall count as unfair in a competition of pie-making?"

"You reach things easily! Who knows, you could've spiked the baking powder I was struggling to get earlier."

Chanyeol laughed and simply pressed a kiss onto Baekhyun's forehead, enjoying his little grumbles that stated: "a kiss won't make up for your cheating ways".

"Um, can you guys not do this when there are other people in here?" Kyungsoo spoke up, having had enough of the display of affection in his kitchen.

At the same time as Baekhyun's fingers wound into Chanyeol's hair, his other hand flipped off Kyungsoo behind Chanyeol's back, proceeding to wrap his arms around the taller's shoulder to stand steadily on his tiptoes.

"And they're making out. Great."

"Does that mean I can smuggle the shrimp we got today?"

"I mean why not."

"My god they're going to contaminate all the ingredients—holy shit Baekhyun's on the counter now."

"Someone tell them to stop!"

~

"Happy New Years!" Luhan cheered, raising his cup in the air. Everyone in the room did the same, holding up their glasses of wine and yelling random things. "To being forever single!"

"I can't relate!" Baekhyun yelled back, his arm wrapped around Chanyeol's waist with the weight of the taller's arm on his shoulders.

The group of friends laughed and they all took a drink out of their glasses, starting what was going to be the longest night in the world. They were all celebrating at Wendy's place, the girl having apologized a hundred times to both Baekhyun and Chanyeol for being dumb and they forgave her easily, Chanyeol stating that he felt terrible for what he did.

Their group consisted of the staff at Viva Polo, Wendy's friends, and some others. An hour back they had a whole pig that Chanyeol cooked and a fancy cake that Kyungsoo baked, all sitting on the ground to eat with their plastic cutlery. Now Wendy was turning on some music and dimming the lights just like she had at her other parties, getting everyone in the mood for fun with wine.

"Baekhyun," someone called and Baekhyun turned, still in Chanyeol's arms.

When he saw who called him, he froze in his spot and he blinked a few times, looking over the scene. Chanyeol turned too, and when he saw who it was, he decided that he should leave Baekhyun alone. He whispered to him that he'd be on the couch if Baekhyun needed him and left after the shorter nodded.

"Um, hey," Baekhyun greeted.

He didn't know how to act in front of his past three "best friends", narrowing his eyes at Jongdae who was giving him a shit-eating grin. It was definitely him that planned this whole reunion.

It was normal to see Minseok and Jongdae here and there because they were somehow still in Baekhyun's life, but seeing the two of them together and with the addition of Junmyeon that had basically fallen off the planet of the earth, he was a little overwhelmed.

"I think this was a little overdue..." Junmyeon began, and Baekhyun realized that he still talked and looked exactly the same.

"Really overdue," Minseok corrected.

"But we're really sorry," Junmyeon finished. "I did some really stupid things back then and well... I don't have an excuse for it. I was just a jerk."

Baekhyun scoffed. "You bet your ass that you were a jerk. Do you know how much I wanted to punch your face in?"

Junmyeon laughed nervously and Jongdae rolled his eyes, slapping the elder on the back. "Chill, Junmyeon. Can you not understand humour?"

"Well I mean, it's been a really long time," Junmyeon stated.

"I'm sorry too," Minseok spoke up.

"You're already forgiven," Baekhyun said and Junmyeon's jaw dropped, wondering why he was favouring Minseok. "As a thank you for giving me free food at Viva Polo."

"I'll give you a free diamond ring! Forgive me!" Junmyeon yelled, saying it just as a joke but Baekhyun whistled.

"Ooh, seriously? You're working as some high-end jewelry producer or whatever right?"

Junmyeon nodded and Baekhyun gasped when he had an idea. "Make our wedding ring and I'll forgive you for life!" Baekhyun suggested, all of them knowing that 'our' meant Baekhyun and Chanyeol.

Junmyeon shrugged and accepted Baekhyun easily, finding it not a big deal.

"But nah, I'm just joking. I forgive you Junmyeon. I was an ass back then too, just not as much of an ass," Baekhyun smiled and Jongdae nodded.

"This was a great meeting. We're calling each other assholes back and forth," he said, seemingly approving of their conversation.

"It's what's expected."

"I would expect Sehun to be here, is he not?" Baekhyun questioned, looking around the room.

"He's in America, and trust me, he's still a bitch," Jongdae said and Baekhyun gasped.

"Still?"

"Still." Jongdae paused. "Well, not as much. Just a snotty brat now. Owns a huge luggage company but I think he's at least good-hearted or something."

Baekhyun nodded.

"Well, it seems like the assholes are reunited."

~

Baekhyun sighed, patting down Chanyeol's hair fondly.

They both collapsed in Baekhyun's bed the moment the party was finished, and Chanyeol fell asleep in less than a minute, breathing loudly like he usually did.

Baekhyun didn't mind the other being asleep at all, because it meant that he could stare at him for as long as he wanted, even if the room was almost too dark to see anything at all. Baekhyun spent the last minutes of his day staring at the way that Chanyeol slept, the corner of his lips pulling up because of how the taller looked with his cheek smushed to the pillow.

He felt a strange feeling in his heart—almost as if it was filled with so much love that it almost burst, and he stopped breathing for a second, before letting out a deep breath.

Baekhyun wriggled closer to Chanyeol, his arms wrapping around the taller's torso, a content smile on his face when he shoved his face into the taller's chest.

The person he was currently holding meant so much more than he had ever expected, and his eyes slipped close as he fell asleep with someone he had started off regretting, wanting, and then finally having.

The only person he needed.

(Park Chanyeol.)

END OF PART THREE
"I N E E D Y O U"