Touchdown (1/2)

<kbd>Touchdown</kbd>It takes a minute to sink in to Chanyeol what Baekhyun just did to him. He stumbles back, pushing Baekhyun by the shoulder and takes a moment to gawk at him with wide-eyes. His fingers graze his lips where Baekhyun's had just been and wipes it furiously.

"What did you just do?"

"I—" Baekhyun flinches, lips still quivering and heartbeat pounding in his chest, in his head, everywhere. "I already told you what you wanted to know," he whispers weakly. "I..." like you, I love you, what else do you want me to say? But Baekhyun's mouth is glued shut as Chanyeol advances forward, moving swiftly like an angry predator attacking his prey, but he stops a foot away from Baekhyun.

Surprisingly, Chanyeol's tone goes down into a hushed whisper. "That's not a very good reason to do that."

Baekhyun's never been a weak person. He can stand up for himself, shout at anyone blocking his way, but right now it doesn't matter anymore, not when the only person he likes is giving him the most disgusted stare he's come across in his own life. He can't even utter anything. It hurts and the pain is unbearable. Baekhyun can't even lift a palm to clutch his own, tightening chest. His breathing's erratic and quiet unlike Chanyeol's loud huffs, exhaling so loud Baekhyun can feel the heat radiating from him.

"Is that what you wanted to do? Kiss me? Make me feel like this?" Chanyeol says, ignoring Baekhyun's shivering body, eyes threatening to cry more in a few seconds. The touch on his cheek is long forgotten. He doesn't even sound mad, but his voice has a heavy weight to it, kind of threatening despite the calmness.

I know you don't like boys, Baekhyun wants to say desperately, I know you're disgusted you're kissed by a guy. By your brother. By someone you loath so much.

"You're not even going to say anything?" he asks in disbelief. "Give me an explanation, Byun Baekhyun."

"I... really don't know what to tell you anymore," Baekhyun whispers quietly. "If I say anything more you're just going to get angrier."

"Just..." Chanyeol hesitates for a moment, looking away. Baekhyun feels hope spark inside him for a fleeting second until Chanyeol opens his mouth again. "Don't ever, ever do that to me again." Slowly, he makes his way back to his room. Baekhyun tries to hold him by the arm when he gets back to his senses, but Chanyeol shrugs his arm away. Unintentionally, Baekhyun gets pushed to the side, his back thudding against the wall.

"I—" Chanyeol tries and keeps quiet for a second before turning around. "That was your fault."

"Chanyeol," he says lowly, sounding a little desperate but Chanyeol doesn't spare a glance in his direction anymore.

"You know what, Baekhyun? I'm glad you're leaving," Chanyeol says by the door. Guilt pools in his stomach as he stumbles the words out. He can't help it. This is too sudden and when confused, Chanyeol doesn't know how to control his words. They get as sharp is razors unintentionally. "If you're only going to be like... this, I hope you leave quietly."

After Chanyeol's door closes, Baekhyun slides down, letting more waterworks spill over his face.

Even when he's the only one hurting, Baekhyun murmurs a litany of apology over and over as he wipes his tear-stained face.

"I'll leave silently and never bother you again."

-

It's been two weeks.

According to Kim Jongdae, his best friend is currently a walking zombie, gliding through the halls lifelessly in the midst of exciting cheers and hushed conversations about the upcoming graduation.

"Where is my best friend," Jongdae pokes at him during lunch break. "Poke, poke. Paging Byun Baekhyun, Baekhyun, Ugly Baekhyun with curly and bushy armpit hair—"

"Do you really need to announce to the whole world that I have a forest in my armpits?"

Jongdae pouts cutely. "Not my fault you keep on ignoring me."

"What do you want, Jongdae," Baekhyun sighs, completely unimpressed. "I'm trying to eat lunch. Stop that—" Jongdae stops wiggling his lips unattractively, "—you look like a fish."

"An attractive fish," Jongdae says. "A special specie, really. Where can you see a fish as cute as me?"

Baekhyun jabs him with his elbow, trying to bite back his smile. "I really want to drown you with love right now."

"I know." Jongdae frowns, but quirks up in a second. "Honestly, you haven't even taken a bite of your food," Jongdae informs him, grinning. "And you didn't even notice me eating half of it either."

Baekhyun stares down at his lunch box and really, half of it is gone. He groans and elbows Jongdae at his side again. Jongdae pretends to be hurt, bending himself down and clutches his stomach with loud grunts. "Do you want to die," Baekhyun finally tells him after a moment of embarrassment, half of which is because a lot of heads turned towards their table and another because Jongdae's grunts sounds like someone's giving him head under the table. He stops a smile escaping his lips but Jongdae continues, even stretching his arm forward and yelping, "Help! My organs are breaking apart. Baekhyun's iron fists have attacked me."

That's the last straw. Baekhyun ends up laughing with his whole body, shoulders shaking and laughter booming inside the cafeteria. A few more heads turn towards them but they don't mind; after all, this is what makes them different from the rest: they simply just don't give a fuck and enjoy themselves fully.

"I made you laugh," Jongdae says proudly after doubling over in mirth, puffing his chest out and gobbling the rest of Baekhyun's lunch. The seaweed gets stuck in his teeth and Baekhyun cracks up even more.

"Yah, my mom's not going to be happy," Baekhyun says, grinning widely. "I'm going to tell her Kim Jongdae's been eating my food the whole week. Talk about bullying, huh."

"As if, I'll just tell your mom what that stupid asshat called Park Chanyeol did to—Ooomph," Jongdae exclaims, struggling against Baekhyun's iron grip over his mouth. He licks Baekhyun's fingers just to make him let go.

"I think you are the grossest human being, ack." Baekhyun frowns, but his eyes are soft and full of affection.

"Ooops," Jongdae chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I said something carelessly again, my bad."

"It's okay," Baekhyun assures him. "It's been two weeks anyway. I... there's three more days before graduation, I'm sure I'm going to forget about it."

Jongdae shrugs. "Trust me, the quote distance makes the heart grow fonder is shit," he says. "It makes you move on."

"I wish," Baekhyun says, biting his lower lip and lets his eyes linger on Chanyeol's empty table. Baekhyun hates to it admit it, he still looks forward to seeing a glimpse of Chanyeol in school, but he's never around these days. "No, I can do it because I'm Byun Baekhyun."

"That's the spirit," Jongdae says lamely, "now can I finish your lunch?"-

The airport fills in as quickly as the planes leave, the wheels gliding across the runway before it finally emerges up in the sky. Baekhyun taps an impatient foot on the marble floor, waiting for his flight. Due to the rain in Beijing, his flight has been delayed, so Baekhyun has to deal with his incessant mother fiddling with all his belongings.

"Mom, stop fussing," he says, giggling a little as she finally settles on the seat next to him.