Work Text:
1
A quaint little bakery in Barcelona was the perfect place to end the day.
Chanyeol had taken it upon himself to bring him around the city and treat him as royally as he could, the day before Kyungsoo turned 23.
It was that little pastry shop that caught Kyungsoo’s eye — the sweet smell of fresh buns permeating his nose. He slowed in his tracks as his head followed the smell, catching Chanyeol’s attention.
“Hmm?” Chanyeol asked, noticing that his best friend was no longer walking at his pace, and pulling him along. “What’s up?”
Kyungsoo unwillingly directed his eyes towards the voice as he mourned the loss of the enticing smell.
“It’s, uh,” he started, albeit a little dazed, “It’s just nothing. Let’s keep going.” Kyungsoo looked down and continued his path.
The pressure around his wrist was a startle. Followed by a deep voice, “I don't think it’s nothing.” Chanyeol looked around and caught sight of the bakery. He hummed in amusement.
“Come with me, Kyungsoo-ya,” Chanyeol stated, giddily taking his best friend’s palm into his own and stepping into the french-themed patisserie. “I know what you want.”
Kyungsoo huffed and rolled his eyes, letting himself be dragged away. Secretly, he’s grateful that Chanyeol knows him so well — not that he would admit to wanting pastry this late within the day, not when they had just finished their dinner an hour prior to this walk. Hell, this walk was supposed to settle their stomachs, not to leave them feeling full once more.
The agency has placed strict dietary restrictions for him, and for him especially. It was going to be months until their next comeback, and he had to keep up his appearance. Only on days like this where it was just him and Chanyeol that he’s allowed to ‘let loose’. Mostly because Chanyeol is Chanyeol, and Chanyeol talks his way out of anything.
And Chanyeol was standing right in front of him, ordering the most sugar-rush-inducing chocolate cake one could have ever dreamt of ordering; for himself, of course.
Kyungsoo had no idea why Chanyeol was the way he was, and thoughts like these made his brain hurt. Just like the sight he was about to witness—
Chanyeol had attempted to make small talk in very, very broken English with the girl at the cashier, which backfired badly and earned him an awkward giggle from her. Alarmed, he turned towards Kyungsoo for his order, hoping that it would break the ice.
A nonchalant Kyungsoo just pointed at a plain croissant from the display, deeming that it would not add too many calories to his daily intake and thus would go unnoticed by his manager.
“Alright I’ll get those heated up for you, how would you like to pay?” the cashier inquired, seemingly having recovered from the previously strained atmosphere.
“Me, I-” Chanyeol stuttered in a foreign language, “I will pay. For us two. Together. Cash?”
Thankfully, the girl understood despite the language barrier, and ushered the two to a table in the far corner; winking as she delivered their warm pastries.
As they sat down with their own respective plates, Kyungsoo tells himself that they would just finish this walk-turned-snacktime here and it would be enough.
(it’s not, and oh god, chanyeol i’m so hungry and chanyeol-ah this tastes so good were the only two things that left his mouth as he consumed their dessert, peering up at chanyeol with his heart-shaped smile. their as in both chanyeol-and-kyungsoo’s desserts. as in, chanyeol had willingly given his cake to kyungsoo to finish, smiling from behind his closed fist as the man in front of him devoured his meal.
happy early birthday, kyungsoo-ya, he thought in his head, watching the younger boy wolf down the cake he wanted to eat by himself.
he’d give up a thousand cakes for kyungsoo’s smile, chanyeol decided.)
2
A deep voice broke his concentration once more.
“Soo, have you reached the part where—”
Chanyeol asked from his position, head hanging down from the dingy couch they never washed. somebody crashed into the wall, and he can vaguely hear Baekhyun’s maniacal laughter in the distance.
“I d’nno,” Kyungsoo interrupted, voice muffled into the pillow he was resting his chin on. “Don’t talk to me,” he warned.
He had been ignoring all one hundred and two questions that have exited Chanyeol’s mouth in the past hour and would like to watch his anime in peace, thank you.
Tall, gangly limbed Sehun chose that exact moment to walk inside the living room and block the light shining from the window towards Kyungsoo’s screen.
“Ah, that’s better,” Kyungsoo sighed happily. “I can finally read the subtitles without the glare of the sun.”
“What anime are you watching, hyung?” Sehun stepped closer to peer at the phone screen, which indirectly caused the fixture of light to come back and reflect off his phone screen.
Sehun had also, in the process, knocked over a half-empty glass of orange juice, that Chanyeol was going to finish by the way, off the table and right into Kyungsoo’s lap.
“Oops, sorry—”
Smoke appeared to billow from Kyungsoo’s ears, and Sehun could sense it. Chanyeol could sense it. Hell, even Baekhyun could sense it, seeing as he stopped laughing at the right moment.
And then, silence.
Desd silence.
Kyungsoo huffed.
“I’m just going to go inside my room,” Kyungsoo whispered more towards himself, gathering his phone and leaving with soaked pants.
It was quiet for a beat. Then two beats. Then the third—
“Do you think Kyungsoo’s mad?” Chanyeol asked slowly.
Sehun blinked at him, and that earned him a blink back. “Hyung, we should probably leave him alone today.”
“But Kyungsoo’s mad, what can we do?” Chanyeol threw his hands up and demanded an answer from the void.
“I think we should just leave—”
“No, no way, oh my god Sehun we actually made him mad. Let me just, hold on,” Chanyeol stood up in a flash and ran towards their shoe rack.
“Hyung, where are you going?” Sehun is so puzzled. What exactly is his hyung doing?
“Wait here, Sehun-ah. I'll go to Apgujeong and buy some takoyaki. Then we can apologize to him together, okay? See you, wait for me,” he rambled on, hopping on one foot after the other as he put his sneakers on and was out the door before Sehun could reply.
(i mean, it wasn’t even chanyeol-hyung’s fault, sehun told kyungsoo later that evening in his room, head laid on kyungsoo’s lap as they wait for dinner to be served. it was totally my fault — sorry again hyung.
no, no it’s fine sehun-ah, i’m not even mad, kyungsoo pat his head.
they had just finished their takoyaki balls and chanyeol had passed out at the corner of Kyungsoo’s bed, snoring away.
he went to apgujeong station for me because he thought i was angry, kyungsoo thought to himself as his gaze fell on the steady rise and fall of chanyeol’s chest, a little soft and a little fond. what an idiot. )
3
An incessant ringing from Chanyeol’s phone woke him up from his sleep.
Groggily, he rubbed his eyes and answered the call without checking for the identity, greeting the caller with a simple, “Hello?”
“Where’s my son?” the voice demanded.
“What does that even mean, mom,” Chanyeol asked, bewildered. “I’m.. your son?”
He continued, “Besides, it’s too early for you to call,” only to realize that it was in fact twelve noon. Chanyeol felt his heart race a little faster before the connection clicked — right, it’s Sunday.
On Sundays the agency gave them leniency to be off work, lest they have an upcoming comeback. Despite this, Chanyeol had chosen to spend his Saturday night in the studio, too engrossed in some upcoming tracks and losing track of time. He eventually crashed on his couch around two thirty in the morning, and that’s where he found himself at the moment.
“Don’t tell me,” Mama Park started, “You’re still at the studio?”
Chanyeol interrupted, “Mom..”
“And,” she continued nonetheless, “You still haven’t met my son today?”
This sparked a chain of questions regardless of Chanyeol’s half-awake state.
“Again, what does that even mean,” Chanyeol accused her with a gasp, “Don’t tell me you got another son while I was gone?”
He could almost hear her rolling her eyes.
“No, silly,” she said slowly, as if speaking to a small child. “My son, your boyfriend, doesn’t that ring a bell? Where is Kyungsoo anyway?”
Somehow, his sleep-muddled state had only caught onto the last part of her question and completely ignored the first half, so he immediately replied, “Dunno, said he was going out with Jongin and Baekhyun today.”
“Well, are you going to catch up with them then?” she asked again.
“Uhh, let’s see, mom,” Chanyeol didn’t really plan to go anywhere today, but assured her that once he had completed the chorus he would meet up with the rest.
He could hear her clap her hands over the call— how the hell did she do that with one hand, and moved his thumb over the red button.
Before he succeeded, however, she quickly instructed him to read the article she sent, and ended the call herself.
“Okay,” Chanyeol muttered to himself as he opened the website link, “What the hell is this.”
Chanyeol & D.O: Handsome Boy Bromance.
Cue the incoming laughter for hours on end.
(kyungsoo waved chanyeol over when he entered the restaurant they agreed to meet up at, nudging baekhyun over to sit on jongin’s side, making space for the new guest.
he greeted everyone with a high five and upon catching kyungsoo’s gaze, started chuckling uncontrollably.
what’s going on with you, hyung, jongin stared, confused. baekhyun just raised one of his eyebrows and continued grilling the meat in front of him.
did you see what dispatch posted about me and kyungsoo today, chanyeol started between laughter and pulling up his phone to show everyone. i can’t believe we beat dispatch couple of the year and landed an article on top of their page.
peering over the screen, kyungsoo made the same confused expression chanyeol made earlier in the day. well, it was a nice picture of them that dispatch set as their facebook cover. with the matching smiles..
so that’s why chanyeol’s mom called him that morning, kyungsoo realized. he doesn’t even know if he should tell chanyeol about the new picture of them that she hung up in viva polo.
spoiler: he does.)
4
A getaway was exactly what Kyungsoo needed.
Kyungsoo was well aware that he would be starting his military conscription, just not this soon.
And that was why he had jumped at the first offer for a holiday, courtesy of Chanyeol’s invitation. That was how they ended up on a night-stroll along the streets of Japan, hiding their faces with inconspicuous masks and browsing for knick-knacks in stores.
“Soo, Soo, look,” Chanyeol called for his attention over the next aisle, head taller than the shelves themselves.
He slowly made his way into the neighboring aisle and towards his best friend, holding something small within the palm of his hands.
“Ta-da!”
Chanyeol revealed in his hands: a small penguin plushie. Coincidentally, the penguin had its brows furrowed, and was looking just as confused as Kyungsoo was. “See, it even looks just like you!”
“I’m going to buy it,” Chanyeol exclaimed, walking towards the cashier with a spring in his step and leaving Kyungsoo where he was moments ago.
“What,” Kyungsoo deadpanned. “No it doesn’t,” but Chanyeol was no longer listening.
He was happily chatting with the old man behind the register as he paid for the penguin, and as Kyungsoo approached Chanyeol decided to rope him into the conversation.
“Say, uncle, this doll looks like him, right?” Chanyeol inquired in Japanese, prompting a hearty laugh from the cashier. He nodded his head as Chanyeol put the plushie against Kyungsoo’s uninterested face, side-by-side.
“I'm afraid you will have to spend the rest of your life with him,” the older man joked good-naturedly towards Kyungsoo. And to both of them he said, “I hope you have a good time in Japan!” as they exited his store.
Let’s put it this way, Kyungsoo’s not so fluent in Japanese, not like Chanyeol was. Understanding only bits and pieces of the entire conversation only soured his mood further.
The walk back to the hotel was uneventful. Chanyeol had only wanted to take pictures of his new toy and had barely talked to Kyungsoo.
But does Kyungsoo complain?
No, he does not. He was a man of a few words and this type of situation does not need any words for it, he stubbornly believed. Plus, he’s not a little kid anymore.
Yet Chanyeol remained oblivious to the thoughts running through Kyungsoo’s mind, as he casually looked for new photo spots for his new penguin pal along the streets of Tokyo.
(it doesn’t even look like him, what was going through chanyeol’s head, kyungsoo mulled over that night as he aggressively brushed his teeth. still, a thousand yen was a small price to pay to keep himself in chanyeol’s thoughts.
the stuffed toy sat with its scrunched brows on top of his and chanyeol’s luggages in the corner of the mirror, and kyungsoo spat his toothpaste into the sink with that in mind. he left the bathroom in a significantly better mood than when he entered it, humming under his breath as he passed a chanyeol starfished over the couch.
he had also, as chanyeol observed, patted the head of the penguin before jumping under the covers and shutting his eyes.
oh that’s just heartwarming, as chanyeol wiped non-existent tears from his eyes. of course he noticed. there’s no way he would replace kyungsoo with a stuffed toy when he’s got the real thing.
he got up from the sofa and ran himself into kyungsoo’s queen-sized bed, wrapping himself around the smaller body in a tight hug, ignoring all half-hearted protests from the other.)
5
A warm weight settled upon his head and effectively blackened Kyungsoo’s view.
Startled, he shook off the mass and turned to the doer; Park Chanyeol and his goofy smile, laughing at Kyungsoo’s surprised expression.
“What?” Chanyeol asked him after a few beats of silence, smile lowered at Kyungsoo’s serious look.
Kyungsoo furrowed his brows, staring at the oversized jacket on his lap. “Why’s this with me?”
He thrusted the fabric into Chanyeol’s direction, who pushed it back into his arms, and questioned the taller, “Aren’t you cold?”
Chanyeol retorted back immediately, “Aren’t you cold, Kyungsoo-ya?”
Well that halted Kyungsoo in his actions. He was feeling a bit cold; the winds were blowing quite strongly that day and he was still in his wet t-shirt, waiting for the hair-and-makeup crew to return with a change of clothes.
On the deck, the other members were having a playful time — Sehun and Minseok engaging in a water fight, with Jongdae and Baekhyun singing back and forth as background noise and Junmyeon diligently coordinating with the film crew to finalize the day’s schedule.
Only Chanyeol had snuck off to accompany a shivering Kyungsoo, draped in only a thin towel.
The third season of EXO Travels the World on a Ladder was set to be a hit as were the previous two seasons. This time, their schedules were a bit more packed with more challenging activities, which meant more time in front of the camera and less time without.
Chanyeol finally had quality time to spend with his best friend for an entire week, and that’s why Chanyeol’s glued entirely to Kyungsoo’s side, according to Jongdae. That's why none of the members mentioned anything about the lack of happy virus who disappeared into the upper deck.
Said happy virus had noticed the chills of the moving air and proceeded to come closer to where Kyungsoo was seated.
Chanyeol knelt down, retrieving Kyungsoo’s towel that had been dropped and forgotten on the floor. Carefully dusting off any small particles that may have clung to the fabric, he then gently placed it on Kyungsoo’s head, allowing the wet hair to be dried. Kyungsoo closed his eyes and hummed contentedly.
Spurred by the positive reaction, Chanyeol took a step further. He promptly picked up the oversized jacket — his oversized jacket, by the way, and bundled an exhausted Kyungsoo up with minimal fuss.
(gosh, chanyeol thought. he’s drowning in the fabric.
they filmed the next segment on the upper deck altogether, as they headed towards shore. sure, all the activites meant the members were tired, but they were content spending quality time together as a group.
chanyeol moreso, having caught the eye of the man with the heart-shaped lips over the distance, wearing the dark gray hood he brought from home.
it was so, so cold out at sea, and yet he melted.)
+1
A gentle touch to the back of his head grounded him back to reality.
The otherworldly experience the Lonsdaleite concert brought to Kyungsoo was unlike any other; Baekhyun has really outdid himself this time. Four of the active exo members had gathered despite their busy schedules to catch his show that day, Kyungsoo included; of course he was proud.
Though, their packed schedules meant they would gradually depart. Still, Kyungsoo felt content to be reuniting with his bandmates after some time apart.
“Soo,” Chanyeol called out from beside him, already gathering his things.
Unable to tear his eyes away from the show, Kyungsoo only nodded without looking at Chanyeol’s direction.
“Soo, Kyungsoo-ya,” Chanyeol called his name out once more, loudly. And in a softer tone, he whispered in Kyungsoo’s ear, “I'll be going now, okay?”
That snapped Kyungsoo’s attention back towards the other man, not saying a word but Chanyeol’s saddened smile contained the answers he was looking for.
“I mentioned this before in the car, remember?”
Ah, right.
Chanyeol would be leaving earlier for a pre-scheduled event and Kyungsoo would have to call for his manager to pick him up in a few hours.
Unconsciously, his lips formed a pout as he casted his gaze downwards at his lap. Chanyeol moved his hand from the back of his nape to rub his thumb over his head softly, leaning closer to Kyungsoo’s face.
“I'll see you tonight, okay?”
Kyungsoo only hummed back, reflexively turning to kiss his best friend in the cheek before freezing and remembering where they were.
With wide eyes the both of them stared at each other blankly, before Chanyeol broke into a laugh, startling the audience around them.
Junmyeon curiously looked over with a glance at what the commotion was, and naturally the people around him did the same. Kyungsoo’s face had already blushed crimson at this point, shamefully trying to hide his face with his jacket.
The fond gaze in Chanyeol’s eyes dissipated all embarrassment he had within him, though. The crinkle of crow’s feet made him realize that he was not the only one experiencing this epiphany.
It felt like they were the only two people in an empty stadium.
And after a decade-long whirlwind romance filled with unspoken sentiments, all of this had felt natural.
The effortless understanding without words, the comfort in exchanging thoughts, the occasional bouts of jealousy, and the constant magnetism toward each other could only mean one thing:
Park Chanyeol loves Do Kyungsoo,
Do Kyungsoo loves Park Chanyeol.
Finally, they could admit that.
(not to the whole world, however. gosh no!
love blossoms when shared between two best friends, celebrated through a tradition of eating takoyaki, navigated through miscommunication with mothers, expressed through plushies that look like your partner and cherished in oversized clothes.
love blooms when it has been watered tenderly for over a decade, and will be for many more decades to come.)