[PG] Someday Dream [EXO] (1/2)
Title: Someday Dream
Author: airplanewishes
Fandom: EXO
Characters: Baekhyun/Chanyeol, Luhan/Kris, Chen, Kai/D.O.
Genre: Romance, Friendship, Fluff
Rating: PG
WC: 13,457
Summary: Baekhyun didn't have a date. So he hired one.
Beta'd by the awesome khrysallis1106. Thank you bb! :)
Someday Dream
“Have you seen this!”
Baekhyun slapped a white and black invitation in a rather harsh manner on the tabletop. He slipped onto a seat and buried his face in his arms as Luhan calmly picked it up.
“You are cordially invited to Class 2003’s Grand Reunion,” Luhan read. His face lit up, but immediately sobered up at Baekhyun’s obvious lack of enthusiasm. “Isn’t this something you’ve been looking forward to since we graduated high school?” he curiously asked his best friend.
Baekhyun lifted his head to glare at him. “That was obviously when I thought I’d be famous, rich and so in love,” he recounted, groaning when he realized how far he still was from his dream life.
Byun Baekhyun had always been ambitious. At a young age, he already knew what he wanted to be. He wanted to make clothes and he wanted to make them for people who could pay for them: the rich and the famous, the worthy. He had a knack for clothes as a child, which his mother encouraged by buying him the best clothes, helping him to mix and match the outfits. But there was only so much his mother could do for him. After graduating college, he applied everywhere he could think of. It was then that he realized that dreams were hard and weren’t as easy to reach as he thought.
“You’re a stylist, Baekhyun,” Luhan reminded him, rolling his eyes at his dramatics. “And not just any stylist. You pick the clothes of the most famous actors and musicians in the industry. I don’t think Cho Kyuhyun would be able to erase dork in the public’s vocabulary and pull off dashing without the clothes you choose for him. Then there’s Eunhyuk-.”
“How dare you!” Baekhyun looked appalled. “I do not style Eunhyuk. Huang Zitao does and if I get paid for every atrocious outfit that he makes him wear, I’d be a millionaire!”
Luhan waved his hand dismissively. “All I’m saying is that you are famous and you are good at what you do, hence you being rich because of it,” he clarified.
“Styling is miles away from designing, from having my own label and being proud that people wear my name,” Baekhyun pouted.
“Still, rich and famous,” Luhan insisted. “Two out of three off your list isn’t bad.”
“But the third part is the most important part!” Baekhyun cried, bringing his hands to his hair and pulling them into a mess. “That’s what I want most out of the three-.” He stopped himself, looking thoughtful for a second. “No, not really. But yes, that is still an important dream.” He pouted once more, his chin on the heels of his palms.
“No one’s going to care if you’re in love or not,” Luhan began with an eye roll.
“Easy for you to say,” Baekhyun grumbled. “You have girls and guys eating at the palm of your hand.”
Luhan smiled in such a manner than Baekhyun wanted to smack his face off. “Yes, well,” he giggled and stopped almost at once when Baekhyun looked like he was murdering him in his thoughts. “No one’s going to care, Baekhyun. Really.”
Baekhyun stood up and dashed out of the kitchen, while Luhan sat there, not caring whether his best friend was acting weirder than usual. Shortly after, or exactly five seconds later, Baekhyun came back with their high school yearbook in hand. He flipped through a couple of pages before settling on one. He pushed it in front of Luhan and pointed at a line under his photo.
Class heartthrob
“I thought I was the class heartthrob,” Luhan complained, flipping through the yearbook to find his photo.
“No, you’re not,” Baekhyun disagreed with a smirk.
They searched for Luhan in the yearbook, going through all the photos of their friends (Jung Daehyun - “ha!” was Baekhyun’s reaction. Huang Zitao - “pfft” Baekhyun commented. Xiu Min - “baozi!” they both chorused.).
“Here you are,” Baekhyun announced when they found him. “You’re the…”
Class muse
“Oh, that’s right,” Luhan happily recalled.
“What am I going to do?” Baekhyun whined as they closed the yearbook. “I can’t go to the reunion without a date.”
“I honestly think no one would care,” Luhan repeated, getting up to start making dinner.
“Of course everyone would care,” Baekhyun corrected him. “I’m the class heartthrob. The class heartthrob can’t go to the reunion without a date. That would be like blasphemy and people would laugh at me and pity me because, really, how can someone with a face like mine go without someone hanging on my arm and every bit of thing I would say.”
“You really don’t sound conceited when you say that,” Luhan shared.
“It’s the truth!” Baekhyun emphasized. “I’m a catch! So why wouldn’t I have anyone right now?! No one would believe it and I’ll be the laughingstock at the reunion.” He trembled at the thought. There was nothing more frightening to Baekhyun than not being able to live up to the expectations of people, which was why he always worked hard.
“Then just go with someone, anyone,” Luhan suggested, turning the stove on and getting the bottle of cooking oil from one of the cupboards. “How about… Daehyun?”
Baekhyun stared at the back of his head as if throwing invisible daggers at him. “Did you just hear my reaction when I saw his photo?” he prompted. “I don’t care if he’s famous now or whatever, no.”
“Look, just because he refuses to use you as his stylist-,” Luhan began, dodging the flying oil from the pan as he put in a couple of slices of spam on it.
“He doesn’t even know what style means,” Baekhyun told him, deadpanned. “I don’t think he knows the concept of clothes.” He made a face. “Why are we even discussing him! He’s taken!”
“Well then what about-?” Luhan stopped and gave a shriek instead just as large flames erupted from the stove.
Baekhyun scrambled off his seat and rushed to the fridge. He saw the orange juice and poured it hastily on the flames. Luhan screeched, as the blaze seemed to claw towards him, rushing behind Baekhyun, who was now holding a spatula, fencing with the fire. It was then that Baekhyun saw the hose by the sink. He blasted it on and pointed it in every direction he thought he saw the fire touch.
Once the fire was gone, Luhan stood at the side, while Baekhyun inspected the remains of what used to look like a kitchen.
“It’s not that bad,” Baekhyun mused, taking a step back to look at the bigger picture. “At least you’re alive.” He smiled as encouragingly as he could. “I think Kyungsoo would be happy to know that at least.”
“Yes, because then he could kill me with his bare hands,” Luhan sniffed fearfully.
They heard the front door of the apartment close. Baekhyun and Luhan exchanged a look before scrambling out of the disaster-stricken kitchen.
“Hi Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo greeted him just as Baekhyun made his way to the door, hurriedly putting on his shoes and coat.
“Bye, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun returned with an all too cheerful smile. He turned to Luhan, who looked like an angel sent from heaven, smiling like he had good news to share. “Bye, Luhan.” With that, he was out of the door.
He wasn’t even to the elevators when he heard Kyungsoo’s murderous scream. “LUHAAAAAN!!!”
-
Baekhyun should have known that Luhan would never keep his mouth shut over something as important as his love life dilemma. Not shortly after, he’d received a call from Sehun, propositioning him, which he abruptly declined, and Daehyun, who just laughed at him as soon as he picked up. He merely screamed at his ear and ended the call.
He had half a mind to kill Luhan before he remembered that Luhan was still recovering from his brush with death from Kyungsoo.
All in all, he decided to console himself with the fact that he was rich and famous and who cares about having a date anyway, being single is way more fun.
“So I hear you’re looking for a date for your reunion,” Jongdae leaned back on his seat as Baekhyun flushed in embarrassment.
“I’m really going to kill Luhan,” Baekhyun decided once and for all as he ruthlessly stabbed his salad with a fork.
“Oh he didn’t tell me,” Jongdae corrected him. Baekhyun had the decency to look surprised. “Kyungsoo did.”
“I’m really, REALLY going to kill Luhan,” Baekhyun confirmed.
“If it’s any consolation, I don’t have a date either,” Jongdae told him, smiling in amusement as Baekhyun stared at him.
“You’re kidding, right?” Baekhyun spat. “You’re Kim Jongdae, top hallyu star whatnot. No one is going to care whether you’re in a monogamous relationship or not.” He made a face at him. “Besides, aren’t you going out with a previous member of f(x), Krystal or something?”
“If by going out you mean…” Jongdae snickered as Baekhyun rolled his eyes at their understanding.
“You’re a flirt,” Baekhyun spelled out. He sighed. “I should just cancel and tell them I have somewhere to be at, a fashion event out of the country or something.”
This whole thing mattered to him. He might’ve been the class heartthrob back in high school, but he also knew that people didn’t really expect much from a pretty face. He’d worked his ass off to get to where he was. Despite not quite being a designer, he was still a stylist and a famous one at that, as Luhan pointed out. People sought out his opinions for clothes and fashion and took his words seriously. Still, the thought of him not being able to find love with anyone after all these years… even he wanted to pity himself.
Jongdae let out a breath and pushed a black folder across the table. Baekhyun eyed the folder warily then looked up at him.
“What is this?” Baekhyun demanded.
“Take a look,” Jongdae prodded him.
Baekhyun slowly lifted the folder and opened it. Inside were photos of some of the most beautiful men and women that he’d ever seen in his life. After being charmed, he frowned, confused.
“What is this?” Baekhyun repeated.
“I was thinking,” Jongdae slowly suggested, “that you could hire a date."
Jongdae almost panicked as Baekhyun fell into a coughing fit. The manager of the prestigious restaurant they were in demanded three waiters to send the best-branded waters to their table to ease his throat.
“You’re kidding,” Baekhyun said weakly after gulping down a glass of water.
“I, uh, no?” Jongdae nervously denied. Baekhyun slapped the folder on the table, making Jongdae jump and knock his glass of wine off the table. “It’s just a suggest-.”
“How dare you insinuate that I can’t get a date on my own,” Baekhyun huffed. He stood up, threw the napkin on the table and walked out.
-
It was three days till the reunion and Baekhyun still didn’t have a date. He’d scoured all his acquaintances and friends, but none wanted to go with him, or rather, no one fit his requirements. In order for someone to pass as his date, they had to be way taller than him, have a beautiful face, sparkling eyes, a beautiful smile, pretty hair, perfect skin, straight and white teeth.
“You need a mannequin, not a date,” Luhan had told him.
To which he replied, “A mannequin’s hair is coarse, though.”
He was never going to find a date from the industry he was in because he didn’t really like a lot of people that he worked with. He was very picky with people and he’d come to find that in the fashion and entertainment industry, not everyone was someone you want to hang out with, no matter how beautiful they looked on the outside.
So that was how he found himself looking at the website that he remembered seeing on the folder Jongdae had embarrassed him with. He was actually considering hiring someone to be his date. He cringed and buried his face in his hands. The thought of actually going through with it made him want to spill his guts out. He was better than this.
But if he was, then how come he didn’t have a date? More importantly, how come he hadn’t been dating for the longest time? How come he still hadn’t found love?
It wasn’t that he was picky with partners. It’s just that he hasn’t found that person he’s had a spark with. He was still a romantic like that. He believed in love at first sight and flowers and walks on the beach and all those things that made the heart flutter. And he hadn’t found that yet, hadn’t experienced that feeling where there’s so much love in your heart that you can’t help but give it away.
Still, he wasn’t sure if that was something that he can have. It’s been 25 years and he’s still very much single. All the dates he’d had here and there didn’t count. They were all just to fill in the emptiness.
Phone in hand, he sighed and dialed.
True love would have to wait.
-
There really must be something wrong with him. Sure, he hung out with some of the richest and most famous people in the fashion and entertainment industry. But, he also hung out with someone whose eyes constantly looked like they were going to fall out of his head, someone who hated wearing clothes, and he was best friends with Luhan. That in itself was a sure sign that he got dropped at birth and suffered a major head trauma. He probably had been unable to distinguish normal from…the abnormal. Even then, nothing compared to what he had done now.
He had actually called the escort (“It sounds so wrong,” Baekhyun shuddered) agency and asked for one of their lesser-known…people. If he were going to go out into the world with a date that he’d just hired, he would prefer if no one ever found out about it and him. If he hired some of their best, it would defeat the purpose because that would mean that such person would’ve made the rounds in a lot of parties and it wouldn’t do him any good if the one he chose was easily recognizable.
He picked someone whom he thought was closest to his ideal type: tall, pretty enough face, straight teeth, and big eyes. He really hoped that his hair was as smooth and shiny as it looked on the photo and hoped to god that he wasn’t dorky or had a really tiny voice because, well, what a turn off.
He sat on one corner of the café, carefully eyeing the door. He’d told the guy that he was wearing a dark gray collared, long-sleeved button down shirt and dark slacks and hoped on all hopes that he would be wearing something as decent as well.
The door to the café tinkled opened and Baekhyun sat up straighter. It was him. He casually waved him over and his heart thumped because it looked like he did look exactly like he did in the photo. He dressed quite well, too, in dark jeans and a white shirt with a navy blue blazer on it, which made Baekhyun want to sing to the heavens, except…
“Oh my god your hair!” Baekhyun exclaimed when his hired date finally sat across from him.
He was wearing a pretty cute hat, but he took it off and it revealed a mess of teased and frizzy hair. It looked like a bird’s nest and Baekhyun couldn’t even begin to describe the horror that he felt. He wondered if there was some creature living in it.
He merely stared at Baekhyun. “I’m Chanyeol.”
“Oh my god your hair!” Baekhyun repeated more painfully.
-
“Look, I came from a party last night,” Chanyeol tried to explain the sad (scary?) state of his hair. “This isn’t really something I go around with normally.”
But Baekhyun wouldn’t hear any of it.
“You are not-at all costs-going to wear that hair when you’re around me,” he directed. “This is the first and the last time. Do you understand?” When Chanyeol merely quirked an eyebrow at him, Baekhyun groaned and buried his face in his hands. “I’m really starting to think I’ve lost my mind. What have I done!”
“Will you calm down?” Chanyeol pleaded. People were starting to glance at them, probably wondering why the tall, gangly guy was making this pretty and adorable boy cry.
Baekhyun lifted his face and looked at him, suddenly serious and devoid of hysteria. “That’s another thing,” he stated. “You can’t ever tell me what to do. I’m in charge of this relationship.”
“Relationship,” Chanyeol repeated blankly.
“Relationship, date, engagement-whatever,” Baekhyun dismissed, waving him off and pointing at himself. “I call the shots.”
Chanyeol shrugged. Baekhyun figured he was probably used to bossy clients. Not that he was bossy. He was simply being specific and securing their arrangement properly. If this was going to even work, he was going to make sure that it worked according to his rules.
Speaking of rules, Baekhyun suddenly realized that he didn’t know anything about blind dating or hiring random people to act as his date. Is it just like a normal blind date? How did it go? Even if he was the client, are there actually certain protocols to be followed?
Baekhyun discreetly glanced at Chanyeol, who was trying (failing) to fix his hair. He supposed he was handsome enough, not someone he’d normally go out with. But he was the most decent among the lesser-known escorts and… yeah, he didn’t want to go through this whole argument again.
What was he going to do? Suddenly he was unsure of himself and this whole thing. He was a well-known stylist for crying out loud and he can’t just go parading some random guy, who probably had birds living in his hair.
“I’m guessing it’s sunk in that you’ve actually hired someone to act as your date,” Chanyeol spoke up, looking amused as Baekhyun merely nodded his head.
Chanyeol laughed and Baekhyun ended up blinking rather rapidly. Chanyeol’s smile was nice, he couldn’t help but think. All his glistening white teeth were straight, and he thought his laugh sounded nice, too. He slightly shook his head. He really was losing his mind.
“I just want to have a date for my high school reunion,” Baekhyun finally explained why he hired him. He stopped there and decided not to go into any details. The less this stranger knew about him and vise versa, the better. There was really no need to go into the specifics of each other’s lives if they were only going to be out once. “So…” he hesitated. “Is there something I should know about things like this? Some code or whatever?”
Chanyeol stared at him for a second and chuckled. “This is a highly legal service, you know,” he responded. “But I know that clients want this to be all hush hush so you should know that my part-time occupation is a model. I live in an apartment downtown and I work at the hotel nearby.”
“You do?” Baekhyun confirmed. “Or is this all some made up story just to keep up pretenses?”
“I do have a life outside of this job,” Chanyeol laughed some more. “So yes, I do all those things I’ve mentioned.”
Baekhyun felt relieved that he was actually a legit person and not someone he would have to make up stories for. He hated doing that and he hated phony people. Biting his lip, he decided once and for all that he was just going to go through with it. He’d had some reservations because Chanyeol might decidedly turn out to be really ugly in real life or maybe he had a tiny voice or a sucky personality, which would be the worst of all. But, looking at Chanyeol, after meeting him, he was glad that he actually seemed decent, and nice and funny.
“Okay then,” Baekhyun said resolutely. “The reunion’s tomorrow and it starts at seven.” He takes his cell phone out and hands it to him. “Key in your address and I’ll come pick you up at 6:30.”
Chanyeol took his phone, typed and pressed send. Right then, Chanyeol’s own mobile phone started ringing. He handed Baekhyun his phone and smiled.
“I now have your number,” Chanyeol said and Baekhyun sputtered. “How about I pick you up since I’m going to be your date and all?”
“I have very high standards,” Baekhyun warned him haughtily. “You cannot pick me up in some dump truck or any haphazard car that you might own. I would appreciate a nice suit, something sleek and expensive-looking.” He eyed Chanyeol up and down. “Probably Gucci everything for you. And please do something about your hair. Please. I cannot stress this enough.”
Chanyeol laughed, his right eye twitching, making Baekhyun’s mouth twitch. He nodded. “Yes, I will do something about the hair,” he assured him. “You don’t have to worry about anything. I know a thing or two about clothes since I am a model.”
Baekhyun rolled his eyes. Most models barely knew how to dress themselves. Just because they modeled really nice clothes and looked stylish on the catwalk, didn’t mean that they got to actually be stylish off of it. But Chanyeol looked like he actually knew how to dress himself so he supposed that he’d just have to trust him on the clothes part.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Baekhyun said, standing up. Chanyeol stood up as well and he had to look up to meet his eyes. He was even taller than he originally thought. More brownie points for him came his next brain wave.
As Chanyeol walked away, Baekhyun wondered if he was going to be in trouble for this.
-
“So who’s your date?” Luhan bugged him through speakerphone just as he finished getting ready.
“You’ll just have to find out when you get there,” Baekhyun told him for what felt like the hundredth time, fixing his necktie. “He’s a model I met in some shoot.” He walked to the full-length mirror situated on the side of his room and took in his own appearance. He didn’t look bad in a gray suit. In fact, he thought he was rather dashing, perfect description for the class heartthrob.
“When did you meet him?” Luhan persisted. “And why haven’t I heard of him before? You always tell me about the cute ones that you meet.”
Baekhyun rolled his eyes even if he knew Luhan wouldn’t see. “I forgot, okay? It was a passing meeting and I wouldn’t have thought of him if I wasn’t desperate,” he told him. “Besides, you’ll meet him later so I don’t know what the big deal is.”
Luhan was quiet, making Baekhyun wonder if he was still talking to anyone.
“Are you there?” Baekhyun tested.
“You’re being very vague about this guy, Baekhyunnie,” Luhan determined in a sweet voice, sending alarming bells in Baekhyun’s head. Luhan was a nice guy. He looked angelic, like someone who would do no wrong and would want no harm to befall you. But Baekhyun knew the truth behind those saccharine smiles and sotto voice. “You like him, don’t you?”
“You always think I like everyone,” Baekhyun dodged his question. “Isn’t your date there yet? Why are you still talking to me? Who are you going with anyway?”
“Me,” a deep voice came through the speakers, making Baekhyun jump. “I’m just waiting for Luhan to finish your conversation.”
“Fine,” Luhan gave in. “We’ll finish this later, Byun Baekhyun.”
“I look forward to it,” Baekhyun quipped before ending the call.
Just then, the buzzer for his apartment rang. Looking up at the clock, he smiled. 6:30. Right on the dot.
-
There was something to be said about the kind of school Baekhyun considering the grandness of the reunion and they kind of people his schoolmates had grown up to be; businessmen, politicians, celebrities. There was an ostentatious chandelier in the middle of the ballroom, making everyone glitter in gold light.
Baekhyun maneuvered them around, greeting and chatting with old friends, some true and some whom he actually really hated even in the past. Chanyeol seemed to be handling the whole thing quite well. He had his hand tight on Baekhyun’s, squeezing once in a while to show some ounce of affection since everyone seemed to be checking them out, wondering whom the guy he was with. Baekhyun could only smile smugly because, hey Chanyeol did look like he was a catch.
And Chanyeol did come through for him. He had picked him up with a Lamborghini that Baekhyun was sure was worth more than his life and he’d been embarrassed to think that Chanyeol probably didn’t know anything about cars. When he’d asked where he’d gotten it, he said that it came with the job. And now, with his dark suit, pressed white shirt, black thin tie, slick shoes and (hallelujah) straight, silky hair, Baekhyun felt proud and happy to have his arm linked with his. He found that he couldn’t stop sneaking glances at him because he looked that amazing.
They’d gone around the ballroom, making sure to touch down on everyone who seemed important or more important, just to check in and so he could parade his date, and finally settling in right by the bar. Luhan was there with his date, Kris Wu. His best friend wiggled his fingers at him, giving him a knowing look with regards to his date.
“Do you want something to drink?” Baekhyun asked Chanyeol, speaking to him for the first time that evening. There really were too many people to talk to that night and he suddenly felt kind of bad not including him in anything. Except for the proper introductions, Chanyeol hadn’t really spoken much that evening.
“What do you want?” Chanyeol asked instead, shaking his head. “I’ll get it for you.”
Baekhyun told him and Chanyeol sauntered away to the bar to get their drinks.
“There’s no way he’s your date!” Zitao exclaimed, suddenly appearing beside him with Luhan.
Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “Well, he is, so there,” he snapped, having a sudden urge to poke his tongue out at him.
Zitao made a face and walked away with a huff, grabbing his date, practically dragging him to the other side of the room. Baekhyun felt smug, looking at Chanyeol as he conversed with the bartender for their drinks. He’s gotten a lot of jealous looks ever since he walked in and has heard whispers (“of course Byun Baekhyun has a hot boyfriend”), never mind that Chanyeol wasn’t really his boyfriend. The point was that he succeeded in his goal. Chanyeol was just perfect.
“He’s very hot,” Luhan gushed, looking slightly amused at Zitao’s dramatic exit. “Where did you find him?”
“I told you,” Baekhyun lied. “He’s some model in one of those shoots.” He nodded towards Kris, who was now in conversation with Chanyeol by the bar. “And how did that happen?” He quirked an eyebrow at his best friend.
“I’ve been seeing him. On and off,” Luhan shared thoughtfully. “He’s okay.”
“Okay?” Baekhyun scoffed. “He’s handsome and loaded.” He stared at his best friend, trying to assess if he was kidding with calling Kris “okay”. Kris Wu was the eldest son of the owner of a large chain of Exo Hotels across the country. He was more than okay. He was one of the ultimate bachelors out there. Sometimes he wondered whether Luhan knew how lucky he was with regards to the guys who gravitated towards him. Despite being pretty much of a player, the kinds of people he attracted were decent ones, ones who would do anything to be Luhan’s permanent someone.
“Yes, well,” Luhan only shrugged as if that didn’t make any difference. “I’m interested in your guy, though. Chanyeol, is it? I wonder why I’ve never come across him before.” Luhan was pretty much the social butterfly, having friends everywhere, knowing everyone, and knowing people who knew everyone.
“I told you,” Baekhyun repeated with a tired sigh. “He’s not exactly a top tier model or anyone well-known. He’s not someone you’d come across with.” He bit his lip and puffed out his cheeks. “But he is hot,” he admitted.
Chanyeol and Kris were talking seriously about something and Baekhyun wondered what it is and how is it that Chanyeol could so easily talk to someone like Kris, who was one of the elite anywhere with such ease and grace. Or maybe it was because, or so he hoped, that Kris was actually a nice guy and wasn’t a snob and was someone who was easy to talk to.
Chanyeol looked up and met his eyes as if he’d felt him staring. Baekhyun looked away, only to see Luhan giving him a knowing smile.
-
Baekhyun stumbled out of his room, rubbing his eyes drowsily. His head felt like in was being split in two and he began wondering when he’d drunk so much the night before. He’d only remembered drinking that one drink from Chanyeol, then maybe some champagne, or maybe a lot of champagne. He then looked around, suddenly thinking there was something amiss in his apartment. Walking to the living room, he put his hand down and stared at his couch.
Chanyeol was awkwardly draped over it, jacketless, tie hung on the headrest, white shirt ruffled and creased with a blanket too small for his size on him.
So he did come home with him. He vaguely remembered asking Chanyeol to just stay over since it was so late and that he should just get some sleep and leave in the morning instead. He didn’t really remember it actually happening or what actually happened when they’d gotten into his apartment. The part was a lot of fun, maybe too much fun, especially with Chanyeol’s smiles and laughter ringing into his ears.
The thought made Baekhyun’s stomach churn and he rushed to the bathroom.
When he’d gotten back out, all clean up and more sober than he was, Chanyeol was already up and about, preparing some breakfast. He leaned against the kitchen doorway and watched as he expertly pulled out ingredients he didn’t even remember having or buying and putting them into the pan on the stove and cooking away.
“What are you doing?” Baekhyun asked when he couldn’t stand not talking or asking him anymore. Chanyeol turned and smiled at him. Baekhyun curled his toes at the sight.
“Good morning,” Chanyeol greeted him. “You okay?” He turned back to the stove.
“Yeah,” Baekhyun answered absently, taking a seat and watching him cook. “So, I don’t remember much from last night,” he started casually.
Chanyeol chuckled. “You were pretty out of it by the end of the night,” he recalled. “You’re very… affectionate that way.”
Baekhyun straightened up so fast that he almost fell of the chair. Luhan had told him the same thing once or twice, or a lot of times, as well as by some other friends he’d gotten drunk with. He remembered even having kissed Luhan once just because he had too many feelings and couldn’t control himself. For the record, he threw up on Luhan right after and they’d decided then and there that they were really going to remain as friends.
“I didn’t-what-oh my god,” Baekhyun groaned, slumping on the counter. If he’d so much as attempted to do to Chanyeol what he’d done to Luhan… his life was over. Him hitting on his hired date was really the cherry on the icing of the cake. Or something. “Don’t tell me. Let me die ignorant.”
“You’re cute,” Chanyeol walked up to him and ruffled his hair, placing his breakfast plate in front of him. “Go and eat something to ease up your stomach.”
Baekhyun stared at the food then looked up at Chanyeol. “I’m allergic to anything fattening,” he informed him with an innocent smile. Chanyeol merely chuckled and walked towards the door.
“Where are you going?” Baekhyun found himself asking, his stomach clenched.
“I have to work,” Chanyeol told him. He turned to leave but stopped and looked at him again, smiling his winning smile. “See you around, Byun Baekhyun.”
He heard the door close and stared at the food that he made for him. It looked like it was messed up purposefully and he wrinkled his nose as he lifted his fork to his mouth to taste it. Surprisingly, the man knew how to cook well and he had to sigh. It’s just another one of those things that Baekhyun liked in a guy. A guy he was probably never going to see again because there was no way he was going to continue hiring him for a date. Just his luck.
-
Part 2
Author: airplanewishes
Fandom: EXO
Characters: Baekhyun/Chanyeol, Luhan/Kris, Chen, Kai/D.O.
Genre: Romance, Friendship, Fluff
Rating: PG
WC: 13,457
Summary: Baekhyun didn't have a date. So he hired one.
Beta'd by the awesome khrysallis1106. Thank you bb! :)
Someday Dream
“Have you seen this!”
Baekhyun slapped a white and black invitation in a rather harsh manner on the tabletop. He slipped onto a seat and buried his face in his arms as Luhan calmly picked it up.
“You are cordially invited to Class 2003’s Grand Reunion,” Luhan read. His face lit up, but immediately sobered up at Baekhyun’s obvious lack of enthusiasm. “Isn’t this something you’ve been looking forward to since we graduated high school?” he curiously asked his best friend.
Baekhyun lifted his head to glare at him. “That was obviously when I thought I’d be famous, rich and so in love,” he recounted, groaning when he realized how far he still was from his dream life.
Byun Baekhyun had always been ambitious. At a young age, he already knew what he wanted to be. He wanted to make clothes and he wanted to make them for people who could pay for them: the rich and the famous, the worthy. He had a knack for clothes as a child, which his mother encouraged by buying him the best clothes, helping him to mix and match the outfits. But there was only so much his mother could do for him. After graduating college, he applied everywhere he could think of. It was then that he realized that dreams were hard and weren’t as easy to reach as he thought.
“You’re a stylist, Baekhyun,” Luhan reminded him, rolling his eyes at his dramatics. “And not just any stylist. You pick the clothes of the most famous actors and musicians in the industry. I don’t think Cho Kyuhyun would be able to erase dork in the public’s vocabulary and pull off dashing without the clothes you choose for him. Then there’s Eunhyuk-.”
“How dare you!” Baekhyun looked appalled. “I do not style Eunhyuk. Huang Zitao does and if I get paid for every atrocious outfit that he makes him wear, I’d be a millionaire!”
Luhan waved his hand dismissively. “All I’m saying is that you are famous and you are good at what you do, hence you being rich because of it,” he clarified.
“Styling is miles away from designing, from having my own label and being proud that people wear my name,” Baekhyun pouted.
“Still, rich and famous,” Luhan insisted. “Two out of three off your list isn’t bad.”
“But the third part is the most important part!” Baekhyun cried, bringing his hands to his hair and pulling them into a mess. “That’s what I want most out of the three-.” He stopped himself, looking thoughtful for a second. “No, not really. But yes, that is still an important dream.” He pouted once more, his chin on the heels of his palms.
“No one’s going to care if you’re in love or not,” Luhan began with an eye roll.
“Easy for you to say,” Baekhyun grumbled. “You have girls and guys eating at the palm of your hand.”
Luhan smiled in such a manner than Baekhyun wanted to smack his face off. “Yes, well,” he giggled and stopped almost at once when Baekhyun looked like he was murdering him in his thoughts. “No one’s going to care, Baekhyun. Really.”
Baekhyun stood up and dashed out of the kitchen, while Luhan sat there, not caring whether his best friend was acting weirder than usual. Shortly after, or exactly five seconds later, Baekhyun came back with their high school yearbook in hand. He flipped through a couple of pages before settling on one. He pushed it in front of Luhan and pointed at a line under his photo.
Class heartthrob
“I thought I was the class heartthrob,” Luhan complained, flipping through the yearbook to find his photo.
“No, you’re not,” Baekhyun disagreed with a smirk.
They searched for Luhan in the yearbook, going through all the photos of their friends (Jung Daehyun - “ha!” was Baekhyun’s reaction. Huang Zitao - “pfft” Baekhyun commented. Xiu Min - “baozi!” they both chorused.).
“Here you are,” Baekhyun announced when they found him. “You’re the…”
Class muse
“Oh, that’s right,” Luhan happily recalled.
“What am I going to do?” Baekhyun whined as they closed the yearbook. “I can’t go to the reunion without a date.”
“I honestly think no one would care,” Luhan repeated, getting up to start making dinner.
“Of course everyone would care,” Baekhyun corrected him. “I’m the class heartthrob. The class heartthrob can’t go to the reunion without a date. That would be like blasphemy and people would laugh at me and pity me because, really, how can someone with a face like mine go without someone hanging on my arm and every bit of thing I would say.”
“You really don’t sound conceited when you say that,” Luhan shared.
“It’s the truth!” Baekhyun emphasized. “I’m a catch! So why wouldn’t I have anyone right now?! No one would believe it and I’ll be the laughingstock at the reunion.” He trembled at the thought. There was nothing more frightening to Baekhyun than not being able to live up to the expectations of people, which was why he always worked hard.
“Then just go with someone, anyone,” Luhan suggested, turning the stove on and getting the bottle of cooking oil from one of the cupboards. “How about… Daehyun?”
Baekhyun stared at the back of his head as if throwing invisible daggers at him. “Did you just hear my reaction when I saw his photo?” he prompted. “I don’t care if he’s famous now or whatever, no.”
“Look, just because he refuses to use you as his stylist-,” Luhan began, dodging the flying oil from the pan as he put in a couple of slices of spam on it.
“He doesn’t even know what style means,” Baekhyun told him, deadpanned. “I don’t think he knows the concept of clothes.” He made a face. “Why are we even discussing him! He’s taken!”
“Well then what about-?” Luhan stopped and gave a shriek instead just as large flames erupted from the stove.
Baekhyun scrambled off his seat and rushed to the fridge. He saw the orange juice and poured it hastily on the flames. Luhan screeched, as the blaze seemed to claw towards him, rushing behind Baekhyun, who was now holding a spatula, fencing with the fire. It was then that Baekhyun saw the hose by the sink. He blasted it on and pointed it in every direction he thought he saw the fire touch.
Once the fire was gone, Luhan stood at the side, while Baekhyun inspected the remains of what used to look like a kitchen.
“It’s not that bad,” Baekhyun mused, taking a step back to look at the bigger picture. “At least you’re alive.” He smiled as encouragingly as he could. “I think Kyungsoo would be happy to know that at least.”
“Yes, because then he could kill me with his bare hands,” Luhan sniffed fearfully.
They heard the front door of the apartment close. Baekhyun and Luhan exchanged a look before scrambling out of the disaster-stricken kitchen.
“Hi Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo greeted him just as Baekhyun made his way to the door, hurriedly putting on his shoes and coat.
“Bye, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun returned with an all too cheerful smile. He turned to Luhan, who looked like an angel sent from heaven, smiling like he had good news to share. “Bye, Luhan.” With that, he was out of the door.
He wasn’t even to the elevators when he heard Kyungsoo’s murderous scream. “LUHAAAAAN!!!”
-
Baekhyun should have known that Luhan would never keep his mouth shut over something as important as his love life dilemma. Not shortly after, he’d received a call from Sehun, propositioning him, which he abruptly declined, and Daehyun, who just laughed at him as soon as he picked up. He merely screamed at his ear and ended the call.
He had half a mind to kill Luhan before he remembered that Luhan was still recovering from his brush with death from Kyungsoo.
All in all, he decided to console himself with the fact that he was rich and famous and who cares about having a date anyway, being single is way more fun.
“So I hear you’re looking for a date for your reunion,” Jongdae leaned back on his seat as Baekhyun flushed in embarrassment.
“I’m really going to kill Luhan,” Baekhyun decided once and for all as he ruthlessly stabbed his salad with a fork.
“Oh he didn’t tell me,” Jongdae corrected him. Baekhyun had the decency to look surprised. “Kyungsoo did.”
“I’m really, REALLY going to kill Luhan,” Baekhyun confirmed.
“If it’s any consolation, I don’t have a date either,” Jongdae told him, smiling in amusement as Baekhyun stared at him.
“You’re kidding, right?” Baekhyun spat. “You’re Kim Jongdae, top hallyu star whatnot. No one is going to care whether you’re in a monogamous relationship or not.” He made a face at him. “Besides, aren’t you going out with a previous member of f(x), Krystal or something?”
“If by going out you mean…” Jongdae snickered as Baekhyun rolled his eyes at their understanding.
“You’re a flirt,” Baekhyun spelled out. He sighed. “I should just cancel and tell them I have somewhere to be at, a fashion event out of the country or something.”
This whole thing mattered to him. He might’ve been the class heartthrob back in high school, but he also knew that people didn’t really expect much from a pretty face. He’d worked his ass off to get to where he was. Despite not quite being a designer, he was still a stylist and a famous one at that, as Luhan pointed out. People sought out his opinions for clothes and fashion and took his words seriously. Still, the thought of him not being able to find love with anyone after all these years… even he wanted to pity himself.
Jongdae let out a breath and pushed a black folder across the table. Baekhyun eyed the folder warily then looked up at him.
“What is this?” Baekhyun demanded.
“Take a look,” Jongdae prodded him.
Baekhyun slowly lifted the folder and opened it. Inside were photos of some of the most beautiful men and women that he’d ever seen in his life. After being charmed, he frowned, confused.
“What is this?” Baekhyun repeated.
“I was thinking,” Jongdae slowly suggested, “that you could hire a date."
Jongdae almost panicked as Baekhyun fell into a coughing fit. The manager of the prestigious restaurant they were in demanded three waiters to send the best-branded waters to their table to ease his throat.
“You’re kidding,” Baekhyun said weakly after gulping down a glass of water.
“I, uh, no?” Jongdae nervously denied. Baekhyun slapped the folder on the table, making Jongdae jump and knock his glass of wine off the table. “It’s just a suggest-.”
“How dare you insinuate that I can’t get a date on my own,” Baekhyun huffed. He stood up, threw the napkin on the table and walked out.
-
It was three days till the reunion and Baekhyun still didn’t have a date. He’d scoured all his acquaintances and friends, but none wanted to go with him, or rather, no one fit his requirements. In order for someone to pass as his date, they had to be way taller than him, have a beautiful face, sparkling eyes, a beautiful smile, pretty hair, perfect skin, straight and white teeth.
“You need a mannequin, not a date,” Luhan had told him.
To which he replied, “A mannequin’s hair is coarse, though.”
He was never going to find a date from the industry he was in because he didn’t really like a lot of people that he worked with. He was very picky with people and he’d come to find that in the fashion and entertainment industry, not everyone was someone you want to hang out with, no matter how beautiful they looked on the outside.
So that was how he found himself looking at the website that he remembered seeing on the folder Jongdae had embarrassed him with. He was actually considering hiring someone to be his date. He cringed and buried his face in his hands. The thought of actually going through with it made him want to spill his guts out. He was better than this.
But if he was, then how come he didn’t have a date? More importantly, how come he hadn’t been dating for the longest time? How come he still hadn’t found love?
It wasn’t that he was picky with partners. It’s just that he hasn’t found that person he’s had a spark with. He was still a romantic like that. He believed in love at first sight and flowers and walks on the beach and all those things that made the heart flutter. And he hadn’t found that yet, hadn’t experienced that feeling where there’s so much love in your heart that you can’t help but give it away.
Still, he wasn’t sure if that was something that he can have. It’s been 25 years and he’s still very much single. All the dates he’d had here and there didn’t count. They were all just to fill in the emptiness.
Phone in hand, he sighed and dialed.
True love would have to wait.
-
There really must be something wrong with him. Sure, he hung out with some of the richest and most famous people in the fashion and entertainment industry. But, he also hung out with someone whose eyes constantly looked like they were going to fall out of his head, someone who hated wearing clothes, and he was best friends with Luhan. That in itself was a sure sign that he got dropped at birth and suffered a major head trauma. He probably had been unable to distinguish normal from…the abnormal. Even then, nothing compared to what he had done now.
He had actually called the escort (“It sounds so wrong,” Baekhyun shuddered) agency and asked for one of their lesser-known…people. If he were going to go out into the world with a date that he’d just hired, he would prefer if no one ever found out about it and him. If he hired some of their best, it would defeat the purpose because that would mean that such person would’ve made the rounds in a lot of parties and it wouldn’t do him any good if the one he chose was easily recognizable.
He picked someone whom he thought was closest to his ideal type: tall, pretty enough face, straight teeth, and big eyes. He really hoped that his hair was as smooth and shiny as it looked on the photo and hoped to god that he wasn’t dorky or had a really tiny voice because, well, what a turn off.
He sat on one corner of the café, carefully eyeing the door. He’d told the guy that he was wearing a dark gray collared, long-sleeved button down shirt and dark slacks and hoped on all hopes that he would be wearing something as decent as well.
The door to the café tinkled opened and Baekhyun sat up straighter. It was him. He casually waved him over and his heart thumped because it looked like he did look exactly like he did in the photo. He dressed quite well, too, in dark jeans and a white shirt with a navy blue blazer on it, which made Baekhyun want to sing to the heavens, except…
“Oh my god your hair!” Baekhyun exclaimed when his hired date finally sat across from him.
He was wearing a pretty cute hat, but he took it off and it revealed a mess of teased and frizzy hair. It looked like a bird’s nest and Baekhyun couldn’t even begin to describe the horror that he felt. He wondered if there was some creature living in it.
He merely stared at Baekhyun. “I’m Chanyeol.”
“Oh my god your hair!” Baekhyun repeated more painfully.
-
“Look, I came from a party last night,” Chanyeol tried to explain the sad (scary?) state of his hair. “This isn’t really something I go around with normally.”
But Baekhyun wouldn’t hear any of it.
“You are not-at all costs-going to wear that hair when you’re around me,” he directed. “This is the first and the last time. Do you understand?” When Chanyeol merely quirked an eyebrow at him, Baekhyun groaned and buried his face in his hands. “I’m really starting to think I’ve lost my mind. What have I done!”
“Will you calm down?” Chanyeol pleaded. People were starting to glance at them, probably wondering why the tall, gangly guy was making this pretty and adorable boy cry.
Baekhyun lifted his face and looked at him, suddenly serious and devoid of hysteria. “That’s another thing,” he stated. “You can’t ever tell me what to do. I’m in charge of this relationship.”
“Relationship,” Chanyeol repeated blankly.
“Relationship, date, engagement-whatever,” Baekhyun dismissed, waving him off and pointing at himself. “I call the shots.”
Chanyeol shrugged. Baekhyun figured he was probably used to bossy clients. Not that he was bossy. He was simply being specific and securing their arrangement properly. If this was going to even work, he was going to make sure that it worked according to his rules.
Speaking of rules, Baekhyun suddenly realized that he didn’t know anything about blind dating or hiring random people to act as his date. Is it just like a normal blind date? How did it go? Even if he was the client, are there actually certain protocols to be followed?
Baekhyun discreetly glanced at Chanyeol, who was trying (failing) to fix his hair. He supposed he was handsome enough, not someone he’d normally go out with. But he was the most decent among the lesser-known escorts and… yeah, he didn’t want to go through this whole argument again.
What was he going to do? Suddenly he was unsure of himself and this whole thing. He was a well-known stylist for crying out loud and he can’t just go parading some random guy, who probably had birds living in his hair.
“I’m guessing it’s sunk in that you’ve actually hired someone to act as your date,” Chanyeol spoke up, looking amused as Baekhyun merely nodded his head.
Chanyeol laughed and Baekhyun ended up blinking rather rapidly. Chanyeol’s smile was nice, he couldn’t help but think. All his glistening white teeth were straight, and he thought his laugh sounded nice, too. He slightly shook his head. He really was losing his mind.
“I just want to have a date for my high school reunion,” Baekhyun finally explained why he hired him. He stopped there and decided not to go into any details. The less this stranger knew about him and vise versa, the better. There was really no need to go into the specifics of each other’s lives if they were only going to be out once. “So…” he hesitated. “Is there something I should know about things like this? Some code or whatever?”
Chanyeol stared at him for a second and chuckled. “This is a highly legal service, you know,” he responded. “But I know that clients want this to be all hush hush so you should know that my part-time occupation is a model. I live in an apartment downtown and I work at the hotel nearby.”
“You do?” Baekhyun confirmed. “Or is this all some made up story just to keep up pretenses?”
“I do have a life outside of this job,” Chanyeol laughed some more. “So yes, I do all those things I’ve mentioned.”
Baekhyun felt relieved that he was actually a legit person and not someone he would have to make up stories for. He hated doing that and he hated phony people. Biting his lip, he decided once and for all that he was just going to go through with it. He’d had some reservations because Chanyeol might decidedly turn out to be really ugly in real life or maybe he had a tiny voice or a sucky personality, which would be the worst of all. But, looking at Chanyeol, after meeting him, he was glad that he actually seemed decent, and nice and funny.
“Okay then,” Baekhyun said resolutely. “The reunion’s tomorrow and it starts at seven.” He takes his cell phone out and hands it to him. “Key in your address and I’ll come pick you up at 6:30.”
Chanyeol took his phone, typed and pressed send. Right then, Chanyeol’s own mobile phone started ringing. He handed Baekhyun his phone and smiled.
“I now have your number,” Chanyeol said and Baekhyun sputtered. “How about I pick you up since I’m going to be your date and all?”
“I have very high standards,” Baekhyun warned him haughtily. “You cannot pick me up in some dump truck or any haphazard car that you might own. I would appreciate a nice suit, something sleek and expensive-looking.” He eyed Chanyeol up and down. “Probably Gucci everything for you. And please do something about your hair. Please. I cannot stress this enough.”
Chanyeol laughed, his right eye twitching, making Baekhyun’s mouth twitch. He nodded. “Yes, I will do something about the hair,” he assured him. “You don’t have to worry about anything. I know a thing or two about clothes since I am a model.”
Baekhyun rolled his eyes. Most models barely knew how to dress themselves. Just because they modeled really nice clothes and looked stylish on the catwalk, didn’t mean that they got to actually be stylish off of it. But Chanyeol looked like he actually knew how to dress himself so he supposed that he’d just have to trust him on the clothes part.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Baekhyun said, standing up. Chanyeol stood up as well and he had to look up to meet his eyes. He was even taller than he originally thought. More brownie points for him came his next brain wave.
As Chanyeol walked away, Baekhyun wondered if he was going to be in trouble for this.
-
“So who’s your date?” Luhan bugged him through speakerphone just as he finished getting ready.
“You’ll just have to find out when you get there,” Baekhyun told him for what felt like the hundredth time, fixing his necktie. “He’s a model I met in some shoot.” He walked to the full-length mirror situated on the side of his room and took in his own appearance. He didn’t look bad in a gray suit. In fact, he thought he was rather dashing, perfect description for the class heartthrob.
“When did you meet him?” Luhan persisted. “And why haven’t I heard of him before? You always tell me about the cute ones that you meet.”
Baekhyun rolled his eyes even if he knew Luhan wouldn’t see. “I forgot, okay? It was a passing meeting and I wouldn’t have thought of him if I wasn’t desperate,” he told him. “Besides, you’ll meet him later so I don’t know what the big deal is.”
Luhan was quiet, making Baekhyun wonder if he was still talking to anyone.
“Are you there?” Baekhyun tested.
“You’re being very vague about this guy, Baekhyunnie,” Luhan determined in a sweet voice, sending alarming bells in Baekhyun’s head. Luhan was a nice guy. He looked angelic, like someone who would do no wrong and would want no harm to befall you. But Baekhyun knew the truth behind those saccharine smiles and sotto voice. “You like him, don’t you?”
“You always think I like everyone,” Baekhyun dodged his question. “Isn’t your date there yet? Why are you still talking to me? Who are you going with anyway?”
“Me,” a deep voice came through the speakers, making Baekhyun jump. “I’m just waiting for Luhan to finish your conversation.”
“Fine,” Luhan gave in. “We’ll finish this later, Byun Baekhyun.”
“I look forward to it,” Baekhyun quipped before ending the call.
Just then, the buzzer for his apartment rang. Looking up at the clock, he smiled. 6:30. Right on the dot.
-
There was something to be said about the kind of school Baekhyun considering the grandness of the reunion and they kind of people his schoolmates had grown up to be; businessmen, politicians, celebrities. There was an ostentatious chandelier in the middle of the ballroom, making everyone glitter in gold light.
Baekhyun maneuvered them around, greeting and chatting with old friends, some true and some whom he actually really hated even in the past. Chanyeol seemed to be handling the whole thing quite well. He had his hand tight on Baekhyun’s, squeezing once in a while to show some ounce of affection since everyone seemed to be checking them out, wondering whom the guy he was with. Baekhyun could only smile smugly because, hey Chanyeol did look like he was a catch.
And Chanyeol did come through for him. He had picked him up with a Lamborghini that Baekhyun was sure was worth more than his life and he’d been embarrassed to think that Chanyeol probably didn’t know anything about cars. When he’d asked where he’d gotten it, he said that it came with the job. And now, with his dark suit, pressed white shirt, black thin tie, slick shoes and (hallelujah) straight, silky hair, Baekhyun felt proud and happy to have his arm linked with his. He found that he couldn’t stop sneaking glances at him because he looked that amazing.
They’d gone around the ballroom, making sure to touch down on everyone who seemed important or more important, just to check in and so he could parade his date, and finally settling in right by the bar. Luhan was there with his date, Kris Wu. His best friend wiggled his fingers at him, giving him a knowing look with regards to his date.
“Do you want something to drink?” Baekhyun asked Chanyeol, speaking to him for the first time that evening. There really were too many people to talk to that night and he suddenly felt kind of bad not including him in anything. Except for the proper introductions, Chanyeol hadn’t really spoken much that evening.
“What do you want?” Chanyeol asked instead, shaking his head. “I’ll get it for you.”
Baekhyun told him and Chanyeol sauntered away to the bar to get their drinks.
“There’s no way he’s your date!” Zitao exclaimed, suddenly appearing beside him with Luhan.
Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “Well, he is, so there,” he snapped, having a sudden urge to poke his tongue out at him.
Zitao made a face and walked away with a huff, grabbing his date, practically dragging him to the other side of the room. Baekhyun felt smug, looking at Chanyeol as he conversed with the bartender for their drinks. He’s gotten a lot of jealous looks ever since he walked in and has heard whispers (“of course Byun Baekhyun has a hot boyfriend”), never mind that Chanyeol wasn’t really his boyfriend. The point was that he succeeded in his goal. Chanyeol was just perfect.
“He’s very hot,” Luhan gushed, looking slightly amused at Zitao’s dramatic exit. “Where did you find him?”
“I told you,” Baekhyun lied. “He’s some model in one of those shoots.” He nodded towards Kris, who was now in conversation with Chanyeol by the bar. “And how did that happen?” He quirked an eyebrow at his best friend.
“I’ve been seeing him. On and off,” Luhan shared thoughtfully. “He’s okay.”
“Okay?” Baekhyun scoffed. “He’s handsome and loaded.” He stared at his best friend, trying to assess if he was kidding with calling Kris “okay”. Kris Wu was the eldest son of the owner of a large chain of Exo Hotels across the country. He was more than okay. He was one of the ultimate bachelors out there. Sometimes he wondered whether Luhan knew how lucky he was with regards to the guys who gravitated towards him. Despite being pretty much of a player, the kinds of people he attracted were decent ones, ones who would do anything to be Luhan’s permanent someone.
“Yes, well,” Luhan only shrugged as if that didn’t make any difference. “I’m interested in your guy, though. Chanyeol, is it? I wonder why I’ve never come across him before.” Luhan was pretty much the social butterfly, having friends everywhere, knowing everyone, and knowing people who knew everyone.
“I told you,” Baekhyun repeated with a tired sigh. “He’s not exactly a top tier model or anyone well-known. He’s not someone you’d come across with.” He bit his lip and puffed out his cheeks. “But he is hot,” he admitted.
Chanyeol and Kris were talking seriously about something and Baekhyun wondered what it is and how is it that Chanyeol could so easily talk to someone like Kris, who was one of the elite anywhere with such ease and grace. Or maybe it was because, or so he hoped, that Kris was actually a nice guy and wasn’t a snob and was someone who was easy to talk to.
Chanyeol looked up and met his eyes as if he’d felt him staring. Baekhyun looked away, only to see Luhan giving him a knowing smile.
-
Baekhyun stumbled out of his room, rubbing his eyes drowsily. His head felt like in was being split in two and he began wondering when he’d drunk so much the night before. He’d only remembered drinking that one drink from Chanyeol, then maybe some champagne, or maybe a lot of champagne. He then looked around, suddenly thinking there was something amiss in his apartment. Walking to the living room, he put his hand down and stared at his couch.
Chanyeol was awkwardly draped over it, jacketless, tie hung on the headrest, white shirt ruffled and creased with a blanket too small for his size on him.
So he did come home with him. He vaguely remembered asking Chanyeol to just stay over since it was so late and that he should just get some sleep and leave in the morning instead. He didn’t really remember it actually happening or what actually happened when they’d gotten into his apartment. The part was a lot of fun, maybe too much fun, especially with Chanyeol’s smiles and laughter ringing into his ears.
The thought made Baekhyun’s stomach churn and he rushed to the bathroom.
When he’d gotten back out, all clean up and more sober than he was, Chanyeol was already up and about, preparing some breakfast. He leaned against the kitchen doorway and watched as he expertly pulled out ingredients he didn’t even remember having or buying and putting them into the pan on the stove and cooking away.
“What are you doing?” Baekhyun asked when he couldn’t stand not talking or asking him anymore. Chanyeol turned and smiled at him. Baekhyun curled his toes at the sight.
“Good morning,” Chanyeol greeted him. “You okay?” He turned back to the stove.
“Yeah,” Baekhyun answered absently, taking a seat and watching him cook. “So, I don’t remember much from last night,” he started casually.
Chanyeol chuckled. “You were pretty out of it by the end of the night,” he recalled. “You’re very… affectionate that way.”
Baekhyun straightened up so fast that he almost fell of the chair. Luhan had told him the same thing once or twice, or a lot of times, as well as by some other friends he’d gotten drunk with. He remembered even having kissed Luhan once just because he had too many feelings and couldn’t control himself. For the record, he threw up on Luhan right after and they’d decided then and there that they were really going to remain as friends.
“I didn’t-what-oh my god,” Baekhyun groaned, slumping on the counter. If he’d so much as attempted to do to Chanyeol what he’d done to Luhan… his life was over. Him hitting on his hired date was really the cherry on the icing of the cake. Or something. “Don’t tell me. Let me die ignorant.”
“You’re cute,” Chanyeol walked up to him and ruffled his hair, placing his breakfast plate in front of him. “Go and eat something to ease up your stomach.”
Baekhyun stared at the food then looked up at Chanyeol. “I’m allergic to anything fattening,” he informed him with an innocent smile. Chanyeol merely chuckled and walked towards the door.
“Where are you going?” Baekhyun found himself asking, his stomach clenched.
“I have to work,” Chanyeol told him. He turned to leave but stopped and looked at him again, smiling his winning smile. “See you around, Byun Baekhyun.”
He heard the door close and stared at the food that he made for him. It looked like it was messed up purposefully and he wrinkled his nose as he lifted his fork to his mouth to taste it. Surprisingly, the man knew how to cook well and he had to sigh. It’s just another one of those things that Baekhyun liked in a guy. A guy he was probably never going to see again because there was no way he was going to continue hiring him for a date. Just his luck.
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Part 2