Say anything (but say what you mean) for coley_merrin [3/4]
The reviews online weren't kidding when they said that Godaesan's hiking trail is a challenge. The path is steep and rocky, and if Kyungsoo so much as looks away for a second then he might miss a step and land his feet on uneven ground. Chanyeol stays focused, eyebrows furrowed as he grips the ropes tied to the trees tight, and Kyungsoo can hear his faint counting. "I stopped keeping track after 100 steps," Kyungsoo kids, and Chanyeol stops abruptly in his tracks as he chuckles.
"My knees are going to fucking give away," Chanyeol mumbles, words getting muffled by his scarf, and tries to pull it down with one hand, but his fingers seem to have frozen. Kyungsoo gestures for him to continue walking - they're five steps away from the closest flat surface, and Kyungsoo's not about to risk falling down more than a hundred steps just so he can fix Chanyeol's scarf.
Chanyeol marches in place as Kyungsoo tiptoes, fussing with the article of clothing. "Not choking?" Kyungsoo asks, and Chanyeol shakes his head and offers a grin. "Great. Because I'll choke you later if you decide to give up halfway through."
"I'm old," Chanyeol groans. "We should've brought a bottle of soju with us to keep us warm."
"I am not drinking while hiking with you. Nope." Kyungsoo walks past him, but he doesn't get far - the next series of steps is steep, a dangerous climb if he has a bottle of soju in one hand instead of nothing but the railings in both. He looks over his shoulder, past the expanse of space in front of him and straight at Chanyeol. "Hey. You're the one who wanted to take the climb. You're not leaving me."
Chanyeol pouts, bottom lip jutting out. His lips are too red. The tip of his nose, too; Kyungsoo wants to lean over and pinch it, breathe color back into Chanyeol's pale skin, his strained eyes. "Nah. You'll have to do better to get rid of me. You're stuck."
Stuck is a good way to describe Kyungsoo's situation right now - stuck to Chanyeol in this mountain trail with no other path to take, no chance to run away, stuck in this mess that he's made for himself. There's no way but up or back down, into Chanyeol's stiff arms that might as well lead them to disaster. Chanyeol's has his hands on Kyungsoo's waist, fingers digging into his sides whenever they have to take a huge step, and Kyungsoo can feel the numbing cold settling just above his hips with every hard press of Chanyeol's hands on his skin.
Chanyeol looks so much lighter now, though, despite the furrow of his eyebrows, like he's dropped bits and pieces of his worries on their way to the top, marking each step, and doesn't intend to get them back anytime soon, maybe ever.
"Smile," Chanyeol whispers in his ear when they reach a much more straightforward path, then gestures at the signage on the broomstick. Characters spelling out laugh! jump out at him in big, bold strokes. They're more than cheers to help people make it to the top; they're like these little reminders that tell you to take a deep breath, cast your worries aside, throw them on the ground and don't ever plan to pick them up because that's where they belong. Chanyeol laughs at each of them, his grip on Kyungsoo's waist relaxing, and Kyungsoo finds himself chuckling along. Chanyeol starts to hum a tune even as the hike becomes more challenging, steeper, the air thinning around them. He doesn't feel the tension in his lungs even as he tries to sing along.
Only when he pulls Chanyeol up to the peak, arms almost giving away, does he feel the fatigue in his limbs, the cold wrath of autumn air, the weight of Chanyeol's arms around his body when Chanyeol instinctively wraps them around him in an effort to not fall back down. Only when Chanyeol giggles and whispers, "We actually made it," does he realize how close they are - chest to chest, cheek to cheek - how fast the remaining heat in his fingers spills from the tips and turns into a numbing cold, how heavy the beating in his chest is, and how Chanyeol's heartbeat matches the rhythm.
"I can't believe it," Chanyeol mumbles, lips grazing Kyungsoo's ears just lightly. Kyungsoo swallows hard and drops his hands to his sides. Chanyeol's grip on him is still tight, but it isn't suffocating. "We made it to Geumhaksan's peak."
Kyungsoo jerks and leans back, eyes widening as he meets Chanyeol's gaze. "Geumhaksan?"
Chanyeol pulls away now, just a few inches back to give Kyungsoo enough space to move around. There's probably a good kilometer from where they are and a pillar down below, one Kyungsoo recalls bearing the inscription Godasesan mountain's peak. They could have stopped there - Chanyeol could have asked Kyungsoo to stop there because his knees were already getting the better of him - yet they pressed on, conquering a trail just east of the one they'd originally planned to go to. "Are you stupid? You said-" But Chanyeol hadn't pulled Kyungsoo back, and Chanyeol is laughing now, and Kyungsoo wants to punch him in the face because they're not professional hikers. This brand of physical strain is not something they're used to.
"C'mon, the view here is beautiful." Chanyeol snakes an arm around Kyungsoo's shoulder and pulls him close. There's no heat in the press of their bodies, but he can see the flush of Chanyeol's cheeks.
Chanyeol's nose is still too red. Kyungsoo gives in, reaches up and pinches it, then asks, "Are your knees okay?"
The small smile on Chanyeol's lips widens, tugs further up until his eyes almost disappear into half-moon crescents. "I'll live," Chanyeol whispers, like a faint voice in the wind, and leans his head on Kyungsoo's own.
Kyungsoo keeps his eyes on the scene ahead of them, hints of the North Korean border just beyond the thin wisps of clouds, the blue sky, all the baggages they've left behind feet below. He sinks into the touch, leaning in just a little, and lets the smile on his lips have its way when Chanyeol starts to laugh - light, bright, warm.
☻ ☻ ☻
Chanyeol insists on having a picnic at the peak, waving a bottle of makgeolli in front of Kyungsoo as they make their way to a more secluded part of the area. They're closer to the edge now, a few good feet away, and the place is blessedly quiet. Some of the people they'd hiked up with didn't go up the rest of the way, returning from Godaesan's peak to the tent below for a meal, but Chanyeol's ready with a couple of rolls of kimbap and chips. "Don't tell me this is all we have to drink," is all that Kyungsoo says as Chanyeol lays the food down in front of them, in tiny containers. He takes one slice of kimbap, but Chanyeol beats him to it - takes it between his chopsticks and pokes Kyungsoo's lips with it.
"I've got another bottle of makgeolli," Chanyeol says as Kyungsoo chews his food, then flashes a v-sign. "Let's finish this first. We're not even supposed to drink that much until the first day of Chuseok."
"And yet you brought two bottles with you," Kyungsoo says when Chanyeol stuffs two pieces of kimbap in his mouth. "Why did I tag along again?"
"Because I'm cute and you can't resist my charms," Chanyeol answers albeit muffled, voice bright, lilting. Kyungsoo swallows around his kimbap. "And because Endless Love is really boring. I can't believe you actually watched that one hundred times!"
"Only five," Kyungsoo corrects, then sinks his teeth into another slice.
Chanyeol uncaps the bottle and takes a long swig, then hands it to Kyungsoo after. Kyungsoo stares at it for a while, an eyebrow cocked as if asking, we're really going to share one bottle? But you have two- It's not as if he hasn't done this before with Jongdae or Joonmyun or even Jongin, or that Chanyeol hasn't just fed him with his own chopsticks, so he silences the other voices in his head as he takes a deep breath and mumbles, "This is a bad idea."
"Could be," Chanyeol whispers. He looks up at Kyungsoo, a small smile on his lips. "But I feel so much better now. This hike may not be the best for my knees, but-"
Kyungsoo thrusts the bottle in Chanyeol's chest. "Drink."
Chanyeol chuckles. "You're really cute when you try not to act concerned, you know that?" He reaches over, then ruffles Kyungsoo's hair under his hoodie. "You're like an angry bear on the outside but, deep inside, you're 100% jelly. Or candy. A really cute gummy bear." Chanyeol hiccups, then leans closer to poke Kyungsoo's nose lightly. "My pocket partner."
Kyungsoo chokes - on his kimbap, his own spit, Chanyeol's words. "Did you just call me a gummy bear?"
Chanyeol sneers, then lunges forward to capture him in a head lock. "My teeny tiny gummy bear!"
His first instinct, is to push the food away from them; the second, to seal the makgeolli bottle. Muscle memory tells him to claw at air, though, and flail his arms around in an attempt to make Chanyeol stop, but Chanyeol is unrelenting, his other hand flat on Kyungsoo's belly, trying to tickle him through the thick layers of clothes. He falls back into Chanyeol, head rested on Chanyeol's thigh, and from where he is, Chanyeol's features look softer, calmer. The soft rays of the sun paint his cheeks a warm hue and the smile on his lips tugs hard on his cheeks, makes the corners of his eyes crinkle. Chanyeol's cackling and Kyungsoo has never been fond of that sound, really, but Chanyeol makes it work somehow. Maybe it's just the blowing wind at work, softening the cracks, or that he knows he doesn't have a choice but to listen to this music, anyway. He's stuck - in this mountain, stuck to Chanyeol - and he hasn't really made an effort to find a way out.
Yet again, option three - he can kiss Chanyeol senseless and swallow the shrill sound, swallow all of Chanyeol's words and silence Chanyeol with a swipe of the tongue. He reaches up, fingers slipping beneath the placket of Chanyeol's jacket. Chanyeol chokes, but the laughter is still there, only slightly muted as he looks down at Kyungsoo, cheeks flush and beads of tears at the corners of his eyes. "What are you gonna do now, huh?" Chanyeol says, challenging, and Kyungsoo balls the hand that's on Chanyeol's jacket in a fist.
"I'm gonna choke you," Kyungsoo begins, then slides his hand up until he can feel Chanyeol's collarbones under his touch. The pulse at the base of Chanyeol's throat is fast, loud, beating against Kyungsoo's fingers. He's long stopped feeling the even rise and fall of Chanyeol's chest against his arm. Chanyeol darts out his tongue, swiping on his bottom lip, and Kyungsoo follows the movement with his eyes. Chanyeol's lips are too inviting.
"Or you can slam my face into the ground," Chanyeol whispers.
But Kyungsoo doesn't. He's only pulling Chanyeol closer by the collar, his nails scraping against his palm. Chanyeol's close now, too close that he can make out the pores of Chanyeol's skin, the tiny pimples lines on this cheeks. His lips, chapped by the wind and the hike, and his gaze that slowly traces the bridge of Kyungsoo's nose, traveling further south to the dip of Kyungsoo's lips, his mouth. Here Chanyeol is - less than a breath, a decision away - and there's nothing but silence around them, and Chanyeol licks his lips again as if invitation, like he knows Kyungsoo has no energy left to resist.
In the distance, Kyungsoo hears something snap, followed by hushed voices. Chanyeol looks up, eyes locking back on Kyungsoo's own, and Kyungsoo jerks back. He takes this as his cue to drop his hand, to pull away, but he sneaks in a light pinch in Chanyeol's side. There's the sound of Chanyeol's strangled cry, but their gazes haven't drifted yet, like Chanyeol's assessing and waiting in equal parts, and Kyungsoo can't be bothered to do anything else.
Another snap of the branch, and Kyungsoo looks away. The food and makgeolli are unharmed just a few inches from where they are. Chanyeol reaches out, then, takes a long swig of the drink and says, "We should finish these soon so we can go back before noon."
Kyungsoo nods, takes a deep breath, and pops a piece of kimbap in his mouth. Chanyeol starts talking about the little boys who frequent Seungjin Toy, but occasionally Kyungsoo catches Chanyeol staring at his lips. If either of them notices the change, they don't bring it up; instead, Chanyeol holds out his hand when they take the trip down, empty makgeolli bottles tucked inside his bag. The alcohol makes it harder to focus, but easier to think of threading their fingers together.
"Let's do this?" Chanyeol asks. Kyungsoo nods without question, but lets his fingers hover before taking Chanyeol's hand in his own. They pass the broomsticks again and Kyungsoo hasn't wished harder in his life for magic to be real, to have the ability to turn back time and undo things. He then looks at their intertwined fingers, Chanyeol's flushed cheeks, Chanyeol worrying his bottom lip more than the usual and thinks, I did that. I did this to him.
Chanyeol tightens his grip on his hand and Kyungsoo feels the pulse on his palm. And he did this to me.
☻ ☻ ☻
Chanyeol's conked out for most part of the trip back to Kalbongsan, but Kyungsoo knows when he's toeing the line between half-awake and pretending to be asleep. Chanyeol's head lolls forward when he's completely out, unmindful of the lack of breathing space between them, but when he's awake enough only his hair touches Kyungsoo's face. He still has a hand on Kyungsoo's thigh, though, grip tight but not uncomfortable, and there's nowhere else that Kyungsoo can place his hands, really, so he slots his fingers between Chanyeol's own.
When he wakes up, mind clearer and without the thin veil of alcohol shielding him from his own realizations, he feels a blanket cold envelop him.
He can still see it clearly, the look on Chanyeol's face when they were at the peak with nothing better to do but to kiss. Chanyeol's cheeks were flush and his lips were full and red, and Kyungsoo knew they'd look good locked with his own, but that's about it - neither of them inched closer, like they were both waiting for something, anything to happen. It's like a repeat of that thing with Jongdae, except the tension came before the kiss. With Jongdae, everything seemed to fall into place - hands on skin, lips on lips, heart to heart. All action and no explanation.
Chanyeol's been through the same thing, and he really wouldn't want to subject Chanyeol to that. It isn't fair to either of them, but when have emotions been in good terms with logic? When has the battle between mind and heart been fair?
"You're noisy," Chanyeol grumbles, fingers tightening around Kyungsoo's own. He shifts in his position a little, but moves closer to Kyungsoo until his head finds a comfortable fit. "Stop thinking and get some sleep. We still have a few hours."
Kyungsoo takes a shaky breath, but rubs his thumb along the side of Chanyeol's hand. Two hours until they get to Kalbongsang, two more hours with Chanyeol pressed closely to his side. An entire night to think about what didn't happen with Chanyeol lying just beside him.
He closes his eyes and leans his head on Chanyeol's own. If he says something, maybe Chanyeol will stop drowning in the noise and start hearing the music. If he says something, maybe he'll be one step closer to tackling his ghosts to the ground.
"I said, stop thinking."
He chuckles and turns his head to the side just a little, his lips pressed to the crown of Chanyeol's head. "Stopping now, I promise. Sweet dreams."
☻ ☻ ☻
Chanyeol passes out as soon as they get back to the cabin, mouth wide open as he snores and shirt riding up a little. Kyungsoo can still smell the scent of the mountains in Chanyeol's hair, a hint of alcohol in his breath, and he grumbles as he tries to push Chanyeol away from his side of the bed. "Move over, you giant," he whispers, frowning, but he moves Chanyeol carefully - one leg, then another, the same for his arms, and then he lifts Chanyeol gently by his hips. By the time there's enough space for him on the other side of the bed, Chanyeol's mouth has already closed and a corner of his lips is upturned as if in a challenge.
Kyungsoo takes a deep breath, then picks up his towel. Maybe a shower will help wash away all of his worries, flush all of his crazy thoughts away.
But the thing with filing worries away for another day is that they come rushing back as soon as there's silence, when there's none of Chanyeol's bright laughter or speech to keep Kyungsoo from slinking back into his hideout. Every contact of water on skin reminds him of Chanyeol's heavy breathing, his gaze focused on nothing but Kyungsoo's lips, the swipe of Chanyeol's tongue. The fact that he wouldn't have pulled away if Kyungsoo hadn't, and that he wouldn't have broken eye contact if Kyungsoo didn't.
Kyungsoo lathers shampoo in his hair and closes his eyes. There's already a stinging pain in his chest, as it is; he doesn't need more of that.
He hears the sound of the sheets rustling just before he gets back, and finds Chanyeol shifting in his position a bit too much. "Do I really have to do this?" Kyungsoo asks himself, but gets a hand towel, anyway, soaks it in water and wrings out most of it before going back to the room. He starts wiping Chanyeol's face, tucking Chanyeol's hair behind his ears as he goes along, and Chanyeol lets out this light giggle that makes Kyungsoo freeze. He holds his breath until the light laughter subsides only to be replaced by snoring, and he snorts as he wipes the underside of Chanyeol's neck.
What do I do with you, Park Chanyeol, he wants to ask, but he knows better than to think too much - Chanyeol has a strange way of hearing thoughts that he, himself, cannot hear. So he gets Chanyeol in a fresh button up shirt, a threadbare one from Chanyeol's bag, and loose shorts. He'll benefit from this as well, anyway - if Chanyeol has a peaceful enough slumber, then Kyungsoo won't have to deal with flailing arms and having to fight for space. If Chanyeol doesn't rouse from his sleep in the middle of the night then he'll be bright and shining again in the morning.
He gives Chanyeol one last look before pulling away, then leaves the hand towel in the bathroom.
The bedside lamp casts Chanyeol a glow much softer than before, light catching on the spaces between his eyelashes. WIth a deep breath, Kyungsoo leans in, hovering for a moment before moving forward all the way to place a soft kiss on Chanyeol's forehead.
"Good night, Chanyeol," he whispers, mostly to himself, but Chanyeol shifts a little and giggles again. Maybe he's already dreaming, deep in sleep, still taking the trek. Maybe he's someplace else. But his body is here, lying peacefully just beside Kyungsoo's own, and there's nothing but a few inches between them, a whole world of possibilities pulling them together and pushing them away. Kyungsoo shuts his eyes tight, sinking in his pillow, and lets the fatigue from the hike wash over him the same way Chanyeol's warmth had seeped into his clothes, prickling his skin when they were at the peak. Three more days with Chanyeol in this forest, three more days to battle with his ghosts and take them down.
He lies on his side, facing Chanyeol, and smiles a little. This one's got to be the most attractive ghost he's ever seen, one of the warmest, one he'd actually allow into his dreams and more.
☻ ☻ ☻
"Good morning, sunshine."
Kyungsoo blinks a few times, then rolls over so that he's lying flat on his back again. He can feel a dull ache in his thighs, his arms, imprints on his face that can be from the sheets or Chanyeol accidentally resting his arms on his face. It's the morning of Chuseok and he hasn't really formed a habit of waking up early on holidays just yet, but there's another person in the room, freshly showered and grinning at him, even chuckling like he actually looks pathetic lying in bed on a wonderful morning.
He bolts up, looks around, then blinks again. A few feet away, Chanyeol's laughter grows louder and his figure draws nearer. "Sorry, did I wake you up? I was feeling kinda.. er… dirty."
"Hey," is the only thing he manages to say as a response. His throat feels tight and dry, like Chanyeol has knocked out all the air in his lungs by emerging from the bathroom all fresh and clean, towel wrapped around his waist and droplets of water running down his chest. There's a tiny swell of the stomach where the droplets take a funny dip, and Kyungsoo smiles a little. If this is what he'll be waking up to for the next few days, he won't mind getting up this early.
Chanyeol walks over, plopping on the bed unceremoniously. Kyungsoo almost jumps at the sudden dip, and Chanyeol reaches over to ruffle his hair. "Thanks for taking care of my gross self. I was too tired to even freshen up," Chanyeol says. His eyes are soft, half-mast, but Kyungsoo can see the faint crinkles at the corners. His arms feel heavy but he reaches up, nonetheless, presses his thumbs on the corners of Chanyeol's eyes. "Huh?"
"Wrinkles," he mumbles, then shakes his head as he tries to ease the lines. Chanyeol chuckles, giggles, and soon Chanyeol is leaning in, resting his forehead on Kyungsoo's own.
"You're really cute when you're sleepy."
"'m always cute." Kyungsoo scrunches his nose. "I mean not cute. I mean-"
"You mean really, really cute," Chanyeol whispers. He moves forward, lips grazing the tip of Kyungsoo's nose, and he tilts his head until his lips touch Kyungsoo's cheek. "Cutest person ever."
It takes a while to register the warm press of Chanyeol's lips on his skin, the vibrations of Chanyeol's laughter, the sound of it too loud but not jarring, not deafening in his ears. He takes in a shaky breath and he feels the rest of his body jolt to life - brain going on hyperdrive as he steals a glance at Chanyeol's face, too close, at the way Chanyeol closes his eyes and the way the corners of his mouth lift as he presses another kiss on Kyungsoo's cheek. Chanyeol's fingers are cold on his nape and he shivers a little at the touch, and the unfamiliar heat that rolls down his stomach makes his breath hitch. None of it takes more than a couple of seconds, but Kyungsoo feels as if this has been going on forever, the push and pull and pull even closer until they're slipping from the trekking path, until Kyungsoo's head is on Chanyeol's thigh and there's nothing left to do but to kiss.
"Good… morning," he says, breathless, shaky. Chanyeol leans back little by little, inching away, the same smile on his lips. Chanyeol looks good, too good with that dopey smile of his and his hair sticking to his face and his eyes fixed on no one, nothing else but Kyungsoo, and Kyungsoo wants to pull the covers over his head and just let the bed swallow him or something, and- "You used my shampoo."
"Ah! About that…" Chanyeol looks away. He worries his bottom lip. Fuck, those lips look good even without alcohol to cloud Kyungsoo's judgment. "I forgot where I put mine, so-"
"Doesn't matter." Kyungsoo tears his eyes from Chanyeol's pretty face and pushes himself off the bed. "Breakfast?"
Chanyeol's gaze lingers for a while, then he nods as he gets off the bed. He pulls a shirt over his head. "Yeah, let's."
The beautiful thing about spending Chuseok outside the household is getting to experience it in a slightly different manner. In the food hall, the staff have started the welcoming ceremony for the spirits of the ancestors marked by the first pour of makgeolli. The sound of chopsticks being tapped against bronze bowls fills the air for the next few minutes, and they bow whenever they have to pay respect to their ancestors. The scent of incense is thick in the air, starts to stick to Kyungsoo's hair, and he's taken to a few years back, when his parents were still alive and Jongdae and Jongdeok usually came over to experience a traditional Chuseok ceremony in the tiny Do household.
"I had to head a ceremony like this back when I was 25," Chanyeol whispers while they're down on their knees for the third time, foreheads still pressed to the wooden planks of the floor. He tries to imagine Chanyeol in hanbok, the hem tapering off somewhere in the calves, the cloth not enough to cover his long legs. He snorts and swallows the rest of his thoughts when Chanyeol nudges him in his side. "Respect, Do Kyungsoo-ssi!"
"You started it," Kyungsoo whispers right back, and Chanyeol cackles, saying something that sounds a lot like are you twelve? Are we twelve?
Chanyeol talks about the usual ceremony in the Park household during Chuseok - something akin to what they've just seen, but with a slightly modern twist only because they don't wear hanbok anymore and simply come in in business attire. "It's to save my dad time from having to change into meeting-appropriate clothes," Chanyeol explains, then takes a sip of his sogogi mooguk. "Who even works during Chuseok? My dad, apparently. And my mom. And my sister, even if she hates it. The entire family, actually. Then we just meet in the evening to eat and drink soju."
Kyungsoo looks up from his food and furrows his eyebrows. "Can't you take a break or something? You can't just make our ancestors wait."
Chanyeol snorts. "Not when the rest of the world isn't celebrating Chuseok." He pops a piece of kimchi in his mouth and chews on it, the corners of his lips tugging down. "And construction's always ongoing so I have to be on top of supply requests. Can't let construction stop in, let's say, Cambodia just because the Park family's celebrating in Korea. Materials won't get shipped out without my go signal."
"Oh? You're a boss?"
"Sort of." Chanyeol chuckles. "Well, fine, I am. I was, until I upped and told my parents that I was quitting because I was sick half of the time and being on-call 24/7 isn't something humans actually do. And well, they tried to stop me but I told them to suck it."
Kyungsoo nods slowly, an eyebrow raised as he keeps his gaze fixed on Chanyeol. Some of the fatigue he'd carried back when they were hiking is back - in the dark circles under his eyes, in the peculiar twist of his mouth, in the way he drums his fingers on the table too quickly - but his voice is steady, unwavering, rife with the same courage he'd had when he faced his parents.
"You… didn't really tell them to suck it, did you?"
"I actually did," Chanyeol says, laughing lightly. "They didn't take it too well, but-" Chanyeol shrugs, then falls back into his seat. His chopsticks hover the plate filled with jeon for a while, before he takes the zucchini one and bites off one portion of it. "I was dreading every waking moment of my life and I hadn't felt so alive until I did that and woke up at ten in the morning the following day. That's a sign that I did the right thing, right?"
There are many things that Kyungsoo can associate with Chanyeol, and living in the shadow of regret isn't one of them. Chanyeol does seem like the type who'd march up to his parents to express his concerns, but not without at least trying to work things out by himself at first. Chanyeol is patient and kind, yes, but he isn't a push over. Push his buttons and he'll smile at you until push comes to shove. Then he'll come back at you with twice as much power, but he'll apologize if he hits you too hard. And then you'll be left wondering in a corner what you've done wrong, how you could have done something to someone like him, how to make things right. Chanyeol has that sort of effect on people - keeps your mind busy with thoughts in the noisiest way possible, then makes you sink into a fit of silence that isn't so paralyzing, isn't deafening yet, but close to it.
"I admire your courage," Kyungsoo admits, then drops a piece of pork in Chanyeol's bowl. "Pretty risky, but it gets things done."
"Risk is my middle name," Chanyeol replies, winking. Kyungsoo sinks his teeth into a piece of kimchi and pushes the strangled noises threatening to crawl up his throat.
"They want me to at least think of a business worth investing in, if I don't want to take over the construction materials business," Chanyeol says after a while, just before he places his chopsticks on the rest. "I'm thinking of something I can enjoy and treat as work, at the same time. Dunno if that's even possible. I mean-"
"An amusement park," Kyungsoo offers. Chanyeol's eyes widen, and a small smile tugs up at the corners of his lips. "I mean, you enjoy scaring the shit out of people so you can have that there, but you also enjoy just… seeing people happy, so maybe that would work?" He worries his bottom lip, sucking it in. Chanyeol's gaze is focused, intense in the way he squints as he nods slowly. "That's just a suggestion. For all I know, you're afraid of heights-"
"We went up two mountains, Soo. If I was afraid of heights, I probably would've gone back down as soon as we got to Godaesan's peak."
"Fine, you're not afraid of heights. Clowns? Disney princesses? Kids?"
"Silence, just silence," Chanyeol says, then reaches for Kyungsoo's hands over the table. Kyungsoo presses his lips together, tight and firm, but he holds Chanyeol's gaze. He curls his fingers when Chanyeol grips his hands tighter. The grin on Chanyeol's lips is blinding. "Like this, when you do that withdrawing thing of yours. It freaks me out."
Kyungsoo frowns. "I'm a gummy bear in cheap packaging. Or maybe one of those factory defects."
"A gummy bear, nonetheless," Chanyeol replies, then scrunches his nose at Kyungsoo. "I'm interested in hearing that amusement park plan."
Chanyeol slips into one of his more serious expressions, but his hands are still warm on Kyungsoo's own, the slow stroke of his thumb along the side of Kyungsoo's hands gentle, intimate. Chanyeol keeps his eyes on Kyungsoo as Kyungsoo goes into the details of putting up an amusement park, all of its kinks, and Chanyeol giggles to fill some of the white noise. Kyungsoo's throat is dry and tight and his chest feels so full, but he feels oddly at peace despite the uncomfortable stretch of his arms. The steady beating of Chanyeol's pulse against his skin is enough to lull him into a familiar calm, something that feels strangely like home - seemingly thousands of miles away but actually right here in front of him, in Chanyeol's big, warm hands.
☻ ☻ ☻
Chanyeol develops a fondness for hanging out near the watermill, legs crossed beneath his weight and notebook tucked under his chin. "I used to have a better thinking pose," he mumbles when Kyungsoo cocks an eyebrow at him. His lips are drawn to a thin line, eyes sharp and focused. "Don't judge. Stop judging!"
Kyungsoo laughs a little and moves to his side, eluding the jab Chanyeol throws at his arm only by a few inches. "Not doing anything," he says in defense, and Chanyeol simply sticks out his tongue at him before sifting through the pages of his notebook, running his thumbs through the characters written on it.
When Chanyeol's deep in thought and has his business thinking cap on, his expression takes a funny turn - his eyebrows are furrowed and he's squinting, and his mouth is twisted slightly with his bottom lip jutted out. He drums his fingers on his thigh, pace quickening as he takes a breath deeper than the previous. It's like he's running through a routine in his head, or the has something playing in his ears, a song that speaks of what he wants to put on paper but he just can't put it in words. "Need help?" Kyungsoo offers after a while, once he's done soaking in everything the small pond near them can offer.
Chanyeol looks up, bottom lip still caught between his teeth. Kyungsoo remembers asking Jongdae the same thing, and Jongdae had looked at him with the same kind of wonder but with even more confusion before grabbing him by his shirt and crushing their mouths together. Chanyeol's different, though - he knows how to enunciate what the thinks, how he feels, what he really wants to say. Sometimes it just takes fifty feet of long sentences to do so, but he gets there eventually. The only thing he's not sure of is his control over his limbs.
"Yeah, sure, but I don't have anything yet." He flashes the notebook at Kyungsoo, everything that he's written down crossed out or drawn over with weird faces. Kyungsoo spots one near the edge of the page, a wide-eyed kid with messy hair. No way in hell is that him. "So if you have any ideas, shoot."
"Two things," Kyungsoo begins, then moves closer until their knees bump. "One, my hair's not that messy. Two, do you really want to put up an amusement park?"
"I'm not quite sure yet, but it kind of excites me? And that's not even you," Chanyeol teases, sticking out his tongue. Kyungsoo reaches out, snatching the notebook from Chanyeol, but ends up smushing his face on Chanyeol's chest instead. "Hey!"
In the end, Chanyeol comes up with a concept for the amusement park that Kyungsoo just laughs at. Chanyeol doesn't take offense, though, simply pinches his cheeks before saying, "We should go get dinner." Chanyeol holds out his hand, the corners of his lips tugging up as he urges, hey, come on, and really, Kyungsoo can get there on his own, without having to hold Chanyeol's hand like a child, but at least children aren't afraid taking necessary risks, of braving storms, of looking up at a not-stranger and just trusting him with everything he has.
Kyungsoo stuffs his hands in his pockets and takes a few steps ahead, but Chanyeol soon catches up and hooks an arm around Kyungsoo's own. He only looks up at Chanyeol, lets his gaze linger until Chanyeol breaks into a grin and makes strange faces at him. "You're lucky I like you," he mumbles, and Chanyeol hiccups and promptly falls silent, quietly letting himself be dragged to the food hall, their last destination for the night.
"I'm lucky you what?"
"You're lucky I'm too hungry to kick you in the balls," he replies. He pinches Chanyeol in the waist, then says, "Race you to the food hall!"
"Fuck."
The cool evening wind blows against his face, tousles his hair, makes it hard for him to see through the trees and not stumble on the rocky path. He's not used to this, not when they're tasked to literally drag their feet at work and watch people run away from them, scared out of their wits, but it's fun. He gets it now, why people run away - to not get caught grinning from ear to ear, to not let their defenses crumble so easily. So people put up a fight and so does Kyungsoo, quick on his feet as he draws closer to the food hall. Chanyeol's not too far, just a few feet away, and it isn't until Kyungsoo touches the door, until he feels Chanyeol's sweaty hands on his shoulders, sliding down his back and snaking around his waist, not until Chanyeol pulls him close for a hug that he registers his victory.
"Get your sweaty self off of me," he grumbles, but he knows Chanyeol can see the smile on his lips. Chanyeol plays along, pulling him closer, until a few people pass them and ask them to please step aside, don't block the way! Kids these days… Chanyeol pulls them to a side but keeps his arms there, as if in revenge for losing, and Kyungsoo just lets him.
☻ ☻ ☻
It's Jongdae's morning call that rouses Kyungsoo from his sleep the following day.
"Happy Chuseok!" comes Jongdae's cheery greeting, too bright at seven in the morning. Kyungsoo looks around him, then at the figure in front of him when he hears a sharp snore from close by. Chanyeol's lips are parted, saliva pooling on the bed sheets. His sleeping face is ugly, at best, terribly unattractive, but with the soft morning light painting Chanyeol a nice glow, he makes the expression work, turns pimple-pink into a nice shade of rose.
"Same," Kyungsoo mumbles, trying his best not to sound too glum. Jongdae should know better than to call at an early hour. Even on work days, Kyungsoo had insisted on following the no-calls-before-nine rule because work didn't start until ten in the morning, anyway. But Jongdae isn't so fond of rules set by other people; he's the only authority he, himself, recognizes, that asshole. "Home with Jongdeok-hyung?"
"Nah, he's-" Detached, as always. And Jongdae's probably alone, bored out of his wits at seven in the morning. Jongdae should do himself a favor and go back to bed, but making things easier for himself has never been Jongdae's specialty. "Went back to his family last night, after dinner. Said his wife needed him and… Yeah, that's about it. Nothing interesting. I miss work and driving you guys insane," Jongdae confesses. Something rustles on the other end of the line and just beside Kyungsoo, as well. Chanyeol scoots closer, nuzzling Kyungsoo's hip. It's painfully cute.
After a while, Jongdae asks, "You?"
"I'm okay," Kyungsoo replies, earnest. "Was okay until you woke me up this early. Seriously, seven-"
"I dropped by your house last night, wanted to give you some songpyeon. I know my mom's songpyeon's still your favorite." Jongdae clicks his tongue. "Where are you?"
Far away from you, Kyungsoo wants to say. Far away from his worries and the reality that between him and Chanyeol lies a hurdle named Kim Jongdae. There's nothing here in Kalbongsan that reminds him of Jongdae aside from Chanyeol, the many ways that they are different, and some few ones that make them alike. They could be twins separated at birth, only Chanyeol is more accepting - of change, the need for confrontations, of help. One of them has to be the lesser evil.
"Kalbongsan," Kyungsoo answers. He yawns, hoping to drown out Jongdae's words, but Jongdae waits until he's done before speaking.
"Alone?"
He looks at Chanyeol's sleeping figure beside him, then says, "No. Not alone."
Jongdae's breathing is heavy on the other end of the line, like he wants to say something but can't, as always. Like he's bitten off his tongue even before he could decide to speak and Kyungsoo gets to laugh at him for it… for the nth time since they've known each other. "Alright."
"You enjoy your break, okay?" Kyungsoo says. He swallows around the tightness of his throat, then, "Post-Chuseok rush, remember?"
"There's no such thing-"
"There is, now," Kyungsoo rushes. "Stop thinking. Just relax," he says now, patience thinning, but he knows Jongdae will interpret it as concern. It works, either way. "Please."
"You, too," Jongdae replies after a while, laughing lightly. "And enjoy."
When he ends the call, Chanyeol's lying flat on his back, staring up at him with a small smile on his lips. "He wasn't asking us to report to work, was he?" he asks, and Kyungsoo only wipes his hand on Chanyeol's face, dragging his fingers slowly before resting his hand on Chanyeol's chest, dead center. He keeps his hand there for a while and thinks, what would Jongdae have said if he found out that he and Chanyeol were together on Chuseok, if he found out that they took a hike up two mountains when Jongdae couldn't even make Kyungsoo ride a rollercoaster? What if Jongdae finds out- What then? But then Chanyeol rests his hand on top of Kyungsoo's own and his thoughts melt away with Chanyeol's warm touch. It's a nice, snug fit, the way Chanyeol's hand envelops the entirety of Kyungsoo's. The smile on Chanyeol's lips burns even more.
"You should go back to sleep," Chanyeol whispers. He tightens his hold on Kyungsoo's hand then pulls him down, face-first, into his chest. "Too early."
"Breakfast starts at 7."
"And lasts until 10:30." Chanyeol lays a palm flat on the back of Kyungsoo's head, then slowly slides his hand down to Kyungsoo's nape. "Take your own advice and enjoy your break. Post-Chuseok rush-"
Kyungsoo grunts into Chanyeol's shirt. He can smell the faint scent of his soap and his shampoo, and he feels his stomach lurch; he'll charge Chanyeol for using his toiletries tomorrow. "Shut up."
Chanyeol only hums in response, something Kyungsoo recognizes as one of those songs playing on the radio on their way to Kalbongsan. With a deep breath, he closes his eyes and lets Chanyeol's faint singing drown out Jongdae's voice in his head, lulling him to a peaceful slumber.
☻ ☻ ☻
The best part of breaks is not having to feel guilty about waking up late, and getting up from bed even later.
They don't leave the room until ten in the morning, catching breakfast in the food hall just in time, and they spend a few good hours in the gardens, with Chanyeol running his ideas for the amusement park by Kyungsoo. "Wouldn't it be great if we made one for adults? Like, give oldies like us the chance to be children again?" Chanyeol asks, the corners of his lips tugging up in accord. There's a lilt somewhere in his voice, as if emphasizing oldies and chance, but Kyungsoo files that sound for another day. His mind's already filled with business plans, as it is; Chanyeol doesn't need to take up another half of his brain and make his thoughts go spinning.
"Wouldn't it be great if we actually had time to go to amusement parks, though?" he asks now. Chanyeol puffs his cheeks out, deflates, then sticks his middle finger up at Kyungsoo. "I'm just being realistic."
"You're a party-pooper," Chanyeol retorts, growling. Then later, he continues, "What if you had time, though? Like, if I hired you to work for me and I gave you a more manageable workload-"
"If the price is right, I suppose," Kyungsoo says. He turns to Chanyeol with a small smile, a quirk of the lip. Chanyeol returns the favor and pinches his cheek.
An open secret: Kyungsoo's fee is negotiable, and it doesn't take much for him to lower his fee - the promise of good coffee for a year, maybe a few months, and warm arms to hold him close. Chanyeol has both the means and the limbs to make him feel warm, has lips that can make the negotiation easier, so why the hell not? He's looking for something new, an adventure; Chanyeol a breath of fresh air in his highly polluted life.
Chanyeol puckers his lips, then, and says, "How about this?"
Kyungsoo shakes his head, slams his palm onto Chanyeol's face. He feels the light brush of Chanyeol's lips and thinks, it's not even a negotiation.
Somewhere between the trip down the walking trail and heading to the forest, Chanyeol convinces him to give it a shot, that he can return to the horror house if Chanyeol ever fucks up and Jongdae won't take it against either of them (on the outside, at least, but he'll give them more shows than the others) because that's how Jongdae is - forgiving, but not quick to forget, always in a hurry to move on to something new, not the one to be tied down to something for too long. By far, the horror house has been Jongdae's longest relationship yet; he'd broken up with himself before, when he was a bit too willing to give in to Kyungsoo's touch, the need for contact, the warm press of Kyungsoo's lips.
"And what's the probability of you screwing up?" Kyungsoo asks.
Chanyeol kicks at a rock, then yelps when he remembers he isn't wearing rubber shoes. His big toe glowers at him in a bold, bright red, but he presses on, just keeps himself from kicking at the ground or anything hard. He picks up two brown leaves and tucks them behind his ears, like they're extensions of his skin. "Zero to none. Or maybe 1%, but I'll keep trying to make things right."
"But what if-"
"What if you stopped worrying?" Chanyeol interrupts, smiling. "It hasn't even materialized yet! If anything, you're the one who's gonna jinx this project. Ah... Why are we friends again?"
A good question that can be answered in many ways - Chanyeol's confidence is a force that just reels you in and keeps you magnetized to him. Chanyeol is fairly easy to get along with. Chanyeol talks a lot but knows when to listen and will actually set aside time to just sit there and nod thoughtfully at anything he hears. Half the time, Kyungsoo isn't even sure if Chanyeol's actually paying attention and not thinking of something else, but Chanyeol proves the second statement wrong every single time when he recounts your own narration to you, gives his opinion on the matter, offers a solution. Chanyeol could be quite the perfect person if he had more control over his limbs, but nobody's perfect. Chanyeol comes pretty close, though.
"I don't know with you," Kyungsoo answers after a while. Chanyeol shakes his head lightly, then reaches over to ruffle Kyungsoo's hair. "What?"
"I only keep you around because you're interesting," Chanyeol says, teasing, then pulls Kyungsoo to the center of a clearing in the forest with both hands, spinning them around. Chanyeol's grip tightens as they turn faster, pace set to the rhythm of Chanyeol's pulse in his hands, but it's not uncomfortable. At best, it's exhilarating; at worst, it feels a lot like falling.
☻ ☻ ☻
Chanyeol discovers Kyungsoo's penchant for singing when they're back in their room, full from dinner and with nothing better to do than to just lie flat on their backs. There's a rerun of the World Cup on TV and Chanyeol has gotten tired of doing a running commentary of it, so Kyungsoo begins to hum a small tune, then sings the lyrics of a song he'd written way back. He remembers performing it in one of the weekly showcases back at the talent agency, remembers the way Jongdae had applauded him after and took him in a hug. You'll make it big, Kyungsoo, Jongdae had said then. You and me on stage, Kyungsoo, just imagine- Drunk on stage lights and applause, Kyungsoo believed him. It wasn't so far-fetched, after all; he'd already been training with the company for three years then, and he was set to debut in 'a few more months'.
"What, you'll just end it like that?" Chanyeol asks now, nudging him in his side. Chanyeol head is still facing forward, but his gaze is focused on Kyungsoo. "You were doing so well!"
Kyungsoo shrugs, then snatches the pillow Chanyeol has been hugging close to his chest for the past few minutes. "I don't sing much anymore, just when I'm alone in the bathroom."
Chanyeol blinks a few times, then says, "Do you want to continue in the bathroom, then? I'd be okay with that."
"Chanyeol."
"That's an original, isn't it?" Chanyeol rolls over, lying flat on his stomach, chin propped on his clasped hands. His back is turned to the television and his eyes are focused on Kyungsoo, like there's nothing else he should be studying. Kyungsoo feels a little weird, nervous, small. It's not as if he can get even tinier. "Never heard it before, and that's saying a lot because I listen to a lot of songs."
Kyungsoo snorts, but scoots closer. "You must be listening to trash, then."
Chanyeol drops one of his hands on Kyungsoo's thigh, tracing circles on it. Kyungsoo has gotten out of his pants now, ditching bottoms for comfortable undies, and Chanyeol's touch is cold on Kyungsoo's skin. A familiar sizzle rolls down his abdomen, all the way to the tips of his toes. His breath hitches as Chanyeol keeps drawing lazy patterns - a diamond, a circle, a heart.
"I can't believe you just talked shit about Snow Patrol and I'm not waging war at you for it." Chanyeol laughs a little, inches closer until Kyungsoo can catch the scent of strawberries in Chanyeol's hair. He'll really have to ask for a refund from Chanyeol - maybe later, when he's no longer busy with noticing the very little distance between them, Chanyeol's hand stopping completely to lie flat on his thigh. Here they are again at the standstill, the traitorous silence that claws at the pit of Kyungsoo's stomach, maybe even at Chanyeol's chest. There's still a hint of laughter bubbling on Chanyeol's lips, though. "What have you done to me?"
"Pacified you, obviously," Kyungsoo whispers. When he leans back into his pillow, Chanyeol follows, craning his neck. Soon, Chanyeol is on his knees, hovering, and the pads of Kyungsoo's fingers are cold, and he can feel the thundering pulse in his palms. Chanyeol isn't even touching him anymore. "Chanyeol, what-"
Chanyeol leans closer, their foreheads bumping. Kyungsoo takes in a shaky breath, words retreating from the tip of his tongue to the back of his throat. Chanyeol is too close, too much, and Kyungsoo's too vulnerable, and he can feel bits and pieces of himself being chipped off with every forward motion, every quick breath Chanyeol takes, every light nip Chanyeol subjects his own lips to.
Silence is thick. His throat is tight and his palms are clammy. Beyond his shoulder, the World Cup ends. Chanyeol leans back, retreating to his side of the bed, sitting on his folded legs. His shoulders have fallen forward and so has the smile on his lips. Up next: the greatest US Open match the world has ever seen, and Do Kyungsoo clasping his hands over his bare thighs.
"I'm turning in," Chanyeol announces, then slumps in his pillows. He throws the covers over his head and whispers, "Good night."
Chanyeol turns into a tiny cocoon on the bed, wrapped in blankets. Tentatively, Kyungsoo moves closer, then wraps his arms around Chanyeol's curled up figure. "Good night," he whispers right back, nose buried in the cloth, and when he feels Chanyeol stir lightly, when he hears the faint gasp, he smiles.
Sweet dreams, he doesn't say, but wraps his arms around Chanyeol's body tighter. Dream of me.
☻ ☻ ☻
He wakes up with his legs entangled with Chanyeol's own in the morning. The good thing about it is that he's safe from Chanyeol's arms running wild and flailing around in his sleep; the bad thing about it is that he's here, face buried in Chanyeol's chest, inhaling a mix of sleep sweat and Chuseok morning and fabric conditioner. Outside, the sun hasn't quite risen up all the way yet so it can't be that late. He gives Chanyeol a gentle nudge and whispers, "Hey, get up."
Chanyeol stirs, crushing Kyungsoo under his weight a little, and Kyungsoo tries to push Chanyeol off of him. In the end, Chanyeol scoops Kyungsoo in his arms and he plays bolster while watching the sunrise just outside the window. The heat of Chanyeol's body pricks Kyungsoo's skin.
Their things are mostly packed now, and there's nothing but a fresh change of clothes for both of them laid on the bench near the TV. This is it, the end of the trail, the last day of their escape from the busy streets of of the city. Tomorrow, they'll be working again, forced to make people face their fears but make them run away from their ghosts; tomorrow, they'll be back to being fright partners, scare buddies, two zombies protecting their harbor.
So today Kyungsoo flushes out his worries for the very last time, closes his eyes once the sun is fully up and sinks into Chanyeol's touch. This is the closest encounter he's had with his fears, and he's not about to pass on the opportunity to conquer it.
He turns around, looks up at Chanyeol's sleeping face. He's still ugly and his nose is too red. Kyungsoo cranes his neck, places a soft kiss on Chanyeol's nose, then tucks his head under Chanyeol's chin.
Breakfast is almost about to end when they get up, and they march to the food hall in sleepwear. "You have something, right there," Kyungsoo says. He gestures at the tiny bead of drool at a corner of Chanyeol's lips, and Chanyeol just looks at him with sleepy eyes and that lazy smile of his. So he tiptoes, reaches up so he can wipe it off - the drool on Chanyeol's mouth, the easy smile that blooms into a grin, the lethargy from the stretch of Chanyeol's body and Chanyeol straightens up, makes Kyungsoo tiptoe even more.
"Asshole," Kyungsoo mumbles as they resume their walk. Chanyeol chuckles and snakes an arm around his shoulder.
"Your favorite," Chanyeol singsongs. His voice is low and syrupy sweet. Kyungsoo needs his coffee. "Your number one asshole."
☻ ☻ ☻
Kyungsoo has never been fond of endings and goodbyes, so he turns on his heel even before he could look at Kalbongsan over his shoulder to say his last words.
"That was fun," Chanyeol says once they're back on the road, bobbing his head one of Gary Lightbody's songs. This is from one of Snow Patrol's older tracks, something Kyungsoo might have encountered in a TV series. Chanyeol's singing loudly, at the top his lungs, unmindful that they're in an enclosed spaces and of the knowledge that Kyungsoo isn't so sold on loud sounds. He throws occasional glances at Kyungsoo, though, halfway through the chorus, like he's expecting Kyungsoo to sing along or say something. "You okay?"
Very much okay, Kyungsoo wants to say. He looks to his side, up at Chanyeol's smiling face, eyes brimming with youth, then reconsiders. "Yeah, I'm good. Just-" He worries his bottom lip for a while. "Back to reality tomorrow."
There's a curve up ahead, but he manages to catch the quick change of Chanyeol's expression. Chanyeol is only half-smiling now, the other half of his mouth tugged down in a not-smile, but not quite a frown. Chanyeol's deciding, probably, between digesting the truth and just focusing on this moment, the road ahead of them, and it takes a while before Chanyeol chuckles in response. "We don't have to come in early, right? I mean, it's not as if the horror house will be opening an hour earlier than the usual to make up for the missed fright days."
Kyungsoo plays along, digging in his pockets to get his phone and check for any bad news. "No texts from Jongdae." Just a call in the middle of their Chuseok getaway, and the vague acceptance that Kyungsoo is no longer alone. "So yeah, I guess we're spared from that."
"Do you… want to see my place?" Chanyeol asks. There's static on the stereo, the short period of silence between songs. Chanyeol's voice isn't as loud as it normally is, faint and tentative. "It's not as homey as yours, but I've got lots of food. You can cook them all just before they expire."
Kyungsoo snorts a little. Trust Chanyeol to know how to bounce back immediately, how to get past an awkward situation and turn it into something golden. "Do I get to take your toiletries home? Because you used up all of mine."
"Hey," is the only thing Chanyeol says in reply, and then it's a series of songs again, all from Gavin DeGraw's Chariot album. This time, Kyungsoo sings along, even tries to harmonize with Chanyeol whenever he could. He's out of shape but he still gets to practice from time to time, while taking a shower or moving around his apartment, filling the gaping holes Chanyeol had left when he first arrived at Kyungsoo's place. Later, when they take a turn on a street that leads them to a more familiar path, Chanyeol says, "I love your voice. You should sing for me more."
"I don't sing for anyone," Kyungsoo counters. They pull up at a red light, and Chanyeol pouts at him. "And I won't fall for that."
"This, then?" Chanyeol says, reaching over to hold Kyungsoo by his nape. Chanyeol's hands are cold and his fingers are trembling and there isn't much time until the light goes green again, but Kyungsoo still waits, holds his breath, counts to ten until Chanyeol stops thinking and starts leaning in. Chanyeol licks his lips as if in invitation, and Kyungsoo breathes out, lips parting in response.
Then a pop song starts blasting on the radio and Chanyeol pulls away with a tiny jerk of the body. The light turns green. His hands are back on the steering wheel, and Kyungsoo can feel his throat again, voice returning albeit hoarse. When they reach a quieter street, he asks, "Do you have clothes I can borrow?"
Chanyeol looks at him, just looks at him for a while, before chuckling. "If you're okay with shirts five sizes bigger, I guess," Chanyeol replies, a crazy grin on his lips now. Kyungsoo shrugs not because he doesn't have a choice - he does, and it's asking Chanyeol to take a u-turn and take him to his own apartment - but because his words have left him again and Chanyeol probably won't hand them back without putting up a fight. "I think I still have a few from when I was eighteen or something," Chanyeol says after a while, and Kyungsoo switches the stereo mode from iPod to radio to keep Chanyeol from seeing the smile - too wide, too bright for the evening - on his lips.
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