if i were fire, i'd burn up the world (1/2)
Title: If I were fire, I'd burn up the world
Rating: pg-13 for Yunho
Pairing: Baekhyun/Chanyeol
Wordcount: 11100~
Warning: JUNG YUNHO, swearing, kids fighting, euuugh fluff, Chanyeol's imagination runs too wild, unbetaed
Disclaimer: EXO belongs to themselves and SME
Notes: written for this prompt from baekyeolprompts and set in the same au as this xiuhan fic (A/N at the end)
Summary: The reason of the fight is that Baekhyun has enough of Chanyeol bothering him and Chanyeol has enough of Baekhyun ignoring him. The headmaster has enough of their sexual tension and forces them to spend two weeks together, joined at the hip..
I want to dedicate this fic to my lovely kouhai Mai-chan, for her birthday. I know it's probably not what you were expecting, but I did my best and I hope you like it. no smut sob sob
Also, to Ana and Fergie. I really miss you ♥
If I were fire, I'd burn up the world
The library is quiet, a little oasis of peace in the chaos and mess that is the guild before a magic competition. Baekhyun loves the smell of books and dust, and the faint crackling of too old pages when they’re turned, similar in colour and texture to withered leaves.
His head throbs, the pain of having to deal with too many guests at the same time. Not even the joy of finally meeting his best friend after more than six months can soothe his anxiety and smooth the lines of worry in his forehead. Jongdae’s eyes leave the heavy pile of books Baekhyun has surrounded himself with, like a little wall of culture, to laugh at Baekhyun’s discomfort.
“Aren’t you coming then?”
Baekhyun doesn’t even bother to scoff at the unneeded question. “Din doesn’t suit my taste.”
Jongdae laughs with a knowing air and snatch the promise of a little catching up later with a pout. Then, closing the door behind him, leaves for the arena with his new team. It’s a big day for him. It’s been two years since Jongdae has left for Middle Land for the student exchange program. Now that he's back, it's clear that he’s bursting with anticipation, ready to surprise everyone with thunder and flash, dying to show his former comrades what he has learnt in the reign of Wu.
Baekhyun is curious too, but he has a research to complete. And now he's finally free to enjoy the silence in his sanctuary of culture.
Maybe. From the competition field, where mages come from the entire world are parading their abilities for everyone to see, comes the roar of the crowd. The open window can do nothing against the shouts shattering Baekhyun’s peace. He cringes, recognizing the name spreading like wildfire on the arena with annoying familiarity.
“Park Chanyeol! Park Chanyeol!”
He sighs. Looks like the champion has arrived. He’s not surprised, for Chanyeol has always been the favourite mage, the popular one. Too bad this kind of event usually fuels his arrogance. Not that he needs an ultra-confidence boost, that big dummy.
Baekhyun gets up and slam the window shut with maybe a little violence, just as a majestic fire phoenix with wide wings starts to spin in the blue sky. The crowd goes crazy, but his book is more interesting.
Evening falls like a veil on the valley, covering Silla Magic School in darkness. Baekhyun is still drowning in ancient runes and theories of a long forgotten magic practice that has something to do with the light of stars. He’s so engrossed in constellations and seals that he doesn’t even notice when someone sneaks in the library, being extra careful not to make any noise.
He's definitely not expecting someone to destroy his concentration all of a sudden.
“What have we here!” rumbles a thunderous voice right into his ear, and Baekhyun shouts at the unexpected source of noise and jumps, startled, knocking his ink bottle. He curses at the large dark stain leaking onto precious, millenary documents.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he turns around to snarl at a smug and satisfied Park Chanyeol. He’s still wearing his combat outfit, he notices with faint irritation, and that means that he didn't have time to change before. The partying for his umpteenth victory must’ve ended just now if even vain, narcissist Park Chanyeol is still wearing simple dark pants and a tank top. If it were for the fire tamer. That’s what Chanyeol is, he’d fight wearing his best, golden embroidered cloak. Only to gain a little more admiration from the crowd, or the blown kiss of a naïve farmer girl come from the countryside to see the competition.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Chanyeol parrots his previous words, the echo of his deep voice reverberating in Baekhyun’s skull in all its husky glory. “I didn’t see you at the arena this afternoon. They called your name, you know. It's not polite to ditch an official event.”
Baekhyun feels trapped between Chanyeol’s naked arms as his captor lowers his head to peer at the mess he’s made on the book. When he breathes, Baekhyun can feel it against his cheek and a wave of blood runs to his face.
“I was busy,” he answers, murmuring a quick but efficient spell and manages to save at least the book he was consulting, though he can't say the same for his notes. The work of a month, soaked in jet black ink. He can still make out the words, if he squints hard enough, but he’ll have to write everything from the start if he wants to bring the results of his research to the headmaster.
He prods at Chanyeol’s arms, still caging him against the table while their owner breathes messily - everything Chanyeol does is messy- on his neck, but the brat doesn't bulge a single inch.
“Park, do you mind moving? I don’t want to miss dinner,” he asks in the end, stealing a glance outside, at the black sky.
“You already did, cutie,” is Chanyeol’s answer, “just like you missed the competition today. I won, by the way.”
It doesn't come as a surprise, Chanyeol always wins. He’s been like that for years now.
Chanyeol is by far the strongest student of the school, that's common knowledge in Silla. Judging by the satisfied grin he's sporting, a lot of foreign mages congratulated him for his spell after the tournament ended. There's nothing that makes Chanyeol happier than receiving a new praise or adding a new, amazed face to his fan club. Maybe he deserves the admiration. Even Baekhyun has to admit that the Arabian Phoenix, Chanyeol's animal spirit and most powerful spell, is stunning. Her fire burns hotter than magma. It’s difficult, almost impossible, to watch it without falling in rapture with her beauty and frightening power. But Baekhyun has known Chanyeol since kindergarten, and he’s seen him conquer too many audiences to be impressed. In Chanyeol, the fouls of the man outshine the talent of the mage.
“Congratulations,” he says, in the most bored tone he can muster. Usually Chanyeol loves attention, so he hopes to make him go away if he avoids praising him.
“You know, I feel offended that you didn’t even attend, today, I was looking forward to see you in the arena.”
“Like I said, I was busy. I still am. If you don’t know the way, since this may be the first time you step foot in the library in your whole school life, that’s the door.” He nods towards it, pushes his head backwards and enjoy Chanyeol’s hiss of surprise as he jumps backwards to avoid his nose being crashed by Baekhyun’s head. He sighs in relief and starts reading again. He lost dinner anyway, so he can at least end this chapter before going to bed.
Chanyeol has other plans, or he’s even more childish than Baekhyun initially thought.
“You know, I don’t like being ignored, especially for stupid books,” he blows, voice thick with poison. Baekhyun doesn’t realize what’s going to happen. When his eyes widen in sudden realization it’s too late. A swirling flame erupts from Chanyeol’s hands, sliding on the table like a snake and enveloping the ancient and precious parchment in a searing, bursting hug. Before Baekhyun can react the paper roll is gone. An evidence of a long disappeared civilization, a unique piece that has belonged to the school for centuries, burnt up in a few seconds because Park Chanyeol needs all the attention he can get and also the one he can’t get.
“Finally,” the idiot has the courage to spit, looking with glee at the few ashes on the table, what remains of Baekhyun’s only source of information for his midterm project.
Baekhyun’s voice is glacial when he speaks. “Are you happy now? You've ruined it. Be proud of yourself.”
On Chanyeol’s behalf, he does look a bit guilty, but not enough for Baekhyun to suppress the anger that’s mounting inside of him. He’s sick tired of this, Chanyeol can go to hell.
“What else do you want then? You wanted my attention, now you have it!”
Chanyeol's lost air is quick to vanish. He smirks, all arrogance and power, little flames escaping his fingers and dying in the cold air. “I want what you don’t want to give me. I want to fight you, to show you who’s the best.”
“Can’t you just parade your trophy around? Why must you come to bother me?”
“Because you’re the best student of the school, and you’ve never fought against me. I’m the strongest, everyone knows it, but no one will really believe it until I’ll have defeated the headmaster’s pupil. I want a duel, Byun Baekhyun. You’re just a little bookworm inflated by teachers’ praises. I want to make you eat dust.”
“Ok,” answers Baekhyun, and Chanyeol is a little taken aback.
“Ok? Just like this?”
“Yes,” is the calm, glacial answer, “you’ve ruined a book. It's gone, lost forever. I think you deserve to learn your lesson.”
Chanyeol is the sun, radiant, sunny, always smiling, happy virus Chanyeol. The most popular student in the school, talented, promising. Chanyeol loves anyone and anyone loves him, except for Byun Baekhyun. If Chanyeol is the sun, Baekhyun is a star, far, cold and distant.
As far as Chanyeol can remember, they’ve shared every class since kindergarten. They go out with the same people, hell, Baekhyun is even the boy next door in the dorms, but apart from seeing each other on classes and the stolen peeks of his naked shoulders in the common shower room while he demands Chanyeol to pass him the soap, they never talk. Almost never. Baekhyun answers if the situation requires it, but nothing more. Chanyeol tried to elicit some kind of reaction from him when he was younger, but it was useless. Baekhyun has never been more than frigid towards him, and Chanyeol still can’t make out the reason. All kinds of people love him! No one can resist his charms, no one apart from Byun Baekhyun, it seems.
Since they were little, where everyone else aaaahed and ooooohed in awe in front of Chanyeol’s devastating abilities, Baekhyun would snort and stick his face in one of those boring books he always carries under his arm. Every time Chanyeol managed to woo one of the girls from the city during the annual school trip and he turned towards his nemesis to gauge its reaction, he only found Baekhyun’s cute nose scrunched up in distaste. The rare times he was looking in Chanyeol's direction, of course, since most of the time Baekhyun behaved like Chanyeol wasn't even there with him.
Saying that Chanyeol didn’t find it quite annoying would be a lie.
By the time they enrolled in intermediate magic classes, Chanyeol realized he didn’t even care too much about Baekhyun and his bizarre lack of interest in Chanyeol’s magnificent self. The rest of the world loved him and he didn’t need to bother with that single, black spot in his otherwise perfect existence. After all, there was a good possibility that he'd never have to see Baekhyun again in a few months because the Trials, the moment when their abilities were to be evaluated, were near.
Chanyeol hadn't been too scared. He was too talented, there was no way they would've sent him back home, to milk cows in some faraway farm, or to die on the battlefield like cannon fodder. That was the destiny of the less gifted students, who only had to learn enough not to hurt themselves with their powers before they went back to their old lives. Students like Byun Baekhyun who, for all his conceited air, had nothing more than a simple light power. “Useful at night when you need the toilet,” had hissed Chanyeol one time, after a fight. As usual, Baekhyun had done nothing but to raise a brow and look at him as if he was a nasty rash on the surface of the world. Well, suits him, he had thought, because Chanyeol wasn't in danger to go home. No, Chanyeol was a sorcerer, and a powerful one. A fire tamer.
And just as he expected, after his Trial, Chanyeol received the great honour to be chosen by Lord Changmin, one of the most talented warriors in the history of SM. Legends and stories whispered from student to student told he was one of the best warriors ever graduated from Silla Magic school. Everyone in Chanyeol’s year wanted to be his pupil, but Chanyeol was the best, and Changmin had chosen him.
Chanyeol was in the middle of receiving honour and glory another news had started to travel in hushed tones through the castle, murmured at the corners of the hallways and under the stairs by little groups of excited students. The headmaster had chosen a pupil of himself. It hadn't happened since Kim Heechul's graduation, more than ten years before. To everyone’s complete disbelief, the chosen student had been Byun Baekhyun.
Baekhyun, a nobody who had never won a duel before. A cute, endearing nobody, Chanyeol had to admit that. A smart, meticulous kid, but still a nobody with a boring light power.
He must be the best student of the school, thought the students. He must be so talented. Who knows what he's hiding under his sleeve.
As they pad as silently as possible under a narrow colonnade, Chanyeol steals a glance at Baekhyun’s slender frame, eyes falling on the hollow of his collarbones. He doesn’t know what he’s doing, maybe he’s just trying to look a hidden battle secret, some kind of an explanation, the reason why a scrawny kid like Baekhyun is considered better than him. His gaze falls down, brushing against Baekhyun's nipples, and he bites his lips, cursing at himself for being embarrassed and wondering why Baekhyun doesn't wear a proper vest instead of these loose tunics that show everything to a tall observer.
He turns his face to look straight in front of himself. He's already seen enough. Baekhyun is not a fighter, by any means. In the past few years, Chanyeol has built his stamina, working on his muscles to be able to summon and channel even more power. Baekhyun is soft and graceful where Chanyeol is firm and strong. He doesn’t think he’d be able to come out alive it this were a real fight.
If Baekhyun senses him staring he doesn’t show it.
They walk in silence, Chanyeol leading Baekhyun through dark alleys until the secret passage, an invisible door masked as a painting. It only opens if you know the right words, but the spell has been circulating between the students for decades, maybe centuries, old as the castle. Hell, their teachers themselves used it during their school days.
The school officially forbids students to engage in unofficial duels, but under the surface, like all the things that everybody knows but no one ever talks about, there's a living, solid tradition of midnight magic fights.
During the day, the most important thing is sticking to the rules. Getting caught means bringing dishonour on the school and on the teacher who's raised the student like his own son after the Trial. Even Chanyeol, loud, rebel Park Chanyeol loathes the mere thought of disappointing Master Changmin.
But when the night falls, claiming the school and its land, the domain of adults falls as well and it's time for the kingdom of students. Teachers know of these nightly activities, but there's nothing they can do about it, nor they want it to stop. It's common knowledge that only a little bit of sane struggling can polished a natural inclination towards magic.
All the best, most famous mages of the world started their career eating dirt on the naked ground of the mountains that surround the old castle of Silla Magic School. The same battlefield where Chanyeol is going to fight and defeat Baekhyun.
He has no doubt about the income of this fight, because Chanyeol is the Champion. No one has ever defeated him in a duel, and no one ever will. That’s what he thinks, as he waits for the other boy to take position on the improvised combat field. Beating Baekhyun is everything he needs. He's already the strongest, but now he sees an opportunity to become the best. He can take back what this skinny kid with his nose always in the air and no time to admire Chanyeol's ability has stolen from him.
Baekhyun looks unimpressed as he takes in Chanyeol's bellicose attitude, but after all, he always does. He doesn’t feel the rush of power under his skin like Chanyeol does, the fire running on his veins and singing for him to destroy everything. Changmin has warned him against the Chant of the Fire, a dark force that usually tempts the hearts of young fire sorcerers, making their blood boil and leading them to commit horrible sins under the influence of an unforgiving rage. Chanyeol has long forgotten those teachings. He’s young, and rebel, and he wants nothing more than a worthy rival and a reason to put his hands on Baekhyun’s skin.
“I’m glad that you accepted my challenge,” he says to Baekhyun, who only nods.
Underneath all the rage, the wish of revenge, the illogical longing for some kind of recognition that stings his heart when he thinks of Baekhyun, Chanyeol is curious. Baekhyun never duels, and with never he really means never. This is the first time, as far as Chanyeol knows, that the other boy has accepted to show his powers outside the controlled environment of a classroom. Baekhyun usually claims that his magic is not the kind of magic that shows its potential in childish brawls. It would be so easy to just believe that Baekhyun is a foolish coward, but Chanyeol can't barely contain his excitement. Even if he has never fought against him, he knows that Baekhyun is strong. He can feel it in his magic. The flames purr in his hands, picturing how they’re going to burn the boy of light and all his sorceries, until only the ashes will remain. He hushes them, because his purpose is not to kill Baekhyun. He only wants to humiliate and force him to acknowledge Chanyeol’s superiority. He wants to see Baekhyun on his knees.
“Are you ready?” he asks.
Baekhyun nods. He hasn’t said a word since their argument in the library, and he wonders if Chanyeol has noticed. Probably not, the other boy is usually too focused on himself to think about someone else for a moment. Chanyeol is an arrogant prick, and Baekhyun knows too well that the only reason he’s caught the fire sorcerer’s attention is his own constant effort to ignore him. That, and Chanyeol is sulking that Baekhyun’s supposed best student of the school title ruins his glory. For what he cares, Chanyeol could have that too. He doesn't need fame, nor honour.
He only needs to reach that inner place inside of him, where she sleeps and waits.
He hums by himself, too soft for the other boy to catch it, as he starts to summon his own power. It’s difficult, because he usually keeps her chained and buried under layers of magic restraints. Little by little, he rouses the light awake, and he feels it pooling at his chest and flowing inside his arms, ready to shine.
Chanyeol doesn’t waste time in useless tricks. He's kept the fire trapped under is skin, threatening to burst away, for too long. He goes straight for his best spell, summoning Phoenix.
The temperature rises, until it’s searing hot. Baekhyun winces, but Chanyeol only feels the magic around him, taking the shape of a pair of giant wings made of flame and lava that comes out right from his back, linked to his heart and the core of his magic. He spreads his fire wings, flapping them until the phoenix is him and he is Phoenix. With every beat, a flair of torrid air hits Baekhyun’s face, burning his skin. He's never been so close to the phoenix and, annoyed as he is, he can't help but admire the beauty of the spell and the perfect, lethal harmony that Chanyeol has managed to build with his spirit animal. They've become one single, pretty being. He feels almost guilty to kick Chanyeol's ass, when he's like this, exploding in flames like a god of fire.
But Chanyeol is still Chanyeol. He laughs, arrogant and blinded by his own sorcery.
Baekhyun has been taught to keep his power under control since he was a child, and most of the private lessons he takes with the headmaster are about control and temperance. His power is like the ocean, sometimes it’s calm and easy to manipulate. But other times it’s so strong that Baekhyun can feel it rattling against his skin to get out, and he can never let it go. Deep down he knows he wouldn't be able to control it in a friendly banter like the ones that his friends like so much. But not this time because this is Chanyeol, and Chanyeol brags a lot but it’s almost unbreakable. For once, Baekhyun has no qualms. He lets go.
Light fills his eyes, his hands, light is everything, and for a single glorious moment, Baekhyun is brighter than the midday sun. Wings spread on his back, even bigger than Chanyeol’s, made of bright, searing beam, and then everything fades to white.
Chanyeol wakes up three days later in the infirmary. His head throbs, his eyes throb, his hands throb; he feels like a giant living pain. He can’t feel his power.
He wants to panic, shake his head, shout for someone’s help because it’s impossible. Chanyeol has never been without magic. He knows it can happen, hell, it happens all the time to other students, but never to him. His fire has always been so strong that nothing was able to extinguish it in his eighteen years of life.
When he tries to move, the world explode in his brain and the pain forces him down, again.
Kyungsoo, sitting on his bed, raises his head hearing Chanyeol’s pained cry and rushes to him some water.
“What happened?” Chanyeol manages to ask despite the weight of the world crushing his skull when he opens his mouth.
Kyungsoo looks worried, but sour.
“You challenged Byun Baekhyun, and may the gods know why, but this time he accepted. I don’t even want to know what you did you do to make his patience snap; you’ve been trying for years.”
“Burned,” coughs Chanyeol, feeling his dry throat rasping. He motions for Kyungsoo to give him more water, “book,” he spits in the end. Not even the water can wash away the taste of ash in his throat, but at least it's a relief for his dry tongue.
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but his troubled expression ruins the nagging effect. “Well, congratulations. You were out for three days, you got a nice suspension hanging over your head and as soon as you’re up on your feet you’re bound to receive a punishment, together with Byun.”
Chanyeol reclines his head on the pillow in the vain attempt to soothe the throbbing migraine currently exploding in his head.
“What…” he murmurs, and Kyungsoo takes pity on him. “What happened? I don’t think you’ll like it.” He hesitates, loathing to let the words go, but Chanyeol wants to know.
“Baekhyun won, in short words he humiliated you. You couldn’t stand a chance, but I don’t think someone else could’ve.”
Kyungsoo's eyes start to glow as he recalls the memories of a couple of nights before, when the doomed challenge had taken place. Chanyeol just wants to roll his, but he isn't sure of the pain that such action could cause in his current condition.
“You should’ve see it though; the light was so strong we could see it shining through the stone walls, like a little star. I mean, you saw it, but maybe you were too close to appreciate the inner beauty of the entire spell, right?”
He rasps, feeling weak and helpless, “Byun?”
“Ah, Byun was here too, for a few days. The headmaster had to knock him down himself because he couldn’t keep his power under control and it threatened to spill around and kill us all, it seems. He was in the bed next to yours. For the first time in the last fifteen years you've managed to be in the same room as him without flailing around like an idiot and embarrassing yourself in front of your kindergarten crush.”
Chanyeol's attempt to retaliate and deny, screaming his disgust as loud as he can, dies before he can even open his mouth, lost in another fit of agony. Kyungsoo doesn't look impressed by the grimace on his face. Chanyeol is in pain and in need of new, more empathetic friends. Friends that don’t accuse him of having a crush on the competition.
He turns around, looking for his mortal enemy - now he can call Baekhyun that, since the other boy has almost managed to kill him - but the bed near his own is empty and in order. He turns towards that traitor of Do Kyungsoo, eyes pleading for an explanation.
“He woke up yesterday and now he’s jailed in his own room. He can’t get out until you both have paid our debt to the community polishing all the trophies in the exposition hall. It’ll be long, you know? At least a quarter of those tags have your name on it.”
He sighs in relief. It could’ve been worse.
“Without magic,” adds Kyungsoo.
It couldn’t have been worse.
Chanyeol doesn’t dare to groan, fearing his head would split in two if he does. He can’t understand why they’re getting punished for a duel, since it’s a common practice inside the school.
“They saw you two, Chanyeol. Half of the reign saw this strange, bright light shining from our castle, it wasn’t exactly a discreet glow. They couldn’t ignore it, and so you’re paying. You and him. But, you know, I’m sorry for Baekhyun. He spends all his life trying to be a model student and struggling to avoid you and all the troubles you bring to his life.”
Chanyeol unsheathes his best offended face, but Kyungsoo cuts him off. “Don't you dare deny, Park Chanyeol! You always buzz like an annoying fly around him, trying to drag him into one of your messes, and that single time he tries to shut your annoying mouth, he ends up being in more trouble than he’s ever been. No wonder he can’t stand you.”
Chanyeol feels a pang of sadness at the thought. Ok, maybe Baekhyun’s sheer patina of perfection has always annoyed him and he wanted nothing more than to break it and humiliate him, in front of a large number of other people if possible. But he also knows that Baekhyun cares about gaining the headmaster’s trust more than he cares about his wellbeing and he must feel devastated now. The worst thing is that he’s going to think that it’s Chanyeol’s fault. He wants to roll on his stomach and choke on the pillow, because deep inside he knows it's the truth.
part 2 >>
Rating: pg-13 for Yunho
Pairing: Baekhyun/Chanyeol
Wordcount: 11100~
Warning: JUNG YUNHO, swearing, kids fighting, euuugh fluff, Chanyeol's imagination runs too wild, unbetaed
Disclaimer: EXO belongs to themselves and SME
Notes: written for this prompt from baekyeolprompts and set in the same au as this xiuhan fic (A/N at the end)
Summary: The reason of the fight is that Baekhyun has enough of Chanyeol bothering him and Chanyeol has enough of Baekhyun ignoring him. The headmaster has enough of their sexual tension and forces them to spend two weeks together, joined at the hip..
I want to dedicate this fic to my lovely kouhai Mai-chan, for her birthday. I know it's probably not what you were expecting, but I did my best and I hope you like it. no smut sob sob
Also, to Ana and Fergie. I really miss you ♥
If I were fire, I'd burn up the world
The library is quiet, a little oasis of peace in the chaos and mess that is the guild before a magic competition. Baekhyun loves the smell of books and dust, and the faint crackling of too old pages when they’re turned, similar in colour and texture to withered leaves.
His head throbs, the pain of having to deal with too many guests at the same time. Not even the joy of finally meeting his best friend after more than six months can soothe his anxiety and smooth the lines of worry in his forehead. Jongdae’s eyes leave the heavy pile of books Baekhyun has surrounded himself with, like a little wall of culture, to laugh at Baekhyun’s discomfort.
“Aren’t you coming then?”
Baekhyun doesn’t even bother to scoff at the unneeded question. “Din doesn’t suit my taste.”
Jongdae laughs with a knowing air and snatch the promise of a little catching up later with a pout. Then, closing the door behind him, leaves for the arena with his new team. It’s a big day for him. It’s been two years since Jongdae has left for Middle Land for the student exchange program. Now that he's back, it's clear that he’s bursting with anticipation, ready to surprise everyone with thunder and flash, dying to show his former comrades what he has learnt in the reign of Wu.
Baekhyun is curious too, but he has a research to complete. And now he's finally free to enjoy the silence in his sanctuary of culture.
Maybe. From the competition field, where mages come from the entire world are parading their abilities for everyone to see, comes the roar of the crowd. The open window can do nothing against the shouts shattering Baekhyun’s peace. He cringes, recognizing the name spreading like wildfire on the arena with annoying familiarity.
“Park Chanyeol! Park Chanyeol!”
He sighs. Looks like the champion has arrived. He’s not surprised, for Chanyeol has always been the favourite mage, the popular one. Too bad this kind of event usually fuels his arrogance. Not that he needs an ultra-confidence boost, that big dummy.
Baekhyun gets up and slam the window shut with maybe a little violence, just as a majestic fire phoenix with wide wings starts to spin in the blue sky. The crowd goes crazy, but his book is more interesting.
Evening falls like a veil on the valley, covering Silla Magic School in darkness. Baekhyun is still drowning in ancient runes and theories of a long forgotten magic practice that has something to do with the light of stars. He’s so engrossed in constellations and seals that he doesn’t even notice when someone sneaks in the library, being extra careful not to make any noise.
He's definitely not expecting someone to destroy his concentration all of a sudden.
“What have we here!” rumbles a thunderous voice right into his ear, and Baekhyun shouts at the unexpected source of noise and jumps, startled, knocking his ink bottle. He curses at the large dark stain leaking onto precious, millenary documents.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he turns around to snarl at a smug and satisfied Park Chanyeol. He’s still wearing his combat outfit, he notices with faint irritation, and that means that he didn't have time to change before. The partying for his umpteenth victory must’ve ended just now if even vain, narcissist Park Chanyeol is still wearing simple dark pants and a tank top. If it were for the fire tamer. That’s what Chanyeol is, he’d fight wearing his best, golden embroidered cloak. Only to gain a little more admiration from the crowd, or the blown kiss of a naïve farmer girl come from the countryside to see the competition.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Chanyeol parrots his previous words, the echo of his deep voice reverberating in Baekhyun’s skull in all its husky glory. “I didn’t see you at the arena this afternoon. They called your name, you know. It's not polite to ditch an official event.”
Baekhyun feels trapped between Chanyeol’s naked arms as his captor lowers his head to peer at the mess he’s made on the book. When he breathes, Baekhyun can feel it against his cheek and a wave of blood runs to his face.
“I was busy,” he answers, murmuring a quick but efficient spell and manages to save at least the book he was consulting, though he can't say the same for his notes. The work of a month, soaked in jet black ink. He can still make out the words, if he squints hard enough, but he’ll have to write everything from the start if he wants to bring the results of his research to the headmaster.
He prods at Chanyeol’s arms, still caging him against the table while their owner breathes messily - everything Chanyeol does is messy- on his neck, but the brat doesn't bulge a single inch.
“Park, do you mind moving? I don’t want to miss dinner,” he asks in the end, stealing a glance outside, at the black sky.
“You already did, cutie,” is Chanyeol’s answer, “just like you missed the competition today. I won, by the way.”
It doesn't come as a surprise, Chanyeol always wins. He’s been like that for years now.
Chanyeol is by far the strongest student of the school, that's common knowledge in Silla. Judging by the satisfied grin he's sporting, a lot of foreign mages congratulated him for his spell after the tournament ended. There's nothing that makes Chanyeol happier than receiving a new praise or adding a new, amazed face to his fan club. Maybe he deserves the admiration. Even Baekhyun has to admit that the Arabian Phoenix, Chanyeol's animal spirit and most powerful spell, is stunning. Her fire burns hotter than magma. It’s difficult, almost impossible, to watch it without falling in rapture with her beauty and frightening power. But Baekhyun has known Chanyeol since kindergarten, and he’s seen him conquer too many audiences to be impressed. In Chanyeol, the fouls of the man outshine the talent of the mage.
“Congratulations,” he says, in the most bored tone he can muster. Usually Chanyeol loves attention, so he hopes to make him go away if he avoids praising him.
“You know, I feel offended that you didn’t even attend, today, I was looking forward to see you in the arena.”
“Like I said, I was busy. I still am. If you don’t know the way, since this may be the first time you step foot in the library in your whole school life, that’s the door.” He nods towards it, pushes his head backwards and enjoy Chanyeol’s hiss of surprise as he jumps backwards to avoid his nose being crashed by Baekhyun’s head. He sighs in relief and starts reading again. He lost dinner anyway, so he can at least end this chapter before going to bed.
Chanyeol has other plans, or he’s even more childish than Baekhyun initially thought.
“You know, I don’t like being ignored, especially for stupid books,” he blows, voice thick with poison. Baekhyun doesn’t realize what’s going to happen. When his eyes widen in sudden realization it’s too late. A swirling flame erupts from Chanyeol’s hands, sliding on the table like a snake and enveloping the ancient and precious parchment in a searing, bursting hug. Before Baekhyun can react the paper roll is gone. An evidence of a long disappeared civilization, a unique piece that has belonged to the school for centuries, burnt up in a few seconds because Park Chanyeol needs all the attention he can get and also the one he can’t get.
“Finally,” the idiot has the courage to spit, looking with glee at the few ashes on the table, what remains of Baekhyun’s only source of information for his midterm project.
Baekhyun’s voice is glacial when he speaks. “Are you happy now? You've ruined it. Be proud of yourself.”
On Chanyeol’s behalf, he does look a bit guilty, but not enough for Baekhyun to suppress the anger that’s mounting inside of him. He’s sick tired of this, Chanyeol can go to hell.
“What else do you want then? You wanted my attention, now you have it!”
Chanyeol's lost air is quick to vanish. He smirks, all arrogance and power, little flames escaping his fingers and dying in the cold air. “I want what you don’t want to give me. I want to fight you, to show you who’s the best.”
“Can’t you just parade your trophy around? Why must you come to bother me?”
“Because you’re the best student of the school, and you’ve never fought against me. I’m the strongest, everyone knows it, but no one will really believe it until I’ll have defeated the headmaster’s pupil. I want a duel, Byun Baekhyun. You’re just a little bookworm inflated by teachers’ praises. I want to make you eat dust.”
“Ok,” answers Baekhyun, and Chanyeol is a little taken aback.
“Ok? Just like this?”
“Yes,” is the calm, glacial answer, “you’ve ruined a book. It's gone, lost forever. I think you deserve to learn your lesson.”
Chanyeol is the sun, radiant, sunny, always smiling, happy virus Chanyeol. The most popular student in the school, talented, promising. Chanyeol loves anyone and anyone loves him, except for Byun Baekhyun. If Chanyeol is the sun, Baekhyun is a star, far, cold and distant.
As far as Chanyeol can remember, they’ve shared every class since kindergarten. They go out with the same people, hell, Baekhyun is even the boy next door in the dorms, but apart from seeing each other on classes and the stolen peeks of his naked shoulders in the common shower room while he demands Chanyeol to pass him the soap, they never talk. Almost never. Baekhyun answers if the situation requires it, but nothing more. Chanyeol tried to elicit some kind of reaction from him when he was younger, but it was useless. Baekhyun has never been more than frigid towards him, and Chanyeol still can’t make out the reason. All kinds of people love him! No one can resist his charms, no one apart from Byun Baekhyun, it seems.
Since they were little, where everyone else aaaahed and ooooohed in awe in front of Chanyeol’s devastating abilities, Baekhyun would snort and stick his face in one of those boring books he always carries under his arm. Every time Chanyeol managed to woo one of the girls from the city during the annual school trip and he turned towards his nemesis to gauge its reaction, he only found Baekhyun’s cute nose scrunched up in distaste. The rare times he was looking in Chanyeol's direction, of course, since most of the time Baekhyun behaved like Chanyeol wasn't even there with him.
Saying that Chanyeol didn’t find it quite annoying would be a lie.
By the time they enrolled in intermediate magic classes, Chanyeol realized he didn’t even care too much about Baekhyun and his bizarre lack of interest in Chanyeol’s magnificent self. The rest of the world loved him and he didn’t need to bother with that single, black spot in his otherwise perfect existence. After all, there was a good possibility that he'd never have to see Baekhyun again in a few months because the Trials, the moment when their abilities were to be evaluated, were near.
Chanyeol hadn't been too scared. He was too talented, there was no way they would've sent him back home, to milk cows in some faraway farm, or to die on the battlefield like cannon fodder. That was the destiny of the less gifted students, who only had to learn enough not to hurt themselves with their powers before they went back to their old lives. Students like Byun Baekhyun who, for all his conceited air, had nothing more than a simple light power. “Useful at night when you need the toilet,” had hissed Chanyeol one time, after a fight. As usual, Baekhyun had done nothing but to raise a brow and look at him as if he was a nasty rash on the surface of the world. Well, suits him, he had thought, because Chanyeol wasn't in danger to go home. No, Chanyeol was a sorcerer, and a powerful one. A fire tamer.
And just as he expected, after his Trial, Chanyeol received the great honour to be chosen by Lord Changmin, one of the most talented warriors in the history of SM. Legends and stories whispered from student to student told he was one of the best warriors ever graduated from Silla Magic school. Everyone in Chanyeol’s year wanted to be his pupil, but Chanyeol was the best, and Changmin had chosen him.
Chanyeol was in the middle of receiving honour and glory another news had started to travel in hushed tones through the castle, murmured at the corners of the hallways and under the stairs by little groups of excited students. The headmaster had chosen a pupil of himself. It hadn't happened since Kim Heechul's graduation, more than ten years before. To everyone’s complete disbelief, the chosen student had been Byun Baekhyun.
Baekhyun, a nobody who had never won a duel before. A cute, endearing nobody, Chanyeol had to admit that. A smart, meticulous kid, but still a nobody with a boring light power.
He must be the best student of the school, thought the students. He must be so talented. Who knows what he's hiding under his sleeve.
As they pad as silently as possible under a narrow colonnade, Chanyeol steals a glance at Baekhyun’s slender frame, eyes falling on the hollow of his collarbones. He doesn’t know what he’s doing, maybe he’s just trying to look a hidden battle secret, some kind of an explanation, the reason why a scrawny kid like Baekhyun is considered better than him. His gaze falls down, brushing against Baekhyun's nipples, and he bites his lips, cursing at himself for being embarrassed and wondering why Baekhyun doesn't wear a proper vest instead of these loose tunics that show everything to a tall observer.
He turns his face to look straight in front of himself. He's already seen enough. Baekhyun is not a fighter, by any means. In the past few years, Chanyeol has built his stamina, working on his muscles to be able to summon and channel even more power. Baekhyun is soft and graceful where Chanyeol is firm and strong. He doesn’t think he’d be able to come out alive it this were a real fight.
If Baekhyun senses him staring he doesn’t show it.
They walk in silence, Chanyeol leading Baekhyun through dark alleys until the secret passage, an invisible door masked as a painting. It only opens if you know the right words, but the spell has been circulating between the students for decades, maybe centuries, old as the castle. Hell, their teachers themselves used it during their school days.
The school officially forbids students to engage in unofficial duels, but under the surface, like all the things that everybody knows but no one ever talks about, there's a living, solid tradition of midnight magic fights.
During the day, the most important thing is sticking to the rules. Getting caught means bringing dishonour on the school and on the teacher who's raised the student like his own son after the Trial. Even Chanyeol, loud, rebel Park Chanyeol loathes the mere thought of disappointing Master Changmin.
But when the night falls, claiming the school and its land, the domain of adults falls as well and it's time for the kingdom of students. Teachers know of these nightly activities, but there's nothing they can do about it, nor they want it to stop. It's common knowledge that only a little bit of sane struggling can polished a natural inclination towards magic.
All the best, most famous mages of the world started their career eating dirt on the naked ground of the mountains that surround the old castle of Silla Magic School. The same battlefield where Chanyeol is going to fight and defeat Baekhyun.
He has no doubt about the income of this fight, because Chanyeol is the Champion. No one has ever defeated him in a duel, and no one ever will. That’s what he thinks, as he waits for the other boy to take position on the improvised combat field. Beating Baekhyun is everything he needs. He's already the strongest, but now he sees an opportunity to become the best. He can take back what this skinny kid with his nose always in the air and no time to admire Chanyeol's ability has stolen from him.
Baekhyun looks unimpressed as he takes in Chanyeol's bellicose attitude, but after all, he always does. He doesn’t feel the rush of power under his skin like Chanyeol does, the fire running on his veins and singing for him to destroy everything. Changmin has warned him against the Chant of the Fire, a dark force that usually tempts the hearts of young fire sorcerers, making their blood boil and leading them to commit horrible sins under the influence of an unforgiving rage. Chanyeol has long forgotten those teachings. He’s young, and rebel, and he wants nothing more than a worthy rival and a reason to put his hands on Baekhyun’s skin.
“I’m glad that you accepted my challenge,” he says to Baekhyun, who only nods.
Underneath all the rage, the wish of revenge, the illogical longing for some kind of recognition that stings his heart when he thinks of Baekhyun, Chanyeol is curious. Baekhyun never duels, and with never he really means never. This is the first time, as far as Chanyeol knows, that the other boy has accepted to show his powers outside the controlled environment of a classroom. Baekhyun usually claims that his magic is not the kind of magic that shows its potential in childish brawls. It would be so easy to just believe that Baekhyun is a foolish coward, but Chanyeol can't barely contain his excitement. Even if he has never fought against him, he knows that Baekhyun is strong. He can feel it in his magic. The flames purr in his hands, picturing how they’re going to burn the boy of light and all his sorceries, until only the ashes will remain. He hushes them, because his purpose is not to kill Baekhyun. He only wants to humiliate and force him to acknowledge Chanyeol’s superiority. He wants to see Baekhyun on his knees.
“Are you ready?” he asks.
Baekhyun nods. He hasn’t said a word since their argument in the library, and he wonders if Chanyeol has noticed. Probably not, the other boy is usually too focused on himself to think about someone else for a moment. Chanyeol is an arrogant prick, and Baekhyun knows too well that the only reason he’s caught the fire sorcerer’s attention is his own constant effort to ignore him. That, and Chanyeol is sulking that Baekhyun’s supposed best student of the school title ruins his glory. For what he cares, Chanyeol could have that too. He doesn't need fame, nor honour.
He only needs to reach that inner place inside of him, where she sleeps and waits.
He hums by himself, too soft for the other boy to catch it, as he starts to summon his own power. It’s difficult, because he usually keeps her chained and buried under layers of magic restraints. Little by little, he rouses the light awake, and he feels it pooling at his chest and flowing inside his arms, ready to shine.
Chanyeol doesn’t waste time in useless tricks. He's kept the fire trapped under is skin, threatening to burst away, for too long. He goes straight for his best spell, summoning Phoenix.
The temperature rises, until it’s searing hot. Baekhyun winces, but Chanyeol only feels the magic around him, taking the shape of a pair of giant wings made of flame and lava that comes out right from his back, linked to his heart and the core of his magic. He spreads his fire wings, flapping them until the phoenix is him and he is Phoenix. With every beat, a flair of torrid air hits Baekhyun’s face, burning his skin. He's never been so close to the phoenix and, annoyed as he is, he can't help but admire the beauty of the spell and the perfect, lethal harmony that Chanyeol has managed to build with his spirit animal. They've become one single, pretty being. He feels almost guilty to kick Chanyeol's ass, when he's like this, exploding in flames like a god of fire.
But Chanyeol is still Chanyeol. He laughs, arrogant and blinded by his own sorcery.
Baekhyun has been taught to keep his power under control since he was a child, and most of the private lessons he takes with the headmaster are about control and temperance. His power is like the ocean, sometimes it’s calm and easy to manipulate. But other times it’s so strong that Baekhyun can feel it rattling against his skin to get out, and he can never let it go. Deep down he knows he wouldn't be able to control it in a friendly banter like the ones that his friends like so much. But not this time because this is Chanyeol, and Chanyeol brags a lot but it’s almost unbreakable. For once, Baekhyun has no qualms. He lets go.
Light fills his eyes, his hands, light is everything, and for a single glorious moment, Baekhyun is brighter than the midday sun. Wings spread on his back, even bigger than Chanyeol’s, made of bright, searing beam, and then everything fades to white.
Chanyeol wakes up three days later in the infirmary. His head throbs, his eyes throb, his hands throb; he feels like a giant living pain. He can’t feel his power.
He wants to panic, shake his head, shout for someone’s help because it’s impossible. Chanyeol has never been without magic. He knows it can happen, hell, it happens all the time to other students, but never to him. His fire has always been so strong that nothing was able to extinguish it in his eighteen years of life.
When he tries to move, the world explode in his brain and the pain forces him down, again.
Kyungsoo, sitting on his bed, raises his head hearing Chanyeol’s pained cry and rushes to him some water.
“What happened?” Chanyeol manages to ask despite the weight of the world crushing his skull when he opens his mouth.
Kyungsoo looks worried, but sour.
“You challenged Byun Baekhyun, and may the gods know why, but this time he accepted. I don’t even want to know what you did you do to make his patience snap; you’ve been trying for years.”
“Burned,” coughs Chanyeol, feeling his dry throat rasping. He motions for Kyungsoo to give him more water, “book,” he spits in the end. Not even the water can wash away the taste of ash in his throat, but at least it's a relief for his dry tongue.
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but his troubled expression ruins the nagging effect. “Well, congratulations. You were out for three days, you got a nice suspension hanging over your head and as soon as you’re up on your feet you’re bound to receive a punishment, together with Byun.”
Chanyeol reclines his head on the pillow in the vain attempt to soothe the throbbing migraine currently exploding in his head.
“What…” he murmurs, and Kyungsoo takes pity on him. “What happened? I don’t think you’ll like it.” He hesitates, loathing to let the words go, but Chanyeol wants to know.
“Baekhyun won, in short words he humiliated you. You couldn’t stand a chance, but I don’t think someone else could’ve.”
Kyungsoo's eyes start to glow as he recalls the memories of a couple of nights before, when the doomed challenge had taken place. Chanyeol just wants to roll his, but he isn't sure of the pain that such action could cause in his current condition.
“You should’ve see it though; the light was so strong we could see it shining through the stone walls, like a little star. I mean, you saw it, but maybe you were too close to appreciate the inner beauty of the entire spell, right?”
He rasps, feeling weak and helpless, “Byun?”
“Ah, Byun was here too, for a few days. The headmaster had to knock him down himself because he couldn’t keep his power under control and it threatened to spill around and kill us all, it seems. He was in the bed next to yours. For the first time in the last fifteen years you've managed to be in the same room as him without flailing around like an idiot and embarrassing yourself in front of your kindergarten crush.”
Chanyeol's attempt to retaliate and deny, screaming his disgust as loud as he can, dies before he can even open his mouth, lost in another fit of agony. Kyungsoo doesn't look impressed by the grimace on his face. Chanyeol is in pain and in need of new, more empathetic friends. Friends that don’t accuse him of having a crush on the competition.
He turns around, looking for his mortal enemy - now he can call Baekhyun that, since the other boy has almost managed to kill him - but the bed near his own is empty and in order. He turns towards that traitor of Do Kyungsoo, eyes pleading for an explanation.
“He woke up yesterday and now he’s jailed in his own room. He can’t get out until you both have paid our debt to the community polishing all the trophies in the exposition hall. It’ll be long, you know? At least a quarter of those tags have your name on it.”
He sighs in relief. It could’ve been worse.
“Without magic,” adds Kyungsoo.
It couldn’t have been worse.
Chanyeol doesn’t dare to groan, fearing his head would split in two if he does. He can’t understand why they’re getting punished for a duel, since it’s a common practice inside the school.
“They saw you two, Chanyeol. Half of the reign saw this strange, bright light shining from our castle, it wasn’t exactly a discreet glow. They couldn’t ignore it, and so you’re paying. You and him. But, you know, I’m sorry for Baekhyun. He spends all his life trying to be a model student and struggling to avoid you and all the troubles you bring to his life.”
Chanyeol unsheathes his best offended face, but Kyungsoo cuts him off. “Don't you dare deny, Park Chanyeol! You always buzz like an annoying fly around him, trying to drag him into one of your messes, and that single time he tries to shut your annoying mouth, he ends up being in more trouble than he’s ever been. No wonder he can’t stand you.”
Chanyeol feels a pang of sadness at the thought. Ok, maybe Baekhyun’s sheer patina of perfection has always annoyed him and he wanted nothing more than to break it and humiliate him, in front of a large number of other people if possible. But he also knows that Baekhyun cares about gaining the headmaster’s trust more than he cares about his wellbeing and he must feel devastated now. The worst thing is that he’s going to think that it’s Chanyeol’s fault. He wants to roll on his stomach and choke on the pillow, because deep inside he knows it's the truth.
part 2 >>