Chapter Text
“Chanyeol?” Chanyeol hears a voice in the distance.
“Who is it?” Chanyeol asks looking around the forest.
Chanyeol starts walking through the vegetation to find the source of the voice. The forest almost feels alive, the breeze moving the plants and trees ever so slightly. Everything is so peaceful Chanyeol almost feels like he could float in mid-air.
“Chanyeol?” The voice calls again from closer this time.
“I can’t see you” Chanyeol replies still looking around. The forest isn’t that dense, Chanyeol should be able to see the source of the voice unless... “Are you a tree?”
“No” The voice laughs lightly “I’m human.”
“Where are you?” Chanyeol asks looking behind him just in case.
“I tripped” The voice says “Can you come to the big rock in front of you?”
Chanyeol looks around for a rock big enough to hide a person. In front of him, he sees a large light grey rock covered in moss, was that always there? Chanyeol approaches the rock to find the person. He finds a guy on the ground holding his ankle. The man smiles up at Chanyeol as if he knows him, but Chanyeol has never seen this man before. He seems nice, he has somewhat messy black hair, amazing cheekbones and an adorable cat-like smile.
“Are you ok?” Chanyeol says getting on the ground to look at the man’s ankle.
“I am now” The man says smiling up at Chanyeol again “Mind helping me up?”
Chanyeol nods and helps the man back to his feet, he seems rather stable. Is there even anything wrong with his ankle?
“I’m Jongdae” The man, Jongdae, says extending his hand.
“How did you know my name?” Chanyeol asks, hesitant to shake Jongdae’s hand.
“It’s a long story” Jongdae says biting his lip “You’ve been here before, you just never remember.”
“I’ve been in this forest before?” Chanyeol says looking around. He’s not sure he’s ever been in a forest this big, how could he forget?
“It’s not always a forest.” Jongdae answers being more cryptic “Sometimes it’s a beach, a coffee shop, once it was even an amusement park.”
“What is ‘it’” Chanyeol asks.
“A dream” Jongdae answers looking into Chanyeol’s eyes “Everything you’re seeing is your dream, except for me.”
“How are you in my dream?” Chanyeol says taking a step back, not that it matters since Jongdae can’t do anything. It’s Chanyeol’s dream after all.
“I don’t know” Jongdae says looking down “I’m stuck here, when you’re awake it fills with darkness and I wait for you to sleep again.”
“Can I get you out?” Chanyeol says feeling concerned for Jongdae. He knows they’ve only just met but for some reason Chanyeol wants to help him. It must be at least partially to do with the sense of security his dream is giving him.
“We’ve tried over 50 ways” Jongdae smiles sadly “I’ve learned to just appreciate the time I have while this world is alive.”
“Oh” Chanyeol says pressing his lips together “Do you want me to leave you alone?”
“No” Jongdae shakes his head before grabbing Chanyeol’s hand “Let’s go on a walk, you can tell me about your day.”
“O-ok” Chanyeol says blushing a bit. He knows this is only a dream but he’s honoured Jongdae wants to spend his time with Chanyeol “I um don’t remember it that well.”
“You went over to your parents' house today” Jongdae states “You were really excited about it last week.”
“Oh right!” Chanyeol says before the memories flood in “Toben has gotten so big! Oh, Toben is my parents’ puppy...”
“He’s a black poodle” Jongdae smiles.
“I told you that too?” Chanyeol asks looking at Jongdae.
“You’ve told me almost everything” Jongdae laughs lightly “You’re very chatty.”
“Hey! I’m not chatty, I’m just friendly. Most people call me a happy-” Chanyeol starts
“Virus” Jongdae finishes “and they’re right.”
“Wh-” Chanyeol stutters slightly, he wasn’t prepared for a compliment “How is it fair you know everything about me but I know nothing about you?”
“Ask me anything” Jongdae says looking at a butterfly that flies in front of them.
Chanyeol spends what feels like hours asking Jongdae every little question he can think of. He finds out Jongdae is about the same age as Chanyeol but he’s not quite sure since it’s hard to tell the time in here. Jongdae’s hometown is Daejeon but he moved to Seoul for school. He has a lovely family with one older brother so his parents always treat him a bit like a daughter, he’s the cute little one who always makes them smile. Chanyeol can certainly see him cheering his family up with his beautiful smile. Chanyeol hears about lots of cute little childhood anecdotes since it’s what Jongdae remembers best. His memories from his more recent life in Seoul are fuzzy.
“Want to swim?” Chanyeol says looking at the crystal water lake.
“I don’t know how” Jongdae says embarrassed.
“Really?” Chanyeol smiles “Well I’ll have to teach you.”
“We don’t even have any swimsuits!” Jongdae whines.
“Did you forget this is my dream?” Chanyeol smiles before putting his arms together and nodding like a genie. Suddenly they’re both wearing black swim trunks and rashguards.
“Right” Jongdae laughs.
“Now let’s go in or I’ll throw you in” Chanyeol threatens jokingly.
“Ok ok!” Jongdae says before heading towards the lake.
At first, they stay near the shore so Jongdae can feel comfortable in the water and just float around a bit. The water is warm and the sand is soft, it feels unreal and obviously, it is. It’s just perfect, this is the best dream he’s ever had, that he can remember anyway. It’s not even just the beautiful forest or the wonderful lake, Jongdae is really great too. He’s sweet but he’s a bit cheeky too, not to mention energetic. They get along really well. Even without the memories of their previous encounters, Chanyeol feels comfortable with him. It’s like they’ve known each other for a while.
“We should start swimming in the deeper-” Chanyeol starts before getting his face splashed with water interrupting him.
“Oops” Jongdae smirks.
“If you think you’re avoiding swimming in deep water by splashing me, you're wrong.” Chanyeol says trying his best not to smile.
“You sure?” Jongdae says moving closer to Chanyeol “You sure you’re not just too scared of my splashing power?”
“I’ll pick you up and bring you there if I have to” Chanyeol says ignoring Jongdae.
“Why is that always your threat?” Jongdae says crossing his arms “I can pick you up too you know.”
“No way!” Chanyeol exclaims “I’m way too heavy for you!”
“I’ll prove it! Let’s get out of the water and I’ll pick you up” Jongdae says moving closer to shore.
“Maybe later” Chanyeol laughs “For now, I’ll help you swim in deeper water.”
“Fine” Jongdae sighs before heading back away from the shore.
“So it’s exactly the same as swimming in the shallow part” Chanyeol instructs “Just keep swimming and don’t think about how deep the water is, I’m here to help you if you get scared.”
“What if there’s a shark!” Jongdae says looking nervously at the deeper water.
“There’s no shark, this is my dream and it’s certainly not a nightmare” Chanyeol smiles at Jongdae wondering if he understood the true meaning of his words. Based on the way Jongdae smiles back, he does.
“Ok ok I’ll start swimming” Jongdae says before lifting his feet off the sand and leaning forward.
Jongdae swims forwards slowly doing the breaststroke move Chanyeol taught him while just kicking his legs. Obviously it’s not a very fast or powerful way to swim but it works. Chanyeol follows him by walking beside him. The more Jongdae swims, the closer the water is to Chanyeol’s head. Jongdae stops swimming once Chanyeol’s shoulders disappear under the water.
“Ok if you’re going to stop swimming, let yourself float onto your back” Chanyeol directs “I’ll tell you how to tread water in a little bit but we should take a break first.”
“Can’t I just stand like you?” Jongdae says ignoring Chanyeol and going to touch the lake floor.
“No!” Chanyeol says before grabbing Jongdae by the waist to hold him up “I’m taller, you won’t be able to touch the ground without your mouth and nose going underwater.”
“Oh right” Jongdae says blushing looking away from Chanyeol but not bothering to get out of Chanyeol’s hold.
Chanyeol bites his lip. He didn’t mean to be holding Jongdae in such an... intimate way. The only other thing he can think of is bringing him closer so Jongdae can hold onto him for more support but that’s even worse. He should help Jongdae float the way he was telling him to but he’s hypnotised by Jongdae’s sparkling eyes, the beautiful light blush spread across his cheeks and Jongdae’s rose pink kissable lips...
“I mean you can if you want” Jongdae laughs with a smirk.
“I-I” Chanyeol says being pulled out of his thoughts “What?”
“The line between thoughts and speech is very blurry here” Jongdae explains.
“O-oh” Chanyeol says dumbly still holding onto Jongdae “So you heard what I uh..”
“Yeah” Jongdae laughs.
“Oh my god” Chanyeol says getting extremely embarrassed before starting to pull his hands off Jongdae.
“Hey hey” Jongdae says grabbing Chanyeol hands and putting them back “I still don’t know how to tread water.”
“Right let’s just swim back to shore” Chanyeol says trying to downplay his embarrassment.
Chanyeol is very thankful for the silence between them as Jongdae swims back towards shore. They don’t talk much until they’ve dried off with the towels Chanyeol zaps in, lucid dreaming is such a gift.
“Are you still thinking about what you said” Jongdae asks drying his hair.
“Yes” Chanyeol mumbles “I can’t help it.”
“Hey don’t worry it wasn’t that embarrassing” Jongdae laughs “Not as bad as the time you said and I quote that I had a ‘round, perky apple ass’ out loud by accident.”
“I did not need to know I said that!” Chanyeol yells out mortified “Why would you tell me that!”
“It’s fine you’ll forget it when you wake up anyways” Jongdae smiles.
“Right” Chanyeol says remembering he won’t keep a single memory of tonight, everything that’s happened will be gone forever.
“Oh I’m sorry Chanyeol” Jongdae says giving Chanyeol a hug “I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
“It’s ok” Chanyeol says trying put a smile back on his face “Let’s just keep enjoying our time together while we can.”
“Great idea” Jongdae smiles pulling out of the hug.
~=+•+=~
“Picnic, water balloon fight, berry picking, what’s next?” Jongdae asks as they walk through a field.
“Hmmm” Chanyeol says thinking “Nature walk? We haven’t explored the park path yet.”
“Sounds great” Jongdae smiles before grabbing Chanyeol’s hand so they can walk together. Chanyeol looks down at their hands and smiles.
“Have we ever done this before?” Chanyeol asks before quickly specifying “I mean have we gone on a nature walk before?”
“I don’t think so?” Jongdae smirking a bit to himself “We’ve been on a lot of dates before but I don’t think we’ve done a nature walk yet. So many at cat cafes, you really seem to love animals.”
“Dates?” Chanyeol says taken back a bit, he thought he this was the first time he had crush but seems it’s happened before, and it’s mutual “We’re on a date?”
“What would you call it?” Jongdae smiles “I think walking through the forest holding hands with your romantic interest counts as a date, don’t you?”
“Yes, I think you’re right” Chanyeol says softly “Which... date was your favourite?”
“Is it cheesy if I say this one?” Jongdae laughs “Honestly... probably the one where you dreamed of being on your school’s campus. I know you probably would pick that as your least favourite if you remembered it. But to me, I got to see you the way you live when you’re awake. I met your friends, your co-workers and everything just felt like I had met you in the real world. I didn’t tell you you were dreaming that time so things happened more naturally too.”
“I can see why you might like that more than a magical land” Chanyeol nods.
“Really?” Jongdae says looking up at Chanyeol.
“Yeah I mean, if you’re always stuck here then the magic would lose its novelty” Chanyeol explains “I understand wanting to see what my life is really like. Honestly, I’d really love it if you could meet my friends for real.”
“I think I’d want to meet Junmyeon” Jongdae says.
“Why him?” Chanyeol asks.
“I don’t know” Jongdae answers “He seems sweet and caring? I’m guessing he’ll be a bit different from your dream version but I feel like we’d get along.”
“He’s very caring” Chanyeol agrees “He’s the first one I turn to for advice.”
“I’m glad you have someone like that in your life” Jongdae smiles as they walk.
“Look! A chipmunk!” Chanyeol says pointing to the little animal in the grass.
“Almost as cute as you” Jongdae says smiling at the chipmunk as it scurries back up the tree.
“Why have you become so flirty all of a sudden!” Chanyeol says blushing profusely “I thought it was a one sided crush for hours.”
“Didn’t want to scare you off” Jongdae shrugs “Imagine how you would have felt if I told you I’ve been going on dates with you for months while you just met me.”
“Ok you’re right I might have been a bit intimated” Chanyeol nods “You could have told me after we went swimming and you knew I liked you then.”
“You could have kissed me when you wanted to” Jongdae retorts before feeling his hand slip out of Chanyeol’s “Chanyeol?”
“Do you mean it?” Chanyeol says seriously.
“Come here” Jongdae smiles before pulling Chanyeol down for a kiss.
Jongdae wraps his arms around Chanyeol’s neck and smiles slightly into the kiss. Chanyeol feels a little hesitant but eventually wraps his arms around Jongdae’s small waist. Chanyeol’s heart is beating a million times per minute, while Jongdae seems to be somewhat calm leading Chanyeol to conclude this is far from the first time Jongdae has kissed him.
“I’ll never get tired of that” Jongdae smiles pulling away from Chanyeol before intertwining their fingers again.
Chanyeol brings his fingers to his mouth, unsure if that really happened.
“It happened” Jongdae chuckles while tugging on Chanyeol’s hand to get him to follow Jongdae down the path.
“Stop reading my mind!” Chanyeol laughs as he starts walking.
“Stop thinking out loud” Jongdae laughs back.
They find the end of their nature walk within a few minutes. Though it was short, they got to see a bunch of beautiful birds, butterflies and some furry creatures too. At the end of the trail they find a bench which they decide to sit on so they can cuddle a bit as they talk. Slowly but surely the sky seems to get brighter and brighter until it almost hurts to look at.
“What’s that?” Chanyeol says shielding his eyes from the bright light.
“Sunlight” Jongdae answers as the smiles fades from his face “You’re waking up.”
“That means...” Chanyeol says before looking at Jongdae “No! I’m not leaving! I’ll fight it!”
“Chanyeol you have class today you have to get up” Jongdae says looking down “You’ll be back tonight, it’s ok.”
“But I won’t remember any of this” Chanyeol says as sadness flows through him “I’ll forget all about you, the me you meet tomorrow won’t have feelings for you.”
“I know” Jongdae tries to smile “I’m used to it. It hurts every time but I wouldn’t give it up for the world.”
“Jongdae I can’t lose you” Chanyeol says pulling Jongdae in for a hug “I-I can’t.”
“It’s going to be ok Chanyeol” Jongdae says in the hug “You’ll wake up and you won’t even know why you’re sad.”
“N-no” Chanyeol whimpers as the light get brighter “Not yet!”
Chanyeol pulls out of the hug slightly to lean down and kiss Jongdae with all the emotion in his heart. He feels Jongdae’s tears run down his face as they kiss. The last kiss they’ll have before Chanyeol wakes. Chanyeol pulls away before he cries harder.
“You’ll be ok Chanyeol” Jongdae repeats while rubbing Chanyeol’s back “I love you”
Chanyeol opens eyes to look at Jongdae, his heart racing even faster from what he heard.
“Jongdae, I-”
~=+•+=~
“Ughhh” Chanyeol grumbles before bringing his hand to his face. It’s wet. “Not again!”
Chanyeol reaches blindly for the journal on his end table. If he acts quick he might be able to write something useful. He sits up and starts writing
“September 27th, the 64th day I’ve woken up crying with no memory of why.” Chanyeol mumbles as he writes “I remember... this feeling...like missing someone?”
Chanyeol sits in his bed staring at the page for a full minute before giving up. He’s never remembered a single thing before, why would he today? The only times he remembers his dreams are the ones where he doesn’t wake up crying. But those dreams are all really strange and have no logic. He hasn’t had a dream with logic or a proper coherent plot in probably over 8 months.
Chanyeol glances back at his clock as he puts his dream journal down. Shit! He’s going to be late! Why did he sleep through his alarm? Chanyeol rushes to throw on some jeans and a hoodie and run out the door. If he’s fast enough he’ll catch the first bus and get to class on time.
At least he doesn’t have too intense of a day. Mondays are pretty chill for Chanyeol. He has one class at 10am which is mildly interesting but nowhere near his favourite. Then he works from 11:30-4 at the smoothie place on campus. As annoying as working is for most people, Chanyeol doesn’t dislike it. It’s often loud but he gets to talk to Junmyeon a lot so overall it’s enjoyable.
Chanyeol makes it to class with 5 minutes to spare, luckily his seat in the back isn’t taken. The 120 minutes of class pass slower than usual. Intro to anthropology seems to mostly be more of an intro to being a human, at Chanyeol’s school anyways. But today other than just being a little boring and obvious it’s also sad? Nothing about what the Prof is saying is particularly sad but Chanyeol just feels a little under the weather.
Once class ends Chanyeol can’t get out fast enough. His work is a 5 minute walk away so there’s no real need to rush but he’s hoping leaving the class will help him snap out of his bad mood. As usual, Junmyeon is already there ready for their shift.
“I’m ready” Chanyeol says, putting on his apron before looking at his two other co-workers “Junmyeon and I can take it from here, we won’t tell anyone you left 5 mintues early.”
“Thanks Park” One smiles as they leave the somewhat cramped working space, it’s really just meant for two employees at a time.
Once the students who didn’t run out of class as quickly as Chanyeol start coming for their snack between classes it gets pretty busy. With Chanyeol taking orders and payment and Junmyeon preparing smoothies things go smoothly despite the almost overwhelming amount of orders. It’s not until after 1pm that things start to calm down and they can finally talk a bit.
“Did you have another one of those sad dreams?” Junmyeon asks while refilling the straw holder.
“How did you know?” Chanyeol smiles sadly leaning on the counter.
“You’re not as loud” Junmyeon chuckles “You talk less when you’re sad.”
“Stupid to be sad over something you can’t even remember” Chanyeol says while fiddling with his fingers.
“Your emotions are real, whether you can remember the cause or not” Junmyeon says placing a hand on Chanyeol “It’s not stupid, I’m sorry you’re going through this.”
“They’re only dreams” Chanyeol sighs.
“You’re right, they’re only dreams” Junmyeon nods “So try not to let them ruin your day like this ok? Is your dream journal not helping?”
“I’ve tried writing in it but I really can’t remember anything at all.” Chanyeol explains.
“Maybe try lucid dreaming?” Junmyeon suggests “If you’re conscious during your dream maybe it will be easier to remember. Just a thought but might as well try right? I have some videos that taught me how to do it, I can send them tonight.”
“Thanks Junmyeon” Chanyeol smiles.
“Hello?” A client says from in front of the counter, how long has she been there? “Can I get the Nuttin’ Better? It has peanut butter right?”
“Yes it does, what size?” Chanyeol says cringing at the name, why their boss let Junmyeon name the smoothies will always be a mystery to him.
It gets a little more busy near 3 pm but it’s still a pretty average shift. After it’s over and their replacements arrive Chanyeol and Junmyeon put away their aprons and walk to the nearest bus stop.
“Baekhyun and Sehun were thinking of going bar hopping Saturday night” Junmyeon says as they wait for a bus “Do you want to join them?”
“This Saturday?” Chanyeol asks “Are you coming?”
“No, I’m busy but you could probably bring Kyungsoo too” Junmyeon answers “I feel like you could use a little fun, when’s the last time you went out?”
“Over a month ago” Chanyeol sighs “You’re probably right... not sure about bringing Kyungsoo if Baekhyun will be there though.”
“Oh come on they aren’t that bad together” Junmyeon laughs.
“Usually, but when they’re tipsy it’s a different story” Chanyeol smiles “Remember when Baekhyun tried to boop Kyungsoo’s nose without permission?”
“I see your point” Junmyeon chuckles “but I’m sure Baekhyun won’t do anything too stupid with you and Sehun there.”
“So I’ll be on babysitter duty... fun” Chanyeol says sarcastically “I’ll ask Kyungsoo anyways, might as well at least try to have fun.”
“Great idea” Junmyeon nods before getting on his bus.
Once Chanyeol is back home in his small apartment he grabs the leftovers his mom made him and throws them in the microwave. While it cooks Chanyeol sends a quick text to Kyungsoo asking him about Saturday. Then checks to see if Junmyeon sent the lucid dreaming video. Turns out Junmyeon sent him multiple videos.
Junmyeon hyung: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbe3pe2BtwA
Junmyeon hyung: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuqaVryDRd0
Junmyeon hyung: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWfsla_Uh80
Junmyeon hyung: The first video is the one I used but apparently the other two work well for other people, it depends on the person.
Chanyeol: Thanks hyung I’ll check them out!
After Chanyeol finishes his meal he brushes his teeth, gets into his PJs and crawls into bed. He pulls up the videos on his phone and watches every single one paying close attention to the instructions. For once Chanyeol’s almost excited to sleep. He really wants to try out all the techniques. It probably won’t work without more practice but he has to start somewhere.
~=+•+=~
Chanyeol wakes up to the sound of his alarm. He brings his hand to his face but there are no tears. This morning he remembers a bit of his dream but it’s all really incoherent. There was a flying elephant, he was an ant at one point and then the world was overflown with sand.
His lucid dream techniques did not work tonight. It’s to be expected since he hasn’t practiced the habits he’s supposed to develop.
Even if his mission with his dreams is unsucceeded, Chanyeol still feels good. Today is the day he starts his new psychology project with Minseok. Thank god the Prof let them pick their own groups. Meeting new people isn’t always Chanyeol’s strong suit. He can come off a little... strange. Plus Minseok is always a great partner for projects.
Before he can get his project assigned though he has a few lectures. Usually he enjoys these classes, the subjects are extremely fascinating but with the excitement of his new project he can’t help but hope they end soon. He takes detailed notes as usual and after a few hours the lectures finally end.
Chanyeol has a small break before class so he uses his employee discount to buy himself and Minseok a smoothie. Chanyeol heads to class and waits on a bench in front of the seminar room with his smoothies as he listens to music.
“Is one of those for me?” Minseok smiles, making Chanyeol take off his headphones and looks up at the older boy stunned by Minseok’s incredible smile.
Kim Minseok is probably the most beautiful boy on campus. With his mesmerizing eyes that are always sparkling no matter what the lighting is in the room, perfect skin, the most soft-looking pastel pink hair and beautiful pink lips, Minseok could definitely be a model if he wanted. Though Minseok tends to wear sweaters or loose T-Shirts Chanyeol is 100% sure he’s got amazing muscles too. Above all, his personality is even better. He’s almost always smiling and he’s really friendly without being overwhelming. In short, Kim Minseok is basically perfect and Chanyeol is blessed he’s even in the same room as him, let alone his new partner.
“Huh? Oh! Uh... yeah I mean if you want it” Chanyeol says looking away while handing the smoothie out to Minseok “It’s Bananas-a-whey”
“Saying I need some protein?” Minseok teases, raising an eyebrow while taking the smoothie.
“No! You’re perfec- Well I mean...” Chanyeol blushes cutting himself off before he can say something stupider.
“No worries Chanyeol I’m just kidding” Minseok laughs “Let’s get our project, shall we?”
“Right!” Chanyeol says before getting up and entering the class.
The boys find two open seats near the front and sit down and wait for the TA to start the presentation. After the class fills up, the TA starts up the power point.
“As you all know this project is to be done in groups of two which have already been approved by the Prof, no one is allowed to switch” The TA starts “If your partner isn’t doing any work please email me and I will talk to the Prof about it.”
“Get to the project already” Chanyeol whispers to himself.
“Someone’s impatient” Minseok whispers back with a smile on his face.
“We have 6 topics selected, biopsychology, evolutionary psychology, anomalistic psychology, behavioral psychology, personality psychology and clinical psychology. Each group will get one theme and will create an oral presentation as well as a visual aid of some sort. They will be presented in a science fair style.” The TA explains.
The TA continues to explain the details of what is expected of them as well as reminding them cheating is not allowed and going over the citation style and a bunch of other boring details which are all online in a document anyways. It’s not till after the long speech that the TA tells them which subject is for which group.
“Yoo Jeongyeon and Son Chaeyoung have biopsychology, Kim Yongsun and Ahn Hyejin have evolutionary psychology, Kim Minseok and Park Chanyeol have anomalistic psychology...” The TA says before Chanyeol starts ignoring him.
“Anomalistic psychology?” Chanyeol says to Minseok “What is that?”
“Well that’s the point of the project isn’t it?” Minseok smiles while taking out his laptop.
“You can all start your research, you’ll see 3 weeks goes by quicker than you’d think. Make the most out of the time we give you.” The TA concludes before turning off the projector and sitting without even asking if they have any questions.
“Ok so according to wiki, I know that’s not a valid source but just for now” Chanyeol says before reading the wiki page “anomalistic psychology is the study of human behaviour and experience connected with what is often called the paranormal, with the assumption that there is nothing paranormal involved.”
“So like trying to prove paranormal events can be psychologically explained?” Minseok recaps.
“Ghostbusters enemy basically” Chanyeol scoffs remembering that dumb scientist in the movie.
“Sounds like we got the most interesting topic” Minseok smiles widely “We’re really lucky.”
“Definitely” Chanyeol smiles back.
~=+•+=~
Finally Saturday comes. As much as he was hesitant about going out, once Kyungsoo agreed he started getting excited. He’s missed going out with his friends, it would be better if Junmyeon could come but it’s going to be fun either way!
“Yo Baekhyun” Chanyeol says after Baekhyun answers his call “When are you coming to pick me up?”
“I’m not, you can take the bus” Baekhyun teases.
“I will show up in your apartment in 2 minutes” Chanyeol says as he starts putting on his shoes.
“Might as well” Baekhyun laughs “I’ll do your makeup!”
“I’m not wearing makeup!” Chanyeol protests, opening the door to walk down the hall to Baekhyun’s apartment “We’re going to a bar, not performing on a stage.”
“Listen, I'm just trying to help you out” Baekhyun says somewhat seriously “When’s the last time you got laid? A little eyeliner isn’t the worst!”
“No, I refuse” Chanyeol says before hanging up and knocking on Baekhyun’s door.
“Wow rude” Baekhyun says opening the door holding his phone in his hand to make his point clear “You didn’t even say goodbye.”
Chanyeol just rolls his eyes and walks in the apartment.
“Should we pre-game?” Baekhyun says walking towards his liquor cabinet ignoring Chanyeol.
“Baekhyun you’re literally the designated driver of the night” Chanyeol says sighing.
“Why can’t we just take the subway” Baekhyun pouts “I want to have fun too!”
“Because last time we did that we ended up on the other side of town confused and Junmyeon had to pick our drunk asses up” Chanyeol says smugly leaning against the wall.
“Whatever” Baekhyun says pouring a drink “You should have at least one drink now, you’re annoying sober.”
“Why am I even friends with you?” Chanyeol smiles while taking the drink anyway.
“Because I’m fun and smart and talented and amazing” Baekhyun starts.
“And modest?” Chanyeol says raising an eyebrow before taking a quick gulp of the drink “Baekhyun what the fuck is this?”
“Strawberry vodka” Baekhyun answers, showing Chanyeol the bottle. “It’s all I have”
“Why the hell did you pour it straight into a glass! It’s disgusting!” Chanyeol says, pulling the foul liquid away from his mouth.
“Because” Baekhyun shrugs “Well if you won’t drink it, put that in the fridge and let’s go”
“Ugh fine” Chanyeol says before walking to Baekhyun’s fridge.
They get into Baekhyun’s car and go to pick up Kyungsoo and Sehun on their way to the first bar of the night. When they get there, there aren’t too many people and the ambience is rather nice. Although Chanyeol isn’t exactly sober from the vodka he had earlier he’s still not tipsy so he is rather impressed by the really nice LED coloured lights and the well dressed bartenders.
“What drink should we have here?” Sehun asks, looking at Baekhyun.
“Well Yixing here is very skilled so anything you want” Baekhyun says winking at the bartender “I thought we’d come to the best place first since you’ll all appreciate it more than later.”
“I’ll have whatever you recommend that doesn’t have cheap vodka” Chanyeol says to Yixing before glaring at Baekhyun.
“Hey at least my drink was free” Baekhyun laughs “I’ll have a virgin pina colada.”
“Why would you drink anything Baekhyun made?” Kyungsoo asks judgmentally “He can’t cook and he certainly can’t make cocktails.”
“It wasn’t a cocktail it was straight vodka in a cup and it was the worst thing I’ve ever had” Chanyeol sticks his tongue out remembering it.
“We haven’t all gotten together in a little while” Baekhyun says changing the subject “Anything new?”
Chanyeol briefly thinks about mentioning his weird dreams he can never remember, it might be nice to have someone else other than Junmyeon know about it. Maybe someone else knows why he’s having them... When Chanyeol comes out of his thoughts Sehun is already almost yelling.
“-and my third partner is such a fucking ass he keeps copying from wiki and we tell him to stop because we’re all gonna get kicked out of the university if we hand that in but no! He says he will but he doesn’t!” Sehun says before sighing “group projects fucking suck.”
“Yixing, I think Sehun should get a second drink” Baekhyun says to the bartender.
“Why haven’t you reported him to your TA?” Kyungsoo asks, trying to be constructive.
“I did and they said we can’t report him so early into the project, we have to give him a chance” Sehun says, taking his second drink and downing it in seconds.
“Woah slow down Sehunnie” Chanyeol says looking at Sehun’s empty glass “Maybe we should avoid the subject of school, we’re here to have fun not get stressed.”
“That’s probably a good idea” Kyungsoo nods “On a happier note, I just got a new job.”
“Really?” Chanyeol says with a huge smile “You’re free of the fast food business congrats! They really weren’t treating you right.”
“What’s the new job?” Sehun asks, smiling.
“I work at an ice cream parlor, or at least I do starting Sunday” Kyungsoo smiles “It’s really cute in there so I think I’ll like it.”
“That’s great Soo!” Baekhyun says while sipping his drink “But who eats ice cream in fall?”
“People who realize we live in a world with indoor heating?” Kyungsoo scoffs “If you’re limiting your ice cream consumption to summer, that’s sad.”
“You have a point...” Baekhyun nods.
After spending an hour or so at the first bar and getting a bit more intoxicated they decide to move to the next bar, which as Baekhyun said isn’t quite as nice. Chanyeol still hasn’t brought up his dreams but he’s not sure he wants to anymore. He’s been thinking about it way too much recently. Maybe it’s best to let go and not obsess so much.
“Let’s play would you rather!” Sehun slurs before taking another sip of his drink.
“Should we cut him off? This is only the second place and he’s already drunk” Chanyeol asks, ignoring Sehun’s suggestion. Not that Chanyeol’s sober by any standard but a bit tipsy is very different from Sehun’s level of drunk.
“He’s only had 4 drinks” Kyungsoo mentions drinking his own drink.
“Looks like he might be more of a lightweight than you Baekhyun” Chanyeol laughs.
“Hey!” Baekhyun says “Actually that’s kinda true but hey at least I don’t have to spend as much money on alcohol.”
“That’s true” Kyungsoo nods “Chanyeol used to be quite the lightweight too though. Remember when Chanyeol had his first drink in high school and he wouldn’t stop laughing at the light bulb in the corner of the room?”
“Honestly it wasn’t even funny” Chanyeol smiles “I just can’t not laugh when I’m tipsy! My own laugh makes me laugh...”
“I mean you’re not the worst kind of drunk” Baekhyun says “Laughing is enjoyable, I’d rather have you drunk than Sehun.”
“I am not- not drunk!” Sehun says angrily.
“Sehun you’ve been trying to drink through a toothpick for the past minute” Kyungsoo says pointing at the toothpick “It’s not a straw.”
“Oh” Sehun says looking down at the toothpick “That doesn’t prove anything!”
“Maybe I should take Sehun home” Baekhyun says, looking Sehun.
“I’m not sober!” Sehun slurs “I mean drunk! I’m drunk! No... I’m... what am I?”
“Going home” Kyungsoo laughs.
“Yes! That’s right! I’m going home!” Sehun says excitedly “Wait what no I want to stay here with you guys.”
“How about you take a drive with me!” Baekhyun says grabbing Sehun’s arm “It will be fun!”
“Ok!” Sehun agrees.
“I’ll meet you guys at the next bar once Sehun is safe and sound at his apartment” Baekhyun says to the two boys “This bar is getting boring anyway.”
“Alright see you there!” Kyungsoo says before getting ready to pay for his drinks.
They walk to the next bar which is about a 5 minute walk away so it’s not a big deal. A little cold but not awful. This third bar is a lot more... neon than any they’ve been previously. They almost look like they don’t belong there. They find a spot and the bar and order their drinks.
“How’s it going between you and Minseok?” Kyungsoo asks casually. While Chanyeol certainly is feeling the effects of the alcohol, Kyungsoo seems almost sober.
“My new partner for the psych project?” Chanyeol tries to play it off “I mean we’ve only just started the research...”
“I wasn’t going to say anything in front of the other two but” Kyungsoo starts “I saw how jittery you were in front of him Chanyeol, you can’t lie to me. I know you like him.”
“Right” Chanyeol says thinking back to when Kyungsoo, Minseok and him all had lunch together. Of course Kyungsoo caught on after just one small encounter, he’s too good at reading people. “I’m not that obvious am I?”
“You’re not subtle but without knowing you well, you might just think that’s how you act all the time.” Kyungsoo explains “Are you planning on asking him out or just keeping it a secret until you eventually get over him like usual?”
“I really like him, you know?” Chanyeol says taking a sip of his drink “He’s caring and thoughtful and smart and his gummy smile is the cutest thing I think I’ve ever seen.”
“So what’s stopping you from just asking him out next time you see him?” Kyungsoo asks seriously.
“I don’t know” Chanyeol sighs “Fear of rejection? Every time I think about asking him out I get kinda sick honestly.”
“Maybe he’ll ask you out and save you the trouble.” Kyungsoo says with a sympathetic smile.
“God, I hope so” Chanyeol says, finishing his drink “That would make everything so much easier.”
“Are you planning on getting drunk?” Kyungsoo looks at the empty glass.
“Yeah fuck it why not” Chanyeol says before ordering another drink “Talking about maybe getting turned down by Minseok just makes me... I don’t know, I kinda just want to forget about it.”
“Baekhyun’s going to be so mad if you’re already drunk when he gets here” Kyungsoo smiles a bit “He’ll get here just to drive us both home.”
“Sounds like an even better reason” Chanyeol smirks.
“Agreed, I’ll text him.”
~=+•+=~
“Chanyeol I swear to God next time you’re going to be designated driver and I’ll make your life hell.” Baekhyun says trying to drag his drunk friend down the hall to his apartment “Why do you even weigh so much!”
“I work out” Chanyeol slurs with a huge smile, leaning on Baekhyun for support.
“Well then walk yourself!” Baekhyun complains before taking out his keys to unlock Chanyeol’s apartment. Chanyeol and Baekhyun gave each other their keys as soon as they moved into the building together. “I can’t believe I have to put not only Sehun to bed but you too. I should be getting paid, I invested in a babysitter’s licence for a reason!”
“I don’t want to sleep” Chanyeol mumbles as Baekhyun takes him to his bedroom.
“Too fucking bad” Baekhyun says throwing him on the bed “If you think I’m changing you into PJs you’re delusional. You can do it yourself or just sleep in jeans. I don’t care.”
“Baekhyun wait” Chanyeol says, grabbing his wrist “I can’t sleep.”
“Then just look up at the ceiling or count sheep or something” Baekhyun sighs.
“If I sleep, I’ll dream.” Chanyeol mumbles getting under his blanket not bothering to get changed into PJs “but when I wake up I won’t remember him...”
“Ok” Baekhyun mumbles, not sure what Chanyeol is talking about. He’s learned it best to agree rather than question drunk rambling “Sleep well Chanyeol.”
“Mmm” Chanyeol says with his eyes closed “Good night Baekhyun.”