Archive of Our Own

“Watch the space, Park. Byun is open- He’s open!” Coach screams over the clattering of blades and sticks on the ice, Chanyeol weaving though the bodies to create the opening he needs to strike the winning puck in the back of the net. The final horn sounds through the rink, bringing everyone to a halt. Teammates starting to accumulate in small groups and murmur their collective distaste for the performance of this training session while, alone at the back of the rink, Chanyeol glides by himself with his face adopting a victorious smirk.

Park Chanyeol, the ice hockey prodigy created at Korea University, who took the team by surprise when he joined as the newest junior. Although having experience on the ice, he never taken the game seriously before. Maybe the praise from his elders about how the skills came naturally to him inflated his ego and effected his mentality that had shaped him today. You can never talk about Chanyeol as part of a team, he is his own person that, evidently, doesn’t need anyone else. It’s the common reason amongst the team as to why everyone loathes him but they’re never to say it as they know that the reason for their high success rate is because of him. Only one person dares to get close to the boy, having no fear to speak up against his actions.

“What the fuck was that, Park! Coach was screaming. I was open for the pass, I had the shot.” Baekhyun hissed while his hands connected to Chanyeol’s chest, anger visibly bubbling. “This is a team game. We are supposed to be a team but how can we do that when you, a self-centred asshole, wants to make it ‘<i>The Park show</i>’ the entire time.”

Byun Baekhyun. Someone who grew up in the shadows whether that be in his school life or family life, always compared to and outshone by his older brother. Wanting to be seen as someone, he tried to find something that he could call his own, to make something of himself so his parents would notice his as himself rather than the son who can’t match their eldest. He doesn’t know how it caught his eye out of everything there. Maybe it was the speed and adrenaline of it all that took away all his empty seconds to think or the physical coldness of the atmosphere that matched the all too familiar environment of his home. Ice hockey became Baekhyun’s safe haven until it hadn’t. The axis of Baekhyun’s self-built world was tilted in the worst way once a 6ft 2, built giant, skated onto the rink.

Now, meeting new teammates wasn’t something foreign. Being in his final year at university and last year as part of the team, Baekhyun has experienced many introduction of freshmen before. But Park Chanyeol could only be described as a tornado, tearing up settled concrete with his power. His confidence had a magnetic pull that Baekhyun couldn’t resist, and he wanted to learn more about the man.

He never got the chance to properly introduce himself to the taller, training sessions too busy and it seemed like Chanyeol was a ghost to the locker room. Though he never gave up hope for that first proper introduction. The desire to talk to him only grew throughout the sessions, maybe more than just for an introduction as teammates. Baekhyun had this growing admiration for the man he only knew on the ice and he wanted more.

Only when the opportunity came around, Baekhyun wish it hadn’t. Wished that he stuck to only the man he knew from the conjured-up thoughts and daydreams from what he desired. Never did he think that behind those Bambi eyes was something as sharp as a knife, holding no fear of cutting whatever is in his path. It left Baekhyun to wonder why no one had talked about this, surely word would have gotten around about the shitty personality of the school’s newest prodigy. Unless, just like him, everyone was prey to this predator, scared to take a wrong step that would leave them wounded in the tiger’s jaw.  

“Woah, why are you getting so worked up. It’s not like I made our team lose the match.” Tone teasingly dripping from Chanyeol’s lips as he faces the shorter.

“That’s not the point! We are here to be practicing as a team but that’s impossible when there’s one person who lacks the ability to acknowledge that there are 5 other people on the ice with him.”

“I acknowledge that we are a team and I know there are other people around me but that doesn’t mean that I have to pass to them, especially when I have the capability as I’ve clearly shown about 5 minutes ago.” Chanyeol’s hand raising above his shoulder with thumb out, guiding the attention of Baekhyun to the ice behind him.

It’s not an unfamiliar sight of these two men arguing, in fact it now happens almost every training session. Teammates have learnt to turn a blind eye to what arises between them, friction that could melt the very ice that they stand on. The taller adjusts his stance and straighten his back. “We don’t have much time out there so I have to make it count.”

Baekhyun scoffs, always astounded at the words that come out of Park. “You’re never going to get far if you don’t get your head out of your ass. Do you think professional teams want someone who is only for themselves? People might be scared to speak up at university but if you make it into the real world, where you are messing with people’s careers, you’ll definitely have bruises on your shitty face.”

“BYUN. Cut it out” Their coach called from the stand. “Both of you get off the ice, we need to wrap up and go home.”

Both skate to the exit, Chanyeol bumping Baekhyun’s shoulder causing him to falter and interrupt his path to leave first. Being first to reach the floor, he twists his head behind as he picks up his blade guards to slip them on, “See you next time sunshine, maybe next time you’ll be able to get a bit of action yourself.” Chanyeol chuckles, ready to walk away before being halted by a hand on his shoulder, turning around to face his coach.

“Stay behind Park.”

Chanyeol lets out a long huff, not wanting to know what is coming next. He’s vibrating with anticipation as the two men wait till the smaller player has made his way to the locker room and out of hearing range. Their Coach turns, holding his gaze for seconds before nodding his head in the direction of the bench, silently commanding Chanyeol to sit down. There is no room for him to protest.

“Chanyeol, you need to reel it in because you’re getting bad again. When was the last training session we had where you haven’t upset another of your teammates, haven’t wound up Byun. I don’t want to sound like a broken clock but you make it impossible not to do so. I’m not going to lecture you because you heard, everyone heard, what Baekhyun said today and I don’t need to repeat it. He speaks the truth when you look beyond the anger. Hockey, it’s a team sport and the way you play the majority of your games is just not good for the long run. You were this impeccable force from your first session. I thought that you were just this young cub that was wanting to make his mark, give it couple of sessions and he would settle and integrate with the rest. I expected something, that I consider, a reasonable expectation from an individual but you are the star of your own world.” Coach let’s out an exasperated sigh before continuing again.

“You’re still wanting to make the big league, right? Listen to me when I say this. I haven’t seen someone who works the ice like you do in a while. Since you joined us at the start of this year, I believed in the potential within you but, Chanyeol, your chance at successful future is dwindling as time goes by. I don’t know how engrained this- this greed is in you but you genuinely won’t last much longer if you continue. Your behaviour could be what ruins you and it would kill me to see that happen. I want you to take a step back and look at your teammates, see the relationships on the ice and how it can influence their plays and see where you fit in.”

Chanyeol stays mum, understanding what his coach is saying but struggles to get the words past his ego. Inner conflict clearly evident on his face, Coach sighs again. “When you next see Baekhyun, apologies. He deserves it. You’re dismissed.”

Those words sting Chanyeol but he doesn’t want to let it show. He stands with a stoic front, pausing for a second before finally saying something back. “Sir, did you know that tigers are solitary animals?”

 “You’re not actually a tiger, Park.” Knowing that the chance of a mature response from the boy in front of him was near to non-existent, the coach tries to wipe away the stress embedded into his face as he stares at the retreating figure. 

With his helmet under his left arm, he kicks open the door to the changing room expecting to be alone but is instead greeted with the sight of Baekhyun swinging his bag over his shoulder.

At the sound of the door opening, Baekhyun glances up, pausing at the eye contact made, only to turn away after seeing the only person he didn’t want to. Appreciating the silence as it gave him a moment of peace that, once the first syllable left Chanyeol’s lips, he knew he would crumble yet again. Words had yet to be muttered so Baekhyun takes it as a sign. He raises his head and makes his way to the door but as soon as he is within an arm’s length, Chanyeol, forgetting the scolding from coach, extends his to the wall, ultimately stopping Baekhyun from leaving.

“Aren’t you going to say goodbye? It’s basic manners, Baek, that I thought you had from how you act on the ice. You constantly looked scared as if whacking the puck is animal cruelit-”

“Fuck, Park! Shut up!” Baekhyun screams over him, finally letting himself break. “Can you just leave me alone? I have had it with you, hearing you, being in your presence. It’s so overbearing that it hurts me. It’s suffocating, you are suffocating. Please, get away… want to- to get away from you…Fuck. Leave me alone, Chanyeol.” Hyperventilation evident in his speech, Baekhyun turns his back on a frozen Chanyeol, finding his footing as he manages to stumble out the door.

Baekhyun decided that he needed a break. He ends up emailing Coach late the next evening explaining that he was taking some time away from ice hockey for personal reasons. A, what was supposed to be, small break that unknowingly turned into the rest of his time at university. He never intended for this to happen but life in university took president. Where class took priority, time on the ice was changed into a stronger focus on his education, the library in exchange of the rink. Persevering and working hard all the way through to end his education, graduating amongst the top of his class.

For Chanyeol, it stayed the same. The promising career chiselled into the ice from his first glide that only grew as time went on. The more matches he participated in, the more attention he gained with promises of bigger and better things when he felt the time was right.

Despite what happened, he had wondered what happened to Baekhyun. The following weeks after Baekhyun walked out feeling foreign to Chanyeol as the absence of the smaller left too big a hole to easily cover.

Never one to publicly admit it, Baekhyun was someone who had always intrigued him. From the first session he witnessed on the ice, Baekhyun had caught his eye. He wasn’t a prominent figure, but he graced the sides of the rink like a swan on water. There was beauty in the smoothness of his glides, yet harnessing power in his hits. Chanyeol always found himself looking towards him, heartbeat rising ever so slightly. Maybe it was due to the fact that Baekhyun was the first person to acknowledge him when he joined the team. The one who wasn’t afraid to call him out and correct him whenever he could do something better. Or the fact that the older was the type of pretty that Chanyeol was attracted to, the type that Chanyeol heard about in his sister’s fairytales.

Baekhyun was a patient but detailed man and Chanyeol learned that he enjoyed to test his limits. Maybe that’s where it went wrong. The smallest things would be pointed out for Chanyeol to change or improve and, admittedly, it did start to get under his skin. Soon, the clear instructions would be purposefully interpreted wrong, time and time again just to see the fury rile up in his smaller teammate. He couldn’t do this now that the older had left and with no sign of return. There was the chance of them crossing paths on the university grounds but the likelihood was slim. Chanyeol didn’t know if he would see Baekhyun again.

----

Thursday’s never change. The corporate world inevitably sculpting an individual’s daily routine of waking up, work and repeat. Baekhyun is victim to this. Though, his boss has hinted that this particular Thursday will be different. His boss has purposefully been keeping mute about the newest venture of the team due to it being something that will supposedly change the trajectory of everything. 10am on a Thursday, Baekhyun didn’t think that what was kept from him would rock his world as viciously as it has.

The meeting room was buzzing with a mixture of excitement and tension for what was about to be disclosed. Baekhyun took his, unofficially designated, seat facing the bustling city. A purposefully made choice so he has something to look at when meetings ramble on too long or focus divert to something that’s not relevant to him.

Baekhyun found a stable job after completing his university studies as the social media manager of Korea’s National ice hockey team. Despite leaving the sport himself, there was an invisible cord that pulled him right back in, never on the ice though. A personal vow to himself that he wouldn’t step foot on it again. A tap on Baekhyun’s shoulder brings him back to the room and turning to face the culprit.

“So… Do you think that this news is going to be worth it? I remember the last time the higher ups caused a big commotion about upcoming news, it was to tell us that we were changing the team’s uniform.” Jongdae muttered in Baekhyun’s direction and he slumped down in the chair.

Baekhyun simply replied with a shrug, arms crossing in front of his chest. There was no need for words between the two. They have worked together since Baekhyun joined the team, as their roles in social media managing and sports marketing found themselves overlapping more often than not. The overbearing presence of Jongdae unsettled Baekhyun at first but their similarities soon became apparent, and it became harder for the two to keep a strictly work relationship.

“It could be nothing but considering it’s time for the season to start back up, maybe they’re scouting and looking at player transfers, maybe they have found someone?” Baekhyun answer receives a supportive hum and before Jongdae can speak again, the door to the meeting room opened, walking in the team’s coach along with their sports agents, killing all conversations had.

“Thank you everyone for joining us here today. This meeting will be a special one as we can now, officially, tell you the news. As many of you know, us here..” pointing amongst the higher ups “…have been having to keep quiet about the ongoing discussions behind the scenes. A couple months ago we were contacted by an individual in regards to signing with us and after confirming the legitimacy of it, we went ahead processing the signing. It still shocks me to this day, each time I think that this is happening to us. This is something that will positively impact our team and hopefully bring eyes to us as a powerhouse in this sport. Next season will definitely be something special for us as I can officially announce that we have recruited Canada’s star performer, Park Chanyeol.”

As the room ignited in a commotion over the news, Baekhyun froze, ears ringing. Park Chanyeol. Surely, he heard wrong.

“Things will be moving quickly from now on. We are wanting him to be working with the team ASAP so once he arrives in the country, we will be going in full force. I want our operations, media and communication teams to be working together as soon as possible as in a couple of weeks we want this to be publicly revealed but in an impactful. I’m so sorry for the short planning and prep period but I can believe that you guys can do this.”

“As for everyone else…” Baekhyun drowns out the talk and sinks into his chair with the desire to disappear as his mind keeps replaying the moment he heard that name. Maybe he was being petty in thinking he would never get the displeasure of working with that man since hearing he had left the country after being scouted by the big leagues. Why would Chanyeol come back when all his opportunities were in a different country.

As he regained consciousness, the meeting was dismissed and everyone was leaving. Baekhyun was in a zombie like state shuffling along with the crowd while, next to him, Jongdae was blabbering away about how exciting the prospect of what Park Chanyeol being a part of the team meant.

“-I mean, we are going to be such a real threat come competitions now! A-and our game play, man. We are going to see some insane moves especially once Chanyeol has integrated with the team. What do you think, Baek?” Jongdae asks as he turns to see his slightly tranced friend.

“Um, yeah, it’ll be good. Listen, I’ve got to go and finish some work. I’ll catch you later.” Baekhyun doesn’t give a second for Jongdae to reply as he walks away towards his desk. Escaping the situation was all Baekhyun could think of and he needed to plan more scapegoats in the future because he knew that, from now on, Chanyeol would be the centre of many conversations he would rather not be a part of. He thought that he had grown and that the past wouldn’t get to him but now that it is here, physically, as a 6ft 2 hockey player, he had to reevaluate.

The day goes by slow for Baekhyun and, thankfully, he was signing out of work and on his way home. As he sits at the window of the bus, watching the city move, he decides to take the earlier stop and get himself dinner as he doesn’t have the desire to cook. After stopping by his local food stall, he leisurely strolls home, bag swinging at his side.  Baekhyun is still dumbfounded at the news of the team’s newest player and it stays as a lingering thought till he is led in bed that evening. Laying in his usual oversized shirt and boxer shorts, he rubs his hands down his face and releases a stressed moan.

“Why is it Park <i>fucking</i> Chanyeol.”

---

The next morning Baekhyun barely had time to settle at his desk before being requested to join another meeting, smaller this time with only the members of operations and media. Jongdae, responsible for leading the meeting, is stood at the head of the table, hands holding most of his weight as he leaned forward, silently requesting the room’s attention.

“We are following from the news dropped onto us yesterday regarding Park Chanyeol,” he starts off saying. “Basically, we need to plan how we are going to release this news out to our teams’ supporters and general public. I’m thinking soft launching him on Instagram like a relationship. People love acting detective and I think it could garner the attention we want but any ideas are welcome.”

The other four sat mute at the table, showing no signs of speaking and realising that no one was willing to say anything Baekhyun, idealess too, backed Jongdae. “I think you have a strong idea. We can make photos and videos that have subtle hints relating to Park, each getting more obvious the closer we get to the release date?”

Jongdae claps, casting a giant grin right at Baekhyun. “Exactly! But what can we use to hint at the man? I’m thinking a video shot of his bare chest with maple syrup being poured over him, a sweet and sexy shot hinting that he’s coming from Canada.” He says as he’s acting the idea, seductively rubbing his chest, only stopping as he looks up and sees everyone blankly staring back, “Or-or something else… We are only brainstorming ideas here.”

“Um… Could we have time to think about this?” Naeun, a member of the PR team spoke up. “Personally, I don’t know much about Park Chanyeol so if you give us the weekend, we could research and come back with some relevant ideas.” A collective nod went around the room as others agreed. Jongdae sighed but settled with scheduling a meeting the next week, demanding that each person was to bring an idea.  

Everyone was dismissed and started to make their way out of the room. Baekhyun, purposefully slow his movements, is the last one to leave. He could see throughout the meeting the stress that Jongdae is hiding. Having known the other long enough to know when things are getting to him where the normal person wouldn’t. Jongdae’s work ethic is something that Baekhyun admires. Anytime he has the responsibility of leading a project, you know that he is going to give his full commitment and passion to it, even if it means working himself to the bone.

“I’m sorry Baek, but I just want this to be a successful campaign. When was the last time this team had a star as big as Park freaking Chanyeol join us?! Never!”

“I know Jongdae, but like Naeun said, give us time to think. I think all of us are feeling the pressure of the time restraint on this. 2 weeks to plan and arrange is definitely a task. Also, not everyone has such an, um, creative mind as you do. We need time to think of ideas to compete with your maple syrup shower.” Both let out a chuckle as they finish packing up their stuff before leaving the meeting room and finally clocking out for the day.

“Anyway, has the Byun Baekhyun got any big plans this weekend?” Jongdae asks with some curiosity.

“Oh, you know it! After completing the homework my dick of a project leader gave me, I’ve got a date with my bed and tv that will hopefully last the couple of days.” The sarcasm oozing from his smirk.

“Ahhh, That’s my Baek! Always living his life to the fullest.” Jongdae chuckles. “One day you’ll surprise me with something different. Maybe a weekend away or meeting with someone special. How about Daeho? You still talk when you cross paths don’t you?” Eyebrows raised as he nudges Baekhyun’s shoulder.

Baekhyun scoffs in reply. “You know that won’t happen anytime soon, Dae. It’s strictly a work relationship, nothing more.”

The elevator ride settles into silence as it makes it way to the bottom floor. As both men exit together, they exchange their last goodbyes before heading in opposite directions.

The bus arrived at his stop and after putting his bag over his should, Baekhyun exited to walk the short distance up hill to his home. As his body settled into his bed, his mind was elsewhere thinking of the one person he didn’t want to be. Baekhyun let out a breath as he reached off from his bed to retrieve his laptop bag. If he wasn’t able to fall asleep, he might as well spend the time doing the homework Jongdae has set for him. He knew who Park Chanyeol is or was. It has been years since they shared the same space so undoubtedly he has changed from the boy he used to be. This is learning about a stranger.

A quick google search brought up tons of new reports praising Chanyeol for his quick takeover of the Canadian hockey space. This was going to be a longer task than Baekhyun wanted.

After altering his search, he managed to find a fan made page which covered Chanyeol’s life from his birth, schooling history to his progression in the professional field. Baekhyun scrolled down till he reached a somewhat familiar part of Chanyeol’s time at Korea University where he started his career. He came to learn about what happened in the years after he left the team, how Chanyeol was scouted in his final year during an international competition. It was only a small team but he knew that stepping into the Canadian ice hockey space could boost him further than staying in Korea ever could. He took the opportunity and it paid off for him as he was quickly jumping between teams, ending up as the newest star player for Toronto maple leafs.

Baekhyun had a weird sense of pride growing the more he read about Chanyeol’s growth. Although they didn’t have the healthiest relationship during their time at university, Baekhyun was there where when no one else was. The first member of the team to approach the younger and offering his hand to fix Chanyeol’s mistakes. But he also has this sense of confusion. Why would Chanyeol, who was at the top of his game, decide to leave the country of ice hockey to return to Korea, where the sport and opportunities are not present.

Deciding that he needed to find some more obscure information to satisfy Jongdae, Baekhyun decided to search Twitter to see what fans were saying about the man. It was hard to find any negative comments, Chanyeol’s search filled with nothing but positive comments about his skills, game play to his looks and physique. People were commonly referring to Chanyeol as the white tiger. Born from the mascot of Korea university and backed by the symbolism of the animal, a rarity that embodied bravery and power, Chanyeol was that. He couldn’t not agree, the man encapsulated the predator in human form.

The more Baekhyun scrolled, the more he saw, getting lost amongst game clips, falling into a trance as auto play took control and eventually lulling him into a deep sleep.

---

The weekend had passed and Baekhyun was back at work, in the meeting room as Jongdae called for everyone to reconvene. It took a couple minutes for everyone to arrive, room filling with the rich smell of coffee and the mechanical sound of keyboards clicking as Jongdae took centre stage at the head of the table. He conducted the meeting, moving around each individual to gather the ideas they have come up with. It has been successful with people sharing similar thoughts of symbolising where Chanyeol was born, Seoul, to where his career has taken him, Canada. To include his ever so famous number 61. During the talking, Jongdae was diligently taking note and asking questions for more details when needed. There was a pregnant pause as everyone had extinguished their ideas, Baekhyun, passing under his breath, murmurs about his findings.

“Sorry, what did you say Baek?” Jongdae asked after hearing the unclear sound from Baekhyun.

Not expecting the call out, Baekhyun clears his throat before speaking. “Um.. I was just thinking that we could work with the fact that fan often call Chanyeol the white tiger. Maybe using a motif of the animal or something can be used as a hint to his identity.” A collective hum of approval filled the room and Jongdae adds it to his list.

“Thank you, team. I’ll write up the notes into a plan and send it out in an email alongside scheduling. Prepare because it may be short notice but nothing we can’t handle!”

By the end of the week, everyone had received an email from Jongdae with the schedule for the next coming weeks. Come Monday, a few of the team were requested for off-site work. Despite the short notice, they had managed to book time at the ice rink of Korea University to hold a photoshoot for Chanyeol. It was one of the shared ideas to hint at the identity of the newest team member, a shoot at the place that is undoubtedly responsible for his success.

Baekhyun was one of them whose presence was requested at the rink. He felt uncomfortable by the idea, bringing back negative thoughts from the last time he was there but he knew it was something he couldn’t avoid.

The morning of the first shoot, Baekhyun fought alongside the crowd of commuters as he got the bus to the university. As he stood inside, holding onto the handrail above, he struggled against the tiredness that enveloped him. To say that he had a good night sleep was a lie. Baekhyun’s brain couldn’t stop thinking, flipping between imaginary scenarios of meeting Chanyeol to reliving moments from the past, morphed into exaggeration by his own brain. This enhanced his anxiety for today and he didn’t know if he would be able to go through it all.

The bus left him at the stop outside the university entrance. Baekhyun took a deep breath before walking the familiar path towards the sports department and the ice rink. The closer he got, the more anxious he felt eventually causing him to come to a standstill as the building came into sight.

A solid hand landed on his shoulder causing him to jump. Jongdae let out a laugh at the reaction. “Woah Baek, no need to jump. Anyone would think you have a hitman out for you. What are you doing standing out here and not going in? I almost mistook you for a statue walking up here.”

“Sorry, I just needed some time. I didn’t sleep too well last night and my coffee has yet to kick in.” Baekhyun says as he regains his consciousness, bringing him back to where he is stood.

“Tired on the first day? That’s not setting you up for a good first impression now, is it?” Jongdae says with a slight mocking tone. “To be honest, I didn’t rest too well either, understandably nervous for today… We’ve done all that we can do but fuck knows how it is actually going to go. I’ve been praying that it all goes smoothly and ends within a reasonable time. Eunseok got the rest of the videography team here earlier and he has been messaging me all morning about how smoothly the setting up process has been going so that’s good.” He says as his phone buzzes, most likely another update.

“Yeah, that is good then. Is there much more for us to do?” Baekhyun asks as his eyes follow the movement of Jongdae retrieving his phone from his pocket.

“I don’t think so. They’re waiting on me before setting up the background and props but then we are good to go. You going to come in or stay standing still like a baby deer in headlights?” Baekhyun flips him off before walking towards the door, hearing Jongdae chuckle before being joined by him.

As they enter the rink Baekhyun quickly eyes the ice, noticing a few people in the middle, before being grabbed by his elbow and led around the side of the arena where their team was congregating. A table was set up with the sketches of the shoot ideas, allowing a visual to follow, and monitors to view the shots in real time.

Baekhyun couldn’t help but be distracted as his ears picked up the sound of pucks hitting the back of the net. He crossed his arms trying to fight the desire to turn around but ultimately failed. He swivelled his neck to stare at the giant on the ice, finally taking in the man for the first time in years. He must admit that Chanyeol has only improved himself over the years. Growing well into himself and skills sharpened. As the taller continues practising shots and passing on his own, Baekhyun can only become entranced.

With his inner thoughts running wild, his anxiety finally takes forefront again and he starts regretting coming here. He has planned to avoid Chanyeol as much as necessary, but it is going to be a difficult task with how close range they’ll be working together. After some deep breathes, Baekhyun brings himself back to the conversation in front of him to try to distract his thoughts.

Amidst the talking, no-one is aware of the main door opening, bringing in a new individual. They take a moment to survey the room, before spotting their target and starts heading to the direction of the entrance gate to then step onto the ice. Taking slow, calculated steps towards the middle, they garner the attention of the player causing him to halt his actions.

Chanyeol stops and turns to pay attention to the man walking towards him. Kim Jongin. Park’s designated manager who joined him at his last team back in Canada.

There was something different about this man compared to the other managers that Chanyeol has worked with over his career. Maybe it was the comfort of another Korean or the fact that Jongin treated him like a friend rather than a responsibility, but Chanyeol knew that he wanted this man to stick around longer than others that had his same position in the past.

If someone asked Chanyeol to name his friends, he would avoid the question. He couldn’t answer is as, from a young age, he never had anyone that stood by him in a way that he would think it was friendship and the same goes for nowadays. Teammates were just strictly teammates. People who come and go, never there to stay. A couple days after having Jongin assigned to him, he was invited out for a meal which he immediately declined. His new manager wasn’t one to be told no so day after day he requested the same thing from the hockey player. Jongin’s stubbornness might be worse than Chanyeol’s because he wouldn’t stop, causing Chanyeol to cave in with the promise of only one meal.

One turned into two then four until it became routine that, every Friday, they would spend their evening together in the small Italian restaurant in downtown Toronto. With each meal came conversations, starting with Jongin being the one to knock down the wall of professionality and move towards friendship.

He opened up to Chanyeol about his stress with work, which was willingly reciprocated, weight lifting off each of their chests as they never had the opportunity to offload onto someone before. Jongin told him more about his past, the reason of him coming to Canada as a result of a toxic ex who said that he would never amount to anything. Needing the escape, he looked outside of Korea which he defined as his confinement and can’t remember how he made the decision of Canada. They laughed at the stories of a barely English speaking Jongin navigating a country where he had no idea what he was doing, where he was going. If this is what friendship was about, Chanyeol regretted not having someone like this earlier in life.

Chanyeol slowly starts to open up too, finally. It started with him talking about his childhood, nothing substantial, just growing up in a working-class family, mother, father and an older sister. He was a curious child whose parents were nothing but supportive of his interests, willing to invest what they can to please their youngest. Chanyeol spills to Jongin some of his interests from his pet ferret to musical instruments but ending with sports, more specifically ice hockey.

Despite being passionate, he never shone as much as he did on the ice and it is something that grew with him. Chanyeol talked about the impact that university had on him and started his professional career. Naturally, Baekhyun was mentioned and, for the first time, Chanyeol vocalised his true feelings to someone. He talked about his first impressions of the smaller and how appreciative he was to the only person who willingly acknowledged him. Chanyeol personally acknowledged that the way he treated the other wasn’t something he was proud of and, if granted three wishes he would only use one to apologise and restart their relationship on a better hand. Jongin listened with sympathy as he watched the changes in Chanyeol’s face the more he shared. Despite not knowing the man himself, Jongin was internally grateful for the person who impacted the one sitting in front of him right now.

Over a couple of weeks, Jongin noticed a change in Chanyeol. He wanted the man to tell him what was eating at his mind but knew that pressure would push him away. Jongin had to play the waiting game, no matter how long it may take.

It took quicker than Jongin would bet on. One evening at their weekly meal, Chanyeol told Jongin what had been on his mind. “I want to go home.”

Jongin was confused. “Wha-What do you mean? We’ve literally just got here and ordered our food. Do you want me to ask of we can have it for takeaway? You know, I can tell you haven’t been feeling great these past few days, I’m not going to cry if you tell me you want to skip our meal.”

“No, Jongin. I want to go back home… to Korea.” Chanyeol clarifies with clear conviction and Jongin is stunned still. The last thing that he thought would come out of the taller was leaving when he was reaching further in his career, whose projection was only going higher.

Forgetting his job as Chanyeol’s manager, Chanyeol’s friend took forefront. He told him to go for it, if that is what he truly desired. He knew the emotional pull to his home country was tugging at him, especially after he opened up his past to him and Jongin promised to follow him wherever he went. As a friend, he wasn’t going to abandon him and as a manager, Chanyeol was his responsibility. If it is what he really desires, Jongin will be there for him, even stated that he will see if Chanyeol can become part of Korea’s ice hockey only if that is what he wanted to do. If Chanyeol wanted to give up his career, Jongin would support him through that as well. Chanyeol’s happiness is what matters.

---

“Have you greeted the team here yet or sticking to your hermit ways?” Jongin says as he finally reaches the man in the centre.

Chanyeol scoffs. “I’ve said hello in passing, but they’ve been busy setting up. I don’t want to disturb them.”

“Aww, aren’t you a sweetheart?” Sarcasm dripping from his lips, “First impressions matter and, of course, you’ve failed at the first hurdle.” Chanyeol rolls his eyes.

“Everyone is here now. Can you wrap up so we can make our way over there?” Jongin pointing to the large group of people, wanting to join them so they can finally start their day.   

Chanyeol hits one last puck into the net before turning and diverting his attention over to the mass. He breathed in deep to prepare himself. Despite having to often deal with large crowds, he wasn’t a fan. It was even worse that he will be the centre of attention and will be communicating with those people too. Chanyeol takes occasional glances over at the group while he takes his time to remove his gear but suddenly pauses as he catches a glimpse of one of the smaller men. It knocks a sense of familiarity into him, swearing it is someone he knows but due to this person’s position at the table, it makes it hard for Chanyeol to get another look, view being blocked by others standing by.

Chanyeol follows behind Jongin with a slow glide, not wanting to overtake the man walking and being the first to reach the waiting group.  He stayed with his head down, eyes following the movement of his skates, until he was able to hear the voices. He looked up to observe everyone, but eyes fell onto the one person who he thought he saw earlier. Chanyeol froze, unable to move nor speak. Jongin had made it over and already greeted everyone causing attention to divert to him and the man standing a few feet behind. Chanyeol’s sight still frozen on one individual, as they locked eyes he managed to mutter out, “Baek?”

After hearing the name come from the hockey player, every member of his team redirected their attention to him, faces showing a mix of confusion and curiosity. How did the star player know their little Baekhyun. Jongdae was the first one to break the silence, unable to hide his bafflement. “You know Park Chanyeol?”

Baekhyun didn’t know what to say, stuttering before he could say anything eligible. “Ah- yeah, I mean... Kind of? We went to the same university, so…” Baekhyun left it vague, not wanting to explain further, especially around so many people. Jongdae wanted to ask more but thought to save it for later when he could wrangle and interrogate the other somewhere more private.

Breaking the silence, “That’s so cool!” said one of the videographers. “You never mentioned that you know Park Chanyeol!”

Baekhyun nodded in reply, wanting to move on from the conversation and sensing his friend’s inner turmoil, Jongdae brought back the focus to the hockey player and the reason why they were all at the university today. After giving the rundown of the timings and expectations to Jongin and Chanyeol, everyone set off in their intended direction. Chanyeol ignored Jongin’s comment to get over to the photography set up in the centre of the rink and instead skates closer to the edge, closer to where the Byun Baekhyun was keeping himself busy.

“Baekhyun.” Chanyeol said after clearing his throat.

Not expecting to hear that voice, Baekhyun visibly jumped. With his back straighten, he slowly turned to look at the one who called his name.

Seconds went by without either of them talking.

“Hello Park Chanyeol, you need to head in that direction towards our videography team. They will be waiting for you.” Baekhyun said with a tight-lipped smile and gesturing out on the ice, trying to keep himself professional.

Chanyeol didn’t know what to except, maybe the cold reception from the other was supposed to be expected. He wants to speak again but is interrupted by Jongin, calling him over. He looks back at Baekhyun to see that the smaller is no longer looking towards him, instead manoeuvring around the table to do whatever work he needs. With a sigh, Chanyeol skates off to be where he is needed.

After greeting the videographers again, in a more personal way, he listens to what Eunseok, head videographer, is saying, what is desired of him for this shoot and nods as he shows he understands each given instruction. Chanyeol takes his first position in the centre of the face-off circle. While waiting for adjustments to be made to the lighting set up, he takes a look in the direction Baekhyun was last at, finding he is still there, hunched over a laptop. This action becomes common. Each position change, new angle, Chanyeol would take a second to look towards the older. Never was Baekhyun looking back at him, like Chanyeol wasn’t a constant thought buried in his mind.

Baekhyun has done all that he can do to be preoccupied so takes a moment to observe his environment (read Chanyeol). The chair he is sat in offers a clear view of the player and his team, now located at the left side goal. He watches as Chanyeol is guided into resting himself against the goal post, long legs crossed effortlessly before being left as everyone else takes steps back to start capturing pictures.

In Baekhyun’s engrossed state, he doesn’t realise that he is no longer alone as Jongdae has taken an empty seat next to him. The latter takes a moment to analysis Baekhyun and follows where he is looking out on the ice. “So how does the Park Chanyeol really know my little, old, Byun Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun replies with a shake of his head, ready to avoid answering.

“Ah- ah, no, I’m not pushing this to one side. All that man has been doing today is stealing glances this way and now you’re sat here in some sort of trance looking at him. Something has gone on between you two… What? Was he some bad University one night stand?”

Baekhyun lands a deserving hit on Jongdae’s shoulder. “No, like I said earlier, we went to this school together. There were a few times where we crossed paths so maybe he’s just wanting to catch up with an old friend…” Not wanting to let the truth slip. It’s not like Baekhyun doesn’t trust Jongdae, he does with his whole life, but one thing that he will always keep to himself is his days as a hockey player. Jongdae can tell that there is something more but he won’t push his friend. No matter how much he wants to know, he will have to stay blind to it and wait till Baekhyun comes to him.

At the end of the day, Chanyeol tries his luck again in speaking to Baekhyun. As he takes a seat on the benches to take off his gear, he looks around to see if he can spot the other but he’s nowhere to be seen. Chanyeol’s heartrate picks up at the thought of the smaller having already left but he decides to take a walk around just in case.

Chanyeol manages to sneak away from Jongin’s eagle eyes and enters the concourse. He decides to take a punt at walking right despite there being no body as he exited the doorway. Each step became less and less committed until Chanyeol was left standing aimlessly after no sight of the man. Luck, however, was on his side as just as he was about to turn back around, the door to the toilets opened and out came the one he was hunting.

“Hey! Baekhyun!” Chanyeol hollers as he jogs up to the other. “Can we talk for a moment?” Baekhyun replies with silence, thinking of a way to escape this situation but with how Chanyeol is positioned, pushing by won’t have much effect. The lack of words only prompts Chanyeol to talk more.

“Ho-how have you been? It’s been a while since I last saw you…” Baekhyun raises his hand up to indicate Chanyeol to stop. “Why are you asking me? Why do you want to know? There’s no reason for you to be interested in what I’ve been up to, Park. We are not friends, never were friends.” He takes the moment of quietness as his opportunity to escape, nudging the arm of the younger out the way so he can leave to rejoin everyone else.

As Chanyeol’s eyes follow his retreating figure, his phone starts ringing from his pocket. Diverting his attention to the screen, he is greeted with Jongin’s name and knowing he can’t ignore the call, he answers. “Where the fuck have you gone? I turn my back for one second and you go missing?!”

“Chill, Jongin. I just needed to use the toilet and didn’t think it was necessary to get your permission to do so. I’m on my way back now so stop stressing.” He hangs up as he makes his way back.

The next day was another scheduled photoshoot, this time at the team’s arena, more specifically in the team locker room. Like yesterday, the space has been transformed into a makeshift studio with lights and soft boxes, a table of equipment used to monitor the shots taken. This time, Jongin and Chanyeol arrived after the operations and media team. He wasn’t given much time to settle before being ushered away from his manager and to prepare for being photographed.

Eunseok currently has him leaning against an open locker, the inside decorated with a range of items personal to Chanyeol and his career including a hockey jersey displaying the bold number of 61.  

In just his hockey shorts and a tight-fitting workout top that, given the right lighting, traces of his muscular body can be seen. Chanyeol is moulded into unnatural positions, limbs bending in ways that cause a subtle ache, in order to get the most flattering shots. He is being diligent to the staff working with him, listening and complying when needed. While one of them currently has their hands in his hair, trying to style the front piece so it falls satisfyingly against his exposed forehead, there are two sets of eyes watching what is going on from the far side of the room.

Baekhyun and Jongdae are sat together on one of the far benches to monitor the shoot again. They take the time to talk amongst themselves, Jongdae using Chanyeol as the focus to lead the conversation. It won’t be long till his first game with the team and he is hoping for nothing but a good reception. Hopefully, the soft launch of Chanyeol will gain interest and will allow them to see the public’s reaction to their newest player.

 “Do you think we should try and prepare something big for his first game. If I could book a meeting with finance and see what budget we can work with…” Jongdae hums in thought, “He came from Canada, right? What if we try to book Justin Bieber to perform or is that too short notice?” Baekhyun turns to look at Jongdae, eyes saying everything he needs to and Jongdae doesn’t speak more of his proposal.

As much as it pains Baekhyun to admit, he doesn’t think that they need to plan anything substantial. Chanyeol is enough on his own. From the reaction that he garners from international fans, he has no doubt that his reception in Korea will be of similar stature. It’s bittersweet for Baekhyun and he sighs, trying to disperse the thoughts from his mind. “Let the man shine on his own.”

They are interrupted by their team member coming up and requesting Jongdae’s assistance. They believe that they are finished but want the once over and Jongdae to personally announce that everyone is done for the day. When Jongdae does make the announcement, Baekhyun spots Chanyeol looking right at him, probably for the first time since he arrived. He sucks in his breathe and not wanting to face the other today, collects his laptop and phone before making a quick exit and towards the offices.

---

Baekhyun dreads his next days in the office, having to come into work only to stare at the face he despises for hours on end. He has been given the files that are filled with the results of the photoshoots from the days before. It is now on his shoulders to choose the final photos that will be used across their media.

It was easy to sort through the materials that will be used to hint at the identity of Chanyeol. A range of photos and short videos that go with a planned schedules for release, but it was now time for him to look though the ones that showed the man.

Baekhyun glanced at the clock on his computer and then at the one hanging on the wall, both in sync, displaying a time unreasonable for a break. He sighs and rolls his chair back as he stretches his arms up. There isn’t much Baekhyun can do to prolong this task. In a couple days’ time his selected materials and plan will go into a final review so, despite how much he doesn’t want to, it needs to get done. Grabbing the empty coffee cup on his desk, Baekhyun decides he needs some liquid courage to tackle the job.

Chanyeol is called into the offices along with Jongin. They have been given the heads up that the company has reached its final review stage and require them to be present to confirm the schedule and materials that have been chosen to announce his signing.

They are the first ones to enter the booked meeting room, deciding to take a seat towards the front of the long table, close to the presentation board. Chanyeol takes a moment to look around the room though there isn’t much to see. A few framed pictures of past players hanging from the wall, an obviously thirsty plant buried in the back corner behind the speaker’s podium. Jongin is the only thing adding liveliness to the room. Everything still except for the man spinning full circles in his chair, the only time he stops is when the door opens again.

Both Chanyeol and Jongin stand up as everyone else enters, bowing in unison as a greeting. The last person to enter is Baekhyun, Chanyeol locking his eyes onto the smaller and following him as he makes his way to the front. In a calculated movement, Baekhyun uses his right hand to reach his laptop that was discreetly sitting under his arm. Opening the device as he places it on the podium, all while trying to ignore the burning eyes on him.

 “Please, give me a moment to set the screen up.” Baekhyun asks as he looked up to see the sea of eyes focusing on him. Confidence drips from Baekhyun but it is a façade he grew himself. He was never one to enjoy the spotlight and avoid having to publicly speak at any opportunity. He got away with his quiet, aloof self in the first couple months working at this company but it became something unavoidable if his boss, and Jongdae, had a say in it. Any opportunity to pick on the boy, they would. Baekhyun became grateful of it as it has made similar public speaking situations more bearable despite the mental preparation he needed.

After taking a few moments to plug his laptop in so that his screen can be casted for all to see and trailing it so all was working, Baekhyun brings the room's focus to him.

“Thank you everyone for giving me a moment of your time to be here this morning. Today we are going to review the contents that our operations and media team have curated last week in regard to our newest player.” Gesturing to Chanyeol, who sat up straight when Baekhyun gestured his arm towards where he was sitting.

Baekhyun leads the presentation, taking everyone through the final selection of the pictures and the reasoning as to why they were chosen, discussing the points made from Jongdae’s meeting a few weeks prior.

Chanyeol was armoured by the control Baekhyun had of the room, the way he led the conversation and showed consideration in stopping and answering any questions, making sure that everyone was sitting on the same page.

Baekhyun started strong and continued stronger as he talked again, screen displaying a well-planned timetable explaining the timed schedule for posting across the coming week. He talked about the desired interaction of how after each post, he would spend allocated hours on the team’s social media interacting with the fans to fuel the interest. Key point being the interaction with those guessing right, but offering only obscure replies, never to properly confirm.

Chanyeol had lost concentration as Baekhyun continued to talk. Instead of taking in what the older was saying, he was being mesmerised by the control he had of the room, the way his stance was commanding and movements purposeful. It wasn’t until Baekhyun was speaking in his direction, he had rejoined the room and realised that Jongin had raised his hand to ask a question.

The presentation was wrapped up with only a few minor adjustments that Baekhyun would be able to take away and review. Everyone gave a small round of applause to the man before slowly dispersing out of the room. Chanyeol lingered and, much to his demise, Jongin did too. His opportunity to try and talk to Baekhyun again lost, especially as Jongin gave no room for anyone to say a word.

“Wahhh, What a presentation! Baekhyun, you were really good at that. Normally I’m guilty of closing my eyes during meetings and having to rely on this big fella…” He says as he backhands Chanyeol’s chest, “…to tell me what goes on. You wouldn’t guess that I’m the manager between us.”

Baekhyun lets out a small chuckle, clearly out of politeness though Jongin is oblivious to it. With a polite bow, Baekhyun replies. “Thank you, though it is just part of my job. I do have to get going as I have some more work that needs to be done. If you don’t mind, I’m going to excuse myself.”

Over the coming days, photos were steadily rolled out across the ice hockey teams’ official media. Baekhyun’s days were spent occupied with replying to comments and analysing analytics showing the positive engagement to report to his higher ups. It was bitter for him as, although he enjoyed communicating with the fans, he didn’t enjoy the topic of discussion and having to see the hockey player in the posts. Unfortunately, this will be the future of his work, dealing with pictures and videos involving Chanyeol, so he resentfully has to put up with it. There was no other option unless Baekhyun wanted to face unemployment.

---

It was the end of Chanyeol’s first week as an official member of the team. Chanyeol deems it as a success, having integrated himself well amongst everyone else. Although there are some relationships that still need to be worked on, he has no regrets about following his heart and coming back home.

On the last training day, Baekhyun decided to visit the rink during their session to obtain behind the scenes footage of Chanyeol to post to their official social media pages. He wanted to continue to ride the wave of attention that Chanyeol brought from the official announcement.

Baekhyun’s entrance went unnoticed as everyone was preoccupied with training drills and stretches. He scanned the arena trying to spot the man he was looking for to find him in the centre in conversation with their skills coach. Assuming that his position wouldn’t change any time soon, Baekhyun walked around the edge to find the best position for shooting.

As Baekhyun is walking he garners the attention from the team captain, Park Daeho. Choosing to leave his training drill, Daeho skated towards the edge Baekhyun was walking along.

Nothing is going on between those two, at least that is what they say. People have other opinions though as it is hard to not find them together when in the same room. Each time there is little space between them, full of soft conversations, light touches and blinding smiles. You could play spot the difference between them and a honeymoon couple and nothing would differ.

On the ice, someone is looking towards them. The hushed conversation and gleaming eyes sending small jabs to his chest. Chanyeol pushes his skate into the ice to change his moves from a meaningless glide to a purposeful skate, now heading in the direction of the two.

The sound of approaching, heavy contact on the ice causes their conversation to stop. While Daeho turns around, his large frame blocks Baekhyun to be able to see who has joined them. He takes a small step to the side, slowing coming in to view to see Chanyeol stood there and as he makes himself visible, Chanyeol’s attention immediately diverts and the passive look turns into a small smile.

“Hey Baekhyun, how are you today?” Large ears twitching upwards as the question is asked with a larger grin. His eagerness for an interaction slipping through and becoming noticeable to the two men standing in front.

Despite trying his best to make it obvious that he doesn’t want to interact with the taller, Baekhyun puts a smile on his face, a small nod and greeting towards the other. The silence that follows marries with the awkwardness of the atmosphere. Chanyeol doesn’t know where to go from here as Baekhyun continues being avoidant to him.

It isn’t hard for anyone else to notice the shift and Daeho definitely does. Just as he was about to make a remark, Baekhyun speaks up to dismiss himself under the guise that he needs to get back to his work.

“You haven’t even been here 2 weeks and you have already pissed off Byun? What a man you are, Park.” Amusement dripping from his face.

Chanyeol hates it and can do nothing but retaliate. “Fuck you, I haven’t done anything to Baekhyun.”

“That interaction says overwise. In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen that man try harder to get so far away from someone. You’ll leave him alone if you know any better, Okay Park?” Daeho state as he places a hard hand onto Chanyeol’s shoulder, more pressure than necessary before pushing off and going back to his training drills.

Chanyeol bites his cheek, hard. He tries not to let the man get to him. Amongst his teammates, the one fickly relationship is between him and Daeho, the team captain of South Korea’s men’s National ice hockey team. He doesn’t know what he has done to upset the other but it unsettles him as he wanted nothing but civil relationships between all his teammates. Learnt from his years spent amongst his Canadian teams, Chanyeol understands the importance of teamwork and respect with those you work with. Maybe it was the threat of an outsider coming into the settled family but Chanyeol wasn’t here to make a mark to, metaphorically, stand taller than everyone else.

The training session continued with split teams participating and alternating in different drills made to help develop and hone their skills. As the last hour is reached, the coach called everyone together and the players huddled together looking like a pack of penguins on top of an iceberg. The coach took his time to guide the players apart, splitting them into two teams equally matched in collective skills. Chanyeol stood tall amongst his members as he looks over to the other makeshift team where, unluckily for him, Daeho is stood staring, expressionlessly, at him.

His day only got worse as those on his team pushed him forward to represent them in the starting face off for the puck. There was no guessing on who he would be head-to-head with, Daeho already making himself at home at the centre circle. Chanyeol closes the gap, adjusting his grip on his stick before squatting his knees, readying himself into position as the makeshift referee is instructing everyone else into positions.

“You’re looking nervous, Park.” The attempted insult coming muffed through Daeho’s mouth guard and helmet. Chanyeol says in silent, not wanting to fuel the fire that is trying to be ignited.

“Oi, it’s rude to ignore me, just like how Baekhyun was trying to ignore you. I’m still curious as to what you have done to upset him. I know Baekhyun well and I have never seen him like that before. I’d, honestly, be ashamed if I were you.”

Chanyeol tries his hardest to control himself but can’t help to spit a reply. “You don’t know shit.”

“I know what you are, you just want to get your dick wet with any easy target you set your eyes on. Baek won’t fall for something like you.” Chanyeol straightens up, ready to walk himself out of this situation because he will not stand to be unreasonably attacked. But before he could make the decision, the referee blows the whistle to signify that they are starting. Chanyeol repositions himself, dismissing his thoughts to focus his attention down at the puck, and one singular goal, to beat Daeho.

His anger was still present. Chanyeol couldn’t dismiss it and instead channelled it into his game. Each push into the ice, rough. The changes in his directions, more jagged. It was clear to anyone watching and to his teammates that this wasn’t his normal observing play but a much more aggressive attack, and he wasn’t the only one. Daeho’s style could be seen to be rougher too, trying hard to invade Chanyeol’s space which, inevitably, resulted in contact between the two. The shoulder barge causes Chanyeol to offset his balance and glide wide to steady himself again, the only thing on his mind now, retaliation. Fire is burning in Chanyeol’s eyes as he hones in onto his target, getting closer to slam into Daeho’s back. He watches smugly as Daeho’s slides into the barrier from the unexpected force from behind, turning his head to glare at the one responsible.

Before it could have gotten messier, the timer runs out and everyone is called together. The coach gives a debrief, pointing out the good amongst the game and the areas of improvement, singling out the high testosterone amongst Chanyeol and Daeho. The callout keeps Chanyeol mute, clarity filling his head making him ashamed of the game he just played, while Daeho speaks up.

“Sorry Coach, we probably aren’t playing up to standard as we are having to adjust to the change amongst the team.”  And while some might see it as an apology, a reason, Chanyeol sees it as an attempt to push him out even further as an alien amongst them.  

From the sidelines, Baekhyun observes everything. Uncomfortable by the display of dominance on the ice by the team’s newest player and captain. Chanyeol has been out of his life for years, building a career outside of the country but, to Baekhyun, he clearly hasn’t amended his personality and is still the hot-headed boy from back at university.

Chanyeol is the last to leave the ice after their coach called the training session quits. He takes his time gliding around to try and disperse some of his tension from the altercation earlier but the ice is doing nothing to calm him. After releasing a deep breath, Chanyeol leaves the ice, slipping on his guards before shuffling towards the locker room. He would have missed the smaller still sat on the benches if it wasn’t for him speaking up.

“After all these years, I thought you would have changed.”

Chanyeol, shaken, turns to the voice while letting out a small, “What?”

“You’ll still take any chance you can get to talk back.” Baekhyun exhales and stands from the bench. “How have you survived this long with that shitty personality. I thought Canada wouldn’t be scared to put you in your place.”

“Wha- no I was defending myself after the blatant disrespect that your, ever so beloved, captain was spitting at me.” Chanyeol tries his best to calmly defend himself.

Clearly not believing the other, Baekhyun speaks again. “And why would he be doing that if not set off by you! Take accountability for your actions Chanyeol!”

“Oh, fuck you Byun. You weren’t on that ice hearing what was being said. I have a right to defend myself when my skills and characteristics are being wrongfully attacked. You only know the old me, but I have grown from who that person was.” Booming voice rattling around them. Any louder would have definitely alerted people outside of the rink.

Baekhyun was surprised by the outburst but doesn’t let it show. He kept his retaliation quiet and left Chanyeol standing there as he turned to make his way out of the building.  

He lay restless in bed, replaying Chanyeol’s outburst from earlier. Part of him wants to believe that Chanyeol had changed, that what he witnessed was something that would now be considered out of character. If Canada had changed him, Baekhyun would need to witness it himself. Gingerly, he pulled his laptop from his side table and onto his lap to open up YouTube deciding to watch some of Chanyeol’s past games.

The Chanyeol he knew who would dominate the rink, but the star on the ice was nowhere to be seen. Although he was one to catch Baekhyun’s eyes, he merged well with the rest of his team. The greed was gone and maturity was shown, understanding the needs in which he could assist in opportunities to higher the chances to win. His thoughts in that Chanyeol wouldn’t have changed were proved wrong in video evidence.

It wasn’t much long after where Korea’s national team went up again Japan’s national team in a home game. It caused quite the stir amongst fans and within the team, Chanyeol’s first game and official debut as the newest member. It couldn’t have gone any better, a fair played game where Korea took control of the game from the first point. An easy win of 6 to 3 that Chanyeol managed to contribute 2 points himself.

As everyone is leaving the rink, Baekhyun stands close, offering smiles and small congratulations to those who acknowledge him amongst everyone else standing around. Chanyeol holds position towards the back of the line of exiting players, watching his steps. As the pace falters for a second, he raises his head to see their coach offering words to Daeho and a pat on the back. Chanyeol diverts his attention away from that scene and towards everyone else stood by. Amongst the crowd he locks eyes with one individual, someone he wasn’t expecting to be holding gaze right back at him.

Baekhyun pushed closer to where Chanyeol is frozen, still keeping eye contact. “Hey, I… I’m sorry.” He says quietly once in a reasonable earshot. Chanyeol’s face contorts in confusion but Baekhyun is quick to clarify for him. “I misunderstood you. I thought you were the same person that I knew back then but from what I have seen, from what I witnessed today. You are a great player, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol offers a genuine smile, happy hearing the words that have left Baekhyun like something has been lifted of him. He doesn’t want to dwell on the apology, seeing it as a step forward, instead testing the waters.

“I hope you got good shots of me during this game. What you’ve uploaded of me in training to the socials have been something... you could have made me prettier.” Chanyeol pouts hard towards Baekhyun who offers a chuckle. “Don’t worry, I definitely got your good side today.”

Chanyeol’s shoulder is nudged and a finger comes into his peripheral as his teammate behind him is telling him to move on along with everyone else who is resuming the walk towards their locker room. He takes one more look towards Baekhyun who offers a nod of his head before he turns and disappears into the crowd.

---

It was undeniable that Chanyeol would have nothing but success after joining South Korea men’s national ice hockey team. Success was natural to him and that only brought him opportunities which is why his is currently trying to keep up with a speeding Jongin, on their way to a meeting that was requested by their higher ups. Nothing was told to them in the short amount of time but Jongin managed to do some interrogating to know that there had been an influx of brand and business communication and, no doubt, the person responsible was the one trying to keep pace with him.

It was a struggle for Chanyeol, the bigger man trying his best to navigate fluidly through the corridor amongst the counterflow of other staff members. Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly to himself, his shoulder made contact with someone in passing resulting in their paperwork to cascade in a blizzard around them. Comical really, in Chanyeol’s eyes, how it would happen to him when he was lacking time.

“I’m so sorry!” He said as both parties bent down to collect the scattered papers. “Are you okay? I knocked into you with some force there…” But his worries were only dismissed as the girl he had knocked repeatedly told him she was okay in reply to his concern. She stood and thanked him for helping collected the paperwork before resuming her course to wherever she was off to.

Chanyeol stood with an exasperated sigh as he watched the retreating figure, feeling guilty about the contact he made and in annoyance that he was now even further behind Jongin.  He turned back into the direction he was going to confirm that the other was now completely out sight and made way, with caution, in the direction he can only assume was where he was needing to go.

“Chanyeol! Where the fuck were you?” Said in anger as he made it closer to where Jongin was stood beside a closed door. He tried to counterattack but wasn’t given the moment.

“None of that, you’ve made us late. Just get your arse inside before they have to reschedule and it was pointless for us to have made our way here.” Chanyeol murmurs retaliation under his breath, knowing full well it would not be welcomed in this situation, and pushes the door open. Eyes immediately fall onto him and he bows, offering in both greeting and apology, before making his way to an available seat, joined by Jongin.   

“Thank you for coming here on such short notice. We wanted to discuss some of the opportunities that have arisen for you and if there are any of interest that you might want to proceed with.” Chanyeol nodded in silent understanding as one of the directors spoke. It wasn’t the first time where there have been brands and organisations that have reached out to him and, in all honesty, Chanyeol doesn’t like it. It goes beyond the money and more of his one desire to genuinely be wanted. When brands have reached out, it is always when his fame is growing, the idea to hop onto him when he is getting attention to get themselves in the limelight too.

He sat idle as brands were listed off to him, magazine opportunities and branded outings, none of which piqued his interest. He waited, watching everyone as he picked at the skin around his nail, Jongin in a cycle of nodding eagerly before writing notes in his notepad. He kept mum until it went quiet, offering the opportunity for him to freely speak.

“Can I… not do any of that? I get that the opportunities are great but I don’t want to sell myself to a brand. You’ve probably seen that I’ve never done any content like that before and it’s because of the same reasoning so I would apricate it if you could respect that.” Next to him, Jongin stiffens, chair squeaking as he unintentionally forces the chair back an inch. He turns to see the reaction of the committee members in front of them in hopes that Chanyeol hasn’t pissed them off. All hold a stoic expression and Chanyeol continues to speak.

If he were to do something it would be because he wants to with no personal benefits. Amongst his rising popularity on his home soil, he had caught wind of in peak of interest amongst children and would rather that that opportunity to drive their aspirations in giving the possibility of taking on a similar career path that he experienced young. The reception was taken great, and Chanyeol was granted the time off to partake in lessons for the children at their local communal ice rink with his conditions that they would not make any extravagant publicity post about it.

“We can work with that, no problem.” Nodding in confirmation, “Are there any more questions?”

Chanyeol leans forward, exhorting his weight onto his crossed arms resting on the table, there is a gleam in his eyes and smirk on his lips. “I do have one…”

“Do I have to do this? It’s not anything that we’ve had to document in the past and I could only imagine the negative reaction from the public of us trying to profit off a charitable action. It seems ingenuine.” Baekhyun finally releases his frustration of his latest job to Jongdae who he luckily met as their paths crossed on their break, both making their way to the canteen.

“You know you can’t go against the bosses. And they probably want to publicise everything that Chanyeol does based on the public’s reaction to him. I don’t think we’ve ever had this much engagement because of one player before.” Jongdae theorises. “Count yourself lucky! I’d do anything to have an out of office day instead of staring at the computer screen and the endless email box.”

Begrudging, Baekhyun makes his way into the rink where Chanyeol will be teaching some children how to play ice hockey. When he was told of his off-site work, Baekhyun was naturally perplexed and questioned why his presence was needed at such an event. No-one gave him a definitive answer and Baekhyun could clearly tell that they were all dancing around telling him the truth. It wasn’t the first time that one of the hockey players would be going a charitable event, but it was the first time that Baekhyun would need to be involved and for such thing to be publicised.

He readjusts his bag strap as he makes his way through the door to see that the ice is already filled with the commotion of tens of small skates clattering against the surface. Baekhyun stands to admire the sight of the giant surrounded like moths to a flame. Chanyeol’s laugh breaks through the noise of the rink and Baekhyun can’t help but chuckle along. The carefree look blesses Chanyeol’s face as he tries to evenly divide his attention to each of the kids.

Deciding that there won’t be a way to quietly get the attention of Chanyeol, Baekhyun moves to settle himself down in the front row of the stands. Luckily his movements are enough for Chanyeol to notice him, and it isn’t too much longer till Chanyeol excuses himself and glides over to greet the smaller. “Hey! We started a bit earlier than planned as the kids were getting a bit restless.”

“Ah.. I thought I was on time but started to question whether I got it right after walking in and seeing that there.” Looking behind at the children who are currently finding their feet, swerving throughout some cones that have been set up on the ice. “I just need a moment to assemble the camera and I’ll be able to start collecting pictures for you.”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that, just sit back and enjoy the show.” Chanyeol states before quickly rejoining the, ever so restless, group of children.

Baekhyun’s face moulds into confusion as he murmurs to himself, questioning why he is even here if there isn’t a need to document this session. Taking a seat, he tries to comfortable knowing he will be here for a while.

His scrolling time is interrupted by the bulky sound of a geared-up child joining him on his bench. Baekhyun slides his phone into his pocket and, with a slight turn of his body, diverts his attention to the young boy. Neither speak a word so Baekhyun takes the moment to observe, disheartened by the sadness in the child’s expression casted towards the floor. The biggest sigh is released by the small boy, the sadness shooting Baekhyun in his heart.

“What’s wrong, Bud?” Baekhyun asks as he shuffles closer to the boy, showing his engagement to him.

“I don’t like ice hockey, it’s hard and I can’t do it.” The boy whines while staring at the professional player demonstration with ease.

Baekhyun understands him well. It’s near impossible for anyone to take to the ice like a duck to water and Baekhyun has experienced the same frustrations that the kid is going through. “No-one is good when they first start. It takes time and commitment to become as great as Park.”

There is no reply but Baekhyun watches as a big pout falls on the smallers face. It disheartens him to see someone give up on something because of their own self deprivation and Baekhyun knows he needs to try and change it.

“What’s your name?”

“Cha Hajun.” He barely murmurs, Baekhyun thankful that his ears caught the tiny voice.

“Well, Hajun, do you want me to tell you a secret?” With the child’s interesting peaking at that question, Baekhyun shuffles even closer, only solidifying the secretiveness of what he was about to share. “It’s quite embarrassing so you have to promise that you can’t tell anyone else.”

The little boy is met with Baekhyun’s pinky and the is no hesitation in linking it with his, He smiles up and nods with eagerness to know what Baekhyun was going to tell him.

“This is all true. I was part of my universities ice hockey team when Park Chanyeol joined us and…” taking a pause to look around, making sure that they were still the only bodies, “He wasn’t that good at it!”

Hajun let out a gasp and after a moment to let the shock settle into the smaller, Baekhyun continued. “He was wobbly when he skated and he had about a 35% hit rate of the puck. The amount of times that the puck would fly past the goal or not even move from him not hitting it was too many to count! But he never gave up. He learned the correct way to move, the best grip and positionings to swing his stick and now he is who he is today.”

Baekhyun watches as Hajun absorbs his words, realising that the greatness of the player on the rink wasn’t something he was born with but was something that he has learnt.

“And, Hajun, here’s another secret.” He says with a kind smile, “He is still learning. Each training session and each game Chanyeol is learning, improving. No-one is the best because there is always the potential to become better. Everyone needs to start somewhere and right now it is yours. I don’t think you should give up. Give yourself some time to recollect yourself then get back on the ice, try again and again and again.”

Hajun thanks Baekhyun for sharing the story with him, saying that he has the motivation to try again. They sit in silence together, Baekhyun watching the other children on the ice while Hajun is staring at his feet swinging from the bench. He looks up at Baekhyun, remembering details of what he said.

“Do you want to teach me how to play?” surprising Baekhyun that he asks for him to repeat the question.

“Ah- no, I won’t be a good teacher. I don’t play anymore, haven’t for years.” He replies with a nervous chuckle, wanting to move on from the question but curiosity and children go hand in hand and Hajun pushes for an answer.

In Baekhyun’s turmoil, he doesn’t notice the pair of big brown eyes watching him from the ice. Ensuring that all the other children are occupied with the little passing drill he has set up, and that there was one of their teacher’s keeping a close eye on them, Chanyeol glided his way over to where Baekhyun and the boy reside.

“What’s going on over here?” He speaks out as he reaches the barrier of the rink, body leaning down to rest his crossed arms on it while looking up at his tiny audience.

“Chanyeol! Hajun here was just taking a breather as he is finding some things a bit challenging. Do you think you could spare some time clarifying some things for him?” Baekhyun asks, very glad for the interruption.

Chanyeol agrees after the air is filled with an elated gasp, bench vibrating from the boy’s excitement to have the famous hockey player personally teach him. Chanyeol takes Hajun’s hand as he sees the unstableness of the child standing on his skates, guiding him down the few stairs and back onto the ice with a smile. He takes a moment to glance back at Baekhyun who gives him a double thumbs up in encouragement, knowing that the next minutes will be core memory making for Hajun.

The session ends and the electric atmosphere built by the children dies down. Both Chanyeol and Baekhyun offer their time to stay behind and clean the space. When it is done they both leave the rink and out into to the warmer air of the autumn afternoon. Baekhyun turns to bid his goodbye before walking in the direction of the closest bus stop.

Watching Baekhyun walk in the opposite direction of the car park, Chanyeol calls out to offer him a lift home instead of the longer, crowded public commute. It takes some convincing to get the older to agree and, being the hardheaded man he is, Chanyeol would not stop until he did. “Byun. I’m not giving you a choice. Get in the car.”

Baekhyun releases an exasperated sigh before begrudging walking towards the car. Having to grab the handle and frame of the door to pull himself into the tall SUV, he settles comfortably into the seats before turning back to the open door. He turns only to make eye contact with Chanyeol as he extended his arm to close the door, surprised to see the taller still standing there.

“You comfortable?” Chanyeol asks as he bares more of his weight on the door frame and leaning closer into Baekhyun’s space.

“Ah, I’m fine.” Baekhyun says as he pulls his hands into his lap, fists balling up from a mixture of nervousness and discomfort being in close presence of the hockey player. Chanyeol stays mum for longer while watching the subtle movements of his eyes darting around the interior of the car. No word is spoken as Chanyeol closes the door and makes his way around to the driver’s side. Once the door closes, encapsulating Baekhyun alone for a few moments to breathe and compose himself.    

There is only so much he can take of the uncomfortable atmosphere pumping around him so he glances to his left, taking in the large hand clutching the steering wheel and following the arm up to Chanyeol’s upper body and face. To Baekhyun, the vehicle feels massive, the seat and himself battling for who dominates, while Chanyeol makes it seem normal.

Surprisingly, Baekhyun is the one to break the silence. “You were good with the kids, they all seemed to enjoy their time today.”

 “It was a bit of chaos before you arrived. I was swarmed by them.” He chuckled while remembering the chaos before, “I was happy that coach and the higher ups agreed to me going something like this. It warms me to see the passion that kids have of this sport and I hope that I have inspired some of them to continue ice hockey for a long time.”

With an agreeing nod, “You are a good teacher. I appreciated how you divided your time with each kid, understanding their individual abilities and helping them respectively.” Baekhyun thinks back to the moments Chanyeol spent with Haejun and how you could see the enthusiasm bloom. “If only you had better listening skills when you were younger. It makes me glad to see that you have changed from who I knew in the past.”

“I’m sorry you had to bear the brunt of that Chanyeol. I should have listened to everyone around me but my ego was definitely too big…” Pain of the past evident in his tone but nothing would actually make Chanyeol want to change their past. Yes, the toxicity wasn’t healthy but the rivalry only made Chanyeol to push harder, to better his game and himself. It’s still often that he reminisces on those days and his desire to be back on the ice with Baekhyun bubbles each time. Now that they are sat sharing the same space, Chanyeol opens the idea of them sharing the ice again.

Baekhyun immediately hits with retaliation, stunning Chanyeol with the firm and obviously final decision from the older. Any opportunity to elaborate on the idea was shot down like a sniper on his target. Fighting the inner turmoil burning inside him, Chanyeol knew that he should kill his curiosity though Baekhyun’s reaction will be something that stays with him for a while. Why was the idea of Baekhyun on the ice such a forbidden idea.  

“It’s almost 7pm, do you perhaps want to stop and get dinner somewhere? I know this really nice place not too far from our arena. It’s a bit of a detour from the direction we are heading now but I don’t mind! You deserve some good food after I dragged you out today.” Trying to amend the mood that has cleary soured over the previous comments made.

“No thanks, I just want to go home.” Ever so quietly spoken, Chanyeol almost missed it over the soft beats of the music emitting from the car speakers.

“Well maybe we can go some other time? I really think you’ll enjoy it.” Chanyeol suggested, not wanting to leave this evening on such a note that left him not knowing where they stand. Baekhyun had tall walls that Chanyeol has slowly been climbing but one slip can be fatal and diminish progress made.

The question was simple and was left open for Baekhyun to take the offer in his own time, when he was happy to do so but he interrupted with a disinterested sigh, making it clear that he was not in the mood to be around him anymore. “Park, stop trying so hard.”

The rest of the journey was completed in silence. Baekhyun leans his head on the window and casts his eyes out to the passing streets, watching the multitude of lights glowing and individuals going about their life. Chanyeol has yet to regain his thoughts, unsure at what point he had unintentionally upset Baekhyun. His focus a constant back and forth between the road and the slumped figure sitting in his passenger seat. He deems it as one of the worst distractions, having melancholic Baekhyun sitting by his side while the city lights caress each delicate feature. Chanyeol wants to apologize but he doesn’t know where he went wrong.

The satnav gives its final instruction, indicating to Chanyeol that he has arrived at Baekhyun’s building. He stares up at the multistorey as the smaller shuffles in the seat, undoing the seatbelt. He doesn’t think that Baekhyun will speak to him again as he has swung his legs out of the open door, not bearing a glance towards his direction. As he his about to break the quiet, Baekhyun has beaten him to it.

Still not sparing a moment to look towards the other, “Thank you for driving me home, Chanyeol. I’ll see you around.”

The figure retreated into the building and, once gone from his sight, Chanyeol slumped into his seat. Stressfully running his hands across his face and into his hair, the night hasn’t gone how he had imagined. Tomorrow will be for apologies and putting the train back on its track.

---

Chanyeol arrives earlier than needed. Instead of making his way to the rink for his training, he made his way up to the offices with only on thing, specifically person on his mind. Last night was restless for Chanyeol as all he could think about was how Baekhyun built his walls up again, at the fault of himself. An apology was the only thing that Chanyeol had on his mind because he didn’t want to fall back on the progress he made with Baekhyun.

Walking through the hallway, parallel to the glass wall that divides the space between him and the sea of computer topped desks, he spots two individuals talking. One of them being the person he was wanting to find. Chanyeol comes to a stop and observes them, their proximity and the smile that graces Baekhyun’s face. The last memory he has was the fallen faced Baekhyun that sunk into his car seat as a result of his own prying. Now watching Daeho be the reason for Baekhyun to smile made him sour.  

A sudden slurping sound from his right shocks him, turning to find the guilty party. “What are we looking at?” Jongdae, coffee cup in hand and, also, focusing his attention on to the pair behind the glass.

“Oh- um, I was just looking for Baekhyun but, I guess he seems to be a bit busy right now.” Chanyeol honestly answers, turning back to look at the man in question.

“Jongdae?” He asks and the other spares a moment to bring his focus onto the tall hockey player beside him, giving a simple hum to let him know he is paying attention and can ask him what he wants to say.

Gulping, Chanyeol is reluctant to ask but his curiosity needs its answers, “What is their relationship?”

“Baekhyun and Daeho’s? There’s not much to it.” Jongdae answered honestly and, as one to innocently run his mouth, Jongdae continues talking. He tells Chanyeol his interpretation of their relationship from what his best friend has told him and from what has been witnessed.

Starting from the beginning where Baekhyun welcomed the idea and the possibility of something more. It might have been because he preened at the attention, and that it has been years since he’s experienced anything close to the feeling of a romantic relationship. Daeho was nothing but nice, caring, leaving nothing to question and evidently Baekhyun had fallen for him. But no matter how much time and effort they put into each other, Baekhyun couldn't answer the question to make it official.

“Looking at their relationship now it is nothing but one sided. Daeho is kinda obsessed like a dog pissing up the same tree.” Jongdae lets out an amused huff like he has been sat on the comparison for a while and finally has someone to say it to.

“He doesn’t like you. Daeho, I mean. And that’s because you are pissing up his tree. Baekhyun is his territory and he doesn’t like the threat.” He finished with another slurp from his iced coffee, turning to leave, letting Chanyeol know he can’t continue to stand around and instead needs to get to work.

Chanyeol worked up the courage to go in and interrupt the two talking. Both freeze at the sound of someone entering and turn their attention to the newcomer, their tension dissolving when they see who it is. Daeho’s posture turns dominating as he squares his shoulders out while Baekhyun is left unreadable.

Chanyeol instantly regrets walking in, not thinking this far ahead. He nervously scratches the back of his neck under the glares from the others before asking, “Hey, Baek, do you have a moment? There’s something I want to talk to you about…”

Baekhyun glances to the computer screen to his left before speaking, “Sorry, I don’t have time. I need to leave for a meeting now.”

Chanyeol stays silent as he watches Baekhyun lean to his desk to collect his laptop and fold it under his arm. Nothing is said as he turns back to look at Daeho. Baekhyun moves to walk towards the door and past Chanyeol. As he is level with the taller, Chanyeol unconsciously reaches out and ends up grabbing a few fingers of Baekhyun. Instant regret hits him and Chanyeol apologises as he looks down at Baekhyun’s hand, like touching him was like committing a crime similar to touching some royal gems.

“I’m also sorry for the other day, for getting too comfortable. I didn’t mean to say anything to make you uncomfortable with me.” Knowing that this was his only opportunity before stepping back, allowing Baekhyun to escape.

Knowing Daeho is still behind him, he purposefully stays facing his front. Not turning to instigate the other into attacking him with any snarky remarks after witnessing another altercation between the two old university teammates. He heads out to get ready for practice.

---

There is an upcoming home game approaching against the hockey team of Kazakhstan. Chanyeol’s time is spent busy with training and strategy planning to ensure the best possibility of winning the game. There are moments where Chanyeol has time to himself where he is haunted by the thought of someone else. He hasn’t seen Baekhyun since that time with Daeho and as much as he wants to try and approach the other again, he can’t bring himself to do so. There is some sort of embarrassment that fills him of how hard he is trying where the effort isn’t reciprocated, even in the smallest way, from the other side.

It isn’t till the day of the match where he sees the person in question yet still chooses to keep his distance. There was continuous commotion throughout the arena where teams were preparing, setting up for the next couple hours. Chanyeol was busy honing his focus in the game, preparing himself mentally to play harmoniously amongst his teammates in hopes of winning. It was natural to ignore those around him so when the familiar shape of Baekhyun moved amongst people, there was no surprise that Chanyeol’s eyes caught him.

Baekhyun was on his way to his seat in the rink, laptop tucked under arm to be able to provide live updated on the team’s official media sites, with Jongdae at his side. They cut through, passing by the locker rooms just as they were having a team huddle. It was only natural to peer inwards, Baekhyun’s steps slowing to take in the view. His eyes dart amongst the players only to land on the tallest of them all. Towards the back of the huddle was Chanyeol, eyes taut as he took in the suggested strategies, analysing how to incorporate them into his game style to better their chances against their opposition.

His heart tugged a bit at as he thinks back to their last interaction, where, despite Chanyeol trying to make amends, Baekhyun shunned him with no reason as to why. Getting close with Chanyeol was a thought that scared him. No past memory was pleasant relating to the younger. Though it wasn’t going to be like that from what he experienced recently, how kindness seeped out of him and that change scared Baekhyun more.

Jongdae settles into his seat while Baekhyun stood, unable to stay fixed within the plastic seat. He could see their team crammed on their benches to his right and, further past, their opposition waiting to go too. Baekhyun, again, settled his vision on one particular person, sat amongst the first couple players to be the ones to start on the ice. His feet took him closer as the hockey players took themselves into the rink. As it was Chanyeol’s turn to enter, Baekhyun was in proximity to be heard and he couldn’t hold himself from wishing the taller good luck.

A soft thank you entered his ears and he turned to see the owner. Baekhyun stood fidgeting, hands crossing in front, a clear sign of nervousness but his eyes held conviction in his actions. Chanyeol paused for a moment, taking in the sight before him. He smiles, knowing it was enough of a response and continues his path onto the ice and to his starting position.

Admits the game, Chanyeol lose focus for a second as his peripherals catch Baekhyun watching him with a smile. He turns to look properly at the other, needing the confirmation of what he saw and witness the smile again that is now warping into fear.

Everything turns into slow motion for Baekhyun as he was watching Chanyeol rule the ice until his focus faltered and Baekhyun feared for what everyone was about to witness. Chanyeol was still oblivious in the leading seconds and doesn’t have time to react to the pressure of another body colliding into him.

The arena is filled with a collective gasp as everyone witnesses the Korean player get smashed into the wall and fall onto the ice. There is no movement from Chanyeol as the referee calls for a halt before attending to the player. Everyone is watching in anticipation, waiting for him to stand up but are only met with more fear as the medics are called to attend the injured.

Amongst the nervous onlookers is Baekhyun. His nerves unsettled as he can do nothing but wait with everyone else. Despite the hundreds of games he has watched, and even those he played in the past, being a witness to injury never got easier. Tension was only worsened as he watched Chanyeol being lifted into the stretcher and out of the rink.

In the moment, Baekhyun lost control of his body and, with no thought, he left to follow. He was one of many as he stayed distant from the group following the medics and into the infirmary. The loneliness brought a moment of clarity amongst the nervousness and he positions himself outside the room. Time goes by as Chanyeol is being attended to and Baekhyun doesn’t leave his position leaning against the wall. It wasn’t until the door opened and everyone leaves, Baekhyun moves again but to try to sink into the shadows, not wanting to be seen.

Jongin is the last one to exist, closing the door on his friend. He turns and notices the small frame attempting to be hidden and takes a few steps towards him. Baekhyun looks up in fear, not knowing what to say, not knowing what Jongin’s opinion was on him. Would he want Baekhyun near his friend? Is he questioning his intentions of being here after his past attempts of keeping distant.

“No-one’s left in there, you can go in. Though he isn’t in the best state, don’t take everything he says seriously.” He says before turning and leaving. There was no point in trying to convince the smaller in going inside, that kind of pressure mixing with Baekhyun’s inner turmoil could cause for him to blow and disappear.

There was reluctancy in Baekhyun’s movements as he decides on his next move. Anxiously pacing a small distance in the corridor while trying to decide if he has the right to visit the injured man.

Baekhyun enters the small room, glancing around at the clean interior before bringing his focus onto the bed centred against the wall. Laying amongst the crumpled white sheets is Chanyeol, body looking worn and eyes delirious. He can see the cogs moving in his  head as he’s trying to identify his newest visitor. Baekhyun doesn’t say a word as he approaches the bed, instead the room is filled with the scrapping of a chair that he’s dragging with him from the table near the door. As the semi-conscious Chanyeol is finally realising who has joined him, Baekhyun is setting the chair next to the head of the bed.

“Baekhyunnie…” Chanyeol grumbles through the pain killers as he turns his head to stare at the older. “I got hurt.” A prominent pout gracing his face.

He shuffled closer to the edge of the chair as he leans forward, “I know Chanyeol, I was there.”

“Hmmm, it hurt so much but I’m feeling better now.” Baekhyun nods in agreement as his eyes gaze over the room, seeing how much equipment Chanyeol is connected to, IV slowly dripping and vitals machine offering a contestant beep. “I bet you do, the medics have pumped you full of drugs.”

He could see Chanyeol flex his hand where the small tube is entering his vein, “Yeah, but seeing your face instantly made me feel better. Those medics, they can put all the drugs in the world in me but none of them will relieve the pain like you do.”

The sickly-sweet comment surprises Baekhyun who looks away from the heartbeat monitor and back to Chanyeol’s face, looking like a giant puppy, staring wide eyed at him. He stutters a bit, wanting to dismiss the previous comment, “What’s made you so corny, hey?”

They settle into a steady conversation, Baekhyun wanting to make sure that Chanyeol is coherent and the injury hasn’t affected him in any other way than just physical. With the way that he is blabbering on, Baekhyun is sure that he’s still the same man, though lacking a filter that a sober Chanyeol would normally have. He is more open, more vulnerable over the fact that he will be pulled from the team and tasked with rehabilitation due to his injury.

“But it’s the only way for you to get back on the ice. You need to do as the doctors say so that you can make the first step of getting out of this bed and back onto your feet.” The comment is met with an irritated huff and moan as Chanyeol attempts to wriggle around in the confined bed.

“Doing nothing, I can’t spend my days like! A-and I’ll have Jongin trying to keep me company, I’m going to be so bored.”

Baekhyun chuckles, not knowing Jongin that well but surely who’s company isn’t as bad as the other is making it out to be. He has a thought, internally debates whether he should go through with it before settling on doing so. Before Baekhyun leaves, he shuffles through the bag of Chanyeol’s belongings, the latter staring at him with slight confusion but not making any effort to stop him. Baekhyun pulls out his mobile phone before shoving it in front of his face, unlocking it through face ID, “I’m giving you my number. If Jongin gets too boring, feel free to text me.”

Was it a mistake for Baekhyun to give Chanyeol his number? Maybe. Over the past few weeks, there hasn’t been a day where a message, a picture hasn’t come through from the taller. It started off as annoying, the buzzing of his phone while he was at work, at home, in the supermarket but it started to grow on him to where he was replying with witty remarks or photos of his own.

Chanyeol’s physical therapy is going well. He tells Baekhyun, in detail, what his doctor is tasking him with, how each session he is moving up the weight progression as his shoulder strength is being rebuilt.

One evening, the small space of Baekhyun’s living room is filled with the quite hum from the TV displaying the newest episode of the latest drama. Baekhyun, however, isn’t paying attention as his is currently drifting in and out of sleep from his long day at work. Just as his head is falling to the side, he is brought back to life by the blaring ring of his phone. Reaching over and bringing the screen to his vision, he is greeted with Chanyeol’s name paster over the caller ID. Confused, he answers.

“Good evening Baek,” The nickname sending a shiver down his spine. “Sorry for calling you, I just.. I was struggling to write what I wanted to say so thought this was the best option.”

Fighting a yawn, Baekhyun dismisses Chanyeol’s apology, not minding that the taller is calling him and urges him to say what he wanted. There’s no stopping him once he started and, without space for interruption, Chanyeol blabbers on about his recent practice, how it was interrupted by the coach to bring him the good news that he’ll soon be back on the ice with the team, not yet for official matches but for training sessions. He’s excited like a kid in a candy shop and Baekhyun hums in understanding. There’s nothing worse than being held back from your favourite things.

Chanyeol relishes in the opportunity to have Baekhyun on the phone and directs the conversation to the latter to avoid the possibly of the call ending. He’s willing to answer, though there is nothing exciting to share as his work days are simply monotone.

Baekhyun lets out a yawn to which Chanyeol laughs at. “You should go to bed, Baek, if you’re tired.”

Baekhyun dismisses the suggestion with an exasperated sigh. Surprisingly he doesn’t want this moment to end, to continue talking to the other through the phone but he’s out of ideas of how to carry the conversation. The lack of words coming from Baekhyun prompt Chanyeol to take lead and end their conversation. Amidst his farewell, he is interrupted.

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun quietly whispers, “Do- do you want to know what happened? After I left?”

A pregnant pause, Chanyeol of course wanted to say yes but it was Baekhyun’s choice to be vulnerable, he wanted to respect that. “Only if you want to tell me.”

Baekhyun regretted it. Quitting playing ice hockey had more of an effect on him than he thought possible. Where the time spent on the ice, with his fellow teammates, gave him enjoyment from his university routine. It was only a few weeks after where Baekhyun yearned for the rink but he couldn’t face the embarrassment of returning to where he knew. Instead, he made the journey through the subway and bus to reach a public rink though that was the only time.

With the rented skates on, Baekhyun stood near the entrance, part of his focus on trying to stay stood stable while the other is observing everyone else on the ice. It makes him nervous seeing everyone who could bear witness to the failure of his return to the ice. He takes it slow, small pushes to keep his movements controlled and as time passes his confidence returns and he’s starting to feel more comfortable. But his pride was a distraction, he didn’t notice that he was drifting away from the edge and into the path of some overly confident teenagers who, too, weren’t completely aware of their surroundings.  

The contact was a surprise. Both from the weight of someone colliding into his back and the buckling of his knees that resulted in him falling forward. As a natural instinct, Baekhyun tried to curl into himself to protect any limbs from possible injury of passing blades but the movement caused for him to bare all weight onto his hip and right wrist. He felt frozen laying on the ice, any movement would cause for a shoot of pain as he grunted and tried not to break down into tears. This was his sign that he wasn’t supposed to return to skating, much less ice hockey.  

---

There's been more radio silence from Chanyeol since he’s been spending his time at the rink. The lack of notifications in Baekhyun’s phone upsets him, though not one to publicly admit it. Sighing and pocketing his device, Baekhyun makes sure that he has closed his workstation before heading to the elevator. The doors open to reveal the space is occupied. Baekhyun acknowledges the others standing inside before entering himself, positioning as close to the corner as he can.

As the elevator starts to move, Baekhyun’s ears pick up Chanyeol’s names falling from the people in the shared space. He is not one to actively listen to other’s conversation but when Chanyeol is the topic of conversation, he can’t not listen. Apparently the hockey player has been spending all his breathing seconds back at the rink. In fact, he is there right now. Once the doors open on the ground floor, all but one individual makes way to the front doors. Baekhyun takes opposite direction and towards the ice rink.

As he gets closer, he can hear the vicious sound of the contact of hockey stick to puck. Trying to be as discreet as possible, Baekhyun slowly pushes open the metal door and greeted with the familiar blast of cold air. His entrance goes unnoticed so he takes the steps up into the stands to watch the spectacle that is Chanyeol on the ice, striking powerfully.

It’s a couple of minutes before Chanyeol takes a break, standing still on the ice while taking deep breathes to catch the needed air. The arena lights may be blinding but Chanyeol is easily outshining them and Baekhyun finds it hard to take his eyes off him. It takes him by surprise when he watches Chanyeol turn and look straight in his direction. His stealthy entrance obviously not as sneaky as he had thought.

They held eye contact for what felt like an eternity before Chanyeol raised his arm to gesture for Baekhyun to make his way down from where he was sitting. Baekhyun sat up straight as if to contemplate if he should move but his body had already made way before his mind could make the decision. He stops right beside the closed gate to the ice, Chanyeol still at the centre of the rink before letting out a visible sigh and pushing towards the other.  

“I mean on the ice, Baek.” He says before leaning his hands on the barrier, body bending towards Baekhyun before he pushed off and starts gliding back, all while maintaining eye contact.

Baekhyun takes a moment to think, heading spinning with fear and desire before opening the door and cautiously walking onto the ice and closer to Chanyeol. Chanyeol watches his cautious steps, how he’s looking down at his feet with his arms are slightly stretched out for balance on the slippery surface. It’s cute, Chanyeol thinks, as he smiles before pushing himself forwards towards the smaller. The sound of the blades cutting the ice causes Baekhyun to freeze and look up to see the taller coming towards him. Chanyeol’s movements don’t stop and he starts to skate circles around the statue that is Baekhyun.

The atmosphere is indescribable but definitely not uncomfortable, still Baekhyun nervously toys with his fingers before deciding he will be the first one to speak. He starts with small talk, asking how Chanyeol’s recovery has been now that he is back on the ice. Chanyeol replies animatedly, not able to hide his enthusiasm about his progression and spending time back on the ice. It won’t be too much longer till he will be back with the team and that brings a smile to Baekhyun’s face.

“Do you want me to throw some pucks for you to shoot? It’s not much but it’s the best I can do.” He suggests, wanting to be some help to Chanyeol since he has interrupted his training this evening. Chanyeol nods fast like it could cause his head to fly off. He would not want to pass by the opportunity to spend more time with Baekhyun and, on top of it, to do something hockey related like back in their shared university days.

Time passes by and Baekhyun is oblivious to his Rudolf nose as a result of the long exposure to the chilly rink air. The repetitive motion of throwing the puck is causing an subtle ache to grow in his arm but he’s not going to voice it. Chanyeol is here to practise and he will only stop when the latter has deemed this session enough. It isn’t much longer till the taller is stretching out his back, signifying that he’s been out here for long enough.

Despite protests from Chanyeol, both stayed to clear up the rink, ensuring nets were in place and the surface was clear of any holes and debris. The space was filled with minimal talk, repetitive thank you’s directed at Baekhyun for spending his time helping, only for them to be brushed off. He didn’t offer himself for the gratitude he’d receive, it was because he wanted to, wanted to be with Chanyeol and be of something to him in a time where others left him be.

Before parting ways, as they stood outside the rink, Chanyeol asks Baekhyun if he can come see him again tomorrow, to offer assistance or to just watch, his company was what was craved by the other.

Baekhyun kept his promise and came to see Chanyeol the next evening after his work shift. This time entering the rink without keeping his presence a secret. As the door creaks open, Chanyeol stands up from his seat on the bench to greet the other. He beckons Baekhyun to come closer to him, saying that he has brought a present for him.

“I don’t want to pressure you… I brought you these.” Chanyeol says as he bends down to pick up a pair of pristine skates. The sight causes him to freeze as his mind starts to fill with anxiety but not enough for him to not reach out and take the skates into his own hands. Fingers run over the smooth composite body of the shoe as the familiarity hits him. Before there is any recollection of his own actions, Baekhyun finds himself nodding, agreeing to the invitation.

After fumbling with his laces, out of practice from when he used to do it daily, Baekhyun arose and cautiously stumbled his way over to the entrance of the ice. With both hands on the edge, he looks up to make eye contact with Chanyeol who is stood in the middle, patiently waiting for Baekhyun. He’s not forcing Baekhyun’s steps, allowing for him to take it at his own pace which relaxes his nerves enough for him to bring himself onto the cold surface.

But it was a mistake as soon as he did so. His thoughts flooded to his last time on the ice, the nerves, the thought of being hurt again. Baekhyun can’t subdue the anxiety and his vision starts to blur as tears accumulate in his eyes, every inch of his body shaking and he wants nothing more than to curl in onto himself.

Chanyeol, a witness to everything, rushes over to the panicking figure and wraps him up in his arms, clueless at how to handle such a situation. After a few moments, he pulls away from the smaller figure only to take his face in his hands. He’s staring down at Baekhyun’s tear-stricken face and takes his thumbs to rub away the wet tracks streaming down the rosy cheeks. Baekhyun feels nothing but embarrassment and can’t come to move himself away from the situation because of the state he is in and the confinement caused by the large arms wrapped around his shaking frame. The only option he had was to hide in the chest in front of him. Wetness started soaking Chanyeol’s jumper, but he didn’t mind. If this is what Baekhyun needed, he would suffice with tear-stained clothes for the rest of his life.

Once Chanyeol realises that the body in his arms has stopped shaking and Baekhyun is apparently calmer, he pulls back. Baekhyun allows for it to happen but doesn’t move his head from facing down. Not wanting to embarrass the boy anymore, Chanyeol mentally chuckles at the image in front of him. He moves his arms away from where they are holding Baekhyun’s waist to take a hold of his hands. No movements he makes changes the stance of the other.

He’s conflicted in what to do next but ultimately decides to skate backwards, all while keeping a comforting grip on the smaller’s hands and dragging him along. There’s no speed to it, just a gentle pull to show Baekhyun that he is safe and Baekhyun knows it. At the first, he is scared, body stiffening as his feet unwillingly move but the pressure of hands wrapped around his and the large presence towering him brings him the calmness he needs to perceive everything.

Giggles fall out of Baekhyun as they round the rink. Each lap increases Baekhyun’s confidence until he is pushing against the ice alongside Chanyeol, their speed increasing. It wasn’t until Chanyeol felt the grip of Baekhyun’s fingers loosen, to then lose touch, where he slowed down. Flowing past his left side, Baekhyun gracefully glided past, eyes closed laughing as he reeled in the enjoyment of skating again. Chanyeol watched in awe at the beauty of the other as the air blew through his hair, the sight causing him to stop to be able to fully take in the view.

Baekhyun turned to look over his shoulder to see where Chanyeol was at, only to see him still on the surface while looking fondly at him. He fought the shyness that was starting to grow inside and instead followed the confidence, turning to make his way back to the other. He doesn’t stop though, instead deciding to skate circles around the younger like the other did earlier, laughing as Chanyeol turns his head to keep eyes on him as he goes around and around.

Chanyeol sees the chance to pull Baekhyun into him, reaching to grab the hand that Baekhyun unconsciously had stretched out. The grab surprised Baekhyun as his body was bounced backwards and he landed into the chest of Chanyeol. As his chest moved heavily, trying to catch his breath, he looks up only to lock eyes with the other.

Neither make effort to move, just frozen in time in each other’s arms. Chanyeol can’t fight his next movements where he reaches up to hold Baekhyun’s face. He takes the time to admire the plumpness, blessed with a rosy blush that he can only assume is due to the coldness of the rink when in reality it is a mixture of that and at the fault of his actions. Baekhyun allows for everything to happen, although feeling colour flood his cheeks, he can’t help but preen under the attention and the look of admiration pooling in Chanyeol’s Bambi eyes.

“You know… I always thought you were the most beautiful thing in the world. Back at university and now, you still enamour me. I think that’s its grown from infatuation to something more and, as I stand here, I can’t help but to wish that I am the only one to be able to hold you this close, to be touched by your hands both on the ice and off of it. I know the way that you saw me, the old me, but I hope that you have been given a new perspective as I have changed. I want only to be someone you are proud of.”

Time stills as Baekhyun hears the confession and it’s like all his bodily functions are slowly shutting. He feels his knees start to buckle, eyes looking down because he doesn’t know what would come next by looking at the taller. Chanyeol, witness to the crumbling Baekhyun, chuckles before gently gripping the other’s chin, making no motion of guiding his head up, he wants Baekhyun to do that on his own accord.

When Baekhyun does, Chanyeol feels the need to close the gap between them but it’s ruined by Baekhyun stepping out of his grasp and moving to exist the ice. He’s still trying to grasp the situation, trying to read the language of the other. Chanyeol turns to follow Baekhyun. The blushing rouge that flushed Baekhyun’s face gave him the permission to go ahead with his desires.

The hockey player pushed his legs to take him to where Baekhyun is, slightly late as the other has stepped off the ice and the rinks barrier is now between them. Chanyeol doesn’t take it as an obstacle, instead stretches over and manages to grasp the wrist of the retreating figure. Baekhyun lets out a gasp at the contact before he is forcefully pulled backwards, yet again. The direction of the pull causes him to do a 180° turn and the force of it causes for his body to collide with the barrier. While trying to compose himself, he feels a warm hand caress the back of his neck and pulling him closer.

Chanyeol waits a moment as he holds Baekhyun close, faces within distance of that they can feel each other’s breathes tickling their faces. This is the opportunity for Baekhyun to pull away but instead he’s the one to close the space, lips moulding into each other. Baekhyun pulled away as quick as he initiated the kiss, feeling exposed under the gaze of the man stood in front and in the empty arena they are in.

He doesn’t want to stop but he needs the security of a smaller space, where the possibility of watching eyes is closer to zero. “Get to the locker room.” A simple instruction that spoke a thousand more words to Chanyeol.

He opened the door and chucked his skates carelessly to the side. There was more important things for him to worry about and that was the man stood waiting in the room. Baekhyun stood still under Chanyeol’s stare, one that was slowly hardening the longer that there was distance between them. Feeling like prey under Chanyeol’s gaze, like a deer caught in the jaws of a tiger, Baekhyun could do nothing but submit.  

His actions are softer than his appearance as Chanyeol takes Baekhyun into his arms like he is some precious porcelain. The comfort of warmth and security that they offer makes Baekhyun weak and he wants to sink further into the hold but he needs the leverage that having his own arms wrapped around the neck of the taller offers.

Chanyeol is used to rough play, each hockey game was a battle of strength, dominating the ice, and putting his pride on the line. Kissing Baekhyun was everything but that. His soft lips caressed his own like silk pillows and the slow swirl of his tongue was tantalising, bordering hypnotic. Chanyeol was willing to submit.

Baekhyun, subconsciously, leaned his weight into Chanyeol who tried his best to rebalance himself without pulling away. The backs of his knees came into contact with the bench behind and he could do nothing but fall onto it. Neither stopped at the change of height, instead Baekhyun took it to his advantage, coming closer to where he was almost straddling the other, and took control of the kissing. The switch surprised Chanyeol, causing him grunt before melting back into the moment, becoming pliant as Baekhyun’s tongue danced around his mouth.   

He pulled away when he noticed the grip on his hips loosen and the lack of reciprocation to the kiss weaken. Was he doing something wrong? Was Chanyeol regretting kissing him? As Baekhyun opened his eyes he knew his inner thoughts were wrong as, below him, Chanyeol looked blown out in bliss. Baekhyun lets his gaze linger for a moment longer, before bringing his hands to cup the younger’s face and passionately capturing Chanyeol’s lips again. He wants it, Chanyeol wants it and he doesn’t think that he will ever want to stop now that he knows how sweet the other tastes. He’s thinking all this while trying to ignore the pent up fear inside, that he is truly deserving of desiring happiness and Chanyeol being the one to give it to him.

Chanyeol drives Baekhyun home, this time without reluctance from the latter. It’s quiet but the air is wired. When the car stops, he doesn’t know what will happen but he needs to be strong. The kisses he shared with Chanyeol has left a bubbling desire for more but he doesn’t want to act on it, to take things a step too far before their feeling have properly settled and lust isn’t a major driving force.

The car rolls to a stop and so does all motion inside the vehicle, neither knowing what to do next. Baekhyun braves a look towards Chanyeol who is already starting back at him, waiting in anticipation. He makes no other move except to the door handle, thanking Chanyeol for safely taking him back home.

“Aren’t you going to invite me up?” Chanyeol questions with genuine curiosity. Baekhyun pauses for a moment, unknowingly showing the inner turmoil he’s having through his shaking eyes. The fight causes Chanyeol to take himself back, giving the space that the older clearly needs.

Baekhyun notices. Notices the few millimetres that Chanyeol moved, not out of disappointment but to let him know that he has control and his vision is respected. “Next time.” Baekhyun whispers out, letting the other know that this isn’t rejection, before leaning his hands onto the passenger seat and leaning across the console to plant a kiss on his cheek. Simple and sweet, Chanyeol thinks. The perfect way to describe the kiss and the man that it came from.

---

It’s another quiet evening that Baekhyun is spending resting on his sofa, the only movement coming from the flickering pictures on the TV screen. He glances down to his coffee table where his phone resides screen up, showing no life. Baekhyun contemplates his next move before deciding to pick up the phone and open his recent call log. Sitting at the top of the list, 14 hours since their last call, Park Chanyeol. With little thought he presses the name and it starts ringing, signifying his outgoing call. It doesn’t take long till a deep voices comes through his speakers.

“Hello?”

Baekhyun takes a second, still getting used to the idea of the growing relationship between Chanyeol and himself. He hasn’t experienced this in a long time, where there is someone who he knows will always pick up his calls, be there for him when he reaches out.

“Let’s go out?” He questions, though already knowing the answer he will receive. Baekhyun hears the small chuff that escapes Chanyeol. “And to where will the great Byun Baekhyun be taking me to this late in the evening?”

 “I was thinking the convenience store.” Under the guise that he was hungry when, in reality, he just wants to be with Chanyeol. It’s silly, Baekhyun knows it, but he does preen in the fact that he can get away with saying these silly suggestions because the other will always agree. Maybe with the same idea that it doesn’t matter what they are doing, just as long as they can spend more time in each other’s presence.

He is met with the sound of shuffling, signifying that Chanyeol is moving from whatever position he was resting in. “Give me a minute to get dressed. Are we talking about the one down the hill from you?”

Baekhyun blushes as the idea of Chanyeol being topless before confirming his suspicions.

“Wah… You’re really making me drive all that way, this late at night? Will you be inviting me to stay over as compensation?” Knowing it was a joke, with some wishful thinking, Baekhyun laughs before telling the taller that that would be taking it too far. He’s a big boy and will be able to manage the 10 minute drive back to his house after they have eaten and, as always, Chanyeol complies like the giant puppy he is.

---

Over the next few weeks, Jongdae notices the change in his best friend, walking into the office shining brighter, head held higher. He’s respected his privacy but enough is enough and he will corner and pressure the other into talking to satisfy his curiosity.

“Right. Are you going to tell me what’s been going on?” Jongdae says while cornering Baekhyun against the coffee station in the staff room.

Managing to turn around in the little space that Jongdae has left, Baekhyun looks at his friend, taking in the stern expression he is trying to hold. Baekhyun lets out a little giggle, happiness seeping through at the thought of telling someone about his recent adventures shared with a certain, tall, hockey player.

He gestures to the empty sofa resting against the back wall, silently telling Jongdae to take a seat while grabbing his coffee before following him over. Baekhyun doesn’t know where to start and can’t stop when he does, spilling everything from their time in the infirmary to their late-night trips and bedtime phone calls. Jongdae stays silent, only adding small remarks where he deems necessary or to let the other know he is still following along. It makes him happy hearing Baekhyun talk so freely about Chanyeol while his face glows with a euphoria Jongdae hasn’t seen in years.

“I’m glad you’re happy.” Baekhyun can tell that Jongdae is being genuine. The support from his best friend adds to his happiness and with the same, wide lipped grin, he thanks him. A simple thank you that both know means more that what the words mean on the surface.

“Oh, I heard that restaurant down the road has some new specials out, how about we go out afte-“ Jongdae is interrupted by the other’s phone, signifying a text has come through. Baekhyun reaches to dig his phone out of his pocket to read the incoming message. He smiles wide seeing who it was before letting it fall as he looks up at his friend.

“I’m guessing that’s Chanyeol?” Jongdae asks although already knowing the answer from the reaction on Baekhyun’s face.

Baekhyun guiltily laughs, “Yeah, it seems I’ve got another invitation for dinner after work…” Putting Baekhyun in a predicament of what he should do next.

But Jongdae makes the decision for himself, leaving no room for negotiation. Baekhyun will be going for dinner with Chanyeol and they will reschedule themselves for a later date. Though met with immediate retaliation asking for him to let him think about it, Jongdae says that he is not stealing a moment away from the happy couple while they are still in their honeymoon phase.

“We aren’t official.” Baekhyun murmurs, kind of embarrassed over the lack of title he and Chanyeol have.

“Well, go out and make it!”

Tucked away in the corner of a small restaurant sit Baekhyun and Chanyeol, sharing space and whispers as they get lost in each other. Asking each other about their working days and what they do to fill the time that isn’t shared with themselves. Small talk but important talk to them, to draw themselves closer to each other. Chanyeol lets Baekhyun know what he has officially been reinstated into the team and will be participating in their next game. Baekhyun knew of this from talks heard within the office but didn’t let the latter know because the way his face glowed when sharing his news was something Baekhyun wanted to witness for a lifetime. Stars reflecting in his big round eyes as a blush of happiness flushed against his cheeks.

“Are you joining us in Japan?” Chanyeol asks with eagerness, the thought of getting away with Baekhyun and what they could do in the different country.

Baekhyun puts down his cutlery before folding his hands in his lap, knowing that he is going to disappoint the other at no fault of his own. “I haven’t been asked so I’ll be staying here. Don’t worry though, I’ll be supporting you through the screen.”

He can see Chanyeol’s face fall as he takes in what has just been said, sadness seeping through. It’s been months of working hard to bring himself back to the player he was before his injury had taken him off the ice. He was so eager to get back to doing what he loves and to have Baekhyun as witness in the stands but that wish is now crumbling before his very eyes.

“Have you asked? You might be able to persuade them to let you come.” Baekhyun shakes his head in reply, knowing there was no use in trying.

“I guess I’m sad that I’ll be going alone.”

Baekhyun looks confused and questions him, knowing full well that he will be far from alone with his fellow players and the rest of the team. Chanyeol knows this too but he still pushes on. “I’ll be alone in my hotel room.”

“And you wouldn’t be if I was there?” Baekhyun questions and is met with a smirk. Chanyeol follows by sending a wink in his direction and that implies all Baekhyun needs to know, causing a deep red flush.

---

There is no way that Baekhyun would miss the game, although not physically there he is wrapped up warm with a blanket around his shoulders, laptop resting on the small table in front of him. Through the screen he can feel the atmosphere of the arena, the increasing adrenaline as the start of the game inches closer. He smiles when the camera pans the surface of the ice, showing the scattering of figures across the surface but only one is he specially looking out for. Close to the edge, with a couple of their teams players is Chanyeol, bending on the ice to stretch his muscles, revelling in the calm before the storm.

Both teams skate into their positions, crowd roaring them on. Everyone is focusing, eyes on the starting face-off in the centre ring, Chanyeol positioning himself to take strides up the rink as soon as the whistle blows. Japan steals the puck and the game has officially commenced.

The next 60 minutes are action packed with players and sticks battling, each team getting opportunities to attack and defend. Baekhyun could tell that Chanyeol was playing more cautiously, evidently not wanting a repeat of his previous injury, especially in his first game back. Though Chanyeol’s ravenous side was more subdued, he was a constant support in assisting and setting up his teammates.

It was in the third period in which Chanyeol stepped up more and Baekhyun was happy to see it. He comes in from behind to steal the puck off his opposition. With speed, he managed to make space and come closer to the goal but to then be blocked by an opposing player. Quickly assessing who’s around him, Chanyeol made the rash decision to hit the puck away, to his left and towards one of his open and waiting teammates. It was the right move as the person in front didn’t expect it and still headed towards him. Chanyeol turned his foot, resulting in his body twisting away from what would have been a head on collision. Stabilising his footing, he powered alone along the side of the rink as, with the puck being played closer to the oppositions goal, no one was focused on checking him. Seeing an opportunity, Chanyeol yelled in attempt to get the attention of his teammate in control of the puck. It worked and not a second later he lifted his stick to control the puck flying in his direction, pushing forward before forcing the puck behind the goalie and into the net.

The crowd erupted in a roar and so did a small apartment in the centre of Seoul. Baekhyun watched in amazement as he witnessed Chanyeol scoring the last and winning goal of the match.

The broadcast cut off and Baekhyun is delved into silence as he’s cuddled up on his sofa. Not a moment too long after the broadcast had cut off, signifying the end of the game, his phone starts ringing. There is no need to check who the caller is as he has high suspicion that it is one specific individual who has just spent his last 60 minutes battling on the ice. He answers the phone to be greeted with exhaustion ridden huffs, “Did I play well?”

Baekhyun smiled into the hoodie he was snuggled into before letting the other know his personal, defiantly biased opinion of Chanyeol’s match, “You played very well. I’m proud of you.”

He didn’t need to see the taller to know that he was preening at the compliment. Like a giant puppy, Chanyeol revels in the attention, especially when a certain someone compliments him. “When I’m back… do you want to go away?”

The offer was definitely a surprise. Baekhyun waited a few seconds before answering, giving the impression that he was really having to contemplate the decision when he knew that there was no reason to think as he would go anywhere if Chanyeol asked. “Away to where?”

“Wherever you want to go. If it’s the beach, the countryside, my house? Just a weekend to ourselves.” Baekhyun laughs out loud, Chanyeol can hear his smile through the phone. “Yeah, a couple days away sound nice.”

---

It’s been almost a week since they had last seen each other. Chanyeol had arrived back in Korea yesterday afternoon and had planned to see Baekhyun as soon as he set foot on home soil but the latter retaliated. Yes, he wanted to see Chanyeol too but he knew that the combination of flights, the game and socialising has probably burned out the other so, begrudgingly, told him to head home to rest up. Chanyeol needed to regain his energy for the next couple days for their planned trip away. Through a lot of whining and pouting, Chanyeol complied but only for him to come pick Baekhyun up in the early morning.  

The door opens to reveal Baekhyun eagerly standing there with his suitcase beside him. Chanyeol offers out his hand, with intention to take the suitcase but Baekhyun takes it as an invitation for a hug, rushing into him while wrapping his arms around the broad torso. It surprises Chanyeol but he doesn’t waste a second more and wraps himself around the smaller, reeling in the bliss.

“I missed you” Baekhyun says, voiced muffed by the chest he is buried in. Chanyeol squeezes him harder, burring his nose into Baekhyun’s crown with a hum of acknowledgement before replying, “I missed you too.” Letting their warmth wrap around each other as their nostrils fill with each other’s scents. The softness of Baekhyun’s scent physically relaxes Chanyeol as he stays close to the smaller.

Baekhyun pulls his head away, though not changing proximity of their bodies. He gazes up to meet the big eyes staring back down at him. “Did you sleep well? I don’t want you to be too tired having to drive the couple hours to the house we’ve got for the weekend.”

“Don’t you worry, I rested as well as I could and seeing you has only revitalised me to my full potential.”

The car ride was quiet, filled with the humming tunes of the radio falling from the speakers. Baekhyun’s thigh is kept warm by the grounding grip of Chanyeol. Every now and then he can feel unconscious movements of his circling thumb or a small squeeze, each bringing a blushing smile to Baekhyun. He leans against the window as he watches the changing scenery. The tall skyscrapers getting smaller, swapping for more humble homes until they dissolve into nothing, empty fields filled with crops that reflect the golden rays of the sun.

The roads get smaller and there longer intervals between each car they see. It wasn’t long after passing a small town in which they arrive at where they will be resting for the next couple days. The structure stood out on top of the raised hill it rested on. The white of the walls and its natural wood accents complemented well with the surrounding greenery and Baekhyun was excited to see what the inside would look like.

His door opened, movement surprising him as Chanyeol stood amused at Baekhyun’s memorised state. He hadn’t noticed that car being put into park and the taller making his way to open the door for him. “Do you want me to leave you here daydreaming or do you want to come inside?”

Chanyeol reached out his hand to Baekhyun who let out an irritated huff before swinging his legs out of the car and excepting the hand to help him down out of the seat. Chanyeol went to grab both of their bags to take to the door, despite the protest of the smaller.

Inside was no different than the outside. A clean, well-crafted interior that captured Baekhyun’s heart. It felt like a home he wouldn’t want to leave. With the freedom of no luggage in his hands, Baekhyun walked through the kitchen, brushing along the marble surfaces and towards the living room. A large glass window dominated the wall, letting the sunlight pour in, warming the space. Baekhyun rounded to sit in the sofa, taking time to admire the view of the stretched fields in front of them and mountains in the distance.

A hand cascade through his hair and he leans back, sinking into the cushions and the touch. Chanyeol chuckles as Baekhyun lets out a relaxed sigh, eyes closed in bliss.

“This is great, let’s never leave.” He murmured so quietly that Chanyeol almost didn’t hear it. Baekhyun opened his eyes to see Chanyeol staring down at him, smiling. “I agree, let’s stay here forever.”

With reddening cheeks, Baekhyun offered a small smile back before pulling away to sit up with an awkward cough. Being a reciprocate to Chanyeol’s flirting was still new and kind of hard for him to get used to but he didn’t want it to stop. He was selfish in wishing to be the only person Chanyeol focuses on.

They kept the first night simple. Deciding on resting and cooking dinner together before cuddling on the sofa while watching a film on the home’s TV. The domestic feel of everything came naturally to them both and space started to become non-existent. Chanyeol leant against the bathroom sink as he watched Baekhyun diligently brush his teeth. He could tell that he was trying his best to avoid looking at back at his gaze, each time Baekhyun made eye contact his cheeks would flush with a light pink. Chanyeol decided in that moment that pink suited Baekhyun and he would do everything in his power to keep him blushing.

Baekhyun finished by rinsing his mouth out with water, reluctant to bring his head back up from the sink because he could still feel Chanyeol burning holes into him. He tried to take a sneaky look at him through the mirror, but like a second sense, Chanyeol caught him staring through the reflective glass. With a shaky exhale, Baekhyun straightened his back, “right, let’s go to bed?” He turned to leave but was halted as Chanyeol caught his wrist and pulled him into his chest. Baekhyun’s footing stumbled and he had to use his hands to support his weight against the muscular chest of the other.

Hyperaware of everything in this moment, Baekhyun focused on the feel of the steady heartbeat that helped sooth his own. He looked up at Chanyeol, to no surprise, to see nothing but big eyes looking at him, holding the universe inside them. The other used his free hand to cup Baekhyun’s cheek, softly stroking it before using his thumb to trace the mole above his plush lips only to drag it down and pull out the bottom lip that Baekhyun was subconsciously biting.

Chanyeol was losing control. He had been proud of his self-control all day, offering only subtle brushes and soft touches but he wanted more. With Baekhyun pliant and accepting in his grip, he leaned in to where their lips are almost touching. He offered time for Baekhyun to take action if he wanted to step away but instead, he found the smaller leaning in. Their lips brushed before he took control, moulding around the others in an eager exchange. Baekhyun let small whimpers escape him and it done nothing to sate Chanyeol’s sanity. Instead, he moved both hands down Baekhyun’s frame until they were both cupping under his full cheeks.

Chanyeol bent his knees to sturdy his frame before offering a small squeeze to Baekhyun’s bum, signalling for him to jump up into his hold. As Baekhyun complied with the silent command, Chanyeol revelled in the healthy weight in his arms as he pulled away from the other’s lips. Both took the moment of freedom to regain their breaths, synchronised breathing to refuel their oxygen supplies.

Once in a calmer state, Chanyeol starts moving out of the bathroom. Baekhyun tries to kiss him again but it isn’t reciprocated. “Hold on, let me get you safely to the bed. I don’t want to risk hurting you by being distracted.” And Baekhyun understands so instead starts peppering small kisses around his cheeks and neck, making sure to keep Chanyeol’s vision clear as they make their way over. The soft pecks don’t stop as Baekhyun can feel himself sinking into the softness of the cover’s, instead he brings the focus back to the centre of Chanyeol’s face. Kissing his eyelids, down his nose to settle back to his lips.  

Once knowing that the other is comfy, Chanyeol settles on top, closing the distance that he has come to despise. “Let’s stay like this forever, hey?” Baekhyun looks deep into his eyes, seeing nothing but love and sincerity, “let’s.”

---

Baekhyun wakes up cold. Not even the warm glow of the morning sun through the curtains can compensate for the loss of warmth that can only be provided by a tall, puppy like, hockey player. He turns onto his back and stretches his arms above his head to release his tension. In his ideal world, he would stay led here until it was noon but the need to find a certain someone pulled him out of bed. After rummaging through Chanyeol’s luggage to find a hoodie to drape over himself, he left to find its owner.

Sitting outside in the morning sun, coffee cup heating up his hands, was Chanyeol. Baekhyun made his way over, trying to keep the soft padding of his bare feet on the wooden floorboards as quiet as he can. If Chanyeol noticed him, he didn’t let it show. Baekhyun collapsed his weight onto the taller’s back, the surprised pressure causing him to curl forward.

“What are you doing up?” Chanyeol asked while taking a hand to stroke the soft mop of hair that rests on his shoulder. “I could ask you the same thing.” Baekhyun responds back, voice laced with tiredness.

Chanyeol pushed his head up so that the smaller could see him signalling to make his way around the chair to come rest on his lap. “Sorry, I’m an early bird and didn’t want to disturb you. I thought you’d appreciate a longer sleep.”

Baekhyun hums in partial agreement, being one to cherish every second of sleep he can get, he settles comfortably onto Chanyeol’s lap. “You’re not wrong but I would definitely prefer to spend my time wrapped up in your arms, whether that be sat here, in bed, or anywhere else.” He wrapped his arms around Chanyeol’s shoulders, resting his head to look out at the view.

They fall into silence, both looking out into the fields. If this is what forever would look like with Chanyeol, Baekhyun would sell his soul for it. But at the same time, that thought scared him. There was still no security within their relationship, no definite label and that left Baekhyun feeling vulnerable. Is now an appropriate time to bring it up? Baekhyun didn’t know but he needed an answer.

“Chanyeol?” He said when readjusting his position to be able to get a better view of the others face. Chanyeol offered no words but matched the softness of Baekhyun’s tone with an acknowledging hum. “What are we?”

Chanyeol sat still for a moment, body signalling no discomfort caused by the question asked. “What do you think we are?”

The vague reply back was unexpected and it caused Baekhyun’s heartrate to pick up pace. “I… I don’t know.”

Chanyeol turned his head down to look straight at Baekhyun, evidently showing his nervousness in his eyes. Adorable, the only way he could describe the smaller curled into his arms. This was a sight that Chanyeol would want to see each day and he wished that he could have had it sooner. Looking back into the past, if he changed, how would things be now. The past was regrettable but Chanyeol wouldn’t have changed anything if it meant that this present were to never to have happened.

“Well… I hope we both know but I guess it does need to be said, so the universe knows that I, Park Chanyeol, belong to you, Byun Baekhyun.”