Chapter Text
Baekhyun and Chanyeol have some intern jokes that can be considered a little odd for other people. It's no big deal, they just have the habit of calling each other by cute nicknames, like a couple would do.
They probably don't even remember how or when it all started, but they agree that it's something that made them get closer in their friendship and gathers good laughs from each other every time they do so.
Chanyeol always laughs when Baekhyun calls him 'love' or 'honeyboo' and the shorter almost died of laughing once when Chanyeol called him 'princess'.
His friends were startled at first but now they got used to it, even though Baekhyun still notices the smirks of Minseok and Jongdae while they watch them. But that doesn't matter, because he and Chanyeol know it's just a joke between best friends.
'... Right?' Baekhyun wondered to himself as he pondered once again about those apparently innocent jokes. That's what happens on the days he lays on the couch without having many options of what to do.
On the couch of the living room and the remote in his hand, Baekhyun was almost dying of boredom. He stared at the ceiling remembering all the nicknames he had ever used with his friend and giggled. Maybe calling Chanyeol now would be a good idea. He picked up his phone and after finding the contact he was looking for, he called the taller to run away from his boring evening.
"Hi sweetheart," Baekhyun spoke when the call was answered and waited for laughter from across the line, what didn't happen.
"Baek?" a female voice identified him, and Baekhyun froze because he knew that voice. It was Chanyeol's mom.
Shit.
"Uh... hi Mrs. Park, is Chanyeol there?"
"Yeah, he's in the bathroom now, but... Baek, is there something I should know?"
The boy was so embarrassed that he could die of embarrassment at that moment. What kind of conclusions were she making about the way Baekhyun called her son 'sweetheart'? Probably not the best ones.
"P-please don't misunderstand, it's just a joke between us," Baekhyun's voice was wobbly as he tried to explain it to her, which certainly didn't help him sound convincing. "I... I'll call later."
Baekhyun hung up in a hurry, leaving no time for Mrs. Park to say anything else and threw the phone across the couch.
He buried his face in his hands, feeling his cheeks burn. He hoped she would understand that it was all a misunderstanding and would forget about the awkward few minutes that just happened.
✧ ✧ ✧
But that was not what happened.
The moment Chanyeol returned from the bathroom he saw his mother sitting at the dining table with his phone in front of her. When her eyes saw him she told him to sit on the chair in front of her, what made the boy feel a little apprehensive.
"Chanyeol... what's exactly your relationship with Baek?" that shocked the taller for a moment. Where that question came from?
"Well... he's my best friend," Chanyeol replied honestly, his mind automatically remembering how they had always been together since they were born.
"Just friends?" His mother asked him and Chanyeol nodded, making her sigh in disappointment. The poor boy was completely confused about the direction this conversation was taking. "Son, Baekhyun is a wonderful kid. I won't be mad if you two are together."
"Alright..." Chanyeol didn't know anything else to say. He was quite lost at trying to understand why his mother was suddenly talking about it.
It wasn't the first time she made comments about it, but it was the first time she'd been so straightforward about supporting their 'relationship'.
'But there's nothing to be supported,' Chanyeol thought to himself.
She sighed as if her son didn't got the hint of what she was trying to say.
✧ ✧ ✧
Chanyeol thought the topic would be forgotten the moment he stood up from the table, but he couldn't be more wrong.
His mother kept asking about his friend Baekhyun and making comments of how good it would be to have him in their family.
"This house is so big for just the three of us... but seems so much more complete when Baekhyun and his family visits us," she commented at the dinner that night, making Chanyeol stop chewing his food to look at her, who was acting like what she said wasn't a big deal. The boy, however, had to agree with her point He felt happier when Baekhyun was around.
Chanyeol's father was surprised at first, but after a while he seemed to understand what was happening and just nodded smirking at Chanyeol, what only made his son even more embarrassed.
Chanyeol had never been so happy to go to school on a Monday morning, because he'd finally be free of his parent's embarrassing comments.
✧ ✧ ✧
As soon as he stepped into his classroom the taller spotted Baekhyun sitting in his usual seat reading a comic book. Chanyeol sat in front of him and turned to face the smaller one.
"Good morning, love! I missed you," Chanyeol teased laughing and waited for Baekhyun to laugh too as he always did, but this time the shorter just gave him a shy smile and returned his eyes to his comics.
"Are you okay? You didn't even call me this weekend ," the youngest pouted and Baekhyun sighed distressed, closing his comic book. He pursed his lips, seeming to think of something to say.
"I did..." the shorter murmured, and Chanyeol soon noticed the guilty look in his eyes.
Soon after Baekhyun told him everything about what happened the day he called him and Mrs. Park was the one who picked the phone.
"So it's your fault!" Chanyeol pointed accusingly at the eldest who looked confused at him. "She's been bugging me all the time about not telling her we're dating. Now I get why."
Baekhyun sounded even more sorry as he apologized once again.
While the class didn't start, both sat there in silence. Chanyeol was staring at the trees outside the window when he had an idea.
"How about..." he waited for Baekhyun to be looking at him before continuing. "... we date?"
Baekhyun's eyes widened and his face blushed. Chanyeol chuckled at how flustered his friend was.
"Not for real, you idiot! It's only to make my parents think it's true, and we can 'break up' after some time, what do you think?" Baekhyun stared at him and was about to disagree with the idea, when Chanyeol decided to go for emotional blackmail.
"Don't forget it's all your fault that I don't have peace in my own house anymore," that was enough for Baekhyun to sigh defeated and nod agreeing with him.
"All right, so when can you go meet my parents?" Chanyeol was strangely excited with the situation.
"I already know your parents," the taller rolled his eyes at his answer. Baekhyun was not getting into the mood of the plan.
"Yeah, but not as my boyfriend."
They were so busy with Baekhyun all flustered and Chanyeol laughing at him that they didn't notice two friends approaching their desks.
"I can't believe you guys are finally dating and didn't tell us anything!" Jongdae said before faking a sob and Minseok agreed beside him.
"It's not for real," Baekhyun explained, the blush finally leaving his face as he focused on someone other than Chanyeol. "We'll break up eventually."
"What a pessimistic couple," Minseok whispered to Jongdae loudly enough for the other two boys to hear.
✧ ✧ ✧
On the friday after school Chanyeol took Baekhyun to his house after giving the news to his parents the night before. His body still ached from the tight hugs his mother gave him.
The taller noticed Baekhyun was feeling anxious, but didn't ask why. He already predicted the shorter would get nervous with the situation, and he also knew Baekhyun wouldn't admit he was.
The shorter had been at that house almost his everyday of his life, but for some reason this time it seemed different. Their relationship wasn't even real and there was Byun Baekhyun wanting make Chanyeol's parents like him, even though they already did.
He cursed at himself because he thought it was ridiculous. He knew Chanyeol's family like his own, but still he couldn't help it.
"Mom! Dad!" Chanyeol shouted calling for them from the doorway as he placed Baekhyun's backpack on a table and held the smaller boy's hand, pulling Baekhyun into the kitchen with him.
Baekhyun was hoping his face wasn't as flushed as he felt it was. The hand of the taller on his own made him feel more relaxed at the same time it was making him all flustered again.
As they walked into the kitchen, Baekhyun saw Chanyeol's father in an apron — which seemed to actually belong to his wife — picking something from the oven, and Baekhyun recognized it as his favorite food.
"Hello Baekhyun, what a surprise to see you here," the man said sarcastically and Baekhyun laughed.
"Is mom still working?" Chanyeol asked him and his father nodded.
"But she'll be here on time for dinner," he smiled and Chanyeol helped him set the table, Baekhyun doing the same.
✧ ✧ ✧
When Chanyeol's mother arrived everything seemed to get more agitated. She kept asking about them as Mr. Park watched amused the flustered couple sitting at his dining table.
"Well, I... We've always liked each other, right Baek?" Baekhyun looked at taller beside him and nodded, the food he was still chewing stopping him from speaking.
"I'll be honest here, I've always hoped for you to get together!" Mrs. Park had a bright smile on her face and soon after she was telling about how she and her husband got together, and she kept going for the rest of the dinner. Baekhyun and Chanyeol sighed in relief with the end of the interrogation about them.
"I wasn't crying out of joy when you agreed on going out with me! It was allergy," Chanyeol's father protested about the version of the story Mrs. Park was telling of their first date and they started a little discussion while laughing.
The two younger boys watched amused and continued to eat the delicious silently.
Baekhyun pretended that his heart wasn't racing when Chanyeol held his hand under the table.
✧ ✧ ✧
After the dinner Baekhyun was much more comfortable and having a lot of fun, unlike Chanyeol. He even tried to prevent his mother from showing Baekhyun his childhood photos, but she didn't listen to him.
Of course Baekhyun had seen him at that age, after all they grew up together. But he had never seen the photos of the day Chanyeol wore a mermaid costume in a bathtub.
"He thought he was in a Loch Ness Monster costume, but he looked so cute we couldn't ruin his fun," Chanyeol's mother was telling as she passed by the pictures and Baekhyun couldn't stop laughing. Chanyeol made his best puppy face to his father, silently asking for help, but the man just laughed.
"What's wrong Chanyeol? I thought you had already revealed to Baekhyun your true identity as a mermaid."
Baekhyun laughed even more and Chanyeol mumbled feeling betrayed.
His family already loved his boyfriend more than himself.
✧ ✧ ✧
After Baekhyun said goodbye to Chanyeol's parents, the taller took him home. During the car tide Baekhyun kept talking about how much fun he had and even laughed a little more of Chanyeol's childhood photos.
The taller pouted wanting to look mad at Baekhyun, but the smile that he couldn't stop from forming on his lips revealed how happy he was. Seeing Baekhyun laughing so happilly and smiling all bright always made him feel like that.
That was the first time he admitted to himself how beautiful Baekhyun was when he smiled.
✧ ✧ ✧
The next morning Baekhyun woke up in his room and spent a few minutes just staring at the navy blue painted ceiling. He saw his middle brother Kyungsoo passing by his door and calling him to breakfast, making the older get up still a little sleepy.
As he walked down the stairs Baekhyun remembered the night before and smiled at the good laughs he had. He never thought it'd be that fun to be Chanyeol's boyfriend.
Chanyeol.
Baekhyun stopped at the last step when he felt his heartbeat fastening as he remembered the taller taking him home and holding his hand.
He tried to not think about it this early in the morning and waited for his heart to stop racing as he headed towards the kitchen table where his younger brother Sehun was already eating cereal.
His mother was talking on the phone with someone and his father was making pancakes. Baekhyun was going wait for them to be ready and then eat his breakfast.
"Um, Baekhyun..." his mother came back with her cellphone turned off and stood beside him while she petted his hair. He looked up at the woman standing next to him and waited for her to say what she wanted.
"Chanyeol's mother just called and told me about last night," Baekhyun felt his body petrifying. He couldn't even blink as she continued to talk. "Why didn't you tell us you were dating?"
For a moment Baekhyun considered telling the truth and asking them to keep it a secret, but his pride spoke louder when he heard his youngest brother laughing.
"It's a lie. Baekhyun could never get a date," the eldest felt his blood boil and his father gave a light slap on Sehun's head as he returned with the pancakes.
"It's true!" he glared annoyed to Sehun. "I was going to tell this morning."
"Oh really? Who are you dating then?"
"Park Chanyeol."
Kyungsoo complained when Sehun spat the water he was drinking on him and his father almost dropped the pancakes.