Cursed Freedom

Bedtime

(Story under construction  🏗)

Baekhyun insisted on helping Chanyeol clean up the kitchen, despite the late hour.

He chatted casually about some of the places he'd been and some of the interesting people he'd met, along with a few stories of some crazy or hilarious situations he'd ended up in over the years.

Chanyeol felt relieved that none of his musings involved anything sexual because he had had quite enough of those overwhelming feelings at dinner.

When all was said and done, the two looked at a clean kitchen and shared a slightly awkward 'now what?' sort of moment.

Chanyeol finally broke the silence with a deep sigh and a chuckle when he said, "Well I don't know about you but I am tired as hell." It was closing in on two a.m.

"Yeah me too but..." Baekhyun hesitated just a bit, eyes to the floor as he grabbed the hem of his oversized shirt, swaying slightly.

"What? What's wrong?" Chanyeol asked.

"You've been really nice to me and I really appreciate the clothes and... and the food but..."

"But what? It's been fun. I haven't had a guest in years." Chanyeol grabbed the hand that Baekhyun was pulling on his shirt hem with to stop his swaying before pulling it away quickly when he felt a pulsing heat pass between them.

Baekhyun looked up shyly, but still with a little smile. "Can I... can I stay with you? I mean... I didn't mean it like that... I just meant..." he sighed, fidgeting even more, but Chanyeol kept his hands to himself this time, scared of what he might feel if he reached out to Baekhyun again.

Chanyeol was patient with the struggling Baekhyun, staring at him gently, waiting, until he finally blurted out, "Can I crash here for a couple days?"

Chanyeol laughed sincerely, "Dude, don't be nervous, of course you can crash here. Stay as long as you want!" He laughed again, shoving both hands in his pockets. He wanted to touch Baekhyun. To reassure him, but a dangerous game had been started between the two of them and he wondered if Baekhyun knew it too.

He continued, "You're cool, and funny, and... it's not like there's a hotel around the corner." He laughed at his own joke. "It'd be awesome to have you stay here, actually! I get lonely." He said genuinely.

Baekhyun sighed in relief. "You have no idea how some people react when you ask to stay with them. Even if it seems like they're a potential friend."

"Well consider me an 'official' friend." Chanyeol exclaimed flashing him a beaming smile. "Come on, let's get you settled. It's late."

They walked through the kitchen and sitting room to the staircase where they paused.

"Yeah, I know, two flights of stairs when you're dead tired." He sighed dramatically for comedic effect.

Baekhyun giggled and followed, as he tried to keep up with the long-legged giant. Chanyeol noticed and slowed down a bit. He didn't remember if he'd ever met another person his age when he was young, but he knew that he was not just the regular height for his age group. He was tall, way above average, and Baekhyun was rather small in comparison, petite even.

Chanyeol took him back to the first room they had been in, where they had first talked and where Baekhyun had changed his clothes, which were now balled up on the end of the bed in tatters.

Chanyeol suddenly, perhaps nervously, went into overdrive to give Baekhyun a tour of his room.

He crossed to the other side of the large bed and opened a door and turned on the light within. "Ok, so, there's a bathroom over here. Cabinets above the sink contain soaps and pretty much anything else you might need. Tylenol, a spare toothbrush and toothpaste, lotion, stuff like that. Towels are under the sink, and..." he turned off the bathroom lights and left the door cracked a bit.