Cursed Freedom

Talent

(Story under construction  🏗)

   "Chanyeol? Baby? YEOLLIE?!" Chanyeol heard someone calling his name through blurry vision and muted sounds.

   He could hear crying, and that's when it hit him. He had blanked out again. He opened his eyes a bit and felt slender fingers clutching either side of his face, "Baby, don't leave me again! Please! CHANNIE!"

   He blinked a few times and lifted his head to look around the foreign room, the beautiful, shiny, black grand piano sitting in the middle of it. He slowly came back to himself and lowered his eyes to the boy kneeling in front of him.

   Baekhyun.

   And he was crying.

   Chanyeol could feel hands on either side of his face and lifted his own, larger hands to hold them.

    Baekhyun looked up at him and, after seeing the other looking him directly in the eye, threw his arms around his neck, sobbing.

   "I thought you were gone again. You scared me so bad, baby..." he leaned back on his heels and gripped Chanyeol's face once again, "Are you okay? Talk to me."

   Chanyeol looked from Baekhyun's gorgeous face to the elegant piano and back again several times before speaking. "Yes," his voice sounded raspy and low, and he was still processing everything, but he was aware enough to see the tears streaming down the other's cheeks and wanted nothing more than to make it go away for his love.

   "Yes, I'm fine," he replied as he nuzzled his face against one of Baekhyun's hands, still gripping his face. "Just... how did you..." he pulled back and made a motion with his chin towards the piano.

   "Oh my god, Yeollie!" He nearly shouted, relief evident in his voice, on his face. "Don't scare me like that, babe!" He pulled the other up until they were both on their knees and leaned against him in a full, tight hug, pressing his face into the crook of the taller's neck. He left a ghost of a kiss on his Adam's apple and sighed, again, relief dripping from his lips.

   After a few minutes, Baekhyun ceased his crying and reluctantly let Chanyeol go, both of them sitting back on their heels, knee to knee.

   "I'm here, baby, it's alright. I'm so so sorry for scaring you. Just... What happened? How did you...?" He pointed at the piano with his finger this time. "You never told me you knew how to play the piano."

   Baekhyun blushed, as he always did at the compliments on his musical talent. "I um... I took lessons as a kid. I can't believe I still remember how, honestly. Muscle memory, I guess..." he said shyly, scratching the back of his neck.

   "It was beautiful, babe. Really. I don't understand what there is to be embarrassed about. You're incredibly talented. And the music. I never realized how much I missed music..." he let all his jumbled thoughts re-organize themselves in his head while he sat there. "But there's never been a fourth floor in the mansion. And the piano... It looks just like the one that used to be downstairs. How did you...?"

   Baekhyun shrugged, scratching at the back of his neck again, which he always did when he was nervous, "I um... I asked for it." He laughed and continued talking, "After you told me about the gym just... appearing to you one day, I thought, 'What's the harm in asking?' Although I will admit that I felt a little bit silly talking to a house." He shook his head dramatically and giggled, planting a kiss on Chanyeol's cheek.

   "I always wanted to learn the piano. My mother played beautifully." The tall boy said.

   "Well, um, I could teach you..." He offered, but an obvious blush was clear on his face.

   "Really? You'd feel comfortable with that?" Chanyeol asked. He knew how coy Baekhyun could be about the things he was good at.

   "Everything is fun when I'm doing it with you, Yeollie." He whispered with a wink and a smile as he worked himself off the floor and onto his feet, holding out a hand to the giant kneeling in front of him. "Come on!" He exclaimed excitedly. Pulling the other up and towards the piano bench.

   They sat in the new room for hours, playing the piano until they abandoned the task in favor of sitting face to face, straddling the bench and talking, telling stories and laughing until it was late into the afternoon.