10080 [(ChanBaek/BaekYeol Fanfiction) (Originally Written By EXObubz)]

Chapter 9 ( Day 7 - Thank You )

10080

When morning came, Chanyeol didn’t feel like going back to the city anymore. But he had to. That was where he belonged. He functioned there. That was where his life was. It was where Kyungsoo was. Heaving a sigh, he got out of bed and checked his phone. There were plenty of missed calls from his boyfriend and Chanyeol figured it was about time to call back.

He got an earful when Kyungsoo immediately answered. There was a lot of “Why didn’t you call me back!?” and “You’ve been ignoring my texts!” thrown around, but as the minutes dragged on and Kyungsoo had calmed down, Chanyeol plainly explained to him that he’d be going home that morning. In a huffy voice, Kyungsoo conceded, telling him to do it quickly so they could move on with their lives. Soon after, they hung up.

Chanyeol took off the clothes that made him the man that once belonged to another time and slipped back into the clothes that he arrived at the house in. He fixed his hair and fitted his suit. Soon after, the next time he looked in the mirror, he recognized the miserable fuck that he had been for the last years.

In the kitchen, he saw Baekhyun sitting at the table. When he looked up, Chanyeol noticed that his eyes were red. It was obvious that Baekhyun had been crying, which made Chanyeol’s chest twist in unimaginable ways even more when Baekhyun smiled.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

A silence ensued as Baekhyun glanced down and took the folder that was in front of him and held it out to Chanyeol with both hands as if one hand was not enough to lift the lightless folder. “It’s all signed.”

Chanyeol grimaced as his fingers took the folder from Baekhyun. They were shaking, but Chanyeol tried to control his body. “Thank you.”

Nodding, Baekhyun looked away. “Will you be staying for breakfast?” he asked quietly.

“No…” Chanyeol replied softly. “I have to get back to the office in the early afternoon…I have to leave as soon as possible.”

Without looking up at him, Baekhyun nodded. “I understand.” Giving Chanyeol one last look, Baekhyun smiled until it hurt everything inside of him. “Thank you for everything, Yeol,” he said in a shaky voice.

Chanyeol felt gutted. He wanted to pull Baekhyun out of his chair and kiss him, cry, and tell him whatever he needed to say in order to make himself feel better. He wanted to fix things. He wanted to stay. Chanyeol genuinely wanted to stay. He didn’t want to go back to his job or to his apartment. His heart yearned to stay in the place that it had always called home, but Chanyeol’s body disagreed.

With a stoic face, Chanyeol gulped and nodded, accepting the fact that Baekhyun had yet again looked away. “It’s no problem. Thank you…for the papers.” Knowing how Baekhyun wasn’t going to respond to that, Chanyeol continued. “Take care, Baek.”

“Bye, Yeol,” Baekhyun said in a whisper like voice. His face was still turned towards the table, refusing to look up.

In a way, Chanyeol was thankful of the fact that Baekhyun was refusing to look at him. He would have seen the sorry look on his face. With a heavy heart that didn’t want to be wretched from the place where it wanted to be, Chanyeol took a step back before turning on his heels.

“Good-bye, Baek…”

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When Chanyeol returned back to his apartment, it was like he returned back as another man. It was funny to him how one week made him despise all he had been for the last two years and what he had done. Kyungsoo greeted him happily, but Chanyeol found that it hurt to smile. He wanted to cry, but he couldn’t. He didn’t want to cry because then his thoughts would go right back to Baekhyun. Instead, he forced his body to wrap his arms around Kyungsoo.