The Secrets You Hold | chanbaek

Eleven.

They were laying sideway across Chanyeol's bed, their bodies stripped naked with their clothing strewed across the room. Chanyeol's blanket covered them as they quietly laid there, wrapped in each others warmth. Chanyeol sighed and turned his head, being careful not to disturb Baekhyun, who was sleeping with his head on his chest, to peer at his alarm clock.

It was nearly three, which meant Taemin's afternoon class was just getting out. He'd be home soon.

Chanyeol sighed again as he gently caressed Baekhyun's arm, and softly muttered, "Hey, Baek. My roommate will be home soon. We have to get you back . . ."

Baekhyun stretched out with a soft moan, and groggily mumbled, "I wish I didn't have to leave."

Chanyeol smiled sadly, and kissed the top of his head as he softly replied, "I wish you could stay too. We should make plans to see each other again before you have to go . . ."

Baekhyun nodded, and sat up with a yawn. He rolled over onto his stomach, and reached over the bed for something. When he came back up he passed his phone to Chanyeol as he said, "Add your number to my contacts." He rubbed his face before climbing out of bed. He went to Chanyeol's desk and plucked a pen out of a cup full of pencils and other pens, before climbing back onto the bed and lifting his leg over Chanyeol's waist to straddle his lap. He uncapped the pen with his teeth as Chanyeol began to enter his number into Baekhyun's phone, as Baekhyun proceeded to write his number just above Chanyeol's right nipple.

xxx-xxx-xxxx
– B 🖤

"There! Finished," Baekhyun smiled as he capped the pen, and leaned forward to kiss the spot he wrote his number.

Chanyeol smiled and grabbed the pen before reaching out for Baekhyun's hand, uncapping it again as he wrote something onto Baekhyun's palm; causing for a tickling feeling to spread up Baekhyun's arm and for him to playfully wiggle his fingers and lightly laugh. Chanyeol grinned and kissed Baekhyun's palm, before folding his fingers over as he softly said, "Don't look at your hand until you're home."

Baekhyun grinned too and teased, "Well, aren't you a romantic."

Chanyeol laughed and reached out for Baekhyun's cheek, pulling him close for a kiss as he murmured, "For you, I'd be anything."

Baekhyun kissed him back as he said against his mouth, "All I want, is for you to be mine."

"Already done," Chanyeol softly replied.

* * *

Baekhyun was lounging on his couch reading a book for a class paper he had to write for literature, when he remembered that Chanyeol had written something on his palm. He smiled as he set the book aside, and glanced down at his hand. The words had slightly smudging because of touching things and from the moisture in his palms, but the words were still distinguishable as he read:

Read this when you miss me.

I love you, my beautiful boy from my dreams.

– C 🖤

Baekhyun smiled, and wiped away the tears that fell over his cheeks. The words had been slightly smudged, but he still managed to make out what it said just the same, and it warmed his heart.

He kissed his palm and softly muttered, "I love you too, my miracle boy." Baekhyun sighed and fell back against the couch, his eyes closing with another soft sigh; he fell asleep before he even realized he had.

When he woke up later in the evening, it was from the sound of the front door opening. He woke up with a yawn, and stretched as he sat up.

"Baek, you home?" Daehyun called.

Baekhyun yawned again and called out, "Yeah! Hey, Dae! I'll meet you in the kitchen!" Baekhyun got up and stretched his limbs out as he made his way towards the kitchen.

He began to pull out a pan and the chicken he had placed in the fridge the night before to thaw; he was cutting open the package and placing it into the pan when Daehyun walked into the room. Daehyun smiled when he saw Baekhyun and wound his arms around his waist from behind. He kissed his neck, causing Baekhyun to playfully squirm as Daehyun grinned at his behavior and asked, "Did you have a good day?"

Baekhyun blanched guilty as memories filled his mind. He ducked his head down to hide his face as he brightly replied, "Yeah, it was good. I got a start on my reading for my literature class, and I'll be working on it more later so I may be late to bed...." Baekhyun trailed off.

Daehyun nodded and kissed the back of his neck. "That's okay, I know how important your studies and grades are to you. Take your time tonight," Daehyun said with a smile.

Baekhyun smiled weakly in response, as guilt began to chew at him. He exhaled a shakily breath as he mentally shook his head, and forced himself to focus on the cooking food.

He was leafing through a cook book to check the directions, when Daehyun curiously asked, "Baek, what's on your palm?"

"What?" Baekhyun asked as he automatically moved to cover his hand.

"It looked like you had something on your hand.... Are you okay?" Daehyun asked in concern as he made a move to look at Baekhyun's palm.

Baekhyun diverted around him, trying to be casual as he chuckled and said, "Oh, right! I wrote down something I needed from the store so I wouldn't forget while surrounded by all that tempting food." Baekhyun laughed again as he turned on the sink and washed away the words, watching on sadly as they bleed away into the drain.

Baekhyun sighed before glancing up to meet Daehyun's gaze. "All clean," he whispered with a small hint of dejection.

Daehyun either didn't notice or choose not to say anything, but by the awkwardness Baekhyun felt soon after between them, he silently cursed himself. He didn't want to hurt Daehyun, not again, but as the image of Chanyeol's smiling face flashed in his mind he knew he didn't have a choice. It was cruel, but he couldn't possibly bring himself to saying anything just yet. And how the hell would he even begin to explain . . .?

So instead, he'd pretend nothing was wrong. He'd continue to love the man he had promised to marry, but knew he never would. While every chance he got he'd sneak away to be with his soulmate; something he honestly believed they were.

Word count: 1,085

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A/N: ☹️

I feel bad for them. It's just complication after complication; an endless cycle . . .