"Chanyeol, how do you feel?" Baekhyun asked as he stepped into the other's hospital room, a small smile on his face, and Chanyeol's favourite foods in his hands. "You look better."

"Better, thanks." Chanyeol had been reading, but put the book away when Baekhyun entered. "You know you don't need to come every day."

It had been two days since Chanyeol had stumbled into the library and Baekhyun had dragged him to the hospital. Since then, the smaller male had been visiting him every day after work, bringing food or entertainment with him.

"I want to, Yeol," Baekhyun replied as he set the food aside and sat down next to him. "You're my best friend and I care about you…"

Baekhyun still didn't know what exactly had happened to his friend, and he was trying to convince the other to tell him without directly asking. Chanyeol sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, wincing when he pulled at the wound on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Baek," He said, looking away from him. "Not now, okay?"

Baekhyun nodded despite knowing that he couldn't see him. He wanted to know, but he wasn't going to force him; he knew when to back off.

"So, the doctor said that you'll be discharged tomorrow," Baekhyun told him, changing the subject. "Are you excited?"

"Yeah, I guess," Chanyeol shrugged, seemingly indifferent. "Not particularly looking forward to going back to work though."

"Boss said you don't need to come back right away," Baekhyun offered, hoping to cheer the other up at least a little bit.

"Right," The taller male scoffed. "I bet he would rather I didn't come back at all."

Wincing at his words, Baekhyun looked down at his lap, realizing that he needed to do something, something to repair this distance between them.

"I'm sorry Chanyeol," Baekhyun forced himself to look at the other. "I hurt you, I acted like an , and I'm just… I hope that we could go back to the way we were before… As much as I deny it, I need you Chanyeol; your optimistic attitude, your encouraging words, your blinding smiles… and just you. You make me feel better about myself. I had no right to take my anger out on you…"

At some point, Chanyeol had turned to look at him, and a small smile was on his face.

"Thank you, Baek," He reached out and touched the other's cheek. "I've already forgiven you, but just, I need a little more time, okay?"

Baekhyun nodded slowly before smiling as well. Relief flooded through him at Chanyeol's words; he had been worried. He placed a gentle hand over the other's hand that was still on his cheek, and was a little startled at the warmth of that one small gesture. Content with the current state of their friendship and feeling a little tired, Baekhyun closed his eyes and leaned into the touch.

The moment was abruptly ended when the smaller male's phone began to ring, causing Baekhyun's eyes to snap open. At the sound, Chanyeol removed his hand from the other's cheek, and Baekhyun couldn't help but be a little disappointed at the loss of the soft touch. Sighing, he pulled out his phone and answered without looking at who it was.

"Hello?"

"Hyung!" Kyungsoo's voice came; he sounded excited. "How are you?"

"Fine, and you, Kyungsoo-ya?"

"Good, good," Baekhyun could imagine him nodding as he said this. "Hey, could I see you for a moment? I'm on break and I know you're at the hospital."

"Huh? Uh, sure."

"Great! I'll be outside the coffee shop. See you soon, hyung!" And then he hung up without another word.

Baekhyun pocketed his phone before turning to look at Chanyeol, his expression apologetic.

"It's fine," The taller male said. "I'll see you later, Baek."

Baekhyun smiled before leaning forward and embracing the other gently, careful not to aggravate his injuries.

"Take care of yourself, Yeol," He whispered into Chanyeol's ear. "Get better soon and I'll see you tomorrow. I'll be here to take you home."

As Baekhyun pulled away and left the room, he felt this inexplicable guilt in the pit of his stomach. He had no idea what had happened to Chanyeol, but he couldn't help but feel like he was at least partially responsible for the other's injuries. His feet carried him downstairs to the coffee shop, but his mind was still on Chanyeol.

"Hyung!" He hadn't even been aware that he had arrived until he heard Kyungsoo calling out to him. "You're here!"

Baekhyun responded with a weak nod before following the doctor into the small cafe and ordering a small coffee, black; for him, that was the only way that he could drink it, he thought that it tasted disgusting with milk and sugar. After they had sat down, Baekhyun looked at Kyungsoo questioningly.

"Is something the matter, Kyungsoo-ya?" The older male asked, taking a small sip of his coffee but keeping his eyes on the other. "Did something happen?"

"I just wanted to ask about… um…" Kyungsoo stuttered, a light blush covering his cheeks. "About, well, your… your feelings."

"I…" Baekhyun hesitated; he had almost forgotten about the way that the doctor felt about him, having been a little preoccupied with other things. Baekhyun didn't feel the same way about the doctor; he felt the same way about Kyungsoo as he did with Chanyeol; he didn't want to hurt him though. "I'm sorry, Kyungsoo-ya… but I think I need a little more time." Truth be told, he was still reeling a little from his 'relationship' with Jongin.

"Oh…" Kyungsoo looked down at his lap, disappointment written all over his face. "Um… how much time?"

"I… I'm not sure," Baekhyun fought the urge to look away as well, even though the doctor wasn't looking at him anymore. "Just… maybe you should forget about… well me."

Baekhyun regretted the words almost the instant they were out of his mouth, wincing at the insensitivity of them. Kyungsoo gave no response to those words, just continued to stare down at his lap. Baekhyun sighed before trying to reach out to the other.

"Kyungsoo-ya, I'm so sorry." He said, hoping that it wasn't too late.

The doctor finally looked up at that and just shook his head before standing up.

"No, hyung," Kyungsoo's eyes betrayed his every emotion, and his grip tightened on his coffee cup. "Maybe you're right."

He walked away then, and tossed his still full cup into the trash. Baekhyun groaned loudly as he placed his head on the table; well, he had certainly made a mess of things. Completely forgetting about his coffee, he got up and almost ran home, hoping that he would be able to sleep the rest of the day away.

During a short break the next day, Baekhyun found himself at that coffee shop where he had met Yixing, and as he thought about their first meeting and the spilled coffee and everything that came afterwards, he couldn't even contain the smile that spread across his face. Baekhyun remembered Yixing's soothing speaking voice, his beautiful singing voice, the safety and comfort he had felt in the other's arms, the other's forgetfulness, and just every moment and everything related to the other. When his memories wandered to the place that was their imminent break up, it took all his willpower to stop the tears that were threatening to spill.

He noticed that he was next in line, and suddenly any craving he had had for coffee vanished so he left the shop, not wanting to be there any longer. Baekhyun began that long walk back to the library, purposely walking slower than usual. Unconsciously, his hand wandered to his pocket, pulled out his phone, and dialed Yixing's number; even after all this time, he still hadn't removed the other from his speed dial.

"Baekhyun-ah!" It wasn't until he heard the other's voice on the other side did he realize what he had done due to his loneliness. "How are you?"

"Hyung…" Baekhyun said, his voice soft. "I… I need to see you…"

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

The tears began to roll down his cheeks at the worry in Yixing's voice, and he was hit with the overwhelming need to just be with him.

"Please hyung… I need…"

"Of course, Baekhyun-ah, I'll meet up with you after work?"

Baekhyun began to nod but then remembered that they were on the phone. "Please…"

"Our usual place, 5?"

"Okay."

"Okay, Baekhyun-ah, I'll see you then."

And then the line went dead. Baekhyun just stood in the same spot for a good five minutes before moving again, the thought of seeing Yixing both a motivator, as well as not; truthfully, he wasn't sure if he was ready to see the other again, despite the pleasant way that their relationship had ended, Baekhyun deeply regretted breaking up with Yixing.

During the short period that they had been together, they frequented a small ice cream shop that was close to Yixing's apartment, and every time they would try something different. As Baekhyun entered that shop for the first since their break up, the first thing that hit him was a sense of nostalgia, and he realized that he had missed this place almost as much as he missed being with Yixing.

"Baekhyun-ssi!" Someone called out his name, tearing his thoughts away from his memories. "Hey, long time no see!"

"Jongdae-ssi," Baekhyun smiled at the other as he approached the counter. "It has been. How are you?"

Due to his and Yixing's frequenting of the place, he was acquaintances, if not friends, with many of staff at this place; Jongdae was one that he was particularly closer to.

"Great, great!" He smiled widely as he reached out and clapped Baekhyun's shoulder. "Alone today? Where's Yixing-ssi?"

Baekhyun winced, a bit more at the words than the sudden contact.

"He… he'll be here soon." He couldn't bring himself to tell the other the complete truth.

"Okay," Jongdae nodded; if he had noticed anything off, he didn't show it. "So what will it be today?"

"Um…" Baekhyun turned to look at the selection, his face thoughtful; he was always in the mood for ice cream. "Ooh, the Strawberry Cheesecake looks good, can I get a medium cup of that?"

"Coming right up!" Jongdae announced happily as he set to work scooping out the ice cream. "So how have you and Yixing been? How come you guys haven't been coming around anymore? We missed you!"

Baekhyun didn't answer though; he didn't know how to answer.

"Hello? Baekhyun-ssi!" Jongdae called as he waved the other's ice cream in front of his face. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, Jongdae-ssi," Baekhyun looked up, startled, at the very familiar voice that saved him. "We're fine."

He felt Yixing wrap an arm around his shoulders before winking at him. Baekhyun shivered at the light contact and just watched as the other made his order as well. His eyes stayed on Yixing; part of him surprised just how natural this still felt despite how long it had been. The older male looked at him and gave him a loving smile, his adorable dimple appearing his face, and Baekhyun smiled back, feeling most of the tension and stress that had been building up inside of him just melt away.

Baekhyun was brought back to reality by a light kiss placed upon his forehead. Blinking, he realized that they were no longer in the shop, and he had no idea when that had even happened.

"Yixing, I-!" His thoughts were cut off as the other suddenly pressed his lips to his. Baekhyun kissed back after recovering from his initial shock, and, for the moment, he could pretend that everything was really all right between them. Shivering from the tingles that were sliding down his spine from the contact, he knew that this was something that he had missed most with Yixing. The older male pulled away first with a sheepish grin on his face, and Baekhyun was once again faced with the reality of their situation.

"Yixing…" Baekhyun whispered, his fingers unconsciously drifting up to his lips. "I…"

"I'm sorry," Yixing replied as he pulled the other into his arms. "I just missed doing that…"

Baekhyun felt his cheeks heat up as the other gently and quickly kissed him again before removing his arms.

"Let's get back to my apartment before the ice cream melts."

The younger male vaguely remembered nodding, but his mind was still in a daze.

"So, Baekhyun-ah," Yixing said softly as he sat down next to the other and handed him his ice cream. "What's the matter?"

Baekhyun stared blankly at the ice cream in his hands, and, for the first time ever, did not feel like eating it. Putting the already melting ice cream on to the coffee table before him, Baekhyun turned back to Yixing and wrapped his arms around the other tightly.

"I just… I really missed you, Hyung," He whispered, placing his head on his shoulder. "I needed to see you."

Yixing took a moment to set his own ice cream aside before embracing the other tightly.

"I'll always be here for you, Baekhyun-ah…"

Liking the sound of that, the younger male snuggled a little closer. "Could we… could we just stay like this for a bit?"

Yixing didn't say anything, just adjusted himself slightly so that he was comfortable, before placing his head on top of Baekhyun's head. Baekhyun sighed in content before closing his eyes.

"Hyung…" The younger male wasn't sure what he had to gain from this question, but he wanted to ask, need to ask. "Are you… are you seeing anyone?"

"I am, actually," Yixing said after a heartbeat of hesitation. "What about you?"

Baekhyun felt his heart sink at those words; a part of him had been hoping that they could work things out, resume the beautiful relationship that they had had before, and now he regretted even asking the question.

"I… was…" His reply was barely audible as flashbacks of his relationship with Jongin played in his head. Wincing at the pain that he could still feel, Baekhyun closed his eyes and tried to nestle closer to Yixing. "I just wanted to talk to you, hyung, ask for your help…"

"Sure, what did you need?" The older male began to soothingly rub the other's back, a soft smile on his face.

"I…" Baekhyun was reluctant for all of a second before he started talking, finding that he couldn't stop. He told Yixing about Jongin, they way he had felt played and used, about how he had done the same to Junmyeon, about how he had run into Kyungsoo again, and about how the doctor had confessed his feelings to him and how he had responded so harshly. Yixing listened to all of it without a word, his hands continuing to rub Baekhyun's back.

"And now I don't know what to do…" The younger male sighed. "I made a huge mess of things, didn't I?"

"Well, you're clearly not ready, Baekhyun-ah," Yixing spoke calmly, reassuringly. "I'm sorry that you had to go through all that, but I think that what you was right, although maybe not the last part."

Baekhyun cringed inwardly, still regretting what he had said.

"Just take your time," Yixing continued. "If he truly loves you, he will wait, no matter how long you need."

"…Thank you, hyung." Baekhyun was now completely relaxed; Yixing always knew exactly what to say.

Sitting up and moving away from the other, Baekhyun reached out and picked up his ice cream before eating a spoonful. By this point, the ice cream was almost completely liquid, but that didn't stop him. Yixing had solved his problems, and he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, so he was definitely in the mood for ice cream again. Yixing's musical laughter filled his ears as he watched him pick up his own ice cream and take a bite as well.

The next few hours passed with light conversation, ice cream and just enjoying each other's company. Baekhyun had missed this so much, and for those few hours, it was like the two of them had never broken up. Except, despite their happy outward appearances, the two them knew that they could never go back to the way they used to be.

Another two weeks passed, Chanyeol was back at work, and Baekhyun was just happier overall. Yixing and Baekhyun had remained in contact since then, occasionally calling each other and just laughing the next few hours away. For two weeks, he had also been avoiding Kyungsoo's phone calls and messages; Yixing was right, he needed time, and if the doctor truly loved him then he would wait.

On that particular day, Kyungsoo had yet to call him, and Baekhyun realized that he was waiting for him to call, because he finally felt ready, or ready enough, to start over. When the doctor still hadn't called by the time he was done work, Baekhyun decided to give him a call.

"Hello?" Kyungsoo's voice came, rather emotionless. "What is it, Baekhyun hyung?"

"Kyungsoo-ya…" Baekhyun took a deep breath, excited for the other's response, knowing that he would be happy too. "I… I wanted to-"

"Hyung, it's too late," Baekhyun froze at those words.

"What?"

"You were going to say that you're ready to return my feelings, right?"

"How-?"

"It's too late, hyung," Kyungsoo deadpanned. "You told me to forget about you and I have."

And then the line went dead. Baekhyun's hands were shaking as he removed his phone from his face and just stared at it, disbelief flooding through him. That wasn't supposed to happen! They were supposed to happy together! His breathing became erratic as his phone fell out of his hand and on to his apartment floor with a loud clang.

He fell to his knees and tears began to roll down his cheeks. Baekhyun felt lost, exhausted, and Kyungsoo's words continued to echo inside his head. He had been too late. Kyungsoo had forgotten about him… Lying down on the floor, he curled into the fetal position and continued to cry; his thoughts too jumbled to sort out and he was just too tired to keep thinking.

Eventually, he fell into a restless and dreamless sleep, still curled up in the same position. He was woken up by the cold wind nipping at his exposed skin from the window that he had left open. Baekhyun got to feet shakily, the clock on his wall told him that it was almost midnight, but he didn't care. Slowly, he moved to his desk and gingerly lowered himself down on to the chair. Pulling out his journal, he flipped to the next blank page and wrote down everything about Kyungsoo, right down to the rejection that was still ringing in his ears.

Storge: affectionate love that slowly develops from friendship, based on similarity

Or, at least, that's what it could have been.

End of chapter 9

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First of all, I would like to say: Happy birthday to my darling Baekhyunnie! ^_^ <3

This chapter is almost twice as long as my other chapters... I may have tried to cram way too much into one chapter... I'm sorry if it's boring, and I'm sorry for the angst... OTL And next we start a new arc, I supposed I could call them. 

Thank you so much for all your support ; A ; it's for you guys that I still continue this fic. When you subscribe and comment, it really makes my day. <3

So until next time! ^_^ Which will probably be... when I post part two of my What You Mean to Me fic, which is looonnggggg overdue OTL it's coming though, I promise!