The Letter

The Buffer Intermission

The next day at school, Baekhyun was expecting Chanyeol to be his usual self. He expected the giant to find him, run up, and smother him against the lockers like he would do every once in a while since Chanyeol was prone to getting himself carried away. But when that morning actually played out, Chanyeol didn't do any of the things Baekhyun had expected him to do.

At his locker, Chanyeol approached him. Baekhyun turned, and before he could even greet him, Chanyeol thrusted a stuffed bear, a card, and a bag of candy into his arms. Baekhyun looked down at the items before looking back up to his boyfriend, who wasn't featuring his signature morning smile.

"Happy late birthday," Chanyeol said, emphasizing the word.

Baekhyun raised a brow. "Um, thanks—" He stopped. "How did you know that—"

"Kai. When he and Kris stopped by at Yoona's party," Chanyeol said in a tough tone. "Since it was your birthday yesterday, can I assume that the party that you invited me to was your birthday party?"

Baekhyun slowly nodded. "Yeah."

Chanyeol continued to look down at him in silence for a moment. "Well, I got you those."

Baekhyun glanced down again. "Right. Thanks."

There was another silent moment between them. "If I had known that it was your birthday, I would've gone."

Baekhyun only shrugged. "It's fine."

Chanyeol pursed his lips at the words. "Fine? You keep saying everything fine, Baek!" he growled. "You tell me everything's fine when it's not! It's not fine that you didn't tell me that it was your birthday. It's not fine the way you kept the fact that the party you were inviting me to was a birthday party. It's not fine. It's really not, Baekhyun!"

Baekhyun frowned. "You make it sound like I purposely kept everything from you, Chanyeol, when really, you just never gave me the chance to tell you—"

"—But that's the thing!" Chanyeol scowled. "You had the entire week to tell me. The entire fucking week."

Baekhyun's jaw locked. "What? Was I supposed to have you come to my lame ass event when I knew that you had to be somewhere else more important?"

"Yes!"

"Chanyeol, if Kris and Kai had to attend Yoona's party before mine—if Sehun was fucking obligated to go in the first place—then by comparison, my party was not as important, and you, for one, had to be where you had to be," Baekhyun snapped. "I can't stand in your fucking way. I don't want to. You had to be there and I couldn't just selfishly tell you to not go."

He was about to retort, but Chanyeol knew that Baekhyun was right. He did have to be there. His entire family had to be there because they were the hosts. He even got an earful when he went back home for leaving the party—and Yoona—without permission.

Before Chanyeol could respond, Baekhyun just shook his head and pushed everything that Chanyeol gave him back in the giant's arms. Chanyeol frowned. "What the hell are you doing?"

Baekhyun glanced at him before closing his locker. "I don't want them."

Chanyeol's grip on the items tightened. "Why not?"

Baekhyun sighed before giving Chanyeol a softer look. "Because you're angry at me right now and I feel like you're giving them to me to spite me..." Baekhyun turned his head from Chanyeol slightly before turning around to go to class. "Later..." he mumbled before he left, leaving Chanyeol with the items.

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Chanyeol cursed out vulgar words and let out an aggravated growl when Baekhyun left. He hated himself. He lost it. Chanyeol thought that he could carry on with Baekhyun as if nothing happened; as if the missed date and the missed birthday party never happened; as if the lingering thought of Baekhyun letting Lay kiss him never burst in his head the night before. Chanyeol tried, but not even twenty seconds into the morning with his vixen, he let his agitated and irked side butt its ugly head out.