Closets Are For Ghosts And Gays | Chanbaek, Chansoo

A Walk Down Memory Lane

"Where are we going?" Chanyeol asked as they walked down the empty road.

"You'll see. It's kind of a long ways on foot, so get comfortable."

They didn't talk the entire time. Normally, Baekhyun's mouth would be running on a motor and Chanyeol would be developing a headache, but that night he seemed content with the silence. It was nice to have some peace and quiet, listening to the spray of water from busy sprinklers and staring up at the glimmering moon.

Chanyeol couldn't remember the last time he saw Baekhyun so relaxed, if ever. It got him thinking where they were heading; it must've been someplace with a deep significance if it got the ghost to shut up for so long. He assessed all of the possibilities, and was surprised to see all of them were wrong when they stopped in front of a house. It immediately clicked, and he felt stupid for not guessing it before.

"Tada!" Baekhyun opened his arms to welcome the sight of the humble abode. "Welcome to Casa de Byun."

Chanyeol stepped onto the lawn and tilted his head back to take in the entire house. "This is where you lived?"

"Only for the first seventeen years of my life! Come on, let me show you around."

"Wait." He reached for his wrist, remembering that he couldn't actually touch him. "People live here now. We can't just waltz in."

Baekhyun phased through the door, ignoring Chanyeol's warning. A minute or two later, he unlocked the door and ushered him inside. "No one's home right now. Hurry up already."

Reluctantly, Chanyeol slipped into the house and followed Baekhyun into the living room. There were photos of a random family lining the walls and completely different decor from what Baekhyun remembered. Yet, he had that bittersweet and familiar feeling in his chest, like nothing had changed in the last seventy-ish years.

"You wanna see my old bedroom?" Before Chanyeol could answer, Baekhyun zoomed up the stairs and entered what looked like a teenage girl's room. Despite the boy band posters on the walls and animal plushies covering the bed, Baekhyun couldn't hold back a smile seeing the old walls and floor of his bedroom.

"I used to have a bunch of comic books and action figures. Oh, and this is where I kept all of my soccer trophies. And I had a huge Beatles poster right over my bed. I had a lava lamp too. It always looked so pretty at night."

Chanyeol stepped into the hallway to see the parent's room down the hall. He wondered what ever happened to Mr. and Mrs. Byun. Baekhyun never talked about them and they didn't seem involved in the story of his death whatsoever. It was like they disappeared from his life.

"Let's go back downstairs." Baekhyun led the way. If he could walk, he would be skipping down the steps. His smile stretched for miles; bigger than any smile Chanyeol had ever seen his face adorn. He sat down on the floor, rocking back and forth like a hyperactive child as he talked about all the board games he played in that very living room.

"I was the king of board games. My parents didn't stand a chance. I didn't have any siblings, so I'd always invite my friends over to play with me instead. They stood a better chance anyway."

Chanyeol sat on the couch and peered into the fireplace. It felt quite homey; every inch of the house was welcoming. He imagined the place must've always been alive with Baekhyun around.

"So, did you move out for college?"

Baekhyun's face gradually relaxed. His head lowered and he turned to look out the front windows. "Not exactly. I wasn't out of high school yet when I left." He paused, chewing on his bottom lip. "My parents kicked me out during my senior year."