you're different • chanbaek

Pt. 9

Baekhyun quickly took the photo from Chanyeol's hand, his mind racing as he just stared back at the picture, the happy faces glaring back.

Chanyeol looked down at the ground, knowing deep down he should of just put it back in the notebook, not taking a second glance at it.

Silence filled the space between the two, it was as if the leaves stopped rustling and the river stopped running to Chanyeol. The guilt started to swim around him, suffocating him.

Baekhyun looked back at the latter, his heart dropping at the look on his face. "I'm sorry." Chanyeol said once he noticed Baekhyun looking at him.

Baekhyun pursed his lips slightly. He brought out his phone, and began to type.

B: It's okay.

With the ding of Chanyeol's phone he didn't waste a second replying.

C: I should of just put it back.

B: I was wondering where the photo had went for a while now.

Chanyeol looked up from the phone noticing Baekhyun's forced smile, his eyes still remaining sad. He began to type, even if it was just sputtering nonsense to try and keep the guilt away, before he could hit send Baekhyun spoke up.

"I wasn't always deaf."

Chanyeol froze, he didn't know what to do or say to reassure Baekhyun, he didn't know why he was telling him this in the first place.

"You don't need to—" Chanyeol began, his eyes locked with Baekhyun's.

The smaller just shook his head, institing Chanyeol to listen or read or whatever form of communication he could muster up to just let someone know, for someone to finally understand.

B: That photo, it was a week after my eighth birthday. I insisted on going to the beach and my dad managed to get the day off.

Chanyeol just stared at the text, not finding the courage to look at Baekhyun, not finding it within him to look at those small sad eyes again.

B: I remember fussing about an inflatable in the backseat, my mum tried to reach around and get it but I insisted on my dad doing it.

Chanyeol looked up to the smaller, noticing the tears streaming out of his eyes. His heart breaking at the sight.

B: So my dad just turned around even though he was driving. I finally felt happy that he was giving me attention but then my mum started yelling and shouting, my dad tried to turn around but it was too late.

Baekhyun was sobbing now, Chanyeol placed his hand on his shoulder giving him a small reassuring squeeze, trying his best to comfort him.

B: Then she stopped screaming, everything just went silent.

Baekhyun finally looked up from the screen, trying his best to wipe his tears. "It was all my fault." He finally spoke, his voice so quiet it was almost a whisper. Every time he thought back to the accident that caused his deafness a surge of guilt always overcame him, he knew it was his fault. It was his fault his dad was dead, it was his fault he couldn't hear anymore and a part of him felt as though he deserved it. He deserved all of it.

"Don't say that." Chanyeol began, pulling Baekhyun into a comforting hug.

Baekhyun just shook his head and continued to cry. "He's gone and it's all my fault." He sobbed into Chanyeol's shoulder.

He didn't know why he told Chanyeol but ever since he saw him fighting Yifan, he knew he could trust him. He could feel the latter's breath brushing against his hair, he couldn't be bothered to see what he said, nothing could change what he'd believed for so long.

The two sat there for a while, Chanyeol holding Baekhyun as he shook and cried. Chanyeol didn't mind, he felt somewhat better that Baekhyun could trust him, that he wasn't going to hurt him like Yifan or Sehun did.

Chanyeol didn't know how to comfort the smaller, he was never good with these sort of things. But he wanted to do everything he could to stop the him from crying. Before he could say or do anything he quickly flinched at the raindrop that plopped itself on his head.

Then came another and another until it started pouring with rain, "Come on, let's go inside." Chanyeol said, not sure if Baekhyun even acknowledged the fact he just spoke.

He began to get up, helping Baekhyun as well. The two finally made it back to the small home, their trip back quiet, Chanyeol only hearing the small sniffles from Baekhyun and the sound of the rain hammering it's way through the trees to the forest floor.

B: I'm sorry.

Chanyeol read the text message, not even realising Baekhyun had his phone out before.

C: Don't apologise. It's okay.

B: I've just made this day a bummer now.

C: Do I look bummed out?

Chanyeol looked up from the screen, his eyes meeting Baekhyun's puffy, red ones. He gave the smaller a smile, his lips curling up even more when Baekhyun smiled back genuinely.

Baekhyun made his way over to the kitchen counter and picked up the money his mother left him, his eyes only quickly scanning over one of the many written notes she'd always leave him before she went off to work.

He held up the note and smiled eagerly to Chanyeol.

"Pizza?"

...

Once Chanyeol had phoned the pizza place for a delivery the two sat down in the living area as they both watched a cheesy horror movie on the TV.

He took his eyes off the screen to the smaller, smiling slightly to himself as he watched at how engrossed Baekhyun was with the film.

With the ding of the doorbell, Chanyeol decided he'd answer it. Soon enough, he was back in the living room, stomach full with pizza.

He tried his best to focus on whatever was happening on the TV but his eyes were heavy and threatened to close with every blink. Sleep was always his biggest enemy, and the cozyness of Baekhyun's home and his full belly didn't help the problem at all.

Sleep soon won the battle.