Chanyeol:

"Wow… we could record our entire next album in here!" Baekhyun giggles. He finally remembers his drink and brings it to his lips. He takes great big gulps until his glass is empty. "You're so right, I'd never forgive myself for spilling anything in here!" He laughs again, looking at me for guidance.

"You can come all the way in, I trust you." I let out a little chuckle of my own. I take his empty glass and sit it on my desk.

Baekhyun moves to sit at the keyboard and plays a few familiar notes. Closing his eyes, he pauses his playing to sing a small piece of one of our most popular songs, but as the song has a very pop, almost grunge feel, I barely recognize it. He sings it so softly and slowly.

It transports me back a few years, listening to him play before that sold out arena with the same quiet, raw emotion as he is putting off now. He has the most beautiful voice I've ever heard.

"Baekhyun? Bae!" I call through his playing. He pauses to look at me.

"Yeah?" He looks up at me with innocent eyes.

"Did you mean what you said about my singing, you know, on our first day of voice lessons?" There's a slight hint of desperation that I just cannot, no matter how hard I try, keep out of my voice. I'm not sure if Baekhyun can tell, but I'm only a few more small words away from a stream of tears.

He moves to stand up, but before he can even scoot the piano stool out at all, I am down on my knees in front of him. For once, with him sitting and me kneeling, we are roughly the same height, and, perhaps, for the first time, I am looking right in the eyes of the much smaller man.

Sure we've been together, as a group, 8 going on 9 years soon, but I have never had Baekhyun on the hook like this.

His beautiful eyes bore into my soul. He reaches out of hand, but thinks better of it and places both his hands tight around his knees, as if he's practicing some kind of self-control to keep them there.

He sighs as his eyes continue to enchant me. And then, so quietly I can barely hear him in the emptiness of my apartment, he says "Park Chanyeol… you are one of the most talented musicians I have ever met, or even… hope to meet! Your passion for the music spurs you on. I mean look at this place!" He gestures around the studio, "No one would have gone to this much trouble to set all of this up if they felt half-hearted about what they were doing!"

He lifts his hand, without withdrawing this time, and pushes back my messy mop of hair so gently I truly think I have been touched by an Angel.

"Baekhyun…" I say simply, he puts down his hand and smiles gently at me. "I have to tell you something…" I say, at barely a whisper.

He leans forward slightly, his face a mere foot or two from mine, as though he had been expecting a confession.

A million thoughts race through my head. Thinking about telling him how much I crave his company when he's not around, or the secret love that I've been hiding for so long, how I just can't hold it in anymore. I imagine bridging the few feet separating us and kissing his soft lips. The lips that have sung a million love songs, and I imagine admitting that I wanted to be the person he was talking about in all those songs…

But instead, I clear my throat and speak at full volume, "I have written songs before. Lots of them actually, but I take them to our label producers and… well, they always say no… I was embarrassed and ashamed. I'm supposed to be this amazing musician, as you say."

"So…" Baekhyun leans his head to the side in confusion, "you DO write lyrics?"

"I used to, but after my 8th 'NO'… I kind of… gave up on it…" I hang my head in memory of all of my defeats.

"So… why tell me now?" His voice goes back down to a whisper, "What are you trying to say?"

"Byun Baekhyun, you are my best friend, and the most talented singer I've ever met. If I did start writing the lyrics for my songs again… will you sing them? In… in front of the producers?" I hold my breath waiting for another 'NO' to come.

Baekhyun makes an attempt to move, to make a large gesture with his hands, his mouth, his whole body! But, terrified of his reaction, I stop him.

"I know it sounds scary but," I drop my voice back down as well, "I need you Baekhyun." I'm on my knees, shaking, as the first TRUE truth comes out of my mouth.

I wait while I watch an expression I've never seen cross his face. "Baekhyun… please… say SOMETHING… please?!" I say, my whole body trembling.

He laughs, "I will if you'll let me!" He smiles at me and moves from the piano bench to his knees. Now he's right in front of me; face to face, knee to knee. Soon, I am wrapped in him, his scent almost swallowing me whole.

"I would be honored to sing your songs," he says quietly as he wraps his arms around me, his voice is a clear and pleasant ring in my head, his breath tickling my ear, making me shiver.

He unwraps his arms from around my shoulders, and our moment stops… but soon, it has passed.

He stands up and moves towards the desk filing cabinet and falls back down to the floor and opens it. Leafing through a few papers, he looks back at me, both of us still on our knees.

"So, did you save any of the songs with lyrics?"

I hang my head in shame. "No, actually, I destroyed them…"

"What? Why?!" Baekhyun looks at me in genuine shock.

"I was embarrassed that they weren't good enough…" I say quietly.

Baekhyun sighs. "Channie… it's no big deal if a small group of people don't like your songs!" He moves again to put a supportive hand on my shoulder.

"Ok!" He announces loudly, "this isn't the end of the world. We can write something new!" He uses my shoulder to hoist himself to his feet.

Vaguely, I hear him speaking in the background, "…a mic and mixing software. All we need to do is…"

But I am still on my knees, while he is standing before me, and I am faced with Baekhyun's … manhood. Just… so close to my face. I'm in an all-consuming trance, looking at his waist, my mind, and heart, racing a million miles a minute until my own needs become more and more evident, until I have a bulge at the center of my jeans.

"Chanyeol!" Baekhyun says, finally grabbing hold of my mind, "are you listening to me?'' he asks as he tilts his head again, in suspicion. "Are you alright?"

I try as hard as I can, as fast as I can, to clear my thoughts. Baekhyun reaches out a hand to pull me up to my feet. 'Calm thoughts. Calm thoughts. Calm thoughts.' I repeat until it begins to work. And thank God, because he chooses this moment to pull me into another hug.

"Everything is going to be alright, I promise. I wish you had told me this a long time ago, but… I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere! I promise! You know… you're my best friend too…" he says soothingly.

It's nowhere near a returned love confession or promise, but… it's enough for me. It's enough for now. So I lean further into him and let him comfort me.

We stay like this for a minute or two until he pulls back and smiles, "now how about that second glass of champagne?" He wiggles his eyebrows at me, and we both burst into laughter.

And all is well between me and Baekhyun. And that night, after driving a very excited, drunk, Baekhyun home, I get the best sleep that I've had in years.