*

Baekhyun's birthday passed by like a blur. He celebrated it with Chanyeol and his friends happily, like a normal teenager that he was--- was, because he has now gone through the minor age and is now basically a legal individual. He doesn't look like one though, nor acts like one. He still looks sixteen, as Jongin would say, and acts like a twelve-year old, as Kyungsoo would say.

Aside from a mind-blowing birthday sex the night before his special day, Chanyeol also gave him a present that was simple yet awesome. Baekhyun wasn't expecting anything from him anyway, so he was beyond glad when he received a cute polaroid camera from Chanyeol. It was small and handy, and he can bring it to anywhere. Chanyeol said he could use it to take pictures of everything he likes.

So that explained why he had so many polaroid pictures of Chanyeol's half face, Chanyeol's blurry hand, Chanyeol's one eye, Chanyeol's elfish ear, Chanyeol's broad back, and even Chanyeol's naked butt plastered on his wall.

He hasn't tried taking a picture of his dick yet. Maybe next time.

Baekhyun also got a pair of socks from Sehun on his birthday, while Jongin got him discount coupons from a Chicken store. Luhan gave him a make-up kit, which Baekhyun thinks he can't fully utilize anyway. He's not a girl and he doesn't even know how to apply a BB cream on his face nor an eyeliner on his eye. Plus, he doesn't need them anymore since he is really pretty without any make up on, as Chanyeol would lowkey-says in between the lines of them fucking.

That is why Youtube is there to help you out! Luhan told him, so Baekhyun, as an obedient child who is always ready and open to learn new things, started to watch videos like How to Do Make Up 101.

So he asked himself after clicking random thumbnails here and there, how the hell did he end up in some part of Youtube, watching, Sesame Street: Elmo's World: Penguins.

The college entrance examinations are coming up in a few days, so Chanyeol has been helping him study after his class. In the morning, Baekhyun would do his morning routine (waking up, taking a bath, eating breakfast, playing around the house) as he waits for Chanyeol's return. In the afternoon when Chanyeol comes back from the uni, they would study together until evening while Chanyeol tutors him and gives him mock-tests in preparation for the entrance exam.

Sometimes it leads to him bended over the table as Chanyeol fucks him while sometimes it leads to him falling asleep on Chanyeol's shoulder, so Chanyeol tucks him to bed as he watches him sleep.

Though Chanyeol doesn't show it, Baekhyun knows he is seriously worried about his future.

Baekhyun still has many things he doesn't know about the world that he is still trying to figure out ever since he moved in with Chanyeol. He's still naive, as Sehun would always say, but Baekhyun believes he is able to learn anything and everything under the sun with his eager heart and strong will.

And that includes every single thing about Chanyeol.

Baekhyun didn't even mind it before. He was just simply contented being with the person he loves under one roof, and seeing his face everytime he opens his eyes. He thought it was okay because he was happy that way. But he shortly realizes it's not enough with only that.

It doesn't end with just like that.

Baekhyun is reading an article on the internet that he just comes across with. He has just finished an episode of Elmo's World and he decides to look something more educational in the world wide web.

Chanyeol has blocked every possible pornsite by the way.

"Hm. Let's see..."

How to Know if You Really Love Someone.

Baekhyun smiles as he thinks about Chanyeol. Reading the article with his eyes, it says:

1. You want his happiness over yours.
2. You want to be with him all the time.
3. If something bad/good happens to you, he is the first person whom you think of.
4. You give him your everything. It could be your heart or your body.
5. You get hurt seeing he is hurting.

"This is so accurate oh my god," Baekhyun mutters as he goes on reading on his tab.

5. You know him more than anyone else in this world.

Baekhyun stops reading for a while.

"I don't know him more than anyone else in this world," he says to himself, "I still don't know a lot of things about Chanyeol-sunbae. Does this mean I don't really love him?"

Three knocks on the door, and Baekhyun gets up from lying on the bed. He hides the tab under his pillow.

Chanyeol shows up, head peeking inside Baekhyun's room. Baekhyun offers him a tiny smile.

"Good morning."

Chanyeol looks like he is in a good mood today.

"Good morning!" Baekhyun greets back.

"Did I disturb you?"

"No. Not at all."

"Hungry?"

"Uhm. A little..."

"Come on down. Let's have breakfast."

It's the first time that Baekhyun is seeing another person in this house aside from the two of them. She is a middle-aged woman, whom Baekhyun presumes to be the cooking lady. The breakfast is already prepared on the table while the ahjumma is on the sink, washing the kitchen tools she used. She gives Chanyeol a polite bow when they get down the stairs. Chanyeol nods in recognition, heading to the dining table with lots of delicious food.

"Did she make the food?" Baekhyun asks Chanyeol as he sits down.

"Yeah. She's been working for me for several years now."

Baekhyun doesn't know about that.

"She went on a vacation that was why she wasn't here," Chanyeol explains before he sips his soup, "She can make anything. Just ask her."

I will ask her everything, Baekhyun excitedly tells himself. That ahjumma must know Chanyeol's food preference, likes and dislikes, favorite dish, and everything. She's working for Chanyeol that long anyway.

"Is it good?" Chanyeol asks. Baekhyun nods furiously as an answer.

"Yummy!"

"That's great," Chanyeol replies, "Eat a lot so you'll grow taller."

They eat their breakfast within the comfortable silence, only the clanking of spoon against the plates can be heard in the air. The serenity is broken by Baekhyun's voice, calling Chanyeol's name, albeit shyly.

"What is it?"

"Uhm.. Are you going to the university after we have breakfast?"

Chanyeol nods.

"I only have one class so I'm gonna be back after three hours or so," Chanyeol says, "We can study together after that."

"Oh, is Luhan-hyung with you during those three hours?"

"He's my classmate on that subject, so yeah," Chanyeol replies, "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing," Baekhyun mumbles. "Nevermind..."

It's not a minute before Baekhyun calls him again.

"Uhm, Chanyeol sunbae?"

Chanyeol drinks his water. "What is it?"

"What's your height?"

Chanyeol raises a confused eyebrow.

"My height?"

"Yeah."

"Around 185 centimeters, I guess."

Baekhyun nods to himself. He knows Chanyeol is taller but he doesn't know he is that super tall in numbers. That's so cool. He should write his answers on his notebook.

"How about your shoe size?"

"Uh... 280 millimeters."

"Your favorite color?"

Chanyeol looks at the shorter male skeptically, before he answers, "Blue...?"

"Oh! Mine's white," Baekhyun answers enthusiastically, but Chanyeol never stops shooting him a judging glare. "Do you have any favorite food?"

"Any non-spicy food is okay."

"How about allergies?"

"I don't have allergies with anything," Chanyeol says. "Wait, why are you asking me anyway?"

Baekhyun just grins.

"Are you planning to buy me a gift or something?"

"No, I don't have any money unlike you though," Baekhyun says honestly. "Oh! How about pets? Do you like pets?"

"I hate pets," Chanyeol says, and Baekhyun's face falls at the mention of that, "They are annoying."

"Oh, is that so..."

"I have a pet puppy, and I don't wanna deal with any more pets other than that puppy."

"Y-you have a puppy? What's his name?"

Baekhyun's face is brightening up right now, and Chanyeol doesn't know if Baekhyun is just an idiot or an innocent kid.

"Well. My puppy's name? You wanna know it?"

"Yes! You didn't tell me you have a puppy, though!"

Chanyeol stifles his laugh.

"Look, over there." Chanyeol points at the glass window at the living room. Baekhyun follows with his curious eyes Chanyeol's index finger.

"That's my puppy."

Baekhyun sees his own reflection.

"You see him? Yeah, that's him. His name is Hyunbaek."

Baekhyun frowns cutely. He kicks the ground playfully while Chanyeol breaks into a fit of laughter. The cooking lady is quite surprised, but she ignores it as he continues her job.

"But that's me!"

"Exactly."

Baekhyun wants to cry. Chanyeol just called him a puppy. He is not an animal for pete's sake. He is a human being and he is his boyfriend!

Chanyeol takes his leave after finishing his breakfast. He didn't forget to remind Baekhyun to stay at home and don't leave the house until he comes back. Like his loyal puppy, Baekhyun nods, telling him he will wait for his return.

"Are you Mr. Park's friend?" the cooking lady--- who is now the cleaning lady asks Baekhyun. She is vaccuming the floor as Baekhyun sits on Chanyeol's bed, watching her intently.

So that is how a vaccum cleaner works.

"Are you Mr. Park's friend?" the cleaning lady asks again.

"No," Baekhyun answers, "I'm his tenant, but I live here for free."

"A tenant who lives here for free?" the woman laughs, "That's quite interesting."

"Why do you say so?"

"He has never brought anyone in this house ever since I started working for him," she says. "Let alone live with him."

Baekhyun bites his lower lip as he comfortably lies in the bed.

"Uhm, Chanyeol sunbae is my boyfriend."

The cleaning lady looks not a bit surprised nor disgusted, though. She just pauses for a while to look at Baekhyun before she resumes her chore.

"Kids these days..."

Baekhyun clearly hears it though the woman only whispers it to herself. He frowns and lets it slide, and decides to just ask her some questions.

"How long have you been working for Chanyeol sunbae?"

"Five years. But I only come here once a week to do my job."

"Do you know many things about him?"

"Honestly I don't know a lot about that person," the woman says, "We never share long conversations. He only talks about my job and not about any other things."

Baekhyun feels dejected, hearing that. He could always ask Luhan, Kyungsoo, or Jongin but he can't bring himself to do that. Chanyeol is not always there anyway, so maybe he should just find his own method to know more about Chanyeol. Maybe he should search for something in his room--- like a journal or a photo album hidden somewhere.

Yeah, that's a great idea.

So as soon as the cleaning lady leaves Chanyeol's room, like a mouse, Baekhyun scrambles on his knees and  shuffles on Chanyeol's bookshelves. Looking at the door, he runs and locks it first, before going back to the lowest level of the bookshelf, the one he can reach.

"I look like a thief," Baekhyun tells himself. He has never done this kind of act before, touching other people's things without their permission. It is as though his heart is about to combust, thinking that Chanyeol will catch him anytime.

Well, Chanyeol never mentioned in the rules anything about touching his stuff anyway, and this is for a good reason so it's fine. It's not like he is stealing anything or something like that. He will return it as soon as possible like nothing happened.

Baekhyun finds nothing special yet, as he rummages through Chanyeol's drawers full of books and some notes his little mind can never comprehend. He opens the drawers and closes them. Opens some cabinets and closes them again. He finds some randoms stuff like pens, lube, pack of condoms, keys, flashlight, old coins, calculator, a lighter, a gun---

A gun.

Baekhyun quickly leans away and immediately closes the drawer. He holds his chest and sits on the floor, shaking slightly. Shit. He didn't expect he would see a gun in real life. Chanyeol's gun to be exact. He is aware that Chanyeol possesses a licensed gun, but still, he feels suddenly scared right now. It feels dangerous.

After fixing things and trying to bring back the stuff he touched like how they supposed to like, Baekhyun is about to leave the room when his eyes catch something on the shelf on Chanyeol's study table.

He looks at the wall clock.

It's only an hour left before Chanyeol comes back.

With fast hands, Baekhyun gets the thick white hardbound book that looks like a photo album. It is square in size and has a spring on the spine.

Knock. Knock.

Baekhyun's breath hitches.

"Baekhyun, are you here?" Chanyeol's voice says, he comes back early today, "Open the door."

"Uhm! Okaaay! Just a second!"

Baekhyun hides the book under his loose shirt, tucking it under the garter of his pants. He strides to the door and opens it, not sparing Chanyeol a single look. He runs into his room while Chanyeol just stands there, dumbfounded.

Baekhyun hides the book under his pillow and sits on his bed, grinning ear-to-ear at Chanyeol who is now at his door looking at him suspiciously.

"Chanyeol sunbae, you're back!" Baekhyun says. "How was school?"

"What did you do in my room?" Chanyeol asks with a serious face Baekhyun is very well accustomed to. "Why do you need to lock the door?"

"I-I uh.... I..." Think, Baekhyun. Think. "I-I masturbated!"

Chanyeol looks not convinced

"T-the cleaning lady was in my room collecting my laundry so I went to your room! A-and I suddenly felt horny so I thought of you while I touched my dick!" Baekhyun reasons out. "A-and I had to lock the door because she might walk in on me while I was jacking off! Then you knocked so I stopped and ran into my room!"

"I didn't hear you moaning, Baekhyun."

"T-that's because I was trying to be quiet as much as possible!"

Chanyeol crosses his arms over his chest.

"But you don't have an erection."

Baekhyun looks down on his pants. It's all flat. Oh.

"Oh," Baekhyun mutters, "T-that's because I already came before you arrived?"

"And there's no single speck of come in my room."

"I-I drank my own come!"

Chanyeol mentally slaps his forehead as he sighs. Baekhyun is so embarrassed, he can't even lift his head to look at Chanyeol's face.

"Baekhyun. Do you remember the first rule?"

Baekhyun nods.

"State it out loud."

"Be faithful," Baekhyun says "Don't dare lie to you..."

Baekhyun can sense Chanyeol's anger. It's what he calls the cold anger, and it is more terrifying this way.

"So why are you lying to me just now?" Chanyeol says. "If you can see through my eyes when I lie, I can see through you when you lie, Baekhyun."

"I-I'm sorry," Baekhyun only says, "I won't do it again."

Chanyeol walks inside the room, and every step he makes feels like Baekhyun's breath is being taken away. He feels Chanyeol's presence beside him but he doesn't dare look up.

It feels dangerous.

"Third rule. Do not touch my stuff without my permission."

Baekhyun feels shivers running on his spine as he just nods, afraid of what would happen next.

"Give it back," Chanyeol says, "the one you took from my room."

Baekhyun slides his hand under his pillow, palming the white book he stole. He hands it to Chanyeol, keeping his eyes lowered on the floor.

Chanyeol gets it, and quietly takes his leave.

So as soon as Baekhyun hears the door close, he releases the heavy breath he's been holding and collapses on his bed in his stomach as he whimpers. It is as though his knees have turned jelly and all his energy was drained. Hugging a pillow and murmuring blames to himself, he suddenly spots something on the floor a foot away from his bed.

Without standing up, Baekhyun reaches for it and picks it up.

It's a picture.

But before he can flip it over and see it, his phone vibrating on the bedside table cuts him off. He puts the picture under his pillow before he quietly reads the text message he received.

A wide smile spreads across Baekhyun's face as he rapidly types in his reply, further exchanging messages with the person on the other line. He didn't realize how long  he's been texting with a smile on his face, until Chanyeol knocks again on his door.

Baekhyun is startled. He drops his phone on the sheets.

"Get up," Chanyeol orders, "Bring your things and let's start."

Oh right, Baekhyun almost forgets about it. He still has a study session with Chanyeol every afternoon, so without further ado, Baekhyun gathers his notebooks and pens before heading to Chanyeol's room.

They start studying promptly. Chanyeol gives him sets of questions Baekhyun can answer while he works on his computer.

"Hey. Focus," Chanyeol says as he knocks on the table, "Why are your eyes looking at everywhere?"

"Huh?" Baekhyun tears his gaze away from the drawer where Chanyeol is hiding his gun. He shivers. "I'm sorry."

"Are you even finished yet?"

Baekhyun shakes his head slowly, burying his face into his palms. Chanyeol closes his laptop for a while, looking at Baekhyun spacing out who is now playing with his ballpen.

"You were texting someone earlier. Who was that?"

"My mom," Baekhyun mumbles.

"You sure?"

Baekhyun nods.

"You're acting really weird lately," Chanyeol says, "What's the matter with you?"

"I don't know," Baekhyun replies as he frowns, "I just... I don't know what's happening to me, Chanyeol-sunbae... I think I'm sick..."

Chanyeol suddenly touches Baekhyun's forehead with his palm to feel his temperature. Baekhyun admits he is caught off at the sudden physical contact. Chanyeol is staring at him this close, so he tries his best to stare back. He loses after three seconds because damn, he can't take the handsomeness. Is he even a human though?

"You don't have a fever," Chanyeol says as he withdraws his hand.

"I'm sorry for touching your things," Baekhyun apologizes, "I think I'm just desperate to know more about you that I even lied to you."

"Why do you wanna know more about me? You already know me."

Baekhyun shakes his head furiously.

"No, not yet!"

"You know me," Chanyeol repeats, "You know how to make me mad, and you also know how to make me happy."

Baekhyun flusters at that but he doesn't show it.

"But still!"

Chanyeol sighs. He's trying to be calm.

"I don't know you yet!" Baekhyun yells again. "I didn't even know that you can't eat spicy food! And, and I wouldn't know your height and your shoe size and your favorite color and your favorite food if I hadn't asked! I didn't even know you hate pets! I was planning to give you a pet goldfish though, but now I can't do that!"

"Baekhyun, calm do---"

"There are still a lot of things I don't know about you!"

Chanyeol keeps silent as Baekhyun throws a fit.

"I love you but I think I don't love you enough!" Baekhyun mutters as he sniffs his snot that is threatening to fall from his nose, "I feel worthless, I feel so little, I'm so stupid!"

Baekhyun is crying now, he is covering his face as he sobs, too ashamed to look at Chanyeol who's just intently staring at him.

"It doesn't matter."

Baekhyun hears him but he never lifts his face.

"You will know everything about me as time goes by," Chanyeol says, "We'll be together for a long time so don't rush things, understand?"

"But---"

"No buts," Chanyeol says, "Don't stress yourself and just focus on your exam for now."

Nodding, Baekhyun dries his tears with his shirt so Chanyeol helps him, wiping off the tears on his face with his thumb. He cups Baekhyun's face as Baekhyun continues to sob softly.

"Fuck, look at your eyes. They're red now," Chanyeol says as he stares at the smaller male. He slides down his hands on Baekhyun's shoulders, shaking him a little.

"Stop being insecure, Byun Baekhyun. It won't do you any good."

"But I can't help it... I should know you better than anyone else..."

"You don't have to be jealous over little things."

That night, Baekhyun has trouble sleeping. He keeps on rustling around the bed but Chanyeol's words keep on repeating over and over again in his head.

"Jealous?" Baekhyun says to himself as he blushes, covering himself with his blanket. "I'm not jealous! What was that, seriously! Wah! Jealous of whom! Why should I be jealous?"

Covered with a blanket, he gets his pillow and uses it to hit the air.

He doesn't notice the picture falling down on the floor.

"What the hell, what is he saying anyway!? I'm not even jealous! Ah, seriously. I'm so annoyed. What the fuck?"

Chanyeol hears groans and noises from the other room so he just covers his ears with his hand.

"He should be more quiet the next time he touches his dick."

*

To be continued.