Prettiest

[kumo_is_kumo]

Title: Prettiest {Originally written for EXOGEDDON 2017 prompt # 35 AO3}

Pairing: Chanyeol/Baekhyun

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Zombie

Warning: Zombie Baekhyun

Length: Oneshot

Summary: Baekhyun is a zombie. He is always sad and never smiles, so Chanyeol decides to make a flower crown for him, just to see Baekhyun smiles. And the result? It’s the prettiest smile in the whole world.

Also posted under: Asianfanfics link



















Zombies are no different from humans, in this universe. They live and they breathe. They talk and they think.

The only thing that makes them a slightly bit different is the fact that they can’t express their feelings. They can’t easily show whether they are happy or sad.

Chanyeol grows up wondering why zombies are like that. They look so humanly! They just have a slightly different complexion (some are a bit grey while some others are a bit pale). But they are kind and fun!

Growing up together with zombies’ kids, Chanyeol can’t help but to take notice over how, even though those are zombies, they try their best to show their gratitude to humans. Just like that one time when Chanyeol helped some zombies from being attacked by a dog, they ended up bowing at him for so many times because they couldn’t smile to show how grateful they are to him.

Or that one time when Chanyeol forgot his wallet and already ordered a cup of latte for himself. A kind zombie uncle paid for his drink and Chanyeol insisted that he didn’t have to do that but the zombie uncle shook his head while keeping a straight face to refuse his refusal.

Now that he is (barely) an adult and finally eighteen, Chanyeol starts to listen to his friends and classmates saying about crushes and loves, you know? Those boys talk about how cute that girl, how plump that girl, how pretty her mouth, and all the things boys always talk.

Really? Chanyeol finds himself questioning. Those girls are not that pretty though? Sure, they might be to some, but they are not to Chanyeol.

Pretty, in Chanyeol’s dictionary, is to describe someone with pale skin, droopy eyes, button nose, thin lips, and a tiny mole above the mouth.

...oops. That might be too specific; because Chanyeol is describing his best friend.

Baekhyun is his name and he is a zombie.

Chanyeol knows Baekhyun ever since they were put together in the daycare when his mother was working and was not able to take care of him. Being a snotty kid, no other kids wanted to approach him and offer him to play. So he stayed alone on his chair, wiping his nose with his little fist.

Baekhyun came to him, waddling ever so cutely for someone who was a zombie. He sat beside Chanyeol and shoved his handkerchief under his nose.

“Wipe with this.” Baekhyun had said, looking as flat as ever. Chanyeol nodded obediently and took the handkerchief.

“Why are you here?” Chanyeol found himself asking. Baekhyun had glanced at him and continued staring with that straight face of his.

“You don’t want me to be here?”

“It’s not that!” Chanyeol squeaked. “I’m snotty and icky! Why would you come and give your nice scented handkerchief to a loser?”

Baekhyun stared at him, not amused at all. “You are not icky. Sure, you are snotty but that doesn’t mean you are a loser.”

Chanyeol nodded softly. “Did the other kids not approach you too?”

“Yeah. I’m no fun.”

“Why? You are fun!”

“I’m a zombie.” Baekhyun said flatly. Chanyeol gaped at him, staring at him up and down, up and down, before he beamed at him.

“That’s so cool!”

There was a slight change of light in Baekhyun’s eyes when he glanced at him.

“You think so?”

“Yes!”

Baekhyun held his chubby hand out. “I’m Baekhyun. What’s your name?”

“Chanyeol! Hi, Baekhyun! You are my first friend and will always be my best friend!”

Baekhyun had given him a slight nod. He didn’t smile because he couldn’t, but he gave Chanyeol’s fingers a thankful squeeze before letting go.

And that’s the first definition of pretty for Chanyeol.





***





Years come and go, Chanyeol finds himself growing out of his pants and he becomes all long limbs and mess. He grows so tall that he could easily change the lamp bulb without having a chair or even on his tiptoes. He can reach the highest cabinet with no difficulty.

While Baekhyun, he is a zombie and zombies don’t grow up that much. They are mostly short in height and slow in movement. Baekhyun needs help in reaching the lowest cabinet. He can’t run for too long or he will lose his breathe. But he covers what he lacks for with how he becomes. His eyes droop down like a sad puppy. His nose is round and small and cute. His lips grow thinner and pinker. He loses all his baby fat.

And he is the prettiest for Chanyeol (maybe a rank after his mom, but whatever).











Both Baekhyun and he are inseparable. They go anywhere together. Chanyeol is there when Baekhyun falls sick during a lesson. Baekhyun is there when Chanyeol forgets his homework. Chanyeol is there when Baekhyun breaks a boy’s nose for mocking him for being a zombie. Baekhyun is there when Chanyeol receives his first love letter from a girl in school.

Chanyeol thinks he is the best friend in the whole world because he understands Baekhyun so much, but he starts to doubt himself. Baekhyun starts to act kind of weird whenever he is with him and that starts to drive Chanyeol in worry.

Like when Chanyeol gets panicked for his first date with one girl from school. It’s usually Baekhyun’s job to calm him down, but his best friend refuses to visit him.

There is also a time when another girl approaches Chanyeol in school. He is actually annoyed with this certain girl and usually, Baekhyun would be chasing the girl away already. But his best friend simply just leaves him alone and ignores his call.

Or that one time when Chanyeol starts comparing some girls with some pretty boys. Baekhyun has gone so silent and it takes Chanyeol all his braveness to break the icy silence between them. Baekhyun shrugs and leaves him alone to study in the library.

Other than that, Baekhyun has also grown so distant. Chanyeol is not sure what is happening with his best friend but he often finds Baekhyun sitting by himself, staring into space, and sighing heavily. Baekhyun’s face becomes sadder (not that his face is not sad before, he is a zombie) and he becomes more silent. It seems like there is something bugging him and Chanyeol, as the best friend in the whole world, decides to ask him about it.

“Baekhyun?” He calls out, almost afraid. Baekhyun glances at him from the homework they are currently working on. “What?”

“Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Baekhyun asks back, just like his usual self. Chanyeol bites his lip, hesitating.

“Why do you look so sad?”

“I’m a zombie, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun answers him as a matter of fact. The human boy gulps. “I know but… but you are not this sad.”

Baekhyun remains silent before he glances back at his book. “Finish your homework.”

Chanyeol is defeated. “Okay.”





***





It takes him quite a time before he dares to ask about it again. They are out in a mall, trying to find a birthday gift for Chanyeol’s mom and Baekhyun helps him in doing so because as he had said before: “You have no taste of style, Chanyeol. Admit it.”

They look through the hanging coat for woman and Chanyeol grips onto Baekhyun’s arm.

“Baekhyun, seriously. What is wrong with you?”

The zombie boy gives him a flat stare. “What?”

“You won’t tell me what happened to you, but you look so sad. What could I do to make it better?”

Baekhyun opens his mouth to say something, but a rather high-pitched voice calls for, “Chanyeol!”

The both of them glance to the person calling for his name and Chanyeol feels his eyebrow twitches at the sight of the girl from his class. He doesn’t really remember her name but it’s enough to tell that he doesn’t like her. She is kind of aggressive and trying to hit on him.

“Such a coincidence! What are you doing here?” She asks, grinning while gripping onto his arm.

Chanyeol stutters a reply and it’s not long before he feels Baekhyun releasing his hand out of his previous grip. He glances at his best friend, trying to seek for help but Baekhyun blinks his eyes.

“I will go look for the gift myself.” Baekhyun has said and the girl glances to him. “Oh. Hi, Baekhyun.” She says uninterestedly.

The zombie boy backs away before he walks out of the shop. Chanyeol’s words are stuck in his throat and he watches Baekhyun’s back going further away from him.

Baekhyun might be a zombie and he has a sad face, but he shouldn’t be looking this sad.





***





It’s another week when the both of them are cuddled under Chanyeol’s comforter in the chilling temperature of winter day. Baekhyun is always so sensitive to drastic change of temperature so it’s always Chanyeol’s job to warm him up.

They are watching a movie, one that Chanyeol had just downloaded the night before and one that Baekhyun had told him that he wants to watch the most. It might be because of the cold and freezing temperature, but Baekhyun is asleep halfway through the movie and cuddled into Chanyeol’s ribs.

It’s funny to watch the usually stoic zombie boy to appear so soft looking and cuddly. Chanyeol finds himself grinning like a maniac, staring at his best friend’s face for the whole time, movie has long forgotten. It seems like Baekhyun becomes the center of his attention.

Wait. That’s not entirely wrong.

Chanyeol blinks and tilts his head in confusion. Yes, Baekhyun is indeed the center of his attention. His whole life has been spent with the zombie boy and to think of not spending it with Baekhyun… he shivers. No, he doesn’t want that. He wants Baekhyun all for himself for a very long time.

It should be illegal that he wants Baekhyun so much. Right?

He wants Baekhyun more than he wants that game console. He wants Baekhyun more than he wants to get an A in biology. He wants Baekhyun more than he wants that expensive plate of tender steak.

What is this? Does this mean that he likes Baekhyun? The pretty but stoic and sad Baekhyun?

Yes. Of course. Who is he kidding?

Baekhyun is his everything. Of course!

Chanyeol spends the rest of the night staring at Baekhyun’s soft looking sleeping face, caressing his freezing cheeks, before he dozes off himself, cradling Baekhyun tight and close to make sure he warms him.

When he wakes up, Baekhyun is still cuddled into his shoulder, mouth parted while his breathing comes out in little puffs. Chanyeol bites his lip from squealing because oh shit, Baekhyun, the zombie best friend he has just realized that he has a feeling for, looks so cute and pretty and perfect. Chanyeol glances away, grinning like a crazed guy, before he takes the chance to do something.

He leans close and kisses Baekhyun’s cheek softly. So soft.

Baekhyun’s eyelashes flutter as he slowly wakes up from his sleep. Chanyeol watches the precious moment with his heart thudding so quickly. Baekhyun’s eyes flutter open and he smacks his thin lips softly while he stretches like a… cute kitty.

“What time is it?” Baekhyun’s voice is rough when he just wakes up and Chanyeol gulps. “Just seven thirty. You can sleep for more.”

Baekhyun nods drowsily, before he snuggles back into Chanyeol’s shoulder and goes back to sleep. Chanyeol owns the world! With Baekhyun in his arms, he owns the whole world!

For the longest time, he stares at Baekhyun’s sleeping face, smiling like a proud mama, and lulling him to sleep with gentle rocking of his body.





***





Sure, he finds out that he likes Baekhyun (more than a best friend should do) a few weeks ago but that doesn’t mean he is brave enough to tell. Baekhyun always looks like he is angry (well, he is zombie so what do you expect).

Chanyeol still has some girls coming to him to flirt and he does his best to chase Baekhyun away this time instead of asking for his help because he doesn’t want Baekhyun’s mood to be ruined by those girls. He doesn’t want Baekhyun to think that he pays attention to those girls (because his whole attention is solely focused on the cute zombie boy).

Baekhyun still looks so sad. Even sadder now. Chanyeol doesn’t even know what to do to cheer him up. He doesn’t want Baekhyun to look so sad. It’s not that he is not pretty, but he is less pretty. Uh, if you get what Chanyeol means.

He can’t even understand but Baekhyun starts putting some distance between them. Chanyeol’s heart drops at the thought of Baekhyun hating him or finding a new friend, but everything is washed away when he sees Baekhyun sitting alone on the hill a few blocks away from their school. Baekhyun doesn’t have new friends, but he stays alone and that is worse for Chanyeol.





***





One day, Baekhyun leaves him alone without any word and Chanyeol watches him walks away from the corner of his eyes.

It’s almost evening, the night is orange and slowly will turn darker. Chanyeol approaches the lonely sitting zombie boy and he sits beside him without making so much noises.

“Why are you here?” Baekhyun asks without glancing towards him. He guesses that since they have been together for so long, Baekhyun could easily notice him.

“What about you? Why are you here?” Chanyeol finds himself asking back.

Baekhyun says nothing for a moment before he glances to Chanyeol. The look in his eyes is so sorrowful and sad and Chanyeol wants nothing but to scoop him up and chase away the sadness.

“What are you doing here, Chanyeol?”

“Baekhyun, I,” he starts softly, looking straight at him, “I want to know what’s in your mind. We always tell everything to one another. Why won’t you tell me what’s bugging you for the whole time?”

The zombie boy glances back to the orange sky. Chanyeol waits.

“How does it feel to smile?” Baekhyun asks softly.

Chanyeol blinks. “What?”

“I can’t smile. I can’t laugh. How does it feel? Is it good? Do your face muscles stretch?”

“Baekhyun,”

“I want to smile. I want to feel. But I can’t. I’m a zombie. We can’t feel.”

“You can!” Chanyeol says. Baekhyun nods. “Yes, but not to that extent. Do you think I will be able to smile one day?”

“Is this… what makes you so sad? Because you think you can’t smile?”

“Partly. There is another thing.” Baekhyun answers silently.

“What is it?”

“You.” Baekhyun stares sideways at him. Chanyeol gapes, holding his finger up to point to himself. “Me?”

“Mmh. Are you bored with me, Chanyeol? Do you want to find another friend?”

“What- NO!” Chanyeol gasps. What is he saying?

“You have so many people want to be your friends, Chanyeol. You should go to them. Date a girl. So many of them like you.”

“Baekhyun, are you,” Chanyeol whispers hesitantly, “are you jealous over them?”

The zombie boy’s face twitch; Chanyeol swears he can see it twitches.

Baekhyun nods. “Kind of. I like you, Chanyeol. As a best friend, but also not as a best friend. But I’m a zombie and I’m supposed to not be able to express myself, so it’s pretty confusing for me.”

Chanyeol feels his head spins. Oh God. What is this? What is this discovery? Did Baekhyun just say that he likes him? That he is jealous over those girls around Chanyeol? Did he really say that?

“Baekhyun,”

“C-Chanyeol,” Baekhyun’s voice calls out in shock, “what- what is this?” He asks, holding a hand over the side of his face.

The human boy stares as a drop of tears rolls on the side of Baekhyun’s face. “Baekhyun… you are… crying!”

“Crying? Is that how you say when you have water drops coming out from your eyes?”

“Yes! Baekhyun, you feel! You are feeling!” Chanyeol reaches over happily, thumbing the tears away, but then his smile falls as he realizes what is happening.

“You are crying. Why are you crying, Baekhyun? Are you sad?”

Baekhyun nods, surprisingly. “I’m sad. There is something that is so painful, it feels like something sour here,” he says, pointing to his chest. Chanyeol holds onto his cheek, rubbing the tears away.

“Chanyeol, what should I do to stop the tears? Is there a way to do that?”

The human boy smiles. “You stop crying when you no longer feel sad.”

“But I’m still sad. Or am I not?” Baekhyun whispers softly.

Chanyeol thinks that he should do something. He leans forward and presses his plump lips on Baekhyun’s tear streaked cheek. Baekhyun blinks questioningly.

“Chanyeol, the tears stop.”

The human boy leans away. Baekhyun is sporting this shocked face and it’s quite funny. He laughs softly.

“Does that mean you are no longer sad now? What are you feeling?”

“I feel like,” Baekhyun holds a palm over his chest, “like something cold and fresh is spreading in my chest. Like… they make my limbs go weak. I don’t understand.”

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol speaks, holding onto his hand, “that means that you are happy.”

“Am I?” Baekhyun asks back, holding a hand over his cheek. He glances back to the darker orange sky, watching some birds flying away. Chanyeol keeps his eyes on him, taking notice at his every little move. Baekhyun is fascinating. He can’t take his eyes off of him.

“I like you.” Chanyeol admits softly. Baekhyun tilts his head and stares at him, still flat but there are telltale of dried tears on his face. Chanyeol smiles. “I really like you. More than a best friend. I stole a kiss from your cheek when you were asleep that one time. I figured out that I like you and I want to spend my whole time with you. I want to hold your hand and hug you to sleep. I want to kiss you and do everything with you.”

Baekhyun is gaping, his jaw hanging open. There’s a foreign look in his eyes, one that humans usually know as shock.

“Chanyeol,”

“Best friends turn to lovers. Can we do that, Baekhyun?” Chanyeol shows his most honest face. Baekhyun looks hesitating.

“But I don’t understand how to do relationship.”

“It’s okay. One step at one time. We can take baby steps, Baekhyun.”

“I can’t feel.”

“You feel! You just cried for the first time, remember?” Chanyeol gives a boyish grin.

Baekhyun gazes his eyes down, obviously thinking. Chanyeol waits patiently.

“Do you think we can make it work? Can you be patient with me?”

“Yes. Anything you want, Baekhyun. I will give it to you.” Chanyeol smiles gently.

Baekhyun nods. “Okay. Let’s try. I like you, too, Chanyeol. So much that I’m afraid because it’s scary. I can feel that I like you. It’s so scary.”

Chanyeol smiles. “It’s okay. It’s also scary for me so let’s be scared together.”

Baekhyun nods at him, before he then continues to gaze back to the sky. Chanyeol grabs onto his school bag, rummaging into it. “Baekhyun, I have a present for you.”

“What is it?”

Chanyeol pulls out the nicely made flower crown out of his bag. Baekhyun’s mouth hangs open in awe and Chanyeol slowly secures it on top of the zombie boy’s head. Baekhyun is already pretty, but he is now prettier with the colorful flower crown hanging loosely on his head.

“Do you like it? I want to do something to stop you from being so sad—” Chanyeol stops talking as he sees the muscles on Baekhyun’s face twitch before a smile, a very pretty smile spreads across Baekhyun’s face.

“I like it so much, I just—”

Chanyeol dips down to kiss him on his lips. Baekhyun blinks his eyes.

“You smile. You are smiling, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol whispers against his mouth.

Baekhyun tilts his head in confusion. Chanyeol brings his hands up, helping him to trace the curve of his cheeks and lips from the smile he is making.

“You are smiling. You are happy.”

The zombie boy traces his fingertips along his face, gasping in the new found. “I smile?”

“Mmh, you do.” Chanyeol kisses his lips again. When he pulls away, there is a pretty color of blush adorning Baekhyun’s cheeks.

“And now you blush.”

Baekhyun is still smiling and the blush on his cheeks gets darker. He bends his head down to hide his face, the flower crown almost falls down but Chanyeol catches it. He tips Baekhyun’s head up to rearrange the flower crown on him.

“Pretty.” Chanyeol whispers softly, smiling to the zombie boy he likes the most.

Baekhyun is smiling back at him, blushing so prettily at him, and his eyes shine in happiness.

“The prettiest.” Chanyeol mutters before kissing him again. Baekhyun smiles and even laughs against his mouth.

Oh, Baekhyun is so, so pretty. Chanyeol doesn’t know what to do.









***








A/N for the fest: To dearest prompter, I hope I did justice to this prompt, because I want a short fluff that will give quick fluttery feeling for everyone. It might not be like what you prompted or it might be just exactly like what you want. Either way, I hope you can enjoy and like the story! Thanks to the mods for every help!

New A/N: Thank you so much for everyone who had read this even when this was still posted anonymously!