#Baekhyun and puppies

[theboytatu]

the way this is literally baekhyun. to me

[byunbaekhyunie]

[keroinnie]

spring56h | 250523

[forever-exobaek]

Baekhyun ig live (morning exercise) 😭💛☀️

He is so cute. His messy hair and face are lovely ❤️❤️❤️

[eliotgiovanna-pv]

[finniigan]

Requests open once again!! (specifically for baekhyun this time)

I think ill have time to draw tomorrow, and im on a maaaajor baekhyun kick rn so. If you feel like it, send me some baek pics and i might draw them :3

[miabbh]

bubba's live on Bubble or space on old birdy app at any moment. i'll probably be sleeping.

edit: it's gonna be on friday but I'll probably be sleeping or doing something else anyway because I always miss most of it anyway

[crushoncaleb]

no but listen okay

I really want to hear you out on this but for my sanity, it is better if I don't

[theboytatu]

what do you think bbh real personality is then? i think he’s deeply traumatised by the industry (particularly what happened with taeyeon, kaistal and chen + the ageism and lookism) and he’s incredibly insecure about his career future. it pains me to say it but I also believe he’s a lot less intelligent and much more lacking common sense than i originally thought which surprise me considering he entered the industry relative late for a kpop idol. like he’s a master manipulator but instead of using his tactics to ease his fans into a more normal behaviour for his age (be it dating, marriage or whatever else he wants to do but they consider wrong), he keeps the parasocialism to the max. 🤦‍♀️

i don't think he's any less intelligent or lacks common sense tbh. i think intelligent people can make bad decisions when they're put in an environment that fosters self doubt and systemically undermines your drive - and during the legal battle it was confirmed SM basically gaslit him into signing a contract renewal while he was enlisted by hanging the future of the other exo members over his head.

i think nuance is always lacking from these sort of discussions and exols specially have some of the worst reactionary and panic induced takes on what exo do - granted, because of a terrible track record that has traumatized the fandom at large.

as for the original question idk what his "real" personality is like.. but if i had to take a guess i'd say he is much more reserved, quiet and even distrusting - he has always said he keeps his circle small and i think he's incredibly protective of the people he cares about. while his fansona is all about being the center of attention and keeping people entertained, in private i think he is much more comfortable letting other people lead. a core personality trait for him that i think shows in both his on and off stage persona is his neediness. i think he yearns a lot - for what i don't know, and can be increasingly cagey when he's left vulnerable, to the point of lashing out or using humor as a coping mechanism.

while i think he likes to see himself as someone reliable and loyal and tends to work towards that, i think he dislikes the pressure of taking on that "caretaker" or "leader" role. (him agreeing to do it for superm was definitely just possible because of the pay and international promotion opportunities he never got with exo). in his mind he might not be "selfish" or at least consciously act that way, but at the end of the day, he abides by the golden rule: you gotta look out for number one.

as the youngest child, and someone who has always been honest about the way his family treated him growing up, a very treasured and some times spoiled kid, i think he tends to gravitate towards that sort of dynamic in his personal relationships. i think he relishes on the fact that fans are in a sense, an extension of that dynamic - people that gush over him and celebrate everything he does because that's the way it has always been for him. except with his personal relationships he is aware he can't manipulate (or at the very least, shouldn't) his way into getting what he wants.

when i say baekhyun is a skillful manipulator i mean that genuinely - and he's had enough charisma to make it work while playing this game of chicken with his own fandom, where both parties are aware of what the other is doing and what they get from each other, with him letting the real intentions behind his act peek through just enough to make it endearing enough for you to roll your eyes at him with fondness. sure - he's playing the fuck out of you. but he does so with a cheeky wink and enough self awareness that it manages to feel sincere, like an honest transaction between two parts.

all of this rambling... was just to say that the way he acts with fans and as a public figure shows just enough traits of genuineness for me to think that is what he operates like in his private life. the components are mostly the same, it's just the context that changes.

ok so in conclusion. he is an introverted, private person with a mean streak and a lot of charisma that carried him through his formative years, but deep down he wants to be good for the people he cares about and is in constant need of reassurance and praise. and he hates it when you call him out on it - he will ask you to pet him and bite your hand off when you least expect it unless you grab him by the scruff and make him take it. TO ME

[icequeenbae]

Byun Baekhyun as The Puppy Face 🐶

BYUN BAEKHYUN as BAEKHYUN EXO Next Door (2015)

[byunsreverie]

baekhyun + his puppy hat

[solarhysm]

DUST OF US - 04

> synopsis: 7 years ago Y/N broke Jungkook’s heart when she decided to end their relationship without an explanation. When they meet again at a friend's wedding, after almost a decade, Jungkook needs answers to move on.

> pairing: Jungkook x reader

> genre: romance, ex to lovers au

> warnings: explicit languages, violence, smut, cheating, nsfw, angst, +18 minors dni !!

> word count: 2.1k

*french writer, i apologize in advance for my awful english!

“I can’t believe you still hang out with that loser,” Hyesun rolls her eyes, annoyed.

You sigh and continue mixing the spicy paste with the vegetables, sitting on your knees. Hyesun never liked Baekhyun. He’s not a bad person. But he has his own quirks, like everyone else.

“I’m telling you, that guy is a walking red flag,” She continues, drying the cabbage. You throw your head back almost dramatically and whine.

“He’s twenty-two. He’ll calm down with time.” You reply, and she arches a brow.

“You think so? Namjoon was pretty calm at his age.” She retorts, earning an eye roll from you before you tilt your head to look at her.

“Namjoon wanted his friends to call him ‘Rap Monster’ at that age.”

“Who told you that?” Namjoon gasps in horror. Hyesun chuckles and omes to sit next to him while he stuffs jars with kimchi.

“Yoongi.”

“That traitor…” Namjoon groans, shaking his head. “It was a stupid nickname. I thought I’d become a famous rapper at sixteen.”

“It’s okay, bee-bee, I love you for you,” Hyesun coos, leaning to peck his lips. Namjoon’s annoyance melts away, replaced by a love-sick puppy smile.

“Gross.” You pretend to throw up, making Hyesun roll her eyes.

“Not as gross as you sleeping with a 22 years old kid.” She retorts, and you throw a piece of cabbage at her.

“He’s going to be 23 in a month. And remind me, how old were you when you and Joonie started dating?”

“Do you plan to marry him?” Hyesun shoots back, causing her husband to burst into laughter. “Because if you are, I promise, I’ll stop teasing you.”

“I don’t.” You mumble, and she smiles triumphantly.

“That’s what I thought.” She smirks, closing the jars of kimchi with Namjoon and putting them in a crate. “Hwan will only show up just when we’re done.” She notices that our other friend is still not here.

“As usual. You know she hates the smell of kimchi.” You reply, your hands still covered in spicy paste.

“She asked me for Yoongi’s number.” Your best friend muses, and you raise a brow.

“Did she?” You chuckle, amused.

Yoongi is definitely a catch. Not only is he handsome, but he’s also respectful. Everyone knows that the day he finally opens himself up to love, that man will worship the ground she’ll walk on. But that day hasn’t come yet. Yoongi is anti-romantic, too focused on his career to build a relationship with someone.

“We all know that man will never answer his phone.” Hyesun shrugs, and you shake you head, smiling.

“Poor Hwan.”

Namjoon chuckles as he gets up with a crate in hands. Hyesun and you both arch your brows at him.  He widens his eyes before clearing his throat.

“Sorry, but Hwan has terrible taste in men. She only likes guys she can’t have.” He explains as you agree, peeling off your gloves after finishing with the jars. You stand to help clean everything.

“She has a taste for forbidden love.”

“What was the name of that last guy she dated? The married one?” He asks.

“Siwoo?” Hyesun frowns, unsure and you nod.

“Yeah, him. Total jerk.” You scrunch your nose, as they laugh.

Hwan arrives an hour later when you’re all sitting on the patio. She offers some flimsy excuse, but you can’t blame her—with nails like hers, it’d be tough to help with the kimchi. She loves her stiletto-style nails, which are too sharp for your taste. Besides, with your job, you can’t wear gel nails anyway.

The redhead suggests going out for a “girls’ night,” as she likes to call them. You know it’s an excuse to go out, drink, and dance. You all agree to go out the following Saturday, aligning your schedules.

And that’s how, on the next Saturday, you find yourself out with your friends. Hwan wears a green dress, and Hyesun can’t resist comparing her to Poison Ivy with her red hair and matching dress. You, on the other hand, opt for a casual outfit: a tank top and baggy jeans. You’re here to get drunk and have fun with your friends, not to impress.

The three of you start at a bar in Itaewon. Namjoon drives you there so you can enjoy your night. Marriage has changed Hyesun. Well, Namjoon has changed her. Before dating him, she was in Itaewon every weekend, having so many one-night stands that you stopped keeping track.

But since she got with Namjoon, she hasn’t looked at anyone else. And Namjoon knows it. He’s so confident about his wife that when someone flirts with her, he just smiles, saying he can’t blame them since she’s the ‘prettiest.’

You start with beers and the girls with cocktails. And since Hyesun knows one of the bartenders, he offers you tequila shots multiple times. You didn’t plan to drink much, but as soon as you hand Hwan a cocktail, you know you’ll end up wasted. The redhead returns with another round of tequila shots, and you groan.

“That place is great, but most of their clients are old perverts.” Hwan grimaces, her eyes darting to a man who walks past her, offering her a smirk. She turns to you and Hyesun and feigns to gag. “Don’t they have families to go home to?”

“He could be a CEO, you never know.” You joke, and Hyesun scrunches her nose.

“As much as I love the WOSE, we both know no rich men come here.” Hyesun replies, downing a tequila shot. You do the same.

“We can still go to Paikiki after this round,” You suggest before the three of you empty your drink and bite in a lime. “There’s a lot more of people our age.”

After waving goodbye to Hyesun’s bartender friend, you step out of the bar and head down the street toward the nightclub. Like every Friday night, Itaewon is packed. People are dancing in the middle of the street, some half-naked, others making out or arguing.

You can feel the alcohol hitting you now as you walk, and you hope no one notices how unsteady your steps are. Hwan giggles and grabs your arm. The three of you make your way into the nightclub, already swaying to the music as you show your IDs to security. Hyesun leaves you and Hwan to grab drinks.

You chuckle as bump into someone, bowing politely at the group of guys who are too drunk to even care. They pull Hwan and you into their circle to dance with them. Hyesun is not surprised when she comes back and see you two swaying at some Katy Perry’s songs with some strangers.

“I’m Danwoo,” One of the guys says, leaning closer to you and you lift your head to him.

He’s dressed head-to-toe in white, with sunglasses on. You never understand why people wear sunglasses in nightclubs. Do they think it makes them cool? You’re sure they can’t see anything in the dark.

“Y/N.” You reply loudly, close enough to his ear to avoid repeating yourself. He smiles, and offers you his hand to shake. He smells like cologne and tequila –a scent you probably share with him too.

“Nice to meet you, Y/N,” He grins. Hwan nudges you with her elbow, silently encouraging you to talk to him. You roll your eyes, ignoring her. You didn’t come to take a guy home. Hwan whines and purposely turns to Hyesun, leaving you alone with Danwoo.

But he seems to get the hint, stepping back to give you personal space and even nudging his friend away. These guys don’t seem like they’re here to flirt; they’re just having fun.

“You’re all from here?” Kyung-Ho, Danwoo’s friend, asks as you sit on the chair outside the nightclub, Hwan perched on his lap. She’s way too drunk to even care, and he doesn’t mind her, his hands on the armchairs.

“No, Hyesun and I are from Busan.” You say, accepting the bottle of water Danwoo hands you and sitting on the chair next to you.

“I’m from here,” Hwan replies. You hand her the water, and she thanks you, taking a few sips.

“I like your hair.” Danwoo compliments Hwan, who blows him a kiss.

“Finally, someone with taste.” She retorts, making you all chuckle.

“We’re going to  grab something to eat afterward. Do you want to come?” Chun-il, another guy of their group, asks.

“No, thanks. I’ll go home. My husband is waiting for me.” Hyesun says, making it clear that she’s off the market. She’s been there too much, she knows men in Itaewon and what they want. You pat your lap for her to sit on, and she smiles, settling onto you.

“What about you?” Danwoo asks, his eyes landing on you as you frown slightly. “Do you have a husband waiting for you, somewhere?”

You know he’s testing the water, asking that to see if you’re single.

“Nah, but my cat yes.” You retort, making him smile.

“Will it gets upset if we grab something to eat? I’ll even buy something for..?” He trails off, and you chuckle.

“Trash.”

“Trash? Do you hate your cat?” He laughs, and you stick your tongue’s out at him.

“I found him in a trash can when he was a kitten.”

“He’s a whole demon.” Hwan sighs, taking another sip of her water. “He attacks everyone except her.”

“Who needs a dog when you have a Trash?” Danwoo jokes playfully, and you can’t help but smile.

Hyesun left with Namjoon an hour later, and Hwan and you decided to stay with the boys. After eating together, the boys ordered a taxi for Hwan, who was too tired to keep partying. As for you, you decided to stay. Mostly because you had something in mind.

“Fuck,” Danwoo groans against your mouth as you both stumble into his apartment. He presses you against the door, your fingers already under his shirt, tracing his abs.

“Tell me you have condoms,” you whisper as his lips trail kisses down your neck. He helps you with your shirt as you both struggle to walk blindly through the dark apartment.

"Sorry." He chuckles when you bump against his counter, both of you giggling. "Yes, I have condoms."

He steps back to turn on the kitchen lights as you catch your breath, watching him, shirtless, as he comes back to you.

“Do you want something to drink?” Danwoo asks, cupping your face to kiss you again. You shake your head. You pull off your shirt, wrapping your arms around him as he curses at the sight of you in just your bra. “Let’s go to my room.”

Sunglasses on, you wait for Jungkook in front of Jimin's building. You roll your eyes playfully as Jimin follows Jungkook out the door, walking over to you.

"Well hello Nabi." Jimin smirks, Jimin smirks, resting his arm on your window..

"How are you, Jiminie?" you ask, and he shrugs as Jungkook hauls his travel bag into your trunk.

"Good good. I'm just here to drop off my son." He sighs, making it way too dramatic. "Take care of him. He's like... the apple of my eye."

"Shut up, Jimin." Jungkook groans, stepping closer to push him. You chuckle and shake to your head. They never change.

"Do you have everything?" Your friend asks and Jungkook nods. "Enough clothes? Money? Condoms?"

"I'm visiting my parents!" Jungkook barks, making Jimin and you laugh. The tip of his ears is red as he pushes his friend away from your car.

"Safety first." Jimin giggles, but Jungkook grabs him by the back of the neck, pulling him back toward the building door. "Bye Nabi!" He calls.

"Bye-bye Jimin," You wave, smiling as you watch the boys bicker at the door. Jungkook blocks Jimin’s attempts to come back out, holding the doorknob firmly. You can still see Jimin through the glass, standing there and blowing you kisses.

Jungkook doesn’t return to the car until Jimin turns toward the elevator. The tattooed man wipes his hands on his jeans before opening your car door.

"Sorry about that." He mumbles as you simply hum.

"No problem." You reply, turning to him. "Ready for four to five hours stuck in a car with me?"

"I think I can handle it." Jungkook nods, as you start the car. "And if I don't, I'll just jump out of the window."

"You're too big for my window." You arch a brow, sharing an amused look. "We'll grab some snacks and..." you check the time on your phone. "We'll be in Busan before it gets dark."

"I made a playlist," Jungkook grins, pulling out his phone. You show him how to connect it, and soon ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ —but the One Direction version – starts playing.

It’s your song, you used to play it all the time during your teenage years.

"Nice choice.”

< previous - MASTERLIST - next >

WATTPAD.

buy me a coffee<3 (every chapters/drabbles are posted as soon as i'm done writing them.)

[baekhyunsbestie]

Are your requests open ? If so can you do What it's like having baekhyun as your husband ?

hubsand!baekhyun is the absolute sweeeeetest 😭🥹💘💞💓💖💗 (these r all facts btw bc it’s me i'm his wife n can confirm everything below is true) — gets nsfw under the cut!!!

✶ a menace, but he's your menace – baekhyun is the type of husband who makes life feel like a never ending sleepover. he teases you endlessly, whether it’s stealing your food mid bite, tickling your sides when you’re focused on something, or singing exaggerated love songs about you in the most ridiculous voices just to see you roll your eyes. but you can always tell—it’s adoration disguised as mischief.

✶ clingy, always touching you – always finding a way to touch you no matter what you’re doing. cooking? expect a back hug with his chin resting on your shoulder, swaying you side to side like a lovesick puppy. movie night? forget personal space—he’s pulling you straight into his lap, arms wrapped tight like you might float away. even the tiniest moments don’t escape him. passing each other in the hallway? forehead kiss, no second thought. like this man just needs to be touching you, even if it’s something as small as hooking his pinky around yours. it's like you’re his personal source of oxygen, and ofc he wouldn’t have it any other way.

✶ insists on a goodnight ritual – no ifs, ands, or buts. it’s something sweet and silly, maybe a very specific order of forehead, cheek, and nose kisses or a whispered “i love you even more than yesterday” before bed. and if you ever try to skip it? oh, he’s pouting. full on, arms crossed, huffing dramatically until you give in and make it right. he swears he just can’t sleep without it. and honestly? neither can you.

✶ the most competitive lil shit alive – you really thought just cus you're married, he'd mellow out? LMAAAOOOO nope. board games? video games? who can finish their drink first? it’s all a competition, and he has to win. and if he doesn’t? suddenly, you cheated. somehow. even if you’re playing something as foolproof as rock-paper-scissors. and don’t even think about beating him at mario kart unless you’re ready for war.

✶ loves when you wear his clothes – like actually forgets how to function for a second. his oversized hoodies? his t shirts drowning you? yeeeaaah, he’s obsessed. he’ll pause whatever he’s doing just to admire you, eyes shining with pure smugness before he pulls you into his arms, all warm and satisfied. “jeeeeez. you just love smelling like me, don’t you?” he teases, grinning because he knows he’s being insufferable. (and yes, he’s definitely smirking. yes, he’s eating this shit up.)

✶ has made it his personal mission to find you the cutest, most random little trinkets – ever since you mentioned liking them, he’s been on the lookout everywhere he goes. he could be out running errands and spot a tiny keychain shaped like a strawberry and immediately think, yep, that’s for my baby. now you have a growing collection of the most useless but ridiculously adorable knick knacks, all because he saw them and thought of you.

✶ dramatic when he misses you - gone for two days and acting like he’s been stranded on a deserted island for years. sends you voice messages full of exaggerated sighs, texts “i miss you” every hour on the dot, and makes you pinky promise you won’t forget about him while he’s away. but the second he’s home? he’s tackling you onto the couch, clinging onto you like a koala, whining about how unbelievably heartless you were for making him suffer this long.

✶ marriage does not mean he’s letting up – in fact, it’s only made him worse. if you thought slipping a ring on your finger would slow him down, think again. baekhyun still flirts like he’s trying to seduce you for the first time, still backs you up against the counter just to murmur the filthiest things in your ear, his breath warm, his voice all silk and sin. and then he just walks away, leaving you flushed, thighs pressed together, and completely at his mercy.

✶ has no shame about needing you – when he wants you, you’ll know. doesn’t matter if you’re busy, he’s sliding in next to you, fingers already tracing slow, lazy patterns up your thighs. his head rests heavy on your shoulder, lips brushing your ear as he murmurs, “baby, i’m so fucking hard it hurts… fix it for me, yeah?” and if you even think about ignoring him? oh, he only gets bolder—hands wandering, voice dropping, teasing you until you give in just the way he likes.

✶ teases you just to see you get impatient – drags it out just to watch you squirm—he loves making you unravel. slow, so agonizingly slow, barely touching, just enough to make you whine, to make you crave. his lips brush your ear, voice dripping with amusement as he whispers, “hmm? what's wrong, baby? not enough for you?” like he doesn't already know the answer, like he isn't enjoying every second of your frustration.

✶ talks you through it – bc if there’s one thing this fucker loves, it’s running his mouth. and in bed? oh, he’s even worse. he keeps his eyes locked on you while he ruins you, voice all low and smooth as he murmurs, “you feel so good, baby,” “love watching you like this,” “yeah? you like that?” he’s greedy for every little sound you make, chasing your reactions like they’re his lifeline. and if you try to bite back your moans, try to stay quiet? yeah, good luck with that—he’ll just push deeper, go harder, until you have no choice but to give him what he wants.

✶ gets so smug when you’re needy for him – cocky grin, slow, lazy touches that never quite give you what you want. the second you’re the one reaching for him first? oh, he’s fucking insufferable. lips brushing against yours, teasing, barely there, his head tilting like he’s amused. “hmm? what’s this?” he murmurs, voice dripping with satisfaction. “couldn’t wait for me?” and then he just—stalls. watches you squirm, drinks in every little impatient sigh like it fuels him. “say it, baby,” he demands, voice low, lips ghosting over your skin. “tell me how bad you need me.”

✶ possessive, but in a devotional way – he doesn’t give a damn about anyone else looking, bc he knows you’re his. but when he’s got you to himself, when he’s showing you exactly what that means, that’s when it gets dangerous. his grip on your waist turns bruising, his breath hot against your ear as he drags you closer, voice thick with need as he mutters, “mine. every inch of you. every fucking part of you—mine.”

✶ fucks you like he’s obsessed, like he can’t believe you’re real – like he’d drop to his knees just to taste you if you asked. he never shuts up, either, murmuring filthy praise between ragged breaths, telling you how fucking gorgeous you are, how tight, how warm, how you were made for him. even when he’s fucking you rough, when his fingers dig in hard enough to leave bruises, there’s that same reverence in his voice—like he’s been aching for this all day, like he exists just to make you cum, like nothing else in the world matters except the way you fall apart for him.

✶ lives for aftercare just as much as he lives for wrecking you – bc as much as he teases, as much as he pushes, he’s even softer when it’s over. he gathers you up in his arms, pressing slow, lazy kisses all over your face, whispering sweet nothings like he didn’t just have you trembling beneath him. “aw, was i too rough, baby?” he murmurs, fingers tracing over every mark he’s left. “lemme make it better, yeah?” and he does—tending to you with warm hands and soft words, like he’s making up for every filthy thing he just did to you.

[yuta-nakamots]

All I Got - B.Baekhyun

Pairing - Baekhyun x GN Reader, slight Chanyeol x GN Reader

Genre - Fluff, Angst 

Warnings - lots of yearning, jealousy on Baekhyun’s end, slight arguments 

Summary - Caught between comfort and the slow unraveling of unspoken feelings, you begin to notice the weight behind Baekhyun’s lingering glances and late-night silences. One quiet moment leads to a kiss, and soon, pretending not to feel anything is no longer an option.

Word Count - 3.3k

Author’s Note - This is inspired by a dream I had, though it was originally about Jeno and Chanyeol instead of Baekhyun and Chanyeol lol

Taglist - @k-vanity @exo-writers-net @exosnet (join my taglist!)

Written for The Mirror Of Erised Collab originally hosted by @taem-min. 

Now playing: All I Got - Baekhyun, Hasta La Vista - Chanyeol, Black Out - Chanyeol 

At the local animal shelter, you and Chanyeol are knee-deep in suds and fur, laughing as a puppy shakes water all over the two of you. Chanyeol is a friend you met while volunteering at the shelter on weekends, and you bonded over cleaning kennels, organizing adoption events, and playing with the shelter residents. 

Your friendship has always been fun, easygoing, and filled with inside jokes. He’s the golden retriever to your “I can handle it myself” energy. You tease him for being too soft with the animals. He calls you scary for how strict you are with their training, despite your constant explanations about the animals needing good manners to have a higher chance of finding their forever home. 

Today, the two of you were assigned to the front of the house, greeting guests, showing them around the shelter, handling adoption papers, and supervising other volunteers. One of them makes a comment. “Wait– are you guys together? Like, dating?”

You both laugh it off, but Chanyeol’s gaze lingers on you for just a second before answering. “We’re not.”

People often assumed you two were dating, but you always brushed it off. “He’d be more of a handful than any of the dogs in here.” You remark, causing Chanyeol to playfully shove you, albeit a little more forcefully than he meant. 

Later that day, as he walked you home, he noticed the way you slightly shivered. You had been running late in the morning and in your frenzy, had forgotten your jacket at home. Chanyeol took off his jacket and threw it over your shoulders without asking, the large garment engulfing you in warmth as his warmth clung to it. “You always act like you don’t need help,” he murmured, rubbing circles onto your back. 

“Because I don’t,” you respond. “I’ll be fine.” 

Chanyeol shakes his head with a grin. “Doesn’t mean I won’t offer.” 

When you arrive at the front of your apartment building, you bid Chanyeol farewell, and he watches you until you’re safely in the elevator before leaving. You return home and are greeted by a cup of your favorite tea already waiting, with a note placed next to it. 

‘Hope your day went well. Here’s something to unwind. -B’

After taking a large sip of the tea, you pick the note off the table, putting it in your bag for safekeeping. After setting down your belongings and tea in your room, you change into more comfortable clothes and wander into the living room where you knew you’d find Baekhyun. 

He was quietly reading on the couch, glasses slipping down his nose. He appeared so serene as golden rays of sunlight cast over him, making him appear as if he was glowing. He looked up, hearing your footsteps drawing closer, and a smile gradually grew on his face. “Hey, how was everything at the shelter?” 

You plopped yourself next to him, sinking into the cushions of the sofa. “Same old, same old,” you tell him. “Ran the front desk today, showed some people around, and did paperwork. Got asked if I was dating Chanyeol, but overall, it was pretty uneventful. I guess that’s good, in a sense.”

Baekhyun loved hearing you talking about your day. He loved listening to your voice and learning about all the things that brought you joy. He especially loved it when you were talking about him. Which is why this time, when he smiled, it didn’t quite reach his eyes. 

“I think I forgot my tea in my room,” you realize, standing up from the couch to grab the mug before it gets cold. “Thanks for making me some, I appreciate it.”

“Of course,” Baekhyun responded. Anything for you, he wanted to say, but he swallowed those words down with another sip from his mug. 

You and Baekhyun were college classmates and reconnected after graduation when a mutual friend was looking for people to take over the lease on their apartment. Living with Baekhyun started off as chill since he was always kind and surprisingly thoughtful. Out of habit, he’d make himself tea throughout the day, and from the moment he caught you sneaking a sip, he started making two cups. One for him and one for you. Aside from that, he liked to leave notes around the place. Little things that kept you going through the week, sometimes reminding you to buy more dish soap, or saying he took out the trash but went out to buy more bags. 

He was understanding in ways you had never expected a roommate to be, and he also didn’t question your relationship with Chanyeol whenever you brought him over. But unbeknownst to you, Baekhyun watched how naturally you and Chanyeol mesh together, and the more you bring him over, the more Baekhyun feels like he’s losing something, even if it was something he never really had. 

The next weekend, Chanyeol is over at your place once again, effortlessly helping you cook dinner and joking around as if he lived there. Chanyeol set the table while you cleaned off the stove before going to Baekhyun’s room, telling him that dinner is ready. It felt almost like domestic bliss in the way that the three of you came to the table and enjoyed a meal together. 

Baekhyun ate quietly, watching you and Chanyeol banter and laugh with each other. It’s like he was looking through glass, as if he were in a separate room. He didn’t feel that it was his place to play around with Chanyeol when they barely knew each other. Chanyeol is your friend, not his. 

Despite that, Baekhyun hung around after finishing his meal and started washing the dishes. “You guys cooked, I’ll handle cleaning up.” 

Shortly after, Chanyeol excused himself from the table, saying he would be heading out. You walked him to the door and bid farewell, closing the door gently as the smile faded from your cheeks the further Chanyeol got from you. 

You fell into place next to Baekhyun, standing in front of the sink as he scrubbed the dishes and rinsed them clean. Grabbing a spare towel, you began drying the items Baekhyun set aside. The silence between the two of you was comfortable and familiar, filled by the movement of water, crackling of soap, and clinking of plates and silverware until Baekhyun spoke. “He’s easy to love, isn’t he?”

You pause in the middle of drying a plate. “What do you mean?”

Baekhyun handed you a fork. “Nothing. Just observing.”

“He’s just a friend,” you tell him, though deep down, it feels like you’re trying to reassure yourself, too. 

Baekhyun hummed as he accepted the answer, letting the conversation die out. His head was swimming with thoughts, and he told himself that maybe what he saw was just an illusion. The way you laughed at Chanyeol’s jokes, the way your cheeks rose into a smile whenever he was around. Or if those weren’t an illusion, certainly the way you treated him must be. The way you would keep his notes after reading them as if they were something precious, or the way you talked to him about anything that came to mind as if there were no limits between the two of you. 

Maybe it would be better if everything were an illusion. 

The weight in Baekhyun’s chest grew heavier every time he saw you with Chanyeol. Your conversations with Chanyeol flowed so effortlessly, the way he made you smile as if it was second nature, and the way he hovered so close to you whenever he was in the apartment. All of it made Baekhyun ache with envy, craving to be the one that you were talking to, despite knowing he would have his turn at the end of the day. 

Baekhyun felt out of place in his own apartment the day you and Chanyeol brought home two stray dogs, claiming “they needed a bath” before they could be brought into the shelter. Baekhyun knew better than to complain and become the cause of the face you would make at him, something comparable to a sad, wet kitten. 

Yet he soon wore his own sad, wet kitten face as he stood in the doorway of the bathroom, and you caught him with a misplaced jet of water in the midst of trying to get Chanyeol back for spraying you. “Sorry!” You shout to Baekhyun over the mess of soap and laughter you and Chanyeol had created.

Baekhyun only shook his head while closing the bathroom door, muttering under his breath about how he had “just finished laundry.” 

After the door clicks shut, Chanyeol turns to you. “What’s gotten into him? He’s been all brooding recently.”

You think back to your conversation with Baekhyun after dinner, and things started to click together. The more you brought Chanyeol over, the more distant Baekhyun was. Yet you swore to him that Chanyeol was just a friend, and you would never lie to him. Just what was going on in that pretty little head of his? 

You shrug as you return your mind to the situation at hand, the dogs. “I’m not sure, but let’s get these little guys cleaned up and dried.”

Chanyeol nodded in agreement. “Do you think Baekyun would be mad if we used one of his towels?”

You laughed at the joke, but Baekhyun didn’t as he stood on the other side of the bathroom door. He never left. He only fled from his spot when he heard the ruffling of towels come to a stop and your voice saying, “okay, I think they should be dry enough now.” Hardly even a second later, the bathroom door was creaking open, and you stepped out with one of the dogs in your arms. You were so engrossed in the way it tiredly rested its muzzle on your shoulder that you didn’t catch the tail ends of Baekhyun disappearing into his room. 

You and Chanyeol left the apartment with the dogs wrapped in towels. Both of them had been so thoroughly exhausted from the bath that they had to be carried to Chanyeol’s car. You felt similar as you helped Chanyeol load them into the back seat, but the fatigue finally hit you while watching him drive off, his license plate growing smaller and smaller until he made the turn out of your neighborhood. 

After returning to your apartment, you made quick work of cleaning up the bathroom and yourself, opting for comfortable clothes and a nap. It was still early in the afternoon, there were still tons of time left in the day, you told yourself. 

By the time you woke, the sun was casting a golden orange glow through the flat, and you could hear the faint sounds of Baekhyun in the kitchen. You threw the blankets off your body, wishing you could enjoy their warmth just a bit longer, but you were not about to let Baekhyun make dinner alone. 

“What are you making?” You asked, leaning against the refrigerator. 

“Curry and rice,” Baekhyun responded dryly, not even sparing you a glance.

You step closer to him and peer into the large pot he was stirring. “Anything I can help with?”

He shook his head. “It’s almost done.”

You weren’t going to take that as an answer. “Surely, there must be something I can do.”

He sighed. “If you really want to make yourself useful, you can get out the bowls and spoons.” 

With ease, you pulled two bowls out from the cabinet along with two spoons from a drawer. “Done,” you announce proudly.

Baekhyun raises an eyebrow at the set and finally looks at you. “Only two?”

“What? Was I supposed to grab more?” You question.

“No, I just thought– never mind.” Baekhyun opened the rice cooker and scooped a generous serving into both bowls. 

“Whaaaaat?” You whine, tugging on the hem of his shirt. “Tell meeeee.”

He glanced over at you, casting a half-hearted smile as he ladled curry over the rice. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s obviously not nothing if it’s got you all moody and brooding like this.” Baekhyun paused. You used that word, that same word Chanyeol had used earlier. Brooding. Baekhyun had never had anyone describe himself as ‘brooding’ before, but it sure as hell wasn’t going to start now. 

“I’m not brooding,” he snapped. 

“Yes, you are,” you responded in the same manner, swiping a bowl from the counter along with a spoon. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this is all about Chanyeol and how you’re jealous that I spend more time with him than I do with you.” You storm off, taking your food with you to the couch in the living area. 

Baekhyun followed like he always did. “And what if it is?”

You sit down on one end of the couch, back against the armrest, with one knee to your chest as the other hangs off the cushion. “Then I expect you to talk to me like a man and say it instead of moping around like a child.”

“Okay, then I will.” He sat at the other end, hardly even a foot away from you. “I’m jealous.”

You had barely taken your first bite of the curry when he confessed. A sly smirk spread on your face. “And why are you jealous?”

He exhaled heavily through his nose before setting his bowl on the table next to the couch. “I don’t think this is a conversation we should be having over dinner.”

“This isn’t dinner if neither of us are eating.” You set your bowl next to his. “Let’s talk.”

He looks between you and your bowl in disbelief, rolling his eyes and looking away from you. “I don’t want to.”

“Then why’d you follow me here?” You press. 

“I just–I didn’t want you to leave me.” He spoke so quietly it was nearly a whisper, and yet it tore at your heart. 

You moved over until you were sitting shoulder to shoulder with him, yet he refused to look at you. “Hey,” you begin, gently hooking your index finger under his chin and pulling him to face you. “I won’t leave you.”

He stared at you, intense and quiet. “Don’t look at me like that.”

Your face twisted in confusion. “Like what?”

“Like I’m someone that matters to you when I’m not–”

“But you are.” 

“Clearly not when Chanyeol’s around!” 

A heavy silence settled over the two of you, and you welcomed it. Your hand fell from Baekhyun’s face and into your lap, but you kept your gaze on him. He made a move to stand, but you grabbed his wrist. “Sit down,” you said softly, more of a plea than a command. He froze and stood staring at the floor, neither sitting nor leaving. 

“Chanyeol is my friend,” you continued as steadily as you could manage. “He’s always been my friend. That’s all it is.” Baekhyun didn’t answer, but you saw his jaw tighten. “Do you think I talk to him the way I talk to you? Do you think I tell him anything and everything the way I tell you? Do you think I let him see me when I’m tired, frustrated, at my worst, when I’m in my room and haven’t washed my hair in days?” His eyes finally flicked toward you. “I’ve never shown myself this way to anyone except you.” Baekhyun didn’t respond, but something shifted in the air– like he finally allowed himself to hope. “I spend time with Chanyeol,” you acknowledge, voice lowering, “but I wait for you. You’re the one I come home to every day.”

Baekhyun’s gaze hardened at the mention of his name. “Then why does it feel like I always come second?”

You exhaled shakily, hand squeezing tightly around his wrist. “I don’t know what this is yet,” you admitted. “I just know that when you’re not okay…I feel it.”

He didn’t respond, but he finally sat down next to you. You tried to smile, to lighten the mood, or to thank him for staying, anything to distract you from the ache in your chest. “No smiling at me like that,” he said quietly, the corner of his mouth twitching like he was trying not to fall apart. 

But then you leaned in, and he met you halfway. The kiss wasn’t perfect, but it was hungry, hesitant, and full of everything you both had been holding back. Baekhyun kissed you as if his life depended on it, his hands falling to your waist while yours ran up his chest and sat on his shoulders. When you finally pulled away, both of you fighting for air, he didn’t move. 

“I already knew that was going to hurt,” he whispered. 

You didn’t know what to say, so instead you just stayed. You stayed close enough to him to prove that you wouldn’t leave him this time. 

Days after the kiss, things didn’t return to normal, but they didn’t fall apart…yet. There were countless nights of you staying in each other's spaces, though not quite crossing the boundary between the two of you. The distance was charged and sensitive. Neither of you said much. Baekhyun didn’t push, and you didn’t promise him anything you weren’t ready to give. But when you lay in his bed and interlocked your pinky with his, he didn’t move away. 

Everything came to a head on a late Tuesday evening. Chanyeol had forgotten his wallet at your place, and you stood outside the apartment building waiting for him. You spotted him walking toward you from where his car was parked at the far end of the lot, his hair damp from a shower, and his jacket half-zipped as if he had left in a hurry. 

He smiled when he saw you, but it quickly faded when he saw Baekhyun trailing behind, hovering just inside the entrance to the building. “Hey,” Chanyeol says loud enough for Baekhyun to hear, his eyes flicking between the two of you. “Why did he come down with you?” He asked, this time only for your ears. You turn around to glance at Baekhyun. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, watching you. You turn back to Chanyeol, his brows pinched while staring back at Baekhyun. “Did something happen?”

You shift your weight from one foot to the other, your eyes darting between Chanyeol’s. “Not exactly,” you murmur while trying to avoid the way Baekhyun’s gaze warms the back of your neck. 

Chanyeol’s brows furrow further, concerned. “Is he bothering you?”

You let out a quiet breath, almost a laugh. “No. He’s not the problem.”

Chanyeol watches you closely, his voice dipping lower. “Then what is?”

You glance down at your hands, then back at him. “You’ve always had this way of pulling me toward you even when I’m already leaning somewhere else.” He blinks, caught off guard. “I just…I need to figure something out, and I can’t really hear myself think when I feel like I’m being watched for the answer. 

Chanyeol looks over your shoulder towards Baekhyun, and his expression shifts. “Oh.” The silence stretches until Chanyeol exhales, long and slow. “Do I need to step back?”

You don’t say yes. But you don’t say no, either. You just meet his eyes, full of kindness and warmth. And that much was enough. Chanyeol nods, backing away with quiet understanding, hands tucked into his jacket pockets. He doesn’t press for more, he never has. “Take care of yourself, okay?” He says softly. 

You give him a small nod. “You too.”

Once he’s gone, the space around you feels bigger. Quieter. Behind you, Baekhyun hasn’t moved, and you don’t turn around, not yet. The breeze seems to whisper with everything left unsaid, and for now, that’s all there is. 

Autoplay: If you liked this, you may also like Groove - K.Jongin 

[andimoon]

@soobadnoonecanstopher 😭😭😭

Im obsessed w him actually <3

(thank you for the ref pics!! @his-mochi-cheeks , @violexa , @6aeks)

[bobohu4eva]

Golden

Part 1/2

Characters: Reader x Baekhyun

Genre: College AU, Baekhyun as an adorable art student and campus heartthrob, shy OC, hurt/comfort, mutual pining, angst, eventual smut

WC: 8.3k

Warnings: Harassment, alcohol consumption

Masterlist

The streets of Seoul set your mind ablaze in all their bright, manicured chaos.

 It had been three years since your first time in the city, but again it sucked you right in without as much as a glimpse of hesitation. Not unlike you with a bowl of your favorite ramyun.

The American midwest had its charms, if you looked hard enough, but your eyes were getting tired. The city had always been more your speed, and Seoul was, in your mind, the absolute best there was. When the opportunity finally came to spend your last year of college at Korea University you eagerly took it. 

No matter the area, the time of day, or one's specific interests, there was always a good chance that something uniquely enticing was just around the corner, waiting to be discovered. Getting bored wasn’t an option, even for those who might crave it every now and then. 

Patience, like boredom, was not on the menu in Seoul either. Ppalli-ppalli is what they call it, ‘quickly-quickly, the culture that drives the city to cater perfectly to the needs of those as antsy, or really just anxious, as yourself. It’s hard to overthink for hours when there is so much constantly changing and happening around you, demanding your attention. You found that profoundly comforting. 

Independence had always been a strength of yours, so the first several weeks flew by, but by the third week, and then the fourth, even you got a little lonely. 

After a few years studying the language, your Korean was decent. Passable. But fluent, you were not. Ordering in restaurants, reading directions and street signs, that was no problem, but having to make any kind of meaningful conversation was humbling, to say the least. 

It was a relief to finally get a roommate, Heejin, another senior at the university. She was thrilled to practice her English with you, and you your Korean with her. 

Before you knew it the semester was starting, and right on your first day of classes, you noticed him. Surrounded by a large group of friends all laughing together, he was at the center in all his beauty. 

It would be hard not to notice him, really, given his clothing. They were unusually colorful, in contrast to the muted neutrals most Koreans favor, and were often dotted with what looked like paint stains, mainly shades of yellow and gold. In the crowded lecture hall, he was a sliver of sunlight against the sea of black, brown, and gray. 

He wore round glasses, which framed kind, puppy-like eyes the color of your favorite chocolate. The dark curls of his hair were perfectly fluffy, and his lips perfectly pink. Moles and freckles decorated his nose and cheeks generously.

You struggled not to stare. He was just so pretty. Especially when you saw him smile. Just the sight of him laughing at a joke you hadn’t even heard, brought a smile to your face. 

He was shining, glowing, radiating so much warmth you’d blissfully forgotten the still looming chill of early spring. 

“That’s Baekhyun, he’s a studio arts major, pretty much every girl I know has a crush on him. I get it, though, he is super cute, he seems really nice, too, though I don’t really know him myself.” Heejin told you, when you asked about him that same evening.

Against your better judgment, or any rational thought, really, you let yourself be drawn to him, taking your seat the next day in the row directly in front of his. You didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but you couldn’t help it, listening in on him and his friends' conversations before class started. He was whitty, charming, and effortlessly funny, though he never made jokes at anyone else’s expense, like his friends did. He seemed like a genuinely sweet guy, just like your roommate had said. And basically every girl on campus saw it too, along with how devastatingly cute he was. 

Despite feeling relatively confident in the subject matter of all your classes, you still did your best to fade into the background and avoid being called on by the professors. Trying to sound smart and confident wasn’t something your Korean skills (or still slightly fragile psyche) were up to yet.

But as fate would have it, you couldn’t avoid talking in class forever. At the end of the second week, during your last class of the day, you were called on to answer something pretty simple, yet you still ended up stumbling over your words, sounding awkward at best. 

You easily picked up on the snide comments and snickers coming from the girls behind you. Back home you would’ve thrown her a mean side eye at the very least, but now you just kept your head down. Making enemies so early on here couldn’t be a good idea. Not only that, but you knew Baekhyun would be witness to all of it. 

“Sumin, it took you three tries to pass elementary English, talking about someone else’s language skills is wild.” 

His voice was just as lovely as the rest of him, so you didn’t even have to turn around to be sure who’d said it, but you still did. There was a small reassuring smile on his lips, and a pout on hers. He’d said it so casually, like it was nothing, but it definitely meant a hell of a lot to you. 

She was gorgeous, and you’d wondered in the past if there was something going on between them. But Baekhyun didn't appear all that impressed with her, at least not the way she clearly was with him. 

You kept replaying it in your mind, until finally class was over, and you headed quickly towards the door, worried you’d be hearing more rude comments. 

“Hey! Y/n, right?” 

“Huh?” Too shocked to fully react, you spun around to see him walking straight towards you. 

“I’m Baekhyun, sorry about my friend earlier. You’re an exchange student, right?” His English was nearly perfect, the slight accent he had making him sound even more endearing. 

“Yeah… Thank you, by the way. How do you know my name?” 

“Well, you do kind of stand out. In a good way though.” 

He was grinning, looking gorgeous as ever, even in a simple red tshirt and jeans, dotted with the usual colorful specks of paint. Now that he was standing so close to you, you got a good idea of how tall he was, and although he wasn’t the biggest, most muscular guy you’d ever seen, his shoulders were surprisingly broad, and his arms looked sturdy. As your eyes stayed glued to his form, your mind wandered off, thinking about how lovely it must feel to get a hug from him. 

It occurred to you then that he must’ve asked someone about you, the same way you’d asked about him. 

“I do?” You asked, starting to make your way towards the building’s exit. 

“Well, yeah, there are other foreigners going here too of course, but I’m sure most of them don’t get as much attention as you.” 

You blushed, not wanting to read into it too deeply, but you wondered if that was his way of telling you that he thought you were cute. 

“I don’t know about that…” 

“So, where are you headed now?” He asked, holding the door as you both left the building. 

“Back to my dorm, that was my last class of the day.” 

“Same, can I walk with you?”

“Sure, it’s a little far though.” 

He shrugged, “I don't mind.” 

As he accompanied you across campus, you couldn’t help but wonder why he was being so nice. He seemed like a nice person, of course, but he didn’t know you at all. You weren’t even an artsy type like he was. 

“You’re an art student, right? Is that why some of your clothes have paint on them?”

He nodded, a big beautiful smile on his face. “My favorite is oil paints, and they stain like crazy so now I just let it happen, I kinda like the way it looks.” 

“I like it too.” 

“Yeah? Maybe I could paint on your clothes too sometime.” 

You laughed, shaking your head. “I don’t think I could pull it off.” 

“What? Of course you could, if I can then you definitely can.” He teased, swaying slightly as he took his next step, letting his shoulder brush your own. 

It was troublingly easy for him to make you blush, and you hoped he didn’t notice just how flustered he was making you, without even really doing anything. 

“What about you? What's your major?” 

“International business, I've wanted to move here for years, and that major was recommended to me for this exchange program.” 

“Well, I'm glad you finally made it.” He grinned, warm and lovely, and if you hadn’t known better, you might’ve thought that he was flirting with you. “You're from America, right?” 

You nodded. 

“What made you want to move to Korea?” 

“My favorite professor back in the states was Korean, she told me that she thought I would do well here, and introduced me to the culture, the language, all of it. I eventually came here for a week-long spring break thing, and ended up liking it a lot.” 

Even from the outer echelons of your gaze, his smile was still bright as ever, those beautiful kind eyes fixated on you with intent. You couldn’t look back at him, not yet, your fragile heart needed time. He wondered why the architecture of the surrounding buildings suddenly became of such keen interest to you.  

“What about you? Why art?” 

He shrugged, “I've always been the creative type, ever since I was a kid. I can’t really imagine doing anything else at this point.” 

“I'd love to see some of your work, if you'd be willing to show me.” 

“Of course!” His face lit up even more, somehow, and he immediately pulled out his phone, opening up a photo album of his recent projects and handing it to you. 

You assumed he’d be pretty good just based on how popular he was, but when you got a good look at some of his work, it stopped you dead in your tracks. You froze, swiping through some of the pictures, speechless. 

“Do you like them?” 

You let out a short laugh, more in disbelief than anything else. “Are you kidding? These are amazing, you’re so talented.” 

Most of his paintings were dreamlike scenes bathed in yellow and gold, bright shapes and colors coming through in the most beautiful ways, creating so much atmosphere and movement, even just through the screen of his phone. They all depicted people, mostly women, just going about their normal lives, but the colorful and abstract nature of his style made it all so much more alluring to look at. Without a doubt, he had a real gift. 

He just shrugged, “I do my best.” 

You were a little disappointed to reach your dorm so soon, and have to tell him goodbye, though he assured you he would see you in class. For the first time, you actually looked forward to it, the promise of seeing him and his wonderful smile again making all of your previous uncertainty melt into comparative irrelevance. 

~

When the next class period came around, you’d expected to hear him sit down behind you with the rest of his friends. You did hear his friends sit down, talking among themselves, but he walked right past them, sitting down next to you instead. 

He started asking you about the homework, totally casual, and you had to act like you weren’t internally screaming the entire time. You acted as normal as you could, all the while feeling Sumin’s eyes like sharpened pencils stabbing into the back of your skull.

Eventually class started, and that took your mind off things at least a little, but as soon as the professor dismissed everyone Baekhyun was once again asking if he could walk you home, and of course, you agreed. 

An awkward silence filled the air as you tried to find something to talk about, but just having him there next to you made you so embarrassingly shy, you could hardly think straight. As he held the door for you, that disgustingly sweet fluttering sensation filled your belly, and while familiar, you’d never experienced it to such a degree. 

“Do you have a favorite painter?” You eventually blurted out. It was the first thing that came to mind, and to your relief, he seemed excited to answer. 

“Yeah! I mean, there are a ton that I love, but the one I’m most inspired by in my own work is Gustav Klimt, the way he combines art nouveau, with more classical and Japanese influences, it's so cool. I try to do something similar, but with a more Korean flair. He was really controversial during his time too, but he didn’t care and just did what he liked anyway.” 

“Why was he controversial?” 

“Well…” He cleared his throat, and you swore, for a second, it looked like he was blushing. For once, he wasn’t looking at you, seemingly avoiding eye contact himself. “Many of his really famous pieces are of women, usually without clothes on. There’s a lot of symbolism around sexuality and eroticism, so early 20th century Austria labeled his work as pornographic.” 

“Oh?” 

“Well it was the 1910’s!” He replied, maybe a little too quickly, “One rogue boob was enough to thoroughly scandalize them, you know what I mean, right?” 

You smiled, comforted by the fact that he actually seemed to be the one getting flustered now. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Different time.” 

“He was ahead of his time, for sure. That's one of the things I love about him and his work.” 

He just kept gushing about the different pieces he liked best, showing them to you on his phone, talking about the different motifs and what it was about them that he loved. It was so sweet, his enthusiasm for it, and you took it all in happily.

You could listen to him talk about art all day long. You could see the sparkle in his eyes, the passion and excitement he had for it, and you were almost jealous of him, that he was so great at something that he loved so much. Sadly though, you soon made it back to your dorm again. However this time, when you turned to start walking up the steps, he stopped you. 

“Wait, um, if you wouldn’t mind, could I get your number?” 

You stared back at him for a minute, happy but surprised, before nodding. He handed you his phone and you added your contact, heart beating rapidly, trying your best not to look as excited as you felt. 

When you reached your room, you saw the first text from him, one of the paintings he’d shown you. It was the same colorful yet overwhelmingly golden color scheme you’d seen in his own work, and depicted a man kissing a woman on the cheek. The racing of your heart took several minutes to return to a more normal pace. 

~

As the semester went on, he always sat with you, and always walked you home. It took you another few weeks to really start opening up to him, but as you gradually did, his kind and warm demeanor made you feel at ease. He asked you about your family, your hobbies, whatever he could to get to know you better. You told him about your love for music, your favorite artists, and he always listened intently. He’d check out songs you recommended, and singers he’d never heard of, seeming as eager as you to get to meet again and discuss them more in depth. 

Even as you talked to him about more personal matters, he never made you feel judged, always keeping an open heart and mind. That was another thing about him that you grew to admire. 

You loved Seoul, and Korean culture, but learned that people could be more judgemental, and on the basis of quite superficial matters. Not only that, but these judgements were perfectly acceptable to express, adding an extra layer of pressure to everyday life. Baekhyun, however, didn’t partake in any of it. 

Despite how attractive, popular, and as you came to learn, wealthy, he was, he never talked down to anyone. Jokes of that sort, that were normal to basically all of his friends, he wouldn’t react to, noticing the way he’d steer the conversation away from such topics when they came up. 

He was accepting of everyone, regardless of their status, appearance, or various other factors. He was friends with basically everyone, too. As he’d walk with you he would always be greeting people left and right, giving everyone a smile and a friendly wave, never once ignoring someone or showing any condescension. He was just good. 

His kindness, as lovely as it was, unfortunately also made you realize how not special you were to him. It was simply in his nature to be kind, even to those who might not deserve it, or could get the wrong idea. It was obvious how many girls had crushes on him, and though it never contained any malicious intent, he flirted with basically all of them. It was just part of his good nature. When he could tell someone liked him, he liked to make them happy. He never purposely misled anyone, or got their hopes up, but you still saw it happen time and time again. He would compliment a girl, and she would get all flustered, just like you had, wondering if maybe he really did like her, only to be disappointed when he did the same to her friend. If he wasn’t such a goddamn sweetheart he probably would've been labeled a playboy long ago, but everyone could clearly see that he wasn’t like that. Sleeping around wasn’t something he seemed to do either, though he definitely could’ve if he wanted to.  

All of that being said, you still fell hard for him. It felt silly, being so infatuated and getting so flustered around him due to his sweet words, knowing that there wasn’t anything special about the way he treated you. He was that sweet to all of the girls, and you couldn’t even be mad at him for it, so you learned to hide how you felt. At least you wouldn’t end up looking like a fool that way. 

~

Walking to class in the mornings always felt like such a chore, especially ever since Baekhyun had started to accompany you on your way back home everyday. You missed his company, and it was usually still quite cold, too, something you hated. Getting to listen to music uninterrupted was the only part that brought you some solace. 

One morning was particularly stressful for you, having overslept the day before an exam, already late to the very necessary hour of studying you’d planned before going to your first class. 

You were walking quicker than usual, headphones on, focused on making it to the library. However none of that seemed to deter the guy who started walking alongside you, now talking at you, motioning for you to take your headphones off. 

Annoyed as you were, you didn’t want to be rude either. You took off the headphones, telling him, “Sorry, I’m kind of in a hurry.” 

He didn’t seem to care, and when you started putting your headphones back on, he grabbed them from you. 

You stared at him, clearly pissed off and in slight disbelief, but still, he just kept walking, now uncomfortably close to you. “I’m Jaeyong. I’ve seen you around, you’re really pretty. My dad basically owns this whole place, you know.” 

“Oh yeah?” You tried to take your headphones back, but he kept them out of reach. 

You’d seen him around campus too, surrounded by a posse of other rich kids, though they weren’t the kind Baekhyun associated with, and it was easy to see why. You immediately had a bad feeling about the guy. 

“Can I get your number? We should go out sometime, I only date foreign girls. You guys are way less stuck up than the girls here, more open minded.” 

Oh lord. You’d been warned about guys like him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Come on, don’t be a bitch. At least give me your number.” 

You ignored what he said, trying again to get ahold of your headphones, and he still refused to give them back. 

“You’d be lucky to go on a date with someone like me, you know.” 

“Sorry, but I’m not interested. Can I please get my headphones back now?” 

“What? You have a boyfriend or something?” 

He’d been following you long enough that you were already in front of the library, and you really didn’t want him to follow you inside. For your own sanity, but also to spare the other students the annoyance, knowing he likely still wouldn’t shut up. 

Unfortunately when you didn’t go inside, he ended up backing you up to the side of the building, blocking you into a corner. 

“You can get your headphones back if you agree to go on a date with me.” His face was so close to your own you could smell his breath, turning away from him, refusing to respond. “Come on Y/n. You know you want to.” 

The greasy smirk on his face made you feel sick. You didn’t remember ever giving him your name.

“I really need to go study.” 

“I said, don’t be a bitch. It would be really stupid of you to reject me.” He spat, a jarring change in his tone.

He was no longer smiling, either, clearly getting frustrated with you. Fear started to take over, and you decided you could get new headphones later, you just needed to get away. You tried to get past him, but his hand on your shoulder shoved you against the side of the building roughly, painfully, and panic quickly set in, tears forming in your eyes. He didn’t even seem to care that there were other people around, clearly confident nobody would bother to stop him. 

He was talking again, and you could hear the malice in his voice, though you were too scared to even really tell what he was saying anymore, cheeks now wet, repeating again and again to please just leave you alone. Your shoulder ached, still being held against the brick wall hard enough that you knew it would bruise. 

Your eyes were squeezed shut, shaking your head, and suddenly the hand on your shoulder was gone. You collapsed to the ground, only vaguely aware of the voices around you. 

There was a cacophony of “Leave her alone”, “Mind your business”, “Fuck off”, and more coming from only a few feet away but you just sat slumped against the wall, wishing it would all go away. 

The sudden touch from a pair of hands taking hold of your own made you jump. You finally opened your eyes again, and to your great relief, it wasn't the guy who’d been bothering you, it was Baekhyun. 

“Y/n? Are you okay?” 

A pair of concerned eyes met your own, feeling his thumbs as they softly ran across the backs of your hands. You stared back at him, dumbfounded, too stunned to speak. He was crouched down in front of you where you still sat against the wall, the other man nowhere to be seen. 

“Please say something.” 

“I- I don’t know.” 

You didn’t notice, but Baekhyun grew increasingly aware of the people starting to gather around. His grip on your hands tightened and he pulled you back up to your feet, disappearing into the library with you. He made his way into the first empty study room he could find, his hand still firmly holding your own. 

Now that you knew you were actually safe the adrenaline finally began to wear off. Baekhyun pulled out a chair for you to sit, so you did, and he soon followed. He moved so he was facing you instead of the table, and you tried to do the same, but when you braced yourself against the table and put even the slightest pressure on it, pain shot up towards your shoulder, making you wince. 

He caught on right away, moving your chair for you. 

“Are you hurt?” 

Embarrassment slowly took hold now that you’d come to realize the gravity of the situation. As much as you didn’t want him to worry about you, you knew you couldn’t just lie, either. 

“It isn’t too bad, I’ll be okay.” You were avoiding his eyes, growing more and more shy by the second. “You should get to class, I need to study anyway.” 

“What?” 

The softness and confusion in his voice pierced through your heart, even with only that one word. He was moving closer, and you hadn't even realized that you were still crying, not until his thumb began to gently wipe your tears away. 

You were painfully aware of the rapid increase in your heart rate, as well as the redness spreading across your cheeks. He was so close now, his hands delicate on your face, looking at you with those beautiful brown eyes swimming with unease, still so worried about you.

His eyes moved to your shoulder, and his hand to the collar of your sweater.

“Can I..?” 

You nodded, turning that side of your body towards him, and he slowly moved the fabric aside. 

Seeing how his eyes widened, you looked down, and saw the blue and purple bruises for yourself. 

“You are hurt. Let's get you to a nurse.” He said as he stood, but you stayed seated. 

“Baekhyun, it's ok, I can go by myself later, you don't have to do all this.” 

“Yeah, I do. I want to help.” He said, and held out his hand, beckoning you to get up and go with him. His eyes met yours, holding your gaze with intent. You couldn’t say no to him, not when he looked at you like that. His hand was warm when you finally took it, gratefully accepting his kindness, bashful as you were. 

His hand stayed holding yours the entire way to the health services building. It wasn't far, but you still noticed the looks you got, especially from other girls. 

You assumed that Baekhyun would leave for class once he dropped you off, but he didn't. He took a seat with you as you waited for your name to be called, and soon enough, you were being led down the hallway, with him still by your side. 

“Sorry, your boyfriend can't come in the room with you.” Said the nurse, and you and Baekhyun exchanged nervous glances, though neither said anything to correct her.. 

He sat himself down in a nearby chair to wait, and you followed the nurse into the room. When you returned, he still wore that same nervous expression, asking, “How bad is it?” 

His sweetness brought a long overdue smile to your face. “Not bad.” You said, and pulled your sweater aside to show him the tape and bandages. “No heavy lifting for a few weeks, and I should try not to move it too much, but nothing serious.” 

Finally, you saw him ease up a bit, showing you a small smile as well. “Can I walk you to class?” 

You nodded, and he was once again by your side as you headed across campus, though this time without his hand holding yours. As much as you tried to deny it, you missed the feeling. Once or twice you felt his hand brush up against your own, and you wondered if he was thinking the same thing, but you knew you shouldn’t get caught up in those kinds of thoughts. 

“I don’t want to intrude, but if you’d like- I mean, if it would make you feel more comfortable, I could walk with you in the mornings, too, and between classes.”

As he said it his eyes were fixed on his hands, fidgeting with a ring he had on. 

“Are you sure? I don’t want to make you late, or be a bother.” 

“It’s no problem at all! Really, I think I would also feel better, just knowing that you’re safe.” 

“Oh..I would like that, yeah.” You found yourself looking down at the pavement, blushing, mind once again wandering off, the sickly sweet feeling fluttering within you. When you turned onto a larger road, you didn’t miss the way his hand gently took hold of your good shoulder, positioning himself between you and the street.

You went on to text him your class schedule, and he happily agreed to walk with you wherever you needed to go, though you still found it hard to believe that he wouldn’t end up making himself late as a result. He seemed so happy to do it, though, you didn’t question him any further. When you thought about the very real possibility of running into Jaeyong again, you were grateful you’d have Baekhyun by your side. 

He waved you goodbye when you got to class, and when it was over he was in the same spot, already waiting for you. 

It went on like that for the rest of the day, with him being his usual wonderful self. You could tell that he was trying his best to brighten your day after it started so badly, and you appreciated it more than you could put into words. During your last class, he was joking around more than usual, complimenting you more, making you smile every chance he got. When it was finally time to say goodbye for the day back at your dorm, you didn’t want to let him go.

The next morning, true to his word, he was there waiting for you when you walked outside. Instead of heading towards campus, though, he insisted you sit down on the closest bench, “I have a surprise for you.” He said. 

You played along, sitting down, following his directions to cover your eyes. He seemed to rummage around in his backpack for a minute, then set something down on your lap. 

He gently took hold of your wrists, moving your hands aside, and you finally got a good look at the surprise he’d prepared. 

It was a pair of headphones. The same model you’d had, but the newest version. Your old pair had been expensive enough, you almost couldn’t believe that he actually spent the money on a replacement. 

“Do you like it? I tried to get your old pair back yesterday, but that asshole broke them.” 

As much as you wanted to fight him and insist it was too much, he looked so excited, the smile on his beautiful face so pure, you just couldn’t bring yourself to do so. You grinned back at him, standing up to throw your arms around him without a second thought. The way he hugged you back was just as amazing as you’d always imagined it would be. He was warm, his chest and arms firm in the most comforting way, and even the way he smelled was addictive. His embrace was nothing short of perfect, and it took everything in you not to whine when it inevitably came to an end. 

“Thank you.”

“I know how much you love music, so I figured a nice pair of headphones would be pretty important to you.” 

“It is, this is so sweet, I don’t even know what to say.” 

He grinned, a teasing look on his face, “I wouldn’t mind another hug, if that’s easier.” 

Your smile told him more than enough. This time, he was the one to pull you in, and he held you even tighter, letting the embrace linger for a moment longer. You put the headphones in your backpack, and started walking to class. 

“You know I think that's the first time I've ever heard you call someone an asshole.” 

“Well he really, really is.” He laughed. “I couldn't stand him even before he did all that. It's not the first time he's done that kind of thing either, but nobody ever stops him since his family donates a ton of money to the university and is on the board of directors.” 

“That's awful..” 

“Yeah he's the worst. How's your shoulder?” 

“It only hurts if I put pressure on it or move it wrong, it’s really not too bad.”  

You didn't have the heart to tell him that it did kind of hurt when he hugged you, but you'd happily deal with the slight discomfort of it, if it meant you'd get to do it more often. 

He seemed to catch on anyway, only lightly holding onto your good side when you got to class and he told you goodbye. You wondered if he'd been thinking about holding you the same way you had been for weeks, now that he seemed so keen on it. 

Every time he was sweet to you, you felt yourself falling for him even harder. Just walking with him was enough to turn you into a giddy mess, gradually falling in love with every little part of him. Whenever you felt especially shy, you would ask him about different art projects he was working on and he would show you, going on and on about what inspired it, the different motifs and themes. His voice always calmed you down after a little while, but by then, you'd usually be home or at your next class. 

For days you thought about inviting him over, telling yourself you'd finally just do it, but always chickening out at the last minute. With how he treated you, you started to think that if he was alone with you, he might actually make a move. Maybe.

It wasn't until the end of midterms that you finally worked up the courage to invite him in. 

He asked what you were up to that evening, as he usually would, and you told him that you were just going to study for the exam the next day, in the class you shared with him. 

“Me too.” He said, looking at you with an expression you couldn't quite read as you got to the entrance of your dorm. 

There was a moment of awkward silence as you both stood there, not yet wanting to let him leave, and it seemed to you that he didn't want that either.

He moved closer, about to hug you goodbye when your hand landed on his shoulder. 

“Wait-”

He froze, swallowing, glancing nervously at the door. 

“If you’re just gonna study tonight too, would you want to maybe come inside and study together?” 

You braced yourself for the rejection, already dreading the excuse he would make, so it came as a surprise when he showed you a big dazzling grin. 

“That sounds great, sure.” 

You didn't miss Heejins face when he walked through the door with you, raising her eyebrows suggestively with a grin on her lips as soon as his back was turned. 

“Baekhyun, this is my roommate Heejin.” 

He smiled and greeted her, and you knew she'd be bombarding you with questions as soon as he was gone again.

You led him to your room, getting out your textbook and settling in on your bed, with him right next to you. 

Part of you hoped that he wouldn't be all that keen on actually studying and you'd be able to just talk and hang out. Maybe, he would even make a move. Unfortunately though, he really did want to study.

Even as you both studied in silence, he somehow still managed to make the room feel far hotter than it realistically was. You felt his eyes on you more often than seemed normal, and a few times you'd looked back up at him, but he'd always quickly returned his attention to his textbook. He kept inching closer to you as well, every brush of his shoulder or thigh against your own increasing your heart rate. 

You probably stole a few too many glances at him too, but he just kept drawing you in. Every detail of his face looked so kissable, your mind drifted away from your class work, wishing he was in your bed as more than just a friend. 

Every time he would turn a page his hands caught your attention. The mole on his thumb was so cute, you thought, just another part of him you found yourself becoming obsessed with. 

Hours went by in what felt like minutes, and when you both started yawning, you decided to call it a night. He hugged you again before leaving, only holding onto the side that wasn’t hurt. 

You were proud of yourself for actually taking the initiative and inviting him in. The way he’d kept looking up from the textbook at you, more often than felt normal, kept replaying in your mind. As much as you didn’t want to fall victim to his charm only to be disappointed later, you couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, he really did like you the same way you liked him. 

You couldn’t get him out of your head as you got ready for bed that night, and even as you tried to go to sleep, his soft smiles and the way his thigh brushed against your own consumed your thoughts. Your mind wandered off, wondering how he’d react if you made some kind of move on him, though you knew you’d never actually have the confidence to do so. The idea of him reciprocating any of it, kissing you, touching you, almost seemed like it would be worth it. However the possibility of rejection, of losing his friendship, was still too scary for you to consider it. 

It was well past midnight when you finally started dozing off, but the sound of your phone pulled you back to reality. For a second you considered just ignoring it until morning, but something inside told you not to. It must've been intuition, because when you did look, it turned out to be a text from him. 

Are you awake? 

You replied pretty much right away, 

Yeah, why?

Can I call?

Sure 

Fuck. Before you even had the chance to properly freak out, his caller ID was flashing across the screen. You picked up. 

“Hi, y/n. Sorry to call so late, I can't sleep.” 

“No worries, is everything okay?” 

“Yeah.. I think I just wanted to hear your voice.” 

“Oh…” 

“Is that weird to say?” 

“No! I mean, you could call me at any ungodly hour and I'd probably still pick up, to be honest.” 

The words slipped out before you had any real chance to think about what you were saying, and true as it was, you were still grateful he wasn't there to see how hard you were blushing. 

“Really? That's awfully tempting… I might end up keeping you up a lot, though. Heejin’s gonna hate me.”

You laughed as quietly as you could, “She has her own bedroom, she'll be fine.”  

“Thank you again, by the way, for inviting me in today.”

Your cheeks ached with how hard you were smiling, staring up at your ceiling with the phone pressed to your ear. 

“It's nice to have some company. I always get so distracted when I try to study by myself.” 

“Well, if I hadn't put it off for so long I probably would've just talked the whole time. I don't know if I'm really a good study partner, but if you want company again just let me know.” 

“Well next time don't procrastinate so much, dummy.” 

“So you're cool with me distracting you?” You could hear it in his voice, the way he grinned as he said it. 

“Maybe a little..”

A brief pause.

“Did you have a boyfriend, back in America?” 

The sudden question caught you off guard. 

“No.. why?” 

“Just wondering, I guess… I mean that must be hard, right? Having all your loved ones so far away.” 

You wondered if you should tell him, but decide it would be best to just be honest. 

“Okay that wasn’t entirely true. I was seeing someone, but he wasn’t a boyfriend and I knew I wanted to move here, so I ended it. I do miss my family and friends, but I still talk to them basically every day.”  

“What about when you graduate? Are you gonna move back?” 

“No,” You giggled, amused with how concerned he sounded, “Hopefully not, I like it here.” 

“Thank god” 

“Why? Would you miss me?” 

He was quiet for a moment, dropping the teasing tone and answering with surprising tenderness. 

“Of course I would miss you.” 

“Oh.. I would miss you too.” 

“Awww, cute.” You could practically see the shit-eating grin on his face. 

“Baekhyun!” 

“What?”

“You can be such a little shit, you know that?” 

“How am I a little shit?!” He gasped, though even over the phone, you could tell he was just being his usual dramatic self. 

“You get a kick out of fucking with me!” 

“I wasn’t fucking with you! I just genuinely think it's cute that you would miss me, that’s all.” 

“You can’t tell, but I’m rolling my eyes.” 

“What? I’m not allowed to think you’re cute?” 

There was a long pause, and you considered if you should really believe him. It wasn’t that you thought he was being dishonest, you just didn’t want to set yourself up for disappointment. 

“Baek…” 

“What?” His voice was once again soft, bringing with it a tightness in your chest. 

“Nothing.. It’s just late, I guess, I’m pretty tired.” 

For a while he was quiet. You would’ve given anything to know what was going through his head right then. 

“You’re right.. I’ll let you get some sleep. I’m glad you were still up when I texted you. Goodnight, Y/n.” 

“Goodnight.” 

As much as it pained you to hang up, inevitably staying up much much later now that he’d given you so much to think about, his flirting just wasn’t something you knew how to handle. Even if he really did like you, why didn’t he say something more than just playful flirting? It would be a dream if he actually confessed to you, but it was exactly that; just a dream. That was clear enough considering how openly he flirted with other girls around you. 

The next week he was his usual friendly self, walking with you, joking around, though you felt he’d pulled back a bit on the flirting. Part of you was relieved, since it turned you into a blubbering mess, but of course you also missed it. 

He did still keep calling you though, often late at night, when he said he couldn’t sleep. A few times, you’d both even passed out with the call still ongoing. He told you that talking to you calmed him down, and once, he’d even said that he wished you were there with him. You’d laid awake nearly all night, wondering how he’d meant it. Did he just want company? Did he hate sleeping alone? Or did he also want something more than just friendship with you? Either way, until he said something more concrete, you wouldn’t be the one to ask. 

It was during one of those late night phone calls that he invited you to a friend's birthday party. It was at a popular club near the university, and at first you weren’t going to attend, but he managed to talk you into it. After all, he would be there. Alcohol and music also meant dancing, and the possibility of dancing with him was enough to ensure that you’d be there too. 

He wasn’t able to walk you, since he had to help set everything up, so you ended up going alone. Which wasn’t a big deal, in theory, but as someone who’d always been on the more anxious side, it still made you uneasy. Seoul was very safe, that wasn't the problem, it was what would happen once you got there that worried you. Baekhyun was your only friend there. You didn’t want to be a bother and hang onto him all night, since the rest of the guests were basically strangers to you. 

When the time came you wore your favorite outfit, and stepped into the subway towards Hongdae with all the confidence you could muster. 

You arrived a little later than the time he’d told you, not wanting to seem overly eager, and to your relief he already seemed to be waiting for you. When he pulled you in for a hug it was tighter than usual, and the smell of tequila on him was pronounced. You quickly took a shot with him, wondering how many he’d already downed prior to your arrival. 

The club was still relatively empty, but that didn’t seem to bother Baekhyun as he pulled you towards the dance floor. You protested, and he pouted. 

“I don’t really dance, at least not when I’m this sober.” 

Seconds later another shot of tequila was pressed into your palm, and Baekhyun clinked his glass to yours, spilling a little, before you downed them in unison. Before you knew it, he had you on the dance floor. 

It was your first real night out in Seoul, and it left you every bit as breathless as you’d expected. Now happily drunk, you danced with him, back pressed to his chest, both his hands on your hips. 

Any worries you’d had about the amount of alcohol being consumed were long forgotten. You just let the music guide you, swimming in the euphoria of his hands on you and the closeness of your bodies. 

When his warmth behind you disappeared, you spun around to search for him. Without him as an anchor, everything became far more overwhelming. There were more people now, the crowded space growing warmer, almost suffocating, until he burst through with a grin on his gorgeous face and two cups of water in his hands. 

You hadn’t even realized how dearly you needed it until he’d appeared, grateful to drink something other than tequila. When one of your favorite songs began, and you beamed at him, and he beamed back at you even brighter. He remembered, of course he did. He knew all of your favorite music, because you’d told him so much about it. 

Now as you danced, you couldn’t keep your eyes off him. His hands gripped your waist, and your arms were slung around his neck, swaying to the familiar beat, getting lost in the drunken haze of it all. You realized then that he was staring at you just as intensely as you stared at him. 

This is what it’s all about, you thought to yourself. Letting go completely, enjoying the music you love, and sharing it all with your favorite person. His smile shone so brightly, and you mirrored it, unable to imagine a more perfect moment. 

You hardly realized it when he began to drag you off the dance floor. The song had long ended, and as the speakers became more distant, his voice became clear.  

“Y/n?” 

His eyes were bigger than ever as you looked up into them, in awe of their gentle downward slope, their deep brown color, the sincerity always behind them. 

“Baekhyun?” 

“I want to tell you something.” 

“Okay.” 

“I..” He trailed off, still looking at you, seeming to lose his train of thought. “You… You look really pretty, you always do, but especially right now.” 

It was nothing he hadn’t told you before, but it still hit you harder than ever. For a while you just held his gaze, until in a burst of blind, drunken, confidence, you moved closer. You stood on the tips of your toes, and ever so softly, you let your lips meet his blushing cheek. Before the confidence could wear off and you’d start to second guess yourself, you pulled him back onto the dance floor. 

You both downed a few more drinks, your attention devoted fully to each other. It was silly, now, to think of how worried you’d been about coming here. You hadn’t had this much fun in ages. 

Eventually you had to excuse yourself to find a bathroom. You stared into the mirror as you fixed your lip gloss, wondering if Baekhyun had a mark on his face, from where you’d kissed him earlier. You liked the idea of other girls knowing that you’d been there. 

You held onto the sink with an iron grip, closing your eyes for a second to steady yourself, all too aware of the way the room spun around you. Drinking this much wasn’t like you, but you were having so much fun, you didn’t care. 

The bright flashing lights and hoards of strangers were disorienting, especially in your intoxicated state. You ended up on a sort of balcony, overlooking the dance floor, trying to find Baekhyun somewhere among the crowd. 

When you finally spotted him, your heart sank to the pit of your stomach. He was dancing with Sumin. 

Everything that happened next felt like it went by in slow motion. 

Her eyes broke away from him, scanning the room, and briefly met yours. You saw her throw her arms around his neck. She kissed him, and he kissed her back. 

The music seemed to wane into a dull buzz, sudden dizziness causing you to stumble. It took you a minute to get your bearings again, but when you did, you pushed your way through the crowd and out onto the street without a second thought. 

It had started to rain. The smell of wet concrete was your only company as you walked towards home, a cruel, painful pit swallowing you from the inside. 

Baekhyun didn’t like you like that, of course he didn’t. He was like that with all the girls. 

Part 2