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“That was the end?” Baekhyun stared at the dark screen in disbelief, turning on the lights the instant the credits started rolling. The music, chillingly eerie and sparse, played for exactly a second before he muted it too.
On the phone, Jongdae hummed. “That was the end, I guess. Kind of weird. Maybe they’re setting up for a second movie? We still don’t know who the killer is.”
“Hey, we should watch the next movie if there is one,” Minseok suggested. Baekhyun was pretty sure he heard Jongdae snicker.
“Yeah, we should. What do you think, Baekhyun?”
“Sure,” Baekhyun squeaked. Then, clearing his throat, “Okay. Just let me know when.”
The three of them spoke their good nights, Jongdae jokingly asking Baekhyun if he’ll be alright sleeping alone (Jongdae and Minseok lived together, the lucky bastards.) After reassuring him he was fine, Baekhyun hung up the call and promptly started fearing for his life.
Honestly, why he’d agreed to watch a horror movie with Minseok and Jongdae, he didn’t know. It had more to do with pride than anything else. Ever since they were stuck at home they made sure to watch a movie online every week, and while they went for every genre out there, horror was one they never touched. The one time it was mentioned Minseok had brought it up, only for Jongdae to dismissively say that Baekhyun wouldn’t be able to handle it.
“Hey!” Baekhyun had said indignantly. “I’ve watched horror movies before! Didn’t we watch one last year?”
“Yeah, and you had nightmares for the next month.”
“He’s right,” Minseok said. “It’s okay, Baekhyun. It’s unfair anyway. Jongdae and I live together. You sleep alone.”
Jongdae, the bastard, was laughing at him. Baekhyun forgot any reason for regret and said, “I won’t get scared. Let’s watch the movie, hyung.”
Which led to this. Baekhyun in bed, hiding underneath his blanket, desperately trying to think of fluffy unicorns and cute puppies instead of brutal death. It didn’t help that it was late at night, either. He was tired. And also paranoid. And also terrified of what was probably set to be the worst nightmare of his life.
What did he do to deserve this?
It was the heater turning on and almost making him shit himself that got him out of bed to the hall, turning on every light source available on the way there. Once he reached his destination he knocked softly on the door and opened it, saying as loudly as he dared, “Kyungsoo?”
No reply. Swallowing, Baekhyun shut the hallway lights and dashed in, thankfully hearing his roommate groan in response to the noise. “Baekhyun? What are you doing?”
“Can I sleep with you?” he begged. Out in the open and the dark like this he felt like he was going to get attacked at any moment. The shadows were eyes watching him. The blinking lights outside were cameras. He was going to die, and he was going to die now.
Desperately, Baekhyun continued, “Please? I’ll be quiet, I promise. I won’t move too much either. I don’t kick in my sleep and—“
“Yes.”
“Huh?”
“Yes, you can sleep with me.” Kyungsoo shifted over and lifted his blanket, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. “You didn’t bring your blanket, right? And I’m guessing you don’t want to go back to get it.”
Wordlessly, Baekhyun shook his head no. He shuffled up to the bed before joining him underneath the comforter. It was warm. “Um... thanks.”
“Yeah,” Kyungsoo said. He breathed out, closing his eyes, and that’s when it struck Baekhyun in a panic that he was planning on sleeping like this, facing him. Before he could figure out what to do about it Kyungsoo said without opening his eyes, “Did you watch something scary?”
He searched for any sort of mockery in his voice but there wasn’t any. “Don’t tell Jongdae,” he said reluctantly. “It was really scary. I wish I never watched it. And it didn’t even finish the story, so the killer was alive at the end.”
“Those are the worst,” Kyungsoo said. “At least when there’s a proper ending you have closure. That way it’s like the killer could actually get you.”
“Exactly!” Baekhyun shuddered. “I hate horror movies. Never make me watch one or I’ll hate you forever.”
“I’ll take you to a comedy movie instead,” Kyungsoo said.
...What? The wording was making him think too much. Take him? Like a date?
Baekhyun hummed his agreement, but his mind lingered on the thought. He couldn’t deny that the idea made him feel fluttery inside. Truthfully, he’d had crush on his roommate since forever. He’d been lowkey flirting with him up until now. Even asking to sleep with him was partially due to that agenda, though it was mostly because he was genuinely scared shitless. Speaking of, the silence and the face that Kyungsoo seemed like he was asleep was making him panic again. Internally apologizing on going back on his promise to be quiet, Baekhyun desperately broke the silence. “Do you like horror movies?”
A moment passed. For a second he was scared that Kyungsoo was already asleep. Then Kyungsoo said, “I don’t mind them, but I don’t really like them either.”
“Oh. Well... would you watch the next horror movie with us? Minseok wanted to watch the sequel. I think you can watch it separately.”
“Will it make you feel better if I did?”
“...Maybe.”
“Then sure.”
Oh. Baekhyun chewed on his lip, unable to stop his smile. “You’ll watch it just for me?”
“I don’t know why not. And I thought you said you were going to be quiet.”
“Um...”
Kyungsoo’s eyes blinked open. Baekhyun hadn’t realized he’d been staring at his face until their eyes locked and he felt his heart stop. “If you’re scared, I’ll stay up with you,” Kyungsoo said.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Let’s talk.”
“Okay.” Now his heart was past its moment of hesitation, pounding in his chest instead. “Want to ask questions back and forth?”
Kyungsoo smiled. “Why does this feel like something you would do at a sleepover?”
“Maybe because it is a sleepover. No answering questions with a question.”
“Then, sure. My turn. What’s your dream?”
“I want to be a singer,” Baekhyun said. “Or maybe a music teacher. Or maybe a pianist. Or maybe—“
“You want to be everything?”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“I bet you could,” Kyungsoo mused. “I’m not even joking,” he insisted when Baekhyun scoffed. “You have that kind of aura around you.”
“What aura?”
“Is that your question?”
“No, never mind,” Baekhyun said quickly. “Where did you learn how to paint?”
It was something he’d been wondering for a while now actually. Kyungsoo had an easel in his room and every so often Baekhyun would walk in and see him painting. His artwork was gorgeous. Wildlife and nature but also settings and still-lifes; they could be put in a gallery.
“From my dad,” Kyungsoo said. “He’s an artist. I guess it’s because of him that I got interested in art? Although I still want to be a singer. What do you regret in life?”
Immediately, Baekhyun said, “Watching that movie.”
Kyungsoo burst out in laughter.
“What?” He protested. “It’s true!”
“Really,” Kyungsoo insisted.
“Okay, fine. Something I regret...” It was hard to think of one. Not that he didn’t have regrets. Just that it had been so long since he’d had one that he can’t remember anymore. “Maybe... not taking piano so seriously? I’m not bad at it now, I just could have been better. I might have been able to go to a music conservatory if I just practiced more.”
“I’ve never heard you play,” Kyungsoo said.
“You should. I’m great.”
Kyungsoo snorted. “I’m sure.”
“Sarcasm?”
“Not sarcasm.”
“Okay. Do you ever feel compared to your brother? I know he’s older than you.”
There was a pause as he thought about it. “I know it’s hard to believe, but no. My parents are really caring to both of us. There isn’t any competition with my brother and I. We’re just doing our own things.”
“That’s good,” Baekhyun said. “Kind of rare too. Normally there’s some comparison between siblings.”
Kyungsoo hummed. “Why, was it like that for you?”
“My brother and I kind of competed for a bit when we were younger. We’re friends now but we hated each other back then.” Baekhyun paused. “That counts as your question, I think.”
“No it doesn’t.”
“But it was a question!”
“It was your question.”
“But...”
“What makes you happy?”
The question caught him off-guard. “Hanging out with my friends?”
“Am I your friend?”
“That’s more than one question.”
“Fine. Ask yours then.”
“Am I your friend?” When Kyungsoo gave him an are you serious? look, he grinned. “What? It was a good question.”
“You’re my friend,” Kyungsoo said.
“The feeling is mutual then.”
“You’re also...” Pause. “Actually, no. Never mind.”
“Hey, I’m curious now.”
“I won’t tell you, so don’t ask.”
“Don’t you love me?”
There might have been a red tint on his cheeks, but it was too dark to be sure. It was probably just his wishful thinking. “You’re pretty bold for someone who’s being allowed to stay in my room.”
“I’m sorry I won’t ask anymore.”
“Good.”
“Why did you let me stay, anyway? Actually, why are you staying up with me? Don’t you have stuff to do tomorrow?”
“One, it isn’t your turn. Two, those are three questions.”
“Fuck the game.”
“I’m letting you stay because I’m not a monster. And I’m staying up with you because I feel like it. And yeah, I do have stuff tomorrow.”
“Shit, I’m sorry. You should go to sleep.”
“No.” But Kyungsoo curled up a bit, shutting his eyes. “You’re still scared, right?”
Truthfully, he wasn’t. If he thought about it, sure. But at the moment he just felt warm. “I don’t know if it’ll be the same if we stop talking, but I don’t feel scared right now. You can sleep. Are you tired?”
“A little.”
“Then sleep.”
Kyungsoo hummed. Baekhyun felt his heart pick up when he moved closer a fraction, the top of his head brushing against the underside of Baekhyun’s chin. Had he moved more than a little, or had they been closer than Baekhyun realized?
“If you get scared again, you can wake me up,” Kyungsoo murmured. It felt like his voice was in his ear, just from his proximity.
Baekhyun breathed out slowly and closed his eyes, adjusting a little in place like his stomach wasn’t doing 360s in tandem with his heart. “Okay,” he said. He was already vowing not to wake him up. He’d taken enough of his sleep at this point. A part of him was sober enough to question why he’d been allowed to. But the exhaustion pulled harder somehow, and Baekhyun fell asleep.
Movement woke him up. It was a chilly morning. Although he could never be drunk on sleep enough to snuggle against Kyungsoo unknowingly, he was drunk enough to have impaired decision-making capabilities to pretend that that was the case. Making a sound of protest, Baekhyun took hold of his shirt and pressed against his chest, essentially forcing him out of leaving.
Kyungsoo cursed, immediately going still. Then, he seemed to question his instinct and disappointingly extracted Baekhyun’s hand with care.
He had just enough sleepiness to excuse one last-ditch effort. “Don’t go,” he mumbled, snuggling into the sheets.
After a beat, he felt Kyungsoo’s fingers carding through his hair. “I just need to send an email, Baekhyun. I’ll be back in a bit.”
He would?
It wasn’t like his roommate was closed off or anything. He was nice enough, kind, if last night proved anything. But something like this was super extra. And something about the way he was acting felt light years more intimate than they usually were. Was it because he slept in his room? Maybe it influenced their dynamic. Not that Baekhyun was complaining or anything; he could listen to Kyungsoo’s gentle voice forever.
“Go back to sleep,” Kyungsoo said, retracting his hand. “It’s still early.”
Obediently, almost like a spell, Baekhyun did.