Archive of Our Own ^beta

The first person Byun Baekhyun ever kissed was his neighbor. He was four years old and it was a game that his brother, in all of his eleven year old maturity, would roll his eyes at before trying to shepherd his enthusiastically bouncing around younger brother away from the stunned neighborhood kids. Her name was Hyemi and she had dropped her chalk in surprise when Baekhyun had bounded up to her and placed his mouth sloppily on hers. His brother informed him later that day over celery with peanut butter and raisins arranged like ants that kissing people had to mean something.

“It did mean something!” Four year old Baekhyun had protested, hands clenching around his milk and staring in defiance at his brother. “She’s my friend!”

“You don’t kiss your friends,” his brother said, though he smiled none the less. “You only kiss the people you love.”

Baekhyun had kissed him then and asked if that was correct. His brother had made a disgusted face, coughed out “gross” as Baekhyun dissolved into giggles and they ended up wrestling on the floor, laughing.

The first person Byun Baekhyun asked out was a girl named Taeyeon in his class. He was nine years old and thought she had the prettiest pig tails of all the other girls in his class. Baekhyun, truthfully, only knew about dating from what his brother told him, which basically consisted of ‘big kid stuff’ where you maybe held another person’s hand and they would smile at you with sparkling eyes and pout when you teased them.

Taeyeon had stared at Baekhyun in shock as he shoved a handful of flowers at her and her friends tittered behind their hands, staring like he had just escaped from the zoo. Taeyeon never answered him. Instead, one of her friends had spoken for her.

“Taeyeon doesn't want to go out with you,” Sooyoung had said, pushing to stand next to Taeyeon and putting her silly hands on her silly hips and jutting out her silly bottom lip at Baekhyun with a frown. “Taeyeon has to marry a handsome man, not a pretty boy like you.”

Baekhyun had cried to himself in the playground after school, knees tucked to his chest and tears rolling down his face as he sniffed, silent and humiliated. He had shrieked and half fallen over when a kid suddenly stuck his head inside the usually forgotten slide Baekhyun was hiding in and looked at him upside down, dark fluffy hair hanging around his head as he smiled so widely Baekhyun was surprised his cheeks didn’t hurt.

Chanyeol didn’t understand why Taeyeon hadn’t told Baekhyun she would go out with him. Chanyeol didn’t see anything wrong with Baekhyun as he clambered inside the slide with long thin limbs that didn’t seem to work in sync. Chanyeol told Baekhyun it didn’t matter if he was handsome or pretty, Chanyeol liked him anyway.

That day, they became friends.

The first time Byun Baekhyun was asked out was by a boy a year younger than him named Daehyun who, after weeks of teasing Baekhyun as Baekhyun tried to ignore him on the middle school field and read his science book in peace to prepare for the High school exams, had finally cornered Baekhyun. Baekhyun had stared at him, frowning from where he was pressed against the wall, Daehyun’s demanding gaze and strong arms pinning him to the cement. Daehyun had demanded Baekhyun go out with him. Baekhyun had asked why. Daehyun had kissed him.

It was Baekhyun’s first kiss with a boy.

It was not his last.

Baekhyun had gone home and called Chanyeol and verbally exploded on the phone in a panicked mess about how Daehyun had kissed him and how Baekhyun didn’t exactly dislike it but punched Daehyun in the face anyway and what did this mean because Baekhyun had never really thought about sexuality. Chanyeol had come over and tried to listen and understand Baekhyun as best he could as Baekhyun curled himself in every blanket he possessed. It took Chanyeol twenty minutes to finally unwrap Baekhyun and reveal his face, streaked for the second time in their friendship and the second time since Baekhyun had turned ten with tears.

Chanyeol made a fort around Baekhyun and they munched on Pepero and Chanyeol’s voice cracked every three sentences as he told Baekhyun about how he was learning guitar and trying to figure out beat boxing and accepted Baekhyun regardless of if Baekhyun wanted to love a girl or a boy.

Chanyeol’s smile from that day is still one of the most vivid things Baekhyun remembers from his childhood.

The first time Baekhyun felt jealousy was when Chanyeol came into their familiar pizza parlor in their second year of high school with his awkward hand grasped firmly around the smaller dainty hand of a pretty girl from their school. Chanyeol had looked brilliant and proud and smiled far too widely. The girl had looked shy and cute and blushing. Baekhyun had stared at his pizza the entire time and tried to set the pepperoni’s on fire with his eyes.

It hadn’t worked.

The next day, Baekhyun asked out a girl in his class named Seohyun who had blinked a few times before saying yes. They dated for three months, a month longer than Chanyeol and his girlfriend, and broke it off when Seohyun said that Baekhyun wasn’t right. Baekhyun agreed with her.

After that first came a second and then a third and then Baekhyun stopped counting how many hands he held and lips he kissed and eyes he tried to gaze into adoringly but just couldn’t. Because no one seemed to fit and Baekhyun began to wonder if maybe no one would.

The first time Baekhyun felt truly defiant was after finishing University, degree clutched in his hand and marks soaring past the ability to enter medical school like his parents wanted and follow in his brother’s footsteps to become a doctor. He had walked up to his parents, smiling his brilliant beaming smile as they looked at him proudly, and announced his enrollment in an exchange program with Italy where he would train for four months to be a barista.

It had ended in one of the largest arguments of Baekhyun’s life and his brother had been the only one in the family to see him off to the airport a week later. His parents didn’t talk to him the entire time he was in Italy, training and working to the bone and struggling through thick Italian pronunciation to become the best. His brother called him every night and Chanyeol sent him emails with a lot of smiley faces and awkward sentences.

Baekhyun came home and moved out of his parents house and into the city where he set up a small apartment where he and Chanyeol never got real beds and instead slept on mattresses and had pillow fights at three in the morning, finally collapsing into sleep.

The first time Byun Baekhyun felt heartache was when Chanyeol came to him, broken and looking completely empty as he explained how the love of his life left him and Baekhyun’s heart had burned because he couldn’t heal that wound. Because he couldn’t fit himself in that hole in Chanyeol’s heart that she had left. Because to Chanyeol, he was his best friend, his one true brother, and his other half. Because to Baekhyun, Chanyeol was his whole world and so much more that Chanyeol could never know.

And Baekhyun never told him. After a while, it wasn’t important anymore.

The first time Byun Baekhyun fell completely head over heels in love never happened. And sometimes Baekhyun never truly expects it will.

~

"No I do not want soup!" Baekhyun yells, hurling his slipper at the door and scowling death as Sehun dodges it with an exasperated look on his face. "Go away and pester Kyungsoo,"

"Kyungsoo is still trying to figure out how to vacuum when you don't own a vacuum," Sehun sighs and puts the food tray down on Baekhyun's messy dresser. He looks around. "Seriously, do you never clean or something?"

Baekhyun frowns at him. "This is clean," Baekhyun says, scowling. "I know exactly where everything is. It's my organized chaos."

“You’re giving Kyungsoo panic attacks,” Sehun says, grabbing a piece of toast from the food tray and munching on it.

“Baekhyun, where is your bleach?” Kyungsoo hollers from somewhere that is maybe his kitchen and possibly his bathroom.

“I don't know!” Baekhyun yells back as Sehun snorts and smirks to himself. “What's bleach?”

“Oh my God, how do you survive?” Kyungsoo’s voice rattles through the walls sounding just off the edge of hysteria.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you,” Sehun says, smiling around Baekhyun’s toast.

“I have to derive some sort of enjoyment from you two keeping me under house arrest,” Baekhyun snaps out, huffing and running a hand through his matted hair. He winces. “Plus, did you think it was coincidence I always go over to Kyungsoo’s and he never comes here?”

“We’re not keeping you under house arrest,” Sehun says, sighing as he grabs the food tray and brings it over to Baekhyun. “We’re helping you rest.”

Baekhyun scowls up at Sehun as the younger places the food by his bed. Kyungsoo has made him a really delicious looking chicken thing with rice and onions and lots of sauce. It looks awesome. “I don’t need help resting,” Baekhyun protests.

Sehun shoots him a look. “You haven’t slept properly in about a month, you’ve been working yourself silly, and you nearly vaulted the counter yesterday trying to kill Sungyeol.”

“That kid had it coming,” Baekhyun grumbles, shoving the spare piece of toast between his mouth and chewing despondently. “Speaking of which, I now need to find another employee to try to not kill and I should probably go and start tha-“ Sehun is pushing a really resistant Baekhyun back into bed before Baekhyun has really managed to lever himself a foot off the mattress. “Goddamn you tall people!” Baekhyun snaps out.

“You’re short, you should accept this fact and move on,” Kyungsoo says, stomping into the bedroom and dropping Baekhyun’s laundry basket unceremoniously on the floor. “Now get back into bed before you hurt yourself.”

“I am not Jongin,” Baekhyun huffs as Sehun shoves him carelessly, sending him almost flying into the bed with a loud grunt. “You do not need to mother me. I am grown man and can take care of myself, damn it.”

“You’re a grown man who broke down in hysterically violent rage yesterday and cried tears of fury as you tried to impale your ex-intern to a sign post,” Sehun says, raising his eyebrows significantly. “I’d say we have cause to worry.”

Baekhyun frowns. “I repeat, he had it coming,” Baekhyun says and shoves the remainder of the toast into his mouth, chewing as unattractively as he can in defiance of his two clearly horrible friends. “Do you have any idea how many times he whipped me in the ass?”

“To be fair, I’m pretty sure he couldn’t think of any other way to ask you out,” Kyungsoo says, sighing as he opens Baekhyun’s drawers. “You are a little intense. Do you ever organize your things?”

“Do you always do people’s laundry for them?” Baekhyun asks, watching as Kyungsoo winces at the state of his socks. “And don’t mess up my system. I know where everything is.”

“You have a roll of duct tape in here,” Kyungsoo says, pulling out the mentioned item and brandishing it at Baekhyun. “Why do you have duct tape in your sock drawer?”

“Do you really want to know?” Baekhyun asks and raises a suggestive eyebrow at his long time friend.

“Maybe he’s just a deviant and not actually a serial killer,” Sehun says, turning to Kyungsoo.

“I don’t know which one is more terrifying,” Kyungsoo sighs, shaking his head helplessly as he tosses the duct tape somewhere and attacks Baekhyun’s socks with vengeance. “Baekhyun, eat your food before it goes cold.”

“Yes, mom,” Baekhyun snorts out before stabbing a spoon into the amazing looking mess on his plate. To Kyungsoo’s credit, it tastes absolutely fantastic. Baekhyun keeps his face impassive out of spite and because he knows Kyungsoo secretly revels in people loving his cooking. Baekhyun is still feeling far to bitter about being house sat by his friends and tired from life in general to reward Kyungsoo at the moment.

“Oh, for crying out loud,” Kyungsoo says exasperatedly, chucking an old lint roller at Baekhyun. “Would you stop complaining? Say thank you already and then shut the fuck up and let us keep you from dying.”

“We’re seriously the best friends you could ask for,” Sehun says, fixing Baekhyun with a look.

“I hate you out of spite,” Baekhyun says and frowns around his fork. Thirty minutes later, Baekhyun is once more nodding off as he and Sehun play a round of Egyptian Rat Screw and Sehun slaps the shit out of the cards with far too much enthusiasm than Baekhyun has the energy for at the moment. He turns to glare at Kyungsoo as the other comes in with another basket of laundry. “You drugged my food, didn’t you,” he accuses, stifling a yawn.

“No, you’re just exhausted,” Kyungsoo says, throwing him a small smile before looking to Sehun, who has just triumphantly beaten Baekhyun again and is grinning deviously. “Sehun, there’s a grocery list on the fridge of all the necessary foods to keep people alive that Baekhyun seems to think is irrelevant in his kitchen. Go buy them.”

“I suck at grocery shopping,” Sehun says, frowning at Kyungsoo. “You know this.”

“Just go,” Kyungsoo says pointedly as Baekhyun yawns again.

“I could have you arrested,” Baekhyun says drowsily as Sehun flounces from the room and Kyungsoo takes away his playing cards, shoving him into bed. “Drugging people is probably a relatively severe offense.”

“I didn’t drug you,” Kyungsoo sighs exasperatedly. “You’re just exhausted. Now shut up and go to sleep.”

“Soo,” Baekhyun says as sleep creeps up his limbs and around his eyes. Kyungsoo pauses at the door, eyes on his. Baekhyun offers a small smile. “Thanks.”

Kyungsoo just smiles and leaves as Baekhyun slips off to sleep and considers his friends and how, despite being obnoxious idiots, they are some of the best he really could ask for.

Baekhyun wakes at dusk, drawing himself from sleep and wincing at the horrible taste in his mouth. He grimaces and tries to rub the exhausted crust that feels caked over his face with a clumsy hand before dropping back into bed. It’s quiet, which means that either Sehun and Kyungsoo have left or they’re practicing for a future as mimes.

With a groan, Baekhyun pulls himself from bed, scratching at his hair and thinking briefly of how he could use a shower before padding to the door and pushing it open. The living room currently is host to Sehun sprawled on his couch and sleeping, mouth half open. Baekhyun smiles as he walks by, reaching down and brushing Sehun’s bangs fondly. His little pain in the ass is growing up finally.

Turning, Baekhyun ambles to the kitchen, which still has the light on, and nods appreciatively at the clear cleaning rampage Kyungsoo seems to have unleashed on his apartment. He pauses outside the kitchen door though, hearing voices speaking lowly.

“But you’re okay though?” Kyungsoo’s low voice asks, a tinge of worry in it.

“I’m fine, really.” Baekhyun’s eyes widen as he recognizes Joonmyun’s voice from his kitchen. Joonmyun has only visited here once, and that was for when Baekhyun opened RumbleMuffins. Other than that… “Seriously, you worry too much. It’s a miracle Baekhyun let you in this morning.”

“I’m allowed to worry about my friends,” Kyungsoo retorts and Baekhyun hears him mess with something in the sink. “It’s called caring. And socializing. You should try those some time.”

“I do care,” Joonmyun says, sounding tired. “You know I care about my friends. I’m just-“

“Busy?” Kyungsoo interrupts and Joonmyun stays silent. “Joonmyun, you’re always too busy for anyone. When you were dating Luhan it was like a miracle occurred because for once you weren’t married to work and were actually smiling a relatively genuine smile. I swear to God, if this makes you close up again, I’m going to-“

Baekhyun chooses that moment to walk into the kitchen. Kyungsoo is getting worked up. That’s never good and Baekhyun’s pretty sure that his current appearance will be enough to startle Kyungsoo out of whatever rant he’s about to launch into.

Baekhyun is extremely successful.

“Holy Hell,” Kyungsoo says, dropping his spoon as he catches sight of Baekhyun.

“I know,” Baekhyun says, smiling artificially as he shuffles to the fridge and opens it. It suddenly has things in it. “It’s amazing that anyone can look as fabulous as me. Don’t be too jealous.”

“You look like something my cat threw up,” Kyungsoo says, looking Baekhyun up and down.

“You don't own at cat,” Joonmyun points out from where he’s leaning against the sink, hands stuck in his pocket as he smiles faintly at Kyungsoo.

“If I had a cat, Baekhyun would look like something it threw up,” Kyungsoo says, not skipping a beat as he looks at Joonmyun with a degree of exasperation.

“I dunno,” Joonmyun says, turning to look at Baekhyun, smile still faint on his lips. “I think I’ve seen worse.”

“Your flattery is astounding,” Baekhyun grumbles as he drags a blue Gatorade from the door. “What brings you to my humble abode, Suho?”

Joonmyun’s smile falters slightly. “I wanted to check on you.”

Baekhyun blinks. “Why would you want to do that?” Baekhyun asks as he uncaps the Gatorade and brings it to his lips. “You never visit me. You just smile like a mannequin. Or mope, like recently.”

“I don’t mope,” Joonmyun says, and gives Baekhyun an amused look.

“Stop looking so humored, it’s weird,” Baekhyun says, taking another sip of Gatorade. “Why are you here? You never come here. In fact, it’s only been recently that you've started seeing me at all. And not smiling. I liked that part.”

It’s true. For the past few weeks and especially last week, Joonmyun had suddenly begun to show up at Rumble Muffins, looking haggered and tired and on Monday had sat and stared at a cup of coffee for a good twenty minutes before taking a breath, looking up at Baekhyun, and asked if he was defective. Baekhyun had told him yes. Joonmyun had snorted and then started laughing and Baekhyun had just stared as Joonmyun laughed painfully and then finally quieted and told Baekhyun Luhan had left him.

Baekhyun kept his mouth shut. The reality of everything was not his to tell. Besides, Joonmyun figured it out for himself yesterday as Baekhyun had a nervous breakdown and Sungyeol nearly lost an eye.

“Did you fire him?” Joonmyun asks, ignoring Baekhyun’s quips.

“Who, Sungyeol?” Baekhyun asks, eyebrows raised as he fingers his drink.

“No, the other barista who was trying to molest you behind the counter,” Joonmyun says and Baekhyun stares.

“Did that-“ Kyungsoo seems to need to swallow mid sentence. “Did that seriously just come out of your mouth?”

“Well, did you?” Joonmyun asks, ignoring Kyungsoo and looking at Baekhyun expectantly.

“Yes, I fired him,” Baekhyun says, frowning slightly as he remembers Joonmyun’s stern and serious and set face from the previous day.

“Good,” Joonmyun says.

Baekhyun frowns and takes another sip of Gatorade. “Thanks, by the way,” he adds, still frowning and looking at his cabinets over Joonmyun’s head rather than Joonmyun. He can still see Joonmyun give him a look.

“Of course,” Joonmyun says, and Baekhyun’s eyes flicker to his face to see the vague hint of a smile on his lips.

~

When Chanyeol introduced Baekhyun to his new business partner, Baekhyun was skeptical of him. He was pleasant, almost boringly so, and Baekhyun found his appropriately handsome facial features and appropriately proportioned figure and appropriately kind smile to be a bit monotonous. He shook Joonmyun’s hand anyway and flashed one of his dazzling smiles. Chanyeol beamed and Baekhyun swallowed.

Joonmyun introduced a lot of people to Baekhyun, all with a proper smile on his face. One of these people was Kyungsoo, who took one look at Baekhyun that had the other wondering if he ever closes his eyes and saying as much. Kyungsoo looked mildly surprised before he burst out laughing, entire face collapsing and expanding at the same time and Baekhyun could only watch as his friend group began to grow.

There was a brief moment in time, between their fledgling careers and success, where Baekhyun found himself smiling and teasing as Joonmyun would get slightly too emotional about his new employees and his best friends younger brother. A brief moment when Baekhyun thought that maybe, just maybe, they might be friends but could never really be sure. But then customers became a priority and Joonmyun turned into Suho. At first, Chanyeol would drag Suho out repeatedly until Baekhyun began to work more seriously at RumbleMuffins and Planet Records stopped being a fledgling company and people paid attention.

Suho never stopped smiling though, and Baekhyun would watch him as he acted appropriately interested in conversation and would laugh in all the right places at his and Chanyeol’s jokes while Kyungsoo would fuss over his newly acquired roommate, a young tan boy named Jongin who looked at Baekhyun in curiosity and mischief. Suho would always, when the conversation took a break, turn to him with a smile and they would chat meaninglessly about nothing while Baekhyun rolled around the name Joonmyun in his brain.

~

It’s weird.

Baekhyun contemplates the oddity of the situation as he brews up café lattes and americano’s and green tea lattes and delivers them around RumbleMuffins, coaching his newest intern, a girl named Sohyea who had come in on Tuesday and, instead of ordering her usual café latte and sitting in a fort with her friend, placed her hands on the counter and asked for an application.

She’s frighteningly efficient and fast at learning and eager and smiles too damn much. Baekhyun finds that he likes her, even if she does smile as much as Joonmyun and makes weird commentary and cannot seem to stop moving even when she is standing still.

Joonmyun is back on Tuesday evening and it’s weird. Because he had actually come by Baekhyun’s apartment on Sunday and checked on him and Baekhyun doesn’t entirely consider them friends because Joonmyun has never really done anything except be appropriate and smile pleasantly and now…

Now it’s like Luhan’s rejection and Sehun’s entrance into full maturity has slammed into the older man and he’s no longer smiling pleasantly, instead he’s frowning and looking confused and offering a whole variety of facial expressions.

Some of which are not appropriate.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Baekhyun shoots at him as Joonmyun gives him a calculating look after Baekhyun has just returned from serving a couple of girls in fort number five.

“Like what?” Joonmyun asks, pressing his lips together slightly.

“Like you’re trying to evaluate me,” Baekhyun says, sighing. “We need more napkins,” he tells Sohyea and she nods, scurrying from behind the counter. “It turns your smile creepy.”

“I’m not smiling,” Joonmyun says, and it’s true; he isn’t.

“Which is a miracle,” Baekhyun says with raised eyebrows. “Seeing you without that permanent smile is weird. It’s like you’re finally a real person.”

“And I wasn’t a real person before?” Joonmyun asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course not,” Baekhyun says, and flashes Joonmyun a grin. “When you smile like plastic every day, no one thinks you’re real, Suho. You need the good fairy to come and turn you into a real boy.”

Joonmyun blinks at him. “No, I think that’s just you who thinks that.”

“Go lie down in a fort, Suho,” Baekhyun says, tapping the counter near Joonmyun’s hand.

“My name isn’t Suho,” Joonmyun says, still watching Baekhyun with dark eyes.

Baekhyun finds himself pausing. “I know,” he answers before drawing away and going to the couple that has just wandered up looking at the drinks menu with arms around each other.

Joonmyun doesn’t use one of the forts. He just sits by the window and reads a report and Baekhyun finds himself watching him unconsciously.

~

“He’s handsome,” Sohyea says, coming up and nudging her elbow into Baekhyun’s side as he sorts through change absently.

“Who?” Baekhyun asks, looking up and scanning the café vaguely, a slight frown on his face. “Are you stalking another one my male proprietors?”

“Your friend,” Sohyea says with a roll of her eyes. “The one who comes in and you can never guess the order for.”

“I can totally guess his order,” Baekhyun protests, turning to Sohyea and frowning.

“You guessed a cappuccino and he ordered chamomile tea today,” Sohyea points out with a raised eyebrow. “You're losing your touch.”

“I am not,” Baekhyun snaps, tapping Sohyea in the forehead and causing her to wrinkle her nose at him. “He’s just weird.”

“Or special,” Sohyea says, flitting around Baekhyun and smiling obnoxiously.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Baekhyun sighs, rolling his eyes as he goes to check the coffee pots.

“You tell me,” Sohyea says, a superfluous quirk to her lips. “Why do you always call him Suho? That’s not his name, you know.”

“Because I have short term memory loss,” Baekhyun drawls and hip checks Sohyea slightly. “Go serve fort number seven and break them up a little. They’re getting a little too snuggly for public decency.”

Sohyea huffs and throws him a suffering look before skipping from the counter, drink set balanced precariously on a tray. Baekhyun smiles to himself and turns to look around his café. It’s a relatively steady day, which is nice. Sohyea, despite her weird antics and slightly optimistic and incessant prying, is actually nice company. Even if she does sometimes start dancing to herself as she does the dishes.

“She’s nice.” Baekhyun starts from where he’s stacking mugs. Joonmyun is watching him from the counter. Baekhyun frowns at him slightly. “Sohyea. I like her. She’s nice.”

“She’s a good egg,” Baekhyun says, leaving his mugs to lean casually against the counter, arms folded casually over his chest. “I have no idea why she didn’t apply earlier. She came in nearly every day.”

“Well, you’re not exactly the most approachable person,” Joonmyun says and gives him a small smile with his pointed look.

“Meaning?” Baekhyun asks, frowning slightly.

“Well, I didn’t like Sungyeol, but I will say that he was trying pretty hard.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Baekhyun asks, frowning at Joonmyun.

“Baekhyun, when was the last time you actually let go and said yes when someone asked you out?” Joonmyun asks, giving Baekhyun a look Baekhyun can’t really read.

“You're one to talk about letting go,” Baekhyun counters, skirting the question. It’s not something he admits openly but he’s tired of the same old song and dance of meet, greet, date, fuck, and fizzle into nothing over and over again. It’s tiresome and always ends with Baekhyun feeling just a little more empty than before. “You’ve been in here a couple dozen times now and have yet to lie down in one of my forts. I don’t know if you know this, Suho, but this a fort café. The point of it is to lie down in a fort.”

“I don’t want to lie down in a fort,” Joonmyun says, sighing slightly as he looks at the drink selection behind Baekhyun.

“Why not?” Baekhyun asks, frowning.

“I don’t have anyone to lie down with,” Joonmyun says simply and Baekhyun has no reply. No quip or properly placed response. Instead he just stares at Joonmyun. “And my name isn’t Suho. It’s Joonmyun.”

“I know,” Baekhyun says as Sohyea returns and flashes Joonmyun a bright smile.

“Hey Joony,” Sohyea says, leaning beside Baekhyun and over the counter towards Joonmyun. “Did you enjoy your tea?”

“It was delicious,” Joonmyun tells Sohyea and she beams at him.

“Joony?” Baekhyun says, raising an eyebrow at both of them.

“She calls you Baeky,” Joonmyun points out.

“I’m still training her out of that habit,” Baekhyun grumbles.

“Why do I feel like half the time you talk about me, I’m some sort of untrained dog?” Sohyea asks, sighing dramatically and nudging Baekhyun.

“Because that’s exactly what you are,” Baekhyun says, looking down at her with a pointed look. “If you would only stop piddling everywhere, I could finally take up all the newspaper.”

Joonmyun snorts into laughter across the counter as Sohyea pouts at him. Baekhyun finds himself smiling without realizing it and feeling uncharacteristically warm.

~

“Hey you,” Sohyea says as she comes into work on Saturday afternoon and nudges Baekhyun with an elbow, giving him a sly grin. “Want to grab lunch?”

“You just got here.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes at her.

“Not us.” Sohyea gives him a withering look. “That’d be weird. I don’t want to go to lunch with you.”

“Why not?” Baekhyun flashes back at her, looking as affronted as he can. “You wouldn’t say yes to a lunch date with me? A ridiculously handsome and interesting person who drips charisma?”

“I see enough of you almost daily,” Sohyea says as she pulls on her apron. “I don’t need to see you as I shove food in my face.” She nods her head towards Joonmyun, who had come in around ten, ordered a lemon tea, and then sat in the corner with a book. “Why not grab some food with Handsome man?”

Baekhyun frowns. “Why?”

“Aren’t you two friends?” Sohyea asks, cocking her head.

“Well, yes, but-“

“It’s quiet today,” Sohyea interrupts him. “You can afford to go get lunch with Joony. Don’t worry, I wont blow anything up.” Baekhyun frowns at her, lips pressing together. She huffs before coming over and steering him around the counter. “Go. Eat lunch. Take a break for once, Baeky.”

Baekhyun frowns. “Stop calling me that,” he says, voice pouting in protest. “I don’t understand when you got the impression it was okay to degrade me so severely.”

“Since you once decided that my name was cool to pronounce ‘SO YEAH!’ and pretending to gangster pimp while Chanyeol beatboxed and Kris looked torn between killing himself and molesting Happy Virus.”

“Your words,” Baekhyun says, shaking off Sohyea and walking from behind the counter, earning a grin from his companion barista. “Honestly, it’s a miracle you can communicate at all.”

“Eat yourself a sandwich,” Sohyea says, jerking her head to Joonmyun. “Let him buy.”

“Why would he buy?” Baekhyun asks.

“Because he will,” Sohyea says, and smirks.

Joonmyun does buy, but he and Baekhyun argue over the bill for a while before he fakes a minor coughing attack and manages to snatch the check from Baekhyun’s stunned fingers, grinning triumphantly. When Baekhyun scowls and folds his arms in defeat, Joonmyun laughs and kicks him lightly under the table, calling him cute.

Baekhyun’s face heats lightly at the compliment and he kicks back.

“I’m not cute,” Baekhyun says.

“Sure you are,” Joonmyun says, grinning over his soda and potato chips. “And you’re more so when you deny it.”

“Stop hitting on me,” Baekhyun says dryly, picking up a potato chip and munching on hit. “It’s weird.”

“I’m not hitting on you,” Joonmyun says and his eyes dance in amusement. Baekhyun doesn't like that he feels disappointed. “This is banter. You are cute, especially when you don’t try to be. There was a reason Sungyeol kept teasing you; to try to get a reaction.” Baekhyun frowns at him. Joonmyun smiles all the more. “Just like that.”

“So when I glare at people, I’m cute?” Baekhyun asks skeptically. Joonmyun smiles naturally at him. “Stop smiling.”

“No,” Joonmyun defies.

“Why not?” Baekhyun snaps, huffing slightly.

“Because I’m too happy not to,” Joonmyun answers and Baekhyun’s frown lifts.

Baekhyun is closing up for the night when his phone goes off and he glances down to see Chanyeol’s number flashing on the screen. He smiles before answering and holding his phone a foot away from his ear.

“KRIS ASKED ME TO MOVE IN WITH HIM,” Chanyeol’s voice blasts through the receiver and Baekhyun thanks his years of experience with his best friend for knowing how to answer his phone to avoid permanent ear damage.

“I am completely unsurprised,” Baekhyun says, bringing the phone to his ear and cradling it on his shoulder as he locks up. “So he finally worked up the balls to ask you to move in with him?”

“You make Kris sound like such a ponce,” Chanyeol says over the line, his voice sounding extremely amused and still breathlessly happy.

“He is a ponce,” Baekhyun says, smiling into the phone at his friend’s obvious happiness. “I’m so glad you’ve found such an amazing ponce to call all your own.”

“I’m clearly blessed,” Chanyeol says, deep voice rumbling on the phone. “Now it’s just you left. We need to find you a ponce, Baek.”

“I don’t need a ponce,” Baekhyun says, rolling his eyes as he shoulders his bag full of café sales and details. “I’m perfectly happy with my ponce free life.”

“Aw, c’mon Baek, even you get lonely,” Chanyeol says and his voice is tender, making Baekhyun wince internally.

“I am incapable of loneliness,” Baekhyun says, forcing a smile on his lips. “How could I possibly be lonely when I have you and Jongin and Sehun constantly having panic attacks at me. I don’t have the time to feel lonely.”

“Stop being a martyr,” Chanyeol scoffs at him from over the line. “And you know we love you.”

“Yeah, I know,” Baekhyun says, smiling as he boards the bus. “And really, I am happy for you. When are you moving?”

“End of the month,” Chanyeol says, and his voice is once more excited and happy.

“Same time as Sehun,” Baekhyun says, nodding to the bus driver as he deposits his fare. “All the happy couples finally come together. Well, except Jongin and Yixing.”

“I think Kyungsoo would be happy to have Jongin move out,” Chanyeol says, his voice amused. “Even if he does mother Jongin, he’d probably prefer it without the awkward visits from Yixing all the time. Those two are-“

“Sexual beyond reason,” Baekhyun finishes for him and earns an afforded look from the old lady standing next to him. He smiles at her apologetically.

“Why don’t you move in with Kyungsoo? You two get along.”

“Are you kidding me? We’d kill each other. Kyungsoo would have seizures at my organizational skills,” Baekhyun says and watches the street lights flash by. “Plus, he could use a bachelor pad to get his own romantic life back in gear.”

There is silence on the other end for a while and Baekhyun frowns. “Chanyeol?”

“When are you going to find someone?”

Baekhyun frowns. “Why are we having this conversation?”

“Because you’re lonely,” Chanyeol says and Baekhyun’s throat clenches. “Even if you won’t admit it, Baekhyun. You’re lonely. When will it be your turn?”

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun says, frowning and pressing his lips together. “Chanyeol, I’m tired of the dating dance. It gets old. They’re not out there.”

“But maybe they are,” Chanyeol presses.

“Goodnight, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun sighs. “I’m happy for you and Kris.”

“You’re avoiding this,” Chanyeol says, voice clipping at the edges.

“Go make out with serious face,” Baekhyun tells him before hanging up, sighing, and leaning against the window and watching the street fly by, pushing aside the gnawing sensation in his chest.

~

Baekhyun doesn’t realize how much time has flown until Sehun is bounding into the café, followed by an amused Luhan, and slamming a briefcase onto his counter with a brilliant grin.

“Ha!” Sehun says, and grins wildly. “Done!”

“You finally had sex?” Baekhyun says and Sehun blanches while Luhan colors and Sohyea snorts into coffee beans unattractively.

“Baekhyun!” Sehun sputters and Baekhyun grins.

“I’m so happy for you two,” Baekhyun says and smirks at the couple who currently look all shades of awkward. “How was it?”

“You’re ridiculous,” Sehun grumbles and slouches into Luhan as the elder comes and wraps his arms around Sehun from the side. “I was all excited to tell you I nailed the interview but now I just feel dirty.”

“It was fantastic,” Luhan says from Sehun’s side and the younger colors, burying his face in his arms. “You should try it some time.”

“Is Sehun kinky? I’d like to think I had some sort of influence on him,” Baekhyun asks Luhan and smirks as Sehun’s ears turn pink and he burrows further into his arms as Sohyea has a poorly hidden laughing fit into the cash register.

“That’s private,” Luhan says with a wink and Baekhyun nods at him with an obnoxious knowing wink. “But in other news, Sehun got a real job.”

“You left Joonmyun?” Baekhyun asks, prodding Sehun in the top of the head. “He’ll be crushed. Have you broken the news to him yet?”

“Joonmyun knows,” Sehun says, rolling his eyes. “He’s known for a while. He actually helped me get the job.”

“Where are you now?” Baekhyun asks. He hasn’t really seen Sehun much recently, the younger being too preoccupied with his flourishing relationship and job interviews.

“Phoenix,” Sehun says, raising his head and beaming though his still pink cheeks at Baekhyun. “They hired me on the spot as an international relations assistant to their PR department.” He looks so happy and Baekhyun feels unnecessarily proud.

“Congratulations,” Baekhyun says, and means it as he ruffles Sehun’s hair affectionately. “I’m proud of you, Sehunnie.”

“We’re all proud of you,” Luhan says, and places a soft kiss to Sehun’s cheek.

“Even Yesung?” Baekhyun asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Yesung is just happy to be rid of me,” Sehun says and flashes a smirk. “We’re throwing a celebration party this weekend. At our place. Kind of a second housewarming because now Luhan shares Beatrice and I got a real person job.”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “Planet Records was a real person job.”

“All I did was distract Chanyeol and bother Joonmyun,” Sehun says rolling his eyes.

“See? Totally a real person job,” Baekhyun says as Luhan grins.

“So you’ll be there?” Sehun asks, and drums his fingers against the counter top.

“I’ll be there,” Baekhyun says with a smile.

“Am I invited?” Sohyea asks, throwing Sehun a pout.

“Of course not,” Sehun says, sticking out his tongue. “You’re weird.”

Sohyea’s pout deepens and Luhan laughs. “Of course you’re invited Sohyea,” Luhan says and flicks Sehun in the forehead.

~

Luhan, now with the slightly bumbling help of Sehun, once again manages to pull off an amazing housewarming gathering. Jongin once more shows up with half the city, and Yixing actually manages to make bananas foster. Baekhyun smiles around the room as Tao stands beside him, face impassive but eyes shining in his own amusement.

“How much do you want to bet Minseok hits on Sohyea by the end of the night?” Baekhyun asks, bringing his champagne to his lips and glancing over to where Minseok keeps flashing a curious look at Sohyea as she chatters enthusiastically with Chanyeol and Kris watches them both with slight apprehension.

“I don’t know who I would pity more in that relationship,” Tao says, fingering his champagne and looking between the two in question.

“Definitely Minseok,” Baekhyun says, taking a sip of his drink and smirking. “Sohyea is basically weird female Chanyeol. It’s why they get along so well. Freaking narcissists.”

“That’s terrifying,” Tao says, watching as Sohyea and Chanyeol high five for no apparent reason. “Minseok would be traumatized for life. No amount of therapy would be able to repair that psychological damage.”

“Eternal suffering,” Baekhyun says and smirks.

“What about you?” Tao asks, looking down to Baekhyun with a raised look.

Baekhyun frowns. “What about me?”

“Who are you going home with?” Tao asks.

Baekhyun raises an eyebrow. “No one. Why?”

Tao’s eyebrow twitches. “Are you sure?”

“Am I speaking in code?” Baekhyun asks, flashing the same look back. “No, I am not going home with anyone. It’s a housewarming. Who hooks up at a housewarming?”

Tao just raises an eyebrow at him.

“It got old,” Baekhyun says honestly. “Besides, I know everyone here. The only options I have are self obsessed models and I don’t need that in my life.”

“You want someone who is instead obsessed with you?” Tao asks, and his mouth quirks.

“I didn’t say that,” Baekhyun grumbles.

“Are you two plotting murder?” Sehun asks, coming up with two plates of bananas foster and a raised eyebrow.

“Yes,” Baekhyun says, accepting one of the plates. “We’re trying to figure out how best to kill Eunhyuk and make it look like he did it himself accidentally.”

“Honestly, I don’t think it would be that hard,” Tao says, smirking as Sehun flashes them both a very disturbed look.

“Have you see Joonmyun?” Sehun asks, doing his best to ignore Tao as he turns to Baekhyun.

Baekhyun frowns. “Joonmyun is here?” he asks, eyes flickering around the room briefly, scanning for a now familiar figure. “Why did you invite him? I wouldn’t think he and Luhan-“

“They’re fine,” Sehun cuts Baekhyun off with a roll of his eyes. “Luhan actually apologized to Joonmyun a week or so after everything and he was actually really cool about it. Both of us thought he’d go super emotional but,” Sehun shrugs. “No, they’re actually weirdly friends now. He was the first person we invited.”

Baekhyun frowns. He doesn’t entirely know why this is such new news to him nor why it irks him slightly but it does. Tao gives him a sideways look beside him. Baekhyun shakes himself slight. “No, I haven’t seen Joonmyun,” he finally replies to Sehun and earns a weird quirk of the mouth. “I’ll send him your way if I do find him though.”

Sehun shrugs. “Don’t bother,” Sehun says and glances at Tao warily as the older looks around like some sort of intimidating vulture. “He just asked about you earlier. Wanted to know if you were also coming. I didn’t know if he’d found you yet.”

Baekhyun frowns. “I haven’t seen him,” he says. “Why would he be asking about me?”

Sehun looks at him hard. “Really? Baek, he’s always in RumbleMuffins.”

“I make amazing café drinks,” Baekhyun says carelessly, ignoring the message he can read easily under Sehun’s tone. He doesn’t really want to see what’s been becoming more and more apparent and makes his throat dry. “Go give people bananas foster like a good host.”

“Baekhyun, I know you’re not this blind,” Sehun says and Baekhyun sighs, clapping him on the shoulder.

“I’m not,” Baekhyun says before slipping away, shoving a bite of bananas foster into his mouth and ignoring Sehun’s surprised look.

“How long have you known?!” Sehun calls after him but Baekhyun ignores him, instead giving his bananas foster to a surprised looking Changmin. He never really liked bananas anyway. The bathroom door is closed when Baekhyun arrives and he sighs, running a hand through his hair and pushing it off his face. The long sleeved shirt he had thrown on with his mind only on the swiftly approaching autumn is slightly hot on his skin and he shifts, trying to ignore the annoying crick in his neck he woke up with.

Baekhyun isn’t blind. Baekhyun knows signs when he sees them. However, the only problem is that this time, they’re not what he’s used to. Usually it’s a few long looks, a few coy smiles and a smattering of flirting, then either someone asks him out or gives him the clear opening to do so and there is a first date, a second date, a third date and then beds get involved and it just turns into a never ending cycle of redundant missed phone calls and empty conversations.

But it’s been three months, meaning Baekhyun’s far out of the danger of ever being rebound, which is nice but still confusing. Three months of spontaneously grabbing lunch and Joonmyun dragging him out to dinner for no reason and Baekhyun once calling Joonmyun for no other reason than he was bored and telling him they were getting brunch just to see if Joonmyun would say no. He didn’t and they talked about politics over eggs benedict and coffee and Baekhyun threw his toast at Joonmyun when he wouldn’t stop smiling, making Joonmyun snort a laugh into his orange juice.

Because it’s been three months and there’s been no clear moment where he can put his finger on what exactly is keeping things from spiraling back into that obnoxious process of first date, first kiss, first fuck, and first fight. And Baekhyun feels like this process of not knowing should probably stop, because it’s making him anxious. Because after three months he’s beginning to realize that he may just want to skip the whole beginning process and just dive in. He just can’t find the goddamn pool.

“Are you changing a tire in there?” Baekhyun asks, sighing as whoever is in the bathroom still hasn’t come out. He knocks on the door and receives two knocks back. “Seriously, the process is simple. Piss, flush, wash hands. That’s it. It’s not rocket science. We all learn how to do this before we graduate the first grade.”

There is the sound of movement on the other side of the door and Baekhyun blows at his bangs impatiently. He can’t help that he’s human and thus has basic physical needs and urges that he has to deal with. The door opens and Baekhyun sighs, looking up with an agitated look. “Took you long en-“

Joonmyun looks apologetic as he exits the bathroom and Baekhyun finds the words dying on his lips. “Sorry,” Joonmyun says as he shrugs past Baekhyun. “Sohyea tripped her foster into my face.” There is still some cream stuck in the hair by Joonmyun’s left ear and Baekhyun frowns at it.

“Well, she never really was that graceful,” Baekhyun says. “You missed some,” he points out, gesturing in the vague vicinity of Joonmyun’s face.

“Where?” Joonmyun asks, frowning and bringing a hand up reflexively to his face. On the complete wrong side. Baekhyun stares for a moment at how frowning, how serious, how Joonmyun with a variety of expressions causes his chest to hurt. “I thought I was pretty thorough.”

“Clearly not thorough enough,” Baekhyun says, grabbing Joonmyun carelessly by the shoulder and shoving him back into the bathroom, grabbing one of Luhan’s or Sehun’s towels and turning on the tap. “Honestly, what would your employees say if they saw you, parading about in whipped cream and bananas.”

“They’d say I’ve finally learned how to loosen up, I guess,” Joonmyun says, watching Baekhyun in amusement as Baekhyun rolls his eyes and wets the towel, bringing it up to wipe away the matted cream in Joonmyun’s hair.

“You’ve loosened up?” Baekhyun asks carelessly, cocking an eyebrow at Joonmyun as he cleans, towel gently wiping away sugar and cooked rum and dairy derivatives. “It’s a miracle. Suho has finally stopped smiling painfully.”

“My name isn’t Suho,” Joonmyun says face serious and suddenly intense and Baekhyun pauses as a hand comes up to grip at his own, ceasing his cleaning efforts. His expression is as strong as it was all those months ago when he had stared down Sungyeol, purpose and determination behind it and making Baekhyun’s breath halt. “It’s Joonmyun.”

“I know,” Baekhyun says, frowning to hide the stutter in his heart.

“Then why?” Joonmyun asks, eyes boring in to Baekhyun’s purposefully, flickering between his irises. “Is it so hard to just use my own name?”

“No,” Baekhyun says, and swallows as Joonmyun’s fingers press into his hand, pulling it away but not letting go. “But it’s fun to make your forehead wrinkle. If I call you Joonmyun you’ll just smile like you do at everyone else.”

Joonmyun blinks and his expression softens just enough so that Baekhyun’s heart can beat normally again. “I wouldn’t,” he says and Baekhyun pulls his hand away, shaking out the towel and regulating his breathing. Joonmyun watches him closely and it makes his skin itch. “I wouldn’t smile at you like I do for everyone else.”

“I know,” Baekhyun says, and he intends it to be under his breath but Joonmyun hears him anyway.

“You do?” Joonmyun asks, eyebrows raised.

Baekhyun hates tension. He hates awkward situations like the one he is in right now and how people never just do what they’re supposed to do in the first place and make things less complicated than they always seem to be. “Of course I know,” Baekhyun sighs exasperatedly, hanging up the towel and turning to Joonmyun. “Now get out, I have to piss.”

Joonmyun frowns at him. “Why do you do that?”

Baekhyun pauses, turning to look at Joonmyun with a curious expression that he doesn’t mean. “Do what?”

“That,” Joonmyun says, a hint of irritation in his voice before sighing and running a hand through his hair. “Never mind, I’ll leave.” He closes the door behind him and Baekhyun feels sort of numb. That was so close, so close to finally breaking through whatever barrier seems to be left between himself and Joonmyun that he can’t quite determine whether he wants to break or have broken.

Baekhyun frowns at his reflection as he washes his hands. Chanyeol frowns at him when he emerges from the bathroom, hands folded over his chest, and looking serious. “Baekhyun,” Chanyeol says.

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun replies without skipping a beat. “What glorious sounding names we have.”

“You’re being stupid,” Chanyeol tells him with unequal eyebrows.

Baekhyun sighs, shaking his hands where they still feel wet. “I know,” he admits.

“Fixing it?” Chanyeol asks, a hint of sincerity in his tone.

“Yes, I’m fixing it,” Baekhyun huffs, offering a small smile to Chanyeol as he pushes past him.

“Good,” Chanyeol says, and smiles widely. “It’s about time.”

Baekhyun pauses. “What is that supposed to mean?” Chanyeol just smiles in an obnoxious and uncharacteristically knowing way before wandering off. Baekhyun shakes himself slightly before pressing into the crowd. He finds Joonmyun talking with a tall model he recognizes as Kyuhyun from the last housewarming. Kyuhyun notices him before Joonmyun, and taps the smaller on the shoulder, causing Joonmyun to turn with a slightly startled expression.

“Joonmyun,” Baekhyun says and Joonmyun’s eyes widen marginally. His grip on his punch flexes.

“That would be my name, yes,” Joonmyun says, and Kyuhyun raises his eyebrows.

“Go out with me,” Baekhyun says, barely pausing for dramatic effect and Kyuhyun nearly drops his foster as Joonmyun’s eyebrows rocket up his face.

“What?” Joonmyun asks, stuttering on the word.

“Well, seeing as you haven’t asked in the past two months, I figured I might as well get it over with,” Baekhyun says, shrugging to hide how goddamn nervous and uncomfortable and awkward he feels at the moment. Just get it over with. Stop the ridiculous pounding of his heart and end this dance he’s somehow got himself caught up in. Get the rejection. Or the accepting response. Get the stupid shit done so he can move on and-

“Aren’t we already dating?” Joonmyun asks, and Baekhyun feels like Joonmyun may have smacked him in the face. Apparently Joonmyun finds Baekhyun’s expression extremely entertaining as he bursts out laughing and Kyuhyun looks as lost as Baekhyun feels.

“What?” Baekhyun garbles out as Joonmyun’s eyes crease in amusement.

“Sorry, that was too tempting to pass up,” Joonmyun says and smiles and Baekhyun’s heart pounds because it isn’t Joonmyun’s normal plastic acceptable and fixed smile. It’s a smile that burns through Baekhyun and leaves him raw and too shocked to realize what Joonmyun has said immediately but when he does he sputters and frowns at nearly shoves Kyuhyun’s foster in Joonmyun’s face for revenge.

“You suck,” Baekhyun spits out and frowns as Joonmyun continues to smile at him, eyes crinkled at the edges. Kyuhyun looks extremely confused. “Never mind.”

“Yes,” Joonmyun says, and Baekhyun pauses as he turns to leave with whatever is left of his pride.

“Yes, what?” Baekhyun snaps, not really turning to look at Joonmyun but he does when a hand closes around his wrist and pulls him. Joonmyun’s eyes are glinting as they look at him and Baekhyun swallows, trying to keep his face annoyed.

“Yes, I’ll go out with you,” Joonmyun says, and Baekhyun feels his cheeks flush embarrassingly. Damn it. Joonmyun’s smile draws up at the edges. “I was going to ask you before, but there was never a right moment.”

“Seriously?” Baekhyun says, and raises a skeptical eyebrow. “You were waiting for the right moment? You are the biggest sap in the universe, you know that?”

“Well, I couldn’t exactly ask you out when you’re cleaning banana foster from my hair in the bathroom,” Joonmyun points out with an amused smirk. “I didn’t really think you’d appreciate that.”

Baekhyun presses his lips together in irritation, wanting to shake Joonmyun’s hand off his own but not at the same time. “Do you always take this long to ask people out?”

“I decided after the last time I rushed into things, I should really take my time before falling,” Joonmyun says, smile still faint upon his lips.

“Falling?” Baekhyun frowns.

“Falling isn’t fun when there’s no one to catch you,” Joonmyun says and Baekhyun swallows down a dry throat. “I’ll catch you if you catch me.”

Baekhyun gives Joonmyun a look. “They were wrong, the moon was never made of cheese. You are.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Joonmyun says, still smiling as his fingers move to lace with Baekhyun’s, pulling him slightly closer to his side. “I mean, we’re practically dating anyway.”

“You coming in and haunting RumbleMuffins on a near daily basis is not dating,” Baekhyun says, but doesn’t resist when Joonmyun nudges them closer together. This isn’t awkward. It’s not uncomfortably trying to figure out how to act and talk and function because they’ve already done all of that. This is just comfortable with the added warmth of a hand around his own and the spark of electric thrill alongside his pulse. “That could technically be considered stalking. I could have you arrested.”

“Would you rather I take you out to dinner and nice moonlit strolls and kissed you under fairy lights?” Joonmyun asks in amusement.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Baekhyun scoffs. “Besides, I’m the one who asked you out. We’re going hiking.”

Joonmyun blinks. “We are?” he asks as Baekhyun grips his hand a little tighter.

“Yes,” Baekhyun says finitely, glancing to Kyuhyun who looks slightly amused as he puts a piece of banana foster into his mouth. “And then we’re going out for dinner and moonlit strolls and kissing and things.”

“Is this a private conversation?” Kyuhyun asks, eyeing the pair before him.

“No,” Joonmyun says, giving a huff of a laugh at the model.

“Yes,” Baekhyun says, flashing a sarcastic look at the tall model and earning a quirk of the head. “Can’t you tell I’m trying to proposition him in public?”

“You’re ridiculous,” Joonmyun says, laughing later as Baekhyun swings an arm over his shoulder.

“If by ridiculous you mean amazing, then yes, I am,” Baekhyun says, surveying the party and smiling faintly. He doesn’t feel obligated to check on Joonmyun and see if he wants a drink. He doesn’t feel obligated to stutter and try to impress. Because nothing has really changed aside from the increased warmth around his heart when Joonmyun presses back into him.

“I thought you weren’t going home with anyone,” Tao says, pausing as he passes by, Chen just a step ahead and turning back curiously.

“I’m not,” Baekhyun says and Tao raises an eyebrow. “He’s coming home with me.”

“I am?” Joonmyun asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Well done,” says Tao and gives him a rare smile and appreciating nod.

“You have to be one of the craziest people I know,” Joonmyun says, shaking his head but smiling at Baekhyun anyway, a hand coming up to wrap around Baekhyun’s thrown over his shoulder.

“Your default setting is smiling,” Baekhyun throws back and Joonmyun purposefully frowns at him.

“Better?” Joonmyun asks and Baekhyun’s mouth stretches wide.

“No, but I like you anyway,” Baekhyun says and Joonmyun snorts. “Does this mean you’ll finally lie down in one of my damn forts?”

“Only if you lie down with me,” Joonmyun answers and his hand is warm on Baekhyun’s. Reassuring and steady and Baekhyun feels that jolt of excitement he is sure is going to be followed by a roller-coaster of interesting emotional turns and curves and jolts. Because this isn’t like every other time he’s said yes or asked. This is different.

It is not the first time that Baekhyun lies down in a fort. It is the first time Joonmyun does, and he looks slightly apprehensive about it before Baekhyun scoffs at smacks him with a pillow, smirking when Joonmyun is shoved into blankets and snorts out a laugh as Joonmyun misses his head completely as he tries to swat back.

It’s not the first time he and Joonmyun laugh together. It’s not the first time they talk together, nor quietly throw banter back and forth, nor kick each other under the table later after Sohyea pushes them out the door with an amused smile. It’s not the first time Baekhyun’s heart beats a little too fast or Joonmyun manages to catch him off guard.

But it is the first time it’s comfortable and Baekhyun finds that he’s not struggling through the same monotony of the system. Instead, the system is backwards and the only thing that he does for the first time is find his heart filling with affection before attraction as Joonmyun laces their fingers together and smiles as the name ‘Joonmyun’ is whispered between Baekhyun’s lips instead of ‘Suho’ and laughs into Baekhyun’s ear as he pulls him into his side.

Because unlike every other time, Baekhyun feels like rather than going through the process of falling, he’s already fallen. It just took him a while to really realize it.

“I’m glad you finally found someone,” Chanyeol comments as Baekhyun walks in, scarf wrapped around his neck comfortably and Joonmyun trailing behind him wrapped up in more layers than is really necessary for mid October.

“I’m still trying to figure out if I found him or he found me,” Baekhyun says, nodding and smiling to Kris in greeting. Joonmyun gingerly pulls him close, chest pressing faintly into his back as warmth spreads from Baekhyun’s heart. Something he is still getting used to even though it’s already been over a month.

“We could be simple and just say we found each other,” Joonmyun says, resting his chin on Baekhyun’s shoulder lightly and smiling to Kris and Chanyeol. “Morning.”

“Simple is boring,” Baekhyun huffs at Joonmyun, turning slightly in his embrace and looking down into Joonmyun’s face.

“You’re right,” Joonmyun says, and smiles back at him. “That’s probably why I like you so much.”

“So you’re happy?” Chanyeol asks, leaning into Kris and Kris smiles as he wraps an arm around Chanyeol’s shoulders, the expression smoothing the stern lines of his face and making him look years younger.

“Yes,” Baekhyun says, looking back to Joonmyun and smiling. “I think I am.”

Joonmyun smiles and it’s not plastic or appropriate or proper. It’s genuine and real and full of light and Joonmyun was right, he does only smile this way for Baekhyun. And it makes his soul soar every time he sees it. “And so am I.”

At the age of twenty six, Byun Baekhyun falls head over heels in love for the first time with Kim Joonmyun without expecting it, without realizing it, until Joonmyun caught him and held him close. At the age of twenty seven, Kim Joonmyun finally stopped trying to please everyone else with perfection and smiled because he meant it and finally saw the brilliant man he had never expected and found perfection without intending to. At the age of love, two people finally stopped looking and waiting and found each other and that was all that really mattered in the first place anyway.

-The End-