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The bell clashes against the door and rings, telling the people inside the bookstore that there’s someone entering, possibly another customer. A welcoming shout from one of the staff can be heard somewhere from the bookshelves.
Baekhyun looks around, landing his gaze a little longer on the counter, before marching towards the classic section. He stares at the collection of books in front of him and contemplates which classic he’s going to purchase today.
Or trying to ask for a recommendation from one of the staff there. He has one specific person in mind and he prays to God that it’s his shift at this moment.
He turns to look at the counter and internally sings all his praises to God because his favourite staff is in. Not that the said person knows that he is Baekhyun’s favourite. He decides he no longer wants to waste any time, he walks slowly towards the counter and stops abruptly in front of it, smiling when he hears the one he wants to talk to, mumbling something at the book in front of him.
Lee Taeyong.
Baekhyun clears his throat, indicating he is there so he won’t be surprising anyone. The last thing he wants is for his self proclaimed not-crush to be annoyed at him. “Hi—I uh—,” he glances back towards the classic section of the bookstore. “I think I need help. A recommendation. Of books.” He pauses. “Obviously.”
Taeyong’s doe eyes blinks rapidly before he can process Baekhyun’s words. “Oh! A recommendation! Yes, sure. May I know what kind of book you are looking for?”
“Classics.”
The way Taeyong’s face lit up at the mention of classics makes Baekhyun mentally gives himself a pat on the back for being interested in reading them. “Great! I love classics. I think you just found the right person to guide you,” Taeyong grins widely and tries to contain his excitement. “Come follow me,” he walks away from the counter and leads Baekhyun towards the classic section. “So, any idea what kind of classics you want? Romance? Fantasy? Also, mind you, some of them can be a little dark. Yes, I’m talking about Thomas Hardy.”
The elder among them chuckles at Taeyong’s excitement. This— he is exactly one of the reasons why he started reading classics a few months ago. Baekhyun looks at the shelves in front of him up and down. “Um—something that’s not too dark? Oh, I heard a lot of classics have gothic themes in them. So maybe something around that?”
“Not Wuthering Height then.” Taeyong mumbles to himself while scanning the self before picking a book. “ Northanger Abbey ?” He spins around to show Jane Austen’s book to Baekhyun.
“ Oh! I am delighted with the book! I should like to spend my whole life in reading it ,” Baekhyun said while looking a little smug, quoting one of the lines from the book. “I’ve read that,” he chuckles at the look of amazement on Taeyong’s face.
“I’d recommend you Wuthering Height but you said something not too dark. It’s gothic but it’s too dark. In my opinion, by the way,” Taeyong smiles before scanning the shelf in front of them, again. “How about Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray ?”
“ Experience is merely the name men gave to their mistakes. You can’t expect me not to read one of the most famous classics of all time, don't you?” The elder teases the bookstore worker with a playful smile drawn on his face.
Taeyong almost rolls his eyes but resorts to just smiling at the teasing. “I assume you have read Dracula ?” He turns to look at Baekhyun and nods when the customer is answering yes to his question. “Then, I shall recommend you my personal favourite. It’s one of the most famous too so I don’t know if you’ve read it before.”
“Try me.”
Taeyong tiptoes a bit to reach the book he’ll recommend to Baekhyun. “Here you go,” he passes the book to red hair and looks forward to his reaction. He sees Baekhyun turning to look at the back cover of the book, reading the synopsis. “It’s gothic, a bit dark but not as dark as her sister’s novel. There’s a bit of romance, women empowerment, a bit of mystery.”
“ Jane Eyre ,” Baekhyun says the book's name out loud. “Personal favourite, you say?”
Taeyong nods a little bit eagerly. “I can talk about it forever.”
Baekhyun hums. “I heard about this book a lot but it’s a little bit of a chunk isn’t it?” He chuckles. “I haven’t always read classics. I just got into them a few months back. And I admit I kind of read it slowly.”
“Sometimes classics are hard to take. I understand.”
Baekhyun nods. “Okay, I’ll give this one a try.”
For the second time of the day, Taeyong’s face lit up again because of Baekhyun. What’s more feeling good other than your not-crush smiling because of you? “Perfect!” Taeyong claps his hands. “I’m sure you will not regret it. Although, it’s okay to read it slowly because it’s a lot to take. It took me almost a month to finish it. But mind you, it’s not because the book is not good.”
“It's just a lot to take,” Baekhyun cuts off before Taeyong can continue. He chuckles when the younger one just nods.
After Baekhyun is done making payment for his book, Taeyong’s friend and co-worker, Ten approaches him. “Why do I feel like he likes you? Like, like like .”
Taeyong rolls his eyes. “He’s a customer. Plus, this is the first time I talked with him.”
“You do realise he’s a regular, right?” Ten narrows his eyes at Taeyong.
“Is he?” Taeyong picks up a pen and continues his task before Baekhyun comes and approaches him.
Ten shakes his head. “Don’t give me that. Your eyes always trail after him every time he comes into our store. And your face lit up for a reason. All of a sudden. Even when you had a bad day.”
“I did not!”
Ten tutted at his friend. “I’ve got eyes. Also, if it makes you feel better, he scans around our store and there’s no denying the satisfied look on his face when he sees you’re in.”
“Goodness, Ten. You’re so full of shit,” Taeyong says and just laughs when Ten hits his back with a copy of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell .
*******
A week later, Baekhyun and Taeyong meet again, this time, when the latter just finished his shift at the bookstore.
“Hi,” Baekhyun greets him after a few minutes of collecting confidence from every particle in his body. “Are you done with your shift?”
Taeyong is stunned for a good couple of seconds before his lips draw the probably the biggest smile he’d ever present to anyone for the past five days. “A new member of Jane Eyre fanclub?” He tilts his head. “I hope?”
Baekhyun chuckles before offering his hand for a handshake. “I’m Baekhyun.”
“Taeyong,” he says before he reaches out to Baekhyun’s hand. “So—do you need a new book? I can pop up inside to give you another recommendation then I can be off for good. For today.”
Baekhyun glances at the door of the bookstore before his eyes land on Taeyong again. He shakes his head. “Actually, no.” He casually inserts his hand in the pockets of his khaki pants. Inside, only God knows how nervous he is. “I’m wondering if you are free now? For a drink?”
Taeyong tilts his head in confusion. “You want to have a drink with me?”
“Why not?”
“First of all, we barely know each other.” Taeyong looks at him. “No offence, I don’t mean to be rude, but I never really promptly have a drink with a total stranger.”
Baekhyun shrugs. “Fair enough. I was afraid there’s a rule in the bookstore stating you can’t have a relationship with your customer.”
“Excuse me?”
Baekhyun almost winces at his own slips. “I mean, maybe you can’t meet with your customer outside of working hours or something.” At this rate, he just wishes the ground under him will just swallow him alive. He has a feeling that the more he talks, the more he will screw this up. “Look, maybe we can get to know each other and be less of strangers?”
“Are you a nice person?”
“As nice as I can be,” Baekhyun jokes. Silence surrounds them. “Well, according to my friends, I am nice when I want to. But then, they’re all prats,” he says but from the fond smile on his face, anyone can tell he actually loves his friends.
Taeyong looks around and his eyes are stuck at Ten, who just came in for his shift, suddenly so interested in fixing the display on the window that’s just next to where he and Baekhyun are standing. He knows well there’s nothing to fix there because Johnny, one of their other co-worker just worked on it before.
He knows the longer the two of them stand there, the more Ten will analyse whatever he makes from what he sees before the window.
“Okay, but can it be me that decides the place? I have this one favourite cafe of mine and I’m really craving for their hot chocolate right now.”
Baekhyun grins widely. “Please, lead the way.”
*******
“So, what do you do for a living?” Taeyong asks the man in front of him after sipping his hot chocolate.
“I’m a Marketing Manager in an advertising agency. But on the weekend, I play for a band, in my friend’s pub, just three blocks from here.”
Taeyong’s eyes widened in surprise. “You are a department manager and also play in a band? Impressive. What did you play, anyway?” He leans forward in interest.
“Well, the band just consists of my friends, really. So we, as a group of friends, play at our friend’s pub. We've been playing since we’re in college and it's just a hobby. But a great one and we kind of don’t want to stop doing it. Plus, with it, we have a reason to catch up with each other every week, or at least twice a month.” Baekhyun rubs his temple, he never really talks this much with a stranger. His clients are another story because his job requires him to do that. But on a casual outing with a stranger? No. “Well, as to what I’m playing, I’m a bassist.”
“A bassist!” Taeyong exclaims in wonder. “Maybe, when we’ve become less than strangers, I can watch you play on the weekend? Considering it’s not too far from where I work.”
“Why not,” Baekhyun shrugs and takes a sip of his iced coffee. “So, how about you? The work in a bookstore has always been a dream of yours or it’s just a part time job while studying?”
Taeyong shakes his head. “I’ve graduated for a year and half already,” he laughs at the surprised look on Baekhyun’s face. “I look young, I know, but it’s a fact,” he drums his fingers against the wooden table. “Well, I love books and reading. So you can say that working in a bookstore is my dream. I used to do my internship in a publishing company.”
Baekhyun raises his brows, missing behind his fringe. “Then why not just work in publishing?”
The younger one just shrugs. “Maybe I just love being close to books. Don’t get me wrong, working in a publishing company is fun, I can be close to books too, but it's just something working in a bookstore that pulls strings in my heart. I can see what people are reading, what kind of reader they are. Sometimes you can tell about a person based on what they’re reading. I also love helping people get a book that matches their preference,” he chuckles at Baekhyun who is wiggling his eyebrows at him. “And it’s so endearing to see how determined some people are to choose the best book if they’re giving it to someone.”
“That sounds lovely. You must love your job a lot.”
“It is and I do. Plus it pays quite well and I meet nice people there. So there’s no reason to hate it. But I do wish to open my own bookstore one day.”
Baekhyun nods. “I’m sure one day you’ll manage it. If you don’t mind me asking, what is your major in university?”
Taeyong flashes the man opposite him a huge grin. Baekhyun thinks it lights up the whole cafe, and his world too. “I’m a Literature student!”
“That explains your love for books and classics,” Baekhyun smiles back.
The black hair guy just laughs in response. “So, what do you think about Jane Eyre ?”
“Well, that’s one of the reasons why I want to sit and have a drink with you. I haven’t finished it yet, you’re right, it’s kind of a lot to take, but I’m halfway through it already. And I’m in desperate need to talk about it to someone. My friends will hear none of it. Not that they’ll understand any of it, anyway.”
“They don’t read?” Taeyong’s eyes widened. He can’t imagine someone would despise reading.
“They did. Sometimes, I guess. But more to something non-fiction.”
“I see,” Taeyong just nods.
“You said you can talk about it forever, yes?”
Taeyong chuckles before he nods. “I’d write a book about how amazing it is but I doubt I’ll do it justice. So, what do you think about it? What do you think about Mr Rochester? You see, most people are side-eyeing him and highkey despise the romance between him and Jane because he’s not very nice. But I think it’s romantic. Their relationship, that is. And he’s not that bad like what people like to paint him.”
Praise to God for ever opening Baekhyun’s heart to get into reading classic fiction. “A romantic, aren’t you?” He flashes the younger one a playful smile. “Well, Rochester has his own reason for being the way he is. He definitely has his own faults but see it from his perspective. He has a pretty rough younger year, maybe not as rough as Jane, but rough enough for his standard considering he’s not the oldest child.”
“ Since happiness is irrevocably denied me, I have a right to get pleasure out of life: and I will get it, cost what it may ,” Taeyong smiles, satisfied at himself for still being able to quote one of his favourite books. “To be honest, I always like a character where they have a grey moral compass. Not a saint, but not a complete evil either. It gives a lot of space for us to see the character and world from perspectives. And I think Mr Rochester is one of them.”
Baekhyun looks at the younger man in front of him in awe. He acknowledges the passion he has for literature in general. Baekhyun knows it since the first time he saw Taeyong passionately quote something from Anne of Green Gables to his friend. Now, he can listen to Taeyong talking about Jane Eyre forever . “Mhm, I agree. Where’s the fun in a character that is too good to be true?” He leans forward which brings his face closer to Taeyong’s. He takes his time to look into the chocolate orbs of Taeyong’s eyes. “Plus, don’t you just love the banter between Jane and Mr Rochester? They’re brilliant. Some of my favourite parts from the book. Jane is amazing. She never backs off or lets Edward nor anyone intimidate her.”
Taeyong lets out the breath that he doesn’t realise he’s holding. People usually are not really interested in listening to him talk in depth about books that he loves, but Baekhyun is different. He definitely knows what he’s talking about. “Anyway, you said you’re halfway through it? I suggest preparing your heart to be broken. Not that I want to spoil you but I think it'd be nice to warn you.”
“Ah, yes,” Baekhyun chuckles. “I’m a bit suspicious at how only halfway through the book Jane and Mr Rochester are already engaged and actually happy with each other. I have like—” he makes space between his thumb and point finger to visualise the thickness of the unread part of Jane Eyre , “—this much to read. If it’s a happy ever after then why so many more to tell, yeah?”
“Well, you know where to find me if you need to unleash all the emotion and you can find me anytime. It’s one hell of a ride for the second half of the book.”
*******
Two weeks and half later, the bookstore witnesses Baekhyun barges into it and marches straight to the counter.
“Okay, what is St John thinking? Surely he’s supposed to know Jane better by now, yeah? Marrying a woman— his cousin —and not because of love? And then expecting Jane to agree?” Baekhyun said passionately while waving his copy of Jane Eyre in the air. “But in Jane I believe, and I am so right about it.”
“Well, hello to you too,” Taeyong greets despite his attempts to stifle a giggle behind his hand.
Baekhyun clears his throat when he realises he just barges into the shop and Taeyong is not alone behind the counter. “Oh, hi.”
“I’m Ten, Taeyong’s favourite person on Earth.”
Taeyong rolls his eyes while Baekhyun just nods. “Baekhyun. Taeyong’s uh—”
“Friend,” Taeyong offers. “Well—,” he turns his attention to Baekhyun again. “What are you doing here? Have you finished it?”
“Well, yes. Finally,” Baekhyun sighs. “You are right, it’s kind of a lot to take. Plus—,” he smiles playfully to Taeyong. “You did say I can find you if I need to get emotional about it.”
Taeyong chuckles. “Yeah, I did,” he nods. “Anyway, my shift will end in 10 minutes. Maybe we can go for a drink or dinner after this and you can pour your emotion to me?”
The sound of Ten accidentally dropping some copies of newly arrived books can be heard before Baekhyun can reply.
*******
They end up in an Italian restaurant twenty minutes later by Baekhyun’s choice. After recommending some of his favorites and ordering their meals, silence surrounds them for a good seconds.
“I take it you’re a regular here?” Taeyong asks.
“Well, one of my favourite places to eat.”
Taeyong nods. “So—what do you think when you decide to barge into my workplace? You’re not working today?”
Baekhyun rubs his temple shyly and blood crepts towards his cheeks. “I had a meeting with a client today and I can be done for the day after it. About barging to the bookstore, clearly, I’m barely thinking,” he smiles sheepishly. “Sorry, I guess I just got emotional.”
“Well, not surprised considering you did bombard my phone with your text messages when you read what happened on Jane and Mr Rochester’s supposed wedding day,” Taeyong smirks towards the elder. “In your defense, that’s also how I feel.” Both of them had been exchanging numbers after their first drinking session and actively texting each other from there. Sometimes Baekhyun stops by the bookstore and even take him out for lunch. He still remembers Baekhyun asking what kind of book that’s suitable for an eight years old girl because his niece’s birthday is coming up. He also found out that the older of the two is definitely a family man by the way he’s talking about his niece and nephew.
“Yeah, Rochester was so wrong to keep it a secret. Communication is key and all that,” Baekhyun takes a sip of his water. “Men in this book should have known Jane better.”
Taeyong looks at the man in front of him. Surely, Baekhyun is so into the books he’s reading. He remembers quoting a line from Far From the Madding Crowd and the elder is quoting the book back at him. He said he purchased the book when Taeyong wasn’t in the store which left him wondering if Ten is right about Baekhyun looking for him every time he’s dropping by. “So, now that you have finished Jane Eyre, what’s next? Or are you planning on something modern? Fantasy, perhaps? It’s pretty popular nowadays.”
Baekhyun shakes his head. “Fantasy is not my forte. I can read it, but definitely not in the top 3 of my favourite genre. What would you recommend to me then? Other than classics, I love historical fiction too.”
The black hair man taps his fingers against his chin, thinking what to recommend to Baekhyun. “Hm—I suggest The Midnight Rose by Lucinda Riley if you want historical fiction. It's a romance set during World War 1 but it’s also pretty descriptive about the settings around that era. And I really love it. It’s so heartbreakingly beautiful. And I don’t know if you’ve read it but Austen’s Persuasion is good too. One of my all time favourites from her. The vibe is pretty different from her other novels but trust me, it’s good.”
“You do know your way around books, don’t you?” Baekhyun asks in amusement. He loves the way Taeyong’s face lights up every time he talks about books.
“I work in a bookstore.”
“Some people work for the money. Don’t necessarily have to be literally obsessed about books.”
“You’re calling me obsess?”
“Your words, not mine,” Baekhyun says teasingly. “But no worries. I love how you talk about books. I can tell you really love them. And I love listening to people who know what they are talking about. It’s attractive.”
“Calling me attractive now?”
“That, I admit,” Baekhyun says while never breaking his gaze on Taeyong. “You are attractive.”
That’s not the answer Taeyong expects. He expects Baekhyun to deny it once again. His cheeks pinked. Not everyday someone undeniably attractive calls him well—attractive. He’s being safe from replying to the compliment when their meal arrives. He groans in satisfaction when the taste of his pasta set into him. “God, this tastes excellent.”
“Right?” Baekhyun asks while silently pleading for Taeyong to stop making sounds. The last thing he wants to do is surrender to temptation and freak his now-crush out.
“So—,” Taeyong takes his time to swallow his food. “You told me you just got into classic fiction a few months ago. What makes you interested anyway?” He blinks in confusion when Baekhyun stays silent. “I’m asking because not everyone would be interested, you know. Some just can’t finish it, some just buy it for aesthetic purposes and some just don’t know what’s going on. And you clearly aren’t any of them. So I’m curious.”
Baekhyun is torn between telling the guy opposite him the complete truth or doing a bit of white lie to save his face. He doesn’t want to freak Taeyong out but at the same time, the more time he spends with the latter, the more he gets to know him, he knows he is falling deeper. There’s no point in denying the feeling that’s getting stronger each day. He even knows it's actually stupid to even deny that he has a crush on the guy who's sitting at the opposite of him. It’s just he’s not sure he’s fully prepared to hear a rejection coming out of Taeyong’s mouth and possibly losing whatever they have now.
“Um—well, it’s kind of silly, really.”
“Try me. I won’t judge.”
Baekhyun takes a deep breath as he makes up his mind. “Well, a few months ago—six months ago—I think? I walk into this bookstore, trying to find some cookbooks to give to my sister-in-law as her birthday present because I know she’s so into cooking around that time. Still is, anyway. Then as I walked in I heard someone passionately tell someone this. ‘It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.’ ” He chuckles, remembering the first time he saw Taeyong in that bookstore that he became a regular in a short time. “I think you— he —was trying to convince his friend to go to an amusement park and try to ride a roller coaster with him.”
A look of realisation slowly dawned on Taeyong’s face. Baekhyun isn’t sure if it’s because of his accidental slip earlier or Taeyong actually remembers too.
“Then I think his friend still refused to, and another one just asked him to give it up. Of course he refused to give up. Then, I hear him saying, ‘I’m not feeling discouraged. When I make up my mind to do a thing, it stays made up.’ It was kind of funny because I have an idea it’s probably from a book and you— he —speaks in quotes. It’s my first time hearing it, anyway.”
“How—,” Taeyong clears his throat. “How do you know it’s a classic?”
“I think one of the staff near me hears me chuckling over the conversation. He told me he—the guy I’m interested in—always quoting books in conversation. I asked him what book the quote is from and he told me it’s from Anne of Green Gables .”
Taeyong can only think of one person that knows classics in the bookstore the way he is and that person can only be Jungwoo.
“So I end up purchasing three cookbooks and a copy of Anne of Green Gables .” Baekhyun finished, his sight is firm on Taeyong. “Turns out I love it and I think classics are not bad so I got into it.”
“What comes after Anne of Green Gables ?”
“Forster’s A Room with a View ,” the elder chuckles when Taeyong’s eyes widened. “Not really a wise choice, I know. For a classic noob like me. While it’s short, the writing style is completely different from Anne. A lot more complex. But I still like it nonetheless. Felt sorry for George most of the time.”
Taeyong nods. “You are right about starting a classic with a children's book but jump into Forster right away—it can be a bit too much.”
“Yea—but like I said, I enjoy it. When George said ‘It is Fate. Everything is Fate. We are flung together by Fate, drawn apart by Fate—flung together, drawn apart’ really got me thinking you know. If even coincidence is a fate too.”
“I—uh—,” Taeyong looks at Baekhyun intently. He’s pretty sure he gets the idea of who Baekhyun is talking about. Not that it is easy to forget about an attractive customer with red hair purchasing three cookbooks and a copy of one of his all time favourite classics. The one that usually comes in smart pants and a impeccably ironed white oxford shirt, if not in a perfectly fit-for-him suit. “Why did you never say anything?”
“A wise fictional character once said, ‘I cannot make speeches—Taeyong,’ ” he smiles at the change of name and his smile gets even wider when he sees Taeyong realises he’s quoting a line from Emma . “ If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more. But you know what I am. You hear nothing but the truth from me. ”
“And you call me a romantic,” Taeyong playfully rolls his eyes.
“But really, won’t you find me creepy if I suddenly come up to you and say I like you? You almost freak out when I politely ask you out for a drink. Remember?”
“Well, no stranger comes to me and wants to ask me out for a drink,” the younger one mumbles to himself but Baekhyun misses nothing.
“There’s always first for everything, eh?” He smiles softly when he sees Taeyong’s cheeks pinked. “But in all seriousness, no pressure, Taeyong. I won’t ask you to return my feelings. Just want to be truthful. I hate lying to you, or anyone in general. I don’t want to lose your friendship and I’m sorry if this is making you uncomfortable. I understand if you need time away from me. I just hope it won’t be forever.”
“ Love felt and returned, love which our bodies exact and our hearts have transfigured, live which is the most real thing that we shall ever meet, reappeared now as the world’s enemy, ” Taeyong grins widely at the confusion on Baekhyun’s face after he’s done quoting a line from A Room with a View . “You are not the only one, you know.”
“Good god,” Baekhun takes a big gulp of his drink. “Enlighten me, please?” He believes there’s a look of desperation on his face which will serve his friends a full two years of teasing material if they ever see it. Byun Baekhyun being desperate over the attention of a man. Who would have seen the day?
“Well—,” Taeyong exhales. “Maybe I do remember you from that day you know. A guy in a suit purchasing cookbooks and a children’s classic. A good-looking guy, mind you.” He lets out a small laugh. “And after your third visit to our store, I kind of anticipate your presence and see what books you are purchasing. Although it’s not like I’m in every time you stop by.”
Baekhyun doesn’t know what to feel. He doesn’t know if it means he can be more than friends with Taeyong. “But you still freak out when I ask you out for a drink.”
“In my defense, I don’t even know you as a person. How do I know you don’t plan to kidnap and sell me to black market?”
“Do I look like someone who is dealing with black market?”
Taeyong shrugs. “You never know.” He says before breaking into laughter at Baekhyun’s incredulous look. “But you got good taste in books, that I admit.”
“And in man too I suppose,” Baekhyun mumbles to himself.
“You praise me too much.”
“Have you looked at yourself?”
Taeyong looks down, and feels his face pinking again. “Ten is going to have a field day if he knows this.” He chuckles before continuing. “He insists that you kind of like, like me and I always pay attention every time you’re in the store.”
“And how does Ten see everything but not you?”
“If you are me, would you get your hopes up about a very attractive looking man who is also your bookstore regular customer, possibly have a feeling for you?”
Fair enough. Baekhyun doesn’t even have the balls to even imagine Taeyong ever looking in his direction twice. He knows well enough this is not a movie. Then he draws a playful smirk across his face. “Guess what, that very attractive looking man does have a feeling for you.” The look he gives Taeyong is asking whether he can hold the hand that’s resting across the table. When the latter gives a slight nod, he holds it firm in his hand. “So, what now?”
“Whatever that two people who like each other do, I guess,” Taeyong replies nonchalantly before grinning. “If you ask me, I’d like to be slightly more than friends for now. We’ll take it slowly from here, can we?”
Baekhyun breaks into the biggest grin he ever draws on his face. “Like I said, there’s no pressure. I’m alright with slightly more than friends,” he lets out a small laugh. “For now.” He runs his thumb across the back of Taeyong’s palm. “But can I send you home later?”
“Ever the gentleman, eh?” Taeyong jokes and Baekhyun laughs. “Yes, please.”