Baekhyun wakes up from yet another hangover. His head feels like caving in his skull. As he sits up with a groan, he takes one moment to focus on something... but he feels utterly disgusted with himself. His shirt is sticking to his body probably because of his profuse sweating last night.  His arms were covered with multiple bruises probably done by someone he met at the bar last night. Damn that guy was strong if he left pinkish imprints on his skin that still won't fade. Also, his pants smelled a mixture of beer and negligence. So much for you only live once.

But it was worse than he thought. When Baekhyun thought he coudn't' have outdone himself, he felt his bed shift as he hears a mumble from beneath the blanket. Realization strikes, someone’s with him. Although he felt no oain don=wn there. That must mean they didn't have . Probably done everything else but is also a possibility. His blurry memory tells him he gave this guy a in return he received an awful long time of . He faces the lump and pokes it thorught the cover. He receives a grunt in reply and confirmation that there was indeed another smelly body beside him. He brought someone home. As Baekhyun rolls over on his stomach he caught a glimpse of an arm with a gauze pad peeling off and showing a tattoo. The rest of the person is covered in his duvet.

Oh great.

He brought home a drunk freshly-tattooed idiot.

Wait a minute.

This guy is the only one who got a tattoo between them right?

Baekhyun sits up again in panic, ignores his screaming head and dashes into the bathroom.

He checks himself for new ink markings. Aside from the bite marks on his neck where the stranger left him, there was nothing visible. Baekhyun is praying brashly that there weren’t anything on his body that will make him regret. As he starts promising that he will not drink again, he catches an inscription on his forearm. He removes his sweatshirt and stares at the writing. He couldn’t understand it. It's in a different language. Baekhyun tries to recognize it and his mind narrows it down to Latin.

What the actual ?

 --

After changing, Baekhyun doesn’t bother to wake up the guy sleeping on his bed and acts as if he's the only one on his apartment. He makes himself breakfast. He hesitates for a second before deciding to leave some coffee in the coffee pot. He pats himself on the back for still having a small amount of care in him.

The sun leaks from a window that was left open. The cold, stingy morning air seeps in and the smell of early morning cement wafted inside Baekhyun’s apartment.

Baekhyun scrunches up his nose but doesn’t bother with it.

There was a moment of recognition in Baekhyun’s mind. Someone he knows hated waking up early especially on weekends. He’d rather curl up in bed but that would not content him. He’d convince Baekhyun to do the same.

Baekhyun admits that he’s a push-over sometimes but then his recollection of memories told him he never said no to any of that person’s suggestions.

Settling for cereal and toast, Baekhyun stirs his coffee distractedly. His body aching, still sensitive from the pain of last night. The tattoo which he has now wrapped again with a clean make-shift dressing is snug against his skin.

His head’s still reeling in information from last night but his mind draw sblank. He does remember going to a bar with his friends but after sitting down.

Nothing.

He takes out of his phone and sees a staggering seventeen missed calls. A combination of effort from Kyungsoo, Luhan, Jongdae, and… him?

What the did he want?

He reads every single text message next. A total of twenty-five unread messages.

Baekhyun’s nerves rouse to another height. Now he’s really worried.

The first few texts were asking him where he went. Then it moved on to the three of them going home without him. That was around 11 p.m.

Around 2 a.m., there was a text again asking him where he was. Then the last few messages were from early this morning asking if he was okay and did he get home safely.

Baekhyun dials Kyungsoo’s number immediately.

“Hey, Baek. Are you at home?” A calm voice said from the other line.

“Yeah. I’m okay. I’m sorry if I worried you guys.” Baekhyun stretches his back and shifts on his seat.

“That’s alright as long as you’re okay now. Have you taken an aspirin yet?” There's a movement from the other side.

“Oh right I forgot. Hey Soo… What happened last night?” Baekhyun drinks down a pain-killer with his coffee. He glances at the fridge's door. There's a note attached to it. 'Remember to buy a bread today.' It's dated yesterday.

“… Baek, I gotta go someone’s at the door.”

“But Kyungso-” Kyungsoo quickly cut off the line.

Baekhyun sighs then presses the call icon besides Jongdae’s name.

“Hey Baekhyun? Did you get home?” Jongdae’s laugh vibrated against his ear.

“Yeah and tell Luhan I’m okay.” Jongdae and Luhan are sharing an apartment together somewhere downtown while Baekhyun and Kyungsoo live in the same building. “Hey what happened last night?”

There was a pause from the other line.

“Hello. Jongdae, you still there?”  Baekhyun massages his temple.

“Uh yeah. I’ll tell you later...maybe... The fridge’s broken I have to call someone to fix it.” Jongdae mutters distractedly before hanging up.

“Why isn’t anyone telling me what happened last night?” With another heavy sigh, Baekhyun calls Luhan.

His last card.

“Hey Luhan. It’s me Baek?”

“Oh hey! Did you get home? Are you alright?”

“Yes and yes.” Baekhyun squirms in his seat and dives into the question. “Luhan, what happened last night? I got a bunch of missed calls and texts form you guys.”

Luhan yawns audibly before answering. “Nothing happened last night. You got tanked  and went home. So yeah.. I gotta go my phone’s dying. Need to cha-“

 Then there was a beeping sound.

“Argh! What the happened last night?!” Baekhyun screams a little too loudly, not minding that there is another person in his apartment.

Then Baekhyun hears a shuffling coming from his room.

A tall, lanky man with hair the color of salt and pepper walks out from his room. Baekhyun caught a glimpse before turning back to face his breakfast. He clears his throat and points at the pot of coffee. “Coffee’s over there.”

“Thanks.”

Baekhyun freezes on his seat as the low timbre of the guy’s voice fills the apartment with sudden memories.

That same voice, on that same face.

Time felt slower. Baekhyun’s heart pumped faster. The apartment felt like it was closing in on his lu