When Yixing gets to the house, he is greeted by Kyungsoo’s fifteen-year-old brother Sehun sprawled on the couch, blanket pulled up to his chin, apparently hiding from something or someone. The tv is in the news channel but the sound is muted. Yixing frowns but doesn’t say a word and just walks past the living room right upstairs to get Kyungsoo so they can go trick or treating. He wonders why isn’t Sehun the one taking Kyungsoo trick or treating instead of Yixing. Maybe he is sick, Yixing tells himself, shrugging. 

The boys’ parents had called Yixing only two hours ago, apologizing for the whole thing being such short notice, but they had a meeting to attend to and could he please watch little Kyungsoo for the night and take him trick or treating? They would pay him double the usual amount. Yixing said yes, promptly. Not only because of the money, but because he had nowhere else to be on this particular Halloween night. His friends had invited him to a so-called party but Yixing knew it would consist of them getting drunk and possibly vomiting on him at midnight so he said no, thanks.

“Hi, Soo. Are you ready to go?” Yixing asks, peeking inside Kyungsoo’s room. The seven-year-old is finishing tying up his sneakers and Yixing has to hold back a giggle because he looks utterly cute in his wizard costume. 

“Xing hyung!” The boy looks up, wide doe eyes forming crescents when he sees Yixing and runs to give him a hug. “I’m just about. I just gotta get my candy bag downstairs, ok?”

“Sure! Let’s go!” Yixing ruffles the boy’s head before he runs ahead and down the stairs.

Yixing follows Kyungsoo into the living room, saying hi to Sehun who responds with a grunt, not even looking away from the phone in his hand.

“I’m ready to go now!” Kyungsoo announces, excitedly, grocery bag in one hand and magic wand in the other.

“You know, you could just use your dumb wizard hat to put the candy in,” Sehun says, straightening up on the couch a bit when he finally gazes up and sees Yixing standing there. He clears his throat awkwardly and Yixing thinks that’s interestingly new. 

“I need my wizard hat on top of my head to complete my wizard look, but thanks for your insight,” Kyungsoo replies, dismissing Sehun with an eye-roll and a wave of his wand.

Yixing can’t help but giggle at Sehun’s shocked expression, even if it only lasts a few seconds and then he is back at looking unbothered and nonchalant as usual.

Not that Yixing has been observing Sehun at school or anything, to know how he usually looks. Yes, he is Sehun’s senior and yes, they have dance practice together every friday but they mostly stick to the usual pleasantries like “good morning” and “goodbye, see you next week”. To Yixing’s defense, Sehun is just hard to not notice. Despite being fifteen, the boy is already taller than half the school’s basketball team, broad shoulders and a slim torso. Not only that, but Sehun is quite handsome and popular among the girls in school, so there’s always a little pack of them following him around and giggling at everything he says and fangirling at everything he does.

Alright, maybe Yixing does pay more than a little bit of attention to Sehun, but he won’t admit that, not even to himself.

When Kyungsoo and him are finally out of the house and walking around the neighborhood, looking for decorated houses they’re sure hold the best candy, Yixing’s curiosity piques again.

“Why isn’t Sehun taking you trick or treating, instead of me?” Yixing tries to sound like he is just making light conversation, because he knows for a fact Kyungsoo is very smart for his age, and he can probably read Yixing’s mind by just hearing the tone of his voice.

“I don’t know, he just never does,” Kyungsoo shrugs. “It’s always mom or dad who take me, but hyung always stays home or goes to a friend’s house. I guess he just doesn’t like Halloween very much.”

“I see.” Yixing nods and then Kyungsoo grabs his hand and starts dragging him towards a front porch stacked with carved pumpkins and fake spider webs.

“Trick or treat!” Kyungsoo shouts excitedly and Sehun is pushed out of Yixing’s thoughts by the prospect of free candy.

The night goes by smoothly, and they spend a little over an hour going around the neighborhood, knocking on houses and chatting with Kyungsoo’s friends whom they meet along the way. It’s almost ten when they get home, tired but satisfied. Kyungsoo’s bag is full of candy and he did follow Sehun’s advice, after all, and used his hat to collect more candy when his bag was already too full. 

“You can have all the candy in my hat, hyung.” Kyungsoo hands Yixing his hat, a cute smile on his face.

“Thank you, Soo, but that’s too much, really. You should give some to Sehun.” Yixing tries to return the hat to Kyungsoo, but he is already making his way up the stairs.

“You can give him the candy yourself,” Kyungsoo replies, smiling up at Yixing in a knowing manner before running upstairs.

Yixing just stands there, looking like he got caught red-handed doing something really embarrassing. He can feel his cheeks heat up but collects himself quickly before entering the living room carefully in case Sehun is sleeping. 

The tv is still on, this time showing some cartoon Yixing doesn’t recognize since he spent his childhood in China and only moved to Korea when he was too old to be interested in cartoons. Yixing sees Sehun, before the latter sees him, still wrapped up in a blanket but this time he is sitting on the far end of the couch with his knees drawn up to his chest, eyes fixed on the TV. 

Yixing takes a few more steps towards the couch when Sehun looks at him, surprise washing over his handsome features. Quickly, he untangles himself from the blankets, and sits properly, clearing his throat awkwardly exactly the way he did earlier.

“You okay?” Yixing asks out of instinct because Sehun looks a bit pale and , like he is sick or worried or, maybe, scared? 

He knows it’s none of his business but Yixing can’t help but be concerned. It’s not only that he knows these boys  since he moved to Korea but Sehun is younger than him and Yixing is his senior, so it feels like his duty to offer his help if it’s required. 

“Yeah, I mean, why wouldn’t I be?” Sehun laughs awkwardly, avoiding Yixing’s eyes the whole time.

“I don’t know. You seem… off?” Yixing tries not to sound too intrusive, opting to sit on the opposite end of the couch, to give Sehun his space.

“I’m fine, hyung. Thanks for asking,” Sehun sends Yixing a little smile, that is anything but convincing but Yixing decides it’s better not to push the subject.

“Do you want some candy?” Yixing asks, with the hat full of candy in his hands but Sehun simply shakes his head and turns his attention back to the screen.

The cartoon playing is not very interesting but Yixing ends up paying attention to it, anyways, since Sehun doesn’t say another word. The younger checks his phone once in a while, seeming fidgety, sometimes staring in the direction of the windows expectantly. 

At some point, after what felt to Yixing like an hour, they hear a loud thump coming from upstairs and Sehun literally jumps from his seat and in a fraction of second he is sitting so close to Yixing he might as well be sitting on his lap. Sehun’s hand grabs Yixing’s arm before he can react, pinning him to place, completely caught off guard and confused.

“What the hell was that?” Sehun asks sounding frightened; his grip on Yixing’s arm tightening. 

“I don’t kn-”

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Glued to Yixing’s side, Sehun whimpers loudly. 

“I should go check with Kyungsoo upstairs. He is probably the one making the noise,” Yixing says, soothingly and places his hand on top of Sehun’s.

“No! Don’t leave me alone! I don’t wanna die,” Sehun practically pleads, eyes teary. 

Yixing wants to laugh but he thinks that would be cruel given the state of the younger boy, so he puts on his best everything-is-gonna-be-fine face (the one he uses for when he needs to convince the kids he is babysitting that there are no monsters hidden under the bed), and says:

“You’re not gonna die, Sehun. Do you wanna come with me upstairs, so we can check on your brother? This way you won’t be alone down here.”

Sehun seems to feel a bit relieved at that, even if the thumping sound still hasn’t stopped, but his hand is still grabbing Yixing’s arm when they both get up and start heading out of the living room and upstairs and all the way across the corridor. Sehun is clinging to him for dear life, and Yixing thinks that’s both adorable and incredibly funny. He also can’t ignore the fact that Sehun is slightly taller than him. Not much but enough for Yixing to feel very self-conscious about that. In a few years, the younger would surpass him in height and that was a thought that made Yixing feel weird things. Not bad weird, though.

“Kyungsoo, are you there?” Yixing calls, when he reaches Kyungsoo’s bedroom door, which is only half closed. That’s where the thumping sound is coming from, so Yixing is kind of relieved but Sehun is still shaking and clinging to him, so he might be the only one.

“Yes, hyung.” Kyungsoo answers from inside and that’s Yixing’s cue to open the door. He hears Sehun muttering what sounds like “oh my god please don’t be a ghost”, before Kyungsoo is in their line of sight, sitting on his bed with a tennis racket on his hand and a tennis ball on the other.

“Is everything okay?” Yixing asks when Kyungsoo shoots him a confused look. Probably due to the fact that his older brother is latched onto Yixing like a koala bear. A very scared koala bear.

“Yes. Why?” Kyungsoo’s raises his eyebrows at them and, suddenly, Sehun lets go of Yixing’s arms, distancing himself from the latter by a few steps.

“You gave us a scare! Don’t go making weird noises at this hour.”  Sehun says, looking flustered.

Yixing wants to protest that he wasn’t scared at all but he keeps quiet, still feeling a bit worried about the Sehun's state of mind.

“Yixing-hyung doesn’t seem scared.”

“I was just worried, Soo. Besides, it’s probably time for bed. Your parents should be home soon. I will wait for them to get home so I can leave, as usual, but you need to sleep, young man.” Kyungsoo pouts at the words but sighs and complies, getting up from the bed so Yixing can help him with the covers and pillows.

“Thank you, Xing hyung,” Kyungsoo says once he is settled in bed, in his comfy pororo pyjamas.

“You’re too grown up for me to ask if you want bedtime stories and such, so I’ll just go so you can sleep.” Yixing smiles at Kyungsoo, who nods and then he turns to Sehun who is by the door watching them with a soft, amused expression. 

“This is a first tonight,” Yixing says, making his way towards Sehun whose expression immediately changes.

“A first what?” Sehun looks down at his feet awkwardly.

“You looked pretty on edge the whole night, but you seem better now.”

They walk out of Kyungsoo’s room, Yixing making sure he leaves the door half-open behind him. 

“Yeah, I guess,” Sehun shrugs and then stops in front of his own bedroom. Yixing stops too, looking at Sehun, waiting for him to say something else but when he doesn’t he decides maybe it’s time to say goodnight.

“I’ll go wait for your parents downstairs, okay?” 

Sehun looks at Yixing like he wants to say something but can’t find the words or the courage to. Yixing is very good at reading people, but he doesn’t know what to do in this particular situation, so he decides to take a chance.

“Do you want me to stay with you?” Yixing nods in the direction of Sehun’s bedroom.

Sehun’s cheeks are clearly reddening even if the light on the corridor is not very good for Yixing to see. Yixing’s heart leaps. 

“I do if that’s not too weird. I would like some company but I don’t want to go back downstairs,” the words are rushed but Sehun isn’t avoiding Yixing’s gaze anymore which is progress.

“It’s not weird at all,” Yixing shakes his head, smiling softly at the younger.

“Good,” Sehun seems relieved at the words. 

They enter Sehun’s bedroom, and it’s very much like Kyungsoo’s minor the toys but it’s the same sky blue walls and the same arrangement of furniture. Sehun also has some posters on the walls and a few shelves with comic books on them. Sehun is surprisingly tidy. Yixing really expected him to be as messy as his friends were - as he, himself, was sometimes. 

“Nice room,” Yixing says, sitting on the chair by the desk as Sehun throws himself on the twin bed. 

“Thanks, I decorated it myself,” Sehun replies with a smirk and Yixing laughs lightly.

“It’s so weird how we never really talked in school. We even take dance classes together and stuff,” Yixing starts wanting to make conversation but also genuinely wanting to know more about Sehun.

“That’s true.” Sehun simply nods. He seems to be getting tense again, which is something Yixing does not want to happen.

“Are you usually this quiet?”

Sehun seems to be taken aback but the sudden question, eyebrows knitting together as he seems to think about what to answer.

“Sorry…” Yixing starts but Sehun shakes his head.

“Nah, it’s fine.” A small smile. “I am not the most extroverted person in the world but tonight... is a rough night for me.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. Did something happen?” Yixing asks. 

“Not exactly.” The younger is playing with the hem of his shirt, staring at a spot on the floor, but he keeps talking after a brief pause. “If I tell you what is is, you’ll laugh at me.”

“I won’t!” Yixing replies hurriedly. “Pinky promise.”

Sehun smiles, amused, closing his eyes. The boy takes a deep breath, and Yixing holds his breath too, instinctively. Whatever it is, Sehun is willing to trust in him enough to tell him, and that feels super important to Yixing at the moment. When Sehun finally starts to talk, his voice is low and unsteady:

“Since I was a little kid… I have been… How do I put this simply…” He bites his lips and looks up at Yixing. “ing terrified of Halloween.”

“Oh.” Yixing lets out, before he can catch himself.

“Yeah, I know it’s dumb and pathetic and I’m fifteen and I should get over it but I can’t. It’s just an irrational fear I can’t get over. That’s why I can’t take Kyungsoo trick or treating and my parents had to call you to do it for me.”

“That’s why you were wrapped up in your blanket all night?” Yixing asks, carefully not to sound judgmental which he isn’t. He just wants to understand.

“Yes, that’s why. I’ve been hiding inside the house all day, actually,” Sehun smiles bitterly, drawing his knees to his chin in a self protecting way.

“Everyone has fears so you shouldn’t be so embarrassed about it,” Yixing says trying to ignore how utterly cute Sehun looks right now and how much he wants to hug the younger boy.

“You don’t have to be nice. It’s like the dumbest fear ever and I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about it.” Sehun shoots him a very serious look.

Yixing assures him he won’t tell anyone about it and Sehun thanks him, then they fall into an uncomfortable silence. A few minutes later, Sehun’s phone vibrates. The boy checks it and it’s a text from his parents telling him they will be late because of traffic so he can send Yixing home.

“Guess you’ll have to go then, before it gets late.” The disappointment in Sehun’s voice makes Yixing’s heart both flutter and tighten.

“Unless you want me to stay,” Yixing says and a smile lights up Sehun’s entire face.

“You must think I’m such a weirdo but if it’s not a problem… I feel surprisingly calmer with you here.” That sounds so much like a confession Yixing feels a warmth spread to his cheeks and he is glad Sehun’s room has only a bedside lamp on.

“I don’t think you’re a weirdo and yes, I tend to have that effect on people.” 

Sehun snorts but smiles shyly at Yixing’s response. Then, he scoots to the side and pats the bed motioning Yixing to sit by his side. Oh, wow. That’s moving fast, Yixing thinks but stands up and makes his way to the bed anyways. He sits by Sehun’s side, stretching his short legs in front of him and silently comparing them with Sehun’s much longer legs.

“You’re gonna get really tall,” Yixing comments, absentmindedly. 

“Yeah, that’s what the doctor told me. He said I’ll probably be over 190 centimeters which means I can be a successful basketball player.” Sehun’s knee bump into Yixing’s and it’s like an electric current passes through his whole body. It feels nice.

“Did he say that? The basketball player part?” 

“Yes. I didn’t tell him I want to be a professional dancer,” Sehun smirks and Yixing returns it with a smile of his own.

“Oh you have…” Sehun starts saying and then his index finger is dangerously close to Yixing’s face. 

For a moment, Yixing is confused but then realization dawns.

“I know, it’s very charming,” he says smugly. 

“May I touch it?” Sehun asks and Yixing cackles because for someone who is scared of a harmless holiday Sehun is acting pretty courageous right now. He would tell him that, but he really wants Sehun to touch him, even if it’s a poke on his dimpled cheek.

“Yes, you may  but be careful, that’s my most prized feature.“

Sehun nods frantically, and reaches with his finger until it brushes lightly against Yixing’s cheek. The touch is gentle and barely there, but it still makes heat spread through all places in Yixing’s body. He really didn’t think that his dimple would be a soft spot for him, but again, no one ever asked him to touch his dimple before. 

After a too brief moment Sehun’s touch his gone and Yixing feels like the blood is returning to his brain again. 

“So do you want to watch a horror movie?” Yixing asks teasingly, earning a terrified look from the other, in return. 

“I’m just kidding, Sehun!”

“Don’t joke like this or you’ll have to hold my hand while I sleep.”

And Yixing has half a mind to tell Sehun he would gladly do it, but he bites his tongue. 

It’s not long before they both fall asleep, Sehun’s head resting on Yixing’s shoulder, their legs tangled and the tips of Yixing’s fingers resting against Sehun’s wrist like a promise. The next morning, Sehun wakes up alone in his bed, to Kyungsoo’s wizard hat still half filled with candy by his feet and a warm feeling in his chest. Maybe he doesn’t hate Halloween that much, anymore.