Baekhyun sighed as he trotted down the stairs to where their House Leader (really just a senior student to keep them in line) was calling them for the start of year game. Having been in this position already for three years past, Baekhyun knew by now it was only a really long game of hide and seek. Long because in the whole of Fortuna School for Boys, there were only four houses, inclusive of all grades, and only one seeker. That one seeker being the House Leader. Meaning after all the new students who didn’t know their way around yet were found, the game slowed to a crawl. Thank god hiding was limited to the house only, otherwise some stubborn kid would probably hide half the year (in all honesty that would be Baekhyun.) He scanned the room, observing who was already there. Mostly a lot of grade eleven and twelve students, who were so used to moving in by now that the hardest part was finding their dorm on the next floor up. Baekhyun was just the sorta ‘throw it all in your suitcase then throw it in your drawers equally messy’ kinda person. Needless to say, it made unpacking quite easy.

 

Baekhyun occupied his hands by messing with the strings on his hoodie, pulling them all the way out on one side, then all the way out on the other, back and forth as the room filled with people. He only looked up when the House Leader started speaking, finally reentering reality and leaving one hoodie string twice the length of the other. He scanned the room again, listening only halfheartedly to the rules, waiting for them to be released so he could go off to the hiding space he’d found his first year at Fortuna, which had landed him in the winning ten (which was the number of people it came down to before they gave up, having spent ages hunting students down.) He had used the same spot every year since, and planned to for as long as he wasn’t found.

 

As soon as they were allowed to leave, Baekhyun made a beeline for the staircase, grunting as he was both pushed and pushing through the gaggle of students. Finally, he broke through the crowd, which had gradually dispersed over the first two levels, until eventually, only a handful of students wandered the upper levels. He headed all the way up the stairs to the top level, where all the twelfth-grade students stayed. There were even fewer people here, probably due to the fact that for whatever reason the top floor seemed untouchable to the younger students. Little seventh grade Baekhyun wasn’t daunted by this, however, marching right up there to explore for the best spot.

 

He had found it too, in a utility closet about halfway down the hall. It was a fairly deep closet, despite its appearance. Upon opening it there was a large tub about a third of Baekhyun’s height at the very entrance, filled with random sports balls, nets, and various other physical education things. Past that, aside from a broom and mop, there was plenty of space under the shelves for Baekhyun to fit comfortably.

 

Opening the closet this time, however, he nearly himself in surprise, a strangled yelp coming from his throat. A doe-eyed looking boy, who couldn’t possibly be older than Baekhyun, but had something about him suggesting he wasn’t younger, stared up at him like a deer in headlights. He whispered apologies as Baekhyun covered his eyes, taking a second to comprehend what had just happened. He wanted to be mad, but something about not only the situation as a whole but the petrified look on the poor boy’s face made laughter bubble in Baekhyun’s throat.

 

“I’m so sorry!” the boy says in hushed tones, still wide eyed and now also confused. The expression was altogether somewhat adorable, and Baekhyun wasn’t quite sure what to do with that thought.

 

“It’s okay,” he said, suppressing giggles, “it’s just this was my spot the last three years I was here and I never expected someone else to find it.”

 

“Oh! I-I’m sorry” the other replied, stumbling over his words, “I…I can move.” he stuttered, struggling to stand. “Wait! What if someone sees me while I’m finding a new spot?”

 

Baekhyun found himself having to fight off another round of giggles at this, the poor kid seemed to take the whole thing so seriously. I mean, year kickoff hide-and-seek for christ’s sake. The idea of finding a new space, especially with all this time wasted, was wholly unappealing to Baekhyun, but he didn’t wanna kick bambi out in the cold streets. Plus, he was too entertained by this situation to so easily give it up.

 

“Okay, scoot over.” He said, quickly making his decision.

 

“W-what?!” was the very distressed exclamation he got in reply, but Baekhyun didn’t really wait for his comprehension, stepping carefully over the bucket and plopping himself down on the ground. He shut the door behind him and enveloped them in darkness, the only light from the crack between door and floor blocked mostly by the bucket in front of them.

 

“This is nice and cozy,” he giggled, “I'm Baekhyun, you?”

 

“Chanyeol…?” Came the reply after a seconds pause, bewilderment clear in his tone.

 

Now being actually in the closet with the boy- Chanyeol, Baekhyun wondered how in the hell he ever sat comfortably in the first place. He had long, gangly legs, and fairly long arms as well. God, standing he must be so tall. Baekhyun shifted around, trying to find a comfortable position, and Chanyeol took a cue from him and did the same. They ended up kind of cross-legged, with their legs entwined in the others, and their faces actually much closer than Baekhyun might have thought.

 

“You know, one of us leaving was probably easier than that.” Chanyeol said in a hushed voice, slightly breathless from the effort they’d put into moving.

 

“Yes, well, you see I figured since this is the spot that won me three years in a row, there’s no way I’m leaving. But I’m not so coldhearted as to kick strays,” Chanyeol gave something of a wimpy scoff in reply and Baekhyun grinned, “so, this is what it’s come to.”

 

There was silence for a second as Chanyeol either marveled in Baekhyun’s exceptional logic or wondered how he got into this situation with such a dork. With a few minutes now passed, Baekhyun’s eyes had adjusted to see Chanyeol’s outline and vague shadows of features. He remembered something he’d found last year and reached up, searching the shelf with his hand and praying it was still there.

 

Yes! He pulled down the flashlight, then like an idiot, dropped it. Smooth. Instead of hearing the clunk of the flashlight hitting the floor or catching the stupid thing, Baekhyun caught a pair of hands with long fingers. The other boy giggled nervously and carefully pulled his hands away, leaving the flashlight in Baek’s possession. He quickly flicked it on, filling the closet with a weak but sufficient beam of light. The light momentarily shone in Chanyeol’s eyes, causing him to cover his face, and Baekhyun hurriedly apologized and instead stood it upright on the floor.

 

“Have you been here before? You don’t seem that young but I haven’t really seen you around.” Baekhyun asked, carefully keeping his tone soft now that he could hear sounds of the game starting.

 

“Oh, this is my second year here. I was in a different house last year though, god knows why they moved me.” Oh, thank god. Baekhyun worried he had known the kid and forgotten.

 

“So… you’re an eighth grader?” Baekhyun asked doubtfully

 

“No,” Chanyeol chuckled, “I’m probably the same age as you. I spent seventh and eighth grade at a different school.” Baekhyun nodded his understanding, trying to think of something to keep him talking. He liked Chanyeol, the way he talked especially. His voice was quite deep, but it still had a kind of softness and flow that pulled Baekhyun into his words, and he would probably listen to Chanyeol reciting a chemistry textbook.

 

“How old are you? And why did you switch?” He asks, almost starting his second question before finishing his first when he realized what a lame question it was.

 

“Sixteen.” Chanyeol smiled a little, “And I moved because this school was my first choice, but I didn’t get a scholarship in seventh grade. Then last year they call and say one of their scholars dropped out and I was free to pick up the rest of their tuition if I wanted, so.. I did.” He finished somewhat awkwardly, as if unsure of how to actually end his story.

 

Baekhyun grinned at him, twirling his hoodie string absentmindedly as he tried to think of other questions he’d want to ask a random cute stranger if they were stuck with him for an indefinite period of time. Not that he kept a list on him, but he wouldn’t deny the scenario came to him. He realized his mind had drifted into ignore reality mode when Chanyeol tsked a little, making him jump.

 

“Sorry,” the boy giggled, “but, uh, are you just gonna leave your strings like that? ‘Cause it’s kinda making me twitch.” He laughed, covering his mouth to muffle the sound. Baekhyun looked down quickly at the strings of his hoodie, furrowing his brow in confusion.

 

“What’s wrong with them?” He asked, matching his look of confusion with Chanyeol’s look of incredulity.

 

“May I?” he asked, reaching towards Baekhyun, who allowed Chanyeol to grab his hoodie strings. He pulled them even to each other, then leaned further to loosen the hood behind Baekhyun’s head.

 

He tried to act as if he wasn't totally thrown by the sudden closeness of this boy as he checked the hoodie strings again to make sure they were even, but honestly Baekhyun didn't really know how straight guys act. How does one ‘no homo’ their way through playing it cool? This whole closet thing might be an issue.

 

With that thought Baekhyun nearly burst into giggles, covering his mouth as his shoulders shook with laughter. He was stuck in a literal closet with a cute boy.

 

“You're so… odd.” Chanyeol remarked with a hint of humor to his tone, looking at Baekhyun hunched in laughter with concern, “...are you okay?”

 

Baekhyun waved his hand frantically, shaking his head as he tried to get his laughter under control. He wasn't sure whether the boy would find or be okay with the humor Baekhyun found in the situation. He didn't wanna know just yet. For now he simply focused on calming his breathing and residual giggles.

 

“Are you a very neat person?” Baekhyun asked once he'd calmed down, in reference to Chanyeol’s impulsive fix of his hoodie.

 

“Usually.” He replied, “I never really considered it odd, but I guess some people find it obsessive at times. It is… kind of annoying,” he looked down a little and giving an awkward chuckle, “I blame it on being perfectionistic. But even small things, like the volume on a radio can only be a perfect ten or five, so for example twenty and twenty five is okay, but not twenty three. Annoys the hell out of my family...” he shifted a little, “We've talked about me a lot. What about you?” he seemed eager to get the attention off of him.

 

“Oh, me? Well for one, I should probably tell you I am possibly the messiest person you'll ever meet. Unfolded clothes drawers, loose papers in my bag, all of it.” Chanyeol almost visibly cringed, and Baekhyun bit his lip to keep from laughing again. Everything about the boy intrigued him, and it was amusing to watch his reactions. “Other than that… I'm not very interesting, but I'll tell you whatever you want to know.”

 

“Okay…” Chanyeol paused for a moment, thinking of a question, or maybe deciding which to ask first, “you’re in tenth grade too, right? Are you sixteen?” he asked to start, looking at Baekhyun, who nodded and rested his head against the wall. “What’s your favorite subject? Wait.. no, that’s as lame as ‘do you like the weather’,” Chanyeol mocked himself almost silently, and it occurred to Baekhyun that, were they anywhere other than a tiny storage closet, he might have missed that. But he heard it as easily as he heard his own heartbeat skip watching the other boy get flustered at the idea he had asked a dumb question. It was such a simple little thing, and Baekhyun was very aware how pathetic it was that after maybe, maybe twenty minutes with this kid he already had a teeny little crush, but it really wasn’t his fault. If anything, damn Chanyeol for being the adorable geeky type.

 

“Music is my favorite,” Baekhyun answered, perking up at the subject, “I play piano, but mostly I prefer singing.” He observed Chanyeol’s reaction, the other boy’s face now animated in excitement.

 

“I like music too!” He exclaimed in a hushed whisper, listing off all his musical talents. Baekhyun didn’t even try to hide the awe in his expression, staring in silent wonder. “What?” Chanyeol chuckled and fidgeted self-consciously.

 

“You’re freaking incredible is what! Why aren’t you at some fancy arts school?” Chanyeol immediately relaxed at the reassurance, shrugging a little.

 

“My parents don’t really like the idea. They’d prefer I do something practical,” He explained, rolling his eyes a little by the end.

 

Baekhyun nodded his understanding, the answer not deviating from what he’d expected. His own parents, while not opposed to his music dreams, wanted him to have a complete and well-rounded education beforehand. They had promised, though, that they would pay for private tutoring with the music teacher at Fortuna if Baekhyun’s grades stayed above a B.

 

Baekhyun shook his head and refocused on Chanyeol, who was watching him with concern while Baekhyun probably stared at a wall.

 

“Sorry,” Baekhyun apologized sheepishly, “I get really spacey, I don’t mean to. If I do it feel free to just slap me.”

 

Chanyeol shook his head, his worried expression unchanging, “Have you been sleeping okay? It might help…”

 

Baekhyun blinked, taken aback by Chanyeol’s concern. It wasn’t that he wasn’t used to people caring about him, he just hadn’t expected it from a boy he barely knew.

 

He shrugged in reply to Chanyeol’s question, unwilling to admit he got at most three hours of sleep. He didn’t want to worry Chanyeol further, plus there was no real explanation why Baekhyun lost so much sleep in the first place.

 

Chanyeol seemed to take the hint, going back to their earlier subject, “I don’t wanna raise my kids like I was raised,” he said thoughtfully, “I’ll support whatever it is they want one hundred percent, no matter what I think.”

 

“I wouldn’t want to pull them out of some adoption center into a family that smothers their dreams in the name of making them like their parents,” Baekhyun cringed at the thought.

 

“You want to adopt?” Chanyeol asked. It wasn’t the question itself that immediately peaked Baekhyun’s anxiety, rather the tone it was said with. It was like Chanyeol had a question underneath the one he asked that for whatever reason he held back.

 

He bit the inside of his cheek and nodded, waiting for Chanyeol’s response. He knew it was strange to many people that Baekhyun already knew he wanted to adopt. It was usually regarded by many as a last resort for couples who couldn’t have a child that was biologically theirs. Honestly Baekhyun never understood the notion that biological children were the preferable or superior option, he’d always thought he’d rather adopt kids just to help them find a better home, regardless of the fact he was gay.

 

“I do too!” Chanyeol said enthusiastically, beginning to ramble quickly, “Sorry if I sounded like I was gonna be really judgmental, I guess I just don’t find a lot of people who want to so I wanted to be sure. I love kids though, I babysat for my neighbors at home and it was so fun. They had twin boys, Seo Eon and Seo Jun, they were so cute. They were about two at the time, so it was basically like a giant playdate… oh, I’m rambling, sorry. Anyway, I’d probably want a boy, like them. I don’t know if I could handle twins full time, but I think I maybe could. What would you want?” he finished his long ramble a bit breathlessly, his face still animated.

 

Baekhyun relaxed the more Chanyeol talked, and his growing affection for the boy may or may not have tripled with the fact he’s good with kids.

 

“I could see myself having a girl, I’d probably spoil the out of her,” he giggled, “but I wouldn’t mind having a boy either.”

 

In the moment of silence they heard the sound of footsteps, once distant, get louder and closer. They both stared at each other wide-eyed for a second, almost having forgotten where they were. Chanyeol smartly turned the flashlight off and they sat in complete silence, listening as the footsteps got closer, paused, then kept going. A door opened close by and they both jumped at the following scream as a student was found.

 

The footsteps passed again, accompanied by a grumbling student headed back for the common area where all the other found students were. Chanyeol hesitantly turned the flashlight back on and met Baekhyun’s eyes, a stupid grin on his face. That caused Baekhyun to smile too, which quickly turned into repressed laughs, their shoulders shaking and tears forming in their eyes.

 

When Chanyeol gasped for breath, an abrupt, loud laugh slipped out. He slapped his hand over his mouth comically, prompting Baekhyun to laugh harder until he was wheezing for breath. The door swung open, spilling light over both boys, who looked up at their house leader. They probably looked deranged, and he gave them an odd look.

 

“I don’t think you guys know how hide and seek works.”