The credit for this wonderful idea (of baking cookies at midnight) goes to young_grasshopper. Thank you! <3

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Yixing started awake. He had been on the verge of dozing off but all of a sudden, he felt a falling sensation. His stomach dropped and he jolted awake. He looked up at the ceiling in confusion. The room was dark. Something was off.

Then it struck him. The other side of the bed was cold. Baekhyun's familiar body wasn't lying next to him. They'd been sleeping together for almost a week now and Yixing had to admit he'd gotten used to it and looked forward to their shared nights together.

Where was he?

All sorts of thoughts drifted through Yixing's mind. Maybe Baekhyun had decided he didn't like to sleeping next to him? Maybe he thought Yixing didn't want him? Anxiety filled the older man's stomach.

After a couple minutes, it became evident that Yixing wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep anytime soon. He decided to get up. He threw on a sweater over his boxers and ventured out into the hallway.

There was light and faint clattering coming from the kitchen. Someone else was awake.

Yixing padded down the hall to the kitchen and came across a sight that brought a smile to his lips.

Baekhyun's back was to him.  His hair was tousled and sticking up in every direction possible. He was wearing one of Yixing's sweaters that was slightly too big on his smaller frame. He looked so warm like this. So soft. He looked like… home . Yixing knew that in Baekhyun's arms, he would always be welcome. That was one thing that he was absolutely certain of.

He snuck up behind the younger boy. He got right behind him and pounced forward to grab him by the waist in a back hug.

Startled, Baekhyun jumped in his arms and let out a squeal that was muffled by Yixing's hand over his mouth. The older man had expected that.

Removing his hand, Yixing leaned in and whispered in his ear, "What are you doing Baekhyun?"

"You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Yixing just chuckled softly and nuzzled his cheek against the younger boy's and pulled him in closer.

Baekhyun sighed dramatically and even though Yixing couldn't see his face, he was pretty sure he had rolled his eyes too but had a grudging smile on nevertheless.

"If you must know, I'm baking cookies," Baekhyun said.

"Baking cookies? At this time of night?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"When I was younger and I was stressed out or couldn't sleep or anything… my grandmother, she would call me over and we would bake cookies together," Baekhyun explained in a wistful tone. "It always helped. And- I don't know -I couldn't sleep and I just missed her and- well -warm chocolate chip cookies, fresh from the oven always remind me of her."

Yixing knew that all the members had their own ways of dealing with stress and pressure and anxiety and sadness and all a manner of other problems that came from living the life of an idol. Their own escapes. Minseok hyung would clean. Jongin would dance. Chanyeol would compose. Sehun would play with Vivi.

"Well I think that's absolutely wonderful. Honestly, your grandma sounds like the coolest person ever," Yixing murmured quietly, arms still around Baekhyun.

"One day I hope to introduce you to her. I know she would like you."

"I've always wanted to meet her. The person who brought you up. I want to thank her.

"For?"

"For raising you. I want to meet the people who shaped you into the person you are today. I want to visit your hometown and see the place you grew up in," Yixing replied.

"One day I'll take you. And you obviously have to take me to China and do the same."

Yixing hummed in agreement and pressed a kiss to Baekhyun's cheek.

"Now teach me how to make your chocolate chip cookies."

Baekhyun directed Yixing to go wash his hands and once he was done, he turned around and leaned against the sink.

"What now?"

"Come here."

"Gladly."

He walked over and joined Baekhyun at the counter where he was mixing the cookie dough.

"You mix it with your hands?"

"My hands are clean! And it's more fun this way. We're gonna use our hands to make the little ball thingys anyway."

Yixing chuckled, "Okay… if you say so."

"I do say so," Baekhyun dipped his hands into the dough and started kneading it with his hands. Yixing just stood there and watched him unhelpfully with a fond expression on his face.

Looking up at him exasperatedly, Baekhyun huffed, "Are you going to do something or are you just going I stand there being useless?"

"I'm going to do something," Yixing also put his hands into the mixture, picked up some of the dough onto his finger and smeared it onto Baekhyun's nose.

Slapping his hand away, Baekhyun shrieked.

Yixing doubled over in laughter. He simultaneously tried to shush the younger boy's indignant cries.

"Shhh… you might wake the others."

Baekhyun ignored his warnings, "How could you?!"

"I- I couldn't help it," Yixing managed to say breathlessly in between his laughter.

Baekhyun just scrunched his button-like nose up at him with the smear of cookie dough on it now.

"Don't worry, you look cute."

"I always do."

Yixing tilted his head in agreement, "I can't argue with that."

Baekhyun playfully slapped him on the arm, "Now you naughty boy, help me make the ball thingys."

"Is that really what they're called?"

"No idea. I'm pretty sure they have a more official name but I can't remember it for the life of me."

So they got to work. A comfortable, companionable  silence descended between the two while the rolled the dough and shaped them into little balls to place on the foil.

After a couple minutes, Yixing noticed Baekhyun eyeing him discreetly. He had that look in his eyes. Yixing was wary.

And sure enough, the second he wasn't paying attention, Baekhyun took a large glob of dough and smeared it straight onto Yixing's cheek.

"Yah Baekhyun-ah!"

It was Baekhyun's turn to laugh brightly at the other's dismay.

"Don't worry. You look cute," Baekhyun said, mimicking Yixing. "Now your dimple is literally sweet."

Rolling his eyes, Yixing shook his head. He had a smile on his face nevertheless, "You're so corny."

Baekhyun smiled at him cheekily, "You love it."

Yixing decided not to grace that with a reply.

By the time the two were done with shaping the cookies, they were both covered with dough all over their heads and faces and clutching their stomachs from laughing too hard.

"As long as you don't get it in my hair, I'll try to refrain from doing anything to you," Baekhyun wheezed out.

Yixing couldn't even manage to get out a reply. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed this hard. It was painful. But it felt good.

If he was completely honest, none of this was that funny. It was just something about Baekhyun- being with him and just being absolutely carefree and not having to think about what anyone might say if they saw them -it was just so freeing .

Yixing felt happy .

Genuine happiness was something that came in small, unexpected packages. When he received thoughtful letters from his fans. When s sent him late-night texts from across the globe.

And now- spending time with Baekhyun. Doing something so simple as baking cookies. He felt a sense of contentment.

After both had calmed down a bit, Yixing said, "Do you think the others can hear us?"

"Probably."

"Kyungsoo's going to kill us tomorrow."

"Probably."

They laughed even harder.

"Ok, ok. So I preheated the oven from before. All we have to do now is out them in and wait for twenty minutes," Baekhyun finally said.

So Yixing picked up the rack of cookies while Baekhyun opened the oven door. He watched while the younger boy slid the rack in, closed the door, and set the timer.

- Baekhyun's POV -

When he was finished, Baekhyun turned back to him and and leaned against the counter, satisfied, "What do we do now?"

"Well hopefully wash off all this dough first?"

"Oh. True," Baekhyun cracked up again.

The two made their way over to the kitchen sink. Baekhyun his hands under the running water and started washing off the sticky dough. Yixing joined their hands under the water. He grabbed Baekhyun's hand in his own and started rubbing the dough off himself.

The younger boy looked up at him and smiled fondly at the look of intense concentration on Yixing's face. His eyebrows were furrowed. Tongue slightly sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he scrubbed gently at Baekhyun's hands. Baekhyun felt a sudden surge of affection for him.

His hyung would always take care of him.

After his hands were washed clean, Baekhyun gently pried them from Yixing's grasp and rubbed at the dough sticking to his face. There was a particularly stubborn spot right over the older man's cheek. Baekhyun frowned and leaned in closer but lost his balance and almost fell on top of Yixing.

Yixing caught him by the arm and held him there. Their faces were just inches away from each other. Baekhyun felt himself holding his breath. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Yixing's plump, utterly kissable lips.

After a couple seconds that felt like an eternity, Yixing righted Baekhyun and pulled away. They both started laughing again. But this time, their laughter was weak and slightly nervous. All of a sudden there was some unexplainable, underlying tension in the air.

"Try not to kill me Baekhyun," Yixing said.

"I won't. Not before I get a kiss out of you anyway," Baekhyun replied. It was a typical, flirty, Baekhyun-esque answer. But both men knew it wasn't just casual flirting. It went deeper than that.

"I guess you're never going to get a kiss from me, then," Yixing smiled.

Baekhyun just pouted at him.

They went back to washing off the dough and the dishes they had used to make the cookies. It was slow going. Yixing kept flicking water in his face. Baekhyun would squeal and splash him back. By the time they- and the kitchen and dishes -were cleaned, they were half soaked.

Baekhyun checked the timer. Five more minutes.

While they were waiting, Yixing unexpectedly asked, "By the way, where did you get my sweater?"

"Your room- well -technically our room. Why?"

"No reason. Just wondering why you're wearing my sweater," Yixing smiled.

Baekhyun wrapped his arms around himself. "I like wearing your stuff. It feels like… kinda like you have your arms wrapped around me even when you're not with me. It smells like you and- I don't know," he shrugged. "I just like it. Do you not want me to wear them?"

Yixing quickly shook his head, "No no. Please wear them. I like it when you do." The older man winked at him.

Baekhyun could feel blush rising on his cheeks. He quickly looked away.

The beeping of the oven timer saved him.

"Oh look! The cookies are done," Baekhyun exclaimed a little too loudly.

He went over to the oven and opened the door while Yixing grabbed towels to hold the hot rack.

"Ooh they look delicious!"

"Let me," Yixing said when Baekhyun reached forward for the towels.

Yixing reached forward into the oven, grabbed the rack and lifted it up slightly then slid it out. While finessing it out, his hand slightly brushed against the side of the oven and he jolted slightly but didn't let go of the rack.

Baekhyun noticed and reached forward but couldn't do anything until Yixing had placed the rack of cookies on the counter.

Right after Yixing turned around, Baekhyun pounced on him.

"You burned your hand," he said, concerned.

The other man waved him away, "It's no big deal. It's not that bad."

Baekhyun ignored him and grabbed his hand too look at it. There was an angry red mark near Yixing's knuckles. Baekhyun winced. It would hurt a lot later.

"Come here." Baekhyun dragged him over to the sink and placed his hand under running, cold water.

Yixing sighed in relief, "Oh that feels good."

"You idiot. Why did you have to take out the rack yourself?" Baekhyun admonished him.

"I was afraid that you would get hurt."

Baekhyun stared at him in disbelief for a couple seconds, then sighed and leaned his head against Yixing's shoulder while holding his hand under the running water. They stood there for a minute or two before Yixing gently pulled away.

"I'm okay. Seriously. It doesn't hurt."

Baekhyun looked up at him, eyebrows raised, "Don't lie."

"Fine fine. It doesn't hurt as much as it did."

Baekhyun looked at the burn with a strange feeling coursing through his veins. He brought the hand up to his lips and gently kissed and blew on it.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Whatever for?"

"That you got hurt."

"Baekhyun it's just a small burn. Like I said- no big deal."

"Still. I don't like seeing you hurt."

Yixing looked at him with a dark expression in his eyes before pulling him in for a tight hug.

Baekhyun closed his eyes and let him be surrounded- enveloped -in the older man's arms.

Let himself enjoy the feeling of being utterly drowned in Yixing. His scent. His body. His touch.

Just this once.

Baekhyun mentally scoffed and shook his head at himself. Who was he kidding? He loved- and would continue to love -Yixing's embraces and touches a bit too much.

And you know what? The truth was that he didn't care . He didn't care that what this was- what they were -was probably dangerous and considered disgusting and ed up and-

His thoughts were interrupted by Yixing whispering in his ear, "Now let's eat your delicious cookies."

" Our delicious cookies," Baekhyun corrected him.

"Our delicious cookies," Yixing agreed.

Baekhyun piled the warm, gooey cookies onto a plate. Grabbed it in one hand and Yixing by the other and dragged him to the door.

Stumbling behind him in surprise, the other man stuttered, "Wh- where are we going Baekhyun?"

Looking behind him, Baekhyun shot him a sly smile, "The roof."

Yixing opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, seemed to think better about about it and wordlessly followed Baekhyun out the door.

Baekhyun led Yixing up the stairs of their apartment complex. Higher and higher. Past all the levels with any apartments on them. They stopped at a door at the end of the stairwell and he pushed it open. A gust of cool air breeze in and swept across their faces.

He pulled Yixing out onto the roof with him. There was a moment of silence between the two in which the only sound that could be heard were the honks of passing cars beneath them on the always-busy streets of Seoul.

Baekhyun turned to Yixing and studied the look of awe that had transformed the older man's features. Yixing's eyes were filled with wonder, mouth agape as he took in the breathtaking view spanning out before them.

"This- this is beautiful Baekhyunnie," Yixing breathed out.

Baekhyun realized that he still had a grip on Yixing's hand. He didn't let go.

"I know."

"How long have you…?"

"I discovered this place awhile back. I had a fight with Junmyeon hyung about something. Can't remember what or why. Just that it was my fault. I wanted to get away for a bit but I couldn't leave the dorms. So I wandered around and stumbled across this door to what I now call: my own private heaven."

"Do you come here often?"

Baekhyun nodded, "Yeah. When… when you're away, I've spent many a night up here. Looking out and wondering if maybe- just maybe -you were thinking about me too." His heart hurt just thinking about those nights when the ache became too great for him. When he missed Yixing just a bit too much.

"Oh Baekhyun," Yixing said with a small, sad smile on his face. He pulled the younger boy closer to his side. "Of course I miss you. I miss everyone. But especially you. There- there's something special."

Baekhyun heard the words even though Yixing didn't say them aloud: There's something special. Between us .

Yixing continued, "I miss you and the way you're always there to hold me and help me and support me. You cheer me up and make me feel better and- well -I've never been very good with words. It's worse when I'm trying to explain myself in Korean. But just know that I miss you so much and I long to be with you all the time. To have you at my side."

Baekhyun felt like crying. What was it about Yixing that always made him feel like crying?

Instead he plastered on a bright smile and said, "We should probably eat these cookies while they're still warm."

Yixing hummed in agreement.

Both made their way over to the edge of the roof and sat with their legs hanging over the side, the plate of cookies between them.

As they looked out over the city streets, Yixing asked, "I thought you were afraid of heights. Doesn't this make you uncomfortable?"

"Well yeah. I am. But there's something about this place that feels safe. It's kind of cut off from the rest of the world, you know? It's like nothing can harm me here. The height strangely doesn't seem to affect me."

Baekhyun reached for his first cookie and handed one to Yixing. They both bit into their cookies at the same time. Yixing positively moaned . Baekhyun tried not to replay the sound in his head.

"Baekhyun-ah, this is delicious!"

Chewing, Baekhyun nodded in agreement, "We should bake cookies together more often. They taste exactly like my grandma's."

Yixing beamed at him.

Between the both of them, they managed to finish all the cookies in record time.

"Well there go my abs," Yixing said jokingly.

"Who are you kidding hyung. No matter what you do, you don't lose your abs. You don't have to worry about anything. And you'd still look y as hell without them."

Yixing chuckled, "Thanks Baekhyun. If only the fans thought the same way as you…"

"The real fans would love you regardless. With or without your abs, you're perfect," Baekhyun replied vehemently.

Yixing pushed the empty plate of cookies aside and moved closer to the younger man. Baekhyun was hyper aware of the little space between them. How he would only have to move a few centimeters and they would be touching…

Yixing took his hand in his own and laced their fingers together.

"Baekhyun-ah your hands are so pretty. All of you is pretty. I'm always astonished by how utterly beautiful you are," Yixing sighed in awe.

Baekhyun bit his lip. His cheeks colored at Yixing's words. The other man was always telling him how beautiful he was, but Baekhyun thought that Yixing was the most beautiful man- no - person on Earth. He'd never met anyone who could warm his insides with just a smile. Whose touch caused electricity to course through his veins. Yixing was ethereal .

The moonlight was casting a glow over Yixing's features. Baekhyun couldn't look away. He was stunning. His heart beat faster as Yixing smiled at him and reached out.

"You have a bit of chocolate here," he rubbed at the side of Baekhyun's mouth.

"There. It's gone." Yixing said in satisfaction.

But he didn't remove his hand. Instead, he moved to cup the side of Baekhyun's face. He gently caressed the curve of his cheek with his thumb. Baekhyun held his breath and couldn't tear his eyes away from Yixing's intense gaze.

All too soon, Yixing seemed to come to his senses and dropped his hand. He looked away.

Baekhyun's heart started beating again. But he felt cold. Empty.

He felt as if he'd lost something precious.

After a minute of sitting in silence like that, Baekhyun hesitantly lay his head on Yixing's shoulder and by reflex, the older man curled a hand around his waist and pulled him closer. Yixing affectionately kissed the top of Baekhyun's head and leaned his head against it.

If only the night could last forever.

Baekhyun knew that he would always have Yixing even if he could never have him.

And so they sat there, tangled up like the complicated web that they were. Maybe in another life they could've been together. Maybe they could've been happy. But for now, Baekhyun was content with what he had: Yixing by his side. That was enough for him.

They sat there. Both drowning in their own feelings. Feelings they would not acknowledge now. Now- and maybe never.

They sat there. Under the moonlight, high above the city.

They sat there- hopelessly in love.

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So I think it’s kinda obvious that Baekhyun is more straight-up with his feelings. On the other hand, Yixing is just an oblivious little fool. Adorable, yes. But still an idiot when it comes to his feelings. 
Also my amazing friend Amoon ended up giving me a bunch of little tidbits of ideas for this chapter so a big virtual hug and kiss to you! Thx bby :3
Comments and kudos are appreciated! <3