Baekhyun was fuming. His face was still burning up from the anger he felt moments ago. It still settled in his chest like a ticking bomb close to exploding once more. He kept clenching and unclenching his fists, not caring if one of his friends walked into his bedroom to investigate why he was shouting as far as he was concerned that the sooner Shinae was out of his room and out of his life, the better. He hoped with all of his might that Chanyeol would walk into that room and snatch her up or that Junmyeon truly had seen her.

They both would have more patience for her brutish behavior. Baekhyun, however, was at his end. Only a couple of days and he was done. She had such a way of needling her way under his skin and pressing just the right spots. He felt embarrassed that such a stupid comment made him snap. He’d heard her throw actual vicious remarks at him in the past, but that one so childish was what managed to make him snap. 

The cool fall night air nipped at his face, his hands shoved into his pockets. He felt the sharp press of minuscule splinters in the palm of his hand. He wanted to scream. He felt it building up, this giant rock just sitting in his throat. His lungs hurt from the way he was holding back earlier. He wanted to get in Shinae’s face and scream. He wanted to grab her and throw her out the damn window. 

He had just wanted to study. 

He was trying to be nice, and instead of accepting it-she questioned it, poked, prodded, and then insulted him and distracted him. The way she carried herself was infuriating alone, with such confidence, but then she’d cower the second he moved an inch. Act like she was genuinely terrified of him, then er punches him with an insult. Then have the audacity to act scared again. Like she didn’t provoke it. 

Baekhyun so desperately wanted her to be back to her normal size so he could actually get in her face and destroy her. She was allowed to do whatever the hell she wanted because she was vulnerable at her size and he just had to take it. He didn’t care anymore. If she wanted to act all big, bad and tough, she could deal with his large movements without crying about it. She could stop making him feel like a monster for simply existing. 

A sharp pain shot through his hand and pulled his attention away from his simmering thoughts. He yanked the fist out and stared at the red palm skeptically. He knew he had held that pencil too hard, but he hadn’t intended to snap it in half. Now he would suffer through minuscule, hard to see, but painful splinters.

He groaned and tossed his head back to inhale the subtle smell of autumn air. Another sweet breeze blew past, taking more of his anger with it. He continued to walk. He tried his best to not think about Shinae and how insufferable she had been, but his mind always found its way back to her. He walked into a lesser-known part of the city, his mind stuck on her rotten attitude. She was the one fighting him on everything. She needed him, but she was fighting him at every turn. He was tempted to let her see what it would be like for him to straight up, not care. To not help her get around. Not help her get food. She’d be stranded and then maybe she’d realize she should start being a little nicer to him. He knew one thing for sure; he was not going to talk to her or acknowledge her until she apologized for tonight. 

His eyes roamed the sides of the dark buildings, his stomach growled in anticipation of his favorite midnight cafe. His mouth split into a soft smile the second he saw the partially lit sign, some of the letters flickered in and out-The Midnight Cookie Cafe. A small little hole-in-the-wall cafe that very few people knew about. It was his sinful little secret. 

He swallowed the irritating thoughts of Shinae and stepped in. The smell of freshly baked cookies smacked into him right away. The soft, barely audible jazz that played tickled his eardrums, and he couldn’t help but to sigh in relief at the comforting familiarity. The cafe was warm, cramped, and just the thing he needed right now. A moment with a nice ooey-gooey cookie, some hot cocoa and a moment to himself. 

He looked around, expecting the cafe to be empty of all guests, but was shocked to see a slim girl sat down at a corner table, her prim fingers picking at a half ate cookie. He smirked a little at the sight. Her eyes were dropped low, preoccupied with the lit-up screen of her phone-he could appreciate someone who was a late-night snack connoisseur. He looked away from her and walked straight up to the counter. 

“Aye-it’s Baekhyun! Long time no see!” A familiar jolly voice shouted out to the back of the cafe. Baekhyun couldn’t help the smile that spread across his once cross features. 

“How are ya doing, Kai?” The tall and tanned baker smiled like he was greeting an old friend.

“It’s been ages since my favorite customer has topped in-what was the hang-up?” Baekhyun knew Kai didn’t mean anything by it but felt his smile waver a bit at the question. Shinae was the hang-up, and she was the last person Baekhyun wanted to think about. 

“Oh uh-you know the usual. Just school.” Baekhyun forced a full-blown smile on his face. Hoping the lie was a believable one. 

Thankfully, Kai didn’t seem to notice and nodded: “Typical all-star Baekhyun. Head in the books and mind on studying.” Kai wiped his hands off on his apron which was already coated in a thick layer of flour and small smears of what looked like chocolate. 

“Well, what can I get my favorite customer?” Baekhyun was more than happy to answer the question. He landed on a double chocolate mint cookie with some caramel hot chocolate. He smiled at Kai and thanked him before she turned around and sat himself down at a table in the middle of the cafe. He smirked a little at the way the chair he sat down on wobbled and creaked just a little. It was an odd thing to find comforting but Baekhyun loved the subtle messiness of the place.

It was perfect but not-something he wished worked well in his own life. His eyes dropped to the tantalizing cookie. His fingers delicately tore a chunk off and he felt himself drooling a little bit as he brought it up to his lips. The second the moist chunk was between his lips, he had to resist the urge to moan out in pleasure. The way it tasted, it was like getting a hug from an old friend. He savored the minty, chocolatey goodness before he swallowed. 

His hand whipped out to take a sip of the cocoa he was given and he shook the cardboard cup a little and let the warm smell waft into his nostrils. He smiled and took a sip. The pain was instant, fast, and burning. He jumped back slightly; the cup dropped onto the table and spilled a little of the hot drink onto the table and onto his pants as well. He swallowed fast and felt the scalding drink burn his throat on its way down. He coughed a little and inhaled hard and fast in an attempt to soothe the burning in his mouth.

He faintly noticed movement and the sound of another chair screeching a bit as it was pulled back. The soft thunk of weight f into the seat across from him before some brown crumpled napkins were dropped in front of him. His eyes darted up and landed on two dark and cat-like eyes that glimmered with an odd mischief. It was the girl who moments ago was sitting down in the corner. 

Her eyes dropped to the table the corner of her lip quirked up slightly at the contents and the spilled drink, “You seemed like a cookie expert but clearly not an expert on late-night hot cocoa, with emphasis on the hot.” Her words were like a soft purr, the humor in the words clear from the way s