As much as they try to be natural around each other, it isn’t the same. Jongin can feel the tension in Baekhyun’s wary eyes each time Jongin comes near. He feels unwanted. He feels like an outcast in Baekhyun’s world and he hates this.

So Jongin refuses to go near Baekhyun. If his friends have noticed, they must have kept quiet about it because nothing of this was mentioned. They ignore the awkward exchange of looks between Jongin and Baekhyun everytime they are forced to converse. Jongin stops walking out of the building together with Baekhyun. He stops poking fun at him. Their relationship hits rock bottom and Jongin pretends he doesn’t care at all.

Mama knows. Mama cares. Because before their journey to Thailand, Suho has pulled Jongin aside without the others knowing and spoke to him in a low whisper.

“Did you confess to Baekhyun?”

“Huh?”

“Jongin-ah, I can see it. I’m not blind,” he chuckles and Jongin blushes furiously. Was he that obvious?

“I did. And it didn’t go well,” Jongin admits and he looks down on the white, polished tiles. Suho pats him on the shoulder and Jongin is forced to look up.

“I can see that. You guys didn’t talk for weeks…I understand that it’s probably awkward right now but…I want you guys to be happy again with each other. I don’t want anyone in EXO to be strangers with each other so…as your leader, I hereby assign you your mission that is to sit next to Baekhyun during our flight later,” he beams and Jongin splutters.

“Y-You can’t do that.”

“You must. You know you don’t like it like this too, Jongin,” Suho muses and smiles gently when he sees Jongin reluctantly giving in. Jongin sighs.

“I’ll see you later,” he starts walking away and Jongin feels like throwing his guts out as he thinks about what is going to happen in just a few hours. Jongin can take on a free style dance anytime on stage. But talking to Baekhyun is so much harder than that. Jongin is not ready. Baekhyun’s smile flashes in his mind. He feels his chest constricts and the air seems to be impossibly thick. Jongin doesn’t think he will ever be ready.

---

“Hyung? Can I join you?” Jongin’s voice breaks a little and he clears his throat as he points to the empty seat next to Baekhyun. Suho must have told Chanyeol and Sehun to clear the seat for him because it is strange to see Baekhyun sitting alone. Sehun likes to use Baekhyun’s shoulder as his pillow and Chanyeol loves Baekhyun’s company. Jongin…Jongin really doesn’t want to sit next to Baekhyun at the moment.

“Sure,” Baekhyun nods and smiles. He takes his bag off the seat and Jongin sidles into the hard cushioned seat. Baekhyun continues to stare out the window, watching the other planes take off.

“Do you like airplanes?” Jongin finds himself asking. It hits him hard like a slap on his face. He misses talking to Baekhyun. He misses his presence. He misses everything about Baekhyun. And he secretly thanks Suho for suggesting this idea.

Baekhyun pries his eyes off the window and blinks at Jongin.

“Um, not really. They’re okay, I guess. Do you?”

“I want to fly a plane.”

“You should do it. You’d be pretty good. I’ve seen you fly a plane in games,” Baekhyun nods encouragingly and Jongin breaks into an easy laugh.

“That’s a game, hyung. It isn’t the same.”

Baekhyun scoffs and rolls his eyes. Jongin feels like he can cry happy tears because for a moment there, its like things are back to normal. Like nothing ever happened between them.

“The games are just like aptitude tests. I think you would make a great pilot,” Baekhyun shrugs and Jongin couldn’t stop the huge smile that is plastered on his face.

“You would make a good doll, hyung,” Jongin says in a serious voice.

“W-What?” Baekhyun almost shouts with incredulity.

“Well…you look really good with eyeliner so…it’s like me with flying games. You would make a good doll then, right?” Jongin asks and Baekhyun stares at Jongin for a while, apparently star-struck over his answer. Then magically…as if bound by some invisible empathy bond, they burst out laughing together at the same exact instant. Jongin feels like there are only the both of them in the world then. Like the world stopped moving but they are the only ones unfrozen and free. They could have done anything together… His heart swells and he feels warmed. Jongin misses watching Baekhyun laugh. He misses the way the corners of his eyes would crinkle and they would form perfect crescent shapes. His lips would always turn up at the ends before he breaks into the laugh. Jongin knows this like the back of his hand.

And Jongin didn’t regret asking Baekhyun about airplanes. For the rest of the journey, they talked. It wasn’t like they were gone out of each other’s lives for weeks but it felt like it. Baekhyun was listening to Jongin ranting about the new dancing shoes when his head starts drooping. Seeing Baekhyun about to doze off, Jongin stops talking. Baekhyun blinks sleepily at him, reminding Jongin of a lost puppy. He chuckles and without thinking, he puts his hand on Baekhyun’s cheek and give it a slight push so that his head is resting on Jongin’s shoulder. Baekhyun’s even breathing that starts right after that tells Jongin his lost puppy is fast asleep already. Jongin grins to himself and leans his head on Baekhyun’s.

It feels like home; where they belong together like this.

---

Baekhyun wakes up a little later and he feels a slight pressure on his head. He doesn’t have to look up or move to know that it’s Jongin. He lets everything sink in. He’s almost cuddling up close to Jongin and Baekhyun inhales deeply, reveling in the fact that he can smell Jongin’s cologne from their close distance. Baekhyun closes his eyes and smiles as he thinks.

He misses Jongin. He misses him badly. But Baekhyun isn’t good with emotions at all. It might be an advantage since it wouldn’t show on his face that he misses Jongin but then again…Jongin would never know. And Baekhyun wants Jongin to know.

He wants Jongin to know that maybe he regrets the words he said that night. That maybe he wants to take them back. That maybe…just maybe he harbours a crush on Jongin too. The tall, tanned male that has always given Baekhyun goosebumps with every touch. Baekhyun didn’t understand why but he thinks he does. It’s funny. They have sat next to each other too many times to be counted but Baekhyun finds this time to be…illuminating.

Jongin stirs and almost moves away from Baekhyun to face the other side of the seat. Baekhyun is alarmed and he starts tugging Jongin’s shirt so that he comes back to their original position. Baekhyun can almost see the smile forming on Jongin’s lips again and Baekhyun snuggles closer to Jongin.

It feels like home; where they belong together like this.

---

Jongin sits alone on their flight back. Chanyeol has stuck to Baekhyun this time and claimed the seat next to him. Suho gave Jongin a look that he can’t decipher but Jongin gives up. He is too tired to care. Their show just ended hours ago and they are on their way back home. Jongin starts resting his eyes.

He recalls how he started walking close to Baekhyun in the airport just earlier that day. They poked fun at each other and when an insistent fan went too close to Baekhyun for comfort and invaded his personal space, Baekhyun clung onto Jongin for protection. He hid behind his taller body and Jongin couldn’t help but smile at this. Baekhyun didn’t shy away from their interactions. If anything…Jongin thinks Baekhyun seemed even clingier than before.

“What are you smiling about?” A familiar angelic voice breaks Jongin out of his blissful moment of peace but he is overjoyed when he opens his eyes. None other than Byun Baekhyun stands before him, his judging gaze not matching the give-away twitch of his mouth.

“Go away,” Jongin says jokingly and turns over to the other side.

“Can I sit here?” Baekhyun asks and Jongin might have done a double take in his mind. Is this his mind playing horrible, cruel tricks on him? Or is this confirming his earlier theory about Baekhyun’s clingy state?

Jongin nods and watches Baekhyun quickly slide next to him, grinning at him.

“What are you smiling about?” Jongin demands from Baekhyun and they break into a synchronized laugh together.

“Where’s Chanyeol?” Jongin asks once they have had enough breaths of air to quiet down a little.

“Watching something like a horror movie,” Baekhyun makes a face.

“That sounds fun. You should have joined him,” Jongin teases.

“Me and horror movie? No way. No. No,” Baekhyun shakes his head vigorously and Jongin laughs again.

“Is that why you’re here? I am just an escape route? I’m hurt,” Jongin clutches his heart and pouts but Baekhyun’s cheeks starts showing faint pink tints.

“No. Um…”

“What is it? Spill, hyung,” Jongin says in an ordering manner. Baekhyun clamps his mouth shut like he isn’t about to talk for another thousand years or so. Jongin pouts and Baekhyun rolls his eyes, heaving a sigh.

“I think…I think I’m gay,” Baekhyun whispers, his eyes wide and nervous. He picks on a loose thread on his sweater incessantly, avoiding Jongin’s eyes.

Jongin gapes and stares at him, not knowing what to think or say.

“Or bi…or whatever…but um…I think I …like you too. Wait no, I mean I know I like you,” Baekhyun bites the bottom of his lips and looks away from Jongin, who is still stuck in a whirlwind of emotion to know how to react.

“Jongin-ah? I’m sorry, am I too late? I just…I guess I just realized I missed you more than I should if I didn’t like you. And…I really like cuddling with you,” Baekhyun admits bashfully and that did it.

Jongin gives Baekhyun a peck on his cheek and Baekhyun freezes, shocked. Jongin waits for his reaction nervously. After what must have been a span of eternity, Baekhyun breaks into a happy smile. He leans on Jongin’s shoulder and his hand makes its way to Jongin’s bigger ones, intertwining. He remembers the way they felt on his skin, how they bring life to him.

And they remain intertwined even when they walk out of the airport, walking together and proudly so, with grins on their faces as they wave to a furiously blushing brunnette girl, dressed in oversized grey shirt with a cap on, who squealed and screamed ‘Kaibaek’ to greet them.  

A/N: Hey, what do you guys think? Comment below? Hehehhe. Btw, you know who you are. Did you spot yourself here? Am I not obvs enough?