Author’s Note: A little fluffy oneshot for all you recently graduated (or reminiscing) Baekhyun fangirls.  Enjoy. ^_^

 

...

 

I lifted the skirt of my dress, stepping carefully over the uneven grass and up the stairs to his front door. 

 

I released my hold and the fabric rustled back into place. 

 

I knocked on the door. 

 

Baekhyun opened it within 30 seconds, tying his tie in the process.

 

“Hey!  You’re here!  Come on in.”  He stepped back and I slipped off my heels.  “The others are upstairs.”  He said, leading the way with barely a glance my way. 

 

I’m not exactly sure what it was I wanted.  I guess I wanted to hear my best friend say I looked beautiful.  I wanted him to see me differently tonight…on the first night he had ever seen me with make up on and in a dress. 

 

I wanted him to look at me.

 

I swallowed my disappointment and followed him upstairs to his room.

 

Our mutual female friends grabbed my hands when I entered his room, exclaiming in high voices how pretty I looked and asking where I got my dress and if I did my own hair and makeup.  Baekhyun sat at his desk and plugged his ears. 

 

“You are so noisy!”  He teased, his eyes in half moons as he smiled.  I smiled ruefully and dropped Anna and Claire’s hands.

 

“Hey.”  Anna said suddenly.  “Your room smells really good.”  He gave her a face for a second before realizing that he should not be surprised by her comment.  Anna was the queen of random observations. 

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah.  Your cologne is awesome.  You actually smell like a y man.”

 

“A y man with two screaming girls in my room?”  He wiggled his eyebrows and Anna and Claire simultaneously threw pillows at him.  I hid my face in my hands and shook my head.

 

“You are unbelievable, Byun Baekhyun.”  He grinned at me.

“You know you love it.”

 

That’s the thing…I did.  He was the class clown.  His – often ridiculous- humor kept me sane and being his friend kept me from being a boring as I would be without him.  If we hadn’t grown up living right beside each other, I doubt he would have noticed this straight-laced class president at all.  

…

 

Claire and I were chatting as we waited in line to enter the dance, but I could also hear Anna and Baekhyun behind me.

 

“Did you tell her yet?”  Anna whispered to Baekhyun.  I tried not to notice.  But I couldn’t help it.  I didn’t hear what he said in such a hushed tone, but I knew the effect of the answer was ‘no.’ 

 

In our group of friends, Baekhyun and I had always been the closest.  To think that the others knew something I didn’t hurt me. 

 

So I tried not to think about it. 

 

We presented our tickets and walked through the streamers into the promified hotel function room. 

…

 

“Bye!”  Baekhyun and I waved off Claire as she entered the door to her house.  He put the car into gear and backed out of the driveway, his hand resting behind the headrest of my seat as he turned to see. 

 

“Ummm…Baek…home is the other way.”  He didn’t even glance at me.

“I know.  I don’t want to go home yet.” 

“And you’re taking me hostage?”  He laughed and grinned at me.

“Pretty much.  But I think you’ll like it.” 

 

We pulled into the parking lot of the local playground.  I laughed.

 

“You have got to be kidding me.”  He shook his head and opened his door.

 

“Come on.  I really want to swing.”   He shut the door and started walking toward the nearest swing set. 

 

I rolled my eyes but climbed out of the car and followed him.

 

We settled into side-by-side swings and began rocking back and forth slightly.  I looked up at the sky.

 

“It’s pretty.”  I murmured, staring up at the stars.  Suddenly my swing jerked as Baekhyun took hold of it.  I screeched slightly in surprise.  When had he left his swing to stand in front of mine?

 

 “Byun Baekhyun…I swear, if you flip me over in this dress I will-”

 

He leaned closer to me and I was suddenly at a loss for words.  I don’t think we had ever been that close before.  He searched my eyes for a moment and his hands slipped down the chains of the swing so our hands touched. 

 

“Sara.  You look really beautiful right now.”  He said softly. 

 

A high pitched laugh escaped me. 

 

I looked away, anywhere but his eyes that were looking at me so earnestly. 

 

Maybe seven or eight hours ago I looked nice…but now?  I could feel my hair falling down, frizzy from sweat and humidity from dancing.  My makeup had probably rubbed off. 

 

“Okay…what do you want?”  I chided, trying to keep my tone even and light.  “I am still not going to do your Calc homework for you.” 

 

He was quiet. 

 

That was unlike him. 

 

I steeled myself to look at him again and this time our eyes locked.

 

“I want to kiss you.”  He said quietly. 

 

If he hadn’t been holding onto the swing I probably would have fallen backwards off of it. 

 

“Can I?” 

 

“Why?”  I whispered.  He chuckled. 

 

“I don’t know.”  He whispered back.  “Because I have the courage to do it right now…and I probably won’t tomorrow.”  He was gradually getting closer to me.  I inwardly cursed him for being so smooth.  He slowly closed the gap between us, giving me time to either pull away or push him away…but I did neither. 

 

Suddenly, his hands covered mine and our lips made contact. 

 

It was completely innocent.  Completely sweet. 

 

When he pulled away he was smiling.  “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”  He said.  My forehead creased in confusion. 

 

“Oh really now?  Do tell.”  He chuckled and stepped back, sinking back into the swing beside me. 

 

“I don’t even remember it’s been so long!”  He tipped his head back and looked up at the sky.  “Sara…I’ve been half in love with you most of my life.  It’s about time I kissed you.”  I slapped his arm.

 

“You’re so backwards!  The confession is supposed to come first!  You totally stole my first kiss.” 

 

“…I think it was given.”  He replied with a cheeky smile.  Then his expression became more serious and his eyes searched mine.

 

“Sara, I’m not promising forever.”  He said softly.  “I’m young, and silly, and stupid…so I can’t even promise that we won’t hurt each other.  But I couldn’t graduate and go away to college without you knowing that I care about you.”

 

“Baek…that’s a little scary for me.”  He smiled.

 

“Me too.  That’s why I spiked the punch.” 

 

…

 

Sara narrowed her eyes at him.  He grinned back.  “I’m kidding…and completely sober.  Don’t worry.”  She shook her head, temporarily speechless again. 

 

 “I thought you weren’t interested.  It was like you didn’t even see me tonight.”  Baekhyun snorted then gazed at her for a moment, a soft smile tugging at his lips.  He reached out and gently took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers.

 

“You’re all I see.”  He said quietly. 

 

And she had been - lifting the skirt of her dress as she climbed the front steps to his house, laughing with their friends, grabbing his arm when she got excited by a song she liked, allowing her inhibitions to fall away on the dance floor, the rim of her wine glass to keep the sparkling cider from dripping down the side…

 

He saw her and only her. 

 

He didn’t know if this feeling was forever.   He didn’t know if it was true love.  He just knew he couldn’t live the rest of his life with the ‘what if’s.’ 

 

And so he took a leap of faith…and landed on the other side.