Lying curled up on his bed, hugging the duvet like a koala, Baekhyun doesn't even care that his t-shirt is riding up his back and exposing his skin to the cool air. Because he's having a conversation with his dream girl. Granted, it's not face to face, but after the disaster of the other day, when he was too tongue-tied to eve speak, he thinks this is infinitely easier.

And furthermore, they're planning an outing together! He won't call it a date, because he wan't to ask her out using that term. He wants to actually say, 'will you go on a date with me?' but he knows he will probably never muster up the courage to actuallydo that. He wanted to thank Jongdae for making him say the bit about the movie, but at the same time he doesn't want to fuel his ego, so he just stood there blushing and smiling at his feet, ignoring the teasing Jongdae threw at him for acting like a lovesick tween. His phone vibrates in his hand again, and he smiles gleefully, reading the message feels like he's floating on cloud nine.

They've decided on a film together, after having looked up what's showing in the cinema, they decided on an action type film, but it has other parts of a plot, so both he and Chanyeol are satisfied. After replying, he goes into his photo gallery, and stares at the selfie Chanyeol sent him. Again. He just can't believe he's been so lucky today, the tables have really turned for sure. From being wound up and anxious about Chanyeols absence, to planning a da- an outing together. He can't even explain how happy he is.

In the photo, Baekhyun gets a small glimpse of her bedroom too, and as much as he feels like a creep for paying attention to these details, he can't help but notice the colours of her walls and the amount of stuff she has lying around. It all looks to be girly stuff, like makeup and hair things, but still it looks messy rather than dirty. Not that he would lov- like her any less if she was messy. He'd just have to put more work in to keep their housr clean once they move in together and get married.

He examines her face again, scared to look at her in case she feels it from all the way over on the other side of town. In case she feels violated by Baekhyun's worshipping eyes. Now he sounds like an idiot even to himself, but her eyes just mesmerise him. She isn't smiling in the picture, but her eye are open widely, innocently even, and what little Baekhyun knows about makeup tells him that what she's wearing only enhances that. 

Half an hour or so later, after they've deviated from picking films and started something similar to twenty questions, but without limiting it to twenty, Baekhyun begins to tire, yawning into his pillow and eyes burning dryly. He manages only two or three more replies before his eyes begin to close on their own, so he takes it upon himself to say goodnight. He promises to talk more tomorrow- well, of course, they're going to have to- and Chanyeol tells him such. 

He tells himself to dream about Chanyeol before he falls asleep, but that of course doesn't work. He ends up dreaming about breaking into his classroom using a chocolate bar, which leaves him confused in the morning. He brushes his teeth extra hard after breakfast, and tries brushing his hair into place with his fingers. It doesnt help all that much, since he has thick, unruly hair. Its getting quite long, he should probably cut it soon, he thinks as his pulls the fringe taut over his face: it reaches past his nose. Definitely too long.

There isn't much else he can do with his appearance, he thinks, after trying other hairstyles, and oh god, is that a zit? Great, he has a huge spot between his eyebrows. He pulls his hair over it, and hopes that no one will see it. He usually has pretty clear skin, but this is a monstrosity. He presses his face against the mirror, squishing his cheek against the glass, and mentally prepares himself for a terrible day.

Leaving the house with a goodbye tossed over his shoulder for his parents, he keeps his head down all the way to school, doing his best to hide his face away from the eyes of the general public. Even Jongdae doesn't get to see much of his face today. Even though he isn't looking up and talking to his friend, he doesn't get much work done that day. He's too busy working himself into a state of worry to pay attention to how---

In between classes he is a curious combination of elated anticipation and anxious fretting, looking around for a glimpse of Chanyeol but not wanting her to see him like this.  He continuously pats down his hair during the day until its almost time to go home, not having seen Chanyeol apart from a fleeting wave across the canteen. 

He does this so much that Jongdae confronts him about it, just before he's about to leave to meet her by the back entrance of school, since it's quicker to get to town that way.

"I know I kinda pushed you into asking her out but I don't think you should go though with it if you're this bad. You've been weird all day." He fiddles with the strap of his backpack, not meeting his eyes.  Baekhyun realises this is an apology. 

"No. I want to go, of course I'm going to go. I might never get this chance again, and you know I really...like her." He says, trying to be discreet in making sure no one hears, not that he thinks anyone will care, but you never know right? 

"I know you do but," Jongdae hesitates uncharacteristically, "I just don't want you to get hurt. And I know you: if you get to shy you wont be able to speak and then you might accidentally do something- I'm not saying you will, I just don't want you to hate yourself because you do enough of that anyway. Yeah. But no, if you're sure you can handle it by all means go for it. Dream girl, right?" 

Baekhyun doesn't know what to say, so instead he just stares at Jongdae. He's touched that his friend cares so much, it's hard to see past all the playful banter and mocking they usually have going on all day, and Baekhyun feels probably just as embarrassed as Jongdae, who scratches the back of his head and turns his torso away to avoid eye contact.

Baekhyun still hasn't said anything a whole minute later, so Jongdae fills the silence,

"Ok, let's just forget I ever said that and pretend all I said was 'go get her, tiger!' instead, ok?" 

"Jongdae, are you blushing?" Baekhyun asks gleefully,

" off," is all he replies, but Baekhun swears it's true, his face has gone all red! Jongdae covers his face with his hands, then forgoing that, he pulls his hood up and pulls the drawstring so tight only his nose is showing, while Baekhyun tries to pry his hands away so he can coo at him. Teasing is easier than admitting he's actually grateful to Jongdae for saying that, he feels more relaxed now for some reason. He's still really nervous of course, but he doesn't feel like he's falling off the edge of the planet anymore, and he hadn't reaised just how wound up he'd been until he'd loosened up.

"Don't you have to go meet her? Like now?" Jongdae complains, while fending off Baekhyun's grabby hands. Baekhyun instantly lets go, swearing, and gathers all of his things into his bag, then hurries off down the corridor, weaving in and out of the people who are still clogging up the hall. Jongdae watches him go fondly. He has to admit he'll be jealous of her, because she'll start taking up his time: time that used to be reserved for Jongdae. But he deserves this. He can't see it himself, but Jongdae can. Even in the short amount of time they've started to get to know eachother, Baekhyun is already starting to gain some more self confidence, and that makes him feel like a proud parent, in a strange way.

-

Baekhyun runs all the way to the door on the ground floor, but walks after that, not wanting to seem like he's too desperate to see her -even though he is- and to try and calm his breathing, as he's panting a little despite it only being a short run. He's not the most athletic of boys. Maybe Chanyeol would like an athletic boy, he suddenly worries, what if couch potatoes like him are a huge turn off? He'll need to start working out orrunning...or...something.

He spies her leaning against the green slat gate, looking serene and beautiful as always. She's showing off her legs, in a pair of shorts, and Baekhyun hopes he won't get caught staring at them because she really has the greatest legs...he blinks to snap himself out of it and then walks up to her, calling her name quietly, so as not to scare her. She whips her head around, and Baekhyun doesn't think he'll ever get used to the idea of Chanyeol, the girl he's crushed on for pretty much as long as he can remember, looking at him. It blows his mind.

"Hey, Baekhyun. I was starting to think you'd forgotten me!" She jokes, pushing off the wall and starting the fifteen minute walk to the town centre, where the cinema is located.

"Forget you? Never!" Baekhyun jokes right back, then celebrates for actually being smooth and not just gaping at her, as he might have done but a few weeks ago.

Baekhyun happily lets Chanyeol tell him stories about anything and everything, her breakfast, embarrassing childhood stories, anything. Baekhyun absorbs it all, pitching in now and then, glad she isn't trying to make him talk more than that because he can't think of anything right now and it would just be an awkward silence.

Chanyeol is still chatting merrily when they get to the cinema just over quarter of an hour later,and Baekhyun has to stop her for a moment, so he can buy the tickets like he said he was going to. Chanyeol looks a little embarrassed for a second, but then he inclines his head to the desk and she gets it, colouring red slightly. Baekyun commits the image of her blushing to memory so he can fanboy over it later, as he chuckles quietly. 

Before going to the desk to ask for the tickets, he recites what he's going to say a few times, gets out the exact change for both of them from his wallet then takes a deep breath. He can do this. 

"Can I have two tickets for The Dragon Trainer, please?" He knows his face is probablybruning red already, and he feels sweaty just from the disinterested stare the girl working her throws at him before she presses some buttons on the screen in front of her. He slides the money to her and leaves it there for her to pick up, and takes the tickets, quickly sendig her a grateful smile, then scarpers back to his date. To Chanyeol, he means.

The film doesn't start for nearly two hours, so thats plenty of time to go get something to eat. He wonders if Chanyeol really means to take him to mcdonals, but then considers the amount of money he has in his wallet; she probably doesn't have much more than him, and he hasn' been there in a while, so why not? 

"So remind me again, what subjects do you take apart from science?" Chanyeol asks, trying to get Baekhyun to open up to her more no doubt. He would love to speak about himself, but he knows theres a line which can't be crossed, the 'too much information' line, the problem is, he doesn't know where this line is. So he mostly keeps quiet, not wanting to risk saying too much.

"I take, biology, further maths and chemistry," he says, short and do the point.

"Ew, maths," Chanyeol's face scrunches up, "I hate numbers, I'm staying as far away from anything that involves counting as I possibly can. I barely passed it in highschool, and only with lots of tutoring. It was awful. Don't you get headaches?" She looks genuinely upset, and it makes Baekhyun laugh a little, because while he's not a prodigy with numbers, they work better for hi than pictures, and what he wouldn't give to have a talent like Chanyeol's.

"No, not really. Maths is hard, but its not abstract, like, you don't have to think of it yourself. You can just do it, you don't have to think if it looks right or not. Well you do but, not like you do for drawing." He frowns, clenching his fists. There it was again, he's crossed the line, and she's going to think he's an idiot.  He waits for the condescending, 'right' but it doesn't come.

"Yeah, but the drawings never come out like I want them to. It's kinda annoying," she complains, wrinkling her nose, "those all sound like really hard subjects."

"I get quite a lot of homework, yeah," he agrees, watching his feet, and being carefull not to step on any cracks in the pavement.

"Ahh, I do get quite a lot of homework for art too, but it's different, I guess."  They push through the glass doors together, and Baekhyun grins internally because their first mutual cooperation. It's not crowded in here, but then it's only quarter to five. They join the queue, and are served quickly, Baekhyun rehearsing his order again before he gives it. Chanyeol walks up to the cashier, all smiles, and chats to the guy like she hasn't a care in the world. In some ways Baekhyun envies her, but, he realises, he'd much more proud of her. Even though he has no right to be. 

With their burgers and fries and fried chicken paid for, they find a small table to share by the window. Despite the noise of the fast food restaurant, and the people wandering around, it makes it feel more like a date. Baekhyun realises he could stretch his legs out just a few inches, and they'd be touching. The thought makes him warm up, and gives him images he shouldn't be having, the thought he usually only entertains in the shower, or when he's alone in the house, so he takes a large bite of his burger to make them shut up.

Chanyeol all but devours her chicken, not lady like in the least, getting sauce and grease all over her hands and mouth, wiping it away with a tissue which she then balls up and tosses to the side. Baekhyun watches, fascinated. He's finally found one: a flaw. Something which shows she actualy isn't perfect. It brings her down from the pedestal Baekhyun has unwittingly put her on.

"You're gross," he comments nonchalantly, eying the sullied serviettes in distaste. Chanyeol gapes at him, then rests her hand lightly on her neck,

"How dare you!" she jokes, making Baekhyun smile,

"I eat more tidily than you do, and I'm a guy," he laughs, ducking as she throws a balled up, greasy tissue at him. He feels free, like the elastic inside him that had been pulled taut since this morning has finally snapped, but in a good way. He starts to talk more, and even teases her a little more, and ends up finishing her fries at the end because she can't finish them.

He has his suspicions that the real reason pertains more to staying slim, but he eats them anyway, not wanting to be rude and saying about it. They leave, feeling full and very unhealthy, but mostly just happy, and head to the cinema to wait for the doors to the screen room to open. On the way, they make a detour into a sweet shop, because this cinema only does sweet popcorn, and Chanyeol hates sweet popcorn. 

-

Lying in his bed, Baekhyun rolls around, tangling himself up in his duvet. The lights had dimmed, and the adverts had started playing on the screen. They'd made comment about each one, judging the really bad ones, and being excited for trailers of other films, and then the main feature started playing. 

He'd been distracted by the film for a few minutes, then Chanyeol had gasped at something, and he hadn't been able to concentrate properly on what was playing in front of him anymore. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, trying to be discreet. The multicoloured glow of the screen had cast a myriad of hues and shadows across her face as he looked up at her. The distance wasn't really all that far between them.

Then he'd looked down, and noticed that her arm was lying on the armrest between them, her elegant fingers spread out in a star shape. Slyly, he'd edged his own hand closer, until they were almost touching, but not quite. It had taken him a large chunk more of the film to pass by before he plucked up the courage to move his little finger that extra centimetre, so the tips were touching. Chanyeol had started and looked down in shock, but hadn't pulled away. In fact, she's shifted a little so their whole arms were touching. 

Baekhyun can still feel the burning tingle along his arm where they were touching, even though it was through two layers of clothing. She's been warm.

He hugs his arm to his chest and wonders if perhaps there is hope after all?

-

hello its been ages i know im sorry

im also sorry if you find any typos 

please comment im a lonely turtle

and i have tumblr and ask.fm 

so you could talk to me there too