It’s finally Friday evening, and Baekhyun starts to chuckle when he realizes where Kai is dragging him off to for the previously planned date night. The neighborhood — more like a single long city block — isn’t a place he regularly visits, if only because Baekhyun thinks not every person of Korean origin needs to congregate on the one street dedicated, owned, and seemingly operated by the entirety of the city’s Korean-American population. 

“Kai, why are we going to K-Town?” he asks with an amused grin.

“Because, you told me I needed to feed you.” Kai drapes one arm over his boyfriend’s shoulder in a manner that could be interpreted as just a friendly gesture. The way his hand digs into Baekhyun’s arm in a subtly possessive way suggests otherwise of course. 

“And so what are you planning to feed me?”

“McDonald’s. What else?” Kai jokes.

Baekhyun smirks. “I’m not going a step farther until you ‘fess up. Are we going to eat barbeque? Korean barbeque?”

Kai looks crestfallen. “How did you know?” he complains with a pout. He pulls them along so they continue to walk down the street.

“I didn’t. I was just hoping for a table loaded down with meat!”

“Well, you’ll get your wish. I promised I would feed you well tonight.”

Kai completes his promise with a proud smile when half an hour later they are seated around a massive collection of side dishes, steaming bowls of rice and soup, and the meat cooking in front of their eyes on the table’s center grill. The atmosphere is cozy though a little loud. A television screen broadcasts an old recorded K-pop music show program on one wall, while the sound system overhead drones on with a completely different playlist. It’s a little too much to watch G-Dragon performing onstage to the accompaniment of a Girl’s Day song, so Baekhyun focuses instead on his food. And on Kai. 

They both can eat well, that much is certain. The side dishes disappear and are replaced, the meat practically disintegrates before it passes down through their mouths, and while Baekhyn’s a little envious of the couple at the nearest table to them slopping down bottles of soju, the two minors don’t need any alcoholic intervention to make the meal, and their time together, enjoyable. 

“I think I’m going to burst,” Kai says as they are walking out.

“Aww, I guess that means no cheesy ice cream date after this?” 

“Oh, I’ll take you for ice cream alright. Just, this place is special.” 

“Special. Right. So where is this special place?”

“Right across the street.” Kai motions to an atrium in the middle of the block that resembles more of an open three story food court. 

Baekhyun whines. “I thought you said you were full! How can we eat ice cream right away?”

Kai looks genuinely confused. “Who is ever too full to eat ice cream?” He sighs and shakes his bangs out of his face, and with one arm behind Baekhyun’s back, he starts to pull him across the street. “Look, I told you this place is special. At least, this dessert is. And if you want, we can just sit for a bit until you’re ready.” 

Baekhyun finally agrees and therefore he willingly follows Kai up the stairs to the second floor where they take a seat at a small table overlooking both the street and the inside of the building. There isn’t room to sit side by side. Instead they sit on opposite ends of the tiny table facing each other, and unless they want to play footsie under the table, Kai looks a whole lot less confident now that he can’t really touch Baekhyun. He frowns just a bit, a face Baekhyun is starting to recognize as Kai’s contemplative look.

“What is it?” Baekhyun asks.

Kai snaps out of it. “Huh?”

“You look like you want to say something.”

“Oh.”

“Well, do you?” For lack of anything better to do, Baekhyun pokes at Kai’s arm resting on the table. That draws a small smile to Kai’s face.

“Hmmm. Maybe.”

“Maybe what?” He’s a little worried that this could go on for a while. “You know, if you don’t want to talk, I could talk.”

“About what?” Kai asks nervously.

“My sister actually.”

“Oh. What about your sister? Minzy, right?”

“Yes. She’s coming tomorrow.”

Kai hums, though he looks relieved and apparently indifferent to the news that his boyfriend’s sister is coming to visit tomorrow. “Actually I wanted to ask you something different.”

Baekhyun allows himself a mental pat on the back, now that he’s successfully gotten Kai to talk. “Okay. So talk.”

Kai doesn’t waste any more time, blurting out the words he’s been meaning to ask for a few days now. “How many boyfriends have you had? I mean, how many people have you dated before me?” He’s nervous to hear the answer, nervous that he may have been too blunt about asking it.

Baekhyun stills, mouth partway open, to stare at Kai. Then, cooly, he answers. “Two.”

Kai breathes again. “Two,” he repeats casually.

“Yes, just two. Two boyfriends.”

Kai nods his head. “Okay.”

Baekhyun wants to laugh, because Kai already acts like he’s fine with that, as if the conversation is done. Kai glances around the place, apparently checking out the location of the dessert counter and how long the line is, and ignores the bemused look on Baekhyun’s face.

“That’s it? That’s all you’re going to ask?” Baekhyun pries.

Kai returns his gaze back to Baekhyun, and Baekhyun can practically feel the curiosity still radiating off his boyfriend’s face, even if he’s trying to deny it.

“I guess so, yeah.”

Baekhyun looks down, trying his best to look sad and beginning to trail one finger along the patterned table design. “Why bother asking then? Sehun probably told you anyways.”

Kai clears his throat, clearly not expecting this. “What? Huh? I— I mean, I was just curious. I mean, yeah Sehun mentioned something a couple days ago and… I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me for asking...”

Baekhyun giggles, and for the first time Kai realizes that Baekhyun isn’t mad. It stuns him a little. “Why would I be mad? You have the right to ask, Kai, you know that.”

“I do?”

“Yes…”

“Oh.”

“You seem to be saying that a lot tonight: ‘Oh’” Baekhyun laughs.

Kai scratches his head and messes with his hair, though at least he’s beginning to smile again. “Guess it just feels awkward to ask. I guess—I guess I shouldn’t push my luck and ask about every little detail about them? Your ex-boyfriends?” He tries his best at a cutsey smile.

Baekhyun only grins. “Maybe after dessert, huh?”

“Okay.” Suddenly Kai seems ten times more awake then he was just minutes prior. “Can we get dessert now? I promise you’re gonna love it!”

“Oh what the hell, why not. Show me this precious dessert you’ve been raving about all week, already.”

“Great! Be right back!” Kai jumps out of his seat and neatly bounds through the aligned tables to a counter at the far side of the floor. Baekhyun watches him place his order then return with a buzzer, and in the meantime he tries to line up any answers Kai might possibly want from him about his relationship history. Truthfully, he finds this situation vaguely funny but he guesses he shouldn’t tell that to Kai directly. Sehun’s warning comes to mind: that hardly concealed threat that Baekhyun better not make Kai feel uncomfortable since this will be his first ever relationship with anybody. 

“Can I tell you something now?” Baekhyun asks, not willing to wait until later.

“Sure?” Kai sits, buzzer in his hands as he waits for their dessert to be ready. 

“I never liked anyone so much as I like you right now.” 

Kai blushes visibly, but in that heartbeat Baekhyun watches as his anxiety melts away, and a proud little smile replaces the small line of pressed lips on Kai’s face. 

“So, just right now?” he asks, teasingly. “Not ten minutes ago, or two minutes ago, or in ten minutes from now?” 

“Well, I can’t account for ten minutes from now because if this dessert isn’t as amazing as you promised, I might have to rethink everything.” Baekhyun reaches across the table and pulls the buzzer out of Kai’s hands. He places his own hand in its place, purposefully draping and interlocking his fingers in a way he knows Kai finds irresistible. 

“Guess I don’t have anything to worry about then… unless you don’t like chocolate, and then I may just be screwed.” 

Baekhyun gulps, mouth watering. “There’s chocolate too?” 

“Of course! How are you supposed to have dessert without chocolate?”

“Fair enough. But don’t distract me! I was about to tell you something important about life and love and boyfriends, and here you are distracting me with a dessert I haven’t even seen or tasted yet! How are we supposed to learn anything about each other when you keep making me get off topic.” Baekhyun pouts tauntingly, but Kai might as well be drooling.

“And here I thought you were the one trying to distract me.” He grins, and holds up the hand Baekhyun latched onto a moment ago. “Sorry though, I think I only caught one word in that whole thing…” he pauses dramatically. “And it had to do with… lo—“

The buzzer goes off with a clatter against the table.

“Oh, look! It’s ready.” Kai jumps up with a smirk, loosens his hand from Baekhyun’s, and practically floats across the room, leaving Baekhyun to gape and shake his head with a laugh. 

The dessert Kai returns with is certainly worth the wait: a devil’s food chocolate cake b with molten chocolate, topped with chocolate chips, a cookie, and the best part of the attraction, green tea ice cream. They can barely even talk through the slurping of spoons and melted chocolate and ice cream, and when finally the plate is bare and the plastic utensils put down, they look at each and smile as if on cue. 

“Good?” Kai asks.

“Oh, yes.”

“Told you.”

“I know. I know, you did try to tell me…”

“You were also going to tell me something else…” Kai baits. 

Baekhyun smiles and leans back in his chair, hands rubbing at his overfull stomach. “Was I?”

Kai moans out a low note that might have been an attempt at a growl, however, to Baekhyun’s ears it sounds more like a complaint. Baekhyun likes that sound, though he’s also aware of how much of a tease he’s being and he’s not sure how long Kai will be able to stand it. 

“Let’s get out of here,” Kai says. And there Baekhyun has his answer. 

Kai doesn’t allow him to move far out of his range. With one hand he picks up their plate, and with the other he grabs ahold of Baekhyun’s hand, pulling the man behind him as he deposits the dirty dish on a counter in the corner. The dish he leaves, the hand he does not, not even on the walk down the stairs, nor on the crowded sidewalk outside, not until they’ve reached the corner of the block and suddenly there is room to move and to breathe and to coarsely hug Baekhyun. He wraps his arms around him, pulling him into a deep kiss which Baekhyun does nothing to prevent and everything to prolong. It’s a bit chilly on the street corner, and they feel people bump into them in passing, but Baekhyun doesn’t care. He’ll happily let the world stare as he and Kai kiss. Their breaths and tongues taste of chocolate and green tea, of the most amazing dessert Baekhyun thinks he’ll ever experience. Devouring the plate was one thing, but reliving it again like this, with Kai’s arms around him growing tighter still, a hand at his back and another around his neck… 

Kai steers the kiss at his will, lazier now but just as content. He pulls back just a little and they open their eyes in the already dim light of the street corner. Kai’s smile is full of bliss and Baekhyun leans forward, fishing for a kiss on the forehead which he receives within half a second. Kai doesn’t pull away from this one either. He rests his lips there and whines happily, hands falling loosely around Baekhyun’s lower back, and in a moment of joy he pulls Baekhyun roughly against him.

Baekhyun gags and pulls back immediately. 

Kai instantly looks upset with himself. “What? Are you alright? I’m sorry, what’s wrong!?”

Baekhyun bends forward with his hands against his stomach, sputtering but still trying to laugh. “I’m full, you idiot! You can’t just ram into my stomach when I’m this stuffed!” 

Kai laughs nervously, hands circling at Baekhyun’s shoulders as he hurriedly apologizes and holds him upright. 

“Rule number 1 about boyfriends,” Baekhyun continues. “Mind the stomach after mealtimes!” He straightens up and instead of resuming their position facing each other, opts for a side by side entanglement as he loops his left hand behind Kai’s waist and encourages Kai’s right arm up behind his neck. With his free hand, Baekhyun reaches up to clutch at Kai’s dangling hand, and Kai sighs and apologizes again, smiling though at how quickly Baekhyun nuzzles into him. They start walking after a moment, leisurely, since Baekhyun insists he needs to move to feel better. At the first crosswalk, Kai nips at his ear and Baekhyun squeals a few pitches higher than he’d known he could utter.

“Ahh! Stop, stop! That tickles!” 

Kai avidly laughs, enjoying the moment too much so that Baekhyun has to elbow him in the ribs to make him stop. “Okay, I got it. No stomach. No ears. Anything else I should be wary about touching after mealtimes?” He continues to laugh.

Baekhyun doesn't answer, but he does resituate them back into their previous walking position and huffs petulantly as the light changes. They walk in comfortable silence for a few blocks, Kai steering them towards a bus stop. 

They are halfway there when Kai says, “Baek?”

“Yes?”

“I don't really need to know everything about you from before...”

Baekhyun tilts his head to glance at Kai's calm and happy expression. “You don't?”

“No, not really.”

Baekhyun waits to see if Kai will say anything more. He does a few seconds later.

“You see, I've thought about you for a really long time. Ever since I first saw you, really. But I never imagined I'd get this opportunity to meet you again, or get to know you, or... to date you.” He clears his throat, embarrassed as he notes Baekhyun's growing, knowing smile. “Quit looking at me like that you. You're making me nervous...”

“Sorry. Sorry,” Baekhyun quickly says, but he only tones down his smile partly. “So, what about me then?”

“What about you?” Kai laughs indulgently. “Everything about you. I just can't believe we're even here, talking, walking like this. For so long I wanted to know everything about you. Back when I only knew you by sight. I guess some of that carried over, except now I realize you're way more awesome than I imagined.”

“So, for five years you had this dream image of me, and come to find out I'm even cooler than all that? Wow, I feel cool now. Seriously, though. How come you never talked to me? Those years that you were around, and apparently hiding out watching me dance like some sort of creeper-stalker? We could've been friends for a whole lot longer instead of really meeting just now.”

Kai sighs. “Awkward teenager phase? What would you have said, anyways? I beat you in that dance competition. Would you really have liked me then? Wanted to talk to me at all?” 

“Oh right. I remember. I hated your guts.”

“Really??” Kai winces.

“No.” Baekhyun chuckles. “But I was rather intimidated by you back then. Everytime I saw you dance, especially when it was before I was going to perform. You messed me up, you know that?! Before my solo stage when I lost and you went on to win.” He glances at Kai, but Kai looks lost in  his memories. “Damn, but you looked so good back then.”

That wakes Kai up. “Huh?!”

Baekhyun laughs. “Dancing! Dancing! You looked so good dancing back then!”

Kai turns sullen. “Is that all...” he grumbles.

“Basically, yeah.” He nuzzles into Kai's side while they wait for the bus to arrive. “I don't remember much else about you then other than your dancing... but you really did look hot. I remember that much at least. You should have come and talked to me. If you were anything then like you are now, then maybe I wouldn't have dated anybody else before you...”

Kai whines at the implications. Not caring at all if Baekhyun's stomach is still too full, he pulls him to his body for another quick, bruising kiss. “All that wasted time!” Kai complains dramatically as the bus pulls up. He's delighted, completely elated to hear Baekhyun's words, so even though he should feel regret for not pursuing him sooner, it doesn't matter. Nothing matters except the here and now, and Baekhyun, and whatever the future brings, but he's too busy being happy to even think about that. 

The bus is too crowded to find any worthwhile seats that are together. Kai heads for the rear exit door and holds on to the railing while clutching Baekhyun from behind, anchoring him to his body to avoid the dips and tilts of the movements of the large vehicle. A few stops later a couple seats open up and they can finally sit down and relax their feet. Baekhyun wastes no time leaning against Kai's shoulder, and though he closes his eyes and pretends to be asleep, Kai notices his smile creep up when Kai sneaks one hand around him and rests his other hand across his own lap until it lays gently on Baekhyun's leg. 

“Kai,” Baekhyun whispers some moments later, eyes still closed.

“Hmm?”

“I want you to do something for me...”

“Okay.” 

Baekhyun smiles and finally opens his eyes. “You're not even going to ask what it is?”

“Well, I figured you've been buttering me up all night, but I think I can handle whatever you bring up...” 

“Ahh, so here's where I find out if all my flattery has paid off.”

“Alright, just say it.” Kai sighs and hugs him tighter.

“My sister is coming tomorrow...”

“You told me that already.”

“I want you to meet her.” Baekhyun sounds extra hesitant, which makes Kai wonder just how strange this favor is if all he has to do is meet her.

“I figured that already.”

“Yes, but she's coming to the studio workshop. You know, I told you she was a dancer like me.”

Kai's stomach muscles clench painfully, though he manages to keep a straight face. “And...?”

“I want you to come. Meet her there. Watch her... dance... kind of like how you did with me that first day...” 

Kai wants to curse, but he stalls his words to keep them internal. “...like the first day I watched you dance...” he repeats mechanically.

“Yes.” Baekhyun winces and closes his eyes. “I asked your mom if we could stay a bit later tomorrow afternoon for extra... tutoring... and... please, just come.” He rotates in his spot, hugs Kai around the middle and opens his eyes to look at him close up, begging. “Please, Kai.” 

Kai breathes heavily, forcing himself not to look away from his pleading boyfriend. And it's only because it's Baekhyun, and he knows that Baekhyun understands all the implications of forcing Kai back into a dance room, not even to dance but just to be there, observing, tutoring and teaching in an area of expertise that he can no longer participate in but still knows well enough for it to be painful. And maybe just a little bit healing. He cannot deny the satisfaction he'd gained from watching Baekhyun dance all those many weeks ago, of his own selfless joy seeing Baekhyun grow and learn and adapt. And all that may have been just because it was him, the boy he'd liked for so many years, finally, literally at his fingertips. It was the only reason he managed it then, and all the days after. It might well become the only reason he'll be able to enter a dance room peacefully again, ever. Because for Baekhyun it was worth trying. 

“Only if you'll be there too,” he says slowly, deliberately.

“Of course I'll be there,” Baekhyun replies.

Kai kisses him again, noting with glee that they still taste like chocolate and green tea, his favorite dessert ever. 

3,683 words

In case you were wondering, yes that is the delicious, most amazing dessert ever ^

So, anyways, I think it was time for some more direct Kaibaek fluff this chapter, plus a slow push in the general direction of PLOT! And then some more fluff... Ugh this chapter gave me cavities. Do any of you mind though? (My husband probably minds... sorry! I still love you!) 

Wow, I really don't have anything else to say. My Miami vacation was amazing. I came back more well-rested than practically any vacation I've ever had, so that makes me happy and now it puts me in a mood for writing. Yay! I also spent most of the plane ride home dreaming up exact scenarios and scenes for the rest of this story (not all of it, but a lot of chunks) and, if any of you read Monument of a Man, I have finally drafted the storyline for an upcoming sequel.  Ta da! (I'll post real chap updates for that later... not terriby soon though) But seriously, how I managed to daydream about that angsty plot AND this fic in the same two and a half hour span, I have no idea. My brain is messed up, that's all I can say. 

Next chapter for Spotlights though will resume 'tomorrow' in their universe, during and after the dance workshop, so we'll finally meet Baekhyun's sister Minzy. AND I intend to complete (or near complete) the Xiuhan storyline!!! Knowing me of course, I might get distracted though... You never know. :)

<3 Rosie