It's a small house, to be honest. Much like a cottage, with a slanted roof and chipping, baby blue paint on the outside. Kyungsoo likes it well enough though, and it's so close to the forest that there are birds sometimes straying over to his windowsill. It's a good size for only one person living there anyway.

Kyungsoo had lived with his grandparents most of his life. So long he can hardly remember the time before, before the accident, when he lived with his parents.

At the tender age of 8, he'd been driving to the zoo with his parents, like any normal Saturday. It was humid out, the sun casting tree shadows everywhere and bringing out the brown tones in Kyungsoo's hair. He held a tiger plushie tightly between his small fists, clutching it to his chest and happily singing along to Disney soundtracks in the car. He'd giggle when the soft fur of his doll tickled his chin, and his mother would look back when he did so, a smile lighting up her face. His father also did, once, to laugh at his son and , when he suddenly veered off the road.

The boy doesn't recall much after that, or more so he doesn't want to. It all happened so quickly, the screaming of his mother, the way he held onto his tiger like there was no tomorrow, tears blurring his vision as he dialed 911 like they'd taught him in school and watched when his parents were taken on stretchers into an ambulance. The police had told Kyungsoo he was lucky to have gotten out of the car alive.

But he wasn't so sure he was that lucky.

•••

Everything about the house was new to Baekhyun.  The way it smelled like cinnamon (which he later find out from Kyungsoo, as he couldn't place the scent at first), the worn furniture in the living room, and all the food piled up in the old refrigerator.  

He tugged at a fraying strand of fabric on a chair. "What is this?" Baekhyun questioned, turning to Kyungsoo with widened eyes.

"That's a chair," the other responded, a little confused. "Don't you know what a chair is?"

"Chair," he sounded out slowly, brows furrowed as he looked at the carpet.

Kyungsoo patted the seat cushion. "Chairs are meant to be sat on. Go ahead, sit down."

The fairy looked suspiciously at the furniture before slowly sinking down into it, resting his hands delicately on the armrests.

"Where do you sleep Baekhyun?" Kyungsoo's voice broke the silence.

"In a tree."

"A specific tree?"

Baekhyun looked up at him with his bright, gleaming orbs. "No. Any tree I can find, really."

"Do you have any family?"

"Family?"

The shorter man was flabbergasted. "You don't know what family is?"

The other glanced at his fingers as he played with them in his lap. "Fairies are born through plants. We don't have families and we don't live together. It's everyone for themselves."

That saddened Kyungsoo a bit. He didn't have family left anymore, but at least he'd gotten to experience it. Of course it upset him that his grandparents had died too, the only family he'd had after the accident, although he got over it quickly.

"I'm sorry about your grandparents, Kyungsoo," Baekhyun murmured.

"How did you..."

"I can hear thoughts," the fey said simply, as if it were as obvious as the sky was blue.  

This was news to Kyungsoo. His eyes ran over Baekhyun, his pale skin, thin arms, and loose shirt and pants. He was very beautiful, in all honesty.

It was just then that Kyungsoo happened to look at the clock and realize how late it had become. "Hey, it's getting kinda late, we should go to bed, don't you think?"

Baekhyun blinked and cocked his head at the other boy. "I guess." He suddenly yawned, stretching out his muscles with a satisfying sigh. Kyungsoo felt a little thump in his chest at the fairy's graceful movements but decided to ignore it.

"Here," he said, going into the hall to get a blanket and a pillow from the closet. "Sleep on the couch."

He watched as Baekhyun accepted them, settling onto his back on the couch and looking up at him with piercing gray. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah," Kyungsoo gulped. "It's fine." He said a quick goodnight to Baekhyun, who already looked half asleep, and went into his bedroom.

He changed and slipped into bed, trying to ignore the way his heart still pounded like there was no tomorrow.

•••

A week later and Baekhyun seemed to be getting into the swing of things. He lived well with Kyungsoo (even if he was sort of a diva sometimes) and was learning about human life pretty well.

One morning, as Kyungsoo woke up, he passed a sleeping Baekhyun on the couch.  Holding his still warm coffee, he watched quietly as the fairy breathed, his chest moving steadily, arm tucked over his eyes and mouth slightly open.

Kyungsoo observed that Baekhyun had been wearing the same thing since he'd met him, and hadn't showered either. His hair was getting long too, bangs falling into his face, covering his eyes, and edges scraping the base of his neck. Maybe, if he was going to be here for a while, he could clean him up, give him human clothes, something like that. At least have him shower. Kyungsoo walked back to the kitchen to get more of the sweet coffee, coming back out and nestling into the couch to watch TV until Baekhyun woke up.

He awoke with a snuffle, shaking his head to get his hair out of his line of vision and blinking rapidly. "Morning," he mumbled to Kyungsoo, rubbing his nose with his hand.

"G'morning."

"What are we gonna do today? Something fun?" Baekhyun asked expectantly, eyes shining.

"Well, y'know, I was thinking...you've been here for a little while, and I mean, humans normally shower and get dressed daily so...why don't we go shopping today for some new clothes for you?"

Baekhyun scrunched his little button nose. "Shopping? That sounds fun. I don't know what it is but it sounds fun."

"Great," Kyungsoo chuckled. "But first, you have to shower."

"What's showering?"

"Here," Kyungsoo led him to the bathroom, shutting the door behind them. "Now strip," he said, facing Baekhyun.  

Baekhyun became wide-eyed. "What?"

"Take off your clothes and get into the shower."

Baekhyun began to slowly peel off his shirt until Kyungsoo stopped him. "Wait! Get into the shower first!" He pushed the boy into the tub, pulling the curtain. "Okay, NOW strip and toss your clothes outside of the tub." He watched as a pair of pants and a shirt appeared on the floor seconds later. "Good. Now, turn the knob to the left." A spray of water was heard, and a gasp from Baekhyun. "Use the soap to wash your body with, alright?" Baekhyun grunted a yes, and Kyungsoo ducked out of the bathroom, getting himself dressed and putting Baekhyun's clothes (which he'd taken with him) into the laundry basket.

Kyungsoo carefully grabbed a striped sweater and old, faded jeans in his hands and opened the bathroom door, setting them inside.

Not even a half hour had passed when Baekhyun emerged from the shower, dressed in Kyungsoo's clothes. He had to admit, the fey boy looked good. The sweater hung handsomely from his small shoulders, covering his hands as he curled his fingers around the cuffs. There were subtle rips in the jeans, but overall they weren't too bad and the way they were rolled up made Baekhyun look rather cute.

"These pants are uncomfortable," the fairy whined.

"Sorry, Baekhyun, but they'll have to do for now."

"Fine," Baekhyun huffed, crossing his arms in annoyance. "Do we get to go shopping now?"

"Well, first I want to do one thing," Kyungsoo said. "Come and eat breakfast with me."

"What? Why?" He pouted and brushed his bangs away from his forehead.

"Because. That's what humans do."

"Eating three times a day is a lot though."

"So? It's better for you. Baekhyun, aren't you hungry?"

"Well..." he hesitated, eyes scanning the kitchen.

"Exactly. Eating more than once a day won't hurt you."

Baekhyun sighed, defeated, and sunk down into his seat as Kyungsoo made breakfast for the two of them.