by bringnse-xsebaek

Week 1

Baekhyun had never been very fascinated with books, or libraries, or any other place or object that promoted literacy and learning.

So when his best friend decided to coerce him into accompanying him to a bookstore that stood on the corner of the block they generally passed through daily, he fell into the most despondent of moods, grumbling and dragging his feet the entire trek there.

“Come on, Baek.” Kyungsoo gave a sound of exasperation, clutching onto the other male’s wrist and not allowing him to break free as he tugged him into the bookstore upon arrival. 

“But what am I going to do in there! I’m definitely not going to—” A slight shudder. “Read. Oh, dear God—”

“But it will be good for you! When was the last time you ever cracked open a book?”

The older muttered something unintelligible yet made no further protest, following Kyungsoo inside but halting in his steps once more upon catching sight of the elderly man seated behind the counter, hunched over one of the many books that the establishment had to offer.  Soft, antiquated music filtered through speakers located behind him, and he thoughtlessly hummed along while scanning the pages before him, tapping his fingers against the mahogany surface that was primarily buried underneath scattered papers.

Baekhyun let his gaze remain there for several seconds before averting it to drink in his surroundings as well.

“Old people are so cute.” He absentmindedly announced to himself, shuffling a few feet further inside and out of the doorway, lifting his eyes to mentally calculate the height of the various shelves situated around both him and elsewhere in the vicinity of the room.

Kyungsoo inwardly cursed his friend’s reluctance and lack of enthusiasm, beckoning the boy to catch up to him on the other side of the store.

The entirety of the bookstore did not amount to very much- it was neither of an extensive size or arranged in a methodical manner- and yet, it seemed to possess its own unique sort of charm; somehow managing to draw Baekhyun into its depths and holding him there as if he were its prisoner.

While Kyungsoo busied himself with loading books up into arms that likely couldn’t support such a towering stack, Baekhyun browsed the selections that the business had to offer, occasionally plucking a volume from its shelf and briefly thumbing through it before grimacing and hastily returning it to its proper place.  

Although his best friend had managed to accumulate approximately eleven books or so, he found himself coming up empty-handed, and he decisively ventured to a section situated in the far back, determined to find at least one thing to purchase.

He halted in front of a shelf titled ‘self-help’ and found his gaze instantaneously honing in on a book by the name of ‘Discovering One’s uality.’ He hesitated for possibly half a second before his inquisitiveness got the best of him, leading him to stretch out a single hand and lift it out of the nook it had been nestled into.

Baekhyun thoroughly surveyed the cover before deciding to turn to the table of contents, noting the page of the chapter that most interested him and flipping to aforementioned page in haste.

He spent several minutes perusing the pages that the volume held, intrigued by the information provided within its covers.

An unanticipated tap on his shoulder caused the book to all but slip through his distinctly feminine fingers, and he let loose a squeak which also resembled that of a woman’s, much to Kyungsoo’s amusement.

“You ready to go?”

He hummed lowly in confirmation, preferring to act as if he hadn’t just made a fool of himself only a moment before.

Wielding the book in his dominant hand, he retraced the steps he had taken half an hour or so earlier, allowing Kyungsoo to buy his items first and instead hanging back as his best friend did so, once again glancing around at all the store had to offer.

After his ears caught the consummation of a giggle, however, his eyes snapped over towards the counter, growing rather wide as his vision tried to make sense of the sight before him.

Opalescent skin was all that his irises could register at first, but as soon as his heartbeat found its arrhythmic pattern of beating, his eyes found the employee’s, and he was lost in the tawny orbs that met his unflinchingly. Sheer material stretched over a slim, defined form, cut low enough to display collarbones that were so jagged that they appeared capable of slicing somebody’s skin open upon contact.

Before he was able to even minutely recollect his bearings, he was motioned to come forward and purchase the book that suddenly seemed not only incriminating but to consist of flames that at his palm, forcing him to allow it to fall to the floor with a shamefully audible, conclusive sound.

The alarmingly attractive stranger shifted from his position behind the counter to where Baekhyun stood frozen, flustered; staring stupidly down at the floor where the book now sat silently and as bright as day; a piece of evidence that sentenced Baekhyun to a life of mortification and lurking in the shadows.

(He may have been exaggerating just slightly, but at the very least, he was highly considering never coming to such a place ever again, despite how damn gorgeous the employee had turned out to be. Whatever happened to the far from intimidating gramps whose eyesight was likely to be so poor that he wouldn’t even succeed in discovering the title of the book he had been planning on buying?)

Brunette locks were brushed to the side with slender fingers that wasted no time in retrieving the book from the carpet, and the boy remained on his knees as he proffered said item to the adorably embarrassed male standing above him.

He peered up at Baekhyun under silky fringe that for some unbeknownst reason made the older long to thread his fingers into it, and he thoughtlessly held the stranger’s gaze for several uncomfortable seconds before realizing his mistake and hastily snatching the book back into his undeserving hand.

Baekhyun had been unable to resist brushing his fingers against the employee’s as he did so, and he shivered imperceptibly as his nerves alit with some form or another of electricity.

“Thanks.” He was so soft-spoken, that it was highly unlikely that the other boy had even heard him, but the lopsided grin that the stranger proceeded to send him only confirmed his doubts.

After the taller had returned to his station, Baekhyun shuffled awkwardly back to where he had come, unwillingly re-shelving the book and praying to himself that the porcelain-skinned worker hadn’t realized what it was.

Yet again, he was caught unawares by his best friend.

“Why aren’t you getting the book?” He inquired, lips directly beside Baekhyun’s ear.

“, stop sneaking up on me, Kyungsoo!”

The male of slightly smaller stature only shrugged his all but non-existent shoulders. “But I’m good at it.”

“Yeah, only cuz you’re so damn creepy…” Baekhyun muttered in a tone quiet enough to escape Kyungsoo’s hearing.

Without giving answer to his best friend’s question, he whirled around on his heel and made his way back towards the door, entirely missing the gaze sent his way courtesy of the prepossessing bookstore worker.

This may have been due to the fact that he completely refused to do so much as glance in his direction, out of lingering embarrassment from earlier.

However… despite his embarrassment…

He found himself in the same bookstore only a week later.

~

Week 2

This time, he was all by his lonesome, but if Kyungsoo had been beside him, then he would have wasted no time in informing him that he was there because he was interested in a particular male who worked with the books, rather than the books themselves.

Given the circumstances, Baekhyun took it upon himself to deny such a claim (not that it had been made in the first place… and not that it held any variation of validity).

His first visit had honestly piqued his curiosity. No, really. He so very longed to explore every corner of the establishment, to trace his index finger along the spine of every book he came across, to hold both ends apart so that his eyes could earnestly appraise what was hidden between them.

Wait. No.

These were desires meant for a person in place of a novel, desires that were repressed, considering how immoral they currently seemed to be. They shouldn’t even exist, what with only having seen the employee once.

And yet, no matter how much effort he invested in quelling such inappropriate thoughts, they always seemed to resurface- at the least favorable of moments, if the situation wasn’t already lamentable enough.

After finding that wandering around only caused him to feel immensely awkward, he decided to settle down into a chair, clenching a haphazardly selected book between his exquisite digits.

He feigned that his eyes were actually scanning over the pages, but whenever the worker ventured into his line of vision, he peeked around the edge of the book, gaze raking up and down the other male’s lithe form as he rocked up onto the tips of his toes to replace a book on one of the higher shelves.

Baekhyun’s eyes grew round with astonishment as he watched the hem of the boy’s shirt ever so slowly rise up, unveiling the slightest sliver of pale skin along with the waistband of maroon boxers. He was unable to tear his gaze away, hyperaware of both the way the employee’s muscles rippled underneath the fabric and of what little viewable flesh was presented to him at the moment.

He allowed his stare to meander further south, fixating on how regrettably well denim jeans emphasized the worker’s… ets.

It was only when the boy turned around that Baekhyun came to the realization that he had ceased breathing and that his heart rate had dropped dramatically, and he inhaled a sharp, strikingly audible breath which only summoned further attention towards himself.

“Can I help you?” The lanky male offered as his tongue darted out to dampen his lips, striding forth so that a nametag Baekhyun had never perceived before came into view. Clearly he had been very much aware of Baekhyun’s unwavering stare.

“Sehun,” He mindlessly uttered, only capable of reflecting on how effortlessly the name fell from his lips, and how he found it to be quite suiting.

“Yeah. That’s me.” The edge of his mouth quirked up just slightly before he repeated his question. “Sooo… d’ya need anything?”

Baekhyun shook his head with renewed vigor before shielding his face behind the book he wasn’t even remotely interested in, holding it far too high to be considered normal behavior.

He could have sworn Sehun released a low chuckle as he retreated, but he prayed to himself that it was only a trick of his ears.

Byun Baekhyun didn’t very much appreciate being laughed at, or made a fool of, and it was even worse when aforementioned things coincided. 

He remained in such a position for possibly fifteen minutes before deducing that he was bored out of his mind, so he took it upon himself to search for the stranger-not-such-a-stranger-since-he-knew-his-name-but-still-a-stranger-nonetheless.

Located at the far edge of the room, thumbing through a sci-fi book- that was where Sehun had ran off to.

One shoulder was pressed up against the end of a shelf, supporting his weight as he leaned onto it, and Baekhyun promptly hid himself behind a different shelf; a shelf that permitted him to peek around it and earn himself an unobstructed view of Sehun’s magnificence.

If he were to be quite honest with himself, he would have admitted that he was spending far too long creeping on somebody he had no affiliation with, but he shoved aside any traitorous thoughts that popped into his head and never budged an inch from his spot.

It was about the sixth time that he peered around the corner that his eyes widened to a new degree, of greater circumference than ever before.

For Sehun had nonchalantly lowered the volume and raised his own gaze, leveling Baekhyun with it as a semblance of a smile played at his lips once more.

“Can I help you?” A proposition of assistance was given for a third time, in a husky voice clearly not utilized too frequently, but this only led Baekhyun to release a high-pitched squeak before high-tailing it out of there, much the same as his first departure.

~

Week 3

As much as he struggled to resist the urge… he eventually gave into it, as before. And although both experiences at such a bookstore had left him with flaming cheeks and a furiously pounding heart, that didn’t stop him from sauntering through the door as if he hadn’t ever been out of his comfort zone for even once in his entire life.

Upon sighting a table that presented a clear view of the counter (and the boy who was seated behind it), Baekhyun promptly selected the novel nearest to his fingers; slipping into a seat and flipping the book open before adopting it as a shielding device.

He had only been blessed with having seen Sehun twice thus far, but already he could feel his heart flutter and pick up in pace whenever his eyes were trained on said male.

Even the slightest of movements, of actions, thoroughly commanded his attention and caused a light sheen of perspiration to rise along his skin.

When Sehun so much as lifted a lone finger- even if it was only to proceed to the following page of whatever he was reading- Baekhyun momentarily stopped breathing, having to remind himself to in a deeply necessary breath after several moments without having done so had passed.

The entire predicament only complicated itself further whenever that charming, roseate tongue poked out to trace along similarly colored lips.

Baekhyun could barely manage to withhold a muted whimper, already entranced; caught under the opalescent boy’s unintentional spell.

It was inevitable that he was to be caught gawking, however. (For the second time. Two strikes out of three.)

Sehun leisurely arched a single eyebrow, gaze flickering down to the book in the other male’s hand- a lopsided grin finding its way onto his face- before lifting to meet Baekhyun’s. 

Instantaneously rendered red-faced and flustered yet again, bewildered by the boy’s reaction, Baekhyun buried his face in the pages in front of him, distractedly attempting to read the words and feeling his stomach plummet as soon as he realized his mistake.

For, to his utter shame and mortification, the book he had supposedly been so caught up in…

…was upside down.

Haunted by the entertained laughter that ensued while he gradually turned the volume in his hands until it was right side up, Baekhyun resigned himself to the fate of never locking gazes with Sehun ever again.

Nope. Not a single additional time. Byun Baekhyun was through with embarrassing himself. He truly should just overcome the uncontrollable attraction he felt towards the worker; he should never set foot in the store ever again.

He didn’t even like books, for ’s sake, why the hell did he even bother; he was clearly too painfully shy to partake in normal conversation or advance any further in the nonexistent relationship which they shared.

Sheepishly, he rose to his feet, purposely staring at the floor as he took discouraged steps towards the exit.

Many days passed before he allowed himself to return.

~

Week 4

He avoided the route where the bookstore existed, and permitted no thoughts of such a place to linger in his mind.

Willpower. Strength. Resilience. All said things played a part in his resistance, but in the end, all his efforts were ineffective.

Baekhyun was drawn to the place- as cliché as that may seem- and it was inevitable that he’d find himself back within its depths at some point or another.

In reality, it was a certain employee that he was drawn to rather than the store itself, but Baekhyun never was one to admitting anything, whether it concerned faults or facts.

He had come to the conclusion that even simply admiring the lanky male from a slight distance was preferable to never seeing him at all, no matter how depressing that may sound.

A bell chimed as soon as the door swung shut behind him, a feature that hadn’t been present before.

Disappointment rose within him upon spotting that same grandfatherly figure seated behind the counter in place of whom he had come for, but Baekhyun didn’t let that deter him entirely.

After having chosen a table to sit at, Baekhyun once more flipped a book open to its foremost page, and for the first time, he found himself absorbed in the story it told.

He had already covered several chapters when he was unexpectedly brought back to reality, a teasing lilt in an already very much familiar voice breaking him out of his thoughts.

“You know… this isn’t a library,”

Baekhyun fumbled with the book in his hands, somehow managing to lower it to the surface of the table without a great deal of noise, losing his page in the process.

The boy responsible for shocking him was seated at the other end of the table, his own novel held before him, and it caused Baekhyun to wonder as to what the duration of the time he’d been there was.

He raised his hands in mock surrender; eyes round with apprehension and lips quivering as he made an attempt at voicing the countless apologies currently pushing to the front of his mind.

“S-s-sorry, I—I’ll stop reading books here, I’ll—I—um—”

Sehun gradually brought his own book down to rest upon the tabletop as well, a low-toned chuckle emerging from lips twisted into the most amused of smiles.

“No, really, I don’t mind that. What I mean, is… you don’t have to be so quiet.”

Baekhyun proceed to blink his eyes recurrently, not entirely processing the meaning of Sehun’s words, prompting the other boy to elaborate further.

“You come in here all the time, but never say a word to me, unless it is one muttered out of courtesy after I’ve spoken first…”

A muffled sound of astonishment was provided before words supplemented it.

“I h-haven’t been here t-that many times—”

“That may be so,” Sehun yielded, before bringing up a point of his own. “But each of those times, you… were staring at me… weren’t you?”

A pallid pink dusted his cheeks, gradually deepening in shade, and he cast his gaze downwards, bashfully nibbling on his bottom lip before tipping his head in the slightest of nods.  

“You really are quite cute,” Sehun acknowledged, leisurely rising to his feet and striding forward to where Baekhyun remained in his chair.

He timorously rested a hand on the petite male’s shoulder, leading Baekhyun to lift his gaze despite his present abashment.

“I missed seeing you, those few days you were gone, you know.”

Baekhyun glanced over to where slim fingers clutched onto him, producing a soft whine in response to their proximity.

“Don’t lie to me, Sehun—”

“That reminds me... You know my name, but… I don’t know yours.”

Without actually formulating a legitimate request, Sehun observed him anxiously, awaiting an answer that Baekhyun decided he couldn’t force himself to withhold.

“It’s Baekhyun,” He murmured quietly, fixating his gaze on the multi-colored carpet.

“Well, Baekhyun.” Sehun cleared his throat, slipping his hand down to settle over Baekhyun’s, turning it over before boldly interlacing their fingers.

“Can I take you out sometime? To get to know you better, and so you can get to know more about me as well? I’m sure it’s not the books that you were wanting to learn more about… hmm?”

Baekhyun shifted in discomfort in his seat while clutching tightly onto Sehun’s hand, almost as if he were paranoid, anticipating it to leave his at any moment.

“O-okay…”

He could have sworn he heard Sehun inhale an abrupt breath.

“Okay?” Sehun followed up with an additional question, in order to ensure that Baekhyun truly wanted to do as he’d agreed.

“Okay.” Baekhyun reiterated in a firmer tone of voice, mustering up the courage required to glance up at the male towering above him before a delirious grin unfolded across his face.

He was met with a smile of either equal or greater intensity; Sehun’s eyes were crinkled in ecstasy as he eagerly tugged Baekhyun to his feet, and his cheeks were alight with the lightest possible rosy color as well.

“Granddad can watch the shop for the moment—”

“I thought you said ‘sometime,’ not… now.” Baekhyun stifled a giggle behind the palm of his free hand.

“Now’s a good of time as any.”

Although Baekhyun had gone into that bookstore in plans of refraining from purchasing even a single book, he instead came out with someone who essentially provided the same thing along with many other additional qualities.

Sehun surely had plenty of original stories to tell, and if Baekhyun were lucky… they’d be able to compose many more of their own for the future to come.