For: thetwofullmoons

By: Anon

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: ~7.5k

Summary: Sehun never cared very much for Baekhyun, given that the latter tended to compete with him academically without spending anywhere near as much time as Sehun did studying. But after spending a winter school trip together, Sehun comes to realize that his feelings may have been misplaced... That he may care more for Baekhyun than he had previously believed.

Author’s Note: Um. No idea if this was how you wanted the prompt to be followed, soooo... Hopefully it is okay? I'm not really good with endings so it may seem rushed. And cheesy. And dumb. (Pls don't hate meh) MERRY CHRISTMAS! ^-^

 

 

A typical day in the life of Oh Sehun revolved around one thing and one thing only: education.

 

Each morning was spent performing all of the actions required to prepare himself for school. After arriving at said place, he would remain alert and inquisitive during every class, scribbling down notes rather than doodles like the majority of his peers and sequentially cracking open his textbooks one by one as soon as he returned home.

 

He led a life of monotony; rigorously studying and forgoing standard activities normal teenagers tended to partake in, all in order to obtain the highest conceivable grades.

 

And yet, regardless of the plethora of effort he invested in his studies, there still existed instances in which he was knocked down a peg and regrettably set into the place of second best…

 

…And there was just one person in particular whom Oh Sehun could hold accountable for accomplishing such a depraved thing.

 

“Byun Baekhyun, for the last time, could you quiet down!? I am trying to teach a class here—”

 

Ah, yes. Oh Sehun heard such a name mentioned far more often than he’d like to acknowledge, for it belonged to somebody who consistently snatched the rank of ‘best student’ directly out of his elongated, slender digits.

 

If that weren’t despicable enough, aforementioned male seemed remarkably less interested in putting in the work to earn such a title. Sehun knew for a fact that he spent the majority of his time absorbed with his never-ending circle of friends, whether they were out and about or holed up in somebody’s room rotting their brains in front of a various assortment of screens.

 

The competition only spurred Sehun on to struggle more actively, cutting out a preponderance of things having to do with anything other than school.

 

The only thing he allowed himself to continue to do was the occasional dance session- of course, this occurred only when he was alone and locked up in his room, the only witness to the way he permitted his body to loosen up and alleviate the ceaseless accumulation of stress weighing heavily upon himself.

 

Good riddance, too, because otherwise he would never have been able to maintain his lanky, toned form which came as a result of such exercise (or so he told himself- even before he had begun dancing, he managed to consume whatever he wanted in whatever quantity without any weight gain, but Sehun was not so foolish as to believe that this could last forever).

 

Back to Baekhyun… not that Sehun cared to waste any more time entertaining thoughts of him.

 

Revision: back to the real world. Sehun silently reprimanded himself for spacing out for the first time in what seemed like years, and he refocused his attention on the teacher once more.

 

Approximately fifteen additional minutes had passed by when an obnoxiously resounding ringing sound permeated the room, prompting all of the students contained within it to gather their things at breakneck speed, especially considering that the final class of the day had concluded.

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoaaa.” The teacher held up a single hand, palm facing outwards towards the disgruntled boys and girls practically glaring back at him.

 

“Winter break starts in six days… during it, the school is hosting a trip to Seoul. Permission slips are on my desk, so feel free to grab one if you’re interested.”

 

The students stared expectantly at him for an uncomfortable stretch of silence before he had the decency to appear apologetic.

 

“Oh, yes, now you are dismissed.”

 

Sehun swung his backpack over his right shoulder and set a straight path towards the exit, determined to ignore the offer that Mr. Cho had just made. He unintentionally deviated from it, however, when said teacher clapped a hand on the shoulder not occupied by a strap, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

 

“Oh Sehun.”

 

“Sir.” He politely inclined his head, heart racing as his mind cycled through every possible reason why the teacher could have pulled him aside.

 

Sehun did not do very well with one-on-one interactions- or any sort of interactions with any sort of actual people, for that matter- and the fact that he was currently engaged in one, with somebody of such high regard and somebody whom he respected, at that, only made it all the worse. So, unsurprisingly, nervousness succeeded in attaining a chokehold on his throat, hindering his breathing and leading a thin layer of sweat to collect upon his skin.

 

“Were you going to leave without taking one of these?”

 

A single slip of paper forces its way into Sehun’s line of vision, and he also has to force himself to close his own fingers in around it.

 

“I think it would do you some good. As far as I can tell, you’re a brilliant student, Sehun, but… you need to live a little. Think about it.”

 

With a single well-meaning pat to his back, Sehun was let go, and he took sluggish steps out of the classroom, not even glancing at what was written upon the page in his hand before crumpling it up into a ball and sending it spiraling through the air and into the nearest available trashcan.

 

That was the extent to which he thought about the trip, until his mother brought it up several days later.

 

“Sehunnie~” She sang, barging into his room and completely disregarding the fact that the door had been shut for a reason. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

 

Sehun barely deigned her a look, preoccupied with perusing a chapter in his history book, but his eyes snapped back to her instantaneously once he realized what she was holding.

 

“Uhh... because… I don’t plan on going?”

 

“Nonsense!” The woman carelessly waved his comment away. “It would be good for you.”

 

She proceeded to gently place the paper down directly over the page he was on before spinning on her heel and exiting the room as suddenly as she had entered.

 

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Sehun grumbled, pressing the pen he had been using to take notes to the surface of the slip instead, hastily albeit reluctantly filling it out.

 

“I don’t know why she wants me out of the house so badly, it’s not like I make very much noise…”

 

Sehun heaved an overdramatic sigh before venturing out into the kitchen, shoving the paper back into his mother’s face and then retreating to the safety of his bedroom.

 

He was already dreading the damned trip, and he wasn’t even on it yet.

 

~

 

Dragged out of bed before the sun was even peeking over the horizon, bland cereal shoveled into his mouth, clothes yanked on over his head and legs- the morning was all a blur to lethargic Oh Sehun.

 

He mindlessly shuffled onto the designated bus, collapsing into a seat in the far back and placing his belongings on the empty space next to him to discourage anybody from joining him.

 

Then, he placed headphones in both ears and leaned his head against the window, eyes fluttering shut as he entered into a state analogous to comatose.

 

The only time he opened his eyes was when there were bathroom or meal breaks, and the last occurrence was when they had finally reached their destination.

 

Due to having traveled all day, the plan was to remain in their assigned hotel rooms until the following morning- that was when the activities would proceed.

 

“Allllrighty, then, lets get you paired up and on your way…”

 

The teacher began calling off names one by one, pausing after every couple that was meant to room with each other.

 

Sehun listened painstakingly for both his own name and either that which preceded or followed it.

 

It was when Mr. Cho was nearing the end of the list that he heard it, and he waited with bated breath for his appointed roommate before inhaling sharply in utter shock and dismay.

 

For the name that had rolled off of his lips was a name that Oh Sehun preferred not to see, hear, or even think about it, not even for one single second of one single day.

 

Byun Baekhyun was exceedingly obnoxious, even more so than the bell which signified the cessation of each class. His senior photo should have been plastered under the dictionary definition of ‘rambunctious.’ Make that ‘boisterous.’ Or even ‘rowdy’, or ‘bothersome’, or anything of the like. Take any synonym of aforementioned words, and fill in the blank. That summed up Byun Baekhyun’s personality to a tee.

 

And yet, Sehun couldn’t deny the fact that yes, he was quite attractive… only because his features resembled that of a female’s, of course.

 

And maybe if he wasn’t consistently trying- and sometimes succeeding- to outdo him, maybe, just maybe Sehun would find him to be an intriguing character, someone who he might have liked to be friends with…

 

If he had friends, and knew how to make them and what to do with them, that is.

 

So, all of these reasons factored into the decision of ruling out any possibility of friendship, and thus, Sehun only viewed Baekhyun as an enemy.

 

A threat to his attempted accomplishments.

 

He didn’t want to room with him. He truly didn’t.

 

He was dreading it more than he had dreaded going on this trip at all, to be quite honest. Damn it all.

 

There surely would never be a quiet moment. Baekhyun would likely be blabbering on, and onnn, and oooooonnn.

 

But not necessarily to him. No, of course not. Why would he bother with Oh Sehun when he could just invite his seemingly endless number of friends over, cluttering up the room and causing his claustrophobia to make a reappearance?

 

Sehun was silent the entire trek up to their room, savoring the moment that was sure to be broken at any time now.

 

Much to his surprise, Baekhyun didn’t attempt conversation, he only curiously observed their surroundings, but really… should Sehun really be surprised? Like, honestly. They’d never actually spoken before, why should things change now?

 

Stupid Sehun.

 

He cleared his throat as soon as they had gone through the door, dropping his stuff on the bed nearest to the window.

 

“Um.”

 

His voice was gravelly from lack of use, and he had to clear his throat for a second time, the faintest of blushes rising to his cheeks.

 

“Can you, like… go somewhere else?”

 

Baekhyun arched a single elegant eyebrow, managing not to appear offended at such a rude request.

 

“I-I—I mean—” Sehun inwardly cringed, and cursed himself, for sounding so awkward in front of his rival. “--What I meant, was, to hang out with your friends… can you not do it here? …Please?”

 

The shorter male’s eyes dawned with understanding, and he gave a quick nod before dumping his own stuff beside the bed not occupied.

 

“Yeah, no problem.” He flashed an amused albeit somehow slightly shy smile. “I know you don’t like being surrounded by many people.”

 

Sehun did his best not to let the astonishment show in his expression- he had no idea that Baekhyun had noticed anything at all about him, aside from the fact that he was studious and most definitely not outspoken.

 

“Yeah. Thanks.” Sehun’s voice was clipped- he was unaccustomed to speaking to other people, particularly of his own age, you must remember- and he flopped onto his bed, deliberately keeping his eyes from wandering over to the only other occupant of the room and instead retrieving a book settled atop his clothes in his bag.

 

Baekhyun stifled a snort; because, of ing course the taller boy would do something like that, even after his eyes had finally been given the opportunity to rest after having been subject to the material of so many subjects for so long.

 

Sehun barely glanced up, having only heard the slightest of sounds, before returning to the novel perched between his fingers.

 

There was a moment of hesitation before Baekhyun grabbed his bag and hurried into the shared bathroom to prepare for bed, already exhausted from the traveling although he had primarily been in a seated position for its duration.

 

He could tell that Sehun was too, however, because when he reemerged into the main room, he caught sight of the younger male almost nodding off while attempting to absorb the content of the pages in front of him.

 

Baekhyun chuckled almost inaudibly, too soft for Sehun to hear, before slipping beneath the covers of a bed that suddenly seemed a great distance from Sehun’s.

 

“I’m going to bed, mmkay?” He mumbled, not quite expecting Sehun to register his announcement, but his eyes grew round with disbelief when the other male got to his feet, flicked on his bedside lamp, and proceeded to shut off the predominant lighting fixture before returning to his previous place.

 

“’Night.” He grudgingly responded, only out of ‘common courtesy’ programmed into him at a young age by his respectable mother.

 

“Night~” Baekhyun echoed, sounding volumes more sincere as he curled up in his blankets and immediately drifted off into dreamland.

 

His slumber was only interrupted once, and he smiled in a manner that could almost be considered fond once he discovered that Sehun had fallen asleep with the open book plastered across his face.

 

~

 

Their first official day on the trip was to be spent almost the same as the first- everyone possessed a certain amount of free time, except today, they were able to spend it out in the city.

 

…As long as they remained within the specified limits, and- and this was the deal breaker for Sehun- they had a ‘buddy’ to accompany them.

 

that. Sehun preferred to do everything and anything on his lonesome, like hell he was gonna let some snarky, agitating teenager burden him and force him to relinquish his independence.

 

(Oh Sehun conveniently liked to ignore the fact that he was also considered a teenager.)

 

Anyways, his plans to slink off on his own were squashed like an unfortunate bug caught in somebody’s path once Mr. Cho saw where he was headed and whom- or rather, lack of whom- he was headed with.

 

“Ahem.”

 

Sehun had half a mind to continue on his way, feigning as if his hearing had suddenly failed him, but he had never once disrespected a teacher and he was not planning on doing it now, of all times.

 

“Where’s your partner?”

 

“Uhh…”

 

“I’m right here, Mr. Cho!” Baekhyun popped up from somewhere in the vicinity of ‘behind Sehun’, prompting Sehun to slap the palm of his hand to his forehead and mutter a series of choice profanity under his breath.

 

“You know,” Sehun started, as soon as Mr. Cho was out of potential hearing distance. “Just cuz we share the same room doesn’t mean we have to be partners for everything…”

 

“Yeah, I do know!” Baekhyun chirped, taking speedy strides in order to keep up with Sehun’s as his eyes darted from one side of the street to another.

 

“So…” Sehun couldn’t help but appear perplexed, ceasing in his steps to make the smaller male aware of his confusion. “Why did you… decide… to be my partner for this, as well?”

 

A lift of petite shoulders. “I dunno.” Baekhyun also stopped walking, taking advantage of the lull in wandering and peering into a shop’s windows to discover what was inside.

 

“I just figured you wouldn’t have had anyone else to be with, so… I’ll be your buddy!”

 

Sehun could only risk a glance that lasted maybe half a second, for he was blinded by the boy’s stunning smile, which was almost if not more cheerful than the tone of voice he had just used.

 

No, seriously. It surely must have been fake. No one could appear so pleased to even be graced with his company, let alone his friendship.

 

Not that that was what ‘buddy’ was referring to, in this case. For that would be absolutely ludicrous, and Baekhyun already had far too many friends to even consider making another.

 

Speaking of, if he had so many friends, why had he picked Sehun, of all people, to waste his time with?

 

Maybe he was trying to find out all of his flaws. Maybe this was all a conspiracy to ruin his life further, or something.

 

Sehun watched Baekhyun warily out of the corner of his eye as they explored a small portion of the city; two wayfaring acquaintances that stuck close to each other and took turns entering stores of interest.

 

After it had just hit afternoon, they stopped by several street food vendors, loading up on all sorts of delicacies, whether they be seasonal or year-round options.

 

Sehun couldn’t fight off the weird sort of sensation rising within him- this whole day so far too closely resembled that of a date, and it was marginally uncomfortable to think about, so he struggled to push it from his mind.

 

Sporadically, Baekhyun’s hand would unintentionally knock against his, and he would always flinch far more than the action should have permitted before schooling his face back into an unreadable expression.

 

Although Sehun had remained reticent and shy throughout the entire day, Baekhyun had struck up a conversation not ten minutes after they had parted ways with their remaining classmates, and despite the fact that Sehun’s replies were infrequent and fleeting, they were able to maintain it for the entire outing.

 

Sehun was almost beginning to feel somewhat at ease with the shorter male when it reached dinnertime; they had met up with everybody else at a nearby restaurant, but all of the time they had spent together seemed to be forgotten when Baekhyun absconded, disappearing right before his very eyes before making a reappearance in the center of what seemed to be his posse.

 

He battled the disappointment that began to crawl up his throat and hastily chose a seat at the very end of one of several reserved tables, choosing to lower his head and act as if he were poring over a menu rather than reflecting on how absolutely stupid and incompetent he was.

 

Don’t let yourself get close to him, don’t let yourself long for his company, and don’t let yourself want to be his friend. This will save you a lot of trouble, Sehun, because you know the possibility of you being friends with him is… nonexistent. He’s the competition. Your rival. You can’t let your guard down around him.

 

He may have been exaggerating, just in the slightest, but he paid that no mind, just as he paid Baekhyun no mind.

 

He would just have to suffer through the remainder of the trip and pray that he got through it all right.

 

~

 

Sehun was thrown into consciousness just as their hotel room door was thrown shut.

 

He heard stumbling footsteps and a muffled ‘’ as- presumably Baekhyun- the intruder made their way further inside.

 

“Sehun?” A hushed question.

 

Called boy groaned lowly in response, rolling over onto the opposite side as before and burrowing deeper into his cocoon of blankets.

 

“Do you need to shower or can I?”

 

“Do I look like I need to shower?” Sehun slurred sleepily, his pent-up irritation making an appearance in his voice now that his mind was all but shut down and incapable of stopping him.

 

“I’m ing sleeping.”

 

“Oh.” Baekhyun squeaked, rummaging blindly through his bag for a moment before determining that it was better to just drag the whole damned thing in with him. “Sorry. I’ll just, ah—be quick, then.”

 

It was not the first time that Sehun inwardly cursed the teacher for his rooming arrangements.

 

~

 

The way he was awoken for a second time only caused the flame of frustration within him to burn brighter than ever before.

 

A pillow to the face was not exactly the warm welcome to the real world that he had been anticipating.

 

“Get up! Get up!”

 

Baekhyun was kneeling at the end of his mattress, bouncing up and down in a sequence of excited movements while he beamed down at a groggy, agitated younger male.

 

“Why.”

 

“We’re gonna go sledding, Sehun!” Even his voice was b with delight, rising and dropping in volume in a manner similar to his jouncing.

 

“It snowed?” Sehun mindlessly inquired, his sleep-induced haze causing him to space on how unlikely the possibility of there being enough snow to allow sledding after just one night was.

 

Baekhyun actually giggled a bit- he legitimately giggled- and poked Sehun’s nose before he could even consider swatting his hand away.

 

“Silly. We aren’t sledding here. We’re going to go somewhere with lots and loooots of snow! In like… fifteen minutes. So. Hurry?”

 

“Get off my bed.” The way he spoke almost resembled that of a growl; voice laced with the huskiness that boys’ tones tended to adopt after just having exited slumber.

 

“Oh.” Baekhyun visibly deflated upon receiving a command rather than identical enthusiasm, and yet, he was required to utilize his tongue to wet suddenly dry lips. “Sorry.”

 

He slid off the mattress and landed on the floor in a jumble of limbs, lower lip jutting out farther than what was usually to be expected.

 

Puppy eyes followed each of Sehun’s motions, watching as he padded into the bathroom with his belongings and conclusively shut the door.

 

When Sehun returned to the main room, he found himself to be in the company of which he was accustomed- himself, and himself only.

 

~

 

Yet again, he was seated in the back of the bus, bomber hat snug over his disarrayed brunette locks, hands clasped atop his lap, and music steadily flowing into his ears.

 

He told himself that he should relish this rare moment of silence, of singularity, but all he could feel was loneliness blanketing his form like a warm winter jacket, except for the fact that it only filled him with a bitter sort of cold.

 

Thankfully, the traveling time ended up being quite short, and he was permitted to leave just when he thought he could bear it no longer.

 

He struggled not to search for him, but his eyes seemed to have a mind of their own.

 

There he stood, surrounded by a multitude of peers as always, and only making the loneliness Sehun felt stand out more than before, although himself as a person? He never stood out.

 

After finally gaining control over where his gaze wandered, he directed it on the teacher, awaiting further instruction, for that was what Sehun was used to; following orders from somebody more important than he, and never making any sort of important choices for himself.

 

Mr. Cho escorted all of the students into a lodge, pointing out where several things were located- restrooms, the cafeteria, snack bar, etcetera- before laying down both the rules and the outline for the day.

 

He indicated where they could choose which sled to cruise down on, and informed them that no lift to carry them up existed, so they would have to make the trek themselves every time that they wanted to sled down.

 

Of course, there were several other activities provided for them to partake in, but Sehun was primarily interested only in the sledding offered.

 

After explaining all that there was to explain, the students were let loose, and Sehun allowed himself to get carried along by the throngs of people, selecting the sled closest to him before turning and making his way towards the doors of the lodge.

 

“W-wait! Sehun!”

 

Elegant fingers tugged on the sleeve of his jacket, prompting him to twist around and fix the smaller male below him with a perplexed stare.

 

“What?”

 

“W-will you… um.” With his bottom lip caught between his teeth and those chocolate orbs gazing uncertainly upwards, Baekhyun was the picture of insecurity; which was quite ironic considering that Sehun was the actual insecure one.

 

“Well, c’mon. Spit it out.” He couldn’t mask the irritation in either his tone or his expression. Baekhyun was like a pendulum, swinging towards him before just as hastily flitting away. He didn’t appreciate his occasional presence- Oh Sehun was surreptitiously selfish, and he desired either all or none of somebody’s attention.

 

“Uh… I just. I was wondering if… you would mind… sharing?”

 

A single brow arched so high it disappeared beneath his bangs. “Sharing… what? There are plenty of sleds—”

 

“Atwo-personsled.” Baekhyun blurted out, still mindlessly yanking gently on his sleeve and now dropping his gaze to fixate on his shoes.

 

“A… wait, what? Why?”

 

Baekhyun shuffled from one foot to the other, briefly peeking up at Sehun and permitting him the momentary view of a pale complexion tinted a faint pink.

 

“I’m… kinda scared of heights?” His voice rose in pitch and made a sort of squeaking sound on the final word.

 

“Oh.” Sehun intelligently responded, turning around completely to fully appraise Baekhyun’s current state.

 

He was trembling minutely, almost imperceptibly, but Sehun still took note of it.

 

“Why don’t you ask one of your friends?” He couldn’t help but sound a little bitter, and he prayed that it wasn’t noticeable enough for Baekhyun to realize it.

 

However, when the older male’s eyes widened considerably, Sehun decided that it was more audible than he had perceived it to be.

 

“Er… for one, they don’t really care whether I’m scared or not…”

 

Sehun’s own eyes grew round with astonishment, but he remained silent for the moment.

 

“…and for another, when I asked, they just laughed at me.”

 

The lower lip that he had previously been worrying between his teeth protruded into a pout.

 

“So… please? Please, Sehun?” He clinched his hands together, pleading gaze holding Sehun’s as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

 

“Uh.” Sehun awkwardly scratched the back of his neck before striding past the other boy to where he had just come from.

 

A flicker of disappointment registered on Baekhyun’s face, but he instantaneously brightened up when he caught sight of Sehun brandishing a partner sled rather than the one he had been holding earlier.

 

“Okay.”

 

Baekhyun clutched onto Sehun’s free arm, nuzzling against it before his roseate lips formed into a rectangular shape, revealing teeth set in entirely straight rows.

 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

 

Sehun made his best attempt at shaking him off, but Baekhyun clung tightly onto him and he finally conceded, pushing open the double doors and braving the frigid atmosphere.

 

The entire trek up to the top consisted of the pair of them shivering and instinctively pressing against each other, sticking together even after they had both warmed up enough to be comfortable without sharing body heat.

 

Baekhyun had presented an argument about why he should carry the sled for at least part of the time, but Sehun immediately shut him down.

 

However, he kept complaining until Sehun acquiesced in the slightest- sick of hearing Baekhyun’s persistent voice, or at least, that’s what he told himself- turning the sled so it was horizontal and letting the smaller hold up one end until he was whining again, except this time for an alternate reason.

 

“It’s too heavy—”

 

“Let go, then.” He responded, lacking any sort of sympathy whatsoever.

 

“But…”

 

Sehun jerked the sled out of Baekhyun’s delicate fingers, watching that end of the sled drop until it was buried in the snow. He proceeded to drag the damned object the last remaining meters until they reached their destination.

 

When he glanced beside him, the other boy was pouting a bit, as per usual, as Sehun was beginning to discern.

 

“Ready to go? Are you sitting in front, then?”

 

“Mm!” He perked up within seconds; racing towards the sled once it was settled onto the ground concealed by powdery, white flakes.

 

Sehun didn’t bother asking which question he was answering, because Baekhyun was already gripping onto the steerable wooden handle, appearing both petrified and thrilled.

 

He quietly lowered himself down behind the other boy, hesitating temporarily until Baekhyun snatched up his hands and forced them to wind around his waist before linking together.

 

“Hold me tight, okay?” He spoke so softly it was almost impossible to catch his words, but still, Sehun heard, and he demonstrated his compliance by squeezing harder around his middle, leaning forward slightly so that broad chest was pressed against hunched back.

 

“I’m ready when you are,” Sehun breathed into Baekhyun’s ear, eliciting the slightest of shivers, which could not be written off as due to the cold.

 

An extremely audible inhalation was in before Baekhyun pushed off from the ground, easing the sled into motion until it reached speeds that terrified- not that Sehun would ever admit to it- the both of them.

 

There was a perpetual screeching and an endless torrent of curses escaping the both of them for the entire joyride, only escalating in volume when they were required to make turns or when they hit a particularly large bump in the track.

 

Sehun buried the side of his face into Baekhyun’s jacket, watching bursts of scenery flash by as they descended, and then all at once, they were at a standstill, screams and obscenities still caught in their throats, fighting their way to the surface.

 

He maintained a taut hold on the older male until Baekhyun swiveled around to face him, that same rectangular smile present on a face glowing crimson as a result of both the cold and the adventure they has just taken.

 

“Again!” He cried, shooting up to his feet and wrenching Sehun up as well, not reflecting on his actions whatsoever until after he had performed them; throwing his arms around Sehun and jumping up and down in complete and utter ecstasy.

 

“Uh…” Speechless. That was the only word Sehun could conceivably proffer, if he were to be asked his current state.

 

Speechless.

 

“Sehun?” The eyes that peered up into his were sparkling and expectant. “Can we?”

 

A nod was all that he could presently manage, and as soon as he was released from Baekhyun’s embrace, he exhaled heavily, readjusting his hat and rubbing his hands together for additional warmth.

 

For the remainder of the day, they continuously made their way up the hill before racing down it, and each time seemed to be a whole new experience of its own.

 

They took turns controlling the sled, but despite how nice Baekhyun felt pressed up against him, Sehun couldn’t help but prefer when he was given the opportunity to hold the smaller in his arms instead.

 

For, it was almost as if Baekhyun fit perfectly with Sehun wrapped around him, protecting him and providing a sense of security.

 

Sehun liked how Baekhyun’s body was all but swallowed up by the sheer size of his own, and he liked the sort of sensation that shot through him whenever there was any contact between them.

 

What he didn’t like, however, was how he seemed to be the only one affected. He didn’t like that he was affected at all, if he were to be a hundred percent honest with himself (which he generally wasn’t).

 

These thoughts plagued him throughout that night, and although the next morning was met much more pleasantly than the previous one, he still carried with him a bleak and pessimistic mood.

 

~

 

However much he desired to dismiss, deny, and discourage it, he and Baekhyun were growing closer over the passing days. With each sightseeing trip, with each enjoyable activity they participated in, Sehun only found himself slipping further and further into an undeniable, indeterminable sort of something, which he didn’t dare to either name or reflect on.

 

Over time, the quirks that Sehun used to find absolutely unbearable and annoying came to be seen as rather endearing, adorable, and attractive. This only led Sehun to ponder over whether he had actually ever harbored any negative feelings towards Baekhyun or if he had just been trying to repress feelings of another sort instead.

 

He shied away from any and all physical contact even though he wanted nothing more than to be close to the other boy in one way or another.

 

So when Baekhyun extended an offer to him- lessons in skating the night they went to an ice skating rink- Sehun was rather reluctant, because… wouldn’t that require holding hands? Maybe?

 

Still, while his mind was still catching up with reality and throwing out all of the possible reasons why he shouldn’t accept, his lips were moving to say that he already had.

 

Effeminate fingers slotted into place between his own, and soon Baekhyun was gently leading him onto the ice despite his murmured protests and quivering legs.

 

He had barely made it onto the rink when his legs gave out beneath him for the first time of several.

 

He went slamming to the ground, knees painfully connecting with what felt like a sheet of metal and Baekhyun struggling to remain standing after having almost been brought down with him.

 

A pitiful whimper of pain escaped his lips upon impact, and he struggled to rise but only fell once more.

 

“Here,” Baekhyun risked the same fate by holding out his hand, aiding in his ascent.

 

Thankfully, he found himself on his feet after several painstaking seconds, and he avoided Baekhyun’s eyes, cheeks tainted a radiant red.

 

“Let’s try that again.” He spoke encouragingly, directing Sehun on how to go about his movements in order to keep from slipping again.

 

Although, Sehun falling was only inexorable, only a matter of time, as was to be expected for first-timers.

 

Yet, this time, it was not a fall made only by him. This time, Baekhyun accompanied him, dragged down by his momentum and collapsing atop him; his fall cushioned by Sehun’s slim form (primarily by his pert , if Baekhyun were to decide on any body part in particular).

 

There was no indication of him planning on removing himself from either the situation or his position- he was actually quite comfortable, honestly.

 

“Geahfmeh.” Sehun produced gibberish underneath him, squirming slightly to indicate his displeasure with their current arrangement.

 

“Hmm?” Baekhyun pressed his face into the nape of Sehun’s neck, discreetly inhaling the younger’s comforting, enticing scent.

 

Sehun performed a series of movements that resulted in Baekhyun’s eviction.

 

“Maybe skating just isn’t my shtick.” He mumbled from his place on the floor, gazing sorrowfully up at the smaller male.

 

“Well… we can always practice again another day—”

 

Sehun shook his head furiously, somehow managing to stand back up and instantly seizing Baekhyun’s wrist with one hand and his upper arm with the other.

 

“Help me get off?” Sehun whispered brokenly, referring to the rink, but Baekhyun’s eyes expanded in circumference and his jaw unhinged to provide Sehun with an expression of utter disbelief.

 

“W-what?” Sehun stammered, still not realizing the alternate context in which his words could be taken. “You don’t want to help me?”

 

“No, I want to,” Baekhyun murmured, pupils momentarily dilating before he snuck a hand around to adhere to Sehun’s waist, leading him to where he could walk properly.

 

Baekhyun nibbled nervously on his bottom lip as he watched Sehun switch from skates to sneakers, the desire visible in his eyes, if only Sehun would glance up at him.

 

…But he didn’t.

 

~

 

They were allotted another free day once it began to near the end of the trip, and Sehun and Baekhyun spent it much the same as they had the first, aimlessly strolling through street after street of multiple shops.

 

The glaringly obvious difference was how they now viewed each other- there endured concealed, underlying feelings between the both of them that neither would openly acknowledge nor confess.

 

Their hands periodically brushed together as before, except now, Sehun shyly caught Baekhyun’s in his, mumbling an excuse about ‘needing to stick together in such a crowded area.’

 

Baekhyun smiled sweetly down at the sidewalk, not providing any reason as to why they needn’t bother doing such a thing and instead interlacing their fingers together, just as they had been when they had gone skating.

 

The older of the two stopped dead in his tracks outside a store window, gaze flickering from one display to another before resting on a highly detailed, stunning snowglobe of the city they were currently located within.

 

His hand slithered out of Sehun’s grasp, lifting to press against the glass instead as he admired the object before him.

 

Sehun stepped forward until his chest was but a mere centimeter or so from Baekhyun’s body. He rested his chin on the other boy’s shoulder, peering down at the globe as the slightest of smiles curled his lips.

 

“Hey, I’m gonna go duck inside here and use their restroom real quick, alright?”

 

Baekhyun shook himself as if he were breaking out of a trance, and he whirled around with an 'okay’ on his lips, body stilling and words falling short as soon as he registered exactly how close Sehun truly was.

 

Sehun didn’t wait for an answer, because, judging by Baekhyun’s current state, he wasn’t on track to receive one. And thus, he fondly ruffled the latter’s mop of hair and entered the store, taking hurried steps toward the first counter in sight.

 

“Hi, I was wondering if you had any of those snowglobes in the window that I could buy?"

 

It would be well worth it, Sehun thought, when he was to gift Baekhyun with something so exquisite, and yet it frightened him somewhat, for it was an action of such magnitude that it bordered on delirium to follow through with it.

 

~

 

Baekhyun was absorbed in some show playing on television, but Sehun’s eyes were trained on the boy himself, eyes softening more and more with each smile and exuberant laugh that brightened up the room.

 

He swore he could physically feel his heart clench with some unknown emotion that he didn’t want to call attention to, yet he was well aware that he must.

 

For they were going home in just two days, and Sehun had to make a move before his chance was stolen from him like much else.

 

Leg anxiously bouncing up and down and hands twisting into the covers beneath them; heart palpitating and breath getting lost somewhere in his lungs- these were a few symptoms of disquietude.

 

A few symptoms of- dare he say- love.

 

“Baekhyun,” He dared to whisper, wincing when at first there was no sign of him having been heard.

 

But just seconds later, the other boy's head was turning, lips twisted up into the most dazzling smile Sehun had ever been witness to in his entire life.

 

“You know, that’s the first time you’ve called me by my name?”

 

His voice had a mellifluous lilt to it, but there was an undertone of sadness that Sehun was just able to distinguish.

 

He tentatively slid off of his bed before moving to Baekhyun’s, bashfully sitting beside him and staring down at soft hands free of callouses and markings.

 

Rather than providing the smaller male with an answer, he repeated his name, timorously resting one of his smooth hands over Baekhyun's.

 

Instantaneously, his hand was flipped over, and soon a warm palm was pressed steadfastly against his own.

 

Risking a quick glance at Baekhyun's face resulted in a faint blush settling over his cheekbones, for Baekhyun was presently studying his face, leading Sehun to grow rather self-conscious, gaze dropping to focus on their linked hands.

 

"I have a present for you," He dared to murmur, momentarily departing to retrieve a wrapped package from his bag before letting it fall gently into Baekhyun's lap.

 

"I know it's not yet Christmas, but... I'm not quite sure... when I'll see you again? And I just... wanted to give you this. It's not much, but--"

 

Sehun fell silent, directing his gaze towards his own lap and bowing his head to conceal his crimson cheeks.

 

No words were spoken for several moments; only the crinkling sound of wrapping paper and Baekhyun's rapid intake of oxygen filled the otherwise quiet room.

 

"Sehun," He breathed, gingerly shaking the globe and watching the miniature flakes flutter down to the bottom, entranced by its beauty. "You didn't have to--"

 

"But I wanted to." Sehun mumbled, peeking up at him, cheeks still a flaming red and heart thundering in his chest as he struggled to gather what little courage he had to explain his actions.

 

Baekhyun spoke before he was able to, however.

 

"I have something for you too, Sehunnie~"

 

Sehun forced himself to meet the smaller male's gaze, shyly blinking in both confusion and anticipation.

 

A reassuring smile curled Baekhyun's lips before he slowly leaned forward to brush them against Sehun's, carefully cupping the younger's cheek as he did so.

 

It lasted for mere seconds, and after Baekhyun eased away, his smile turned sheepish, his own face heating up slightly.

 

"Merry Christmas?" He squeaked, nibbling nervously on his lower lip, and it was then that Sehun surged forward and captured his lips for a second time, now given the chance to participate in the kiss instead of sitting still out of shock.

 

"Merry Christmas," Sehun whispered in response, grinning wider than he ever had before when they parted.

 

Although their trip was coming to an end, the feelings between them were only beginning to blossom.

 

They dared not speak of such feelings to each other just yet, but it was evident in the way they interacted with each other that they existed and were only growing stronger.

 

Christmas spirit and love was in the wintery air, and all traces of rivalry had dissipated throughout the entirety of the trip, paving the way for a new relationship to form between them.

 

Outside, below them, snow drifted down from the skies to paint the pavement in layer upon layer of white; voices joined together in song and floated up to filter through cracked windows, but it was when Sehun gazed upon the face of the boy that he finally admitted he had fallen for that he truly believed he had been witness to beauty.