Author: London_Calling

Pairing: Baekhyun / Kai

Prompt: "No one should look as good as you do in safety goggles"

Baekhyun didn't start out thinking that Jongin was the answer to all of his dating problems. No, he started out wondering why someone so attractive was hired as a shop teacher, it was nothing more than a simple appreciation for the new teacher's aesthetics he told himself.

"I don't know, because he is good at building stuff?" Chanyeol, the second year science teacher, offered his usual insightful comments to Baekhyun's musings.

Baekhyun had been teaching history at one of the somewhat most prestigious high schools in the city for three years now. Somewhat because the school hovered in the rankings, not the best but certainly not the worst. It was an achievement for Baekhyun, having thought teaching might never happen for him - not after slacking off in college for the first couple of years.

"I heard he was top of his class." Chanyeol remarked one day.

"What do shop teachers even go to school for?" Baekhyun replied, seriously considering.

"I don't know. Apparently something Jongin is really good at."

***
The real problem started one spring day, a beautiful afternoon, the lunch hour. The teacher's lounge wasn't exactly a place where Baekhyun normally admired people. No, he saved that for bars and clubs and social events he attended in his off hours. Yet he found himself positively staring. Maybe even drooling, if Chanyeol's later comments were to be believed.

Jongin, the new shop teacher, entered the teacher's lounge with a brown sack lunch, a curious thing considering most of the faculty went out for lunch or ordered from the cafeteria. Jongin, however, brought some fruit that he carefully - and rather seductively (according to Baekhyun) - pulled from a brown bag.

"You seem to take care of your health." Those were the first words that Baekhyun ever spoke to the shop teacher.

Jongin smiled, albeit shyly, at Baekhyun's words, and then promptly ignored him. Or at least never issued a response. Baekhyun was undeterred. Why? He asked himself this later. Well, maybe it had to do with the safety glasses that were perched on Jongin's head. They made him look so positively...useful.

"I am Byun Baekhyun, by the way. I teach history." Baekhyun tried to look friendly, appear friendly, but Jongin ignored him.

And Chanyeol claimed it was because Baekhyun was practically drooling.
***
Fall in lust with another teacher? No, not possible el Baekhyun dismissed it outright. Not going to happen. It couldn't. Business and pleasure shouldn't mix. Yet he found himself in the shop room one afternoon after school, a lame excuse uttered.

"I want to build my Mother a bookcase. Can you help?" Baekhyun couldn't think of anything else to say, any other reason to explain why he was hovering around the shop room, appreciating a fine pair of safety glasses.

"A bookcase?" Jongin asked, only moderately paying any attention to Baekhyun. The shop teacher was busy cutting a board, carefully moving it over the table saw.

"Hm. Yeah, a bookcase." Baekhyun wanted to cry, because he honestly could see how lame his words were. Until, of course, Jongin responded.

"Sure. I can help. Baekhyun, right?"

Baekhyun was happy. Too happy.

***

It became an everyday occurrence. After school Baekhyun practically ran to the shop room, eager to work on the present for his mother. He quickly realized the new shop teacher was on the shy side, preferring to work in silence rather than to talk. Baekhyun was, by nature, the opposite. A chatty fellow. Yet he tried to accommodate his new friend – or- well, maybe he just really wanted Jongin to like him.

"I would recommend using pine. Have you thought about a stain?" Jongin always spoke so seriously, always kept the focus of the conversation on the task at hand.

After two weeks, a sanded and stained bookshelf in front of him, Baekhyun took the chance. "So..um, thank you for all of your help."

"No problem. It is rare to find anyone who takes an interest in woodworking now a days. Or at least takes it seriously." Jongin smiled.

"I enjoyed it." Baekhyun stood and stared at the bookshelf awkwardly, not sure how to keep their friendship going. "Do you think you could help me build a table? My grandmother would love it?"

Jongin grinned. “Sure. That would be nice."
***
Baekhyun never did get around to telling Jongin that his family lived out of the city, far away, and his own lack of enthusiasm kept him from transporting the furniture they made together to his family. Hence Baekhyun ended up with a lot of carefully crafted wood furniture, all worth the time, because they kept him going to the shop room on a daily basis to spend time with Jongin.

"I really like your enthusiasm." Jongin said one day, breaking their usual silence, their usual quiet as they worked.

"Thank you. I um..really enjoy your enthusiasm too." Baekhyun answered lamely.

"I bought an extra pair of safety glasses yesterday. I thought maybe you would want them." Jongin held the pair of glasses, with their yellow tinted frames, to Baekhyun.

Baekhyun wanted to jump for joy. Wanted to place them in a keepsake box and never, ever use them. Instead he played it cool and put them on. "Thanks."

"No problem." Jongin went back to working on the side chair, their newest project. After a few minutes passed Baekhyun decided to be bold.

"Um, I don't want to be weird or anything-" Baekhyun had never before been this hesitant. Never before taken this much time. He was usually so straightforward, so ready to ask someone out if he was interested. But that was Baekhyun of months ago, not Baekhyun of now. Baekhyun of now didn't want to screw anything up. "Would you like to maybe go to dinner or something after school one day? As friends, of course. As FRIENDS."

Jongin stopped what he was doing "Friends?"

"Yeah, I mean, friendly. Something outside of school. Something else to do other than work in the shop. Not that I don't like working in the shop. I LOVE IT!"

"Oh." Jongin paused for a moment, appearing thoughtful. "Sure, we can go to dinner, if you want."

Baekhyun grinned, sure his smile was stretching from ear to ear. As he walked out the school that day he could swear that he was probably glowing. He was certainly filled with a kind of happiness he wasn't sure was normal. No, not after bashfully making dozens of pieces of furniture in the hopes of a simple dinner date. No - probably not normal. But certainly fulfilling. Almost as fulfilling as the new pair of safety glasses he held in his hands. He never would have thought he would find safety glasses so appealing, until now.