“Of all days to be late, my brother chose today,” Sehun complained as he tugged at his suit’s collar, feeling hot from being too dressed up in summer.

“I’ll usher him inside the auditorium, don’t worry,” you assured him. “Go inside. The program’s about to start.”

Sehun just gave you a nod and proceeded towards the entrance, immediately getting lost in the sea of students donned in white academic gowns. You were dressed in a black version of the garment, as all faculty members were required to during commencement exercises.

“ing hell, Baekhyun,” you muttered as you brought out your phone to call him. It was uncharacteristic of him to be late, especially on special occasions like his brother’s graduation.

The phone rang for a long time before he answered. “I’m literally already here,” was the first thing that came out of his mouth. “Don’t be mad. Did it start already?”

“No, but it’s about to.” You couldn’t mask the annoyance in your tone. “Just move faster. Where the hell are you, anyway?”

You felt a tap on your shoulder. “Here.”

“What the took you so long?” You nagged as you handed him the invitation along with the program booklet. You pinned the parents’ ribbon on the right side of his suit. “Sehun’s pissed.”

“Nah, he loves me too much,” Baekhyun joked which earned him a glare from you. He backtracked, “The show went over for a few minutes, okay? It’s not like I had a say in it. Get mad at Chanyeol, not me.”

“Whatever,” you dismissed his explanation. “Take the stairs to the left when you enter the hall. That’s where the graduates’ parents are seated.”

“Okay,” he said before giving you a kiss on the cheek. “See you later!” And he was gone before you could realize you were blushing.

“That’s for being late,” Sehun said as he punched his brother’s arm.

Baekhyun groaned. “I wasn’t late! I was right on time! Jesus, what is up with the two of you today?”

You couldn’t help but smile at the siblings’ banter, which you saw a lot when you were still tutoring Sehun for the essay writing contest. Though he didn’t clinch first place in the competition, he still achieved a podium finish, earning him a medal along with his other awards when his name was called during the program.

Sehun was offered a summer internship at the newspaper publication house for his work, which he gladly accepted. Unfortunately, the newspapers’ headquarters was in the Big City, so he would have to move out of their house way before his first semester at university started.

You weren’t supposed to play favorites among your students, but it was no secret that that distinction belonged to Sehun, not because he was your boyfriend’s brother, but because he was truly one of the best in his class. It will be hard to let him go, but it was inevitable, anyway. Sehun promised to visit home often if his schedule allowed him.

“Congratulations, Sehun,” you said as you hugged him. “I’m gonna miss seeing you in class.”

“Yeah, me too,” he admitted. “I hope my college professors don’t .”

“Your parents would be proud of you if they were here. I’m sure of it.”

Sehun pulled away, his eyes b with tears. You knew how much he missed his parents. It wasn’t something he would ever get over, especially during occasions like this where they should be here. You were sure that they were looking down at him from wherever they were with proud smiles on their faces as they watch their youngest son achieve a milestone in his life.

Baekhyun hugged him next, muttering something you couldn’t catch as his back was facing you, but whatever he said made Sehun finally cry.

“Okay, now stop crying,” Baekhyun said as he broke the hug. “You’re ugly when you cry.”

“Well, you’re ugly even if you’re not crying,” Sehun countered, sniffing as he dabbed his tears away with his handkerchief. “I hate you.”

Baekhyun chuckled. “When are you moving out?”

“Why? You want me out of the house already?” Sehun said as he playfully glared at him. “Maybe next week. Don’t have in the house too much. Our neighbors might file a noise complaint.”

“Sehun!” Baekhyun shouted in horror while your cheeks flushed red.

—

You grunted as you heaved a box full of things you didn’t have use for any longer—the third one you’ve packed so far today—when you heard a familiar voice emanating from your front door.

You frowned as you made your way downstairs. You weren’t expecting to see Baekhyun today since he told you yesterday that he would be driving Sehun to the city today along with most of his stuff from their house, so you assumed that Baekhyun would be out the whole day.

“Please don’t tell me you’re moving too,” Baekhyun said as he eyed the mess that was your living room, with boxes that were yet to be filled scattered everywhere.

You laughed at Baekhyun’s disturbed expression and approached him to kiss his cheek. “I’m not going anywhere, Baek. I’m just weeding out the things I don’t need anymore. I do this for summer every year.”

“Oh,” he exhaled as relief washed over his face. “For a second there I thought you were going to leave me.”

“I’m not gonna even respond to that because I know it’s just a trap for me to say something cheesy,” you said as you picked up an empty box and threw it at him, which he caught with no problem. “Well, since you’re here, might as well help me with my summer cleaning.”

The two of you spent the afternoon just like that, putting things into boxes with the occasional kiss on the cheek and hug from behind (mostly from Baekhyun because he had an attention span similar to that of a hamster).

Whenever he found something even mildly interesting, like the vinyl record of The Clash gifted to you by Chanyeol way back on your eighteenth birthday, he stopped filing just to talk about it as if he would implode if he went without saying anything even just for a few minutes.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a vinyl, Baek.”

“Where’d you get it?”

“Chanyeol gave it to me.”

“Why’d he give it to you?”

Inane questions like that came and went, and really, you should be given an award for being able to tolerate Baekhyun’s annoying and not once getting irritated. Maybe it was a skill you’ve acquired after months of being with him.

When all the unnecessary clutter in your apartment was put into boxes and stacked neatly in one corner of the living room, you and Baekhyun just sat on the couch in comfortable silence as both of you stuffed your faces with pizza and cola after a long day of cleaning.

“Thanks for helping me,” you said, turning your head to face him.

“It’s not like I had a choice with you throwing boxes at my face—” You glared at him. “I’m joking. It was nothing, really. I could do this every day,” Baekhyun backtracked.

You couldn’t help but laugh, and that was always the case when you were with him. It never ceased to amaze you how Baekhyun always knew the right words to say that would put a smile on your face. You could get used to this forever. Being with Baekhyun for that long didn’t seem so bad.

“I really enjoyed today. Really,” Baekhyun said, his voice the softest it has been today. “I know you don’t like me saying stuff like this, but… today reminded me of those sappy movies where the newly-married couple fixes their stuff in their new house and, I don’t know. This is going to sound really corny and I hope you don’t disown me for this but I just thought… damn, I couldn’t wait to do those things with you.”

Fire.

That’s how it felt in your chest right now.

Without saying anything, you stood up from the couch and went to your room. When you got back, Baekhyun was also on his feet with fear in his eyes.

“I’m sorry for saying stuff like that and I know you want to take things slow and really I was just talking out of my and—” Baekhyun rambled on.

You just smiled at him. “I’m not mad, Baek. Surprised, yes. Flustered? Definitely. I think…”

“Wait,” he cut you off. “What’s that?” He asked, pointing to the canvas you were holding behind your back.

Before you could even answer, he took the painting from your hands and held it up, his eyes getting lost in every color and in the frame. It was a painting you were supposed to give him on his birthday, but you started it a bit too late so it wasn’t completely dry by then. Funnily enough, you kept on forgetting to give it to him until today.

It was a portrait of him, his features drawn to the best of your memory.

The idea came to you on one of those nights when he stayed over. He always slept on his side with his face turned to you, and you couldn’t help but stare at him, especially when his visage looked so much more beautiful as he dozed, his face painted with peace and softness you couldn’t quite describe.

“It’s me.”

“Mmm,” you hummed, gauging his expression. “It was supposed to be your birthday gift but it wasn’t dry then so I just thought to give it to you some other day, but then I kept on forgetting and I only remembered just now,” you ranted on. “Do you like it?”

Baekhyun gingerly put down the painting on the couch and gave you the warmest embrace he has ever given. “I love it. Thank you,” he whispered in your ear.

The two of you stayed just like that, engulfed in your own little bubble where nothing else mattered outside your space. But Baekhyun’s next words were enough to break the spell.

“I am so in love with you.”