"I don't believe it!!"
"Hmm?" Yixing asked in response to the Mandarin outburst, though his small grin already betrayed him. The other wouldn't have it, and small, but strong hands went from shoving him to tugging him closer again as they walked down the sidewalk, getting a whiff of nicely cold air.
"I can't believe you bought him lube!"
"And I can't believe you know the Mandarin word for lube," Yixing retaliated with a fond grin, minding his pronunciation only a little. The other's exasperated smile grew sly.
"I had a really impressive teacher, you know?"
"Really now. Do I know him?"
A sneaky hand danced down his sides, to dip into his back pockets and his non-too subtly.
"Not as well as I do," Baekhyun replied cheekily.

 

It all started back at Chen's and Kyungsoo's apartment. Or no, Yixing corrected himself, it may have started that one night he'd decided to go clubbing. Or that time where he met Chen and his friends for the first time, when he'd locked himself out. Could there be such a thing as a start and a... real start? Because a start could be something really tiny and irrelevant, something that can't even be picked up by human senses, right? After all, things started all the time. Or maybe one thing led to another, and nothing was really starting anymore.
Either way, the moment Yixing realized it played out during the dinner at Chen's and Kyungsoo's apartment, so he concluded it was alright to call it a start.
That afternoon, he'd noticed it for the first time. The way Baekhyun looked at him. The more he talked, the more Luhan translated for the others, the more obvious it became. Because even with Luhan talking (and animatedly so), Baekhyun's eyes would rest on him. His gaze was steady, curiosity veiling something... more. Something piercing, something no one but Yixing saw, obviously.
Probably because only Yixing had seen that look before, albeit dipped in vibrant shades of minty green and pink.

Yixing had hardly forgotten their encounter at the club, and he'd even seen Baekhyun again, when he had been on his way home from a party, with his friends. Still, it was hard to believe that the person sitting at the table, stuffing his face with food, was the same person he'd almost taken home back then. Without makeup, Baekhyun looked... softer. Younger, but also more mature, in an odd way. More tangible. He was also sober, for once, and it showed. He was still loud, but much more coordinated, words less slurry (though still way too fast to comprehend). His twinkling eyes, however, were definitely the same.
That day, there was way too much going on for Yixing to dwell much on the shorty with the light-brown hair that kept flopping over his eyes, and who wouldn't stop poking fun at Chen.

He'd be a dirty liar to say he hadn't spend a thought on him at all, but when he one day trudged out of the company at 10PM, he found a letter taped to a bench next to the entrance - where it was hard to miss it, considering his bike was just nearby.
To Yixing, it said, with a Mandarin pronoun. Confused, Yixing opened the letter, only to find a little post it with more Mandarin writing on it.

Silver is your color. Right?

Still confused and mildly intrigued, he fished out a slim piece of jewelry that had slipped into an edge of the envelope. It was a little stud, no more than a simple ball and a tiny cross dangling from it. It was definitely something he could see himself wearing.
And Yixing should probably be concerned. Dancers didn't usually have fans, much less if they were foreigners (what? it was true). Besides, the short and simple statement sounded less like a fan expressing love, and more like a stalker.
But for some reason pale, nimble fingers tapping the surface of a table came to mind. Attentive brown orbs observing his face, seeking for a reaction, taking in his appearance carefully. For some reason, Byun Baekhyun came to mind. Even though it was obvious that the boy didn't know a of Mandarin.
And the next day, Yixing wore the stud on his right side.

It took awhile until he heard of his secret messenger again. For a whole week, nothing happened. Then another letter appeared, this time with a simple note reminding him to eat. Now Yixing wasn't silly - the way the Hanzi were drawn clearly identified the writer as a foreigner. They were too orderly, lacking a distinct feeling for when it was alright to be a little sloppier without butchering the understanding. But it took a couple more notes until one day, Yixing left the agency around midnight, massaging his sore neck, only to see him.

There he was, on one of the benches below a street lamp, face lowered to a bundle of fabric in his lap, and perfectly immersed in work. There were only two other girls on the adjacent bench, presumably crazy fans waiting for some idol, and Yixing didn't pay them any heed as he approached the boy.
Baekhyun only looked up when he threw a shadow over the button he was trying to attach by hand. His expression turned from a confused frown to a small smile in a split second.
"Good evening," Yixing said in orderly Korean. An easy, familiar phrase.
"Hey," Baekhyun replied simply, storing his things away without any particular haste. As if nothing about this situation was off, as if he'd been doing so for years.
There was also a funny feeling Yixing got from the others' expression. He was indeed smiling, but not widely, not like he'd been smiling among his friends, or even back at the club. As if something was... bothering him? Yixing wasn't sure what to make of this.
"You waited here? For me?"
Baekhyun nodded. Like it was no big deal at all. Then he got up, thoroughly stretched his limbs (how long had he been sitting there?) and slowly started walking towards Yixing's home. A couple steps in, he came to a halt, throwing a questioning look back at the slightly puzzled dancer.
Oh?
With a slightly raised brow, Yixing relented, and on his way home, Baekhyun followed him like a shadow. He didn't say a single word, which was strange. Yixing fully expected the boy to accompany him upstairs, maybe belatedly finish what they'd started at the club, but at the foot of his stairs, Baekhyun stopped him with a faint touch on his upper arm.
And with a simple wave and an unreadable face, the boy turned to leave. Just like that. Yixing stared after him, until the other took a turn and vanished from his sight.
Huh. What an odd night, he thought.
And what an odd person Baekhyun is.
The thing that bugged him most, though, was the fact that Baekhyun wouldn't talk to him. Not at all.
The next time it happened, the boy tugged him into a coffee shop on the way back, pointing at something and all but demanding Yixing to buy it for him. He ended up doing just that, but after a single sip, Baekhyun re-considered and pushed the drink into his hand, gesturing for him to drink it instead. That time, the familiar small, but sneaky smile danced across his lips for the first time since their meeting at the club. He was playing him. He remembered the message telling him to eat. So Baekhyun was worried he didn't eat or drink enough, and this was his way of showing him?
Yixing took the fruity drink with a calm smile, took a few sips, and soon returned it to Baekhyun. On their remaining way back, the drink kept switching owners, and Yixing silently acknowledged the nonchalant way Baekhyun handled the indirect kiss. But what could an indirect kiss mean to someone who was ready to get it on with strangers, anyway?
Baekhyun... wasn't a kid. No innocent, awkward first timer - not that Yixing minded, quite the opposite. It was attractive, very much so. And while the interest swimming in his eyes was obvious at some points, this wasn't about . If it was, all Baekhyun had to do was ask, and they both knew that.

But no, the next time Baekhyun managed to catch him after work, they went to the very same coffee shop and Baekhyun paid for two cups of coffee and pastries. For a second, Yixing felt much younger himself, as he listened to the rich voice placing the order, way too fast for him to understand. He was so curious, felt almost deprived by now.
"Why don't you talk with me?" he clumsily asked that night, but Baekhyun had only shrugged.

 

The next time he saw Byun Baekhyun was at the concert. After the concert. He'd given his very best that night, tried to be even more perfect than usual, since for the first time ever, he had people watching him. People that meant something to him.

It wasn't planned, the make out session after the concert. But as it seemed to often be the case with Baekhyun, it just happened naturally. He just confidently stepped into the backstage area (how did he even get there?), approached him, and mere moments later, Yixing found himself pinned to a wall, tongue flicking at the other's lips, coaxing him to open up.
And god, it was everything he'd hoped it to be. There was no need to be careful with Baekhyun. If anything, Yixing would have to put in some effort to keep up.
Baekhyun was shameless enough to sink his hand down the back of his pants, impatient digits well on the way to attempt him in a deserted, but very much public place, when a huffed curse escaped Yixing's lips, and it all stopped. The fingers drew away, and so did Baekhyun, with a faintly heaving chest. He muttered something Yixing didn't get and there was this look again. Yixing wanted to understand.

"What's wrong?" he asked, and the other laughed silently, almost sardonically. A rapid fire of Korean followed, far too complex for Yixing to follow, but his tone sounded bitter, challenging, and a little sarcastic?
The utter confusion must have shown, for Baekhyun sighed, gaze dropping to the floor. There were people roaming around the background now, but Yixing didn't pay them any heed as his eyes were fixed on the other's lips, the way he opened and closed them, as if attempting to finally say... something. He'd done this before, but Yixing had a feeling that this was a good moment to actually go through with it. And Baekhyun shared the sympathy, it seemed.
His head whipped up, eyes sparkling at him in determination.

"I want to know you."

It was broken, a little mushy around crucial vowels, but it was clearly Mandarin.
"I had no idea you know Mandarin," Yixing said before he knew it, and a flash of insecurity flickered over Baekhyun's features, reminding him to slow down. It was rare that people would try to talk to him in his mother tongue. For Koreans, at least.
"But you know me," he instead said, slowly and clearly. It was an obvious role reversal. So this was what it felt like; trying to simplify your language as much as possible, to adapt to another person. He'd always known that it must be bothersome for others to keep conversations shallow.
Baekhyun blinked, and obviously gathered his wits, before he dared continuing.
"I know Korea Lay."
Yixing tilted his head a little in question.
"I want to... know Zhang Yixing. From China," he stated, voice a little wobbly, but tone and eyes steady and determined.
"The intelligent and thoughtful person. The interesting person."

An uncharacteristic shade of red began to creep up his cheeks, and with an awkward grin flashing up, Baekhyun stumbled a step back, before turning on his heels and leaving with a small 'Bye!' left hanging in the air. Yixing could have run after him, or hold him still to demand answers. But that wasn't the type of person he was. He'd never seen Baekhyun being actually embarrassed about anything, and if he needed time to cool down and recollect, so be it.

Maybe Yixing needed some time to cool down and sort his thoughts himself. Baekhyun was physically attractive for sure, but seeing him lose tidbits of his control, entrusting himself to Yixing in any way... that sparked something other than arousal in him. Something that he vaguely felt whenever he found notes after work, or when he saw him wait on a bench, a bundle of fabric spread out across his lap (and the rest of the bench, really). But only now did the feeling spike up so sharply.


A part of him feared that this might be it. That Baekhyun would disappear from his life as suddenly as he had appeared. But another part of him kind of knew better already. That this was not how Byun Baekhyun worked.
The following Wednesday, he got an actual text message from him.

Do you finish work soon?

At least that's what it was probably supposed to mean. He got the Hanzi for 'you' slightly wrong. Probably tipped on the wrong suggestion on his phone. Yixing placed the water bottle down, vaguely wondering how the other had gotten his number.

Are you waiting for me?

- Yes.

Yixing looked at the clock on the wall, just to make sure. Midnight. This kid.

"Don't wait for me so long," he greeted Baekhyun at the entrance a mere minute later. "You will be tired tomorrow."
Baekhyun thought about it for a second, before pulling an obvious 'nah' face.
"I do not have school tomorrow. I go to bed late everyday."
For a moment, they both stared at each other, waiting for one to back down. With the way the cool night air sent goosebumps down Yixing's revealed arms, he caved in first, with an exasperated sigh.
"Fine. At least wait inside, it's too cold. I will try to hurry."
If there was a word he was missing, Baekhyun didn't show it. He just scooped up his things and followed Yixing inside, who told him to wait in the entrance area. There were cameras everywhere, and he wasn't too sure whether he could take Baekhyun down into the practice rooms. He'd have to ask first.

Turned out he was not allowed to, at least not for now. It wasn't so bad, because Baekhyun claimed he was working, anyway (plus the occasional glimpses of celebrities were highly entertaining him, already). The following weeks, he still showed up a lot, always whenever he deemed Yixing had 'worked too much' and 'should sleep'. He firmly stuck to only speaking to him in Mandarin, and while that caused their conversations to be really basic and kind of difficult at first, Yixing couldn't deny that the other learned fast. Yixing knew from first hand experience that speaking a language was much more effective than just learning it all by yourself, but Baekhyun really surprised him with the way he handled Mandarin. Sometimes, he couldn't help but laugh at what he was trying to do, and the other never failed to slap him in retaliation.

Still, even with basic Mandarin being the only form of communication, Yixing got a lot of answers to his spoken (and unspoken) questions. Baekhyun one day told him that the way he was holding himself at that dinner party back then had really impressed him. That he had seemed like a different person when talking in his mother tongue. That 'Lay' was just a nice, slightly airy guy, but Yixing was sharp and smart (and hot. Because this was Baekhyun, and some things he certainly didn't intend to hold back on).

It was kind of exciting, getting to know someone like this - and although it demanded patience, it was also less stressful than communicating in Korean, Yixing had to admit. In a way, it was a break from his everyday life.
They had yet to share a bed, and Yixing had stopped questioning that. He now knew that Baekhyun didn't feel ready, that he wasn't satisfied with his own progress at this point. He got the strange impression that Baekhyun was trying to earn him, or at least earn some part of him he didn't think he had access to.

 

Yixing ge!
Did you let your bunny roam free tonight?

Yixing suppressed a yawn as he rolled around in bed, flopping on his stomach to reply Tao.

What do you mean?

He got a blurry picture in response, depicting the club Tao worked in. It was impossible to see anything though. Luckily, the incoming note cleared it up.

Idk, Baekhyun is here, so I thought...

Yixing was out of bed too fast for his exhausted body to adjust, and he almost tumbled into a door frame.


Vaguely familiar pop songs were pumped through his body through deep, deep bass. His muscles were aching and he was tired, but now that he'd arrived, Yixing thought to himself that he should go clubbing more often. At the end of the day, music was his life, even if it may also be part of his job.

It wasn't too hard to spot Baekhyun, who wore a relatively classy outfit, going by his standards (black and white dress shirt, complete with buttons, it seemed - that was really something for Baekhyun). Even Yixing could only raise a brow at the fact that Baekhyun was currently hitting on two people, though. Simultaneously. It seemed to be a hetero couple, who were well on their way to get a little experimental with the brunet, who had a hand on each of their waists, crawling beneath the guy's shirt already. Yixing ceased tapping his finger on the counter with an unhappy expression and dived straight towards him.

It was easy, almost frighteningly so, to let his arms glide around Baekhyun's waist from behind. The couple gave them an odd look, but he barely registered them, eyes trained on the boy in his arms, who craned his head up to give him a curious (and very drunk) grin, darkly rimmed eyes still sparkling like the day they had met for the first time. When recognition settled in, he didn't jump away to apologize, and only pushed back into the embrace.
"Yixing!" he called over the noise. Yixing still frowned.
"What do you think you're doing?" he asked strictly, tugging until Baekhyun let go of the couple, arms uselessly dangling by his side.
"What? You got a problem?" Baekhyun asked back at him, turning his head to get a better look at him, even though he remained content in the back hug. "I missed this. I wanted to have fun. Why do you complain? You think I'm yours?"
Yixing hesitated, watching Baekhyun's expression closely. Trying to see his intentions in the dark orbs.

"You are," he simply replied, fingers lightly squeezing his waist. "Aren't you?"

It was the right answer, it seemed, for a wolfish smile spread across Baekhyun's face, and he finally twisted in the embrace to sink his hands into the back pockets of Yixing's jeans.
"I am," he confirmed in surprisingly steady Mandarin, raising a hand before Yixing could say another thing.
"If... you remember one rule."
Yixing scrunched his brows together in confusion, doubting the language skills of the clearly intoxicated boy. Baekhyun made a show of leaning into him and rubbing their lower bodies in completely obvious fashion, shooting him an almost innocent look.
"I am not always a bottom, you know?"
It took Yixing a second to decipher the butchered pronunciation but when he did, he couldn't help the lopsided grin tugging at his lips.
"That's all?” he asked, half-amused, half-serious. “Sure. You want to be on top today?"
Baekhyun seemed actually surprised at the easy reply, before pulling him into a slightly clumsy, but tight hug, mashing his burning cheek against Yixing's.
"God, you are amazing," he spoke into his ear, just loud enough to be heard over the pumping bass. "But no, thanks. I'm too drunk!"
Baekhyun laughed, giggled even, and Yixing was ready to take him home, to call this a day, when Baekhyun roughly yanked him back down, so he could half-yell something else into his ear.
"There's a different thing I can do tonight. I learnt a lot. I can tell you the words I told you at the club before. You want to know what I said, back then?"

Yixing did.
And afterwards, he still wanted to take Baekhyun home, albeit for different reasons entirely.

Also, Baekhyun's ambitious nature might be getting to him, too, since he made it his goal to have Baekhyun sing to him in Korean.
He didn't necessarily have to be upright to do that though.


Yixing later found out that Baekhyun had all but forced Tao to text him, in order to let Yixing know he was out there. He made another mental note not to underestimate Baekhyun.

 

Yay, double update! :D
Since it's two solos, I felt like treating y'all~

The lube mystery is solved at last!
I feel like y'all forgot how very ready Lay was to get nasty in Baek's solo~ ;3

Sorry if these two chapters weren't overly funny - both Xing and Xiu aren't inherently goofy as the rest *haha*
Did you notice the way Baekhyun went quiet when Luhan started translating for Xing back in chapter 27?
Call me a hypocrite, but I've been planning this (and looking forward to it)

See you soon~

Much love,
Sugar-and-Salt ♥

P.S.: The song didn't pop up, but it definitely inspired Baek for this one~