Baekhyun collected memories the same way some people collected fireflies in jars.

Those people ran freely in the night, bottling tiny lightning bugs, shutting them in tight with the intent of keeping them forever. And they would hold them and count them and laugh happily with the people around them, because the twinkling was so brilliant, so wonderful, so calming. Until the inevitable moment that the fireflies had to be let go. But once the jar was opened, everything that had been bottled within for so long flooded into the darkness of the night sky and disappeared before their very eyes, which left people longing for more. And so they would do it again and again, collecting more fireflies only to let them all go in the end.

That was the way that Baekhyun collected memories with his lover, Kim Minseok. And Xiumin. And Baozi. And the little Prince. And all the other names from all other lives that his lover had come to be known by. Every single time, Baekhyun had to let go of the memories and start all over again and again and again.

It was only a matter of time before they had met again and Baekhyun began to collect the memories once more.

Just outside of a little hole-in-the-wall cafe, standing beneath a dripping awning and upon the slippery pavement, fresh with rain from a recent downpour, stood a flustered and exhausted university student and a man clad in a leather jacket. That man was Baekhyun and that student was the one.

“Do I know you?” the university student asked, confused as he peered into Baekhyun’s red eyes.

“No, but I know you.” Baekhyun said, his heart twisting painfully inside of his chest.

These words had been exchanged between them so many times before. Baekhyun was almost positive that they had said it nearly every time that they met after his lover’s first life so many centuries ago. In fact, he was entirely positive that the did say it every time that they had met after that point. Thinking about it now, Baekhyun wanted to both laugh and cry all at the same time, far too overwhelmed with the memories resurfacing from the depths of his heart.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, Sir…” the student trailed off, face distorted with the obvious discomfort that had come from this accidental encounter, as he pushed past Baekhyun.

Baekhyun watched in pain, pure longing and desire in his eyes as he followed the boy’s retreating back and eyed every single step he made down the sidewalk. He swallowed a lump in his throat, tears flowing freely down his cheeks and clinging to his eyelashes as his love disappeared from him.

And then Baekhyun did the unthinkable.

Minseok stopped dead in his tracks unable to control his own body any longer. He was unsure what had come over him when he turned swiftly on his heels, one single name implanted in his mind as he screamed it out towards the strange man near the cafe. His whole body tensed in that one moment, tears pooling in his eyes and shock in his features as the word ripped from his throat against his will.

“Baekhyun!”

Baekhyun surprised himself when he looked behind himself to call back, “Do I know you?” a sad smile played on his lips as he did so and Minseok stood there, unblinking and unmoving, unable to do so.

Just like that, it was over. Minseok stumbled forward after regaining control of himself and his face flushed in complete and utter embarrassment. Unsure of what to do next, he simply bowed several times in the direction of the stranger, taken aback by the scene he had displayed not even two seconds ago.

“I-I’m so sorry,” he stammered, “I don’t know what came over me! Please forget that this ever happened.” he said quickly and then he turned the corner, disappearing completely down the street at a full sprint with his coffee in hand.

Baekhyun sighed, the tears still streaming down his face as he watched the emptiness where Minseok, his love, had once stood. He couldn’t believe himself, couldn’t believe that for the first time ever, he controlled Minseok. That was the last thing he had ever wanted to do, the only thing he promised himself never to ing do.

"Forgive me," Baekhyun whispered.

It took all of Baekhyun’s strength to look away from that spot, to look away from where Minseok once stood. He had to look away even though he hadn’t wanted to. Had to, because he knew that Minseok would not spontaneously reappear as he hoped. Knew that those thoughts and familiar feelings that Minseok had felt had all been put there by none other than himself. They were not his own and it was not fair to Minseok for Baekhyun to just do like that.

Sighing sadly to himself, Baekhyun pulled on the door handle of the cafe once more, not entirely sure why he was entering the cafe to begin with any longer. It was not like he planned on buying the latte that Chanyeol sent him here for, because that had been a cover. The whole purpose of him coming here tonight was because of that jerk, who knew that Minseok would be here tonight. Baekhyun made a mental note to kill Park Chanyeol when he got back.

“Welcome to-” a voice began as Baekhyun entered and then quickly stopped, falling into a gasp of recognition, “Byun Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun blinked into the bright lights of the cafe and spotted the owner of the voice, “Jongin.” he said with a slight, forced smile, “Still in the coffee game, I see.” he said in an attempt to collect himself.

“Is that really you?” Another familiar