|

Their first encounter was at a carnival. Both of the boys were four years old at the time and they both remember the day vaguely. Jongdae had to give his toy he had won at ring toss to a teary, snot-nosed crybaby who would not let go of Jongdae's hand; Baekhyun remembered the fear that hit him in waves when his brother and parents were nowhere to be found and of the boy who was kind enough to comfort him, even giving away a toy.

Jongdae was with his father, mother, and brother at a booth to see who could score the most points by tossing miniature balls into the hoops within one minute. With one arm protectively holding his new dinosaur plush against his chest and his opposite hand holding his mother's, Jongdae cheered for his seven-year-old brother, Jongdeok, to beat their father.

Jongdae's brother had won, mostly in part because their father had lost on purpose, and while Jongdeok was choosing a prize, Jongdae heard someone crying not too far off. Jongdae tugged his mother's hand. "That boy's crying! I think he's lost."

After a quick assessment, Jongdae's mother replied, "I think you're right. Want to go help him?"

Jongdae energetically pulled his mother's hand toward the sobbing child. His face was flushed and covered in tears and snot. At the sight of another boy his size and age, Baekhyun desperately clung onto Jongdae's arm, the arm holding onto the dinosaur. 

"Help me find my mommy!" Baekhyun sobbed. Jongdae let go of his mother's hand to try to push Baekhyun away from him, but the boy was holding on too tight.

"Oww! Let me go!" Jongdae shouted and that caused Baekhyun to cry harder.

"Jongdae," his mother said in a tone of disapproval before kneeling in front of the lost child. She placed an arm behind Baekhyun's back. "Do you remember where you last saw your mom?"

Baekhyun shook his head, his bottom lip jutting out and tears welling in his eyes. "I... I was with my brother and... I don't know."

Jongdae's mother looked around, but no one seemed as if they were looking for their child. She decided it best to take him, for the sake of the child, his family, and herself. She couldn't leave him alone nor could she trust a stranger to help him, so she took both her son and the child by their hands and guided them away after informing her husband where she was heading to.

Jongdae thought it would be quick, that they would just drop the boy off and his parents would find him, but his mother told him to sit down with the boy. Hand in hand, Baekhyun and Jongdae went to find a chair to sit in. Jongdae had expected each boy to a chair, but Baekhyun seemed insistent on sharing. It wasn't much of a problem as they were small enough to sit comfortably in the giant chair, although they would be pressed together. Because Jongdae didn't want Baekhyun to cry, they sat together.

Jongdae's mother sat on the chair to his right. The hand they boy was holding began to feel hot and sweaty, but Jongdae couldn't free from the iron grip. Jongdae turned to his mother in impatience, "Can we go now?"

She gave him that look with the single raised eyebrow that he hated. Jongdae sat back in his chair with a frown, the boy to his left still sniffling and holding onto his hand. Jongdae noticed a mole on the boy's thumb and commented about it, only for his mother to shush him.

After what felt like forever to the boys, but in reality was five minutes, the boy burst into tears once more. Jongdae's mother asked, "Why don't you give him your dinosaur, Jongdae?"

Jongdae turned to his mother in alarm. How could she request something like that of him? Jongdae's arm tightened around his precious toy and he quickly shook his head. Again, she gave him the look. The boy already had Jongdae's hand and their help, why did he need Jongdae's toy?

"Jongdae."

With much reluctance, Jongdae the item at the boy, momentarily startling him. "Chenchen will protect you."

The boy sniffled and took the toy, hugging it against his chest with his free arm, his other hand still gripping onto Jongdae's. "Chenchen?"

"Yeah--"

"Thank you," Baekhyun said, running his tears and snot all over the toy. Jongdae almost started crying himself. He had played his first game that day and won Chenchen and together they went all over the carnival grounds. If Jongdae knew he wouldn't get to keep Chenchen, he wouldn't have named it. He only named it because he thought it was his and his forever.

Sitting in the room was what the two remembered most. The gross crybaby that would never let go of Jongdae's hand; the boy who made Baekhyun feel safer just by holding his hand.

||

Their second encounter occurred on the subway. It had passed Baekhyun's 12th birthday, but Jongdae remained at 11 years old. They were seated across from each other, Baekhyun with his brother and a couple friends on their way to beach, Jongdae with his brother and some distant cousins or whoever that their parents made them hang out with for the day.

Jongdae hadn't wanted to go, he would rather be indoors with the air conditioning on while he played video games. Jongdae had brought a sudoku book with him to pass time on the subway and he was glad he did because not long after they began moving, the subway slowed to a stop and the conductor said they were having minor technical difficulties and for everyone to be patient.

After completing four puzzles, Jongdae shut his book and glanced around, ending on the boy sitting directly across from him, who happened to meet Jongdae's gaze at the perfect time. They both averted their eyes in haste.

It started getting hot. Passengers began complaining. Jongdae was sandwiched between his brother and one of his brother's friends, sharing sweat and body temperature. It was disgusting. He used the book to fan himself.

Baekhyun wasn't feeling all that great either. The older guys began removing their tops, but Baekhyun was too shy. He used his hands to fan himself, wishing he had a book or anything he could use, really, like the boy seated across from him. Baekhyun eyed him in envy when the other wasn't paying attention.

Baekhyun turned to his brother, "How much longer do you think it's going to take?" His brother merely shrugged in response. "It's so hot."

"Take off your shirt."

Baekhyun anxiously kept glancing around and it eventually came down to the boy across from him and himself. Their eyes met again and like before, they quickly looked elsewhere. Baekhyun pinched the front of his shirt collar and began to beat his shirt against his chest.

"What's that book you have?" Baekhyun asked when their eyes met for the third time. He knew what Sudoku was, but he asked anyway.

"Sudoku," Jongdae held the book up so Baekhyun could see the front cover.

"You like that kind of stuff?"

"Yeah, it's fun. You ever tried it?"

"Once. Have you done KenKen puzzles?"

Jongdae nodded, "Once. Probably never again." Baekhyun cracked a smile. He felt the exact same way after completing one KenKen puzzle for extra credit. 

Jongdae resumed fanning himself with the book. He was just about ready to take off his shirt when a rush entered the compartments and everyone cheered. Baekhyun sighed in relief, his shoulders relaxing; Jongdae resumed solving Sudoku puzzles.

Baekhyun remembered the incident because it prompted him to never take the subway whenever it was the slightest bit warm outside. Jongdae remembered because he wasn't the only guy to keep his shirt on the entire time.

|||

Their third encounter took place at the convenience store. Baekhyun had wanted to buy snacks for his late-night studies, Jongdae was running a quick errand for medicine for his mother. It was late around 10 PM and only one cash register working. On top of that, it was a Saturday night and for some odd reason, everyone seemed to be at the store as if they had nothing better to do on a Saturday night. Baekhyun was behind Jongdae after about five other people waiting to purchase their items.

Baekhyun had brought his packet and while waiting in line, he studied and read over the packet with one hand, the other hanging onto his basket of goodies that were more than ready to be devoured. Their first interaction happened that night because Baekhyun dropped his packet after an attempt to turn the page over with his one hand. Jongdae had noticed from the corner of his eye and was kind enough to bend down to pick it up for him.

When it came time for Jongdae to pay for the medicine, he was short a dollar and some cents. He would have used his card, but he had taken it out of his wallet previously for something and had forgotten to return it back in its slot.

Baekhyun felt sorry for the guy, seeing as how he must have needed the medicine for something. He suddenly remembered his fortune from his fortune cookie earlier that day that said he would be able to help a soul in need by the end of the week. The tiniest of smiles appeared on his face. After calculating if he would have enough for himself, Baekhyun offered to pay the remaining amount for Jongdae.

Feeling guilty and embarrassed, Jongdae said, "It's all right. I'll just run home real quick and come back."

"No, no," Baekhyun insisted, "it's not much. Here." Rather than handing the money to Jongdae, he handed it to the cashier, who didn't bother asking Jongdae if he was okay with someone else paying because there was a line and anytime there was a line of more than two customers, the cashier got anxious.

"Thank you," Jongdae said to Baekhyun as he took his bag of medicine. Baekhyun smiled in response. 

Ever since that night, Jongdae made sure to prepare enough money before heading out; Baekhyun remembered that night because his fortune came true and because it felt nice to help out someone in need.

||||

Their fourth encounter was at the college library. The two were both freshmen in their second semester. Baekhyun was in dire need of a computer to print his paper, but every single computer was occupied. Either that or they were busted for some reason and Baekhyun cursed himself for not having a printer or completing his paper earlier. Jongdae, who was seated at the far end near the printer, happened to look up away from the computer screen for a quick eye break and Baekhyun took that opportunity to approach him.

"Excuse me," Baekhyun gave a shy smile, "are you almost done with the computer?"

"No, sorry."

Baekhyun hesitated to ask the stranger for a favor, but he had the other's attention and he needed his paper for his next class, which was in less than ten minutes. It couldn't have hurt to ask, the worst was the guy rejecting to help, right? Baekhyun said, "Could you help me print my essay? It's on my flash drive. All you need to do is stick in there and--" Baekhyun stopped speaking when Jongdae held out his hand.

"Flash drive and $5."

Baekhyun stared at the guy in dismay. He shrugged off his backpack and dug through for his keys and wallet. When Baekhyun handed the items to Jongdae, Jongdae's expressionless face disappeared, replaced by a wide and bright smile. "I'm just kidding. Keep your money."

Jongdae inserted the flash drive into the slot and Baekhyun took over the mouse to find his document, praying that no problems would arise. He managed to print his paper with ease. Once all the pages were printed out, Baekhyun thanked Jongdae and left in a hurry.

Then Jongdae noticed the flash drive still plugged into the computer. He had a mini panic attack, not sure if he should chase after the guy, bring it to the lost and found, or keep it with him until they saw each other again. Jongdae pushed the thoughts aside as he resumed typing his own paper. He would worry about that later.

Fortunately for Jongdae as he was headed downstairs, he saw the owner of the flash drive speeding his way to the stairs with a worried expression on his face. He hadn't actually recognized the guy, but he remembered blond hair and the bright blue shirt. They met halfway on the stairs where Jongdae returned the item to its ever-so-grateful owner.

Baekhyun nearly had a heart attack the second he realized he had forgotten his flash drive. He had quietly slipped out of class and briskly walked as fast as he could across campus to the library. He couldn't say whether Jongdae had peeped into his files, but Baekhyun decided to give Jongdae the benefit of the doubt. Besides, it was his school flash drive, nothing extremely personal.

/

Their fifth encounter was at a party neither was interested in attending, but their friends somehow coerced them to. Under normal circumstances, Baekhyun would have been more than willing to party, but he had just finished taking three exhausting exams back to back and all he wanted was sleep. Jongdae was terrified of college parties and after the first party he attended during his freshman year, he vowed, "Never again."

It took a few minutes of staring at Jongdae for Baekhyun to determine the reason the guy practically glued to Sehun looked so agonizingly familiar. Baekhyun had seated himself on a cushion with his back to the wall, the fireplace to his right. He leaned his head against the bricks and constantly checked to see if his phone finished charging.

Occasionally, some people who recognized Baekhyun approached him and said hi and started some small talk before they left. Baekhyun could technically leave, but he would have had to take public transportation back to the dorms. Not to mention his roommate was the only one with the key and no matter how much Baekhyun begged, Junmyeon refused to hand over the remaining key, only because Baekhyun had lost his two months after moving in. The school had yet to provide them an extra and it was beyond frustration.

"Hey, Baekhyun," someone said. Baekhyun looked up. "You know Jongdae, right? Here, you two can spend time together." Sehun took off as quickly as he had arrived. Jongdae stood awkwardly in front of Baekhyun, not knowing what to do now that the only person he knew at the party had abandoned him. 

"Want to sit?" Baekhyun gestured to the free cushion beside him. "It'll be a bit crowded, but it's just me and the wall. I promise I won't do anything."

Jongdae sat down, his shoulder brushing against Baekhyun's. "You're the printer guy, right?"

"Yeah," Baekhyun smiled, "that's me. Thanks again."

"No problem. How did you do?"

"The paper? It was a 90."

"Oh, cool."

Jongdae tried pressing himself against the wall to his left as much as possible, but it was inevitable that he and Baekhyun make physical contact. It was awkward, but maybe less than when he was following Sehun around like a shadow.

"My name's Byun Baekhyun, by the way."

"Kim Jongdae."

"Hey," Baekhyun suddenly said, "what did Sehun mean by us knowing each other?"

"Well, I did mention you once," Jongdae chuckled in embarrassment. "I told him about that incident, then I saw you somewhere and pointed you out to him and he said he knew you and that you told him about the incident too."

The two laughed together, then it died down and silence ensued. It was one of the most awkward moments in Jongdae's life, sitting that close to someone he didn't know well. Wanting to keep a conversation going, Jongdae asked, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-three."

"Same here." Jongdae restrained himself from sounding overly enthusiastic about finding a commonality. Estimating someone's age was not his strong suit. In his first year of college, he had believed the man who sat beside him was his age if not older by a couple years. Jongdae only realized the man was in his late thirties on their last day.

Baekhyun had a youthful appearance. Jongdae was curious who was born first, but he didn't bring it up. Luckily, he didn't have to. Baekhyun was the one who said, "I was born in May. You?"

"September."

"Ah, the end of summer and beginning of fall. You don't look like you want to be here. Am I reading you wrong?"

Jongdae tugged at his hoodie's drawstrings to keep his hands occupied. "No, you're right. I could say the same about you." Jongdae stole a glance at Baekhyun before adding, "You look exhausted. Exams wear you out?"

"Ugh, yes," Baekhyun groaned. His phone lit up and he unplugged the charger. "I want to change into my sweats and go to sleep."

"Do you live on campus?" Jongdae asked. At Baekhyun's nod, Jongdae offered him a ride, only to be turned down and briefed on why Baekhyun was still there. "You can stay at my place until your roommate returns."

"What about Sehun? You're his designated driver, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but let's be honest. They're going to party for--" Jongdae checked the time on his phone, "--several more hours."

Baekhyun stood up. "I'm convinced. Let's go."

Back at the dorms, the two ate a light snack and watched an episode of a TV show on Jongdae's laptop before Baekhyun fell asleep on Sehun's bed. It wasn't until four in the morning that Sehun stumbled inside and almost threw himself on top of the sleeping Baekhyun. At first, Sehun thought it was Jongdae, but then he saw Jongdae asleep on the top bunk. It took awhile for him to recognize Baekhyun, but once he did, he pushed Baekhyun over toward the wall and laid down.

Baekhyun would have left but he was too sleepy and Junmyeon most likely wouldn't open the door for him anyway. As crowded as he was between the wall and Sehun, he managed to close his eyes and sleep for another few more hours.

/|

Their sixth encounter happened at a hospital as they waited outside the delivery room. When their eyes met by mistake, they both paused as their minds puzzled over why each other looked familiar. Baekhyun remembered Jongdae first, a smile spreading on his face. "Hey." Baekhyun rose and took the hand of the child that was sitting next to him and made their way over to Jongdae.

"Baekhyun, right?" Jongdae said, thrilled when he received a nod of approval. His attention turned to the little boy, "And who's this?"

"He's my nephew," Baekhyun said when the child remained silent. "Say hi to Uncle Baekhyun's friend." Both of the men knew they weren't friends, but it was easier to say that to the child. Baekhyun's nephew waved in silence. Jongdae waved back.

"Can I guess that his parents are the reason you're here?" Jongdae smiled.

"Correct. You?"

"Sister-in-law. I'm going to be an uncle."

"Congratulations," Baekhyun said. He wanted to ask if the baby was a boy or girl, but a man approached them (Jongdae's brother) and after a quick good-bye, Baekhyun was alone with his nephew.

/||

Their seventh encounter happened in a group interview for the same job position. They hadn't expected all six interviewees to be herded into the room and questioned simultaenously. One man was a nervous wreck that stammered all over the place, one of the women took long pauses to form her answers, but everything she did say blew away Baekhyun and Jongdae. The other woman and man were rather aggressive, both attempting to steer the interview in their direction.

"Well, that could have gone worse," Baekhyun commented as soon as the door shut behind him. "You guys want to grab a bite to eat?"

Everyone but Jongdae declined Baekhyun's offer and walked away. With a sigh and tired smile, Jongdae said, "Sure, why not? Something in my tummy should help the anxiety go away, although I do need to use the restroom first, I've been holding since we first got in."

"Ha, me too," Baekhyun said. In the restrooms, Baekhyun couldn't help but ask, "You were nervous back there? You seemed all right to me."

"I was terrified," Jongdae said. He couldn't say anything about Baekhyun because he wasn't focusing on Baekhyun the entire time. He had his own worries on his plate.

Several minutes later and they walked into a place famous for their fried chicken. Baekhyun joked that it seemed appropriate because he felt like a chicken at the interview and everyone had fried him. He truly believed the stammering fellow had a better chance than him. Jongdae, on the other hand, thought he did awful, though not as bad as the second man. 

It turned out neither Baekhyun nor Jongdae were hired.

/|||

Their eighth encounter was at a small corner restaurant that Baekhyun and his friends often dined at when they got together and had nowhere else to go. For Jongdae, however, it was his first time.

A lawyer -- a very handsome one, Jongdae might add -- that Jongdae had been flirting back and forth to had asked Jongdae out sometime last week. Before arriving at the destined location, Jongdae had spent nearly an hour deciding what to wear and how to style his hair; he wanted to make a good impression. He didn't want to dress too casual, nor did he want to appear too formal. After digging through his closet, he decided on a blue-gray button up top and the dark blue skinny jeans that perfectly hugged his . As for his hair -- his usual side parting.

He and his date agreed with eight in the evening, yet it was a quarter 'til nine and Jongdae had yet to hear back from the handsome lawyer. Jongdae had stopped after the fourth text. He was a patient man and was willing to wait until the clock struck nine before leaving, although with each passing minute he felt a part of himself die a little.

Baekhyun, who was seated at the edge of the corner booth seats with his group of friends, had kept his sights on Jongdae ever since the latter arrived alone. Baekhyun assumed Jongdae was on a date judging from the outfit and the light radiating from his face after he sat down began fidgeting with his phone. Baekhyun had wanted to go over and say hi, but they weren't friends and he didn't want to ruin the date, if it was a date. Not to mention that Baekhyun spent too long overthinking the situation that their food had arrived.

Baekhyun noticed Jongdae was still alone half an hour later. There was no food on the table but a cup of water that had been half drained. Jongdae occupied himself with either his phone or staring out the window. It was a quarter past nine when Baekhyun and his friends decided to part ways. Since Jongdae was still sitting alone, Baekhyun wanted to approach him. Unfortunately, he missed his chance because by the time he and his friends said their final goodbyes, Jongdae was already out the door.

Jongdae wished he would have just ordered something because he was starving. His last meal was at noon and he had a couple snacks around four to keep his energy up until his dinner date. His heart ached because there was no hope. The lawyer was gone. Their supposed first date was canceled because the lawyer's daughter was sick with the flu. The second time there was no excuse, at least none Jongdae couldn't grasp. No phone calls, no texts. Jongdae wasted enough of his time.

"Hey! It's you, isn't it?"

It took a bit for Jongdae to realize the man was addressing him. He blinked at the man before his memory clicked. Jongdae half-smiled, "Hey, Baekhyun is it?"

Baekhyun nodded. "Funny how small the world is."

"Yeah."

Despite the bustling noise of all the other people out and about that Friday night, Baekhyun heard Jongdae's stomach rumble. Embarrassed, Jongdae hurriedly pressed his hands against his tummy. Jongdae tried laughing it off. "I was looking for food, but there are so many places to choose from."

"Oh!" Baekhyun gasped. "I was getting a bite to eat, myself. Why don't we eat together? What are you craving for?"

Jongdae blinked in surprise. "Oh. Umm, I don't... I don't know. I'll eat anything."

"Anything?" Baekhyun raised a brow, a smirk on his lips. Jongdae's head bobbed up and down. His stomach growled again. Baekhyun extended his hand. "Come on then, I know a place that serves some mean noodles not far from here that's still open."

Jongdae's eyes traveled from Baekhyun's hand up the arm to the smile, to the eyes, then back to the hand. Something about Baekhyun seemed oddly familiar, but they have met each multiple times since college. Jongdae took Baekhyun's hand and let Baekhyun to guide him away.

After dinner (Baekhyun's second, oh how stuffed he was but he had ordered the smallest bowl size and stuck with drinking alcohol, which was probably a bad idea since he was half-drunk after his first dinner),  the two men found out they lived in the same apartment complex so they caught the last bus ride heading in that direction, since Baekhyun had hitched a ride with his friends earlier and Jongdae took a cab to the restaurant in hopes the lawyer would drive him back home.

Baekhyun had fallen asleep during the short six-minute ride back. He had the window seat, but his head landed on Jongdae's shoulder instead. Not only that, but when exiting the restaurant they held onto each other's hands because their drunk asses needed the other's support. After getting on the bus, their hands were still together even after Baekhyun dozed off.

It felt like a distant dream to Jongdae. To keep himself from joining Baekhyun in dream land, he went over their dinner, his mind replaying that memory where he caught Baekhyun smiling at him. Jongdae admitted Baekhyun was attractive as hell and despite Baekhyun being drunk, the glow in his eyes and from his smile seemed genuine and pure. How long they stared at each across the table with their food uneaten, Jongdae couldn't recall, but it was Baekhyun who broke the silence with a, "You have a very pretty smile, Jongdae."

"Thank you, you do too," Jongdae remembered saying, or maybe he was too caught off guard to verbally respond and instead had blushed like an idiot. He did remember commenting about how pink Baekhyun's cheeks were because that made Baekhyun flustered and he began stammering and he covered his cheeks with his hands.

Once the bus arrived at their stop, Jongdae had to haul Baekhyun off, who, once he saw that Jongdae was heading to the elevators, dug his heels into the ground and pointed to the stairs. "You can barely stand," Jongdae laughed. "I can barely walk straight." Baekhyun threw his arm over Jongdae's shoulder and begrudingly stepped into the elevator and rode up to the 5th floor.

"Why don't you sleep over tonight?" Baekhyun asked. "You don't really want to go up all the way to the 9th floor do you? I have clothes you can change into."

"Only if you don't mind," Jongdae said before entering Baekhyun's apartment. He was tired. 

By the time Jongdae finished changing into Baekhyun's clothes, Baekhyun had already fallen asleep. It hit Jongdae that Baekhyun hadn't specified where he'd be sleeping. Jongdae almost decided to just head home when he did something he didn't think he would do under normal circumstances. He carefully pulled Baekhyun's blanket from underneath that latter and covered Baekhyun, making sure to tuck him in. Baekhyun was nice to him, Jongdae only felt it necessary to reciprocate the kindness.

Baekhyun stirred from his sleep and gave a sleepy smile to Jongdae. He patted the empty space on the bed. "Sleep here, Jongdae. It's not weird if you don't make it. Besides, we're practically friends now. Come come, sleep beside me. These blankets are magic, they'll keep us warm."

That was how Baekhyun and Jongdae ended up waking in the morning with Baekhyun hugging Jongdae's arm and his legs wrapped around Jongdae's leg. Jongdae was too freaked out about it to do anything but remain still until Baekhyun woke, but while Jongdae was waiting, something tugged at the back of his mind. There was a familiarity being with Baekhyun.

Jongdae took a look around the bedroom as far as his eyes could travel and that's when he saw something that triggered a faint memory. He saw the same kind of dinosaur plush he once had to give up to a snot-nosed crybaby. It took awhile for him to remember because it was so long ago and he only had the plush for a few minutes, but it was undeniably the same kind. Jongdae glanced at the top of Baekhyun's head. How crazy it would be if Baekhyun was that same kid from twenty-one years ago.

"Good morning," Baekhyun mumbled, snuggling closer against Jongdae. Not five seconds later, Baekhyun jerked away and upright in alarm. "Oh my, I'm sorry!" He laughed in embarrassment and ran his hand through his hair. "Uhh, so I guess you stayed the night."

"Good morning," Jongdae said with a hint of amusement. 

Baekhyun eyed himself before eyeing Jongdae, who was wearing his black long-sleeved shirt and navy blue sweatpants. Why was Jongdae in bed with him dressed in his clothes? "Nothing happened between us after we got here, right?"

"You don't remember?" Jongdae frowned. "We made out, right here on your bed, before you started stripping us." Baekhyun's eyes had never gotten so wide and round. Because the horror on Baekhyun's face was too genuine, Jongdae burst into laughter before giving him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. "I'm kidding. Once we got here, we changed and fell asleep."

"I need my morning tea," Baekhyun said as he hopped off the bed. Last night's events were beginning to return piece by piece. He recalled the restaurant where he spotted Jongdae, eating and drinking with Jongdae afterwards, the vague bus ride (or was it a taxi?), and riding the elevator.

"Can I ask you something real quick?" Jongdae said with haste before Baekhyun disappeared.

"Ask away."

"Where did you get that from?"

Baekhyun followed the direction of Jongdae's finger to the green dinosaur plush sitting on the shelf beside some neglected books he really should get rid of soon. "Oh, I got lost at a carnival and this kid gave give it to me because I was crying." Baekhyun chuckled at the memory. After a yawn, he added, "Now that I'm older, I feel kind of bad for taking it, but I was so scared, you know? I was about four and afterwards I was kinda glued to it because the boy said it would protect me and I guess I believed him, heh. The power of suggestion. What's that look for?"

"What's the dinosaur's name?"

"Why are you so curious about the-- it's Chenchen I think. Why?"

Jongdae gasped and leaped into the air. "Shut up, I'm the one who gave that to you! My mom took us to the help tent where we sat together and I gave it to you, right?"

"Oh my god, it is you," Baekhyun gasped, dumbfounded. They laughed for quite a while, amazed at the coincidence. Well, perhaps Jongdae believed it was mere coincidence, but Baekhyun thought otherwise. It had to be fate. The universe was pushing them together, it had to be. All the times they met, it was not pure coincidence, no way.

/||||

Their ninth encounter occurred outside Jongdae's front door almost two months later.

After Jongdae left Baekhyun's apartment that morning, he wondered... what if? What if he and Jongdae were meant to be together? Maybe Baekhyun's head was too high up in the clouds, but he couldn't ignore the signs. Also, as horrible as it sounded, Jongdae being stood up was Baekhyun's opportunity to befriend Jongdae, because... that was exactly what happened. They had finally exchanged phone numbers during their 'date'; they found out where the other person lived. They met when they were four years old for crying out loud. Best of all -- neither of them were dating anyone at the moment.

As much as Baekhyun would love for all the pieces to fit together, he kept his fantasies to himself. He didn't want to risk his friendship with Jongdae. Yet there Baekhyun stood on the other side of Jongdae's front door, his feet glued to the ground. He probably stood there for a good four minutes before Jongdae opened the door, much to both of their surprises.

"Did you just get here?" Jongdae asked. He had been tidying his place, finding items here and there that he could either donate or sell. He couldn't say what prompted him to look through the peephole, but he did and he almost jumped at the sight of Baekhyun just standing there.

"Yeah?"

"Want to come in?"

Baekhyun didn't respond nor react in any way. Jongdae waved his hand in front of Baekhyun. "Hello? Has your soul ascended to Heaven or descended to Hell?"

Baekhyun took Jongdae's hand in his, a smile on his face. "I'm still here."

"Well?"

"I came here to ask you something," Baekhyun said, still holding onto Jongdae's hand. Jongdae nodded to signal Baekhyun to continue. Baekhyun suddenly felt afraid to speak. His throat turned as dry as a desert and he was sure Jongdae could hear his heart pounding within his chest. Baekhyun could have called and done this over the phone and save him the trouble of embarrassing himself in person, but he had thought it necessary at the time to do it face-to-face with Jongdae. After swallowing the lump in his throat, Baekhyun managed to say, "Are you busy?"

"Not really?"

A breathy laugh escaped from Baekhyun. "That's not what I meant to ask, sorry. I'm just-- I don't know." His face was likely flushed a deep pink because he could feel it, feel the heat on his cheeks burning him alive from the inside out. How strange the two must have looked from someone else's eyes, with Baekhyun standing outside and Jongdae inside, Baekhyun holding onto Jongdae's hand and neither of them speaking.

"Baekhyun?" Jongdae said. He could feel Baekhyun's grip tighten just a fraction.

"Would you like to go out on a real date with me?"

Hearing the "yes, I'd love to" from Jongdae was enough for Baekhyun, but the smile on Jongdae's face and the way his eyes lit up like the sun rising on a clear morning filled Baekhyun with much happiness. 

It was like a beautiful dream come true.

 

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