Prompt: Sehun gets drunk and texts Baekhyun's parents telling them that he and Baekhyun are getting married.

Written by: anonymous until the fic fest ends

Warnings: None

It was meant to be a nice, calm evening…

It was only meant to be a couple of beers…

It was never meant to escalate to the point where Sehun was -faced drunk…

Regret was just one of the many emotions Kyungsoo was feeling as he tried to stop his drunk friend from opening another can of Hite. It was to no avail of course, Sehun was significantly taller than the other and was able to hold the beer can well above Kyungsoo’s own height. The sound of froth dripping onto the floor only cemented Kyungsoo’s monumental failure.

“You were right, Kyungsoo.” Sehun yelled in a hoarse voice.

“I don’t-”

“Yes, you were right!” The youngest interrupted, only pausing to take a deep gulp of the alcohol in his hand. “I should have told Baekhyun ages ago!”

If Kyungsoo was being sincerely honest, he had never seen Sehun this drunk before and it stunned him to no end. Kyungsoo was no expert in handling the kind of inebriated behaviour Sehun was currently exhibiting. Also, why was it always his job to look after the members?! Kyungsoo was pretty sure that in the contract he signed with SM it never mentioned he would become their surrogate mother in the fine print. However, he could safely say that he dropped the ball tonight. Kyungsoo remorsefully eyed the fifteen or so beers that lay discarded and crushed on the table at their dorm. Where were the other members when he needed them? They had all gone out tonight for dinner followed by karaoke that would surely last till the early hours of the morning, which was just his luck. Though you could say Kyungsoo had brought all this tragedy onto himself, it had been his own idea to stay in the dorm, he was the one who suggested cracking open a few beers. Recently, Sehun had seemed somewhat sullen and all Kyungsoo wanted to do was get to the bottom of it and maybe help a friend out, but yeah, you could say that backfired tremendously.

“Don’t you agree Soo?” Sehun pressed on, slumping over the kitchen table so that his face was resting against the wood. “Don’t you agree?”

“I mean I think I may have said something about telling Baekhyun at some point but I-”

“Exactly, exactly you see.” Sehun lisped, it was evident that liquor only accentuated his speech defect further. “I’m such an idiot. I’m an idiot. If I don’t tell him now, you just know some other random guy who doesn’t deserve him will come swooping in and just take him away from us. God, how stupid can I be?” The maknae took another guilt-fermented swig of beer.

Kyungsoo decided a well-timed intervention was necessary. Rather composedly, Kyungsoo went over to his close friend and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder whilst the other hand removed the beer from Sehun’s vicinity. “Do you want some water, Sehun? Maybe some crackers or bread to sober up?” Kyungsoo walked over to the fridge to put the beer can away and then sighed as he observed the state of his dongsaeng. “I’m not really sure how to say this nicely Sehun, but you look like a ing mess.”

It was the unrelenting truth, Sehun was by no means unattractive but he looked like he’d been caught up in an altercation or perhaps even had a go inside a washing machine. Sehun had beer foam dripping from his mouth, his black t-shirt was creased all over and his hair was utterly dishevelled. Sehun usually had a quite well-put together appearance, he couldn’t have strayed further away from that tonight.

“I am a mess.” Sehun moaned into his arm. “I don’t want water or Junmyeon’s ty crackers. I just want… I just...”

The younger lost momentum in his own words, disheartened by the very feelings that made him speak in the first place. Kyungsoo glazed over Sehun’s slumped form with sad eyes. “I mean I can go to the convenience store across the road to get you somethi-”

“No, Kyungsoo you don’t understand. It’s not like that. It’s not a thing you can buy.” Sehun’s voice was thick with upheaval. “I just... I just want to tell Baekhyun I love him.”

The confession hung in the air and it was palpable. Kyungsoo could feel the sincerity in every word and though Sehun may have been drunk off his face, this was not the first time he had heard Sehun talk about his secret crush for Baekhyun; it was real. However, what cast this confession apart from the rest was just how each word seemed to drip with melancholy.

“I love him. I really know it.” Sehun ran a hand through his raven black hair. “Why can’t I tell him? Why am I so ing stupid?”

“You’re not stupid, Sehun... you’re just at dealing with your emotions.” Kyungsoo tried to console with a heavy sigh. “I mean, I should know, I’m just as bad as you when it comes to this sort of thing.”

“That’s why you’re my friend, Soo.” Sehun lifted his head off the table and drunkenly gripped onto Kyungsoo’s long sleeve as if it were a lifeline. “You always give me the right advice.”

“I do?”

“Yes, you do.” Sehun reaffirmed “It’s because of your advice that I’ll text Baekhyun right now, I’ll tell him I love him right now.”

“Firstly... that is not my advice.” Kyungsoo clarified, adamant to set the record straight. He used his fingers to count off all the other issues he had with Sehun’s statement too. “Secondly, that’s an awful idea, especially when you’re drunk... and thirdly, I would seriously reconsider confessing your love over text?”

“What’s the problem with text?”

“I’m mean Sehun, I hate to break it to you, but no amount of heart emojis will make that text message romantic.”

Sehun groaned defeatedly, falling back into his previous stupor. “It’s not like I can call him though, he’ll know I’m drunk! He won’t believe me.”

“Well, um... at least you still a bit self aware.” Kyungsoo solaced.

“No, no, no but you’re right, Soo.” Sehun began shaking his head, strands of his hair falling over his forehead. “It’s not enough. It’s not enough! I can’t just tell him I love him.”

“Trust me... It’s way more than enough.”

“No!” Sehun argued. “How can just saying ‘I love you’ be enough? You don’t understand, I’ve known Baekhyun for so long… I’ve known him so long… and yet it’s still not enough. Recently I see Baekhyun in such a different way. He makes me smile. He makes me genuinely happy. There is a brightness in him that could… could light up even my darkest days.”

It was almost poetic- the description of how Sehun felt. In Kyungsoo’s opinion he had always thought of Sehun as emotionally bound but clearly alcohol was the liquid needed to loosen those bindings. “Sehun, you know you’re words are sweeter than you think.” The elder couldn’t comment on much else, the words were not meant for him anyway… they were meant for Baekhyun.

“I need him with me.” Sehun explained so lost in thought, you could see the vast amount of emotions swirling in his onyx eyes. It was amounting to an epiphany inside. “ I’m serious... I could spend my future with Baek.”

“I mean, that’s great.” Kyungsoo wanted to reassure, he believed the younger intentions were heartfelt and true, but it was just the way he wanted to deliver the message that had disaster all over. “Are you really sure you want to convey all of that through text though?”

“I want to marry him.” Sehun ignored.

“Sehun, seriously listen to me.” Kyungsoo took hold of Sehun’s face so that the younger was forced to look directly at him.  “You’re talking about proposal. Pro-po-sal.” The elder enunciated each syllable so that it would sink into Sehun’s ethanol soaked brain.

“I know what the word means.”

“I don’t think you do.” Kyungsoo answered honestly. “You guys aren’t even dating yet and you’re already thinking about marriage. Why don’t you wait till you’re not drunk and see if you feel the same way tomorrow?”

“I’m not that drunk.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I want to marry Byun Baekhyun and make him Oh Baekhyun!” Sehun burst out, pulling away from Kyungsoo and standing up from where he sat “...or you know, I can be Byun Sehun too, it doesn’t sound as good but I can commit! I just… you can’t stop me from doing this.”

After his fleeting rant Sehun was swaying ever so slightly, he gripped onto the edge of the table so he could keep his balance as he stood. Any trace of sadness or despair that may have painted his expression earlier had now been replaced with steely confidence. Though it must be said he had faint dark circles under his eyes and a pink blush colouring his usually pale cheeks. He wasn’t in his best condition but the boy was determined.

It made Kyungsoo wonder, perhaps he shouldn’t stop Sehun after all. Sehun was no longer the same teenager he grew up with, he was 24 and well capable of making his own life decisions… and in turn mistakes too. It wasn’t like Kyungsoo wanted to jeopardise Sehun’s chances with Baekhyun -they were his secret OTP- but it was as the saying goes; let the chips fall where they may.

“Fine, Sehun.” Kyungsoo gave a compromising sigh. “If you’re really sure then yeah, I won’t stop you.”

“You won’t?”

“I still think it’s an awful awful idea but I mean… maybe drunk you is onto something? I really don’t know.”

Sehun took a moment before speaking, his own breathing was tremorous but it seemed as though he was genuinely contemplating. “If I don’t do it now, Soo... I might never… I know myself.”

It was a convincing statement. Kyungsoo decided that there was no more he could say, he had given all the warnings that he could have. All that was left was silently watching as Sehun delved into the pocket of his grey sweatpants and retrieved his phone. Sehun’s gold coloured Iphone would either spell his doom or change his future for the better, the outcome precariously balanced between the two. There was a stillness across the room as Sehun formulated his message, Kyungsoo could see how the maknae’s eyebrows furrowed as he attempted to articulate himself but eventually the message had been typed out.

“It’s done.” Sehun announced, he rubbed his temple anxiously. “I sent it.”

“Let me see.” Kyungsoo asked, beckoning for the phone to be placed in his hand. The moment it was in his possession, Kyungsoo lifted his round-rimmed glasses from his face and brought the phone closer to eye level so that he could read the message properly.

✉️ To: Baeks Mum {21/07/2017, 21:28}

Me, Oh Sehun, and you, Byun Baekhyun, we’re getting married.

It made sense was Kyungsoo’s initial thought. He had been expecting a garbled mess but it surprisingly made sense in reading. Yes, it mentioned marriage which was far too forward and mildly creepy but the message had commas in it which was well above what he was expecting Sehun to be capable of in this state. “It’s quite a strange message Sehun, but um at leas-” Kyungsoo suddenly paused.

“What”

“Wait, wait…” Kyungsoo eyes skimmed over the phone screen only to focus on the sendee. The elder had to make sure his vision wasn’t deceiving him. “Sehun… oh .”

“What? Did I send something rude to Baek?”

“More like you didn’t send anything to Baekhyun at all. The message you sent went directly to his mother… his mother.”

“What.” Sehun deadpanned, grasping for his phone back. You could see the drops of perspiration forming near his hairline as he double checked whom he had sent it to. “Oh ... Oh I did.”

“How could you even make a mistake like that?” Kyungsoo questioned in disbelief. “Why do you even have her number?!!”

Sehun was struggling to comprehend the situation, his words came out stuttering. “It- It was like last year. I had to collect a cake for Baek’s birthday and so I asked- , does it even matter??!!... I must have clicked the wrong name.”

“This is a ing trainwreck.” Kyungsoo shook his head.

“I can’t believe I just sent a proposal confession… to his mother.” Sehun had the expression of a man who wanted the ground beneath him to crevasse open and send him falling into an endless abyss. “Delete the message. Kyungsoo, please, you have to.”

Kyungsoo knew Sehun was severely drunk and that his mind was not it’s sharpest but unfortunately, the text message disposal system wouldn’t work in the way Sehun wanted. “We can delete the message on your phone but Baek’s mother will still receive it on her phone.”

“Ohh man, of course, you’re right.” Sehun let out a arduous groan. “I’m done for. I need more beer. I officially want to depart from this world.”

“No. No more beer.” Kyungsoo opposed, he didn’t need to nurse a passed out Sehun on top of all these problems too. “No more alcohol. Just sit down while I sort this mess out for you.”

“You’re going to help me?”

“I’m going to try,” was all Kyungsoo could promise for now. The elder reached for his own phone that lay discarded on the table, ignoring the sudden wave of ‘thank yous’ that fell from Sehun’s intoxicated lips. Kyungsoo could only think of one solution and that was for him to go to the source of the problem itself, Baekhyun, and try and explain the situation as rationally as he could. There was a possibility that this could backfire like everything else had tonight, but Baekhyun tended to see things in a positive light. Kyungsoo could only hope that Baekhyun would feel the same despite a family member had been dragged into the mix.

Rather nervously -even though this wasn’t even his problem- he clicked the caller ID of Baekhyun. He held the mobile to his ear with apprehension, listening to the torturous phone dial. It only took three rings for Baekhyun to answer, it had practically taken Kyungsoo by surprise.  

“Hello?” A cheery voice answered from across the receiver. Kyungsoo hesitated to respond and it caused Baekhyun to repeat himself unsurely. “Heyy Soo, is that you?”

“Hey Baek, yeah it’s me.” Kyungsoo finally kicked himself into gear.  “It’s me Kyungsoo.”

There was an instant reaction from Sehun as Kyungsoo muttered the name of his crush. Kyungsoo could see the way Sehun’s eyes widened as if to say, what the hell are you doing calling him? but Kyungsoo had no time to explain, he was too focused with the new conversation he had started.

“Hey what’s up? Ah I’m really sorry if you can’t hear me properly, the connection is really bad in the car.” Baekhyun apologised over the phone. There was the heavy sound of an engine and just general chatter in the background of the call.

“No, no it’s fine I can hear you alright, kind of.”

“Ohhh oh okay good, yeah we just finished dinner and we’re now heading over to KTV for karaoke as we speak.” Baekhyun explained, giving context as to why he and all the members were in a car in the first place. “It’s still not too late if you guys want to come join us?”

It dawned on Kyungsoo that it was still very much a Friday night and that the members, including Baekhyun, were probably still enjoying themselves. His phone call was about to disrupt all of that. “No, no, we can’t. You know how Sehun hates karaoke.”

“Noo just tell him we’ll play Jay Park songs, I know he doesn’t mind rapping to those.” Baekhyun attempted to convince them light-heartedly. “I know I asked you guys to come along with us earlier but now you really have to come, no excuses.”

“Trust me, we really can’t-” Kyungsoo was suddenly interrupted by the sound of talking from the other side of the phone call, it was incomprehensible.

“It’s Kyungsoo and Sehun on the phone.” Baekhyun randomly spoke. His voice sounded more distant, as though he were talking to somebody else entirely, probably another member in the car with him if Kyungsoo had to make an educated guess. “Yeah, yeah I’m convincing them to join us. Yeah I’ll make them come with us, don’t worry. Sorry about that, Soo. Jongdae just asked me a question. What were you saying again?”

Tonight was more hectic and messy than Kyungsoo’s entire week had been put together. “It’s okay, I was just- I’m trying to tell you that KTV is out of the question.”

“Whaat?? How come?” The questions sounded across the phone in Baekhyun’s usual musical tone. “The place is sooo close, literally ten minutes away from the dorm. It’s walking distance.”

There was no way Kyungsoo was going to be able to make the journey successfully. In this state, Sehun was capable of running in front of a car if he felt the random whim to do so, Sehun whilst drunk was more unpredictable than Chanyeol’s next hair colour. “No Baekhyun, we can’t. Sehun is drunk off his face- Ow!” Kyungsoo felt a sudden sting on his left arm; it appeared Sehun had ungratefully slapped him.

“You didn’t have to tell him that.” Sehun hissed in a low voice so he couldn’t be heard over the phone.

Kyungsoo raised his eyebrows in disbelief, he was trying to save Sehun’s and this was the treatment he received. If Kyungsoo’s dominant hand hadn’t been occupied with the Samsung Galaxy, he would have undoubtedly returned the treatment.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. You guys can still come.” Baekhyun persisted. “Minseok is already a goner too, we’re all going to get drunk by the end of the night anyways.”

“No Baek.” Kyungsoo adamantly tried to stay on track. “I called you for a reason, I need to tell you something.”

There was a brief pause for thought. “You sound serious, Soo.”

“I am serious. There was a really bad, uhm, bad mistake -“ Kyungsoo came to a sudden halt, his mind was overwhelmed with a wave of second thoughts. In hindsight, this was was probably a bad idea too… but he had already scratched the surface on it. Kyungsoo made the dicey decision to keep the depth of what Sehun did to himself for now, he would explain the rest once they met in person. “Sehun made a really bad mistake tonight. We need to see you. I don't want to tell you too much over the phone but he basically sent a message to your mo-”

“Oh , Soo, I’ve got a call on the other line.” Baekhyun apologetically interrupted again, the atonement evident in his voice. “My mum is calling me. I’m so sorry man, can I put you on hold for a second?”

“No. No. No.” Kyungsoo instantly protested, his nerves spiking at the mere mention of the dreaded mother.  “Don’t answer the call, Baek!”

“What do you mean? It’s my mum.”

“You can’t. Not right now. Sehun messaged your mother tonight. You can’t pick up that phone call.” The words projected from Kyungsoo’s mouth like word vomit. There were too many details he needed to explain to Baekhyun in too little time.

“He messaged my mum? Am I hearing you right? Sorry the connection is really bad.”

“Yes, he sent a message to your mum.” Kyungsoo repeated.

“Why did he do that? What the- did he- “ There was heavy static transmitted into Kyungsoo’s ear. “…Why would he send her-“

“Baekhyun are you there? Can you hear me?”

The static ebbed away making it easier to hear. “Sorry about that Soo, the connection’s bad. The driver keeps going under tunnels. Why don't you guys come to the karaoke bar and we can talk there?”

“No Baek, promise me you won’t answer your mum’s phone calls first.” Kyungsoo pressured, too preoccupied to even answer the question that was asked; he was afraid Baekhyun would end up getting an angry earful from his mother if he accidently picked up that call.  “You need to wait till I explain what happened.”

“Sure, sure, fine. I won’t.” Baekhyun sighed, only complying because Kyungsoo was one of the EXO members he trusted the most.  “You guys better come to KTV then, okay? I expect to see you there.”

“.” Kyungsoo muttered under his breath, not wanting the curse word to be heard through the receiver. He was caught between a rock and a hard place; Baekhyun was unrelentingly stubborn. “Fine. Yeah, we’re on our way. Just remember, don’t pick up the calls from your mother, don’t answer her messages either.”

“Alright, alright, don’t stress out.” Baekhyun gave a throaty laugh. No smile could be seen but Kyungsoo knew there was one most likely adorned on the singer’s face. “You better explain what Sehun did. I’ll see you soon okay, I’ll text you the address too. Message me when you arrive.”

“Yeah sure.” Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, this wasn’t the direction he was expecting the conversation to head and yet it had. “Both Sehun and myself will try and be there as soon as we can, I guess.”

“Perfect, I’ll see you then. Be safe on your way there.”

“Yeah, yeah we’ll try.”

“Byeee okay. Ah wait, the other members are saying bye too.” Baekhyun bid farewell through mild static.

“Mmhmm we're saying bye back.” Kyungsoo could feel an incessant tug at his sleeve, it was Sehun gesturing him to pass the phone over so that the younger could speak to Baekhyun. There was no chance in hell that was occurring. “Yeah… Sehun sends his extra special regards too, we’ll see you soon Baek.” Kyungsoo ended the call just as quickly as he had started it, not wanting to prolong the chance of Sehun snatching the phone out of his hand.

“Why didn’t you let me speak to him?” Sehun drunkenly whined, letting go of his friend’s shirt once the call was completely disconnected.

Kyungsoo sighed. “Maybe because you need to sober up more… we’re going on a walk.” He pocketed his phone into his jeans and gestured for Sehun to follow him out of the kitchen, the stench of beer had become unbearable.

“A walk?” Sehun questioned, the sound of his socks padding against the floor let Kyungsoo know the other was trailing behind.

“You wanted to see Baekhyun so much earlier, well you’re getting your chance.” Kyungsoo explained. “He invited us to meet him for karaoke, so we’ve got to get going.”

“Woah, wait karaoke?”

“Yeah. I know you don’t like it, but we made a promise to Baekhyun.”

In a strategic manner the maknae had been lead towards the dorm’s entrance. Sehun shook his head, swaying away from the front door. “No, no. I can’t”

It was common knowledge to all that Sehun wasn’t a fan of karaoke, mainly because he’d always ended up watching the other members sing instead of participating himself. Even in his inebriated state, he wasn’t too far gone to forget his aversion to KTV. Kyungsoo pulled Sehun by the arm so that he didn’t stray too far away from the door. Kyungsoo needed to help his dongsaeng put his shoes on, there was no way he’d be capable of tying shoelaces. “You’re coming to karaoke, Sehun. Which trainers are yours?”

The shoe rack by the door had a variety of options to choose from, there were a couple of empty spaces where other members has taken theirs to go out this evening. Sehun’s shoes were the black nikes with the white ticks on the side however, the younger wasn’t about to disclose this information. “I told you I’m not going karaoke.”

Kyungsoo sighed once more. “What if I told you Baek said they’d put on some Jay Park songs for you?”

“He did?” Sehun seemed to have his interest peaked.

“Yes, he did. Now which shoes are yours?”

Rather reluctantly, Sehun pointed to the correct trainers. “The black Nikes are mine.” It appeared Jay Park’s music was just tolerable enough to convince him. Kyungsoo wanted to roll his eyes, Baekhyun knew Sehun too well; why weren’t they dating already? The elder took the shoes off the rack and delicately lay them in front of Sehun. Tying his shoelaces weren’t going to be a problem after all, Sehun slid his feet in without touching them; drunk efficiency.

As Kyungsoo made a mental checklist of all the things he needed to take along, it eventually dawned on him how high risk leaving the dorm was. EXO were as high profile as they came in South Korea and there was always a chance they’d be recognised. It wasn’t as though the members were banned from going outside, but they were taught to be extra precautious; covering their faces up was imperative. Kyungsoo grabbed two caps from the storage closet beside them, he fit one on his own head first before placing a black snapback on Sehun. The younger frowned at the baby treatment but didn’t protest, he let Kyungsoo adjust it accordingly till the front of his face was hidden under a shadow and any tufts of hair were neatly tucked under the hat.

That wasn’t enough though, Kyungsoo reached into the drawer -where the dorm keys also conveniently resided- and took out two white disposable masks. He handed one over to Sehun, and despite Sehun’s slight struggle to put the mask on he eventually managed it himself. Kyungsoo was satisfied with their joint appearances, the majority of their faces were obscured to the public eye; hopefully that would mean no hassle. Kyungsoo could only hope that Sehun wouldn’t accidently blow their cover during the walk, after all, the karaoke bar wasn’t too far from the dorm if Kyungsoo was remembering correctly.  

“Alright we’re ready to go.”

“We’re going to see Baek right?” Sehun muttered intoxicated, his voice low and rough from speaking too much.  “I really miss him.”

Kyungsoo turned off the switch to the dorm lights. “Yeah, we’re seeing him, it’s your dream come true.”

“Man, I really miss his smile.”

“Yeah, yeah I know, off we go.” Kyungsoo placed a steady arm around Sehun and accompanied him outside. The maknae had no sense of balance at all and it didn’t help that he was so long-limbed, most of his weight rested on Kyungsoo.

“I really miss his thighs too.” Sehun unabashedly reminisced into the corridor of their apartment building. He placed a hand over his own face. “He looks so good in tight jeans, I swear, like I could really fu-”

“Okay. Mhmm. We’re leaving.” Kyungsoo interrupted before Sehun could delve into more thoughts. Maybe going to karaoke would be just another mistake added to the long list of mistakes made tonight. However, one thing was undeniable, Kyungsoo was a good friend and Sehun owed him his soul for it.

The door clicked shut behind them.

The door swung open as Baekhyun left the karaoke room; he wasn’t drunk by any means, but he could be described as lightly buzzed. Baekhyun was feeling rather content, courtesy of all the cocktails he had sipped on earlier at dinner. There was tingling numbness in the tips of his fingers and he couldn’t hide the smile that prettied his face. Karaoke was just one of the hobbies that put him in a great mood… was another, but that was a different story for a different time.

Intense singing -verging on the drunken side- could be heard from the karaoke room behind Baekhyun. It was the rest of the EXO members, Jongdae had just finished singing his lungs out to several dramatic ballads and now Junmyeon had taken hold of the microphone. Lamentably, for everyone involved, that meant a good solid 20 minutes of Red Velvet title tracks, which in itself didn’t appear like an obvious punishment but watching the leader dance along to the choreo was enough cringe for a lifetime. Baekhyun only prayed Jongin would survive the ordeal. He was silently glad he had received a message from Kyungsoo that let him know they had finally arrived at the lobby.

Baekhyun made his way through the maze of karaoke rooms, every hallway was illuminated under purple tinted lights and the carpet was a dark navy colour. The place was nicer than most, there were flowering plants lining the wall, that was probably due to building being located in an expensive area of Seoul. Eventually, after heavily relying on his memory, Baekhyun found his way to the lobby. He was immediately confronted with the silhouette of two guys standing by the main desk. By their body types alone Baekhyun was able to recognise them as both Sehun and Kyungsoo, one was tall and the other was small and speaking to the manager, presumably asking for their room number. It warmed Baekhyun greatly to know they had come… especially Sehun, since he strongly disliked this sort of thing.

“Hey guys, I’m over here.” Baekhyun called out, feeling a rush of anticipation as he did so.

The two individuals turned around at the sound. From being only silhouettes, Sehun and Kyungsoo were now lucent in a purple hue, their faces revealed in all their idol glory. Baekhyun watched as they both approached him and from the onset his eyes were drawn to Sehun, something seeming odd about him even across the distance. Sehun was wearing a black t-shirt and slim-fit sweatpants, his black snapback was slightly canted and positioned to the side and his hand held a crumpled face mask. Even the manner in which the maknae walked seemed heedless, like he was drunk or something. Now that Baekhyun thought about it more, Kyungsoo had mentioned that Sehun had been drinking earlier… but Baekhyun had never seen him struggle to walk a straight line before, no matter how much he had managed to guzzle down.

“Baekhyun, it’s really you.” Sehun lisped, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smile.

“I mean, of course it’s me.” Baekhyun could hardly finish his sentence before Sehun lifted him into a hug. It was unexpected to say the least, but Baekhyun adjusted to the situation naturally, his arms wrapping around the younger’s waist and his face rested against his broad shoulder. It was as though their heights were made for eachother.

“I missed you.” Sehun muttered into Baekhyun’s neck.

The maknae’s words were sweet sounding. Baekhyun’s senses were all-consumed by Sehun, by his warmth and his fresh cologne that had a hint of beer to it. Baekhyun gently pulled back from the hug and looked at Sehun strangely. “What do you mean miss me? You saw me earlier today.”

The younger shrugged. “I’ve been wanting to see you.” Sehun casually lowered his hand to take hold of Baekhyun’s, their fingers interlocking. Baekhyun couldn’t help but think his small hand fit nicely in the others; he only questioned why Sehun was being so affectionate when typically he was nothing of the such. Baekhyun looked over to Kyungsoo and raised an eyebrow, knowing there must have been an explanation to all of this.

Kyungsoo lifted his own spectacles from under his cap and rubbed his eyes. “Come on Sehun, don’t forget why we came here.” He appeared tired and worn-out by the evening.

In consequence Sehun let go of his hand. Baekhyun noticed how the younger precariously swayed without any physical support to steady him. Baekhyun carefully studied Sehun’s face, he had flushed pink cheeks, so pink they contrasted greatly against the rest of his pale skin. “Sehun, are you like... super drunk?”

Kyungsoo let out a sigh. “That is what I was trying to explain over the phone, before you asked us to come here.”

“Oh.” Baekhyun responded, his mouth parting. Earlier he had thought Kyungsoo was simply exaggerating how intoxicated Sehun had gotten, it was unlike the younger to partake in binge drinking. For Sehun to get to this stage of drunkenness he must have gone through a -ton of beers. Which was even more strange, seeing how Kyungsoo was completely level-headed, in fact he looked stone-cold sober, as though he only wanted to return to the dorm and have hot tea in bed.

Throughout all these thoughts, Sehun had placed a hand on Baekhyun’s hip. This wasn’t out of the ordinary, however Sehun’s attempts to slide his hand under Baekhyun’s dark blue shirt was definitely not ordinary for him outside the dorm. “Sehun?” Baekhyun questioned, stopping the hand from doing anymore. It was as though the younger’s inhibitions had entirely vanished.

“We should move to a private karaoke room.” Kyungsoo suggested, recognising the maknae’s questionable behaviour. “Sehun really shouldn’t be out in public.”

“We already have a room though, the other members have already started singing.” Baekhyun explained.

Kyungsoo shook his head, “I paid for another one, I thought some privacy would be good. The people at the desk said we could have room 45.” Kyungsoo was clearly in no mood for discussion, he was already walking towards the karaoke rooms and away from the lobby. Baekhyun decidedly trailed behind Kyungsoo, bringing Sehun along by the wrist.

By following the gradually increasing room numbers, they find the room sure enough. As they entered, Baekhyun noted the how this room had the same layout as the previous karaoke room he was in, the purple lights enlivened the room, there was a table at the centre that held coasters, a remote and two microphones. As expected there was also a wide flat screen TV attached to the wall that was on stand-by, it wouldn’t go to use though, there was much to be discussed tonight. Baekhyun took a seat on the red sofa next to Kyungsoo, to which Sehun sat on his other side.

It only took a moment for Baekhyun to break a silence, patting his hands down on his lap. “Right, so what’s the big deal? Seriously I’ve never seen you guys act stranger.”

Kyungsoo sighed once again, his favourite action apparently. “I mean where to begin... I guess I should explain that Sehun drank over ten cans of beer tonight-”

“Wait.” Sehun muttered, clearing his throat. “I should tell him. I should be the one.”

“I mean...” Kyungsoo seemed dubious about passing the responsibility onto the younger, but there wasn’t much he could do to stop it. “...yeah of course you can.”

It appeared Sehun was struggling to look directly at Baekhyun, whether it be due to guilt or shyness, maybe a combination of the two. Sehun kept his gaze lowered, hidden under his snapback. “Baekhyun… I’ve, um been meaning to tell you something.”

There was a momentary pause. “...you know you can tell me anything, hun.” Baekhyun encouraged.

“...I didn’t mean to get drunk tonight. It- It wasn’t my intention I swear, but I’ve just been feeling bad you know…” Sehun breathed nervously, lightly tugging at his sweatpants. “It was ever since you know… do you remember that time when we were in your bedroom and we were just messing around playing games....”

“Well we do that quite often-”

“No but we were playing games and then... you know one thing lead to another and we... started ing for hours and-”

“Sehun.” Baekhyun interrupted, already feeling his own face begin to warm into a red shade. Kyungsoo was sat there next to the them and Sehun was casually mentioning the time they had , it couldn’t have been more than two weeks ago. “I remember what you’re talking about...”

“It’s not that day but the day after that…” Sehun sighed. “I need you to know that I’m really sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean it.”

It was a small reminder but it was enough to trigger important memories within Baekhyun. He would label those memories somewhat unpleasant, it was something Baekhyun had tried his best to forget and certainly didn’t want being brought up again. He felt bad for Kyungsoo who was being forced to observe the entire conversation, he wasn’t involved at all but he found himself right in the heat of it. “I told you, it’s okay, Sehun.”

“No but I feel bad, because I was lying.” Sehun shook his head, almost angry at himself. “I told you we were just friends that ed… and I feel awful, I still remember the look in your eyes.”

Baekhyun opened his mouth to respond, but was rendered incapable. I still remember the look in your eyes, was something that struck a chord with Baekhyun. The truth was that two weeks ago they had slept with each other, at the time it didn’t seem like a mistake but the next day they had hung out and something was different between them, Baekhyun had caught the change in their camaraderie. Sehun seemed awkward whenever Baekhyun rested against his body or even slightly touched him; simple things they had always done as friends. When Baekhyun asked what had changed, the response he received was like slap to the face, “I wasn’t expecting yesterday, I never thought we’d be friends that ed." The content of what Sehun said wasn’t that hurtful but it was the way he said it that did, Sehun’s voice had been so uncaring, he had coldly shrugged his shoulders. Baekhyun was no day-dreaming romantic, but sleeping with Sehun had meant something to him and finding out it meant nothing to the other… it had hurt. Baekhyun had tried to push the negative feelings to the side, but ultimately, it must have shown in his eyes.

“I feel bad because that’s not the truth.” Sehun felt the urge to continue when he got no response from the elder. “That’s not what that night meant to me, Baek. I care for you. I care for you more than I am willing to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything to make me feel better.”

The younger shook his head adamantly. “No Baekhyun, I’m not just saying it to say it. I swear I felt something that night too.”

“You’re drunk right now.”

“Can people stop saying that!?” Sehun burst out frustrated, looking straight into his hyung’s eyes. “I mean everything I say right now, I love you Baekhyun. I wanted to say it yesterday, I wanted to say the week before, I wanted to say it that night we were together and so I’m saying it right now.”

Baekhyun felt an array of emotions at the confession. “I…”

“You don’t have to say you feel the same way. I just thought you should know the truth.” Sehun interrupted, shrugging his shoulder indifferently. This shrug was not cold like the one two weeks ago, more than anything it revealed a vulnerability to Sehun. “I’m sorry for everything I said. I’m even more sorry for messaging your mum tonight.”

“You don’t have to apologise anymore.” Baekhyun reassured, he disliked the idea that guilt was what lead the younger to drink so heavily tonight. “I have to ask though… what did you send to my mum?” Baekhyun couldn’t resist indulging on the question that had been circling his mind ever since.

“You haven’t spoken to her?”

“No I haven’t, I couldn’t break my promise.” Baekhyun explained. He reached into the pocket of his ripped denim jeans and retrieved his phone, the lock screen was loaded with notifications. “I have so many missed calls and messages from her, I genuinely had to put my phone on silent. I’m starting to get the feeling you sent her something bad…”

“If it wasn’t bad, would I be here right now?” Kyungsoo threw out the question, insinuating the worst after having been silent for quite some time. “You won’t believe what this drunk idiot sent to your mother.”

“I hate not knowing, just tell me.” 

“You can read the message on Sehun’s phone if you really want.” Kyungsoo gestured to the maknae, compelling him to hand it over to Baekhyun.

Rather obediently, Sehun took his phone out despite knowing it contained his undoing. He fidgeted with it for second but he managed to get the message on the screen. Once he handed it over to Baekhyun all control was out of his hands.

Baekhyun wasn’t ready for the confusion that was set to cloud his thoughts. He read the message once and then proceeded to read it a second time, he could slowly feel his heart sinking. “Marriage?”

“Yeah marriage.” Kyungsoo repeated plainly. As an outsider to the situation he felt a bit awkward, he had assumed most people would jump for the chance to receive a marriage proposal from the the famous idol, Oh Sehun; unfortunately there wasn’t such charm in it for Baekhyun. “It made more sense when he sent it. It still a stupid message but in his defense, I do think it needs context.”

“Context?” Baekhyun raised an eyebrow in dismay. He slowly placed the phone back into Sehun’s palm. “What context could explain this message?!”

“Well he sent it after a long rant about how h-”

“Never let Sehun drink again! Never let him touch another beer can again... or I swear I will come after both you at night. I will literally unlock your doors with chopsticks!” Baekhyun threatened. He shook his head, placing a delicate hand over his mouth. “Oh god… my mum- she’s going to think I’m engaged.”

“I’m really really sorry Baek.” Sehun apologised, overwhelmed with a wave of guilt.

“They don’t even know I like men…”

Baekhyun’s parents had always subtly suspected his ual preferences, but Baekhyun had never had the courage to either confirm or deny them. In all honesty, gender never really mattered to the singer, but it seemed to be a hot topic for gossip among others.

“This is my fault... for being drunk and stupid.” Sehun spoke, his words laced with disdain for himself. The more he sobered up the more he was able to reflect on his behaviour. “I should have never even tried to message you. I’m an idiot.”

Baekhyun placed a gentle hand on his dongsaeng’s knee, this was definitely an inconvenience in his life but it wasn’t the end of the world either, at least not in the way Sehun was so harshly perceiving it. “I mean if you were sober, I know you would have never of done this.”

“I don’t know why but it seemed like a good idea at the time, I really ed up.”

“I told you to stop apologising.” Baekhyun squeezed his knee, maybe he was being too nice to the younger but there was soft spot in his heart for him. He’d rather see Sehun be bratty and throwing around playful jokes then seeing him shift into this downcast version of himself.  

Apparently, the rest of the world did not share the same sympathy as Baekhyun though, as if to ruin the moment, Baekhyun’s phone that idly rested on the table began to vibrate. The screen lit up with the photo of an older woman who strongly resembled Baekhyun. It was unmistakably a phone call from Mrs. Byun since the name flashed on the screen. The karaoke room fell into a strained silence, all eyes were drawn to the phone. Baekhyun reluctantly picked it up, he couldn’t muster the courage to answer it so he just let it vibrate in his hand.

“Are you going to pick up the call?” Sehun questioned curiously, readjusting the snapback on his head and leaning closer so he could see the phone better.

“Should I?”

Kyungsoo grimaced slightly. “I personally wouldn’t… but I mean, I’ve spoken to your mother before and she seemed like quite an understanding lady.”

“This is actually the worst. If i don’t pick up now she’ll just keep calling. , I’m just going to answer.” Baekhyun took a deep breath before pressing the accept button and holding the phone to his ear. Kyungsoo had been right, his mother always had a knack for understanding others, her heart was filled with empathy. It would be an awkward call but he was sure the conversation would end in resolution somehow.

“Byun Baekhyun, I see you’ve finally stopped avoiding my phone calls.” A stern voice resonated across the receiver. It appeared Baekhyun’s mother was is no mood for pleasantries, the fact she had used her son’s full name from the onset was not a great sign either. From memory, Baekhyun couldn’t remember the last time she had sounded this authoritarian; he had always thought of himself as a good, thoughtful son, he never really did anything wrong to merit this type of scolding.

“Hey mum… it’s nice to hear from you.” Baekhyun greeted, trying his best to come across natural.

“I have called you 7 times, Baekhyun. 7 times. I’ve left even more text messages on your phone too. Did you not think to contact your mother sooner?”

Both Sehun and Kyungsoo leaned in incredibly close to Baekhyun, desperate to eavesdrop on the phone call. From an outsider’s perspective they looked like triplets conjoined by the head. They were unable to help in anyway and so they awkwardly awaited Baekhyun’s response.

“I, uhm, I’m sorry mum. I didn’t have my phone on me, I’ve been out to dinner with the other members.”

“That’s not an excuse.” His mother tutted across the line. “Tell me, does one those members happen to be Sehun?”

“Sehun?” Baekhyun repeated. He cleared his throat, the nerves were making him feel more agitated than usual. “Well, uhm, I’m with Sehun right now actually. We all decided to go to karaoke and we’re having a good time- ”

“I know you’re trying to change the topic, Baekhyun... but you have a lot of explaining to do.” As a mother, she was fully aware of her son’s antics and just how good he was at adjusting to social situations; she was not one to be so easily distracted. “An hour ago I received a message from your friend, Oh Sehun and I can’t tell whether he was trying to play a practical joke or not.”

“Oh, uhm what exactly did he send you?” Baekhyun feigned ignorance.

His mother’s gave a small huff across the phone, she was not buying the act at all. “He said something along the lines that you’re going to get married to each other.” She sounded exasperated. “What is the meaning of this?”

Even hearing the situation said aloud, in its most straightforward form, was strange. The very idea of marriage between the two best friends was something that had never even been discussed, and the uncertainty of it all lingered in the air of the room. Baekhyun was almost hyper aware of the boy sitting next to him, especially with their arms brushing against each other; Sehun’s presence made it all the more awkward to speak.

“Are you boys dating?” The mother continued, not satisfied when her previous response was met with silence.

Baekhyun could feel all the words he wanted to say get caught in his chest. There were emotions in him that he struggled so hard to identify. In one form he felt caught off guard, in another embarrassed, he felt a cold sweat of nervousness, but what was even more unexplainable was the sense of longing he felt. Longing for what? Longing for what she said to be true? Longing to say yes they were dating? Baekhyun held the phone in silence, each passing second worse than the one before.

As though sensing the discomfort of the elder, Sehun deliberately reached for the phone that Baekhyun held so tightly in his hand. Sehun didn’t ask for permission or even hesitate in the slightest, he removed that phone from Baekhyun’s possession and placed it in his own. Sehun ignored all forms of protest from Baekhyun, he boldly stood up and made some space for himself. As he held the phone to speak, he decided to take back the responsibility he had so willingly passed onto others tonight. Sehun had started this mess and it felt wholly wrong to let the person he liked fix it for him… it broke his heart to hear Baekhyun stutter.

“Hello… Mrs. Byun, it’s Sehun speaking.”

There was a hanging silence across the receiver. Sehun waited patiently but it reached a point in which he was almost convinced she had hung up on him. However, eventually -as though giving in- he heard a weary sigh from the other side of the phone. “So you were the one who sent that message to me?”

“Yes, Mrs. Byun. I can’t express my apology enough, I… I never meant to disturb you or create this tension with your son.”

“Then perhaps you should think about the messages you send before you send them.” Baekhyun’s mother advised sternly. Her voice wasn’t entirely cold, in fact there was a slight undertone of warmth to it. It was evident that Mrs. Byun wasn’t the type of lady to be angry for long durations, no matter how much she tried; it must have been in her genes for Baekhyun was quite the same.

Sehun knew he deserved none of her softness, but he had been given it nonetheless. He knew it would be foolish not to use this opportunity to express the true contents of his heart, no matter how unprepared he was to show it. “Mrs. Byun, I don’t know how to say it in a way that- that won’t make you angry but…” Sehun took a deep breath. “...but I love your son. I love your son very much, and I know I’m not female, and I know I’m not the person you envisioned your son to be with but… that doesn’t change the fact that I love him. So... think what you wish of me, but don’t let my emotions make you think any differently of Baekhyun. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if that happened. I only wish… I only wish to see him happy.”

The maknae could feel his own hand tremor as he finished his declaration. All his emotions were finally laid bare, the only reason his words came out somewhat intelligible was because they were words he had always thought deep down. Sehun was glad his back was turned away from Baekhyun, he wasn’t sure how he would have reacted if his hyung was stood in front of him; perhaps even then, his pride would have stopped him from being completely honest.

“Sehun... I appreciate you speaking openly to me. I would very much like to talk to my son once more, there is something important I’d like to ask him.” Mrs. Byun politely requested across the phone.

Very softly and unexpectedly, Sehun felt a hand touch his forearm. The hand belonged to Baekhyun, he had silently come to stand behind Sehun without the younger realising. Sehun looked over his shoulder and was met with the beautiful, dark eyes of Baekhyun, that were messily painted with kohl eyeliner. They looked as though they were shimmering under the purple lights.

Baekhyun delicately took the phone back from Sehun and held it to his own face. “Mum... it’s me again.” Baekhyun muttered into the phone, never breaking his warm gaze with Sehun.

“Baekhyun…” His mother addressed, sounding exceedingly more sympathetic than before. “...that boy feels something very serious for you.”

“I know mum…” Baekhyun slowly nodded. “I’m starting to realise that myself.”

“What I really want to know though, son... is how you feel about him?”

Once more Baekhyun found himself unable to vocalise all he felt. Luckily for him, Kyungsoo had coughed for his attention, deciding to give Baekhyun the last push of encouragement he would need. Baekhyun turned to acknowledge Kyungsoo and saw him mouthing the sentence, “He really loves you.” The promise in his friend’s eyes reassuring him, begging him to take that final leap of faith.

“Yeah mum, I...” Baekhyun turned back around, only to be met with Sehun’s gaze once more. The maknae was seemingly drunk with awe. “...I- I am dating him. I’m really sorry you had to find out this way, mum. I really… don’t know what he was thinking.”

Abruptly, Kyungsoo leaned forward from the sofa, all so that he could cut into the conversation. He projected his voice to ensure Baekhyun’s mum could hear across the distance. “It’s my fault Mrs. Byun! I was the one who suggested to Sehun to message you in the first place.”

Baekhyun’s mother gave a light sigh, clearly disheartened by the information. She was incredibly fond of Kyungsoo, he was always the epitome of polite to her and undoubtedly a good influence on her son. There wasn’t much Kyungsoo could do to make her angry. “Well Baekhyun… It really does seem like Sehun cares a great deal about you-”

“I do.” Sehun cheekily whispered for Baekhyun alone.

“-I don’t know how your father will react about this news, but... I’ll have you know son, that not matter what you’re preferences are or who you love… that will never change the way your parents feel about you.” She explained with unwavering certainty. “In all honesty, I’m just disappointed you couldn’t trust us with the news sooner.”

“I’m sorry, mum. I just never knew how you’d react.”

“Well at least now you know, you can tell us anything.” His mother rest assured,“...and though I hate to admit it, Sehun is quite the handsome boy, Hyunnie.”

Baekhyun laughed, placing a hand over his face in embarrassment. Even his own mother was able to recognise that Sehun exuded an effortless charm; clearly there wasn’t anyone immune to the maknae. “I know mum, he’s in EXO.”

“Well, all I’m saying is that if you had to choose a boy… I think you chose the right boy.”

This time Sehun was the one to quietly laugh, he was fully able to hear both sides of the conversation. His lips lifted into a smirk, not because of the compliment but more due to how mortified Baekhyun looked. Baekhyun tried his best to look away, knowing the tips of his ears were probably red.

“Mum right, I love you, but the other members are waiting for us to get back.” Baekhyun quickly whipped up an excuse, knowing all too well that the longer he was on the phone with his mother the more likely she was to spill embarrassing information on him. “So we have to go okay, but I love you.”

“I see, I’ve made you embarrassed. I’ll let you enjoy your evening son.”

Baekhyun laughed under his breath. “Thanks mum, I’ll call you again later this weekend.”

“I’ll be waiting for your call, stay safe Hyunnie.” In previous circumstances, Mrs. Byun would have ended the call then and there but something compelled her to add more. “...tell Sehun i say goodbye too.”

The small gesture of acceptance caused Baekhyun to smile widely. “I will.”

Sehun tugged lightly on Baekhyun’s shirt sleeve, already having heard it all. He mouthed what he wanted Baekhyun to reply with.

“He’s saying goodbye too, mum...  he also says thank you.” Baekhyun delivered the message on behalf of the younger. He could see how much Sehun had sobered up just by how engrossed he was by the conversation.

“I expect you’ll bring him over to the café sometime soon, so we can all have lunch together.”

“I’ll make sure that happens, mum. I think you should definitely meet him properly.”

“I would very much like that.”

Baekhyun shared a couple more back and forth farewells with his mother but eventually the call had run its course. After a lot of I love yous, Baekhyun finally disconnected the call, put his phone away and let out a sigh of relief that he had been holding in for quite sometime. He couldn’t be more glad that the tide of the conversation had changed into something much more pleasant in the end. From what was meant to be a awful phone call with his mum would now be cemented as a phone call he’d never forget.

With all the problems laid to rest, Baekhyun finally felt the freedom to touch Sehun who had waited so patiently in front of him. Baekhyun reached out his hand so he could touch Sehun’s, enjoying the way their hand fit together naturally. He was suddenly reminded of the night they had shared together all those weeks ago. Sehun had touched his body so gently, kissed him even more tenderly, it was a side to Sehun he had never experienced before then. Now that he analysed that night further, he remembered thinking in that moment, that being with Sehun was like being with someone who really loved him. The thought held even more sentiment now.

“Did you really mean what you said… you know when you were talking  to my mum?” Baekhyun asked curiously.

Sehun still had a playful smile on his lips, he furrowed his eyebrows. “Hmm what part do you mean specifically?”

“Don’t play games maknae.” Baekhyun squeezed his hand to cause him a tiny discomfort.

“Hey, hey I said a lot on the phone to your mum okay.” Sehun tried to justify. “What do you want me to clarify as true? When I told her I wanted to see you happy?... or when I said I loved you?”

Baekhyun felt his heartbeat quicken in the most embarrassing way possible. The boy standing in front of him was younger than him and yet he still managed to elicit this teenage type of crush. “...It’s the last part.”

“Well all of it is true, Baek, everything I said tonight is true.”

“Then say it again.” Baekhyun pouted, lightly tugging Sehun’s hand. “I want to hear you say it properly.”

Sehun tried to suppress his amusement, his hyung could be so needy at times but it was something Sehun found endearing.“...I really love you.” Sehun confessed once more, his voice was as sweet and smooth as honey. Ever so minutely, Sehun lowered his gaze towards Baekhyun’s lips, psychologically drawing the elder closer to him. Baekhyun could feel his excitement thrum under his skin, he was so sure that they would kiss… they probably would have kissed if it weren’t for the incredibly awkward cough that came from behind.

“You know, uhm, I think it’s best if I leave you two alone…” Kyungsoo commented, ready to offically eject himself from the room. He got up from the red sofa and gave a uncomfortable wave goodbye to both Baekhyun and Sehun, he was clearly trying his best to avoid being awkward but he failed miserably.

“You’re actually such a .” Sehun rolled his eyes from under his cap.

“I’ll have you know, that I’m the opposite of a ,” Kyungsoo glared at the younger. “If you get laid tonight then you’ve got to thank me, because I somehow managed to make this situation into a good one.”

Baekhyun couldn’t stop himself from laughing, he rested his head on Sehun’s shoulder for support. “Thank you Kyungsoo, thanks for putting up with everything tonight.” Baekhyun lifted his head and gave Kyungsoo a look of pure gratitude. “You really saved me from my mother, I won’t forget it.”

“Yeah… I guess I’m a good friend or something.” Kyungsoo shrugged. Kyungsoo knew for a fact that being surrogate mother for EXO was not in his SM contract whatsoever, but after tonight he was damn well going to put it on his resume. He sighed tiredly. “Well, I’m going to join the others in the other karaoke room.”

“I think I’m going to take Sehun back to the dorm, he needs to sober up properly.”

“Good idea.” Kyungsoo nodded, he walked towards the door adjusting his clothes and appearance so that he looked in order for when the other members saw him. Kyungsoo looked unbelievably tired, as though babysitting drunk Sehun had taken away 5 years from his total lifespan but apparently, he couldn’t say no to staying up a bit longer and singing with the rest of members. Before he left though, he looked back at the two, having one more thing he wanted to say. “Oh by the way, I need you guys to know... that I fully expect to be Sehun’s best man when this wedding finally happens.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but leave the room with that half-joking comment, he left without even giving them the chance to talk back. Baekhyun had a couple responses in mind but alas, he’d have to save them for another day. Kyungsoo’s departure meant that both Sehun and Baekhyun had finally acquired the alone time they both secretly sought after.

So many truths and confessions had been shared between them tonight, and yet, there was still so much to be discussed. Why had Sehun taken so long to speak the truth? Had Baekhyun always felt the same too? As expected, that couldn’t all be shared tonight, there was no need, they had all the time in world to discuss those matters. In a way it was promising; it meant there would be many more truths and confession to be shared in the future. So instead of asking those questions, Sehun preferred the idea of just reveling in his new-found freedom “...I love you Baek.” He whispered.

Baekhyun had never said the words back to him but in this privacy, the words naturally fell from his lips. “I love you too, Sehun.”

Baekhyun rather boldly placed his arms around the taller’s neck. This would not be the first time they kissed, but it would be the first time they’d kiss knowing there was romantic interest behind it. Baekhyun leaned up on his tiptoes and minimised the slight distance between them. Baekhyun could feel how Sehun rested steady hands on his hips, pulling him closer.

The moment their lips touched, all of this evening’s worries and inconveniences were sealed away. Baekhyun pressed his lips against Sehun, feeling the soft pressure that resulted. It came to both of them like second nature, just like that night two weeks ago, just like it should for any two people who were made for eachother. Sehun delicately pulled back from the kiss and looked deeply into Baekhyun dark eyes. “I know we’re not going to get married anytime soon, but the sentiment still stands okay? I want you to be mine.”

….and so just like that Baekhyun was his. They kissed again, advancing from what was a simple press of lips into something more ardent and wistful. They could taste each other, Baekhyun could identify the subtle flavour of beer on Sehun lips… it was the taste of his confession.

Baekhyun was truly intoxicated.

[Link for voting can be found in chapter 1]