Black Light was way more crowded than usual tonight and that was the first thing Yixing had noticed as soon as he stepped into the bar, his gaze trailing around for longer than usual as he took in his surroundings.

Everyone had that one place they found comfort in, sometimes it was a tree to lean your back against in the middle of a quiet park, sometimes a bench right down the road of your house in a hometown you didn’t have the occasion to visit as much as you’d like to anymore, and sometimes, it was a bar you’d been frequenting for years now. In Yixing’s case, it was the latter and somehow, he couldn’t help but find it a little pitiful. People whose comfort place was a bar usually had a sad and boring life that they needed to forget for a few hours by drowning in alcohol. That was a bit pitiful, in his opinion, but a rather accurate description of his life and therefore, he didn’t waste a single second and simply walked further into the small bar.

It wasn’t a big place, just enough for people who looked for a quiet place to spend the night in, sharing drinks and conversations with their friends without anyone disturbing them. It wasn’t completely dead either, there was always laughter and drowned out voices, whispers or loud calls of people’s name as the patrons amused themselves as much as they could after a hard day of work. It was comfortable, with a bar counter at the end of the room, a few tables scattered around where groups of four people or less could sit and a few comfortable booths tucked into the other side. 

Yixing liked sitting in one of those booths to sip on a cold drink, it was comfortable for his back and a bit isolated from the rest of the bar, as if the owners had wanted to create more intimate bubbles for those that were in need. He was in need of that kind of privacy now but his night seemed to be going on the same path as the rest of his day, dwindling down the road unluckiness and misfortune since there was not a single spot available for him in those booths. 

He sighed softly, deciding that the next best option would be to sit on the bar counter since there were a few empty spots there and at least, he would be as close to drowning in alcohol as possible. He made his way towards the counter, grabbing the first high chair he found and plopping down on it, barely even having the strength to offer a smile to the bartender he was well-acquainted with.

"A Jack and Coke, please," he simply said and as if the woman was able to see through his exhaustion, she immediately got to work without inquiring about his day or making small conversation like she usually would. 

He simply waited for his much-needed drink and threw another look around. It was a Friday today and he supposed that was the reason why the bar was way more crowded than usual since this was his first time hanging out here on a Friday night. Black Light wasn’t only his comfort place but also his best friend’s and Yixing always came here with him every Tuesday night as it was some sort of tradition for them. They were both working adults and had a busy life so it wasn’t that easy to find the time to hang out together without either of them cutting their meeting off early to rush somewhere else. Tuesday was the only day they could get together to complain about their life together, Jongdae always whining about how difficult and burdensome it was to work in his father’s company and Yixing always complaining about his stressful job as an accountant in an electronic firm.

They had seen each other last Tuesday and Yixing didn’t even like hanging out in bars but his day had been horrible and there was no way for him to be patient enough to wait until next Tuesday to get some alcohol in his system and try forgetting how much his boss had humiliated him today. They were having a busy month at the firm, too many clients and things to take care about and Yixing was as meticulous as he could be but after going three whole days with barely enough sleep for the numbers on his computer screen not to dance around whenever he looked at them, it was maybe a bit expected of him to make a mistake at some point. It usually never happened because he was a perfectionist and even if he didn’t like his job that much, he always made sure to do it properly but he had made a small, tiny mistake in his calculations today and his boss had basically jumped at his neck for it. 

He didn’t have a problem with being called out on his mistakes, that was the only way progress could be made and if he deserved it, then Yixing had no right to complain but his boss had been way too harsh on him. He had been working there for years, ever since he had finished college what felt like a century ago when it hadn’t even been a decade, he was only in his early thirties despite feeling like an old and withered man ready for retirement in a warm country with no one else but himself as company. However, despite working there for years, his boss still didn’t seem to have warmed up to him, always dumping too much work on him, never smiling at him, always reminding him of his daily tasks when Yixing already prepared a list of things to do the next day every night before leaving his office. He supposed it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to him that the old and unpleasant man would basically scream at him as if he were a child under the eyes of the whole office, telling him how incompetent and useless he was and stressing on each of his words by slapping Yixing’s chest with the report containing a tiny mistake.

It hadn’t been physically painful but the humiliation had followed him around for the rest of the day and he couldn’t forget the looks his colleagues had given him after that, most of them filled with pity but some people looking at him as if he had deserved it entirely. He supposed he still had to work on making friends with those few people.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when a small thud rose in front of him when the bartender pushed his drink to him and Yixing instantly wrapped his hands around the cold glass, bringing it to his lips for a big gulp. It managed to take the anger and the frustration off a little but Yixing knew he needed much more than a single glass to give himself the courage to go back to work tomorrow. If he had a hangover, it would at least give him something else but his boss’ hawk-like eyes to focus on.

"I didn't know this was a zombie bar," came a voice next to him and at first, Yixing didn’t pay any attention because everyone was talking around him and those words were probably destined for someone else.

However, when he took another sip of his drink, the ice clinking together in his glass, he felt the insistent feeling that someone was looking at him so he turned his head a bit to the right, gaze landing on an unfamiliar face. 

An unfamiliar face that belonged to someone who seemed way too young to be sitting next to him in a bar.

"Are you talking to me?" he asked even if the answer should be obvious by the way the stranger kept looking at him, a disturbingly youthful and amused smile on his lips. 

"Well, I don’t see anyone else looking like a zombie besides you here. Do you?" the other asked and if Yixing wasn’t mistaken, he seemed to be amused.

He couldn’t help but frown. He had been made fun of at the office the whole day and he wasn’t about to let a teenager make fun of him at the bar, his only comfort place too.

"I don’t look like a zombie," was the only thing he said to defend himself before looking     away and bringing his glass back up to his lips.

He didn’t want to be rude and outright tell the other to leave him alone but it was a bit upsetting to hear that he looked like a zombie from a teenager who probably killed zombies everyday through the screen of his computer by playing weird games. Not that what he had said was particularly upsetting for the stranger, Yixing supposed. Rare were the occasions he had ever upset anyone and at that second, he wondered if that was the exact reason why everyone else didn’t hesitate to hurt him.

Either way, if that young boy was looking for entertainment, Yixing was far from being in the mood to fill that spot for him. He simply wanted to finish his drink quickly and ask for a refill.

However, the guy didn’t seem to have taken the hint.

"You have heavy dark circles under your eyes, a permanent frown on your face, and your skin looks pale even under the ty yellow lights of this place," the other said casually, as if he wasn’t just listing out all of Yixing’s physical flaws. "In conclusion, you look like a zombie. Kinda lifeless."

"That’s a bit rude," Yixing frowned, mumbling those words out as he finally looked at the stranger again. "You can’t just go around and insult a stranger’s appearance."

That didn’t seem to even bother the other, however, and Yixing was at a loss when he only watched his smile widen a bit, as if those were exactly the words he had wanted to hear.

"Is that how you defend yourself against someone who’s presumably insulting you? I assure you you’re not scary at all and those simple words don't sound mean enough to make them stop. I thought zombies were the kind to eat people’s brain, not let everyone walk all over them."

That somehow felt more upsetting than the other’s earlier remarks about his appearance and Yixing couldn’t help but sigh a little bit. How could even a stranger see through him and easily say that Yixing was the kind of person who was just way too kind and let most people walk all over him. He heard those words from Jongdae enough to be used to it already but having a stranger slap you with those same words felt much more different. 

He gulped the rest of his drink down, leaving nothing but the small ice cubes in his glass, and called for the bartender to ask for a refill. Maybe he really should do something about his problematic kindness, as Jongdae would call it. However, Yixing thought about that every Tuesday without ever actually doing anything about it and even he was tired of himself so he simply gave up on those thoughts and turned to the stranger to observe him more properly.

He really did look young, maybe just out of high school or a college student if Yixing was generous, but that might also only be the effect of the red cap he was wearing backwards. It made him look like one of those rebellious, hyper kids Yixing always saw in his hometown, and maybe that was also enhanced by the fact that he could see really pale blond strands of hair peeking at him under the cap. His eyes were droopy and he still had a light, almost excited smile on his lips, the combination oddly giving him a resemblance to the cute little puppy Yixing’s grandparents used to raise when he was still a small child who spent most of his time with them to make sure they had someone to take care of them and help them if needed. That little puppy never had a small mole right above his upper lip like the stranger did though and Yixing didn’t wasn’t even sure why he had noticed that detail but he quickly averted his gaze to the stranger’s hand.

His fingers were curled around a bottle of beer and somehow, that wasn’t surprising.

"And is that how you initiate a conversation with strangers? By being rude? That’s not the best way to make friends," he finally said after the few seconds spent observing the stranger whose gaze had never once strayed away from him.

"It got your attention, didn't it?" the other shrugged, still with that mischievous smile. Yixing wondered if it was stitched on his lips.

"That’s not the best way to make friends," he simply repeated, sincerely hoping that the stranger didn’t have the habit of going around bars and disturbing random strangers. He wondered if he did that because he was lonely. That thought kind of made him feel bad for not having been friendly with the stranger.

However, Yixing was tired of thinking about other people before himself and he really simply wanted to be alone with his alcohol just for tonight so he did his best not to feel too bad.

"Who said I wanted to be your friend?" The stranger raised an eyebrow and it looked a bit weird with his permanent smile but Yixing suddenly felt stupid.

Of course. Who would want to make friends with someone who looked like a zombie?

"Why are you talking to me then?" he grumbled, grabbing his newly-filled glass as soon as the bartender pushed it in front of him. He only had one drink and it didn’t have that much effect on him yet but maybe that was why he was being braver than usual.

The usual Yixing would have simply stayed silent after the other’s last words, upset and embarrassed that he had gotten ahead of himself. Yixing sometimes didn’t like himself.

"I just thought you looked like you needed some company," the other shrugged and this time he looked a bit more sincere.

Maybe he had really taken pity of Yixing. Maybe he really just wanted to be Yixing’s friend despite his earlier words. Maybe he was just a bit too playful. Kids usually were too playful, anyway. Maybe Yixing actually didn’t feel like being alone tonight. Maybe it would be nice to complain about his evil boss to this odd, but not exactly unkind stranger.

Those thoughts flew out of the window as soon as the stranger leaned a bit closer to him and trailed a finger up along the bare skin of Yixing’s forearm, the sleeves of the latter’s shirt rolled up and matching the disheveled look his loosened tie gave him. A shiver ran down his spine but mortification filled Yixing up almost instantly when he dragged his gaze up from the finger the stranger was still gently trailing over the length of his forearm and looked up at the other instead. He looked young. Too young.

He pulled his arm away from the other’s reach and brought his drink up to take another big gulp instead, not wanting the other to think he was outright rejecting him as that might be a little mean. When he looked back at the stranger, the amusement in his smile seemed to have increased.

"Are you even old enough to be here and keep me company?" Yixing asked after clearing his throat.

"I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t old enough, don’t you think?" the other snorted softly.

Yixing frowned. That wasn’t an actual reply, not one that made him comfortable enough to properly look at the other. He refused to acknowledge that someone who could possibly be a teenager had made him shiver with a single touch.

"How old are you?" he asked again, frowning.

The stranger rolled his eyes.

Definitely a teenager, Yixing thought.

"Twenty three," was what the other replied, however, and Yixing raised a brow.

"Twenty three," he repeated, eyeing the other’s bright red cap, his blond hair, and his very casual outfit composed of a bright yellow shirt and blue, ripped jeans.

It was a rare sight to see someone dressed so colorfully, especially in this kind of bar. He was a bit adorable. Maybe a bit too adorable for Yixing who wasn’t sure whether he was lying or not.

"Yes, twenty three," the other said again with a small chuckle, one corner of his lips lifting up in an amused smirk afterwards. Adorable. A bit scarily so. "I’m old enough for you to stop looking at me as if you were committing a crime by just laying your eyes on me."

"That isn’t how I’m looking at you," Yixing spluttered, taken aback. He was too straightforward. Yixing had never met someone like that and he wasn’t really sure how to react.

But he was an adult and the other was probably freshly out of college so he shouldn’t be almost intimidated by his somehow bright and loud presence next to him in a crowded, dim-lighted bar. He took another sip of his drink. He hadn’t planned to be a source of entertainment for someone so much younger than him when he had walked in. He had planned to be left alone with his misery and his favorite drink but the stranger didn’t seem to want to leave him alone. It probably would be easy to just ignore him or take his drink and find another spot far away from him but for some reason, Yixing couldn’t bring himself to do that. It would be rude. That was probably the only reason why he couldn’t do that.

"You don’t mind my age then," the other said and it was more of statement than a question but Yixing still found himself turning to him again and looking at him in confusion. He startled a bit when he found the stranger closer to him that he thought he was, only a few inches separating their face as the other trailed his gaze over his features, as if he was observing Yixing. "You do look like the kind of guy who likes them young."

"And you seem to be the kind of guy who has no notion of personal space," Yixing mumbled, surprising himself a bit. Must be the alcohol.

The stranger simply looked at him for a silent second before laughing and pulling away a little bit, not too much since his finger was once again trailing over Yixing’s arm, simply drawing curlicues on his wrist this time. He fought a shiver off. The guy was young. Not as young as he had feared but still too young.

"How old are you?"

The question surprised Yixing but he simply sighed.

"Why?"

"I just need to know your age to see if my theories are right." He shrugged nonchalantly and Yixing gave up on trying to stop him from touching him so intimately.

It was a simple touch, nothing overly affectionate or ual and yet, Yixing could feel his heartbeat quickening just a little, his stomach a bit fuzzy. There was the alcohol, of course, but this odd stranger wasn’t only adorable and young, he was nothing but attractive, with his droopy eyes that were lined in black, now that Yixing paid close attention, and that warm smile that he sometimes traded for a mischievous and confident smirk. Why were all the young people so confident nowadays?

"What theories?" he finally asked, bringing his glass up to his lips with his free hand, leaving his other arm draped over the counter and trying his best not to focus on how soft and gentle the stranger’s fingers were against his skin.

"That you probably work as an accountant in some ty firm," the other started, gaze fixated on Yixing who had stopped feeling fidgety because of it now that he was a little buzzed from alcohol, barely though, because he unfortunately had a good alcohol tolerance. He looked at the other in surprise instead, his glass resting against his lower lip, frozen just like he was. "You probably had a ty day too, your boss probably and was an to you today. You also didn’t get enough sleep last night if I’m generous or in a few days if I wanted to stretch that theory out. You came here to be alone and drown your sorrows and frustrations in alcohol but you also kinda feel lonely. You look really young, you’d look even younger after a full night’s rest but you’re probably in your thirties. Only old people order that drink."

"That’s not true, this is a very popular drink," Yixing immediately protested because that was the only thing he could say without letting his surprise apparent.

Was he really that easy to read?

"Boring," Baekhyun simply said, scrunching his nose a little as he glanced at the glass Yixing had finally put down on the counter. 

"You’re drinking beer," he retorted.

"Was I right?" the odd stranger asked, ignoring him. 

"I’m thirty two," was the only thing Yixing mumbled because maybe it was a bit too difficult to admit that everything else had been correct too.

"So you do like them young," the other smiled teasingly again. Yixing didn’t reply, looking away and frowning a little until he felt a warm breath tickling his ear and an alluring voice flowing into his mind. "That could mean I’m the perfect company you need."

Yixing turned to look at him, hesitant.

"How did you know all that?" he asked softly, actually wanting to know if he was that easy to read. It felt a bit painful, knowing that misery could be read on his face.

"I’ve met enough bored and lonely accountants to recognize them anywhere," was the other’s answer.

That somehow felt a bit more painful. That meant he was ordinary. A copy of dozens of men who could be found in the streets, nothing special, nothing interesting, and nothing he liked. He supposed that it shouldn’t be surprising, that was the perfect way to describe his life. Ordinary. Boring. Unchanging. He got out of bed at the same hour every day, he ate breakfast at the same hour, showered, left his house, and stepped into the office at the same hour. It was a monotonous life and Yixing felt more trapped than ever at this exact moment.

"So, do I get a reward for getting it all right?" he heard next to him and when he looked at the stranger again, something in his stomach churned.

He was sitting at a bar, holding a completely random conversation with a completely random stranger who was randomly trying to hit on him. Yixing might be a bit too kind but he wasn’t stupid, he could see through the other’s intentions. He was a stranger. So young. Bright. So colorful and bright and noisy and happy and full of life and so painfully different from how Yixing felt, even at first right. He was attractive, he was maybe the most attractive person Yixing had met in a long time and it was almost scary how he found the other’s smile beautiful and how much Yixing wanted to keep this conversation going. It was interesting, the way the other spoke and kept his attention to himself even if Yixing had wanted to be alone at first. It felt different. The stranger felt different.

This conversation made him feel a little bit alive. He hadn’t felt alive in a long time.

It was scary.

"I have a boyfriend," he suddenly blurted out before even realizing what he had done. Regret instantly overwhelmed him but he took a grip of himself. This was the right thing to do. Probably. "Yeah, I have a boyfriend," he repeated, nodding to himself and avoiding the other’s gaze while hoping his lie wasn’t too obvious.

Yixing hadn’t had a boyfriend for three whole years, he hadn’t had anything for three whole years and he was used to it. It was difficult and a bit scary for him to break out of his habits. Maybe that was why he hadn’t quit his job after five full years of hell there, a little voice whispered in his head.

"You have a boyfriend," Baekhyun repeated, pulling away from him and giving him a look Yixing couldn’t really read. He hoped it wasn’t suspicion. It didn’t seem to be.

"Yeah, I have a boyfriend. He always calls me and messages me… and all that," he trailed off, clearing his throat and hoping that he hadn’t ruined things with his tendency to give too many details when he was lying.

It was obviously a lie. The last boyfriend Yixing had had stopped calling him almost a whole month before their break up. That was three years ago. He wasn’t even sure he still knew how to be a boyfriend. Not that it mattered right now because he didn’t need a boyfriend, he needed to be alone.

Or at least he wanted to be, because it had almost become a comfort for him.

"I see," the stranger hummed before his lips curled into the same light smile he always had. "Well, then. You can still reward me by being my friend for tonight."

"What’s the use of being friends if we’re not gonna see each other ever again after tonight?" Yixing mumbled softly. 

He was insisting and the more he insisted, the more difficult it was for Yixing to continue telling himself that he wanted to be alone tonight.

"All the more reason to make our one night together unforgettable, don’t you think so?" the other chuckled and Yixing found himself unable to say anything for a second.

He was so bright, so energetic and Yixing could literally feel the waves of joy that emanated from the stranger wrap all around him in an attempt to convince him to follow whatever they wanted to do. He wasn’t sure whether those waves felt restraining or energizing.

"A night spent in a bar can rarely become unforgettable, especially when alcohol is involved," Yixing said, continuously glancing at the stranger but never actually looking at him fully.

This was so different from what he was used to. This was out of his comfort zone. Yixing hated breaking his habits. He never had the habit of letting strangers talk him into spending the night with them and making it unforgettable, whatever that meant.

And yet, when the younger smiled at him, bright as the sun and captivating as the stars, Yixing knew that he was on the verge of jumping out of a helicopter miles above the ground and letting the sky do whatever it wanted to with him.

"Oh, but we’re not going to spend the night here. Come on," the other said, standing up from his stool and downing his whole bottle of beer so suddenly, Yixing would’ve been worried for him had he not been surprised by his words.

"What?" he stupidly said, wide eyes observing the other.

"We’re leaving," he replied as if it should’ve been obvious.

"What? You expect me to just follow a random stranger around for the whole night?" he asked and was almost proud of himself for managing to do it.

However, the other simply sighed and Yixing was taken by worry at the prospect of upsetting him. That didn’t seem to be the case though as his smile was quickly back on his lips, brighter than before.

"Byun Baekhyun," he said, only elaborating when Yixing gave him a blank look. "That’s my name. I’m not a stranger anymore since you know my name."

"Yixing," he found himself replying, unconsciously, and he had already broken at least three of his own boundaries and habits but somehow, the way Baekhyun grinned at him made him forget he even had such thing as a comfort zone to begin with.

"Alright, Mr. No-Last-Name Yixing, let’s go and turn you from a zombie to a man full of life," were the words accompanying Baekhyun’s dashing but teasing smile before it was gone from sight when he turned around and headed towards the exit without another word, as if he knew Yixing would follow him.

He watched the other’s back retreating towards the exit of the bar, observing almost in disbelief when Baekhyun pulled the door open but merely stopped and glanced at him over his shoulder for a second before stepping out. Somehow, he looked even brighter from afar, so colorful, like a misplaced splash of yellow in a painting depicting a black and grey world. Misplaced but for some reason, fitting perfectly.

Yixing felt something fuzzy trailing across his body, jumping from the pit of his stomach to his chest as he was stuck, looking at the now closed door for a few seconds and almost still seeing the intriguing stranger with his bright smile, odd words, and yellow shirt even if he was outside already, probably waiting for Yixing. He bit his lower lip in hesitation. Turning from a zombie to a man full of life sounded nice. He took a deep breath.

Yellow. It was a bright and joyful color. It was happiness. He had never liked yellow. Why? No particular reason. It just wasn’t a color easily worn, it wasn’t a color that fit easily amongst other things. No one really liked yellow. He had no real reason not to like yellow and as soon as he noticed that, Yixing downed the last few drops of his drink, paid for it in a rush, and immediately headed out of the bar.

Yellow was easy to spot when he got out of the bar, just a few feet away from him, waiting to be noticed and followed.

It had been less than an hour since a random stranger whose name he now knew to be Baekhyun had initiated a conversation with him at the bar Yixing had gone to with the intent of drowning his problems - and maybe himself as well - in alcohol and yet, he had already broken way too many of his own rules, crossing his boundaries, and completely destroying the little bubble that was his comfort zone.

Only yesterday, if you had told him that one night, he would let a really young and attractive stranger completely take control of him and make him follow him around the streets without any kid of hesitation, Yixing would’ve laughed at you. However, it had been less than an hour and Baekhyun had used half of it to hit on Yixing with his odd flirting tactics, spending the remaining time settled on the passenger’s seat of Yixing’s car, giving him directions to an unknown destination while somehow managing to make Yixing talk more than he had thought he would. 

It had been so easy to simply pour everything out to Baekhyun, his bright yellow shirt constantly visible in the corner of Yixing’s sightline even if if he kept his eyes on the road while driving. It had been oddly easy to let the words escape him as he told a complete stranger everything about how he had never really wanted to be an accountant but he had needed a stable job to be able to regularly send money to his grandparents who had no one but him to take care of them. It had been so refreshing to tell him whatever he had in mind about his cruel boss who had no consideration towards his employees, and especially not towards Yixing who probably worked harder than anyone else in that company. It had been so freeing to tell Baekhyun that he actually really did feel like a zombie traveling from work to home every single day, doing the same things over and over again and letting numbers and unhappiness eat his brain away to leave him basically lifeless.

Baekhyun had listened to him through it all, not bothering to hide what he thought about the that was his boss, and certainly not telling him that he was surprised to hear Yixing say such things about his life. He had asked so many questions after that, wondering about Yixing’s favorite color, his favorite food, the things that annoyed him the most, and his ideal type. Yixing had laughed at that last question because it felt so new for someone to be so open about their interest towards him and it was still a bit scary but it felt nice to be out of his comfort zone and just letting himself go along with the flow. 

However, he had soon remembered that he had told Baekhyun he had a boyfriend because this was all still a little bit scary and he had insisted not to reply to that question because it didn’t matter. Baekhyun had not yielded easily, however, and Yixing soon found himself randomly describing the contrary of what his last boyfriend had been.

Fortunately, they soon seemed to reach their destination since Baekhyun had put an end to his endless streak of questions and had simply asked Yixing to park the car wherever he could.

"Where are we even?" he asked after turning the engine off, throwing a look around but not really recognizing his surroundings because not only was it night but they had also driven for a rather long time which could only mean that they were far from the places Yixing was used to hanging out in.

"It’s kind of a park," Baekhyun simply said before pushing the car door open. "C’mon, let’s go."

And Yixing once again surprised himself by silently doing as told even if they were in a pretty remote place that could probably be used perfectly if you were a serial killer pulling your victims in with bright smiles and colorful clothes.

It wasn’t that cold because it was August, well into summer, bit it was also nighttime and there still was a small breeze blowing around that drew a shiver down Yixing’s spine. He didn’t mind though because as soon as he got out of the car, he was hit by a waft of air that somehow felt cleaner than he was used to and refreshing. It obviously couldn’t be completely clear, they were in a big city after all, but it was better than usual and a simple look around was enough to know that it was because there was a lot of trees around them. There was nothing but trees actually, a small hill standing in front of them, bare and probably bright green under daylight. 

It was rather dark, with nothing but the moon to light up the path for him but he got used to it after a while and it wasn’t difficult to find Baekhyun who never strayed too far from him anyway. His shirt didn’t exactly look yellow under this kind of lighting but he still somehow looked bright and his cap was crooked on his head, still worn backwards like a mischievous child.

"I didn’t know this kind of place existed here," he said, voice sounding a bit too loud to his own ears as they were surrounded by nothing but night sounds, the gentle whistling of the light wind and the distant sound of crickets forming an almost peaceful and relaxing melody.

"You just have to look for the great things if you wanna find them," Baekhyun shrugged, something that seemed to be a habit of his.

Yixing wasn’t sure why he noticed that, just like he wasn’t sure why he noticed that Baekhyun’s face almost looked as if it was glistening under the moon, as if his skin was nothing but an unblemished mirror reflecting moonlight’s gentle dance in the air surrounding them. There was almost no stars in the sky, the downside of living in a big city, but for a split second, Yixing couldn’t help but think that he really just had to look into Baekhyun’s eyes if he wanted to see tiny diamonds sparkling in an ocean of darkness.

He wasn’t used to thinking that way about anyone. He looked away and around him instead, clearing his throat quietly.

"It’s nice," he simply said, feeling a bit more comfortable around Baekhyun now that they had gone through a journey of almost half an hour in a car that hadn’t been silent even for a single minute.

"It is, I really like to come here when I just need a break from everything else. It’s usually empty at night but there are always a few families coming here for a picnic during the day," Baekhyun informed him before motioning him to follow as he started walking.

Yixing usually didn’t like taking this kind of orders from anyone outside of work since he followed enough rules and demands in the office and he needed to at least have half a grasp on his own life outside of it but somehow, he didn’t mind silently following Baekhyun. The latter seemed to have the habit of motioning people to follow him or outright telling them to do so, as if he always had an adventure to take them into or something impressive to show. 

It was odd and maybe a bit too careless but Yixing didn’t mind following the other. He supposed he could allow himself to do it now too if he had already followed someone who was supposed to be a stranger out of a bar and then right into an almost isolated spot.

It turned out that Baekhyun wasn’t actually planning to murder him and bury him between the sometimes tiny, sometimes bigger hills they walked up. As they walked a bit, he simply babbled about how nice it was to be here even during the day and how funny it was to simply roll down those small hills when they were heavily covered in snow in Winter and Yixing couldn’t suppress a small laugh at that. It wasn’t difficult to imagine Baekhyun in a bright yellow snowsuit rolling down the hills and laughing out loud like a toddler when he was supposed to be a grown man. The image alone brought an odd kind of warmth into Yixing’s chest and he couldn’t help but think that it would be adorable. 

He bit his tongue harshly when he caught himself associating the word adorable to Baekhyun for the umpteenth time tonight. He never found anyone adorable. He had stopped finding people adorable years ago, after his break up with a boyfriend who had never cared enough despite the years they had spent together.

It was easy to forget all about that as he listened to Baekhyun talk and talk and talk without ever feeling the need to tell him to stop though. He wasn’t exactly repeating himself as he spoke for the few minutes they spent walking anyway, he just had a lot of different but equally interesting stories to tell and Yixing listened to all of them until they stopped at the top of a slightly bigger hill. He was panting a bit by that time but it didn’t really matter because it made Baekhyun laugh a bit, rudely for sure, but prettily.

He had a pretty laugh and a beautiful smile and a handsome face and Yixing had to stop noticing all those things.

Fortunately, Baekhyun himself was a good enough distraction when he suddenly looked at Yixing for a silent second only to plop down on the ground and immediately laying on his back, stretching his arms over his head while letting out a soft groan. Yixing was left to blink in surprise, looking at the other while still standing on his two feet.

"What are you doing?" he asked, rather stupidly.

"Laying down and resting, obviously. Did age already start messing with your sight, hyung?" Baekhyun replied teasingly and Yixing frowned.

"No, silly. I meant why are you laying down on the grass, it’s dirty and you might catch a cold," he replied, actually worried about the other. He would feel bad if he were to get sick because he simply wanted to show Yixing around and make him feel more alive, whatever that even meant.

"Don’t be such an adult, I’ll be fine," the other snorted before suddenly getting a hold of the hem of Yixing’s pants and tugging, once again silently asking him to follow whatever he was doing.

By that point, Yixing supposed he had already given up on everything anyway so he simply plopped down next to the other, albeit a little more slowly and carefully. He didn’t want to stain his slacks and he wasn’t even sure the grass was alright to sit on or not since there could be mud, he supposed. However, one look halfway between amused and exasperated from Baekhyun was enough to get him to stop fussing.

"I am an adult," he mumbled as he carefully moved to properly lay down, shivering a bit as he could feel the cold grass through his thin layer of clothes. "You’re also supposed to be one, just for the record."

"You’re here to be the adult for me, aren’t you? That means I don’t have to act all responsible and uptight," the other laughed softly, turning his head to look at him.

Yixing was momentarily unable to say anything at that because it almost felt as if despite having dragged Yixing around since their very first conversation, Baekhyun was leaving some of himself into Yixing’s hands as well. It was a nice thought. An odd one, but still rather nice and Yixing wondered if Baekhyun really was the kind of person who constantly needed someone to be the adult for him. Not even in any weird sense, he just actually looked like a mischievous child and judging by the way he had gotten into a complete stranger’s car, he didn’t seem to have any sense of self-preservation or the ability to make sane decisions.

That thought was confirmed by the way he was now shaking his head in an attempt to prevent his cap from digging into the back of his neck. Yixing let out a soft, muffled laugh and simply grabbed the cap to pull it off and away from Baekhyun’s head, the latter lifting his head a bit to help before grinning at Yixing with all his teeth once the cap was resting on his chest, harmless.

"See? That’s what I meant," he simply said but Yixing couldn’t pay proper attention to his words when the only thing he could see was the way Baekhyun’s eyes crinkled a little bit at the corners when he smiled widely. 

His eyes actually narrowed into tiny slits when he smiled, half moons that seemed to have absorbed all the stars around them to steal their sparkle and intensify it. Had there been any actual stars in the sky, Yixing would’ve thought that Baekhyun’s eyes were merely reflecting them, it could make sense for someone like Yixing who looked for too many excuses since they were laying down and facing the sky. However, it wasn’t the case, it was as if Baekhyun had his own personal stars in his eyes and somehow, his eyes were probably brown and looked almost black under the night sky but his gaze wasn’t really dark. It was almost as if Yixing could see splashes of color in the other’s eyes, a drop of yellow happiness, a tint of blue serenity, and maybe hints of purple, Yixing’s favorite color. 

It was as if he held stars sparkling in all the colors of a rainbow in his eyes and yet, even that didn’t feel enough for Yixing to describe how captivating it was to look into this intriguing stranger’s eyes.

"Why are we here?" Yixing asked after noticing that he had zoned out for more than a few seconds, gaze lost on Baekhyun who didn’t seem to mind being observed so insistently for so long.

"Because you needed an actually quiet place without any stranger possibly disturbing you," Baekhyun said and Yixing gave him a look but the latter ignored it, smiling amusedly as he looked up at the sky, arms crossed under his head to support it. "And because this is the perfect place for you let go of some dead weights and take the first step towards coming back to life."

"It’s a bit upsetting of you to constantly talk about me as if I was an actual zombie, you know," he mumbled, not actually upset but just a tad amused by the whole situation.

He had let a stranger, who had initiated their conversation by calling him a zombie, bring him into a remote place. Jongdae wouldn’t believe him if he were to tell him. Not that he would tell him because he had driven after drinking a little bit and his best friend would skin him alive for that even if Yixing had been sober enough to do it. He hadn’t really had the choice anyway, it was either that or let Baekhyun drive his car and Yixing valued it too much for that.

"You’re a handsome zombie, I’ll give you that at least," Baekhyun said so casually and suddenly that Yixing almost choked on his own breath.

The little amount of alcohol in his blood had faded away along with the little strike of courage he had earned from it and it was much more difficult to act unaffected by Baekhyun’s sudden flirty remarks.

"What dead weights?" he asked instead, choosing to ignore the other’s last words.

"Your frustrations and things that anger you," Baekhyun replied, turning his head to look at him and catching his gaze. "This is the perfect place to just get everything out by screaming your lungs out."

"You want me to just scream like a madman?" he asked incredulously, chuckling in surprise.

"Yes," the other grinned. "That’s the only way for you to actually relieve yourself and let go of the frustration you seem to be so focused on. Go on, just scream whatever you’d like to scream at your boss whenever he’s being an ."

"But I already told you everything in the car," he protested.

"It’s not the same as screaming things at the sky."

"I don’t feel comfortable with screaming personal things and risk people hearing it."

"There’s no one but the stars and me here," Baekhyun retorted and he seemed to be very patient because he was still looking at Yixing expectantly. Or maybe he was just really stubborn.

"There are no stars in the sky," Yixing mumbled and he was aware that he was acting like a bratty child but he couldn’t help it when Baekhyun was asking him to do something completely out of his comfort zone.

He had always been the kind to bottle everything up and never complain unless it was getting really necessary but here was Baekhyun, a complete stranger, asking hi