Being caught in the library on a sunny Tuesday wearing three-day-old clothes and hair scraped under a beanie because it hadn’t been washed for a week wasn’t the best thing that had ever happened to Baekhyun. Especially when the person who had caught him was possibly the cutest guy he had ever seen.

 

Okay, so college isn’t treating Baekhyun the best right now - his paper is due in four days and he is only eight-thousand words through the fifteen-thousand word piece on how classical music has shaped modern popular culture (and honestly, he blames himself for being stuck because he had picked the damn stupid topic) and to top it all off, the communal washing machine had completely died, meaning that he could either keep on buying more clothes as the old got dirty, which no student can afford to do, or he could just… Keep wearing the same stuff? Yeah, his personal hygiene had completely dropped through the floor. And he has no excuse for not washing his hair, only that he had been up until two writing gibberish into his dissertation and had forgotten to do it again.

 

So getting cornered in the history section with an armful of books looking like a hot mess while The Hottest Guy on Earth walks past with a group of elementary school kids trotting obediently behind him like ducklings following their mother isn’t exactly the highlight of his week. He presses himself into the shelves until they're digging into his ribs and pulls the books higher in front of his face so that he can’t be seen clearly and waits with baited breath until the group rounds the corner and disappears from sight. Finally, he can breathe, and he glances around before speed walking to the check-out desk to get his books stamped out for the week.

 

It doesn’t occur to Baekhyun until he’s back on campus that he had seen the guy before.

 

The next time Baekhyun needs to visit the library is less rushed; he’s handed in his essay to be edited (the war isn’t over yet, his professor reminds him every seminar - it has only just begun) and the washing machine has been fixed. He even found the time to wash (and dye) his hair (it’s now a silver-blond and he loves it). He is, he tells himself, completely prepared for if Hot Guy happens to bump into him.

 

It happens as he’s returning the books on Mozart; the man from before brushes past him and leans around his left side towards the girl on the desk and Baekhyun just freezes, fingers clutching the laminated wood of the desktop.

 

“Hey Jaein, just checking in for the reading group at four. Can you get the kids sat on the beanbags by the cafe this time please? Our usual spot is reserved for something else, and I don’t want the parents to get too confused,” he asks in a voice that Baekhyun can only describe as melodious. From this close, he can’t help but stare at the side of his face, taking in his sunny features. The way the corners of his mouth curl up makes him look like he’s smiling, and his cat-like eyes look mischievous yet kind, friendly. It occurs to Baekhyun that they’re almost exactly matched in height and god, he’s practically leaning on Baekhyun and it’s warm.

 

It’s at this time, while Baekhyun is freaking out completely, that the guy turns to face him. “Sorry, dude,” he starts, smiling apologetically and oh god, his kittenish smile is brighter than the damn sun. “I totally just pushed in front of you - that’s really rude of me. Sorry!” He flashes him a quick grin, throws a thanks at the girl and steps away, taking Baekhyun’s sanity with him. His eyes are seemingly glued to his back as he retreats further into the library.

 

“- check any more books out?”

 

Baekhyun’s head whips back to face the girl at the desk, pulled out of whatever stupor he’d been stuck in since Hot Guy had turned up unexpectedly. The feeling seems to seep back into his fingers as he finally relaxes his muscles.

 

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

 

The girl - Jaein - smiles slyly. “I said, did you want to check any more books out? Or are you done with your paper?”

 

Baekhyun rubs the back of his neck, cheeks pinking slightly. He’d totally been caught staring at the guy like a lovesick puppy. How embarrassing.

 

“I think I’m good for now, thank you. I’ll just check out some of the fiction to fill the void,” He tries to find his usual outspoken ways as he recovers.

 

“You’ll find them just a few sections over, near the cafe,” she directs, pointing over his shoulder and towards the history section. “Grab a coffee from there if you want to sit in and read - and the carrot cake is to die for.”

 

Baekhyun nods, smiling. “I will do, thanks for your help.” Definitely not staying to drink coffee if the guy from before is going to be near there with his little group of children. He’s already stared enough for one day.

 

But, of course, that’s exactly what he ends up doing, because he can’t deny that he’s curious about him; he seems like a regular at the library - is he an employee? The blond finds what looks to be a promising novel and settles at a table that has a good view of the aforementioned beanbags and, following Jaein’s suggestion, orders a latte and a slice of carrot cake (which is, admittedly, very good). He’s not left waiting long before the man turns up, posse of children trailing after him like before, and they settle into the beanbags while he opens up the colourful book that’s been tucked under his arm. There’s a few words that Baekhyun can’t quite hear, so he lifts his book a little higher in front of his face and shifts into a position that’s slightly closer, hoping to God that he isn’t being totally obvious. And then the man opens his mouth and starts to read.

 

From the outset, Baekhyun knows that he’s ed with a capital ‘f’ - that melodious voice takes the printed words and brings them alive, makes the story about a little boy who walks his dog through a series of funny encounters seem much more gripping than it should be to a twenty year-old. He even does the voices, and the kids just eat it up, eyes open wide and laser focused onto the reader. Before he knows it, it’s been half an hour and the book is being closed and tucked once again under the guy’s arm. Baekhyun’s coffee is cold and long forgotten, and the parents of the kids drift in to lead them away. There’s not one of them who doesn’t gush about the story and the man reading it aloud. Baekhyun thinks he knows how they feel. In fact, he doesn’t even know he’s been staring the whole time until they make eye contact and that same smile from before is being flashed his way and  okay, it’s time to go home.

 

Baekhyun chugs the cold latte down like it’s a shot and grabs his neglected slice of cake, meaning to go upto the counter and ask for a box to put it in, but when he sees the other man lean on the surface and start chatting with the barista, he abandons that idea and simply wraps it in some napkins, dropping his borrowed book back onto a random shelf in fiction before he hastens out of the room and down the stairs.

 

The whole bus ride back to campus, Baekhyun thinks about him. He must seem so out of sorts that even his roommate comments that he’s quieter than usual.

 

“You look like some lovestruck teenager, dude,” Chanyeol accuses, side-eyeing him as he’s scrambling some eggs (poor students can’t grumble about good old bacon and eggs, even if it is for dinner instead of breakfast).

 

“Well,” Baekhyun begins, tongue darting out to wet his lips as he considers whether saying this is really all that wise, considering his roommate is ing Park Chanyeol, the loudest person he knows, which is saying something because Baekhyun is also pretty damn loud. “There’s this guy at the library-“

 

“I ing knew it!” Baekhyun starts as their other roommate, lanky dance major Oh Sehun slaps his hand down on the work surface, abandoning his half-filled glass of orange juice in favour of ruining Baekhyun’s life, apparently. “Pay up, Park!”

 

Baekhyun stares, outraged, as Chanyeol groans exaggeratedly and puts his hand in his pocket for his wallet, still stirring the eggs with his other, awkwardly shimmying out a ten and passing it to the younger.

 

“You ing bet on my love life? Again?!”

 

“It’s pretty damn obvious that you’re lusting after someone new, Baek,” Sehun scoffs, waving him off. “Our next bet is on how long it’s going to be before you end up in bed with him.”

 

“Please don’t sleep with him until after Chuseok,” Chanyeol pleads. “I’m broke as .”

 

“No, you! And you!” Baekhyun adds, pointing at Sehun who crows, an ugly, self-righteous sound. “It's not like that this time! And I thought you guys were done with this after Kyungsoo-“

 

“Oh please,” Sehun snorts. “That was doomed from the beginning and you know it. He was either going to kill you or leave you anyway. And besides, you did him and Jongin a favour, right?”

 

“You’re ing unbelievable,” Baekhyun mutters darkly under his breath, slumping into a high-backed chair at the dinner table. “I hate you both and I’m going to find new roommates tomorrow.”

 

Chanyeol chuckles as he turns the heat off for the eggs and saves the frying bacon that Sehun is supposed to be looking after. “Good luck finding someone who can put up with you,”

 

Sehun looks delighted as he tacks on, “Hey, maybe you can move in with Library Guy!”

 

Baekhyun lets out a vicious scream and thumps his head down onto the table.

 

* * *

 

He swears that he isn’t timing his library visits to coincide with the kids reading group sessions, but Baekhyun would be a damn dirty liar if he said he didn’t want to see the reader again. This time, it’s a rainy Tuesday and he’s seated next to a radiator in a beanbag in an attempt to get his coat to dry off while he studies, and he’s totally not in the part of the library where the kids gather for their story time on purpose.

 

“Hey there.” Baekhyun jumps nearly a foot in the air, fingers accidentally crumpling up a page of carefully copied notes from last Monday’s seminar on the baroque genre, heart in his mouth. He looks up, startled, and finds himself in close proximity to Hot Guy. .

 

“Hi?” He doesn’t mean for it to come out more like a question but oops, there it is.

 

Baekhyun is awarded with a curly kittenish smile that makes the reader’s eyes curve into happy crescents. “Just so you know, I’m about to start a kids reading session in this area-“

 

“, I’m so sorry, let me just move my stuff-“ Baekhyun makes a grab for his bag and coat at the same time, cricking his shoulder with how fast he’s trying to move. A warm hand stops him, curling around his forearm and he grinds to a stop.

 

“No, no worries, I just wanted to let you know, that’s all. I don’t want the reading to interrupt you while you’re studying -“ He squints down at the upside-down notes Baekhyun is still clutching, tilting his head to the side slightly like a puppy in an attempt to read what the title is. It’s a truly adorable sight. “ - Baroque? You’re a music student?”

 

Finally, familiar territory. Baekhyun forces himself to relax his grip on the paper. He even, he’s proud to say, flashes up a friendly smile at the still standing man, who takes that opportunity to let go of his arm. Baekhyun misses the contact already.

 

“Yeah, I’m studying music theory at the moment, but I’m all about performance, to be honest,”

 

The other brightens even more, if possible. “That’s actually really cool! I love singing, but I also love writing, so I went down that path for my degree. I’m usually pretty involved with the music department at my uni.”

 

Baekhyun is delighted that he’s finding he has common ground with the guy he’s been thinking about for two weeks. “Which uni is it that you go to?”

 

The smile he receives is almost physically blinding. “Your jumper.”

 

“My what?”

 

The man points at Baekhyun’s chest. “Your jumper.” Frowning, Baekhyun glances down and oh. He’s wearing his college crewneck. Now he feels like a . Pink floods his cheeks and he can hardly bring himself to answer, except then it dawns on him.

 

“Hang on, you hang around the music building? How come I’ve never seen you before?” he questions.

 

“What, you’re not going to come out with the ‘I’m sure I’d remember that face anywhere’ line, are you?” the other teases and Baekhyun is lost for words. He’s pretty sure he’s gaping like a damn fish and thankfully, the other man takes pity on him. “No, I mean, if you’ve been studying theory this semester, then you wouldn’t have seen me there; I’m over in the performance rooms, not the seminar rooms.”

 

“Well yeah, I mean. That makes a lot of sense,” Baekhyun nods, thankful that his blush hadn’t been commented on. The reader chuckles and then glances at his watch before sighing.

 

“Sorry to cut this conversation short, but I have that reading group in two minutes, so I’d better go and grab the kids.” He seems so earnest, genuinely regretful about ending their chat and Baekhyun feels himself falling a little further, a little deeper. It’s not until he’s already been flashed another curly smile and the other has begun to walk away that Baekhyun screws up his courage.

 

“What’s your name?” he calls out, daring to be a little louder but not wanting to get kicked out by a librarian.

 

Cue the cute smile. “Jongdae, Kim Jongdae. And yours?”

 

“Byun Baekhyun,”

 

“It’s been lovely finally talking to you, Byun Baekhyun.” And then he - Jongdae, he can finally put a name to the face - rounds the corner of the fiction section and disappears from sight, though the warmth of his presence lingers around Baekhyun like a blanket.

 

* * *

 

Going to the library every Tuesday when his music theory lecture finishes becomes a new routine for Baekhyun; every week, he steals the purple beanbag that’s closest to the cafe and sips on a latte while he studies and every week, Kim Jongdae takes ten minutes out of his day to have a chat with him. It’s all casual, safe topics, yet Baekhyun finds himself anticipating those few minutes, half sad when Jongdae has to leave and collect the little group of children to read to. And he really means to finish reviewing his notes before he gets into the books that are clearly meant for elementary school kids. It’s just that Jongdae has such a great reading voice; if Baekhyun could get away with sitting in on story time with all the little six year-olds forever, he would be there in an instant.

 

This week, however, Jongdae doesn’t turn up at ten to four for their usual conversation, and at ten past four, the kids haven’t shown up either. Baekhyun frowns at his textbook, sipping his lukewarm latte in disappointment. He’ll just finish reading this chapter, he supposes, and then it looks like he’ll be packing up and heading back home to Chanyeol and Sehun earlier than usual. Fifteen minutes later, he’s just packing away his textbook and reaching for the handle of his empty coffee mug when there’s a tap on his shoulder. He turns slowly, half expecting it to be someone asking him where a certain section is (why more people don’t just look up the Dewey Decimal System he doesn’t know - and it wouldn’t be the first time that he’s been confused for an employee), but is pleasantly surprised to see Jongdae standing behind him.

 

“Hey,” he greets quietly, surprised considering the reading session had been cancelled - he hadn’t expected the other to actually turn up.

 

“Hi, Baekhyun,” Jongdae returns easily, smiling that kittenish smile that hooked Baekhyun in from the first day. His heart does a halfhearted flip-flop in his chest. “Sorry, I forgot to tell you that the reading club was cancelled today; one of my classes was rescheduled so I only got out ten minutes ago rather than at half three,”

 

Baekhyun shakes his head. “No, that’s cool. I got more studying done so it’s all okay.”

 

“Actually,” Jongdae puts in, fiddling with the hem of his jumper; it dawns on Baekhyun that Jongdae is nervous, something that he’s never seen before, and he suddenly finds himself clamming up. “I was wondering if you wanted to study with me today? Seeing as I have no kids to read to and you’re here every Tuesday anyway, I figured we could just grab some coffee and learn some stuff? And possibly grab some food afterwards?”

 

Baekhyun is floored. It honestly sounds like Jongdae is asking him out on a date. Jongdae. A date. Keep it cool, Byun Baekhyun.

 

“Um. Yeah? That sounds really great, actually,”

 

Jongdae visibly relaxes, an easy grin sliding onto his face, his eyes turning into those cute little crescents again. “Awesome! I’ll get you a refill and we can be stressed uni students together.”

 

He scoops Baekhyun’s mug from his hand, their fingertips grazing and drawing a shiver from the blond, before moving towards the cafe counter. Baekhyun watches, enraptured, as he greets the barista there warmly, handing over the mug and placing a new order, hands waving around as he speaks. Baekhyun his head to one side, considering the scene as he drops his bag back onto the floor next to the beanbag; Chanyeol gestures when he talks too, except he has more danger of knocking something or someone out because he’s just too exuberant when he’s speaking. Jongdae looks more nonchalant, relaxed, warm. That strange flip-flop in his chest rises again and Baekhyun sighs as he kicks his beanbag into a more comfortable shape before dropping into it again.

 

It isn’t long before Jongdae returns with two cups of coffee, one of which he hands over carefully to Baekhyun before he drags a lime green beanbag over to sit opposite the latter. He settles himself, taking a sip of the hot beverage before he lets out a satisfied sigh and places the mug on the floor; Baekhyun raises an eyebrow at him over his own latte (how even did Jongdae know what to order for him? Had he really taken notice of Baekhyun as much as Baekhyun had taken notice of him? Or maybe, and this was probably the case, he had just asked the barista for a refill) and Jongdae grins suddenly.

 

“I needed a caffeine hit,” is all he says before he grabs his own bag and pulls out a novel.

 

“What are you reading?” Baekhyun asks, curious because the cover looks so familiar but he can’t quite make out what the title says from this angle. Jongdae tilts the book so that he can see properly.

 

“‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’,” he answers. “My professor wants to know our thoughts, so I’m re-reading before class next week because I seriously can’t remember enough of it to be able to answer coherently and I desperately need to pass this semester.”

 

“Ah!” Baekhyun exclaims, then glances at the desk (Jaein raises her eyebrows at him) before lowering his volume a little. “I’ve read that a few times, I really like Thomas Hardy’s works,”

 

And the sun may as well of just risen in Jongdae’s eyes, because the look that he gives Baekhyun is nothing less than blinding. “You like Hardy too? I have an anthology back at my mom’s somewhere and I’m actually super mad that I didn’t remember to bring it with me because I could’ve saved myself a lot of time and money.”

 

Baekhyun chuckles. Yeah, he did the same thing with his sheet music from the previous semester and he’s had to purchase the papers over again. Nothing comes cheap when you’re a student.

 

Their impromptu study session goes smoothly, and despite them only conversing in hushed sentences here and there, the silence is not as oppressive as it usually feels when Baekhyun tries to study alone. He doesn’t feel like he has to fill it, either, like he does with other people (well, everyone other than Chanyeol and Sehun, who do enough talking to fill decades-worth of silence) - it’s just comfortable. It’s half past five by the time the two pack their things back into their bags and drop their empty mugs at the cafe as they pass while Jongdae waves to Jaein (she winks back, the sly woman), and then they’re out in the chilly mid-October air.

 

“So,” Jongdae starts, pushing his hands into his coat pockets. “Where do you want to go to eat?”

 

Baekhyun shrugs, pulling his backpack higher onto his shoulders as he adjusts his coat, trying to free the collar which seems to have gotten stuck under the weight of his bag. “I’m not bothered, honestly, all food is good as long as there’s no cucumbers,”

 

Jongdae outright laughs at that, the pretty notes winding through the air and Baekhyun smiles at the sound of it. “We could get pasta from that Italian place a few blocks over?” he suggests, inclining his head to their left. “I’ll make sure they don’t put any cucumber in your food, I promise,”

 

“Yeah, that sounds great,” Baekhyun agrees with a chuckle, giving up on his collar. He’s about to start walking when Jongdae steps forward, so close that Baekhyun could just reach up a hand and touch him if he wanted to and what, why is he so close, what is he doing -

 

Long fingers reach for his collar, brushing the back of his neck and raising goosebumps there, deftly freeing the material. Baekhyun just stares at him, watching as Jongdae’s eyes focus first on his coat and then move up to his own eyes. Baekhyun is trapped in his gaze, literally drowning in it; he’s watching Jongdae so closely that he catches the flicker of his eyes down to his mouth, his tongue darting out unconsciously to wet his lips, an action that definitely doesn’t go unnoticed by Jongdae, who follows the motion with his eyes. They don’t move for a good few seconds, Jongdae’s fingers at his nape, and then suddenly, they seem to remember where they are, and the English student backs away a few steps. It’s not awkward at all, surprisingly, but Baekhyun still feels the intensity of the moment as they make their way slowly towards the restaurant.

 

By the time they’ve been shown to their seats and ordered their food, conversation has started to flow freely again and they’ve fallen into an easy, companionable atmosphere. The food is good and Jongdae recommends the tiramisu for desert, which Baekhyun easily agrees to, but the words leave a sour taste in his mouth as he wonders who else the other man has brought to this restaurant for a date (not that he’s insinuating that they’re on a date or anything, he’s just wondering, really). It’s not until the check is left on their table that Baekhyun finds it within himself to ask.

 

“Hey Jongdae?” The man in question hums as he leafs through his wallet for the bills that he needs. “Is this - have you - are we on a date right now?”

 

Jongdae chokes on air and snaps his head up towards Baekhyun, who can’t even find it within himself to be nervous.

 

“What made you ask that all of a sudden?” he eventually forces out. Baekhyun smiles slightly, shrugging.

 

“It feels like a date,”

 

“Do you want it to be a date?”

 

Baekhyun shrugs again, playfully this time. “Depends on if you want it to be a date.”

 

Jongdae catches onto his tone and narrows his eyes, mischief glinting in them. “Are you flirting with me, Byun Baekhyun?”

 

“That depends as well.”

 

“Depends on what?”

 

A grin lights up Baekhyun’s face. “On if it’s working or not.”

 

Jongdae delicately withdraws the correct amount of cash and places it onto the little silver tray between them, pocketing his copy of the receipt. He doesn’t answer while he’s putting his wallet back into his pocket, nor while they’re gathering their things and putting on their coats as they leave the restaurant. In fact, it’s not until they reach campus that Baekhyun realises that Jongdae hasn’t answered him, but has walked him home.

 

“It’s definitely working.” comes his quiet reply as they drift towards Baekhyun’s dorm building.

 

If you ask him today, Baekhyun still won’t be able to say where his courage came from, but he steps into Jongdae’s personal space and reaches around him into his back pocket for the other man’s phone. Using Jongdae’s stillness to his advantage, he grabs his hand and manhandles his thumb onto the touch button to unlock the device, quickly tapping in his number and saving it before calling his own phone which buzzes in his pocket.

 

“And now you have my number - I expect you to use it wisely,” he tells Jongdae, not yet releasing his hand. The latter twists his fingers upwards until they intertwine with Baekhyun’s, palms pressed together.

 

“I definitely will. Expect me to annoy you while you’re in class and whine about how difficult being an English major is,” Jongdae teases as he takes back his phone. Baekhyun squeezes his fingers with his own.

 

“I like pizza and I’m free on Friday night at seven,” he informs the other. “Don’t be late.” He watches, entranced, as Jongdae throws back his head and laughs openly, loudly, the moonlight throwing his features into stark relief, shadows falling below his sharp cheekbones.

 

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he finally replies. He pockets his phone and cups Baekhyun’s cheek, swiping his thumb across the slightly cold skin and for a moment, Baekhyun’s only thought is  I’ve just eaten loads of garlic, he can’t kiss me now, but Jongdae pulls away, angling towards the neighbouring dorm building. “Goodnight, Byun Baekhyun. I’ll see you on Friday,”

 

Their fingers are the last to separate. “See you on Friday.” Baekhyun watches as Jongdae raises a hand and waves, cheesy as anything, before he turns and makes his way towards his block. Baekhyun stares after him stupidly for a few seconds before shaking his head and spinning towards his own home.

 

* * *

 

It turns out that they don’t have to wait until Friday to see each other, because Baekhyun has finally finished his theory classes for the semester and is back in the performance rooms on Thursday morning; in fact, he’s halfway through some truly embarrassing vocal warm-ups when Jongdae enters with half a dozen others, but Baekhyun pays them no notice. Jongdae raises a hand in greeting, kitten grin on his face as he hastens over to Baekhyun.

 

“Told you that you’d see me when you’re out of those seminars,” are his first words and Baekhyun’s voice cracks on ‘mi’ before he chuckles, abandoning that.

 

“I hope you’re still up for our pizza date tomorrow night after you hear me sing,” is how he responds, shooting the other a glance as he shuffles his sheet music on the desk to give his hands something to do.

 

Jongdae snorts and that’s how Baekhyun knows he’s in too deep, because there’s no way that that should be attractive, but it is. “Why, are you that bad?” he teases and Baekhyun sends him a mock glare.

 

“I think you’ll be too star-struck to say no anyway, so it doesn’t really matter,” he sniffs, looking away pointedly before abandoning the act and turning back to pin him with a grin.

 

“I am but a mediocre English major who enjoys dabbling in some singing,” Jongdae responds airily. “I’m sure I’ll be star-struck even if you sing ‘Twinkle Twinkle’.”

 

Baekhyun isn’t left any time to say anything to that, as the professor calls for their attention and they start going through the motions of learning the song that they are going to be performing at Christmas. Really, they’ve started pretty late, and Baekhyun hopes that they’ll all be up to scratch before December rolls around.

 

As it is, the two barely have a chance to converse before the session has finished, and even then, Jongdae has to rush to his next class, so Baekhyun is left to go home alone. It’s strange, he muses as he lets himself into the empty apartment, to be around Jongdae while they’re both attending classes. Other than the previous night, they had never seen each other outside of the library, and it’s not like either of them have acted differently because of the different setting, but it opens Baekhyun’s eyes to a few things, one of them being the fact that Jongdae’s singing voice is just as stunning and melodious as his reading voice. Baekhyun’s lower tone and Jongdae’s higher tone mixed together well, harmonious, and Baekhyun would be lying if he didn’t find it pleasing. They fit well together.

 

* * *

 

Their second date goes just as well as the first, and Baekhyun finds himself slipping easily into a new routine that revolves around going to class, eavesdropping on Jongdae’s reading sessions with the kids on a Tuesday at four, dinner dates afterwards at the Italian restaurant and choir on Thursday mornings. By the time December sweeps in, full of snow and Christmas cheer, they see each other every day, Baekhyun taking to staying over at Jongdae’s apartment (they had tried Baekhyun’s a few times, but Chanyeol and Sehun are too bratty for them to even have a single moment to themselves. It’s nice to see his friends happy that he’s dating someone who is, in his humble opinion, amazing, but it would be nice if they could be left alone for more than five minutes at a time before Sehun does something stupid like throwing a at them. Again). When the semester finishes and winter break shows its face, both of them discover that the other is staying on campus instead of going home. It’s a particularly bitterly cold day, just three days before Christmas, that sees Baekhyun and Jongdae exploring the market in the city, browsing the trinkets and sipping on cups of hot chocolate. Baekhyun turns to make a comment about an ugly cardigan that’s flapping in the breeze a few stalls behind them and catches a glimpse of Jongdae. The sight makes his breath catch in his chest and he stops walking. Jongdae’s grip on his hand means that he stops too, and turns to look at him questioningly.

 

There’s snow settled into his orange woollen beanie, just a small scattering of white dusting it, some melting in his long eyelashes and piled onto his shoulders like icing sugar; the very tip of his nose is turning red from the cold, his scarf bundled up to tuck right under his chin, coat zipped up all the way to protect him from the sharp wind. As always, that kittenish mouth flicks up at the corners, leaving him with a perpetual smile on his face, catlike eyes wide and gazing straight into his own. Baekhyun’s heart constricts in his chest as he takes it all in, wondering when the he got so lucky, and thinking about how much has changed since that first sunny Tuesday in the library with his stale clothes and unwashed hair, hiding from this very man who definitely doesn’t let him hide now.

 

“What’s up, Baek?” Jongdae queries, squeezing his fingers.

 

“I love you,” Baekhyun whispers softly, barely even able to hear himself; Jongdae’s eyebrows furrow as he strains to catch the words.

 

“What?”

 

“I said, I love you, Jongdae,” Baekhyun repeats, louder this time, heart thrumming in his chest, pulse thudding in his ears. “I love you.”

 

Jongdae looks taken aback for all of about five seconds before he grins like the sun rising on a summer’s day. He drops Baekhyun’s hand and stumbles forward on the slippery brick to grasp his face in both hands, and Baekhyun doesn’t know who leans forward first, or maybe it’s both of them, because their lips are pressed together. He melts into the embrace - it’s definitely not their first kiss, but it’s meaningful because he just blatantly admitted his feelings, worn his heart on his sleeve, let himself fall and Jongdae, Jongdae is there to catch him. It’s nothing too deep, just a chaste kiss in the snow three days before Christmas, but it’s extraordinarily soft and warm. When they pull apart, it’s only far enough to rest their foreheads together, the tip of Jongdae’s red nose touching Baekhyun’s.

 

“I love you too, Byun Baekhyun.”

---

Okay so let me explain a few things. I am not a student, so I have no idea what it's like to stay in student accomodation, but I'm pretty sure they don't have their own ovens but oh well. I don't know what's on the syllabus for music majors or english majors, so I fudged it. I've also got no idea whether uni/campus libraries function like this, but again, I fudged it. Sorry!

But there is something really satisfying about Baekhyun and Jongdae getting together with no pomp and circumstance, just somehow weaving from a tentative friendship into something more casually and easily. And it makes sense to me that even though Baek was so nervous in the beginning, and despite Jongdae being the one to sort of just tip them into dating, Baekhyun would be the person who says 'I love you' first, who just turns around and organises a date for them without asking first. They're so freaking cute.

Until next time!

-Lau