Overall, the two boys' ride to Baekhyun's dormitory was fairly quiet.

They occasionally made comments about the rain, which was getting stronger and stronger as time passed by. A part from that, they both stayed silent. After all, neither of the boys forgot what happened inside the club, a slightly awkward aura surrounding them.

Their ride lasted more or less half an hour. It might have took less if it wasn’t for the wet streets, because of which Chanyeol decided to drive slower than usual. It was almost one o’clock when the taller parked his car in front of the dormitory’s door.

“Here we are!” Chanyeol exclaimed, facing the younger.

“I don’t know how to thank you Chanyeol...” Baekhyun sincerely said, his eyes brightening at the view of the familiar entrance. After that terrible night he was finally home.

“There’s no need to!” Chanyeol smiled.

He actually really didn’t mind helping that petite boy. Since the moment Baekhyun asked for his help inside the disco (memory which never failed to make Chanyeol’s cheeks turn a rosier shade every time it popped in his mind) he felt the urge to protect him. No reason in particular, just plain and pure instinct. If the taller had to tell the truth, the idea of saying goodbye to that boy wasn’t alluring. The probabilities of never seeing his face again, once Baekhyun stepped out of his car, were fairly high.

As he realized that, Chanyeol decided that he had to do something in order to prevent the eventuality from happening.

“Actually… There’s something I’d like to ask you!” Chanyeol dared to say, unsure if the other was going to accept his request.

“Y – yes?” Baekhyun asked cautiously, unable to read the older boy’s intentions.

“Would you give me your number?” Chanyeol asked, making sure not to sound strange in any way.

Baekhyun held his breath for a moment. He scanned Chanyeol for what seemed like an eternity.

“Please don’t be creeped put. Please don’t be creeped out. Please don’t be creeped out.” Chanyeol kept thinking as he waited for the other’s answer.

“Uhm, actually, I thought it would be nice to keep in touch..” Chanyeol said a bit embarrassed, trying to reassure the other about his intentions. “It’s okay if you don’t…”

“I want!” Baekhyun finally exclaimed, his voice a pitch higher than usual. “I really do…” he continued, making sure to lower his voice as redness started to spread all over his face.

“Really? I’m so glad you do!” Chanyeol eyes turned into crescents as he took his phone out of his pocket, opening the contacts and giving it to the younger.

Baekhyun quickly wrote his number and saved it under “Byun Baekhyun”.

“T – thank you!” Chanyeol stuttered a little as the blonde gave his cellphone back.

The two looked at each other for a few seconds, smiling for no apparent reasons. Realizing it, Baekhyun felt his face heating up (for the second time in less than a minute).

“Uh – oh, I think it’s time for me to go!” Baekhyun mumbled as he clumsily tried to unlock his seatbelt. He pressed the red button a few times, without getting any results.

“I’ll wait until you get inside” Chanyeol said as he unlocked Baekhyun’s seatbelt, succeeding at the first try.

“T – thanks!” Baekhyun said as he opened the car’s door. “Not only for this… Thanks for everything you did for me tonight…” he continued, giving the other a sincere smile.

“It was a pleasure!” Chanyeol smiled back.

As the younger put his right leg out of the car, a bright flash lightened the night sky, quickly followed by a loud thunder that kept reverberating for a few seconds. That’s when Chanyeol realized that the downpour got worse. The rain tapped loudly against the glass of the car, making it almost impossible to see anything further than half a meter.

Chanyeol hates thunderstorms. And if there was something that he hated even more, well, that was driving in a thunderstorm.

“Baekhyun, wait!” Chanyeol suddenly exclaimed as he took the younger’s hand in his. On the other side Baekhyun, who was almost out of the car, fell back on the passenger seat with a light thump.

“Y – yes?” the petite boy asked while shifting his gaze from Chanyeol’s face and their hands, visibly taken aback.

“I know it might sound silly but…” Chanyeol started explaining, embarrassed by his un-mainly behavior. “Actually…”

“Actually?” Baekhyun repeated, slightly tilting his head to the side.

“I’m scared of driving back with this weather.” The brown-haired boy admitted, facepalming himself.

“Oh!” Baekhyun gulped has he himself just realized how bad the situation outside the car had gotten. “Of course you are! You can’t drive like this, it’s dangerous!” he continued, slightly squeezing the other’s hand.

“I know this is a stupid request but… couldn’t you wait here for a while? Just until the rain gets weaker…” Chanyeol asked embarrassed.

“Sure!” Baekhyun immediately replied without hesitation. Chanyeol had been so kind with him, who was just a stranger, that he couldn’t possibly leave him alone. After all, the older had gotten into that situation only in order to help him.

“Thank you, really!” Chanyeol said, visibly relieved.

After Baekhyun closed the car’s door, the two boys patiently waited for the rain to stop, or at least to get a little better. Which didn't happen. 

Ten minutes passed.

Ten which turned into fifteen.

Which turned into twenty.

The rain kept vigorously falling, without any signs of stopping anytime soon.

“Chanyeol?”

“Yes?”

“Wanna come to my house?”

“Did I really just ask him to come to my house?! Did it sound wrong? Should I have chosen other words?” Baekhyun thought after the question slipped past his lips.

Chanyeol’s eyes got bigger for a moment, unsure if he rightly heard the younger’s words.

“Would that be ok? Like, is it allowed?” Chanyeol prudently asked. “Oh, and what about your roommates? I wouldn’t want to bother!”

“You don’t! Really, it’s okay! My friends won’t mind!” Baekhyun replied sternly, “You’d be my guest anyway” he continued, maybe putting a little too much emphasis in the word “my”. “I think it’s better to wait inside since it doesn’t look like the rain’ll stop soon!”

“Why am I insisting so much?” Baekhyun started to wonder as he kept holding Chanyeol’s hand in his. Was it just because he wanted to pay back the favors he owned the other, or there were other meanings behind?

Chanyeol looked hesitant. He really didn’t want to look bad in the other’s eyes, going to his house maybe being a little overboard. Chanyeol was still considering the offer as another loud thunder broke the silence.

“I – I guess I’ll accept your offer after all!” Chanyeol quickly replied as he turned off the engine.

Baekhyun finally breathed in relief, happy from the older boy’s choice.

“Great! Let’s go!” the blonde smiled as he quickly hopped down the car and started running towards the dormitory’s entrance, trying not to get too wet while covering himself with his leather jacket. Chanyeol followed him, not forgetting to lock the car. Baekhyun ruffled in his pockets for