The first time Baekhyun visited Jongdae in his new hometown, on the other side of the desert, he saw a glimpse of the coyote. And it shouldn’t be there, he knew as much. Over the past years, sightings have been reported of a smaller wolf than the others who are supposed to live in the area. The moment Baekhyun saw it, though, it was obvious that it wasn’t a wolf.

And, well, of course Baekhyun has spent a large amount of time researching everything regarding coyotes and wolves ever since then. People keep telling him he has an unhealthy interest in dangerous things, but it’s impossible for him to ignore it. Because he didn’t spot it just once. Every single time he drove through the desert, be it on the way to Jongdae or back, he spotted the animal. It would run alongside his car, though a bit further from the road, for just a short amount of time.

With all the knowledge he has acquired, Baekhyun also knows that the wolves don’t share the same territory as the coyote. Wolves aren’t quite as tolerable as the other species and Baekhyun knows for a fact that he hasn’t seen one of those. It’s always that one coyote, with the large ears and lanky paws, that he sees in the distance.

Without Baekhyun’s knowledge or consent, he has developed a soft spot for the animal, often thinking he should just get out of the car and meet it properly. But he’s not as stupid as to actually do that – wild animals are still wild animals and he shouldn’t trust them just like that. Even if it’s suspicious that the coyote seems to pay attention to him; coyotes not only are very withdrawn from humans, but they’re also mostly active during twilight. Which isn’t ever the time when Baekhyun drives through the desert.

Well, except for today. Because Baekhyun was going to stay over at Jongdae’s, they’d just wrapped up their day and were going to finish it off with a movie night. Baekhyun chuckles at the thought, shaking his head while looking in the rearview mirror and seeing he’s literally all alone. Of course Minseok called – it’s by far not the first time Jongdae’s boyfriend did that while Baekhyun was there. It was, however, the first time Minseok called to come over because something happened. Baekhyun didn’t get informed of the details, he only got kindly shoved out of Jongdae’s cozy apartment.

Well, Baekhyun thinks, he would probably have done the same thing. If only he ever could get himself someone to love. But Baekhyun is too busy with studying things – animals, mostly – and figuring out what that weird facility in the outskirts of his city is doing. Because it’s suspicious and Baekhyun doesn’t trust any of it.

He never makes time to meet new people because of it and the people he already knows… he has zero interest in them. Because everyone keeps telling him to stop what he’s doing, everyone keeps trying to make him stop doing what he loves. And all Baekhyun looks for in someone to love, is someone who supports his lifestyle. That’s not too much to ask, is it?

Holy what was that though. As quickly as he can, Baekhyun hits the breaks and stops driving altogether, turns his engine off and just waits a few moments with his heart beating up his throat. He has never experienced something like this before, but he knows it can’t be good to continue driving. He laughs – nervously – at his stupid reaction and even though he’s in the middle of the road, he gets out of his car.

But when he’s outside, thoughts creep up on him. The sun is setting already and that coyote might not like Baekhyun being in his territory. That coyote might not have been following him out of friendliness, maybe it was hostility all along. Maybe it just tried to drive Baekhyun away – and he just kept coming back. But Baekhyun knows he’s not the only regular passerby here in the desert, how could he be?

But a fact stays a fact; it is much safer inside the car than outside. But Baekhyun has to check what that sound was, what made his car move weirdly. So, he takes his phone from the pocket of his jeans and taps on the flashlight. Instantly, a flat tire comes into view. Just his luck. Of course he has a spare tire, but how in the world should he change it? He heaves a big sigh and then retreats back inside his car. He needs to figure out how this all works, first.

As Baekhyun’s skimming through various how-to pages on the internet, he spots movement from the corner of his eyes. Instantly, the thumb that was scrolling down the article, stills and Baekhyun holds his breath. It’s getting darker by the minute and Baekhyun isn’t quite sure if he actually saw something, but it’s gripping his heart all the same. He told himself before that he wouldn’t be scared of this animal; in his mind, he’d already formed a bond with it but…

Baekhyun swallows when he rips his gaze from outside his car’s window and focuses on learning how to replace his tire – only to conclude that he doesn’t have the correct tools. How is he even going to lift his car up? In his stupidity, Baekhyun laughs at himself, then thinks of who he should be calling to come rescue him.

Jongdae, the one at the top of his list, is out of the question. He’s already dealing with boyfriend problems. Then there’s Joonmyun, but he doesn’t have a car, so that wouldn’t make anything any easier. Yifan? But he hasn’t spoken to him in ages… He could also just call–

Baekhyun’s thoughts are cut short when he sees headlights approaching him. Not from the road, but from deeper into the desert. It’s not like… there’s anyone who lives here, right? What would someone be doing in the desert? Baekhyun’s heart is pounding in his chest because he has no idea what to expect. Frantically, he locks all his doors; he is not going to get .

It’s a larger car than Baekhyun’s, it looks like a pick-up truck. Baekhyun only sees it when it’s parked right next to him, when the headlights aren’t glaring at him anymore. He has half a mind to cower, hide. But the person driving the car would already know he’s there, because why in the world would there be a car randomly parked in the middle of a road in the desert if there is no driver?

Only a few seconds pass before Baekhyun’s breath is knocked right out of his lungs.

Holy it’s a tall, buff guy. He wears a tank top, showing off pretty incredible muscle mass underneath that Baekhyun can impossibly ignore with the way the headlights highlight them. Bare arms show how much this guy works out, how easily he could overpower Baekhyun. Not that Baekhyun is weak, not that Baekhyun doesn’t know how to defend himself – but the sheer mass of this man would be enough.

Baekhyun looks away, stares at his dashboard although he sees nothing because he has his own lights turned off. His heart beats out of his chest, he has no idea what this man is here for, why he came up to Baekhyun’s car, if he’s safe. And then there’s a few tiny knocks on his window and dreadfully, Baekhyun turns his head.

To meet eyes with… how would he even describe this face? He looks incredibly handsome, but at the same time, there’s a wide, goofy grin playing on his lips that makes him impossible to fear. From underneath a snapback, two large ears peak out and Baekhyun sees he has black hair. He swallows when he rolls down the window, manually, because his engine is still turned off and he’s glad his car is old enough.

“Hey, I saw you have a flat tire and since I live just down the… sand, I thought I’d come out and help you? Would you like my help? Or would you rather I leave you alone?” Baekhyun could have had so many thoughts running through his mind right now, but he’s blank. How deep is this man’s voice? It doesn’t match that goofy grin at all – yet somehow, it does and Baekhyun needs to pull himself out of his irrational trance.

“If you could help, I’d much appreciate it,” he says, his voice a little softer than usual, but otherwise he sounds normal. Thank the lord. The man’s entire face lights up at his words and Baekhyun feels a little bashful because that’s not what he expected at all. Then, though, as if lightning struck him, the man stills and his face falls.

“I could have packed all my tools, but they’re back at the house I’m so sorry, I’m so forgetful sometimes. Normally I think about this kind of thing, but precisely tonight, I leave them at the house! I mean I understand if you wouldn’t want to follow me there, I mean I’m a stranger and what would you even expect of me, I mean you know–” Silence. A minute of thick and heavy silence. “I talk too much, don’t I,” the man says, looking dejected and Baekhyun panics a little. This guy seems to be more of an insecure mess than Baekhyun is, even though he was struck by his buffed up appearance just now.

“No it’s… okay,” Baekhyun says, smiling at the way the stranger snaps his eyes back up to him instead of peering at Baekhyun’s car door. “I mean… promise you won’t do anything to me?” With a grin, he adds, “I know hapkido, so I could kick your .” He wouldn’t – he just concluded that the built of this man alone would do the trick if they were to ever have a confrontation. The horror in the stranger’s eyes says enough though – and Baekhyun doesn’t have much of a different choice either way.

“I… I wouldn’t want my kicked, to be quite honest with you. I mean I wouldn’t want to harm you anyway – I just want to help fix your car, do you know how to fix – oh my goodness here I go pushing myself on you while I don’t know if you even know how to do this! Maybe you don’t even need–” Baekhyun can’t help but laugh.

“I just said I’d like your help, right?”

It’s literally ten minutes away. Behind a few large dunes, there’s a small oasis and there is even a cute little house. Next to the small house stands an even smaller shed, looking much like a garage with tools hanging from the walls, splayed out over the floor and overall, it looks like a mess. But a good kind of mess, Baekhyun decides. He gets out of his car and helps the stranger unfasten the rope that he used to pull him through the sand with. They share a few words and some laughter, until the man realizes something again and freezes up.

“My name is Chanyeol, I hadn’t told you yet,” he says, making a formal bow in the light that comes gently streaming from the house’s little windows. Baekhyun feels a little bashful at the gesture, but decides it’s a good thing, rather than a bad thing.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he says, before giving his own name and he sees Chanyeol mouthing Baekhyun several times before he nods. He’s… special, Baekhyun concludes, but in such a way that he feels like he shouldn’t run away.

They fix the car together while Chanyeol tells Baekhyun a story about some mice that have been hanging around his house for a while now. It’s silly and Baekhyun can’t help but laugh at not just the story, but the fact the guy made up a story about mice.

“And, you know, they’re not just running around being cute all day, they feast off my fallen apples,” Chanyeol continues with a pout when he wipes his hand on his tank top, leaving a greasy mark that makes Baekhyun smile for no reason. “I’m sure you understand it’d be much easier to just pick up all the apples from the ground when they’ve naturally fallen, but the mice kind of ruin that.” Baekhyun nods, he can surely imagine. Sitting on the hood of his car, he watches as Chanyeol looks in the direction of those apple trees, though Baekhyun can’t see them very well at this distance. “But it’s okay. I’m happy they’re here, enjoying my company. Well they don’t always, but… you know,” he ends in a soft voice, glancing a little nervously at Baekhyun as if he said something wrong. And Baekhyun is curious, there are so many quirks that make this man interesting, but he wouldn’t ask on their first meeting. Unconsciously assuming there will be a second meeting.

“Do you… live here on your own?” Baekhyun asks eventually, a little hesitant because he doesn’t want to ask anything that might be sensitive. Nevertheless, with how talkative Chanyeol has been with him, Baekhyun has a feeling he’s lonely and wants someone around. Even if just for one night.

The first response Baekhyun gets, is a nervous glance. Then follows a hesitant smile that drops the second after that. Chanyeol fiddles with his fingers for a bit and then shrugs. Baekhyun doesn’t really know why his heart breaks at the subtle signs of discomfort that he knows Chanyeol tried to hide.

“Yeah. Even if I’d be normal–” he stops himself short, leaving Baekhyun frowning, “you know what, maybe you should be on your way again. And it’s best if you don’t come back. I mean it’s not that I don’t like you, but really.”

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Here's the first chapter! ^o^ I hope you liked it c: Thank you for subscribing! <3