It’s mid-afternoon when Sehun finally rolls out of bed. He feels like and Baekhyun is gone. He expects the worst as he exits his room into the hallway, fears that Baekhyun will be sitting with Jongin, telling him about his best friend’s secret crush on him. But, it’s only Jongin in the dorm, sitting on the couch reading a book with the TV on quietly in the background.

“Hey,” he says when he sits.

Jongin looks up at him over the top of his book. “Hey, have a good night?”

“Yeah,” Sehun nods, “Baekhyun is a lot of fun.” Jongin wiggles his eyebrows. “Not like that,” Sehun sighs. “We didn’t…I don’t…We’re just friends,” he settles on.

“You can friends,” Jongin shrugs, turning his attention back to his book. “He looks like he’d be your type.”

It’s not meant to, but it hurts Sehun’s feelings. He wants to shake Jongin, wants to tell him that he is his type. But, he doesn’t. “We’re just friends,” he says again.

“Alright,” Jongin says, but it sounds like he doesn’t fully believe Sehun. “Baekhyun was really drunk last night, you know how I know?” Sehun stares at Jongin, slightly scared to hear the next part of his sentence. “I’ve met him before, and he introduced himself to me like we didn’t know each other.”

“How do you know him?”

Jongin sets his book down on the table, keeping it open so he doesn’t lose his place. “He’s friends with Chanyeol. I think…” he rearranges now, scooting forward on the couch, “I’m almost positive Baekhyun is the friend Chanyeol was telling us about. You know, the one he has feelings for.”

“Small ing world,” Sehun says.

“Small campus,” Jongin smiles. “Anyway, don’t let Chanyeol know you two were getting cozy last night, it would probably kill him.” Sehun nods, but doesn’t carry the conversation any further.

“Hey!” Baekhyun greets Sehun with a big smile as he sits. “What classes are you taking next semester?” He doesn’t wait for Sehun to start listing classes before speaking again. “Do you have all your gen eds done? I have two left and I’m dreading taking them.”

He hasn’t even registered for classes yet. He knows he should have, weeks ago, when all the good sections were still open. The semester ended for him just today, having taken his last final exam just hours ago. He doesn’t want to think about classes right now, but here’s Baekhyun, talking about next semester already.

“How much coffee have you had today?” Sehun shakes his head; Baekhyun is more hyper than usual. “And no, I have one class left that I’ve been putting off because I really don’t want to take it.”

“Mmm,” Baekhyun hums as he sips from Sehun’s coffee he’d swiped off the table. “What class?”

“Sociology.”

Baekhyun slams his hand on the table and yelps excitedly, earning them a few concerned looks from others in the café. “Me too! Let’s take it together!”

“That’s probably a really bad idea.”

Baekhyun pouts, “Why? It’ll be so fun with you.”

“That’s why,” Sehun laughs, “I’ll never get any work done with you around.”

Baekhyun scoffs, “Please, I have a 4.0 . I’m a good boy and do all my work,” he flutters his eyelashes. “I didn’t get a full ride scholarship for notgetting straight A’s in high school.”

Sehun doesn’t know how to respond; he would have never guessed Baekhyun was a good student. “Fine,” he sighs, “Fine. Let me know which one you registered for and I’ll do the same.”

“You haven’t registered for any classes yet, have you?” Baekhyun rolls his eyes at the look Sehun gives him. “You go to those stupid frat parties too much, you should focus on your studies instead.”

“Yes, mother,” Sehun deadpans. “And don’t call frat parties stupid when you’ve never been to one.”

Baekhyun scoffs, “I’ve been to parties.”

“Not a frat party though, they’re way better. You should come with me some time, they’re fun.”

“Are you inviting me?”

Sehun shrugs, “Sure. There’s one tonight, actually. Me and Jongin are going, you can come with us.”

“Only if you promise I won’t be third-wheeling. I don’t wanna be ditched in a frat house.”

Sehun just shakes his head in disbelief. “Don’t you have an exam to go to?”

Baekhyun checks the time on his phone and jumps up, taking Sehun’s coffee with him. “See you tonight,” he calls over his shoulder. “Thanks for the coffee!”

When Baekhyun gets to the dorm Sehun does a doubletake, stopping mid-step in the living room to stare. “Wow.”

“I know right?” Baekhyun says, blowing Sehun a kiss.

“I’ve never seen you wear makeup before.”

He’s in tight, dark washed jeans, ripped up the legs. His shirt is a loose button down, dark red and only half buttoned, exposing his collarbones, and the front is tucked into his pants. His hair is styled messily and the makeup around his eyes has him looking fierce.

“You look good. I feel underdressed.” They both laugh.

“Damn dude,” Jongin says when he enters the room, “You clean up nice.”

“Thank you.”

“The sorority girls are gonna be all over you. They’re weak for dudes in eyeliner.”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says, “aren’t they all.”

“This is crazy!” Baekhyun is in awe; he’s never seen anything like this. Frats really know how to throw a party. “This is like a party in a movie,” he shouts over the music, tugging on Sehun’s sleeve. He watches someone throw a lamp across the room and gasps. “We’re all gonna get arrested.”

Sehun laughs and pats Baekhyun’s back. “When the cops come, we run out the back door through the bushes at the back of the yard.”

“We’ve never been caught,” Jongin adds, giving Sehun a proud look.

“That’s not very reassuring,” Baekhyun says, taking the red cup Jongin is holding out for him. “Keep me safe,” he whispers into Sehun’s ear as a large, muscled frat guy with a backwards hat on jumps onto a table and breaks it.

“You’ll be fine.”

Baekhyun is so not fine. He has no idea what’s in the punch he’s been drinking all night, but he’s absolutely wasted, tripping over himself and stumbling around the house, keeping a death grip on Sehun’s wrist so he doesn’t get lost, or fall. He can’t focus enough to remain in any conversations for too long, and he has to have Sehun help him with his pants when he goes to take a piss. It’s awkward and he feels bad, but he really didn’t think he’d be able to do it on his own. Sehun tells him it’s fine, that he’s done worse things for Jongin when he’s had too much to drink.

“Like what?” Baekhyun asks, head bobbing, trying to focus on the two Sehun’s standing in front of him.

Sehun smiles, a distant, fond kind of smile. “I’ve cleaned puke off of him. Carried him home…like literally carried him in my arms.” Baekhyun leans onto the bathroom counter, just smiling as Sehun talks. “One time I made him food because he was really hungry and too drunk to cook and then he passed out before it was even done cooking.”

“You…tha’s sweet.” Baekhyun attempts to hop up onto the counter but misses; Sehun catches him and helps him up onto it. “I’m so drunk,” Baekhyun pouts now. “I don’ think I’ve ev’r been suh drunk.”

Sehun laughs, “I don’t think anyone has ever been as drunk as you are right now. You weren’t kidding earlier when you said you were a good boy.”

“M’not always a good boy,” Baekhyun says, hiccupping afterward. He’s giving Sehun a look, a very drunk but also maybe, sort of suggestive kind of look.

“That’s true,” Sehun nods, “You did try to feel me up the day we met.” He helps Baekhyun when he tries to hop down from the sink, and steadies him. Baekhyun begins leaning forward, inching closer to Sehun. “We should find Jongin and get you home.”

Baekhyun stops leaning in and looks up, “Or, you could jus’take me.”

“Jongin has the key,” Sehun says, reaching to unlock the door.

“Oh, okay yeah.”

“Chanyeol!” Baekhyun shouts when they finally find Jongin. He’s around the beer pong table playing partners with Chanyeol. “When d’you get here?” He throws himself at Chanyeol and gives him a hug.

“Wow, you’re drunk.” He laughs and moves Baekhyun so he can take his shot, he misses. “Jongin invited me, I got here like ten minutes ago.”

“Oooooh, I wa’sin the bathroom with Sehun.”

Chanyeol turns away from the game, missing Jongin making his shot. “What?”

Sehun notices the change in Chanyeol, the way he gets suddenly serious. It is Baekhyun, he thinks to himself. Jongin slaps Chanyeol’s shoulder, tells him it’s his turn to shoot. He does so quickly, misses again, then turns back to Baekhyun. The look on his face makes Sehun want to disappear.

“What were you two doing in the bathroom?” He tries to make the question sound light, tries to smile like he’s only curious, like the state of his heart doesn’t rely on the answer to his question.

“He had to help me pee ‘cause ‘m too drunk.” He smiles this giant smile that takes up half his face and breaks into a fit of giggles, leaning on Sehun to keep himself upright.

Sehun really doesn’t want to be in this situation. He’s so uncomfortable it feels like his skin is crawling.

“Y-yeah,” Sehun stutters, “he just needed help with his button.” He laughs, awkward and strained, “Like a little kid.”

Sehun likes Chanyeol, he doesn’t want to come between him and the guy he’s crushing so hard on. He didn’t like Chanyeol at first because of his and Jongin’s friendship, and he doesn’t want Chanyeol to dislike him now for the exact same reason. So, he pulls away from Baekhyun and moves to stand beside Jongin, strikes up a conversation with him about absolutely nothing, just to put some space between himself and Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

“Dude,” Sehun whispers into Jongin’s ear, “I think Chanyeol thinks there’s something between me and Baekhyun.”

“Well yeah, no ,” Jongin says, “have you seen what you two look like together?”

Sehun makes a stupid face, mouth hanging open, eyes unfocused. “No?”

“You guys are always all over each other. I know you guys aren’t ing and I still question it sometimes.” Jongin looks over at Baekhyun for a second. “Like, you literally stopped what you were doing earlier when he walked into our dorm to tell him he looked good.” He laughs, “Just friends my .”

“Man, you,” Sehun says seriously, no hint of a joke in his voice. He’s shocked with his own tone and quickly apologizes. “We really are just friends. I-I don’t like him like that.”

“Well, maybe you don’t, but…” Jongin looks over to Baekhyun again, who looks over and smiles bright at Sehun, gives him a cute little wave of his fingers. Jongin doesn’t finish his thought, but the look he gives Sehun says everything.