Baekhyun couldn’t stop thinking of the way Hayoung lips tasted, after their first attempt to kiss in his little couch, they shared more kisses until they have to stop themselves before it went further. Baekhyun sent her home before the clock hits eleven pm, walking her to her apartment and giving her one final kiss before they part ways.

He never felt like this with his previous girlfriends, never felt like his heart is bursting into too many colors. With his past relationship, Baekhyun barely even thought about the way they kiss him, yet with Hayoung, he couldn’t get his thoughts away from her pair of lips. He craved for more, he craved the way her lips molds perfectly with his, and the burst of colors feeling he had when they kiss.

The thought of their pretend relationship ending and him not being able to kiss her and admire her flushed face after scared him. He doesn’t want to let his ego get the best of him and think that she feels the same way, but with a memory of how their kiss felt like, Baekhyun doesn’t care - as long as he is still able to kiss her, his fear can be damned.

**

Baekhyun arrived late to the restaurant he supposedly meet his friends with, yet, at the sight of Hayoung saving a seat next to him, he smiled. Plopping himself down next to her, he dropped his head to rest it on her shoulder. Earning a gasp from who he assumed is Chanyeol. Another gasp from his other friend could be heard when Hayoung placed her palm on his cheek, patting it gently.

“I thought people were just gossiping and spreading false rumors about the both of you!” Chanyeol said in an accusatory tone, making Hayoung laughs.

“What about us?” Hayoung asked.

“I went to the art department the other day and I heard people talking about you and Baekhyun dating. But I shrugged it off because I didn’t know the two of you are close?”

Baekhyun fixed his seating position, looking at Hayoung with a knowing look. Earlier, both of them agreed to let their friends know they were dating and not fake dating. It was not because they didn’t trust their friends, it was because they feel like it’s better to not tell anyone but themselves. If their friends know they’re dating, it could convince her stalker to go stop bothering her.

“Many things happened without you knowing, Yeol.” Baekhyun chuckles, pressing a kiss on Hayoung’s jawline that managed to make their friends groan.

“But you didn’t tell me…” Chanyeol said, sounded absolutely like a defeated puppy. Hayoung chuckles at that, shrugging Baekhyun off her shoulders.

“We’re sorry, Yeol. We just want to make sure we’re serious.” She said, Baekhyun admired her acting skills, knowing that their relationship is a pretended one. He saw Chanyeol’s waving his hand in dismissal before questioning them.

“How long has it been anyway?” One of his friends asked, and Baekhyun wondered, when was she asked Baekhyun to be her pretend boyfriend only to gasp internally when he realized it had been close to two weeks. Time sure went by too fast, their kiss inside Baekhyun’s apartment was a week ago. No wonder he had been craving for the way her lips tasted.

“Two weeks? I think,” he said as he reach Hayoung’s spoon to eat her food, “we don’t really keep in check.” He saw Hayoung nod, not saying anything about his nonchalant behavior of taking her food.

**

The dinner went on smoothly. Hayoung definitely having a lot of fun spending her evening with her close friends that she hadn’t seen each other for almost a month. They do have a close and tight friendship, but everyone was busy with their own assignments, only having time to hangout once in a blue moon. What made the dinner more enjoyable was the closeness she shared with Baekhyun; usually they always sit far from each other. Having Baekhyun close to her as he smoothly lied to their friends when they asked questions about them somehow brought out a sense of comfort to her.

“Did you bring your car, baby?” She heard Baekhyun asked, making her turn to look at him and shook her head. Baekhyun smiles and bobbed his head, giving her a knowing look that he will bring her home later. He gave her hand a squeeze before he turned to join the others’ conversation again, leaving her to admire his side profile. His jawline was sharp, yet there is a softness in it, making her wanting to draw him. She shifted her eyes to take a closer look on his nose when suddenly, she noticed a male figure sitting a few tables away from their table.

The figure smiled at her, and Hayoung able to feel her heart dropping to the floor. She recognized him, it was Jinyoung; the person who always pester her about his feelings and wanting her to date him. After the encounter a week ago together with Baekhyun, she thought he would stop pestering her as she didn’t see Jinyoung anywhere. It couldn’t be a coincidence that he was here, if it was, he wouldn’t look at her so intensely and gave her a smile.

Hayoung looks away, her body shaking in fear. Baekhyun noticed it because she took her hand away from his hold, “Baby,” he turned to look at her, worried filling his eyes, “are you okay?”, Hayoung nodded her head right away, not wanting their friends to notice that something is happening. She doesn’t say much, feeling Baekhyun placing his hand on top of hers - if it was any other day, she would swoon at how big his hands are in comparison of hers, but for now, she just wanted to go home.

She heard Baekhyun sigh, his hand reaching to his car keys on the table. Announcing that he will be taking Hayoung home first, giving their friends a blatant lie that she needed to finish her assignment. There are groans and whistles from their friends that Hayoung only shrug off. She could feel Baekhyun’s hand clasped around hers, leading her to his car that was parked near the restaurant. Hayoung could feel Jinyoung’s eyes trailing her figure as she exits the restaurant, and it crept her up even more - her only source of comfort being Baekhyun’s warm hand holding hers.

“What is it?” Baekhyun asked once they settle inside his car, turning the engine on. He doesn’t start driving yet, making sure that Hayoung is comfortable enough.

“I.. he’s here,” Hayoung seemed hesitant, sighing. She unconsciously reaches for Baekhyun’s hand to hold it―seeking for comfort, “I saw Jinyoung seating on a few tables next to ours.”

Hayoung could see Baekhyun’s jaw clenching and the grip of his hand on hers tightened, making her flinch a little.

“Maybe,” he starts, voice low, “maybe it’s a coincidence that he’s there, right?”

Hayoung could feel the hesitation in his tone of voice, Baekhyun himself was sure that it was nowhere near coincidence.

“Let’s drive you home first, okay?” Baekhyun smiled at her, caressing her palm with his thumb to let her know she’s safe with him.

**

Baekhyun ended up walking her to her apartment unit, still holding her hand and the only time he wasn't was when they get out of the car earlier. He squeezed her hand in reassurance.

“Do you want to accompany me tomorrow, babe?” He asked, swinging their hands gently.

“To?” Hayoung is already smiling, as if she had forgotten about her encounter with Jinyoung; being with Baekhyun has that kind of effect on her. He made her forget about her worries even though it was temporary.

“There’s an art exhibit by one of my lecturers, I have two invitations, might as well bring you?”

Hayoung’s eyes widened in happiness at that, grinning widely as she nodded her head.

“Yes! Definitely!”

Baekhyun mirrored her grin and ruffled her hair, leaning closer to her. He tilted his head and breathlessly asked her, can I kiss you, in which she tilted her head up, giving him an easier access.

When their lips touched, both of them could feel the same burst of colors that they felt a week ago; the familiarity of each other’s taste filling them in ways their past couldn't ever compete.

**

Hayoung was standing in front of her full-body mirror, admiring her dress and how her long dark hair curled into a wavy style. She decided to wear one of her sundresses, with little hearts in the color of pink decorating it. The makeup she applied is not too thick, choosing a faint glitter as her eyeshadow that made her eyes looked sparkly.

Five minutes later after she applied her pink lipstick, she received a phone call from Baekhyun, letting her know that he was already downstairs, waiting for her to meet him.

True to his words, he was already waiting for her, his phone in his hand as he sat down on the waiting area, looking extremely dashing with his black hair parted in the middle and his forehead shown. Without much thought, Hayoung walked towards him―her heart beating way too fast for her liking.

“You look beautiful,” was the first thing Baekhyun said when they are standing side by side, his hand reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, making her smile, “very beautiful.”

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