Jongdae was unusually nervous, even for himself. He was ready to go so he just walked around the house, trying to clean a bit, organize the kitchen utensils or just walking around and glancing at the clock. They should go out in an hour and had lots of time to kill but Jongdae was up till morning and simply wasn’t able to calm down before his first shoot. He had done several projects already, but he never yet had to submit the pictures. He and Baekhyun went through all the possible poses yesterday, trying to come up with the best way to showcase the clothes with three breaks for Jongdae’s mini mental breakdowns.

 

“Can we just go now? Let’s… Let’s go for a coffee or something.”

 

“Oh, babe, I’m sorry, I have an appointment with one of my professors and I should go now to make sure I won’t be late for the shoot you know?”

 

“I’ll go with you. No, I can’t, I have to wait. Damn! Or can I go?” Jongdae stilled and sat down on the floor where he stood. “ me, I’m gonna die. Baek, run, you’re gonna be late!”

 

“Jongdae, you’re gonna be fine, ok? You’ll do great.” He bent down and kissed his cheek.

 

“Ugh, get off me, you homoual,” Jongdae said with fake disgust. Baekhyun chuckled and kissed him again.

 

“I’ll be quick.” He left as soon as he said that, half-walking half-running. Jongdae just smiled sadly, getting up and going to his room to nervously try to draw anything to calm his nerves.

 

He was just lying on his bed when Baekhyun came back about forty minutes later, putting his backpack on the side and going straight to Jongdae’s room. He knocked on the door and waited patiently for an answer.

 

“Come in!” the boy whined. Baekhyun entered and saw him sprawled on the bed, face distressed. “Are you kidding me?!”

 

“Are you dead already?” Baekhyun asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“I wish I was. You dyed your hair!” Jongdae scrambled to get up and look at Baekhyun’s dark brown hair. “You’ll look amazing in the shoot! I can’t believe you did that for me!”

 

“You said it would look better, so of course I did.” He smiled softly and Jongdae hugged him tightly. “You should know I’d do anything for you, babe.”

 

“I totally appreciate that but since when you like calling me babe so much?” Jongdae raised a brow and jumped when his phone chimed on the desk. “You’re either gayer than ever or you really do need a , dude. Our ride is here!”

 

“Okay, Okay, just let’s go then, . Who’s driving us?”

 

“S-Surprise?” Jongdae bit his lip and quickly shoved a large bag in Baekhyun’s hand. “Do just one more thing for me today and don’t whine now, okay?”

 

“Hm, I guess? What is it?” He frowned, pointing at the bag.

 

“The dress. I have the rest here,” Jongdae lifted another bag. “You didn’t think we were gonna walk with this in October? It could be raining,” he shook his head and opened the door. A few minutes later they were outside and Park Chanyeol, dressed in a black denim jacket and a pair of black jeans was standing in Baekhyun’s view, leaning on his car and waving to Jongdae. His friend threw him an apologetic look and smiled to the man.

 

“Thank you so much for giving us a ride. I was so afraid it was gonna rain today…” He sighed and shook his hand. Chanyeol just shrugged, opening the trunk.

 

“No problem. Been there, done that, I know how stressful it is for you. And we gotta pick up Minseok anyway, so it’s not a problem,” he smiled reassuringly and took the bag from Jongdae. He stretched out his hands to Baekhyun, giving him a lopsided smile. “Hello, Mr. Byun.”

 

Baekhyun breathed in deeply, looking at him.

 

“Hello, sir.”

 

Chanyeol placed his bag in the boot and motioned for them to get in. Jongdae sat down on the front seat, leaving the backseat for Baekhyun and started chatting with Chanyeol who quickly started the car.

 

Baekhyun slowly looked around him, tuning them out and getting lost in his thoughts. He wished he wouldn’t think of this, but sitting there, feeling the leather of the backseat under his fingertips, it took him back to that night. He felt his heart beat faster and his cheeks getting redder, remembering Chanyeol’s hand on his mouth, Baekhyun’s thighs around his hips and the broad shoulders looking so delicious as they tensed with every . Baekhyun bit his lip, straightening up in his seat. He took a deep breath, suddenly feeling too hot.

 

Chanyeol and Jongdae still talked about design and the man told him about his first exam and how nervous he was to calm him down a bit. When Baekhyun dared to glance at him, he noticed that Chanyeol was watching him in the rearview mirror, his brows slightly furrowed. The man looked away when their eyes met but he soon caught his gaze again. Baekhyun looked away, stopping himself from running his fingers in his hair - he couldn’t possibly ruin it, Jongdae would freak out. The man parted his lips to say something, but he just frowned and let the blonde talk.

 

They made a quick break in front of a house in the neighborhood near the school to pick up Chanyeol’s friend, who introduced himself as Minseok and made Jongdae’s eyes widen. Baekhyun immediately knew that Jongdae got even more nervous in front of the handsome photographer. Baekhyun smiled to Minseok, thanking him for helping his best friend.

 

“I hope I’ll be a good model, but just in case, you can totally tell me if I’m not doing okay.”

 

“No problem, I have lots of friends from the fashion school and almost no of them was a professional model on these shoots. So, don’t worry about that.” Minseok smiled reassuringly. “It’s just three pieces, right?”

 

“Yeah?” He looked at Jongdae in the rear view, “You should ask Jongdae though, he’s the artist here,” he smiled, softly.

 

“Oh, no, no one ask me questions! I think I’m gonna puke or get a heart attack in a minute,” the boy let out a shaky breath and Minseok chuckled.

 

“It’s gonna be okay, really. If Chanyeol managed to pass, then you will too.” Baekhyun scoffed, looking down at his hands.

 

“Hey! I was good!”

 

“You were the worst. I mean, talented and all but come on, you shouldn't have passed half of the classes.”

 

“What? Why?” Jongdae raised his brows, forgetting his nerves for once. Minseok smiled happily.

 

“Absences. And talking back,” Chanyeol shrugged. “That’s irrelevant, though. Aaand… We’re here.” Baekhyun looked away from the guy, leaving the car quickly and joining Jongdae, trying to make him feel better.

 

“You’re gonna be fine, Jongdae, I’ll do my best just for you.”

 

“I know,” the boy smiled nervously, “You're the best, But the guy…” he lowered his voice a mere whisper, “oh, my god. Have you ing seen him? I’m...” Baekhyun chuckled, glancing at Minseok.

 

“He’s hot, you’ll have fun at dinner,” he winked.

 

“I’m gonna die at that dinner,” the blonde shook his head, following Chanyeol and Minseok to the special room for the students. It was all set with a plain white background. Minseok took a bag off his shoulder and started setting his camera right away, while Chanyeol smiled encouragingly to Jongdae and sat in the corner of the room, taking out his laptop. “Okay, here’s something that you can use as a changing room. How about we do the purple dress first?” Jongdae handed him one of his bags with the neatly folded garment.

“Okay, then, do I let you put it on me, or do you just want me to come to you once it’s done and you’ll do the rest?”

 

“Put it yourself, there’s not enough space. Oh my god, Chanyeol, I can’t wait until you see him!” Jongdae shouted excitedly. Chanyeol chuckled, giving him an amused look.

 

“Can’t wait to see your piece. What have you done?”

 

“I can’t tell you, you gotta see that!” Baekhyun rolled his eyes when he heard Chanyeol’s voice and took off his clothes, sliding on the dress carefully. It fit him perfectly and he knew he looked magical in it, but he was also painfully aware of the transparent front made of a dark purple chiffon and his bare collarbones left in full view. Jongdae jumped up to him, excited, holding an eyeshadow palette in one hand. “You’re beautiful and this fits my aesthetic so perfectly I wanna cry,” he let out, quickly helping Baekhyun zip the dress up and sitting him down on a small chair to quickly put his make-up on. They practiced that already, so knew exactly what he was doing. It took just a little dark eyeshadow to make Baekhyun’s face seem just a bit more mysterious and androgynous.

 

Jongdae stepped back and looked at his friend proudly.

 

“Satisfied?” Baekhyun asked, adding a smirk to fit the entire look.

 

“You’re stunning. Come here,” Jongdae stepped aside, making way for him. Chanyeol lifted his head from his laptop and when Baekhyun caught his gaze, he saw the man’s mouth drop in awe. He felt some sense of pride making its way through his veins. He stopped himself from smiling, looking straight ahead and following Jongdae’s instructions.

 

“Do you like it?” the blonde smiled from ear to ear, looking at the startled man. Minseok glanced at him too, a smirk under his nose.

 

“Yeah, I mean… The dress is amazing. I love the color. Kinda gives me Michael Costello FW 2017 vibes,” Chanyeol quickly let out in one breath. “Y-You know, just dark and… A bit twisted,” he managed and even gave him a wide smile, avoiding Baekhyun’s eyes.

 

“My best friend is definitely the best,” Baekhyun sing-sang happily. Jongdae looked at him amazed and Minseok blinked a few times.

 

“Wow, just wow. You look amazing and the dress really is stunning. Good job, Jongdae,” he said and the blonde blushed, turning his head away. “Okay, Baekhyun, come here. Do you have any idea what you want to do? How do you want to pose?”

 

“Well, we thought of a few poses, maybe I’d just do them, and you tell me if it’s okay?” Baekhyun smiled softly, avoiding looking at Chanyeol. He didn’t want to take the risk to be pissed off during his friend’s photoshoot. Jongdae deserved better.

 

“Yeah, sure. Show me what you got,” Minseok grinned, settling behind his camera.

 

-*:.-*-.:*-

 

Baekhyun did just that. If he was a bit awkward at first, Minseok really did wonders to make him feel comfortable, and Baekhyun was having fun, moving around and posing for the camera. Jongdae was squealing at times, encouraging him and sometimes posing behind Minseok, waiting for Baekhyun to do the same. Baekhyun tried to look cool, mysterious, he kept his smiles for himself and played with the fabric and the flowy pieces. He could feel eyes on him. Chanyeol’s eyes. He looked at him, avoiding it most of the time, their eyes meeting once or twice. Something was weird, Baekhyun did not know what, so he kept everything to himself, doing his best for Jongdae.

 

Chanyeol was sitting in the corner, working on his laptop and quietly talking on the phone for most of the time, making notes and busying himself as much as he could to avoid looking at Baekhyun. He let out a long breath when he came out in the other flower-printed dress with a cut in the front that went down to his waist and closed his eyes for a second. This was too much.

 

“Chanyeol, what do you think?” Jongdae asked a bit nervously and the man fought his urge to whimper, focusing his gaze on Baekhyun’s slim body framed by the silky fabric. He tilted his head, trying his best to keep his expression neutral and scrunched his nose up when he saw his friend smirking at him from behind the camera.

 

“It’s beautiful. Can you show me the sleeves?” Baekhyun turned a little, putting his thumb against his lips and looking at Minseok with his eyes asking if it was good enough. The photographer gave him an appreciative nod with a strangely mischievous smile and Baekhyun saw Chanyeol’s laptop almost falling on the floor from his lap. The man quickly scrambled for his phone, typing at the speed of light.

 

∆Office∆

 

yeollie: my gay can’t ing take this someone send help

 

yeollie: i’m on that shoot just sitting there but NO OF COURSE HE COULDN’T WEAR ANYTHING ELSE

 

Chanyeol sighed quietly, quickly snapping a picture and sending it to the chat.

 

yongsunnie: oh wow he looks so beautiful!

 

byullie: ooooh babe, how are you gonna handle that, hm? we know you want it

 

yeollie: girl BARELY

 

yeollie: I STILL HATE HIM THOUGH

 

yeollie: I’M TOO GAY FOR THIS i wish i could run away but they’re supposed to finish soon ugh

 

byullie: you hate that you can’t him coz he doesn’t want you ~

 

wheeinie: moonbyul!

 

wheeinie: maybe it’s time you accept the truth though hehe

 

yeollie: BYUL THIS IS SO WRONG IDEK WHERE TO START WTH

 

yeollie: YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO SUPPORT ME CROOKS

 

byullie: you like ‘em young huuuuh

 

yongsunnie: we’re here for you baby ❤️

 

yongsunnie: they do have a point though

 

yeollie: never said that and never will

 

yeollie: i’m speechless and never gonna trust you all ever again

 

yeollie : it hurts

 

byullie: not as much as gay tho’, right?

 

wheeinnie: not as much as seeing baekhyun look so stunning!

 

yeollie: byul i’m gonna kill you in your sleep with my bare hands

 

byullie: maybe baekhyun is waiting for you to choke him?

 

yeollie: I’M SERIOUS

 

byullie: me too

 

Chanyeol let out an annoyed huff, coming back to work. He couldn’t help but glance at Baekhyun a few more times. He went to change in the meantime, so now he stood before the camera in the black pants and the kimono piece, flowy fabric tickling the fair skin. The student looked at the camera, his chest exposed and his elegant fingers against his pink lips. Minseok snapped a few pictures and Baekhyun slightly let his head fall back, showing his milky neck and closing his eyes. Jongdae was surprised at how good Baekhyun was at this. He wasn’t just hot. His darker hair made everything look even better, beautifully contrasting with his fair skin, and Jongdae was more than happy to have his best friend model for him. Baekhyun’s tongue slipped between his lips and he then bit down on his lower lip, his eyes still closed and his Adam apple moving as he swallowed down. Chanyeol snapped a few other pictures for the girls and sent them to the chat, breathing deeply. He couldn’t help himself and finally put his laptop away resting his chin on his hand and just openly watched Baekhyun pose. He was just glad that the corner of the room wasn’t very well lit and none of the boys could see his flushed cheeks very well. Baekhyun finally ran his fingers through his hair as he heard the photoshoot was coming to an end, his lips parted and his eyes dark and mysterious.

 

∆Office∆

 

yeollie: i’m ing speechless have you seen the pics

 

yeollie: how can the little be so awful but look like this

 

byullie: you’re so stupid it hurts sometimes

 

byullie: lucky i love you

 

wheeinnie: he’s super nice!

 

yongsunnie: maybe he should be a model

 

byullie: yeah, we should let yeol create a few things for him

 

byullie: not that he’d preferred him or anything

 

byullie: screenshotting for blackmail material btw babe

 

yeollie: I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU DID THIS YOU’RE CANCELLED FOREVER

 

yeollie: you were supposed to save me and all you’re doing is making me more distressed

 

yeollie: worst coworkers 2019

 

byullie: just ask mom what she thinks

 

byullie: you’ll see we all agree

 

wheeinnie: you’re a bit whipped for the guy honestly…

 

yongsunnie: you’d look cute together

 

byullie: just already ffs

 

yeollie: i’m not i hate you all now

 

yongsunnie: we love youuuu~

 

Minseok took a few more pictures, asking Jongdae if there was anything he needed him to do, and after slightly blushing and never looking into Minseok’s eyes, Jongdae told him he did a great job and it was enough. He walked over to Baekhyun, gave him a big hug and thanked him, looking happy and satisfied, his nervousness finally gone.

 

“You were incredible!”

 

“You’d make a good model,” Minseok agreed. “I mean, for real, you’re so natural in front of the camera, you have good proportions… Think about it, Yeol and I could surely help you with that,” he smiled.

 

“Ah!” Baekhyun exclaimed, blushing a little. “You’re really nice, but that’s really not my thing. I only did it to help Jongdae. I’m glad you liked it, Dae. Your creations look stunning, I wish I was good enough for them,” he smiled softly, his cheeks still a bit red.

 

“You’re more than enough, I told you!”

 

“You could try though, why not, actually?” Minseok started packing his equipment, glancing at Chanyeol, who was talking on the phone again, naming prices and making notes. They exchanged a few gestures and both smiled slightly. “He’ll be ready in 3 minutes. Pack your stuff and let’s go, hm?”

 

“I’ll be right back,” Baekhyun told Jongdae and he walked away, changing his clothes and putting back on his old pair of jeans and a hoodie. A few minutes later, the four boys packed their stuff in the car and Jongdae and Minseok said their goodbyes, walking to a nearby restaurant they made a reservation at. Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun in silence, until he finally took a deep breath, opening the car door.

 

“Need a lift?”

 

“What?” Baekhyun turned to him, blinking a few times. He was still wearing his makeup and his hair was disheveled after running his fingers through it so many times. Baekhyun realized he actually had no way of going back home, except for the bus, but he would have to wait for at least fifteen minutes for it to arrive — it suddenly sounded like a good idea. Chanyeol snorted when Baekhyun got in the car without a word and started the vehicle. After a few minutes of Chanyeol driving in silence and Baekhyun looking at his phone, the student finally looked up, his eyes on the road. His cheeks were slightly flushed, the memory of his dream haunting him again now that he was back in the car. He needed a distraction, and no matter how much he hated Park Chanyeol, he had no one else to talk to right now.

 

“Jongdae’s creations were so beautiful…”

 

“They really were. Freaking incredible,” Chanyeol sighed. His voice had a strange undertone that Baekhyun hadn’t heard before. He slightly raised an eyebrow.

 

“Ha, I’m honestly so proud of him! I hope I did a good enough job for him, he deserves it!” He sighed silently.

 

“You were… You were really good, actually,” the man murmured. He looked a bit tired, looking at the road with both hands on the wheel. Dressed, as usual, in all black that made his skin look a bit paler and the shades under his eyes darker. Baekhyun raised an eyebrow, turning to him.

 

“Huh, was I?” He tilted his head a little. “Minseok said I should try modeling. He said that I have good proportions.”

 

"Uh… You do. You really do," Chanyeol forced himself to shrug with a neutral expression on his handsome face. Baekhyun narrowed his eyes a little before looking back at the road.

 

“Thank you, I guess?” he pushed his disheveled hair away from his eyes, “I’ll think about it. But I’m more used to looking at models than being one.”

 

"Yeah, that's what I felt on that anatomy class. Damn, this was so uncomfortable," Chanyeol groaned, reminded of the favor he had done for Kyungsoo. Baekhyun clenched his teeth at the memory of half- Chanyeol and his firm scarred chest.

 

“I bet,” he only answered, breathing through his nose. The man hummed quietly. It was already dark outside and the lights played on their faces. The car stopped on the red light and Chanyeol glanced at Baekhyun.

 

"You… You actually seemed to be in your element, you know?" The student looked at him, a bit surprised by the fact that Chanyeol wanted to talk to him. They kept almost fighting every time they were having a discussion and no one else was involved, so they stopped trying.

 

“We practiced a lot.”

 

"Oh."

 

“Minseok really is good at his job too, he knew how to make me feel comfortable.”

 

"Yeah, he's great. Works for us too sometimes and all the models love him. Every time I help with the shoots, they're swooning over him," one corner of Chanyeol's lips curved upside.

 

“I bet,” Baekhyun answered as soon as Chanyeol was done, “he’s super nice, and definitely hot.”

 

"Oh, you think so?"

 

“Have you seen him?” Baekhyun shrugged, “fierce eyes, cute lips, 100% would .”

 

Chanyeol raised a brow, giving him a once-over.

 

"Yeah, I’ve known the guy for 10 years, I kinda noticed. Didn't know you…" he started but pressed his lips immediately. "Sorry." Baekhyun frowned and looked at him, Chanyeol’s face barely visible through the darkness of the car.

 

“Didn’t know I what?”

 

"Nothing. That was unnecessary."

 

“You started it, you have to finish it, sir.”

 

"That's a childish rule that I don't need to obey, Mr. Byun."

 

“You were talking about me, I have the right to know.”

 

"I don't have the obligation to voice my every thought concerning you just because you're here," Chanyeol argued, his slender fingers tightening their grip on the steering wheel.

 

“Well you did, so what stopped you? Too chicken?” He raised an eyebrow.

 

"No, I didn't want it to get too personal, sir."

 

“Whatever, I don’t even care about your opinion,” Baekhyun answered, clearly stopping himself from pouting.

 

"Then why the hell have you even started this conversation?"

 

“Oh, sorry. Should I just keep my mouth shut to please you, sir?”

 

For that you should keep it wide open, Chanyeol thought and snorted to himself.

 

"Do whatever you want, I don't need you to please me," he said out loud.

 

“Well, thank god.” he rolled his eyes, “should have gone to have dinner with Minseok,” he murmured to himself. Chanyeol stopped the car next to his building and rolled his eyes.

 

"And I almost thought you were actually bearable. Get the out," he said casually, his voice calm and collected.

 

“My pleasure.” He unfastened the seatbelt, opening the car door. “Have a nice ing night, Park,” he added, getting out of the car and grabbing Jongdae’s stuff.

 

"Stop acting like a goddamn kid, Byun. How in the hell do you even have friends?" Chanyeol said to himself but loud enough for Baekhyun to hear it anyway.

 

“It’s called being friendly. You should try once in a while. Wouldn’t kill you.”

 

"You're the one picking fights with me, for 's sake, Byun." Chanyeol turned around to look at Baekhyun, who took out the bags, which were placed next to a neatly tied baby blue rope. "What's your problem with me?"

 

“Should I only choose one?” He rolled his eyes and grabbed the last of his friend’s stuff, ready to close the door and leave. He eyed the rope for a few seconds, not having a clue what it was, and eventually making a half-conscious decision to just ignore it. Park Chanyeol was an old weirdo anyway.

 

"You can write me an essay if you want, darling," the man smirked at him from his seat.

 

“I’d rather not lose any more time because of you, thank you.” He closed the door, his face angry and his teeth clenched. Chanyeol closed his eyes for a second and drove away, not even looking back at the boy. Baekhyun quickly walked in the building, pissed, and irritated, Park Chanyeol’s effect on him getting stronger and stronger.

 

-*:.-*-.:*-

 

Jongdae came back home late in the evening, cheeks pink and hair disheveled by the October wind. With a radiant smile on his face, he greeted Baekhyun and quickly took off his coat, going to the kitchen to make tea. He was suspiciously happy, a familiar bounce in his step and when he finally called Baekhyun to the kitchen, the boy immediately knew that he could hardly hold himself back from telling him everything right away.

 

"Are you ready?" he asked impatiently, fidgeting with his mug in hands.

 

“Oh, ready is not the word for it,” Baekhyun answered, smiling softly at his best friend.

 

"He's gay and he asked for my number," he let out and laughed with relief. "And… and he's great, it was so awesome I don't even know where to start!" Baekhyun took a seat at the kitchen counter, watching Jongdae looking so happy. It was a sight he would never get sick of witnessing.

 

“I see, you like old men now,” he chuckled and put his chin on his palm. “What did you guys talk about?”

 

"He's not old, he's… 28," Jongdae's cheeks turned even redder. "It was a bit awkward at first, you know. I asked him about work, he asked about school… but then we got the flow and I feel like we talked about everything, really. I never felt so comfortable with a stranger before," he sighed contentedly. "What a guy. He's so funny and so cute, I… It was the best date I've ever been on and it wasn't even technically a date."

 

“So, when are you gonna see him again? I mean, Minseok was super nice, and hot. And he’s a photographer. Seems like you guys are meant to be,” he sing-sang, winking at Jongdae and enjoying his reaction way more than necessary. A flustered Jongdae was a rare occurrence and Baekhyun needed to make the best of it.

 

"I-I don't know yet. But we will meet for sure, he promised to text me soon," Jongdae waved him off, pretending to be annoyed. "He's really so nice. He praised my work and told me you were really great, by the way. And, speaking of you modelling…" Jongdae smiled even wider. "Have you seen Chanyeol in the back? He looked like he was gonna lose his ," he laughed, almost spilling his hot tea. Baekhyun rolled his eyes, sighing deeply.

 

“I don’t care about that jerk, I don’t like him. I wanna hear about you and Minseok honestly.”

 

"I don't get why do you even hate the guy so much. But for your information he looked like he loved the show and I don't think he was staring at my dresses," Jongdae looked at him pointedly. "Minseok is on his way to becoming a fashion photographer. He's got his first job from W Korea recently, can you believe? He said he wanted to do something totally different earlier on, like, you know, event photography, but he changed his mind recently. Isn't that awesome?"

 

“Of course he did, I’m hot.” Baekhyun murmured and straightened a little. “It really is so great for Minseok. He must be really talented to work for W Korea! Damn, your photos will look great, you’ll get the best grade for sure!”

 

"Dude, I hope so. This is all so cool! I need to thank Chanyeol again," he grabbed his phone to quickly type a message.

 

“You need to thank me again, why the hell didn’t you tell me he was gonna be our ride?” Baekhyun asked, still annoyed about this.

 

"What was the problem with that?"

 

“He was the problem.” he sighed, “it’s like he loves pissing me off. Seriously, I think he finds it funny to be a condescending jerk.”

 

"I don't know, I feel like you're the one annoying him on purpose," Jongdae scrunched his nose. "That's why I haven't told you, I knew you'd be mad and whining."

 

“I’m not whining!” Baekhyun said, doing exactly that. “The is just so ing dumb! I’ll let you know that I was the one starting the conversation and he just like, wouldn’t answer after a while! He was talking about me and stopped mid-sentence and wouldn’t say what he was thinking!”

 

"Maybe he didn't want to say what he thought or changed his mind, what's wrong with that?" Jongdae raised his eyebrows, looking at Baekhyun judgingly.

 

“He was judging me because the guy is a complaisant, arrogant and patronizing bastard.”

 

"Is he? Well, what did he say?" he sighed.

 

“It doesn’t matter, he’s a jerk.”

 

"Are you changing your mind right now and that's why you don't want to tell me?"

 

“Why the would I be changing my mind? The guy’s a creep, he’s got a rope in his car!”

 

"What… what rope?" Jongdae blinked, surprised and straightened in his seat.

 

“I don’t know, Jongdae! Have you never seen a rope? It was thin, it was blue and it was a ing rope!”

 

The blonde looked at him for a second and suddenly started maniacally laughing, his eyes crinkled. He could barely catch his breath and Baekhyun could only watch him, clueless. Jongdae calmed down after several long minutes, wiping tears from his eyes.

 

", this… He… Is he carrying a rope in his ing car?"

 

“What the are you talking about?” Baekhyun groaned, annoyed by his friend laughing at him.

 

"Why would he have a rope in his car otherwise? This is probably into shibari. Look it up."

 

“Or he’s just a creep. And how the do you know about… shimari?” He frowned, tilting his head a little.

 

"Shibari. I'm just reading stuff on the internet, you know," he shrugged, still smiling widely. "You're awfully uninformed for a certified hoe."

 

“, you’re just a weirdo. Both of you are.”

 

"Stop calling everyone creeps and weirdos, it's nothing unusual. You're suddenly so proper."

 

“No, Park Chanyeol is a ing weirdo, and you are you. That’s enough of an explanation.”

 

"You two should ," Jongdae murmured, shaking his head and sipping his tea. He leaned back in his chair comfortably, his legs resting on the one in front of him. "I think you'd both feel so much better." Baekhyun made a funny noise, looking at Jongdae.

 

“I’d rather Professor Do than that old creep.”

 

"You sure? I think he's actually very much your type but... okay."

 

“What type? He’s ugly.” A voice in his head scoffed.

 

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that."

 

“I’m only being honest, accept it.” he rolled his eyes. “Wish I’d found myself a hot piece of like Minseok.”

 

"You could if you only weren't a to a certain handsome guy. Is he even gay? I bet he is."

 

“He definitely is no Minseok.”

 

"Leave Minseok, he's mine now!"

 

-*:.-*-.:*-

 

Baekhyun was, in a few kind words, a nervous mess who could explode at any given moment. It was far from being the first time he had to submit a project, but this felt different. Baekhyun was in Mintblueish office, having been asked by his teammates to come by and bring his new pieces so they would be able to see it first-hand. His heart was beating fast, erratically, his hands clammy. He bit down on his lip, his eyes unfocused.

 

"Hi, darling, how are you?" Wheein came into the office, smiling brightly. The office was an entirely different place now. He could easily see that the design was already in process, as the table was littered with sketches and fabric scraps and pieces. Chanyeol just gave him a nod when he came in and left him alone without a word.

 

“Hi…” he answered softly, barely above a whisper. “I’m fine, and you?” he glanced at the binder between his hands.

 

"Great! The girls will be here in a minute, we had a meeting just now and they needed to stay for a bit. Where's Yeollie?" she went into her booth and started organizing her files.

 

“He already went into his booth…”

 

"Oh. Yeol?" Wheein frowned and knocked before coming into the booth, touching the man's shoulder. They talked in hushed voices and Wheein sighed, coming back to Baekhyun and sitting down by the table. "So moody today. Well, how is life?"

 

“It’s okay, I guess.” he handed her the binder, “you said you needed me to bring it to you…” his hands were trembling a bit, and he tried to hide it but to no avail.

 

"Why you're so nervous?" the girl smiled, taking the projects from him and opening the binder. She went through the works inside, glancing at Baekhyun.

 

“I’m just… I don’t know if you’ll like it…”

 

“Baekhyunnie!” Yongsun exclaimed, walking in and grabbing his hand. “How are you, cutie? I feel like I haven’t seen you in so long!” She frowned a little, coming closer. “Are you okay?” He nodded slightly.

 

“I’m okay,” he offered her a smile, his eyes looking down.

 

"Our baby's nervous," Wheein smiled softly, tilting her head.

 

“Oh, don’t be! I know it’s gonna look great anyway!” She kissed his cheek. “I have to go but I’ll be right back, okay?” She smiled again, leaving the room, glancing at Wheein. Moonbyul walked in after a few minutes, a cup of coffee between her hands and a smile on her face.

 

“Hey Baekhyun, want anything to drink?” she asked, opening Chanyeol’s booth door.

 

“I’m fine, thank you…”

 

“Babe? A coffee?” She looked at Chanyeol. The man jumped on his seat, startled.

 

"Damn, Byullie, knock," he let out, his hand on his chest. "Yeah, always," he sent her a flying kiss. "I'm coming." She smiled apologetically.

 

“Sorry, honey, I’ll be more careful next time.” She walked to the coffee maker, not even asking what Chanyeol wanted. She knew him well enough to know that he only drank his coffee black and strong enough to wake up a medium-sized elephant.

 

The man sighed, displeased and joined the team by the table when Moonbyul placed his mug by his usual place.

 

"How was the meeting?" Chanyeol took Baekhyun's binder from the girl, humming softly. Baekhyun’s heart fell to his feet at the prospect of more people judging his creations.

 

“It was boring and Wheein almost fell asleep a few times,” Moonbyul chuckled, glancing at the small girl.

 

"Poor baby," the boy smiled at the girl, poking her cheek. He opened the file, carefully turning the pages.

 

“I wonder why she’s so tired,” Moonbyul smirked when she saw Wheein blush. The girl waved her off, embarrassed.

 

"I work a lot!!"

 

"Technically it's work, yeah," Chanyeol murmured, his eyes not leaving the prints. "Tell your boy to give you a break, we need you here, sweetie."

 

“More like work out,” Moonbyul added in a whisper and Chanyeol snorted, nudging her side. Baekhyun was still standing, his eyes stuck on the binder between Chanyeol’s hands and his fingers fidgeting nervously. Moonbyul laughed at Wheein’s embarrassment, not really paying attention to the student in the room.

 

"You're both awful."

 

"We know. Damn, Mr. Byun, how about you sit down? You're making me nervous, hovering over me like that," Chanyeol glanced at the boy, wrapping his arm around Moonbyul's shoulders.

 

“I’m sorry,” he answered, giving the man a stern look and taking a seat next to Wheein in front of the pair.

 

“Be nice with the boy, baby. He’s a wreck.” Moonbyul gave Baekhyun a smile, trying to calm him down.

 

"He doesn't give me any reason to be nice to him," the man grumbled. He pecked his friend's cheek and took his arm away to quickly make a note, looking at one of Baekhyun's patterns. The girls started talking and he worked quietly, scribbling more notes and sticking markers to some of the pages. Baekhyun was looking at him, his leg nervously bouncing under the table. He bit his lower lip, running his fingers through his hair when he saw how many notes the man was making.

 

Chanyeol looked up at him, holding his gaze for a moment.

 

"It's for design. It's not criticism, calm down," he said quietly not to disturb the girls, passing him one piece of paper he used. There were lots of short sentences written down in a nice, clean handwriting.

 

sleeve on #2 ??

#14 printed on cotton (ask how much needed, tell wheein)

ask byul – can we print it on denim (colors???)

all print on #10 – price??

 

The rest of the notes was similarly short and cryptic. The man raised his brow slightly.

 

"Better?" Baekhyun felt like he could breathe again. He blinked a few times, feeling his muscles loosen a bit.

 

“Y-Yeah… Thank you…” he said, swallowing down his pride. Chanyeol just nodded, a faint smile on his lips. He sipped his coffee, coming back to work.

 

“You’re the cutest, Baekhyunnie,” he heard behind him as Yongsun reappeared again with a blue thick binder between her hands.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m usually not this nervous…”

 

"It's okay, baby, these are your first steps and you started big," Wheein smiled to him, lifting her head from her tablet. "It's completely normal but don't worry, we don't bite," she assured, giving Chanyeol a quick look. "None of us."

 

“I know… I’m lucky to be working with you…” he answered, glancing at the girls.

 

"Mr. Byun, I got a couple remarks. Can we talk?" Chanyeol stood up after a few minutes, taking the binder and his coffee in hand and nodded in the direction of his booth. Baekhyun swallowed down, nervously, glancing at the girls. Yongsun gave him a thumbs up, a soft and encouraging smile on her lips. He got up, grabbing onto the backrest of his chair when he almost stumbled and he finally walked towards Chanyeol’s booth, looking down, his heart beating painfully fast.

 

"Close the door, please." Chanyeol placed the binder on his desk and beckoned Baekhyun to come closer. "I could do that by the table, but I figured you may be more comfortable here, without an audience" he murmured, and looked him in the eye. "Can you be nice to me for 15 minutes? Or neutral at least. I need to work, and I don't wanna waste time for stupid fights." Baekhyun bit the inside of his cheek, not looking at Chanyeol.

 

“I’m sorry…” he kind of was, his behavior was not helping his case. Sure, he didn’t like the way Chanyeol was usually acting, but at least the man was professional. “I will…”

 

"Sorry for what?"

 

“Acting this way…” he murmured, still looking down. It helped him calm his nerves to act like this towards Chanyeol. Being his real and sassy self made him feel less nervous, but he got why Chanyeol would ask him to calm down.

 

"Yeah. I see," Chanyeol said slowly. He didn't sound convinced but Baekhyun couldn't really blame him after he treated him like this. "Okay, Mr. Byun. Here's what I wanted to say. I like the first pattern, but I think it would look better if the blue here was a bit lighter. We want to pair it with white denim and I think it matches the material better. Objections?"

 

“None…” he looked up, “Should I do it again? I could try out a few different shades of blue and you tell me the one you think would look better? I have a few ideas already.”

 

"We can either do it digitally or, if you want, you can do it yourself. Yongsun can do several versions of the digital sketch for us and we could decide together, what do you think?" Chanyeol tilted his head lightly, watching Baekhyun. He looked like a real designer now, slender fingers holding a pencil, his gaze sharp and focused. He was sitting in his chair in the booth, the colorful chaos flowering around him. The pictures, posters and scraps made it a bit difficult for Baekhyun to focus.

 

“I’m not sure, I mean, I can do it myself, but I think maybe it would be quicker if Yongsun did though. And we need to be quick, right?”

 

"Yeah, agreed. I'll ask her to do that," Chanyeol scribbled another note in his notepad and turned the page. They discussed a few other small changes, the man's low, a bit monotonous voice quickly calming Baekhyun down. He stayed at his collected professional self, occasionally glancing at his notes and actively listening to Baekhyun, nodding and giving him several small, encouraging smiles. Baekhyun’s heart considerately calmed down knowing Chanyeol actually liked his work and wasn’t hating on every piece of his. It felt as if all the time he had used, working on the project was worth it and his body relaxed at the thought. They had been talking for about fifteen minutes when Baekhyun glanced at the pictures above Chanyeol’s desk, and he frowned as he caught sight of a picture of himself, wearing the blue flowery dress Jongdae had designed and sewed. He had not seen any of the pictures from the photoshoot yet, and he was actually surprised the first one of them he saw was here, in Park Chanyeol’s office.

 

“What is this?” He pointed at the picture, still frowning.

 

"What?" Chanyeol turned his head to look in the direction Baekhyun was pointing to and he blinked, parting his lips. His cheeks reddened as he turned back to face him, straightening in his seat. "Well, that's a… These are the pictures I use for inspo and references."

 

“Jongdae’s design?” he looked at him.

 

"Everything here was designed by someone," Chanyeol defended, playing with a pencil in his hand.

 

“I haven’t even seen the pictures yet, how come you have one?”

 

"Minseok gave it to me." Baekhyun looked at him, doubtful. “Before the editing.”

 

“And you printed it out and put it above your desk?”

 

"I like it," he shrugged. "The dress is great, the picture looks cool and I love the aesthetic," he motioned his hand around the booth. "I got a million pics of androgynous models and drag queens here so… I guess it fits?"

 

“Are you saying I look like a drag queen?” He looked him straight in the eye.

 

"All I'm saying is that you're a boy in a boy dress and I love the play on gender here," Chanyeol looked back at him, holding his gaze. Baekhyun expected to see his eyes darken as they did every time they were bickering and Chanyeol had his mocking smirk on, but now they seemed soft and the man was still nervously turning the pencil in his fingers. It almost took Baekhyun off guard,* and he wanted to take a step back, but stayed where he was, his eyes still in Chanyeol’s.

 

“Also, I look hot there, don’t I?” The Baekhyun on the picture looked confident and mysterious, his eyes looking straight into the camera and his thumb resting against his lips.

 

The man parted his lips, no words coming out of his mouth. He cleared his throat, finally breaking the eye contact.

 

"This is not the point."

 

“But I do, right?” He smirked.

 

"Last time we met you told me loud and clear that my opinion doesn't matter to you. Why does it now?" Chanyeol's eyes narrowed, darkening.

 

∆Office∆

 

wheeinnie: one day they're gonna in this very booth and it's true

 

wheeinnie: sorry i don't make the rules

 

yongsunnie: wheein! you’re supposed to be the pure one!

 

byullie: think baekhyunnie is a screamer?

 

wheeinnie: hope not

 

byullie: he’s got a beautiful voice tho~

 

“It does not. I know I look hot.” he slightly pushed his hair away from his eyes. “Probably hot enough for you to dream about using that shibari rope on me.”

 

"The first thing I'd use on you, baby, is a ing gag to keep that dirty mouth quiet," Chanyeol said in a voice so low, Baekhyun felt a shiver down his spine. He felt hot suddenly, his fists clenching slightly.

 

“Cute, sir, you think I’d let you touch me,” he took a step towards the desk. “How unfaithful of you to say something like that too. Such a bad boy.”

 

"Unfaithful?" Chanyeol raised one eyebrow, looking into Baekhyun's eyes.

 

“Not sure your girlfriend would like to hear you say that, Mr. Park.” He said slowly, pointing at the door to show he was talking about Moonbyul. Chanyeol gave him a surprised look and laughed when he realized what was going on.

 

"Moonbyul?! Really?"

 

“Yeah, who else?” he frowned, a bit pissed off by his reaction.

 

"Anyone but her," Chanyeol chuckled. He sat on the chair with his legs spread comfortably, so when Baekhyun came closer, he was practically standing between them. "She's my best friend. And she's gay as ." Baekhyun blinked a few times, having a hard time believing that.

 

“...Is she?” he raised an eyebrow.

 

Chanyeol snickered.

 

"Ask her yourself. I can only tell you that she's definitely not my girlfriend." Baekhyun felt something blooming in his chest, not really realizing what it was.

 

“I’m glad for her, I thought she had the worst luck ever to be with you.”

 

"Back to being a little again, are we?" Chanyeol smirked, his gaze sliding down Baekhyun's body and back up to his half-lidded brown eyes. Baekhyun swallowed down, his tongue sliding along his lower lip.

 

“Only getting what you deserve, sir.”

 

∆Office∆

 

wheeinnie: the tension is too much

 

wheeinnie: i cant even hear them but the sight-ing is killing me i'm trying to work BOYS JUST ALREADY

 

yongsunnie: I WANNA SEE THEM TOO

 

byullie: yeollie is into kids ~

 

wheeinnie: omg don't say that that sounds ed up he's a baby but he's legal

 

byullie: oh come on

 

byullie: he’s going to ruin him ~

 

"Ow, that hurt, Mr Byun," Chanyeol purred, his fingers still playing with the pencil, this time way slower, almost caressing it.

 

“How sad, Mr Park.”

 

"Right?" Baekhyun felt his knee brush lightly against his leg. "Well, any questions, Mr Byun? I think you should let the old man work and stop mentioning ropes if you want to keep this professional." Chanyeol his lips, tilting his head. Baekhyun’s heart beat faster. His lungs begging for air, the student took a deep breath.

 

“I can’t promise I will, but I’ll do my best. You know how kids are...”

 

"Well, darling, show me what you got," Chanyeol gave him a smirk, straightening in his seat and slowly turning away. "Miss you already," he murmured lowly, opening the binder on his desk. Baekhyun shivered. Biting on his lip, he went out and took another deep breath when he closed the door behind him, wondering what the hell just happened. Ms. Ahn was there with the other girls and now all four of them lifted their heads from their laptops and sketch pads. Wheein held back a smile, glancing at her friends.

 

"Is everything all right, baby?" He turned his head towards her and blinked once or twice.

 

“Y-Yeah?... He just made a few comments about my designs…” he cleared his throat and walked away from the door.

 

“You look a bit… flustered…” Yongsun tilted her head.

 

“No… Just glad my work is good enough…”

 

“Oh… I see.” Ms. Ahn smiled at him and their eyes followed Baekhyun who quickly said his goodbyes and left, suddenly looking like he was in a hurry. Yongsun chuckled and Wheein joined her, shaking her head.

 

∆Office∆

 

wheeinnie: yeollie what have you done to the baby

 

yeollie: has he left?

 

byullie: yeah, almost dying

 

byullie: almost having a too

 

yongsunnie: poor baby!

 

Chanyeol came out of the booth with a smug smile that he didn't even try to hide. He sat down at the table, conspicuously placing his own laptop and the notepad by the side.

 

"This was so fun."

 

“I need more details, honey,” Moonbyul said, sitting by his side.

 

“Girl, I don’t even know where to start,” he grinned and mused for a second. “Firstly, he knew about the ropes somehow. No idea how he found out but he did. Secondly… He thought you were my girlfriend,” he said with a disgusted expression.

 

“He thought what now?!” she exclaimed, grimacing. “And the ropes? For real? What the ?”

 

“I don’t know how he even… Oh, no, wait,” he deadpanned. “The car. He saw the one in the trunk.” The man facepalmed and laughed at himself. “I forgot about that one and he took out the bags… Oh, never mind. So yeah, there was that. And he… actually brought it up?”

 

“What do you mean he brought it up?” She frowned.

 

“I doubt he was like ‘hey so about your passion’” Yongsun added.

 

“He wasn’t. Well, do you… uh, remember that picture of him I showed you?” The tips of Chanyeol’s ears reddened slightly. “He kinda noticed it in my booth and asked me if I thought he looked hot…”

 

“Oh my god, what did you say?” Hyejin lifted her head, raising a brow.

 

“Nothing, basically. But then I… I said something really stupid, I’m afraid. I mean I’m really trying to be professional and all but, come on, he’s so awful sometimes. He asked me then if he looked hot enough for me to want to use my rope on him and well…” the man hid his face in his hands and leaned on Moonbyul, laughing silently.

 

“Babe, we’re all ing dying here,” she said, patting his head.

 

“Come on, Yeollie!” Yongsun asked, sitting on the edge of her seat.

 

“I… I told him… Oh my god, what the hell did I do? I told him I’d rather put a gag in his mouth to shut him up,” he let out in one breath.

 

“You did what?!” Yongsun screamed, standing up suddenly. “Chanyeol, he’s a baby!”

 

“Yeeeeees! I am so damn proud of you, babe!” Moonbyul smiled happily. Wheein squealed, waving her hands and Hyejin’s mouth just dropped as she looked at the man.

 

“I’m… I’m sorry!” Chanyeol grinned. “But the little deserved it. Well, we chatted a bit more and he accused me of being unfaithful, thinking Byullie was my girlfriend. I told him she’s not and I just sorta told him to go?...”

 

“Daaaamn, you should have ed him right there right then!”

 

“Moonbyul!” Yongsun frowned.

 

“What the !” exclaimed Chanyeol. “I don’t want to him, I just wanted him to shut up already. I wonder if it worked, though.”

 

“That was stupid,” Hyejin commented, smiling slightly nevertheless.

 

“Yeah, right, you don’t want to him and I’m super super straight,” Moonbyul said sarcastically while rolling her eyes. Chanyeol smacked her on the shoulder playfully and placed a small kiss on her cheek.

 

“I really don’t, he’s rude and awful. He’s pretty cute but still rude, can’t even talk to me without trying to stick the knife in.”

 

“You are so whipped, Chanyeol.” Moonbyul added and glanced at Hyejin, who just nodded in agreement, rolling her eyes at the boy.

 

“I’m not,” he whined, getting back to his laptop. He was trying to look hurt, but the satisfied smirk still lingered on his lips.