In the end,  fate can be devastating or a delight…  

Days have passed pretty fast and it’s finally settled in me that Baekhyun is back in my life. The reunion has been blissful, to say the least. I missed laughing the way I did with him. Chanyeol had a sense of humor himself, but Baekhyun knew how to get my hideous laugh out and echoing. 

We may have changed in one way or another, but my appreciation for his corny jokes has remained the same. 

In fact, I haven’t taken him seriously at all. I’m not overthinking his every move the way I used to. It’s all light hearted and fun. So when he insisted we go out for Halloween to go swing dancing, I called bluff. 

But I was proven wrong when he kept texting me details on his attire. He told me to wear something vintage and comfortable. The old school look struck my interest; I was already certain how charming Baekhyun would look. I knew I had something perfect to match, with the amount of clothes I’ve thrifted with my friends.

 I opted for an Audrey Hepburn inspired look. It was a baby blue color and had white polka dots evenly distributed around the knee length dress.  I adored how the waist was accessorized with a matching blue bow. 

Although I was excited to wear it out for the night, I couldn’t help but be nervous about the thought of dancing. I knew he could carry around a brick wall and get the same experience out of it with me. It was completely out of my forte. But as much as I wanted to decline, I enjoyed spending time with Baekhyun. 

I was leaving in two days, too. I figured I would make the most of our time together before we went our separate ways. Suddenly, there was a sharp pang in my chest at the thought of it. 

Baekhyun and I would be apart yet again.

 I almost caught myself feeling disappointed, but I was interrupted by my phone dinging with more messages. Right. At least he’s here now. After all that time away from each other, we’ve finally settled on good terms. 

I see his painting in the corner of my room. My parents donated the other items from the garage, but I couldn’t find it in me to give it away after knowing it was his. Yes, I wasn’t going to bring it up to him any more, but I figured my mom could use an art piece to elevate the living area. 

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The sun is noticeably weaker as I start to see my room get dimmer. I’m just about done with my makeup, praising myself in the mirror as I acknowledge my curly up-do. I’m pleased when I see how the mascara has done wonders for my eyelashes. My favorite part about my look is the way the pink blush gives me a pop of color. I look alive. 

This has always been the night that has made me feel so full. I feel young and excited. My parents even reinforce the feelings because of the way they pop their heads in to compliment me. A doorbell interrupts our cheesy exchanges. I’m putting on last minute details like pearl earrings and clear lip gloss. I can hear my parents’ cheerful welcomes and then that voice. That voice that is dripped in honey. The same one that can get stuck in your head like a catchy tune. 

I don’t know what I was expecting when I came out, but it was definitely a feeling I remember having the first time I laid eyes on him years ago. I see just how effortlessly stunning he can look just by his side profile.  His hands are in the pockets of his trousers but it doesn’t take long for his right hand to make animated gestures as he talks. He brings it up to his plaid cap before fixing it. I finally notice how his white long sleeve is pushed up to showcase his forearms and then his adorable suspenders. 

I guess I’m staring too hard because his head turns to look at me. I notice his eyebrows lift briefly and then a warm smile is directed at me. 

“You look,” He pauses as he flicks his thumb up at me. 

I’m glad that I wore that blush, because I start to feel my cheeks heat up at the simple comment. 

“You’re not so bad yourself,” 

He points his elbow out to me, suggesting I hook my arm in his. 

“Shall we?” 

My arm connects with his as I nod, “We shall! Where are we going exactly?” 

“Downtown.” 

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When we get to the plaza, we’re greeted by the twinkling string lights decorated everywhere. The jazz strings start to get louder as we continue the path towards the music. It looks so enchanting with all the fancy restaurants and beautiful assortment of colorful flowers all around. 

At last, we reach the center where there’s a crowd of people who look just like us, wearing their old-fashioned clothing and happy smiles. 

“This place is amazing!” I whisper loudly. 

“I’m so glad I could finally take you here,” He proudly states. 

“Do you go here often?” 

He nods his head before saying, “I spent my weekends here. Fell in love with the music and learned a move or two,” He shrugs. 

I blow raspberries in the air at his casual statement. 

“Let’s see some moves then, twinkle toes,” I challenged him.

He raises a brow at me with a playful smirk before tapping his foot to the beat of the fast paced song. He adds some snapping as he starts to circle around me like a shark. His legs are suave as they masterfully step so that he’s in sync to the music. I’ve never seen Baekhyun this smooth. 

His arm extends, his palm faced toward me to take it. I hesitate but then I see his fingers curl towards him. 

I barely accept it, but then I feel him yank me to his chest. I notice how his smirk gets bigger as I grow nervous under his hold. He tries to guide me through steps, but I only feel myself step on his dress shoes. But he’s patient. He can only laugh as I try to keep up with his flawless footwork. I bite my lip as I apologize to him every few seconds. 

He grabs my waist to guide me. I feel the tenderness in his touch as he carefully teaches me. Swing dancing is usually supposed to be quick, but he chooses to be slow with me. Compared to everyone else, we’re taking our time. I suppose people start to notice this, because they leave a big amount of space for us to practice. It feels like we’re in the center while everyone is watching. 

 It’s when he twirls me that I feel braver and more free. Like some kind of miracle, I’m finally in tune with his pace. I start to mimic him and it just starts to flow out of me. 

“That’s it!” He praises. 

For a second I get lost in our eye contact. I see how passionate Baekhyun has become. He’s found something that he’s put his heart into. 

I’m tapping around and swinging my body around the way I feel like I’m supposed to and before I even know it, I find myself tripping on my own feet. I’m about to eat the ground, but he catches me on time to dip me, making my clumsy move seem intentional. The crowd cheering becomes white noise as we lock eyes. My heart starts to swing dance, too. 

He gently stands me up as people start to couple up again towards the center. By special request, a slow song starts to play as a way to catch a break from the crazy movements. We look around and start to see people slow dancing. He clears his throat before showing me his hand again. I’m too dazed to notice, but then I feel  my own hand  placed on his shoulder, while his hand settles on the small of my back. Our free hands are intertwined as we naturally sway to the majestic string playing. 

“I’ve missed you so badly,” He whispers. 

My heart starts to pound at his words. 

“I missed so many opportunities with you, but I’m just glad we can be like this.” 

“Like what?” 

“Okay,” He softly smiles.  “In each other’s presence. I was so unfair to you, yet you were still so kind to me. You still are.” 

I look away, not being able to see his gaze. 

“No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t hate you. In the end, we grew from it and that’s all that matters.” 

He bobs his head up and down lightly. 

“At the time, I found so many reasons to leave,” He pauses before poking his head out to meet my view. “But it only took one to come back.” 

My eyebrows connect in confusion. What was he saying?

“What was it?” I dare question aloud. 

His lips spread into a huge smile before saying, “With every dance partner I had, I kept wishing it was you. And then I remembered our friendship and how much