Your hands scoured for the letter under your pillow just as you heard the door close. It was only ten in the evening, much too early for you to fall asleep, but you had to get up in six hours to prepare for your wedding.

Your wedding with Wu Yifan.

Every time you thought about it, you couldn’t help but remember how your father used to tell you stories of characters who only married for true love. It made you believe that you would grow up and find the same true love told by those stories.

But on the night before your wedding, you realized what a stark contrast reality was compared to fairy tales.

Your only last bit of a possible fairy tale was now clutched in your shaky hands as you read the letter. You had read it at least twenty times since you received it yesterday morning, when you found it by your pillow the moment you woke up.

It was nearly crumpled now, with a slight tear at the top from when you were too eager to take it out of the envelope.

"How could you, Byun Baekhyun," you whispered to yourself, trying to keep your emotions at bay.

Your eyes scanned the letter in the dim light of your sconces. You had nearly memorized every part of it but you still couldn’t stop that quickening of your heart whenever you found the three words on the sixth line, two thirds of the way across the page.

I love you.

You had to read and reread that letter to make sure it was real, that it wasn’t your imagination anymore. At first you had wished it was. You didn’t want this glimmer of hope settling in your heart. You had duties and responsibilities. You had to marry Wu Yifan.

But if there was another man out there… If there was Baekhyun out there…

There was a knock on the door and you stashed the letter under your blankets, hoping you didn’t look too suspicious.

"Come in."

The door opened to reveal one of the maids holding a card in her hand. “Miss, this came for you at noon but I didn’t have the chance to give it to you. I hope you’ll excuse my tardiness."

"It’s fine," you said as she delivered it to your side. You saw that she was one of the younger ones and the one that received Yifan’s secret smiles. Or at least he thought they were a secret. “Thank you."

She bowed and left.

You opened the card when the door was shut and the maid’s footsteps had disappeared down the hall.

I’ll be in the garden this evening at half past nine.

Baekhyun

You looked out the window. He couldn’t still be there, could he? And even if he was, what would you do? Tell him that he shouldn’t be playing with you like this? Tell him to leave you?

Tell him that you loved him, too?

You pulled the covers off and stepped lightly towards the window. You didn’t know if you wished him to be in the lavish garden. Half of you longed to see him and tell him how you felt. The other half wished he would go away so you wouldn’t have to worry about this anymore.

You peeked out from behind the curtains, looking for a figure in the garden. It wasn’t easy considering how much space it spanned but when you looked straight down, you found his familiar face staring back up.

"Baek—" You covered your mouth, hoping nobody had heard you.

Looking around, you saw that he was the only one outside. If you could just get past the servants in the mansion, you could see him again.

You pulled on a sweater over your nightgown and turned the doorknob slowly, hoping it wouldn’t squeak tonight.

"Miss," your maid whispered, standing right outside your door. Her presence made you jump and almost reveal yourself to the entire building. “I think you should wear a coat. It’s chilly out." She held up a black jacket and helped you put it on.

"Thank you," you said as you smiled sheepishly. It would be nice if she were marrying Yifan; he’d actually have a smile on his face. But it wouldn’t be possible to switch a bride at the last minute. “If anything happens to me, please take care of Yifan," you added as you quickly raced down the hall.

You took one last look before you ran down the stairs and saw a shocked expression on the maid’s face. You scolded yourself for not mincing your words. The poor maid probably thought you were out on a mission to assassinate the president.

The house was quiet as you cautiously stepped through it. You just had to reach the back door and head out to the garden.

But when you got there, it was as though he was already gone. You looked around but detected no movement even when you stood at the exact spot where he had been.

You looked up to your window. Had your imagination deceived you?

"Evening," a familiar voice came from behind you and you spun around. Baekhyun was leaning against one of the humongous statues that surrounded the garden and he looked dwarfed next to it. He uncrossed his arms and came towards you.

"Good evening," you called in a weak voice as you walked closer as well. It seemed weird to see him now, so late at night and so close to your wedding day. You two had spent a summer together last year but were separated when you had to move to Yifan’s house and become a fiancée.

Baekhyun took a seat on the stone bench and patted the spot beside him. “Are you excited for tomorrow?" he asked after you sat down. You nodded but weren’t sure what kind of reaction he was looking for. Did he want you to be excited? “That’s good." He leaned forward and clasped his hands together.

"What did you have to tell me?" you asked after a moment of silence.

"Nothing."

You gave him a confused look. “Then why did you send me that card?"

"I said I would be here at 9:30," he said with a of his lips. “I didn’t ask you to meet me."

"Baek…" you whispered in concern at his sharp tone.

He sighed as if he was trying to keep himself in check. “Did you get my letter?"

You nodded again. “It’s upstairs."

“All right.” He clapped his hands on his knees and suddenly stood up. “That’s all I needed to know. Thanks. You should get to bed now. It’s getting late and you don’t want to be late for you own—"

"Stop it!" You tugged his sleeve, forcing him to sit down beside you. When he still wouldn’t look at you, you gulped nervously and leaned in.

He didn’t object when your lips met his. His hands instantly found their way into your hair and cupping your face, holding you in place. You two had kissed before, last summer on the trampoline right before you left. But this one was nothing like the tender kiss of young puppy love. This was desperate and frenzied where both of you knew it would never happened again.

He was the one to push you away. You watched your breaths mingle in the cool air for a second before he turned away, putting his head in his hands.

"I don’t have to marry him," you said after taking an unsteady breath. There was no answer. “Baek, I don’t—"

"Would you stop it?" He turned around suddenly, barely able to hold back his frustration. You were frozen in your seat by the shock. You had never seen him like this. “Would you stop making me want you like this when we both know nothing is going to change? You have to get married tomorrow. Your father isn’t going to let you marry anybody else, so just assume your responsibilities like an adult!"

He was breathing heavily but something pricked at the back of your mind. “Baekhyun, did you talk to my father?" you asked slowly.

He turned away again and you knew the answer. You knelt down in front of him and took a close look at him. How could you miss it?

"Baek…" Your voice broke as you brushed the dark bruise on his cheek with your fingertips.

"Please go," he pleaded softly without meeting your eyes. “Please go before I steal you away."

"I can get out of this," you reassured him. “Yifan doesn’t want to marry me either. The public doesn’t even know what I look like and I know somebody who would be happy to take my place. I have a plan and we can fix this."

He shook his head slowly. “Fix what? There isn’t anything." Finally, he looked at you with the same pain that you felt. “Do you hear yourself? Do you even know what you’re saying?"

Tears fell out of your eyes then. You realized he wasn’t going to try anymore.

He stood up, leaving you on the ground. “Stop being a selfish brat. Get up." He turned away and walked toward the back gates with his hands shoved into his pockets.

You were being a brat? He was the one who sent the damned letter. “You selfish bastard," you muttered loud enough for him to hear.

He kept walking.

—-

_{okay this could’ve ended a million ways but i really didn’t intend for baek to leave at all. NOW MY HEART HURTS OH MANNNNN. he’s so stubborn and i wanna punch him but i wanna kiss him too ;3;}