It's his first day on the job, and Chanyeol is, to put it politely, ting himself a little from nerves. He's got previous experience as a waiter, of course, but this restaurant is more upmarket than the ones he’s worked at, and he really can't afford to things up.

 

There’s also the fact that his friend Sehun was the one who got him the job in the first place, and Chanyeol doesn’t want to let him down any more than he wants to make an arse of himself.

 

But then something happens to make him forget his anxiety entirely, and it starts when he's given a plate to take out to table number 7. Seated at that very table is the most gorgeous guy he's ever seen on this side of the universe, who rewards his service with a smile so breathtaking that he walks back to the kitchen feeling like he’s got two punctured lungs.

 

If Chanyeol ever needed proof that a God existed, then that smile would be it.

 

 

* * *

 

Chanyeol is delighted to learn that the beautiful guy has a habit of coming to the same restaurant for lunch everyday. Not only that, but he always seems to sit at the same table.

 

He spends the next few days watching aforementioned beautiful guy from afar and trying to work up the courage to say something more substantial to him than “enjoy your meal” and “more wine?”, but he never quite gets there, and he always goes home at the end of a shift feeling disappointed in himself.

 

 

To his surprise, during his second week at the restaurant, the beautiful guy at table 7 actually talks to him first.

 

“Your ears stick out. You must be very lucky,” he observes out of the blue, just as Chanyeol is in the middle of placing his dish in front of him.

 

‘Uh.. I beg your pardon…?”

 

An astonished Chanyeol begins to turn red and reaches up to cover his ears with his hair.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the guy laughs, “that was a bit rude of me. What I meant is, it’s a very fortunate thing to have ears that stick out a little. It means you can hear all the good luck calling out to you.”

 

 

Chanyeol stares at him blankly for a moment, his eye twitching in bewilderment.

 

 

There’s no denying it. He’s definitely a fruit-loop.

 

 

It’s a good thing fruit-loops are Chanyeol’s favourite type of cereal, though, because the guy is so incredibly exquisite that he just wants to ing eat him for breakfast.

 

Even if he is a bit of a nutbag.

 

 

“That’s alright, I wasn’t offended,” he smiles, “I’m Chanyeol, by the way.”

 

“Baekhyun. It’s nice to formally meet you.”

 

 

“Nice to meet you too, Baekhyun. Please enjoy your meal,” Chanyeol replies with a courteous bow, and he leaves Baekhyun to have his lunch in peace.

 

 

 

A little later when he’s clearing and re-setting some of the empty tables, Sehun hurries over to assist him, and Chanyeol decides it’s a good opportunity to harass his friend for further information.

 

 

“That guy that always sits at table 7... who is he?”

 

 

“Dunno,” Sehun shrugs as he throws a fresh cloth over one of the tables, “some guy that comes here everyday for lunch.”

 

“Thanks, Captain Obvious,” Chanyeol says, rolling his eyes, “but has he always come here alone?”

 

 

“Don’t think I’ve ever seen him with anyone else, no. Why do you ask?”

 

 

Chanyeol watches Baekhyun smile dazzlingly up at Luhan, one of the other waiters, as he refills his wine glass. His heart promptly liquefies into a puddle of sugary goo.

 

“Because his smile is the single most amazing thing I will ever behold in this lifetime. That’s why.”

 

Sehun snorts in amusement.

 

“Could you be any gayer right now?”

 

Chanyeol pokes out his lower lip defensively.

 

“Shut up. I am gay.”

 

“I’m well aware of that,” Sehun deadpans as he places new cutlery on the table in front of him, “now can you please quit ogling the poor guy and help me re-set these tables? I’m starting to feel creeped out on his behalf.”

 

“ me…” Chanyeol breathes, ignoring Sehun’s pleas.

 

“No thanks. You’re on your own.”

 

“You didn’t let me finish. As I was saying, me, he’s beautiful... and he’s probably single if he always comes here alone. Do you reckon he’d swing my way?”

 

Sehun snorts and starts to make his way out the back again with Chanyeol following closely behind.

 

“Yeah, boy; he’s a total fairy, that one. He practically rains pixie dust wherever he goes. And he seems pleasant enough, but you don’t want none of that, trust me. He’s a bit odd, to say the least.”

 

Chanyeol’s face falls. “What makes you say that?”

 

“Well, either he’s nuts or just really badly superstitious,” Sehun replies casually, “firstly, he always reserves table 7 if he can – presumably because it’s a lucky number – but if it’s not available, he’ll refuse point-blank to sit at table 4 or 13. And if his plate has the tiniest hairline crack in it, he’ll send the food back and ask us politely but firmly to re-plate it, muttering something crazy about how it’s really bad Feng Shui and if he eats off it his whole life will fall apart or he’ll die a premature death or something completely dumb like that. But because he’s a regular customer, Wufan always tells us to just humour him.”

 

“Ah. Yeah, I’ve never understood all that sort of stuff,” Chanyeol comments thoughtfully, “I just don’t see how people can let all these irrational rules that make no sense dictate how they live..”

 

“Yeah, well, you better steer clear then,” Sehun replies in his typical no-nonsense manner.

 

“He’s so ing pretty, though,” Chanyeol whines, “and I actually like my men to be a bit weird. Who knows, maybe I can slowly but surely pound the superstition out of him.”

 

Sehun raises an eyebrow.

 

“By banging his brains out?”

 

“You’re awful,” Chanyeol says, shaking his head, which gradually transitions into a nod, “…but yeah, something like that.”

 

Sehun flicks him with a used napkin.

 

“I thought as much, you dirty bastard.”

 

“That’s it,” Chanyeol pipes up determinedly, “I’m going to ask him out. And I’m going to do it before he leaves.”

 

“Mmhmm. Sure thing,” Sehun mutters absently, not really paying any mind to what Chanyeol is saying. “Anyway, Chan, we’ve got a busy restaurant to attend to. I didn’t help you land this job so you could waste time molesting the patrons with your eyes..”

 

He gives Chanyeol a reassuring, if not slightly condescending pat on the back.

 

“Better let it go then, yeah?”

 

 

“Not a chance,” Chanyeol murmurs under his breath as Sehun hurries elsewhere.

 

 

“Don’t take anything else to the guy on table 7,” he says to Luhan as the other waiter approaches, “I’ll look after him from now on.”

 

 

“Oh, okay. Why, is he a friend of yours?” Luhan asks politely.

 

 

“Uh… yeah,” Chanyeol lies, “we go way back..”

 

 

Way back to nowhere, he thinks, but that’ll soon change if things go to plan.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 As soon as he sees Baekhyun heading towards the door that day, Chanyeol immediately rushes after him, hoping to catch him outside before he leaves.

 

 

“Baekhyun, wait..”

 

Baekhyun quickly spins around upon hearing his name, looking at Chanyeol in surprise.

 

“Oh… did I leave something behind…?”

 

“No, that’s not it,” Chanyeol replies, shaking his head, “actually, I just wanted to ask you something, if it won’t be too much of an imposition on your time.”

 

“Well, I guess I can spare a minute or two..” Baekhyun says slowly, looking a little anxious.

 

Chanyeol takes a deep breath to calm himself before he speaks.

 

“I realise this is unprofessional and perhaps not the best time or place… but I was just wondering if you’d be interested in joining me for dinner sometime.”

 

Baekhyun looks up at him in silence, eyes wide with surprise.

 

“Like… like a date?”

 

“Well, yeah,” Chanyeol replies with a nervous laugh, “like a date.”

 

He’s expecting a one-word answer along the lines of a no, or perhaps a maybe, or in the event of a miracle, even a yes. He definitely doesn’t expect the words that do end up coming out of Baekhyun’s mouth.

 

“What sign are you?”

 

Chanyeol blinks at him. “I beg your pardon?”

 

“What sign are you… as in your star sign…”

 

“Oh. Uh… Sagittarius, I think? I’m not really well-versed in all that astrology stuff.”

 

“Ah…” Baekhyun replies, his brow furrowing, “no, that won’t do at all..”

 

Chanyeol’s face falls a little.

 

“Well, I’ve been turned down for some interesting reasons in my time, but never because of my star sign,” he says with an uncomfortable chuckle, but he can’t hide the fact that he’s disappointed.

 

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun says apologetically, “but a Taurus with a Sagittarius would be a really bad match. You’d be too flighty and free-spirited for me, and I need stability. Plus, I won’t bull you; I can be pretty hard to live with.”

 

Chanyeol’s not about to give up yet, though.

 

“Look, can I just throw an idea out there..?”

 

“Well, alright,” Baekhyun concedes, looking down at his watch, “but you’ll have to be quick about it. I need to get back to the office.”

 

“Let me take you out on one date,” Chanyeol replies, gently but insistently, “just one. If that doesn’t change your mind, I’ll leave you alone, I promise. It’s just that I’ve never seen someone look so beautiful when they smile, and I’d like to be the one who gets to make you smile like that.”

 

Baekhyun looks at him skeptically for a moment, but then sighs and nods his head.

 

“Alright. I’m only saying yes because you’re cute and seem like a nice guy. But I can’t promise you that this is going to lead anywhere.”

 

“I’m prepared for that. How does Friday night sound?”

 

Baekhyun looks thoughtful for all of two seconds before vigorously shaking his head.

 

“Oh no, Friday’s the 13th. I can’t go on a date on Black Friday, that’s just asking for trouble.”

 

Chanyeol struggles to hold in a sigh of his own, but he’s determined to lock in a day.

 

“Saturday night then?”

 

“Okay,” Baekhyun agrees, “Saturday night it is.”

 

He then takes out his wallet and hands Chanyeol a business card.

 

“Call me,” he says softly, and with that he turns and walks away. After a few moments he looks back at Chanyeol with another sweet, bashful smile that nearly knocks the latter off his feet.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Chanyeol can barely contain himself as he skips jubilantly back into the restaurant.

 

“He agreed to go out with me!” he practically squeals at Sehun, who doesn’t seem quite as enthused by his success, “do you know what this means? It means I’m one step closer to winning-”

 

“..his wiener.”

 

“His heart. You’re sick.”

 

“Hey - I’m only saying what you’re really thinking.”

 

Chanyeol, however, doesn’t respond. He’s too busy thinking of Baekhyun’s smile, and the mental image has his heart dissolving all over again.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Chanyeol shows up at Baekhyun’s apartment building slightly early before their first date, and punches the apartment number Baekhyun has given him into the keypad.

 

 

Number 77. Typical, he thinks, but he can’t help smiling about it.

 

 

“Hi Chanyeol,” a cheery voice says through the speaker, “come on up.”

 

 

When Baekhyun opens the door to him, Chanyeol can barely suppress a gasp over how amazing he looks. He’s wearing a pair of slim grey suit pants and a baby blue collared shirt, with not a wrinkle in sight or a hair out of place. Standing next to him, Chanyeol feels slightly underdressed, but Baekhyun doesn’t seem to care.

 

 

“Excuse my apartment,” he says as he ushers Chanyeol through the door, “it needs a bit of a tidy..”

 

Chanyeol’s eyes widen as he takes in his surroundings. The place is spotless and neatly, nay, obsessively ordered. Cushions, candles, vases and other ornamental objects are arranged in groups of three. Everything else appears to be sorted by colour and size and material and possibly by the date it was manufactured and Chanyeol dreads the thought of ever being invited over properly. He’s terrified that he might accidentally disturb the order and potentially send Baekhyun hurtling headlong into a nervous breakdown.

 

 

I don't even want to know what he'll say when he sees my apartment. He’ll probably run away screaming.

 

I can never take him back to my place. Ever.

 

 

“Okay, let’s go!” he says a little nervously in an effort to coax his date out the door. The sooner they get out of there, the better.

 

Preferably before I look at something and it falls out of place, and he throws me out of a window for ruining his perfectly-ordered life.

 

 

“Alright, I’m coming. Would you mind waiting for me in the hall for a moment? I need to take care of a few things before we leave.”

 

 

Chanyeol does as he’s told and waits for Baekhyun next to the elevator. Even from where he’s standing, he can still hear the faint yet unmistakable clicking of light switches being flicked on and off, followed by a key being turned in a lock multiple times, and it has him briefly wondering what he’s getting himself into.

 

 

When he finally hears footsteps approaching, he presses the elevator button and holds his hand in between the doors to keep them open until Baekhyun gets there.

 

 

“After you,” he says, gesturing for the other to enter before him.

 

“Oh, no,” Baekhyun replies with an adamant shake of his head, “I never use the elevator. I always take the stairs.”

 

Chanyeol blinks at him, confused.

 

“Why..?”

 

Baekhyun looks a little embarrassed. He takes a deep breath, and the words tumble out of his mouth all in one go.

 

“Because I’m scared it will get stuck and I’ll be trapped in there forever and then I’ll die.”

 

It takes almost all of Chanyeol’s strength just to hold in his laughter.

 

“You’re aware that elevators have an emergency button for that very reason, right?”

 

“Yes,” Baekhyun nods, “And..?”

 

Chanyeol sighs and stands back so that Baekhyun can go past him.

 

“Never mind… the stairs it is. Lead the way.”

 

 

Seven flights of stairs. If you weren’t so bloody attractive, this would probably be a deal-breaker.

 

 

On their way downstairs, Chanyeol begins to notice that Baekhyun has a habit of jumping over certain steps. At first he thinks it’s just a random thing, but he eventually realises it’s a little more systematic than that.

 

After the third or fourth flight, he can’t hold his curiosity in anymore.

 

 

“Why do you keep doing that..?”

 

“What do you mean?” Baekhyun asks innocently.

 

“Every now and then you jump over a step… what’s that all about?”

 

 

“Oh.. I’m just skipping the 4th and 13th step on every flight.”

 

 

He says it like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

 

 

“Right. Of course you are.”

 

 

 Once again, Chanyeol finds himself struggling to hide a smile.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Chanyeol takes Baekhyun to the fanciest restaurant he can afford, hoping desperately that visible imperfections in the crockery won’t be a problem. He doesn’t want Baekhyun sending anything back to the kitchen if he can help it.

 

Baekhyun smiles often over the course of the date and manages to match Chanyeol word for word when it comes to conversation, but it’s not difficult to see that he’s quite anxious. He clears his throat numerous times and Chanyeol can’t help noticing him repeatedly touching certain items on the table, even though he tries to be discreet about it.

 

“Can I ask you a question?” Chanyeol ventures cautiously at one point during the evening. “And I apologise in advance if this is a sensitive topic..”

 

Baekhyun nods but he looks a little perplexed. “Sure, I guess..”

 

 

“What’s with all the superstitious stuff? Like the aversion to certain numbers, for instance. I mean, what value does it add to your life, if any?”

 

 

Baekhyun sighs and fiddles with the edge of the tablecloth.

 

“None, really. Deep down I know it’s silly to let these things rule my life. But I’ve had OCD since I was younger, and I suppose much like keeping things ordered and checking things a number of times, it’s just another thing that I obsess about. I do these things because I need to, otherwise I feel like something bad will happen to me. Like I might die.”

 

 

Well, Chanyeol thinks, that certainly explains a lot.

 

 

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