Exploding Gunpowder.

“Hey, do you want to see the fireworks together?” Baekhyun tried his best to sound casual, because it’s perfectly normal to ask your male friend out to watch fireworks together. Without anyone else. Just the two of them. It’s perfectly normal. Yeah... Baekhyun noisily ate his crisps filling the awkward silence that had fallen between them. He was sat on the big armchair chair off to the side of the sofa that Tao was sat on in Baekhyun’s dorm (which he shared with Chanyeol). The fair haired Tao stared at him, his expression unreadable. Was this too weird? Was this the limit? The two had done things together as friends by themselves before. Did Tao see right through Baekhyun and see his true feelings? He quickly cleared his throat.

“As friends, you know,” He waved his hand around in a dismissive manner before he crunched on some more crisps. Better to clarify things. If anything, Tao’s face fell and he turned his attention back to his beloved phone.

“Sure.”

Baekhyun heaved a silent sigh. Well, at least he had said yes. His plan was going relatively well so far. The firework festival will be the perfect place to confess to his friend. Confess that he likes the younger more a lot more than a friend. He swallowed thickly at the mere thought of it. He can see this ending very badly.

“It’s next Friday. At the hoe.”

“Mhmm.”

Baekhyun stared at the flaxen haired boy as he did whatever it was on his phone. Long dark eyelashes caught his attention. The way they curved and fanned across his cheek. He then looked at Tao’s beautifully shaped lips their soft rosy colour. Yes, this would end very badly. Baekhyun was more than glad when Chanyeol and Kris arrived back with dinner.

✸

The next week for Baekhyun was spent worrying about Friday and distracting himself from the fact that he loved one of his friends. When Friday finally came around, his new lomographic camera arrived, so he temporarily forgot all about fireworks and Tao. He was very glad he hadn’t seen Tao all week. He couldn’t deal with choking up and probably suffocating to death. He sighed inwardly, he’s being really stupid. He’s acting like a girl for christ's sake! He really needs to get it together if Friday is going to be any sort of success.

Eager to try out his new camera, he had decided to kill some time taking pictures around town and was definitely not thinking about how much he wanted to photograph Tao. In the center of town he spotted a clock attached to the side of a shop. It looked like it had been there for a while, judging by the decoration and style. He wished he could get closer ━ Oh ! The time! It was nearly six o’clock! Well there went his carefully laid plans. He had meant to leave at five so he’d have time to get ready. There was no time for that now. Baekhyun quickly dived into the nearest coffee shop to use the bathroom. He checked his reflection. He did not look as nearly as good as he would like to. It would take half an hour to walk back to the dorms then maybe another half hour to get ready. Should he risk it? With an exasperated sigh, he exited the coffee shop and walked as quickly as possible back to the dorm.

He was glad to find Tao hadn’t been around. He had probably been clever and got ready in advance with time to kill. Baekhyun proceeded to get ready in record time, beating his personal record. Chanyeol gave his a smirk (or maybe a grin) from his place on the sofa as he entered the living room, panicking.

“Going to the fireworks? I went yesterday.”

“Good for you. , where’s my wallet?”

“In your pocket?” Chanyeol said with a ‘are-you-dumb’ tone. Baekhyun his hand in his back pocket and lo’ and behold! “Dude, stop worrying. It’ll be fine. Who’re you taking?”

Baekhyun sighed and ran a hand through his recently dyed platinum blonde hair (which he definitely did not copy off Tao).

“Don’t laugh, okay?”

“Is it Tao?”

“Ye ━ What? How?”

“Dude, I’ve known you since you were a fetus, I know you.”

“A-and you’re okay with it?”

“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because it’s... gay?”

Chanyeol really did smile then, a classic Chanyeol million watt smile, certain to warm even the coldest of hearts.

“What friend would I be then?”

Baekhyun grinned back, he felt better now. He was glad he had Chanyeol. He felt like this wouldn’t be such a complete disaster now. Grabbing his camera with a resolute nod he headed to the door. He looked good, he smelt good, and he felt good. What could go wrong?

“Wish me luck?”

“You don’t need it.”

Baekhyun scoffed as he left.

✸

The hoe was absolutely packed when Baekhyun got there, another reason why he wanted to do things earlier. He couldn’t move for people in every direction. The carnival rides that had been set up blasted out music that made the earth under his feet tremble. The combined aromas of various foods wafted around him, permeating all his senses as he tried to navigate his way through the mass of people to the bank. He’d had already had enough of screaming children running around his legs. He quickly checked his phone for the time. The fireworks wouldn’t start for an hour or so, plenty of time to find a spot on the bank and actually find Tao himself. Right? He gave the taller boy a ring, a finger in his other ear so he could actually hear the other end. It didn’t take him long to pick up, but Baekhyun couldn’t hear all that well regardless.

“Tao, are you here? Where are you?”

Baekhyun tried his best to make his way to the lighthouse that was located on the bank, the easiest and most popular meeting spot.

“Yeah. Where are you?” He mentally sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy was it?

“Meet me by the lighthouse, okay?”

“Okay.” Tao hung up first just as Baekhyun finally arrived at the infamous lighthouse.

He waited and waited in a little spot away from the groups of people that had gathered around the towering building. It was starting to get dark now, lights on the horizon were lighting up and the sea below was painted a faint orange. He took his eyes off the view in favour of trying to locate his friend in the crowds. His unique pale blonde hair and height would be easy to recognise and yet, he was nowhere to be found.

He was seriously starting to get nervous now, his palms were burning and sweaty inside of his jacket pockets. Has he been more nervous than he was right now? Not only was he sick with anxiety, there was excitement bubbling in his stomach. It was a strange mix that burned like a case of heartburn. Time was running out and Tao was still nowhere to be seen. It had been something like fifteen minutes since they got off the phone to eachother. Baekhyun sighed and decided to leave. He'd just find somewhere to watch the fireworks on the bank before there was none, phone Tao and then tell him to get his over here.

It took another ten minutes to find a decent viewing location which turned out to be some large building at the top of the bank with a wall surrounding it. A wall which was good enough to sit on judging by the fact that some people had the same idea as him. Time to call Tao and find out where the hell he was.

“Jesus where are you? I'm gonna’ watch them without you.” But that would probably be okay because maybe Tao had found some of his other friends to watch the fireworks with.

“I'm at the lighthouse. Where are you?”

“Are you kidding me right now?” He quickly muttered out an ‘oh-my-God’. “Right, you see the big building at the top of the bank to your left?”

There was a pause. Baekhyun was glad he could hear himself think all the way over here, nowhere near the rides and pounding music.

“Yeah.”

“I’m over here, on the wall, okay. Now hurry your up.”

Baekhyun made sure he was the first to hang up and sighed again. This was a disaster. He had predicted this. It was ruined before it had even begun. Would he ever confess at this rate? He watched the people move and settle around him, children still laughing and screaming, and couples talking quietly and hugging for warmth. Now he felt lonely and awful. He will end up just watching the fireworks alone. It was now dark enough for the fireworks to take place, and he had overheard someone saying they were due to start any minute now. He didn't even want to watch them if Tao wasn't here with him. He took a picture of the dark horizon with it’s twinkling lights dotted along it before he turned his attention to the ground below him with a resigned sigh.

Being without Tao . Tao fitted perfectly next to him, despite how tall he was compared to him. The boy was warm and funny and even though it took a couple of tries to spark the light of friendship between them, when it was lit, it was sent ablaze. They worked together like a well oiled machine despite how odd their friendship seemed. Somewhere along the road of bright smiles, dumb jokes, pulling pranks on their other friends, and looking after Tao like a good friend, Baekhyun had fallen in love.

“Oh my God, hyung! I finally found you!” Came the breathless voice. Electricity filled Baekhyun right up from his toes to his hair. There Tao was, grinning at him stupidly, catching his breath with shining eyes.

“Jeez, cutting it fine aren't you. They’re gonna’ start any second now.” Baekhyun turned away to hide his blush. Tao had dressed up. He looked even more criminally good that normal.

“I couldn’t find you!” Tao cried, taking at next next to the elder on the wall. “Your camera came then,” he stated and Baekhyun looked at the said item in his hands. He really wanted to take a picture of Tao. His outfit was perfect and in this lighting ━ “Will you take a picture of me?”

Sometimes, he wondered if Tao could read minds.

“Why?”

Tao just shrugged because to him, pictures of himself weren’t a big deal. Never mind whose camera it was on. Baekhyun wanted to tease the younger about his vanity but couldn’t bring himself too. Instead he trained his eyes on the horizon, waiting for the that first firework. And if they didn't start soon, he was going to have to fill the awkward silence with small talk and Baekhyun didn't know if he had that in him right now. But suddenly ━

BANG!

The sky erupted in white and gold glitter. He almost jumped out of his skin, something that made Tao quietly chuckle. White and gold was replaced with red and pink, the colours soaking the earth below it. Baekhyun was in awe. It was really pretty. He raised his camera to his eye and ━

“Baekhyun.”

He rested the camera back in his lap and began to turn to his friend but before he could... His lips were captured by a warm soft pair. Tao’s lips were on his. This... This was a kiss. Tao, Tao was actually kissing him! This was really happening. No no no. It wasn’t meant to go like this! Baekhyun had plans! But lips moved together with a soft sweet rhythm that made Baekhyun shaky all over. He was sure that his heartbeat was louder than the cracks and bangs of the fireworks overhead. Eventually, they came to a natural end and at some point, Tao’s large warm hand had wound up in Baekhyun’s gelled hair, effectively undoing the gell’s hold. He took a deep quivering breath before looking at Tao eye to eye. The younger’s dark eyes reflected the brilliance of the fireworks making them glisten in more ways than one.

“What...?” Baekhyun whispered.

“What?” Tao echoed with an amused smirk but Baekhyun could tell he was nervous. He had learnt how to read him, notice the small signs that reflected his mood. Tao was scared of being rejected, scared that he had messed up. Baekhyun’s heart throbbed endearingly for him.

“I - I was going to confess to you!” Baekhyun exclaimed with a despairing smile. Tao smiled back, the fireworks in his eyes lighting up the mirth and love swirling in them.

“If we waited around for you, it’d be a hundred years before you’d confess!”

“Hey! I resent that. I was genuinely going to confess, okay,” Baekhyun’s eyes darted around Tao’s figure, coming to terms with what had just happened. This was real life, right? The roar and screams from the fireworks continued, brushing them in different hues. He looked back into Tao’s eyes which hadn’t left him. Baekhyun felt the temperature rise in his cheeks. He’s meant to be the older one here! “I’ve liked you for a long time,” he smiled trembling all over with joy, the boom of the fireworks adding to the skips in his heartbeat. This is what it is to feel alive.

“I have too.”

“Really? You better not be ing with me, Tao.”

Tao smiles crookedly and Baekhyun is drowning, sinking, and falling all at once.

“Do you really think I’d be joking about something like this?”

Baekhyun his parched lips, “We’re missing the fireworks.”

“I can see them just fine.”

It takes Baekhyun a second to realise that he means he can watch them in his eyes and that means he can just stare into his eyes lovingly - he punches Tao softly on the shoulder and they laugh. “You are so cheesy, jeez.”

Tao’s hands rest upon his hip, Baekhyun’s not even surprised at how normal and comfortable it feels. He thinks even if he hasn’t fallen love, touches like that would be normal anyhow. Like it’s just an extension of them, their personalities and the feelings between them. However, he hasn’t met someone quite as touchy feely as Tao so maybe the signs were there all along and he had been too busy worrying about their precious friendship to notice. His own hand is hooked on his shoulder like it belongs there. He almost doesn’t want to watch the fireworks.

“We could be kissing right now,” Tao smirks, inching a bit closer to prove his point. Baekhyun laughs at him, pushing him away softly.

“We’ve got loads of time for that!” After one final big grin, he turns back to the gunpowder exploding high in the sky. Tao nuzzles into the curve of his neck and shoulder with a contented sigh and watches as the fireworks form into hearts and smiley faces.

This couldn’t of gone more perfectly, Baekhyun decides.

✸