Baekhyun was positive that if he bought his girlfriend flowers she might actually begin to acknowledge his existence. Although, ‘might’ could have been pushing it (it was closer to impossible), he was a hopeful guy. Hopeful and positive, and as his friends told him, to an unhealthy degree.

To be clear, she wasn’t actually his girlfriend per say, but he did consider her a very close friend, and she was a female. So that had to count for something.

 “Why don’t you just invite her over for dinner?” Tao, the friend Baekhyun always relied on for gaming and relationship advice, suggested. Their late-night phone calls weren’t uncommon because Baekhyun frequently needed a second opinion on things.

“You don’t think that’s too much?” Baekhyun asked, sitting in his arm chair with his feet propped up onto his bed. He thought that even flowers was crossing the line, but if his friend recommended something, he was probably going to do it - since Tao was pretty much right about everything.

“Well, heck, you’re already creepily stalking her, why not go all the way?”

Baekhyun scoffed loudly.

“I am not stalking her! How could you even suggest that? I just happen to walk by her university on my way to the corner store every once in a while.”

“You mean every day. And conveniently when her classes are over. Not to mention the corner store is in the exact opposite direction.”  

“My doctor recommended long walks,” Baekhyun said through gritted teeth. “It’s good for my health.”

“Okay Baek, you keep telling yourself that.”

Baekhyun’s eyes narrowed into slits. The best way to prove to Tao that he wasn’t a stalker, was not to dwell on the subject (lest the truth actually came out).

“So about that dinner…”

“Yup?” Tao perked.

“What do you think I’ll need?”

“Well besides food… do you have any candles?”

Baekhyun’s brows drew in. “Why would I need candles? We’re just eating right?”

“Oh my god,” Tao droned, “are you doing this on purpose?”

“Doing what?”

“Being stupid. Look-“ once again Baekhyun narrowed his eyes, forcing himself to believe that, despite his friend’s natural jerkiness, he’d be able to find a sliver of good advice somewhere in their conversation, “if you want this to be even the slightest bit nice, you’re gonna have to set up some candles. Light them up and turn off the lights, and you’ll get this warm, romantic glowing-effect thing – come on, don’t tell me you’ve never seen it in a movie - they always do it and they always have candles.”

“I watch sci-fi.”

There was a pause.

“Well then, just ask the waiter (if you’re doing this at a restaurant) to set them up for you. And if that girl doesn’t fall for you after that, there’s either something really wrong with you (that she thinks won’t go away no matter how romantic your gestures are – and if that’s the case I really suggest you go see someone about it) or she’s a female canine, in which case, you’d do better without her.”

Baekhyun nodded, although bitterly. There. Actual advice.

“Okay, so…” he trailed, trying to fish out a conclusion from their discussion.

There was a moment of silence before Tao spoke. “To be honest, there’s little hope for either of you. I don’t know why you even want to get to know her that much. She’s a stingy little b– “

“Hey! Hey!” Baekhyun quickly cut in. “Keep your opinions to yourself. She just so happens to be a very sweet, caring and thoughtful girl who has a unique way of expressing it.”

“Yeah. Like that one time you tried to talk to her, but you tripped and she literally walked right over you like you were a piece of chewed gum on the sidewalk. Priceless.”

“I used ‘unique’ for a reason.”

He could hear Tao sigh on the other line. “Okay, well, do whatever you want. I have to go. My car, uh, needs help with its, um… tires. Goodbye.”

“But wait! – what should I wear?!”

Click.

Dammit Tao. Some friend you are. He stared vexingly at his phone.

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