Days and weeks passed like Sehun was flipping through chapters of a new book. Despite the number of chapters that went by, it seemed the unlucky protagonist was always paired with the foil, which Sehun decided was an apt name for Byun Baekhyun. Sehun couldn’t really describe their interactions any other way—some of his coworkers had begun to recognize Baekhyun as “Sehunnie’s rebel friend,” and he supposed that word could work, but foil was definitely more accurate. It was not long before Baekhyun had become a staple of the library just as much as any old chair or worn and scratched desk that had been there for longer than Sehun had been alive.

He had always come, purple and blue marks like ink blots always staining his skin, money always crumpled and never ready even though they both knew the exchange was going to happen, name always scrawled barely legibly on the paper. Similarly, Sehun had always signed, always extinguished the questions on his lips as his eyes jumped from bruise to bruise, and always dreamt of a sharp voice and dangerous fingers around his throat.

Sehun noticed the first time Baekhyun stayed longer than ten minutes and decided to act on it. “Where are you going?” his voice tagged along after Sehun as he strode towards the carts on the other side of the desk.

“This may come as a surprise to you, but I actually do other things here besides sit and wait for you to come so I can sign your thing,” Sehun said as he carefully lifted stacks of returned books to place on a cart.

“Pretty sure we both know that isn’t true,” came the teasing response from behind him. Sehun attempted to stifle his laugh, but his trembling shoulders betrayed him and he could feel Baekhyun’s eyes latch on to them in victory. “See, don’t even say that me coming here isn’t the highlight of your dull existence.”

Sehun’s lips twitched as he gazed down at the books on the cart. “You wish. Shut up and push this.” He left the cart to attend to another one.

Baekhyun protested behind him, but Sehun rolled his eyes after he eventually heard the unmistakable squeak of old library carts moving their ancient wheels. Their noisy caravan trekked across the library, receiving the odd stare every now and then for being disruptive. “I don’t understand why I have to do your job for you.”

“You don’t, actually.”

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“Me neither, honestly.”

“You’re totally signing my thing for free next time.”

“You sound like that cart.”

“Hey now, I’ll run into your heel with this. That really hurts, y’know.”

Sehun chuckled dryly, stopping his cart in the reference section. “You wouldn’t dare. I’ll get you banned so fast.”

He picked up a hefty dictionary and checked the spine, turning it over in his veiny hands before reaching up to place it on a shelf overhead. He was almost surprised to see Baekhyun still standing next to him, petite body draped over the cart and kohl-lined eyes lazily gazing up at the walls of books on either side of them. Sehun watched his slim fingers drum over the cover of what looked like a copy of some old classic and his leg jiggle like a piston. It all seemed like too much movement for where they were, the still and timeless and solitary back corner of the library. Sehun had grown used to the feeling of suspended motion over the past few months of volunteering here and had somehow, more than once, found himself imagining this place when he couldn’t stop trembling at school. His heart skipped a beat as Baekhyun’s eyes flicked from the shelf to his face.

“You’ve only put one back,” Baekhyun hummed, his leg stilling. Sehun hadn’t noticed he was staring at the way the boy’s impossibly tight black jeans wrapped around his thighs until Baekhyun grinned with a knowing smile. Sehun’s hands lunged for a book and awkwardly shoved it back onto the shelf, his heart thudding in his ears like Baekhyun’s nimble fingers pattering over the books. He continued with the mechanical process until Baekhyun’s hand suddenly grasped his wrist, grip tight and cold.

Sehun’s heart dropped as his throat tightened at the memory of those hands around his neck. Baekhyun smirked, another long finger stabbing one of the books Sehun had returned to the shelf. “I’m no expert on books, but I’m pretty sure those don’t go in the reference section.”

Sehun pursed his lips, blinking at the collection of children’s books he had stacked next to the Korean edition of Encyclopedia Britannica. “See, this is why I got you to push the cart. You’re obviously born for this.” Baekhyun chuckled, and it sounded like smoke. Sehun pointed a stubby finger at the remaining books. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and read the call numbers off to me?”

Something flashed behind Baekhyun’s eyes as he quickly placed a hand behind his neck, his attempts to be casual only deterring his cause. Sehun could tell the blank look on his face was calculated disinterest, a shield to protect a million thoughts racing behind his eyes—something he himself was very familiar with doing. The immediate shift in the air was jarring.

“Ehh, it’s not my job really,” Baekhyun said nonchalantly, carefully.  “As much as I have a natural talent as you say, I’ll settle with bothering you instead.” A tight smile stretched his lips.

Sehun nodded, turning the answer over in his head. “Ha, then I really will be totally done with you for the day.” His tongue slid over his lips in contemplation, returning Baekhyun’s cautious blank gaze to a degree that was undeniably masterful, both unassuming and naïve. “Why don’t you just do a couple for me. It would be a lot faster with two people and you’d really be helping me out.”

He watched Baekhyun’s normally lazy eyes scramble for something to hold on to, his mind working to catch up with the situation. He was good, though, Sehun had to admit—that smile never left him. “Hmm, only ‘cause I don’t hate you,” Baekhyun said as he gingerly picked up a book.

Sehun turned and stared down Encyclopedia Britannica to hide his self-satisfied smile. “Okay, first.”

He distractedly traced the gold engravings of Volume 36’s spine as Baekhyun’s voice crept under his skin. “DS1-937.” It was so quiet and slow that Sehun could’ve sworn it came from someone else.

Baekhyun made a face at him as he handed the book to Sehun. When he refused to release it from his grasp, Sehun finally blurted, “Oh my g—thanks, jesus.”

“No problem,” Baekhyun’s lips spread into a grin as his eyes crinkled.

Sehun thought they were crisp fountain pen on smooth white paper. “Next,” he said simply, curling his fingers for another book.

There was a pause. Sehun gestured again impatiently. “Hellooo.”

Baekhyun blinked at the spine of the second book, pursing his lips. They opened and closed in quick, soft movements before a sound came out. “D…S…you know, I’m still curious why you like reading so much.” The boy looked up suddenly, cocking his head and leaning against the bookshelf beside them.

Sehun rolled his eyes. “I dunno, it’s just fun. Next—”

Baekhyun’s laugh was a staccato puff of air, forced from his lungs like his words. He waved his hands around nonchalantly as he talked, as if the tome wasn’t still resting in his hands. “I mean, obviously I’m not a fan as you know, but I’m just so curious. What’s the big deal? What’s all the hype about?”

Sehun watched him carefully as he spoke. He chose a noncommittal answer. “Well, even if you don’t like it, we all gotta deal with it at school, right? Come on, I asked you to help so this would actually be faster, fun fact.”

Baekhyun crossed his arms, looking up at the ceiling. “I’m not much for school, really. Not a fan of that either, as you probably can see.”

Patience wearing thin, Sehun clenched his jaw and turned, finger tapping rapidly on the shelf next to him. “Actually, I’ve never seen you at school. Don’t we go to the same one?”

Squirming under Sehun’s stare, Baekhyun’s detached grin stretched thin and his eyes continued to dance across the ceiling through his paintbrush hair. “Ha, yeah. I don’t go much though.”

“What do you mean, you don’t go? Don’t you want to graduate?” Sehun wasn’t even sure why he was continuing this conversation as it was slowing down the reshelving process immensely and wrapping tendrils of tension around his ribcage.

Baekhyun’s eyes immediately left the ceiling to stare at him, instantly prickling to the accusatory tone behind Sehun’s words. Sehun in a breath through his nose, almost waiting for those fingers to close around his throat like it had all those weeks ago. “I mean I ing ditch, you goody-two-shoes. I don’t give a about graduating.” Before Sehun could respond, Baekhyun glared at the book still clenched in his hands and spat out, “DS…J-954.3,” shoving the tome into Sehun’s chest with a dull thud.

“What the , thanks.” Sehun grumbled. “What’s your problem?” By the time Sehun looked up, Baekhyun was furiously fishing through the pockets of his black leather jacket and cursing under his breath.

“All anyone ever wants to know about me is graduating. What’s that all about? Who the cares, it happens to everyone,” he muttered, producing a worn pack of cigarettes.

Sehun’s eyes widened in horror as Baekhyun proceeded to shove one between his lips. “Dude, what the , you can’t smoke in here.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, teeth glinting dangerously through his lips as he spoke with the cigarette in his mouth. “ off, goody-two-shoes. I was just on my way out,” he snapped, the bite slightly muffled.

Sehun’s heart was racing as Baekhyun spun on his heels and stalked down the long hall of shelves to leave. His blood was roaring through his veins, square fists clenching and unclenching as his eyes drilled a hole in the back of Baekhyun’s neck. He noticed what looked like the thin lines and black splotches of a tattoo creeping up from under the collar of the boy’s jacket, the tendrils just shy of teasing his hairline.

He tore his eyes away from the sight to shelve the book Baekhyun had punched a hole in his chest with only to see that the call number was completely wrong. Pursing his lips and squeezing his eyes shut, Sehun suddenly blurted out, “Hey.”

Surprisingly, Baekhyun stopped, head turning to the side and black hair framing his forehead. The tall bookshelves loomed over him on either side like the walls of a maze, threatening to suffocate him.

“You really wanna know why I read?”

Baekhyun remained still.

“It’s so I can focus on the pain of others instead of my own.”

Sehun thought he saw Baekhyun’s lips twitch around the cigarette, but before he could say for sure he was alone again in the maze, and the library was silent.

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A/N: I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK FOREVER UGH

school was a pain in the and now that's finally over i had a tough time getting this chapter sorted out??? idk i hope you guys liked it and i'm really sorry for lack of updates herrkkkk ._. the rest is planned out though so i hope to get the rest out WAY quicker. thanks for reading!