Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It's on a hot, sticky late August afternoon that Kyungsoo finally gets new neighbors. The house right across the street has been on the market for almost three months. The elderly couple who lived there finally deciding they'd had enough of the snowy, cold Chicago winters and packing up to move permanently to Arizona. They were a nice couple. Quiet. Kyungsoo would shovel their driveway for them in the winter on occasion and get ushered into their house for hot chocolate and pie made perfectly fresh. It's going to be hard for his new neighbors to live up to that.

He catches glimpses of people moving in and out of the house throughout the day. It's a Saturday, and Kyungsoo is home, procrastinating on his writing by doing the laundry and playing around with his poodles, Inky and Pepper. He can hear his new neighbors laughing and chatting loudly from across the way, but decides he’ll wait until they’re all settled to go say hello.

That doesn't happen until Monday, when Kyungsoo comes home during lunch to walk his dogs and finds who he guesses must be his neighbors running around in their yard, a young boy and whom Kyungsoo can only assume is the boy’s father. He wasn't expecting a family, but it makes sense. This is a nice, relatively peaceful suburban town. Ideal for parents raising kids.

He parks his car in his driveway and steps out into the sun, pushing his glasses up his nose as he glances over to where his neighbors are still playing. Without letting himself think too much about it, Kyungsoo heads across the street instead of into his house. His dogs can wait a few minutes while Kyungsoo makes social niceties. It's only proper, he thinks, to greet his new neighbors.

"Hey," he says as he gets close, and he's surprised when he notices how young the man is. He can't be much older than Kyungsoo himself, with the softness of his cheeks and his pretty smile. Kyungsoo returns it, trying not to let his mind wander already. It's hard not to, however, when this man is, well,--really attractive. "I'm your neighbor across the street."

"Hi! I’m Baekhyun," says the man as he walks up to Kyungsoo and holds out a hand. Kyungsoo notices pretty fingers and a firm grip when they shake hands. "And this is my son, Seongeun." Baekhyun gestures towards the young boy still playing around with a soccer ball across the lawn. "Hey, Eun, why don't you come say hi?"

The boy looks over, but he only gives Kyungsoo a little shy wave and smile and Kyungsoo chuckles, waves back. The boy looks away quickly and busies himself with his ball again and Baekhyun sighs, running a hand through his already messy, long dark brown hair.

"He can be kinda shy around strangers," he says with a sheepish smile and Kyungsoo shakes his head.

"It's okay," he says. "I'm like that too sometimes, and I’m an adult."

That makes Baekhyun laugh. It's a nice sound, that laugh, and it lights up his whole face. "You came over here to say hi on your own though, so I'd say you're doing alright."

"Well, it's good to meet your neighbors," Kyungsoo returns with a little one-shouldered shrug. "Never know when you're gonna need to borrow a cup of sugar."

"Or milk," Baekhyun teases.

"An egg or two," Kyungsoo adds, and they laugh a little more easily at that. Eun is glancing over at them curiously, but doesn't make any attempt to join them.

"Hey, you never told me your name," Baekhyun says suddenly, and Kyungsoo blinks at him, their whole conversation replaying in his head in the span of a few seconds, and he flushes as he realizes Baekhyun's right.

"I'm Kyungsoo," he says with a smile.

"Kyungsoo, huh?" Baekhyun says, like he's trying to taste his name, feel how it sounds on his tongue, and it shouldn't send a little shiver up Kyungsoo's spine, but it does. He has a nice voice. Kyungsoo works with nice voices all the time, so he would know, and Baekhyun voice is low without being scary (like Chanyeol's) and gentle without being too soft (like Minseok's).

When Kyungsoo’s thoughts fade away and he focuses back on Baekhyun, it’s to find him smiling brightly, beaming like the sun shining in the sky. “It's nice to meet you, Kyungsoo,” he says in that nice voice, and Kyungsoo finds himself smiling back, a little blinded by the smile, and maybe also a little doomed.

Having a hot neighbor is not so terrible in the grand scheme of things, Kyungsoo tells himself. It might not be a step up from the couple who used to live there, but it is above the family of seven with screaming babies who would keep Kyungsoo awake at night, like he'd worried about. Baekhyun and Eun settle well into their little nook of homes and Kyungsoo sees more of them than he ever really sees any of his other neighbors.

It's nice though, having a neighbor on the younger side of forty. Kyungsoo's always been the youngest of the bunch during block parties or the occasional summer barbecues. Baekhyun's a year older than Kyungsoo at 32, and Eun, he learns, is six.

"He starts first grade next week," Baekhyun had told him the other day, when they'd met outside while checking their mailboxes. "I'm not even remotely prepared."

It's nice, too, having another Korean family on the street. Baekhyun can pronounce Kyungsoo's name properly and it's a welcome change from the other neighbors who have taken up calling him by his surname because "Do" is easier to say. But Kyungsoo should be glad they don't call him D.O. the way Chanyeol does whenever they're at work or he's feeling particularly like being a little shit (which is almost all the time).

D.O. is the moniker Kyungsoo had come up with for his children's book series, Chen's Crazy Space Adventures. It's the name he uses for his voice acting, too, once his book series was adapted into a television show. Kyungsoo plays the role of Lu, Chen's sidekick and talking deer friend. The voice acting is a totally new endeavor, one that he never expected to ever happen when he first started doodling a little boy with funny hair floating around in space.

But here he is, just over a year into the venture, and his book sales are up higher than they've ever been, and the show has had great ratings and reception. The second season is meant to air at the end of September, and it's crunch time now, getting the last few episodes completed.

Kyungsoo’s been involved with the show since the script-writing began two years ago, well before the first season aired. He wanted to be a part of the process, to work with the production writers and animators, creating his own storyboards and episodes as well. But he hadn’t realized quite the magnitude of the project, and it had taken a toll, made it difficult to work on his last book, and resulting in a late release. The sales weren’t too bad, all things considered, but Kyungsoo realized he much prefers writing and drawing on his own terms than on the strict schedule of the production team.

These days, Kyungsoo works with the team from more of a producer level. He still does the voice work, of course, joining the table reading and recording, but isn’t involved directly with the script-writing or animation. He goes into the studio on occasion to review what’s been done and give his final approval, and that’s how it’s been for the past year while the team’s been working on the second season. He likes it this way. His days are quieter, and he feels more free. He’s able to pop into the studio in the morning to check how things are going and make it home in time for lunch to walk the dogs. And over the next few days, this is when he tends to run into Baekhyun the most.

"I took this whole week off," Baekhyun explains that first Friday of September when Kyungsoo looks surprised to see him back outside on the lawn, playing with Eun in the middle of the day. "Well, I'm doing some work from home, actually. It was the best option so we could move and get everything settled. Once Eun starts school next week our schedules will be more matched up and it won't be a problem."

Kyungsoo nods in understanding and shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "What is it that you do?" he asks.

"I work in IT for a web company," Baekhyun says and Kyungsoo stares at him, a little surprised. It makes Baekhyun laugh. "Not what you expected, right? No one ever thinks it suits me."

"No, no, it's not that--" Kyungsoo says hastily, but Baekhyun just laughs again, waving a hand at Kyungsoo dismissively. "I don't know, I just expected something more--interactive."

"You're right," Baekhyun says. "It's not a very people-person kind of job, but it pays the bills, and the hours are good." He smiles softly, glancing over at where Eun is playing with a couple of toys on the porch. "And it lets me be home for Eun in the evenings, and even work remotely when needed so I can't complain too much, you know?"

Kyungsoo nods, even though he can't really imagine the kind of thing Baekhyun must deal with as a parent. A single-parent, even, though Kyungsoo is only assuming such. He's never seen anyone other than the two of them here except when they moved in, and Baekhyun hasn't mentioned anything about a wife or husband or partner the few times they've talked. He wants to ask, wants to know more, but he knows it's also none of his business. Baekhyun can tell him if he wants, when he wants.

When Eun calls out for Baekhyun, Kyungsoo takes his leave, heads back to his place to pick up his dogs for their walk. Inky and Pepper are always excited to see him, and it takes a few minutes of effort to get them to calm down long enough for Kyungsoo to attach their leashes. He barely makes it two feet from his driveway when there's a sudden screech of, "Puppies!" and Eun comes hurtling across the street.

"Be careful!" Baekhyun exclaims, rushing after him, but the street's empty and mostly silent, and Eun makes it over without trouble, coming to a sudden halt before Kyungsoo and his puppies. "You have to ask Kyungsoo if it's okay to pet them," Baekhyun says when he joins them, dropping his hands to Eun's shoulders and squeezing.

"Can I?" Eun asks shyly, peering up at Kyungsoo, who laughs and says, "Of course."

Inky and Pepper are excited about meeting new people, but listen when Kyungsoo tells them to sit while Eun reaches out and tentatively pets each of them in turn, a bright, bright smile spreading across his face.

"What're their names?" Baekhyun asks, stepping closer to Kyungsoo so he can watch over Eun and the dogs. He laughs when Kyungsoo introduces them. "Creative," he teases, and Kyungsoo nudges him in the side with his elbow, only to quickly pull back because he forgets that he and Baekhyun aren't really friends. They're just neighbors who have known each other for a week, and he probably shouldn't feel so comfortable around him like this the way he does with Chanyeol or Junmyeon. Baekhyun just makes it so easy.

"Eun's been wanting a puppy for a long time," Baekhyun says, ruffling his son's hair. "We couldn't even have pets at our old apartment, but now that we're in a house, he's been even more insistent about it."

"Well, he's welcome to come over and play with these two anytime if he wants," Kyungsoo offers, and he feels heat creep up the back of his neck when Baekhyun's expression shifts from surprise to something much softer, pleased.

"I'm invited too, right?" he asks, lips curling in mischief, and Kyungsoo rolls his eyes.

"We'll see," he replies and Baekhyun gasps with mock outrage, but then laughs, and Kyungsoo thinks he definitely wouldn't mind Baekhyun in his home, brightening up the place with that beautiful laugh.

"I should get moving," Kyungsoo says instead of any of that. "These kids need to be walked and I have to head to work to re-record for an episode.”

Baekhyun stares at him. "Episode?" he repeats, lets his eyes drop down to Kyungsoo's feet, and then slowly work their way back up. "Are you an actor or something?"

That makes Kyungsoo laugh, shaking his head. He can't really imagine himself in front of the camera at all. "Do I look like an actor to you?" he asks, and Baekhyun grins at him. "I do voice acting, for a kid's show--"

"Oh my god," Baekhyun cuts over him loudly. "You're in Chen's Crazy Space Adventures!" He looks both amazed and somewhat gleeful. "I knew your voice sounded familiar the first time we met and it's been driving me insane ever since."

Kyungsoo has never had anyone recognize him by his voice before. The show is only a year old, after all, and its demographics don't generally include handsome 30-years-olds. Then again, Baekhyun is also a father. "You've watched the show?" he asks, and he's growing a little warm around the collar again, because Baekhyun keeps staring at him with this little smile that he can't understand. "And, you're right, I'm, uh, on the show, but I also wrote the book series."

"Wait, wait, wait," Baekhyun says, holding a hand up. "Not only are you one of the characters on the show, but you're saying you wrote the entire series?"

"Uh...yes?" Kyungsoo says and he's struggling not to burst out laughing at Baekhyun's clearly impressed expression.

"What the fu--" He cuts himself off abruptly, clearly remembering Eun is still there, and then turns to his son and says, "Hey, Eunnie, guess what?"

Eun, still playing with Kyungsoo's dogs, barely looks at his dad when he says, "What?"

"Mr. Kyungsoo here, he wrote your favorite books," Baekhyun trills. "The Chen books!"

That does it. Eun's interest in Kyungsoo's puppies is exchanged for an interest in him, his eyes wide as he jumps up and exclaims, "Really? You wrote the books about Chen and Lu?"

"I did," Kyungsoo says with a laugh. Eun is staring at him with stars in his eyes. Kyungsoo's met plenty of kids who enjoy his books, but something about Eun's total awe and earnesty makes this more special. Or maybe it's because Baekhyun is also looking at him like that, like Kyungsoo's a bit of a hero or something. "You like the books?"

“They’re my favorite!" Eun says loudly. "Me and dad watch the cartoons too!"

"Yeah, like, everyday," Baekhyun says with a grin. "He's obsessed. I can't believe I couldn't place your voice sooner."

"Well, I do try to switch my voice up a little when I speak as Lu," Kyungsoo says. "I'm impressed it sounded familiar to you at all."

"I wasn't kidding when I said we watch the show everyday," Baekhyun laughs. "When you listen to something that often, it sticks."

"I guess so," Kyungsoo says with a smile. "I'm glad that you guys enjoy the books. I have a lot of sketches at home, maybe Eun would like to see them sometime."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Eun yells, continuing to jump in his excitement. When Baekhyun pats his shoulder, he adds, quickly, "Please!"

It makes Kyungsoo laugh. "Okay," Kyungsoo says. "Maybe this weekend."

Baekhyun nods. "Sounds good," he says. "We'll let you go now. Sorry for keeping you so long."

"Don't worry about it," Kyungsoo says. It was fun, he doesn't say. Baekhyun and Eun say goodbye to the puppies and then Kyungsoo finally leads them away, down toward the little park at the end of the street.

When he glances back once more, his heart catches, finding Baekhyun staring after him. He grins, and it's still so bright even from this far away, and when he waves, Kyungsoo returns it.

It's not until he makes it to the park that he realizes, maybe, the flush in his cheeks has nothing to do with the summer heat and everything to do with Baekhyun's pretty, pretty smile.

The next day, Baekhyun and Eun come over to see some of Kyungsoo's work and to play with the puppies again. It hadn't been an empty invite, but Kyungsoo hadn't really expected them to take him up on the offer so soon.

"I hope we're not bothering you," Baekhyun says when they arrive, but Kyungsoo shakes his head.

"Not at all," he says. "I was just making lunch, and you guys are more than welcome to stay if you want."

"Are you sure?" Baekhyun asks. His voice is hesitant, but his eyes, they're hopeful, like he'd like nothing more than not having to go back home and cook himself. "We don't want to impose--"

"You're not," Kyungsoo cuts over him, firm. "You're my neighbors. It's cool."

The smile Baekhyun gives him makes Kyungsoo's chest warm. "Well, if you insist."

"I do," he says with a nod. "Come on in."

Eun is about as equally excited to see the puppies as they are to see him, and they end up playing around the living room floor while Baekhyun follows Kyungsoo back into the kitchen.

"What're you making?" Baekhyun asks, peering curiously around at the food Kyungsoo's already chopped up on the counter, the plate of chicken that's been cooked and just needs to get added back with the gnocchi once it's finished.

"Pasta, basically," Kyungsoo says. "I hope it's okay with you. Is Eun picky about food?"

"Not really," Baekhyun says. "I eat just about everything, so I think he inherited my love of food to be honest."

Kyungsoo grins. "Nothing wrong with that," he says as he slowly drops the little gnocchi pieces into the boiling water. "Being a picky eater just means you miss out on so many great things."

"Exactly," Baekhyun agrees. "I'm glad you understand."

"I got you," Kyungsoo laughs, but drops his gaze when his words catch up to him. "Uh, do you want something to drink?" he asks quickly, changing the topic. "There's beer and juice in the fridge, you're welcome to help yourself."

"Thanks," Baekhyun says, and his hand brushes against Kyungsoo's waist as he moves away. "Eunnie, do you want some juice?"

Eun yells out a loud yes that makes both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo chuckle, and easily settles the weird feeling in Kyungsoo's chest. He focuses on scooping out the gnocchi that have floated to the top of the pot, listening as Baekhyun retrieves the juice from the fridge.

"Where are your--oh wait, I see them," he says, and Kyungsoo glances over his shoulder to see Baekhyun pull a cup out of the cupboard with a little glass window that lets him see inside. He smiles, turns back, and finishes up the gnocchi by tossing them into a pan with browned butter.

"That smells amazing," Baekhyun says, suddenly far too close, and Kyungsoo jerks a little as he realizes Baekhyun's looking over his shoulder.

He hadn't really noticed it before, but Baekhyun is taller than him by a few inches, and the corners of his eyes slope downwards. It's cute, and Kyungsoo has to throw that thought away as soon as it forms, clearing his throat as he looks back at the stove. A much safer view.

"Thanks," he says, probably a little too late. "It's just about done."

He tosses the chicken he'd prepared into the pan with the gnocchi and as that heats back through, he pulls out plates from another cupboard. Baekhyun's there suddenly to take them from his hands, flashing him a grin as he says, "It's the least I can do."

Kyungsoo smiles back, retrieves placemats from a drawer and utensils from another. Baekhyun takes those, too, waves Kyungsoo back to the stove, and soon enough everything is ready.

"Eunnie, come here," Baekhyun calls. "Let's get you washed up so we can eat, okay? Kyungsoo was kind enough to make us lunch." Eun runs over to his dad, lets Baekhyun pick him up into his arms. "What do we say to him?"

"Thank you, Mr. Kyungsoo," Eun says with all of his child-like seriousness. Baekhyun grins proudly and Kyungsoo laughs.

"It's my pleasure," he says, and as Baekhyun helps Eun wash his hands at the sink, Kyungsoo calls over his puppies and fills their bowls up with food as well.

When they all sit down to eat, Kyungsoo watches on a little nervously as Eun and Baekhyun take their first bites. Kyungsoo knows he's a pretty decent cook. Junmyeon, Kyungsoo’s editor, tells him as much all the time, but Junmyeon can barely boil water so it doesn’t feel quite as fulfilling coming from him. Kyungsoo's never had to cook for anyone as young as Eun before, so when the boy exclaims that it's really good, Kyungsoo lets out a sigh of relief at the high praise.

"You like it?" he asks and Eun nods, cheeks full of food and his black hair flopping into his face that Baekhyun easily reaches over to push away. "Good, I'm glad."

"He's right," Baekhyun adds. "This really is amazing, Kyungsoo, wow."

"No need to flatter me when I've already fed you," Kyungsoo laughs, but Baekhyun shakes his head, digs around on his plate for another spoonful.

"I'm serious," Baekhyun says, and the earnesty in his voice makes Kyungsoo's chest suddenly warm. "You're a great artist, a voice actor, and apparently a secret chef, like, you're perf--I mean, what--what can't you do?"

The slight slip up has Kyungsoo curious, but the amazement in Baekhyun's eyes is enough to forget all about it. He doesn't remember the last time anyone looked at him quite like this and he ducks his head with a short laugh, takes a bite of chicken from his plate before he finally finds the words to say. "You're being too nice," he says. "It's really nothing special."

"Honestly, the best I can cook is mac and cheese from a box and reheating frozen pizza," Baekhyun says. "Something like this is incredible, so just enjoy the compliments, okay?"

Kyungsoo laughs at that, and even if he's still a little flustered, Baekhyun is quick to make him feel at ease again. "I guess I could do that," he says. "Thank you." He looks down at his plate for a moment, then asks, “How have the two of you survived on just frozen pizza?”

Baekhyun sputters. “Okay, okay, that might’ve been an exaggeration,” he laughs. “It’s really not that bad. I can do really simple stuff like rice and chicken, but things get so bland when you’ve had them over and over again.”

“I understand,” Kyungsoo says with a nod. “I try to switch things up as much as I can.”

“It probably helps that you can actually cook,” Baekhyun points out and Kyungsoo smirks, offers a little shrug. Baekhyun lets out an amused laugh and shakes his head a little. "It's so weird, hearing your voice now and knowing," he says when Kyungsoo raises his brow at him. "Like, I just keep picturing your little animated deer face and--" He snorts, shaking his head.

"Does this help?" Kyungsoo asks, pitching his voice just a smidge higher, the way he does when he acts as Lu.

Eun gasps, turning toward him with wide eyes. "You sound exactly like Lu!" he says and Baekhyun bursts out laughing. “Dad!” Eun exclaims, waving his little arms around, his right hand still clutching his fork. “Dad! Doesn’t he sound like Lu?”

"Eun, I told you that Kyungsoo did the voice for Lu, remember?" Baekhyun says, still chuckling a little as he looks at his son fondly.

"Yeah, but--I didn't believe it!" he says. "Mr. Kyungsoo is old and Lu is so cool!" Then, a second later, as if he realized what he just said, he shrinks in on himself and squeaks out a little, "Sorry!"

"It's okay," Kyungsoo laughs. "I am a little old."

Eun giggles at that and returns to eating, talking animatedly in between mouthfuls about how much he loves Lu and Chen and all of the characters from the show. Kyungsoo asks him questions about his favorite episodes and parts of the books, if he's excited for the next season, what he wants to see happen. Eun is cute and excitable and he answers everything with childlike enthusiasm that makes Kyungsoo happy just watching him ramble. When he smiles he looks just like Baekhyun.

When they finish eating, Baekhyun helps Kyungsoo clear the table. "You really kept up with him there," he says softly. "I get so tired talking about the same show that much but he can go on for days."

"I don't think I've ever met a more enthusiastic fan, honestly," Kyungsoo says. "He's adorable, and it reminds me how much I love doing this, you know?"

Baekhyun looks at him, eyes a little soft yet intense at the same time and it's like he's looking into Kyungsoo instead of at him. It's enough to make him flustered. "Eun may not think so," Baekhyun says after a moment, a smile stretching across his face, "but I think you're pretty cool, Kyungsoo."

Kyungsoo laughs, shaking his head, and says nothing.

The following Tuesday morning, Kyungsoo is in the kitchen, blearily waiting for his pot of coffee to be ready, when there's a knock at his door. He stares down the hall, confused, because it's far too early for anyone to be stopping by to see him, but then he hears the sound again.

He sets Inky down to the floor and says, "Who do you think that could be?" but Inky just yips back up at him unhelpfully. Kyungsoo sighs as he runs a hand through his hair. He picks his glasses up from where he’d set them onto the counter and puts them back on, and then goes to answer the door.

It's Baekhyun, standing on the porch with hands tucked into black sweatpants. He's wearing glasses, which are a surprise, but his smile is the same as always, if a little tired. "Hey," he says softly. "I saw your lights were on and I just watched Eun get on the bus for school and I--"

Kyungsoo gets it. He smiles and says, before Baekhyun tries to awkwardly explain further, "Come in. You look like you could use some coffee."

Baekhyun huffs out a laugh, the tension in his shoulders visibly fades away. "Thanks," he says, and follows Kyungsoo inside.

Inky and Pepper are instantly at their feet as they return to the kitchen and just the sight of them perks Baekhyun right up. He crouches down and greets them cheerfully, "Hey boys, you're much more awake this morning than I could ever be. What's your secret?"

"Not having to work," Kyungsoo says as he checks on the coffee machine. He grabs two mugs and fills them up, asks Baekhyun how he likes his coffee.

"Watered down," is his reply, and but he laughs when Kyungsoo casts him a bewildered look, finally standing back up and joining Kyungsoo by the kitchen counter. "However you're having it is fine," he says. "I don't really like coffee, but when you have a six year old kid, you need it honestly. I end up downing it like medicine sometimes."

"Maybe you should trade the coffee in for some energy drinks instead," Kyungsoo says as he hands Baekhyun a mug.

"Maybe," Baekhyun laughs, but quickly grimaces when he takes a sip of the coffee, his face scrunching up cutely. The glasses somehow make him look even younger and also...even more attractive, and Kyungsoo has to remind himself not to stare. It's hard.

"So," he says, to fill in the sudden silence and distract himself. "Eun's first day of school?"

"First grade," Baekhyun says. "I can't believe it. Time goes by so fast."

Kyungsoo hums softly. He's heard similar things from his brother, who has a ten-year-old daughter, but it's another one of those things he can't really understand entirely. "Soon he'll be taller than you," he says instead, teasing a little. "Going out on dates and sneaking out in the middle of the night and accidentally driving your car into a lamp post when he doesn't even have his license."

It makes Baekhyun laugh instead of looking like a wounded puppy, so Kyungsoo calls it a success. "Is that what you did growing up?" he asks, eyes gleaming as he leans across the counter on his elbows.

"I did sneak out a lot," Kyungsoo admits with a laugh. "My friend and I would go see concerts and drink in the old treehouse behind his house. My brother drove a car into a lamp post though."

"Wow," Baekhyun says. "I didn't peg you to be such a wild child, Kyungsoo."

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. "I bet you got up to way more scandalous things than I did," he says, then squints a little, assessing Baekhyun. "You probably still do."

"Hey," Baekhyun says with mock-offense. "I resent that. The most scandalous thing I do these days is wake up before noon on the weekends so I can watch morning cartoons with Eunnie."

Baekhyun doesn't seem too bummed out about it though. It's obvious he will do anything if it makes Eun happy, and Kyungsoo hasn't known them very long at all, but that much he's definitely sure about. "You're a good dad," he says and Baekhyun blinks at him, a little like he wasn't expecting Kyungsoo to say that, a little like he doesn't hear people tell him that enough.

"I try," is all he says, but his lips twitch at the corners as he looks down, picking up his coffee to take another sip.

"I have a problem," Kyungsoo says a week later, as he and Chanyeol share a box of pizza while camped out in one of the production studio’s small meeting rooms. It's a late night and Kyungsoo needs to finish reviewing a new set of storyboards for the show.

Chanyeol doesn't know much about the design and production--he's merely another voice on the show--but as Kyungsoo's closest friend, he's helped with the original storyline more than once and likes to keep Kyungsoo company when he's stressing out.

And Kyungsoo is stressed out. Sometimes he shuts himself off to focus, but tonight's not one of those nights. He needs to talk to someone, he needs to clear his head. The only thing he should be concentrating on is work, but instead, in the few brief moments of rest, all he seems to think about is Baekhyun.

"Yeah you do," says Chanyeol around a mouthful of pizza, staring at one of the pages and turning it this way and that. "I think someone drew this upside down."

"No, not about--wait, what, really?" He snatches the page and groans when he realizes Chanyeol is right. Then, just as quickly, he puts it away and says, "Forget that for a second, that's not what I wanted to talk about."

"Oh," Chanyeol says, finally swallowing as he looks up at Kyungsoo properly. "What is it then?"

Kyungsoo scratches the side of his neck and looks anywhere but at Chanyeol. He brought this up because he needs to talk about it and as much as he knows Chanyeol is gonna give him shit for it, he'll also listen without making too many snap judgements. That doesn't make it any less embarrassing though.

"Remember the new neighbor I told you about?" he asks.

"The hot one? The one with the kid?" Chanyeol says.

Kyungsoo squawks. "I never called him hot."

"You said he had a nice face."

"That's not the same thing."

"Yes it is."

Kyungsoo groans again, flaps a hand as he feels his face heat up. Chanyeol is smirking at him a little now, like he's suddenly figured out where this conversation is going. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe Kyungsoo should've talked with Junmyeon. "Whatever," he says. "The point is that, we've been talking a lot since he moved in, and it's...nice? And he's nice and also--"

"Hot," Chanyeol supplies. "You like him."

Kyungsoo stares resolutely at the wall behind Chanyeol's head. "I may have a bit of a crush--"

"You have the hots for the hot dad," Chanyeol yells, pointing at him dramatically before he doubles over in laughter.

"Shut up," Kyungsoo hisses, face burning. That only makes Chanyeol laugh even more and so he sighs, rubs at his face with his hands and tries to salvage his wilting pride. "It's not just that he's hot, okay?" he mumbles, and Chanyeol lets out this loud snort as he picks himself up, wiping at the corners of his eyes.

"So you have a real crush," he says. "What's so bad about that?"

"He's a dad," Kyungsoo says pointedly. "He has a kid. He's never even mentioned anything about his past relationship--or current, for all that I know." He groans, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach. "He's probably not even into men."

"You can't know that for sure," Chanyeol says.

"It's been barely a month since he moved in."

"Are you trying to look for excuses for why you can't have a crush on him?" Chanyeol asks, reading Kyungsoo so easily. Kyungsoo has no idea how Chanyeol manages to do that, but over ten years of friendship probably helps. "You don't have to confess your feelings for him if you don't want, you know. Just be his friend."

"I know that," Kyungsoo says roughly. "It's just hard when I--"

"When you wanna fuck him, too. I get it."

"I was gonna say maybe want to date him," Kyungsoo mutters through gritted teeth but Chanyeol doesn't seem to hear it, or care.

"There's nothing wrong with having crushes, Kyungsoo," he says. "Even though you're 31 and you should just go for it instead of pining like a teenager but, whatever, man, you do you--Ow."

The little mark Kyungsoo's pen leaves on Chanyeol's forehead makes that whole conversation worth it.

Kyungsoo knows that Chanyeol is mostly right. There's nothing wrong with crushes, and Baekhyun is, well, the nicest, most attractive single man Kyungsoo's met in a long time. Supposedly single, at any rate. Kyungsoo's still not sure about that. There's not really much he can do about it until he's sure either, so despite Chanyeol’s insistence that he becomes friends with Baekhyun, Kyungsoo leaves things the way they are. It's probably safer that way. Just neighbors. Another friendly face on the street to wave at whenever he walks past.

He does see Baekhyun a little less now that Eun is in school and Baekhyun is no longer working from home. When Kyungsoo walks the dogs during his lunch, he doesn't end up distracted by Baekhyun playing out in the yard across the street, and when he comes home in the evenings, the street is quiet yet again, no Eun kicking around his soccer ball or Baekhyun chasing after him.

Kyungsoo hates that he's disappointed.

He goes nearly two weeks without really seeing Baekhyun at all, that when he finally does, he almost trips over his own feet.

It's a Sunday morning. Kyungsoo's taken Inky and Pepper on a run at the park and he's ready to get home, hop into the shower, and cool off. It might be September now, but it's still sweltering hot even in the mornings, and he's sweaty and gross so it makes perfect sense that as he approaches his house, he finds Baekhyun mowing the lawn in front of his, shirtless.

Kyungsoo stumbles. Pepper barks loudly at him as Kyungsoo regains his balance, his face heating up when he hears the sound of the lawnmower abruptly cutting off. Baekhyun must've seen him and that's probably the last thing he needs right now.

Before Kyungsoo can run back into his house, Baekhyun is there in all his shirtless glory, asking Kyungsoo if he's okay.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Kyungsoo says hastily, tearing his eyes away from Baekhyun's glistening chest to look at his face. There's a little flush from exertion across his cheeks and his long hair is sticking to his forehead, but he still looks so good. This is totally unfair. No one should look this good while mowing the lawn.

"Were you on a run?" Baekhyun asks softly, looking down at the puppies who are excitedly jumping around at their feet before he crouches down to greet them.

"Yeah," Kyungsoo says. "I took them out to the park." Now that Baekhyun isn't looking at him, it's easier to let his eyes stray. Baekhyun's slightly tanned from the sun and his shoulders are wide; it's something Kyungsoo's vaguely noticed before but the rest of him--that's, well, definitely new. He's not crazy buff like Minseok, one of the other voice actors on the Chen show, and his arms are kind of scrawny, but he has definition in the right places and faint abs that look soft to the touch.

Kyungsoo wishes he could touch, but throws that thought away as quickly as it comes.

"How, uh, how have you been?" he asks, wincing only slightly at his awkwardness. He needs to get out of here, but Baekhyun is still playing with the puppies and it's terrible. He can't be that cute while also being that hot at the same time. "We haven't run into each other in awhile."

Baekhyun looks up at him, lifts a hand to shield the sun from his eyes, and then grins. "I know," he says. "I was getting a little lonely." His voice is teasing and it makes Kyungsoo laugh, relaxing. Baekhyun pulls himself up and Kyungsoo really wishes he hadn't, because now he can see the pretty pink of his nipples. "I've been good," Baekhyun says, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Trying to catch up on some yard work and stuff I've been putting off."

Kyungsoo groans a little and says, "That reminds me I need to do the same." He glances over at his lawn and frowns at the messy grass. "Lawn mowing is like, my least favorite thing to do."

"I doubt there's really anyone who enjoys it," Baekhyun laughs. "I don't mind too much because it passes as a workout."

"I get enough of that taking these two on walks," Kyungsoo says and he expects Baekhyun to maybe laugh again, or smile, but instead he tilts his head at Kyungsoo thoughtfully.

"If you want," he says after a moment. "I could mow your lawn for you?"

That's definitely not what Kyungsoo expected him to say. "What? No--You don't have to do that," he says quickly.

"I don't mind," Baekhyun says. "Think of it as payback, for lunch the other week."

"You don't have to pay me back for that," Kyungsoo says. "I invited you to stay. It was fun."

"Yes, it was," Baekhyun agrees with a warm smile that makes Kyungsoo's heart pick up its pace. "And I want to do this. It's really no big deal."

"Baekhyun--"

"I'm not taking no for an answer," Baekhyun says loudly, and Kyungsoo snaps his mouth shut and narrows his eyes at him, but Baekhyun just grins widely, rocks back and forth on his feet, waiting.

The thought of Baekhyun spending anymore time outside without a shirt, mowing Kyungsoo's lawn where Kyungsoo could see him from his house is about the worst thing imaginable, but Baekhyun seems determined to do it, so how can Kyungsoo say no?

"Fine," he relents, and Baekhyun cheers, pumping a fist into the air. It's cute and it pulls a smile at Kyungsoo's lips despite everything. "But in exchange, you and Eun come over for dinner tonight."

Now Baekhyun is narrowing his eyes at Kyungsoo, but it only lasts a few seconds before he laughs. "I want to say that's not how this whole payback thing works, but I'm also not gonna pass up your cooking, so okay. We'll be there." He grins. "Eun will be excited to see you again, honestly. Every time he watches Chen's show now, he talks about you."

"You should be careful or he'll start to like me more than you," Kyungsoo teases and Baekhyun looks Kyungsoo up and down and replies, "I wouldn't blame him."

Kyungsoo returns from lunch with Chanyeol the following weekend to find a package on his doorstep. He's confused for a few minutes, because he doesn't remember ordering anything, but then realizes it's actually addressed to Baekhyun and the delivery person must've gotten their houses mixed up.

He shoves his keys into his pocket and picks up the box, heads across the street to drop it off. There's a loud clattering noise behind the door after Kyungsoo knocks, then Baekhyun's familiar voice yelling, "Be right there!"

It makes Kyungsoo laugh, shaking his head a little as he looks down at the box in his hands, wondering what it is. The door suddenly opens then, and Baekhyun is there, running a hand through his hair and looking distressingly good in a simple pair of jeans and white t-shirt.

"Kyungsoo, hey!" he says brightly. "What brings you here?"

"I believe this is yours," Kyungsoo says, handing the package over. "The delivery guy must've gone to my house by mistake."

"Oh," Baekhyun says, and he almost looks disappointed for a second, staring at the box with furrowed brows. Then he shakes his head a little and looks back at Kyungsoo, smiling. "Thanks for bringing it by," he says. "It's probably the coffee machine I ordered. Our old one broke on the move over."

"Hopefully this one didn't break on its way here too then," Kyungsoo says and Baekhyun smacks his shoulder gently in reprimand.

"You just jinxed it," he says and Kyungsoo laughs. "If it's broken, you'll have to get me another."

"Okay," Kyungsoo plays along. "You can come over to my house and use mine in the meantime."

"Actually can I just return this and take you up on that offer?" Baekhyun asks. "Coffee always tastes better with company."

"I'm pretty sure that's not how it works," Kyungsoo says, shaking his head.

Baekhyun laughs, and his gaze turns so warm when Kyungsoo smiles at him. "Hey," he says after a moment. "If you're not busy right now, maybe we can test this thing out?"

Kyungsoo's surprised, but then he catches the hopeful look in Baekhyun's eyes. "Sure," he says, and Baekhyun's pleased smile settles warm in Kyungsoo's chest. "Lead the way."

Baekhyun does just that, guiding Kyungsoo into his house. "Sorry for the mess," he says, gesturing towards the boxes in the living room, "we still haven't gone through everything."

"No worries," Kyungsoo says as he looks around curiously. Other than the furniture set up around the house, it doesn't seem like Baekhyun's gotten around to really decorating the place. The walls are still mostly bare, a bookshelf in the living room only half filled. There's a few framed photos of him and Eun at the top that make Kyungsoo smile, though, and when he steps into the kitchen, he finds a few more, pinned to the fridge with Chen and Lu magnets and drawings that Eun must've done in school.

"Cute," he says, tapping at the photo of Eun dressed up as Chen and Baekhyun wearing Lu antlers.

Baekhyun looks at it and laughs. "We did that for Halloween last year," he says. "I have a sinking suspicion we'll be doing the same thing this year, too."

"I don't even remember the last time I dressed up for Halloween," Kyungsoo says. "My friend Chanyeol likes throwing parties around then but I usually just show up as myself."

"Oh no," Baekhyun says, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "You shouldn't have told me, now I'm gonna make it my mission to get you into a costume."

"I'd like to see you try," Kyungsoo replies. "If Chanyeol can't do it, then no one can."

"You just don't know how persuasive I can be," Baekhyun replies, and for a moment it sounds kind of flirty, like a promise. But then he waggles his brows obnoxiously and they both laugh.

"I guess we'll see," Kyungsoo says and Baekhyun grins at him before he turns to the kitchen counter where he's set down his package.

"Okay, moment of truth," Baekhyun says, retrieving a pair of scissors from a drawer and slicing open the packaging tape. "If it's broken, I'm gonna be at your place every morning begging for coffee."

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. "Just open the package already," he says, stepping around to the other side of the counter to give Baekhyun more room.

The machine is perfectly intact. "Oh good," Kyungsoo says. "Crisis averted."

"Damn," Baekhyun says with a shake of his head. "I was really looking forward to starting our mornings together over coffee."

That honestly just brings up unwanted images to Kyungsoo's mind. A sleepy, ruffled Baekhyun curled beside him on the couch as they drink their coffee, slowly waking up together as Eun eats his breakfast before school and the dogs settle at the floor by their feet. Comfortable, domestic.

Kyungsoo quickly shakes the thought out of his head. Fuck, he thinks, heat flooding his face. This crush is starting to take a life of its own. Thankfully Baekhyun hasn't noticed Kyungsoo's minor freak out, busy plugging in the machine and setting it up.

"Okay," he says, clapping his hands together. "Let's see if it works."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Kyungsoo manages to say and Baekhyun turns back to him with a smile that quickly turns into a frown as he peers into Kyungsoo's face.

"Are you okay?" he asks. "You're a little red."

He reaches out as if he's going to press his hand to Kyungsoo's forehead, check his temperature, but Kyungsoo ducks back just in time. "I'm fine," he says. "It's nothing."

Before Baekhyun can protest, Kyungsoo turns away, his gaze landing on the boxes in the living room. Eager for a subject change, he says, “How much unpacking do you still have?”

"Too much," Baekhyun groans, walking around the counter to join Kyungsoo in the living room as he sits down at the couch. "It's like the second I unpack a box, a new one magically pops up. It's never-ending."

"I know the feeling," Kyungsoo says with a laugh. "It took me nearly three months to fully unpack when I first moved, and I probably didn't have nearly as much as you do, since you have Eun too."

"To be honest, I think he has less stuff than I do," Baekhyun admits with a sheepish smile. "He outgrew a lot of his toys so we gave them away before we moved." His smile turns into a little smirk as he says, "He kept all his Chen stuff though, of course."

"Of course," Kyungsoo laughs. "Where is Eun, by the way? I haven't heard him at all."

"Oh, he went to a friend's house," Baekhyun says. "They're planning to rewatch as much of Pokemon as they can."

"That's ambitious," Kyungsoo says. "At least that gives you time to go through all of this, huh?"

Baekhyun gives the boxes such a look of disdain it makes Kyungsoo laugh again. Then, before he can talk himself out of it, he adds, "Maybe I could help you out. If you want."

“You don’t have to do that,” Baekhyun says, shaking his head.

"I don't mind," Kyungsoo says, smiling for effect. He reaches for the box closest to him and tugs it over. "Or do you have dirty secrets hidden in these boxes you don't want me to see?"

That pulls a laugh out of Baekhyun. "I don't have any dirty secrets," he says. "The worst you might find are my old One Piece collectables."

"You like One Piece?" Kyungsoo asks, pleased by the discovery. As much as he's talked to Baekhyun, he doesn't really know that much about him, and it's nice to learn more, even if it's something as simple as his favorite anime. "I'm a Prince of Tennis kind of guy myself."

Baekhyun's eyes light up and he looks equally as happy to learn something new about Kyungsoo. "Did you ever play tennis?" he asks.

"Never," Kyungsoo laughs. "It was just a fun show."

"I don't think I've ever seen the whole thing," Baekhyun admits, rubbing the back of his neck as he sits on the armrest of the couch, watches as Kyungsoo opens up the box he's pulled over.

"Maybe one day we can watch it together," Kyungsoo offers before he really thinks about it, but when he looks up, Baekhyun is smiling widely at him as he nods. He smiles, too, then drops his gaze down to the box. "Do you mind?" he asks again to be sure, pulling a book out from inside.

"Go for it," Baekhyun says. "I think that box is just books, so you can put them up over here." He gestures to the bookshelf.

"Sounds good," Kyungsoo says.

"I'll go check on the coffee," Baekhyun says, standing again and rubbing his palms down the front of his jeans. "Do you want a snack or anything?"

"I'm good," Kyungsoo says, flashing Baekhyun another smile. Baekhyun walks off to the kitchen and Kyungsoo pushes down the flaps of the box so he can see inside. It is mostly books, from what he can tell, a couple of Marvel comics and Slam Dunk volumes. There's a few thicker books on coding and IT related topics that Kyungsoo doesn't understand, but it's somehow fun, all of this. A little insight into Baekhyun’s interests.

He separates the books into piles along the coffee table, opens another box that's labeled books along the side, and finds a ton of children's books that make him smile. "I don't see any of my books in here," he says with a laugh. "I thought Eun was a fan."

"You think he didn't unpack your books first thing?" Baekhyun calls back from the kitchen. "He packed them with his other favorite toys so he could find them right away."

"I'm impressed," Kyungsoo says. "I don't think I know a more dedicated fan. He's practically up there with Chanyeol and his love of anything Rilakkuma."

"That's an interesting obsession," Baekhyun laughs as he rejoins Kyungsoo in the living room, holding mismatched mugs in his hands. "You've mentioned him before. He seems like an interesting guy."

"He is," Kyungsoo says, smiling his thanks as he takes the mug that Baekhyun offers him. It's bright yellow. The one Baekhyun is holding says World's Best Dad along the side and it makes Kyungsoo smile even wider. "I've known Chanyeol since high school," he says.

Baekhyun's eyes widen at that. "Wow," he says. "I don't think I'm close with anyone I knew in high school." He takes a sip from his coffee, makes that same cute disgruntled face at the taste, and then continues, "My closest friends are from college."

"Chanyeol's the outlier," Kyungsoo explains with a little laugh. "He's like a clingy koala I haven't been able to get rid of."

Baekhyun laughs. "I understand that," he says, then flashes Kyungsoo a wide grin. "Because I'm that kind of person."

"Oh no," Kyungsoo says dryly as he sets a few more books into a pile on the coffee table. "Does that mean I'm never getting rid of you either? Are our lives forever entwined?"

"Exactly," Baekhyun says cheerfully. "I mean, it helps that I live across the road from you, but even if I didn't, or if one of us moved, you will never escape me." He makes little claw motions with his hands and then laughs at himself, his eyes darting away as he takes another drink from his mug. His nose scrunches up in disgust yet again. "Besides, Eun will probably never let you forget about him either."

"No need to worry about that," Kyungsoo says. "How can I forget about my biggest fan?"

When he smiles up at Baekhyun, he's surprised to find the soft look in Baekhyun's eyes. He's just staring at him, a tiny smile at his lips, and something about the way he’s watching Kyungsoo makes him almost embarrassed. He’s not used to the attention, but before he can say anything or even just tear his eyes away, Baekhyun quietly says, "You're cute."

Heat floods Kyungsoo's face, even worse than earlier when his brain had gotten carried away imagining unattainable scenarios. He quickly drops his eyes, staring down into the box by his feet and doesn't say anything. Instead he picks up another book, sets it aside with the others, and only glances back up when he hears Baekhyun move.

Baekhyun's setting his mug on the coffee table and then plopping down on the floor, tugging another box closer to him. "What?" he says when he catches Kyungsoo's eye, like he didn't just call Kyungsoo cute to his face. "You didn't think I was gonna leave you to unpack everything for me, did you?"

Kyungsoo laughs at that, pushing aside the strange feeling in his chest and returning to helping Baekhyun unpack. Kyungsoo wasn't expecting this when he stopped by earlier, but he can't say he minds either. It's nice, just spending a quiet afternoon together like this, trading stories, learning more and more about each other. Kyungsoo arranges the books onto the shelf and laughs along with Baekhyun's anecdotes about Eun, the little things he does that make Baekhyun's eyes so warm as he talks about them.

Kyungsoo in turn talks about work, the new season of the show that'll be starting soon. He brings up the ideas he has for the next book when Baekhyun claps his hands over his ears and yells, "Hey! Spoilers!"

Kyungsoo bursts out laughing. "What?" Baekhyun exclaims. "We take Chen spoilers very seriously in this household!" And that only makes Kyungsoo laugh harder, chest warm, cheeks stinging a little from his too-wide grin, and when he looks at Baekhyun, who is still holding his hands to his ears, Kyungsoo can't help but think how cute he is.

He's not nearly as brave as Baekhyun to be able to say it aloud though. so he pushes it back and shakes his head instead.

"Okay, okay," he says placatingly. "No spoilers. I'll remember that."

"Good," Baekhyun says, finally dropping his hands. "You'd better."

Kyungsoo returns to the box he's been emptying, picks out the last of the books left inside. He's surprised to find, however, something that's not a book at all, tucked in between the others. When he pulls it away, he realizes it's a picture frame with a photo of Baekhyun, a much younger Eun, and a woman with long black hair that Kyungsoo can only assume is Eun's mother.

"Oh," Baekhyun says, coming up beside Kyungsoo. "That's where that went."

"It's a cute photo," Kyungsoo says instead of asking the hundred questions buzzing through his head. "When was it taken?"

Baekhyun takes the frame from him and peers down at it. His expression is unreadable. "Almost four years ago," he says. "We went on a little trip together. It was one of the last things we did as a family before Hyeran, ah, my ex-wife, and I got divorced."

Ex-wife. Well. That explains a lot of things. Kyungsoo has no idea what to say to something like this. Baekhyun's frowning a little at the photo now, and Kyungsoo can't tell if he's saddened by it, or just remembering the pain and stress of a divorce. "I'm sorry," he mutters, because it's the only thing that seems vaguely appropriate. "It must've been rough."

Baekhyun huffs out a short laugh. At least his eyes look less clouded now as he gives Kyungsoo a tiny smile and then takes the frame, and to Kyungsoo's surprise, puts it up on the bookshelf. "It was," he says. "But mostly for Eun." He stares at the photo a moment longer, then turns away, pushing a hand through his hair.

"Hyeran and I had already figured out things between us couldn't last,” he says as he returns to the couch, collapsing into the space to Kyungsoo’s right. “We’d been dating a year when Hyeran got pregnant, and at first, it was like--Okay, we can do this, you know? We got married, and things were pretty good for awhile, but then...I think the things we wanted changed. I loved being a dad, honestly, but Hyeran...I don’t think she was ready to be a mom.”

He shakes his head a little and sighs, and Kyungsoo wishes he knew what to say, or what to do, to make the dejected look in Baekhyun’s eyes go away. “Eun was so young when we finally divorced, so it was really hard on him, why mom wasn't around anymore," he says finally.

"Does he see her?" Kyungsoo asks. "You haven't mentioned her since you moved in so..."

Baekhyun shakes his head. "No," he says. "She lives in London now, actually. Work always made her travel a lot and it ended up being too much for all of us."

"I'm sorry," Kyungsoo mumbles again and this time Baekhyun's laugh is much more genuine and lights up his whole face.

"You're not very good at this, are you?" he teases and when Kyungsoo sheepishly shrugs a shoulder, he adds, "You don't have to apologize for anything, Kyungsoo. I should tell you thanks for even listening."

"I mean, I did wonder," Kyungsoo admits, but Baekhyun just smirks at him a little like he knows. He probably gets a lot of that, Kyungsoo thinks. People who wonder how a young man is raising his six-year-old son on his own. Kyungsoo's been curious, sure, but not because he's ever thought Baekhyun incapable. In the short amount of time they've known each other, Baekhyun's more than proven how amazing of a father he is, and how much he loves Eun. "So it's been the two of you for three years?"

"Yup," Baekhyun says cheerfully. "It hasn't been the easiest, but I think we've gotten closer."

"For what it's worth," Kyungsoo says before he can stop himself. "I think you're a good dad."

Baekhyun looks up from the box he's been emptying, still holding the DVD he's pulled out in his hand, and for a moment, he just seems surprised. Then, he smiles, a soft, beautiful smile that makes his eyes shine and Kyungsoo's heart far, far too warm.

"Thank you," Baekhyun says, and Kyungsoo, even hours later, will still be thinking about that smile, and the sweet sound of his voice.

The temperature starts to steadily drop as it gets closer to the end of September. Kyungsoo spends most of his time indoors at his in-house studio with Inky and Pepper at his feet, curled over his desk and finishing sketches and story-lines for his upcoming book. The second season of the show premieres the next week. There’s a couple of later episodes that are still in production, but all of Kyungsoo’s work with the voice acting has been completed. He will have to give his final stamp of approval on those as they finish, but for now, the first half of the season is ready to air without any worry.

A couple of days before the premiere, Kyungsoo runs into Baekhyun in the evening, the both of them returning home around the same time. Kyungsoo waves from across the street, and Baekhyun, attempting to close the trunk of his car while holding about five bags of groceries in his hands, makes a jaunty attempt at a wave back before one of the bags slips out of his fingers and topples everything inside across the driveway.

"Fuck," Baekhyun exclaims so loudly Kyungsoo can hear it.

Kyungsoo laughs, slams the door of his car shut, shoves his keys into his pocket, and walks over to help as Eun climbs out from the back seat, an Iron Man backpack over his shoulders.

"Dad, you said a bad word," Eun is telling Baekhyun as Kyungsoo approaches.

"I know I did," Baekhyun says. "Pretend you never heard it, okay? And never ever say it out loud. Especially not around Grandma."

"Okay," Eun says easily, clearly not caring much about what words he can and cannot say. "Can I watch TV?"

"No, you said you were going to clean up your room when we got home, remember?" Baekhyun says as he sets down the rest of his bags by his feet. Kyungsoo has picked up a few boxes of pasta that had fallen out from the first bag and crouches down to fit them into another. "When you're done, you gotta help me make dinner, alright?"

Eun pouts for all of two seconds before he nods solemnly. "Okay," he says again and giggles when Baekhyun reaches out to pinch his cheeks with his fingers. "Dad!" he screeches, batting him away, but Baekhyun just sweeps him up into his arms and smacks a kiss to the side of his face.

"Here," he says after, handing Eun his keys. "Go inside. I'm gonna talk with Kyungsoo for a second."

Eun nods, black hair flopping into his face, and he runs up to the house once Baekhyun sets him down. When the door slams shut after him, Baekhyun turns to Kyungsoo with a sheepish smile. "Hey," he says. "Sorry about that." He looks around at the bags that Kyungsoo's gathered and adds, "You didn't have to do that."

"Don't worry about it," Kyungsoo says, picking up three of the bags and standing up straight. "Let me help."

Baekhyun lets out a deep sigh that makes Kyungsoo frown a little. He looks much more tired than Kyungsoo's seen him of late, and when he smiles at Kyungsoo now it's smaller, but full of gratitude.

"You're a lifesaver," he says, taking the remaining bags in one hand, and using the other to finally close the trunk door of his car. "It's been a really long day.”

“Did you just pick Eun up from school?” Kyungsoo asks, following Baekhyun up to his house and blinking in surprise when Baekhyun shakes his head.

“I wish I could,” he says, “But I don’t get off work until five so Eun usually spends about an hour or so at a close friend’s house after school. Yixing--my friend, his wife has a shorter work day so Eun rides the bus with her son back to their house and she graciously looks after Eun until I can swing by to get him.”

Baekhyun sighs a little. “It’ll be nice when he’s old enough to come home on his own, but this is the best option for now. It was just a bit of a struggle getting Eun to leave tonight,” he adds, chuckling softly as he shakes his head. “He wanted to finish playing games with his friend. It can be tiring making him listen sometimes.”

“I can imagine,” Kyungsoo says. “He must enjoy getting the chance to hang out with his friend after school for awhile.”

“He definitely does,” Baekhyun agrees, grinning a little wider. “Probably a bit too much.”

Kyungsoo laughs as he sets the grocery bags onto the kitchen counter. He glances back out toward the now clean and box-free living room and smiles, feeling a little warm at the memory of unpacking with Baekhyun.

"Looks much better now, doesn't it?" Baekhyun says when he notices where Kyungsoo's looking. "I mean, it'll probably end up a mess again in a few days when Eun brings all his toys out but I'm holding onto this wonderful sight."

"You say that, but it seems like he listened to you when you said he needed to clean his room," Kyungsoo points out and Baekhyun shakes his head with a laugh.

"He's just doing what he has to so he can rewatch more of Chen's show," he says, smirking at Kyungsoo. "He's determined to finish re-watching it before the new season starts."

"Not even I've seen it more than once all the way through," Kyungsoo says as he heads back toward the front door. Baekhyun follows him, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. "I'm impressed."

"Yeah, well, he really enjoys it," Baekhyun says. He pulls the door open for Kyungsoo, leans against it as Kyungsoo steps outside. "And speaking of the show, Eun actually asked if you wanted to watch the premiere with him--with us." Kyungsoo, surprised, just stares at Baekhyun, who rushes to add, "It's totally fine if you don't, of course, I mean, it's probably the last thing you'd want to do--"

"I'd love to," Kyungsoo says loudly, cutting over Baekhyun, who snaps his mouth shut and stares back at Kyungsoo, stunned. A little embarrassed now, Kyungsoo shrugs a shoulder and shoves his own hands into his pockets. "I think it'd be fun," he adds.

"Oh. Okay," Baekhyun says, still sounding a little surprised. Then, he smiles, and the awkwardness of it all melts away. "Great!" he says with enthusiasm that makes Kyungsoo's heart warm. "We'll, uh, see you here Sunday evening, then?"

"Yeah," Kyungsoo says, smiling. "You will."

It's Eun who opens the door for Kyungsoo a few days later, just after five in the evening. "Hi, Mr. Kyungsoo," he says excitedly, stepping back to let Kyungsoo inside, and Kyungsoo smiles down at him as he enters. He's immediately hit with the crisp smell of something burning and before he can question it, Eun is closing the door and telling him, "Dad is trying to make dinner. It doesn't smell that good." He wrinkles his nose and looks exactly like Baekhyun as he does it.

"I heard that!" Baekhyun yells from the kitchen, followed by the sound of something clattering. Kyungsoo laughs and Eun beams up at him.

"Come on, Mr. Kyungsoo," he says, grabbing Kyungsoo's hand and pulling him inside.

"You know, Eun," Kyungsoo says, "you can just call me Kyungsoo." When Eun peers up at him with wide, shocked eyes like he never considered the possibility, Kyungsoo nods encouragingly. "Mister makes me feel so old. I'm not that old, am I?" He tilts his head at Eun, who seems to assess him with all his childlike seriousness. "I'm younger than your dad."

"Really?" Eun says.

"Only by a year!" Baekhyun shouts. "That barely counts!"

"Can I really call you Kyungsoo?" Eun says, ignoring his father. He looks excited now, like it's something special to be able to call Kyungsoo simply by his name.

"Of course," Kyungsoo says with a grin. "We're friends, right?"

"Yes!" Eun exclaims loudly, pumping his fists into the air in excitement. He runs into the kitchen after, barrels right into Baekhyun's legs and says, just as loudly, "Did you hear, dad? Kyungsoo and I are friends!"

Baekhyun glances over at Kyungsoo, who just shrugs a little, still grinning, before he looks back down at his son and pets his head. "That's great, Eunnie!" he says. "Why don't you go sit down? The show is starting soon, right?"

"Okay!" Eun says before he darts right back out of the kitchen and to the couch. Kyungsoo shakes his head at him, walks over to Baekhyun, watching as he pulls a pan of burnt...something off the stove.

"Looks like you've got things under control here," Kyungsoo says, trying not to laugh at the mess that Baekhyun scraps out of the pan and into the trash.

Baekhyun snorts. "Oh, yeah, definitely," he says, shaking his head. He dumps the pan into the sink and runs his hands down the front of the Lu-patterned apron he's wearing. He's...cute, Kyungsoo thinks, looking him over. His hair is soft and falls into his face, and he's wearing a simple shirt with jeans that combined with the apron makes him look comfortable, homey.

Kyungsoo had tried to look nice for tonight, even though it's not like this is a date or anything. His own jeans and button-up shirt feel like too much, somehow, in the face of Baekhyun who seems to make anything he wears look casual and effortlessly handsome. Kyungsoo shoves his hands into his pockets and Baekhyun, finally catching him staring, looks down at himself and then laughs.

"My friend bought this for me as a Christmas present," Baekhyun says, pulling at the apron. "It came as a set. One for Eun with little Chens all over it." He flashes a grin at Kyungsoo. "As I'm sure you already know."

"I've never actually seen anyone wear it before," Kyungsoo says, glad that he can pass of his staring as inspecting his merchandise. He steps up closer, pulls a hand out of his pocket to touch the edge, running his thumb over one of the little drawings of Lu. "Cute," he says, and when he glances up, Baekhyun is staring right him and Kyungsoo realizes how close they're standing.

Warmth fills his face and he quickly drops his hand, moving away. "Uh," Kyungsoo starts, then clears his throat, his mind, and wills his beating heart to calm down as he plows on, "Do you, uh, want help with food? You didn't have to make anything, you know. We could've like, ordered a pizza or something."

"I wanted to," Baekhyun admits with a little smile. "I'm just not a very good cook, so it's, uh, been a challenge."

"What're you trying to make?" Kyungsoo asks and Baekhyun picks his phone up from the counter to show him the recipe. Kyungsoo scrolls down, scans the steps. It's nothing he's made before, but it doesn't seem too difficult. "Okay," he says. "Let me help. If we work together, we should be able to have it done before the show starts."

Baekhyun stares at him like Kyungsoo's just announced the cure to world peace. "You're the best," he says, and Kyungsoo just shoves him lightly, rolling his eyes.

"Less flattery and more cooking," Kyungsoo says, turning away so he can hide his smile.

It turns out that despite Baekhyun's ineptitude at cooking, he follows directions surprisingly well. He listens to whatever Kyungsoo tells him to do, even if he also whines about it at the same time, complaining that the onions are making him cry as he chops them, and that he hates the taste of cilantro and doesn't understand why people put it in every single recipe. Baekhyun likes to talk a lot, Kyungsoo's come to learn, but he doesn't really mind it. He never seems to expect Kyungsoo to reply to everything he says, and when he really wants to know something, he stops and looks at Kyungsoo, giving him his undivided attention in a way that makes Kyungsoo's heart beat faster.

It's strangely domestic, cooking together like this. Baekhyun directs Kyungsoo around the kitchen when he's looking for something, or jumps up to retrieve it for him, fingers brushing against Kyungsoo's when he hands it over. He peers over Kyungsoo's shoulder to watch him cook at the stove, smiles so brightly when Kyungsoo offers him a taste, holding the spoon up to Baekhyun to take. He doesn't though. Instead, he curls his fingers around Kyungsoo's wrist, and dips down to let Kyungsoo feed him, and he's so close, like this, Kyungsoo can see the little mole on his cheek, the one above his lip, can see the way his eyelashes flutter against his pale skin.

"Mmm, it's good," Baekhyun says when he pulls away. Kyungsoo's skin is still burning when Baekhyun touched him and it's hotter than the heat from the stove. "You're so good at this, Kyungsoo."

"I try," Kyungsoo says softly, and quickly drops his gaze when Baekhyun looks at him. "Honestly, I worry about you. What do you even feed Eun when you can barely cook?"

"My mom helped me a lot more than I'd like to admit," Baekhyun says. "She would come by a lot and help me cook for the week, make sure I had food that was good for Eun, you know?" He glances out over at Eun, a small smile at his lips, before turning back to Kyungsoo. "I can make do with really simple things, but we end up getting tired of the food quickly because we have it so often." He laughs, rubs the back of his neck. "My mom's been in Houston helping my brother and sister-in-law with their second kid, so she hasn't been around to save me since we moved here."

"You gotta learn to fend for yourself at some point," Kyungsoo teases and when Baekhyun pouts, he laughs. "I'm no doctor or anything, but Eun seems like he's healthy, so you must be doing something right." That seems to relax the little tension in Baekhyun's shoulders and Kyungsoo's glad. It must be hard, he thinks, having to cook everyday for a six year old. Baekhyun's been doing this for the past three years on his own. Kyungsoo can't even imagine. "You shouldn't beat yourself up so much, you know. Haven't I told you before? You're a good dad."

Baekhyun's mouth parts in surprise, but then he smiles, widely. "You have," he says. "I don't mind hearing it again though." He lifts his brows up expectantly and laughs when Kyungsoo swats his shoulder with the back of his hand.

"I've said it enough by now," he tells him. He catches sight of the time on the oven when he turns, and says, "Come on. Let's finish this up quickly. The show's gonna start soon."

Kyungsoo never watches his show live. He only watched the very first episode when it aired when the first season had started last year. Chanyeol and Junmyeon and Minseok had all been over at his house. He and Chanyeol had made lasagna, and Junmyeon had gotten drunk off wine, and they'd laughed through the show, teasing each other on their voice acting, teasing Kyungsoo on his silly stories. It'd been fun but it'd also been weird, seeing something he'd created on television, hearing his own voice through the speakers.

Watching the show with Eun and Baekhyun is an entirely different experience. Eun is enthusiastic about every little thing. He doesn't have one bad thing to say. He jumps around the room excitedly, he sings along to the opening theme song, and he clutches his little stuffed Lu doll to his chest the whole time.

Baekhyun sits beside Kyungsoo on the couch. The apron is finally off and he looks relaxed and comfortable, an arm out over the back of the couch, almost touching Kyungsoo's shoulders but not quite. Kyungsoo is strangely hyper aware of how close they're sitting. Baekhyun's knee occasionally bumps his leg when he shifts, but he never pulls away. He doesn't mind it.

"I still can't believe you're Lu," Baekhyun says during a commercial break. He grins around the glass of juice he'd poured himself earlier.

"I still can't believe that's me, either," Kyungsoo admits. "I know I alter my voice a little, but it sounds like a totally different person when I watch."

"You're good at it, though," Baekhyun says. "You have uh, you have a nice voice so--"

He cuts himself off abruptly, flushing, and looks away. A little lick of heat spreads across Kyungsoo's chest, and he takes a sip out of his own glass of juice as Baekhyun beckons Eun over to finish his dinner.

"If you don't eat everything, we'll turn the TV off and you won't get to see what happens," Baekhyun warns his son. Eun is quick to pick up his fork after that, dutifully sitting by the coffee table where they've spread out their food to eat as they watch. Baekhyun smiles at him, ruffles his hair a little, and then settles back.

He smiles at Kyungsoo just as the show picks up again, and Kyungsoo turns back to the television so he doesn't get distracted by Baekhyun's pretty face.

It's a short show, only a half-hour run, so it's over before it feels like it even started. Eun runs up to Kyungsoo afterward with bright eyes, climbing up onto the couch. "That was so fun!" he exclaims. "Did you see the way Lu saved Chen from the ugly space monster!"

"That was my favorite part, too," Kyungsoo says with a grin. "I'm glad you liked it."

"I loved it!" Eun says with all the enthusiasm he can muster. "I want to see what happens next!"

"You've got to wait another week, buddy," Baekhyun reminds him, smoothing down the back of Eun's hair where it's gotten mused up.

"Will you watch with us again?" Eun asks Kyungsoo hopefully.

Kyungsoo wasn't expecting that. He hadn't even considered the possibility. He looks over at Baekhyun, who is smiling again, soft and sweet and maybe even as hopefully as Eun. Kyungsoo looks back at Eun and says, "As long as your dad says it's okay."

"Of course it is," Baekhyun says, before Eun can even turn to him. Eun cheers then, thrusting both his arms into the air excitedly. He almost smacks Baekhyun in the face with his Lu plushie. Baekhyun splutters and pulls Eun into his arms, snuggling him tight until Eun is laughing and squirming away. "Eunnie, put your plate away in the sink, okay? We're gonna wash the dishes together in a bit."

"Okay," Eun says, hopping off the couch. He sets his plushie on the coffee table, then dutifully takes his plate and his cup to the kitchen.

Kyungsoo rushes to do the same, but Baekhyun stops him with a hand on his. "We got this," he says. "You helped cook, so we'll clean."

"We cooked together," Kyungsoo says, but gives into Baekhyun's request. He stands, runs his palms down the front of his jeans and wills the lingering heat from Baekhyun's touch to fade quickly. He has no such luck, still feels it tingling under his skin even as he heads for the door. "This was fun," he says once he's put on his shoes. "It's nice to watch with someone who's so excited about the show."

"I'm glad you had a good time," Baekhyun says. He runs a hand through his hair and meets Kyungsoo's eyes. "I had fun, too. Thank you for coming, and for dinner."

Kyungsoo just waves a hand at him dismissively. He opens the door to leave, but before he makes it out, Baekhyun says, "Hey, Kyungsoo, if you and Eun are friends now, does that mean we are too?"

It takes Kyungsoo a moment to realize what he's talking about, but then he remembers what he'd said to Eun when he'd arrived, what feels like ages ago now. He laughs. "Yeah," he says softly, because Baekhyun looks hopeful again, like he wants to be friends with Kyungsoo, wants to be able to label this weird thing they've been building between them over the past few weeks. Kyungsoo realizes he wants it, too. "We're friends too."

"Good," Baekhyun says with a little definitive nod. His eyes sparkle. He's so beautiful. "You should give me your number then," he adds, and when Kyungsoo stares at him, a little surprised, he hastens to add, "You know, since we're friends now and all, I--"

"Okay," Kyungsoo says, cutting him off. He steps back into the house, closing the door behind him, and pulls his phone from his pocket. They swap phones and enter their information and when Kyungsoo gets his back, he finds a new contact listed as Baekhyun and Eun ❤. It makes him smile.

"Thank you," Baekhyun says, glancing at his phone with a smile.

"Goodnight, Baekhyun," Kyungsoo says and with a little wave, he finally heads home.

Ten minutes later, he finds a message on his phone.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
Goodnight, Kyungsoo.

Thinking of Baekhyun as his friend is much better than thinking of him as just the good-looking neighbor across the street. It doesn't change much of anything, in the grand scheme of things, but there is something much more reassuring knowing that they're friends, knowing that Baekhyun wanted this too, and even just remembering Kyungsoo now has Baekhyun's number on his phone.

He's never been much of a texter, preferring to talk over the phone or meet up in person, but it turns out that Baekhyun is. He's definitely not as obnoxious about it as Chanyeol is, who sends Kyungsoo about thirty texts a day about the most inane things and probably just because he knows it drives Kyungsoo crazy. Baekhyun, on the other hand, seems to just enjoy the chance to talk to Kyungsoo and that, well, Kyungsoo can appreciate much more.

Baekhyun sends pictures of Eun watching Kyungsoo's show, texts him how Eun told his friend how he knows who wrote the books and that his friend didn't believe him, asks Kyungsoo how work is going, if he's interested in the new Marvel movie, or if he knows a simple cupcake recipe so Baekhyun can make treats for Eun's class.

I could show you if you'd like, is what Kyungsoo sends back to that last one, and so on a Wednesday night, Baekhyun and Eun stop over to fill Kyungsoo's house with laughter and excitement and make a mess of his kitchen. It's fun in all the right ways and leaves Kyungsoo warm and happy.

Days go by like this, and it's easier to coordinate Sunday night Chen viewings when they have each other's numbers. Somehow cooking together before the show becomes a tradition too, and Kyungsoo finds himself surprisingly comfortable in Baekhyun's kitchen, moving around him with ease and showing him little tricks so he can attempt cooking the recipes again later himself. Eun is always so bright and cheerful, asks Kyungsoo tons of questions about the show until Baekhyun has to wrangle him close to get him to stop just so Kyungsoo can head home.

Baekhyun has embedded himself into Kyungsoo's life so completely that it doesn't take very long for Chanyeol to notice. Kyungsoo should've expected it, honestly, because Chanyeol's a pretty observant guy and they spend plenty of time together, but instead he's blindsided when Chanyeol materializes out of nowhere one afternoon and reads the message Baekhyun has sent Kyungsoo over his shoulder.

"What about lasagna? Eun saw it on TV the other day and has been demanding we make it together. You're still on for Sunday, right?" Chanyeol says out loud, his low voice startling Kyungsoo so much he practically drops his phone to the floor.

"Jesus, Chanyeol--" Kyungsoo exclaims, catching his phone and slamming his hands to his chest as he whirls around and glares accusingly. "Don't do that!"

"Is that Hot Dad again?" Chanyeol says, mischief sparkling in his eyes as he reaches out to grab Kyungsoo's phone out of his hands. "Why is he texting you incredibly domestic-sounding messages?" He gasps, loudly. "Kyungsoo Do, are you guys dating and you didn't tell me?"

"No!" Kyungsoo says loudly, darting around the small break room at the studio where he'd stopped by to get coffee. He tucks his phone into his pocket and picks up his mug, ignores Chanyeol hovering around him with a shark-like grin on his face.

"Now that I think about it," Chanyeol says slowly, "You have been on your phone a lot more lately. Smiling. Happy. Gross."

"Fuck off, Chanyeol," Kyungsoo says, trying to fight back the heat that fills his face. Has he really been reacting like that? He's not sure he wants to know. "Baekhyun and I are just friends, okay?" He doesn't owe Chanyeol an explanation, but he also knows that if he doesn't, Chanyeol will pester him for ages. "I go over to watch the show with him and his son every week. That's all."

"You won't even watch the show with me!" Chanyeol says and when Kyungsoo turns back to him, he's pouting, but only a little. Mostly he looks amused. "What's so special about this guy?"

"He's not you," Kyungsoo returns and laughs when Chanyeol's pout becomes more pronounced.

"You're so mean to me, Kyungsoo," Chanyeol whines, even as he walks up to Kyungsoo and pulls him into his arms, resting his chin atop Kyungsoo's head. Kyungsoo tries to wriggle away, but Chanyeol's got an annoyingly strong grip. "You're probably not this mean to your Hot Dad boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend," Kyungsoo grumbles. He takes delight in the wheeze Chanyeol lets out when Kyungsoo finally manages to elbow him in the stomach, slipping out of Chanyeol's embrace. "Like I told you, I don't even know if he's into men."

"Well, clearly you should find out," Chanyeol says. Then, before Kyungsoo can tell him he's fine with the way things are, Chanyeol gets this gleam in his eyes that Kyungsoo knows means something terrible is about to happen. "Hey, why don't you invite Hot Dad out on Friday night with the rest of us?"

"No," Kyungsoo says immediately. Just the thought of Baekhyun meeting Chanyeol, Minseok, and Junmyeon makes his skin crawl. It'd be a disaster. He knows it. "No, that's a terrible idea. He can't just come out either, he has a kid, remember?"

"I'm sure he can find someone to babysit for one night," Chanyeol says with a wave of his hand. "He has to go out sometimes."

Kyungsoo wouldn't know, honestly. Baekhyun hasn't talked much about his friends, or what he does outside of work and being a father, and now Kyungsoo can't help but be curious. Does Baekhyun go out? What does he like to do? Is he the bar type like Kyungsoo and his friends, who spend their nights out mostly drinking beer and playing pool, or does he do something else?

"Ah, you're thinking about it now, aren't you?" Chanyeol says, leaning over into Kyungsoo's face. Kyungsoo pinches his nose. Chanyeol yelps and pulls back, sputtering, and Kyungsoo sighs, turning away to finally fill his mug up with coffee. "Come on, Kyungsoo. You could just ask him, you know? If he says no, then you don't have to worry."

"And if he says yes?" Kyungsoo says quietly.

"Then you can yell at me through all your panic," Chanyeol says with a grin that strangely enough makes Kyungsoo smile back.

"Fine," he says after a moment's consideration. "I'll ask him."

"Great!" Chanyeol exclaims, and then he waltzes right out of the break room as if he'd accomplished everything he set out to do.

That leaves Kyungsoo with his mug of coffee and raging thoughts, pulling his phone back out of his pocket to stare down at his chat history with Baekhyun.

He replies to Baekhyun's last message about the lasagna, telling him it's a great idea and not really that difficult to make, and then types out the invitation for Friday night three different times and never sends any one of them.

His phone buzzes in his hand with Baekhyun's reply a few minutes later before Kyungsoo manages to get his shit together and he smiles down at his screen as he reads his message.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
i think your definition of "not that difficult" is very different from mine
but i guess i'll trust you

Kyungsoo shakes his head a little as he replies, You should. I'm the experienced cook here. :P

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
you're right
i'm sorry oh great chef kyungsoo!!
i will trust in your skills no questions asked!!!!

Baekhyun's reply makes Kyungsoo laugh. It's ridiculous how easily he does this, how easily he makes Kyungsoo feel warm and comfortable. His worries over inviting him out on Friday seem miniscule now. He's not sure why it's such a bad idea anymore. He and Baekhyun are friends now, right? He thinks it would be nice to spend time with him outside of their homes.

Before his bravery fades, Kyungsoo sends off his invitation and then shoves his phone back into his pocket, picks up his mug, and heads back to the meeting room where he’s been reviewing another episode storyboard with one of the writers on the show. The room is empty, so he busies himself with checking his email for awhile, and jumps a little in surprise when Baekhyun’s reply pops up on the screen of his phone.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
friday night? that sounds fun o:
i'm definitely in but i gotta make sure i can find a sitter for eun
so let me figure things out and i'll let you know?

It's as much as Kyungsoo expected, honestly. Somehow, he feels a little disappointed, but he's not sure why. Then, another message pops up on the screen, and it makes a smile pull at Kyungsoo's lips.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
thanks for inviting me kyungsoo :) i hope it'll work out!

Kyungsoo types out a response and then sets his phone aside. He picks up his mug and takes a sip, and can't seem to stop smiling one bit.

I hope so too.

After the third time Kyungsoo attempts to fix his hair, Chanyeol grabs his hand and yanks it away, squeezing Kyungsoo's fingers with his own large ones.

"Relax already," Chanyeol chides, looking somewhere between exasperated and amused. "I don't think I've ever seen you so nervous."

"I'm not--" Kyungsoo starts automatically but quickly drops it with a petulant sort of frown, He tugs his hand out of Chanyeol's grip and sighs, because he knows Chanyeol is right. He is nervous, and he’s being a little ridiculous about it. "I’m sorry,” he mumbles. “It’s just that this is the first time I’ve met with Baekhyun outside of our neighborhood, you know? Not to mention, he’s meeting you guys on top of that.” He shudders a little from the mere thought, and Chanyeol laughs. There’s more to it than that, too. Kyungsoo’s little crush on Baekhyun is still there, too, and the more time he spends with Baekhyun, the more it seems to grow, so that doesn’t help the nervousness crackling through his veins. He decides not to tell Chanyeol about that though.

"He said he was excited to come, so I doubt you have to worry about anything," Chanyeol says. "It's not like it's a date. Didn't you say he was bringing a friend along?"

"Yeah," Kyungsoo says, remembering the message Baekhyun had sent last night, confirming their plans and asking if it's cool to bring a friend along with him. Kyungsoo had wondered if he’d really meant just a friend, but then figured Baekhyun had no reason to lie about it. He probably just wanted to feel more comfortable, so Kyungsoo had easily told him it was fine.

Now, Kyungsoo takes a deep sigh, tries to calm himself. Baekhyun's bringing a friend. Kyungsoo's here with Chanyeol, while Junmyeon and Minseok are getting them drinks from the bar. This doesn’t have to be a big deal. It’s not like he’s meeting with Baekhyun alone.

"Sorry," he mumbles to Chanyeol for being such a mess, and thankfully he doesn't have to explain further than that, because Chanyeol just knows, eyes crinkling softly as he smiles and pats Kyungsoo's back.

Kyungsoo picks up his phone that he'd set onto the table and checks his messages, his email, anything to distract him. Junmyeon and Minseok return to the table soon enough with drinks for the four of them, and Kyungsoo graciously accepts his beer, takes a few sips, hopes it'll help relax him. Then, just as he's starting to wonder if Baekhyun maybe forgot all about tonight, he catches sight of Baekhyun walking through the front door.

"Is that him? In the black?" Chanyeol says loudly, when he notices Kyungsoo's practically frozen in his seat.

Kyungsoo nods, weakly, and then Chanyeol, that fucker, is raising an arm wildly into the air to catch Baekhyun's attention. It works, because of course it does, and Baekhyun is staring at Chanyeol in confusion until he notices Kyungsoo sitting beside him. Then his smile appears, that soft beautiful one that makes Kyungsoo's chest flutter, and he's turning to the man beside him, pointing toward their table, and the two of them make their way over.

Kyungsoo does his best to push aside the lingering anxiety in his veins and manages to smile naturally when Baekhyun approaches. He's wearing a simple coat now that the October chill has settled in, especially in the evenings, and his hair is styled off his face. Kyungsoo doesn't remember ever seeing him like that before and it's...nice. It accentuates the shape of his face, his nice forehead, the line of his jaw.

"Hey," Baekhyun says when he's finally close enough, and he smiles a little wider, glancing around at the group of them before settling his eyes on Kyungsoo. "I hope we're not too late."

"Not at all," Kyungsoo says. "We only just got our drinks." He glances over at Baekhyun's friend, who is watching the two of them curiously. He's handsome, too, in a much sharper way than Baekhyun, with strong cheekbones. "Maybe you guys should get your drinks too, and then we can do all those pesky introductions?"

"Good plan," Baekhyun agrees, and he shrugs out of his coat, drapes it over the empty chair at Kyungsoo's left. He's wearing a nice button-up shirt in a soft yellow that's tucked into his tight fitting jeans. He looks so good. Kyungsoo licks his lips and quickly drags his eyes away. He's pretty sure he catches Minseok smirking at him. He’s kind of regretting filling Minseok and Junmyeon in on his Baekhyun-feelings. Maybe it would’ve been better if only Chanyeol knew.

Baekhyun and his friend disappear to the bar and before Kyungsoo even gets the chance to let out a breath, his friends are rounding on him.

"So that's Hot Dad, huh?" says Chanyeol. He's still looking back at Baekhyun as if appraising him. "I'm not sure I see it."

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. Minseok snorts into his beer. "No one asked you anyway," Minseok says before he turns his gaze to Kyungsoo. "Are you gonna be okay? You look slightly panicked."

Junmyeon laughs quietly beside Minseok, clearly amused. "He is pretty cute," he says teasingly. "I can see why you're nervous."

"Stop," Kyungsoo says as firmly as he can manage. It comes out more like a whine. They all laugh at him. Kyungsoo really needs better friends. "Don't embarrass me, okay?" he says, glancing at each of them in turn.

"Don't worry, buddy," Chanyeol says, patting Kyungsoo's knee under the table. "I have a feeling you might do plenty of that on your own."

Kyungsoo nudges him in the side with an elbow but quickly straightens back up in his seat when he notices Baekhyun and his friend returning. Baekhyun settles easily into the seat beside Kyungsoo, and his friend sits on the other side, next to Junmyeon. For a moment, they all look around at each other as if waiting for someone else to make the first move, and then they all fall into laughter that thankfully dispels the lingering awkwardness in the air.

“Well, I’m Jongdae,” says Baekhyun’s friend, taking the plunge with a wide, amused grin. “I’m Baekhyun’s greatest, most amazing friend.”

Baekhyun snorts at that, swats Jongdae’s shoulder and shakes his head. “Ignore him,” he says, flashing Kyungsoo a smile. “He’s a punk, but I figured it might make things a little less awkward if I also brought a friend along.”

“The more the merrier, honestly,” Chanyeol says in a booming voice. He grins widely too, leaning across the table at Baekhyun. “It's nice to meet you finally. Kyungsoo's talked about you a lot."

The corner of Baekhyun's lips curl up into a smirk and he glances over at Kyungsoo who stares back evenly, trying not to flush. "Is that so?" he says and Kyungsoo just takes a sip out of his drink in response. "You'll have to tell me all about it."

"I don't think so," Kyungsoo inputs quickly, which makes Chanyeol laugh.

"Don't worry," Jongdae adds, waving a hand dismissively in the air. "Baekhyun here is the same, honestly. He never shuts up about you."

"Hey," Baekhyun says loudly, smacking Jongdae again lightly. "No one asked you."

“I don’t know,” Jongdae drawls, and he gestures around the table. “They all look pretty interested. Right?” His eyes gleam in mischief, and Kyungsoo can’t help but laugh.

From there, everything falls into place. Introductions are made around the table and Baekhyun smiles at Kyungsoo warmly as their friends get to know each other. Kyungsoo meets his gaze and smiles back, settling comfortably into his seat and wondering why he was so nervous before. This is Baekhyun, whom he's known for over a month now.

"I'm glad you could make it," Kyungsoo says honestly and Baekhyun's smile grows wider.

"Me too," he says. "It's been awhile since I've been out like this. Usually when I'm free, I just have a drink at home. Or I pester Jongdae and we'll hang out and watch a movie." He shakes his head a little, like that sounds silly even though Kyungsoo thinks it sounds pretty nice.

"It must be hard when you're a parent," Kyungsoo says. "I bet Eun would rather you stay at home all the time."

That pulls a laugh out of Baekhyun. "He does prefer that, yes," he says. "Though lately he's made so many friends that all he wants is to sleepover. My status as the cool dad is slipping through my fingers."

"I doubt that," Kyungsoo says. "Eun loves you." He grins at Baekhyun and adds, "Who else would watch his favorite show with him everyday?"

Baekhyun laughs again. Kyungsoo finds that he really likes it, the sound of it, the way it lights up Baekhyun's face. He looks younger when he laughs, less weighed down from the stress of being a dad. Tonight he looks a little tired, maybe from work, but he's all smiles and warm eyes and it makes Kyungsoo feel warm too.

"You've got a point there," Baekhyun says, lifting his glass at Kyungsoo before he takes a drink.

Kyungsoo takes a drink himself, turning toward Chanyeol when he catches a piece of his conversation with Jongdae about his last time they recorded for the show. "You were so hungover that day," Kyungsoo joins in with a laugh. "You had to do so many takes."

"It was really awful," Chanyeol admits with a sheepish smile. "We couldn't even keep most of my mess-ups for the blooper reel because it's a wholesome kid's show, you know?"

"Shame," Jongdae says with a shake of his head and the rest of them laugh. Baekhyun's eyes are bright as he asks Chanyeol who he plays on the show and tells him how much Eun enjoys it. Kyungsoo sits back and sips at his drink again, enjoying the way they get along, how Jongdae grills Junmyeon and Minseok about work, how Kyungsoo catches Baekhyun glancing at him every once in awhile and smiles.

As the night goes on, Kyungsoo learns more and more about Baekhyun. Jongdae’s not just an old college friend of Baekhyun’s, he’s also Eun’s godfather and was best man at Baekhyun’s wedding. Baekhyun turns out to be pretty good at pool, keeping up easily with Chanyeol who plays far too often, and he's cutely arrogant every time he sinks a ball into one of the pockets. Baekhyun gets really affectionate the more he drinks, and it turns out he can't quite hold his liquor at all, flushing a pretty pink that makes it hard for Kyungsoo not to look at him.

They split up into teams of three to play a few rounds of pool. Baekhyun cheers loudly whenever Kyungsoo scores, even though they’re on different teams and Jongdae yells about fraternizing with the enemy. It clearly doesn’t deter Baekhyun though, because he sticks close as they play, notching his chin on Kyungsoo’s shoulder or sliding an arm around his waist just because he can. It's all mostly innocent. It's the way Junmyeon is when he's drunk, and it's the way Baekhyun is with Jongdae, too, not just Kyungsoo. He thinks it’s kind of cute, how Baekhyun can’t seem to help himself from touching.

It's a good evening, some of the most fun Kyungsoo's had in awhile. Seeing Baekhyun like this, outside of the comfort of their homes is new, exciting. His skin burns everywhere Baekhyun has touched. His heart is hot in his chest from every smile Baekhyun has thrown his way.

They all eventually stumble out into the chilly October air when the night's gone on long enough. Kyungsoo has made sure not to drink too much so he could still drive home, and he knows Junmyeon’s done the same, he and Minseok bidding their goodbyes first and head down the street to where Junmyeon's parked his car. Chanyeol and Jongdae are swapping phone numbers excitedly when Kyungsoo looks over and it makes him smile a little. They'd gotten along ridiculously well over the night so he’s not all surprised.

"It took us a lot longer to do that, didn't it?" Baekhyun teases, nodding over at them, and Kyungsoo laughs.

"We are neighbors," Kyungsoo reminds him, as if either of them could ever forget. "We saw plenty of each other without phone numbers."

"True," Baekhyun says. "But I liked this, tonight. It was fun."

Kyungsoo meets his eyes. He didn't get himself nearly as drunk as Baekhyun, but even Baekhyun seems to have sobered up a little in the past hour after they'd all stopped ordering alcohol. He looks sincere, and that makes Kyungsoo pleased. "I'm glad," he says. "I had fun too."

He expects Baekhyun to smile at him, but instead he sinks his teeth into his lower lip like he's contemplating something but isn't sure how to say it. Kyungsoo waits patiently, curiously, wondering what Baekhyun is thinking but wanting him to do it on his own terms.

It takes a few moments, but then Baekhyun says, "Maybe sometime we could--"

"Baekhyun!" Jongdae yells out suddenly, cutting over him and startling them both. He’s standing next to a car that’s just pulled up along the sidewalk. "Our ride’s here!"

"Yeah, yeah, give me a second," Baekhyun replies, and when he turns back to Kyungsoo, there's an adorably sheepish smile on his face. "Sorry about him," he says, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“It’s okay,” Kyungsoo laughs softly. “You know I could’ve given you a ride back if you needed one?”

Baekhyun smiles widely. “Thanks, but it’s cool. I left some shit at Jongdae’s earlier so I actually do have to head back to his place first.” He shakes his head a little and then adds, “Anyway, I, uh, just wanted to say maybe we could...do this again sometime? Just the two of us."

For a moment, Kyungsoo is surprised. He wasn’t expecting that, and yet, he’s inexplicably happy. He hopes he doesn’t look or sound too eager when he nods, smiling at Baekhyun as he says, “Yeah. Yeah, of course we can.”

The smile on Baekhyun's face has Kyungsoo feeling so warm in the cold night. "Great," he says, and Kyungsoo wonders if he’s only imagining the relief in his voice. "I look forward to it."

"Baekhyun!" Jongdae yells again, waving from a few feet away.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes and Kyungsoo laughs, and before Baekhyun heads off, he surprises Kyungsoo by reaching out to gently curl his fingers around Kyungsoo's wrist. "Thanks for tonight," he says softly. "I'll see you later, Kyungsoo."

"Yeah," Kyungsoo says in a suddenly choked voice. His skin's burning again. "Goodnight, Baekhyun."

And with that, Baekhyun heads down the sidewalk, slugging Jongdae in his arm with a fist before pushing him into the backseat of their waiting taxi. Kyungsoo can hear Jongdae’s familiar cackle, and then Baekhyun is glancing back at him, and smiling, bright and beautiful. Kyungsoo gives him a small wave, a smile tugging at his lips, and only jerks back to reality when Chanyeol roughly ruffles Kyungsoo’s hair.

"I like him," Chanyeol declares. "He's fun." He glances down at Kyungsoo and slowly smirks. "How's that crush going?"

It'd be easy to elbow Chanyeol in the gut and pretend he has no idea what he's talking about but Kyungsoo must be more drunk than he thought because all he does is sigh and say, "I'll let you know when I've figured it out."

By the time Kyungsoo makes it home that night and falls face first into his bed, all he’s managed to figure out is that this crush is growing far too quickly for him to keep up with.

“You’re going trick or treating with us on Halloween, right?”

Kyungsoo looks up from where he’s been trying to pick leaves out of Inky’s fur. “What?” he says, surprised, but Baekhyun is smiling down at him like this isn’t the first time he’s mentioned this.

“Trick or treating,” Baekhyun says, still smiling. Kyungsoo has to look away and plucks the last of the stiff autumn leaves out of Inky’s fur, pats him on the head before letting him run off to join Pepper and Eun again.

They’re at the park. It’s a Saturday morning and kind of chilly. Kyungsoo shoves his hands into the pockets of his coat and leans back against the bench where he and Baekhyun are sitting near the edge of the playground. Eun’s bright laughter rises up above the wind as he throws a ball around with Kyungsoo’s dogs.

Kyungsoo licks his lips and says, “You want me to go trick or treating with you and Eun?”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says, and then a moment later he shrugs, like it’s no big deal. “Why not? It’ll be fun. Eun’s pretty good about sharing his candy too.”

Kyungsoo laughs a little at that. “I’m not really concerned about candy,” he says.

“Is there something you are concerned about?” Baekhyun asks, tilting his head cutely to the side as he assesses Kyungsoo, who swallows thickly and doesn’t quite meet his eyes.

Yes, he thinks, that I shouldn’t be spending so much time with you. He doesn’t say that, of course, but it’s the closest to the truth. He doesn’t know if Baekhyun is interested in men, and the more time Kyungsoo spends with him, the easier it becomes to hope that he is. He’s already had to catch himself thinking about domestic moments and well, Kyungsoo needs to get a grip, honestly.

He shakes his head at Baekhyun, pushing the rest of his thoughts away. “What would trick or treating with you guys entail, exactly?” he asks, and the second the words leave his mouth, he knows he’s made a mistake. A slow, steady grin is spreading across Baekhyun’s face.

“Well, it definitely involves a costume, for one,” he says brightly, clasping his hands together almost gleefully, and laughing when Kyungsoo groans. “Don’t be like that! It’ll be fun! I already have a plan, and I told you before, didn’t I? You won’t be able to refuse me.”

There’s that flirty tone to his words again that makes Kyungsoo flush instinctively. Spending time with Baekhyun is both enjoyable and kind of stressful, because of moments like this that remind him just how much he likes Baekhyun and how much he wouldn’t mind having more. Now’s probably not the time to think about that, not when Baekhyun is looking at him so expectantly like Kyungsoo’s just going to accept dressing up in a silly costume without a fight.

“I’ll go with you, but I won’t wear a costume,” Kyungsoo says, and it’s a little ridiculous that the second Baekhyun pouts, Kyungsoo already feels his resolve weakening.

“Come on,” Baekhyun whines, reaching out to grab one of Kyungsoo’s hands and shaking it as if that will help persuade him. “You have to dress up on Halloween! It’s the law!”

“Is it now?” Kyungsoo laughs.

“It definitely is,” Baekhyun says seriously. “I promise it won’t be something stupid or over the top, okay? It’ll be fun!”

“I’m sure I’ll have plenty of fun even without a costume,” Kyungsoo adds, but he’s grinning now, entertained by Baekhyun’s insistence, and his cute attempts at persuasion.

Baekhyun narrows his eyes at him and then turns toward Eun and yells abruptly, “Eunnie, you want to see Kyungsoo in a costume, right?”

Eun barely even looks over at them, preoccupied with the dogs, but he does yell back, “Yes!” and Baekhyun gives Kyungsoo a smug look as if Eun’s word is all the confirmation he needs.

“I’m gonna regret this, aren’t I?” Kyungsoo says slowly, but Baekhyun just beams at him and says, “You’re gonna love it.”

Four days later, Kyungsoo finds himself dressed in simple black pants and a white button up, as requested by Baekhyun via text that morning, with a long black-and-red cape hanging from his shoulders. “A vampire? Really?” he says, lifting the edges of the cape up and flapping it at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun just laughs as he finishes tying the ends of the cape around Kyungsoo’s neck. He adjusts the strands so they sit comfortably under the collar of his shirt, fingertips warm where they touch, and then steps back. “It’s great, right?” Baekhyun says with a grin. “You’ve got a bit of that dark, broody edge to you sometimes. You know, with all the glaring.”

“Glaring?” Kyungsoo echoes, confused, but then chuckles a little when he realizes what Baekhyun must be talking about. “That’s only because without my glasses I can’t see.”

“Oh, is that what it is?” Baekhyun says, tilting his head slightly in consideration. “I always thought you just hated getting your mail.”

“There’s that too,” Kyungsoo agrees. It makes sense Baekhyun has seen him without his glasses while picking up the mail, especially on weekend mornings when he forgets to even put them on to walk down the street. “Who likes getting bills?”

“True,” Baekhyun laughs. He looks Kyungsoo up and down and then points to his face. “Maybe you should lose the glasses tonight, too.”

“Do you want me to die?” Kyungsoo asks.

“I’ll hold your hand when we walk so you don’t run into anything,” Baekhyun offers in a lilting sort of voice, and Kyungsoo’s heart stutters momentarily in his chest as he thinks of something to say. Baekhyun beats him to it though, letting out this high giggle as he turns away. “I mean--uh--I’ll make sure you know where you’re going, that’s all. It’s up to you.”

Kyungsoo thinks that even without his glasses, he would have caught the slight blush on Baekhyun’s cheeks. He licks his lips, lifting a hand to touch the frame of his glasses. “I’ll think about it,” he says.

“Okay,” Baekhyun breathes, finally looking at Kyungsoo again. “Wait, you should take them off anyway so I can…” He turns toward the kitchen counter where he picks up what looks like two sticks of eyeliner, one black and the other red.

“Seriously?”

“It’s for the whole look,” Baekhyun insists, waving the eyeliner pens around and Kyungsoo rolls his eyes but dutifully pulls his glasses off and sets them onto the counter.

He sits down in one of the stools at the counter as Baekhyun suggests, and watches as Baekhyun sets the red pen down and uncaps the black. “Don’t poke me in the eye,” he warns, only teasing a little, and goes instantly still when Baekhyun lifts a hand up to cup the side of his face, fingers so warm against Kyungsoo’s skin.

“I won’t,” Baekhyun says, turning him slightly to the side, and Kyungsoo stares back into Baekhyun’s warm brown eyes for a moment as he takes one steadying breath, then closes his own.

The touch of Baekhyun’s hand against his face feels heavier now that Kyungsoo can’t distract himself by looking at him. There’s just the swirling colors behind his eyelids, the slight shadow of Baekhyun’s body when he moves slightly or turns Kyungsoo’s face a little for better access. He can feel the drag of the pen over his eyelid and it’s a little weird. Kyungsoo could probably have done this himself, to be honest, but he’s not entirely sure he wouldn’t have poked himself in the eye, and well, Baekhyun seemed enthusiastic enough about it that it didn’t really cross Kyungsoo’s mind until now that he probably should’ve stopped him.

Because right now his heart is beating far too hard in his chest, too loud in his ears. He wonders if Baekhyun can hear it, from how close he is. He can almost feel the whisper of Baekhyun’s breath against the side of his face when he moves closer.

It’s over before it gets much worse, before Kyungsoo can let his mind wander, think of what it would be like to feel Baekhyun’s breath against his lips. Kyungsoo follows Baekhyun’s directions, moving when necessary, looking up at the ceiling so Baekhyun can carefully line his waterline, too. He’s gentle and one hand continues to hold Kyungsoo’s face steady, firm against his cheek, his jaw.

Kyungsoo blinks his eyes open when Baekhyun proudly exclaims, “Done!” and as his vision settles, lands on Baekhyun’s face, he’s surprised to catch the way Baekhyun’s excitement becomes something almost fond.

“What?” Kyungsoo questions, a little concerned that maybe Baekhyun actually messed up, but then Baekhyun is shaking his head slightly.

“It’s just--” Baekhyun licks his lips, looking hesitant for the briefest of moments before he continues, “You have really pretty eyes.”

Fuck, Kyungsoo thinks, shocked, flattered, and pleased all at once. How does he even respond to that? He can feel himself blush, heat flooding his cheeks, and he glances away, breaking the intensity of Baekhyun’s gaze. Before he’s able to find his voice, there’s the sudden pitter-patter of little feet running down the hall. Eun comes barreling into the kitchen and straight into Baekhyun’s side, saving Kyungsoo the trouble of having to say anything at all, but when he glances over again, he’s surprised to find Baekhyun is still looking at him.

Baekhyun smiles, soft, and then turns to his son, laughing as if he hadn’t said something so sweet and made Kyungsoo’s nerves a wreck. “You’re all ready to go, bud?” he asks Eun, who is jumping up and down excitedly in his jedi costume.

“Yes! Yes! Let’s go, let’s go!” he chants, swinging his lightsaber around excitedly.

“All right,” Baekhyun says. “Give us a second to finish up, okay? Where’s your candy bag?”

“In my room!” Eun exclaims and then runs back off down the hall to retrieve it.

Kyungsoo laughs. “Ah, to be so young and energetic.”

Baekhyun snorts and elbows him in the side a little. “Don’t say that,” he says. “You make us sound so old!”

“Aren’t we?” Kyungsoo teases and Baekhyun shakes his head, almost offended as he crosses his arms over his chest.

“I’ll have you know that I’m still very young and energetic,” Baekhyun says, and Kyungsoo, whose gaze has instinctively fallen to the curve of Baekhyun’s biceps, following the line of his arms to the broad width of his shoulders, isn’t sure he particularly wants to think about how energetic Baekhyun is.

“If you say so,” is all Kyungsoo says in response, and laughs when Baekhyun just huffs, unfolding his arms and reaching for something on the counter.

“Here,” he says, and Kyungsoo quickly puts his glasses back on so he can see more clearly. Baekhyun’s holding out a set of plastic vampire teeth, and the red eyeliner pen. “I figured you can use the pen to like draw on blood from the side of your mouth or something, if you want.”

Kyungsoo nods, taking the items and slipping off the stool. “I’m not wearing these the whole night,” he says, rubbing his thumb over the tip of the teeth. “But I guess for awhile would be okay.”

“That’s the spirit,” Baekhyun laughs. “I’m gonna go finish up my own outfit, okay? You can use the bathroom down the--”

“Yeah, I know where it is,” Kyungsoo says with a smile. He’s been here so many times now, it’s comfortable. Baekhyun matches his smile, gives him a little jaunty wave and then turns down the hall to head upstairs.

In the bathroom, Kyungsoo finally sees Baekhyun’s handiwork. It’s been a long time since he’s had to wear eyeliner but Baekhyun clearly knows what he was doing; it looks really good. He tests the teeth out first, gets a little used to them in his mouth, then sets them back aside so he can figure out the best way to draw a little trickle of blood with the red eyeliner pen.

It takes a few tries to get it look the way he wants, but eventually he’s satisfied. He picks up the teeth again and returns to the kitchen to find Eun and Baekhyun already there. Baekhyun is dressed in a long brown cloak and a beige sort of tunic and he, too, is holding a lightsaber, albeit one much larger than Eun’s. Baekhyun notices him approaching and turns with a bright grin, holds his lightsaber out at Kyungsoo so the tip just pokes him in the chest when he comes close enough.

“Nice costume,” Kyungsoo says with a laugh, pushing the lightsaber away. “You should’ve invited Junmyeon along with you tonight. I’m pretty sure he has a Vader costume in his closet from a few years back.”

“Damn, I should’ve told you our plans so you could’ve borrowed it from him instead,” Baekhyun says, and then quickly cringes at his cursing, glancing at Eun to see if he heard. Eun looks far more interested in taking photos of his lightsaber with Baekhyun’s phone, so Baekhyun lets out a little sigh of relief and then smiles at Kyungsoo. “You good to go?” he asks and Kyungsoo nods.

As Baekhyun urges Eun to get his coat, Kyungsoo fits the plastic teeth back into his mouth and pulls his glasses off, tucking them into the chest pocket of his shirt. He feels only a little ridiculous, but it helps that Baekhyun is there, grinning at him in approval and waving his phone in the air for a photo.

They’ve never taken a photo together before. They’ve never had a reason to. Baekhyun presses in close to Kyungsoo’s side, holding his phone up at the perfect angle and flashes a little peace sign with his fingers as Kyungsoo smiles around his teeth. Baekhyun laughs, throws an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders next, and takes another photo, and Kyungsoo really hopes he’s not blushing.

Once Eun runs back with his coat, they take a few more, and then soon enough, they’re heading out into the dark night, joining the many other families on the streets in search of candy.

“How long has it been since you’ve been out on Halloween like this?” Baekhyun says as they walk up to the first house.

“Many, many years,” Kyungsoo laughs. “I’ve gotten good at handing out candy instead.” He pulls the teeth out from his mouth because it’s truly impossible to talk this way, and shoves them into his pocket instead as he adds, “I prefer staying in and watching a horror movie or something on Halloween instead.”

“Maybe we could do that afterward,” Baekhyun suggests, and he casts Kyungsoo an almost hopeful glance before turning back to watch Eun race up the driveway of their first stop. “If you want.”

“That’d be fun,” Kyungsoo says with a nod. “Are you good with scary movies?”

“Not really,” Baekhyun admits, scratching the side of his face a little sheepishly. “But I’m willing to try.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says, wondering if it’s too much to think that Baekhyun’s offering because he wants to spend more time together, of it that’s just his own feelings in the way, making it so easy for him to accept Baekhyun’s invitation. “I’ll pick a baby horror movie for you.”

“Thanks,” Baekhyun says dryly, but then laughs, clearly not offended in the slightest.

Eun runs back up to them then and jabs his lightsaber playfully into Baekhyun’s gut. “I got candy!” he yells, and Baekhyun, pretending to be injured, holding onto his stomach, just wheezes.

“Ready for more?” Kyungsoo asks, and Eun nods, takes Kyungsoo’s hand and starts tugging him onward. Baekhyun yelps and follows along quickly, reaching out to ruffle Eun’s hair.

Kyungsoo wasn’t really sure what to expect out of this night, but it’s a lot of fun. Eun is cheerful and excited and talks endlessly about his favorite candies and how everyone at school liked his lightsaber. He and Baekhyun have occasional fights on the street whenever Eun comes running back from another house, his pillowcase a little heavier with candy, and they’re joined by other Star Wars characters too, cheering them on.

Turns out Baekhyun is quite popular around the neighborhood, greeting other parents and even their kids by name. Kyungsoo isn’t surprised, really, because Baekhyun is a friendly, outgoing sort of guy. It’s why they became such easy friends themselves, after all. He is surprised at how much Baekhyun still sticks to his side though, introduces Kyungsoo at any opportunity, rests his hand against the small of Kyungsoo’s back whenever Kyungsoo reaches out to shake someone’s hand and smiles brightly at him after.

He tries not to read too much into it. He’s not very successful.

By the time they make it back to their street, it’s gotten much colder and the crowds have mostly dispersed. Eun is already stealing pieces of candy out of his bag despite Baekhyun telling him to wait until they get home, and at the edge of their driveway, Baekhyun turns to Kyungsoo and says, “You’re coming in, right?”

Kyungsoo smiles and nods. “Let me just go check on my dogs and I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Sure,” Baekhyun says, and he follows Eun inside as Kyungsoo crosses the street back to his house.

He’s greeted almost immediately by Inky and Pepper, and he crouches down there in the doorway to give them a few good minutes of undivided attention. When they seem satisfied, he drags himself upstairs, untying his vampire cape and throwing it out onto the bed. He washes off his makeup, puts his glasses back on, and then trades his clothes for something more comfortable.

He had fed the dogs after he’d returned from work, so he simply refills their water bowls in the kitchen, tells them he’ll be back soon, and then returns to Baekhyun’s.

“The door’s open!” Baekhyun yells from inside and Kyungsoo shakes his head in amusement as he lets himself in, closing and locking the door behind him.

“You shouldn’t leave your door unlocked,” Kyungsoo chides as he finds Baekhyun and Eun sitting in the living room, still in their costumes. All of Eun’s candy is spread across the coffee table.

“I knew you’d be back soon,” Baekhyun says with a little shrug. He pats the space on the couch beside him and Kyungsoo sits down, sets aside the cape he’d borrowed from Baekhyun on the armrest along with a few DVDs he brought from home for their movie night.

“Do you want some candy, Kyungsoo?” Eun asks, pushing some of the pieces across the table closer to him.

“Is it okay?” Kyungsoo asks seriously. “You got a whole lot! Are you sure you don’t want to keep it for yourself?”

Eun looks down over all his candy. He’s already sorted them into little piles by brand. After a few moments of consideration, he looks up at Kyungsoo and says, “Dad says sharing is good.”

Kyungsoo laughs. Beside him, he can hear Baekhyun’s soft chuckle too, feels the way he shifts forward to rest his elbow on his knee, his face in his hand. “Your dad is right,” Kyungsoo says. “I think I’ll just have one for now, okay?”

“Okay,” Eun says, nodding like they’ve come to a very important agreement.

Kyungsoo reaches out and plucks one of the Kit-Kats off the table. “Thanks Eun,” he says and Eun beams at him. “You should save the rest of these. Don’t eat them all at once.”

“Yeah, I told him that too,” Baekhyun says. “But I have a feeling they won’t last a week.”

“Because you’ll be eating them yourself, I’m sure,” Kyungsoo teases, and Baekhyun laughs but doesn’t deny it.

Instead, he claps his hands together and stands, stretches a little and Kyungsoo stares fixedly at the pile of mini Snickers on the table instead of the lines of Baekhyun’s body. “Come on, Eunnie,” Baekhyun says as he drops his arms to his sides. “Time for bed. You’ve still got school tomorrow, remember?”

“But I want to stay with you and Kyungsoo!” Eun whines.

“Kyungsoo and I are gonna watch a scary movie,” Baekhyun says. “Do you think you can watch that?”

“Dad, you hate scary movies too!” Eun says loudly and Baekhyun squawks, rushing around to clasp a hand over Eun’s mouth. Eun, giggling, reaches up his small hands and easily pulls Baekhyun’s away, adding, “The last time you watched one with Uncle Jongdae you said you had bad dreams for a week!”

“Really?” Kyungsoo laughs, enjoying the way Baekhyun’s face turns pink. “We don’t have to watch a scary movie, you know.”

“It’s fine! Really!” Baekhyun insists. “The Saw was just a little too gruesome for me, okay?”

“If you say so,” Kyungsoo teases.

“I do,” Baekhyun says with a nod as he pulls Eun up into his arms and stands. “I’m gonna get him into bed. I’ll be right back. You can put in the movie if you want. I’m good with anything, honestly.” He laughs at himself a little when Kyungsoo quirks his brow, and amends, “I’m trusting your judgement at least.”

“All right,” Kyungsoo says, and Baekhyun flashes him a smile, nudges Eun to tell Kyungsoo goodnight, and to Kyungsoo’s surprise, Eun runs out from his dad’s arms to give Kyungsoo a little hug.

“Thanks for coming trick or treating with us!” he says, and Kyungsoo grins down at him, hugs him back gently before pulling back.

“Thanks for sharing your candy with me,” Kyungsoo tells him and Eun smiles his wide, Baekhyun-smile, yells goodnight and runs off down the hall with a laugh.

Baekhyun chases after him, and Kyungsoo is left in sudden silence. It’s almost jarring. He’s gotten so used to the noise, lately.

He turns on the television and the DVD player, picks up the DVDs he’d brought over, considering the best option. He doesn’t want Baekhyun to freak out too much, even though it’d probably be entertaining, and ends up putting Crimson Peak into the player. Baekhyun comes back down soon after, and he’s finally changed out of his costume. His simple sweatpants and slightly too-large hoodie makes him look comfortable and young and Kyungsoo is really starting to hate the way his heart pounds at the mere sight of him.

Baekhyun stops in the kitchen and returns with two bottles of beers, handing one over to Kyungsoo before flopping back onto the couch beside him. There’s plenty of space, but he sits right next to Kyungsoo and grins at him before he takes a drink from his beer.

“Ready?” he asks.

“Are you?” Kyungsoo returns and smiles when Baekhyun laughs. Kyungsoo presses play with the remote and settles back against the couch comfortably.

Baekhyun, like he is with nearly everything else, is a loud movie-watcher. He’s always got something to say, some commentary to give, whether it’s about the movie itself or a personal anecdote he’s suddenly remembered because of something a character on-screen said. Kyungsoo, who usually prefers watching movies alone so he can appreciate the filmography and directing and acting, finds he doesn’t mind it when it’s Baekhyun. Maybe he’s becoming more and more biased, but Baekhyun is funny, and everything he says makes Kyungsoo laugh and appreciate the movie (and Baekhyun) much more.

And it’s kind of cute, because as the movie goes on, it’s clear Baekhyun talks more the more anxious he gets about what’s happening. He’s set his beer on the coffee table in favor of holding one of the couch pillows to his chest and occasionally pulls it up to cover his face, peering just over the edge as if that will shield him from what’s to come.

It’s really cute. He’s really cute, and Kyungsoo is having a hard time not letting his mind wander. He tries to watch the movie, but it’s more fun to watch Baekhyun out of the corner of his eye. Whenever something surprises Baekhyun he practically vibrates in his seat and swears loudly, and as the movie progresses, gets closer and closer to Kyungsoo’s side until their thighs are pressed together and Baekhyun is hiding his face in Kyungsoo’s shoulder instead of behind the pillow.

When Tom Hiddleston’s character gets stabbed in the face toward the end of the movie, Baekhyun yells so loudly it scares Kyungsoo, jumping a little in his seat while Baekhyun literally walks right out of the room, still ranting. Kyungsoo quickly pauses the film and goes after Baekhyun, finding him staring into the fridge, head hanging low.

“It’s okay,” Baekhyun says, turning his head to the side to look at Kyungsoo. “You can laugh. I know I’m pathetic.”

Kyungsoo stifles a small chuckle rather unsuccessfully behind his hand, and the embarrassment still lingering in the lines of Baekhyun’s expression fades away into something much softer, a little smile tugging at his lips. “It’s not pathetic,” Kyungsoo says, suddenly, the words slipping out before he thinks them through. “It’s actually kind of cute.”

He catches the way Baekhyun’s eyes widen, feels his own expression turn stiff in his surprise. It’s one thing to think Baekhyun is cute, it’s another thing entirely to tell him to his face. But Kyungsoo isn’t the kind of person to take something like that back, so instead he just turns away, rubbing the back of his neck as he says, “Come on. Let’s, uh, finish the movie.”

Kyungsoo returns to the couch and keeps his eyes fixated on the blurry paused image on the television. He hears the fridge door finally close and then the soft sound of Baekhyun’s footsteps. He’s still a little tense when Baekhyun takes back his previous spot to Kyungsoo’s left and is greatly surprised when Baekhyun suddenly hooks his arm around Kyungsoo’s, tearing Kyungsoo’s gaze from the screen to look at him.

“Do you really think it’s cute?” Baekhyun asks in a simpering sort of voice. It’s not what Kyungsoo was expecting, and he instinctively laughs, his own slight embarrassment for his earlier honesty replaced by the warmth of Baekhyun’s touch and the brightness of his smile.

“Shut up, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says without any heat, and presses play to continue the movie.

Baekhyun, still grinning, curls a little closer and doesn’t let go of Kyungsoo’s arm until it ends.

“Wait, wait, is that it?” Chanyeol says the evening, when he shows up at Kyungsoo’s with bags of takeout from their favorite Thai place. “You spent the night cuddling on the couch and you didn’t even kiss him?”

“I still don’t know whether he likes men, okay? And I’m not gonna kiss him out of nowhere, don’t you know anything about consent?” Kyungsoo grumbles as he agitatedly stuffs another forkful of food into his mouth. It isn’t enough to hide from the slightly pitying look on Chanyeol’s face. Kyungsoo’s doing his best not to meet Chanyeol’s eyes, but he can still feel him staring.

“Okay, yes, you’re right about the kissing,” Chanyeol amends. He leans back in his chair, lets his long legs stretch out under the table and bumps Kyungsoo’s in the process. “But you could’ve told him you liked him! You could have asked if you could kiss him!” Chanyeol looks far more disappointed now, staring at Kyungsoo with a frown and furrowed brows. “It was such a perfect opportunity.”

Kyungsoo sighs, and doesn't answer, focusing on eating instead. As he chews, he considers Chanyeol’s words. Maybe it was the perfect opportunity and Kyungsoo let it slip through his fingers. But the thing is...it doesn’t feel that way to him. He’s not upset by how things ended last night.

They watched the rest of the movie. Baekhyun clung close to Kyungsoo the whole time and it didn’t take long at all for Kyungsoo to get used to the weight of Baekhyun against him. Kyungsoo missed it when they pulled apart, but Baekhyun was all smiles, excitedly discussing how much he enjoyed the movie despite being scared. They said their goodbyes at the door, and when Kyungsoo made it to his own house, he’d glanced back to find Baekhyun watching him, waiting to make sure he’d got there. He’d waved, and Kyungsoo had returned it, and that night, Kyungsoo had gone to sleep with a smile on his face.

He doesn’t tell Chanyeol any of this, though. Not even when Chanyeol props his face in his hand and stares unblinkingly at Kyungsoo like he’s waiting for a valid excuse for why Kyungsoo hasn’t made a move yet.

“I’m happy with the way things are,” Kyungsoo finally says, after the silence drags on too long and Chanyeol’s exasperated expression has turned into puppy eyes. Kyungsoo’s always been a little weak to that look. “He’s a good friend. I like what we have going.”

“Sounds fake but okay,” Chanyeol says and Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “If you say so.”

“I do,” Kyungsoo agrees. “So let’s talk about anything other than Baekhyun.”

“All right,” Chanyeol says, finally picking himself back up and returning to his food, shoveling too much rice into his mouth at once. “How’s the new book coming along?”

Kyungsoo groans at the thought of work, at the reminder of the pages for the new book that’s lying out on his desk, untouched, because he hates everything he’s been writing lately. He drops his head into his hands and groans again, even louder, and doesn’t even flinch when Chanyeol reaches over to pat him on the shoulder.

“Maybe if you spend less time pining after your neighbor you wouldn’t be so behind,” he says and Kyungsoo briefly considers throwing his plate of food in Chanyeol’s face, but instead settles for a vehement, “Fuck off, Chanyeol.”

Unfortunately, Chanyeol isn’t exactly wrong. Kyungsoo’s mind has been far too preoccupied with other things these days. If he runs into Baekhyun while on a run with the dogs, they’ll spend anywhere between ten to forty minutes talking about the randomest things right on the middle of the sidewalk. If Baekhyun and Eun are out playing in the yard, taking advantage of a sudden warm afternoon, it’s easy to invite them inside for lunch or a snack, to sit around Kyungsoo’s living room and watch Eun roll around with the dogs and bask in Baekhyun’s pretty smile.

There’s probably much to be said about how often Kyungsoo’s thoughts wander to Baekhyun. Baekhyun is both entertaining and distracting, and Kyungsoo isn’t quite sure how to deal with it.

He has so much work to do. The first draft of his new book needs to be completed by the end of the year, and at first, that hadn’t seemed like an undoable task. Now, however, Kyungsoo wants to do anything else but work. Just thinking about everything he still has to write and draw makes him exhausted, and whenever he sits down to attempt to work, it’s like everything in his mind goes blank and the first sign of a distraction, like Baekhyun inviting him to dinner, is practically divine intervention.

Junmyeon is pissed though, of course. As Kyungsoo’s editor, there’s only so many excuses he can take. “Give me something at least,” he tells Kyungsoo on a Tuesday night when he calls to check in. “Something.”

“I’m trying,” Kyungsoo says, frowning down at Inky in his lap.

“Well, try harder,” Junmyeon says, like that is helpful advice. “Or else I’m gonna make myself at home at your place and breathe down your neck until you get something on paper.”

“As fun as that sounds,” Kyungsoo says dryly, “I’ll pass.”

“Then give me something to look at by the end of the week,” Junmyeon says. There’s an edge of finality to his voice, and Kyungsoo can almost hear his unspoken threat. Or else.

The next day, after Kyungsoo’s taken the dogs on a late morning walk, showered, and dressed, he drags himself to the nearest Starbucks to work. Everyone always says a change of pace can help inspire creativity. Or something.

It’s better than sitting in his far-too-quiet house and staring at the blank walls at any rate. He orders a coffee and a bagel and settles down at a table toward the back where he won’t be as easily distracted by people walking in and out of the shop. He pulls out his sketchbook even though he brought his laptop and tablet with him. Maybe working by hand will help get him out of his funk.

A few hours pass and by the time the morning rush has been replaced by the early lunch crowd, Kyungsoo has accumulated two pages of mostly pathetic character sketches that add nothing to his current work. He’s jotted down a couple of random ideas for what could potentially happen in the story, but as he rereads them, he finds he doesn’t like them as much as he did when he first wrote them out.

He groans, runs a hand through his hair and pulls off his glasses to rub tiredly at his eyes. He puts all his drawing materials away and pulls out his laptop, spends the next twenty minutes checking his email before he finally deems this morning a lost cause and packs up to head home. He has to take the dogs on a walk anyway, and he should make lunch. He’ll try to work at home afterward.

The next few days progress in a similar pattern. He spends his time between coffee shops and home, staring at the blank pages in his sketchbook or rereading everything he’s already completed for the new book, and tears his hair out in frustration as he never gets anywhere. He doodles pointlessly in his sketchbook while watching old X-Files episodes, dodges all of Junmyeon’s phone calls, and texts with Baekhyun in between it all.

He doesn’t expect to run into Baekhyun on the following Monday afternoon, when Kyungsoo has taken up a table for himself back at the Starbucks. He’d ducked into the studio that morning to check up on the latest episodes and then quickly made an escape when he ran into Junmyeon who had been there to meet with Minseok and had demanded an update on Kyungsoo’s work the second he saw him.

Focusing has been hard today as well, and he’s spent more time drawing the scenery out the window into his sketchbook than anything else. Baekhyun’s voice cuts through Kyungsoo’s muddled thoughts, and when he looks up, he finds Baekhyun peering down at him with a smile.

He’s wearing circle glasses and a black beanie and he’s wrapped up in a scarf and deep blue coat. His smile grows the longer Kyungsoo stares, a little stunned by his appearance and how good he looks. Kyungsoo’s been in such a rut lately he can’t even remember the last time he shaved.

“Hey,” Kyungsoo croaks out, then winces slightly and clears his throat. Tries again. “Hi,” he says and Baekhyun chuckles, easily pulls back the chair across from Kyungsoo and sits down. “What’re you up to?”

“I’m out for lunch,” Baekhyun says, unwrapping his scarf from around his neck and undoing the buttons on his coat to reveal the mustard-yellow sweater he’s wearing underneath. Kyungsoo sighs internally, because it’s not fair that Baekhyun continues to look like the soft cozy boyfriend of his dreams. He shakes the thought away as quickly as it comes, reminds himself that it’s November now, and Baekhyun is just a sensible person keeping himself warm. “What’re you up to? Don’t you have work?”

“This is work,” Kyungsoo says, gesturing around at his messy table. He groans a little, and starts consolidating some of the notebooks and papers, but Baekhyun is faster. He tugs Kyungsoo’s sketchbook out from under his arm and turns it around, flips back through a few pages, and then to the last page where Kyungsoo’s been drawing the streetfront out the window.

“Wow,” Baekhyun says, eyes wide. “This is really great, Kyungsoo,” He laughs a little at himself, glances out the window, then back, as if confirming what Kyungsoo’s drawn. “I mean, I know you can draw, obviously, but this is different than your Chen books.”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo says slowly, scratching the back of his neck. “I’ve been having some trouble with the newest book in the Chen series, so I’ve just been drawing whatever else I can in the meantime.”

“So it’s not really work,” Baekhyun teases and Kyungsoo lets out a small laugh.

“I guess not,” he agrees, and takes back his book when Baekhyun returns it.

Smiling, Baekhyun considers him for a moment, then says, “In that case, would you be open to some company? I’ve got a half-hour to spare, and eating lunch with you sounds way more enjoyable than eating back at my desk.”

“Some company sounds nice,” Kyungsoo says with a smile and Baekhyun beams at him.

“Okay, be right back,” he says and once he’s shed his coat, draped his scarf over the back of his chair, he leaves to go order and Kyungsoo stares at his empty seat, strangely comforted by this sudden change of events.

Yeah, so maybe he’d just been telling himself that Baekhyun is more of distraction than anything, but it’s not like he’s going to pass up the opportunity to spend more time with him. It’s still rare that they meet anywhere other than on their street or homes, and seeing Baekhyun here when he hadn’t been expecting it feels new and exciting.

Kyungsoo cleans up around his table, putting away his laptop and the sheets of paper where he’s been scribbling notes down about potential storylines. Baekhyun returns shortly after with a sandwich tucked carefully in his elbow and two drinks in his hands. He sets one down in front of Kyungsoo and says, “You like Americanos, right?”

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Kyungsoo says, surprised, but takes the cup with careful hands and adds, “And yes, I do.” He grins up at Baekhyun who smiles back, pleased, as he sits down in his chair and opens up his sandwich.

“I noticed yours was almost empty,” Baekhyun says, nodding toward Kyungsoo’s previous cup.

“Thanks,” Kyungsoo says. He takes a few sips out of it, stares down at the table so he doesn’t have to look at Baekhyun’s face, and wonders what to say. He’s still a little thrown by Baekhyun’s appearance, but he’s glad that he’s here, wants to make the most of it before Baekhyun has to return to work.

Of course Baekhyun beats him to it, setting his sandwich down after two big bites to ask, “Do you come here a lot to work? I’m surprised I’ve never run into you before.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “I’ve been focused on wrapping up the second season of the show lately that I haven’t even touched the actual book work,” he explains. “But since more of the show’s ready to air now, I have no excuse not to work on this anymore.”

“Looks like you’re getting a lot done,” Baekhyun teases, nodding at Kyungsoo’s sketchbook. When Kyungsoo groans, he laughs, and says, “Writer’s block?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Kyungsoo says. He runs a hand through his hair a little agitatedly, and picks up the pencil he’d been drawing with, tapping at the edge of his sketchbook with the eraser end. “I’ve got some ideas for where I need to go with the story, but whenever I try to draw it out...There’s nothing.”

“That sucks,” Baekhyun says, and he sounds truly sympathetic, a cute frown on his face as he stares at Kyungsoo’s book. “How did you get into writing children’s books anyway?”

The question makes Kyungsoo smile and he takes another sip from his drink before he answers. “I’ve always wanted to write, but the children’s book part of it happened kind of unexpectedly.” He twirls his pencil around in his fingers, traces over a line he’d drawn along the bottom of the page. “I had been drawing a little comic for fun, you know? Nothing that special, more like a creative outlet than anything. I was working at an office doing really boring shit at the time, so the comic was for fun. I shared it with my nephew and he loved it, but he was all of four at the time.”

Kyungsoo laughs and Baekhyun grins at him, takes a big bite from his sandwich and motions for Kyungsoo to keep talking. “My brother actually suggested I make the comic into an actual book. I thought he was ridiculous, but ended up putting together the first draft within the next few months anyway.”

“And then what? You became a hit overnight, right?”

“I wish,” Kyungsoo laughs. “No, I reached out to a bunch of publishers and agencies, talked to so many people who kept telling me they weren’t really interested. It was almost a year until Junmyeon took the bait.” Kyungsoo shakes his head, remembering that day and how earnest Junmyeon was about his book that Kyungsoo thought it must’ve been a prank, almost resigned to never getting published. “It’s crazy to think I’m already on my sixth book. I never expected it’d become as popular as it has though.”

“Why not?” Baekhyun exclaims, sounding almost offended. “The series is amazing! I know so many parents who swear by your books with their kids, and well, you already know how much Eun and I enjoy it. You’re a great storyteller, Kyungsoo.”

He says it with such earnesty, Kyungsoo isn’t sure how to react other than to drop his eyes to the table so he won’t have to stare at Baekhyun as he feels heat flooding his face. He manages to mumble out a small but no less genuine, “Thank you,” and when he glances back up, Baekhyun is beaming at him, pleased.

Kyungsoo swallows thickly and picks up his drink, takes a long couple of sips, then decides it’s time to change the topic before Baekhyun goes on to praise him and make him even more flustered. “What about you?” he asks. “Have you always wanted to be in IT?”

“Hah, no,” Baekhyun says with a shake of his head. “I wanted to be a pro-gamer.”

He says it so seriously, Kyungsoo is certain he’s telling the truth until Baekhyun laughs loudly, showing off all his teeth. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes but can’t help the smile tugging at his lips. “I could see that, actually,” he tells Baekhyun who nods excitedly.

“Right?” he says. “I’d be amazing at it. Even now, though I don’t play as much as I’d like. When Eun is older and more interested in gaming, we’re gonna have tournaments every night.”

Kyungsoo chuckles at the hopeful? look in Baekhyun’s eyes. “Every night seems ambitious,” he says. “What kind of games do you play?”

“League of Legends is a classic,” Baekhyun says. “But lately I’ve been into Battlegrounds.”

Kyungsoo nods. “I like that one too,” he says, and laughs at the way Baekhyun’s jaw drops in surprise. “I mostly play Overwatch these days when I have the time, though.”

“I can’t believe we’ve been friends this whole time and I didn’t know you’re a gamer,” Baekhyun says, stunned and a little something else that Kyungsoo can’t place. He’s staring at him from across the table like he’s never seen Kyungsoo before and it probably should be unsettling but mostly makes Kyungsoo laugh.

“Guess you haven’t been asking the right questions,” Kyungsoo says with a little one-shouldered shrug.

Baekhyun licks his lips as he leans back in his seat. “Guess not,” he says, then for a few moments, just continues to look at Kyungsoo until his face breaks out into a wide grin. “So, do you want to play sometime? I’ll even go easy on you.”

Kyungsoo snorts. “I doubt that’ll be necessary,” he says, and the spark of challenge in Baekhyun’s eyes is terribly attractive.

“We’ll see about that,” Baekhyun says and Kyungsoo laughs, shaking his head in amusement even though he’s already looking forward to it.

Kyungsoo doesn’t expect to see Baekhyun during the day like that again, but it happens twice more in the following week. The first time, Baekhyun is merely running in to get coffee for his team and only has a few minutes to chat, and the second time, he stops by for awhile longer, easily stealing bites out of the slice of cake that Kyungsoo had bought.

Working outside of the house hasn’t made any drastic improvements on Kyungsoo’s productivity, but he enjoys the change of pace and scenery. Some mornings he stops by the studio to check on the latest updates with the show and tug on Chanyeol’s large ears, and other days he sleeps in an extra hour or two, takes the dogs on a walk, and then heads to least crowded coffee shop in town and sets up camp.

While the work for Chen’s stories continues slowly, Kyungsoo has been more inspired for other unrelated projects. He’s drawn plenty over the past week, of the roads out the window, the light from the sun across his tabletop, the eclectic array of sweets behind the glass case at the front counter of the bakery he holes up in one afternoon. He draws a little sketch of a mother and daughter after seeing a young woman with a small child run across the street to catch the bus, draws a furry dog that he passed on the way to Starbucks one morning, and creates a new character for Chen’s Space Adventures that looks disarmingly like Baekhyun.

He rips that page out as soon as he realizes and hides it away in the back of his bag with other discarded notes and sketches.

It’s another Monday afternoon when Kyungsoo steps into line at a small bistro for lunch and work. He’s checking his email on his phone, ignoring all the ones from Junmyeon, when Baekhyun’s familiar voice says, “Kyungsoo, are you stalking me?”

Kyungsoo whirls around to find Baekhyun standing right after him in line, an amused glint to his eyes and a little smirk to his lips. “Hey, I was in here first,” Kyungsoo says, grinning back. “I think you’re the one stalking me.”

Baekhyun opens his mouth as if to instinctively refute Kyungsoo, only to realize he can’t. He snaps his mouth shut with a little pout and Kyungsoo laughs. “What’re you up to?” he asks as they move up another spot in line. “Another coffee run?”

“Nah,” Baekhyun says with a shake of his head. “I’m here for lunch.” He pats his stomach cutely and adds, “It’s been a long day. I really needed to get out of the office for awhile. Are you here to work?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo says, patting his bag over his shoulder. He gives Baekhyun a slow once over, and licks his lips as he considers. When he meets Baekhyun’s eyes again, he’s a little surprised that Baekhyun is staring at his mouth, but then it’s gone and Baekhyun is grinning at him, leaving Kyungsoo to wonder if he just imagined it. He pushes the thought aside in favor of asking, “Want to join me for lunch if you have the time?”

“Why, Kyungsoo, I thought you’d never ask,” Baekhyun says in a lilting voice that makes Kyungsoo roll his eyes.

“Don’t make me change my mind,” he threatens, but they both know he won’t.

They order soon after and settle into a table near the back and Baekhyun instantly launches into a story about work from this morning and how he feels like tearing his hair off his head because the client he’s been working with has less than zero understanding of technology. The frustration in his voice is cute and Kyungsoo listens attentively as he eats, offering a few empathetic comments in return that make Baekhyun smile despite his complaining.

It’s easy to talk about work; Kyungsoo tells Baekhyun about Junmyeon’s constant messages and how the micromanagement only stresses him out more, and Baekhyun asks to see what Kyungsoo’s worked on since the last time. His reactions to Kyungsoo’s art is always so genuine that Kyungsoo’s heart bleeds warmth throughout his whole body, leaves him feeling pleased and slightly embarrassed. He knows he’s good, and he hears it from Junmyeon and Chanyeol on a rather regular basis, but from Baekhyun, it’s different, somehow.

It’s different, too, just being able to sit here and talk to Baekhyun on his own. He sees Baekhyun often, their Sunday night Chen viewing dates are still a regular occurrence, but with Eun around it’s not exactly the same. Eun is cute and friendly and never fails to tell Kyungsoo how much he loves his stories, and if Kyungsoo had known a few months ago he would become this close to the family who moved in across the street, he’s not sure he’d have believed it.

As it is, spending time alone with Baekhyun, even if it’s for a short hour during Baekhyun’s lunch break, is much different than the few moments alone they get Sunday evenings, or running into each other on the street throughout the week. It’s nice. It’s comfortable. And Kyungsoo doesn’t want to think it, but sometimes it feels like a date, and he’s maybe a little disappointed when he has to remind himself it’s not. He wonders if this is how it would be, if they really went on a date. Would it be this comfortable? Would Baekhyun smile at him so softly like this, if Kyungsoo took the plunge and asked?

He’s thinking about it now as Baekhyun tells him about the science project Eun is making for class that’s all about space and how he wants to add pictures of Chen into them. “He keeps making Chen drawings instead of working on the actual project,” Baekhyun says with a shake of his head. He’s smiling, though, that fond little smile Kyungsoo’s come to associate with how much he loves his son.

“I could help with that, if he wants,” Kyungsoo offers idly. “I have tons of Chen drawings around. I can print them off and he can color them however he likes.”

Baekhyun’s eyes light up and Kyungsoo laughs, because he doesn’t think it’s that much of an offer. “I think he’d love that,” he says, and then he chuckles to himself too, glancing down to swirl his fork around a few strands of noodles. “You’re really good with Eun, you know? I...I really appreciate it.”

Not expecting that, Kyungsoo blinks at Baekhyun for a few moments, trying to figure out what to say. Baekhyun stuffs his mouth with his noodles and after he swallows, he laughs again because Kyungsoo still hasn’t said anything. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything.”

“I’m not,” Kyungsoo says quickly. “I was just surprised.” He licks his lips and sets his own fork down on his plate so he can carefully pick through the clutter in his mind. “I’m sure you can imagine I meet a lot of kids because of work.”

Baekhyun mock-gasps. “You don’t say,” he teases and Kyungsoo cracks a little smile at that, feeling less lost about what to say now.

“Eun is a really great kid,” he says. “He’s definitely made my life more fun since we met.”

“Me, too, right?” Baekhyun demands and Kyungsoo shrugs evasively, unable to tell him the truth. That Kyungsoo can barely remember how his life was before Baekhyun had been a part of it. “Not everyone is so nice with kids,” Baekhyun adds. “When you’re trying to make friends and meet people, especially, it’s like, unless they have kids themselves, it’s not that easy.”

Kyungsoo nods at that, because it makes sense, even though he doesn’t really understand.

“You do a lot for Eun--for both of us--that you don’t really have to, is all,” Baekhyun says and Kyungsoo stares at him for a long moment before he shakes his head.

“You’re wrong,” he says softly. “I do it because I want to. I do it because you’re my friend, Baekhyun, and you and Eun, you’re...You’re important to me.”

Maybe it’s not the entire truth, maybe it doesn’t cover the extent of Kyungsoo’s confusing feelings, but it’s close. It’s as much as Kyungsoo can say right now without making things worse. He still doesn’t know if Baekhyun would be interested in being with him. But this. This is okay. Being friends is more than enough.

Baekhyun looks a little surprised by Kyungsoo’s words, but it passes soon enough and a smile takes over his features instead. He doesn’t hesitate to reply, “You’re important to us, too, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo smiles back, but he can’t help wonder just how much.

It snows for the first time on a Saturday evening as Kyungsoo drives home from Chanyeol’s apartment. He’d gone over for lunch and had stayed hours longer, helping Chanyeol with fine-tuning a little opening theme song for one of the other children’s programs he works on. It was much more fun than the work Kyungsoo has continued to put off, even though Chanyeol told him to stop thinking so much and just draw whatever he wants to.

“You get stuck in your head sometimes,” he said after Kyungsoo had confessed some of his worries over his project. “And then you end up too worried over the details and technicalities. Just have fun with it! That’s what this was all about in the first place, right?”

Of course Chanyeol is right. And it’s not that Kyungsoo has stopped having fun with his work, but maybe it’s become too much like work than a story that he loves, that he wants to share with kids around the world, that he wants them to connect with.

Maybe he has forgotten some of that. Maybe he is too stuck in his head.

He thinks through all of this on the way home, the roads a little slick because of the snow. It takes longer than usual to make it back, everyone driving slowly to avoid accidents, and by the time Kyungsoo pulls up to his street, there’s a good inch or two of snow all over the ground.

He’s not surprised to find Baekhyun and Eun outside already, Eun running around their front yard, picking up small handfuls of snow that he throws at Baekhyun who chases after him, laughing loudly. Kyungsoo hears them once he pulls into his garage and steps out, shoving his keys into his pocket as he walks up to the edge of his driveway. “Having fun?” he yells and Baekhyun, in the middle of twirling Eun around in the air, turns toward him and gives a big wave.

He releases Eun after, giving him a little ruffle of his hair, then makes his way toward Kyungsoo, so Kyungsoo heads down to meet him halfway. “Hey,” Baekhyun says when they’re close, and he pushes his slightly snow-damp hair back from his face with a gloved hand. “Out working today, too?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “I just had lunch with Chanyeol,” he says. “I’ll probably spend the night working if I can manage it.”

“No playing out in the snow for you, huh?” Baekhyun teases and Kyungsoo laughs.

“I think I’ll wait until morning when I have to take the dogs out,” he says. “Walks in the snow are the worst though. They like the snow too much.”

“Eun is the same,” Baekhyun says, and that much is obvious from how entertained the boy still is by the snowfall, throwing handfuls of snow into the air. “He’s even more excited about it now that we have a yard. He’s already demanded to make a snowman when there’s enough snow for it.”

“He’s adorable,” Kyungsoo laughs. “Kids are always so eager to do things, aren’t they? The most I’m that enthusiastic about these days is being able to sleep in an extra hour on the weekends.”

Baekhyun chuckles at that, nodding in agreement. He shoves his hands in his pockets and then suddenly asks, “Hey, what are your plans for Thanksgiving?”

“Thanksgiving?” Kyungsoo says, surprised, and it takes him a moment to even remember that Thanksgiving is coming up within the week. “Nothing, really,” he answers when he mentality goes through his schedule. “I was probably just going to work and avoid Junmyeon’s phone calls as usual.”

Baekhyun shakes his head in amusement, a small smile on his lips. He glances over at Eun for a moment, before turning back to Kyungsoo. The look in his eyes is hopeful. “If you’re not busy, why don’t you join us for dinner?” he offers, and Kyungsoo’s surprised by the slight nervousness in his voice. “My family is coming to visit, so we’re having a big feast and everything.” He laughs a little. “Don’t worry, I won’t be cooking.”

Kyungsoo snorts. “Oh, good, that’s definitely what I was worried about,” he says and Baekhyun grins, finally looking more like himself again. “You’d really want me to join you?”

“Of course,” Baekhyun says without hesitation, and now the look in his eyes is much more determined. “If you want to, I mean. You can bring Chanyeol along, too! Jongdae will be there, and some friends from work, so it’s not like only a family thing, you know, I just thought--”

“Baekhyun, breathe,” Kyungsoo says, reaching out instinctively to place a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder and squeezing. When Baekhyun shuts up, blinking at Kyungsoo for a few seconds, and then laughs, he smiles back and lets his hand fall away, curling his fingers into a fist at his side. “That sounds really nice. Of course I’ll come.”

“Really?” Baekhyun says, almost too eagerly, and once he seems to realize just how eager he sounds, he flushes and hastens to add, “I mean, that’s great! Great. I’ll uh, I’ll text you the details later, okay?”

“Sure,” Kyungsoo says, his amusement over Baekhyun’s behavior outweighing the fact that he’s going to meet Baekhyun’s whole family in a week. He’s sure that little tidbit will come to cause him plenty of anxiety soon enough, but right now he just smiles at Baekhyun and adds, “Thanks for inviting me.”

Baekhyun grins, his eyes sparkling in the darkening sky. It’s started to snow a little harder, but Baekhyun doesn’t seem bothered, even as snow clings to his hair and melts. “You can’t back out now, okay?” he teases. “If you don’t show up, I’ll come drag you over. I know where you live!”

Kyungsoo laughs, and shoves Baekhyun lightly. Baekhyun just stumbles back a step before he returns, still smiling widely down at Kyungsoo. “You’re ridiculous,” Kyungsoo says, but he likes that about Baekhyun, and he thinks maybe Baekhyun knows that, too. “I’m going home now.”

“See you later, Kyungsoo!” Baekhyun yells after him, and Kyungsoo glances over his shoulder just in time to see Eun tackling Baekhyun to the snow in their front yard.

He shakes his head, looking away, an unbidden smile tugging at his lips as he trudges up to his house and the sound of Baekhyun’s bright laughter echoing in his ears for the rest of the night.

The week passes by much faster than Kyungsoo anticipates. He continues alternating his time between local coffee shops and home, but ends up staying in on the few days it snows, not eager to have to drive anywhere on the slick roads. Pepper and Inky are good company those days, keeping Kyungsoo warm where they lie on his feet under his desk as he works.

He’s still struggling, still not entirely confident with the work he’s doing, but at least he’s getting something on the page. That’s as much as he can hope for now, with his deadline looming closer and closer.

Baekhyun texts him a few days before Thanksgiving, letting him know when to come over and complaining about all the cleaning he’s had to do around the house so his mother doesn’t think he’s a total slob.

I’m sure the place looks fine, Kyungsoo texts back. He’s always surprised by how tidy Baekhyun keeps his home, considering he has a kid and all. Baekhyun texts back about fifteen minutes later, sounding terribly distressed.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
it’s my mom’s first time visiting!! she’s gonna chew me out if she finds even a speck of dust anywhere!!
save me kyungsoo :(

On a whim, Kyungsoo takes a selfie of himself with Pepper, who has been begging for attention for awhile now, and sends it off to Baekhyun before he can think twice about it, adding a short message underneath.

Don’t be a baby. You can do it. We believe in you!

He’s weirdly embarrassed by it afterward, and sets his phone screen down on his table so he won’t see it flash with Baekhyun’s reply. Instead he picks himself out of his seat to make himself another mug of coffee and Pepper follows along at his feet, scuttering around the kitchen. Kyungsoo gets the machine going, then sits down on the floor, lets Pepper climb all over him and lick at his face.

“This is getting ridiculous, isn’t it?” he asks Pepper, and Pepper just gives Kyungsoo more slobbery kisses until he’s laughing, and pushing the strange feeling in his chest aside.

Ten minutes later, Kyungsoo is back upstairs, a mug of hot coffee at the ready and Baekhyun’s latest message on his phone.

He’s sent a photo, too. Baekhyun must still be at work, if the gray cubicle walls are any indication, but he looks soft and cute in the photo he’s sent, wearing a black cardigan and a white shirt underneath. His hair falls into his face and he’s making a little heart with his fingers like he’s one of those Korean idols Chanyeol’s always telling Kyungsoo he should check out.

The smile on Baekhyun’s face makes Kyungsoo’s heart race.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
thank you kyungsoo ❤ i believe in you too

Kyungsoo stares at the message, and the photo, for a few minutes until he finally saves the picture to his phone and set it aside. He returns to work after that, much more determined than before, and if he glances back at the photo of Baekhyun on his phone a few more times throughout the day, no one has to know.

“I’m glad you don’t look like a nervous wreck like that last time,” Chanyeol says as they walk across the street to Baekhyun’s on Thanksgiving night. “You’re meeting the in-laws and everything, but you don’t look nervous at all!”

Kyungsoo is just going to ignore that in-law comment. He already knows he won’t be able to fight Chanyeol on it anyway. “It was different that time,” he says instead. “We hadn’t spent any time together outside of our homes. But I’ve seen Baekhyun more in the past few weeks than I’ve even seen you.”

“Wow,” Chanyeol drawls. “I don’t know if I should be jealous or impressed.”

“You can be quiet,” Kyungsoo says, punching him only half-heartedly in the shoulder. It hurts a little more than usual. Chanyeol must be working out again. “Please leave all the dating jokes in your head tonight, okay?”

“Don’t worry,” Chanyeol says as they climb up the front steps to Baekhyun’s door. “I only use those when I want to see you turn into a tomato.”

Kyungsoo groans, briefly wonders why Chanyeol is even his friend and why he bothered to invite him along, and only after he’s cleared all those thoughts away, does he ring the doorbell. Baekhyun’s familiar voice comes through a few seconds later, yelling, “It’s open!”

Chanyeol laughs, opening the door and leading the way inside, while Kyungsoo shakes his head and follows. He shouldn’t be surprised. He locks the door after them, and has just pulled off his shoes when Baekhyun rounds the corner, sliding to a stop at the end of the hall with his socked feet against the hardwood floor. He’s wearing that Lu apron again and a wide smile.

“I thought I told you something about locking your door,” Kyungsoo says in way of greeting and Baekhyun’s smile only grows.

“It’s easier this way when you’re expecting guests,” he says with a shrug, then waves them inside. “You can put your coats in the closet. If there’s not enough space, leave them in the room down the hall.” He gestures toward his right, where Kyungsoo knows is one of the spare rooms in the house. “Nice to see you again, Chanyeol,” he adds.

“Thanks for letting me tag along,” Chanyeol says, smiling widely too. “Nice apron.”

“It makes me think of Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun teases, and Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, hopes that he’s not blushing. “Come on, let me introduce you to everyone.”

Kyungsoo follows Baekhyun inside, and is surprised by the amount of people around the living room and kitchen. He’d seen the few extra cars parked out along Baekhyun’s driveway, but he still wasn’t entirely prepared. He’s become used to Baekhyun’s home, but only with Baekhyun and Eun around with him. It’s strange to see so many other people lounging around in places he’s gotten so comfortable. He recognizes Jongdae easily enough, speaking to someone on the couch that has a striking resemblance to Baekhyun. It catches Kyungsoo off guard until Baekhyun explains it’s his older brother, Baekbeom.

“Ah, so you’re the Kyungsoo I’ve heard so much about,” he drawls slowly, giving Kyungsoo an equally slow once-over.

Kyungsoo isn’t sure whether to be embarrassed or slightly offended by that look, so he settles for strangely amused. “Funny, because Baekhyun rarely talks about you,” he returns, and Baekbeom blinks at him for a moment before he lets out a loud huff of a laugh.

“Of course not,” Baekbeom agrees with a bemused little smile on his face. “Since he’s a punk and all.”

“Shut up,” Baekhyun cuts in before Kyungsoo can respond. “Go back to whatever you were talking about.” He waves at Baekbeom and Jongdae with one hand, while his other hand slides around Kyungsoo’s shoulders, steering him away.

Chanyeol ends up joining Jongdae on the couch, easily pulled into conversation with him and Baekbeom, and Kyungsoo is left to let Baekhyun drag him around the space, pointing out his coworkers at the dining table and introducing them as Yixing, Heechul, and Seulgi. They all greet Kyungsoo with smiles and looks not unlike the one Baekbeom had given him earlier, and Kyungsoo wonders just how much Baekhyun has told his friends about him because it seems like no one is surprised that he’s here.

Kyungsoo catches Eun and two other young kids running down the hall, peeking into the kitchen, and then running back. Eun stops just long enough to wave at Kyungsoo brightly before he runs after his friends, too. Kyungsoo chuckles, amused, considers going to see what they’re up to, when Baekhyun is tugging at his elbow, pulling him gently into the kitchen.

“Hey, mom,” Baekhyun says, and that immediately gets Kyungsoo’s attention, glancing over to find an older woman in the kitchen, pulling a hot dish from the oven to set onto the counter. “This is Kyungsoo.”

Baekhyun’s mother lets out a little surprised gasp, quickly abandoning the dish in favor of turning to look at them. She's pulling off large oven mitts and Kyungsoo only just gets a glimpse of her face before she’s suddenly sweeping him into a hug.

“Oh, Kyungsoo!” she exclaims. “I’ve heard so much about you from Baekhyunnie.” She squeezes him once, almost too tight, and then pulls back, hands still on his arms as she gets a good look at him. Kyungsoo too, notices the familiar shape of her mouth that he sees in Baekhyun, the same spark in their eyes. “Thank you for looking after him so well. I know he can be a real pain in the butt.”

“Mom!” Baekhyun groans, and she laughs, finally releasing Kyungsoo in favor of reaching up to pinch her son’s cheek.

“Am I wrong?” she demands. “You’re more trouble than you’re worth. It’s good that you’ve found someone who keeps up with you.”

Kyungsoo feels his face burn a little. The way she's talking...it’s like he and Baekhyun are dating and not just friends, not just neighbors, who spend a lot of time together. Still, it’s nice to know that she seems to like him, if anything, and once again Kyungsoo is curious to know exactly what Baekhyun’s told her.

Instead of asking, he says, “It’s really nice to meet you.” She beams at him, clearly pleased, and Baekhyun is staring at him now, too, rubbing the side of his face with a peculiar look in his eyes. “And to be honest, Baekhyun’s not any more trouble than I can handle.”

That makes her laugh again, tittering on about how sweet he is, but Kyungsoo’s looking at Baekhyun, watching the way his face grows pink. It’s cute, his surprise, his embarrassment, maybe, even though Kyungsoo was just teasing, and he steps closer to nudge him in the side with an elbow so Baekhyun can stop staring at him like that. Baekhyun jerks a little, then laughs as well, flashing Kyungsoo an intrigued look that Kyungsoo isn’t entirely sure what to do with.

It’s gone in the next second though as Baekhyun lets out a long-suffering sort of sigh. “I’m already getting the feeling that you two will get along far too well,” he says, but he only looks partially put out about it.

“Oh, we’re going to become great friends tonight, aren’t we, dear?” Baekhyun’s mother asks, pulling Kyungsoo close to her again.

Kyungsoo laughs and agrees. She’s a lot like Baekhyun, he’s coming to realize, and it makes him feel much more comfortable than he expected. He glances around the kitchen, at the dishes on the counter, the chopped up ingredients waiting to be cooked, and then pulls on the front of Baekhyun’s apron. “Were you actually cooking, or is this just for show?” he asks.

Baekhyun splutters. “I was helping!” he insists.

“Give it to me,” Kyungsoo says, holding his hand out. “Let me help.”

“You’re a guest!” Baekhyun’s mother protests instantly, even as Baekhyun happily pulls off the apron and, instead of just handing it to Kyungsoo, loops it on over his head for him.

“I don’t mind,” Kyungsoo says with a smile, batting Baekhyun’s hands away so he can tie the apron around himself. “I enjoy cooking.”

“Yeah, mom, Kyungsoo probably knows the way around this kitchen better than I do,” Baekhyun says, but yelps when his mother swats him with a dish towel.

“You shouldn’t be proud of that!” she chides him but at Baekhyun’s cute whining, she eventually cracks a smile and reaches up to pat his cheek gently.

“Besides, you’ve learned a lot,” Kyungsoo adds, smiling at Baekhyun, who stops making faces at his mom to look at Kyungsoo with surprise. “You’re not as bad as you think.”

The surprise melts away into something much softer, something that makes Kyungsoo’s chest warm the longer Baekhyun stares. He turns away then, trying to find something to busy himself with, and opting to take up one of the zucchini by the cutting board to start chopping.

Before he gets too far though, Baekhyun is stepping up beside him, close enough that his arm brushes against Kyungsoo’s, and says, “Thank you,” softly into Kyungsoo’s ear.

It sends a little thrill down Kyungsoo’s spine, and when he glances up, Baekhyun is flashing him a wide smile before he steps away like nothing has happened, and wanders out of the kitchen. A few seconds later, he hears him yelling Jongdae’s name, and it pulls a laugh out of Kyungsoo.

He shakes his head, unable to quell the smile tugging at his lips, and gets to work.

The rest of the night goes on with ease. Kyungsoo helps Baekhyun’s mother cook and clean around the kitchen, always happy to step in and take over something when she's keen to start something else, and she praises him on his manners and asks him tons of questions about work and his family and whether Baekhyun takes care of himself and Eun.

“He really does,” Kyungsoo answers easily, smiling as he stirs the mashed potatoes on the stove. “He’s always thinking about Eun, always trying to do the best for him. When we meet on Sundays to watch Eun’s show, I help Baekhyun out in the kitchen, and he’s really gotten so much better at putting things together himself.”

Baekhyun’s mother looks at Kyungsoo thoughtfully. “I worry about him,” she says with a little smile, “but I’m glad that he has you, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head slightly, because really, it’s not like he’s done much. “I’m glad to know him, too,” he admits. “He’s made the past couple of months much more lively.”

That makes her laugh. “Oh, that boy, he’s good at that, isn’t he?” she says fondly. “So much energy.”

She tells him story after story about Baekhyun growing up, the kind of trouble he used to get into, the natural ease with which he made so many friends. She's in the middle of a particular tale about Baekhyun’s embarrassing first date when Baekhyun wanders back into the kitchen and almost shrieks when he catches what she’s saying.

“Don’t tell him about that!” he yells, shoving himself in between Kyungsoo and his mother as if his body itself will stop Kyungsoo from hearing any more.

“Why not?” Kyungsoo teases, and he pokes Baekhyun in the ribs to get him to move. “It’s cute.”

“It’s not,” Baekhyun huffs.

“Oh, shush,” his mother says, pushing him aside so she can reach for another dish on the stove. “What’s a mother supposed to do if not embarrass you in front of your new friends?”

Baekhyun lets out a very childlike whine that Kyungsoo finds just as adorable as all the stories his mother has been telling him, and when he laughs, Baekhyun pouts at him, like he’s been betrayed. Kyungsoo is struck with the urge to kiss that pout off his face, to pull Baekhyun close and tell him it’s okay, and that he won’t tease Baekhyun about his past much, just to see him smile again. Instead he sighs, shakes his head slightly, throwing the thoughts away, and turns back to the stove.

The food is completed soon enough, and Baekhyun helps take dishes from the kitchen to the dining table which has been fitted with extra chairs to accommodate everyone. Kyungsoo finds himself between Baekhyun and Seulgi, who easily pulls Kyungsoo into conversation. It’s a lively affair; Kyungsoo doesn’t remember the last time he’d been to gathering with so many people outside of work events. He talks with Baekhyun’s sister-in-law sitting across from him, listens to all her horror stories about having kids, while Baekbeom sits at the couch holding his young baby daughter. His older daughter is eight and sitting on the floor around the coffee table with Eun and another young boy that Kyungsoo learns is Yixing’s son, Jiyu, and Eun’s best friend.

Baekhyun heads over every once in awhile to check on Eun and make sure he’s eating, ruffling his hair each time and laughing whenever Eun swats at his hands and yells, “Dad!” It makes Kyungsoo smile, watching them, and he tries not to be too obvious about it, too intune to every move Baekhyun makes throughout the night.

Things slow down a little after dinner. Kyungsoo joins Jongdae and Baekhyun’s sister-in-law in the living room, settling onto the couch beside her. She has her baby now, while Baekbeom finishes eating, having traded places, and Kyungsoo’s only been sitting for a few minutes before she asks if he wants to hold her.

“I--Sure,” Kyungsoo says, surprised but not opposed. She smiles at him and carefully hands over her daughter, and Kyungsoo smiles down at the baby as he holds her close to his chest. “She’s beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Baekhyun’s sister-in-law says. “Can you hold her for a moment? I’m gonna freshen up really quick.”

She's gone before Kyungsoo can even think to protest, and he sighs, glancing back down at the little girl in his arms. He hasn’t held a baby in years, not since he’d visited his brother after his nephew was born.

“You look a little panicked,” Jongdae laughs from where he’s sitting in the armchair across from Kyungsoo, holding a bottle of beer.

“I’m trying not to be,” Kyungsoo admits. “Babies make me nervous.”

“You’re telling me,” Jongdae agrees. “You never know when they’re just gonna start bawling, and the you have no idea what will make them stop.” He shakes his head a little, but he’s smiling fondly over at the girl in Kyungsoo’s arms. “When Eun was born, I came by to help as much as I could because Baekhyun was way in over his head whenever Hyeran wasn’t around. You should’ve seen the panicked looks on his face.”

“I wasn’t that bad,” protests Baekhyun as he joins them. He takes up the empty spot on couch to Kyungsoo’s left and easily slides an arm around Kyungsoo’s back, hand settling gently at Kyungsoo’s hip. Kyungsoo focuses his attention on the baby, pulls silly faces at her to make her react but she mostly just blinks up at him judgingly.

“You were bad all right,” Jongdae says. “Pretty sure I remember you crying every time--”

“Shhh!” Baekhyun says, flapping a hand at Jongdae as if that’ll shut him up. Jongdae just smirks widely and Baekhyun groans, slumping back against the couch. “Everyone is out to get me tonight.”

“You make it so easy,” Jongdae says and Baekhyun pulls himself back up just so he can glare at him.

“Go away Jongdae,” he grumbles as he leans into Kyungsoo’s side, and surprises Kyungsoo by perching his chin on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. He gazes down at his niece, reaches out to play with her tiny hands, lets her curl her little fingers around one of his. “So cute,” he says with a bright smile and Kyungsoo agrees, though he’s not entirely sure if he means the baby or Baekhyun.

Baekhyun takes his niece from Kyungsoo a few minutes later, wanting to hold her too, and Kyungsoo leans back against the couch to watch the way he coos and scrunches his nose up at her, gently rubs at her tummy until she gurgles and gives him a wide, toothless smile.

His sister-in-law returns soon enough to take her daughter from him, and Baekhyun pouts as he watches her go, slumping back against the couch and against Kyungsoo as if Kyungsoo’s presence will make up for the sudden lack of baby. Kyungsoo doesn’t mind so much, even though the amused look Jongdae sends him makes his ears hot.

“She’s your niece,” Jongdae laughs when Baekhyun continues to look put-out. “They’re staying with you all weekend, I’m sure you’ll have plenty more time to coddle her.”

“But I wanted to play right now,” Baekhyun says and he slides a hand onto Kyungsoo’s thigh as he talks. “She’s so cute.”

Kyungsoo wants to say, like you, because Baekhyun is really cute right now with his pink, pouty lips. He swallows the instinct down, however, and does his best to keep his composure, even though the weight of Baekhyun’s hand on his thigh is sending waves of heat through his body. “Did you want a girl?” he manages to ask after a moment, hoping he doesn’t sound as distracted to Baekhyun as he does to himself.

Baekhyun looks up at him, a little surprised, but then shakes his head. “Nah, I’ve always wanted a boy,” he says with a grin. “Eunnie is everything.”

The fondness in Baekhyun’s words is so evident, Kyungsoo practically feels it in his own heart. If there’s anything Kyungsoo could say about Baekhyun, it’s that he would do everything for his son.

“Eunnie is amazing,” Jongdae agrees, lips curling into a smirk. “He clearly didn’t get any of that from you, though.”

Kyungsoo laughs as Baekhyun protests loudly and jumps off the couch in favor of punching Jongdae in the arm. Jongdae just cackles, clearly used to this, and reaches up to squeeze the back of Baekhyun’s neck which makes him gasp and flail. He slinks back to Kyungsoo’s side and says, slinging an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders, “Kyungsoo thinks I’m a great dad, don’t you, Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo does, of course, and he’s said as much to Baekhyun multiple times, but still he pretends to think about it for a moment. “Do I?” he replies, teasingly, lips twitching at Baekhyun’s instant outrage, “I don’t remember saying that before.”

Baekhyun pulls away from Kyungsoo, placing a hand against his chest while Jongdae loudly laughs. “I can’t believe you’d betray me like this,” he says, all mock-offense.

Kyungsoo just smiles at him and shrugs a little. Baekhyun looks like he wants to say something more, but his mother is suddenly yelling at him to help with dessert, and Baekhyun sighs, shoulders slumping. He looks between Kyungsoo and Jongdae, then says, “I’m suddenly regretting you guys meeting now.”

“Go help your mom,” Jongdae chuckles, waving him off. “Kyungsoo and I will get to know each other even more.”

Baekhyun groans, but as he stands and heads toward the kitchen, Kyungsoo can see him smiling. Kyungsoo doesn’t realize he’s been staring after Baekhyun until Chanyeol suddenly takes Baekhyun’s empty spot on the couch. He blinks, surprised, and leans back, but looks up when Chanyeol laughs out of nowhere.

“What?” he asks, eyeing his friend curiously because Chanyeol is staring at him with a little smirk.

“Nothing,” Chanyeol says, singsong, but when Kyungsoo reaches up to tug on one of his stupid ears, he changes his tune and laughs again, holding his hands up before him like a peace offering. “It’s just that, if you don’t want anyone to know, you might want to not look so besotted,” he explains in a hushed voice.

Kyungsoo appreciates that at least, because Chanyeol’s actual words make him flush hotly. “Shut up,” he hisses, and tugs on Chanyeol’s ear again for good measure.

Chanyeol yelps, batting him away, and Kyungsoo lets go eventually so that he can drag himself off the couch. As he leaves for the bathroom, he hears Chanyeol whining to Jongdae, and he shakes his head, smiling despite himself. Chanyeol’s words are still ringing in his ears but he does his best to push it aside, taking a few minutes in the silence of the bathroom to catch his breath and clear his head.

When he returns, Baekhyun’s mother is ushering everyone back to the table for dessert, and Kyungsoo walks over to ask if she needs help with anything.

“Oh no, dear, Baekhyunnie is pulling his weight,” she says with a little laugh, reaching up to pat Kyungsoo’s cheek. “You sit down and eat, okay?”

She shuffles away before Kyungsoo can protest further, so he sighs, shaking his head a little and takes up a seat at the table besides Baekbeom who smirks at him. “Looks like she'd already inducted you into the family,” he says and Kyungsoo feels his face grow warm again.

Thankfully he says nothing more about it, just passes Kyungsoo a plate, and Kyungsoo turns to talk to Yixing when he sits down next to him.

Dessert includes some of the most amazing pumpkin pie that Kyungsoo’s ever eaten that Baekhyun’s mother made, and soon after everyone’s had their fill, the party starts to wind down. Baekhyun’s brother and his family retreat to one of guest rooms to turn in for the night, and Baekhyun’s coworkers bid their goodbyes as well, waving to everyone as they head out. Chanyeol follows them, waggling his brows at Kyungsoo when he says he’s gonna stick around a little longer.

Kyungsoo just shoves him out the door in response, but watches as he crosses the street back to his car parked on Kyungsoo’s driveway and waits until he heads off before returning inside. Kyungsoo probably should return home, but he’s been enjoying himself, chatting with Jongdae and Baekhyun’s mother. When he returns inside, Eun is kicking up a little fuss in the kitchen, tugging at Baekhyun’s arm and demanding to go to sleep.

“I’ll come tuck you in soon, Eunnie,” Baekhyun says, hands deep in the soapy sink water.

“Nooo, now!” Eun whines, looking dangerously close to crying. He must be tired and feeling a little lonely now that his friends are gone.

“Eun,” Baekhyun says in much more stern voice, even though it looks like the last thing he wants is to argue with his son. “Come on, just give me a few minutes.”

Eun just whines loudly, pulls at Baekhyun’s shirt with his little fists, and before Kyungsoo really even thinks it through, he steps up to him, crouching down so he’s eye-level, and asks, “Hey, Eunnie, why don’t I help you change into your PJs and read you one of Chen’s stories? By the time we finish, your dad will be done and he’ll come help tuck you in, okay?”

There’s silence that follows his statement. Kyungsoo can feel Baekhyun staring down at him in shock, but he keeps his eyes on Eun, who is still clutching onto his father’s shirt and looking incredibly contemplative. It takes a couple of long seconds, but then Eun murmurs, “Can...Can you read the story with the space dragon?”

“Sure, Eun, if that’s what you want,” Kyungsoo says, smiling encouragingly.

“Okay,” Eun says, voice small, but he looks far less like he’s about to burst into tears, so Kyungsoo considers this a success. He lets go of Baekhyun’s shirt in favor of tugging at Kyungsoo’s, and it takes Kyungsoo a moment to realize he wants to be picked up.

Baekhyun seems to have realized the same thing, letting out another stern, “Eun,” as if to stop him, but Kyungsoo doesn’t mind. He pulls Eun up into his arms, lets the boy wrap his arms around his neck and bury his face in his shoulder.

“It’s okay,” Kyungsoo tells Baekhyun with a smile. “I’ve got him.”

He takes Eun up to his room, and Eun giggles when Kyungsoo almost enters the wrong one. He’s only been up here once or twice, and it looks much the same as the last time, if a little messier after the kids had been playing together earlier. He sets Eun down and helps him into his pajamas, encourages him to pick up a little around the room so no one steps on a wayward Lego, and once he’s all done, lets him retrieve the Chen book he wants Kyungsoo to read.

Kyungsoo’s good at this. He’s used to doing readings of his stories, easily uses his Lu-voice when necessary, and does his best interpretation of everyone else’s. Eun laughs and asks questions and reacts in the most adorable of ways despite having clearly read this story hundreds of times, and Kyungsoo gets so caught up in it, that he doesn’t even notice that Baekhyun’s been watching them from the doorway until he’s done and Eun has managed to fall asleep, his exhaustion catching up to him.

There’s a soft little smile on Baekhyun’s face. Kyungsoo smiles back tentatively and asks, “How long were you standing there?”

“Just a few minutes,” Baekhyun says with a one-shouldered shrug, but there’s something in his eyes, something more that Kyungsoo can’t quite place. “You guys were having a moment. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“You wouldn’t have,” Kyungsoo says. He carefully slides off the bed without disturbing Eun to return the book to its shelf against the other wall. When he looks back, Baekhyun is adjusting the covers over his son, leaning down to kiss him on the forehead. Warmth blooms in Kyungsoo’s chest at the sight, and when Baekhyun glances over to him, Kyungsoo feels it spread all the way from the tips of his fingers to his toes.

“Come on,” Baekhyun says softly, nodding his head to the door.

They step outside into the hallway. It’s so much quieter in the house now and Kyungsoo sighs, relieved. He’s had a good time, but spending so much time around people can definitely be draining. He runs a hand through his hair tiredly.

“Thank you,” Baekhyun says suddenly, surprising Kyungsoo with not just his words but the way he reaches out to brush his fingers along Kyungsoo’s, tracing up the back of his hand to his wrist. “For Eun--for everything you did tonight.”

Kyungsoo only now realizes how close they’re standing, that even in the dim lighting of the hallway, he can see the mole above Baekhyun’s lip, the one on his cheek. “You don’t have to thank me for that,” Kyungsoo says.

“I know, but…” Baekhyun bites his lip, staring at Kyungsoo with trepidation, as if the wrong word will be like stepping on a landmine. “Kyungsoo, I…”

He pulls Kyungsoo close instead of continuing, wrapping his arms around him in a sudden hug. Kyungsoo gasps, not expecting this at all, but the way Baekhyun lets out this little sigh, almost of relief, makes it easier for Kyungsoo to push aside his uncertainties and relax. He takes a moment to calm his heart before he slowly lets his arms wind around Baekhyun’s waist, gently hugging him back.

Kyungsoo’s not sure how long they stand like that, how long the heat from Baekhyun’s body is flush against his own, but it’s Baekhyun who steps away first, smiling a little embarrassedly. He lets his hands drop back to his sides and Kyungsoo instantly misses the warmth of his touch. They’re still so close though, that Kyungsoo could pull him back in so easily, could reach up and cup his face in his hands without much effort at all, could lean forward to kiss him like he’s thought about so many times.

He licks his lips, and there’s no mistaking the way Baekhyun’s eyes dart down to watch the swipe of his tongue. Before Kyungsoo can say anything though, the sound of footsteps has them jerking further apart, putting even more space between them. Baekhyun’s mother walks up onto the second floor and seems a little startled to see them there, pressing a hand to her chest as she says, “Oh sorry, boys. Don’t mind me.”

“Goodnight, mom,” Baekhyun says, his voice a little strained.

Once she disappears into the guest room, Kyungsoo clears his throat and takes another short step back. “I should head home,” he says.

“You can--You can stay here tonight, if you want,” Baekhyun offers quickly. He laughs a little right after. “I know it’s not like you have to go very far, but--”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo blurts out without thinking.

“Okay?” Baekhyun says, surprised, like he definitely wasn’t expecting Kyungsoo to say yes. When Kyungsoo nods, before he can change his mind, he smiles, bright, and takes Kyungsoo’s hand in his. “Okay. Come with me.”

He leads Kyungsoo down the hall to what must be his own bedroom, and Kyungsoo is surprised to find it quite tidy. There’s not much in here other than a chest of drawers and a television in the corner across from the bed. Kyungsoo stops at the edge of it and says, “I can take the couch, you know.”

“After Baekbeom’s kid spilled apple juice over it?” Baekhyun laughs as he closes the door behind him, leaving it open a small crack. “I don’t think so. My bed is plenty big enough for us both.”

“If you’re sure,” Kyungsoo says, only a little hesitant.

“I am,” Baekhyun says, and well, Kyungsoo has nothing else to say to that. Right now he’s tired enough to accept this as it is. Hindsight in the morning might be a different story, but Kyungsoo doesn’t want to think about that now.

Baekhyun loans Kyungsoo a shirt and pajama pants to wear for the night, and Kyungsoo steps into the adjoining bathroom to quietly change, glancing back before closing the door just in time to see Baekhyun lift his shirt over his head. He shuts the door quickly and leans back against it, takes a few steadying breaths. He needs to relax. This doesn’t have to be such a big deal. Baekhyun offered him to stay, and Kyungsoo said yes. Backing out now would be even more embarrassing.

When he steps back out, Baekhyun is perched at the edge of his bed in plain sweatpants and an old band shirt with the sleeves cut off, staring at his phone. He looks up at Kyungsoo and grins when he walks back in, sets his phone aside on his bedside table.

“Are you sure I can’t take the couch--”

“Just come here, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun laughs, already throwing back the covers so he can slide under. “I promise I won’t bite.”

Kyungsoo snorts, but is secretly glad for the candor. It helps ease the lingering anxiety in his veins, and he rounds the bed to climb in from the other side. Baekhyun turns the light off from the lamp next to the bed and it takes a few moments to grow adjusted to the darkness, but soon enough, Kyungsoo can make out the shape of Baekhyun’s face as he turns to look at him, lying on their sides. They stare at each other for a long few moments, and it’s strange, but the tension isn’t nearly as thick as it was earlier in the hall. But it’s still so much, and Kyungsoo wonders if Baekhyun can hear the way his heart is beating so loudly in his chest.

When the silence stretches on too long, Kyungsoo instinctively reaches out to poke Baekhyun just on the tip of his nose. He laughs at the way Baekhyun’s whole face scrunches up and shifts until he’s on his back, looking up at the ceiling. “Goodnight, Baekhyun,” he whispers, his eyes closing.

“Goodnight,” Baekhyun says back, and when Kyungsoo feels Baekhyun reach between them to slide their fingers together, he doesn’t flinch, doesn’t pull away. Instead, he falls asleep with a smile on his face.

When Kyungsoo wakes in the morning, it’s to Baekhyun’s arm around his waist and his face smushed up against Kyungsoo’s shoulder like a makeshift pillow. Kyungsoo’s immediate instinct is to jerk away, because this--this is too close, too comfortable, and that hindsight he’d pushed away the night before is hitting him full force as the last hold of slumber fades away.

It takes him a couple of long moments to relax, to just let this be. His heart might be pounding in his ears but this isn’t so bad, really. Baekhyun is warm and solid, pressed up against him, and Kyungsoo can feel his even breathing against his skin. He doesn’t want to wake him up.

He’s not sure how early it is, and when he strains his ears he can only vaguely make out the sounds of what must be Baekhyun’s family talking downstairs. He shifts slightly, wriggling the arm pressed to his side under Baekhyun’s chest, trying to regain feeling in his fingers, but stills completely when Baekhyun makes a little whimpering noise and snuggles closer.

Kyungsoo’s glad Baekhyun’s asleep so he can’t see the blush that’s heating up his face. He sighs, glances down at Baekhyun, considering. From this angle he can’t see much other than his ruffled hair and the slope of his nose, but a smile tugs at his lips, anyway.

He’s thinking about whether he can sneak out from Baekhyun’s embrace long enough to at least duck into the bathroom, when the door to Baekhyun’s room creaks open all the way and Eun hurdles inside.

“Dad, dad, dad--Kyungsoo!” Eun exclaims, bright-eyed surprise lighting up his face as he climbs onto the bed and notices Kyungsoo lying there, too. “You’re here!”

Kyungsoo chuckles softly. “I am,” he says, carefully, not entirely sure how to explain, or if he even needs to.

Thankfully Eun seems more concerned in waking Baekhyun up, little hands braced on Baekhyun’s shoulder and shaking as he bounces on the bed and continues chanting, “Dad, dad, dad, wake up, wake up! Grandma made waffles! Come on!”

The noise Baekhyun makes in response is somewhere between a groan and a whine. He rubs the side of his face against Kyungsoo’s shoulder, digs his fingers into Kyungsoo’s waist, and his nose scrunches up. It’s utterly cute. Kyungsoo wishes he could pull him closer, press kisses to his forehead, his cheeks, the tip of his nose until Baekhyun wakes.

“Daaaaad,” Eun whines, still doing his best to shake Baekhyun awake.

And it works, a couple minutes later as Baekhyun finally lifts his head. He blearlily blinks his eyes open and glances down, seems to take in his arm around Kyungsoo’s body because he sharply turns to look into Kyungsoo’s face. The blush that paints Baekhyun’s face as he realizes what he’s done makes Kyungsoo laugh. He’s very glad now that he didn’t try to slip away sooner.

“Oh my god, Kyungsoo, I’m--Fuck--Shit--” He slaps a hand over his mouth and groans, then fixes a giggling Eun with a pointed look. “Don’t tell Grandma,” he says.

“I know,” Eun says, sounding incredibly exasperated for a six-year-old. As Kyungsoo finally manages to sit up now that Baekhyun’s let him go, Eun looks up to him and asks, “Did you have a sleepover?”

Baekhyun seems to turn even pinker. Kyungsoo chuckles a little awkwardly and says, “Yeah, sort of.”

That seems to be good enough for Eun. “Okay!” he says excitedly. “Now it’s breakfast time, right? Grandma says to hurry up or she's not leaving any waffles for you!”

Baekhyun reaches out to tickle Eun, fingers dancing across his sides until they’re both laughing and Baekhyun looks less embarrassed and much more awake. “Go tell Grandma we’ll be down in a second, okay?” he tells his son, and Eun nods before he scampers off the bed and out of the room.

The second he’s gone Baekhyun groans again and flops back against the bed. He runs a hand over his face. Kyungsoo smiles down at him and asks, “Is waking up always this exciting at your house?”

Baekhyun lowers his hand from his face to look up at Kyungsoo with soft eyes. “Yeah,” he says with a smile. “It’s probably worse on a regular day, to be honest. We’re always running around trying to get ready for work and school. You wouldn’t even guess how many times I’ve forgotten to make Eun’s lunch or we had to run back to grab something we forgot.” He shakes his head, clearly amused by the memories, and then finally pulls himself back up to sit. “I--uh, I’m sorry about…” He gestures vaguely at Kyungsoo, clears his throat, and Kyungsoo just smiles and shrugs a shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it,” he says, but as Baekhyun continues to look embarrassed, he adds, teasingly, “You only drooled a little.”

It has the desired effect: Baekhyun gasps in outrage and exclaims, “I don’t drool!” even as he wipes at his mouth to check.

“Are you sure?” Kyungsoo returns and Baekhyun squawks at him, now much more flustered than embarrassed, and weakly reaches out to shove at Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“Get out of my bed,” he grumbles and Kyungsoo laughs, does as he’s told. He stretches his arms over his head with a little groan and drops his hands, turns to find Baekhyun staring at him a little dazedly. Laughing again, he waves a hand in front of Baekhyun’s face. “You okay?”

Baekhyun jerks back a little but then nods, rubbing the back of his neck. “You can, uh, use the bathroom first if you want.” He jumps up to his feet and heads for the bathroom, switching on the light. “I’m sure we have an extra toothbrush somewhere too if--”

“It’s okay,” Kyungsoo says quickly, following after. “I was just gonna change back into my clothes and head home, actually.”

“Oh,” Baekhyun says, his face falling as he looks down at the packaged toothbrush he’s found in the drawer under his sink. “You don’t want to stay for breakfast? Apparently there are waffles.” He cracks a little smile at that, and it’s almost hopeful, and Kyungsoo...he’d love to stay, he wants to stay, and yet neither of those things are what comes out of his mouth.

“Thanks,” he says, “but I should check on my kids and take them on a walk.”

“Right,” Baekhyun says, nodding in understanding, and Kyungsoo kind of wishes he’d have pushed him to stay. “That’s important.”

Kyungsoo just chuckles awkwardly and Baekhyun finally drops the toothbrush back into the drawer and pushes it shut. “Here,” he says, stepping out. “It’s all yours.”

“Thanks,” Kyungsoo says, and once he closes the door behind him, he slumps back against it and groans. “Stupid,” he mutters to himself, and after a few more seconds of wallowing, he drags himself away to change, his clothes from last night still folded on the edge of the sink where he’d left them.

He changes quickly, folds up the clothes he’s borrowed from Baekhyun, and leaves the bathroom. Baekhyun isn’t in his room, and Kyungsoo figures he must’ve gone downstairs for breakfast. He sets the clothes on the edge of Baekhyun’s bed, sighs, and heads down, too.

The kitchen is loud. Kyungsoo can hear Eun and Baekhyun laughing before he even turns the corner, and it makes him smile as he finds them fighting over what seems to be the last waffle. Baekbeom’s wife is wiping off syrup off her daughter’s hands while Baekbeom helps his mother in the kitchen. He notices Kyungsoo first, smiling and waving him over. “There you are,” he says. “Hungry? We just finished making another batch.”

“Actually, I need to head home,” Kyungsoo says apologetically.

“Are you sure you can’t stay?” Baekhyun’s mother cuts in, frowning at him in that worried mother way. “Have some breakfast at least! I can’t have you leave on an empty stomach.”

Kyungsoo laughs and shakes his head. “Really, it’s okay,” he says. “I’ve imposed enough.”

“Nonsense!” Baekhyun’s mother exclaims, and then swats Baekhyun in the arm, gesturing toward Kyungsoo. “Right, Baekhyunnie?”

Baekhyun rubs at his arm but glances over at Kyungsoo and smiles so warmly it makes Kyungsoo’s knees a little weak. “Of course you’re not imposing, Kyungsoo,” he says. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”

Kyungsoo feels himself flush hotly. He’s not really sure what to say to that, because suddenly, all he can remember is falling asleep beside Baekhyun, holding his hand, and waking up curled up against him. It’s probably not what he should be thinking about in front of Baekhyun’s family, so he pushes the thoughts aside and says instead, “Another time maybe.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” Baekhyun says with a grin and Kyungsoo smiles back, a little relieved.

Baekhyun stands from the table, and follows Kyungsoo to the door, watches as he retrieves his coat from the closet and shrugs it on. Kyungsoo bends down to tug his shoes on over his heel, and when he straightens again, his breath catches a little at the soft look Baekhyun is giving him. He clears his throat, shoves his hands into his pockets, and says, “I’m sorry I couldn’t stay. Thank you...for last night. It was a lot of fun.”

“I’m glad you came, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says.

“Me too,” Kyungsoo says, and when he meets Baekhyun’s eyes, he’s hit with the increasingly familiar urge to kiss him.

He tears his eyes away, turns to the door and pulls it open. The chilly winter air unfortunately does nothing to quell that urge. He smiles at Baekhyun instead and says, “I’ll see you later,” and finally makes the short trek back home.

He forces himself not to look back, doesn’t want to know if Baekhyun is watching after him. In the familiar comfort of his home, Kyungsoo is able to take what feels like the first real breath since he woke up this morning. The excited pitter-patter of his puppies scurrying up to greet him helps, too, and he quickly kicks his shoes off to meet them in the hallway.

“Hey guys,” Kyungsoo says with a smile as he drops to his knees, lets Inky and Pepper climb up against his legs and lick at his chin. “I can always count on you to make me feel better.”

Inky barks at him as if in answer and Kyungsoo laughs, grinning all the wider as he settles more comfortably on the floor. He’ll have to take them on a run soon, but for now he’s content like this. Right now he needs something to keep his mind off of Baekhyun and his complicated feelings.

December arrives with even more snow and temperatures dropping to the single digits. It brings a snow day that finds Kyungsoo dragged outside to build a snowman with Baekhyun and Eun on a Friday afternoon, and long evenings spent shoveling his driveway, wrapped up in as many layers as possible but still unable to feel his toes.

There’s also Kyungsoo’s deadline, that looms closer and closer with each passing day, and soon enough he reverts to what he always does during crunch time: he turns off his phone and he holes himself up in his studio with nothing to distract him except his dogs, since they’re the kind of distraction that’s welcome.

For days Kyungsoo eats, sleeps, and breathes his book. There’s nothing else he allows himself to even think about. The only breaks he takes are for the pups: walks in the morning and evening, refilling their water and food bowls when necessary, letting them out into the backyard when they need to do their business. The rest of the time, it’s a wonder if he even remembers to eat himself because there doesn’t even seem to be enough hours in the day for something so trivial as food, not when he’s still got pages upon pages of work to create.

He hasn’t entirely dug himself out of that rut that’s been clinging to him for the past couple of months, but the thought of facing Junmyeon’s wrath if he doesn’t finish this draft is enough to force him through it anyway. He grits his teeth and he draws and draws and draws until his hand aches and then he switches to rereading his outlines, finalizing the storyline, throwing out potential titles, names for the new characters he’s created but haven’t yet christened.

It’s a grueling, terrible process, and it’s no surprise, really, that the longer it goes on and the less sleep he gets that his body starts to shut down in the form of a fever. He barely even registers it through his focused haze. In fact, it’s not until the 18th, two days before his deadline, that he’s aware he’s sick at all, and it’s only because Baekhyun shows up at his doorstep, brows furrowed and lips turned downward and fuck. Fuck. The last person Kyungsoo wants to see right now is Baekhyun. Beautiful Baekhyun who is looking at him with such concern while Kyungsoo hasn’t showered in maybe a week and is seconds, maybe, from collapsing to the floor.

“What--What’re you doing here?” Kyungsoo manages to say. Even his voice sounds far away.

“I came to see what’s been up with you because you haven’t answered any of my messages and you missed Chen night but I--That’s not important,” Baekhyun says. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” Kyungsoo says shakily, waving a hand. “Been busy.”

“Busy,” Baekhyun echoes, clearly unconvinced. “Kyungsoo, you look--”

“Awful?” Kyungsoo suggests with a laugh, except it turns into a bit of a cough halfway through and he takes a step back, not wanting to get Baekhyun sick, too. Baekhyun only seems to take that as an invitation to step inside, and before Kyungsoo can stop him, he’s reaching out to press a hand against Kyungsoo’s forehead.

“Fuck, you’re burning up,” Baekhyun says, his eyes wide. “What the hell are you doing? You should be in bed.”

“I’m fine,” Kyungsoo says even though he’s really not and he’s beginning to truly realize it now that he’s standing here, having dragged himself down the stairs. He doesn’t even think he can make it back up, like his legs are too weak to carry him. “I can’t rest, I’ve got--I’ve got a deadline--”

Everything starts to get almost blurry and bright at the same time, and he squeezes his eyes shut against it, stumbles back again, reaches out for where he’s certain the wall is to steady himself.

The last thing Kyungsoo’s certain of is the sound of Baekhyun’s familiar voice calling out his name, and then it all goes black.

Kyungsoo wakes to a dull ringing in his ears. It’s dark in his room save for the light from the bedside lamp, dimmed enough to not make much of an impact. As he struggles to sit up, confused and slightly disoriented, a dampened and folded towel falls into his lap. He stares at it for a long moment, then lifts his hand up to his forehead. He’s surprised by the heat there.

“Oh, you’re awake,” says Baekhyun as he walks into the room. Kyungsoo stares at him, and his confusion must be clear on his face because Baekhyun chuckles and says, as he perches on the edge of the bed by Kyungsoo’s knees, “You fainted earlier, when I stopped by. You don’t remember?”

Kyungsoo thinks back. He remembers having not felt very well for the past couple of days, remembers painstakingly making his way down the stairs when he heard the doorbell ring. It takes a few moments, but he remembers Baekhyun, too, checking up on him, wondering why he’d missed their Sunday night date, remembers his body finally giving out on him.

“Oh,” he says, feeling his face burn, and not because of his fever. Baekhyun must have carried him up to his room. The thought is extremely embarrassing and yet, somehow extremely hot, which only makes
Kyungsoo more embarrassed. He groans, rubs his hands over his face. “I’m so sorry. How long have I been...”

“Two hours,” Baekhyun says, shocking Kyungsoo. “Your fever was really bad. I did what I could while you were asleep,” he gestures toward the towel in Kyungsoo’s lap, “but now that you’re awake, you can finally take some medication and eat and--”

“You didn’t have to stay,” Kyungsoo blurts out, but wants to take the words back the second after as Baekhyun almost looks offended by the suggestion.

“You fainted,” Baekhyun says, his voice far more heated than Kyungsoo’s ever heard it before. “I hadn’t heard from you in almost two weeks, either! You practically fell off the face of the planet and when I come by to make sure you hadn’t died, it turned out you were almost on death’s door anyway.”

Kyungsoo’s chest squeezes tightly around his heart. Baekhyun looks distraught, almost angry, and Kyungsoo can’t even blame him because he’s been so stupid. He should’ve told Baekhyun to expect his radio silence, should’ve given him some warning, but he let himself get too caught up in work that the thought hadn’t even occurred to him.

“I’m not dying,” Kyungsoo says weakly, attempting a little smile in the hopes that Baekhyun will stop looking at him like he is.

It kind of works. Baekhyun huffs out a frustrated sort of laugh and pushes a hand through his hair, then drops it back to the mattress. “I know,” he says quietly. “I was just--I don’t know.”

Kyungsoo wants to reach out and hold his hand. He must still be fever-drunk because in the next second, he finds that he’s done just that, acting before his brain has had the chance to tell him no. “I’m sorry,” he says, squeezing Baekhyun’s fingers. Baekhyun’s staring at their hands like he’s never held hands with anyone before.

It takes a few moments, but then Baekhyun is lacing his fingers through Kyungsoo’s, rubbing his thumb along the soft stretch of skin between Kyungsoo’s thumb and forefinger. When he finally looks up at Kyungsoo, he’s smiling a little, and asks, “How are you feeling? Are you hungry?”

Kyungsoo blinks at him, surprised. He was expecting Baekhyun to demand answers, account for his whereabouts, not this. “You don’t want to know?” he blurts out and Baekhyun smiles more fully at that.

“Of course I do,” he says. “But it’s not as important as your health. You can explain when you’re feeling better.” He gives Kyungsoo’s hand a little shake. “So, are you hungry?”

“I--” Kyungsoo starts, but then clamps his mouth shut. He considers it for a moment, and then answers. “Yeah,” he says, and then admits, slightly embarrassed, “I honestly don’t remember the last time I ate anything.”

Baekhyun gasps. “This is worse than I thought,” he says. “No wonder you--” He shakes his head, pushes whatever thought he just had aside. He gives Kyungsoo’s hand another squeeze before he stands. “Okay then, I’ll make you something to eat.”

“You’re gonna cook?” Kyungsoo asks despite himself and Baekhyun flashes him a grin.

“Hey, if there’s one thing I do know how to do, it’s taking care of someone when they’re sick,” he says, and he looks completely serious, so Kyungsoo really has nothing to say against it. “You should take your medicine,” he points at the little bottle on the nightstand, “and then go back to sleep. I’ll wake you when food’s ready.”

“Wait, what about Eun, you can’t just--”

“Eun is fine,” Baekhyun laughs. “He’s having a grand old time with our neighbors down the street, you know, Victoria and her kid?” He smiles when Kyungsoo slowly nods. “So don’t worry. I’m taking care of you right now.”

“Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says, even though he’s not entirely sure what he wants to say. Thank him, maybe. Tell him it’s okay, that he can go home, and Kyungsoo will figure this out on his own, but instead nothing else comes out.

Baekhyun seems to understand anyway, because his smile turns warm, and he walks up to where Kyungsoo is sitting and leans down to press the briefest of kisses to Kyungsoo’s forehead. All Kyungsoo feels is the soft press of his lips and then he’s drawing back, grinning wide as he meets Kyungsoo’s eyes.

“I’ll be right back,” he says. “Okay?”

Kyungsoo nods, too stunned to do anything else. He watches Baekhyun leave the room, his heart pounding in his ears and his face so warm it feels like it’s on fire.

It takes awhile for his embarrassment to die down and his heart to start beating normally again. Still, he replays the kiss over and over in his head as he dutifully takes the medicine and curls back up in bed to rest. Sleep is much more elusive, his mind so fuzzy that it makes it hard to turn all his thoughts off. All he can think about is Baekhyun’s soft lips against his skin.

He falls asleep eventually, but it feels as soon as he closes his eyes, he’s gently shaken awake by Baekhyun, who has brought him food. The sight of the steaming bowl of soup makes Kyungsoo’s stomach growl loud enough that they both hear it. Baekhyun laughs as he sets it down onto the nightstand so he can help Kyungsoo sit up, adjusting his pillows behind him.

“How’re you feeling?” he asks, handing Kyungsoo the bowl before taking up his previous spot on the bed by his knees.

“Tired,” Kyungsoo says honestly. “Hungry.” He takes a careful mouthful of the soup and practically moans. Baekhyun clears his throat and glances away. Kyungsoo is too hungry to feel embarrassed, so he takes a few more delicious spoonfuls before he sighs. “Where’d you learn to make this?”

“My mom,” Baekhyun says. “It was one of the first things she taught me to make, said it was important to know when you’re a parent.” He chuckles, shakes his head a little. “It helped, though, because Eun would get sick really easily when he was younger and the soup always seemed to make him feel better.”

“I feel better too,” Kyungsoo admits. “Thank you.”

Baekhyun lets out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad,” he says. “I was really worried. I hadn’t seen you like that before.”

“I never wanted you to see me like that,” Kyungsoo says, a little shameful, a little guilty. “Honestly, I didn’t even realize it had gotten that bad. Work has just been...When I have a deadline coming up, I tend to forget about everything else. I’m sorry for disappearing on you and missing our Sunday show and--”

“Kyungsoo, it’s okay,” Baekhyun cuts over him. “I mean, it’s not okay because you need to take care of yourself, you know? But the rest of it? That’s not important. I’m just glad that you’re, well, alive, and once this fever goes down, you’ll be much better. That’s what matters.”

Kyungsoo sighs. He knows Baekhyun is right, but he still can’t help the weight on his shoulders, the reminder that he still has work to do. “I still have a deadline in two days,” he groans. “I still have so much left to finish. I have no idea how I’ll get it done in time.”

“Have you asked for an extension?” Baekhyun says. “I’m sure your editor will be understanding since you fucking fainted, you know?”

“But Junmyeon is already so--”

“What’s his number, I’ll call him right now and explain.”

Kyungsoo sputters. “You don’t have to do that,” he says, but Baekhyun is already holding his hand out for Kyungsoo’s phone, staring at him with a completely serious expression on his face that leaves no room for argument. “I could call him myself,” he mumbles, even as he reaches over to grab his phone from the nightstand and unlock it, finds Junmyeon’s number in his contacts.

“Yeah, but I can already tell that you won’t,” Baekhyun says, correctly calling out Kyungsoo’s bluff. “Let me help,” he adds, smiling when Kyungsoo reluctantly hands over his phone. “I can be very persuasive.”

He fucking winks at Kyungsoo who flushes and looks away, tries not to read too much into that. Instead he focuses on eating, and hears Baekhyun leave the room to undoubtedly call Junmyeon. He tries not to think about Junmyeon’s potential confusion at hearing from Baekhyun and the unavoidable interrogation Kyungsoo is going to receive about it afterward. He just hopes Junmyeon doesn’t tell Chanyeol about it, or else he’ll never live this down.

Baekhyun returns a few minutes later, grinning widely as he brandishes Kyungsoo’s phone in the air. “Success!” he says. “Junmyeon says you’re an idiot, by the way, and that you should’ve called him earlier to try and work something out. He’s given you another week.” He sits back down on the bed and returns Kyungsoo’s phone, and when Kyungsoo glances at it, there’s already texts coming in from Junmyeon about Baekhyun. He groans and shoves his phone under his blankets to deal with later.

“Fuck,” he sighs, slumping back in bed and scrubbing a hand over his face. “A week. Fuck.”

“Is that not enough?” Baekhyun asks immediately. “I can call him back--”

“No, no, it’s fine. It’s perfect,” Kyungsoo says, dropping his hand and smiling at Baekhyun. “Thank you. Seriously.”

Baekhyun just smiles. “Anytime, Kyungsoo,” he says.

They fall into silence after that. Kyungsoo finishes eating with minimal fuss, and Baekhyun tells him a few stories about Eun, of the past couple of weeks that Kyungsoo’s been buried under work. Kyungsoo’s missed this, he realizes soon enough. Missed Baekhyun’s voice, his smiles, the brightness in his eyes when he talks about Eun. Work is important, and he’s glad he’s made such progress, took the time to really focus, but he knows that cutting Baekhyun out has done nothing to help his mood. Instead now, sitting here with him, listening to him talk, has Kyungsoo feeling much more alive than the soup, than the medicine, than sleep.

Baekhyun eventually takes the bowl back down to the kitchen and returns with a glass of water and thermometer he found in Kyungsoo’s cupboards. “Check your temperature,” he says, “and then take more medicine.”

“I will,” Kyungsoo says. “You should head home now. I’ll be fine the rest of the night.”

“Are you sure?” Baekhyun says, brows furrowing. “I don’t mind staying longer.”

“No, really,” Kyungsoo insists. He’s really liked having Baekhyun here, but the longer he stays, the longer he takes care of Kyungsoo, the harder it is for Kyungsoo to tell him to go. The harder it is to push aside his wants, his desires. He’s still thinking about Baekhyun’s little kiss, still wondering what it would be like to feel those lips against his. “It’s fine, Baekhyun,” he says. “I’m just gonna sleep now I think.”

“You better sleep,” Baekhyun says, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m gonna come by tomorrow to check on you. I’ll text you every hour to make sure you’re resting!”

“That seems excessive,” Kyungsoo laughs.

“It’s for your own good,” Baekhyun says, but then he laughs, too.

Despite Baekhyun’s protests, Kyungsoo sees Baekhyun out, walking carefully down the stairs after him and rolling his eyes at Baekhyun’s genuine concern, even if secretly, he enjoys it. Baekhyun takes his time putting on his shoes and his coat and when he finishes, he gives Kyungsoo a very slow once-over, as if he’s checking to make sure every limb is in place and Kyungsoo won’t suddenly collapse on him again.

“I’m fine,” Kyungsoo insists, a little placating, a little exasperated. “Go.”

Baekhyun sighs, but reaches out to take Kyungsoo’s hand. He squeezes gently and says, “If you need anything, let me know, okay? I’ll be right over.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says, and Baekhyun rubs his thumb over Kyungsoo’s knuckles once more before he lets go. This time Kyungsoo waits at the door, watches as Baekhyun crosses the street and heads home, and only once he’s inside, does he step away, heart warm and smile wide on his face.

Kyungsoo spends a few minutes checking around the rest of the house before he heads back to his room. Baekhyun has cleaned the kitchen; other than the few dishes he’d used while cooking resting on the drying rack by the sink, Kyungsoo wouldn’t have even known he was here. He lets Inky and Pepper outside for a few minutes, then helps dry them off from all the snow before urging them to follow him upstairs.

He glances into his studio for a moment, takes in the mess on his desk, the stale scent, the gloomy shadows from the hallway light as it shines in past the door. The window shades are all drawn shut. Kyungsoo feels dejected just staring into the darkness. Tomorrow, he thinks, he will clean. He will air out the room. Open the windows. Breathe life back into the space. Maybe it will help him feel better, too. Maybe he’ll be able to finish his work without too much trouble.

For now though, he closes the door and returns to his room.

Baekhyun is true to his word.

He checks in on Kyungsoo in the morning after he’s seen Eun off at the bus stop and before he needs to head into work. Kyungsoo has already been awake for a couple of hours, lying in bed with his puppies and continuing to ignore his messages from Junmyeon. Baekhyun drags him to the kitchen and makes him breakfast, almost burning the bagel he puts into the toaster oven. He checks on Kyungsoo’s fever, frowns at the thermometer when it still reads higher than usual, and watches as Kyungsoo gulps down another dose of medication.

Kyungsoo might’ve been a little embarrassed by the attention last night, but this morning it’s almost funny. Baekhyun is cute, and his enthusiastic concern is well, kind of nice, actually. Kyungsoo hasn’t had anyone to look after him quite like this in a long time. Baekhyun makes him feel...special, maybe.

He leaves soon after, only once Kyungsoo has promised to call him in case he needs anything. Kyungsoo doesn’t think he’ll need much assistance, as Baekhyun has already made sure there was enough food in his fridge and enough medicine to last him the day. Kyungsoo lets the dogs out for awhile, wonders if he’ll be able to handle taking them on a walk later, and then drags himself back to his room where he passes out for the next couple of hours.

When he wakes up around noon, he’s feeling even better, if a little groggy. He presses a hand to his forehead and it’s still warm, but the fever medication seems to be working. Just as he’s considering a shower to wake himself up, the doorbell rings and he finds Baekhyun waiting outside.

“What’re you doing here?” Kyungsoo asks. “Don’t you have work?”

“It’s my lunch break,” Baekhyun says as he steps inside and then beams when Inky and Pepper run up to greet him, crouching down to pet them both. “And I figured you’d need someone to walk your kids, so I thought I’d help out.”

Kyungsoo stares at him, rather dumbfounded. Had Baekhyun read his mind? Is his fever coming back and this is all a weird dream? He almost considers pinching himself just to check, but then Baekhyun is laughing brightly as Inky licks at his face and all the surprise melts away into warmth. “You’re really something,” he says, shaking his head. When Baekhyun tilts his head up at him, Kyungsoo rubs the back of his neck and adds, “You don’t have to do this.”

“I want to,” Baekhyun says without hesitation. “Besides, what better way to spend my lunch than with two adorable puppies. Right?”

That makes Kyungsoo laugh. “Right,” he agrees. “I’ll get you their leashes.”

Once his kids are ready to go, Baekhyun waves goodbye and darts out down the driveway, waves again from the street until he disappears from view. Kyungsoo sighs, runs a hand through his hair and grimaces. A shower definitely sounds like a good idea now.

He takes his time. Lets the shower clear his mind as well as clean his body. It’s hard not to think of everything he still has to do, remembering how he’d wanted to clean up his studio today, and then realizing he should probably do the laundry too. He should make something for lunch as well. He wonders if Baekhyun would want to stay for a quick bite to eat before he has to return to work. Just the thought of Baekhyun makes Kyungsoo feel hot all over and he groans, clenching his eyes shut tight for a few moments as if that will help push it all away.

He turns the water cold for a couple of seconds then off completely. He roughly dries his hair, wraps his towel around his waist, and grimaces when he catches sight of himself in the mirror. He shaves, too, brushes his teeth again because his nap earlier left his mouth with a cottony feeling, and then steps out into his room to find clothes.

He’s definitely not expecting Baekhyun to have returned already, but there he is, walking up into Kyungsoo’s room behind his puppies, only to stop right in his tracks when he sees Kyungsoo.

“Fuck,” Baekhyun says, eyes wide even as they slide down Kyungsoo’s mostly naked body. That heat Kyungsoo had felt earlier in the shower comes back with full force and he grips the knot of his towel a little tighter in his hand, licks his lips slowly.

“You’re back,” Kyungsoo says pointlessly but it’s the only thing his mind comes up with because Baekhyun is staring blatantly at him and it’s both flattering and embarrassing at the same time.

Baekhyun’s eyes snap back up to his face and his face is a little red now. “Yeah, I’m--fuck--I’m just--” he stammers, now looking anywhere but at Kyungsoo. “I’ll let you get uh, dressed. I’ll be downstairs.”

He turns on his heel and practically flies out of Kyungsoo’s room, closing the door after him. Kyungsoo lets out a deep breath when he’s gone and hastily looks for fresh clothes to throw on. He does his best to push aside the look in Baekhyun’s eyes, the blush on his face. He was probably just surprised. It doesn’t have to mean anything, and yet, Kyungsoo can’t help but wonder if maybe…

He shakes his head. “Don’t be stupid,” he tells himself, and with that he makes his way downstairs.

Baekhyun is sitting at the kitchen counter, staring at his phone, and he jerks up when he hears Kyungsoo approach. He looks right at Kyungsoo now, so perhaps he really is over it, and smiles. “How’re you feeling?” he asks.

“A lot better,” Kyungsoo says. “The, uh, shower really helped, and I think the medicine is working.”

To his surprise, Baekhyun reaches out and places his palm against Kyungsoo’s forehead to check. He pulls away a moment later, but the touch is enough to make Kyungsoo slightly breathless, which is honestly ridiculous. Everything about Baekhyun in the past day has been too much, and Kyungsoo’s not sure how much more of this attention he can take.

“You feel much better,” Baekhyun says, smiling. “I’m really glad. Have you eaten lunch yet?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “No, I was just about to make something,” he says, and even though he knows spending more time with Baekhyun right now is particularly dangerous, he still asks, “Can you stay? Or do you have to head back to work?”

Baekhyun glances at his watch. “I can stay,” he says, looking back up, and Kyungsoo didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until he lets it out, smiling widely in return.

“Okay,” he says, and Baekhyun smiles, too.

Kyungsoo’s fever breaks Wednesday morning. He spends the day stripping the sheets off his bed and doing the laundry and only when he feels up to it, does he finally tackle the mess in his studio. He opens the shades, lets light shine in through the windows. It’s a bright, sunny winter day and it fills Kyungsoo with much more optimism than he’s felt in awhile. The task at hand doesn’t feel as daunting in the face of sunshine, somehow. He throws out all his trash, folds his laundry when it finishes in the dryer, and makes a sandwich as a late lunch in between all of his hard work, sitting in the living room to eat while watching an old Law & Order episode, his dogs perched by his feet.

Chanyeol drops by unannounced in the evening, bearing burrito bowls from Chipotle and an annoyingly bright grin. They eat together at the dining table, and Kyungsoo listens as Chanyeol tells him about work, his attention only occasionally interrupted to answer messages from Baekhyun, who is continuing to check up on him.

Of course Chanyeol notices, making an attempt to swipe Kyungsoo’s phone from him, but Kyungsoo is faster, tucking it away into his pocket. “Have you asked him out yet?” Chanyeol demands instead, slumping back in his seat.

“Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo groans. “I’ve told you, I--”

“Yeah, yeah, you don’t know if he’s into guys, but Kyungsoo, man,” Chanyeol says with an exasperated sigh. “He’s into you.”

Kyungsoo opens his mouth, then closes it. “What?” is all he can say.

“He likes you,” Chanyeol says. “It’s so obvious. You didn’t see yourselves that night at his place over Thanksgiving. He was all over you, and you never even minded it.”

“That’s just how he is,” Kyungsoo says. Sure, Baekhyun has gotten more and more affectionate the longer they’ve known each other, but that doesn’t mean he’s interested in Kyungsoo as anything more than a friend he’s comfortable with.

“I’m pretty sure that’s just how he is with you,” Chanyeol says. “I don’t know why you’re so averse to the idea of dating him, you know? It’s been like four months since he moved here. You guys get along great. His kid loves you.”

Hearing it laid out like that only makes Kyungsoo weirdly nervous. He scratches at the side of his face and mumbles, “Yeah, but…”

“But what? You don’t have to marry the guy,” Chanyeol says, totally logically. “Just go out on a date, Kyungsoo. See if you guys are actually compatible. Maybe he’ll kiss you and there won’t be a spark at all and then you can call it quits.”

The thought of kissing Baekhyun has Kyungsoo flushing, tearing his eyes away from Chanyeol to stare fixedly at his food instead. He’s thought about it too much. He still remembers Baekhyun’s lips against his forehead from the other night.

Unfortunately his silence is taken as a confession because Chanyeol is slamming a hand onto the table and exclaiming, “Wait! Has he already kissed you?”

“No!” Kyungsoo yells back and then immediately groans, embarrassed. “No, he hasn’t. Not--Not like you’re thinking anyway.”

“Tell me,” Chanyeol demands.

Kyungsoo does, reluctantly, and watches Chanyeol’s eyes widen. When he finishes, Chanyeol is practically gaping, and it takes him a few moments before he says, “He’s been taking care of you for the past two days?” and then, “Wait, you fainted?”

Kyungsoo laughs a little at that. “It sounds worse than it really is,” he says. “You know how I get when I’m trying to meet a deadline.”

“Yeah, and it’s scary,” Chanyeol says, frowning. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I am,” Kyungsoo says. “So stop looking at me like I’m dying. I got enough of that from Baekhyun.”

That makes Chanyeol smirk instead and he waggles his brows pointedly. Kyungsoo reaches over to shove him, rolling his eyes, but Chanyeol just laughs. “I’m serious you know,” he says, picking up his fork and stabbing at a piece of chicken. “It felt like you guys were already dating when I saw you together, and now that I know he’s been literally taking care of you the past few days...How can you not think he’s into you too?”

He’s staring at Kyungsoo pointedly, Kyungsoo can feel it, but he stares down at his plate instead. After a few long stretches of silence, Chanyeol sighs.

“Just think about it, Kyungsoo,” he says, a little exasperated. “Ask him out. What’s really stopping you?”

That question sticks with Kyungsoo for a long time, even after Chanyeol’s gone home and Kyungsoo’s climbed into bed for the night. There’s a lot stopping him, he thinks, most of all potentially losing this friendship he’s built with Baekhyun over the past couple of months. It’d be hard, especially since they’re neighbors, if Baekhyun rejected him.

But if Baekhyun says yes, if Baekhyun wanted to be with him, then, well. Kyungsoo doesn’t expect too much to change, honestly, but there could be so much more. All those moments of wanting to kiss Baekhyun, wanting to hold his hand, wanting to touch him--he could have that. He could have that and everything and anything else Baekhyun would want to give him, and Kyungsoo is willing to admit now that he wants to try. This isn’t just a little crush anymore. He likes Baekhyun.

He only wishes it was easier to do something about it.

Instead he focuses on work again, albeit much more responsibly than before. The next two days are spent still taking it easy, not wanting to risk getting sick all over again, but he continues to draw and finish up the storyline as well as he can. Strangely enough, he feels better about his work in some ways than he did just a few days ago. Maybe he really needed the break, the chance to look away from what he’s created to appreciate it and find his groove again.

Saturday afternoon, Baekhyun stops by with a bright grin and glasses. Bundled up in his winter coat, he looks ridiculously adorable, and Kyungsoo’s heart aches with want that he pushes back. “Hey, are you busy? Have you had lunch yet?” he asks.

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “No, I’ve just been working, but I was thinking of taking a break soon,” he replies.

“Great!” Baekhyun exclaims. “Then you’re coming over to have lunch with us.”

This is not what Kyungsoo is expecting, but he’s not particularly interested in saying no, either. Baekhyun waits by the door as Kyungsoo finds his coat and shoes and he’s just inherently pleased that he’s already properly showered and dressed today and not looking like a mess like earlier in the week. Baekhyun beams at him when he’s ready, and leads the way across the street back to his home. It’s been awhile since Kyungsoo’s come over since he’s been busy with work, but the place feels just as comfortable and familiar as always.

The suitcases sitting out in the living room are new though. “Going somewhere?” he asks as he undoes his coat and drapes it over the arm of the couch.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says with a little shrug. “We’re visiting Baekbeom for Christmas and New Years. He insisted. It was kind of last minute, but Eun really wanted to go and I managed to get the time off too.”

Kyungsoo’s practically forgotten all about the holidays. The only date etched permanently in his mind has been his deadline. “That sounds like it’ll be fun,” he says with a smile. “You’ll get out of the cold if anything.”

Baekhyun chuckles. “Yeah, I’m definitely looking forward to that,” he says, but he looks at Kyungsoo as if he wants to say something else. He doesn’t though, just shakes his head a little and then turns toward the kitchen. “What’re your holiday plans?” is what he asks instead as he pulls out a dish from the oven.

“Finishing my book,” Kyungsoo laughs. “That’s the only thing I can think about.”

“That makes sense,” Baekhyun says with a nod. He brings the dish over to the table and Kyungsoo grins when he notices it’s a beautiful lasagna, cheese bubbling over the top. “I made it myself!” Baekhyun says proudly when he notices Kyungsoo’s gaze. “I followed the recipe you showed me the last time. I hope it turned out okay.”

“It looks really great, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says honestly. “Should we eat, then? Where’s Eun?”

Baekhyun jerks his head up to the ceiling, indicating Eun’s in his room, and Kyungsoo smiles, says, “I’ll go get him,” and Baekhyun gives him a grateful smile in return.

Eun is running around his room and throwing toys into a backpack when Kyungsoo’s finds him, and he gasps when he sees him, runs over to tackle Kyungsoo in a hug. “You’re here!” he exclaims.

Kyungsoo laughs. “I am!” he says, giving Eun a little hug in return. “Your dad invited me to have lunch with you. Should we go down and eat?”

Eun nods but doesn’t let go, and Kyungsoo pulls him up into his arms when it’s clear that’s what he wants. Eun tells him excitedly about their trip as they return to the kitchen, using lots of hand motions and an increasingly loud voice, and practically jumps out of Kyungsoo’s arms when he sees Baekhyun, clinging around his dad’s neck and asking, “Can Kyungsoo come on vacation with us?”

Baekhyun sputters at the unexpected question while Kyungsoo laughs again. Eun is too cute, honestly, and he’s kind of flattered that he’d even want Kyungsoo to join them. “Eunnie, Kyungsoo is busy so he has to stay home,” Baekhyun says as he lowers Eun to the ground and smooths back his hair from his face.

“But I want him to come too!” Eun cries and Baekhyun glances over at Kyungsoo a little at a loss.

“Your dad’s right,” Kyungsoo says, stepping in to pat Eun on the head. “I’ve got a lot of work to do. I have to finish writing the new Chen book! You want to read that soon, right?”

Eun nods his head once. Kyungsoo smiles at him, hears Baekhyun beside him let out a small sigh of relief. “But when you guys come back, we can play together, okay, Eun?” Kyungsoo adds, and Eun cheers at that, throwing his hands up in the air.

“Okay!” he says happily.

Kyungsoo turns to Baekhyun who smiles warmly at him and wraps an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders, pulls him toward the table. “You always know the right thing to say,” he says.

“I try,” Kyungsoo replies with a little shrug. “And I mean it, you know? When you guys get back, you’ll have to tell me all about your trip.”

“And you can tell us all about your new book,” Baekhyun says as he cuts a slice out of the lasagna and slides the piece onto Eun’s plate. “But no spoilers, of course.”

“No spoilers!” Eun yells, holding his fork up.

Kyungsoo grins at them, settling down into a seat and feeling right at home. “Of course,” he says, and is already looking forward to it.

Kyungsoo finishes his book the day after Christmas, the night before his deadline. It’s nearly ten in the evening and he’s exhausted, having worked almost non-stop through the weekend save for when Chanyeol dragged him over for a Christmas lunch with his sister and parents who had come to visit. Kyungsoo had needed that, honestly, a break from the work, away from the house, and when Baekhyun texted him a video of Eun opening his presents before turning the screen to himself to tell him, “Merry Christmas, Kyungsoo! You better be taking care of yourself!” Kyungsoo needed that, too.

It doesn’t feel real that he’s done with the book. Sure it’s just the first draft, and there’s still plenty of work to do, but finishing the draft after all the trouble he had writing it feels unbelievable. He sets it all aside for awhile in favor of cleaning up around his studio and then taking a long, hot shower. He grabs a beer from the fridge because he deserves it, and returns upstairs, settles back at his desk to go over everything he’s added.

He’s a little uncertain about some of it, but he forces himself not to get caught up in the details just yet. It’s finished, it’s done, and he sends it all off to Junmyeon before he can change his mind.

On a whim, he takes a photo of the last page, strategically cropped to avoid spoilers, and sends it to Baekhyun. it’s done, he says, and lets out a long, sigh of relief. Somehow telling Baekhyun that he’s finished makes it feel even more final than the email he sent to Junmyeon.

An hour later he gets a reply, almost a screen-full of exclamation marks interspersed with congratulatory emojis. Kyungsoo laughs at it, can feel Baekhyun’s excitement through the message. A few seconds later, an actual note follows.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
you did it!! i’m proud of you kyungsoo!

It’s not what he’s expecting, but the words stick with him for the rest of the night, even after he sends a thank you back in reply. By the time he’s getting ready for bed he thinks that, yeah, maybe he is a little proud of himself, too.

Junmyeon comes over on New Year’s Eve with bottles of wine and Kyungsoo’s draft. He helps Kyungsoo make dinner. Kyungsoo’s been avoiding Junmyeon for the better part of the past few months, but now that the book is completed, despite all the editing that’s about to come, he’s glad to see him. It’s been a long time, and Junmyeon’s ridiculous dad jokes liven up Kyungsoo’s quiet house for the evening.

They eat and discuss Kyungsoo’s book occasionally. Junmyeon admits he’s only read through it once and wants to look it over again before making any major decisions. Instead he asks Kyungsoo questions about the story, why he decided to do things the way he did, if he has ideas for a title.

“Titles are the worst,” Kyungsoo grumbles. “I don’t even want to think about it right now.”

“Fine, fine,” Junmyeon relents, far more easily than he usually would and it makes Kyungsoo glance at him suspiciously. “We can talk about something else.”

Kyungsoo narrows his eyes. “Like what?” he says.

Junmyeon hums thoughtfully, takes his glass in hand and sips slowly at his wine. His eyes glimmer amusedly as Kyungsoo stares at him. Finally, Junmyeon sets his glass back down and says, “Maybe we could talk about Baekhyun.”

Kyungsoo should have seen this coming. He groans, looking pointedly back down at his plate and stabs at his meatball with his fork. He doesn’t want to talk about Baekhyun. He’s already sure he knows what Junmyeon has to say, especially if he’s spent any time talking with Chanyeol recently.

“Oh, come on,” Junmyeon chides when Kyungsoo doesn’t reply in favor of eating. “When he called last week to ask for your extension, he was so worried and insistent. I was surprised, you know? We’ve only ever talked that one time we all went out.”

“Yeah, I know,” Kyungsoo mumbles, feeling weirdly embarrassed.

Junmyeon smirks like he can tell. “He seems like a really good guy.”

“He is,” Kyungsoo says, but then wishes he hadn’t said anything at all when Junmyeon’s grin widens.

“Then why not do something about it?” he asks. “It’s a new year now, after all.”

Later, after Junmyeon’s passed out on Kyungsoo’s couch and Kyungsoo’s climbed into bed for the night, just as tired and ready to sleep, he finds a message on his phone from Baekhyun.

It’s a photo, of Baekhyun and Eun, making kissy faces at the camera. He laughs, and beside him Pepper curiously perks up, staring at him like he needs to know what’s made Kyungsoo laugh. So Kyungsoo turns the phone toward him, shows his pup the picture, and laughs again when Pepper attempts to lick the screen.

Kyungsoo glances back at the photo, tries not to stare too much at Baekhyun’s pink lips, and then realizes there’s a message under the photo.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
happy new year kisses from your favorite people!

The message makes Kyungsoo’s chest ache. He bites his lower lip and sends back: whoever said you’re my favorite?

Baekhyun’s answer comes much sooner than Kyungsoo expected.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
you never had to! i just know ;)

“Please stop,” Kyungsoo says aloud in a rare whining moment. He can’t deal with this. With Baekhyun being so...well, Baekhyun, honestly. He’s funny and cute and he makes Kyungsoo happy and even while he’s hundreds of miles away on vacation, he’s still thinking about Kyungsoo, still checking up on him, making him smile with silly selfies and ridiculous messages that fill Kyungsoo with a longing he hasn’t felt in a long time.

Maybe his friends are right. He likes Baekhyun. That should be enough to at least try, right? Like Junmyeon said, it’s a new year, now. What better time than this to make a change?

Kyungsoo licks his lips, staring at his screen while reaching out to pet Pepper until he thinks up the right response.

It takes a few minutes, but eventually he types it up and hits send before he can think twice about it. He turns his phone off entirely, and curls up in his sheets, ignoring his thumping heart and falling asleep.

well...as long as I’m your favorite too, I guess it’s okay ❤

-

The new year brings even colder weather, swathes of snow, and icy streets that make Kyungsoo never wanting to leave the house. It’s not so bad when he prefers staying in anyway, curled up on the couch rewatching Prince of Tennis with Pepper and Inky warm in his lap. Not having to think about his book or work in general has been a blessing on top of all of that, the break incredibly welcome after all the trouble he went through trying to finish the draft before the end of the year. He takes things easy and does his best not to get sick like Chanyeol, who sends Kyungsoo sad memes and demands he bring over soup.

Kyungsoo does, but only because he was going out anyway.

Chanyeol is not the only one who texts him constantly. Ever since Baekhyun’s trip, it seems as if he’s gotten more enthusiastic about texting Kyungsoo, keeping him up to date with the most insignificant things and sounding far too pleased whenever Kyungsoo tells him he’s doing much better than a few weeks ago. Baekhyun’s concern might be a bit excessive but Kyungsoo finds that he likes it, having someone care for him like this. It’s different from the way Chanyeol or Junmyeon check up on him, and Kyungsoo’s not entirely sure if that’s because his feelings for Baekhyun are different or because it’s something else entirely.

Either way, he likes the attention as much as it makes him a little embarrassed. Baekhyun throws him off in so many ways, emotions coiling and weaving in knots inside of him until Kyungsoo’s mind is fuzzy from it. He knows what he wants, but it’s still not exactly easy going after it.

He does keep his promise though, and invites Baekhyun and Eun over for dinner a week into January. It’s a Friday night and Baekhyun looks a little tired behind his smiles, but he still helps Kyungsoo in the kitchen, pulls cutlery out of the drawers and glasses from the cupboard to set the table, moving around the place like it’s his own kitchen.

Eun sits on a stool at the counter and regales them with stories about his vacation and his first week back in school and Kyungsoo’s house has never felt quite so full of life. Kyungsoo’s never gotten this close to any of his other neighbors before, but there’s something about Baekhyun and Eun that’s, well, special. And it has nothing to do with his feelings for Baekhyun, either. He likes their company, and likes including them in his life, enjoys being a part of theirs.

It still surprises him though, when they invite him to something. It’s even more surprising this time, because it’s not Baekhyun, but Eun, who eagerly asks, “Kyungsoo, you’re coming to my birthday party, right?”

They’re in the middle of dinner now, and Kyungsoo pauses in lifting his fork to his mouth to look over at Eun who is staring back hopefully. Baekhyun chuckles beside him and reaches out to smooth back Eun’s messy hair. “You should ask him nicely, Eunnie,” he says, and when he looks over at Kyungsoo he grins.

“Kyungsoo, please come to my birthday party!” Eun exclaims and this time Kyungsoo laughs, his heart warm from Eun’s enthusiasm.

“I’d love to come,” he says. “You’re turning seven, aren’t you? Wow! So big!”

While Eun beams at Kyungsoo proudly, Baekhyun makes a wounded little noise and drops his fork in favor of throwing his arms around his son and smothering him to his chest. “Growing up too fast,” he cries. “You’re supposed to stay a kid forever!”

“Daaaad!” Eun whines, and Baekhyun finally releases him, but not after planting a smacking kiss to Eun’s forehead. Eun doesn’t seem too put out by it though, just returns to his food and shovels a too-big spoonful of mac and cheese into his mouth.

“When’s the party?” Kyungsoo asks, smiling as he turns to Baekhyun.

He dutifully doesn’t stare as Baekhyun licks his lips clean before he answers, “Next Saturday. Lucked out that his birthday ended up on a weekend this year. So you’ll come?”

“Of course,” Kyungsoo says. He doesn't even have to think about it. It doesn’t matter that his own birthday is just a day before. Kyungsoo didn’t have any plans, anyway. “I haven’t been to an actual birthday party in a long time. I bet Eun’s is gonna be the best one.”

Eun nods eagerly and launches into all the plans he already has for his special day, throwing out the names of his friends that he’s invited and the cake he wants to get and how excited he is for presents. Kyungsoo catches Baekhyun’s eye, and they share a fond smile that releases butterflies in his stomach.

The rest of the week goes by uneventfully, as if gearing up to a weekend of entertainment. Chanyeol had huffed and whined when Kyungsoo turned down getting drinks to celebrate his own birthday Friday night, but had agreed to getting lunch on Sunday afternoon instead. Kyungsoo invites Minseok and Junmyeon, too, because it’s been awhile since they’ve all had a chance to get together, and he decides to ask Baekhyun about it in person over the weekend. Baekhyun’s been a little stressed out planning Eun’s party; the last time he’d had one, his mother had been around to help, but this year he’s on his own, complaining to Kyungsoo over the phone about how he hates cleaning the house and he has no idea if kids still got goody bags during parties like they did when he was a kid.

“I doubt any kid would say no to free gifts,” Kyungsoo tells him, holding his phone carefully between his shoulder and ear as he loads his washing machine. They’ve upgraded to talking over the phone recently, after Baekhyun had called to ask about a recipe and Kyungsoo had guided him through it. He likes this more, honestly, because Kyungsoo’s never been good with texting. He tends to read messages and forget about them for days, and even though he’d put in more effort to reply to Baekhyun, simply talking on the phone is easier, and well, more enjoyable. Kyungsoo can’t deny he much prefers hearing Baekhyun’s voice in his ear anyway.

“That’s a good point,” Baekhyun agrees with a low sigh. “Maybe I’ll just give them some candy or something.”

“Good plan. Send them home full of cake and candy so their parents can deal with the inevitable sugar rush,” Kyungsoo says and Baekhyun laughter makes his chest warm. He smiles instinctively, not even bothered when Inky decides that Kyungsoo’s laundry basket is the perfect place to nap and Kyungsoo has to tug his clothes out from under him.

“You’re so smart, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says. “What would I do without you?”

“Cry?” Kyungsoo teases. “Definitely not eat as well as you do now.”

Baekhyun laughs again and Kyungsoo can’t help grinning every time he hears it. It’s soft and soothing, comforting, not the cackling laugh he makes when something is extremely funny, but a pleasant sound that makes Kyungsoo’s heart warm. They might have only known each other for five months, and yet, Kyungsoo can’t imagine his life without Baekhyun anymore either.

It’s a little scary, that thought, so Kyungsoo pushes it away as best he can.

Kyungsoo spends part of his birthday on Friday at the production studio, checking up on the show. It’s been on a break over the holidays, but should pick back up in the next week, and he’s glad that this, at least, is mostly smooth sailing. The animators on the show are good at their work and Kyungsoo trusts them to keep everything up to standard.

He swings down to catch Chanyeol as well, who is recording for another show in the studio. He beams when he notices Kyungsoo on the other side of the glass, and asks for a short break. The second he comes out of the booth, he starts belting the birthday song at the top of his lungs and stops only when Kyungsoo punches him in the gut, flushing.

“You’re such an idiot,” Kyungsoo says exasperatedly as Chanyeol whimpers and clings to him. He runs a hand through Chanyeol’s hair gently.

“You still love me though, right?” he says, but then slowly smirks. “Not as much as you love Baek--”

Kyungsoo leaves Chanyeol writhing on the floor.

He’s picking up groceries at a local Asian market so he can make his favorite Korean dish as a treat to himself that night when Baekhyun calls him.

“It’s your birthday and you didn’t tell me?” Baekhyun exclaims in favor of an actual greeting.

Kyungsoo almost walks into a pocky display in surprise. “Wait, how do you know?” he asks.

“I don’t reveal my sources,” Baekhyun sniffs.

“Chanyeol texted you, didn’t he?” Kyungsoo says with a sigh. This is definitely Chanyeol’s idea of revenge.

“And it’s a good thing he did!” Baekhyun says. “I can’t believe I almost missed your birthday.”

He sounds so distraught about it that Kyungsoo can’t help but laugh. “It’s just a birthday,” he says. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Yes it is!” Baekhyun says. “What’re you doing right now?”

“I’m grocery shopping,” Kyungsoo says and laughs again when Baekhyun makes a sort of affronted noise, as if this is the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard. Maybe it is. Maybe most people wouldn’t be running errands on their birthday, but Kyungsoo doesn’t mind. This is rather exactly how he enjoys spending his day.

“I’m gonna bring you a cake,” Baekhyun says.

“You don’t have to do that,” Kyungsoo protests. “You just bought a cake for Eun’s birthday tomorrow.”

“But--”

“Seriously, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says, cutting over him. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, but it’s really okay. I’m just gonna go home, cook, and play with my kids. That’s what I like doing.”

There’s a little huff on the other end that makes Kyungsoo smile as he reaches up to grab a container of gochujang to drop into his basket. “Look,” he adds, “if you really wanna do something for my birthday, then join me and my friends on Sunday for lunch. I was gonna invite you in person tomorrow, but well. Here we are.”

“Sunday lunch sounds great,” Baekhyun says immediately, perking right back up. “I think Victoria can watch Eun for a few hours.”

“You can bring him along, if you want,” Kyungsoo says. “I won’t mind.”

Baekhyun goes quiet again. Kyungsoo wonders if he said something wrong, but then Baekhyun says, his voice soft, and maybe a little bit touched, “Thanks. That--Somehow that means a lot.”

Kyungsoo has to bite his lip to keep from smiling too wide. He swings back around to grab the tofu he forgot, throws that into his cart as well, and then heads toward the registers. “So I’ll see you Sunday then, right?” he prompts, only to remember about the party tomorrow and awkwardly adding, “I mean, tomorrow, too, you know, I--”

Baekhyun’s chuckle makes him snap his mouth closed. “Yeah, I know what you mean,” he says. “Are you sure you don’t want some company today?”

“I’m sure,” Kyungsoo says. “But if I change my mind, I know where to find you.”

“That is true,” Baekhyun laughs. “Then, well. Happy birthday, Kyungsoo. I hope it’s a good one.”

“It has been so far,” Kyungsoo says. “Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

They hang up after that, but Kyungsoo finds himself standing there for a long moment afterward, staring idly at his phone, Baekhyun’s soft voice, his warm words still ringing in his ears. A birthday wish has somehow never felt so sincere, and he’s already looking forward to seeing Baekhyun tomorrow and again the day after. Already wants to hear his voice again, wants to call him back and invite him over tonight instead.

He doesn’t though, but he does suddenly realize how ridiculous he’s being. He can’t keep pining like this, wanting more, waiting for the first sign that Baekhyun is interested. He knows Baekhyun likes him, and he’s sure that Baekhyun would never stop being his friend just because Kyungsoo asked him out. Baekhyun is not that kind of person. That’s what Kyungsoo likes about him, isn’t it? That’s why Kyungsoo wants to talk to him, spend time with him, hold his hand, kiss him--

“Excuse me,” a sudden voice cuts through his thoughts, and Kyungsoo glances up from his phone to the older woman beside him. “Are you in line?”

“Oh, no--go ahead, it’s fine,” he says, flushing a little and gesturing for her to pass him. She smiles at him and walks ahead and he quickly gets into line behind her, shaking his head to rid himself of his muddled thoughts.

He wishes it was easier to figure out what he should do, or at the very least, wishes he could dive headfirst and face the consequences later. But Kyungsoo’s never been that kind of person, and despite how much he wants to be with Baekhyun, he’s still hesitant about taking things too far.

And yet, maybe he doesn’t need to think too far ahead. He’s not about to ask Baekhyun out tomorrow, or anytime soon, but maybe he’s finally ready to go ahead with it, when the moment is right.

Kyungsoo heads over Saturday morning to help Baekhyun decorate around the house before Eun’s friends arrive for the party. He rings the doorbell and takes a deep breath, glancing into the small window next to the door to adjust his glasses and hair. He straightens up, checks on the small gift bag with his present for Eun, and then jumps when he hears the door open.

It’s not Baekhyun on the other side though. It’s a familiar-looking woman that Kyungsoo’s sure he’s never met before but is almost positive he’s seen somewhere. She looks up at Kyungsoo with curious dark eyes and tucks her long black hair behind her ear as she says, “Hi, can I help you?”

“Uh, yeah, I’m here to see--”

“Kyungsoo!” comes Baekhyun’s familiar voice, and he’s appearing in the doorway a moment later, a smile on his face that doesn’t quite meet his eyes. He waves Kyungsoo inside, and to Kyungsoo’s immense surprise, pulls him into a hug. Kyungsoo returns it, only a little uncertain, but feels the way Baekhyun sighs deeply against him and whispers, “Thank god you’re here.”

Kyungsoo pats him gently, still confused but getting the impression that he’s just walked into something uncomfortable. When he glances over at the woman, who is still now staring at them both with a rather stunned expression, Kyungsoo suddenly realizes why she looks so familiar. This is Baekhyun’s ex-wife.

He doesn’t mean to, but the realization turns his body almost stiff in Baekhyun’s arms. He drags his eyes away quickly, stares over Baekhyun’s shoulder instead, and heaves a little sigh of relief when Baekhyun pulls back. Baekhyun runs a hand through his hair, a small, tense smile on his face. He’s dropped a hand from Kyungsoo’s back to instead take Kyungsoo’s hand, and Kyungsoo isn’t sure what to make of all of this affection, not in the face of Baekhyun’s ex-wife.

He can, however, tell that Baekhyun needs it, and that, well, is more important than anything. He squeezes Baekhyun’s fingers to reassure him, and turns to Hyeran with a smile. “You must be Hyeran,” he says. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Ah, yes,” she says, almost startled that Kyungsoo seems to know who she is. She's still staring at them with confusion, maybe because of the hand-holding, but then shakes her head a little and adds, “I’m sorry, we were kind of in the middle of something--”

“Oh, sorry, don’t mind me,” Kyungsoo says, and he finally drops Baekhyun’s hand, ignores the ache in his chest at the loss. “I’m just here to help with the party.”

Hyeran looks even more confused now, glancing at Baekhyun, then back at Kyungsoo. “Party?”

“For Eun,” Kyungsoo says.

“It’s his birthday,” Baekhyun adds.

“Of course,” Hyeran says with an understanding nod. She tugs at the sleeves of her long sweater over her fingers and the tension in the air grows even more uncomfortable.

Kyungsoo’s not sure what Hyeran is doing here, but he can tell it was probably not something planned, not something Baekhyun was expecting. “I’ll let you guys talk more,” he says carefully. “Where’s Eun?”

“In his room,” Baekhyun says, and Kyungsoo offers him what he hopes is an encouraging smile before turning away.

He drops off his gift for Eun on the kitchen table and then heads upstairs. He finds Eun sitting in his bed, holding his little Lu plushie in his lap as he draws roughly over sheets of blank paper in a sketchbook.

“Hey, Eunnie,” Kyungsoo says softly as he walks in, and Eun looks up at him with a surprised gasp, his face lighting up completely.

“You’re here!” he says excitedly.

“Of course I am,” Kyungsoo says, perching on the edge of Eun’s bed. “How can I miss your birthday?” He gives Eun’s hair a little ruffle and grins as Eun beams up at him. “What’re you drawing?”

“A picture,” Eun says seriously, turning back to his paper. “It’s me and dad.”

Kyungsoo smiles down at the square-shaped figures that are Eun and Baekhyun. There’s another shape on the other side of Eun that’s only half finished and Kyungsoo points toward it. “Who is this?” he asks. “Your mom?”

Eun shakes his head furiously. “No!” he says loudly and Kyungsoo is a little surprised by the sudden vehemence in his voice. “It’s you!”

“Oh,” Kyungsoo says. He wasn’t expecting that, but it makes his chest warm. “Thank you, Eun.”

“It’s for you,” Eun adds as he drags his blue crayon down in lines to add arms and legs to Kyungsoo’s body. “When I finish.”

“I’ll put it up on my fridge at home,” Kyungsoo says with a smile, touched. “Would you like that?”

“Yes!” Eun says cheerfully.

Kyungsoo pats Eun on the back, watches him draw for awhile longer. He wonders how things are going on downstairs, wonders what Hyeran is doing here. He glances up at Eun and asks carefully, “Don’t you want to see your mom?”

Eun gives a little shrug. “I don’t know,” he says in a quiet voice. “Can I just play here with you?”

He looks up at Kyungsoo with such hopeful eyes that there’s no way Kyungsoo could have ever denied him even if he wanted to. “Of course you can,” he says.

Kyungsoo stays with Eun until Baekhyun comes and finds them, drawing together on sheets of paper scattered across Eun’s bed. Eun is laughing at Kyungsoo’s funny drawing of a giant duck fighting Lu, and waves brightly at Baekhyun when he walks into the room. “Dad, look at Kyungsoo’s picture!” he says holding the paper up.

“Wow,” Baekhyun says with an amused grin. “That’s award-winning artwork right there.”

Kyungsoo swats Baekhyun in the arm, but he’s grinning too. He hands over the picture Eun made of the three of them and says, “Eun’s is way better than mine.”

Baekhyun looks down at the image, and his smile turns soft as he recognizes what the image is meant to be. “Eunnie, you’re so good!” he says proudly. “Can I put this up?”

“No, it’s for Kyungsoo!” Eun says, tugging the paper away and handing it back to Kyungsoo.

Baekhyun gasps. “I’m hurt,” he says, placing a hand against his chest, but laughs when Eun tackles him with a hug, sending them back against the bed. Baekhyun plants a smacking kiss to the top of Eun’s head and says, “Are you ready for your party? Your friends should be arriving soon. Let’s clean up, okay?”

Eun nods and climbs off Baekhyun, gathering up his crayons and precisely putting each one back into the box. Baekhyun rolls off the bed and stretches, arms over his head, before dropping them with a deep sigh. He looks worn out, and Kyungsoo wishes he knew what to say or do to make it better. He wonders if Hyeran has left.

Baekhyun catches his eye and smiles. “Come help me downstairs?” he asks and Kyungsoo nods, bidding goodbye to Eun for now and telling Eun he’ll come back to take his picture later because he doesn’t want to ruin it during the day.

Kyungsoo follows Baekhyun down to the kitchen. It’s quiet, and he doesn’t see Hyeran anywhere, and Baekhyun seems to notice his curiosity because he laughs a little and says, “She’s in the guest room down the hall.”

“She’s staying?” Kyungsoo asks, but then quickly cringes as himself, adding, “I mean, it’s none of my business, you don’t have to explain.”

“No, it’s all right,” Baekhyun says with a smile. “I don’t mind you asking, Kyungsoo.” He laughs a little, shaking his head. “I was really glad you showed up when you did, god. Things were not going very well. She showed up here on her own. She didn’t even call.” He groans this time, hands clenching at his sides, and paces around the kitchen. Kyungsoo has never seen him like this before and his chest aches at the sight. Before he thinks too hard about it, he reaches out and takes Baekhyun’s arm, guides him over to the table to sit down.

Baekhyun sits, drops his head in his hands. Kyungsoo gives his shoulder a squeeze before he fills up a glass of water for each of them, returning to the table to join Baekhyun, sliding one of the glasses over. Baekhyun glances over at him gratefully, and takes a long drink.

Kyungsoo follows suit, waits for Baekhyun to talk to him. He has his questions, but he doesn’t want to bombard Baekhyun with his curiosity. A few moments later, Baekhyun sets his glass back down, but leaves his hand curled around the bottom, fingers moving back and forth across the edge. “I wish she’d have at least given me a warning, you know?” he says. “She and Eun...they’ve talked a few times, but well, I’m sure you’ve noticed that she's not really a part of our lives.”

“Has it always been like that after the divorce?” Kyungsoo asks. It’s something he’s wondered about before but never really knew how to bring it up.

“In the beginning...I think we both tried to make it work. Scheduling out Skype dates and phone calls and trying to figure out what worked best,” Baekhyun says with a little sigh. “But Eun was still so young, and once she moved to London, the time difference got in the way, and I don’t know. It got to a point where we were waiting on her, more than she was reaching out to us, you know?”

“I understand,” Kyungsoo says and he shakes his head slightly in dismay, unable to fully grasp the situation but knowing it couldn’t have been easy for any of them. “Does she want to be involved now?” he asks, thinking about how she’s shown up here after all this time.

Baekhyun shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe,” he says. He’s frowning, and Kyungsoo hates it. “Honestly, the only thing I care about is what Eun wants.”

“Of course,” Kyungsoo says, and instinctively reaches out to rest a hand on Baekhyun’s thigh. “I know that you’ll do whatever is best for him.”

“I try,” Baekhyun chuckles, but Kyungsoo shakes his head, rubs his thumb mindlessly across Baekhyun’s leg.

“No, you’re amazing, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says seriously. “You’re a great dad, but you’re also a great person. You might’ve not been expecting this to happen, but I know that you’ll make a decision that is good for Eun and for you, too.”

Baekhyun is looking at him with surprise, maybe from the strength of Kyungsoo’s little speech or just his words, which Kyungsoo doesn’t think is particularly special. He knows Baekhyun is a great father, has told him many times before, but the way Baekhyun is staring at him now, it’s as if he really, truly needed to hear that in this moment. Baekhyun smiles, then, laughing a little as he sighs, lets his hand fall from the table to rest over Kyungsoo’s on his leg.

“Thank you,” he says, fingers curling around Kyungsoo’s.

Kyungsoo smiles at him, squeezes Baekhyun’s thigh once more and says, “Come on. Let’s get this place ready.”

Eun’s party is a success. Kyungsoo hasn’t been around this many kids since he did a small book tour for his last Chen release, reading to kids at bookstores around the country. Eun is all smiles, and it’s much better than the slightly dejected look Kyungsoo had seen on his face when he’d arrived this morning. Baekhyun, too, looks much happier and relaxed, chatting with the few parents who have stayed for the celebration, gathering the kids up to play silly party games, smearing cake onto Eun’s nose after they all sing happy birthday.

He does it to Kyungsoo, too, when Kyungsoo is distracted by taking over the cake-cutting process and handing plates out to the kids. He startles at the feeling of cool icing across his cheek and turns to Baekhyun with narrowed eyes while Baekhyun cackles, clearly entertained.

“It’s a good look,” Baekhyun teases, but when Kyungsoo swipes the icing off with a finger and licks it clean, the mirth on his face turns almost stunned.

Kyungsoo feels heat flooding his cheeks, but he keeps his eyes on Baekhyun for a moment longer, until Baekhyun is the one clearing his throat and glancing away. His ears are red. Hope flutters in Kyungsoo’s chest and he laughs brightly, shaking his head as he returns to cake-cutting. He feels Baekhyun glancing back at him, can almost sense his smile, and the rapid beating of his heart fades away into the background.

They open presents together in the living room, and Eun practically bowls Kyungsoo over when he finds the new, yet-to-be released Chen toy that Kyungsoo’s gotten for him. “I love it!” Eun yells as he sits in Kyungsoo’s lap and stares at his toy with wide, excited eyes. A few of the other kids who recognize Chen ask about the toy and Kyungsoo ends up with a group of small children demanding to know more, asking how he got a hold of the toy at all. Eun happily announces that Kyungsoo wrote the books, and all the kids look up at him in amazement.

Kyungsoo catches sight of Baekhyun, sitting a few feet away, watching with this fond look on his face. It turns into a smirk when he meets Kyungsoo’s gaze, and he calls out, “Having fun?”

“You better be paying me for this,” Kyungsoo returns. “I don’t usually do appearances for free.”

Baekhyun laughs at that, but sobers quickly, distracted by something across the room. When Kyungsoo follows his gaze, he finds Hyeran there by the entryway, smiling as she takes in everyone around the room. Baekhyun excuses himself, leaves to go talk with her, the two of them disappearing down the hall, and Kyungsoo does his best not to think about the hand he places against the small of her back, turning to Eun and his friends instead.

Baekhyun had explained that Hyeran hadn’t wanted to be involved in the party, hadn’t wanted Baekhyun to have to explain her sudden appearance or make things awkward for Eun. He understands that, for the most part, but at the same time he can’t understand her not wanting to be a part of her own son’s birthday. However, watching Eun with his friends, seeing the bright smile on his face, has him thinking that perhaps Hyeran’s decision was for the best.

Kyungsoo shouldn’t be presumptuous about her relationship with Baekhyun or Eun at all. There’s a lot he still doesn’t know.

Eventually parents start to arrive to pick up their kids and the few who had stayed, like Yixing, give Eun big hugs and even tell Kyungsoo how nice it was to meet him or talk to him before they bid their goodbyes. Baekhyun is at the door watching everyone head out safely, and Kyungsoo starts tidying up around the living room, picking up the mess of wrapping paper and plastic cups.

He’s surprised when Hyeran joins him to help, cleaning around the kitchen. Kyungsoo joins her over there soon enough, throwing the trash out into the bin under the sink. There’s pizza boxes sitting on the counter, the top box still half-full. He moves around the kitchen easily, finds a large enough tupperware container to store the leftovers in as Baekhyun walks through with Eun in his arms, face tucked into the crook of Baekhyun’s neck.

“I’m gonna take him upstairs,” he says, rubbing Eun’s back and looking only at Kyungsoo. “I think he’s exhausted.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says with a smile. “I’m just--we’re just cleaning up a little.”

Baekhyun stares at him for a moment, then glances at Hyeran, who keeps quiet. He sighs then and nods. “Thanks,” he says and then leaves, and Kyungsoo stares after him for a moment before he returns to the task at hand.

“It’s Kyungsoo, right?” Hyeran asks suddenly, startling Kyungsoo so much he almost drops a slice of pizza onto the floor.

He glances at her and nods, and she watches him closely as he fills the container up. “Yeah,” he says, “I’m Baekhyun’s neighbor. I live across the street.”

“You seem far too close to just be neighbors,” she says, and when Kyungsoo looks at her again, she seems intrigued, not accusatory.

“Well, I mean, we are friends, now,” he says. “It’s been five months since they moved in. We’ve gotten to know each other pretty well.”

“I can tell,” Hyeran says with a small laugh. It makes her look much younger like that, her eyes softer than they’ve been all day. Kyungsoo can see pieces of her in Eun now, the shape of her face, her nose. “Baekhyun seems quite...fond of you,” she adds, smiling as she glances at Kyungsoo before turning back to start washing the dishes the parents had used, rolling her long sleeves up to her elbows. “Eun, too.”

Kyungsoo licks his lips. “I’m fond of them too,” he admits, even though he’s not sure this is the appropriate kind of thing to be telling Baekhyun’s ex-wife.

“Do you...” Hyeran starts, and Kyungsoo’s not sure he likes the way she's looking at him, as if she can see right through him, understand just how much further his feelings go than mere fondness.

“What?” Kyungsoo prompts when she doesn’t continue, but instead of explaining, she shakes her head, a peculiar little smile on her face.

“Never mind,” she says. “It’s nothing.”

Kyungsoo wants to push her, but at the same time, he’s not so sure he cares. Whatever she has to say, she is welcome to say it, and if she chooses not to, well. That’s not Kyungsoo’s concern.

Before either of them can say anything else, Baekhyun returns, looking about as tired as he did this morning when Kyungsoo had arrived. His hair is a mess, like he’d just spent five minutes running his hands through it, and his deep blue dress shirt is wrinkled, the top buttons now pulled open to reveal pale smooth skin. Kyungsoo has to force himself to drag his eyes up to Baekhyun’s face.

“How is Eun?” he asks and Baekhyun smiles.

“Napping,” he says. “I think he had too much fun.”

“You look like you could use a nap too,” Kyungsoo says and Baekhyun chuckles softly at that.

“Honestly, I think you’re right,” he says. He glances around the kitchen, then back at the living room. “Thanks for cleaning up. You didn’t have to.”

“I know,” Kyungsoo says. “If you want to go rest, that’s fine. I can finish cleaning up--”

Baekhyun laughs again, shaking his head a little but when he looks at Kyungsoo, his eyes are fond. “You’re always doing so much for me,” he says. “Don’t worry about it today, Kyungsoo. I’ll take care of it all later.”

“Are you sure?” Kyungsoo asks. He can feel Hyeran watching them, even as she continues washing off the remaining dishes. When Baekhyun nods, Kyungsoo sighs. “All right. Let me just put this away.”

He stores the leftover pizza in the fridge and Baekhyun takes care of the empty boxes, flattening them up to throw into the recycling. Kyungsoo heads for the door after, retrieving his coat from the hall closet and tugging on his shoes. “Oh,” he says suddenly, remembering. “I left the picture Eun drew me upstairs.”

Baekhyun grins at him and ends up pulling said drawing out of his pocket. “Here,” he says. “Eunnie made me take it down. Sorry it’s folded.”

“It’s okay,” Kyungsoo says, opening it to glance down at the cutely drawn figures. He closes it again and looks up at Baekhyun, who seems to be growing more tired the longer he stands. Kyungsoo bites his lower lip, and instinctively reaches up to brush Baekhyun’s hair out of his face. Baekhyun’s eyelashes flutter, and he releases this little sigh as Kyungsoo lets his fingers gently trail along his cheek. He pulls back when his actions catch up to him, shoving his hand into his pocket. “Thanks--uh, for inviting me today. It was fun,” he says.

“Of course,” Baekhyun says. “You’re always welcome here, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo smiles, not sure how else to respond to that, and instead just offers a small wave and heads home.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
hi kyungsoo, i’m sorry but i won’t be able to make it to lunch today. i really need to sort out this hyeran situation. i hope you have a nice time :)

The message was sent this morning, waiting for Kyungsoo when he woke up. He’d sighed, staring at it for a long time before he’d sent back a simple Don’t worry about it! I hope things work out for you and then dragged himself to shower.

Kyungsoo’s staring at the message again now, discreetly because Chanyeol is sitting next to him, eyeing his menu. Minseok is across the table doing the same, and they’re waiting for Junmyeon to arrive before ordering. Kyungsoo hates how disappointed he is that Baekhyun isn’t here too. He hates, too, how quickly things can change. Just a few days ago, Kyungsoo had found the courage to tell Baekhyun his feelings and now...Now none of that seems quite as important as hoping that Baekhyun is okay, the curveball that is Hyeran’s appearance making it impossible for Kyungsoo to think about anything else.

“You know,” Minseok says wryly, startling Kyungsoo from his phone to look up at him. “People are usually happy about birthday celebrations.”

Guiltily, Kyungsoo sets his phone aside, turning it face down so he won’t be tempted to reach for it again. Beside him, Chanyeol chuckles. “He’s just sad Baekhyun’s not coming,” he teases, nudging Kyungsoo with an elbow.

“Shut up,” Kyungsoo says without any real heat. “I’m fine.” He glances at Minseok. “Sorry,” he adds. “I am happy about this. I’m glad you’re here.”

“You should be,” Minseok says. “I had to rearrange a date to be here.”

“Sleeping in with your cat doesn’t count as a date,” Junmyeon laughs as he joins them, a little pink in the face from the cold.

Minseok scowls at him but doesn’t refute it, and Junmyeon grins as he settles down in the remaining seat beside Minseok. “Have you ordered?” he asks, pushing his coat off his shoulders and picking up the menu.

“Not yet,” Kyungsoo answers.

“We’ve just been telling Kyungsoo how disappointed he looks that Baekhyun’s not here,” Chanyeol adds and Kyungsoo calmly reaches over to pinch Chanyeol’s thigh.

Chanyeol yelps so hard he knocks his knee under the table and almost sends their glasses of waters flying. Thankfully he settles before there’s a mess, but he’s pouting now and Kyungsoo rubs his palm over Chanyeol’s thigh.

Junmyeon is peering at Kyungsoo over the top of his menu now. Kyungsoo pointedly doesn’t look at him. “Your crush is cute,” Junmyeon chuckles a moment after, and that’s probably worse than anything else he could’ve said.

“Stop,” he grumbles, but when he looks around at the three of them, they’re all smirking at him. Kyungsoo groans. “Okay, look,” he says, because he might as well just get this out of the way, “I know you guys probably have a betting pool going on to see how long it takes before I ask Baekhyun out or something--”

“What, we would never,” says Chanyeol, placing a hand against his chest as if Kyungsoo’s deeply offended him.

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes but can’t help the little twitch of his lips. He continues, “Anyway, I’m telling you guys this honestly, so you can fucking leave me alone after, but--I’ve come to the decision that I will ask him out, but only when I think the time is right.”

Chanyeol opens his mouth to protest, but snaps it closed fast when Junmyeon undoubtedly kicks him under the table. Kyungsoo snorts, not surprised. “It’s not easy, okay? There’s a lot of...variables at play,” he says, thinking about Eun, and even about Hyeran, her sudden appearance back in their lives. “I don’t want to do it half-heartedly, just because I’m tired of waiting around. That’s not what it is, you know? I like being his friend.”

“You just could be more, that’s all,” Chanyeol grumbles, but smiles softly when Kyungsoo drops a hand to his knee and pats him gratefully.

“We’ll see,” he says. “There’s no rush, is what I’m saying. So please, let me just figure this out on my own?”

“Fine,” Minseok drawls, like it pains him to do so, but he’s grinning now too. “I guess we could do that.”

“It’s about time we pester Chanyeol about his love life anyway,” Junmyeon teases and that has all of them laughing, and Kyungsoo’s heart settling. His friends can be pushy, but he knows they’re well-meaning, and he knows they’ll support his decisions, whatever they might be. He laughs as Minseok grills Chanyeol about his last date as he tucks his phone away into his pocket, and focuses his full attention on his friends. He could use this afternoon as a break from the confusing thoughts that have taken up residence in his head.

Later that night as Kyungsoo lounges on the couch with his pups and half-heartedly watches the news, Baekhyun calls him. Kyungsoo stares at his name flashing on the screen of his phone in surprise because he wasn’t expecting to hear from Baekhyun again so soon. Inky makes a swipe for the phone so Kyungsoo quickly answers, bringing the device up to his ear while reaching out to pet Inky with his free hand.

Kyungsoo barely gets a greeting out before Baekhyun is speaking, his voice alarmingly distraught. “God, Kyungsoo, I hate to do this to you, but Eunnie is crying and he won’t stop and all he wants is for you to read to him again.”

This is definitely not what Kyungsoo expected, but he’s already sitting up on the couch, gripping his phone tighter as Baekhyun continues, “He’s asked before actually, but never like this. I could usually get him to calm down but I just--I don’t know what to do, and I’m sorry to ask you but--”

“Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo cuts over him firmly. His chest aches from the strain of Baekhyun’s voice. In the following silence, he’s pretty sure he can hear Eun crying. “It’s okay,” Kyungsoo says as he gently ushers his dogs off the couch and stands. “I don’t mind. You know I don’t.”

A deep sigh fills his ears. He can imagine Baekhyun roughly running a hand through his hair. “You’re the best,” he says and even though he sounds tired, Kyungsoo knows he means it.

“Give me five minutes and I’ll be right over.”

Kyungsoo hangs up after that, glances down at his pups as they peer at him curiously. “Change of plans, kids,” he says. “I’ll be back soon, okay?”

He gives each of them a little affectionate ruffle before he darts to his room, switching his ratty sweatpants for jeans. He grabs his phone and keys, throws on his coat and boots, and heads across the street. Baekhyun is waiting for him at the door, opening it before Kyungsoo even has to knock. He looks dead tired on his feet, but he still smiles when Kyungsoo says, “Hi.”

“Thank you for coming,” Baekhyun says, and because he looks like he needs it, Kyungsoo tentatively reaches out to drag Baekhyun into a hug.

Baekhyun practically sags against him. Kyungsoo smooths a hand up and down his back. “Long day?” he asks lightly and Baekhyun snorts into the crook of his shoulder.

“You have no idea,” he says and then pulls away. His smile reaches his eyes this time. “Come on,” he says, and leads Kyungsoo through the house. “I’ve been trying to get Eunnie to go to sleep for an hour and he’s just stubbornly refusing every step of the way,” he explains. “I think maybe he wants to see a familiar face? He’s been so quiet today with Hyeran around. She even tried to calm him down but that only made him more upset.”

A look of worry casts a shadow over Baekhyun’s face. “He hasn’t been like this in years.”

Kyungsoo rests a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder. “He’s probably just confused and overwhelmed,” he says. “He’s only seven.”

“I know,” Baekhyun says with another sigh as they climb the stairs. “I just--I wasn’t expecting him to act this way. He kept asking for you, even though I told him I could read to him too.”

“It’s okay,” Kyungsoo tells him again, because it seems like Baekhyun needs to hear it. He squeezes Baekhyun’s shoulder and then steps through the doorway to Eun’s bedroom.

Eun is curled up on his side on the bed, quietly sniffling, and it breaks Kyungsoo’s heart a little. Kyungsoo sits on the edge of the bed as Baekhyun comes around to the other side, brushes back Eun’s hair and says, “Hey, Eunnie, look who came to see you.”

Eun rubs at his eyes with his small fists, blinking up at Baekhyun, and then turning to look over his shoulder. Kyungsoo grins at him and says, “Hi Eun. I hear you wanna read a story.”

Eun nods solemnly.

“Which one would you like to read?”

“The one where Chen fights the Red Force,” says Eun and Baekhyun nods at him, goes to retrieve the book from the shelf across the room. When he returns, he urges Eun to sit up and joins them on the bed. Eun curls up against Baekhyun’s chest, but he’s stopped crying now and looks at Kyungsoo with bright eyes as he flips to the first page.

“I love this one,” Kyungsoo tells him with a smile. “Good choice.”

“Will you do the voices again?” Eun asks and Kyungsoo nods.

“Of course,” he says. “What’s storytime without voices, right?”

Eun smiles widely and Kyungsoo glances at Baekhyun, who is watching them quietly, a small smile on his face. He gives Kyungsoo a little nod, so Kyungsoo clears his throat and reads.

Just like the last time Kyungsoo did this, Eun is a great audience. It takes him a few minutes to warm up, but soon he’s laughing and imitating Kyungsoo’s silly voices, and gasping aloud at every surprising moment in the story even though it’s clear he knows what’s going to happen. Baekhyun laughs along as well, tickling Eun to make him laugh more, catching Kyungsoo’s eyes and smiling so widely Kyungsoo feels his heart jumping in his chest.

As they get close to the end, Hyeran appears by the door, watching on for a few moments until Baekhyun notices. She gestures toward the hall and steps away, and Baekhyun sighs.

“I’ll be right back okay?” he says, and Eun nods even though he doesn’t look like he wants Baekhyun to go anywhere. Baekhyun kisses his forehead and smiles at Kyungsoo, then leaves the room.

Eun is frowning again, and Kyungsoo pulls himself more comfortably up onto the bed, wraps an arm around Eun’s body gently. “Are you okay, Eunnie?” he asks as Eun stares at his lap quietly.

“I don’t want mom here,” he says in a small voice, and the honesty surprises Kyungsoo. “She makes dad sad.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t know what to say to that. Of course to Eun, it looks as if Baekhyun is upset, the way he’s been much quieter since Hyeran’s appearance. Kyungsoo knows it’s more than just that, can see the exhaustion in Baekhyun’s eyes, the way he’s holding back his frustration in the tight lines around his mouth, his worry over how Eun is taking having his mother around in the furrow of his brow. Kyungsoo wishes he knew how to help make it easier, but it’s not really his place to interject.

Right now, he knows he can help Baekhyun by taking care of Eun, and that much, at least, Kyungsoo thinks he can do pretty well. “Come here, Eunnie,” he says gently, and Eun eagerly climbs into Kyungsoo’s lap, resting his head against Kyungsoo’s chest as Kyungsoo pulls the book back close. “Let’s finish this story, okay? And we can maybe read one more if you want.”

“Okay,” Eun says, much happier now by the prospect, and Kyungsoo pushes aside all his other thoughts and his own worries to focus on making Eun smile again.

Halfway through the second book, Eun falls asleep, curled up against Kyungsoo’s chest. Kyungsoo sighs, endeared despite his worries slowly rising to the surface again. He’s careful as he lowers Eun back into his bed and tucks him in before he makes his way downstairs. Baekhyun hadn’t come back like he said he would, so Kyungsoo figures he must still be talking with Hyeran, and as he heads down, he can hear them arguing in hushed voices.

“He’s my son and he barely looks at me,” Hyeran is saying.

“What did you expect?” Baekhyun replies, and Kyungsoo doesn’t really mean to eavesdrop, but he doesn’t want to just walk out in the middle of their conversation. “He doesn’t know you, Hyeran.”

Kyungsoo’s thinking of turning around and maybe hiding in the upstairs bathroom for a few minutes when he hears his name.

“Oh, so he knows Kyungsoo?” Hyeran demands. Kyungsoo tightens his grip on the wooden staircase railing.

“Yes. He does,” Baekhyun says. His voice is firm, leaving no room for doubt. “Kyungsoo has been around more in the past five months than you have in the past three years since you left. You know I’ve never tried to keep Eunnie from you, Hyeran. You did that on your own.”

There’s a long moment of unnerving silence. Kyungsoo can hear his own heart in his ears. He’s about to walk out now, figuring it would be a good chance, when Hyeran speaks again.

“You...You and Kyungsoo, are you…”

“He’s my friend,” Baekhyun cuts over her, just as strongly as before. Then he sighs, and adds in a softer, almost conflicted tone of voice, “He’s someone I...”

Kyungsoo doesn’t want to hear anymore. He doesn’t want to hear what Baekhyun thinks, not like this. He steps out toward the living room, knocking at the wall to get their attention. Hyeran jumps a little from where she's sitting on the couch, and Baekhyun turns around from the armchair, surprise flashing across his face before it settles, eyes searching instead.

“Eun’s asleep now,” Kyungsoo says, breaking the awkward silence.

Baekhyun slumps back against the chair and Kyungsoo can practically see all the tension melt from his body. “Thank god,” he breathes. He peers at Kyungsoo over the edge of the chair, a hint of a smile in his eyes. “You’re a lifesaver.”

Kyungsoo chuckles, shaking his head. “It was really nothing,” he says. “Reading Eun a book is about the least troublesome thing you could ask of me.”

“Still,” Baekhyun insists as he drags himself up to his feet and faces Kyungsoo properly. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says softly, and he wants to reach out, touch Baekhyun, hold his hand, something, but Hyeran is still sitting there, watching them, and Kyungsoo can still hear her words from earlier, loud and clear in his head. “I should head home,” he says instead, and he nods slightly at Hyeran as he breezes past her to the front door.

Baekhyun follows, watches him pull on his shoes, and he’s the one who wraps an arm around Kyungsoo, dragging him into a hug. He sighs deeply against him and Kyungsoo laughs, pats his back.

“Thank you,” Baekhyun says again when they pull apart and Kyungsoo shakes his head.

“You don’t have to thank me for anything, especially not for something like this,” he says, and when Baekhyun opens his mouth to protest, Kyungsoo holds a hand up and adds, “I’m serious. Or you’re gonna have to pay a fine every time.”

Baekhyun laughs at that, looking much more like himself in the way his amusement lights up his face. “It could be worth it,” he teases, but then smiles wide. “All right. I’ll try to remember.”

“That’s all I ask,” Kyungsoo says with an emphatic nod and Baekhyun laughs again, the sound of it settling warm in Kyungsoo’s chest.

-

Hyeran seems to stay for a few more days. At least, that’s the impression Kyungsoo gets because he doesn’t hear from Baekhyun for much of that following week. It’s strange, considering they’ve started talking more and more over the phone, and while Baekhyun returns some of Kyungsoo’s messages, they’re short and come hours late, like he’s too busy or preoccupied to check his phone.

There isn’t much that Kyungsoo can do about it though, so he leaves it be and tries not to feel so disappointed. He ends up spending more time back in his home studio, sketching little character designs to post on the official twitter account that Kyungsoo rarely uses. Junmyeon insists it’s good for marketing and gets people excited, so every once in awhile, when Kyungsoo remembers it exists, he’ll throw out a picture to keep the fans happy. Most of his audience might be kids, but he’s learned the demographics for the television show range a little wider.

Either way, drawing takes that agitated edge off, gives Kyungsoo something to focus on.

It isn’t until that Thursday night that Kyungsoo hears from Baekhyun. His phone vibrates on the seat next to him as he drives into town to pick up some groceries for dinner, and at the next red light, he checks the messages.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
hyeran finally left
are you busy tonight?

Kyungsoo glances up at the light to make sure he hasn’t missed them changing, and then sends back a quick reply: I’m free. I can come by in twenty minutes.

He changes his plans as the lights turn green and he continues driving. Instead of stopping by the market, he ends up making a U-turn and picks up food from the closest McDonald’s. He’s done this before that he remembers both Baekhyun and Eun’s preferences, and soon enough he’s heading back toward home, strangely nervous but excited.

Baekhyun is dressed in a cozy sweater and jeans when he opens the door for Kyungsoo, and his fringe is pulled up into a little umbrella at the top of his head. Kyungsoo chuckles at the sight, reaches up to flick his finger against the tuft of hair. “Cute,” he says, and Baekhyun turns a little pink as he hastily pulls his hair free.

“I was helping Eun with some homework and it got in the way,” he explains as Kyungsoo steps inside and toes off his shoes. He watches for a moment, and then says, loudly, “Did you bring food?”

Kyungsoo laughs again, straightening up. “Yeah,” he says. “I was about to get something to eat anyway when you messaged me. Figured you wouldn’t mind.”

“I love you,” Baekhyun says seriously, and Kyungsoo swears his heart squeezes in his chest. If only, he thinks solemnly, but then forces a smile onto his face and shakes his head with a small laugh.

“Come on,” he says, and heads into the kitchen.

Eun is sitting at the table, crayons in hand once again. He perks up when Kyungsoo enters and then cheers when Kyungsoo sets the food down onto the table.

“Eunnie, clean up your stuff so we can eat, okay?” Baekhyun says, but it’s not necessary as Eun is already shuffling together his papers and crayons and then running away with them in his arms to put them in his room. Baekhyun laughs after him, and turns to open the fridge. “Hey, do you want a beer? Juice?”

“Whatever you’re having is fine,” Kyungsoo says as he pulls the food out of the paper bag, setting them around the table. “I’m pretty sure I remembered what you guys like.”

“Honestly, Eun and I will eat anything from McDonalds,” Baekhyun says, returning to the table to slide over two bottles of beer and a carton of milk. As Kyungsoo sits down, Baekhyun retrieves a Spiderman cup from the cupboard and then joins him at the table, pours out the milk into the cup for Eun.

Eun comes running back into the kitchen then, climbs eagerly back onto his seat and reaches for his burger. “Did you wash your hands?” Baekhyun asks and when Eun nods, Baekhyun narrows his eyes at him, as if suspicious. “Did you really?”

“Yes!” Eun insists and Baekhyun laughs, accepts this. Kyungsoo smiles at the exchange and unwraps his own burger, starving.

“What do you say to Kyungsoo for bringing us dinner?” Baekhyun asks then, and Eun swallows his big mouthful of food to yell out, “Thank you!”

“You’re very welcome,” Kyungsoo says, smiling all the wider.

They end up watching the Lego Batman movie together after dinner, curled up on the couch, the three of them. Eun sits in the middle, hugging his Lu plush that he retrieved from his room, and Baekhyun lounges back against the couch to his right, his feet propped up on the coffee table. Kyungsoo has never seen this movie before, so he lets Eun explain to him with all his childlike seriousness what is happening and which parts are his favorites.

Kyungsoo is happy to see Eun back to his usual, cheerful self. He’s talkative and bright-eyed and snuggles closer to Kyungsoo as the movie progresses until he falls asleep in his lap before the end. Kyungsoo brushes Eun’s hair out of his face gently. It’s gotten much longer and always seems to be in his eyes, but it’s cute.

“Want me to take him upstairs?” he asks, turning to Baekhyun.

Baekhyun shakes his head. “It’s okay, I got him,” he says as he stands. He scoops Eun up into his arms and groans a little, “Soon I don’t think I’ll be able to do this at all.”

“Clearly that just means you gotta hit the gym,” Kyungsoo teases and Baekhyun huffs but then smiles.

“Let me take him upstairs and I’ll be right back,” he says. “You...You don’t have to head home yet, do you?”

Kyungsoo doesn’t even have to think about it. “No,” he says. “I’m good.”

Baekhyun’s smile grows wider. “Great! Be right back then.”

Kyungsoo watches him disappear down the hall, then lets out a deep breath. He retrieves the remote from the coffee table, pulls the DVD out from the player to return to its case, and then turns everything off. He slumps back on the couch after, picks up his phone to check for any messages and emails, and is in the middle of responding to one from Junmyeon to set a date to review Kyungsoo’s draft next week when Baekhyun returns. He smiles at Kyungsoo, then ducks into the kitchen. Kyungsoo hears the door to the fridge open and close, and when Baekhyun walks back to the living room, he has two bottles of beer in his hands.

“Thanks,” Kyungsoo says, taking the bottle that’s offered to him as Baekhyun practically flops on the couch with the loudest sigh. Kyungsoo raises a brow, amused. “Tired already? Need to call it a night?”

“Tired, yes,” Baekhyun says as he flutters his eyes open again. “But definitely not ready to call it a night.”

Kyungsoo stares at him for a moment. Baekhyun stares right back, and it feels like he’s telling Kyungsoo much more than just that, as if he wants Kyungsoo to know that despite being tired, he wants to spend more time with him. Kyungsoo wants that, too.

“Good,” he replies then, and takes a few gulps out of his beer.

Baekhyun follows suit a few moments after, and lets out another deep sigh when he’s done, slumping a little against the back of the couch. “God this week has felt so long,” he says, and before Kyungsoo can ask, he adds, “I’m so glad Hyeran’s gone.”

Kyungsoo has been wondering how things have gone the past few days, but never wanted to ask directly. Now that Baekhyun’s brought it up on his own, though, he figures maybe Baekhyun wants to talk about it, wants the chance to complain a little. “That bad, huh?” Kyungsoo says lightly, and smiles when Baekhyun snorts.

“You have no idea,” he says, but then shakes his head. “Okay, it wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t easy, either. It’s been so long since she’s been around and I don’t know. It was overwhelming. For all of us, I think.”

“Did you manage to figure things out?” Kyungsoo asks.

Baekhyun nods slowly. “For the most part, yeah,” he says. “She wants to be more involved, but I told her I don’t know how she plans to do that when she lives in London and hasn’t made any effort to be involved for three years. Eun’s already so...quiet around her, and I don’t want to have to push him just because she's his mother.” He sighs, roughly pushing a hand through his hair. “Does that make me a terrible person?”

“No,” Kyungsoo says immediately. He doesn’t have to think about it. “You know Eun better than anyone, Baekhyun. And, yes, he’s still a kid, but I think...I think he’s smart enough to know how he feels and what he wants.” He remembers what Eun had told him the last time he’d seen him, the past weekend. “Kids understand more than we give them credit for sometimes.”

Baekhyun chuckles softly at that. “You’re right about that,” he says.

“Eun told me last weekend,” Kyungsoo says, because he thinks Baekhyun should know, “that he doesn’t like having Hyeran around because it makes you sad.”

He’s expecting Baekhyun to be surprised, but instead he laughs again, shakes his head a little in amusement. “You know, I thought so,” he says. “I told him, when we talked about everything, when I asked him what he thought about having Hyeran around more, that he should make the decision based off his own feelings, and not for me. That it doesn’t matter what I wanted.”

He lets out another small chuckle, then sighs as he leans against the couch. For a moment, he doesn’t say anything, just stares down at his hands. When he looks back up at Kyungsoo, his eyes are a little watery. “Do you know what he said to me?” he asks, and when Kyungsoo shakes his head, he says, “He told me, ‘I just want to be with you daddy.’”

Kyungsoo’s chest aches at the words, and without really thinking about it, and because Baekhyun seems like he really needs it, he reaches out and pulls him into a hug. Baekhyun huffs out a soppy sort of laugh and curls his fingers into the back of Kyungsoo’s shirt. Kyungsoo can’t imagine what Baekhyun has had to deal with in the past few days, but he knows it hasn’t been easy, knows that he’s been worried very much about all of it, but especially about Eun.

“Did you cry like this when Eun told you?” Kyungsoo teases as they slowly pull apart, and Baekhyun snorts, rubs the heel of his hand over his eyes.

“Nah, I managed to keep it in, but I did hug him really hard,” Baekhyun laughs. “I’m sorry, by the way,” he adds, gesturing at his face and then awkwardly between them.

“You don’t have to apologize for that,” he says with a soft smile, patting Baekhyun’s thigh. “It’s what I’m here for, you know. A shoulder to cry on. An ear to listen to your worries.”

“You’re more than just that,” Baekhyun replies instantly, voice hard with conviction. “But thank you.”

Kyungsoo vaguely remembers the deal they’d made with each other last time about cutting back on the gratitude but figures this time he can let it slide. Instead, Kyungsoo squeezes Baekhyun’s thigh once, then forces himself to remove his hand. He picks up his beer again and takes a few sips. “How did Hyeran take Eun’s reply?” he asks.

Baekhyun shrugs a shoulder. “As well as could be expected, I guess,” he says. “She wasn’t happy, for sure, but I don’t know how she could’ve expected anything else. We decided that it’s best to take it slowly. She can’t just be a part of our lives again, she has to...I don’t know, really show that she's gonna make the effort. How is this going to be any different than the past few years, you know?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo says. “That makes sense.”

“I don’t doubt that she loves him...She just, well, she hasn’t done a very good job of showing it, is all,” Baekhyun says.

“And Eun probably needs to see that before he’s able to warm up to her,” Kyungsoo says, and Baekhyun nods in agreement. “I hope it works out.”

“Yeah, I do too,” Baekhyun says with a small smile. Then he takes a large gulp from his beer and lifts it toward Kyungsoo. “Enough about me, what about you?”

Kyungsoo raises a brow. “What about me?”

“Any tragic past relationships for you? Or current ones, for that matter?” Baekhyun laughs. “You don’t have a Hyeran of your own, do you?”

Now Kyungsoo snorts, shaking his head. “I think you’d know by now if I did,” he says. “My, uh, ex-boyfriend and I broke up about three years ago. We were together for two.”

“What happened?” Baekhyun asks. He doesn’t seem surprised by Kyungsoo’s admission, and Kyungsoo only realizes now that he’s never mentioned his preferences to Baekhyun either, despite always wondering about Baekhyun’s.

He chuckles softly to himself, and takes another sip from his beer. “It was around when I was working on my third book,” he says after a moment. “You’ve seen how I get close to a deadline and well...I was even worse back then, too focused. We kept missing each other, and we weren’t really connecting. So I shouldn’t have been so surprised when Jongin said he’d met someone else.”

“Ouch,” Baekhyun says with a shake of his head. “That’s still gotta suck.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t an…ideal ending for us, but Jongin didn’t sign up for having someone more interested in work than in him,” Kyungsoo says. It had been painful back then, but the memory doesn’t sting so much anymore. They broke up pretty amicably, all things considered.

“So what you’re telling me is that you don’t have a Hyeran of your own...because you’re the Hyeran,” Baekhyun says, a teasing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Kyungsoo gapes at him, stunned, because he hadn’t thought of it like that, but before he can defend himself, Baekhyun cackles.

“I’m just kidding,” he says. “Every relationship has its problems, and sometimes you can’t overcome them.”

“That’s true,” Kyungsoo says. “At least my relationship ended for good after we broke up. An ex-wife isn’t quite the same, not when you have a kid involved.”

“Tell me about it,” Baekhyun groans. “Actually, no more. I don’t want to even think about Hyeran for at least a month.” He shakes his head, his whole body, wriggling his shoulders down to his feet, and it’s so cute Kyungsoo can’t help but smile just watching him. “Tell me something else. Anything. Anyone in your life since--uh--who was it? Jongin?”

“Yeah, Jongin,” Kyungsoo says, but then shakes his head. “And no, I haven’t been in a serious relationship since. Minseok and I screwed around a few times, but that stopped when he met Joohyun, his girlfriend.”

“You and Minseok?” Baekhyun echoes, looking a little surprised. “I know I only met him the once, but I never would’ve expected that.”

“We were always pretty lowkey about it,” Kyungsoo says with a shrug. “And it ended over a year ago, so there’s not really any hard feelings, you know?”

“Makes sense,” Baekhyun says, then fixes Kyungsoo with a long, curious stare. He says nothing for a long moment, but when he does, Kyungsoo almost chokes on his sip of beer. “What about now? Anyone you’re interested in?”

“Wh-What’s with all this interest in my love life?” he sputters, hoping he’s not blushing too obviously. “What about you?”

“Dating is hard when you’ve got a kid,” Baekhyun says simply. “And we’ve been too focused on moving the past year that I haven’t even really looked at anyone that way.”

Kyungsoo wants to ask what about now, now that they’re settled, now that it’s been five months, but he doesn’t. He just drops his eyes to his lap and dares not to hope.

“So, you gotta tell me about you, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says, nudging Kyungsoo’s knee with his foot. “My love life is non-existent.”

“Well, so is mine,” Kyungsoo counters with a laugh, but when he looks back up at Baekhyun, he’s watching him with soft, intrigued eyes that somehow fill Kyungsoo with sudden bravado, like maybe now is the time, like maybe he could--

“But there might be someone,” Kyungsoo says, the words falling from his mouth without thought. He looks right at Baekhyun as he speaks. “If he’ll have me.”

Silence follows, punctuated by the rapid beating of Kyungsoo’s heart. He can’t believe he even said anything. He revealed too much. He might have not said Baekhyun’s name, admitted the whole truth, but how can--How can Baekhyun not know exactly who he means, and fuck, does Kyungsoo even want Baekhyun to know, does he hope that Baekhyun won’t figure it out, should he laugh it off and say it’s just a joke, should he just take the plunge and spill it all--

“Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says quietly, but loud enough to cut through the fuzziness of Kyungsoo’s brain. He looks at Kyungsoo as if he’s on the precipice of something important, opening his mouth to speak again when a sudden shrill cry from down the hall startles them both.

“Daddy!” Eun is yelling, and Baekhyun is already on his feet and across the room by the time Kyungsoo hears Eun’s little footsteps running down the stairs.

Eun darts into the room a moment later, clutching his Lu doll in one hand, and practically tackles Baekhyun, who has moved to meet him, scooping him up easily into his arms as Eun buries his face into Baekhyun’s chest. “What’s wrong, Eunnie?” he asks, rubbing a hand down his back. “Did you have a bad dream?”

Eun just whimpers in reply, a little muffled against Baekhyun’s body, and Baekhyun shushes him soothingly, “It’s okay,” Baekhyun tells him. “It’s not real. You’re safe now.”

“The monster tried to eat me!” Eun wails, clinging to Baekhyun even harder. He drops his Lu toy in the process and before Eun can even cry further to get it back, Kyungsoo is on his feet, retrieving it from the floor and holding it out for Eun to take.

“Here you go, Eunnie,” he says softly and Eun peers at him over Baekhyun’s shoulder, tears in the corners of his eyes. It makes his heart break a little, even while he finds the whole thing utterly adorable. He gently smooths back Eun’s hair and adds, “You’ll be okay. The monster can’t hurt you now.”

Eun sniffles but nods slowly, fingers tight where they’re gripping onto Lu’s antlers. “Daddy, can I sleep in your bed with you?”

“Of course, Eunnie,” Baekhyun says immediately. He turns to Kyungsoo, frowning apologetically, “I’m sorry, I wanted to talk more but--”

“It’s okay,” Kyungsoo says, “I understand. Fatherly duties are calling.”

That makes Baekhyun laugh and he continues sliding his hand along Eun’s back. “We’ll have to continue our conversation another time,” he says and even though Kyungsoo’s not sure he particularly wants that, he nods anyway. “Eunnie, do you want to say goodbye to Kyungsoo?”

“No!” Eun says, surprising them both. “I want Kyungsoo to stay!”

“Eunnie,” Baekhyun says gently. “Kyungsoo has to go home.”

“I don’t want him to!” Eun cries, fresh tears flooding his eyes. “Stay here, Kyungsoo! Please, please, please, please?”

“Eun,” Baekhyun says, somewhere between firm and tired, but Kyungsoo rests a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder to reassure him that it’s okay.

“I can stay,” he says, smiling at Eun before glancing up at Baekhyun. “If it’s okay with your dad.”

Baekhyun agrees quickly, clearly not eager for Eun to start crying again, and when Eun cheers happily instead, he lets out a deep sigh. “I’m sorry,” he says, but Kyungsoo shakes his head.

“I don’t mind,” he says. “But is it okay if I go check on my dogs, Eunnie? I have to make sure they’re okay tonight.”

Eun bites his lower lip, staring at Kyungsoo for a long moment, before he finally nods. “You have to come back fast, okay?”

“Of course,” Kyungsoo says, and he gives Eun a little wave before he heads to leave.

The chilly night air wakes him up a little on the quick run across the street, and both Inky and Pepper seem rather uninterested with Kyungsoo’s return, much more content to lay curled on the floor under the dining table. They’ve eaten for the day, but he fills their water bowls and sits with them for a few minutes, rubbing their ears and telling them to be good.

It gives him the chance to calm down after his conversation with Baekhyun and his half-confession. It’s both a relief and a nuisance that they were interrupted, but maybe it was for the best. Baekhyun’s just had to deal with his ex-wife appearing back in his life, had told Kyungsoo that dating hasn’t been on his mind for months. Of all the times to try to express his feelings, Kyungsoo thinks, shaking his head at himself.

“I’m such an idiot,” he mutters, and Inky licks at his fingers in what Kyungsoo hopes is disagreement.

Eventually, he picks himself up and decides to quickly change into warm sweatpants and a sleep-shirt so he doesn’t have to borrow Baekhyun’s clothes like the last time. He bundles back up and returns across the street, unsurprised to find the door unlocked.

He locks the door after him, peels off his coat and shoes, and then heads upstairs. He can hear Baekhyun speaking softly from the end of the hall, and taps gently against the door with his knuckles so not to completely startle them. Eun is curled up against Baekhyun’s side, hugging his Lu plush to his chest, while Baekhyun holds one of Chen’s books out in front of them.

“You came back!” Eun exclaims, and he looks much happier than earlier, the tears gone from his eyes.

“I said I would, didn’t I?” Kyungsoo says, and laughs when Eun nods his head. He glances over at Baekhyun, who is smiling warmly at them, and says, “Mind if I join you?”

“It’s not like we haven’t shared a bed before, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun teases, his smile curling into a little infuriating smirk.

Kyungsoo punches him in the shoulder half-heartedly, then removes his glasses, sets them down on the nightstand beside Baekhyun’s phone. He rounds the bed so he can climb in on Eun’s other side. Eun grabs Kyungsoo’s arm and tugs until he’s satisfied with Kyungsoo close against him, and Kyungsoo laughs, patting Eun on the head.

“Feeling better?” he asks, and Eun nods again.

“Finish reading!” he demands, and Baekhyun clears his throat and picks up where he left off, his butchered Chen impersonation making Kyungsoo snort.

“Shhh,” Baekhyun grumbles. “Not all of us can be professional voice actors.”

Kyungsoo just smirks and doesn’t say that he thinks Baekhyun could very well be a great voice actor if he wanted. His low, soft voice would be...well, Kyungsoo probably shouldn’t be thinking about this right now, and he forces himself to focus back on the book, on Eun’s excited ramblings, and how comfortable it feels, to be here like this with the two of them.

By the time Eun falls asleep again, Kyungsoo is tired, too, even though it’s not really that late, and he usually stays up much longer. Baekhyun is yawning as well, and he grins at Kyungsoo after, a little cheeky and a lot cute.

“Thank you for staying,” he says.

“Anytime,” Kyungsoo tells him, an honest promise, and as he closes his eyes, he thinks he could get used to this.

The shrill sound of Baekhyun’s alarm wakes Kyungsoo early the next morning. Baekhyun is groaning beside him, blanket rustling as he moves, and then suddenly the music cuts off mid-chorus.

“Your alarm is TVXQ’s Rising Sun?” Kyungsoo mumbles, blinking his eyes open through the last dregs of slumber to peer at Baekhyun.

“It’s too early for you to tease me,” he says without opening his own eyes. He just snuggles back against his pillow and seemingly goes back to sleep.

“Don’t you have work?” Kyungsoo asks.

“Later,” Baekhyun says, and Kyungsoo snorts, but doesn’t press. He figures Baekhyun probably sets his alarm early enough to give himself a few more minutes to sleep.

Kyungsoo’s mostly awake now though, but he doesn’t get out of bed. It’s warm here, and Baekhyun’s soft breathing is strangely comforting. He turns onto his side to get a little more comfortable, and realizes that Eun’s no longer in bed. “Where’s Eun?” he asks quietly, and Baekhyun makes a little muffled noise before he answers.

“He’s probably in his room. He always wakes up before me,” he says, and Kyungsoo chuckles, somehow not surprised by this.

Kyungsoo finds his phone tangled up in the blankets beside him and checks the time. It’s just after seven-thirty. He’s usually not awake this early, especially since he’s on a bit of a break right now, with no major projects to work on. He should go back to sleep, but he knows Baekhyun will be up soon anyway to get to work, so he decides to climb out of bed.

“Don’t leave,” Baekhyun mumbles, once again without even opening his eyes, and Kyungsoo shakes his head.

“I’m just gonna check on Eun,” he says, and when Baekhyun doesn’t stop him, he leaves to do just that.

As Baekhyun said, Eun is wide awake and flying around his room. His backpack sits on the edge of his bed and he’s already dressed for school. “Hey, Eunnie,” he says. “You’re all ready to go, huh?”

“Yes!” Eun says excitedly. “Dad says we have to be better in the mornings. We’re late a lot.”

Kyungsoo remembers Baekhyun telling him as much the last time he’d stayed overnight. He smiles and asks, “What do you usually have for breakfast?”

“Cereal!” Eun says. “Sometimes dad makes scrambled eggs.”

“Want to help me make some right now?” Kyungsoo offers. “We can eat together while your dad gets ready.”

“Okay,” Eun says with a nod.

“I’ll go make sure your dad is awake,” Kyungsoo says. “You finish up and meet me downstairs, okay?”

Eun nods again, grinning wide, and Kyungsoo chuckles at his energy for so early in the morning. He returns to Baekhyun’s bedroom and finds him still in bed, a little lump of covers on the mattress. Kyungsoo walks over to the edge of the bed and peers down at Baekhyun’s face, his eyes closed, brows slightly furrowed. He reaches out instinctively and brushes Baekhyun’s hair back.

“Wake up, Baekhyunnie,” he says softly. “Time to get ready. I’m making breakfast.”

“Five more minutes,” Baekhyun grumbles, and Kyungsoo laughs, tugs at Baekhyun’s ear gently in reprimand.

“Come on,” he says. “You don’t want to be late, do you?”

Baekhyun makes a low whining sound, but slowly pushes the covers down and flutters his eyes open, peering up at Kyungsoo. He’s quiet for a moment, just staring, and Kyungsoo suddenly remembers his fingers are still stroking back Baekhyun’s hair, quickly pulls back.

He’s startled, however, when Baekhyun catches his hand, lowers them down to the side of the bed, still tangled together. He’s smiling now, and says softly, “You called me Baekhyunnie.”

Kyungsoo feels his face heat up. He hadn’t even realized. “I--It just came out,” he says.

“I like it,” Baekhyun says. “It sounds nice when you say it.”

Kyungsoo has no idea how to reply to that, so he merely nods, glances down to where Baekhyun is stroking his thumb across his skin. He swallows, and gently tugs at Baekhyun’s hand. “Come on then, Baekhyunnie,” he says, a little teasing, mostly sincere, and catches the way Baekhyun’s smile widens. “Get out of bed.”

Baekhyun lets out one last whining groan but then holds his other hand out for Kyungsoo to take. He does, and hauls Baekhyun up and out of bed, the both of them laughing even as Baekhyun stumbles right into Kyungsoo’s chest. Kyungsoo expects Baekhyun to let go, but Baekhyun surprises him by simply slipping his hands out of Kyungsoo’s and wrapping his arms around Kyungsoo’s back instead.

“Good morning,” Baekhyun breathes into Kyungsoo’s ear, and Kyungsoo desperately hopes Baekhyun can’t feel the way he shudders.

“Morning,” he says back, and they stand there like that for a few more blissful, quiet seconds until Baekhyun pulls away.

Kyungsoo’s heart is in his ears even though this is far from the first time they have hugged. Something about Baekhyun’s sleepy smiles and soft eyes makes it so much more intimate. It doesn’t help that Kyungsoo remembers, with sudden clarity, what he’d nearly admitted to Baekhyun last night. He wonders if Baekhyun remembers, too, wonders if Baekhyun has put it together, but Baekhyun is already moving away, singing the theme song to Chen’s Crazy Space Adventures under his breath as he heads for the bathroom.

It cuts the tension in Kyungsoo’s body, and he laughs as Baekhyun’s voice gets louder, stronger, until he’s practically belting the song into the heavens. He has a really nice voice.

“Do you need to head home right away?” Baekhyun asks, sticking his head out from the door of the bathroom. He already has a toothbrush in his mouth and is waving another, still packaged, in his hand. “I know you have to check on the dogs but--”

“I have some time. I can wait until you guys leave. I was gonna make some breakfast for Eun,” Kyungsoo says.

Baekhyun grins around his toothbrush. “Here,” he says, tossing the extra brush to Kyungsoo who thankfully manages to catch it. “Join me.” He waggles his brows and then ducks back inside, laughing.

Kyungsoo shakes his head, but he can’t stop smiling. He stops by the bed to retrieve his glasses first, sliding them on and enjoying being able to properly see, and steps into the bathroom. Baekhyun smiles at him in the mirror, wordlessly hands him the toothpaste, and as Kyungsoo squeezes it out, he realizes just how wildly domestic this is. He has to fight the heat back from his face or Baekhyun will be able to see his sudden embarrassment.

They brush their teeth in silence and as Kyungsoo’s embarrassment fades, it’s as comfortable as everything is between them. They keep catching eyes in the mirror and Baekhyun grins wide every time, nudging Kyungsoo with his elbow or bumping him in the side with his hip. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and reaches out to squeeze the back of Baekhyun’s neck like he’d seen Jongdae do months ago. Baekhyun shrieks around his toothbrush, squirms quickly away from Kyungsoo’s reach and Kyungsoo laughs, rinses out his mouth.

“That’s a low blow,” Baekhyun says when he has, too.

“I don’t think so,” Kyungsoo teases and Baekhyun childishly sticks his tongue out at him before he laughs.

“I’m gonna jump in the shower quick,” he says, pulling back the shower curtain. He smirks at Kyungsoo. “Wanna join me here too?”

Kyungsoo smacks him in the chest with the back of his hand and leaves without a word, hoping his face isn’t too red. He can’t help but smile though, hearing Baekhyun’s laughter trailing after him.

He finds Eun downstairs, sitting on the couch and watching early morning cartoons. He jumps up the second he sees Kyungsoo, running up to his side and demanding breakfast.

“Let’s see what you have, okay?” Kyungsoo says, and together they search through the fridge and cupboards before settling on bagels and toast. “I’d make pancakes if we had more time.”

“Tomorrow!” Eun insists loudly and Kyungsoo laughs, tells him they’ll find a day to make it happen.

Eun is a good helper, chatting excitedly with Kyungsoo as he helps crack the eggs into a bowl and stirs them with a fork. He watches attentively as Kyungsoo cooks and then helps pull out plates and utensils from the cupboards, walking slowly when Kyungsoo reminds him not to run.

“You’re really great at helping, Eunnie,” Kyungsoo tells him, petting his head gently. “Do you do this with your dad?”

“Yup!” Eun says as he climbs into his usual seat at the table and waits patiently for Kyungsoo to slide some eggs onto his plate. “Cooking is fun. I wanna be a really good cook like you Kyungsoo!”

“Oh, great,” Baekhyun says as he joins them, hair blow-dried soft after his shower and wearing a simple pair of dark jeans with a light blue button-up. Kyungsoo feels an ache of want in his chest just looking at him, but pushes it down quickly as he fills another plate with eggs for Baekhyun. “If Eun learns how to cook, I never have to set foot in a kitchen again.”

Kyungsoo snorts, and Baekhyun flashes him a grin as he heads to the fridge and pulls out milk and juice. Kyungsoo finishes plating up the eggs and steps around Baekhyun to pull the bagels from the toaster oven. He startles when Baekhyun steps up behind him, hands resting at Kyungsoo’s hips.

“How did you get that contraption to work properly?” he asks, practically speaking into Kyungsoo’s ear. “Every time I use it, it comes out burned.”

“Somehow I’m not surprised,” Kyungsoo laughs and Baekhyun huffs behind him, slides a hand from his hip up to Kyungsoo’s side and pinches him. Kyungsoo nudges him with an elbow and Baekhyun huffs again as he moves away, pouting a little when Kyungsoo looks over.

It makes Kyungsoo laugh a little, and he reaches out to tap lightly at Baekhyun’s lower lip without thinking about it. “Don’t be a baby,” he says, pulling his hand back hastily when his actions catch up to him. Thankfully, Baekhyun is grinning now, so Kyungsoo doesn’t allow himself to regret it too much.

“Let’s eat,” he says finally, and takes the plate of bagels to the table.

He helps Eun spread cream cheese onto a half slice and laughs when Baekhyun holds his own out for Kyungsoo to do the same. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and hands him the knife. “Do it yourself,” he says, and Baekhyun places a hand against his chest, slumping back against his chair in dramatic defeat.

“Ouch,” he says. “Denied.” He pouts a little, glancing at Eun and then back at Kyungsoo. “I get it, you love my son more than me.”

That’s not entirely true, Kyungsoo thinks, but says instead, “How can I not? He’s adorable.” He reaches out to ruffle Eun’s hair and Eun beams at him.

“Kyungsoo’s my favorite too,” Eun declares and Kyungsoo laughs loudly at the offended look on Baekhyun’s face.

“Rejected by my own son,” Baekhyun says, wounded. He stabs his fork into his eggs and shoves it into his mouth, chewing slowly, sadly. “I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.” He sniffs and wipes a fake tear from his eye.

“I still love you too, dad,” Eun tells him, and that’s all it takes for Baekhyun to perk right back up, leaning over to wrap Eun up in his arms. “Daaaaad,” Eun whines, wriggling away when it gets to be too much, and Baekhyun only lets go when Kyungsoo reaches over and pinches the skin above his elbow.

“Finish eating,” he says, pointing at his plate. “You have to leave soon, don’t you?”

“Aye aye, Captain,” Baekhyun teases, saluting Kyungsoo in a way that only makes Kyungsoo snort. Baekhyun grins, glances around at the table, at Kyungsoo, then at Eun, and back. “You know, this is really nice. Actually sitting down and having breakfast together. I could get used to this.”

Kyungsoo’s heart flutters in his chest. It’s funny, he thinks, because he thought the same last night, lying in bed beside Eun and Baekhyun, and feeling so comfortable, so at home. He wonders if that’s how Baekhyun feels right now too, that having Kyungsoo here and spending the morning together is something that he wants.

“If you wake up on time, you could do this more often,” Kyungsoo says.

“I woke up pretty easily today with you here,” Baekhyun says, a smile tugging at his lips. “Guess that means you gotta stay over every night.”

Kyungsoo kicks Baekhyun lightly under the table. “You wish,” he says, and does his best not to read into Baekhyun’s responding wink and the way he says, “I do.”

“If you look at your phone once more I’m gonna take it from you.”

Kyungsoo almost drops his phone in his haste to quickly put it away, glancing up at Junmyeon as innocently as possible. It doesn’t work, because Junmyeon’s always been able to see through him, and Kyungsoo sighs. “Sorry,” he says guiltily. “I swear I’m listening.”

“No, you’ve been smiling like a lovesick fool at whatever Baekhyun’s just texted you,” Junmyeon says knowingly and he smirks as Kyungsoo feels himself flush. “It’d be really cute if it wasn’t so pathetic.”

“Shut up,” Kyungsoo says, guilt now replaced by annoyance. “I’m not that bad.”

“You are,” Junmyeon tells him, but he’s smiling now, like he’s amused. “But that’s enough teasing for one day. Are you ready to concentrate now?”

“I guess,” Kyungsoo says as he runs his hand through his hair and sighs. He sets his phone face down on the table and scoots his chair a little closer. They’re at a small cafe in town because Kyungsoo refuses to set foot in Junmyeon’s disaster of an office and if they met at home, Kyungsoo would probably get even less work done. There’s nothing worse about the writing process than editing and he dreads these meetings every time he finishes a book.

“Don’t look so excited,” Junmyeon teases and Kyungsoo cracks a smile at that. “Look, it’s really not that bad for the first draft and I know you were having trouble with inspiration when you were working, not to mention the whole fainting thing.”

Kyungsoo sighs. He tries not thinking about that.

“You did the best you could under the circumstances,” Junmyeon says. “And now we’re gonna make it even better.”

“All right,” Kyungsoo says, feeling slightly better about the whole thing. After all these years of working together, Junmyeon definitely knows how to handle him. “Lay it on me.”

“Okay,” Junmyeon says, reaching for his papers and shuffling through them until he finds what he wants. “I know you were pressed for time and all, but Kyungsoo, seriously, what is this supposed to be?”

He points at one of Kyungsoo’s drawings. Honestly, Kyungsoo has kind of forgotten half of what he’d even written for this story, so he spends a few long seconds squinting at the page until he remembers, vaguely. “A...bear?” he says and Junmyeon stares at him.

“A bear,” he repeats.

Kyungsoo shrugs. “Yeah,” he says, leaning away from the page and back against his seat. Junmyeon’s blank look is becoming a little uncomfortable. “You know, it’s what Chen and Lu end up fighting at the end.”

“Yes, I got that much,” Junmyeon says, and he glances down at the page. “But a bear? Really? A space bear?”

“What’s wrong with that,” Kyungsoo deadpans.

“You’ve had your characters fighting robots and dragons and--and--I don’t know, a bunch of other ridiculous villains and now you want them to fight a bear?”

Okay, maybe it’s not Kyungsoo’s best idea, but he still huffs, refusing to let Junmyeon think he agrees. “Well, then what do you suggest?” he demands.

“Hey, that’s your job, not mine,” Junmyeon says, holding his hands up. “Just think of something more...interesting, okay?”

“Fine,” Kyungsoo says with a sigh, and reaches for his own notebook to jot down a note.

Their meeting goes on like this for the next few hours until Kyungsoo’s starting to go cross-eyed from staring at his list of edits and Junmyeon’s rubbing his temples, partly from exhaustion, partly from exasperation. Kyungsoo might write children’s books, but there’s still plenty of effort, time, and work that goes into making everything perfect. Looking over his work with Junmyeon highlights many of the mistakes he made in his time-crunch, the new characters he forgot to name, the drawings he left unfinished or terribly half-assed, and the title for the whole thing he hasn’t even considered yet.

Kyungsoo spends most of the remainder of January like this, editing, drawing, editing again. He meets with Junmyeon a lot, going over the changes until Junmyeon is satisfied, and then concentrating on the next section. It’s tiring work, but he’s better about it this time, doesn’t shut in on himself like the month before. It helps, of course, that Junmyeon’s not the only one checking in on him.

Ever since the night Kyungsoo had spent over at Baekhyun’s and had breakfast with him and Eun in the morning, Baekhyun’s become even more embedded in Kyungsoo’s life. He texts more, calls more, stops by Kyungsoo’s house and invites him to dinner. Kyungsoo doesn’t mind any of this, always eager to accept if he’s not already in the middle of work, and returns the invitations as often as he can too, not wanting any of this to feel too one-sided. He’s not sure what is happening, why Baekhyun’s more intent on spending time together, but he likes it.

And once Baekhyun had learned that Kyungsoo’s been in the middle of editing, he’s made it his mission to ensure Kyungsoo doesn’t fall back into his bad habits. On days that Kyungsoo sets aside specifically for working, Baekhyun will text him once every few hours to make sure he’s eaten or taken a break.

Baekhyun makes what is usually Kyungsoo’s most dreaded part of the writing process so much more bearable.

February rolls in with a fresh wave of snow. Kyungsoo cleans his driveway one Friday evening and then crosses the street to help Baekhyun finish his. Eun is playing around in the snow in the yard, and throws snowballs at Baekhyun’s back every couple of minutes. When Baekhyun turns to weakly scold Eun, Kyungsoo scoops down to gather some snow in his hands as well and tosses the ball into Baekhyun’s back.

“Not you too!” he wails, whirling around, shovel falling to the ground with a clatter as he quickly reaches down to form his own snowball in retaliation.

They play for what feels like hours but is probably only ten minutes, snow continuing to falling around them, and Eun’s bright laughter fading away with the wind. When they’re tired out, they quickly finish off the last stretch of the driveway before Baekhyun invites Kyungsoo inside to warm up.

“We can have hot chocolate!” Eun adds excitedly, then turns to Baekhyun to confirm, “Right, dad?”

“Sure, Eunnie,” Baekhyun laughs, and well, how can Kyungsoo say no to any of that?

Eun chatters about school and all the snow as Baekhyun helps him peel off all his layers. When he’s done, he waits for Kyungsoo to take off his coat and shoes, bouncing only a little impatiently on his feet, then grabs Kyungsoo’s hand and pulls him to the living room.

“Hey, don’t you care about me?” Baekhyun calls after them.

“I wanna show Kyungsoo my tooth!”

“Your tooth?” Kyungsoo laughs, amused and curious.

“It came out yesterday!” Eun exclaims, holding up the little box from the dentist’s office that has a small baby tooth inside.

“Wow, Eun,” Kyungsoo says, “you’re really growing up, aren’t you?”

“Yup!” Eun says with a nod of his head. Kyungsoo hadn’t noticed earlier, since he’d been wearing a hat, but Eun’s also cut his hair, resting much shorter on his head and no longer flopping into his eyes with every move.

“Your haircut looks nice too,” Kyungsoo tells him and Baekhyun gasps loudly as he joins them, ruffling Eun’s hair pointedly.

“See! I told you it looks good!” he tells Eun encouragingly and Eun just pouts a little, staring down at his tooth almost forlornly. Baekhyun sighs and looks up at Kyungsoo. “He says he likes it long.”

“It’ll grow back really quickly,” Kyungsoo says with an encouraging smile. “I hear drinking lots of hot chocolate helps.”

Baekhyun snorts even as Eun looks up at them with wide eyes, clearly believing it. “Come on then,” Baekhyun says, ushering Eun toward the kitchen and waving for Kyungsoo to follow. “Do you want marshmallows or--”

“Marshmallows!” Eun yells as if there was any doubt and Kyungsoo grins.

“What he said,” he replies, and helps Baekhyun retrieve mugs from the cupboard.

The small restaurant is crowded for a Thursday lunch hour. Kyungsoo and Chanyeol squeeze in through the doors and it’s Chanyeol who finds Baekhyun first, of course he does, using his ridiculous height to peer over the other people in line waiting to be seated.

“In the corner,” he says in his booming voice, hands dropping to Kyungsoo’s shoulders and steering him through the crowd like Kyungsoo doesn’t know where he’s going.

Kyungsoo catches Yixing’s eye first, and he waves, smiling that dimpled smile Kyungsoo hasn’t seen since Eun’s birthday party. Baekhyun turns around then, and he smiles too, and Kyungsoo grins back as they approach. “Hey,” he says and takes the seat beside Baekhyun as he’s already pushing the chair out for him. Chanyeol is smirking at them a little as he shrugs out of his coat, but Kyungsoo chooses to ignore it, draping his own coat over the back of his chair before he sits. “This place is packed. I’m glad you were able to get a table.”

“We called ahead,” Yixing says. “It’s nice to see you both again.” He grins at Chanyeol; Kyungsoo forgot that they’d met months ago over Thanksgiving, and then turns to smile at Kyungsoo as well. “I hear you’ve finished writing your new book.”

“Yeah, just barely,” Kyungsoo laughs as he pushes a hand through his hair. “You’d think coming up with a kid’s story wouldn’t be so difficult, but this might be the toughest book yet.”

“Well, you have to draw everything too, don’t you?” Yixing says empathetically. “That takes even more time and pressure! Your books are some of our favorites at my house, you know, so I’ve seen all that you’ve done and it’s really amazing. Can you tell me about the new book or is it top secret?”

Kyungsoo laughs again. Beside him, Baekhyun shifts in his seat, and when Kyungsoo glances at him, he’s got a little frown on his face as he reaches out for his glass of water and takes a few sips. He’s still frowning when he sets his glass back down, and Kyungsoo isn’t sure what to make of it, but instinctively rests his left hand on Baekhyun’s knee and turns back to Yixing. “It’s top secret,” he says, because he knows how Baekhyun feels about spoilers. “But I can show you a few pictures later if you want. I think we should order first.”

“Yes please,” Chanyeol says, who has been staring at the menu. “I’m starving.”

Kyungsoo turns to Baekhyun, catches the way he’s gnawing a little on his lower lip and slides his hand up from Baekhyun’s knee to squeeze his thigh. Baekhyun’s eyes snap over to him. “You okay?” he asks and Baekhyun stares at him for a moment before he nods, and finally smiles again.

“Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking of something,” he says, but then shakes his head as if expelling whatever was plaguing him. “How are you? I didn’t get to ask earlier.”

Kyungsoo smiles, a little bemused. “I’m good,” he says, but before he can continue, Chanyeol snorts.

“You guys act like you don’t talk to each other everyday,” he says, peering at them over the top of his menu. He lowers it just enough to smirk infuriatingly at Kyungsoo, who kicks him lightly under the table. It’s not very effective.

“So?” Baekhyun says and childishly sticks out his tongue, making Yixing laugh. “I can’t ask how he’s doing?”

“You haven’t asked me how I’ve been doing,” Chanyeol says, and pouts his lips like he’s upset. “I thought we were friends too, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, but it’s a little fond. Chanyeol has that effect, Kyungsoo knows, and even if the two of them aren’t as close as he is with Baekhyun, he’s aware they text quite often and play League together. “How are you, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun asks in the most deadpan voice he can muster, and Chanyeol beams, closing his menu with a flourish as if getting ready to tell Baekhyun his entire life story.

Kyungsoo snorts as Chanyeol dives right into a recent anecdote about Toben, the little puppy he bought the week before, and takes his own menu in his hands, glancing through the dishes. He startles only a little when Baekhyun’s hand suddenly finds his thigh, as if making up for the fact that Kyungsoo’s no longer touching him. He doesn’t mind it, even though the way Baekhyun starts rubbing gentle circles with his thumb along the outside of his thigh becomes increasingly more distracting.

“What do you recommend?” he asks Baekhyun, because at least talking and thinking about what he wants to eat will stop him from focusing on the warmth of Baekhyun’s touch.

“Everything,” Baekhyun says, and he shifts a little closer so he can peer at Kyungsoo’s menu instead of opening his own. Baekhyun’s breath is hot against the side of his neck. Kyungsoo’s plan has definitely backfired. “It’s all super good. I especially love their burgers.”

Kyungsoo nods, suddenly not trusting himself to speak, and continues glancing through the menu, half-heartedly listening to Chanyeol and Yixing discussing their own orders. By the time their waitress stops by, Kyungsoo’s settled on a pasta dish and Baekhyun has thankfully pulled back, even though his hand remains on Kyungsoo’s thigh.

He does his best not to think about it, turning his attention to Yixing, who’s talking about how his kids are constantly playing pranks around the house and Yixing woke up that morning to shaving cream slathered in his hair and Legos spread haphazardly around the floor of his bedroom as if his kids were trying to injure him on purpose. Chanyeol laughs so loud he draws looks from the family sitting two tables down, and Kyungsoo lightly kicks him again to get him to shut up.

“How old are your kids again?” Kyungsoo asks Yixing. “Jiyu is the same age as Eun, right?”

Yixing nods, and he’s smiling fondly despite his story. “My daughter, Lina, is only four. Together, they’re a force to be reckoned with.”

Baekhyun shakes his head. “I can’t even imagine having to deal with two kids,” he says.

“You never considered…” Kyungsoo starts, but trails off, not wanting to bring up unwanted memories, especially since it hasn’t been that long since Hyeran showed back up in Baekhyun’s life.

But Baekhyun doesn’t seem too bothered, smiling at Kyungsoo softly. “Back then...yeah, maybe. Two kids would’ve been ideal,” he says. “But now? Eunnie is more than enough.”

Kyungsoo smiles at that, not really surprised by the answer. “That’s understandable,” he says. “How about you, Yixing? Is two the limit?”

Yixing sighs deeply as if this is a sore subject and beside Kyungsoo, Baekhyun cackles a little. “Yixing would have ten kids if he could,” he tells Kyungsoo and Chanyeol. “His wife however says three is all he gets.”

“She’s already decided two is the best number,” Yixing says with a sad shake of his head, but he smiles when Chanyeol pats his back.

“You never know,” Chanyeol says. “If your kids keep pranking you like that, two might be a good stopping point.”

“But the pranks are cute,” Yixing says and Kyungsoo laughs. He doesn’t know Yixing very well yet but it’s obvious he loves his kids. Kyungsoo isn’t so sure he could put up with all of that.

“Has Kyungsoo ever told you about the time I pranked him?” Chanyeol says with gleaming eyes. “It was so great.”

“It was not great,” Kyungsoo says, but Baekhyun is already straightening up in his seat and leaning toward Chanyeol.

“Please share,” he says. “I feel like there’s still so much about Kyungsoo I don’t know.”

“Yeah, he tries to keep this mysterious persona,” Chanyeol says, wiggling his fingers in the air as he says the word mysterious. “I proudly claim to be one of the few who really knows him.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “That’s only because we’ve known each other since we were kids. I know about your ferret club days, so of course you know my embarrassing secrets.” He pauses when he realizes Baekhyun is staring at him curiously, then points a threatening finger at Chanyeol. “That doesn’t give you permission to disclose them.”

Chanyeol puts his palms up placatingly. “Don’t worry. I’m too beautiful to die,” he says and Baekhyun snorts. “But this story, I have to share.”

And he does, regaling Baekhyun and Yixing with an awful prank from when they were juniors in university. Kyungsoo tunes most of it out because he was there, and it wasn’t a very good experience. He watches Baekhyun as discreetly as possible instead, the way his shoulders shake when he laughs, the way his eyes crinkle at the corners, or how his nose scrunches up when he talks too excitedly about something. Baekhyun still has a hand on Kyungsoo’s thigh, but it’s comfortable, warm, like pretty much everything between them is these days.

It’s also nice being able to meet Baekhyun for lunch during the day again. It’s been awhile since they have, and they’d spent the past few days trying to find a good time to meet up now that Kyungsoo has been regularly stopping by the production studio again instead of spending his days at home.

The third season for the show has officially been renewed so Kyungsoo has had a few meetings with the director and producers at the network, going over budgets and timeframes. He’ll be working with the writers soon for the scripts, and eventually returning to the studio to record for his own lines. It’s a lot of work, but Kyungsoo is excited.

Once their food arrives, conversation turns to work. Baekhyun lifts his right hand from Kyungsoo’s thigh to eat, and Kyungsoo tries not to focus on missing the warm touch, instead staring at Yixing as he complains about the meetings with clients he’s had over the past few days. “It’s been a hell of a week,” he says with a deep sigh. “It’s like no matter what I say, they’re unwilling to listen.”

Chanyeol shakes his head in commissary. “Working directly with a client is the worst. At least Kyungsoo is pretty cool about the voice acting shit we have to do for the show.”

“It probably helps that we’ve known each other for years,” Kyungsoo adds dryly and Chanyeol grins at him. “And we have more to worry about lately than whether or not I’m being unreasonable.”

“What do you mean?” Baekhyun asks.

“We’ve had some trouble with one of the episodes. The footage wasn’t saved properly or something,” Kyungsoo says with a deep sigh. Getting that frantic call on Monday morning had not been how he’d wanted to start the week. “It’s been miserable, to say the least. It puts us all behind schedule.”

Baekhyun gasps. “Does that mean there’s no episode this weekend?”

Kyungsoo snorts while Chanyeol laughs, clearly amused by how much Baekhyun is invested. “No, no, it shouldn’t any upcoming episodes,” he says. “We might have to skip a week further down, but hopefully we can get it sorted out before that happens.”

Baekhyun frowns. “How does someone lose something as important as that,” he says, shaking his head.

“You’re asking me,” Kyungsoo says and shrugs.

“Let’s not talk about work,” Chanyeol says around a mouthful of his burger. “Isn’t that what going out for lunch is about? Getting away from work?”

“Hear, hear,” Baekhyun says loudly, lifting up his glass of water toward Chanyeol who laughs. “What else has been going on with you guys?”

Chanyeol gasps loudly and says, “Did I tell you about my date?”

Kyungsoo groans immediately and Chanyeol flaps a hand at him. “I’ve heard this at least five times and it happened yesterday,” he says, which only makes Yixing and Baekhyun laugh.

“What happened?” Yixing asks curiously, and Chanyeol eagerly launches into his disastrous story. It is a good story, and Kyungsoo had felt pretty bad about it when Chanyeol had first called the night before to whine.

“She was so cute too,” Chanyeol bemoans now. “And I made such a fool of myself.”

“Isn’t that normal for you?” Baekhyun teases and Kyungsoo snickers as takes another bite of his pasta. He can feel Baekhyun glancing at him, and when Kyungsoo looks over, Baekhyun is grinning. “See? Kyungsoo agrees.”

“Kyungsoo’s opinion on the matter is invalid,” Chanyeol says immediately, which is funny considering Chanyeol voices his opinion on everything Kyungsoo does without pause. But such is friendship, he supposes. “I want to call her but I’m pretty sure she's just gonna turn me down for another date.”

“You never know,” Yixing says softly, patting Chanyeol’s shoulder. “It’s only been a day. Don’t get too stressed.”

“It was a really bad date though,” Chanyeol whines, and then stuffs his face full of burger as if that will help. It probably does, honestly.

“This reminds me of that date you went on a few years ago, Baekhyun,” Yixing says. “With Sehun?”

Kyungsoo almost drops his fork in surprise. Across from him, Chanyeol is giving him the most pointed laser eyes Kyungsoo’s ever received. He kicks him under the table yet again, but this time Chanyeol kicks back, clearly an attempt to nonverbally point out the obvious. Baekhyun has dated men before.

“What happened?” Chanyeol asks, eyes wide and probably entirely for Kyungsoo’s benefit since Kyungsoo has suddenly forgotten how to speak in his shock.

“Ugh, Yixing actually set it up, didn’t you?” Baekhyun says. “A friend of a friend sort of thing. It was sometime after Hyeran and I split up and Yixing--well, everyone, really--was telling me I needed to go out, have a good time on my own.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “On my own apparently means blind dates. I got so many offers from my mom, Baekbeom, Jongdae--”

“The point is,” Yixing says, cutting over Baekhyun. “I mentioned Sehun, thought they could get along, have a good time, but, well, it didn’t turn out as nicely as I’d hoped.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Baekhyun snorts. “Sehun was really hot but I wasn’t in the mood so I was probably the worst date, not to mention it’d been years since I’d even gone out with someone. All I could talk about was Eun.” That brings a smile to Baekhyun’s face despite everything, and Kyungsoo, too, finds this utterly adorable. He can imagine it well, a relationship-jaded Baekhyun, fresh from a divorce, eyes lighting up only when talking about his son, his whole world.

Kyungsoo doesn’t understand how anyone wouldn’t find that Baekhyun endearing, but then again, Kyungsoo is probably deeply biased.

“Anyway, it was painfully awkward,” Baekhyun says, shaking his head. “But thankfully everyone stopped pressuring me after it fell through.”

“Hey, at least you didn’t spill your wine all over your date’s lap,” Chanyeol points out with a pout and Baekhyun laughs.

“Honestly, that probably would’ve livened up the date a bit,” he says and laughs again. “Dating is hard.”

“Tell me about it,” Chanyeol laments while Yixing just preens about being successfully married and hopelessly in love.

The conversation dissolves from there, and Kyungsoo’s managed to regain proper brain function after his revelation. Knowing that Baekhyun has dated men in the past is as hopeful as it is frustrating. Kyungsoo’s chances of rejection have slimmed considerably but that still doesn’t mean Baekhyun is interested in Kyungsoo (despite what Chanyeol says), or even interested in dating again at all. Baekhyun had said as much weeks ago, that he’d been too focused on the move and with Eun that he hasn’t even considered it. Would he consider it, if Kyungsoo asked him?

“What’re you thinking about so seriously?” Baekhyun asks suddenly, poking a finger into Kyungsoo’s cheek to get his attention and laughing when Kyungsoo jumps a little in his seat.

“Nothing,” Kyungsoo says as nonchalantly as he can. Baekhyun narrows his eyes at him, clearly not buying it, and Kyungsoo shakes his head. “Really. I’m just thinking about all the work waiting back at the office for me.”

Baekhyun makes a little noise of contemplation at that, as if he knows Kyungsoo is lying but is willing to accept it. “You should be thinking about something more interesting,” he says.

“What, like you?” Kyungsoo quips back before he realizes the implications, but Baekhyun only laughs again, nodding eagerly.

“Yes, exactly,” he says. “I’m a delight.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “You’re something all right,” he says, and Baekhyun pouts, throwing an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders and leaning close.

“Come on, say it,” Baekhyun sings, perching his chin on Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“Never,” Kyungsoo says, but he’s smiling and reaches up to poke Baekhyun in the forehead with two fingers. “Get off me and finish eating already.”

Baekhyun pouts and glances at his plate, then over at Kyungsoo’s pasta. Kyungsoo has a few forkfuls left probably so of course Baekhyun says, “Let me try some of yours.”

Kyungsoo should say no, shouldn’t give into Baekhyun’s every whim, but it’s difficult, especially when he’s looking at Kyungsoo so cutely. He sighs. “Go for it,” he says, pushes his plate closer to Baekhyun who unfortunately makes no move to sit back up and eat.

“I’m comfortable like this,” he says and then stares at Kyungsoo pointedly.

“Seriously?”

“Pleaseee, I really want to try!”

Kyungsoo caves, of course he does. He scoops up some of the pasta in his fork and then lifts it up to Baekhyun’s awaiting mouth. Baekhyun eats happily and practically moans at the taste and Kyungsoo can’t stop himself from staring as Baekhyun licks a bit of the sauce off from the corner of his lips.

Baekhyun catches his eyes. For a long moment, neither of them say anything, and Kyungsoo knows he should look away but he can’t, frozen in place by Baekhyun’s warm, inquisitive stare.

“Hey, lovebirds,” Chanyeol says loudly and the spell is broken.

Kyungsoo nearly gives himself whiplash turning away from Baekhyun. Both Yixing and Chanyeol are smirking at him. Baekhyun still hasn’t moved from Kyungsoo’s side. Heat crawls up Kyungsoo’s neck and he desperately hopes it’s not that obvious.

“What,” Kyungsoo says, cringing a little at how strangled his voice sounds.

“Did you wanna split a dessert?” Yixing asks. “We still have some time before we need to head back.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t think he should stay any longer in Baekhyun’s presence honestly. “I’m full,” he says and when Chanyeol opens his mouth to protest, Kyungsoo quickly adds, “And we should probably go, the sooner we finish recording, the sooner we’re done for the day. Right Chanyeol?”

To his credit, Chanyeol nods. “Yeah, good point,” he says. “Sorry guys.”

Yixing waves a hand but Baekhyun frowns over at Kyungsoo as he finally eases out of Baekhyun’s arm and stands, pulling his wallet from his pocket to cover his meal. “Are you sure?”

Kyungsoo nods. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?” he says and at least that seems to appease Baekhyun, a smile forming on his lips.

“I’ll call you,” he says brightly and Kyungsoo just knows Chanyeol is smirking at the back of his head.

They bid their goodbyes and head out into the chilly winter air. “I’ll call you, huh?” Chanyeol says the second they’re out of earshot and Kyungsoo elbows him in the gut, ears burning.

“Shut up,” he grumbles.

“Dude,” Chanyeol says, “Kyungsoo. Dude. He’s into men.”

“I know,” Kyungsoo hisses, walking briskly down the street to his car. “I was there, I heard it.”

“So there’s no excuse anymore, you realize that right?” Chanyeol says.

Kyungsoo says nothing, just unlocks his car and climbs inside. He contemplates driving away without Chanyeol, but he’s already opened the door and slid into the passenger’s seat.

Silence stretches between them for a few long moments before Kyungsoo remembers they can’t leave until he actually starts the car. The engine purrs to life and a peppy pop song playing on the radio starts blasting from the speakers. Chanyeol laughs.

“You’re gonna have to buy me five desserts to make up for ditching early,” he says before he leans back in his seat, folding his hands behind his head, and flashes Kyungsoo a wide, toothy grin.

All the air in Kyungsoo’s lungs escapes in a rush. He shifts the car into drive, pushes aside his newfound knowledge and Chanyeol’s comments, and says, “We’ll see about that.”

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
eunnie has a present for you if you don’t mind us stopping by later?

Of course not, is what Kyungsoo had sent back about an hour ago when he’d first noticed the message as he’d been waiting in line at the grocery store. He’d completely forgotten it was Valentine’s Day, but the displays around the store and the people buying last-minute bouquets had been a stark reminder. Kyungsoo considered picking up a box of chocolates for himself, but figures he can do it tomorrow when everything is on sale. Much better.

Now he’s lying on the couch with Inky and Pepper, wondering when Baekhyun and Eun will stop by, wondering what kind of present Eun could even have for him. He should probably start on dinner, but he’s been waiting, just to see if Baekhyun would be interested in staying to join him. Then he wonders if that’s too bold of a request. It’s Valentine’s, for fuck’s sake. He doesn't want to send the wrong message.

Or, well, the right message, all things considered.

Kyungsoo is in the middle of groaning into Inky’s fur about why dating and relationships and overblown crushes had to be so complicated when the doorbell rings. He almost jumps, startled, and Pepper barks at his feet as if to alert him to the sound. Kyungsoo takes a few calming breaths, pets Pepper behind the ears in thanks, and then peels himself off the couch.

Baekhyun and Eun are waiting on the front steps, bundled in their winter coats. It’s started snowing again sometime since Kyungsoo got home. “Hi,” he says, and steps back to let them inside. “Come in, it’s cold.”

“We won’t be long,” Baekhyun says, “Eunnie just wanted to give you something.”

“It’s a present!” Eun says excitedly as he thrusts what looks like a handmade card with a few pieces of chocolate tapped to the front up at Kyungsoo. “It’s for Valentine’s!”

“Wow, Eunnie,” Kyungsoo says, taking the card from him and smiling down at the front. It’s made on red construction paper with smaller pink hearts cut out across the page. Inside there’s a scrawled message from Eun that says, Thank you for being my friend!!! And for reading to me. Can you do it again sometime?

Kyungsoo laughs softly. Of all the things he was expecting when Baekhyun told him Eun had a present for him, it definitely wasn’t this, and yet Kyungsoo wouldn’t trade this for the world. “Thank you for being my friend too, Eun,” he tells him. “And I can definitely read to you again sometime. It’s fun, right?”

“Yes!” Eun says and surprises Kyungsoo with a hug. “You’re the best!”

Baekhyun huffs from beside them. “Hey, what about me?” he says with a pout.

“You’re my dad!” Eun says. “You’re the best dad.”

“Good,” Baekhyun says with a nod, clearly mollified, but he chuckles too, glancing up at Kyungsoo. He smiles, and nods back at the card. “Did you read all of it?”

Kyungsoo blinks, and then opens the card up again. In the bottom corner, he finds another message, this one clearly from Baekhyun as it doesn’t take up nearly the whole page like Eun’s larger handwriting did. i’d thank you too, but i don’t want to be fined :P eunnie told me to write something so instead i’ll say i’m really glad to know you. happy valentine’s kyungsoo ❤

“I--” Kyungsoo starts, still staring at the message, the little heart next to his name. When he looks up, Baekhyun is watching him closely, and for a moment it feels like Kyungsoo’s heart skips a beat. “I’m glad to know you too,” he says softly, honestly. “Both of you.” He looks down at Eun as Baekhyun’s gaze turns too warm, too focused, and ruffles Eun’s hair until he laughs and squeezes him a little tighter, still having not let Kyungsoo go.

“What’re you up to tonight?” Baekhyun says, shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat. “Got a hot date?” He waggles his brows and Kyungsoo snorts.

“Yeah, if you count staying at home with my dogs,” he says and Baekhyun laughs. “I was just about to make dinner actually.”

“Want some company?” Baekhyun asks, before Kyungsoo is able to ask him to stay.

“That would be nice,” he says and finds himself smiling wider to match the grin on Baekhyun’s face. He looks back down at Eun and says, “Hey, Eunnie, want to help me cook?”

Eun nods eagerly and Kyungsoo laughs, steps back finally to let Eun pull off his coat and boots. Baekhyun does the same, and reminds Eun to put his boots away nicely by the door instead of all over the floor. Before Kyungsoo can take their coats to hang up, Baekhyun breezes past him to the hall closet and does it himself like it’s second nature, and perhaps it is. Baekhyun has been here enough times to know.

“What’re you making for dinner?” Baekhyun asks as he follows Kyungsoo to the kitchen. Eun has left them in favor of carefully approaching Kyungsoo’s puppies on the couch and Kyungsoo glances over to make sure they’re all okay, turning to Baekhyun only once Eun has settled down and Inky has taken residence in his lap.

“I was planning some simple fried rice and chicken,” Kyungsoo says, and he gestures to the chicken he’s left out on the counter to defrost. “If that’s good with you?”

“Definitely,” Baekhyun says. “You should know by now that I’ll eat anything if you make it.”

“Even cucumber?” Kyungsoo teases and laughs when Baekhyun scrunches his nose up in distaste.

“Okay, I take that back,” he says and leans over the counter toward him, watching as Kyungsoo gathers ingredients from the fridge and cupboards. “You wouldn’t feed me cucumbers, would you? You’re too nice for that.”

“Am I?” Kyungsoo returns, raising a brow, and Baekhyun pouts, says, “You are, even if you’re making me question it and wonder if you’ll try to kill me with cucumbers tonight.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes fondly, and reaches over to poke Baekhyun’s nose. “Don’t be silly,” he says. “Now are you gonna lie there, or are you gonna help?”

“I guess I could help,” Baekhyun says as he slowly stands. “Gotta make sure you don’t slip cucumbers into anything.”

Kyungsoo just laughs and glances over to where Eun is still playing with the puppies. “Did you want to help too, Eunnie?”

Eun looks torn, glancing up at them and then back at the dogs. Baekhyun waves him over and says, “Come on, you can play with the dogs afterward. Let’s help Kyungsoo.”

“Okay,” Eun agrees easily but he gives both Inky and Pepper a soft pet and whispers, “I’ll be right back!” before climbing off the couch.

Kyungsoo enjoys cooking and he especially enjoys cooking with Eun and Baekhyun. Baekhyun takes over carefully chopping up some vegetables while Kyungsoo slices up the meat into small pieces. He instructs Eun on adding different sauces and spices into a large bowl to let the chicken marinate in for ten minutes, and then helps him to crack an egg into another bowl to add to the rice later.

Eun keeps up a steady stream of conversation, telling Kyungsoo all about the valentines he made at school and the ones he got from all his friends. “I got a lot of chocolates too! But dad says I can’t eat them at once,” Eun says, pouting just a little.

“Your dad’s right,” Kyungsoo says. “If you eat too much, you’ll get a stomachache. If you save them then the chocolate lasts longer, right?”

“I guess,” Eun mumbles, but then perks right up and asks, “Did you like the chocolates I gave you?”

“I haven’t tried them yet,” Kyungsoo reminds him but smiles. “After dinner we can share, okay? I’m sure they’re really yummy.”

“They are,” Eun says with a nod. “I picked them myself.”

“Then I know they’ll be good,” Kyungsoo says and Eun beams at him before he returns to watching Baekhyun chopping veggies. Except Baekhyun’s not really focused on the food as much as he is staring at Kyungsoo with a little smile on his face. It’s kind of fond, that look, and Kyungsoo’s noticed it before, every time he and Eun have a conversation like this. He’s not entirely sure what to make of it, so instead he flicks a finger against Baekhyun’s forehead to break him out of his thoughts, and to get him to stop staring.

“Keep cutting,” he orders.

“On it, Chef Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun trills, offering Kyungsoo a two-fingered salute.

Kyungsoo snorts and turns away so he can focus on finding a pan for the stove. Once everything is prepared, it doesn’t take much effort to cook. Eun returns to go play with the puppies, bored now that he doesn’t have anything he can actually do, and Baekhyun carefully adds the chicken to a pan while Kyungsoo heats up leftover rice from the night before in another.

“How’s the editing going?” Baekhyun asks and laughs when Kyungsoo groans. “That bad huh?”

“It’s just so tedious,” Kyungsoo sighs. “I’d rather focus on writing the next book in the series instead.”

Baekhyun makes a little noise of intrigue. “Ohh, do you have an idea?”

Kyungsoo nods. “Surprisingly,” he laughs. “It’s been simmering since I finished the draft but I started plotting it out the other night and now I just want to work on that instead of the editing.”

“Avoiding work with other work,” Baekhyun teases. “A classic move.”

Kyungsoo nudges him with an elbow, but he’s smiling. “Junmyeon wants me to make the villain more interesting which is fine and all, but having to redraw everything when I just want to be done with it makes me want to do literally anything else.”

“That makes sense,” Baekhyun says with an understanding nod as he stirs the chicken around in the pan, flipping a few pieces over so they evenly cook. “But you’re amazing, Kyungsoo, so I know you can do it.”

It’s definitely the heat from the stove that has Kyungsoo suddenly warm. He flashes Baekhyun a smile and murmurs, “Thanks,” and the responding grin Baekhyun gives him is almost too blinding, so he focuses back on the rice, adds in the egg to cook with it. “What about you?” he asks after a few moments of comfortable silence. “I know you say your work is boring in comparison, but it can’t be all that bad.”

“It’s bad all right,” Baekhyun says, but then shakes his head with a small chuckle. “Nah, it’s okay. Sometimes the monotony of it drives me insane, but it’s also a good counterpoint to, well, everything else in my life. At home with Eun, there’s always so much to do, that spending all day at work staring at a computer is kind of what I need in a weird way. Does that make sense?”

Kyungsoo thinks about it for a moment, and slowly nods. “I think so,” he says. “If you’re too busy during the day, you wouldn’t have the energy to keep up with Eun at home, right?”

“Right,” Baekhyun agrees with a grin as he glances at Kyungsoo, then over to where Eun is sitting in the living room, throwing a small toy around the floor and laughing whenever the dogs retrieve it and bring it back. His smile turns fonder the longer he looks. “He can be a handful, but it’s worth it,” he says. “Did I tell you he wants to start playing soccer?”

“Really?” Kyungsoo laughs, but he can picture it already. Eun who is so bright and full of life, eager to play and run around, would be right at home on the field. “That sounds fun. I never did any sports as a kid.”

“Somehow I’m not surprised,” Baekhyun teases.

“Oh, so you did?”

“Eight years of hapkido right here,” Baekhyun says proudly, standing a little straighter, and Kyungsoo tries not to think about how much broader it makes his shoulders look. “So don’t test me, Kyungsoo. I could kick your ass.”

Kyungsoo meets his eyes and says, without even really thinking about it, “Maybe I’d like that.”

The way Baekhyun’s expression turns almost stunned makes the comment worth it. Kyungsoo laughs, tearing his eyes away and refusing to let himself be embarrassed. He reaches over to turn off the stove for the chicken, noticing that’s it’s done, and that seems to break Baekhyun free from his thoughts.

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you, Kyungsoo?” he says, eyes sparkling in amusement when Kyungsoo looks over at him, and Kyungsoo just shrugs a little, focuses on adding the chicken to the rice and eggs.

“Gotta keep you on your toes,” he says and smiles wide when Baekhyun laughs. He watches Kyungsoo stir everything together for a few moments, then turns away to pull plates and utensils from the cupboards with ease.

“Eunnie, come wash your hands,” he calls once the table’s set, and Eun comes running over, chanting excitedly about food.

Kyungsoo turns off the stove, takes the pan to the table to set down on a placemat. He retrieves milk for Eun from the fridge and two beers for himself and Baekhyun, stops to pick up a glass, and by the time he heads back to the table, Eun and Baekhyun have cleaned up and join him too.

“This looks so good!” Eun says, climbing onto his chair and leaning closer to the pan.

“You helped make it, Eun,” Kyungsoo reminds him as Baekhyun picks up Eun’s plate and piles some of the rice and chicken onto it. “Of course it looks good!”

“Do you like it?” Baekhyun asks as Eun shovels a spoonful into his mouth and Eun nods immediately, cheeks still full. “Swallow first,” Baekhyun laughs, reaching up to smooth back Eun’s hair.

“It’s good!” Eun tells them and Kyungsoo glances over at Baekhyun, sharing a smile.

“I’m glad,” he says. “It was fun cooking together, right?”

“Can we do it again?” Eun asks and Kyungsoo nods.

“Of course, Eunnie,” he says. “We’ll figure out a time, okay?”

Eun nods and turns back to eating, and Kyungsoo fills his own plate up with some rice too. Baekhyun is watching him, ignoring the food on his plate, and Kyungsoo slowly returns the spoon to the pan and says, “What?”

Baekhyun shakes himself out of his thoughts again and smiles. “Nothing really,” he says unconvincingly. “I was just thinking, well. I don’t want to pressure you or anything, and you definitely don’t have to but--”

“Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo laughs. “It’s okay. What is it?”

Baekhyun lets out a deep breath and picks up his fork, stabs at a piece of chicken on his plate but doesn’t bring it to his mouth. “There’s a work party sort of thing going on, uhh, next Friday? And usually I don’t mind missing them, you know? But I haven’t gone to one in a few years and it’s like our company’s 20th anniversary or some shit, so they’re making a big deal out of it,” he says. “I don’t have anyone to watch Eunnie since Yixing and his wife are going to the party, and their kids are staying with their grandparents instead, and Jongdae is busy doing...who even knows what, and Victoria has been watching Eun a lot lately so I don’t want to ask her again and--”

“Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says again, much more firmly, and Baekhyun looks a little sheepish when he meets Kyungsoo’s eyes. Kyungsoo smiles at him softly. “I can watch Eun if you’d like.”

“Really?” Baekhyun says, perking up instantly from the offer and Kyungsoo laughs. He’s like a puppy. “I don’t want you to have to go out of your way.”

“It’s not like that,” Kyungsoo says. “You should know by now I don’t mind helping you out, and Eun and I get along great, so I’m sure watching him for a few hours won’t be a problem. Right, Eun? You’d be okay staying here with me?”

“Yes!” Eun says excitedly. “We can play games and watch Chen and do lots and lots of fun things!”

“See?” Kyungsoo laughs, turning back to Baekhyun who looks amused by Eun’s response. “We’ll be fine.”

“Thank--” Baekhyun cuts himself off quickly when Kyungsoo opens his mouth. Baekhyun snorts, shaking his head like he’s unsure how else to thank Kyungsoo for something so important, so Kyungsoo takes it upon himself to say, “You’re welcome,” and smiles.

“You’re watching his kid on your own?” Chanyeol says. “My, my, aren’t we getting even more serious?”

“I will hang up on you,” Kyungsoo threatens, tightening his grip on his phone as he watches Inky and Pepper run around the backyard to do their business. “It’s really not a big deal.”

“I guess it’s not at this point,” Chanyeol says, and Kyungsoo narrows his eyes, suspicious by his quick agreement. “Since Eun loves you and you’ve spent all this time together with them both.”

Kyungsoo sighs, because, well, he’s not wrong. “I’m just doing him a favor, that’s all,” he says.

“Are you gonna be okay by yourself?” Chanyeol asks. “I could drop by if you want. When was the last time you’ve had to look after a kid?”

“I deal with you everyday, don’t I?”

“Ha, ha,” says Chanyeol dryly, and Kyungsoo can picture him rolling his eyes. “You think you’re so funny.”

“I am funny,” Kyungsoo says, and then adds, “And no, I’ll be fine. You’ll probably just scare Eun away.”

“Hey, kids love me,” Chanyeol protests.

“Yeah, because you’re tall and can reach things they can’t,” Kyungsoo teases and laughs when Chanyeol huffs in his ear.

“You’re just jealous,” he says.

“I’m not,” Kyungsoo says, and then gives a low whistle for his puppies, calls out their names until they’re rushing back over to where he’s standing by the steps of his short deck. He helps his puppies up, shivers slightly from the sudden burst of cold air, and heads inside. “I should go, Chanyeol,” he says into the phone. “They’ll be stopping by soon.”

“Call me if you need anything,” Chanyeol says and Kyungsoo thanks him before he tucks his phone into his pocket and slides the door to the deck closed behind him.

Inky and Pepper are waiting for him by his feet, and he grabs the towel he’s left on the counter to help dry them both off from all the snow. “It’s cold out, isn’t it?” he asks them, smiling as they answer with small little barks. “I bet you can’t wait for spring, huh? We can finally go on long walks again.”

Pepper gives a much louder bark at that, as if he understands, and Kyungsoo laughs. “You guys are gonna be good while Eunnie is here, too, right?” he says as he finishes with a sigh. He continues to sit on the floor with them for awhile longer, rubbing behind their ears and letting Inky lick under his chin, and only moves when he hears the bell.

“Showtime, guys,” Kyungsoo says, picking himself up from the floor and finally pulling off his coat. He drapes it over a chair at the table as he passes along with the towel to put away later, and heads for the door. Pepper and Inky both follow curiously.

“Kyungsoo!” Eun exclaims once he opens the door. “Can we watch a movie?”

Baekhyun laughs, dropping his hands to Eun’s shoulders and squeezing gently to calm him down. “Wait until you get inside and then ask nicely,” he says, and Eun sighs a little, as if that’s too much work, but nods all the same. Kyungsoo steps aside to let them both in, and Eun gasps when he sees the puppies, asks if he can pet them.

“Take your shoes and coat off and then you can play,” Baekhyun says, and Eun dutifully complies. He’s brought a little backpack with him as well that he sets down first, and then removes his coat. Kyungsoo takes it from him, and then looks back over at Baekhyun as Eun plops himself on the floor to undo his shoelaces.

Baekhyun looks really nice; his hair is styled, and he’s wearing a dark navy peacoat instead of the usual poofy winter coat. Kyungsoo’s pretty sure he’s even wearing eyeliner. “Looking sharp, Byun,” Kyungsoo teases and Baekhyun chuckles, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“They usually take a bunch of photos at these things,” he says. “I’d rather not look like a total slob.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t think Baekhyun ever looks like a slob, but he nods anyway in understanding. “Well, I hope you have a good time,” he says. “We’ll have a blast here without you. Right, Eun?”

“Yup!” Eun says. “You’re missing out, Dad.”

Baekhyun laughs. “Don’t I know it,” he says, and meets Kyungsoo’s eyes, his gaze soft and warm. “If you need anything, if something happens--”

“I have your number,” Kyungsoo says. “And you told me where you’ll be. Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.”

“All right,” Baekhyun says with a defeated sort of sigh. Kyungsoo wouldn’t know, but he imagines it must be hard for any parent to leave their child in someone else’s care, no matter how much they might trust them.

“Eunnie, you should say goodbye to your dad,” Kyungsoo says, and Eun quickly picks himself up from the floor to tackle Baekhyun in a hug.

“Have fun at your party,” Eun says and Baekhyun grins, cups Eun’s face up in his hands and replies, “You have fun with Kyungsoo. Be good for him, okay?”

“I’m always good!” Eun protests, voice a little muffled from the way Baekhyun’s smooshing his face with his palms, but then smiles when Baekhyun releases him.

“Yeah, you are,” Baekhyun says softly, and brushes his hand over Eun’s hair. He gives Eun one last squeezing hug, then steps away. “I’ll be back by eleven at the latest,” he tells Kyungsoo.

“Have a good time,” Kyungsoo says, opening the door for him, and he watches until Baekhyun makes it down the driveway to the car waiting in front of his house that Kyungsoo knows is Yixing’s. Baekhyun had asked Yixing to pick him up so he wouldn’t have to drive in case he ends up drinking.

Once they drive off, Kyungsoo shuts the door and turns back to Eun, once again on the floor with the puppies. They’ve really taken a liking to him, and that makes Kyungsoo smile.

“All right, Eunnie,” Kyungsoo says, clapping his hands together. Eun and both the dogs look up at him simultaneously. Kyungsoo smiles wider. “What movie did you want to watch?”

The night goes really well. Eun is a good kid, and except for the very first time that they met, Kyungsoo and Eun have gotten along nicely. They get halfway through watching one of the Transformers movies before they’re both hungry, and Eun helps Kyungsoo to make mac and cheese and some chicken strips. They eat together around the coffee table so they can continue their movie, Inky resting with his head in Eun’s lap while Pepper wanders around and stares at Kyungsoo imploringly for food.

He lets Eun give the pups each a treat once they clean up after dinner. “They really like you,” Kyungsoo says as he takes a video of Eun with Inky and Pepper.

“I like them too,” Eun says. “I wish I had my own puppy, but dad says we can’t yet.”

Kyungsoo sends the short video to Baekhyun and then tucks his phone into his pocket. “Maybe when you’re a little older,” he says. “Until then, you can always come over and play with these two.”

Eun beams at him and for awhile they sit around the living room, tossing a small ball back and forth and letting the dogs chase after it. When Eun gets bored, he retrieves his backpack and pulls out a stack of what looks like playing cards. “Let’s play a game!” he announces, running back over to Kyungsoo’s side to excitedly explain the rules.

It’s been ages since Kyungsoo’s done anything like this. He’s barely had a chance to play a round of pool in months and he definitely doesn’t remember the last time he played a card game. It’s fun though, and Eun always laughs when he pretends to cheat, and there’s something relaxing about not having to think about work or deal with Chanyeol’s usual competitiveness when it comes to games.

“Do you play this a lot with your dad?” Kyungsoo asks when they start their third round.

Eun messily arranges the cards back into a deck as he nods. “Dad really likes games,” he says. “He plays them on his computer sometimes with Uncle Jongdae.”

“I play those games sometimes, too,” Kyungsoo says, even though it’s been awhile. “But I think I like playing this game with you much more.”

Eun grins widely at him and eagerly hands Kyungsoo his share of the cards. “Let’s play lots, okay?” he says and Kyungsoo laughs, nods.

By the time they grow tired of playing cards, Eun has beat Kyungsoo three-two and Kyungsoo lets him have a small bowl of ice cream as a reward. They put on an episode of the Chen show afterward, and Eun trades his cards for a sketchbook and markers, ripping out a sheet of paper for Kyungsoo to draw as well.

Eun draws Inky with serious concentration, and Kyungsoo draws a Chen-style character based off Eun, all the way down to his missing front tooth. Eun is amazed by it and Kyungsoo lets him pick out the colors for his outfit before he colors them in.

“What do you want to fight?” Kyungsoo asks, and laughs when Eun yells, “An octopus monster!”

So Kyungsoo draws a giant octopus monster, with tentacles reaching out toward Eun’s character. He colors it purple and yellow per Eun’s request and then hands the picture over to Eun, who holds it up in front of his face with wide, awed eyes.

“I can keep it?” he asks, whirling back to look at Kyungsoo in amazement.

“Of course,” Kyungsoo says. He smiles as Eun takes great care to set the picture inside the front cover of his sketchbook and then rips out another piece of paper for Kyungsoo.

“Draw you, Kyungsoo!” he instructs. “And my dad!”

“You don’t want me to draw you again?”

Eun pauses, chews on his lower lip as he considers, and then he nods. “Okay, you can draw me again too.”

Kyungsoo picks up his pencil and starts sketching as Eun flips to a new page in his book as well. “What’re you gonna do now?”

“I drew Inky,” he says excitedly, “so now I’m gonna draw Pepper!”

Pepper perks up at the sound of his name, and comes padding over to Eun’s side, attempting to crawl over his lap while Eun is drawing. Eun doesn’t seem to mind though, laughing and petting Pepper along his back with his free hand. They work in mostly silence, talking mostly when something in the Chen episode they’re watching is really important, or when Eun asks Kyungsoo random questions that seem to pop up in his head.

“What’s your favorite color?” was the first, followed by, “Favorite food? Favorite movie? Favorite Chen character!”

Kyungsoo feels like he’s in an interview, dutifully answering whatever Eun throws at him and occasionally getting in a few questions of his own. Kyungsoo learns just how smart Eun is, asking about how much time he draws for a book, and listening attentively as Kyungsoo explains the process in the simplest terms possible. He thinks everything Kyungsoo does is really cool and Kyungsoo finds his childlike interest both adorable and flattering.

There is something special about being able to share his work with its intended audience on such a personal level. Eun makes Kyungsoo feel pretty good about everything he’s accomplished in a way that Kyungsoo forgets to do himself, when he’s only able to focus on the semantics, the rigid structure of deadlines and editing.

Maybe that’s why Eun’s next question is such a surprise, a complete change in topic from the Chen books and show. Kyungsoo almost drops his marker when Eun says, “Do you like my dad?”

Kyungsoo glances over at Eun, surprised. Eun continues to color in Pepper’s fur on his sketchbook, but then looks up at Kyungsoo after a few moments of silence. Kyungsoo suddenly feels intimidated by a seven-year-old. “Of course I do,” he says finally. It’s the truth. “Your dad and I are friends, remember? I think he’s really nice.”

Eun purses his lips thoughtfully, then nods, turning back to his drawing. “Okay,” he says with a nod, like that really is all he wanted to know. Kyungsoo is still watching Eun, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. “My dad likes you too.”

Kyungsoo lets out a deep breath at that, chuckling softly as he runs hand over Eun’s hair. This would be easier to deal with if he knew just how much Baekhyun liked him, if he could be honest with Baekhyun about his own feelings. Still somehow, the reassurance is nice to hear, especially from Baekhyun’s own son.

Eun falls asleep around an hour later, having stubbornly stayed awake to play with Kyungsoo as much as he could. It’s nearing ten by then, and they had long since given up drawing in favor of simply lounging on the couch and watching more episodes of Kyungsoo’s show. Kyungsoo ends up taking Eun up to his bedroom so he can sleep in a bed, leaves the door open in case Eun wakes up and is scared from being somewhere he doesn’t recognize. He returns downstairs and packs up Eun’s toys and markers, putting everything away in his backpack, and then lets the dogs out once more.

It’s even colder now at this time of night, and he wraps his arms around himself as he glances at his phone, checking his messages. There’s nothing important that can’t wait until later for a reply, but he was mostly looking to see if Baekhyun had sent anything about being on his way back soon. He must be having a good time, since his only reply to the video Kyungsoo had sent earlier that night was about ten heart emojis.

Once he calls his pups back in and dries them off, Kyungsoo grabs a beer from the fridge for himself and then settles down at the couch, flipping through the channels on the television with the volume down low so as not to wake Eun. He settles on a Harry Potter rerun and is in the middle of watching Voldemort’s return to power when there’s a knock at the door.

He quickly goes to answer it, and finds Yixing holding a clearly drunk Baekhyun in his arms. “Hey,” Yixing says, looking somewhere between amused and tired. “I would’ve taken him back to his place, but he said to bring him here.”

“It’s fine,” Kyungsoo says, reaching out for Baekhyun, who stumbles through the door and falls into Kyungsoo’s chest.

“Kyungsoo!” Baekhyun exclaims, like he’s never seen him before. “You’re here!”

“This is my house,” Kyungsoo says, amused too, by the way Baekhyun’s eyes widen in surprise, and then recognition. He nods. His carefully styled hair from earlier that night has fallen apart into his face.

“He went a little overboard,” Yixing says, as if it wasn’t obvious. “Said there was something on his mind.” He rolls his eyes a little fondly, and adds, “But he’s always been a terrible drunk.”

“So I’ve heard,” Kyungsoo says with a laugh as Baekhyun continues to cling to Kyungsoo, rubbing his cheek against Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “Thanks for bringing him back in one piece. I’ve got it from here.”

“I know you do,” Yixing says, and he gives Kyungsoo a little smirk that Kyungsoo really tries not to read too much into. “See you later, Kyungsoo.” He waves and then heads back down the steps to his car, and Kyungsoo struggles to shut the door after him with Baekhyun still attached to his body.

“Baekhyun,” he says, once he’s managed. “Baekhyun, are you awake?”

“No,” comes Baekhyun’s muffled reply, and Kyungsoo sighs.

“Can you let go so I can take your coat off at least?” Kyungsoo asks, and there’s a moment’s pause, before Baekhyun slowly pulls away. His face is a little flushed, but he’s smiling at Kyungsoo so cutely, Kyungsoo can’t really be annoyed that he suddenly has to look after a very intoxicated Baekhyun.

He lets Kyungsoo pull off his coat without much fuss and even removes his own shoes without being prompted. Only when Kyungsoo starts leading him upstairs, does he suddenly stop, grabbing Kyungsoo’s wrist to say, “Wait, shouldn’t I be going back home?”

Kyungsoo snorts. “In your current state, you wouldn’t make it past my driveway,” he says. “You’re already here, Baekhyun. I don’t mind that you stay the night.”

“Are you sure?” Baekhyun asks.

“Yes,” Kyungsoo says. “Now come on.”

Kyungsoo helps Baekhyun to his bed, telling him to be quiet because of Eun, and Baekhyun falls onto the empty side with a deep sigh. “Stay right there,” Kyungsoo says, and then retreats to the bathroom, fills up the glass he leaves there with water and brings it back for Baekhyun.

Baekhyun has somehow managed to free himself from his shirt and pants in the few minutes Kyungsoo had been away and Kyungsoo is glad that the darkness of the room hides most of his view. He makes Baekhyun sit up and hands him the glass. “Drink this,” he says, and watches Baekhyun drink half the glass in one go.

“Did you have that good of a time?” Kyungsoo asks. “Or was it that boring, you had to drink so much?”

Baekhyun laughs a little breathlessly. “It was fun,” he says, “but I also had a lot on my mind.”

Kyungsoo furrows his brows, watches as Baekhyun finishes drinking the water. He hands the glass back and slumps down against the mattress, eyes already fluttering closed. “That’s what Yixing said, too,” Kyungsoo says softly, and he reaches out instinctively to brush Baekhyun’s hair from his face. Baekhyun’s eyes snap open, startlingly clear in the dark, and he curls his fingers around Kyungsoo’s wrist, thumb rubbing along his pulse point. “What were you thinking about?” Kyungsoo asks, unable to help himself.

“You,” says Baekhyun without pause, and Kyungsoo’s breath catches in his throat under Baekhyun’s bright gaze.

“Me?” Kyungsoo breathes, and Baekhyun nods slowly, eyes falling closed again, his fingers around Kyungsoo’s wrist loosening as he pulls away, snuggling into the bed.

“Yeah,” he says in a quiet voice as sleep finally seems to take him, “you.”

Kyungsoo’s pounding heart is all he can hear in the sudden silence. He sits there by the edge of the bed, watching Baekhyun sleep for a few more minutes until he finally picks himself up and heads back downstairs. His mind is swimming with too many thoughts, none of which he really wants to think about right now. It’s been a long night, and Baekhyun’s little drunken confession leads to more questions than it does answers.

He pulls his glasses off and sets them on the coffee table, scrubs his hands over his face, and mutters, “Fuck,” under his breath as he collapses onto the couch. He could go sleep in his guest bedroom, but he’s too tired to find the sheets. He’s already down here, anyway. One night on his couch isn’t the worst.

Sleep doesn’t come easily, but by the time it does, Kyungsoo has nearly managed to get the look in Baekhyun’s eyes out of his head.

Something wet against Kyungsoo’s chin wakes him the next morning. Even in the lingering haze of slumber, Kyungsoo knows it’s one of his dogs. It’s the light trill of laughter that follows that takes longer to place, but once it does, he forces his eyes open and peers around the room.

Eun is sitting on the floor by the coffee table with Inky in his lap. Pepper is the one on Kyungsoo’s chest, licking at his face for attention, and probably for food. Kyungsoo groans, pulling himself up to sit, carefully holding onto Pepper as he moves. His neck and back ache from sleeping on the couch, but he’s glad that he got to sleep at all over the night, considering how long it took him to fall asleep in the first place.

“Hi, Eunnie,” he murmurs tiredly. “Have you been awake long?”

Eun shakes his head. “I came downstairs because I was hungry, but I couldn’t find cereal,” he says, and he pouts a little. It makes him look so much like Baekhyun.

Kyungsoo nods and stifles a yawn behind his mouth. “Okay, let’s get you some breakfast,” he says as he stands, sets Pepper onto the floor. Kyungsoo starts on the coffee first, because he already knows he’s going to need it. He retrieves boxes of cereal from the cupboard, lets Eun pick the one he wants, and then gets out the milk and some spoons and bowls.

He fills up the bowls for the dogs too, then walks back around to stare at the coffee machine. A few seconds later, Baekhyun walks into the kitchen, yawning loudly. Kyungsoo glances over his shoulder to catch him stretching, arms over his head, pale stripe of skin visible under his shirt. Baekhyun smiles at him and Kyungsoo quickly looks away, thankful when Eun loudly says, “When did you get here, dad?”

“Last night, silly,” Baekhyun says, ruffling Eun’s hair. “Did you have a good time with Kyungsoo?”

Eun nods, eyes bright and smile wide. “It was the best!” he says, his voice loud and excited and Kyungsoo catches the way it makes Baekhyun cringe.

“My head is killing me,” Baekhyun whines, leaning over the counter on his elbows and dropping his head into his hands.

“That’s what you get for drinking too much,” Kyungsoo chides him despite himself. “I’ve got coffee going already. Do you want something to eat?”

“Cereal is fine,” Baekhyun mumbles, still holding his head in his hands for a few moments longer before he reaches a slow hand out to drag the empty bowl on the counter closer. Kyungsoo retrieves another bowl and spoon for himself, sets it aside on the counter, and grabs two mugs for the coffee for himself and Baekhyun.

“Do you want some juice, Eun?” he asks, and when Eun nods, Kyungsoo pulls out the orange juice from the fridge and another glass for him.

“What do you say?” Baekhyun says when Kyungsoo pours out the drink and slides the glass over.

“Thank you!” Eun says brightly and Kyungsoo smiles at him.

“Did you sleep well, Eunnie?” Kyungsoo asks. “My bed is probably not as nice as yours.”

“It was good,” Eun says with a serious nod. “I didn’t have any bad dreams either!”

“I’m glad,” Kyungsoo laughs, then glances at Baekhyun. “How about you? You were kind of a mess last night, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says. “I’ve had worse hangovers. I’m sorry about that, by the way. I wasn’t planning on drinking so much, and I definitely wasn’t planning on showing up here like that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Kyungsoo says with a small wave of his hand. “It was kind of entertaining, seeing you like that.”

Baekhyun groans, slumping against the counter, head resting on his outstretched arms. It’s a miracle he doesn’t knock his bowl of cereal over. He turns to look up at Kyungsoo, pouting a little, and Kyungsoo almost wants to ask if he remembers what he said the night before, but Baekhyun’s eyes are scanning him, down his body and then back to his face, brows furrowing.

“What is it?” Kyungsoo asks, a little unnerved.

“You look like you didn’t sleep at all,” he says, peeling himself off the counter in favor of standing in front of Kyungsoo, hands on his shoulders and he continues to stare at him. “Are you okay?”

Kyungsoo huffs a little, ducking out of Baekhyun’s hold, and says, “I’m fine. I probably shouldn’t have slept on the couch, that’s all.”

“You slept on the couch?” Baekhyun says, sounding surprised. “You could’ve just shoved me over and used your bed. It’s not like we haven’t shared before.”

“It’s not really about that,” Kyungsoo says, turning away so he doesn’t have to look at Baekhyun as he attempts to explain without actually explaining anything. “My bed isn’t exactly that big for all of us, and I was too tired to make up the one in my guestroom.”

“Aww, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says, surprising Kyungsoo by sliding an arm around his waist and pulling Kyungsoo close into his side. “You didn’t want to snuggle?”

Kyungsoo nudges Baekhyun with his elbow instead of replying, but it doesn’t seem to do much to get Baekhyun to release him. Instead Baekhyun just holds onto him tighter, practically rocking Kyungsoo side to side in his arms. “Are you still drunk?” Kyungsoo teases, twisting around just enough so he can look up into Baekhyun’s face, just as Baekhyun glances down and meets his gaze.

It’s like they both realize at once, just how close they really are. Kyungsoo’s not even wearing his glasses, but he can clearly see Baekhyun’s face, the tired lines around his eyes, the hint of a shadow across his chin.

“No,” Baekhyun whispers, and it takes Kyungsoo a few moments to realize what he’s even replying to, his thoughts overcome with the warmth of Baekhyun’s hands at his waist, the deep, brown color of his eyes, the soft pink of his lips.

Kyungsoo licks his own lips, his mouth feels dry. They’re so close like this, Kyungsoo doesn’t miss how Baekhyun stares at his mouth, doesn’t miss the way his gaze sharpens, the way his fingers around his waist tighten, just a fraction. It’s almost like Baekhyun wants to kiss him, it’s almost like Baekhyun is going to kiss him, and Kyungsoo...Kyungsoo should move away, he should, this is not how it should go, they haven’t even talked, he hasn’t even had his coffee yet, he can’t--

He tears his gaze away. It almost hurts, having to pull out of Baekhyun’s arms like that, but Kyungsoo laughs it off, and says, voice coming out much louder than intended, “So, uh, coffee? I could really use some right now I think.”

There’s a moment of ringing silence, but then Baekhyun chuckles too. It sounds strained, but when Kyungsoo sneaks a glance at him over his shoulder, Baekhyun is smiling. “Coffee sounds great,” he says, and Kyungsoo nods, turns away, reaching for one of the mugs he’d set aside.

His heart is loud in his ears but it’s not enough to drown out Baekhyun’s voice as he mumbles, “God, this is so stupid.”

Before Kyungsoo can even ask what he means, Baekhyun rests a hand on his shoulder, turns Kyungsoo gently to face him and says, “Hey, what’re you doing next weekend?”

“What?” Kyungsoo asks, not expecting this.

“Next weekend,” Baekhyun repeats. “Saturday, maybe? Are you free?”

“I--um, yeah? I think so?” Kyungsoo says. He’s totally lost. Baekhyun is staring at him with what feels like sheer determination in his eyes, a sliver of hope shining through as he waits for Kyungsoo’s answer. “I can check to make sure, but I should be free. Why?”

“No reason, really,” Baekhyun says in a way that tells Kyungsoo it’s definitely something. “Just keep that day open. Okay?”

“Okay…” Kyungsoo says, confused but intrigued as well. “Should I be worried?”

“Not at all,” Baekhyun says with a bright smile that eases away some of that uncertainty. He doesn’t know what Baekhyun is planning, or what that has to do with his little mumbled comment a few minutes ago. He isn’t even sure if this has anything to do with what Baekhyun had drunkenly admitted the night before. But despite all the questions, Kyungsoo trusts Baekhyun, and he’s willing to spend time with him, even when he’s being cryptic.

“If you say so,” Kyungsoo says eventually, trying to sound nonchalant about it, but with the way Baekhyun grins widely, he knows he’s not very successful.

“I do,” Baekhyun says, and winks, and Kyungsoo’s not entirely sure what he’s getting himself into, but he’s already looking forward to it.

The week goes by slowly, as if it’s aware of Kyungsoo and Baekhyun’s plan that Saturday and is dragging out the days on purpose. Kyungsoo still isn’t sure what Baekhyun is planning, and no amount of attempting to weasel information out of him has been successful.

“Come on,” he says over the phone Thursday evening. He’s taking a break from editing, lounging in his studio chair with Pepper in his lap. “If you don’t give me something, it’s just starting to sound like you’re kidnapping me.”

“Is it really kidnapping if you agree to come?” Baekhyun replies, but then laughs, and Kyungsoo can imagine him shaking his head, a smile on his face. “All you need to know is that it’s a surprise! And that I’m coming to get you around five, so don’t eat anything because we’ll go out for dinner probably.”

“Probably?” Kyungsoo repeats. “Now it just sounds like you’re making this up as you go along.”

“I’m not!” Baekhyun says. “Seriously. Just trust me. It’ll be fun.”

That’s as much as Baekhyun will say on the matter. Kyungsoo is curious, but excited. Baekhyun sounds excited about whatever it is he wants to do, and despite all his concerns, it’s rubbing off on Kyungsoo too.

“You do realize it sounds like he’s planning a date, right?” Junmyeon tells him on Friday, when he stops by with lunch and even more edits.

“If it was a date, he would just say so,” Kyungsoo protests, even though the thought had crossed his mind. As far as he knows, it’s just the two of them going on this...outing. Baekhyun hasn’t mentioned Eun joining them either, or Jongdae or Yixing, or anyone else. That doesn’t mean it’s a date though, and Kyungsoo knows better than to get his hopes up.

“Maybe he’s leaving it vague in case you’d turn him down,” Junmyeon says. “Although I can’t imagine how he can’t tell that you’d say yes a hundred times if he asked.”

Kyungsoo throws a fry at his face and feels great pleasure when it bounces off Junmyeon’s nose. “Shut up,” he says without any real heat. “It’s not a date. He didn’t ask.”

“He asked if you were free.”

“He didn’t say it was a date, okay?” Kyungsoo takes a bite from his burger petulantly. “I don’t want to read into it incorrectly.”

“I think you’d be reading into it just the way he wants,” Junmyeon says, but then drops the topic, dragging his notes over instead.

As much as Kyungsoo hates editing, he is glad for the distraction. He doesn’t want to think about whether or not Baekhyun has lowkey asked him out on a date, and he doesn’t want to think about whatever it is they’ll be doing tomorrow either. Baekhyun had messaged him earlier to say to dress nice but comfortably, which really doesn’t help much in the grand scheme of things, and as it gets closer to Saturday, the more nervous Kyungsoo becomes.

It’s March now, but the weather is still quite cold. Kyungsoo dresses nicely but comfortably as Baekhyun had said, in dark jeans and a button-up deep red shirt. He styles his hair a little too, and contemplates for ten minutes about trading his glasses in for contacts. In the end, he just leaves the glasses on, not really a fan of contacts, even on not-dates.

He doesn’t let himself think too much about how he wishes it was a date.

Baekhyun arrives right at five, as he said he would. Kyungsoo takes a few deep breaths before he goes to answer, and tries not to stare too much at the primly dressed Baekhyun waiting at the door. He’s wearing that peacoat again, and black jeans that fit far too nicely. Everything else is hidden, but his smile is warm, and his eyes are lined again too. He looks handsome and pretty all at once and Kyungsoo thinks it’s completely unfair.

“Hey,” Baekhyun says, “ready to go?”

Kyungsoo considers teasing, just a little, but he’s far too curious about where they’re going to not simply reply, “Yes.” He smiles back and adds, “Let me just grab my coat.”

Baekhyun nods, and he waits at the door while Kyungsoo pulls on his nicest coat and his shoes. He stops to give both Inky and Pepper a comforting pet where they’re both lounging by the stairs, then makes sure he has his wallet, phone, and keys in his pockets before turning back to Baekhyun.

“Come on,” Baekhyun says, waving at him, and Kyungsoo follows, locking his door behind him.

He’s suddenly terribly aware that he’s never gone anywhere with Baekhyun like this before. They’ve spent time together alone, yes, but actually getting into Baekhyun’s car and going somewhere together--that’s completely new. It really does feel like a date, and Kyungsoo runs his palms down his thighs as he settles into the passenger’s seat, tries not to let the sudden realization turn him too anxious.

“So, are you gonna tell me where we’re going now?” he asks instead, and Baekhyun grins widely as he drives down their street.

“Not a chance,” he says and laughs when Kyungsoo groans. He glances over at him, eyes bright with mischief, and adds, “Don’t worry. You’ll probably figure it out soon enough.”

“With how secretive you’re being, I’m surprised you’re not blindfolding me.”

“I thought about it,” Baekhyun says, “but then I figured you’d think I really was kidnapping you.”

Kyungsoo laughs. It’s amazing how all his nervousness has vanished already. Baekhyun never fails to make him feel comfortable, even when he has no idea what he’s getting himself into. He leans back in his seat, and asks, “Where’s Eun today?”

Baekhyun smiles and says, “He’s spending the day at Yixing’s. He and Jiyu are still working their way through Pokemon.”

“Kids are so determined these days,” Kyungsoo says. “Are we going somewhere Eun isn’t allowed?”

“It’s not that,” Baekhyun says, glancing at Kyungsoo for a short moment before he turns back to the road. “I wanted it to just be us. We haven’t gone out like this before, have we?”

“No, we haven’t,” Kyungsoo agrees. He’d just been thinking it himself, but he hadn’t considered Baekhyun had put thought into that too.

“I thought it’d be nice for a change,” Baekhyun says and Kyungsoo smiles.

“Well, I guess we’ll see,” he teases. “Depending on where you’re taking me.”

Baekhyun only grins at that and doesn’t answer. Instead he turns the volume up on the radio, lets the music fill in the silence. It’s comfortable though, and they talk occasionally over the songs, discussing the long work week and lamenting about the weather. They’re both ready for the winter to be over but it seems like the snow and cold are here to stay awhile longer.

By the time they make it into the city, Kyungsoo’s starting to mentally cross off potential destinations on his list. Baekhyun doesn’t seem pressed for time, so they’re probably not going to a movie or some kind of theater production. That potentially rules out concerts too, or any other live show. Maybe they’ll be going to dinner first, but it’s still a little early, so Kyungsoo’s pretty sure that’s not it either.

“Any guesses?” Baekhyun asks, an infuriating smugness to his voice.

“I’m working on it,” Kyungsoo says, but smiles anyway when Baekhyun laughs.

He doesn’t figure it out until they’re turning down the right street and Kyungsoo catches the sign for the museum. “An exhibition?” Kyungsoo asks, and Baekhyun gives a little shrug, neither confirming nor denying, even though his lips twitch in amusement. “That’s it, isn’t it?” He pokes Baekhyun once, twice in the shoulder, until Baekhyun lightly swats his hand away.

“Guess you’ll find out very soon,” Baekhyun sings, and Kyungsoo shakes his head, turns to look out the window as they get close to the art museum and park just down the street from the entrance.

Kyungsoo steps out of the car only once Baekhyun does, and he watches with amusement as Baekhyun walks around to him, a bright smile on his face. “We’re heeere,” he says, gesturing grandly in the direction of the museum, and Kyungsoo snorts, punches Baekhyun lightly in the arm.

“You could’ve just told me,” he says.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Baekhyun says with a smug little smile, and Kyungsoo shakes his head, turns away toward the museum. “Come on,” Baekhyun says then, and to Kyungsoo’s surprise, he takes Kyungsoo’s hand in his, sliding their fingers together. His hand is so warm and it ebbs away the chilly March air.

Baekhyun doesn’t let go even as they walk inside. Kyungsoo tries not to let his surprise nor his happiness about it show. They’ve held hands before. They’ve touched plenty before. This shouldn’t be so shocking, but it is. It’s definitely different, out here in public, on this not-date-but-maybe-a-date?

Kyungsoo has been so cautious about his feelings, about what to do with them, about all of this. He wants so much to believe that this is a date, and that Baekhyun holding his hand means something completely different than usual, and yet...He’s still not a hundred percent certain that it is, and he still believes that if it really is a date, Baekhyun would have told him. So instead, Kyungsoo tries hard not to think about it.

He’s surprised yet again when Baekhyun leads him away from the ticketing counter, pulling two tickets out from his pocket. “It’s already done,” he says. “Don’t worry about it.”

Kyungsoo must be gaping a little as he follows after Baekhyun because Baekhyun takes one look back at him and laughs. “Impressed?” he asks, waggling his brows.

“Intrigued,” Kyungsoo shoots back. “You seem really excited about this.”

“I am,” Baekhyun says, and in the first sign of hesitation he’s shown all evening, he pauses and glances down at their joined hands, adds, “I hope you are too.”

“Of course I am,” Kyungsoo says. He doesn’t even have to think about it. He gives Baekhyun’s hand a squeeze and smiles when Baekhyun looks back up at him. “Let’s do this.”

Baekhyun grins and leads Kyungsoo over to where they need to be. He explains along the way, “I heard about this from Yixing, actually. His wife is an art teacher, I don’t know if you knew that, but she keeps track of different exhibitions around town and this one especially seemed like something you would enjoy.” He sends Kyungsoo a small, almost shy smile, and adds, “I thought of you when Yixing brought it up.”

Curiosity once again piqued, Kyungsoo follows Baekhyun silently to the exhibition. There’s a large sign along the wall the reads A Journey Into Animation: 100 Years of Animation Art from Around the World. Kyungsoo stops and stares at it for a long moment, Baekhyun at his side, watching him quietly, clearly waiting for a reaction.

When he gets nothing, he says, voice unsure, “I know you’re not an animator exactly, but I thought--”

“This sounds amazing,” Kyungsoo cuts over him. He’s touched, really, that Baekhyun thought about him, that Baekhyun wanted to come see this exhibition together. “I had no idea this was even being shown here.”

The shadow of uncertainty across Baekhyun’s face passes at his words, replaced instead by a bright, blinding smile. “I’m glad you hadn’t heard about it,” he says with a laugh. “Or this surprise might’ve not been as, well, surprising.”

“I still would’ve loved it,” Kyungsoo says honestly. “This is really--Thank you for bringing me here.”

Baekhyun’s smile, if possible, gets brighter. He squeezes Kyungsoo’s hand. “Of course,” he says, and then gestures toward the entrance. “Shall we?”

The exhibition is amazing. Baekhyun is right in that Kyungsoo isn’t an animator himself, but he has spent years illustrating and working with animators for his stories. There’s something special about learning more about a subject that’s already such an important part of his life. They stop at each display, read the information about the art that ranges from Gertie the Dinosaur, considered the first animated drawing back in 1914, all the way to modern creations such as Harry Potter original storyboarding drawings.

There’s sculptures and video showcasing the process from pencil drawings to digital animation. The first ever animated short with sound is playing on another screen and they stop to watch the early rendition of Mickey Mouse.

“Was it your idea to make the Chen series into a TV show?” Baekhyun asks, and Kyungsoo laughs, shaking his head.

“Not at all,” he says. “It had never even crossed my mind until Junmyeon brought it up, that various people had reached out to him about it.” Kyungsoo smiles at the memory. Junmyeon had been so excited, Kyungsoo had been shocked. “I thought he was joking at first.”

“Hey, your books are amazing,” Baekhyun chides him, “why would he joke about something like that?”

“It just didn’t seem real,” Kyungsoo says with a little shrug. “It wasn’t until the first episode actually aired on TV that it finally hit me that it had happened.”

“You’re cute,” Baekhyun says, and then immediately laughs, glancing away. Kyungsoo doesn’t miss the way his ears turn pink. His own heart is pounding, but he laughs too, and gives Baekhyun’s hand that’s still in his a gentle squeeze.

They walk around the exhibit slowly, taking in all the artwork, discussing their favorite animated films, arguing over the best Studio Ghibli movie when they stop upon the original animation cel for Princess Mononoke. Baekhyun insists upon My Neighbor Totoro, but Kyungsoo’s always been fond of Whisper of the Heart, and is shocked to learn Baekhyun’s never seen it.

“I’m gonna make you watch it,” Kyungsoo says firmly. “It might not be as well-known as some of the other ones, but it’s beautiful.”

“Okay,” Baekhyun says with a wide grin. “I look forward to it.”

By the time they make it through the whole exhibit, they’re starving and Baekhyun leads the way back to his car. “I hope you like Italian,” he says, releasing Kyungsoo’s hand once they’re outside, but only in favor of wrapping an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders instead.

The endless affection has Kyungsoo simultaneously on edge and delightfully comfortable. It’s especially nice in the cold weather; Baekhyun somehow radiates heat like a furnace, and he makes Kyungsoo feel warm and safe.

“I’m hungry enough right now that I wouldn’t mind if we just went to McDonald’s,” Kyungsoo says.

Baekhyun gasps a little, placing his free hand on his chest. “I have much more class than that,” he says, and pouts when Kyungsoo gives him a very slow once-over.

“Do you?” he teases, raising a brow, and Baekhyun huffs, pulling away from Kyungsoo entirely. He shoves him lightly, then stuffs his hands into his pockets and walks ahead.

“You’re uninvited to dinner,” he shoots back over his shoulder, but the curl of his lips suggest otherwise, and Kyungsoo grins, runs after him, pressing his hands to Baekhyun’s back and pushing him forward. Baekhyun stumbles, laughing, and makes a swipe for him that Kyungsoo easily dodges and he rushes ahead to the car, stands by the door, hands in his own pockets to fight the cold as he waits for Baekhyun to stroll up.

They grin at each other, and slip inside wordlessly. The silence is comfortable, and as Baekhyun pulls onto the street, Kyungsoo reaches over to turn the volume up on the stereo, sings along to the song that’s playing. Baekhyun joins him at the next verse, his voice louder, and says, “I can’t have you beating me at singing in my own car.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Kyungsoo laughs, but adds after a moment, “You have a nice voice though. Have you done a lot of singing?”

“Does karaoke count?” Baekhyun offers with a grin. “I was in choir in college for awhile and way back in high school, but nowadays it’s just singing in the shower. Or with Eun whenever we watch the Chen show.”

Kyungsoo remembers Baekhyun singing the theme song not too long ago and he smiles at the memory. “That’s kind of adorable,” he says. “I can picture the both of you doing that together.”

“Eun’s really good at it,” Baekhyun says. “He knows the lyrics way better than I do, anyway.”

“I would expect nothing less from the show’s most dedicated fan,” Kyungsoo says.

“He’s already devastated that the season’s gonna end soon,” Baekhyun laughs. “Soon he’ll be begging to rewatch the whole thing from the start.”

“And how many times have you guys already done that?”

“I don’t have enough fingers left to count,” Baekhyun says, shaking his head. Then he smiles a little and adds, “You know he’s gonna make you join us on the rewatch, right?”

Kyungsoo grins. “I look forward to it,” he says, and the soft, almost fond smile Baekhyun gives him in response makes his chest warm.

They fall back into silence after that, enjoying each other’s presence as they arrive at the restaurant. Once again Kyungsoo is struck with how much this feels like a date, and even though they’ve eaten out together a few times during their lunch hours, it’s different like this. Thankfully the restaurant isn’t too big or too fancy, a comfortable atmosphere that helps put Kyungsoo at ease as they’re shown to a small table by the window.

“Have you been here before?” Kyungsoo asks, opening his menu and glancing through the items.

“Just once, for Jongdae’s birthday last year,” Baekhyun says. “I’ve been meaning to come back since. Everything I had the last time was really good.”

Kyungsoo nods in understanding and they both take a few minutes to figure out what to eat, that by the time their waiter stops over, they’re able to order and Baekhyun adds in an appetizer as well.

“Trust me,” he says once their waiter leaves. “It’s worth it.”

“If you say so,” Kyungsoo replies. “Besides, it’s not as if I’d turn down extra food anyway.”

“Exactly,” Baekhyun agrees. “Who would do such a thing?”

“Heathens,” Kyungsoo says with such a straight face that Baekhyun bursts out laughing, lifting a hand to cover his mouth, his eyes curving cutely in his mirth. The sight makes Kyungsoo smile. Baekhyun is always so honest with his reactions, always seems to wear his heart on his sleeve. Kyungsoo should be more like that, he thinks.

Dinner is comfortable and fun. Despite all the time they spend together, the conversations they have over the phone, through texts, there’s still so much they have yet to learn. Baekhyun always has new stories about Eun that Kyungsoo enjoys, but he tells him things he didn’t know either, laughing about how terrible of a student he was and all the trouble he and Jongdae got up to during university. He shows Kyungsoo new pictures of his niece with the proudest, brightest smile on his face, and tells him how his mother even asked how Kyungsoo was doing.

“You really charmed her,” he says, and he looks proud about that, too.

Kyungsoo does his own share of complaining about work, tells Baekhyun how Inky almost ate one of his newest sketches, and the latest recipes he’s tried out at home. That one gets Baekhyun excited, demanding he come over sometime to test it out together. It shouldn’t be surprising anymore, just how easily they get along, just how easily they’re willing to spend time in one another’s company, but sitting here tonight, basking in Baekhyun’s bright presence, pretty smiles, and sparkling laughter, Kyungsoo is a little amazed.

It’s been about seven months since Baekhyun moved in, but it feels like much longer. It’s been months since Kyungsoo has admitted, wholeheartedly to himself, that he likes Baekhyun, that he wants to be with Baekhyun.

This, tonight, is the closest they’ve ever come to a real date. It feels exactly like a date Kyungsoo would want to go on with Baekhyun. Comfortable, fun, relaxing. There’s no need for pretense, no need to impress each other, none of that typical nervousness that goes into a first date. And sure, Kyungsoo might’ve been nervous in the beginning, but that’s long since vanished under Baekhyun’s soft gazes and the way he held Kyungsoo’s hand.

By the time they drive home after dinner, Kyungsoo is disappointed that the night is coming to an end. The ride home feels much shorter than the drive into the city did, conversation flowing easily about the latest movies they’ve seen, and how excited Eun is about the newest Incredibles movie that comes out over the summer.

“Eun has good taste,” Kyungsoo says as Baekhyun pulls his car up alongside the front of his house. Kyungsoo’s almost slow about unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping outside, and it seems like Baekhyun is taking his time, too, like he doesn’t want the night to be over already either.

“He gets it all from me,” Baekhyun says with a cheeky little grin as he rounds the car and walks Kyungsoo up his driveway.

“Oh, really?” Kyungsoo says, raising a brow. “So you’re the one who made him such a big Chen fan, huh?”

“Well, I did pick out the books and read them to him when he was too young to do it himself,” Baekhyun says, tapping his finger against his lip as if considering it. “Doesn’t that count? Those books got us both through some hard times.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t have to ask to know he’s most likely talking about the divorce. He reaches out for Baekhyun’s hand instinctively, laces their fingers together and lets the warmth of Baekhyun’s touch fill his veins again. “I’m glad they were able to help,” he says quietly as they stop in front of Kyungsoo’s door, and Baekhyun’s smile is so soft, so sincere, Kyungsoo aches with the sudden urge to kiss him.

If this were a date, maybe he would. Maybe he would be brave enough to do it, to ask. But it’s not a date, no matter how much it felt like one, no matter how much Kyungsoo still, even to this final second, wishes that is was.

They stare at each other for a long moment. Baekhyun is rubbing his thumb gently over Kyungsoo’s knuckles, and it looks as if he wants to say something, but Kyungsoo doesn’t know what else there really is left to say except, “Thank you, for tonight. It was...It was really nice and I had such a good time.”

Baekhyun lets out the smallest of sighs. His shoulders relax visibly, and his smile grows just a little brighter, clearly relieved, clearly so pleased that Kyungsoo enjoyed everything he put together. “I’m glad,” he says. “I...I wanted it to be special. I wanted to spend time with you, just the two of us, doing something we haven’t done together before, you know? Maybe that’s silly, maybe it wasn’t what you were expecting--”

“It was better,” Kyungsoo cuts over him, frowning a little at Baekhyun’s rambling insecurity. He squeezes Baekhyun’s hand reassuringly. “You really surprised me, Baekhyun, but it was a good surprise. I had a lot of fun.”

Baekhyun lets out a little huff of a laugh. “What happened to Baekhyunnie?” he asks and Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but is pretty sure his expression is still helplessly fond. Everything about Baekhyun makes him feel so helplessly fond.

“Baekhyunnie,” Kyungsoo says in a soft voice. “Tonight was amazing.”

A wide grin spreads across Baekhyun’s face. Even in the single light shining from Kyungsoo’s front steps, he’s beautiful. He steps closer to Kyungsoo, so close, almost too close, and Kyungsoo is expecting him to simply say goodnight, or something silly like he usually does, but no, that’s not what he says at all. Baekhyun, staring right into Kyungsoo’s eyes, says, “So if I asked to kiss you, would you say yes?”

The words ring in Kyungsoo’s ears like white noise, fuzzy and distorted and almost unrecognizable for a few long seconds until his brain is able to catch up. “Wh-What?” he gasps, not sure if this is really happening. Maybe he’s been dreaming this entire time. Maybe this is a cruel joke, maybe--

“Can I kiss you, Kyungsoo?” Baekhyun asks, hope in his eyes, earnestness in his voice, desire in the way his thumb rubs along the stretch of skin between Kyungsoo’s fingers.

“Fuck,” Kyungsoo breathes, because it seems the only appropriate word for this moment. He doesn’t even have to think about it now that he knows Baekhyun is being serious. He’s wanted this for so long, he’s pulling Baekhyun close before he can even properly reply. “Yes,” he says, releasing Baekhyun’s hand in favor of reaching up with both of his own, cupping Baekhyun’s face. “Yes, fuck, come here--”

There’s nothing else left to say as their lips come together. Kyungsoo gasps again, or maybe it’s Baekhyun. It might be both of them, gasping in pleasure, in relief, in salvation like they’ve been waiting months for this moment and now that it’s finally here it doesn’t even feel real. But the way Baekhyun’s mouth moves against Kyungsoo’s, and the way his hands fall to Kyungsoo’s waist, tugging him closer, and the way Baekhyun’s body feels, pressed against his own--that is real. That’s definitely real.

Kyungsoo has wanted this for so long, but he never really let himself believe that Baekhyun wanted this, too.

He doesn’t know how long they kiss, seconds, minutes, hours, maybe, the heated air of their breaths almost visible in the cold winter air, but Kyungsoo doesn’t even feel the chill anymore, not like this. They stumble forward, then back, until Baekhyun has Kyungsoo pressed into his own front door, his hands sliding up Kyungsoo’s body and sinking into his hair with soft little whimper that makes Kyungsoo kiss him that much harder, desperate for more.

“Fuck,” Baekhyun sighs, pressing his forehead against Kyungsoo’s, breaking apart from the kiss long enough for them both to catch their breath. He’s staring at Kyungsoo with something between awe and hunger and Kyungsoo’s whole body is thrumming with much of the same. He doesn’t want to let go, now that he has Baekhyun in his arms, now that he’s experienced the way Baekhyun’s lips feel against his.

He licks his lips, laughs in breathless amazement as Baekhyun follows the motion, and then reaches for his keys in his coat pocket. “Want to come in?” he asks, hopeful for all of two seconds until he remembers. “Oh, do you need to get Eun?”

Baekhyun lets out almost a pained little sigh. “Do you know how much I like that you never forget about him?” he asks as Kyungsoo turns around and fits the key into the lock. Baekhyun’s hands have returned to his waist and Kyungsoo finds he quite likes that.

They stumble in through the door like this, and Kyungsoo replies, “How can I? He’s cuter than you.”

Baekhyun huffs, pushes Kyungsoo right back up against the door as it falls shut. “Eun is spending the night at Yixing’s,” he says and that hope comes rushing back, filling up Kyungsoo’s lungs like an elated balloon. “So yes, I can stay. As long as you want me.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says, curling his fingers into the front of Baekhyun’s coat, and drags him into another kiss.

It’s much less desperate, this one. Much slower, more deliberate, leaving Kyungsoo aching for more deep down to his bones. Baekhyun is good at this, kisses him with ease and with intent, and draws out a low, almost embarrassing moan from deep in his throat. Kyungsoo’s heart is so loud in his ears, a dull thudding soundtrack to the near-gentle way their mouths press together again and again and again. He shudders when Baekhyun slides a hand to his cheek, angles his face for better access, and feels a surge of pride in his chest when he accidentally-on-purpose drags his teeth over Baekhyun’s lower lip and pulls another one of those whimpering noises from Baekhyun’s mouth.

Kyungsoo thinks he could go on kissing Baekhyun like this forever, but it’s inevitable that they have to part again, even though it’s reluctant. Baekhyun’s lips look even more rosy than usual, and his eyes are slightly dazed before he smiles. It’s so bright, so beautiful, Kyungsoo can’t help but smile back despite the questions starting to form in his head.

There’s plenty they should talk about now, but before Kyungsoo even has the chance to ask, they’re interrupted by both Inky and Pepper, running into the hallway and straight to their feet. Baekhyun laughs, and he releases Kyungsoo entirely so he can crouch down and give both his dogs a gentle pet.

“Hey kids,” he says in a sugary voice. “I bet you missed your dad. Sorry I claimed him for the night.”

Kyungsoo snorts, glancing away when Baekhyun looks up at him and fucking winks. His face feels aflame suddenly, which is ridiculous since they’ve spent the past however-many-minutes making out and this is what he finds embarrassing. He steps around Baekhyun and his dogs, removes his shoes and his coat, and hangs the latter over the staircase banner to deal with later.

“Do you want anything to drink?” Kyungsoo asks as he heads for the kitchen. He hears one of his puppies following after him, and the sound of Baekhyun removing his own outerwear too. Kyungsoo’s staring into the fridge, contemplating between some juice and beer when Baekhyun walks up behind him. He startles only a little when Baekhyun wraps his arms around his waist again and smiles to himself as Baekhyun rests his chin on his shoulder.

“Is it lame to say all I really want right now is to kiss you again?” Baekhyun asks in a soft, gentle sort of voice that leaves Kyungsoo a little breathless.

He closes the door to the fridge without taking anything out and twists around to face Baekhyun, smiling up at him, a little amused, a lot fond. “Just a little,” Kyungsoo says, “but I really want that too.”

Baekhyun kisses him again, sweet and soft. Warmth spreads from where their lips meet down to Kyungsoo’s fingertips, his toes. He still can’t quite believe this is happening, but Baekhyun is really there, laughing into Kyungsoo’s mouth when he slides his hands from Kyungsoo’s waist in favor of slipping them into the back pockets of his pants. He gives Kyungsoo’s ass a little squeeze and Kyungsoo groans, lifts his hand from Baekhyun’s shoulder to the nape of his neck. Baekhyun shudders, moans, kisses harder, deeper, and when they pull apart this time, they’re both grinning.

Kyungsoo had worried, in the brief moments he left himself wonder if this would ever happen, that it would be awkward, uneasy. It’s not. It’s as comfortable as anything is between them. It feels good. It feels right. And when he brushes back Baekhyun’s hair from his face, watches the way his eyelashes flutter, the way his lips curl into a wider smile, he just knows Baekhyun feels the same.

“Tonight was a date, right?” Baekhyun asks and Kyungsoo laughs.

“It’s not very fair to plan a date without me knowing,” he says.

Baekhyun peers at him, pulls him even closer with his hands still resting on Kyungsoo’s butt. “I think you knew a little,” he says softly and, well.

“I’d hoped,” Kyungsoo admits, but then lightly lands a punch to Baekhyun’s chest. “You still should’ve said something though.”

“Yeah, probably,” Baekhyun laughs, and they pull apart naturally as Pepper demands attention at their feet yet again.

Kyungsoo crouches down and picks him up into his arms, runs a hand down his back, and then retreats to the living room instead. He settles down onto the couch and glances back at Baekhyun, who is watching from a few feet away. “Come here,” he says with a small chuckle, and pats the space beside him, and Baekhyun grins as he joins him.

They sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Kyungsoo petting Pepper with his left hand while Baekhyun takes Kyungsoo’s right in his own, resting it over his lap and letting their fingers tangle together and apart and together again. It’s like they both know they need to have this conversation but they’re also deeply content as everything is, unwilling to break the moment. Kyungsoo doesn’t mind really. They have the time, and this momentary pause gives Kyungsoo the chance to breathe and process everything that’s happened.

Inky eventually joins them from wherever he’s been hiding, pawing at Baekhyun’s legs until Baekhyun laughs and pulls him up, having to release Kyungsoo’s hand to do so. Kyungsoo tries not to be too disappointed by the loss, especially when Baekhyun is cooing so cutely at Inky as he pets his fur. Inky closes his eyes and rests comfortably in Baekhyun’s lap as if he belongs there and it makes Kyungsoo smile.

“He likes you,” Kyungsoo says.

“I’m glad,” Baekhyun says with a laugh. “Can’t have the kids hating me now that we’re--” He cuts himself off abruptly, perhaps realizing they haven’t actually discussed this and he’s not sure what they are.

Kyungsoo gives him an amused smile when Baekhyun glances over at him, slightly unsure. “Now that we’re...dating?” he offers, equally unsure but also hopeful.

Baekhyun visibly swallows. “Is that what you want?”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo says without hesitation. There’s no reason to pretend now. This is what he’s wanted for months, and despite all the kissing they’ve just done, despite the date they were just on, a small wave of uncertainty passes through him as Baekhyun stares back, like maybe being in a relationship isn’t what Baekhyun wants and Kyungsoo’s read all the signs wrong.

But then, before Kyungsoo can psych himself out, Baekhyun is smiling, wide and bright and happy. “Good,” he says, and he reaches once again for Kyungsoo’s hand. “That’s what I want too.”

All the worry leaves Kyungsoo’s chest at once from that familiar touch, from the quiet but confident tone of his voice. He smiles back, tugs lightly at Baekhyun’s hand and leans forward to find Baekhyun’s lips with his own once again. Kissing Baekhyun is slowly becoming familiar. The soft touch of his lips, the gentle press of their tongues together, the way Baekhyun slips his fingers from Kyungsoo’s hand so he can curl his hand against the back of Kyungsoo’s neck.

Kyungsoo sighs as he pulls back, smiling at Baekhyun for a moment before drawing him back in for another kiss, and another. He can feel Baekhyun’s lips stretching into a smile too, a quiet laugh falling from his mouth as the dogs in their laps start to get antsy from all the movement.

“Sorry, sorry,” Baekhyun says, releasing Kyungsoo so he can pet Inky again, and Kyungsoo gives Pepper a gentle rub between the ears before he sets him down onto the floor. He takes Inky from Baekhyun and does the same, and Baekhyun looks at him curiously, even as his lips twitch up in the corners. “I didn’t mind,” he says, but Kyungsoo is already pulling Baekhyun even closer than before now that there aren’t any puppies in the way.

“I know,” Kyungsoo says softly, breath ghosting against Baekhyun’s lips. “But I want...I want to touch you more.”

Baekhyun smiles fully now, a little smug. “Well, I’m not gonna say no to that,” he replies and bridges the gap between them, their mouths meeting eagerly again.

After all this time hoping and wanting, Kyungsoo thinks he could kiss Baekhyun forever. They start off slow this time, tender kisses that make Kyungsoo’s chest ache, fingers feather-light against their faces, in their hair, trailing up each other’s backs. It feels so good. They part for air and glance at each other, and Kyungsoo sees the amazement that this is all happening mirrored in Baekhyun’s eyes. When they kiss again, it’s with muffled laughter, as if sharing a mutual understanding that it’s taken them far too long to get here, but that they’re glad that they have.

Baekhyun is the one who ends up pressing Kyungsoo down against the couch. He slides over him and it’s not awkward, or uncertain, the two of them falling against each other like this is how it was always meant to be. They pause for just the moment it takes Kyungsoo to pull his glasses off, reaching to the coffee table to set them aside, before picking up where they left off. Kyungsoo nips at Baekhyun’s lower lip again, enjoys the low moan Baekhyun makes, and this time lets his hands find Baekhyun’s ass to squeeze, laughing when Baekhyun has to break away to gasp.

“Are you into that?” Kyungsoo teases and Baekhyun narrows his eyes, but replies without missing a beat, “I’m into you.”

That much is obvious after all this time they’ve spent kissing, but it still catches Kyungsoo off guard. He can feel his teasing smile turn a little stiff on his face, but as Baekhyun continues to stare at him, his own gaze turning much more soft, he relaxes under the sudden admission and says, “I like you too. I’ve liked you for a long time.”

“I had a feeling,” Baekhyun says with and smirk and Kyungsoo snorts and gives Baekhyun’s butt a little pinch since his hands are still there.

“Shut up, you did not,” Kyungsoo says, feeling his face growing hot because well, if he was so obvious to all his friends, it’s possible he was obvious to Baekhyun too.

Baekhyun pouts and this time, Kyungsoo doesn’t have to stop himself from thinking how much he wants to kiss it away. He just does it, leaning up to press their lips together, and when he pulls back, Baekhyun is grinning. “Okay, maybe I was hoping too,” he admits. “I guess we’ve both wasted a lot of time, huh?”

“That’s okay,” Kyungsoo says, sliding his hands up Baekhyun’s back. “I’d rather we’re sure about this, then jumping into something half-heartedly.”

“I am sure,” Baekhyun says, and he pulls himself back up to sit on the couch instead of lying atop of Kyungsoo, who only shudders slightly from the loss of heat. Baekhyun seems to notice, because he takes Kyungsoo’s hands in his and tugs him up until he’s leaning into Baekhyun’s side, an arm around his shoulders. “I want to be with you, Kyungsoo. I want to spend more time with you and take you on more dates and hold your hand and kiss you and--”

“Me too,” Kyungsoo says quickly, heart pounding in his ears at Baekhyun’s honesty. He wants all of that too, and so, so much more. “Whatever you want, Baekhyun.”

“Whatever I want, huh?” Baekhyun says, and he waggles his brows pointedly, laughing when Kyungsoo swats him in the chest with the back of his hand.

Kyungsoo nods anyway, confirming, “Whatever you want.”

Baekhyun makes a humming sort of noise as he considers and pulls Kyungsoo even closer to his side. “Can I stay here tonight?” he asks, and then, perhaps realizing what that’s implying, hastily tacks on, “I just mean to sleep! I just want to be close to you, that’s all, okay, like nothing more! Well, I mean, unless you want something more, that’s--”

Kyungsoo shuts him up with a kiss. He’s finding this to be a very effective method. Baekhyun goes instantly still, and then slowly melts into it, kisses back after a few moments. He looks rather adorably dazed when Kyungsoo eventually pulls back. “You can stay, Baekhyun,” he says softly. “I want you to.”

Baekhyun swallows thickly and nods. “Okay,” he says, licking his lips as he takes Kyungsoo’s face in his hands, rubs his thumb along his cheekbone, and lets Kyungsoo kiss him once more.

The rest of the night passes by like this. Quiet yet eager kisses interspersed with sharing a tub of ice cream and curling up on the couch with Kyungsoo’s dogs to watch an old movie playing on television. The kissing definitely takes up most of their time, but Kyungsoo is not complaining one bit. It’s comfortable and it’s nice and it makes him happy, like his heart is going to burst from his chest with how full he feels. Baekhyun never leaves him alone for long, always at his side, always touching, always kissing and talking and asking questions.

He smiles so warmly at Kyungsoo when he asks if he doesn’t need to check in on Eun, and then kisses him hard after he calls Yixing and listens to Eun tell him about all the fun he’s had with his friend and how Yixing let him try playing his guitar.

“He’s going to demand learning guitar for the next month now,” Baekhyun laughs when he’s hung up, but he doesn’t sound too annoyed by the prospect.

“Kids are always so eager to try new things, aren’t they?” Kyungsoo asks. They’re heading up to his room now, even though it’s not that late. The couch has started to get a little uncomfortable and, well, Kyungsoo has a perfectly good bed and a television in his room.

“Eun definitely is,” Baekhyun agrees. “There’s always something he wants to do, but I think it’s a good thing. I want him to be adventurous.”

“I think it’s good too,” Kyungsoo says, watching as Baekhyun easily slides onto his bed. He rolls onto his side, propping his head up in his hand and pats the space next to him with a little smirk. Kyungsoo snorts. “Are you trying to seduce me?”

“No,” Baekhyun says. “Why, is it working?”

“Definitely not,” Kyungsoo laughs but he still joins Baekhyun in bed after setting his glasses onto the nightstand, and feels his breath leave his lungs as Baekhyun easily draws him into a kiss. It’s definitely more comfortable here, without the couch pillows and arm rests getting in the way, or his dogs wanting attention every couple of minutes. Kyungsoo does feel kind of bad for shutting the door on them but he’ll go back to check on them before they go to sleep. For now, he’s enjoying the chance to kiss Baekhyun without any distractions, pressing him down into the mattress and climbing over him this time. Baekhyun’s hands settle naturally at his waist and Kyungsoo kisses him harder, deeper, until his whole body burns with pleasure.

When they part, they’re gasping a little, and Baekhyun chuckles breathlessly as he gazes up at him. “This is really nice,” he says and Kyungsoo laughs too, brushes the hair out of Baekhyun’s face, and lets his fingers trail down Baekhyun’s cheek then back up slowly.

“It is,” Kyungsoo agrees. “I haven’t--I haven’t done this in awhile, but this feels really good. With you, it feels good.”

“You know it’s the same for me, right?” Baekhyun asks, leaning up on his elbows, gaze turning a little serious. “It’s been a long time since I’ve dated,” he continues when Kyungsoo nods. “I went on a few dates after the divorce but nothing that lasted long enough to go anywhere. People would run the moment I told them about Eun.”

Kyungsoo frowns at that, but Baekhyun chuckles quietly, like it’s an amusing memory and not an upsetting one. “Not you though,” he adds, eyes softening as he meets Kyungsoo’s gaze. “From the first day we met, you were so nice to Eun. And you never...you never used him as a means to get to me, you know? You were nice to him because you’re nice. You’re wonderful, Kyungsoo.”

Heat creeps up Kyungsoo’s neck to his cheeks, even to his ears. He’s sure Baekhyun can tell, but for once, he thinks, he doesn’t really care. He lifts his hands to Baekhyun’s cheeks, holds him in place as he leans down to kiss him deeply, heart pounding in his ears, warmth spreading throughout every fiber of his being.

“I think you’re wonderful too,” Kyungsoo breathes against Baekhyun’s lips, and doesn’t protest when Baekhyun wraps his arms around him and kisses him once again.

Chapter Text

Kyungsoo wakes in the morning to an empty bed. This wouldn’t normally be pause for concern except Kyungsoo remembers quickly and quite vividly everything that transpired the night before. He lies there in bed for a few long moments, stunned that it wasn’t all a dream. It’s like he can still feel Baekhyun’s fingers on his skin and Baekhyun’s lips against his own. He can still hear Baekhyun’s soft words, telling him how much he likes him, how much he wants this, can still see the honesty in Baekhyun’s clear brown eyes.

A wide, dumb grin stretches across his face at the memory. His heart is already bursting full to brim. He rubs his hands over his face, groaning into his palms like a teenager with their first ever crush, and then hauls himself purposefully out of bed. He pauses by the doorway and he can hear movement downstairs that doesn’t sound like it’s just his dogs. Either someone has broken inside or Baekhyun is still here, and Kyungsoo is willing to bet on the latter.

Dopey smile still in place, he heads to the bathroom to quickly wash up, trying and failing to fight back the happiness clearly etched on his face when he catches sight of himself in the mirror. He really can’t help it though. He is happy. Baekhyun likes him. Baekhyun kissed him. Baekhyun stayed the night. Baekhyun is still here.

Kyungsoo splashes cold, cold water on his face, brushes his teeth, and then finally heads downstairs, stopping only to retrieve his glasses from the nightstand.

He can smell coffee as he makes his way toward the kitchen and he hears Baekhyun singing softly. He’s not, however, expecting Baekhyun to be standing in by the counter in just his black boxer briefs, and he freezes in the entryway, throat running a little dry at the sight.

Baekhyun notices him a moment later, twirling around as he sings into his wooden spoon mic and smiles so brightly at Kyungsoo, he can’t help but smile back. “You’re up!” he says. “Good morning.”

“Hi,” Kyungsoo says. He’s trying hard not to stare at Baekhyun’s body but he knows he’s failing. “I thought I gave you clothes to wear last night.”

A little smirk curls across Baekhyun’s lips. “You did,” he says, “but I spilled coffee on the shirt and the pants were a little small.” He shrugs like it’s not a big deal, but he’s eyeing Kyungsoo interestedly now, as if he can tell that Kyungsoo’s distracted.

“Aren’t you cold?” Kyungsoo asks, gaze falling on Baekhyun’s pink nipples and the soft curves of his body. Minseok, the last person Kyungsoo was with, was all hard lines and defined abs. Baekhyun is much softer much more gentle in his shape, with full thighs and small waist but wide, wide shoulders and fuck. After last night, this is too tempting.

He forcefully tears his eyes away, walks briskly toward the fridge to hide behind the door instead. The cool air helps his heated face. He jumps a little when Baekhyun comes up behind him and wraps his arms around Kyungsoo easily.

“Not if I do this,” he says.

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, twisting to glance at him over his shoulder, and when Baekhyun puckers his lips, he kisses him anyway. It’s a short, simple kiss, but it fills him up with warmth, and dissolves all of the worries about where they stand now in the clear light of day. Baekhyun is still here.

Kyungsoo closes the fridge door, smiling up at Baekhyun before he slips away to find a mug and get himself some coffee. He’s barely moved two feet before Baekhyun is wrapping himself around him again, chin on Kyungsoo’s shoulders, pressing his lips to the side of his neck, the lobe of his ear. Kyungsoo laughs, shuffling toward the coffee maker with Baekhyun attached to him like an overgrown koala.

“Is this what I have to deal with now?” he asks lightly. “Are you the clingy type of boyfriend?”

Kyungsoo freezes almost immediately after the words leave his mouth. They hadn’t actually discussed labels last night. Dating doesn’t necessarily mean boyfriends. Maybe Baekhyun wants to take it slow, maybe they should wait, maybe--

His thoughts fizzle out when Baekhyun laughs and gives Kyungsoo a strong squeeze. “I’m a clingy person in general. I would've thought that would be obvious by now,” Baekhyun says as he releases Kyungsoo in favor of walking to the opposite counter and retrieving his own mug of coffee. Kyungsoo watches him with near baited breath as Baekhyun lifts his mug to his lips and takes a slow, deliberate sip.

Only once he lowers his mug does he say, “Boyfriend sounds nice, by the way.”

Kyungsoo lets out a sigh of relief. “Yeah?” he says, just to make sure.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun confirms with a nod. He sets his mug back down to the counter and waves Kyungsoo over. “So come here. Boyfriend.”

Grinning widely, Kyungsoo walks slowly over to him, mug still in hand, which Baekhyun takes from him with deft fingers and sets aside as well. His hands fall to Kyungsoo’s hips next, and he drags him close, Kyungsoo’s thigh between Baekhyun’s legs, and like this, Kyungsoo is all too aware of the fact that Baekhyun is practically naked in his kitchen. He rests his own hands on Baekhyun’s shoulders, then lets them slide down his chest until he can pinch a nipple between his fingers.

Baekhyun laughs and leans in to kiss him, and Kyungsoo opens up eagerly to let him, tasting coffee and the familiar mintiness of his mouthwash that Baekhyun must’ve used when he woke up. He groans a little, and kisses back hard, and despite all the time they spent making out like this last night, Kyungsoo still feels starved.

Luckily, Baekhyun seems to feel the same with how enthusiastically he keeps up. Kyungsoo lets his hands settle at Baekhyun’s waist, rubs his thumb along his bare skin and feels the way Baekhyun trembles just barely under his touch. He sighs into Kyungsoo’s lips, and draws back in favor of pressing short, sweet kisses along his jaw and then further down his neck. Kyungsoo gasps when Baekhyun bites into him, tightens his hold on Baekhyun’s waist as he tilts his head to the side to give Baekhyun better access, heat pooling low in his stomach from the surprise and the pleasure.

Baekhyun drags his tongue over the mark after and lifts up to face Kyungsoo again with a big, smug grin. Kyungsoo wipes it off his face with another rough kiss, swallowing up the groan that falls from Baekhyun’s mouth until they’re both left panting, staring at each other as they catch their breaths, smiles tugging at the corners of their lips.

“So,” Kyungsoo asks lightly, “are you staying for breakfast?”

He thinks the way Baekhyun kisses him again is answer enough.

“So it was a date,” Junmyeon says with an I-told-you-so kind of smirk.

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo says, shrugging lightly even as an unbidden smile stretches across his face the way it does every time he so much as thinks about his weekend with Baekhyun. “It was.”

“Gross,” Chanyeol says, flicking a French fry at Kyungsoo’s face. “That look on your face.” He shudders and Kyungsoo merely rolls his eyes, ignoring him in favor of picking up his burger and taking a satisfying bite from it.

“I’m glad it worked out,” Minseok says from Kyungsoo’s left. He’s smiling softly at him and it kind of makes Kyungsoo embarrassed. He averts his eyes, staring fixedly at his food instead. “It took you guys long enough, but you finally got what you wanted.”

“Can we talk about anything else?” Kyungsoo says, an edge of a whine to his voice that makes all his friends laugh.

“No way,” Chanyeol says. “You’ve been pining after Baekhyun for how long? And now you don’t want to talk about when you finally get together?”

“There’s nothing else to say,” Kyungsoo insists, and it’s true. He’s already told them about the date, and he even mentioned the kissing, and how Baekhyun stayed the night. He left out just how much they kissed, but he figures that’s probably for the best.

“Has Baekhyun told his kid about all of this?” Junmyeon asks curiously as he lifts his plastic cup of iced coffee to his lips.

Kyungsoo nods. They talked about it that Sunday morning over breakfast. “He’d already told Eun that he’s dating again, just to make sure Eun is okay with it,” Kyungsoo explains. “Apparently Eun said he’s happy about it because he doesn’t want Baekhyun to be lonely.”

Minseok laughs and Chanyeol grins widely. “He’s a cute kid,” he says and Kyungsoo feels a fond smile tugging at his own lips.

“He is,” Kyungsoo agrees.

“But Baekhyun didn’t tell him about you?” Minseok asks, keeping the conversation on track.

“Not yet,” Kyungsoo replies. “He wants to take it a little slow, make sure that whatever this is between us really works out before he lets Eunnie know.”

“But Eun loves you,” Chanyeol says, brows furrowed. “I doubt he’s gonna make a big fuss over it.”

“It’s not really about that, is it?” Junmyeon says knowingly before Kyungsoo can speak. “Because Eun likes you so much, Baekhyun’s worried telling him too soon about the two of you might get his hopes up.”

Kyungsoo nods again as Chanyeol makes a soft noise of understanding and Minseok reaches across the table to steal some of Junmyeon’s fries. “It’s probably for the best,” he says.

“Well, Baekhyun would know what’s good for his kid,” Minseok adds. “And I really doubt you guys are gonna run into any problems before you get the chance to tell him.”

“I hope so,” Kyungsoo says quietly, his own brows furrowing as he thinks about it. They’d spent most of Sunday morning together. They made breakfast and ate together at the dining table, legs tangled underneath as they shared stories about the past week, lamented all the errands they had to run that day in preparation for the next. They washed up all the dishes afterward, and Baekhyun flicked soap bubbles into Kyungsoo’s face repeatedly until Kyungsoo stopped him with a deep, firm kiss, pressed up against the running sink.

They dawdled after. Slow to let go, slow to let Baekhyun redress, slow to kiss at the door even though Baekhyun needed to leave to pick up Eun. It was maybe a little ridiculous, how much Kyungsoo didn’t want to part ways, even though he knew he’d see Baekhyun again soon, would talk to him again within a few hours over text or a phone call. It’s just that now that he’d had Baekhyun in his arms, now that he knew he could have more, he didn’t want to give it up so soon.

But they did, eventually, Baekhyun pulling on his shoes and his coat and smiling warmly at Kyungsoo as he opened the door. “Let’s do this again,” he said, and had laughed softly when Kyungsoo blurted out, “Soon.”

“Soon,” Baekhyun had promised, leaning forward to press one last kiss to his lips before he left, and Kyungsoo had spent the rest of the day wondering exactly how soon was soon.

That had been two days ago. They’ve talked since then, the usual conversations over the phone, Baekhyun sending Kyungsoo stupid memes he usually gets from Jongdae, discussing upcoming movies and considering which ones would be worth seeing in theater. Kyungsoo keeps a mental list. It’d be a good option for a date, no matter how cliche.

“So,” Minseok says, cutting Kyungsoo from his thoughts. “When’s the next big date?”

“We haven’t planned anything yet,” Kyungsoo admits and glowers when all his friends sigh exasperatedly at him. “I’m working on it,” he hisses, just to get them off his back.

“You better be,” Junmyeon says. “We’re invested in this now.”

“You guys need a hobby,” Kyungsoo grumbles.

“What’s more entertaining than asking you about that hickey on your neck?” Chanyeol adds with a sly smirk as Kyungsoo slaps a hand against his neck, his face suddenly aflame.

“It was a really good weekend, wasn’t it?” Minseok teases, nudging Kyungsoo in the side with his elbow and Kyungsoo wants to petulantly deny it, doesn’t want to give into their games, but instead he just gently runs his finger over the mark on his skin, vividly remembering how it got there, and says instead, “Yes, it was,” and laughs delightedly at the stunned looks on his friends’ faces.

Kyungsoo spends the next few days anticipating when he’ll get the chance to see Baekhyun again. They’re both busy, but they make sure to talk as much as they can over phone, and Baekhyun seems just as eager for another date as Kyungsoo is, if not more.

“It should be your turn to plan, right?” he says Wednesday evening when Kyungsoo’s got him on speakerphone so he can finish making dinner.

“I guess that’s fair,” Kyungsoo agrees.

“I mean, you’ll definitely never be able to live up to my first surprise date,” Baekhyun goes on as Kyungsoo snorts, “but I’m sure I’ll still enjoy it all the same.”

“How magnanimous of you,” Kyungsoo says dryly and he can just imagine Baekhyun is grinning at him smugly. “Maybe I’ll just make you wait another week then, since I’ll clearly need the extra time to plan.”

“Noooo,” Baekhyun whines so loudly he scares Inky who is following around at Kyungsoo’s feet. “Please don’t do that. Haven’t we waited long enough?”

There’s no one around to judge him so Kyungsoo doesn’t stop the wide grin that pulls at his lips. “Yeah,” he says softly. “We have.” Kyungsoo doesn’t want to wait another week anyway. “Keep your Saturday open then. I’ll plan something.”

“I can’t wait,” Baekhyun says, and yeah, Kyungsoo can’t really either.

He feels a little ridiculous as he puts the pieces together that week. He’s excited. He’s happy. He hasn’t felt this way about someone else in a long time. He and Minseok never really went on dates together. It wasn’t the same. This thing with Baekhyun feels so new, Kyungsoo isn’t sure what to do.

He doesn’t want to ask any of his friends for help either, because he knows he’ll just be teased more than he is supported and Kyungsoo already had to deal with enough of that earlier in the week. Besides, as the week comes to a close, Kyungsoo is pretty confident in his date plans, just nervous. He wants it to be good. He wants this thing with Baekhyun to be fun and memorable. He doesn’t want to let the fact that he hasn’t been in the game in years get in his way.

He’s a bit of a nervous wreck in the car ride that Saturday evening, but he also thinks he’s doing a good job of hiding it. Baekhyun, singing along with the radio and cutting himself off every few minutes to ask Kyungsoo something else about his week, doesn’t seem to notice at any rate. It’s frustrating how being with Baekhyun like this makes him simultaneously comfortable and anxious.

“An arcade?” Baekhyun says when they finally arrive. His eyes are bright as he follows Kyungsoo inside and Kyungsoo finally relaxes some at the sheer excitement on Baekhyun’s face.

“I know you like gaming,” Kyungsoo says, pulling his wallet from his back pocket and heading straight for one of the token machines. “I figured that while it’d be fun spending a night at home playing games, this would at least put us on more of an even footing. Plus, I haven’t been to an arcade in years.”

“Me either,” Baekhyun says, smiling widely as he sidles in close to Kyungsoo’s side, a hand easily resting at Kyungsoo’s hip. Normally Kyungsoo would shy away from public displays of affection, but he finds he doesn’t quite mind it when it’s with Baekhyun. Or maybe it’s just because they haven’t had a chance to see each other all week, and other than the kiss of greeting Baekhyun had given him in the car, this is the closest they’ve been since Sunday morning.

Kyungsoo feeds a five dollar bill into the machine and they watch as tokens pile out into the bottom. Baekhyun pulls them out easily as Kyungsoo slips in another bill, and smiles as Baekhyun says, “This is why you said it was okay to bring Eunnie, huh? He probably would’ve liked this more than spending the night watching movies with Jongdae.”

“I figured he’d enjoy it,” Kyungsoo says. “I know you don’t like having to always ask someone to watch him, too, so I wouldn’t have minded that he came along.”

“I know,” Baekhyun says, eyes soft as they meet Kyungsoo’s. “That’s--I’ve never had to worry about that with you.”

“Good,” Kyungsoo says, and picks up the last handful of tokens, drops them into Baekhyun’s hands, laughing when Baekhyun struggles to hold them all and a few fall to the floor. Kyungsoo retrieves them, and they split the pile of tokens between them so it’s easier to carry. Kyungsoo shoves his own into his pocket and, on impulse, reaches out to take Baekhyun’s free hand with his own. “We’ll have to come back another time with Eun, then.”

“I really want to kiss you right now,” Baekhyun says so seriously that Kyungsoo can’t help but laugh, and takes it upon himself to kiss Baekhyun instead. It’s just a gentle press of lips, but it seems to leave them both a little dazed, and Kyungsoo’s chest aching for more. Instead he squeezes Baekhyun’s hand and drags him further into the arcade.

“Come on, Baekhyunnie,” he says, and can practically see the way Baekhyun melts at the endearment “Get ready to lose at everything.”

“Hah!” Baekhyun huffs, easily taking the bait. “You wish!”

“Loser buys dessert later?” Kyungsoo suggests as they stop by the air hockey table.

“Deal,” Baekhyun says.

There’s something highly entertaining about spending the night playing games. Baekhyun is competitive and Kyungsoo is willing to keep up, enjoying the way Baekhyun gets worked up every time he loses. Kyungsoo had been right too, that they were much more evenly matched at a place like this, and they each end up with a rather sizeable handful of tickets by the time they’ve had enough.

Kyungsoo beats Baekhyun by two whole tickets, which leaves Baekhyun pouting and sulking as they peruse the array of toys they can buy. He seems to get over it when Kyungsoo spends the majority of his winnings on a cute stuffed corgi toy and then hands it over to Baekhyun with a smile.

“For me?” Baekhyun says, surprised.

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo says with a little shrug. “Isn’t that how these kinds of dates are supposed to go?” He says it teasingly, nudging Baekhyun’s side, but Baekhyun still grins widely and gives Kyungsoo’s cheek a soft kiss when it seems like no one is looking.

“I’d get you something too if I wasn’t already supposed to pay for dessert,” Baekhyun says and Kyungsoo laughs, waves it off.

“I’m fine,” he says, and holds up his remaining tickets. “I have plenty more I can get.”

They end up with a bagful of knick knacks and candy and Baekhyun pops a red lollipop into his mouth as they head back out to Kyungsoo’s car. “Eun is gonna love all this shit,” he says around the candy, peering into the bag once more before he sets it down on the floor between his feet. He pulls his lollipop out of his mouth with a loud pop, then reaches across the center console to curl his free fingers into the front of Kyungsoo’s coat and tug him into a kiss.

Baekhyun tastes like sugar and strawberries, sweet and enticing, and Kyungsoo doesn’t shy away from seeking more. Their mouths meet again and again, their tongues sliding together, across their lips, the roof of their mouths, the lines of their teeth. Their breath mix together in the heat of Kyungsoo’s car, and Kyungsoo releases his hold on the steering wheel in favor of taking Baekhyun’s face in his hands. He rubs a thumb gently along Baekhyun’s soft cheek.

When they pull back, it’s to laugh softly at their harsh breathing and palpable desire. Kyungsoo has almost forgotten all about the fact they still have dinner planned, and dessert. He wonders if maybe skipping all of that is too bold.

“I’ve been wanting to do that the entire time we were in there,” Baekhyun admits. He’s still leaning close to Kyungsoo, the hand at his coat now slipping up to press tenderly along the side of his neck.

“Me too,” Kyungsoo says softly. He lets his own hands drop to his lap, takes a few steadying breaths, and then glances at Baekhyun. “Hungry?” he asks.

Baekhyun grins, slides back into his seat and pops the lollipop back into his mouth. “Starving,” he says, and lets his left hand fall to Kyungsoo’s thigh and stay there.

Kyungsoo starts the car and grins back.

Dinner is a comfortable affair at a little mom-and-pop place that Kyungsoo had only heard about a few days ago from Junmyeon. “He said he brought his wife here for their anniversary a couple of weeks ago,” Kyungsoo explains after they’ve placed their orders. “He couldn’t stop praising it enough so I figured it would be a nice option.”

“If it tastes as good as it all smells then I’m sure you picked well,” Baekhyun says as he lounges back in his seat and lets his feet bump up against Kyungsoo’s beneath the table. Neither of them pull away.

“If it doesn’t, I’ll make sure to have Junmyeon compensate me on the bill,” Kyungsoo jokes and smiles widely as Baekhyun laughs.

“Speaking of Junmyeon, has he eased the pressure on you about the book at all?” Baekhyun asks and Kyungsoo rolls his eyes as he straightens up in his seat.

“You’re asking for a miracle there,” he says, and tells Baekhyun all about it. They’ve been fighting over the title lately. Junmyeon wants something fun and snappy but Kyungsoo wants to keep in theme of the other books. Trying to come to a compromise hasn’t been easy.

Baekhyun commiserates with Kyungsoo’s complaints, teases him cutely by reaching across the table to pinch Kyungsoo’s cheek and tell him everything will be okay, laughing when Kyungsoo bats his hand away. It’s so comfortable with Baekhyun, Kyungsoo doesn’t know why he was so nervous. It’s their second date, even though in some ways, it still kind of feels like their first, but it’s not awkward or weird. It’s just him and Baekhyun, together as they were meant to be.

The food turns out to be as amazing as Junmyeon had said and topic of conversation moves from work to an old French movie Kyungsoo watched the other night to the cute videos of Baekhyun’s niece that Baekbeom keeps sending Baekhyun. He shows one to Kyungsoo, who coos at the sight of the little girl attempting to crawl on the ground.

“She’s gotten even more adorable since I saw her,” Kyungsoo says as he hands Baekhyun’s phone back.

“Right?” Baekhyun agrees. “She’s a heartbreaker. Baekbeom’s in over his head with two girls honestly. Even with my mom there to help out, he complains about never having enough time to sleep.”

“It must be tough,” Kyungsoo says. “I can’t even imagine.”

“You’re great with kids though,” Baekhyun says. “Well, I mean, I’ve only ever really seen you with Eun, but Eun loves you, so.”

Kyungsoo laughs but warmth settles in his chest at the comment. It’s important to him that Eun likes him, especially now that he and Baekhyun are together. “Has Eun said anything else about the whole dating thing?” he asks. “I know you’ve been worried about it.”

“He hasn’t really said much since I talked to him the first time,” Baekhyun says, but he frowns a little, clearly hesitating.

Kyungsoo gently nudges his foot under the table and when Baekhyun looks over at him, he says, “What is it?”

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun admits with a sigh. “I talked to him again last weekend, reminded him that I met someone and we’ll be going on more dates, and he just nodded like it was okay, but as the week went on, he’s been--I don’t know. Quieter than usual, I guess.”

“How was he today when you told him you had a date?” Kyungsoo asks gently.

“He didn’t say anything!” Baekhyun exclaims, and the furrow between his brows makes Kyungsoo want to pull him close and kiss his worries away. “That’s the thing! Usually if I go out with friends, he tells me to have fun. But tonight? When I dropped him off at Jongdae’s, he barely said goodbye to me until I reminded him to give me a hug.”

Kyungsoo frowns. That definitely doesn’t sound like Eun. “Maybe he’s just getting used to the idea,” he says.

“I hope so,” Baekhyun says with a sigh. “He didn’t seem to have a problem with it a few weeks ago when I first brought it up, so I don’t know why he’s suddenly being so quiet about it.”

Kyungsoo reaches across the table to take Baekhyun’s hand in his. He lets his thumb slide across Baekhyun’s knuckles and feels the way he relaxes. “It’ll be okay,” he says softly. “Let me know if it gets any worse, okay? I...I can try and help you figure out what’s wrong.”

“Thank--” Baekhyun starts, but then quickly snaps his mouth shut when Kyungsoo lifts his free hand to point at him. Baekhyun laughs. “I’ll let you know,” he amends and Kyungsoo nods, grinning.

He makes to sit back, but Baekhyun doesn’t let him pull his hand away, and they sit there in silence for a few moments, their fingers lacing together and apart, again and again. The longer Baekhyun stares at him, eyes so warm, the more flustered Kyungsoo gets, but he does his best to hide it. It’s not that he doesn’t enjoy the attention, it’s that it makes him want to kiss Baekhyun until his lips are pink and swollen, until neither of them can breathe from how much they want it.

Kyungsoo reaches for his glass of water and downs a few cooling sips. Baekhyun’s gaze fixates on the bob of his throat. It’s hard to miss. As Kyungsoo lowers his glass back down, Baekhyun licks his lips, and his eyes flick back up to meet Kyungsoo’s, and there’s a moment there, where the desire between them feels electrifying, all the way down to where their hands remain clasped together on the tabletop.

“So,” Baekhyun says, and his voice comes out a little strained. “What would you like for dessert?”

Dessert ends up being a stop at a small bakery and sharing bites from each other’s slices of cake. Baekhyun sips on a mug of coffee while Kyungsoo enjoys some tea, and they sit across from each other in the quiet place, talking occasionally, fighting each other with their forks, and falling into staring contests that leave them both equal parts flustered and smug.

Nervous yet excited energy simmers under Kyungsoo’s skin like lightning. It’s like he’s never been on a date before with the way he feels on edge one minute and then perfectly comfortable the next. There’s moments when they find nothing to say, but it’s not so much as awkward as it is finding their footing, easing into telling each other even more about themselves and taking the relationship they’ve built over the past seven months into something deeper, something new and thrilling.

It is thrilling, just how much Kyungsoo wants Baekhyun and how much he can tell that Baekhyun wants him, too. By the time they return home, Baekhyun’s home, upon his insistence that Kyungsoo come in for a drink if he wants, Kyungsoo is itching to kiss him again, kiss him like they spent most of the past weekend kissing.

Thankfully Baekhyun seems to be on the same wavelength. They’ve taken maybe two steps inside before Baekhyun is pressing him into the closed door and whispering, “I’m gonna kiss you now,” and Kyungsoo laughs and kisses him, first.

“I feel like we need to have dates at home from now on considering how hard it is not to touch you in public,” Baekhyun says in between kisses.

Kyungsoo laughs against Baekhyun’s mouth and says, “I wouldn’t be opposed to that but it’s been fun, right?” He presses another kiss to Baekhyun’s lips, lets his lips trail along Baekhyun’s jaw. “Going out together? Doing things that we haven’t done before?”

Baekhyun moans lowly at the way Kyungsoo pulls Baekhyun even closer, hands held firm at his hips. “Yeah, that’s true,” he gasps, tilting his head to the side to give Kyungsoo better access to kiss down his neck. “But I want to do even more. I want--fuck, I want to touch you more, and hold you like this--” He slides his hands up Kyungsoo’s sides as he speaks, and even through the thick material of his coat, Kyungsoo can feel the heat of his fingertips. “I want to kiss you until you can’t breathe.”

A shiver runs up Kyungsoo’s spine and he lifts his head to meet Baekhyun’s eyes with his own. It’s as if Baekhyun had read his own thoughts from hours ago. “I don’t know,” Kyungsoo drawls, bursting with the very same need, “that sounds a little dangerous.”

Baekhyun laughs as he swats Kyungsoo in the chest with the back of his hand. “Hey, I’m trying to be romantic here,” he says.

Kyungsoo quirks a brow. “Oh, that’s what you’re doing.”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun agrees, hands finding Kyungsoo’s ass and dragging him closer, the two of them stumbling a few feet away from the door, laughing into each other’s lips. “Is it working?”

“Maybe,” Kyungsoo says and cuts off anymore attempt at conversation with another kiss.

It’s much more heated this time than any other time before and Kyungsoo is curious and excited to see just how far this can go. They kiss for what feels like hours right there in Baekhyun’s entryway, stopping only occasionally to kick off their shoes, their laughter ringing down the hall as they trip over themselves in their haste and reluctance to let each other go.

Kyungsoo hasn’t felt this desperate in years. It’s like he’s starved for touch and only Baekhyun can satisfy him, and it’s as nerve-wracking as it is delightfully thrilling. Adrenaline rushes through his veins, lit up by each of Baekhyun’s kisses and brush of his fingers. Their jackets are discarded as they make their way into the living room, and Kyungsoo pushes Baekhyun toward the couch. Baekhyun’s hands fall to Kyungsoo’s hips and pull him close until Kyungsoo’s slipping between Baekhyun’s legs. Kyungsoo sighs softly, tangling his hands into Baekhyun’s hair, and kisses him deeply, like he can feel his lungs filling with hunger from each press of their lips.

Baekhyun breaks the kiss eventually, his eyes dark but smile warm. Kyungsoo stumbles back a little when Baekhyun suddenly stands, but Baekhyun steadies him with the hands still at his hips. He chuckles softly and then takes Kyungsoo’s hand in his, leads Kyungsoo wordlessly up to his room. Kyungsoo’s heart is pounding and the tension is so thick between them he worries he might choke on it, but he wants to be here, no matter how nervous he suddenly feels.

A laugh bubbles out of his chest as he watches Baekhyun slowly lifting his soft white sweater over his head, shimmying his hips side to side. He twirls the sweater around in his fingers and jumps when it flies out of his hand to land on the floor. Kyungsoo snorts, crossing his arms over his chest even as his throat runs a little dry at the sight. He’s seen Baekhyun shirtless a few times now, had even touched him like this in his own kitchen just a week ago, but he’s still not used to it, not used to knowing he can have this for real.

As if sensing Kyungsoo’s hesitance, Baekhyun smiles and says, “It’s okay. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

But that’s not it at all. Kyungsoo does want this. He wants this so much he’s aching with it. He licks his lips, doesn’t miss the way Baekhyun stares, and reaches up to unbutton his shirt. He walks closer to Baekhyun as he does, closing the distance between them until he can see the way Baekhyun’s eyes have grown even darker, the way his fingers twitch with eagerness to touch at his sides. Kyungsoo pushes his shirt off his shoulders, lets it fall to the floor around his feet.

“I want this,” Kyungsoo says, as sure as he’s ever been about anything. “I’ve wanted this for a long time.”

“Thank god,” Baekhyun breathes out, sounding half delirious with laughter as he hooks his fingers in Kyungsoo’s belt loops and pulls him closer. “I might have cried if you didn’t.”

Kyungsoo kisses him sweet and gentle, even as the underlying current of urgency rushes through his body, burning hot everywhere they touch. They fall into Baekhyun’s bed, still kissing, still touching. Kyungsoo’s knee slides in between Baekhyun’s leg as Baekhyun relaxes back against the headboard and cups Kyungsoo’s ass in his hands again. He squeezes, draws out a low moan, lets his hands trail up Kyungsoo’s back until his fingers thread through in his hair.

Kyungsoo pulls back just long enough to remove his glasses which Baekhyun takes from him to set aside on the nightstand, and then slides a hand against Kyungsoo’s cheek, looks up at him in reverence.

“You’re beautiful,” he says and Kyungsoo’s breath hitches. “With your glasses too, of course, but like--your eyes--”

Kyungsoo vaguely remembers Baekhyun commenting about his eyes months ago and it’s nice to know that hasn’t changed. “You’re not so bad yourself, you know,” he says.

“Can you even see me?” Baekhyun teases, and yelps when Kyungsoo pinches a nipple in reprimand.

“I’m not that blind and you’re literally right in front of my face.”

“Just checking! It’d be kind of weird if you couldn’t, you know, especially when we’re like this--”

“Baekhyun, shut up,” Kyungsoo mutters as he slides his hands along the sides of Baekhyun’s face and leans down to kiss him.

A soft moan vibrates against his lips. Baekhyun kisses back as roughly as Kyungsoo gives, and it’s empowering to know that Baekhyun wants this just as much. His touch is becoming familiar now, the way he holds Kyungsoo’s hips in his hands, the way he slides his tongue across Kyungsoo’s lips, and every whimpered gasp that slips through in the short moments they part for air.

Kyungsoo feels right at home in Baekhyun’s lap like this, sliding his own hands up and down his broad chest, laughing into the flushed skin of his neck when he rubs his thumb over his nipples and draws out a low moan. Baekhyun arches his back into the bed, and the line of his jaw, the fluttering of his eyelashes--it’s beautiful. Kyungsoo kisses him again, harder, deeper, grinds down against him and it’s him who moans this time, feeling just how hard Baekhyun is, just how hard he is.

Kyungsoo has never let himself think too much about what he’d do with Baekhyun if they were ever together like this. Not because he’s never wanted it, but because Baekhyun is his friend before anything else and he’s never wanted to jeopardize that with unfulfilled fantasies. But now--now that he’s here, in Baekhyun’s bed, in Baekhyun’s lap, feeling the heat of his body through his fingertips and the clear arousal straining the front of his jeans, every fleeting desire comes rushing back.

There’s so much he wants, there’s so much he craves, that it’s overwhelming, trying to decide what to do. And kissing Baekhyun, that’s good. That’s more than good. Kyungsoo thinks he could kiss Baekhyun like this forever and would be completely satisfied, and yet--

“Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun moans, but it’s the gentle brush of his fingers across the waistband of his jeans that pierces through Kyungsoo’s dizzying thoughts. “Is it okay--Can I--”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo says breathlessly. He thinks he might have moaned a little too. “Yes, please--”

They work at it together, deft fingers popping open buttons and pulling down the zippers of their jeans. Kyungsoo reluctantly slides off of Baekhyun’s lap just long enough for them both to discard their pants. He presses Baekhyun flat against the sheets after, straddling Baekhyun’s hips, and laughs softly at flash of surprise that crosses Baekhyun’s face. He leans down and finds Baekhyun’s lips with his own again just as Baekhyun slides a firm hand across the front of Kyungsoo’s briefs.

“Fuck,” Kyungsoo groans into Baekhyun’s mouth. “I want--”

“What?” Baekhyun says into the sweaty skin of Kyungsoo’s collarbone. “What do you want?”

Kyungsoo sighs, flattening his palms against the soft swell of Baekhyun’s stomach before smoothing them out to his sides. “I want to make you feel good,” he says, placing a kiss to Baekhyun’s shoulder, then another further down against his sternum.

He can feel Baekhyun’s laugh through his chest as much as he hears it. He smiles against Baekhyun’s skin as he says, “You already are.”

A hand falls to the nape of Kyungsoo’s neck, gently squeezing, coaxing, until Kyungsoo looks up and meets Baekhyun’s eyes. They’re deep with want but still soft with affection and they both move at once to kiss each other yet again. It’s gentle this time, less hurried, and they laugh against each other’s mouths until they’re both smiling more than they’re actually kissing. Kyungsoo’s heart feels too big to fit in his chest.

Kyungsoo shifts slightly over Baekhyun to get more comfortable and draws a hitched breath from Baekhyun’s lips as their clothed erections bump against each other again. It reminds Kyungsoo of how much more he wants, how much more of Baekhyun he wants,, and he wastes no time in scooting back, letting his hands at Baekhyun’s hips tug at the band of his boxer briefs.

“Can I--” he starts and Baekhyun is already nodding his head before he can finish, making Kyungsoo chuckle a little at his eagerness. He’s eager too, mouth practically watering as he pulls Baekhyun’s last piece of clothing down to his knees. Baekhyun is beautiful. The curve of his hips, the fullness of his thighs, the flushed color of his hard cock lying against his pelvis--Kyungsoo swallows thickly as he drinks in the sight, staring long enough that Baekhyun starts to laugh.

He lifts a brow and asks teasingly, “Like what you see?”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes but replies, “Maybe,” and trails his hands down Baekhyun’s thighs. Baekhyun trembles under the touch and his cock twitches with clear want, leaking precome across Baekhyun’s skin, and fuck. Kyungsoo really kind of wants that in his mouth.

He swallows again, but this time in determination, and slides further back so he’s comfortably between Baekhyun’s legs. He pulls Baekhyun’s briefs all the way off, lets his hands trail up Baekhyun’s legs from his knees to his hips and then back down again, and Baekhyun has propped himself up on his elbows to watch just as Kyungsoo wraps one hand around his cock.

Baekhyun practically whimpers at the touch and Kyungsoo huffs a laugh into the jut of his hip, glancing up to find the way Baekhyun is blushing a little, high in his cheeks. He holds onto his gaze as he strokes his cock slowly from base to tip and then back down, and enjoys the way Baekhyun’s eyelashes flutter in his pleasure, his fingers curl into the sheets at his sides.

Kyungsoo would like to take it slow, would like to see Baekhyun come apart under him, but he’s too desperate and too eager to draw it out. The want, the urgency is too palpable between them, driving them to the edge of euphoria. Baekhyun is watching him so closely in anticipation, licking his lips as Kyungsoo kisses at the top of his thigh, near his navel, and then finally, the head of his cock.

“Fuck,” he breathes harshly, and he cups the side the Kyungsoo’s face with a hand. “You don’t--”

“I want to,” Kyungsoo cuts him off, because he does, and in this moment he doesn’t think he’s ever wanted anything else. “So just enjoy it, okay?”

Baekhyun lets out a sort of incredulous laugh, like he can’t believe this is happening, but he rubs his thumb along Kyungsoo’s cheek and then drops his hand, relenting. “Well,” he says, “if you really want to, I’m not gonna complain.”

Kyungsoo snorts. “That’s what I figured,” he says, and then slowly takes Baekhyun’s cock into his mouth.

The gasped moan Baekhyun makes is equal parts adorable and arousing, but Kyungsoo does his best to focus on pulling more sounds from him than anything else. He sucks around the head and then lifts off to lick a wet stripe up the underside of his cock, presses his free hand against Baekhyun’s hip to keep him from moving when he starts to tremble involuntarily for more.

Kyungsoo might’ve not done this in awhile, but he’s quick to pick up on what Baekhyun likes, pressing fleeting kisses along the length of his cock before taking him into his mouth again. He goes further this time, rubs a soothing circle into Baekhyun’s hip with his thumb, and feels Baekhyun’s cock twitch on his tongue as his lips meet his fingers that are wrapped at the base. Kyungsoo strokes up with his hand as he pulls off, and then down as he lowers his head again. The sounds Baekhyun makes get louder, like he can’t control them, like all he can do is moan and moan as Kyungsoo gets him closer to the edge.

“You’re--fuck,” Baekhyun rasps out, sliding a hand along the back of Kyungsoo’s neck and squeezing there gently, “So--good--”

Kyungsoo huffs out a laugh as he lifts up from Baekhyun’s cock and Baekhyun jerks from the heat of his breath. He plants soft kisses across Baekhyun’s skin, to the little mole along his ribcage, and revels in the sharp hiss of Baekhyun’s breath when he sinks his teeth into the yielding flesh of his stomach. He bites hard enough to leave a mark, to leave Baekhyun panting and writhing and dragging Kyungsoo’s mouth back to his cock.

“Please,” he gasps, “I’m close--”

“Then come,” Kyungsoo tells him, meeting his gaze, basking for a moment in the flush on Baekhyun’s cheek, the way his hair has matted to his forehead, the strain in his shoulders from staying perched up long enough to watch.

Baekhyun nods wordlessly, rubs his fingers along Kyungsoo’s nape again, encouragingly, and Kyungsoo wraps his lips around his cock again, this time determined to finish him off. And Baekhyun does come, a few minutes later, as Kyungsoo takes him nearly all the way, tongue pressed firm along the underside and the hand at the base dipping down to slide over sensitive balls. Baekhyun curses deeply, mumbling out a warning, and Kyungsoo pulls away just in time to watch Baekhyun come over his stomach, body stretching taut for a long moment, eyes falling closed and jaw clenched. He practically collapses into his pleasure afterward, elbows giving away, fingers slipping free from their hold in the sheets, and a bubbling laugh tumbling from his lips.

Kyungsoo grins down at him as Baekhyun meets his eyes, and teasingly gives his cock another stroke to the tip, rubs his fingers over the slit. Baekhyun groans, swats him in the chest with a weak hand, but then grasps him by the forearm and drags Kyungsoo against him.

They kiss, harsh at first before slowing down, enjoying the warmth of each other’s bodies, the heat of their breaths every time they gasp for air. Kyungsoo’s hands slide into Baekhyun’s sweat-damp hair, and he ruts down against Baekhyun’s thigh, his clothed, neglected cock now begging for attention. It’s Baekhyun, however, who moans at the feeling, and he drops his hands to Kyungsoo’s ass, squeezing him roughly as he drags him even closer, lets Kyungsoo grind against him for relief.

“Touch me,” Kyungsoo groans, breaking the kiss to breathe into Baekhyun’s ear. He runs his tongue along the shell and feels the way Baekhyun shivers. “Please, Baekhyun--Baekhyunnie--”

“Fuck,” Baekhyun half-gasps, half-laughs. “Now that’s a low blow.”

Kyungsoo just bites his teeth around the lobe of Baekhyun’s ear in response. Baekhyun’s laugh turns into another moan, but he complies with Kyungsoo’s request, hastily pushing his underwear past his hips and shoving a hand between their bodies so he can take Kyungsoo’s cock in his palm. Kyungsoo muffles his groan into Baekhyun’s neck, hips jerking into the firm circle of Baekhyun’s hand. Baekhyun is good, doesn’t tease, doesn’t drag it out, knows how much Kyungsoo wants to come and gets him there with purpose. His strokes are fast and tight and he slides his mouth down Kyungsoo’s neck, sucks gently against his collarbone, as Kyungsoo lets out an almost frustrated whine for more.

It doesn’t take long after that, and he comes with a whispered noise all over Baekhyun’s fingers, even adding to the mess on Baekhyun’s stomach. Baekhyun holds him through it, his free hand soothingly runs down the curve of his butt to thigh and back, all the way up his spine. Kyungsoo noses along Baekhyun’s jaw, finds his mouth again, and this kiss is languid, affectionate, deep. It leaves Kyungsoo’s lips tingling.

They’re slow to pull apart, but they do, eventually. Kyungsoo slides off of Baekhyun to lie breathlessly in the bed next to him, and Baekhyun is the one to reach for his hand, curling their fingers together. He kisses Kyungsoo’s shoulder, a wide, satisfied grin stretching across his face, and Kyungsoo feels his own lips mirroring the same. Baekhyun looks sated and beautiful and bright, and Kyungsoo’s heart feels so full that all he can do is lean forward and place a little kiss to Baekhyun’s forehead.

It would have been easy to just stay the night, but Kyungsoo needs to check on his kids, and maybe needs the space alone to simply bask in everything that has happened. Baekhyun almost doesn’t let him leave, clinging tightly to Kyungsoo in the shower, all the way down the stairs, and as he puts on his shoes. He has to pull away when Kyungsoo shrugs on his coat, but then he’s right back, holding Kyungsoo’s face in his hands as he kisses him like he’s something precious.

“Stop looking so sad,” Kyungsoo chides when they pull apart and Baekhyun is giving him puppy-dog eyes. “I’m gonna see you tomorrow, you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” Baekhyun sighs. “That doesn’t mean I have to like you leaving right now.”

“You’re cute,” Kyungsoo says and Baekhyun can’t help but smile, eyes fluttering as he snuggles closer to Kyungsoo. “I don’t like having to leave either,” he adds, smoothing a hand down Baekhyun’s back, “But--” he says quickly before Baekhyun can open his mouth, “we spent most of last weekend together and I think it’s important we don’t, you know, overdo it too soon.”

“Do you think you’re gonna get tired of me, Kyungsoo?” Baekhyun teases and Kyungsoo rolls his eyes.

“I’m sure if that was ever going to happen, it would have months ago,” he says and Baekhyun laughs at that. “Let’s just take it slow, okay?”

Baekhyun sighs again, looking equal parts put out and understanding. Eventually the latter wins. “All right,” he says softly. “But I still don’t like it.”

Kyungsoo laughs. “Noted,” he says, and lifts a hand up to brush Baekhyun’s hair from his face. He lets his fingers trail down his cheek, gently grips his jaw, and pulls him into one more kiss. It’s soft and sweet but it lingers, warm in Kyungsoo’s chest, when they pull part. “Good night, Baekhyunnie,” he says before he leaves. He can feel Baekhyun watching him all the way home.

Kyungsoo spends the rest of his night lying in bed with Inky and Pepper on either side of him. He watches a movie on his laptop but misses chunks of dialogue every time his mind wanders to his night with Baekhyun. He remembers the heat of his fingers and the sweet taste of his lips, the unbridled want laced in his gaze, the delicious sound of his voice when he came apart under Kyungsoo’s touch. It seems almost unimaginable that this has happened, that they’ve made it this far, and yet the evidence is there in the pounding of his heart and the tiny little marks Baekhyun had left along his skin.

He goes to sleep early, pushing his laptop aside, movie barely a half of the way finished, and curls up under the covers. He checks his phone once more to find a message from Baekhyun that he hadn’t seen come in thirty minutes earlier.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
i miss u already :(
can’t wait to see u tomorrow

Kyungsoo buries his face in his pillow and falls asleep with a smile.

Sunday morning is bright and sunny, making the snow on the ground practically glow under the sun. Kyungsoo throws open all the shades in his house, enjoying the warmth and the light that it brings in, making each floor look much more alive. His puppies enjoy it too, dozing on and off in patches of sunlight across the floor.

Kyungsoo is tempted to join them, but if he’s going to spend time with Baekhyun later tonight, he wants to make sure he’s gotten some work done. He cleans up around his room and does all his laundry by the time it’s noon, and then takes the dogs on a quick walk. As they get further into March, the days have become just fleetingly warmer. When the sun is at its highest in the afternoon, it doesn’t feel quite like winter. The heat of the sun against his face reminds him of the gentle way Baekhyun’s palms held his cheeks as he kissed him goodbye last night.

He smiles to himself all the way home.

As Inky and Pepper drink up some water from their bowls after their walk, Kyungsoo fixes himself a simple lunch, eating as he leans over his kitchen counter and checks emails and texts on his phone. Baekhyun had sent him a good morning text earlier, and Kyungsoo smiles down at the words for a few moments before he sends back a quick selfie, telling Baekhyun he’s eating lunch and wondering what he’s doing.

And he is wondering. It’s a little ridiculous how often his thoughts turn to Baekhyun. Has he eaten? What’s he doing right now? Does he remember last night as vividly as Kyungsoo? Can he still feel Kyungsoo’s hands on his skin? How does that mark Kyungsoo left on his stomach look now? Is he anticipating seeing Kyungsoo tonight as much as Kyungsoo is right now?

Kyungsoo groans a little, setting his phone aside and running his hands through his hair agitatedly. “This is pathetic,” he says to himself, but even still he can’t stop his thoughts from running wild. “I’m going crazy.”

Inky barks at him as if agreeing. Kyungsoo sighs, takes a bite of his sandwich and jumps a little when his phone vibrates, a notification from Baekhyun appearing on the screen. Kyungsoo taps it open and is greeted by Baekhyun’s own selfie, and just as all his thoughts are ridiculous, it’s ridiculous that simply seeing Baekhyun’s face like this eases the anxiety in Kyungsoo’s veins. He’s got his bangs tied up at the front again and he’s wearing thin wire-framed glasses, making a kissy face at the screen.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
im making lunch right now too! eun wanted mac and cheese. here’s hoping i don’t burn it
also ur adorable and i really want to kiss u

Kyungsoo bites his lower lip to keep from smiling too widely as he types up his response. Is that why you’re making that funny face in your photo? he sends. He picks up his glass of lemonade to take a few sips as he waits for Baekhyun’s reply, which only comes a minute later.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
u say that but i bet u already saved it to ur phone

Kyungsoo laughs, and quietly does just that. He stares at the pink of Baekhyun’s lips in the photo for a few moments before shaking his head and opening his messages again. He sends back: I was thinking something like dak galbi for dinner tonight.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
ohh going traditional huh? i’m into it
maybe we could make some pajeon too? eunnie really loves it

A smile spreads across Kyungsoo’s lips and he mentally adds pajeon ingredients to his shopping list. Sounds good, he says. See you in a couple of hours. ❤

He gets nearly a screenful of heart emojis sent back to him in response.

Kyungsoo has missed his weekly Chen showing with Baekhyun and Eun. He’d missed out a few back when he’d been struggling with his deadline, and the show was on a mini-hiatus for awhile when they had to re-record. It’s not as if he’s skipped out on a bunch of showings, but it does feel like it’s been a long time since he’s joined them on a Sunday evening, bearing bags of groceries for dinner and a smile.

Baekhyun kisses him before he even takes off his shoes. The taste of Baekhyun’s lips, the soft pressure of them against his own, the way he can feel Baekhyun smile into the kiss--it’s all becoming so familiar. Kyungsoo likes it so much. He kisses back until Baekhyun is giggling a little and pulling away.

“Hi,” he says airily, as if that simple, sweet kiss had taken all his breath away.

Kyungsoo thinks it did for him too. “Hi,” he says, and just because Baekhyun is still staring at him with bright, sparkling eyes, he reaches up and pokes him in the nose. As Baekhyun squawks, he says, “Are you gonna let me come in or…”

Baekhyun pouts but dutifully steps aside so Kyungsoo can actually enter the house fully. He peels off his shoes and shoves the groceries into Baekhyun’s chest. Baekhyun struggles to hold onto everything with a groan and Kyungsoo smirks at him as he undoes the buttons on his coat.

“I haven’t seen you in ages and this is how you treat me?” Baekhyun huffs.

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “It’s been a day.”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says. “Ages.”

“Gross,” Kyungsoo laughs, even though secretly he’s pleased. He takes back one of the bags to lessen the weight, and heads for the kitchen, Baekhyun trailing after him. They set the bags down on the table and Kyungsoo starts organizing what he needs for the dak galbi and the pajeon in different piles.

“Where’s Eunnie?” he asks after a moment, realizing the house sounds far more quiet than usual and Eun hasn’t come barreling over to ask if he can help cook.

“Ah, he didn’t sleep well last night so he’s taking a little nap,” Baekhyun says, but his brows furrow worriedly. He cracks a small smile however when Kyungsoo reaches up to smooth the crease between his brows.

“Is everything okay?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun admits. “I just--I get the feeling that he’s hiding something from me, and it’s weird. He’s never done that before, you know?”

Kyungsoo nods, dropping his hand to Baekhyun’s shoulder to squeeze there gently, then slides his hand to his back, pulls Baekhyun into his side. Baekhyun heaves a deep sigh as he buries his face into Kyungsoo’s neck. Kyungsoo rubs his back slowly, lets Baekhyun have this quiet, comforting moment. He can practically feel the tension melting out of his body. It worries him too, what’s going on with Eun, and he says, “Maybe it’s something he can’t tell you about.”

“But he can tell me anything,” Baekhyun mumbles insistently.

“I know,” Kyungsoo says. “I know you want that, and you’ve made sure that he knows that, but sometimes it’s not that easy.” He threads his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair and adds, “I can try talking to him later, if you like? I mean, only if you’re comfortable with that, and not just because we’re dating now or anything, I just--”

Baekhyun shakes his head as he pulls away, looking at Kyungsoo with his warm brown eyes that never fail to make Kyungsoo feel a little weak. “No, I understand,” he says, and he takes one of Kyungsoo’s hands in both of his own, caresses his fingers, his knuckles. “I’d really appreciate it. Thank you, Kyungsoo--”

They both realize it at the same time, Baekhyun’s mouth hanging open as Kyungsoo laughs and points at him. “What did I say about that?” he teases and Baekhyun sputters.

“It’s hard!” he exclaims. “You’re so good to me. How am I not supposed to thank you?”

Kyungsoo shrugs, smiling a little as if to say not my problem and Baekhyun huffs, releasing Kyungsoo’s hand so he can cross his arms over his chest, looking somewhere between miffed and endeared.

“Fine,” he says. “What’s the payment, then?”

Kyungsoo ponders this for a few moments. He hasn’t had a reason to come up with one before now but as he looks at Baekhyun, watching him with a hint of a smile on his face and looking so soft and comfortable in his oversized button-up shirt and jeans, there’s really only one thing Kyungsoo wants from him.

“A kiss,” Kyungsoo says.

Baekhyun’s eyes widen just a fraction in surprise before he bursts out laughing, posture relaxing as he steps back in close and wraps his arms around Kyungsoo’s waist. “I can do that,” he says, and closes the space between them.

Kyungsoo sighs into the kiss, a comforting heat spreading through his whole body. He really enjoys this. Baekhyun curls his fingers into the back of Kyungsoo’s shirt, as if holding him in place. As if Kyungsoo has any thought about going anywhere.

They kiss for probably longer than they should, considering they have a certain amount of time to make dinner before the show starts, but Kyungsoo doesn’t mind. He feels somehow simultaneously exhilarated and weak when they pull back, like he could climb mountains but also wants to curl up with Baekhyun on the couch and nap. The latter definitely sounds more appealing, but there’s work to be done, so he smiles at Baekhyun, watching the ways his lashes flutter, and his eyes brighten, and kisses the mole above his lip before he pulls away.

“Come on,” he says, pulling at his hand. “Let’s make dinner.”

Together with Baekhyun’s help, and intermittent kisses, dinner is completed without any major mishaps. Kyungsoo enjoys cooking, but he thinks he much prefers cooking with Baekhyun, who makes him laugh and keeps things interesting. Baekhyun goes upstairs to wake Eun as Kyungsoo sets the table, his stomach rumbling a bit now that the food’s all prepared.

He smiles as he hears shrieking laughter coming from down the hall, and then the rush of feet down the stairs. Eun comes running around the corner a few seconds later, Baekhyun hot on his heels, reaching out to lift his son up from the ground and crush him in his arms. Eun is laughing as Baekhyun plants a wet kiss to the side of his face and then sets him back down, grinning widely as he glances up at Kyungsoo.

“Having fun?” he asks, and Baekhyun ruffles Eun’s hair.

“Always,” he says.

“Hi Eun,” Kyungsoo adds, turning to the boy. “I haven’t seen you in a while. How are you?”

Suddenly and without warning, the bright smile on Eun’s face fades away and he just gives Kyungsoo a small nod. “I’m okay,” he says, and pulls back a chair at the table. Kyungsoo blinks, surprised, because, well, Eun’s never acted like this with him before.

“Eunnie,” Baekhyun says, sounding just as surprised. “What’s wrong? Kyungsoo came over and helped make dinner, you should be nicer than that.”

Eun shrugs, frowning down at the table. Baekhyun glances up at Kyungsoo helplessly, but Kyungsoo shakes his head.

“It’s okay,” he assures him, and reaches for Eun’s plate. “I bet you’re just hungry, right Eunnie?”

Eun nods but says nothing more, and Kyungsoo quietly fills up his plate with food. Baekhyun is biting his lower lip, looking contemplative as he smooths down Eun’s hair. “Kyungsoo made pajeon, your favorite,” he says, almost encouragingly. “What do you say?”

The mumbled, “Thank you,” Eun lets out is better than nothing, but it’s clear that there’s something wrong, and that something has to do with Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo doesn’t know what it could be. Maybe it’s because he hasn’t seen Eun in awhile, but he would’ve expected Eun to be more excited to see him now if that was the case.

Either way, he leaves it alone as much as he can. They all sit down and eat, and conversation is a little quieter than usual, considering it’s Eun who rambles on and on during these nights and makes both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo laugh with all his childlike excitement and energy. Today though, he’s much more subdued, only speaking up when directly asked a question, and his answers are short, even to Baekhyun, who seems to grow more worried as time goes on.

“Did you like everything?” Kyungsoo asks Eun as they finish up, wanting to make sure of that, at least.

He’s glad when Eun nods, a hint of a smile on his face as he looks at Kyungsoo. It’s gone in the next second as he quickly looks away, almost as if he has to remind himself to be mad. “I liked it,” is all he says, and Kyungsoo grins at him, pleased by that at least.

“Good,” he says. “That’s what matters.”

Eun is much more his usual self when they all settle down to watch the new episode of Chen’s Crazy Space Adventures. He sits on the floor closer to the television despite Baekhyun telling him it’s bad for his eyes, and gasps and cheers along as the show progresses.

Kyungsoo leans slightly against Baekhyun, who has wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and occasionally runs his hand down Kyungsoo’s left arm. Baekhyun also looks less worried about Eun now, smile reaching his eyes and the crease between his brows gone. Kyungsoo can’t help but continue to be a little concerned, but tries to push it aside in favor of enjoying Baekhyun’s warmth and sneaky kisses during commercial breaks.

Once the show is over, Baekhyun pulls away from Kyungsoo and says he’ll work on the dishes. Kyungsoo uses the chance to try talking to Eun again, like he’d told Baekhyun he would. Of course, that was before he’d seen the way Eun was maybe, strangely, avoiding him, but Kyungsoo wasn’t going to give up just because of that. It’s clear there’s something bothering Eun, and Kyungsoo is worried, too.

Eun has already fled back to his room, so Kyungsoo tells Baekhyun, “I’ll be right back, okay?” and smiles when Baekhyun gives his hand a squeeze.

Eun’s door is open but Kyungsoo knocks anyway and Eun looks a little surprised to see Kyungsoo there, before he mumbles, “Hi.”

“Hi,” Kyungsoo says. “Can I come in?”

Eun hesitates for a moment. It surprises Kyungsoo, but he waits until Eun nods and then enters. “Did you like the episode?” he asks Eun, figuring that discussing the show would be the safest topic to begin with.

Eun nods again. He’s sitting in his bed, a notebook and what seems to be math homework out in front of him, but he reaches for his Lu plushie and holds it in his lap, staring down at it instead of at Kyungsoo. “I liked when Chen had to save Lu from the pirate,” he says and Kyungsoo smiles widely.

“That was really cool right?” he says. “He saved Lu without even having to fight.”

“Yeah!” Eun exclaims, and Kyungsoo laughs, pleased to see the Eun he knows shining back through. Eun seems to realize it too, because he drops his gaze quickly and pokes at Lu’s antlers, frowning again.

Kyungsoo watches him for a long moment, not sure how to ask him what’s wrong without Eun becoming defensive or upset. He walks closer to the bed and instead of sitting beside him, crouches down in front of him, peers up at Eun’s face. “Is everything okay, Eunnie?” he asks softly. “You’ve been really quiet today.”

“I’m okay,” Eun says quickly, far too quickly to be believable.

“Your dad is worried about you,” Kyungsoo adds, and Eun bites his lower lip, looking a little troubled. “I’m worried about you, too, Eunnie. You know if something is bothering you, you can tell your dad, right? You can tell me. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Quietly, Eun mumbles, “Yes,” and Kyungsoo laughs, carefully reaches out to pat his knee.

“Can you tell me what’s bothering you?” he asks.

There’s a long pause as Eun purses his lips in thought and continues poking around at his plushie, as if prompting Lu to tell him what to do. Just as Kyungsoo thinks maybe he’s pushing too hard, Eun blurts out, “Do you like my dad?”

Kyungsoo leans back, surprised. Of all the things he expected Eun to say, it was not this. Especially since he’s asked Kyungsoo this before, not that long ago. “Yes,” he answers anyway. “Very much.”

Eun frowns again and loudly says, “But then why--”

He cuts himself off before he can say too much, and turns away enough that Kyungsoo’s hand falls from his knee. “Eunnie?” Kyungsoo says softly, uncertainly, but Eun just shakes his head.

“Never mind,” he mumbles. “I’m okay.” He sets his Lu plushie aside and pulls at his notebook. “I have to finish this now.”

Kyungsoo watches him for a few moments, the furrow of his brow, the frown still on his face, and feels helpless at not being able to figure out what’s bothering him. “All right,” he says quietly, and slowly stands. “If you ever want to talk though, I’m always here for you, Eun, okay?”

Eun nods his head at that, and it’s enough. Kyungsoo returns downstairs to find Baekhyun at the couch, staring at his phone. He drops it the second he hears Kyungsoo walk in, and raises his brows curiously.

“How’d it go?” he asks as Kyungsoo flops down onto the couch beside him.

Kyungsoo tells him what happened and slides a hand onto Baekhyun’s thigh for comfort as the worried lines return to his face. “He’s holding back for some reason,” he says with a sigh. “It’s clear he wants to ask something, but he’s afraid. I think he really just needs some time.”

Baekhyun sighs too and slumps down against the couch until he’s able to rest his head on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “I’ll talk to him again later,” Baekhyun says. “Thank you for trying.”

Kyungsoo pinches his thigh in reprimand and Baekhyun pouts. Kyungsoo smiles, leans over to peck him on the mouth, and Baekhyun relaxes into it, lifts his hands to rest at Kyungsoo’s shoulders, and holds him in place when Kyungsoo attempts to pull back. Baekhyun kisses him again, like he needs the reassurance, or the distraction, and Kyungsoo lets him have his fill, enjoying the distraction too.

They part after a few minutes, Baekhyun laughing softly as Kyungsoo leaves one last kiss to his cheek before pulling back. Baekhyun leans his head back on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, stretches his legs out under the coffee table, but not without bumping them against Kyungsoo’s purposefully. Kyungsoo lightly kicks him back, then traps one of his feet between both of his.

“Do you need to head home soon?” Baekhyun asks, sliding a hand down Kyungsoo’s thigh and back up.

“No,” Kyungsoo says, even though he probably should. “Not yet.” He catches Baekhyun’s hand with his own and laces their fingers together.

“Good,” Baekhyun whispers, and he snuggles a little closer into Kyungsoo’s side. “Because I think I’d just like to sit here with you for awhile.”

Kyungsoo smiles, lightly rests his cheek atop Baekhyun’s head. He thinks he’d like that, too.

“So we were thinking a release date of August 1st,” Junmyeon says when Kyungsoo meets with him the following week. It’s a Tuesday morning, earlier than Kyungsoo’s had to be awake in a while, and he’s sitting in the only clean chair in Junmyeon’s messy office. “What do you think?”

Kyungsoo considers it for a moment. It’s mid-March right now. That gives him maybe another month for the final draft to be completed and then just over three months for production. “Seems reasonable,” Kyungsoo says, running a hand through his hair. “Is there a rush?”

Junmyeon shakes his head. “Not really,” he says, “but the show finishes up its second season in May and you usually do summer releases, keeps the momentum going in the down time.”

“Then we’ll just have to make sure it gets done by August,” Kyungsoo says, leaning back against the chair with a sigh. He’s already dreading it, but this is the job. He’ll make it happen.

“That’s the spirit,” Junmyeon says with a small smile. “We’ll probably be scheduling another tour if you’re interested in that again. It went really well last year.”

“They’re fun,” Kyungsoo says. He enjoys traveling and getting the chance to read his stories to the kids who enjoy them.

“Turnout might be even better this time,” Junmyeon says, shuffling a few papers around on his desk. Kyungsoo has no idea how Junmyeon keeps track of anything in his office. Kyungsoo can’t even see the polished wood of his desktop from where he’s sitting. “I had your ratings here somewhere but--Well, they were really good. Higher than the first season.”

“I think they emailed it to me too,” Kyungsoo says, mostly so Junmyeon will stop moving and cause an avalanche of papers across his desk. He does, thankfully, dropping his hands into his lap. “I’m glad it’s going well. I was worried, honestly. It’s still so new.”

“Well, you can rest easy for now,” Junmyeon says, but then his expression turns serious and he adds, “Not too easy, of course. I need that final draft as soon as possible. The sooner the better, Kyungsoo, I mean it.”

“I know, I know,” Kyungsoo mumbles, feeling slightly chastised. “I’ll go home and work on it.”

“Good,” Junmyeon says. “Don’t drown yourself in it like the last time, though. If you’re having trouble, just call me. We’ll talk it out.”

Kyungsoo nods and the tension in Junmyeon’s shoulders fades a bit. He smiles again, looking pleased.

“All right then,” he says. “Get out of here. Go work. I don’t want to see you until that draft’s finished.”

Kyungsoo snorts even as he stands. “I’ll see you next week, remember?” he says. “Minseok’s birthday.”

“Oh right,” Junmyeon says with a laugh. “Can’t miss that.” He smirks slowly at Kyungsoo, asks, “Are you bringing the boyfriend?”

“I haven’t asked him yet,” Kyungsoo says and Junmyeon narrows his eyes. “I will! Minseok only just mentioned his plans last night. I haven’t talked to Baekhyun yet today.”

“Bring him,” Junmyeon says. “It’d be nice to see him again. You know. As your boyfriend.”

“I’m leaving now,” Kyungsoo says flatly, turning away so Junmyeon can’t see him blush. Junmyeon is still laughing even as Kyungsoo closes the door to his office behind him.

Kyungsoo takes a deep breath in the hallway and then heads for the elevators. He pulls his phone from his pocket, and finds a message from Baekhyun waiting for him.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
free for lunch today around 1? let’s have a date!

Kyungsoo grins at the message for a few long moments, then sends back a quick reply asking when and where. He tucks his phone back into his pocket and groans when he realizes he’s still in old sweatpants and a hoodie under his coat, having not bothered to look presentable for such an early morning meeting with Junmyeon who’s already seen him at his worst.

Thankfully he has a few hours to shower and dress properly and take the dogs on a walk, before meeting Baekhyun for lunch. It’s not the first time they’ve met like this during the day, but it is the first time after they’ve gotten together. Kyungsoo is excited. He finds he’s always excited to spend time with Baekhyun.

Baekhyun looks excited to see Kyungsoo too, waiting for him outside of the small Japanese place he’d suggested for lunch. His nose is pink from the cold, but his eyes are shining as he pulls Kyungsoo in for a hug. Kyungsoo laughs softly and doesn’t let him go without a short kiss, enjoying the heat that passes between them in light of the chill of the outdoors.

“Come on,” Baekhyun says after, and leads Kyungsoo inside. It’s an order-up-front type of place, so they stand in line and Baekhyun wraps an arm around Kyungsoo’s waist, asks, “How are you? You look really tired.”

“That obvious, huh?” Kyungsoo laughs. He’d managed to get in a short nap before taking the dogs on a walk, but he still feels a bit run-down. “Junmyeon dragged me out of bed early for a meeting so I guess I haven’t slept as much as I’d like.”

Baekhyun frowns, rubs his hand along Kyungsoo’s side. “We didn’t have to meet for lunch, you know,” he says but Kyungsoo quickly shakes his head.

“I wanted to,” he says and then adds, teasingly, “How could I say no to another date?”

A smug grin crosses over Baekhyun’s face. “Of course,” he says. “I am pretty amazing, aren’t I?”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo says without pause, stepping out of Baekhyun’s arm when the line moves up a few places. “Yes, you are.”

Baekhyun gapes at him, clearly not expecting that answer, and Kyungsoo chuckles, curling his fingers around the hem of Baekhyun’s sleeve and pulling him up with him. Baekhyun comes to himself a second later, and he crowds up against Kyungsoo’s back, whispers into his ear, “You’re so cute.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but he’s pleased. He nudges Baekhyun with his elbow lightly in the gut and asks, “What’re you thinking of getting?”

They order soon enough and find a table, stripping out of their coats before sitting across from each other. It’s started raining outside, which Kyungsoo figures is better than snow, but will make driving home a chore. “When will it be spring,” he sighs. “I’d like to take the kids out on longer walks again.”

“Hopefully soon,” Baekhyun says as he stares at the little dessert advertisement on the table before smiling up at Kyungsoo again. “How’d your meeting with Junmyeon go?”

“It was good. I might have a book tour later this summer.”

Baekhyun’s eyes go wide for a moment before he whistles, low under his breath. “A tour, huh?” he says, lips curling up in the corner. “Wow, I can’t believe I’m dating a celebrity.”

Kyungsoo sputters. “Shut up,” he mumbles, but without any heat, and Baekhyun laughs.

“Are you in need of groupies?” he asks, leaning toward him across the table, eyes dancing in mischief. “Eun and I can follow you around the country.”

“No, thanks,” Kyungsoo says, but he’s laughing too. “The traveling part isn’t as much fun as you’d think, anyway.” He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Besides that’s not for awhile. I actually have to finish the book first.”

A shadow of concern falls on Baekhyun’s face. “You’re not gonna suddenly disappear on me again, are you?”

Guilt climbs up Kyungsoo’s throat as he remembers that last time Baekhyun had seen him stressing over his book. He shakes his head and struggles to reply, “No--I--God, I’m so sorry about that--”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, don’t apologize,” Baekhyun says, waving a hand at him. “I don’t want you to feel guilty, Kyungsoo. I just want you to take care of yourself.” He huffs a little, like it should be obvious, but looks at Kyungsoo with so much sincerity, it makes Kyungsoo’s heart ache a little. “But if you can’t do that, it’s okay. I’ll take care of you instead.”

Kyungsoo flushes and looks away, rubbing the back of his neck. From the corner of his eye he can see Baekhyun slowly grinning. He hears the slight creak of the table as Baekhyun undoubtedly rests his elbows on the top and leans over again. “Are you blushing?” he taunts. “Would you like that?”

“No!” Kyungsoo exclaims hotly but it’s a lie. He’s already thinking about it. How nice it would be to have Baekhyun around while he works, just enjoying his presence and his comfort and knowing he’s not really going through this on his own. Simply having someone there to pull him away when he’s frustrated and make sure he’s taking care of himself. He thinks he could get used to drawing with Baekhyun lounging next to him, playing one of the video games he likes so much, or playing around with Eun and the dogs and keeping the house full of laughter and noise so Kyungsoo can’t close himself off entirely. He can imagine joining them too, when he needs a break or distraction, pressing a kiss to Baekhyun’s lips before heading out on a walk together.

He smiles softly at the thought, but jerks a little when Baekhyun reaches over and pinches his cheek.

“You’re so cute, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says and beams at him as he settles back in his chair.

“So you’ve said,” he breathes, and nudges Baekhyun’s feet with his under the table. He’d really like to kiss him right now but keeps that to himself.

Kyungsoo’s thankful that their food arrives then, plates of rice and chicken and shrimp spread across the table. Their attention is rightfully distracted, focusing on eating for awhile instead of conversation. It’s the kind of comfortable silence Kyungsoo has come to enjoy around Baekhyun, where merely being next to him is more important than anything either of them have to say. Of course, Baekhyun is always eager to talk, so it isn’t long before he brings up a few struggles at work, clients who don’t understand basic computer skills and other colleagues in the office who keep sending in asinine support requests.

“I’m tempted to just unplug my phone completely,” he grumbles, brows furrowing cutely in his frustration. “They’re driving me crazy.”

“Then they’ll just start dropping by your desk to talk to you personally,” Kyungsoo points out, and chuckles when Baekhyun groans. “I doubt that’d be any fun.”

“It definitely would not,” Baekhyun agrees. “At least getting out of the office to see you makes my day much better.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but feels heat in his cheeks again. Baekhyun is too good at this sometimes, he thinks. “What’re you doing next weekend?” he asks, mostly to deflect. “Minseok’s having a birthday party and he said I should bring you.”

“Ooh, meeting the friends, huh?” Baekhyun says in a lilting voice. “Are we at that stage already?”

Kyungsoo snorts. “We’ve been there for awhile.”

“I’ll come,” Baekhyun says decisively, and he flutters his lashes at Kyungsoo as he rests his chin atop his hand, elbow perched on the table. “Pick me up?”

“I’ll make you walk,” Kyungsoo says flatly.

“You’re so romantic,” Baekhyun laughs, but then he settles back in his seat and asks, “Do I need to bring a gift?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “It’s not that kind of party,” he says. “Minseok just likes bar hopping mostly. We’ll probably drink a bit, play some pool, and maybe go bowling. It’ll be lowkey.”

“Sounds like a great time,” Baekhyun says. “I suck at bowling though. You’ll still be on my team, right?”

“We’ll see,” Kyungsoo teases and when Baekhyun pouts at him, the urge to kiss him returns. “Don’t do that,” he chides, reaching over to poke Baekhyun’s soft lower lip. “It’s hard not to kiss you.”

He’s pleased to see the way Baekhyun’s face turns a little pink at the sudden admission. Kyungsoo wasn’t intending on it, but it seems like good payback for all the teasing Baekhyun’s done to him this afternoon.

“You--You still could, if you wanted,” Baekhyun says, but he’s fiddling with his napkin instead of looking directly at Kyungsoo, like he’s embarrassed, and Kyungsoo’s heart swells in his chest with affection. He’s so cute. He wonders what Baekhyun would do, if he did lean over and kiss him right now, in the middle of this restaurant.

Instead he just smiles and shakes his head. “I think I’ll make you wait instead,” he says.

Baekhyun only pouts again at that, as if it’ll change Kyungsoo’s mind, but Kyungsoo laughs and points at his plate. “Eat your food, Baekhyunnie,” he says, and enjoys the way Baekhyun can’t help but smile bashfully at the use of the nickname.

“Okay,” he says, picking his fork up again, and Kyungsoo grins back.

The week goes by slowly. The only brightside is that the weather is finally starting to warm up. The sun is out consistently, and temperatures rise above thirties as the weekend approaches. Snow begins to melt, leaving puddles along the roads that Kyungsoo’s dogs enjoy jumping in far too much. He can’t blame them for it, though. It’s been a long winter.

He spends a lot of his time finalizing the book. They’ve settled on a title, after weeks of bouncing around ideas, and Kyungsoo has to admit he’s glad Junmyeon forced him to recreate the villain. The surprise Evil Chen that comes to fight Chen and Lu but turns out to be a puppet controlled by the Red Force, one of the series’ continuous villains, is a much more interesting concept than his initial idea of a space bear. Kyungsoo’s kind of embarrassed to think he ever came up with that at all.

It turns out that he was right about having Baekhyun around when he works. It’s not often, because Baekhyun has Eun to look after in the evenings, but on the few nights over the next week that Eun ends up spending a few hours at a friend’s house for dinner or on a sunny Saturday afternoon, Baekhyun is there, filling up the quiet spaces in Kyungsoo’s house with his effervescent presence. He stretches out on the couch, digs his toes into Kyungsoo’s thigh, and checks his emails while Kyungsoo edits on his laptop at the other end. He crawls over to peer at Kyungsoo’s work over his shoulder and then screams about spoilers. He makes cup ramen in the kitchen and drags Kyungsoo away to eat, scooting his chair closer to Kyungsoo’s at the table so he can drape his legs over Kyungsoo’s lap.

If Kyungsoo gets distracted by kissing Baekhyun against the kitchen counter, the couch, the bathroom door--well, no one has to know.

Actually, he thinks the time spent with Baekhyun has made him more productive, oddly enough. He’s less stressed, the ideas come more easily, and he’s managed to not only edit his current work, but add more to the new story he’s been drafting as well.

“Would you say I’m your muse then?” Baekhyun asks one night, sliding an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders and perching his chin on his shoulder.

“Are muses usually so distracting?” Kyungsoo questions back, even though he’s smiling at the way Baekhyun is gently nosing along the side of his face, pressing light kisses against his skin.

“That’s just my specialty,” he teases and Kyungsoo laughs. “You’d better dedicate your book to me now. Your muse.”

“I’ll dedicate it to Jongdae,” Kyungsoo says, just so he can enjoy the outraged gasp Baekhyun makes in response.

Baekhyun pulls Kyungsoo’s work out of his hands, setting it onto the coffee table in favor of pushing Kyungsoo against the back of the couch so he can climb right into his lap. “Jongdae can’t do this,” he says, cupping Kyungsoo’s face in his hands before he kisses him, long and deep and slow.

“No,” Kyungsoo gasps somewhere in between the first press of their lips and the hundredth, hands settled on Baekhyun’s hips. “No, he can’t.”

Minseok’s party is on the last day of March, He’d been smart enough not plan a night of drinking on the actual day of his birthday earlier during the week, and that Saturday of the party is surprisingly warm and sunny, enough that Kyungsoo can leave the heavy winter coat at home when he takes the dogs out on walks. He always forgets how quickly spring can takeover after the bleariness of winter.

Kyungsoo does pick Baekhyun up later that night. It’s cooler out in the evenings, but still more manageable than the frigid temperatures from a few weeks earlier. Baekhyun answers the door before Kyungsoo has to wait too long, and his breath catches in his throat as his eyes drink in Baekhyun’s appearance. His hair is styled nicely again, pushed back from his forehead, and he’s tucked a pale blue shirt into his black jeans, the line of the band emphasizing his waist.

“You look good,” Kyungsoo says without really thinking about it, and feels his face heat up when Baekhyun chuckles, tugging him further inside and into his chest.

“It’s good to see you too,” he says, cheeky, so Kyungsoo shuts him up with a kiss. He tastes strawberry chapstick on Baekhyun’s lips, and strangely enough that only makes him kiss him harder.

It’s Baekhyun who pulls back with a gasps, fingers tightening around Kyungsoo’s wrist. “If you keep doing that,” he says breathlessly, “we’ll never make it to the party.”

Kyungsoo laughs this time, against Baekhyun’s jaw. “Well, we can’t have that,” he says and takes a firm step back. “Not when you got all dressed up for it, anyway.”

“Exactly,” Baekhyun agrees, but his eyes are a little dazed and he’s staring at Kyungsoo’s mouth like he wants to kiss him again.

“Come on, Baekhyunnie,” Kyungsoo says softly, turning away to break the temptation flooding his own veins. He opens the hall closet to look for Baekhyun’s coat. “Where’s Eunnie tonight?” he asks, knowing it’s a safe subject, and Baekhyun chuckles softly, reaches over Kyungsoo’s head to pull the right coat off it’s hanger.

“He’s at Yixing’s, probably wrecking havoc with Yixing’s kids right about now,” Baekhyun says, grinning. “Yixing texted me earlier saying they were attempting to build a fort.”

“That sounds like way more fun than going drinking,” Kyungsoo says, stepping back to give Baekhyun room to slip on his coat and find his shoes. “Maybe we should go join them.”

Baekhyun laughs again. “You’re not getting out of me hanging out with your friends again,” he says, straightening up once he’s laced his shoes and letting his hands settle on Kyungsoo’s hips. “We’ll have fun tonight too.” He plants a little kiss to Kyungsoo’s cheek as if in promise.

“I’m holding you to that,” Kyungsoo says with a small laugh, but he finds one of Baekhyun’s hands and squeezes gently. “Ready to go then?”

It takes a another minute for Baekhyun to make sure he has his phone and wallet on him before they head down to Kyungsoo’s car waiting on the street. Just as Kyungsoo’s about to shift the car into gear, Baekhyun reaches over to grab his hand.

“Before we go, I have one condition,” he says so seriously, Kyungsoo immediately pulls his foot of the brake and turns to stare at him. “Don’t let me drink too much.”

There’s a moment of silence as the words register, and then Kyungsoo laughs. “That’s it?” he says, shaking his head amusedly. He shifts the car into drive, presses on the gas pedal, and heads down the street.

“That’s it,” Baekhyun says, but he’s smiling now too as he settles back in his seat. “The last time I went out like this, I went a little overboard. I’m sure you remember.”

“If you mean that night I looked after Eun, then yes, I remember,” Kyungsoo says with another laugh. He remembers that night rather vividly, to be honest. “You were a mess.” He glances sideways at Baekhyun and adds, “But it was cute.”

“Aww, you even fell for my drunken charms,” Baekhyun teases, reaching out to rub at Kyungsoo’s ear. Kyungsoo swats his hand away as Baekhyun cackles, then adds, a little more somber, “I really didn’t mean to drink so much that night. I don’t want a repeat. The hangover wasn’t worth it.”

Kyungsoo remembers what Baekhyun drunkenly confessed that night, but he’s not so sure Baekhyun does. He bites his lip for a moment, considering, then decides there’s really no harm in bringing it up. “You said you had a lot on your mind that night,” he says and he can see Baekhyun turning to him in surprise from the corner of his eye. “I doubt you remember, but when I asked you about it, you said you were thinking about me.”

Baekhyun’s mouth drops. Kyungsoo chuckles softly as he glances at him, before turning his attention back to the road. Before Kyungsoo can tell him it’s okay, that he doesn’t have to explain, Baekhyun is laughing, shaking his head a little like he can’t believe himself. “God,” he mutters, scratching a fingernail down the side of his neck. He looks a little embarrassed, actually. “That was when I was finally gathering up the courage to ask you out.”

Kyungsoo almost slams on the brakes in surprise. “What?” he says. “Really?”

Baekhyun laughs again. “Yeah,” he says, sounding a little more confident the more he speaks. “I’d wanted to for ages, you know? And then you agreed to look after Eunnie, and you were so nice about it, and Eun loves you, and it just--It made it even harder to ignore how much I like you too.” He stops suddenly, as if he’s realized he’s rambling a bit, and Kyungsoo instinctively reaches out to slide a hand over Baekhyun’s thigh. He squeezes there, gently, and Baekhyun immediately gathers up his hand in both of his own to hold. “So yeah,” he continues, “I ended up drinking too much that night because you were on my mind and I was freaking out a little.”

“You asked me out that very next morning though,” Kyungsoo says, suddenly remembering that, too, and how Baekhyun had casually asked if he was free the following weekend for the date Kyungsoo didn’t know was a date. “Must’ve not been that freaked out.”

Baekhyun’s laugh this time is much deeper, hearty. As Kyungsoo looks over at him as they stop at a red light, his eyes are shining and he’s smiling so warmly at Kyungsoo it makes something like butterflies dance in his stomach. “I think I finally got tired of waiting,” he says, lacing his fingers with Kyungsoo’s and lifting their joined hands to his lips, placing a soft kiss to the back of Kyungsoo’s hand.

The honesty, the sweet gesture, it makes Kyungsoo both flustered and bold. He leans quickly across the center console so he can kiss Baekhyun firmly on the mouth, enjoying his surprised little giggle, and then the low moan that comes after as Kyungsoo kisses harder.

They jerk apart at the sound of a car honking behind them and Kyungsoo quickly turns his eyes to the front, stepping on the gas and crossing the intersection. They both burst into laughter as the car behind them speeds around into the next lane and drives past.

“Worth it,” Kyungsoo says, and Baekhyun laughs all the harder.

The bar is packed. Baekhyun holds onto Kyungsoo’s hand as they navigate through the crowd to find Minseok at one of the larger booths toward the back. Kyungsoo catches sight of Chanyeol and Junmyeon among the sea of faces he doesn’t know. Minseok’s always been one of those guys who seems to know everyone, so it’s not surprising that there’s many people here Kyungsoo’s never seen before.

“You made it!” Minseok says, squeezing out past two other people to wrap Kyungsoo in a one-armed hug. “And you brought the boyfriend.” He grins at Baekhyun who laughs loudly.

“I hear I come highly requested,” he says and Minseok snorts at that, but claps Baekhyun on the shoulder anyway. “Happy birthday,” he adds and Minseok smiles.

“Thanks for coming,” he says. “Grab a drink and join us.”

“What would you like babe?” Baekhyun asks Kyungsoo, turning to him and smirking a little at what must be the clear surprise on Kyungsoo’s face from the sudden endearment.

“Just a beer,” Kyungsoo says, hoping he’s not blushing, and Baekhyun nods, squeezes his hand once, and then disappears back into the crowd.

A couple of people step out of the booth, either to get drinks themselves or do something else, and it opens up some space for Kyungsoo to sit down, sliding in next to Chanyeol who is watching him with a similar smirk as Baekhyun’s.

“Babe, huh?” he says and Kyungsoo groans.

“I knew I shouldn’t have come tonight,” he says, even though he doesn’t really mean it.

Chanyeol cackles. “Oh come on,” he says, nudging Kyungsoo. “It’s all for fun.”

“It’s not like we plan to corner him and tell him not to hurt you or anything like that,” Junmyeon adds from across the table.

“Thank god for small miracles,” Kyungsoo says, deadpan, and they all laugh again. He feels a little more comfortable after, and settles back, lets his gaze move around the table. Minseok’s talking to a girl with short cropped hair that Kyungsoo is pretty sure is named Amber, and on her other side Junmyeon has struck up a conversation with the guy sitting beside him who looks familiar but Kyungsoo is pretty sure he’s never spoken to before.

He doesn’t really recognize anyone else aside from Joohyun, who he’s only realized is sitting on Chanyeol’s other side, and he gives her a small wave when she catches his eye. “I haven’t seen you in ages,” he says and she laughs prettily, tucking her long hair behind an ear.

“Right?” she agrees. “You even got yourself a boyfriend since the last time we talked.”

“Not you too,” Kyungsoo says, voice edging on a rare whine. “I get enough grief over the whole thing from these guys.”

He pokes Chanyeol in the chest for emphasis, but Chanyeol just grins, unrepentant. “Well, if it hadn’t taken you months to get together, maybe we’d be more accommodating,” he says.

“Minseok’s kept me updated too,” Joohyun adds. “He didn’t mention the boyfriend was so cute though.”

Kyungsoo’s not sure how Minseok even heard her comment over the din of chatter, but he looks over with slightly narrowed eyes and says, “Hey now.”

Joohyun just rolls her eyes and says, “What? It’s true.” When Minseok looks more offended, she laughs. “You got yourself a good one, Kyungsoo.”

“Of course he did,” says Baekhyun as he joins them again, holding two beers in his hands that he carefully sets down onto the table. He grins widely around the table as he scoots into Kyungsoo’s left, and wraps his right arm casually around Kyungsoo’s shoulders. “I’m a total catch.”

“How are you so sure we were talking about you,” Kyungsoo says, pinching Baekhyun’s thigh with his fingers.

Baekhyun just smiles at him, unfazed, and says, “Who else would you be talking about?”

He laughs when Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, and then leans slightly around him to greet Chanyeol, and say hi to Joohyun. Various introductions are made around the table, and Baekhyun is quickly and easily charming everyone with his pretty smiles and undivided attention. He keeps his arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder, sips idly at his beer with his free hand, and talks about Star Wars with Junmyeon for awhile, and about the best workout routines with some guy named Changmin who turns out to be a personal trainer.

Joohyun also engages Baekhyun in a discussion about a Korean webcomic the two of them discover they both read, speaking around Kyungsoo and Chanyeol who watch on with amusement. It’s interesting, seeing Baekhyun like this, who is much more open and friendly than Kyungsoo tends to be around people he doesn’t know. It’s almost as if Baekhyun’s mission is getting to know everyone, jumping seamlessly into conversations, making everyone laugh, exchanging phone numbers with a few who he really connects with.

Kyungsoo is strangely charmed all over again. Baekhyun’s attention might be divided, but he keeps close to Kyungsoo all night, smiles at him warmly, kisses his cheek, whines at him when Kyungsoo throws out the occasional teasing insult.

“You’re so mean to me,” he cries, but is very quickly pacified by Kyungsoo’s lips against his.

They move on from the bar to another after an hour maybe, and Minseok drags them straight to a pool table in the back of the next establishment, while Chanyeol and a few others stop to get drinks. Baekhyun plays pool a lot better when he’s not drunk, and his team narrowly beats Kyungsoo’s in the end, Chanyeol and Baekhyun yelling enthusiastically about it like they’d just won a tournament.

Joohyun easily starts pulling the balls from the pockets and Amber punches Chanyeol in the shoulder as she says, “We’ll get you back for that.”

They play another two games. Kyungsoo gets another beer, and makes sure Baekhyun doesn’t have more than that either. Baekhyun steps out of the last game in favor of letting Changmin play, and uses the opportunity to latch onto Kyungsoo like a koala. Kyungsoo doesn’t mind it, honestly. Baekhyun is warm, the sound of his laugh in Kyungsoo’s ear comforting, and the kisses he presses to Kyungsoo’s neck gentle, sweet.

Kyungsoo remembers how affectionate Baekhyun had been the last time they’d played pool like this, when they’d only known each other for just over a month and Baekhyun had been a little drunk. It had been nice then, but so much more nerve-wrecking. Tonight, Kyungsoo delights in it, kisses Baekhyun back even if he knows people are looking, wraps an arm around his waist and holds his hand just because he can.

“I’m starting to think I preferred you guys before you started dating,” Chanyeol comments later that night, when they’ve left the pool bar in favor of bowling. Baekhyun’s pulled Kyungsoo into his lap and has a hand rubbing across his stomach, and normally Kyungsoo would be totally embarrassed, but he doesn’t mind tonight. Besides, the disgusted look on Chanyeol’s face makes it even more worth it.

Since Baekhyun isn’t drinking too much, Kyungsoo doesn’t either, but it turns out he doesn’t really need the alcohol to feel a little drunk off of Baekhyun’s attention, Baekhyun’s hands on his body, Baekhyun’s sneaky kisses. He’s having a good time, and he likes seeing that Baekhyun is too, watching the way he teases Junmyeon like he’s known him for years, or how Minseok rolls his eyes at every one of Baekhyun’s jokes, but looks strangely endeared by him anyway.

The night goes on with a roaring game of bowling that involves too many gutterballs and Chanyeol’s constant yelling. He’s far too competitive about these games, but Baekhyun seems to keep up with him. Kyungsoo sits by Joohyun, who is similarly watching the scene in amusement at all of Minseok’s antics, and sips slowly on another beer, helping himself to the large basket of fries they’d ordered for the table as well.

Baekhyun sucks at bowling, but he still comes to claim a rewarding kiss from Kyungsoo every time he knocks down even one pin. It makes Kyungsoo laugh, indulging him, and makes him wish a little that they were alone, that he could press kiss after kiss against Baekhyun’s lips, his neck, his jaw, until Baekhyun is flushed and pliant against him.

Maybe his thoughts are clear on his face, because the next moment that Baekhyun looks over at him, a smug smile creeps onto his face. Kyungsoo grows hot at potentially being caught, but he doesn’t look away. For a long moment, they stare at one another, sharing perhaps that same, desperate desire, until Baekhyun suddenly laughs, turning away.

“What’s up with you?” Chanyeol demands of him, nudging Baekhyun in the side, and Baekhyun just shakes his head, murmurs that it’s nothing, and flashes Kyungsoo another smile.

Kyungsoo takes a sip from his beer, and must be unsuccessfully hiding his own grin because Junmyeon groans from beside him.

“Just go home already,” he tells Kyungsoo. “You’re exhausting me.”

Kyungsoo snickers a little, amused at his friend’s expense, and says, “If your wife was here, you’d be just the same,” and Junmyeon does look a little guilty at that.

“I’m glad things are going well for you guys,” he says, suddenly so sincere that Kyungsoo blinks back at him in surprise. “You really fit well together.”

“Thanks,” Kyungsoo mumbles, much more embarrassed by the praise than from any of the teasing remarks he and Baekhyun have had to deal with all night. “I...I really like him,” he adds quietly, but Junmyeon hears anyway, smirking.

“I couldn’t tell,” he drawls and laughs when Kyungsoo cuffs him in the shoulder with a light fist.

By the end of the game, half of the group has started to cool down. Minseok and Chanyeol are still going strong, and a few others like Changmin and Joohyun even order more drinks and food for the whole lot of them. Kyungsoo’s had enough, to be honest, and he’s incredibly pleased when Baekhyun slides up to him, arm around his waist, and whispers into his ear, “Wanna get out of here?”

They bid their goodbyes with only a minimal amount of hooting and teasing. Baekhyun stops to talk to a few of the people he’s made exceptionally good friends with over the course of the night, trades his phone number once or twice, and then they’re off, Chanyeol yelling after Kyungsoo to not forget their lunch plans next week.

“He’s the one who always forgets,” Kyungsoo says as they walk out into the cool spring air. Baekhyun chuckles from beside him, clutching onto Kyungsoo’s arm, and they head down the street to where Kyungsoo left his car.

“Are you okay to drive?” Baekhyun asks.

“I’m fine,” Kyungsoo says. “I never even finished my third beer.”

“Wow, so responsible,” Baekhyun teases, elbowing him in the ribs, and Kyungsoo shoves him back lightly, laughing when Baekhyun stumbles, but catching him before he falls on his ass.

Their arms wrap naturally around each other for a moment, before Baekhyun is reaching behind himself to take Kyungsoo’s hand in his instead. They walk like that, the cool breeze in their hair, the incessant sound of late night traffic like a strangely comforting soundtrack.

They’re mostly quiet on the drive back, letting the music from the radio fill in the silence. Baekhyun makes a few comments about the night, how much fun he had, the people he made friends with, how cute Minseok and Joohyun are together. Kyungsoo’s glad they had a good time, glad that Baekhyun’s able to fit amongst his friends with such ease as if he’s always been there. When Kyungsoo pulls up onto his driveway, Baekhyun follows him into his house without question, and eagerly drops to his knees to greet Kyungsoo’s pups when they come running over.

“Do you want anything to drink?” Kyungsoo asks as he pulls off his coat and hangs it up in the hall closet. His shoes come off next, placing them nicely in the entryway, and he hears Baekhyun doing the same soon after. “Are you hungry?”

“Not really,” Baekhyun says, and he catches Kyungsoo by the hand before he can get too far. He pulls him back in close and Kyungsoo feels his breath leaving his throat at the soft, tender look in Baekhyun’s eyes. When Baekhyun kisses him, Kyungsoo sighs again, out of contentment, out of bliss. They’ve shared a lot of kisses over the course of the night but nothing quite like this, deep and lingering, making Kyungsoo’s toes curl against the hardwood floor of his hallway.

He clutches at Baekhyun’s coat which he never got to remove, and kisses back, eager. All that desperate desire that he’d pushed away from earlier comes rushing back now that they’re alone, now that he has Baekhyun in his arms again. Baekhyun chuckles softly against his lips when they pull apart to breathe, but then Kyungsoo kisses him again soon after, not giving him the chance to say anything.

They only break apart again at the sound of Kyungsoo’s pups whining at their feet. Kyungsoo laughs this time, looking down at Inky and Pepper staring up at them both as if betrayed by the lack of attention.

“I should probably let them out,” Kyungsoo says, glancing back at Baekhyun, who only smiles and nods.

“Sure,” he says, licking his lips. “We can continue after.”

The promise in his eyes ignites a flame in Kyungsoo’s chest.

Kyungsoo showers his pups with attention to make up for the few hours he was gone, then lets them out in the backyard to do their business. He hears Baekhyun tinkering around in the kitchen, and smiles when he returns with a glass of water in his hand, sipping at it slowly before offering it to Kyungsoo, who shakes his head. They watch the dogs from the window, Baekhyun standing close to Kyungsoo’s side, arm wrapped back around his waist. He rubs his fingertips against the skin of Kyungsoo’s hip just under his shirt and it only makes that flame in Kyungsoo’s chest burn hotter.

Baekhyun helps him dry off Inky and Pepper afterward, a little wet from the melted snow across the ground, and laughs brightly every time Pepper tries licking his face. Kyungsoo instinctively reaches for his phone to take a couple of photos, and Baekhyun looks right at the camera in the last one, making Kyungsoo’s heart skip a quick beat. Baekhyun curls in close, pulling the phone over by lightly grabbing Kyungsoo’s hand, and flips through the pictures.

“Make this your wallpaper,” he says of the last one, and when Kyungsoo scoffs, he laughs and does it himself. “There. Now you won’t ever forget me.”

As if I could, Kyungsoo thinks, but doesn’t say. Instead he catches Baekhyun’s lips in a slow, heated kiss.

It’s Baekhyun who breaks away to ask, a little breathlessly, “Can we take this upstairs?”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo says, probably too quickly, too eagerly, but Baekhyun doesn’t laugh, just grins, plants a smacking wet kiss to Kyungsoo’s cheek and hauls himself up. He holds his hands out for Kyungsoo, who takes them with a laugh, and lets Baekhyun pull him to his feet too. He expects Baekhyun to release his hands but instead he tugs him close, until they’re inches apart, and just as Kyungsoo is gearing himself up for another kiss, Baekhyun yells, “Race you!” and darts out of the kitchen.

Inky and Pepper bark loudly after him as Kyungsoo blinks at the empty space Baekhyun had left, then bursts into laughter. His cheeks ache a little, from the unexpectedness of it, from the childishness of it, from the Baekhyun-ness of it. He follows after, not bothering to rush in part because he knows it will make Baekhyun sulky and in part because he knows Baekhyun will wait.

When he makes it to his room, he has to usher Inky and Pepper back out, and feels mildly guilty for closing the door on them.

“I hate doing that,” he admits, and Baekhyun, lying across Kyungsoo’s bed and looking perfectly at home and perfectly delectable, gives him a sympathetic smile and waves a hand.

“Come here,” he says and Kyungsoo goes.

He climbs onto the bed, climbs into Baekhyun’s lap, and Baekhyun’s hands fall to his thighs, squeezing there firmly. Kyungsoo slides his own hands up Baekhyun’s chest, feels the way he shivers under his fingertips when they brush up along the side of his neck.

They close the space between them almost instinctively, meeting each other’s lips in a way that’s become increasingly familiar, as if they’ve been kissing like this for years instead of only a month. That, in and of itself, is almost an unbelievable thought. It has been a month. A month of touching Baekhyun like this, holding Baekhyun like this, kissing Baekhyun like this. A month of being with Baekhyun, liking Baekhyun, longing for Baekhyun, being inexplicably happy with Baekhyun.

Kyungsoo kisses him harder, deeper, pouring all the feelings burning in his chest, throughout his whole body, into the way their mouths touch again and again. Kissing like this, and after all the touching they’ve done over the night, makes it almost too easy for arousal to build low in Kyungsoo’s gut. He grinds instinctively down against Baekhyun and enjoys the way he gasps, how Baekhyun’s hands slide around to hold Kyungsoo’s ass, squeezing there as well as he pulls Kyungsoo down against him again.

“Fuck, Kyungsoo, I want--” Baekhyun groans, breaking their kiss to pant roughly against Kyungsoo’s collarbone.

“What?” Kyungsoo asks, gently running his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair.

Baekhyun leans into the touch for a moment, eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks, before he gazes up at Kyungsoo with almost reverency and says, “I really want to fuck you right now.”

The words go straight to Kyungsoo’s dick. He groans, hips rocking down against Baekhyun impulsively. He can feel him growing hard through the fabric of his jeans. He tightens his grip in Baekhyun’s hair, holds him in place as he close the distance between their mouths again. “I really want that too,” he says, and kisses the eager moan out of Baekhyun’s lips.

They kiss roughly for what feels like hours before Baekhyun lets his hands trail up from Kyungsoo’s ass, dragging his shirt up along his back. They reluctantly break away so Baekhyun can pull Kyungsoo’s shirt off over his head, and it leaves Kyungsoo’s glasses askew on his face. Baekhyun laughs at that, removes them for him, and sets them onto the nightstand. Kyungsoo tosses his shirt aside, not caring where it lands in favor of enjoying the way Baekhyun latches his mouth to his chest, presses light kisses across the skin. Kyungsoo releases his own grip in Baekhyun’s hair to attempt unbuttoning his shirt, smoothing his own palm across Baekhyun’s soft stomach when he finally gets it open.

The mark Kyungsoo had left there the last time they’d been together like this has faded. He rubs his fingers over the space it had been and Baekhyun laughs a little, noticing.

“I’m starting to think you only like me for my stomach,” he says and Kyungsoo shrugs a shoulder.

“It’s cute,” Kyungsoo says, scooting backwards over Baekhyun’s legs so he can dip his mouth to Baekhyun’s chest.

“I don’t even have abs,” Baekhyun pouts.

“If you haven’t noticed,” Kyungsoo murmurs into the skin just above Baekhyun’s navel, “I like you just fine without abs.”

Baekhyun lets out a shaky laugh that turns easily into a moan as Kyungsoo kisses the giving flesh of his stomach, then leaves another mark against the skin. When he’s finished, he pulls away, grinning smugly in his accomplishment, and Baekhyun narrows his eyes, the brief warning Kyungsoo gets before he’s suddenly tugged back up so Baekhyun can kiss him.

He’s surprised again as Baekhyun hooks his leg around Kyungsoo’s hip and rolls them over against the bed. Kyungsoo groans into Baekhyun’s mouth as his back hits the mattress, hands instinctively grabbing onto Baekhyun’s arms for support. As Baekhyun slowly, teasingly, rocks his hips down against Kyungsoo’s, he can’t help but moan, too.

When Kyungsoo blinks open his eyes that had instinctively fallen shut, he finds Baekhyun smirking down at him. Kyungsoo won’t admit how hot he finds him like this, confident and teasing and a little cocky. He just slides his hands up Baekhyun’s chest and up over his shoulders so he can push his shirt off completely. Baekhyun throws that over the side of the bed too, then sweeps back in for another kiss.

“I’ve been--fuck--thinking of getting you naked again, god, for days,” Baekhyun mutters in between kisses, his voice rough with frustration, thick with lust. He trails his lips along Kyungsoo’s jaw, down his neck, lets his teeth catch over the curve of his collarbone.

“Just naked, huh?” Kyungsoo laughs. “You haven’t even accomplished that yet.”

“I’m getting there,” Baekhyun grumbles, sliding his hands down Kyungsoo’s sides to the waistband of his jeans. “You could help, you know.”

“I don’t know,” Kyungsoo says, letting his own fingers dance lightly up Baekhyun’s spine. “You seem to have things under control.” He noses along the side of Baekhyun’s face, kisses the space where his jaw ends, just under his ear, and adds, “I’ve been thinking about this too. Ever since the last time.”

Baekhyun lifts his head, glancing down at Kyungsoo with dark, intense eyes. “Yeah?” he asks, intrigued, curious. “What kinds of things have you been thinking?”

Kyungsoo makes a thoughtful humming noise as he slides a hand down Baekhyun’s chest and continues lower, over the front of his jeans and enjoying a little hiss Baekhyun makes. “Just the usual,” he says, a cheeky smile tugging at his lips, “you know, how to get you to fall apart under me.”

A laugh bubbles out of Baekhyun’s mouth, his eyes brightening in clear want. “Fuck,” he says, “I’d like that.” It looks as if he wants to say more, but he stops there, hesitating, teeth pressing into his lower lip.

Kyungsoo sits up a bit, wrapping an arm around Baekhyun’s waist to pull him with him, and says, “What is it?”

Baekhyun laughs again, but it’s softer, almost embarrassed as he shakes his head. “It’s just, uh, well, I haven’t done this in years,” he admits, and the pretty pink that paints his cheeks makes Kyungsoo’s heart swell in his chest. Baekhyun scratches a finger along the side of his neck and continues, “The last time I was with a guy was, fuck. Before Hyeran.”

“Really?” Kyungsoo says, and he grimaces a little at how shocked he sounds. “Sorry,” he adds quickly, not wanting to make Baekhyun feel uncomfortable. “I just figured you’d have, after the divorce and everything…”

“Believe me, I looked,” Baekhyun laughs, and his embarrassment over the whole thing seems to be fading now. “But I told you it was really hard to date and I wasn’t really a fan of one night stands, to be honest. I had a few with some girls but never with men. It just turned out that way.”

Kyungsoo nods, and he runs a hand soothingly up and down Baekhyun’s arm. Looking up at Baekhyun now, face still a little flushed, hair mussed up from Kyungsoo’s fingers, lips a little swollen from their endless kisses, he looks so good, so beautiful, so handsome, Kyungsoo can’t imagine not wanting him. He also doesn’t want to do anything Baekhyun isn’t ready to do.

Just as Baekhyun had assured him the last time, Kyungsoo says, “Are you sure you want to do this? Because we don’t have to.”

“Fuck, no, that’s not what I--” Baekhyun exclaims loudly, and then quickly shrinks back. “I mean, I want this. I really, really fucking want this. I just--I thought you should know, because, well, I might not be showing it, but--”

“You’re nervous?” Kyungsoo says and Baekhyun nods.

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun says quietly, “this has probably totally ruined the mood.”

That makes Kyungsoo laugh. He shakes his head, cups the side of Baekhyun’s face with his free hand and leans up to kiss him. “Definitely not,” he breathes against his lips after. “I still want you. And it’s okay if you’re nervous, and it’s okay that it’s been a long time. I haven’t exactly done this in awhile either.”

All the tension in Baekhyun’s shoulders fade away with his low exhale. “That does make me feel a little better,” he says.

“Good,” Kyungsoo says, and kisses Baekhyun once more. Then he drops his hands to the button on Baekhyun’s jeans. “Now let’s get you out of these pants.”

Baekhyun’s laughter rings loudly throughout the room. “Bossy,” he teases, but looks somewhat relieved that the conversation went well. “I like it.”

He kisses Kyungsoo again, and they struggle together to rid each other of their remaining clothes. Jeans fall to the floor in a heap and the creak of the bed is the only sound as Kyungsoo quickly ducks into his bathroom to retrieve lube and condoms. Baekhyun is lounging beautifully against the sheets when he returns, looking much more comfortable than he did a few minutes earlier, and he smiles as Kyungsoo settles back into his lap. Staring down at Baekhyun like this is becoming a rather delightful experience. Baekhyun’s hands slides up his thighs, up his chest, and when he pinches one of Kyungsoo’s nipples, they both laugh.

Kyungsoo swats his hand away, bends down to kiss him again. It’s sweet and lingers in Kyungsoo’s veins, spreads out to the tips of his toes. He’s a little nervous too, he thinks, but Baekhyun makes him feel good and makes him feel comfortable. He’s been thinking about this for days, wanting Baekhyun like this wholly, completely, and the desire is starting to filter out the uncertainties.

“Do you remember how to do this,” Kyungsoo asks as he holds up the lube, a taunt in his voice, “or should I?”

Baekhyun narrows his eyes at him. “I’m not that inexperienced,” he says, pinching Kyungsoo’s hip lightly.

Kyungsoo lifts a brow, questioning, even as he squeezes lube onto his own fingers. He doesn’t wait for Baekhyun to retort, instead steadies himself on his knees over Baekhyun’s lap and guides his fingers between his legs.

The hands at Kyungsoo’s hips tighten, and he almost laughs at the stunned look on Baekhyun’s face, watching as Kyungsoo fingers himself open. He might have done this earlier in the day, before they’d gone out, lowkey hoping that they’d end up here tonight and prepping thoroughly, so his fingers slip in pretty easily and he lets out a soft sigh.

“Fuck,” Baekhyun says, and this time Kyungsoo does laugh, sliding his hand from the sheets where he’d been supporting himself up to Baekhyun’s chest instead, runs it along the smooth plains of his body just to feel the way Baekhyun shudders under his touch before settling. “Fuck, Kyungsoo, you’re so--” Baekhyun can’t seem to find the words, or maybe he’s just distracted by the way Kyungsoo rocks himself gently onto his fingers. Either way, he grows quiet, and stares instead, eyes dark and nails digging into Kyungsoo’s sides.

“You know I don’t mind doing most of the work now,” Kyungsoo teases, “but next time you’re definitely gonna have to pull your weight.”

That cracks a little smile onto Baekhyun’s face. “You’re already thinking about next time, huh?” he teases right back, and lets a hand smooth its way around Kyungsoo’s waist, gripping his ass and making Kyungsoo’s fingers sink a little deeper. Baekhyun’s smile turns slightly wicked. “Besides, I haven’t even fucked you yet for you to make such a comment.”

“Well,” Kyungsoo drawls as he slips his fingers out and adds a little more lube. He smirks at the way Baekhyun’s arrogance falls away at the sight of his slick fingers, and the way he pushes back in this time with three. “You are just lying there, staring at me.”

“Because,” Baekhyun chokes out. “This is really fucking hot.”

Kyungsoo laughs, loud and a little delighted, and he leans down to kiss Baekhyun fully on the lips. Baekhyun responds eagerly to this, and the hand not on Kyungsoo’s ass finds the back of his neck instead, fingertips just brushing along the short hairs at Kyungsoo’s nape. The kiss is a little breathless and a little sloppy, interspersed with laughter that they can’t seem to stop, but it fills Kyungsoo up with further want, and helpless desire. His cock aches to be touched, and from the way Baekhyun has started rubbing against Kyungsoo’s thigh, he’s at the same point.

With one final kiss, Kyungsoo straightens back up and pulls his fingers out. “Here,” he says, dropping the condom onto Baekhyun’s chest. “Suit up.”

Baekhyun cracks up at that, and it takes him a good few minutes to stop laughing before he can even open the packet. Kyungsoo just watches him fondly as he laughs, shoulders shaking, hair falling into his eyes, pretty pink flush spreading across his chest. Once Baekhyun’s managed to roll the condom down his cock, he cups Kyungsoo’s face in his hands and tugs him into a kiss, still chuckling occasionally into his lips. It eases any and all lingering tension between them, leaving just this simmering affection and need to be close, to be together.

“You okay like this?” Kyungsoo asks as he settles above Baekhyun, curling his fingers around the base of Baekhyun’s cock. He rubs the tip over his hole and enjoys the way Baekhyun’s jaw tightens as he nods.

“Yeah,” he breathes. “I’m good.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says, and sinks down onto Baekhyun’s cock.

For a moment, it’s quiet. There’s only Baekhyun’s harsh intake of breath, Baekhyun’s hands gripping tightly at Kyungsoo’s waist, the pressure Kyungsoo feels throughout his body as he lowers himself slowly, the steady beating of his heart in his ears. Sweat drips down his temple, his knees ache a little, and Baekhyun’s eyes are blown wide as he watches Kyungsoo settle, taking him all the way.

The small, sweet, breathless, “Oh,” that falls from Baekhyun’s lips is like fire in Kyungsoo’s chest. He wants Baekhyun to feel good, wants Baekhyun to come apart under him, just like this. He wants Baekhyun to feel just how much Kyungsoo wants him, too. In every touch, in every kiss, in every moment their eyes meet. He wants Baekhyun to think about this for weeks.

He licks his lips, flattens his hands on Baekhyun’s firm chest, and lifts slowly back up. Baekhyun’s breath hitches again, but he says nothing even as his mouth falls slack. Kyungsoo rises until only the head of Baekhyun’s cock is left snug inside and then he drops back down, the glide of Baekhyun’s cock deliciously smooth.

“Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says, voice strained, brows furrowed, “this is--I’m--”

“Shh,” Kyungsoo murmurs softly, leaning close so he can press his lips to the side of Baekhyun’s face, along his jaw, moving slowly toward his lips. “You don’t have to say anything. It’s okay.”

Baekhyun lets out a shaky breath, but meets Kyungsoo’s eyes. “Kiss me,” he demands, and so Kyungsoo does, lets Baekhyun release everything he can’t put into words into this kiss instead. It’s hard, and deep, and it leaves Kyungsoo’s head spinning a little by the time they pull back.

Baekhyun doesn’t let him go very far, though, one of his hands having moved from Kyungsoo’s hip to hold him in place by the neck. This close, Kyungsoo can see the deep brown color of Baekhyun’s eyes, the little mole off the edge of his right brow, the sheen of sweat across his skin. Kyungsoo brushes the damp hair back from his forehead, presses a kiss between his brows, to the mole on his cheek, the tip of his nose. Baekhyun sighs in content, gently squeezes the back of Kyungsoo’s neck before letting his fingers trail down to cup his cheek. His thumb rubs over Kyungsoo’s cheekbone as their lips find each other again.

It’s Baekhyun who moves first, rocking his hips gently up into Kyungsoo, reminding him of the hot and thick cock inside of him. Kyungsoo bites into Baekhyun’s lower lip, and they’re both moaning then, the sound of it echoing in the silence of the room. Baekhyun pushes up again, and again, and Kyungsoo meets him every time, enjoying the way Baekhyun grows more comfortable and more desperate, the way he starts to pull Kyungsoo apart too.

“That’s it,” Kyungsoo groans, “just like that.”

“Yeah?” Baekhyun asks, letting both his hands fall to Kyungsoo’s ass, holding him in place to make it easier to thrust up into him.

“Yeah, fuck,” Kyungsoo says, pressing his forehead against Baekhyun’s shoulder, “it’s really good. You feel…”

“Good?” Baekhyun prompts, and it’s clear he’s gotten over the initial overwhelming sensation because when Kyungsoo looks up at him, he’s smirking now. “Amazing? Wonderful?” He pauses for a moment, grin growing wider, and adds, “Big?”

Kyungsoo snorts, drawing back so he can look down at Baekhyun again more comfortably. “You wish,” he says, and Baekhyun pouts just a little.

“Ouch,” he says. “What a blow to my ego.”

“I think your ego is just fine,” Kyungsoo says, reaching for one of Baekhyun’s hands and guiding it to his neglected cock, hard against his stomach.

Baekhyun’s throat bobs as he swallows, fingers curling around Kyungsoo’s cock. “Maybe,” he murmurs, and slides his hand up to the tip. When Kyungsoo moans, shuddering, his eyes falling shut, Baekhyun curses under his breath and rubs his thumb over the slit of Kyungsoo’s cock. “You’re so hot like this,” Baekhyun says and Kyungsoo blinks down at him, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

“I could say the same about you,” Kyungsoo says, letting his fingers trail down Baekhyun’s chest, his stomach, back up to his shoulders. He tugs on Baekhyun’s left ear and Baekhyun laughs, turns his face slightly toward his hand and kisses the base of Kyungsoo’s palm.

It’s such a tender little gesture but it burns that fire in Kyungsoo’s chest even further. He holds Baekhyun’s face in his hands and kisses him, groaning into his mouth as Baekhyun shifts under him and drives his cock a deeper into Kyungsoo. The hand Baekhyun has around his cock starts moving again, a little faster, firmer, and Kyungsoo’s arousal is building rapidly. He’s eager to come, and he’s eager to bring Baekhyun with him.

He squeezes deliberately around Baekhyun’s cock, laughs breathlessly at the way Baekhyun whines, low in his throat, and his hips stutter up again. Kyungsoo is just thinking of doing it again when Baekhyun’s arms wrap around his back and they’re suddenly rolling over again, until Kyungsoo’s flat on his back against a cool stretch of the sheets and Baekhyun’s settling between his legs, slowly sinking his cock snug inside.

“Oh, fuck,” Kyungsoo breathes, tipping his head back in pleasure. His hands curl into the sheets at his sides. Baekhyun’s own hands slide from Kyungsoo’s knees down to his hips. He rubs his thumbs in circles at the bone there. Kyungsoo glances up at Baekhyun and almost comes at the mere sight of him, the smug smile on his lips, the deep yearning in his eyes, the way his hair falls into his face, how broad he looks like this, muscles in his shoulders, arms, straining as he moves.

“Fuck me,” Kyungsoo says, winding his legs around Baekhyun’s hips, and releasing the bed sheets in favor of running his hands up Baekhyun’s arms. He traces a prominent vein with a finger and feels Baekhyun shiver. “Baekhyun--”

“I got you,” Baekhyun says, voice rough, and he catches Kyungsoo’s mouth with his. “I’ve got you.”

This time they barely move more than inches apart, bodies pressed together as Baekhyun thrusts into Kyungsoo again and again with a determined, precise rhythm. Kyungsoo’s cock rubs against Baekhyun’s stomach, trapped between them, and he struggles to squeeze a hand down to jerk himself off. He’s so close now, the pressure building from where Baekhyun’s cock meets his prostate to the very tips of his fingers.

Baekhyun leaves kisses along Kyungsoo’s face, his neck, his collarbone, like he’s determined to mark as much of Kyungsoo as he can reach with his lips. He’s braced himself on his elbows on either side of Kyungsoo’s head, fingertips just brushing through Kyungsoo’s hair, and his breath is hot against Kyungsoo’s skin. He moans deeply when Kyungsoo tightens around his cock, and bites into his shoulder.

“Fuck,” Kyungsoo groans at the jolt of pleasure-pain, and Baekhyun’s rhythm falters, hips jerking as he pushes back in. “Come on, Baekhyun,” he coaxes, feeling that he’s close. “Come on, baby.”

Baekhyun moans again, maybe from the endearment that slipped unbidden from Kyungsoo’s lips, maybe from the building sensation, and draws back so he can grip Kyungsoo’s hips in his hands again.

“Kyungsoo,” he says, edging on a plea, and Kyungsoo reaches his free hand up to run his fingers across the back of Baekhyun’s neck.

“Come,” he whispers, and Baekhyun does, thrusting in one last time and shaking from the force of his orgasm. His eyes fall closed, his lips parting in a soft, satisfied little sound, and Kyungsoo watches the way pleasure takes over Baekhyun’s face as he strokes his cock and comes too, only a few moments later.

Kyungsoo’s whole body sings in bliss. It spreads throughout his veins, leaves his skin tingling from the intensity of his orgasm, the deep affection for Baekhyun that continues stroking that fire in his chest. His breaths come out loud as his heart rate struggles to even back out, and he lazily lets his hand move from Baekhyun’s neck to his face, slides his thumb over Baekhyun’s upper lip.

Baekhyun’s eyes flutter open. A smile pulls at his mouth. His gaze is infinitely warm as he meets Kyungsoo’s own, but grows a little dark again as he drags his eyes down and catches the mess Kyungsoo’s left over his stomach. He frowns.

“I didn’t get to watch,” he says petulantly, and Kyungsoo snorts.

“Next time,” he offers, releasing his cock and wiping the come on his fingers across his hip and almost laughs at the way Baekhyun groans at the sight.

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” he says roughly, and then bends over to kiss Kyungsoo, a smile stretching back onto his lips.

They kiss for a few sweet moments, letting the high of sex fade away into something more comfortable, sated, quiet. Baekhyun slips his cock out with a slight hiss and removes the condom with quick fingers. Kyungsoo doesn’t even need to say anything for Baekhyun to stumble out of bed to throw it away in the ensuite bathroom, and a little smile tugs at his lips as he watches Baekhyun return, collapsing onto the side of the bed to Kyungsoo’s left. He drapes his right leg over Kyungsoo’s and rubs his face into Kyungsoo’s shoulder, soft and adorable.

A peaceful silence fills the air. Kyungsoo is happy, right now, next to Baekhyun like this, the heat of Baekhyun’s body sinking into his own. He could probably lie here for hours, content, but instead he says, “So I guess you remembered how to fuck after all.”

There’s a pause, Baekhyun’s fingers stopping their steady crawl up Kyungsoo’s chest. Then, he releases an outraged laugh and swats Kyungsoo in the shoulder, propping himself up on the elbow to glare down at him. Kyungsoo unsuccessfully manages to hide his own amusement, snickering as Baekhyun jabs him in the stomach with his fingers.

“Shut. Up,” he demands, and Kyungsoo just laughs harder, enjoying the offended twist to Baekhyun’s face.

He pulls himself up to sit and tugs at Baekhyun’s jaw with his clean hand, until he can close the distance between them with a smacking kiss. Baekhyun immediately melts into it and chases after when Kyungsoo pulls back, so Kyungsoo gives him one more before he retreats, smiling.

“Come on,” he says as he climbs off the bed, wincing just a little from the ache in his body. “Let’s clean up.”

Baekhyun nods, follows after Kyungsoo into the bathroom, and when they kiss under the spray of the shower, that burning fire in Kyungsoo’s chest settles, the lingering warmth as gentle as Baekhyun’s lips against his.

Kyungsoo wakes in the morning to the sound of his dogs whining on the other side of the door and Baekhyun’s arm wrapped around his waist. It takes a few moments before the events of last night make their way to the surface of his sleep-addled brain, but then he’s smiling stupidly to himself as he glances down at where Baekhyun is using Kyungsoo’s shoulder as a pillow.

He really is the clingy type of boyfriend, but Kyungsoo doesn’t mind that at all. It’s rather nice, actually, the soft touches and constant affection. Baekhyun makes him feel wanted and comfortable and Kyungsoo doesn’t think he’ll ever get tired of that.

Baekhyun is a heavy sleeper, so he manages to carefully pull himself out of bed without waking him. He looks soft against Kyungsoo’s sheets, messy brown hair against the pillows and body curled on his side. Kyungsoo tugs the blankets up over his shoulder and places a gentle kiss to his forehead before he stumbles into the bathroom to quickly brush his teeth. He figures he can shower a little later, once Baekhyun wakes up. Right now he needs to check on the dogs.

He finds his discarded boxers from last night and throws those on afterward, and picks up Baekhyun’s shirt to wear as well, buttoning up the front as he steps out into the hallway and closes the door behind him. Inky and Pepper are very excited to see him and Kyungsoo sits on the cold floor of the kitchen for a long time to simply play with them and give them the attention they crave.

“I’ll take you on a walk in an hour or so, okay?” he says, rubbing Pepper behind the ears. He glances out the window and is pleased to find it’s quite sunny for around nine in the morning. “Looks like it’ll be a good day. We can go to the park again.”

Inky barks at that, and Kyungsoo laughs, rubs at his tummy.

Eventually he lets them out into the backyard, fills up their bowls with water and food and lets them have at it once he’s dried them off. He watches for a few minutes, then figures he might as well get the coffee started, and by the time he’s finished that, he thinks he hears movement upstairs.

Smiling, Kyungsoo heads back to his bedroom and finds Baekhyun peering at him a little sleepily from beneath the covers. “You left,” he says, voice low from sleep.

“I had to let the dogs out,” Kyungsoo says as he joins him back in bed, Baekhyun pulling him right into his chest and rubbing his nose into the crook of Kyungsoo’s neck.

Kyungsoo chuckles softly because Baekhyun is much like his dogs, seeking affection after waking up too. He indulges him, runs his fingers through Baekhyun’s long hair, and thinks Baekhyun might just fall back asleep like this when he suddenly says, “Are you wearing my shirt?”

“Oh,” Kyungsoo says, having forgotten all about it. “Yeah. Sorry, I just picked it up when I left the room.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Baekhyun mumbles, and Kyungsoo sighs in surprise when he presses a kiss to the top of his chest, where Kyungsoo hadn’t buttoned it properly. “I like it on you.”

Kyungsoo hums thoughtfully, enjoying the way Baekhyun is continuing to kiss him, trailing his lips up the side of his neck. “Have we already made it to the clothes-sharing stage of the relationship?” he asks and Baekhyun’s laugh tickles at his skin, makes Kyungsoo squirm against Baekhyun’s chest. He feels Baekhyun grin against his collarbone and relaxes in Baekhyun’s touch as his hands slip underneath his shirt.

“I think we did that before we were dating,” Baekhyun points out, and Kyungsoo gasps at the brush of fingers across his nipples, heat flooding his veins down to his toes. “I think now we’re at the having-sex-while-wearing-each-other’s-clothes stage.”

Kyungsoo laughs, tipping his head back as Baekhyun sucks a particularly rough spot into the side of his neck. He sinks his fingers into Baekhyun’s hair and holds on, and as Baekhyun pushes him gently onto his back, feels the hard line of his cock against his hip.

“I think you might be right,” Kyungsoo says, breathless and turned on, and doesn’t stop Baekhyun from pulling his boxers down his legs.

They do eventually make it out of bed that morning, after Baekhyun’s coaxed two orgasms out of Kyungsoo to his one own, and made heavy, whispered promises that the next time Kyungsoo can fuck him. They shower together, laughing, trading kisses, and working shampoo into each other’s hair, and afterward Kyungsoo lets Baekhyun borrow a shirt and Baekhyun says nothing when Kyungsoo holds onto his own. Instead he just presses Kyungsoo up against his dresser to kiss him again and again, until they’re both giggling into each other’s mouths more than they’re letting their lips meet.

“Are you hungry?” Kyungsoo says softly as he pulls back. Baekhyun nods, and Kyungsoo smiles, brushing his hair back from his face and adds, “Do you need to check up on Eunnie? It’s still early though, so maybe he’s still sleeping.”

Baekhyun kisses Kyungsoo again, and Kyungsoo thinks it’s cute how Baekhyun finds it very attractive when Kyungsoo shows his concern for Eun. It makes him smile wider and Baekhyun grins back when he pulls away completely, letting his hands fall from Kyungsoo’s waist. “Yeah, I should call Yixing and check anyway,” he says. “Eun wakes up pretty early so he and Jiyu are probably already wrecking havoc as we speak.”

“Well, if you can stay for breakfast at least, that would be nice,” Kyungsoo says, walking around him to retrieve his glasses from the nightstand and sighing a little as everything shifts into clear focus. “Come on,” he says, heading for the door. “I started coffee like an hour ago.”

Baekhyun calls Yixing from the kitchen, sitting atop the counter and swinging his legs back and forth, the phone on speaker so Kyungsoo can hear their conversation. He wasn’t expecting that, but it makes him smile a little, that Baekhyun doesn’t mind him listening in. Kyungsoo fills two mugs up with coffee, sets Baekhyun’s aside and then lets himself be pulled in between Baekhyun’s legs, his warm thighs wrapping around Kyungsoo’s waist to trap him there. Kyungsoo drops a hand to one, squeezes gently and watches as Baekhyun speaks to Yixing about how he can pick Eun up when needed, that he doesn’t want him to overstay his welcome.

“Seriously, I can be there as soon as you need,” Baekhyun says, and Yixing laughs.

“Don’t worry about it,” he says cheerfully. “You have fun with your boy toy. I’m giving you the chance to spend more time together.”

Baekhyun sputters at boy toy, so Kyungsoo replies in a deadpan voice, “We appreciate your sacrifice.”

“Kyungsoo!” Yixing says, delighted, and Kyungsoo can’t help but crack a smile. “Please keep Baekhyun occupied for the morning. Eun is in good hands here, and I’m sure Baekhyun is in good hands with you.”

“Hey,” Baekhyun grumbles, and Kyungsoo laughs, squeezes Baekhyun’s thigh again.

“I’ll look after him,” he tells Yixing and hangs up after, pressing the red button on Baekhyun’s screen. Baekhyun is still pouting at him so Kyungsoo says, “Looks like we’re stuck with each other for awhile longer.”

The corner of Baekhyun’s lips twitch upward. “Whatever will we do with all this time,” he drawls, tugging Kyungsoo in closer.

“I think I have some ideas,” Kyungsoo murmurs and presses their lips together.

They end up curled on the couch, watching the morning news as they finish their coffee. It’s warm and cozy and Kyungsoo doesn’t have to do or say anything if he doesn’t want to, he can just enjoy Baekhyun’s head in his lap, his own fingers in Baekhyun’s hair, and the quiet commentary Baekhyun gives every ten minutes that makes him laugh.

They take the dogs out on a walk after. The weather is nice, and the dogs are ridiculously happy to be outside, and Baekhyun holds Kyungsoo’s free hand the whole way, his other clutched around Inky’s leash. Their neighborhood part is quiet for a Sunday morning, just the occasional jogger out and about alongside a few other dog walkers. The grounds are still a little wet from all the snow that’s melting but it doesn’t stop Baekhyun from running around with the pups, throwing their favorite squeaky ball that Baekhyun had shoved into his coat pocket. The dogs love him and Kyungsoo loves that, plays along at times, takes a few photos at others, finds himself smiling so wide and so long that his cheeks start to hurt.

They take a lap around the park before settling down at a slightly wet bench. Inky is tired out now, and sits quietly by Kyungsoo’s feet, but Pepper continues to move about and Baekhyun indulges him with short tosses of the ball that Pepper retrieves without having to move far from the bench. Kyungsoo slumps a little into Baekhyun’s side, feeling exhausted too for no real reason, but he smiles at the way Baekhyun immediately wraps an arm around his waist and holds him close.

Sitting together in silence like this, with merely the sounds of world waking up around them, is really nice. Kyungsoo sometimes takes the dogs on walks with Chanyeol, if he’s over during a weekend, but Chanyeol is a chatterbox and doesn’t let the silence stretch between them for too long. Baekhyun is usually similar, but this morning he seems to enjoy the quiet too, laughing as he plays with Pepper.

It’s so peaceful that it’s surprising when they hear someone calling out their names. Inky perks up and barks, and Kyungsoo turns too to find Victoria running over. She's dressed in yoga pants and a fitted long-sleeved track sweater, her hair done up in a ponytail and Kyungsoo’s known her for nearly four years but they haven’t interacted all that much. He smiles, nodding his head, but Baekhyun gets up and waves.

“Hey,” he says brightly. “You look really active for so early.”

Victoria laughs, a little breathless, hands at her hips as she seems to let her heart rate slow. “The kids are still sleeping so it’s the best time,” she says. “You two look cozy.”

Baekhyun beams. “We’re cute, right?” he says, and Victoria laughs again, shakes her head slightly in amusement.

Kyungsoo figures Baekhyun must’ve told her about them. He doesn’t really mind, but he is a little surprised. He wonders if he should be more worried about their own neighbors knowing they’re dating, but Victoria doesn’t look like she cares, teasing Baekhyun about it instead. Some of their other older neighbors...Kyungsoo thinks it’s perfectly fine that they continue to stay in the dark about his life. Kyungsoo doesn’t particularly interact with them much anyway.

Victoria eventually heads back off on her run, waving at them both after getting Kyungsoo to promise to come over for dinner some time. Baekhyun settles back down on the bench, smiling at Kyungsoo warmly, and Kyungsoo asks, “I know our friends know about us, but have you told your mom or anyone else?”

“Victoria knows,” Baekhyun says, and then laughs. “I mean, I guess she's mostly a friend even though we don't hang out much. I haven't mentioned it to my mom but I want to.” He glances at Kyungsoo and reaches out to take his hand in his. “If you’re okay with it?”

Kyungsoo nods, lacing their fingers together. “Yeah, I don’t mind.”

Baekhyun grins widely again. “Good. She's gonna be so pleased. She was demanding why I hadn't made a move on you back when she visited, and that was months ago!” He shakes his head but then smiles softly at Kyungsoo. “She loves you.”

Something a little like pride settles in Kyungsoo’s chest. “I’m glad,” he says honestly, and he lowers his gaze to their linked fingers, taking in the way Baekhyun’s fit between his. “I haven’t really talked to my parents in ages. We don’t keep in touch that much other than a few calls during the holidays.” He can feel Baekhyun watching him closely, curious. Maybe he’s wondered about it, why Kyungsoo hasn’t mentioned his family as much as Baekhyun does.

“You don’t have to tell them anything if you don’t want,” Baekhyun says, soft and reassuring.

“I know,” Kyungsoo says, and he looks back up at Baekhyun with a smile. He knows Baekhyun wouldn’t pressure him to say anything about their relationship if he didn’t want to. “Maybe I’ll mention it the next time we talk. Whenever that is.” He chuckles, because that could be months from now, to be honest, but Kyungsoo does think maybe he’ll call up his brother. It’s been awhile since they’ve talked.

“Speaking of people who don’t know about us,” Kyungsoo says as he remembers the most important one of all. “Have you thought about telling Eun at all? I know you wanted to wait awhile, but honestly, I don’t really like hiding this from him. And it’s been a month now since we started dating. Even though it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long.”

Baekhyun laughs. “It’s gone by really fast. The best month of my life.” He grins widely at Kyungsoo, who just rolls his eyes and nudges him in the side with his elbow. When Baekhyun pouts, Kyungsoo indulges him with a soft kiss to the cheek.

Pacified, Baekhyun smiles and says, “I think you might be right about Eun. I don’t like hiding this from him either. I do want to tell him, but you saw how he was the other day. Something's bothering him and I don't know if telling him about us will make him happy or more upset."

Kyungsoo sighs at that, nodding in understanding. “I worry about that too,” he says. “But I don’t think there’s any way of knowing how he’ll react until we tell him the truth. And, well, if it it turns out poorly, we’ll figure out a way to deal with that then.”

He hopes he sounds more confident than he feels, because despite wanting to tell Eun the truth, Kyungsoo is nervous. He’s not sure how Eun will take it. He rubs his thumb along Baekhyun’s skin, where their hands are still laced together, and adds after a moment, “You don’t have to do it alone, by the way. I can be there, when you tell him. We can do it together, if you want.”

Some of the tension in Baekhyun’s shoulders visible bleeds out at Kyungsoo’s words and he smiles softly, meeting his eyes. “I’d like that,” he says and gently squeezes Kyungsoo’s hand.

Later that evening, just before Kyungsoo is about to head over to Baekhyun’s for their usual Sunday night Chen dates, Baekhyun calls him.

“Hey,” Kyungsoo says, searching for his keys in the living room. “I’m just leaving.”

“Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says in such a tired voice that Kyungsoo immediately stops looking behind couch cushions to stand up straight, brows furrowing in concern. “I think we might have to cancel.”

“Why?” Kyungsoo asks. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Eun?”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s--it’s nothing like that,” Baekhyun says, and he heaves a deep sigh. “When I reminded Eunnie you were coming over and we were gonna watch the show together, he...Well, he had a bit of a tantrum. He said he didn’t want to watch with us and no matter how much I tried to figure out why, he just yelled more about how he didn’t want to and then went to hide in his room. Like he closed the door on me.”

Baekhyun is starting to sound more and more like he’s going to cry and Kyungsoo wishes he was over there so he could hold him and tell him it’s okay, even though he’s wondering himself if it really is.

“He’s never been mad like this before,” Baekhyun says. “Not even when I accidentally ruined his giant Lego tower when he was five.”

Kyungsoo chuckles at that, and Baekhyun lets out a small huff of a laugh too. “I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo says. “Was he fine when you picked him up earlier?”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says. “He told me excitedly about everything he did at Yixing’s and didn’t even complain when we went grocery shopping on the way back home.” He sighs again, and Kyungsoo can picture him running a hand agitatedly through his hair. “I don’t know what’s wrong. I mean, even if he’s upset with me or you, he’s never missed a Chen episode before, so I just--I know this is serious.”

Kyungsoo nods even though Baekhyun can’t see him. He sighs too, worried about Eun, conflicted by his behavior, remembering how Eun had acted with him last weekend, too. He doesn’t know if he’s done something wrong. The only thing that’s changed is--

“Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says, sudden realization sweeping through him. “Is it possible that Eun figured out we’re dating?”

There’s a long pause, then Baekhyun gasps. “I--I don’t know how he could’ve,” he says. “I’ve told him a little about our dates but I’ve never mentioned you by name. Do you think that’s what it is?”

“Well, it makes sense, right?” Kyungsoo says. “If he figured it out somehow and he’s upset about it, or mad we haven’t told him. I don’t know exactly, but why else would he be so upset with you and with me?”

“Fuck,” Baekhyun says. “Fuck, I think you’re right.” He groans and Kyungsoo can hear the creaking sound of a mattress as Baekhyun undoubtedly sits down on his bed. “What do I do?”

Kyungsoo laughs a little. “We talked about this earlier, remember?” he says. “You should tell him.”

“I don’t want to bother him anymore right now,” Baekhyun says softly. “I was just gonna make a quick dinner and make sure he eats.”

“Then talk to him tomorrow,” Kyungsoo says. “Hopefully he’ll have calmed down by then. If you want me there, just let me know.”

“I do,” Baekhyun says without hesitation and it makes Kyungsoo’s chest warm. “I really do.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says softly. “I’ll be there.”

Baekhyun lets out a small sigh, one of relief this time instead of worry or frustration. “I really wish I could kiss you right now,” he says, sounding so sincere, so genuine, that Kyungsoo can’t do anything but smile, because, well, he wants that too.

Instead of saying as much though, he collapses onto his couch, leaning against the back and remembering how hours ago Baekhyun had been here, resting his head in Kyungsoo’s lap, perfectly at home, perfectly at peace. He chuckles softly and says, “Well, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow,” and laughs a little harder at Baekhyun’s immediate whine.

“Kyungsoo,” he says, drawing out the sound, and Kyungsoo knows he’s pouting and he thinks Baekhyun is adorable, even like this, through the phone.

“Goodnight, Baekhyun,” he says and leaves it at that, hanging up before Baekhyun can say anything more.

His phone vibrates in his hand two seconds later, a barrage of crying emoji faces filling his screen. Kyungsoo lets Baekhyun wait for all of two minutes before he sends back one single kiss emoji and then buries his face into the couch pillow.

Although they had decided to talk with Eun the next day, they don’t get the chance until the end of the week. Kyungsoo spends those first days of April in his studio, working. He’s in the final stretch of his editing, and trying his best not to psych himself out and deem everything is terrible at the last minute even when he knows it’s not.

Baekhyun keeps him apprised of the situation with Eun, and despite Kyungsoo telling Baekhyun to talk with Eun on his own, Baekhyun insists he wants to do it together and he understands that Kyungsoo is busy. Baekhyun and Eun are busy too, as the school year is coming to a close and Eun has a couple of big projects to finish. Kyungsoo wishes he could go over and help, spend some time away from his home studio, but he doesn’t want to upset Eun anymore, now that he seems to have calmed down.

Kyungsoo isn’t sure what they’ll do if it does turn out Eun figured out he and Baekhyun are dating and isn’t exactly happy with it. He never considered this to be a possibility. Eun has always seemed to like Kyungsoo, and they’ve gotten along so well, Kyungsoo hadn’t thought he would be upset. It plagues him more than he can control, because over the past eight months, Eun has become incredibly important to Kyungsoo, and he doesn’t want to ruin that relationship.

There’s unfortunately very little they can do about it until they talk to him, so Kyungsoo drowns himself in work instead, continuing to write his new book and attending more script writing sessions at the studio. A few new characters are being introduced for season three, and Kyungsoo joins the director on choosing the right actors to play the parts in line with his vision.

Kyungsoo tries not to be too controlling over the show after how much stress it had given him in the beginning, but he likes being included in meetings before handing things off to the team he’s worked with for the past few years. He trusts them. He knows everything will be handled correctly.

He goes over to Chanyeol’s for dinner on Wednesday evening, the two of them playing a raucous game of Mario Kart while eating their weight in fried chicken. Kyungsoo tells him about Eun, and punches Chanyeol squarely in the shoulder when he asks, “So if Eun hates you now, are you and Baekhyun gonna break up?”

“Shut up,” Kyungsoo grumbles. “Don’t say something like that.”

“I just think you’re worrying too much,” Chanyeol says with a laugh. “Eun’s just a kid. I’m sure whatever it is, it’ll turn out okay. He likes you a lot.”

“I hope you’re right,” is all Kyungsoo can say in response.

Chanyeol does help distract him from his worries though, and Kyungsoo ends up crashing on his couch after a poorly-timed Harry Potter movie marathon and one too many glasses of wine. He wakes in the morning to a dull headache and steals one of Chanyeol’s ridiculously large shirts to wear so he can meet Baekhyun for a quick breakfast that they’d planned two days ago. Chanyeol ends up tagging along because he doesn’t seem to understand the concept of a date, but Baekhyun isn’t bothered, pulling Kyungsoo to sit beside him and letting Chanyeol regale him of their activities the night before.

“It sounds like fun,” Baekhyun says, arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder. Kyungsoo’s tired enough that he’s resting his head on Baekhyun’s shoulder and doesn’t mind the amused looks Chanyeol keeps giving him. “Next time let me join you guys. We can have a Mario Kart tournament. I’ll bring Jongdae.”

“Fuck yes,” Chanyeol cheers, and Kyungsoo lets them hash out the details excitedly while he enjoys the warmth of Baekhyun’s body against his.

They part ways soon after as Baekhyun and Chanyeol both need to get to work and Kyungsoo should probably go home and shower before his meeting in a few hours. Baekhyun gently runs a hand through Kyungsoo’s hair and kisses him sweetly on the lips in the middle of the sidewalk before he leaves, promising to call him in the evening, and Chanyeol snickers at the dazed look on Kyungsoo’s face that lingers long after Baekhyun’s gone.

“You’re in so deep,” Chanyeol teases, and Kyungsoo just grumbles, “Be quiet,” under his breath, because he can’t really deny it. He’s not sure that he wants to, anyway.

It’s not until Saturday night that Baekhyun asks Kyungsoo if he’s able to come over to talk to Eun. Kyungsoo made dinner plans with Minseok and Junmyeon, so he lets Baekhyun know he’ll swing by after and to not work himself up into a panic before then.

Kyungsoo’s trying not to panic too, but he is a little nervous by the time he makes it over to Baekhyun’s that night. He’s not sure what to expect and that makes it difficult. All he can do is hope that it goes well, and that he and Baekhyun are able to figure out what’s really bothering Eun.

Baekhyun looks just as nervous as Kyungsoo feels when he lets him in, a furrow to his brow and his brown hair a mess atop his head like he’s spent too much time running his hands through it agitatedly. Somehow it eases Kyungsoo’s anxiety and he can’t help but smile as he lets Baekhyun pull him into a hug.

“It’s gonna be fine,” he says gently, rubbing a hand down Baekhyun’s back until Baekhyun slowly but surely relaxes against his chest.

“I’m really glad you’re here,” Baekhyun says as he pulls back. “I’m glad we’re finally doing this.”

“Yeah, me too,” Kyungsoo says, and he gives Baekhyun’s hand a squeeze before they part. Kyungsoo slips out of his shoes and follows Baekhyun further into the house. Baekhyun asks if he wants anything to drink and Kyungsoo shakes his head. “Let’s talk with Eun first, okay? Before either of us chicken out.”

Baekhyun huffs out a laugh but he nods. “He’s in his room,” he says, and leads the way.

The door to Eun’s room is open, but Baekhyun knocks against it before he steps inside. “Hey, Eunnie,” he says when Eun looks from where he’s sitting on the floor in front of his bed and his eyes grow wide at the sight of them before he quickly looks back down at his lap. He’s working on a Star Wars puzzle, the pieces scattered around him. He’s already built the outer frame. “Can we talk to you?”

Eun gives a half-hearted shrug, but Kyungsoo figures that’s better than another tantrum. Baekhyun casts him a small smile and they join Eun on the floor, forming a little triangle. There’s a moment of staggering silence, as neither Kyungsoo nor Baekhyun seem to know what to say, and Eun looks tense, like he’s uncertain if he’s in trouble.

Just as Kyungsoo considers taking the plunge, Baekhyun heaves a deep breath and says, “Eunnie, I know that something’s been bothering you for a few weeks. Kyungsoo’s noticed too. We--We’re both really worried. Can’t you tell us what’s wrong?” His voice wavers a little in his worry, and Kyungsoo wishes he could hold his hand without drawing attention to it. Instead he just holds onto his knees as Baekhyun adds, “Are you...Are you mad at us about something?”

“It’s okay if you are,” Kyungsoo adds gently, and he’s surprised when Eun looks over at him. “We just want to know what’s wrong so we can make it better.”

Baekhyun nods encouragingly at Kyungsoo’s side and Eun looks between the two of them for a moment before he drops his gaze. He passes the puzzle piece in his hands back and forth a few times before he finally blurts out, turning to Kyungsoo, “You said you liked my dad!”

“I--What?” Kyungsoo says, taken aback. This is not what he was expecting.

“I asked you and you told me! You told me that you liked my dad!” Eun exclaims, and Kyungsoo’s suddenly horrified by the way tears spring to Eun’s eyes.

“I--” He glances at Baekhyun, stunned, and is relieved at least to see that Baekhyun looks just as lost as he is. “I do like your dad, Eunnie--”

“Then why aren’t you dating him!” Eun cries, actually cries, tears spilling over that he hastily wipes away. “Dad said he goes on dates now but I wanted--I thought you--” He can’t seem to continue, too upset as he struggles to contain his distressed sniffles.

“Oh my god,” Baekhyun breathes, pulling Eun into his arms. Eun struggles against him too, pushing at his chest with his small hands, but Baekhyun holds on, shushing him gently as he looks at Kyungsoo over Eun’s head. “Oh my god, we got it completely backwards.”

Understanding slowly makes its way to Kyungsoo’s brain, the pieces fitting together like the puzzle lying on the floor in front of him. He laughs a little, because he’s not sure what else he can do. He’d thought Eun had figured them out, that he was mad about them dating, but that’s not the case at all. Eun has been upset this whole time because he thought Baekhyun was dating someone else.

“Eunnie,” Kyungsoo says softly, reaching out to rub soothingly along his arm. “I’m so sorry. We both are. We should’ve been honest with you from the beginning.”

Eun blinks up at him through watery eyelashes. He looks a little confused now, so Kyungsoo glances up at Baekhyun to confirm it’s okay. Baekhyun nods, and Kyungsoo continues after a deep breath. “Eunnie, I like your dad very much. In fact, we are dating. Those dates that your dad told you about? Those were with me.”

There’s a moment of silence, and then Eun breathes, “Really?”

Kyungsoo nods, chuckling softly. “Really,” he says, hoping Eun can hear the conviction in his voice. “We didn’t tell you right away because we wanted to be sure, you know? That we were going to be together and that this is what we wanted.”

Eun sniffles again, and rubs at his nose. He says, with all the seriousness of a seven-year-old, “But if you like each other that’s all you need!”

Kyungsoo can’t really find anything to say to that, gaping a little incredulously at the innocence of Eun’s childlike thinking. He laughs, looking up at Baekhyun who is grinning as he holds Eun tighter.

“You’re so smart, Eunnie,” Baekhyun says brightly, and plants a smacking kiss to the top of Eun’s head. “I’m so sorry we didn’t tell you sooner. That’s my fault, okay? Don’t be mad at Kyungsoo.”

Eun shakes his head, and mumbles something into Baekhyun’s chest that they can’t quite catch. Baekhyun pokes him lightly in the sides, urging him to speak, until Eun is giggling and blurting, “I’m not mad!” He frowns a little, like he’s trying to figure out what he wants to say, and then continues, “I want you to be happy, dad. It’s okay if you date. But...I like Kyungsoo the most.” He sniffs again, glancing at Kyungsoo, and finishes with a little, “That’s all.”

Kyungsoo’s heart aches as much as it heals, warmth spreading across his chest and through his whole body. He’s so relieved. Eun is okay. Eun wants them to be together. Eun isn’t mad at him. Kyungsoo sighs deeply, the stress he’s been carrying on his shoulders finally easing away. He smiles up at Baekhyun who returns it, his eyes a little watery from unshed tears. Kyungsoo knows how worried Baekhyun’s been over this whole thing, and he thinks he won’t be very surprised if Baekhyun cries a little on him later.

Right now though, he’s all smiles, and he whispers something into Eun’s ear that Kyungsoo can’t catch before Eun is suddenly climbing out of Baekhyun’s lap in favor of throwing himself into Kyungsoo’s instead. Kyungsoo laughs, falling back against the floor as Eun clings to him, and he holds him close for a few moments before pushing them back up to sit properly.

“You’re really dating my dad?” Eun asks him, sounding just a bit unsure but mostly hopeful, like he needs this reassurance.

“Yes, I really am,” Kyungsoo says, smoothing back Eun’s hair where it’s gotten into his face.

“That means you’re not leaving, right?” Eun says. “And...and I can still play with your puppies? And we can keep watching Chen together?”

“Of course, Eunnie,” Kyungsoo says softly, surprised again by just how much Eun was worrying about by himself. “And even if your dad was dating someone else, we could still do all of those things. We’re friends, remember? That’s never going to change.”

Eun stares at him for a long moment before he finally nods, accepting. “Okay,” he says. “But I’m happy it’s you.”

Kyungsoo chuckles, and hugs Eun a little closer. “Yeah,” he says, meeting Baekhyun’s eyes. “Me too.”

Baekhyun makes a little noise of almost frustration, but perhaps is actually joy, because he throws himself into Kyungsoo and Eun’s hug, sending them all back to the floor. Kyungsoo groans, taking the brunt of the fall, as Eun laughs loudly between them and yells, “Dad, you’re heavy!”

Baekhyun only plants another kiss atop Eun’s head, and then, before Kyungsoo can expect it, he’s kissing him, too, right on the mouth. Kyungsoo feels the relief, the gratitude, the happiness in the press of his lips, and he can only kiss back, hoping Baekhyun senses the same from him.

“Eww,” Eun says a moment later, even though he doesn’t look too grossed out when Kyungsoo breaks away enough to see. He’s smiling at them both now, tears all dried up, worries all gone, and Kyungsoo is so glad that everything turned out alright.

“What’s so gross about kisses, huh?” Baekhyun demands, releasing Kyungsoo so he can pull Eun back to him, peppering kisses all over Eun’s face until Eun is half-laughing, half-screaming, face flushed but clearly happy. He doesn’t fight Baekhyun quite as much, clinging to him for comfort as Baekhyun holds him against his chest, rubs a hand down his back soothingly. “I love you, Eunnie,” he says quietly. “If something is bothering you, please tell me, okay?”

Eun nods, his agreement muffled into Baekhyun’s shoulder, and Kyungsoo smiles at the both of them.

The rest of the night is soft, cozy, happiness. They watch the Chen episode they’d missed earlier in the week, Eun sitting between Kyungsoo and Baekhyun on the couch, bowls of ice cream in their hands. Eun is lively again, singing along to the theme song, and gasping in surprise at the cliffhanger ending. Kyungsoo’s heart feels light again, watching him, knowing things are okay.

After Eun’s gone to sleep, Baekhyun pulls Kyungsoo into his bed, pressing him down against the sheets and kissing him tenderly.

“Thank you,” he whispers in between kisses, “for today.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Kyungsoo chuckles.

“You were here,” Baekhyun says, in a tone of voice that suggests he can’t believe he has to tell Kyungsoo this at all. He pulls back to stare down at him, and Kyungsoo finds Baekhyun’s hand with his, lets their hands lace together.

“I told you I would be,” Kyungsoo says gently. “I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else either.”

“I know,” Baekhyun says. “I just--God, I was just so worried.” He rubs his free hand over his face and Kyungsoo reaches up to take that one, too.

“Hey,” he says, and he tugs lightly at Baekhyun’s hands, urges him to lie down on the bed beside him instead and wraps an arm loosely around his waist. “It’s okay now.” He brushes the hair out of Baekhyun’s eyes. “You heard him. He’s okay with this. He wanted this. But even more than that, he just wants you to be happy.”

When Baekhyun cries, it’s quiet. Kyungsoo pulls him close immediately, before he can even say anything, before he can stop himself from letting his emotions take over. Baekhyun presses his forehead against Kyungsoo’s shoulder and Kyungsoo runs a hand up and down his back.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Kyungsoo says again, reminding him, reminding even himself. “We got to the bottom of it. He’s not mad at us.” Kyungsoo pauses, reconsiders, and adds, mostly in an effort to make Baekhyun laugh, “Well, maybe a little. But only if we kiss in front of him.”

It works. Baekhyun huffs out a little chuckle that sounds kind of like a sob, but he also pulls back enough to look up at Kyungsoo’s face. Kyungsoo smiles at him, wipes the tears off his cheeks so gently it seems to make Baekhyun cry all over again. Kyungsoo doesn’t mind it honestly; he’s used to Chanyeol crying over Disney movies and pictures of cute kittens he can’t adopt, so he just continues to hold Baekhyun close until the tears run out and he’s sniffling instead, and Kyungsoo’s left with a slightly damp spot in the fabric of his shirt.

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun mumbles as he draws back, rubbing at his face. His cheeks are flushed and he looks a little embarrassed, but when Kyungsoo kisses him, he sighs into it.

“Do you feel better?” Kyungsoo asks as he lets Baekhyun pull him close this time, wrapping his arms around Kyungsoo’s body like Kyungsoo’s a giant pillow.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says. “I guess I needed that. I didn’t realize just how stressed out I was about Eun until we finally figured out what was wrong. And now I’m just...I’m so relieved, and I feel guilty for not telling him the truth from the start.” He laughs a little, shaking his head. “You think as a parent you’re doing your kid a favor by keeping things from them, but in reality...Honesty really is the best policy, huh?”

“Apparently,” Kyungsoo agrees with a chuckle. “You couldn’t have known he’d react the way he did though. It’s not your fault. It’s not anyone’s fault.”

“It just...It kills me a little that he was worrying about all of this on his own this whole time,” Baekhyun says, sniffling again.

“I know,” Kyungsoo says, patting Baekhyun’s hand with his own. “But it’s over now. He’s not upset anymore, Baekhyunnie, so you don’t have to be either.”

“I’m not,” Baekhyun mumbles. “I’m happy.”

“Are you?” Kyungsoo teases, reaching up to poke him in the cheek. “Because you sound like you’re gonna cry again.”

“No, I’m not,” Baekhyun says with all the petulance of a little kid.

Kyungsoo hums disbelievingly but laughs when Baekhyun pinches his waist. He squirms away from the touch, turning onto his side so he can look at Baekhyun more properly. Baekhyun gazes back up at him, eyes warm despite the tired strain from all his crying.

“I am happy,” Baekhyun says again, softly. “You make me happy.” He laughs a little, as Kyungsoo feels his heart racing in his chest from the sudden confession. “You make both of us so happy. Eunnie--He was worried that if I dated someone else, he wouldn’t get to see you as much. He loves you a lot. You’re special, Kyungsoo.” He smiles, lets his fingers trail along the back of Kyungsoo’s neck. “To the both of us.”

Kyungsoo isn’t the kind of person who cries easily, but right now, after everything that’s happened tonight, and Baekhyun’s sweet, comforting words, he feels choked up. He cups Baekhyun’s face in his hands and kisses him roughly, deeply, and somewhere in between, manages to reply, “You’re special to me too.”

Eun knowing the truth makes things a lot easier. He’s back to his bright, upbeat self, and Kyungsoo is able to see Baekhyun in the evenings more often now that Eun is aware of their relationship. They’ll stop over together for dinner, and Eun will finish his homework at Kyungsoo’s dining table while Baekhyun sneaks as many kisses out of Kyungsoo as he can in between washing the dishes.

Maybe they should have told Eun the truth from the start, but Kyungsoo understands why Baekhyun chose to wait, and ultimately, Kyungsoo thinks it might have been for the best. Sure, it led to some misunderstandings that could’ve been prevented, but it also allowed Kyungsoo and Baekhyun to really be certain that this is what they wanted. It gave them the chance to gain their footing, and grow comfortable with each other in a different way than before.

Kyungsoo’s glad they’ve made it over the hurdles and have a found a point where they’re confident in this relationship, and happy to be together. And Kyungsoo is happy. Baekhyun and Eun make him happy. He never would have expected this all those months ago when they’d first moved in, but now he can’t imagine anything else.

This feels real. This feels right.

There are still times when it’s just the two of them. When Baekhyun drags Kyungsoo to see a movie on a Friday night that Eun’s being watched by Jongdae, or when Kyungsoo tells Baekhyun to leave his Wednesday evening free so they can catch a live concert at a small dive bar in the city Kyungsoo heard about from Chanyeol.

They meet up for lunch once or twice throughout the week, exploring restaurants in town neither of them have been to and sharing bites off each other’s plates. They spend hours simply making out on the couch at one of their homes, until their lips are a little bruised and they’re laughing more than they’re kissing, or Eun comes running down the stairs demanding their attention.

Being with Baekhyun is so comfortable it’s almost easy, and Kyungsoo wouldn’t trade what they have for anything in the world.

He thinks sometimes, when he’s alone, that maybe the extent to which he likes Baekhyun is almost too much, too soon. That maybe he should be concerned with how hard he’s falling, how much time they spend together, how much he misses Baekhyun when they’re apart, even though they see each other and talk to each other so often. It’s not like how things were with Jongin, or any of Kyungsoo’s past relationships. Kyungsoo’s always been careful about letting people too close, and yet he and Baekhyun have been together just over a month and it feels like it’s been much, much longer.

Maybe in some ways it has. He hasn’t forgotten how Chanyeol had told him ages ago that it already felt like they were dating, before Kyungsoo had even fully accepted how much he liked Baekhyun and that he wanted to be with him.

The more he thinks about it though, the more he decides it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change anything. He likes what he has with Baekhyun, he likes how gentle and soft and kind Baekhyun is, and he likes how teasing and petulant and silly Baekhyun is, and he likes how he kisses him and holds him and makes Kyungsoo feel so good.

He likes how strong Baekhyun is, the way he takes care of Eun, the way he takes care of Kyungsoo, the way he puts all his effort into everything he does. He likes how they can spend hours talking nonsense while lying in bed, and how minutes later they can be building a blanket fort in Eun’s room, and how after that, he’ll help Kyungsoo with lunch without question, and kiss him sweetly against the counter just because he can.

Kyungsoo’s feelings might be growing, much more rapidly than he’s used to, but it’s okay. He doesn’t mind. It might be a little scary, because it’s different, but Baekhyun is different. Baekhyun is unlike anyone he’s ever been with before, and maybe that’s part of what drew him to Baekhyun in the first place. Maybe that’s why they work so well together.

Whatever the case, Kyungsoo isn’t afraid of his feelings. He likes Baekhyun, he’s happy with Baekhyun. Like Eun had said, that’s all he needs. That’s all that matters.

Besides, Kyungsoo has other things to worry about. Junmyeon’s given him a final deadline for the book for the following Sunday, sooner than Kyungsoo had expected even though it’s nearly mid-April.

“You’re so close,” Junmyeon tells him over the phone. “I don’t want you to spend too much time on it anymore, not when I know you get all caught up in your own head and start to question everything the longer you work on it.”

“I don’t do that,” Kyungsoo protests instinctively even though they both know it’s a lie.

Junmyeon laughs at him, and Kyungsoo imagines he’s probably rolling his eyes. “Yes, you do,” he says, almost placatingly. “And I don’t want to have to deal with that again. So finish it up and send it off.”

“Easier said than done,” Kyungsoo says back, grumbling a little.

“You can do it, Kyungsoo,” Junmyeon says, in a moment of true genuinity. He ruins it before Kyungsoo has the chance to thank him, adding, “I mean, you don’t exactly have a choice. I need it done by Sunday.”

“Fine,” Kyungsoo says, resigned. “I’ll get it done.”

“Good,” Junmyeon says and hangs up, leaving Kyungsoo staring blankly at his wall and trying not to panic.

He marks the deadline on the calendar in his studio, and adds a reminder to the one on his phone. He has a full week to finish and he’s going to make it happen. He is. And it’s not going to be like the last time.

“It won’t,” Baekhyun says firmly, later that day when he comes over with Eun to watch the Chen show together. “This time I’m here to help you and keep you from making stupid decisions.”

“What a good boyfriend,” Kyungsoo teases, but he’s glad. He doesn’t know what he would do without Baekhyun keeping him in check.

And Baekhyun does keep him in check. Throughout that following week, he reminds Kyungsoo to take breaks during the day, to not work through lunch or dinner, to put his work away for a few hours when Kyungsoo messages him to tell him he’s struggling.

Baekhyun drags him out of the house in the evenings, and they go for walks with Eun and the dogs, spend an hour or two at the park until Kyungsoo’s forgotten all about his work and is simply having fun. He’ll return home afterwards, refreshed, inspired, and tackle his draft with renewed vigor, or he’ll leave it alone completely until the next morning, returning to the problem at hand with a clear mind.

He brings his work over to Baekhyun’s that Thursday night, needing the change in scenery and just wanting to spend time with Baekhyun, even if it’s quietly working beside him. It takes a few minutes for someone to answer, and it’s Eun who peeks out through the narrow window next to the door, smiling widely when he notices Kyungsoo. He opens the door, wide smile still in place, and hugs Kyungsoo when he comes in.

“Can I show you my painting?” Eun asks when he pulls back, and Kyungsoo nods, quickly removing his shoes so he can follow Eun inside.

“What’re you painting?” he asks. “Is it for school?”

“Yeah!” Eun says, and he leads Kyungsoo to the kitchen table which is messy with sheets of heavy-duty cardboard paper and tons of paint. “It’s for the end of the year party. Mrs. Lee is gonna put them up in the classroom and we’re gonna do a show-and-tell about what we drew!”

“That sounds really fun,” Kyungsoo says. He sets his work bag down onto an empty chair at the table and picks up one of the sheets of paper, finds what looks like Lu painted across the front. “This is awesome, Eunnie. Can you draw anything you want?”

Eun nods, beaming up at Kyungsoo. He’s got paint over his fingers, Kyungsoo’s noticing now, and a little streak of yellow on his cheek. He’s adorable and Kyungsoo is so glad to see him back to his usual self again. “I’m painting a lot of different things and then dad said he’ll help me pick the best one for school!” he explains.

“Where is your dad, anyway?” Kyungsoo asks. He hasn’t seen or heard Baekhyun at all since he walked in which is unusual.

Eun frowns a bit at the question and mumbles, much less enthusiastic about this topic than his artwork, “Dad went upstairs. Mom called.”

“Your mom?” Kyungsoo says, surprised. Baekhyun hasn’t mentioned Hyeran at all since she returned to London and that was months ago.

Eun nods. “He said he’d be right back,” he continues, “but it’s been a long time. I drew this whole picture while waiting!” He points to another piece of paper that has what looks to be Eun himself with a soccer ball next to him.

“Then let’s draw another picture while your dad finishes talking on the phone, okay?” Kyungsoo says, and he pulls back the empty chair next to Eun so he can sit down as well. “We’ll make something really great together and your dad will be sorry he missed out.”

“Yeah!” Eun says excitedly, and he reaches for a clean sheet of paper while Kyungsoo rinses off a few brushes in the cup of dirtied water next to the paints.

They paint together for awhile, and Kyungsoo shows Eun a few easy techniques to make trees in the background of the painting he wants to draw and helps him blend colors together to get better shades. They make it through two new pictures before Baekhyun comes down, looking a little ruffled, brows furrowed and mouth set in a thin line.

He does smile when he sees Kyungsoo though, and melts slightly when Kyungsoo reaches up to draw him into a short kiss, fingers gently rubbing against the back of his neck. “Hi,” Baekhyun murmurs when he pulls away. “I’m really happy to see you.”

“I heard from Eunnie about who called,” Kyungsoo says. “We can talk about it later.”

“Please,” Baekhyun says and he lifts his hand up to take Kyungsoo’s from his neck, squeezes his fingers as a promise. “Right now I really need a drink.”

Kyungsoo laughs, and tugs him into another kiss. “Get your drink and then come join us,” he says. “We’ve painted a whole bunch without you. Right, Eunnie?”

“Yup,” Eun says with a nod. “Kyungsoo is way better than you, dad.”

Baekhyun makes an affronted noise and releases Kyungsoo so he can ruffle Eun’s hair roughly. “Don’t be mean,” he says. “Besides, Kyungsoo’s an artist. He draws for a living!”

“Excuses,” Kyungsoo teases and Baekhyun huffs at him too, before he turns away.

Kyungsoo hears the sound of the fridge opening behind him before Baekhyun asks, “Do either of you want anything?”

“Juice!” Eun yells and Baekhyun laughs and yells back, “Milk!” It makes Eun groan, whining about how much he doesn’t like milk and how it tastes gross, but Baekhyun doesn’t budge from his position, pulling the carton of milk out from the fridge along with two beers when Kyungsoo mentions he’ll have whatever Baekhyun is having.

“Milk is good for you,” Baekhyun says as he pours out a glass for Eun who takes it reluctantly, pouting at it and wrinkling his nose when he lifts it up to his face. “If you’re gonna start soccer this summer, you’re gonna need to drink lots of it or else you’ll break all your bones.”

Eun narrows his eyes at Baekhyun. “Really?” he says.

“Of course,” Baekhyun says. “Don’t you know that I’m secretly a doctor?”

He says it so seriously that Eun can’t help but laugh, and he takes a few sips of his milk without much further complaint. Baekhyun winks at Kyungsoo as he rounds the table to sit on Eun’s other side, and Kyungsoo just rolls his eyes, takes his own sip from his bottle of beer.

Kyungsoo doesn’t get a chance to work much at all that evening, but he’s not too bothered, not when he has Baekhyun and Eun keeping him entertained. They paint together, the three of them, awhile longer, then Baekhyun wrangles Eun upstairs to get ready for bed while Kyungsoo cleans up the mess they’ve made, once he’s assured Baekhyun he doesn’t mind at all. He joins them in Eun’s room afterward, in time to read the last few pages of the Chen book Eun’s picked out for the night, and then follows Baekhyun back downstairs to collapse onto the couch.

“How’re you feeling?” Kyungsoo asks, amused by the way Baekhyun burrows into his side, eyes closed. He runs his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair the way he’s learned Baekhyun really enjoys.

“I’m tired, but this feels nice,” Baekhyun says quietly. He blinks his eyes open to look at Kyungsoo for a moment. “I’m sorry you didn’t get to do any work though.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “It’s fine,” he says. He’s starting to come to terms with this sort of thing, where he’s not running himself ragged before a deadline and instead he’s enjoying himself while being with the people he likes. “I’ll work tomorrow.”

Baekhyun doesn’t look very convinced, but he doesn’t press, just lets his eyes fall shut again. They sit in silence for a long while, peaceful, comfortable, until Kyungsoo remembers what he’d wanted to talk to Baekhyun about.

“What did Hyeran call about?” he asks carefully. He feels Baekhyun tense slightly against him, so he doesn’t press either, just continues to gently slide his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair, hope he finds comfort in that despite the topic of conversation.

It takes Baekhyun a few moments before he speaks, letting out a deep sigh first. “She wanted to talk to Eun,” he says, “but I told her the same thing as when she was here back in January, that I won’t make him talk to her unless he wants to.”

“Have you talked to her since then?” Kyungsoo asks and Baekhyun nods, surprising him because he’s never mentioned it.

“Just once,” he says. “It was back in February, I think. She called to see how things were and I told her nothing had really changed and if she wanted things to get better she had to put in more effort. Write Eun letters or emails, send him pictures of London, I don’t know. Anything. Calling me to ask how he’s doing isn’t gonna make a difference, not when he doesn’t want to talk.”

“And she hasn’t done any of those things, has she?” Kyungsoo knows the answer despite asking. Eun wouldn’t have reacted the way he had earlier that evening when he told Kyungsoo that Hyeran had called if she had started to make any effort to reach out to her son. When Baekhyun shakes his head, Kyungsoo sighs too. “I’m sorry. I know you were hoping she would try more.”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun agrees. “It’s just...He’s just a kid, you know? I can understand her frustrations, and I know why she left, and I understand her reasons for the way things turned out, but it’s different for Eun. To him, she's not much more than a stranger.”

Kyungsoo lets his fingers slip out of Baekhyun’s hair so he can wrap his arm around his shoulders instead, squeezing him gently, letting his hand slide up and down his arm. “It’s a good sign that she’s reaching out though, right?” he says, trying to look at the situation in a more positive light. “At least that means she's not entirely giving up.”

“I guess,” Baekhyun mumbles. “I just figured if she really wanted this she would've been more proactive about it the second after she left, you know? Instead it’s been months and she hasn’t done anything to try to connect with Eun in a way that he’d understand.”

“Give her some more time,” Kyungsoo says softly, even though he’s not sure how much more time Hyeran could possibly need when she was the one to attempt reconnecting. “I’m sure she's just as frustrated with the situation as you are.”

Baekhyun just groans, sounding somewhat exasperated and annoyed and Kyungsoo doesn’t really blame him. “I know you’re right,” he says eventually, “but is it so wrong to just want things to stay as they are? Eun and I have been fine without her. I don’t want this to upset the balance we’ve built over the past few years.”

“It’s not wrong to want that,” Kyungsoo assures him. “But you’re a great dad, Baekhyun, and you will make sure whatever happens with Hyeran won’t upset that balance. You’ll figure out a new balance. Like the way you have with me.”

Baekhyun laughs a little at that and he pulls back just enough to look up at Kyungsoo, eyes warm. “It’s always been easy with you,” he says and Kyungsoo kisses him, just because he can and because he wants to, smiling against Baekhyun’s lips as he pulls away.

“Did you tell Hyeran about us at all?” Kyungsoo asks and Baekhyun shakes his head as he sits up properly, stretching his arms over his head.

“It didn’t really come up,” he says. “And it isn’t something that concerns her anyway.”

“I think you should tell her,” Kyungsoo says gently and when Baekhyun peers at him in surprise, he shrugs a shoulder. “It doesn’t have to be a big deal or anything, but I think since pretty much everyone else in our lives knows, it would be good that Hyeran does too. Especially to avoid any misunderstandings like what happened with Eun. It might be better to be safe than sorry.”

Baekhyun purses his lips, letting Kyungsoo’s words sink in. Finally he nods, lowering his arms with a deep sigh. “You’re probably right,” he says. “I’ll talk to her about it.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says, sliding his hand down Baekhyun’s thigh and patting his knee.

Baekhyun rests his hand atop of Kyungsoo’s and then laughs lightly. “I’m sorry,” he says a little wryly. “I doubt you signed up for these kinds of heavy-handed talks about the ex-wife when we got together.”

Kyungsoo snorts. “I knew what I was getting into,” he says. “And this has never bothered me, Baekhyun. We’ve talked about it before. Hyeran will always be a part of your life in some way or other. I’m always here for you if you need to talk about her, you know.”

“I know,” Baekhyun says with a small sigh. He’s staring down at their hands, watches the way he lets their fingers thread together. “I’d say thank you,” he continues, turning to look at Kyungsoo, eyes twinkling in amusement, “but you’d probably make me pay you back in the form of kisses again.”

“Hmm, well, we can’t have that,” Kyungsoo says, trying not to laugh as Baekhyun frowns.

He kisses Baekhyun anyway.

The night before Kyungsoo’s deadline, he can’t sleep. He lies in bed, staring at the ceiling through the dark, Baekhyun’s arm wrapped around his waist. They’d gone out for dinner that night. Jongdae had come over to stay with Eun and had given them both a knowing smirk as he’d practically kicked them out the door. They laughed about it on the drive into town.

It’d been a nice night. They had pizza at this new restaurant in the city, talked about Eun and about work and Kyungsoo ignored the way Baekhyun threw in a mention or two of his birthday coming up in a few weeks. He did end up sending Jongdae a text about it when Baekhyun had ducked into the bathroom to find out exactly when it was, but Baekhyun didn’t have to know that.

After dinner, they’d stopped at a bookstore because Baekhyun wanted to pick up the newest volume in a comic he’s been reading, and then they ended up buying ice cream from a gas station a block from home so they could return to Kyungsoo’s and eat while curled up on the couch. Kyungsoo had dragged some of his work down with him as they watched Your Name while Baekhyun made silly commentary and let Inky nap on his chest.

Ice cream finished and dogs let out once more for the night, they had tumbled into bed. Baekhyun had to drag Kyungsoo away from his work, reminding him that he had all of tomorrow to give it a final review before he sent it off, and successfully distracted Kyungsoo with kisses until he had fallen asleep.

That had been a few hours ago. It’s almost three in the morning now, and Kyungsoo is wide awake, unable to shake the feeling that he’s forgetting something important, that he hasn’t done enough editing, that everything he’s written and everything he’s drawn is a complete disaster.

He knows it’s all in his head but he can’t help himself. He slowly eases out of bed, as quietly as he can so not to disturb Baekhyun, and slips out of the room. He palms the wall of his studio until he finds the light switch, flipping it on and squinting through the sudden brightness. He realizes belatedly he left his glasses in the bedroom, and that it’s much colder out here than it was under the covers with Baekhyun’s warm body pressed against his.

He rubs his hands down his arms as he sits in his chair at his desk and pulls out the work he’s done, booting up his laptop and all the sheets of paper he’s saved in a couple of bulging folders. Just like he’s done in the past for old deadlines, he painstakingly goes through each page, each line of text, each drawing, fueled by this anxious adrenaline in his veins. He reviews every word and every detail, wonders if he should change the name of the new characters or make the villain more villainy. He stares at the artwork that’s meant to be for the cover and asks himself if it’s interesting enough, if he should’ve made Chen a little bigger on the page, or drawn Lu to look less silly. Are his eyes crooked? They look kind of crooked. Fuck, he should redo this whole thing--

“What’re you doing?” comes the sleep-scratchy sound of Baekhyun’s voice, startling Kyungsoo so much he drops the sheets of paper in his hands. They fall loudly to the floor by the wheels of his chair as he swivels around to stare at Baekhyun in surprise.

“Sorry,” Kyungsoo mutters. “Did I wake you?”

Baekhyun makes a soft noise. “I moved around and didn’t feel you beside me,” he says. “What’re you doing, Kyungsoo?”

“Nothing,” Kyungsoo says instinctively, carefully stepping out of his chair so he can pick up his work without running over any of the papers. When Baekhyun continues staring at him, he adds, “I just have to review all of this. Everything is wrong.”

There’s a moment of silence, then Baekhyun is huffing out a sigh. He walks into the room, and helps Kyungsoo pick up the papers, but instead of handing them over, he tugs the ones in Kyungsoo’s hands into his own. He shuffles them together, closes Kyungsoo’s laptop, and sets the papers on top, and before Kyungsoo can even think to protest, he’s grabbing Kyungsoo’s hands in his.

“You need to sleep,” Baekhyun says firmly. “You’ve already done all that you can. You said so earlier tonight, that you didn’t think there was anything else that needed editing. Did you forget?”

Kyungsoo stares at him, at Baekhyun’s deep brown eyes that are watching him so intently, concerned and worried but still so warm like the way he’d held Kyungsoo earlier while they were still in bed. He lets out a long breath. “Maybe,” he whispers. “But I was looking at it now and--”

“Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says, shaking his hands a little. “It’s fine. I know you and I know that it’s fine.” He starts pulling Kyungsoo out of the room even though Kyungsoo splutters in protest. They return to the bedroom and Baekhyun pushes him down into the mattress, releases his hands so he can cup Kyungsoo’s face in his hands instead. “I know you’re stressed, baby,” he says. “But you need to relax. You can’t--You should be sleeping right now, not working yourself into a panic at five in the morning.”

The mention of the time jolts through Kyungsoo like electricity. He glances over at the alarm clock on his night stand and sees that Baekhyun is right. It’s just past five in the morning. Kyungsoo spent two hours in his studio agonizing over his work so much that he probably started to create errors for the sake of errors.

“Fuck,” he whispers again, lifting his own hands to his face, rubbing the heels of his hands against his eyes. “Fuck, what am I doing.”

“You’re being a perfectionist,” Baekhyun laughs softly as he releases Kyungsoo’s face and sits back. The sound of his laugh, of his voice, is so soothing. “It’s not really surprising, considering the last time you were so stressed you fainted. I’ll take you waking up in the middle of the night to work over that anyday.”

“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo breathes, lowering his hands to look up at Baekhyun who merely smiles and shakes his head.

“It’s okay,” he says. “You just need to relax.”

“I know,” Kyungsoo says. “But I just--I can’t stop myself from thinking about it, I--”

“Shh,” Baekhyun cuts over him. “Stop, it’s okay. Let me help you.”

Kyungsoo huffs out a short laugh at that. “How?” he asks, curious, challenging. When Kyungsoo’s in this kind of funk, he has trouble getting himself out of it. He’s not sure what Baekhyun has in mind that could help.

Baekhyun hums thoughtfully as rolls himself further into the middle of the bed and pulls Kyungsoo with him, wrapping his arms and his legs around Kyungsoo like an overgrown koala. “I could just hold you like this,” he suggests. “We could go back to sleep if you’re tired, or we could go watch another movie until you pass out.”

“Maybe,” Kyungsoo agrees half-heartedly.

“I could distract you with kisses again,” Baekhyun offers, and he plants a kiss to the side of Kyungsoo’s face, drawing a full laugh out of Kyungsoo, his heart already starting to feel much lighter. “I could fuck you,” Baekhyun says then, and Kyungsoo’s laughter dies in his throat. “Or, you could fuck me?” Baekhyun is holding him a little tighter now, as if he’s nervous by the sudden suggestion and he doesn’t want Kyungsoo to run away. “I hear sex is a great reliever of stress.”

Kyungsoo twists around so he can face Baekhyun properly. “Really?” he asks, half exasperated, half stunned.

Baekhyun smiles at him a little sheepishly. “I’ve been, uh, preparing for it, actually,” he says, and even through the darkness, Kyungsoo can tell Baekhyun is blushing. “So yes. Really. I want you to.”

“Fuck, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo breathes. Baekhyun is so caring, so understanding, and maybe a little unpredictable, but Kyungsoo adores that about him. He pulls Baekhyun into a rough kiss, swallowing up Baekhyun’s surprised gasp. It’s not the best kiss they’ve ever shared, what with the stale taste in their mouths from sleep, but it takes some of that edge off, while at the same time ignites that flame of want in Kyungsoo’s chest. “We don’t have to, you know,” he murmurs against Baekhyun’s lips. “We really can just go to sleep.”

“Well, now that I’m thinking about you fucking me,” Baekhyun says breathlessly as he gently presses his crotch against Kyungsoo’s hip, “I don’t know how much sleep I’ll be able to get.”

“You’re unbelievable,” Kyungsoo laughs, but lets Baekhyun pull him in for another kiss anyway.

It turns out that Baekhyun’s right too, that sex does, in fact, relieve stress. Or maybe it’s just Baekhyun himself, and how good he feels under Kyungsoo’s hands, how beautiful he sounds every time he moans or pleads with Kyungsoo for more, legs tightening around Kyungsoo’s waist as Kyungsoo pushes into him again, and again.

Kyungsoo has thought about this for awhile, ever since their first time together, before that, even, and it’s everything he could’ve imagined and also so, so much more. He leans over Baekhyun, lets their hands fit together and presses Baekhyun’s into the sheets above his head, slides his lips from one side of Baekhyun’s jaw to the other, leaves a gentle, fleeting kiss to the mole above his lip.

Baekhyun breathes out his name and squeezes tight and hot and amazingly around Kyungsoo’s cock when he comes, and drags Kyungsoo down with him moments later, laughing into Kyungsoo’s ear. For a few long minutes after, there’s just the sound of their breathing, the ringing silence of the dead of night, the steadying rhythm of his heart in his chest. Baekhyun stretches his legs out from where they’d been clamped around Kyungsoo’s thighs and moans at the ache, the way Kyungsoo’s cock shifts inside him.

They pull apart slowly, trading intermittent kisses, smiles, bouts of laughter as if they’ve exchanged the funniest jokes ever heard without actually saying anything. Each time their eyes meet, Kyungsoo smiles wider, and they eventually collapse against the mattress, sated and comfortable despite the sweat clinging to their skin and the ruined sheets beneath them.

“Thank you,” Kyungsoo says, staring up at the ceiling. It feels so much different now than it had a few hours ago, when he’d looked up there in panic, like the ceiling itself was collapsing on top of him.

Now, with Baekhyun curled up beside him, letting his fingers slide through the faint hairs under Kyungsoo’s navel and up his chest, he feels like he can breathe again, like he’s looking out through the ceiling and into the starry night sky instead. Free, relaxed, and at peace.

“I really needed that,” Kyungsoo continues, turning his head to face Baekhyun who is watching him with soft, sweet eyes.

Baekhyun chuckles and shakes his head. “I think I should be thanking you,” he says in a teasing voice, letting his fingers curl into Kyungsoo’s side and tug him closer. “That was so good. I don’t think I can feel my legs.”

Kyungsoo snorts and kisses him, lazy and earnest like they have all the time in the world, and maybe they do, and maybe that’s also a little scary to think about. But right now, Kyungsoo will take it, as he will take the warmth of Baekhyun’s arms around him and the gentle sound of his breathing that quietly guides him to sleep.

They sleep in late that Sunday morning. Kyungsoo wakes once when he hears Baekhyun slip out of bed for the bathroom, but falls back asleep when Baekhyun tells him to, kissing him on the forehead before he leaves. When he wakes again it’s after noon, and Baekhyun is lounging in bed beside him, Inky and Pepper in his lap as he scrolls through his phone.

“Hey sleepyhead,” Baekhyun teases, setting his phone aside so he can run a hand through Kyungsoo’s hair. Kyungsoo groans slightly and burrows his face into the side of his pillow. Baekhyun laughs, pokes him in the cheek. “How’re you feeling?”

“Tired,” Kyungsoo mutters as the events of last night slowly come back to him. The few hours he’d spent unable to sleep, staring into the darkness and letting the horror of his looming deadline drag him out of bed, the pages of work he had nearly trashed in his blind panic, the way Baekhyun had pulled him back from the edge, comforted him with his kind words and pretty smiles and warm touch. The way Baekhyun had felt under him as Kyungsoo had fucked him, the stress that had melted out of his body with every moan and kiss and desperate press of his hips.

“Better,” Kyungsoo amends, blinking up at Baekhyun. “Thank you. For last night.”

Baekhyun grins. “Anytime, babe,” he says. His hair looks slightly damp as if he’d taken a shower just before, though he’s clearly not bothered to put on clothes, his bare chest visible where he’s leaning against the back of the bed frame. Kyungsoo drags his eyes away and they sit in quiet like this for a few moments.

Kyungsoo only moves long enough to reach out and pet Pepper’s head when Baekhyun says, “Are you hungry? It’s lunchtime. We could make something or go out, if you wanted. Jongdae and Eun are awake so we could join them too. Oh and I already let the dogs out earlier when I woke up, so we can go eat and then come back to take them on a walk--”

“Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says and Baekhyun quickly clamps his mouth shut. “I’m not awake enough for all of this yet. Let’s just stay here like this for a little longer, okay?”

“Okay,” Baekhyun agrees readily, laughing softly. “It’s rare that I’m up before you, huh. You’re really cute when you wake up.”

“Shut up,” Kyungsoo mumbles without any heat, and Baekhyun grins at him even wider.

They stay in bed for maybe ten more minutes, enjoying the quiet comfort of each other’s presence. Eventually the need to move takes over, and Kyungsoo lifts his arms over his head, his legs toward the end of the bed, groaning as his joints crack a little from the stretch. Baekhyun laughs at him, watches as Kyungsoo tumbles out of bed and heads for the bathroom.

Baekhyun comes in a few minutes later as Kyungsoo’s brushing his teeth, clad only in dark boxer briefs that hug his thighs. He pulls himself up to sit on the edge of the vanity and simply watches Kyungsoo, smirking a little whenever he catches Kyungsoo’s gaze dropping to his legs. The second Kyungsoo finishes, Baekhyun tugs him close with a hand at Kyungsoo’s elbow to kiss him deeply.

“Ahh, minty fresh,” Baekhyun says afterward and Kyungsoo laughs, swats him in the chest with the back of his hand.

“I’m gonna shower,” Kyungsoo says, already moving to turn the faucet on in the bath. “You can let Jongdae know I’m up for getting lunch together with him and Eunnie.”

“Okay,” Baekhyun says, and he gives Kyungsoo one more kiss before he leaves.

A shower helps Kyungsoo wake up fully, releases any of that lingering tension in his muscles from the night before, and clears his mind. He feels a lot better now, better than he usually does on deadline days, and he knows he has Baekhyun to thank for that. It’s a wonder how Kyungsoo ever got through his previous deadlines.

By the time he steps out, towel around his waist, Baekhyun has finally dressed in the jeans he’d worn the day before and one of Kyungsoo’s shirts he’s pulled out of the closet. “You know we can stop over at your place first so you can get your own clothes,” he says, but Baekhyun only smirks at him and smooths a hand down the front of his shirt.

“What, you don’t like me wearing your clothes?” he asks and Kyungsoo narrows his eyes a bit, taking in the way Baekhyun’s shoulders look especially broad in the shirt he picked. The collar is a little low and he can see the mole at the base of his neck easily.

“I didn’t say that,” Kyungsoo replies and when Baekhyun’s smirk grows, he jabs him in the stomach with two fingers. Baekhyun yelps, crumbles away, and Kyungsoo laughs as he yanks open a drawer at his dresser in search of underwear.

Once they’ve both sufficiently dressed and Kyungsoo’s given Inky and Pepper hearty cuddles, they head across the street to Baekhyun’s, where Jongdae greets them with a similar smirk on his face as last night when he’d kicked them out.

“Have a good night?” he asks, with a little quirk of his brow.

Baekhyun laughs and says, “If you count stopping Kyungsoo from tearing his draft to shreds a good night, then yes.”

The suggestive look on Jongdae’s face fades into confusion as he turns to Kyungsoo who just sighs. “It’s a long story,” he says. “I have a deadline for my book today. I might’ve been panicking a little last night.”

“This is not what I was expecting,” Jongdae says, shaking his head as if he’s disappointed in them. Kyungsoo catches Baekhyun’s eye over Jongdae’s shoulder and he’s grinning, clearly amused, and Kyungsoo snorts, deciding this conversation has gone on long enough and asks, “Where’s Eun?”

“I sent him back upstairs to get socks,” Jongdae says, but the sudden pattering sound of feet announces Eun’s arrival.

“I’m here!” Eun exclaims as he runs into the hall and slides right into Jongdae on his newly socked feet. “Can we go now? I’m hungry!”

“Where are your shoes?” Jongdae asks, while Baekhyun pulls Eun into his arms and says grandly, “Not even a hello to your dad? I haven’t seen you since last night and you’ve forgotten all about me?”

“I haven’t, dad!” Eun insists, wriggling in Baekhyun’s hold, but Baekhyun clings on for a few moments later, releasing Eun only after he gives him a smacking kiss to the forehead.

They have lunch at a Chinese buffet place that Eun really likes, and he leads Kyungsoo around with his plate and shows him all his favorite dishes. He ends up with far too much rice and chicken and barely any vegetables in sight, so Kyungsoo sneaks a spoonful of broccoli onto his plate when Eun isn’t looking. Jongdae catches his eye afterward though and grins bemusedly, like Kyungsoo ensuring Eun eats well is something particularly funny.

The food is good but the company is even better. Kyungsoo enjoys Eun’s excited retelling of his night with Jongdae, how they watched Pacific Rim and played a round of Mario Kart and Jongdae read one of the Chen books before Eun went to sleep.

“He doesn’t do the voices like you do, Kyungsoo,” Eun admits with a sigh.

“Hey, you still said I was better than your dad,” Jongdae reminds him and Eun nods at that, making Baekhyun gasp in mock outrage.

“You’re so mean to me, Eunnie,” he says and Eun chooses to ignore this in favor of continuing his stories.

When Baekhyun takes Eun to get some more food sometime later, Jongdae nudges Kyungsoo in the side and asks, “How’s everything going with you guys? From what I’ve seen just today, it’s like you’ve already become a part of the family.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “I have not,” he says. “And things are great. I have no complaints.” He shrugs. “Why?”

Jongdae hums thoughtfully, resting his elbow on the table and his chin in his palm. He’s gazing at Kyungsoo with slow consideration, like Kyungsoo’s a piece of artwork hanging in a museum. It kind of makes Kyungsoo squirm but he does his best not to react. He and Jongdae haven’t spent much time together, but he’s already gathered that Jongdae’s the kind of person who is patient enough to wait for signs of weakness.

“It’s nothing, really,” Jongdae says eventually. “Baekhyun’s just been very secretive about your whole relationship. He’s not usually like that, but I guess he’s keeping you to himself.”

Kyungsoo feels his face flush at that and he busies himself with a mouthful of chicken so he can figure out what to say, what kind of reaction Jongdae’s looking for from him. “I don’t know,” he says slowly, “maybe he knows better than to tell you much in case you hold it against him.”

Jongdae narrows his eyes at Kyungsoo for a moment, but then he laughs. “You might be right about that,” he concedes, turning back to his own plate of food and picking up his fork. “I would hold it against him.” He flashes Kyungsoo a wicked grin. “He was driving me nuts with how much he liked you but didn’t know what to do about it.”

“What’re you telling him?” Baekhyun demands, reappearing at their table with Eun in tow before Kyungsoo can even process what Jongdae’s told him. He lets Eun into the booth first and then follows, eyes flicking back and forth between Jongdae and Kyungsoo suspiciously.

“All your deep, dark secrets,” Jongdae says grandly, throwing an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders. “Now that you’re together, it’s only fair Kyungsoo knows about how we snuck into the pool on campus our senior year and went swimming naked--”

“Shut up!” Baekhyun hisses as Kyungsoo bursts out laughing, not expecting such a story. Baekhyun looks mildly embarrassed while Jongdae continues to grin, smug, as Kyungsoo lifts a brow at Baekhyun and asks, “Really? Did you run out of clothes?”

“It was a dare,” Baekhyun explains.

“You should wear swim shorts if you go to the pool!” Eun says, chiming in with such seriousness that Kyungsoo laughs again, enjoying the panicked look on Baekhyun’s face when he realizes Eun’s followed their conversation. Jongdae is cackling beside him too, practically burrowing his face into Kyungsoo’s shoulder in his mirth.

“You’re right, Eunnie,” Baekhyun hastily says, reassuring him with a gentle hand over his hair. “Keep eating. I want to see you finish everything, okay?”

“Even the broccoli?”

“Especially the broccoli,” Baekhyun says. “I saw you ate the ones earlier. You can eat a few more.” When Eun sighs and nods, piercing the smallest piece of broccoli with his fork, Baekhyun turns back, and glares at Jongdae. “Why’re you two so cuddly?”

“What?” Jongdae returns, rubbing the side of his face against Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “He’s comfortable.”

Kyungsoo grins. “It is kind of nice,” he adds, teasing, and laughs at the way Baekhyun grumbles.

“Stop trying to steal my boyfriend,” he says, and Kyungsoo’s chest squeezes at the word boyfriend, even though it’s not the first time either of them have said it. He thinks he’ll probably react pleasantly surprised by it for awhile.

“But he’s so cute,” Jongdae sings, reaching up to pinch Kyungsoo’s cheek. “And he probably likes me more than you anyway.”

Baekhyun makes an affronted noise, and seemingly kicks Jongdae under the table because Jongdae yelps and pulls away, pouting at him. Kyungsoo laughs, shaking his head, and returns to finishing his meal, leaving the two of them to bicker.

“Don’t worry,” he says a few moments later, when Jongdae’s gone to get some dessert, and Baekhyun has been sulking at the way Jongdae had petted Kyungsoo’s head as he left. “I don’t like Jongdae more than you.”

Baekhyun meets his eyes, a little pink blush forming across his cheeks. He probably wasn’t expecting Kyungsoo to even address that comment. He laughs, embarrassed, and says, “Good,” as if there was any actual chance that what Jongdae said was true.

Kyungsoo bumps his feet against Baekhyun’s under the table, and they’re still making eyes at each other when Jongdae comes back, taking one look between them before muttering, “Gross.”

Before either of them can say anything in response, Jongdae is nudging at Kyungsoo. “Move,” he says, urging him into the booth, and Kyungsoo sighs, but goes, dragging his plate along to sit where Jongdae had been before. Jongdae takes his spot across from Baekhyun and flashes him a grin.

“Better,” he says. “Now I won’t feel quite as much like I’m intruding on a family lunch.”

“Shut up,” Baekhyun says, except it comes out more like a petulant whine and Jongdae laughs. “You’re uninvited to this lunch, go home.”

That only makes Jongdae laugh harder. Kyungsoo shakes his head at them and turns to Eun, who is dutifully finishing his ice cream cone.

“Is it good?” he asks and Eun nods, beaming. There’s melted ice cream smeared around his lips so Kyungsoo grabs a few napkins to reach over and clean it off for him.

“Thank you,” Eun says seriously and Kyungsoo grins at him. “Are you gonna have ice cream too?”

“Do you think I should?” Kyungsoo says, and Eun nods again, a few times in quick succession.

“Ice cream is the best,” he insists.

“You’re right,” Kyungsoo agrees. He glances over at Baekhyun, who is still arguing with Jongdae about something, and shakes his head as he looks back at Eun. “Maybe I’ll go get some when your dad and Jongdae stop fighting.”

Eun looks at them too, and then sighs like he’s far older than seven. “They’re always like that,” he tells Kyungsoo.

“Really?” Kyungsoo asks, curiously, and Eun nods solemnly.

“When Uncle Jongdae came over yesterday, they played games on the TV and yelled a lot. I could hear them in my room,” Eun says. “They were loud.” He scrunches his face in distaste and Kyungsoo laughs, drawing the attention of Baekhyun who takes one suspicious look between them and demands, “What’re you two talking about?”

“It’s a secret,” Kyungsoo says, winking at Eun who giggles. Baekhyun gasps in offense. “Right, Eunnie?”

“Yup,” Eun says cheerfully and in serious childlike fashion, he sticks his tongue out at his dad.

Baekhyun responds likewise, making a taunting noise as he wiggles his tongue at Eun who starts to laugh, and then screams in surprise when Baekhyun wraps his arms around him and pulls him into a rough hug. They’re getting looks from the elderly couple eating two tables down, and Kyungsoo feels like he should be concerned, but instead he can’t help smiling as he watches Baekhyun playfully tussle with Eun until they’re both giggling, Eun’s hair a mess and Baekhyun’s eyes sparkling when he catches Kyungsoo’s gaze.

“If you guys are done,” he says, “I think we can go before we’re kicked out.”

Baekhyun lets out a hearty laugh but he nods. They finish up the last of whatever they can stomach on their plates, grabbing the fortune cookies to eat on the way out, and Kyungsoo uses Baekhyun’s momentary distraction at reading his fortune to pay for everyone’s meals at the counter.

“Hey,” Baekhyun exclaims when he notices, but Kyungsoo just shrugs a shoulder and unsuccessfully hides his smirk as he picks up a pen to sign.

Jongdae laughs, slinging an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders, and says, “Wow, I wish I had a celebrity sugar daddy to pay for my meals all the time.”

Baekhyun splutters, turning a little pink in the face as Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and nudges Jongdae away. “I’m not a celebrity,” he chides, and before Jongdae can open his mouth again, he adds, “Or a sugar daddy.”

“I don’t know,” Jongdae teases, grin a little wicked again as he leads the way outside. “It looks like it to me.”

“I’m gonna kill you,” Baekhyun hisses, still looking a little flustered, but it’s nothing like the look of horror that crosses his face when they settle into the car and Eun loudly asks, “What’s a sugar daddy?”

Jongdae laughs the whole ride home.

It’s probably for the best that Jongdae leaves soon after they return, only stopping back into Baekhyun’s house to retrieve his things before he gives Eun a big hug, punches Baekhyun in the shoulder, and attempts to kiss Kyungsoo on the cheek in goodbye.

“Get out of here!” Baekhyun yells, practically shoving Jongdae into his car, and Jongdae waves from the window before he speeds off. Baekhyun sighs as he watches him leave, and Kyungsoo can only laugh. Jongdae’s kind of intense but he can see how he and Baekhyun have been friends for so long.

“I like him,” he says noncommittally and Baekhyun grumbles as he turns away, heading for the front door.

“You shouldn’t,” he says but then shakes his head as if to clear it from all Jongdae-related thoughts. He glances back at Kyungsoo over his shoulder and says, “Are you coming in?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “I should go home and check on the dogs,” he says. “And I need to review the book, fuck, I almost forgot all about it somehow.”

“Hey,” Baekhyun says, quickly turning back to Kyungsoo and firmly holding him by the arms as he meets Kyungsoo’s gaze. “Don’t let yourself get all worked up about it again. You can review it without wanting to tear it all apart. I know you can.”

Kyungsoo takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. It helps, a little. He nods, and smiles uncertainty at Baekhyun as he wonders if he should ask, if it’s too imposing, if it’s silly--

But then he tells himself that this is Baekhyun, who has been helping him and encouraging him and supporting him for months now without judgement, who had coaxed him out of his middle of the night despair with gentle words and gentler hands, reminding him that he doesn’t have to go through this process alone.

“I--Do you mind if--” Kyungsoo starts, but can’t quite seem to get the words out.

Luckily, Baekhyun beams at him as if he can read Kyungsoo’s thoughts and says, “Why don’t we go over to your place? Eun and I can look after the dogs for awhile and you can work.”

Kyungsoo stares at him for a moment as the weight pressing down on his chest lifts away, lets him breathe again. He nods. “That sounds great,” he says quietly and Baekhyun’s smile widens.

He squeezes Kyungsoo’s arms and says, “Head on home. I’ll go grab Eun and we’ll be right over, okay?”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says, and he doesn’t hesitate one bit before leaning up to kiss Baekhyun on the cheek, hoping it conveys his gratitude and happiness and everything else that he’s feeling that he can’t explain.

The dogs greet him the second he walks through the front door, and he leads them into the living room once he’s removed his shoes. He collapses on the couch and picks each of them up to join him, lounges back against the cushions and takes another deep, steadying breath.

Inky keeps running back and forth across the couch and Kyungsoo laughs as he watches him, reaches out to smooth a hand down his back. “Yeah, I know you want to go play,” he says. “Just wait a little longer, okay? Baekhyun and Eunnie will take you outside soon.”

At the sound of Baekhyun’s name, both his dogs bark, excited, and Kyungsoo can’t help but smile. “I’m glad you guys like him too,” he says softly, giving Pepper a gentle scratch under the chin.

The doorbell rings a few moments later, and Kyungsoo normally would get up to answer, but he’s comfortable, and maybe a little tired, so he yells, “Come in! It’s open!”

“Hey,” Baekhyun calls back as the door creaks open. Inky and Pepper both turn their attention toward his voice. “I thought you said something about locking the doors. Whatever happened to that?”

Baekhyun rounds the corner, squinting suspiciously at Kyungsoo as if he’s been replaced by a non-door-locking alien, but then laughs when Kyungsoo shrugs. “You look comfy,” he says and Kyungsoo nods.

“I could honestly take a nap right here,” he says.

“But there’s work to do,” Baekhyun says, and Kyungsoo sighs.

“Isn’t there always?” he says, and finally peels himself off the couch, setting Pepper down on the ground as Eun comes running into the room, holding his backpack with toys and a bright, bright grin. “Hey, Eunnie,” Kyungsoo says, reaching out the ruffle his hair. “Are you excited to play with the dogs?”

“Yes!” he exclaims, already bouncing up on his feet. “Can I take them outside?” He pauses, then tacks on quickly, “Please?”

“Yes, you can,” Kyungsoo says. “Let me get you some of their toys--”

“I got it,” Baekhyun says, stepping in to stop Kyungsoo with a hand to the shoulder. “You should go work. The sooner you finish, the sooner you’re free. We can go play in the backyard, so you can work on the deck if you want. Then you’re not stuck inside alone.”

It amazes Kyungsoo how Baekhyun seems to read him so well. He lets out a relieved breath and says, “Okay. I’ll go get my things and be right down.”

Baekhyun smiles, leans forward to peck Kyungsoo once on the lips, and then calls for Eunnie and the dogs, leading them all toward the back of the house. Kyungsoo, heart warm from Baekhyun’s kiss, practically floats up the stairs to his studio and packs up his laptop, papers, and everything he needs to review.

There is something about working outdoors. It’s a sunny April afternoon, warm but with a gentle breeze that keeps Kyungsoo from getting too hot and uncomfortable. He spreads out his work on the outdoor table on his deck, and he painstakingly goes through each page, mustering up the freshest, most unbiased mind he can.

The sounds of Baekhyun and Eun’s bright laughter peters through every once in awhile, but it’s not distracting. It keeps him grounded. It reminds him that once he gets through this, he can go join them, that this book isn’t supposed to eat him alive with worry and with frustration and with self-doubt. He has the digital artwork on his laptop, spread out with the narrative story the way he imagines the book to be printed, and he has his own handcrafted drawings on paper as well because he’s still a little old-fashioned and enjoys the feeling of a hefty sketchbook and the sharp noise of a pencil against paper.

He goes through it all, making a few minor changes in colors and word choices, then stops and watches Eun tackling Baekhyun to the ground, the dogs barking loudly as they attempt to run over the both of them.

Kyungsoo grins, unbidden, and stretches his arms over his head as he gets up, retreats inside to grab some glasses and the carton of juice he’d bought the other day.

“Are you thirsty?” he asks when he returns, setting everything down. Eun perks up at the sight of juice and comes running, leaving Baekhyun wheezing on the grass, and Kyungsoo pours him a glass, tells him to stay up on the deck to drink before he goes back to play. Eun takes all of three sips before he sets the glass down and runs away, picking up one of the small balls to throw for Inky and Pepper to catch. Kyungsoo settles into his seat again with his own glass of juice, watches as Baekhyun picks himself up and walks over, smile widening the closer he gets.

“How’s it going?” he asks as he takes Eun’s glass and finishes it off. There’s a little bit of sweat clinging to his neck and blades of grass in the back of his hair, but he looks so flushed and handsome under the shining sun that Kyungsoo can only lower his own glass and wave him around the table.

“Come here,” he says, and Baekhyun stares at him for a moment, curious, before he sets his glass down and does, winding around the table until he’s standing to Kyungsoo’s left. Kyungsoo reaches out a hand, brushes the grass out of Baekhyun’s face, smoothing down the wayward strands, and then tugs him into a deep, lingering kiss, his fingers clenched into the front of Baekhyun’s shirt.

He hears Baekhyun’s gasp, as soft as the afternoon wind, and then the whispering sigh of pleasure as he presses into Kyungsoo’s kiss, lips parting slowly as their mouths meet over and over.

It doesn’t last very long, but it’s enough, filling Kyungsoo up with renewed energy. He pulls back first, licking his lips and smirking at the dazed look in Baekhyun’s eyes, and slowly releases his fingers from Baekhyun’s shirt so he can press the fabric back out against his chest.

“What,” Baekhyun starts, voice thick, “What was that for?”

Kyungsoo hums. “I just really wanted to kiss you,” he says, and basks in the way a blush paints Baekhyun’s cheeks red.

Baekhyun is not always so easily flustered, so it’s enjoyable to see him this way, backing up from Kyungsoo like he’d said something particularly controversial and flapping a hand at him in distress. “You, fuck, go--go back to work!” he exclaims before he stomps off, joining Eun and the dogs again, but when he glances over his shoulder one last time, he’s smiling.

Kyungsoo grins back.

It takes another hour or maybe two before Kyungsoo finishes his book. He stares at the completed documents, checks his crossed-out list of updates, scrolls through every page once again, but there’s nothing else for him to do. It’s done.

He takes a deep, staggering breath, and pushes back out of his chair at the dining table. They’d all moved back inside awhile ago, after the heat of being the sun caught up to them. Baekhyun and Eun have been watching movies in Kyungsoo’s living room with the dogs while he worked, and every once in awhile, Baekhyun would come by, run a hand through Kyungsoo’s hair, and check on him. It was nice, and just the memory of it brings a smile to Kyungsoo’s face as he stretches his arms over his head.

He drops his arms with a little groan and heads for the living room to find Eun has fallen asleep in Baekhyun’s lap, the dogs curled at the opposite end of the couch by Eun’s feet as if keeping guard. Baekhyun glances up when Kyungsoo approaches and he smiles. “Hey,” he says. “What’s up?”

“I finished,” Kyungsoo says, and even saying it aloud doesn’t make it feel real yet.

Baekhyun’s eyes widen and his smile grows. “Really?” he says. “Did you send it off already?”

At that, Kyungsoo shakes his head. “No, I…” He trails off, not really knowing what he means to say. Somehow, Baekhyun seems to understand him anyway, smile turning a little knowing as he says, “Hold on, let me come help.”

He gently eases Eun’s head off his lap so he can stand, and pulls one of the couch pillows over to tuck under Eun in place. Thankfully Eun continues to slumber on, and Baekhyun follows Kyungsoo back to the dining table, pushing Kyungsoo to sit down in front of his laptop again before he drags another chair closer and flops into it.

“You’ve gone over everything?” Baekhyun asks him. When Kyungsoo nods, he continues, “And there’s nothing else you need to change?”

“Nothing,” Kyungsoo says. “I can’t think of anything else that needs to be done. It’s as complete as it will ever be.”

“Then email Junmyeon,” Baekhyun says, and when Kyungsoo just stares a little helplessly at his laptop like he hasn’t done this hundreds of times before, Baekhyun laughs. “Okay,” he says, and reaches out for the laptop. “I’ll do it then.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t stop him. Instead he tells Baekhyun what to write in the email, shows him which documents to attach, and watches as Baekhyun clicks send. The second it’s gone, some of that panic that he’s done such a good job at keeping away all day rushes back, and he reaches for the laptop, attempting to undo what’s been done.

“Hey, stop,” Baekhyun says quickly, closing the laptop shut and then grabbing Kyungsoo’s hands tightly in his own. “It’s done. Don’t do this. It’s fine.”

Kyungsoo groans, drops his head against their clasped hands and takes a few long breaths. “I don’t know why it’s so hard this time,” he mumbles. “I mean, I’ve had trouble with submitting drafts in the past too, and usually it’s Junmyeon breathing down my neck forcing me to send him the email, or Chanyeol on the phone with me telling me it’s okay but, this time--I don’t know. It’s worse, somehow.”

“It’s because you care,” Baekhyun says softly. “You want to put your best work out there. And that’s understandable, you know.”

Kyungsoo huffs out a little laugh as he lifts his head and looks up at Baekhyun. “Is it?”

“Sure,” Baekhyun says lightly, but then he laughs too. “And not to mention you had a hard time with this story specifically. It’s really eaten away at you, and even if you get like this for all your stories, I think you worried over this one more than usual. That probably makes it harder to let it go.”

“I guess so,” Kyungsoo says, releasing one of Baekhyun’s hands so he can run his fingers agitatedly through his hair. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this.”

“Hey, none of that,” Baekhyun chides him. “I’m happy to be here for you in your moment of crisis.” He laughs at that, and even Kyungsoo cracks a small smile, meeting Baekhyun’s eyes and catching the way they turn a little more serious. “But I do think you need to work on your confidence more, Kyungsoo. You’re an amazing writer and illustrator. Your stories make so many people very happy. Don’t second-guess yourself so much.”

Kyungsoo slowly lifts his head, meets Baekhyun’s warm, earnest gaze, and whispers, “Thank you.”

“I think I’m gonna have to start charging you a fine with that now,” Baekhyun teases, grinning, and just like that, all of Kyungsoo’s worries fade away. There’s just Baekhyun’s smile, and Baekhyun’s hands in his, and Baekhyun teasing him like usual, and it’s like nothing else matters. Nothing else means more than this.

He laughs, releases Baekhyun’s hands so he can push back his chair and stand, stepping up to where Baekhyun is sitting instead and climbing into his lap. Baekhyun’s jaw drops, surprised, hands settling instinctively at Kyungsoo’s waist as Kyungsoo lets his own hands slide up his arms to his shoulders. “Yeah?” he says. “What kind of fine did you have in mind?”

Baekhyun’s eyes sharpen. A sly smirk curls across his lips. “I think I could come up with something,” he says, pointedly lowering his hands to Kyungsoo’s ass as he tips his head up to reach for Kyungsoo’s mouth with his.

Kyungsoo closes the space between them first, pressing his lips against Baekhyun’s eagerly, but they only get so far as that when the sudden sound of Kyungsoo’s phone ringing jolts them apart.

“Don’t answer it,” Baekhyun whines, nosing along Kyungsoo’s jaw as he wraps his arms around Kyungsoo’s waist. Kyungsoo laughs softly at him, tempted, but still twists around to reach for his phone and at least check who it is.

He sighs. “It’s Junmyeon,” he says. “I should answer.”

Baekhyun nods, but he doesn’t look too pleased about it. Kyungsoo taps at the screen to answer the call and switches it to speaker on a whim, not minding if Baekhyun hears their conversation.

“I’m impressed you got the draft sent over already,” Junmyeon says without preamble. “I was expecting you to call for another last minute extension.”

“Not this time,” Kyungsoo says dryly, clutching his fingers into Baekhyun’s shirt as Baekhyun presses little kisses down the side of his neck. “I got through it without too much trouble.”

“Who are you and what have you done with Kyungsoo?”

Baekhyun snorts into Kyungsoo’s neck. Kyungsoo tugs at his hair with his free hand and quickly swallows back the gasp when Baekhyun retaliates with a scrape of his teeth over his collarbone. “Very funny,” he says to Junmyeon. “I tried really hard, okay? And, well, maybe Baekhyun helped keep me sane.”

“Baekhyun, huh?” Junmyeon drawls, amusement lacing his tone. “He does seem to be very good about that.”

“He’s just good at distracting me from my self-inflicted panic,” Kyungsoo says, and he swats Baekhyun’s shoulder when he feels Baekhyun’s hands slipping under his shirt. Baekhyun just grins at him smugly.

“I like him,” Junmyeon says. “You should marry him.”

“Junmyeon,” Kyungsoo yelps as Baekhyun bursts into laughter at the sudden suggestion, all his attention on seducing Kyungsoo replaced by his mirth, his head tilted back, eyes sparkling bright.

“Oh, is he listening?” Junmyeon asks, but he doesn’t sound very surprised or apologetic.

“Yes, he is,” Kyungsoo hisses. “So stop saying stupid shit.”

“Hey, I only meant it like a business transaction,” Junmyeon says. “It’d be very beneficial. For me, you know? To have someone like Baekhyun keeping you in line and from destroying all your work the day before it’s due because you’re suddenly wrought with self-doubt. Takes a lot off my plate.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t admit that he was incredibly close to doing that last night. “I’m gonna hang up on you,” he says instead and Junmyeon laughs.

“Fine, fine, I should leave you to your boyfriend now that you’ve finished your work,” Junmyeon says. “I just wanted to check in and make sure you’re okay, but I guess Baekhyun’s taking care of that, too.”

Kyungsoo opens his mouth to refute him, but Baekhyun chimes in, “You’re right about that. So if you don’t mind, I’d very much like to go back to that important task.”

“Be safe,” is all Junmyeon says before Kyungsoo hastily ends the call. He stares at the screen of his phone for a moment, heat in his cheeks, and then punches Baekhyun in the chest, not enough to hurt, but just enough to surprise him.

“You’re terrible,” he grumbles, climbing out of Baekhyun’s lap. “You and Junmyeon both.”

“Aww, come on,” Baekhyun says, and Kyungsoo hears the creak of the chair as Baekhyun undoubtedly gets up to follow him into the kitchen. “It’s all in good fun, you know.”

“Next time you should at least keep your hands to yourself when I’m on the phone,” Kyungsoo mutters, even though he didn’t really mind. He opens the fridge and pulls out a beer, thinks he deserves one now after finishing his work and that conversation with Junmyeon, and hands another one to Baekhyun who takes it with a smile.

“We’ll see about that,” Baekhyun says as he crowds Kyungsoo up against the nearest counter. “Anyway, right now I think we should continue what we started earlier. I also never got around to congratulating you on finishing the book.”

Kyungsoo eyes Baekhyun with intrigue, but instead of replying he lifts his beer up to his lips to take a slow drink. Baekhyun’s gaze falls to his lips, then to his throat. He rests a hand on Kyungsoo’s waist, rubs his finger into the flesh through his shirt.

Just when he can tell Baekhyun is growing impatient, Kyungsoo says, “I like this idea,” and sets his beer aside in favor of fulling Baekhyun into an eager kiss.

There’s a weight lifted off Kyungsoo’s shoulders in the following days. The skies seem bluer, the sun shines brighter, the grass is greener. He feels good, he feels proud. The book is complete. It’s virtually out of his hands until he has to finalize the publication, but until then, he’s practically a free man.

He’s still drawing though. He can’t cut that out even if he tried. He feels invigorated by the completed book and the warm, sunny spring weather weaves inspiration in the from of new characters and ideas through his fingertips.

He sketches at home with Inky and Pepper at his feet, draws with Eun on weekday evenings while Baekhyun attempts to cook in the kitchen, and holes up at coffee shops in town in the mornings when he wakes up early.

Sometimes Baekhyun will join him for a quick breakfast, sometimes it’ll just be Kyungsoo on his own, drawing the layout of the cafe he’s in that day, or the view of the street out the window. It’s been awhile since he’s just drawn for the sake of drawing. He even feels compelled to paint again, and it’s been years since he’s done that.

He digs his old paints, brushes, and blank A4-sized canvases out from the closet of his studio. He sits out on the porch of Baekhyun’s home and paints as Eun kicks around his soccer ball with the dogs and Baekhyun lies beside him, singing along to the music he’s listening through his headphones.

All the snow has melted from the streets and lawns, and spring is in full swing. They’re enjoying the comfortable weather before the inevitable rainfall that’s due over the weekend. Kyungsoo paints a picture of Eun, all bright yellows and reds and oranges, his brushstrokes a little shaky and uneven after so long, but Baekhyun stares at the creation in awe and asks if he can keep it.

“Of course,” Kyungsoo says without hesitation and Baekhyun orders him to sign it before he accepts, beaming.

“I’m gonna hang it up in his room,” Baekhyun decides and Kyungsoo’s heart spreads warmly throughout his chest.

A week later, Kyungsoo meets with Jongdae for lunch at a crowded Chipotle, squeezing into a small table by the wall after they’ve each ordered. Jongdae unwraps his burrito and takes a big bite out of it as Kyungsoo sips at his drink first. He’s not exactly nervous, but it is the first time he and Jongdae have met up on their own so he’s maybe out of his element, but there isn’t anyone better to ask. Jongdae is Baekhyun’s best friend.

“So what was it you wanted to talk about?” Jongdae asks a few moments later, licking guac off his lips. “Something so important it had to be in person?”

Kyungsoo chuckles and shakes his head. “I just figured talking about it over lunch would make it less awkward,” he says with a little shrug.

“Is it working?” Jongdae asks, a knowing gleam in his eyes like he can tell Kyungsoo is maybe slightly regretting his decision.

“Not really, but that’s only because you keep staring at me like you’re suspecting the worst,” Kyungsoo retorts and it makes Jongdae laugh, a hearty one that eases the tension. “It’s nothing bad. I’m not asking your advice on how to dump Baekhyun or something, if that’s what you’re worried about. You can put your claws away now.”

Jongdae laughs a little harder but nods, acquiescing as he lowers his burrito to its plate. “You got me,” he says, and makes a show of curling his fingers into fists. “What is it then?” he asks and then mock gasps. “You want to propose!”

Kyungsoo snorts. “No way,” he says. “We’re not even close to that point.” He shakes his head and takes a bite out of his own burrito, enjoying the taste for a moment as he figures out how to explain. Finally, he says, “I want to do something nice for Baekhyun’s birthday, but I’m not sure what. I was hoping you’d have some ideas.”

“Oooh,” Jongdae sings, leaning back in his chair with widening eyes. He clearly wasn’t expecting this, but by the curl of his lips, Kyungsoo thinks he’s maybe a little impressed. “His birthday is the first between the two of you since you got together, huh.”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo says. “We spend a lot of time together, you know--”

“Oh, believe me, I do.”

“--so I wanted to do something different, I guess,” Kyungsoo finishes, ignoring Jongdae’s interjection. “It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or really special, but...Is he the type of guy who likes birthday parties or just spending time at home with Eun?”

“Guess it depends on the year,” Jongdae says. “Last time he spent the day at home, but we went out for dinner. Eunnie too, and with Yixing and his family. It was pretty lowkey.” He takes another bite of his burrito and then downs it all with a long sip from his drink. “A couple of years ago when Eun was still really young, we hung out at his place and watched a movie. I think the last time he did anything more eventful than that was in college, honestly.”

Kyungsoo kind of guessed as much. Baekhyun seems to enjoy parties and hanging out with people, but he also seems to cherish time at home a lot more, and especially time simply spent with Eun. Lately that’s included Kyungsoo too, and the thought brings a small smile to Kyungsoo’s face. He takes another bite from his burrito, and their conversation switches gears as Jongdae brings up a complaint about work and Kyungsoo realizes he doesn’t even know what Jongdae does for a living.

“I’m a lawyer, actually,” Jongdae says with a smug grin, and he laughs when Kyungsoo gapes. “Baekhyun never mentioned? Rude.”

“Your line of work doesn’t typically come up in conversation,” Kyungsoo says dryly, reaching for his drink to take a few sips. “I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that.”

Jongdae shrugs a shoulder. “I do corporate law for a company in the city,” he explains. “It’s not as exciting as criminal law anyway.” His grin turns a little sly as he adds, “And besides, I’m not a celebrity like you.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “Stop it with that,” he says. “I’m hardly a celebrity.”

“To all us common folk, you’re a celebrity,” Jongdae says and Kyungsoo just sighs, shaking his head. Clearly he’s not going to change Jongdae’s mind, so he figures he’ll just let Jongdae think what he wants. “Especially when you’ve spent as much time with Baekhyun and Eun as I have. Your books and that show really are celebrity-status for them.”

That makes Kyungsoo laugh. “I’ve gathered as much,” he says, and when Jongdae asks about how he got into writing, Kyungsoo tells him, the conversation flowing easily between them. The awkwardness Kyungsoo had felt in the beginning slowly fades away and leaves Kyungsoo much more comfortable and even glad that he’d asked Jongdae to meet him like this.

By the time they’re finishing up their food, Kyungsoo steers the conversation back to what he’d initially meant to talk to Jongdae about. “Is there anything you think Baekhyun might want? Anything he’s mentioned?” he asks a little hopefully.

Jongdae chuckles, setting down his drink on the table. “Dude the only thing he’s mentioned wanting recently is you,” he says, “but you guys went and figured that out already yourselves.”

Kyungsoo lightly reaches across to swat him in the arm where he can reach. Jongdae just grins, unrepentant. “I’m being serious,” Kyungsoo says.

“I know you are, and look, I think it’s, well, sweet, that you want to do something special,” Jongdae says. “But really, I think all Baekhyun wants is to spend the day with you and with Eun. That would probably make him really happy. Just, like, kiss him a lot or something.” He waves his hand in the air and then shrugs. “I don’t know, whatever gross sort of thing you guys do.”

“Jongdae.”

“Seriously, don’t sweat it,” Jongdae says. “Whatever you plan, whatever you get him as a gift, he’s gonna love it. Because you did it.”

Kyungsoo rubs the shell of his ear, glancing down at the final piece of his burrito. Jongdae’s reassurance is helpful but he still feels a little uncertain about everything. “I hope you’re right,” Kyungsoo says.

“You know, I’m grateful to you, Kyungsoo,” Jongdae says suddenly, leaning forward with his elbows on the edge of the table. “Baekhyun is...Well, ever since you guys got together, and even before then, I know that having you in his life has made him so much happier. It’s actually kind of ridiculous.” He chuckles, takes a drink from his cup and then continues, “And at first I was just pleased he had made a good friend in the neighborhood but now that you guys are dating I’m even more relieved.”

Kyungsoo stares at him, a little surprised, and Jongdae smiles at him a little warmly.

“Baekhyun’s a good guy,” Jongdae says. “And he’s been, well, I don’t want to say like he’s been alone for so long he needs somebody because of course there’s nothing wrong with being single and--”

“Jongdae,” Kyungsoo interjects with a laugh.

Jongdae has the decency to look a little sheepish. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry, I’m just trying to say that I think you’re great and I think you guys are great together,” Jongdae says. “And if you need my help for whatever you end up planning for Baekhyun’s birthday, then I’m here for you.”

Kyungsoo lets out a stunned breath, still taking in everything Jongdae’s said, his earnest support and reassurance. He struggles to find the words to explain how much it means to him, how much Baekhyun means to him and how much Baekhyun’s also made Kyungsoo happy.

In the end, all that comes out is a small but sincere, “Thank you, Jongdae,” and he thinks maybe Jongdae can tell in those few words everything else he means to say, because he smiles, wide, and replies, “Anytime.”

When Kyungsoo stops by Baekhyun’s that Friday evening, letting himself in as Baekhyun said the door would be unlocked, it’s to the loud screaming of what is definitely more than just one child. Curious, Kyungsoo shuts and locks the door behind him and heads inside to find Eun with Yixing’s two kids, running around the living room. Baekhyun is sprawled on the floor, arms splayed, but he rolls his head to the side to grin at Kyungsoo as he approaches.

“Didn’t realize you were thinking of adopting two more kids since we talked last night,” Kyungsoo says, lips curling in amusement. He crouches down beside Baekhyun, runs a hand through his hair.

“Last minute decision,” Baekhyun says. “I would’ve brought you with me to get the paperwork done, but I figured it’d be more fun as a surprise.”

They stare at each other for a moment before laughing, Baekhyun flopping his head back down on the floor, his chest heaving under his mirth. Kyungsoo drops down to sit properly, crossing his legs and narrowly avoiding hitting Baekhyun in the face with his knee. He watches Eun climb up onto the couch and pretend to zap Jiyu with the toy in his hand. Jiyu lunges out of the way in time, yells, “I’ll get you back for that!” and charges after Eun all over again. Lina follows the two boys, her pigtails in messy knots on either side of her head.

“Yixing’s babysitter canceled on them last minute,” Baekhyun explains. “He and Jia had planned a whole date night, so he asked if I didn’t mind watching the kids for a few hours. It really was last minute. I’m sorry I didn’t ask, I know we were planning to hang out and watch a movie and--”

“Hey, it’s fine,” Kyungsoo says softly. “I don’t mind helping you with the kids. It’ll be fun.”

“Sure it will,” Baekhyun drawls. “They’ve already attacked me. Apparently I was a dragon and they combined their powers to destroy me five minutes after we all got home.”

Kyungsoo snorts. “Is that why you’re on the floor?” he asks, and when Baekhyun nods solemnly, he adds, “You must not be a very strong dragon then.”

“Hey!” Baekhyun yells, as Eun laughs, jumping from the couch to say, “He’s not! We killed him so easy!”

Kyungsoo laughs at the offended look on Baekhyun’s face but turns to Eun and asks, “And what are you guys supposed to be?”

Turns out Eun is a wizard, Jiyu is a knight, and Lina is a princess. They’re playing an elaborate fantasy game with a lot of silly made up rules that leaves Kyungsoo totally impressed by the limitless imagination of children.

“You guys should write the plot for the next Chen book,” he tells them, and they all giggle, flattered despite clearly not believing him. “Can I play with you too?”

“Yes!” the three of them yell at once, and Eun is already grabbing Kyungsoo by the arms to tug him up to his feet.

“Why don’t we take it outside?” he says as he stands. There’s still about another hour left until sunset, so there’s plenty of time to tire the kids out. “Go get your shoes, okay?”

Once the kids run off toward the hall closet, Kyungsoo drops his gaze to Baekhyun, still lying on the floor, and laughs when he sees Baekhyun has his eyes closed. “Are you napping?” he asks, poking Baekhyun in the ribs with his foot. Baekhyun squirms, his face scrunching up, and he slowly peeks one eye open, then the other.

“You were doing a good job with the kids on your own,” he says, and Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “I’m tired, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun whines. “I’m only used to dealing with one!”

Kyungsoo chuckles because no matter how much he could pretend it isn’t, Baekhyun’s cute whining is very effective. He holds his hands out and Baekhyun takes them in his, lets Kyungsoo haul him up and pulls until Baekhyun fits comfortably into his chest. “I’ll go play with the kids,” he says. “If you go make dinner.”

“What if I order pizza and take a nap on the couch?” Baekhyun suggests, eyes widening hopefully.

Kyungsoo makes soft noise of consideration, letting his hands rest on Baekhyun’s waist, slowly inching his fingers around his back to draw him even closer. “Only if you get pepperoni,” he says finally and enjoys the way Baekhyun’s whole face lights up.

“You drive a hard bargain,” Baekhyun teases, leaning close enough to trail his nose along Kyungsoo’s jaw. “But we have a deal.”

“Mm, yes we do,” Kyungsoo agrees, and meets Baekhyun’s lips with his own.

Their kiss lasts all of three seconds before the kids return and all three of them are yelling various sounds of disgust. Baekhyun bursts out into laughter as Kyungsoo sheepishly pulls away. He’s pleased to see that despite the protest, Eun is grinning at them, happy. Lina comes running over to tackle Baekhyun and says, “Me too, me too!”

Baekhyun grins, and sweeps Lina up into his arms. “Of course, Li Li,” he says, and places a smacking kiss to each of her cheeks. She giggles loudly, smooshes Baekhyun’s face up in her hands and kisses his nose.

“Cute,” Kyungsoo can’t help but say, heart warm at the sight, and Baekhyun’s eyes are so bright when he looks over at him, his smile so beautiful, Kyungsoo is tempted to kiss him all over again. Instead he holds his hands out for Lina and is pleasantly surprised that she accepts without a fuss, letting Kyungsoo take her from Baekhyun. “We’ll be out back if you need us,” he tells Baekhyun, who gives him a little two-fingered salute that makes Kyungsoo snort.

The weather is nice for an April afternoon even though the lawn is still a little wet from rain early that morning. The kids certainly don’t seem to mind, running around the grass excitedly. Kyungsoo takes on the role of another scary dragon to replace the Baekhyun-dragon they defeated, and he charges after them, dodging the spells that Eun casts and the swinging of Jiyu’s sword. He picks up Lina at one point, running across the yard with her in his arms, and Eun yells, “We have to save the princess!”

When the boys get close enough, he releases Lina to lunge for Eun, carefully tackling him to the ground as Eun laughs and then, remembering his character and the game, quickly says, “Jiyu, run! Save the princess!”

“What about you?” Jiyu says as Kyungsoo attacks Eun by tickling his fingers into his sides and Eun begins struggling not to laugh even more.

“I’ll kill the dragon!” Eun exclaims, managing to wriggle out of Kyungsoo’s arms long enough to push him into the ground and climb over him. “I got you now!”

“Oh no,” Kyungsoo says, holding his hands in front of him to shield himself from Eun’s spell. To his right he can see Jiyu pulling his sister up onto the deck, where they’d decided at the beginning of the game would be the princess’ castle. “You’ve beat me!”

“Take that!” Eun says, holding his hands out as he executes another spell and this time Kyungsoo groans loudly, making a show of being terribly attacked before he flops down against the ground, spent.

“Is he dead?” asks Lina, her cute voice far too excited by the prospect, but Kyungsoo does his best to keep from laughing and breaking the moment.

Eun pokes Kyungsoo in the chest, then in the cheek. He climbs off Kyungsoo and yells, “He’s dead!” and all the kids cheer at once. Kyungsoo lies there for awhile longer until the kids come up with another game to play, then hauls himself up off the ground. His back is wet from the grass and his clothing clings to him a little uncomfortably, but he ignores it as much as he can as he watches them kick around a soccer ball.

Lina gets tired first, coming up to Kyungsoo who is sitting at the edge of the deck and climbs into his lap. She tells him stories about her day at preschool and how much she likes Wonder Woman. She talks a lot for a tired four year old, but Kyungsoo listens dutifully and asks all the right questions until she turns to him and seriously says, “I’m hungry.”

Kyungsoo laughs, smooths back her messy bangs, and stands, pulling her up with him. “Come on,” he says. “I bet the pizza is almost here.” He calls out for Eun and Jiyu as well, and they only complain a little about having to go inside already. When Kyungsoo mentions food, however, they’re running straight back toward the deck.

“Oh, I was just about to come call you guys,” Baekhyun says when they make their way inside. “Pizza’s here.”

“Go wash your hands and put your shoes away,” Kyungsoo tells the kids, who eagerly run off to do just that. Kyungsoo watches as they disappear down the hall and chuckles, entertained by their endless enthusiasm.

“You are so good with kids,” Baekhyun says, coming up beside Kyungsoo and wrapping his arms around Kyungsoo’s side, holding him in place. “It’s really attractive.”

Kyungsoo laughs. “I think you might be biased,” he says.

“I’m just stating facts,” Baekhyun protests. “I watched you playing with them outside and it was really cute. You’re really cute.”

Heat fills Kyungsoo’s cheeks and he shakes his head, grumbling only a little at the compliment and because he’s not even sure what to say. Baekhyun seems to only find his reaction amusing because he coos at Kyungsoo and squeezes him tighter, purses up his lips until he’s close enough to kiss Kyungsoo on the cheek.

Kyungsoo can hear the sounds of the kids growing closer, so he turns to catch Baekhyun’s lips in a proper kiss before he pulls back, reaching to his waist to pull Baekhyun’s arms down. Baekhyun pouts but Kyungsoo gently pokes his lower lip and says, “Don’t do that. I’m gonna go wash up too. Do you mind if I grab a shirt from your closet? Mine got all wet outside.”

“Not at all,” Baekhyun says, waving him toward the stairs.

“You might want to check if the kids need new clothes too,” Kyungsoo says before he heads upstairs, and as he climbs up he can hear the kids chanting loudly for pizza.

Baekhyun’s bedroom is a little haven from all the ruckus downstairs and Kyungsoo relishes the quiet as he looks for a shirt to wear. Baekhyun keeps everything surprisingly tidy, and he’s been over enough now that he’s used to where Baekhyun puts his clothing. He strips out of his own wet shirt, tosses it into the hamper in the back of Baekhyun’s closet, and remembers that he has a shirt or two of Baekhyun’s back at his place that he’d washed recently too. He should probably give those back, but...He kind of also likes holding onto them.

As he pulls Baekhyun’s shirt over his head, the domesticity of everything, of this moment, of his own thoughts of wanting to keep Baekhyun’s clothes instead of returning them, hits him hard, like he’s been punched in the face and is only now realizing how strange this is. He and Baekhyun haven’t even been together for two whole months but sometimes, the things they do or say, the ease of their relationship, it feels like it’s been so much longer than that.

Kyungsoo is usually a much more guarded person, careful to reveal his feelings, but with Baekhyun he’s never really had to worry about that. Maybe it’s because Baekhyun is so open, so willing to say whatever is on his mind, and so respectful when he listens, hanging off Kyungsoo’s words every time and doing his best to make things better. It’s strange, that Kyungsoo is here, comfortable enough after two months of dating, to come up and take a shirt from Baekhyun’s closet. One that he’ll probably wear home, and will mix in with the rest of his clothes, and the few other shirts Baekhyun’s left behind. He curls his fingers into the soft fabric of the shirt around the hem, staring down at the pale blue material, and thinks he wouldn’t mind that, not at all.

He doesn’t mind any of it. The domesticity. The comfort. The ease with which they’ve fallen into each other, and into this familiar pattern of spending time together between their homes. It’s the kind of relationship that holds no pretenses and Kyungsoo can just…be. Be relaxed, and be happy, and be as quiet or as playful as he wants. He can be himself.

Baekhyun has given him a lot in the many months they’ve known each other, but that, Kyungsoo thinks, is probably the most important.

“So what, if things are a little fast,” Kyungsoo mumbles to himself as he steps into the ensuite bathroom to wash off his hands. “It doesn’t really feel that fast. And things are going great. Why worry about it?”

He nods at his own reflection and jumps, startled, when a knock at the door surprises him.

Baekhyun is leaning into the frame, arms crossed over his chest as he grins at Kyungsoo. “Talking to yourself?” he teases, and Kyungsoo flushes, hopes Baekhyun didn’t hear too much of what he was saying. He shuts off the faucet and dries off his hands in the soft pink towel hanging by the sink.

“Just thinking,” Kyungsoo explains as Baekhyun continues to look at him curiously.

Baekhyun walks into the bathroom and easily wraps his arms around him. Kyungsoo’s come to learn that Baekhyun can’t seem to help himself with his physical affection. If he’s close enough to touch, then he will. Kyungsoo’s also learned he doesn’t mind this either. “What about?” he asks, meeting Kyungsoo’s eyes through the mirror.

Kyungsoo turns around in his hold, lets Baekhyun’s hands at his hips press him against the counter. “About you,” he says honestly. “About us.”

“Oh?” Baekhyun says, eyes sparkling under the lights above the vanity. “Should I be worried?”

Kyungsoo laughs, shaking his head. He slides his hands up Baekhyun’s arms, feels his slight shiver from the touch, and cups his face in his hands. “Not at all,” he says before he kisses him, softly on the mouth. Baekhyun sighs into it, body yielding under Kyungsoo’s touch, and Kyungsoo smiles against his lips as he pulls back.

“Come on,” Kyungsoo says, grabbing Baekhyun’s hand to lead him out. “I’m starving.”

The good thing about watching over three kids is that they keep each other entertained. After pizza, the kids retreat to the living area to play as Kyungsoo cleans up the mess left on the table and Baekhyun washes the dirty plates and glasses. Lina asks to watch Frozen barely five minutes later, so Kyungsoo retrieves the DVD from her backpack and puts it in for her as she bounces around the room excitedly while Eun and Jiyu work on a puzzle on the coffee table. Baekhyun joins them soon after, flopping onto the couch with a sigh and then smiling at Lina and waving her over.

“Let me fix your hair,” he says gently and her face lights up.

“Can you make braids?” she asks, and Baekhyun grimaces a little before he nods.

“They won’t be very good,” he warns her as Kyungsoo sits on the couch beside him. Baekhyun grabs his phone from his pocket and Kyungsoo watches with amusement as he searches for a Youtube tutorial on how to braid hair.

“It’s okay,” Lina says as she settles into his lap. “Mommy isn’t very good either. Daddy does it really pretty. You should learn from him!”

“Next time I’ll ask,” Baekhyun tells her solemnly, and she nods her head as if in promise.

Baekhyun’s braids actually don’t turn out half bad, and Lina seems perfectly happy with the results, flouncing off to watch Eun and Jiyu continue to work through their large Batman puzzle. Baekhyun sighs deeply, flopping sideways into Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “Kids are exhausting,” he says quietly, and Kyungsoo laughs, slides a hand down Baekhyun’s thigh to rest at his knee.

“They’re not so bad,” Kyungsoo says, watching over the three fondly. Eun is all bright smiles today, and that makes Kyungsoo especially happy to see.

They watch Frozen half-heartedly as the kids stay entertained with the puzzles and other games. Lina sings along to all the songs loudly, and halfway through the movie, Baekhyun’s phone rings. Kyungsoo catches sight of Hyeran’s name on the screen as Baekhyun picks it up, and he stares at it for a long moment, letting it ring on and on.

“Answer it,” Kyungsoo says.

“I wasn’t expecting her to call back again so soon,” Baekhyun mutters.

“It’s a good thing,” Kyungsoo insists, nudging him as they both sit up properly. “Go, talk to her.”

Baekhyun takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. He grabs Kyungsoo’s hand with his free one, says, “Come with me,” and leads him out of the living room and into the kitchen. It’s close enough that they can still see the kids, but quieter, so Baekhyun taps at his phone until Hyeran’s voice comes through the speaker.

“Hi,” she says. “Are you busy?”

“No,” Baekhyun says. He’s still holding Kyungsoo’s hand. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

Hyeran laughs softly and says, “It is a little late, but I wanted to talk before I got busy again. I’ve got a work trip coming up and--well, that’s not really important. I wanted to talk to you about Eun.”

“Hyeran,” Baekhyun says slowly, “I don’t know what else we could possibly discuss since the last time you called. I’ve told you my feelings on this topic.”

“I know,” Hyeran says. “And I’m not--I respect that, Baekhyun. I really do. And I’ve been thinking about everything you’ve said. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and you’re right. You’re absolutely right. The way that I’ve been handling this hasn’t been good for anyone, and especially not for Eun.”

Baekhyun looks taken aback by Hyeran’s sudden honesty. Even Kyungsoo is surprised, because it didn’t seem like she was ever going to agree with Baekhyun’s point of view. “I--Wow, I wasn’t expecting you to say that,” Baekhyun admits sheepishly. He looks at Kyungsoo a little helplessly, and Kyungsoo, not wanting to suddenly announce himself, silently rubs his thumb across Baekhyun’s knuckles instead.

“I’m sorry,” Hyeran says, surprising them both even further. “For a lot of the things I said when I visited, and just...How I’ve acted since. I want to make things better. I’m ready to make things better.”

“I’m glad,” Baekhyun says earnestly. Kyungsoo hopes Hyeran can tell he means it too. “I want Eun to know you more, too. I’ve never tried to hide that from him.”

Hyeran is quiet for a moment, but then she says, softly, “You’re a good parent, Baekhyun. Much better than I ever was.”

Baekhyun doesn’t say anything, can’t seem to say anything, with the way he tightens his grip on Kyungsoo’s hand and closes his eyes for a brief, steadying moment.

“Anyway,” Hyeran continues, clearing her throat. “That’s not all I wanted to say. I might be back stateside next month. Would it be okay if I stopped by again?”

“You’re giving me warning this time?” Baekhyun quips, and Hyeran laughs.

“Shocking, I know,” she says, and Kyungsoo sees the way Baekhyun’s lips twitch in amusement. “It’d probably only be for a weekend. The dates aren’t finalized yet, but I can let you know?”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says. “Yeah, that--that sounds good.”

“Good,” Hyeran echoes. There’s silence again, hanging between them for a heartbeat, then she adds, “Maybe the three of us can do something together, something that Eun likes? I know you’ve mentioned a few times trying to reach out to him, sending him a letter or something like that and--I know I haven’t taken those suggestions seriously either, and I’m sorry about that too. Everytime I think about it, I never seem to know what to say, and--”

“Hyeran, it’s okay,” Baekhyun says softly, and he still looks amazed by everything she’s saying. Kyungsoo is, too. He feels like this conversation is months, maybe years, overdue.

“It’s not,” Hyeran says, and she sounds so adamant about it, Kyungsoo is kind of impressed. “I don’t want to push Eun, but I want to spend some time around him and I want to get to know him, and I think--well, I would like to at least start over again, in person. If Eun’s still not interested, then I’ll understand, but I just want the chance to explain myself to him a little. If that’s okay.”

“I--” Baekhyun chokes on his words, looking so overwhelmed suddenly that Kyungsoo releases his hand in favor of wrapping his arms around Baekhyun instead, holding him into his chest as Baekhyun breathes deeply into his shoulder as he finds what he wants to say. “I think that can be arranged,” he finishes, chuckling incredulously. Kyungsoo rubs his palm up and down Baekhyun’s back.

“Okay,” Hyeran says, and Kyungsoo thinks she sounds relieved. “That’s all, then. I should, uh, get to bed.”

“Oh, wait,” Baekhyun says. “Since we’re being honest, there’s something you should know.” His slides a hand to Kyungsoo’s hip, fingers warm as they slip under the hem of his shirt and press into his skin. “I’m seeing someone.”

There’s another beat of silence. “Oh,” Hyeran says, but she doesn’t sound very surprised. “That’s great, Baekhyun.”

“Yeah, it’s uh. It’s Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says, and he smooths his fingers along Kyungsoo’s stomach as he says his name. “It’s been nearly two months now.”

This time Hyeran laughs, a much brighter, fuller laugh than Kyungsoo’s heard from her. “It took you that long to get together?” she asks, and Kyungsoo can tell she's teasing. Kyungsoo didn’t particularly expect her to be upset or angry about their relationship, but he is surprised by her rather amused reaction. “You used to be much more smooth.”

Baekhyun splutters. “Hey!” he cries out, and Kyungsoo has to hide his snort into Baekhyun’s neck.

“I’m glad for you, Baekhyun,” Hyeran says. “Really. I--Kyungsoo seems like a good guy.”

“He is,” Baekhyun agrees readily, pulling back long enough to meet Kyungsoo’s eyes. Kyungsoo lifts a brow at him, bemused, and stifles a laugh when Baekhyun makes a kissy face back at him.

“Does Eun know?” Hyeran asks, and now it’s Baekhyun who laughs.

“Yeah, we talked to him about it,” he says, grinning. “Actually, it’s kind of a funny story.”

Kyungsoo listens as Baekhyun tells Hyeran all about Eun and their unfortunate misunderstandings, and he’s pleasantly surprised by the way Hyeran laughs and responds, the way Baekhyun’s shoulders relax and the smile on his face is genuine and bright. His own uncertainties, his own judgments over Hyeran, and her sudden reappearances in Baekhyun’s life also settle. He can see the way they must’ve been, and he understands them a little more. He’s glad that things are taking a turn for the better.

By the time they hang up, the atmosphere has shifted into something much more comfortable and Baekhyun sets his phone aside, eyes wide in amazement as he looks at Kyungsoo. “Wow,” he says. “We haven’t talked like that in a long time. It was like...Like nothing was wrong, like everything was normal.” He shakes his head a little, clearly still surprised, and laughs.

“That’s good, right?” Kyungsoo says, running his hands soothingly up and down Baekhyun’s arms.

Baekhyun nods. “Yeah. Yeah, it is,” he says. “It felt a little of the Hyeran I used to know.”

“I’m really glad,” Kyungsoo says, smiling. “I know you’ve been worrying about this for a long time, but this is a great sign. She actually wants to make things work now. I think she sounds sincere about that.”

“I think so too,” Baekhyun agrees. “I’m still--I guess I won’t be able to believe it until I see it, but I’m much more hopeful now than I was before.”

“Hopeful is good,” Kyungsoo says, eyes slowly sliding across Baekhyun’s face, taking in the relaxed skin between his brows, the gentle corner slopes of his eyes, the little mole above his lip that Kyungsoo thinks about kissing.

Baekhyun doesn’t give him the chance, kissing Kyungsoo first instead, and Kyungsoo smiles into it, hope blooming in his own chest. Hope for Hyeran and Eun, hope for Baekhyun and him, hope that the future will come as warmly, steadily, and wonderfully as this moment.

As it gets closer to the end of April, the weather gets hotter, the sun a near-constant presence in the clear blue skies. Kyungsoo’s days are mostly quiet and much more carefree now that he doesn’t have to worry about the book until he receives the beta copy, and the work for the Chen show have been running smoothly. He had a table reading recently, going over the scripts with the rest of the cast, and he’ll be recording for the show soon as well. He’s excited. When Kyungsoo had first been offered the opportunity to voice act for the show, he’d been nervous, but after months of not being in the studio to record, he’s come to miss it.

He does his best to occupy himself in his down time. He paints, he takes the dogs on refreshing runs through the park, he reads a few books that Minseok had recommended to him ages ago but he never got around to ever cracking open.

He calls his mother late on a Friday night to account for the time difference. His parents had moved back to Seoul five years ago to look after Kyungsoo’s maternal grandmother, but had stayed in the country even after her passing. He doesn’t talk with them often, if ever, and they’re all mostly okay with that. His mother laughs at how much more pronounced his accent has become in speaking Korean, and then asks if he’s found a nice Korean girl to settle down with.

Kyungsoo huffs out a laugh and says, “No, but I have found a nice Korean boy.”

His mother is silent for a long moment, but then demands to see pictures, and the little weight settled in Kyungsoo’s stomach that he hadn’t even realized was there melts away with his relieved breath.

And in between all of this, there is Baekhyun, and there is Eun, the bright, shining lights in Kyungsoo’s life. They don’t see each other everyday, but Baekhyun is always texting, always eager to answer Kyungsoo’s phone calls, and even hands his phone off to Eun so Eun can excitedly tell Kyungsoo about his day before he goes to bed. Baekhyun wheedles Kyungsoo into games of Overwatch on Thursday evenings when Eun is having dinner with a friend’s family down the street, and kisses Kyungsoo senseless against the couch whenever they win a match.

They go on more dates too. Spending time alone with Baekhyun is one of Kyungsoo’s favorite things these days, even if it’s just a quick lunch during the work day, or spending an afternoon learning how to rock climb at an indoor climbing gym. That was actually Baekhyun’s idea, and he’d sheepishly admitted, “I’m afraid of heights, so if I cry, don’t laugh at me,” as they checked in.

“If you’re afraid of heights, why did we come here?” Kyungsoo had asked and Baekhyun laughed, shrugging. He’d been wearing a tight, sleeveless workout shirt, showing off the broadness of his shoulders and his arms, and Kyungsoo had plenty of trouble not staring.

“I’ve always wanted to try,” Baekhyun had said, reaching for Kyungsoo’s hand and lacing their fingers together. “I thought it’d be fun to do together.”

And it had been fun. Baekhyun hadn’t cried, but he’d gone a little pale the higher he’d climbed, but his smile when he’d successfully made it to the top was blinding and beautiful.

They’re both sore afterward, and spent the rest of the day in bed together with Kyungsoo’s puppies, dozing in and out of slumber, trading soft kisses, and perhaps worsening their tired muscles even further when Baekhyun slowly fucked Kyungsoo into the mattress.

In the last week of April, Kyungsoo takes Baekhyun to a live showing of Singin’ in the Rain.

“How did you know this is my favorite musical?” Baekhyun exclaims when Kyungsoo tells him their plans, and he’s brimming with excitement the whole ride to the theater.

It’s a small production and they have a great view of the stage from their seats. Baekhyun holds Kyungsoo’s hand and sings along to every song under his breath, and Kyungsoo finds himself watching Baekhyun more often out of the corner of his eye than the performers on the stage because Baekhyun is so beautiful and so warm and smiles so widely every time he catches Kyungsoo staring.

Baekhyun laughs softly and nudges Kyungsoo in the side. “Pay attention,” he whispers, and Kyungsoo does, for while, before his gaze falls back to Baekhyun beside him. He stares at their clasped hands, the little mole on Baekhyun’s thumb that he can make out in the dark lighting, the patch of skin through Baekhyun’s ripped jeans, and the way Baekhyun taps his foot along to the music. He enjoys the sound of Baekhyun’s hearty laugh at a particularly comedic moment in the show, and as he looks up at him, catches his gaze, Kyungsoo’s heart balloons in his chest, so full of affection, and warmth, and something that he can’t quite put his finger on but that feels, maybe, a lot like love.

Love.

Kyungsoo’s in love with Baekhyun.

The sudden realization isn’t as terrifying as Kyungsoo would’ve thought it would be. Instead, it’s almost...liberating.

Love. It’s a word he hasn’t thought about like this in a very long time. But the more Kyungsoo thinks about it, sitting here with Baekhyun’s hand in his, the more right it becomes. The more right it is.

Kyungsoo’s feelings for Baekhyun have only been growing ever since they met, ever since they became friends, ever since he began spending his time around Baekhyun’s infectious laughter and witty remarks, his bright-eyed smiles, and sweet, sweet voice. The gentle way he looks after the people around him, the strength in which he continues on despite the hardships in his past.

Baekhyun is everything Kyungsoo never knew he needed or wanted. A year ago, meeting someone and falling in love was not a priority. A year ago, he could never have expected the man moving into the house across the street would change his life the way Baekhyun has.

So maybe he is in love with Baekhyun.

Kyungsoo holds Baekhyun’s hand tighter, feels the heat of his fingers seep through his veins as he stares down at the stage, and thinks he’s more than okay with that.

“Have you been to the lake, Eunnie?” Kyungsoo asks in a hushed voice. It’s a Thursday evening, just a few days before Baekhyun’s birthday. Kyungsoo’s come up with a fun idea for how to spend the day, but he wants Eun’s input before he makes any final decisions. It’s important to him that Eun has a good time, too.

“Yeah!” Eun says, looking up from where he’s been working on another puzzle on the coffee table in Kyungsoo’s house. Puzzles seem to be Eun’s favorite pastime of choice these days, and he’s brought a new one with him when he and Baekhyun came over for dinner. They’re planning to make a whole pizza from scratch, and Kyungsoo is pretty excited. He’s thankful too, that Baekhyun had gotten a phone call from his mother barely ten minutes after they’d arrived, giving Kyungsoo the perfect opportunity to talk to Eun about his plans without Baekhyun overhearing.

“We went in the summer,” Eun continues. “I got to swim in the water! It was really fun.”

“Do you want to go again?” Kyungsoo asks, and Eun abandons his focus on his puzzle so he can look up at Kyungsoo with wide, hopeful eyes. “Your dad’s birthday is in a few days. Do you think he’d like to go to the lake? The three of us, together?”

“Yes!” Eun yells loudly and Kyungsoo lifts a finger to his lips, urging Eun to quiet down.

“It’s a secret though,” Kyungsoo says. “A surprise for your dad.”

“Okay,” Eun says, suddenly very serious. “I can keep a secret.”

“I know you can, Eunnie,” Kyungsoo laughs, petting him gently on the head. “You should make your dad a birthday card,” Kyungsoo adds. “Or draw him a picture. I’m sure he’d like that a lot.”

Eun’s face lights up again and he nods. “I will!” he says. “Can we get a birthday cake for dad too?”

“Of course,” Kyungsoo laughs. “What’s a birthday without cake, right?”

“Right!” Eun exclaims just as Baekhyun joins them again, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“What’re you guys talking about so excitedly?” he asks, sitting down on the floor beside Eun and pulling Eun into his arms, snuggling him tightly as Eun laughs.

“It’s a secret!” Eun says, batting at Baekhyun’s hands, but Baekhyun holds him even closer.

“Stop keeping secrets from me,” Baekhyun cries, swaying Eun side to side in big motions as he pouts. “It makes me sad.”

“But it’s a good secret,” Eun tells him seriously, and Baekhyun stops, peering down at Eun curiously.

“Really?” he asks, and when Eun nods his head, Baekhyun slumps, defeated. “Fine, I’ll trust you then,” he says, and plants a kiss to Eun’s cheek.

Eun giggles, twisting around so he can give Baekhyun a full, proper hug. Baekhyun grins so wide at the sudden affection, and Kyungsoo finds that he can’t stop smiling either, his heart bursting with love at the sight. It’s kind of crazy, just how much Baekhyun and Eun have come to mean to him.

“Don’t I get any hugs?” he asks, and Eun and Baekhyun turn to him at the same time. A moment passes, and then they’re untangling themselves in favor of darting around the coffee table to tackle Kyungsoo, too, and Kyungsoo’s laugh rings loudly in the air as he’s wrapped up in Baekhyun’s arms and Eun throws his around his neck.

Yeah, Kyungsoo loves them. There’s no doubt about it. He turns to place a kiss to Baekhyun’s cheek, runs a hand gently down the back of Eun’s head and holds him closer.

The rest of the evening is relaxing, calm. Their homemade pizza turns out amazing, and they gather around on the couch to watch the newest Thor movie. Eun is very enthusiastic about everything, despite apparently having seen the movie a few times before, and decides halfway through that Hulk is his new favorite Avenger, making Baekhyun gasp in betrayal.

“Wait, who’s your favorite, Kyungsoo?” he asks.

“Cap,” Kyungsoo says with a shrug, and Baekhyun draws his arm back from where it’s been resting around Kyungsoo’s shoulders.

“I’m sorry but we have to break up,” he says as Kyungsoo struggles not to laugh. “I can’t be with someone who doesn’t like Iron Man.”

“I never said I didn’t like him,” Kyungsoo points out but Baekhyun is already shaking his head solemnly, as if he’s discovered Kyungsoo’s deepest darkest secret and can’t live with it. Kyungsoo slides a hand up Baekhyun’s back, lets his fingers brush across the nape of his neck. Baekhyun can’t help but shiver at the touch, leaning into it as Kyungsoo pulls him close again and whispers into his ear, “I’m sure you could figure out a way to change my mind.”

Baekhyun turns to him, eyes dark and intrigued, but then a stupid little smirk tugs at his lips as he says, “I never thought you’d be into Marvel roleplay, Kyungsoo!” and Kyungsoo groans, because he should’ve expected such an answer. “What a great idea, I will totally dress up as Tony Stark for you--”

“Please stop talking,” Kyungsoo says, shoving Baekhyun’s gleeful face out of his own. Baekhyun cackles, tugging Kyungsoo into his arms so he can plant a smacking kiss to his cheek, and before Kyungsoo can pretend that he hates it, Eun is whipping around to shush at them both.

“Watch!” he commands them, and Baekhyun and Kyungsoo easily fall silent, turning their attention back to the screen.

Baekhyun doesn’t let Kyungsoo go, though, but Kyungsoo doesn’t mind. He leans back against his chest and feels perfectly at home.

Later, as Eun watches over the dogs from the sliding deck door and Baekhyun helps Kyungsoo with the dishes, Kyungsoo casually says, “So, your birthday is in a few days, isn’t it?”

Baekhyun perks up instantly, turning to Kyungsoo mid-drying off a plate and says, “Yes. Why?”

Kyungsoo shrugs. “Just wondering if you had plans,” he says, and Baekhyun laughs, setting down the plate on the counter so he can sidle up to Kyungsoo at the sink.

“Well, Jongdae said something about coming over to bother me,” he says, dropping his voice a little as he speaks into Kyungsoo’s ear. Kyungsoo tries not to react, but his slight shiver probably gives him away. “But I can tell him to fuck off if you have something else in mind.”

“I never said I did,” Kyungsoo teases, trying to regain his footing, and laughs when Baekhyun jabs him in the sides with his fingers.

“I’d rather just spend the day with you and Eunnie,” Baekhyun says softly after a moment, and Kyungsoo’s heart swells at the reassurance, that his instincts, and everything that Jongdae had told him, turned out to be true.

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says. “Then keep your day open.”

“You got it,” Baekhyun says, and beams.

Sunday morning, Kyungsoo packs up a bag of beach towels, snacks, sunscreen and anything else they might need for a day at the lake. He sticks the bag into the trunk of his car, and then drives his car out onto the street in front of Baekhyun’s house for ease. Baekhyun opens the front door once Kyungsoo knocks, his eyes wide and excited despite how early it is, and sweeps Kyungsoo into a kiss before Kyungsoo even has the chance to say hello.

“Good morning to you too,” Kyungsoo laughs when he pulls back. “And happy birthday.”

“Thank you,” Baekhyun says, smiling wide. He’s got his arms still wrapped around Kyungsoo and doesn’t let him get much further than removing one shoe before he’s kissing Kyungsoo again.

Kyungsoo’s laugh gets lost between their lips, but he indulges Baekhyun because it is his birthday, and they haven’t had a chance to actually see each other since dinner the other night. Baekhyun kisses softly and sweetly and reminds Kyungsoo that, yes, he really does love him, heart so warm as Baekhyun slides a hand to the side of his face, brushes his thumb along his cheek.

They part eventually, and Baekhyun yelps when Kyungsoo gives his butt a little pinch. Baekhyun releases him, pouting, and Kyungsoo manages to slip out of his other shoe and push past Baekhyun into the house. “Stay here,” Kyungsoo tells him, poking him in the chest. “I’m gonna make sure Eunnie has everything we need.”

Baekhyun’s pout becomes more pronounced. “I can’t believe you’re being this secretive!” he says. “I’m gonna find out anyway!”

“Yeah, but it’s more entertaining to see you squirm because you don’t know where we’re going,” Kyungsoo teases, and with that, he climbs up to Eun’s room to check on him.

Eun’s got his backpack out on his bed, and he’s already filled it with a few things Kyungsoo had told him about over the phone last night. A pair of bright green sunglasses, pink flip-flops, a Chen towel, and a change of clothes just in case.

“Good job, Eunnie,” Kyungsoo tells him, rearranging a few things to make some more room. “Did you want to bring your swim clothes? It might be too cold to go swimming in the lake, but we can still take it.”

Eun thinks about it for a moment, then shakes his head. “It’s okay,” he says. “I can just put my feet in the water!”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo agrees. “Anything else you need? How about your dad?” Kyungsoo’s already packed some clothes for him and Baekhyun in his bag, so he doesn’t need to worry about that, and he can’t think of anything else any of them really needs.

“I think we have everything,” Eun tells him seriously, even as he stops to pick up his Lu plush from his bed. He takes Kyungsoo’s hand in his free one and tugs him toward the door. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

Laughing, Kyungsoo slips Eun’s backpack over his shoulder and lets Eun drag him back downstairs. Baekhyun is pacing the living room waiting for them, and stops abruptly when he sees them return. “Finally,” he says. “Are we leaving now?”

“Yes, yes,” Kyungsoo says softly, patting Baekhyun’s shoulder as he urges him toward the door. “Both of you are so impatient.”

“We’re excited,” Baekhyun corrects him. “Right, Eunnie?”

Eun nods, slipping into his sneakers. Kyungsoo knows he has a pair of flip-flops in his backpack, so it’s fine. Baekhyun, however, is wearing a pair of Converse, so he nudges his foot with his own and says, “Do you have some sandals you can bring?”

“Sandals, huh?” Baekhyun says, latching onto the little hint. “Interesting.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but waits as Baekhyun opens the hall closet and pulls out a pair of black sandals. “You might want your sunglasses too.”

“I got those,” Baekhyun says, pointing at his collar where he’s hooked his glasses. He must’ve gotten them when Kyungsoo was helping Eun upstairs. “We good to go then?” he asks.

The three of them look at each other for a moment, then Kyungsoo laughs and reaches for the door. “Let’s get out of here.”

The drive to Navy Pier usually takes around an hour but they hit traffic halfway through, stretching it into another. Kyungsoo doesn’t mind. They play silly car games with Eun to keep him entertained and sing along to the songs through Baekhyun’s phone; he’d connected via bluetooth the second they’d gotten in, claiming that since it’s his birthday he should be able to control the music. Kyungsoo didn’t protest.

The closer they get toward the city, the more curious Baekhyun becomes, throwing out suggestions for places they could be going every time they pass a sign. Everything from Six Flags to Millennium Park to three different museums, he guesses without restraint and seems to get more excited despite every wrong destination.

He does guess the pier at one point but Kyungsoo is calm as he shakes his head, giving nothing away. Baekhyun is so cute and Kyungsoo hopes that their final destination doesn’t turn out to be a disappointment.

When they finally take the exit toward the pier, Baekhyun perks up in his seat and says, “I knew it!”

Kyungsoo laughs. “Did you really?”

“It was definitely in my top three choices,” Baekhyun insists. “We’re going to the lake!”

“The lake! The lake!” Eun chants from the backseat.

“This was your idea?” Baekhyun asks, turning to Kyungsoo. “What made you think of the lake?”

Kyungsoo makes a soft noise or consideration and says, “I wanted to do something we haven’t done before. And I wanted to make sure it was something Eun would enjoy too.”

He glances at Baekhyun, smiles, and adds, “I asked him about it the other night. Got his approval and everything. Right, Eunnie?”

“Yup!” Eun says. “I said the lake would be fun!”

Baekhyun is staring at Kyungsoo, intense even from behind his sunglasses. A moment passes, then two. “I really fucking want to kiss you right now,” he finally says and Kyungsoo laughs, reaching a hand over to slide along his thigh.

“Hold onto that thought,” he says. “We’re almost there.”

Navy Pier is busy as expected. It takes them a few tries to find a decent parking spot, but then they’re out in the sun, Eun bouncing with unbridled excitement and Baekhyun attempting to reel him in. “Eunnie, come here, I don’t want you going around without sunscreen, did you--”

“I got it,” Kyungsoo says, popping open the trunk to his car and retrieving the sunscreen he’d packed into his bag. Baekhyun smiles at him gratefully and then yanks Eun close by his shirt, making him sit still against the open trunk door so Baekhyun can lather the sunscreen across his skin.

“You came prepared, huh?” Baekhyun says, glancing up at Kyungsoo who just shrugs, taking the sunscreen from Baekhyun to apply some to himself as well.

“I wanted today to be good,” he says. “No need to cut anyone’s fun short because we didn’t put on some nasty smelling lotion, right?”

“It really does smell bad,” Eun agrees, wrinkling his nose, and Baekhyun laughs, reaching up to spread some of the lingering lotion on his hands over Eun’s face. “That’s too much!”

“I’ll tell you when it’s too much!” Baekhyun retorts, and Kyungsoo grins, watching as Eun puffs up his cheeks in a pout but then giggles when Baekhyun does the same back.

Once they’re all sufficiently sunscreened, Kyungsoo having helped Baekhyun smooth the lotion along his face and the back of his neck where he says he gets really easily burned, they lock up the car and head down toward the pier. Kyungsoo hasn’t been here in a couple of years; the last time Chanyeol had dragged him after Kyungsoo had broken up with Jongin, and it feels so much different already, being here with Baekhyun, being in love with him, instead of being here fresh out of relationship, attempting to mend a broken heart.

Kyungsoo already far prefers today.

The three of them make their way down the pier, Eun holding onto Kyungsoo’s hand and pointing out at everything he sees. He wants ice cream and hot dogs and candy. He wants to go on every single ride, but especially the ferris wheel.

“You won’t get scared up there?” Kyungsoo asks, and Eun roughly shakes his head.

“I’m brave!” he says, and Kyungsoo chuckles softly, assures him that he is. “Dad won’t like it though.”

“Hey,” Baekhyun whines, reaching around Kyungsoo so he can pinch Eun’s cheek. “I can totally do it.”

“But you said being high is scary!” Eun protests, and he sounds more concerned than he does teasing, like he’s worried about Baekhyun being afraid when he wants Baekhyun to have fun instead.

“It is,” Baekhyun relents, and he nudges Kyungsoo in the side when he can’t help but snicker, remembering Baekhyun’s face when they’d gone rock-climbing earlier. “But if you’re with me, then maybe some of your strength will rub off on me.”

Eun stares at Baekhyun for a moment, as if considering this, but then he grins, wide, and says, “Okay. I can be brave for you too.”

“That’s my boy,” Baekhyun says, and sweeps Eun up into a crushing hug before he sets him back down. “So, do we wanna get on the ferris wheel first?”

Eun loudly yells in the affirmative and Kyungsoo laughs, reaches for his hand again to hold so they don’t get separated. “Let’s go see how long the line is then,” he says.

Since it’s still pretty early in the day, the lines aren’t too long and they’re quickly able to get tickets and queue up for the Centennial Wheel. Baekhyun looks a little nervous staring up at the massive ride, so Kyungsoo takes his hand as well, squeezing gently until Baekhyun’s expression softens, eyes warm as they meet Kyungsoo’s, his sunglasses having been pushed up onto his head as they stand in the shade.

Baekhyun glances down at their clasped hands, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, then looks back up, to meet Kyungsoo’s gaze. “Can I get that kiss now?” he asks hopefully, and Kyungsoo, not expecting that, only manages a surprised laugh in response. “That means yes, right?” Baekhyun says, stepping in closer so he can catch Kyungsoo’s lips with his own before Kyungsoo even gets a chance to answer.

That’s okay though, because Kyungsoo would much rather kiss Baekhyun than say anything, and even if it doesn’t last very long, he knows that the warmth of Baekhyun’s touch will linger. Eun is making a face at them when they part, and Baekhyun smooshes his cheeks together in his palms until Eun is laughing. They make it onto their gondola for the ferris wheel soon after, and Eun is running straight to the window, practically pressing his face up against the glass as they start the climb.

“Eunnie, you should sit down for now,” Baekhyun says, pulling him into the space next to him. “You can still see from here.”

“I wanna see closer,” Eun exclaims, and Kyungsoo, sitting across from them, says, “Once we get a little higher, we can stand and watch together, okay?”

Eun nods at that, and settles back in his seat. Baekhyun flashes Kyungsoo a grateful smile, and Kyungsoo pulls his phone from his pocket to take a photo, suddenly feeling the urge to document this moment. Baekhyun is always eager to pose, dragging Eun in close and making finger hearts, and then yanks Kyungsoo’s phone out of his hands so he can take a selfie instead.

“Take one with me,” Baekhyun says, and Kyungsoo waves him over.

“Come here, then,” he says, but Baekhyun stares at him like he doesn’t know what he’s saying. Kyungsoo chuckles. “Are you afraid of standing?”

“It moves, okay?” Baekhyun hisses, so Kyungsoo gets up instead, settling into the seat on Baekhyun’s right and leaning into his shoulder so Baekhyun can take a photo. Baekhyun pulls Eun in after, wrangling him into his lap after handing Kyungsoo back his phone, and Kyungsoo holds it out to take one last shot, smiling widely at the camera without any pressure.

“You’ll have to send those to me later,” Baekhyun says, and Kyungsoo nods as he tucks his phone away. He stands again as they inch higher toward the top and moves to stand toward the far window.

“Come here, Eunnie,” he says, and Eun eagerly jumps up to join him, once again flattening himself against the window to see. “Wow, look at the lake.”

“We’re gonna go down there right?” Eun asks, tilting his head back to look up at Kyungsoo curiously, and Kyungsoo nods, patting Eun’s shoulders and tipping his head down.

“Of course,” he says. “We can’t come all the way here without going to the beach.”

Eun cheers until his attention is distracted by some of the boats out on the lake. “Can we go on one of those?” he asks, and then, a second later, “Ooh, I wanna go on that ride too!”

“Relax, Eunnie,” Baekhyun laughs from where he’s lounging back against the seats, looking more comfortable than expected considering they’re getting close to the top. Maybe he’s just glad Kyungsoo is able to entertain Eun at the window instead of him. “We have all day. We can do as much as we want.”

Eun seems appeased by that, nodding his approval as he turns back to the window. Once they stop at the very top, he asks Kyungsoo if he can take pictures on his phone and Kyungsoo helps him take a couple of nice shots through the window. They take a picture together too, cheeks pressed together as they smile, and Eun shriek-laughs in surprise when Kyungsoo kisses the side of his face before pulling back, grinning. He catches Baekhyun’s eyes as he straightens up, and Baekhyun’s watching with the softest look, this little smile on his lips that can’t be anything other than fond.

Kyungsoo laughs, looks away, feeling strangely exposed under the heat of Baekhyun’s stare. He scrolls through the new photos on his phone and sends the selfies to Baekhyun just for something to do with his hands, and then tucks his phone away. The descent back to the ground seems to go along much faster than the way up, and soon enough they’re climbing out of the cart.

Baekhyun lets out this little sigh of relief when his feet touch the ground and Kyungsoo wraps an arm around his shoulders easily as Eun walks up in front of them, leading the way out.

“So,” Kyungsoo says, glancing at Baekhyun. “Where to next?”

They decide they want to do as much as they can while they’re here, so they first schedule a ride on one of the cruises across the lake. It’s not for another hour, so they use that time to enjoy some of the other rides. Baekhyun stays back from the rides that have anything to do with heights, but joins them both when they go around the carousel.

Eun is the most excited about the cruise, eagerly leaning up against the railing to watch the water as they ride along, and constantly getting his hair in his face from the cool breeze. He makes friends with a young girl who is equally as enthusiastic, chattering happily with her while her parents watch on amusedly. Baekhyun strikes up a conversation with them both, and Kyungsoo can’t help but laugh at the similarities between father and son.

Kyungsoo’s perfectly fine watching from the sidelines, but Baekhyun doesn’t let him go too far, hand around his waist and asking his opinion on a few things every once in awhile, and always seeming to understand when Kyungsoo has nothing more to say, steering the conversation down another path. Kyungsoo basks in the warmth of Baekhyun’s arm around him and the familiar sound of his voice. He keeps an eye on Eun, making sure he doesn’t try climbing up the railing and keeps his voice down so he’s not yelling, the way he can sometimes when he gets really excited.

The girl and her parents eventually bid their goodbyes, deciding to take a walk around the boat deck, and Eun instantly turns to Kyungsoo, asking if he can pick him up so he can see better.

“Of course,” Kyungsoo says, slipping out of Baekhyun’s hold so he can reach his arms out and lift Eun up against him. Eun wraps his arms around Kyungsoo’s neck and gasps in amazement at the view.

“Wow!” he exclaims. “There’s so much water!”

“It’s a big lake,” Kyungsoo laughs.

“Are there sharks in the lake?” Eun says in a low, whispered voice as if he’s afraid the sharks will hear and Kyungsoo shakes his head, patting Eun on the head.

“No, not in the lake,” he says. “Sharks are in the ocean. This lake just has a lot of fish.”

“I want to see the fish!”

Kyungsoo chuckles. “I don’t think we can see any from up here,” he says. “But maybe another day we can go to the aquarium together and you can see all the fish there.”

“Can we really?” Eun asks, eyes wide and hopeful. He looks at Kyungsoo, and then at Baekhyun, pleading, and it’s Baekhyun who smiles, reaching out to smooth Eun’s hair from his face.

“Yes, really,” he says. “Next time, okay?”

Eun nods enthusiastically and then asks to be put down, so Kyungsoo lowers him back on the ground, watches as he steps back toward the railing to watch the water from his tiptoes. Baekhyun sidles up to Kyungsoo and wraps his arms around him, now that there’s no Eun in the way, and he sighs softly into Kyungsoo’s ear.

“You’re so good with him,” Baekhyun says softly. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing you two getting along so well.”

“He means a lot to me,” Kyungsoo says, turning slightly so he can face Baekhyun properly. Baekhyun is staring at him with those gentle eyes like back on the ferris wheel. Kyungsoo’s still not used to such a look, and reaches up to poke Baekhyun in the nose just to diffuse the tension a little. “You do too,” he adds. “I guess.”

“You guess?” Baekhyun exclaims in offense, taking the bait like Kyungsoo hoped he would.

Kyungsoo shrugs noncommittally, and pulls himself out of Baekhyun’s arms, heading to jon Eun by the railing and struggling to hide his amused grin. Baekhyun huffs and grumbles as he approaches, but easily falls quiet when Kyungsoo finds his hand with his own and laces their fingers together.

It’s all that they need.

They’re starving by the time the cruise is over, so the first order of business is finding somewhere to have lunch. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun both indulge in some fresh fish while Eun sticks to a burger and fries, but is brave enough to try some of Baekhyun’s meal too. He isn’t much of a fan of the fish, but Kyungsoo tells him he’s really cool for trying anyway and Eun beams at him, proud.

They stop by to play some of the arcade games after, and Kyungsoo wins a small plush toy that he hands to Eun, who looks amazed that Kyungsoo would even give it to him.

“I want you to have it, Eunnie,” Kyungsoo assures him, and Eun is so happy he shows it off to Baekhyun as if Baekhyun wasn’t there the whole time, egging Kyungsoo on alongside Eun to win.

“How come you’re so good at these games?” Baekhyun asks as they queue up for another game.

“Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo laughs. “He loves these things and I’ve spent many hours joining him on his quest to become a game master.”

Baekhyun laughs too, shaking his head in amusement like he’s not particularly surprised to hear this about Chanyeol. “So you picked up some tricks along the way, huh?” he asks and Kyungsoo shrugs.

“I guess so,” he says. “I think the key to these games is just having patience.” He glances sideways at Baekhyun and adds, teasingly, “Which is probably why you suck at them.”

“Hey!” Baekhyun yelps in offense, swinging an arm around Kyungsoo’s neck in a sort of half-hearted chokehold. Kyungsoo laughs, stumbling from the weight of Baekhyun around him, and even though he could probably fight back or slip out of Baekhyun’s grip easily, he doesn’t bother. He enjoys the playfulness, the way Baekhyun’s fingers jab into his side with his free hand, and the way Eun pretends to kick Baekhyun to help Kyungsoo escape.

“Thanks Eunnie,” Kyungsoo says when Eun lands a little punch to Baekhyun’s side and Baekhyun makes a show of staggering back from the effect. “My hero.”

Eun grins widely at him and Kyungsoo holds a hand out for Baekhyun to pull him back into the line.

Once they’ve had their fill of games, they finally make their way to the beach, stopping long enough to switch into flip-flops and sandals and reapply some sunscreen. The sand is warm but the lake is cool. It doesn’t stop Eun from running straight toward the waves rolling across the shore. He shrieks happily at the water as it hits his feet and runs back up the sand, then runs toward the waves as it smoothly slides in again.

Kyungsoo lays out one of the towels from his bag a couple of feet up the shore, close enough to watch but far enough to not get wet, and settles down, tired of having been on his feet for so long. Baekhyun doesn’t seem to have any such qualms, giving Kyungsoo a little kiss on the cheek before he runs off to join Eun, sneaking up behind him and scooping him up into his arms. Eun flails, laughing, and Baekhyun pretends to throw him into the water, Eun’s voice getting louder and higher as he pleads Baekhyun to put him back down.

Kyungsoo’s heart swells, watching them. Their bright smiles rival the sun in the air, the sound of their laughter as beautiful as the cacophony of the waves against the shore. He’s struck with the realization that this is the first time the three of them have ever done anything like this before, going out somewhere together and spending the whole day with each other.

Sure, they spend a lot of time at their homes, and they’ve gone to the park a few times, taking the dogs with them, but this is different. This is more. This is him and Baekhyun and Eun, having fun and becoming even closer.

He wants this, and he wants to do even more than just this. He wants to take Eun to the aquarium, the amusement parks, the movies. He wants to see him smile, see them both smile, and laugh just like they are now, kicking up water and sand along the beach, waving back at him when they catch him looking.

Kyungsoo waves back, completely in love. He pulls his phone out again and takes a couple of photos of them from the distance. There’s plenty of other people along the beach, but Kyungsoo only sees Baekhyun and Eun.

He gets up to join them after awhile, walking up to Baekhyun’s side and slipping their hands together, pressing in close so their elbows and shoulders touch. Baekhyun glances over at him, smile soft, and says, “Hi.”

“Hi,” Kyungsoo says, a small chuckle escaping his lips, and he thinks, for a moment, how much he’d like to say, I love you. The moment passes quickly, but it’s okay. He doesn’t have to say it right now. He thinks maybe Baekhyun can tell anyway, in the way Kyungsoo looks at him, in the way Kyungsoo leans up to kiss him gently.

Baekhyun kisses back, and Kyungsoo can feel his lips stretching into a smile against his own. There’s something in Baekhyun’s eyes though, as they pull apart, deep and searching as he stares at Kyungsoo, like there’s something on his mind, something he wants to say. He’s rubbing his thumb over Kyungsoo’s knuckles slowly, as if building up the courage.

Whatever it is falls away when they’re both suddenly splashed with cool water, Eun’s entertained laughter filtering through the haze of Kyungsoo’s mind.

“You’re gonna get it, Eunnie,” Baekhyun says, releasing Kyungsoo’s hand so he can shake the water off his arms, and then he’s off, running after Eun again, and Kyungsoo shakes his head, clearing it of his thoughts, of whatever it might’ve been that Baekhyun wanted to say, and chases after them both.

The drive home is quiet. Eun falls asleep in the backseat, tired out from all the fun. They had some ice cream after they cleaned up from the beach, walked down the pier one last time, and then called it a day. Eun had complained about it the whole way back to the car, wanting to stay longer, but he passed out after barely twenty minutes on the road. Kyungsoo’s playing music just quietly enough to keep himself awake, as Baekhyun dozes in and out of sleep as well in the passenger’s seat, his legs stretched out onto the dashboard.

It’s early evening by the time they make it back, and Kyungsoo stops at a KFC for food on the way home. Baekhyun sleepily mumbles what he and Eun usually like before he knocks out again, but as they pull up into Kyungsoo’s driveway, he’s wide awake and whining about how hungry he is.

“Here,” Kyungsoo says, passing Baekhyun the keys. “Head on in, I’ll get Eun.”

Baekhyun gives him a grateful smile as he walks up to the door, and Kyungsoo carefully undoes Eun’s seatbelt and pulls him out of the car and into his arms. Eun whimpers into his shoulder, clinging tightly as Kyungsoo adjusts him more comfortably, and he reaches in to grab both Eun’s backpack and his own bag, shrugging them over his free shoulder before heading inside.

He’s greeted instantly at the door by Inky and Pepper who bark loudly at the sight of him. Kyungsoo shushes them, hoping they don’t wake Eun, and sets the bags down in the hall. He takes Eun upstairs, both the pups following after, but thankfully no longer barking, and he lays Eun down gently in his bed. Inky hops up onto the bed as Kyungsoo removes Eun’s shoes, the sunglasses hanging off the collar of his shirt, and arranges the pillows and blankets around him comfortably.

Eun makes another soft noise but doesn’t wake, and Kyungsoo watches him for a moment before he sighs, relieved. He kisses Eun on the forehead, then picks Inky off the bed, quietly retreats back downstairs, Pepper at his feet. Baekhyun is in the kitchen, already having spread the food out on the counter, and halfway into a chicken leg. He grins when Kyungsoo walks in and it stretches wider as Pepper runs right over to him.

“I put Eun in my room,” Kyungsoo says, setting Inky on the floor, then stopping at the sink to wash his hands. “I’m guessing if you wanted me to wake him, you would’ve said so.”

Baekhyun laughs. “Yeah, it’s fine,” he says. “Let him sleep. I can reheat some of this for him when he’s up.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo agrees. He dries his hands off on a dish towel and then crouches down on the floor so he can get a good look at his dogs, pulling Pepper close and ruffling him gently behind the ears.

“You could’ve brought them with us today,” Baekhyun says, and Kyungsoo glances up at him, smiles as he shakes his head.

“I thought about it,” he says. “But they’re not very good with crowds, and I wasn’t sure how long we would be staying. Chanyeol came by to walk and feed them earlier.”

“I was wondering about that,” Baekhyun laughs, and he squats down too, lets Inky attempt to lick at his face. “We’ll have to play with them a lot this week to make up for it then.”

Kyungsoo’s chest warms at Baekhyun’s sweet promise. “That sounds good to me,” he says, and leans over to give Baekhyun a quick kiss on the cheek.

They eat together just standing around the counter, talking about the day, looking through some of the photos they took and laughing far too much and probably too loudly. Kyungsoo retreats to the couch when he’s stuffed full and tired of being on his feet, and Baekhyun joins him a few moments later, climbing straight into his lap instead of sitting beside him.

“Thank you for today,” Baekhyun says, staring down at him with the deepest, brownest eyes, sincere and genuine and so full of affection. “This was the best birthday. It’s exactly how I wanted to spend the day.”

Kyungsoo smiles, pleased and relieved despite remembering there’s still the cake Kyungsoo bought sitting in his fridge. But as he reaches up to take Baekhyun’s face in his hands, he figures that’s something they can have later once Eun is awake. For now, Kyungsoo is content to just kiss Baekhyun softly and sweetly and gently and he thinks that’s exactly what Baekhyun wants, too.

“He lives!” Chanyeol yells, far too loudly for a Tuesday lunch, waving his arms in the air as if Kyungsoo didn’t already hear him when he walked through the door of the restaurant. Thankfully Minseok is already tugging Chanyeol’s arms back down, but it doesn’t stop Chanyeol from jumping to his feet to envelop Kyungsoo into a big, warm hug. “It’s like I haven’t seen you in years.”

Kyungsoo sighs, exasperated, but unable to stop the smile twitching at his lips. Chanyeol is fond of exaggeration but he’s not entirely wrong. It has been awhile since Kyungsoo’s spent time with him, with all of his friends. He pats Chanyeol on the back and then slips into his seat next to Junmyeon, across from Minseok. “Hey guys,” he says. “Sorry for being late.”

“It’s fine,” Minseok says with a smile. “I’m just glad you actually showed up.”

“Right?” Junmyeon adds in a lilting voice. “It’s like I forgot what you looked like after all this time.”

“Stop,” Kyungsoo groans. “I get it, okay? I’m a shitty friend. I got too caught up in my shiny new relationship.”

Minseok snorts. “Well, at least you’re aware,” he says. “How has it been going with the boyfriend?”

“It’s been good,” Kyungsoo says as he picks up his menu to glance through it even though he’s already pretty sure he knows what he wants. He can feel his friends staring at him, clearly wanting more details, so he shakes his head bemusedly and tells them about Baekhyun’s birthday.

They tease him about how cute and romantic it sounds and Chanyeol even coos that they sound like such an adorable family and Kyungsoo should probably be embarrassed or maybe terrified by the thought of that, but instead he feels strangely...proud? It’s weird, but he doesn’t mind it, even though he laughs it off and tells Chanyeol he’s being ridiculous. He’s not entirely sure why but he doesn’t want to tell any of them yet just how much his feelings have grown, and just how far he’s fallen. It’s not that he doesn’t trust them. It’s more that he wants to keep these feelings to himself for now. He wants to grow even more comfortable with them, wants to see where they take him. He thinks he wants to be able to tell Baekhyun he loves him first.

Kyungsoo’s never been more grateful for his ability to keep secrets than now. If any of his friends can tell how he feels, none of them mention it, and he’s able to smoothly transition the topic of conversation from Baekhyun to work. Chanyeol instantly takes the bait, talking about a theme song he’s been producing for a new animated show, and Kyungsoo sits back and listens, suddenly realizing just how much he’s missed this.

It’s a really fun lunch. He catches up on things going on in each of their lives like how Junmyeon thinks his wife, Yoona, might be pregnant, and that Minseok is considering taking a whole two weeks off next month to visit a friend in Beijing.

“Take me with you,” Chanyeol begs, clinging to Minseok’s arm, and Minseok snorts as he spears a piece of his steak with his fork. “I need a break from work.”

“You were just talking about how much you love the project you’re doing,” Minseok laughs, insusceptible to Chanyeol’s whining.

“Ah,” Junmyeon says, turning to Kyungsoo. “Speaking of work. I need your approval on a few edits from the publisher.”

“Already?” Kyungsoo asks, swirling his pasta around his fork.

“Yeah, they’ve been eager to get it out,” Junmyeon says with a shrug. “It’s not a lot. I’ll send it to you today.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says, and hopes he doesn’t look like he’s dreading it. He knew it’d come sooner or later, but he was enjoying his life free from work and wasn’t expecting to review anything so suddenly.

“You also forgot to put in a dedication,” Junmyeon says and Kyungsoo groans. “I know, I know. They’re arbitrary, and you’ve already thanked everyone you know. I still need it.”

“Fine,” Kyungsoo grumbles and shoves his pasta into his mouth, chewing grumpily, but manages to crack a smile when Junmyeon pats his knee reassuringly.

“I’m proud of you, you know,” Junmyeon says so suddenly it almost causes Kyungsoo to choke on his food. Junmyeon looks a little sheepish at that, pushing Kyungsoo’s glass of water closer to him, and Kyungsoo gratefully takes it and downs half in one go. “Sorry,” Junmyeon says, scratching the side of his face. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s not that,” Kyungsoo says once he’s caught his breath. “It’s just--What brought that on?”

Junmyeon shrugs a little, like it’s no big deal, but it definitely is. Kyungsoo’s known Junmyeon for a long time now, and is grateful to have him in his life as a friend and not just his editor. He can tell this is something that’s been on Junmyeon’s mind for awhile, no matter how nonchalant he’s trying to be. “I’m just glad to see how well you’re doing,” Junmyeon says eventually. “You’ve taken on a lot more than you ever expected, what with the show, and I know you were really struggling with this book, but you were able to get through it. And then, of course, there’s Baekhyun--”

Kyungsoo groans a little at that again, because he’s tired of hearing it, and Junmyeon laughs, holds a hand up placatingly.

“I know,” he says gently. “I just think it’s great, that’s all. I think he’s somehow mellowed you out. You seem less stressed, and that’s really nice to see.”

“I--” Kyungsoo starts, but stops, because he’s not really sure what to say. “He has helped me a lot,” he concedes after a moment. “He makes me feel like I can do anything.”

Junmyeon grins. “I like him,” he says as he reaches for his glass of lemonade. “You should keep him.”

That makes Kyungsoo laugh. “I plan to,” he says, and grins back.

It’s mid-May when Hyeran comes to visit again. Baekhyun’s a little strung out in the days leading up to it, and a strung out, anxious Baekhyun tends to cling a lot more than usual. It means that Baekhyun and Eun spend some more time at Kyungsoo’s house in the evenings, Eun keeping himself plenty entertained with the dogs while Baekhyun koala-wraps himself around Kyungsoo on the couch and holds him there for hours on end.

“It’s going to be fine,” Kyungsoo tells him soothingly. He knows Baekhyun can’t help feeling this way, and knows his words probably aren’t very reassuring at all, but he says it regardless. “This is different than the last time.”

“I know,” Baekhyun whimpers. “That’s why I’m worried.”

Kyungsoo rubs Baekhyun’s arm gently. “You already talked to Eun about her visiting, didn’t you?” he says, reminding him of the conversation they had a few days ago. Baekhyun had asked him to be there for that, too. “And Eun didn’t get upset like you expected.”

“He’s not very happy about it either though,” Baekhyun pouts and Kyungsoo laughs.

“Of course not,” Kyungsoo says. “He thinks Hyeran makes you sad. And if he keeps seeing you like this--” he gestures to the way Baekhyun is pouting, still curled around Kyungsoo, “--how is he going to think any different?”

Baekhyun opens his mouth to speak, but then slowly closes it as he seems to realize Kyungsoo is right. He pouts again. “Stop with all that logic shit,” he grumbles. “I just want to wallow.”

“I think you’ve wallowed enough,” Kyungsoo teases, but he presses a soft, pacifying kiss to Baekhyun’s cheek anyway.

“You can never wallow enough,” Baekhyun protests, turning his head so he can meet Kyungsoo’s lips properly with his own. “Besides,” he continues in between kisses, “wallowing with you clearly has its advantages.”

Kyungsoo can’t help but smile at that, kissing Baekhyun once more before he pulls back. “I think you just like being spoiled,” he teases as he forcefully unwraps Baekhyun’s arms from around him and stands. They’ve been curled together for so long that Kyungsoo can barely feel his legs. Baekhyun is pouting again, obviously displeased by no longer having Kyungsoo in his arms, so Kyungsoo reaches out to gently slide his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair, letting them trail down his cheek. “Come on baby, let’s make dinner. It’s our last night before Hyeran arrives.”

Baekhyun takes Kyungsoo’s hand in his, lets Kyungsoo drag him up. “You don’t have to say it like that, you know,” he chides, following Kyungsoo to the kitchen. “Like I’m not gonna see you at all while she's here. I want you to be there.”

“Is that a good idea?” Kyungsoo asks, surprised but not entirely opposed to the suggestion. “I think this is something important for the three of you.”

“I know, and you’re right, it is,” Baekhyun says as he leans over the kitchen counter and watches Kyungsoo pull out the chicken he’d left marinating in the fridge. “But at least, maybe that first day? We can have dinner together, the four of us, and I think you being there will keep not just me sane, but Eun more comfortable too.”

Kyungsoo’s still not entirely convinced that’s the best plan, but he still nods and says, “All right. But only if Hyeran is okay with it.”

Baekhyun huffs, rounding the counter so he can wrap Kyungsoo up in his arms again. He really is needy right now, but it’s kind of cute. “I don’t care what Hyeran thinks,” he says petulantly. “You’re a part of our lives now, and if she wants to be involved, she's gonna have to get used to you too.”

That makes Kyungsoo chuckle appreciatively because, well, Baekhyun’s not wrong. He’s not sure how any of this is going to go, isn’t sure if Hyeran is as ready as she says she is. Kyungsoo still hasn’t forgotten the things he’d overheard months ago, the frustration in her voice, her seemingly resentment toward him. But Kyungsoo’s main concern is Baekhyun and Eun, and he will do whatever he can to make sure they make it through this weekend in one piece.

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says, smiling at Baekhyun until he smiles back, shoulders relaxing and expression soft. “I’ll be there.” He jabs Baekhyun in the ribs. “Now let me go and help me cook. All this food isn’t going to cook itself.”

The next day, Kyungsoo is playing with Eun in his room when Hyeran arrives. He can hear Baekhyun opening the door, the sound of his voice carrying up through the house. Eun clearly hears it too, because he grows suddenly quiet in the middle of their game, setting down his Spiderman figurine mid-fight against the Moana doll Kyungsoo is holding.

Not wanting Eun to shut down so quickly, Kyungsoo continues their game, using his Moana toy to reach out and lift up Spiderman from the floor. “Look, Moana doesn’t want Spiderman to die!” he says, hoping Eun rises to the bait, but Eun just stares at the toys for a long moment before he jumps up to his feet.

“I don’t wanna play anymore,” he says, climbing up onto his bed instead and hugging his Lu plush to his chest.

Kyungsoo sighs. He’s not entirely surprised by this, even though Eun had told Baekhyun the other day that it was okay if Hyeran came to see them. Kyungsoo suspects Eun just said that because he could sense it’s what’s Baekhyun wanted, not necessarily what he wanted. Eun is far more perceptive than he lets on.

Kyungsoo sets the toys aside and joins Eun on his bed, perching at the edge and reaching out to gently brush Eun’s hair out of his face. “I know you don’t like having your mom here, Eunnie,” he says quietly. “I know it’s weird, and that you don’t really know her and that makes it kind of scary. But she came all this way to see you.”

Eun pokes at the eyes on his Lu plush. Kyungsoo doesn’t expect him to say anything, but after a moment, he asks, “Why?”

Kyungsoo hums thoughtfully. He doesn’t want to give Eun any false hope. “I think that’s something you should ask her,” he says gently, and when Eun vehemently shakes his head, Kyungsoo laughs, pokes him in the nose. “Don’t be like that,” he chides a little. “I don’t know your mom very well, but I think...I think she came all this way because she misses you, Eunnie. I think she wants to be your friend.”

Eun seems to consider this for a moment, staring intensely down at his Lu plush. He finally stops poking it in the eyes and smooths a palm along its head instead, as if in apology. It takes a while before Eun rolls himself up to sit, looking over at Kyungsoo with uncertain eyes. "Do you really think so?" he asks quietly and Kyungsoo nods, reaching out to pull Eun into his arms.

"Yes, I do," he says, patting Eun on the back. "I know it's a little scary, and that's okay! It's okay if you're not sure, Eunnie, and if after this weekend, you're still not sure about being her friend, that's okay too. But you should still be nice to her, right? And you should try, right?"

"I guess so," Eun mumbles, but when Kyungsoo wriggles his fingers into Eun's sides, he bursts out into shrieking laughter. He twists around to attempt to retaliate, fingers crawling up Kyungsoo's chest, but Kyungsoo's never really been a ticklish person, so he lets Eun press him back onto the bed and smoosh his face in his small hands.

"Are you gonna try, Eunnie?" Kyungsoo asks, voice muffled. He lets his fingers move to Eun's stomach, and Eun squeals. "Are you gonna give her a chance?"

"Okay!" Eun yells, laughing. "Okay, I'll try to be good."

Kyungsoo releases him and gently pulls Eun's hands from his face as he sits back up, holding Eun close again in his lap. "That's my boy," he says, the words coming out without much thought, but Eun beams at him, like it's the best thing he's ever heard, and tackles Kyungsoo again with a hug.

Laughing, Kyungsoo lets himself flop back onto the bed again, and suddenly catches sight of Baekhyun standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and a wide, pretty smile stretching across his face. "How long have you been there?" Kyungsoo asks.

"Not long," he laughs. "Are you two done? We could hear the screeching from downstairs."

"I don't know," Kyungsoo drawls, exchanging a glance with Eun. "Maybe it's your turn to be tickled."

"Yes!" Eun exclaims, already hopping off the bed and charging toward Baekhyun who drops into a fighting stance, hands out to fend Eun off.

Eun giggles at his pose, then darts around him easily, but Baekhyun sweeps him up into his arms, groaning a little from the sudden weight. "Hah," he says triumphantly. "I caught you!"

Kyungsoo rolls off the bed and walks casually over. Baekhyun grins at him, holding a flailing Eun in his arms as if he's a prize. "You shouldn't let your guard down," Kyungsoo says before he reaches out and tickles his fingers into Baekhyun's armpit.

Baekhyun yelps loudly, buckling, and immediately sets Eun back down on the floor. "You play dirty," he says, eyes narrowing, but then laughs as he straightens up. He looks over at Eun, and ruffles his hair roughly until Eun is whining, batting his hands away. "Are you hungry, Eunnie?" he asks and grins as Eun nods. "Want to help us with dinner?"

"What're we having?" Eun demands.

"Whatever you want."

"Okay," Eun says, nodding decisively.

"Go wash your hands first," Baekhyun says, pointing out into the hall and once Eun walks out of the room, Baekhyun turns to Kyungsoo with a soft little smile.

"What is it?" Kyungsoo asks, a little startled by the sudden attention, Baekhyun stepping up to him, resting his hands on Kyungsoo's waist, fingers dipping just under the hem of his shirt.

"Your boy, huh?" he says and Kyungsoo feels heat instantly flood his face. He didn't think Baekhyun had heard that, and with the way Baekhyun is staring at him, fond and happy, maybe, Kyungsoo strangely feels a little too exposed, like he said something too close to the truth.

But Baekhyun looks pleased, looks proud, almost. And despite Kyungsoo still wanting to take his time with telling Baekhyun how he really feels, he figures this is already obvious enough. This much he can say honestly.

He shrugs a shoulder, smiling back at Baekhyun softly. "He is," he says, and then, after a moment of consideration, he takes Baekhyun's jaw in his hand and adds, "You're both my boys."

Baekhyun looks like he really wants to kiss him now, but Kyungsoo knows they don't exactly have the time for it. Hyeran is waiting for them downstairs. He releases Baekhyun's jaw, pats his cheek softly with his palm, and heads out into the hall to go find Eun. "Come on,” he says, pulling Baekhyun along with him. “Let's go play niceties."

Baekhyun tugs Kyungsoo back and kisses him anyway.

Hyeran is looking around the living room when they finally make their way down. She looks different, her hair shorter than Kyungsoo remembers, and when she hears them approaching, she almost jumps back from the bookshelf as if it burned her. As Kyungsoo meets her eyes, he realizes she looks nervous.

“Hi, Hyeran,” Kyungsoo says, surprising himself by taking the initiative. Maybe her obvious anxiety is calming his own. “It’s good to see you again. How was your flight?”

Hyeran looks a little lost by Kyungsoo’s welcoming greeting. He wonders if she expected him to be more antagonistic, perhaps against her being here entirely. He’s not, even if he is still a little wary. But eventually Hyeran relaxes, a smile forming at her lips. “It’s nice to see you again too, Kyungsoo,” she says. “The flight wasn’t too bad, actually. I slept for most of the way.”

“That’s the best option, honestly,” Kyungsoo agrees and this time her smile is a little brighter as she laughs lightly.

“You’ve got that right,” she says, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Conversation between them fizzles out as her eyes land on Eun, who has been hiding partly behind Baekhyun. She smiles at him, a little tentative, and waves. “Hi, Eun,” she says. “You remember me, right?”

Eun nods. “You’re my mom,” he says, very matter-of-fact, and Hyeran laughs more freely at that.

“Yeah, I am,” she says as she crouches down to be more eye-level with Eun. She flicks her gaze up at Baekhyun for a moment, as if gathering courage, or permission for something, and when Baekhyun gives her the briefest nod of his head, she takes a deep breath and turns back to Eun. “I know I haven’t been around a lot, and it’s been a long time since you’ve called me mom,” she says. “So if you...If you want to call me Hyeran instead, that’s okay with me.”

“It’s like the way you call Kyungsoo by his name,” Baekhyun adds, squeezing Eun gently around the shoulder.

Eun purses his lips in thought, and then looks up at Baekhyun to ask, “Can I think about it?”

“Of course you can,” Baekhyun says, and Kyungsoo doesn’t miss the way both he and Hyeran sigh in relief. He feels pretty relieved too. So far, so good.

“Come on, Eunnie,” Kyungsoo says, holding a hand out for him. “Let’s start on dinner, okay? Maybe when we’re done, you can tell Hyeran all about the paintings you drew for school.”

“Okay,” Eun says, taking Kyungsoo's hand and eagerly following along after him. He does send Hyeran a wave over his shoulder, though, and Kyungsoo takes that as a good sign. He’s trying. Hyeran’s trying. That’s all they can ask for right now.

Dinner is...awkward to say the least. Kyungsoo was expecting that, but still he’s not entirely prepared for quite the level of tension in the air. Hyeran surprised him by offering to help cook, so Kyungsoo had delegated her to helping Eun carefully coat pieces of shrimp and broccoli in tempura batter.

“Is that okay, Eunnie?” he’d asked first to make sure and Eun looked between them for a moment before nodding.

“You can do the shrimp,” Eun had said, pushing the plate toward Hyeran with a wrinkled nose. “They’re gross.”

Hyeran had laughed but joined him happily at the table to help and Baekhyun had pressed a soft kiss just behind Kyungsoo’s ear as he’d passed, a silent thank you. Together the four of them were able to breeze through preparation and the actual cooking was left to Kyungsoo, with Eun perched on a stool to watch and help while Baekhyun and Hyeran set the table.

It was simultaneously familiar and completely different, Hyeran’s presence easily sticking out and leaving both Eun and Baekhyun much quieter than usual. Even now as they sit around the dining table, enjoying chicken stir fry and tempura, conversation comes randomly and stilted, like no one is sure what is appropriate to say.

Eun does tell Hyeran all about the paintings he drew for school, and Hyeran hangs off his every word, pausing in eating to give him her full attention. It’s nice to see, and Kyungsoo is glad that Eun is also looking much more relaxed, much more open than he’d been earlier, smiles more easily and answers Hyeran’s questions without pause.

“I can’t believe how much you’ve grown,” she says, sounding a little wistful. “Are you excited for second grade?”

“Yes,” Eun says, nodding enthusiastically. “I want to start now!”

Hyeran laughs. “What’re you most excited about?”

“Soccer!” Eun yells, thrusting his fork in the air. Kyungsoo chuckles, reaching over to lower his arm, and Eun flashes him a little sheepish sort of smile. “Dad said I can play next year!”

“Really?” Hyeran says, looking somewhat surprised, turning to Baekhyun with raised brows. “Is that new?”

Baekhyun nods around his mouthful of food and then chuckles once he’s swallowed. “Yeah,” he says. “Eunnie really wants to try it out so I’ve already got him signed up to start this summer. We’ll see how it goes.”

“He’ll be great at it, won’t you, Eunnie?” Kyungsoo says, and Eun grins widely.

“I’m gonna be the best,” he declares, full of childlike optimism and confidence, and he laughs when Kyungsoo ruffles his hair, points at the leftover vegetables on his plate.

“Not if you don’t eat those,” he says. “You have to eat them if you want to get stronger.”

Eun grumbles cutely under his breath but he still dutifully pierces a piece of carrot with his fork. Kyungsoo pats him on the head gently and returns to his own food. He can feel Hyeran’s eyes on him from across the table, and when he glances up, he’s surprised to find her smiling, looking between him and Eun. Kyungsoo drops his gaze again, chewing thoughtfully, wondering if maybe he expected her to be upset, or jealous even, but instead it seems like she's happy.

That eases some of the worry lingering in Kyungsoo’s chest. He looks up again, and smiles back at her kindly.

Eun finishes eating first and quietly asks Baekhyun if he can go watch something on TV, and Baekhyun, perhaps sensing how uncomfortable Eun is at the table, nods. “Put your plate away in the sink, okay?” he says, and Eun eagerly does just that before he’s racing off to the couch. The television turns on a second later, filling the rather quiet house with sudden noise.

Hyeran lets out a deep breath and laughs, “I feel like I’m on the most stressful interview of my life,” and somehow that cuts the tension lingering in the air as Baekhyun huffs out a surprised laugh and Kyungsoo follows, grinning at Hyeran from across the table.

“I mean, that’s not entirely inaccurate,” he says and Hyeran gives him a sheepish sort of smile, runs a hand through her hair before picking up her fork again. She hasn’t eaten much, Kyungsoo’s noticed, but perhaps her nerves has made her lose a bit of her appetite.

“I know,” she says softly. “I expected this to be hard. I guess I didn’t think I’d be so anxious just sitting here across from him.” She pauses in piercing a piece of broccoli with her fork and glances out toward the living room, something fond in her eyes as she looks at Eun. “He’s really grown up so well.”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun agrees, looking a little wistful but mostly full of pride, and it warms Kyungsoo’s heart. “He really is. I know I’m biased, but he’s such a good, kind kid.”

“He clearly didn’t get any of that from you,” Kyungsoo teases, and Baekhyun whips back around to glare at him. Under the table, he stretches his feet out to bump against Kyungsoo’s and Kyungsoo doesn’t move his own away, smiling at Baekhyun as he adds, “Must’ve picked it up from somewhere else.”

“You’re so mean to me,” Baekhyun whines, and Hyeran chuckles, looking between them in amusement.

Kyungsoo expects her to comment on it, their relationship. He and Baekhyun haven’t been quite as affectionate as they usually are, but he suspects she must be a little curious. Kyungsoo thinks he would be, if he were in her shoes.

She surprises him again though, by merely taking a sip from her glass of water and asking instead, “What is it that you do again, Kyungsoo? I can’t remember if it ever came up.”

She sounds genuinely interested and it makes Kyungsoo chuckle, because he keeps thinking he’s got her figured out and she proves him wrong again and again. “So it’s my turn to feel like I’m in an interview, huh?” he asks, and she laughs brightly, shrugs her shoulders.

“I swear that’s not my intention,” she says, and Kyungsoo smiles.

“Do you know the children’s book series, Chen’s Crazy Space Adventures?” Kyungsoo asks, and Hyeran blinks for a moment, like she’s not sure what that has to do with anything, before she slowly nods.

“Yeah, the ones Eun likes, right?” she says, glancing at Kyungsoo and then at Baekhyun, who is smiling kind of smug, like he’s entertained by this line of questioning.

Kyungsoo chuckles. “Those are the one,” he says, and then he points at himself. “I wrote them.”

There’s a beat of silence, as Kyungsoo’s confession sinks in, and then Hyeran is gaping at him in shock. “What?” she exclaims, straightening up in her seat and leaning toward Kyungsoo over the table. “Seriously?”

Laughing, Kyungsoo nods his head, enjoying her stunned reaction. “I have a new book coming out this summer,” he tells her. “If you’d come to visit next weekend, I could’ve even shown you the beta copy. It’s like the finalized published draft before it goes into printing. Kind of like an advanced copy?”

“Wow,” Hyeran breathes, eyes still wide as she leans back and then turns to look up at Baekhyun as if needing his confirmation.

“It’s true,” Baekhyun says, and he’s smirking somewhat proudly now, grinning widely at Kyungsoo. “I did good, right?”

That effectively has Hyeran snorting. “Please,” she scoffs, although she’s smiling. “It took you far too long to make this happen for me to give you that credit.”

The smug look on Baekhyun’s face drops and Kyungsoo laughs, leaning back in his seat as Hyeran snickers to herself, looking up at at Baekhyun’s now pouting expression. She reaches over and pats his cheek, almost consolingly, and the second Baekhyun’s eyes go round, she’s pulling her hand back as if she’s been electrocuted.

“Sorry,” she whispers, but then Baekhyun shakes his head.

“It’s okay,” he says, even though he sounds shocked, glancing at Kyungsoo a little helplessly. “Don’t, uh, worry about it.”

Kyungsoo eyes the two of them, the awkwardness suddenly radiating off of them like the hottest rays of the sun. He can’t help it. He laughs again, much more freely than he has all evening, shaking his head when they stare at him now, confused. “I know it’s been ages since you guys have spent time together like this,” Kyungsoo says, “but you’re acting like you’ve been divorced ten years instead of three.”

“Well, it’s almost four now,” Baekhyun says, but he looks somewhat sheepish.

“Kyungsoo’s right though,” Hyeran says with a small chuckle. “We’re acting pretty weird.”

“This is kind of weird,” Baekhyun insists. “Neither of us really expected to be in this position.”

Kyungsoo nods, because that much is true. “I think the more, well, awkward the two of you are, the more difficult it’ll be for Eun to open up,” he points out, and almost laughs again at how they both turn to look over at Eun in the other room. “If he sees you guys getting along, then…”

“He’ll be more willing to try too,” Hyeran concludes, turning back to Kyungsoo with sudden understanding and determination in her eyes. She looks at Baekhyun and says, “He’s right.”

“He usually is,” Baekhyun laughs, but he gives Kyungsoo a soft, proud smile. “Thank you.”

Kyungsoo lifts a brow at him, but Baekhyun is already out of his seat and rounding the table to plant a kiss to Kyungsoo’s cheek. Kyungsoo laughs, chest suddenly warm as Baekhyun wraps his arms around Kyungsoo’s shoulder and sits halfway across his lap, explaining to a bemused Hyeran all about their little game with expressing gratitude.

“That’s cute,” Hyeran laughs. “The two of you are good together.”

“Oh, stop,” Baekhyun says loftily, waving a hand at her to which Hyeran merely rolls her eyes.

She meets Kyungsoo’s gaze and says, “You’ve got your hands full with this one.”

“Don’t I know it,” Kyungsoo returns easily and Baekhyun huffs at them both.

“I’m starting to think this was a mistake,” he says, gesturing between them and Kyungsoo chuckles as he pats Baekhyun’s thigh gently.

“You’ll get used to it,” he says, and then slides his hands to Baekhyun’s hips, urging him off his lap. “Let me up,” he says. “I want to check on Eun. Can you handle the dishes?”

“I’ll help,” Hyeran offers, her own chair creaking against the floor as she stands, too, and Kyungsoo flashes her a grateful smile and leaves them to it.

He finds Eun sitting in the middle of the couch, hugging one of the throw pillows to his chest while watching Jurassic World intently on the television. Kyungsoo sits down next to him and for a few moments, they watch the movie in silence. Eun jumps a little during surprising moments, but otherwise doesn’t seem very scared, and when the T-rex shows up on screen he whispers, “So cool,” under his breath.

Kyungsoo chuckles and says, “Is the T-rex your favorite?”

Eun enthusiastically nods his head. “It’s really big,” he says, stretching his arms out wide in demonstration.

“I like the raptors,” Kyungsoo says, and he curls his fingers into claws and reaches out as if he’s gently scratching Eun’s face.

Eun leans away, laughing brightly and looking much more like himself. Kyungsoo wraps an arm around his shoulders and pulls him close, dropping his claw-hand, and asks, “How are you feeling, Eunnie? Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Eun says and he smiles up at Kyungsoo.

“It’s okay if you’re not,” Kyungsoo reminds him, but Eun shakes his head.

“I’m okay,” he says and he looks around Kyungsoo to where Baekhyun and Hyeran are cleaning off the table, bickering over something before Baekhyun laughs. “Dad doesn’t look sad like last time,” Eun adds, “so I’m happy.”

Kyungsoo’s heart melts a little at that, and he squeezes Eun closer. Eun’s such a sweet kid, and Kyungsoo is amazed every time. “Your dad is trying too,” he says. “He wants you to be happy, so he’s doing his best to be nice to Hyeran too.”

“Do you like her?” Eun asks suddenly, tearing his eyes away from his parents to look back at Kyungsoo.

That is a good question, Kyungsoo thinks as he chuckles softly. “I don’t know her very well but, yes,” he says, completely honest, “I like her. I think she’s nice and I think she really misses you.”

Eun continues to look at him for a long moment before he slowly accepts this. “Okay,” he says.

“Why don’t you see if she wants some ice cream?” Kyungsoo suggests, wanting to give Eun more chances to interact with Hyeran tonight before she returns to her hotel. “Your dad said he picked up your favorite at the store today. I’m sure she’d like some too.”

Eun stares at Kyungsoo like he knows exactly what he’s trying to do, but then he nods and jumps off the couch. Kyungsoo leans back against the cushions, watching as Eun runs to the kitchen and asks, “Dad, can I have some ice cream now?”

“Sure, Eunnie,” Baekhyun replies easily. “Let me get you a bowl.”

Kyungsoo can hear the sound of drawers opening, and then the freezer door. Just as he starts wondering if Eun has changed his mind, or perhaps forgotten entirely what Kyungsoo suggested him to do, he sees Eun heading toward the dining table where Hyeran is sitting.

“Do you want some ice cream too, Mom?” Eun asks, his voice a little hesitant but the expression on his face is completely earnest and it makes Kyungsoo proud, just looking at him.

Hyeran’s eyes widen, and perhaps it’s from Eun willingly talking to her, or perhaps because he called her mom, but she’s quick to regain her composure, a smile stretching across her face as she nods. “Yes, that would be great,” she says, and she sounds rather emotional. “Thank you, Eun.”

It takes a moment, but then Eun smiles back, bright and adorable as always and Kyungsoo watches as they work to scoop ice cream out of the box together. His heart settles at the sight. It might be too early to tell, but Kyungsoo has a pretty good feeling that everything between them will turn out just fine.

“How’s it going?” Kyungsoo asks as he lounges back in Chanyeol’s couch. Chanyeol is at the door, paying the pizza delivery guy, and Kyungsoo rubs at his stomach a little as hunger growls at him.

On the phone, Baekhyun replies, “It’s been good. Like, really good. It’s kind of weird.”

“Stop thinking it’s weird,” Kyungsoo laughs. “Just focus on how well it’s going instead. Is Eun liking the aquarium?”

“You have no idea,” Baekhyun says, sounding incredibly fond. “He’s amazed by literally everything. Every different kind of fish or animal is his favorite. He changes his mind with each exhibit.”

“That sounds like Eun,” Kyungsoo says, smiling to himself.

“And Hyeran is--She’s been great,” Baekhyun says. “She keeps up with him really well, and they’ve been getting along like I could’ve never expected. She asks him so many questions, and is really trying to connect with him, and Eun has warmed up so much.”

Kyungsoo’s smile grows as he listens to Baekhyun’s stories of their day so far, and when Chanyeol returns with two boxes of pizza, he seems startled by the wide grin on Kyungsoo’s face. “I’m really, really glad, Baekhyun,” he says, scooting up on the couch, and using his free hand to help Chanyeol clear off the coffee table to make space for the food.

“Yeah, I am too,” Baekhyun says with a soft sigh. “It would’ve been nice to have you here too, though.”

“Maybe,” Kyungsoo says, “but it’s important the three of you spend time together while she’s here without me. And I’m glad it’s going well.”

“You’ll join us for breakfast tomorrow morning, though, right?” Baekhyun asks. “Hyeran’s insisted too. She leaves tomorrow night.”

Kyungsoo nods as he flips open one of the pizza boxes while Chanyeol does the other. Remembering Baekhyun can’t see him, he says, “Sure, that should be fine.” He glances between the two boxes and then goes for the plain cheese, taking a big, satisfying bite from the end. “I hope Eun’s not upset I couldn’t go today. I know I said we could go to the aquarium together during your birthday.”

Baekhyun chuckles, which helps put Kyungsoo’s worrying heart at ease. “I think he understands why you didn’t join us,” he says. “He’s already said that we will just have to come back with you next time and he’ll show you all his favorite fish.”

“That sounds great,” Kyungsoo says, already looking forward to it. The smile on his face falls when Chanyeol nudges his foot with his under the coffee table, and Kyungsoo looks over at where he’s sitting on the floor across from him. Chanyeol points at himself and pouts, and Kyungsoo rolls his eyes but can’t help himself from smiling back. “I should go,” he tells Baekhyun. “Chanyeol’s being needy.” That gets him another kick from Chanyeol.

Baekhyun laughs and says, “Okay. I think Hyeran and Eunnie are coming back with food now anyway. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Tell them I say hi,” Kyungsoo says. “Have a good night, Baekhyunnie.”

Chanyeol gags as Kyungsoo hangs up, and this time Kyungsoo kicks him. “You two are disgusting,” Chanyeol says as he stuffs nearly half a slice of pizza into his mouth.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kyungsoo says, setting his phone aside. “You say as much nearly every time Baekhyun comes up in conversation.”

Kyungsoo takes another bite from his pizza, and there’s a few moments of silence as they focus only on the food in front of them.

Then, suddenly, Chanyeol blurts out, “You know I’m happy for you, right?”

Kyungsoo looks over at him, surprised. Chanyeol’s brows are furrowed and he’s set his pizza down, giving Kyungsoo his full attention. “What?” Kyungsoo says. “Of course I do.”

“It’s just that I realized maybe I hadn’t made that clear,” Chanyeol says, rubbing the back of his neck as he sits up straight. “I tease you about it a lot, but that’s because I’m glad for you. Baekhyun’s a cool guy and he clearly makes you happy, so that, you know, makes me happy.” Chanyeol’s blushing a little now, and he’s staring kind of fixedly at the coffee table rather than at Kyungsoo. “If the teasing bothers you though, I can stop--”

“Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo says, and he sets his pizza down so he can round the table and tackle Chanyeol to the floor, enveloping him in a weird sort of headlock-slash-hug. “You’re such a big softie, aren’t you?” Kyungsoo laughs as Chanyeol begs for mercy. “If the teasing really annoyed me, I would’ve told you long ago.”

“You sure?” Chanyeol asks.

“Of course,” Kyungsoo says, and he lightly jabs Chanyeol in the stomach once before he lets him go entirely, both of them flopping back against the floor and laughing. Silence stretches between them for a few moments, save for Chanyeol’s occasional wheezing breath, before Kyungsoo says, “Thank you, by the way. I never doubted you were happy for me. And I’m sorry too, that I’ve been so busy with Baekhyun lately that we haven’t had a chance to hang out.”

“Ah, well,” Chanyeol mumbles, looking a little embarrassed now by the topic of conversation. “I get it. Young love and all.”

Kyungsoo snorts but doesn’t entirely disagree. He does swat Chanyeol in the chest with the back of his hand as he sits up again, reaching over the table to pick up his discarded pizza.

“I’ll let you pick the movie to watch tonight to make up for it,” Kyungsoo says, and Chanyeol pumps a fist in the air as he bounds up to his feet, cheering excitedly, and even though Kyungsoo’s pretty sure he’s in for a night of watching Zootopia for the tenth time, he figures it’s worth it.

“Here’s the beta copy,” Junmyeon says, handing Kyungsoo the completed book. “I think everything looks great, but let me know if you find anything you want changed.”

Kyungsoo stares down at the hardcover of the book, smoothes his fingers across the familiar font that makes up the title. He thinks he’ll never really get used to the feeling of seeing his own work come alive like this. “I’ll get back to you by Sunday,” Kyungsoo says. “I was thinking of having Baekhyun read it.”

Junmyeon smirks at him. “Of course,” he says, but he looks like he wants to say much more. Kyungsoo’s surprised when he just continues on with the subject of their meeting. “The August 1st release still looks good, but I’ll let you know if that changes. I’ve heard there’s another big book release in the works for that week, so we might have to rearrange things to make sure your book doesn’t get overshadowed.”

“You know I don’t really care about things like that.”

“I know,” Junmyeon laughs. “But it’s my job to care about it, whether you do or not.”

Kyungsoo sighs. He knows it’s all business, but he’s just happy to be able to write and draw at all. “Anything else?” he asks instead of complaining further. He knows it wouldn’t do any good.

“Yes,” Junmyeon says, even as he glances at a message he just received on his phone. He quiets for a moment, then sets his phone aside before he turns back to Kyungsoo. “I heard that if season three of the show goes well, there’s the possibility of expanding to a movie.”

“A movie?” Kyungsoo repeats, because there’s no way he’s heard Junmyeon right.

But Junmyeon is nodding, turning to his computer to look something up. “I got an email from the studio,” he says. “They’re impressed with the ratings and the sales for the merch has been up too. With the new book releasing this summer, and another season already renewed, they think it’s a good idea.” He clicks around on his screen with his mouse and then says, “Ah, there it is. Here.” He turns his monitor screen to the side so Kyungsoo can lean over his desk and read the email from the producers of the show.

Kyungsoo reads the message quickly but it does nothing to abate his complete shock over this. “What the fuck,” he says as he sinks back into his seat and Junmyeon laughs.

“I’ll take that as a good reaction,” he says. “Of course it’s not finalized at this time, but if the book does well and the next season starts off with good ratings, you’ll probably have to start thinking about a script for it by the end of the year.”

“Shit,” Kyungsoo says. It’s all he can even think to say.

He leaves Junmyeon’s office ten minutes later, still reeling from the news, and he’s practically in a daze as he walks the block to where he parked his car. It’s a sunny, warm Thursday evening, and Kyungsoo’s supposed to meet Baekhyun for dinner in thirty minutes, but he finds himself sitting in his car for awhile, soaking in everything Junmyeon had said, eyes dropping to the beta copy of his book still in his hands.

He runs his hand over the smooth cover again, the title Chen’s Crazy Space Adventures: Chen and the Return of the Red Force written in glossy lettering. He cracks open the spine, flips through the pages, taking in the artwork and the story that he’s spent the past year imagining and writing and drawing. This book, in some ways, is even more than that, because it’s all the time he spent with Baekhyun and Eun, being inspired by them and motivated by them, learning all over again that it’s okay to stress but to never let that stress consume him entirely, letting himself enjoy the process instead of dreading the work.

He flips through the pages one last time, lands on the dedication that Junmyeon had asked him to come up with weeks ago. Kyungsoo hadn’t had to think about it at all, this time.

He smiles at the page, heart pounding, and closes the book, setting it aside on the passenger’s seat. He starts up the car and heads home.

Baekhyun opens the door for Kyungsoo when he arrives at Baekhyun’s. He’d stopped back at his place to check on his dogs, and then walked across the street. “Hey,” Baekhyun says softly, leaning in for a kiss. Kyungsoo returns it easily before he removes his shoes and follows Baekhyun inside. “I’m making some chili, I hope that’s okay with you?”

“It smells great,” Kyungsoo says as they stop in the kitchen. Baekhyun heads to the refrigerator to pull out two beers while Kyungsoo checks on the pot on the stove. “It looks good, too.”

Baekhyun lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank god,” he says, handing Kyungsoo a bottle. “The recipe said to let it cook about twenty minutes.” He nods his head toward the living room. “Come sit with me.”

“Where’s Eunnie?” Kyungsoo asks.

“He got invited to have dinner with a friend from school,” Baekhyun explains as he settles on the couch, stretching an arm across the back. Kyungsoo joins him, their thighs pressed together and Baekhyun’s arm falling over his shoulders easily. He can feel Baekhyun watching curiously when he sets the Chen book onto the coffee table for now. “Seems like his friend got a new video game that he’s been wanting to show Eun, so it was kind of last minute.”

“So it’s just us, huh?” Kyungsoo says, lips curling as he lifts his bottle up to take a drink.

Baekhyun’s eyes sharpen and he smirks too. “I guess so,” he says, and quirks a brow. “Is that a problem?”

Kyungsoo shrugs a shoulder, but drops a hand to Baekhyun’s thigh to squeeze him gently. “I suppose I’ll survive,” he says. “It has been awhile.”

Baekhyun makes a soft noise of agreement, leaning close to rub his nose along the side of Kyungsoo’s neck, up along his jaw. “It has,” he says softly, breath tickling Kyungsoo’s skin and making him squirm a little. Baekhyun holds him in place with the arm wrapped around his shoulder, and Kyungsoo laughs, turns his face so he can kiss Baekhyun pliant again.

They part a few moments later, panting, and Kyungsoo takes another much-needed sip from his beer. Baekhyun rubs his thumb in circles around Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“You met with Junmyeon earlier, right?” Baekhyun says. “How’d it go?”

“Oh yeah,” Kyungsoo says, somehow having completely forgotten all about it. “You’ll never believe what he told me.”

He tells Baekhyun about the potential movie, watches the way Baekhyun’s eyes light up like it’s Christmas morning. By the time Kyungsoo finishes, Baekhyun’s set his beer onto the coffee table and is cupping Kyungsoo’s face in his hands to kiss him, excitement and pride clear in the insistent press of his lips.

“That’s amazing,” Baekhyun says when he pulls back. “An actual movie? On the big screen? Is there gonna be a premiere? Are you gonna have to dress up fancy for the red carpet? Can I be your date?”

Laughter bubbles out of Kyungsoo, Baekhyun’s excitement practically palpable. It’s making him excited now too, instead of simply stunned. He sets his beer aside as well so he can cover Baekhyun’s hands against his face and pull them down, their fingers lacing together naturally as Kyungsoo says, “How many times do I have to tell you I’m not that kind of celebrity.”

“You are to me,” Baekhyun sings, a little cheeky, but Kyungsoo can hear how proud Baekhyun is of him, can see it in Baekhyun’s eyes as he looks at Kyungsoo like he’s done something truly amazing.

Heat floods Kyungsoo’s face, his chest, his whole body, and he whispers, “Gross,” before he tugs Baekhyun into another kiss, one full of love and gratitude.

When they part this time, it’s to laughter and matching smiles. Baekhyun keeps one set of their hands linked together but releases the other so he can reach for his beer again. He stops halfway, and Kyungsoo notices him staring at the Chen book. “Go ahead,” he says, and Baekhyun instantly grabs it, eyes wide and curious. “It’s the beta copy,” Kyungsoo explains. “I was gonna take the weekend to go through it and see if there’s anything I need changed.”

“You haven’t looked at it yet?” Baekhyun says, pausing with the cover halfway open.

“Just a little,” Kyungsoo says. “But you can look, it’s okay. I was going to ask you to review it anyway, actually. Just for another opinion.” He pauses, considering for a moment, and adds, “Unless you’re still worried about spoilers.”

“Well,” Baekhyun says as he cracks the book open. “It’s completed now, so it’s okay. I kind of like having special early access.”

Kyungsoo laughs. “I somehow figured you would,” he says and he watches as Baekhyun turns from the title page to the dedication page with bated breath.

He opens his mouth to stop him when Baekhyun glances at the page and then immediately flips to the next, but then Baekhyun stops. “Wait,” he says, and goes back, pressing the dedication page down and actually taking the time to read it.

Kyungsoo bites his lip. Baekhyun turns to look at him, eyes wide, and then looks back at the book.

“To Chen and Lu’s best friend and greatest fan,” Baekhyun reads, his voice shaking a little in his surprise, “and to my muse--I love you. Thank you.”

Silence rings in the air for a few long moments afterward, the words of Kyungsoo’s dedication repeating over and over in Kyungsoo’s own head. For a brief, uncertain second, he wonders if it’s too much, but the way that Baekhyun is still staring down at the page, his fingers running over the words like he can’t believe what he’s seeing, he knows there’s no reason to be worried.

“Wow,” he drawls instead, teasingly, hoping to lighten the mood, “What a nice dedication.”

Baekhyun snorts suddenly, jerking out of his thoughts and slamming the book shut so he can turn to look at Kyungsoo incredulously.

“Nice?” he repeats. “Kyungsoo! This is--You--”

“I meant every word,” Kyungsoo says, meeting Baekhyun’s eyes and hoping, trusting that Baekhyun can see he’s being completely honest. “I love you, Baekhyunnie.”

Baekhyun gapes at him, stunned, his fingers now curling around the hardcover edges of the book still in his lap, but in the next second, he’s making this little noise that’s somewhere between a sob and a choked laugh. “You--fuck, I can’t believe--” Baekhyun mutters as he pulls Kyungsoo into a kiss, a palm pressed to the side of Kyungsoo’s face, the other wrapping around his waist, Baekhyun’s soft, sweet lips caressing Kyungsoo’s again, and again, and again.

“You can’t just--” Baekhyun says in between their kisses. “How am I supposed to compete with a confession like that?”

Kyungsoo laughs, shaking his head as he pulls back just enough to look into Baekhyun’s eyes. “You don’t have to,” he says. “You don’t even have to say it back, Baekhyun, I just--when Junmyeon told me to come up with something, and I sat down to write it, you and Eun were the only people I needed to thank. And well, the whole I love you thing, that was a long time coming, I think.”

Baekhyun laughs too, but he still looks and sounds dangerously close to crying. He presses his forehead against Kyungsoo’s, slides his thumb along Kyungsoo’s cheekbone and whispers, “I love you too, Kyungsoo. I don’t have to think about it either. I’ve known I’ve loved you for awhile.”

Relief and happiness and a million other emotions slam into Kyungsoo at once. He laughs, breathless, and finds Baekhyun’s lips with his own once more. He’s known his own feelings for awhile, and he’s suspected Baekhyun’s too, but hearing it aloud, being able to tell Baekhyun just how much he loves him, just how much he means to him, it’s so much more freeing than he ever expected it to be. Baekhyun’s touch feels softer, his kisses sweeter. The way he laughs sounds brighter, the way he whispers Kyungsoo’s name, over and over, like music to his ears. Kyungsoo feels like there’s nowhere else he belongs than here, in Baekhyun’s arms.

“This is not how I was expecting this night to go,” Baekhyun chuckles when they finally part for air, and Kyungsoo laughs too, pulling Baekhyun into his chest and running a hand through his hair. “I can’t say I’m exactly disappointed though.”

“Oh, good,” Kyungsoo teases.

“I still can’t believe you put us in your dedication,” Baekhyun says, and he reaches to pick up Kyungsoo’s book from where it had fallen to the floor in their distraction. He flips back to the page and slides his fingers across the words. “This is...This is so sweet, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo rests his head against Baekhyun’s shoulder. “Junmyeon told me it was disgusting,” he laughs.

“Well, Junmyeon is wrong,” Baekhyun sniffs. “And you can tell him I said that.”

“I will,” Kyungsoo says, patting Baekhyun’s knee. “Later.” He pulls away, stretching his arms over his head as a smile stretches across his face, looking over at Baekhyun as he stands. “For now, we should check on dinner, hm?”

He holds his hands out for Baekhyun, who sets the book aside and takes them, lets Kyungsoo pull him up to his feet. He doesn’t let go, however, and tugs Kyungsoo into his chest so he can kiss him again.

“Why don’t we skip dinner and I can show you just how much I love you, upstairs, in my room?” Baekhyun suggests, waggling his brows.

Kyungsoo snorts, releasing Baekhyun’s hands so he can take Baekhyun’s hips and steer him backwards toward the kitchen. “As tempting as that is,” he says, “I’m starving, and you already went through the trouble of cooking.”

“We can reheat it,” Baekhyun says, and he pouts when Kyungsoo drops one of his hands to pinch his butt.

“Behave,” Kyungsoo says. “Food first, sex later. If you’re good.”

“I can be good,” Baekhyun says immediately and Kyungsoo laughs again.

“We’ll see about that,” he says, but as he lets Baekhyun kiss him once more, he already knows he’ll give in. He thinks he wouldn’t mind showing Baekhyun just how much he loves him, too.

The last episode of the Chen show airs on the last Sunday in May. Naturally Eun requests having a party to celebrate and Baekhyun tells Kyungsoo all about it when they meet for lunch the Friday before.

“I asked if that meant he wanted to invite his friends too,” Baekhyun says around a mouthful of fries that he keeps stealing off of Kyungsoo’s plate. “But he got all huffy and said no, that he wanted it to just be you, me, and him. It’s our tradition, he said.” Baekhyun smiles fondly as he relays the message and Kyungsoo feels his own heart warm.

“He’s right,” Kyungsoo agrees with a small laugh. “Eunnie’s so cute.”

“He gets it from me,” Baekhyun says, grinning, and Baekhyun does look rather cute today in his short-sleeved button-up and soft hair that he keeps pushing back with a hand, but Kyungsoo still rolls his eyes and pretends he didn’t hear him.

“A celebratory party would be really fun,” Kyungsoo says. “I was thinking of finally trying this new barbecue recipe I found online. Maybe we could do it that night?”

Baekhyun makes a soft moaning noise as he nods. “That sounds amazing,” he says. “I’m actually pretty good on the grill, you know.”

Kyungsoo snorts. “I’ll believe that when I see it,” he says before he takes another bite out of his burger.

“Speaking of Sunday,” Baekhyun says, licking a bit of ketchup from the corner of his mouth. “Do you mind watching Eun for awhile in the morning? I promised Jongdae I’d go with him to check out this new apartment. He’s been trying to find somewhere closer to work since his lease is supposed to end soon.”

“Of course I can watch Eun,” Kyungsoo says with a smile. “You can bring him over in the morning, and if it’s okay with you, I can take him with me to grab groceries and things for our barbecue too.”

“You’ll have to watch out though, he’ll totally weasel you into buying like ten kinds of candy and snacks that he doesn’t even eat,” Baekhyun says and Kyungsoo laughs. “But yeah, that’s fine with me.” He frowns suddenly, brows furrowing, and whines, “What the fuck, that sounds way more fun than spending the morning with Jongdae. Can I cancel on him?”

“Don’t do that,” Kyungsoo chides, and then adds, teasingly, “Unless you want to go shopping with Eun and I can go hang out with Jongdae in your place?”

Baekhyun’s frown deepens. “Not a chance,” he says. “The less you two interact the better.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Kyungsoo says, shaking his head, but he smiles anyway when Baekhyun stretches his feet out under the table, bumping his against Kyungsoo’s.

“Yeah, but you love me anyway,” Baekhyun sings, and Kyungsoo’s chest grows warm at the words.

He considers deflecting, making Baekhyun pout and whine, but instead he says, “Yes, I do,” and enjoys the ways Baekhyun sputters, turns a beautiful shade of red in the face.

Being able to say I love you aloud is proving to be very useful.

Baekhyun stops by Sunday with Eun, who looks much more awake than Baekhyun despite it being nearly ten in the morning. “You look like you got run over,” Kyungsoo chuckles as Baekhyun shuffles into his chest with a groan. Kyungsoo rubs his back and brushes the hair out of his face.

“I stayed up last night playing Battlegrounds with Chanyeol,” Baekhyun explains. “We got a little carried away and I didn’t finish until it was nearly three. I’m exhausted.”

Kyungsoo cups Baekhyun’s face in his hands and murmurs, “Poor baby,” before he kisses him. It’s short but sweet, and Baekhyun chases after him when Kyungsoo pulls back. It makes Kyungsoo laugh and he pecks him once more before letting him go, and Baekhyun’s expression is much more clear now as Kyungsoo meets his eyes.

“That helps,” Baekhyun says with a smile. “Thanks for looking after Eunnie,” he adds, glancing at where Eun has made himself at home on Kyungsoo’s couch with Inky and Pepper on either side of him. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

“I will,” Kyungsoo says. “Have a good time with Jongdae. How long do you think you guys will be out?”

“No idea,” Baekhyun says. “For all I know, Jongdae’s picked out like five other places he wants to see just today.” He chuckles, shaking his head. “I’ll keep you updated. If you don’t mind watching Eunnie for longer.”

“Of course not,” Kyungsoo says. “Chanyeol might be stopping by for lunch, but I doubt he’ll mind if Eun is here too.”

“He did mention something about meeting you today,” Baekhyun says, scratching at the side of his face. “Sorry if this ruined your plans--”

“Hey,” Kyungsoo says, taking one of Baekhyun’s hands in his. “You don’t have to apologize or worry about any of that. I love spending time with Eun. I don’t mind looking after him. So go have fun with Jongdae and we’ll have an even better time here without you.”

Baekhyun laughs at that, and he tugs Kyungsoo in for one more kiss. “I love you,” he says softly and Kyungsoo thinks he will never, ever grow tired of hearing Baekhyun say that. “Say it back,” Baekhyun demands petulantly once he’s had his fill of kisses.

“I love you, too, Baekhyunnie,” Kyungsoo says with a laugh. He gives Baekhyun’s butt a little pat and turns him toward the door. “Now get out of here.”

“Your love hurts!” Baekhyun yells as he walks out, but then he smiles widely and waves, and Kyungsoo leans against the doorframe until Baekhyun’s back in his car and driving away.

As he closes the door, Pepper comes up behind him, bumping into Kyungsoo’s leg for attention. Kyungsoo crouches down to ruffle his fur gently and then stands again. “Come on buddy, let’s go see what Eunnie is up to,” he says.

Eun is playing a game on what must be Baekhyun’s tablet, Inky resting his head on Eun’s knee and watching intently. Kyungsoo sits down on the couch to Eun’s left, pulls Pepper up into his lap and watches Eun play until he finishes his level.

“You’re really good, Eunnie,” Kyungsoo says.

“Do you love my dad?” Eun asks without preamble and Kyungsoo smiles.

“Did you hear us just now?” he says and when Eun nods, Kyungsoo reaches out to lightly brush aside Eun’s bangs from his face that are getting long again and pokes his nose just to see him laugh. “Yes, I do love your dad.”

Eun nods at this, and then asks, without any delay, “Do you love me too?”

“Oh, Eunnie,” Kyungsoo says, heart burning at Eun’s honest, hopeful question. He slides a hand down Eun’s back and then wraps his arm around Eun’s shoulders, pulling him close. “Of course I love you, silly. I should’ve told you sooner, but I love you very much. You’re my favorite, you know?”

That brings a wide, pleased smile to Eun’s face. “Okay,” he says decisively, nodding again. “I love you too.”

The easy, straightforward way he says it makes Kyungsoo laugh and pull Eun into a proper hug. Pepper and Inky both bark loudly at the sudden movement, and Eun giggles as he wraps his arms around Kyungsoo’s neck. Kyungsoo presses a kiss to Eun’s cheek, his heart full to bursting, and gives him one last squeeze before pulling back.

“Ready to go shopping for our Chen party tonight?” he asks, and Eun yells, “Yes!” as he puts his tablet away and runs for the door to get his shoes.

Kyungsoo follows, a grin pulling at this lips and excitement in his veins. He’s never been out on his own with a kid before, but Eun chatters happily from the backseat all the way to the store, and listens to all of Kyungsoo’s instructions, holding his hand as they make their way around to pick up ingredients for barbecue and snacks just for fun. Baekhyun wasn’t wrong when he said Eun would ask to buy anything and everything he laid his eyes on, but Eun is good about putting things back when Kyungsoo says no.

He does let Eun pick out his favorite chips and a bag of candy, and Eun eagerly puts them into the cart with a cheerful, “Thank you!”

“What else do you think we need?” Kyungsoo asks him as they make their way down the next aisle. Kyungsoo stops to grab a box of cereal because he’s out, and Eun, swinging Kyungsoo’s free hand at his side, says, “Can we get juice?”

“What kind?” Kyungsoo asks.

Eun purses his lips in thought, then declares, “Lemonade!”

Kyungsoo laughs. “Do you want to make the lemonade together? Or should we just buy the carton and make it easy?”

“You can make it?” Eun exclaims, looking amazed by the mere prospect of making lemonade.

“I haven’t done it in a long time,” Kyungsoo says, steering the cart back toward the produce section to get lemons. “But I think together we can figure it out, right?”

“Right!”

They finish shopping soon after that, and Eun eagerly helps load their items onto the conveyor belt at the register. He beams when the older lady cashier tells him how good of a boy he is, tilting his head back up to look at Kyungsoo standing behind him, and Kyungsoo grins back, proud, and says, “She’s right.”

It’s just after eleven when they make it home and Eun helps Kyungsoo put the food away in the kitchen, and once they’ve accomplished that, it’s time to take the dogs on a walk. Eun is even more excited about this, asking Kyungsoo if he can hold one of their leashes, and Kyungsoo says, “If it gets too hard, let me know okay?”

He gives Eun Pepper’s leash as Pepper is much calmer than Inky and listens well. Eun doesn’t have any trouble though, and he’s very happy to stop every time Pepper does, and learns quickly when Kyungsoo shows him the best way to hold the leash and how to urge Pepper along.

“And then, I jumped off the building and I could fly,” Eun tells Kyungsoo excitedly as they walk down the street. He throws his free arm out to the side like he’s flying right now, and laughs. “It was so cool!”

“Wow, that’s awesome. Did you defeat the bad guy?” Kyungsoo says, and Eun nods enthusiastically.

“I caught him! He was really mad, and then the police took him away,” Eun says. “I flew away and that’s when I woke up!”

“What a cool dream, Eunnie,” Kyungsoo says. “You were like Superman.”

“I’d be way cooler than Superman,” Eun says and Kyungsoo laughs, reaches out to ruffle his hair, and Eun grins at him a little smug. “I would take down all the bad guys!” He punches the air in front of him and Pepper barks loudly as if agreeing with him. Eun grins down at the dog, and adds, “And I’ll totally have a dog as a sidekick. A really big dog.”

“What would your superhero name be?” Kyungsoo asks as they make their way into the park.

Eun makes a thoughtful noise, bouncing a little with every step as he considers. “The Greatest Eun! Wait, what about Red Fire? I could have fire power too! Or...Or, The Flying Cat.”

“Flying Cat?” Kyungsoo laughs. “Why a cat?”

“I like cats,” Eun says, with a little shrug, and Kyungsoo shakes his head in amusement. Eun’s childlike innocence and endless passion never fails to make Kyungsoo smile, his heart warm and full. Spending time with Eun is fun and it’s easy, he reminds Kyungsoo of simple pleasures, and how smart kids can be. Eun is a bright and vibrant and has such a vivid imagination. They talk more about superheroes as they make their way around the park’s path, Eun telling Kyungsoo that flying would be cool but having fire power would be even cooler.

“I could always keep warm in the winter,” he says seriously like that’s the most important use of fire, and Kyungsoo chuckles. “I could melt the snow off the driveway! Then we don’t have to shovel it.” He makes a face at the mention of it.

“That would be really useful,” Kyungsoo agrees. “Would you melt my driveway too?”

“Yes,” Eun says immediately. “Then we have more time to play!”

“You make a good point,” Kyungsoo says. “We’ll have to figure out how to get you fire power. We can make a secret lab and conduct science experiments.”

Eun shudders a little at the idea. “That sounds scary,” he says, frowning a little as he looks down at Pepper who has stopped walking to stare up at Eun. “Can we just play with the puppies instead?”

Chuckling, Kyungsoo nods his head. “You’re right,” he says. “That’s way more fun.”

They spend nearly an hour at the park, playing with the dogs and enjoying the sunshine. There’s a playground further down the path that Kyungsoo rarely goes by since he doesn’t have much reason, but he lets Eun lead the way today. There’s a few other kids there, using the swings while their parents push them for more height, and the father sends Kyungsoo a nod as if in solidarity. Kyungsoo just smiles back and takes a seat at the bench by the side of the playground, Inky and Pepper immediately flopping down by his feet. Eun runs out to play, promising Kyungsoo he will be careful, and Kyungsoo watches intently.

Eun is a pro at the monkey bars and he calls out to Kyungsoo to make sure he’s watching, swinging easily all the way across. Kyungsoo cheers when he makes it back, clapping for him, and Eun lets himself drop to the ground so he can bow, his cheeky smile reminding Kyungsoo so much of Baekhyun.

He pulls his phone from his pocket to take a few photos, and sends the one of Eun coming down the highest slide with a bright smile on his face to Baekhyun. He finds a message from Chanyeol that he missed come in about fifteen minutes earlier, mentioning he’ll be heading over for lunch soon and to let him know if he should bring anything.

Kyungsoo considers for a moment, and then looks up at Eun who is back on the monkey bars. He waits until Eun is safely on the ground before he calls out, “Hey, Eunnie, what do you want for lunch?”

They make it back home just as Chanyeol is walking up to Kyungsoo’s front door, his guitar strapped across his back and two plastic bags full of Chinese takeout in his hands.

“Perfect timing,” he laughs as Kyungsoo scrambles to find his keys in his pocket.

“Thanks for bringing lunch,” Kyungsoo says as they all make their way inside, the pups barking excitedly about being back at home and also by Chanyeol’s sudden appearance. Inky is already attempting to climb Chanyeol’s legs and Chanyeol chuckles, grin wide as he holds the bags up above his head. Kyungsoo takes Pepper’s leash from Eun and says, “This is my friend, Chanyeol. You met him awhile ago during Thanksgiving, if you remember?”

Eun is squinting up at Chanyeol like he’s deciding whether he’s worthy of being here. “You play games with my dad,” he says finally and Chanyeol laughs, nodding.

“That’s me,” he says, and he perhaps catches Eun’s hesitance, because he adds, a little knowingly, “Are you hungry?”

That perks Eun right up and Kyungsoo lets them head into the kitchen while he unleashes the dogs, ruffling their fur and telling them just how good they’ve been today with Eun around. He makes sure to get their bowls filled with water and food first, then joins Chanyeol and Eun at the table where they’re spreading out boxes of food. Kyungsoo pats Eun on the shoulders, shaking him lightly and asks, “Did you wash your hands?”

“No,” Eun mumbles, and he dutifully climbs off the chair and heads for the kitchen sink, Kyungsoo following after.

Soon enough, they’re all gathered around at the table, and Eun’s warmed up considerably to Chanyeol already, telling him excitedly about their trip to the park and how he got to walk Pepper himself. Chanyeol keeps up with Eun easily, just as talkative and curious and asks Eun a bunch of questions that Eun is only happy to answer. Kyungsoo leaves them to it for the most part, enjoying the chance to relax and eat, and occasionally jumping in to make sure Eun doesn’t leave out any of the vegetables on his plate.

He gets a reply from Baekhyun as lunch comes to an end, a picture of Baekhyun staring boredly at the camera, his face in his palm, and a cute little frown at his lips.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
we’ve gone to three places already. but he’s treating me to lunch now so i guess that makes up for it
hope u guys are having a good day

Kyungsoo smiles at picture, and takes another of Eun with noodles dangling from his mouth, and sends that off. Baekhyun replies almost instantly this time.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
not that i don’t love my son and all but where are my pictures of u :(

Kyungsoo snorts. Chanyeol instantly turns toward him, leaning over to try to snoop, and Kyungsoo laughs as he pushes him away. “It’s just Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says.

“Well, that much is obvious,” Chanyeol replies, but he goes back to eating without much more pressure, and perks up when Eun suddenly asks him if he likes Star Wars.

With the two of them occupied, Kyungsoo doesn’t feel too embarrassed to take a photo of himself, holding his phone up and taking a photo that mostly shows off his forehead and his brows, partly hidden by his glasses. He sends that to Baekhyun with a simple, there.

A few minutes later, Baekhyun replies.

From: Baekhyun and Eun ❤
waow would u look at that!!! my boyfriend has the cutest forehead!!!!!!!!

Kyungsoo laughs at the message, setting his phone aside so he can hide his face in his hands for a moment, a stupid smile tugging at his lips. Baekhyun never fails to make him feel ridiculously in love, and he knows he’s blushing when he finally gathers himself, scrubbing at his face before he drops his hands. He shovels a forkful of his remaining chicken and rice into his mouth and does his best not to catch Chanyeol’s eye.

“Do I even want to know what he said?” Chanyeol asks.

“Nope,” Kyungsoo tells him, and feels his face grow even hotter.

Eun ends up finishing his food first, and Kyungsoo lets him leave the table, saying he’ll take care of the dishes if Eun wants to go play. Eun runs off to the couch, climbing up beside Inky who has taken up one of the cushions and gently reaching out to pet him, asking if Inky had a good lunch too.

“He’s adorable,” Chanyeol chuckles, and Kyungsoo smiles, nodding in agreement. Chanyeol’s own smile turns much more sly as he rests his chin in his hand atop the table. “I hadn’t realized you’d adopted Eun already.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and reaches out to punch Chanyeol roughly in the shoulder. Chanyeol just cackles, unaffected, and adds, “Does he call you dad too?”

“Shut. Up.” Kyungsoo abandons his food so he can head for Chanyeol properly and pull on his ears.

“Hey! That’s not nice!” Chanyeol whines, batting at Kyungsoo’s hands to release him. “You’re not setting a good example for your son.”

Kyungsoo tugs on his ears once more for that one, drawing a yelp out of Chanyeol before he lets him go. He jabs him in the forehead for good measure. “I’m never letting you over while Eun is around again,” he says, leaving Chanyeol to whimper against the table as he picks up his plate and Eun’s, heading for the sink. He’s in the middle of washing when he hears Eun suddenly exclaim, “Is that a real guitar?”

“Yes, it is,” Chanyeol says with a laugh. “Do you want to play?”

Eun’s face lights up at the prospect and Kyungsoo smiles, chest warm as he watches them settle on the couch with the guitar, thinking that perhaps having Chanyeol around Eun isn’t so bad after all.

“I’m so glad to be home,” Baekhyun says as he stumbles into Kyungsoo, arms wrapping around his waist and face pressed into the crook of Kyungsoo’s neck.

Kyungsoo chuckles softly, rubs a hand down Baekhyun’s back, warmth spreading through his body from Baekhyun’s touch, from the fact that he considers Kyungsoo’s home his home, too. “Come on, you big baby,” he says. “Let’s get you inside.”

Baekhyun whines in protest, clearly unwilling to move any further, but after a few more moments of Kyungsoo coaxing him inside, kissing the side of his face gently once, twice, Baekhyun finally pulls back long enough to remove his shoes and let Kyungsoo tug him into the house.

Eun is sleeping on the couch, and Baekhyun walks right over to him when he notices, crouching down beside him to brush his hair out from his face and press a kiss to his forehead. Eun slumbers on, and Baekhyun smiles at him before he straightens up, returning to Kyungsoo’s side. He wraps an arm around Kyungsoo’s waist to pull him close and surprises Kyungsoo with a kiss to his forehead too.

Laughing, Kyungsoo shoves him back lightly and says, “What was that for?”

“I just wanted to,” Baekhyun says. “Especially since you sent that photo earlier.”

“Liked that, did you?”

“I like everything about you.”

“Gross,” Kyungsoo says, but he’s smiling and he can’t seem to stop. Baekhyun grins back at him knowingly, and envelops Kyungsoo into another hug, sighing against him as he holds him close. Kyungsoo lets out a soft breath too, enjoying the heat of Baekhyun’s body and the comfort of his embrace. “Are you hungry?” he asks quietly, resting his hands at Baekhyun’s hips. “Want anything to drink?”

Baekhyun shakes his head slightly against Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “Honestly, I think Eun’s got it right,” he says. “A nap sounds great right now.”

“Will Eunnie be okay down here? Or should we bring him upstairs?”

“He’ll be okay,” Baekhyun says. “I don’t want to wake him, and he’ll probably sleep longer than us anyway.”

Kyungsoo chuckles softly and then pulls away, taking one of Baekhyun’s hands in his to lead him up to his room. The moment they’re alone, Baekhyun is kissing him, hands sliding up Kyungsoo’s chest to gently hold his face in his palms, lips soft and sweet against his own, and Kyungsoo’s surprised gasp swallowed up easily by Baekhyun’s warm mouth. Kyungsoo’s hands find Baekhyun’s hips again to keep himself grounded, and he returns Baekhyun’s kiss just as eagerly. They stumble toward Kyungsoo’s bed, attached like this, and Kyungsoo lets himself fall back once he feels the mattress against the backs of his knees.

Baekhyun follows with a laugh, propping himself up with hands on either side of Kyungsoo’s shoulders and says, “Hi.”

Kyungsoo snorts. “Hi,” he says back, doing his best to keep his eyes focused on Baekhyun’s face instead of where the low collar of his shirt hanging loose gives him a great view down Baekhyun’s chest. “By napping did you mean an actual nap or kissing?”

“Hmm,” Baekhyun murmurs, leaning close enough to let his lips trail along Kyungsoo’s jaw. “I was thinking more along the lines of kissing until we fall asleep.”

Kyungsoo runs a hand up Baekhyun’s back, lets his fingers tangle softly into Baekhyun’s hair. “I like the sound of that,” he says and pulls Baekhyun into another kiss.

They sleep for just over an hour, long enough to feel refreshed, but not so long that waking up feels like death. Baekhyun is extra clingy after a nap, curling up with his chin perched on Kyungsoo’s shoulder as Kyungsoo brushes his teeth in the bathroom and washes his face. He yelps when Kyungsoo flicks cold water into his face but is quickly appeased when Kyungsoo kisses his cheek.

“Cutie,” Kyungsoo says when Baekhyun puckers his lips for a proper kiss, and the way Baekhyun’s eyes grow warm as he looks over at him makes butterflies run loose in Kyungsoo’s stomach. He wonders if he’ll ever get used to the way Baekhyun looks at him sometimes. “Come on,” he says, tugging at Baekhyun’s wrist. “Let’s get things ready for our Chen party.”

Eun is still sleeping when they make their way downstairs, so they’re quiet as they pull out food from the fridge and work on side dishes to the main course. Baekhyun is in even more of an affectionate mood than usual, kissing Kyungsoo when he least expects it, squeezing his butt just because he can, wrapping him up in a hug for a few moments, watching as Kyungsoo chops up some vegetables for a quick salad. He’s helping out with everything still so Kyungsoo doesn’t knock him for the constant touching, and well, he doesn’t exactly mind it either.

“I missed you today, too,” Kyungsoo tells him after Baekhyun’s kissed him for what’s probably the twentieth time in five minutes.

Baekhyun laughs a little sheepishly as he steps back. He pulls himself up to sit on the edge of the counter as Kyungsoo continues mixing up cornbread batter in a large bowl. “Is it that obvious?” he asks.

“Only a little,” Kyungsoo says, cracking a small smile.

“It’s silly but it felt a little like I was missing out on quality family time today,” Baekhyun says. Kyungsoo’s barely had enough time to process Baekhyun’s choice of words before he hastily adds, “Shit, I don’t--I didn’t mean--I don’t want to scare you or anything by saying family, it’s just--”

“Hey, Baekhyun, it’s okay,” Kyungsoo says softly. He sets the bowl aside and steps up between Baekhyun’s legs, hands resting at his thighs. “I know what you mean, and it’s actually kind of funny because Chanyeol was saying the same thing when he was here earlier.”

Kyungsoo licks his lips and falls silent, not sure if he’s getting across his feelings in a way that makes sense. Baekhyun’s hands cover his own, fingers lacing together tenderly, and Kyungsoo smiles up at him, safe and comforted knowing that Baekhyun isn’t pushing him or making him talk about something he’s not ready to discuss. Confiding in Baekhyun has always felt easy, and Kyungsoo lets that guide him.

“I hadn’t really thought about it much,” he continues honestly. “But I don’t think Chanyeol was wrong, and I don’t think you’re wrong either. You and Eunnie are like family. I love you both, you know that.”

“I do,” Baekhyun says without hesitation, squeezing Kyungsoo’s hands.

“And as much fun as it is spending time with Eun on my own, it would’ve been even more fun to have you here too,” Kyungsoo finishes, meeting Baekhyun’s warm, brown eyes.

“I really like what we have, you know?” Baekhyun says, smiling as he looks down at their joined hands. Kyungsoo looks too, at Baekhyun’s long, pretty fingers that seem to slip just perfectly in between his own, the dark little mole on Baekhyun’s left thumb. “You and me, of course, but also the three of us. It’s been a long time since I’ve--I don’t know, felt so relaxed, I guess. Knowing you love Eun practically as much as I do, knowing that I have you to look after him and be there for him, and for me--in a way that no one else has in years, I--”

Baekhyun stumbles over his words, and Kyungsoo reaches up to take his face in his hands, gently rubs his thumbs under his eyes, and leans up to kiss him, hoping he can feel all the love and understanding and contentment that is spreading warmth throughout Kyungsoo’s veins. Baekhyun eventually chuckles into the kiss, sounding only a little soppy, his own hands covering Kyungsoo’s once again, fingers threading together as he lowers them away from his face.

“I never expected to fall in love with you, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says, “but I’m so glad that I did.”

Kyungsoo laughs, incredulous, unprepared for such a confession, even though he’s known for days that Baekhyun loves him back. The smile on his face refuses to fade, his cheeks aching as he presses his forehead against Baekhyun’s and sighs. “Now that’s unfair,” he says. “How am I supposed to compete with that?”

Baekhyun cackles, and he wraps his legs around Kyungsoo’s waist, trapping him in place. “You can’t,” he says cheerfully. “I win!”

He yelps immediately after as Kyungsoo pinches his waist. “I reject this,” he says, and pushes Baekhyun’s legs down so he can step away, returning to the food he still needs to make.

Baekhyun hops off the counter and envelops Kyungsoo in his arms again. “That’s not how it works,” he says with an audible pout, and Kyungsoo laughs, patting his hand around his waist.

He doesn’t get a chance to respond however as Eun finally wakes up then, a cute little groan coming from the couch as he sits up, hair ruffled and eyes still a little puffy from sleep. He looks around until his gaze falls onto Kyungsoo and Baekhyun and he says, voice an adorable sort of whine, “I’m hungry.”

Baekhyun laughs and releases Kyungsoo so he can walk over to Eun instead, pulling him up from the couch and swinging him around in the air twice before letting Eun cling to him in his arms. “Let’s get you washed up, Eunnie, and then we can help Kyungsoo with dinner,” he says, smoothing down Eun’s hair, and Eun nods as he rests his head against Baekhyun’s shoulder.

Baekhyun throws Kyungsoo a little wink as he heads for the bathroom down the hall, leaving Kyungsoo smiling to himself as he pours cake batter into a cupcake tray.

It doesn’t take much longer to get all the food prepared for dinner aside for the actual barbecuing. The cornbread is in the oven, the salad is in the fridge, the mashed potato and gravy are being kept warm on the stove. All that’s left is the meat and some of the vegetables they’re planning to roast on the grill.

Eun is playing in the yard with the dogs, already much more awake and full of renewed energy as he throws around a few squeaky balls and waits for Inky and Pepper to catch them. He spoils them both with plenty of compliments and pets every time they succeed. The dogs love him, and it puts a smile to Kyungsoo’s face.

It’s quite hot outside that evening, the sun showing no signs of fading as Kyungsoo steps back out onto the deck, carrying a small plate of corn and peppers. Baekhyun’s at the grill in his khaki pants that hug his thighs so well, and a simple white t-shirt, the low v-neck of it showing off the long line of his neck, the sharp cut of his collarbones, and swathes of his chest when he moves. The muscles in his arms stand out too, as he grabs a piece of chicken breast with the tongs and slowly flips it over, his pretty fingers holding the utensil with ease.

“You’re gonna get bugs inside the house if you leave the door open like that,” Baekhyun says, startling Kyungsoo and forcing him to drag his eyes away from Baekhyun’s arms to his face. He’s got a smug smirk on his lips, and Kyungsoo wills himself not to blush too obviously from being caught staring.

“I know that,” he says, a beat too late, and reaches behind him to slide shut the door to his deck. Baekhyun is still grinning at him, eyes sparkling under the summer sun. Kyungsoo walks over to set the plate on the small table attachment to the grill, and then turns to Baekhyun, reaches up a hand to curl along the back of Baekhyun’s neck. Baekhyun’s eyelashes flutter, his smile curling even deeper, and Kyungsoo slowly drags him down until he can kiss him soundly on the mouth.

Baekhyun makes a soft little noise in response that’s barely audible over the sizzling grill beside them, and Kyungsoo chuckles as he kisses back harder, and then drops his hand from Baekhyun’s neck to grab a handful of his butt. Baekhyun squawks, surprised, and Kyungsoo laughs as he pulls away, enjoying the dazed look in Baekhyun’s eyes.

“Keep up the good work, babe,” Kyungsoo says, patting Baekhyun on the butt once again, before he walks around him to join Eun out on the grass for awhile.

“I see how it is,” Baekhyun yells back. “You’re just gonna leave me here to slave over the grill while you play?”

“That’s right,” Kyungsoo says, laughing as Eun comes barreling into his side. Kyungsoo brushes his bangs from his face, and grins over at Baekhyun who is watching rather fondly.

Kyungsoo expects Baekhyun to protest or whine, but instead he just smiles and turns back toward the grill. “Fine. I’ll let it go this time,” he says, brandishing the pair of tongs in Kyungsoo’s direction with a little smirk. “Because you’re so cute.”

He says it so easily that Kyungsoo can’t help the way his face grows hot, flustered. Before he gets the chance to reply, Eun is wrapping his arms tighter around Kyungsoo’s waist and declaring, “I’m cute too!”

That pulls a laugh from Kyungsoo, and he looks down at Eun, hugging him back. “You’re the cutest of us all,” he says and enjoys the way that Eun beams brightly up at him.

Kyungsoo plays around with Eun and the dogs for awhile, and the sound of Eun’s laughter is a beautiful melody floats away with the wind. The dogs tire out before Eun, Pepper flopping on the grass while Inky runs back up the deck and settles by Baekhyun’s feet. Eun collapses on the grass too, splaying his arms and legs out wide and staring up at the sky.

“That cloud looks like a dinosaur!” he exclaims after a few moments, pointing up, and Kyungsoo laughs as he looks up too and realizes that Eun is right.

“It really does,” he says. “What else do you see? Don’t you think that one looks like a rabbit?”

“No! It looks like a bear!” Eun says, sounding almost exasperated that Kyungsoo can’t tell.

“It looks like a cloud,” yells Baekhyun from the deck.

“Don’t ruin our fun,” Kyungsoo retorts. “Right, Eunnie?”

“Right!”

“Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news,” Baekhyun says. “But the food’s ready, so we’re gonna have to cut the cloud watching short.”

“Food!” Eun shouts, already on his feet and running up to Baekhyun, bouncing up and down around him as he peers into the grill. “Food, food, food!”

“No food for you until you wash up,” Baekhyun says, reaching out to pinch Eun’s cheeks in his fingers.

Eun yelps and whines until Baekhyun releases him, and he pats his butt, urging him back inside. Kyungsoo picks up Pepper from the ground and follows along, sets him down onto the deck and picks up the plate of vegetables while Baekhyun finishes laying out the meat on a large tray and then checks to make sure the grill is properly turned off.

It’s much cooler inside and it sends a little chill up Kyungsoo’s spine, the sweat clinging to his skin a little uncomfortable from the change in temperature. He sets the plate of food down on the kitchen counter and then helps clean up the dogs a little before filling their bowls up with some water. “Do you want to give them a treat, Eunnie?” he asks, and Eun eagerly yells, “Yes!” as he runs up to Kyungsoo with wide, hopeful eyes.

He shows Eun how to hide the treats in his palms while he requests them to sit first. Inky takes longer to settle, but eventually sits quietly on the floor, and then Eun holds his hands out for them both. Kyungsoo ruffles Eun’s head as he laughs delightedly, and then tugs Eun toward the sink. “Wash up, wash up,” he says, passing by Baekhyun who has set the meat on the counter and is suddenly pulling his t-shirt off over his head. “W-What’re you doing?”

“I smell like barbecue,” Baekhyun complains, wrinkling his nose before he holds his smoky shirt in Kyungsoo’s face with a sneaky grin. “I’m gonna go steal a shirt from your room, okay?”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says, slightly distracted by all the beautiful skin on display.

“My face is up here,” Baekhyun sings, waving a hand in front of Kyungsoo’s eyes, causing him to jerk back and quickly look up at Baekhyun properly. Baekhyun’s smirking, and it’s a little infuriating. “I like making you speechless.”

Kyungsoo scoffs, turning his back to Baekhyun and thrusting his hands under the faucet of the sink. “Go put on clothes or you won’t get any food,” he says.

“I know you think I’m hot, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says as he walks out of the kitchen. “You can’t fool me!”

“Get out of here!” Kyungsoo laughs, glancing over his shoulder long enough to see Baekhyun’s cheeky grin before he disappears into the hall. Kyungsoo hears him running up the stairs and shakes his head as he turns back to the sink, startled when he finds Eun staring at him. “What is it, Eunnie?” he asks as he lathers his hands with soap and then washes everything off.

“You guys are weird,” Eun says, and then, before Kyungsoo can explain, “Can we have the lemonade now?”

“Absolutely,” Kyungsoo says, drying his hands off on a towel. “Help me set the table first, okay?”

Eun nods and carefully takes plates and glasses to the table, setting them around at the chairs toward the end where they usually eat. Baekhyun comes down a few minutes later, wearing one of Kyungsoo’s black shirts that fits him a little too well. He helps grab forks and knives for everyone, then the salad and lemonade from the fridge, gasping in surprise when Eun tells him that he helped Kyungsoo make it.

“You’re so good, Eunnie,” Baekhyun coos, pinching Eun’s cheek again, and laughing, and Kyungsoo, standing at the counter, finds himself stopping to watch them, basking in the way Baekhyun’s bright smile lights up his whole face, and the way Eun giggles from the attention, his own expression full of life.

Kyungsoo looks at them and feels so warm, and so content, and so perfectly at home. He looks at them and he thinks that somehow, everything has fallen into place. His book is completed, the second season of his show is ending, and starting next week he’ll be overseeing the first steps of the animation coming to life for the new season. In a few months, his book will be out on the shelves across the country and he'll be preparing for another nationwide tour, meeting the amazing kids and parents who find something special in the words he writes, the characters he draws.

And more than all of that, Kyungsoo has Baekhyun, and he has Eun. He has them tonight, laughing at his table, around food that they all made together, with the dogs dozing at their feet, and he'll have them tomorrow, and next week, and next month. They'll be here after long days of work, and when he's struggling with writing the next book in his series. They might not have the Chen show to watch every Sunday, but Kyungsoo knows that they'll find something else to replace it with, and he knows that they'll do even more than that.

Maybe next weekend they can go to the zoo, and maybe later the amusement park, once Eun's done with school. He knows he'll be there at Eun's soccer practices and subsequent games, and he knows he'll still be able to meet with Baekhyun during lunch, enjoy the chance to escape from work and indulge in his voice, smile, and mere presence.

A year ago, Kyungsoo could never have predicted any of this to happen. Today, he can't imagine a life without Baekhyun and Eun at his side. It’s a little scary, but mostly it makes him feel safe and grounded. He knows that this is where he belongs.

“Hey,” Baekhyun says, words cutting through Kyungsoo’s thoughts. When he blinks back to reality, his eyes falling to Baekhyun’s soft, smiling face, he feels his heart pounding, with love, with want, with happiness. Baekhyun’s holding the last tray of food, and he nods his head toward the table. “You coming?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo says, without pause, without hesitation, with a smile at his lips. “I’m coming.”