Archive of Our Own ^beta

Baekhyun manages to turn the key just as he can feel the box of Icicle Lights in LED start to slip from his grasp. 

He manages to grab it, his poor fingers straining as he turns to the side and pushes the door with his left shoulder. The faded red door opens easily and Baekhyun sighs a breath of relief. 

And then displeasure and the urge for revenge shoots up his system as he thinks of the different ways in which he can kill his roommate. He’s watched How to Get Away with Murder and Bones and even though Sehun is taller, Baekhyun’s sure he can take that stupid bean pole down easily. 

Baekhyun doesn’t bother closing the door behind him (it’s snowing and if it goes into the house, he won’t tell Sehun so that idiot can slip and fall) and he rushes into the small living room, barely reaching the couch before the boxes stacked upon each other in his arms fall. 

Thankfully the boxes plop onto the relatively soft (there’s some food stains but whatever) couch cushions and Baekhyun squats towards the floor, the bags hanging from his arms sliding down onto the wooden floor. It’s cold and starting to snow, Baekhyun is not about to make a second trip. 

He pouts at the slightly red marks around his arms, the results of the shopping bags pressing into his skin. Baekhyun raises himself up, ignoring the slight cracking sound his knees make. He’s twenty-five with the knees of a seventy year old, but he can still throw it back and that’s all that really matters.

Leaving behind the bags filled with even more Christmas decorations, Baekhyun works his mouth into an angry pout as he walks through the hall to Sehun’s room.

The sound of his puffy jacket sleeves brushing against each other are quickly drowned out by the loud sound of what Baekhyun knows is The Vampire Diaries intro. 

Even more upset, Baekhyun opens Sehun’s bedroom door, he gets confirmation when he spots Sehun laying on his bed, laptop open as a very attractive Damon Salvator graces the scene with his brooding looks and smirk. 

“Oh you’re back,” Sehun calls out, not even bothering to throw Baekhyun a glance over his shoulder.

“I rang the doorbell,” Baekhyun grits out, pout becoming more visible but it won’t work if Sehun doesn't look at it. 

“Yeah, I heard but I figured you got it.” Sehun replies, bored, seemingly annoyed by Baekhyun interrupting the show. 

Which reminds Baekhyun –

 “Why are you watching Vampire Diaries?? I thought we were gonna watch it together, asshole.”

Sehun ignores Baekhyun, eyes trained on his computer screen as Damon explains to Elena why he would never go for a girl like her. 

Just wait until season two, episode eight, Baekhyun thinks. Wait does that even count? He compels her afterwards…

Baekhyun snaps out of his thoughts quickly, he can’t get angsty over Damon and Elena’s relationship, he’s supposed to be mad! 

“Sehun!” Baekhyun half yells, half whines.

With a sign of frustration ( Good , Baekhyun thinks), Sehun pauses the show and half turns, a scowl on his handsome face. 

“I’m busy!” Sehun whines.

“Without me !” Baekhyun exclaims. He briefly registers how suggestive that sounds and he thinks of something else to say. He hates Sehun’s teasing, he’s so relentless. “We agreed to watch it together!”

“Yeah, months ago!” Sehun says. “I got tired of waiting!”

“I was busy!” Baekhyun defends himself, crossing his arms across his chest. His pout is on lethal mode. “I told you I had the quarterly reports and my hours due at the same time! You didn’t help me open the door and now this?”

Sehun rolls his eyes. “Get over it, you’ve already watched it anyways.”

“That’s not the point!” Baekhyun replies. 

He doesn’t really care if Sehun started watching the show without him, he just wanted to complain about something. Maybe guilt trip Sehun into making those chocolate covered strawberries that he really loves. 

Sehun scoffs and he turns back to his laptop, finger hovering the space bar, ready to press play. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Baekhyun asks, still pouting, still crossing his arms across his chest. However, standing in the middle of Sehun’s warm room in his heavy jacket is causing sweat to gather at his nape. “We still have to put up the lights outside.”

“Who’s we?” Sehun sasses back. He doesn’t push play and Baekhyun takes it as a small victory. 

“Well you can’t expect me to do all of it alone,” Baekhyun points out. “I bought a shit ton of lights for the bushes, door frame and for the roof, I got these really cute LED ones that are shaped like icicles. You know, the ones the neighbor has.”

Sehun hums, “Which neighbor? The one next door or the one you’re crushing on?”

Baekhyun fights back the blush spreading across his cheeks. “Next door.” He contemplates denying his crush but he’s so obvious there’s really no point. 

“Ooo, do they change colors too?”

“We couldn’t afford those,” Baekhyun deadpans.

Sehun pouts. “You should’ve asked your hot neighbor crush to get you some, you know, use that ass for some good.”

“Maybe you should get a job.” Baekhyun shoots back, deliberately ignoring the thoughts the words “hot neighbor” and “ass” invoke. 

Sehun whines. Actually whines like when a puppy’s tail is stepped on. “That was mean.”

“Get over it,” Baekhyun tells him, rolling his eyes. Still, because he feels a little guilty, he adds, “Don’t worry Sehun, you'll get the job. I’m manifesting it.” 

Sehun snorts. “You don’t even know how to manifest, idiot.”

“I’m going to learn just so I can manifest you not getting the job.”

“Weak comeback, negative zero out of ten.” Sehun replies dully.

Baekhyun breaks his pose to smack Sehun’s pajama clothed leg. “Come up, get up! We need to do it tonight, Christmas is next week and it’s supposed to snow the whole week.”

“But Baekkkkk,” Sehun draws out Baekhyun's name in that annoying, whiny voice he’s an expert in. “I’m really comfortable right now and warm, ”

“Okay and?” Baekhyun tells him. “Come on, what if it starts snowing harder?”

Sehun puts on an angry expression but paired with his pout, he just looks kinda cute, kinda constipated. “Baek, just do it yourself! You’re already up and dressed anyway. If I get up, we’ll waste time waiting for me to get ready.”

“Get ready fast then. See? Problem solved.”

“Pleaseeee?” Sehun takes on the form of the pleading emoji. Baekhyun feels himself wavering and he struggles to remain firm. “While you’re outside, I’ll make cocoa and chocolate dipped strawberries! I’ll set them outside so that they harden quicker and they’re ready by the time you’re done outside.”

Tempting. Very tempting.

But still, Baekhyun is kind of tired from the Wal-mart trip and even though he doesn’t mind the cold as much as Sehun (he’s from So Cal which baffles Baekhyun as to why Sehun would choose to come up north but whatever), that doesn’t mean he willingly wants to sit his ass outside when he could be inside, warm, yelling at Elena for not noticing Damon’s genuine feelings.

But Baekhyun is a weak man and Sehun knows it.

“Let’s play rock-paper-scissors,” Baekhyun concedes.

It’s a reasonable next step to be honest. Whenever they’re arguing or can’t figure out what to eat or watch, they let their own personal luck decide for them. 

Baekhyun hopes he didn’t use up all of his luck that one time when he won the round where they were deciding who would get off at Little Caesars. The delivery fee is ridiculous honestly.    

So is the universe. The universe is extremely ridiculous and biased and a hater. 

Baekhyun stares at his hovering hand, fingers stretched out and pressed together to imitate ‘paper’. 

“Aw fuck seriously?” Baekhyun whines as he shifts his gaze to Sehun’s middle and index finger jutting out to imitate scissors. “Wait, let's do best out of three!”

Sehun shakes his head, “Nope you should have said that before.”

And Baekhyun, unwilling to fight Sehun over this, sighs and walks out of Sehun’s room, making a mental note to switch out his roommate’s shampoo for a bottle of Nair. 

Baekhyun clenches his teeth together as he battles with the shiver threatening to run down his spine. 

There’s a light snowfall going on right now but the ground has several inches of snow, reaching up to Baekhyun’s ankles. He’s wearing boots so he doesn’t have to worry about wet socks, thankfully. He does, however, have to worry about his bare fingers. 

He reaches over the bush framing the front of his and Sehun’s house (they’re renting but that’s beside the point) and gently places the mesh of lights on the back of the bush, so it hangs down. He quickly adjusts the lights on top so that they’re evenly spread. 

The lights are colorful because those are cuter than the plain, bland white ones.

And because the hot neighbor across the street has them on his bushes as well and that would be a good conversation starter.

“Hey you have colorful lights on your bushes? Wow, I do too!” is how the conversation could go if Baekhyun stops being a coward. 

Baekhyun’s fingers shake from the cold as he finishes patting down the lights (gently of course because they cost a lot of money). He takes a few steps back, smiling gently as he admires the lights. 

Despite his lack of religious devotion, Baekhyun loves Christmas. 

He loves the over the top lights, the presents, the week long vacation off of work. However, he can make do without the excessive Christmas songs on the radio and the peppermint mocha from Starbucks that Sehun is obsessed with. 

Decorating is fun.

Therapeutic almost and once December first had rolled around, Baekhyun had put up strings of garlands, snowmans, elfs, a Christmas tree. The lights, however, were put off to the last minute. 

He takes in the bright, multi color net mesh of lights draped across the bushes on either side of his house. The window behind the bush is framed with the same multicolored lights as well as the frame of the entrance of the home. Baekhyun had carefully placed candy canes along the driveway as well as a mini penguin and gift light up near the entrance. 

Baekhyun knows he did a good job. A great job actually. 

For a moment he imagines his neighbor  coming out from his home and complimenting the lights. Baekhyun bites his lower lip as he continues day dreaming.

His name is Park Chanyeol and Baekhyun knows this because he may or may not have intentionally taken Chanyeol’s mail as an excuse to go across and talk to him months ago. 

Yes, Baekhyun knows it’s a federal crime to steal mail but it wasn’t exactly stealing, he gave it back. 

His heart however, has been stolen. 

Baekhyun scoffs lightly at his dramatic and cliche thoughts. 

He’s not in love with the man, the very tall, very broad, very very hot with cute ears that stick out, man. He’s interested in Chanyeol, attracted to him but it’s not one of those simple crushes that fade away after a while, after his curiosity has been sated. 

It’s one of those crushes that are hard to let go, the kind that convinces Baekhyun that hey, maybe Chanyeol could be endgame.

How Baekhyun got all of that from one conversation that consisted of,

“Here’s your mail. I’m Baekhyun by the way.” 

“Oh thanks. I’m Chanyeol and I’m running late but it’s nice to meet you!”

And several hours worth of peeking through his bedroom window and watching Chanyeol go out for his daily morning run (6 AM every fucking day but the sight of Chanyeol’s broad shoulders and nice ass makes up for Baekhyun’s eyebags) —

is beyond Baekhyun.

He wouldn’t go as far as to call himself delusional. Whipped? Sure. Simping over a stranger? Alright, that’s fair. But in love? That’s going a little too far. 

But Baekhyun wouldn’t mind trying that route, he wouldn’t mind some hand holding and kissing and touching. But he’s gonna need more than just one conversation to get started on that path. 

Maybe I should invite him to the office party, Baekhyun thinks to himself as he tries to subtly gaze behind him to stare at Chanyeol’s lit home.

He just wants to see the lights, he’s definitely not trying to look for any signs that Chanyeol is home. 

He has to admit, Chanyeol’s home was cutely decorated as well. 

There is an excessive amount of lawn decorations that light up, almost crowding the entire lawn and not really coordinating. 

For example, there are four santa LED light up figures. There is Hawaii Santa, Santa with a guitar, Santa riding a sled and Santa next to penguins. Along with the colorful lights on his bushes, Chanyeol had put up some colorful, snowflake roof top lights that clashed slightly with the light up stocking hanging above the entrance of his home. 

There isn’t an overall theme and it’s a bit messy but it’s… endearing. Cute.

As if Chanyeol couldn’t control his excitement when decorating. 

Baekhyun notices that the lights on the two story are on and he spins back towards his home, his ears warm despite the cold weather scratching his face.

He hadn’t noticed the light before, if he had, he wouldn't have spun around. Fuck, what if Chanyeol saw Baekhyun staring at his home and thinks Baekhyun is a stalker??

God, just walk away Baek, he tells himself. 

Baekhyun casually walks back to the entrance of his home, grabbing the empty light boxes on the way over. Chanyeol most likely didn’t see Baekhyun but it's better to just play it off (yes Baekhyun suffers from overthinking things, he’s working on it).

Baekhyun enters his and Sehun’s home and he’s hit with warm air. 

The warmth wraps itself around his body so nicely that Baekhyun really doesn’t want to go back outside.  But as he closes the door behind him, the sun is already fading against the dark canvas, limiting his time. 

Baekhyun sighs, not really wanting to go and coax Sehun to help him out but he doesn’t want to die either. Which is what will happen if he’s idiotic enough to go up the roof by himself. 

Baekhyun makes his way into the kitchen, spotting Sehun standing next to the stove, hip cocked to the side as he watches Vampire Diaries from his laptop that was sitting on the kitchen counter.  

At least he kept his promise, Baekhyun thinks, glancing at the pot full of half melted chocolate. 

“Done already?” Sehun asks, eyes still on his laptop. 

“Not yet,” Baekhyun replies, feeling sweat starting to gather up near the collar of his jacket. At least his fingers are starting to get some life back into them. 

Sehun sighs lightly before reaching over and clicking on the space button, pausing the show. As he turns off the stove he says, “You need help, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says, wondering if he’s going to have to bargain his soul. 

That doesn’t end up being the case because Sehun simply tells Baekhyun to wait while he changes.

“Wait,” Baekhyun says to Sehun’s retreating back. “You’re being weird.”

Sehun turns around with a pout. “I’m just trying to help!”

Baekhyun shakes his head. “Nope, you’re acting sus. You don’t do things unless I bribe you. What are you up to?”

“Nothing!” His friend says, an innocent expression.

Only Baekhyun has known Sehun for six years now and he easily calls bullshit. 

“I’ll tell you outside,” Sehun tells him, “Besides weren’t you on my ass that we had to finish before the sun goes down?” 

Baekhyun bristles. “I was not!”

“You were,” Sehun argues back.

Baekhyun sighs, his layers of clothing starting to feel uncomfortable in the warm home.

“Whatever, just hurry up.” He thinks for a moment. “Why can’t you just tell me now?”

“Because you might get mad and because I have longer legs, I can outrun you and lock you outside so you don’t kill me.”

“What?!”

Sehun says nothing, he just turns around and walks down the hall to his room.

Baekhyun debates whether or not he should chase after his roommate but decides against it. If Sehun really fucked him over, he’ll just shake the ladder as he climbs down from the roof. 

The snow should break his fall. 

“Oh fuck, fuck fuck fuck,” Baekhyun mutters under his breath, feeling his entire body tremble as he grips onto the ladder with his entire strength. 

“Hyung just go!” Sehun yells from the ground.

“Shut up!” Baekhyun yells back without looking down, he can’t look down or else he’ll freak himself out even more. “Are you even holding the ladder steady??”

“Yes!!”

Baekhyun swallows dryly, feeling the cold breeze pinch his nose, his cheeks, his lips. He tightens his hold around the ladder to the point where it’s starting to hurt.

He’s only half way up, face to face with the wood boards just above the window. He’s too scared to look up and see how far away the roof is, worried he’ll break concentration and fall. 

He had to go up instead of Sehun because he was right when he said he couldn’t go up. The slope of the roof is smaller than what it looks like when looking up and despite having a rather flat roof, the actual support of it is too small for Sehun. 

So it had to be Baekhyun.

At the time, as he looked up from the safety of the ground, it hadn’t looked too high. And maybe it’s not but it feels like it is. 

Baekhyun tries to calm down his violently beating heart, letting out the breath he had been holding. It’s cold enough that he can see it in front of him and he can feel snowflakes on his hair. 

“Baekhyun?” Sehun calls up, a concerned tilt to his voice this time. “Do you want to come down?”

Pride joins the cold in biting Baekhyun’s features. “No it’s okay!”

And to prove that it is, Baekhyun takes a deep breath and forces his quivering bones to move.

He doesn’t think twice, gripping on the ladder as hard as he can, climbing up the ladder he swears he can feel shaking underneath him. 

The relief that floods his system when he reaches the edge of the rooftop is overwhelming.

Taking in a deep breath, Baekhyun places his bare palms down on top of the rooftop, a few inches away from the edge, his coat padded stomach pressing against it. There isn’t any ice or too much snow but the raw feeling of coldness against his palms, around his bare face caused his bones to jolt. 

Baekhyun is a little worried, he knows he’s supposed to hoist himself up there but he knows his arms and upper body aren’t strong enough for that. Shit, the last time he went to the gym was in highschool.  

“Fuck,” Baekhyun mutters under his breath, if only to relief some of the tension growing within him.

If he slips, he hopes Sehun is fast enough to catch him but Baekhyun honestly wouldn’t count on it.

Making sure his half-frozen hands have a semi-good grip on whatever material the roof is made of, Baekhyun hoists himself up, using the momentum to place his knee and then another up on the roof. 

With a triumph grin, Baekhyun quickly stands up, steadying himself. His hands are extended as an attempt to gain balance and there are faint wet spots on his knees from the melted snow but he’s alive. 

“Okay, toss me the lights!” Baekhyun shouts, leaning forward a little to look down at Sehun. “But be gentle or they’ll break!”

“Wait, Baek, let me tell you something first!” Sehun shouts back.

“Right now? REALLY?” Baekhyun yells, biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from shivering. Snow slowly starts to build up around him. “Can’t it wait? I’m freezing my ass off!”

“Don’t get mad at me but—” Sehun hesitates a bit. 

Baekhyun is getting impatient, more annoyed at the fact that he has to stand on a roof, with no gloves or a warm hat while snow is pouring down, than the fact that Sehun might have done something horrible. 

“But what?”

Sehun smiles reluctantly. “I invited Chanyeol to your office party.”

“YOU DID WHAT?” Baekhyun screams, choking on the cold air around him. “I– why—! Why would you do that!?”

He’s very tempted to jump down and strangle Sehun, the little shit doesn’t even look guilty.

He’s grinning and looking as if he’s holding back laughter. Baekhyun gapes down at Sehun, still registering what he had said, snow on his blonde hair, fingers cramping slightly. 

He glances towards Chanyeol’s home across the street and back down to Sehun. “When did you even talk to him?”

“That’s the best part out of all of this!” Sehun shouts, lips stretching fully into a grin. “He came over! When you were out shopping and he asked—”

“Wait, wait!” Baekhyun tries to hush Sehun, looking at Chanyeol’s home again. “Don’t just yell it out! What if he hears you?”

Eyes wide, Sehun looks over his shoulder. “Oh shit, I think he’s home too!”

“Oh my god, Sehun just shut up!!” Baekhyun whisper-shouts, heart pounding from the cold and the contradicting warmth that swells within his chest. 

If Chanyeol came over, then he could have been looking for Baekhyun right? He— He might be interested in Baekhyun too—

No, maybe you’re just overthinking this, Baekhyun thinks, biting down on his bottom lip briefly. 

“Don’t tell me to shut up!” Sehun says, albeit lower. “I set you up on a date! You should thank me!!” 

“You don’t even work there! How can you invite him over?” Baekhyun ignores the pull the word date did on his poor heart. 

“I’m your guest and he’s my guest.” Sehun shouts back, shaking off the snow that had built up on his shoulders. 

“I never invited you??”

“You know I was going to go with or without you,” Sehun pouts. “I never got your co-workers number from the Thanksgiving party and you won’t give it to me!”

“I told you, I don’t have Kyungsoo’s number! He doesn’t want me to text him!” Baekhyun yells down, slightly hurt.

True, he sometimes bothers Kyungsoo when he’s bored or procrastinating from work but he wouldn’t spam that much. 

“This isn’t the point!” Baekhyun says, feeling snow falling on his outstretched, bare hands. “The point is that you invited Chanyeol to the party and— and I haven’t even spoken to him properly!” 

“The party isn’t for a few days, just come up with some excuses to hang out with him!” Sehun shouts, shifting from one leg to another. 

“Don’t you think I would have done that already??” Baekhyun sighs. “I don’t even know if he likes men!” 

Sehun didn’t say anything he just let out a soft “Oh,” that Baekhyun barely heard. 

“See?” Baekhyun sighs. “Look, it’s fine, I’ll go talk to him tomorrow about the party. Let’s just finish stringing the lights.”

“Baek, I’m sorry, I didn’t really think about that...” Sehun looks guilty. “I was just excited that he came over and asked about you—”

“It’s okay.” Baekhyun tells him.

He doesn’t like the guilty tone shaped around Sehun’s words. He doesn’t like the awkward feeling that has suddenly molded itself around them.

“Just toss me the lights.”

Thankfully Sehun does as he was told. Baekhyun watches as Sehun rolls the string of lights tightly, thinking about what had just happened. 

It was always something he wonders about, whether Chanyeol liked men or not.

It’s something Baekhyun is always cautious of and he often looks over at Chanyeol’s home to see a pride flag or anything that indicates it’s alright for Baekhyun to take more daring steps. It’s alright if Chanyeol is straight, of course it is, it’s just—

Baekhyun doesn’t want to make Chanyeol feel uncomfortable or anything. 

Baekhyun bites the inside of his cheek, thinking, watching as Sehun bundles up another string of lights together. 

He knows Sehun meant well and he appreciates his best friend's efforts. Besides it’s not the end of the world, who knows, maybe Chanyeol does like men and maybe he is interested in Baekhyun.

He just has to… go over and get to know him. Easier said than done but Baekhyun really wants to put an effort this time. 

He’s lonely, he wants to see if being in love is all it’s hyped up to be and he definitely wouldn’t mind if he got to experience it with his neighbor. 

“Ready?” Sehun calls out from below.

“Yeah!” Baekhyun shifts carefully closer to the edge, hands still outstretched in front of him.

His ears feel numb, the cold pressing against his skin. He wiggles his fingers, trying to feel his joints. 

Sehun pulls his arms back, a single strand of lights in his hands. He tosses the strand and Baekhyun moves forward to catch it. He catches it with one hand, holding onto the plastic string of light bulbs tightly. 

“Caught it!” Baekhyun yells, trying to keep his stance steady. He starts to carefully and slowly pull up the bundle of lights, cold prickling his skin as he tries to not slip off the roof. 

And then his fingers, numb from the cold, somehow don’t get a good grip on the string of lights. 

“Shit,” Baekhyun mutters when the lights slip from his grasp. 

Without thinking he reaches forward, moving without looking at where the ice is, where the snow is and before the fading sun can gasp, Baekhyun slips.

With fear gripping the base of his spine tightly, Baekhyun reaches out and manges to hold onto the edge of the roof, sticking his foot out instinctively. The base of his shoe hits the edge as well, stopping him from sliding completely off of the roof. 

Maybe Baekhyun can get up, if he’s careful enough but the only thing he can think of is how violent the cold snow feels against his bare hands, the feeling of his rib cage shaking from the panicked beating of his heart. 

“Sehun!” Baekhyun yells in a panicked and frightful voice, “Sehun come help me!!”

Baekhyun thinks he hears Sehun say shit!

but it’s really hard to focus on anything other than the deafening beating of his heart and the harsh grip the cold has on his hands. His jeans feel wet, probably from the snow and Baekhyun closes his eyes, forcing himself to breath in and out.

When he opens his eyes again, he sees the ladder shifting slightly. A moment later, orange hair peaks up. 

Sehun climbs to the last limb before hosting himself up. He manages to stand, hands out as he tries to balance himself. 

“Be careful!” Baekhyun tells him, noticing how close Sehun’s feet were to the edge. 

But there is really nothing that can be done, the flat part of the roof where one can stand is small and Baekhyun is already taking up more than half of it. Baekhyun tries to think of solutions but his thoughts are cut short when his foot slips a little. 

Baekhyun shifts down slightly but it’s enough to send his heart into a frenzy. 

“What do we do??” Sehun asks, worried, face flushed. 

“I-I don’t know!”

“Okay, uh, I’ll try to drag you over here, okay?” Sehun crouches slightly but he’s so dangerously close to the edge so Baekhyun tries to think of another alternative. 

“Wait! Wait, I’ll try to get closer!”

Baekhyun looks down to his hands, his fingers clutching so hard onto the roof's edge that he fears his fingers will take on that shape for the rest of his life.

With a shallow breath, Baekhyun tries to move to his left, closer to where Sehun is standing. He manages to move a little but the current position of his foot limits him from going any further. Shit.

Baekhyun turns to Sehun. “This is as far as I can go!”

“I can’t go any further!” Sehun tells him. “I might slip and then we’re both fucked!”

Stressed, Baekhyun looks around him, craning his neck as much as he possibly can. The slight curve of the roof made it hard for him to push himself upward.

He is about to just roll off the roof when he notices the string of lights caught underneath his legs. 

And so Baekhyun, being the genius that he is, asks, “What if I wrap myself up with the lights and you pull me towards you??”

And Sehun, being the genius that he is, replies with, “Wait that might actually work.”

This is a shitty idea, Baekhyun thinks as Sehun struggles to pull him across the snow filled roof top. 

Wrapping himself up with the string of lights had been relatively easily.

All Baekhyun had to do was carefully lift himself and wrap the lights snugly against his stomach. It had been a bit tricky because he didn’t want to let go of the edge, but it was done. 

But now, as his body is being slowly pulled, Baekhyun can see the flaws in his half thought-out plan. 

The major flaw being that Baekhyun is human and therefore does not weigh less than ten pounds. His weight paired with gravity and a single strand of Christmas lights wrapped around him—

“Sehun,” Baekhyun says nervously. “I don’t think— OH FUCK—!!”

“SHIT!”

Baekhyun finds himself stretching his hands to his sides, flailing, searching for anything, anywhere he can grab onto because he’s sliding down the angled roof and fuck fuck fuck he’s going to fall off—

A groan full of pulsating pain leaves Baekhyun’s lips but he looks past it as he tightens his leg around the corner of the roof.

He’s on his stomach, one leg over the edge of the roof, curled tightly around the edge so hard that he can feel the metal molding against his jeans. With one hand gripping the edge and the other hanging loosely over, Baekhyun registers that he’s half on the roof, half off. 

His heart is shaking with fear and his cheek is pressed against snow and rough material and his hands are freezing. Baekhyun can feel his fingers becoming numb and he knows if he lets go, he’ll fall. 

“Baekhyun!” Sehun calls, somewhere behind. “Fuck—  are you okay??”

NO I’M NOT OKAY! Baekhyun wants to yell but he’s too scared to open his mouth, too scared to do anything other than hold on for his life. 

And maybe Baekhyun will survive this, maybe he’ll be able to walk it off but how soft even is snow? And what if he lands on a rock or something? What if he breaks his leg or gets a concussion?

An ambulance ride to the hospital alone will break Baekhyun’s wallet. 

Baekhyun whimpers, feeling his legs start to shake and his body is numb and he can’t feel anything but the cold pinching his nose, his cheeks, his lips. He can’t feel anything but the absolute terror gripping him by his bones. 

And then Sehun says, “I’m going to get some help, hold on!!!! Wait, how do I get off?? I can’t climb down, the ladder will slip—”

Baekhyun swallows his fear and forces his still body to move.

“No, Baek stay still!” 

Baekhyun ignores Sehun and he brings his hanging arm towards the roof's edge. Now that he has a more steady grip, he manages to turn his body towards the roofs edge, facing the neighborhood and the snow falling and the now dark sky. 

Baekhyun breathes, his breath visible from the cold and he glances around the neighborhood.

There seem to be two homes with the lights on, Chanyeol’s and his next door

And because there is no way in hell he’ll allow his crush to see him like this, Baekhyun opens his mouth, ready to tell Sehun to ask for help from them. 

And then Sehun jumps off the roof. 

He jumps off the fucking roof.  

Baekhyun watches in shock as Sehun tumbles onto the ground, landing face first into snow.

Baekhyun is about to ask if his friend is alright when Sehun jumps up, snow sticking to his jacket and half of his face. He runs across the street with a slight limp, his strides awkward.

Baekhyun wants to laugh; there’s a bubble of laughter within his chest ready to burst but it’s overcome by the cold hugging his body tightly, the numbness of his fingers and leg. He grips onto the edge of the roof, scared and shivering.

He notices that Sehun is on Chanyeol’s heavily decorated lawn. 

“NO, NOT HIM!!” Baekhyun yells, his frozen mouth moving almost unnaturally, his bones tense from the cold and the threat of falling and hurting himself.

“GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!! SEHUN GO— oh for crying out loud!”

Baekhyun can feel his face warming up from the possible humiliation he’s about to go through. He understands he’s being a little bit dramatic right now but he is not going to let Chanyeol see him in this state. 

With more than half of his brain cells frozen, Baekhyun tries to move a bit, perhaps if he moves his leg a little he can stand up—

Baekhyun glances towards Chanyeol’s home, the sight of Sehun knocking furiously and then the front door opening lightly, penetrating his brain. There’s a choked breath stuck in his throat, full of apprehension and dread as he moves but he loses his grip somehow—

And he falls. 

It’s a striking feeling, falling. 

And maybe Baekhyun’s mind is wired differently but he doesn’t see his life flash before his eyes or anything like that.

All he feels is fear in its worst and rawest form as it fists his spine, threatening to shatter all of his bones; there’s a rush of air, deafening and then pain. 

A burst of pain on his side because he somehow manages to curl mid-air and he lands on his right side. Baekhyun cries out but the pain becomes dull, adrenaline maybe or the freezing snow taking over his senses. 

The urge to throw up from the pressure he feels in different parts of his body is shocking.  There is a ringing in his ears and his head hurts and he thinks he can hear Sehun yell but all Baekhyun can think is, fuck I hope I didn’t break my arm.  

Oh god, am I going to die from hypothermia?! is his next thought. 

Baekhyun struggles to breathe, his heart going on overdrive and his body feels numb, as if he’s not entirely there. 

The ringing in his ear dims enough for him to hear the sound of snow breaking underneath heavy steps. Baekhyun manages to roll onto his back, his breath struggling against his strained lungs. 

And Baekhyun’s heart stops.

Because Chanyeol is looking down at him and fuck he looks so— so ridiclously hot and handsome and ethereal with the snow falling softly around him, with his soft, fluffy hair framing his pretty, almond shaped eyes. 

Baekhyun feels Chanyeol’s warm and big hand against his cheek.

An unexpected warmth travels up his neck and settles on the tops of his cheeks and the tips of his fingers. 

The sound of concern wrapped in a deep honey voice falls, sinking into his frozen skin and he has the rather inappropriate urge to kiss his neighbor. 

“...not responding,” Chanyeol’s voice drifts into the forefront of Baekhyun’s subconsciousness.

His voice warms Baekhyun up and it’s smooth, like warm honey. 

“Baek?” Sehun calls out and it annoys Baekhyun.

He wants to tell Sehun to shut up, his ears are interested in Chanyeol’s voice only. 

“Maybe we should call an ambulance.” Chanyeol says, his voice caressing Baekhyun’s frozen face. He moves his hand away and Baekhyun desperately wants it back.

“You’re absolutely right, captain obvious.”  

The panic Baekhyun feels at the thought of having to pay ten grand for a fancy Uber ride shakes him out of whatever dazed limbo he’s feeling. 

“NO!” Baekhyun shouts, his voice, his lips feeling frozen. He becomes acutely aware of the fact that every inch of his body is being pricked by coldness. “T-Too expensive…”

God, he can’t stop shivering. 

“You’re right...” Chanyeol mutters, concern still on his handsome features. 

Hot neighbor gets it, Baekhyun thinks, teeth chattering.

Hot and smart? He has amazing taste in men. 

“Shit, he must be freezing!” Sehun mutters.

Baekhyun doesn’t know if it's him or the earth who is trembling. 

“Can you stand?” Chanyeol asks, worry wrapped gently around his words. 

Sehun, being the annoying best friend he is, says, “I think you should pick him up.”

“N-No—!” Baekhyun tries to say but his teeth won’t stop chattering and there’s a numb pain on his right arm but fuck Sehun why are you doing this—

Baekhyun’s thoughts are interrupted when he feels strong, strong, arms slide underneath his backside.

His heart is stuck in his throat, beating harshly as Chanyeol lifts him up effortlessly.

“Hold on to me.” The words, grasping onto a devastatingly deep and smooth voice, warm Baekhyun, making him feel as if he ate five summer days. 

Not one to miss a glorious opportunity, Baekhyun does just that. 

He wraps his arms around Chanyeol’s neck, holding on tightly. Chanyeol feels steady, strong; Baekhyun can feel his strength from underneath the jacket he wishes wasn’t there. 

He breathes in and he is filled with the smell of aftershave and a hint of pine, the smell dancing in his lungs, stomping away at the oxygen. 

If given the opportunity, Baekhyun would live off of Chanyeol’s warm scent and strength. 

He presses closer against his neighbor’s chest, feeling the slight sway of Chanyeol walking, the sound of snow being crushed underneath his shoes.

He wants to press his face into the curve of Chanyeol’s neck, maybe press a soft kiss there.

Many, many kisses.

But he controls himself, this isn’t the time. 

Baekhyun suddenly realizes this may be the only time he could be pressed against Chanyeol. Half-frozen, teeth chattering lightly. Definitely not looking his best. 

Embarrassment warms up his hands and Baekhyun tightens his arms around his hot neighbor. 

“Can you open the door?” Chanyeol asks, presumably to Sehun. 

Baekhyun’s heart jerks, god his voice is so deep and he swears he felt Chanyeol’s chest rumble, like thunder. 

Still, he knows it’s time for this wonderful feeling of being held to end so he forces himself to lift his head from Chanyeol’s sturdy pecs. 

“Y-You can let go of me now,” Baekhyun mutters, thankfully the chattering of his teeth has decreased slightly. 

“What if you trip? No, I think it’s best to lay him on the couch,” Sehun says from somewhere behind Chanyeol.

“Okay,” Chanyeol replies in his deep, warm voice. 

Baekhyun makes a mental note to give Sehun a best friend award. 

Happy to spend a few seconds in Chanyeol’s arms, Baekhyun breathes in his neighbor’s natural scent. He’s determined to memorize this feeling and tuck it in his pocket. 

It didn’t last long, those seconds didn’t stretch as much as Baekhyun had desperately hoped they would. 

Chanyeol reaches the old couch and leans down carefully, hovering above it. Reluctantly, Baekhyun lets go as he is gently laid on the couch. 

For a moment or two, Chanyeol’s face hovers close to his and he feels a faint warmth settling on his cheek bones. Chanyeol holds Baekhyun’s gaze for a moment, he holds his trembling heart for a simple second. 

Chanyeol blinks and he gives Baekhyun the tiniest of smiles.

Baekhyun takes it greedily.  

“How do you feel?” He asks softly, concern settling prettily on his features.

“I’m cold…” Baekhyun murmurs, noting his voice comes out swaying. He shivers, and wraps his arms around his torso. “I’ll feel better soon, I just need to warm up…”

Chanyeol leans back, taking his warmth, his strength with him. Baekhyun resists the urge to grab him by the jacket collar and pull him down. 

“Do you have any hot packs?” Chanyeol asks Sehun.

Sehun shakes his head. “No but I can turn up the heat?”

“That won’t be enough,” Chanyeol glances down at Baekhyun. 

Baekhyun suddenly realizes how ugly he must look right now. He bites the inside of his cheek, self-conscious, despite the fact that half of his body is numb from the cold. 

“I think I have some at my house,” Chanyeol says to no one in particular. “I’ll go grab them.” He looks back down at Baekhyun. His gaze is soft with worry. He looks so handsome when he’s worried.

“You should change,” He tells Baekhyun deeply, softly. 

Baekhyun is too occupied with the pounding of his heart and the feeling of flower petals dancing in his lungs to notice when Chanyeol finally leaves. 

It’s only when Sehun lets out a scream when he is jolted back to reality.

The reality in which he can’t feel his fingers or toes but he can feel the hurtful trembling of his heart. 

“Oh my god!!” Sehun yells, rushing towards Baekhyun with an excited look on his face.

“Why are you yelling?” Baekhyun asks, trying to sit up. 

“Because he’s so fucking hot!” Sehun whisper-screams. He helps Baekhyun sit upright as he says, “Did you see how he looked at you?? Baekhyun, so help me god, if you don’t make a move, I will!”

Baekhyun fights a war with the warmth traveling up to his face. He loses. 

“You’re just imagining things,” He says, avoiding Sehun’s earnest eyes.

“Like hell I am!” Sehun all but yells. “He’s interested in you! Why else would he look at you with such—” He seems to search for the right word. “Just trust me, Baek!”

“He’s just helping out his neighbor.” Baekhyun remembers that Sehun fell off the roof too and so he asks, “Are you alright? I saw you were walking with a limp.”

Sehun waves it off easily, “Yeah, I’m fine, I used to do rock climbing remember? I know how to fall off without hurting myself.” 

Sehun stands up, pulling on Baekhyun’s arm. “Come on, we have to get you out of this. Change into your silky pajamas! The ones that cost like your whole paycheck!”

“Why would I do that?? Those are for a special occasion!” Baekhyun forces himself to rise. There is a weird sensation on his legs but he ignores it. 

“Isn’t this one?” Sehun runs a hand through Baekhyun’s hair, pushing it away from his forehead. “You look really pale, you should put on some foundation. Lip tint maybe?”

Baekhyun swats Sehun’s hand away. “I nearly got hypothermia, sorry if I don’t look like I spent the whole summer at Santa Monica. And lip tint? Really? I’m not trying to come off as desperate!”

“But you are desperate.” Sehun tells him. “And I can’t blame you, those arms.”

“Fuck you.” Baekhyun mutters. “I’m not about to get all dolled up for some random guy!”

“Chanyeol’s not some rando,” Sehun replies. “He’s the hot neighbor you’ve been crushing over god knows how long.” He shrugs. “Besides he saved your life, he deserves to look at something pretty don’t you think? And you are very, very close to pretty.” 

“Ha ha.” Baekhyun says dryly, making his way towards the hall.

He walks in a stiff manner. The snow on his clothes has melted quickly and now his jacket, jeans and long sleeve cling to him. The feeling of wet socks is absolutely horrible. 

Baekhyun reaches his room and with a slightly trembling hand turns the knob. He isn’t as cold as before but he can’t stop shivering. 

He doesn’t bother closing the door and flicks on the lights. 

Has his room always looked this messy? Baekhyun bites down on his lips, having the sudden urge to clean.

It’s ridiculous. It’s not like Chanyeol is going to somehow end up here. Baekhyun can barely move his legs, much less spread them and wrap them around Chanyeol’s waist–

Baekhyun pushes those thoughts away. 

He makes his way towards his dresser, looking through his old shirts and sweatpants messily. He glances towards his closest where the pair of nice, silk and hardly worn pajamas are neatly stored. 

He plays around with the idea of wearing them. 

But in the end, he changes quickly into a worn out t-shirt with Prison Mike on the front and some reindeer leggings. 

He’s about to leave when, at the last minute, he goes to his vanity and quickly presses some lip tint onto his lips. 

Baekhyun goes into the kitchen where Sehun is standing in front of the stove. 

Sehun glances up and looks at his mouth. His expression turns smug.

“Don’t start,” Baekhyun warns, sitting on one of the table chairs. His joints feel tense and he still feels like his legs are detached from him. 

The sound of the doorbell ringing fills the house.

Sehun goes to open the door and Baekhyun adjusts his posture. His heart threatens to do a cartwheel and knock out his lung. 

He tells himself not to overplay it, to not hope for anything more, that Chanyeol is just being kind. 

But it’s hard when Chanyeol rushes straight to Baekhyun with an expression so worried and concerned that Baekhyun’s heart aches.

There’s just something about a big, muscular man tripping over himself to make sure he’s okay that has Baekhyun flustered. 

A little bit in love, if you will. 

“Feeling better?” Chanyeol breathes out, eyebrows strung together.

“Yes, I can feel my toes now.” Baekhyun wiggles his toes, the corgi’s on his socks dancing slightly from the movement. 

Chanyeol chuckles. “Cute socks.”

“Thanks,” Baekhyun murmurs. He wants to hear that sound again, he wants to fill his lungs with the deep, warm sound of Chanyeol’s laugh. 

“I brought some hot packs for your chest, stomach and legs,” Chanyeol swings the backpack he had swung over his shoulder in front of his chest. “Can I sit?”

Baekhyun nods, “Yes, of course.”

Chanyeol reaches over and pulls another chair close to him and, to Baekhyun’s surprise, sits in front of him. 

Chanyeol digs through his backpack, his knees brushing lightly against Baekhyun’s. 

“Do you want some hot cocoa, Chanyeol?” Sehun asks though there really is no point because he’s holding three mugs in his hands. 

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble…” Chanyeol replies, glancing at Baekhyun.

Sehun flashes him a grin. “Of course not! I’m sure Baekhyun would like to enjoy your company for as long as possible.”

Baekhyun glares at Sehun over Chanyeol’s shoulder. Whatever happened to subtlety? 

Chanyeol chuckles again, embarrassed. 

Baekhyun tries not to read into it. 

His neighbor faces him again, this time handing over a stick on hot pack. “This one is meant for your chest, I’ll give you the other one when you’re done putting it on.” 

“Thanks,” Baekhyun murmurs as he takes it into his hand. It’s warm but not as warm as his face as he thinks about lifting his shirt. 

He isn’t overly insecure but there's still a reluctance in his bones. He would gladly lift his shirt up in different circumstances of course. Just not right now in the middle of the kitchen. Though kitchen sex isn’t something he’d exactly shy away from. 

Shut up! Baekhyun thinks to himself, peeling back the paper. 

When Chanyeol is distracted with taking out the rest of the supplies, Baekhyun quickly reaches underneath his shirt and sticks the hot pack on his left side, careful to avoid his nipple. 

“Here’s the other one,” Chanyeol says, another hot pack in his hand. He looks calm, casual. 

Baekhyun reminds himself that once again, he is reading too much into everything. What happened to not overplaying the situation?

 “I don’t know if Sehun told you but I came by earlier.” Chanyeol says, after Baekhyun has two hot backs on his chest and one on his back. 

Baekhyun glances over at Sehun who looks very occupied with counting marshmallows. 

“Yeah he told me. Before I fell off the roof,” Baekhyun says, though he isn’t quite sure why he added the last part.

“Oh about that, how's your arm?” Chanyeol asks, worried.

Baekhyun instinctively grabs onto his right arm. “It’s fine, I hardly feel anything now.”

“That’s good,” Chanyeol offers him a relieved smile. 

“Hey, I forgot something in my room, I’ll be back!” Sehun says suddenly and he rushes out of the kitchen. Baekhyun doesn’t miss the sly grin on his face and he doesn’t know if he should thank Sehun or hate him for being so obvious.

Baekhyun glances at Chanyeol nervously. “So… what did you want to tell me?” 

Chanyeol looks shy suddenly. Bashful, nervous. Cute. 

“I know we haven’t really talked and I’ve wanted to a lot of times but work was hectic. But… ” Chanyeol looks away for a moment and Baekhyun notices there is a faint shade of pink blooming prettily against golden skin. 

“But…?” Baekhyun encourages him. 

He feels a swell in his chest, warm and hopeful because he thinks Chanyeol wants to ask him out but again, he doesn’t want to think too much into it, he doesn’t want to set himself up for disappointment–

“I was wondering if you wanted to hang out sometime?” Chanyeol asks, his deep voice catching a little at the end. His attractive features are graced with hope. 

And Baekhyun, because he doesn’t want to assume things, asks, “As friends?”

He understands that isn’t what Chanyeol had in mind when he sees his crestfallen expression. 

Chanyeol looks hurt and he seemingly tries to play it off by saying, “Yeah, I mean that– that could work as well–”

“Wait–” Baekhyun tries not to trip over his words as he says, “Did– Did you mean as a date?”

“Yes,” Chanyeol admits. “But if you want to start off as friends, that’s alrigh–”

“I would love to go on a date with you.” Baekhyun breathes out. His heart is beating violently against his ribs and there are thousands of butterflies in his chest. 

Chanyeol grins, full of relief and delight. 

Oh my god he has dimples, Baekhyun thinks, flustered as something that feels like scorching honey splashes against his twirling heart. 

“I was thinking we could go ice skating?” Chanyeol offers a soft tilt to his voice.

Baekhyun nods enthusiastically and says “Yes that sounds like fun!” despite the fact that he’s only ice skated a handful of times. But he doesn’t mind if he falls on his ass a couple of times, it could give him an excuse to cling onto Chanyeol. 

They both grin at each other, and Baekhyun’s eyes are professional thieves, stealing the sight of deep dimples, eye smiles and the light red hue on Chanyeol’s ears. He tucks away the image of this handsome man in front of him, fully intending on holding it close to his heart later. 

“Do you have a specific date in mind?” Baekhyun asks eagerly. 

Chanyeol moves a little bit closer, knees brushing against Baekhyun’s. “Your office party is this Friday, so I was thinking before that?” 

“Oh right the Christmas party!” Baekhyun bites in the inside of his cheek. “You don’t have to attend if you don’t want to, especially since Sehun kinda forced it on you.” 

“I want to,” Chanyeol tells him. “I want to spend as much time as I can with you.”

And Baekhyun can feel his heart careening out of control, gone completely off track by the sincerity and warmth within Chanyeol’s voice. The faint fondness in his eyes.  

“Me too,” he breathes out. 

And Baekhyun wishes he could control time and say that over and over again because the smile Chanyeol gives him– god he doesn’t understand why he hasn’t evaperated into nothingness yet. 

He’s never felt like this before; hopeful, stuffed full of clouds and star light. 

Baekhyun wants to feel like this for a long, long time and he thinks he will experience a lifetime of it with Chanyeol. 

Maybe he’s getting ahead of himself but fuck, Baekhyun is so sure about this. 

He’s so sure about Chanyeol. 

Baekhyun shivers underneath his jacket, curling his fingers within his gloves. 

A large hand covers his hands and Baekhyun looks up in surprise, heart doing a leap and a pirouette.  

“Cold?” Chanyeol asks, concern in the form of honey melting into his deep voice. 

“A little,” Baekhyun says, fighting a war with the rose petals trying to take over his cheeks. 

Chanyeol brings his other hand on top of Baekhyun’s and rubs them gently, obviously trying to generate some warmth and–

Fuck, the gesture is so sweet and Baekhyun really really really wants to kiss Chanyeol. 

But they’re standing in the middle of a line in front of the open skating ring. Not really the appropriate place, especially since Baekhyun fears he’ll collapse into a pile of bones and a convulsing heart. 

So he settles for a shy smile and “If you want to hold my hand, just say so.”

Chanyeol laughs, deep and rich, and his dimple flashes as his pretty eyes crinkle. 

Baekhyun grins and he has lost his ability to speak, to breathe or think anything that isn’t related to this wonderful, handsome man in front of him. 

“Cute,” Baekhyun says boldly. His smile widens when he sees the faint flustered look on Chanyeol’s face. 

The group of people in front of them moves forward and Baekhyun takes a step forward, hand still cradled to Chanyeol’s broad chest. Chanyeol continues to gently create friction with his own hands. Baekhyun feels his hand warming up and it feels nice, having his hand held like this. 

Being cared for like this. 

Later, when Chanyeol tucks both of their hands into his own jacket, fingers intertwining, Baekhyun’s heart is pounding so hard he’s sure it's a bleeding, pulsating mess. 

Cold air pinches Baekhyun’s cheeks and ears, a feeling he has gotten used to. 

And a feeling he definitely wants to feel for the rest of his life is the feeling of having his arm around Chanyeol’s waist. He’s pressed against his hot neighbour, literally a dream come true. 

There is a large hand on his waist, gentle as Chanyeol leads them from one point of the skating rink to another. 

Baekhyun loves the feeling of it, yet it seems fleeting, too light. Polite. 

And it’s only natural, it's their first date, Chanyeol isn’t going to push him up a wall and pound into him (though Baekhyun would not be opposed to that possibility). Still, it would be appreciated, being brought closer. 

So Baekhyun, being both dramatic and smart (at least smart enough to survive a fall from a rooftop), purposefully lands on the edge of his blade. 

And he starts to fall, face first into the ice. He instinctively holds tightly onto Chanyeol’s jacket, breath caught in his throat. 

Just as Baekhyun had expected, he had nothing to fear because Chanyeol instantly tightens  his grip on Baekhyun's waist. In one smooth, cinematic motion, Baekhyun finds himself pressed against Chanyeol tightly, hand on a broad chest. 

With the ringing of other skates hitting the ice and his pounding heart, Baekhyun looks up at Chanyeol. 

There it is again, that genuine, concerned look. 

Baekhyun’s heart sighs. 

He smiles, purposefully embarrassed. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Chanyeol says immediately, soft and deep. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun steadies himself, still leaning against Chanyeol, still pressing his hand against a broad, strong chest. 

He may have overdone it with shaking slightly as he straightened up, blades and knees a little wobbly but it’s okay because the hand on his waist tightens delightfully. 

“It’s like you have a tendency to fall,” Chanyeol murmurs, slowly skating forward, arms still around Baekhyun. 

“Good thing you’re always there to catch me,” Baekhyun replies easily, happy to be pressed closer against Chanyeol.

The man whom he wants to fall in love with. 

“I didn’t catch you when you fell from the roof,” Chanyeol points out, guiding them slowly across the ice. 

“Yeah well, if our kids ask, you did.” Baekhyun says without thinking but the moment those words fall out of his lips, he tenses. 

“So we’re going to teach our kids to lie?” Chanyeol replies easily, looking down at Baekhyun with amusement flickering against the dark canvas of his eyes. 

“It’s for the sake of our romance story,” Baekhyun points out, relieved that he hadn’t scared Chanyeol away. “Don’t you think it would be romantic if I fell for you twice and you caught me both times? It’s straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie.”

“You make a great point,” Chanyeol says seriously. His ears are red from the cold. Cute. “If that’s the route we’re going, then we have to have our first kiss underneath the mistletoe.”

“Sure,” Baekhyun says, pressing closer to Chanyeol to avoid a passing kid. “When should we do it? Does Friday work for you?”

Chanyeol pouts. 

Oh God, he’s adorable , Baekhyun thinks and his dancing heart agrees. So do the thousands of butterflies in his chest. 

“You don’t want to kiss me sooner?” Chanyeol asks, lips pouting. 

Baekhyun, awed and very much drowning in warmth and affection towards this man, says almost breathlessly, “There isn’t any mistletoe here.”

“What a shame,” Chanyeol mutters, slowing down their skating a bit. He gazes down at Baekhyun with a flicker of warmth in his eyes. “I really want to kiss you right now.”

“You can’t say things like that,” Baekhyun tells him softly, “and not expect me to actually fall for you.”

“Maybe that’s what I want.” Chanyeol murmurs, building a bridge in between their eyes. “Maybe I want to fall for you too.”

“Maybe?” Baekhyun asks teasingly, as if he isn’t suffocating by the feeling of supernovas exploding in his ribcage. 

“I like you, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol’s deep voice travels throughout Baekhyun’s bones. “You don’t have to say it back but... I want to be with you. ”

“Me too—” Baekhyun glances at Chanyeol’s lips briefly. There is a warm, overwhelming wave of softness crashing over him. “I want to be with you as well.”

Chanyeol smiles, devastatingly handsome and warm. Gentle. Like the way he promises to hold Baekhyun’s heart. 

And he does hold Baekhyun’s heart gently.

Just like how he gently holds Baekhyun’s face, cradling it with his large, warm palms outside of Baekhyun’s door step, gazing down at him with unwavering tenderness and fondness. 

“That’s new,” Baekhyun had said, pointing at the mistletoe hanging from above the door step. 

“Did you text Sehun to hang it up before I dropped you off?” Chanyeol had asked with an amused grin. 

Baekhyun had tried to swallow down a blush. “No! I’m not that desperate.”

“But you are desperate?”

“Oh shut up,” Baekhyun had mumbled and pushed Chanyeol away. 

And yet, here they are. 

Chanyeol gently caresses Baekhyun’s cheekbones with his thumb, affection in every swipe, in every inch of the soft smile he’s offering. 

Baekhyun of course, takes it, he takes everything he can but he’s impatient and so he asks softly, “What are you waiting for?”

“You’re incredible,” Chanyeol murmurs in his honey rich voice. “Is it okay if I call you pretty?”

“Yes,” Baekhyun breathes out, hands tightening around the tallers jacket. 

“You’re so pretty. Absolutely gorgeous.” Chanyeol tells him deeply, sincere. 

Baekhyun’s lips quirk up. “You’re not bad either, handsome.” 

He glances towards plush lips before meeting rich, kind eyes once more. He pouts slightly. 

“Can you kiss me now?”

Chanyeol’s answer is to dip down gently and press his lips against Baekhyun’s. 

The kiss is soft, it’s bursting with something that threatens to break open Baekhyun’s heart and the sky. Lips works against each other, soft, taking and giving and it’s not perfect, first kisses rarely are, teeth clashing slightly but–

But it leaves Baekhyun shaking. It leaves him with the feeling of soft, soft explosions. 

It leaves him with the vulnerable feeling of falling in love.