Pop! (Goes Your Cherry) for Everyone (2)
Kris can't concentrate. At all.
He's been trying to grade his students' papers for the past hour or so, trying to get as much work done as he possibly can before they can even start piling up on him once again. But, unfortunately, all he's done so far is spend twice his usual amount of time on every single paper, alternating between checking it and staring blankly at the answers written for every number.
Kris can't really blame it on Baekhyun's presence anymore. After they've spent that entire night just talking and drunkenly laughing their asses off at each other's life stories, everything has gotten considerably better and more comfortable between them. Baekhyun being in his apartment, in his personal space, is now a familiar sight for him, one that doesn't make him as nervous and helpless as before but still causes his heart to beat erratically inside his chest.
Subtly, Kris allows himself to take a quick peek at him again. Baekhyun had insisted that he wanted to grade papers as well if Kris would allow him, thinking it would be rude to stay in his apartment and not do anything else. Kris had told him it was fine, that Baekhyun could just entertain him with stories and jokes while he was doing all the work, but Baekhyun didn't want any of that.
In the end, Kris had given in, handing Baekhyun a bunch of papers for him to check and grade.
Baekhyun seems to be doing a much better job than he is, already getting halfway through the papers Kris had given him a while ago. Kris grimaces. If anything, Baekhyun is proving to be more of a big help than a distraction but Kris had been so pre-occupied about other things that he didn't even notice Baekhyun already running miles ahead of him.
"How did you manage to check a lot of papers already?" Kris still asks even though he already knows the answer. After all, he doesn't have anything but his lack of focus to blame.
"It's pretty easy?" Baekhyun answers. He's checking the last part of the paper in front of him, fingers quickly moving with every stroke. "Also, I'm sure you'd get a lot done if you just spend your time focusing your attention on these papers instead of me."
Kris tries not to get flustered by that offhanded comment. "Who said I was focusing my attention on you? I was only making sure you wouldn't mess the grading up."
Baekhyun snorts. "Yeah, right. Keep telling yourself that."
Kris only laughs. He thinks he's been doing that a lot these days, especially with Baekhyun around. "Hey, Baekhyun," he calls. Kris doesn't really know what he's doing but, somehow, Chanyeol's invitation keeps on popping in the forefront of his mind and Kris feels like this might just be as good a time as any to ask him.
"Hmm?"
Kris forcefully swallows his nerves down. "Do you want to go out with me next week?" And then, as if belatedly realizing that his question didn't sound quite as right as it had in his mind, Kris quickly adds, "I mean, with Chanyeol, Tao and Sehun, too. Because they all want to meet you. Tao and Sehun, I mean, because you obviously already know Chanyeol. But, of course, if you're busy, it's really okay if you don't-"
"Sure," Baekhyun answers, quickly cutting Kris's off in the middle of his rambling.
Kris only stares at Baekhyun, mouth hanging open in shock. It takes a few seconds before Kris finally gets his bearings back. "Um. Did you just say yes?"
"Yeah," Baekhyun says, laughing. "Why do you sound so surprised? Were you expecting me to reject your invitation?"
"Well, no..." In all honesty, Kris didn't know what he was expecting but it sure as hell not the easy yes that he just got from Baekhyun.
Baekhyun good-naturedly rolls his eyes Kris as he chuckles. "You don't sound very convincing," he tells Kris. "Anyway, here," Baekhyun says, suddenly shoving his phone into Kris's hands. Kris only looks at it, holds it tight between his fingers so he wouldn't do anything stupid like accidentally drop it to the ground or something. "Put your number in so it won't be hard for us to contact each other. You can just text me when and where we should meet and stuff."
Kris deftly punches in his number and saves it before he hands Baekhyun his phone back. It's a pretty terrible thought to have in mind, but Kris finds himself wondering if Baekhyun had saved the contact numbers of all those other people he'd slept with before. (Probably. Probably not. Why the fuck does he care so much, anyway?)
"So," Baekhyun goes, eyes shining with so much excitement. Seeing Baekhyun so obviously eager is enough for Kris to stop thinking about other things and just focus on the here and now. "Is there anything I should know about prior to meeting your friends?"
"What a waste of money. The Fast Five was obviously loads better than this installment," Tao complains as they leave the theatre.
Baekhyun, who's still practically vibrating from the adrenaline rush brought about by watching the movie, only scoffs at him. "Please. Major chase scenes involving military tanks? Gunfire? Cars dangling precariously from airplanes trying to ascend? Like you've ever seen another movie insane enough to try all of those stuff simultaneously."
"Furious Six might have raised the bar on the action sequences, but you've got to admit, that scene in the last franchise where they were dragging a bank vault down a crowded street was also pretty epic."
"Yeah, sure. Still, that doesn't immediately make Fast Five loads better than Furious Six."
Kris watches all of this unfold before his very eyes, feeling both amused and concerned for both Tao and Baekhyun. If there was one thing Kris had forgotten to tell Baekhyun before this, it's that Tao could get pretty stubborn when he's involved in an argument about something that he really loves.
"Whatever," Sehun suddenly interjects, "this movie still sucked." Tao beams at Sehun's rather blunt comment, obviously pleased that someone's siding with him in this silly argument.
...And that Sehun is also pretty biased with his opinion most of the time. (More like, almost all the time when Tao is concerned, actually.)
Baekhyun glares at him. "And how would you know that? You were practically sleeping halfway through the movie."
"I was not!" Sehun sputters, the lightest shade of pink blooming in his cheeks.
"You were!" Baekhyun insists. He then stops walking, pulls on Kris's hand and looks up at him with a frown marring his face. "You did see him drooling in his seat, too, didn't you?"
Kris opens his mouth to answer, only to close it again after a few seconds because he can't wrestle the words out from his throat even if he tries. Baekhyun is still patiently waiting for him to answer, his long, delicate fingers still wrapped around Kris's wrist. While Kris can confidently say that he's been getting more comfortable around Baekhyun lately, initiating physical contact with him is still a different matter altogether.
"He probably didn't because he was too busy staring at someone else," Chanyeol mutters, just loud enough for everyone to practically hear it. The guy walking closely beside him - Kyungsoo, as Kris remembers his name is - only smiles and if Kris didn't know any better, he could've sworn Chanyeol just made this soft, cooing sound at the back of his throat.
(If there was one more thing that Kris never got to mention, it's that all three people that Baekhyun would meet today were actually really sneaky, little shits in disguise. Nobody told Kris that this was actually a group date, and not just some pre-planned gathering for his friends to meet Baekhyun in person.)
Tao and Sehun only snicker. If Baekhyun knew exactly what they were talking about, he didn't show it. He suddenly becomes quiet at Kris's side after that, a complete change from how talkative and playful he had been earlier. It would've made Kris worry, honestly, but then he sees a hint of a smile playing on Baekhyun's lips and thinks, with something akin to relief, that maybe his friends haven't entirely fucked this up for him after all.
"So," Kyungsoo starts, getting everyone's attention, "does anyone know any good place around here where we could eat?"
In the end, it's Baekhyun who leads them to a little hole-in-the-wall bar and restaurant just a few blocks down the theatre. It's a cute and cozy establishment, one that Kris has actually heard of a few times from his other coworkers before but never really found the chance to check it out himself. The restaurant itself isn’t too big but, seeing the considerable number of patrons already occupying some of the tables inside, Kris can say it does sit quite a bit of people. Kris supposes it isn't really that surprising, though; the beautiful modern interior accented by retro-korean furnitures and light-bulb light fixtures make the place a suitable spot for dates and casual dining.
(For a second, Kris wonders if Baekhyun has ever brought other people here before and then realizes that it really isn't any of his business. He proceeds to squash that cruel thought away, feeling determined, yet again, not to think about anything else that can ruin his mood tonight.)
"Baekhyun?"
Baekhyun shifts in his seat, turning his attention to the owner of the voice who just called his name. Immediately, a beautiful smile lights his face up upon realizing who it is. "Luhan hyung!"
Luhan then goes and hugs Baekhyun so hard, arms wound tight around each other like the two haven't met in so many years. Kris doesn't know why looking at them stirs something odd and uncomfortable in his belly, why he finds himself trying so hard not to pay them any real attention, focusing instead on the food on his plate.
"Say, why don't you take the stage again tonight?" Luhan asks. "For old time's sake, you know."
That manages to catch Kris's attention. Subtly, he leans in, trying to listen in on their conversation as much as he can.
"Sure, I don't really mind," Baekhyun says, shrugging. "I don't have any songs prepared for tonight, though, hyung."
Luhan waves a dismissive hand at that. He seems a little happier after Baekhyun agreed, which makes Kris rather curious if this is actually a normal thing between the two of them. "It's fine! Just sing your usual songs. I'm pretty sure people will still love them, anyway."
It doesn't take much convincing for Baekhyun to finally step on the stage after that. Kris can tell that Baekhyun's not really a stranger when it comes to performing. It's clear in the way he stands in the middle of the platform, shoulders relaxed and head held high; in the way he holds the mic and sings every line of the song with so much passion, his emotions bleeding into every note he belts out; in the way Baekhyun manages to smile at the crowd even in between stanzas, his already beautiful smile looking even more attractive under the gentle shade of the spotlight.
Kris realizes that this is a side of Baekhyun that he hasn't seen yet and he makes sure to safely tuck this precious moment at the back of his mind. He doesn't ever want to forget it.
The crowd bursts into loud applause after Baekhyun's last song and it's enough to tear Kris away from his reverie. He looks down at his plate and suddenly becomes aware of the fact that he never once touched his food the whole time Baekhyun was up there on stage, singing his heart out.
"You were too busy watching him again," Chanyeol says, snickering, as if Kris needs any more reminder of what he'd been doing for the past forty minutes or so.
"Shut up," Kris grumbles. It's a weak comeback, obviously not enough to shut down any of Chanyeol's teasing that may further follow, but Kris doesn't have it in him to say anything else, not when Chanyeol just hit the bullet straight on with his observation.
It doesn't take long before Baekhyun is back in his seat, smiling indulgently at everyone around the table who compliments him after that rather spontaneous performance. Tao is especially gushing over Baekhyun and his voice, eyes almost twinkling with admiration as he perceives Baekhyun in a different light now. It makes Kris smile, heart warming up at the sight of his cousin, his very close family member, getting along pretty well with Baekhyun.
"So. Singing, huh?" Kris goes as soon as he gets the chance to talk to Baekhyun alone. He decides to bring the subject up casually, still feeling a bit cautious because Baekhyun has never mentioned anything about singing before. Kris fervently hopes he's not unconsciously crossing some kind of line between them.
Baekhyun hums. "I've always loved singing. Can't remember how young I was when I started but I remember really being into it way back in elementary school," Baekhyun offers as some sort of explanation. "Then it just turned into something that I was really passionate about," he shares, shrugging, like it's not a big deal. Kris can tell how it can possibly be an important part of Baekhyun's life, however, just by judging on the contented expression written all over Baekhyun's face when he was up there on stage.
"You were really good," Kris genuinely tells him. "You really surprised me tonight; I honestly didn't know you could sing that well."
Baekhyun only laughs, the sound immediately tugging Kris's lips into a smile. "Don't think for a second that you already know everything about me, Professor Kris Wu."
It's true; he probably doesn't. There are still so many things that he has yet to find out about Baekhyun and, for some unexplainable reason, Kris just catches himself wanting to know all of them.
Kris looks up at the menu hanging above the counter, frowning as he reads the names of all the coffees and drinks to himself for the umpteenth time that afternoon. He's not exactly a big fan of coffee but Baekhyun's been dragging him to all these quaint coffee shops in downtown Seoul lately and Kris, despite his earlier reluctance to try them out, still ends up buying a cup every single time.
"Have you decided on anything yet?" Baekhyun asks.
Kris shakes his head, still frowning. "I don't even have any idea which one of these is good." He turns to Baekhyun then, hoping the pathetic expression on his face can work in his favor. "Order for me?"
Baekhyun rolls his eyes at him. "Fine." Kris inwardly fistpumps. Despite the exasperation laced in his voice, Kris knows for a fact that Baekhyun secretly loves how Kris trusts him enough not to give him any weird drinks that he might not like.
The girl behind the counter takes their order, deftly punching the code into their POS system. Kris doesn't fail to notice the cute smile on her face when Baekhyun hands her the cash and it honestly takes everything in him not to snort too loudly. Baekhyun is charming, incredibly so. There's just something in him that people can't help but be attracted to and, more than anyone, Kris thinks he knows what it's like to be in that position.
"What's so funny?"
Kris blinks. Baekhyun's looking at him, an eyebrow raised in question. Kris didn't realize he's been smiling weirdly all this time, until Baekhyun actually pointed it out to him. Wow, he must really look dumb right now.
"Nothing," Kris says with a shake of his head. Baekhyun obviously doesn't believe him, just judging by the dubious look displayed on his face, but he doesn't push Kris to speak any further.
Thankfully, their orders are done just after a few minutes of waiting. It's the third coffee shop they've visited in a week and Kris knows by now that Baekhyun usually gets something cold and sweet for himself. So it takes him by complete surprise when Baekhyun takes a big, steaming hot cup of black coffee in his hands.
"Wasn't able to sleep at all last night," Baekhyun explains, as though he just heard what's been going on inside Kris's head. "And I don't want to fall asleep in the middle of our movie marathon so."
Kris wants to ask if it was because of work. Did he stay up late last night with some guy? Did they fuck the whole night? Was he gentle with Baekhyun? Does he have bruises? Is he hurting?
Kris shakes his head, desperately trying to rid the questions that fill his mind. He wants to know, but Kris stops himself from asking because the mere thought of Baekhyun answering him with a rather honest yes already sends an unreasonable feeling of rage down his spine. Rather than dwelling on it and making himself miserable, Kris forces a smile on his lips, hoping that the time he'll be able to spend with Baekhyun today can drive the horrible feeling away.
The walk from the coffee shop to Kris's apartment isn't that long, and they spend it in comfortable silence, just walking side by side, their own coffees in hand. It's nice being able to go out like this from time to time, Kris thinks. It's certainly different from hanging out in his apartment but, at the same time, it still kind of feels the same. Baekhyun is always good company, wherever or whenever it maybe.
"Do we have popcorn?" is the first thing that Baekhyun asks as soon as they arrive in Kris's apartment. He plops down on the couch, places his coffee on the living room table and proceeds to riffle through the stack of dvds that Kris had collected the night before.
"I don't think popcorn and coffee would go well together," Kris answers instead. Still, he heads straight to his little kitchen and searches through his cabinets, hoping to find at least one packet of popcorn lying around here somewhere. Or, if not, at least something edible they can eat.
"Popcorn can go well with anything," Baekhyun easily counters. "And, besides, what's a movie marathon without popcorn?"
Kris wants to say that it's really pointless to make enough popcorn for both of them to munch on if he's just going to end up eating the whole thing all by himself, anyway. Even with the caffeine in his system, Baekhyun still looks like he can actually fall asleep on his feet anytime soon and it worries Kris more than he can freely admit. He isn't sure if Baekhyun can even last through one movie alone.
"You know we can just do this another day, right?" Kris asks as he leans against the counter. He has an unopened packet of popcorn kernels in his hand, a hidden gem he miraculously found among rows and rows of canned goods in the last of his cabinets, but he isn't sure whether to cook it now or not.
"I know, but I don't want to."
"Baekhyun-"
"I've been looking forward to this sci-fi movie marathon all week so there's really nothing you can say that can change my mind," Baekhyun answers stubbornly. "Now, please shut up and make that popcorn so we can start soon."
Kris shakes his head in exasperation before turning back around to prepare the pan and the stove. He doesn't usually cook popcorn whenever he and his friends would stay in to watch a movie in his apartment - that's usually Chanyeol's job because, surprisingly, he's less hazardous and more productive in a kitchen than Kris is - but Kris supposes he can make an exception this time. It's not like doing so will take too much of his time, anyway. (And he can just blame Baekhyun if he ends up burning his whole apartment building down.)
"Have you decided on what you want to watch first?"
Baekhyun only hums in response. Intrigued by Baekhyun's rather vague answer, Kris turns for a second to look at him, only to find Baekhyun already staring in his direction. He has his chin resting on his folded hands and Kris can tell that Baekhyun's fighting for his eyelids not to drop with the way he catches him blinking rapidly at some point.
Thankfully, it doesn't take long before the continuous popping sound inside the pan slowly comes to a stop and Kris has to wait for only a second or two before he turns off the heat and removes the lid. He pours the popcorn into a bowl and seasons it with a good helping of salt. When he finally brings it over to the living room, Baekhyun's face almost lights up, much like that of a little child's on Christmas Eve. It's really very adorable.
Kris settles beside Baekhyun on the couch, the bowl of popcorn sitting in his lap. "So?"
Baekhyun then holds up the dvd case of the movie he's chosen and smiles. Kris realizes, not for the first time since he met Baekhyun, that the upward quirk of his lips has always looked so beautiful on Baekhyun's face. "Inception."
Kris snorts, which earns him a whack in the arm from Baekhyun. He would've teased him a little bit more but Baekhyun is already pressing play and shushing him in the process, attention now focused on the movie playing before him, so Kris just decides to shut up and watch as well. He isn't very fond of science fictional movies, honestly. He finds them silly and a waste of time and money most of the time, can't really understand how people can stand watching a movie whose plot almost borders on ridiculous or insane (and, sometimes, both). But he guesses there must be some kind of joy in watching films like these, so he tries to disregard any kind of judgment he might have had regarding this movie genre, hoping that doing so can help him enjoy this as much as he can.
Halfway through the movie, however, Kris is suddenly disturbed from his watching when Baekhyun's head hits his shoulder. Kris glances to his left and sees that Baekhyun's already fallen asleep beside him, head lolling precariously from side to side. Kris sighs; he knew this would happen. With careful movement, he shifts closer and slides down a bit so Baekhyun can comfortably lean his head on Kris's shoulder. Thankfully, Baekhyun doesn't wake up even with Kris moving around. If anything, he only seems to nuzzle Kris even more in his sleep, nestling closer in the warmth he provides.
"You really are stubborn, aren't you?" Kris whispers. He holds Baekhyun's head close with the palm of his hand and lets Baekhyun tuck his face in the crook of his neck. Warm puffs of breath skitter over Kris's skin with every exhale Baekhyun makes and Kris can't help but shiver involuntarily in response.
Kris doesn't miss the swooping sensation in the pit of his belly, the loud thumping of his heart against the bones of his ribcage. He doesn't miss the way Baekhyun fits just right in his arms, doesn't miss the way he wants Baekhyun closer, closer, closer still. This time, Kris doesn't shy away from Baekhyun, doesn't push him away when Baekhyun shifts, eliminating any kind of space that might have existed between them, then and now.
This time, for sure, Kris is fully aware of what's happening - he's quickly falling and Kris realizes, with grave resignation, that there's no way he'll be able to stop now.
"This was a terrible idea," is the first thing that slips right out of Kris's mouth the moment he stands in front of the door to Kyungsoo's apartment. Or, rather, what he hopes is Kyungsoo's apartment - Kris can only pray that they've found the right place this time after getting lost thrice because of Chanyeol's terribly misleading directions. They pause for a moment outside, listening to the buzz of conversation coming from behind the door. Kris frowns; it sounds as if there are a lot of people in there. He can already feel his legs protesting rather strongly just by standing here.
"What? Not used to socializing with people?" Baekhyun asks, noticing the expression on Kris's face. "I thought you do that as a professor on a daily basis?"
"It's not like I have a choice," Kris mumbles. He would've avoided social interaction altogether if he could help it but, sadly, that's just nowhere near possible with his profession. Baekhyun doesn't quite catch his response, however; he quickly reaches for the handle and opens the door, Kris's voice easily becoming lost in the cacophony of loud music and laughter and a steady flow of conversation that greets them.
Well, it seems like they got the right house this time, at least.
There are a lot of people inside, just as Kris feared, and some of them even turn and look at Baekhyun and Kris as they enter. There's a reason why Kris almost always rejects Chanyeol's invitations to go to parties like these. Honestly, if Chanyeol hadn't been very persuasive about wanting to hang out with Baekhyun again (because, apparently, Kris has been keeping Baekhyun all to himself after their last group date at the theatre. Which is totally not the case), Kris was sure he wouldn't even spare a single second to consider the possibility of being here. But as it stands, Kris knew how much Baekhyun had enjoyed hanging out with his friends last time, and that thought alone was enough to help him decide.
"Kris!" It's Chanyeol who finally comes bustling through the throng to greet them. Kris can't believe that his voice is loud enough to actually carry over the booming music. But, then again, it's Chanyeol so it's probably really not that surprising. "You actually came!" Chanyeol only takes a few seconds to pay Kris any attention before he fusses over Baekhyun's presence. "And you brought Baekhyun along, too!"
Kris allows himself to be propelled by Chanyeol towards the few couches at the far end corner of the apartment. On the way, Chanyeol snags two cups of (seemingly harmless) juice and gives both of them each, all the while keeping a constant line of chatter about how Kyungsoo had been very hesitant to hold this housewarming party but still relented in the end because of Chanyeol's very persuasive ways. Kris doesn't know what that means. But judging by the obnoxious waggle of Chanyeol's eyebrows, Kris is quite sure that he isn't even the least bit interested to know what it is.
"Sehun and Tao are also here. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you two!" Chanyeol goes on. "Anyway, I'll just leave you two for a while and tell Kyungsoo that you both arrived, okay?"
Chanyeol then hurries off after that, leaving Baekhyun and Kris almost squished together on the only available couch. Kris finds that it's not all that uncomfortable. Being this close to Baekhyun is still a little overwhelming sometimes for Kris, especially after he's come to terms with what he really feels for Baekhyun, but it certainly feels nice nonetheless.
Kris tries to distract himself from his thoughts by glancing around the apartment, quickly taking in everything around him. It's quite spacious, definitely a lot bigger than his own place, and the interior is a bit classier than what Kris had expected for someone like Kyungsoo. But then again, Kris doesn't really know Kyungsoo all that well, only heard a few things about him from Chanyeol himself (take note: after so many attempts of trying to wheedle out information from him), so he supposes it's only natural to be surprised by something like this.
"They're quite the unlikely pair, huh?" Baekhyun asks. Intrigued by the sudden question, Kris shifts a bit so he can get a proper look at Baekhyun, only to find his gaze directed at somewhere else.
Or, rather, someone else.
Not too far from where they are, Kris can see Chanyeol and Kyungsoo standing by the table filled with all different kinds of food and drinks. They're not doing anything unusual; just talking to each other, Chanyeol's lips poised so close to Kyungsoo's ear as he speaks. Chanyeol then points to where they're sitting and it doesn't take long before Kyungsoo is following him, staring at the same direction, a grin quickly pulling his lips up as he finally spots them despite the crowd. Kyungsoo waves and, beside Kris, Baekhyun immediately waves back at him.
"I guess you could say that," Kris agrees after a while. For a long time, Kris had thought that someone with the same quirks as Chanyeol himself would suit him best in a relationship. Someone who's just as fun and could keep up with his crazy and enthusiasm. Someone who wouldn't just roll their eyes at all the insane ideas Chanyeol tends to get, but who would willingly indulge him and his silliness from time to time.
Basically, the exact opposite of Kyungsoo.
"But they work pretty well together, don't they?" Kris continues. Because they do. While they may be complete opposites of each other, Kris can easily tell that they like each other - maybe even love, who knows? - enough not to let those differences keep them apart. True, they may be quite an unlikely pair. But they're a pair that works and, for that, Kris both feels happy and a little jealous for his best friend.
"Yeah," Baekhyun simply says. "Must be nice to find a love like that." Despite the blaring music pumping from the speakers, the wistful sigh that reaches Kris's ears after that is unbelievably loud and deafening.
Kris swallows to dislodge the lump forming in his throat. "Yeah."
At some point, Sehun and Tao join them on the couch and Chanyeol takes advantage of this little reunion by bringing in his secret stash of beer, reserved only for his friends. Despite the good company and the rowdy atmosphere they're in, Kris can't help but still worry. There's something in that conversation that has Kris feeling all bothered all throughout the party. Baekhyun doesn't seem all that different to him after that, however - still just as talkative and lively like usual. But, still, his anxiety over his conversation with Baekhyun continues to weigh him down, make his stomach churn.
Of course, Chanyeol sees his absent-mindedness as an opportunity to get him drunk, knowing that Kris is too busy with his thoughts to firmly reject every drink that Chanyeol pushes into his hands. So, it's no surprise then that Kris gets a little tipsy after only a few shot glasses, not thoroughly wasted but not completely sober either. Sehun and Tao, however, are plastered beyond belief. Turns out their alcohol tolerance are a lot shittier than Kris's, as ridiculously impossible as that may sound.
"Hyung." Hiccup. It's Sehun. "Hyung. Is it true that Baekhyun hyung crossdressed for you before?"
Kris tenses up in his seat. Beside him, Baekhyun doesn't even flinch. "Who told you about that?"
"Chanyeol hyung!" Sehun answers, giggling, childishly pointing at Chanyeol's direction. "It must be nice huh, hyung." Hiccup. Sehun turns to Kris once again, his eyes glassy, cheeks flushed from the alcohol. "Seeing Baekhyun hyung in a short skirt."
Kris doesn't really know how to answer that. His head's already becoming a little fuzzy but, thankfully, Kris still has full control of his mouth so he tries hard to keep from blurting something that can put him in trouble. Before he can say something else to change the topic, however, Sehun barrels on, his attention now entirely focused on Baekhyun.
"Hyung," Sehun calls and then hiccups. His smile's a little too loose on his face. "Can I do it, too? Can I pay you to dress prettily for me?"
It's a question that Kris is definitely unprepared for. Kris knows Sehun isn't really himself right now, that the alcohol in his system is making him ask the stupidest things, but it doesn't change the fact that Kris immediately feels uncomfortable after hearing that. He's not supposed to feel this angry, this confused, this strange urge to punch Sehun's face in just because of that. He's not supposed to feel like he wants to escape right now, dragging Baekhyun away from all of them. He's not supposed to feel so protective, so possessive of Baekhyun.
Beside him, Baekhyun hums. "And what would you want me to wear for you?"
And maybe that's the last straw. Maybe it's what Kris really needed to hear to remember one important thing that he's been trying his damndest to forget - at the end of the day, Baekhyun isn't his, can never be exclusively his, and that's just the truth that Kris has to live through.
"I need to go," Kris suddenly says, cutting through the drunk giggling of his friends. Kris hastily stands up, and then regrets it a second after when everything around him starts moving in circles. He wobbles on his feet and, for a fleeting moment, Kris thinks he's going to fall flat on his ass again. But luckily, someone holds him up, a hand suddenly shooting out to keep him steady on his feet.
It's Baekhyun.
"I'll go with you," Baekhyun tells him. His touch burns on Kris's skin. "Come on-"
"I'm fine," Kris interjects. The hurt splayed all over Baekhyun's face is enough to make Kris realize that he'd been too rude with his response and, suddenly, Kris feels like taking all of those words back. "I mean, you should stay here. You don't have to miss the party because of me."
Kris doesn't even wait for Baekhyun to speak after that. He takes one, two, three steps - until, finally, he's only an arm's reach away from the door. He continues to walk ahead and doesn't look back.
Right now, he just needs to be away from this place. Away from Baekhyun. Away from it all.
"What the hell is your problem?"
Kris sighs. Of course, he should've known that Baekhyun would still follow him home even after he just blatantly told him not to. Baekhyun's just stubborn like that, always seemingly trying to test Kris's boundaries about everything. Up until now, Kris isn't really sure if that's always been a part of Baekhyun's personality or if Baekhyun just really enjoys pushing Kris to his limit.
"Did I do anything to upset you?" Baekhyun continues to ask. He sounds angry, but Kris knows the worried crease on Baekhyun's forehead more than anyone and he doesn't understand. Kris doesn't understand why Baekhyun is acting this way.
Kris shakes his head. He's tired. He doesn't want this confrontation. He just wants to go to bed, forget all these happened and then maybe, maybe, he'll wake up tomorrow and find that these feelings he has for Baekhyun no longer exist. It's a long shot but, at this point, Kris is just willing to put his hope into anything. "Baekhyun," Kris starts, "I'm tired. Please-"
"That's not an answer to my question," Baekhyun interrupts. "What happened back there, Kris? Why did you suddenly leave?"
"I wasn't feeling well-"
"Don't give me that bullshit!" Baekhyun roars. If Kris thought he was angry before, then the Baekhyun standing in front of him right now, eyes flashing and hands tightly curled into fists, is practically livid. "You were perfectly fine before we went to Kyungsoo's apartment. Back there, when Sehun brought up the crossdressing thing, that's when you pulled away. That's when you started acting differently. Is that it? Is that the reason why you can't even bother to talk to me?"
Something must have flickered in Kris's eyes, enough for Baekhyun to barrel on without even giving Kris a chance to open his mouth, "it is about that, isn't it?" Baekhyun then laughs and it's disconcerting because it sounds so hollow, so empty - it doesn't sound like a happy laugh at all.
"That's not true-"
"Does my job disgust you then, Kris? Do I disgust you?"
"That's not it!" Kris snaps. He's heaving so hard, and his heart is beating so loudly in his ears. Kris forces himself to calm down. And then, a little softer and more vulnerable this time, Kris repeats, "that's not it at all, Baekhyun."
"Then, tell me," Baekhyun almost begs, his voice shaking with desperation. "Tell me what's going on, Kris."
Kris can tell that this is just as hard for Baekhyun as it is for him - he can see Baekhyun's frame trembling, can recognize the distraught expression painted on his face. More than anything, Kris wants to step closer and draw Baekhyun into his arms; he never wanted to see Baekhyun so helpless like this. "I wish I can say that I don't care about your job, about you sleeping around, about other people fucking you whenever they want. But I can't." Kris takes a deep breath. It almost feels like his heart's going to jump right out of his mouth any second now, and all the emotions he'd been bottling up inside will burst through and make a mess right in front of Baekhyun. "I can't because I do care. Because it makes me irrationally angry that other people can touch you and hold you and kiss you. Because I'm a very selfish man, Baekhyun, and the thought of anyone else having you just kills me."
It's out. It's all out. Every thought, every worry, every fear that rattled Kris for the past few weeks - everything is now out in the open and his heart, beating so loud and shameless for Baekhyun, is dangling right in front of him. Kris's knees eventually give out and he lets himself fall to the couch, face buried in his hands. Frankly, he would rather hide his feelings away, tuck them and never ever let them resurface again. But Baekhyun just wouldn't let things go. He just had to push and push until Kris can no longer find a way to get himself out.
And it worked. Baekhyun got what he wanted and Kris was left with nothing else to do but accept whatever may happen from this point onwards.
"Do you like me?" comes Baekhyun's sudden question. He sounds so close that Kris unconsciously tenses in his seat, hides his face even more into his hands. "Kris, please. I need you to answer me."
Baekhyun tentatively grazes his arm with his fingertips, like he's afraid that a single touch will drive Kris away out the door at a moment's notice. Kris hates it, hates the fact that he did this to Baekhyun. If they end up going back to square one after this, Kris thinks he might really hate himself for the rest of his life.
Kris lets out a shaky breath. And then, slowly, he brings his hands down, looks at Baekhyun and then says, "yes." Another quivering breath slips out of his mouth. "I like you, Baekhyun."
What happens next is a little like something out of Kris's dreams - Baekhyun pulls at Kris's hands, dragging him closer, before he finally closes the gap between them with a kiss. It takes Kris a few seconds before he actually realizes what's happening. Baekhyun is kissing him. Baekhyun, who sought Kris out the second time just to boldly express his interest for him, who never once got tired of taking every single opportunity to get to know him after. Baekhyun, who's smile and laugh instantly makes Kris's day better no matter how bad it is, who's touch never fails to send Kris's heart beating wildly against his chest.
Baekhyun, who always manages to take Kris's breath away no matter what he does.
And then, just like that, something snaps inside him. Kris doesn't really know what it is, and before he can even spend a second to try and figure it out, Kris catches himself gradually responding to Baekhyun. As if on their own accord, Kris's hands reach up to cup Baekhyun's face, his lips moving gingerly to kiss Baekhyun back. This seems to have encouraged Baekhyun even more - before Kris is even fully conscious of what's going on, Baekhyun is already climbing onto his lap, straddling him, wrapping his arms around Kris's neck in the process.
Baekhyun only continues to kiss him, tongue licking hard against Kris's own, deep and insistent and maybe a little desperate. Kris feels a little breathless, like the air is thin around him. He can't actually remember the last time he's been kissed like this - hell, he can't even remember how long it had been since he'd been so intimately close to anyone - and it feels... nice. Maybe also a little new because Baekhyun is doing this thing with his teeth on Kris's bottom lip, nipping and pulling it non too gently, and Kris likes it. Likes it enough that he clutches Baekhyun even tighter, fingers digging into Baekhyun's waist, and moans right into his mouth. There's a smile that Kris can taste on Baekhyun's lips after that and Kris makes sure to lick it clean just because he can, just because Baekhyun is finally allowing him to do so.
"Mmm," Baekhyun hums in contentment as he pulls away. Their foreheads are pressed together and Kris has to squint to clearly see the smile on Baekhyun's face. "You don't know how long I've waited to do that."
Kris laughs. "Probably just as long as I-"
"I wanted to kiss you the first time I saw you," Baekhyun cuts in. "I don't think you even liked me like that when you first saw me." Kris immediately shuts up at that. He did ask Baekhyun to take the female uniform off and just wear his normal clothes that time, didn't he? "After that, I promised to myself that I'll do anything to make you like me. You were a big challenge for me before, someone that really intrigued me because you were so different from anyone I've ever met."
Kris swallows the huge lump in his throat. "And now?"
"Now," Baekhyun starts. He clings even closer to Kris, loops his arms tighter around his neck. "You turned out to be someone that I really, really want for myself."
It's Kris who initiates the kiss this time. He leans forward enough to press his lips to Baekhyun's again. Baekhyun's lips part easily, letting his breath huff hot against Kris’s mouth. Kris keeps him close with his hands on Baekhyun’s neck, thumbs reaching back to stroke his jaw. Experimentally, Kris’s tongue pushes against Baekhyun's, hot and insistent, and Kris has to stop himself from smiling too dumbly when he hears the smallest of moans escaping Baekhyun's mouth.
It doesn't take long before things start to progress at a rather alarming rate after that - Baekhyun drops his head to bite and suck at the skin of Kris’s neck, leaving traces of saliva where his lips had been and soft smooching sounds in the serenity of Kris's bedroom. Baekhyun pauses. "Kris," he says, almost whispering, his lips still close enough to Kris’s skin that they brush against it when Baekhyun speaks again, "I want you now."
One of Baekhyun's hands proceed to palm at Kris's dick through his pants and Kris feels his breath catch in his throat, feels his pulse beating harder against every vein in his body. It's not like Kris doesn't want Baekhyun to touch him - he does, but this is all so new to Kris that he doesn't know what to do or how to react with Baekhyun touching him like that. Still, it's pleasurable and Kris surprisingly finds himself wishing for a little more than just touching through a few layers of fabric when Baekhyun continues to rub his hand against Kris's dick, his own hips grinding hard against Kris's.
It's with that thought in mind that Kris forces himself to pull away. Baekhyun looks at him questioningly and Kris is relieved to find nothing else but curiosity in those wide eyes. Kris opens his mouth, closes it, opens it again. Blood immediately rises to his cheeks and his face feels burning hot. "I think you should know that I’ve never - I’ve never… done this before."
"That's okay," Baekhyun assures him. He's looking at Kris with so much understanding and affection that Kris's insecurities, fears, worries just melt away in that moment. "I'm here. I'll take care of you."
Kris doesn't even have time to blush because Baekhyun's attention is back on his neck again, mouth leaving open-mouthed kisses on his skin. This time, Baekhyun also works his hands under Kris's shirt to caress his waist and chest and Kris instinctively moves under his touch. Eventually, Baekhyun tugs at Kris’s shirt and nudges his arm gently until Kris reluctantly pulls his hands away from Baekhyun's waist and lifts them so that Baekhyun can strip his shirt all the way off. Once Kris's shirt has been dropped and forgotten at the side of his bed, Baekhyun pushes Kris down until he's fully lying on his back, his legs still positioned on either side of Kris's body. He bends and presses firm kisses to Kris's chest, from his collarbone down to his ribs, even all the way down to the waistband of his pants.
Before Baekhyun can even work on Kris's pants, however, Kris suddenly pulls him up and works his hands underneath Baekhyun's shirt, tugs on it until Baekhyun fumbles and pulls it off entirely himself. Kris’s fingers run lightly over the skin of Baekhyun's back, eventually coming to rest on Baekhyun's shoulders and holding him close like that. This feels just as nice, Kris thinks.
But while Kris is already contented to have Baekhyun's naked chest just pressed against his, Baekhyun apparently isn't, if the way he wriggles out from Kris's arms to undo the button and zipper of his pants is any indication. Baekhyun tugs both his pants and underwear down a little ways and Kris shifts to help him pull them off, feeling a little embarrassed at how obviously turned on he is.
Kris thinks it's really not fair that he's the only one naked while Baekhyun still has his pants on. He's about to open his mouth and say something about it - only for a loud moan to escape instead because Baekhyun has already grabbed Kris's cock by the base, teasingly licking it at the tip. With a well-practiced tongue, Baekhyun licks a hard line from the base to the head, does it a few more times until Kris is subconsciously bucking his hips up for more. As if granting his request, Baekhyun finally, finally wraps wet, soft lips around Kris’s dick, sucking and licking with a mouth that Kris fairly knows has done this before. But Kris isn't going to think about that anymore because Baekhyun is here, with him, and that's really more important than anything.
Kris's hand slides into Baekhyun’s hair, his nails gently scratching at the scalp as he tugs at the strands every now and then. He gasps and pants at the feeling of Baekhyun's mouth on his cock, at way his tongue knows just how to tease the underside of the head, at the bursts of pleasure that crawls up his spine whenever Baekhyun's lips slide up and down his shaft.
Not entirely lost in the haze of arousal, Kris can blearily hear the rustling of fabric and the quiet slap of elastic against skin as Baekhyun takes his dick out of his boxers. He can also feel Baekhyun’s movement as he strokes his own cock, while still sucking and licking Kris's. Just when Kris can already feel that familiar heat quickly uncoiling in his stomach, Baekhyun releases his cock from his lips, leaving it wet with precum and saliva.
Kris patiently waits for Baekhyun to come up so he can hold him in his arms and kiss him square on the lips again. But, to his confusion, Baekhyun never did - rather, Kris can still feel Baekhyun's breath hot against parts of him that have barely been touched before. A small, confused noise is wrung out from Kris's throat when he feels something warm and wet press against his asshole. His first instinct is to squirm away, but Baekhyun’s arms are locked around his thighs to keep him in place.
It’s Baekhyun's tongue. Kris doesn't know how to react. He's never been touched by other people down there before, let alone be licked by such a skillful tongue, but he has to admit that it's not all that bad. Actually, it does feel pretty good, if Kris is to be honest with himself. Baekhyun spreads his ass cheeks even further with his hands, and Kris relishes in the spike of pleasure that hits him when Baekhyun slowly drags the flat of his tongue over Kris's pucker to take another experimental lick.
“Good?” Baekhyun then asks, breath caressing the skin of his ass.
It takes a few seconds for Kris to answer, his head still swimming in a flurry of sensations as he breathes out a timid, "yeah."
Baekhyun hums in contentment before leaning down for more. He moans against Kris's hole, his tongue gentle and soothing as he licks him over and over in long, even strokes. A spit-slicked finger soon works in alongside Baekhyun's tongue and Kris moans out loud, one long press of shaky breath, as his finger crooks and expertly strokes over Kris's prostate. One becomes two and then eventually turn into three, Baekhyun's digits slowly loosening him up until Kris is a whimpering mess, barely stifling his cries of pleasure with the back of his hand.
After thoroughly working him open all the way, Baekhyun pulls his fingers out of Kris slowly and leaves a quick peck on his hip. He crawls up Kris's body and gives him another kiss on the lips. "Do you have condom and lube?"
Kris nods. "Bottom drawer, where I keep all my underwear and socks." It's not like Kris had been expecting this to happen, per se. He has a box of condoms lying untouched inside his drawer because it had been a prank gift from Chanyeol before. As well as the bottle of lube that Kris mostly kept because it had been conveniently there during his times of... need.
Baekhyun pushes himself up and clambers out of bed. Kris tries not to stare too blatantly at Baekhyun's ass just as he's crossing the room to get to his little chest of drawers but it's so tempting not to. In his defense, Kris thinks it's definitely not his fault that Baekhyun has a rather pretty ass to look at. It doesn't take long before Baekhyun eventually finds the box of condoms and the lube and he quickly heads back to where Kris is lying on the bed.
He sits back and Kris notices how aroused Baekhyun is, despite the fact that Kris hasn't touched him at all today. Kris makes a mental note to take care of Baekhyun and his needs next time. But now-
"Ready?" Baekhyun asks. He already has the condom on, his cock hard and slicked up. Kris thinks he isn't, not really. But he wants this so much, wants to feel Baekhyun deep inside him, so Kris ends up fervently nodding his head instead.
Slowly, Baekhyun pushes the tip of his cock into Kris, giving him time to relax around Baekhyun's cock and take it with a minimum of discomfort. It feels good, like his fingers, but a little wider and harder to take. Kris wills himself to relax, like Baekhyun had told him to. Kris hisses through his teeth as Baekhyun pushes in a little more and, eventually, manages to sink in all the way inside. The feeling of fullness quickly spreads to the rest of Kris’s body and he nearly chokes until his brain reminds him to breathe.
"Does it hurt?" comes Baekhyun's question. Kris can hear the underlying anxiety in Baekhyun's voice and he wishes that he can gather all the right words to make it go away.
"N-not really," Kris chokes out. It does sting a little bit but, ultimately, it doesn't hurt too much. "It f…feels good…"
That seems to have calmed Baekhyun's nerves down. “I’m going to move now, okay?" Baekhyun then tells him. Kris gives a nod.
Baekhyun thrusts slowly at first, letting them both get used to the feeling. The pain fades away as soon as Kris gets used to it, replaced by a warm, pleasurable feeling that comes in wave. Eventually, Baekhyun is able to speed up, and he establishes a steady rhythm and lets Kris settle into it as well. Kris sees stars with each harsh thrust of Baekhyun's hips, the familiar stab of pleasure hitting him in every which way.
"Fuck," Kris pants. He can feel an unfamiliar heat gathering in him, and it feels good, so fucking good.
"Do you like that?" Baekhyun asks.
Kris nods his head, eyes closed and mouth open as he pants with exertion and arousal. “Yeah,” Kris says. A particularly sharp cant of his hips after that has Kris moaning shamelessly loud and Baekhyun repeats it again, hitting that same spot over and over again until Kris cries out, a mix of unintelligible words tumbling out from his mouth.
Kris takes his dick in hand and strokes it, desperately trying to match the rhythm of Baekhyun’s thrusts. He finds he is only getting worse at it as his orgasm builds, however, and he starts to lose himself in his vigor. In the end, Kris can't hold off his orgasm any longer. He loses it entirely after a breathy whisper of “come for me, Kris” right against his collarbone, his orgasm slamming into him, through him, every single one of his nerves becoming alight. Kris comes hard, writhing and groaning and making a mess all over his stomach.
Baekhyun doesn’t let up on his thrusting; he holds onto Kris's hips and plunges into him, hard and fast, continues to fuck Kris until his own orgasm threatens. Until he’s stifling a cry and coming in a gasping rush, pressing Kris's name in gasped syllables into Kris’s heated skin.
It takes a while before Baekhyun finally finds the energy to move, enough to tug the condom off of him and clean Kris up with a few tissues he grabbed from a box on his bedside table. They lay together for a long time after that, just letting their pulse return to normal and their breathing to slow down. Silence drifts between them and while Kris expects it to be a little uncomfortable, he's really surprised to find that it is actually anything but.
Eventually, it's Baekhyun who speaks first. "You have all of me, you know."
Kris turns his head to the right to look at Baekhyun, surprised at what he just heard. Baekhyun is staring at him, body curled towards Kris's, all of his attention focused on him.
"You had all of me right from the start," Baekhyun tells him, now with a small smile on his face.
"What?"
"That day when we first met - that was the last time I took clients for my job. Mostly because what Chanyeol gave me before was enough for me to finally finish paying off a big debt that I've had for years," Baekhyun explains. Kris turns to his side as well, just so he can look at Baekhyun properly. "But if it wasn't, if I were somehow still indebted after we met, I think I still would've stopped and tried to find another way to pay all of them with a new job."
Kris's tone is low and breathless and sweet. "Why?"
"Because of you," Baekhyun admits. He shifts even closer, so much so that Baekhyun's face is already buried in the crook of Kris's neck, lips faintly grazing his skin as he continues with his confession, "because I finally found someone who I want to do all those romantic things with."
Kris doesn't know how to respond to that. It's a bit of a surprise to realize that Baekhyun had genuinely wanted him right from the start, that he was willing to stop sleeping with other people for someone as plain and as uninteresting as Kris even though it meant juggling only God knows how many jobs just to pay his debt. There's that familiar warmth that spreads through his chest again as he looks down at the tuft of hair tucked close to his side, at the thought of Baekhyun finally, exclusively, becoming his and it takes a whole lot of effort for Kris to choke back the silly giddiness that he feels.
Frankly, he still has a lot of questions running around in his head - Why didn't Baekhyun tell him sooner? Does Chanyeol actually know all about this? Where is Baekhyun working right now? - but there are cute, little snores that are distinctively coming from Baekhyun, and Kris can feel his shoulders rising and falling with each steady breath. Kris sighs; he supposes they'll still have another time to talk about this.
Kris smiles to himself and holds Baekhyun even closer to him. Yeah, they still have a lot more time for that.