Midnight Rendezvous
Title: Midnight Rendezvous
Author: Anonymous until 1/30/14
For: veepzing
Pairing: Baekhyun/Kai
Word Count: 4,085
Summary: Baekhyun has an attachment to the nighttime, and somewhere along the road, he begins to have an attachment to a certain Kim Jongin.
Warnings: None
Rating: PG
One
Baekhyun loves the summer rain.
It’s gentle--tiny grey droplets sliding against windowpanes as cool breezes drift past trees, whispering through leaves and branches. As the raindrops dance on his skin, Baekhyun is vaguely reminded of his mother’s kisses brushing against his cheeks when he was young.
It's easy to love the rain because it's so fleeting. There's no time for attachment, no time for pain.
÷
The stream is quiet this time of the day, when the world is still peaceful with slumber and dreams. Baekhyun indulges in these early hours and often sneaks out the back door and down the nearly nonexistent path to the quiet riverbanks. The soft lull of the mellow waves against the soil is steady and rhythmic, and Baekhyun thinks it’s almost like music.
He’s always careful during his late night escapades, making sure that his grandmother is still asleep before donning his thin coat and grabbing a flashlight. The front door creaks, but he’s learned that his grandmother is quite a deep sleeper, so he casually slips through it and out the gates. The haphazard stones that make up his path are hidden by ferns and leaves, and he carefully picks his way through it, easily avoiding the poison oak.
The moon is still out, despite the fact that it is already nearing dawn. Baekhyun follows the yellow light and pushes past the last round of willow trees and stops at a small clearing right above the streaming river. The water sparkles under the moonbeams, and he smiles to himself, shutting off the flashlight and kicking off his sneakers. With rolled-up trousers, he slowly lowers his legs into the cool water, relishing in the crisp splashes against his bare skin.
It’s familiar--the cold touches of the river spirits, that is. Baekhyun believes in them, the tiny fairies that dance underneath the moonlight with tiny orchestras hidden in the tall grasses. And although he’s been here millions of times, and he’s never seen one, he believes that he’s caught glimpses of their silvery wings fluttering through the flowers, teasing him by appearing and disappearing. But, like everything else, Baekhyun has gotten used to it and now simply appreciates the quiet beauty only nighttime can offer.
He stays there for hours, legs swinging idly in the water and staring at the sky, watching it fade from a dark, velvety blue to a light azure. Just before the sun breaks out from behind the clouds, Baekhyun pushes himself up and bids farewell to the river spirits. He makes his way back to his home and can’t help but feel as if he is leaving wonderland for a harsh, cruel reality.
÷
Baekhyun spends his mid-mornings at the local fruit vendors, chatting with the ahjusshis and ahjummas about how red the apples look today, and how juicy the peach slices are. Summer is always relaxing for Baekhyun--he does little but soak up the minutes in the day. School days are a different story, and Baekhyun is usually seen pedaling quickly down the main road to his school, dress-shirt unbuttoned and loose tie fluttering in the wind. But school was over, and his uniforms have been exchanged for simple t-shirts and khaki shorts.
“How’s your grandmother, Baekhyun?”
Baekhyun smiles at Mrs.Lee, one of his grandmother’s best friends, and replies, “Doing well, Mrs. Lee. Thank you for asking.”
She clucks her tongue and affectionately ruffles his hair, handing him a slice of pear.
“Your father visiting home any time soon?”
He shrugs. “Not too sure. He didn’t say.”
Mrs. Li sighs and chops open another pear, tossing half to her dog that Baekhyun had nicknamed Tofu, even though his real name is Fluffy. She hands the other to Baekhyun, and fills up a plastic bag with apples and orange, waving off the bills Baekhyun tries to give her.
He thanks her for the free fruits and bows, making his way down the line of vendors and buying a popsicle stick along the way. He stops at a stall selling hand-made hair bows and contemplates on buying one for his cousin, Soojung, who sometimes comes down from Seoul to Gangdong-myeon.
He’s midway through paying for an adorable pink one with white polka dots when someone taps him on the shoulder. He spins around in surprise, coming face to face with a tall boy, probably his age, with golden copper skin and the darkest, most haunting eyes he’s ever seen.
“Y-yes?” He croaks, hands clutching the plastic bag holding the hairbow. “May I help you?”
The boy just looks at him for a couple of seconds, eyes staring at him in a way that makes Baekhyun uncomfortable--it’s almost as if he was seeing into Baekhyun, seeing into his soul and his mind, and it sort of frightens Baekhyun. Finally, after a couple of prolonged seconds, he speaks.
“Do you know where the library is?” He angles his thumb at Mrs. Li’s fruit stand. “She told me to ask you.”
Baekhyun raises an eyebrow and leans around him to catch Mrs. Li’s eye. She gives him a smile and a wave, before pointing in the direction of the library. He heaves a sigh, used to being Mrs. Li’s errand boy and starts towards the library.
“Follow me,” he says, and the boys pauses for a moment before falling in step next to Baekhyun.
They stroll through at least two streets in silence, before Baekhyun is finally itching for something to say.
“You’re not from here, are you?” He asks finally, glancing at the boy from the side of his eye.
The boy shakes his head. “I’m here for the summer.”
“Yeah? Do you have relatives here or something?”
“Something like that.”
Baekhyun frowns at the answer given, but doesn’t question further, only humming a mhmm. The rest of the walk continues in silence, and Baekhyun doesn’t try to remedy the situation.
Once the library comes into view though, he feels an ease settle over him, and he nearly breathes a sigh of relief.
The library in Gangdong-myeon is one of the largest buildings in the tiny village, the only architectural piece that even so much resembles the metropolitan Seoul. It’s close to empty most of the time--everyone is usually too busy to frequent the library. The only times Baekhyun has seen the library packed was during his school projects, when all his classmates would flock to the library and hysterically do research for a report due the next day.
Although the library is seldom visited, it is maintained with the utmost care. High school students are often hired for part-time jobs, but there is always a permanent crew who takes care of the building and books.
Baekhyun, being one of the only people who make it a point to go to the library at least once a week, has become friends with the librarians, and even some of the part-time workers.
“We’re here,” Baekhyun says as they stop in front of the large glass doors. “Do you need me to see you in?”
The boy shakes his head, his dark black bangs sweeping against his eyes. “It’s fine. Thanks.”
Baekhyun blinks, couldn’t help but feeling like he is being dismissed, before offering him a smile.
“No problem.”
He turns to leave, but suddenly, the boy says, “Wait.”
Baekhyun looks at him, eyebrows raised and head cocked to the side.
“Yes?”
The boy looks hesitant, a tad scared maybe, but his voice comes out gentle and calm, an impeccable block of equanimity that comforts Baekhyun in ways he can’t explain.
“What’s your name?”
Baekhyun is pleasantly surprised by the question, thinking that they may be able to be friends--for the summer at least.
“Byun Baekhyun,” he replies, shifting so the sunlight wasn’t hitting him in the eye anymore.
For the first time, the boy leans forward and gives Baekhyun a smile that lit up his eyes--sparking the black abyss with a hint of ember. He doesn’t offer a hand to shake, both stuck in his pockets, but Baekhyun knows that this is his form of an introduction.
“I’m Kim Jongin.”
÷
Kim Jongin slips to the back of Baekhyun's mind as he wakes up two in the morning again, slipping into his coat and out the door.
He takes a detour today, ditching the stone path and cutting through two brushes by the side of the road. It takes him farther into the forest, the grass tickling his bare ankles as he navigates through the dense greenery. The air here is infinitely better than that of the city--or so he thinks, from his vacations in Seoul--and he enjoys the slightly sweet, chilled nighttime air. He can smell the honeysuckles and the roses and that one scent he can never distinguish--something a tad musky and bittersweet.
Baekhyun pushes past the tall grass to get to the pond, but halts in his steps as his eyes widen. Someone is already there, their silhouette outlined in silver by the ghostly moonlight. They're just sitting there--in his usual spot--arms around knees as they look far off into the distance, perhaps at the moon, perhaps at the clouds, or perhaps at something much farther than any of the celestial beings.
He contemplates his options--he can either stalk out there and sit right beside the stranger and awkwardly stay there until the sun rises, or he can turn back right now and crawl back into bed. It takes him half a minute to decide, and he spins around, ready to trek through the forest and back home. However, there's a loud crunch as he takes a step, and he curses at the broken branches underneath his feet.
"Who's there?"
Baekhyun considers making a run for it, but then he hears footsteps.
"Who are you?"
The voice is closer now, and he knows there's no escape. He steels himself before turning around.
"Hi, sorry, I didn't me--oh."
Baekhyun trails off, eyes taking in the figure in front of him. It's the boy he met this afternoon--Kim Jongin, or something--and the way his haunted eyes look at Baekhyun takes his breath away.
"It's you," Jongin says flatly, sizing Baekhyun up and down. "What are you doing here?"
Baekhyun blinks. That should be the question he's asking.
"I live up the road," he explains, hand gesturing blindly in the vague direction of his house. "I come here a lot."
Jongin raises an eyebrow and cocks his head to the side. "At night?"
Baekhyun nods. There is a moment of silence as Baekhyun shuffles his feet. The moon shifts behind the clouds, and part of Jongin's face is thrown into darkness. His lips curl into a smirk.
"So you're one of those too. An insomniac."
÷
"It's not that I can't sleep," Baekhyun explains to Jongin. "I...I'm just scared to."
He ends up sitting next to Jongin on the banks of the lake and talking with him. It's nice--having someone with him this late into the night. He's usually alone and silent, and he finds that he likes the way his and Jongin's voice float softly in the air like they are part of the cool breezes.
"Scared to sleep? That doesn't sound too healthy."
There's a tinge of concern in Jongin's voice, and Baekhyun almost laughs. He's known this boy for less than twenty-four hours, and already, he seems more interested in him than anyone else had in years.
"It sounds worse than it really is," he reassures Jongin, though in all honesty, it was pretty bad. Bad enough that when he closed his eyes at night, he would see flashes of too-bright light and incoherent screaming that would always morph into his name. Baekhyun.
"What about you?" Baekhyun asks after a while, lightly nudging Jongin in the shoulder. To his delight, Jongin nudges back, and for a moment, Baekhyun thinks that Jongin isn't as intangible as he thinks.
"Not as interesting," Jongin states, propping his arms behind him and leaning back to stare at the sky. "I have chronic back pains, and the medication I take induces insomnia. It's not every day though, so I get some shut eye at night."
Baekhyun nods in understanding, though he hasn't slept at night for years. In fact, he hasn't had a good sleep in years. For as long as he can remember, he dozes during the day--usually in the afternoon when he gets back from school--and stays awake throughout the night. It's easier to sleep during the day, when the sun is out and he can hear the noises of his grandmother hustling around the house. At night...it's too silent and eerie for him to close his eyes. He's weary and sleepy most of the time, but it's never taken a huge toll on his health. He's gotten used to it.
The two of them end up talking until the first rays of sunshine break through the night veil. The topics weren't particularly serious--it was mostly getting to know each other, but Baekhyun enjoyed it. He learns that Jongin has two sisters--both in the city--and that he also had three dogs.
Jongin learns that Baekhyun is an only child and little friends, and the person closest to him is his cousin, though she's moved to Seoul for schooling.
They learn that they both hold a sort of dislike for the day and an inexplicable adoration for the night. They part on unspoken promises to meet again.
÷
Baekhyun meets Jongin again the next day, and the day after, and the day after. They don't see each other when the sun is out, but when the sun goes down, they gravitate towards the river banks and spend the night together.
It's comforting.
They talk for the first couple of nights, but after that, it's almost as if they're close enough that they don't need conversation to bridge the gap. They're comfortable enough with each other to sit in silence, just looking into the darkness and searching for stars.
One day, Baekhyun appears and finds Jongin looking at him sleepily from the grass. Jongin pats the spot next to him, and Baekhyun obligingly drops to the floor. He sits next to Jongin as Jongin dozes in and out of consciousness.
"You should sing me a song," Jongin mumbles, nuzzling his face into Baekhyun's shoulder.
Baekhyun thinks for a second, and begins humming a nonsensical tune. Jongin smiles contentedly anyways, and snuggles closer to Baekhyun, stealing his warmth and his heart and making it his.
÷
The second time they meet during the day is sometime in the middle of July, about a month into Baekhyun's summer vacation.
Baekhyun's riding his bike down to the dairy store for some more milk when he narrowly avoids a little boy in the middle of the street. He hops off his bike to apologize profusely to the boy and his mother, running his hand through his hair embarrassedly as he bows again and again. When the two leave--after telling him repeatedly that it was fine and that no one was hurt--he breathes a sigh of relief, before jumping from a tap on his shoulder.
He spins around to see Kim Jongin standing half a feet away from him, amusement lacing the half-smile adorning his features.
Baekhyun forgets how to breathe for a moment there.
After all the late-night meetings under the dim moonlight, Baekhyun had forgotten how utterly perfect and flawless Jongin looked. His tanned skin seemed to glitter under the sunlight and his lean figure almost towered over Baekhyun.
"Hi," he says a beat too late, leaning down to pick up his bike.
"Where are you going?" Jongin asks.
"To the store. I ran out of milk."
Jongin nods and walks alongside Baekhyun as he wheels his bike uphill towards the convenience store. When they arrive, Baekhyun heads towards the dairy section while Jongin wanders around, picking up strange contraptions to examine before putting them down. Baekhyun glances at him from the side of his eye and smiles to himself as he observes Jongin's childlike behavior. The excited spark in his eyes as he bounces around the store is something Baekhyun only sees when the boy talks about his dogs.
"Baekhyun-hyung."
Baekhyun looks up from pulling out his wallet with a start. This is the first time Jongin has ever called him hyung, even though it's already been established that Baekhun was older. Jongin's pointing at a food stand across the street, grinning.
"I want fried chicken."
Five minutes later, Baekhyun finds himself forking over cash to buy Jongin a box of fried chicken. As the two of them make their way down the road, Baekhyun mutters about how Jongin's a brat and only knows how to respect people when he wants something, but when he sees his eyes crinkle in delighted laughter, Baekhyun realizes that he really doesn't mind.
÷
"When are you leaving for Seoul?" Baekhyun asks.
The two of them are in Baekhyun's room this time, with Jongin sprawled on his bed, comic books scattered across the covers, and Baekhyun spinning in his computer chair.
Jongin visiting Baekhyun had become a common occurrence, ever since his grandmother unofficially adopted him as a grandson the moment he stepped foot into the house. She'd flown over from the stove where she was cooking some home-made recipe and absolutely fawned over him.
"It's been a long time Baekhyun has brought a friend home," she had said fondly as she laid out platters of different breads and cheese.
Jongin had given Baekhyun a quizzical look and Baekhyun shrugged in return.
After that day, Jongin had made it a thing to visit Baekhyun every day, or at least every other day. Now, they saw each other during the day and during the night, and to Baekhyun's surprise, he hasn't gotten tired of Jongin's company. He welcomes it.
"In two weeks," Jongin replies, flipping the pages of the newest volume to Naruto.
"Hmm," Baekhyun hums in return.
Jongin looks up from his book to smile cheekily at Baekhyun. "Why? Are you going to miss me?"
Baekhyun scoffs from where he's sitting and rolls his eyes. "As if. Why would I miss someone who wheedles me into buying them fried chicken nearly every day?"
Jongin merely laughs before sliding off the bed and slinging his arm over Baekhyun's shoulder.
"I'm going to miss hyung though," Jongin whispers in his ear, laughter tinting his voice, before flopping back onto the bed.
Baekhyun refuses to acknowledge the jolt he feels in his heart as Jongin's breath lingers against his skin.
It's easy to get attached, and even though Baekhyun tells himself not to, he's addicted to the soft, lithe way Jongin moves. He's addicted to the lilt of his lips, and the way he laughs, and the sparkle in his eyes, and just Kim Jongin in general. It's damgerous, but Baekhyun can see himself falling so deep it'll be impossible to get back up.
Jongin crashes at his house that night, clad in Baekhyun's largest t-shirt and pajama pants. Baekhyun doesn't insist on a trip to the river banks--he sees the fatigue in Jongin's eyes--and contents himself with watching Jongin sleep. As the signs of early morning begin to filter through the curtains, he finally breaks.
"Of course I'm going to miss you," he whispers, a hesitant hand reaching out to lightly touch the side of Jongin's cheek.
His breath hitches when Jongin unconsciously leans into his touch. It's almost morning. Baekhyun slides under the covers next to Jongin and closes his eyes.
÷
The first thing Baekhyun sees when he wakes up is Jongin leaning over him, hands stuck into his pockets.
"Hey," Jongin says, settling back on his heels when Baekhyun makes to sit up.
"What time is it?" Baekhyun mutters sleepily as he rubs his eyes and swings his legs over the bed to shuffle to the restroom.
"Two in the afternoon."
Baekhyun raises his eyebrows. "Wow okay. I slept for a long time."
Jongin nods. "You should do that more."
"What?"
"Sleep. For a long time. Especially at night."
Baekhyun reaches for his toothbrush and toothpaste. "I told you. I can't."
"You should try. Or talk to someone about it. Like a sleep specialist or something."
Baekhyun spits out his toothpaste before turning around to shoot Jongin a look. "Are we really having this conversation?"
Jongin gives him a small smile. "I worry about you."
÷
Days seem to fly past. What used to be slow, mundane hours became seconds that seemed to just slip through Baekhyun's fingers. A blink of an eye, and it's only days before Jongin has to leave.
"When I go back to Seoul, will you remember me?"
Jongin's voice is small, almost timid. Baekhyun can hear the sleepiness in his voice, and knows that he's struggling to keep himself awake. His head is leaning on Baekhyun's shoulder--a comforting weight that almost lulls Baekhyun into slumber himself. They're sitting at the riverbank again, staring off mindlessly at the way the dark blue sky melds into the glittering lake.
"Do you see that?" Baekhyun says instead of answer. He dips a finger into the water and watches as water droplets dance, momentarily freezing in the air before colliding against the surface in tiny ripples.
"The water?"
Baekhyun shakes his head. "It's not just water." He does it again, splashing the water lightly so it sparkles in the air around them. "Listen." He pauses for a moment. "It's the river spirits."
Jongin sits up, suddenly alert, and angles his ear towards the tall grass. The breeze whistles as it lightly brushes past each blade--a quiet symphony one of its kind. He lets his own fingers sink into the water, swishing it back and forth.
"Yeah. Yeah, I think I know what you're talking about," Jongin says finally, snuggling up closer next to Baekhyun.
"The river spirits," Baekhyun begins, "collects the memories of humans." It's an old fairytale, one his grandmother had told his mother when she was young, and one his mother would often tell him when he was a little boy himself. "Whenever you forget something, you can come to the riverbanks and pray to the spirits, asking for your memories, and if you're lucky, they give it back to you."
He turns to Jongin and smiles. "So, if I ever do forget you, I'll just come to the river and pray. I'm sure the river spirits will grant me this one wish."
Jongin doesn't reply, simply looking at Baekhyun with an unreadable expression. It's just like the first time Baekhyun had seen him here, in the night--a dark shadow covering most of his face. The silence drags on for such a long time Baekhyun suddenly feels nervous, like he's said something wrong. Just when he's about to open his mouth to ask, Jongin leans forward.
Something cool brushes against Baekhyun's lips. Once, twice, and then again and again until the touch become warm. It takes him a moment to register that Jongin is, in fact, kissing him, and the chasteness of each kiss melts his heart. He knows this is stupid, that Jongin's going to be gone in a couple of days, but Jongin isn't stopping, so screw it all. He closes his eyes and pulls Jongin closer to him. He kisses him back.
"Do the river spirits grant other wishes too?" Jongin asks breathlessly when they finally break apart.
Baekhyun shrugs, nerves still tingling from the kisses. "Dunno. Maybe?"
"Okay." Jongin looks at Baekhyun seriously, his beautiful, haunting eyes never leaving Baekhyun's. "Then I wish for Baekhyun-hyung to love me the way I do him."
When Jongin finally falls asleep on Baekhyun's shoulder, Baekhyun thinks to himself how silly of a wish Jongin had made. After all, it's one long granted, for Baekhyun had already fallen irrevocably in love with him.
÷
To: byunbaek@daum.net
From: chickenjong@daum.net
Hyung!! I've got winter break in two weeks so expect me showing up at your house without warning ;) Also, buy lots of food. I'm bringing my manga collection over so we can marathon-read the entire Naruto series during Christmas.
Love you,
Jongin
To: chickenjong@daum.net
From: byunbaek@daum.net
bring your own food. and no, i read naruto at least five times. bring one piece. and stop non-stop emailing me 3 in the morning. i need sleep and the stupid sound my phone makes is annoying.
love you too,
baekhyun
One
Author: Anonymous until 1/30/14
For: veepzing
Pairing: Baekhyun/Kai
Word Count: 4,085
Summary: Baekhyun has an attachment to the nighttime, and somewhere along the road, he begins to have an attachment to a certain Kim Jongin.
Warnings: None
Rating: PG
One
Baekhyun loves the summer rain.
It’s gentle--tiny grey droplets sliding against windowpanes as cool breezes drift past trees, whispering through leaves and branches. As the raindrops dance on his skin, Baekhyun is vaguely reminded of his mother’s kisses brushing against his cheeks when he was young.
It's easy to love the rain because it's so fleeting. There's no time for attachment, no time for pain.
÷
The stream is quiet this time of the day, when the world is still peaceful with slumber and dreams. Baekhyun indulges in these early hours and often sneaks out the back door and down the nearly nonexistent path to the quiet riverbanks. The soft lull of the mellow waves against the soil is steady and rhythmic, and Baekhyun thinks it’s almost like music.
He’s always careful during his late night escapades, making sure that his grandmother is still asleep before donning his thin coat and grabbing a flashlight. The front door creaks, but he’s learned that his grandmother is quite a deep sleeper, so he casually slips through it and out the gates. The haphazard stones that make up his path are hidden by ferns and leaves, and he carefully picks his way through it, easily avoiding the poison oak.
The moon is still out, despite the fact that it is already nearing dawn. Baekhyun follows the yellow light and pushes past the last round of willow trees and stops at a small clearing right above the streaming river. The water sparkles under the moonbeams, and he smiles to himself, shutting off the flashlight and kicking off his sneakers. With rolled-up trousers, he slowly lowers his legs into the cool water, relishing in the crisp splashes against his bare skin.
It’s familiar--the cold touches of the river spirits, that is. Baekhyun believes in them, the tiny fairies that dance underneath the moonlight with tiny orchestras hidden in the tall grasses. And although he’s been here millions of times, and he’s never seen one, he believes that he’s caught glimpses of their silvery wings fluttering through the flowers, teasing him by appearing and disappearing. But, like everything else, Baekhyun has gotten used to it and now simply appreciates the quiet beauty only nighttime can offer.
He stays there for hours, legs swinging idly in the water and staring at the sky, watching it fade from a dark, velvety blue to a light azure. Just before the sun breaks out from behind the clouds, Baekhyun pushes himself up and bids farewell to the river spirits. He makes his way back to his home and can’t help but feel as if he is leaving wonderland for a harsh, cruel reality.
÷
Baekhyun spends his mid-mornings at the local fruit vendors, chatting with the ahjusshis and ahjummas about how red the apples look today, and how juicy the peach slices are. Summer is always relaxing for Baekhyun--he does little but soak up the minutes in the day. School days are a different story, and Baekhyun is usually seen pedaling quickly down the main road to his school, dress-shirt unbuttoned and loose tie fluttering in the wind. But school was over, and his uniforms have been exchanged for simple t-shirts and khaki shorts.
“How’s your grandmother, Baekhyun?”
Baekhyun smiles at Mrs.Lee, one of his grandmother’s best friends, and replies, “Doing well, Mrs. Lee. Thank you for asking.”
She clucks her tongue and affectionately ruffles his hair, handing him a slice of pear.
“Your father visiting home any time soon?”
He shrugs. “Not too sure. He didn’t say.”
Mrs. Li sighs and chops open another pear, tossing half to her dog that Baekhyun had nicknamed Tofu, even though his real name is Fluffy. She hands the other to Baekhyun, and fills up a plastic bag with apples and orange, waving off the bills Baekhyun tries to give her.
He thanks her for the free fruits and bows, making his way down the line of vendors and buying a popsicle stick along the way. He stops at a stall selling hand-made hair bows and contemplates on buying one for his cousin, Soojung, who sometimes comes down from Seoul to Gangdong-myeon.
He’s midway through paying for an adorable pink one with white polka dots when someone taps him on the shoulder. He spins around in surprise, coming face to face with a tall boy, probably his age, with golden copper skin and the darkest, most haunting eyes he’s ever seen.
“Y-yes?” He croaks, hands clutching the plastic bag holding the hairbow. “May I help you?”
The boy just looks at him for a couple of seconds, eyes staring at him in a way that makes Baekhyun uncomfortable--it’s almost as if he was seeing into Baekhyun, seeing into his soul and his mind, and it sort of frightens Baekhyun. Finally, after a couple of prolonged seconds, he speaks.
“Do you know where the library is?” He angles his thumb at Mrs. Li’s fruit stand. “She told me to ask you.”
Baekhyun raises an eyebrow and leans around him to catch Mrs. Li’s eye. She gives him a smile and a wave, before pointing in the direction of the library. He heaves a sigh, used to being Mrs. Li’s errand boy and starts towards the library.
“Follow me,” he says, and the boys pauses for a moment before falling in step next to Baekhyun.
They stroll through at least two streets in silence, before Baekhyun is finally itching for something to say.
“You’re not from here, are you?” He asks finally, glancing at the boy from the side of his eye.
The boy shakes his head. “I’m here for the summer.”
“Yeah? Do you have relatives here or something?”
“Something like that.”
Baekhyun frowns at the answer given, but doesn’t question further, only humming a mhmm. The rest of the walk continues in silence, and Baekhyun doesn’t try to remedy the situation.
Once the library comes into view though, he feels an ease settle over him, and he nearly breathes a sigh of relief.
The library in Gangdong-myeon is one of the largest buildings in the tiny village, the only architectural piece that even so much resembles the metropolitan Seoul. It’s close to empty most of the time--everyone is usually too busy to frequent the library. The only times Baekhyun has seen the library packed was during his school projects, when all his classmates would flock to the library and hysterically do research for a report due the next day.
Although the library is seldom visited, it is maintained with the utmost care. High school students are often hired for part-time jobs, but there is always a permanent crew who takes care of the building and books.
Baekhyun, being one of the only people who make it a point to go to the library at least once a week, has become friends with the librarians, and even some of the part-time workers.
“We’re here,” Baekhyun says as they stop in front of the large glass doors. “Do you need me to see you in?”
The boy shakes his head, his dark black bangs sweeping against his eyes. “It’s fine. Thanks.”
Baekhyun blinks, couldn’t help but feeling like he is being dismissed, before offering him a smile.
“No problem.”
He turns to leave, but suddenly, the boy says, “Wait.”
Baekhyun looks at him, eyebrows raised and head cocked to the side.
“Yes?”
The boy looks hesitant, a tad scared maybe, but his voice comes out gentle and calm, an impeccable block of equanimity that comforts Baekhyun in ways he can’t explain.
“What’s your name?”
Baekhyun is pleasantly surprised by the question, thinking that they may be able to be friends--for the summer at least.
“Byun Baekhyun,” he replies, shifting so the sunlight wasn’t hitting him in the eye anymore.
For the first time, the boy leans forward and gives Baekhyun a smile that lit up his eyes--sparking the black abyss with a hint of ember. He doesn’t offer a hand to shake, both stuck in his pockets, but Baekhyun knows that this is his form of an introduction.
“I’m Kim Jongin.”
÷
Kim Jongin slips to the back of Baekhyun's mind as he wakes up two in the morning again, slipping into his coat and out the door.
He takes a detour today, ditching the stone path and cutting through two brushes by the side of the road. It takes him farther into the forest, the grass tickling his bare ankles as he navigates through the dense greenery. The air here is infinitely better than that of the city--or so he thinks, from his vacations in Seoul--and he enjoys the slightly sweet, chilled nighttime air. He can smell the honeysuckles and the roses and that one scent he can never distinguish--something a tad musky and bittersweet.
Baekhyun pushes past the tall grass to get to the pond, but halts in his steps as his eyes widen. Someone is already there, their silhouette outlined in silver by the ghostly moonlight. They're just sitting there--in his usual spot--arms around knees as they look far off into the distance, perhaps at the moon, perhaps at the clouds, or perhaps at something much farther than any of the celestial beings.
He contemplates his options--he can either stalk out there and sit right beside the stranger and awkwardly stay there until the sun rises, or he can turn back right now and crawl back into bed. It takes him half a minute to decide, and he spins around, ready to trek through the forest and back home. However, there's a loud crunch as he takes a step, and he curses at the broken branches underneath his feet.
"Who's there?"
Baekhyun considers making a run for it, but then he hears footsteps.
"Who are you?"
The voice is closer now, and he knows there's no escape. He steels himself before turning around.
"Hi, sorry, I didn't me--oh."
Baekhyun trails off, eyes taking in the figure in front of him. It's the boy he met this afternoon--Kim Jongin, or something--and the way his haunted eyes look at Baekhyun takes his breath away.
"It's you," Jongin says flatly, sizing Baekhyun up and down. "What are you doing here?"
Baekhyun blinks. That should be the question he's asking.
"I live up the road," he explains, hand gesturing blindly in the vague direction of his house. "I come here a lot."
Jongin raises an eyebrow and cocks his head to the side. "At night?"
Baekhyun nods. There is a moment of silence as Baekhyun shuffles his feet. The moon shifts behind the clouds, and part of Jongin's face is thrown into darkness. His lips curl into a smirk.
"So you're one of those too. An insomniac."
÷
"It's not that I can't sleep," Baekhyun explains to Jongin. "I...I'm just scared to."
He ends up sitting next to Jongin on the banks of the lake and talking with him. It's nice--having someone with him this late into the night. He's usually alone and silent, and he finds that he likes the way his and Jongin's voice float softly in the air like they are part of the cool breezes.
"Scared to sleep? That doesn't sound too healthy."
There's a tinge of concern in Jongin's voice, and Baekhyun almost laughs. He's known this boy for less than twenty-four hours, and already, he seems more interested in him than anyone else had in years.
"It sounds worse than it really is," he reassures Jongin, though in all honesty, it was pretty bad. Bad enough that when he closed his eyes at night, he would see flashes of too-bright light and incoherent screaming that would always morph into his name. Baekhyun.
"What about you?" Baekhyun asks after a while, lightly nudging Jongin in the shoulder. To his delight, Jongin nudges back, and for a moment, Baekhyun thinks that Jongin isn't as intangible as he thinks.
"Not as interesting," Jongin states, propping his arms behind him and leaning back to stare at the sky. "I have chronic back pains, and the medication I take induces insomnia. It's not every day though, so I get some shut eye at night."
Baekhyun nods in understanding, though he hasn't slept at night for years. In fact, he hasn't had a good sleep in years. For as long as he can remember, he dozes during the day--usually in the afternoon when he gets back from school--and stays awake throughout the night. It's easier to sleep during the day, when the sun is out and he can hear the noises of his grandmother hustling around the house. At night...it's too silent and eerie for him to close his eyes. He's weary and sleepy most of the time, but it's never taken a huge toll on his health. He's gotten used to it.
The two of them end up talking until the first rays of sunshine break through the night veil. The topics weren't particularly serious--it was mostly getting to know each other, but Baekhyun enjoyed it. He learns that Jongin has two sisters--both in the city--and that he also had three dogs.
Jongin learns that Baekhyun is an only child and little friends, and the person closest to him is his cousin, though she's moved to Seoul for schooling.
They learn that they both hold a sort of dislike for the day and an inexplicable adoration for the night. They part on unspoken promises to meet again.
÷
Baekhyun meets Jongin again the next day, and the day after, and the day after. They don't see each other when the sun is out, but when the sun goes down, they gravitate towards the river banks and spend the night together.
It's comforting.
They talk for the first couple of nights, but after that, it's almost as if they're close enough that they don't need conversation to bridge the gap. They're comfortable enough with each other to sit in silence, just looking into the darkness and searching for stars.
One day, Baekhyun appears and finds Jongin looking at him sleepily from the grass. Jongin pats the spot next to him, and Baekhyun obligingly drops to the floor. He sits next to Jongin as Jongin dozes in and out of consciousness.
"You should sing me a song," Jongin mumbles, nuzzling his face into Baekhyun's shoulder.
Baekhyun thinks for a second, and begins humming a nonsensical tune. Jongin smiles contentedly anyways, and snuggles closer to Baekhyun, stealing his warmth and his heart and making it his.
÷
The second time they meet during the day is sometime in the middle of July, about a month into Baekhyun's summer vacation.
Baekhyun's riding his bike down to the dairy store for some more milk when he narrowly avoids a little boy in the middle of the street. He hops off his bike to apologize profusely to the boy and his mother, running his hand through his hair embarrassedly as he bows again and again. When the two leave--after telling him repeatedly that it was fine and that no one was hurt--he breathes a sigh of relief, before jumping from a tap on his shoulder.
He spins around to see Kim Jongin standing half a feet away from him, amusement lacing the half-smile adorning his features.
Baekhyun forgets how to breathe for a moment there.
After all the late-night meetings under the dim moonlight, Baekhyun had forgotten how utterly perfect and flawless Jongin looked. His tanned skin seemed to glitter under the sunlight and his lean figure almost towered over Baekhyun.
"Hi," he says a beat too late, leaning down to pick up his bike.
"Where are you going?" Jongin asks.
"To the store. I ran out of milk."
Jongin nods and walks alongside Baekhyun as he wheels his bike uphill towards the convenience store. When they arrive, Baekhyun heads towards the dairy section while Jongin wanders around, picking up strange contraptions to examine before putting them down. Baekhyun glances at him from the side of his eye and smiles to himself as he observes Jongin's childlike behavior. The excited spark in his eyes as he bounces around the store is something Baekhyun only sees when the boy talks about his dogs.
"Baekhyun-hyung."
Baekhyun looks up from pulling out his wallet with a start. This is the first time Jongin has ever called him hyung, even though it's already been established that Baekhun was older. Jongin's pointing at a food stand across the street, grinning.
"I want fried chicken."
Five minutes later, Baekhyun finds himself forking over cash to buy Jongin a box of fried chicken. As the two of them make their way down the road, Baekhyun mutters about how Jongin's a brat and only knows how to respect people when he wants something, but when he sees his eyes crinkle in delighted laughter, Baekhyun realizes that he really doesn't mind.
÷
"When are you leaving for Seoul?" Baekhyun asks.
The two of them are in Baekhyun's room this time, with Jongin sprawled on his bed, comic books scattered across the covers, and Baekhyun spinning in his computer chair.
Jongin visiting Baekhyun had become a common occurrence, ever since his grandmother unofficially adopted him as a grandson the moment he stepped foot into the house. She'd flown over from the stove where she was cooking some home-made recipe and absolutely fawned over him.
"It's been a long time Baekhyun has brought a friend home," she had said fondly as she laid out platters of different breads and cheese.
Jongin had given Baekhyun a quizzical look and Baekhyun shrugged in return.
After that day, Jongin had made it a thing to visit Baekhyun every day, or at least every other day. Now, they saw each other during the day and during the night, and to Baekhyun's surprise, he hasn't gotten tired of Jongin's company. He welcomes it.
"In two weeks," Jongin replies, flipping the pages of the newest volume to Naruto.
"Hmm," Baekhyun hums in return.
Jongin looks up from his book to smile cheekily at Baekhyun. "Why? Are you going to miss me?"
Baekhyun scoffs from where he's sitting and rolls his eyes. "As if. Why would I miss someone who wheedles me into buying them fried chicken nearly every day?"
Jongin merely laughs before sliding off the bed and slinging his arm over Baekhyun's shoulder.
"I'm going to miss hyung though," Jongin whispers in his ear, laughter tinting his voice, before flopping back onto the bed.
Baekhyun refuses to acknowledge the jolt he feels in his heart as Jongin's breath lingers against his skin.
It's easy to get attached, and even though Baekhyun tells himself not to, he's addicted to the soft, lithe way Jongin moves. He's addicted to the lilt of his lips, and the way he laughs, and the sparkle in his eyes, and just Kim Jongin in general. It's damgerous, but Baekhyun can see himself falling so deep it'll be impossible to get back up.
Jongin crashes at his house that night, clad in Baekhyun's largest t-shirt and pajama pants. Baekhyun doesn't insist on a trip to the river banks--he sees the fatigue in Jongin's eyes--and contents himself with watching Jongin sleep. As the signs of early morning begin to filter through the curtains, he finally breaks.
"Of course I'm going to miss you," he whispers, a hesitant hand reaching out to lightly touch the side of Jongin's cheek.
His breath hitches when Jongin unconsciously leans into his touch. It's almost morning. Baekhyun slides under the covers next to Jongin and closes his eyes.
÷
The first thing Baekhyun sees when he wakes up is Jongin leaning over him, hands stuck into his pockets.
"Hey," Jongin says, settling back on his heels when Baekhyun makes to sit up.
"What time is it?" Baekhyun mutters sleepily as he rubs his eyes and swings his legs over the bed to shuffle to the restroom.
"Two in the afternoon."
Baekhyun raises his eyebrows. "Wow okay. I slept for a long time."
Jongin nods. "You should do that more."
"What?"
"Sleep. For a long time. Especially at night."
Baekhyun reaches for his toothbrush and toothpaste. "I told you. I can't."
"You should try. Or talk to someone about it. Like a sleep specialist or something."
Baekhyun spits out his toothpaste before turning around to shoot Jongin a look. "Are we really having this conversation?"
Jongin gives him a small smile. "I worry about you."
÷
Days seem to fly past. What used to be slow, mundane hours became seconds that seemed to just slip through Baekhyun's fingers. A blink of an eye, and it's only days before Jongin has to leave.
"When I go back to Seoul, will you remember me?"
Jongin's voice is small, almost timid. Baekhyun can hear the sleepiness in his voice, and knows that he's struggling to keep himself awake. His head is leaning on Baekhyun's shoulder--a comforting weight that almost lulls Baekhyun into slumber himself. They're sitting at the riverbank again, staring off mindlessly at the way the dark blue sky melds into the glittering lake.
"Do you see that?" Baekhyun says instead of answer. He dips a finger into the water and watches as water droplets dance, momentarily freezing in the air before colliding against the surface in tiny ripples.
"The water?"
Baekhyun shakes his head. "It's not just water." He does it again, splashing the water lightly so it sparkles in the air around them. "Listen." He pauses for a moment. "It's the river spirits."
Jongin sits up, suddenly alert, and angles his ear towards the tall grass. The breeze whistles as it lightly brushes past each blade--a quiet symphony one of its kind. He lets his own fingers sink into the water, swishing it back and forth.
"Yeah. Yeah, I think I know what you're talking about," Jongin says finally, snuggling up closer next to Baekhyun.
"The river spirits," Baekhyun begins, "collects the memories of humans." It's an old fairytale, one his grandmother had told his mother when she was young, and one his mother would often tell him when he was a little boy himself. "Whenever you forget something, you can come to the riverbanks and pray to the spirits, asking for your memories, and if you're lucky, they give it back to you."
He turns to Jongin and smiles. "So, if I ever do forget you, I'll just come to the river and pray. I'm sure the river spirits will grant me this one wish."
Jongin doesn't reply, simply looking at Baekhyun with an unreadable expression. It's just like the first time Baekhyun had seen him here, in the night--a dark shadow covering most of his face. The silence drags on for such a long time Baekhyun suddenly feels nervous, like he's said something wrong. Just when he's about to open his mouth to ask, Jongin leans forward.
Something cool brushes against Baekhyun's lips. Once, twice, and then again and again until the touch become warm. It takes him a moment to register that Jongin is, in fact, kissing him, and the chasteness of each kiss melts his heart. He knows this is stupid, that Jongin's going to be gone in a couple of days, but Jongin isn't stopping, so screw it all. He closes his eyes and pulls Jongin closer to him. He kisses him back.
"Do the river spirits grant other wishes too?" Jongin asks breathlessly when they finally break apart.
Baekhyun shrugs, nerves still tingling from the kisses. "Dunno. Maybe?"
"Okay." Jongin looks at Baekhyun seriously, his beautiful, haunting eyes never leaving Baekhyun's. "Then I wish for Baekhyun-hyung to love me the way I do him."
When Jongin finally falls asleep on Baekhyun's shoulder, Baekhyun thinks to himself how silly of a wish Jongin had made. After all, it's one long granted, for Baekhyun had already fallen irrevocably in love with him.
÷
To: byunbaek@daum.net
From: chickenjong@daum.net
Hyung!! I've got winter break in two weeks so expect me showing up at your house without warning ;) Also, buy lots of food. I'm bringing my manga collection over so we can marathon-read the entire Naruto series during Christmas.
Love you,
Jongin
To: chickenjong@daum.net
From: byunbaek@daum.net
bring your own food. and no, i read naruto at least five times. bring one piece. and stop non-stop emailing me 3 in the morning. i need sleep and the stupid sound my phone makes is annoying.
love you too,
baekhyun
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