Almost Paradise [3/3]
Title: Almost Paradise
Pairing: Kaibaek
Genre: Romantic-comedy with a dash of crack
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The first thing Baekhyun does is blush, remembering the bold way he had kissed the dark-skinned boy that night on the beach almost a week ago. It must have been the adrenaline working, or the magic of the night sky, because Baekhyun has never been that forward. He also never expected to see Jongin again. Yet, here he is, standing in front of the handsome boy with the smoldering eyes.
A/N: If you squint, you see High School Musical. < Part 1> < Part 2>
V.
Baekhyun is able to focus all of his time on practicing for the competition now that he no longer has to rehearse for tryouts, and his score on the sets of practice questions Kyungsoo has the team doing every day increases by 15 whole points. Kyungsoo, of course, is ecstatic.
“I knew you had it in you,” he cheers, clapping Baekhyun on the back in glee. “You’re a genius, Byun Baekhyun.”
Baekhyun gives him a tired smile and starts to pack up.
“Wait, we’re going out for ice cream together in a few minutes. Aren’t you coming?” Kyungsoo asks.
At the words “ice cream,” Baekhyun visibly stiffens.
“I think I’m just going to go home,” he says shortly. Swinging his backpack over his shoulders, Baekhyun pauses by the window for a millisecond before heading wordlessly out of the door.
Kyungsoo sighs and takes a look out of the window. The soccer team is practicing on the field, and Kim Jongin is the only player doing laps. It has been five days since Baekhyun has smiled, since the stunt he had pulled with Minseok with the hidden video camera.
“Do you feel guilty?” another member asks, joining him at the window.
“Yes,” Kyungsoo sighs.
The other student frowns, brows furrowed. “What if they’re meant to be and we just messed with fate?”
Kyungsoo doesn’t ask who “they” are because he knows. Baekhyun without Jongin has become a soul without a purpose, and Kyungsoo decides that he needs to have another talk with Kim Minseok.
“Yo Captain, want to run some cone drills?”
Jongin looks up from the asphalt track. “I want to run laps,” he replies shortly, wanting to save his breath, before starting on another. Running helps him get his mind off Byun Baekhyun, who has been avoiding him for most of the week. The sad thing is, he doesn’t even know what he did wrong. Was it something he had said? Or was Baekhyun just not into someone like him, someone who can barely do a partial derivative?
Jongin is the last person in the locker rooms again after practice. Minseok had lingered, as if waiting for him, but was pulled away by an important phone call. With a sigh, Jongin shoulders his gym bag and starts out of the door. He has barely stepped over the threshold when he crashes into the person waiting for him on the other side. Minseok looks extremely nervous and is shifting from one foot to another.
“Yes?” Jongin prompts.
Minseok sighs and falls into step next to him. “I have something to tell you, and you might hate me after.”
It is up to him to talk to Jongin, Baekhyun knows. It was his fault, really. He had believed the video, believed Kyungsoo’s words without letting Jongin explain himself. He wonders if Jongin is angry at Baekhyun for not trusting him, for being swayed so easily. He is surprised, therefore, when he gets a text from Jongin asking to meet him in the park. The text instills hope back into Baekhyun’s mind that maybe, just maybe, Jongin will forgive him.
“I’m sorry.”
For a moment, Baekhyun gapes.
“No, I’m sorry,” he replies hastily. “I was the one that just shut you out. Plus, it was all Kyungsoo’s idea and that asshole genius is my friend.”
Jongin shakes his head, hair falling adorably over his eyes. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I did say those words. I didn’t mean it, Baekhyun, any of it.” He reaches out and picks up Baekhyun’s pale hand again. “I know that we haven’t known each other for that long, but you’re important to me because I really really like you.”
Feeling his face flame up, Baekhyun coughs, trying to hide his nerves. “Can we still...for the spring musical?”
“I’d love to,” Jongin replies. He traps Baekhyun between side of the jungle gym and his own chest, leaning down close to his face. “I missed you,” he whispers, voice husky. “Please don’t ignore me again.”
Baekhyun chuckles, closing the distance to land a sweet kiss on Jongin’s lips. “Promise.”
The Mathletes competition slots into the calendar the day before callbacks. Kyungsoo leads the team to a 320-300 victory over the opposing team.
When Baekhyun sings with Jongin onstage at callbacks, under the hot, glaring lights, he decides, as he looks into Jongin’s eyes, that it doesn’t really matter if they don’t get the lead parts. Getting to sing with Jongin again, just being with Jongin, is enough.
“That’s stupid,” Kyungsoo snaps when Baekhyun voices that thought. “You auditioned to win, so you two better win. Or else.”
Baekhyun’s face pales and he decides that he doesn’t want to consider what else Kyungsoo is capable of.
The audition results are posted on the bulletin board right outside of the drama room at noon. Jongin stands with Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, and Minseok a few feet away, overlooking the railings to the downstairs lobby.
“You nervous?” Jongin asks, leaning down to whisper in Baekhyun’s hair.
The boy gives him a tight-lipped smile and nods. “You?”
“Jongin’s been trying out for all of his life,” Minseok answers. “We both have; hazards of playing a competitive sport.”
“But I’ve never sang before,” Jongin disagrees. His heart is in his throat and he wants the lead roles so he can stand on that stage with Baekhyun.
Professor Lim has just pinned the results on the board for a total of four seconds before Lu Han speeds around the corner, followed as always by Yixing. He stops by the page and just stares for a few seconds.
“I can’t believe this,” he snaps, spinning around and advancing toward Baekhyun. “You? You and him? The lead roles?”
Baekhyun takes a step back and Jongin steps protectively in front of him. Even Yixing is rolling his eyes at his best friend’s outburst.
“You two are complete amateurs,” Lu Han continues, jabbing Jongin on the shoulder. “Do you know that I’ve been the lead in every school musical since I was seven years old? I am a star, not some understudy! I - ”
“Shut up.”
Jongin’s head turns in surprise because he could have sworn that those two words just came out of Yixing’s mouth. In fact, the brunette is looking uncharacteristically unhappy, eyebrows bunched in displeasure.
“Stop being such a bitch, Han,” Yixing says, angrily. “They were better than us, admit it. Maybe if you spent less time looking at yourself in the mirror and more time rehearsing with me, we would have gotten the part.”
There is a gasp from Kyungsoo, and Jongin brings a hand up to cover his own mouth. Yixing did not just go there.
“What did you say?” Lu Han asks, moving away from Jongin and towards his best friend.
“You’re fucking perfect, okay? Stop trying so hard.” With a loud huff, Yixing turns on his heels and starts stomping down the stairs.
There is a moment of silence in which everyone just stares, open mouthed. Then, Lu Han rounds on Jongin aggressively. “Did he just call me perfect?”
For once, Jongin sees a gentleness in Lu Han’s eyes that he has never noticed before.
“Go after him, dumbass,” Kyungsoo explodes, shoving Lu Han away.
The blond stumbles, takes two steps to steady himself, and glares at Kyungsoo.
“Go!” Jongin adds, grabbing Lu Han by the arm and steering him towards the stairs. He watches as Lu Han sprints down the stairs two at a time, catching up to Yixing halfway to the lobby.
“Who saw that coming?” Minseok whistles.
(Jongin leads his team to a 3-2 victory at the championship game. The mathletes slide into an easy win, well prepared by the much harder practices captain Kyungsoo had enforced. They celebrate with a trip to a noraebang, where they watch a drunk Kyungsoo and Minseok perform a raunchy version of Troublemaker.
“I could have gone a lifetime without seeing that,” Jongin sighs, covering his eyes and groaning.
Baekhyun quietly agrees.)
<<<
[A/N]: No Minseok and Kyungsoo are not together. Yes Lu Han and Lay probably are. And yes, I purposefully went with really really like rather than love, because I believe the L word shouldn’t be thrown around that casually in a relationship.
I can’t actually remember how HSM ends but uh....I hope you enjoyed this? Bye ~
Pairing: Kaibaek
Genre: Romantic-comedy with a dash of crack
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The first thing Baekhyun does is blush, remembering the bold way he had kissed the dark-skinned boy that night on the beach almost a week ago. It must have been the adrenaline working, or the magic of the night sky, because Baekhyun has never been that forward. He also never expected to see Jongin again. Yet, here he is, standing in front of the handsome boy with the smoldering eyes.
A/N: If you squint, you see High School Musical. < Part 1> < Part 2>
V.
Baekhyun is able to focus all of his time on practicing for the competition now that he no longer has to rehearse for tryouts, and his score on the sets of practice questions Kyungsoo has the team doing every day increases by 15 whole points. Kyungsoo, of course, is ecstatic.
“I knew you had it in you,” he cheers, clapping Baekhyun on the back in glee. “You’re a genius, Byun Baekhyun.”
Baekhyun gives him a tired smile and starts to pack up.
“Wait, we’re going out for ice cream together in a few minutes. Aren’t you coming?” Kyungsoo asks.
At the words “ice cream,” Baekhyun visibly stiffens.
“I think I’m just going to go home,” he says shortly. Swinging his backpack over his shoulders, Baekhyun pauses by the window for a millisecond before heading wordlessly out of the door.
Kyungsoo sighs and takes a look out of the window. The soccer team is practicing on the field, and Kim Jongin is the only player doing laps. It has been five days since Baekhyun has smiled, since the stunt he had pulled with Minseok with the hidden video camera.
“Do you feel guilty?” another member asks, joining him at the window.
“Yes,” Kyungsoo sighs.
The other student frowns, brows furrowed. “What if they’re meant to be and we just messed with fate?”
Kyungsoo doesn’t ask who “they” are because he knows. Baekhyun without Jongin has become a soul without a purpose, and Kyungsoo decides that he needs to have another talk with Kim Minseok.
“Yo Captain, want to run some cone drills?”
Jongin looks up from the asphalt track. “I want to run laps,” he replies shortly, wanting to save his breath, before starting on another. Running helps him get his mind off Byun Baekhyun, who has been avoiding him for most of the week. The sad thing is, he doesn’t even know what he did wrong. Was it something he had said? Or was Baekhyun just not into someone like him, someone who can barely do a partial derivative?
Jongin is the last person in the locker rooms again after practice. Minseok had lingered, as if waiting for him, but was pulled away by an important phone call. With a sigh, Jongin shoulders his gym bag and starts out of the door. He has barely stepped over the threshold when he crashes into the person waiting for him on the other side. Minseok looks extremely nervous and is shifting from one foot to another.
“Yes?” Jongin prompts.
Minseok sighs and falls into step next to him. “I have something to tell you, and you might hate me after.”
It is up to him to talk to Jongin, Baekhyun knows. It was his fault, really. He had believed the video, believed Kyungsoo’s words without letting Jongin explain himself. He wonders if Jongin is angry at Baekhyun for not trusting him, for being swayed so easily. He is surprised, therefore, when he gets a text from Jongin asking to meet him in the park. The text instills hope back into Baekhyun’s mind that maybe, just maybe, Jongin will forgive him.
“I’m sorry.”
For a moment, Baekhyun gapes.
“No, I’m sorry,” he replies hastily. “I was the one that just shut you out. Plus, it was all Kyungsoo’s idea and that asshole genius is my friend.”
Jongin shakes his head, hair falling adorably over his eyes. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I did say those words. I didn’t mean it, Baekhyun, any of it.” He reaches out and picks up Baekhyun’s pale hand again. “I know that we haven’t known each other for that long, but you’re important to me because I really really like you.”
Feeling his face flame up, Baekhyun coughs, trying to hide his nerves. “Can we still...for the spring musical?”
“I’d love to,” Jongin replies. He traps Baekhyun between side of the jungle gym and his own chest, leaning down close to his face. “I missed you,” he whispers, voice husky. “Please don’t ignore me again.”
Baekhyun chuckles, closing the distance to land a sweet kiss on Jongin’s lips. “Promise.”
The Mathletes competition slots into the calendar the day before callbacks. Kyungsoo leads the team to a 320-300 victory over the opposing team.
When Baekhyun sings with Jongin onstage at callbacks, under the hot, glaring lights, he decides, as he looks into Jongin’s eyes, that it doesn’t really matter if they don’t get the lead parts. Getting to sing with Jongin again, just being with Jongin, is enough.
“That’s stupid,” Kyungsoo snaps when Baekhyun voices that thought. “You auditioned to win, so you two better win. Or else.”
Baekhyun’s face pales and he decides that he doesn’t want to consider what else Kyungsoo is capable of.
The audition results are posted on the bulletin board right outside of the drama room at noon. Jongin stands with Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, and Minseok a few feet away, overlooking the railings to the downstairs lobby.
“You nervous?” Jongin asks, leaning down to whisper in Baekhyun’s hair.
The boy gives him a tight-lipped smile and nods. “You?”
“Jongin’s been trying out for all of his life,” Minseok answers. “We both have; hazards of playing a competitive sport.”
“But I’ve never sang before,” Jongin disagrees. His heart is in his throat and he wants the lead roles so he can stand on that stage with Baekhyun.
Professor Lim has just pinned the results on the board for a total of four seconds before Lu Han speeds around the corner, followed as always by Yixing. He stops by the page and just stares for a few seconds.
“I can’t believe this,” he snaps, spinning around and advancing toward Baekhyun. “You? You and him? The lead roles?”
Baekhyun takes a step back and Jongin steps protectively in front of him. Even Yixing is rolling his eyes at his best friend’s outburst.
“You two are complete amateurs,” Lu Han continues, jabbing Jongin on the shoulder. “Do you know that I’ve been the lead in every school musical since I was seven years old? I am a star, not some understudy! I - ”
“Shut up.”
Jongin’s head turns in surprise because he could have sworn that those two words just came out of Yixing’s mouth. In fact, the brunette is looking uncharacteristically unhappy, eyebrows bunched in displeasure.
“Stop being such a bitch, Han,” Yixing says, angrily. “They were better than us, admit it. Maybe if you spent less time looking at yourself in the mirror and more time rehearsing with me, we would have gotten the part.”
There is a gasp from Kyungsoo, and Jongin brings a hand up to cover his own mouth. Yixing did not just go there.
“What did you say?” Lu Han asks, moving away from Jongin and towards his best friend.
“You’re fucking perfect, okay? Stop trying so hard.” With a loud huff, Yixing turns on his heels and starts stomping down the stairs.
There is a moment of silence in which everyone just stares, open mouthed. Then, Lu Han rounds on Jongin aggressively. “Did he just call me perfect?”
For once, Jongin sees a gentleness in Lu Han’s eyes that he has never noticed before.
“Go after him, dumbass,” Kyungsoo explodes, shoving Lu Han away.
The blond stumbles, takes two steps to steady himself, and glares at Kyungsoo.
“Go!” Jongin adds, grabbing Lu Han by the arm and steering him towards the stairs. He watches as Lu Han sprints down the stairs two at a time, catching up to Yixing halfway to the lobby.
“Who saw that coming?” Minseok whistles.
(Jongin leads his team to a 3-2 victory at the championship game. The mathletes slide into an easy win, well prepared by the much harder practices captain Kyungsoo had enforced. They celebrate with a trip to a noraebang, where they watch a drunk Kyungsoo and Minseok perform a raunchy version of Troublemaker.
“I could have gone a lifetime without seeing that,” Jongin sighs, covering his eyes and groaning.
Baekhyun quietly agrees.)
<<<
[A/N]: No Minseok and Kyungsoo are not together. Yes Lu Han and Lay probably are. And yes, I purposefully went with really really like rather than love, because I believe the L word shouldn’t be thrown around that casually in a relationship.
I can’t actually remember how HSM ends but uh....I hope you enjoyed this? Bye ~