2015: Warmth (Baekhyun/Everyone)
Pairing: Baekhyun/Everyone
From: ANONYMOUS until REVEALS
Title: Warmth
Rating: PG
Length: 7,640 words
Summary: There’s just something about cuddling, about knowing the other person likes him enough to let him be as close as physically possible, that makes Baekhyun happy.
Warnings: Pre-lawsuits so this is OT12, possibly inaccurate rooming assignments
Notes: This turned out a little more angsty than I had originally planned, but I hope that everyone likes it ^^ This is really self indulgent and fueled by the recent pictures of Baekhyun being a cuddly pup floating around.
Baekhyun has always considered himself to be a cuddly person. There’s just something about the need for a touch, whether it’s a gentle brush of the fingers against a wrist or a full-on koala hug, that makes him happy. It’s about knowing the other person is comfortable enough with him to let him into their space, about knowing they don’t mind him pressing his face against their face or stomach, about knowing someone is physically there for him if he simply reaches out. It’s comforting, something that Baekhyun has always needed, even as a kid. His mother always likes to joke that it’s because he had been so spoiled as a child and that he would refuse to be put down whenever he was in her or his father’s arms. Hell, even his brother put up with him until Baekhyun grew too heavy for his brother to do it comfortably. Baekhyun likes to think that’s just an excuse because Baekhyun isn’t heavy regardless of his thighs being slightly larger or his hips being a little wider than average. Whenever he has rare time off and goes home, he always makes sure to plop into his brother’s lap, satisfied at the wheeze that it causes.
Things only get better when he’s told he’s going to debut in a group with eleven other guys, eyes sparkling at the thought of all the late night or early morning hugs and cuddles he can potentially get.
It takes a while for Baekhyun to even attempt anything despite his incessant need to push his head against someone’s hand like a dog. He doesn’t think his new bandmates would appreciate him draping himself over their laps because despite his mischievous and playful nature, he’s going to be with these people for years. It wouldn’t do well to get on their bad side this early.
He doesn’t mean for it to happen, but Chanyeol catches him while he’s in his bed, little teardrops gathering in the corners of his eyes as he thinks about home. Baekhyun hasn’t seen his parents in months, far too busy with practices and preparations for their showcase and debut album. His dancing needs the most work and there are times he doesn’t feel like he’s good enough to be debuting so soon, so he has to make up for the lost hours at the cost of not seeing or talking to his parents.
“Oh!” Baekhyun exclaims, scrambling up as he discreetly tries to wipe at his eyes. “Hey, how are you?”
Chanyeol simply stares at him with his wide eyes, Baekhyun wiggling under the stare. He doesn’t say anything as he crosses the room towards Baekhyun, Baekhyun unconsciously shrinking in on himself. He doesn’t know Chanyeol well enough yet to understand his habits, like if he doesn’t like when people cry near him or anything of the sort. A myriad of thoughts run through his head but then his mind goes blank when long arms wrap around his shoulders.
“Huh?” he asks dumbly as he blinks, trying to understand what’s going on. His first instinct is to cling back, to chase the warmth and pull it in before it’s gone. Chanyeol’s bent over him and it can’t be comfortable, especially with how tall Chanyeol is, so despite his brain screaming at him to not do it, he pulls Chanyeol down, wheezing when there’s suddenly a large body covering his.
“Can’t breathe,” he gets out, Chanyeol laughing that loud laugh of his as he rolls over.
They settle down, Baekhyun feeling so tiny in Chanyeol’s hold, fingers curling and uncurling against Chanyeol’s chest.
“It’s okay to miss home. We all do,” Chanyeol murmurs even if being quiet is difficult with a voice as deep as his.
Baekhyun doesn’t even know how Chanyeol managed to figure it out that quickly, but he doesn’t question it. Baekhyun simply burrows closer, tucking his head under Chanyeol’s chin.
After that, Chanyeol is always the one Baekhyun goes to whenever Baekhyun gets homesick. No matter what time of day it is, Chanyeol always welcomes him with open arms and funny stories of his childhood that have Baekhyun forgetting why he was sad in the first place.
Kyungsoo acts the most reluctant, but Baekhyun knows that he damn well enjoys it.
If Baekhyun were to pick one member out of the twelve of them excluding himself, he would say that Kyungsoo looks the squishiest. Ever since he first met Kyungsoo, he made it a personal goal to get at least one koala hug in.
It’s been difficult.
Not only is Kyungsoo very aloof, but he isn’t loud like Baekhyun is. He doesn’t have a propensity to get into everyone’s space in exchange for a brief pat on the head or a little doting smile. No, he prefers to speak with actions and sometimes facial expressions, but Baekhyun never takes those into account; more often than not, it’s a scowl when it’s directed towards him.
Nevertheless, Baekhyun doesn’t give up.
It happens late at night, when no one else is around and he’s dragging himself down the hallway to get to the van where his manager is waiting to take him back to the dorm. He’s been at the company for hours trying to perfect his dance moves alone. Baekhyun had the errant thought of asking Jongin to help him, but Jongin had looked so tired earlier that he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Just as he’s about to turn the corner, Baekhyun hears someone singing. It takes a few seconds for him to realize just who is singing, the weight of the extra practice and schedules for the day slowing down his comprehension. He would be able to recognize Kyungsoo’s voice anywhere, though. He’s been hearing it for the last few years and there’s nothing the compares to the richness that Kyungsoo’s voice has.
And then everything goes silent when Kyungsoo’s voice cracks. Baekhyun waits for the crashing of something being thrown against the wall, but it never comes, Baekhyun belatedly realizing that Kyungsoo isn’t one to throw things in anger like Baekhyun does every once in a while.
The hallways are eerily quiet after that, an unusual occurrence even considering the time. So he starts walking towards where he last heard Kyungsoo, footfalls echoing off the walls.
He finds Kyungsoo in the third room he looks in. Kyungsoo looks absolutely blank as he stares at the wall ahead of him like it’s going to give him the answers and the melody he’s looking for. Baekhyun can tell even from where he’s standing that there are dark circles under Kyungsoo’s eyes, a matching pair no doubt under his own eyes as well.
Baekhyun doesn’t know whether or not he should say something, but it’s obvious that Kyungsoo’s seen him by now if the way his shoulders have risen up slightly are any indication.
“Just come over,” Kyungsoo says, a little rough around the edges. Baekhyun shuffles over and even that’s too much energy. His limbs feel like they’re wet noodles and he’s pretty sure that he can’t feel his toes.
“Are you okay?” he asks, only to wince immediately after. He had heard the crack, is currently looking at the upset expression on Kyungsoo’s face, so of course he’s not. Baekhyun’s never been the best with sentimental or deep words.
Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything, just breathes, Baekhyun’s eyes following the rhythmic rise and fall of Kyungsoo’s chest. Without anything else to do and no idea how to help, Baekhyun pulls Kyungsoo into his arms. He know that a good warm hug always makes him feel better, so why not try and see if it works with Kyungsoo?
Kyungsoo’s been one of the more difficult members to get close to if only because he never wants to be to close to any of them, instead preferring to sit in his room and watch a movie or read a book. Baekhyun is the complete opposite so it’s with slight glee that he’s able to wrap his arms around Kyungsoo and doesn’t receive an elbow to the ribs like Chanyeol had gotten a few weeks ago.
Instead, he gets a soft sigh and Kyungsoo moving slightly closer. Baekhyun considers it a tremendous victory all things considering so he snuggles as close as he can, pleased when he’s finally able to know himself that Kyungsoo is a huggable as he looks.
The peace only lasts for a minute before Kyungsoo is elbowing him away to stand up. Pouting, Baekhyun blinks up at him with the most powerful weapon in his cute arsenal - the puppy dog look. Kyungsoo’s entirely unfazed which is completely unfair because Baekhyun has perfected this look. Hell, he could even patent it if he wanted to, it’s that good.
“Let’s go, I don’t want to have to take care of you if you catch a cold from being out this late.”
Baekhyun’s still trying to figure Kyungsoo out, but he can at least understand that’s Kyungsoo’s way of being caring. He’s still slightly put off that his puppy dog look didn’t work, but pushes it away for later in lieu of clinging to Kyungsoo’s arm.
“Kyungsoo!” he whines when he gets shrugged off, the other male quickly walking away.
Baekhyun gives chase, a smile on his face as he hugs Kyungsoo from behind and gets an elbow to the ribs. He doesn’t mind this; he knows Kyungsoo enjoys it, it’s just a matter of getting Kyungsoo to realize that as well. At least now this gives him an excuse to continue to get closer to Kyungsoo and hug him to his little heart’s desire.
Baekhyun doesn’t talk with the members of the other subunit too much, but when they are together, he makes sure to milk it for all it’s worth. After all, they’re almost always going to be leaving right after arriving, so he has to use the time to its fullest.
He plays around with Jongdae and spends some time watching television with Zitao despite the fact that he barely hears anything due to Zitao asking him questions. He bakes cupcakes with Yixing, which had been really just him standing off to the side and watching Yixing so he doesn’t burn the kitchen down, and inhales the cupcakes with Lu Han. Minseok is a little harder to crack, but Baekhyun eventually manages to sit Minseok down on the floor by the coffee table to play a game of cards.
There’s one member that he hasn’t spent time with, though, which is surprising since he’s so tall and large that Baekhyun has a hard time not seeing him.
“Hyung?” he whispers after poking his head around the half-open door a few days after the members had arrived. Yifan sits up from where he’s lying on his bed, phone dropping to the side as he regards Baekhyun.
“Yes?”
Baekhyun bites his lip, suddenly feeling childish. “Never mind.”
Just as he turns to leave, Yifan calls out to him. Baekhyun can tell that his leader mode is on now, Yifan’s eyes scanning over Baekhyun, most likely to make sure there’s nothing physically wrong with him. He fidgets when Yifan’s eyes meet his after Yifan’s preliminary search.
“Is something wrong? You know you can tell me, that’s what leaders are for.”
And that’s what makes it worse because Baekhyun doesn’t want it to seem like he’s only coming to Yifan because he has a problem. He would probably go to Joonmyun first before Yifan considering they’re closer and Joonmyun would know more, but even so, he can admit there are some things he would rather not tell Joonmyun that he knows Yifan would laugh at.
“It’s not- that’s not it.”
Yifan raises his eyebrows in question. “Then what’s up?”
To be honest, for the last few months, Baekhyun’s been wondering what it would be like to hug Yifan, to wrap his little arms around Yifan’s waist and press his cheek against Yifan’s chest. He seems bony considering he’s about the size of a twig, but Baekhyun can feel it in his bones that Yifan gives nice, albeit slightly awkward, hugs. Baekhyun’s learned that Yifan can sometimes be too big for his own body, limbs flying everywhere in what Baekhyun thinks is supposed to be control as he dances (although he’s not a good judge in that department).
So when he had passed by Yifan’s room and noticed that Zitao was nowhere in sight, Baekhyun had figured it was as great a time as any to get that hug in. Now that he thinks about it, though, it’s pretty random, just walking in and asking Yifan for a hug, but he’s already here and they’re already conversing.
“Can I have a hug?” Baekhyun blurts out. His face totally doesn’t heat up, not at all.
If possible, Yifan’s eyebrows raise even higher until they’re almost to the middle of his forehead. Baekhyun doesn’t stand down because he’s not Byun Baekhyun if he doesn’t take things head on, and he’s always completely serious about cuddles.
“If you want.”
It barely takes a second for Baekhyun to cross the room and he bounces on his toes as he waits for Yifan to stand up so they can hug properly. It’s probably pretty weird how excited he is for this, but he loves figuring out people based on how they give affection. He gets to unlock another piece of the puzzle of how they tick and it’s always exciting.
A sigh unintentionally escapes when Yifan wraps his arms around Baekhyun and he nuzzles closer contently. True to what he thought, Yifan’s a little bony when he wraps arms around Yifan’s middle, but that’s okay because his chest is soft enough.
He loses track of time as they stand there and if Baekhyun was a cat, he has no doubt that he would be purring right now. It’s so easy to melt into the embrace, to let his defenses down for just a few seconds and be taken care of.
Over the next few years, Baekhyun seeks out more of Yifan’s hugs, simply wrapping his tiny form around Yifan’s when he wants to be cuddled. When it’s a particularly hard day, he tackles Yifan down and tucks his head under Yifan’s chin so he won’t be able to see the tears threatening to roll down his cheeks. During these times, Yifan simply runs fingers through Baekhyun’s hair and it’s more than enough.
Baekhyun sometimes hates how he’s just one more burden for Yifan to deal with. It doesn’t matter how often Yifan has told him that he doesn’t mind, there’s always a little piece of him that wishes he wasn’t so selfish and wasn’t so attuned to Yifan’s large hands intertwining with his or to Yifan’s legs sliding in between his. He rarely says anything, but Baekhyun understands what he’s saying anyways.
It’s always a treat to be pulled in between Sehun and Zitao, the both of them sandwiching him in between their long, warm bodies. Baekhyun feels so incredibly small between them, but it gives him a sense of security to be able to just have them wrap their arms around him, one pair around his chest and one pair around his waist as twin pairs of chests press and retreat against him.
Sometimes it gets too hot for him to feel comfortable in the middle, sweat shining on his forehead from the heat of their bodies and the warmth of the day. He whines when they pull him down one day in July, claiming that it’s too damn hot to be cuddling. They should know that it’s serious since Baekhyun never, ever rejects any form of physical contact, but he honestly feels like he’s going to melt into the floor.
“No,” he moans as he drags the word out, body wiggling to try and fight them off, but two are better than one and Baekhyun’s never been that strong anyways.
“Come on, hyung, you’re always up for cuddling,” Sehun says. He shifts around to get more comfortable once they’re all laying on the bed, a little smile on his face as he peers at Baekhyun.
“Only when it doesn’t feel like I’m about to turn into a puddle. It’s so hot, what made you think this was a good idea?”
He can feel Zitao shrug from behind him, only another reminder that someone is pressing up against him, their sweaty chest against his sweaty back. There’s also the fact that Zitao isn’t wearing a shirt, Baekhyun repressing a shudder when he thinks about the sweat mark that’s going to be on the back of his tank top.
“You looked cute today,” Zitao says, but Baekhyun’s not buying it.
“First, I’m cute everyday,” Baekhyun corrects, continuing on as he ignores Sehun’s snort, “and second, it’s the middle of July. I would rather be doing anything but this right now.”
Sehun snorts. “Don’t lie. The both of us give fantastic hugs.”
That’s true, but it still doesn’t dispute the fact that they’re all dripping with sweat despite the air conditioner blasting. The body heat of twelve people has never been a match for their air conditioning unit, but it continues to work its heart out, bless its little machine soul.
Baekhyun settles for making a noise that’s a cross between a sad kitten and a gargling human. Zitao and Sehun only cling tighter with happy hums as they coo, “Our cute Baekhyun hyung.”
That softens Baekhyun up because damn right he’s cute and as the seconds go by, he grudgingly admits that, yeah, it’s always nice to be wrapped up in their arms.
“Brats,” he mumbles some time later. He feels even more gross than he had half an hour prior, but nothing really beats spending quality time with his bandmates on a day off.
“You love us,” they chime at the same time. Baekhyun smiles and continues talking to them in hushed whispers, absolutely adoring the intimacy of the whole thing.
He really loves his members.
Half of the time, it looks like Minseok doesn’t even want to be around Baekhyun.
Baekhyun likes to call it fond exasperation with a hint of affection.
This is why he decides that the perfect time to latch onto Minseok is on the way to a schedule, Incheon airport bustling with fans surrounding them from all sides. The screaming around them doubles when Baekhyun clutches onto Minseok’s arms and Minseok looks about two seconds from throwing him off - his pretty almond-shaped eyes narrowing - before he stops and looks at Baekhyun. He’s not sure what Minseok finds, but it’s enough for him to soften, for his arm to relax under Baekhyun’s fingers.
He flashes a bright smile at Minseok despite how tired and drained he feels, ears not even registering the screaming anymore. They’ve been through the airport so many times that they’re almost entirely desensitized to the screams and camera flashes (although the latter is still bothersome every once in a while. Baekhyun doesn’t know if he’ll ever get used to that).
Baekhyun clings the whole way through the airport, only detaching when they have to go through security, but after that, he sticks back to Minseok like glue.
If Minseok minds, he doesn’t show it. Baekhyun’s sure that if Minseok actually did care, then he would’ve been pushed away by now like what’s happened in the past, both on stage and in the dorms. He’s happy knowing that Minseok’s in a good mood today and not only because he gets an arm to cling to. It’s difficult to get out of bed and they all have bad days more often than good days, the only thing powering them being their fans and the will to do well. Good moods are rare to come by, but Baekhyun loves when they do. It’s much better to see his fellow members smiling because they want to rather than because they have to.
“You look content,” Minseok says in amusement once they sit down by their gate. They always have to get to the airport early in case they get bombarded by fans along the way. Even though their company could easily pay to put them on the earliest plane out if they missed their original flight, they're cheap bastards.
“I'm always content when I'm with you,” Baekhyun sing-songs if only to see the way Minseok's face twists at the cheesy statement. Laughing, Baekhyun snuggles closer, practically pushing his way onto half of Minseok's body. At this point, it would probably be more comfortable to sit on Minseok's lap, and while he wouldn't really mind if there were fans around that happened to get that on camera, he doesn't think Minseok shares the sentiment.
Fingers thread their way through Baekhyun's hair and he immediately nuzzles closer with a blissed out smile on his face. Minseok rarely ever indulges him, but it's always so nice when he does. Minseok generally likes to be with some other members more, and Baekhyun can't fault him for that since he does the same thing, yet Minseok can be so warm and doting that Baekhyun can't say he's never wanted to be on the receiving end of that affection.
Minseok's been working out a lot lately and he's been losing his cute cheeks, something that Baekhyun has been steadily mourning as the days go by. If Minseok isn't happy, though, then he's not about to reprimand Minseok for his selfish reason of wanting to be held. Besides, hugs are hugs no matter if the other person has defined pecs or has a squishy tummy like him.
Something pressing against the top of his head brings him out of his thoughts, Baekhyun sleeping blinking up at Minseok only to find that his cheeks are slowly turning darker. Baekhyun gapes when he puts it together.
"Did you just kiss my head?"
"No," Minseok denies. Baekhyun's lips curl up when Minseok looks away with a cough.
"Cute," he murmurs before snuggling closer. He knew that Minseok couldn't deny his charms.
Joonmyun is...Joonmyun depends on the day. There are some days where Baekhyun curls into his chest that has been steadily growing firmer and there are other days where Joonmyun's the one that needs comfort.
He’s always surprised when Joonmyun comes knocking on his door for something other than to reprimand him or Chanyeol for a joke they played earlier in the day. It’s usually the other way around, but Baekhyun’s been trying to keep the burden off of his leader more recently, instead keeping everything to himself and pretending that everything’s okay. He sees the way Joonmyun's eyes have been getting dimmer and dimmer, no doubt the pressure of the company and the pressure of being the perfect leader weighing him down. Baekhyun always wants to help Joonmyun, but he doesn't know how and that’s what kills him the most. He only feels better when Joonmyun comes to him for late-night snuggles. If he can do anything for Joonmyun, he's going to do it with all of his heart.
A knock comes on the door one late night. Chanyeol's out, probably composing a song or practicing at the company, so it's just Baekhyun in the room. The dorm has been oddly quiet for the last few hours, but it makes sense since their other half had left a few days prior.
“Come in,” Baekhyun calls. It's a bit of a struggle to untangle himself from the cocoon of blankets he’d wrapped around himself in an imitation of body heat.
Joonmyun opens the door slowly, only walking in comfortably when he realizes it's just Baekhyun in the room. Baekhyun can automatically tell what Joonmyun's here for, wordlessly opening his arms to let him in.
After getting comfortable, Baekhyun wraps his blankets around the both of them, humming when Joonmyun pushes his head under Baekhyun's chin. Joonmyun is so tiny, even tinier than Baekhyun, and he errantly wonders if this is what Yifan and Chanyeol feel like when they have him in their arms. It's nice being the big spoon, to be able to offer comfort with just a touch.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Baekhyun wonders. He's still not very good with talking things out after all this time, but he's willing to try for Joonmyun. It's not Joonmyun's fault that Baekhyun is inept when it comes to being anything but playful and he deserves to be able to vent, too.
He feels Joonmyun go stiff so he runs gentle fingers through Joonmyun's hair, his other hand rubbing at the base of Joonmyun's spine. It calms Joonmyun down, Baekhyun smiling when Joonmyun relaxes into the hold with a soft sign against Baekhyun's collarbones.
And so Joonmyun talks. He talks and he talks and Baekhyun listens to every word with rapt attention, all the while continuing to pet Joonmyun's hair.
“I'm sorry,” Joonmyun mutters when he finishes.
Baekhyun pulls back to look at him in confusion. “Why would you say that? It's not like you barged in without my permission and starting reprimanding me. I asked if you wanted to talk, so I'm going to be here to listen.”
Up close, Baekhyun can see it in Joonmyun's eyes, the fear. In front of the fans, back in the dorms, in the practice rooms, on the way to schedules, Joonmyun’s their pillar of strength. Here, in their little bubble, Joonmyun’s tired and scared and Baekhyun gives him all of the comfort he needs, hoping that it will be enough.
He knows he's succeeded when Joonmyun curls back into his chest and whispers a very soft, “Thank you.”
There are times where Baekhyun thinks he understands Lu Han and times where he absolutely doesn’t.
It’s a very loudly spoken rule that no one’s allowed on his bed, but that doesn’t stop Baekhyun from trying time and time again to sneak in when he thinks Lu Han’s sleeping.
Most of the time, Lu Han pushes him to Baekhyun’s room if he’s feeling particularly touchy. Sometimes, though, sometimes Lu Han will actively seek him out and drag him to his own room for cuddle time. It’s those times where Baekhyun is the most confused because it’s so easy for Lu Han to wrap around him, Lu Han’s scent clinging to his sheets and filling Baekhyun’s senses.
Today is like anything other day. They’re woken up at an ungodly hour and shuffled to the vans to take them to a photoshoot. Baekhyun doesn’t even know what it’s for, had stopped trying to keep track a long time ago. He’s learned that it’s best to just let them take him where they want and put on the clothes they want him to; the brand doesn’t matter, the motions are all the same.
Sehun’s clinging to him in his half-asleep state when they step out of the van, Baekhyun entirely too happy there aren’t any fans waiting for them. He loves his fans, he really does, but they can be batshit crazy.
He takes a little nap as he gets his makeup done, not even caring that the makeup noona might scold him for it later. Baekhyun would rather spend the time napping instead of starting at himself in the mirror, no matter how attractive he is.
Baekhyun can hear everyone else bustle around, can hear Joonmyun saying something to Jongin from the seat next to him about how he needs to take care of himself more, can hear Yixing and Lu Han fooling around on their phones somewhere behind him. He tunes it all out, instead focusing on trying to squeeze just a few extra minutes of sleep in.
All too soon, he’s shuffled out of his seat. He flops down on a couch nearby with a sigh, careful to make sure his face doesn’t make any contact with the fabric.
Someone pats him on his thigh, a whine leaving his lips at the contact.
“I know you’re not sleeping, so don’t pretend to make whining puppy noises.”
“I wasn’t pretending,” Baekhyun mumbles, but makes room for Lu Han next to him on the couch. It’s a futile effort considering he’s sprawled out across the entire thing and he only moves one of his legs on top of the other, but he figures Lu Han should appreciate the fact that Baekhyun moved at all.
Lu Han lifts him into a sitting position like he weighs nothing, Baekhyun clinging to his shoulders on reflex.
Lu Han chuckles right next to his ear, a shiver running up his spine. “I won’t drop you, don’t worry.”
“I wasn’t,” Baekhyun replies. He betrays his claim when Lu Han tips forward and he clutches tighter with a yelp.
Lu Han laughs louder this time, Baekhyun swatting him somewhere on his shoulder. He’s not too sure where exactly since his eyes are closed, still stubbornly trying to get his nap in. Lu Han makes sure to crush his dreams by pulling Baekhyun every which way under the sun before finally settling down with Baekhyun in his lap, a hand on the back of Baekhyun’s neck and the other wrapped around his waist.
“My kitty,” Lu Han coos. Baekhyun’s too tired to formulate a response, so he settles for a grunt that has Lu Han laughing. He doesn’t think it’s fair that Lu Han’s so damn awake this early in the morning - that’s supposed to be his job, but whatever. He supposes he can share the position.
The shoot ends quickly, which isn’t a surprise considering all of them are good-looking and would have to actively try and make a face that doesn’t come out nicely in a photo. It’s almost mechanical how they bow at the photographer and make their way to the back to get changed into their normal clothes and head back to the dorm. Baekhyun’s just thankful that this is the only thing they have scheduled for the day because a nap still sounds like a good idea even after all of the hours that have gone by.
Lu Han glues himself to Baekhyun the entire ride back, chatting his ear off. Baekhyun pretending to be asleep, even does the whimpering thing Chanyeol has told him he does in his sleep, but Lu Han continues to prod at Baekhyun’s side.
“Don’t fall asleep, my kitty,” Lu Han says, Sehun laughing from where he’s sitting in the row behind them.
“Go find Jongdae if you want a cat,” Baekhyun grumbles. The window is uncomfortable and he keeps hitting his head lightly as they drive along. Is it too much to ask to be able to sleep?
Someone - Lu Han no doubt since he’s the only one sitting next to Baekhyun - gently grabs his arm and pulls him to the side until he’s resting on their shoulder instead. With a sleepy hum, Baekhyun snuggles closer, nose pressing up against Lu Han’s neck. It’s too cramped for him to be able to put his head in Lu Han’s lap, but his shoulder is one of the least bony among the members.
Lu Han starts singing softly. It has to be in Mandarin because Baekhyun barely understands a word of it yet that doesn’t stop him from dozing off, sated with the weight of Lu Han’s arm wrapped around his waist and Lu Han’s gentle voice by his ear.
Yixing’s the one that isn’t afraid to get close on stage, to press their faces together as closely as possible, half to tease the fans and half because Yixing generally loves the affection as well. They work well together and Baekhyun always mourns when the EXO-M members have to leave. He likes it best when they’re all together despite the the dorm being twice as crowded.
Other than concerts and pre-recordings, Yixing always clings to at least one member throughout the duration of an awards show. It starts off early, in the morning when they’re just getting up and wiping sleep from their eyes.
“Baekhyun!” Yixing chirps right when Baekhyun walks into the kitchen. He almost runs into the wall at the sudden noise, brain still foggy from having just woken up.
“Sorry,” Yixing says once Baekhyun reaches him, pulling him into a soft hug that has Baekhyun’s toes curling. It’s easy, natural, to hug Yixing back, to bury his face in Yixing’s collarbones and start to drift off again.
Yixing tuts before pulling away, Baekhyun pouting up at him.
“Go sit, I’ll bring you some fruit.”
It’s a struggle to shuffle over and into a seat, but Baekhyun manages, only half-aware of his surroundings. He’s always needed at least ten minutes to fully wake up before he’s bouncing around the room, and that’s exactly what happens that morning. Baekhyun’s the one to chirp a greeting at the next person who arrives, snickering when Jongin mumbles something before plopping down in a chair across from him.
Yixing appears again later when they’re in the salon. Baekhyun’s been done for the better part of half an hour now, mindlessly playing games on his phone as the rest of the members finish up. It’s getting to be slightly uncomfortable in his suit and he can already tell there’s too much BB cream on his face, but it’s easy to ignore.
Just as Baekhyun’s loading another game up, someone plops down on his left and leans in close. “What are you doing?”
“Trying not to lose my mind from boredom.”
It takes a while, but Yixing eventually laughs, Baekhyun smiling because he finds it so adorable how Yixing sometimes has to take a few extra seconds to understand what Baekhyun’s saying.
“I’m here now, though, so you can talk to me.”
“I could...or I could continue to play this game.”
Baekhyun doesn’t have to look to know that Yixing’s pouting. Chuckling, he exits the game and leans into Yixing’s side so much that he has to flail to keep his balance. Yixing pushes back, Baekhyun’s smile increasing when he gets the okay to fool around with Yixing. Neither of them care when they get scolded by the makeup artists, both of their smiles wide as they sit in the chairs to get touched up.
Yixing sticks to Baekhyun’s side throughout the rest of the day, from sitting next to him in the van, to walking with him down the red carpet, to standing by his side for the official picture, to sitting next to him at the actual show.
Baekhyun can practically hear the shutters of the cameras go off when Yixing leans over to whisper something in his ear. He imagines the fangirls going wild when he places a hand on Yixing’s thigh and sends him a wide smile before replying. Yixing looks none-the-wiser to what he’s doing, but that’s okay because he flirts back anyways, the both of them toeing the line between innocence and having fun. Baekhyun can’t help it if they’re both naturally touchy people.
Right before they split up to wait on opposite wings of the stage, Yixing grabs Baekhyun’s hand. He squeezes Yixing’s hand and sends him a thankful smile. He’ll never understand how Yixing can read him so well, how he can see the nerves flowing through Baekhyun’s body no matter how hard he tries to control it, but he’s grateful nonetheless.
“Fighting!” Yixing exclaims, even adding in the little hand motion.
Their stage goes perfectly as expected, all twelve of them shuffling off to make room for the next performers and like magnets, Baekhyun ends up near Yixing again.
Just as Baekhyun’s shuffling down the hallway to go to bed later that night, he passes by Yixing’s room and makes a split second decision to knock.
“Come in,” comes Yixing’s muffled voice.
He’s shirtless when Baekhyun opens the door, but Baekhyun’s so used to seeing all of his bandmates in some sort of undress that it doesn’t even bother him anymore. Baekhyun doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t have to, Yixing smiling wide despite how tired he looks as he pulls Baekhyun down to his bed.
“You’re soft,” Baekhyun mumbles.
“Thank you,” Yixing responds with a soft chuckle.
“Please don’t kick me in the middle of the night.”
Yixing huffs. “I won’t.”
Humming, Baekhyun places his head on Yixing’s chest and throws his arm across Yixing’s stomach just as Yixing winds an arm around Baekhyun’s hips.
“Where’s Zitao?” Baekhyun asks, only belatedly realizing that they’re the only two currently in the room.
“Sehun and Joonmyun’s room.”
Baekhyun should’ve known, responding with a sleepy, “Ah.”
Yixing places a small, fleeting kiss to the crown of Baekhyun’s head. “Sleep.”
And he does, no doubt with a small smile on his face.
Baekhyun goes to Jongin when he wants to lie down for a nap, all bundled up in the warmth and security that comes with being surrounding by blankets and by Jongin.
There’s something so childlike and innocent about Jongin that makes Baekhyun wants to protect him. He’s just a kid in a world that’s too big for him and while they’re all pretty young, Jongin exudes such sweetness that Baekhyun goes into protective mode.
This is why, when it’s three in the morning and Jongin still isn’t home, Baekhyun calls up their manager and demands to be taken to the company.
“It’s not for me,” Baekhyun grits out, barely concealing his annoyance. “Jongin hasn’t come home yet and I need to get him before he passes out on the floor. Again.”
That shuts the manager up, Baekhyun grumbling about how it’s their manager’s job to make sure that all of them are taken care of, not whine about getting woken up.
“I’ll wait here,” their manager says one they arrive, but Baekhyun doesn’t pay attention, his entire focus on finding Jongin and bringing him home.
Baekhyun’s on autopilot as he takes the elevator to the third floor, turns right, and opens the fourth door on the left. Just like he thought, Jongin’s there, sweat pouring down his face and disappearing in his shirt, arms and legs barely holding Jongin’s weight up.
“Why do you do this to yourself?” Baekhyun wonders once the song ends. It had been painful watching Jongin practicing, knowing that it couldn’t be good for his back or for his body in general.
Jongin’s too tired to even flinch. He simply lifts his head up and gives Baekhyun a shaky smile. “Hi hyung.”
“Don’t you ‘hi hyung’ me,” Baekhyun growls. “You need to sleep. Your moves are already better than all of ours, so please just come to the dorms.”
“But-”
“No,” Baekhyun cuts him off. “It’s late and your waist injury might flare up again.” He hates being the strict one, but Jongin’s never been able to properly understand his own limits.
It takes some more coaxing, but Baekhyun gets Jongin to leave. They’re home within ten minutes, Baekhyun carefully holding Jongin as he brings Jongin to the bathroom so he can shower.
With a sigh, Baekhyun slides down on the wall by the bathroom, the sound of the running water soothing him. His heart clenches when he thinks about how slowly Jongin had to walk, how tight his muscles had been when Baekhyun put a hand on his lower back, how tired he had seemed even though he wanted to keep dancing. A wry smile makes its way onto his face. He understands it to an extent - the need to dance flows through Jongin’s veins just like singing flows through his.
“Thank you, hyung,” Jongin whispers once Baekhyun’s tucked him into bed. His eyes are already dropping and he looks adorable bundled up in his blankets.
“No problem,” Baekhyun whispers, mindful of Kyungsoo who’s fast asleep a few feet away.
Jongin finds him the next day around noon, Baekhyun happily noting that he’s walking at a normal pace again, before he’s being dragged up and away from the television. He sees Joonmyun give them a questioning look as they walk away, Baekhyun shrugging to convey that he has no idea what’s going on.
“Jongin?”
He doesn’t say anything, simply continues to drag Baekhyun down the hall and to his room.
His next question cuts off into a shriek when Jongin pushes him down onto his bed.
“Okay, Jongin, I like you and all but not that way,” Baekhyun jokes. Jongin makes a noise that reminds Baekhyun of a wailing cat, but not really at the same time.
“Hush, hyung. Just let me take my nap.”
Raising his eyebrows, Baekhyun asks, “What does taking a nap have to do with me?” He’s teasing, of course, because they both prefer each other for naps if possible, but Baekhyun loves how shy Jongin gets when he asks for cuddles.
“You know why,” Jongin whines. Baekhyun hums like he doesn’t, lips twitching when Jongin pouts at him.
“Okay, okay, come here,” Baekhyun says, hooking a foot around Jongin’s leg to pull him down. It backfires when Jongin almost knees him in the groin, Jongin’s knee digging into the soft flesh of his inner thigh.
Jongin huffs out a laugh against Baekhyun’s cheek. “You’re the one that pulled me down.”
“Well you’re the one that keeps growing,” Baekhyun fires back.
“Whatever you say, hyung,” Jongin murmurs, already halfway asleep. Baekhyun never fails to be amazed at how he can just asleep anytime, anywhere so easily.
With a soft sigh, Baekhyun tucks Jongin’s head under his chin, running a hand up and down his back until Jongin falls asleep. Baekhyun’s heart feels warm and fuzzy when he looks down at Jongin, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead before setting down for a nap of his own.
Baekhyun loves Jongdae’s hugs the most. They’re warm, all-encompassing, and he feels like he could take on the world as long as he has Jongdae’s hugs to come back to at the end of the day.
The best part is that Jongdae’s literally the cat to Baekhyun’s puppy. Whenever Baekhyun noses his way into Jongdae’s personal space, Jongdae doesn’t even flinch, simply curls around him or lets Baekhyun curl into him. Other times, Jongdae is the one that initiates it, but for those times, he’s more of a puppy to Baekhyun’s puppy.
“Baekhyun!” Jongdae yells one day as Baekhyun’s walking down the hallway to the kitchen.
“Jongdae!” Baekhyun shouts back. He knows that glint in Jongdae’s eyes, knows what he’s about to do, and before Baekhyun can shriek his distaste, Jongdae launches himself into Baekhyun’s arms. It’s by some miracle that Baekhyun doesn’t land flat on his butt, wheezing when Jongdae slips down slightly.
He ends up having to push Jongdae up against the wall to keep him from falling and allowing Jongdae to wiggle up so he can resume his koala position more comfortably.
“Woah,” Minseok says from behind them.
“It’s not what it looks like,” Baekhyun rushes to explain, but of course Jongdae’s of no help as he purposely makes kissy faces down at Baekhyun.
“Are you sure about that? You did just push me against the wall after all.”
Baekhyun muffles his groan in Jongdae’s shoulder, feeling as well as hearing the loud laugh Jongdae lets out.
“I’ll leave you two to it, then,” Minseok remarks before the sound of his footsteps retreating meets Baekhyun’s ears.
“Menace,” Baekhyun mutters, delivering a sharp jab to Jongdae’s side and relishing the affronted noise he gets.
“You’re basking in my warmth,” Jongdae proclaims.
“I’m not basking in it,” Baekhyun refutes. “It’s more like I’m enjoying what has been presented to me, albeit in a heavy package.”
Jongdae snorts, unimpressed. “So you’re basking.”
Baekhyun drops Jongdae to the ground and preens in the loud shriek that follows.
Jongdae’s also the type that catches Baekhyun in back-hugs when he’s least expecting it.
He’s simply chatting and making silly faces at fans in between pre-recordings for Wolf when the shrieks suddenly increase. Thinking that it’s because of him, Baekhyun increases his fan service until he feels arms wrap themselves around his middle. It’s easy to melt back into the embrace. Jongdae hugs him so often that he knows what it feels like, doesn’t even have to turn around to figure out who has him captive with the way Jongdae runs soft fingers over his stomach before interlocking.
“What are you doing?” Jongdae wonders as if what he had been doing isn’t obvious.
“Talking to fans, duh,” Baekhyun responds and that gets a few giggles from the girls in the first few rows.
“Why are you like this?” Jongdae whines loudly right into his ear. Baekhyun is one-hundred percent positive he did that on purpose. His ear is ringing, but the fans are loving it, shutters opening and closing at an alarming speed as Baekhyun turns his head to pout at Jongdae.
Cooing, Jongdae delivers a hard pinch to Baekhyun’s cheek that has him yelping and running after Jongdae when he slips away.
“Come back here!” Baekhyun shouts.
“Never!”
Somewhere along the way, Chanyeol joins in, the three of them yelling unintelligible things at each other until they’re called back for recording.
Baekhyun complains enough that Jongdae makes it up to him with hugs later, laughing when he’s the one that jumps into Jongdae’s arms this time.
Sometimes Baekhyun gets little kisses, too, tiny smiles pressed against his cheek or neck to leave him giddy. It’s easy to slip into the embrace, to let the stress of the day wash away for a few minutes or hours.
Not everything is perfect all the time, far from it, but Baekhyun’s happy where he is. He’s happy when Jongin comes to him for sleepy cuddles, when he goes to Yifan for a gentle hug, when Joonmyun comes to him for soft reassurance, when he goes to Chanyeol for comforting warmth. Baekhyun’s a cuddle monster, but so are his bandmates and it brings a smile to his face knowing that they’re all close because they choose to be, not because they have to be.
From: ANONYMOUS until REVEALS
Title: Warmth
Rating: PG
Length: 7,640 words
Summary: There’s just something about cuddling, about knowing the other person likes him enough to let him be as close as physically possible, that makes Baekhyun happy.
Warnings: Pre-lawsuits so this is OT12, possibly inaccurate rooming assignments
Notes: This turned out a little more angsty than I had originally planned, but I hope that everyone likes it ^^ This is really self indulgent and fueled by the recent pictures of Baekhyun being a cuddly pup floating around.
Baekhyun has always considered himself to be a cuddly person. There’s just something about the need for a touch, whether it’s a gentle brush of the fingers against a wrist or a full-on koala hug, that makes him happy. It’s about knowing the other person is comfortable enough with him to let him into their space, about knowing they don’t mind him pressing his face against their face or stomach, about knowing someone is physically there for him if he simply reaches out. It’s comforting, something that Baekhyun has always needed, even as a kid. His mother always likes to joke that it’s because he had been so spoiled as a child and that he would refuse to be put down whenever he was in her or his father’s arms. Hell, even his brother put up with him until Baekhyun grew too heavy for his brother to do it comfortably. Baekhyun likes to think that’s just an excuse because Baekhyun isn’t heavy regardless of his thighs being slightly larger or his hips being a little wider than average. Whenever he has rare time off and goes home, he always makes sure to plop into his brother’s lap, satisfied at the wheeze that it causes.
Things only get better when he’s told he’s going to debut in a group with eleven other guys, eyes sparkling at the thought of all the late night or early morning hugs and cuddles he can potentially get.
It takes a while for Baekhyun to even attempt anything despite his incessant need to push his head against someone’s hand like a dog. He doesn’t think his new bandmates would appreciate him draping himself over their laps because despite his mischievous and playful nature, he’s going to be with these people for years. It wouldn’t do well to get on their bad side this early.
He doesn’t mean for it to happen, but Chanyeol catches him while he’s in his bed, little teardrops gathering in the corners of his eyes as he thinks about home. Baekhyun hasn’t seen his parents in months, far too busy with practices and preparations for their showcase and debut album. His dancing needs the most work and there are times he doesn’t feel like he’s good enough to be debuting so soon, so he has to make up for the lost hours at the cost of not seeing or talking to his parents.
“Oh!” Baekhyun exclaims, scrambling up as he discreetly tries to wipe at his eyes. “Hey, how are you?”
Chanyeol simply stares at him with his wide eyes, Baekhyun wiggling under the stare. He doesn’t say anything as he crosses the room towards Baekhyun, Baekhyun unconsciously shrinking in on himself. He doesn’t know Chanyeol well enough yet to understand his habits, like if he doesn’t like when people cry near him or anything of the sort. A myriad of thoughts run through his head but then his mind goes blank when long arms wrap around his shoulders.
“Huh?” he asks dumbly as he blinks, trying to understand what’s going on. His first instinct is to cling back, to chase the warmth and pull it in before it’s gone. Chanyeol’s bent over him and it can’t be comfortable, especially with how tall Chanyeol is, so despite his brain screaming at him to not do it, he pulls Chanyeol down, wheezing when there’s suddenly a large body covering his.
“Can’t breathe,” he gets out, Chanyeol laughing that loud laugh of his as he rolls over.
They settle down, Baekhyun feeling so tiny in Chanyeol’s hold, fingers curling and uncurling against Chanyeol’s chest.
“It’s okay to miss home. We all do,” Chanyeol murmurs even if being quiet is difficult with a voice as deep as his.
Baekhyun doesn’t even know how Chanyeol managed to figure it out that quickly, but he doesn’t question it. Baekhyun simply burrows closer, tucking his head under Chanyeol’s chin.
After that, Chanyeol is always the one Baekhyun goes to whenever Baekhyun gets homesick. No matter what time of day it is, Chanyeol always welcomes him with open arms and funny stories of his childhood that have Baekhyun forgetting why he was sad in the first place.
Kyungsoo acts the most reluctant, but Baekhyun knows that he damn well enjoys it.
If Baekhyun were to pick one member out of the twelve of them excluding himself, he would say that Kyungsoo looks the squishiest. Ever since he first met Kyungsoo, he made it a personal goal to get at least one koala hug in.
It’s been difficult.
Not only is Kyungsoo very aloof, but he isn’t loud like Baekhyun is. He doesn’t have a propensity to get into everyone’s space in exchange for a brief pat on the head or a little doting smile. No, he prefers to speak with actions and sometimes facial expressions, but Baekhyun never takes those into account; more often than not, it’s a scowl when it’s directed towards him.
Nevertheless, Baekhyun doesn’t give up.
It happens late at night, when no one else is around and he’s dragging himself down the hallway to get to the van where his manager is waiting to take him back to the dorm. He’s been at the company for hours trying to perfect his dance moves alone. Baekhyun had the errant thought of asking Jongin to help him, but Jongin had looked so tired earlier that he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Just as he’s about to turn the corner, Baekhyun hears someone singing. It takes a few seconds for him to realize just who is singing, the weight of the extra practice and schedules for the day slowing down his comprehension. He would be able to recognize Kyungsoo’s voice anywhere, though. He’s been hearing it for the last few years and there’s nothing the compares to the richness that Kyungsoo’s voice has.
And then everything goes silent when Kyungsoo’s voice cracks. Baekhyun waits for the crashing of something being thrown against the wall, but it never comes, Baekhyun belatedly realizing that Kyungsoo isn’t one to throw things in anger like Baekhyun does every once in a while.
The hallways are eerily quiet after that, an unusual occurrence even considering the time. So he starts walking towards where he last heard Kyungsoo, footfalls echoing off the walls.
He finds Kyungsoo in the third room he looks in. Kyungsoo looks absolutely blank as he stares at the wall ahead of him like it’s going to give him the answers and the melody he’s looking for. Baekhyun can tell even from where he’s standing that there are dark circles under Kyungsoo’s eyes, a matching pair no doubt under his own eyes as well.
Baekhyun doesn’t know whether or not he should say something, but it’s obvious that Kyungsoo’s seen him by now if the way his shoulders have risen up slightly are any indication.
“Just come over,” Kyungsoo says, a little rough around the edges. Baekhyun shuffles over and even that’s too much energy. His limbs feel like they’re wet noodles and he’s pretty sure that he can’t feel his toes.
“Are you okay?” he asks, only to wince immediately after. He had heard the crack, is currently looking at the upset expression on Kyungsoo’s face, so of course he’s not. Baekhyun’s never been the best with sentimental or deep words.
Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything, just breathes, Baekhyun’s eyes following the rhythmic rise and fall of Kyungsoo’s chest. Without anything else to do and no idea how to help, Baekhyun pulls Kyungsoo into his arms. He know that a good warm hug always makes him feel better, so why not try and see if it works with Kyungsoo?
Kyungsoo’s been one of the more difficult members to get close to if only because he never wants to be to close to any of them, instead preferring to sit in his room and watch a movie or read a book. Baekhyun is the complete opposite so it’s with slight glee that he’s able to wrap his arms around Kyungsoo and doesn’t receive an elbow to the ribs like Chanyeol had gotten a few weeks ago.
Instead, he gets a soft sigh and Kyungsoo moving slightly closer. Baekhyun considers it a tremendous victory all things considering so he snuggles as close as he can, pleased when he’s finally able to know himself that Kyungsoo is a huggable as he looks.
The peace only lasts for a minute before Kyungsoo is elbowing him away to stand up. Pouting, Baekhyun blinks up at him with the most powerful weapon in his cute arsenal - the puppy dog look. Kyungsoo’s entirely unfazed which is completely unfair because Baekhyun has perfected this look. Hell, he could even patent it if he wanted to, it’s that good.
“Let’s go, I don’t want to have to take care of you if you catch a cold from being out this late.”
Baekhyun’s still trying to figure Kyungsoo out, but he can at least understand that’s Kyungsoo’s way of being caring. He’s still slightly put off that his puppy dog look didn’t work, but pushes it away for later in lieu of clinging to Kyungsoo’s arm.
“Kyungsoo!” he whines when he gets shrugged off, the other male quickly walking away.
Baekhyun gives chase, a smile on his face as he hugs Kyungsoo from behind and gets an elbow to the ribs. He doesn’t mind this; he knows Kyungsoo enjoys it, it’s just a matter of getting Kyungsoo to realize that as well. At least now this gives him an excuse to continue to get closer to Kyungsoo and hug him to his little heart’s desire.
Baekhyun doesn’t talk with the members of the other subunit too much, but when they are together, he makes sure to milk it for all it’s worth. After all, they’re almost always going to be leaving right after arriving, so he has to use the time to its fullest.
He plays around with Jongdae and spends some time watching television with Zitao despite the fact that he barely hears anything due to Zitao asking him questions. He bakes cupcakes with Yixing, which had been really just him standing off to the side and watching Yixing so he doesn’t burn the kitchen down, and inhales the cupcakes with Lu Han. Minseok is a little harder to crack, but Baekhyun eventually manages to sit Minseok down on the floor by the coffee table to play a game of cards.
There’s one member that he hasn’t spent time with, though, which is surprising since he’s so tall and large that Baekhyun has a hard time not seeing him.
“Hyung?” he whispers after poking his head around the half-open door a few days after the members had arrived. Yifan sits up from where he’s lying on his bed, phone dropping to the side as he regards Baekhyun.
“Yes?”
Baekhyun bites his lip, suddenly feeling childish. “Never mind.”
Just as he turns to leave, Yifan calls out to him. Baekhyun can tell that his leader mode is on now, Yifan’s eyes scanning over Baekhyun, most likely to make sure there’s nothing physically wrong with him. He fidgets when Yifan’s eyes meet his after Yifan’s preliminary search.
“Is something wrong? You know you can tell me, that’s what leaders are for.”
And that’s what makes it worse because Baekhyun doesn’t want it to seem like he’s only coming to Yifan because he has a problem. He would probably go to Joonmyun first before Yifan considering they’re closer and Joonmyun would know more, but even so, he can admit there are some things he would rather not tell Joonmyun that he knows Yifan would laugh at.
“It’s not- that’s not it.”
Yifan raises his eyebrows in question. “Then what’s up?”
To be honest, for the last few months, Baekhyun’s been wondering what it would be like to hug Yifan, to wrap his little arms around Yifan’s waist and press his cheek against Yifan’s chest. He seems bony considering he’s about the size of a twig, but Baekhyun can feel it in his bones that Yifan gives nice, albeit slightly awkward, hugs. Baekhyun’s learned that Yifan can sometimes be too big for his own body, limbs flying everywhere in what Baekhyun thinks is supposed to be control as he dances (although he’s not a good judge in that department).
So when he had passed by Yifan’s room and noticed that Zitao was nowhere in sight, Baekhyun had figured it was as great a time as any to get that hug in. Now that he thinks about it, though, it’s pretty random, just walking in and asking Yifan for a hug, but he’s already here and they’re already conversing.
“Can I have a hug?” Baekhyun blurts out. His face totally doesn’t heat up, not at all.
If possible, Yifan’s eyebrows raise even higher until they’re almost to the middle of his forehead. Baekhyun doesn’t stand down because he’s not Byun Baekhyun if he doesn’t take things head on, and he’s always completely serious about cuddles.
“If you want.”
It barely takes a second for Baekhyun to cross the room and he bounces on his toes as he waits for Yifan to stand up so they can hug properly. It’s probably pretty weird how excited he is for this, but he loves figuring out people based on how they give affection. He gets to unlock another piece of the puzzle of how they tick and it’s always exciting.
A sigh unintentionally escapes when Yifan wraps his arms around Baekhyun and he nuzzles closer contently. True to what he thought, Yifan’s a little bony when he wraps arms around Yifan’s middle, but that’s okay because his chest is soft enough.
He loses track of time as they stand there and if Baekhyun was a cat, he has no doubt that he would be purring right now. It’s so easy to melt into the embrace, to let his defenses down for just a few seconds and be taken care of.
Over the next few years, Baekhyun seeks out more of Yifan’s hugs, simply wrapping his tiny form around Yifan’s when he wants to be cuddled. When it’s a particularly hard day, he tackles Yifan down and tucks his head under Yifan’s chin so he won’t be able to see the tears threatening to roll down his cheeks. During these times, Yifan simply runs fingers through Baekhyun’s hair and it’s more than enough.
Baekhyun sometimes hates how he’s just one more burden for Yifan to deal with. It doesn’t matter how often Yifan has told him that he doesn’t mind, there’s always a little piece of him that wishes he wasn’t so selfish and wasn’t so attuned to Yifan’s large hands intertwining with his or to Yifan’s legs sliding in between his. He rarely says anything, but Baekhyun understands what he’s saying anyways.
It’s always a treat to be pulled in between Sehun and Zitao, the both of them sandwiching him in between their long, warm bodies. Baekhyun feels so incredibly small between them, but it gives him a sense of security to be able to just have them wrap their arms around him, one pair around his chest and one pair around his waist as twin pairs of chests press and retreat against him.
Sometimes it gets too hot for him to feel comfortable in the middle, sweat shining on his forehead from the heat of their bodies and the warmth of the day. He whines when they pull him down one day in July, claiming that it’s too damn hot to be cuddling. They should know that it’s serious since Baekhyun never, ever rejects any form of physical contact, but he honestly feels like he’s going to melt into the floor.
“No,” he moans as he drags the word out, body wiggling to try and fight them off, but two are better than one and Baekhyun’s never been that strong anyways.
“Come on, hyung, you’re always up for cuddling,” Sehun says. He shifts around to get more comfortable once they’re all laying on the bed, a little smile on his face as he peers at Baekhyun.
“Only when it doesn’t feel like I’m about to turn into a puddle. It’s so hot, what made you think this was a good idea?”
He can feel Zitao shrug from behind him, only another reminder that someone is pressing up against him, their sweaty chest against his sweaty back. There’s also the fact that Zitao isn’t wearing a shirt, Baekhyun repressing a shudder when he thinks about the sweat mark that’s going to be on the back of his tank top.
“You looked cute today,” Zitao says, but Baekhyun’s not buying it.
“First, I’m cute everyday,” Baekhyun corrects, continuing on as he ignores Sehun’s snort, “and second, it’s the middle of July. I would rather be doing anything but this right now.”
Sehun snorts. “Don’t lie. The both of us give fantastic hugs.”
That’s true, but it still doesn’t dispute the fact that they’re all dripping with sweat despite the air conditioner blasting. The body heat of twelve people has never been a match for their air conditioning unit, but it continues to work its heart out, bless its little machine soul.
Baekhyun settles for making a noise that’s a cross between a sad kitten and a gargling human. Zitao and Sehun only cling tighter with happy hums as they coo, “Our cute Baekhyun hyung.”
That softens Baekhyun up because damn right he’s cute and as the seconds go by, he grudgingly admits that, yeah, it’s always nice to be wrapped up in their arms.
“Brats,” he mumbles some time later. He feels even more gross than he had half an hour prior, but nothing really beats spending quality time with his bandmates on a day off.
“You love us,” they chime at the same time. Baekhyun smiles and continues talking to them in hushed whispers, absolutely adoring the intimacy of the whole thing.
He really loves his members.
Half of the time, it looks like Minseok doesn’t even want to be around Baekhyun.
Baekhyun likes to call it fond exasperation with a hint of affection.
This is why he decides that the perfect time to latch onto Minseok is on the way to a schedule, Incheon airport bustling with fans surrounding them from all sides. The screaming around them doubles when Baekhyun clutches onto Minseok’s arms and Minseok looks about two seconds from throwing him off - his pretty almond-shaped eyes narrowing - before he stops and looks at Baekhyun. He’s not sure what Minseok finds, but it’s enough for him to soften, for his arm to relax under Baekhyun’s fingers.
He flashes a bright smile at Minseok despite how tired and drained he feels, ears not even registering the screaming anymore. They’ve been through the airport so many times that they’re almost entirely desensitized to the screams and camera flashes (although the latter is still bothersome every once in a while. Baekhyun doesn’t know if he’ll ever get used to that).
Baekhyun clings the whole way through the airport, only detaching when they have to go through security, but after that, he sticks back to Minseok like glue.
If Minseok minds, he doesn’t show it. Baekhyun’s sure that if Minseok actually did care, then he would’ve been pushed away by now like what’s happened in the past, both on stage and in the dorms. He’s happy knowing that Minseok’s in a good mood today and not only because he gets an arm to cling to. It’s difficult to get out of bed and they all have bad days more often than good days, the only thing powering them being their fans and the will to do well. Good moods are rare to come by, but Baekhyun loves when they do. It’s much better to see his fellow members smiling because they want to rather than because they have to.
“You look content,” Minseok says in amusement once they sit down by their gate. They always have to get to the airport early in case they get bombarded by fans along the way. Even though their company could easily pay to put them on the earliest plane out if they missed their original flight, they're cheap bastards.
“I'm always content when I'm with you,” Baekhyun sing-songs if only to see the way Minseok's face twists at the cheesy statement. Laughing, Baekhyun snuggles closer, practically pushing his way onto half of Minseok's body. At this point, it would probably be more comfortable to sit on Minseok's lap, and while he wouldn't really mind if there were fans around that happened to get that on camera, he doesn't think Minseok shares the sentiment.
Fingers thread their way through Baekhyun's hair and he immediately nuzzles closer with a blissed out smile on his face. Minseok rarely ever indulges him, but it's always so nice when he does. Minseok generally likes to be with some other members more, and Baekhyun can't fault him for that since he does the same thing, yet Minseok can be so warm and doting that Baekhyun can't say he's never wanted to be on the receiving end of that affection.
Minseok's been working out a lot lately and he's been losing his cute cheeks, something that Baekhyun has been steadily mourning as the days go by. If Minseok isn't happy, though, then he's not about to reprimand Minseok for his selfish reason of wanting to be held. Besides, hugs are hugs no matter if the other person has defined pecs or has a squishy tummy like him.
Something pressing against the top of his head brings him out of his thoughts, Baekhyun sleeping blinking up at Minseok only to find that his cheeks are slowly turning darker. Baekhyun gapes when he puts it together.
"Did you just kiss my head?"
"No," Minseok denies. Baekhyun's lips curl up when Minseok looks away with a cough.
"Cute," he murmurs before snuggling closer. He knew that Minseok couldn't deny his charms.
Joonmyun is...Joonmyun depends on the day. There are some days where Baekhyun curls into his chest that has been steadily growing firmer and there are other days where Joonmyun's the one that needs comfort.
He’s always surprised when Joonmyun comes knocking on his door for something other than to reprimand him or Chanyeol for a joke they played earlier in the day. It’s usually the other way around, but Baekhyun’s been trying to keep the burden off of his leader more recently, instead keeping everything to himself and pretending that everything’s okay. He sees the way Joonmyun's eyes have been getting dimmer and dimmer, no doubt the pressure of the company and the pressure of being the perfect leader weighing him down. Baekhyun always wants to help Joonmyun, but he doesn't know how and that’s what kills him the most. He only feels better when Joonmyun comes to him for late-night snuggles. If he can do anything for Joonmyun, he's going to do it with all of his heart.
A knock comes on the door one late night. Chanyeol's out, probably composing a song or practicing at the company, so it's just Baekhyun in the room. The dorm has been oddly quiet for the last few hours, but it makes sense since their other half had left a few days prior.
“Come in,” Baekhyun calls. It's a bit of a struggle to untangle himself from the cocoon of blankets he’d wrapped around himself in an imitation of body heat.
Joonmyun opens the door slowly, only walking in comfortably when he realizes it's just Baekhyun in the room. Baekhyun can automatically tell what Joonmyun's here for, wordlessly opening his arms to let him in.
After getting comfortable, Baekhyun wraps his blankets around the both of them, humming when Joonmyun pushes his head under Baekhyun's chin. Joonmyun is so tiny, even tinier than Baekhyun, and he errantly wonders if this is what Yifan and Chanyeol feel like when they have him in their arms. It's nice being the big spoon, to be able to offer comfort with just a touch.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Baekhyun wonders. He's still not very good with talking things out after all this time, but he's willing to try for Joonmyun. It's not Joonmyun's fault that Baekhyun is inept when it comes to being anything but playful and he deserves to be able to vent, too.
He feels Joonmyun go stiff so he runs gentle fingers through Joonmyun's hair, his other hand rubbing at the base of Joonmyun's spine. It calms Joonmyun down, Baekhyun smiling when Joonmyun relaxes into the hold with a soft sign against Baekhyun's collarbones.
And so Joonmyun talks. He talks and he talks and Baekhyun listens to every word with rapt attention, all the while continuing to pet Joonmyun's hair.
“I'm sorry,” Joonmyun mutters when he finishes.
Baekhyun pulls back to look at him in confusion. “Why would you say that? It's not like you barged in without my permission and starting reprimanding me. I asked if you wanted to talk, so I'm going to be here to listen.”
Up close, Baekhyun can see it in Joonmyun's eyes, the fear. In front of the fans, back in the dorms, in the practice rooms, on the way to schedules, Joonmyun’s their pillar of strength. Here, in their little bubble, Joonmyun’s tired and scared and Baekhyun gives him all of the comfort he needs, hoping that it will be enough.
He knows he's succeeded when Joonmyun curls back into his chest and whispers a very soft, “Thank you.”
There are times where Baekhyun thinks he understands Lu Han and times where he absolutely doesn’t.
It’s a very loudly spoken rule that no one’s allowed on his bed, but that doesn’t stop Baekhyun from trying time and time again to sneak in when he thinks Lu Han’s sleeping.
Most of the time, Lu Han pushes him to Baekhyun’s room if he’s feeling particularly touchy. Sometimes, though, sometimes Lu Han will actively seek him out and drag him to his own room for cuddle time. It’s those times where Baekhyun is the most confused because it’s so easy for Lu Han to wrap around him, Lu Han’s scent clinging to his sheets and filling Baekhyun’s senses.
Today is like anything other day. They’re woken up at an ungodly hour and shuffled to the vans to take them to a photoshoot. Baekhyun doesn’t even know what it’s for, had stopped trying to keep track a long time ago. He’s learned that it’s best to just let them take him where they want and put on the clothes they want him to; the brand doesn’t matter, the motions are all the same.
Sehun’s clinging to him in his half-asleep state when they step out of the van, Baekhyun entirely too happy there aren’t any fans waiting for them. He loves his fans, he really does, but they can be batshit crazy.
He takes a little nap as he gets his makeup done, not even caring that the makeup noona might scold him for it later. Baekhyun would rather spend the time napping instead of starting at himself in the mirror, no matter how attractive he is.
Baekhyun can hear everyone else bustle around, can hear Joonmyun saying something to Jongin from the seat next to him about how he needs to take care of himself more, can hear Yixing and Lu Han fooling around on their phones somewhere behind him. He tunes it all out, instead focusing on trying to squeeze just a few extra minutes of sleep in.
All too soon, he’s shuffled out of his seat. He flops down on a couch nearby with a sigh, careful to make sure his face doesn’t make any contact with the fabric.
Someone pats him on his thigh, a whine leaving his lips at the contact.
“I know you’re not sleeping, so don’t pretend to make whining puppy noises.”
“I wasn’t pretending,” Baekhyun mumbles, but makes room for Lu Han next to him on the couch. It’s a futile effort considering he’s sprawled out across the entire thing and he only moves one of his legs on top of the other, but he figures Lu Han should appreciate the fact that Baekhyun moved at all.
Lu Han lifts him into a sitting position like he weighs nothing, Baekhyun clinging to his shoulders on reflex.
Lu Han chuckles right next to his ear, a shiver running up his spine. “I won’t drop you, don’t worry.”
“I wasn’t,” Baekhyun replies. He betrays his claim when Lu Han tips forward and he clutches tighter with a yelp.
Lu Han laughs louder this time, Baekhyun swatting him somewhere on his shoulder. He’s not too sure where exactly since his eyes are closed, still stubbornly trying to get his nap in. Lu Han makes sure to crush his dreams by pulling Baekhyun every which way under the sun before finally settling down with Baekhyun in his lap, a hand on the back of Baekhyun’s neck and the other wrapped around his waist.
“My kitty,” Lu Han coos. Baekhyun’s too tired to formulate a response, so he settles for a grunt that has Lu Han laughing. He doesn’t think it’s fair that Lu Han’s so damn awake this early in the morning - that’s supposed to be his job, but whatever. He supposes he can share the position.
The shoot ends quickly, which isn’t a surprise considering all of them are good-looking and would have to actively try and make a face that doesn’t come out nicely in a photo. It’s almost mechanical how they bow at the photographer and make their way to the back to get changed into their normal clothes and head back to the dorm. Baekhyun’s just thankful that this is the only thing they have scheduled for the day because a nap still sounds like a good idea even after all of the hours that have gone by.
Lu Han glues himself to Baekhyun the entire ride back, chatting his ear off. Baekhyun pretending to be asleep, even does the whimpering thing Chanyeol has told him he does in his sleep, but Lu Han continues to prod at Baekhyun’s side.
“Don’t fall asleep, my kitty,” Lu Han says, Sehun laughing from where he’s sitting in the row behind them.
“Go find Jongdae if you want a cat,” Baekhyun grumbles. The window is uncomfortable and he keeps hitting his head lightly as they drive along. Is it too much to ask to be able to sleep?
Someone - Lu Han no doubt since he’s the only one sitting next to Baekhyun - gently grabs his arm and pulls him to the side until he’s resting on their shoulder instead. With a sleepy hum, Baekhyun snuggles closer, nose pressing up against Lu Han’s neck. It’s too cramped for him to be able to put his head in Lu Han’s lap, but his shoulder is one of the least bony among the members.
Lu Han starts singing softly. It has to be in Mandarin because Baekhyun barely understands a word of it yet that doesn’t stop him from dozing off, sated with the weight of Lu Han’s arm wrapped around his waist and Lu Han’s gentle voice by his ear.
Yixing’s the one that isn’t afraid to get close on stage, to press their faces together as closely as possible, half to tease the fans and half because Yixing generally loves the affection as well. They work well together and Baekhyun always mourns when the EXO-M members have to leave. He likes it best when they’re all together despite the the dorm being twice as crowded.
Other than concerts and pre-recordings, Yixing always clings to at least one member throughout the duration of an awards show. It starts off early, in the morning when they’re just getting up and wiping sleep from their eyes.
“Baekhyun!” Yixing chirps right when Baekhyun walks into the kitchen. He almost runs into the wall at the sudden noise, brain still foggy from having just woken up.
“Sorry,” Yixing says once Baekhyun reaches him, pulling him into a soft hug that has Baekhyun’s toes curling. It’s easy, natural, to hug Yixing back, to bury his face in Yixing’s collarbones and start to drift off again.
Yixing tuts before pulling away, Baekhyun pouting up at him.
“Go sit, I’ll bring you some fruit.”
It’s a struggle to shuffle over and into a seat, but Baekhyun manages, only half-aware of his surroundings. He’s always needed at least ten minutes to fully wake up before he’s bouncing around the room, and that’s exactly what happens that morning. Baekhyun’s the one to chirp a greeting at the next person who arrives, snickering when Jongin mumbles something before plopping down in a chair across from him.
Yixing appears again later when they’re in the salon. Baekhyun’s been done for the better part of half an hour now, mindlessly playing games on his phone as the rest of the members finish up. It’s getting to be slightly uncomfortable in his suit and he can already tell there’s too much BB cream on his face, but it’s easy to ignore.
Just as Baekhyun’s loading another game up, someone plops down on his left and leans in close. “What are you doing?”
“Trying not to lose my mind from boredom.”
It takes a while, but Yixing eventually laughs, Baekhyun smiling because he finds it so adorable how Yixing sometimes has to take a few extra seconds to understand what Baekhyun’s saying.
“I’m here now, though, so you can talk to me.”
“I could...or I could continue to play this game.”
Baekhyun doesn’t have to look to know that Yixing’s pouting. Chuckling, he exits the game and leans into Yixing’s side so much that he has to flail to keep his balance. Yixing pushes back, Baekhyun’s smile increasing when he gets the okay to fool around with Yixing. Neither of them care when they get scolded by the makeup artists, both of their smiles wide as they sit in the chairs to get touched up.
Yixing sticks to Baekhyun’s side throughout the rest of the day, from sitting next to him in the van, to walking with him down the red carpet, to standing by his side for the official picture, to sitting next to him at the actual show.
Baekhyun can practically hear the shutters of the cameras go off when Yixing leans over to whisper something in his ear. He imagines the fangirls going wild when he places a hand on Yixing’s thigh and sends him a wide smile before replying. Yixing looks none-the-wiser to what he’s doing, but that’s okay because he flirts back anyways, the both of them toeing the line between innocence and having fun. Baekhyun can’t help it if they’re both naturally touchy people.
Right before they split up to wait on opposite wings of the stage, Yixing grabs Baekhyun’s hand. He squeezes Yixing’s hand and sends him a thankful smile. He’ll never understand how Yixing can read him so well, how he can see the nerves flowing through Baekhyun’s body no matter how hard he tries to control it, but he’s grateful nonetheless.
“Fighting!” Yixing exclaims, even adding in the little hand motion.
Their stage goes perfectly as expected, all twelve of them shuffling off to make room for the next performers and like magnets, Baekhyun ends up near Yixing again.
Just as Baekhyun’s shuffling down the hallway to go to bed later that night, he passes by Yixing’s room and makes a split second decision to knock.
“Come in,” comes Yixing’s muffled voice.
He’s shirtless when Baekhyun opens the door, but Baekhyun’s so used to seeing all of his bandmates in some sort of undress that it doesn’t even bother him anymore. Baekhyun doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t have to, Yixing smiling wide despite how tired he looks as he pulls Baekhyun down to his bed.
“You’re soft,” Baekhyun mumbles.
“Thank you,” Yixing responds with a soft chuckle.
“Please don’t kick me in the middle of the night.”
Yixing huffs. “I won’t.”
Humming, Baekhyun places his head on Yixing’s chest and throws his arm across Yixing’s stomach just as Yixing winds an arm around Baekhyun’s hips.
“Where’s Zitao?” Baekhyun asks, only belatedly realizing that they’re the only two currently in the room.
“Sehun and Joonmyun’s room.”
Baekhyun should’ve known, responding with a sleepy, “Ah.”
Yixing places a small, fleeting kiss to the crown of Baekhyun’s head. “Sleep.”
And he does, no doubt with a small smile on his face.
Baekhyun goes to Jongin when he wants to lie down for a nap, all bundled up in the warmth and security that comes with being surrounding by blankets and by Jongin.
There’s something so childlike and innocent about Jongin that makes Baekhyun wants to protect him. He’s just a kid in a world that’s too big for him and while they’re all pretty young, Jongin exudes such sweetness that Baekhyun goes into protective mode.
This is why, when it’s three in the morning and Jongin still isn’t home, Baekhyun calls up their manager and demands to be taken to the company.
“It’s not for me,” Baekhyun grits out, barely concealing his annoyance. “Jongin hasn’t come home yet and I need to get him before he passes out on the floor. Again.”
That shuts the manager up, Baekhyun grumbling about how it’s their manager’s job to make sure that all of them are taken care of, not whine about getting woken up.
“I’ll wait here,” their manager says one they arrive, but Baekhyun doesn’t pay attention, his entire focus on finding Jongin and bringing him home.
Baekhyun’s on autopilot as he takes the elevator to the third floor, turns right, and opens the fourth door on the left. Just like he thought, Jongin’s there, sweat pouring down his face and disappearing in his shirt, arms and legs barely holding Jongin’s weight up.
“Why do you do this to yourself?” Baekhyun wonders once the song ends. It had been painful watching Jongin practicing, knowing that it couldn’t be good for his back or for his body in general.
Jongin’s too tired to even flinch. He simply lifts his head up and gives Baekhyun a shaky smile. “Hi hyung.”
“Don’t you ‘hi hyung’ me,” Baekhyun growls. “You need to sleep. Your moves are already better than all of ours, so please just come to the dorms.”
“But-”
“No,” Baekhyun cuts him off. “It’s late and your waist injury might flare up again.” He hates being the strict one, but Jongin’s never been able to properly understand his own limits.
It takes some more coaxing, but Baekhyun gets Jongin to leave. They’re home within ten minutes, Baekhyun carefully holding Jongin as he brings Jongin to the bathroom so he can shower.
With a sigh, Baekhyun slides down on the wall by the bathroom, the sound of the running water soothing him. His heart clenches when he thinks about how slowly Jongin had to walk, how tight his muscles had been when Baekhyun put a hand on his lower back, how tired he had seemed even though he wanted to keep dancing. A wry smile makes its way onto his face. He understands it to an extent - the need to dance flows through Jongin’s veins just like singing flows through his.
“Thank you, hyung,” Jongin whispers once Baekhyun’s tucked him into bed. His eyes are already dropping and he looks adorable bundled up in his blankets.
“No problem,” Baekhyun whispers, mindful of Kyungsoo who’s fast asleep a few feet away.
Jongin finds him the next day around noon, Baekhyun happily noting that he’s walking at a normal pace again, before he’s being dragged up and away from the television. He sees Joonmyun give them a questioning look as they walk away, Baekhyun shrugging to convey that he has no idea what’s going on.
“Jongin?”
He doesn’t say anything, simply continues to drag Baekhyun down the hall and to his room.
His next question cuts off into a shriek when Jongin pushes him down onto his bed.
“Okay, Jongin, I like you and all but not that way,” Baekhyun jokes. Jongin makes a noise that reminds Baekhyun of a wailing cat, but not really at the same time.
“Hush, hyung. Just let me take my nap.”
Raising his eyebrows, Baekhyun asks, “What does taking a nap have to do with me?” He’s teasing, of course, because they both prefer each other for naps if possible, but Baekhyun loves how shy Jongin gets when he asks for cuddles.
“You know why,” Jongin whines. Baekhyun hums like he doesn’t, lips twitching when Jongin pouts at him.
“Okay, okay, come here,” Baekhyun says, hooking a foot around Jongin’s leg to pull him down. It backfires when Jongin almost knees him in the groin, Jongin’s knee digging into the soft flesh of his inner thigh.
Jongin huffs out a laugh against Baekhyun’s cheek. “You’re the one that pulled me down.”
“Well you’re the one that keeps growing,” Baekhyun fires back.
“Whatever you say, hyung,” Jongin murmurs, already halfway asleep. Baekhyun never fails to be amazed at how he can just asleep anytime, anywhere so easily.
With a soft sigh, Baekhyun tucks Jongin’s head under his chin, running a hand up and down his back until Jongin falls asleep. Baekhyun’s heart feels warm and fuzzy when he looks down at Jongin, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead before setting down for a nap of his own.
Baekhyun loves Jongdae’s hugs the most. They’re warm, all-encompassing, and he feels like he could take on the world as long as he has Jongdae’s hugs to come back to at the end of the day.
The best part is that Jongdae’s literally the cat to Baekhyun’s puppy. Whenever Baekhyun noses his way into Jongdae’s personal space, Jongdae doesn’t even flinch, simply curls around him or lets Baekhyun curl into him. Other times, Jongdae is the one that initiates it, but for those times, he’s more of a puppy to Baekhyun’s puppy.
“Baekhyun!” Jongdae yells one day as Baekhyun’s walking down the hallway to the kitchen.
“Jongdae!” Baekhyun shouts back. He knows that glint in Jongdae’s eyes, knows what he’s about to do, and before Baekhyun can shriek his distaste, Jongdae launches himself into Baekhyun’s arms. It’s by some miracle that Baekhyun doesn’t land flat on his butt, wheezing when Jongdae slips down slightly.
He ends up having to push Jongdae up against the wall to keep him from falling and allowing Jongdae to wiggle up so he can resume his koala position more comfortably.
“Woah,” Minseok says from behind them.
“It’s not what it looks like,” Baekhyun rushes to explain, but of course Jongdae’s of no help as he purposely makes kissy faces down at Baekhyun.
“Are you sure about that? You did just push me against the wall after all.”
Baekhyun muffles his groan in Jongdae’s shoulder, feeling as well as hearing the loud laugh Jongdae lets out.
“I’ll leave you two to it, then,” Minseok remarks before the sound of his footsteps retreating meets Baekhyun’s ears.
“Menace,” Baekhyun mutters, delivering a sharp jab to Jongdae’s side and relishing the affronted noise he gets.
“You’re basking in my warmth,” Jongdae proclaims.
“I’m not basking in it,” Baekhyun refutes. “It’s more like I’m enjoying what has been presented to me, albeit in a heavy package.”
Jongdae snorts, unimpressed. “So you’re basking.”
Baekhyun drops Jongdae to the ground and preens in the loud shriek that follows.
Jongdae’s also the type that catches Baekhyun in back-hugs when he’s least expecting it.
He’s simply chatting and making silly faces at fans in between pre-recordings for Wolf when the shrieks suddenly increase. Thinking that it’s because of him, Baekhyun increases his fan service until he feels arms wrap themselves around his middle. It’s easy to melt back into the embrace. Jongdae hugs him so often that he knows what it feels like, doesn’t even have to turn around to figure out who has him captive with the way Jongdae runs soft fingers over his stomach before interlocking.
“What are you doing?” Jongdae wonders as if what he had been doing isn’t obvious.
“Talking to fans, duh,” Baekhyun responds and that gets a few giggles from the girls in the first few rows.
“Why are you like this?” Jongdae whines loudly right into his ear. Baekhyun is one-hundred percent positive he did that on purpose. His ear is ringing, but the fans are loving it, shutters opening and closing at an alarming speed as Baekhyun turns his head to pout at Jongdae.
Cooing, Jongdae delivers a hard pinch to Baekhyun’s cheek that has him yelping and running after Jongdae when he slips away.
“Come back here!” Baekhyun shouts.
“Never!”
Somewhere along the way, Chanyeol joins in, the three of them yelling unintelligible things at each other until they’re called back for recording.
Baekhyun complains enough that Jongdae makes it up to him with hugs later, laughing when he’s the one that jumps into Jongdae’s arms this time.
Sometimes Baekhyun gets little kisses, too, tiny smiles pressed against his cheek or neck to leave him giddy. It’s easy to slip into the embrace, to let the stress of the day wash away for a few minutes or hours.
Not everything is perfect all the time, far from it, but Baekhyun’s happy where he is. He’s happy when Jongin comes to him for sleepy cuddles, when he goes to Yifan for a gentle hug, when Joonmyun comes to him for soft reassurance, when he goes to Chanyeol for comforting warmth. Baekhyun’s a cuddle monster, but so are his bandmates and it brings a smile to his face knowing that they’re all close because they choose to be, not because they have to be.