(you and i) two of a mind (baekhyun/kyungsoo)
(You and I) Two of a mind
Baekhyun/Kyungsoo. PG-13. 4.4k words.
When Baekhyun's laptop's storage space gives away, Baekhyun decides to store pictures of Kyungsoo in his heart, instead. (written for a request @ the EXO meme)
(you and i) two of a mind
It starts out as a dare. Baekhyun will tell anyone who asks that it's Chanyeol's fault - Chanyeol was the one who gave him the stupid idea of pretending to be one of Kyungsoo's male fans and posting declarations of love on Kyungsoo's fan forums, after all - and, to a certain extent, his, because it's too good an idea to pass up. He starts with the smaller fan sites, somehow gets involved in intense fan discussions, and eventually finds himself heading some fan projects. In a span of three months, he gains quite a following and is voted by his fellow forum members to be an admin of Oh, D.O.!. He is, as Kyungsoo's Korean fans say, Kyungsoo's biggest male fan.
"Baek's Soo is still a bad internet handle," Chanyeol comments. "You could've at least gone for a generic fanboy name."
"I had to pick a ship, okay. Figured it would be easier if I just shipped myself with Kyungsoo."
Chanyeol laughs a little. "Ship- What does that word even mean?"
Baekhyun rolls his eyes and swivels in his chair, resuming his morning routine.
It might have been easier to stop when it was still early, when he wasn't in too deep into this 'fandom' yet, but Kyungsoo's fans are engaging and amusing and the fandom is a blackhole - it's hard to not get sucked in. He takes a deep breath as he goes through a series of Kyungsoo's pictures that were taken during one of their comeback stages, then looks forlornly at his "Kyungsoo *\(^o^)/*" folder.
He's beginning to look like one of Kyungsoo's die-hard fans.
There's nothing wrong with that, he tells himself, except there probably is, now that his system's default reaction to pictures of Kyungsoo smiling is a hitch of the breath and, to pictures of Kyungsoo's shirt accidentally riding up, a clench of the fist. If anything, he's just envious of Kyungsoo's charm and good looks.
He chuckles. Yeah, right.
---
About half a year into assuming his internet identity, Baekhyun has already developed a habit of taking pictures of Kyungsoo while the latter's asleep. "I'm just doing my job," he tells Chanyeol when Chanyeol gives him that look, and smiles triumphantly at the new addition to his collection.
"That's creepy," Jongin says from beside Baekhyun, and Baekhyun quickly exits the gallery. "Do you fap to those pictures? Are you building a shrine or a fan site of sorts?"
Baekhyun gulps down hard. "Close enough." He bites the inside of his cheek when he feels his cheeks getting hotter, and thanks Jongin's lack of interest in interrogation when Jongin shrugs and pulls his hat over his eyes.
Later, when he's sure that Jongin is asleep and Chanyeol's too busy with Kris to even bother with him, he sinks in his seat and takes out his phone. He goes through the gallery, skipping the pictures where Kyungsoo is sleeping and jumping right to the ones where Kyungsoo's grinning, beaming like a kid, and Baekhyun smiles when he sees his reflection in Kyungsoo's eyes.
"I heard Baek's Soo's attending the first all-male fan gathering."
Baekhyun peeks from behind the door of the closet and raises an eyebrow at Chanyeol. "He is not," he retorts, then goes on to ask, "Why would I even want to out myself as the man behind the stannish fan behavior?"
"Did you just say 'stannish'?" Chanyeol asks, an amused look in his eyes. "I've only seen that term being used in extreme situations."
Baekhyun can see the trace of laughter lining along Chanyeol's cheeks; he suddenly feels a shiver run down his spine. "I didn't. Besides, whatever Baek's Soo does is none of your business. You're just jealous you don't have an awesome male fan."
"But I do."
"I bet he isn't as dedicated as I am."
"As dedicated as you are-"
Baekhyun shakes his head as Chanyeol erupts into a peal of laughter so distinct that Baekhyun hears it in his head even hours after, while taking a bath and thinking about the next fan project for Kyungsoo, while thinking about the gravity of his actions and just how crazy he could be by doing all these things.
Soap suds get caught in his eyes. He's not sure which stings more - the sharp pain in his eyes or the sensation burning in his chest.
---
Baekhyun wakes up one Saturday to Chanyeol hovering him and whispering, "We're doing a banjun drama and you got the main part!"
Baekhyun shifts in his position and turns over to lie on his stomach, but Chanyeol is unrelenting, nudging him in his side and grabbing him by the shoulders to make him lie flat on his back. "It's six in the morning, Yeol," Baekhyun says, sneering. "Now, I don't give a fuck whether or not I'm getting the main role but I give a fuck about my sleep-"
"You're not listening!" Chanyeol's voice is too bright for six in the morning, Baekhyun decides, but he opens his eyes, anyway, waiting for the rest of what Chanyeol has to say. "You got the main role - Yunho-hyung's role. We're remaking Dangerous Love!"
Baekhyun throws the covers over his head. "You've got to be kidding me."
"And oh - wait for it - Kyungsoo got Jaejoong-hyung's part."
He's underestimated the ability of his body to react as such an early hour, he thinks, because he begins to feel a burning sensation in his cheeks and something weird in his stomach and he's grinning, and he's glad Chanyeol can't see him right now, except Chanyeol's laughing and jumping up and down his bed while saying, "We're doing a banjun drama! We're doing a banjun drama!" He doesn't bother to hide the smile on his lips when Chanyeol pulls down the covers and laughs at him silly.
He doesn't even bother to retort at all.
The rumors are true: EXO-K is remaking Dangerous Love.
Baekhyun taps the Enter key lightly a few times before posting his reply to the thread. It's been a good few days since he's received the news and half a day since he and Kyungsoo have been briefed by the director on their roles. "The goal here is to make everything seem so real that they won't realize that this is a banjun drama," Baekhyun remembers the director saying.
"Easy enough," Kyungsoo comments, a smug smile on his lips. "We'll surprise everyone."
After the briefing, Kyungsoo snakes an arm around him and pulls him close to whisper.
"So, are you ready?"
There's a giggle at the end of Kyungsoo's statement, and Baekhyun just scoffs and reaches deep into his pockets. Kyungsoo doesn't prod, but Baekhyun gives a short reply, anyway, that makes a sly smile surface on Kyungsoo's lips and makes Baekhyun hate himself all the more.
"Are you?"
The smile on Kyungsoo's lips grows wider.
"Just you wait, hyung. I will blow you away."
"I'm sure he didn't mean for it to sound so sensual."
Baekhyun goes for a nosedive and plunges into his bed, the pillows providing just the right amount of salvation for him, shielding his flushed face from Chanyeol's view. "Of course he didn't mean it that way," Baekhyun retorts. "And that didn't even cross my mind until you said it."
"Whatever. I know what goes on in that brain of yours and I know you always have that green switch on."
Baekhyun grunts. Chanyeol chuckles. He has just lost the game again.
"I don't even know why this is such a big deal for me," Baekhyun says when he turns over. "I mean, it's just a drama. We all know it's scripted and it's a parody and it's not real-"
"And that you want it to be real and you hate yourself for it," Chanyeol finishes. "Seriously, just admit it - you like him."
"What's not to like?" Baekhyun reasons out. Chanyeol raises an eyebrow at him - this has only happened once, when Chanyeol questioned his taste when it comes to picking out jackets. "What, I'm serious!"
"Yeah. You seriously need to get laid." Chanyeol shakes his head, exasperation in his eyes and the curve of his lips. "Now, go to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow for the shoot."
"You can make things easier by not calling it the shoot, you know."
"But I'm not here to make things easier for you. I'm your friend, remember?"
Baekhyun laughs a little. He knows Chanyeol means well but has a very weird way of displaying concern and affection. Later, just before Baekhyun drifts off, he feels Chanyeol slipping into the sheets and snuggling close to him. "Don't think about it too much," Chanyeol says, whispering, and Baekhyun feels his muscles relax, a wave of relief washing over him for the first time that week.
They're scheduled to do the solo scenes today. Baekhyun goes first, acting out the scene where he breaks Kyungsoo's camera, and Chanyeol almost bursts into laughter at the part where Baekhyun goes down on his knees and screams, clutching the camera to his chest. "Good take!" the director calls out, and Kyungsoo flashes Baekhyun a thumbs up.
"You might have felt that part a bit too much." Kyungsoo chuckles. "Was it that relatable?"
Baekhyun shakes his head, but doesn't hide the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "It was an accident, okay. And I thought we won't talk about me breaking Joonmyun-hyung's phone-"
"You broke what-?"
Baekhyun runs away as fast as he can and Kyungsoo covers for him, explaining to Joonmyun that the whole thing is just a joke.
The following day, they shoot most of Kyungsoo's parts and the fillers with all of the members present. In the afternoon, they're slated to film the couple shots, starting with the one where Baekhyun invites Kyungsoo to go to the gym.
"The fans are going to have a field day," Kyungsoo says, laughing a little. From behind them, Baekhyun hears Chanyeol chuckling. He doesn't look over his shoulder for a reaction, but he slides his hand behind his back, sticking his middle finger up.
Chanyeol's laughter grows louder.
The shoot doesn't go without any hiccups. Chanyeol's laughter blares through the set and a smile breaks through Kyungsoo's features much too often than the usual. What is supposed to last only a few takes stretches for more than an hour and, by the time they get it right, Baekhyun's hands have already found a comfortable spot on Kyungsoo's shoulders.
"Think we can get the phone booth scene right the first time?" Kyungsoo asks over dinner. "Because we've been screwing up more than the usual and this scene's a bit intense."
Baekhyun shrugs. But I don't want us to get it right the first time, he wants to say, but decides against it when he sees the fatigue in Kyungsoo's eyes. "Yeah, I think so," he begins, then offers Kyungsoo a smile. "We should probably practice."
"Practicing the scene will make it look too scripted," Jongin comments. "Just feel the moment and you'll get it right the first time around."
"Oh, you mean I should look as if Baekhyun-hyung's really confessing to me and I'm shocked-"
"And you actually feel the same way, yes." Jongin nods thoughtfully, a small smile at the corner of his lips. He places a hand on Kyungsoo's shoulder and squeezes lightly. "Yeah, you do exactly that."
Baekhyun swears he sees Kyungsoo furrowing his eyebrows briefly before turning back to him with a determined smile. He doesn't miss that glint in Kyungsoo's eyes, the look of amusement that makes it seem as if Kyungsoo now sees him in a different light.
"As realistic as possible, yeah?" Baekhyun comments to break the silence. "We can do that."
Except nothing goes as planned. Baekhyun pushes Kyungsoo a little too hard and Kyungsoo winces, and Baekhyun stutters, and Kyungsoo laughs at him silly - the first take. Kyungsoo is thrown out of balance the second time around and, come the third take, Baekhyun's already complaining, "Will you stop laughing!"
"Sorry, it's just that your face- You look funny."
"This is my I'm-trying-to-confess-to-you-but-you-won't-take-me-seriously face."
Kyungsoo smiles. "Are you, really?"
The clapper marks the start of the fourth take and Baekhyun goes back to the starting point. Kyungsoo stands a few inches from him, eyes locked onto his. Baekhyun pushes, this time with just the right amount of force, and Kyungsoo leans against the phone booth, both hands clutching onto its sides.
"How can you not see how I really feel about you?" Baekhyun clenches his left hand and takes a sharp intake of breath. "How can you be so blind? All this time, I've been trying to make you realize-"
"Hyung-"
"- that you're here." Baekhyun takes Kyungsoo's hand and places it on his chest. Never mind that his heartbeat is racing and that his hands are cold and that whatever he's projecting on camera might be a bit too realistic.
Kyungsoo furrows his eyebrows. "Baek… hyun?"
"You're here... in my heart. You've always been."
Baekhyun notes the sudden rise of Kyungsoo's chest, the slightly parted lips, the look of confusion and enlightenment in the crinkle of Kyungsoo's eyes. Before he can even fill the silence with random lines, Kyungsoo places a hand on his, then pulls him close for a hug. He can hear it - the rhythm of their heartbeats, Kyungsoo whispering his name in the crook of his neck, the static in the background - the sound of a confession. He closes his eyes and surrenders to the moment, waiting for the director's call that never comes.
[DISCUSSION] Dangerous Love - EXO version
Doppar Radar (00:24:00) OMG Baek's Soo oppa must be so happy with the banjun drama!!!
Baek's Soo (00:28:32) Lol Baekhyun's acting was awful tho.
Doppar Radar (00:29:13) Hdu Baekhyun oppa is flawless
Baek's Soo (00:30:07) Kekeke
Baekhyun closes the tab and pushes himself away from his laptop. Seeing screenshots of the banjun drama is worse than seeing the drama itself, it seems, because the screenshots are so well-timed that they make Baekhyun look as if he's begging Kyungsoo to accept his feelings in the drama.
"Weren't you, though?"
Baekhyun looks over his shoulder. He wonders briefly what made Chanyeol ask, but decides to lay logic and reasoning to rest. It's late and he's barely had any sleep these past few days. He's probably just hearing things.
"I mean, weren't you really begging him to accept your love or something close to that?"
"I wasn't. I was delivering lines."
"Heartfelt lines." Chanyeol punctuates the statement with a wink. "Very convincing, by the way. I'm not even joking."
Baekhyun gives Chanyeol a wry smile. "Thanks. It means I have a bright acting career ahead."
He doesn't wait for Chanyeol's response and quickly makes his way to the kitchen, looking for relief in the form of milk. When he arrives, he finds Kyungsoo there, a cup of warm milk in one hand and some biscuits in the other.
"Oops," Kyungsoo says, laughing a little as he finishes. "Please don't tell Joonmyun-hyung."
Kyungsoo offers to heat milk for Baekhyun and Baekhyun indulges, only because the purpose of his trip to the kitchen is to get some milk, not to spend more time with Kyungsoo. "I'm writing a song, by the way," Kyungsoo casually mentions after taking a bite off a biscuit. "I think you'd sound good singing it."
"But you wrote it."
"A duet, then?"
Baekhyun gulps down hard. "A duet. A duet, really?"
Their eyes meet. Baekhyun hides his lips behind his mug and bites the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smiling, grinning. "Forget it," Kyungsoo says after a while, waving off the prospect of sharing a track with Baekhyun. "I doubt the management would even like it."
Baekhyun studies the look of defeat in Kyungsoo's eyes, remnants of hope and the foam of milk flaunted at the corner of Kyungsoo's lips. "They probably won't, but I'm sure they'll love it," he offers, and he watches as Kyungsoo's features light up, a smile all too familiar surfacing on Kyungsoo's lips.
"Because I would. I definitely would."
Kyungsoo's composition manages to make it to the final track list. "And I've decided to make it a duet. With you," Kyungsoo tells Baekhyun, enthusiasm in the curve of his lips. Baekhyun's heard the song at least a hundred times already that he can mouth the lyrics even in his sleep, so he agrees to do the duet with Kyungsoo and dig himself a grave much deeper than before.
They're recording their second album today. Another duet has been added to the list. Baekhyun discovers his newfound affinity for Kyungsoo's face while singing, the way Kyungsoo cocks his head just so and a smile tugs at the corner of his lips as he wraps up a song, the way Kyungsoo's lips press together and curve up, letting loose a big smile after the director gives him a thumbs up.
Kyungsoo closes his eyes and hits that high long note. Baekhyun waits for that exact moment when Kyungsoo breathes and half-smiles, half-sighs, and bites too hard on his lower lip when his expectations are met. Kyungsoo turns to him, a familiar question in the crinkle of his eyes.
"So," Kyungsoo begins, peeking from the door once the recording is done, then continues, "How was it?"
Baekhyun goes through a list of adjectives and expletives in his head and goes with the easiest pick - "It was good," he replies, "but not good enough." Baekhyun punctuates his statement with a wink and Kyungsoo just laughs and shakes his head, but Baekhyun knows better than to be mislead by Kyungsoo's harmless demeanor. Kyungsoo will slaughter him in the recording booth, he's certain. And Kyungsoo does, when he hits all the right notes and punctuates every single one with a teasing smirk and a glint in his eyes that says, Are you watching? Are you blown away? Is this good enough for you, Byun Baekhyun? Is it?
Is it?
[RUMOR] BaekSoo duet?
Baby Come Baek (23:17:06) Saw Baek and Soo oppa exit the SM building late at night.
Other fans are saying that they're recording a duet?
D.O. as the Romans do (23:24:15) Gurl u serious now. EXO comeback???
Baek's Soo (23:27:32) Some people are saying that Kyungsoo composed their duet. So excited :D
Baekhyun slips his phone in his pocket when Kyungsoo stirs. The fans are sharp - they have been leaving the building later than the usual, all because of lengthy recording sessions and their inability to let a bad recording slide. Kyungsoo's the most meticulous when it comes to recordings; the slightest sound of a wrong note makes him wince and cringe like being out of tune is a mortal sin.
They're the least ones heading back home, and Kyungsoo's a bit too close, their hands almost brushing against each other. "I couldn't sleep while you were using your phone." Kyungsoo shifts a little, the rests his head on Baekhyun's shoulder. "The display's too bright."
"You should've told me earlier."
"You looked as if you were having too much fun replying to fans' messages."
"I was looking for porn," Baekhyun quickly retorts, and Kyungsoo laughs, shaking his head just lightly. A few minutes after, he feels the weight of Kyungsoo's head on his shoulders, and he resists the urge to fish for his phone and take a picture or to brush his lips on Kyungsoo's for a feather-light kiss.
---
It's their third Christmas as a group and Kyungsoo still hasn't gotten used to the insane amount of gifts they receive from fans. "And they'll do this again for my birthday. I don't know where they get all their money!" Kyungsoo exclaims, and he goes through every gift with enthusiasm as if he's doing this for the first time.
"Oh, D.O.! gives the best gifts," Jongin comments, then shoots a glance at Baekhyun. Baekhyun pointedly avoids the gaze and busies himself with his own set of gifts from fans, only grunting when Jongin repeats the statement, seeking affirmation.
"My favorite fan community, to be quite honest. They do give the best gifts. Like this shirt - how did they even know I've been wanting this for a while now?"
"Must be the work of an insider." Chanyeol snickers at the end of his statement, and Baekhyun takes his time in unwrapping his presents. "Or maybe you have this very dedicated fan who stalks you-"
"Well, there is this one fan who confirms all the rumors floating around. Baekhyun-hyung, you know that guy called Baek's Soo? I'm guessing he's your fan, too."
Baekhyun's eyes shoot up. He's thankful for the huge package shielding Kyungsoo from his view. "Nope, never heard of him."
"Strange. He seems to be popular in fandom."
"He speaks your language," Chanyeol whispers in Baekhyun's ear, and Baekhyun tries hard to not retaliate and just replies with an affectionate Shut up.
Much later, when everyone has shuffled into their respective rooms and sleep escapes Baekhyun again, he logs onto Oh, D.O.! and goes through the posts he's made. Confirmation of rumors, exclusive pictures, fan-recorded audio of their new material, a snippet of the lyrics Kyungsoo had written for their duet.
He shakes his head. This has gotten out of hand.
"I can't do this anymore."
"Baek's Soo is retiring as admin."
Chanyeol swivels in his seat sharply, confusion in the lines on his forehead when he turns around to face Baekhyun. "What do you mean Baek's Soo is retiring? This- this isn't a job! This is a cause. You're providing fans with quality information about Kyungsoo and you're-"
"Crazy." Baekhyun takes a deep breath, then shifts in seat so that he's facing Chanyeol. "That's what I've been all this time. I mean, who in his right mind would even consider your suggestion good?"
"I would."
"Of course, you would." Baekhyun smiles weakly. "I'm just finishing this last fan project for Kyungsoo's birthday and I'm out-"
"Oh, you're doing something for my birthday?"
"Yeah, and it'll be the best project yet and what-"
Baekhyun furrows his eyebrows, then turns around slowly. "You said you were doing something for my birthday," Kyungsoo repeats, and Baekhyun takes a deep breath when he sees Kyungsoo standing at doorstep.
"I should probably be going-"
Kyungsoo turns to Chanyeol with a curt nod and a small smile. "Yes, you probably should, thank you.
"So, you were going to tell me something?"
Baekhyun's breath hitches. Kyungsoo's a good two feet from him and this is probably the moment he's been waiting for, that pivotal moment when he walks up to Kyungsoo and takes his hand and pours his heart out in a sloppy and poorly-worded confession, but it isn't. He has nothing to confess, nothing but him assuming the identity of Kyungsoo's biggest male fan.
"We're preparing something for your birthday. Oh, D.O.!, I mean."
There's a small smile tugging at Kyungsoo's lips. "I know. But I think there's something else that you should be telling me."
"I am not telling you what we're giving you. That's top-secret information."
Kyungsoo shakes his head. "Do I have to extract this from you, really? Really, now, Baek's Soo?"
Baekhyun feels a tingling sensation in his fingertips. He freezes, gulps down hard, bites his lower lip to keep himself from blurting out excuses. "How did you know," he asks in a small voice, and he furrows his eyebrows when Kyungsoo bursts into laughter.
"Easy. I saw you replying to a message while you were logged on as Baek's Soo."
"I might have been using someone else's account-"
"And your phone doesn't have a lock code so I tinkered with it and saw your posts. And the photo gallery."
Baekhyun cringes. "I hope you didn't dig deep enough-"
Kyungsoo frowns, then crinkles his nose a bit. "Sorry."
Baekhyun exhales. He studies the distance between them - still two feet, unchanged - and wonders if this, the clumsy confession, will change anything, or if there is anything to be changed at all.
"You still like that jacket you were eyeing a few weeks back, right?" Baekhyun asks, breaking the silence. He watches as a smile breaks from Kyungsoo's features and Kyungsoo bursts into laughter, as Kyungsoo shortens the distance between them when Kyungsoo rests a hand on his shoulder and says, "Yes. I'd love to get that for my birthday, yes.
"I'd love anything you get me for my birthday."
Kyungsoo attends the birthday bash Oh, D.O.! throws for him, partly because of Baekhyun and partly because the members of the fan community brought the celebration to him. "Figured I had to trap you to get things done," Baekhyun says, reasoning out, and earns himself a shake of a head from Kyungsoo and a slap on the arm.
"If you do this one more time, I swear to God I'm outing you-"
"Not before I out you, Baeked Potato."
Kyungsoo cringes. "Well-played, Byun Baekhyun. Well-played."
The party ends much later than expected and, once they're done cleaning up, Kyungsoo walks up to Baekhyun, a confused look in the lines on his forehead. "How did you know?" Kyungsoo asks, and Baekhyun laughs a little.
"The hearteu was a giveaway."
"Oh."
Baekhyun fishes for his phone from his pocket and goes through the notifications that have just come in, most of them email replies to his post about retiring. Most of them talk about Baekhyun's contribution in fandom, everything he's done, and some are just short and curt replies saying that he will be missed.
A new notification comes in. Baekhyun taps it lightly and laughs upon reading the message.
Baeked Potato (23:15:22) Too bad. Oh well. You suck, anyway. Bye. Hearteu hearteu.
Baek's Soo (23:16:01) Tysm. I hearteu hearteu you right back, loser.
Baekhyun/Kyungsoo. PG-13. 4.4k words.
When Baekhyun's laptop's storage space gives away, Baekhyun decides to store pictures of Kyungsoo in his heart, instead. (written for a request @ the EXO meme)
(you and i) two of a mind
It starts out as a dare. Baekhyun will tell anyone who asks that it's Chanyeol's fault - Chanyeol was the one who gave him the stupid idea of pretending to be one of Kyungsoo's male fans and posting declarations of love on Kyungsoo's fan forums, after all - and, to a certain extent, his, because it's too good an idea to pass up. He starts with the smaller fan sites, somehow gets involved in intense fan discussions, and eventually finds himself heading some fan projects. In a span of three months, he gains quite a following and is voted by his fellow forum members to be an admin of Oh, D.O.!. He is, as Kyungsoo's Korean fans say, Kyungsoo's biggest male fan.
"Baek's Soo is still a bad internet handle," Chanyeol comments. "You could've at least gone for a generic fanboy name."
"I had to pick a ship, okay. Figured it would be easier if I just shipped myself with Kyungsoo."
Chanyeol laughs a little. "Ship- What does that word even mean?"
Baekhyun rolls his eyes and swivels in his chair, resuming his morning routine.
It might have been easier to stop when it was still early, when he wasn't in too deep into this 'fandom' yet, but Kyungsoo's fans are engaging and amusing and the fandom is a blackhole - it's hard to not get sucked in. He takes a deep breath as he goes through a series of Kyungsoo's pictures that were taken during one of their comeback stages, then looks forlornly at his "Kyungsoo *\(^o^)/*" folder.
He's beginning to look like one of Kyungsoo's die-hard fans.
There's nothing wrong with that, he tells himself, except there probably is, now that his system's default reaction to pictures of Kyungsoo smiling is a hitch of the breath and, to pictures of Kyungsoo's shirt accidentally riding up, a clench of the fist. If anything, he's just envious of Kyungsoo's charm and good looks.
He chuckles. Yeah, right.
---
About half a year into assuming his internet identity, Baekhyun has already developed a habit of taking pictures of Kyungsoo while the latter's asleep. "I'm just doing my job," he tells Chanyeol when Chanyeol gives him that look, and smiles triumphantly at the new addition to his collection.
"That's creepy," Jongin says from beside Baekhyun, and Baekhyun quickly exits the gallery. "Do you fap to those pictures? Are you building a shrine or a fan site of sorts?"
Baekhyun gulps down hard. "Close enough." He bites the inside of his cheek when he feels his cheeks getting hotter, and thanks Jongin's lack of interest in interrogation when Jongin shrugs and pulls his hat over his eyes.
Later, when he's sure that Jongin is asleep and Chanyeol's too busy with Kris to even bother with him, he sinks in his seat and takes out his phone. He goes through the gallery, skipping the pictures where Kyungsoo is sleeping and jumping right to the ones where Kyungsoo's grinning, beaming like a kid, and Baekhyun smiles when he sees his reflection in Kyungsoo's eyes.
"I heard Baek's Soo's attending the first all-male fan gathering."
Baekhyun peeks from behind the door of the closet and raises an eyebrow at Chanyeol. "He is not," he retorts, then goes on to ask, "Why would I even want to out myself as the man behind the stannish fan behavior?"
"Did you just say 'stannish'?" Chanyeol asks, an amused look in his eyes. "I've only seen that term being used in extreme situations."
Baekhyun can see the trace of laughter lining along Chanyeol's cheeks; he suddenly feels a shiver run down his spine. "I didn't. Besides, whatever Baek's Soo does is none of your business. You're just jealous you don't have an awesome male fan."
"But I do."
"I bet he isn't as dedicated as I am."
"As dedicated as you are-"
Baekhyun shakes his head as Chanyeol erupts into a peal of laughter so distinct that Baekhyun hears it in his head even hours after, while taking a bath and thinking about the next fan project for Kyungsoo, while thinking about the gravity of his actions and just how crazy he could be by doing all these things.
Soap suds get caught in his eyes. He's not sure which stings more - the sharp pain in his eyes or the sensation burning in his chest.
---
Baekhyun wakes up one Saturday to Chanyeol hovering him and whispering, "We're doing a banjun drama and you got the main part!"
Baekhyun shifts in his position and turns over to lie on his stomach, but Chanyeol is unrelenting, nudging him in his side and grabbing him by the shoulders to make him lie flat on his back. "It's six in the morning, Yeol," Baekhyun says, sneering. "Now, I don't give a fuck whether or not I'm getting the main role but I give a fuck about my sleep-"
"You're not listening!" Chanyeol's voice is too bright for six in the morning, Baekhyun decides, but he opens his eyes, anyway, waiting for the rest of what Chanyeol has to say. "You got the main role - Yunho-hyung's role. We're remaking Dangerous Love!"
Baekhyun throws the covers over his head. "You've got to be kidding me."
"And oh - wait for it - Kyungsoo got Jaejoong-hyung's part."
He's underestimated the ability of his body to react as such an early hour, he thinks, because he begins to feel a burning sensation in his cheeks and something weird in his stomach and he's grinning, and he's glad Chanyeol can't see him right now, except Chanyeol's laughing and jumping up and down his bed while saying, "We're doing a banjun drama! We're doing a banjun drama!" He doesn't bother to hide the smile on his lips when Chanyeol pulls down the covers and laughs at him silly.
He doesn't even bother to retort at all.
The rumors are true: EXO-K is remaking Dangerous Love.
Baekhyun taps the Enter key lightly a few times before posting his reply to the thread. It's been a good few days since he's received the news and half a day since he and Kyungsoo have been briefed by the director on their roles. "The goal here is to make everything seem so real that they won't realize that this is a banjun drama," Baekhyun remembers the director saying.
"Easy enough," Kyungsoo comments, a smug smile on his lips. "We'll surprise everyone."
After the briefing, Kyungsoo snakes an arm around him and pulls him close to whisper.
"So, are you ready?"
There's a giggle at the end of Kyungsoo's statement, and Baekhyun just scoffs and reaches deep into his pockets. Kyungsoo doesn't prod, but Baekhyun gives a short reply, anyway, that makes a sly smile surface on Kyungsoo's lips and makes Baekhyun hate himself all the more.
"Are you?"
The smile on Kyungsoo's lips grows wider.
"Just you wait, hyung. I will blow you away."
"I'm sure he didn't mean for it to sound so sensual."
Baekhyun goes for a nosedive and plunges into his bed, the pillows providing just the right amount of salvation for him, shielding his flushed face from Chanyeol's view. "Of course he didn't mean it that way," Baekhyun retorts. "And that didn't even cross my mind until you said it."
"Whatever. I know what goes on in that brain of yours and I know you always have that green switch on."
Baekhyun grunts. Chanyeol chuckles. He has just lost the game again.
"I don't even know why this is such a big deal for me," Baekhyun says when he turns over. "I mean, it's just a drama. We all know it's scripted and it's a parody and it's not real-"
"And that you want it to be real and you hate yourself for it," Chanyeol finishes. "Seriously, just admit it - you like him."
"What's not to like?" Baekhyun reasons out. Chanyeol raises an eyebrow at him - this has only happened once, when Chanyeol questioned his taste when it comes to picking out jackets. "What, I'm serious!"
"Yeah. You seriously need to get laid." Chanyeol shakes his head, exasperation in his eyes and the curve of his lips. "Now, go to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow for the shoot."
"You can make things easier by not calling it the shoot, you know."
"But I'm not here to make things easier for you. I'm your friend, remember?"
Baekhyun laughs a little. He knows Chanyeol means well but has a very weird way of displaying concern and affection. Later, just before Baekhyun drifts off, he feels Chanyeol slipping into the sheets and snuggling close to him. "Don't think about it too much," Chanyeol says, whispering, and Baekhyun feels his muscles relax, a wave of relief washing over him for the first time that week.
They're scheduled to do the solo scenes today. Baekhyun goes first, acting out the scene where he breaks Kyungsoo's camera, and Chanyeol almost bursts into laughter at the part where Baekhyun goes down on his knees and screams, clutching the camera to his chest. "Good take!" the director calls out, and Kyungsoo flashes Baekhyun a thumbs up.
"You might have felt that part a bit too much." Kyungsoo chuckles. "Was it that relatable?"
Baekhyun shakes his head, but doesn't hide the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "It was an accident, okay. And I thought we won't talk about me breaking Joonmyun-hyung's phone-"
"You broke what-?"
Baekhyun runs away as fast as he can and Kyungsoo covers for him, explaining to Joonmyun that the whole thing is just a joke.
The following day, they shoot most of Kyungsoo's parts and the fillers with all of the members present. In the afternoon, they're slated to film the couple shots, starting with the one where Baekhyun invites Kyungsoo to go to the gym.
"The fans are going to have a field day," Kyungsoo says, laughing a little. From behind them, Baekhyun hears Chanyeol chuckling. He doesn't look over his shoulder for a reaction, but he slides his hand behind his back, sticking his middle finger up.
Chanyeol's laughter grows louder.
The shoot doesn't go without any hiccups. Chanyeol's laughter blares through the set and a smile breaks through Kyungsoo's features much too often than the usual. What is supposed to last only a few takes stretches for more than an hour and, by the time they get it right, Baekhyun's hands have already found a comfortable spot on Kyungsoo's shoulders.
"Think we can get the phone booth scene right the first time?" Kyungsoo asks over dinner. "Because we've been screwing up more than the usual and this scene's a bit intense."
Baekhyun shrugs. But I don't want us to get it right the first time, he wants to say, but decides against it when he sees the fatigue in Kyungsoo's eyes. "Yeah, I think so," he begins, then offers Kyungsoo a smile. "We should probably practice."
"Practicing the scene will make it look too scripted," Jongin comments. "Just feel the moment and you'll get it right the first time around."
"Oh, you mean I should look as if Baekhyun-hyung's really confessing to me and I'm shocked-"
"And you actually feel the same way, yes." Jongin nods thoughtfully, a small smile at the corner of his lips. He places a hand on Kyungsoo's shoulder and squeezes lightly. "Yeah, you do exactly that."
Baekhyun swears he sees Kyungsoo furrowing his eyebrows briefly before turning back to him with a determined smile. He doesn't miss that glint in Kyungsoo's eyes, the look of amusement that makes it seem as if Kyungsoo now sees him in a different light.
"As realistic as possible, yeah?" Baekhyun comments to break the silence. "We can do that."
Except nothing goes as planned. Baekhyun pushes Kyungsoo a little too hard and Kyungsoo winces, and Baekhyun stutters, and Kyungsoo laughs at him silly - the first take. Kyungsoo is thrown out of balance the second time around and, come the third take, Baekhyun's already complaining, "Will you stop laughing!"
"Sorry, it's just that your face- You look funny."
"This is my I'm-trying-to-confess-to-you-but-you-won't-take-me-seriously face."
Kyungsoo smiles. "Are you, really?"
The clapper marks the start of the fourth take and Baekhyun goes back to the starting point. Kyungsoo stands a few inches from him, eyes locked onto his. Baekhyun pushes, this time with just the right amount of force, and Kyungsoo leans against the phone booth, both hands clutching onto its sides.
"How can you not see how I really feel about you?" Baekhyun clenches his left hand and takes a sharp intake of breath. "How can you be so blind? All this time, I've been trying to make you realize-"
"Hyung-"
"- that you're here." Baekhyun takes Kyungsoo's hand and places it on his chest. Never mind that his heartbeat is racing and that his hands are cold and that whatever he's projecting on camera might be a bit too realistic.
Kyungsoo furrows his eyebrows. "Baek… hyun?"
"You're here... in my heart. You've always been."
Baekhyun notes the sudden rise of Kyungsoo's chest, the slightly parted lips, the look of confusion and enlightenment in the crinkle of Kyungsoo's eyes. Before he can even fill the silence with random lines, Kyungsoo places a hand on his, then pulls him close for a hug. He can hear it - the rhythm of their heartbeats, Kyungsoo whispering his name in the crook of his neck, the static in the background - the sound of a confession. He closes his eyes and surrenders to the moment, waiting for the director's call that never comes.
[DISCUSSION] Dangerous Love - EXO version
Doppar Radar (00:24:00) OMG Baek's Soo oppa must be so happy with the banjun drama!!!
Baek's Soo (00:28:32) Lol Baekhyun's acting was awful tho.
Doppar Radar (00:29:13) Hdu Baekhyun oppa is flawless
Baek's Soo (00:30:07) Kekeke
Baekhyun closes the tab and pushes himself away from his laptop. Seeing screenshots of the banjun drama is worse than seeing the drama itself, it seems, because the screenshots are so well-timed that they make Baekhyun look as if he's begging Kyungsoo to accept his feelings in the drama.
"Weren't you, though?"
Baekhyun looks over his shoulder. He wonders briefly what made Chanyeol ask, but decides to lay logic and reasoning to rest. It's late and he's barely had any sleep these past few days. He's probably just hearing things.
"I mean, weren't you really begging him to accept your love or something close to that?"
"I wasn't. I was delivering lines."
"Heartfelt lines." Chanyeol punctuates the statement with a wink. "Very convincing, by the way. I'm not even joking."
Baekhyun gives Chanyeol a wry smile. "Thanks. It means I have a bright acting career ahead."
He doesn't wait for Chanyeol's response and quickly makes his way to the kitchen, looking for relief in the form of milk. When he arrives, he finds Kyungsoo there, a cup of warm milk in one hand and some biscuits in the other.
"Oops," Kyungsoo says, laughing a little as he finishes. "Please don't tell Joonmyun-hyung."
Kyungsoo offers to heat milk for Baekhyun and Baekhyun indulges, only because the purpose of his trip to the kitchen is to get some milk, not to spend more time with Kyungsoo. "I'm writing a song, by the way," Kyungsoo casually mentions after taking a bite off a biscuit. "I think you'd sound good singing it."
"But you wrote it."
"A duet, then?"
Baekhyun gulps down hard. "A duet. A duet, really?"
Their eyes meet. Baekhyun hides his lips behind his mug and bites the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smiling, grinning. "Forget it," Kyungsoo says after a while, waving off the prospect of sharing a track with Baekhyun. "I doubt the management would even like it."
Baekhyun studies the look of defeat in Kyungsoo's eyes, remnants of hope and the foam of milk flaunted at the corner of Kyungsoo's lips. "They probably won't, but I'm sure they'll love it," he offers, and he watches as Kyungsoo's features light up, a smile all too familiar surfacing on Kyungsoo's lips.
"Because I would. I definitely would."
Kyungsoo's composition manages to make it to the final track list. "And I've decided to make it a duet. With you," Kyungsoo tells Baekhyun, enthusiasm in the curve of his lips. Baekhyun's heard the song at least a hundred times already that he can mouth the lyrics even in his sleep, so he agrees to do the duet with Kyungsoo and dig himself a grave much deeper than before.
They're recording their second album today. Another duet has been added to the list. Baekhyun discovers his newfound affinity for Kyungsoo's face while singing, the way Kyungsoo cocks his head just so and a smile tugs at the corner of his lips as he wraps up a song, the way Kyungsoo's lips press together and curve up, letting loose a big smile after the director gives him a thumbs up.
Kyungsoo closes his eyes and hits that high long note. Baekhyun waits for that exact moment when Kyungsoo breathes and half-smiles, half-sighs, and bites too hard on his lower lip when his expectations are met. Kyungsoo turns to him, a familiar question in the crinkle of his eyes.
"So," Kyungsoo begins, peeking from the door once the recording is done, then continues, "How was it?"
Baekhyun goes through a list of adjectives and expletives in his head and goes with the easiest pick - "It was good," he replies, "but not good enough." Baekhyun punctuates his statement with a wink and Kyungsoo just laughs and shakes his head, but Baekhyun knows better than to be mislead by Kyungsoo's harmless demeanor. Kyungsoo will slaughter him in the recording booth, he's certain. And Kyungsoo does, when he hits all the right notes and punctuates every single one with a teasing smirk and a glint in his eyes that says, Are you watching? Are you blown away? Is this good enough for you, Byun Baekhyun? Is it?
Is it?
[RUMOR] BaekSoo duet?
Baby Come Baek (23:17:06) Saw Baek and Soo oppa exit the SM building late at night.
Other fans are saying that they're recording a duet?
D.O. as the Romans do (23:24:15) Gurl u serious now. EXO comeback???
Baek's Soo (23:27:32) Some people are saying that Kyungsoo composed their duet. So excited :D
Baekhyun slips his phone in his pocket when Kyungsoo stirs. The fans are sharp - they have been leaving the building later than the usual, all because of lengthy recording sessions and their inability to let a bad recording slide. Kyungsoo's the most meticulous when it comes to recordings; the slightest sound of a wrong note makes him wince and cringe like being out of tune is a mortal sin.
They're the least ones heading back home, and Kyungsoo's a bit too close, their hands almost brushing against each other. "I couldn't sleep while you were using your phone." Kyungsoo shifts a little, the rests his head on Baekhyun's shoulder. "The display's too bright."
"You should've told me earlier."
"You looked as if you were having too much fun replying to fans' messages."
"I was looking for porn," Baekhyun quickly retorts, and Kyungsoo laughs, shaking his head just lightly. A few minutes after, he feels the weight of Kyungsoo's head on his shoulders, and he resists the urge to fish for his phone and take a picture or to brush his lips on Kyungsoo's for a feather-light kiss.
---
It's their third Christmas as a group and Kyungsoo still hasn't gotten used to the insane amount of gifts they receive from fans. "And they'll do this again for my birthday. I don't know where they get all their money!" Kyungsoo exclaims, and he goes through every gift with enthusiasm as if he's doing this for the first time.
"Oh, D.O.! gives the best gifts," Jongin comments, then shoots a glance at Baekhyun. Baekhyun pointedly avoids the gaze and busies himself with his own set of gifts from fans, only grunting when Jongin repeats the statement, seeking affirmation.
"My favorite fan community, to be quite honest. They do give the best gifts. Like this shirt - how did they even know I've been wanting this for a while now?"
"Must be the work of an insider." Chanyeol snickers at the end of his statement, and Baekhyun takes his time in unwrapping his presents. "Or maybe you have this very dedicated fan who stalks you-"
"Well, there is this one fan who confirms all the rumors floating around. Baekhyun-hyung, you know that guy called Baek's Soo? I'm guessing he's your fan, too."
Baekhyun's eyes shoot up. He's thankful for the huge package shielding Kyungsoo from his view. "Nope, never heard of him."
"Strange. He seems to be popular in fandom."
"He speaks your language," Chanyeol whispers in Baekhyun's ear, and Baekhyun tries hard to not retaliate and just replies with an affectionate Shut up.
Much later, when everyone has shuffled into their respective rooms and sleep escapes Baekhyun again, he logs onto Oh, D.O.! and goes through the posts he's made. Confirmation of rumors, exclusive pictures, fan-recorded audio of their new material, a snippet of the lyrics Kyungsoo had written for their duet.
He shakes his head. This has gotten out of hand.
"I can't do this anymore."
"Baek's Soo is retiring as admin."
Chanyeol swivels in his seat sharply, confusion in the lines on his forehead when he turns around to face Baekhyun. "What do you mean Baek's Soo is retiring? This- this isn't a job! This is a cause. You're providing fans with quality information about Kyungsoo and you're-"
"Crazy." Baekhyun takes a deep breath, then shifts in seat so that he's facing Chanyeol. "That's what I've been all this time. I mean, who in his right mind would even consider your suggestion good?"
"I would."
"Of course, you would." Baekhyun smiles weakly. "I'm just finishing this last fan project for Kyungsoo's birthday and I'm out-"
"Oh, you're doing something for my birthday?"
"Yeah, and it'll be the best project yet and what-"
Baekhyun furrows his eyebrows, then turns around slowly. "You said you were doing something for my birthday," Kyungsoo repeats, and Baekhyun takes a deep breath when he sees Kyungsoo standing at doorstep.
"I should probably be going-"
Kyungsoo turns to Chanyeol with a curt nod and a small smile. "Yes, you probably should, thank you.
"So, you were going to tell me something?"
Baekhyun's breath hitches. Kyungsoo's a good two feet from him and this is probably the moment he's been waiting for, that pivotal moment when he walks up to Kyungsoo and takes his hand and pours his heart out in a sloppy and poorly-worded confession, but it isn't. He has nothing to confess, nothing but him assuming the identity of Kyungsoo's biggest male fan.
"We're preparing something for your birthday. Oh, D.O.!, I mean."
There's a small smile tugging at Kyungsoo's lips. "I know. But I think there's something else that you should be telling me."
"I am not telling you what we're giving you. That's top-secret information."
Kyungsoo shakes his head. "Do I have to extract this from you, really? Really, now, Baek's Soo?"
Baekhyun feels a tingling sensation in his fingertips. He freezes, gulps down hard, bites his lower lip to keep himself from blurting out excuses. "How did you know," he asks in a small voice, and he furrows his eyebrows when Kyungsoo bursts into laughter.
"Easy. I saw you replying to a message while you were logged on as Baek's Soo."
"I might have been using someone else's account-"
"And your phone doesn't have a lock code so I tinkered with it and saw your posts. And the photo gallery."
Baekhyun cringes. "I hope you didn't dig deep enough-"
Kyungsoo frowns, then crinkles his nose a bit. "Sorry."
Baekhyun exhales. He studies the distance between them - still two feet, unchanged - and wonders if this, the clumsy confession, will change anything, or if there is anything to be changed at all.
"You still like that jacket you were eyeing a few weeks back, right?" Baekhyun asks, breaking the silence. He watches as a smile breaks from Kyungsoo's features and Kyungsoo bursts into laughter, as Kyungsoo shortens the distance between them when Kyungsoo rests a hand on his shoulder and says, "Yes. I'd love to get that for my birthday, yes.
"I'd love anything you get me for my birthday."
Kyungsoo attends the birthday bash Oh, D.O.! throws for him, partly because of Baekhyun and partly because the members of the fan community brought the celebration to him. "Figured I had to trap you to get things done," Baekhyun says, reasoning out, and earns himself a shake of a head from Kyungsoo and a slap on the arm.
"If you do this one more time, I swear to God I'm outing you-"
"Not before I out you, Baeked Potato."
Kyungsoo cringes. "Well-played, Byun Baekhyun. Well-played."
The party ends much later than expected and, once they're done cleaning up, Kyungsoo walks up to Baekhyun, a confused look in the lines on his forehead. "How did you know?" Kyungsoo asks, and Baekhyun laughs a little.
"The hearteu was a giveaway."
"Oh."
Baekhyun fishes for his phone from his pocket and goes through the notifications that have just come in, most of them email replies to his post about retiring. Most of them talk about Baekhyun's contribution in fandom, everything he's done, and some are just short and curt replies saying that he will be missed.
A new notification comes in. Baekhyun taps it lightly and laughs upon reading the message.
Baeked Potato (23:15:22) Too bad. Oh well. You suck, anyway. Bye. Hearteu hearteu.
Baek's Soo (23:16:01) Tysm. I hearteu hearteu you right back, loser.