Tracing Hearts
Title: Tracing Hearts
Pairing: Jongdae/Baekhyun
Rating: PG
Length: 4k
Summary: Jongdae thinks Baekhyun is ridiculous and needs to have his keys glued to his forehead.
Notes: originally for daelightsaving ( here).
Warnings: [spoilers]fluff and more fluff
Jongdae wakes to the sound of Justin Timberlake’s Sexy Back blaring in the middle of the night. He has no idea what time it is, other than it’s oh-unfortunate o’clock, and he groans when he realizes whom it can possibly be. Only so many people call him at this time and he’s not sure if he wants to answer to try and figure it out. But it’s programmed in him - he can’t ignore a ringing phone - and he groans again exaggeratedly, knocking over a lamp and a bottle of water in the process of groping his bedside table for it.
The name Byun Baekhyun flashes in front of his face when he finds his cell phone and a third groan escapes his lips before he can stop it, sliding his thumb across the screen and holding it up to his ear. He manages to choke out a raspy “Hello?” before Baekhyun is off.
“I know it’s three in the morning,” he says, sounding strangely breathless, “But hear me out.”
Jongdae has decided he doesn’t want to hear him out. He wants to curl up in his warm bed and sleep, dream of cute little puppies licking at his face and arms in a field of grass and beautiful flowers instead. But this is the man he has oddly come to adore and- are his teeth chattering? The sound wakes him up immediately, opening his eyes and pulling his phone away to stare at his screen when it lights up again. It reads three-eighteen and it’s snowing.
“Baekhyun?” he asks, once he puts the phone back up to his ear. All he gets is a whimper in response, but it’s enough to have him jump out of bed and out the door. He forgets to put on a coat in his haste - what the hell is he doing outside at this hour, has he been out there all night, why didn’t he call me sooner - and barely remembers to grab his keys by the time he opens his front door. “Baek, where are-”
On his front porch, obviously shivering in his beige wool coat and practically drowning in his grey wool scarf, is his friend. He looks like the definition of a high-class hobo with windswept hair and Jongdae’s eyes widen in his surprise. He gasps belatedly, finally registering the frost seeping through the thin materials of his sleepwear, and it alerts him faster than any cup of coffee can do at seven in the morning.
“Hi” is all Baekhyun manages to get out before Jongdae is reaching out to pull him in, breathing in sharply when he brings half of the winter storm into the apartment with him. Baekhyun is all shivers and rosy cheeks when Jongdae manages to rid his jacket and scarf, teeth chattering and gooseflesh rising all over his bare skin. He whines when he’s down to his work scrubs, huddling in on himself to try and keep whatever little warmth he has left. “Jongdae.”
“Jesus,” Jongdae hisses in response, taking in the sight of his friend before pulling him down the hall and to his room. He doesn’t ask how many times this has happened, how many times he’s woken up in the middle of the night to find his friend like this, and it breaks his heart when he tries to push away the thoughts of too many to count.
Baekhyun strips himself of his clothes when they make it to his room, quickly burrowing his way into Jongdae’s bed afterwards like he’s meant to be there. In the end, all Jongdae can see are his eyes, the way warmth and happiness radiate from them unlike the rest of his body, and he thinks they hold all the wonders in the world with the way they shine in the dimly lit room. Jongdae sighs softly at the sight, a different kind of warmth filling him, before he moves in to lie next to his friend carefully. “Did you forget your keys again?”
The way Baekhyun speaks, voice muffled by the multiple blankets covering him, makes Jongdae smile despite the chill still clinging onto both of them. “Yes.” They stare at each other, Jongdae reaching out to brush the cold fringe away from Baekhyun’s eyes, and the content sigh that leaves the other’s mouth makes Jongdae want to do so much more, provide until Baekhyun is this happy and warm and content all the time. “Can we cuddle again?” Baekhyun quietly asks, closing his eyes and trying to soak all the heat away from him.
Jongdae doesn’t hesitate as he lifts his arm high enough underneath the blankets for the other to scoot in closer. Baekhyun does so immediately, wiggling in towards him, until he breathes out another deep, satisfied sigh when he has his head buried underneath Jongdae’s chin with cold feet tangling with his own.
Baekhyun’s still shivering despite the extra warmth, but he falls asleep when Jongdae traces patterns of the stars and the sun into his back.
Baekhyun gets a call when day breaks hours later. It’s the obnoxious standard ringtone and it’s ten times too loud in the quiet stillness of the morning. They groan in annoyance together, Baekhyun pushing himself impossibly closer to Jongdae hoping to drown the noise out, but it’s by the fifth ring that Baekhyun gives up with a soft whine. It makes Jongdae laugh, a raspy chuckle leaving his lips, when he hears a second tired groan and Baekhyun is climbing over him to get to his phone somewhere on his bedside table.
Jongdae moves easily with him, turning so Baekhyun can sit on his hips comfortably, and he listens as Baekhyun’s husky voice cuts through the sudden silence of the room. Baekhyun doesn’t say much after, body slumping forward towards him, and Jongdae shakes the man awake with hands on wide hips when he feels the shift on top of him. He eventually hears a mumble of “yeah, I’m coming” before Baekhyun is moving again, causing Jongdae to finally open his eyes. He sees Baekhyun take one of his blankets next to them, draping it over his shoulders for warmth, before climbing off of him.
The bed is significantly colder when Baekhyun leaves, automatically going into Jongdae’s closet for a spare uniform, and Jongdae belatedly wonders how much of his best friend is in his apartment. Ever since he entered the rotational cycle of medical school, Baekhyun has been taking up more and more of his living space, always claiming that it’s closer to the hospital he’s working at and it’s his safe haven whenever he forgets his own house keys in his rush.
Pale skin enters his vision when Baekhyun drops the blanket and Jongdae stares as it disappears under one of his shirts and grey scrubs within minutes. Mussed hair catches his attention next, the sun slowly rising outside the curtained windows, and Jongdae wishes they were open so Baekhyun can catch all the rays in his eyes when he turns. He’s radiant even at this hour. It’s annoyingly ridiculous.
How long has it been since he’s fallen in love?
“I’m taking your spare key,” Baekhyun whispers, coming close again to drape the fallen blanket over him. It seems like he takes his time, reaching up to comb fingers through Jongdae’s unruly hair, and it distracts him. The soothing motions lull Jongdae into a false sense of security and happiness, because Baekhyun has always been openly affectionate with him. “I’ll return it after I get back into my own house.”
Jongdae falls asleep when Baekhyun leans down to kiss his head, the jingling of keys and muttered curses after a hard thud the last he hears of his friend. He dreams of coming home to see Baekhyun in the kitchen attempting to cook or Baekhyun passed out on his couch with half a cup of hot coffee still left sitting on a coaster in the living room. He dreams of finally confessing to the stressed out future physician, finally telling him he fell in love with him while Baekhyun screamed all his frustrations out at him in university, and trusting that the other man could possibly love him back.
He doesn’t see him for a week after that, Baekhyun texting him that he finally got into his own apartment but the calls have been unrelenting, and Jongdae tries to compromise the stress he feels radiating off of his friend with sending pictures of the drawings his students had given him during the week. It’s not much, but Jongdae feels the tension ease in his chest when Baekhyun sends him a picture of his colleague drooling all over a spare pillow in some office and another of him posing next to a young child on a medical bed doing matching V-signs in reply.
It sets Jongdae’s mind at ease, knowing that Baekhyun is still surviving in that cruel world of the hospital, and he ignores the teasing stares when Sehun sees a new text from Baekhyun on his phone. It’s another picture, but it’s one of Baekhyun sleeping under his white coat on a green couch in the hospital with the words love, minseok attached at the end. It warms his heart, bubbles of laughter escaping his lips, when he receives another text from Baekhyun’s attending physician telling him he’s giving him a well-deserved break and come by after school lets out.
He ignores Sehun’s playful pokes to his arms, trying to get his phone out of his pocket without completely harassing him to see what else they’ve been doing, and he’s thankful when the school bell rings and they have to return to class before the students do.
Before long, Jongdae’s walking through the hospital hallways curiously, reading names and safety fliers pinned to the walls. There are some new ones this time, stopping to read one about different protocols about diabetic patients, and he doesn’t think it distracts him long. But apparently, it’s long enough for Minseok to personally come get him, guiding him down the hall until they stop outside the doctor’s lounge and he’s being pushed inside.
“Take him home,” Minseok quietly says, “It’s the last day of his trauma surgery rotation. I’ll take care of the rest of the patients today.” He winks at him before he closes the door, the soft click resonating throughout the quiet room.
Jongdae’s too busy staring at Baekhyun to properly respond to the other physician, entranced by the soft rise and fall of Baekhyun’s chest and how smooth his cheeks look. It’s been far too long since they’ve last seen each other in person and now he feels like he’s suffering the consequences.
His heart speeds when he comes close enough to rest a hand on Baekhyun’s back, enough space between it and the back of the couch to fit together comfortably, and he smiles when Baekhyun lets out a soft sigh at his touch. He looks beautiful despite the obvious fatigue marring his skin in his deep sleep and Jongdae smiles as he traces I love you into his back once more before actually waking him up with a smack to the shoulder and dragging him back home.
Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, they’ve never talked about what type of relationship they have. Of course they’re friends, considered only the best in Baekhyun’s book, but Jongdae doesn’t know if there could be anything more in any of the ways Baekhyun leans into him when they reach his front door, listing against his side and mumbling into his shoulder about how tired he is, or in the ways Jongdae indulges him with a kiss to the forehead, hand on Baekhyun’s hip to help guide him inside. He thinks there could definitely be a lot more in the ways Baekhyun toes off his shoes and detaches himself to go straight to his shower and steal his clothes again or in the way Baekhyun immediately comes back afterwards to attempt cooking something reasonably healthy for them in his kitchen.
Their actions scream Too Intimate in too many situations, sometimes Jongdae forgets that clinging onto Baekhyun while he cooks or Baekhyun laughing and pushing him away with his butt could be seen as something else other than pure friendliness, but it doesn’t faze them. Everything they do together comes naturally and Jongdae loves it.
Yet, it always stuns Jongdae when something truly unexpected happens between them and he doesn’t know what to do when he looks back up to see Baekhyun staring at him from across the kitchen. There’s a soft look in his eyes and it takes Jongdae’s breath away when he realizes the other is staring at him with a type of fondness he never expected the other would give his way. It’s such a beautiful expression, one full of sincerity and adoration, and Jongdae almost misses it when Baekhyun blinks and it changes into something else.
Baekhyun looks mischievous, a complete contrast to the fondness Jongdae saw seconds ago, and he starts with the realization that the man has a can of whip cream in his hand. He eyes it warily, flicking his gaze up nervously to meet Baekhyun’s own, and he screams when Baekhyun makes a run at him. He doesn’t even remember buying that evil can, but he jumps and dashes away anyways, trying to find refuge somewhere else and hope his kitchen doesn’t burn down in the process.
Jongdae screams again when Baekhyun traps him in the bathroom and mercilessly sprays the whip cream all over his face, trying to fend off his friend to no avail. “Baek!” he sputters. He doesn’t understand.
“Got you,” Baekhyun softly says, and it stills Jongdae down to his core. The hand on his waist is squeezing gently and he opens his eyes at the gesture, seeing that same soft look from earlier. There are no butterflies creating a storm in his stomach and there are no crazy palpitations throwing his heart into overdrive. Up close and personal, it does nothing but make Jongdae’s heart leap in his chest.
Baekhyun’s lips twitch upwards, bottom lip catching between his teeth to stop it, and Jongdae swallows thickly as he watches the movement with rapt attention. He jerks when he feels one of Baekhyun’s hands move to his back underneath his shirt, Baekhyun moving breathtakingly closer, and he furrows his brows in confusion when he feels the other trace something into his skin.
He can barely make it out, sucking in a breath when Baekhyun pushes in deeper, and his heart stops when he finally, finally realizes what Baekhyun is writing into his body. His eyes widen, searching Baekhyun’s own. “I love you?” he asks, unsure. That can’t possibly be it.
Soft laughter spills from Baekhyun’s lips at the question, leaning forward to kiss a patch of whip cream off of Jongdae’s cheek. “I don’t think it was a question,” he murmurs, taking his time with gentle kisses and licking the sweet treat off his lips. It makes Jongdae’s eyes flutter close, lips parting, because Baekhyun’s lips are as soft as they look.
“I love you,” Jongdae repeats, barely a whisper, when he feels the words again. He groans when Baekhyun traces it over and over into his skin, gasping when Baekhyun trails sticky kisses down his neck. “Baekhyun.”
“I was awake earlier,” Baekhyun confesses, stopping to pull back and lick his lips clean, gaze amused because Jongdae can’t stop himself from staring at his mouth. “In the hospital, I was finally awake enough to feel you trace ‘I love you’ into my skin.”
Jongdae flicks his eyes up at the confession, heart finally speeding in his chest, because he thought the other was asleep earlier. He thought he was knocked out for the next few hours and wouldn’t be able to feel him tracing-
“I felt it one other time too,” Baekhyun quietly mentions, leaning back in to kiss his cheek and lick the cream off his lips afterwards, “I thought it was a fluke, one made from best friendship maybe, but then- I don’t know. I always kind of hoped.”
Despite all the preferred scenarios in his head, Jongdae doesn’t expect to blurt out “Of course whip cream would be involved in this.” But the cream is starting to dry and it’s making his face itch. “Really, Baekhyun?”
The way Baekhyun shoves his shoulder before bringing a thumb up to bite on it nervously has Jongdae wanting to groan out loud. “Each time you draw on my back, you leave a piece of yourself behind,” Baekhyun softly mumbles. There’s a small smile on his lips when he says it, lips curving up around his thumb, and Jongdae thinks he might need an oxygen tank soon from how much his air is being knocked out of his lungs because of his best friend. “Do you know how many times I got yelled at by my colleagues because I’m the most oblivious doctor-to-be on the planet?”
Jongdae tries to stifle the laughter that leaves his lips at the question, feeling his cheeks heat the longer Baekhyun stares at him with those kind, beautiful eyes. “They did always make jokes about us being married already,” he mentions, full out laughing when Baekhyun groans in embarrassment and instinctively moves in to bury his face into his shoulder, “Especially when I would bring you food on my days off since you rarely ate while on the floor.”
“How do you love me?” Baekhyun whispers, causing gooseflesh to erupt all over Jongdae’s body. He’s so close, lips ghosting his shoulder. “How can you fall in love with me when I barely had any time to pay attention?”
“The same way people fall in love with the moon and the stars,” Jongdae replies easily, tracing invisible constellations on Baekhyun’s back, “It comes unsuspectingly, naturally, like something just clicks and you know.” His lips pull into a smile unconsciously when Baekhyun pulls back to stare at him, stare until he knows Jongdae is genuine with his words.
Jongdae squeaks when Baekhyun suddenly surges forward minutes later and kisses him on the lips. It’s quick, a simple peck that could barely be called an actual kiss, and Jongdae pouts when they separate and he sees traces of whip cream covering Baekhyun’s lips and nose. Out of all the desired scenarios in his head, he didn’t expect their first kiss to be like that either. “Baek-”
“You’ll stay with me?” Baekhyun quietly interrupts, uncertainty shining in his eyes, “Even if I choose trauma surgery as my specialty and get called out at the most inconvenient times of the day?”
Despite the worry flowing off of the other in waves, Jongdae laughs. Whip cream ends up flying everywhere and Baekhyun grumbles as he moves away to try and clean the entire mess up. He keeps biting his lip, anxiety eating away at him, and Jongdae feels the warmth of affection grow the longer he realizes Baekhyun is as nervous as he is. He hums, pleased, as Baekhyun takes a wet towel to his face to gently wipe the sticky food away from his skin.
“Of course,” Jongdae answers once his mouth is free, catching Baekhyun’s gaze with his own. “Only you would choose something dramatic and stressful as trauma surgery for the rest of his life.” He smiles when Baekhyun huffs dramatically, turning to throw the towel in the hamper. “I will still love you no matter what you do.”
It’s enough to have the tips of Baekhyun’s ears pink, turning around to look at him with wide eyes. He looks frozen on the spot at his very real and conscious confession and Jongdae takes the chance to approach him slowly until Baekhyun is backed up against the wall. A gasp leaves Baekhyun’s mouth when he hits it, gaze quickly falling down to Jongdae’s lips.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” Jongdae announces, smiling when Baekhyun looks up at him. He lifts a hand to tangle fingers in Baekhyun’s hair, gently caressing his head, as he waits for an answer. He watches as Baekhyun leans into him instantly, closing his eyes and parting his lips the slightest bit to let out a soft “please.”
This kiss is nothing like the first. This one is simple and sweet, a soft, longing press of lips on lips, and Jongdae preens when he hears Baekhyun’s soft, pleased sigh escape his mouth when he pulls away. He smiles when he takes in the sight of his friend, cheeks flushed and eyes still closed. “I’m not going to assume we’re boyfriends simply because we kissed,” he softly says, gently tracing Baekhyun’s bottom lip with his thumb, “I will be whatever you want me to be.”
“Boyfriends sound good,” Baekhyun immediately answers, opening his eyes to show how sincere he is, as his lips tilt up into a small smile. “Boyfriends sound more than good.” His smile turns cheeky, hands coming up to fist the sides of Jongdae’s shirt and pull him in closer. “Boyfriend.”
Jongdae cheers at the title, smile wide enough to split his face in half, and he doesn’t care if he’s acting like how he did in high school all those years ago before they met. He hears Baekhyun laugh at him before he surges forward to kiss him once more on the lips.
“Boyfriend.”
(It isn’t until later when they finally come out of the bathroom with kiss-swollen lips does Jongdae remember how they ended up in there in the first place. He stares at Baekhyun over his shoulder, confused, with fingers laced between them. “Why did you attack me with whip cream of all things?” He doesn’t even know where the can rolled off to in the middle of everything.
Baekhyun looks up at him with wide eyes before he frowns, appearing just as confused as he is. “I forgot.”
Jongdae sighs, turning around to go back into the bathroom. “Then you’re helping me find the can,” he mumbles, dragging the other with him, “I would trust you with my life, you know. Please don’t forget that I have one allergy and can’t handle latex very well.”
The way Baekhyun laughs, winking at him when he turns to face him, makes his cheeks heat. “No latex of any kind. Hypoallergenic needed. Duly noted.”)
Jongdae wakes to the sound of Justin Timberlake’s Sexy Back blaring in the middle of the night. He has no idea what time it is, other than it’s oh-unfortunate o’clock, and he groans when he realizes who it is. He doesn’t even bother answering, getting up from his bed to stumble his way to his front door instead. He makes it there with minimal injuries and he isn’t surprised to see Baekhyun standing on his front porch with a wide smile on his face in a simple jacket and scrubs.
“I know it’s three in the morning,” Baekhyun starts, “But hear me out.”
It’s not even three in the morning, Jongdae thinks, as he drags Baekhyun into his apartment and locks the door behind him. His digital clock says it’s way past three, but it doesn’t matter when Baekhyun is pushing him up against his front door and licking his way into his mouth. He holds on tight, Baekhyun fighting to get his cold jacket off of him, and Jongdae groans when Baekhyun accidentally smacks him in the face with a buttoned sleeve.
“Baekhyun,” Jongdae rasps out, shoving his boyfriend away to forgo any more kisses and protect his face from further harm, “Just come to bed.” He doesn’t even know how Baekhyun still manages to forget the keys on the way out when he has it literally glued to the man’s wallet. He hears the other whine but follow after him, feet padding against the carpeted floor, and waits until Baekhyun strips again to climb into bed after him.
Somehow, Baekhyun’s feet are still cold when they tangle with his under the sheets, sighing in relief when he has his head tucked underneath Jongdae’s chin again. Baekhyun isn’t shivering this time, but Jongdae continues to trace I love you into his back until he falls asleep, smiling as he traces will you marry me after.
Pairing: Jongdae/Baekhyun
Rating: PG
Length: 4k
Summary: Jongdae thinks Baekhyun is ridiculous and needs to have his keys glued to his forehead.
Notes: originally for daelightsaving ( here).
Warnings: [spoilers]fluff and more fluff
Jongdae wakes to the sound of Justin Timberlake’s Sexy Back blaring in the middle of the night. He has no idea what time it is, other than it’s oh-unfortunate o’clock, and he groans when he realizes whom it can possibly be. Only so many people call him at this time and he’s not sure if he wants to answer to try and figure it out. But it’s programmed in him - he can’t ignore a ringing phone - and he groans again exaggeratedly, knocking over a lamp and a bottle of water in the process of groping his bedside table for it.
The name Byun Baekhyun flashes in front of his face when he finds his cell phone and a third groan escapes his lips before he can stop it, sliding his thumb across the screen and holding it up to his ear. He manages to choke out a raspy “Hello?” before Baekhyun is off.
“I know it’s three in the morning,” he says, sounding strangely breathless, “But hear me out.”
Jongdae has decided he doesn’t want to hear him out. He wants to curl up in his warm bed and sleep, dream of cute little puppies licking at his face and arms in a field of grass and beautiful flowers instead. But this is the man he has oddly come to adore and- are his teeth chattering? The sound wakes him up immediately, opening his eyes and pulling his phone away to stare at his screen when it lights up again. It reads three-eighteen and it’s snowing.
“Baekhyun?” he asks, once he puts the phone back up to his ear. All he gets is a whimper in response, but it’s enough to have him jump out of bed and out the door. He forgets to put on a coat in his haste - what the hell is he doing outside at this hour, has he been out there all night, why didn’t he call me sooner - and barely remembers to grab his keys by the time he opens his front door. “Baek, where are-”
On his front porch, obviously shivering in his beige wool coat and practically drowning in his grey wool scarf, is his friend. He looks like the definition of a high-class hobo with windswept hair and Jongdae’s eyes widen in his surprise. He gasps belatedly, finally registering the frost seeping through the thin materials of his sleepwear, and it alerts him faster than any cup of coffee can do at seven in the morning.
“Hi” is all Baekhyun manages to get out before Jongdae is reaching out to pull him in, breathing in sharply when he brings half of the winter storm into the apartment with him. Baekhyun is all shivers and rosy cheeks when Jongdae manages to rid his jacket and scarf, teeth chattering and gooseflesh rising all over his bare skin. He whines when he’s down to his work scrubs, huddling in on himself to try and keep whatever little warmth he has left. “Jongdae.”
“Jesus,” Jongdae hisses in response, taking in the sight of his friend before pulling him down the hall and to his room. He doesn’t ask how many times this has happened, how many times he’s woken up in the middle of the night to find his friend like this, and it breaks his heart when he tries to push away the thoughts of too many to count.
Baekhyun strips himself of his clothes when they make it to his room, quickly burrowing his way into Jongdae’s bed afterwards like he’s meant to be there. In the end, all Jongdae can see are his eyes, the way warmth and happiness radiate from them unlike the rest of his body, and he thinks they hold all the wonders in the world with the way they shine in the dimly lit room. Jongdae sighs softly at the sight, a different kind of warmth filling him, before he moves in to lie next to his friend carefully. “Did you forget your keys again?”
The way Baekhyun speaks, voice muffled by the multiple blankets covering him, makes Jongdae smile despite the chill still clinging onto both of them. “Yes.” They stare at each other, Jongdae reaching out to brush the cold fringe away from Baekhyun’s eyes, and the content sigh that leaves the other’s mouth makes Jongdae want to do so much more, provide until Baekhyun is this happy and warm and content all the time. “Can we cuddle again?” Baekhyun quietly asks, closing his eyes and trying to soak all the heat away from him.
Jongdae doesn’t hesitate as he lifts his arm high enough underneath the blankets for the other to scoot in closer. Baekhyun does so immediately, wiggling in towards him, until he breathes out another deep, satisfied sigh when he has his head buried underneath Jongdae’s chin with cold feet tangling with his own.
Baekhyun’s still shivering despite the extra warmth, but he falls asleep when Jongdae traces patterns of the stars and the sun into his back.
Baekhyun gets a call when day breaks hours later. It’s the obnoxious standard ringtone and it’s ten times too loud in the quiet stillness of the morning. They groan in annoyance together, Baekhyun pushing himself impossibly closer to Jongdae hoping to drown the noise out, but it’s by the fifth ring that Baekhyun gives up with a soft whine. It makes Jongdae laugh, a raspy chuckle leaving his lips, when he hears a second tired groan and Baekhyun is climbing over him to get to his phone somewhere on his bedside table.
Jongdae moves easily with him, turning so Baekhyun can sit on his hips comfortably, and he listens as Baekhyun’s husky voice cuts through the sudden silence of the room. Baekhyun doesn’t say much after, body slumping forward towards him, and Jongdae shakes the man awake with hands on wide hips when he feels the shift on top of him. He eventually hears a mumble of “yeah, I’m coming” before Baekhyun is moving again, causing Jongdae to finally open his eyes. He sees Baekhyun take one of his blankets next to them, draping it over his shoulders for warmth, before climbing off of him.
The bed is significantly colder when Baekhyun leaves, automatically going into Jongdae’s closet for a spare uniform, and Jongdae belatedly wonders how much of his best friend is in his apartment. Ever since he entered the rotational cycle of medical school, Baekhyun has been taking up more and more of his living space, always claiming that it’s closer to the hospital he’s working at and it’s his safe haven whenever he forgets his own house keys in his rush.
Pale skin enters his vision when Baekhyun drops the blanket and Jongdae stares as it disappears under one of his shirts and grey scrubs within minutes. Mussed hair catches his attention next, the sun slowly rising outside the curtained windows, and Jongdae wishes they were open so Baekhyun can catch all the rays in his eyes when he turns. He’s radiant even at this hour. It’s annoyingly ridiculous.
How long has it been since he’s fallen in love?
“I’m taking your spare key,” Baekhyun whispers, coming close again to drape the fallen blanket over him. It seems like he takes his time, reaching up to comb fingers through Jongdae’s unruly hair, and it distracts him. The soothing motions lull Jongdae into a false sense of security and happiness, because Baekhyun has always been openly affectionate with him. “I’ll return it after I get back into my own house.”
Jongdae falls asleep when Baekhyun leans down to kiss his head, the jingling of keys and muttered curses after a hard thud the last he hears of his friend. He dreams of coming home to see Baekhyun in the kitchen attempting to cook or Baekhyun passed out on his couch with half a cup of hot coffee still left sitting on a coaster in the living room. He dreams of finally confessing to the stressed out future physician, finally telling him he fell in love with him while Baekhyun screamed all his frustrations out at him in university, and trusting that the other man could possibly love him back.
He doesn’t see him for a week after that, Baekhyun texting him that he finally got into his own apartment but the calls have been unrelenting, and Jongdae tries to compromise the stress he feels radiating off of his friend with sending pictures of the drawings his students had given him during the week. It’s not much, but Jongdae feels the tension ease in his chest when Baekhyun sends him a picture of his colleague drooling all over a spare pillow in some office and another of him posing next to a young child on a medical bed doing matching V-signs in reply.
It sets Jongdae’s mind at ease, knowing that Baekhyun is still surviving in that cruel world of the hospital, and he ignores the teasing stares when Sehun sees a new text from Baekhyun on his phone. It’s another picture, but it’s one of Baekhyun sleeping under his white coat on a green couch in the hospital with the words love, minseok attached at the end. It warms his heart, bubbles of laughter escaping his lips, when he receives another text from Baekhyun’s attending physician telling him he’s giving him a well-deserved break and come by after school lets out.
He ignores Sehun’s playful pokes to his arms, trying to get his phone out of his pocket without completely harassing him to see what else they’ve been doing, and he’s thankful when the school bell rings and they have to return to class before the students do.
Before long, Jongdae’s walking through the hospital hallways curiously, reading names and safety fliers pinned to the walls. There are some new ones this time, stopping to read one about different protocols about diabetic patients, and he doesn’t think it distracts him long. But apparently, it’s long enough for Minseok to personally come get him, guiding him down the hall until they stop outside the doctor’s lounge and he’s being pushed inside.
“Take him home,” Minseok quietly says, “It’s the last day of his trauma surgery rotation. I’ll take care of the rest of the patients today.” He winks at him before he closes the door, the soft click resonating throughout the quiet room.
Jongdae’s too busy staring at Baekhyun to properly respond to the other physician, entranced by the soft rise and fall of Baekhyun’s chest and how smooth his cheeks look. It’s been far too long since they’ve last seen each other in person and now he feels like he’s suffering the consequences.
His heart speeds when he comes close enough to rest a hand on Baekhyun’s back, enough space between it and the back of the couch to fit together comfortably, and he smiles when Baekhyun lets out a soft sigh at his touch. He looks beautiful despite the obvious fatigue marring his skin in his deep sleep and Jongdae smiles as he traces I love you into his back once more before actually waking him up with a smack to the shoulder and dragging him back home.
Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, they’ve never talked about what type of relationship they have. Of course they’re friends, considered only the best in Baekhyun’s book, but Jongdae doesn’t know if there could be anything more in any of the ways Baekhyun leans into him when they reach his front door, listing against his side and mumbling into his shoulder about how tired he is, or in the ways Jongdae indulges him with a kiss to the forehead, hand on Baekhyun’s hip to help guide him inside. He thinks there could definitely be a lot more in the ways Baekhyun toes off his shoes and detaches himself to go straight to his shower and steal his clothes again or in the way Baekhyun immediately comes back afterwards to attempt cooking something reasonably healthy for them in his kitchen.
Their actions scream Too Intimate in too many situations, sometimes Jongdae forgets that clinging onto Baekhyun while he cooks or Baekhyun laughing and pushing him away with his butt could be seen as something else other than pure friendliness, but it doesn’t faze them. Everything they do together comes naturally and Jongdae loves it.
Yet, it always stuns Jongdae when something truly unexpected happens between them and he doesn’t know what to do when he looks back up to see Baekhyun staring at him from across the kitchen. There’s a soft look in his eyes and it takes Jongdae’s breath away when he realizes the other is staring at him with a type of fondness he never expected the other would give his way. It’s such a beautiful expression, one full of sincerity and adoration, and Jongdae almost misses it when Baekhyun blinks and it changes into something else.
Baekhyun looks mischievous, a complete contrast to the fondness Jongdae saw seconds ago, and he starts with the realization that the man has a can of whip cream in his hand. He eyes it warily, flicking his gaze up nervously to meet Baekhyun’s own, and he screams when Baekhyun makes a run at him. He doesn’t even remember buying that evil can, but he jumps and dashes away anyways, trying to find refuge somewhere else and hope his kitchen doesn’t burn down in the process.
Jongdae screams again when Baekhyun traps him in the bathroom and mercilessly sprays the whip cream all over his face, trying to fend off his friend to no avail. “Baek!” he sputters. He doesn’t understand.
“Got you,” Baekhyun softly says, and it stills Jongdae down to his core. The hand on his waist is squeezing gently and he opens his eyes at the gesture, seeing that same soft look from earlier. There are no butterflies creating a storm in his stomach and there are no crazy palpitations throwing his heart into overdrive. Up close and personal, it does nothing but make Jongdae’s heart leap in his chest.
Baekhyun’s lips twitch upwards, bottom lip catching between his teeth to stop it, and Jongdae swallows thickly as he watches the movement with rapt attention. He jerks when he feels one of Baekhyun’s hands move to his back underneath his shirt, Baekhyun moving breathtakingly closer, and he furrows his brows in confusion when he feels the other trace something into his skin.
He can barely make it out, sucking in a breath when Baekhyun pushes in deeper, and his heart stops when he finally, finally realizes what Baekhyun is writing into his body. His eyes widen, searching Baekhyun’s own. “I love you?” he asks, unsure. That can’t possibly be it.
Soft laughter spills from Baekhyun’s lips at the question, leaning forward to kiss a patch of whip cream off of Jongdae’s cheek. “I don’t think it was a question,” he murmurs, taking his time with gentle kisses and licking the sweet treat off his lips. It makes Jongdae’s eyes flutter close, lips parting, because Baekhyun’s lips are as soft as they look.
“I love you,” Jongdae repeats, barely a whisper, when he feels the words again. He groans when Baekhyun traces it over and over into his skin, gasping when Baekhyun trails sticky kisses down his neck. “Baekhyun.”
“I was awake earlier,” Baekhyun confesses, stopping to pull back and lick his lips clean, gaze amused because Jongdae can’t stop himself from staring at his mouth. “In the hospital, I was finally awake enough to feel you trace ‘I love you’ into my skin.”
Jongdae flicks his eyes up at the confession, heart finally speeding in his chest, because he thought the other was asleep earlier. He thought he was knocked out for the next few hours and wouldn’t be able to feel him tracing-
“I felt it one other time too,” Baekhyun quietly mentions, leaning back in to kiss his cheek and lick the cream off his lips afterwards, “I thought it was a fluke, one made from best friendship maybe, but then- I don’t know. I always kind of hoped.”
Despite all the preferred scenarios in his head, Jongdae doesn’t expect to blurt out “Of course whip cream would be involved in this.” But the cream is starting to dry and it’s making his face itch. “Really, Baekhyun?”
The way Baekhyun shoves his shoulder before bringing a thumb up to bite on it nervously has Jongdae wanting to groan out loud. “Each time you draw on my back, you leave a piece of yourself behind,” Baekhyun softly mumbles. There’s a small smile on his lips when he says it, lips curving up around his thumb, and Jongdae thinks he might need an oxygen tank soon from how much his air is being knocked out of his lungs because of his best friend. “Do you know how many times I got yelled at by my colleagues because I’m the most oblivious doctor-to-be on the planet?”
Jongdae tries to stifle the laughter that leaves his lips at the question, feeling his cheeks heat the longer Baekhyun stares at him with those kind, beautiful eyes. “They did always make jokes about us being married already,” he mentions, full out laughing when Baekhyun groans in embarrassment and instinctively moves in to bury his face into his shoulder, “Especially when I would bring you food on my days off since you rarely ate while on the floor.”
“How do you love me?” Baekhyun whispers, causing gooseflesh to erupt all over Jongdae’s body. He’s so close, lips ghosting his shoulder. “How can you fall in love with me when I barely had any time to pay attention?”
“The same way people fall in love with the moon and the stars,” Jongdae replies easily, tracing invisible constellations on Baekhyun’s back, “It comes unsuspectingly, naturally, like something just clicks and you know.” His lips pull into a smile unconsciously when Baekhyun pulls back to stare at him, stare until he knows Jongdae is genuine with his words.
Jongdae squeaks when Baekhyun suddenly surges forward minutes later and kisses him on the lips. It’s quick, a simple peck that could barely be called an actual kiss, and Jongdae pouts when they separate and he sees traces of whip cream covering Baekhyun’s lips and nose. Out of all the desired scenarios in his head, he didn’t expect their first kiss to be like that either. “Baek-”
“You’ll stay with me?” Baekhyun quietly interrupts, uncertainty shining in his eyes, “Even if I choose trauma surgery as my specialty and get called out at the most inconvenient times of the day?”
Despite the worry flowing off of the other in waves, Jongdae laughs. Whip cream ends up flying everywhere and Baekhyun grumbles as he moves away to try and clean the entire mess up. He keeps biting his lip, anxiety eating away at him, and Jongdae feels the warmth of affection grow the longer he realizes Baekhyun is as nervous as he is. He hums, pleased, as Baekhyun takes a wet towel to his face to gently wipe the sticky food away from his skin.
“Of course,” Jongdae answers once his mouth is free, catching Baekhyun’s gaze with his own. “Only you would choose something dramatic and stressful as trauma surgery for the rest of his life.” He smiles when Baekhyun huffs dramatically, turning to throw the towel in the hamper. “I will still love you no matter what you do.”
It’s enough to have the tips of Baekhyun’s ears pink, turning around to look at him with wide eyes. He looks frozen on the spot at his very real and conscious confession and Jongdae takes the chance to approach him slowly until Baekhyun is backed up against the wall. A gasp leaves Baekhyun’s mouth when he hits it, gaze quickly falling down to Jongdae’s lips.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” Jongdae announces, smiling when Baekhyun looks up at him. He lifts a hand to tangle fingers in Baekhyun’s hair, gently caressing his head, as he waits for an answer. He watches as Baekhyun leans into him instantly, closing his eyes and parting his lips the slightest bit to let out a soft “please.”
This kiss is nothing like the first. This one is simple and sweet, a soft, longing press of lips on lips, and Jongdae preens when he hears Baekhyun’s soft, pleased sigh escape his mouth when he pulls away. He smiles when he takes in the sight of his friend, cheeks flushed and eyes still closed. “I’m not going to assume we’re boyfriends simply because we kissed,” he softly says, gently tracing Baekhyun’s bottom lip with his thumb, “I will be whatever you want me to be.”
“Boyfriends sound good,” Baekhyun immediately answers, opening his eyes to show how sincere he is, as his lips tilt up into a small smile. “Boyfriends sound more than good.” His smile turns cheeky, hands coming up to fist the sides of Jongdae’s shirt and pull him in closer. “Boyfriend.”
Jongdae cheers at the title, smile wide enough to split his face in half, and he doesn’t care if he’s acting like how he did in high school all those years ago before they met. He hears Baekhyun laugh at him before he surges forward to kiss him once more on the lips.
“Boyfriend.”
(It isn’t until later when they finally come out of the bathroom with kiss-swollen lips does Jongdae remember how they ended up in there in the first place. He stares at Baekhyun over his shoulder, confused, with fingers laced between them. “Why did you attack me with whip cream of all things?” He doesn’t even know where the can rolled off to in the middle of everything.
Baekhyun looks up at him with wide eyes before he frowns, appearing just as confused as he is. “I forgot.”
Jongdae sighs, turning around to go back into the bathroom. “Then you’re helping me find the can,” he mumbles, dragging the other with him, “I would trust you with my life, you know. Please don’t forget that I have one allergy and can’t handle latex very well.”
The way Baekhyun laughs, winking at him when he turns to face him, makes his cheeks heat. “No latex of any kind. Hypoallergenic needed. Duly noted.”)
Jongdae wakes to the sound of Justin Timberlake’s Sexy Back blaring in the middle of the night. He has no idea what time it is, other than it’s oh-unfortunate o’clock, and he groans when he realizes who it is. He doesn’t even bother answering, getting up from his bed to stumble his way to his front door instead. He makes it there with minimal injuries and he isn’t surprised to see Baekhyun standing on his front porch with a wide smile on his face in a simple jacket and scrubs.
“I know it’s three in the morning,” Baekhyun starts, “But hear me out.”
It’s not even three in the morning, Jongdae thinks, as he drags Baekhyun into his apartment and locks the door behind him. His digital clock says it’s way past three, but it doesn’t matter when Baekhyun is pushing him up against his front door and licking his way into his mouth. He holds on tight, Baekhyun fighting to get his cold jacket off of him, and Jongdae groans when Baekhyun accidentally smacks him in the face with a buttoned sleeve.
“Baekhyun,” Jongdae rasps out, shoving his boyfriend away to forgo any more kisses and protect his face from further harm, “Just come to bed.” He doesn’t even know how Baekhyun still manages to forget the keys on the way out when he has it literally glued to the man’s wallet. He hears the other whine but follow after him, feet padding against the carpeted floor, and waits until Baekhyun strips again to climb into bed after him.
Somehow, Baekhyun’s feet are still cold when they tangle with his under the sheets, sighing in relief when he has his head tucked underneath Jongdae’s chin again. Baekhyun isn’t shivering this time, but Jongdae continues to trace I love you into his back until he falls asleep, smiling as he traces will you marry me after.