Archive of Our Own

“Just look at her,” Baekhyun marvelled, leaning against the bleachers on the edge of the soccer field to watch Minseok, the girl of her dreams as of two months ago, run laps.

Since cheerleading practice had been cancelled, Baekhyun was finally free to watch a soccer practice. At least until her best friend and fellow cheerleader, Jongdae, got bored and pulled her away so they could walk home.

Baekhyun hadn’t expected to suddenly fall for someone second semester of her senior year in high school, but she was even more stymied by the fact that she hadn’t noticed Minseok sooner. Because while she’d vaguely known who Minseok was since Minseok was the captain of the girl’s soccer team and a senior as well, she’d never thought to pay attention. But after that first day in Drawing I, she couldn’t stop paying attention.

“Look at her her thighs,” Baekhyun sighed dreamily. “Look at her ass. Look at her eyes.”

“I see all of those things,” Jongdae informed her, though she sounded far less enthused than Baekhyun thought she ought to be. Of course, that might have been because Baekhyun hadn’t shut up about Minseok since the beginning of the semester. Or maybe it was because Jongdae was straight. But regardless, Baekhyun was offended on behalf of Minseok’s glorious person.

“She’s such a spectacular and entrancing human being,” Baekhyun said, eyes still glued to the way Minseok’s thighs flexed as she jogged- her short shorts giving Baekhyun a perfect view.

“Mmhmm,” Jongdae hummed, distracted by something on her phone.

“You’re so unsupportive of my life,” Baekhyun complained, only tearing her eyes away from the object of her affections to pout at her best friend.

“I don’t think you want me to be as excited by Minseok’s ass as you are,” Jongdae pointed out wryly.

“True,” Baekhyun allowed. “But even if Minseok’s insane hotness entranced you, I called dibs ages ago, so it wouldn’t matter.”

Jongdae blinked at her.

“I’m not going to fight you for her,” she replied blandly. “I like men, remember?”

“Good,” Baekhyun sniffed, resting her head against the bleachers, metal cool against her temple, as she watched Minseok run.

“Well, now that that’s settled,” Jongdae announced decisively, “let’s go. I have a ton of homework, and you have a paper to write.”

Baekhyun groaned, eyes following Minseok as she rounded the field- auburn ponytail bobbing in time with the gentle bounce of her breasts.

“Baek,” Jongdae said impatiently, tugging on Baekhyun’s arm.

“Fine, fine. I’m coming,” Baekhyun agreed.

With a final glance at the girl who’d stolen her heart, Baekhyun let Jongdae drag her away from the soccer field and in the direction of both of their houses.

“Can you believe we’re not dating yet?” Baekhyun complained, trailing after Jongdae down the sidewalk.

“You and me?” Jongdae asked, feigning shock, and Baekhyun groaned, shoving her.

“You wish,” she snorted. “Me and Minseok, of course.”

Jongdae laughed, still amused by her own joke.

But Baekhyun was back to pouting over her lack of success in pursuing Minseok. So far, anyway. She was far from giving up.

“We changed seats in drawing class, and now I sit directly in front of her,” Baekhyun told Jongdae. “Maybe now I’ll be able to talk to her more.”

“You mean you’re not just going to point your butt in her direction? That didn’t work?” Jongdae teased.

“Well, I’m sure it worked a little,” Baekhyun insisted, pride on the line. “But being able to talk to her everyday can only help my chances!”

“Or hurt them,” Jongdae snickered.

“You are so mean!” Baekhyun whined, aiming her very best pout in Jongdae’s direction.

Baekhyun knew that Jongdae was just joking, so she wasn’t actually upset about her jibes, but she was starting to feel a bit discouraged with how little Minseok seemed to respond to her come-ons.

She didn’t want to seem cocky, but she knew she was cute- dark eyes, tiny nose, pointy chin, and bright smile. And her hourglass shape and petite frame had only done her favors in the past. Baekhyun usually didn’t have any trouble getting attention, even if it was just someone turning their head to see who the hell was being so noisy. But still. She’d had pretty good luck in the past in regards to getting noticed by her crushes.

Her biggest crush prior to Minseok had been on Chanyeol- a guy in her classes who was also part of the drumline. All she’d had to do then was wiggle around with her pom poms a little extra at football games, and shoot him looks while the cheerleaders were performing, and he’d been practically drooling all over his snare drum.

Shortly thereafter, they’d started dating and had stayed together through all of first semester of their junior year. They’d broken up due to the mutual realization that they were better off friends, and Chanyeol was, indeed, one of her closest friends now. But the point was that Baekhyun had had no issue enticing him. So why was it so hard with Minseok?

It had occurred to her that maybe the fact that Chanyeol was a guy had made attracting him more simple. But the fact was that her slightly lesser crush on Junghee, another cheerleader, had easily led to the two of them making out at a party or two...or four.

“Are you having a pity party for yourself?” Jongdae asked Baekhyun mock-seriously after Baekhyun must have sighed three times. “Do you need an intervention?”

Baekhyun sighed again. “No.”

“Convincing,” Jongdae said wryly as they came up on her house.

“I’m fine,” Baekhyun told her, making sure to sound as wistful and melancholy as possible before she grinned at Jongdae, laughing.

Jongdae rolled her eyes.

“Call me if you want a break from studying, okay?”

“Will do,” Baekhyun assured her, waving jauntily as she set off for her house.

Despite her lack of success so far, Baekhyun was not giving up on Minseok. She just needed a new game plan.

She could work that out after she wrote her humanities paper.

---

“You guys have no idea,” Baekhyun was saying, gesticulating wildly with her pencil and holding the attention of some of the underclassmen who sat near her in drawing class. “Jinki is seriously a freaking tank. He might be salutatorian, but he can drink anyone under the table, I swear to god.”

Baekhyun glanced behind her to see if Minseok was engaged.

Nope.

So far, the new seating arrangements hadn’t made her quest for Minseok’s attention much easier. But it was early days still! And Minseok just seemed really into her drawing.

Maybe if she…

Baekhyun set her pencil down on the table and let it roll off onto the wood floor with a clack.

“Whoops,” Baekhyun said, pushing her chair back noisily enough that Minseok couldn’t have missed it. Then she bent down so her butt was perfectly in Minseok’s line of sight as she took her time retrieving her pencil.

Okay, so her seduction techniques really weren’t any more sophisticated than Jongdae accused her of, but they’d worked in the past! She hadn’t had the need to refine them!

When Baekhyun sat down, Minseok was focused on her drawing again- a man drinking coffee and reading the morning paper- but she was choosing to believe that Minseok had at least appreciated her butt when it had been in her face. Who wouldn’t?

To be fair, Baekhyun wasn’t actually 100 percent sure that Minseok liked women. But...there wasn’t any evidence to the contrary? Baekhyun had never heard of Minseok dating or hooking up with a guy. Of course, she hadn’t heard about her hooking up with a girl either, but that was beside the point.

Baekhyun felt like she had decent enough gaydar, and she just had an inkling that Minseok might be into girls. She hoped anyway.

---

“Should I be concerned that you’ve been possessed?” Jongdae asked, letting Baekhyun drag her into the stands at the edge of the soccer field.

“Nah,” Baekhyun waved her off, maneuvering across the metal bleachers and stepping over people’s feet. “I’m very cultured. I like all kinds of things.”

Jongdae snorted.

“You like all kinds of butts…”

“Exactly!” Baekhyun agreed. “Which side of the field do you think Minseok is going to be on more often?”

“Well, they switch goals at halftime, so…”

“What?” Baekhyun exclaimed, horrified. “Why do they have to make this so difficult for me?”

“I’m sure the creators of soccer had you in mind when they made the rules,” Jongdae said wryly.

“Right?” Baekhyun sighed. “Oh well. We can always move at halftime.”

“Please tell me you’re not serious,” Jongdae begged. “You’re actually going to get up and move just so you can be closer to where Minseok is playing?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Baekhyun laughed. “That’s the only reason I’m here. Let’s be honest.”

“I thought it was because you were cultured,” Jongdae teased.

“I am,” Baekhyun confirmed. “And my elite taste has led me to an appreciation of Minseok’s thighs.”

“Of course it has,” Jongdae laughed, directing Baekhyun to a seat near the center.

It was the first sporting event Baekhyun had gone to since starting high school that she wasn’t cheering at. Sports (minus cheerleading) just weren’t her thing. But any excuse to stare at Minseok was a good thing in her book. Besides, maybe it would be easier to engage Minseok in art class if she could say that she’d seen Minseok play.

“Oh!” Baekhyun exclaimed when Minseok walked out onto the field with a referee and a member of the other team. “Jongdae, look! She’s doing a thing!”

“That’s the coin toss,” Jongdae told her.

“Well, I can see that,” Baekhyun scoffed.

The ref gestured to Minseok and Baekhyun whooped, earning herself a couple of stares.

“She won the coin toss!” Baekhyun observed excitedly, smacking Jongdae on the arm.

“I’m beginning to regret agreeing to accompany you here,” Jongdae said, adjusting her scarf around her neck.

“Just beginning?” Baekhyun teased, and Jongdae rolled her eyes good naturedly. Baekhyun liked to fancy herself charmingly annoying, so it wasn’t as though she was clueless that she could be a little obnoxious. She also knew that Jongdae must not have really been that bothered by her personality considering she’d been her best friend for years.

The game was...well. It was a soccer game. Baekhyun didn’t have much soccer knowledge to draw on, but she was happy that they were winning. She was also thoroughly enjoying watching Minseok running around on the field, looking like she knew what she was doing.

“Shit, I swear I almost came when she scored just now,” Baekhyun confessed to Jongdae during a time out.

Jongdae looked at her like she was nuts.

“I’m glad you didn’t,” she finally said, scooting over an inch only to have Baekhyun right up against her side again.

“Don’t pretend you don’t want to sit with m-” she cut herself off. “Look! She’s doing captain-y things!”

Of course Baekhyun knew that Minseok was captain, but seeing her talking to her teammates authoritatively…

“She’s so commanding,” Baekhyun marveled, sitting on her foot to get a better view. “Fuck, that’s hot.”

“I am never coming with you to a sporting event again,” Jongdae announced.

“Who else am I supposed to get to come with me?” Baekhyun complained, pouting even as she kept her eyes on Minseok.

“Someone who wants commentary like you’re watching porn?” Jongdae suggested.

“So, basically everyone, is what you’re saying,” Baekhyun responded cheekily. But she was too preoccupied watching Minseok to reply to Jongdae’s scoff.

Minseok was pretty quiet in school, but Baekhyun had never taken it as her being shy. There was always something about Minseok that had Baekhyun feeling a little intimidated...in a good way. Like, if Minseok wanted to, she could have Baekhyun bending to her every whim.

And it appeared, based on the way she confidently led her team, that Baekhyun’s gut instinct had been right. And the confidence Minseok was showing on the soccer field just made her even more attractive in Baekhyun’s eyes. If that was even possible.

It was a side of her that Baekhyun hadn’t had the opportunity to see before, so she relished every moment. Even if she wasn’t attuned to the intricacies of soccer, Baekhyun watched the easy way Minseok ran down the field with the ball, passing it to another teammate like it was as simple as breathing. She watched Minseok hand out high-fives when someone on her team made a good play and sympathetic pats on the back when someone made a mistake.

Sports had never been something that Baekhyun was interested in, but she’d almost been disappointed when the game was over- their team winning by a comfortable margin.

“We are definitely coming to the next home game,” Baekhyun told Jongdae, eyes on Minseok as she hugged her teammates to congratulate them and received congratulations in return.

“Did you choose to ignore the fact that I said I’m not coming to anymore games with you?”

“Yep!” Baekhyun told her happily, and Jongdae sighed, but didn’t argue. “I don’t know why they don’t have us cheer at soccer games. God knows the girls’ soccer team is better than the football team.”

“You’d end up dropping someone,” Jongdae replied with no hesitation. “At least none of the football players distract you.”

“True,” Baekhyun allowed. At least now she had the luxury of being able to focus all of her attention on Minseok with nothing else to worry about.

She'd paid such close attention, making several mental notes about particular plays, that she was fairly confident that she'd be able to at least have a semi-intelligent conversation with Minseok about the game the next day in art class. Or at the very least, she'd have a better opener than, So...soccer. That's a thing, huh?

With any luck, she'd be able to engage Minseok and begin the process of dazzling her. The sooner she got Minseok's attention, the better. Patience wasn't one of her virtues.

---

“Minseok!” Baekhyun exclaimed, walking into their seventh period drawing class. “Congrats on the win yesterday!”

She’d been eagerly anticipating this moment since she’s left the game the day before- so ready to engage Minseok in conversation and impress her with her sort-of knowledge.

Minseok blinked at her in surprise as Baekhyun plopped down in her seat at the table in front of her.

“Thanks,” she said hesitantly, like she was confused as to how Baekhyun even knew about the soccer team’s victory, before she smiled- gums showing and eyes curving.

Baekhyun’s heart gave a little flip.

“I went to the game!” she told Minseok proudly, laughing as Minseok’s smile turned into a look of complete shock.

“You went to the soccer game?” Minseok asked, eyebrows raised. “Why?”

“Geez, why is everyone so surprised that I want to watch a soccer game?” Baekhyun complained playfully. “You’d have thought I’d asked Jongdae to accompany me to a public execution with how shocked she was.”

“You just...I didn’t know you were interested in soccer,” Minseok settled on.

“Well, I haven’t ever been before,” Baekhyun admitted, “but I actually really enjoyed it!”

Minseok was smiling again, and Baekhyun felt her heart pounding in response.

“I’m glad,” Minseok told her. “And I’m glad you came to a winning game! It might have been a bit disappointing if we’d lost…”

“Nah,” Baekhyun waved her off. “Your goals would have looked cool either way.”

“But what if the team we were playing was really good and I didn’t make any goals?” Minseok asked, teasing.

“Then, you would have looked cool tryingto make a goal,” Baekhyun answered.

Minseok guffawed, obviously disbelieving.

“I would have been impressed,” Baekhyun told her honestly, and Minseok just laughed, shaking her head. But the slight flush to her cheeks had Baekhyun biting her lip as she tried to keep from grinning quite as widely as she wanted to.

The teacher called the class to attention then, so Baekhyun couldn’t keep that pretty flush on Minseok’s cheeks like she wished she could. And she hadn’t even gotten to attempt to sound like she knew what she was talking about in regards to soccer yet! But that was okay. Maybe she’d get to talk to her some more during class after the teacher had finished explaining how to draw someone’s portrait.

“To practice these techniques,” their teacher was saying ten minutes later, “you’ll be pairing off and drawing each other’s portraits.”

Without even listening to the rest of what he had to say, Baekhyun spun around in her seat and slammed a palm down on the table in front of Minseok, making Minseok flinch- startled.

“Partners?” Baekhyun asked, lips stretched into a grin and eyebrows raised hopefully.

“O-kay?” Minseok replied, still appearing somewhat dumbfounded by Baekhyun’s sudden request.

“Miss Byun,” the teacher said, voice laden with exasperation.

“Yes?” she answered, spinning back around to face forward again.

“Mind if I finish what I was saying before you cause anymore heart attacks?”

Baekhyun looked around, seeing a few of the students sitting near her looking as startled as Minseok had.

“Sorry!” she chirped, and the teacher sighed, going back to explaining their project.

But she wasn’t sorry, not really. She couldn’t be. Not when she’d cemented Minseok as her partner! And it was a portrait project, so she’d basically be staring at Minseok’s face for extended periods of time. Everything about this situation pleased Baekhyun immensely.

---

True to her word, Jongdae did not accompany Baekhyun to the next soccer game. Though it was more because she had a paper to write than because Baekhyun was an embarrassment.

Fortunately, Baekhyun had quite a few other friends whom she could urge to come with her, and as it turned out, Chanyeol was going to be stopping by with a few other guys anyway, so she sat with them.

Since a few of them played soccer, she was able to glean some knowledge by listening to them talk about the game. And she tried to keep from making too many overtly thirsty comments about Minseok. She only got one weird look when she leaned forward and exclaimed over Minseok’s strong thighs.

This time, Baekhyun was determined for Minseok to actually see her there, so she would know that Baekhyun wasn’t just trying to get in good with her by claiming to have gone to the game. She was here and Minseok needed to know it.

So after the game, she whined at Chanyeol enough that he agreed to hang back for a while with her and wait to see if they could catch Minseok when she left the locker room.

“Does she know you’re waiting for her?” Chanyeol asked, blowing into his palms since the temperature was still quite cold at night even as spring tried to arrive.

“No,” Baekhyun said, exasperated. “The whole point is to show her I’m here.”

“Can you text her or something?” Chanyeol innocently suggested. “What if she goes out the other door?”

“I don’t have her number,” Baekhyun whined, leaning against the wall and pouting.

Chanyeol’s eyes widened. “Is this a stalker situation? Is she going to call the cops on us?”

“What? No!” Baekhyun huffed. “What makes you think I’d stalk someone?”

Chanyeol shrugged. “You just get ideas in your head sometimes and you go full force. And I don’t think I’ve ever tried to go out of my way to meet someone somewhere without having their number or anything.”

“I mean, I talk to her in drawing class,” Baekhyun defended. “And we’re partners for our current assignment.”

Chanyeol didn’t need to know that the fact they were partners was pretty much all Baekhyun’s doing. It wasn’t as though Minseok had asked her to be partners. But she could have said no. Theoretically.

“Does she know that you have a crush on her?” Chanyeol asked then, curious.

“Probably,” Baekhyun guessed. “I’ve been told I’m not very subtle,” she added wryly.

Chanyeol laughed, agreeing.

“But does she even know you’re bi?” he went on, after gathering himself. “If she doesn’t, she might just think you’re being friendly.”

It was something that had crossed Baekhyun’s mind, but she couldn’t exactly just go up to Minseok and announce her attraction to both women and men out of nowhere. Well, she could, but that was kind of weird, even for Baekhyun.

“I’m not sure,” Baekhyun admitted honestly. “But hasn’t everyone heard about Junghee and I making out? That was, like, big news first semester.”

“True,” Chanyeol allowed, appearing to ponder a moment before he spoke again. “Does Minseok even like girls?”

“Are you trying to be a ball buster right now?” Baekhyun asked, annoyed.

“No!” Chanyeol insisted, holding his hands up in innocence. “I was just wondering.”

“I don’t know if she likes girls,” Baekhyun grumbled. But she wasn’t able to keep sulking because the outer door to the girls’ locker room opened and Minseok stepped out into the chilly night air.

“Minseok!” Baekhyun exclaimed, scowl replaced with a wide smile.

Just as she had when Baekhyun had slammed her hand on the table and asked to be partners, Minseok looked surprised.

“Hi…?” she greeted, smiling more out of confusion than anything.

“Great game!” Baekhyun barrelled on, stepping forward as Chanyeol hung back. “That goal you made at the end was amazing!”

“Thanks,” Minseok replied, chuckling awkwardly at the praise. But she still looked like she was about to make a move to leave, so Baekhyun jumped in before she could.

“I’m excited for drawing tomorrow,” Baekhyun told her, and Minseok’s eyebrows raised. “Gotta work on the portrait project!”

“Uh...yeah,” she agreed, though her enthusiasm was lacking, in Baekhyun’s opinion. “It’s less stressful than AP classes, that’s for sure!”

“I’m really glad we got to be partners!” Baekhyun went on, even as Minseok’s grip on her duffel bag tightened like she was getting ready to walk away.

“Yeah,” Minseok nodded, glancing over her shoulder as the locker room door opened and a girl Baekhyun knew to be her friend stepped out. “It’ll be good. Listen, I’ve gotta go, but I’ll see you in drawing tomorrow.”

Baekhyun watched as Minseok trotted away- ponytail bouncing and entire posture relaxing as she fell into step with her friend.

That...hadn’t gone quite as she’d imagined it.

“Are you sure you’re not stalking her?” Chanyeol wondered out loud a minute later.

Baekhyun sighed. “Shut up.”

---

“I think her locker is over here,” Baekhyun said, leading Jongdae down the stairs in the ten minutes remaining before the first bell rang.

“Why can’t you just talk to her in class later?” Jongdae complained, sounding half asleep as she clutched her can of frappuccino.

“What if she isn’t in class later?” Baekhyun argued, peering down the hall to see if she could see Minseok.

The day before, though Minseok had been in school, she hadn’t been in drawing. Which meant that Baekhyun couldn’t work on her portrait much- just trying to draw from memory. More importantly, she hadn’t been able to use her normal allotted fifty minutes to try to woo Minseok.

It was only fair that Baekhyun be able to cash in for those precious fifty minutes. So, she planned to ask Minseok if they could work after school one day to make up for lost time.

Sure, it was only a project in an elective, but Baekhyun knew that Minseok was a good student. She’d want to do well, even in drawing, right?

“There she is!” Baekhyun exclaimed, grabbing Jongdae by the upper arm and dragging her down the hall, toward Minseok’s purple backpack.

“Why am I coming?” Jongdae complained, slip-on sneakers squeaking against the linoleum floor.

“So she knows I have friends,” Baekhyun replied.

And even though she was barely awake, Jongdae managed a judgmental snort at that.

“You may not have any left if you drag them around to stalk girls before eight in the morning, just so you know,” Jongdae informed her.

“You can just hang back,” Baekhyun hissed when they got closer, as though Jongdae hadn’t spoken.

“Hey,” Baekhyun said, sauntering over to where Minseok was talking to the same friend she’d left the soccer game with.

“Oh,” Minseok seemed a little surprised, but not as much as she had at the game. That was good. “Hi.”

“You weren’t in drawing yesterday,” Baekhyun observed. Casually, of course.

Cocking her hip, Baekhyun made sure her already short skirt rode up a little.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Minseok apologized, readjusting her backpack. “My counselor called me down, and I guess he decided that drawing was the best class for me to miss.”

“Geez, what they say about the arts in schools is no joke,” Baekhyun noted.

Minseok did not appear impressed with Baekhyun’s observation. Instead, she seemed to be waiting for Baekhyun to say whatever she came over to say.

“Anyway,” Baekhyun went on, “we should meet up sometime to make up for lost time. It was pretty hard to draw you from memory, to be honest.”

“Oh,” Minseok furrowed her brows.

“I mean, I tried to draw you from memory,” Baekhyun told her, shooting her a charming smile. “You’re really striking, so your face is really memorable. But I couldn’t get it right.”

Minseok’s cheeks turned pink as her friend seemed to be trying not to laugh.

“So?” Baekhyun prompted, tossing her hair and adjusting her books against her front- the neckline of her sweater conveniently pulling to the side to show just a bit more cleavage. “Are you free to meet up?”

“Um…” Minseok started, shooting a look at her friend when she made a noise that might have been a chuckle. “I have soccer right after school today, so…”

“That’s fine!” Baekhyun assured her. “I have cheerleading. But we can meet after?”

“Well,” Minseok paused, glancing at her friend again, “it is a short practice today. But I don’t know how long your practice is…”

“Shouldn’t be too long,” Baekhyun assured her. “I’m the captain, so I can make sure it doesn’t go too late. Do you want to meet in the gym?”

“I-” Minseok paused, looking a little lost- like she hadn’t ever expected Baekhyun to ever actually want to see her outside of school. “Yeah. That’s fine.”

“Great!” Baekhyun exclaimed, grinning wide. “I’ll see you in class later!”

Baekhyun walked back over to where she’d left Jongdae to drink her coffee, a victorious smile on her face.

“See? Totally worth it,” she pronounced.

“Her friend is laughing at you,” Jongdae told her, matter of fact.

Baekhyun glanced back to see Minseok’s friend leaning back against the wall as she laughed, jaw looking practically unhinged.

She shrugged.

“Minseok isn’t laughing,” she pointed out, walking back in the direction they’d come- making sure to put an extra swing in her hips in case Minseok turned around.

“Yeah...but-”

“No buts!” Baekhyun jumped in. “Well....”

“Please, don’t finish that thought,” Jongdae begged, knowing exactly where Baekhyun had been going with that.

Baekhyun waggled her eyebrows before cackling.

Minseok might not have been currently interested in her, but Baekhyun had the perfect opportunity to change that.

---

“Let’s run it one more time,” Baekhyun called, jogging over to restart the music.

“Don’t we finish at four thirty on Thursdays?” Yixing asked, looking at the big clock on the gym wall in confusion.

“Yes,” Jongdae said with a sigh, dragging her feet back to her starting position for the routine.

“Let’s just run through it a few more times before we go,” Baekhyun suggested, glancing again at the door.

Baekhyun had asked around and found out that soccer practice ended at four fifteen. So Minseok should have been walking in those doors any minute now. And Baekhyun wanted to make sure that practice was still running when she did, so Minseok could see Baekhyun in action.

Baekhyun had gotten to appreciate Minseok’s soccer prowess quite a few times, but Minseok had never seen her cheer. Maybe if she saw that Baekhyun was more than just a loud voice in a short skirt (although...that was pretty much what a cheerleader was by definition…), she’d come to return Baekhyun’s feelings.

And if there were a few moves that could be maybe just a bit sexy in their routine if she rolled her hips a little extra, then that was just a bonus.

“Ready?” Baekhyun called, receiving enthusiastic agreement from the underclassmen and an annoyed stare from Jongdae.

Close enough.

Pressing play on the music, Baekhyun ran back to her starting position.

Just before the music kicked on, Baekhyun heard the double doors opening, and a quick glance to the side had her grinning in excitement.

“Last time!” she called out as they began their routine.

Baekhyun put her all into that last run through- arm movements as sharp, body rolls as sensuous, jumps as high, flips as energetic as she could make them. She performed like she was at a competition, and by the end, she was out of breath- sweat glistening along her hairline and on her upper lip.

“Okay, that was really good!” she said, clapping her hands once. “We’re done for the day.”

Jongdae raised her eyebrows as she passed Baekhyun on her way back to the locker room, but Baekhyun was too busy waving at Minseok to decipher whether or not that was a judgmental look or a go get ‘em look.

“Hey, sorry,” Baekhyun panted, trotting over to where Minseok was standing- soccer bag at her feet. “Practice ran a little late.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Minseok waved her off. “I just got here.”

Baekhyun knew that. She was very aware of that.

“Thanks,” she grinned, feeling her stomach swoop when Minseok returned the smile. “So, I’ll just change and be ready to go in less than five!”

“Go?” Minseok asked, lower lip stuck out a little in confusion. Baekhyun tried to keep from fixating. “I thought we were gonna work in the art room?”

“They lock it at three,” Baekhyun told her, fanning herself and hoping that she hadn’t sweated off all of her tinted moisturizer. “But I grabbed our stuff before I came to practice. I thought we could go to my house to work on it. It’s just a five minute walk.”

“Oh,” Minseok looked surprised, but not bad surprised, like she thought Baekhyun was planning to kidnap her or something. Which she wasn’t. “Okay, that’s fine. Thanks for getting my picture.”

“No problem!” Baekhyun grinned, bouncing a little on the balls of her feet and noting the way Minseok’s gaze strayed briefly to her cleavage. “So, I’ll be right back!” she said, doing a victory fist pump in her mind as she made her way to the locker room.

Even Minseok wasn’t immune to her womanly wiles. Baekhyun patted her boobs in congratulations.

---

“Why is your nose so hard to draw?” Baekhyun wailed, dropping her pencil on the kitchen table and leaning back in her chair.

Minseok snickered. “Are you sure it’s my nose, or is it just noses in general?”

“Either way,” Baekhyun groaned, rubbing her eyes and belatedly remembering that she was wearing mascara.

“Want me to include the racoon eyes?” Minseok teased when Baekhyun brought her hands down- black smudged on the sides of her index fingers.

Baekhyun stuck out her tongue as she got up to fix her makeup in the reflection on the oven.

“Should we take a break?” Minseok asked knowingly when Baekhyun had gotten distracted on her way back to the table and had begun marking part of the cheer routine in the middle of the kitchen.

“Yes, please!” Baekhyun requested, walking straight past the kitchen table and into the family room to flop on the couch- beckoning Minseok as she went.

“It was really cool to see you guys practice,” Minseok confessed as she sat down next to Baekhyun on the couch- a foot and a half between them, Baekhyun noted. “I’ve only been to a few basketball games, but I don’t think I hung around for the halftime performance.”

Baekhyun knew she must have been practically sparkling at the praise.

“It’s competition season, so this routine is a lot cooler than the one we would have performed at the basketball games anyway,” she told her, turning and tucking a foot underneath her so she could face Minseok.

“Oh! I guess I usually just think of cheerleading in terms of other sports. I mean, I knew there were cheerleading competitions, but I guess I just hadn’t really thought about it,” Minseok said, sheepish.

Baekhyun waved her off. “Cheering at games is what people who aren’t in the cheerleading world see.”

“Which do you like more?” Minseok asked, mimicking Baekhyun’s position so she was facing Baekhyun as well.

“Competitions, I guess?” Baekhyun said after a moment of thought. “Because the routine we do there is a lot more complex. And it’s cool to see other squads compete. But games are fun too. They’re more relaxed and it can be fun to watch the game. Depending what it is. The football team sucks, so those games are dull.”

Minseok laughed, agreeing.

“I was just saying to Jongdae that we should cheer at your games instead of the football games. You guys are way better.”

Minseok snorted. “That’d be pretty unheard of in high school women’s soccer.”

“So what?” Baekhyun argued, grinning. “Shouldn’t the better team get the cheerleaders? And I’d much rather watch you than the football players.”

“I’m not saying I’d protest if you guys cheered at our games,” Minseok clarified. “But good luck convincing the school.”

Baekhyun sighed, leaning back against the couch cushions to pout.

Minseok’s lips quirked at her effort.

“Want a snack?” Baekhyun asked, perking back up.

“Sure. What do you have?”

“Um…” Baekhyun got up and wandered to the pantry- Minseok on the couch still visible to her from the kitchen. “Chips, crackers, salsa, cheese in a can, some sort of biscotti… I was gonna have oreos, but you can have anything.”

“Oreos sound good,” Minseok told her, so Baekhyun grabbed the cookies, a jar of peanut butter, and two butter knives before heading back over to the couch.

“Okay, so this is dumb, but I’ve eaten peanut butter on oreos ever since I saw The Parent Trap when I was a kid,” Baekhyun confessed, twisting off the lid of the peanut butter and dipping her knife in. “It’s kind of weird but also completely unoriginal, so I don’t even get hipster points,” she complained. “But anyway, I brought you a knife in case you want to partake.”

Minseok was grinning when Baekhyun looked up from spreading peanut butter on her cookie.

“I do the same thing,” Minseok said, laughing when Baekhyun started bouncing in excitement.

“Really? This is so great,” Baekhyun enthused, shoving the cookie in her mouth and watching as Minseok put a glob of peanut butter on her own oreo. “We’re basically reenacting The Parent Trap right now,” she observed around a mouthful of cookie. “Except I hope we aren’t long lost twins because that would be awkward as hell.”

Minseok chuckled, taking a bite and trying to stay out of the way as Baekhyun gesticulated.

“Although,” Baekhyun went on, finally swallowing. “If we are reenacting the movie, which one of us is uptight, British Lindsay, and which one of us is cool, California Lindsay?”

“I’d be California Lindsay,” Minseok informed her.

“What?” Baekhyun squawked. “But she’s way more awesome! What if I want to be her?”

“You wear more skirts than I do,” Minseok pointed out, eyes twinkling at Baekhyun’s indignation.

Baekhyun sighed, looking down at her mini skirt as though it had wronged her.

“Well, I guess that’s fine,” she conceded. “And I can do a pretty good British accent.”

Minseok’s nose wrinkled at the attempted British accept that the second half of the sentence had been subjected to.

“I do a right good job, I must say,” Baekhyun went on, still trying to be British.

“Shut up, Baekhyun,” Minseok snorted, laughing as Baekhyun swatted at her.

It was a strange feeling to be completely smitten, but entirely at ease at the same time. Baekhyun felt her heart skip at the way Minseok was grinning at her, but she was comfortable like she and Minseok had been eating oreos on her couch for years.

Minseok’s eyes crinkled, gums showing as she tried to shove a cookie into Baekhyun’s mouth to get her to stop talking.

Baekhyun was doomed.

---

“Oh man, have you seen Junghee and Jinki?” Jongdae asked, sliding up next to Baekhyun and handing her another beer.

About once a month, Yixing hosted a party at her house for all their friends wherein they’d congregate in the basement, drink beer, and play music as loudly as they could get away with. Her parents were chill about most things, so they looked the other way when they saw all the empty beer cans, and just made sure that the music wasn’t so loud that it disturbed the neighbors.

Despite the fact that Baekhyun had known almost everyone there since elementary or middle school, she still took the opportunity to dress up. Because when else was she supposed to wear her green, body-con dress?

“No, what are they doing?” Baekhyun asked, voice slightly louder than normal to be heard over the music- abandoning her empty can on the table nearby and popping the tab of the fresh one.

“Seriously, hardcore grinding,” Jongdae told her with a laugh, taking a swig of her own beer.

Baekhyun’s brows jumped. “Jinki?”

“Yeah,” Jongdae confirmed. “The guy is full of surprises.”

Baekhyun snorted, taking a big swallow from her can.

“Oh,” Jongdae’s face fell. “I guess...I mean, I don’t know if they actually have anything going on. Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Baekhyun looked at Jongdae in confusion. She was feeling a little light-headed from her second beer, but she didn’t think she was drunk enough for Jongdae to be making so little sense.

“You and Junghee…?” Jongdae clarified, looking at Baekhyun worriedly.

“What about me and Junghee?” Baekhyun asked, regarding Jongdae like she’d lost her mind. “Does the name Minseok ring a bell? Do you really tune me out that much?”

Jongdae laughed, relaxing as she leaned in to the wall. “No, I know. I just wanted to be sure. I mean, you and Junghee were still...making out, or whatever, last time Yixing had a party.”

That was true. Actually, Baekhyun hadn’t even realized it had been so recently until Jongdae pointed it out. It felt like ages ago. At that time, she’d been just starting to develop feelings for Minseok. Now...now she was long gone.

“I wish her and Jinki the best,” Baekhyun said, making sure Jongdae knew that she wasn’t broken up about it. “May they have lots of weird sex.”

“Why does it have to be weird?”

“I guess you weren’t around when Junghee was talking about her kinks,” Baekhyun mused, laughing when Jongdae scrunched up her face. Unlike Baekhyun, Jongdae did not like knowing details about other people’s sex lives.

As the night progressed, and Baekhyun consumed another two beers, she was having a harder and harder time not being completely preoccupied by thoughts of Minseok. Like how much nicer it’d be if Minseok was there. And how Baekhyun would drag her to dance even if she didn’t want to. And how Minseok might talk right next to her ear to be heard over the music…

Baekhyun dropped down onto the couch next to a couple of people making out and pulled out her phone.

Fortunately, when she’d dropped Minseok off at home two days prior after working on their drawing project, they’d exchanged phone numbers. So far, Baekhyun had only texted her once- a picture of an oreo during lunch on Friday with a caption that said no peanut butter :(

But now seemed like the perfect time to text her. Minseok ought to know that Baekhyun was thinking about her, right? Even in the midst of a party, Baekhyun couldn’t stop thinking about her.

minseok~ wish you were here!

Baekhyun leaned back against the cushions and sighed in contentment. What a nice message to receive. Surely, Minseok would appreciate the sentiment.

where is “here”? was the reply a minute later.

yixings partyyy!! Baekhyun eagerly sent her, and immediately followed up with, do you dance? coem to the paty and dance with me~

Mmm, it’d be so nice to dance with Minseok, put her hands on her waist, lean in and-

considering i don’t know yixing, that’d be kind of weird. and yes, i dance :)

Minseok danced? Baekhyun was pretty sure she whimpered out loud.

yuo dance????!??? show me~ *u*

are you drunk? lol.

jsut a liiiittttle. but i acn still dance w ith you dont.worry im not too drunk!

whatever you say XD

“Hmph,” Baekhyun whined, pouting even though Minseok couldn’t see her. Maybe she should send a selfie?

Baekhyun opened her camera app and looked at herself on the screen. Kinda dark but…

Doing her most adorable pouting face, Baekhyun snapped a picture and sent it to Minseok.

this si me pouting at you, she added. Just in case it was too dark to tell.

i can see that rofl, was Minseok’s reply.

Before Baekhyun could answer, or maybe take another picture of herself, Jongdae was dragging her up by the arm and pulling her across the room to dance.

The room was a little spin-y, but Baekhyun hadn’t been lying when she’d said she wasn’t too drunk to dance.

---

“Can’t believe Jongdae and our designated driver left without me,” Baekhyun said for the fiftieth time as Minseok helped her into the passenger seat of her car. “Wait a minute. You’re not Yixing! You’re Minseok!”

“Yixing texted me,” Minseok informed her calmly, closing the door and walking around to get in the driver’s seat.

Minseok’s car was super comfy. And it smelled like Minseok. Although, maybe Baekhyun was making that up. It definitely, at least, smelled like car. But it was Minseok’s car.

“Wow, your car is the best,” Baekhyun marveled, reaching out to touch the fuzzy soccer ball hanging from the rearview mirror. “Why are you here?”

“Yixing texted me,” Minseok said again, “apparently after Jongdae and your designated driver left without you.”

“I thought you didn’t know Yixing,” Baekhyun accused, pointing a finger in Minseok’s direction and laughing. “Liar!”

“She texted me from your phone,” Minseok clarified. “She said I was the last one you’d texted and she didn’t know who else to contact since she had been drinking and her parents were asleep already.”

“Coulda stayed over,” Baekhyun said, snuggling down in her seat and trying to pull her feet up comfortably. “You didn’t hafta come all the way here.”

“Evidently you were telling Yixing you needed a ride because you had to go home and put on your pajamas,” Minseok informed her with a wry smile.

Had she? Baekhyun couldn’t remember. But pajamas sounded really good.

“Yeah,” she commiserated with her earlier self. “Pants are bad. I wanna wear pajamas. They’re better… Oh wait!” Baekhyun doubled over laughing, reaching out to smack Minseok in the shoulder. “I’m not wearing pants!”

“Nope,” Minseok agreed even as Baekhyun continued to laugh until she cried- wiping at her eyes and feeling triumphant when she remembered putting on waterproof mascara earlier that evening.

“Pajamas though,” Baekhyun said when she’d gathered herself. “This thong is super uncomfortable.”

“You can go home soon,” Minseok assured her.

“Soon?” Baekhyun asked, taking note of what was happening outside the window for the first time since they’d started driving. “Where are we going? I don’t live here.”

“I’m taking you to get some water,” Minseok patiently explained. “You’re really drunk, and I doubt your parents are going to be impressed with you traipsing in at midnight and waking them up.”

“Oh shit,” Baekhyun groaned.

“We’re just gonna go get some water for you and sit for a bit, and then I’ll drop you at home after you’ve sobered up a little, okay?”

“You’re the best, Minseok!” Baekhyun exclaimed, trying to twist in her seat to face her savior.

“It’s no problem,” Minseok told her, eyes on the road.

“No for real,” Baekhyun insisted, dress riding up from her squirming. “Not even just because of this. But this is super nice of you. But just, like, all the time. You’re totally the best.”

Minseok snorted.

“And do you even know how freaking gorgeous you are because, wow, unfair,” Baekhyun went on, trying to shake one of her shoes off without unbuckling the ankle strap. “I mean, not unfair like I wanna be you. Not that I don’t wanna be you. I’m sure being you is super great because you’re great, you know? But, like, unfair because I don’t know what to do with myself you’re so gorgeous.”

Baekhyun looked away from the dancing lights out the window to see that Minseok’s cheeks were pink. So cute. But not cute cute. Baekhyun was going to be the cute one in the relationship. Minseok was going to be the slightly more rational one who wore the pants, literally and figuratively. Who was also cute sometimes.

“Also, and this is a secret,” she added in a conspiratorial whisper, “I sometimes think about you when I masturbate because you’re just...you know? And like, when you do captain-y things with the soccer team, it’s so hot because you’re so commanding. So, I think about you telling me to come for yo-”

Minseok made a sound like she’d choked on her own spit.

“Don’t die!” Baekhyun warned. “You’re driving! That’d be bad if you died.”

“I’m not dying,” Minseok told her, turning into a brightly lit parking lot. “Here we are. You wait here and I’ll go get you some water.”

Baekhyun thought about arguing, but she really was comfortable. Also…

“Can I open the door?” Baekhyun asked. “I hafta spit.”

“You’re gonna throw up?” Minseok blanched.

Baekhyun shook her head. “No, I just have too much spit in my mouth, so I hafta get rid of some.”

“Okay, do it out of the car, please,” Minseok requested, getting out and coming around to open Baekhyun’s door.

“Thanks!” Baekhyun chirped before leaning out the door and spitting onto the concrete.

“Be right back,” Minseok told her, and Baekhyun gave her a thumbs up.

Wow, she had a lot of spit. Where was it all coming from? The good news was that it made a very satisfying splatting sound when it hit the ground. That was pretty cool.

“Okay, do you think you can drink some water?” Minseok asked, climbing back into the car.

Baekhyun heaved herself back into the sitting position and somehow managed to pull the door closed.

“How’d you get back so fast?” she marveled. “You just left!”

“It’s been a few minutes,” Minseok told her, uncapping the water and holding it out to her. “Can you drink some?”

Baekhyun nodded, taking the cold bottle and taking a sip- condensation dripping down her wrist.

“More,” Minseok instructed, and Baekhyun sighed, but did as she was told- taking measured sips until she had finished the bottle.

“Good job,” Minseok praised, taking the bottle back when Baekhyun handed it to her and screwing the cap back on.

Baekhyun took a deep breath, leaning back to recover after all of that water drinking.

“How are you feeling?”

“A little better,” Baekhyun admitted. She was still drunk, but she could actually focus on Minseok’s face without feeling like her eyes were rolling around in her head, and she could keep track of one thought for longer than a couple of seconds.

“Good,” Minseok said. “Let’s take a couple of more minutes and then I’ll drive you home.”

“Okay,” she agreed, nodding until she felt a giggle rising in her throat.

“What’s funny?” Minseok asked, looking slightly amused by Baekhyun’s sudden giggle fit.

“This is just crazy,” she confessed, another giggle escaping. “I’ve spent the whole semester trying to get your attention and now you’re feeding me water.”

Minseok quirked a brow, watching as Baekhyun continued to laugh- her state of inebriation fueling her until she was out of breath.

“Why is it that you’ve been trying to get my attention so much?” Minseok asked when Baekhyun was no longer hysterical with her observation.

Baekhyun frowned in confusion before she chuckled. “I have a crush on you,” she told her, smiling. “Isn’t that obvious?”

To Minseok’s credit, she snorted out a laugh.

“Yes, it is,” she agreed. “But why do you have a crush on me?”

“Are you fishing for compliments?” Baekhyun teased and Minseok rolled her eyes.

“You just don’t know me that well,” she said with a shrug. “So I don’t know why you have a crush on me.”

Baekhyun frowned. “Well, I mean, I don't know you super well, but I like what I know so far," Baekhyun told her. Wasn't that how crushes worked? One person took interest in someone and wanted to get to know them better?

Minseok didn't look entirely convinced.

"At first, of course I noticed how pretty you were," Baekhyun confessed. "And just for the record, you have the most amazing thighs I've ever seen. But when I started paying more attention, then I started liking you for your personality too."

"I don't ever talk though," Minseok pointed out with a self-deprecating laugh. "Before we talked more this past week, how could you have even known anything about me?"

Baekhyun paused to gather her thoughts, which were still swirling a bit from the alcohol. Minseok was really skeptical and she wanted to make sure that Minseok knew she was sincere. Whether or not she returned her feelings was another issue. At the very least, she wanted Minseok to know that she wasn't just lusting after her. Though she was doing that too.

Minseok seemed to take her silence for resignation, so Baekhyun hastily jumped into an explanation.

"You don't talk all the time like I do," Baekhyun joked, "but when you do say something, it's usually important and thought through. And I guess that says something right there? Even if you're not talking doesn't mean you're not paying attention or observing everyone around you.

"And you're not shy, even though you don't talk a lot," Baekhyun went on. "You're not timid. I think maybe people don't really see that and they might think you're not interested in taking part in a conversation, so they don't try to talk to you. But if someone drags you in, then you're really funny.

"And when you play soccer, you're not timid at all. You just look so at home on the soccer field. You don't mind the attention. You just go out there and kill it."

Minseok's eyes were mostly on the road as she drove in the direction of Baekhyun's house, but she looked dumbfounded- mouth hanging open a little and cheeks pinker than they were when Baekhyun had started talking, but Baekhyun wasn't done yet.

"I always got this quietly commanding presence from you, before I ever went to a soccer game. Like if you wanted to, you could have everyone falling into line with just a word or a look. And that's how you are when you're being all captain-y. You've just got this natural authority that makes people listen to you."

Minseok glanced over at her at a stop sign, looking like she had no idea how to respond.

Baekhyun flushed, not quite sure how to finish.

"So, uh," she laughed self-consciously, "I just. Yeah. I like those things about you."

Baekhyun made jazz hands in a sort of ta da gesture, and Minseok snorted, seeming relieved for the break in the heavy atmosphere.

"Well, you sound more sober," Minseok said finally, chuckling a little at Baekhyun's huff. "And just in time. Here we are. Do you have a key to get in?"

Sure enough, they were in front of Baekhyun's house- all of the windows dark except the slight glow from the first window on the second floor from the nightlight Baekhyun's mom left on in the hall.

Baekhyun nodded.

"Thanks for picking me up and buying me water and putting up with me," Baekhyun joked, her own emotions all over the place and feeling even more potent since she was still a little drunk.

"No problem," Minseok told her with a smile that had Baekhyun's chest warming. "Try not to get so wasted next time."

Baekhyun laughed. She really had ended up a lot drunker than she'd intended. Already, bits of her night were slipping from her memory- tangling up with each other and leaving Baekhyun trying to piece everything together.

"I'll try not to," she promised.

"Goodnight, Baekhyun," Minseok said, waving as Baekhyun shakily got out of the car- tipping a little in her heels and catching herself on the car door.

"'Night," she replied, making the trek up her driveway to her house.

As much as she could feel her stomach swirling with emotions and beer, Baekhyun was out the minute her head hit the pillow- makeup still on and shoes abandoned at the foot of her bed.

She could piece everything together in the morning.

---

"Mmff," Baekhyun groaned into her pillow when consciousness found her the next morning. There was a throbbing behind her eyes that only increased when she moved and her mouth tasted stale- tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth.

As much she she wanted to roll over and bury her head under her pillow forever, she had to pee badly enough that that definitely wasn't an option.

When she managed to get herself into a standing position, her stomach gave a lurch as her head spun.

Fuck.

With brisk and slightly staggering steps, Baekhyun made her way to the bathroom- promptly dropping to her knees and emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet, porcelain cold where she held on.

When she felt like she could move again, she flushed and stood- brushing her teeth and finally emptying her bladder as well.

She was in slightly better shape than when she'd woken up, but her head was still pounding, and her stomach didn't feel entirely steady.

Making her way back to her bedroom, Baekhyun gingerly sat down on her bed and dug out a painkiller from her bedside table drawer and swallowed it with a gulp of water from the water bottle she kept nearby.

Okay, that was a good start.

Baekhyun took a deep breath through her nose and exhaled slowly.

Maybe she could sleep a little longer while the pain meds kicked in. What time was it, anyway? Digging her phone out of her purse- discarded next to her heels on the floor by her bed- Baekhyun checked the time. 9:17.

She also had two texts.

The first was from Jongdae- a rambling apology for leaving Baekhyun at the party the night before.

Oh, yeah. She had, hadn't she?

Well, it was fine. She'd gotten home.

Baekhyun froze in the middle of her reply to Jongdae.

Minseok. It had been Minseok who had driven her home. How had Minseok even known to come get her? Baekhyun couldn't remember texting her to ask, but much of the night was a blur.

Things started getting less fuzzy when she'd been in Minseok's car in the parking lot of a convenience store.

She remembered Minseok driving her home from there. And... oh god. Baekhyun had gone on a long spiel about why she liked Minseok, hadn't she?

Baekhyun groaned, tipping over on her side and grimacing when that sent an unpleasant throb through her head.

She was pretty shameless, but actually giving a heartfelt speech to someone who probably didn't even return her feelings... Baekhyun could feel her cheeks burning even as the room spun. That was so embarassing. How was she supposed to face Minseok on Monday?

Hastily finishing off her text to Jongdae, Baekhyun was reminded that she had another text. And… oh god. It was from Minseok.

Baekhyun braced herself as she opened it, ready to see that Minseok had been entirely put off and freaked out by Baekhyun’s gushing over her person.

i hope you’re alive this morning~ if you are, want to go get brunch?

Squeezing her eyes closed tight before re-reading the message, Baekhyun was sure that she’d just hallucinated. But no. Minseok had actually just asked her to go out to brunch.

Maybe she just wanted to let Baekhyun know she wasn’t interested in person. Or maybe she thought Baekhyun had been charming? Even though she had been drunk off her ass? Okay, that wasn’t very likely, but Baekhyun decided not to entirely lose hope.

After replying in the affirmative, Baekhyun dragged herself back to the bathroom for a shower.

She was just going to have to figure out how not to melt into a puddle of embarrassment when she saw Minseok.

---

“So, you look...like you’ve felt better,” Minseok observed teasingly from across the table. Minseok had picked Baekhyun up and driven to the closest place that served breakfast- kind enough to have allowed Baekhyun to slump against the window and breathe rather than trying to make her talk during the drive.

Baekhyun had tried to make herself look somewhat presentable, but it had been hard to care when she’d still felt like garbage.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun agreed, grimacing when the act of speaking had her head pounding.

They’d ordered breakfast- eggs and bacon and toast for Baekhyun, and a stack of blueberry pancakes for Minseok- along with water and coffee. Baekhyun still wasn’t entirely sure whether she was hungry or wanting to throw up again, but there was only one way to find out.

Blessedly, Minseok didn’t make Baekhyun talk as they waited for their food either- Baekhyun trying to become one with the pleather booth seat, and Minseok staying mostly quiet.

But when their orders arrived, Baekhyun found it in herself to sit up straight- stomach still queasy, but undeniably interested in the scent of bacon.

Ten minutes, and almost an empty plate later, Minseok was looking at Baekhyun in amusement as Baekhyun finished off her toast and took another gulp of coffee.

“That was the most amazing recovery I’ve ever seen,” she observed, and Baekhyun was feeling human enough to chuckle.

“I was on the fence about whether or not I was going to puke for a while, but I think I’m in the clear now,” Baekhyun told her, pouring herself more coffee from the pot at their table.

“Glad to hear it,” Minseok said wryly.

“I didn’t throw up last night, did I?” Baekhyun asked, suddenly horrified by the thought. She was pretty sure she’d remember that, but there were definitely bits of her night that were pretty hazy.

“Not when you were with me,” Minseok said, and Baekhyun sat back in relief.

“Thank god,” she exulted. “But thank you. I’m really sorry you had to deal with me being a drunk mess, but thanks for making me drink water and taking me home and everything. You really didn’t have to be so nice.”

Minseok shrugged, waving her off. “It was very enlightening, anyway.”

Baekhyun groaned, cheeks feeling hot at the mention of her confession.

“Shit, sorry about that,” she said, not quite able to look Minseok in the eye. “You probably didn’t want to hear a whole speech about your virtues from me.”

“I was referring more to the revelation that you think about me when you masturbate,” Minseok informed her quietly, eyes dancing with mirth. “Though the sappy speech was nice, too.”

It was a good thing Baekhyun hadn’t been eating anything, or else she would have choked.

“Oh my god,” she whined, burying her face in her hands before Minseok could see just how red she could get. “Did I seriously say that?”

“Yep,” Minseok told her, seeming pleased by Baekhyun’s discomfort.

“Sorry about that, too,” Baekhyun said from behind her hands, trying to will her blush to calm down, so she could at least pretend to be cool and casual.

“Quite alright,” Minseok said with a laugh.

Baekhyun groaned, but forced herself to drop her hands. She couldn’t spend the rest of brunch hiding.

“Well,” she cleared her throat. “Now that that’s out there…”

She didn’t really have any plan for how to finish that sentence, so she trailed off.

“Now that all of that is out there,” Minseok jumped in, putting Baekhyun out of her misery, “want to go out sometime?”

Baekhyun almost managed to choke on her own spit.

“Wait, what?” she asked, staring at Minseok like she’d sprouted another head.

“Do you want to go on a date, or not?” Minseok pressed, laughing at her, but also looked a little unsure.

Baekhyun sputtered. “Yes? I just- all I had to do was make an idiot of myself and you agree to go out with me? I’d have done that way sooner if I’d known!”

“I don’t doubt that,” Minseok chuckled. “But that’s not exactly why.”

“So, why?” Baekhyun immediately asked when it appeared Minseok wasn’t going to continue that thought.

“Well…” she started, frowning off to the side as she appeared to be gathering her thoughts. “I guess I just didn’t really take your interest seriously before. I just couldn’t fathom how you could like me for anything other than my looks since we don’t know each other well. But I underestimated you. I’m sorry.”

Baekhyun’s eyebrows shot up. “You underestimated me? You underestimated yourself,” she observed. “Okay, and also me,” she added with a cheeky smile.

Minseok laughed, looking slightly less embarrassed now that Baekhyun was back to making jokes.

“So, I have to ask,” Baekhyun went on, reaching over and stealing a rogue blueberry from Minseok’s plate. “Did you find me enticing when I was trying to get your attention for all this time? You just didn’t take me seriously? Or you didn’t find me enticing and you didn’t take me seriously?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes it matters!” Baekhyun insisted. “I need to know if all the bending over I did was effective!”

Minseok snorted, batting Baekhyun’s hand away when she went to steal another blueberry.

“It was a bit excessive, I’ll say that,” Minseok told her.

“But was it enticing?” Baekhyun asked, leaning forward and shooting Minseok a lascivious grin.

Minseok rolled her eyes. “You have a nice ass, is that what you want to hear?”

“Yep,” Baekhyun replied, pleased.

Minseok sighed, but looked like she might be secretly amused.

This was by far the best hangover ever.

---

“I’m so excited! I haven’t been ice skating in ages!” Baekhyun enthused as she and Minseok sat down to change into the ice skates they’d just exchanged their shoes for.

They’d gone back and forth about date ideas as they’d walked around the park after having brunch the other day, and had landed on ice skating. Minseok had vetoed Baekhyun’s shopping idea and Baekhyun had vetoed Minseok’s movie idea. “Unless you don’t intend for us to actually watch the movie,” Baekhyun had added, waggling her eyebrows suggestively and earning a hard shove.

“This technically could be our first date,” Minseok had later pointed out when they were heading back to the car.

“I refuse to be hungover on our first date,” Baekhyun had argued, and so their ice skating outing was their official first date.

Minseok was happy to be doing something active, and Baekhyun was happy to not have to compete with a superhero on the big screen for Minseok’s attention. It was win win.

“If I’ve forgotten how to ice skate, I might have to hang all over you,” Baekhyun threatened, not bothered at all by the possibility.

“I think it’s probably like riding a bike,” Minseok told her, failing to latch onto Baekhyun’s blatant flirting attempts and making her pout.

“Well, what if I want to hang all over you?” Baekhyun challenged, shooting Minseok her best puppy dog eyes.

“Maybe if you’re good,” Minseok told her with a smirk and a pat to the cheek as she got up in her skates.

Baekhyun scrambled to follow suit- almost tripping straight away and managing to catch herself at the last second.

“Or it might be a necessity,” Minseok allowed.

Baekhyun stuck her tongue out, but felt a little thrill shoot through her at the possibility of holding onto Minseok for the rest of the evening.

As it turned out, basic ice skating skills came back to Baekhyun pretty easily after being on the ice for a few minutes, but she made sure to stick by Minseok, just in case. And the fact that Minseok honestly didn’t seem to mind had Baekhyun’s heart fluttering in her chest.

“If this was a movie,” Baekhyun said, skating between Minseok and the wall just in case she needed to grab on, “I would trip and you would try to catch me, and then I’d fall on you and it’d be super romantic.”

“Maybe for you,” Minseok replied with a snort. “You wouldn’t be the one with a human falling on top of you.”

She had a point, there.

“Also, if this was a movie, you’d need to peel yourself away from the wall so there could be a musical montage of us skating around and laughing,” Minseok went on. “I doubt this would be a particularly impressive shot.”

Baekhyun huffed. “I’m just taking precautions.”

Minseok turned to grin at her- eyes crescents and gums showing, and Baekhyun tried not to swoon.

“I suppose a concussion would be kind of awkward on the first date,” Minseok allowed.

Baekhyun laughed. “Exactly.”

Reaching out with cold fingers, Baekhyun grabbed onto Minseok’s gloved hand- wool scratching against her palm as she held on.

Minseok looked at her.

“Precautions,” Baekhyun sang, and Minseok laughed- squeezing Baekhyun’s hand in her hold.

---

“Why do they serve ice cream at an ice rink?” Baekhyun wondered, licking at her orange sherbet push up pop as they stepped outside. “It’s too cold.”

“Because crazy people eat it anyway,” Minseok informed her, laughing when Baekhyun turned an affronted look on her.

“This is my childhood,” she insisted, chasing a drip of melted sherbet with her tongue as it slid down the side of the cardboard cylinder.

It was with a jolt of heat to her stomach that she realized that Minseok was watching her mouth with more than passing interest as she ate her treat.

Unfortunately, the heat in her abdomen didn’t stop the shiver when a chilly breeze ruffled her hair and confirmed her suspicions that it was, in fact, too cold for ice cream.

“Hurry up and finish that, and then we can go get in the car,” Minseok said, pulling her beanie down over her ears.

Baekhyun listed into Minseok’s side, pressing against her as she licked her sherbet. “Keep me warm in the meantime.”

Turning her head to look at her, Minseok snorted out a laugh as Baekhyun tried to hide behind her from the wind- teeth chattering.

“Do you want to go inside while you finish eating?” Minseok asked, bemused smile on her face.

Baekhyun shook her head, briefly pressing her cold nose to Minseok’s cheek and making Minseok yelp.

“I’m done, I’m done,” Baekhyun said, tossing the trash in the nearby garbage can before linking her fingers with Minseok’s and allowing Minseok to lead her to the car.

Baekhyun wasn’t eager for Minseok to take her home and for their date to end, but there was one thing that she was looking forward to in regards to the end of their date.

“So, what do you think? Worth it?” Baekhyun asked as they drove in the direction of Baekhyun’s house- street lights filtering into the car and creating shadows that moved across Minseok’s face.

Minseok glanced over at Baekhyun in question.

“Going on a date with me,” she clarified.

“Oh, that,” Minseok laughed, and Baekhyun pouted, though it was just for effect. She was pretty sure Minseok wasn’t laughing at her. At least not in a malicious way. “Don’t I get until the end of the date to decide?”

Baekhyun quirked a brow. “What could you possibly have left to assess?” she teased, and Minseok rolled her eyes- reaching out and poking Baekhyun on the cheek with a gloved finger.

“Both hands on the wheel!” Baekhyun pretended to scold, and Minseok snorted.

“I’m assessing how obnoxious of a backseat driver you are,” Minseok told her, and Baekhyun made an affronted sound.

“How dare you!” she exclaimed over dramatically, pleased that Minseok seemed entertained by her antics. “First of all, we both know I’m obnoxious, so no need to assess that. Also, and most importantly, I am in the front seat!” Baekhyun sniffed. “Hmph.”

“I can’t argue with any of that that,” Minseok agreed, grinning when Baekhyun realized that Minseok was flat out agreeing that she was obnoxious.

“Rude,” she complained, but she was grinning- unable to keep her heart from jumping at Minseok’s happy laughter.

They arrived back at Baekhyun’s house all too soon. Except Baekhyun could feel the way her stomach was flipping at the idea of getting to finally kiss Minseok. If Minseok would let her. But the fact that she cut the engine when she parked in Baekhyun’s driveway had Baekhyun feeling hopeful.

“This was really fun,” Minseok said sincerely, and Baekhyun’s heart sped up.

“It was!” she agreed, unbuckling her seatbelt, but not moving to get out of the car yet. “So does that mean you’re done assessing?” she asked teasingly.

Minseok’s eyes were on her lips, and Baekhyun’s heart was thundering now. It wasn’t like this was going to be her first kiss. Or second or third or… She’d kissed plenty, was the point.

But Baekhyun didn’t think she’d ever felt so nervous about kissing someone before. Maybe it was because Minseok’s attention had been so much more difficult to obtain. Or maybe it was because she was pretty sure she’d never been quite so enamored with anyone before.

Regardless of why, Baekhyun could hear her pulse in her ears as Minseok leaned forward, pausing a second before pressing her lips lightly to Baekhyun’s.

It only lasted for a second or two, but Baekhyun’s entire body was tingling when Minseok pulled back.

“You taste like orange sherbet,” Minseok said with a laugh, but Baekhyun could hear the slight waver in her voice.

Before she could lose her nerve, Baekhyun surged forward and hooked a hand around Minseok’s nape, pulling her forward gently and reconnecting their lips for a second, slightly longer kiss.

When they broke apart, Baekhyun felt like she was out of breath even though she had no reason to be.

Fortunately, Minseok didn’t seem to be faring much better.

“Done assessing,” Minseok said after a moment, and Baekhyun chuckled- head still spinning.

“And?” she prompted, playing with the ends of Minseok’s hair as she waited.

“Worth it,” Minsek told her with a brilliant smile, and Baekhyun beamed.

Oh yeah. She was doomed.

---

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Jongdae announced, sitting next to Baekhyun in the bleachers at the first home game since Baekhyun and Minseok had started dating, “but you are even worse now that you and Minseok are together.”

“Huh?” Baekhyun said, not even pulling her eyes away from Minseok as she ran down the field with the ball.

“You are intolerable.”

“‘Kay,” Baekhyun agreed, obviously not listening.

If she’d thought that she’d found Minseok attractive while playing soccer before they’d started dating, then she didn’t even know how to classify how she felt now when she watched Minseok.

And now Minseok knew that Baekhyun was in the stands, watching her play. Every once in a while, she’d look up and make eye contact with Baekhyun, a knowing smile on her lips, and Baekhyun had to keep herself from swooning. Or at least from swooning enough that Jongdae would elbow her in the side.

There was a minute left in the game and Baekhyun held her breath. If their team made a goal, they’d win- otherwise the game would go into overtime.

Baekhyun could see the way Minseok was focused- ready to make her move to try and bring her team to victory.

With baited breath, Baekhyun watched as Minseok got possession of the ball, dribbling it down the field and…

Yes!

Baekhyun was on her feet with the rest of their section when Minseok kicked the winning goal with seconds to spare. She was screaming and cheering, and probably making enough noise for ten people combined, but she didn’t care. That was her Minseok down there, receiving victory high-fives from everyone on her team, and Baekhyun couldn’t have been more proud.

She was so proud, in fact, that she couldn’t wait until later to congratulate Minseok. She had to do it right now.

Squeezing between people and making her way down the bleachers, Baekhyun kept her eyes on Minseok in the midst of her happy teammates.

“Minseok!” she yelled when she finally got to the sideline. Minseok was still being congratulated by her team, but she looked over at the call of her name- grinning when she saw Baekhyun manically waving to her.

Despite the fact that she was probably supposed to be celebrating with the team, she jogged over- gummy smile making Baekhyun’s heart flip.

“Congratulations!” Baekhyun exclaimed as soon as Minseok was in earshot, throwing herself into Minseok’s arms for a hug that Minseok easily returned.

“Thanks,” Minseok said, arms squeezing Baekhyun’s middle.

And before she could even think about what she was doing, Baekhyun pulled back just enough to cup Minseok’s cheeks and bring her in for an enthusiastic kiss.

It was only when she heard the cat-calling that she remembered that there were a ton of people probably looking at them since this was the last game of the season before playoffs.

“Well, the good news is that I don’t think anyone is watching us,” Minseok said wryly when they broke apart.

Her cheeks were red, but she didn’t look mad.

“Oops?” Baekhyun replied, shooting her a sheepish smile.

A few people knew that they were dating since they’d been going out for a few weeks already, and it wasn’t as though they were trying to keep it a secret. However, they hadn’t been advertising it either. Now, though...it was safe to say that everyone in the school would know that they were dating by the next day.

Minseok snorted, chuckling at Baekhyun’s apologetic-but-not-really expression.

Baekhyun’s heart was warm with the fact that, despite all of the attention they were getting, Minseok wasn’t rushing to pull away like she was embarrassed to be seen with Baekhyun draped all over her.

“I should probably get back to the rest of the team,” Minseok said with a quirk of her brow, and Baekhyun reluctantly extracted herself.

“Meet you outside the locker room afterwards?” Baekhyun checked, and Minseok grinned, nodding.

“We’re going to your place, right?” she asked, and Baekhyun gave her a thumbs up as her heart sped up.

Baekhyun’s parents were away for the weekend, so she had...some ideas for what they could get up to, though she didn’t know if Minseok had the same activities in mind.

Watching Minseok enter back into the fray of her celebrating teammates, Baekhyun smiled fondly- backing up a bit so she wasn’t practically on the field.

“She’s my girlfriend,” she proudly informed a boy who looked about ten who was staring at her from the first row of the bleachers.

“No duh,” he replied, like she was stupid for thinking she had to tell him, and all Baekhyun could do was laugh happily.

Minseok was her girlfriend. It didn’t get much better than that.

---

“Guess everyone knows we’re together now,” Minseok observed, plopping down on Baekhyun’s couch after the game.

“Is that bad?” Baekhyun wondered, sitting down next to her and scooting in so she could feel Minseok’s body heat against her side.

“No,” Minseok told her with a laugh. “The only downside is all of the questions we’re going to have to field on Monday.”

Baekhyun nodded, but couldn’t help the smile that stretched across her face at the thought of getting to answer yes every time someone asked her if Minseok was her girlfriend.

“You seen very pleased,” Minseok observed with an amused chuckle, gently playing with the ends of Baekhyun’s hair.

“Well, won’t it be nice to have everyone know that only you can touch me?” Baekhyun pointed out, and Minseok quirked a brow. “Are you planning on doing that, by the way?”

“Touching you?” Minseok asked, laughing when Baekhyun shot her a hopeful look accompanied by a nod.

“Well, I guess I could do that,” Minseok said with a glint in her eye. “If you really want me to.”

Minseok was teasing her, Baekhyun knew. But there was something in her gaze and in the tone of her voice that had Baekhyun shivering- knowing that Minseok actually meant it.

Their lips met as they had many times in the past few weeks, though Baekhyun still got a rush each time. They’d had a couple of almost make out sessions in Minseok’s car that had left them both panting, and at least Baekhyun with a throbbing between her thighs. But based on the hooded looks Minseok gave her when they broke apart and the way she’d always hold Baekhyun to her with a firm grip on the back of the neck (that only served to turn Baekhyun on even more), she was pretty certain that Minseok really wanted her, too.

The kiss there on the couch intensified quickly- no need to hold back since they wouldn’t be interrupted. Minseok’s fingers threading through the hair at the nape of her neck had Baekhyun whimpering into her mouth, trying to press closer.

It was only another minute or so before Baekhyun found herself on Minseok’s lap, straddling her thighs, and groaning as Minseok sucked on her tongue.

“Fuck, Minseok,” she gasped. “I’ve wanted this for so long.”

Surging forward again, Baekhyun kissed Minseok messily- a wet noise resounding when she pulled back again.

“So long, seriously,” she reiterated, kissing along Minseok’s jaw and down her neck. “You have no idea, Minseok. Fuck.”

Minseok guided her head back up so she could kiss her again, holding her firmly in place.

“Sorry, I seriously never shut up,” Baekhyun murmured against Minseok’s lips. It was just so overwhelming, to have dreamt about doing this so many times for so many months, and then to finally be doing it.

“Want me to make you shut up?” Minseok asked, voice husky and lips quirking as she looked back and forth between Baekhyun’s glassy eyes and her puffy lips.

Baekhyun shivered- feeling those words settle right between her legs. “Fuck, please.”

Minseok grabbed underneath her thighs and flipped them so Baekhyun was lying lengthwise on the couch with Minseok over her- lips descending on hers again.

With Minseok’s knee shoved between her legs and pressing against the crotch of her panties under her skirt, Baekhyun couldn’t help but squirm, trying to get more friction because she needed Minseok now, now, now.

“Please,” Baekhyun begged into the kiss, uncaring that she was wantonly rocking her hips to rub against Minseok’s thigh. It wasn’t like Minseok didn’t know that Baekhyun wanted her; she was well aware. Baekhyun just wanted Minseok to touch her like she’d been fantasizing about for so long.

Minseok slid a hand underneath her shirt and teased over her breast- fingers dragging across the cups just enough that Baekhyun could feel her nipples hardening from the contact.

When Minseok’s hand caressed her stomach, Baekhyun’s hips strained- wordlessly begging for Minseok’s attention where she really wanted it.

“Okay?” Minseok asked, running her fingers along the waistband of Baekhyun’s lace underwear.

“Please, please, please,” Baekhyun whimpered, beside herself with want.

The first touch of Minseok’s fingers against her pussy had Baekhyun gasping- nerves singing and body feeling electric. She was so wet already, panties wanting to stick to her skin, and all she wanted was for Minseok to make her come.

Baekhyun had been fingered before, but just the way Minseok was hovering over her, exuding power and control as she watched Baekhyun’s face for reactions to each of her ministrations, was making Baekhyun fall apart.

Moaning helplessly as Minseok slid a finger into her, Baekhyun tilted her head back into the throw pillow and felt Minseok’s lips drag over her throat.

“Minseok,” she gasped, hips bucking against Minseok’s hand.

It had only been a couple of minutes, but Baekhyun could already feel the fuzzy edges of release tightening in her abdomen. She felt like the last few months had all been build up, the last few weeks especially having her on edge, and now that she truly had Minseok between her legs, she was ready to explode.

A second finger joined the first, and Baekhyun cried out- trembling as Minseok curled her fingers to drag against her just right.

“Oh,” she cried, jolting when the heel of Minseok’s palm pressed against her clit.

“Are you gonna come for me?” Minseok asked softly, eyes intense on Baekhyun’s as she watched her. “Are you gonna come for me like you do in your fantasies?”

Even through the desperate tears that had gathered in her eyes, Baekhyun could see the playful gleam in Minseok’s gaze- poking fun at Baekhyun’s accidental confession when she was drunk. Had she not been on the cusp of orgasm, she’d have whined and complained, but as it was, all she could do was gasp out a yes.

“Come for me,” Minseok said, like she had in Baekhyun’s mind so many times, and Baekhyun was absolutely helpless to stop her body from complying.

With a choked wail, Baekhyun’s body went rigid- head tossed back, tears gathering in her lashes, and muscles trembling as she came on Minseok’s fingers. The orgasm lasted as long as Minseok continued to tease her- fingers pumping in and out of her fluttering channel as her clit twitched almost painfully against her palm.

Baekhyun whimpered when Minseok finally brought her down- breathing hard and trying to remember which way was up.

“Oh my god,” she sighed, reaching up blindly and bringing Minseok down for a kiss.

“Good?” Minseok asked, eyes teasing like she knew it was.

“Mmm,” Baekhyun hummed against her mouth, trailing her fingers along the waistband of Minseok’s jeans and feeling her shiver. “Can I do you, now?”

Minseok’s response was a half groan, half chuckle against Baekhyun’s lips that she was going to take as a yes, especially since Minseok helped Baekhyun to switch their positions and wiggled out of her own jeans.

Who knew white and blue striped cotton panties could look so sexy?

Straddling one of Minseok’s thighs, Baekhyun cupped Minseok through the material of her underwear, feeling the heat and wetness seeping through.

To know that fingering Baekhyun had gotten Minseok this turned on had Baekhyun groaning as she slid a hand into Minseok’s underwear.

This was Baekhyun’s first time touching a girl like this (Junghee rutting against her thigh didn’t count), and she was not at all let down, loving how slick Minseok felt against her fingers and how warm she was when she inserted a finger.

Even better was the way Minseok’s brows furrowed in pleasure, eyes squeezed shut, and little breathy moans escaping from between her spit slick lips.

Just touching Minseok was overwhelming, and Baekhyun felt the way her own pussy was taking interest despite the fact that she had just come moments prior.

That was easy to take care of- rocking against Minseok’s thigh so her wet panties rubbed against her. It wasn’t as good as Minseok’s fingers on her, but it was close considering how much Baekhyun loved Minseok’s thighs. Besides, any friction was good as she moved her attention to Minseok’s clit- circling it with her middle finger and watching as Minseok threw her head back on a throaty moan. Fuck. She was definitely going to come again.

Baekhyun moved her hips faster as she pressed more firmly against Minseok’s clit- fingers swiping back and forth with purpose until Minseok was arching against the couch and gripping Baekhyun’s shoulders hard enough to bruise.

With a final, cracking cry, Minseok came- pulsing against Baekhyun’s fingers and making Baekhyun shake with her own desperation.

As she tried to bring Minseok down smoothly, watching as Minseok started to breathe again as her fingers gentled, Baekhyun couldn’t help the way she was grinding down against Minseok’s leg. The pleasure was mounting again, and it was only another second or two before Baekhyun let her head drop against Minseok’s shoulder as she ground her hips in tight circles- pussy clenching with her second release, head fuzzy and ears ringing as her orgasm held her.

“Again?” Minseok asked as Baekhyun was coming down, every muscle trembling so she had to relax against Minseok’s chest to gather herself.

“Mmph,” she whined into Minseok’s neck in confirmation, feeling like purring when Minseok wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Planning on moving?” Minseok playfully wondered a few minutes later, fingers carding through Baekhyun’s hair.

“No,” Baekhyun sighed contentedly, arms tightening around Minseok’s ribs and ankle hooking around Minseok’s calf.

“I guess there are worse things,” Minseok conceded, shifting a little to get more comfortable.

Baekhyun grinned into the skin of Minseok’s neck, knowing that she was just teasing her.

They’d have to move eventually- Minseok had to be home by one and Baekhyun’s underwear were starting to feel kind of clammy against her skin- but in the meantime, Baekhyun planned to bask in the moment. Clammy underwear aside, it was definitely one of the highlights of Baekhyun’s life so far.

---

“It’s disappointing that I can’t spend the entirety of drawing class staring at you now that the portrait project is over,” Baekhyun complained on Monday morning, gathering her things from her locker before the first bell.

“Yeah, I don’t think that will be necessary since we’re drawing fruit,” Minseok agreed, leaning against the locker next to Baekhyun’s, and hopefully enjoying the view as Baekhyun bent over to retrieve her humanities textbook.

“Or I could give all of the fruit your face,” Baekhyun proposed. “An apple with a Minseok face. A pear with a Minseok face. A bundle of Minseok grapes.”

“Please, for the love of god, don’t do that,” Minseok pleaded, laughing in disbelief- a hand coming up to cover half of her face.

“I suppose it might be hard to put your face on a banana,” Baekhyun conceded.

“Baekhyun!” Chanyeol exclaimed, rushing down the hall toward her- backpack smacking against his hips with every step. “Do you have the history notes from yesterday? I totally forgot to do the homework.”

“Dropping the ball,” Baekhyun tsked, teasing, as she reached into her bag and handed over her history notebook.

“Thank you! You’re a lifesaver,” Chanyeol exulted, turning to the correct page and using the wall as a flat surface to start filling out his worksheet.

“Alright, I should start heading toward bio since it’s all the way on the other side of the building,” Minseok said, patting Baekhyun’s cheek when she turned a pout on her.

“Don’t leave,” she whined, and Minseok sighed, leaning forward to give her a quick peck on the lips to get her to stop.

“I’ll see you at lunch, okay?”

“Okay,” Baekhyun agreed.

“Hey, Park,” a guy from their year whom Baekhyun didn’t really know called out to Chanyeol on his way past. “How’s it feel to see your ex kissing girls now?”

“Doesn’t feel like anything,” Chanyeol replied, distracted by the homework he was trying to hastily get done. “I think you should be interviewing her about that.”

“Kind of a shot at your masculinity,” the guy pressed, and Baekhyun rolled her eyes.

“Don’t be a dipshit,” she cut in, closing her locker and turning to look at the perpetrator. “Chanyeol and I mutually broke up. It had nothing to do with the fact that I like girls. Besides, I still like boys too.”

“Here, here,” Chanyeol said with laugh, still not turning around.

“But I just like Minseok the best,” Baekhyun added, looking away from the guy to smile soppily at Minseok, who was acting like she was grossed out by Baekhyun’s words even though her cheeks were a little pink.

“I really should go-”

“Are you guys really dating?” someone else asked, approaching the pair.

“Yep,” Baekhyun announced proudly, hooking her arm through Minseok’s.

“I really need to go to class,” Minseok said to Baekhyun with a laugh when their onlookers finally moved on. “But I guess I should prepare myself to be quizzed about you all day.”

Baekhyun haughtily flipped her hair over her shoulder and giggled. “Sounds like a good day to me.”

Minseok rolled her eyes, but Baekhyun could tell she was amused.

“Okay, I’m going,” Minseok declared, pressing one last kiss to Baekhyun’s lips before taking off down the hall at a clipped pace.

It wasn’t until Chanyeol poked her in the side with the corner of her notebook that Baekhyun realized she’d been staring after her with a goofy smile on her face.

“Shut up,” she told Chanyeol preemptively, seeing the way his lips were curved up like he was ready to tease her.

“I didn’t say anything,” he defended. “But it’s good to see that you’ve graduated from possible stalker to girlfriend.”

“Ugh, shut up,” Baekhyun repeated, grabbing her notebook back from Chanyeol and smacking him in the shoulder with it.

But she was far from mad. Chanyeol knew it as he thanked her again for the notes and headed to his first class.

Baekhyun was still smiling, feeling a little silly since she was standing in the hall alone, but she was unable to stop.

Even though they’d been dating for a few weeks already, Baekhyun still felt her heart flutter whenever she thought about it- Minseok’s smile in her mind’s eye making Baekhyun smile automatically.

So with a grin on her face, Baekhyun started walking to her first class, more than ready to tell everyone who asked that yes, Minseok really was her girlfriend.