Chapter Text
“Fucking wake up Byun!” Baekhyun hears the voice of one of his superiors as he pounds on the door, and Baekhyun immediately wakes up and sits in bed trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.
He pulls on a shirt and goes to press the button that unlocks his door, staring bleary-eyed at the night pilot of the ship.
“What took you so fucking long?” says Jowon, as he glares at the young pilot, giving him a disgusted look.
“Um” Baekhyun says trying to gather his bearings, his voice is still laced thick with sleep “I—” he begins, but Jowon cuts him off.
“What if there was an emergency!” He yells, and Baekhyun immediately startles and stands straighter.
“I-I… Is there—??” He says worried, and Jowon rolls his eyes.
“Obviously not,” the older deadpans, “but your tardiness could cost the lives of passengers, pilot! You never know when something could happen.” and Baekhyun gulps. He wants to stand up and defend himself, but it's no use. So he just clenches his fist and stays silent. “Now I need you to take control of the ship, because I can’t anymore.” he says, and Baekhyun stares at the digital clock on the wall that reads it’s five AM. He should at least get to sleep two more hours before his seven AM alarm rings.
“Um?” He says lamely, still confused and tired. He had just barely gone to bed after two a few hours ago because the ship was going through a rough patch in the Adler belt— the captain wanted him to be there to have experience with how to navigate the tough terrain— but now he has to be up again?
“Don’t question your superiors, you just fucking listen and do it, okay?” Jowon says, before he turns on his heel and leaves Baekhyun at the door without another word, tired and exhausted. Baekhyun’s about to head in when he catches a glimpse of Jowon with his arm around the night engineer’s waist leaving with him in the direction of his room, and Baekhyun clenches his fist before he sighs and let’s it go.
He’s rarely one to get mad, usually choosing to face troubling situations and adversity with a smile on his face and jokes. But there’s only so much one can take when everyone in the aviation crew hates him and want nothing to do with him. Baekhyun sighs again, but then hurries to get ready; washing his face and slipping into his uniform. Knowing Jowon, even after all the talk of being alert and whatnot, the elder probably left the pilot seat empty deciding it was no big deal to leave the ship in auto pilot without supervision for a few minutes. But that’s not a risk Baekhyun is willing to take so he lightly sprints through the halls after he is dressed and ready, passing the dimly lit corridors, before reaching the empty cockpit.
He quickly logs into the systems and checks to make sure everything is on course, sighing thankfully when it’s clear. He finally sinks into the chair with a deep sigh and goes through his daily check up, making sure all parts of the ship are functioning and all the cameras are running and operating. When things look good he settles deeper into the pilot's seat and lets his thoughts wander.
Baekhyun came onto the Two Moons six months ago, right after graduating from the academy. It had been a dream of his to be a pilot on this ship, but he never thought he would achieve his dreams so soon, especially not right after graduating. However, he had been lucky, and one of his professors who had seen him working hard through the years at school— and who Baekhyun had talked to his dreams about— wrote to the captain of the Two Moons, when the captain was seeking out new crew at the time.
His professor had actually worked on the ship with Captain Minhyuk when they were both just lower level pilots. This was before the Captain had moved on to head the ship, and his professor growing tired of the adventurous life on the Two Moons, had settled down on a planet he had visited a few times, wanting to take it easy. However, the two still kept in contact, and so when Minhyuk brought up his dilemma, his professor recommended him, and the captain immediately took his professor up on the offer to hire Baekhyun. It had been thrilling and amazing at first, but all good things come at a price, because people who had worked years to get to work on the ship, didn’t appreciate a fresh-out-of-school graduate with no prior experience coming in, and taking positions they had worked years to get. It didn't matter that Baekhyun picked up everything within weeks, it didn't matter that he worked so hard. To them, he had cheated his way in and so he must be bad, and Baekhyun felt like his dreams were slowly transforming into a nightmare.
Immediately there was gossip, and a few pranks were pulled, but it was only limited to the people in his department- the small aviation crew, who had a personal vendetta against him.
Baekhyun would say this was like highschool— well, the academy in this case— however he had always been popular with everyone back on his planet and in the academy. His smiles, easygoing attitude, along with grades made him fairly well loved and respected. And he also loved in turn, befriending and getting to know everyone and making friends by the tens. He loved people, and definitely didn't need a reason to be hateful to anyone, but apparently the crew on Two Moons thought differently.
Plus, the popularity he had in the other departments, as the handsome young pilot didn't help him. Every single pilot in the aviation crew disliked him, and he didn’t know how to improve the situation. It was bearable at first, but recently, things were getting worse with the taunts being a little bolder, and the pranks going a little too far. Baekhyun puts his arm over his eyes as he thinks.
It's not that kids back at the academy didn't get jealous of each other, but kids there were his own age— they were all equals and when one was jealous not much could be done. If they threw an insult, he threw one back. However, here, everyone was older and he couldn't just go around using fists and words. He was working and this was a job.
Baekhyun wasn't used to this. He wasn't used to hostility, especially when he hadn't done anything wrong truly in the first place. He was used to smiling and making jokes, and people playing back.
In a way Baekhyun can understand them. The two moons is a revered and famous ship throughout the galaxy. It's a ship that was created by the united galactic alliances for sole the purpose of rescuing people from planets where the dead had infested, and transporting them to a safer planet that was taking refugees. He can understand them because one can only dream of landing any kind of position on a ship like this.
But still, it’s funny because everyone else aside from them was actually welcoming. It was a big ship and he still talked and joked with other crew he happened to bump into, but everyone else had a lot to do, and not a lot of time to spare. They mostly kept to their own departments so it was hard to really become close to them.
Well most of them. Baekhyun had gotten to know some of the other crew well, and if not for them, he doesn't think he would have stayed on the two moons for as long as he has. Even though this was his dream, and this was all he had wanted, the alienation and bullying was hard for him to swallow.
He felt weak and pathetic when he had thought of quitting like that; but being ignored when he tried to get along, having drinks and food dropped on him on purpose, and once even having garbage dropped into the washer when it was washing his clothes. Baekhyun keeps quiet, but mostly because he's lost on what to do.
But he has made friends now, and Baekhyun’s thankful for them. The Captain's mates and Chef Kyungsoo in the kitchen have kept him strong. And he hasn't told them about any of the bullying yet, but that's because just knowing that there are people on his side who care for him is enough. First mate Minseok, especially, comes to mind and he blushes trying to snap out of it.
“Friends!” Baekhyun tries to remind himself.
The ship has a captain, and a first, second, and third mate. Minseok was the first mate and he worked closely with captain Minhyuk looking over the aviation department, engineering department and doing other jobs the captain required of him. The second mate Yixing kept track of the cargo, and overall account of things abroad as well as route and travel. And lastly, the third mate Kris had his hands tied with the safety and security of the ship and passengers, making sure everything from food, to the passengers themselves followed code and were hazard free.
The mates often all walked around together, all three of them taking note of different things regarding parts of the ship, and meanwhile, the captain handled bigger issue like finances, rescue operations, and galactic politics with upper management, and making sure the ship and rescue operations ran as smoothly as possible. Thus in turn, the mates made sure that their greatest weapon in the whole mission, their ship, ran as smoothly as possible too.
Baekhyun had met the three of them on the first day of his job after Minhyuk had introduced him to the crew and had sat him down at one of the pilot’s seats. Minhyuk had asked Jowon to help him get accustomed to the equipment and teach him, but Jowon had sat down for approximately five minutes, and given Baekhyun a monotoned low down of everything, grazing over most details, before returning to his seat and continuing his animated conversation with another pilot.
Baekhyun had been confused and unsure, and he didn't want to touch anything because he was afraid he would mess up the ship's systems, so instead he sat there, hands in his lap hoping one of the two pilots on duty would help him out or talk to him, but when that didn't happen he just sat there uncomfortably unsure of what to do. That's when Minseok, Yixing, and Kris had shown up. At first they just walked in and looked through the systems, Yixing and Kris had went to talk to the captain, who office was only a door down while Minseok flipped through the flying records, but then he looked up and looked confusedly at Baekhyun for a second before realization dawned on him.
“Omg! You’re the new pilot right?” he exclaimed excitedly, and Baekhyun had nodded unsure of who they even were but Minseok was there in a second, introducing himself and Yixing and Kris too when they returned. And he immediately asked if Baekhyun had everything figured out, and when Baekhyun gave him a deer caught in headlights look he had laughed and immediately jumped in to explain everything to him. He had been incredibly patient and an amazing teacher and after a week of the three of them stopping by, Baekhyun felt like he had gotten a hang of things. Baekhyun smiles thinking of their first meeting and then his thoughts drift to last night instead.
He sighs again, smiling a little as he thinks of how Minseok had patiently sat and taught him how to easily navigate through the asteroid belts last night, and he was daydreaming when the very voice that he was fantasizing about woke him up from his thoughts.
“Baekhyun?!” and said pilot jumped as he heard the voice behind him, not even realizing the door had been opened.
He turned around and saw Minseok standing there dressed and ready to go as he came into the compartment and logged onto the machine. “What are you doing here right now? You should be asleep. Where’s Jowon?” Baekhyun quickly glanced at the clock it was still only 6AM.
“Um,” Baekhyun said, “Jowon said he wasn’t able to pilot anymore so he asked me to take over for the night,” he lied, and Minseok logged into the last of the systems and then straightened up with a furrow in his brow showing concern.
“This is the second time this month he has asked you to cover for him. Is he not feeling well? He didn't report anything at the monthly checkups last week. What’s going on?” he asked, looking at Baekhyun as if he’d know the answer— which he did— but Minseok didn’t need flack from the crew for supporting the newbie, so he looked away and put on a fake grin.
“It’s honestly no problem sir! I don’t mind,” he said cheerfully and threw a wink. “I got this! Plus more practice for the new kid you know,” and Baekhyun went back to checking the navigators and systems as Minseok looked on.
To Minseok, Baekhyun was only twenty-three and incredibly apt, but he was also only twenty-three and he just seemed so painfully young to Minseok. But he worked so hard and contrary to popular belief, Minseok did in fact know what was going on with the aviation crew, and how they had been treating their newest member. He had hoped it would stop but it had only been getting worse, and he wasn't sure what to do. He had talked to Yixing about it, but the other seemed just as lost about it as he was. They hadn't really ever faced anything like this before, because Baekhyun was a first on a ship like the two moons, where only the most experienced usually came, especially for higher level positions like piloting.
Even Minseok had been a little weary of Baekhyun at first honestly. But Baekhyun quickly proved his worth by demonstrating his ability to fly, as well as handle controls and settings on high tech equipment that the Two Moons housed with little to no difficulty. He had been trained well at the academy, that much was obvious, and Minseok's doubts were immediately erased. However, it seemed that the other crewmembers in the aviation department didn't share his opinions.
But this wasn't just his own consensus. Other people who had watched Baekhyun closely the first few weeks also realized how talented he was. Yixing especially had fallen for the youngers easygoing attitude and talents and had warmed up to Baekhyun even sooner than Minseok had. And Kris, who in general was very wary of people. Even he had come to like the young pilot. Sometimes unknowingly, when Kris had a few minutes of break, he would hover behind Baekhyun as he was flying, and he would quiz him about things. Kris would smile each time Baekhyun got answers right, or gently correct him if he got them wrong— patiently explaining things to him with a twinkle in his eye— and Baekhyun who Minseok had learned was always eager to learn more, ate it up.
At first it was just all of them trying to understand the new recruit better, but in time they were all just genuinely drawn in by the younger, and had found a good friend in him.
For Yixing who tended to keep his thoughts and opinions to himself, he found a confidant in Baekhyun. He discusses things with the pilot that he rarely even talks to Kris, Minseok, and the Captain about. And Yixing also teased and coddled Baekhyun a lot, he also had a bit of a motherly side, and apparently Minseok and Kris were giant grumpy old men and were no fun so Yixing instead would go off to find Baekhyun to play around and sing with— a common interest they had found they shared.
Minseok smiles because Yixing has found a good friend. Minseok and Kris were both thirty, but Yixing was still only twenty-seven, three years younger than them, though he already had quite a bit of experience under his belt from his father being the captain of a royal merchant ship. Yixing had helped out on it, till he decided he wanted to go off on his own and explore the world a little, so he left his father and two older brothers and went ship hopping. Going from ship to ship, and garnering experience. That's actually how Minhyuk had found him and hired him once he saw his ability. Yixing had only been on the Two Moons for a year now, but it was nice that he had found companionship with the also new Baekhyun.
Minseok slowly saw his evenings, after duty let up, being transformed into evenings spent in Yixing’s room with Kris, Baekhyun, and even Kyungsoo occasionally, crammed into the small space, and they would all exchange songs and melodies and Baekhyun would sing unabashedly, while Yixing played guitar, and it was so peaceful spending time with them all. Before Yixing and Baekhyun had joined, it had just been Kris, Kyungsoo, and himself. And no doubt, they all have good memories together, but they all also aren't the most talkative. So when some of the older crew who had been on the two moons for years started retiring one by one, Minhyuk started hiring new people, and they all welcomed cute adorable Zhang Yixing with open arms, and though they were a little weary at first, they also soon welcomed Baekhyun into their little group of friends too.
Minseok sighs thinking about it now. Baekhyun didn't deserve this, and since Minseok himself was first mate, and department head of the aviation crew, he needed to solve this.
‘But how?’ was the question. Would talking to them make them even more sneakier and abusive to Baekhyun, or would keeping quiet continue to make them more daring? He was lost on what to do, and it hurt his heart because Baekhyun was a smart kid, hardly one to get into issues like these.
The young pilot had not only charmed the four of them and the captain, but also everyone else from the other departments, and even the passengers on the ship. It was only the aviation crew’s jealousy blinding their vision, and causing them to miss out on how much Baekhyun had to offer, and how hard he worked.
Minseok sighed tiredly and worked a hand through his hair. Baekhyun and him had been sitting in awkward silence for a while and it was now nearing seven so Yixing was probably up at this point. Minseok called him into the cockpit through the intercom, and as soon as he arrived, the first mate quietly explained the situation to him outside of the piloting room, and asked him to man the ship as he got some food into Baekhyun.
Yixing nodded upset, as he agreed. Minseok had told him about what was going on, and truly he wanted to just straighten the whole aviation crew up right then and there, but Minseok and Kris had warned him how that might make the others even more harmful, and fearing for Baekhyun they had all kept quiet. It's not like they could just fire the whole crew and keep Baekhyun. If such a thing were reported, Baekhyun would probably get the boot instead. So Yixing watched Minseok softly pat a tired Baekhyun on the back and Yixing's heart hurt.
“Up up up!” Minseok said ushering Baekhyun up and out of his seat and then out the room.
“But the ship?” Baekhyun exclaimed before he saw Yixing at the door, and Minseok nodded at the other, as he gently pushed the young pilot along.
“Yixing can take care of that, don’t you worry” Minseok assured him, and Baekhyun gave up and waved cutely at Yixing as he and Minseok walked past him and down the halls leading to the kitchen.
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“I'll have the bacon and omelet please.” Minseok said and when the chef handed him back two thin stripes of bacon, and Minseok made a face. Chef Kyungsoo rolled his eyes and added three more strips, complaining about greedy first mates and Minseok grinned up at him.
Kyungsoo then looked at Baekhyun and frowned. “Early morning again?” he asked, and Baekhyun flinched before he schooled his expression and smiled at the chef.
“Haha, the pilot on duty wasn't feeling very well,” he lied, and Kyungsoo kept frowning before finally giving up and instead smiled ruefully at Baekhyun. He set to clean off the stove and looked back to grin at the younger pilot.
“How about pancakes, kiddo?” he asked, and Baekhyun smiled when Kyungsoo winked at him. “I’ll add in the chocolate chips I usually keep stashed away for only the people I like too,” he whispered mischievously, and Minseok pouted.
“Hey! I'm your first mate and an old friend! Why do I never get any?” He whined and Kyungsoo faux frowned at Minseok.
“I said it loud and clear, chief. Only the people I LIKE get special treatment. Besides, look at those extra bacon strips you haggled out of me. I should honestly report you to headquarters for gluttony,” He scolded, and the two went back and forth as Baekhyun laughed.
When Baekhyun’s plate was finally served to him, he and Minseok carried their food over to the crew section in the cafeteria— which was empty because of how early it was— and they both sat down to eat. Kyungsoo promised to join them as soon as he finished up a final order, and handed duty over temporarily to someone else before breakfast rush.
Meanwhile, Baekhyun and Minseok laughed over the silly things they had seen passengers do, and talked about the difficult maneuvering on the asteroid belt the night before. They ate slowly before Kyungsoo joined them with his own plate of omelet and sausages, and then breakfast really picked up as Baekhyun once again spent the hour laughing at Minseok and Kyungsoo bickering like little kids. And soon Baekhyun joined Kyungsoo in teasing and making fun of Minseok, while the older pouted at them and complained about insubordination within crew.
However, Baekhyun's little happy bubble burst when they all finished their food, and it was time to get back to work. So they all got up to head back to their respective jobs.
Kyungsoo waved goodbye to them as lines of people began forming at the passenger's side of the cafeteria, and Baekhyun and Minseok dropped off their plates and went back to the cockpit.
And after a little bit, Kris and the rest of the morning shift for the aviation team joined them and Minseok, Yixing, and Kris then left to look over other parts of the ship, while Baekhyun sat alone for an hour thinking about his breakfast with Minseok and blushing.
++++++++++
They corner him in the bathroom just as Baekhyun finishes showering. His hair is still dripping wet, and he had only just pulled on his pajama bottoms. He attempts to pull on a shirt but they snatch it from him, all five of them, and push him to the ground.
“Hey Byun, how’s it going?” Jowon asks laughing, and Baekhyun wants to snark back with a, ‘great until I saw your ugly faces’, but he decides to stay silent instead and throws them all a smile.
“Just wonderful thanks. But I actually need to sleep now so—”, he attempts trying to leave just half naked, but Jowon kicks him back really hard and the wind is knocked out of him. His smile immediately falls, but Baekhyun isn't going to let them get to him, so he tries to keep positive. This is just a little brawl between men he thinks, he's been in fistfights at school once or twice before, so this can't be that big a deal.
However Jowon is older then him, and he doesn't really want to fight him, so he tries to reason with the older instead.
“Look I don’t know what I did guys but—”, he begins, but one of the other pilots cut him off.
“Oh just shut the fuck up,” the tall wiry pilot Sunlee says, and Baekhyun wouldn't think the man had the guts to talk to him like that with how mousey he looks, but here they are. “You're always acting like such a kiss up to everyone and so cute. Is that how you got this position too?”
And they all laugh stupidly as Baekhyun thinks of a way out. He’s still wet, cold, and not fully clothed, but he wonders if he can push past them to run down the hallways. However Jowon grabs the back of his hair just then, and forcefully pulls his head to look at him.
“Exactly Byun I was wondering how a little shit like you managed to bypass the standard ten years of experience and make it onto this ship as a pilot. A smiling little shit who has nothing better to do then flirt around, and do the bare minimum.” And his hold tightens on Baekhyun’s hair, and Baekhyun's suddenly scared. He remembers why this is more frightening than regular old school fistfights were. For one, in school, he always had his friends; he had Jongdae and Chanyeol, and even if someone pounced on them, and they ended up bloody and wounded, they were there together, and they always had his back. But here he is alone, no one knows about what’s going on, and Baekhyun’s terrified.
“I heard you came highly recommended by your professor who worked with Minhyuk, newbie.” Jowon says shaking him by the hold he has on his head, and Baekhyun’s scalp aches, but the senior pilots voice just keeps pitching lower, and the mock expression of curiosity he had been holding fades into deep seated anger and hatred, as his grip on Baekhyun’s hair becomes even tighter.
“So you're a pretty little thing Baekhyun. Be honest. Did you sleep with your professor to get here, you slut?” and ice floods through Baekhyun's veins and humiliation feels more like a cold shower, compared to the mildness, and warm fuzzy heat of embarrassment. Baekhyun tries to deny it as he shakes his head, but before he can even get the words out, Jowon talks over him again. Ruder, harsher words, that leave Baekhyun numb, “You probably came highly recommended as a first class whore, and that's why Minhyuk even took you in. He’s such a tight-ass about everything, he probably just needed some fun too.” And Jowon looks at him with such loathing and hatred, Baekhyun doesn't feel safe anymore. There's a cruelty in Jowon’s gaze, and Baekhyun realizes he needs to leave, but trying to twist out of the older pilot’s hold is fruitless, and when he sees a spark in Jowon’s eyes that can only be described as a dirty leer, Baekhyun’s hands begin to shake.
“Please,” He began his voice shaking a bit as he puts a hand on Jowon’s bicep that is gripping him, and tries to push him away again, and when he doesn’t let go Baekhyun starts struggling in earnest.
“Look I don't know what I have ever done to you guys but this is too much.” He says trying to be sterner, and still fighting him off.
Baekhyun’s not sure how, but one second he’s glaring at them, and the next his eyes start to water, and his vision blurs. It's been six months of hate, rejection, and loneliness, and he just doesn’t have the strength anymore. He's honestly tried his best, but all Baekhyun ever knew all his life was family and friends; it wasn't easy leaving Chanyeol and Jongdae at the academy when he came here. With no one to call his own here in the start, he could only hope this would be good, he was going after his dream job after all. But all he got was cold faces, and questions left unanswered when he tried to learn anything.
It was hard and it's not getting better, and Baekhyun just can't fight anymore. He's scared, and he doesn't want to be a toy in their sick game of anger and jealousy. The pilots will all get their wish, he thinks, he will leave and they can have someone more experienced, and their own age now finally.
He’s about to say this when one of the other pilots, a stout thirty-two year old suddenly starts hitting Jowon’s arm. “Okay I think you did enough man, look, now he’s gonna cry. You scared him enough, let's go.”
And Sunlee starts pulling at him too, “Jowon I think you took it too far this time. Let go of him already.” and Jowon looks like he wants to argue, but the other pilots clearly aren't willing to take it as far as he is, so after taking one last look at Baekhyun’s crying face, Jowon pushes him back into the wall, letting go of his shirt and then storms out.
One of the other pilot’s looks like they want to stop and pacify Baekhyun, but Sunlee grabs him and pulls him out with him. “Don’t worry about it, he’ll be over it soon enough.” he says, and they all race out of the changing room as Baekhyun sinks to the floor curling into himself, and stares at nothing.
He shaking really bad, and he can't stop, and he wonders if it had only been Jowon who had been cornering him tonight— how far the older pilot would have really been willing go to release his frustrations out on Baekhyun. And that’s when Baekhyun really breaks down and cries. He doesn't know how long he sobs into his knees for, it feels like hours but it’s probably only a few minutes. His tears do dry up soon, however, he can't find the strength to get up so Baekhyun stays on the ground, still shirtless, and hugging his legs as he soaks through parts of the soft cotton of his pajama pants. Eventually he does get up though, and considers dragging himself to either Minseok, Yixing, or Kris’s room— to someone— but he never liked being a burden, and he's too tired tonight anyways, so instead he pads quietly to his own room. His eyes feel swollen, and he's so tired, and nauseous, so it doesn’t take long after he collapses into bed for sleep to overcome him.