Let's Get Carried Away

5

Baekhyun doesn't keep his promise, though. It's already Thursday and he has yet to call Kyungsoo, or contact him in any way.

He doesn't know what the protocol is for this. He's had one night stands before, sure, but never with one of his best friends.

He keeps replying that night in his head and he can't help but feel a little stupid. The signs were so obvious, had been for a while. Maybe Kyungsoo had been waiting for Baekhyun to catch up with him all this time. The thought is equal parts comforting and confusing. He remembers the look in Kyungsoo's eyes right before he had kissed Baekhyun, and how worried he had looked in the morning when he hadn't found Baekhyun sleeping next to him. But he remembers how Kyungsoo's face had lightened up when he saw Junmyeon, and how close and tender he hugged Junmyeon, too, and it makes him feel... Baekhyun doesn't know what to make of it.

He meets Jongdae after work, and they go to their usual restaurant for soju and grilled pork. Naturally, he tells Jongdae everything, or as much as Jongdae needs to know, because Baekhyun's never been able to keep much from him.

Jongdae doesn't seem surprised by the news.

"I hope you realize how stupid this entire thing is," he says, mouth full of meat. Baekhyun's going to say it isn't stupid, it's just complicated, Jongdae wouldn't understand, but then Jongdae rolls his eyes at him. "Don't even start. Kyungsoo had been acting weird all week so I talked to him this morning. He didn't exactly tell me the whole story, but I figured it out anyway. And honestly, after the other night..."

Baekhyun drops the piece of meat he was bringing up to his mouth. "You set me up, you asshole." It seems so evident now, Baekhyun can't believe he didn't realize before.

Jongdae smiles his big, feline smile. "It worked, didn't it? Not that you guys needed much help. You two couldn't keep your eyes off each other all night. I think even Junmyeon-hyung noticed something was up."

Baekhyun groans. "We couldn't have been than bad."

"You kinda were," Jongdae says. Baekhyun feels his earns turn red. "I think most of us knew already, if that makes you feel better."

"It doesn't," Baekhyun says, as he pours himself another glass of soju, more to have something to do with his hands than anything else.

Jongdae's looking at him carefully, like he always does when they talk about feelings. "Look," he says, and he lowers his voice so it's just loud enough to be heard over the sound of people talking and glasses clinking around them. "I'm not gonna try to tell you or Kyungsoo what to do, but I just want you to know than from the outside this looks like a really dumb situation. You guys just need to talk."

Baekhyun grips his chopsticks a little too strongly, and holds himself back from telling Jongdae to fuck off and mind his own business. What bothers him is that Jongdae is probably right. It seems like his relationship with Kyungsoo is just one communication issue after the other. But there are things Jongdae doesn't know, things Baekhyun has kept to himself all these years and that he doesn't expect anyone to understand.

"It's not that easy," he says. Except that it could be easy, he knows that. It's just that he and Kyungsoo, things between them... they've never been easy.

Jongdae's looking at him with concern in his eyes. "I'm just worried, you know. I don't want to see either of you sad because of this."

"I can handle it," Baekhyun says. "I'm a big boy. I'm not twenty anymore."

"Neither is Kyungsoo," Jongdae says. "Kyungsoo... things have changed for him, too."

Baekhyun doesn't know what Jongdae wants to say with that. Did Kyungsoo tell you that? He wants to ask. How can you know for sure? It's been seven years and Baekhyun's still...

He shakes his head, and it makes him a little dizzy. He's starting to feel the alcohol a bit. "What does that have to do with any of this?"

Jongdae sighs. "I'm starting to think you're being dense on purpose." He smiles, then, eyes playful, as if he knows something Baekhyun doesn't. "I'll just let you solve this yourselves. Just know that I'm always here if you feel like you're needing a little scolding."

"Thanks," Baekhyun says, not meaning it at all. Or maybe just a little. "You're a real friend."

"Of course," Jongdae says. "Anyway, are you free tomorrow?

"I have a meeting at 10 but I'm free after lunch," Baekhyun replies. He frowns and squints his eyes at Jongdae. Nothing good can come from this. "Why?"

"I'm gonna go looking for a suit, and you're coming with me"

"Jongdae, the wedding is in three months," says Baekhyun, eyebrows raised.

"Two months and a week," Jongdae corrects. "And I don't want to leave it for last minutes as you're probably planning to." He's not wrong. He had decided to just rent a suit, deal with it when he has to. But buying one seems like a good idea, too. He can afford it, and he doesn't really have a nice suit, just his boring office ones. "And I'll probably have to get it tailored, so I want to make sure I do everything with time."

Baekhyun pretends to consider his options, even if he already decided. "Fine, I'll go with you" he says. He can't let Jongdae choose on his own, anyway. He has terrible taste.