The Thrill of Secrecy | Baekhyun × Reader Oneshot

Female pov

When you arrive and hear music from inside, the word "fuck" escapes your lips; you're late. First you lost one of your shoes, then you ran out of hot water while showering, then there was the traffic jam. This is just not your day.

You keep beating yourself up about it as you put on your mask because you promised him you'll meet him here and you'll cheer for him as he says his opening speech in front of the attendees, but now you're late and he's probably pissed, disappointed, upset, or all these emotions jumbled up at the same time. As you ponder a bit in front of the entrance, you realize that all this panicking has overshadowed the simple fact that if you explain your situation to him, he will definitely understand. You take a deep breath, square your shoulders, hold your head up high, and walk in when the guards open the doors for you. It is only when they close the doors behind you and you're left there awkwardly standing and searching for him that it dawns on you.

They're all wearing masks.

This is a masquerade party.

Shit.

Panic takes over you yet again as you attempt, however unsuccessfully, to subtly walk around the hall and look each individual person in the face, trying to find him. After scaring more than half the people and watching their many reactions that range from flinching to outright swearing straight at your face, you take a much needed break and head to the bar.

"White Russian please," you voice to the bartender of the evening who nods and starts mixing your drink. He too is wearing a mask, but his is black, plain, while yours, which your supposed date bought you for this occasion, is elegantly designed and decorated; it's covered with Tanzanite and Sapphire all around the eyes and the outer edges and slowly meets with Moonstone at the middle, and is topped with a few white and differently shaded blue feathers at each side. The mask creates an almost shocking contrast with your dress, which is as plainly black as the bartender's mask.

How the fuck am I gonna find him you think to yourself. How the fuck is he gonna find me, you carry on your string of thoughts. He probably doesn't even know I'm here and he probably thinks I ditched and and and- you're woken up out of your reverie when the bartender plops your drink in front of you. "You alright?" he asks, curiosity rather than concern etched on his face. "Yea, I'm okay. Just waiting for someone" you smile kindly as you play along. "Did you get ditched?" he asks with nonchalance. "Who would ditch such an attractive lady?" he utters with more interest, hunger evident on his face as he puts his hand over yours. He moves a bit closer so you can hear him whisper, "I wouldn't do that you know," after which he looks into your eyes and you meet his dark gaze. His beautiful eyes get you in a sort of trance for a few flitting seconds; mentally shaking yourself, you snatch your hand way a little too roughly, like you've been burnt. Dark gaze gone and replaced by something unreadable, he turns to serve other people at the opposite end of the bar.

You scold yourself for acting the way you did. You already have a man and yet you basically eye fucked someone you don't even know, and whose face is completely hidden from you. But as you look around the hall, you notice that there is tension throughout its entirety. There are flirtations and hungry, horny stares shared between most of the people. It seems as if everyone is willing to pounce on the other despite the fact that half of them is seemingly already in some form of relationship. Perhaps the anonymity is what is giving these people the guts and audacity to perform such acts, the "thrill of secrecy" or whatever.

Doesn't matter. What matters right now is finding him because you were already twenty minutes late and you spent another twenty inside the hall. What's frustrating you the most, however, is that you can't reveal your face either, because firstly, it's a masquerade party, and secondly, the scrutiny of the general public and the media will be immense if the people find out who Byun Baekhyun has been seeing for the past months. If you take off your mask now, the journalists will not let you hear the end of it. Neither of you want this kind of publicity, at least not now.