The Day We Wore Makeup + Other 'Bad' Things | [chanbaek / baekyeol]

Dark Alley

[left credit on the photo i used (again, sorry) ^-^ it lowkey ruins my aesthetic but i don't mind]

[the following saturday]
[01:36 pm]

It was a rainy afternoon, all of the streets were empty, save for the few couples racing across slicked down roads. Reaching bustling warm cafés and shops on the other side. Baekhyun had gotten delegated by his parents to pick his sister up from the local outlet mall. She'd called earlier from a payphone wanting to be picked up early.

Reason? He didn't know. Except that his sister could be flighty and inconsistent; he didn't know what was the matter this time. He barely saw her brushing past him in the hallway like a fall breeze, eager to be out of the house for the first time since her punishment. A few short handed comments and a mini argument ensued between her and their mother before she was allowed to leave in a red denim skirt that barely covered her slim thighs.

"Hey, slut." She yanked his door open, surprising him, and spraying him with drops of rain before she slid into his clean car.

"Woah, are you okay?" Glaring back at him was a deep purple bruise blossoming on her jaw.

"I just fell, its fine."

"Joy," the rain outside drowned out the sound of her gasping lightly. Tears escaped her eyes but she quickly wiped them away. "You should know... I've been hit before."

"It was an accident." It came out like a hiccup and she couldn't look up.

"It's okay. I'll defend you if mum asks." That was that; he stared straight and started driving. She slowly turned to stare at her brother, watching the traffic lights reflect off of the pavement and on his face. The tears stopped now and she didn't bother to wipe them away, since the rest of her was touched by rain. He pulled something out of his bag, a small bottle. He twisted around at the stop sign by their street.

"So," she gulped down the frog in her throat, attempting a smile, "are you going on another date?"

He unscrewed the little lid and a curious smirk lifted half of his face. The cool liquid paint dropped onto his ring finger and he did his best to dab it over the bruise on her jaw, pressing quickly and being careful not to smear. Wide eyes gaped at him. She was wondering why on earth he had foundation-but happy to at least get his help.

"Do I look okay?"

"You look beautiful." She said it without hesitating, which made him blush and pause his attack on her face.

"Thanks. You should see my date."

"I bet she's beautiful. They always are." She leaned back, inspecting the makeup on her face, while Baekhyun continued the drive home. What she said struck him and he realized she was right, and how odd it was to have a secret from her. Debating whether it was worth telling her was difficult, but he couldn't risk it, not with how delicate his parents were.

His parents didn't notice the patchy mark on her face and if they did, they didn't mention it. Their parents seemed tired from work and kept conversation with themselves. None of them noticed when he buttoned his leather jacket and slipped away after dinner. Joy grabbed his attention, sending him a teasing wink before waving him off. He smiled, heaving the front door open and disappearing into the chilly evening air.

+

[ overhead speakers:
dancing queen - ABBA ]

The upbeat bop played over the shop's speakers, reminding him of the music his parents used to play. A girl with curly blonde hair was asking him a question but it took him a second to register it.