A Shoulder To Lay On

Monday, 5:25 PM

Baekhyun swiped his T-Card at the entrance of the bus before finding a place to sit amongst the numerous other passengers already seated on board. It was a mechanical procedure, the monotony of his daily schedule hardwired into his muscle memory like gears of a clock. It wasn't until Baekhyun sat down that he was finally able to unwind. Letting out a sigh, Baekhyun rolled his head to each side to try and crack his neck, releasing the built up tension from his long day at work.

The bus started with a jolt, some of the passengers rocked by the sudden movement and almost dropping their personal belongings. A few of them cursed quietly at the driver's lack of consideration. Baekhyun hoped this driver wasn't one of the ones who liked to ride the brake the entire ride as well.

Ignoring his surroundings, Baekhyun began to look through his emails on his phone, along with a few texts from his family and friends. Getting lost in them for a while, he didn't notice the bus had already approached the Chungmuro station. It wasn't until a young man plopped down into the seat beside him that Baekhyun finally realized where he was.

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday Baekhyun had to do deal with this same young man coming to sit next to him. He was a student at the local university, his route home eventually transferring onto the same line as Baekhyun's.

He wouldn't have minded the younger's frequent presence next to him on the bus, if it wasn't for a habit the student formed ever since the first time they met.

It was on a Monday when Sehun first appeared in Baekhyun's life. Classes had just begun for the new semester, a trying time for all students attempting to adjust to their new schedule. Sehun was no exception, and as he stumbled onto the bus, anyone could see that the young man was drained of energy.

But for Baekhyun, it was just another ordinary evening after work. He was busy on his phone like usual, mindlessly scrolling through his e-mails and deleting a few unwanted spam messages. He never even lifted his head to notice Sehun practically fall into the seat next to him.

Finishing going through his e-mails, Baekhyun went on to check the news, getting quickly engrossed in a long article concerning current political matters. The quiet on the bus allowed Baekhyun to read peacefully, the only reminder that he wasn't at home was the gentle rocking of the vehicle as it trudged along through the dark streets.

Continuously moving his thumb, Baekhyun had almost gotten towards the end of the article when he suddenly felt something brush against his shoulder. Startled, Baekhyun finally broke his attention away from his phone to look over at the person siting next to him.

Sehun's head was drooped to the side, barely resting against Baekhyun's shoulder in his sleep. It was difficult to see his face well, but Baekhyun still managed to notice how attractive the man's features were. He couldn't help staring at him for a little while, admiring Sehun's gentle expression as he slept.

Taking note of his bag and general youthful appearance, Baekhyun realized Sehun must have been a student. It made him smile, remembering his own days at school and how exhausting it could be. It must have been a hard day for him.

He would have let Sehun continue sleeping, but he was concerned the younger might miss his stop. Eventually clearing his throat, Baekhyun tried to get Sehun's attention and possibly wake him up. But his sounds went unnoticed. Instead, Baekhyun watched as Sehun sunk lower in his seat, his head slowly wilting closer to Baekhyun in his sleep.

Baekhyun gave up, deciding rest was the best thing for the poor student at this time. Even if Sehun did end up missing his stop, Baekhyun planned on giving him a little money to make another trip. It was the least he could do for him. Going back to his phone, he allowed Sehun to sleep on him for the remainder of his ride. A few passengers on board noticed Sehun as well, and smiled at the sight of him sleeping so peacefully on a stranger.