In Sunshine's Stead (There's You)

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Nothing comes as easy as falling in love with Kim Jongdae.

Jongdae talks and smiles in sunshine – and Baekhyun’s always been too in love to do anything about his own hopeless, heart-achingly unrequited love besides observe his favourite bright figure from afar. It hadn’t started off as anything more than an admiration for the younger boy, and Baekhyun’s just always been the kind of person to stare at the prettiest smiles without shame or concern of being caught – But Baekhyun’s been told by mutual friends how Jongdae thinks it’s coincidence when he catches Baekhyun’s gaze on him, or even when he stares a little too long.

It’s nothing too special, but Baekhyun’s heart does do a couple of jumps, all in the name of endearment, he assumes. He hopes Jongdae could finally come to realization that coincidence is not why they tend to catch each other’s gaze from time to time and maybe he’d walk over to ask him why he’s always staring, and Baekhyun can tell him just how pretty his smile is. Baekhyun likes to inform people how pretty their smiles are – and that had been the original plan with Jongdae.

But somewhere along the lines, Baekhyun just finds himself staring much too longer than he usually would, and it’s not just lingering gazes where Baekhyun allows himself to stare because he’s caught sight of the younger man anymore – he knows it’s still considered a little unusual, but it’s far more so when Baekhyun’s eyes flicker here and there in hopes of seeing Jongdae amidst the busy corridors and hallways, as well as the swelling disappointment when he doesn’t. Every time he lets out a sigh, Chanyeol is there to pat him on the back – Kyungsoo sits next to him, huffs in amusement, and Baekhyun vaguely hears the quiet idiot he mutters under his breath.

In short, Baekhyun isn’t particularly sure if his love even ever had a definite beginning – Not when falling in love with Jongdae had been so easy, not when he’s used to his feelings crashing down on him all too abruptly. Baekhyun really hadn’t expected himself to be this captivated anyways.

"Let me be your raincoat, for those frequent rainy days," Baekhyun had read out during class sometime last week. He's in the second verse, with Kyungsoo having read the first. "I wanna be your dreamboat, when you want to sail away." Chanyeol had advised them before their presentation to look up to the audience in between reading their lines but Baekhyun's focus of view barely leaves Jongdae with his interested gaze on them.

"Let me be your teddy bear, take me with you anywhere," fuck, it really doesn't help that Jongdae's smile is oh-so-warm on them and Baekhyun's heart could be doing jumping jacks right now for all he knows. "I don't care," Baekhyun's blush thickens, he finally shifts his focus and makes eye contact with the rest of his audience, "I wanna be yours."

Chanyeol is standing tall and proud right beside him but Baekhyun hears his voice as if it's said from a considerable distance away.

As Jongdae sits there, both arms down and kept politely over the table, looking all content and so lovingly warm with his attentive smile, Baekhyun can't help but think to himself of all the things he'd be willing to do for his sunshine, the person with the brightest smile he's ever had the pleasure of seeing. His heart aches in longing, but it doesn't - can't possibly compare - to how it swells with love and affection whenever he sees Jongdae with his kind smile. Baekhyun isn't one for poetry but he does want to bask under the metaphorical sunshine that Jongdae may possibly literally radiates.

"Stop that," Kyungsoo gives him a sudden harsh nudge on his side and angrily whispers, "This isn't the time for you to make those lovesick expressions."

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A/N: The poem that chanbaeksoo is reciting is J. Cooper Clarke's 'I Wanna Be Yours'