bad boy killer ☆ l.ty | ✔

04

After you’d denied Taeyong’s brunch request, there was yet another shift in your relationship. It felt different but familiar. It felt how it did a year or two ago, but not how it was recently. And you even felt yourself almost start avoiding him, planning things with Sicheng or your other friends weeks in advance so that you’d have a reason to say no to Taeyong wanting to hang out. You mostly accepted his offers if he specified that some of his other friends would be there, too afraid of what you would do if you had to be alone with him.

Were you running from your feelings? Abso-fucking-lutely.

This specific weekend, you’d planned for boba with Sicheng and Kun, the former having to back out because of a family vacation, but you didn’t mind spending the day with only Kun. He was just as much your friend as anybody else in the small group. You’d gotten the drinks to go, wanting to walk around and window shop together.

Your arm was linked with his, not a strange occurrence for you to be doing with any of your friends. Kun had just pointed out a rather ridiculous piece of clothing in a shop window, making the both of you giggle. Taking a sip of your drink, you chewed thoughtfully on the beads as he told you a story from his childhood that the garment had reminded him of. Something to do with his grandmother and his younger brother. You weren’t quite paying attention, eyes having locked onto the bright red back of someone’s head. It could be anybody, Taeyong wasn’t the only person ever who could dye his hair red.

As you approached the man with the tuft of red hair, you managed to focus back in on Kun’s story just in time to hear the funny ending, laughing at the appropriate time. Kun laughed a little harder than you did, eyes shut tight just in time to accidentally bump into the redhaired man, who was most definitely Taeyong.

“Oh, sorry!” Kun said, eyes widening when he saw who it was. “Hey Taeyong! Small city, huh?”

“Hey, Yonggie!” You greeted him cheerfully, precisely removing your arm from Kun’s to hug Taeyong, then keep it back at your own side. “What are you out here doing?”

“Just walking around, actually.” He replied nonchalantly, and you didn’t catch the way he seemed to force his eyes to dim as he looked at you.

“Ah, us too! You want to join us? We’re heading towards the riverwalk.”

Taeyong glanced at Kun, as if for permission or something before shrugging, “Sure.”

So the three of you continued, falling into an easy conversation. The river was beautiful as always, only adding to the peace you were convincing yourself to feel. You were hanging out with two of your good friends, and that’s all that either of them were.

Your friends. Platonic.

You were in the middle of snickering with Taeyong over a quip he made about your Finance teacher—whom everybody hated—when you realized that Kun hadn’t said anything in a while. Bringing your head back up from where it was resting on Taeyong’s shoulder as you both leaned your elbows on the railing, you frowned when you couldn’t find Kun.

“He said he was going to the bathroom like, five minutes ago.” Taeyong informed you, sounding amused at your obliviousness.

You rested your head back on his shoulder, eyes skimming over the peaceful water below you before stopping at the railing where your arms were placed. Your hand was only a couple centimeters from Taeyong’s, the tiniest of jerks would make them touch. And you had the urge to just hold his hand, intertwine your fingers with his and feel whole.

Biting your lip, you were contemplating saying something, finally addressing the elephant in the room. But you heard footsteps nearing, and instead stood up straight, turning to face your friend who was returning, three steaming cups in hand.