It was raining staggeringly, so dark, it almost seemed that the pouring rain had dimmed the street lamps. The atmosphere was lonely, not a soul in sight, even if there was, it wouldn't make this place feel anymore lively.
This town always made Baekhyun feel like he was the only person in the world, no matter how crowded places became in this small little nightmare of a town, it always felt fake, no real company ever acquired, no conversation that held meaning.
The heavy night rain poured onto
Baekhyun, who stood there without an umbrella. He was thoroughly soaked from head to toe. It'd be enough to bother anybody, but him? No, he just stood there. Middle of the road, middle of the night, he didn't care, he'd rather feel cold than feel nothing.
The rain made him feel a somber comfort, reminded him of an old friend, you could say. In that sense, it made him want to be in the presence of this night rain, because he thought that maybe, standing there could bring him closer to who he lost. Maybe somewhere out there, he could see him, see that he still cares, that he still misses him...
He felt a slight tap on his shoulder, "Are you okay?" A small voice hit his ears, barely audible over the sound of the rain trudging on top of rooftops and streets. Baekhyun let out a small gasp "Shit! You scared the fuck out of me!" He yelled out, startled. "Sorry..." The stranger said quietly, retreating to a shy nature. "You came out of nowhere, I didn't even see you." He exclaimed. "I was just walking by and- and I saw you, and you were just standing there, and you looked cold so I thought- I thought that I could give you my umbrella and-" he began to trail off nervously.
He had a pretty face, it was surprising actually, his beauty was almost astonishing. His big lively eyes, pouty, somewhat smaller lips, sharp jawline. Easy on the eyes to say the least.
His soft white shirt and light colored hair felt in harsh contrast to Baekhyun, who's dark brown hair clinged to his forehead, in an oversized leather jacket that reflected his rather pensive attitude.
"There's no need to explain yourself, I'm not mad, I just got a little startled, okay?" He attempted to calm the other down, "Can you tell me your name?" The dark haired man spared him a gentle glance, seeing how highly strung the other seemed. "L-Lee Taeyong..." He must've been easily intimidated, because it barely took anything for him to seem anxious and timid. "I'm Byun Baekhyun, I'm a detective for the Androscoggin county Police Department so there's no reason to be nervous around me, alright?" He looked Taeyong in the eye, big, glimmering eyes glancing right back as he responded in a nod.
"Right, I just... Have a lot on my mind recently, I feel pretty on edge lately and I'm nervous around people." Fidgeting his hands, he then positioned his head downwards as to anxiously glare at his own palms. "Why don't you come to my house and have a drink? I'm sure unwinding a bit might make you feel better." Taeyong shook his head, "I don't drink." He insisted, his strange characteristics made Baekhyun think he was lucky to have never been on the wrong end of an interrogation table. "Well, I have coffee too if that's more your speed." He gladly nodded.
Baekhyun put his arm around the delicate stranger and lead him to his house, maybe not something he would normally do, but right now it felt right. His apartment was less than a block away, he brought Taeyong up to the second floor and invited him into his house.
"Sorry that it's a mess right now, I wasn't planning on having company." Taeyong took a look around, it wasn't much but it was nice, quaint. "No, it's fine. I don't mind." He took a seat on the couch, hands pressed against his legs as his eyes darted around. Baekhyun was in the kitchen, he could hear him moving around, the coffee maker, dishes clinking, after a minute or two he came back out with two cups of coffee.
Observing his surroundings, he first noticed the coffee table right in front of him, cluttered with various differing items like paperback books, his laptop, and empty coffee mugs stacked inside of each other. On the walls, there was framed art, it looked like watercolor paintings probably made by someone local, maybe someone Baekhyun knew.
On the right wall, there was a window and a table with a tank that nestled a turtle inside of it. The left wall holstered the front door, a coat rack, and a hall leading back to the bedroom and bathroom, and the kitchen was viewable from the couch, right across from a small dining area. There was a high counter and cabinets hanging down, but there was still enough space to peak through at Baekhyun.
And on the in table, there was a framed photo, Baekhyun was in it. He was smiling cheerfully, wrapping his arms around someone else a bit taller than him, their hair was wet and they seemed to be wearing bathing suits. Taeyong found that the most noteworthy thing amongst everything he saw within Baekhyun's house, his demeanor just in that one photo seemed to exude something entirely different from what Taeyong had seen in the present.
"Thank you." Taeyong stated softly, "It's no problem." He replied. They sat there in silence for a moment, Taeyong would only look down at his coffee or out of the apartment window, still not making eye contact with Baekhyun. Finally, a stuttered question comes out of Taeyong's mouth, barely audible. "D-Do you know if there's a train around here? I'm not from Maine, I just came here for work. And sometimes I hear a train at night, but I've never seen train tracks."
Baekhyun found this somewhat bizarre, he's lived there for 15 years now and not once has he ever heard something even resembling a train. Maybe it's a misunderstanding, the boy thinks he hears a train but it's actually a car horn or something, or maybe he's psychotic, either way there's no train near this area. "No, there's not. Is there any way you could be confusing this sound with something else?" Taeyong shook his head.
He's probably psychotic. Or at least, that's what Baekhyun thought, it was ironic since he was was the one standing in the rain a couple minutes ago. "Well, I've gotta be on my way, I guess I'll catch you around town." The peculiar stranger said. "Leaving so soon? That's a shame, I wish we could've talked a little longer." Baekhyun was a bit disappointed to see him go, was he that bored? Or did he just enjoy looking at a pretty face?
Either way, he seemed to be in a hurry, Baekhyun must have caught him at a bad time. "Me too..." Taeyong blushed a bit, swishing his somewhat long hair behind his left ear. "But I just don't have time right now, or else I'd sit and talk. Thanks for the coffee, have a good evening." He rushed out the door before Baekhyun had a chance to process it.
The entire interaction was peculiar, but he pushed it aside. Things felt different, for those short moments that Taeyong was around him, he felt like someone was there, like someone was actually there for once.
"Well, I guess it's just me and you now, Maturin." He leaned down so that he was eye to eye with his turtle. He stood back up to take a gander out his window, covered in raindrops, a few racing each other down to the bottom of the glass.
rain really was beautiful to him, he liked it more than the sunlight, the moonlight, the calm autumn breeze, none ever made him feel the way that the rain did. The water washed up memories, should they have been forgotten was something he'd never consider.
—
The revving of the engine under him is powerful, as he guides his bike through the curving street. Through it hadn't rained tonight, the fog filled corners and crevasses that would remain unseen. The cold air glided under his jacket, under his helmet, sending a shiver to his spine and goosebumps to his body.
It's not enough for his stance to change though, he stays situation on his bike the same way. Through the mysterious night, he wandered, he didn't know where he was going or why he was going there but he knew he had someplace to be.
Something called him, in this God forsaken town, lately he could feel it, something to gravitate towards. How people act strange when an earthquake is on the horizon, that feeling of premonition, calling, oddity. It rumbled within him just like the revving of the engine of his motorcycle.
Strange, small occurrences appearing all around him, missing people all across the coast, he'd been handed case after case about it but no leads. It started to wear on him, so sick of everything meaning nothing, everything became uninterested and dull, not that it had been far from that after he lost his love.
Life had handed him such a confusing role, he thought, he failed to process this incomprehensible feeling of loneliness, an inability to feel like he belonged anywhere. Even when he solved a case, it felt no different than when he started it. This pileup of cases that just made no sense was just frustrating though, these people seemed to have no one that cared about them, worried about them, police reports all filed by strangers who barely noticed they hadn't returned to their routine.
As he started to think about it, he noticed a familiar face, getting ready to cross the road as he seemingly had no idea whether he was going the right way or not. It was Taeyong, wearing a puffy dark purple fur coat, leather pants with a sparkly studded belt, and a low-cut black shirt.
He looked like a pop star, his dark purple toned eyeshadow highlighting his big soulful eyes, making him seem almost unreal. His light hair was now styled and looked fluffy and voluminous, his presence felt like part of a fever dream. There was nobody else around, not another car or person for miles, that's what made it more bizzare to see him walking around like that.
"Are you lost?" Baekhyun spoke loudly to be heard over the sound of his bike idling at the stoplight. "Just a little bit." He teased, seeming to have more confidence than the first time they ran into each other. Why is it that when he saw this guy it was like they were the only people left on earth at this hour? It happened during that rainy night, now it's happening again here.
"Where you headed?" He inquired, in no hurry to make it to any destination, as if he even had one to begin with. "A club around this area, it's called 'The Vegas Flagg' or something?" He scrunched his eyebrows a bit, "Oh yeah, I know that place, it's just up ahead on the left. I could drive you there if you'd like."
"Really? That'd be great, thank you so much." His mannerisms seemed to convey relief, as if he'd been clueless as to which direction he was headed and was just glad to hear he didn't have to wander aimlessly. "Go ahead, grab on." He told the ethereal boy, and Taeyong lifted his pretty, frail legs over the bike, his big combat boots combined with the size of the bike made his legs seem even smaller than they already were.
His hands reached around Baekhyun's waist, he was so warm, in spite of the incessant chill. He could feel the fur caress him through the fabric of his shirt and jacket, like a teddy bear clinging onto him.
He was in the wrong lane to turn left, with the left two lanes being close to the median in the center of the road and his bike next to the sidewalk on the right. There was no one around and he could've easily done something very illegal right then, but he decided to go up the road a bit and make a U-turn. Something about riding with Taeyong made him not wanna take any risks.
He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the other holding him, there was always something romantic to him about bike rides with another person. Keeping broad shoulders as you steer, while the other holds onto you undoubtedly, trusting your every choice. The way that Taeyong's face turned to the side and leaned on Baekhyun's back so comfortably, it felt so intimate.
The club was just down the road, didn't take too long to drive there. It probably would've taken Taeyong awhile to walk there, whether he'd gotten lost or not it wasn't a fun stroll for anyone in this climate, especially not when half of his chest was practically hanging out.
Though the bike ride wasn't long, it was the most memorable part of his day. Just like how the dull and foggy evening was contrasted by Taeyong's bright purple coat, his unnatural hair color, so was Baekhyun's mood lifted from it's dreary disinterest.
He parked his bike right in front of his the entrance, Taeyong hopped off almost immediately, it was cute, the way his feet bounced fluidly on the ground. Only then did Baekhyun get a chance to see just how small Taeyong looked in comparison to his flashy attire.
Though he was about average height, no taller than Baekhyun, he seemed tiny in comparison. Something about his delicate frame made him seem so petite, so easy to wrap your hands around. Baekhyun couldn't stop imagining that, positioning his hands firmly on the other's waist, pulling him closer as he delightfully obliged to the older boy's every will and need.
It controlled his thoughts just as the weather controlled this sheepish town. He took his helmet off and Taeyong got to see his face for the first time that night, his black, fluffy hair fell into his face.
He had nice skin, without a single line, mark or wrinkle, it seemed off character for him, such a brooding young adult yet his appearance was soft, subdued.
It always caught Taeyong off guard, just how youthful and sweet his features were despite his expression telling a different story. He wondered what made Baekhyun's face sour, his heart pessimistic, where did he lose faith in everything?
"Well, I hope you have a nice time. Stay safe and let me know if you want me to pick you up, I don't want you walking home drunk." Taeyong nodded. "Thank you, that's very kind of you. I should tell you though, I'm not going here to drink. I wasn't lying the other day, I don't drink, I'm here to help a friend." Eyes like a doe, glancing at Baekhyun. He felt something when he looked at him like that, something that hadn't been familiar with him for a long time.
Taeyong got closer to Baekhyun, a hand caressed against the collar of his shirt. He leaned in and whispered; "Thank you again." With a smirk. His hand lingered on Baekhyun as he gazed into his eyes seductively. For a moment they just stared at each other, until Taeyong walked way, waving to him at the entrance of the bar.
That was the first time he heard it, the horn of a nearby train. It left an uneasy feeling with him, like he shouldn't be here, like he was in danger. He left with no hesitation, something about that horn just didn't sit right. Even if he was sure that there was no way that's actually what it was, even if the rationale in him says that he's overreacting to a misunderstanding, this deep pit in his stomach is hard to ignore.
Though he rushed home, something wasn't right. He's driven up and down every road of this little town, surely he'd know the distance of one location to another, right? It should've take him eight minutes to get to his house, fifteen at the max, but he drove down that road, drove past the same stoplights, shopping center, pedestrian crossing sign more than he could count. The road seems stretched to nine times it's size, longer than he'd ever remembered before. Over two hours had gone by, that's when he finally got home, two hours on an eight minute drive.
It was strange. Eerie.
—
Days passed and the thought had left his mind, he'd gone on with his life as normal. It was beyond the mundane, day in and day out, he'd felt so depleted over the last year or two. His fatigue had grown stronger, and his life began consisting of nothing but going to work and going to bed, it was almost as if his life lacked anything of meaning.
Late that night he decided he'd stop at some beaten-up little dive bar near his house. It was a decrepit old place for sad people, not a surprise he'd end up there from time to time. He had a seat at one of the barstools in the far corner, it was shadowy and secluded from everyone else. The type of spot that will make the bartenders forget that you're there, because it's a small dark cubby that no one cares to sit at.
Even the bartender for that night passed him a couple times before noticing he was sitting there. "What would you like tonight?" The seemingly drained man asked, "whiskey on the rocks." He said huskily. The bartender grabbed a glass and scooped out a few ice cubes to scatter into the cup. He poured the liquor into the glass and tossed it over to Baekhyun.
The bartender walked away, and he felt the soft touch of a cotton sleeve, black with red stripes. On the stool next to him, there he was again, the mysterious boy. His desaturated skin contrasted by the circles under his eyes. He was so beautiful, his eyes sparkled, even in the low light, and his lips shined because of the gloss that coated them.
"Hey Baekhyun," He watched as the older man took a sip from him drink, giving it a hard swallow. "Hey, didn't expect seeing you here. Decided to take up drinking?" He asked the beautifully debonair man. He always remembered small anecdotal facts like that, as an investigator, it played a big part in seeing the full picture.
If someone can lie about something small and virtually meaningless, then why would they relent from lying about more than just that? It just signifies how comfortable they are with dishonesty.
Baekhyun didn't quite trust Taeyong. Though, he can't be blamed for it necessarily, he didn't blindly trust anyone. An honest face means nothing when you've seen honest faces kill their own children without an ounce of remorse.
You can't know who to trust until they have earned your trust.
Taeyong chuckled lightly at his comment, "I actually saw your bike outside, I thought I'd come in and say hello." He leaned onto his hand, making eye contact with Baekhyun. There was something magnetic about Taeyong's energy, Baekhyun felt so drawn into his field of energy lately. Though he didn't let his emotions get the best of him, he tried to keep his logic throughout every interaction. And he felt something was amiss about Taeyong.
"Oh, nice. How thoughtful of you." He normally answered, no particular enthusiasm in his voice. "If you'd like I could drive you home, I have a license I just don't have a vehicle." He lightly brushed his honey blonde hair out of his hair. Baekhyun felt unsure, it was one of those moments where his instincts didn't know where to lead him, and he found himself bewildered.
He pondered it for a minute but then came to the conclusion that it probably would be best if Taeyong drove him. "You know what, sure, I'll take you up on that offer." He got up off of the bar stool and grabbed his jacket, briskly putting it on.
Taeyong trailed close behind him, following his every move. They approached his bike in virtually no time. "You've driven a bike before, right?" He nodded in response, grabbing Baekhyun's keys and climbing onto his motorcycle. "You should take my helmet, I don't have an extra one and I'd rather keep you safe than me." Taeyong didn't object, it wasn't hard to tell that there was rather insistent.
It looked odd to Baekhyun, not only seeing someone else on his vehicle but seeing Taeyong in the lead like that, he could tell it was out of character for him, he could tell that he liked to be led and felt less confident taking the lead.
Baekhyun hopped on to the back of his own bike, the only other person who led him like this was long gone. "You know, I've never ridden on the back of a bike before. I always ride in front." Taeyong let out a pure hearted chuckle. "Well, I guess you better hold on tight."
They sped off, taking the long way to Baekhyun's house, it was clear that since Taeyong was new to Maine. Durham's roads were long and winding, this peculiar place seemed to have paths that didn't make sense, roads that lead back to where you started, destinations that have ever changing arrival times. What a strange strange town.
Taeyong was a confident and focused driver, from his demeanor when navigating Maine's , it seemed as if he'd lived here for years. It wasn't long until they arrived back to Baekhyun's apartment complex. And when they did, Taeyong followed Baekhyun back to his apartment, under the guise of making sure he got home safe.
"You can go ahead and come in, I'd enjoy having your company for a bit." He shared. "Alright, sounds nice!" He grabbed his keys, making a soft jangling sound as the key ring was only carrying three or four items. As he opened the door, the first thing Taeyong noticed was the subtle aroma that was unique to each household. Baekhyun's house smelled like vanilla and rain, it was cozy.
He also noticed that he'd tidied up since the last time he'd been inside his house, it didn't change the place much but it did declutter the space significantly. Taeyong sat down on his couch once again, and Baekhyun had a seat right beside him. There was silence for a couple minutes, until Baekhyun spoke again.
"You wanna watch something?" Taeyong directed his glance towards Baekhyun, "Sure." He replied. Baekhyun searched for his remote, which was of course nowhere in sight, he searched in between the chenille cushions but that was to no avail. He got up and walked to his coffee table, shuffling through the assorted items laid out on the table, but still, no sign of the remote. "We don't have to-" Taeyong was cut off by Baekhyun tripping over the coffee table's leg and falling on the couch, catching himself with his arms.
He'd unintentionally entrapped Taeyong between his arms, their faces were inches apart. They didn't break eye contact, just kept their eyes focused on each other as their breaths faintly touch each other's faces. Silence glided throughout the room, there wasn't a word to be spoken. Baekhyun couldn't hold himself back, he hadn't felt this way in a long time. He made the short lunge in to gently kiss Taeyong's supple lips.
Baekhyun didn't want to let go of the past, it felt selfish to want something like this, but in this moment he couldn't deny himself. Taeyong embraced him naturally, he wrapped his arms around him as their tongues began to meet. Passionately clinging to each other's warm heat. Everything felt perfect, like they were made for each other.
Two broken shards of glass that fit perfectly together, making them whole again.
Taeyong tugged at Baekhyun subtly, just trying to get closer to him, if that was even possible. Baekhyun pulled Taeyong's shirt upwards, beginning to undress him, messily and swiftly, things were starting to get heavy when Taeyong abruptly stopped.
Baekhyun couldn't hear anything but Taeyong did, that same horn, the one from the train. His face was painted with concern, Baekhyun could tell clear as day. "I have to go." He told him worriedly. "Why? Did I do something wrong?" He took a seat next to Taeyong, allowing him to get up. "No, I just have to go." He assertively replied. His fret lingering in the room as he apprehensively collected everything thing he came there with.
"See you later-" he was cut off by the sound of his front door shutting. "Or never..." he uttered sarcastically. He glanced at his beloved Maturin, the tranquil turtle giving him an unbothered gaze back. "He's not into me, is he Maturin?" The turtle did nothing but blankly stare.
Baekhyun undressed to his underwear and went to bed to hopefully get some sleep. He had an early day tomorrow morning, he didn't wanna get too tired again. His bed felt like a safe space sometimes, other times it felt like the loneliest place in the world. The world felt densely populated yet so empty, even in a room full of people he felt alone. He didn't think anything would ever change that.
He stared at that photo again, the one on his nightstand that watched him every night. The man he loved, smiling so happily, so peacefully. He missed him, missed feeling seen and heard, being truly loved and regarded for. He missed the way things were, the way that things would never be again. He could have someone's arms wrapped around him, asking him about his day, stroking his hair, but fate treated him rather cruelly, and left him without a hand to hold.
He saw rain drops begin to form on the sliding glass door leading out towards his balcony as he drifted off to sleep. Depressing himself with the idea of what life would've been like had he not lost someone so precious. He shed tears, cried for what was out of his control, cried for the past he couldn't return to. He felt useless, meaningless in this world, nothing could console the void of emptiness that was his existence.
—
He walked into work again, today was like every other, exactly the same. Passing by the same secretary he saw everyday, today her box braids had been tied back in a ponytail to keep them out of her face. Out of everyone who worked at the department, she always the nicest.
Baekhyun always felt sympathetic towards her, his coworkers had given her a hard time about her hair, the word unprofessional had been thrown around from time to time. He observed how instead of being excited about a new hairstyle, something that took hours of patience and sitting, she'd instead come into work with a concerned expression on her face, worrying that she may get backlash for something so minuscule and normal for others.
"Good morning, Mr Byun." She smiled brightly, "Good morning." He gave a slight grin back, waving his hand. Seeing him smile was such a rare occurrence that it seemed strange. His face almost always holding a pensive and focused expression, it was unnatural to see him without it.
He made his way back towards the back where investigations took place, seeing his colleagues gathered around the stainless steel table that stood in the center of the cold and lifeless investigation room. He passed his coworkers carelessly and took a seat at the metal chair stationed towards the back of the room.
His boss yammered on to those around him, but Baekhyun could care less. He outperformed most of the investigators there with minimal effort, it didn't take a genius to recognize a runaway or insurance fueled spouse murder. And unless it pertained to him specifically, he didn't care to be lectured by someone probably less qualified than him.
"Hey, Byun." A gruff voice called to him. "Hm?" He directed his eyes towards his boss. "I've got a new case for you, some guy who went missing." The older man handed a file to Baekhyun, as he opened it up his eyes fixated on the photo bound to the file by a paper clip.
It was Taeyong. He'd been assigned to investigate that same strange man he kept having run ins with. His hair was a different color than it was when he last saw him, instead of a honey blonde, his pretty face was surrounded by a cappuccino brown.
Though the photo was outdated so it was likely he hadn't changed his hair color since the last time they were face to face. His doe eyes sparkling in the bright lighting of the photo, you could see his pores and every single skin detail up to the scar next to his eye that resembled a rose. Even in what would be an unflattering photo for most, Taeyong still looked as beautiful as ever.
"You know him?" Baekhyun was broken out of his trance. "No... No." He shook his head. "Why, you think all Koreans know each other?" He said sarcastically, pretending everything was normal. He wasn't sure why, but he felt uncomfortable sharing that he'd met Taeyong before. It was for the better anyways, especially after their little make out session the other night.
"I only said that because of that weird look on your face. Honestly, you people are too sensitive sometimes." Baekhyun avoided the urge to roll his eyes instinctively at that sentence, he shouldn't be surprised, after all the police department isn't exactly known for their acceptance or diversity. It was a shocker that a guy like him was even there.
Exactly why he was keeping his hatch shut about Taeyong. His private life is none of these imbeciles business, and they had no right to make it theirs. "Well, if you'd excuse me, my sensitive ass is gonna go ask around or maybe look him up. Maybe if you started paying closer attention to your work and less attention to my heritage we could get more done around here." He snapped back in a semi joking manner, trying to keep himself from saying anything too aggressive.
"Woah, Byun's got an attitude on him." Another colleague mockingly called out. "So do we know when this guy went missing?" Baekhyun asked, partially for the sake of the investigation and partially for the sake of his conscience. "About 5 days ago or so, at least that's from when his friend reported him missing, he could've been gone for longer before his friend noticed."
Shit. 5 days ago was the last time Baekhyun saw him. He must've disappeared after he left his house. That doesn't sound good, nor does it ease his psyche. Knowing he could've done something and now Taeyong could be going through some tremendously horrible things or even dead right now.
He had to solve this case. He had to find Taeyong alive. There was no excuses he could tell himself that would ease this pressure off of his mind.
"Do we know anything else about this friend of his? I think I'm gonna go and question him first." He stated in a serious tone. "All I know is he works at the Vegas Flagg, he was arrested back in 2019 for committing assault and battery but was released due to lack of evidence. He seems like a wacko so I wouldn't take anything he says too seriously."
Baekhyun nodded, he remembered taking Taeyong to the Vegas Flagg, apparently this bartender must've been the friend he was seeing there. "I'll talk to him." He added.
He felt a heaviness in his chest, his mind flooded with worry. He felt bad, Taeyong seemed sweet enough, he was a bit strange but he didn't deserve anything bad happening to him. If he wasn't okay that would probably weigh on Baekhyun's conscience for the rest of his life.
He was going to solve this no matter what happened, he would put himself at any risk to absolve himself of the guilt his mind fed to him. Remembering Taeyong's doe-like eyes that shined like a glass bead in the sun gave him drive and desperation.
He was going to find Taeyong