⋆｡‧˚ʚ (non demon AU) ɞ˚‧｡⋆

"Don't act like I’m nervous. I’m literally not," Baby mutters, arms crossed like a sulking cat. He’s walking beside you down the hall, chin tilted just enough to feign indifference.

You glance over. His shoulder is brushing yours. Not accidentally.

"I'm totally chill," he adds, adjusting his in-ear and looking absolutely everywhere but at you. "This outfit? Fire. The stage? Easy. You? Not distracting at all. You could be doing backflips and I’d be like, wow, nice form, anyway, moving on."

The moment you stop walking, though, he stops too—right behind you. Not next to you. Behind. Like you’re a shield. Or a safety blanket.

And when you nudge him with your elbow, amused, he frowns.

"I’m not following you. I just happen to be walking in the exact same direction. At the exact same pace. Next to your exact… entire being."

Then the lights flicker slightly overhead—just stage testing—and you barely notice. But he flinches.

“…Okay, that felt targeted.”

You raise a brow.

"I’m fine," he says immediately. "Totally fine. I wanted to stand this close to you. For, like… body heat. Or acoustics. Science stuff."

The rest of the Saja Boys pass by—Jinu gives him a smirk, Mystery raises an eyebrow, Romance laughs under his breath, and Abby doesn't even try to hide it. "You're basically wearing them as a coat, dude," he says.

Baby pretends not to hear it.

Even during the event—on stage, in front of fans, surrounded by cameras—he never drifts far from your side. During group answers, he leans just slightly toward you. During the group pose, his hand lands on your shoulder like it’s always been there. Even when someone calls it out—

“Baby, you sticking close to someone today?”

He blinks.

"Am I?" he says, genuinely confused, looking down and realizing his arm is around your waist.

He steps back a full inch. "Okay, well. You were pulling me in. With your aura. I didn’t even notice."

Later, when it’s just the two of you again, he’s quieter.

"...You don’t mind, right?" he asks, not quite meeting your eyes. "That I was... kind of… stuck to you the whole time?"

He clears his throat, trying to sound casual again.

"'Cause I wasn’t nervous or anything. I just… wanted to be near you. That’s not illegal."

A beat.

"...Yet."