CHAPTER 8

Take it Slow

Meeting Oh Sehun was irrevocably dwarfing, not only literally but also in their status in life. Never in his life did Baekhyun thought he’d meet a very famous person, let alone to work with him in a big project. Looking at him from afar back then in the fan meeting was one thing but having him inside his office was another.

Right after their introduction, he and Kyungsoo settled down with him in one of the conference room. Sehun talked about his idea for his next Trilogy. He showed him his plot, and introduced the characters. The illustrator was slowly but undeniably getting attached to the story, and the even the theme of it. Kyungsoo had been watching in the background, seeing Sehun talking animatedly to his hyung about the characters and how they looked like, their personalities and everything. Baekhyun was taking notes but he could see the fond look in his eyes, giving Sehun side comments about what he was talking about from time to time.

Kyungsoo had never done that to the author before. His job was to be Sehun’s critic before his works get published, he could care less about the other things of the story. However, Baekhyun was different. Being gifted with creative mind, he himself suggested things that Sehun took into consideration. It looked like they were in sync. So much in sync…

Baekhyun had told Sehun to drop his honorifics, but Sehun only agreed if Baekhyun stopped calling him Sehun-ssi. The two hour meeting was fun, and Baekhyun was excited to put Sehun’s characters in life. The younger had a very ripe mind. The world he made, the people he created, the story line and even the plot twists—Baekhyun loved every bits it.

Sehun closed the door of the conference room while Kyungsoo excused himself for an urgent call. The younger tapped the illustrator’s shoulder, taking Baekhyun’s attention from the notes he had taken down. “Hyung, hyung…”

“Yes—is there anymore—hey, Sehun where are you taking me?” Baekhyun was suddenly dragged by the younger towards the direction of his office. The author placed a finger over his lips and made a shushing sound. Baekhyun followed his tracks until they were safe inside the privacy of Baekhyun’s office.

Sehun placed him on his chair, took his notepad and put it on the table with his mechanical pencil. Sehun crouched before him with his hands on the armrest, locking Baekhyun on the chair.

“Hyung, what happened to you and Chanyeol-hyung last night?”

Taken aback, the artist let his jaws fell on the floor. Things are jumbled in his brain right now. For one, how the hell did Sehun know that he and Chanyeol were somehow together last night? How much did he know? Two, is Chanyeol saying everything to his friend because the look on the author’s face didn’t looked like he’s asking because he didn’t know.

He was asking because he wanted to confirm something.

Maybe for the sake of his curiosity, maybe for the sake of knowing—or maybe, to help Mr. CEO aka Oh Sehun’s childhood friend.

Baekhyun closed his eyes for a second, a hand rubbing his forehead while he thought of something to say that wouldn’t sound harsh but would certainly be convincing enough for Sehun to stop.

“Look Sehun,” Baekhyun took a deep breath. “I know you and Mr. Park are friends, I am aware of that. But whatever it is that you’re thinking, or whatever it is that you know, please don’t put a conclusion to it and assume that something is happening between me and our boss. He’s my employer, and if ever, he happened to tell you whatever it was that happened last night, please forget it, and please, tell him, I don’t really want things to be complicated between us at work.”

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Days passed, Baekhyun was surely enjoying his tasks. Sehun’s characterization of the races really intrigued him and the same time, he was challenged on how he would able to bring those races to life. Because Baekhyun was so engrossed with his work, he didn’t notice how fast time was. How he was already on his first week’s last day. There were still a lot of days to come, and he would treasure this job a lot.

It was a fine, Friday morning, Baekhyun was in his office, a pencil on his hand and an A3 size of sketchpad was spread on his table. His Mac was on standby, the program Photoshop was open and a finished digital painted character was on display. Baekhyun was looking at his notes for his second character. The first one that he finished, it was like an angel. The race had light hairs and purple eyes, pure white wings that have long and fluffy feathers. He was now about to draw the second race, a counterpart of the first one, when a knock came thrice and disturbed his concentration.

Baekhyun put down his HB pencil with a sigh, but nonetheless asked whoever it was to come in. Surprisingly, he met Seulgi, Chanyeol’s secretary who wore her usual mini skirt and formal blouse. On her left, perfectly manicured hand with lavender nail polish and silver beads, was a giant size of coffee cup. She put it down beside his sketch pad and said, “This one is delivered for you Baekhyun-ssi. Have a nice day.”

Even though Seulgi’s face was enough evidence that the latter part didn’t came out sincerely, Baekhyun’s attention was solely on the coffee that was quite familiar to him.

And yes, it was from the coffee shop he and Chanyeol went to the other day.

Baekhyun noted that the flavour checked on the list was the latte he usually orders. He twisted the cup and found a scribble on the other side.

Princess,

            I’m sorry for the other day, let’s grab a snack after working hours – PCY

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For the rest of the day, Baekhyun was smiling, even though he didn’t want to admit that to himself. No one would know why, but certainly, the illustrator kept on glancing at the empty cup while he was drawing. Whenever he did, unbeknownst to him, his eyes would crinkle with the most sparkling and beautiful laughter ever.

Somehow Baekhyun managed to finished the final sketch in time. He took his dark ash coat from the backrest of his chair and his jug that was now empty with water. His backpack already hung on his shoulders; Baekhyun turned off the lights in his office and left it. He was already in the middle of the hallway when he remembered the messy handwriting on the coffee cup.

The illustrator contemplated if he should agree or just escape. It was not that the coffee bribed him to, but it was also because Baekhyun saw Chanyeol’s effort in the middle of his busy schedule. He thought the CEO had already given up on wooing him because Baekhyun rejected him that night. And for the following days, the CEO didn’t make any weird moves at all.

Maybe he was just seeking for a one night stand, he thought back then.

But Chanyeol sent him his favorite coffee, delivered a message that was written himself.

Baekhyun whined at the two voices kept on fighting inside his head.

Don’t be a fool Byun Baekhyun. Don’t you see, he’s using coffee to bribe you! He only wanted you for a night. Don’t be ridiculous. He’s way too high for you to reach and he will not waste his time for a common citizen like you.

That hurt. Baekhyun sighed. However the other one pestered him the most.

Byun Baekhyun! That man almost kneeled just to have you in his company. He drove for three hours to get into your house. Let us set aside the fact that he helped you get you a job, but can’t you see the effort he’s exerting for you? He was willingly asking you for a date after working hours when he could just go to his house and sleep—or else unwind in a bar and get a girl!

Ruffling his own hair, Baekhyun stomped back in front of Chanyeol’s door. His teeth were already abusing his lower lip by the time he had knocked on his office. He heard a faint “Come in,” from the deep, sotto voice he hadn’t heard for a long time.

Baekhyun turned the brass knob of the wooden door, peeking in at first before saying, “Mr. Park?”

Chanyeol was working with dim lights. The light from his computer was reflecting on his rectangular eye glasses that perfectly hung on his nose. Chanyeol was working on something by the way his fingers kept on moving over the keyboard, his eyes fixed on the screen. Baekhyun swallowed his spit in embarrassment. “Ah, Nevermind, I-I’ll get going Mr. Park.”

The CEO finally recognized the voice by then and he lifted up his face from the screen, removing his glasses. Baekhyun was about to shut the door when he asked him to wait. Chanyeol flew from his spot and immediately grabbed Baekhyun’s wrist to drag him inside the room.

“Mr—Mr. Park?”

“Baek, can you wait for me for fifteen minutes, max? I am about to finish these papers. Just sit here please.”

Chanyeol made him sit on the sofa before rounding his table, quickly going back to his work. Baekhyun stared at him, gaping like a goldfish out of tank in disbelief. “Mr. Park I don’t want to disturb—we could grab some s-snacks some other time—“

“I don’t want any other time, princess. And please just drop that formality, It’s just the two of us right now,” he said while still typing. “I’m almost done here.”

Baekhyun caught his forehead with a hand. “It’s obvious that work is more important than snacks, don’t you think?” he said with a tired sigh.

“Princess, I’ve been dying to spend another time with you, just the two of us within this week, but work was piled up so I haven’t been able to. And I told myself that a lot of times when I am seconds away from barging in your office to snatch you away and maybe, try to explain myself on why I kissed you that night. Now I’m just minutes away from getting this done, so please wait for me and I’m all yours.”

The illustrator found his face as red and as hot as a chili with his tongue heavy on his mouth.

“Chanyeol I don’t want to intrude—“

“You’re not intruding.” Chanyeol hit the enter button louder than how he pressed the other keys. Baekhyun almost jumped out of his seat when the CEO stood up from his seat. Chanyeol took long strides towards him. His long arms were stretched out; reaching for the backrest of the cushion the illustrator was sitting on. When his palms came in contact with the furniture, Baekhyun was already caged in between. Chanyeol’s face was too close that their noses were almost brushing.

Eyes wide and heart unbelievable drumming hard and fast, Baekhyun stopped breathing when he asked, “Wh-What do you want?”

Chanyeol leaned closer tilting his head. Baekhyun made a sound close to a hiccup as he shut his eyes—Freaking Chanyeol—Park Chanyeol was about to kiss him again! In the freaking office! God have mercy on his heart, he was about to burst—this is wrong but why is he so freaking excited—

Oh my god—

“You’re cute.”

Baekhyun had his eyes snapped open, finding the CEO smiling at him. “But even if I’m one second away from kissing you, princess. I learned that I was being fast and maybe, it’s too much for you.” Chanyeol bumped their foreheads together. “But let me tell you this, Byun Baekhyun. You caught my eye, my attention. And nothing will change that.”

Chanyeol leaned back and loosened his tie, winking at the bewildered man on the couch. “I know where you’re coming from when you told me that what we are doing is wrong. I am the boss, and you’re an employee. I understand that it will make you uncomfortable with others if we’re seen in public, and what others might think once they find out. But liking someone isn’t wrong, princess,”

The CEO took his hand that was resting on his lap, pulling him up to stand. “Me, liking you is not wrong.”

Baekhyun pursed his lips and looked away. Chanyeol hit the nail right on the spot.

“And you, liking me… isn’t wrong.”

A thumb brushed his cheeks. Baekhyun was thinking how he was even alive, when he couldn’t even let out the air stuck in his chest. When the CEO lifted his chin up, Baekhyun was met with a pair of dark, warm eyes.

“We’ll take it slow princess. I won’t rush you, but don’t ever…ever turn yourself away from me. I’d rather let you reject me because you don’t feel the same, rather than let go of you just because you’re not honest with yourself.”

Baekhyun, who was silent all this time, finally found his voice to break the ice between them. Things had gotten so serious that he was sweating already. Raising a brow, he took a step back and crossed his arms over his chest.

“And who told you that I’m not honest? I have high standards in men, mind you.”

It was Chanyeol’s turn to raise his brows up to the middle of his forehead. He put his arms on his front pocket with a chuckle and leaned in, startling the illustrator. “And I don’t meet your standards, princess?” he teased.

Baekhyun, still as red as tomato, lifted his shoulders and turned away from the CEO’s piercing and playful gaze. “Nope,” he replied, popping the ‘p’.

Chanyeol chuckled and said, “Let’s see how you will take back your words as I make you fall for me princess. You will regret challenging me.”

Teasing him like that didn’t seem enough for the CEO as he even pecked his cheeks as a sign of his affection. Baekhyun was back to the dark shade of chili when he complained to him to stop doing things so random like that. Chanyeol just chuckled at him and pushed him out of the office.

“Wait for me in my car, here’s the key,” he said giving him the said matter. Baekhyun’s brows had gone into the lining of his hair. “And you’re not worried that I might steal your car?”

Chanyeol made a snorting noise, “Please, you can’t drive princess.”

Embarrassed, Baekhyun stepped on the giant’s shoes, earning a wail from the CEO. “Just wait until I get my driver’s license! Hmp!” He stomped out of the office with Chanyeol watching him from the doorstep. He chuckled as he heard him mumble about something like… “So full of himself, rich kid, egoistic bastard.”

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Aside from their usual coffee shop, Chanyeol brought him around Seoul as a tour and even stay in some park where there were people who were listening to the street musicians. They listened to them as they strummed their guitar and hit their beat box with their palm, accompanied by their voices.

Baekhyun was unaware that while he was singing along with the song, Chanyeol had his eyes fixed on him.

Chanyeol also brought him to one of the malls that Baekhyun might want to visit sometimes. It was around seven already and they had their dinner there. Chanyeol wasn’t surprised when Baekhyun was drawn into the art supplies store with sparkling eyes after.

Then they found themselves inside an arcade. It seemed like Baekhyun hadn’t been to one—or maybe, he hadn’t been in one in a long time. Chanyeol stripped himself of any maturity and professionalism since they were now outside the office. They transformed from adults who had their own responsibility into carefree university students who were having fun at the end of their weekdays in school.

Baekhyun lost in the basketball shooting game. Damn Park Chanyeol sure knew how to take the hoop.

Though in the Dance Revolution, Baekhyun hit the floor while Chanyeol moved with his lanky limbs.

They almost broke the buttons of the machine when they fought in Tekken 6.

The two of them were laughing their out when they tried all of the games in the arcade already. They knew that they looked like idiots, but they had a lot of fun. They call it a night when Chanyeol saw how sleepy Baekhyun was already while they were taking their break. He led them back to the parking lot and he drove back to their place.

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Like last time, Chanyeol hopped off the lift when they were already in the 7^th floor, insisting to walk him until he was safe inside his pad. Baekhyun could only shake his head and let the giant in and offer him glass of water.

“This might not be as big as mine but this sure is cozy,” Chanyeol said, looking around. Baekhyun huffed and threw himself on the couch. “Please, don’t compare my things to yours, Mr. Park, we both know you were born with a golden spoon stuck in your mouth.”

Chanyeol laughed at the remark. As his eyes roamed around the living room, he found an old sketchbook by the coffee table. Seeing Baekhyun distracted with for a moment with his old fashioned phone—he made a mental note about that—he grabbed the sketch pad and looked inside.

He found portraits of different characters, but most of them are Luhan. Maybe Luhan was his muse before. Laughing at a certain page where Baekhyun drew Luhan as a girl with a side comment in ink on the side saying, Baekhyun!!! Burn this you !!!

It was probably Luhan.

Chanyeol noticed that the dates written in there were ages ago, just like what Baekhyun said—he stopped drawing until Chanyeol pushed him into being an illustrator. However, Chanyeol was more than shocked when he saw his face on the next page.

He was drawn as a prince—or a king, he didn’t know. But there was a portrait of him there, in a royal cape and grandiose crown. And the date and month written there was around the time when he was still asking Baekhyun to be Sehun’s artist.

Chanyeol took out his phone and took a picture of his own portrait, just in time Baekhyun saw him with his private sketchbook.

“Chanyeol! What the hell, give that back!” Baekhyun had his feet twisted in a fail attempt to snatch the thing out of Chanyeol’s reach, but the CEO stood up and kept it out his reach. His teasing smile made Baekhyun want to pluck his sideburns because this damn man was so cheeky when he said, “You drew me, princess. As a prince…”

“Shut up giant jerk—give that back!” Baekhyun tiptoed to reach his pad but Chanyeol was a giraffe’s son so it.

“Tell me something and I’d give it back to you,” Chanyeol proposed. Baekhyun scowled hotly at him because of their proximity, their bodies were brushing against each other, Chanyeol’s thighs was almost between his legs, and his long toned arms was wrapped around his waist. Baekhyun on the other hand had his arms on both of the CEO’s shoulders, one slightly stretched in attempt to snatch his pad back.

“What is it?”

Chanyeol tilted his head and chuckled, minty breath fanning over Baekhyun’s face that he could almost taste it. “Did you draw me as your Prince Charming, Cinderella?”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened. His heart almost leaped out his ribcage because he didn’t know if he was embarrassed because Chanyeol had the audacity to call him Cinderella for the second time, or the fact that Chanyeol was so full of himself to think that he was his Prince Charming—or maybe, the possibility that Chanyeol was right.

Nonetheless, Chanyeol didn’t get an answer because Baekhyun stepped on his toes for the second time that day. Baekhyun got his sketch pad and hit him with its spine before kicking him out of his pad.

Chanyeol slid down the hallway laughing so hard that it brought tears to his eyes even his toe was hurting inside his leather shoes. Baekhyun wasso adorable.

“Good night princess!” he greeted, hearing Baekhyun’s “ you” on the other side of the room.

-beta-

5.6.16