01.

Chanyeol knows something is wrong when he wakes up and finds his five years old son, Jiwon, clings to him while panting heavily. He can feel the warm radiating from Jiwon’s small body and, , he’s sick, isn’t he?

Jiwon didn’t look that energetic last night and Chanyeol only assumed he must be tired from the kindergarten’s activity because they had a sport event that day. He clicks his tongue, blaming himself as an irresponsible parent for not knowing his own son’s condition, and quickly packing his things before he goes to hospital with Jiwon.

He shakes Jiwon’s arm softly, whispering baby wake up and smiles when his small angel opens his eyes slowly and blinking adorably at Chanyeol. “Dad?”

“Hey, buddy,” he says, “Are you okay? You’re burning up right now.”

Jiwon is quiet for a moment before he shakes his head and buries his face deeper on Chanyeol’s arm. His heart squeezes a little at the sight.

“Then let’s freshen up and eat something first before going to hospital, okay?” He can see fear on Jiwon’s eyes at the mentioned of hospital, “It’s okay, daddy will be there and we will go to see Doctor Seulgi! You like her, don’t you?”

His face lights up immediately at the mentioned of the doctor that he grows accustom to since they have met for few times everytime Jiwon is sick and go to the hospital. Seulgi herself is Chanyeol’s friend from university so he trust her fully on handling his son.

Both of them quickly wash up and eat before going to the hospital with Chanyeol driving his car and Jiwon sitting at the back on his car seat. His son coughs a few times, making Chanyeol even more worried than before.

They arrive on the nearest hospital in no time, and Chanyeol wastes no time as he lifts Jiwon up and jogs lightly to enter the hospital. Thankfully there’s not many people since it’s still early, so he goes straight to the nurse at the front desk.

“Good morning, I want to make an appointment with Doctor Seulgi,” he says.

“Doctor Seulgi? I’m sorry but Doctor Seulgi is on maternity leave right now,” she replies, slightly concerns when she heard Jiwon’s coughs between her answer.

Ah, right, Chanyeol remembers how a month ago he met Seulgi on the train station and his friend already had a big bump. How come he forgot?

“Is there any doctor that available for now? My son is having a fever and he wouldn’t stop coughing on the way here.”

“There’s Doctor Baekhyun. He’s the replacement for Doctor Seulgi while she’s on maternity leave.”

Chanyeol nods his head right away. “Then I’ll meet him.”

The nurse gives him a form related to the patient’s information and he fills it quickly.

“I’ll call when it’s your turn,” she says, which Chanyeol replies with a sincere thank you before he takes a seat in the waiting room.

He holds Jiwon closely to him, sometimes patting his back as Jiwon coughs again. “Hold there, buddy.”

They wait for a while before the nurse calls Jiwon’s name and shows Chanyeol the way to Doctor Baekhyun’s room. Once he opens the door, the figure of a man who sit behind the desk lifts up his head from whatever he’s currently reading on his hands and Chanyeol can’t help to think, this is Doctor Baekhyun?

The man has ash brown hair and fair skin, looking so young like he’s just graduated from university this year. He also have a small figure, and Chanyeol predicts his height will only meet Chanyeol’s shoulder, which makes him looks even smaller in Chanyeol’s eyes. But the thing that takes Chanyeol’s breath away is his smile that baring his white teeth and it looks so genuine it’s blinding him a little bit, like a sunray peeking through the curtain.

“Good morning,” he says.

Chanyeol’s heart flutters at that.

Which kinds of making him unable to say anything until Jiwon’s cough brings him back to reality again. “Good morning, Doctor,” he tries to hide his embarrassment with how he quickly takes a seat across the doctor.

“So,” the doctor starts as he leans a little bit and Chanyeol might be a little bit distracted about how attractive Baekhyun is from this close, “what happened with the small guy right here?”

“He woke up this morning with a fever and he couldn’t stop coughing on the way here,” Jiwon coughs again to emphasize that, “and until now.”

“There’s no other symptom other than fever and coughing?”

Chanyeol shakes his head.

“Then let’s check him out first.” The doctor stands up and leads to the bed on the right side of the room, where Chanyeol puts Jiwon down.

“Hello, little guy,” Baekhyun beams at the kid and Jiwon’s eyes literally screams stranger please go away. “What’s your name?”

“…Jiwon.”

“Jiwonnie, I’m Doctor Baekhyun, do you know me?”

He shakes his head.

“Do you know Doctor Seulgi?”

He nods his head right away, a little bit excited at the mentioned of someone he knows well.

“I’m a close friend with Doctor Seulgi, so you don’t have to be afraid with me, okay?” Somehow, that makes Jiwon calms down a little bit as he lets Baekhyun examines him. Chanyeol has to say that he’s impressed with how Baekhyun manages to make his son opens up to him in no time, making him imagine how he must be a good dad and – wait, focus, Park Chanyeol.

“And… done,” Baekhyun smiles at Jiwon as he picks him up and slowly giving him back to Chanyeol again, their fingers brush each other and Chanyeol feels something’s warm creeping into his cheeks and ears. He prays Baekhyun won’t notice that.

“It’s only a fever, and his throat is a little bit red so the tonsil might be swollen because of the fever. Does he have any allergy with medicine?” Chanyeol shakes his head and Baekhyun hums at that, starts to write something on the sheet of paper. Not long after that, he gives it to Chanyeol and he scans at the prescription on his hand.

“I give him medicine to lower the temperature and reduce his cough, but with some rest and warm chicken soup, he will feel better in no time,” Baekhyun explains with the same fluttering smile on his face.

Chanyeol chuckles at that. “Well, that because I don’t know how to make chicken soup.”

The look Baekhyun gives him is so scandalized that he almost laughs out loud. He’s not a good cook, so there might be some things that he can’t make at all and unfortunately, it includes chicken soup.

“You gotta be kidding me?”

Chanyeol shakes his head. “I’m not, Doctor.”

In a speed of light, Baekhyun takes a blank paper out of nowhere and he starts writing down something on it. After he’s done, he folds the paper into half and gives it to Chanyeol, who’s looking at him and the paper back and forth with confused face.

“What is this?”

“That’s the recipe of chicken soup that my mom always make for me everytime I’m sick,” he says, “It’s easy and I can guarantee the taste.”

Chanyeol doesn’t know what’s currently happening at him right now but all he knows is the doctor in front of him must be an angel. He’s ing sure.

“Thank you,” because Chanyeol can’t find anything else to say, “I’ll make sure to make it later.”

Baekhyun hums and Chanyeol can see an excitement on his eyes. It’s cute.

“Then I hope Jiwon will like it,” he waves to the kid as Chanyeol gets up and walks to leave the room, “get well soon, Jiwonnie.”

Jiwon smiles and waves back before he hides his face in the crook of Chanyeol’s neck.

The very last smile that Baekhyun shoots at him before he closes the door lingers on Chanyeol’s mind for a while.

When Chanyeol hears knocks on his door, he opens it and there’s Kyungsoo and Jongin who asks how’s Jiwon?! at the same time.

He sighs, although there’s a glint of amusement on his eyes. “You two sound like a doting grandparents.”

Kyungsoo deadly glares at him, and Jongin pouts adorably. He chuckles before letting both of them in.

Kyungsoo and Jongin are his friends since forever, eventhough both of them are younger than him. He grows up with them, and they’re still on good terms even after they announced to Chanyeol that they were boyfriends, completely caught off guard as Chanyeol laughed and adds, “Well, guess what? I’m also gay!”

After Chanyeol has Jiwon, his son quickly becomes their weak spot. They always find time to come over to Chanyeol’s apartment to play with the little guy, or flood him with presents every single month. It’s nothing surprising when they called Chanyeol and heard that Jiwon is sick, they literally flee to his apartment in no time.

“He’s better, to be honest. He’s sleeping right now,” Chanyeol says as his friends goes to Jiwon’s room and peeks inside, watch him sleeping peacefully under his thick blanket.

“Have you fed him?” Kyungsoo asks.

“Yeah, with chicken soup.”

“Oh, you bought it?”

“Nope, I made it by myself.”

Kyungsoo looks up to him. “You can’t make chicken soup.”

When Chanyeol doesn’t answer, he walks towards the kitchen and lifts up the lid of the pot on the stove. Jongin peeks curiously behind his boyfriend as Kyungsoo takes a clean spoon and tastes it a little, then gives the rest to Jongin. The latter hums appreciatively.

“It’s good, right?” Chanyeol knows that fact really well. He was pretty surprised that it really tastes good, even Jiwon who usually doesn’t have appetite when he’s sick finished his small bowl of chicken soup.

“There’s no way you can make this on your own,” Kyungsoo states the obvious. “Someone gave a recipe to you?”

Chanyeol intends to lie, wanted to keep it as his little secret at least for now, but instead he flushes at the thought of Baekhyun’s pretty smile.

Jongin’s face immediately turns into a mischief one.

“It’s not what you think,” Chanyeol quickly says, trying to defend himself.

“It’s exactly what we think,” Kyungsoo adds not so helpful.

Chanyeol ignores it as he takes out some bowl and asks if his oh-so-called friends want to eat the soup, but Jongin cuts him with, “Is he a hot doctor or a hot nurse?”

“Knowing Chanyeol it could be a hot parent.”

“Oh?” Jongin wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. “A hot daddy?”

Both of them run almost immediately when Chanyeol, who can’t hide his slightly red cheeks, takes a big pan and aims it at them.

The first sneeze is a small one, something as soft as Jiwon’s voice and Chanyeol passes it as something’s tickling his nose. Not long after that, the sneezes become more frequent and accompanied by terrible coughs.

“Dad, are you okay?” Jiwon asks. It’s weekend and both of them just finished their breakfast and Chanyeol is getting tired of hiding his cough away from Jiwon.

“Yeah, I’m okay, baby,” he croaks. He lied, but Jiwon doesn’t have to know that.

He immediately calls Kyungsoo when Jiwon is watching television on the living room. “I think I just got infected by Jiwon’s cold.”

He proves his words as he accidentally sneezes loudly.

“That’s a nasty cold,” Kyungsoo says.

“I know right? I don’t feel good right now and I don’t want to spread it back to Jiwon.”

Kyungsoo hums understandingly. “Alright, I’ll come over and take Jiwon out today, so you better rest or I’ll force you to do so.”

“Okay, mom.”

Kyungsoo hangs up almost immediately, leaving Chanyeol laughing quietly. Kyungsoo doesn’t like to be called mom but he sure acts like one.

“Daddy?”

The phone on Chanyeol’s hand almost slip from his grip when a small voice calling him from behind. He turns around and sees his son with a frown on his face.

“Hey, buddy, what’s wrong?”

“Are you sick because of me?”

Don’t tell me he heard the phone call just now, Chanyeol thought in horror.

“No, no, I’m not, baby. It’s been cold lately and everyone has cold so it’s not your fault.”

Jiwon’s frown is getting deeper. “But you’re sick after me,” he says, “I’m sorry, daddy.”

Chanyeol wants to hug his son tightly because he’s touched with how his son adorably worried about him, but he remembers his attempt to not spread the cold back to Jiwon so he settles with a quick hug and a pat on his son’s head.

“You did nothing wrong, but I’m happy that you’re worried about me. Thank you,” he smiles, and Jiwon easily mirrors his expression.

Not long after that, Kyungsoo appears by himself in front of his door, no sight of his tall boyfriend around.

“Where’s Jongin hyung?” Jiwon asks.

“He’s going to another mountain again, sweetheart.”

There’s sparks all over Jiwon’s eyes when Kyungsoo mentioned mountain and Chanyeol affectionately ruffles his son’s hair.

Jongin works as a nature photographer, so he mostly goes to mountain, jungle or sea, according to the task he’s given with. Kyungsoo complained a lot at first, saying something dumb like how Jongin prioritizes trees over him, but they somehow work it out.

“Jiwon-ah, do you want to accompany me downtown?” Kyungsoo asks, crouches down in front of Jiwon.

His son still looking excited, but then he steals a glance at him and his facial expression changes slightly. Thankfully Kyungsoo saw it.

“I promised it won’t be long, and daddy would be okay,” he adds.

Chanyeol lets out a relief sigh as Jiwon eventually nods. He takes one of the thick jacket and wraps Jiwon with it, making sure his son stays warm and he will not be sick again. Kyungsoo promises him that he will buy medicines for him, and moments later, his son waves at him before Kyungsoo closes the door behind them.

Well, Chanyeol walks toward the room and throws himself to the bed, it’s time to take a nap.

Chanyeol wakes up to the uncomfortable feeling on the pit of his stomach and the constant throbbing inside his head as if it will explode soon. He doesn’t see anyone on the apartment as he makes his way to the bathroom, so Kyungsoo and Jiwon are not home yet. He pukes out his breakfast and feeling sorry for the food to be treated that way, then he shuffles back to the room and takes another time to sleep.

It feels as if only a minute passed as he opens his eyes again and takes a look on the white ceiling and notices the light is on, although he doesn’t remember turning it on.

There’s also a damp on his forehead, so he brings his hand up and feels a fever patch under his touch. He peels it off easily and wonders if he also forgot that he put it on.

He feels someone tapping his arm lightly, so he glances at the person.

“Hey.”

Chanyeol blinks once, twice, but the image doesn’t change.

“How are you feeling?” Baekhyun sits at the edge of the bed, looking down at Chanyeol. Instead of the white doctor coat, he wears a light blue sweater and he even looks good from this angle, Chanyeol thought.

But then his brain turns on another warning as he realizes Baekhyun is on my room! Baekhyun is this close with me! and he can’t think of any answer for why Baekhyun is on his room. Is this a dream?

“,” he answers the question.

Baekhyun laughs, showing the perfect row of white teeth and the crinkle on his eyes.

Yeah, Chanyeol thinks as he feels a warm heat creeping up to his face, a good dream indeed.

“Are you up for some food?” he asks, bringing the bowl that sit on bedside table onto his hand. “There’s a porridge. You don’t have to eat a lot, just half of it is okay.”

Chanyeol nods, although he doesn’t like the thought of vomiting another food again but he can hear his stomach growls quietly. He gets up slowly and takes a seat while slightly leaning onto the pillow on his back, but when he reaches out to take the bowl from Baekhyun’s hand, the guy pulls it out of his reach.

“No, let me feed you. Just stay right there.”

Chanyeol doesn’t know what he did on the previous life to be able to live till this point, where he gets to dream to be feeded by someone he likes and it feels real as .

Baekhyun patiently feeds him, and he doesn’t look nervous at all, unlike Chanyeol who almost missed the spoon few times. Once Chanyeol miraculously finishes the porridge, Baekhyun looks pretty pleased and he helps Chanyeol to drink the medicine by handling the water glass, then he makes Chanyeol lays comfortably and wears another fever patch again.

“I’ll leave you now,” he says, ready to get up from the bed, but Chanyeol’s hand is faster as its already holding onto Baekhyun’s wrist. Faster than his mind as he wonders what he should say.

“Um, will you stay? For a bit?”

Baekhyun looks genuinely surprised, but then the lovely smile reappears on his face, making Chanyeol curse inside at how it makes his heart does a flip.

“Okay, but you should go back to sleep.”

It doesn’t make sense that Chanyeol should sleep again when he’s already dreaming right now, but he can’t find himself saying no to Baekhyun, so the last thing Chanyeol remembers before he closes his eyes and everything turns black is Baekhyun’s warm heat under his fingertip and he doesn’t want to let go.

By the time Chanyeol wakes up the next morning, he blinks away the drowsiness and glances to the clock at the top of bedside table and curse loudly almost immediately. He’s late to his work!

He gets up right away and takes big steps out of the room, but before he can go to the bathroom, he heard someone calling daddy! and turns his head to see his son runs towards him. As if his body moves automatically, he crouches down and opens his arms so Jiwon can dive right into his arms. His son giggles happily as he wraps him in big hug, before he tries to wiggles out.

“Daddy, are you okay now? Not sick?”

Right, he forgot that he was pretty sick yesterday. He’s still feeling lightheaded, but obviously better.

“Yeah, I’m okay now.”

“Then we should tell Doctor Baekhyun!”

Chanyeol scrunches his forehead. “Doctor Baekhyun? Why?”

“Because he was here yesterday and he helped daddy feeling better!”

Chanyeol’s still trying to let the words sink in when Kyungsoo appears wearing an apron, probably just done cooking breakfast. “Oh, you woke up already? I’d already called your office so you got a day off today –”

“Baby, Daddy needs to talk to Kyungsoo hyung for a minute, will you wait on the dining room?” Jiwon nods and Chanyeol quickly pulls Kyungsoo towards the room. As he closes the door, he leans his back on it and watching Kyungsoo looking at him questioningly.

“Are you okay?”

Chanyeol shakes his head. “No, it just – Jiwon said Doctor Baekhyun was here yesterday? What kind of joke is that?”

“But it’s the truth though?”

“What?”

“He was here yesterday – Doctor Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo answers. “We met him yesterday when I went to buy your medicines and Jiwon kinds of begged him to come home with us and checked on you?”

The lack of answer from Chanyeol makes Kyungsoo’s eyes widen. “Don’t tell me you did something to him?”

Chanyeol brings his palm up to his face and groans into it. “I don’t know, this is too much information to take.”

If Chanyeol being honest to himself, there’s nothing that can explain how his feeling right now except it feels mindblowing.

He thought that there’s no way Baekhyun would appear on his room out of nowhere, and taking care of him on top of that. He thought it’s only a dream that he should cherish because it won’t come again, but he wasn’t dreaming.

Baekhyun was there, feeding him and not letting go of Chanyeol’s hold.

He groans some more and he feels Kyungsoo’s hand patting his back.

“Is he the one that you like? The one that gave you the recipe?” he asks.

Kyungsoo already knew him since forever, and there’s no way Chanyeol can fool him any longer. He simply nods and peeks through his fingers to see his friend’s reaction, which earns him a view of smiling Kyungsoo.

“Why are you smiling?”

He shrughs. “I’m just happy. I mean, you haven’t date anyone since you have Jiwon and he obviously likes you too.”

“He’s not, okay?” Chanyeol says. “He’s just a good doctor who does his job.”

“To the point of coming to his patient’s house to take care of his parent?”

“You said Jiwon begged him to? There’s no one who can say no to Park Jiwon.” Chanyeol can’t help to cringe at how bitter he sounds, and Kyungsoo sighs heavily beside him.

“What did Baekhyun do to you last night?”

“It’s nothing. He just help to feed me and change my fever patch.” Chanyeol already feels Kyungsoo’s intimidating stare on him. “And I thought it was a dream, so I asked him to stay longer and I held onto his hand.”

If Kyungsoo looks like judging him seconds ago, now he totally looks like he wants to kill Chanyeol on the spot.

“You piece of , are you an idiot or are you an idiot?!” he yells at him.

Chanyeol, a nearly two meter guy who always been scared of his shorter friend, simply cower and mumbles an apology under his breath without thinking.

“He likes you, okay? He wouldn’t waver just because his adorable patient asks him to check on his parent, and he wouldn’t do anything that he did to you yesterday just because he’s doing his job as a ‘good doctor’.” Kyungsoo makes a quoting hand movement. “Beside he left his number for you.”

That got Chanyeol’s voice goes two notes higher. “He what?!”

Kyungsoo snorts. “To be honest I didn’t want to give it to you because you’re being negative and oblivious , but he must be waiting for your call right now, so go make a call and quit being stupid already. I’ll go have breakfast with Jiwon first, you can join later.”

He roughly shoves a small piece of paper to Chanyeol’s chest and leaves right away. Chanyeol sees a scribble of number on it and his heart starts thumping loudly that he pretty sure if Kyungsoo’s still standing beside him, he surely will hear it.

He scrambles through his desk to find his phone, and once he finds it, he dials the number before he can regret it. As he waits through the rings, his heart doesn’t stop beating so fast that he afraid that he will get a heart attack soon.

Just before he decides to hang up and try to call again later, the line across him picks up and he hears a soft, “Good morning, this is Doctor Baekhyun speaking.”

Chanyeol doesn’t have to see his reflection on the mirror to see that he’s probably gaping like a fish out of water right now. “Um, this is Park Chanyeol, do you remember me? I’m Park Jiwon’s dad and you came to my house yesterday?”

“Oh, I remember! Chanyeol-ssi, how are you feeling? Better?”

Chanyeol feels a gentle tug on his heart at how genuine Baekhyun sounds. “Much better than before, thanks to you. I’m sorry that my son asked you to come yesterday.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m the one who intruded into your house without your concern, I’m sorry.”

“The battle of saying sorry,” Chanyeol says, which earns him a laughter from across the line. “But let me treat you to something, for taking care of me.”

The words just slide off from Chanyeol’s mouth without him having control over it. He almost take it back as Baekhyun answers, “But I don’t want to trouble you.”

Maybe it’s the right time for Baekhyun to finally reveals that he’s secretly an angel coming down to earth on mission to spread happiness, because Chanyeol swears he sounds like one.

“It’s more like I’m the one who trouble you more,” he says. “Just one dinner, whenever you are free?”

When Baekhyun says okay I’ll call you again later and Chanyeol is hopping around happily, Jiwon who happens to open the door at the same time only looks at him with adorably confused face.

“I thought you said they have a good improvement?” Jongin bluntly asks as he sits beside Kyungsoo on the dining table, ready to dig the breakfast in front of him. He just went back from his job late at night so he couldn’t greet Chanyeol and Jiwon who stayed the night on their apartment. His boyfriend already told him what happened when he was away, so he was expecting to see Chanyeol with annoyingly in love kind of face but instead, his friend, who sits across them munching his food slowly, looks nothing like his expectation.

“Apparently the cute doctor doesn’t reply to his messages often because he’s busy, but he insists it’s because he’s not interested with him,” Kyungsoo answer not so subtle either, but Chanyeol ignores it.

Jongin sighs heavily. “Hyung, you know it’s not true.”

Chanyeol shrughs. “I don’t know.”

Kyungsoo looks like he almost lose his temper right there, but Jongin is faster as he holds his boyfriend’s hand and asks, “Well, he is a replacement for Seulgi, so I bet he has a lot on his hands, either her patients or his. Beside he said he will call when he’s free, isn’t that a good sign?”

Chanyeol groans suddenly. “I don’t know, Jongin-ah. It’s been a week and he’s still busy, I don’t think he’ll call me anytime soon.”

At the same time, Chanyeol’s phone lights up and vibrates on top of the table and Chanyeol snatches it right away. “Hello?”

“Chanyeol-ssi? Are you busy right now?”

“No no, Baekhyun-ssi, I’m not.” Chanyeol gets up from his seat and walks to the living room, away from eavesdropping ears. “You?”

“Hm, kinds of actually.”

“Oh, then why are you calling me?” Chanyeol asks, trying to mask his disappoinment.

“Well, remember when you said you’ll treat me whenever I’m free?”

Chanyeol doesn’t know how Baekhyun can bring his mood up and down so fast, but he’s trying to get his hope high as he asks back, “Yeah, why?”

“I’m free tomorrow so we can have dinner? If you’re not busy of course.”

“I’m not!” he covers his mouth for a moment, blaming his excitement that already pouring out. “Where do you want to go?”

“There’s a Japanese restaurant near the hospital and it’s really good, what do you think?”

“No problem, I like Japanese food anyway. Oh, I’ll pick you up then.”

There’s a small gasp from the other line. “You can’t! I can go there by myself.”

Chanyeol chuckles. “It’s okay. Beside it’s easier that way.”

It takes even longer for Baekhyun to take his offer than before, but eventually he gives up and tells Chanyeol when he can pick him up at the hospital.

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow, Baekhyun-ssi.”

“See you tomorrow, Chanyeol-ssi.”

Baekhyun is the first to hang up, leaving Chanyeol doing a silent air punch, not realizing both of his friend are watching him in amusement and Jongin might have recorded all of it. (One day, he’s going to blackmail Chanyeol using that.)

“Do I look good?”

Jiwon is the one answering in high excitement. “Daddy is always look good!”

“Thank you, baby,” Chanyeol coos. He must be a saint in previous life to have such a cute son like Jiwon.

“Hate to say this but you are, hyung,” Jongin grins at him cheekily, as if he’s trying to calm Chanyeol’s nerve.

Chanyeol haven’t gone to date for years, but he prays that his white shirt along with grey sweater and long coat, will save him a good impression. He sprays a little colognes over here and there, then brushes his hair again because there’s no harm with being thorough. Hopefully it won’t look like he’s trying too hard.

“Don’t tell him your lame joke,” Kyungsoo warns him.

“Or the story when you dyed your hair red and screaming when you woke up and thought the red on your pillow is blood,” Jongin adds.

Chanyeol groans. “There’s no way I’m gonna embarrass myself like that.”

“Just in case your mouth is running faster than your brain,” Kyungsoo laughs. “Go get your cute doctor.”

“I’m the only one who can call him cute.”

“Oho, being territorial already?” Jongin teases.

Chanyeol huffs, a little bit annoyed with how Kyungsoo and Jongin can push him to his edge easily. He quickly puts on his pair of black slack and turns around to look at his son, who clings to Jongin’s leg. He takes a step closer and so does Jiwon, until both of them are hugging each other.

He kisses Jiwon’s cheeks before he stands up and walks out of the door. “I’ll see you later, baby.”

Jiwon’s cheerful smile gives a boost to Chanyeol’s courage as he feels less nervous and more confident when he drives to the hospital. He sends a text to Baekhyun to let him know that he’s almost there, and the other replies to him that he’s gonna wait on the lobby.

Chanyeol recognizes Baekhyun as he about to pass the lobby and he can’t be more thankful that he chose to dress up today because Baekhyun looks so good. Baekhyun wears a stripe, white button down shirt with a jeans that hugging his legs perfectly and Chanyeol can’t help to swoon at the sight. There’s a coat hanging on his arm and a leather messenger bag slings on his shoulder.

He pulls over right in front of Baekhyun and opens the door from inside. “Hop in,” he says, flashing his best smile as Baekhyun glances up to him. The latter quickly get into the passenger seat, his bag and coat on his laps. He puts on the seat belt by himself and it’s the cue for Chanyeol to drive to their destination.

“I’m sorry I made you wait,” Chanyeol says. He’s quite proud at how steady he sounds like because he already feels the needs to puke from nervousness.

“It’s okay, I didn’t wait that long,”

They talk a bit, mostly about trivial things like Chanyeol asking how is Baekhyun day (“It’s a little bit busy, but I met this cute kids who give me candy as a thank you!”) and Baekhyun asking how he should address Chanyeol as (“We are the same age! We should just calling each other with name, is that okay?”).

Less than ten minutes and Chanyeol already feels comfortable around Baekhyun. He’s an easy going guy and talks a lot, just like Chanyeol, and he may have fall a little bit more because of that.

Once they arrive at the parking lot, Chanyeol quickly parks in the empty space and he doesn’t forget to open the door for Baekhyun. The latter looks surprise but he eventually smiles while saying thank you, so it’s all good.

The place they agreed on a day before is packed with people, mostly have to do with the fact it’s a quite famous place and they come on weekend, but they manage to find a table for two people.

“Why all of these look good?” Chanyeol may have drooling a bit while scanning through the menu, Baekhyun only laughs in return.

They settle with each different food sets and the waiter leaves the table once she’s done taking their order.

“So, you have your own interior design firm,” Baekhyun resumes their last conversation, “That’s really cool.”

“But it’s not a big one.”

“Yet. And maybe later you can make me something for my office,” Baekhyun adds.

“What do you want? I can give you a discount.”

“Can you make me a swing inside the room?”

Chanyeol snickers. “You want a swing inside your office, where you gonna examine your patient.”

“What? It’s a good idea! Children tend to be afraid of doctor so I don’t want the room to give up scary vibe.”

“More like they won’t leave your office forever.” Baekhyun laughs a little too loud for that, making people around looking at them almost immediately, making him covers his mouth with his palm and shrinking on his seat. He looks too adorable to be true and there’s no way Chanyeol doesn’t melt over it.

The waiter comes back with their drinks and walks away again, leaving Chanyeol and Baekhyun to continue their conversation. It goes left then right, to random things such as their hobbies and things they dislike, to serious matter like what their goals on the future and hidden passion that they used to have.

“I used to sing a lot, and I grew up thinking that I would be a singer. I had this band when all of us had the same dream to be able to perform on the stage, but sadly it didn’t work out that way.” Baekhyun sighs. “But well, I’m not exactly regretting my decision either. I’m still happy, and I’m still singing eventhough it’s only for hobby.”

Chanyeol nods his head, agrees with his words. “I had a band too when I was in high school and we were together until college. Only one of us who became a singer though.”

“Oh really? Who? Is he popular now?”

“Kinds of.” Chanyeol laughs. “Do you know Kim Jongdae?”

Baekhyun gasps. “No way.”

Amusement dances on Chanyeol’s lips as he smiles. “Yes way.”

“You don’t happen to be friend with one of the most successful singer on our generation! I have two of his albums!”

“Yes way,” Chanyeol repeats, his body shaking from holding his laugh back. Baekhyun looks totally shock with his mouth is hanging open and he seems to stop breathing for a moment.

“You need to get me his signature or, oh, you can get me his concert’s ticket! It’s really hard to get them nowadays because it’s sold out after seconds! Do you believe that?”

“Okay okay, but really, Jongdae is not that great, y’know? He used to have this middle-parted hair and bad perms on high school, and he thought he looked cool like that.” Chanyeol prays that Jongdae wouldn’t be mad at him for bad mouthing him because there’s a tug on his heart when Baekhyun talks about his friend. Is this what you called jealousy? He wonders.

“Hm, I know.” He gestures Chanyeol to lean closer so he does it. “Keep it a secret, but I used to dye my hair pink on college.”

Chanyeol gives him a look. “No way.”

Baekhyun shrugs. “Not exactly a good memories for me either.”

Screw Jongin and his warning, Chanyeol thought. “Are you gonna feel better if I tell you I used to dye my hair red?”

Baekhyun blinks. “How did it go?”

“Awful,” Chanyeol admits. “Almost got a heart attack a day after I dyed it. Seriously thought the red on my pillow is a blood.”

Baekhyun lost it right there, his laughing are uncontrolled at first until it subsides to a small giggle. It’s probably one of the cutest thing Chanyeol ever heard.

The waiter backs again with their food this time, and they stay in silence as they start digging their dinner. Chanyeol feels it as a comfortable silence for him, and he hopes Baekhyun thinks the same too.

They talk a little while eating but it abruptly stops as Chanyeol takes of his coat as he feels it’s a little bit too hot. So much for trying to impress Baekhyun when he’s not used to layering clothes.

There’s some muttering on his back but he ignores it as he continues eating. When he catches Baekhyun looking at him, he decides to ask, “What?”

Baekhyun shakes his head. “Nothing, I’m just wondering if you’re being oblivious or pretending not to know there’s some girls constantly looking at you right now.”

“Huh? Where?”

“Behind us, but don’t be too obvious –”

Chanyeol turns his head around, not quiet listening to Baekhyun’s words, and he sees group of girls sitting on the same table. Some look away because they are caught watching, while there’s a girl that brave enough to shoot him a smile and winks. Chanyeol doesn’t know what to do, so he turns his face away and meets Baekhyun’s amused face.

“Way to go, Mr. Popular,” he says. “You managed to steal some attention tonight.”

It doesn’t matter for Chanyeol whether some girls are ogling him or not, because his one and only mission tonight is leaving a good impression to Baekhyun and scores a second date, or whatever they gonna have later.

Of course his dumb mouth can’t stay shut at times like this because instead of some smart yet snarky comments, he mutters, “Doesn’t matter, I’m gay anyway.”

Baekhyun coughs almost immediately.

“You, what?” he asks, after drinking some water and takes a breath.

Chanyeol blinks. “I thought I’d already look that way?”

“But how about Jiwon? Aren’t you married?” Baekhyun asks.

Hearing the question, Chanyeol hesitates. He doesn’t talk about Jiwon to people other than his close friends, not because he’s avoiding it but it’s easier that way. It’s also something personal to him, so it adds up to the list, but he finds himself wanting to tell Baekhyun about it. There’s a familiar feeling of Baekhyun although he’s only getting to know him today, something that reminds him with warm and cozy feeling of home, or when Jiwon steps outside the bath and he smells great, it’s all remind him of all things that he holds close to his heart.

Chanyeol realizes that he’s falling deeper and he doesn’t know if there’s someone who gonna catch him or not, but he’s gonna enjoy this feeling first and deals with it later.

So he takes out his wallet and shows Baekhyun a photo of him with a woman, small Jiwon on her arms.

“This is my sister,” he says, watching how Baekhyun’s expression changing from one to another until it clicks.

“Jiwon is not you real son?”

Chanyeol nods. “He was my sister’s son, but few months after he was born, my sister and his husband got into car accident and passed away.”

Baekhyun gasps. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs.

“No no, it’s okay. There’s nothing we can do about it and eventhough it was hard, we need to move on.” Chanyeol remembers how many days he felt devastated, his parents cried a river and it affected Jiwon in some way. He might not understand what happened, but he could feel that his parents were no longer there anymore.

It was when he slept together with Jiwon on his side, sleeping quietly after rounds of crying, and his small hand clinging to Chanyeol’s finger that he knew what to do.

Chanyeol was barely standing on his own feet, still not sure if he’s gonna be a good adult, when he decided that he would be Jiwon’s dad.

It was hard at first. He had zero knowledge about parenting, but there’s a lot people that helped him went through it. He knows that at some points, they are proud with him and everything’s work out in the end.

“Does he know?” Baekhyun asks.

“No, but he will, just not now. Once he’s big enough to understand, I’ll tell him,” Chanyeol answers.

Baekhyun smiles, and Chanyeol’s heart swells at that. “I hope you know that you do a great job raising him.”

“Yeah, I know. I just hope he doesn’t mind having a gay dad,” Chanyeol says jokingly, although there’s a big chance that he’s not gonna take it bad because they have Kyungsoo and Jongin hanging with them.

“He’s not,” Baekhyun says. There’s something that Chanyeol can’t read from Baekhyun’s expression, but he doesn’t dwell on it.

Their dinner proceed smoothly as they change their topic to something else and brings back the light and warm atmosphere. Two empty plates and two full stomachs later, they pay for their bill and there’s a small argument where Baekhyun insists that he pays for his food and Chanyeol keep reminding him that he already said that he treated him before. Chanyeol wins.

They walk to the parking lot side by side and the distance getting less and less to the point where Chanyeol can take Baekhyun’s hand to his. He tells himself that he should do that before they reached his car, but his hand trembles and sweating like crazy no matter how many times he wipes it on his pants and he missed the opportunity as his car appears in front of them.

He dwells on his regret but doesn’t forget to opens the door for Baekhyun, which the latter accepts then he hops into the driver seat quickly.

Their way home is full with silence and acoustic songs from late night radios segment. Chanyeol assumes Baekhyun must be tired right now and it’s okay if he doesn’t talk because he’s not gonna force him to do it.

They arrives at Baekhyun’s apartement and Chanyeol drives to the underground parking lot as Baekhyun asks.

“Thank you for tonight, I had a good time,” Baekhyun says. “But sorry if I asked some personal questions though.”

Chanyeol lets out an airy laugh. “It’s okay, I had a good time too so no worries.”

The air between them suddenly shift into a heavy one, like both are wondering what they should do right now. Shake hands? Fist bumping? Or hugging, although Chanyeol’s not sure if Baekhyun feels that way toward him?

In the end, they do none of it as Baekhyun says thank you once again before he’s out from the car, leaving Chanyeol alone.

He almost goes home but then he questions himself, Are you gonna leave just like that? Not getting a kiss on the cheeks, or the chance to hold his hand? Or at least expressed that you’re interested with him and this is actually the first date and if he likes you back is he willing to have the second one later?

And he finds himself answering, No, I’m not.

He must be looking like a main character from shoujo manga, running after his crush like a mad man and he should have been ashamed of how his heart is thumping loud and so alive, his head is full with flowers field, and everything sounds cheesy and not so him, but once he sees Baekhyun standing in front of the elevator still looking as pretty as he remembers, he doesn’t mind it at all.

“Baekhyun!” he calls, just before Baekhyun steps inside the elevator.

A little bit startled, Baekhyun stops and turns his head to Chanyeol.

“Hey, what happened? Did I leave something on your car?” he asks.

Chanyeol shakes his head. “No, but there’s something that I forgot to tell you.”

It seems to perk up Baekhyun’s interest. “What is it?”

His mouth suddenly feels dry and he hasn’t think of what he should say, but he goes with his feeling when he looks right into Baekhyun’s eyes and says, “I don’t know about you, but I really, really like you. And I want to ask if you want to have another dinner, or lunch or anything again later, but it’s also okay if you don’t like me and we’re hanging out not as a date –”

He doesn’t get to finish it as Baekhyun launches toward him and hugs him tightly. He buries his face on Chanyeol’s chest, mumbling something that Chanyeol can’t hear clearly.

“What did you say?”

He looks up to Chanyeol, rosy cheeks yet his eyes glaring at him. “I thought you didn’t like me!”

Chanyeol grins, hugging back as tight as Baekhyun does. “There’s no way someone doesn’t like you when you are this pretty, and kind, and sweet, and so on because the list is so long.”

Baekhyun doesn’t say anything and hides his face again on Chanyeol’s chest. Chanyeol can smell his shampoo as he buries his face on his hair and kisses the crown of his head. He doesn’t need to see that Baekhyun’s probably redder than before, because he also feels one level warmer.

“Hey.”Chanyeol hums. “I really, really like you too. And I’m in for more dates.”

Chanyeol grins.

“Is it include holding hands?”

Baekhyun nods.

“And hugging?”

Another nods.

“How about kissing?” He feels Baekhyun freezes on his arm. He looks up to him again, still with flush cheeks. “Is it too fast?”

“No, it’s actually okay if you do that now,” he answers rather shyly.

So Chanyeol does that. He cups Baekhyun cheeks and bend forward to meet Baekhyun’s lips. There’s thousand description out there that explain how a kiss feels, like how it feels like there’s fireworks around you and inside you as well, or how you are flying to the highest point of the universe when your feet are still on the ground, but the kiss with Baekhyun just feel… right.

Chanyeol smiles to the kiss. Yes, feels right.

From : Kim Jongdae

congrats on getting laid ★⌒(●ゝω・)ｂ