Wu Fan and Chanyeol finally arrive at their house after dropping Luhan off at his own house.  It was a long car ride so they are both incredibly relieved when they trudge towards the house. Midway, Wu Fan stops unexpectedly, puzzling Chanyeol who bumps into him.  “What it is, Wu Fan?” he questions.

He peers to the front entrance to see his grandmother standing by the doorway. “Granny!” he yelps as he runs up to hug her. “I’ve missed you!”

She hugs him back and laughs cheerily. “You haven’t been home and you never call. I was worried.”

“Don’t be worried, Granny. Wu Fan takes good care of me,” he assures with a frantically bobbing head. “Don’t you, Wu Fan?”

Wu Fan clears his throat and mumbles ‘shut it’ and Chanyeol’s grandmother responds with more affectionate laughter.

“It’s cold. Please come inside,” Wu Fan offers. He goes to reach for the door knob, but soon jolts in surprise when he realizes it is unlocked. He pushes the door and hurries instead. There, in the living room, sat Chanyeol’s parents.

“.”

Chanyeol follows and is welcomed to the same surprise. His father is first to notice them and he gets up to bow and greet them. “Sorry for the intrusion, Wu Fan, but you weren’t home and we have been waiting outside for quite some time.”

The grandmother reaches for Wu Fan’s hand and places the spare key into his palm. “You should keep your spare key in a less obvious hiding place,” she advises.

“Sit down, please,” Mr. Park continues to speak.

Wu Fan obeys, sitting down silently on the opposite couch, and Chanyeol sits right beside him. Chanyeol looks nervous, but Wu Fan looks infinitely more nervous with his widened eyes and fidgeting palms. He has never seen him look so anxious. “W-would you like something to drink?” Chanyeol tries to break the awkward tranquility of the room.

“You speak as if this is your house,” he father answers. “You were gone for so long, I was wondering what you were up to.”

 “Sorry, Dad,” Chanyeol apologizes as he hangs his head low in shame.

His father nods in his direction before putting full focus on Wu Fan. “We are here today because my wife told me something pretty interesting just a few days ago.”

“Without us?” Chanyeol whispers to himself, but his mother hears and answers him.

“I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to take responsibility for myself and not always have to rely on my children to guide me through everything.”

Wu Fan’s mouth hangs slightly at her bold words. After all, she has just referred to him as her child in front of her husband. And even stranger still, her husband is far too serene in the face for Wu Fan’s understanding.

“You know…and you’re fine with this?” Wu Fan finally speaks up.

Mr. Park laughs. “Of course not. Is there anyone that would be? To be quite honest, my wife and I have been at ends with each other the past week. Marriage counseling is a definite thing at the moment. Nothing has been easily thus far.”

Chanyeol buries his face into his palms. “I’m…so sorry.”

“Don’t be, son. Your mother and I are going to marriage counseling because we want to make this work. We still want to be together. The fact that your mother kept such a big secret hidden from me is a very serious issue, but it is something that we cannot change. All we can do is try to overcome it and make amends.”

Mr. Park rummages through the brief case by his feet and pulls out a large, manila envelope. He pushes it across the coffee table. “For you, Wu Fan.”

Wu Fan eyes it suspiciously and he hesitantly picks it up. He opens the seal and pulls out a crisp document. He starts reading a few lines before his eyes bulge and his posture straightens. “Y-you want to adopt me?” his voice cracks.

Chanyeol’s back aligns as well. “DAD?!”

“If my wife says that you are her rightful son, I have no need for a blood test. I trust that you are her biological son and since that is the case, it is only right that you become my son as well.”

Wu Fan recollects his thoughts in a few minutes. Chanyeol’s eyes do not waver from Wu Fan as he anticipates his answer. Finally, Wu Fan looks up and wears a subtle smile. He slips the paper back into the manila envelope and pushes it across the table. “With all due respect, sir, I am not an orphan. My father still has full custody of me an-”

“I talked to your father,” his mother interrupts. “I asked him for full custody. And he told me that he could give you to me if that is what you want.”

Wu Fan is left speechless once more and Chanyeol taps him by the shoulder and smiles brightly. Chanyeol’s eyes are glistening with what Wu Fan assumes to be happy tears. Wu Fan inhales deeply before pushing the envelope even further away from him. “Although I truly appreciate the offer and it makes me extremely happy…I still must decline.”

“Wu Fan!” his mother gasps. Mr. Park pats her hand and smiles at Wu Fan. “I understand.”

He puts the envelope back into his brief case and gets up, bowing a full 90 degrees before holding Wu Fan by the shoulders. “Until next time, Wu Fan. And son, I want you home by this weekend.”

“Y-yes, Dad.”

He bows once more before heading out the door.

“Are you sure?” his mother stops and asks before following her husband.

“I’m sure.”

She sighs sadly, but she nods to convey for understanding. “Goodbye. Dinner this weekend,” she commands.

Wu Fan and Chanyeol smiles, saluting her before she waves them goodbye. Chanyeol’s grandmother is last to leave. She is delayed even further when Chanyeol rushes to tackle her with a hug. “Granny! I was so nervous!”

She pats his shoulder and smiles. “You know you had nothing to worry about. Your father is the good man that I raised him to be.”

She walks over to Wu Fan and pats his shoulder. “Chanyeol’s father is a lot like you. A good boy with a strong head on his shoulders.”

Wu Fan takes it as a compliment and chuckles. “Really?”

“Yes. A real hopeless romantic too. I remember when you were just six years old, you always said you were going to marry Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol snorts obnoxiously and Wu Fan elbows him the stomach. It leaves the grandmother laughing before she leaves as well with her last words “Take care you two.”

Wu Fan closes the front door and exhales. “That ended…surprisingly well.”

Chanyeol staggers up to the couch, holding in his stomach, and whining in pain. “More or less,” he mumbles sarcastically.

Wu Fan rolls his eyes, trying to hide the concern he actually felt at that moment. “I didn’t hit you that hard.”

Chanyeol hunches over and exaggerates his whines. “Hurts, Wu Fan. Carry me upstairs.”

“You’re too heavy.”

“Please?”

Wu Fan curses internally because he just cannot object him. Wu Fan gets on his knees, back facing Chanyeol, and mumbles. “Get on.”

“Carry me bridal style.”

“Pushing it.”

“Sorry,” Chanyeol jokes before climbing on top of Wu Fan’s sturdy back. Wu Fan starts making his way up the staircase with a very heavy Chanyeol on his back, who’s practically choking him to death because his arms are wrapped too tight. “Why didn’t you accept my dad’s offer? Don’t you want to be part of my family?”

Wu Fan stops halfway on the staircase. “Do you want me to be your brother?”

Chanyeol giggles, nuzzling his head into the nape of Wu Fan’s neck. “No way.”

Wu Fan smiles as he proceeds his pacing. “Me neither.”

The both of them get ready for bed as soon as they reach the bedroom. It is a typical night where Chanyeol heads to bed first and awaits for Wu Fan to finish applying his three layers of moisturizers before he joins him. Wu Fan is so tired that he immediately collapses on the bed and shuts his eyes. Chanyeol shuts off the light for him and does not sleep immediately. “Wu Fan?” he calls to him, scooter closer.

“Uh huh?”

“Hug me.”

Even if he is excruciatingly tired, Wu Fan wraps his arms across the other, pulling him close so that he may be nestled within his arms. They are so close that Wu Fan’s distinctive scent is strong. Chanyeol tries to pull himself even closer because Wu Fan’s scent is one of the things he looks forward to every night when they fall asleep. “Wu Fan? I’m sorry.”

Wu Fan is deep asleep, apparent in his regular breathing and shut eyes, but Chanyeol continues anyways.

“I’m sorry because bad things are going to happen. It is because of who we are and what school we go to that those bad things are going to happen. So that means that you have been hurt because of me in the past, and you will continue to be hurt because of me in the near future as well.

 If I have never existed, you could have had eternal happiness, Wu Fan. Your mom would have never met my dad and your family would still be whole. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have developed such a superiority complex in school as well. I’m sure you could have had a good time in school. You could’ve met a nice girl. And then you’d be able to settle down, take over your family business, and start a family of your own as well. Things I think you can no longer obtain because of me. Things you can no longer obtain… because you’ve fallen in love with me.

What’s worse, I am fully aware that I’m keeping you from your fullest potential, but I’m going to ignore what I know is best for you. I’m going to be selfish and do what I want. And all I really want is to be with you. I can’t help but want you, Wu Fan. I can’t help myself… because I love you. I’m hopelessly in love you.”

Wu Fan is sound asleep. But even in his sleep, he pets Chanyeol’s hair and pulls him even deeper into his embrace.

“Can I be selfish and stay with you for the rest of our lives?”

The next chapter will be up in a few hours ! Wait for me ! :3 

I want to make it perfect so it'll take a few more hours then expected, but it'll be up soon, promiseee~