There were only a few months of school left, but it was still enough time to enroll. Baekhyun though, decided against it. He had talked to Chanyeol, or rather, Chanyeol talked him into taking cooking classes while Chanyeol returned to making movies. It was a lot better than the stress of the music work that Baekhyun had been doing, and when Chanyeol got home he would have home cooked food to eat while he did his homework. The drone of daily life was back in full swing, but it was comforting and the two missed it more than they realized.

               They frequently visited Sehun and Luhan, who were both busy with school too, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t find time to hang out. They all were there mostly to encourage Luhan, who managed to be accepted for the spring semester. He was going to take summer courses to catch up, and everyone was okay with that.

               Baekhyun still worked some evenings at the mart where he and Chanyeol would get ICEEs earlier in their relationship, and anytime someone bought one, just a solid blue, Baekhyun would give them a discount unbeknownst to the manager. It always managed to give him a smile on his face, and one grew even bigger when as the weeks went by, he would see the other boys from his trainee days flourish in and actually treat him like a human being. The one he was most happy to see was Suho, who walked in one spring evening with his coat wrapped tightly around him. The wind was whipping all around which made it hard to shut the door, but with all his might, he managed to get it closed with a little chime from the bell.

               “Suho?” Baekhyun asked, looking through squinted eyes at the boy whose face was partially covered from the jacket. He pulled it away and smiled to him, giving a small wave and approaching the counter.

               “Long time no see, Baekhyun. It’s been what, three months?” Suho asked, and Baekhyun looked genuinely surprised as he tightened his apron around the back.

               “Is it really March already?” he asked, and Suho chuckled, nodding and taking a step back to begin wandering around the store. Since they were the only ones in there, he spoke above the shelves so Baekhyun could hear him.

               “How have you and the boyfriend been doing?” he asked, picking out a tea from the fridge and then going to grab some popcorn and candy. Baekhyun smiled.

               “We’ve been doing fine. He’s back in school and I’m taking some cooking classes. I’ve been thinking about switching from music theory to culinary school, but it’s a hard decision. I’m already really good in both, but now it’s a matter of what has the most jobs open.” he said, and Suho hummed.

               “Shouldn’t it be about what makes you happy? Anyways, I’ve been here and there. I’ve been doing the doctor stuff like I told you last, and I’ve been in contact with a few of the other boys. Believe it or not, Chen was the only one who hasn’t dropped out of training yet. I last heard Yixing was doing automotive stuff and Kai went on to a classical dance school. Tao is doing martial arts or something and Kris is trying to dabble in art, even though he at drawing.” he said, laughing. Suho put all of his stuff on the counter and leaned on it.

               “Tell me, how are Sehun and Luhan doing?” he asked, and Baekhyun grinned.

               “They’re doing just fine. Sehun is still an undecided major while Luhan picked up some business classes. It’s nice to see them both working hard as ever, and they’re both happy. Sehun seems to have a lot more life in him actually. You know how he always had this bored expression on his face?” Baekhyun asked, mimicking it. Suho laughed and Baekhyun smiled at him, picking up his items and scanning them.

               “He smiles a lot more. Luhan too. His skin has more color if that’s even a thing. He’s still lily white, but he glows as opposed to just looking like a ghost.”

               Baekhyun bagged up Suho’s drink and food items and rang up the total. Suho pulled some cash out of his wallet and the usual exchanges of money was done and then the older male was handed his bag, but Baekhyun didn’t let go and they looked each other in the eyes.

               “Do you think I’ll see you again?” Baekhyun asked to Suho, who always seemed a little out of reach to him. He was mysterious in a way, and he seemed to know a lot of stuff that Baekhyun wouldn’t otherwise care about, but since it came from him, it was like poetry. Suho smiled peacefully, and Baekhyun felt this sense of harmony inside of him.

               “Look for me around. I’ll be here when you need me, which I hope isn’t too often. If you ever want a good heart to heart chat, just make a sandwich and I’ll be at your door. I’m kind of like a genie.” he joked, and then he did a little dance from a popular song of the same name. Baekhyun laughed at him and let go of the bag, leaving Suho to turn around, throw up his hand and wave. Baekhyun watched him get into his car and drive away, and he thought he should have gotten his number, but he was more focused on the fear that if he were to actually make a sandwich and think of Suho, he would appear. How would that even work?

               Luhan and Sehun’s birthday were fast approaching, and so was Baekhyun’s shortly after, leaving Chanyeol in a mess to plan some parties and hope he could get everyone off of work and maybe put down their homework for a night. He thought about making it on a weekend since there wouldn’t be school, but he was scared that Baekhyun would have work, and no matter how many times he asked Baekhyun to check the schedule, it never was posted that far in advance. He desperately wanted to have a combined party for all three of them so on their designated days they could be alone, but he also was just being selfish maybe and wanted to give Baekhyun some solid birthday . He giggled and but the end of his pen like a schoolgirl.

               He went back to being stone faced in front of the table and with a pen in hand and pad of paper in front of him. The only thing written down on it was balloons and beer, and even then, one of the people there couldn’t drink until his birthday, which he guessed he might make it after the date, but he knew then everyone would be so focused on Luhan’s birthday which was just eight days later. He dropped the pen on the table and rested his head on it too, letting out a sigh and then side eyeing his backpack. Baekhyun wasn’t getting off work until late, so he might as well finish his homework.

               He pulled it out, looking at it with frustration, but getting it done with ease. Ever since Jongup had left for training, the place had been way too quiet. Jongup’s parents had dropped by to get his stuff, but a few things remained here and there like a book he bought or a gift from his girlfriend that was hung up on the wall. She had even given Chanyeol a bracelet once and it sat on his bedside since he really only wore a watch and everything else irritated him. He remembered how cute she was when she gave it to him and he giggled.

               Jongup’s company was a lot more lenient when it came to communication, so no matter what the situation was, Jongup and his girlfriend could still call and chatter, even if the other members made fun of him for it. He had taken the time to call Chanyeol every so often to check up on him and chat, but the conversations were short most of the time and straight to the point and then they would hang up, talk again in another month and then the cycle repeated.

               His roommate’s birthday had gone and went and so did his while he was in training. He was kind of mad he missed the chance to have a nice Christmas or New Years, but it was okay. This year, he was free to do whatever with whoever, and then the thought he kept brushing off crept back into his head. Marriage. He wondered if Baekhyun was going to propose to him, or maybe he should propose to Baekhyun. He didn’t want to rush things, but he also wanted the other boy to know that he really, really did love him. He let out another sigh, solving another problem on his homework and then picking up his phone. He was going to call Sehun over to talk, because if there was one thing he realized, it was that Sehun was a good person to talk to since they were both dealing with high maintenance boyfriends. He laughed to himself and dialed. A few rings later, he picked up.

               “Oh Sehun speaking.” he said right as he picked up. Chanyeol made a face. He sounded like he had been running.

               “Hey, don’t you have caller ID? Anyways, it’s Chanyeol. Are you okay? You sound tired.” he said, and then he put two and two together and he floundered. “Oh my god I’m so sorry I can call you back.” he panicked, and he heard Sehun grunt and Luhan groan. Chanyeol’s face flushed pink.

               “No, it’s fine. We just finished up anyways. What do you need man? Want me to come over?” he asked. Chanyeol hummed, but he still felt like he just interrupted something very important. There was the sound of running water and the small pat of feet on tile, which he assumed that Luhan and Sehun were cleaning up. “I’ll be over in a little bit. Do you need me to bring anything over? Snacks? Something?” he asked, and Chanyeol told him no, and at that, they hung up and Chanyeol hopped up onto the couch and sat back, waiting.

               He wondered to himself how the between Luhan and Sehun went. Luhan seemed really fragile, and he knew he shouldn’t have thought about his friends like that, but it was a healthy curiosity. He knew Baekhyun looked pretty petite but liked being destroyed, and he kind of thought Luhan might like that too, but Sehun seemed like a slow and steady giver. There was the time he remembered Sehun saying that they switched off top and bottom, and he couldn’t imagine Luhan being dominating it all. It was like a Pomeranian to a Labrador. He rolled his eyes and tried to get the image of two dogs humping each other out of his head.

               He thought about maybe keeping out the birthday plans and having Sehun help with them, but he also wanted Sehun’s birthday to be a part of the surprise. He groaned some, knocking the pad of paper off the table and letting it land on the floor, the pen falling along with it. He was tired, but he just wanted to talk to someone, and in less than fifteen minutes, Sehun was over at Chanyeol’s, walking in like he owned the place. Chanyeol didn’t even flinch since it was a normal occurrence. He looked up at Sehun, who had his backpack over his shoulder and a blue ICEE in hand. Chanyeol smirked and sat up. He was handed his drink and took a sip, setting it on the table and making room on the couch, but Sehun took a chair instead.

               “So what’s up? You only want to talk if there’s something bothering you.” Sehun said, and Chanyeol ran his hands through his hair, looking down at the paper on the ground. He leaned over and picked it up, passing it to Sehun and then taking another drink of his ICEE. Sehun stared down at it with a blank expression.

               “I wanted your birthday to be part of the surprise too, but I was so stuck I thought to myself it. Sorry man, but I have no idea what to do. Also, if you want to drink this time around, go ahead. Your birthday is so close anyways it’s not like it matters.” Chanyeol explained, and Sehun nodded, lifting up the page and looking behind it to see if there was anything else written, but there wasn’t. He snorted some and passed the paper back before folding his arms across his chest and leaning back.

               “Let me guess, your first thought was go to the movies, right?” he asked, and Chanyeol’s ears perked up some and then his face fell.

               “Actually, I never thought about that. I was thinking something gay like, I don’t know, a picnic or maybe we could go out to dinner or lunch or something together. Like, I also thought about the zoo or a mall or something like that. Maybe even an amusement park? I don’t know, Sehun, that’s why I called you over.” Chanyeol said, and Sehun nodded, tapping his finger on his chin and scrunching up his nose.

               “An amusement park sounds pretty fun. I haven’t been to one in so long, but I don’t know if Luhan and Baekhyun are afraid of roller coasters or not. I don’t want to go if they’re not going to ride anything.”  he said. “What about a vacation to somewhere? Like, a day trip maybe?”

               “With what money?” Chanyeol asked, and Sehun shrugged. Shot down. The two boy sighed and sank deeper into their chairs, wondering what to do.

               “The picnic idea isn’t a bad one though. There’s a mountain nearby that we could climb and at the top have something to eat. I hear the view up there is really nice and the climb maybe takes thirty minutes, but it’s not bad. With Baekhyun’s newfound cooking skills, surely you’ve picked up on something? You and I could cook it all the night before and then lead them up later.” he offered. Chanyeol huffed.

               “This is your party too. I shouldn’t have asked you to come over, I’m really sorry.” Chanyeol said, and Sehun just waved it off.

               “It’s okay. I know this is the first birthday you’re getting to spend with Baekhyun, and also, can I ask you something?” Sehun asked, and Chanyeol nodded. The younger boy breathed in and shut his eyes slowly, then opened them. “I was thinking, do you think it’s too early to discuss marriage with Luhan? I don’t know if you have with Baekhyun yet, but I mean, I’m 19, but I’m so in love that I’m positive I don’t want to be with anyone else.” he said, touching the ring that’s was around his finger already. “I was thinking about bringing it up on my birthday. I don’t want to scare him away.”

               Chanyeol took in a deep breath and nodded in agreement. “I know how you feel.” he replied, touching his ring finger and not really liking the emptiness. He felt like it should be heavier. He almost asked Sehun if he could see his, but he knew that was something so special to him that he would die with that on his hand and the only way he’d give it away was if someone sawed off his finger. Chanyeol should have asked Baekhyun about the thought so much sooner, but that night, he was going to do it. Whether it ended up good or bad, he was still going to love Baekhyun no matter what.

               Baekhyun got home, and he was tired, but he more worried than anything when he saw Chanyeol on the couch, sitting up and his hands crossed with his elbows propped on his knees. The TV was off, and the place was completely silent. There wasn’t even dinner on the stove.

               “Why are you in my house?” Baekhyun asked, which wasn’t a normal question since Chanyeol had just popped in when he wasn’t home on multiple occasions. The younger male looked up and crossed his legs, moving over on the couch to leave some room for Baekhyun. “What is this about?”

               “Just come and sit.” Chanyeol said seriously, and Baekhyun put down his bag on the floor and walked to the couch and sat down tentatively. “We need to talk about something.” he said, and Baekhyun looked at him like he had committed murder. His hands began to shake and he couldn’t think about Chanyeol acting any differently so he didn’t think they were going to break up, so what was it?

               “I’ve been wondering about where our relationship is going. We’ve been going out for a little less than a year, but I want to know, what do I mean to you, Baekhyun? Because to me, you’re my air, my sun, the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing when I’m about to sleep. I love you more than life itself and I don’t… I don’t want to feel this way if you don’t feel the same way too.”

               “But I do!” Baekhyun yelled, grabbing Chanyeol’s hands and scooting closer to him. “I really do! I don’t think I can imagine a life without you by my side! I want you to be here with me.” Baekhyun replied, and Chanyeol looked him dead in the eyes.

               “But for how long?”

               Chanyeol felt his hands being squeezed, and Baekhyun looked up at him through his bangs. He wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean, but his lips were pouty, and that made Chanyeol’s heart weak.

               “Are you asking about the chance of marriage? I know my birthday is coming up, and if you’re thinking about getting me a ring or something, that’s so, so sweet, but I’m not ready to marry. Not yet. We’re not even a year in and even three years in I don’t know if I’ll be ready to tie the knot. It’s a life changing decision and I’m petrified of the thought.” Baekhyun said. Chanyeol squeezed Baekhyun’s hands back and he looked into his lap, tears falling from his eyes to wet his jeans.

               “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” he said through quiet tears, but Baekhyun pulled him into a hug and his hair, planting a chaste kiss on his head and just holding him. Chanyeol weakly wrapped his arms around Baekhyun’s waist and clung to him like a child would to their mother. He buried his face in the older’s shirt and sniffled.

               “Do you really love me that much?” Baekhyun asked, and Chanyeol nodded against his body. Baekhyun ran his fingers through Chanyeol’s cropped hair and his heart fluttered. Never in his life had being with someone felt so right.

               “I love you more than I love movies.” Chanyeol said as a joke, and Baekhyun did laugh a little. Chanyeol was still holding onto Baekhyun, liking the feeling of being held in someone’s arms. He was getting sleepy from the softness and the warmth, and he knew he should go and shower and change into pajamas, but he looked up to Baekhyun with pouted lips and gripped his shirt harder so his knuckles were white. “Will you just stay with me tonight for the sake of cuddling? My first class doesn’t start until three tomorrow and you don’t have a class tomorrow, do you?” he asked. Baekhyun shook his head and let out a yawn.

               “Let’s get to bed.” Baekhyun said, shifting Chanyeol so he was off of him, but when Baekhyun was up, he grabbed Chanyeol from under his legs and cradled him in his arms, carrying him bridal style to the bed and laying him down on the soft bedding. Chanyeol just stripped down to his boxers and Baekhyun actually got into night clothes, but he didn’t detest when the bed was nice and warm when he got in. Once the covers were over his body, Chanyeol was over him, his arms wrapped snug around Baekhyun’s waist and his head nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

               “If it gets too hot in the night I’m kicking you off of me.” Baekhyun mumbled, reaching over to shut off the light. He was thankful that the bed was close to the switch. Chanyeol just huffed, kissing the back of Baekhyun’s neck and throwing a leg over his to tangle them together.

               “Not of I can help it.”

               “So, what do you want for your birthday?” Chanyeol asked one afternoon to Baekhyun when they were playing videogames together. Baekhyun didn’t even bother to pause, nonetheless look at the other male.

               “Nothing special honestly. Maybe some dinner with you and then we can come back, do the do and fall asleep? I got work off but still, I’ve been so tired even going out to dinner sounds like too much of a hassle.” he replied. Chanyeol got a combo hit in on the other, but Baekhyun came back by using his special, ultimately killing Chanyeol and winning the match. The two set down their controllers and popped their knuckles.

               “What about a party? Maybe combined with Sehun and Luhan so then on the actual day itself we can spend it alone?” he suggested, not caring about making it a surprise anymore. Baekhyun hummed, putting his arms behind his head and thinking about it before a small smile appeared on his face.

               “That sounds like a lot of fun.” he said. “What did you have in mind?”

               Chanyeol felt slightly embarrassed talking about such a simple thing, but he swallowed and spoke.

               “I was thinking, well, Sehun told me there’s like a mountain nearby that’s like a thirty minute hike uphill and the climb itself isn’t too bad and the scenery up top is to die for. I was thinking a picnic?” he said. “We were also thinking amusement park, but we didn’t know of you and Luhan liked roller coasters so we kind of held back on the idea.” he said, and Baekhyun looked over at him with a twinkle in his eyes.

               “Luhan and I love amusement parks.” he said with a voice that expressed that was it. That’s what he wanted to do for the birthday. Chanyeol grinned at him and pulled out his phone, making a call to Sehun and Luhan to take off a day of school so they could all go and hang out. Baekhyun called his work too and since he was such a good worker, they let him take another day off to have some fun. Chanyeol was beaming with happiness and Baekhyun wanted to jump out of his skin. He hadn’t been on a roller coaster in years, but he remembered that they were so much fun and he couldn’t wait to go on one again.

               “You better not baby out if I want to go on the big boy rides.” Baekhyun said, teasing Chanyeol and bumping him with his shoulder. Chanyeol stuck his tongue out at the other boy and grinned, kissing him before choosing another character on the game. All they had to do now was wait.

               “It’s raining.” Baekhyun said, looking at the sky and the expanse of it. It seemed to stretch forever, and obviously, because of it, they couldn’t go to the amusement park. The night before, Luhan and Sehun spent the night so they wouldn’t have to wake up early, but it seemed like they could have just stayed in bed.

               “We can all see that captain obvious.” Luhan said. He stood in the doorway with his wallet and a bottle of soda that would have gotten him some money off admission. Luhan even hated soda and he drank it for nothing. Sehun and Chanyeol were behind them, feeling guilty that they didn’t choose the picnic option, which, would have been cancelled also if it was raining. They stood there awkwardly as Luhan and Baekhyun just stared out the door, the rain picking up with every passing second.     

               “You might want to shut the door.” Sehun suggested. A few seconds later, Baekhyun nearly slammed it, stomping back inside and sat down on the couch with a huff, arms crossed and clearly not too happy about the whole situation. Chanyeol sat next to him and put a hand on his knee, which made him a little bit more calm.

               “Sorry about this. We never expected the weather to get in the way. We should have planned more carefully.” Chanyeol said, and everyone looked to him with apologetic eyes. They knew he wanted this to be fun, but some things were out of his control. Sehun gave him a halfhearted smile and piped up.

               “Do you still have balloons?” he asked, and Chanyeol looked up from him on the couch and pointed to a hallway closet. Sehun briskly walked over and pulled out a bag filled with streamers and balloons, dumping them onto the ground and telling everyone to grab something. “Just because it’s raining doesn’t mean we can’t have fun.” he said with a smile. “Baekhyun, I know this is your party too, but do you know any snacks that are good that you can whip up quickly?” he asked.

               “Yeah! Do you mind if I borrow Luhan for that while you guys fill up balloons?” he asked, and Sehun nodded, allowing Baekhyun to whisk Luhan away to the kitchen while the two youngest puffed up their cheeks filling balloons and used their height advantage to hang streamers of all colors around. Only once did Chanyeol fall off a chair and Sehun popped a balloon from overfilling it, making everyone in the apartment jump and it made Luhan nearly drop a measuring cup and break it.

               They continued on though at a reasonable pace with the two decorating boys getting done before the ones who were cooking, but they stayed out of the way and the TV o watch the weather, which was getting worse and worse until they started to hear thunder and see lightening. Luhan was shaking really bad because he was afraid of storms, but he managed since he was with his friends. Sehun decided it was best for him to stay in the kitchen and try to distract Luhan every so often so he could keep his mind off of it. Chanyeol stayed out of the way because he knew that kitchen was barely enough for one person, nonetheless four.

               Whatever Baekhyun was cooking smelled heavenly, and he thought to himself that he was happy he took all those classes and was still actively participating in some since his teacher thought he was a prodigy. Apparently his palette (whatever that was), was spot on when it came to flavors and he always knew just what to put in. The teacher said that he cooked with a home style love, and no matter how many times he asked Baekhyun who it was in mind that made him flavor his food, he just smiled and blushed and cooked some more, adding in a little more sugar and butter.

               Before Chanyeol knew it, the food was done and was being brought out on platters courtesy of Baekhyun’s ridiculous amount of dinnerware. He seemed to walk with this motherly grace and whenever he put some food down, he’d catch Chanyeol’s look and wink, making the younger laugh a little and wink back. Sehun and Luhan just let it be and helped move things here and there, and once everything was out on the table, they got little plates and then filled them up with everything and anything they could, not even bothering to talk as they stuffed their faces.

               There was bacon wrapped water chestnuts, small sausages in croissants, mini pizzas, seasoned fries; typical party food, but for some reason, it just tasted all the better since Baekhyun cooked it. Sehun choked once because he was trying to eat everything really fast because it was so good. Thankfully, Luhan had some water handy and made him drink it before he threw up or died. No one wants that. Baekhyun ate a little too, but he didn’t want to eat too much to the point where he would start criticizing his own cooking and annoy everyone. He admitted it was good, but like every art, it could always have been better. The other three boys didn’t seem to think so, because it was gone in less than fifteen minutes with no leftovers.

               Baekhyun got up first to go and start the dishes, and Chanyeol followed him in to help, leaving Sehun and Luhan to sit in the living room and they started up a game and were soon yelling and giggling at each other over it. Baekhyun smiled as he washed a pan and Chanyeol sat on top of the counter, passing him dishes and just watching the most beautiful person on the face of the earth.

               “Sorry we couldn’t go to the amusement park.” he said as Baekhyun turned off the water to wipe his hands and move another load of dishes to near the sink. Baekhyun shook his head and grinned a little.

               “It’s fine. I’m glad I got to cook and make everyone happy.” he said. The other male cocked his head to the side and wore a straight face.

               “Are you not happy?” he asked, and Baekhyun looked at him quickly and moved so he was standing in front of him and in between his legs. He stood on his toes and kissed Chanyeol on the nose, grinning.

               “Of course I’m happy! I wasn’t expecting any sort of thing for my birthday honestly. I’ve never really done anything all the years of my life, so to have a kind of party is a lot of fun for me.” Baekhyun said, and Chanyeol’s jaw dropped.

               “You’ve never done anything for your birthday?” he asked incredulously. Baekhyun nodded, adding soap to the dish scrubber and liking the feeling of steam rise and caress his face. He hummed.

               “Yeah. I’ve never had too many friends, so the most I’ve gotten was maybe a small cake and that was it. I’ve never minded since my parents weren’t too party savvy, and it’s not like I’ve never been unhappy about it. I still got presents but that’s all. We went out to dinner and then went home. It’s still a month until then so the dinner is still a possibility, and I’d want to bring you along, but I don’t know what my parents would think. I’ve told them I’m gay but every guy I’ve ever brought home, they’ve always just brushed him off as another ‘friend’.” he said.

               “So, you’ve had other boyfriends?” Chanyeol asked, looking a little worried. Baekhyun shut off the water and gave him a look.

               “Chanyeol, I’m turning 22, of course I’ve had other boyfriends, but, none of them have compared to you if that’s what you’re worried about. Surely you’ve had other boyfriends too, right?” Baekhyun asked, returning to washing the dishes. Chanyeol fluffed his hair a little bit and laughed awkwardly.

               “Actually, until I met you, I thought I was biual or whatever and I had only dated girls. Boys were just a distant thought and then you came along and ruined that all. Thanks.” he said sarcastically, and Baekhyun laughed, looking at him like he was crazy.

               “You can’t be serious. If you are, you’re a pro at most everything and you must have watched a lot or something because there’s no way a straight man could figure out all the stuff that goes along with gay .” Baekhyun said with an amazed face, making Chanyeol blush.

               “Baekhyun! Don’t say that so loudly!” Chanyeol whispered, smiling a little because he was feeling proud of himself. Baekhyun elbowed him and pointed into the living room at Luhan and Sehun, grinning.

               “Come on, don’t act like you wouldn’t want a foursome with them. Just between you and me, Luhan has told me that Sehun can ride like no other and I would pay good money to watch you two have .” Baekhyun said with a malicious grin on his face. “I think I know what I want for my birthday.” he laughed, and Chanyeol hit him on the chest, laughing too, but his face was red with the thought.

               “Like hell Byun Baekhyun!” he yelled, smiling. “Besides, you’re the only man who I ever want to touch. Sehun and I are too close of friends to ever let out touch.” Chanyeol explained. “Sorry to crush your dreams birthday boy, but whatever you want me to do on your special day, I’ll do. Hell, you can tie me up and beat the out of me and I’d still tell you happy birthday at the end of the day with a smile.”

               Baekhyun laughed a little at that and shook his head, washing more dishes and just smiling to himself, wondering how he ended up with someone was great as Chanyeol.

               “Park Chanyeol, wake up!” Baekhyun yelled, jumping on top of him, making Chanyeol let out a loud ‘oomph’ before his eyes flew open and he was wrestling Baekhyun off of him. Chanyeol wasn’t a morning person, but he was awake now. Baekhyun was grinning and looked happier than ever, and Chanyeol looked at him with a little question until Baekhyun began blabbering. “I got promoted at the mart! I’m going to be making more money which means I got you something!” Baekhyun said. “Get dressed!”

               Chanyeol rolled his eyes and rolled out of bed as Baekhyun bounded around the house, cooking something in one room while running back and forth to the bathroom to put on eyeliner or some moisturizer or some something that Baekhyun insisted he needed on his already perfect complex. Chanyeol always told him it would just make his skin worse, but it never seemed to. He was jealous of him, considering he got acne like it was going out of style.

               He trudged into the bathroom and the shower to a comfortable temperature and stripped down, not even bothering to get a change of clothes and bringing it in the bathroom with him. He even wondered why he didn’t terminate the contract on his apartment since he found himself sleeping over at Baekhyun’s most of the time. They hadn’t officially moved in with each other, but it sure as hell felt like it most of the time.

               Chanyeol quickly showered, scrubbing his body down and shampooing his hair that wasn’t even really there, but he did it for the sake of it smelling nice and since Baekhyun liked running his hands through it, he didn’t want it to be greasy. He felt like today was something special, but he didn’t know why. Sehun and Luhan’s birthday’s had already passed and it was the beginning of May, meaning that soon it would be Baekhyun’s birthday, but they didn’t have anything planned, and Baekhyun made it clear he didn’t want to do anything but stay in. He respected that.

               Chanyeol got out and dressed. He walked into the kitchen with the towel still in his hands, drying his hair as he looked around. Baekhyun was cooking breakfast which wasn’t unusual, but he just seemed a lot happier doing it. He was singing to himself and was wearing the apron he really loved, which he only did when he was in the best of moods. When Baekhyun realized Chanyeol was standing in the kitchen, he turned around and smiled, went to him, kissed him, and let it linger. He pulled away and Chanyeol blinked. Baekhyun looked up at him and smiled some more.

               “I really love you.” he said, and for all the times they said it to one another, Chanyeol’s heart still fluttered and his stomach did flips in his stomach. Chanyeol kissed him again and smiled into it.

               “I love you too, and good morning. What’s the occasion?” he asked, picking up a piece of toast that was already buttered and sitting on a plate. He took a bite before Baekhyun snatched it back and took a bite of his own. He held it in his mouth and flipped some eggs around.

               “You’ll see. Just be patient.” he said, mumbling with the toast still in his mouth. He loaded up a plate with some eggs and other stuff that was already prepared and handed it to Chanyeol, who took a seat on the counter and ate while Baekhyun prepared his own portion.

               “So when did you get the raise?” Chanyeol asked, and Baekhyun swallowed a sausage and motioned around.

               “Last night.” he said. “Afterwards I got out and went shopping, so that’s why I was home late.” he explained. And Chanyeol nodded.

               “You sure you weren’t cheating on me?” he joked. Baekhyun rolled his eyes and moved some food around before stabbing some fruit.

               “Of course Chanyeol, that’s why. You must be psychic.” Baekhyun said, and Chanyeol picked up a piece of cantaloupe and tossed it at him. Baekhyun smacked it away and it hit the floor with a splat, making them both laugh uproariously and then they calmed down and moved their plates to the sink, and for once, Baekhyun told him to leave them there. Chanyeol didn’t understand what was going on, but he didn’t argue. He went and followed Baekhyun while the older got his keys and then rushed them out the door. Baekhyun rarely took him places.

               They got into the car, and Chanyeol didn’t bother to ask where they were going, because he knew Baekhyun wouldn’t tell. It wasn’t like he wasn’t like he didn’t trust him. They weren’t going towards the theater though, so Chanyeol started to wonder. He didn’t care though, because at the end of the day he was by Baekhyun, and that was all that mattered. He sank into his seat and thought about it, sighing with a smile.

               It had nearly been a year since Baekhyun has passed out in the theater and he drove him home. It wasn’t awkward for him. He was happy he got the chance to talk to Baekhyun since he was always watching him whether he knew it or not. He liked the way the other male moved around when he cleaned up. He always liked how Baekhyun would sit in the chairs when he thought everyone was gone and watch the credits roll, taking notes on sound producers and the tracks that were played. He just liked Baekhyun a lot and now they were here, driving down the highway to somewhere.

               Baekhyun looked over at how relaxed Chanyeol was and he smirked, happy that Chanyeol was just along for the ride and trusted him to bring him somewhere that he would like. He grinned some more and focused on the road, picking up speed a little since they were empty. It was still pretty early in the morning and they weren’t going towards the airport, so roads were pretty loose with the exception of a few off ramps here and there that were tricky. Baekhyun was a good driver though and he seemed to glide over the road, leaving them with no worries as they drove and drove.

               The older boy was nervous as he took an exit a couple miles out of the city. Chanyeol was still looking around out the window, a little confused as to where they were going. Baekhyun had never driven out to where they were before, and it didn’t look familiar. It seemed like they were going out of town, though they had packed nothing. He looked over at Baekhyun and bit his lip.

               “I hate to ask, but where are we going? We’ve been driving for an hour.” he said, and Baekhyun kept his eyes straight on the road.

               “Just wait Chanyeol, you’ll see.” Baekhyun said, slowing down to 30 since it was near a residential area. “We’re almost there, trust me.”

               Baekhyun took a turn down a street and there was a line of cute houses. They were all one story, but nice and quaint. Chanyeol squinted to see if he maybe recognized them, but nothing in his brain sparked. Before he knew it, the car stopped in a driveway and Baekhyun had shut off the engine. Chanyeol looked at him.

               “We’re here.” Baekhyun said, opening the door, and Chanyeol got out too, but he looked nervous.

               “Where exactly is ‘here’?” he asked, and Baekhyun smiled, waiting for Chanyeol to get beside him. When he was, he grabbed Chanyeol’s hand and laced their fingers together, giving him a kiss on the cheek and beaming.

               “My parent’s house. You’re going to meet the folks.” he said, and he could feel Chanyeol’s hands get sweaty.

               “P-Parents?” he asked. Baekhyun nodded, pulling him to the door and then knocking. Chanyeol’s grip was hard on Baekhyun’s hand, and he understood the pressure, but he didn’t falter. Chanyeol’s face was plaster white when the door finally opened and an older, shorter woman and a man not much taller appeared in front of them. They smiled at Baekhyun and Chanyeol and then opened the small screen that separated them from each other.

               “Baekhyun! You’re home! And you’ve brought a friend, how nice.” Baekhyun’s mother said, and Baekhyun gave her a look.

               “Mom, dad, this is Chanyeol. He’s my boyfriend.” he said, stressing the title. “We’ve almost been together for a year and I thought it might be nice for you all to meet him.”

               Baekhyun’s dad eyed Chanyeol up and down and invited them in. Chanyeol and Baekhyun were still holding hands when they sat down on the couch and despite how sweaty it was, Baekhyun wouldn’t let go. Chanyeol kept dry swallowing under the watchful eye of both his mother and father.

               “So, Chanyeol?” Baekhyun’s father started out. Chanyeol seemed to sit up straighter than usual and he wished he would have worn something a little better that day all of a sudden. “What do you do with your life?” he asked. Chanyeol smiled some just for show and he rubbed the nape of his neck.

               “Well, sir-“

               “No need to be so formal! Call me Woojin.” he said with a hearty laugh. Chanyeol laughed a little too and bowed.

               “Ah, well Mr. Woojin, I’m a student at the same university Baekhyun goes to and I’m a film major. I hope to maybe become a producer one day.” Chanyeol explained, and Mr. Woojin leaned back in in chair and nodded. Baekhyun’s mother came back into the room with glasses of tea and set them in front of everyone, keeping a cup for herself too and sitting down in a chair that was placed next to Mr. Woojin not too far away.

               “Oh, movies, hm? Baekhyun always wanted to be an actor, but we told him that there’s no way we would let him.” Baekhyun’s mother said, and Chanyeol looked over at him smiling and laughing at a blushing boyfriend. He wanted to kiss him, but he was scared. “By the way Chanyeol, I’m Yuri. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” she said, putting down her cup and extending a hand. Chanyeol was quick to grab it and give it a firm shake.

               “It’s nice to meet you Mrs. Yuri. I’m very happy to meet you too. Your son is a light in my life and it’s an honor to meet the people who raised him so well.” Chanyeol said, trying his hardest to make it sound like a sincere statement, because it really was to him. He didn’t want to seem like some sort of who sugar coated things for the sake of it. Thankfully, Mrs. Yuri smiled. 

               “It’s nice to meet you too dear. You’re all our sweet boy talks about anymore. He always is going on about how you and he did this or that. It’s so sweet he could have a friend as great as you.” Mrs. Yuri said, and Baekhyun squeezed Chanyeol’s hand.

               “Mom, he’s not just a friend. He’s my boyfriend.” He clarified again. Mr. Woojin shot him a look and mouthed ‘not now’, but Mrs. Yuri’s eyebrow seemed to twitch.

               “Yes Baekhyun, I can see that he’s a boy, now don’t be ridiculous and drink your tea dear. How long are you and your friend going to be staying?” she asked, and Baekhyun’s face was turning red. Chanyeol his knuckles with his thumb and placed his free hand on Baekhyun’s knee.

               “Calm down. I’m not bothered by it.” Chanyeol whispered, but Baekhyun swatted his hand away and looked at his mom with his brow creased and face stoic.

               “Mom, you know I like boys. I’m gay. He’s my boyfriend, so get over it. I love him, okay? Please treat him as such and not just another friend. Him and I are going back home later, but I wanted to see if I could maybe cook for you guys, but if you’re going to treat Chanyeol like this, we can leave.” Baekhyun said, but Chanyeol cut him off.

               “I’m really okay with it Mrs. Yuri. I can understand where you’re coming from but, well, I love your son and I’m really happy to be his partner.” he said, hoping he wasn’t going to overstep his boundaries. Chanyeol turned to face Mr. Woojin. “And sir,” he said, but he corrected himself. “Mr. Woojin. I know it’s every father’s nightmare to have a son who is gay, especially in this country, but like I said, I really love Baekhyun. He gets me though a lot of things and I hope I have your blessing to be with him.” he said. It wasn’t until he was done talking did he realize how hard he was breathing and how shaky he was. Baekhyun wrapped an arm around his waist and shushed him a little.

               “I don’t have a problem with my son being queer.” Mr. Woojin said laughing. “It’s mostly my wife who keeps wishing for grandchildren because she’s dying to have a reason to make apple pies and large dinners, but I told her that even if Baekhyun doesn’t, it shouldn’t matter.” he said. “Besides, don’t you have those other two guys? Who were they? Lunchu and Sehan?”

               “Sehun and Luhan, dad.” Baekhyun said, and Mr. Woojin wagged his finger and smiled.

               “Ah yes, them. Bring them over any time you want and we’ll cook. Culinary skills run in the Byun family.” he said. “We like to keep things spicy.” Mr. Woojin joked, winking at Chanyeol, who awkwardly laughed.

               “Dad!” Baekhyun shrieked. “We’re going to get going now.”

               “No, no, stay! We never get to see you Baek!” his mother said, but Baekhyun was already up off the couch. He picked up his glass of tea and polished it off, shaking his head and wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

               “No can do ma, I have some other plans with Chanyeol for the day so we’ve got to get going. I’ll visit you next month so you can shower me with gifts. You haven’t forgotten it’s my birthday, right?” he asked, and they both smiled. “Good.”

               Baekhyun didn’t even give them time to walk them to the door. They were out and back in the car before Chanyeol knew it, and when Baekhyun slammed the door and started the engine, he half expected the older male to scream, but he just hit his head on the steering wheel and then backed out of the driveway. His parents were outside by then, waving them off. Chanyeol was the only one who waved back.

               Down the road some, Baekhyun finally spoke up, shaking his head in embarrassment.

               “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have brought you around them yet.” Baekhyun said, looking over at Chanyeol for a brief moment while they were at a stoplight. He leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Chanyeol smiled at him and waved his hand.

               “It’s totally fine. They both seem like nice folks and I felt welcome. But what else do you have in mind for today is what I’m really wondering?” Chanyeol asked, putting a hand on Baekhyun’s inner thigh and giving it a pinch. The younger male yelped and swatted him away, making Chanyeol laugh.

               “You’ll see you dog. It’s not that though. Well, maybe. I don’t plan out . I’d like to think it’s supposed to be a spontaneous act of love and not some you write on the calendar.” Baekhyun said. Chanyeol hummed, and then they were back on the highway.

               They weren’t driving back into town from the looks of it. Chanyeol knew from here it was just scenery and there wasn’t exactly anything thrilling for a couple of miles. He really began to wonder what was going on, but he sat back into his seat and closed his eyes, just listening to the buzz of the engine and the steady flow of traffic and Baekhyun’s breathing. If he listened close though, he could hear Baekhyun singing under his breath, and that lulled him to sleep whether he meant to or not.

               “Chanyeol.” Baekhyun said. Chanyeol felt himself being shook and from the looks of it when he opened his eyes, the sun was about to set. The sky was a bright orange that was mixed with pinks, reds, yellows and there were still traces of blue in the sky. He looked up at Baekhyun again. “Chanyeol, get up. We’re here. Get out of the car.”

               “Where is ‘here’?” Chanyeol asked. Baekhyun grinned, and reached over to unbuckle his seatbelt and pull on his sleeve.

               “Just get up and see. I have a surprise.”

               Chanyeol yawned, stretched, and rubbed his eyes, and Baekhyun disappeared to the back of the car to pop the trunk. It took Chanyeol’s eyes a couple of seconds to adjust, but when they did, he looked around and was amazed. Baekhyun was back by him a couple of seconds later with a cooler in hand and a smile on his face.

               “Since we were rained on the day of our party, I remember how you said you had the idea for a picnic, and I know it’s not my birthday yet, but I still wanted to go somewhere cool.” he said, and Chanyeol nodded, getting out of the car and then looking off in front of him.

               Below them, there was a flourishing forest and beyond that was the ocean. Right then and there, they were on top of a peak that Baekhyun had found a long while ago when he got lost.

               “I remembered about this place not too long ago, and I wanted to see if it was still here. There was a day where I told you I had cooking class but I didn’t and I scoped this out. I hope you like it. It’s not much, but, I also brought food!” Baekhyun said triumphantly, holding up the cooler and grinning ear to ear. Chanyeol smiled back, but he looked confused.

               “This is great and all Baekhyun, but what’s the occasion?” he asked. Baekhyun put down the cooler and starting rolling it over with him close to the ledge of the cliff and shouted over his shoulder.

               “Do we have to have an occasion to have a nice date?” he asked. Chanyeol shrugged. He had a point. Chanyeol got out of the car and shut the door, following Baekhyun over to where he was, spreading a blanket on the ground and humming to himself. Chanyeol looked at him and thought to himself how he happy he was that Baekhyun was his. He walked over and helped Baekhyun in any way he could, and in a matter of moments, they were sitting cross legged with Baekhyun specialty sandwiches in hand and smiles on their faces, talking about anything and everything they could think about.

               Chanyeol complimented on how the sandwiches were balanced out and Baekhyun was telling him that the other day he saw Suho, and Chanyeol thought that was pretty cool. He had told Baekhyun that Kris and Kai were back and badder than ever, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. Both of them seemed to leave Chanyeol alone more often than not because he had the knowledge of a forbidden love looming over them, but Chanyeol would never say anything. Baekhyun laughed at remembering how huge Kyungsoo’s eyes got when Kai told him that they knew. It was a saver that they had brought drinks because Chanyeol choked a little because he was laughing so hard and the food down his throat.

               When he got composed again, they laughed at that too and then just smiled, looking off over the cliff and admiring the sunset.

               “It’s so different from just the balcony of your apartment.” Chanyeol said, taking a drink of water and polishing off the bottle. He threw it back in the cooler and then laid down, stretching his arms above him and taking in a big breath. “The air is so clear up here. I hadn’t realized, but the air where we live is so stuffy. I feel so free up here.”

               Baekhyun nodded, picking up the rest of his trash and throwing it back in the cooler too. He joined Chanyeol down on the blanket and snuggled into his side, yawning himself and giggling some.

               “It’s always been pretty easy to breathe when I’m around you. The air always seems a little less tense.” he admitted, and Chanyeol flicked his nose.

               “Why must you say the cheesiest stuff?” he asked, and Baekhyun sat up with a devilish grin on his face. “Don’t you even, Byun Baekhyun!” Chanyeol yelled, smiling, but Baekhyun started laughing.

               “Well, I am a cook!” he said, winking and then giving Chanyeol finger guns. The other male just rolled around with his hands covering his face from shame while Baekhyun laughed at his own terrible pun.

               The laughter died down and once again, the two lovers were cuddled up next to each other, sitting up and staring off into the sunset. Baekhyun sighed, and Chanyeol pulled him in closer, giving him a kiss on the cheek, then the nose, forehead, the other cheek and finally the lips. The kiss lingered, and Baekhyun felt his heart flutter and his blood pressure rise. He was in complete bliss and he would have stayed like that forever if he had the option. When Chanyeol pulled away, Baekhyun frowned, but his face lit up again after just looking at Chanyeol’s visage.

               He remember how when he first saw Chanyeol, he had a mop of curls on his head and he thought his ears would make him fly away because they were so big. He thought about how he thought that when Chanyeol smiled he looked like he was tweaking because his smile was crooked and one of his eyes would close slightly, but now, all of it looked perfect. Chanyeol was nothing less than perfection in his eyes, and he kissed Chanyeol again just thinking about it. The younger giggled and smiled.

               “Chanyeol.” Baekhyun said, his voice quiet as if no to disturb the atmosphere. Chanyeol hummed, his eyes not straying away from the sunset in front of him. He liked how the ocean looked under the setting sun. He liked how it seemed to calm, even though he knew that it could be the scariest thing this earth harbored. As long as Baekhyun was beside him though on top of that cliff, he thought he was safe from anything. “Chanyeol.”

               “Yes?” he replied, finally moving his eyes to Baekhyun. The older boy scooted away from him a little bit and he sat, facing him. Baekhyun looked into his lap, and Chanyeol was starting to get worried. “What is it?”

               Baekhyun took in a deep breath and shoved his hands into this pocket and then lifted his head to gaze deep into his boyfriend’s eyes. Chanyeol moved himself so he was facing Baekhyun too and he waited for him to talk.

               “I got a raise, right? Aside from all of this; the picnic and stuff, I was thinking some pretty heavy things, and I kind of want to talk to you about them.” Baekhyun said. Chanyeol’s eyes grew wide. “I was thinking, since you don’t have Jongup in the apartment anymore, you can just terminate the lease and move in with me. We go to the same school and all so I don’t see why we shouldn’t do that? It makes sense.” he said. Chanyeol nodded, putting his arms around Baekhyun’s neck and leaning in to kiss him. Baekhyun face seemed to pale some, and he shifted on his knees and looked down to the lower left. His hands kept fumbling in his pocket and his breathing got a little delayed. Chanyeol looked at him with concern.

               “Are you okay?” he asked, and Baekhyun nodded, smiling nervously and then looking up at Chanyeol with a half-assed smile.

               “I- I was thinking too, about how… about how we talked about getting married, and I thought to myself, ‘I love him, so why am I so scared?’. I thought, I thought how I pined after you all those years working in the stupid movie theater and how well we connected. I thought about how if we made it through that hell together, we can get through anything together. I mean, , Chanyeol, I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone, and will ever love anyone. And, this isn’t me proposing because I don’t have that money yet, but-“

               Baekhyun stopped his monologue to stand up and then he straightened out his shirt. Chanyeol stood up too to do the same. His face burning red and his whole body was shaking, but it wasn’t shaking nearly as bad as Baekhyun’s hands when he took a knee and pulled a ring box out from his pocket. He looked up into Chanyeol’s eyes and his voice was shaking when he spoke, but he spoke with conviction.

               “Park Chanyeol, will you be my boyfriend until I can afford a more expensive ring?” Baekhyun asked, opening the box to reveal a small bronze band. What Chanyeol couldn’t see from far away was that on the inside there was PC ∞ BB engraved in it. Chanyeol nodded fervently and jumped up and down, waiting for Baekhyun to stand up, take the ring from the box and slip it on his finger. When he did, Chanyeol smiled and felt his finger become a bit heavier, giving him that feeling he longed for. Baekhyun pulled out a ring of his own and put it on too, smiling down at it and then looking back at Chanyeol.

               Out of all the kisses they had shared, even the one they shared when Baekhyun finally quit training, this was the one to treasure until their wedding day. There wasn’t any hidden meaning behind it, just love. Just the fact that Chanyeol was Baekhyun’s and Baekhyun was Chanyeol’s, and that it would be that way for a long time to come. When the kiss broke, they grinned, laughing some until they heard a pop way too close for comfort. Baekhyun jumped and Chanyeol nearly had a heart attack as Luhan and Sehun jumped on them and let off another popper.

               “You did it!” they yelled, and Baekhyun laughed, throwing Luhan off to the ground and looming over him.

               “Why the hell are you guys here?” he yelled, but there was a smile on his face. Sehun raised up a bag of fireworks and grinned.

               “To celebrate our best friend’s kind of marriage proposal.” he said. “Besides, we’re always going to stick together.”

               Sehun picked up his puzzle piece necklace and the three others felt theirs around their neck, smiling before Sehun dumped out the load on the blanket and pulled out a lighter, tossing it down. Baekhyun was the first to rip into sparklers while Chanyeol grabbed the bigger stuff. To hell if they got in trouble, they were going to have fun. Chanyeol grinned as Sehun lit up his roman candle and ran to the edge to let it go off towards the ocean and explode over the trees below them. Luhan was next to him a second later with a worried look, but that didn’t stop him from lighting it.

               “What if we start a forest fire?” Luhan asked. From behind them, they heard the snap of a lighter and then Baekhyun giggling.

               “Then I guess that .” he said, running off before a loud BANG resonated and a firework shot up and into the sky, exploding and then sparkling down. It was a good thing Chanyeol grabbed onto Luhan before he jumped off the ledge to get away from the noise. Baekhyun was doubled over, laughing and Luhan looked to Chanyeol with a smile on his face.

               “I’m glad you’re the one who is with that oaf, because if anyone else was, I don’t know who would handle him.” he said, and Chanyeol grinned, letting him go and then disposing of his firework on the ground. He turned around and watched as his boyfriend and his best friend ran about, chasing each other with sparklers and throwing pops at one another’s feet. Baekhyun’s smile was brighter and any firework that could have set off in Chanyeol’s mind.

               He ran after the two other boys with a bag of pops he had grabbed from the bag and he gave Luhan some too, and it was soon just four young adults acting like children, throwing at each other in hopes to scare them. They were out of breath from laughing, but no one stopped running. No one bothered to even think about how late is was getting or how much they had to clean up in case they were caught and fined. They just were having fun.

               The sun seemed to set on them quickly and the night air was cool. If you were silent, you could hear the ocean hitting the shore over the sound of leaves rustling from the trees from the forest below. The moon was full and hung high over their heads as they used up the last of the fireworks, still just as thrilled with them when they first pulled them out. Baekhyun stole glances at Chanyeol every so often and Chanyeol was sneak in a kiss when he could. They were sure the other boys were doing it too, but this night was about them

               They couldn’t’ stop touching the rings that were around their fingers and their cheeks hurt from smiling, but it wasn’t like they were going to get sick of the feeling any time soon. Chanyeol remembered the words in his head that Luhan had told him about how he didn’t know who would ever handle Baekhyun, but he thought to himself that to him, being with Baekhyun was never a chore. It never wasn’t so unpleasant that he thought about leaving him, and he thought about how since he was with Baekhyun, his life had been so much better. He smiled to himself as he put his hands on his knees and caught his breath. He looked over at Baekhyun, who was running still and smiling. Baekhyun may be high maintenance and life might get hard at times, but Baekhyun was his.

               Chanyeol wouldn’t have it any other way.