“Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to announce that we have broken the record for the most number of mini albums sold in a week! Moonlight is a global phenomenon!” Kris raised his arms in the air in triumph as we all sat down for a meeting. It’s been a week since the mini album Moonlight was released and the sales figures were through the roof. I literally sat there with Kris watching the numbers go up and up and up. Then the executives at Tower Records called us to tell us that Moonlight was number one and how we had broken the record, Kris and I almost screamed our heads off and jumped up and down like rabbits. Almost.

                “We have sold more than 650,000 copies this week,” I read from the sales report. “Moonlight is number one on iTunes in 30 different countries and is currently number 2 on the Billboard Kpop chart. It won’t be long until it reaches number one.” I can see Luhan’s smile of pride and the look on Baekhyun’s overwhelmed face. He probably couldn’t believe all of this is happening. Well frankly, neither can I. The only person who can believe all of this is Kris, and that’s because he planned all of this.

                “And,” Kris raised a finger in the air, calling for dramatic effect as everyone stoped their excited chatter and looked at him. “I have the best news of all.” I could feel my toes starting to wriggle in happiness because I know exactly what the news is.

                “What is it?” Minseok asked.

                “I just got a call from the executives on the board of the MTV Europe Music Awards.” Kris wriggled his eyebrows and I could hear Luhan’s breath hitch and Jongdae’s beady eyes get even wider and beadier.

                “Guess who is not only nominated for an award but also invited to perform and make their international debut?”

                “You’re kidding me.” Luhan sprawled his hands out wide on the table.

                “No way.” Baekhyun’s eyes widen.

                “No ing way.” Minseok stared at Kris.

                “Yes ing way and no I’m not kidding you. Ladies and gentlemen, BxL is going to LONDON!!!!!!!!”

                At this moment, I could swear that time seemed to stop. If this was caught in slow motion, you could see every muscle on Luhan’s face turn upwards. You could see Baekhyun’s rectangular mouth turn elliptical and Jongdae raising a fist in the air. You could see every inch of Minseok’s muscle tensing and you could feel every vibration coming from them. It would have made a fantastic montage, papers flying in the air, arm in arm with the one next to you as you bounce slowly.

                It’s hard to describe to you how significant that moment is for all of us. Kris has always dreamed of making a group that would one day go international. Luhan has always wanted to be internationally famous and Baekhyun has always wanted to stand on a world class stage. Minseok and Jongdae have never produced , well I would say anything, that went beyond the realm of Kpop. When you have been kept inside a small town for centuries and someone gives you a free ticket to travel outside of the dusty town, it’s scary yet incredibly exhilarating.

               And so, for the next few weeks, it became nothing more than a constant rollercoaster of promotions, fan meetings, performances on music shows, reality shows, mini concerts, advertisements, magazine interviews, and more rehearsals for the biggest debut since their own. You should have seen the buzz surrounding them. There was not a single copy of their album left in stores. There was no channel you could turn to that doesn’t have their face on them, no news portal that didn’t talk about them, no Kpop souvenir shop that did not stock their products, and no magazine that didn’t have them on the cover. There were posters everywhere and with every single one of Kris’s push and a single tweet from his Twitter, there was an immediate and terribly effective response. Fans were everywhere and it kept fans like Kyungsoo busy. The fansites are probably having a field day with all of this.

                I’ve never had that much experience with fame. I did sing a little in Cape Town and for one night at least, people were buying me drinks and talking to me at the bar I sang in, but the next day everything was normal again. But this kind of fame was something other worldly. This is more than just fame, it’s also intense marketing. You feel like this duo is just being pushed into your face everywhere and it actually becomes a little uncomfortable. Kris has always talked about making the competition quiver but I think he may have overdid it. The competition isn’t just quivering, they were also nauseous.

                And as much as Starling gave the public a hundred reasons to love BxL, the public also learnt a hundred reasons to hate BxL.

                                                                                *******************

                Baekhyun still never got around to telling Kris or Jodi about his engagement. Jodi noticed the ring, but Baekhyun had lied saying it was a fan gift (well it technically is. Chanyeol is fan, and it is a gift from him). He was going to, he swore. But everyday just got busier and busier. His injury was still plaguing him and the most recent bout of fame and success had him rethinking his life. Suddenly, he wasn’t sure if getting married was what he wanted.

                Chanyeol didn’t leave immediately after his proposal. He stayed at cousin Lina’s apartment while she was away in New York. He stayed behind, hanging out with some of friends that have already moved to Seoul and taking care of Baekhyun. Or what he could afford to do without getting caught that was. Baekhyun told him to keep the engagement a secret. The public did not know about his relationship with Chanyeol and Baekhyun reassured him saying he would deal with it.

                Was Chanyeol bothered by the fact that Baekhyun kept his relationship a secret? A little, since Chanyeol didn’t like keeping things in the dark. He has been with Baekhyun since high school, and that made it almost 7 years of courtship. For the first 5, he was used to holding hands in public, kissing in the bathroom and dancing at prom. Now it’s about hushed messages, secret hand signals and no hand holding. That . Chanyeol likes to hold hands with Baekhyun.

                Chanyeol knew that if he was revealed to public, the public would eat him up. He was at the showcase and he could hear more than half a million girls scream his name and maybe even a few boys as well. Baekhyun was no longer his; he was shared with the world. He didn’t come home at 9; he came home in the wee morning and left after a couple of hours. He would tell Chanyeol he would come to see him at midnight, so Chanyeol would stay up. He would be late and Chanyeol would fall asleep. When Baekhyun does arrive, it’s 3 in the morning. And this happened almost every day since their showcase.

Finally, one hot afternoon, they finally had some time together. Chanyeol cooked them a simple lunch, which Baekhyun ate greedily, saying he didn’t have much to eat that morning before they just laid down together on the couch, wrapped in each other’s arms and listening to the quiet sound of each other’s whispers.

                “You must be tired. You’re almost drooling on me.” Chanyeol teased.

                “I’m sorry.” Baekhyun rubbed his lips. “I am tired but it’s so nice to be here with you.”

                “Yeah,” Chanyeol paused before asking the question that had to be asked. “So…when do we get married?”

                Baekhyun looked up at him with a soft smile. “If I could marry you now I would, but I’ve been so busy lately. Kris even said that we’re getting the chance to debut in Europe.”

                “In Europe?” Chanyeol’s eyes widen. “Wow, that is…”

                “Big.” Baekhyun finished his sentence. “I know, I still can’t believe it’s happening.”

                “That’s awesome though.” Chanyeol said. “You’ll be an international star before you know it.”

                “Yeah,” Baekhyun smiled. He looked back at Chanyeol and gripped his hands. “I don’t think we can get married so soon.”

                “Oh.” Chanyeol’s a bad liar and a bad actor. The look of disappointment flashed across his face instantly.

                “Don’t get me wrong, I still want to marry you.” Baekhyun said. “I’m just not sure if I want to get married now.”

                “How about we get married first before you make your debut?”

                “I don’t think I have the time.”

                “Oh.” Chanyeol lowered his head.

                “I want a nice countryside wedding with horses and flowers and our old school’s acoustic band playing. All of that takes time to plan and I don’t think I have that. Time is a luxury in our business and lots of people make money from it.”

                “I understand.” Chanyeol Baekhyun’s soft locks. “I guess we can wait.”

                “Are you going back home after this?”

                “I’m not sure. I was actually thinking of looking for a job in Seoul.”

                “You quit your job? But those kids, they must miss you!”

                “I didn’t quit yet, not until I find another job at least. I was hoping I would find one here so I can stay closer to you. We can’t get married but I would like to live at least closer to you.”

                “I’m sure you’ll find one. You’re so talented and patient. You’re exactly the kind of instructor Seoul needs. Everyone here is so impatient and such divas.” Baekhyun rolled his eyes.

                “I did get another offer though,” Chanyeol continued. “It pays really well and I won’t just be tutoring, I’ll also be the head of the department.”

                “That’s awesome!!” Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol with sparkling eyes. “That’s amazing!! You should take that one up!”

                “Baek…”

                “That is a huge jump on the career ladder for you! You’ve always wanted to do more than teaching, and this could be your opportunity!”

                “Baek, it’s in Berklee College of Music.”

                “Oh!! That’s great!!!” Baekhyun squealed, but then he caught the look on Chanyeol’s face and his shoulders slumped down. “But…but that’s in…”

                “Boston, Massachusetts. USA. The U.S of A. United States of America.” Chanyeol said, Baekhyun’s hands.

                “But…but…”

                “I didn’t say yes yet and I’m still contemplating. I think I’ll just say no.”

                “But…”

                “It’s too far from home and too far from you. I’ll just get a small job here in Seoul and work my way up.”

                “But…”

                “What’s with all the buts? Why are you stuttering?”

                Baekhyun opened his mouth to talk but the words died. He didn’t know what to say or where to start. All he knows is that this can’t possibly be right. There’s something wrong and he knows it, but he can’t form what he’s feeling into words.

                “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Hey, those bullies in high school gave me a wedgie every Wednesday, pulled my ears on Thursday and stole my homework on Monday. If that didn’t get me down this won’t.” he smiled his trademark smile. “I will do anything just to be near you.”

                Baekhyun smiled, feeling flattered and at the same time terribly guilty.

                                                                                *********************

                “I had no idea you were going steady with Kim Jongin.” Leo teased Kyungsoo from his bed, as Kyungsoo was changing into a different set of clothes.

                “We haven’t gone steady yet,” Kyungsoo corrected. “We’re just enjoying our dating time.”

                “The key is in the word ‘yet’.” Leo laughed. “Don’t you have a celebrity to stalk or something?”

                “There are millions of people in Seoul who will do that for me, I don’t have to rush.” Kyungsoo smiled. “I do have a life you know.”

                “Really?” Leo gasped in mock surprise. “Do Kyungsoo, the bookworm and fanfiction addict has a life? Oh the Holy Lord has worked his miracles!”

                “Sarcasm isn’t really a good colour on you.” Kyungsoo rolled his eyes.

                “Well enjoy your date.”

                “Will do.” Kyungsoo grabbed his phone and answered the knock on the door. Jongin was outside looking terribly handsome as he leaned forward to grab Kyungsoo’s hand and kissed him. This is their special greeting. No heys, no his, no hellos because they are all drowned out by lip on lip contact. Kyungsoo can always tell how Jongin is feeling through the kiss. A soft kiss meant he was happy, a hard and strong one meant he was either jealous or angry or he missed him terribly, a lifeless one meant he was sad. This could be a new career, a kiss-reader.

                This kiss is Kyungsoo’s favourite, soft and sweet. When their lips parted, only then the first word comes. “Hey beautiful.”

                “That is so damn cheesy.” Leo complained.

                “Hey yourself.” Kyungsoo nudged, watching the corners of Jongin’s lips curve upwards and letting their hands intertwined. It’s only been a couple of weeks since their first kiss in the lobby while fanboying over BxL, but Kyungsoo has never met anyone so cheesy, so flirty, so confident, so cocky, so arrogant, so y, so romantic and so…so good at kissing as Jongin.

                “Oh my god get out of here I’m going to puke.”

                “What are we doing today?”

                “We could go to Paris for lunch, shop in Rome and dance in New York, or just sit around and listen to obscure indie bands and eat cheese sandwiches for lunch.” Jongin joked. Kyungsoo laughed, showing his adorable crinkly eyes and Jongin leaned forward to kiss his eyelids.

                “GET OUT OF MY ROOM!!!”

                “Fine!!” Kyungsoo snapped back and slammed the door.

                “I think your roommate hates us.”

                “He’s just grumpy because he didn’t get laid last night.”

                “I get grumpy too if I don’t get laid when I’m supposed to.”

                “Shut up and get me a cheese sandwich.”

                                         ***********************

                “So here’s what we’ll do, you need to twirl here and do an aerial kick here,” Tao drafted out on the white board along with his fellow stuntmen and actors from the movie. They were in Tao’s studio and everyone has been working up a sweat for this movie. Siwon has a towel wrapped around his head and Donghae has guzzled down two bottles of water.

                Tao is a ruthless character when it comes to his work. He doesn’t mess around and he gives no s. A perfectionist and a keen eye for detail are what made him who he is today. He was just about to teach Donghae a move when he felt the doors of his gym open and a man walk in. His lips couldn’t help but curve upwards.

                “So you’re spying on me now?”

                “Bull, I’m just checking on the progress of my movie.” Kris said, ruffling with his tie.

                “Be with you in a minute.”

                “Take your time.” Kris said, taking a seat on one of the benches. Tao went back to his work. He could feel a pair of eyes on him all the time, though it’s probably not Donghae.

                “Your moves are very complicated.” Kris said once Tao approached him at the bench.

                “That’s the idea You want this to be a blockbuster don’t you? So you need big moves. Do you think you could arrange to have Sene 14 underwater instead of on top of a high building? I think that would be better.”

                “I’ll have to tell Fei the scriptwriter, but I doubt I can do anything about it.” Kris handed him a bottle of water. Tao raised an eyebrow at him.

                “Did you use this bottle?”

                “Yeah, why?”

                “Then that’s an indirect kiss. You just kissed me.”

                Kris scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Then I must have kissed Yixing too. A few hundred times apparently.”

                “Whatever but I can assure you my lips taste better.”

                “No they don’t.”

                “Dare to try?” Tao his lips slowly and smirked at Kris. Kris could laugh at the absurdity of it all, but he can’t seem to deny that it isn’t working. Tao is a big and truthful flirt, if there was such a thing. He has thought about kissing Tao once.

                He lied. He has thought about it 5 times.

                He lied again. It was about a hundred times.                      

                “If you’re inviting me to kiss your lips don’t regret it when I do.”

                “Oh I won’t,” Tao said. “Just come for me.”

                Kris couldn’t decide what to do. Should he just kiss Tao now? That would be insane and definitely not something he would do, but Tao’s lips are looking very pink right now. Tao bit his lip lightly and released it slowly before darting his tongue out again. Kris stood up and moved closer, one hand behind Tao’s neck and the other pulling his hair.

                “I don’t mean now you ert!” Tao said, pushing Kris away.

                “What? But you said…”

                “You don’t get anything till you put a ring on it or in the very least take me out for a proper date.”

                “What? But I…”

                “Dinner tomorrow night at 8, how does that sound?”

                “But I…”

                “Have you ever thought that if you would just stop fighting with me we would be getting somewhere?”

                “If you would stop interrupting me we would be getting somewhere too!” Kris snapped. He ruffled a hand through his hair. “Tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up.”

                “I know you will.” Tao laughed. He leaned forward and patted Kris’s shoulder. “Now we’re getting some place.” They paused for a moment in that close proximity. It’s hard to say what was going through their minds but I think it’s fair to say that they just didn’t want to be apart. Kris leaned forward and gave a light, gentle kiss on Tao’s forehead.

                “Yeah.” Was all he said. Tao smiled warmly and stepped back. He went back to training while Kris sat down and watched. He watched for a little while and left for a meeting. I wasn’t with him at the time but if I was, he would tell me how frustrating and bossy Tao is, but he would not be able to stop the smile forming on his face.

                I know, Tao’s flirting method is terribly unorthodox, but you have to admit, this story is anything but orthodox anyways.

                                                                *****************

                “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”

                “Why is it not a good idea? We’ll have to do it one day!”

                “I know, but look at us! We’re not in the right condition!”

                “Come on Minnie, don’t be a party pooper.”

                “I’m not a party pooper I’m just saying I’m not sure.”

                “Well how long will it take for you to be sure?”

                “Don’t rush me! I’ll end up doing all the work!”

                “Please tell me you guys are not discussing about some new position.” Luhan said, walking into the dance practice with Baekhyun.

                “No,” Minseok rolled his eyes. “We’re talking about having kids.”

                “Kids?” Baekhyun’s lips curved upwards. “Aww, kids are cute!”

                “You see, even Baekhyun agrees! Come on Minnie, I’ve always wanted to be a parent and you know that.”

              “I’m just not sure if we’re ready to have children. What about our careers? If BxL’s career takes flight so does ours!”

                “But we’ve talked about having kids when we got married! Did you forget about all the plans we had for when we got married? Buying a nice house with a yard, getting a dog, having kids, Sunday barbeques and Saturday swims…”

                “It’s different now! Times have changed!”

                “Yeah but we haven’t! Why can’t we just have what we want?”

                Xiumin and Chen eventually took their arguments outside, leaving the boys and the other dancers inside. Practice went on as usual, but Luhan noticed that Baekhyun was looking a little more bothered than usual.

                “Dude, you okay?”

                “Yeah I’m fine.”

                “Is everything okay between you and Chanyeol? Why are you so sad?”

                “Sad? I’m not sad? How are things with Sehun?”

                “It’s great.” Luhan smiled. “I thought it would make things awkward, but I think it actually helped things between us. At least it’s nice to know that he can kiss me every time I start rambling about something.”

                “See? I told you! As long as you just open your heart and be honest to yourself, you can achieve anything!” Baekhyun grinned.

                “I get it,” Luhan rolled his eyes playfully. “Have you talked to Kris yet?”

                “No, I’m still undecided.”

                “About the wedding?”

                “More or less.” Baekhyun didn’t tell him it was about a lot of things. He didn’t know why at the time he couldn’t tell Luhan. It was just reflex. Baekhyun has always been a private person, especially about his relationship. He had been so used to hiding and shutting up rather than revealing.

               After practice, Baekhyun left the practice room alone. Luhan had gone off to call Sehun and the dancers left as well. He could see Minseok and Jongdae cuddled together and holding hands.

                “Hey guys, I assume you guys have sorted out your issues?”

                “Yeah, we’re going to start a family!” Jongdae smiled widely, and even Minseok can’t help but grin.

                “Congratulations! I’m sure you guys will make the best parents out there!” Baekhyun sat down next to them. “Can I ask a question?”

                “Sure, tell mama Minnie what you need.”

                “See baby, you even act like a mother!” Jongdae smiled.

                “I just want to know, how do you guys know what you want in life? Like how Minnie was saying he wasn’t sure if he wanted to have kids. What made you change your mind?”

                “Well Baekkie, you see the thing is,” Minseok turned to face him. “You never know what you want in life. The road changes all the time and we all say we want something all the time. It changes and forces you to change your mind. Stuff like that always happens.”

                “But I always believe that if you take a step back and look back on your journey and all that you have done, you will be able to see what you really want again. Sometimes it’s the same, other times it’s different. Like what I did just now with Jongdae. We talked about it and I realized that having a child was something I wanted to. Besides, Jongdae is with me, so I won’t be afraid.”

                “That’s nice.” Baekhyun smiled a little.

                “You know, there’s something about life that is odd. You can spend your youth looking for fame and fortune, but in the end you can’t take it with you. When you’re old and sick, those fans aren’t going to take care of you. It’s your family’s job then.”

                “Are you deciding on something?” Minseok asked.

                “I’m just nervous about how fast we’re exploding in popularity.” Baekhyun said. “And I’m a little scared.”

                “You’ll be fine. As long as you have someone you really trust and someone who will stick up for you and with you no matter what, you’re going to be fine. Do you have someone like that?”

                “I do.” Baekhyun smiled.

                “Then problem solved. If you have doubts, just take a step back and reassess your life, but let me give you a bit of advice. Do what makes you happy.” Jongdae said.

                “Okay.” Baekhyun waved the couple goodbye as he got up and left. He didn’t go back to the dorm or Lina’s apartment that day. He just disappeared for a while. It was normal.

                We didn’t think much about it until the next morning when I got a call from Baekhyun, whose voice is ragged and he sounds like he’s choking. I held the phone to my ear and I could hear his broken voice. If I was there, he would have been crying.

                “I can’t do this anymore.”

A/N: Fluff is over, drama is on. I will be honest with you, I started thinking of this story long before Kris's lawsuit, but admittedly the incident was the one to spur me to put this in writing. I remembered staying up all night on tumblr and other Kpop fansites reading analysis that fans have posted and all sorts of comments they have left. The situation is my biggest inspiration and as for how this story will end, it will still be kept secret but I want you guys to know that there will be mch more ahead. There have been plenty of other stories inspired by Kris's lawsuit, many addressing the situation directly but that's not how I want my story to be. You will find out more in later chapters and I apologize in advance if it reopens old wounds or bring about massive floods of feels but I wrote this story in pieces, many of them in the height of Kris's departure so the emotional content can be rather high.

I also apologize if this is not turning out the way you want it to be, but hopefully if there is still even a teeny little something about this story that keeps you interested I do hope you stick around. 

As always thank you for your love and support.