He wanted to do something fun with his boyfriend, something he knew his boyfriend would truly appreciate. He knew how much Chanyeol wanted to be public, and thus far, he’d let him oust their relationship to his friends and his parents. But he didn’t know what else he could do besides be seen with him in public. It was too risky, Baekhyun knew.

His father was an important business man, and he had eyes all around the city, eyes that knew the son of their CEO. Should one of them see him and his boyfriend in public it was sure to be reported and it would be the shame of his whole family.

But there was one place he knew of that business men rarely attended, a place where he had an in.

He begged Mr. Kim to let him and Chanyeol play a duet for a night. It would mean a lot to him, he pleaded, and his partner would be excellent.

Mr. Kim had always had a soft spot for the black haired boy, something about him looking like his deceased son. So all Baekhyun had to do was pout a little and the man was like putty in his hands. Before they met Chanyeol’s parents, he’d told him about the duet and he’d been so excited that Baekhyun couldn’t help but smile in return.

He could only hope that Chanyeol would understand the implications. He’d be disguising himself of course, but he’d be in public with his so-called boyfriend, potentially declaring his love. He knew just what song they should sing first…

They were invited back to sing a second time but Baekhyun wasn’t as surprised at Chanyeol. Since the day they’d sung together in the practice room so many months ago, he knew they’d worked well together. What he didn’t realize was that they’d be approached by an entertainment agency scout. But as much as he was overjoyed at the thought, with a single look at each other, both he and Chanyeol knew this wasn’t what they wanted.

He was up early already the next morning, his grades were slipping according to his parents and they woke him up early to study.

“Honestly, you spend so much time studying It’s a wonder you aren’t the top of your class,” his mother had said in her condescending tone.

He sighed but he was pleasantly surprised when Chanyeol texted him almost immediately after, it wasn’t like him to be awake so early as well.

“I still can’t believe that happened last night. I was so shocked I thought I might vomit,” Chanyeol’s voice was still giddy. He sounded amazingly chipper even over the phone.

“Gross.” Baekhyun drawled lazily, “But I get what you mean. Even I was really excited for a minute.”

“For a minute? It’s not every day that Mr. Kim from XM Entertainment comes up to you himself and offers you and your boyfriend a private audition. He practically begged us to come. I’m surprised you weren’t as excited as I was. I’m still flying high.”

“I can tell,” he rolled his eyes, noting mentally that Chanyeol couldn’t actually see him. “I was excited, okay, but I already have my own plans, thanks. I really can’t think about anything else. I already forgot his name was Mr. Kim too…” he said as if to prove his point. “But speaking of Mr. Kim, my Mr. Kim, are you guys going to accept his offer? This is a big deal.”

“Of course we have to accept his offer. This is basically a once in a life time opportunity!”

“I’m glad! You guys have worked really hard and if anyone can do it you can!....Chanyeol?” He heard muffled voices over the phone. “…Chanyeol are you there?” He heard the phone click off on the other end and he held the receiver away from his face, wondering what had happened.

Just then his mother walked into his room. “Where you chatting on the phone?” she said in a disapproving and knowing tone.

He knew there was no point in lying about it, “Yes, I was speaking with my friend.”

“And what friend would that be?”

He sighed, “My frie-….It was Chanyeol.”

Her eyebrows slanted impossibly narrow, “I thought we didn’t like that boy. He’s a bad influence.”

“Mother, when I told you I didn’t want to see him it wasn’t because he was a bad guy. We just had a little misunderstanding is all. He’s really a good guy, I promise. He was even helping me with my homework just now.” Throwing in a little lie once in a while couldn’t hurt after all.

She made a soft click with her tongue. “I don’t want you hanging around with the wrong sort of crowd. Trust me, Baekhyun, I’m your mother. That boy may look all right on the outside but you can just tell he’s rotten. Try not to hang out with him too much, okay?”

Baekhyun clenched his teeth. “Yes, Mother.”

Baekhyun received a text later from Chanyeol as an apology for hanging up so quickly, though he didn’t explain was it was for. When their conversation was light and normal for the next two days he felt a strange sense of foreboding arise from the pit of his stomach, but he never asked Chanyeol to spill. He was sure it would come out eventually.

He just never thought he’d find out so shockingly.

Baekhyun had just gotten out of his second to last class of the day and was casually strolling over to the Business building where his last would be held in an hour. He took the campus scenic route to kill time and stroll, not many people knew their way and many avoided the beautiful forest path.

He definitely did not expect to find his lover curled up on a bench crying his eyes out. He almost didn’t recognize the figure or at least his mind couldn’t register the fact that it was Chanyeol. He’d never seen the man cry so hard since…well…he’d never seen him cry like this.

He always hated that he’d made Chanyeol feel so sad when he’d rejected him so long ago, and seeing the physical manifestation of what he’d imagined was just too much to handle.

He held both of Chanyeol’s shoulders and looked down at him with determination. “I’ll fix this,” he breathed.

“What?” Chanyeol squeaked.

“Just…go home or something for now and lie down. I’ll take care of everything.”

“There’s nothing you can do, Baekhyun, not when everything is my own fault.” He smiled sadly back up at him and Baekhyun felt his own fingers tremble with anger.

“I’m telling you. Chanyeol, you do a lot for me, okay? I owe you. I’m going to fix this.”

“You don’t owe me anything, Baekhyun. We’re in a relationship. I do things for you because I want to, not because I need you to pay me back.”

“Well since we’re in this together this is my problem now too.” He was puffed up his chest, proud that he came up with that on the spot. “Now go home and lay down. I’ll see you later.” His resolution was firm.

He hastily picked up his bag from the ground and stormed off to where the others, knowing in the back of his mind that Chanyeol would obey him when he used that tone.

Baekhyun stood outside the practice room and took a deep dramatic breath, rolling his head and cracking his knuckles.

You can do this. You’re angry. You’re pissed. Do it for Chanyeol.

He let his fury flow through him before theatrically kicking open the door and watching it slam back into the wall.

As he stomped in to the resounding clang of metal, six sets of wide eyes turned towards him in surprise.

“What the HELL is going on in here!?” he roared, all those years of singing let his voice easily carry and silence the room.

Jongin and Sehun stood up from the couch quickly in alarm, Xiumin freezing, terrified next to Kris.

Kyungsoo leaned back where he sat and haughtily folded his arms. “What are you doing here?”

Baekhyun mirrored his arms’ position and cocked his hips to the side. “I’m here because you morons made a grown man cry!” he shouted sassily, never lowering his voice.

Sehun scoffed, “He actually cried?” His face was contorted in a smirk but Baekhyun saw the guilt behind his eyes and he knew he wasn’t about to let Sehun get away with it.

He marched up to the taller man and poked him harshly in the chest, “You think that’s funny!?”

Sehun wasn’t backing down, “Well, yeah. It’s what he deserves for ing abandoning us!”

“You think he abandoned you? He turned down the chance of maybe a lifetime because all he thinks about is you guys!”

Sehun faltered as Baekhyun turned to glare at the rest of the group who cowered, even Kyungsoo seemed taken aback. “T-that’s not true.” He started again more confidently. “I heard the son of a myself, he-“

Baekhyun’s hand smacked across Sehun’s cheek faster than he could blink. “Don’t you dare talk about that woman that way! And don’t you dare talk about Chanyeol like he’s some sort of monster when you are the one who jumped to conclusions!”

Xiumin gasped and Kris and Jongdae gaped openly. Sehun grasped his flushing cheek and he was much more docile than before as he looked down at Baekhyun.

The way he was speaking now, he felt taller than everyone in the room, though that was clearly not the physical case. “You never gave Chanyeol the chance to speak when he tried to talk to you. All he wanted was to share a big opportunity with you guys, and instead you took it as some sort of initiative to shove your blatant jealousy down his throat!”

“We understand that he ing got a big job, Baekhyun!” yelled Jongdae.

“You understand nothing! Sure, we got offered a job but we turned them down.”

“B-but,” stuttered Sehun, looking bewildered, “I heard him say that you were going to accept it.”

Baekhyun held up a hand to his face and gritted his teeth harshly. “Maybe if you finally let someone ing finish their story, then maybe, just maybe, you wouldn’t be so confused or angry.”

He put his hands on his hips and Sehun clamped his mouth shut.

“A man named Mr. Kim from XM entertainment offered us a job. Yes, it’s true. We both turned him down. Mr. Kim from my job, The Library, also offered us a deal in which you morons audition for a big live broadcast show in a couple months. Chanyeol accepted that one. You want to know why he accepted that one and not the first and clearly better offer? Because he ing loves you guys!”

He turned to stare at the downcast faces around the room. “Yes, he’s been an idiot. He’s been ignoring you all and hanging around me a lot. ing sue me. He’s my boyfriend. Yes, Jongdae, no need to make that face. He’s my boyfriend and I won’t apologize for that. He hasn’t been making time for you guys and I can see that. But I can also ing see that he values you and your band above just about everything else. He’d rather spend the rest of his life trying to make it big with you, playing for fun, than take a sure job by himself. Why? Because he loves his friends.” He turned to glare at Sehun harshly, “You of all people should understand that.

“Anyways, I’m going to make him apologize for how he’s wronged you, and you in turn are going to do the same.”

Sehun’s head snapped up, “I can’t apologize now! I’ll look like an idiot.”

Baekhyun held up three fingers. “One, you already look like a giant idiot and that can’t ever be fixed. Two, looking like an idiot and apologizing have nothing to do with each other. Three, it wasn’t a request or a suggestion. You’re going to do it. Now!” he snapped.

When Sehun didn’t move he reached up and tugged him down by the ear, leading him to the door as the taller man whined and struggled to keep up in his awkward position. He turned back to the now five pairs of eyes staring at him. “You all are coming too! Move it!” he barked.

He smiled slyly as they all scrambled from their seats after them.

Chanyeol lay on his side, hand propping up his head on the pillow. “Let’s play a game,” he said.

“What?” Baekhyun breathed before reaching out to hold Chanyeol again. His arms wrapped around Chanyeol’s shoulders as he tugged himself close. His legs tangled theirs together, he reveled in their ness. “It’s too cold,” he muttered, sleepy.

Chanyeol used his free hand to pull his thick blanket over their shoulders and he wrapped his free arm around Baekhyun’s waist, “We can play like this.”

“Okay.” He smiled suggestively.

Chanyeol sighed “It’s not a game, Baek.”

“But why not?” he whined, knowing with just a little push of his buttons he could send Chanyeol over the edge and have him at his bidding.

“It’s an imagination game…So close your eyes.”

“That sounds ,” he retorted with a laugh.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes, “Shut up and close them.”

“Fine,” he muttered, staring emptily at the bare chest in front of him.

He glanced down, “They aren’t closed.”

“But it’s already dark.”

“Just close them!” Chanyeol snapped. When he let his eyelids flutter shut he felt a warm wetness kiss each lid. “There. Now they’re sealed shut.”

“Don’t be cheesy,” Baekhyun groaned.

Chanyeol scoffed lightly, “I’m only this way because I know you like it.”

“That’s beside the point. What am I supposed to be imagining?”

“Okay. Imagine me and you-“

Baekhyun interrupted him softly singing, “Imagine me and you, I do. I think about you day and night, it’s only right.”

“Do you want to play or not?”

“Fine,” he huffed and slumped his forehead against Chanyeol’s chest.

He chuckled, “Okay. Seriously. Imagine me and you. We’re living somewhere else.”

“Where?”

“Somewhere far away. Maybe England…” he grinned. “Or France.”

He nodded.

“And we still meet each other. But neither of us play any instrument. We’re just super normal people. Do you still agree to date me?”

“You wouldn’t even have paid attention to me if it weren’t for the piano,” he pointed out.

“I like to think that you would have still caught my eye sooner or later. I love you, not your piano, stupid. Plus, this is pretend, remember?”

“Okay.”         

“Okay, what?”

“Okay, I’d probably still date you.”

“Probably?” Chanyeol frowned, picking at words.

He shrugged, and decided to . “Maybe I’d have met someone else already.”

“What?” he heard Chanyeol gasp and he smiled at the desired reaction.

“I’m just joking,” he laughed. “You’re cute when you’re jealous. I’d definitely still date you…” He muttered softly with admission, “You’re my type…”

He felt Chanyeol grin above him, “You bet your sweet I’m your type. Now we date for a while, and I want to hold your hand. Would you let me?”

“Of course, I do that now anyways.”

“In public?”

“Oh….” He balked, but he answered shyly. “Maybe.”

“Are you saying maybe because you’re actually embarrassed or because you think it’s not normal?”

He paused for a moment, cautious, “…Because it’s not normal.”

“Well in England and France it’s kind of normal so do you let me hold your hand?”

“…Okay.”

“Then do you let me kiss you?”

“NO!” Baekhyun screeched at once, curling his hands against Chanyeol’s skin, fingernails scraping his chest uncomfortably.

“Are you-?”

“I’m embarrassed!” he interrupted and felt his cheeks growing hot.

Chanyeol laughed, “But you’d still let me kiss you in private, right?”

“Of course.”

“And hold you?”

“Yes.”

“What else would you let me do?”

“What do you mean? What else is there?”

He tugged Baekhyun impossibly closer into his chest, hand leaving his head and fully curling around the warm body, “Would you let me stay with you forever?”

What?

There was a pause and Baekhyun clenched his fists against his chest.

“Would you let me marry you?”

Baekhyun didn’t even think, he answered with the responses he’d been trained with. “It’s illegal,” he said simply, yet he trembled. Is he saying what I think he’s saying? Did I hear that right?

“Not in England or France it’s not. A lot of other places too.”

Baekhyun spoke with voice quivering, “B-but my parents…”

“Your parents don’t exist here. They don’t live with us. This is pretend.”

He’s asking me to marry him. HE’S ASKING ME TO MARRY HIM. OH GOD. What do I do? Say yes? I want to say yes! Should I just say it? I can’t! We can’t get married! It’s against the law!

But I want to! I want to be with him forever! I don’t want to be with anyone else. Oh god… What if Chanyeol was with someone else!? No. That can’t ever happen!

Wait! We’re just pretending!

Quick! Answer before he thinks you’re taking this too seriously!

“Yes.”

“Excuse me?” Chanyeol asked, unsure.

“I said yes. If I could marry you, I would.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah….oh.”  

Before he had time to think about what he’d said, Chanyeol quickly rolled them over and Baekhyun flopped under him with a soft squeak. He immediately pressed a soft kiss against his lips and Baekhyun eagerly took him in.

“What are you doing now?” he asked between sighs. His arms reached up to lightly wrap around Chanyeol’s neck, hands caressing his hair and skin.

“I’m still playing pretend,” he answered casually with a smirk and a shrug.

“What are you pretending now?” His tone was teasing.

“I’m pretending I just got myself the cutest little fiancé and that I’m spoiling him endlessly.”

Baekhyun smiled and watched his “fiancé” smirk back at him before he slowly worked his kisses below the covers.

May 6th.

It wasn’t just pretend.

It wasn’t a dream.

It’s all real.

He watched as Chanyeol sang to him, reaffirming his love over and over again and immediately he knew nothing could be better. As the song ended he couldn’t help but break away from the crowd as hot tears rolled down his face.

He wasn’t sad at all, he was just… ready. And inexplicably happy.

I love him.

I love him so much, he thought. I’m ready to give it all to him. Fear be damned. If I can give my all to him I will have lived a good life. I don’t care what the consequences may be. I want to love that man with all that I am.

Chanyeol was leaning next to him by the railing of the river, watching him.

Chanyeol began softly, almost a whisper, “I don’t know what I was thinking when I was chasing you down, but I knew from the very beginning that I was in love with you. I knew I had to have you and the fact that you were a guy never stopped me for a minute. Whether I was expecting this to last or not when we started…I never even thought about it. All I could think about was having you next to me. You and no one else. And now that you’re here I know I never want anyone else.”

He looked up at him, eyes wide but not in surprise. “Chanyeol.”

“Do you love me?”

He nodded.

“Then tell me you’ll be my forever.”

No hesitation. No excuses. No fear. ”Only if you promise to be mine.”

He watched as Chanyeol pulled out the ring and he’d never been more surprised or delighted. It wasn’t the material of the item, but the symbol. Chanyeol was fully his and he was fully Chanyeol’s.

Since when was I lucky? Since when has everything been so simple? Since when has everything in the world been right?

“Baekhyun?” came a familiar whisper.

His lips froze against Chanyeol’s and his eyes popped open. He felt Chanyeol shiver over him as they broke apart.

God no. I’m not ready. No. I’m ready. But god she wasn’t supposed to find out this way, or this soon.

His mother’s eyes darted between him and Chanyeol from her position at the entrance to the alley.

“Mom?” he squeaked back, cursing his shaking voice.

She shook her head violently and rushed towards them, gripping his arm harshly, nails biting into skin.

“What are you doing?” she screeched, “What do you think you’re doing!?”

Baekhyun tugged against her hand but she only gripped him tighter and he yelped at the nails broke skin.

“You’re hurting him!” yelled Chanyeol and he tried to intervene and loosen her grip.

A loud smack echoed across the walls and silence ensued. Chanyeol stumbled back, clutching his cheek from the hard blow and he stared up. Baekhyun’s mother looked at him wildly, her hand still held high in the air, and screamed.

“Get away from him! Don’t you touch him with your filthy hands!”

Baekhyun flinched at her words and looked at Chanyeol. She slapped him! She hurt him! No! No! NO! This wasn’t supposed to happen at all! If anyone has to be hurt for this please let it be me!

“Chanyeol, it’s okay. Just go home. It’s okay,” he pleaded, eyes watery.

His mom dragged him past Chanyeol without pausing. Chanyeol reached to follow, “Baekhyun.”

“Chanyeol, everything will be okay, stop. Just go home.” He turned and followed her more willingly, her iron-clad grip never leaving his arm. He tried hard not to look back lest Chanyeol be enticed to follow again and he tried to blink back the water already dripping from his eyes.

His mother roughly dragged him through the gates and up the steps to the house, throwing him through the front door.

It had been a long time since she’d man-handled him this way. He’d learned a long time ago as a child how to avoid it, but today was the biggest slip-up he’d made in years since he’d lost a singing competition. He couldn’t help but revert back to the fear of a child as she hovered over him. It took his own conscience screaming in his mind to remind himself he wasn’t a little kid anymore. He didn’t have to fear her.

She waved her arms around, confiscated his phone and eventually dragged him into the living room, where his father was sitting watching TV. He gulped. Now things would be getting crazy.

His mom sobbed, “Honey!”

Baekhyun’s father turned the TV off and turned around gruffly on the couch, seeing Baekhyun he stood. “Where have you been!?” he shouted. “You have the nerve to run off after you’ve been grounded!? When you are under my roof you will abide by