Friendly Competition

The Domino Effect
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The day before leaving for Las Vegas, Chanyeol found himself, Yifan, and Zitao in a jewelry store.

"You're ing crazy. You know that, right?" Yifan wondered while Chanyeol examined an engagement ring.

"Yeah well, it took me cheating, Baekhyun cheating, and 4 months without him for me to realize I should have done this a long time ago."

Zitao examined the ring Chanyeol held in his hand. He nodded in agreeance with Yifan. The whole situation was crazy. "Baekhyun's dating Kang-Joon. What are you gonna do, propose in front of his boyfriend?"

Chanyeol sighed. "I haven't thought that far ahead. I'll figure something out."

"What if he says no?" Yifan wondered. 

"I'll do everything to get him to say yes."

Zitao smiled. "You really love him, don't you?"

"Yes. Not being with him . Things never felt quite right until we started hanging out together with Mina. Things won't be right again until we're back together. Baekhyun and Mina are my whole world. I can't live if a part of my world is missing."

Zitao continued to smile and looked expectantly at Yifan. The older looked confused. 

"Aren't you going to say something romantic about how much you love me?"

"Uh, I love you so much I'm speechless right now."

"Nice try." Zitao chuckled but gave Yifan a peck on the lips anyway.

Chanyeol focused more on the task at hand, disregarding Yifan and Zitao's romantic interactions. He held up the ring he liked best to the salesperson and asked how much it cost.

"It's 10-Karat white gold. It cost a little under a thousand dollars."

"Really?" Chanyeol wondered. Sure, he and Baekhyun had that amount of money and more saved up for Mina's education. But he wasn't ready to tap into that fund.

"I don't have that much money on me." 

"You have the option not to pay it up front. You can pay off the ring in a few months' time if it's more convenient."

Chanyeol examined the ring in his hand. It was such a beautiful (but pricey) piece of jewelry. He decided Baekhyun was worth it, though. Price was irrelevant when love was involved. Because Chanyeol knew he could pay it off over time, he accepted the deal.

He'd made a promise to Baekhyun years ago when he handed the older his promise ring. Although they never wore the rings and kept them away as a thing of the past, Chanyeol wasn't going to break his promise. 

"I told him I'd buy him a real engagement ring when I could afford one." Chanyeol said to his friends as the ring was being boxed properly.

Chanyeol handed over his credit card, ready to spend a thousand dollars on a ring. Deep down, Chanyeol knew he had been ready to marry Baekhyun for a long time. He just hoped the older felt the same way.

**

Baekhyun laid on the bed he once shared with Chanyeol with Kang-Joon hovering above him. Having the younger's lips on his neck felt nice and he managed to force a sound to escape past his lips. The sound could not, no matter how Baekhyun or Kang-Joon looked at it, be considered a pleasurable moan.

Kang-Joon removed his lips from Baekhyun's neck, choosing to remove himself from the older and lie next to him instead of on top.

"You're being very quiet today." Kang-Joon said as he sat up. Baekhyun sat up as well and put his shirt back on.

"You're one to talk." He replied teasingly. Kang-Joon was always quiet in and out of the bedroom.

"You know what I mean. You can usually put a star to shame."

Baekhyun flushed at the potential compliment and brought his knees up to his chest. He rested his arms on his knees and rested his chin on his crossed arms.

"Mina's asleep. I don't want to wake her up."

"That's never stopped you before. You're thinking of Chanyeol, aren't you?"

Baekhyun sighed. What was wrong with him? A hot, fit, guy was sitting next to him wanting to have but Baekhyun couldn't stop thinking about his ex boyfriend.

"Sorry. We've just been spending a lot of time together and it reminds me of how things used to be."

Kang-Joon nodded. "He's the father of your child and was your first boyfriend. Not to mention he is, well he was your best friend. I can't compete with that."

Baekhyun shook his head and looked into Kang-Joon's dark eyes. "It's not a competition."

"If it was, I'd be losing."

Baekhyun sighed as he climbed out of bed. He really didn't want to talk about Chanyeol.

"Do you still want to meet my parents?" Kang-Joon suddenly called out.

Baekhyun hesitated for a moment. Did he want to meet Kang-Joon's parents? Meeting his parents meant they were taking a big step in their relationship. Was he really ready for that step?

"Yes. I already said I did. Why would I change my mind?"

"Just making sure." Kang-Joon muttered as his older boyfriend left the room. The 21 year old flopped back on the bed and sighed. What was the point of being in a relationship when a part of him knew it wouldn't last? What was the point of being in love with Baekhyun if he loved someone else?

While Kang-Joon continued to contemplate their relationship, Baekhyun returned moments later with a glass of water. He climbed back into bed and the television. No that night. Baekhyun was making it loud and clear.

Kang-Joon sighed at their lack of intimacy and left to go take a shower.

Not too long after Kang-Joon left, Mina came into their room crying. Baekhyun immediately turned his attention to her.

"What's the matter, baby?" He wondered as he held back the covers for Mina to climb under.

"I had a bad dream." She cried into his arms. He caressed her hair soothingly. Mina had had trouble sleeping lately and it was beginning to worry him. 

"Do you want to tell mommy about it?"

Mina shook her head and simply held on to Baekhyun. Having studied the mind and the way it worked for years, he came to the conclusion that, with everything that had been going on, Mina's bad dream had something to do with him and Chanyeol.

She was still worried about their future as a family and had previously dreamed about Chanyeol leaving them and never returning. If that ended up happening, it would crush her.

"What if daddy left and forgot all about us?" She cried and Baekhyun held her tightly. 

"Daddy would never forget about us. We see him every weekend."

Without being in a serious relationship with Baekhyun and not having Mina live with him, what was stopping him from leaving? What was stopping him from deciding he wanted to live his life away from them? Promising that he and Baekhyun would be friends just wasn't enough for her. Not anymore.

"We're going on our trip tomorrow, remember? We'll spend the holidays with daddy just like we always do. I promise he's not going anywhere."

"But what if he still does?"

"Let's call him. He can reassure you himself" Baekhyun offered. It was past midnight but the older assumed Chanyeol would still be up. He was a night owl anyway. 

With one arm wrapped around Mina for her comfort, Baekhyun grabbed his phone and dialed Chanyeol's familiar number. He picked up almost instantly. 

"Mina's upset. She's having trouble sleeping and she wants to talk to you."

"Okay."

Baekhyun gave the phone to Mina who sniffed away her tears.

"What's wrong?" Chanyeol wondered gently. 

In her own words, she told him about her dreams and described how paranoid she was about him leaving them. He promised her, again and again, he would never leave and she had nothing to worry about. 

Somewhat convinced, she gave the phone back to Baekhyun. 

"Stay here." He said to her as he grabbed the phone and climbed out of bed. Mina stayed put, snuggling under the covers and resting her head on Baekhyun's pillow. 

The 23 year old made his way into the living room where he could talk to Chanyeol privately. 

"Nothing good is coming out of us separating. It's only stressing Mina out. Whether we're friends or not, she's still going to worry. As her parents, what do we do?"

"What do you want to do?" Chanyeol asked hopefully. 

Baekhyun could hear the hopefulness in Chanyeol's voice. But he still had Kang-Joon whom he loved. He couldn't just leave him and run back to Chanyeol.

"Chanyeol, I love Kang-Joon. You know that."

"I know. But how else are we gonna help Mina? Being friends isn't enough anymore. She wants us to be more than that. Don't you?"

"Damn it, Chanyeol. You can't just ask me that over the phone."

"Is that a yes?"

"I-" Baekhyun was speechless. Of course he wanted to get back with Chanyeol because it seemed like the easiest and most natural thing to do. The only problem was that he wanted to remain in a relationship with Kang-Joon as well.

"Let me guess, it's complicated." Chanyeol supplied and Baekhyun chuckled. 

"We used to have simple lives. When did everything get so complicated?"

"When Mina came along." Chanyeol added.

Baekhyun nodded and began to address their relationship once more. "We needed a break from each other."

"I agree. It made me realize how much I love you."

Baekhyun groaned internally. Why was Chanyeol making it so hard? 

"I love you, Chanyeol. But you're asking me to make a tough decision. You're asking me to choose between you and Kang-Joon."

"There's no competition, right? Clearly, you're gonna choose me." Chanyeol joked.

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. Chanyeol had a sense of humor and a goofy personality that Kang-Joon lacked.

"I love both of you. I can't just choose."

Chanyeol groaned over the phone. "You just had to fall in love with someone else."

"You cheated on me first-"

"Baekhyun, you know how sorry I am for that."

"I know." Baekhyun looked at the dark floor under his feet. "But you're asking me to choose right now and I can't. During the trip, I'll do a lot of thinking. I'll think of how I want to live the rest of my life and who I want to live it with. I'll think of what's best for Mina. Just don't rush me. When I make a decision, you'll obviously be one of the first to know."

"Okay." Chanyeol replied. That was as good as it was currently going to get and he had to accept it. If he pressured the older, he knew he would only push him away again. 

"Chanyeol, it's not a competition. You're not competing against Kang-Joon" Baekhyun added as an after thought and Chanyeol laughed. Baekhyun may not have thought it was a competition but it was. Chanyeol was not going to let the older slip away. He wasn't going to screw up and send him running to Kang-Joon again. 

Besides, he had already made his first payment on the ring. He couldn't rest until it was on Baekhyun's finger. Earlier that day, he had made sure to pack it in a safe place because he had a strong feeling he'd be needing it for the trip.

"We're leaving for the airport at 8. Don't be late."

"I wouldn't dream of it." 

Baekhyun could hear a hint of a smirk in Chanyeol's voice as they hung up. What could the younger possibly have up his sleeve? What was he up to?

Baekhyun shook his head to try to clear it. He had a lot to think about over the next couple weeks. He had Mina's well being, his well being, Kang-Joon's feelings and Chanyeol's feelings to take into consideration. 

He made his way back to the bedroom and climbed into bed. Mina was already asleep, on her thumb lazily. She looked so much like Chanyeol in that moment it was almost shocking. Maybe it was a sign, if Baekhyun believed in such things. But he did believe in soul mates and for so long, he had thought his was Chanyeol. 

He wrapped a protective arm around Mina. Not long after, he felt a shift in bed and an arm wrap around his waist. It didn't feel as secure as Chanyeol's always had. It wasn't as familiar as Chanyeol's had always been.

Regardless, Baekhyun eventually fell asleep in preparation for the long and exhausting trip ahead of him.

**

The next morning, Chanyeol woke up all smiles. His conversation with Baekhyun last night had made him hopeful. Baekhyun still loved him and he still loved Baekhyun. That meant there was a good chance of things working out between the two of them.

In high spirits, he showered and dressed, saying goodbye to Yifan and Zitao who had slept over once he was heading out the door.

"Good luck. Make sure Baekhyun comes back with that ring on his finger." Yifan said.

Chanyeol nodded and smiled. "Will do."

He stuck a piece of toast in his mouth before gathering his luggage and hauling it out of the apartment. 

Baekhyun and Kang-Joon's apartment wasn't far from his and Yifan's. He got there about 10 minutes later and was admitted access into the building. He rode the familiar elevator up to the correct floor and knocked on the door. Kang-Joon, already dressed, opened the door.

Baekhyun was busy rushing about getting himself ready while Mina looked grumpy and was onl

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tonnettie
#1
Chapter 55: They really have a tough life before they got here they are now, I hope more people would be enduring when facing challenges like this.
tonnettie
#2
Chapter 28: You made me cry
rbdgirl
#3
Chapter 35: That is life ,life goes on
Sparkleinhereyes
#4
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Galaxyboo_
#5
Chapter 16: I always think cheating is horrible but well they willing to give 2nd chance so okey.. But then using someone to move on is another thing that I hate whyyyy
Sparkleinhereyes
#6
❤️❤️❤️
Sparkleinhereyes
#7
Thank-you for writing thsi it's so beautiful I was crying and laughing all at once ahhhh
Sparkleinhereyes
#8
This is best chanbaek ff
Pxnellyxq #9
Chapter 55: YEAAAAA I LOVED IT
Pxnellyxq #10
Chapter 26: ahhh I’m crying for the both of them, I AM SO PROUD AND HAPPY