After their encounter with Sehun, Chanyeol made sure that Baekhyun was beside him all the time. Baekhyun followed Chanyeol around the house as he made small talk with his guests. He hovered by Chanyeol’s side unsurely, casting small smiles at the curious faces peering at him. Baekhyun was on tenterhooks, praying fervently that he would not be greeted with familiar faces. Things would definitely get messy if someone he knew were to see him here.

“Come with me, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol whispered into his ears. Chanyeol had took notice of his jittery behavior and figured that Baekhyun was feeling uncomfortable in this big and imposing party filled with strangers.

Baekhyun was more than relieved when Chanyeol led him to a quiet balcony on the second floor, away from the hustle and bustle of the party occurring downstairs. He leaned against the railing and stared up at the star-filled sky in awe.

“Look, Chanyeol! That’s the Orion Belt!”

Chanyeol felt his chest swell with an indescribable emotion as he watched Baekhyun gaze at the stars with an expression of childish awe.

“Yeah, it’s beautiful,” Chanyeol replied softly without taking his eyes off of Baekhyun. “If you’d like, I can snatch the stars out of the sky and present it to you as a gift.”

Baekhyun chuckled. “Don’t do that. Beautiful things are meant to be admired from afar.”

“I disagree.”

Chanyeol took a step closer and cupped Baekhyun’s face with his hands. Baekhyun felt his breath hitch as Chanyeol stared deeply into his eyes, as if looking straight through his soul.

“Beautiful things are meant to be savored.”

Without any warning, Chanyeol pressed his lips firmly against Baekhyun’s soft ones. Baekhyun felt his knees buckle as he melted unwittingly into the sensuous kiss. It was obvious that Chanyeol knew what he was doing as he expertly nibbled at Baekhyun’s lips and slipped his tongue into his mouth. Baekhyun found himself reacting as he grabbed a fistful of Chanyeol hair to pull him closer. He found himself getting lost in the heated kiss, and was disappointed when Chanyeol finally pulled away.

“Breathe, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol grinned, looking greatly satisfied with himself.

Baekhyun panted as he leaned weakly against the railing for support. What on earth had just happened?

As much as he’d like to deny it, the encounter with Sehun had left Chanyeol greatly unsettled and also insanely jealous. Just what sort of relationship did he have with Baekhyun? Baekhyun, looking so pure and innocent under the pale moonlight, aroused within Chanyeol an intense desire to claim and to possess. He wanted Baekhyun to surrender and submit to him completely.

Baekhyun belonged with no one else but him.

“You’re so unfair, Park Chanyeol,” Baekhyun muttered weakly. “Why do you think it’s okay to play with my feelings like this?”

“I’m not playing around. I really like you. A lot,” Chanyeol replied, staring earnestly into Baekhyun’s disbelieving eyes. “I know I don’t have the best reputation in the arena of love, and I know you are hesitant about opening up your heart to me, but believe me when I say that you’re someone very special to me.”

Baekhyun chuckled nervously, bowing his head to look at his feet. “I don’t know, Chanyeol. I don’t feel very special. I can’t shake off the feeling that I’m just a shiny new toy that you’ll soon tire of.”

Chanyeol swiftly engulfed Baekhyun in a tight embrace. “I understand if you don’t trust me, for I don’t quite trust myself either. But give me time to prove that I am serious about you,” Chanyeol said gently. “Just don’t push me away, okay?”

Baekhyun remained silent, but he pressed his face against Chanyeol’s warm chest. He shut his eyes and took in the familiar scent of Chanyeol’s cologne that he has grown to love.

His heart was being stirred by Chanyeol’s words, but a small, nagging voice at the back of his mind reminded him that he was being foolish. What will happen if he let himself believe? Could he really trust Chanyeol to not disappoint him?

“Okay,” he finally replied. “I can’t bring myself to fully trust you, but I won’t push you away.”

“That’s good enough,” Chanyeol smiled.

He was finally one step closer to claiming Baekhyun as his and his only.

--

Baekhyun could not quite shake off the intensity of their moment back at the balcony as they returned to the party proceedings. He excused himself to go rest at a corner while Chanyeol mingled with the guests. Chanyeol was reluctant to let him go but relented eventually. He figured that Baekhyun probably needed some time and space to sort his thoughts out.

Baekhyun slunk back to an isolated corner and resigned himself to being a wallflower for the rest of the evening. It had been a pretty eventful night so far and Baekhyun was not sure if he was up for any more excitement.

“You’re a pretty thing. How much does Park Chanyeol pay you for a night?”

Baekhyun looked up to see a pudgy male in his forties staring at him through lust-ridden eyes. His face was flushed a dee