pairing: BaekLay
length: 2437 words
A/N: Written at the request of unicorn1991! Hope you like it!
Part One: Unrequited
Part Two: Dream Come True

Yixing pursed his lips as he read the text message he had received from his father, stating that his parents would be coming the next day to discuss something. And he knew exactly what that something was, vague as it sounded. After all, his parents had no reason to visit him, at least not until he graduated, since he would take over the company’s South Korean branch after he finished school.

They wanted to discuss his upcoming marriage. He was young, but in their eyes, it was never too early to start building connections with other companies to strengthen their overall power for the future. And his mother especially had been constantly talking his ear off about the numerous single daughters that were vying to meet Zhang Yixing.

He didn’t think his parents would take too kindly to him wanting to marry the man whose head was currently nestled in Yixing’s lap as Baekhyun played games on his phone. Yixing had his laptop to his side as he studied for his upcoming exams while his right hand mindlessly combed through Baekhyun’s soft black hair. Their relationship hadn’t changed very much after that first kiss in Baekhyun’s bedroom, except they now initiated much more skinship with each other and spent a lot more time just staring wordlessly into each other’s eyes.

And kissing. They partook in that activity quite often as well.

Yixing was aware of how his boyfriend felt slightly inferior, especially since Yixing was the star student of their school. His popularity was off the charts and Baekhyun often stood in his shadow as an average person. No one paid attention to the younger male when Zhang Yixing was there, because the most popular student’s aura was just that captivating.

If Yixing were to bring up the possibility of an arranged marriage between himself and a daughter of one of the leading conglomerates in Korea, he knew Baekhyun’s self-esteem could potentially take a crippling dive. And that was the last thing he wanted to do to the man he was irrevocably in love with. After all, he had chosen Byun Baekhyun simply because the younger male made Yixing’s insides feel all fuzzy and gooey. The older male didn’t experience those feelings when he was with anyone else, no matter how talented or intelligent they were. Only Byun Baekhyun could make him feel that way.

Even if the rest of the world saw Byun Baekhyun as the most ordinary person on the planet, to Zhang Yixing, Byun Baekhyun was the brightest shining star in the universe. And no one could ever take his place.

--

“Oh my god, Yixing, what am I doing here?” Baekhyun was currently freaking out as he paced back and forth across the carpet of Yixing’s lavishly decorated living room, his hands clasped behind his back as he kept his head faced down.

“Baek, relax,” Yixing answered in a reassuring tone, knowing that his boyfriend’s psyche was not at its best at the moment.

“How can I relax when I’m going to meet your parents for the first time in like ten minutes?!”

“It’ll be okay.” As soon as the words left his dry mouth, Yixing knew he didn’t sound very convincing. After all, he had his doubts himself about how his parents would react to Byun Baekhyun being his boyfriend. Especially since the only reason they were coming to South Korea was to speak about their son’s soon-to-be arranged marriage. Yixing didn’t think they would take too kindly to their precious youngest son throwing a wrench into their plans, particularly because they weren’t used to opposition. The Zhangs ruled with an iron hand; there was no other way they could have become such a powerful family in the past few decades.

Baekhyun picked up on his boyfriend’s nervousness and groaned even more as he anxiously ran his hands through his already messy hair, still pacing restlessly around the room. This was not what he thought was going to happen when Yixing had invited him over earlier that day. Not at all.

--

Yixing could feel his boyfriend fidgeting on the couch next to him with Baekhyun’s right knee hitting the older male’s left leg every few seconds. He placed a comforting hand on the younger male’s knee, trying to steady it and noiselessly convey to his boyfriend that there was nothing to worry about. Because whatever happened that afternoon, the two would get through it together.

Mrs. Zhang haughtily took a sip of the piping hot green tea that the housekeeper brought over in fragile china cups that were decorated with painted pale pink flowers. Mr. Zhang didn’t touch his cup as he was busily reading and replying to emails on his phone. Not even one second could be wasted when there were important business transactions to be made. After shooting a sideways glance at her occupied husband, Mrs. Zhang decided to take it upon herself to start the conversation. “Yixing, you know why we are here, right?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Good.” Mrs. Zhang nodded approvingly, continuing, “Your cousin, Zitao, is getting married in a few months. You received the wedding invitation, correct?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“With his marriage, the Huang subsidiary will grow even stronger,” Mrs. Zhang rambled on, her long manicured nails tapping lightly against the sides of the china cup in her hands. “Even though he is so young, Zitao is already being granted an assistant manager position. He will be moving up the ranks quite quickly, will he not, dear?”

“Zitao does have a very promising future,” Mr. Zhang said, finally putting away his phone and directing his attention to the conversation at hand. “Your mother and I have been looking for potential marriage candidates for you, Yixing. It is about time you got engaged.”

Baekhyun let out an involuntary squeak upon hearing this statement, causing the two adults to raise an eyebrow at his reaction. The embarrassed male quickly lowered his head, trying to avoid the emotionless stares from his boyfriend’s parents.

Mrs. Zhang finally peeled her eyes away from the young man next to her son and focused back on Yixing as she cleared . “As your father was saying, we have hand-selected several young ladies who are all quite capable of being your future wife. We shall leave the final choice up to you, since we trust you shall make the best decision.”

But Yixing knew that none of those females would be capable of being his life partner. Because that person was already sitting right next to him. He hated to go against his parents and their wishes, especially since he had never disobeyed them before, but there was no way he could let go of Byun Baekhyun now. Not after years of pining for him in silence.

So he took a deep breath before taking hold of Baekhyun’s hand, much to the surprise of the other three in the room. “Mother, Father, I’m sorry but I can’t marry one of those girls.”

“And why not?” There really was no point to that question. Mrs. Zhang knew full well what the reason was since her son wasn’t trying to be subtle with his actions at all. But she still wanted to hear it straight from the Zhang scion’s mouth.

“Because I already found the one I want to marry. And his name is Byun Baekhyun.”

“Byun? I have never heard of that family before,” Mrs. Zhang commented with a skeptical look as she eyed the smaller male once more.

“They…they’re just a normal family,” Yixing admitted reluctantly, feeling like he was letting his boyfriend down with that potentially insulting description.

“So what makes you think we shall allow a union between the two of you then?” Mr. Zhang challenged, his tone hardening as his eyes narrowed at the two young men sitting across from him.

Yixing gulped, having never been at the receiving end of one of his father’s ice-cold stares. After all, he was the perfect son. There had never been any reason for his father to look at him so frigidly like he did now.

“Our family is one of the most powerful in China and with you marrying a daughter of Samsung, Hyundai, or LG, we will be able to secure the South Korean market and further expand our influence across Asia. There is no reason for you to settle for someone who is clearly below us,” Mr. Zhang stated in distaste.

“And Yixing, you know you were sent here to build up your education, not to fraternize with some boy,” Mrs. Zhang reminded her son.

It stung when he heard himself being referred to as “some boy” who was “clearly below” Zhang Yixing. Baekhyun knew it. He had always known that he probably wasn’t good enough for this perfect man. That was why Zhang Yixing had previously just been a fantasy that Baekhyun indulged in. He had been out of reach, like the sun chasing the moon every single day. The two entities could never be in the same place at the same time, so Baekhyun had believed that his far-fetched dream of being Zhang Yixing’s was just as impossible.

Yet he had been proven wrong. Zhang Yixing chose him. Out of all of the billions of people on Earth, Zhang Yixing had chosen to love Byun Baekhyun in the end.

So he wasn’t going to just sit by idly anymore. If he wanted to spend forever with Zhang Yixing, Baekhyun knew he had to win over his boyfriend’s parents first.

“I know it might not be my place to speak, but I just wanted to let you two know that I really cherish your son. I can understand that your position as his parents means that you only want what’s best for him. I realize that I’m not the person you had envisioned seeing him with. I’m lacking in a lot of areas and I don’t know what your world is like whatsoever. But what I do know is that your son means everything to me. He is the one who brightens up my day and makes me feel like I’m on cloud nine. He is the most amazing person I’ve ever met and he inspires me so much every single day.” Tears began filling Baekhyun’s eyes as his voice began to crack. “I really, truly love Yixing. And I will guarantee that he is happy at all times, even when I take my last breath.”

Yixing turned to look at his boyfriend, his mouth slightly gaping upon hearing that impromptu speech. Listening to Baekhyun utter such sentiments almost had the older male tearing up as well. Such heartfelt words completely validated everything about their relationship and he was over the moon, knowing that the love of his life was willing to fight for the two of them as well.

Bolstered by his boyfriend’s earnest words, Yixing felt a renewed burst of confidence flow within him. He couldn’t back down now. Zhang Yixing had never experienced failure in his life yet and he wasn’t about to allow himself a taste now, even if his opponents were his parents. “Baekhyun is the only one for me.”

Mr. Zhang arched an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Baekhyun has been here for me since day one. He always encourages me while keeping me grounded. Even if he’s just normal by your standards, he’s extraordinary to me. No matter how powerful our company becomes through a marriage of convenience with another conglomerate, I won’t be able to lead it with a clear conscious, knowing that I gave up this man right here for greed. I’d rather live happily with him, even if there’s nothing to gain in a monetary sense, than be forced to engage in a loveless marriage with someone I can never give my heart to. Because when I’m with Baekhyun, I am achieving so much more. He brings out the best in me, like no one else ever has.” Yixing’s eyes darkened with resolution. “I will never be complete without Byun Baekhyun.”

Mr. Zhang and Mrs. Zhang turned to each other as silence aded the tense atmosphere. The two younger adults tightly gripped each other’s hands as they watched the other two sitting on the other side of the table. They had given their case. And they would give it again and again, just so they could be together. Having finally voiced their truest feelings, both Zhang Yixing and Byun Baekhyun knew that they were capable of fully supporting their love for each other. No matter the distance, no matter the obstacles, they were both ready and willing to rise above any challenge that faced their way.

And Mr. Zhang and Mrs. Zhang saw that. They saw how staunch and unyielding the two young men were when it came to their relationship. They recognized that regardless of what anyone else said, the two would never let go of each other. Byun Baekhyun and Zhang Yixing had tied themselves so tightly to each other, ensuring that no one would be able to undo the knot. The two adults knew there was no other alternative.

So they smiled, deciding that this union was worth their blessing. Their son had never led them astray before. They opted to continue trusting him and his judgment. Not to mention, Byun Baekhyun had impressed them as well. And looking over him for a final time, they decided that it wasn’t too late to groom him into a proper executive. If he was studying with their son, he must be decently capable as well. It would be a win-win situation for everyone.

“If that is really what you two desire, then we will no longer push this issue,” Mr. Zhang relented. “It seems that the two of you will be able to exceed my expectations and I certainly hope that this comes to fruition.”

Mrs. Zhang nodded in agreement. “You do appear to be a good person, Baekhyun. I know we seem very harsh, but that is how we have managed to become so successful. Our Yixing is a smart boy, so he would not be choosing you if you were not the one for him.”

The two young adults almost couldn’t believe their ears. Their relationship was actually being accepted by the elder Zhangs. It was…surreal.

“Th-thank you so much,” Baekhyun stuttered as he quickly bowed several times in his seat, tears dripping out of his eyes. “I assure you that I will do my absolute very best to be the support that your son deserves.”

Yes, he would do anything for him. Because Zhang Yixing was Byun Baekhyun's everything.

♈♈♈