Baekhyun lets out long and exhausted sigh when he enters his home, only to see that the lights are all off and the apartment is quiet. He frowns. His girl should have long been here by now, since she promised him that she would come over when he had told her how much of a bad day he had at his rehearsal. Not wanting to be alone without her, he exits his empty apartment again while dialing the familiar number. She picks up when he is about to get into the lift down to the car park. She sounds a little breathless from laughing and Baekhyun frowns at that.

"Oh my god, Baek—"

"Where are you?" he mutters gruffly.

"I forgot about the time," she says in a rush, sounding extremely guilty and apologetic. "I'm at my place with my supervisor to finish up a project. Come over?"

"Already on my way," Baekhyun grumbles before hanging up the phone right away.

He drives over to her apartment and within 20 minutes, he has already punched in the passcode to her apartment and is stepping into the familiar home, brows furrowed at the male sitting next to his girlfriend. Did she forget about her own boyfriend because of this guy?

"Baekhyun..." she calls slowly, carefully. She can tell that he is mad from the way his jaw is clenched and his hands are balled into fists. "Baekhyun, baby." At that, he finally snaps his eyes to her. "This is Leeteuk, my supervisor."

Baekhyun analyses the man and sizes him up. His black hair is perfectly made up, compared to Baekhyun's own messy red hair. His work attire consists of a suit and a blazer, resting on the couch, compared to Baekhyun's ripped jeans and white shirt. His expensive watch on the wrist of his hand, compared to Baekhyun's empty wrist. This Leeteuk guy is successful, way more successful than Baekhyun. He even wears suits — something he knows his girlfriend thinks is hot.

"Nice to meet you," Leeteuk smiles politely and stands, holding out his hand for Baekhyun to shake.

Baekhyun walks over slowly, unwraps his tight fist and takes Leeteuk's hand in his. He gives him a tight smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Have you eaten?"

Baekhyun doesn't even look at his girlfriend. He walks into her room as he mutters, "No. But it's fine. Not hungry."

He goes through the wardrobe that is really almost half his clothes, half hers. Even at his place, it's the same. Baekhyun leaves the room and though his girlfriend is watching him, hoping that he'd turn to her, he doesn't. Instead, he goes straight into the bathroom and takes a long, hot shower. Just as he turns off the water, he hears his favourite laughter. He feels himself steaming up even more. 

Jealousy isn't really a common emotion to Baekhyun when it comes to his girlfriend. Because he knows that she loves him despite all the play fights and nasty words. Besides, even though she is a very independent woman, whether she has the pride to admit it or not, she likes being around Baekhyun, which explains why they're together all the time if they're not at work. Yet now that he has seen her with another man, even if they're just talking about work, Baekhyun feels the angry flames of jealousy the insides of his body. Hearing her laugh with another man and not with him, knowing that she had forgotten about him while spending time with that same man. A man who is so much more successful than Baekhyun, someone who could give his princess whatever to make her a queen. How can Baekhyun ever top that?

When he leaves the toilet, he doesn't notice that Leeteuk is already gone because he is only keen on going back into the room. But when he hears the sizzling of oil, he stops and turns around, his hand still ruffling the towel in his hair, though slowly now. He sees his girl in the kitchen, still wearing her work attire, as she cooks something by the stove. She turns around and, seeing him there, smiles at him. Baekhyun blinks blankly and looks away, going back into the room without another word. She frowns at his back.

Baekhyun is reading through his script when his girl comes in with a small table. She sets it on the bed and sits on the edge of the mattress. Baekhyun looks over his papers and raises an eyebrow at the omurice on the table.

"You haven't had dinner," she explains, no bite in her words at all. It should be unusual to Baekhyun, but he is being too petty to notice.

"I said I wasn't hungry," he mutters, tone lifeless.

It's weird, not having a conversation with their usual fiery attitude. It doesn't feel like a conversation at all, really. Doesn't feel like their conversation. And honestly, it scares her. Because she knows that things are bad when they speak in toned down voices with no quirky remarks. And she knows that this time, it's her fault.

"Baekhyun, I'm sorry about forgetting—"

"It's fine," he says coldly, looking back at his script. He really doesn't want to talk about it now.

"It's not fine," she snaps, snatching his script from his hands. He glares menacingly at her. "I made you mad. We have to talk about this."

"Talk about what."

"About how sorry I am for losing track of time—"

"I said it's fine."

A glare is shot his way as she continues like he hadn't say anything, "—And about you coming back home only for you see me with a male colleague."

"Why, then you would be with that male colleague somewhere else?" Baekhyun sneers.

They glare at each other, the air thickening around them. Baekhyun barks out a cold, lifeless laughter. She is shocked by it, so much so that it shows on her face. She has only ever heard it once or twice during previous fights, but majority of it, she heard it on stage when her boyfriend had been acting villain. She doesn't like it when he does it in real life, and in a situation involving the both of them.

"It's easy to lose track of time when you're spending time with your supervisor, huh," Baekhyun says bluntly under his breath. She feels her blood bubbling at the way he is talking. "I guess you wouldn't have time to spend with your needy boyfriend who had a ing ty day at work with his ing colleagues who were ing dumb as . Of course you would spend time with a more successful man who wears suits and expensive watches."

She knows that he is only saying all of these things in the heat of the moment. She knows he is mad and jealous. She knows. Yet she is angry, too. She is angry because how dare he think of her this way? How dare he think she cares more about a man's success than the way he makes her feel? Baekhyun could be a busker on the streets for all she cares but she would still love her like how she has always done.

"Of course I would!" she yells, standing from the bed angrily. "Of course I would prefer spending time with my supervisor who wears expensive suits and watches!" Baekhyun is surprised by her answer. He feels his heart clenching in pain but he masks it with anger. He grits his teeth, in fury or pain, he isn't sure. "Of course I would do all that if I was a ing gold digger and wasn't in love with my ing of a boyfriend!" she yells.

Despite the harshly accented shout, Baekhyun can't help but feel his heart swelling this time. Had he been too harsh to judge? Had he been too blinded by his irritation from work to just take it out on his girlfriend, who actually went out of her way to cook him dinner even though it is already nine in the evening and she had only just finished her work? Had he been the boyfriend he promised he never would be?

"Baby—"

She slaps his hand away when he reaches out for her. She sniffs and wipes at her tears angrily. Why would he say that about her? She knows that it is his jealousy speaking but when one's jealousy speaks, doesn't that mean that they will speak their mind? Does Baekhyun really think of her this way? That she should rather spend time with a man who has a stable job and expensive wardrobe choices? What does he take her for? 

. Baekhyun hates making her cry. He promised he would never make her cry again after the last time she sobbed over his near-death accident with another car. What was he even thinking when he said those nasty things?

"I can't believe you would think of me that way, Baekhyun," she mutters quietly, hurt evident in her voice. "I thought you knew—"

"I do, baby," Baekhyun interrupts quickly, grabbing her wrist before she walks away from him. He doesn't want that to happen. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I even said that. Or even thought that. I just... I had a bad day and seeing your supervisor, listening to you laughing with him... Maybe I don't have the right qualities to be your boyfriend."

Did those words really slip out of his mouth? Did he just doubt himself as her boyfriend? Why would he do that? Has she not been a good enough girlfriend to make him feel like that? All she has ever done is love him, in her own quirky way, but he knows that. He should know that whatever mean thing she says, she doesn't mean it. And how can he think that he doesn't have the right qualities, when she thinks he is the closest to perfection a man can ever get? She loves him for who he is, not how expensive his watches are, not how he dresses, not how successful he is. She chose him over every other guy, she chose him because he is Baekhyun.

Baekhyun gasps when he feels a hard slap on his cheek, his skin tingling with pain. He looks at his girlfriend, shocked. She is so livid, her cheeks are red and tears are still running down her face.

"Don't ing say that," she says, her voice shaking with anger. "Don't ing say that you're not right for me." More tears stream down her face. She yanks her hand away from his grip and wipes her tears hastily. "I chose you to be my boyfriend. I chose to love you. I chose to be with you. Don't doubt my choice. I wanted you, I wanted us, I wanted this life. So don't tell me what I am doing wrong with my life," she snarls. "Don't tell me how to live my own life!"

He stares and sits there in a stupor when she turns her back and stomps away from him. Did she just slap him? For the first time ever? Did she just give him a piece of her mind like she should have done a long time ago?

The moment he hears the front door slam, he breaks out of his trance. Baekhyun looks down at the warm food that his girl made for him with love. His stomach grumbles. He glances at the open door of the room. He should chase after her. But he knows that she is mad and upset, probably disappointed. He knows he should give her some time alone. She will come back eventually, won't she?

So Baekhyun eats his dinner alone, finishing every grain of rice. Then he washes the dishes, packs up her house, and does the laundry. He doesn't do chores at home. He is lazy and he is the type who is be able to live with the mess. But his girl isn't. She cleans every two days, if not everyday. She cleans both his place and hers. She never once complained and even when Baekhyun tries to help out, she makes him sit down lest he ends up making things messier than it originally was.

Baekhyun busies himself with reading his script when he is done with the chores. But it isn't the same. Because his girl would always be there at the end of the day to practice with him. He would always need a partner, someone to act with. Some days, she would be really into the acting, which would make Baekhyun laugh and just watch her with sparkling eyes. But other days, she would be too exhausted from work and would just read the lines out without emotions. Baekhyun would sigh and just end the practice there, knowing that he should give her a break. Sometimes she would insist on going on, even adding some soul into her acting, which Baekhyun really appreciated. But other times, she would nod her head and cuddle with him in bed instead, never wanting to speak to Baekhyun through the words of another character and not herself.

He sighs and sets his script down, checking the clock. It is already 11:32PM. Something in him tells him that she isn't going to come home. Baekhyun can't go to sleep knowing that he had hurt her. He can't go to sleep without her either. So he gets down from the bed, throws on a hoodie, and takes his car to the only place he knows she would go whenever they have a fight. He parks the car and knocks almost frantically on the door of the apartment. A lady in her late 40's answers the door, frowning at the late visitor. When she sees that it's Baekhyun, she smiles wryly. Without a word, she opens the door wider and lets him enter. He thanks her softly and silently bows in greeting, not wanting to disturb the quiet night in the house.

The lights in the living room are turned off and he greets his girlfriend's mother Good night. He walks towards the second room on the right when she returns to her room. The door is closed and he can see no light escaping through the slit below the door. He opens the door gently, softly. His eyes easily scopes out the still figure on the bed. He enters quietly and shuts the door close behind him. Baekhyun pads silently towards the bed.

She is frowning at who this could be. It can't be her mother; she would call out to her before entering. It can't be her father; he would only stand by the door, never really entering if he knows she's asleep. It can never be her younger sister either; she is hardly ever home.

She gasps softly when the intruder slips under the duvet and wraps his limbs around her, his familiar, comforting smell making her heart go into frenzy. She lets out a long, controlled breath when he kisses the back of her ear. She turns her head slowly. Baekhyun stares back at her.

"I'm sorry about what I said," he murmurs quietly, sincerely. "I just..." He sighs in frustration before letting it all out, "Sunny was making a big fuss out of everything during the set and we had to make so many changes just because she's the niece of the director... I had a ty day at work and I'm sorry I brought it out on you." She doesn't say anything except just stares at him. "And I'm sorry I got jealous over nothing. You're my girl, and seeing you with another man, I just got..."

"Intimidated? Jealous?" she supplies when he trails off.

He would normally be annoyed by her smartness, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like this. He doesn't like it when people are aware of his weaknesses. But he and her both know that he has many, many weaknesses, most of which is related to her.

"Yes," he breathes.

There is a long moment of silence in which they just stare at each other. She can tell that he is apologetic. She knows he is, she can feel it, especially since he drove all the way to the other side of Seoul just to look for her. She turns in his arm so that they're facing each other. He rubs her lower back in comforting circles.

"I'm sorry I slapped you," she whispers, cupping the side of his face, her thumb caressing the apple of his cheek. The cheek her palm had struck.

He shakes his head. "I deserved it. I'm the worst boyfriend."

"Well," her lips quirk into a small, cheeky smile. "Not the worst."

Baekhyun chuckles softly, his hand moving downwards to her waist before slipping into her leggings. She sighs at him massaging her mound. He leans in, their lips brushing.

"Can you tell me that you love me again?" he asks shyly, embarrassed for being so needy.

She smiles and presses a gentle kiss on his lips. "I love you so much more everyday," she tells him in a sursurrant. "I love you more today than I did yesterday. And I will love you even more tomorrow than I did today."

Baekhyun's body heats up with love and affection for the girl. He kisses her again, this time deepening it. She moans softly when he squeezes her bum and brings his wrist down, pulling her legging down as well. Her hand snakes around his neck and her fingers slip through his locks. He hums with a smile on his lips when she tugs and twirls on his hair.

That night, they make quiet, passionate, apologetic love to each other, all in the confines of her childhood home. They don't stop until two in the morning when it feels like their energy has run out and their love has been filled to the brim again — overflowing, actually. And for another hour, they stay up while she listens to Baekhyun complain to her about Sunny and her bossiness, about how he should probably also invest in expensive watches, about how he needs to stop being so needy. She consoles him and reminds him that it is only another three months of working with Sunny before he moves onto another musical with another set of casts. She laughs about the watches and points out that he doesn't even wear watches, and also that he has a really expensive one that was from his father as a birthday present. She admits that she likes that he shows his neediness sometimes because it reminds her that she can also be needy with him.

Finally, when words have been exhausted, the both of them snuggle together before going to sleep, her head on his chest, his lips in her hair. They fall asleep in each other's arms just like couples do, just like they should.

"Donuts and cake."

"No, sushi and pasta."

Baekhyun frowns at her and gives her look that implies a question similar to Are you nuts? "Junmyeon said to bring dessert," he reminds her, almost sounding like he is mocking her stupidity.

"Okay, then donuts and cake, and sushi and pasta."

"What's with sushi and pasta?" Baekhyun finally sighs, glancing at her.

"I'm craving for it?" she looks at him like he should have already known. He did actually. He just wants her to say it out loud.

He rolls his eyes and mumbles under his breath, "Like you should be eating any more than you already do."

"I didn't say anything about you when you tore your jeans just a few weeks ago," his feisty girl snaps.

He glares at her sharply before turning to the road. "I haven't worn those jeans in years," he argues defensively. "And I thought we promised not to bring it up anymore."

She gives a snort. "We also promised not to bring up that time I accidentally ate those ing brownies."

Baekhyun sniggers obnoxiously. "It's hard not to when you were so ing cute when you were high. And so ."

" off," she snaps. "You were the one who gave them to me. I trusted you."

Baekhyun lets out mocking Ha! as he glances at the side mirror before switching lanes. "Should have known not to trust your of a boyfriend."

"Should have," she repeats sincerely under her breath. After a while of silence on their part, she asks, "So we're getting sushi and pasta, right?"

"No."

As much of a Baekhyun is as a boyfriend, he is also the greatest liar.

"Mom?" Baekhyun calls when he enters her apartment, knowing it would trigger her. "Mom, I'm home!" When there is no reply from his girl, however, he frowns. The lights are on and her key is on the table. She has to be home. "Baby?" No answer. "Sweetheart?"

He enters the room and sees her in bed, sleeping in a fetal position, her eyebrows furrowed. He feels his breath stuck in his throat. He walks in quietly and squats down next to the bed. He puts the back of his hand to her forehead. She feels warm, but it's not a fever. He knows because her body heats up whenever she is on her period. He sighs softly to himself, letting his fingers comb through her hair. She must be in pain. She always is, on her second day. Baekhyun gets up and takes a shower before going to the kitchen to cook. He can't cook very well but making soup and steaming fish aren't very hard to do. When he is finished cooking, he returns to the room where his girlfriend is still sleeping.

"Baby," Baekhyun calls gently, her cheek. "Wake up now, love."

Her frown deepens unconsciously before she flutters her eyes open. He smiles softly down at her. The girl takes some time before her eyes focus on Baekhyun.

"Come have dinner and you can go back to bed," he murmurs softly. "Okay?"

"I don't have the appetite to eat," she says, her voice sounding breathless and tired.

He frowns. "Eat at least a little? You didn't have anything for lunch too, I bet." He knows he is right when he is answered with her silence and the tiny pout on her lips. "Come on," he murmurs, pulling the blanket off of her. "I'll cuddle with you when we've finished eating."

"But I'm really not hungry, Baekhyun," she sighs, squeezing her eyes shut.

"You have to eat something," her boyfriend frowns, covering her hand on her stomach. "Please?"

She opens her eyes and looks at him almost questionably, not understanding him at all. "If you always think I'm fat, why would you want me to eat when I don't want to?"

He rolls his eyes. "Because I don't really think you're fat," he says in a matter-of-fact tone. "I love every curve on your body and I don't wish for you to get any thinner." She gives him a look that tells him she doesn't believe him. He chuckles softly, his low, husky voice making her stomach tighten, her heart beat quicken. "And I'm not joking," he promises her. "Now get up. I'm hungry and you're not making me eat alone."

He helps her up gently and brings her to the dining table. She squints critically at the food her boyfriend made. Baekhyun must have seen it because he rolls his eyes as he takes his seat.

"Your stomach already hurts. Doesn't matter if it hurts more after eating."

"Idiot," she grumbles under her breath, taking a seat next to him.

Baekhyun helps get her some fish and she eats just a little. It isn't that she doesn't trust his cooking (maybe a little) but she just really doesn't feel like eating. Baekhyun senses that, so he cleans up the table and keeps the leftovers when he is done eating while his girl goes back to bed. He finishes washing up and goes back into the room after turning off the lights outside. It is only eight in the evening but he still snuggles under the sheets with her. She comes closer and leans back on his chest, his arm circling round her waist, his soft, warm hand resting on top of hers.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Baekhyun murmurs, his lips moving against her temple.

"Yeah," she answers quietly.

"A Disney one?" he suggests. Her lips quirk at his recommendation. He may look tough on the outside but really, watching Disney movies is his favourite pastime. "A Disney marathon?"

She nods. "I don't mind anything but I want to watch—"

"The Little Mermaid?"

"—The Little Mermaid."

He chuckles breathily into her ear. They always watch The Little Mermaid every time they have a Disney marathon because she likes it so much. He gets down the bed and gets his MacBook. He sits at the foot of the bed while he chooses the movies. He has the whole series of Disney movies in a folder on his computer that only his girlfriend knows about. He puts a few movies on and hooks it up with the TV in her room. The first movie that plays is her favourite.

"What do you like about The Little Mermaid, anyway?" Baekhyun wonders as he sets the MacBook down on the table.

"I like the songs," she mumbles, moving to sit up with her back against the headboard.

She looks on with amusement when a grin grows on his lips. He starts to wiggle his body as he starts singing Under The Sea. She smiles and his grin widens when he sees the twinkle in her eyes. He lifts the other end of the blanket and gets under it, onto the bed. She giggles when he crawls over her body, his hands caressing her body that he so loves.

"Under the sea, darling it's better, take it from me," he sings, pressing kisses from her chest to her jaw.

She giggles. "You missed a line."

"Where?" he chuckles against her skin. "Here?" He dips his head as he makes another trail of kisses from her collarbones to her jaw again.

"I meant the lyrics," she laughs, momentarily forgetting the pain and ache in her body. She slips her hand through his hair.

"Whatever, my version's nicer."

He sits up next to her and she automatically shifts her body to lean against him. He slings his arm around her shoulders, his hand resting across her chest. Baekhyun's cheek presses to her temple, resting his head on hers as they watch the movie. Every time a song comes up, instead of listening to the characters sing, she listens to Baekhyun hum to the song, his soft hand rubbing her arm.

Times like this, when they're both in need of a break from all the snapping and breaking of each other's dignity, they stay home, away from the world where they could just be themselves instead of being the great pretenders that they are.