A/N: 

helloooooo! my dear dudez, i missed u sooooo much. it physically hurts me when i cant update or dont have time/energy to write bcs i know that all of u are waiting for the new chapter. ugh, it makes me frustrated haha. i really love writing this/writing in general, and it's so bad that now that school has started i dont have any time to write. plus, volleyball practices and matches are tiring af, PLUS i got a part time job and that takes almost all of my free time, so yeah. however,  i will still try to update in a week or two. SO AGAIN, if i dont update next week, the chapter is coming the next next week. 

btw there are only three chapters till the end plus one bonus chapter (in the bonus one there will be a piece of all the ships, and all of the ships will have their own part of the chapter only for them)

okay, so as i said, angst. heavy angst. in the next chapter too, well mainly in the next chapter lol. pls enjoy anyway. 

AND AS ALWAYS THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT I LOVE U ALL /SENDING VIRTUAL HUGS/

 

--

 

The next morning Baekhyun is woken up by Chanyeol, the taller dragging his lips along the expanse of his neck and pressing light, feathery kisses on his shoulder occasionally. As Baekhyun gains consciousness and feels the soft lips caressing his skin, he can't help but smile and nuzzle his back more into Chanyeol's chest, searching for his lover's hand with closed eyes and taking it in his afterwards. 

"Good morning," Baekhyun whispers but doesn't bother opening his eyes just yet.

Chanyeol squeezes Baekhyun's hand slightly and kisses Baekhyun's shoulder one more time before cuddling the smaller and burying his head in Baekhyun's soft locks, whispering a good morning of his own to Baekhyun.

It's not the first time Baekhyun is waking up next to Chanyeol, but that doesn't change the fact that he still feels the same amount of love and happiness as the first time when he feels Chanyeol's body pressing against his, strong arms holding Baekhyun as if he was the most precious thing in the world. The brunet feels protected from everything in Chanyeol's hold, forgetting about every single of his problems because all that his mind can think about is Park Chanyeol. 

"What's the time?" Baekhyun mumbles his question sleepily, rubbing the back of his lover's hand with his thumb, liking the feel of Chanyeol's prominent veins under his touch. Chanyeol's hands are just one of the things that not only Baekhyun likes very much, but could easily get aroused just thinking about. After all, these hands were pretty skillful yesterday. 

"I don't know," comes Chanyeol's answer, a bit muted because of the way the CEO keeps burying his face deeper into Baekhyun's hair, inhaling the sweet scent. 

"Then look," Baekhyun says, remembering faintly how Chanyeol put his mobile on the bedside table yesterday before they went to sleep. 

"I don't wanna."

"Chanyeol."

"No, it doesn't even matter," Chanyeol keeps arguing, hugging Baekhyun to his body so much that the brunet has a hard time breathing. As he already knows, Chanyeol is extremely clingy in the mornings - much like Baekhyun himself - and it's hard to get Chanyeol to do something when the taller's only concern is cuddling Baekhyun to death. Not like Baekhyun would mind dying this way.

"It does," saying that, Baekhyun starts squirming slightly to let Chanyeol know that he is serious about wanting to know the time. They are leaving around seven because Chanyeol is adamant about Baekhyun going to sleep early, that being right after they come back to Seoul around nine so he will be well rested for work on Monday, and even though Baekhyun is sure they have plenty of time before the clock reaches seven in the evening, the brunet needs to know how much time they have left. "Come on, check."

With a groan, Chanyeol finally moves and reaches for the phone lying on his bedside table, mumbling some incoherent nonsense in the proces to let Baekhyun know how much he doesn't enjoy to put a stop to the cuddling because of checking the time. However, his mumbling is interrupted with the actual information after a few seconds, "It's almost 1pm."

"Already?" Baekhyun feels immediately awake, eyes shooting open as he sits up and looks at Chanyeol with horror. 

Chanyeol, clueless as to why it's stressing Baekhyun out so much, asks, "What's so bad about it?" then, he adds another sentence as an afterthought, "we slept well, so..."

"It's just that-... well," Baekhyun stumbles over his words, not knowing if he should be straightforward and say what's on his mind or if it's better to just wave away Chanyeol's concern and leave it be. He would surely feel extremely embarrassed if he had to voice his thoughts, saying that he just wants to enjoy their time to the fullest because when they come back to Seoul it's going to be all stressful again. And lonely too, since Chanyeol will surely have tons of work to do, not having time to visit Baekhyun. 

"What?" Chanyeol's gaze softens and he moves back to Baekhyun, looking into the brunet's brown orbs intensely, searching for Baekhyun's worries in them. 

"I'm just..." Baekhyun trails off, gulping the lump in his throat as he thinks over his words, figuring out how to say what he wants to say without sounding too embarrassing. "I will miss... this. I don't want to go back yet."

For a moment, Chanyeol just stares at him with furrowed brows, but it only takes a few seconds before Chanyeol's confused expression changes into an understanding one, and the plump lips of his lover form a small, bittersweet smile. Baekhyun loves the fact that Chanyeol understands him so well because it saves him the trouble of feeling uncomfortable not only voicing his worries but also elaborating them to depth. 

Bringing his hand up to Baekhyun's face, Chanyeol caresses his cheek gently as he closes the distance between them, giving Baekhyun a short peck on the lips before leaning his forehead against Baekhyun's, never breaking eye-contact with the brunet. While staring into Chanyeol's beautifully shaped eyes, Baekhyun is once again reminded of how much he loves those unique, big eyes. 

"I don't want to go back either," Chanyeol says truthfully. "But if you're worrying about wasting all the time that is left in bed," making a pause, Chanyeol chuckles when Baekhyun averts his eyes momentarily after Chanyeol says exactly what was on the brunet's mind. "Don't," he finishes and Baekhyun frowns slightly.

"But-" he starts, but is cut off before he can protest.

"If it's with you, I wouldn't mind doing absolute nothing all day. For me, it's enough just being with you," Chanyeol admits, and Baekhyun feels his face heating up after hearing it. "Honestly, I would love to cuddle you all day."

To make the point, Chanyeol wraps his arms around Baekhyun's waist and pulls Baekhyun on top of him, not leaving any room for protests - that surely wouldn't come - as he kisses Baekhyun tenderly, lips moving delicately against the shorter's. And it only takes one kiss from Chanyeol to make all of Baekhyun's worries disappear in a second, the brunet's mind only focusing on kissing his lover back, hands coming to cup Chanyeol's cute cheeks. 

When they pull away a while later, one of Chanyeol's hands leaves the brunet's back and reaches for his face instead. Baekhyun just stares into Chanyeol's eyes as the CEO traces the lines of his jaw with his finger, touch so light but still making Baekhyun's head spin. 

"You are so beautiful," Chanyeol whispers as he brushes the brown locks away from Baekhyun's brown orbs, holding them aside with his hand so they won't fall back while his eyes are trailing Baekhyun's delicate features. . 

Upon hearing that, Baekhyun feels the blush coming and soon his face is starting to look rather pink-ish, making Chanyeol laugh. But Baekhyun really can't help it, the completely sincere and loving tone taking its toll on Baekhyun. Is Chanyeol doing it in purpose? Does he enjoy making Baekhyun feel embarrassed so much? 

"Stop saying such things," Baekhyun wants to move away, but there is no way he can get away from his lover when Chanyeol rolls them over the very next second, caging Baekhyun under him while a smirk is playing on his lips in amusement. At least one of them is amused, then. 

"Why, though? It's true," Chanyeol arguments, leaning in and gifting Baekhyun with another dose of kisses, lips touching every little part of Baekhyun's long neck. This time however, the kisses aren't innocent and feathery like before. Now, Chanyeol is kissing Baekhyun's neck more dangerously, on the already existing hickeys and tracing the marks with his wet, warm tongue. Baekhyun can't help and let out a quiet moan, closing his eyes once more and craning his neck to give Chanyeol better access. "You are too beautiful to be real."

Baekhyun would like to argue with that, seeing people that are more good-looking than him on daily basis, but instead another moan escapes his lips as Chanyeol bites down on his neck, hips buckling forwards.

"My neck is going to look like one big bruise if you keep this up," Baekhyun whispers, but doesn't make any attempt to move away or stop Chanyeol, not really minding his neck all bruised. After all, the marks are left there by Chanyeol, and it makes him feel rahter giddy when he realizes that this is Chanyeol's way of courting him. He's Chanyeol's, and Chanyeol is his, the marks on their bodies making it obvious. 

"You don't seem to mind," Chanyeol says while ravishing his neck, his tone light. Baekhyun chuckles and wraps his legs around Chanyeol's waist, making the taller's breathing turn difficult as he starts moving his hips against Chanyeol's.

"I don't," he tells Chanyeol, making the CEO look up at him. Chanyeol would be blind not to see the want in Baekhyun's hooded eyes right now. It's almost funny how hickeys into Baekhyun's neck was enough for Baekhyun to start feelings this way. Back in time when Baekhyun had been sleeping around, some guys even had trouble getting Baekhyun fully aroused and in the mood while touching him all over, and Chanyeol only needs to kiss his neck for Baekhyun to turn all . "How about a late morning ?"

Chanyeol doesn't think twice about Baekhyun's question before kissing the brunet passionately, answer clear.

 

--

 

It takes them one hour to finally get out of the bed, new hickeys present on both of their bodies and goofy smiles plastered on their faces as Chanyeol leads them out of the room, hands clasped together as if they were made for holding onto the other. Baekhyun doesn't even know where they are going, both stark striding down the hall and stairs with Chanyeol in lead, but Baekhyun honestly trusts Chanyeol so much that he doesn't really care where are they headed to.

However, "I need to take a shower, Chanyeol. You know I hate being all sticky and ," Baekhyun says, tugging at Chanyeol's hand to make the taller slow down a little. Chanyeol may have cleaned Baekhyun after their morning activities, but that doesn't mean that the brunet isn't sweaty and isn't feeling dirty.

"Later," comes a mumbled answer from Chanyeol. "You don't need it now."

"I kind of do," Baekhyun arguments further, brows furrowing. He is serious about wanting to take a shower because honestly, he feels incredibly uncomfortable because of the sweat still present on his skin. He doesn't like it one bit, and Chanyeol knows it very well, since Baekhyun took his time yesterday with explaining it thoroughly. So, yes, Chanyeol knows... but why is he completely ignoring Baekhyun?

The answer to Baekhyun's question comes right away as Chanyeol opens the door to their left, smell of chlorine hitting his nose right away, his eyes widening at the sight of the inside pool that was hiding the door before. There are four loungers beside the rather big pool with a side table next to every chair, a whirlpool in the corner of the room and a shower in the next corner. It looks like one part of the wellness club he had a job once, and although Baekhyun should have expect something like this to in Chanyeol's house, he simply didn't. He only saw the outside pool and he was totally in awe, but even an inside pool? 

"The water is warm enough, so you can just jump in," Chanyeol says, nudging Baekhyun slightly. Baekhyun is already opening his mouth to say that he will certainly not jump in because for all he knows the water can be colder than Chanyeol thinks, but he doesn't get a chance to get a word out before Chanyeol tells Baekhyun, "Or we can both just jump in," before rushing forward, dragging Baekhyun along. 

"Chanyeol, I'm-" gonna kill you is left unsaid because Baekhyun's voice gets lost in the water, which is surprisingly warm enough as Chanyeol has said. Still, it isn't enough to make up for what Chanyeol has done.

As soon as they are above the water again, Baekhyun wastes no time before slapping Chanyeol's head, hard, after the giant swims up too, breathing in the air. 

"Are you crazy?" Baekhyun asks with a high pitched voice, hitting Chanyeol again but this time his hand connect with the CEO's shoulder, and Chanyeol winces slightly. Baekhyun would think that his lover would move away, won't risking being hit once more, but it takes Baekhyun by surprise when Chanyeol moves closer to him instead, catching both of his wrist with his hands and leaning closer with a smirk. 

"You are cute when you're angry," Chanyeol says and pecks Baekhyun's lips. 

"You can't do that," ignoring Chanyeol's comment, Baekhyun sighs deeply before adding, "We could get hurt. What if you slipped, or what if-"

"You sound like Kyungsoo now," Chanyeol cuts him off, laughing slightly before attempting for another kiss, but Baekhyun is quick to dodge Chanyeol's lips.

"Well, Kyungsoo is actually right most of the time, so."

Chanyeol deems Baekhyun's argument valid if the way he looks at least a little guilty is saying something, but doesn't dwell on it for more than a second, tugging at Baekhyun's hands while saying, "Let's swim, I'll race you."

"What a child," Baekhyun rolls his eyes, but his tone is light and playful, already indicating that the race is definitely happening. With a smile, Baekhyun follows Chanyeol to the stairs, and while the temperature of the water is perfect and keeping him rather warm, his hands are burning because of Chanyeol's touch. A very pleasant burning sensation indeed. 

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge. I can already see you crying after you lose," Chanyeol fires back, stopping when his feet touch the first stair leading out of the pool. The way Chanyeol is smirking at him makes Baekhyun want to prove him wrong really badly, and he hopes that his swimming abilities are good enough to win the race because Chanyeol clearly thinks that he's the winner already, and Baekhyun surely won't let him the title of the winner.

"Let's see, then. You can start the countdown," Baekhyun says, slipping away from Chanyeol's hold and taking a place beside the CEO, taking a quick dive before getting ready. "You will lose so badly."

"Never."

 

Chanyeol loses almost every race they have, not being able to catch up with the brunet who swims much faster than Chanyeol would have ever expected. Baekhyun only laughs at him the entire time, reminding him of how sure he was of winning before they started their little competition while now he is losing miserably. Truly, Baekhyun has loads of fun hearing Chanyeol's endless excuses and accusations of cheating - as if there was any way to cheat, really. Chanyeol is even the one doing the countdown so he won't feel like Baekhyun had a head start, but the whining and false accusation still come, making Baekhyun feel more than amused. 

After at least fifteen rounds - twelve of them won by Baekhyun - Chanyeol seems to have enough of losing if the way he jumps Baekhyun and starts playfully drowning the shorter is anything to go by. However, Baekhyun doesn't let himself be dominated and uses his speed and flexibility to move from under Chanyeol's hands that are pushing him into the water, jumping the taller instead.

Another competition of who can survive starts, and Baekhyun is adamant on winning this time too, splashing water everywhere - mostly into Chanyeol's eyes - and jumping on the CEO's back to make him go under. It's hard to drown Chanyeol since his lover is tall and stands strong in the water, his feet touching the ground while Baekhyun has to keep kicking them in order to stay above the surface because he is too short.  Which Chanyeol kindly points out every ten seconds, mocking the brunet while trying to get a grip. 

"If I'm so small and , why can't you win? Are you that weak?" Baekhyun questions with a smirk as splashes water into Chanyeol's face again, using the time Chanyeol turns his head away to shield his eyes from water to wrap his body around his lover, tugging him down while trying to keep himself up. 

"You would have already lost if you didn't splash the ing water everywhere," Chanyeol bites back, trying to shake Baekhyun off. "You know that I hate it and you're using it against me."

"It's fair because you have the advantage of standing in the water while I have to swim!" a small yelp escapes Baekhyun's lips the second later when Chanyeol leaps forward, making Baekhyun splutter as he accidentally breathes in some of the water. He lets go of Chanyeol immediately and starts coughing violently, trying to cover his mouth with one hand and keep himself in balance with the other hand. 

Chanyeol is with him right away, holding the brunet above the surface. "Baekhyun, I'm so sorry, oh my god," he rants while Baekhyun is coughing, his face looking all shades of worrying. He seems to think that Baekhyun is dying with his frantic voice and hurried hands touching all of Baekhyun. 

"Calm down, I'm alright," Baekhyun laughs once he is done coughing his lungs out. "I'm not dying."

"You could have."

"You're so dumb," saying that, Baekhyun attacks Chanyeol again, and Chanyeol, who doesn't expect Baekhyun to return to their competition so soon, stumbles back and can only hold his breath as he goes under water, Baekhyun's laugh accompanying him in the process. However, Baekhyun's slyness is certainly not appreciated by Chanyeol, an the CEO wraps his arms around the brunet before Baekhyun can move away, dragging Baekhyun under water too.  

When they are back above the surface, it's Baekhyun to whine first when Chanyeol says that he won because of Baekhyun's cheating. 

"I didn't cheat, I told you I was alright and-"

"Still cheating, Byun," Chanyeol cuts him off, smirking. "So, I won."

"No you didn't!" Baekhyun tries to argue further, pouting. He may or may not know that his pouty face usually works with Chanyeol, and he may or may not think that he can reverse the result of their competition if he keeps pouting. This time it doesn't work though.

"Yeah, I did. You need to learn how to deal with losing," ruffling Baekhyun's wet hair, Chanyeol starts walking away to the direction of the pool stairs, but only for Baekhyun to reach for him and jump on his back. 

"Take it back, I won," he attempts to get Chanyeol into the water again but this time he doesn't succeed, Chanyeol standing strongly because he knew that Baekhyun wouldn't give up that easily and was prepared for the brunet's attack. And as Baekhyun still argues, Chanyeol shakes his lover off and turns around, wrapping his arms around the lithe body and taking two large steps to pin Baekhyun against the large window that creates the wall between this room and the outdoors world. 

"You lost, my dear," Chanyeol says, still smirking in triumph, eyes sparking with childish playfulness. Beautiful eyes, Baekhyun can't help but think, the fight leaving him as they stare into each others' orbs. Baekhyun sees Chanyeol his lips when he shifts his gaze lower, and it only makes them more kissable. It makes him his lips too. "You know," Chanyeol starts again and Baekhyun looks up into his eyes again. "I wanted to tease you more but all I want now is to kiss you."

So he wasn't the only one thinking that, huh. 

"Then do it," Baekhyun leans in and flickers his tongue out, the wet muscle touching Chanyeol's lump lips just barely, but it seems to be enough to make Chanyeol dive in for the kiss, wanting to taste Baekhyun's lips as if it was for the first time again. 

Everything is so perfect when Chanyeol is kissing Baekhyun and the brunet wishes for it to never stop. He wants Chanyeol to keep kissing him forever, to keep touching him together. 

For a moment there, Baekhyun totally forgot that they are both , but he is quickly remind of the fact that they don't have any piece of clothing on when he feels Chanyeol's length pressing against his while Baekhyun's legs are still wrapped around the taller's waist. They might have had just a few minutes ago, but just the feel of Chanyeol's warm skin against his is enough to make Baekhyun aroused beyond belief. 

"You're cold," Chanyeol whispers against his lips when he pulls away slightly. "We should get out already."

"I'm fine," Baekhyun shakes his head and leans in again, attempting to catch his lover's lips in another kiss, but unfortunately for Baekhyun Chanyeol dodges, hand on Baekhyun's chest pushing the brunet away gently. 

"You're not. Even your lips are turning purple-ish," as if to make a point, Chanyeol's thumb grazes over Baekhyun's lower lip. "Come on, let's go."

"I don't wanna."

"It's time for lunch."

"Okay," Baekhyun agrees easily after food is mentioned, his quick change of opinion making Chanyeol laugh. The giant turns around with Baekhyun in his arms, the brunet wrapped around Chanyeol as if Chanyeol as a big plush teddy bear while Chanyeol walks to the pool stairs. He settles Baekhyun down only when they are halfway out of the water, telling Baekhyun that he doesn't have a problem with carrying Baekhyun around - because he is strong like that - but he doesn't want Baekhyun to get hurt if he accidentally slips. Understandable, with how clumsy Chanyeol is. 

 

--

 

Baekhyun is truly looking forward to lunch, his stomach feeling way too empty for his liking for the past few hours. However, his enthusiasm slowly dies down when their food gets burn because Chanyeol was paying more attention to Baekhyun that to their food. 

It's not like Baekhyun is all that surprised that their cooking session ended up to be a rather large disaster. After all, it didn't look very promising from the beginning, Chanyeol looking at the recipe for way too long, making it clear that while he was confident in cooking the food before, he suddenly didn't have a clue what to do. Baekhyun asked if it's not better to just order something or simply eat the food they have left from yesterday, but Chanyeol was determined to make the dish for him and Baekhyun, and the brunet couldn't do anything about the decision. 

"Are you sure you looked into it before we came here?" Baekhyun asked at that time, seeing Chanyeol's furrowed brows and eyes that were boring holes into the recipe he was holding in his hand, his other hand on his hip. 

"Of course I did," was Chanyeol's answer, and even though Baekhyun didn't believe him for a second, he decided that it's no use arguing with Chanyeol on this one, even though he did want to. Baekhyun was already hungry then, his stomach hurting from the emptiness. He wanted to at least eat something for a snack, but Chanyeol forbid him, telling him to wait for lunch instead of eating snacks. 

Forty minutes later, Baekhyun's stomach painfully empty and food burn, Chanyeol finally admits that he kind of forgot what all his side notes on the recipe meant, but he wanted to look cool in front of Baekhyun and actually prepare something for his lover. 

Despite the fact that Baekhyun should be angry at Chanyeol for making him starve, the brunet can't find it in him to feel like that. Instead, as he looks at the sad expression on Chanyeol's face as the CEO throws up the remains of the burnt food, Baekhyun feels a strong urge to comfort his lover.

"It's okay," he says, walking over to Chanyeol and pressing a soft kiss on the man's cheek, smiling up at the taller. "I don't want you to be cool anyway."

"Not funny," Chanyeol pouts, and for a moment Baekhyun wonders if this is how Chanyeol feels too when seeing Baekhyun pouting - enveloped in the feeling that makes him want to give everything to Chanyeol because of the cuteness. 

"I like you dorky, honestly. No jokes there," Baekhyun wraps his arms around Chanyeol's neck, this time kissing him on the lips. "I love you the way you are - with almost no cooking skill, childish behavior and whiny voice."

"Are you trying to cheer me up with this?" Chanyeol deadpans, but Baekhyun knows him too good and he also knows that his words are already taking their effect, making Chanyeol chuckle even though his voice sounds anything but amused. 

Caressing the tall man's cheek tenderly, Baekhyun continues smiling at Chanyeol, repeating, "It's really okay," until Chanyeol seems to be at least a little over the fact that he failed miserably in making their lunch. The CEO might be sad about it, and Baekhyun might be a little bit too because after all it's his stomach that suffers, but he still feels more grateful that Chanyeol actually tried to go on with preparing the food in order to please Baekhyun even though he knew very little of what he was doing. The thought counts, definitely.

"We should really order something," Chanyeol sighs, bending down to put his head on the shorter's shoulder in defeat. "What do you want to eat?"

"Pizza is good. I want something basic today," Baekhyun answers, already handing Chanyeol the phone, the number to the pizzeria in the nearest town already ready to be dialed. While Chanyeol was trying to make sense of what to do next, Baekhyun put his effort into searching for a good pizza place nearby, using the little internet connection he had in order to get the number. 

"You really expected this to happen, right?" Chanyeol's tone is light when he takes the mobile from Baekhyun, dialing the number and putting the phone close to his ear while flicking Baekhyun's side. 

"Of course I did," Baekhyun frowns at his lover, slapping the hand form his side. He hates when Chanyeol pinches him like that, but the giant still keeps doing it anyway just to rile him up. "Now, call."

"Okay, okay."

 

 

After the long-awaiting lunch, Baekhyun and Chanyeol stay lying on the couch, hands touching their full tummies and rubbing it gently. Baekhyun feels incredibly sleepy after eating so much, and Chanyeol only laughs at him when Baekhyun admits his sleepiness. "You are always like this," Chanyeol says, and it's very much true. Every time Baekhyun over-eats, he gets too tired and sleepy and is okay with just falling asleep in the middle of the day because he feels like it. Today it's not any different, even though Baekhyun is trying to keep himself awake because he knows that they are leaving in a two and a half hours, which is completely not good. 

Baekhyun wants to spend more time with Chanyeol here, in the privacy and comfort of this house. It's kind of surprising because in the beginning Baekhyun felt rather anxious here, the awe he felt turning into something else as he feels completely out of place here and not used to such luxury. However, he stopped thinking about it soon, Chanyeol making him forget easily, since Chanyeol is everything Baekhyun could think about. 

"Just sleep, then," Chanyeol offers, bringing Baekhyun closer and kissing the top of his head as he snuggles closer to the smaller body, one arm around Baekhyun and fingers in Baekhyun's soft locks. 

"It's such a waste of time," Baekhyun protests, sighing. He truly wants to stay up, but his eyes are betraying him so much. He hates them for closing without his permission, but the way Chanyeol plays with his hair is making him feel so relaxed.  

"It's not," Chanyeol shakes his head. "Just go to sleep."

It only takes another minute to make Baekhyun give in to sleep, and maybe it's because it feels way too comfortable in Chanyeol's hold. "Goodnight then," Baekhyun whispers in a quiet voice, nuzzling his face into the crook of Chanyeol's neck, breathing out as he relaxes completely. 

He loves falling asleep in Chanyeol's arms just as much as as he loves waking up in them the next morning. 

I've gotten lucky, Baekhyun thinks while slipping into the dreamland, thick fingers still playing with the brown, soft locks of Baekhyun's hair. 

 

--

 

They leave later than intended, just because Baekhyun wanted to go swimming again, dragging Chanyeol in the pool and making him race with Baekhyun again. However, they weren't into competing for long, since Chanyeol was more eager to just push Baekhyun against the glass surface of the window and kiss him all over as the Sun was setting in the background. Baekhyun didn't mind at all, after all another few hickeys accompanying the already existing ones won't make any difference. 

Baekhyun actually wanted to do more than just kissing, wanting to get out of Chanyeol as much as possible because Baekhyun can never know when can they see each other again after they are back in Seoul, since Chanyeol will have tons of work to do. However, the CEO stopped him, saying that even though he would like to do the dirty with Baekhyun right then an there, he isn't going to because he actually wants Baekhyun to be walking alright tomorrow. With too much protests from Baekhyun they got out of the pool and took a quick shower, putting on some clothes and cleaning the house before getting into the car, leaving the mansion behind. 

Baekhyun can't say that he doesn't want to go back right away. In fact, he just wants to spend the rest of his life with Chanyeol in that house. It doesn't really matter if it's in that house per se, he just wants to be with Chanyeol, no matter if it's in such a luxurious mansion or his tiny flat back in Seoul. But that is impossible. Baekhyun wants to think that sometimes in the future it will change, and maybe him and Chanyeol can... maybe live together. That way Baekhyun doesn't have to feel miserable every time he wakes up alone in the room, no strong arms to hold him and make him feel secure and loved. 

But isn't it too soon to think about living together when him and Chanyeol are together for just a few days? Isn't it too naive to think that Chanyeol would like that too? 

"Baekhyun," Chanyeol's gentle voice brings him out of his thoughts, and Baekhyun turns his head to the side to look at the CEO, humming in a sign that he's listening. Chanyeol gives him a side glance before asking, "Is everything alright?"

"Of course," Baekhyun nods, not wanting to say anything about his train of thoughts. 

"I want to go back too if you're thinking about that," Chanyeol says, the corners of his lips tugged upwards just slightly, expression bittersweet. The smile that forms on Baekhyun's face is of the same type as the memories from their weekend come back to him. It was just so nice... why do they have to go back so soon?

"Yeah.." trailing off, Baekhyun leans his head against the window, looking at the nature they are passing. In - now only - one hour they are going to be home, but Baekhyun can't help but think is it really home without Chanyeol? 

Suddenly, Chanyeol reaches for his hand and brings it to his mouth, kissing it gently before saying, "We will go back as soon as we can, love."

Love, Chanyeol has called him love. During the whole duration of their two and a half weeks relationship has Chanyeol never called him that. It was always just Baekhyun, no pet name, no baby or anything. And now, when Chanyeol finally did called him love, he can't keep his heartrate normal. Even his breathing hitches. 

He wants to ask why Chanyeol never calls him pet names like most couples do, but decides to not ruin the pleasant mood between them with such a stupid question. It doesn't matter anyway, Chanyeol shows him his love in many different ways. 

The rest of the ride is spent in comfortable silence between the two males, only faint songs from the radio filling the quietness. It takes just a few minutes for Chanyeol's hand to start resting on Baekhyun's tight comfortably, Baekhyun's hand on top of Chanyeol's. It keeps getting darker and darker, and while Chanyeol's touch is comforting, he still feels quite sad because he knows that only in a few minutes they are going to be back in Seoul, their ways parting. 

 

And the return comes sooner than Baekhyun would like, Chanyeol stopping a few blocks away from Baekhyun's apartment complex. If there are some paparazzi like the last time, Chanyeol explains, and while it makes Baekhyun feel rather weird, he doesn't question Chanyeol's decision, believing that Chanyeol knows what's for the best. On the top of that, Chanyeol only gives him a brief kiss, nothing like the kisses they shared back in the holiday house just three hours ago. 

It stings, even though Chanyeol excuses it with the same thing as before. It makes sense, Baekhyun isn't saying that it doesn't. After all, it would be a huge scandal for Chanyeol if the new photos got out, and Baekhyun would only feel responsible for all of it because he was the one making a fuss out of Chanyeol not kissing him properly. And so, Baekhyun accepts the brief kiss and lets Chanyeol give him his backpack, the hand lingering on Baekhyun's for more than it should if they don't want anyone to see. It makes Baekhyun think that he isn't the only one suffering from the lact of affection. 

"I'm going to pick you up on Wednesday. Until then, I don't think I can see you," Chanyeol says, his tone as sad as Baekhyun feels. "But I promise you I'm going to be there on Wednesday."

"Okay," Baekhyun nods, fingers touching Chanyeol's before he finally takes his bag, stepping back a little, eyes averting away from Chanyeol's face.

Chanyeol must have sensed his sadness because only a second later, Chanyeol steps closer to him again, not allowing Baekhyun to put distance between them just yet. "I'm not happy about this either," the CEO whispers, making Baekhyun look up upon hearing the broken voice. "But believe me when I say that I love you and it pains me to act this way."

"I believe you," Baekhyun nods, reaching his hand out to Chanyeol just for it to stop just a few centimeters away from Chanyeol's cheek. He retreats it back quickly immediately. "I do," he says again, gulping. 

"That's good. Very good," Chanyeol smiles at him, holding eye-contact for what seems like an eternity, trying to convey all of his emotions. And Baekhyun understands everything, he really does, but it still hurts. It hurts because Baekhyun wants nothing more than to kiss the soul out of Chanyeol, hug him tightly like never before. But he can't. Because somebody could see. 

But it's okay because he still can have Chanyeol in private. When they are out of the public's eye, they can show affection freely, nobody there to see them and make a scandal out of it. Baekhyun tries to hold onto this thought because it can keep him sane, can keep him away from having all of the negative thoughts. 

This distance is put between them only when they are out, so indoors it's going to be okay. 

It's all going to be alright. 

 

It still doesn't stop Baekhyun from feeling miserable when he steps into his cold, empty flat. The silence is deafening and it lacks the sound of Chanyeol's loud laughter or gentle words. Everything feels so different now that he's alone again. 

He wants to go back to that holiday house. He really, really wants to go back. 

 

--

 

Chanyeol keeps his promise and meets Baekhyun outside of the restaurant right after Baekhyun's shift ends on Wednesday. After Chanyeol called him earlier just to make sure Baekhyun understands that they can't be affectionate in the public, Baekhyun didn't expect any warm greetings, nor a kiss. But he still expected at least a hug, which doesn't come no matter how much Baekhyun waits for it. Chanyeol only says a hi, smiling at down at his lover as if they were friends. Just friends and nothing more. Only the ones who would pay more attention would see the love and affection in Chanyeol's sparking eyes and dashing smile. 

But to people who don't spare them a second glance they just look like normal friends. And Baekhyun knows that he should be glad because like this they have the permission to continue their relationship in secret, but... he isn't. He misses the hugs Chanyeol gave him every time they met or were saying their goodbyes. He misses the way Chanyeol would walk incredibly close to him, now only feeling hurt when Chanyeol keeps distance between them. 

Baekhyun doesn't question it. He knows the reason. And he knows that Chanyeol is doing this for them, so they can be together at least when they are out of the public eye. Keeping it a secret was Chanyeol's father's only condition, and if Baekhyun doesn't want to lose Chanyeol completely, he has to get used to being... like this when they are out. 

He should be happy that they can at least be together when they are in private. He really should. So why does it hurt so much?

"How was your day?" Chanyeol asks, his tone light. Baekhyun wonders if his lover feels as miserable as him right now. After all, it's the first time they see each other after the weekend they spent together, and not being able to touch Chanyeol even a little is causing him physical pain. "In case it was bad I have your favorite food."

"I don't have a favorite food, I eat everything. Aside from cucumbers, they are ," Baekhyun replies, making Chanyeol chuckle. Seeing Chanyeol like this, it makes the pain a little bit more bearable. 

He tells himself not to sulk and actually enjoy the time he can spend with Chanyeol, knowing that his lover made time for him while he should be at work. Most likely, that won't be happening any time soon if everything Chanyeol has told him about his work is true - that being that there are tons of things to do, and that Chanyeol will be most likely pulling all-nighters if he wants to get it done by the end of the week. 

"You should appreciate cucumbers and Hawaiian pizza more," Chanyeol nudges him and Baekhyun feels a bittersweet feeling spreading through his body. He craves more of the touch, but at the same time he is glad to be touched so briefly like this, knowing that this is the most he can get. 

"Never," Baekhyun shakes his head, scrunching his nose in distaste. Only thinking about these two foods is making him feel disgusted. He loves Chanyeol, he truly does, but he can never accept the fact that his lover likes ing pineapples on pizza. Such an abomination. "I only appreciate the good things in life."

"One day I will make you eat Hawaiian pizza and enjoy it."

At that, Baekhyun lets out a laugh, shaking his head once again. "No way. I would throw up in your face," Baekhyun warns him about the possible - more like probable - outcome of the situation, which only makes Chanyeol laugh along with him as they both imagine how disgusting would it all be. 

"Such a drama queen," Chanyeol mutters under his breath but of course Baekhyun hears it, punching Chanyeol slightly in the arm. He wonders if the punch is because of the not-really-an-insult insult, or if he just takes every opportunity to touch Chanyeol because he really, really needs it. 

 

The way back seems way too long, but the moment they are in Baekhyun's flat, Chanyeol puts the the bags with food on the ground - not really gently - and pushes Baekhyun against the door, connecting their lips in a rushed, desperate manner. Still, even though it might seem too rough, it isn't. Chanyeol's kiss is desperate but tender, lips sliding against each other with ease, Baekhyun cooperating perfectly. After all, he had waited for this for the past minutes, his legs moving quicker than normal so they can be home sooner. 

"I missed you so much," Chanyeol whispers against his lips as he pulls away, hugging Baekhyun tightly and bending down in order to put his head on Baekhyun's shoulder, breathing in the shorter man's scent. "I had been looking forward to meeting you the whole time."

Chanyeol continues hugging him, desperate to feel as much of Baekhyun as possible, and Baekhyun relaxes in his arms like it's the most natural thing to do. Maybe because it is. 

Seeing Chanyeol like this, voice broken but full of love and arms tight around Baekhyun's smaller body, the brunet knows that Chanyeol is suffering from this too, that it's not only himself that wants to die outdoors when Chanyeol is so close but so far away. Chanyeol must feel the same as him, at least that's what Baekhyun thinks. 

It's okay, Baekhyun tries to tell himself.

It's all going to be alright. 

 

--

 

It's ten days later and Baekhyun clings onto Chanyeol for dear life as they lie in Baekhyun's small bed, raindrops hitting the window to pierce the silence between them. Today, Baekhyun doesn't feel like talking at all. The gloomy weather is making him feel simply strange, and he is glad that Chanyeol could visit tonight because the taller's presence is enough to make Baekhyun feel better.

Nothing bad happened, not really. His workplace has kind of ty atmosphere after Kyungsoo left and Baekhyun is getting used to it, and some of his coworkers are ruse as hell as always too. It's nothing different from the usual stuff when it comes to work. But maybe... Chanyeol being extremely distant lately is taking a toll on Baekhyun. 

He knows, he really does, that it's all because of the deal Chanyeol made with his father. But it doesn't make Baekhyun hurt any less, doesn't make the pain more bearable. Chanyeol hardly even looks at him when they are in public, always repeating the same phrase over and over again. 

We can't be seen.

And Baekhyun knows, he ing understands, but what was so wrong about the way they were before they got together? What's wrong with how they acted in public before they declared their feelings for each other? There were rumors, of course, but there are rumors all the time. Very few people actually thought that the two of them could be together, and Baekhyun has to say that they did some lovey-dovey stuff from time to time. 

However, after some time, people dropped that subject of Park Chanyeol and Byun Baekhyun possibly being in a relationship, the topic getting old. They could ing hug the out of each other and paparazzi would let it be because there were more juicy stuff.

The point is, nobody really cared about them when they were walking side by side, laughing and sipping from each other's coffees a few months back. Why would they care now? If anything, the distance between them is anything but not obvious. And Baekhyun wants to say it, voice his thoughts because he wonders if Chanyeol is actually aware of the fact that he's trying to keep them hidden way too much. 

But Baekhyun never finds the courage to do that. 

Instead, every time they arrive to Baekhyun's flat, Baekhyun showers Chanyeol with affection and vice versa, both of them needing it. It's always like this. Well, not exactly always, since they haven't seen much of each other lately, but the point is still clear. He misses Chanyeol, and he hates that he has to wait until they are in private to even look at him for more than three seconds. 

In the silence of the room he has too much space to think, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that a strange question pops up in Baekhyun's mind. He doesn't hesitate before asking it, too curious to know that answer tot he question he was afraid to ask two weeks ago.

"Chanyeol?" 

"Hm?"

"Why do you call me Baekhyun?" Baekhyun questions, propping himself on his elbows to look directly into the CEO's eyes. In case Chanyeol doesn't answer, he uses the taller's technique and tries to read it in the big, expressive eyes. Which might not work but it will be worth a try anyway.

"What do you mean?" Chanyeol asks, confusion written all over his face. Realizing that the question was phrased rather stupidly, he explains himself.

"People that are together have pet names and , but you always call me just Baekhyun. No nicknames or pet names," Baekhyun elaborates, cocking his head to the side. "Why?"

"Well, uhm..." Chanyeol trails of, and Baekhyun wonders if he doesn't know what to say or is thinking about an excuse that wouldn't make Baekhyun feel bad. Maybe Chanyeol doesn't like pet names? Maybe he just doesn't feel like using pet names or nicknames. Maybe- "I just.. like your name."

That certainly wasn't on Baekhyun's list of possibilities. "What do you mean?" this time it's Baekhyun who asks the question, furrowing his brows and pursing his lips as he tries to understand Chanyeol's answer. He likes Baekhyun's name? What...?

"Just what I said," Chanyeol shruggs, as if the answer should be obvious by now. However, sensing that Baekhyun hasn't gotten it at all, he decides to explain himself, much to Baekhyun's happiness. "I like saying your name, your full name. Nicknames and pet names are cute and stuff, but I just want to say your name without shortening it or adding something to it. I like it the way it is," by the end of Chanyeol's explanation, the CEO's voice starts to be more quiet, as if he was embarrassed by answering like that. "You can think of it as a pet name an a nickname as a whole, if you wanna." 

The silence stretches between them again, Baekhyun processing what Chanyeol has said and Chanyeol just staring at Baekhyun nervously, not knowing what to expect. After all, the explanation was so cheesy but so, so nice, and while Chanyeol looks more than embarrassed about his answer - maybe as embarrassed as Baekhyun himself for asking such thing - Baekhyun can't help but blush furiously. 

"Why would you say that," Baekhyun whispers and hides his face in the bed, pressing it into the mattress and making Chanyeol laugh loudly. 

"You asked, it's your fault," Chanyeol ruffles Baekhyun's brown locks, grinning at how shy Baekhyun has gotten after hearing the reason behind Chanyeol always calling him with his name instead of using some cute pet name or even a nickname. 

"I didn't expect that to come out of your mouth," says Baekhyun, groaning. 

In the next second, Baekhyun feels soft and warm lips pressing against the back of his neck, Chanyeol's breath making him shiver when the taller tells him, "I'm just being honest," and then he adds, "Baekhyun."

But now the name sounds completely different somehow, and Baekhyun blushes even more, his face most likely all red by now. Why does Chanyeol enjoy embarrassing him so much? Okay, it's not like Baekhyun doesn't enjoy doing the same, but Chanyeol is just too cute when his cheeks and ears are pink. 

Maybe now Baekhyun has gotten the answer for his own question. 

 

It's exactly times like these, when Chanyeol is making Baekhyun feel all shy while being too cheesy - effectively cheesy - that makes Baekhyun think that it's not as bad as it could be. That their arrangement might not be ideal, but it is more than nothing. After all, if that stupid deal wasn't made with Chanyeol's father, they probably wouldn't even be able to be together like this. Of course the deal has a great downside, but it includes good things too - Chanyeol being able to visit without worrying about his parents being one of them. And Baekhyun is incredibly happy that the burden is off Chanyeol's shoulder with his parents knowing about their relationship, and much or less supporting it. 

It makes him think that while it's not ideal, it's going to be fine. 

Baekhyun repeats it all the time. 

Everything is going to be alright. 

 

--

 

 However, on the 28th of April, things go to completely. 

 

 

It's Saturday, and Baekhyun thought that him and Chanyeol will be able to spend the day together, doing nothing in particular. Their Sundays are always spent together because while Chanyeol can't visit Baekhyun often during the week, he always finds time to be with Baekhyun on Saturday. Baekhyun always looks forward to Saturdays because he is sure he can spend some quality time together with his lover, but today it's different. 

Chanyeol has called him on Friday that he won't be coming on Sunday, having some business event that he can't skip. While Baekhyun felt like crying because he really wanted to have Chanyeol for himself, he told Chanyeol that it's okay and that they can see each other next time. Baekhyun was sad, but he wasn't angry. He knew that it wasn't Chanyeol's choice and that his lover has to attend the event, being the CEO. 

It's not like he is surprised that Chanyeol doesn't have time for him. Baekhyun knew that Chanyeol works a lot when they got together, and of course he knew that he won't see much of Chanyeol when his lover is busy. Still, today he really needed Chanyeol to be with him, Friday being a complete hell for him. The only person who would make him feel good again after a horrible day ike that would be Chanyeol, but unfortunately, Chanyeol has things to do. Things that don't involve Baekhyun, sadly. 

Baekhyun is ready to just do nothing and sleep during the whole day, but his plans are interrupted when he gets a call from his boss in the nightclub. He frown at the screen in confusion but picks up the call right away, answering it with a polite, "Goot afternoon." He doesn't know why his boss would be calling him today, since she said that everything is covered for the weekend and that she had enough workers for Saturday and Sunday, Baekhyun's help no needed.

"Hello, Byun," a female voice greets him back. "I know I've said that we are all covered for today, but the person in charge of VIP section has called in sick today and nobody else can come. I'm sorry to bother you with it, but could you please cover for the guy?" 

"Oh, of course," Baekhyun answers immediately.

"What, really? Don't you have plans or something already?" his boss sounds rather surprised by Baekhyun accepting so easily without any kind of persuading, and Baekhyun chuckles at her shocked tone. Maybe he would be surprised as well if he was in her shoes, hearing someone agree so quickly even though it's Saturday and people usually do something on Saturday. Well, not Baekhyun. 

"It has gotten cancelled," Baekhyun says, trying not to sound as sad and disappointed as he feels. "So yeah, I'm free. When do I have to be there?" 

"I'm sorry for your plans getting cancelled, but on the other side I'm glad," she tells Baekhyun jokingly and the brunet laughs, getting what she means by that and not taking any offense. "Please be there around ten, there are going to be some important customers today."

"Who?" asking, Baekhyun can't help his curiosity. 

"There is a table reserved for Kim Yongyu and his friends, six people. You know him, right? He's the son of the CEO of KM Entertainment," his boss says, and Baekhyun immediately knows who the guy is. Not only from news, but also from Chanyeol. Chanyeol absolutely hates the guy's guts - as he keeps on reminding Baekhyun - but since the two companies are tightly connected, Chanyeol has to be nice to him at all costs to keep them as a partner. 

"Yeah, I do," Baekhyun nods even though his boss can't see him. "Anyway, I'll be there. Ten sharp."

"Thank you, you're truly a life-saver. I will give you some bonus at the end of the month for this."

"No need, I miss working there," Baekhyun admits, tapping his finger against the surface of his bedside table. Since he started working full time at the restaurant and spends only one day a week in Twenty, he truly can't help himself but miss the place, even though his working hours were hell.  

"We miss you too. I swear some of the new employees are so incompetent in comparison to you. We all want you back," it's rare for his boss to actually compliment him instead of scolding him for talking with other employees too much or zoning out. But on the other hand, his boss always gets emotional and too honest when she is stressed out. 

"I feel so appreciated," Baekhyun laughs, tone overly sweet. "You can count on me, boss. You know that, even though I'm not a real employee anymore," reassuring his boss, he decides it's time to end the call, for it's time to go to sleep again. "I'm going to sleep, I will need the energy for later."

"Okay, you do that. See you at work, Byun."

"Goodbye."

 

--

 

Baekhyun comes to work at ten o'clock sharp as promised, his boss welcoming him affectionately, too grateful that Baekhyun truly came and saved her . Looking around himself, Baekhyun realizes that it's packed, people mingling everywhere, dancing together on the dance floor and drinking either with their friends at the bar or at their own table. However, Chanyeol doesn't really have time to pay much attention to the people, since his boss ushers him to the VIP section, saying, "The special ones are not here yet, but they should be coming soon."

"Alright," is the only thing Baekhyun says back, letting himself be led up to the VIP section. On the way, he greets the guards with a big smile, patting their shoulders in a friendly manner before running up the stairs, going straight to the smaller bar on the second floor to greet the barman too. It must be someone new because Baekhyun has never seen the guy before, so they also have to introduce themselves. It's kind of awkward because the boy seems extremely shy as he accepts Baekhyun's hand, shaking it slightly. 

"Okay, I'll live you to it. If there are any complaints-"

"We'll go to you, I know. Don't worry," Baekhyun interrupts her gently, seeing how anxious she is to go back down to look out for the new employee that is here for the first time today, their boss worrying for the new worker's sake because no matter how tough she looks, she just wants her employees to feel alright at work. 

"Perfect," and with that, she is gone again, Baekhyun and the new barman left alone. There's a few seconds of silence between the two males before Baekhyun leaves to take orders from the table right in front of the bar, two women wanting to get another round of vodka. When they see Baekhyun approaching them they exchange a meaningful look, and it doesn't even come as a surprise when one of them tries to flirt with him while ordering right away. 

Nothing really changes here, Baekhyun thinks while trying to be polite as he turns the daring woman down gently. 

 

It's maybe an hour later that the special guests arrive. Baekhyun can see the six men taking their seats at the back in the corner, suits in their hands and buttons on the shirt loose. They look very out of place, looking way too rich for this club. It's not like Twenty isn't good enough of a club, no, it's just that it's just that they look way too different. But what to expect from a bunch of rich kids-

Wait. Wait. "What the ," Baekhyun whispers to himself when his eyes fall upon an extraordinary tall man with funny ears, a tall man that looks way too familiar. 

Baekhyun doesn't even realize that he's been staring for quiet some time now, the men already all settled at their table, looking through the drinks on the menu, until the barman nudges Baekhyun slightly, asking, "Aren't you going there?" the question sounds unsure, the guy still kind of shy around Baekhyun. 

"O-Oh," Baekhyun stutters, breaking out of his tranz. "Yeah, I'm going."

With that said, Baekhyun starts walking toward the table seven in the corner of the room, not even registering the other people in the room, his eyes focused only on Chanyeol who is talking to some person to his right, a fake smile plastered on his face - Baekhyun can already tell that it's fake because it doesn't reach Chanyeol's eyes at all. 

But what is Chanyeol doing here? Didn't he say that he is at some event today? Maybe he went there after the event? But didn't he say that he hates the Kim guy? Why is he here then? Baekhyun truly has too many questions at the moment and his mind is racing as he keep closing the distance between himself and the table seven. He is so damn nervous because he knows that no matter how much he wants to interrogate Chanyeol, he can't now. 

Because they are in public. 

Gulping, he approaches the table and puts a polite smile on his lips, throwing his questions aside. He knows that personal problems should have nothing to do with his job, and that he can deal with them later. Some of the man look up from the menus and make eye-contact with Baekhyun, but three of them are still ignoring his presence, Chanyeol being one of them. 

Clearing his throat, he greets them, "Good evening. Welcome to Twenty, I hope you'll have a good time," the phrase will be forever drilled into his mind for sure, being said for over millions of times. Upon hearing Baekhyun's voice, the rest of the men look up too, including Chanyeol whose head snaps up as quick as never before. Baekhyun's and Chanyeol's eyes meet, and the brunet holds the eye-contact as he continues. Or at least attempts to continue, because Chanyeol is quicker than him, cutting him off before he can say more than a word.

"What are you doing here?" Chanyeol questions, eyes going wide. All of the men at the table start looking from Baekhyun to Chanyeol, throwing confused glances at the two.

Before Baekhyun can answer, one of the men asks, "Do you know each other?"

"Y-Yeah," Chanyeol nods, stuttering and then averting his gaze elsewhere, scratching the back of his neck, biting into his lip. A sign that he's nervous. "He is a friend of mine."

A friend. Chanyeol says that Baekhyun is his friend. 

Baekhyun's heart sinks when he hears it, his jaw clenches as his mind processes Chanyeol's sentence. There is no way Chanyeol can say that they are more and Baekhyun understands, but it still hurts incredibly. He hopes that if Chanyeol decides to look into his eyes once again and not be a coward about this situation, then he can see how miserable Baekhyun feels right now. 

"So," Baekhyun starts again, looking away from Chanyeol and making eye-contact with every one of the customers because according to the etiquette he should do that. "Do you know what you want to order, or should I come back later?"

"I want to order you," a man sitting right on his left muses, and everybody - minus Chanyeol - laughs loudly. Chanyeol only looks at his friend with wide eyes, mouth open slightly and eyebrows shooting up. Then, the shocked expression turns into a one of pure murder, and from the corners of his eyes Baekhyun can already see the giant opening his mouth to say something. Before he closes it a second later, realizing that he can't really say anything. Because in the public, they are not together. 

"Well, I'm not on the menu," Baekhyun replies with ease, this certainly not being the first time someone is hitting on him. "Anything else?"

"Tequilla for everyone to start it off, and also soda," the same man says, and Baekhyun tries to focus on his face because if his guess is right, everyone at this table should be at least a little bit famous, a little bit known, since they are all from the upper society. He has most likely seen these men at least once on television. Sadly, Baekhyun doesn't pay too much attention to them. 

"Okay, I'll be right back," Baekhyun smiles and turns away, briefly looking at Chanyeol in the process. The man is staring at him intensely, eyes holding a strange emotion that Baekhyun can't decipher. 

"I sure hope so," another one of the men says and Baekhyun cringes internally, but decides to ignore the remark as best as he can, walking away while clutching the notepad and a pen in his hand rather tightly. The tone of their voices was enough to make Baekhyun sure that they are the rude, over-confident types who think that Baekhyun will jump at them just because of their stupid pick-up lines.

Baekhyun already knows that he will suffer with every return to the table. 

 

And he truly does suffer. 

The men are acting like a bunch of teenagers, incredibly spoiled ing brats. They always order just one thing at a time so they can call Baekhyun over every ten seconds, making Baekhyun practically run from their table to the bar, and then back again. As if it wasn't enough, they always make stupid, ual remarks while Baekhyun is at their table, serving the drinks. It makes Baekhyun wonder if they are always like that, too egoistical and over-confident, or if it's just because of the amount of alcohol they have had already.

The more they order, the more ual they are getting, the restraints they had before disappearing completely. Baekhyun feels extremely uncomfortable the whole time, knowing that their eyes on him, mapping his body as if they were ready to devour him on spot. It's hot as in there, but Baekhyun would give anything for long jeans instead of the shorts he's wearing right now, reaching only above his knees. He feels way too exposed in front of the business men. 

But Baekhyun can deal with it. He's been through worse, some immature brats shouldn't be a problem for one night. He can just try to filter their words and ignore them completely, focusing on the job instead. Maybe if they drink too much they will doze off or something, and that way Baekhyun won't have to deal with them anymore. Still, the gazes thrown at him are making him cringe. He just wants to cover his body so they will stop looking at him. He can deal with stupid ual remarks, but he hates when people look at him so hungrily like that, especially when he wants only one person looking at him like that. 

And that one person, the only one who is allowed to look at him with lust-filled eyes, is doing nothing about other men fawning over Baekhyun. 

The s aside, what makes Baekhyun really want to die is the way Chanyeol just... sits there. He does completely nothing when his so-called friends keep harassing Baekhyun, even attempting to touch him a few times. Chanyeol only drinks his soda instead of the bought alcoholic drinks, clutching the glass in his hand and only mediocore telling his friends to stop saying nasty things to the waiter. Not even a friend anymore, just a waiter. 

Why isn't Chanyeol doing anything? Why doesn't he stop his company from harassing Baekhyun this way? Why the hell is he just sitting there as if they weren't ing dating for almost a month now? 

Does he even care about Baekhyun being treated like that, or are his business friends that much more important than his own lover?

Baekhyun doesn't want Chanyeol to stand up from his seat, punch all of them and yell at them that Baekhyun is his and that they should all back off. He knows that Chanyeol wouldn't do that because they are not together when they are outdoors. But why is he doing literally nothing to protect Baekhyun from the nasty things thrown at him or daring hands reaching out to touch him? If Chanyeol wants to play the friends card in public, then okay. But friends protect each other also. Even if Chanyeol doesn't want people to find out about their relationship, he can still stand up for Baekhyun as a friend.

But Chanyeol doesn't. And it makes returning to the table seven that much harder.

However, it's his job, and he goes back to the table with every wave of the s' hands, running to their table like a stupid peasant because that's exactly what he is right now. It's extremely humiliating and the men know about it, enjoying Baekhyun's suffering to the fullest. And still, Chanyeol doesn't do anything about it, even though Baekhyun throws him angry glances all the time. He just ing sips his soda as if nothing was going on. 

Chanyeol does nothing when one of the men keeps hinting at how much he would like to take him home. Chanyeol does nothing when another man keeps purposely throwing the drink menu from the table to the ground so Baekhyun will have to bend down to get it, kneeling on the ground shamefully. Chanyeol does nothing when another one slaps Baekhyun's thigh before the brunet can disappear to the bar to get another drink. 

Baekhyun sees the anger and pain in Chanyeol's eyes as his business partners or whoever they are keep harassing Baekhyun, but it isn't enough. Just looking at Baekhyun with eyes apologetic and face twisted in sadness isn't enough in a situation like this. And he wants to tell himself that he doesn't need Chanyeol to protect him, that he can protect himself well enough. 

Still, when the man on his left grabs his wrist and pulls him down onto his lap, Baekhyun feels panic creeping in the pit of his stomach imediately, and his eyes search for Chanyeol. The hands squeezing his make him not only uncomfortable but also disgusted, and he tries to pry them off and stand up with all his might. However, it's almost impossible with the man's strong grip, and Baekhyun's heart starts beating faster as he feel completely powerless. 

"You are truly beautiful," the man whispers drunkenly and pulls Baekhyun closer, not caring if the brunet is clearly not alright with being manhandled by the man like that. While trying to to move away from the man holding him put, Baekhyun keeps begging Chanyeol with his eyes to say something at least now. This is not only a slap on the anymore, or ual remark. This man is literally forcing himself on Baekhyun. 

And still, Chanyeol does nothing. His hand visibly grips the glass in his hand tighter and he looks ready to fight, but he still does nothing. 

"I would take you home and your brains out, Byun," the man slurs, Baekhyun's family name already remembered from his nametag by the disgusting man. Upon hearing the words, Baekhyun cringes, not even being able to imagine being in a bed with this man. He's not ugly per se, but aside from horrible personality and low tolerance for alcohol, he is everything but Baekhyun's type. 

"Let me go," Baekhyun hisses, gripping the man's wrists tightly and trying to remove them from his body. His skin is starting to burn from the touch, and it's not the pleasant kind of burning he feels when Chanyeol touches him. It's the complete opposite. 

"I can pay you," the man smirks at him when Baekhyun stops squirming in his lap, thinking that he has gotten the jackpot now. It's actually the other way around. "For one night, I can give you as much as you ask."

That's it. He isn't going to suffer like this any longer. This is not only humiliating but also too rude, and while Baekhyun has a rather strong personality, he refuses to deal with these bunch of s. If they want someone to they better find someone else because Baekhyun is sure as hell not jumping to bed with any of them.

"Okay, that's enough-" Baekhyun can hear Chanyeol's deep voice through the music playing in the background, but Baekhyun can only chuckle. Too late, Chanyeol.  

"Listen to me, you stupid ," Baekhyun leans in and hisses right into the man's face, spitting the curse with venom. "If you don't let me go right now I will tell about this not only to police, but also every ing news existing. Then let's see how your business goes when people find out about you being a sick ert that forces himself on people." 

Upon hearing Baekhyun's words, the man's hands still on his , motionlessly lying there. His face is all shades of shock and now also fear, as if Baekhyun talked sense into him right now, making him realize that if this behavior of his gets out, it's going to have a huge impact on that er's company. 

After that, Baekhyun gets out of the man's lap easily, and doesn't want a second before storming off, leaving the scared man behind. He doesn't even spare Chanyeol a glance as he walks away, pushing between the people until he gets to the restroom with medium difficulty, splashing water on his face as soon as he gets to the sink. He feels like puking right now, still feelings the man's hands on his hips and . 

He feels dirty. 

"Baekhyun," a deep voice calls out his name a second later, belonging to the one person he wants to hear the least right now. He doesn't turn around to see the new comer, knowing perfectly well who it is. And he wishes Chanyeol would just walk away, leaving him alone. He doesn't want to talk right now. He needs to collect himself and return to work, his shift not ending for another two hours and he can't afford to slack off with s many customers here today. "I'm sor-"

"Save it, I don't want to hear it," Baekhyun cuts him off, feeling sick when he hears the first few letters of the word that certainly has no meaning now when everything already happened. Baekhyun doesn't care about Chanyeol's apology at all. "Just go back to your friends."

"Baekhyun please, hear me out. Please," so now Chanyeol is begging him to listen? But what about the time Baekhyun was clearly begging Chanyeol to end his suffering and Chanyeol did completely nothing? Why should Baekhyun hear Chanyeol out? What explanation can Chanyeol even provide? There is no way he can explain why he utterly abandoned Baekhyun back there, letting his friends have a way with him as if he was a play toy. 

"I don't want to. I don't care," Baekhyun shakes his head, wiping away the water from his face with tissues provided. He wipes away the tears that so quickly formed in his eyes and fell down his cheeks too, not wanting Chanyeol to see him crying. He never wants anyone to see him crying again. 

It hurts. It hurts so much that Chanyeol is trying to save the situation now when everything is already done. Baekhyun is already proven that he isn't as important for Chanyeol as Chanyeol likes to tell him, and that fact can't be excused by Chanyeol. The giant made it all pretty clear, and Baekhyun wants to tell him to stick the stupid apology or even some explanation up his . Chanyeol should have acted a few minutes ago, hell, he should have acted the very first time one of the men threw a disgustingly ual remark at him. But he didn't. He ing didn't. 

"Chanyeol just go back to your friends and leave me alone," Baekhyun gestures with his hand toward the door, but Chanyeol doesn't make any move, just standing motionlessly there and looking at Baekhyun with desperation. His eyes are begging Baekhyun to hear him out just as Baekhyun's eyes were begging Chanyeol to help him when he was being manhandled back at the table. Too bad that Baekhyun doesn't care, just as Chanyeol didn't care about Baekhyun the whole evening. 

"No, Baekhyun. I want you to know that I'm sorry and that I don't even know why I didn't do anything. I was just-.. I don't ing know, but Baekhyun please don't be angry at me."

"I'm not... I'm not angry," Baekhyun whispers, sighing deeply and clutching the tissue in his hands because he desperately needs to hold on to something. "I'm just tired, Chanyeol," finally, Baekhyun turns to face his lover - or is he still? - finding the courage to look into the big eyes of the man that promised to protect him with all his might just to break that promise so quickly. "I thought I can do this, that I can be your dirty secret if I'm with you, but-" Baekhyun chokes on tears, a sob finding its way out of his throat, and Baekhyun curses himself because he really didn't want to end up crying like this. "But I can't. You won't even look at me when we're out, and I understand that you just wants the best for us and you're trying to protect our relationship with being like this, but you're doing the opposite. And today? How can you do nothing at all when these men  touch me like that, or say such disgusting things?"

"Wait, Baek-"

"No, ing listen to me!" Baekhyun yells in frustration, succeeding in making Chanyeol shut his mouth right away. "You are jealous of Sehun for giving me innocent hugs and kissing my cheek from time to time, but you're okay with that one man telling me that he wants to take me home and my brains out? What the is wrong with you?!"

"I'm not okay with that!" Chanyeol yells, and usually Baekhyun would shiver if this tone was directed at him, but not now. He only frowns at Chanyeol, fist clenched. "I'm certainly not okay with that."

"Well, you didn't seem to mind it back there," Baekhyun spits the words out. "You didn't say anything at all, if I remember correctly!"

"Baekhyun, they are important people!" Chanyeol screams. 

Upon hearing the words, all the fight leaves Baekhyun's body in a second. The frustration is all gone and all that's left is sadness and disappointment. Honestly, he doesn't even know if he is disappointed with Chanyeol or with himself, being too naive to think that he means something to Chanyeol. "What about me then?" he asks, a sad smile playing on his lips, eyes losing the spark of happiness they had before. "Am I not important?"

"I haven't said that, Baekhyun. Please-"

"You did though. Not directly, but you did," Baekhyun laughs humorlessly, throwing the tissue in the trash bin and running a hand through his hair, his fingers trembling slightly. It hurts way too much, the sentence Chanyeol let out of his mouth repeating itself over and over again, reminding Baekhyun that while he might be important to Chanyeol at least a little, the people who are here with the CEO are much more important than Baekhyun himself, or even their relationship. 

"I didn't mean it like that at all, Baekhyun just listen to me and-"

"Haven't you said enough, though? Weren't you actions clear enough?" Baekhyun questions, making his way to the door. He wishes to just leave and disappear altogether, but of course it's not that easy. Of course Chanyeol wouldn't make it that easy, cornering him before Baekhyun can get to the door. If it wasn't for everything that happened tonight, Baekhyun would surely enjoy the closeness. However now, it makes him feel more sad than happy.  

"Baekhyun, come on. I love you so much, and I'm sorry. Truly," Chanyeol lifts his chin up, making Baekhyun look into his big eyes. The beautiful brown orbs are filled with sorrow, and he is begging Baekhyun to forgive him. There is also undying love and affection, but Baekhyun doesn't believe what he sees anymore. Love? Affection? How can Baekhyun be sure if Chanyeol behaved the way he did today? Sure, he cuddles Baekhyun all day long if they are out of the public eye, whispers sweet nothing and declarations of love while having with him, and gives Baekhyun all the attention when they are finally together. And because of all that Baekhyun ignored everything Chanyeol did outdoors, focusing only on the positive things. But now? What happened today was just too much. 

"But are you sure about that? Hundred percent?" Baekhyun questions. "Because if not, then this is all pointless. If you aren't sure, we shouldn't hurt ourselves like that and just-.. ugh, I don't know," it hurts Baekhyun to say it, but there is no other choice. "What I'm saying is... let's not do this until you are sure of what you truly want," a lump is growing in his throat and he feels another dose of tears welling up in his eyes. 

"Don't do this, Baekhyun. Please don't," Chanyeol shakes his head, his voice frantic and full with panic. He attempts to touch Baekhyun's cheek but Baekhyun dodges, giving off a clear message. The hurt look that flashes in Chanyeol's eyes is causing pain to Baekhyun also, but... but they can't go on like this anymore. 

"Figure out what you want, and then let's talk again, okay?" Baekhyun's voice cracks at the end, and he knows that this is a sign that he needs to leave. 

Pushing Chanyeol away gently, he quickly slips out of the restroom door, and while he wants to leave without looking at Chanyeol, Baekhyun can't help but glance at the giant before disappearing. And the moment he sees a tear sliding down his precious giant's cheek, Baekhyun knows it was a bad decision, he knows that he shouldn't have done that, the sight now engraved in his mind for eternity. 

As Baekhyun walks further away from the restroom and pushes his way through the people in order to get some fresh air, the perfect illusion he had of the future with Chanyeol starts to crumble like a house of cards, leaving Baekhyun's heart ache painfully like never before. 

Everything is going to be alright? 

Hah... What a joke.