A/N: so lol ofc i'm late with updating but i'm literally never on time irl too so pls take this into consideration. i work tomorrow and i need to ing go to sleep so i haven't checked the typos, meaning that if there are any i'm really sorry but i am lierally half dead already. 

anyway, this chapter is around 10k words long, and as i mentioned it's the first half of the final chapter. the next half will be updated on sunday in the evening, and there will be the promised bonuses with the side ships included too. ALSO THERE WILL BE lol

ALSO LOL SORRY FOR THE CLIFFHANGER oops i honestly didnt plan to end the chap here but yea.. 

happy reading and pls tell me what u think about the chapter bcs im honestly so nervous about posting it that i might die not only from sleep deprivation but also from stress too haha

btw for those who don't know, i started writing another fic since this one is ending already, and who is interested you can go and read it -> HERE <-

before i end the author's note, i want to thank u all for your understanding when i told u about my broken finger. beating myself up is part of my personality and i honestly felt but for not being able to update sooner bcs i couldnt write, but u all were so kind that i felt better about it. and update, the cast is already gone so i'm a free woman lol 

--

"I need help."

The sentence echoes through the room as if the sentence was shouted rather than whispered, reaching the woman's ears immediately. She stops reading through her papers, the documents suddenly forgotten as her eyes widen at her son. Judging by the look in her eyes she can't really believe that Chanyeol is here, truly asking for help with something in the middle of the night, face wet because of tears and eyes carrying deep sadness. The person standing in the doorway looking so broken doesn't even resemble her son, the always seemingly confident and stubborn man his father wanted him to be. 

"What do you need? Did something happen?" she asks softly, putting the pen down on the table, not breaking eye-contact with Chanyeol. Seeing the clear concern in her eyes makes Chanyeol tear up even more, and the effort he put into hiding that he's been crying turns out to be a complete waste as another wet drops start falling out of his eyes, rolling down his cheeks. All it took was two questions. That much for staying collected in front of his mother.

"I-" Chanyeol starts but chokes on his tears, a sob escaping his mouth. Frustrated that he can't even talk normally, Chanyeol runs a hand through his hair aggressively before covering his face with his large palms so that his mother won't see his pathetic, tear-streaked face. After taking a calming breath, he says in a broken voice, "I don't know what to do."

"My dear," she sighs and Chanyeol can hear her steps as she walks up to him, prying his hands away from his face when she's standing in front of Chanyeol, looking up at him with sad eyes. She smiles at him gently, not letting go of her son's hands as she guides him to sit on her queen-sized bed. Chanyeol feels ridiculous when he tries to imagine how it must look, a woman so short taking care of an almost 190cm cry baby, but he lets the thought go, focusing more on how his mother's touch is soothing rather than at how funny it surely looks. "Tell me what happened."

In order to calm down, Chanyeol is silent for a while, collecting himself with the help of his mother's tender caress. It's been so long since a situation like this, Chanyeol's father always there to tell him to man up and act like a strong man, forbidding him to find shelter in his mother's embrace. However, now his father isn't here, unable to barge into the room and ruin the moment.

It takes a while before Chanyeol is sure that another wave of crying won't come over him, and when he feels at least a little bit calm he wipes the tears away from his face, taking a deep breath and then exhaling just as deeply. His mother doesn't say anything thorough it all, just caressing Chanyeol's back and patiently waiting until her son is ready to speak up about his problems. She has the faintest idea of what is most likely going on, but she wants to hear it all from Chanyeol instead of imagining the possibilities.

"I didn't think it all through, and now I don't know what to do," he adds a small explanation to his previous statement while looking down at his hands, biting his lower lip and playing with his finger. He has never done this, but Baekhyun must be truly rubbing off on him. "I have no idea how to make things right."

"Have you fought with your lover?" his mother asks after a beat of silence, and Chanyeol expects her voice to be at least a little bit bitter considering that she wasn't exactly happy when she found out that Chanyeol is dating Baekhyun, but the bitterness is absent in her velvety voice. It only sounds every bit concerned, as if she actually didn't mind that the person Chanyeol chose to date is not only a male but also someone who is from a lower social class. 

After Chanyeol overcomes his previous surprise, he answers his mother's question, "Not exactly. Baekhyun just-" letting out a frustrated sigh, Chanyeol changes the sentence he was initially going to say to, "I've been hurting him all along without even realizing it because I was so, so selfish. And now things escalated and I just-... I don't know what do to," he repeats again, now putting more emphasis on the words. "He told me that I have to make up my mind, decide what I truly want, but it's hard to make that choice."

"You have to think about what is at stake, about your responsibilities," the woman says seriously, and Chanyeol shuts his eyes closed as his lips form a thin line, feeling even more conflicted after hearing these things for the thousand time. He knows that he has responsibilities, of course he knows, does he really need to be reminded of something he already fully knows? If there wasn't so much on his shoulders his choice would be already made.

"I know-"

"But you have to think about what your heart wants too," she interrupts Chanyeol, and the CEO's eyes open immediately again and he turns his head to look at his mother, mouth agape. Chanyeol doesn't know what he was expecting when he came here to ask for an advice, but somehow it surprises him to hear his mother saying that while he has responsibilities, he has to think about his hear too. "Do you love the boy? Do you think he is worth it? Do you think that there won't be anyone else like him in the future?" she questions, looking into Chanyeol's eyes with full seriousness.

While many people would feel nervous to be on the receiving end of that intense stere, Chanyeol feels strangely comforted by it. The thing that's putting him more at ease than stressing him out might be the fact that his mother takes it seriously, not playing around or disregarding Chanyeol's feelings just because the person her son loves isn't a woman from a healthy family. She is asking him questions while expecting an honest answer, being sincerely interested in everything Chanyeol has to say.

"I'm in love with Baekhyun, I'm sure of that," Chanyeol starts, and even though the whole situation is heavy, he feels a huge weight being lifted off his shoulders as he confesses his love for Baekhyun to his mother. He expects to see some kind of disapproval or disappointment in her eyes, but there is nothing like that, giving Chanyeol courage to continue. "He is definitely worth it, and he deserves the world," Chanyeol smiles a little when Baekhyun's face comes to his mind, the brunet smiling at Chanyeol brightly, his eyes turning into crescents. "I know there won't be anyone like Baekhyun, never. And I don't even want to try and find out, I just-... I want Baekhyun."

"What is the problem, then?" the woman asks, as if she expected Chanyeol's answer. "You've already made a choice, it seems."

"But what of it? I want to be with him, but it's not that easy. I have a company to run. What if the dating news ruin the company, what if we lose sponsors and client and will have to start firing people, and-"

"Calm down, take a breath," his mother stops him, patting his back and tightening the hold on Chanyeol's hand, letting him know that she is here with him, not going anywhere. "The company might have a hard time for a while, but it will get better. New client will come, new sponsors too. It's only logical."

"Are you saying that you are okay with it? Are you okay me ruining the company and this family just because I'm too stubborn and selfish, not being able to let go of a person that's already hurting because of me?" Chanyeol asks incredulously. His mother can't be possible fine with Chanyeol coming clean with his relationship. He remembers how she pestered him about finding a nice woman from a strong, wealthy family, someone competent and presentable, someone from same social class.

There is no way his mother warmed up to the idea of Chanyeol ending up in a serious relationship in this age with a man, especially not when the said man is drowning in debts because of his lousy parents, doesn't even have a university diploma because he had to start working to pay the mentioned debts and isn't even close to the social class that would be acceptable in order to get together with the CEO of Park Advertisement. Chanyeol has never cared about these things, but his mother seemed to care a lot. So why is she acting as if she was accepting Baekhyun now?

"These are not your words, but your father's," she tells him strictly. "You are not ruining anything. I believe that my son is very capable of handling things, no matter the situation," at that, Chanyeol lets out a loud scoff, laughing at himself. Yes, very capable of handling things indeed, that's why his relationship is on the verge of breaking apart. Seeing Chanyeol's scoff, his mother frown as she continues, "So you did wrong, it happens. But you are here right now, finding a solution. You are handling things right now."

"But I still screwed up. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here," Chanyeol protests, doubting his mother's words. 

"But you are trying to find a solution," his mother repeats again, not liking that way he son disagrees with her. "That's what is important here. I believe that when the company will be in trouble, you will deal with it, just like always. Nothing is black and white - and this isn't your lover or the company. You can have both."

"That's what I though, and look where I am. Thinking I can have both has ruined it all," Chanyeol sighs, feeling a painful pang in his chest as Baekhyun's cries come to his mind along with the doubts the brunet has because of Chanyeol's selfishness. "I don't want to make Baekhyun feel like he isn't important to me, that I'm ashamed of him. Not anymore. He doesn't deserve it."

His mother watches him for a while carefully without saying anything, her brows slightly furrowed as she scans Chanyeol's face raw with emotion. Chanyeol takes the silence as a sign that his mother is thinking of what to say, and he patiently waits for some kind of advice. Little does Chanyeol know that the only thing the woman is thinking about is how her little boy has finally grown up and fallen in love for the first time in his life, be it for a poor boy or wealthy woman. 

"Then make him feel loved. Make him feel appreciated," she says and adds a small sincere smile when Chanyeol looks at her with surprise. That's not the kind of advice he expected from his mother. It's too simple for a woman who likes to make things complicated. "Do what you need to do."

While Chanyeol is thrilled to hear his mother saying such things, he still can't believe that she had a sudden change of heart just like that. "Why are you encouraging me this way?" he can't help but ask, the question bugging him too much. "Baekhyun isn't someone you would approve of as my lover a few days back, so why?"

His mother only chuckles at the question as if it was a obvious, as if Chanyeol should already know the answer to what he's asking. However, he truly doesn't know the reason for his mother sudden support. The last time Baekhyun was directly mentioned she seemed to be agreeing with Chanyeol's father, her opinion being that Baekhyun isn't good enough to be by his side no matter what. 

"Do you think of me as a bad mother, going against my own son?" her tone is mocking and it's pretty obvious that her sentence is more of a joke than a real question, but Chanyeol is still quick to let out a definite no, of course not. 

"But still," Chanyeol presses. "You weren't really fond of me dating him a few days back, right? And the only thing you knew about him was that he is poor."

"How can I not support you when you're finally ready to fight for the one you love?" his mother shoots back, answering Chanyeol's question with her own. However, that's more than enough for Chanyeol. His mind processes the words quickly, and he stops at the word finally, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. Have his parents talked about how Chanyeol wasn't sure about his future with Baekhyun when his father asked him about it a month ago? His mother, being a very observant woman, notices his confusion and explains, "I've heard the conversation with your father, Chanyeol."

"...Have you?" Chanyeol asks quietly.

"Yes," she nods slightly. "That's why I didn't approve of him. How can I encourage you to date someone if you aren't so sure about dating them yourself? On top of that, he is your first love, I thought you were just being reckless," the woman admits, stating her reasons. "But now you seem to be very sure about wanting to stay with him, so it's different."

"So you are completely okay with him being a man?... and not even near our social class?" the words burn his tongue as he says them, feeling disgusted with himself to be describing Baekhyun this way, as if money and gender were he most important things. Still, he needs to ask, since it was all his mother cared about months ago. 

"Maybe you won't believe it by the way you seem to question me," she makes a pause, throwing Chanyeol a look. "But your happiness is more important to me than anything. I don't want you to end up like me, living with someone I don't even love for the rest of my life. Who knows, maybe Byun Baekhyun is truly the only one whom you will ever love to this extent. I can't risk that."

The honesty doesn't catch Chanyeol off guard, since he was counting on both parties involved in this conversation being completely sincere about everything, but he feels a wave of sadness wash over him upon hearing his mother's words. Chanyeol has been sure all his life that his mother doesn't love his father, but hearing it like this and realizing that she couldn't find her true love because she was already married off to a guy she was never going to love hurts him. His mother deserved better.

"I'm sorry," he says and since he knows that it sounds more than lame, Chanyeol hopes that at least the way he holds his mother's hand gently is helping more than his poor attempt at consoling the woman with words. 

"It's okay, I have a beautiful son from this marriage, right?" she smiles at Chanyeol and squeezes his hand slightly before getting up and letting go. "Also, I have something to give you."

Chanyeol doesn't say anything, just watches his mother as she goes over to her table and opens the very last drawer, pulling out a small, simple black box. After closing the drawer, she goes to sit back next to Chanyeol on the bed, caressing the surface of the box with her thumb, the corners of her lips tugged upwards in a bittersweet smile. Chanyeol's eyes fall on the box curiously, and before he can ask about it, his mother is already handing it to him, putting the box in Chanyeol's hand carefully. 

"You can open it, you know," she says when Chanyeol keeps just staring at the box, not doing anything with it. Upon hearing his mother's words though, he finally makes a move to open it, his curiosity at its peak. Halfway through opening the box, his mother starts explaining, "I had a lover, back when I was young. We had been dating for five years and planned a future together, but my parents hadn't approved because he had been rather poor. To make sure I'm not going to do something crazy like run away after they had forbid me to continue dating him, they had signed the marriage papers and wed me off to your father," his mother's voice is calm as she says all of this, as if she was talking about weather and not about her tragic love story. Chanyeol would have thought that she didn't care about her lover at all if it wasn't for the look in her eyes and the way she keeps playing with her hands. "When I went to tell the news to my lover, I found out that he had wanted to propose to me that very day. However, after hearing that I'll be marrying your father, he had simply given me both of the rings, kissed me for the last time an left. I've never seen him after this."

The two rings in the box are simple, nothing too fancy, but they are pretty in their own way. After all, simplicity is often underestimated while it's more beautiful than many overpriced, over-decorated jewelry. At least that's what Chanyeol thinks so, and as he stares at the rings in front of him, he is only more sure about his opinion. "They are beautiful," he muses out loud, looking over at his mother, waiting for permission before touching them. His mother only nods her head slightly, the same bittersweet smile on her lips still present.

"For a while, I had been angry at him, thinking that in the end I hadn't meant that much to him. But as I got older, I had started to understood his intentions," she says, "He had known that he doesn't stand a chance against my parents, even more so when the engagement between me and your father had been already official, that's why he had left. He had made the choice for me, being aware of the fact that there is nothing he can do," pausing, she takes the ring that was supposed to be hers from Chanyeol's hand, leaving her son only with the ring that belonged to her lover. Then, after putting the ring on her finger right next to the official wedding ring from Chanyeol's father and making eye-contact with Chanyeol, she continues, "I want you to do whatever it takes to win your Baekhyun back. You deserve to be happy, and it's clear to me that this boy is the person that will make you happy."

"Mom..." Chanyeol is at loss of words. He has so many things to say, but his thoughts are a mess and he can create a sentence that would actually make sense. 

"Give the ring to your lover and tell him that it's a gift from me," his mother starts, and Chanyeol's eyes go wide in surprise. "I agree with your relationship, and I give you blessings."

"No, I can't," Chanyeol shakes his head, putting the ring back in the box and attempting to hand it over to his mother again. "You've treasured it all these years, it's too meaningful to you. I'm not taking it away from you."

"I want you to take it. Besides, you said that you don't plan on leaving Baekhyun, so it's not like I won't ever see the ring again," she chuckled, and pushed the box away from her gently. Seeing that she has made the decision and won't take it back no matter what Chanyeol says, the CEO just sighs and nods. He still can't believe that his mother is really giving him something that means so much to her, but on the other side it's making him incredibly happy because it shows how much she cares for Chanyeol and his happiness - happiness that is Baekhyun. Chanyeol could never imagine that his mother would support his relationship with Baekhyun, and as he realizes that this is really happening, he wants to cry again. This time it would be happy tears, though. "However, I'm not sure it would fit your lover's fingers. When I went to see him his fingers looked quite thin."

"You went to see Baekhyun? When?!" Chanyeol's eyes are wide open once again afte hearing his mother's previous sentence. Baekhyun has said nothing about Chanyeol's mother visiting, never. When did that happen?

"I visited him the night you and your father talked. I wanted to see what kind of a person he is," she explains calmly. "He seemed nice enough," then she adds in a quieter voice. "I could see he treasures you very much."

Chanyeol feels ashamed of himself for a while for not being sure about his relationship with Baekhyun while the brunet has already been sure about them at that time, but he quickly ushers that thought aside, being more happy that his mother thinks of Baekhyun as nice. Not like she has much choice to think something else - after all, Baekhyun is truly an angel. Maybe a little bit too sarcastic and feisty most of the time, but still an angel. 

"Thank you, mom," Chanyeol whispers while gripping the box in his hands pouring all the gratitude into the three words as he hugs the woman tightly, burying his head in her soft black hair. Immediately, her arms are around her son's body as well as he returns the hug, patting Chanyeol on his back tenderly. 

"Make him happy, alright, son?" she says quietly into Chanyeol's ear. "I will support you. Whatever you choose to do, I'll be here."

--

Everyone can tell that Chanyeol is nervous as hell by only a brief glance, the man stirring in his seat and his lips every ten seconds, hands playing with a tissue on the table as if it was the most entertaining thing in the whole world. But honestly, who can blame him for being stressed when five pair of eyes are looking at him with either an expecting glint or - and - murder gaze. 

Chanyeol is a business man, the CEO of an advertising company - that meaning that he has tons of meetings with people that are not always pleasant, some even being incredibly rude. However Chanyeol is good with dealing with them, having years of training and experience. However, it doesn't matter how much experience does he have or how long he is in the business because all of it becomes unhelpful when all of Baekhyun's friends stare at him, awaiting. 

Jongin is throwing daggers at him from across the table, his plump lips twisted into an ugly pout as he continues to frown at the CEO while Sehun looks like his exact copy. Kyungsoo is patiently waiting with a blank face but his eyes are dangerous as if telling Chanyeol you better not piss me off if you want to live. Minseok is looking at him expectantly with side bitterness in his big eyes, and Jongdae by his side is staring at him curiously, Chanyeol even dares to say encouragingly. Looks like Jongdae is keeping the promise about standing by Chanyeol no matter what.

The atmosphere is incredibly tense, suffocating even, and Chanyeol finds himself afraid to even open his mouth, a lump creating in his throat when he glances at the dancer duo that is currently murdering him with their fierce eyes. Still, he is more afraid of Kyungsoo than them, although he is sure that Sehun and Jongin are ready to kill him just as much. 

"So, why are we here?" Kyungsoo speaks up after five minutes of complete silence, adding, "I have to get back to work soon." 

"Well, uhm... I-" good start Chanyeol, almost perfect, Chanyeol scolds himself in his head, knowing that his stuttering is only making a bad impression. Chanyeol should be sure of everything he says if he wants to be taken him seriously, knowing very well that everyone besides Jongdae - and maybe Minseok - is already disappointed beyond belief in him, and regaining their trust will be harder then arguing with a stubborn client. And thus, he clears his throat and starts again, trying to control his voice this time, "I want to talk-"

"You don't say."

"-about Baekhyun," Chanyeol finishes and tries not to get too affected by Jongin's bitter remark. 

"Oh, really now-" Jongin is cut off when Kyungsoo kicks him under the table rather strongly, and while he looks like he wants to scream thousands of things at Chanyeol before the CEO even says more than once sentence, his boyfriend's pointed look makes the dancer shut up. Chanyeol would go as far as saying that Kyungsoo is possibly a little bit on his side, but when the cook turns his gaze back to him, the same blank but dangerous expression on his face, Chanyeol drops the idea quickly. 

"You were saying..?" Kyungsoo says in a monotone voice, cocking his head to the side the tiniest bit. If Chanyeol had to be honest, he would say that Kyungsoo looks like a character from a horror movie right now. 

Before starting again, he briefly scans his audience before taking a deep breath and saying, "I know that I ed up, but I truly love Baekhyun-"

"Love, my ," this time it's Sehun who snorts at Chanyeol's words, and Chanyeol looks over without thinking twice about it. Sehun is clearly annoyed to even be here, but while his expression is telling Chanyeol to shut up, his eyes are daring Chanyeol to continue, daring him to try and regain his trust with what he has to say. 

"-and I want to be with him for real," Chanyeol finished, and it's not even a second later that Jongin speaks up again.

"I've heard that before, and look where we are now," he mutters, and even though it's rather quiet, it is enough to make Chanyeol pause in his speech. His gaze shifts from Sehun to Jongin, the man staring at him with the same look like months ago when they had first met, full of hatred and frustration. 

"Don't be childish, let him talk," Kyungsoo turns to Jongin, this time not kicking him, only frowning at his boyfriend. 

"I'm not childish," Jongin defends himself right away, averting his eyes from Chanyeol in order to look at Kyungsoo. "I'm only stating the facts." 

"You're being a little childish, though," joining the conversation subtly, Minseok takes a sip of his juice, agreeing with Kyungsoo. His tone isn't unfriendly at all and there is a small smile on his lips as he says it, not meaning any harm. Triumphantly, with Minseok sharing his opinion, Kyungsoo raises his eyebrows as if saying see? I told you so, to which Jongin doesn't say anything, only muttering something completely inaudible under his breath. 

"This is even more childish," Kyungsoo comments, aiming the remark at Jongin's quiet muttering. 

"You wanted to listen what the guy has to say, so why don't you pay attention to him instead of me?" Jongin mumbles, fingers tapping against the table. There is this combination of frustrated frown and a pout on the dancer's face, making him look like a grumpy child. In other circumstances, Chanyeol would laugh at Jongin's reactions, but now he doesn't feel like laughing at all.

For a second Chanyeol wonders if Kyungsoo and Jongin are fighting and that's why they are starting to bicker like this, but then Chanyeol's gaze falls on Kyungsoo's calm expression and he knows that's not the case. If it was, there would be more venom in Kyungsoo's voice as he says, "Because you're right next to me, mumbling practically right into my ear."

No, they are most definitely not fighting. Chanyeol has seen Kyungsoo angry when he was on bad terms with his boyfriend, and it didn't look like that. Right now, it's only Jongin being frustrated with Chanyeol, showing his childish and bratty side to everyone, while Kyungsoo is simply being his usual self. 

"I can sit elsewhere, then, if-"

"Can you stop?" Jongdae interjects, sighing deeply. "This is getting ridiculous."

"I'm not doing anything," Jongin defends himself, Kyungsoo's immediate reaction being a sigh so deep that it rivals Jongdae's.

"How about you two-"

"Can you please listen to me for one second so I can tell you that I want to marry Baekhuyn?!" Chanyeol's loud voice successfully silences everyone in the room, and the CEO is glad that he chose to book a private room in the restaurant, otherwise it wouldn't only be five people staring at him with wide eyes, but a lot more, the restaurant being extremely busy during lunch hours. He didn't mean to drop the bomb like that, but seeing that almost all of his audience is paying more attention to the bickering between the couple than to him, Chanyeol didn't see any other solution that to be straightforward about the reason he asked all of them to come. 

The deathly silence follows, and while Chanyeol feels kind of relieved because it's already out, the five pairs of wide eyes looking at him in utter shock are making his heart beat faster in another wave of nervousness. He doesn't know what to expect at all, only guessing what the reaction of is friends will be. 

Chanyeol expects Jongin to be the first one to speak, probably something not exactly nice, but is mildly surprised when it's Jongdae who finds his voice after the shock first, asking, "And you decided that you want that when?" 

"Three days ago," Chanyeol answers right away. He would be able to also tell the exact time his decision to marry Baekhyun came to life if someone asked, since at that moment he was staring at the clock across the room without moving at all for at lest thirsty minutes, deep in thought after he conversation he had had with his mother. 

"You can't be serious right now," Sehun gapes at him, catching up to Jongdae quickly while the rest is still just staring at Chanyeol in disbelief. Then, the dancer turns to Jongin, leaning in right into his face as he questions, "Did I hear it wrong or did he really say that he wants to marry Baekhyun?"

"I've heard it too, he must have said it," Minseok joins Sehun in his questioning state, expression staying exactly the same as he speaks. He doesn't even turn to Sehun, holding eye-contact with Chanyeol as if he wanted to make sure that his imagination is not playing games with him. 

"No he hasn't," Jongin finally speaks up, and Chanyeol's ears perk at the sound of the dancer's voice, eyes meeting Jongin's. He was wondering the most about how this man's reaction will be, since Jongin is Baekhyun's best friend. He was also afraid the most for his reaction. "We must have heard wrong," Jongin continues, and his shocked gaze turns to something else entirely. The dancer's eyes are flaring with anger as he says, "This isn't a funny matter, so stop making jokes and ing be serious."

"I am serious," Chanyeol counters immediately. "Very."

"No, you're not," shaking his head, Jongin's eyes narrow as he looks at the CEO, his voice laced with venom. "You just think you are serious, just like you were serious months ago when you told me that you want to be with Baekhyun."

"And I wasn't lying at that time," Chanyeol says it with a voice so sure like never before. After all, he isn't lying. His thoughts got quite messed up and Chanyeol lost his way for a while, letting all his worries eat him from inside which caused all this mess, but that doesn't mean that back in January, when Chanyeol talked to Jongin about wanting to be with Baekhyun for real, he wasn't honest or was lying just for the fun of it. 

"Then ing why have you hurt him in the end?!" raising his voice, Jongin bolts up from his seat, the chair almost falling as he gets up. He is looking at Chanyeol somehow differently now, probably affected by Chanyeol's seriousness. Anger is still present, but there is also something else, something that's making Chanyeol believe that maybe the dancer trusts his words, somewhere deep down in his heart. "You promised me that you will take care of him, you !"

"I've never meant to hurt Baekhyun. I would never do it intentionally-"

"It doesn't matter if you did it on purpose or not!" Jongin yells, gesturing his hand wildly, almost hitting Sehun who is luckily quick enough to dodge Jongin's flying arm. "You should have taken care of him, and you did the exact opposite! And now you're telling me that you love him and want to marry him? Don't try to feed me that bull! If you truly loved him, nothing of this would have happened-"

"I know that I ed up, you don't have to remind me!" Chanyeol yells back, standing up from his seat as well and copying Jongin's posture. Why does Jongin have to remind him of how he screwed up everything he possibly could with the person he cares about the most? Chanyeol knows damn well that he has hurt Baekhyun with his stupidity, not even noticing the brunet's sadness until it was too late. He is perfectly aware of how disappointing he is as a boyfriend, and while Jongin has every right to call Chanyeol out because of the mess that has happened, Chanyeol just can't listen to it anymore. "But I want to make it right! I ing want to!" then, Chanyeol clears his throat and continues in a quieter voice, realizing that even though the room is separated from the rest of the restaurant, there is a possibility that people can hear them if they keep the screaming up. "That's why I'm serious about marrying Baekhyun. Because I've realized that I care about him more than about anything else, and I want to make him happy. I want to make him feel appreciated and loved, so why is marrying him such a bad idea when I know I want to spend my life with him?" 

"You stupid-"

"Calm down, both of you," Kyungsoo speaks up for the first time since Chanyeol's confession, and his voice is gravely. It makes both of them shut up right away, and the room is quiet again just like before. Circling his fingers about Jongin's fingers and tugging his hand down, Kyungsoo adds, "And sit down for god's sake." Jongin and Chanyeol both listen to Kyungsoo, sitting down on their chairs while holding eye-contact as if their life depended on it. When the two of them have taken the seat again, the cook sighs deeply and directs his gaze at Chanyeol. The CEO gulps and straightens up, hands sweating, trying to prepare himself for Kyungsoo to fire at him with whatever he has. He doesn't wait long. "You do realize that marriage is a big thing, right? You can't be reckless with an idea like this."

Nodding, Chanyeol says, "I know. I'm not being reckless, I know what I want now."

Of course he is not gambling with the idea of marriage, Chanyeol is hundred percent sure that he wants to propose to Baekhyun and hopefully marry the brunet in the future. Chanyeol is not the type to joke around about things like that, especially not when he hated the word marriage to the core before meeting Baekhyun. He remembers very well how annoyed he was every single time his mother brought it up, pestering Chanyeol about already being old enough to find his loved one. It's impossible to forget about his hatred for marriage when the emotion was so strong. 

However, when he thinks about marrying Baekhyun, he suddenly doesn't hate the idea. Chanyeol even feels excited when he thinks about it, smiling to himself like an idiot in his bedroom. Also, he truly thought about everything carefully, being very aware of everything he can lose if he marries Baekhyun. Somehow, it doesn't seem as bad as losing his lover. 

"Chanyeol, are you sure?" Jongdae asks beside him, voice worried. "That's kind of a big step."

"Not kind of, it is a big step," Minseok mumbles, and Chanyeol can only agree. It is a big step and he is aware that he's been dating Baekhyun for real for only a month, if not less. He isn't surprised that Kyungsoo or even others think that Chanyeol is reckless or completely out of his mind - after all, if Chanyeol was in their shoes he would most likely think the same thing. So yes, he might be stupid for wanting to marry a person after such a short time of knowing each other, but they are not talking about any person - they are talking about Baekhyun here. Baekhyun, who's been making Chanyeol's life so much brighter since they know each other. 

The decision to marry Baekhyun is far from reckless.

"I am serious about it," Chanyeol repeats, voice steady. He doesn't look away from Jongin's eyes the whole time, trying to convey his true intentions through his gaze, hoping that Jongin will understand. "I love Baekhyun, and I want to be with him. I've realized how much I need him in my life after what happened, and I also realize that I was stupid for thinking that I can live without him. I've hurt him, but I really want to make it right. Baekhyun deserves the best, and I will make sure that he gets the best. I won't screw up again, ever. I plan to propose on his birthday, which is in only two days, so I want you to tell me your opinions."

After his short speech there is silence again, and Chanyeol might even say that he feels more nervous than before now as he waits for everyone's reaction, as if it was even possible. If they don't believe him now, Chanyeol doesn't know what he can do. Since these people are close to Baekhyun and the brunet trusts them with his life, it would feel wrong to propose to Baekhyun without their approval. Unlike Chanyeol, Baekhyun doesn't have any family that he knows about besides his grandmother, so his friends are basically his family. If he can't make them believe that he cares about Baekhyun the most and loves him endlessly, how can he make Baekhyun believe him?

"Well, Chanyeol. I think there are other ways to win Baekhyun back. After all, marriage is a big thing," Jongdae starts, and Chanyeol's heart sinks because he thought that if nobody else trusts him, Joongdae could be the one who will. However, the flame of hope ignites again when Jongdae adds, "But if you are sure about it all - which you seem to be - then... then I'm going to encourage you to propose to Baekhyun."

Chanyeol doesn't even have time to jump at Jongdae and hug the life out of him for staying true to his word and standing by him when Minseok speaks up a second later, "I don't know Baekhyun for long, but I know that he loves you. And I know that you love him too, so even if it seems quick, I don't think it's an issue. As long as you are sure about it, that is."

"I am, most definitely," Chanyeol has said it already a few times, but he just feels like he has to repeat it in case there is still someone doubting him, for example Jongin. 

After hearing Jongdae's and Minseok's opinions, he turns to Sehun to hopefully get an approval of him too. For a while, Sehun just stares into Chanyeol's eyes, searching for any hint of uncertainty or doubt in Chanyeol's brown orbs. However, when he doesn't find anything but honesty in them, he chuckles at the CEO, completely catching Chanyeol off guard. Is Sehun really smiling at him? The hell? 

"I'm glad that I don't have to be disappointed in you again," Sehun says. "I started to like you, it would be a shame if I had to kick your for being an ."

"Don't tell me that you are saying yes to this too," it's Jongin who protests, disbelief clear in his tone when Sehun is done. He looks betrayed, as if he truly expected Sehun to side with him and dismiss Chanyeol's plan to marry Baekhyun completely. 

"I agree too."

"Kyungsoo, the hell?" Jongin snaps his neck to the other side to look at his lover, raising his voice again. "You can't be serious right now. After what he's done-"

"So I should have broken up with you too when you were acting like a not so long ago?" Kyungsoo shoots back, and it's the first time that Chanyeol sees Kyungsoo glaring at Jongin. If he could he would take a photo because he isn't sure that this will happen again, but honestly, Chanyeol is so surprised that he can't even move, nor take his phone out and document this sight.

The silent conversation between the couple takes maybe ten seconds, but after that Kyungsoo turns away from Jongin and looks at Chanyeol once again, sighing before saying, "I think that it's too soon to marry, but I also think that it's your decision and not ours. So as long as you are truly - and I mean it - serious about it, and if you love Baekhyun for real, then there should be nothing stopping you from proposing to him."

When Kyungsoo is done talking, Chanyeol can't believe his ears. He thought that Kyungsoo would be the hardest one to convince right after Jongin, so it's quite hard to comprehend that he got a green light from the same person that threatened to cut off his manhood and feed it to him afterwards. 

Now, the only person that is left is Jongin. 

Chanyeol fixes his eyes on the dancer, his lips in anticipation combined with nervousness. He hopes that after everyone agreed to support him, even Kyungsoo who is Jongin's boyfriend, Jongin will agree with the plan too in the end. It's easy to tell that the dancer believes that Chanyeol loves Baekhyun, but there is still something holding him back. Chanyeol doesn't know what it is, but he hopes that Jongin lets it go. 

It's not only Chanyeol who is anxious to hear Jongin either give a green light to Chanyeol or telling him to of, judging by how everyone stares at Jongin as well. The man looks around himself and holds eye-contact with everyone for a second, aware that they are waiting to hear what he has to say. And when he finally starts opening his mouth, Chanyeol has the tiniest hope that Jongin will throw away his grudge and just say yes too, but even that hope is crushed under the weight of reality as Jongin just scoffs and stands up calmly, muttering a, "You all are simply out of your mind," before walking away without glancing back.

Somehow, even though Chanyeol has gotten an approval of everyone, he can't help but feel like after not having Jongin on his side. For a moment there he thought that he has him, but it looks like he was only being naive to think that Jongin would simply forgive him right away. 

"Don't mind him," Kyungsoo tries to cheer Chanyeol up. "He is always like that when it comes to Baekhyun, he'll come around."

"True," Sehun agrees. "You just focus on Baekhyun now."

While Chanyeol wants Jongin to support him too, the dancer's opinion being of the highest rank for some reason, Chanyeol knows that what he should really concern himself with is the proposal. And so he tries to do just that, trying to ban thoughts of Jongin from his mind for the time being, telling himself that he has plenty of time to regain Jongin's trust again. This time without breaking it afterwards. 

--

Baekhyun truly hates that he had to work his off today even though it's his birthday, spending almost the whole day at work instead of celebrating. Why couldn't his birthday be on Saturday or Sunday? Why Friday of all days, when it's always so busy that he doesn't even have time to have his lunch? And is if that wasn't enough, Baekhyun had to work with the biggest jerks today, the guys pissing him off to the same amount as the first time they worked together years ago. What an amazing start to his birthday.

It feels like he's been let out of jail after spending his life there when his shift finally ends, and Baekhyun suddenly feels like a free man after changing into his normal clothes, throwing his work button-up into his locker carelessly. He always takes it home during the weekend but since he isn't going home after work, he tells himself that it's okay to leave it here for now. He can always come here to take it tomorrow or something. 

The reason he isn't going home tomorrow is the reason that he chose to stay alive after this hell of a day - the reason being his birthday party that Jongin informed him about three days ago. Baekhyun honestly thought that since everyone is so busy there won't be anything like a birthday party thrown for him, but he was surprised to find out that everyone cleared their schedule just to celebrate with him. 

When your love life at least you have the best friends, Baekhyun thinks bitterly, his heart hurting at the slight mention of Chanyeol even if it's only in his head.  

Chanyeol... It has been two weeks since Baekhyun saw Chanyeol, or talked to him. The only conversation they have had was over text messages, and even that was only a few words that caused Baekhyun more pain than happiness. Every time Chanyeol would end the text message with an i love you, Baekhyun's heart clenches painfully because the brunet finds himself doubting the words with every passing day. Does Chanyeol truly love him? Sehun has said that if Chanyeol loves him he will come back, but it's already been two weeks and Chanyeol is nowhere to be seen.

Maybe Chanyeol chose a life without him but is too much of a coward to say it, Baekhyun doesn't know. He doesn't want to guess and think badly of Chanyeol, but he can't stop the dark thoughts clouding his mind when Chanyeol just isn't showing up-

"The hell are you doing here?" Baekhyun yelps and takes a step back, hitting the door of the restaurant. His eyes are wide in shock as his gaze falls on the person who is standing just a few meters away from him, leaning against a car.

"Hey," comes a greeting aimed at Baekhyun, and the brunet's ears catch the nervous and trembling tone of Chanyeol's voice. His voice sounds as nervous as he looks to be honest, expression weird since he doesn't know if he should smile at Baekhyun or keep a straight face so it wouldn't look like he isn't serious enough. Baekhyun just stares at him in all Chanyeol's lanky glory, not being able to move due to shock, and his mouth hangs open without any words coming out.

Baekhyun has been waiting for Chanyeol to show up every minute for the last two weeks, sometimes even staying up at night a bit longer and waiting instead of sleeping because he knows that Chanyeol works late some days. After fourteen days Baekhyun was already giving up, slowly trying to get used to being without Chanyeol again, slowly getting used to calling Chanyeol his ex-boyfriend instead of boyfriend, even though it hurt. Baekhyun has imagined how their meet up would look if Chanyeol decided to contact him after all, but none of his scenarios was close to this. Maybe that's why Baekhyun isn't able to do anything when he finally has Chanyeol in front of him after those long days.

However, while not being able to move for a while or even talk until he gets out of his previous shock, Baekhyun feels not only incredible relief wash over him upon seeing the CEO but also anger too, frustration that bubbles in his stomach and makes his heart beat faster just the tiniest bit. The thing is, he isn't angry at Chanyeol per se. Baekhyun is more frustrated with himself because even though Chanyeol had left him in the dark for two whole weeks, Baekhyun has already forgiven the man after simply seeing him. Why can't he be angry at Chanyeol? Why is he more curious about how Chanyeol has decided to continue their relationship - or if  he decided to continue it - instead of being mad at the man? What is wrong with him? 

"Why are you here?" Baekhyun asks when he finds his voice again, fake-bitterness clear in the tone. He doesn't want to look pathetic, as if he had been desperately waiting for Chanyeol to approach him for days. The tone makes Chanyeol drop any attempts at smiling, the man instead biting into his lower lip, gaze falling down on the ground. 

"I want to take you somewhere... for your birthday," Chanyeol replies, daring to take a step toward Baekhyun, his stance wary. His eyes are begging Baekhyun not to push him away, physically and metaphorically, and Baekhyun feels a lump creating in his throat when Chanyeol stops right in front of him, bodies so close that Baekhyun can smell Chanyeol's scent. It has always made Baekhyun calm, the scent that is like no one other, but now it's just making him stressed. 

"Oh," is all Baekhyun's says and looks away, averting his gaze to the ground instead because holding eye-contact with Chanyeol proves to be rather difficult. He is so damn nervous, wondering if Chanyeol is here to break up with him or make things right again, but if it's the first option Baekhyun would rather have this conversation tomorrow, not wanting to ruin his birthday.

"Please, Baekhyun," hearing his name being said in such a tone hurts, but what hurts more is feeling the warmness of Chanyeol's hand on his when the CEO intertwines their fingers, holding Baekhyun's hand so gently and with utmost care, as if Baekhyun was to break any second - which is actually not far from the truth. There are tears in Baekhyun's eyes caused by the tender touch because the brunet missed the way Chanyeol holds his hand so much, and even though Chanyeol hasn't touched him in two weeks, Baekhyun's body is still so familiar with the man, the pleasant burning sensation present as always. And it takes just that, one simple touch of their hands to make Baekhyun's walls crumple. "I've already talked to the guys and-"

"Oh, is it really them? Are the rumors true, are they dating?" upon hearing that somewhere from the background, Baekhyun immediately backs away and shakes Chanyeol's hand off, ignoring the hurt flashing in Chanyeol's big eyes. 

"Don't, people will see," he says, feeling weird to be the one reminding this to Chanyeol and not the other way. For the past days, if we don't count in the time they haven't seen each other, Chanyeol had been repeating this phrase to Baekhyun over and over again, making the brunet feel like he has to be hidden at all costs, as if he was some dirty secret. 

"I don't care about them," Chanyeol whispers, taking another step to Baekhyun and literally caging the brunet against the glass door of the restaurant without any care about his surroundings. "I only care about you," he continues, not knowing that the words hurt Baekhyun more than making him feel relieved. "Because I love you."

"ing stop," Baekhyun's voice breaks pathetically, and he shakes his head furiously, eyes not meeting Chanyeol's. He's been waiting for this declaration of love for days, needing the reassurance that Chanyeol truly loves him even if he only seems to be getting further away since their new arrangement, but now when it finally came it doesn't feel as good as Baekhyun would have imagined. While Chanyeol sounds sincere, Baekhyun has a hard time believing the words because if Chanyeol loved him for real, he wouldn't take such a long time deciding, right? Baekhyun knows that he gave Chanyeol time to decide, but... two weeks is a long time. He just can't make himself believe Chanyeol. "Stop lying to me."

"I'm not lying. I swear I'm not, Baekhyun. Just-"

"Looks like they are arguing, what a drama," the same voice from before says, and Chanyeol sighs in frustration and runs a hand through his hair, not liking that there is someone watching the exchange and commenting on it as if it was really some TV drama. However, he shouldn't be surprised, since he is having this conversation in the middle of a busy street.

"Let me talk to you," Chanyeol pleads, bending down a little to catch Baekhyun's eyes. He knows that people are looking at them, but he honestly doesn't care anymore at all. "You said to make up my mind, and I have already, so give me a chance to talk to you. I will drive you to Jongin's place after for the party."

It's true. It was Baekhyun's idea in the first place, he gave the time to decide to Chanyeol. He should keep his word and let Chanyeol talk to him now that the man already knows what he wants to do with his life, and with their relationship. With the way Chanyeol keeps being close to him, even going as far as touching his hand and whispering his love for Baekhyun in public without seemingly caring about their surroundings makes Baekhyun think that the CEO has chosen not to break up with him in the end, but on the other hand Baekhyun doesn't want to let himself hope for the best. Not anymore. 

It is somehow hard to get any words out thanks to the lump in his throat, so instead of answering for Chanyeol's pleas verbally, Baekhyun pushes the man away gently and walks past him, making his way to the car and getting in, taking the passenger seat. He puts the seatbelt on and waits for Chanyeol to get in as well, using the time to calm himself down first. Baekhyun had a lot of possible scenarios of their meeting in his head and he tried to prepare himself for every one of them, but Chanyeol picking him up for work on his birthday while Baekhyun already thought that the CEO has given up on him after two weeks of waiting didn't even cross his mind, so of course the brunet is stressed and freaking out internally. 

His emotions are a mess and hands sweaty as Chanyeol gets in the car, and even though he knows that Chanyeol is looking at him, wanting Baekhyun to look at him too, the brunet just keeps staring ahead without any intention of returning the stare, afraid that Chanyeol will read him completely as always. When Chanyeol understands that Baekhyun is most definitely not going to look at him, he sighs deeply and starts the car, taking off. 

The silence is heavy in the air and the atmosphere is awkward and tense, making Baekhyun feel even more stressed and nervous than before. Thanks to the silence, Baekhyun's thoughts are let loose, running through his mind and making Baekhyun feel incredibly hopeful and incredibly afraid. He doesn't know what he should expect, and he wants to take his mind off it somehow, the thoughts killing him from inside. Baekhyun even though about calling Jongin or Sehun to have someone to talk to during the ride, but since Chanyeol has already updated his friends about taking Baekhyun god knows where, the brunet doesn't have a solid excuse.

He wants to ask where are they going but somehow can't find his voice, so he stays quiet instead, looking at the street they are passing while wondering where the hell is Chanyeol taking him. It takes Baekhyun ten minutes - according to the clock in Chanyeol's car - to even look at the CEO from the corners of his eyes, but when he does, Baekhyun can't help but blurting out, "The seatbelt."

"Huh?" Chanyeol frowns in confusion and looks over at Baekhyun for a millisecond before returning to watching the road again, and Baekhyun can see that the CEO has been deep in thoughts as well before Baekhyun called out to him. 

Gulping down the lump in his throat, Baekhyun quietly repeats as they stop at a red light, "The seatbelt. You haven't put it on."

He might be scared to talk to Chanyeol, but not scared enough to remind him to put the seatbelt on. While Baekhyun doesn't want to think about anything tragic, he also wants to be hundred percent sure that Chanyeol has the safety belt on, not wanting to risk it. 

"Oh yeah," Chanyeol seems to realize the absence of the seatbelt around his body just now, and he quickly puts it on, holding the steering wheel with one hand. "Thanks."

"Mhmm," is Baekhyun's only response, and when their gazes meet for a second, Baekhyun feels something warm spreading through his whole body. In just that brief moment of eye-contact Chanyeol is able to make his heart beat faster, and Baekhyun finds himself unable to look away from those big, beautiful eyes. He missed them so much, just as he missed Chanyeol. As always, Baekhyun can see thousands of emotions swimming in those brown orbs, but unlike before, looking into Chanyeol's eyes calms him down a little when he sees the clear longing in them. The same longing that is in Baekhyun's eyes as well.

"Chanyeol, I-"

Baekhyun is interrupted when a loud honk from behind pierces the air, breaking them from the tranz and bringing them back to reality. Immediately, Baekhyun averts his gaze away and bites his lower lip while Chanyeol starts the car again, realizing that it's green light already and that people are waiting for them to move. 

The silence stretches again for a while, however this time Baekhyun feels just a little bit better and calmer after finding out that Chanyeol has missed him as well, if the look in his eyes was anything to go by. Maybe that's why Baekhyun finds enough courage to ask, "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise, you can't know," Chanyeol answer, smiling slightly. "But it will take som time to get there, so if you are tired you can go to sleep."

"But I have to be-"

"Don't worry, okay? I've already took care of everything, so just rest. You look like you had a rough day," Chanyeol cuts him off gently, side-glancing Baekhyun. The brunet can make out the affection in Chanyeol's tone, and it has an amazing effect on him. Suddenly, he feels the nervousness slipping away thanks to Chanyeol's kind, deep voice, and while there is still part of him that is trembling with fear, thinking that everything will go to soon, Baekhyun decides to ignore it for now. 

It's not even surprising when Baekhyun falls asleep thirty minutes in, his head falling to the side and mouth slightly open. Chanyeol can't help but throw glances at the beautiful man on the passenger seat, wondering how could he lived so long without the brunet by his side. The CEO's hand slowly finds a way to Baekhyun's and he intertwines their fingers without Baekhyun even knowing about it, being already deep in dreamland, and he lets go of it only when he needs to change gears.