home sweet home
a chanbaek fanfic

...

Men in dark turquoise shirt and navy slacks hurried out the automatic sliding doors of the police station. The sound of sirens with the hues of red and blue flash pierces the silent night as teams upon teams scramble in the blue-striped white vehicle to attend their calls. Tires grind against the concrete, and the police cars sped off.

It was the late hours at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and at least seventy staff were employed for tonight's shift due to the high rate of homicide lurking around. The digital clock flashed 11:45 PM, mocking what little staff members are left on station patrol.

Twenty-five years old Sergeant Park Chanyeol lets out a loud sigh as he stretches his limbs in his seat, slouching against the cold metal seat. Another night of not being able to return home, he thought as the tall male groans and ruffles his hair, and massages his face. He hears footsteps coming close and felt a certain presence stops beside him. A cup of steaming coffee is placed on his desk.

“Rough day?” Kyungsoo asks leaning against the cubicle frame, sipping on chocolate milk. Chanyeol looks up at the wide-eyed owl boy and nods tiredly.

Do Kyungsoo, a carrier, is his best friend since high school years, and now co-workers at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Chanyeol remembers the years where his small friend was a timid lanky boy who always had his nose stuck in a book and only spoke when necessary. Now, the squishy penguin — a nickname that Kyungsoo's husband calls him, and much to say that the officer dismay — is blunt as a knife, sarcastic if he wants to be and outgoing as ever. If anything, the twenty-four years old officer's nurturing nature hasn't changed.

“Yeah,” Chanyeol replies. “The homicide team has been getting cases left and right,” to which Kyungsoo nods, “and frankly, the serial killer is a nuisance.”

“I could tell,” the shorter male mused, taking another sip of the sweet milk. “Aren’t you going home? You've been here since the first morning shift.”

The twenty-five years old looks down at his coffee, the reflection of guilty eyes staring back at him.

Lately, the term "going home" was something foreign in the station. Even when officers had their day-off, they were called in left and right. No one dared to mention about going home when there was a serial killer on the loose as it was important to them that their families were safe from harm.

Chanyeol is no different. He is gifted with a loving husband of seven years and three children: an eleven-months old baby girl and twin five years old boys, and the elf-eared police sergeant would kill if it meant for haven for his bundle of joys. He much rather have his heart twist with warmth and guilt at the scene of his husband hunched over the dinner table, food untouched, and the kids sprawled on the couch, all asleep when he comes home at 5 AM than to see them in the hospital with wires hooked, or worse — dead.

The sergeant had even promised his family that he would come home early as 1 AM one day, but that day has yet to come. Duty calls, as his chief had said. He heaves a heavy sigh. 

"I wish," the sergeant says truthfully. "Though, I much rather be at home watching television with the twins."

“Then go home,” the heart-shaped lips spoke softly, throwing away the empty cup in the trash can.

“The office ain’t going to run itself, Soo" a sigh escaped from the older, "and plus, I was called in last minute to fill in Sehun's spot because his husband is due within an hour.”

“Just ditch the office.”

“Seriously?”

Kyungsoo pouts. “I know I'm crazy at points when I'm three months pregnant, but I’m not bluffing when I said just ditch the office.”

Chanyeol stared at the younger officer, before cracking a smile.

“Har, har. Congratulations on the announcement, though.”

“Why thank you, Yeol.”

"Shouldn't you be taking maternity leave and be on hiatus for a year?"

Kyungsoo pouts and pats his small bump, a motherly smile appeared on the younger’s face.

"I suppose I could do that," the officer chuckles. "Though, I don't want Taeoh to be corrupted by Jongin's stupidity," to which Chanyeol snickers at the statement.

"Savage as always."

And the cold office is filled with the smell of fresh brew coffee and the sounds of heartwarming laughs from older, and giggles of the younger.

...

It was only a few minutes at the office when Kyungsoo had literally signed and kicked him out of the station building. "Bull," he remembers the words of his hostile friend, "go home to Baekhyunnie." And with the mention of his lover's name, the sergeant had no way out of escaping Kyungsoo's suggestion of going home.

To his beloved, his husband.

His home.

Park Baekhyun.

Growing up, Chanyeol lacked love. Yes, they were — what he can say — a normal family; however, the love wasn't as prominent as most normal families. His father was always busy at the seaside market as a fisherman, and his mother would stay home to work day and night at the floral shop to financially support the family of four. His older sister had been through three nasty divorces, leaving the little boy with what tiny love is left.

Because of what little love there is, middle school Chanyeol was a troublemaker. He had often pranked teachers and students left and right and had no manners. Only after meeting Kyungsoo freshmen year of high school did the elf-eared giant changed ways for a better self, but even then, high school Chanyeol did nothing but study wholeheartedly and ed around with no strings attached.

It was upon entering college he met kindergarten-to-elementary academic-major sophomore student Byun Baekhyun, the hyperactive vice president of the Seoul University student council, he found the fuzzy foreign feeling that lights up every aspect of his gloomy days.

With hands on the driving wheel, the giant grins stupidly as he recalls the very memory that changed to the man he is today.

Seventeen years old college freshman Park Chanyeol scowled — yes, scowled — at his best friend Do Kyungsoo as the shorter finalized blending the little foundation with concealer on the taller's face. The two best friends had gotten the chance to go to college early thanks to Kyungsoo and his bribery words of studying.

"I'm going to be late, Soo."

The said best friend knitted his brows and glared at the giant.

"And I will murder you if you ruin what I am doing, Yeol," an empty threat left the heart-shaped lips. Chanyeol huffs and stands still for the squishy male to finish up. Dusting his hands, Kyungsoo steps back and smiles at his masterpiece.

"Ta-da!"

Chanyeol spins around to face the mirror. A faint smile ghosted his lips. He looked sharp and fresh, almost like a goody-two-shoes: lack of dark circles and blemishes, simple crisp white button-down shirt with rolled-up sleeves paired with a brown belted, fitted khaki slacks. The only thing he was missing was his comfortable loafers and messenger bag.

"Thanks, Soo," Chanyeol mustered, patting the younger. "I owe you one."

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes and urged the older towards the door. The said older male hastily grabbed his dorm keys and hurried out, not before putting on shoes.

"Bye, Soo!"

"Have fun!"

With that said, the criminal justice-major bolted straight out the door, forgetting to lock it, and all Kyungsoo could do is shake his head laughing at how clumsy his best friend is.

Chanyeol felt tiny as he tried to navigate through the campus of Seoul University. He was about to go up another flight of stairs when he felt a faint tap on the shoulder. The delinquent turns around and was about to scoff at the person who touched him but bit his tongue at the sight of another boy. The stranger stared curiously at him, his head crocked to the side.

His chest constricts as he eyed the beauty in front of him. He had slightly messy caramel brown locks and his eyes were in the shape of crescent moons, sparkling like champagne. His skin was flawless with no blemishes, and his face was adorned with one heck of an inviting warm smile from the perfect thin yet plump pink lips.

Beautiful.

"Are you lost?"

Chanyeol stood there starstruck, dumb.

"Um, sir?"

"Huh?" The seventeen years old felt his cheeks warm up and stumbled a bit, realizing how stupid he must have looked in front of the shorter boy. "I, um — — , no! I mean yes!"

The taller boy grips his messenger bag strap as the tips of his ears turned red. Another shade of red burst across his face as the other boy grins, fighting the urge to laugh. The puppy boy grins wider — if possible — and carefully pried the paper printed out of his hands.

"Ah, criminal justice," he then entwined hands with the latter, gently leading the giant in the right direction while giggling, "it's this way you giant. You're on the engineering side."

"You're laughing," Chanyeol says in disbelief.

"You're just funny," he replies smoothly, chuckling to himself. "I'm Byun Baekhyun, eighteen years old academic-major and vice president of student council."

Chanyeol clicked his tongue. "Park Chanyeol, seventeen years old from the criminal justice major."

"Ooh," Baekhyun cooed. "Fancy, there big boy!"

Cranky ole Chanyeol laughed wholeheartedly; his heart fluttering freely with a warm fuzzy feeling settling in, and for the first time in years, he concludes after a long day can say that he felt love at first sight.

The small digital clock in the car read 12:30 AM as he pulled up to a small building. Chanyeol turns off the engine and cracks open the vehicle's door. As he grabbed his belongings from the passenger's side, he smiles faintly at the building in front of him.

It was a small two-story rustic bricked house with a bricked bordered gate. He remembered why he had bought it. It was a few months before they were married and Chanyeol had taken Baekhyun to house search. It was this small family home that attracted his small fiancé and Baekhyun fell in love with the exterior and interior.

"Yeollie," he remembers Baekhyun whispering, feminine hands clutching his rough and calloused ones. "It's beautiful."

"Then we'll buy it."

His lovely fiancé frowns, his brows furrowing. "But it would a nuisance for you to get to work."

"Boss couldn't fire me if he wanted to," Dipping down, Chanyeol captures the older one's lips, pecking it and earns a blush from the elder. "I'll buy it okay, baby?"

A feeble "okay" left Baekhyun's lips and within a few weeks, the brick house was theirs.

He slides the key into the hole, unlocking it and turns the knob. The sergeant quietly pushes the door open trying to avoid any noise that could wake up his tiny family. He steps in and locks the door. He hooks his jacket on the rack coat and places his briefcase on the small table next to the entry door.

Slipping on his house slippers, Chanyeol quietly slid the entry door open. It was quiet, or at least it was what he had thought before his little bundle of joys beat him to it.

"Appa!"

"Shh!"

Five years old Park Seoeon and Seojun came running wildly towards him, clinging to either side of his legs. The giant knelt down and pulled the twins into a tight hug, kissing each of their cheeks. “Seoeon-ah, Seojun-ah, it’s 12:34 AM. Why are you two up late?”

“We were waiting for you to come home!” Seojun exclaims, his little fists punching the air. Seoeon smiles brightly, following his younger brother.

“Well,” Chanyeol scoops up both boys into his arms, “Appa is home now so you big boys will go to sleep, okay?”

“Yes!”

Approaching the twins’ room, Chanyeol noticed the door to their bedroom was wide open and stole a glance at his sleeping husband through the gap as he entered the boys’ room opposite from the adults'. He places Seoeon down and held hand as he carries Seojun to the younger twin's bed.

“Appa,” Seoeon called out as their father tucks a very sleepy Seojun in bed.

“Yes, baby?”

“Daddy threw up today,” the older of the twins explained. Chanyeol felt his heart stopped beating. “And Daddy fell asleep while cooking us food, and we were going to tell you but Daddy said not to because Daddy is fine. Can Appa check on Daddy?”

The younger male nods his head and tucks in his elder twin. He kisses the top of their head one by one good night and switches off the lights as he exits the room. Chanyeol turns to the master bedroom and smiles at the behold sight.

There on the bed sleeping soundly is his one and only husband with the same echoing sounds of their eleven-months old baby girl Joy. Even when Baekhyun is sleeping, he was a beauty, and Chanyeol has the privilege to see it almost every day. All disheveled yet Chanyeol wouldn't trade anything in the world for his this man. He made his way to the sleeping man and kissed the latter’s forehead gently before heading off to go shower and change.

A sudden movement was caught on the baby monitor and a freshly washed Chanyeol was quick enough to catch it. With just pants on, he peered in the little crib to meet with the cutest pair of sparkling eyes that crinkles every time she sees her two parents.

“Hi, baby girl,” Chanyeol cooed softly, as he cradled their little girl in his arms. Joy happily squealed, and the father in him felt the happiest he could have ever been. He hears the sheets rustled and the bed slightly creek behind him.

“Yeol…?” the giant hears his husband croak out his name sleepily, “Yeollie?”

Suddenly, Joy cried out at her dad's voice.

“I’m here, Hyunnie,” he calls out gently, shuffling over to his Baekhyun’s side while thumping a crying Joy on the back. “Shh, Appa is here. Appa is here, baby.”

Joy loosen her clutched on her father and snored lightly a while afterward, and the giant carefully places her back in her crib. When Chanyeol got the chance to look at his lover, he notices how fragile Baekhyun had become over the course of the three months of their last encounter. The prominent dark circles were never there when Chanyeol had last seen him. He frowns.

"Jagiya," the younger realizes how the elder stiffens at the mention of the familiar pet name. "What's wrong?"

Fully aware of surroundings despite having just woken up, Baekhyun hastily drew back into the covers as his younger husband came towards him. "N-nothing."

"You stuttering is quite convincing, Baekhyun."

Chanyeol stares at the quiet twenty-six years old, who was leaning against his throw pillow with his head down and fist white on the sheets. Then, in the quiet night, he hears sniffles. The dominant sighs.

"Jagiya," he tries again, carefully. "What's wrong?"

And Baekhyun broke down.

"I-I'm sorry," he chokes on a sob, his body racking with trembles. "I'm so, so sorry, Yeol..."

With a heavy heart, Chanyeol sat on the bedside and gathered the small, frail male into his arms. He tucks Baekhyun underneath his chin, and the carrier's locks, letting the smaller cry out his heart content.

He knew the reason behind the sobs and trembles.

They had always talked about wanting to have kids — biological or not — in prior years when they were dating. When Baekhyun had told him that he is a carrier, Chanyeol couldn't help but feel a rush of happiness exploiting from his core as the fact that someday, they were going to be a family.

However, it came with a price.

Being a carrier wasn't easy, especially if it meant infertility. Back when they were dating, they swore to tell each other everything. Despite that, the one thing Baekhyun had kept from him was the fact that the older was fragile and was practically infertile, not impossible. Chanyeol had found out after they were married and after months and a year of no signs of progress, a very stressed out Baekhyun buckled down in front of his husband sobbing over the fact that he had no way of being able to conceive.

Yet they tried no matter what and three months later, they found out that they were having twins and Chanyeol could still remember vividly the unexplainable happiness and joy radiating off his lover through the nine months.

Then came Joy eleven months ago, the miracle child after a series of miscarriages.

Chanyeol remembers how heartbroken and frustrated Baekhyun was when they found out that their sixth unborn fetus within the years after the twins had decided to not stay with them. He remembers the painful cries from his beloved as he wept over the loss of their unborn children, and one miraculous day, little unborn Joy was determined to stay with her father and daddy.

Returning his attention to his sobbing lover, Chanyeol felt the trembles stop and all was left were hiccups and occasional cries.

"It's okay, jagiya," Chanyeol assured. "I got you."

He felt Baekhyun nod under his chin. They stayed in position for a while: Baekhyun curled on Chanyeol's lab as the giant comforted the elder. Chanyeol's eyes dart at the clock on Baekhyun's bedside table; the numbers 1:04 staring back at him. Baekhyun snuggled closer to his husband, the strong broad arms that supported him no matter what. 

"Yeollie," Baekhyun mumbles, looking up at his husband with worried eyes.

"Yes, Baek?"

"I'm," a pause, "We're..."

"We're?"

And four words was it took for Chanyeol to be grinning ear to ear at the feeble words that left his lover's lips: We're two months pregnant.

No words exchanged. The taller bent down and captured the elder's lips in a sweet chaste, gently pulling the latter down onto the bed with him. It wasn't rushed, nor quick. It was like a slow dance. Just two lovers with the tempo of mixed feelings of silent thank yous and unconditional love and happiness through feverish kisses.

"Thank you," Chanyeol spoke, his breath ghosting Baekhyun's lips sending shivers down the carrier's spine. "Thank you for everything, hyung."

Baekhyun laughs, his eyes crinkle up in the most adorable way with a broad smile as his hands strung Chanyeol's dark brown locks.

"It's been awhile since you called me that, Chanyeol."

"I could say that same thing."

They sat in comfortable silence.

"You're not mad?"

"No."

With a satisfied smile plastered on his face, Chanyeol nuzzled his chin under his husband's hair, feeling the warmth of his love as Baekhyun snuggled closer.

Needless to say, Chanyeol can officially say he is home.

Home sweet home.

...

the end.

author's note—

- un-beta.

- extras will be added!

- one last thing! feel free to comment and kindly hit the upvote button if you like it! ^^

xoxo,
italiics