“Why are you taking off your rings?”

Baekhyun asked, pursing his lips while deep in thought.His voice was smaller than what he thought would be the opposite. His thumb gliding over his knuckles. His eyes were trained on you ever since you walked through the front door, your far-gazed and emotionless figure being his first line of sight.

“Just want to.”

Baekhyun was looking at you, his breathing slightly getting deeper as he stood by the bed near you, his stomach twisting.

He scanned over the rings laid on the desk you sometimes used a dresser, wondering why you would take them off since you love wearing them, taking sight of the gold wedding band and the engagement ring being two of those.

“Your earrings too?”

You nodded slightly, Baekhyun knowing that you don’t share the same affinity for them compared to rings, knowing that you only took them off when your ears were itchy. It wasn’t the case. He could clearly see that your ears and even your earlobes weren’t red and showed any sign that you scratched them.

“You’re making me nervous.”

Baekhyun said truthfully, watching you clench and unclench your fingers since you weren’t used to not have anything adorning them.

“You shouldn’t. Chanyeol said the words for you.”

“What words?”

Baekhyun asked for the sake of it, looking down on the floor as he felt his hands begin shaking, knowing what his bestfriend said to you and how much he feared them, unable to look at you.

You remembered clearly of how Chanyeol shakily called you today and asked you to meet him at his house, the truth coming out of his lips in a hurry because he couldn’t hold it back any longer, because Baekhyun didn’t say it earlier and only let it out of him to his for relief.

Baekhyun promised him multiple times that he’ll tell it to you one day, that maybe not today and some other time. That he’s still preparing the words in case he tells her.

“That you slept with someone. Last week, I think.”

That was all it took for Baekhyun’s heart to drop, his breathing being cut short when he heard you sinking down the floor.

“I don’t want to be the one who’s getting twisted to make a mistake to divorce Byun Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun closed his eyes shut, forcing his tears not to flow as he was shaking, his throat being tight bit by bit.

“For better or for worse, is it?”

You chuckled humorlessly, your eyes not being able to focus on yourself nor Baekhyun, looking on the floor yet not taking every single detail of it.

“Until death do us part.”

Your voice cracked, thumb going over your left ring finger, tracing over the marks the rings left, breathing getting shallow. Baekhyun finally broke down without any barriers, sobs being heard as he covered his face, chest heaving with pain.

“I made a vow, in front of God and you. So I’m not leaving. Guess I’m keeping them very well.”

You rubbed your eyes, inhaling slowly before closing your eyes, hands interlocking as you couldn’t feel anything besides emptiness. Baekhyun detached himself from the edge of the bed, sitting directly in front of you yet with your eyes still not meeting his, his heart at it’s breaking point.

“I want to leave you. But I can’t do it.”

You said truthfully, feeling the pain surge as you rested your head on the wall behind you, eyes closed as you tried not to wince because of the pain.

“We’re in denial that you still love me,Baek.”

The way his name came out of your lips shocked him, on how you said it as if it was the last thing he wanted to hear.

It was full of pain, heaviness even. You didn’t say it just because you wanted to, you just wanted to say it because you needed to.

“What — what are you talking about?”

Baekhyun spoke slowly because he was testing them, his voice hoarse and so close to cracking, not being able to believe what he was hearing.

“I love you, you know that Jiyeon. What — tell me. Tell me you know that I love you.”

He said with great urgency, heart rate hiking up, stopping himself from trying to near you because you didn’t want him to. He wanted to hear for himself that you know that he loves you.

You looked up at him, striking him of how red your eyes are, how tired you look and how he saw it now, voice breaking.

You sighed, shaking your head slowly, fiddling with your fingers as Baekhyun watched intently, looking at you as if his life depended on it.

You looked up again, swallowing the knot in your throat and trying to ignore the massive pain in your chest that wanted to be relieved which you didn’t know how. Which you didn’t know you were capable of feeling large amounts of it.

“Then why do I feel like you don’t?”

//

You wondered if it was you who’s wrong, if there’s something you did to deserve this twice in a row. But no, it wasn’t you. Baekhyun already told that to you.

He wanted to assure you that it was him who did something wrong and not you. He thought everyday for that month that dear God, it isn’t you.

You remembered what happened exactly a month ago. You remembered clearly of how Baekhyun looked so broken when you told him you’ll still sleep in the same room as him since it was a promise from the start, that if there was a fight, there’s going to be no one leaving.

And you did just that, but you didn’t sleep in the same king-sized bed with him like you used to. It was on a spare foam beside it, Baekhyun insisting numerous times that if you didn’t want to sleep beside him on the bed, he wanted to sleep beside you wherever it is.

And for every single day of the past month, all Baekhyun could feel was remorse. Maybe even having more love for you, on how you didn’t leave him even if he deserves it.

He’s honest. Maybe he’s selfish at times that’s why maybe if you decided to leave, he would convince you not to. He would make you not want to because he’s determined. He couldn’t see what would happen without you in the picture.

Baekhyun spent the whole month courting you. He cancelled everything that could go on the way of the both of you and he became true to his word. It was the both of you. All over again.

He’d wake up before you, get or order flowers for everyday. He’d call his mum to get instructions on how he could cook food beyond on what he originally thought he could only do.

He would ask you if you wanted nor needed anything and he would give just that no matter what it is. He wouldn’t rush it, even no matter how much he wanted it to be back to normal.

He’d keep his space from you when he feels like you don’t want it anymore. He’d take it slow by engaging small conversation first before he could move on to something bigger.

He’d occassionally ask you if you wanted to do something with him yet he didn’t need answers. He’d look for them himself this time, looking at your eyes and your body language.

It’s been a month of timid smiles, loose hand-holding and not a kiss on the lips.

It’s been a month of you not wearing your earrings, your rings, even including the engagement ring and the wedding band since they reminded you of Baekhyun.

Baekhyun’s waiting patiently downstairs, sat on the couch and fiddling with his fingers, his breathing ragged before taking a quick peek on the stairs, knowing that you weren’t coming down yet.

“Give me a month,”

Baekhyun recalled the words he clearly rememembers that came out of you a month ago, the words coming out weakly yet he still heard them.

By the moment he heard gentle steps, his figure almost froze; his heart beating quickly that he felt almost nauseous.

You looked at him, walking in front to sit on the coffee table in front of him, wrapped in a blanket.

You looked at Baekhyun for what felt like forever of not doing so, himself being caught in the whirlpool he’s feeling. His breathing was shallow, his lip caught in between his teeth since he was waiting, even for anything that it was.

You smiled, taking off the blanket off your figure.

Baekhyun’s face was confused for a moment, his eyes scanning over your normal pajamas until he found your hands, being adorned with what he gave to you a year ago and times prior.

Your rings were back.

He then realized, almost leaping to hug you, finding himself crying tears of his extreme happiness, not wanting to let you go.

He kissed you, the familiar feeling he missed being back, his lips lingering, his forehead in touch with yours.

“I love you.”