Chanyeol knows that guests are always important and him, as the Crown Prince, has the duty to personally attend to them, make sure they’re comfortable and are being treated well; so far, he had never had any inconvenience on doing it, in fact, he could say he enjoys making their guests feel welcome, but as he sits on the large couch of the main living room, with Catherine almost glued to his side while she chats away with some ladies from the court, Chanyeol can’t help but feel irritated. They’ve been gossiping for almost two hours now and every attempt of the prince to leave has been in vain, he has more important things to do. Like seeing Baekhyun.

With Catherine’s excessive amount of walks in the gardens, afternoon teas, meetings with her friends, and her constant insistence of having him around, he hasn’t seen Baekhyun as much as he would like and since refusing Catherine is not really an option, he is left with no choice but just do as he’s supposed to do, reminding himself that the princess won’t be here forever and once she leaves, everything is going to go back to normal. But Catherine is overwhelming, clingy and stubborn and Chanyeol doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be able to handle this situation with patience.

His main priority should be his future husband; with their engagement party just two days away, Chanyeol needs to know how Baekhyun feels about it. Unfortunately for him, the younger had been pretty clear the same night of Catherine’s welcome party, that he was not, under any circumstances, find himself in the same room as the princess, nor share any kind of activities with her all for the sake of maintaining the peace and his own tranquility. Baekhyun had not made him promise anything, but Chanyeol had took it upon himself reassuring him that everything was going to be fine and that he had nothing to worry about. Baekhyun had only smiled and nodded, but somehow Chanyeol knew he was just giving him what he wanted.

Chanyeol missed having him around, if he has to be honest, especially because a conversation with Baekhyun is always pleasant, interesting and full of all those things Chanyeol loves about the prince; nothing like the shallow topics of what dresses the ladies are receiving this season from Paris or what pieces of jewelry are the latest trends. Chanyeol’s head is about to explode and he doesn’t think he can ingest more tea, either.

Puffing his cheeks, he’s finally had enough; Chanyeol gets on his feet and dusts off his pants from the pastries’ crumbles he ate early, all under the unwavering eyes of Catherine and her ladies.

“It was a pleasure, my ladies. But I need to attend another matters now and─”

“Can someone else do it?” Catherine whines, pulling on his arm. “We were about to go to the gardens.”

Chanyeol cringes at the idea. “Unfortunately, no. This requires my personal and full attention. Another time will be.” He says, as politely as his tiredness and irritation allows him to. Chanyeol bows his head to the princess and the ladies, scurrying off before something else can hold him back.

The prince only relaxes his shoulders and lets his body go lax when the loud voices of the women in the living room become a faint noise in the distance. Chanyeol makes his way straight to his bedroom, he needs a moment for himself to breathe and clear his mind of all the useless information about shoes he learnt on the past hour; but as he approaches his door and a full sight of the hallway comes to view, his body automatically feels lighter and any previously annoying thought he had dissipates instantly. A fond smile spreads on his lips and he leans against the wall, crossing his arms against his chest to enjoy the scene: Baekhyun is walking on his direction, distractedly humming to a tune that Chanyeol doesn’t quite identifies, a small skip on his step as he carries a gigantic bowl of what it seems to be strawberries. Lots of strawberries. His hair is tousled, sticking everywhere and nowhere; he’s wearing gray sweatpants and a light blue oversized sweater that reaches over his mid-thighs and only the tip of his fingers peek from the sleeves, finishing with a pair of slippers with the big head of a panda on the front. It’s the most adorable thing Chanyeol has seen and he can feel his chest swelling with adoration, his hands itch to reach for Baekhyun and pull him to his arms, squeeze him and never let go.

Baekhyun stops in front of his door and reaches for the handle; Chanyeol takes that moment to clear his throat and makes his presence known for the younger. The prince gasps in surprise, and he has to hold the bowl tightly against his chest to prevent it from falling to the floor.

“Oh my god.” Baekhyun mumbles, inhaling and exhaling to calm his rapid beating heart.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Chanyeol smiles apologetically and straightens up, taking small steps towards Baekhyun.

The younger prince, suddenly aware of his appearance, recoils back and foolishly tries to hide himself behind the bowl.

“I look awful, you shouldn’t─”

Chanyeol shakes his head. “I think you look cute.”

“It’s not cute. It’s messy and definitely not cute.” Baekhyun frowns.

“No, it’s nice to see you like this. Besides, it’s Sunday.” Chanyeol shrugs.

“And yet you’re all dressed up.” Baekhyun quirks a mocking eyebrow.

“Yeah, you know… Catherine.”

Baekhyun doesn’t respond immediately, he purses and twitches his lips repeatedly before speaking. “Did she finally free you?”

“Not exactly. I ran away. I need a place to hide.”

Baekhyun snickers, then he goes all serious while he thinks about a way to help his fiancé. An idea pops in his head and he grins, reaching for the door handle and pushing the door open. “Want to come in?”

Chanyeol’s eyes widen by the sudden offer. “I─ no, I mean… I don’t know if it’s appropriate for me to─”

“Oh come on.” Baekhyun chuckles, stepping closer to the entrance of his room. “You need somewhere to hide, don’t you?”

“Yes, but─”

“Chanyeol.” Baekhyun says with an urging tone, to which the older prince reacts fast and hurries to slip into the bedroom. Baekhyun peeks his head out one last time, making sure no one is around and closes the door, locking it behind him.

“So…” Chanyeol stands by the door, body stiff and tense, aware of where he is and afraid of making any abrupt move “how do you feel here, in your room? Is it comfortable? Do you want me to make any changes?” He asks, eyes raking from side to side.

“Nope.” Baekhyun replies from somewhere in the room. “It’s perfect like this.”

Chanyeol chokes on air when he turns around to look for Baekhyun and finds him sitting on his bed, crossed legged and leaning against the headboard. There should be nothing insinuating on the way Baekhyun sits, so Chanyeol doesn’t know why is he beginning to have imagine all the things they could do─ he shakes his head to get rid of the sudden inappropriate thoughts because Baekhyun is smirking and he’s definitely not imagining that. The prince swallows the lump in his throat and remains frozen on his spot, unsure of what to do or even say.

“That’s… good.” Chanyeol mumbles.

“What are you still doing standing there?” Baekhyun asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“U-uh?” Chanyeol blinks; his hands are starting to sweat.

“Come sit with me.” Baekhyun pats a random empty place on the bed.

“I don’t know, Baekhyun…”

“It’s just you and me. And you’re just going to make me company. Please?” Baekhyun asks, almost pleadingly and pouting, knowing very well that Chanyeol won’t be able to say no. What Baekhyun wants, Baekhyun gets.

Chanyeol sighs and makes his way towards the bed, defeated. He sits by the edge, stretching his legs and placing his hands over his lap.

“Seriously, Yeol?” Baekhyun scoffs, incredulous. “Remove your shoes and climb on.”

“But─”

“I’ll be very upset if you don’t do so.” Baekhyun threatens.

Chanyeol whimpers silently and slowly begins to remove his shoes. Baekhyun is playing with his sanity, he knows that much and he also knows he should keep his composure and refuse to what Baekhyun is asking, maybe even leave; but it’s impossible, he simply can’t say no, especially when the younger prince is looking at him like that. There’s an innocent twinkle in his eyes and Chanyeol is aware that he can’t really trust it… but he chooses to ignore it and pretend Baekhyun isn’t doing this to torture his poor soul. So he finishes removing his shoes and stands up, proceeding to get on the bed again, one knee after the other until he’s sitting right in front of Baekhyun, adopting the same position the other prince has.

“That’s better.” Baekhyun smiles, proud of his accomplishment.

“You know if someone comes in, they will find this situation outrageous, right?” Chanyeol tilts his head to the side. “We’re not married yet.”

Baekhyun hums, confirming to Chanyeol that he indeed, knows. “And we’re living in the 21st century.” He shrugs. “I also locked the door.”

“You… locked the door.” Chanyeol mumbles, feeling a little overwhelmed.

“Yeah. I do it all the time when I’m on my own, mostly because I don’t like it when Kris barges in without knocking, I really hate that.” Baekhyun grumbles.

“I haven’t had the chance to talk to him, but I will, don’t worry.” Chanyeol assures him. Baekhyun gives him a small nod. “There’s another thing I wanted to talk to you about.” He continues. Baekhyun waits for him. “The engagement party. Are you… feeling okay about it?”

Baekhyun was not expecting that. He blinks a few times and straightens his back; the prince has half a mind to lie to Chanyeol, pretend he doesn’t really care much about it, but the older is looking at him, hopeful, a tiny smile on his lips and so Baekhyun comes to the conclusion that there’s no point in lying. Not when Chanyeol has been nothing but good to him, patient and understanding, he deserves to know his real feelings, even if that means exposing himself. Baekhyun knows by now he can fully trust the prince.

“I… I’m actually excited about it.” He says with a timid voice.

“You are?” Chanyeol chirps, face lighting up. Baekhyun’s stomach makes a happy flip.

“Yeah, I am.” He adds with more confidence.

“That’s… that’s very good to hear. I mean, it’s wonderful!” Chanyeol exclaims, miserably failing on hiding his excitement.

Baekhyun giggles. “Now, you look cute when you get all excited.” He teases. Chanyeol’s mind slips and he’s left speechless under Baekhyun’s teasing antics. “I was thinking…” Baekhyun continues “you know how after the party I have to go back home for a few days?” Chanyeol nods in acknowledgement. “Would you… like to go with me?”

“R-really?” Chanyeol asks. He looks at Baekhyun, looking for a sign that tells him that he’s just playing games with him, but he finds nothing; the younger prince looks intently at him, fingers subtly fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve.

“Yes, really.” Baekhyun mutters.

“Yeah. Of course, I would love to go with you.” Chanyeol nods eagerly.

“Great!” Baekhyun’s nervousness dissipates instantly; he jumps on the bed a little and then lies down. “Come here.” He pats the space next to him.

“Baekhyun─”

“Can’t I spend some quality time with my future husband after only seeing him for only a few hours in the last couple of days?”  Baekhyun asks innocently.

“I… yes, but this is─ we’re royals, if someone finds out we were here, like this… they’ll freak out!”

“There’s no one here and I just want us to talk.”

“About what?” Chanyeol narrows his eyes.

“About anything and everything.” Baekhyun answers. He really wants to do this; if they’re going to marry, he wants to bond with Chanyeol, make their relationship a lot more than just husbands, Baekhyun wants his best friend back. He doesn’t care about what everyone else may say.

Chanyeol sighs and finally gives in, lying down next to Baekhyun facing the ceiling; but the younger prince has other plans and as soon as Chanyeol’s head touches the pillow, Baekhyun rolls over on his side and pulls on the other’s sleeve to make him do the same.

“You’re playing with me.” Chanyeol grumbles, reluctantly rolling over as well. They’re face to face, just a few inches apart from each other. Baekhyun can feel Chanyeol’s breathing softly caressing his face and so does Chanyeol.

“’m not.” Baekhyun mutters. “It’s just…” He bites his lower lip, thinking about what he’s going to say next. He’s been feeling strange lately, ever since Catherine’s arrival, Baekhyun has been feeling the need to just confess, let all his feelings out in the open for Chanyeol to take or leave, and that scares him to death. He doesn’t want to feel vulnerable once again, doesn’t want to risk crumbling all the walls he has built and get hurt again.

Baekhyun is aware that with Chanyeol, he’s the safest he could ever be; but his life does not only consist of the older prince: there’s other people, other factors that could affect and dent the shield he has been forging all these years.

He smiles, deciding that no, is not the time yet. “Nothing.” Baekhyun reaches for a rebel strand of hair falling over Chanyeol’s forehead and pushes it back. “Tell me something.”

Chanyeol doesn’t look convinced, but he doesn’t push it, he never does and Baekhyun is thankful for that.

“About what?” He asks instead.

Baekhyun shrugs. “Anything you remember from when we were kids.”

Chanyeol remains pensive for a moment, reminiscing on all the memories engraved in his brain and looking for the perfect one to tell Baekhyun. He smiles affectionately after a couple of minutes. “Do you remember when we were six? We took your art set and drew all over the throne room's walls?"

Baekhyun breaks into a hearty laughter as soon as the words leave his mouth, making Chanyeol laugh as well. It takes them a couple of seconds to calm down. "Yes, of course." Baekhyun pants out, remnants of his laughter still present on his voice.

"And... do you remember what happened after that?" Chanyeol asks, whipping the small tears that had prickled out.

Baekhyun hums. "Well, for starters, I had never seen your mother so angry before. It was the first and only time she actually yelled at us."

"But that was mainly because we accidentally drew on uncle Hoojun's face." Chanyeol reminds him.

"And your father," Baekhyun feigns a shiver "his deathly stare was worse than the queen's scolding."

"We weren't allowed inside the throne room without proper supervision for months."

"Yeah, and you threw that fit about How am I going to be king if I can't sit on MY own throne!" Baekhyun says the words with a mocking tone, making Chanyeol chuckle partly because he had to admit that it had been childish of him and partly because it was the first time Baekhyun allowed himself to joke that freely around him. It’s a nice feeling and he hopes this means they can be more open to each other now.

"I was a child." Chanyeol defends.

"A very spoiled one, if you ask me." Baekhyun nods in agreement.

Chanyeol gasps, dramatically grasping at his shirt over his chest on an exaggerated offended manner. "You've got nothing to complain to me!" The prince exclaims. "If I remember correctly, you were the one always getting the best candies."

“That was because you were always distracted!” Baekhyun pushes him slightly by the chest.

“Still, you never wanted to share.” Chanyeol pouts. He pouts and Baekhyun feels his heart jump off of a cliff three times.

“W-well,” he stammers, clearing his throat to hide that fact right after “it’s not my fault that I’ve always being smarter than you.”

“I can’t believe you. And here I thought we could be friends.” Chanyeol squint his eyes, pretending to feel hurt and scooting away a little. Baekhyun is fast to reach for him, gripping him by the collar of his shirt and pulling him closer again. Accidentally too close.

Chanyeol’s wide eyes blink repeatedly, his breathing quickens and his heart stops. Baekhyun is looking him dead in the eye, he unconsciously his lips and Chanyeol can’t help his eyes from following the movement of his tongue.

“Baek─” He’s suddenly cut off; a press of lips against his own that goes as soon as it comes.

Chanyeol doesn’t have enough time to process what just happened; Baekhyun is already pulling away and rolling to lie on his back, his hand resting over his stomach.

“Can you tell me something else?” Baekhyun requests.

Chanyeol, taking aback, opens his mouth to ask because he needs to know what this means, but in the end, he decides against it. If Baekhyun doesn’t want to talk about it yet, Chanyeol will let him be, but they both know the moment for clearing things up is going to come and there won’t be any chance to avoid it.

Situation aside but not forgotten, Chanyeol moves to lie on the same position as Baekhyun and begins to tell whatever memory he has of them. It seems to appease the younger prince, the tension is washed away and they fall again into a carefree atmosphere.

…

Catherine had bid goodbye to her ladies about two hours ago, not feeling in the mood to continue with their meeting without Chanyeol around.

Thinking that maybe the prince could be in his studio attending the matters he had mentioned earlier, the princess walks slowly across the hall, wanting to surprise Chanyeol with a nice afternoon snack. Just when she’s about to reach for the studio’s door, a booming laughter is heard through the third door to the right. She frowns and moves over there, stepping closer; is not only one laughter, but two, she can clearly make out to who they belong to. She grabs the handle and carefully twists it, only to find out is locked.

Fuming, Catherine hurries away. How dare Chanyeol lie to her like this? No one plays games with her. Not even Park Chanyeol.

●●●●

Catherine had tried to convince herself that she shouldn’t be worrying about what she heard the day before. Nothing could assure her that it was indeed Chanyeol the other person inside Baekhyun’s room; but the more she thinks about it, the surer she is that yes, Chanyeol had lied to her, left her and embarrassed her in front of her ladies and that’s something she just couldn’t let pass. Not even to Chanyeol.

Not being able to get rid of the feelings of being played and mocked, Catherine had decided to do something about it.

It was not a secret to anyone that she has been chasing Chanyeol for years, looking for a way to get his hand in marriage; but it also wasn’t a secret that Chan