Baekhyun took a deep breath as he maneuvered his way up and down the aisles of the large market. He gently reciting the list of things that he needed to get, but as he went down the adjacent aisle, trying to remember exactly what the next item was, he couldn’t help but think that you were right. He should have written the list down, or better yet, let you text it to him. Yet he had been so adamant that he could do it on his own, that he could remember it all. Granted, he probably wouldn’t have been in this predicament if he hadn’t been spacing out earlier. Yet, Baekhyun couldn’t help it. Today was Valentine’s Day and he had a lot to plan, aside from the little party that he was helping you throw for Chanyeol. The other thing on his mind was drastically more important to him. Though Chanyeol was an important friend to him, someone that had been with him for many years, the thing that Baekhyun had on his mind was going to change his life drastically.

He was planning to propose to you.

Truthfully, Baekhyun thought about it almost every day for the last year or so. The two of you had been through your entire lives together. As kids, you grew up together, went to the same schools, and were in the same classes with each other. Baekhyun finally asked you out in your sophomore year of high school and it had been a little over ten years since the two of you became an official couple… and you were still going strong. Not just as a couple, but also as very good friends. As with any couple, there were difficulties, but you worked through them together, were honest with each other. Working through disagreements was what made your relationship stronger, and now that you were both in stable parts of your careers, Baekhyun’s want to marry you only grew. Sure, it was extremely cheesy to propose on Valentine’s Day, so many people did, but it felt fitting for the two of you. After all, nineteen years ago today, Baekhyun had joked that the two of you were married.

At the time, the two of you were still in primary school. On your usual route home after school together, Baekhyun complained about how he hadn’t received any chocolates that day. Conversely, Chanyeol, a longtime friend to both of you, had received a mountain of them, including chocolates from the girl that Baekhyun had been crushing on. As his friend you had tried to make him feel better, theorizing that there must have been a girl out there that liked him, but that she was just too shy to give him her gift. But, Baekhyun being a bit dramatic, didn’t believe you. He was sulking and downtrodden.

Seeing him like that upset you, so you told him to stop at the crosswalk. Her hands fumbled with your bag for a bit before you pulled out a box and handed it to him. It was a small red box, made of a clear type of plastic. Inside, Baekhyun could see the chocolates that you had been working so hard to make for the last couple of days. And just on top of it, was a little origami flower, its stem twisted into a circle as if it were a ring. Baekhyun later found out that you meant to give this gift to another boy, but that your heart hurt at how sad he looked, so you gave it to him instead. It didn’t matter though. You offered it to him, and at the time he had made a joke about it being your proposal to him, and that the two of you were now married. You humored him back then, but now that you were older, he planned to make that statement a reality. This year was the perfect time to do it… and it would have been simple if the two of you weren’t also planning a surprise party. 

Most years, you had Valentine’s to yourselves, but this year… this year, an emergency party was planned. Chanyeol, who had been a friend to the both of you since you were kids, had been dumped. He had been pretty serious about that particular relationship and being left like he had, really took its toll on him. Being good friends, you didn’t want him to be alone on such a romantic holiday, so you had put your original plan on hold and pulled in some of your other friends to plan something for nice for him, to help him forget about how terrible that breakup had been. So it was no surprise that he was a bit scattered today. This party was the reason why Baekhyun was at the market right now and not at home planning his proposal to you.

A soft chime from his phone pulled Baekhyun from his thoughts just as he was wandering down the snack aisle. His lips curled into a smile when he realized that it was from you, and that smile only grew as he read your message.

‘I know you said that you could remember everything, and you know that I trust you… but to prevent us from having to make a last minute trip to the market again… here’s the list! Love you! ;3’

That message was immediately followed by the list of items he was supposed to pick up and he couldn’t help but chuckle. You really did know him best… and you were right. He probably would have forgotten something and you’d find yourself back here right before your friends were supposed to arrive at your apartment. He really was glad to have you as such a big part of his life. He’d honestly be lost without you.

Taking a moment, Baekhyun wrote a quick message back to thank you, though he also poked at you for not trusting him, in a joking way of course. Slipping the phone back into his pocket, he quickly went up and down the aisles one more time, picking up the things that he had missed before heading towards the check-out counters. It all went smoothly, he even had a nice conversation with the older woman behind the counter, and in no time he was back at his car and heading home. Now it was time for the hardest part of his day. He had to figure out what he would say to you while helping you out and not making you suspicious of him. Ah, it was going to be a busy afternoon…

Baekhyun wasn’t wrong either. He had expected to see you busy when he got home, but he didn’t expect to see you running around the apartment, trying to get everything ready in such a quick fashion. He put things that needed to be refrigerated away before he told you that he would focus on the cleaning so that you could bring your attention back to the kitchen and make the desserts that you were so excited about. After all, knowing your friends, most of them wouldn’t remember to bring anything with them, and it was always up to the two of you to make sure that everyone was well-fed.

With all of your scrambling back and forth between the living room and the kitchen, there wasn’t too much left for Baekhyun to do. There were a couple of areas left to clean and just a quick vacuum of the entire place. The two of you had opted not to decorate the apartment, mostly because, well… you were trying to make Chanyeol forget that it was Valentine’s Day, not rub salt into an open wound. As he worked, he would frequently ask you for the time, just to make sure that you were both on schedule to finish up before everyone arrived. It didn’t take him long to finish his tasks, and in no time he was busily working in the kitchen with your, trying to assemble the rest of the food. The two of you just might finish up on time.

“Chanyeol is going to owe us big time. You’re putting so much effort into this…” Baekhyun stated as his fingers worked to nimbly assemble the sandwiches. Finger foods were best for this type of party, and while you had been moving around the kitchen, you got all of the ingredients set out for the sandwiches so it would be a quick process to put them together.

“Baek, don’t be like that. He’s been our friend for like an eternity. It’s not bad to do something nice for him,” you countered gently as you checked the heat on the stove to make sure that it would properly melt your chocolate.

“That’s fair… but you also planned his birthday party last year because his girlfriend told you that she didn’t have time to do it,” he reminded you. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t do nice things for Chanyeol, I’m just saying – wait, you’re not dumping me for Chanyeol, are you?” He had meant it as a joke, of course, but with what he had been planning for later tonight, the thought crossed his mind out of nowhere. There was no way, but he still had to make sure.

Baekhyun had expected you to answer immediately, but instead, you paused. The sudden silence had him quickly turning to you and quirking his brow before you finally spoke again. “I’m sorry you had to find out this way, Baekhyun. But yes, I am leaving you for Chanyeol,” you replied, completely straight-faced and Baekhyun could only roll his eyes at you.

Whenever you did something like this, he knew you didn’t mean it. If you were actually serious… well, your whole approach would have been different. Jokes like that aren’t funny, you know…” he mumbled as he turned back to his sandwiches.

You giggled softly to yourself before moving to his side, slipping your arms around his waist. “Oh come on, you know that I’m just joking. I’d never leave you after ten years to be with Chaneyol. If I wanted to, I would have done so already, and I wouldn’t because he’s never been my type,” you reasoned, your lips forming into a small pout as you spoke. You did your best to bat your eyelashes in a way that would make Baekhyun divert his attention to you. This tactic would have been more effective if Baekhyun didn’t already know all of your little tricks. But every now and then, like this moment, it still worked pretty well.

He let out a gentle sigh. “I know, but still. I just don’t want you to take so much on yourself. I know work has been busy for you too. I don’t want to get a call that you collapsed from exhaustion or something...” he explained, lips gently placing a kiss on your forehead.

A small smile crept onto your lips at his gesture. He always worried for you, and you were honestly glad. You weren’t the best at taking care of yourself, so it was nice to have Baekhyun there to tell you to take a break every now and then. “I know you worry, but it’s fine. After all, I have the best battery to keep me functioning. You!” you exclaimed, your words oozing with grease as you leaned up to pepper your boyfriend’s face in kisses.

A chuckle left his lips at the onslaught of kisses. “Okay, okay, I believe you. Now, go check on the chocolate,” he reminded you, another chuckle leaving his lips as he watched your eyes widened as you quickly ran back to the stove and worked on the task at hand.

The two of you worked side by side for a few more hours before everything was done. Baekhyun helped you set out the things that didn’t need to be refrigerated before the two of you went to get ready. He urged you to shower first, taking the time apart to recite to himself all of the things he wanted to say to you. He wanted it to be memorable, for it to resonate with you and he continued saying those words to himself all the way into the shower.

As expected of your friends, no one actually arrived on time. As per usual, the earliest ones arrived about thirty minutes late and this was nice for both you and Baekhyun. It gave the two of you a moment to relax, to get yourselves in the mindset to host a party. Once everything was in full swing, it was your usual get together. There was drinking, probably a little too much on Chanyeol’s end, to the point where you had to stop him from time to time, reminding him to take a break. It gave everyone a chance to catch up, to find out where everyone was in their lives while enjoying the company, even if it was a bit rowdy every now and then.

You were deep in a conversation with Jongdae about his recent business venture, the male being the only one out of your group of friends that decided he would try being his own boss, to try and run his own company. At first, the mellow mood of the apartment was great, it allowed you to focus on what your friend was saying, but that was also when you realized it was weird. After that thought crossed your mind, it didn’t take you long to realize that your boyfriend wasn’t in the room. After all, if he were,  he would have been advising Chanyeol on how to get over his breakup. His voice would have been booming about how that girl wasn’t good enough for him and that he should go and do something ridiculous to forget about her. But there was none of that, and you couldn’t help but wonder where your significant other had wandered off to.

By chance, Junmyeon had started to ask Jongdae about some other things in his life, and you took the opportunity to slip away, eyes scanning your small apartment for your boyfriend. Chanyeol was on the couch with some of your other friends, doing shots. Kyungsoo was chatting with his girlfriend. So just where was Baekhyun? It took you a bit to realize that he wasn’t mingling in the apartment and was instead on your tiny balcony that overlooked the neighborhood where you had all grown up.

“Baekhyun, what are you doing out here? I thought you would be inside giving Chanyeol terrible advice as per usual after every breakup,” you teased with a gentle giggle as you approached him. Your hand gently grasped his forearm to get his attention, but Baekhyun turned around a lot quicker than you had expected, and you almost jumped back at his reaction. “Sorry, did I startle you?” you asked, a bit concerned. He wasn’t usually like this, so he must have been in deep thought, though, over what you weren’t sure…

Baekhyun let out a gentle sigh and his body visibly relaxed when he saw you. “A bit,” he admitted, “but I was also kind of lost in my thoughts, so that was on me…” Gently, he held your hand in his, finger intertwining as the two of you turned to look out at the people below you.

“Is there anything I can do to help? Is it work related?” you asked softly, your hand giving his hand a light squeeze, reassuring him that you were there if he needed you. This was one of those things that always amazed him about you and your presence. You always knew the right thing to do at the right time. Baekhyun never had to say or do much to let you know that he was struggling with something. You just always knew how to help him, how to make him feel better. Once, a few years ago, he had asked how you were able to read him so easily, yet all you did was shrug. “I don’t know if it’s that. Just being with you, it comes naturally,” he remembered you saying.  And though things with you never came as naturally for him, at least, he didn’t feel like they did, this moment felt right.

This moment was it.

“It’s not work-related at all. It’s something a bit different,” Baekhyun said slowly as he turned to face you. He could see the confusion on your features but tried to ease them by grasping both of your hands in his. “Do you remember that Valentine’s Day when we were younger? That year I got really upset because I didn’t get any chocolates from the girls and Chanyeol got a ton of them?”

A soft chuckle left your lips. “The year I gave you the chocolates that were intended for Minho, right? That time when you joked that we were married?”

A smile formed on his features and he nodded. “Yes. I mean, first things first, I’m better than Minho, right?”

“I mean…” you started slowly, but seeing the way that Baekhyun was looking at you, that he was seeking your approval before continuing, you knew that you shouldn’t be joking around this time. “Of course you are. I chose to date you, didn’t I?”

“And even after being together for ten years you haven’t dumped my sorry . It’s really a miracle,” he retorted. His response came out jokingly, but he knew that you knew he was being serious. Baekhyun wasn’t always the best at expressing himself seriously, but he knew that you were able to tell the difference, even if it was hidden behind a joke. He watched as your eyes shifted around, trying to read his expression, trying to pinpoint where he was going with this, and it urged him to continue. “We’ve been by each other through a lot of things. Many of these things were good, but some of it was difficult too. Like starting up our careers in different cities. These things weren’t easy. We struggled a lot, and I know that there were times that were harder than others, where I made things more difficult than they should have been. But we worked through all of that. We made our way back to this place where it all started. We never once questioned the decisions we made and it led us here.”

You nodded. If Baekhyun wasn’t being so serious, you probably would have made a joke, but you didn’t want to ruin his for him. You wanted to know where this was coming from, why his demeanor had changed so much. You didn’t see it often with Baekhyun, so it must have been something big.

“I know that I’m not known for being the most understanding person, mostly for those that I’m not close to. But with you, I’ve always tried to be. It’s because you make me happy, and I wanted to understand. You were always able to read me, ever since we were kids, but that wasn’t something that came naturally to me. When I realized how much I loved you, I realized that I wanted to be that person for you too. I wanted to be that person you could depend on. I wanted to be that person that knew exactly what was wrong before you said anything. Someone that you didn’t have to explain yourself to. Someone that could take care of you. Someone that you could have a family with. I wasn’t that person nineteen years ago. I wasn’t even that person a year ago, but now, with where we are…I think I could be that person now.”

Gingerly, Baekhyun slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a thin silver band. He had gone back to the jewelers many times, questioning his choice in something so simple. But every time, the jeweler would ask him the same question. “Is this the one that speaks to you?” the man would ask every single time, and every single time, Baekhyun answered that it was. And right now, as he was standing in front of you, it definitely felt like the right ring. He just… knew it.

His eyes looked up from the ring and at your features. Your eyes were wide and you breathing had stopped momentarily, he figured, out of shock. Gently, he grasped your hand in his and slid the thin band onto your ring finger before holding that hand in both of his. “I really want to be that person for you, for as long as I can,” he told you honestly. “I know that it’s pretty lame to be proposing on Valentine’s Day, so many people do it. But for us, it feels right. After all, you made the first move all those years ago.”

“I meant it when I said we were married back then, and I’d like to mean it in the future too…”

Of all of the things that you thought Baekhyun had been struggling with, this was not one of them. For a couple of years, you had been hoping that he would eventually pop the question. For a bit, when all of your friends were getting engaged, you had thought about dropping some hints, but you also wanted him to take his time. It became apparent to you that it wasn’t necessary for it to happen immediately and that the two of you could get there when you needed to. You just didn’t expect that moment to be now.

You were still in so much shock, dealing with so many emotions that you didn’t quite know what to say. You wanted to say something elegant, something sweet, but you couldn’t find the words. Your eyes were still taking in the silver ring that now rested perfectly on your ring finger, the small diamonds forming the shape of a flower.

Everything about this was perfect. And that was when you realized that you didn’t need to say anything grand. No words would ever be able to live up to how you felt in your heart. Instead, you threw yourself into his arms.

On that Valentine’s Day, on the small patio that overlooked the neighborhood where the two of you grew up, you made good on that promise that was almost two decades in the making…