Baekhyun felt more like a teenager rather than a 26 year old divorcee. He quietly led Sehun by the hand through the back door and into his kitchen as they spoke in hushed voices.

The little house that had provided him with safety and solace all his childhood life was now his home again and he was relieved to see that his parents were already asleep. His Dad was on heavy pain medication and was asleep a lot of the time lately. His Mum did a great job of pretending she wasn't constantly exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of watching her husband getting sicker and sicker. So although it was only 9:30pm and they had just finished dinner Baekhyun brought Sehun back to a house of sable silence.

He turned the kettle on to make tea. His parents wouldn't wake. The house felt slightly warm and the lure of another storm on the horizon led Baekhyun to open the kitchen window while he waited for the kettle to boil and Sehun waited on the couch. The scent of lavender wafted in carried slowly on the gentle breeze and Baekhyun inhaled it like it was more precious than oxygen.

He loved this house. He had granted the brand new single story modern home he had built for Taeyeon to her in the divorce. He didn't want it. He couldn't wait to leave it with its white walls and its cold floors and its hollow memories. Apparently she didn't want it either because as soon as the papers were signed she put it up for sale and left for Seoul. 

When teenage feelings gave way to adult emotions it was too late. He had married her too young, he had never even had a chance to learn who he was without her, and when she had been the one to finally end it he had only felt relief. Coming home to his parents, to the nursery and his memories, gave Baekhyun a safe place to remember who he was. 

He snapped out of his musings at the sound of the kettle boiling and poured the two mugs of tea. He carried them carefully into the living room and set them down on the coffee table before sitting next to Sehun. The younger man smiled at him and reached out to pull Baekhyun close and he nestled himself against the taller's warm body.

"What were you and Chanyeol talking about?" Sehun asked. Baekhyun knew it was coming. He had been waiting for Sehun to ask him the whole night and he finally did.

"Not much." Baekhyun leaned forward and sipped his tea. "I told him to come by the nursery so we could catch up." Baekhyun felt Sehun stiffen in agitation next to him and he reached out and his hand. "Sehun. Chanyeol and I really need to get everything out in the open between us. I know there has to be more to the story. I've been waiting eight years to find out why my best friend abandoned me." He took a deep breath as he felt Sehun relax. "I have to know..."

——-

"Baekhyun." He heard his voice being called quietly from near the stairwell. Baekhyun turned to see Taeyeon beckoning to him and he walked over to her slowly.

It was their last day of school. Now the ceremonies were over most of the students were just wandering around cleaning out lockers, gathering in little groups to sign yearbooks and exchange phone numbers, some even writing on each other's shirts. The whole school was b with a simmering feeling of closure and renewal as one door closed on their lives and another one opened. 

"Are you coming to the party at Kris's house tonight?" Taeyeon blushed as she spoke. Baekhyun cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ah, I'm not sure yet... maybe...." Baekhyun still felt weird around Taeyeon. They had been together on and off for a while before she had begun to make excuses about her parents not wanting her to date in her last year of school. Much to Baekhyun's disappointment, she had ended it, but he had never given up hope that she would change her mind. Especially now they were graduating.

He shifted nervously while he thought of Chanyeol. Chanyeol didn't seem to be comfortable around Taeyeon. Baekhyun always wondered if maybe he was jealous. Every guy in their class had a crush on the beautiful petite girl with the tiny waist and the porcelain skin. Baekhyun had a little about her but it always seemed to make Chanyeol a little too upset and Baekhyun thought he had finally figured out why.

He didn't want to hurt Chanyeol but he had always been crazy about Taeyeon. Chanyeol would get over it, hopefully even find someone himself, and everything would be fine.

"Do you think maybe we could set Chanyeol up with one of your friends?" Baekhyun asked and smiled when Taeyeon nodded. "Sure." She leaned in close and he could smell her familiar heady musk perfume. He sneezed and she giggled and they moved apart again. 

Baekhyun knew Chanyeol had planned a pizza night for them tonight. He knew Chanyeol wouldn't really want to go to the party at Kris's house but he also knew he would be able to talk him into it. 

Baekhyun could always talk Chanyeol into anything. He knew his best friend would do anything for him, go anywhere with him, put his own plans aside for him.  

Chanyeol always let Baekhyun have his own way.

——-

"Is he okay? Like really ok?" Baekhyun asked quietly. He hadn't avoided Chanyeol's heartbroken face plastered all over the media. The shot of him coming out of the jewellery store, the rumours of his planned proposal, his devastated rush from the Vogue studio. The hurt and the pain on his face was something Baekhyun had only seen twice before. Once when his grandmother died when they were fourteen. And once when Chanyeol pushed past Baekhyun and ran out on him, out of the school, and out of his life.

"Forget about Chanyeol." Sehun pulled Baekhyun closer and leaned in. The kiss he pressed into Baekhyun's lips was soft and chaste at first but Sehun soon parted his lips and deepened the kiss. Something awoke inside Baekhyun, a desperate longing for the past, an intangible memory almost grasped. As he kissed back his thoughts turned vague. Big firm hands roamed his back as his own hands wandered a strong broad chest and wide shoulders. He fell into the heavenly security that Sehun's presence offered him and as Baekhyun pulled away and nestled against Sehun's chest he inhaled and absentmindedly mulled over the fact that Mrs Park had been using the same lemon scented laundry detergent for as long as he could remember.

Sehun's hands began to wander again and he pulled Baekhyun into another kiss. They kissed harder and deeper, Sehun's hands moving all over Baekhyun's body, pulling him into his lap. Baekhyun was lost in the moment, his tongue in Sehun's mouth, hands all over his body. Sehun moaned into the kiss and squeezed his cheeks and Baekhyun broke the kiss and gasped for breath.

"Not yet." He whispered as he let his head rest on Sehun's shoulder. "I'm not ready." His breathing recovered as he moved back onto the couch and Sehun frowned. "Baek, what's the issue? We've been going out for like six weeks and you still don't want me to touch you."

"I'm just not ready yet." Baekhyun said as he got up to take the tea cups back into the kitchen leaving a frustrated Sehun alone on the couch. He rinsed the cups in the sink and listened to the far off sounds of thunder rumbling in the distance. The smell of rain and lavender washed into the room through the open window and Baekhyun sighed at the resignation he felt deep in his stomach. A storm was brewing for sure and it was heading straight for them.