It was finally here. The launch of his Vogue cover, the start of what was potentially a career expanding move, the biggest and most expensive party he'd ever been too. Vogue had spared no expense and had hired out the biggest ballroom in the city. Chanyeol was excited and was busy getting ready at home, trying to shower in peace, before the professional stylists descended on him in force. He washed his freshly coloured hair and wandered around the warm apartment, picking at some grapes out of the bowl, smiling to himself as he thought over the last five days. He'd stuck to giving Baekhyun the space and time he thought he needed while his love was released to the world in every public performance he made.

He played his songs on tv and on the radio, in appearances and interviews and even a fansign event, and the emotion in them was as real as the old guitar that never left his grasp. He was filmed and photographed and recorded with it everywhere he went. He wrote two new songs in five days and he played them in the car and in waiting rooms and even on the balcony of his top floor apartment. He had never been happier. 

With his schedule pushed back by the week or so he had taken off he was working every spare minute to catch up in the hopes of being able to get an extended hiatus. A few weeks to write a new album, spend some more time at home, maybe even sneak Baekhyun away for a holiday if he would say yes. He had a few ideas on how it could happen with Mrs Byun's agreement and he decided to wait until he could see her to discuss it.

He wondered if Baekhyun had seen any of his almost embarrassing public declarations. Surely he had seen the footage of Chanyeol on the tv interview singing the song he learned for him all those years ago. The beautiful red haired idol's heartfelt cover of a 90s one hit wonder had gone viral and if Baekhyun hadn't seen it he would be the only person who hadn't. Everyone was talking about it. It was the only thing Chanyeol had done in the last five days that hadn't made Suho pull out a little of his lustrous shiny dark hair. His manager was at his wit's end.

He wandered the apartment chewing grapes. The place smelled beautiful. Suho had been frightened beyond belief when they were walking out of the tv studio late one night after filming and Chanyeol had climbed over a fence to snap a sprig of the fresh lavender he saw growing in a garden bed on the other side. The next morning he had ordered a

hundred potted lavenders from an upscale garden shop in the city and had them delivered to his apartment. 

They sat on the bench in the kitchen, on the coffee table, next to his bed and on the balcony. Everywhere Chanyeol went in his apartment the sight and scent of the flower he loved filled his senses and made it feel like Baekhyun was closer than he actually was. He reached out and snapped a flower free and rubbed it between his fingers. The feeling was amazing, so soft and velvety, and it made him think of the way Baekhyun's skin felt under the touch of his burning fingers on that night less than a week ago.

He had learned to be a patient man but his patience was wearing thin. He had a late schedule tomorrow and he wondered if he could jump in the car and surprise Baekhyun for the day but he knew he would just have to say goodbye again too soon. And despite his words as he left, that Baekhyun could call or text him anytime, his phone had remained silent. And Chanyeol's patience endured.

Baekhyun slipped into the bench seat of the café where Jongdae was waiting for him. It was already 5pm and Minseok wouldn't be far away. The library building was just across the road and Baekhyun knew Minseok would be still in his office with his head buried in a thick book until he saw the slowly sinking sun through the window.

Baekhyun ordered a burger and a large coke as his stomach growled and Jongdae made small talk while they waited. It wasn't long before Minseok rushed in. "Sorry.." he panted as he ran a hand through his thick dark hair and pushed his glasses back up to their rightful place on the bridge of his nose. He had a thick book under his arm and the other two friends laughed at the sight.

As they sat and made empty small talk Baekhyun could feel the air of something undisclosed. There were unsaid questions hanging heavy and he knew it was just a matter of time before one of them broke and began asking. It didn't take long and it was Minseok who finally broke first. "Is it you?" he asked and Baekhyun knew what he was talking about straight away. He nodded as he bit down on his burger and chewed slowly so he didn't have to talk.

"I'm not even shocked I guess. We were all friends, but, I don't know..." Jongdae thought hard. "You guys always seems to have something special. He worshipped you. That's why I couldn't believe he did that to you. Just left like that and never gave you an explanation until now." Jongdae's brow furrowed as he remembered how angry he was at Chanyeol. But Baekhyun shook his head and sighed heavily before admitting his responsibility. "It was my fault. Please don't blame him. Trust me Jongdae. Everything that went wrong between us is on me." Minseok leaned over and put his arm around Baekhyun's shoulders. Baekhyun put down his burger and blinked back tears. "I tried to make it up to him but I think I did the wrong thing and now I'm here and he's there and it's too late to fix it." He rubbed his forehead as the reality of the situation sank it. It sounded even worse to say it out loud. "I've ed up again and it's too late."

"What do you mean it's too late? Can't you call him? Or go visit him? Baek he's only a two hour drive away." Jongdae said. "But what about the nursery? I can't leave Mum alone. What about Dad? What if something happens?" Minseok just sighed. "Baek. Your Mum will be fine. She can handle things and you can't live your life based on what ifs and what other people need from you. What do you want?" 

Minseok squeezed his shoulder even tighter and laughed aloud. "I can tell you if my soulmate was running all over town publicly declaring his love for me I wouldn't be sitting here in this café with you two!" Baekhyun repeated Minseok words over and over in his mind before thinking aloud in confusion. "What do you mean?" 

"You seriously don't read the news?" Minseok pulled his phone out and unlocked it before typing in a few words in the search. A news story on the Star Dispatch popped up titled "Park Chanyeol. Crazy in love or just crazy?" and Minseok hit play on the embedded video. It was a compilation of both official and fan taken footage from the past five days. Chanyeol smiling and singing to himself with his guitar in the waiting area of a major tv network. Chanyeol climbing clumsily over a fence outside the same studio later with his panicked Manager looking on. Cuts from various tv and radio interviews of Chanyeol talking about his unrequited love, his intentions to win Baekhyun's heart, and finally the video of Chanyeol blinking back tears as he sang their song into the camera. Chills washed over Baekhyun as he realised his chance wasn't lost yet but it would be if he let it slip through his grasp once again.

"I gotta go!" he said suddenly as he jumped up from the table and tossed a few notes down for his burger. He ran down the street to the nursery and rushed through the closed business to the house. "Mum. Call me if you need anything. But I have to go to him." He called out and she just smiled in acknowledgement. She knew it was coming.

Baekhyun jumped into his rusty old truck, put it into gear, and headed straight onto the highway. He didn't know where he was going or how he was going to find him but he was going to find Chanyeol. He had to chase him like he should have eight years ago. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.