“So, now what?” Baekhyun questioned. In his mind, he could see the nightmare he was so afraid of became real. “Are you gonna turn me in?”

„Why should I?“ Chanyeol asked in confusion. “Don’t you understand, Baekhyun? I don’t care what your name is. When I confessed, I meant it. I love the person standing in front of me. I love you.”

“But you don’t know me.” There it was again, the part of him that constantly kept away people who loved him. The part that was afraid to be loved. The part that kept whispering he wasn’t worth it.

“Do I not? I know you cook when you’re sad and bake when you’re happy. I know you look out for cars from both directions even when you’re crossing a one-way street. I know you like it when I play with your hair. I know you always pay attention when I talk about my boring job, even though you don’t have to. I know you said you don’t want to have children and yet you’d always smile every time you passed by a baby.”

“Do you think that’s enough? Because you know how I cross the street means you know me? You don’t know my family, my friends… or my past. What makes you believe you wouldn’t change your mind?”

“Is that what frightens you? That I would stop loving you once I get to know you?” Chanyeol replied, his lips formed a smile, but his eyes were full of sadness. “If that were true, there would have been plenty of times when I would stop being with you?”

“Which times?” Baekhyun was almost too afraid to ask.

“The time, when I know you weren’t Do Kyungsoo, when I found out you’re the heir of a syndicate or when you suddenly became Rambo?” Chanyeol shrugged off Baekhyun’s “stupid” question. His words seemed to affect the smaller male. Baekhyun wanted to believe this man in front of him. He really did.

“Don’t you see it, Baekhyun? I didn’t run away, and I won’t go anywhere. So, don’t be afraid. Show me every piece of you and I will love every single one.”

“You say ‘love’ like it’s nothing.”

“I don’t use that word inflationary. I said it because I was sure you are my soulmate and I haven’t changed my mind. Beside my family I haven’t said it anyone other than you.”

“You haven’t?”

“No, so trust me,” Chanyeol insisted, “I mean it when I said I love you. What about you? Did you mean it when you said you loved me too?”

Without thinking twice Baekhyun nodded. His head wouldn’t stop going up and down as if he was afraid Chanyeol wouldn’t believe him. And for some reason, Chanyeol was able to read his mind. The taller gently placed his hand on Baekhyun’s cheeks. Just a slight touch of Chanyeol and Baekhyun calmed down. Chanyeol’s touch warmed his whole body. At that moment, Baekhyun knew Chanyeol was right. This person was his soulmate too.

“Baekhyun,” the way Chanyeol called his real name, he still couldn’t get used to it.

“Your father. The prison director hasn’t made it public yet, but your father is badly wounded. It’s a long drive. We need to go.” Chanyeol reminded Baekhyun of the reason why they were having this conversation in the first place. After so many days full of anxiety, today could have been the best day since forever, if there weren’t his father being stabbed. Sure, he hated his father, but which son would want his father dead?

________>> <<________

As Chanyeol said, the drive was long. Yet, being alone in a car for hours was exactly what the couple needed right now. That way they could talk about everything. Everything, really. When they arrived at the hospital, there were no more secrets between them, and they had promised each other there would never be any secret again. Never in his life had Baekhyun made a promise, which he was as determined to keep as this one.

Chanyeol thought Baekhyun would rush to the reception once they arrived, but Baekhyun was calm. They had been waiting outside of the hospital for over 10 minutes and Baekhyun hadn’t said a word. Baekhyun insisted on an unobtrusive parking spot which still allowed them to have a clear sight at the entrance. At first, Chanyeol thought Baekhyun wasn’t ready to see his father considering their bad relationship, but Baekhyun didn’t seem to be lost in his thoughts. His eyes were too awake, observing everybody going in and out.

“Something is off,” he murmured.

“What’s wrong?” Chanyeol asked. He too sensed something fishy.

“I need to make a call,” said Baekhyun and dialed a number that wasn’t saved on his phone.

“Uncle,” he greeted the person on the other end of the phone, “why am I not informed about my father?”

Chanyeol was surprised how demanded Baekhyun sounded. Baekhyun didn’t say it, but his tone made it clear. He expected an explanation from his “uncle” and it better be a good one.

“I’m on my way. I’ll arrive soon.” And with that Baekhyun hanged up. Within a minute a group of five men gathered at the front door, clearly searching for someone. Each of them looked like they just came out of prison. It wasn’t just their visible tattoos but also the way they stood, the way they walked. Even the way they look at people. Everything about them screamed ‘criminal’. They weren’t wearing all black like in those gangster movies but when Chanyeol looked at them, he did see the colour black. Chanyeol was a man of science, so we would never say he could feel their aura, still if he had to describe them with one single word, it must be “dark”.

“That must be your welcoming committee,” Chanyeol commented sarcastically.

“They work for my uncle.”

“I thought your father is the leader. Wouldn’t everyone work for him?”

“Theoretically yes, but that’s not how it works. My uncle works for my father and those men work for my uncle and so on.” Baekhyun interrupted himself with a deep sigh.

“It is…,” Baekhyun hesitated to finish his sentence.