Baekhyun squirmed in his seat nervously as he waited for his date to arrive. He’d been reluctant to accept Jongdae’s idea of being set up at first, still too hurt after his relationship with The er ended nearly a year before, even if his heart held nothing more than resentment by that point. Still, knowing all too well that it was time to allow himself to move on, he decided to follow along with his best friend’s suggestion.

After The er had very blatantly stated that Baekhyun only ever looked good when he went to work -the smaller was a lawyer, after all-, but always looked like a slob whenever they spent time together, Baekhyun started to feel subconscious and had started to dress better. On this particular occasion, He’d put a lot of effort into grooming himself, taking extra time to choose his clothes carefully since he wanted to make a good impression. He opted to use a long-sleeved button up black shirt and the nicest pair of dress pants he could find in his wardrobe. He’d also re-dyed his hair, since his roots had been showing through the blond, and now he was sporting a honey brown tone.

Jongdae told him not to fret so much over his appearance, stating that his date wouldn’t care much about it, but Baekhyun couldn’t help it. No matter how much his friend tried to reassure him that everything would be okay, he still felt too insecure. Yes, Baekhyun knew that The er had been an and that he shouldn’t pay any mind to his words, but he couldn’t help it. Deep down, he figured it had to be true. After all, The er hadn’t been the only one to break up with him over his personality or his tastes.

For once, Baekhyun wanted to put an extra effort. If anything, he wanted someone to stay by his side, to love him, to appreciate him, and if to get that he had to go the extra mile with his appearance, then so be it. He would do it.

Too bad that his first up of the night started when he arrived too early to the luxurious restaurant Jongdae’s friend had chosen for the occasion. To be exact, he’d gotten to the place thirty minutes before, his anxiety too high when he remembered how The er had thrown it in his face that he’d been late to many of their dates. Baekhyun didn’t want that to happen again.

Time went by slowly as he fidgeted in his seat, his fingers tapping the table as he waited. The waiters and waitresses gave him odd looks every time they noticed him, but he paid them no mind. He was more focused on needing for everything to go perfect tonight. He’d rehearsed what he would say a thousand times and had made a mental list of things he should not mention if he wanted to make a good impression.

By the time seven came around, Baekhyun became even more nervous. His date hadn’t arrived and, of course, he wasn’t expecting for him to arrive exactly at the time, but since he’d arrived so early, he was getting even more impatient.

“Excuse me, are you Byun Baekhyun?” Asked a deep voice next to Baekhyun, making the smaller jump in his seat and almost making him drop the cup of water in his hand.

Baekhyun nodded as he moved to stand up, but the man stopped him with his hand before he took the seat in front of the brunet. “Hello, my name is Park Chanyeol and I believe I’m your date.”

The smaller stared dumbfounded at the man in front of him. If Baekhyun had to describe him, he would have to say he was an angel. He was so incredibly handsome with his large eyes and plump, red lips, his jawline and his sharp nose. He was, physically, totally Baekhyun’s type. The white dress shirt he was using along with the thick-rimmed, black squared glasses perched on his nose made him look even more handsome. The brunet was breathless. He really hadn’t expected for a man like him to be his blind date and he silently thanked Jongdae for setting this up.

Their conversation was strained, though, and awkward. Baekhyun tried his best to make it better, but his nervousness was not allowing him to be as social as he usually was. If anything, he kept stammering, his nerves shining through.

Chanyeol didn’t help either. While he wasn’t necessarily rude, he was too quiet. While Baekhyun rambled, he only stared, seeming uninterested in anything the brunet said. It made Baekhyun nervous since he couldn’t decipher what exactly he could be thinking.

“So what do you do for a living?” asked Baekhyun after a long, awkward pause.

Chanyeol’s eyes met his as he bit his bottom lip, seeming to be deep in thought. “I’m a…video game developer.”

Baekhyun’s mouth fell open at that. “No way! For real?” He asked enthusiastically, letting the façade he’d imposed on himself to fall for a moment.

Smiling slightly for the first time that evening, Chanyeol nodded. “Yeah, I’ve worked on a couple of big names. Do you like to game?”

Pausing for a moment, Baekhyun remembered the times The er would throw it in his face that all he cared about were his videos games, which was a lie. He liked playing them a lot, sure, but he cared more about the people in his life. He did get carried away a lot, though, and could go hours playing and shutting the world out.

The smaller pondered on whether he should reveal that, but well, Chanyeol was a developer, meaning that he knew how gamers could be. It couldn’t hurt to break one of the rules he set for himself that night.

“Yes, I do,” he revealed, biting his lip as he thought about whether to continue or not. “I play games here and there. LoL, PUBG, you know? But just occasionally.”

“Oh that’s cool,” replied Chanyeol as his tense shoulders seemed to relax slightly. Satisfied, Baekhyun decided it couldn’t hurt to follow that train of conversation. He started to ask questions, his overexcitement shining through the more he spoke to the guy in front of him, but he really couldn’t help it. He loved video games.

“What do you work on, Baekhyun?” Asked Chanyeol as he reached over for his cup of wine.

“I’m a lawyer,” he said proudly. While he would’ve preferred to study something else, following on his family’s steps and getting into their well-acclaimed firm in the city had been satisfying enough for the smaller. He was pretty good at what he did, too, so he really couldn’t complain. He enjoyed what he did, even if it wasn’t his dream.

Chanyeol’s smile dimmed slightly at that. “O-oh? Lawyer?”

Baekhyun nodded. “Yeah, I work at my family’s firm and hope to become its CEO one day.”

“Which firm?” asked the giant.

“Byun & Co.,” he replied.

Chanyeol tensed at that as he nodded. “Oh, I’ve heard of that one.”

Baekhyun knew his family’s firm had a reputation. They were the best in the field, after all. “Yeah, well, not to brag, but we’re the best.”

The taller snorted at that, making Baekhyun frown. “Sure. And you’re also full of liars and scumbags,” he murmured.

Taken completely aback, Baekhyun sat back on his chair as he tried to analyze his words. What? He knew that the people working under their company could be s, but that was normal for any business. He really couldn’t understand why he would say something with so much anger. If anything, he was slightly offended by the words since he took pride in the hard work of his family and what they had managed to build.

“Excuse me?”

Chanyeol had his jaw tightened as he ripped a napkin into little pieces, his eyes dark with emotions Baekhyun couldn’t decipher. “I said what I said. The people working under your ‘firm’ are .”

Raising an eyebrow, Baekhyun tilted his head to the side. “What makes you say that?”

“I just do. Lawyers are like that. You’re all liars and cheaters and thieves,” he said, his voice filling with venom the more he spoke, his fingers ripping the napkin with more force as his anger build up.

Frowning, Baekhyun leaned over. “Excuse me, but I’m not a ‘liar’ or a ‘cheater’ or a ‘thief.’”

Raising an eyebrow, Chanyeol met his eyes. “And how can I be so sure about that, huh? When you’ve clearly put up this strange act about being so ‘perfect’ to impress me or something. I can tell it’s all a lie, though. You’ve been trying to hide all night. From the first moment we spoke, all you’ve rambled about has been superficial bull. And then when I mentioned I was a video game developer, I could see in your eyes that you wanted to react in a totally different way. You are hiding yourself right in front of me. How can I believe you’re any different than the lawyers I’ve met when you’ve given me all the evidence I need to believe you are as much of a liar as them?”

Baekhyun was left speechless at the man’s words because, , he was right. He’d seen right through him. He’d deciphered him so well. And while he still had no idea why Chanyeol had such a horrible concept of lawyers -more specifically, the ones working at his firm- he had to give it to the guy, he’d hit the nail on the head.

This, of course, plus the fact that he’d been found out so easily only served to make him feel worse about himself. The er did say that all Baekhyun was good at was at turning everything into . He was a useless piece of , yeah, and this only proved that he was right.

He could’ve reacted in a much better way, but he felt so offended because Chanyeol was right about him that he acted without thinking and before he knew it, the contents of his cup of wine were now staining Chanyeol’s white button-up shirt. Shocked, Baekhyun put the cup down and covered his mouth with his hands as he felt mortification take over his body.

Chanyeol, on the other hand, looked really pissed. He didn’t yell, though, which surprised Baekhyun. Instead, all he did was push his chair back and stand up. Too bad he didn’t see the waitress coming over with the food right behind him. Baekhyun tried to warn him, of course, but it was too late.

“!” Exclaimed Chanyeol as tomato pasta sauce stained his already dirtied shirt even more. The waitress looked absolutely mortified and Baekhyun…well, Baekhyun wanted to jump off a cliff.

Wanting to fix everything somehow, he stood up and with a napkin. He tried to clean the shirt. It was useless, of course, but he was so ashamed of himself that he felt the need to do so.

Chanyeol’s strong hands wrapped around his wrists and gently pushed him away. “Stop it,” he said with ice in his voice, completely contradicting the soft hold he had on Baekhyun.

Baekhyun couldn’t stop, though, and felt tears prick his eyes as he gazed up at Chanyeol. He’d really ed up. He’d wanted to be perfect for this man, he wanted to leave a good impression by correcting all the flaws The er had pointed out when he left him, but he’d failed. If anything, he made himself look even worse and now…now he’d ed this up too. “I-I’m sorry,” he said, completely flustered as he stumbled back, wanting to give the giant some space. The floor was slippery, though, from the food that had been dropped plus the remnants of the wine.

It all happened in slow motion and Baekhyun barely had time to register everything until it was too late. His feet slipped and as his body fell backwards, he motioned to grab anything his hands could touch, his fingers finally clutching tightly onto the table cloth from the table next to theirs. Of course, that didn’t stop his fall and instead served to have the table cloth pulled on top of him, bringing along the plates and cups the couple occupying said table had been enjoying.

It was in that moment that he wished he could die. Maybe the ground could swallow him whole so he wouldn’t have to remember just what a fool he made of himself. All he’d wanted was to have the perfect date and maybe find love. It really wasn’t fair at all.

“Are you okay?” He heard Chanyeol ask as he started to remove the objects off him, but Baekhyun couldn’t find it in himself to reply. He was too ashamed of the way things had turned out to say anything. “Come on,” said the taller as he grabbed Baekhyun’s forearm and pulled him up gently.

Silently, Baekhyun thanked him as he stared down at the mess he’d made. “I’m so sorry,” he said to the couple, who were now looking at Baekhyun with pity. “Allow me to pay for the meal.”

He turned to the waitress and gave her his credit card before the couple could reply, and the young lady did as he said immediately, rushing over to make the payment. Baekhyun fiddled with his fingers as Chanyeol stood by him, both silent from the events that took place.

After the waitress came back, Baekhyun apologized to her and to the couple once more before he left, Chanyeol trailing behind. The smaller ignored how dirty he was all over, even his hair full of food and wine. He didn’t really care about that specifically, more bummed out by the fact that he’d ed up his date royally and had most likely made Chanyeol’s misconception of him even worse.

For whatever reason, though, Chanyeol walked with him down the street, even if Baekhyun himself didn’t know where he was going. It was strange, though, especially after everything that happened, and he wondered why he hadn’t left yet.

He asked him exactly that, taking the taller completely off-guard. “W-well, it wasn’t entirely your fault. I shouldn’t have said what I did,” murmured Chanyeol. “I wanted t-to apologize and make it up to you.”

Baekhyun stared at Chanyeol wide-eyed, not being able to process his words. “What?”

“I said horrible things, yeah? It wasn’t fair of me to assume how you are as a person based only on your profession. Sure, people from your firm as ty, but that’s no excuse to treat you the way I did.”

“Well, it’s okay, I guess. I don’t really get it, but I understand. Besides, I did try to hide a lot of things about myself,” whispered Baekhyun.

“Why don’t we start over? Without hiding anything and actually giving each other a chance? What do you think?” Offered Chanyeol.

Baekhyun studied the taller’s features for a moment, thinking the giant’s words over in his mind. “Okay.”

Chanyeol smiled widely at that, so beautifully and so brightly that Baekhyun was speechless. Wow, he really was an angel. “Hello, I’m Park Chanyeol and I believe I’m your date,” he said as he stuck his hand out.

Smiling back at him, Baekhyun took his hand and shook it firmly. “Hello, I’m Byun Baekhyun, and yes, I believe I am.”

And so they bought some ice cream at a local shop. It looked like a family business and the girl behind the counter giggled at the state the two men were at. They didn’t mind, of course, since they knew they looked like a mess. If anything, they took it in stride and agreed to keep it as a good memory.

With banana splits in their hands, the went out and sat on a bench at the park, conversation taking place soon after, honesty prevalent this time. And while they stirred clear from serious subjects like Chanyeol’s animosity towards lawyers from Byun & Co. or Baekhyun’s need to hide who he really was, they managed to find out enough about each other to realize that they could be a good match after all.

“Let’s be friends first. Let’s get to know each other and see where that takes us,” said Baekhyun after they spent an hour speaking about different video games they both enjoyed playing.

Smiling, Chanyeol nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

And it was as Baekhyun drove back to his apartment that night, with Chanyeol’s phone number saved in his phone, that he smiled because perhaps they had the worst date ever, but somehow, it worked out in the end. If anything, in the end, after being honest to each other, things worked out for the best. And maybe this time around, Baekhyun could finally find the honest love he’d wanted for so long.

++++

“So how did your date go?” asked Jongdae on Monday as he barged into Baekhyun’s office without knocking.

Rolling his eyes, Baekhyun continued reading the documents in front of himself. “Good morning to you too,” he replied.

Jongdae sat down on the seat in front of his desk and threw him a smile. “Just tell me the details already, Baek. Minseok and I have been wondering about it.”

Knowing Jongdae won’t leave him alone until he relented, Baekhyun sighed and put his papers down. “Well, it was okay.”

“Just okay?” Asked Jongdae with a raised eyebrow.

Baekhyun bit his bottom lip at that before he told him everything that happened, making sure not to leave any details out. He was embarrassed about the way the date started, but he couldn’t hide how giddy he felt when he told him of the second portion of his date. Chanyeol had made him feel so happy, almost like a teenager going out on his first date ever.

“You really liked Chanyeol, huh?” Asked Jongdae at last, once Baekhyun had finished.

Blushing the smaller looked down at his fingers. “Honestly? Yeah. He’s amazing.”

Chuckling, Jongdae leaned back on his chair as he stared at Baekhyun. “Well, I’m glad you like him. I haven’t seen you this happy in more than a year.”

Jongdae was right and Baekhyun knew it. “I know.”

“The er took a toll on you, even if you only dated for a couple of months. I’m glad you’re getting yourself together again, though,” said Jongdae.

Nodding, Baekhyun grinned. “Me too.”

“So, are you seeing Chanyeol again?” Asked Jongdae.

Pouting, Baekhyun looked at Jongdae and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, I haven’t spoken to him since.”

Rolling his eyes, Jongdae groaned. “Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to annoy him,” replied Baekhyun honestly.

Sighing, his friend slapped his forehead. “You won’t annoy him! He gave you his number for a reason, you idiot!”

Baekhyun’s pout intensified. “I’m sorry. I’m just scared of pushing him away. You know I can be really clingy sometimes.”

“You are clingy, but not that much. Don’t allow The er’s lies to get to you and to ruin what could be something beautiful. Please, Baek. Just text him already,” said Jongdae.

Thinking about it for a moment, Baekhyun stared at his desk before he relented. “Urgh, you’re right. I’ll text him right now!”

“Good,” said Jongdae with a satisfied smirk as he stood up. “See you later. I have work to finish.”

Waving goodbye, Jongdae left Baekhyun’s office. Once alone, Baekhyun sat back as he took a deep breath. He knew he was being silly, but deep inside, he was truly fearful of annoying Chanyeol. Even if he understood that The er had been given that nickname by Minseok for a reason, Baekhyun couldn’t help it, but to believe many of the horrible things he used to say. The brunet knew for a fact that he was too clingy and he wouldn’t want to push Chanyeol away because of that.

“Come on, Byun. You liked Chanyeol. Don’t be a coward,” he told himself before he sat up and grabbed his phone. Without overthinking it, he searched for Chanyeol’s number and typed something small.

Hi : )

He put his phone to the side after that and tried his best to concentrate on his work to no avail. He wasn’t expecting for Chanyeol to reply immediately, but the more time passed, the more he felt like he made a mistake. Perhaps he shouldn’t have bothered him.

His ringtone, though, made him jump and he immediately grabbed his phone. A wide grin spread across his lips as soon as he saw it was Chanyeol. Okay, so maybe he hadn’t ed up.

Hey! Sorry I haven’t texted. I got caught up with that project I mentioned on Saturday. How have you been?

Feeling giddy, Baekhyun bit his bottom lip as he thought about what to reply.

Don’t worry! I understand. I was kind of busy too, so I guess we’re even

He pressed send and just like that, they started a conversation that lasted all afternoon. It was nice, Baekhyun thought, as he alternated between working and texting about mindless details that may seem superficial to others, but that were important on a certain level to both.

By the time the end of the day came around and Baekhyun was set to leave, a bright smile was stuck on his lips, his insides feeling giddy. With his heart beating fast, Baekhyun headed for the elevator, were he encountered Jongdae.

“What’s got you looking so happy?” asked Jongdae with a smile.

Baekhyun sighed dreamily. “I took your advice and texted Chanyeol. Best decision ever .”

“Told you,” said Jongdae.

“I really like him,” Dae,” said Baekhyun before he bit his bottom lip.

“So you’re going on a second date, then?”

Excited, Baekhyun nodded enthusiastically. “We’re going out on Sunday to that video game convention I told you I wanted to go to.”

Jongdae chuckled at that. “Of course, the guy’s a geek, just like you.”

Baekhyun didn’t even get upset at his friend’s words. If anything, he just started to nod with a dreamy look in his eyes, his mind running around with the possibilities of how things could go this time around. He knew it would be okay, of course. Their date would turn out just fine.

++++

Baekhyun had been right, of course, and he was internally smug at having known better for once. He’d met up with Chanyeol outside the venue, the giant using a LoL shirt while Baekhyun had donned his PUBG shirt.

“You look great today,” complimented Chanyeol with a sincere smile, melting Baekhyun’s already weak heart.

“You’re just flattering me,” said the smaller, blushing profusely. He meant his words, though, since he’d only grabbed the first items of clothing he saw that morning.

“I’m being honest. Casual suits you, makes you look relaxed. That’s a good thing,” replied Chanyeol.

Baekhyun bit his bottom lip at that, his stomach filling with butterflies, a riot taking place as his heart beat at a fast pace. Chanyeol was…perfect.

And the guy continued to prove himself as they walked around, checking out video game merchandise like shirts, stickers, acups, posters they wouldn’t paste on their walls, and key chains.

Baekhyun bought an Ashe figurine for Chanyeol, one that was original and expensive and Chanyeol positively freaked out.

“I can’t take it, Baek. It’s too much,” he said as he shook his head adamantly. His eyes, though, told a different story, as they shone with unspoken desire because  , that would look great in his collection, and Baekhyun knew it.

“Come on, Yeollie. I want to give it to you. Please take it,” pleaded Baekhyun with a pout. “Besides, I already paid for it.”

The girl behind the register was staring at their exchange with a barely contained laugh as she held the bag with the box over the counter. “It’s non-refundable,” she said. Baekhyun knew it was a lie, of course, but he was grateful for her help.

Sighing in defeat, Chanyeol reached over and took the bag. “Fine, I’ll take it. Thank you.”

Baekhyun winked at the girl conspiratorially before he followed after Chanyeol, who had the most adorable look in his eyes. He looked so happy as he clutched the bag close to his chest and walked around. For once, Baekhyun knew he’d succeeded at giving one of his dates something he would cherish. That had never happened before, not with any of his exes, and most definitely not with The er.

Chanyeol, of course, ended up making up for it by getting Baekhyun an expensive Ezreal figurine and Baekhyun was delighted. “Thank you!” He squealed in excitement.

“Do you like it?,” said Chanyeol with a smile.

“I love you it,” replied Baekhyun as he returned his date’s smile.

The look in Chanyeol’s eyes in that moment, the unexplainable emotion in them made Baekhyun’s heart skip a couple of beats. For a moment, he felt breathless as everything around them stopped and only Chanyeol mattered.

Never had Baekhyun felt that way with anyone before.

Their moment sadly came to an end eventually, though, when a rude teenager pushed Baekhyun out of the way, making him stumble until he ended up in Chanyeol’s strong arms. Looking up at him, he smiled shyly. “Sorry.”

Chanyeol helped him get steady on his feet and shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, it’s not your fault teenagers these days are absolute .”

Baekhyun had to agree with him. Manners were dead now a days.

Their date continued, with their pockets now relatively empty from the money they’d prepared for the day. Now, they could focus on exploring the rest of the place, taking part in the various activities, like competing in a round of PUBG against a group of smug teenagers who thought they could defeat an ex-pro gamer turned video game developer and a guy that had spent every waking moment since he was twelve behind a computer screen playing video games and winning. Needless to say, the teenagers ended up awestruck at the pair’s talent.

“Keep playing,” said Chanyeol before leaving, grabbing a business card from his wallet and handing it over to them. “You guys are good. Give me a call if you ever feel like winning some money with those skills.”

He didn’t wait for a reply as he walked away and Baekhyun stared at his back with the biggest heart-eyes. “He’s wonderful, isn’t he?”

“Dude, you’re whipped,” said one of the guys.

Baekhyun bit his bottom lip and nodded. “I am,” he said with a breathy voice as he followed after Chanyeol, his mind stuck on just how wonderful the man really was.

Chanyeol finished stealing his heart, though, when he bought him food. He bought him anything he could find, stuffing Baekhyun full until he felt he couldn’t take it anymore.

The er had always criticized Baekhyun’s eating habits, saying Baekhyun was too fat and that he needed to eat less. The smaller had believed him, of course, and had gone on an intense diet that sent him to the hospital for malnutrition and anemia. Needless to say, Jongdae and Minseok had demanded for Baekhyun to leave the (which he did, thankfully) and had watched him closely as he slowly got back on his feet again.

The fact that Chanyeol didn’t care about what Baekhyun ate and encouraged him to eat as much as he wanted made him feel warm inside. Finally, after having succumbed to the pressure of a ty, abusive lover who had done him too much harm, Baekhyun felt happy and relieved and that perhaps he wasn’t everything The er had claimed.

It would take time to fully love himself, of course, but that was the starting step before he continued to move forward.

By the time night rolled around, his heart was filled with so much joy he felt like he was going to explode. Chanyeol continued to be the sweetest man on Earth as he offered to drive Baekhyun to his apartment (he’d had to ask Jongdae to drop him off since his own car broke down two days before, a detail he forgot to mention to Chanyeol earlier).

They spoke during the ride and sang along to different songs that came on the radio. Baekhyun felt full of life and he couldn’t put into words just how happy that made him feel.

The emotions running through his body were so intense that he didn’t notice when he started crying, much less sobbing so loudly that Chanyeol quickly cupped his face in alarm once he’d parked outside Baekhyun’s luxurious apartment building. He shushed him as he wiped away his tears, worry evident in his eyes.

“I-I’m sorry. It’s j-just that n-no one had-d ever treated m-me this well before,” he stuttered in between his sobs, his cries getting worse as his feelings spilled over. “M-My ex w-was an and he always c-criticized my l-love for video g-games and f-food. B-but you’re so n-nice. You love w-what I love and e-even said I l-looked good t-today even th-though I look like a slob.”

Chanyeol frowned at that, concern evident in his features as he continued to run soothing circles on Baekhyun’s cheek. “Hey, you’re not a slob. You’re amazing, every aspect of you. I didn’t think it would feel so nice to date again after my... my last relationship. If anything, I went along with Sehun just so he would shut up. And wow, our first date was an absolute disaster.” Baekhyun chuckled at that through his tears because he was right. It had been horrible. “But then we started talking properly and now today and wow, Byun Baekhyun, I’m so happy I let that brat convince me to go see you. You’re wonderful and beautiful and smart and funny and honestly, whatever that guy said was a lie. You’re… perfect the way you are.”

Feeling too touched at his words, Baekhyun jumped into his arms, his legs half on his seat and half over the car’s central console, his arms wrapped around Chanyeol’s neck as he continued to sob. He’d never been told something like that before. He’d never been called perfect, and his hurt heart felt full for once in his life.

“Thank you,” he murmured when he calmed down.

He separated himself from Chanyeol slightly, a wobbly smile on his face. He was sure he looked ugly as , with tears on his cheeks and snot on his nose, but Chanyeol didn’t seem to mind since he smiled tenderly at him and leaned closer to plant a soft kiss on his lips. “You deserve the world, Baekhyun. Don’t ever doubt that.”

Baekhyun grinned at Chanyeol’s words and pecked his lips in return, lingering for a moment. “And so do you.”

Chanyeol kissed him again, properly this time, his lips gliding over Baekhyun’s slowly and sensually, and Baekhyun answered back in the same manner, enjoying the taste that was purely Chanyeol’s. He could see himself becoming addicted to it, to him . His lips were so soft and so full, so plush, so delicious, and his scent was so purely his that it drove Baekhyun insane.

They eventually let go, though, when oxygen became necessary. Smiles played at the corners of their lips and finally, Baekhyun thought, finally things would start falling into place, it seemed.

++++

Their relationship kept advancing after that, their conversations an important figment of their lives, but the other understanding when work got in the way for one of them. They gave each other breathing space but made sure to check on each other every certain amount of time just in case.

Their dates became frequent too. They tried to keep it interesting, from going to different arcades to fairs and museums. It was fun and Baekhyun felt like a teenager again, enjoying life as he discovered the wonders of love.

Chanyeol seemed to reciprocate his feelings, which felt wonderful, but he could tell that something was holding him back. He’d wanted to ask, of course, but never really knew how. He had the feeling it had to do with what he said on their first encounter, something a lawyer from his firm must’ve done to him. What exactly it was, who it was, and when was what Baekhyun was yet to figure out.

It didn’t take him long to find out some details about it, though, since Chanyeol called him one day right before lunch and asked him if he wanted to eat with him. Apparently, he was in the area and thought it would be a good time to see him, since they hadn’t been able to speak much the previous week.

Of course! Come over! I’ll tell the front desk to let you in. I’m on the last floor, office next to the CEO’s -B

I’ll be there soon with our food, then ^^ -C

Can’t wait to see you! -B

He didn’t get a reply after that, but it was okay. While Chanyeol had called him a myriad of sincere compliments on countless occasions, and while he constantly sought out Baekhyun, leaving him sweet messages, reminding him to eat and hanging out with him at either of their apartments, eating pizza and playing video games, he still was closed off. It was hard for him to return words of affection, hence why Baekhyun refrained himself from reminding him just how much he liked him, in case Chanyeol freaked out and bolted on him.

Once again, Baekhyun engrossed himself with his work, needing to concentrate on the case in front of him before Chanyeol arrived. It was hard, but he eventually managed, forgetting about everything and everyone until his phone started ringing.

To his shock, he had three missed calls from Chanyeol and guilt filled his heart at that. The er had complained on several occasions about Baekhyun’s habit of ignoring everything around him whenever he got too focused on a task. It seemed like that hadn’t changed and Baekhyun hoped that Chanyeol wasn’t too upset about it.

He immediately called him, but the taller didn’t answer. Worried, he decided to go look for him. He had spoken to the front desk, but maybe Chanyeol could’ve had a problem with them. He preferred to go check himself.

With his phone in his hand and his teeth biting his bottom lip, he left his office and headed for the elevators. He tried dialing Chanyeol’s phone again, but stopped when he saw him.

“Chanyeol! I’m so sorry I didn’t answer. I didn’t hear my phone,” he said as he approached him, placing a soft hand on his shoulder and standing on his toes to plant a soft peck on his lips.

Chanyeol returned the kiss with a smile, but his eyes looked grim for whatever reason. At that reaction, Baekhyun frowned and finally noticed that Chanyeol had been speaking to Kyungsoo and Jongin, a married couple that had been working for the firm for a while. The smaller didn’t speak much to them, to be honest, but they got along well whenever they interacted.

“Oh, I’m sorry I interrupted,” he apologized with a smile, trying to ease some of the tension he could feel emanating from the three of them. “I didn’t see you there.”

“How are you, Baekhyun? Haven’t seen you in a while,” Asked Kyungsoo with what seemed like a forced polite smile.

“I’m doing great, thank you for asking. And yeah, I’ve been busy with this really complicated case,” he said while waving his hand in the air dismissively. “I didn’t know you knew each other,” he added as he motioned at the three of them.

“Um, yeah, we know each other from high school,” replied Chanyeol, his voice tense, as was his facial expression.

Baekhyun could tell there was more to the story, but he didn’t want to ask more about it. He did know, though, that these couple had to be the reason why Chanyeol felt so much animosity towards lawyers from Byun & Co. Still, he tried his best to keep his composure and smiled…or at least tried.

“Ah, I see,” he replied before he looked down at his wrist. “Oh, look at the time. I’m sorry I have to steal Yeollie away, but it’s getting late and we need to have lunch,” he replied, feeling especially satisfied at Kyungsoo’s frown when he heard the nickname.

Baekhyun took Chanyeol’s hand and dragged him to his office, not waiting for the others to reply. Once inside, he closed the door and turned around to look a the taller, who still looked tense and serious.

“You okay?” Asked Baekhyun, studying Chanyeol’s features closely.

Gulping, Chanyeol nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied. It was obvious he was lying and Baekhyun knew Chanyeol knew that, too.

“I’m not going to force you to speak about it, but know that you can trust me. I’m always here to listen,” said Baekhyun as he placed his hand on Chanyeol’s forearm.

Smiling sincerely for the first time that day, even though it had a hint of sadness that stabbed Baekhyun’s heart, Chanyeol put the bags of takeout on Baekhyun’s desk before pulling the smaller into a tight embrace. “Thank you,” he whispered in his ear.

Butterflies filled his stomach at Chanyeol’s actions, his insides warm with the affection that had only continued to grow with the weeks they’d been interacting. He didn’t think twice about it when he embraced Chanyeol back and eagerly accepted the other’s soft pecks on his lips.

“I hope you know you’re truly a blessing in my life, Baek. I know I don’t show it much, but in this short time, you have come to mean a lot to me,” said Chanyeol, his eyes sincere as they stared into Baekhyun’s.

The smaller’s heart skipped several beats at that as the giant’s words registered in his mind. Grinning widely, Baekhyun tightened his grip on the taller’s neck and kissed him with more fervor than before. “You have become a very important part of my life too, Yeollie. I try not to say it too much in case I overwhelm you, but I really do mean it when I say I like you a lot. More than I’ve ever liked anyone before.”

Baekhyun could see a myriad of emotions run through Chanyeol’s eyes: fear, sadness, affection, and something more he couldn’t quite decipher, but that made his heart beat faster than before.

Without saying a single word, Chanyeol tightened his grip on his waist and pulled him closer, his lips touching Baekhyun’s with a fervor he hadn’t shown before. Not that Baekhyun minded, of course. If anything, this was the most passionate Chanyeol had been willing to be with him since they started dating. It felt really nice.

Soon enough, Baekhyun found himself sitting on his desk, his blazer and tie thrown somewhere and his shirt open as Chanyeol, now shirtless, stood with the smaller’s legs wrapped around his waist. Chanyeol’s lips had long travelled down his neck, leaving a scorching path of kisses and and bites, driving electric shocks all the way down to Baekhyun’s groin.

“Ugh Chanyeol, that feels so good,” moaned Baekhyun.

“You’re so sensitive,” murmured Chanyeol as he chuckled. “It’s cute,” he said before he kissed Baekhyun’s lips again, his tongue entering the smaller’s mouth without having to ask for permission.

Chanyeol was an incredible kisser, by far the best Baekhyun had tasted. He knew just how much tongue to use and balanced it well with nipping and kissing. He slowed down into a more sweet, sensual, toe-curling rhythm and sped up into a passionate, desperate pace if he deemed it fit.

He was truly driving Baekhyun insane.

Chanyeol’s lips, Chanyeol’s scent, Chanyeol’s touch, everything about him was addicting, decadent...it made Baekhyun want more and more until he could satiate the hunger inside of him. He was thirsty for Chanyeol, for what he could do to him, what he could make him feel , and his mind ran with the possibilities as Chanyeol continued to kiss him and hold him.

Completely entranced by the situation, Baekhyun glided his hand down Chanyeol’s torso until he reached the zipper of his dark jeans and very slowly started to pull it down. He needed to feel just how wonderful he was, just how big -if the bulge against his own crotch was a hint- and oh man did it feel better than he originally imagined.

He was about to pull it out, needing to have Chanyeol’s in his hand...when the door to his office was suddenly pulled open. “Hey Baek- WHAT THE ?!” Exclaimed Jongdae as his eyes fell on the scene in front of him.

Startled, the couple pulled away from each other, shocked by the sudden intrusion.

“For the love of- Jongdae! Couldn’t you knock first?” Asked Baekhyun as he combed his hair with his fingers.

Jongdae’s horrified expression turned smug as his eyes followed Chanyeol’s muscled figure. “Well, I never knock. How was I supposed to know you were...busy with...Chanyeol, I’m guessing?”

Baekhyun blushed at that, his eyes shining with annoyance at Jongdae’s words. “Who else would it be?!”

Jongdae chuckled at that. “Okay okay, sorry. You’ve got a point.”

Chanyeol finally turned around at that and smiled as he extended his hand. “My name’s Chanyeol. Nice to meet you.”

Smirking, Jongdae took his hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you too, even though I never thought our first encounter would be with Baekhyun’s hand on your .”

Chanyeol’s face and ears turned red at that as Baekhyun sputtered. Laughing evilly, Jongdae waved his hand and walked towards the door. “Lock the door if you’re going to , Baek. I know you’ve always had a fantasy about having in the office, but remember there are people still around.”

“ you Jongdae!”

“No thanks. I’m not the one you want to anyway.”

Baekhyun grabbed the first thing he could find -an old notebook with case notes- and threw it at the door. Jongdae could be heard cackling from the other side as he walked away.

“I’m so sorry about that,” said Baekhyun as he turned to Chanyeol, a mortified look in his eyes.

Giggling, Chanyeol shook his head and wrapped his arms around Baekhyun. “No, don’t worry about it. He’s funny.”

Baekhyun wanted to disagree, but he knew it was true. Jongdae could be hilarious.

After that, they did end up eating lunch, sitting on the small sitting area Baekhyun had in his office. They spoke about different subjects, mostly work and their old college days. Fascinated, Baekhyun asked Chanyeol about his pro-gamer days and listened intently as the taller answered all the questions he asked.

“Why did you stop?” asked Baekhyun as he stared at Chanyeol with a bright smile, eager to know more about the giant.

Chanyeol’s smile dimmed at that and Baekhyun instantly knew it was a touchy subject. He regretted asking, actually, as he saw the sorrow in Chanyeol’s eyes and figured it would be better to take it back.

“You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to,” he said as he bit his bottom lip, trying to fix the mistake he made.

The taller studied his features for a moment before he smiled. “No, it’s okay. We can talk about it.”

Baekhyun remained silent, giving Chanyeol the space he needed to finally open up.

“I dated this guy throughout college and he wasn’t into video games at all, always said me studying video game developing and being a pro gamer would lead me nowhere. So eventually I just...dropped pro gaming in my fourth year.”

“Do...do you regret it?”

Frowning, Chanyeol thought about it for a moment. “Well, not exactly. I mean, I regret giving him the power to stop me from doing something I truly enjoyed, but I guess dropping pro gaming gave me more time to focus on school. In the end, I was pretty damn good at developing games, so I guess it wasn't bad in the end.”

“But, how did you end up dating someone that didn’t like gaming when you were studying video game development? I’m sorry if the question is intrusive, but I’m just really curious to know.”

Grinning, Chanyeol shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. “I honestly don’t know. We were friends and, for whatever reason, we ended up dating. Honestly, thinking back, we never actually clicked. I think I loved the idea of him more than I loved him. I was too blind to see we weren’t compatible in any way, shape or form.”

Baekhyun wanted to ask more, wanted to know how Chanyeol opened his eyes and ask if maybe that guy was the reason he couldn’t completely open up to him, why he couldn’t allow himself to let go and feel the way Baekhyun did. He had many questions, but the least he wanted was to push it, especially if Chanyeol didn’t feel comfortable speaking about it.

I’ll wait until he’s ready to open up , he promised himself.

“You know, it’s hard to let go of someone you once thought could be your entire world,” said Baekhyun at last, thinking his words through before he spoke them. “And it hurts when you find out they’re not meant to be that one special someone in your life, you know? It even more when they hurt you one way or another and, even if deep down you know they’re not good for you, you still can’t seem to let go.”

Chanyeol studied Baekhyun’s features for a moment thoughtfully. “Is that what happened with the guy you mentioned on our first date?”

Smiling, Baekhyun nodded. “Yeah, it’s about him. When I first met him, I thought he was amazing. He was good looking, charming, smart, and rich. My family adored him too, so I figured there would be nothing wrong with going out with him, you know? In the end, he was an . He criticized everything I did, he would criticize how I dressed, how I spoke, how I worked. I stopped gaming for the entirety of our relationship because he used to say it took away all my attention from him. He also loved calling me offensive names with his friends. It really ,” Baekhyun said as he reminisced on such a dark period of his life. “After ending in the hospital for starving myself, my friends Jongdae and Minseok intervened and made me see what a piece of he was. That’s why now we call him The er.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” murmured Chanyeol as he caressed Baekhyun’s cheek softly.

“It’s okay,” said Baekhyun. “I can’t say I’m completely over it, our first date is proof of that, but I’m getting there. And I know that, despite what happened to you, even if I don’t know all the details, you’ll get there too.”

Smiling, Chanyeol leaned over and planted the sweetest kiss on Baekhyun’s lips, lingering for a moment before he pulled away. “Thank you. I promise I’ll tell you everything soon. I’m just not ready yet.”

Returning the smile, Baekhyun wrapped his arms around Chanyeol’s neck and pecked his lips. “Take your time. There’s no rush.”

And just like that, for the rest of their lunch break, they cuddled on the couch as they spoke of more light-hearted subjects, enjoying each other’s company as they did so.

Maybe, but just maybe, Baekhyun could feel himself falling in love even more deeply with the giant and he wasn’t scared at all at knowing that such a kind-hearted human had stolen his heart.

++++

Sehun was an annoying little , a fact that only became even more evident as he judged Chanyeol after he told him about his most recent dilemma.

“So you’re telling me you haven’t asked Baekhyun to be your boyfriend because of what happened with Kyungsoo?”

Chanyeol sighed as he looked down at his hands. “It sounds stupid, doesn't it?”

“It’s not stupid,” said Junmyeon as he sat next to Sehun. “It’s understandable because he and Jongin meant so much to you, but it’s time to let go, Chan. Not for them, but for yourself.”

“And for Baekhyun. I met him twice before and he’s really nice, a total catch. Are you willing to lose him and see what could be with him because of something someone who simply wasn’t worth it did?” Added Sehun.

Chanyeol bit his bottom lip at that. “I know. I just...feel so hurt about it still.”

“Do you still love him?” Asked Sehun.

Chanyeol frowned at that question. “No I don’t,” he said with finality, knowing he’d never really loved him in the first place. He’d been in love with the idea of him, but not him per se. “What hurts was the betrayal. It still does.”

“And we get that, Chan,” said Junmyeon as he leaned forward to grab his hand and squeeze it reassuringly. “But you need to let go of that pain. Like we said, it’s not for them, but for you. You can’t find real happiness if you don’t move past this. You can’t have a nice relationship with Baekhyun if you don’t work on this first.”

“We want you to be happy, hyung. Not only with Baek, but simply happy with yourself too. We want you to feel well again, to feel confident, to love yourself...and then love Baekhyun back the way he deserves.”

Chanyeol remained silent after that and the couple seemed to understand that he had much to think about, so they decided to leave. And think he did, since for the rest of the night, he pondered their words in his mind.

Yes, he had to let go, but he didn’t know how. He was so deeply hurt, his heart had been badly damaged. The three of them had been friends for years before the incident. He never thought they would stoop so low as to hurt him the way they did. He didn’t know if he could ever get over it, really.

But when he thought about Baekhyun, about his shining eyes and beautiful smile, about his contagious laugh and the warmth that irradiated from him in waves made Chanyeol realize that no, he did not want to lose him. He didn’t want to let go of the way Baekhyun made him feel whenever they were together or simply speaking through texts. The fast heart beats, the laughs, the pouts, the screams after losing another round on any video game they were trying that day, had all become very special to him.

...Baekhyun had become very special to him and perhaps...perhaps he was in love.

Staring up at his bedroom ceiling, Chanyeol felt a pang of pain run through his heart at the thought of not having him in his life anymore.

He was afraid, though, of what could happen. Even if he knew Baekhyun was nothing like Kyungsoo and Jongin, he still feared. He’d grown to become so insecure after everything that he couldn’t even manage to give himself fully to a guy that had already trusted him with his heart. Baekhyun didn’t need to tell him because he knew, he could tell that Baekhyun felt very strongly about him.

What could he do, though, when all the pain had accumulated in the last three years, making his scar bigger than before? How could he start the process of healing ? He felt so lost, so lonely. He didn’t know what to do.

His phone vibrating brought him out of his reverie. He reached over to grab it and instantly smiled when he saw who it was from.

Goodnight, Yeollie ^^

- B

Feeling giddy at having Baekhyun send him a text right before going to bed, just like he did every night, Chanyeol replied.

Goodnight Hyunnie

-C

Yeah, it was time to let go of the pain.

++++

Their monthly stay-at-home dates became weekly as time went by, either of them spending time at the other’s apartment.

They loved spending time together, playing video games, watching movies, and eating to their heart's content. It was amazing and Baekhyun loved every second of it.

...if only Chanyeol wasn’t still so reserved and closed off.

Baekhyun was sure he was in love with Chanyeol by that point and just thinking about how he could’ve been hurt in any way, shape or form made his blood boil in anger because Chanyeol deserved nothing but happiness. Baekhyun wished for nothing more than to pamper him, to give him cuddles, kisses, and so much love that never again would the giant feel insecure. He couldn’t do that, though, not when Chanyeol kept pushing him away.

Still, Baekhyun was persistent and with every moment they spent together, he became more determined to show Chanyeol that, no matter what happened, Baekhyun was willing to prove himself and to stay by his side.

For the time being, though, Baekhyun wanted to murder Chanyeol since he’d allowed for his character to lose...again.

“Baek, it’s not my fault that you always get yourself killed,” replied Chanyeol as he turned off his laptop.

Pouting, Baekhyun placed his own laptop on the coffee table in front of him. “I-It’s not! You always survive, I don’t! That’s not fair! You’re doing it on purpose.”

He gave his back to the taller as he continued to pout, his arms crossed as he frowned. Chanyeol chuckled at Baekhyun’s reaction and tried to make him speak to him, but Baekhyun refused to.

“Come on, Baek. I’m sorry. I promise I’ll do better next time,” tried to coax Chanyeol, but Baekhyun didn’t budge.

Chanyeol was very stubborn, though, and Baekhyun remembered how the taller liked to play dirty sometimes when he wrapped his arms around his waist from behind and buried his face in the smaller’s neck. “Come on, baby,” he murmured as he planted the softest of kisses there. “I’m really sorry.”

Baekhyun closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he tried his best not to relent. Nope, he wouldn’t give in, even if Chanyeol was leaving a path of small bites down his throat while murmuring sweet words the way Chanyeol knew Baekhyun loved so much. Baekhyun was stronger than that! He had self-control, he wouldn’t allow Chanyeol to win this round…

...until Chanyeol reached that spot behind Baekhyun’s ear and hard. Unwillingly, his mouth released the dirtiest moan and he knew that he’d lost.

Throwing dignity out the window, he immediately turned around and threw himself in Chanyeol’s arms, making the taller fall back onto the couch’s cushions, and planted his lips on his with force. The kiss was fierce from the start, Baekhyun in control as he nibbled and on Chanyeol’s bottom lip with fervor.

Chanyeol barely had time to catch on to Baekhyun’s ministration, clearly stunned from the way Baekhyun reacted. Baekhyun didn’t slow down, though. He loved the feeling of having Chanyeol beneath him, grabbing his waist tightly and slowly catching up to Baekhyun’s actions until he took control.

They’d made out several times already, of course, but it never went further. Chanyeol always stopped before anything else could happen. This time, though, he didn’t, and instead allowed Baekhyun to feel his hardening with his hand over his jeans.

Delighted, Baekhyun moved closer to Chanyeol’s ear and mumbled: “Can I please your , Yeollie? It feels so good in my hand, I can’t wait to have it shoved down my throat. Please?”

Chanyeol’s hold on his hips tightened as Baekhyun met his eyes briefly. The brunet could see the heated light in them and instantly knew he’d finally get what he’d wanted for so long.

“You’re driving me crazy, babe,” mumbled Chanyeol as he smiled up at Baekhyun.

That was enough of an answer for Baekhyun, who didn’t hesitate to move down Chanyeol’s body and hastily pull the zipper of the taller’s jeans down. With trembling fingers, Baekhyun somehow managed to pull Chanyeol’s pants and boxers down in one go and then felt his eyes widen because holy , Chanyeol’s was big.

Completely taken aback, Baekhyun reached over and wrapped his pretty fingers around the shaft, mesmerized by how the thick girth fit in his hand. He pumped it slowly, taking in the feel of the soft skin as he did so.

Wanting...no, needing to taste it, Baekhyun leaned down and the tip, closing his eyes as he did so. “You taste so good,” he murmured before he ran his tongue down Chanyeol’s length and back up again. “So so good,” he moaned as he wrapped his pretty lips around the head and hard. That drew a loud groan out of Chanyeol’s mouth, which only made Baekhyun want more.

Feeling the need to make Chanyeol scream for him, to cry and to beg for more, Baekhyun took more of Chanyeol’s length into his mouth, hard as he made his way back up to the head. He repeated the action, taking a little more of Chanyeol’s into his mouth every time, his tongue flat against the vein that ran to one side as he tasted the saltiness of Chanyeol’s .

“, Baek,” moaned Chanyeol as his hand tangled in Baekhyun’s hair.

Pleased by this, Baekhyun took Chanyeol all the way down his throat until he’d taken all of him inside. He stayed there for a moment, loving the way it felt to have Chanyeol so deep inside while having the taller praising him over how good it felt.

When it became too much, Baekhyun pulled the length out of his mouth before taking it back in all the way again, setting a steady pace, bobbing his head up and down as Chanyeol gripped his hair tightly and groaned Baekhyun’s name in pleasure.

“I-I’m going to , babe,” warned Chanyeol, his fingers tugging at Baekhyun’s hair to make him pull away. Baekhyun’s didn’t pay attention and instead kept until Chanyeol came in his mouth with a loud moan.

Delighted by this, Baekhyun kept his lips wrapped around the tip as he drank every drop he could, feeling as one escaped and slipped through the corner of his lips and down his chin. He loved how good Chanyeol tasted.

“Damn, Baek,” said Chanyeol once he came down from his high.

Looking up at the taller innocently, Baekhyun let go of his slowly, making sure to give one final to the tip as he did so. “Did you like it?” He asked as he wiped his chin with his index finger before cleaning it with his tongue.

Chanyeol gulped at the sight. “Like it? Baby, I loved it.”

Grinning, Baekhyun leaned closer to Chanyeol. “I’m glad.”

“You’re wonderful, you know that?” murmured Chanyeol as he caressed Baekhyun’s cheek tenderly.

Feeling shy, Baekhyun felt his cheeks warm up as he bit his bottom lip. “I just gave you a .”

Chanyeol chuckled. “True, but it was by far the best I’ve ever had.”

Baekhyun smirked. “Well, I do give amazing s, even though I’m out of practice.”

“Damn, I can’t wait to see how you do them when you’re at your best,” said Chanyeol as he leaned in to peck Baekhyun’s lips softly.

“, I love that you’re not disgusted to kiss me right now,” said Baekhyun as he gave Chanyeol a peck in return.

Chanyeol shrugged as he pulled Baekhyun in for a deeper kiss than before. “You just had my  in your mouth. How could I ever find that disgusting? If anything, I find it hot.”

Smiling, Baekhyun kissed Chanyeol deeply. “You’re so weird, but that’s why I love you.”

The couple froze in each other’s arms at Baekhyun’s words. Baekhyun hadn’t intended for the words to slip out, not while Chanyeol wasn’t ready at least, but in the heat of the moment, he couldn’t control them. He regretted saying them, especially with the way Chanyeol’s eyes shone with unreadable emotions that only served to scare Baekhyun further.

Gulping, Baekhyun sat back. “I-I’m sorry. It j-just slipped, b-but it doesn’t mean th-that you have t-to say it b-back or anythin-”

“Baek, please breathe,” said Chanyeol as he took Baekhyun’s shaking hands in his and drew him closer. He planted a soft kiss on Baekhyun’s cheek before he looked into his eyes. “It’s okay, babe. I’m not mad.”

“Y-you’re not?” Asked Baekhyun, his tears falling.

Chanyeol smiled as he cupped the smaller’s cheeks with his hands and leaned his forehead against his. “Why would I be when you just made me so happy? If anything, I wonder just how it’s possible for someone as wonderful as you to fall in love with me.” Chanyeol kissed Baekhyun’s soft lips briefly before he kissed both his cheeks, cleaning away his tears as he did so. “You’re so smart, talented, funny, good-hearted, caring, and so so beautiful. You’re so gentle with me, you take care of me like no one ever did. I don’t deserve you, love.” Chanyeol kissed Baekhyun’s trembling lips again. “Please don’t cry, yeah? I love you too, baby, so so much.”

Baekhyun felt his heart grow warm at Chanyeol’s confession. It felt amazing to know Chanyeol felt the same way he did. So smiling widely through his tears -and probably looking like an idiot-, he wrapped his arms tightly around Chanyeol’s neck and buried his face in his neck. “Thank you, Yeollie. Thank you so much.”

“I should be the one thanking you, Baek. You’re truly a blessing in my life, but…” Chanyeol sighed as he pushed Baekhyun away gently. “There’s something I need to talk to you about before we can continue. I don’t think it would be fair to you if I wasn’t completely honest about this. I need to let go, and I’m ready to do so, but first, I want to tell you. And after I do, I can love you properly the way you deserve.”

Baekhyun sat back on Chanyeol’s thighs and smiled at him reassuringly. “I’m all ears, Yeollie.”

Taking a deep breath, Chanyeol took a moment to get himself together before he started. “You remember when I told you I had two best friends in high school?” Baekhyun nodded. “Well, they were Kyungsoo and Jongin.”

Baekhyun’s mouth opened in shock. Yes, Chanyeol mentioned they went to high school together, but he never really figured out that they were Chanyeol’s best friends. The smaller immediately had so many questions to ask, but he knew that Chanyeol would answer them anyway as he told his story, so he simply composed himself and listened.

“We were really close and they helped me get myself out of the shell of social anxiety I’d enclosed myself in. They were there for me when things got bad and were also there to cheer me on when things were good too. We were almost inseparable...until we started college. Kyungsoo and Jongin went on to study law while I got into game developing. We were all busy, but we somehow managed to spend time together too. That was, of course, until Jongin started dating this guy and barely hung out with us anymore. Still, Kyungsoo and I spent time together, missing Jongin, but still not wanting our friendship to be ruined, you know?”

Chanyeol started to fumble with his fingers before he continued. “Eventually, spending so much time together made feelings develop and so we started dating. It was hard at first for me to figure out the dos and don’ts since it was my first relationship ever, but I tried my best. I made mistakes, I most definitely wasn’t a perfect partner, but at least I tried, you know? Kyungsoo, though, always had reasons to criticize me. He saw flaws in everything I did and said. I figured it was because he cared.”

“And then Jongin broke up with his boyfriend. He started to spend time with us again and it was fun having all three of us together, even if Kyungsoo and I were now a couple. We hung out like before, went out together, just like old times, and it was really nice.”

Baekhyun noticed how Chanyeol’s hands were trembling, so he took them in his and caressed his knuckles tenderly, giving him the courage to keep going.

“What happened next?” Asked Baekhyun, prompting Chanyeol to continue, and Chanyeol smiled at him as he squeezed his fingers.

“Years passed and I honestly believed everything would be okay. They graduated and soon managed to do internships in different law firms while I got the opportunity to be part of the developing team of a video game one of my professors would be working on. Also, Kyungsoo and I would be moving in together and Jongin would live close by with his partner at the time. It was great.”

Biting his bottom lip, Chanyeol started to play with Baekhyun’s fingers. “...Until it wasn’t. We all got busy, we barely had time to see each other and well, my relationship with Kyungsoo started to get affected too. Even if we lived together, we were never really there. One of us was always too tired or was too busy. The affection also died down and something told me that maybe it was time to let go, but I was so scared of being left alone, of losing him, that I decided to try harder.”

Sighing, Chanyeol looked up at Baekhyun. “One day I got out of work early, I decided to surprise Kyungsoo with some red roses since he’d always liked those kinds of details. I remembered I’d gone grocery shopping a couples days before, so I knew I had ingredients to prepare a nice dinner for him. Maybe we could eat together and have a nice time like we hadn’t done in so long. But of course, my plans never go the way I want them because when I got to our apartment…”

Chanyeol looked down at their entwined hands and smiled sadly. “Kyungsoo was with Jongin in our bed...well, yeah. I don’t think I need to elaborate.”

Baekhyun felt completely horrified by what Chanyeol told him. The taller, though, continued talking, ignoring Baekhyun’s reaction.

“I got mad and confronted them immediately. I found out they’d been doing the same thing since short after Jongin  broke up with his boyfriend from college, the one I mentioned he had in the first year. They’d basically been going behind my back for four years. Apparently, they’d had a thing back in high school without me knowing and then rekindled their relationship in college.”

Chanyeol chuckled at that. “They could’ve told me, you know? Since the moment they knew they wanted to get back together, they could’ve been honest. It would’ve hurt, but I would’ve understood. I mean, it would’ve been better than what they did.”

Chanyeol sighed at that and rubbed Baekhyun’s fingers with his thumb. “I ended up asking Sehun if I could stay with him for the night, which turned into much longer until I managed to find a new apartment.”

Baekhyun didn’t know what to say. From everything he imagined could have happened, he never thought it would be something as horrible as that. To think that anyone would even think about hurting Chanyeol like that made him so sad and so angry he had the sudden urge to go look for the couple and give them a piece of his mind...and maybe have them kicked out from the firm. Chanyeol wouldn’t like that, though. He was too gentle to allow him to do something like that.

“To make everything worse, they got engaged a month after I found out about everything.”

That made Baekhyun reconsider getting them fired, but once again, he knew Chanyeol wouldn’t like that, so he stayed silent and instead cupped Chanyeol’s cheeks with his hands. “Oh Yeollie, I’m so sorry that happened. You didn’t deserve it.”

Chanyeol smiled at him, and even if it looked slightly sad, Baekhyun could see he wasn’t too affected. Not anymore, at least. “So am I, but there’s not much I can do about it.” Chanyeol leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Baekhyun’s lips. “I’m better now. It’s taken me three years to get over it. Having you in my life has made me realize that I can’t let them control me anymore. I need to move on...and I am. Right now, this is me letting go of the betrayal, of the pain and of the sadness, to finally welcome happiness and love into my life.”

Baekhyun smiled at that, even though his heart ached for the lovely angel in front of him. “Only because of that, I won’t get them fired.”

Chanyeol laughed at that before he leaned his forehead against Baekhyun’s. “Gosh, I love you so much. I’m sorry I allowed this to stop me from saying it sooner.”

Baekhyun wrapped his arms around Chanyeol’s neck. “It’s okay. I’m glad with the way things have worked for us. I had my doubts about you because of The er, but you managed to teach me you were being sincere. I’m glad I could do the same for you.”

Chanyeol wrapped his arms around Baekhyun’s waist and pulled him closer, ripping a cute giggle from the smaller. Their lips met in a sweet kiss full of love and smiles, their feelings shining through as they showed the other how devoted they were.

It was beautiful.

“I still need to pay you back for that lovely you gave me, sir,” said Chanyeol once he separated from the kiss.

Baekhyun bit his bottom lip at that, smiling shyly at Chanyeol’s words. “I would say it’s not necessary, but I kind of want to know what you have in store, Mr. Pussyeater.”

Chanyeol rolled his eyes at that. “ Sehun for telling you about that,” he said before he smirked. “But if that’s what you want.”

Without any further words, Chanyeol lifted Baekhyun in his arms, making the smaller squeal, before he ran towards the bedroom.

And in that moment, with Chanyeol kissing him, touching him, and reminding him of just how much he loved him, Baekhyun knew that finally they’d both managed to let go of their demons. While it hadn’t been easy, the ending result had been gratifying and amazing.

Finally, after everything, they were free to love each other.

++++

One Year Later

Baekhyun checked each of the details a thousand times to be sure everything would come out perfect.

First, he and Chanyeol would spend the day enjoying the beach along with Jongdae, Minseok, Sehun and Junmyeon. They would have a nice lunch in a cute restaurant on the seaside before walking down the coastline with their friends. Around sunset, their friends would ‘disappear’ to watch everything from different hiding spots while Baekhyun would give Chanyeol a speech about how much he loved him before going down on one knee and asking him to marry him. And to end the night of, they would go eat dinner at a fancy restaurant to celebrate their engagement with their friends.

But of course, Baekhyun should've known nothing he ever planned went accordingly.

For starters, it started to rain just as they arrived to the beach, ruining the morning plan. Then, while eating lunch, Baekhyun slipped and ended up with seafood all over his body. And then, when the sky had finally cleared...a bird decided Baekhyun’s head was a good place to on.

Baekhyun felt so sad, so angry, that he couldn’t help it when he started to cry. And no, it wasn’t just a couple of tears either. He was literally sobbing, his body shaking because , he’d wanted for this occasion to be perfect, but of course, life always worked against him.

“Oh baby, no. Please don’t cry,” pleaded Chanyeol as he knelt in front of Baekhyun, wrapping his fingers around Baekhyun’s wrists to try to pry his hands away from his face. Baekhyun didn’t budge, too embarrassed and disappointed to see his angel in that moment.

“Babe, we can plan another trip to the beach, okay? It’s okay,” added Chanyeol, but Baekhyun still wouldn’t move.

“B-but everything was supposed to be perfect,” murmured Baekhyun.

“Aw baby, but don’t you know any moment we spend together is perfect?”

Baekhyun felt touched by Chanyeol’s words, but they didn’t reassure him. “You don’t get it,” he said as he finally lowered his hands to look at Chanyeol. “I-I was going to ask you to marry me.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widened at that, his mouth falling open. “W-what?”

“Yeah, and now I ruined it all! I-I’m so mad!”

“B-baby,” stuttered Chanyeol as he cupped Baekhyun’s cheeks with his hands and made him look into his eyes. “I-I’m...I don't’ even know what to say. You want to marry me?” Asked Chanyeol, his eyes shining with tears.

Baekhyun nodded. “Yes, I do. I wanted today to be perfect because that’s what you deserve, b-but everything was ruined!”

Chanyeol shook his head before he leaned in and pecked Baekhyun’s lips repeatedly. “Oh my gosh, babe, I love you so so much and I’m so overwhelmed right now. The fact that you want to spend the rest of your life with me makes me so happy.”

“B-But I wanted to ask you properly. I wanted it to be romantic.”

“I know, love, but just the fact that you tried and that you’re here with me is more than enough. I don’t need a grand show of affection, all I need is you.”

Baekhyun bit his bottom lip as he studied Chanyeol’s eyes. “Y-you sure? You’re not mad?”

Chanyeol smiled the brightest smile Baekhyun had ever seen on him, tears streaming down his cheeks. “How could I be when you’ve proven to me over and over just how much you love me?”

Biting his bottom lip, Baekhyun reached into his shorts’ pocket and pulled out the ring he’d gotten for Chanyeol. “Then you’ll say yes if I ask you to marry me?”

Chuckling, Chanyeol nodded as he allowed Baekhyun to place the simple silver ring on his finger. “I can’t wait to call you my husband.”

Finally grinning, Baekhyun placed a soft kiss over the ring before he looked up at Chanyeol. “You’ll be stuck with me forever, though.”

“Forever wouldn’t be enough time to show you just how much I love you.”

“Blah, Chanyeol, that was too cheesy!” exclaimed Baekhyun.

Chanyeol wrapped his arms around Baekhyun’s waist and pulled him closer until the smaller was sitting on his lap. “But you love it when I’m cheesy.”

Baekhyun wrapped his arms around Chanyeol’s neck in return to close the distance between their lips. “That’s true.”

“I love you,” murmured Chanyeol as he stared into Baekhyun’s eyes.

“I love you too,” replied Baekhyun before he leaned in and planted his lips over Chanyeol’s.

In the end, Chanyeol was right. Their relationship started on the wrong foot with a terrible date that, to that day, still made Baekhyun cringe. But that was okay because, even with the horrible start, they gave each other a chance and in the end, they found  true love.

They were in love, and that was all that mattered.