Hello everyone ~
We're getting closer and closer to the end, and it kinda makes me sad, ha.
Jongdae is back here, and I love him to death. (be it IRL or in AT)
Hope you'll enjoy this chapter, there's a scene in here that was the very first one I had in mind before we even wrote that (the entire reason for Chanyeol's scar, I'm not even sorry.)

See you soon ~

- K. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chanyeol lay on Baekhyun's bed, sketching quietly, his coffee cup right next to him on the nightstand. He glanced at his boyfriend from time to time, an amused smile on his lips every time he saw Baekhyun's brows furrowed in concentration as he froze with his brush in hand, looking at the unfinished painting. He thought for a while, his hand hovering over the canvas until he made a decision, his brush touching the white surface again. The man looked at him in silence before tearing his gaze away from the slim silhouette, focusing on his own sketch. There was a pleasant silence between them, soft music playing from a speaker squeezed between textbooks and paint containers on Baekhyun's messy desk before the boy reached for his tea mug. There was a cough and a groan mixed with a gurgle as he spat out the paint water, making Chanyeol laugh out loud.

 

"Second time this month," he shook his head, passing Baekhyun a glass of water he had next to his coffee. "Second time in front of my very eyes, how many have I not witnessed?" The boy drank from the glass, his nose scrunched up and his face twisted with disgust.

 

“Too many not to be ashamed," he answered, sticking his tongue out a little and looking around him to find something to change the taste in his mouth. Anything.

 

"You have paint on your lips, darling," Chanyeol leaned back on the pillows, the corners of his lips still twitching after his laughing fit.

 

“Would be easier to say where I don’t have paint,” Baekhyun pointed out, rubbing his lips with his forearm. “It’s all over me, I don’t even know what color I am anymore,” he chuckled softly, putting the brush down.

 

"I can tell you exactly where there's none," Chanyeol raised an eyebrow, amused. "But do we want to have that conversation?"

 

“I don’t know, Mr. Park, do we?”

 

"Mr. Byun, I would love to hear your opinion on that matter," Chanyeol lowered his voice a bit, taking on his favorite smooth tone. He looked up with a smirk. "I insist." The boy put the palette down, rubbing his hands on an already ruined old pair of jeans and walked closer to the bed.

 

“I suppose I do need your help to spot the paint. You know, to clean it up. It may be everywhere.” There was a small smirk on his lips, one that probably wouldn’t be there if Jongdae was in the apartment right now. Luckily, he was visiting his parents for the weekend and Baekhyun had the whole flat for himself.

 

"Well, I sure can help with that. Are you gonna just take it all off or do I prepare for a ?" he grinned shamelessly, coming out of his role. Baekhyun chuckled, quickly making a decision and taking his shirt off. Chanyeol quirked one eyebrow, his eyes flicking to Baekhyun's jeans.

 

“What do you think?” He smiled, tilting his head.

 

"Looks clean but I'm really worried about the rest."

 

“How about you check then? Just to be sure?” He took a step closer, his knees bumping against the bed. Chanyeol put his sketchbook aside, looking at the boy expectantly.

 

"Show me." Baekhyun smiled, biting down on his lower lip and his paint-stained fingers were already ing his jeans, his eyes never leaving Chanyeol’s. The man smiled under his nose, his hands grazing Baekhyun thighs. "Beautiful."

 

“Aren’t I always, Mr. Park?” he asked with a little smirk, pulling down on the fly and slowly pushing the pants down.

 

"Sometimes more than usual," the man raised an eyebrow, watching him with his eyes glimmering.

 

“Oh, just like you, you mean?” The pair of jeans was already on the floor when Baekhyun put his knee on the bed.

 

"Elaborate?"

 

“Sometimes you’re beautiful and sometimes you’re just an annoying giant .”

 

"That wasn't very nice, darling," Chanyeol reached for his sketchbook again, opening it on the page he was working on. Baekhyun had no idea what Chanyeol was drawing, as the man carefully hid his sketches from him. The boy’s hand reached for the sketchbook, pulling it away and placing it carefully on the nightstand.

 

“I never said I was nice, Park.” he answered with a smirk before sliding his knee between the man’s legs, settling down, his on Chanyeol’s thigh.

 

"I just hoped a good boy like you knows how to behave," Chanyeol looked him in the eyes, mirroring his expression. "And it's Mr. Park for you, darling "

 

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Are you gonna punish me, Park?” his fingers were already running all over the man’s toned stomach.

 

"I'm gonna ing gag you, sweetie."

 

“A lot of words and yet, here I am, still talking.” he came closer, his tongue tracing Chanyeol’s jaw in a slow, sensual motion. The man sighed, letting him caress his skin.

 

"Because you're also putting those lips to an actual use, darling. But I'm this close," he showed him a few millimeters space between his thumb and index finger, "to actually doing that."

 

“Try me,” he murmured in his ear, before biting down on the warm skin of the man’s neck. Chanyeol smiled, pushing him back slightly and reaching for his backpack he left right by the bed. He quickly found what he was looking for and smiled wickedly.

 

"Open your mouth." Baekhyun smiled daringly, slowly opening his mouth, just enough so Chanyeol could slide in one or two fingers in, not giving him what he wanted, just because. "You're going to show me your fingers now. Green is one, yellow is two, three - red. Understand?" he asked, slowly caressing the skin of his thigh, one hand hidden behind Baekhyun's back. The boy nodded slowly, because even if he really wanted to be a brat - he loved how Chanyeol reacted to it - he also knew that this part was really important. He held one finger, whispering a small green and did the exact same thing for the other two colors.

 

"Good boy," Chanyeol purred. "How do we say stop?" Baekhyun’s hand slid along the man’s forearm, quickly finding Chanyeol’s bigger one and he squeezed it softly. "Good. You did well, so you're gonna get a reward," Chanyeol smiled, straightening up and raising both his hands, showing Baekhyun the gag. He slid it in when the boy opened his mouth again, the buckle clicking when he secured it in place and checked the tightness. Baekhyun’s heart was beating fast, his twitching in his boxers and he pushed his harder against his thigh. Chanyeol smiled at him, adjusting the pillows and lying flat on the bed. "Comfortable? Nothing is off?" he asked and nodded when Baekhyun raised one finger, the black ball heavy on his tongue. "Great. Now, come up for your reward," he murmured, parting his lips for Baekhyun invitingly.

 

The boy knew exactly what this meant by now. He quickly stood up on the bed to take off the pair of black boxers and straddled Chanyeol again a few seconds later, his hands on the headrest, his twitching again. The man gave it a few teasing , squeezing his hips slightly when Baekhyun gripped his white hair with one hand and ed into his mouth, not allowing the man to make him wait any longer. This was not something he did often but sometimes Chanyeol liked to a bit too much and Baekhyun wasn’t patient enough to wait for that long. Sometimes, yes. But sometimes Chanyeol just needed to put his pretty plump lips around him and his . He ed in his mouth, his heart erratic in his chest and his fingers tightening in Chanyeol’s hair. It was different, not to be able to let it all out. The moans, cries, even the sighs, and the bratty whines, all of that, he couldn’t do the way he wanted to. He wasn't able to express himself. His hips were still moving, but something was off. Baekhyun wanted to tell Chanyeol how good he was, how he loved feeling his lips around his and ask him to go faster, to give him more. He let out a frustrated whimper and slightly pulled on the man’s hair, trying to focus on the sensations, on the soft wet hotness around him and the hand caressing his thighs and bottom. Baekhyun looked down at Chanyeol, the sight of the glistening lips and flattened tongue under him sinful and he moaned around the gag, but still, it was not enough.

 

Chanyeol's eyes fluttered open and he immediately looked up at Baekhyun, slowly turning his head and letting his fall out of his mouth.

 

"Color?"

 

The boy looked conflicted for a moment, his heart beating harder against his chest and he closed his eyes for a few seconds, before opening them again and looking down at his boyfriend. It was okay, he could do it for him. He could do it for Chanyeol. He lifted up one finger, his other hand pushing Chanyeol’s hair away from his face. The man nodded, his features relaxing as he parted his lips again, letting Baekhyun into him. He was perfect in this position with his absolute lack of gag reflex and his love for being ed this way. Chanyeol told him numerous times that he loved giving head and mentioned that it was incredibly relaxing for him and helped him to soothe his nerves. Now, he was lying in his favorite position, throat loose, letting Baekhyun set the pace and still, it seemed like the boy couldn’t properly appreciate it. What a ing moron, he thought for a second, ing harder, just in case it would help - but it didn’t and Baekhyun’s fingers in Chanyeol’s hair loosened their grip. It was not okay, the way it felt like he couldn’t communicate at all. It was not true, he had plenty of ways to tell Chanyeol things, but the fact that he couldn’t actually say them made his heart beat too fast. His hand fell on the man’s cheek, and he tried harder, making the man choke lightly in surprise, but nothing seemed to make it work. He let out a whine, a whimper, he had no idea himself. He just wanted to get out of it. Get out of the gag. Fast.

 

Chanyeol freed himself again, his hands shooting up and quickly pulled on his hair to get his head to lower down. Baekhyun heard a click, the band of the gag loosening around his head.

 

"Baekhyun." The boy looked down, his hands trembling the slightest and his eyes blinking as he let out a deep breath. "What did you show me?" He lifted his hand, one finger up, still trembling and he could see the change of expression on his boyfriend’s face. "And what does it mean for me?"

 

“K-Keep… going…”

 

"Why did you tell me that if you didn't like it?" Chanyeol huffed, pulling back slightly to look his boyfriend in the eye.

 

“I-I… I just… I’m… I’m sorry...” Baekhyun swallowed down, looking away.

 

"It's okay," the man sighed quietly, making him sit down and mimicking the motion. "I'm not angry. I'm not angry for you not liking it, it's okay," he repeated, hugging the boy closely. "Understand?" Baekhyun nodded quickly, his arms sneaking around the man’s waist and pulling him closer as he buried his face in his neck. His heart was slowly calming down, Chanyeol’s warm presence anchoring him. The man caressed his back soothingly, murmuring some nonsense in his ear just to comfort him.

 

"Baekhyun, we talked about it. If you don't like anything, tell me. We didn't have to do that, I’m not angry," he assured, kissing his palm. "You just said you wanted to try earlier on so I had it prepared," Chanyeol explained and took a deeper breath. "You're a talker and it probably restricted you in a way you don't like. That's okay. But I need to know that from you, I shouldn't be mind reading."

 

“I… I was about to… I just thought I could… I mean, I wanted to try… more… I thought I could… I’m sorry,” he murmured in his neck, his arms tightening their hold around him.

 

"It's okay, doll," Chanyeol kissed him softly, pressing his own lips still reddened and glistening to Baekhyun's. He looked at him for a minute and smirked. "You wanna finish what you started?"

 

“A-Are you… sure?” he asked, a faint blush on his cheeks.

 

"Yeah, of course," the man smiled, his lips. "By the way, you went damn hard," he noticed, lying down again, crossing his arms under his head. "Never seen you that angry."

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t… Are you okay?” He murmured, sliding his hand on the man’s cheek.

 

"Of course I am. Just surprised," Chanyeol huffed out a laugh, watching the boy position himself again. He was soft already, his nervousness having gotten to him but the sight of his boyfriend's fond smile and tongue slowly sliding on his lower lip made him feel the pleasurable heat settling down in his loins again. "Touch yourself for me? I'm all yours so use me before I get the idea to tease you," he cocked an eyebrow, his thigh.

 

It did something to Baekhyun’s heart. He felt it drop down, beating faster, erratically. He bit his lip and his fingers curled around his own , his eyes never leaving Chanyeol’s face. Baekhyun let out a few quiet moans, his fingers tightening around his length, but it was not enough, not as good as Chanyeol’s plump lips around him, tight, warm and sinful. He slid his thumb on the man’s lower lip, pressing on it softly, asking him to open his mouth. The man obeyed, looking him in the eye, the corners of his lips slightly curved up. He hummed contently when Baekhyun slowly pushed into his mouth, flicking his tongue on the underside of his , his gaze fixed on the boy's face. Baekhyun let his head fall back, his eyes closing and lacing his fingers in Chanyeol’s hair again. He ed into his mouth roughly. This was something Chanyeol had never really seen him do before but the boy seemed to enjoy it, his moans getting louder.

 

“Y-Yes... You feel... so ing good...”

 

The man let himself relax, one hand under his head and the other on Baekhyun's hip, caressing the warm bare skin. His eyes fixed on the boy's face, he made no move to stop him, his lips parted for him. Baekhyun went faster and faster, pushing deep into his throat and repeatedly making Chanyeol choke on his . After a few minutes, he stilled for a second before ing one last time, harder, deeper and rougher, his fingers pulling at the man's hair and his head thrown back. He cried Chanyeol's name as he came in his mouth, his thighs trembling, his legs ready to give up. The man held him up with both hands, drawing in a sharp, choked breath.

 

"Oh, ," he panted, swallowing the last drops of Baekhyun's when the boy leaned back on his chest. "Damn, that was… Wild," he let out, one hand sliding down. Baekhyun saw his fingers wrapping around his own , hard and a deep shade of pink.

 

“You feel… so good, Y-Yeol…” Baekhyun said in his neck, pushing the man’s hand away and wrapping his own fingers around his boyfriend’s length, under his black pair of boxers. Chanyeol stuttered, his eyes fluttering shut.

 

"Can you me off?" he asked in a hoarse voice, his words a bit muffled. The boy’s fingers tightened a little around his .

 

“Would you like to my ty mouth, Mr. Park?” he murmured against his jaw, warm breath hitting the man’s skin.

 

"I'm gonna come in a second but... yeah, of course I do, you ," Chanyeol let out, breathing heavily, pushing down on his shoulders. Baekhyun smiled, getting comfortable between the man’s thighs and pulled down the black fabric, instantly wrapping his lips around the hard, leaking . Startled, he almost lifted his head when Chanyeol whimpered. It was unusual - the man was a bit needy sometimes, but never once begged for anything like Baekhyun did. He moved his hips up, pushing on the back of the boy's head, his breath trapped in his lungs. "," he whispered, ing into Baekhyun's mouth sharply. The boy put his hands on the toned thighs, opening his lips a bit more, relaxing his throat as much as he could and around the hard, throbbing . He loved this. Feeling Chanyeol hit the back of his throat, hearing him hold his breath. He scratched his thighs a little, knowing how Chanyeol loved this. He looked up to meet the man’s eyes, his lips glistening with spit and his hair damp from sweat sticking to his forehead. Baekhyun looked like a sin and so did Chanyeol, arching his back under his touch.

 

It took the man only a few long hard s to come with a low breathy groan. He muttered something, the words inarticulate, as he lazily caressed the boy's cheek. Baekhyun lifted his head to see the man struggling to keep his eyes open. Chanyeol gathered up just enough strength to take off his pants with Baekhyun's help and settled comfortably on the bed in his pair of boxers and an oversized hoodie.

 

"I'm gonna get up... in a while," he promised, his voice a hoarse whisper, his throat probably hurting already.

 

 

Baekhyun looked at his canvas, wondering what was missing. He knew that something was off, but he wasn't able to find that one small detail that made everything seem so wrong. He was frowning, holding the brush in his hand, his hair gathered in a pigtail at the back of his head and his cheeks, his lower lip, and his nose already covered in paint. He was a messy boy and an even messier painter. Sighing, he rolled his eyes at the canvas and turned to Chanyeol who was still sound asleep on his bed. He smiled fondly at the sight. It had been an hour since the man had told him he would get up in a while. Baekhyun chuckled softly, shaking his head. He loved seeing him like this, comfortable and relaxed. Usually, they would stay over at Chanyeol’s place because, well, the man was a giant and barely fitted in Baekhyun’s bed, his long legs sticking out and the boy almost falling off the narrow bed every time he turned. It was enough for Baekhyun, because no matter how many times he told Chanyeol that he wasn’t small, the man was just a giant, the boy still didn’t need much more space than this. Baekhyun preferred Chanyeol's place also because Jongdae tended to be a jerk who would disturb them every time they’d do as much as make out.

 

The boy tilted his head, looking at his boyfriend. Chanyeol had fallen asleep in his black pair of boxers and a hoodie hiding his chest. He'd almost never take his tops off unless the boy really asked him for it and he'd reluctantly agree. All in all, Baekhyun rarely saw his chest bare if they weren’t making love or taking a shower. Chanyeol hated the scar and Baekhyun wanted to shake him until he’d realize it didn’t change anything, that he was beautiful despite all the memories that made him feel ugly. That the scar just added to his beauty, showing the strength and courage it took for him to move on from the nightmare he went through. He knew he probably shouldn’t do it but Chanyeol was asleep and, for some reason, he thought that he could help him somehow. His steps slow and careful, he walked towards the bed. When he was sure that Chanyeol wouldn’t wake up, he pulled on the zipper to open the hoodie and slowly lifted his loose t-shirt. The sight of his toned chest made him want to touch the smooth skin badly, yet Baekhyun couldn’t let himself fall for it. He pushed the t-shirt higher up, his eyes fixed on the long narrow line of the scar. The boy slowly traced it with the tips of his fingers, his touch feathery and after a few minutes, he stood up and grabbed his thinnest brush along with a tube of black paint.

 

Carefully, he started painting on the skin, his hand freezing every time he felt like Chanyeol was going to wake up. He was a bit scared of the man’s reaction, but he had a precise idea in mind, and maybe, just maybe, Chanyeol would finally realize how beautiful he was.

 

"Baekhyun, what the ?" Chanyeol muttered suddenly, startling the boy who messed up a line he was just painting. The man's hand instinctively went up to his chest and Baekhyun grabbed his wrist before he could actually scratch it and smudge the wet paint.

 

“You’re gonna ruin it even more,” he said in a murmur, a small pout on his face. His heart was beating fast, worried of what Chanyeol’s reaction could be, but he decided to pretend everything was okay.

 

"Gonna ruin what?" the man asked tiredly and opened one eye to look at Baekhyun. "Dude, what the hell are you doing? It tickles," he muttered with a frown, still half-asleep.

 

“Only what I was born to do, painting on a canvas," Baekhyun murmured, pushing the wrist down against the mattress and carefully erasing the smudged line he had just traced.

 

"It tickles," Chanyeol repeated stubbornly, trying to turn on his side. He groaned when he realized that Baekhyun was straddling him and blocking his moves. "Oh, come on…" Baekhyun chuckled, the brush touching the skin again.

 

“It’ll be okay. I’ll be done quick if you stop moving,” he added, watching his idea coming into life on the man's chest. Chanyeol wasn’t commenting on the fact that his torso was exposed and Baekhyun was touching it and the boy supposed he was still too tired to realize what was actually happening.

 

"Leave me alone," the man grumbled, closing his eyes again and yawned, his muscles tensing for a few seconds and relaxing again. Baekhyun already knew that he tended to be grumpy when not waking up on his own and generally hated falling asleep in his bed, what probably made him even more exasperated. Nevertheless, he had made no further move to get up or turn so Baekhyun could continue his work. The boy did just that, carefully moving his brush around, using the bigger one when he needed it and tracing elegant lines on the skin. He hummed to himself, wondering at the back of his mind if Chanyeol was going to say something once he’d realize what was going on. He chose to stay where he was, straddling Chanyeol's thighs and focused on his drawing, his free hand sometimes caressing the toned stomach. The man opened his eyes a few moments later, trying to pull Baekhyun's hand away.

 

"Stooop it…"

 

“Park,” Baekhyun scolded with an authoritative voice that Chanyeol had never heard before. The boy pushed the hand away one more time, his palm flat against the mattress and put his knee on it just so Chanyeol would stop moving. He hated being bothered while he was painting, and his half-asleep boyfriend was cute but his hand trying to mess everything up started getting on his nerves.

 

"Do you wanna ing fight?" Chanyeol's eyes snapped fully open. He frowned, lifting his head and looking at Baekhyun and then at his chest. "Seriously, what the are you doing?" he asked through gritted teeth, sounding really annoyed for the first time since they started dating. He got angry at work, at other people but was never angry at Baekhyun before. The boy felt his heart drop, his chest hurting as he looked up.

 

“I’m just… I am… painting…” he looked away from Chanyeol’s dark eyes. They might have looked hot at some other time, but right now, he just felt like a small boy who did something wrong and he was a bit scared of what Chanyeol was going to say.

 

"You're touching me," the man said, his features hardening. He laid back on the bed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. "Why the are you touching me?" he let out an exasperated sigh, trying to free his hand from under his knee.

 

“I’m... I’m not touching you, the brush is,” Baekhyun murmured, his heart still beating like crazy in his chest. He didn’t move his knee, no matter how scared he was that Chanyeol might hate him.

 

"Don't smart off. You know I ing hate it when you touch me there, why are you even doing that?"

 

“I’m sorry, I just… had an idea…” he looked down for a few seconds, guilt making his heart feel heavy. He knew the risks, he just didn’t expect Chanyeol to be that mad. Or maybe it was the fact that he never had been mad at him before. Baekhyun didn’t dare to look up again.

 

"ing great," Chanyeol groaned. He fell silent for a while and simply stared at the ceiling, his lips pressed in a tight line. "You're not gonna leave, are you?" he glanced at the boy, who made no further move, still straddling his thighs and his features seemed to soften a little. "Is this gonna take long?" Baekhyun quickly shook his head no, his thumb softly caressing the man’s stomach.

 

“No, no, I’m almost done, you dozed off again in the middle of it and I was able to keep painting… I just need to add a few things… if you allow me…”

 

"You didn't need permission earlier, why are you asking now?" Chanyeol raised an eyebrow with a grimace. "Okay, just… make it quick," he grumbled, seeing the hurt expression on Baekhyun's face. The boy nodded slowly, a faint blush on his cheeks and pushed back the few strands of hair that fell from his pigtail. He looked back to his drawing, examining it for a few seconds before he took some black paint and added a few more details. He could feel Chanyeol’s breath hitching every time the brush grazed the scar and he hated himself for doing this to him. Still, he kept going until he was completely satisfied with the result. The flowers were perfectly hiding the scar, just the way Chanyeol would like it, their stems following the thin pale line, the petals adding some volume at the top and the leaves elegantly highlighting the beauty of the bouquet. The most significant detail was the band-aid holding the flowers together, plastered across the stems,s across the scar. Baekhyun decided to put it there as a reminder that is was just a memory, which couldn’t hurt Chanyeol anymore. He wanted him to believe that he was fine, healed and that he could be happy. The big Japanese chrysanthemum took most of the place, but he painted the two budding tulips behind to emphasize Chanyeol’s new life, everything he had built and all of the new things he managed to do, create and should cherish. Baekhyun was proud of himself, his thumb softly sliding on the warm skin of the man’s hip. He looked up slowly, wishing Chanyeol wouldn’t be too angry at him for what he did.

 

“I’m done…” he murmured, the brush now tucked behind his ear, a new black smudge on his chin where he had scratched earlier. Chanyeol nodded, breathing out slowly, his eyes now wide open as he fully woke up. He was tense, Baekhyun touching his chest making him visibly uneasy.

 

"Cool," he murmured. "Glad you had fun." The boy looked at him, slowly moving his knee and straightening up to sit by the man’s side.

 

“I was not doing this to have fun...” Baekhyun looked down at his paint-stained fingers.

 

"Can I get up now?"

 

“Yes, of course...” Baekhyun lifted his head a little, glancing at him.

 

Chanyeol sat up, his lips pressed in a line. He didn't look angry anymore, but he wasn't pleased either, as he pulled down his t-shirt in a few sharp moves, without looking at it. He shook his head, cringing visibly and got up without a word, quickly going out the room. Baekhyun scrunched up his nose, his heart physically hurting him as he watched Chanyeol walk away. He wondered if he should follow him. He stood up, pulling down his shirt over his boxers and he walked out.

 

“Yeol?” He called out, his voice trembling the slightest.

 

"Here," the voice said from the bathroom. The light was on and when Baekhyun opened the door, he saw his boyfriend standing in front of the mirror in just his pair of boxers, staring at his chest and the slightly smudged flowers painted on it in thin black lines with an unreadable expression. Baekhyun looked at him from where he was at the door.

 

“Are you okay?” He asked in a small voice.

 

"Yeah, I am. Sorry for snapping at you," Chanyeol turned to him and took his hand, squeezing it lightly. "I was tired, you woke me up and you touched it," he explained, a bit sheepish.

 

“It’s okay... I know you don’t like that when I touch it... I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad... I just... I just thought I could... I’m sorry, it was a stupid idea...” he looked down, his hold tightening around Chanyeol’s fingers.

 

"I'm not mad. And it's... actually beautiful," the man smiled, traces of sadness dimming his eyes. "It's okay."

 

“I just thought it would make you feel better if... you could look at yourself without seeing it... I think it makes you look beautiful, but I know you don’t like it and... well... I just thought I could help, if only for a few hours...”

 

"I get it, darling," Chanyeol pulled the boy closer to hug him, his smile finally honest. "Don't worry about that, I'm really not mad anymore," he assured and huffed out a laugh, his features softened. He smacked Baekhyun's cheek playfully. "But I'm starving, actually. You wanna order something?"

 

Baekhyun tightened his arms around his boyfriend and nodded in his neck. “Let’s do that.” Baekhyun felt a weight lifting off his shoulders now that Chanyeol was hugging him like this.

 

"Great," Chanyeol smiled, his nose buried in his hair. "I'm really not mad, relax."

 

The boy kissed his neck. “What do you wanna eat?” His fingers were caressing the man’s lower back.

 

"I'd say you if my throat didn't hurt like a ," the man grinned, lifting his head to look down at the shorter boy.

 

Baekhyun blushed, hiding his face against the man’s chest. “Shut up, I’m sorry.”

 

"I loved it, I told you already. What happened for you to get so rough though? You've never done that before."

 

“I don’t know... I just... the gag made me frustrated and... yeah...”

 

"Oh," Chanyeol blinked, his smile faltering a little. "Be careful with that next time. I love being choked and ed rough like that. But you can't really trust me on telling you if something's wrong when I'm that high," he murmured, his hair and nape.

 

“I’m sorry... I thought I... I thought I just needed to get used to it...”

 

"It's okay. We'll talk it through, if you're up for another lecture," Chanyeol smiled, kissing the top of his head. His voice was a bit hoarse and throaty, the new tones making it sound even lower. "Let's get the food now. Unless you want to go to my place, because I'll need to go back anyway in about three hours to take Toben on a walk."

 

“You really don’t like it here, huh,” Baekhyun said, matter of factly.

 

"I do. I mean, your midget bed is a little irritating, but I love the vibe with all the pictures here. But I'm also trying to be a good dad for my little son, you know?" Chanyeol tilted his head with a smile.

 

“Hmm right… I’ll go get changed, then,” Baekhyun returned the smile, tip-toeing to kiss the man’s cheek. Chanyeol lifted his chin with two fingers to properly kiss him on the lips.

 

"I should buy you an easel soon, shouldn’t I?"

 

“What?” Baekhyun frowned. “Why should you?”

 

"Well, if you keep spending half of the week at my place, you'll need something to paint so you won't try to make up for it during the nights later, right?" Chanyeol put his t-shirt on, left the bathroom, followed by the boy and went to sit down on Baekhyun's bed, watching him change. "Is that my hoodie?"

 

“Hm, maybe,” Baekhyun answered with a cheeky smile, pulling on his jeans and buttoning them. The man snorted, standing up to look into Baekhyun's closet. He pulled out another black hoodie with a rainbow I <3 TECHNO writing on it.

 

"This one too, unless you suddenly became a Vetements fan? Oh my god, I was looking for this! I can't believe you stole my Balenciaga!" he whined, taking out a black and orange oversized polo shirt. "How could you?" Chanyeol let out an overly dramatic groan, pulling out the last piece of clothing out of Baekhyun's special shelf dedicated to his very own clothes. He tightly hugged his dark blue jacket with red and yellow patches with a horrified expression on his face. "My Hilfiger! I haven't even seen you wearing that, how in the hell did it end up here?"

 

“You forgot them here. They’re mine now and forever.” Baekhyun stuck his tongue out.

 

"How could I forget so many clothes?" Chanyeol looked at him with badly hidden terror in his eyes. "And my Balenciaga? My god, if it has paint on it, I'm gonna ing kill you with my bare hands. Waste of a great but you'd deserve it," the man warned, the corners of his lips slightly twitching when he held back a smile and carefully examined the clothes, his eyes narrowed. The boy rolled his eyes at him.

 

“First of all, maybe I forgot to put them back in your closet, who knows,” he smiled proudly. “And then, what do you take me for? I’m not that stupid to wear your clothes while painting.” Baekhyun pouted, putting on his socks and Chanyeol muttered something under his breath. “Do you have something to say?” the boy asked, looking at his boyfriend with narrowed eyes.

 

"Of course I have," Chanyeol walked up to him to poke him under his ribs and Baekhyun let out a cry as he pushed his hand away. "You cheeky little ," he murmured, gripping his hip and pulling him close. Baekhyun bumped into him, his back hitting Chanyeol's chest.

 

“Maybe you should have chosen someone else to be your boyfriend then? At least you can’t say I have bad tastes, I only took the good ones,” he answered cheekily, turning his head to look up at Chanyeol. The man huffed out a laugh, lightly biting on the shell of his ear. Baekhyun scrunched up his nose.

 

"Yeah, you did."

 

“Are you proud of me? I chose them without Jongdae’s help,” he pointed out in a small voice and a cute and innocent smile.

 

"You stole them from my closet, ."

 

“I borrowed them for an indefinite period, hoe.” he winked. Chanyeol tightened his grip on his hip, nails digging into the skin. He threw the clothes on the chair nearby and placed his hand around Baekhyun's neck.

 

"You don't call me that, darling."

 

“Make me stop, .” Baekhyun murmured, looking into his eyes, a daring smile on his face. Chanyeol quirked an eyebrow at him. Before the boy could open his mouth to say something else, he felt the long fingers tighten around his throat, pressing on his windpipe. Baekhyun’s lips parted a little, his eyes never leaving Chanyeol.

 

"How long will it take for you to shut that dirty mouth?"

 

“Who knows, really?” Baekhyun’s words were barely audible, his fingers gripping at Chanyeol’s veiny forearm. The man's expression hadn't changed, his small professional smile still in place and one eyebrow raised but his eyes darkened, the wicked glimmer already settling in. He calmly watched Baekhyun's face as his breath got heavier and more ragged.

 

"How about now? Are you gonna be a good boy for me?" Baekhyun couldn’t really say another word. He just said a soundless no, his lips parting even more as he tried to breathe in. His own fingers tightened around the man’s forearm, but he couldn’t say he didn’t like it, because the strong hand around his neck was making him feel so many things at once. "Remember the fingers for colors?" Chanyeol slowly asked, along the shell of Baekhyun's ear. "Show me one finger if you do, ." Baekhyun shivered, holding up one finger as he slightly scratched at the man’s forearm with his other hand. "Good boy. So what's the color?" The boy opened his mouth wider, holding up two fingers. A second later he instinctively took a sharp breath as Chanyeol loosened his hold on his throat. He his lips and panted a little, until his eyes met Chanyeol’s again and he took a deeper breath, holding one finger up.

 

"Again?" he whispered, lightly scratching the delicate skin of his neck with his nails. Baekhyun moaned quietly, tightening his hold on Chanyeol’s forearm. He nodded, mouthing a voiceless yes, one finger still up. "You're such a sub," Chanyeol purred, kissing his temple as he pressed on his throat again. Baekhyun’s eyes rolled at the back of his head, his fingers tightening around Chanyeol’s forearm and he let his back rest against his boyfriend’s chest, tilting his head a little against his shoulder. The man soon let him breathe again for a few moments, repeating the cycle. Baekhyun felt his mind fogging up, strangely high from the lack of oxygen as his boyfriend pressed on his throat, his other arm around his waist. Chanyeol's firm chest felt warm against Baekhyun's back, their bodies close to each other. Baekhyun had closed his eyes and he only opened them again when he heard the door open suddenly, his best friend storming into the room.

 

"Surprise! Baek, you won't believe what I… Oh my god, , what the…"

 

Chanyeol let out a startled sound, taking his hand off Baekhyun's throat, making the boy almost choke on air. He cursed under his breath, turning him around and pulling him close, as if he wanted to shield his boyfriend from the intruder. Baekhyun’s hands went up, grabbing onto the man’s shirt, burying his face in his neck. The bulge in his pants was pushing against Chanyeol’s leg and he almost let out a moan at the sudden friction.

 

"O-Okay… I… I'll be in my room," Jongdae said quickly, shutting the door close and almost running out of the room.

 

"," Chanyeol sighed deeply.

 

“I-I’m sorry, he was supposed to stay at his parents’,” Baekhyun murmured in a deeper voice than usual, swallowing down. His boyfriend kissed him softly, caressing his cheek.

 

"It shouldn't happen like this, ever. I had no idea he'd sneak here," he shook his head. "How are you feeling?"

 

“I… don’t know…” Baekhyun let his head fall against the man’s shoulder, his body slightly going limp. Chanyeol pressed his lips in a line, leading Baekhyun to bed and lying down with him, pulling a thick blanket over the boy.

 

"Do you want to talk or rest a minute?" The boy closed his eyes, swallowing down again.

 

“Rest,” he murmured, his hands looking for Chanyeol’s. The man nodded, hugging him close and kissing his forehead.

 

"Water?" Baekhyun shook his head, pulling him even closer.

 

“It was… different…” he whispered after a while, his fingernails digging in the man’s back.

 

"What was?"

 

“The sensation…” he let out a small breath, “so different… so much more intense… and then… Jongdae came in and… it all went away.”

 

"Oh," Chanyeol blinked in surprise. "You… You got into subspace?" he asked, the corners of his lips twitching. "You probably… I'll explain later," he murmured, seeing Baekhyun's puzzled expression. "It's okay now, just rest. Would you like to talk to Jongdae now?"

 

“Yes… I need to… He’s gonna think my boyfriend is a strangler…” Baekhyun shook his head slowly, straightening up with a small whine.

 

"He didn't run to save you, so I think he knows that I'm not," the man frowned. "I… I wasn't trying to hurt you, he knows that, right?" Baekhyun looked at him, nodding.

 

“Jongdae knows. I told him about some of the things we… tried… Not in details, but he knows how it is... and he trusts you.” Baekhyun leaned down to peck his lips. “Don’t worry, okay?” He kissed the man’s cheekbone before standing up, glancing down at himself and sighing when he realized he was still a bit hard. He pulled on the hoodie to hide everything, his nose scrunched up as walked to the door. “Do you wanna come with me?”

 

"What for?" Chanyeol bit down on his lip, letting himself show a sign of his nervousness only after he was sure that Baekhyun felt okay himself. ", I… I'm really sorry I haven't heard him. And if he knows whatever you told him about, I just hope he won't think we did anything too dangerous," he let out, fixing his eyes on the floor.

 

“Like I said, Jongdae trusts you, he knows you would never do anything that could hurt me for real. I just need to talk to him because… Well, he knows some things but still… He wasn’t supposed to see this… I’ll be quick, okay? I know it’s gonna be fine.”

 

"Yeah, um… Sure," Chanyeol looked up at him with a humorless laugh. "What a weird ing day." Baekhyun walked up to him again, leaning on the bed to kiss him tenderly and then looked into his eyes.

 

“It’s gonna be fine. I’ll be back. Don’t try to hide your clothes so you can have them back, I would feel it, you hear me?”

 

"These are literally mine. Don't make me choke you again, I'm getting my Balenciaga back."

 

“Watch me not giving a about whatever you say,” Baekhyun added, walking to the chair and grabbing the Balenciaga shirt before walking to the door. Chanyeol shot up from his seat to chase him and run after him through the corridor, catching him when the door opened. They both almost fell into Jongdae's room and Chanyeol whimpered when he bumped into Jongdae so he could avoid clutching to the shirt for balance.

 

"Dae, I'm so ing sorry," he turned to his boyfriend quickly. "Give it back."

 

"What is happening?"

 

“Not even in yours dreams,” the painter said cheekily, sticking his tongue out and hiding behind his friend. “He’s just trying to steal one of my shirts,” he answered Jongdae with an obvious lie.

 

", I swear to god…"

 

"Oh, what shirt?" Jongdae perked up, interested. "Can you stop acting like kids, though? I'm working on a project and if anybody steps on something, there's gonna be blood." Baekhyun chuckled, straightening up and stepping back carefully.

 

“This old thing,” he held up the shirt so Jongdae would see it. The boy blinked and gave his best friend a look.

 

"That's like 500 dollars, you dumb . I'd be careful if I were you." Baekhyun frowned, a puzzled look on his face.

 

“The you mean, 500$? It’s a ing polo shirt?” He turned to Chanyeol, “Tell me you did not pay 500 dollars for a piece of fabric?”

 

"I did. And it's definitely not the most expensive thing you have in your closet now," Chanyeol grumbled, snatching the shirt from his loosened hold. "You slept in a hoodie for 2000 bucks," he quirked an eyebrow, folding his shirt neatly.

 

“I’m sorry, I did what now?” Baekhyun asked, blinking in disbelief. Surely his boyfriend couldn’t be that dumb - and what the , was he that rich to pay so much for a hoodie? And let him sleep in it? Baekhyun shook his head no, earning a laugh from Chanyeol.

 

"The purple one that you love to steal from me?"

 

"Damn, I'm gonna be you when I grow up," Jongdae sighed, lips twitched in a grimace of jealousy. "And you better watch out, you have a well-paid designer for a boyfriend, what did you expect him to wear?" he raised his eyebrows at Baekhyun. "It's Mintblueish, not some random company. Your man is rich."

 

"Rich is a big word."

 

"Well, then your man is paid well enough to get himself a 2000$ hoodie once a…?"

 

"Month? Maybe twice," Chanyeol smiled sheepishly. "You're gonna get there too, don't worry."

 

"Damn, I hope so. I'm gonna get a Dior suit as soon as I do," Jongdae grinned walked up to his sewing machine, where he had two pieces of fabric ready to be sewn together.

 

“That’s bull,” Baekhyun added, still pointing at the shirt, “it’s a shirt, why the would you pay so much? It’s not even a complicated design!” he rolled his eyes, “I don’t get you, you both are weird as .”

 

"But it's the brand," Chanyeol said, the tone of his voice suggesting that he made everything clear. "Jongdae is overexaggerating. Everything's cool. But some of my clothes are just precious for me, okay?"

 

“Whatever, it’s not my money,” Baekhyun added, looking down at himself, his old pair of paint-stained jeans looking worn out. Chanyeol smiled at him, leaning down to peck his lips. Jongdae looked at them with a badly hidden smile.

 

"So, anyway, why have you two almost destroyed my project entering here? Sure it wasn't related to Chanyeol's fashion choices."

 

“Oh, right…” Baekhyun glanced at Chanyeol and then looked at his best friend. He wasn’t scared, he knew Jongdae well enough to know that the boy would never judge him. “So… About what you saw…”

 

"Oh, , I got so ing scared for a minute," Jongdae shook his head, shivering. "But then I saw your face and you were… , that was even scarier. Ugh, I want to put my eyes in a blender so I never have to see that face again."

 

“Oh, come on, I literally walked in on you and your ex ing on the sofa and now you’re crying because you saw me get choked? You ing hoe.” Baekhyun rolled his eyes, backing up a bit so he could rest his back against Chanyeol’s chest.

 

"It sounds so weird when you put it like this," Chanyeol muttered, sliding his hand up and down his spine in a soothing motion.

 

"Well, it certainly wasn't your first time seeing two people and I got scarred for life!"

 

“You’ll be fine, you .” Baekhyun shrugged. “You’re just jealous ‘cause my man knows how to please me entirely.” He smirked and winked at his best friend.

 

"Oh, yeah? Mine surely does not have to choke me to make me feel good," Jongdae made a face from above the sewing machine. Baekhyun felt Chanyeol shift behind him.

 

"Should I, uh, tell Minseok we have a competition now?" he asked nonchalantly and Jongdae turned to him to answer but quickly closed his mouth, suddenly shy under the man's gaze.

 

"Damn, now you're scary," he muttered, nervously trying to focus back on his work. Baekhyun chuckled.

 

“Don’t be scared, he’s just a big ball of fluff,” he sang-song happily. Chanyeol gave him a condescending look and held his gaze for a while.

 

"Are you sure?" Jongdae asked, unconvinced. His slightly trembling voice made Chanyeol crack up, his wide boyish smile flowering on his lips. He kissed Baekhyun on the tip of his nose, ruffling his hair.

 

"So, anyway," he turned to Jongdae, hugging a giggling Baekhyun tightly by the waist, "I’m  sorry you had to see that, I didn't hear you coming," he said and held his boyfriend tighter when he tried to run away. "If you have any questions, shoot. I don't want you to think any of us is… weird." The boy nodded slowly, still smiling.

 

“Weirder than we usually are anyway,” he added with a shrug. Chanyeol cocked an eyebrow, tickling his sides as a little punishment. He had his arms crossed on Baekhyun's chest, his hold firm, so the boy couldn't free himself from his embrace. The student let out a cry, wiggling between his arms.

 

"I-I don't think that. It's okay. I was just… kinda shocked, didn't know you did this stuff," Jongdae muttered. "And… Did that with clothes on." Baekhyun looked up at Jongdae, stilling against Chanyeol.

 

“That wasn’t… planned… I mean, I was supposed to get changed because we were heading to Chanyeol’s place, but someone had to comment on the random clothes in my closet and it just… led to this.”

 

"I can't believe you just called my Vetements random," Chanyeol shook his head, poking his finger under Baekhyun's ribs, the boy scrunching up his nose and groaning. "It wasn't that unplanned. But yeah. Anyway, sorry, we should probably get going before my son thinks he's an orphan."

 

“Yeah, I guess we should,” Baekhyun nodded slowly and turned to Jongdae, “What was it that you wanted to tell me? You barged in screaming I wouldn’t believe it. Believe what?” he smiled, his fingers caressing Chanyeol’s forearm.

 

"Oh!" Jongdae's face lit up. "My designs are gonna be displayed in the school runway show. I can choose my own model if I want so I signed you up. It's a thing for families and friends. In the beginning of April." Baekhyun was a bit conflicted between hugging him, the smile on his best friend so bright and happy looking so beautiful, or strangling him, because what the actual ?

 

“I’m so ing proud of you, Dae! And I’m so going to ing kill you too, what the do you mean you signed me up? Why me? I ing hate you!” Baekhyun groaned, yet he still walked up to him, hugging his best friend tight and softly kissing the top of his head. Chanyeol watched them with an amused smile.

 

"So, firstly, thank you and secondly, you too. It's a thing for the first- and second-year students to show our works. You modelled for me earlier so I just thought it would be so awesome if you did that again on the runway…" Jongdae hugged him tighter. "Please?" Baekhyun groaned, rolling his eyes.

 

“Fine. But you owe me.”

 

"Great! I get to show two pieces, so I want to have one older and one..."

 

"The purple dress," Chanyeol whispered suddenly and both boys turned their heads to him. "I-I mean… It's a great design. You should… totally do that," he muttered, forcing himself to act nonchalant.

 

"Thank you," Jongdae gave him a knowing smile. "Yeah, I was actually thinking about it." Baekhyun scrunched up his nose.

 

“Isn’t it one of the pictures you have above your desk?”

 

"I actually have like five of them now?"

 

“Damn, you’re obsessed with me.” The boy stuck his tongue out and Chanyeol made a face, shaking his head. Jongdae smiled happily at the couple.

 

"So, is that a yes?"

 

“Do I even have a choice?” Baekhyun asked, rolling his eyes and kissing his best friend’s cheek again.

 

"Not really, if you want to find all your brushes in place," the boy grinned. "I'll tell you the details later. But the purple dress is in one hundred percent," he assured and Baekhyun saw Chanyeol smiling ear to ear in the corner of his eye. "Now, you should go, we'll talk later."

 

"Sure," Chanyeol nodded, trying and failing to hide his excitement, making his long fingers fidgety.

 

“Calm down, you freak.” Baekhyun chuckled, turning around and kissing the man’s chest. “Is the dress making you this happy?”

 

"It's you in this dress that does," the man answered, trying so hard to hold back his excitement that he didn't notice Baekhyun touching his torso. Jongdae giggled, watching their little exchange and waved at them as they finally went out to the corridor to put their shoes on. It was more than funny to see Chanyeol giddy enough to almost forget his precious sketchbook that Baekhyun wasn't allowed to look into and then almost jumping as he ran down the stairs instead of taking a lift. Baekhyun chuckled as he followed him happily, almost tripping if it wasn’t for the man’s broad back keeping him up as Baekhyun bumped into it. They walked up to his car, both with big smiles on their faces and Baekhyun humming under his breath as he fastened his seatbelt.

 

An hour later, they were sitting in Chanyeol's living room, boxes of food scattered around the table, Toben playing with his toy, his energy level a bit lower after Chanyeol ran on a walk with him. Baekhyun stayed at home, promising to order their food, not really keen on taking the dog for a walk. He knew by now that walking Toben actually meant running around the park for half an hour and trying to catch up to Chanyeol, who was way more fit and way faster on his long legs than Baekhyun. He took care of their order and changed into more comfortable clothes, already lying on the floor when sweaty Chanyeol and panting Toben came back home. The man took his shoes off and unbuckled the leash, joining Baekhyun. They spent their evening in the living room, empty boxes in front of them as they finished their dinner and Toben soundlessly sleeping by their side, Chanyeol’s long fingers scratching at his back from time to time until Baekhyun settled between his long limbs. They watched a movie, talked, laughed and cuddled and it all felt so natural and good that Baekhyun dozed off against his boyfriend as the man was softly tracing patterns in the palm of his hand. He only woke up when Chanyeol lifted him up, walking to the bed and went back to sleep after a kiss on the forehead and a whispered goodnight.

 

 

 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Uuhhh, only two chapters left + the epilogue. What is life.
I'm in love with Jongdae being intimidated by Chanyeol, somehow. 
Love you all. 
Take care. <3

- K.