| CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX |

Not Fine

It was already past eight in the evening when Jiwon got home from work. She was welcomed by Baekhyun who was seated on the dining area, drinking coffee while working on his laptop. Their eyes met as she walked through the entry hall. She made a quick turn to the twins’ bedroom to check on them. Once she sees that they were both tucked in their beds fast asleep, she planted careful kisses on their head before leaving the room. She closed the door gently before walking back towards the living room.

Throwing her purse on the couch, Jiwon then strides towards Baekhyun on the dining area for a back hug. “You’re still here? What time did Eun Jung unni leave?” She asked while burying her face on the crook of his neck. Baekhyun sighed and gently caressed her forearm wrapped around his neck. “Around six, I told her she didn’t have to stay late cause I’m waiting for you anyway.” He answered.

He turned his head and their lips met for a chaste kiss.

A smile formed on Jiwon’s lips as they let go. She then moved in front of him and made herself comfortable right on his lap, using him as a chair. “How was work?” Baekhyun asked as he held onto her body for support. He pushed the baby hairs around her face and scanned her tired-looking expression. Was it the best time to ask her? Was she too tired? A lot of questions surfaced in his head as he stared. It was a very important matter for them to talk about. He wanted to be there for her … he wanted her to want him to be there for her.

She wasn’t alone anymore and he wanted her to see that.

Jiwon lazily played with the fabric of his shirt, drawing gentle circles on its pattern. “So ing tired—ugh, Hara was being a the whole day, we argued a lot because of the concept review for the ad’s and campaign. Don’t worry, I told her that to her face and then we both reconciled at the end of the night. It was just … a lot today.” She laughed at the end. “Good thing you’re here, I feel a lot better now.”

Baekhyun forced a smile and grabbed her neck to pull her face closer. He then placed his lips against her forehead for a lingering peck that lasted a few seconds. He pulled away and looked her in the eyes, their eyes only a feather away. “You know, I—I could take a shower and maybe you could sleep over tonight.” Jiwon suggested while brushing her fingers on the collar of his shirt, feeling his neck.

There was a short pause from Baekhyun before he nodded. “Sure, uh—you go ahead. Get yourself comfortable and take a shower. You worked hard today.” He briefly her cheeks before gesturing het to get off. “Yup, I will do that. While waiting for me, maybe you could pick a movie we could watch? Unless you haven’t eaten dinner yet—you want me to heat up something? I already ate but I can eat a little with you.” She asked as she walked to the bathroom while taking her blazer off. Baekhyun closed his laptop before turning to look at her. “I already ate, don’t worry. Just relax okay?” He asked earning an awed smile from her. “I will relax, you can’t stop me.” She said with a chuckle before stepping into the bathroom.

As soon as the door shut closed, Baekhyun faced the table again and rested his elbows against the edge of it. He placed both palms against his face to cover it and suppress his urge to groan loudly. He felt the frustration building up as he tried to come up with the best way to open it up to her.

He wasn’t afraid of her … he was afraid of hurting her.

But it needed to be done, it needed to be said.

When Jiwon finished showering Baekhyun braced himself for the questions he wanted to ask. How to say them carefully without triggering a fight—which he might have been already preparing for hours. But he had made up his mind to step up, be a man and help her out. He wasn’t just going to sit there like a moron doing nothing. It might be storm against storm, what he’s trying to play, but it was all going to be worth it.

It’s the two of them now. He and Jiwon, along with the twins, against the world.

He adjusted himself on her bed as she came forward while drying her damp hair with a towel. She looked so much better than when she got home—not that she was ugly. She looked less stressed out. It was inevitable to bum her out once again—but it was necessary. “Hey y.” She grinned as she started climbing up to the bed, crawling towards him. Baekhyun felt the heat surfacing around his body as soon as he felt her so close—her inner warmth along with the light coldness of her skin and the dampness of her hair.

However, as soon as their eyes met, Jiwon lost her smile. Immediately, she noticed the disturbance in his eyes. “What?” She asked while raising an eyebrow. Thoughts—quite the negative ones—started filling up her mind before he even spoke. Did she do something wrong? Did he see something he wasn’t supposed to see? Was she not looking attractive right now? Did he not like the new scent of her shampoo? Did she end up having really dark circles from all those days she’d been working late? She adjusted her body away from him, but settling her legs down in between his as she hesitantly sat on his thighs. “Baekhyun—what?” She asked in a sharper tone.

The way Baekhyun sighed and looked away made her chest plummet more. —she must have done something. She watched as he reached for something out of his pocket and her eyes followed his hand as he handed a piece of card to her. She immediately recognized what it was as she just threw it out last night. She snatched it out of his grip and chuckled. “Where’d you get this? I remember throwing this out when I was clearing my desk last night.” Sh