Baekhyun hurriedly grabs an apple from the kitchen counter and makes his way towards the front door. His feet freezes halfway when he spots the big figure splattered across the sofa in the living room. A smile creeps up his face and he shakes his head softly before stepping closer to the figure.

Chanyeol must have ended his shooting late last night, no wonder he’s knocked out cold right now, he didn't even get to take off his socks.

He bends down to press a kiss onto the taller’s forehead, “Good morning, husband .”

The one who he thought was deep asleep suddenly snakes his arms around the smaller’s waist, bringing him closer, his small body almost completely on top of the other.

“Chanyeol!!!” 

“Morning to you too, sweetheart,” Chanyeol says, pecking him loudly on the cheeks (just to annoy the smaller) and letting out a contented sigh at the familiar scent.

“Why are you awake? What time did you get home last night?” Baekhyun asks, a worried frown painted across his forehead. "Sleep some more, I know you’re exhausted."

"Never too tired for you," Chanyeol nuzzles the brunette's neck, giving it little pecks. He sighs again at the comforting scent. 

A scent that means home, away from the hustle-bustle life of an A-list celebrity. 

Baekhyun immediately giggles at the intrusion when Chanyeol wouldn’t stop sneaking kisses all over his neck. 

“Chanyeol, stop itー tickles!” 

“I miss you, sweetheart,” the taller whispers, his baritone voice sounding a few octaves deeper than usual from having just woken up. 

A tinge of pink makes its appearance on the smaller’s cheeks almost instantly. Baekhyun cannot seem to get used to this, though they have been together for almost five years and married for the past two years. 

“I… I miss you too,” Baekhyun replies, the tinge of pink not leaving his cheeks.

Chanyeol grins to his heart’s content, his husband is always such a shy little thing. It might sound mean but Chanyeol has always enjoyed it when his husband freezes on the spot and his cheeks turn red from embarrassment. He pulls both of them up from the position and ruffles the brunette’s hair.

The latter smacks his hand away swiftly and pouts. His husband is such a tease, though Baekhyun still wholeheartedly loves him nonetheless.

“Don’t do that, my hair's gonna be a mess,” Baekhyun whines and fixes his hair. He spent a good half an hour getting them blow-dried just now. 

“Okay sunshine, I’m sorry. Come, let me fix your hair,” the taller male pulls him closer and smooths down his hair, the prominent eyes looking down on the smaller with utmost love and adoration. 

God, he is so deeply in love. 

He leans in, the distance between them closing inch by inch when Baekhyun's phone vibrates in his pocket, signalling an incoming call.

Baekhyun suddenly widens his eyes and scampers up, “Oh my god! I’m late already!”

He grabs his abandoned bag and reaches for the car keys. He yelps when Chanyeol comes from behind and snatches the keys.

“I’ll drive you there, no excuses!” Chanyeol offers, not letting the younger have a chance to retort back. 

Baekhyun grumbles and follows the latter out of the door, “If you say so.”

“Hey Baek, you didn’t come with your car? I didn’t see yours parked outside,” Yoona whips her head back to ask the brunette as soon as the professor exited the classroom. 

She doesn’t recall seeing the black Audi the male owns parked at their usual spot when she came to class earlier.

“Oh that… he umm, drove me today,” Baekhyun answers nonchalantly and gathers his book and stationery before dumping them all in his backpack. It is their last class of the day and Baekhyun is ecstatic at the thought of going home.

Yoona side-eyes Jongdae who is sitting beside her, her eyes flashing into recognition before the side of her lips pull up into a teasing smile. 

“No wonder... aww, it must be nice to have someone send and fetch you from school.” she cooes and sing-songs, snickering while nudging Jongdae to follow suit and of course, follow Jongdae did— he would never miss a chance to tease the brunette. 

Oftentimes he would get a flying pencil thrown in his way, though 99% of the time, it wouldn’t even graze his skin because Baekhyun at aiming.

“I’m so envious of you, Baek— you got yourself such a loving partner,” Yoona, the only girl in their small group of friends pretends to wipe an invisible tear from her eyes, “When will we ever?” she adds, turning to Jongdae to dramatically hug each other.

Baekhyun crinkles his eyes and shakes his head at his friend’s attics, “Stop it you two.” 

"Okay but sometimes my girlfriend comes to pick me up— it's just you in this, Yoona-ah," Jongdae pulls away and crackles. He whines when Yoona hits his arm.

"Traitor," she mutters grumpily. 

“Anyways, moving on to the things that matter— Byun Baek, your husband, is he on a break right now? Has his shooting ended? The movie will air soon, right?” Jongdae bombards in his high-pitched tone, loud enough that a few students left inside the classroom eye them with curiosity at the question.

“Dae!” Baekhyun glares at his best friend, pursing his lips in exasperation. If there is someone who does not have any sense of voice control, that would be Kim Jongdae. Just use him as a morning alarm instead and school attendance is 100% guaranteed. 

Jongdae turns his head to look around and grins apologetically before scratching his hair, “Oh, it’s nothing, it’s nothingー just an actor he’s been admiring so he calls him husband, haha you know, being a fan and all,” he chuckles nervously. 

Though he’s facing backwards, he could definitely feel the deathly stare behind his head. If he doesn’t make it out alive, the police know who to find.

“Continue doing your work, everyone. There’s nothing to see,” Yoona adds and to her friend’s delight, the rest started dismissing.

Jongdae finally turns around and sighs dramatically. “Phew, that was a close one,” he says but still avoids eye contact with the furious male. Baekhyun can be very scary when he’s angry and Jongdae can confirm it for they have been friends since high school.

He could clearly remember, the memories still so crisp in his mind when a boy tried picking a fight with Baekhyun in 11th grade, calling him degrading names and spilling food on him purposely at lunchtime. 

At first, Jongdae thought Baekhyun didn’t mind since he was always so indifferent, acting like the other party didn’t exist. Angry, Jongdae would yell at them in the brunette’s place but, since they were in different classes, he couldn’t always come to the rescue.

“If someone throws a stone at you, throw a flower back at them. But remember to throw the flower pot with it,” Baekhyun once said when they were having lunch one day. 

And throw a flower pot… Baekhyun did, literally and figuratively.

One day, let’s just say that the poor bully chose the wrong day to mess with because Baekhyun was definitely not tolerating any of his bull that day. 

The boy-that-must-not-be-named did his usual pranks and jokes on Baekhyun, scribbling and spilling chocolate milk on his notes before getting up to laugh with his pathetic excuses of friends at the other end of the classroom. Then during gym class, they had to run two laps and the bully couldn’t stop bothering the male, he kept throwing small rocks at the latter's back. 

After class, Baekhyun would usually pack his bags and commute back home but this time, before leaving, he grabbed the vase from the display at the back of their classroom and made his way towards the bully. 

Somehow along his way, he ‘tripped’ and sent the flower pot flying straight to the bully with bits of the contents spilling onto his group of friends.

Even so, Baekhyun only got reprimanded for being ‘clumsy’ and the others had to go home soiledー their leader in the worst state with big bruises and cuts that had to be stitched.

Safe to say, after that, Baekhyun had gone through the rest of his high school years safe and sound.

The poor bully was probably still traumatised till this day because those glint in Baekhyun’s eyes before he tripped, no one could have ever forgotten it. He figured it was definitely intended when Baekhyun smirked at him before bidding him goodbye. 

Jongdae who was at the scene could also remember the look Baekhyun had in his eyes and since then he knew he should never mess with Byun Baekhyun. 

Jongdae latches himself onto the other male and pouts, jutting his lips excessively, “Byun Baek, please don’t be mad, you knew it was a mistake…”

The male just dismisses Jongdae with a wave and reprimands him not to repeat it again. “I’m trying so hard to keep everything in control, don’t do that again, okay?”

Baekhyun sighs and pats the other's black locks, ruffling them just to annoy the latter. “You know how the entertainment industry is… I need to stay low-key— at least until I graduate.”

Jongdae nods eagerly and brings his palm up, promising not to do it again. Baekhyun nods and the three friends make their way out of the lecture room.

There is a reason why he is keeping everything a secretー people will eventually find out soon, but not now.

Definitely not now.

Baekhyun zones out as he walks out of the class, slowly tuning out the heated debate Yoona and Jongdae are having about the hottest boy band right now. 

He can feel the stares and eyes on him as they walk along the hallway of the Art and Design Faculty. Honestly, it has always been that way— it all started when Baekhyun was asked to sing during the freshmen’s orientation week. 

He sang ‘Moon of Seoul’ while playing the piano and the recorded clip of him went viral on the university’s board page.

After that, Baekhyun was collectively agreed to be the pride of the Art and Design Faculty at Yonsei University. 

It's not a wonder that he almost instantly became the centre of attention everywhere he goes, has students from other faculties dropping by to catch a glimpse of him— not to mention the number of confessions he received from juniors to seniors on Valentine’s Day each year.

Baekhyun himself doesn’t know what people find fascinating about him— he has always thought that he is just an average guy but then, Yoona and Jongdae beg to differ.

His two best friends never-failed to remind him that “you have a voice of a god” and “you’re cute as hell”. At first, Baekhyun would argue that Jongdae also has a nice voice but was quick to be refuted when the Cheshire male replied with an “I have a girlfriend since high school— no one will hit on a taken man Byun Baek”.

Well, Baekhyun is not single too but no one publicly knew that, except for well, his two best friends— though that too, was by accident.

The cat got out of the bag when Yoona and Jongdae visited his house uninformed with fried chicken and beers in hopes to celebrate the end of their first semester together and found none other than the Park Chanyeol in his studio apartment’s kitchen cooking dinner.

Well, to say the pair was shocked was an understatement, because they were downright horrified . 

I mean, not always you come to your best friend’s home to find an A-list actor flipping pajeon in the kitchen, right?

When Baekhyun got out of the shower, he too sported a terrified look on his face. Jongdae had launched himself at him and shook his shoulders like a 9.0 scale earthquake, demanding answers. 

Chanyeol on the other hand was quite pleased to finally know his boyfriend’s closest friends. They were quite a funny bunch.

Needless to day, Baekhyun had to treat his friends to ice cream for two-weeks straight for keeping them in the dark. 

The trio arrives at the library since Yoona has to return a book and Jongdae has to borrow one, Baekhyun just quietly gestures to them that he will just wait outside. His mind is only thinking of one person only right nowー the said person is probably busy resting at home and drowning in his dreams under the fluffy duvet inside their air-conditioned bedroom. 

Gosh, he cannot get over how hardworking his husband is. No matter how much he asks the taller to take a break for a while, it just won’t get through the latter’s thick skull. 

“I’m doing it for both of us, sweetheart. I promised we will open an art academy together right? I’m working hard to make that come true soon.”

Chanyeol would keep on repeating that whenever Baekhyun showed disagreement on him accepting another project, one after another without stopping. Chanyeol deserves some rest and they both knew it from the way Chanyeol would pass out from fatigue every time he comes back from one of his schedules.

There was one time during summer break where Baekhyun felt so overwhelmed and guilty by just looking at Chanyeol that he burst out crying at the first sight of the taller male.

Chanyeol, though, without a single word uttered from the smaller, immediately understood what it was about. He took slow strides to Baekhyun and straight away gathered the smaller male into his embrace, whispering soothing words into his ears. 

After a while, Chanyeol asked, “Sweetheart, why are you crying?” 

“I-I don’t k-know why I’m c-crying too…,” Baekhyun sobbed uncontrollably into the taller’s shirt, soaking it with tears. His fist grabbed a handful of Chanyeol’s sweatshirt, clutching it hard until it turned red. 

Chanyeol tried pulling Baekhyun’s face away from his chest and was unsuccessful when the smaller male was adamant about not moving.

Baekhyun buried his face deeper into the toned chest, “Don’t look at me… I-I look ugly.”

“Oh, sweetheart. Come, look at me,” Chanyeol had no choice but to use his strength to pull the smaller away from going all koala over his chest. 

“Okay, look here, baby,” Chanyeol began. “Up here, your eyesー yes good. Look at me in the eyes and don’t move them away. I’m going to say something so listen to me, please?”

Baekhyun nodded through his tear-stained eyes, understanding.

“So first of all, where do I startー okay, let me start by saying this,  I love you, Byun Baekhyun. I love you so much. You’re the love of my life, my happy pill, my energiser, my source of happiness, my love and my everything. I just cannot ask for anyone better cause you’re so perfect for me and god, even words can’t express how much I love you. I just love you so much, my love,” Chanyeol started, breathless from saying everything in one go, his eyes staring straight into the smaller male’s eyes, not wavering for even a second. When tears started welling up in the dark orbs again, he continues.

“So, listen to me, okay. You’re not a burden, I’m doing all of these willingly. It is tiring, I must admit but, it’s not your fault. If you still don’t get it, sweetheart, I’m the stubborn one in this relationship so even if anything happens, it’s on me. You’re not the one at fault, baby. Yes, I do get exhausted but whenever I come home and see your face, it reminds me that everything’s alrightー that everything is fine and I’m gonna be alright as long as you’re here. So please, please, sweetheart, please never think that it’s your fault. You’re the sole reason I keep on thriving and I love you so much for being here with me at every second.” 

Somehow along with his long long speech, tears started b in his eyes and Chanyeol had to look down, internally telling himself to calm down. 

Baekhyun scooted closer, closing the distance between them and intertwined their fingers together, softly caressing the taller’s calloused fingers between his. He hardly let out a soft, “I understand now, please don’t cry, Yeol.\,” between his sobs.

Chanyeol finally looked up after what felt like hours of eerie silence engulfing them, no trace of tears on his face, though his eyes were also bloodshot red, mirroring Baekhyun’s. 

“I love youー”

“ーI love you,”

They said simultaneously; both letting out a chuckle at the coincidence.

“As I said earlier, I love you, Baek. So please, don’t think it’s your fault, okay, sweetheart?”

Baekhyun nodded eagerly and wiped his tear-stained cheeks with the back of his hand, “I understand.”

Chanyeol the smaller male’s cheeks, his fingers going softly over the trace of tears. He hates seeing Baekhyun cry, that is one of his major weaknesses (aside from Baekhyun’s whining but that’s another story) and he just cannot stand it when Baekhyun is sad.

Because a smile looks the prettiest on his Baekhyun.

Chanyeol inched closer and Baekhyun’s eyes fluttered close when he feels the soft lips against his.

Chanyeol wrapped his arms around the slender waist and carried him into their bedroom, all the while not disconnecting their lips before playfully tossing the smaller on the bed, leaving a giggly Baekhyun behind.

The glint in the taller's eyes immediately changed. After discarding his shirt, Chanyeol climbed the bed and without wasting any second, latches his lips onto the soft, silky and smooth pristine neck.

Oh, Chanyeol made sure to show Baekhyun how much he loves him that night. 

Long.

And.

Hard.

There was no way Baekhyun would ever wake up doubting his love; not like he ever did before but, with this, Chanyeol gave him no chance to even show doubt. 

That morning, Baekhyun woke up feeling fresh and content. He glanced over to the owner of the arm draped across his waist and saw that Chanyeol’s eyes were still shut close.

He must be tired, Baekhyun thought. Chanyeol did get back late that night and he had to deal with him being a crying mess. But, after remembering Chanyeol’s words last night, he quickly dismissed the negative thoughts and started thinking of what dishes to make for breakfast instead and decided to settle for a bowl of simple fried rice. There was some left-over rice from yesterday if he remembered correctly.

He spent a good 10 minutes staring at his husband’s face, pecking him on the cheeks because he was so in love with this man right here. How did he get so lucky again?

He slowly removed the taller’s arm from his middle and was about to slip his feet into the house shoes, silently cheering for succeeding in not accidentally waking Chanyeol up along the way when suddenly he was pulled back onto the familiar warmth.

“Chanyeol! Have you been awake all this time?!” 

“Long enough to notice you staring at me for half an hour and then sneaking a kiss on my cheek.”

Baekhyun covered his face, realising he had been caught by the male all these while. 

This is so embarrassing.

The smaller male proceeded to bury himself back into the duvet like a burrito, Chanyeol’s soft chuckling resonating through the walls.

“Come out now, sweetheart,” Chanyeol pleaded, teasingly pulling the end of the blanket. “Come out now, baby, or you’ll suffocate yourself.”

“No!” Baekhyun retorted and stubbornly clung onto the edges of the blanket. He would rather starve than face the older male. His fa