Meet the Byuns  

When the Byuns heard their son was coming home with his boyfriend of two years, they were expecting a nice young man with a good job and a nice pay, maybe even a president. But when a tall man with arms decorated with ink, a shiny nose ring, pink hair, and motorcycle for a best friend shows up at their door, it seems all the things they planned for their son's future will begin going down the drain, and fast.  

 

"Baekhyun!" Mrs. Byun cries as she lunges for her son.  

"Hey, mom," he says in response as he is immediately enveloped in a tight embrace, his nostrils being filled with the smell of the same perfume his mother has used since Baekhyun can remember. It's a strong vanilla scent, what used to be the scent of home - and it still was. 

Heejin withdraws from the embrace and places her hand on her youngest son's cheeks, admiring the beauty that was her son. Baekhyun flashes his rectangular grin at his mother. "I've missed you so much. We have so much to talk about, Baekhyunnie!"  

She glances down at his luggage, resting in multiple suitcases at his side. "Junseo!" she calls for her husband. "Baekkie is here! Come get his bags!" 

She urges Baekhyun in the door, making him leave his bags at the door for Baekhyun's father to take care of.  

"I thought you said you'd be bringing Chanyeol with you?"  

"Mom, I already told you. Chanyeol and I's original plan was to take separate flights since the first flight was completely booked, so we decided I would go first. But since Chanyeol's flight got canceled, he is driving through," he explains to his mother whilst he is seated on the sofa and handed a cup of tea. A plate of cookies is placed on the coffee table and Baekhyun cannot help but have the urge to grab one and devour it.  

He takes a glance around the house, noticing different things that weren't there before he left. The walls are different from the shade of eggshell they used to be, now painted over with a sea blue that Baekhyun finds much more fitting in the house. All his mother's succulents were gone from the room and replaced with house plants she now had time to take care of. Even the couch Baekhyun is sitting on is new. 

"That's too bad, I was looking forward to meeting my son-in-law sooner." 

Baekhyun's cheeks were set aflame, red as the day his parents gave him a brief explanation of the birds and the bees. "Mom, stop that. You haven't even met him. And... don't call him that. He hasn't even proposed." 

Heejin's smile never falters. "He will, trust me. Anyway, what time will he be down? Wouldn't want him missing out - especially since it's already been arranged that we're going to meet him. You haven't even shown me pictures! I'm so excited!" 

"By tomorrow is what he said." 

"Sounds good! Now, Baekkie, come on to the kitchen to help me prepare tonight's dinner - oh, and tell me all about this Chanyeol of yours."  

✿ 

When Baekhyun was just a child, his parents knew their son had great potential. Not only was he beautiful and sociable, he was also very kind and his personality attracted people. As a very lively young boy, it did not take lots for everyone his parents knew to understand that the boy would do wonderful things in his life. Maybe he would grow up and find the cure for cancer, maybe he would walk on the Moon, maybe he would marry some rich guy, maybe even a president.  

Lo and behold, Baekhyun moved across the country as soon as he graduated university. It had always been his dream to have a studio apartment filled with things he loved, things that interested him - like musical instruments, books, movies, and many things more. The possibilities were endless and Baekhyun's dreams were only getting started when he moved in with the main singer of a band, the boy named Jongdae.  

Jongdae was... interesting. He was just as lively as Baekhyun, and just as loud. He was playful and could never take things seriously. That was part of what made Baekhyun happy with his life in the city. That and, well, his bandmate Chanyeol.  

Chanyeol: tall, strong, talented, and most importantly, smoking hot. The taller one was a drummer (and a guitarist and pianist at times) in Jongdae's band and occasionally a background singer. The first time Baekhyun met him there was an immediate click and to say that they did not hit it off from the beginning was a lie. Chanyeol was perfect for him - his towering height contrasted Baekhyun's lack thereof, his build was perfect against Baekhyun's slimness, and his dark aura pulled Baekhyun away from the idea that love was pure innocence. In short, Chanyeol was perfect for him, and Chanyeol ruined him. Chanyeol defiled him, had him at his command, and Baekhyun loved it. There was nothing he would change about his boyfriend, but there was a slight problem.  

Growing up in a nice neighborhood where the closest thing one could get to a delinquent was sneaking out to skate at the community skate park, and even that wasn't much, Baekhyun was jolted into reality with his first meeting of Jongdae and his bandmates. It was almost a rude awakening, seeing a lifestyle he'd never been exposed to before his eyes. Chanyeol, Jongdae, Junmyeon, and even Yixing were all slaps in the face for Baekhyun. Who were these people? Were they bad people? 

Turns out, no. They're the furthest things from troublemakers, from delinquents, from people Baekhyun should distance himself from, just simply people who appeared that way and were completely different. Just misunderstood. So Baekhyun made an effort to get to know them better - learning that though Chanyeol was tall and intimidating, he was really just a huge teddy bear. That even though Jongdae looked like he's the kind of person to mar his lungs with toxic smoke, he was an excellent singer, quite possibly the best Baekhyun's ever heard. Even though Junmyeon could be strict sometimes and tended to snap if his buttons were pushed too far, he was caring, patient, and loving to his bandmates. That even though Yixing was typically impartial and chose to stay out of most things, he had a soft side and it was reserved for Baekhyun and his bandmates only.  

Chanyeol and Baekhyun were complete opposites, there was much more different between them than there was alike. Nevertheless, the two loved each other and eventually got together as a couple. That slight problem mentioned earlier? Yeah, that's where the Byuns come in. With their strict and polished expectations for Baekhyun's boyfriend of two years, whom they've never met, Baekhyun feels a sense of uneasiness in his childhood home. Chanyeol defied all of his parents' expectations, differed from everything they seemed to value in the standard of good partners, and could not be any more different than Baekhyun. Baekhyun was nervous, what if this goes wrong? 

Hopefully his parents will understand. Baekhyun loves this man.  

When Baekhyun joins his parents down in the kitchen the next morning, he doesn't expect to find the breakfast he ate his whole childhood sitting on the counter waiting for him. A kimchi rice bowl filled with all the things he found delicious as a child. Even now, as an adult who had been exposed to many cultures and their traditional foods, he still finds himself wanting his mother's homemade breakfast from time to time, and here it is: rice, fried eggs, bacon strips, and everything.  

"I knew you'd like it," Heejin comments upon seeing her youngest's reaction. "It must have been so long since you've had it. Oh, my poor baby..."  

Baekhyun digs in, relishing in the flavors in his mouth. He's always loved this dish, as simple as it is. It was easy, flavorful, and everything Baekhyun likes in food, and even better it's made by his favorite cook in the world, his mom.  

"Hmmmmm, mom. Thank you so much. This is amazing," he says with a mouthful.  

Mrs. Byun hits her son on the shoulder with a towel, no doubt scolding him for lacking basic manners and talking with food in his mouth. "I'm glad you're enjoying it, but please close your mouth, Baekkie. Wouldn't want that boyfriend of yours seeing that." 

He's seen a lot worse in my mouth, Baekhyun wants to say but ultimately decides that it was a far too inappropriate conversation with his own mother, let alone over breakfast.  

Mr. Byun enters the kitchen minutes later, tying his tie. He gives Heejin a sweet kiss on the cheek and his son a peck on the forehead before he saunters over to the coffee machine to get his energy source for the day. "Are you excited, Baekhyun?" 

Baekhyun hums confusedly. "What about?" 

"About your parents meeting your boyfriend, of course," answers Baekhyun's mother. "It's not every day you come back home and bring your lover with you. Are you not excited? Or are you nervous? Tell me, Baekkie, is there anything you have to be nervous about?" She raises her eyebrows as if testing Baekhyun, like he's a criminal and she's an investigator trying to pry every single piece of information out of Baekhyun.  

"Of course not!" he replies, quicker than he probably should have. His urgency could raise suspicions, and that's the last thing Baekhyun wants from them.  

"You sure, son?" Junseo speaks up.  

He sighs. "Absolutely," says Baekhyun with feigned finality. "Anyway, how's Baekbeom? Isn't he supposed to come visit this year?"  

"Sadly, no. Baekbeom is attempting to get a promotion at work, so he can't come. Trust me, I'm just as disappointed as you. All I want to see are my two babies together again. I remember when all you two did was play, even though he's older than you. You two got along so well..." 

They did, really. Even though they were years apart.  

Baekhyun feels the need to lighten the atmosphere after he finds his mother with a reminiscent but disheartened look on her face. "But hey, I'm here. And my boyfriend is coming and he can't wait to meet you. We can play trivia and eat good food and maybe even learn a little bit about each other! I just hope you're as eager to meet you as he is you... He's really nervous and I think he's scared that you're not going to like him--" 

"Baekhyun, honey," his mother interrupts, stepping forward and placing her hands on the same chubby cheeks she used to wipe the tears off of when he was a child, "anyone who loves you as much as I do is worthy of my love and respect. Just stop worrying, okay? And tell that boyfriend of yours to stop worrying as well, I love him already. I'm sure your father does, too." 

Junseo grumbles under his breath from where he was stirring his coffee.  

Baekhyun wants to sigh and say "but, mom...", because really, he had a ton of things to worry about, and as important as her words were, there was still an anxious feeling in his chest that he couldn't seem to let go of. "Well, mom, Chanyeol's a bit different--" 

Before he could finish, there was the rumbling of an engine coming from outside and Baekhyun swore he held his breath for a second too long.  

His mother recoils, a curious look on her face. This was definitely an unusual sight to see, especially in this neighborhood, seeing as how nobody here owned anything with an engine that loud. It sounded like it could be coming from a classic car, an extremely expensive modern sports car, or maybe even a motorcycle... And nobody here had any of those.  

"Who in the world could that be?" Junseo asks himself, leaning over to look out the window while narrowly avoiding spilling the whole of his coffee down the front of his shirt. "At this time of morning. Must be crazy." He went back to sipping his morning coffee, turning away from the window.  

Heejin sighs at her husband as he dismisses the situation. "Now, Junseo, don't just stand there. There's kids in this neighborhood and we don't need any hooligans driving too fast on motorcycles getting anyone hurt." 

Baekhyun flinches at hooligan.  

"Ah, Heejin, they'll be fine. A kid doesn't learn not to do something unless they find out the consequences of their actions," he says, rolling his eyes at the scandalized look on his spouse's features. "What? How else do you think Baekbeom learned not to run around the house with socks on? That scar on his head is the eternal reminder that he shouldn't do it." 

Heejin mutters under her breath, "sometimes I wonder why I married you," but Baekhyun knows she doesn't mean it. After he and Baekbeom moved out and on with their individual lives, their parents were left with nothing but each other and this house. They would be lonely without one another.  

"Fine," Heejin says bravely, "if you won't go, I guess I'll do it myself."  

There's a mix between shouts of "mom, no!" and "Heejin, you're going to embarrass yourself", but Mrs. Byun is quick to the door with the two hot on her heels as she shows no signs of stopping. Baekhyun remembers when his mother created a neighborhood protection program after one kid went outside at night and got nearly shredded to death by the claws of a raccoon, then lied and said it attacked him for no reason, when in reality he was provoking the poor thing. His mother really went all out for a little reason, one that didn't even involve bikers and loud vehicles in small towns.  

But as soon as she opens the door there's an even more surprising sight to greet her. A man stands there, tall and broad with his torso layered with a sleek leather jacket, his blue jeans torn in multiple places. He wears a polite smile and the same polite eyes, but the nose ring he wears sticks out like a sore thumb, glinting in the morning light. And adding on to the surprise, pink hair styled perfectly on his forehead, contrasting his typical unruly and unkempt way of keeping it.  

Chocolate eyes meet his and Baekhyun isn't sure if he should pass out or if he should be smiling, lunging for this man before he kisses the life out of him. He's just as paralyzed as his parents, maybe even more so, because if there's one thing his parents hate... it's surprises. 

And this definitely falls under that category.  

"May we help you?" his father is the first one to speak, staring like he's never seen a man like this before. Because he probably hasn't, because in this small, compacted world they live in, there's no adventure, and when it crosses paths with them, adventure becomes danger.  

"You're the Byuns, right?" he asks even though he doesn't have to when he's making direct eye contact with Baekhyun right now. "Or did I get the wrong house number?" 

"N-no, you're in the right place, young man." 

Chanyeol hums before sticking out his hand to shake. "Good. I'm Chanyeol. Park Chanyeol."  

And Baekhyun's sure his mother almost faints.  

✿ 

"So... Chanyeol, how long have you known my son?"  

The pink-haired male chuckles. "For maybe two and half years now. Baekhyun... Baekhyun is quite the catch."  

Heejin laughs, but it sounds more like her clearing . "Here you are, dear." She hands Chanyeol a cup of tea, the tall male taking it before taking an obnoxiously loud sip of it. Baekhyun feels like closing his eyes and sinking into the couch, becoming one with the couch, and letting people sit on his face with their butts for the rest of his life, because, truly, it must've been his fault. He was the one who said Chanyeol should be himself around Mrs. Byun. "Oh? And how did you meet?"  

"I used to be roommates with his bandmate."  

"I had a gig at a club he was at." 

, Baekhyun thought. He really should've taken over the whole Q&A going on between his mother and his boyfriend, meanwhile his father sort of just scrutinizes Chanyeol from across the living room, seated on the parallel sofa.  

Both of them were true, honestly. The first time Baekhyun met Chanyeol they were at a club that his roommate had dragged him to. He'd never really been to one before, always a good boy because rules were rules and he was a conformist. But the minute he made eye contact with the drummer up on stage, dressed in a tight tank top with ink telling stories down the expanse of his bulging arms, he couldn't help but lose himself. Turns out it was his roommate's band, which he discovered right after waking up in his bed with the drummer from that night just as as him. It was definitely a crazy night, but it was even more life-changing than he'd ever thought it would be. 

Now, two years later, Chanyeol sat here. In his living room. In his childhood home. In his hometown. In front of his parents. What was there not to be anxious about? 

Mrs. Byun seems to struggle with her words, never thinking her baby would get around like that. "Interesting. And what do you do? Baekhyun tells me you're a musician, but I'd like to know more."  

"Ah," Chanyeol hums. "I'm a drummer, Mrs. Byun. My band, EXO, we mostly do rock music and when I'm not playing for a crowd, I write for the band. I've been playing music since the beginning. My mom jokes that I left the womb doing the 'rock on' hand sign," he adds with a laugh, Baekhyun joining in not only because he wants to make his boyfriend feel more welcome, but also because he knows Chanyeol loves it when he laughs at his jokes.  

"Oh my, that's just... adorable," Mrs. Byun comments, sipping her tea like she was some kind of royal. Baekhyun really hopes they can warm up to Chanyeol. They accepted him and loved him when he revealed he preferred boys, so what was it about this man that seemed so repelling to them? 

"Have you lived in the city your entire life?" asks Baekhyun's father, watching Chanyeol's every move like a hawk.  

The biker nods. "Yep. Born and raised. It was a bit strange coming through here, I got a lot of unusual looks." 

"Yes, well, it's not every day you see motorcycles driving through this neighborhood, so I wouldn't doubt some were a little curious as to why it stopped outside our house of all houses." 

However, Chanyeol did not take offense and merely laughed it off, throwing his arm around Baekhyun to hug the smaller closer to his big body. "I guess some just don't like the thrill, huh? Fine with me. There's nothing like riding with the wind flying just about everywhere, and even in the rain, right, Baek?"  

"Honey, why don't you tell them about what your tattoos mean," Baekhyun opts to say after catching his mother staring at the dark drawings on Chanyeol's skin. Tattoos he traced at night as he fell asleep with his head on his boyfriend's chest, ones his fingernails ran raw as they scraped over every inch of his back and his arms during intimate moments, and tattoos he just liked to stare at when he got bored - to appreciate the art.  

Chanyeol's smile widened instantly. "You're right, I should!" he agrees. "My tattoos map out my life up until this point. This one is from when I was a baby - I didn't get it when I was a baby, but it's from a moment when I was a baby - but yeah, and then this one..." 

Baekhyun sighs, pitying his boyfriend who rambles about the meanings of the lovely ink on his body while Baekhyun's parents wonder internally if this was ever a good idea.  

✿ 

Baekhyun lay with his head on the giant's chest, listening to the steady rising and falling of his chest, the calm rate of his heart as they relax in bed after a long day of doing virtually nothing else but trying to impress Baekhyun's parents. Chanyeol is deflated after finding out that it was harder than expected, seeing himself at a dead end even on just the first day. Mr. and Mrs. Byun were two tough eggs to crack.  

"I totally ed it up, didn't I?" asks the giant after a long period of silence between them.  

Baekhyun shook his head against the other's chest. "No, you didn't. Mom and dad are just being stubborn. They like you; I promise they do. They were the same way when Baekbeom-hyung's girlfriend came over for the first time, now they're married." 

A little lie wouldn't hurt anything. Baekbeom and Boyoung had been friends since childhood.  

Chanyeol sulks, sighing heavily along with the weight on his chest. "You told me to be myself. I was, wasn't I? Or was I overdoing it? God, Baek, they hate me!" 

"Don't say that, Yeol. They'll come around one day." 

"How long until 'one day'?" Chanyeol asks.  

"Um, I don't know..."  

"Exactly!" he says. "I ed up so bad, now they're going to hate me forever and I'll never get to spend the rest of eternity with you. Do you understand how concerning this is?"  

"Yeol," Baekhyun says, pulling away and scooting upwards until he's staring his giant in the eyes, "give them a little while. Mom said she loves whoever loves me, so just relax for a little while, won't you? I want to be in my old home with my boyfriend, relaxing as we cuddle in my old bed. Is that not enough?"  

Chanyeol relents. "It is... it's just, I thought that maybe if I was myself, things would turn out better. But no! The world is just ting on me right now, Baek? Do you see it? It's allllllll over the place."  

"It's not ting on you, Yeol. It's really not. Just give them some time. They've had these strict expectations of me my entire life and really, I can't do anything about them. But you can. You can show them who you really are, and show them how much you love me. Please? Don't be discouraged... it's only the first day," Baekhyun says with a pout, giving his boyfriend the puppy eyes.  

Chanyeol exhales heavily. "Fine... give me a kiss, please?"  

The smaller rolls his eyes, moving to straddle the taller man, cupping his cheeks. He leans down and presses a kiss to his lips, jolting when he feels hands on his hips as they slip under his night-shirt. "Hey! We spoke about this already, no having here. If mom found out about this, God, I'd be dead. So, keep those hands to yourself."  

Chanyeol shakes his head. "Baby, I can't last that long..."  

"Sure, you can. It's either that or you face my dad. Do as you please." Baekhyun laughs to himself when the taller immediately removes his hands and lets the smaller get off his lap, laying back with his head on a pillow. "Don't be upset, Yeol. It's only for a little while, then we can go back to the city and you can destroy me all you want." 

He bit his lip just thinking about it; getting ed into their mattress at home, face down with his up in the air and Chanyeol plowing into him. This man, this giant, adorable, somehow incredibly intimidating man showed his dark side most of the time and his teddy bear side was far too hidden unless you knew him. But Baekhyun knew all sides of him, every inch of his body, and he loved it when Chanyeol was his soft self during the day, but came out at night ready to give Baekhyun the time of his life. And ugh, it would be terrible, a week without would, but whatever they could do to prevent Mr. Byun from murdering Chanyeol before they could leave was probably much better.  

"God, baby, you can't just say stuff like that and expect me to be okay with it--" just before he could finish, there was a knock on the door. Panicking, Baekhyun jumped back and replaced the pillow barrier that had been there when they first got into the room. Baekhyun just knew his mom put it there, and knew she would have done it to absolutely anyone who dared sleep in the same bed as her darling son, but this bridge of pillows was extra thick.  

"Come in," he calls quietly and Chanyeol gives him a look of are you crazy?  

"Hey, you two," his mother says as she enters the room, her eyes first going to the barrier that separates them. She lets out a relieved sigh, probably thinking she was being inconspicuous, but Baekhyun suppresses an eye-roll because of it. "I just thought you might need some more blankets since, you know, it gets a little chilly at night." 

It doesn't.  

Baekhyun nods in understanding. "Okay, thanks, mom. Just put them over there on the table. We'll get them if we need them." 

She puts the blankets on the table where Baekhyun used to do all his homework, and right when they speculate that she is leaving the room, she stops and turns around. "Do you two think you might need some white noise? I heard it helps people sleep. If you do, I can bring the fan in here or you can turn on the tv... just whatever you need."  

"Actually, you know what? That'd be great--" 

"No, thanks, mom. I have an app on my phone for white noise, so we'll use that. Goodnight," Baekhyun dismisses before Chanyeol can finish, trying to give his mother the final push.  

She nods. "Okay, goodnight. Oh, and, Baekkie?" 

"Hm?" 

"I love you," she says.  

Baekhyun smiles. "I love you too, mom." 

In the end, whatever she may be doing to meddle in he and his lover's business, she still loves him and she always will. She assured him from a young age that whatever he shall do in life, she will support him undoubtedly. Baekhyun just hopes that she can keep that promise and love Chanyeol as Baekhyun loves him.  

When she's gone, the smaller man hits Chanyeol on the shoulder, making the man yelp. "The hell was that for?"  

"White noise? Really?"  

Chanyeol shrugs. "I was just trying to let her feel like she can do something. Maybe if I do that, she'll like me." 

"As much as I want to kiss you for that, I also want to slap you. You don't need white noise to sleep, you don't have to pretend like you do just to please my mother. You do know what she came in here for, don't you?"  

Chanyeol shakes his head in response. Baekhyun feels compelled to pinch the bridge of his nose like stressed parents do. "She came in here to make sure we weren't practically all over each other and eating each other's face off. See why I jumped away from you so quickly?"  

"Oh..." Chanyeol mutters. "Now I see. Anyway, now that she's gone, you want to get back to what we were doing?"  

Baekhyun slaps a palm to his own face in annoyance. He knew this was a bad idea. Hopefully though, they can survive a stay without Chanyeol getting himself murdered and Baekhyun not having a heart attack from the cluelessness with which Chanyeol carries himself.  

✿ 

"So... what do you guys think?" asks Baekhyun as he meets with his parents in the kitchen as always. He just got done brushing his teeth and was waiting on Chanyeol to finish getting ready upstairs. Mr. Byun was getting ready for work as always and Mrs. Byun was running out to get some flowers today since it was nice out and she just felt like she needed more plants to brighten her home. So, she convinced Baekhyun and his lover to accompany her, but Baekhyun knew this was just another one of her devious plans. 

To drive the man crazy. 

"Of what?" 

"Of, you know, Chanyeol..."  

"Ah," his mother hums. "He's definitely interesting, but I can't say I know him well enough to say anything about him. He certainly likes to talk about his tattoos in great detail." 

Baekhyun wants to ask: what does that have to do with anything? Instead of pushing it, he chooses to keep his mouth shut.  

"He's a really, really good guy, mom. We've been together for so long and I love him so, so much." 

"I'm sure you do," Mr. Byun chuckles. "We'll see if he's good enough at helping your mother pick out flowers, though. You and I both know how choosy she can be. And if he's not good enough..." 

Baekhyun doesn't want to hear the rest of that sentence. Not if it meant that his mother draws the line somewhere stupid, about stupid old flowers, in this stupid house, and wants him to be without his stupidly gorgeous boyfriend. 

After several long minutes of Baekhyun contemplating the words, Chanyeol came trotting down the stairs looking just beyond ecstatic, and Baekhyun lost his breath at the sight of such a handsome man. Chanyeol made abnormal look good, he made strange look fine as hell, and he did so even as he walked down the stairs with a loose floral button-up thrown over a white undershirt and tight pants, with his hair looking nice and rather neat compared to what it usually looked like.  

"I see you've dressed for the occasion," comments Mr. Byun as he sips his coffee. "Heejin ought to enjoy that."  

"Enjoy what? Oh my--"  

Baekhyun hopes his mom likes the flowers, because if she didn't it would be just another thing to add to the list of things she doesn't like about his boyfriend. And even though she hasn't voiced it, he can tell she is mentally adding to her checklist every time Chanyeol slips up and makes a comment he and Baekhyun would think was funny, but the Byuns not-so-much.  

Mrs. Byun doesn't say anything else but she merely nods, and Baekhyun thinks that's her constipated way of saying that's nice when she doesn't want to come off as too generous around Chanyeol, just in case he might get the wrong idea. In her mind, apparently, it's like the court, just flipped. Guilty until proven innocent, not good enough until proven good enough. It was that way when really, both should be the other way around. 

"Are we ready to go, mom?" 

"Yes, just... let me find my purse..." She looks around cluelessly, searching literally everywhere except where it would be.  

Chanyeol takes the initiative to look down at the bag on the barstool. He reaches forward to grab it. "Is this it?"  

Heejin looks surprised but nods, so Chanyeol hands her the bag. "Thank you, Chanyeol."  

"Sure thing, Mrs. Byun."  

Baekhyun thinks about what Chanyeol said in the kitchen as they're on their way to the flower shop, a little upset. He recalls a time when his mother once called Chanyeol her "son-in-law" despite never meeting him, and she once said something about wanting him to call her "mom" before they met. Now, she seems to be pushing away those wishes in the pursuit of driving away Chanyeol. She let him call her "Mrs. Byun", not "Heejin" or "mom". It was obvious that Chanyeol was nervous and that Baekhyun's parents made him that way, so he went with the safe option and avoided treating Baekhyun's family as his own.  

Baekhyun sits in the front with his mother while Chanyeol sits in the back, long legs spread out because none of their family happens to be too tall, so there would be no point in getting a big car. So Chanyeol sits quietly in the crowded space as Mrs. Byun converses with Baekhyun about multiple topics, one of them being Baekbeom as usual. 

After they arrive at his mother's favorite flower shop, Baekhyun trails behind with his boyfriend as his mother searches the wide store for anything she can find that she likes. She's always taken a great liking to flowers and she would get her hands on whatever she can get.  

"Oh, look, Yeol. It's the same color as your hair!" Baekhyun exclaims as he picks up a healthy pink orchid, comparing it to the bright color of his boyfriend's hair. Chanyeol's hair was a mixture of pink and light purple, but the elder chose to call it pink itself instead. Just because it was easier than saying "I love your pink-purple hair."  

Chanyeol chuckles and leans down a little so Baekhyun can closely check the resemblance.  

"We should totally buy this; it looks just like you. Tall and pink!" 

"You wish to buy an orchid, a flower of much sophistication and beauty, just because it corresponds with the color of his hair?" asks Baekhyun's mother. "Be a little frugal, Baekkie. Orchids can be quite expensive and require more attention than you have to give." 

Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "But, mom, I'll take it back to our apartment and take care of it there. And I'll pay for it with my own money, see?" He withdrew his wallet from his pocket just for show. "It'll be just fine there."  

"I don't know, Baek," Chanyeol begins. "Maybe Mrs. Byun is right. We don't spend a lot of time back at the apartment and we won't be able to tend to it enough. I hear orchids need a good amount of maintenance and sunlight and we're not based in the brightest side of town. There's no point in getting something that will just die in our hands."  

Baekhyun pouts but agrees, putting the pretty orchid back up on the shelf. Mrs. Byun crosses her arms in success, looking proud of both herself and maybe, quite possibly, her son's boyfriend.  

"Maybe another time," Chanyeol promises.  

Baekhyun nods and they continue looking around, Heejin picking out a few boring white and yellow flowers that Baekhyun would prefer that orchid over.  

When they finish checking out and all his mother's stupid flowers are done and paid for, Chanyeol tells them to wait for him in the car because he wants to get something. They both send him a weird look, but go on anyway. He comes back minutes later with a large box in his hands, holding it carefully as he spends his dear sweet time trying not to bump into anything as if the box holds a thousand glass plates.  

"What's in the box?" asks Baekhyun, twisting around in his seat in curiosity. He reaches out with long fingers but Chanyeol pulls back.  

"Ah, ah," he says, "no touching." 

Baekhyun pouts, crossing his arms. 

"Just be patient. I'll show it to you later." 

Baekhyun just rolls his eyes and mumbles, "nothing ever goes my way," as they head home. 

They help Baekhyun's mother carry in her flowers for her to place them where she pleases, then Chanyeol heads upstairs to go put away his surprise to be hidden from Baekhyun's curious and determined eyes. Mrs. Byun ponders over what she should make for dinner that night. 

"Baekhyunnie?" calls Mrs. Byun as she shuffles page after page through a cookbook she inherited from her mother that came from her mother's mother, all the way down until it came from her mother's mother's grandmother's great-grandmother. 

"Hm?" 

"What should we have for dinner?" She asks, looking through the fridge. 

"I don't know. I'll eat anything." 

"What would Chanyeol like?" 

Baekhyun shrugs. "He's just like me, he'll eat anything. We usually eat out in the city since there's a lot of good restaurants there," he says, looking down at his phone to check the time. Or maybe he just has a habit of checking if Chanyeol has texted him since he does that hourly. 

"Oh?" Mrs. Byun hums. "Do you eat out a lot?" 

Baekhyun nods in response. "We have very busy work schedules. It's much easier to just leave work and grab something to eat together before we go home and practically pass out. We don't have a lot of time to cook anything." 

"Sounds complicated," Heejin states. "Do you spend a lot of time together?"  

Baekhyun glances up at his mother as if he were a librarian with glasses perched on his nose, interrupted while reading his book that he's probably read a thousand times. In short, he looks very upset. "Of course we do. We've been in a relationship for two years now. If we didn't, I think it would have ended by now." 

"Just wanted to make sure. I know what it's like to be in a relationship where we had no time for each other." 

He bites his lip. "Mom, I know what you're trying to do."  

"I'm not trying to do anything, Baekhyun," she says. "I'm merely suggesting you look further into it. Do you spend enough time with each other? Do you know each other well enough? Are you really in love with him?"  

"Of course I am!" he exclaims, incredulous. He knew his mother would do something like this when she found out Chanyeol didn't exactly fit her "standards". "We spend plenty of time together. Forgive me for my wording a few minutes ago, but we don't just pass out. I was exaggerating. We have a great time going out to eat, texting during our breaks, we go places every weekend! I know him like the back of my hand. I love him so much. I have since day one and there will never be a day I regret going on a date with him," he finishes with a bitter taste in his mouth, angry that she would question his love for someone else when half the time she's the one who drives away Baekhyun's father. 

"Don't raise your voice at me," she says. "You're still in my house, you are still my son, you will still have respect for me."  

He scoffs. "Don't speak about respect like you know what that is. All you have done the entire time he's been here is hide your disapproval in subliminal messages. Before I have respect for you, you must have respect for the both of us." 

"I never said I didn't like him. I don't know what you're talking about right now, but it better stop. All I'm asking you to do is ask yourself if this is what you really want. If you want a relationship full of unpredictability. You're young and you have plenty of time to see much more." 

"This, mom," he spits, jabbing a slender index finger at the granite countertops as if telling her it's his final decision, "this is what I want. I love my life. I love the unpredictability, never knowing what's going to happen next. Yeah, I'm young, but so is our love and it's sure to flourish. It has grown so much in the past two years that I've never felt something so ensuring happen to me - no one will be better for me than him. If I will see more, it will be with him. My future will be him whether you approve of it or not--" 

"Everything okay?" A voice breaks the air, making their gazes rush over to the origin of that deep, rumbling sound that usually has Baekhyun down on his knees for the man. Chanyeol looks like he heard none of it, standing there with a giddy smile on his face.  

Baekhyun clears his throat to wash away the petulance and smiles at his boyfriend. "Of course. Are you comfortable? Do you need anything?" 

Chanyeol shakes his head dismissively. "No, I'm fine. I just came to see you if you'd like to go on a walk. Maybe you could show me around the neighborhood a little."  

His mind, full of relief, relaxes. "Definitely. Just let me get my shoes on and then we can go." 

Chanyeol begins to turn away when Mrs. Byun calls for him, halting his steps. "Yes?" 

"Would you like anything in particular for dinner?" she asks, looking up from flipping through her cookbook. 

The giant shrugs. "I'll eat anything, really. You shouldn't do anything too fancy, I'm not that important."  

Baekhyun chuckles, but he really wants to stop and look Chanyeol in the eyes and say, "you are more than important. You are my everything." 

Mrs. Byun hums. "Baekhyun said the same thing, but I really need an opinion on this. Any recommendations?" 

Chanyeol gazes thoughtfully, jaw clenched beautifully. "Ox bone soup? My mom used to make that a lot when I was a kid since it's simple." 

"I can do that. It'll take a while so it'll be just in time for dinner. But I do need some stuff from the store, can you two run to the grocery store for me? I need some garlic and onion, used it all last night. You wouldn't mind, would you?" 

Baekhyun hates how she talks like she wasn't trying to make Baekhyun question his love for Chanyeol just minutes ago before the younger man interrupted. Hates how she sounds so normal - despicably so. As much as he despises her ability, his mother is a brilliant actress and can put on a show for anyone who needed one to get by. He is surprised never had a career in theatre, since he knows that people would pay good money to see a clever villain.  

Chanyeol, just the sweetest thing, shakes his head. "Of course not. I can get whatever you need." 

Heejin hums appreciatively. "Okay, thank you. Take Baekhyunnie with you. Wouldn't want you getting lost." 

Then they left.  

And Heejin's eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets a moment later when she heard the infallible sound of the same motorcycle they heard yesterday leaving her home.  

✿ 

Baekhyun's not quite sure what it was about Chanyeol's motorcycle that made people look at him differently. It made him a thousand times hotter, that's for sure, but it also made him look a barbarian in the eyes of the people in his town. Why would they question it when there's people all over town who drive motorbikes that are, of course, much smaller and wimpier, but basically the same thing? He will never understand the human mind, especially his mother's.  

But then again, there was a good portion of his life where he wondered if his mother was really human? If not, does that mean he also is half-not-human? With a laugh, he shakes that thought away.  

Chanyeol's motorcycle was one thing that Baekhyun loved. He was scared when he first rode it, terrified when Chanyeol offered to drive him home only to discover that Chanyeol didn't actually own a car at all, just a bike. A very scary, dark, and perfectly-kept bike that the shorter just knew Chanyeol treasured. But after riding it, he felt alive. There was something about the danger of not being surrounded three-sixty by a mass of metal and insulation, but just there being air to lean on. He loved the wind whipping through his hair just as Chanyeol had said. It was exhilarating, truly, and he loved it. He tightened his arms around Chanyeol's leather-clad waist and leaned his head back, letting go of every fear of the world his mother had ever instilled in him.  

This time, however, he wore the helmet Chanyeol bought just for him, and let himself be relaxed knowing that even though people thought that Chanyeol was weird with his hair and his nose ring and his tattoos and his bike and literally everything else, Chanyeol was his. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Chanyeol and not give a , do great things and travel the world and help people - all with Chanyeol and forever with Chanyeol. 

His Chanyeol. Only his.  

Chanyeol parks, releasing the kickstand in one nudge of his boot. He holds out his hand to help Baekhyun off even though the elder does not need his assistance. Together they go into the store hand in hand, laughing about nothing in particular.  

Baekhyun leads Chanyeol to the produce section. Garlic and onions, he recites, making sure he knows his mother needs. After getting what he needs, he looks around only to find that he has lost his boyfriend. Chanyeol couldn't be that hard to find.  

He found his boyfriend helping an old woman get down something from a tall shelf. He remembers the woman from when he was a child and wonders how old she must be now if she resembles the same hobbling woman from a decade ago. Chanyeol happily hands her two loaves of bread from the top shelf, leaning down to let the old woman pat his shoulder, and like she would always do the tall boys who'd rarely do the same for her when he was a kid, she kissed his cheek. His boyfriend looks flustered, cheeks painted red as the lady limps off to go finish up her shopping.  

"I see you're quite the ladies' man," Baekhyun comments, leaning against another shelf as he watches Chanyeol touch the place where he'd been kissed. Of course, he meant it as a joke, because Chanyeol was his man.  

Chanyeol grins, shaking his head. "Don't tell me you're jealous..." 

"Of who? Grandma Bae? Please..." Baekhyun chuckles, coming closer to his taller boyfriend with a confident smile. 

Chanyeol feigns offense. "Don't speak of her like that! She could've stolen my heart from you. I wouldn't be so cocky now, sweetheart." 

Baekhyun his lips, looking pissed and playing along. "You're right. I should probably go teach her a lesson in the back-alley just to make sure she knows who you belong to. Because you, my love, are mine. Always." 

"I don't know about that. All you do is punch me on the shoulder and she gave me a kiss. She's obviously the better option." 

Baekhyun gasps. "How dare you? After so long! I used to think so highly of you..." 

Chanyeol shakes his head and wraps Baekhyun in a headlock, one major disadvantage to the taller being a literal giant whose legs seemed like they could go on forever and ever. "Stupid Baekhyunnie, getting jealous because of grandma..." he ruffles Baekhyun's hair, making the smaller squirm and slap his hands and muscled arm away. "Ow! Don't hit me!" 

"It's what you deserve," Baekhyun huffs. "And for the record, I wasn't jealous of that grandma. You're mine, big boy." 

Chanyeol smiles, this time wrapping his arm around Baekhyun's shoulders and bringing him closer to his broad body. "Of course I am. You're always mine and I'm always yours. But just to clear it up, you're not actually going to beat her up, are you? Because then we'd have to end it there since I don't condone violence against old people--" 

"I was joking, dummy," Baekhyun laughs. "I've known her since I was a little kid and she could beat up anyone with that cane. You're lucky you got on her good side, or else she'd have hit you too. I wouldn't stand a chance against her." 

They spend more time shopping, the taller acting like a puppy as he roams around the store looking for ramen and for foods that can go in the microwave since they usually eat that for breakfast and lunch and then eat something much healthier and more nutritious later on.  

"Chanyeol, we don't need that," Baekhyun says as the taller spots a bag of his favorite chips and lunges for them, holding them to his chest with a pout.  

Chanyeol grins. "You don't, but I do, and I'm the one paying here." 

Baekhyun shakes his head. "No, you are not. I'm going to pay since we already wasted your gas coming here. It's for my mother, so I'm paying." 

"Must we argue, Baek?" the taller asks. "I'm paying, that's final."  

"No--" 

But Chanyeol was already off, the basket full of stuff they needed and stuff they definitely didn't hanging from his elbow. "Come on, Baekhyunnie, before I leave you behind." 

 And Baekhyun tried his best to keep up with those long legs.  

✿ 

"This is delicious, Mrs. Byun. Thank you for making it," Chanyeol comments as he goes to take another sip of his soup.  

Mr. Byun nods, agreeing with him. "Yes, you did wonderful, my love. You haven't made this in a long time." 

Baekhyun sits silently as tastes his soup. It reminds him of his childhood as much as it does Chanyeol, years and years of being cared for by the mother he always thought would embrace the person he found to love. He loves Chanyeol, there's no denying that. They usually text or call or video chat, whatever you want to call it, until two a.m. when Baekhyun spends the night at Jongdae's apartment (and his old one) just for the fun of it, or when Chanyeol goes far for a gig with his band, leaving Baekhyun completely alone since there's no Jongdae either. 

It reminds him of a time when he was a mere boy. He was a child that fell and scraped his knee and his mother came running with a Band-Aid in her grasp while his father, with a little less sympathy, told him to get up and not make the same mistake twice. His mother was always there to wipe his tears and kiss his forehead and hold him close on nights that thunder just became too loud, but now look at her... trying to get rid of the love of his life like it was her job to protect him from all the unfamiliar things in the world, to make him fear things and people that may not be her idea of normal.  

It made him sick.  

"Baekhyunnie, are you all right?"  

Shaking away his thought process, he nods gathering some brisket and green onion in his spoon.  

"Are you sure? You know I don't like it when you play with your food," says his mother, wiping the corners of delicately with a napkin.  

"I'm fine. I'm just... not that hungry."  

His mother and father just shrug it off and get back to eating but Chanyeol shoots him a worried glance that lingers on Baekhyun's clenched fist around his cloth napkin.  

"So, Chanyeol, I'm curious. Are you in school? Did you go through school? My Baekhyunnie here, his brother has always felt jealous of him despite their ages because he happens to be very successful in school. Baekhyun has definitely worked hard, and he still does, with his job and all. What about you? Did you major in music?" asks Mrs. Byun after she sets down her glass of water on the table, the slight thump it makes just adding another beat to Baekhyun's heart.  

Chanyeol laughs sheepishly, seemingly as nervous as Baekhyun as he rubs the back of his neck. This has always been a sensitive topic. "Uh... no, actually. I had to drop out of high school in my sophomore year because of some... stuff that happened. I quit school and got a job and then I worked with my co-worker, Yixing, to create a band since he was always listening to Bon Jovi and that was what we bonded over..." his rambling stops only when Baekhyun lays a hand on his thigh from under the table, as though telling him to calm down, it was all right.  

His mother looks surprised. "W-well, did you go back?"  

Chanyeol shakes his head. "No, I couldn't. At this point in time there was some pretty hard stuff going on and I was playing my hardest to make ends meet with my bandmates, so... yeah. I'm not a high school-graduate. Basically, my entire life since sophomore year was spent trying to make the most out of what I got." 

"Sounds like you were having a hard time," Junseo states. "Are you still?" 

Chanyeol shakes his head. "Not really. Since I met Baekhyun, things... well, they became easier. Your son was a breaking point in my life and I'm happy to say that I don't regret ever being with him. He helped me in so many ways..." 

Mr. Byun actually smiles proudly before Heejin sends him a glare, making the smile falter. Baekhyun's blood boils at that. "I- uhm, I'm glad to hear that. I always hoped that we would raise him well enough that he would not only have the heart to do what he loves, but also that he would help others along the way." 

To Baekhyun, it seems like his parents' roles have been switched. Mr. Byun has always been very protective over Baekhyun (sort of) and kept him away from anyone who would be a potential "lover", but Mrs. Byun has always been ready to set him up with any and everyone. She always took the opportunity to say "oh, Baekhyunnie, look! It's a cute boy!" and embarrass him so much that he'd turn red and try not to cry.  

Now Mr. Byun spends a little more time paying attention to Chanyeol and understanding what he's saying, taking into consideration his words and actions. But Mrs. Byun... she is adamant on throwing away his happiness on her own selfish terms, wants him to marry some kind of conceited president and make him the face of Korea. She wanted him to make it big, yet she saw his wants and desires as such small things that could be pushed away without a second thought. But Baekhyun decided that Chanyeol was no small thing, because he was tall enough already, but he changed Baekhyun's life for the better, and the elder decided there was no going back.  

"Chanyeol also helped me, really. He was there for me when I was stressed out and he was always there to calm me down when I felt the world was laying on my shoulders. I've never been more thankful to someone than you, mom, for giving me life and raising me to have class and be kind, but I am thankful to Chanyeol for giving a life full of love I've always dreamt of. And yes, he may have had some issues along the way, but living in the city would have been impossible without him. I love him so, so much. And I hope you can get me on that." He exhales audibly, glad to have gotten the truth of his chest.  

Chanyeol lays his hand on his thigh where Baekhyun's hand still sits. Saying, thank you. I love you too.  

These two spoke the language of the body - where they understood everything through tiny gestures. In reality, they were quite the talkers around the band and around each other, but here, with Baekhyun's parents' watchful eyes on them both of them constantly, they couldn't talk so much without fearing that one of them would say the wrong thing and spoil the entire trip. So, all they had to do to express their real, genuine, internal feelings was touch each other in the most innocent of ways.  

"Sounds about like when I first met Heejin," Junseo chuckles. "I was 25 years old and living off my convenience store salary when one day, she walked into the place and it was like God had spoken. He reached out to me and said she's the one. So, five months later, I end up ready to propose to her and her father's rich so I'm freaking the hell out," he pauses when Heejin breaks out in a fit of "language! What kind of example are you setting for our son?", not knowing that Baekhyun's mouth when he was getting railed could give his dad a run for his money. "And, well, I get there and I knock on the door. After that I get yelled at by her mother for not using the doorbell. It was both the scariest and best day of my life, because it was the first day I met them, but also the day I asked for Baekhyun's mother's hand in marriage. God, I'll never forget that day." 

"Five months?"  

"They actually said yes?" 

Mr. Byun chuckles. "To answer both of your questions, yes. I dated Heejin for five months before we became engaged. We loved each other too much, didn't we, honey?" 

Mrs. Byun rolls her, this time being the one to play around with her spoon in her soup. "Sometimes I wish it were longer."  

Mr. Byun laughs like always, then Chanyeol starts laughing so Baekhyun squeezes his hand to tell him not to hit anything, and then Baekhyun starts laughing because it's so incredibly normal of his mother to be hard on his father. She practically beat the man up the entirety of Baekhyun's childhood and there was little "go ask your father", it was always "go ask your mother because she's the boss".  

"And then," Junseo starts again, catching the attention of the two younger men, "it took me so long to convince them to let me marry her. Trust me, it did." 

"It didn't," Heejin objects. "It took you one night after five months, and that was hard?" 

"Oh, it was. You should've seen the look your father gave me, honey, you really should've. I thought he was going to strangle me with his bare hands. I barely had a job and was hardly holding on to anything except your mother, so he thought I wasn't good enough. It took your mother telling them that I was the best thing that had ever happened to her for it to finally happen," he says, giving Heejin a smug look.  

"I didn't say that," she denies.  

Junseo an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? Then what did you say, huh?" 

"I said-" Heejin interrupts herself to clear his throat to hold back something that seems an awful lot like laughter. "I said that if they didn't let me marry him..." 

"What else? Go ahead, nobody's stopping you." 

"Oh, shut up, you bastard. Anyway, I told them that if they didn't let me marry him, I wouldn't let them meet their grandchild since- well, since I really wanted to marry him- like, a lot. I wasn't pregnant at the time but dad told me that I could marry him if I had a child with him sometime later on, since he knew I would never get pregnant with someone I didn't love. And well, that's how your brother came to be." 

Honestly, Baekhyun is surprised. He never heard about his parents' marriage or their dating life, since they were always fighting too much to answer the question, and it came as a surprise to him because he felt as though he should be facing his mother right now, calling her a hypocrite. How unfair was it of her to say such things to his face when her past was nearly the same? 

But Chanyeol's laugh tore him from his miserable thoughts and made him realize that Chanyeol was joking around with his father, they were genuinely laughing and talking. It was only the second day - that was progress. But there, across from him, sat his mother, eating away oh-so-innocently. And she was the only thing standing in his way.  

✿ 

Coming out of the bathroom, Chanyeol sees Baekhyun laying on the bed with his head propped up on a pillow as he scrolls through social media mindlessly. Baekhyun had a serious issue with being bored when Chanyeol wasn't around so the taller man always found him in some miraculous position doing some weird things. Today was relatively normal - it could be worse. 

Stopping to stare at him until he decided that Baekhyun would never look up from his phone, the taller secures the towel around his waist and goes nearer, crawling in-between Baekhyun's parted knees.  

The elder looks away from his phone and his eyes widen, so he immediately turns it off to throw it away somewhere and thread his fingers in Chanyeol's hair as the taller man pushes his shirt up, pressing kisses to his stomach.  

"Ah, Yeol, t-that tickles," he giggles as the kisses turn from intimate smooches to raspberries all over his tummy. "S-Stop it, it tickles!" 

"I can't stop it. I was made to tickle Baekhyunnie and bring him from his sour mood," the giant says, large hands creeping along the expanse of the smaller's stomach, probing at his ribs and making him laugh even harder.  

Baekhyun nearly dies from laughter. "Yeol! Yeol, if you don't stop, I'll get my hands on you s-somehow! I promise you I will. Just you wait! You'll never see it coming because I'm going to tie you up and--" 

"Ooh, ," the giant stops to say, and Baekhyun internally pats himself on the back because that was the plan. To get Chanyeol distracted.  

Baekhyun takes the initiative to flip them over, finding himself seated on the taller's abdomen. He hopes and prays to God that his mother doesn't choose this moment in time to invade their privacy. He runs his hands down Chanyeol's chest and shoulders and inked arms, letting himself stare the giant in the eyes.  

"If you were made to tickle me, Yeol, I was made to make you feel good," he says with a smug grin. He leans forward and catches the taller's lips, hands bracing themselves on his shoulders as they clench to get a better grip. Chanyeol's hands grab Baekhyun's hips again, the smaller squirming in his lap and playing a mean game.   

He turns the kiss passionate, full of tongue and teeth and saliva. Dirty, lowdown, and downright delicious. Squirming, Baekhyun wiggles his hips until he's moving down, loving the way Chanyeol's hands tense with their grip on his hips when he sits right where it feels good. Chanyeol grunts lowly, resisting ing up against Baekhyun's .  

Chanyeol pulls away. "B-Baby, what are you doing? You said no ..." 

Baekhyun captures his lips again, mumbling, "I know what I said."  

He grinds down against Chanyeol, feeling good inside as he can feel the man becoming harder every second. He brings Chanyeol's tongue into his mouth willingly, knowing full well the indecency of this moment right now as there's a chance his mother could come knocking on the door. There's no chance they'd be able to get out without looking like they did something. Baekhyun can feel that Chanyeol likes the thought of it too, simply because he jolts when there's a noise coming from outside the room and he only becomes more aroused.  

"I know what I said," Baekhyun utters against his lips messily, "and I'm sorry, big boy, but I meant it." And then he pushes himself off of his lover, falling back on his pillow whilst feeling exhilarated from the precious whine that leaves his boyfriend's lips.  

"Baek, you can't do that to me..." 

Baekhyun laughs. "I very much can after what you were doing to me."  

"But I was meaning it as a joke, this is serious." Chanyeol pouts, looking insanely uncomfortable with his protruding from the towel wrapped around his waist.  

"Your is serious?" asks the smaller.  

Chanyeol nods. "My is serious."  

"Then maybe, since it's your , not mine, you should go handle it in the bathroom alone. Sound good? Come cuddle me when you get back."  

"But, baby," Chanyeol whines, "it is your some way or another."  

Baekhyun blushes, curling his toes to keep from giving in, because having right now with his ing hot boyfriend would be amazing right now, but he can't. He can't just have in his old room that has now been turned into a guest room. He simply cannot imagine that shame he would feel bringing his mother his sheets the next morning, or the shame he would feel looking at the bathtub he used to use as a child be ruined with their nasty actions. 

"Go."  

"But will you at least come with me just so I can see you while I--" 

"No. Go on."  

"Fine," Chanyeol grumbles, rolling out of bed and hissing when his sensitive makes contact with the mattress. He mutters some expletives on the way out, all directed toward Baekhyun and one to the door frame since he stubbed his toe on the way inside. A summary of Baekhyun's thoughts would be the exact groan Chanyeol made when he hit it - pure misery. 

When Chanyeol returns, it's obvious that he took another shower to wash away the evidence of his doings in the bathroom. He puts on some shorts, obviously knowing that he won't be getting any tonight, or any night that they stay here for that matter.  

Baekhyun watches him carefully, eyes scanning over the way the ink all over his torso moves with the rippling of his muscles. Baekhyun's favorite tattoo is the one he has on his back, small and unnoticeable. It's Baekhyun's initials written in English and in cursive. Chanyeol had asked Baekhyun if he wanted him to get it in a smaller size or a larger size, but Baekhyun chose small. Simply because he knew it was there at all times and that it would haunt Chanyeol if he did anything that was remotely unfaithful (but that wasn't really the point). And Baekhyun would never tell his parents, but he has one in the same place on his own body in Chanyeol's initials. So they could belong to each other forever. 

Their bodies are tied together figuratively by a small splotch of ink on their skin.  

"Like what you see?" Chanyeol teases. "Too bad. You're the one who refused me first." He childishly sticks his tongue at the smaller and Baekhyun wonders how anyone could ever find this man scary. He was anything except frightening and when he wasn't tainting Baekhyun's initially innocent soul, he was the shorter's life-sized teddy bear.  

Baekhyun giggles. "You want to be caught? Be my guest. Just don't involve me."  

"But, baby," Chanyeol begins, "anything that makes me hard involves you somehow. Gorgeous and perfect and beautiful in every way." He dries his pink hair with the towel as he walks over to the bed and sits on the edge of it, looking at Baekhyun with those big, pretty eyes. "And I would love to be caught with you. As long as you're fine with it." He winks, turning Baekhyun's cheeks red.  

"Anyway," Baekhyun says, changing the subject, "didn't you have a surprise for me earlier today?" 

Chanyeol lights up, getting up again and walking over to the closet where he pulls out the same tall box from earlier that had Baekhyun being nosy. The taller pads back over and ushers Baekhyun to sit next to him. The smaller complies and waits as he begins opening the carefully taped box.  

He gasps when he sees the orchid from the flower shop. The one he thought looks just like his boyfriend's vibrant pastel hair.  

"I knew you wanted it since I've never seen you look at a flower with such enthusiasm before, so I went back and got it. Do you like it? Are you happy? I know I agreed with your mother, but that was only to distract her."  

Baekhyun smiles widely, admiring the crisp petals of the tall plant. "It's gorgeous, thank you, Yeol."  

"You're welcome," the taller replies. "I was hoping it would spice up our apartment a little bit since we've been in need of a little bit of nature, don't you think? Something more than just my collection of guitars," he adds, eyes focused on the smaller's face.  

"Definitely. I just hope that we can keep it - I mean, it's not a dog and all, but I do want to make sure it lives," Baekhyun says happily. "Where do you think we should put it?"  

Chanyeol looks thoughtful for a good few seconds, as though he was visualizing the layout of their entire apartment. "We could put it on the window sill in the kitchen. It'll get the most sunlight there and I was reading about how to care for orchids like these earlier, and it says to water it you should use ice cubes. That should be convenient since it would be near the fridge." 

Baekhyun smiles at his consideration. "Thank you so much, Chanyeol. It's perfect." 

"You're perfect," the taller replies smoothly. 

Baekhyun blushes. "You're more perfect."  

"Impossible, because I love you the most."  

Baekhyun shakes his head with narrowed eyes. "Nope. I love you the most, mister."  

"How dare you challenge me?" Chanyeol questions, feigning offense. "If you want me to show you why I'm the one who loves you the most, I can definitely do that," he says, raising his eyebrows suggestively.  

Baekhyun rolls his eyes playfully, seeing where the conversation is going.  

"Okay, truce. We love each other equally. How about that?"  

Chanyeol smiles, leaning forward to kiss Baekhyun on the forehead sweetly. Then he pulls the smaller into his embrace and falls back onto the bed, making Baekhyun lay on his chest. But hey, Baekhyun's not complaining. "I still love you the most." 

"Shut up, you idiot!" 

✿ 

How did this even happen? 

One moment they were just laughing over some stupid meme Jongdae had sent him that the latter had probably also laughed his off at, the next they were having a pillow fight. And it wasn't just any other pillow fight, it was a real pillow fight. 

They then proceeded to raid the entire house (excluding Baekhyun's parents' bedroom because, well, it was his parents) for pillows and divided them equally amongst the two of them for the short moment they were civil. Then they ran off to form their respective bases with pillows and blankets - which, by default, messed up the entire house. Baekhyun definitely should've thought about this more.  

It was all because Baekhyun's mother left the house for her weekly meeting with her quilt guild, leaving Baekhyun and Chanyeol the house to themselves. That was where they messed up, really, because Baekhyun and Chanyeol brought out the crazy side in each other, so to leave them alone was an undeniable mistake. 

"You'll regret this, Byun!" shouts Chanyeol from somewhere across the house.  

"Regret what, Park?" Baekhyun yells back. "You started it; I just gave it a little spice."  

Oh, yeah - that. Earlier Baekhyun had dragged out the old nerf guns he and his brother used to play with from more than a decade ago, amazed that he still had a good artillery of foam bullets. He caught Chanyeol creeping down the hall with a pillow in his hold, but Baekhyun had much more. Then, he brutally attacked him, loaded the younger with imaginary bullets. Chanyeol could be scary when he was mad, but Chanyeol wasn't mad right now, he was just plain scary.  

That's how they got here, running along the halls of Baekhyun's childhood home as though it was like that one episode from that one Disney show. The one where they live in the penthouse. What was it again? He doesn't remember, and it might not even be nerf guns, but this was definitely much better.  

He grins as he hears heavy footsteps along the wood floors, clutching his gun closer to his chest, ready for 'rapid fire.' No, literally. That's what the gun is called. 

"I'm going to get you wherever you are, Byun Baek. You best come out right now before I shoot--" 

"Fine, I will!" And in a flash, Baekhyun, in all his softness and tininess, came bolting out from the pillar at the top of the stairs, defeating his clueless giant in an instant.  

"Well, !" says Chanyeol, looking down at the pile of Styrofoam bullets that now lie in the floor after hitting him. "I'm at this."  

Baekhyun smirks. "That you are. And don't let my mother hear those words come out of your mouth, Park Chanyeol. That might just be the last straw." 

Chanyeol scoffs. "Yeah, the last straw in a pile of straws that never existed. Come on, we both know her patience is hanging on by a string and I've only been here three days," he objects, leaning down to gather the pile of bullets on the wooden step, and only then does Baekhyun realize that he has given himself a massive, self-induced wound in his pride by keeping the conversation going. "As is mine with you, baby."  

And Baekhyun can barely make an escape before Styrofoam bullets are now being launched at him, stumbling on the slippery, polished floors in his socks (don't tell his mother he's not wearing slippers) as his much taller, properly-equipped boyfriend follows behind him with long legs and a fake gun.  

He practically squeals as he turns the corner, socks making him slip and Chanyeol catches up to him, shooting him with bullets, but what he doesn't expect when he rounds the corridor completely is to bump into a table he doesn't recall being there. And then there was a crash.  

Baekhyun gasps, hand flying to his mouth. Chanyeol is appalled.  

"No!" Baekhyun lets out with a high-pitched voice. "Oh, God, no! She's going to kill me!" 

Chanyeol can only stare. "Hey, Baek... please tell me that wasn't important to her." 

The elder lets out a desperate cry, kneeling before the shattered pieces of his mother's favorite vase. It's a European-style vase from the Victorian ages that Heejin once told him she got from her mother when she passed. The vase came from France, where she met Baekhyun's grandfather. The man bought it for, saying he'd seen her eyeing it. That's how they met, and it was his mother's favorite vase. Worst of all, it wasn't just her favorite vase, it was her favorite piece of decor around the entire house. And her own son had just destroyed it after years of being careful around it.  

"And I'm taking that it was..." 

"How am I supposed to fix it, Chanyeol? It's her favorite. My grandmother gave it to her."  

Chanyeol searches for his words, shoving his hands in his pockets. Was it his fault? Did he push Baekhyun? "When I was 11, I broke my mom's favorite coffee mug. I