❝A happy ending is not a destination, it is a journey.❞ – Unknown.

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11:13 pm

The room was in a complete silence but even if there was a noise the woman taking a nap wouldn't wake up from it yet the mere turn of her figure had woken her up as Gayoung let out a sigh to open her eyes in a slow flutter to greet the dim lights of the room, and the night sky from the window with a few droplets of the rain etched on the glass of it. 

Gayoung's eyes rounded to frown as she sat up straight on the bed clad in one of his hoodies again and her eyes immediately found Baekhyun's back seated on his chair of the study table with a laptop open to stare at his back in confusion only to recall him telling her about a case he had to study for the surgery before Gayoung was going for a short nap. 

However, the short nap was supposed to be only for an hour or so but she had checked the time striking past eleven making it almost four hours since she slept after having a dinner because of her headache while Baekhyun had asked her to take a short nap as he would look after the little ones and would wake her up soon yet she found herself on the bed, and him, on the chair. 

She rubbed her eyes to stretch her body after getting up to walk to him as she stood behind him where Baekhyun was quick to acknowledge her presence to give a quick glance at her through his round glasses while clad in his hoodie that gave him both a hot, and soft look. 

"How's your headache, baby?" 

He reached out, grabbing her hand into his grasp with a soft caress of her skin and Gayoung nodded, reaching out to brush her fingers through his hair to hear his soft sigh to find his hand on the small of her back while turning his chair around. "It's better but why didn't you wake me up?" 

"I did," He trailed off, his lips curving in a playful smile as he pulled her closer so that she was standing between his legs as her hands had palmed his shoulders. "You just don't leave me even in your dreams, baby." 

"Not funny." Gayoung rolled her eyes, as she looked at him through her squinted eyes to have his head tilted up and he chuckled. "Do you want some coffee?" 

She palmed his jaw softly. "No, I'll make it for both of us." 

He nodded, kissing her palm. "Okay." 

"And since when have you been working?" 

He let out a pondering hum. "Two hours maybe." 

Gayoung gasped. "Not even a little break?" 

"I was too occupied to do it, baby." 

"But that's not how a brain's doctor should behave!"

Baekhyun rolled his eyes not even correcting her at this point. "I'll take it in a few." 

Gayoung didn't buy it. "What about the kids?" 

"They are fast asleep." 

Gayoung nodded, walking out not before ruffling Baekhyun's hair with a giggle the moment he let out a whine at it. 

A few minutes after Gayoung had walked back into the room only to find Baekhyun seated still and she sighed deeply, she's knew how much he loves his work, let alone be serious about it but at the moment, he needed a break from the bright screen that Gayoung could have done that if she wasn't sleeping like a log. 

Her husband's words had surely proved it to her. 

Baekhyun had felt Gayoung nearing him as he felt the two mugs on the table yet his eyes didn't budge from his laptop screen as he let out a soft mumble. "Thank you, baby." 

Gayoung stared at him for a moment with her squinted eyes at his stubbornness as she took a few steps toward the window to find the slow pour of rain flowing down through the glass behind a faint fog as she stood there with an admiration for the sight to to glance at her husband to find him still stuck on his chair like a stubborn puppy unable to move until the task of his stubbornness is done. 

The next moment, Gayoung was standing behind him with her hands either side of her waist with her frown. "Baek." 

"Yes, baby." 

He uttered softly enough to waver her heart like always as her lips pouted to place her chin on the crown of his head as her arms wound around his shoulder. "Baekhyun." 

She felt him taking her hand from her shoulder to bring her palm to his lips. "What's wrong, baby?" 

"You really don't know?" 

"No, what happened?" 

Baekhyun felt her hands out of his grasp in a sudden pull to have him blink a couple of times until he heard her scoff softly. "Wife happened!" 

He couldn't help but smile and nod. "For five years." 

"Exactly," Gayoung had her hands back on her waist. "Five years, and yet you're treating such a masterpiece of your ily beautiful wife like it's been fifty years, like come on, dude," She huffed, looking at the window then back of his head with a glare. "And in this beautiful weather, you're giving all your attention to this laptop over your beautiful wife?" Her head shook with a fake sniff. "I didn't take you like that, Byun Baekhyun." 

Baekhyun bit his lip with a smile at her drama, nothing new for him but would have him roll his eyes with a smile at her never ending actions like right now and the next second, he had turned his chair around to face her with his one eyebrow raised. "What were you saying again?" 

Gayoung's lips graced in a happy smile to immediately throw her arms around his neck as she had placed herself on his lap and Baekhyun was quick to hold her back as he wrapped his arm around her waist, and another held her thighs in a hold on his one side. 

"So, how didn't you take me like what, baby?" 

Gayoung tilted her head as she stared into his eyes through his rounded glasses. "Did I say something wrong?" Her eyes squinted with a pause to find him handing her mug into her hold as he did for himself to continue. "You are lucky-" 

"That I am, baby." He smiled, taking a sip and she rolled her eyes doing the same. "Don't flirt with me when I'm trying to scold you, Baekhyun." 

He nodded. "Go ahead." 

"So, you're lucky that you have got a wife like me who can still handle this or else things have been going wild outside," She trailed off, leaning closer to him as she whispered. "In our neighborhood." 

Baekhyun frowned. "Another gossip." 

Gayoung eyes rounded with an excited glint as she shook her head. "Not just mere gossip but a fire blast." 

"Tell me about it, baby." 

Baekhyun sat up straight to lean back as Gayoung brought her arms back to her to lean her shoulder against his chest as he took a sip while she did the same. "You remember the neighbor, living right across the street?" 

Baekhyun nodded. "I think I do." 

"Mrs. Tae told me she was two-timing and she found her two boyfriends outside her house after her one boyfriend caught them together!" 

Baekhyun's eyes rounded. "No way." 

"I know right?" Gayoung shook her head with a deep sigh. "I was so shocked." 

"Really, the world surely is speeding up." 

"So feel lucky that you have me." 

Baekhyun nodded, a fond smile on his lips as he pulled her closer. "I do feel lucky to have you every second, baby." 

Gayoung's heart warmed, yet she shrugged playfully. "Didn't look like that a moment ago." 

His nose scrunched. "I got too occupied." 

"It's still not good for your eyes." 

"I know, I'm almost done." 

"Still almost?" 

"You are a big distraction, baby." 

Gayoung raised her eyebrows. "Good or bad?" 

Baekhyun tilted his head, a teasing smile curling his lips as he leaned in to kiss her cheekbone to mumble against her skin. "The best one." 

A satisfied smile appeared on her face. "I know." 

And both of them had giggled together as their eyes met with a soft smile, with the same strong wavers through their hearts like it had been from years of their togetherness like the love they have embraced just the way they have embraced each other in the warmth of theirs. 

Baekhyun had leaned in to leave a soft peck on her lips to have Gayoung do the same as their smiling lips had stared at each other with Gayoung doing it again and him following suit as it happened for a few times leaving them in an eruption of their soft giggles softly until he had pressed her lips on hers again with a soft press for her to respond but an interruption of the glasses around his eyes had them part away. 

And with a grumpy look at the interruption, Gayoung had taken his glasses off gently as Baekhyun met her eyes with a warm glint that glanced at her lips with a skipping beat of her heart to find him leaning in as his hand behind her back had pulled her closer and their eyes closed, to feel the warmth of their lips against each other in a warming kiss as his head tilted leaning into it more while her hand had slide up to hold his nape. 

The moment could have went on if Gayoung being herself hadn't had almost drop the mug onto him as it had leaned against his chest to feel the movement as Baekhyun leaned back with a heaved up self to look at the interruption to look at Gayoung doing the same thing as her eyes rounded along with her blushing cheeks greeting him like a sight to behold. 

"We really can't get away from your clumsiness, baby." 

Gayoung scrunched her nose. "We gotta deal with it." 

"I have been doing it." 

Gayoung made a face and Baekhyun imitated her that had her laugh softly as he smiled to take the mug from her to place it on the table until his eyes caught something to smile as within a second, Gayoung found him opening the drawer to have her eyes rounded the moment the tulip flower was in his hold that he had presented in front of her. 

A soft smile graced his lips to place his lips right on her forehead. "Happy birthday, Gayoung." 

Gayoung couldn't help but feel like tearing up as her lips curled in a smile to hold the flower, her favorite red one as she met his adoration, and loved filled eyes. "When did you get this?" 

Baekhyun tilted his head with a pondering hum, "I might have gone out when you were sleeping and since I can't hide the bouquet, I hid the flower," He trailed off, smiling as he caressed her head to fix his bunny self to brush her bangs softly. "We can't bring the tulip field but we can bring tulips to you and I will try to get you to the tulip field next time since we can't be running around in the rain." 

Gayoung chuckled, her eyes already teary to feel him palming her cheek. "Happy birthday, baby." 

She was quick to wrap her arms around his neck, as her face buried into his hooded neck to mumble. "Thank you, Baekhyun." 

She felt his arms around her in a gentle but warm grip as he had his chin leaned on her shoulder and their arms stayed still in the long and warm embrace of theirs. 

Gayoung leaned back with a smile to kiss his lips as he smiled, before looking at the window to find the rain had stopped as her eyes glowed by the thing that clicked in her head and Baekhyun had tilted his head. "What's going on in your little head again, professor?" 

"We should have some ice cream." 

Baekhyun frowned, and Gayoung tilted her head. "It's my birthday wish." 

"Like you haven't been keeping your things done without wishes." 

"It's my right." 

He chuckled to give her a look. "Your treat?" 

Gayoung grinned, reaching out to grab his wallet on the table to show it to him. "My treat." 

Baekhyun had to laugh softly at her never cease to amaze him actions before kissing her lips softly that had her smile widened as the next thing they were already leaving their room to check on their little ones who were sleeping soundly and knowing Areum and Ha-yoon wouldn't wake up till morning while the room was soundproof enough to let the thunder sound beam inside for Seojun to wake up while Mongryong was sleeping peacefully. 

The car drive was slow without any speed as if the shop was closed or not because in the past five years of their marriage, their little night drive for sudden coffee craving or ice cream never stopped, especially, Gayoung so Baekhyun being the executioner of her little cravings had found the twenty four seven opened Café, and an ice cream parlor and it was the same one. 

The rain had stopped for a while as their drive went smooth with Gayoung opening the window a bit to let in the fresh breeze, and the smell of soil in the car while her fingers fiddled through Baekhyun's on her lap as he glanced at her to find her lips in a beautiful smile to have his lips curled at it softly while continued driving through the bright road ahead of them. 

Soon enough, the car had stopped by the familiar ice-cream parlor where Gayoung had leaned against the car to fish out Baekhyun's wallet with a sassy smile. "You can spend however much you want, doctor." 

Baekhyun palmed his wallet to his chest matching her dramatics with his own dramatic expression. "I'd be forever honored, baby." 

Gayoung nodded with a sass as she flipped her hair back. "You better be." 

Baekhyun just knocked her forehead softly with a smile to walk away as Gayoung leaned back with her hands into the pockets as her eyes watched his back retreating with a smile of gratefulness, and a love for her man that never ceases but increase even more as he disappeared inside while she took a moment to look around to find the area still the same. 

The place, the night, the rain, and the people around them had been the same like they had been, like their love had been. 

The next second, she watched Baekhyun coming out with the ice-creams as his lips curved in a smile the moment their eyes met to have her lips smile back. 

And her man had been the same throughout these years, the amazing person she had ever met, and she had in her life. 

Baekhyun's forehead creased the moment he stopped in front of her. "Why are you looking at me like that, baby?" 

Gayoung's head tilted. "Because I love you." 

He blinked, as it was a sudden action of hers again and she let out a soft laugh while taking the ice-cream from him. "Why are you surprised again?" 

"You do it unexpectedly every time." 

He frowned, leaning back against the car beside her as their shoulders leaned in a soft graze where Gayoung took a spoonful of her ice-cream. "But I love you expectedly." 

His heart warmed to gobble a bite of ice-cream to look at her. "Now you're flirting with me, baby." 

"Yeah, so?" 

"You are asking for it." 

He tilted his head with a look that had her cheeks warmed to smile playfully as she faced him with a tilt of her. "We'll see about that." 

He nodded, understanding her actions. "Sure." 

"This place hasn't changed one bit." 

Gayoung mumbled, looking around again and Baekhyun nodded, as he did the same. "Yeah, I still remember the time you had me drive around for your ice-cream." 

She chuckled. "Yeah, that was a night to remember." 

"We have lots of nights to remember, baby." 

Gayoung shook her head with a blush at his playful attempt to flirt again and he let out a laugh before he felt her reaching out but Baekhyun was quick to extend his ice-cream away where Gayoung gaped at his actions to slap his arm right away. "You're so mean, Baekhyun!" 

He laughed again and she scoffed. "Then again, I have taken you like that." 

"Like what?"

"Like an old man." 

He leaned his shoulder against the car as he faced her with a knowing smile. "And you have been dealing with it." 

She sighed. "So true." 

"Did you just sighed?" 

He reached out, pulling her cheek softly as she nodded only for him to lean in as Gayoung yelped to feel him biting her cheek softly and he leaned back continuing his ice-cream while she ruffled his hair to have him whine again. 

"You have got it on your lips." 

He tilted his head closer to her for her to wipe it off where Gayoung leaned in with a smile as to kiss it off but her man knew her antics to teasingly wipe it on his own as he it off with a playful grin and Gayoung pushed him away with a roll of her eyes while he was laughing softly. 

Soon enough, the ice-creams were done with their unchanged flirting to tease each other with a bit of laughter until the car drive had taken a turn to go back home and it was pulled over with Baekhyun opening the door for Gayoung only to find her smiling in a way he had understood, and like always, Baekhyun had picked her up in his arms while Gayoung's arms had hugged his neck like their own kind of home in their arms. 

The next thing he had put her down in the living room as she walked to the kids room to find them sleeping but Gayoung's eyes had taken a hold of a sight that she didn't a while ago as there were a bunch of birthday cards placed on the small table but still in a process to be finished yet her heart couldn't help but feel warm again. 

Before she could have sniffled loudly here she was quick to walk out to cry in the arms of her man as Baekhyun was drinking water to glance at her only to have his eyes slightly widened at her teary ones and before he could have done anything, Gayoung had already wounded her arms around his waist with her head on his chest and he was quick to hold her back. 

Her arms tightened at the pleasant warmth of his arms around him like always to melt right into his embrace. 

"What happened, baby?" 

"I just feel so lucky right now." 

He hummed. "Only right now?" 

Gayoung leaned back with a look. "Seriously?" 

Baekhyun chuckled, caressing the back of her head softly like his gentle and soft eyes staring into hers. "We're also lucky to have you, baby." 

She smiled, sniffling before reaching out to kiss his cheek as his cheek brushed against hers in the way softly to feel him smiling as he did it back to meet his eyes. "And you're the best thing I can ever ask for." 

"I'm not a thing though." 

"You really want to be smacked, don't you?" 

"The smack I'm thinking about?" He tilted his head, with a smirk and she shook her head with a playful scoff. "As if." 

The next thing she Baekhyun watched her walking to their room as he followed suit with Gayoung hearing the door being closed behind and before she could have walked ahead, she felt him tugging her hand in a soft pull as she felt the door against her back with him towering her figure as he had his hand leaned beside her head on the door while another one reached out to palm the curve of her neck as he leaned in a swift. 

But Gayoung was quick to tilt her head to the side to feel his lips on her temple like his nose brushing her hair as she held his wrist that had held her neck to look at him to feel his nose brushing through hers. 

"What?" She whispered, as he leaned his forehead against hers and tilted his head to whisper against her lips. "What?" 

"What are you trying to do?" 

"I'm flirting with you, baby." 

He placed his lips on her forehead as her lips smiled at it to feel his lips trailing to cheek, to kiss the corner of her lips softly as her eyes closed with a warmth to feel him leaning back for a bit as she whispered. "And why is that?"

"Because I love you, baby."

Her heart warmed. "Didn't look like that earlier."

She felt him kissing the corner of her lips again to leaned back. "What did it look like then?" 

"You asking for a smack." 

Her eyes opened to find him still close like his warmth to watch his lips curving in a subtle smirk. "I guess I am."

"You look like you were waiting for it." 

And he let out a soft chuckle against her lips. "Oh, you have no idea, baby." 

And the next second, Gayoung had felt his lips against hers in a soft, and gentle kiss as her eyes closed in the moment to clutch the front of his hoodie to pull him closer while another one had slide behind his nape and Baekhyun had felt the warmth like the first time he did in a soft waver to hold her waist to pull her against him as his head tilted to deepen their moment. 

The next thing Gayoung felt herself being turned around as she leaned back for a moment to herself to meet his eyes with a warming glint, the different but familiar one as their eyes bored into each other deeply until their lips had met again yet in another deep kiss as her arms had tightened her hold onto him to feel Baekhyun holding her against him in his safe hold. 

Their safe hold of each other. 

The little droplets of the rain had begun to pour in a drizzle behind the loud sound on the