Scar

Baekhyun’s POV

Incheon Airpot

For some reason, the crowds were extremely unforgiving today.

I was never one who was claustrophobic, never one who was affected from small confined places. But today, today was just insane. The amount of people crowding around us was just unbelievable. I couldn’t even see where I was going, just the top of random strangers’ head and A LOT of camera phones shoved in my face. Hands were gropping me from every direction. Having just spent a couple of days in HongKong for the MAMA awards, I just wanted to get back home to my baby boy but this crowd was not helping at all.

Suddenly, in the sea of unfamiliar people, I felt him press close to me from the back. His warmth so familiar and comforting even in the frantic situation we were currently in. I felt his left arm snake around my waist. As I twisted slightly to see what he was up to, I saw his gaze was directed to my stomach area. Following his line of sight, I glanced down to see his hand covering a gaping hole in the front of my shirt.

Fear and worry coursed through my body. If weren’t for his steady arm around my waist gently guiding forward, I would have probably stood frozen to the ground, paralysed with fear. What if they saw? What if they noticed? This wasn’t about vanity or the loose skin around my belly from the sudden absence of a baby in me. No. I was long past that. The reason why I was so afraid was because right where the hole in my shirt was laid a long red scar, still slightly raw in recovery. My Caeserean section scar. Evidence of me having carried a baby.

Following blindly wherever Yeol was leading me, the next thing I knew, I was in the men’s toilet with some of the other members and a few managers. Yeol was rummaging through his bag for something but I wasn’t paying much attention. Instead I was staring at the full-length mirror that was mounted to the wall in front of me. I could see nothing. Just one big ugly scar. Before I could dwell on it any further, a flurry of light grey blocked my sight of the scar.

“Put this on,” Yeol instructed gruffly.

It was a light grey jacket, the one that he’d always wear when he was just too lazy to put together an aiport-worthy outfit. Quickly, I slid my arms into the big sweater and he zipped me up all the way, pulled the hood over my head. “There, good to go.” Giving my head one more pat, he smiled and said, “Let’s go home to JinHwan.”

Unexpected warmth filled my very core as I reeled in the aftermath of his thoughtfulness. Suddenly the gift in my bag seemed all the more insignificant and thoughtless.

His birthday was in a couple of days. With that in mind, I had gotten him a simple gift of his favourite candy and sweets, even sneaking in some weird jelly beans like vomit and boogies. What seemed like a brilliant idea when I was buying them now just seemed so childish and lousy.

We stopped by a Korean beef restaurant on our way home for the customary beef dinner celebration. Even then, I was hit once again by his thoughtfulness and reminded gravely of my own lack of sincerity. He refused to let me grill any meat. Instead, taking the aurdous task of flipping the meat on the charcoal grill on to himself, he kept a constant stream of perfectly grilled meat flowing in to my plate. He made sure that I had enough to eat, even depriving Sehun a little as he showered me with attention and devotion. He asked me at least three times during the meal if I needed anything like water or some salt for my meat. Ever since the birth of JinHwan, he had become a changed partner. Not that I was complaining or anything like that, I just felt the pressure to be more of the same level for him as well.

Especially when it was his birthday.

That was why I did what I did the moment I placed JinHwan down for the night later that evening. As he went to take a shower. I stripped down to nothing and stood buck in front of the bathroom door.

This would be my gift to him.

I would be his birthday gift.

I glanced down to look at the hip line that I was so proud of when my eyes caught the redness the lined the bottom of my stomach area. Although it was completely healed, it left an angry red mark which cuts from one side of my hip to the other.

Stupid.

I must be so stupid.

Presenting myself as a gift? What a joke!

Now, here I was standing in the dark room, completely exposed and feeling like an idiot.

I mean, he hadn’t seen me since the birth of our son! What would he make of it? The scar was hideous that I could see no other scenario other than ones which he pushed me away out of disgust. But before I could take any action to cover up and pretend this stupid idea never crossed my mind, the bathroom door opened suddenly but silently and a pajamas clad Yeol stepped out of the bathroom.

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Chanyeol’s POV

In the dark bathroom

A silence filled the room other than the quiet breathing of an oblivious sleeping baby.

Baek and I stood frozen, staring at each other. In that instant, I took in his body that stood before me and immediately I wanted him so bad. I missed touching him and holding him, all this while worried that I might ruin the stitches on his lower abdomen or I might hurt him when he was still in recovery from a major surgery. And yet here he stood now, completely in front of me with his hands covering all parts important.

Including the scar.

I knew how he felt about that scar.

We stood frozen for a second before he made a wild dash for the closet and grabbed one of my T-shirts. He quickly threw the shirt over his head before his gaze shifted back to me. Boldy, I took a couple of steps towards him.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” I asked as I came to a stop before him and placed my hands on my hips.

Avoiding my eyes, he plucked nervously at the hem of the oversized t-shirt.

I reached out to tug against the shirt but his hands pulled the hems firmly down.

“I’m not the way I used to be.” Baek spread quivering fingers over his abdomen area.

My hands released the shirt and lifted his head until my eyes held his, agleam with equal part tender amusement and mischief. “Baek, you are perfect from head to toe, what are you talking about?”

“I have a scar.” So soft, I’d barely caught what he said.

“Say what?”

“A scar from the C-section.”

“You mean that thin line across your stomach?” I’d seen it then at the airport, when a fan ripped his shirt.

“You saw?” His face flushed bright red.

“Almost didn’t. It was so faint I almost missed it.”

“No it isn’t. It’s long and thick and angry red. It’s so ugly and ---- “ I suddenly reached out and tugged his shirt. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to measure that goddamn thing.”

“I’d rather you don’t---“

“And I’m going to kiss every millimetre of it.”

“What?”

I began to lift the shirt gently. “Sweetheart, you are beautiful from the tips of your toes all the way up. And that scar is just a beautiful reminder of the greatness that you had been so capable of. Evidence that you carried our child. The scar shouldn’t remind you of hurt or pain; it should simply remind you that you survived.” I ran a hand behind his neck and drew him close. I could feel some of the tension in his body slip away as I wrapped my arms around him.

“I’m just so afraid you might think me ugly.”

I tightened my arms around him. “Ugly? God forbid no. You are the most beautiful being I’ve ever clapped my eyes on. So perfect that sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve you. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting and longing for this. And look at you, worrying likecrazy for nothing. You think I am not nervous? Well, think again, sweetheart. I havea knot in my stomach the size of a baseball, wondering whether I could be the most selfish being on earth and touch you after all that you’ve been through---“

“Stop,” he interjected and tipped his head back to smile at me.

“What?”

“Stop blabbering, you giant.” He took one step back out of my arms. In one swift move, he pulled the shirt over his head and dropped the clothing on the floor. He stood before me, completely with his arms spread wide open invitingly.

“Happy birthday, Park Chanyeol.”

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Baekhyun’s POV

I watched his larynx make a monkey’s fist and bob upwards. Instinctively, my hands flew to cover the scar. Yeollie shook his head. “Arms down,” he whispered.

My skin burned from where his gaze touched as he perused me from head to toe with unhurried nonchalance. After looking his fill from that angle, he stepped slowly around me, walking a radius around my frozen body. When he completed the circle, he came to a stop in front of me with a thoughtful expression.

After what seemed an awfully long silence, he met my gaze and grinned. “Alright. I’ll accept this birthday present.”

I gave a startled laugh. “You, Yeol, are impossible!”

Maintaining his gaze on me, he took a couple of steps back before landing on our master bed with a soft thud. With the same mischievous grin on his face, he crooked his finger at me. “Come here, present.”

The shirt on the floor long forgotten, I started forward only to trip on the pile of fabric. Yeol immediately lunged forward and caught me from falling with arms that felt so comfortingly warm against my bare skin. I dragged in a quick breathe from the shock, then exhaled into his mouth for he wasted no time crashing his lips on mine. At that silken contact of the lips and his strong arms around me, the nervousness and worry earlier were long gone and the only thing my brain could actually process was the sensations he was evoking within me. He clasped me so tight that there was no room for even a flea to slip between us, let alone shame. He touched his mouth to places that only he knew about. The dimples at the small of my back. The sensitive skin at the back of my ears. The ugly scar on my abdomen. In the midst of that, I somehow managed to divest him of his clothes.

The expression in his eyes changed, their colour awashed with sparks of passion.

Sensations, firelight, losing myself in the one man I trusted with all my heart. I rode the wave of fire he created within me, stayed there for a maddening instant before crashing back down to reality.

A dizzying spiral of amber as searing as flames.

It was beautiful.

He was beautiful.

I lay in the safe fold of his arms, too spent to move or think, not caring if the world ended as he held me, my hair and filled me with the pounding of his heart.

“Best birthday ever,” he whispered as he pressed a soft kiss on my forehead, “Thank you, Byun Baekhyun.”

And....

"Innnggg...."

JinHwan started to whine.

Immediately we jumped apart, almost guilty and put some clothes on. I hurried over to tend to our son. No such thing as a lack of energy when it came to caring for a newborn. I cradled the tiny baby in my arms and lifted a bottle to his rosy lips.

I took my time because I loved carry him, the way he needed me, the way I needed to protect him.

A pair of arms wrapped around my waist and Yeol rested his head on my shoulder. We swayed in unison as we rocked our sweet little baby back to sleep.

The three of us.

A perfect image of a family.

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A/N: Short update about Yeol's birthday.

And Wow! it's 80 chapters already.... Is this story getting too long? gosh... Lemme know what you guys think! ^^

At the airport, Yeol taking care of his Baek