Present Day

“Are you sure you don't want more?”

Baekhyun smiles at his mother-in-law, who's looking at the bags in his hands with concern. “I'm sure.”

“You gave us enough food to last a month,” Chanyeol adds. He takes the bags from Baekhyun and heads for their car.

“I'm just making sure you're both well fed,” Mrs. Park states, eyes on her son as he puts the bags in the backseat. She then turns to look at Baekhyun, who's still smiling. “Since you're both so busy with your careers, who knows if you're eating your meals like you're supposed to.”

“You have nothing to worry about, Mom. If we're not working, we're eating,” Baekhyun assures her.

“Good. That's what I like to hear,” replies Mrs. Park as she stretches out her arms. “Now, give me a hug before you go, sweetie.”

Baekhyun happily does so. “I'll call you when we get home,” he promises.

She pulls back and gazes into his eyes as she tucks a strand of hair behind his ear. “Make sure you do. I want to know if you arrived safely. And Baekhyun....”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for taking care of Chanyeol. His father and I are very grateful to have you in our lives.”

And for the millionth time that night, Baekhyun feels his heart bursting with happiness. “I should be saying that to you.”

Mrs. Park gives him a smile that is strikingly similar to Chanyeol's. “My silly son is so lucky to have someone like you.”

Before Baekhyun could tell her that he's actually the lucky one, her silly son butts into the conversation, his expression unamused. “Mom, you should refer to me as your handsome son! How could you call me silly in front of Baekhyun!”

Mrs. Park rolls her eyes, causing Baekhyun to laugh. “I'm sure he knows who he married,” she says, sending Baekhyun a tiny wink.

“Mommm,” Chanyeol whines.

“Give me a hug,” Mrs. Park demands, and despite the frown on his face, Chanyeol bends down and gives his small mother a tight hug. It's such a heartwarming sight, seeing mother and son hugging, that Baekhyun finds himself wishing he was hugging her again.

“Tell Dad we love him,” Chanyeol says after his mother releases him.

“I will, even though he already knows. I'm sorry he's not awake to say goodbye to you two. I told him not to get carried away with the soju.”

“It's okay, Mom. Dad had fun and so did we.”

Mrs. Park gives her son a quick, affectionate pinch on the cheek and tells him, “Okay, you should get going now or else you'll be stuck in traffic.”

“Thanks for the food, Mom. We'll make sure to eat everything you gave us,” Baekhyun says as he takes a step back, reluctant to leave. He always hates leaving his in-laws whenever he visits. Something about them makes it hard for him to utter the word goodbye.

“You do that, sweetie. I made your favorite spicy beef soup in one of those bags, so when you get home, just heat it up, okay?”

Baekhyun grins. “I will.”

“Bye, Mom,” says Chanyeol, both hands waving after he and Baekhyun open the doors to their car. His mother gives him a small wave before telling them to hurry and go. She watches as they back out of her driveway.

“I love your parents,” Baekhyun declares as soon as they're on the road.

“Our parents,” Chanyeol corrects him, right hand reaching for Baekhyun's left. “They became your parents when you married me,” he tells him as he laced their fingers.

“Mhm,” Baekhyun hums. He turns to look out the window and again, he finds himself smiling – remembering the times he spent with Chanyeol's parents and how they welcomed him with open arms, treated him like he was truly their own son. Some of his happiest moments were with them, and for that, he is forever thankful.

Seven minutes into the car ride Baekhyun suddenly notices how Chanyeol took a left turn instead of the usual right. “Yeol, where are we going?”

Chanyeol stiffens next to him. “We have one more stop before we go home.”

“And where exactly is this stop?” Baekhyun inquires, though deep down he's already dreading the answer.

Chanyeol doesn't answer him because there's no need to. They soon enter a dark neighborhood, one that is so familiar Baekhyun sees it often in his nightmares. He shifts uneasily in his seat. He knows where Chanyeol wants to take him.

The car comes to a stop, parking in front of a driveway. Baekhyun refuses to look out to his right, so he sits there, eyes boring into the streetlamp straight ahead. He's willing his heart to stop trembling, but it doesn't seem to be working because he can hear it shaking with fear, threatening to expose him to Chanyeol.

“We don't have to go in,” Chanyeol whispers once he notices Baekhyun's knuckles turning horribly white. He reaches over to hold Baekhyun's hand.

Baekhyun shakes his head. “I knew something was up when you bought that extra box of ginseng. Yeol, why did you –”

“It's Parents' Day,” Chanyeol explains. “I – I know you don't exactly want to see them, but I wanted to at least give you the opportunity. It's all up to you whether you want to take this chance. I won't be disappointed or upset. But I have to admit that I'm proud you didn't hit me when I pulled up here.”

“It can still happen,” Baekhyun threatens.

Chanyeol laughs, and even though he's in a difficult position, Baekhyun finds himself smiling at his husband, just a bit.

“So what's your decision, Baek?” Chanyeol asks, voice hopeful.

Mindful that Chanyeol's eyes are on him, Baekhyun holds his breath and slowly turns to face his right, where his eyes land on a two-story brick house with an imposing red door – his old house. Where he lived for most of his childhood. It was never a home though. To Baekhyun, it was just a building where he spent many nights crying, wishing he was anywhere but there.

When he turns back to look at Chanyeol, Baekhyun immediately feels guilty. He wishes he had fonder memories of his house, of his parents, for Chanyeol's sake. He wants to give Chanyeol a tour of his old room, if it's still there (he heavily doubts it). He wants to give Chanyeol a glimpse of himself as a young child trying to find his way. And above all, he wants Chanyeol to feel loved by his in-laws, like how he felt with Chanyeol's parents.

“No,” Baekhyun whispers weakly. “I can't. I'm sorry.”

Chanyeol smiles and Baekhyun feels a slight tug on his heartstrings. He leans in to kiss Baekhyun on the cheek, telling him, “It's okay, Baek. You don't have to apologize. I understand.”

“I just don't think it'll end well,” Baekhyun reasons. “Let's not ruin our night.”

Chanyeol squeezes his hand. “If that's your choice, then I support it. Don't feel bad, Baek, because hey, we have an extra box of ginseng.” He shoots Baekhyun a goofy grin, and in return, Baekhyun gives him a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes.

They drive out of the neighborhood, which allows Baekhyun to breathe normally again. Chanyeol tries to distract him with funny anecdotes from work, but it's no use. Baekhyun feels terrible. He always does when his parents are involved.

It's been years and he still feels the same.

Hopelessly heartbroken.

*******

“It's late and your father and I don't like the idea of you two stuck in traffic the whole night, so why don't you spend the night in your old room?” Mrs. Oh suggests after dinner. She looks at her husband for reinforcement.

“Um. Yes.” Mr. Oh clears his throat. “Spend the night here.”

“Mom...” Sehun starts, looking ready to reject the offer. “We can't –”

“We would love to,” Luhan cuts in, giving both his in-laws a warm smile. “If it's not too much trouble.”

“Oh no, of course not! We would love to have you two stay over,” Mrs. Oh insists, her smile positively radiant. It reminds Luhan so much of his favorite smile.

“You sure about this?” Sehun mutters to the side.

“Yes,” Luhan answers, intertwining their fingers. “It'll be like old times.”

And it really was like old times because Sehun's parents kept his room the same. Aside from the things Sehun brought with him when he moved out, everything was left exactly how it was the last time Sehun had stayed in the room.

“It's like stepping into a time machine,” Sehun utters in awe as he checks the action figures on the shelf.

“I'm not sure your old clothes will fit, but they're still in the closet in case you want to change,” Mrs. Oh informs. “I also put some extra towels in your bathroom.”

Luhan smiles at the way his mother-in-law fiddles with her fingers, unsure as to whether or not she has everything prepared for them. “Mom, it's perfect.”

She breathes a sigh of relief. “That's good because I wanted you two to be comfortable. It's been years since this room had anyone living in it.”

“It kinda smells,” Mr. Oh adds. “Like Sehun when he was a teenager who refuses to shower every day.”

“Dad,” Sehun groans. “I showered plenty.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” his father teases. Luhan laughs when Mr. Oh makes an exaggerated disgusted face.

“Well, I'm just happy to have more people in the house,” say Mrs. Oh as she takes her husband's hand, leading him out of the room. “I can just picture the envious looks on your parents' faces when I tell them that you're spending the night here.”

Sehun quickly looks over at Luhan. “We can stay over your parents' place next time to make it fair.”

“I'm sure they would like that.” Luhan thinks his mother especially would enjoy having them over for longer than a few hours.

“Okay!” Mrs. Oh claps her hand. “Make sure you get plenty of rest. I'll have breakfast ready tomorrow morning, so Luhan honey, don't worry about waking up early to cook for us.”

“Mom –”

She shakes her head and gives him a stern look. “You're going to sleep in. Got it?”

Honestly, Luhan should have known better than to try to argue with Sehun's mother, who happens to be a former attorney. “Yes. Got it.”

“Great. Have a good night, you two,” she says.

“Goodnight, Mom.”

“Sweet dreams.” Mr. Oh turns and gives his son a wink. “Don't stay up too late.”

“Daddd,” Sehun grumbles, face flushed pink in embarrassment.

After taking off his jacket and brushing his teeth, Luhan climbs into Sehun's old bed and snuggles under familiar comforters. It's truly been a while since he slept in this particular bed. A faint blush makes its way onto his cheeks when he reminisces about the last time he was in this bed.

“Since we're here in this memorable room,” Sehun begins as he steps out of the bathroom, lips tugged in a devious smirk. “I think we should recreate some of the special moments.”

Luhan knows exactly what Sehun means, but he chooses to roll his eyes and feigns ignorance. “What special moments?”

After locking the door, Sehun pulls his shirt over his head and throws it on the floor. “I think you know what I'm referring to,” he says as he approaches the bed.

Luhan notices the way Sehun tries to flex his biceps in a subtle manner and he wants to laugh, but he doesn't because he loves playing these games with Sehun. “I honestly have no idea,” he says, blinking innocently.

Sehun scoffs. “Right.” He gets under the cover, and instead of sticking to his side of the bed, he settles himself on top of Luhan, face breaking out into the widest smile. “Is this familiar?” he asks, pressing their bodies closer.

Unable to resist Sehun much longer, Luhan loops his arms around Sehun's neck, his lips grinning. “I think it's slowly coming back to me,” he claims.

“It needs to come back faster,” Sehun says impatiently, sliding one of his hands down Luhan's side. “Something very important happened on this bed.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.” Sehun leans down and kisses Luhan on the lips. “It's only appropriate for us to honor that important milestone by re-enacting it.”

Luhan chuckles. “Oh Sehun, you're so hopeless.”

“What? It's perfectly normal for me to want you,” he states as he leans in for another kiss, and pretty soon, his lips are traveling down Luhan's neck to his collarbone.

“But you have me,” Luhan teases, his fingers playing with Sehun's hair.

“No, Lu. I want you,” Sehun growls, hands resting on Luhan's hips.

Luhan beams at the familiar line. He presses his lips to Sehun's, and they sh