"I'll love you forever. I promise."

This was the promise the father of a six-year old Baekhyun gave on his birthday.

"I'll always be by your side. Forever and ever. I promise you my Baekhyunnie."

And this was the last promise Baekhyun's mother made before she succumbed to cancer at the ripe age of 29.

*****

"Have a nice day," Baekhyun says as he hands their last customer for the day his order of a one Grande-sized Americano.

"Great job today Baek. Now I see why Manager Lee reluctantly appointed you as the one in charge for today," Sunggyu says as he turns to head for the dressing room. "Ahh~ I can't wait till I get home and soak my whole rigid body in warm water while sipping the piña colada Hyuna promised me."

Baekhyun shakes his head at his coworker. "Don't get too drunk and then fall asleep. You might drown," he teases Sunggyu. The man just shows him his tongue. "You lonely baby!"

"Lovesick fool," Baekhyun mutters under his breath. "By the way, don't try to sneak out before finishing your job. I can see you changing way too early when you're supposed to clean right now. And don't even think for a second that I did not see you texting Hyuna about how you'll come home early today," Baekhyun warns Sunggyu with a stern look.

"Aigoo~ Such a nagger. I'm your senior here," Sunggyu says in an annoyed tone. But then when he turns to look at Baekhyun, he's bombarded with Baekhyun's puppy eyes. He gulps before saying, "I'm just changing so I can leave quickly after I finish cleaning," Sunggyu reasons out.

"That better be the reason," Baekhyun says as he walks out of the dressing room. Sunggyu stares at Baekhyun's disappearing swaying before muttering, "Did he just follow me here to spy on me? Aish!"

As soon as Sunggyu finishes changing, he silently heads for the front door of the cafe.

"SUNGGYU!"

Sunggyu curses as Baekhyun shouts his name. He looks at the younger man with an innocent stare while Baekhyun points to the tables in the cafe with coffee stains. He then raises a piece of cloth high in the air and looks at Sunggyu with an amused smile. Sunggyu sighs before he puts his bag on the floor and takes the cloth.

"Call Hyuna will you? Tell her I'm coming home late after all."

Baekhyun just laughs in response.

After Sunggyu wipes all the tables clean, he runs his hand across his sweaty forehead in relief. "I'm done," he sighs under his breath. He happily turns to take his bag when he meets Baekhyun's puppy eyes.

"NO!" Sunggyu quickly refuses even before hearing what Baekhun wanted to say. A lesson he learned in life after working with Baekhyun for 5 years is: Baekhyun wearing his puppy eyes is a bad, bad, bad omen.

"Clean my part of the cafe including the bar counter please~"

"NO!"

"Please~"

"I can't. Hyuna's waiting and there's gonna be warm water in a bath tub and a glass of piña colada," Sunggyu tries to reason but he feels more sweat forming on his forehead as he stares at Baekhyun's eyes. Slowly, he feels his resolve weaken. One more plea and he'll end up on his knees looking like Cinderella, just like how he looked like two weeks after Baekhyun started working at the cafe.

"We only have one rag and you're using it~" Baekhyun reasons with a pout.

I must not grow weak. You can do this Sunggyu!, Sunggyu silently cheers himself on as Baekhyun's puppy eyes grow even more adorable.

Sunggyu quickly shoves it to Baekhyun's face saying, "I'm done. You can have it!" Sunggyu pats himself on the back for not growing weak.

"Clean it for me please~"

Sunggyu cries in frustration before he takes his hand back and heads for the bar counter. He looks at the bar counter sadly as he gets to work while Baekhyun smiles and flutters around him, emitting butterflies and flowers while thanking him in gratitude.

"I'm going to head out first Sunggyu-hyung. Thank you~" Baekhyun says sweetly as Sunggyu waves him off with a glare.

"I can't believe you made me do this again just so you can play footsie with some hooker," Sunggyu whines.

"I'm sorry hyung. I just want to quickly find someone I can have by my side just like how you have Hyuna," Baekhyun says as he waves goodbye to Sunggyu while running away.

"I'll forgive you for Hyuna," Sunggyu mutters as he calls Hyuna telling her he's coming home real soon.

*****

"Daddy!"

Baekhyun grunts as a child runs to him in top speed as soon as he opens the door to the daycare center.

"How was your day Taehyungie?"

Baekhyun crouches as he hugs his four-year old son, who clutches his jacket tightly. He feels tears through his clothes and he looks at his child in alarm.

"Taehyung? What happened? Are you hurt? Taehyung-ah!"

Suddenly, the head of the daycare center comes running and bows her head in apology.

"I'm really sorry Mr. Jung. Taehyung here got teased by his playmates about his- umm- and-" Mrs. Park couldn't continue what she wanted to say, afraid of insulting Baekhyun. Baekhyun, understanding what she wanted to say, just nodded his head.

"I'm really sorry Mr. Jung."

Baekhyun smiles at her while smoothing over Taehyung's hair. "It's okay," he answers.

Mrs. Park apologizes once again, "I'm really sorry. I did try calling you this morning but you wouldn't answer my calls." Baekhyun just shakes his head and carries Taehyung in his arms. "It's okay Mrs. Park. I'm sorry about that. My phone's battery died earlier ths morning and stayed that way until late in the afternoon."

Baekhyun hands Mrs. Park a plastic bag. "Here's some rice cakes, Mrs Park. I'm sorry cause it's only what I could afford for today," Baekhyun explains. Mrs. Park thanks Baekhyun but tries to refuse the gift. However, Baekhyun urges her to accept it. "Please take this. It'll hurt my pride if you don't," Baekhyun says with a pout.

Mrs. Park laughs at Baekhyun's expression before taking the gift. "Thank you Baekhyun-ssi. You're always giving me this every night that I can barely count the number of times I'm so grateful towards you."

Baekhyun shakes his head once again saying, "It's nothing. If there's someone here who should be endlessly grateful, it should be me. You're the only one who was willing to watch over our Taehyung here until this late at night. You even give him meals. And you do all this without asking me for any payment. I'm really sorry and embarrassed but I can't do anything. This is the least I can do for you."

"You're lucky I find you and Taehyung cute or else...," Mrs. Park teases him.

Baekhyun laughs before saying, "Oh you don't know how much I thank God for my face and our family's powerful genes."

They talk for a few more minutes before Baekhyun bows his head one more time to say that they'll be leaving.

*****

"What happened to you today Taehyung?" Baekhyun asks his son who is currently riding on his back, just silently clinging to his neck.

"You'll get mad if I tell you," Taehyung says in a muffled voice, as he buries his head at the crook of Baekhyun's neck. Baekhyun doesn't answer and he shifts Taehyung's position on his back as they start to ascend the hill, where their house stays. Halfway, Baekhyun asks, "Do you wish that our family is more normal?"

"What do you mean by normal?"

Baekhyun swallows the lump in his throat before saying, "You know, a family where you have a mother and a father instead of-" He feels Taehyung's hold around his neck tighten before his son says, "But I do have a mother and father."

"But not like everyone else," Baekhyun tries again cause no matter how much his heart surged with joy from his son's reply, the pain it feels for the situation his son is in affects him more.

"Yeah," Taehyung says in the end and Baekhyun's heart sink. However, Taehyung continues on, "I have a better family compared to everyone else."

Baekhyun couldn't help the smile that on blossomed his face with his son's words. They finally reach the top of the hill and he puts his son down and hugs him. "Aigoo. Your appa and I truly have the best son in the world," he coos as he pinches Taehyung's cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Taehyung says as Baekhyun holds him close once again. Baekhyun blinks at his son's apology, shocked by the sudden tears that once again appear in his eyes. Baekhyun quickly wipes them away while asking Taehyung what's wrong.

"Is it about today?"

Taehyung nods.

"Is it because your classmate teased you about us, your parents?"

Taehyung shakes his head. Baekhyun widens his eyes in mild surprise before clarifying, "So they didn't tease you?" Taehyung shakes his head.

"No as in they didn't tease you or no as in they teased you?"

"No as in they teased me," Taehyung says through a thick voice. And then somehow, Baekhyun gets a vague grasp of what is going on.

"They teased you but that's not why you're crying. Am I right?"

Taehyung nods his head and Baekhyun sits down on the curb before he pats the space beside him. "Come and sit. Tell Daddy what happened. I'll listen well and I won't shout. I promise," Baekhyun says and he smiles at Taehyung reassuringly. And soon the child plops down beside him, albeit reluctantly.

"Everyone was boasting about their parents and when I showed them a picture of our family, everyone started laughing. Then suddenly, Donghyun- the new kid- laughed at me for having two daddies. Then he started insulting you and said you don't look like a boy and that his daddy warned him about people like you. He called you a bad word which sounded a lot like maggot but you change the 'm' to an 'f'. And then he said things about you going to hell and how you're going to have a hard time living and that I should be ashamed of you," Taehyung says rapidly while Baekhyun just listens calmly, already used to his son's nervous rambling. When Taehyung takes a deep breath, Baekhyun tries to say something but Taehyung continues on.

"I got so mad and I remembered my promise to Daehyun-appa about protecting you from bad guys. And to me, he seemed like a really really bad guy, so I punched him just when Mrs. Park came back from returning all the art materials we used. She scolded me and Donghyun. And then- and then-," Taehyung starts sobbing loudly again while Baekhyun runs his hand over his back to calm him down.

Taehyung sniffs once, twice, before going on. "And then- and then- she sent Donghyun off and told me not to resort to violence again because you'll be disappointed in me. I told her I was trying to protect you. Bu- bu- but then she- sh- she said that my actions will just make you sad. Tha- That instead of protecting you, I'll end up hu- hurting you," Taehyung says while his lips quiver as he tries to fight off more tears from running down his face. Baekhyun smiles sweetly at his son. Four-years old and yet his son's growing up much stronger and wiser than he is.

"You're seriously just like your father. Does your hand hurt?" Baekhyun says affectionately as he rubs his son's head.

"You're not mad?" Taehyung looks at him with wide, hopeful eyes. Baekhyun quickly engulfs him in a hug before placing his chin on Taehyung's crown.

"Disappointed?" Taehyung asks again, struggling against Baekhyun's hold to stare into his father's eyes. 

Baekhyun shakes his head. "No and no," he replies. "Well, you might not have exactly done the right thing though you're intentions were good. I should be angry because violence is bad. But I'll forgive you today," Baekhyun says with a wink.

"Will Daehyun-appa be angry?" And Baekhyun watches as his son's eyes become teary once again.

"I'll tell him not to be," Baekhyun assures his son. Taehyung then holds out his pinky finger and Baekhyun laughs as he loops his pinky with his.

"Pinky swear," Baekhyun says with a smile. He stands up and pulls his son. "Now let's get you in the house before you start getting a cold from the night's humid air."

"Carry me," Taehyung says as he stretches his arms, wiggling his fingers to emphasize his point. Baekhyun laughs as he carries his son. "Aigoo, such a baby. By the way, don't resort to violence okay? I'm scared I'll end up having to save money just to get you out of jail."

Baekhyun sighs in relief as he safely tucks his sleeping four-year old son in bed. He thanks the heavens for the absence of beer bottles and broken china in their shabby dingy old house. Baekhyun quickly runs and checks the locks, the first thing he ever bought with his salary from the cafe. He calls Mrs. Park to ask about the kid Taehyung punched but the old woman assured him that the parents have decided to just let the incident pass, though adding that it better not happen in the future. Baekhyun hangs up the call with a relieved heart. He then picks up dirty clothes from their bedroom floor before throwing them back there once again as he lies on the bed. He turns to his left and stares at their family picture. He watches sadly as three bright faces stay frozen beneath the glass frame. He takes the picture frame and he vaguely hears Daehyun's voice.

I'm worried Taehyung's going to end up lazy and messy like you. Aigoo~ Are you seriously just going to leave those clothes on the floor?

"He ended up being violent like you. And just so you know, I'm going to pick them up later. I'm just resting for a second okay?"

Lies

"Did you tell him to protect me in your stead? Did you know he punched some boy in his class? What would I do if the parents had not decided to let it go?" Baekhyun whines at the picture.

Baekhyun imagines Daehyun smiling and saying things like 'That's my boy!' and he couldn't fight the onslaught of tears that come rushing as he's reminded of his husband.

"You jerk! Making me cry every night. Taehyung should just punch you instead," Baekhyun forces a laugh as he tries to hold back his tears.

"Daehyun-ah, I'm sorry."

And just like every other night, that night was filled with Baekhyun's choked sobs a.

*****

"Hey Baekhyun-ah!"

Baekhyun looks up to glare at Sunggyu as he finishes up serving a strawberry shortcake to a flirty customer who tries to subtly pass Baekhyun her number.

"You better have a good reason as to why you're la-"

"I'd like you to meet my distant relative Do Kyungsoo," Sunggyu cuts him off by ing a wide-eyed stranger on his face.

Baekhyun, out of habit, smiles at Kyungsoo as he shoots daggers at Sunggyu. "Come with me," he spits out through gritted teeth, all the while not losing his smile. Sunggyu gulps as he follows Baekhyun behind a door where a large sign says 'For Employees Only'.

"Where have you been all day? I tried so hard to cover up your from Mr. Lee," Baekhyun quicly says to Sunggyu. Sunggyu's shocked by his friend's words.

"But Mr. Lee knew I was going to be late today. I told him in advance last night."

Baekhyun gapes at Sunggyu. "So all this time, I was saving your for nothing?"

Sunggyu looks at the stress pilng up under Baekhyun's eyes. Feeling pity, he pats the man on the shoulders and say, "Your heroic actions made my heart flutter."

Baekhyun's not having any of it and he punches Sunggyu's arm. "I was worried you'd lose your job