Baekhyun's hand was trembling as he stood in front of the door that once used to be his home. It's been days since he's been here and he still hasn't come around to pick up his stuff. How could he do it so easily? 

He was scared... afraid. Not of Jongin, because lord knows that he wouldn't even try and hurt a fly. Baekhyun didn't really know what he was afraid of, but it might be the fact that he'd have to face it now or never. He needed to gather his belongings, give back a few things, and sort a lot of stuff out. He couldn't just leave Jongin like this, allowing him to drown in whatever feeling he was drowning in.

For sure, Baekhyun had been drowning in his own thoughts. Thoughts about the baby; his baby's future. He was drowning in the thought of how Jongin must have been doing lately, and what they would or could do if the baby did indeed happen to be his. He thought about all that, but Chanyeol told him not to stress too much since it would be bad for the baby in his stomach.

He had even offered to come and gather his things for him, but Baekhyun insisted that he just stay at the car until they finished talking. He couldn't carry the boxes alone, but he didn't him to stick around when they had the talk.

Taking a few deep breaths, he shook off his nervousness as much as he could and went to knock against the door.

It takes a long while before thinking about knocking again or just giving up, but he really needed his things and well... he wanted to talk to Jongin. Maybe the younger male wasn't home just yet, so Baekhyun reaches into his pocket, staring at the key that he'd owned for such a long while.

It wouldn't be considered as breaking in, right?

Shoving the key into the keyhole to unlock it, he walks right on in and he's hit with nostalgia on the first step in. 

There's a lot of differences in the home and it shoots right through his heart for some reason. He expected, but he hadn't at the same time. He was happy with Chanyeol, but it didn't mean his old memories of his old life wouldn't hurt him. He just didn't know it was smack him right in the face on the first step inside.

The photos that were once hung up against the white walls were all down, probably packed inside the brown cardboard boxes that were stacked up in the living room. Baekhyun assumes that Jongin must have packed all of his belongings in there, noticing that there were many boxes and many missing things in the living room that he had bought. 

Ah... So he packed. 

It was alright. He should have seen it coming. He left him. He wasn't Jongin's anymore. He was Chanyeol's. Bakehyun didn't regret it, but it's still something that he just hasn't fully gotten used to. He never stopped being Chanyeol's, but being with Jongin for a few years had made him at least give a large piece of what he used to be. That could never be changed.

Biting back his tears, he caresses his small stomach as he walks down the hall to approach the bedroom, going to check if there were any more boxes he needed to tell Chanyeol to come and carry out. 

Pushing the door open, to his surprise, it wasn't just boxes that were in the room, but Jongin himself.

With a photo frame in his hand.

Baekhyun knows his old home enough to tell what photo was in the frame.

It was the first photo that he had taken with Jongin and Chansung. They were all smiling so happily. He remembers that day as if it was yesterday. Jongin's arms were wrapped around Baekhyun as the latter held the child close to his chest, Jongin using his free hand to stretch out and take the selca. It was a wonderfully captured moment and it was something he would never forget.

"Did you want to keep that?" Baekhyun's gentle voice startles Jongin, making him jolt on the bed, hand flying to his heart.

"Dear god. Baekhyun, you scared the outta me." He breathes, setting the frame to the side while holding his hand over his heart still. "Do you ever learn how to knock?" 

"Don't you already know that?" The other replies with a laugh, knowing that they're both aware with his habit of never knocking. Besides on the front door, of course.

Taking small and careful steps towards the bed, he sits beside Jongin, taking the frame that sat between them. Smiling down at it, he hums softly. "You remember this day?" Thumb brushing over the photo, the petite male stares at the small face in the photo. "This was... unforgettable." He nods. "I remember it like it was yesterday... with Chansung in my arms, and oh... he was such a good boy. He was-"

He speaks before he feels a hand take one of his own, interrupting him from speaking anymore.

"He was, Baek. Was." Jongin stares at him, lips pursed together. "And in that photo... That's what we were." He offers a small smile. "It's okay to forget about it. No- I mean... It's okay to let it go. You don't have to reminisce about it because I'm here. You have chosen a new future. It's okay. I'm okay." He insists with another smile. "I was just looking at it because I was packing up some of your things for you so it's not too much work."

Typical Jongin: always sweet, caring for others, putting them before his own self.

"Was it easy to let me go?" Baekhyun asks, looking up at his ex-lover with pursed lips.

"Of course it wasn't, but I want the best for you and I would never force you to stay with me if you didn't love me." 

It was something he expected and it does soften his worries a bit. 

"What do I do with this then?" Baekhyun asks, fingers gripping onto the wooden frame. "Do I... forget about it and toss it out?"

Jongin shakes his head at this and reaches out to hold the smaller's hand. "Of course not." He laughs. "Never." 

"That's your son right there. Nothing is going to change that, Baek." He grips on a bit tighter, smile soft. "It's a memory. A memory we should keep, should we not?"

Baekhyun stares at the photo, then at Jongin. "We should, we should." He nods slowly. "I just... I'm always worrying."

"That's typical of Byun Baek." He ruffles the shorter's hair. "Don't stress too much, hm? Isn't it bad for the little bun growing in the oven?" Jongin asks, looking at Baekhyun's stomach now.

"Hey, little one. Don't worry, okay? Daddy Baekkie will be happy, smiley, and stress free!" He coos. And while he does that, Baekhyun can't help but continue to stare and think how Jongin is going to be such an amazing father. He had already known that from the start.

 

 

 

 

 

Helping him put a few things away into the boxes, they had a bit of small talk after each item was packed away and reminisced only slightly. Baekhyun avoided their couple items at all costs, and Jongin was sure to avoid any baby items. It would just make the atmosphere even more tense than it already was and they both just wanted to get it over with before the dreaded talk was going to happen.

After an hour or so, the talk eventually arrives. And it's not as bad as they had imagined it to be. 

 

"So..." Baekhyun nods slowly, delicate fingers dancing along his thighs as they both sit beside each other on the couch. "Are you moving out?"

It wasn't a random question. As they were packing together, Jongin was packing his belongings as well.

"Well, I  guess." Jongin chuckles. "I can't really stay here. Not to make you feel guilty or anything. It's just that this place has lost it's spark, meaning, and it's homey feel." He says it so casually and Baekhyun knows he didn't mean it to hurt his feelings, but it hurts him anyway. 

"I'm sorry..."

"Hey." Jongin's brows furrow at the male's pout. "It's fine. Life goes on."

"Yeah..."

Pure silence is shared between them for a moment before Jongin parts his mouth to speak again. 

"If... The baby is mine, I would not mind stepping in to take care of him or her." He smiles softly at the thought of the baby being his own. "You know that I don't have any hatered for you... I mean, I would never bring myself to feel that way, so I think we would have a good relationship. Even if you end up dating Chanyeol, I would not mind it since your relationship shouldn't concern me. I would just help take care of him and maybe we'd take turns later on." He speaks as if he's thought it through before.

"That's a good idea." Baekhyun agrees with a firm nod. "But if it isn't..."

"Then I still want to have a good relationship with you." The other cuts in, lips still smiling. "You weren't just my lover, but my best friend. It'll be a little rocky, but I still want to be friends with you. At an appropriate pace for us both." 

The other continues to nod in agreement, tapping his knees now. 

"I do too... We both know it's going to be weird at first, but there isn't anything that we're not capable of, right?"

Except fall in love again were the words that stayed on the tip of Jongin's tongue, but he bit it back. "Yeah." He grins. "We're capable of anything."

"Thank you for understanding... Really." 

"Baekhyun, really. You don't have to thank me."

"No," He lifts his head up to look at Jongin directly. "I do."

"You have done so much for me these past years. I honestly don't know what I would have done without you... What I'd be today..." Baekhyun starts off, cheeks a light shade of pink from slight embarrassment. "You picked me up when I was at my lowest; unstable, alone, single father. You loved me when no one did, besides my grandmother of course. And you took me and Chansung in, gave us love, and found a place for us in your heart." There are more tears that brim his eyes, but he had vowed to fight it back. "That is something I must thank you for. It's something I can never repay you back. All that time... I can never give back."

"And you don't have to." Jongin frowns. 

"That was  time that was well spent, loved, and cherished. I would never trade it for anything else."

They share a look before they embrace tightly, both hit with the same memories all at once and it's just an overwhelming feeling.

All that fear that Baekhyun had felt these past few days after the wedding run away, it had vanished into the air and brushed off. He felt relieved and free of guilt. Jongin felt just as free and happy. He was content with things and he no longer felt that he had been holding in his feelings.

Sure, he still loved Baekhyun but in the end he knows he will move on. But even so, he will always have a big chunk of his heart. No matter how many times he goes on coffee meetings with a certain hidden someone. 

Maybe with time, he can have someone else take another chunk. Who knows.

What he does know is that he wants to keep a relationship with Baekhyun, because he is someone that Jongin wouldn't want to live without. 

 

 

 

 

After discussing a few more things, Baekhyun texted Chanyeol to come in and help carry the boxes to the car and it was a little weird at first... seeing the two interact right in front of his eyes, but it was nice. 

Jongin was polite as always and Chanyeol looked like a lost puppy. It was entertaining, really. But Baekhyun didn't want to seem  too mean.

 

 

 

"Hey man. Thanks for helping, really." Chanyeol smiles rather awkwardly, extending out his hand for the other to shake. Jongin takes it gladly and returns a more relaxed smile. "It's no problem, Chanyeol." He replies. "Just take care of this little one. He's a handful. I really... Wish you both the best. Honestly." He ends off with that, just in case Chanyeol thinks he's being insincere. 

"Thank you, Jongin. That means a lot." He seems formal, but he means that from the bottom of his heart. "I'm really sorry about... You know...  But..."

"Things were meant to be this way, right?" Jongin grins and the taller male nods in reply. "I suppose so."

After one more hug, Baekhyun is helped into the car before they part ways and Chanyeol is driving them back home.

 

 

"Are you sad?" The giant asks as they're driving away from the apartment complex. Baekhyun is looking at the mirror, watching as the building shrinks the father they drive away. "Did you want to go back?"

"Why would I turn back?" Baekhyun questions. "This is the future. This is now. I want this."

Tearing his eyes away from the mirror, he looks over at Chanyeol and smiles.

"This is a new chapter."

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

a / n : i know this nut holes, but fear not -- this isnt the only bonus chapter for this story. it isn't the last ! so dont you dare unsubscribe sobs. we still need to find out the baby's papa and stuffs !but? ? ? maybe it'll be a separate story ! kyaAaaaAAAA. 

thank you all who has still shown so much support and hello the the new readers. hi love u all so much. without you guys, this story wouldnt be what it is. you all inspire me to write more. thank you for your support!

dont forget to comment and upvote! I love you all! <3

 

 

 P . S . I'll check the typos when i wake up later. it's 6:07AM. ahA. ily. so much!