Kai is driving his car out of the parking lot by himself; he doesn’t need any overworked park valet scratching his beauty. Most of the guests have already left and there is only a handful of family members upstairs, planning to leave soon as well. Even the majority of the host crew has left, except for a few who are still cleaning up.

And if you are wondering what Kai is still doing here and why he stayed with clingy family members for so many hours until the dead of night, then here is an answer for you: Chanyeol. The almost-birthday boy asked him to stay with a childish pout in full force and Kai couldn’t find it in him to say no. There is no immunity to the Park Chanyeol virus, no matter how many years you suffer from it. His brother would have been really lonely, had Kai left…

Plus, Kyungsoo. That little miracle on Earth that goes by that name –in Kai’s opinion, Kyungsoo is a miracle, for various reasons, some of which are not general-rating appropriate –showed himself once and then he disappeared for tonight. Hard as Kai might have tried, he was not able to find Kyungsoo anywhere –italics needed for stress, because Kai tried everything he could to find him and he still failed. Not even the organizing crew knew his whereabouts –unless there was some conspiracy among them to hide Kyungsoo, which is debatable. A certain man’s frustration shot through the roof…and then came back down, because there wasn’t much he could do under the scrutiny of the other guests.

Little Soo is good at hide and seek games…And why am I smiling at that? Kai schools his features back in order.

He takes his place in the queue of cars which are slowly getting out of the parking area. He loosens his tie around his neck tiredly, thinking about how much he would appreciate a teleporting device right now, so that he could be in his bed in a heartbeat. He feels exhausted, mentally and physically. Being the son of a rich man in a sea full of shark businessmen who want to:

a. marry you to their daughter,

b. make you a business partner, even though it’s hardly the place or the time for those discussions,

c. engage you in boring economics talk,

d. make you feel like you are some inexperienced brat,

e. learn things about your life that they won’t remember in the next moment,

…It’s a tiring way to spend your night. Generally, Kai thinks he is blessed in many aspects to be a rich heir, but in this moment, his life seems pretty hard. Chanyeol probably had it worse, being partly the man of the night.

He makes a small turn, following the flow of cars and stops a few meters away from one of the side entrances of the company. His eyes wander lazily above the familiar green leaves and the small decorative flowers, lit dimly by a street light. It looks so deserted in the middle of the night, even though it bursts with life during day…A small movement catches his eye. He squints in the dark, trying to see more clearly.

“Kyungsoo?” he guesses, not very sure that his eyes are not playing games because of his exhaustion. But the figure turns around and indeed, it’s him! Kai feels a bit more excited now, despite his tiredness. His eyes have adjusted by now and they rake shamelessly over his pretty, plum lips and that gorgeous, slick black suit that made Kai want to trail every single one of its lines with his fingertips from the moment he saw it. “Hey!” with a smile, he waves at Kyungsoo through the open window to come closer. Kyungsoo approaches with hesitant steps, his eyes darting to the other cars ahead of Kai’s while he crosses the large pavement.

“Yeah?” he asks, once he is close enough. His voice is slightly hoarse, but it’s still music to Kai’s ears.

“What are you doing out here?” Kai asks with interest. What is he doing in the deserted scenery, looking so innocent and abduct-ible…Kyungsoo clears his throat and his expression turns blank.

“I’m waiting” he answers simply. Kai would have liked it if he Kyungsoo elaborated but, let’s face it, he always keeps his words to a minimum when he is with Kai; maybe it’s because he thinks Kai is a bad person or something.

But that’s okay; Kai is a patient and persistent man.

“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going home? It’s late” he prods for more information.

“I came with Sehun and he left earlier, so I am waiting for Baekhyun” Kyungsoo answers casually. Kai flashes a smile; he has an idea...

No, not that sort of idea.

“But Baekhyun is going to see the crack of dawn in that building, making sure that everything is perfectly clean!” Kai protests. He loves Baekhyun for giving him chances like this, and he does it just by being himself: first a kind sweetheart who couldn’t refuse a date, and now a perfection seeker –Kai doesn’t want to call someone as cute as Baekhyun a maniac –who will be working all night to make sure that everything tomorrow morning will look like this night never existed for the employees’ convenience; all the while, obliviously nudging Kyungsoo out of his comfort zone and into Kai’s reach.

“So what? Dawn is not that far away anyway” Kyungsoo says nonchalantly, checking his wrist watch briefly. Kai rolls his eyes; unbelievable…

“I can give you a lift” he offers. That’s his idea. That’s all of it, no hidden motives. He wants to show Kyungsoo that he cares for more than bedroom activities. Because he does, honestly. He wants to explore the little puzzling miracle that heavens bestowed him.

“No” Kyungsoo’s answer comes immediate and final.

“Why not? Just get in the car and I’ll drive you home. Baekhyun will be late and you’re already tired” Kai tries his luck with a cheerful smile.

“Still no” Kyungsoo says in the same tone as before, slightly more sarcastic maybe. His eyes look at Kai with a lifeless gleam.

“But I’m driving across town anyway; it’s not like a great inconvenience or anything, to drop you home, no matter where you live. I really want to help”

“No”

“Wow, it’s getting cold out here, don’t you think? No wonder it’s November; I heard it is going to get even colder at night. I know you don’t like the cold, so…”

“No”

“Okay, here’s what I am getting at: what if you get kidnapped?”

“Ha, good one. Still no”

“I’m not kidding! I’m really worried for your safety. Have you been around this part of town ever before when it’s this late? It’s dangerous. Come on”

“Just no”

“Ugh! Do Kyungsoo, make both our lives easier and get your fine rear in this car this instant!”

Okay, this exasperated plea in yelling decibels is not what Kai would have liked to resort to, but Kyungsoo is giving him no choice; he is making him very desperate! Why won’t Kyungsoo give him a chance? He is only trying to prove he is not a bad person…

“I don’t want to!” Kyungsoo exclaims defensively. At least we are out of the passive refusal; we might have hopes of getting somewhere, Kai thinks.

“Why not?! I am being a good friend here, offering to give you a lift because it’s so late! I won’t do anything, I promise!”

“I don’t want to get in that car” the other mumbles stubbornly.

“What’s wrong with my car?” Kai asks offensively. He’s been a pretty careful driver when Kyungsoo is involved, more careful than he would have been if he had a baby in the car even!

“We have a bad history with your car!” Kyungsoo retorts aggressively.

“What did it ever do to you?!”

“Whenever I get inside, I end up somewhere I don’t want to be!”

“Somewhere being my house?” Kai guesses with a frown.

“Yeah; your bed, specifically” Kyungsoo bites sarcastically. That hurt a bit.

“Soo, I promise I will take you to your house. That was my initial intention anyway. I really, really promise” Kai almost pleads –or not ‘almost’, he pretty much pleads openly. Kyungsoo remains silent for a while, thinking about it. Well, it was about time to think about the offer realistically!

“My house” he presses. Thank god, Kyungsoo found some sense in him! Kai nods, repeating his promise. Glancing around, Kyungsoo walks around to the passenger’s side reluctantly and gets in the car. The cars ahead have moved considerably so Kai regains the lost space quickly.

“So, I was wondering-” Kai starts after a while of silence.

“Don’t talk to me, I have a headache” Kyungsoo shoots him down quickly and abruptly, with no sign of remorse. That’s okay, you’re doing okay, Kai tries to console his pride, mentally patting himself on the back.

The rest of the route they spend in silence, except for the occasional directions for the road. Kai feels a bit uncomfortable, not saying anything, but if Kyungsoo doesn’t want to talk –be it because of a real headache or not, which is probably the latter –Kai is willing to respect that.

But he won’t lie: he feels hurt sometimes. Like when Kyungsoo said he didn’t want to be in his house or in his bed. Is Kai that bad to be around? Has he given the impression that the only way he wants Kyungsoo is in his house in his bed? Also, times like when Kyungsoo implied he thinks that Kai is a bad person. How is he a bad person? Has he done anything wrong? Because he really didn’t mean to. And he would like it if Kyungsoo thought better of him.

The car stops, according to Kyungsoo’s directions, in front of a block of apartments. Kai glances outside; it’s a plain and normal neighborhood, only it’s too quiet because it’s so late. Maybe he should wait for Kyungsoo to go in the building before he leaves, just for good measure.

“Is this where you live?” he asks casually.

“No” the shorter answers and Kai gives him a curious look. Is he just being difficult or is he being serious? “I live a few blocks down some direction. I just don’t need you to know where I live exactly”

“That’s silly” Kai dismisses and locks the doors swiftly. Kyungsoo notices the sound and swings to the side with alarm, fruitlessly trying his luck frantically with the door a couple of times.

“What do you think you are doing?” he demands annoyed, glaring at Kai. His hair looks almost black in the darkness, but his wide eyes hold their own luminosity.

“You’re not walking alone in the middle of the night. Tell me where I need to take you” Kai says in a final tone. He is not willing to have his little miracle abducted, thank you very much. Kyungsoo puffs his cheeks stubbornly.

“No way I’m telling you. Now let me out or else I’ll scream” he threatens. Kai knows Kyungsoo; he is serious.

“No way I’m letting you out. Try to scream and I’ll kiss you unconscious” Kai threatens back. Kyungsoo knows Kai; he is serious.

“Why won’t you let me out? I’m tired” the shorter whimpers, his eyebrows knitting in a pleading expression. Kai notices that he has abandoned the threatening strategy which is good; it means he got the point.

“I’m tired too. So, let’s cut this short and tell me where you live”

“I want to go home…”

“Good, because that’s where I’m taking you” Kai stares at him seriously –pretending he is not crooning internally at the other’s cute act. Kyungsoo hesitates for a moment and then glances at the numbers on the dash board. Then he lets out a tired sigh.

“Fine” he mumbles grumpily. He gives the rest of the directions halfheartedly and Kai stops again a few blocks later with a wide smile of success on his lips.

--

Why does he keep repeating the same mistakes? Specifically, why does Kyungsoo keep repeating this one huge mistake?

Why is he letting Kai get closer?

He has decided many times in the past that he wants to keep him away and he has promised himself that he will really try to escape his barrage of unfortunate boyfriends and lovers, that he will save himself the heartache and he will find a good guy to settle with. Kai can’t do all that. He is a person that Kyungsoo needs to keep away, but he keeps making the same mistake, over and over, failing to keep his promise to himself.

If it keeps happening so naturally, maybe it’s not a mistake, Baekhyun said when they were discussing about the issue one day. But Kyungsoo knows better: it is definitely a mistake. Baekhyun reads too many books and psychology related stuff, but Kyungsoo knows his reality and he knows he needs to keep Kai away.

And yet, here Kai is, making him breakfast in his kitchen.

When Kai offered to take Kyungsoo home last night, the latter agreed, keeping in mind not to tell him his exact address. But Kai threatened to kiss him unconscious and, knowing his own reactions to Kai’s kisses all too well, Kyungsoo saw the very high probability of that happening. So, he halfheartedly gave away the information he had forbidden himself to reveal when he got in that car.

But, as he was saying ‘thank you’ begrudgingly and started walking away, another thought crossed his mind. I want him to stop and go away, Kyungsoo had said to Baekhyun when they were discussing. So, would you be happy if something bad happened to him? Baekhyun had asked, It would make him stop and go away. Baekhyun knows Kyungsoo and how he would never like it if something bad happened to Kai…So, as he was walking away, he thought of Kai driving across town, in the middle of the night, with a bunch of drunk drivers littering the streets. Would he be happy if something bad happened to him? That’s what crossed his mind. Baekhyun put this in his mind; why is he friends with him again?

Long story of internal conflict short, Kyungsoo invited Kai to stay for the night, since it was so late and it was dangerous to drive. Kai was exultant.

Nevertheless, because Kyungsoo is not that big of an idiot, nothing happened last night, he made sure of that. Kai slept on the couch, as far away as possible from Kyungsoo’s locked bedroom door. Kyungsoo slept with one eye open, watchful for any suspicious activity, ready to throw his shoe at the slightest crack of the door, but Kai stayed put and didn’t move from the couch, until the shorter walked in the living room this morning. He must have suffered, with his long limbs curled while sleeping on that small couch, but Kyungsoo is not willing to feel any regret for that. Kai was smiling when Kyungsoo walked in the living room anyway…

Then, Kai insisted on making breakfast, pleading and saying it was not much trouble and that he should thank Kyungsoo somehow for possibly saving his life last night –did anyone say anything about drama queens. (No question mark, that’s not a typo). Kyungsoo is still unable to understand Kai’s persistence in making him breakfast and the lengths he would go to get a chance to do so...So, here they are, Kai cooking happily in his kitchen and Kyungsoo staring thoughtfully at his back.

“You’re quiet today” Kai notices after a while, not turning his eyes from the stove.

“You’re usually the one who makes all the chattering noise” Kyungsoo accuses him heartlessly, shrugging his shoulders. Kai smiles; why does he never lose confidence?

“You are thinking about something” he says calmly, stirring vegetables in the pan.

“So, you’re a mind reader now?”

“I just know that face” Kai flashes an innocent smile. Kyungsoo feels slightly uncomfortable every time Kai mentions things that are true about him; it means he is getting closer. “Come on, what are you thinking about?”

“This has a strong sense of déjà vu” he answers instead. It reminds him a lot of the other times Kai has cooked him breakfast, only it was in a different kitchen and they had been intimate before that. This should feel very different, especially because they didn’t have bedroom or anything before, not even a kiss –thanks to Kyungsoo’s proud achievement of keeping Kai away for the night –so this can’t count as his ‘reward’. But it feels just the same as any other time. This sense of normalcy should not be.

“Is that bad?” Kai asks calmly, picking his next ingredients “I like having breakfast with you”

Kyungsoo’s heart is not supposed to skip a beat, but it just did, at the sound of Kai’s words. He remains silent, following Kai with his sheepish gaze. He knows his heart has started falling head first. He knows it will crash and shutter at some point.

But, watching Kai cooking, it gives him a strange feeling. Kai looks so peaceful and happy, sprinkling and stirring ingredients, dancing around in the kitchen to fetch whatever he needs, humming a song without noticing while something is sizzling in the pan, smiling for no reason and sticking his tongue out in concentration when he is trying to cut something in fine slices. He looks innocent, like there is no ulterior motive. He cooks because it makes him happy and the rest of the world doesn’t exist for that short while; except for Kyungsoo. He is allowed to watch and talk, if he wants to, and he receives small or bright smiles every time Kai turns around.

Biology says it’s unnatural and his mind says it’s stupid, but Kyungsoo can’t help that his heart picks up the pace every time Kai smiles at him, forgetting about the world outside this kitchen.

--

Chanyeol doesn’t really want to wake up; but he has to. The maids at his father’s house have already let him sleep longer than usual because it’s a special day. But eventually, this special day has to start officially, when he opens his eyes. With a long yawn, Chanyeol stretches his inhumanly long limbs on the bed and flutters his eyes slowly open. Happy birthday, myself.

He lifts his body on his elbows and checks the pillow beside his head. Everything’s good; it’s still there. He smiles calmly, taking the white envelope in his hands and lying back down again. This is going to be the best gift, he can feel it. He runs his fingers over the edges; he promised he would open it at noon, and so he will. He just wants to feel the paper which promises him happiness.

His phone vibrates, catching his attention. He picks it from the bedside table with little interest; of course there is an endless row of inbox messages wishing him happy birthday. But he doesn’t check how long the list is or who sent anything, because all his eyes see is the name on top of the list: B. Baekhyun.

“Happy Birthday, Chanyeol! I hope you’ll always be happy! ^.^ Ps. Don’t forget your promise”

Chanyeol’s mouth hangs open wide in surprise; is he still dreaming? He slaps his face to check. Ouch. No, he is not dreaming…he is not dreaming, but this is a perfect moment!

Baekhyun sent him a text! Baekhyun wished him happy birthday, even if he didn’t have to, because he already said happy birthday the day before. Baekhyun has a wish for him, to always be happy! Baekhyun put a smiley in there! And Baekhyun is the first person out of everyone in Chanyeol’s life to wish him happy birthday, after this day has officially begun!

Chanyeol couldn’t be happier for all reasons Baekhyun! This is already the best birthday ever in the last twenty-something years of his life!

--

Chanyeol makes a turn, according to the colored line which indicates the road he has to follow. Baekhyun’s gift turned out to be a map.

Chanyeol was bewildered at first, but he was ultimately too excited to ignore his curiosity and postpone the trip for another day. He changed from his formal clothes into a pair of jeans and a simple t-shirt –which is not much of a stylish attire, but it’s all he could find in the closet of his old room in his father’s house –and he slipped out the back door. There were still people at his house, relatives and family friends who visited for lunch and to wish him happy birthday, but Chanyeol has been with them all morning and he doesn’t think he owes them anything anymore –they pinched his cheeks and asked uncomfortable questions and coerced him into boring talks, so he considers his obligations fulfilled. He grabbed the keys of his car and left a note that he will be back soon –although he knows it’s a lie –and then he left quickly, before they realized he is missing, without saying anything further. His phone has rung several times though, so maybe they know he is gone by now. His parents won’t be happy about this…

But he is a grown man, and family is okay, but he has a heart to follow as well.

The road has led him outside the city centre and through the suburbs; the route alone is beautiful, from the stunning skyscrapers and the tourist monuments of the city to the flowery gardens and the cute white fences of the storybook suburbs. His car ends up alone on the road, driving beside green slopes at the city’s fringe. He stops the car when he finds himself at the end of the colored line, where a strange mark like a wiggly Y is drawn. He gets out of the car and looks around, confused.

It’s a quiet green slope with a big tree growing solely on the grass a bit further from the road. Can this Y be the tree? Chanyeol starts his way for the tree, leaving his car behind without caring –there is no one around anyway. His feet sink in the autumn grass which rolls down the hill and this gives Chanyeol, the city child, a small feeling of excitement. The tree looks old and huge, with a dark, rough bark which supports long branches, growing parallel to the slope of the hill. Most trees are dead this time of the year, but this tree has thick, green foliage. Only the cold November air telltales the season, but the tree is so old and everything around is so green and calm, that this place feels timeless.

Chanyeol rests a hand on the huge bark and looks at the view; it’s stunning. The city looks like an assortment of small metallic objects, arranged messily below him, and then the suburbs look like autumn parks, with vermillion and lunar yellow leaves on the trees, circling the city. The river looks like a glistening ribbon, cutting through the city with its graceful curves. The sky above all that though…The sun is setting slowly, coloring everything ablaze. The clouds gather and unfold in the sky, creating bundles of fluffy fog and fading streaks of mist. The sun slips through the cracks and hugs the clouds, trailing colors of autumn in the sky, red, yellow, orange and gold, in bright, luminescent tints. It’s a view Chanyeol never imagined that existed and it leaves him breathless.

He sits down on the grass, under the shade of the tree, watching as the sun sets. It’s peaceful here. He doesn’t need to think and worry about anything. The noise of the city, the expectations, the obligations don’t reach this place. He is alone in a beautiful part of the world and he can truly enjoy that. A soft gust of wind brushes comfortingly over his face, and it makes something shift in the branches of the tree, catching his attention. It looks like a rolled piece of paper, hanging from a small ribbon under one of the lowest brunches. Curious, Chanyeol gets up to retrieve it and then returns to his seat. “For Park Chanyeol” the letters outside of it read. Chanyeol suddenly remembers why he is here.

Baekhyun. His present.

He unfolds the paper quickly and starts reading greedily but not too fast, so that he won’t miss a syllable or a dent of the pen on the paper, with a huge smile on his face.

“Happy Birthday, Chanyeol! I wish you to live a hundred years, healthy and happy!

I didn’t know what to get you as a present and I am sure this is nothing like the expensive presents you must have been getting, but it’s the best I could think of. My gift couldn’t be something fancy, so I decided to give you something not-fancy as a gift:

I’m giving you ‘normal’, Chanyeol. I’m giving you peace and quiet, a small place where you can rest and forget about the worries of the world. It must be tiring, being the Park Chanyeol all the time; you can choose not to be that when you are here. You can be anything.

I used to come here with my aunt every time my family visited the city and she used to tell me that you can choose to be anything, and the world will follow your lead, believing in anything. I know life is not so easy, but it doesn’t have to be too difficult either, don’t you think?

I hope you can find something magical here, your biggest truth or your biggest wish. You’re still young and you have many great things to accomplish and many great things to expect in your life.

Keep fighting, Park Chanyeol! Keep smiling, ‘just’ Chanyeol!

Happy birthday!

Your friend, Baekhyun”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

a/n. I hope you enjoyed Kaisoo being normal-ish for once, always being the distinctive explosive blend they are, and Chanyeol’s troubles of having a large family (been there, done that…still doing that, actually). In other news, I think that’s the weirdest chapter title yet…

Hm?

I was originally planning to make this a double update with the previous chapter, but no such luck with all the assignments I am juggling at the moment…sorry *shy blush*. But Christmas is coming and I will be able to update more freely! Hurray!

Stay happy and warm until next time! Kitty~