“Put your left foot in~”

“Jongin, stop.”

“And you shake it all about~”

“I hate you.”

“You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around~”

“I’ll kill you slowly and painfully for this” Kyungsoo growls, and it’s not at all an empty threat; he’s in fact contemplating ways to dispose of Kai’s body with the limited recourses of the hospital, after executing a not-so-accidental accident involving the taller male. He keeps his scorching glare on his childish, dumb –and unfairly handsome– boyfriend, but the latter is not in the least intimidated or anyhow else dissuaded from continuing to hum the childish rhythm under his breath. What in the world possessed him to sing aloud to that annoying tune in the first place, while he’s helping Kyungsoo change into fresh clothes for the day, will forever be beyond Kyungsoo’s average human understanding. What’s worse is that Kyungsoo can’t resolutely hold Kai’s silly antics against him, because deep down, under all the –justified– grumpiness and moodiness and crankiness, he’s happy too.

It’s his final day in the hospital, hell if he wouldn’t be singing every silly joyous melody his head has ever recorded, wiggling his hips in anticipation and jumping off of rooftops in glee! Figuratively speaking, of course, since the hospital is no place for cheesy bubblegum pop songs, and well, he can’t even walk by himself yet, let alone wiggle his wrapped up limbs –it’s pretty obvious why jumping off of rooftops is not advised in any case. So, with his options limited from physical and societal bans, Kyungsoo expresses his overwhelming joy by pinning death threats on his nursing boyfriend. Oh, the love.

But it’s not his fault, okay?

Kai helps him up without a word, balancing him on his good foot, to pull up his roomy cargo shorts. Kyungsoo doesn’t miss the chance to rest his hands dangerously close to Kai’s neck and squeeze them menacingly as a warning; he can’t take any more of humiliating children’s songs today –he didn’t even know so many of them could be related to the process of getting dressed! It’s bad enough he can’t do anything by himself, with just one fully functioning arm available, a bundled up leg, and a stern warning from his doctors not to bend his head down or stretch his torso more than necessary. He has already decided to live in baggy, unstylish clothes for the next few weeks, because at least those will be easy to slip on and off by himself after a bit of practice; he is determined to save any sliver of dignity he can during his recovery. Kai quiets down for a bit, focused on fastening the button of Kyungsoo’s pants and then lowering him down to the hospital bed once more to fetch the t-shirt. Kyungsoo finally takes a breath of relief.

Silence at last.

Well he spoke too soon.

“Now wave your hands in the air like you just don’t care!” Kai singsongs while holding up the shirt, his voice unnecessarily loud and absurdly cheerful, his charm and maturity plummeting to the level of the pre-school aged child next door. Which technically means he is still pretty darn charming, but that’s not the point here. Kyungsoo sighs heavily in resignation and lifts his arms halfheartedly, before Kai can remember any other quasi-relevant song lyrics that will embarrass him further. He lets the taller slip his shirt over his arms, internally sobbing a pitiful wail; why is he stuck with this idiot? Couldn’t Baekhyun come pick him up, with his gentle smiles and cheerful comments and dignified behavior? Baekhyun is an excellent caretaker and a certified cuddler, Kyungsoo would rather have his help. How did Kyungsoo get the overly excited scatterbrain puppy boyfriend for a nurse instead?

“I want to punch you, why can’t I punch you, please can I punch you, I will punch you” he mumbles under his breath, going through so many emotional phases and different tones of voice that he can barely make sense of himself. He finds himself uncaring whether Kai hears him or not –he seems to be methodically ignoring Kyungsoo’s wrath today anyway. He is certain, however, that he is left with an intense desire to punch Kai. Yes, he is. If only he had his good arm at his service…

Still humming an upbeat song, Kai pulls the shirt over Kyungsoo’s head, a little forcefully due to the narrow neckline, and a head of messy, dark brown locks and a reddened face with lethal, enormous eyes and begrudgingly pouting lips are revealed, sprouting out of the shirt’s bundled material. Baekhyun once told Kyungsoo he looks half-scary with such a frustrated expression, but his boyfriend only grins brightly at the sight –as if it’s fare to look as gorgeous as Kim Jongin on a Thursday. Kyungsoo guesses that the lethal appeal maybe doesn’t work when you’re ridiculously helpless to even tie your own shoelaces. Thinking of his pained, dependent body, Kyungsoo grumbles under his breath.

“Cheer up, Soo! We’re going home” Kai exclaims joyfully, louder than Kyungsoo’s incoherent protests. The latter glares up at him, only to find him smiling widely, and then stooping down unexpectedly to plant a peck on the corner of Kyungsoo’s downturned lips, making his heart skip a beat involuntarily. Well, that hadn’t happened in a while, and Kyungsoo’s complaints seize at once, as if someone has turned a switch off. The shorter will blame the surprise –but who is he kidding, really? He has missed the proximity, the intimacy and private time with his boyfriend –he sincerely hopes that’s going to be fixed soon though, as soon as Kyungsoo is able to do something about it. Trying to appease his squirming stomach and giving his boyfriend a mild glare to keep face, Kyungsoo sighs, letting out the ire he has been gathering for weeks of exasperating immobility, like a steaming exhale of the kettle.

They are going home. Now that it’s starting to sink in, it sounds strange, but in a nice way. Kyungsoo only ever knew his parents’ house, his apartment, Kai’s apartment and so on; sharing his private life with someone like this is unfamiliar. He didn’t even use to keep a pet. But it’s not unpleasant at all to think about it. Not that tall idiots need ever know that, but he kind of likes the prospect –it’s why he agreed to moving in together in the first place. It stirs a jittery, warm feeling in his tummy; which no, it has nothing to do with Kai being a warm, loving and considerate companion, but it kind of has everything to do with that too.

They have a home to return to, not just an apartment, and Kyungsoo hadn’t thought he’d be so eager to return to that familiar place, thinking of it as their home. But, oh god…

“We’ll have so much cleaning to do” Kyungsoo groans after a sudden realization of the exact state they left the house in. Before all this happened, he had all his things packed in boxes, piled in the living room, suit cases in the bedroom, bubble-wrapped utensils scattered in the kitchen, linens strewn across the bed haphazardly. He doubts they put themselves away, or that Kai had half a mind to tide up the place with everything that had been going on –if anything, the house must have ended up even messier. And since Kyungsoo can’t move, he will have to play the dictator of this grand mountain of chores they have to climb, ordering Kai around, on how to fold the clothes and scrub the floor and pile everything in each cupboard –but maybe they can start tomorrow, definitely tomorrow, Kyungsoo is too medicated to deal with all that today. Let them have a day to rest and take it easy.

In the meantime, Kai is pulling down Kyungsoo’s shirt, and he chastely kisses the surgical scar under his ribcage –of which Kyungsoo is still self-conscious–, hardly concerned with the minefield that is their home at the moment. It’s a small sign of affection, a token of Kai’s undivided attention on him –and Kyungsoo is not blushing, okay?

“I cleaned the house for you” Kai reassures Kyungsoo with a soft smile, combing the shorter’s hair with his fingers like Kyungsoo’s mother does –how weird is that parallel? But Kyungsoo forgets everything and gapes in shock for a moment, doing a double take, his big eyes rounding even wider, because Kai, cleaning, seriously? Which continent sank? But then his expression turns suspicious, because Kai, cleaning, yeah right. He is notorious for being averse to chores so, even though he doesn’t doubt the man’s best intensions, Kyungsoo is not convinced. Kai’s eyes widen comically when he notices Kyungsoo’s eyes squinted up at him, and he gets startled, looking the exact replica of a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Luhan hyung helped me, we did a good job, I swear!” he defends, raising his arms in surrender.

Kyungsoo stares at him and assesses the truth behind his words for a moment, trying to estimate how much of a clean freak Luhan might be and how much he might have coerced Kai into doing his chores properly. The short blond does have a talent for pushing people to get the job done, and he is a very tidy person…Kyungsoo decides the odds are in his favor. The house should be more than clean enough on Luhan’s watch. With a deep exhale he relaxes his shoulders and lowers his defenses, mentally thanking Luhan for his invaluable help. The moment of tension visibly slips between them as Kai relaxes too, sensing he’s off the hook, and goes to pick up Kyungsoo’s shoes.

“The boys are coming over later in the evening for pizza” he chirps, his happy mood restored to its fullest, as he pulls a sock on Kyungsoo’s good foot. Kyungsoo’s eyes spark with interest; his stay in the hospital has made him miss many things, fresh air, his friends and tasty food being a few good examples. And he’s getting all of those back today, as soon as he leaves the hospital! He was already glad to be leaving, and Kai only keeps making him anticipate it more; he hadn’t expected such exciting Thursday night plans, he thought they were just going to sleep for two days straight, until they’d feel halfway normal again. He hums happily when Kai glances up to check his reaction to their plans.

“I could do without the celebrations, but I won’t say no to the first decent food I’ve had in days” he says, shrugging his shoulders in a failed attempt to feign indifference –because who could be indifferent to pizza?! Kai sees right through him, naturally, and he shoots him a winning smile; how can he look so perfect, with effortlessly messy dark hair, deep brown eyes that capture your soul, and plum lips pushing his cheeks into adorable puffs…Kyungsoo allows himself to smile too, but only after Kai has turned his focus back to the shoes. He knows well just how whipped he is, and he doesn’t need to put it on display.

“Xiuming hyung is off duty tonight, so he and Chen will be coming too; Lay and Suho had plans though. Chanyeol will leave work earlier to be there on time, and Sehun will come with Baekhyun after a meeting with some florist” the taller babbles about their plans, moving on to put a sock on Kyungsoo’s injured foot with care. Kyungsoo doesn’t pay much attention to the information he has no use for, but he lingers a bit on Baekhyun’s schedule; he knows the meeting is for work, but he is sure his best friend will do something sappy, like buy him a bouquet of flowers to welcome him back home. Kyungsoo wiggles his toes inside the shoe, feeling a small strain on his ligaments, and he tries to estimate how soon he will be ready to return to work. Sehun has been helping out in his place, for everything Baekhyun can’t handle by stubbornly stretching himself thin, but Kyungsoo should gradually join in on the projects, as much as his condition allows. He needs human interaction and to feel productive again.

“You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?” he challenges Kai with a raised eyebrow, after the taller has finished explaining their guests’ food preferences he knows of and how there’s a new pizza place they should check out sometime. The taller doesn’t lift his gaze from where he is kneeling on the ground, rambling about inconsequential things, but it’s hard to miss his wide grin, which never fails to shake Kyungsoo; it’s something about the curl of his plush lips and the fine lines around his eyes, his entire countenance losing about fifteen years. It’s the ugh feeling that makes you swoon over your crush, and Kyungsoo is glad he can still feel that after all the time he has been with Kai.

“Of course” the taller says assuredly, as he finishes tying the second shoe. He pats Kyungsoo’s uninjured calf, before he straightens his body and looks at the shorter in the eyes. “I can also tell you that Luhan will be late to leave work because he always gets carried away in his perfectionist ways and loses track of time, but he’ll come on time, looking disheveled just enough to earn a hug from Sehun. Oh, and that Chanyeol will have to share his last slice of pizza with Baekhyun, because we’ll make sure that happens; I wonder if they’re good at sharing food…” he taps his index finger on his chin in a thoughtful gesture, his gaze speculative after pretending to be a know-it-all. Kyungsoo perks at the direct mention of his favorite couple.

It’s been a long time since he last saw the two of them together, Baekhyun usually visiting the hospital alone, and he has missed ogling their sweet and fluffy interactions. And truthfully, Kyungsoo couldn’t have had a better boyfriend, equally eager to unveil the sparkly secrets of their best friends’ relationship; this evening has just gained one more attraction. In truth, Baekhyun and Chanyeol sharing food should be intriguing to watch; they’d probably take turns biting the slice of pizza if they had to share it, not even thinking of cutting it in half. It should be interesting –although nearly anything would sound interesting to Kyungsoo at this point, especially if it’s related to his friends, whom he has missed.

Kyungsoo is taken aback when Kai swoops down and seals a kiss on the opposite corner of his lips from the one he kissed before, making him flinch out of his daze. It’s not healthy for his heart that the first thing he sees after his lovey-dovey fantasies is the smile of the man he has missed the most, pearly rows of teeth flashing from underneath his soft lips, eyes dark and depthless. And if that wasn’t enough to make his heart kick and race in his chest, the man goes on to say the most coveted words, which sound like music to Kyungsoo’s ears. “And I’ll clean up afterwards, I promise”

Normally, Kyungsoo would be swooning internally, feeling lucky to have such a man by his side, but he suddenly feels weak in the knees, because the way Kai whispers, voice husky, is referring to something completely different, something more…naughty. And Kyungsoo has been deprived of bedroom activities for some time now and wow, did the room just get warmer?

“That might be the second best thing I’ve heard you say today” Kyungsoo doesn’t even care that he sounds so breathless all of a sudden, his gaze dropped to Kai’s luscious lips, so teasingly within reach and invitingly warm. He is well aware that his boyfriend is playing with him, taunting him, toying with his frustration, but he doesn’t care about that either. His injuries be damned, he really needs his boyfriend’s touch, his kiss, his-

Kyungsoo’s brain short-circuits for a moment there, when Kai leans forward and kisses him full on the lips, finally making good on the promises he kissed earlier on the edges of Kyungsoo’s lips. He might be teasing Kyungsoo, but Kai wants this too, very much, if the dangerous gleam in his eyes is anything to go by. In spite of the hunger for each other, the touch is so gentle, so familiar and yet so exhilarating, heat boiling in Kyungsoo’s veins as he hooks his good hand behind Kai’s nape and pulls him closer, trying to lure him into a more exciting, deeper kiss, his tongue poking the taller’s lips and tasting the coffee he had for breakfast, mixed with the unique sweetness of Kai’s mouth which he had dearly missed. But Kai only smiles against his lips and pulls back a bit, giving Kyungsoo a smug smile, which makes the butterflies in Kyungsoo’s stomach run rampart.

“The first best thing being my wonderful rendition of Hoke-” he doesn’t get to finish his teasing remark, Kyungsoo’s hand swiftly slapping over Kai’s mouth.

“No.” he answers adamantly, glaring straight into Kai’s eyes menacingly, a warning not to mention any children’s songs, or there will be repercussions; let’s not forget he will be armed with a pair of crutches from now on, and for the next few days they’ll be stuck at home together. Why does that sound less ominous than it should? Kai giggles behind his hand and tries to kiss it, so Kyungsoo removes it. “The first best thing being your evil plan about Baekhyun and Chanyeol” he clarifies with a cheeky grin, lacing his arms across his chest, self-satisfied. Kyungsoo hopes his devil side is showing. Kai bursts in loud laughter –probably louder than appropriate for the thin hospital walls, but neither really minds. They’ll be out of here soon anyway.

“Of course you’d like the evil plan…” the taller muses with mirthful eyes, an entertained smile perching on his lips, his eyes scrunched at the corners. It’s not like Kyungsoo to throw all prudence to the wind –or so he thinks– but Kai looks so beautiful, that Kyungsoo’s façade crumbles in the uproarious flames of desire, and he grabs his boyfriend by the collar, kissing him on the lips again, short and fierce, biting and soothing over the sting with his lips, relishing Kai’s shocked gasps and little whines. Oh, he needed this; and they both need more. When he pulls back, cheeks flushed and lips a little red, Kai looks as riled up as Kyungsoo feels, pupils large and eyes glazed, hearts beating fast and fire shimmering in their veins.

“Now let’s go home” Kyungsoo whispers, the prospect of continuing what they started hanging heavy and wordless in the air around him. Kai couldn’t have agreed faster.

--

“Hyung, pizza’s here!” Sehun’s head pops up round the corner to the entry hall, his cheerful voice ringing over the vigorous chatter of the men in the living room, and a casual jab to the ribs by none other than Kai’s favorite little vixen, all bundled up on a makeshift pillow throne on the couch of their home, is his signal to go retrieve the food they’ve been waiting for, for the past half hour.

“I got it!” he calls back to the tall blond kid, scampering to stand on his feet and stumbling to the door, his legs slightly numb after having sat on the floor for too long. His waist gives him a pinch but it’s nothing new, especially given his earlier escapades with Kyungsoo in the bedroom –it was about time!– and the way he’s been sitting since their guests arrived, but he insisted on giving as much space to Kyungsoo as possible, even if the latter protested it was unnecessary. It’s his first day at home after the hospital, so every comfort is necessary, if you ask Kai, and he will do his best to provide it, even if he ends up punched and scolded and grudged before the night is over.

He grabs his wallet on his way to the door, Sehun following him like an oversized hungry duckling, and he pays for the food after Sehun relieves the delivery man of the large pizza boxes. The younger is already on his way, navigating blindly due to the pile of boxes in his arms, barely missing stubbing his toe in the corner of the wall; cheers erupt from the living room when the others see their youngest carrying the food, their voices boomingly echoing to the door and into the hallway, in a very kindergarten-high-on-sugar way –meaning, the best way possible. The delivery man looks Kai up and down weirdly while murmuring one last greeting, and Kai shoots him an awkwardly apologetic smile before closing the door; he wouldn’t say he’s all that apologetic for the noise though. He kind of likes the noise. It’s been a while since they last gathered and their cheerful banter feels comforting; it reassures him that finally, after weeks of worrying over Kyungsoo and everything he was put through, they will all be alright.

He returns to the living room, skipping steps, finding the pizza boxes already arranged on the coffee table –well, not all of them, since they couldn’t possibly fit, the rest tucked under the table for the second round of devouring– and the savory smell almost makes him drool. He whines playfully about being left out as he plops down beside Kyungsoo, between him and Xiumin, removing some pillows which restrict their movements. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes at him lightly and Xiumin pokes his knee, Chanyeol making a face at him from across the table which cracks him up. Kyungsoo tries to reach behind him, to get the enormous bouquet of colorful flowers Baekhyun brought him today out of the way, and Sehun helps him so that he won’t have to stretch too far. It feels nice to have friends around.

Kai smiles to himself when he hears Kyungsoo’s stomach growl, a subtle sound under all the noise in the room; they are all fairly hungry, but for some reason, Kyungsoo’s hunger seems cuter. Everything about him is cuter. Kai helps Xiumin open the box closest to their side, helplessly unable to wipe the smile from his face, watching his friends being so comfortable and happy to be together, smiles wide and excited for the food. He likes it when the house is lively; he can hardly remember a time when it was just him and the walls.

“Did you give the poor guy a tip? Look how much food he carried” Kyungsoo chides him in a low voice, his eyes wide at the gluttonous sight of food –which he specifically requested on their menu tonight, claiming he hadn’t had any proper, tasty food in the hospital, so they let him order everything. He is officially a co-host tonight, since he lives here too, and the thought makes the froggies leap inside Kai’s stomach. He tries to remember if he tipped the delivery man, and the longer he takes the more fiercely Kyungsoo glares, but all Kai can remember is the red baseball cup the guy was wearing. He has always been careless with the change, so he guesses that counts as a tip; he flashes his best smile at Kyungsoo and nods.

“Taken care of” he reassures the smaller, and the dark clouds marring Kyungsoo’s expression dissipate quickly, giving way to a simple yet brilliant smile. It’s such a relief to see Kyungsoo smiling and enjoying himself, healthy and happy again; moments like these put Kai’s mind at ease after a very tumulus period of time. He hopes the tightening in his chest every time he thinks of Kyungsoo, remembering the crutches in the corner and the pain pills on the bathroom counter, will be gone soon; gathering with their friends feels so normal already, their cheerfulness overshadowing any remaining traces of anxiety. He relaxes further when Kyungsoo casually starts a conversation with Sehun about the new pizza place round the corner which the older saw on their way back from the hospital, Kyungsoo’s hand resting naturally on Kai’s knee for support as he leans forward, invested in the conversation.

“I’ll bring the dishes” Chen offers chirpily, getting up and smoothing out his fashionable ripped jeans. It’s endearing how Kyungsoo already knows where everything is in the house and directs Chen to the right cupboard as the designer tries to hop out of their circle without tripping on anything –primarily, his skinny jeans–, his hand holding onto Xiumin’s shoulder for balance. Once he is out, he turns around and pokes Baekhyun’s arm with a sneaky smile. “Fluffy bubble to the kitchen, I’ll need help” he winks playfully at the sitting man to punctuate his endearing tease, and Sehun sniggers, alongside Kyungsoo and Kai, especially due to the scandalized look Baekhyun throws his friend, half offended by the ‘fluffy bubble’ part –but really, it’s a well known fact that Baekhyun has a pretty awesome derriere, no harm in pointing it out amongst friends. Chen is wise enough to dash for the kitchen first to escape, while Baekhyun gets up to follow him with burning cheeks and a murderous glint in his puppy eyes.

“You can bring them by yourself, you just like embarrassing me, you sneaky squirrel” he protests begrudgingly, catching up to Chen and jumping onto his back, pulling on his right ear as they both stumble forward. Chen cackles through the pain as Baekhyun stomps his way to the kitchen, dragging Chen behind him, unknowingly swinging his hips and displaying his aforementioned fluffy bubble, in those cute black jeans. Through his laughter, Kyungsoo warns them from the couch to be careful with the dishes as they disappear into the kitchen, the possibilities of world war three starting in Kai and Kyungsoo’s humble kitchen balancing on fifty-fifty chance.

And some when during that little show, something has gone very wrong in the conversation of the remaining men around the table, because Kai tunes in to Xiumin casually telling Chanyeol “You should sleep with him” –meaning, Baekhyun.

When did that conversation go down, and where was Kai to add oil to the fire?!

Chanyeol chokes on his water, the liquid going down the wrong pipe, and Sehun bursts in loud laughter, Xiumin smiling and patting the giant on the back, while filling Kyungsoo in to the details of their semi-naughty conversation, which started from the remark on Baekhyun’s cute bubble –Kai wonders if Xiumin and Chen came with a secret agenda for tonight, much like the evil plan he and Kyungsoo came up with this morning, concerning their dating friends. Chanyeol’s blush has nothing to do with choking anymore as he futilely protests for the conversation to stop; the other men are far too interested to yield to his request though. Kai would have loved to jump into the conversation but for now, he listens attentively, opportunately leaning over Kyungsoo’s shoulder to listen better, since Xiumin doesn’t want to make Baekhyun uncomfortable if he happens to be heard from the kitchen. Kai can assure you that the man knows what he’s talking about though, because ‘Chanyeol’, ‘Baekhyun’ and ‘bedroom’ are closely connected topics which seem pretty self explanatory, and yet, they are not –or it’s just much more fulfilling to explain and discuss them, so that’s what their friends do.

When the doorbell rings, Kai’s first thought is that he doesn’t want to miss the details –although he could do without Chanyeol’s constant complaints of embarrassment– but thankfully, Sehun stands up with a casual “I’ll get that” as he starts for the door. Belatedly, Kai realizes that there is only one person missing from their company, and Sehun is perhaps the right person to answer the door. Kai keeps an ear on the conversation between Xiumin and Kyungsoo about Baekhyun’s eating habits and how he keeps his shape, Chanyeol only mildly glaring now but still blushing. Kai turns to make sure Sehun answers the door with no trouble, and the door swings to reveal a frazzled Luhan.

“Am I too late for the food?!” the short blond nearly screams in distress, his entire appearance looking like a spooked kitten. He must have come straight from the office, still wearing his blue blazer and carrying his briefcase, his hair in disarray, which still suits him. His wide deer eyes look stunned as if he’s been caught in headlights, and it takes him a moment till he realizes what he just said and who has opened the door. As per Kai’s insightful predictions –he knows his friends too well–, Luhan gets an appeasing hug from Sehun, who then ushers him in.

“Hyung! Welcome, come in” Kai calls, startling Luhan who flinches in the shadows by the door while Sehun takes his jacket and bag, and sets them aside. Luhan tilts his head to the side in order to see inside, and he smiles when he catches Kai’s grin, peeking over the back of the couch.

“We were just about to start” Kyungsoo calls, struggling –and failing, due to multiple pillows, he would say, Kai would say it’s more about the remaining injuries– to turn around and see Luhan too, to give him a proper welcome. Luhan kindly answers him with a singsong greeting in reply, following Sehun into the house, but he is intercepted.

“Oh, hi Luhan!” Baekhyun says coming out of the kitchen and stumbling into their newest addition, his hands loaded with a pile of plates. His wide smile turns his lips into a little rectangle, and he looks really adorable but also appealing in his deep blue t-shirt. Xiumin was right; Chanyeol should sleep with him already. Luhan stops dead in his tracks, his expression lighting up when he spots the man with the violet locks.

“Cutie B!! So nice to see you, you look great!” he exclaims enthusiastically, throwing himself on Baekhyun, whose eyes widen in surprise from the sudden cuddle attack. A strangled whine comes out of Chanyeol’s throat, alarmed for a moment that the dishes in Baekhyun’s hands would fall and injure him, but Sehun only rolls his eyes and ignores the clingy displays of his boyfriend, leaving him behind with his cute hyung. Luhan is hugging Baekhyun around the waist, squeezing him with the loving force of a python, and the puppy eyed male is trying to hold the plates securely, chuckling at Luhan’s childish display of affection. They hadn’t seen each other for a while and the elder is excited, bouncing on his heels, even as he holds onto Baekhyun.

“Dishes, dishes!” said man warns Luhan, his eyes widening in alarm over Luhan’s shoulder. Chen is waiting behind Baekhyun with more plates in his hands, tapping his foot, unamused. He has one eyebrow lifted judgingly, hips posed to the side, showing his disapproval in a supermodel’s body language –really, how can Kai not admire him?– because Baekhyun’s beloved fluffy bubble is blocking the entryway to the kitchen ever since Luhan tackled him in a hug.

“Guys, I’m hungry; how much self-restraint can a man possess?” Kyungsoo unexpectedly hollers right next to Kai’s ear, making him flinch in surprise. Kyungsoo is frowning, eyebrows drawn close over his wide, dark eyes, plum lips pouting, his arms crossed across his chest like a stubborn child –only he can’t look over his shoulder, so he stares at poor Chanyeol instead, since he happens to be sitting across from him. Kyungsoo’s impatience is justified, however; lord knows, anyone would crave food after such a long stay in the hospital, where the fanciest treat is boiled, unseasoned, chicken white.

“My baby is hungry!” Kai exclaims, making Kyungsoo wince from his unexpectedly loud input, promptly glaring at Kai for the uncalled-for outburst, which has startled Chanyeol and Xiumin out of a fascinating conversation about pizza dough. The chatter by the door turns into giggles and then shuffling steps as the men approach. Sehun takes a seat next to Kyungsoo, arranging the pillows to the side, so that the shorter’s injured arm won’t be squished. Kai decides to yell a bit more, to make sure Luhan won’t opt to harass Baekhyun any further and delay on their way to the living room. “You’d better get over here right now or else- hmffff” he doesn’t get to finish his threat –what would he have threatened them with anyway?– due to a hand slapping over his lips. It’s the second time this happens today.

“You’re embarrassing. And I can’t even run away” Kyungsoo hisses, his eyes glinting murderously –although it’s unclear if he is mad at Kai for being embarrassing, or at himself because he’s physically unable to run away. Ahh, Kai had missed this. These bursts of aggression hiding affection when Kyungsoo is overwhelmed were nearly impossible while they were in the hospital, surveyed by nurses and doctors, but now they’re back; Kyungsoo is really back –and if Kai didn’t fear of earning himself a black eye, he would hug Kyungsoo right now. Instead, he simply smiles under Kyungsoo’s palm, and a perplexed frown is added to Kyungsoo’s lethal expression.

“Coming through~” Chen’s loud voice cuts through their private bubble at that moment, and Kyungsoo releases Kai, giving him a sharp glare when he sees him smiling with no obvious explanation. Xiumin scoots closer to Kai, in order to make room for Chen on his right, Baekhyun sitting next to Chen after Chanyeol’s hands shoot up to help him with the dishes he is carrying. Luhan is the last to round the couch and sit down between Sehun and Chanyeol, standing up again the next second to go wash his hands –not without complaining like a grounded five year old, of course. Once he comes back and they all settle, Kyungsoo is allowed to pick the first slice, everyone wishing him a fast recovery, and then they all dig in.

Kai looks around as they all munch on their food and bicker on who got the better slice, Kai himself smiling dumbly and dopily to no one in particular after handing Kyungsoo a napkin he couldn’t reach and then picking a slice for himself. Luhan is complaining about the incompetency of the new junior accountant they recently hired, while Sehun is listening with interest, Xiumin is praising the pizza under his breath, Chen is teasing a cutely pouting Baekhyun about something only the two of them know, and Chanyeol is animatedly talking with Kyungsoo about the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie coming out this weekend. There are little tokens of intimacy all around; Xiumin taking the pepperonis off a pizza slice before he gives it to Chen, Baekhyun’s hand resting on Chanyeol’s knee even if they’re engaged in different conversations, Sehun’s poorly concealed smile of endearment at Luhan’s whining face, Kyungsoo leaning against Kai for comfort in spite of his injuries, reminding him to eat before there’s none left, because boyfriends or not, he won’t be sharing his food.

And in the midst of laughter and voices asking ‘do we have anything to drink’, ‘hand me a napkin’, ‘eat, child, eat’, ‘your cheeks are so puffy’, Kai finds a long lost sense; this is family.

--

The door opens after just one knock and Kim Suho appears in all his charming glory. Wearing a dark blue shirt, tailored to flatter his shoulders perfectly, and pressed black pants, a simple, nicely combed hairstyle and a classic watch are enough to complete the thousand dollar picture. There is an air about him, a calmness and assuredness, a gentlemanly finesse which is uncommon in modern times, but he looks very genuine, his soft features melted in a warm smile. He is always the billionaire businessman and heir, even with rolled-up sleeves and a kitchen towel tossed over his shoulder, but that sweet smile painting his lips is the most disarming thing about his boyfriend.

“Welcome, beautiful” Suho says, allowing Lay to step into the apartment which has become familiar by now, leaving the door to swing shut slowly on its hinges while he tends to his lover. Lay doubts there’s anything beautiful about him after ten hours of work, but Suho is always extra sweet when Lay is feeling tired and weary. The secretary takes off his jacket with a small smile, feeling horribly underdressed in his office suit –sans the tie, of course, this is supposed to be casual dining–, and Suho takes the jacket for him, always a gentleman but never pushy in his manners. The sound of the automatic locks bolting in the armored door is quiet like a whisper, and there is soft swing music floating through the apartment when Lay takes off his shoes and steps inside. It’s like all the hustle and bustle of the city disappears, alongside worries and responsibilities beyond these walls.

“I’m not late, am I?” he asks with a timid smile, wrapping his fingers around Suho’s wrists and pulling him closer, until he stumbles close enough for a nose bump and a smiling kiss. Chanyeol dismissed him earlier today when he took off himself with a noticeable spring in his step, and Lay rushed to freshen up before coming over to have dinner with his boyfriend on a rare work-free night, but evening traffic was terrible. Suho wraps his arms around Lay’s waist and leaves a few lingering pecks against his lips, his smile widening after each.

“You’re not late at all” he reassures him, pulling back with a smile and taking Lay’s hand in his gently. “Come in” he muses as he guides the brunet to the dining room, lights turned low, the soft music enveloping them. The table is set with fine porcelain and tall wine glasses, the silver cutlery shimmering against the embroidered tablecloth, a vase of red and orange flowers adorning the middle. Lay is perplexed; even for Kim Joonmyun, this dinner setting is a little too grand.

“Oh. Candles” he opts to compliment, as if that is the only unusual detail, and Suho nods with a wide smile, endearingly trying to hide that he is proud of himself. Lay can’t guess where this is going, because there must be a reason behind such a special occasion, but he smiles at the pampering thoughtfulness of his boyfriend nonetheless, letting himself be led to the polished table and taking the proffered seat when Suho pulls out the chair for him. Dinners at home are not usually like this; sometimes they eat on the couch by the fireplace, or at Lay’s cozy kitchen table more often than not, even take-out by the kitchen counter bumping shoulders is nice. There’s always a sense of home, and that’s what they feel is the most important when they are spending time together.

Suho is always courteous of course, just not this…prepared. Lay watches him disappear with a debonair smile into the kitchen, and he is quite frankly very amused with this night’s turnout. Even when being clueless about the purpose of this night, he appreciates all the effort his boyfriend has put into orchestrating it –and it must have taken a lot of effort for everything to be this impeccable. A nice scent of home cooked food wafts to the dining room from the kitchen, another pleasant surprise of the evening; Suho is a great cook, but he hardly ever has enough time to spend over the stove for a properly cooked meal. He must have left work even earlier than Lay thought to have all this ready at this hour.

A banging and clashing noise from the kitchen alerts Lay, who stops fidgeting with the fancily folded cloth napkin, to ask about his boyfriend’s wellbeing, ready to spring from his chair and come to the rescue. But Suho reassures him he is well and instructs him to stay put, so he reluctantly stays in his seat, only half convinced. A few minutes later, Suho comes out –thankfully, unharmed–, holding two styled plates of food, which he places on the table for inspection, returning to the kitchen a few times until he brings out everything and leaves the towel behind. The table looks so colorful and elegant when everything is laid out that it beats some of the most expensive restaurants they’ve been to. Suho slides up to Lay’s side unexpectedly.

“Would you like some wine with dinner?” he asks gently in Lay’s ear, leaning on the back of the chair to stand close to his boyfriend without crowding him uncomfortably. Lay is still pretty amazed by the sight of food, overwhelmed by the luscious dinner his boyfriend took the time to prepare for them. It’s impressive. He tries to focus on the question, blinking a couple of times.

“Hmm, not sure?” he hums, dazed and amused, his stomach squirming, either from hunger or from excitement when Suho pecks the side of his neck, it is unclear. He turns his head to the side to look at his boyfriend in the eyes, finding him grinning widely; he is obviously excited about today, only the reason behind this enthusiasm remains to be discovered.

“I’ll bring the sparkly rose you like” Suho decides in the end, pecking Lay’s cheek before he goes to retrieve the wine. It’s an expensive import wine which Lay happened to mention he likes once, and Suho has been making sure to keep a bottle around for occasions when he wants to please him. Lay doesn’t like Suho spending unnecessary amounts of money for him, but he has come to realize that he has to allow a couple of exceptions to that rule –or Suho would still be complaining about his rights to spoil him, every breathing hour.

The dark haired male returns with the elegant bottle in hand, looking dashingly handsome in his stylish, effortless attire, and Lay makes sure to point it out in proper words. Suho takes a seat across from Lay, accepting the compliment the latter gives him with a smile and a wink –which always comes out very awkward, but Lay finds it goofily endearing. He pours them some wine in the pristine glasses, the pink liquid frothing slightly, like a sweeter, fruitier version of pink champagne. Lay bites his lip through his smile while his boyfriend serves them, openly enjoying the royal treatment, clearly intrigued.

“What is going on today?” he doesn’t fail to ask, smiling at his boyfriend. Suho only smiles innocently and motions for him to start serving himself, while he serves meat on both plates from the heavier platter. Lay is feeling very entertained tonight, his mood severely uplifted from a mere half hour ago, when he was stuck in traffic. Now the tiredness is gone, any low spirits heightened; he just really likes this dinner surprise.

“Tell me, how was your day?” Suho prompts –changing the subject, but Lay doesn’t mind. They always talk about their day over dinner, it’s a habit they’ve acquired over time, making the most of their quality time. It’s always interesting to share thoughts and complaints, supporting each other through highs and lows; some days they end up giggling and cackling over the food, other times they cuddle while watching a late show after dining, or they simply holds hands until they fall asleep.

“Busy” Lay answers easily, picking a cherry tomato with his fork. It’s endearing how Suho is watching him with interest from across the table, genuinely paying attention to him, even though his day usually consists of running between departments, answering calls and emails, and making sure Chanyeol is still alive. Suho’s days are much more eventful, full of stock market hunts, board meetings, and lunches with international clients; still, he finds interest in the smallest of things Lay has to share. “We had three meetings scheduled before lunch and the amount of folders I had to switch was insane. Then I had to review a few documents for nearing deadlines but, even though we left early, I think we went through all the contracts for this month with Chanyeol” he babbles about his day, making short pauses to chew his food properly Suho nods along across from him. “What about you?”

“Oh well, you know, the usual” Suho answers effortlessly, cutting into his next piece with a cryptic smile. Lay hums agreeably but he gets a bit suspicious. It’s not unusual for Suho to give vague answers concerning his day, when he is tired or when he feels his activities wouldn’t interest Lay at all, but there are many other topics they’ve been talking about recently. Even without that small smile, the answer has been unusually taciturn. No complaints about the new secretary, or news about his driver’s youngest grandchild? He squints at the man across from him in suspicion.

“You even cooked today; is it because you’re leaving for L.A. this weekend?” he guesses, biting on the next delicious food. Sometimes, when Suho has to leave for a long distance trip, they try to do something special together first chance before he goes, so that they might miss each other less –it doesn’t work, they still miss each other a lot, but it’s become sort of a tradition by now, too sweet to break it. Suho’s dark brows crease over his eyes.

“No” he refutes, unknowingly pouting like a five year old. Lay can’t hold back the endearing chuckle that escapes him at the sight. Suho realizes the expression he is sporting and reconsiders. “Maybe it could be a little, if you want to, but there’s something more important” he clarifies, taking on the serious expression he reserves for big announcements and talking to his parents. They’re finally getting somewhere. Lay picks his glass of wine with a playful smirk.

“I’m listening” he urges, swirling the wine in his glass close to his lips, eyebrows raised with interest. Suho smiles widely at the sight, putting his knife and fork down, and then his expression softens, his full attention turned to his boyfriend. He clears his throat and Lay can practically hear his drumming heart, in spite of his calm temper.

“Tonight, we’re celebrating our one year anniversary” Suho says smoothly, a brilliant smile slowly spreading on his lips. Oh, so that is the special occasion tonight. He picks up his glass of wine, wide smile still curling his lips, his eyes positively twinkling and oh, he is so charming when he’s happy. “Happy anniversary” he says in a honey sweet voice, lifting his glass, and Lay mirrors the gesture, clinking glasses with him.

“Happy anniversary” Lay answers with a smile, his heart twirling to his stomach and back as he takes a ship. Time really flies when you’re with people you love; it feels like it was yesterday when they first bumped into each other, reaching for the same book and exchanging smiles amongst a crowd of strangers. One year has gone by so fast…well, almost. Lay lowers the glass from his lips and gives his joyful boyfriend a sneaky smile. “Although, if it’s the same anniversary we’re talking about, it’s actually tomorrow” he quips lightly, setting his glass down with a giggle. He feels like he’s floating a little. Suho frowns in bewilderment.

“No, don’t you remember? We met at the grand opening of that bookstore you love” he insists, his lips quirking in an almost-pout.

“Yes; and it will be one whole year since then tomorrow” Lay explains patiently with a smile. It’s so sweet that Suho mixed-up the dates for some reason, it only makes Lay want to hug him, no matter his stubbornness. Suho doesn’t seem convinced yet.

“But it’s today”

“Today is not Friday”

“No, I mean…the date” Suho clarifies, puzzled, patting his empty pockets for his phone out of habit, to no avail; they always leave their phones in the lobby when they’re together, answering emergency calls only. It wouldn’t be necessary to check the calendar though, because Lay is pretty sure he triple-checked before he ordered the white chocolate covered red velvet cake for tomorrow, to celebrate. He smiles brightly at that thought; they can have dinner tomorrow as well, double the celebrations, yes!

“I’m pretty sure it’s not today; but I don’t mind celebrating early” he reassures his boyfriend, trying to sound as gentle as possible, because Suho tends to take such things to heart and he’ll probably feel guilty for his mistake, overlooking the fact that he prepared such a wonderful night all by himself just for Lay. His thankful, cheerful smile still doesn’t prevent the look of worry crossing the man’s face; his dark brows draw close together and his lips slant in a troubled line.

“Wait, Lay; I’ve circled the date today, with the red marker I use only for you. It has to be our anniversary” he insists, bewildered and a little anxious, his food forgotten on his plate as his fingers fidget with the tablecloth. And yes, Lay has a special marker color for the notes related to him on Suho’s grand office calendar, the brightest color in fact, and that means a lot in the businessman’s universe. Besides, today is another celebratory occasion related to him…

“You’re really sweet” he says, realizing the misunderstanding lurking behind this wonderful dinner. He stands up, leaving his napkin on the table beside his plate, and then he walks the short distance round the table to his boyfriend’s side. Suho wordlessly pulls the chair out slightly, to make room for his boyfriend to approach, and Lay takes the last few steps to come even closer, surprising Suho a little when he sits on his lap instead of standing or kneeling beside him, but his boyfriend welcomes him close, instantly wrapping his arms around Lay’s waist to keep him in balance.

“What? I’m confused. Did I do all this in vain, is it not our anniversary, but then why did I mark it with red, what am I missing, I thought-” he rants in a slightly pitched voice, his eyes wide in distress as he wrecks his brain for answers, until Lay pushes a finger against his lips to stop the rapid flow of nonsensical words, so that he may get a word in to explain.

“Today is a date related to me –even though it’s decidedly not our anniversary” he says with an amused smile, throwing both arms around his boyfriend’s neck and shoulders. Suho still looks confused, pouting, but not as displeased as before. “It’s my mom’s birthday today” Lay solves the mystery with a soft smile, his stomach doing a small flop. A look of realization crosses Suho’s face, and then his nose scrunches up, his eyebrows frowning in distaste.

“Oh god, I’m so stupid” he groans, bringing one hand over his face, covering half of it –it actually messes his fringe a little and Lay’s fingers are quick to fix it again. Suho lets out a long sigh, looking a little lost and disappointed. “I really thought today was our anniversary and I wanted to surprise you…I’ve been preparing all week for this and, oh my, I didn’t even send flowers to your mother, I am horrible!” he panics, eyes widening. Lay smoothes his fingers over Suho’s collar, his hands sliding over his shoulders comfortingly, and he leans closer to press a kiss to his temple.

“Don’t worry, I wrote your name too on the birthday card” he reassures his boyfriend. He personalized the bouquet yesterday and had it sent today –his mother even called after lunch to thank him, and he wished her again. He had already guessed Suho would have wanted to be included in the card; it wouldn’t be the first time they send gifts together, their families and closest friends already familiar with their relationship. Suho sighs for the second time, half in relief and half in regret, his shoulders relaxing but his frown remaining carved between his eyebrows.

“I feel bad for this…Can we say it never happened?” he pleads with a pout, looking up at Lay with pitiful eyes, but Lay shakes his head, stooping low enough to bump noses with him.

“Oh no, it happened” he whispers, glancing at Suho’s lips with a mischievous smile, his hands squeezing Suho’s shoulders a bit, as he leans in and steals a short kiss. They are close and it’s hard to miss Lay’s intensions, but even himself is pleasantly surprised when Suho chases his lips, a naughty smile perched on the corner of the businessman’s mouth. Lay giggles, letting his boyfriend steal another kiss, before he pulls back a little to exchange a meaningful look with his lover. “More things are going to happen too” he mumbles, mirroring Suho’s smile as the latter’s arms around his waist draw him in.

--

“Soo?”

“Yeah?” Kyungsoo hums distractedly as he puts his phone away on the coffee table. And yes, you read ‘coffee table’, because hallelujah, Kyungsoo is out of the hospital, FINALY. Their familiar house furniture is infinitely preferable to the uncomfortable hospital bed and the even more uncomfortable armchair Kai used to frequent –they both have a newfound appreciation for the convenience of their home. One day here feels more relaxing than weeks of lying on a hospital bed. The windows are open, letting in the summer breeze which Kyungsoo had missed, and piles of pillows seem to follow him everywhere, from the bedroom across the house to the living room, since Kai makes sure to stuff as many as he can around the smaller’s bundled limbs. They are not necessary, but Kai thinks otherwise, and Kyungsoo has lost his veto rights until he gets better. The surrounding pillow fluffiness is not entirely unpleasant, admittedly.

“Can I talk to you about something?” Kai wipes his hands on the kitchen towel and Kyungsoo briefly wonders what he is cooking for lunch. Day one of cohabitation is going well so far; Kai is responsible for most of the household chores for now, Kyungsoo’s responsibilities currently limited to folding laundry on the couch, and since they don’t get into each other’s hair, it’s been a pretty peaceful day. Moreover, Kai is the perfect nurse; he cooks three meals a day and brings snacks whenever Kyungsoo has to take his medicine, he cleaned up everything by himself last night, he keeps Kyungsoo company and entertains him, he is strong enough to help him move around, and he even took Kyungsoo out on a short walk with his crutches this morning. Kyungsoo smiles –breathing fresh air lifts his mood.

“It’s not like I’m going anywhere” he jokes, gesturing vaguely at his leg, engulfed in a white cast and propped up on the opposite couch with many pillows, courtesy of his boyfriend. Kai’s smile in response is too fleeting, shorter than usual –and Kyungsoo feels a peculiar dash of worry in his stomach. Is it too soon for jokes or…?

But he thinks that maybe the reason that troubled and erased Kai’s smile is not anything serious like his head yearns to plot, and he continues casually, watching as Kai takes a seat across from him. This detour from the usual relentless clinging onto Kyungsoo should have been the second signal that something is off –or maybe the third. Because Jongin always marches in and says whatever he has to say, even in the most unlikely of places, like the bathroom or crowded public spaces, hardly ever asking for permission beforehand. Still, Kyungsoo chooses to be optimistic for a change, and he tries to half-convince himself that nothing is wrong. Maybe his time in the hospital has altered his perception, pushed him to be more suspicious and doubtful, but he doesn’t want to be unreasonable.

“Is everything okay?” he asks confused, slightly more alert now, watching his boyfriend thread his fingers through his tussled brown hair. Kai smiles, but it’s a bit awkward. No, it isn’t. Kyungsoo glances at Kai’s roomy t- and simple sweatpants, just to make sure he isn’t hurt, even though that wouldn’t be likely. Then he returns his gaze to the man’s dark eyes, surprised to catch Kai’s gaze wavering slightly. That’s very rare and it doesn’t help at all to appease Kyungsoo.

“’Everything’ is a word that covers one too many things, don’t you think?” he laughs dryly, his hands smoothing over his thighs nervously. Kyungsoo only eyes him suspiciously, knowing there is no joke implied. There is absolutely no doubt in the world right now that something is off with Jongin, much as Kyungsoo would like to convince himself otherwise. His fidgety eyes have a dull shadow instead of their usual gleam, and his entire body seems to be on edge, even though he is trying very hard to sit casually and play it cool. Kyungsoo can sense something is wrong but he can’t guess what it might be; Kai seemed perfectly like his usual, silly, cheerful self until five minutes ago, when he popped out of the kitchen to ask Kyungsoo the whereabouts of the sieve. What could have happened in five minutes; could it be something that has been festering for longer?

“So, are you going to just stare at me, or are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” Kyungsoo asks after a minute of clawing silence, and he really can’t guess if he will regret his question later. He hopes not.

“Well, I think I should tell you something” Kai averts his eyes and finds an interest in playing with his fingers on his lap while frowning at them. If Kyungsoo was not pinned with fret in his place, he would be twitching nervously all over by now, anticipating an answer. He left Kai unsupervised for a few weeks; what the hell happened to him during that time? And what could it be that came up just after he got out of the hospital, but only after twenty four hours of perfect normalcy?

“It’s something that happened while you were in the hospital, but you were sick, so I didn’t think it was the time and place to talk to you about it” Kai mumbles, confirming Kyungsoo’s suspicions. The latter opts to remain silent and let the taller get to his point with as little complications as possible, avoiding to jump into conclusions. Kai bites his lip and lifts his gaze to Kyungsoo again. “I know I could have told you earlier, but I was trying to find the best way to tell you and it got delayed, and I didn’t want to spoil the day for you yesterday. Chanyeol said that I had to let you know before the week is over, or else he would tell you…But, just to be clear, I also think it’s something you should know, I definitely think that” Kai explains in a way that makes Kyungsoo’s thoughts even more tangled. He can feel the looming grey cloud growing in his mind.

“Jongin, you’re killing me, say it already” Kyungsoo demands in a quiet voice, glaring weakly at Kai but feeling the fibers of his bones itch. What happened? What did Kai do? Because the past weeks have been pretty normal –at least, as normal as things could be– and this can’t be a break up either. There you have Kyungsoo’s biggest fear; but it’s obviously completely out of the picture right now. Kai has been so affectionate, and happy that they have officially moved in together…But if everything is so great, how come Kyungsoo feels so stressed over Kai’s next words then? Kai clears his throat and Kyungsoo’s next breath is shaky.

“I fought with my parents. Over you.”

…What?

“Can you rephrase that? Or explain it?” Kyungsoo asks with caution. He feels his face turning pale and his limbs become numb –and not in the way his medicines make him feel heavy. This is a question he will definitely regret later, but he had to ask. Because if Kai means what Kyungsoo thinks he meant, then it would be nice to hear the whole picture before Kyungsoo shuts down completely. Because his system has already started shutting down to protect itself from any bad news. Parents? Fights? Those are always bad news.

“I just-” Kai sighs and runs his fingers through his hair again, messing them up desperately, before looking up at Kyungsoo with lost eyes. This is difficult for him, Kyungsoo can see it. “My parents knew I was dating someone; my father is obsessed with family image almost as much as Chanyeol’s, and he had someone follow me once or twice. I was prepared for it, of course, and I paid more, to keep your identity a secret. I didn’t want my father to cause you any trouble...My mother asked me once about the person I have been dating, and I told her I was serious about it this time –because I am” he reaches for Kyungsoo’s uninjured hand, engulfing it in both of his with a sincere, pained look in his eyes. It’s very affectionate, Kyungsoo’s brain registers. “And they were faintly happy, like all parents, thinking their notorious bachelor of a son has found a good girl to settle down with –until they found out you are not a girl” Kai trails off with a long exhale, his fingers idly caressing the back of Kyungsoo’s hand.

“Didn’t your parents know that you are…?” Kyungsoo stutters in bewilderment, losing his strength to finish the sentence. Oh my god. All this time Kyungsoo thought everything was perfect in every way considering Kai’s life; he has good friends, money, a job, he is healthy, happy with Kyungsoo…but he was completely blind to the family factor in Kai’s life. He never once so much as wondered about them, and Kai doesn’t really mention them. What sort of person am I? I never even asked! And now Kyungsoo realizes that this fear is almost as big as Kai breaking up with him.

“By?” Kai finishes the question for him, and then nods his head dejectedly “They suspected it, yes. But they didn’t think I would seriously choose a man over a wife and kids. They found out when I took you to the hospital; I avoided them for as long as I could, but eventually they confronted me about it when they got the chance. It was a long day, and all I wanted was to come back to you in the hospital…It didn’t go well” his shoulders deflate and he bites his lip, shaking his head. Kyungsoo opens his mouth to say something, but no voice comes out, nor words to form a question. What should he say, what could he say? Kai lifts his head abruptly when he realizes the silence sinking around them and fearing it’s an alarming sign. “I don’t regret telling them, I don’t!” he reassures Kyungsoo, searching into his eyes and squeezing his hand pleadingly, and Kyungsoo can only nod vaguely in response his thoughts still scattered. He has greater things to worry about than doubting his love for him. The taller exhales in relief, until his shoulders sag tiredly. “I won’t lie, it caused quite a ruckus. Chanyeol’s relationship with Baekhyun must have been a bigger shock to his parents, but they accepted it miraculously fast. My parents, on the other hand…It was quite a show” Kai rubs his temple, as if recalling a headache.

Kyungsoo blinks and he can feel that this is the end of it, his communication is almost completely cut off. His ears are done hearing the sounds outside his head and they have become overly sensitive to his screaming thoughts, his voice is gone. But, somehow, Kai’s next words sink in.

“Listen, Kyungsoo, I really don’t regret it” he says, cradling Kyungsoo’s hand gently and gazing into his eyes with his deep brown orbs “I don’t care what my parents say, and they can’t do anything about my decision. If I had to do it again, I would choose you, a thousand times, with no hesitation. This doesn’t change anything between us, or in the way I feel about you. I only told you because, well, I thought you should know, but it doesn’t matter –you can pretend it never happened” Kai gives him a puppy stare, waiting in silence for a couple of minutes and biting his lower lip.

Kyungsoo is terrified. Absolutely terrified. Because he can hear the wrong screws turning in his head right now.

He should be relieved that Kai’s parents know everything straight. It’s better than an awkward or explosive reveal later, after probable misunderstandings. He should be secretly happy that Kai is so serious about their relationship that he told his parents about them, and defended his decision against them. He should be asking how Kai feels about the fight and try to console him, reassure him, because this is all about Kai.

He shouldn’t be freaking out because Kai’s parents know. It’s not like they were keeping it a secret, not with so many dates and staying together in the hospital. And for all Kyungsoo knows, they might have heard it from anyone at any given moment in the past. Kyungsoo doesn’t even know Kai’s parents, and he shouldn’t fret over what they might think and say about him –because nothing matters when the person you love tells you that they still love you, no matter what.

He shouldn’t feel shocked at how serious their relationship is. What did he expect? It’s been more than half a year with Kai and they had been exclusive even before they started dating officially. This person is the only person Kyungsoo has kept for so long as his partner in his life, and the only one who looks like he will be staying around for a long while –and the same can be said on Kai’s side. Hell, they even live together!

He shouldn’t feel overwhelmed and frightened by this situation. It’s not the first time Kai proves how much he loves him. But this time it feels like a weight is thrown on Kyungsoo’s shoulders. Relationships are not a burden; responsibilities are. Kyungsoo was the reason Kai fought with his parents, very badly from the looks of it, even though Kai tried to pass it off painlessly. Kyungsoo drove a family apart and he didn’t mean to…and he doesn’t deserve it. The sacrifice is too great for a man who hadn’t even considered about the other’s family.

Kai caresses his hand and kisses his knuckles lightly. “Say something, please…”

“Bedroom” Kyungsoo mumbles in a whisper. If he can stay locked up away from Kai, somewhere he can be alone with himself, it would be for the best. He just needs time and space to fix his head. He needs to make himself think of everything the way he should, and then try to approach Kai, because right now, his head is not working the way it should be working, and, if he gets any pressure, he might snap at the most miniscule of things, and he will hurt Kai and then he will spend the rest of his life regretting it.

“Kyungsoo, please, I want to stay with you” Kai pleads desperately with his eyes, and that adds more pressure, because it makes Kyungsoo feel even more guilty. He should stay here with Kai, Kai needs him and Kyungsoo wants to stay, but he is a ticking bomb, so he just can’t.

“Bedroom, now” Kyungsoo demands in an absolute tone, giving Kai an urgent glare. Kai presses his lips pensively, and his eyelashes flutter so much that he might have blinked away some tears.

But he can’t argue with his wish. Kyungsoo can’t move around by himself, or else he would have walked to the bedroom by now. And, even though Kai could have left him there on the couch, forcing him to stay with him, he wouldn’t do that, because that is not Jongin. Jongin is soft and loving and damn, Kyungsoo feels like he’s an awful person for what he is inflicting on him.

It must hurt Kai a lot to help Kyungsoo stand up and lead him silently to their bedroom. His hands are quivering, knowing that he is going to be shut outside of the room, but he tries to hide it. Kyungsoo risks a glance and his heart shutters at the sight of Jongin, looking crestfallen and mourning, but Kyungsoo’s mind is not in the right place yet. All Kyungsoo can do is chant ‘I’m sorry, so sorry’ in his head. He will hold him as tightly as his arms can manage when all this is over, and hope for forgiveness.

--

Baekhyun glances at his reflection in the mirror. It’s not bad. His hair dried out just fine, even though he did it hastily to save some time, and you can’t see any prominent imperfections under the concealer –which has been his best friend for almost a week, because he couldn’t possibly go to work with dark circles; he has to look put-together if he wants people to trust him with planning events for important occasions. And of course he re-applied his miniscule makeup after taking a shower, because staying indoors doesn’t mean he gets to neglect his appearance. So to speak. Pretend you believe that for now.

He fixes his loose black t-shirt on his shoulders so that the seams don’t fall sloppily; it writes ‘BOY’ in big white letters on the front and that’s about all its simple charm, but it’s the best he could do for the occasion, since all his other home clothes don’t match his hair, as they are drenched in the rainbow and have been demoted to pajama material because of that. He is not convinced that it wasn’t worth to go shopping if he’s changing his hair back to something normal soon, but his bank account made the decision for him resolutely. Baekhyun smoothes the skinny jeans over his thighs out of habit, turning around halfway to check his back, and then giving himself a smile in the mirror. He looks presentable enough.

But oh god, he is already blushing faintly, and that’s so embarrassing! He pats his cheeks frantically to soothe the blush –even though he’s probably making it worse– glaring at his reflection and wishing it would stop blushing, but he can’t help it.

Having arranged a date for this Saturday and having met with him already last night with the rest of their friends, Baekhyun hadn’t expected Chanyeol to show up at his doorstep this Friday night. With a timid smile and pink ears, the taller explained that he finished work early, a rare occurrence in his everyday life, and he thought that maybe they could cook and have dinner together; he even bought some ingredients on his way, but he offered to leave if Baekhyun was too tired for guests, after he saw the smaller with his hair tussled and his eyes droopy when he answered the door. Baekhyun might be tired from a long week of work but is not completely insane yet, thank you. How could he turn Chanyeol away when the latter showed up like a homeless, hopeful puppy, asking for company in an otherwise lonely night? Besides, Chanyeol’s unexpected presence and the prospect of couple quality time after what feels like forever –it’s been less than a week, probably– makes Baekhyun want to bounce restlessly in excitement, like a happy puppy, all weariness forgotten.

It had always been Baekhyun knocking on Chanyeol’s door in the past, so the former finds it a pleasant change that it is Chanyeol visiting his house for that reason this time around. They haven’t cooked together in a while, and they’ve both missed this. Cooking together is nice; it envelops them in a rhythm of their own, like a slow jazz song only they can hear, wafting around in the kitchen while they’re steering and chopping, stealing glances and humming duets –maybe sneaking a few kisses here and there. He wonders how his visits made Chanyeol feel, if this relaxing sense has always been floating between them unnoticed. Baekhyun finds it exhilarating and endearing that Chanyeol literally couldn’t wait to see him. Tomorrow’s official date had been a ticking bomb, waiting to explode into a huge, colorful firework for Baekhyun –much like his closet exploded earlier this week, when Chen came by to put together an outfit for said date–, but Chanyeol’s surprise visit makes it look like the timer has stopped, the thrumming anticipation easing into a more comfortable sensation.

Given the visit was unplanned, however, Baekhyun had to leave Chanyeol for a bit, excusing himself to take a quick shower and refresh before they start their cooking expedition; he felt awfully self conscious and he needed to clean up a little, but he is thankful to his luck for at least being decent when Chanyeol showed up, because it is not uncommon for him to go around the house in his pjs or his bathrobe, hugging an ice cream tub on Friday nights. He just hadn’t gotten to that part yet before Chanyeol showed up, or the latter would’ve been greeted by a horribly domestic picture of Baekhyun. Now that he thinks about it though, maybe they could have shared the ice cream while watching a movie, and the night would have been equally sweet.

“Um, Baekhyun?” Chanyeol’s voice sounds distant, jostling Baekhyun out of his stupor. He unceremoniously realizes that he might be taking too long daydreaming in front of the bathroom mirror while Chanyeol is waiting for him in the living room with a very empty stomach, so he scampers out of the bathroom swiftly, chiding himself under his breath.

“I’ll be right there! What is it?” he asks, voice slightly pitched hurry as he awkwardly runs across the hall. He visits his bedroom briefly, to dump his hair comb and hand cream hastily onto the bedside table, the house left a mess in his wake but who cares, as long as Chanyeol won’t see it. Baekhyun is not usually this messy, but he has a famished and neglected Chanyeol in his house, who is the current top priority.

“Someone just brought a package for you” Chanyeol calls back, the sound of the door softly closing being heard across the hallway. Baekhyun pauses in bewilderment, pushing his fringe out of his eyes.

“I’m not expecting any package” he counters in confusion, subconsciously pouting as he starts making his way down the hallway. He quickly double checks in his head that no one had to send him anything this week, or this month even, including organizing business associates and his parents. Sometimes people send him flowers of small gifts to thank him for his services, but those are usually delivered in the morning, with pretty, signed cards.

“Well, it is overseas shipping from the UK, but your name and address are written correctly, in both languages” Chanyeol’s voice is not as loud now, answering Baekhyun’s questions casually as the shorter approaches. Baekhyun can see a frown of concentration carved between the taller’s eyebrows –and boy, he looks really good in short black hair, Baekhyun’s heart never fails to react excitedly at the sight. Chanyeol is holding a medium sized, brown box, pretty standard for mailing, but it’s from overseas, apparently. Does Baekhyun even know anyone outside this country? He hasn’t ordered anything online in months.

“That’s odd; I’m pretty sure I am not expecting anything though” Baekhyun hums in bewilderment, contemplating the possibility of a foreign brand sending him samples all the way across the world –but those boxes are always larger and heavier, the only reason why the mailman ever glares at Baekhyun. Maybe there was some mix up with someone else’s name and address? There are many people living in Baekhyun’s building. Baekhyun stops in front of Chanyeol to take a close look at the box in the taller’s hands, and when he looks up, Chanyeol is already looking down at him with an amused smile and a fond gaze, and has Baekhyun mentioned how beautiful his caramel eyes look today? Baekhyun’s heart nearly bursts out of his chest, his cheeks flooding with blood rapidly for being at the receiving end of such a stare. “What?” he asks poutily, frowning up a little at Chanyeol. Does that look mean he looks funny or cute? Chanyeol doesn’t answer his question, shaking his head shortly.

“Should we open it? Maybe we can find something helpful” he suggests, leaving the box carefully on the side table. Baekhyun shrugs his shoulders, eyeing the box. It’s not like they have any other clue to return it to its rightful owner, assuming it’s been sent to him by mistake.

“Go ahead and open it. I’ll start boiling some water for tea and be right back” he says casually, touching Chanyeol’s elbow briefly before he leaves for the kitchen; he is more curious about their dinner than for an orphan box at his door –again, priorities. He smiles at himself, thinking how domestic it feels; maybe, in the future, he can have this sort of warm moments at home with Chanyeol more often –as in, every day. Maybe they can have more even more of them, waking up on weekends side by side, rushing to finish breakfast before leaving for work, baking cakes and easting half the frosting in the process. He giggles to himself quietly, probably looking like a crazy person yet feeling bright and fuzzy inside at those thoughts.

“Baek…hyun?” Chanyeol calls reluctantly and, dare Baekhyun say, he sounds slightly shocked with whatever he has found in the box, just by the way he’s calling his name. The bewilderment cuts through Baekhyun’s absent daydreaming, and his eyebrows knit in confusion at the pregnant silence that follows. At least Chanyeol is not screaming, so it can’t be anything too bad, right?

“Is everything okay?” Baekhyun calls at last, slowly setting two mugs on the kitchen counter and turning on the stove under the kettle in a low setting mechanically. He is vaguely worried about Chanyeol at the forefront of his mind, due to this unexpected, prolonged silence. What did he find?

“I don’t know” Chanyeol sounds just as unsure as Baekhyun when he asked the question in the first place. Baekhyun frowns and wipes his hands, preparing to go to Chanyeol and check for himself. Chanyeol’s voice sounds from the lobby. “I think this is leather?” Leather?

The realization hits Baekhyun like a high-speed rail train in a heartbeat. Package. Leather. UK, England, god save the queen. Oh no. This can’t be good. He runs out of the kitchen like his house is on fire and he doesn’t know if running away from Chanyeol to hide or towards Chanyeol to stop him is a better option in this moment. False impressions couldn’t be falser, and Baekhyun doesn’t know what this looks like exactly, but it’s definitely not what it looks like!

“No, no, no, no! Chanyeol, just- put that down! It’s not- Oh my god!” Baekhyun doesn’t care to monitor the words coming out of his mouth and make an effort to make sense; when he gets close enough within gasping range, he snatches the opened box out of Chanyeol’s shocked hands, and he makes sure to grab even the piece of fabric Chanyeol was examining between his fingers, leaving no evidence behind. He hugs the box to his chest for dear life and takes a few frightened steps back. Chanyeol looks at him wide-eyed and stunned by his sudden change in attitude, from nonchalant to panicky. Baekhyun belatedly notices that he is behaving incoherently to Chanyeol, overreacting for no apparent reason; as if there weren’t enough reasons for him to feel bad already...This night is not going like he had hoped, but there is a box of urgent issues at hand.

“This is not what it looks like” Baekhyun defends quickly, his voice breathy in shock, and he can feel the blood draining from his face, his vision focusing on small details instead of the whole picture in front of him. He is going to faint in embarrassment, and he means it this time, his knees are shaking already. Chanyeol gives him a questioning and concerned look, his eyebrows curling artistically over his eyes. He looks mostly disorientated but it doesn’t look like he’s onto anything, nothing seeming suspicious yet.

“It looked like leather shorts?” Chanyeol guesses, completely puzzled; Baekhyun internally wails and laments his awful luck. He had time to figure that much, how, Baekhyun thought he was as quick as a ninja! Maybe he needs to re-evaluate his couch potato skills. “And something like, a costume? Cat ears and…” Chanyeol’s eyes open very wide with a sudden enlightenment which Baekhyun wishes he never had. He knows, oh god, he knows. “…a tail. Owmygosh, Baekhyun!” he rushes through the words, his voice becoming pitched at the exclamation, disbelieving and scandalized. Baekhyun cowers, curving his shoulders and averting his eyes to the contents of the box in his hands, unable to look at Chanyeol in the eyes.

Of course he figured what it is, he is not from another planet. And on this planet, costumes for bedroom activities like this one have a very specific styling, too distinctive sometimes to be misunderstood for anything else. Take leather shorts, black gloves, a velvet collar, cat ears and a tail for example. Ugh, this is such bad timing! If this package had arrived while Baekhyun was alone, he would have giggled at the contents of the box and sent a mental thumbs-up for the lady’s choice. But it just had to be when Chanyeol is around to open the box and see everything…Who knows what sort of things he is thinking about Baekhyun right now? Baekhyun is not that sort of person, he didn’t even want this gift in the first place! He is just too nice to say no. He inwardly sobs fat ugly tears for your information; there’s such injustice in this world.

“I-” Chanyeol starts stuttering uncertainly, but Baekhyun can’t stand to hear anything right now, not until he has given a proper explanation at least; he owes Chanyeol as much.

“No, don’t say anything, please! Let me explain first” Baekhyun braces himself mentally to stand against a typhoon if he has to –and the sound of his heart thundering in his chest accompanied by the blood wheezing in his ears is not much different from a natural disaster. “This is…a gift. I didn’t ask for it, but- It’s from the lady you introduced me to at the gala, the British couple. I-I really didn’t want this, but she sent it anyway. She decided it by herself in a one-sided conversation and then I couldn’t outright say no to her gift, her husband is your business partner and she was so kind” he bites his lip, his cheeks feeling so hot that it’s dizzying. “It’s not like I was thinking about it, or thinking of using it, I had forgotten about this package completely. It’d be an inside joke, nothing more. I-I didn’t think about the things that it implies either, between you and I, those situations and such…” he pauses with his eyes tightly shut and then whimpers helplessly.

Because, hold that thought, what was that picture that just crossed his mind? He retraces his mental steps, terrified with himself. He is really, really not supposed to think of such things. How does his brain even know how to think of such things when he is so inexperienced? But the image is there and it is doing unspeakable things to Baekhyun’s insides. Baekhyun, wearing those black leather shorts, the tail swinging between his white thighs to the ground, the cat ears slightly crooked on his head…and then, Chanyeol, sitting on the bed with his mouth agape, watching Baekhyun with his eyes looking- oh my god, what would his eyes look like? What would Chanyeol think? And what is Baekhyun thinking right now?!

“Please put me out of my misery” he pleads to the universe, inwardly growling in frustration. Maybe he can magically disappear now, it’s be so easy, maybe an asteroid can hit him on the head or a mythical bird can come snatch him and take him to never-land. He’s ready. Just, save him, someone!

“I don’t know how to do that” Chanyeol answers his request timidly, his voice quiet, and Baekhyun clenches his teeth and closes his eyes even tighter in embarrassment. His adorably large ears are not just for show, he can actually hear a bit too well.

“It wasn’t meant for you” he whispers.

“Sorry” Chanyeol mumbles back in a low, deep voice –add that to the former bedroom fantasy –brain, can you just get over that already, I’d be much obliged, thank you!

Baekhyun initially thinks that the silence that follows is a good thing, that the tranquility might help him calm down. But, as his loud heart counts beats, it becomes worse. None of them move and Baekhyun doesn’t even know what Chanyeol’s expression is like, because he doesn’t dare look. To know that Chanyeol knows he is thinking the things he is thinking, those intimate things between them…His heartbeat becomes frantic and every breath burns his nose on inhale, and Baekhyun holds onto the box in his hands as if it were an anchor so as not to pass out. His cheeks must be very bright crimson and he can feel the heat emanating from his face. His eyes are closed so tightly in embarrassment that they are starting to water and the hairs on his body are standing electrified.

“Please…” Baekhyun breathes after a while and he can be heard only because it’s so silent between him and Chanyeol, his heartbeat so intense that it’s hard to speak above a sob. “Forget about this…please” Baekhyun continues, following with a desperate chant of ‘please, please, please’ until Chanyeol stops him.

“I promise, I’ll try” his voice sounds slightly different than usual, a bit strained, but he doesn’t sound appalled at least. Baekhyun opens one eye and risks a glance.

Chanyeol’s eyes are glazed and his pupils seem slightly dilated –but Baekhyun will pretend it is just because it’s a little dark in the lobby, and only for that reason– and his cheeks are dusted in a deep pink color. If Baekhyun didn’t know any better, he would say that there is something off about Chanyeol’s breathing too, like it is unnaturally controlled and forced –but can someone do that in the first place? Baekhyun will stubbornly answer no to that. Chanyeol’s gorgeous face, with those wonderful wide eyes, skin flushed and –much as Baekhyun doesn’t want to admit it– with an expression veiled with desire and foggy pleasure as his eyes gleam, is a picture that Baekhyun is pretty sure he’ll never get over. Chanyeol’s eyes drop to Baekhyun’s neck and then on the box in his hands, and he runs his tongue over his full lips, making them glisten in the faint light –add all that to the former bedroom fantasy, and Baekhyun is this close to admitting to himself that his body will have needs if this lasts for a second longer. Chanyeol is taunting his sanity without even realizing it and it’s all Baekhyun’s fault.

“I’ll try…” Chanyeol’s voice comes out husky, although the owner doesn’t seem to notice it “not to think of you in those leath-”

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun squeals in despair, squirming in place. He really doesn’t know what else to do, how to handle this. This tension between them is doing things to him which haven’t happened to him before, but he knows where they lead and this shouldn’t be his fault, a mistake, an accident. His breath already resembles low panting and this is not the time. Chanyeol flinches back at the sound of Baekhyun’s voice, twisted in distress.

“Sorry! I’m so sorry; I’m trying harder, I am!” he promises, and he seems more sober when his large eyes focus on Baekhyun’s flushed face, all inappropriate thoughts between them vanishing. He keeps his almond eyes wide open and serious, training them with visible effort to stay on Baekhyun’s face, catching them quickly when they stray and glance lower a couple of times. He is really trying, considering the bomb Baekhyun just dropped on him without intending to do so. Baekhyun stays quiet, puppy gaze helpless and uncertain, but he trusts Chanyeol more than anyone else.

The taller lowers his gaze eventually, and he walks the short distance to the couch, sitting down with slightly numbed limbs. He settles properly in his seat, hands primly resting in his lap, eyes glued to the floor like a grounded child that’s been sent in the corner to reflect on its actions. If Baekhyun were less self conscious and embarrassed, he would have noticed the similarity and would have smiled, probably cooing too at his adorable, giant boyfriend.

The long silence between them, which Baekhyun has no idea how to fill, is interrupted by a phone buzzing mutedly. Chanyeol jolts in his seat startled and pulls his phone out of his pocket, checking the caller id before clearing his throat, bringing it to his ear.

“Hello, Kai?” he sounds pretty normal now, like nothing ever happened, and Baekhyun quietly sighs in relief, somewhere in his shadowy corner of shame. Thank god there is going back to normal after this.

Chanyeol’s eyebrows crease while he’s on the phone, and he turns his eyes to Baekhyun, who makes sure to drop the box like a hot potato and kick it in a dark corner of the living room, out of sight out of mind. He is going to bury it later, maybe burn it first for good measure. Chanyeol seems to end the call without saying anything further, which is unusual, and Baekhyun puts everything else aside for now, slightly worried, because Chanyeol also seems concerned. Are their friends okay?

“What is it?” he asks curiously.

“Quote: I need Baekhyun. Come over now. Unquote” Chanyeol answers, his voice slightly dazed from the suddenness of the call, but there is a thoughtful frown perched between his eyebrows. It’s their first twenty four hours living together; Kyungsoo couldn’t have tried to bite Kai’s head off, could he? Should Baekhyun bring the customary flavors of ice cream that make Kyungsoo feel better? Wait, how did they know Chanyeol would be at Baekhyun’s house and that they’d go together? Baekhyun sighs.

“What did they do now?” he wonders idly, lightly scratching his jaw. Kai needs him? What did Kyungsoo do that his boyfriend can’t handle? Baekhyun pouts with a second thought; the atmosphere might have been a bit strange between them earlier, but Baekhyun will admit that he is a bit disappointed he didn’t get to cook and have dinner with Chanyeol before he was called to the rescue. The taller came so benevolently to cheer him up and spend some more time together, and all Baekhyun had time to do was yell at him; this night is not going according to plan. But Baekhyun would like to think he is a good friend, so he will have to make do with his limited time on the weekend to cherish and pumper Chanyeol, because Kai and Kyungsoo need him –and they need Chanyeol, too.

Just as he is about to leave for the bedroom to grab a pair of shoes, Baekhyun changes his mind and decides that he wants to get something off of his chest first, so he pivots and turns to face Chanyeol again, taking a few steps closer. Chanyeol doesn’t notice him immediately, trying to call Kai back, pressing the green button again and again, probably hoping for an explanation of what they’re getting themselves into after sunset on a Friday.

“Chanyeol?” he calls quietly, and Chanyeol looks up instantly from where he is sitting on the couch, to find Baekhyun standing right in front of him, hand fidgeting with the hem of his t-shirt. The taller puts his phone away quickly and focuses on him with innocent, expectant eyes. It’s like the world is put on hold for Baekhyun’s sake, and the smaller blushed a little. “Can we talk about it sometime?”

“Talk about what?” Chanyeol asks innocently, completely oblivious to the topic at hand –and Baekhyun would so much have liked to pinch his cute cheeks and rub those pink dumbo ears and kiss those cute lips and stare infinitely into those brown and whirling caramel eyes. Not the point right now.

“About that” Baekhyun glances pointedly in the general direction of the shadowy corner of his house where he kicked the box to earlier, and Chanyeol follows his gaze with his eyes. Judging from his expression, he seems to find what Baekhyun was referring to, eyes widening a fraction. Baekhyun gulps, summoning his courage. “Not now…just, you know, sometime. Can we?” Baekhyun bites his lower lip, feeling his cheeks coming back to life. Chanyeol returns his eyes on him seriously and looks straight into his eyes, nothing sort of awkward like before.

“Of course we can, if you want to” he reassures him with an encouraging expression, and Baekhyun’s lips crack a small smile, feeling safe and loved and cherished and respected. He knew he could trust Chanyeol, even with the most embarrassing and vulnerable sides of him. You are the best boyfriend ever.

“Can we be normal until then? Like we usually are?” he quips lightly, his smile stretching wider, more comfortable, and he reaches to take Chanyeol’s hand in his affectionately. Chanyeol doesn’t miss a heartbeat to weave their fingers comfortingly, and he stands up from his seat, smiling down at Baekhyun, who suddenly feels very small due to the proximity with the taller. Faint traces of Chanyeol’s cologne sneak around the shorter as he kisses Baekhyun’s forehead tenderly and then engulfs him in a warm hug that wraps around Baekhyun’s body perfectly, making him forget everything but his happiness for the while he is nested inside those arms. Baekhyun melts a little, his worries forgotten, and he nuzzles his cheek against Chanyeol’s broad chest. Chanyeol hums and rubs up and down Baekhyun’s spine calmingly.

“That I can promise you, Baekhyun”

--

I am failing my promise to him so bad; think of something else brain, will you?! Anything but Baekhyun’s honey thighs in th- no, stop. It can’t be that hard, just think of cute things; butterflies, puppies, kittens, with fluffy tails and ears, just like those- oh, come on! Why is my boyfriend so perfect, how am I supposed to deal with that? At this rate, I might have to spend the whole night in a cold shower…

So yeah, Chanyeol is trying to forget the implications of that unexpected box he received on behalf of Baekhyun in the mail at his apartment earlier, but he wouldn’t say he is particularly successful so far; his mind loves to daydream of Baekhyun, can you blame him? He is still trying to keep his thoughts in order though. He promised Baekhyun for one thing, and for another, this is seriously not the time to be thinking about that box and the other forbidden things it is linked to, or Baekhyun will feel uncomfortable. So he is really trying. And failing.

He is here to keep Kai some company while Baekhyun is trying to sort things out with Kyungsoo in the bedroom, and waiting around idly doesn’t help his efforts. The physical distance between the living room and the bedroom, with all the closed doors added in between, should have been enough to keep Chanyeol’s mind off of things he shouldn’t be thinking. But the imagery from earlier is so exquisite and vivid that it keeps coming back, every time he locks it away in the dark recesses of his mind. There in the dark, he can almost see the lines of Baekhyun’s body, the shadows hugging his shoulders and caressing his crimson cheeks, eyes bright and piercing in the darkness, lips parted in a soft sigh. Ugh, Chanyeol is hopeless. But he needs to do something about it soon, because he will be spending all day tomorrow with Baekhyun, and we don’t want him drooling over the guy and gaping like a fish the entire time, right?

With a sigh, Chanyeol forces his attention away from his thoughts and to the tangible reality around him. Kai is sitting across from him on the same couch, arms crossed on his chest and shoulders slumped in defeat. His dark hair is tossed to all directions messily, because he kept running his fingers through it earlier. Thankfully, he stopped pacing, because it was starting to make Chanyeol dizzy. Now, he only sighs or huffs quietly every three seconds; it’s an improvement in his frustrated routine, considering his constant grumbling a while ago. He seems very anxious and Chanyeol can’t blame him, he would have felt the same in his shoes; he never ever wants to fight with Baekhyun over their parents. But as an observer, Chanyeol is not so worried, and he is confident that all this will work out for their friends; because he knows Baekhyun can work miracles with people and because he has faith in the love between Kai and Kyungsoo. He can hear Baekhyun’s delightful voice drifting in the silence, words muddled by the distance and the walls between them but still pleasantly lulling and flowing sweetly. Chanyeol decides that maybe he should say something too, to help on this side of the war camp.

“Hey, Jongin” he calls, poking Kai’s shoulder. He hardly ever calls him Jongin anymore, after years of protests that ‘it’s Kai!’, but the situation requires earnestness. Kai turns his sad eyes, shadowed with worry, to look at him, and Chanyeol thinks it has been a long time since he saw that look on his friend. “Everything is going to be okay” he says reassuringly, voice calm and low. He doesn’t like seeing his friend like this, but Kai has a strange way to go through his emotions; it is like they are encrypted and you can see the picture but you can’t access it easily to help him. In the very few instances Chanyeol has had to offer his support in their lives, he can only stay by his side, reassure him, be there for him and do his best to accommodate his brotherly friend.

“I know” Kai answers heavily and then grumbles in his throat in complaint, wringing his hands nervously. “I know it is all going to be fine soon, I just don’t like being in this situation”

“You would have to go through it eventually; Kyungsoo needed to know” Chanyeol reminds him of their conversation days ago, in the privacy of his office. When Kai told him about the epic fight in the house of the Kims, Chanyeol’s first question was ‘when are you planning to tell Kyungsoo’. It’s one of those things that couples need to share and be honest about, in Chanyeol’s opinion. Kai knew it too, he just didn’t want to do it while Kyungsoo was in the hospital, and his wish was understandable.

“I knowwww” Kai slams his body lifelessly against the back of the couch and throws one arm over his eyes “And I hate that I know it. I just hate knowing things sometimes. And since when do I know anything, for crying out loud?” Kai’s voice is pitched and yet somehow dull as he cries out his frustration, true to his word. This fight is really distressing him.

Chanyeol’s eyebrows pinch in a troubled frown, now that his friend is not looking at him. He wants to help somehow; but how? Nah, it shouldn’t be hard, I’ve known him all our lives. A sudden idea to cheer Kai up flashes in his head unexpectedly. It’s been a while since the two of them had free time to fool around, Kai always loved fooling around as a kid, and Chanyeol only has to keep him distracted until Baekhyun comes out of that room to tell them everything is fine anyway…

“That is a perfectly valid question” he pretends to agree with Kai, nodding animatedly, to . Kai loves to bicker after all…

The answer is not a mystery though; Kai has always had a sixth sense, a way of knowing and understanding things. Chanyeol won’t deny that his best friend can be an idiot sometimes –or most of the time, probably– but he never forgets the bizarrely sensitive perception Kai seems to have, ever since he can remember. The real mystery is, how does he do that? But Chanyeol hasn’t figured that out yet, despite having spent more than twenty years studying Kai.

Kai smirks halfheartedly at the teasing predictably, and he grabs a pillow with the hand that is not dramatically draped over his face. “Shut up” he says and throws the pillow blindly in Chanyeol’s direction. Chanyeol catches it in time of course –smiling, because his friend is responding to his childish advances– and he gasps loudly.

“You did not just throw a pillow at me.” he pretends, lacing his voice with shock and disbelief.

“Oh please, what are you going to do about it? We’re not eleven anymore…” Kai quiets him, without moving a muscle. Chanyeol decides to take this to the next level, in hopes of getting through to him more actively. So he does what anyone would do in his place; he throws the pillow with force back at Kai’s face. Kai yelps and jumps in his shoes. “Hey! What was that for?!” he jolts immediately in his seat and gives the taller a rattled and indignant look. Chanyeol has to make conscious effort not to laugh his heart out at the picture before his eyes; he has to hold back for a bit, till he achieves his goal, and then they can laugh together to their heart’s content.

“I was just returning it” he shrugs his shoulders and pretends to be cool and innocent, crossing his legs and examining his nails idly. In his peripheral vision, he realizes immediately when Kai lifts a pillow and holds it threateningly above their heads. Chanyeol turns to him casually and crooks an eyebrow before continuing with his blasé attitude “Uh, what are you doing? Are you eleven or something?”

“You…” Kai hisses, his eyes raging and glinting with the mischief Chanyeol finds so relieving to see “…are so dead!” The pillow crushes down on Chanyeol’s head.

And so the war begins. Chanyeol finds another unsuspecting pillow laying around and he doesn’t hesitate to use it, smacking Kai wherever he can reach, around the pillow he is using as a shield –or a weapon of opportunity, he is a veteran at pillow fights. Kai doesn’t stop his own efforts, shoving his pillowed fists against Chanyeol with whines and yells, landing a couple of good blows on Chanyeol to make up for those he has received and cheering in delight, only to have his nose meet Chanyeol’s pillow the next moment.

At some point along the way, Kai loses his attacking pillow and replaces it with a bigger one, which is so unfair because that pillow is the size of Chanyeol’s arm! When Chanyeol realizes he can’t block those attacks after the first couple of successful whacks, he tries to grab that pillow and throw Kai off balance, using it to his advantage. The surprised yelps, distressed squeals, aggressive war cries and incomprehensible sentences intended to be playful threats resonate in the apartment, more loudly than two people should averagely be able to sound. The whole building must have heard them by now, with Chanyeol’s booming voice and Kai’s loud exclamations; but neither of them really minds at the moment.

There is only one fleeting thought that they might be bothering the other two in the bedroom, the only people they fear of upsetting, but they don’t stop, especially because Kai shoved Chanyeol against the couch right after he pointed it out verbally, taking advantage of his moment of weakness, and no he didn’t! They knock the coffee table out of place and everything is a mess around them, pillows lying everywhere, but they don’t care.

When Kai tries to escape a particularly successful barrage of unrelenting hits Chanyeol has cornered him into, he nearly trips over Chanyeol’s long legs and he takes him down with him; they end up all tangled gangly limbs as always, a few bruises probably forming. Chanyeol bumped his arm against something he can’t remember earlier and now it hurts slightly, and the skin on his ribs still stings where Kai pinched him, but he laughs loudly anyway, trying to shove a pillow in Kai’s face. Kai is cackling underneath him, trying to kick Chanyeol’s thighs to throw him off balance and missing several times, striking the opposite couch or the table, squirming like a fish out of water.

And it’s like they are eleven again, with no care in the world, having a pillow fight late at night. It used to be more spectacular back then, because they would jump around the room, hiding behind furniture and jumping off the bed, chasing each other around the house and under the tables, with their mothers’ strict voices in the background asking them to be careful. That was before they both became giants, of course. Chanyeol can remember pillow fights over stolen cookies, romance accusations and teasing, Kai’s inadequate math skills and Chanyeol’s weirdly deep voice and creepy smile. But then, reality caught up to them and they had to grow up, accept responsibilities and act like civilized members of the human race, like adults, yikes. It’s been years since they last played like this.

Half draped over the couch, giggling like crazy and making tired and mostly unsuccessful attempts to hit each other with any unfortunate pillow they can reach from where they have perched with aching muscles, somewhere on the couch and the arm rest and the coffee table and the floor, Chanyeol thinks this is the moment they resemble their childhood picture the most. He is glad and relieved to see Kai smiling again and it puts his mind at ease, it reminds him of home and happy days.

“At least they are not killing each other…much” Baekhyun’s voice suddenly appears, and the two men lift their heads in startle, eyes wide for having been caught in this mess. They must look pretty funny, because Baekhyun giggles entertained at the picture of two fully grown and otherwise respectful men sprawled in the nearly demolished living room after the pillow fight. Kyungsoo gives them an incredulous-bordering-on-indignant look, standing next to Baekhyun.

“Oh my god! What are you, eleven?!” Kyungsoo demands, taking in the chaos they have created in the living room, that Chanyeol belatedly realizes is not only Kai’s anymore, since Kyungsoo is living here with him, officially since yesterday. Oops.

Chanyeol and Kai don’t even need to exchange a glance or say anything, because they know each other so well and they have no reservations in such matters; they shamelessly throw the pillows they are holding at the two newcomers looking down at them, and the pillows fly in perfect synchronicity. Kyungsoo gets hit, because he needs to hold the crutches and he has no free hand to block it, but Baekhyun grabs the pillow before it hits him and smiles at Chanyeol with an evil twinkle in his eyes. If Chanyeol had half a mind to pay attention to the other two people in the room, it is all gone by now and he sees only Baekhyun.

“Soo, I’m so glad you came out!” Kai exclaims and springs to his feet with newfound energy, stumbling over to Kyungsoo and embracing him, almost knocking him off balance, wrapping his arms around the smaller and squeezing as tightly as an injured man can take. Even if Kyungsoo wanted to run away, now it’s too late, because Kai can be a remarkably persistent leach. But Kyungsoo doesn’t look like he wants to make a run for his life; on the contrary, his arms wrap around Kai’s waist slowly, a small fist knocking on the taller’s back. It’s adorably halfhearted, and Chanyeol inwardly sighs in relief –well, at least that’s settled… “Don’t leave me alone again, please” Kai mumbles, and Kyungsoo huffs a chuckle, hiding his face against Kai’s shoulders.

“I’m sorry. I won’t” Kyungsoo winces a little when his crutches slip from his hold and clatter on the floor, but the couple only giggles afterwards. Chanyeol thinks that this outcome is even better than any scenario he could have come up with in his head, and he is so happy for his friends.

A pillow hits him playfully on the shoulder out of the blue, and Chanyeol jolts in surprise, losing his concentration on the reconciled couple. He looks up to see Baekhyun smiling with that adorable mischief in his eyes, violet hair flopping across his forehead cutely. Chanyeol smiles back, thinking he should have never left Baekhyun out of his sight, because he is sneakier and more playful than he seems; and maybe, they should have a pillow fight with Baekhyun soon…He reaches up to grab Baekhyun’s wrist and pulls him down to join the taller on the floor with him –or, more accurately, to sit on him. It’s nothing indecent, it’s just that Chanyeol’s limbs are kind of all over the place right now and it’s hard to sit within a meter and a half radius around him without sitting on something. Baekhyun yelps in surprise and then bursts in endless chuckles, playfully poking his taller boyfriend on his shoulder in retaliation, as the taller scrambles to gather Baekhyun in his arms before he squirms away.

“You did well” Chanyeol congratulates Baekhyun on his success with Kyungsoo after the smaller has calmed down in his arms, and the latter smiles happily, nodding his head with a wide grin. Chanyeol takes a moment to appreciate the close-up of those beautiful, sparkling crescent eyes, the small lines around them, the soft glow of Baekhyun’s silky skin and the wonderful curve of those rosy little lips. Now is not the place and time but, one day, Chanyeol absolutely has to kiss those lips while they are smiling, again and again. “You’re an angel” he says absentmindedly, feeling his heart making a double flip in his chest, despite how smooth his deep voice just came out. You’re my angel. Now he can enjoy a soft blush on Baekhyun’s cheeks as well. Baekhyun laces his fingers with Chanyeol’s and squeezes their hands.

“Take me home, Yeol. I need to sleep, or else I will have dark circles on my date tomorrow!” Baekhyun commands with a smile, his voice cheerful and light, and Chanyeol finds it hard to breathe for a moment there. Because, for one thing, Baekhyun just got off the ground and Chanyeol got a beautiful view of his little body straightening gracefully and, for another, he just remembered their date tomorrow and his heart leapt in excitement. It’s our date. Baekhyun turns around to look at him, still sprawled on the floor. “I have a big date and I’m sleepy, Yeol; take me home~” he pouts cutely, blinking his puppy eyes twice.

Chanyeol trips over himself to get off the floor.

--

Baekhyun briefly stops outside Chanyeol’s door before he knocks, taking a moment to fix his clothes and hair. Chanyeol didn’t tell him what they would do or where they would go today, even though he insisted that he has already made plans, so it was a bit difficult for Baekhyun and Chen to pick clothes for the date. Chen made Baekhyun change outfits more times than he can remember, until he got so confused from repeating the process of getting dressed that he put his shirt on backwards –they just flatlay-ed everything on Baekhyun’s floor after that. Admittedly, maybe Baekhyun ended up a bit more-than-averagely-well-dressed; but it’s nothing too absurd, it is still considered casual. He just wanted to wear something nice and something that would fit him perfectly for their date; it’s not like he gets to go on leisurely dates with Chanyeol often, so he wants to look proper boyfriend material. Besides, Baekhyun came prepared and left a change of clothes in the car, just in case their date plans call for something less polished.

While straightening the seams of his skinny jeans around his calves –they’re not the tight kind that cuts off your circulation but they still fit him like a glove–, Baekhyun hears Chanyeol’s voice coming through the door; it’s slightly distant and muffled, but it is definitely Chanyeol’s deep voice. He doesn’t mean to notice it, because that’s not gentlemanly at all, but his ears tune in to the familiar sound without his permission; he doesn’t even realize he’s listening until it’s too late.

“Auntie, you can’t do this to me; I have already made plans!...But I won’t be going to the office today, I can’t take her with me. I’ve worked really hard for this day off, and I do have a life outside of the company…Yes, my mom knows, and I’m in my twenties anyway; I am perfectly capable of maintaining a respectable social life –but that is not the point. The point is, I can’t stay with her today…Well then, maybe I can bring her over, if you can’t come pick her up…I understand you are busy, but so am I...How about I- what?! Of course I love her, you know I do!...She’s my favorite too, but- No, no, aunt, wait, don’t hung up! Wait- ugh!”

Baekhyun’s eyebrows quirk in concern; Chanyeol didn’t sound too well, and he seemed to be getting more and more distressed with each word. He didn’t catch the entire conversation, so he can’t guess for sure, but judging from Chanyeol’s tone of voice, he was upset; maybe he would like a few moments alone to calm down. It seems unfair to overwhelm him with their date plans when he’s already so stressed –but maybe Baekhyun can try to help him feel better. He bites his lip, contemplating his choices while staring at the door; should he make himself known right away or just wait till Chanyeol is ready for it? He decides that either way, Baekhyun has to knock on the door at last. He has been here for five minutes now, and if he doesn’t knock to make his presence known, Chanyeol might think he’s late, or worse, that he was eavesdropping. So, he pretends he has heard nothing at all –since it didn’t make much sense anyway– and he knocks on the door.

In the few heartbeats it takes until the door opens, things in Baekhyun’s head click, click and click, and suddenly he knows exactly what all that was about. How didn’t he realize it sooner? It comes as no surprise to him when, eventually, Sulli opens the door of Chanyeol’s apartment and smiles widely up at him.

“Baekhyunnie oppa!” she exclaims happily, her eyes widening and twinkling “Chanyeollie oppa said you would come, I missed you!” she jumps on her heels excitedly and then pushes the heavy door open with both hands so that Baekhyun can let himself inside; she looks so cute with her sky blue dress and bouncy ponytail, her slippers dragging on the floor one size too huge for her little feet, and he would have liked to pinch her round cheeks and squish her in his arms, but children never actually enjoy overwhelming affection, so he refrains from it. Once he’s inside, he smiles at her brightly and squats down to kiss her cheek as the door closes behind him. The little girl giggles and hugs him shortly with her little arms around his neck, before she takes a step back with a bright smile. He notices once again how much Sulli looks like Chanyeol, with their large, clear eyes and their blinding smile, their adorable expressions and their loud cheerfulness.

“Hello princess, how are you?” he hums, taking off his shoes blindly so that he can keep his eyes on her. The little girl opens her lips to let out a torrential recount of her day, but before she has time to say a word, a loud thud followed by the stumbling appearance of a very flustered Chanyeol catches Baekhyun’s and Sulli’s attention. Chanyeol surges into the lobby staggering like a spooked animal, eyes wide in surprise and distress at the unexpected sight of Baekhyun in the doorway.

“Baekhyun!” he exclaims, his voice pitched slightly in the most cute way possible for a giant his size. He is still wearing sweatpants and a simple t-shirt, his black hair in disarray as if he just got out of bed, completely unprepared to go out of the house, Baekhyun notes –but looking one hundred per cent cuddly, so soft and huggable that Baekhyun swears his stomach flips and his arms itch to wrap around him; sweet baby koalas, he would cling on him with all his love if there wasn’t a little child between them. Baekhyun tries to keep his eyes from lingering too long on Chanyeol’s exposed toned arms, and not to swoon too obviously at the adorably domestic picture before his eyes. Chanyeol blinks at him in disbelief, once, twice, as if he has seen a ghost –Baekhyun understands his fluster and doesn’t take it personally, because he’s pretty sure he doesn’t look like a ghost. Baekhyun gives the giant a carefree grin instead.

“Hi, Chanyeol” he waves his hand as he stands from the ground, making his voice friendly, in hopes that it will reassure Chanyeol and keep him calm. He doesn’t want to pressure him right now, he already seems pale and disoriented. But even his appeasing tone and gentle smile doesn’t stop Chanyeol from going into full panic mode. Uh-oh.

“Baekhyun! Sulli! I- this isn’t- I am so sorry, I swear this is not what I had in mind…She is…I woke up, and I couldn’t leave her outside! And my aunt left, and I didn’t have time to take her back; I tried to call, but she said…she thought I could take her with me to work but- I really didn’t know, and it was so last minute! If only everything would go as planned…But then I lost track of time and now…Oh my god, you are here now, and I haven’t even-” Chanyeol fusses with his appearance, fixing his hair over his ears and straightening his t-shirt, mumbling under his breath and patting his pink cheeks. Baekhyun decides that he must be the adult here before all this becomes an incomprehensible mess, because Chanyeol is already talking faster than a rapper in a popular song, probably forgetting a couple of breaths somewhere in there. Sulli tilts her head to the side, an adorable frown of confusion carved between her eyebrows as she tries to make sense of her cousin.

“Chanyeol, wait” Baekhyun holds up one hand and steps around Sulli, reaching Chanyeol’s side in two strides. He keeps his voice calm and soft but authoritative just enough to make the other stop rambling unintelligibly. If Chanyeol is too shocked to keep his thoughts under control, then Baekhyun will have to help him calm down, or at least keep him from saying anything he might regret later, especially because they are in the presence of a child. He cups Chanyeol’s face with his hands to make him focus on him and Chanyeol shudders in surprise, but he stops talking immediately. His almond eyes look into Baekhyun’s orbs apologetically, with hurt and disappointment, which Baekhyun wishes weren’t there.

“Sulli, what is that music?” Baekhyun quips, his ears picking up an upbeat childish tune coming from the living room. He is thankful that Chanyeol went silent just in time to give him a chance to send the little girl out of hearing range so inconspicuously. Sulli blinks into focus and takes a moment to listen, and then her eyes open almost as wide as her cousin’s, with whom she looks so much alike.

“It’s the show, it’s starting! I have to go waaaaaatch~” with a delighted squeal, she prances off to the living room, hopping every other step, much to Baekhyun’s amusement and concealed relief. He watches her until she climbs on the couch and hugs a pillow, making sure that the girl is settled in front of the television to watch her show, becoming oblivious to the rest of the world and the adults. Then he turns his attention back to an unsettled and blushing Chanyeol.

“Let’s go inside” he suggests in a soft whisper, looking straight into Chanyeol’s eyes to make sure he is paying attention; the repentant puppy stare he receives in return is beyond endearing. “I need you to calm down and talk to me in a way that I understand, okay?” he requests calmly; Chanyeol pouts sadly and nods his head twice in agreement. Baekhyun cracks a small, encouraging smile at him and then turns his head to the living room for a moment. “Sulli love, we will be in the kitchen if you need anything” he announces; she might be old enough to watch her children’s tv show unsupervised, but she is still small and she might need something from them in the meantime.

“Okay!” her answer comes airily in cutely singsong voice. Baekhyun nods to himself and then wordlessly leads Chanyeol to the kitchen by the hand, guiding him to sit on a chair. Chanyeol sits down a little clumsily, his limbs a bit uncooperative due to the lingering shock. He blinks up at Baekhyun and his shoulders slump in defeat, as he keeps pouting miserably. Baekhyun would love to kiss those full, pouting lips right now, but it’s not the time –his heart is skipping beats at the adorable picture of Chanyeol in this moment, but he needs to be the responsible grownup here.

“Tell me what happened, slowly” Baekhyun instructs evenly, grabbing the chair next to Chanyeol and swiveling it around so that he can sit down facing the taller. Chanyeol puffs his cheeks with air, frowning in thought for a moment, and then he lets it out, deflating with an aura of devastation.

“Everything was perfect just this morning” he says sadly, his deep voice lowering even more; it looks like his is complaining a little, and it makes Baekhyun want to hug him and pat his head and never let this oversized, sad puppy go. “I got up and I was so happy that it’s finally Saturday and I would get my date with you; a day free of work, finally alone with the man I love. I started getting ready for it, and I got just about to the part of brushing my teeth before the doorbell rang, and it was my aunt with little Sulli in tow. It was a confusing whirlwind, it all happened so fast, and next thing I knew, she left Sulli at the front door and then disappeared!” Chanyeol throws his arms in the air in frustration, eyes wide in disbelief –that’s exactly what Baekhyun didn’t want the little girl to see, in case she blames herself or misinterprets it in any of the hurtful ways children tend to do.

“I called her seven times and she picked up only once! She said I have to babysit my cousin for today because I am her favorite person in the family and the only one she listens to, and I cannot take her back home till noon, because her parents are busy. Needless to say how indifferent they were to the fact that I had a date with you! But there is no one else to stay with her and I can’t leave her alone Baek” Chanyeol hangs his head in defeat, running a hand down his face tiredly, and Baekhyun can see the adorable and heartbreaking pout in the shadows. He scoots closer and rests his hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on Chanyeol’s shirt, and Chanyeol’s tendons relax under his hand.

“I really wanted this day with you, Baekhyun…I worked so hard for it, and heaven knows you deserve a proper date…I am so sorry” he mumbles gloomily and leans forwards gradually, until his head is resting on Baekhyun’s shoulder, the scent of clean cotton with hints of soap wafting to the smaller’s nose. Baekhyun feels his heart thumping a few times but he quiets it down, and relocates both his hands on Chanyeol’s back, caressing up and down his spine for consolation, as they lapse into silence.

Well, that’s…not a disaster, Baekhyun thinks, but it is a complication, definitely. He was really looking forward to see what Chanyeol had prepared for today, and he wanted to feel Chanyeol’s full attention on him, be an official couple in public. Hold his hand and intertwine their fingers, take refuge in his warm embrace, thank him with a peck on the cheek, laugh with him and gaze at him longingly, things that are the same as any other times but not exactly, when you go on a date with your boyfriend. He had been expecting this date just as much as Chanyeol had, and he would be angry that someone is taking it away from him, but if it is Sulli, all Baekhyun can do is feel somewhat disappointed but not angry at all.

He understands Chanyeol perfectly this time, and he is not mad at him either, because he would never ask of him to choose between his family and a date. And suddenly, Baekhyun has an idea, a good one he thinks, that might even cheer Chanyeol up.

“Who says we can’t go on a date?” he asks, making sure his voice is not too loud, mindful of the girl in the next room.

“What are we going to do with her then? Not even my mom’s available” Chanyeol murmurs against Baekhyun’s neck –and the latter notices that Chanyeol has found his sensitive spot again; he doesn’t even know it or do it on purpose, and yet he is always spot on to leave his breath in the curve of Baekhyun’s neck, sending shivers everywhere on the smaller’s body. Baekhyun lifts Chanyeol to sit properly in his seat and looks into his depressed puppy eyes.

“We will take her with us!” he suggests with twinkling eyes. Chanyeol gives him a quizzical look. “I don’t know what you had planned, but maybe we can postpone it and do something with her instead. The three of us could go for a walk, for example; and before you know it, we will have to come back and cook dinner and then send her to bed!” They can babysit the girl together; together is all that matters for Baekhyun. Chanyeol looks skeptical about this plan, however.

“Have you ever babysat a five-and-a-half year old?” Chanyeol gives him a curious look “Because it’s not easy business. I like spending time with her and letting my inner child free when I am with her, but…She is like an energy explosion, I need to be with her and keep an eye on her all the time –quite literally. And I don’t mind it much, because I am not the most serious grownup I know and I am fairly loud and energetic myself, but it still isn’t easy” he warns seriously, explaining the jovial and tireless antics of five-year-olds. And it’s true that Baekhyun might be good with children, like those at the orphanage he visits every now and then, but he has never had to babysit one for an entire day; he is willing to try though.

“I promise I will do my best to keep up” he says with a carefree smile. How hard can it be? He is not afraid of getting tired –it tends to happen in a stressful profession like his. Sulli is a good girl who listens to the people she likes, and she likes both of them, so it shouldn’t be hard to keep her in line. Besides, she is old enough to communicate well with them, and she is very responsible for her age. Chanyeol sighs, still in doubt, and Baekhyun mentally pouts at the lack of confidence in him. He can deal with children for a day!

“When I am with Sulli, it’s like we are both kids. You will get tired of us and we won’t even notice. And I will not be paying attention to you because I will need to keep my eyes on her all the time, and then you will get mad at me, and for good reason because you deserve your date’s attention, and then you will leave us and you will never want to go out with me ever again and-and this whole thing is obviously a disaster” Chanyeol mumbles and hides his face in his hands. Baekhyun thinks this situation calls for drastic measures; plan ‘cuddles to make the giant feel better’ is put into action.

“Chanyeol, calm down” he says softly and leaves his seat to get closer to Chanyeol –well, as close as he can probably get. His cheeks catch fire momentarily, remembering the presence of the little girl in the living room, but he hopes she won’t come over, because the universe doesn’t hate Baekhyun that much. He quiets his worries as he pries Chanyeol’s hands away, because they’re in the way, and Chanyeol lets him guide his limbs without objection or resistance. Baekhyun shuffles a bit until he finally sits on Chanyeol’s lap, internally cheering for his success –that was pretty smooth, if he may say so himself. Settled in his familiar spot, he turns to Chanyeol, who slides his arms around Baekhyun’s waist to help him sit more comfortably; he looks a bit less dull already, even though his lips are still pouting.

“None of this will happen” Baekhyun reassures him, hooking one finger under Chanyeol’s chin to tilt Chanyeol’s head up “As long as you are with me, I am fine with anything” he says, looking into his large eyes. Their faces are very close –and everything else is very close too– and Baekhyun’s cheeks blush slightly at the thought, but Chanyeol is very calm and serious. His caramel eyes search deep into Baekhyun’s orbs, and Baekhyun feels like he is slowly melting under his gaze. He feels like gravity is pulling him closer to Chanyeol, his butterflies squirming in excitement.

“But it’s still not a date” Chanyeol’s plum lips say stubbornly in the end, and pout right after. Oh, so the plan is acceptable, even under conditions. The enchanting spell dissolves and Baekhyun laughs at Chanyeol’s childish cuteness.

“Okay, you owe me a date. But, plans aside, I still want to spend the day with you” he confesses, trying to seal the deal by giving Chanyeol the puppy eyes, while asking in a small voice “Can I, please?” He knows it’s not entirely fair to use his cuteness in his favor, but hey, a man has to make do with what he has, right? Chanyeol blinks, slightly taken aback by the change in Baekhyun’s attitude, and Baekhyun squeals internally for the success of his secret weapon, as the taller nods in agreement and his lips crack a smile. Baekhyun grins brightly and pecks the tip of Chanyeol’s nose –such proximity called for a small kiss, okay?–, and then he starts to get up having finished his business on Chanyeol’s lap; but Chanyeol has other plans and he holds him in place with an iron grip around his waist which pretty much rends the rest of him helpless. Before Baekhyun has time to protest for his freedom and decency in the presence of a child in the house, Chanyeol nuzzles his nose in the curve of Baekhyun’s neck with a content smile. Baekhyun’s words come out like a squeak, which he hopes didn’t give away his soft spot, but he can’t find the resolve to push Chanyeol away and save himself.

“You look amazing today, these jeans really suit you. Did I say it out loud earlier?” Chanyeol asks, lips mumbling against Baekhyun’s shoulder, and Baekhyun feels the blood rushing to his head and burning under his cheeks at the compliment. When Chen says wear the jeans, you wear the jeans, the guy knows what he’s talking about. Then he remembers Chanyeol’s astounded face when he saw him at the door earlier and his wide-eyed once-over. Baekhyun thinks that, yes, Chanyeol has his own way of reacting to Baekhyun’s appearance, wordlessly but still positively.

“Kind of…” he admits and smiles to himself.

--

This is a lot less than ideal.

If you had asked Chanyeol at any given moment during the week why on earth he was working like a maniac on Prozac, he would have told you that it was all for his little guy, because he had wanted to secure some free time to devote to him and their blossoming relationship. His heart was picking up the pace just thinking about the time they would spend together, no friends, no obligations, nothing else besides Chanyeol and Baekhyun in their love bubble and never mind the rest of the world, come the apocalypse.

But there is no such luck for Chanyeol, not in this universe.

Because, as his luck would have it, his aunt had to bring Sulli over today, because there is no one else available to look after the girl for the entire day, so her mother very responsibly abandoned her at his doorstep. Chanyeol has to babysit Sully like this maybe three times a year, because his aunt is not that busy a person and there is no need for babysitting regularly, but one of these rare times just had to be today. On a free day earned with hard work, the day Chanyeol had been anticipating all week, because he had made plans to spend it with his loved one, to go on an official date with Baekhyun. The universe hates him and you can’t argue with that one.

Thankfully, his Baekhyun is a sweetheart, and he offered to spend the day with Chanyeol and the little girl anyway –and that is the only reason why Chanyeol has not pulled his hair out in frustration since this morning, and why he still feels slightly sane. He wouldn’t bear to lose his day with Baekhyun like this. He had to change his plans for the day dramatically to accommodate Sulli’s presence of course, but at least he gets to see Baekhyun for the most part of the day and have him around, hold his hand and kiss his temple when no one is looking. It’s better than lamenting his lost efforts late at night with a lonely ice cream tub.

It took some brainstorming and internet searching, but in the end they decided to visit a children-friendly animal shelter in the city, because Marie is at the vet and Chanyeol thought that Sulli might cheer up, interacting with other puppies. It looks like it is working so far, since they have been here for almost two hours and Sulli has not stopped laughing and playing enthusiastically with the animals, petting their heads and feeding them like the caretaker shows her. She even asked for a cat too, to keep some company to her pomsky Marie. Chanyeol can see trouble in his future, when he will have to argue against his uncle’s no-pet policy for the second time in his life, trying to convince them why the dog wants a cat for a friend. He has had multimillion business deals closed with less effort. Oh, the things he does for his little cousin…

True to his predictions, Chanyeol’s full attention is focused on Sulli. She is so energetic that she keeps moving around, and Chanyeol has to keep her under his radar continuously, even within the confined space of the shelter –he doesn’t want to lose the child, thank you very much. He trails after her like a worrisome mom, to make sure she won’t get in any trouble with other children or the pets, and he keeps reminding her to be careful not to ruin her pretty dress, he urges her to drink some water every now and then, and he snaps a few pictures for keepsakes. He’s going to be a good mom when he grows up, isn’t he?

Chanyeol is not an amateur at babysitting; he knows how many things can go wrong if a child is left unsupervised. He has had some experiences as a kid, alright? Nothing pleasant and he doesn’t want to talk about it. All in all, Sulli might be a handful to follow around, but he can’t blame her or even complain, because he was just like her –if not worse– when he was her age. He was notoriously energetic, even Kai remembers that.

For the first hour, Chanyeol joined her games and participated in her expeditions in the animal shelter, but now his energy has somewhat dwindled. He has pretty good stamina, but god, chasing a five-year-old everywhere when you are a giant for mankind is draining you of all energy, trust him. So now he makes sure he is somewhere close to her, where she can reach easily and where she can always see him, and he observes from a distance, waiting for the minutes to pass. To be honest, the task is getting slightly boring.

No matter where his attention is, Chanyeol’s mind is still largely thinking about Baekhyun. Thankfully, he had brought more casual clothes with him to change into, because Chanyeol would hate to see his pretty clothes in peril of getting stained in this place. He seemed pretty cheerful on the ride here, even singing a couple of songs with Sulli in the car, sunglasses reflecting the sun and blinding Chanyeol –or maybe that was just Baekhyun’s smile blinding him, quite possibly. Chanyeol kept searching for signs of discomfort, disappointment or regret for the entire first three hours of their outing –he refuses to call this a date–, but Baekhyun was not showing any of it; instead, he kept giving Chanyeol wide, encouraging smiles, excited twinkling eyes, and a few pecks on his cheek when Sulli was distracted. At least he doesn’t hate me for ruining our date…

Chanyeol would have liked to observe Baekhyun more, but ever since Sulli left the car, Chanyeol has been following her, and her only. Baekhyun was with them in the beginning, playing with Sulli and the puppies, but then Chanyeol had to help Sulli with something and the smaller drifted away, drawn to his puppy kin and mingling with them effortlessly. Baekhyun is still in the premises of course, but Chanyeol cannot ask of him to stand beside him and watch Sulli as well –he doesn’t want Baekhyun to hate him for being the most boring date ever. He is vaguely aware of his presence, catching glimpses of him every now and then, thanks to his violet hair –and to his relief, Baekhyun is smiling in all the snippets Chanyeol has gathered. Whenever the smaller is in vicinity, Chanyeol’s hands are itching to reach for Baekhyun, grab him and envelop him tightly in his arms, but…there are a lot of ‘but’s to that, as you may understand.

Unable to hold control over his eyes anymore, Chanyeol turns his head in search of Baekhyun in the sparse crowd. He spots him almost immediately, a few meters further away from him, but holy sugar, he didn’t expect to see what his eyes are lucky enough to witness. Baekhyun has his back turned to Chanyeol, observing a bunch of fluffy puppies that try their best to get the attention of the magenta-haired beauty, stumbling and jumping on their little stumps. Chanyeol would have felt bad for missing Baekhyun’s smile –which must be playing on his lips surely at such an endearing sight– had Baekhyun not bended over the pen to reach the puppies and gently pet their heads.

Because Baekhyun did bend over to pet the puppies, and Chanyeol feels his throat suddenly dry at the sight. Baekhyun loves his skinny jeans for casual looks, and Chanyeol thinks he loves them too, because they cling so nicely on the shorter’s legs, following their beautiful lines and hugging perfectly around those luscious curves. Chanyeol bites his lips hard at the sight of Baekhyun’s thighs and rear in all their glory, curving beautifully in all the right places, as beautiful as sculpted in marble, but only softer and warmer. That’s my boyfriend, seriously. What has Chanyeol done to deserve him?

And suddenly, a pang of jealousy viciously nips at Chanyeol, and he pouts. He has the paranoid urge to go over where Baekhyun is and cover him with a jacket or something, so that no one else can see him –because, no, he didn’t miss that woman checking out his boyfriend, or the shelter’s assistant’s smirk, or that man’s inappropriate stare at Baekhyun’s innocent body. If only Baekhyun knew how many people are attracted to him, how many react to his body even just on this occasion, Chanyeol doubts he would be as cheerful in his life.

“Oppa, look! This puppy is like you!” Sulli’s voice reaches Chanyeol and he almost flinches, realizing he was not paying her any attention for the past seven seconds of his Baekhyun-induced trance. He turns to her so fast that his neck cracks, worried after leaving her unsupervised even for a few moments, and he almost gets a heart attack.

It’s survival instinct, okay? Because what would you feel, if you suddenly turned around to see an innocent little girl standing next to a ‘puppy’, which is not exactly a puppy but more like a fully grown dog, a Great Dane to be exact, almost twice as tall as the girl, muscular as hell, and with a mouth big enough to fit her whole head in it??!

Chanyeol composes himself and forces his racing heart to calm down soon enough, because the picture might be disconcerting, but the dog is still a friendly dog, no matter its intimidating size, or else it wouldn’t be allowed around children. A harmless giant. The dog must be very obedient and tame if a little girl can bring it around, and dare Chanyeol say, it looks kind of happy, its strong tail thumping on the floor. Chanyeol smiles back at Sulli, who is beaming at him while patting the dog’s neck –because that’s as far as she can reach.

“He’s like me? Really?” Chanyeol challenges, raising a doubtful eyebrow. He knows he isn’t exactly the best sample of the human species, but in what way does he resemble a dog to that extent of enthusiasm? No offence taken though, because dogs are pretty awesome.

“Yes!” Sulli insists and brings the dog closer, guiding it by its collar and, sunflowers, that dog looks huge even next to Chanyeol! She doesn’t seem fazed by that though, having the dog sit next to her once again. “He is tall and big and strong! And look, he is nice and obedient, and he has so many teeth, just like you! The lady said he has a loud voice too, so it reminded me of you even more! Isn’t he the cutestest?” the little girl tries to give the dog a hug but it is gigantic, so it doesn’t work out very well, her hands only half-closing around its body.

Cutestest? Chanyeol scrunches his nose; he would like to think he has his fair share of cuteness too. This dog might be many things, magnificent, imposing, impressive, steadfast, strong, intimidating, but cute? Meh. Chanyeol will give it cuteness points for its innocent, pure soul though. Doesn’t Chanyeol deserve cuteness points for his soul too? All the other things Sulli pointed out earlier, however, are painfully correct…Chanyeol is like this dog, he should accept his fate.

“Sulli, come over here! You need to see these adorable puppies!” Baekhyun calls enthusiastically with a smile as bright as the sun, and Sulli leaves the enormous dog alone with Chanyeol and hops over to the shorter cheerfully. Another child claims the Great Dane, calling over his mom to see the giant, and Chanyeol discreetly distances himself. He walks closer to the side of the puppy pens and watches as both Baekhyun and Lay squat down to play with the white fluffy furballs, with twinkling smiles and bubbling voices.

Chanyeol can’t help but admire how beautiful Baekhyun looks with a child. The pretty picture only helps to enhance the idea in Chanyeol’s head that Baekhyun would make an amazing father. Chanyeol smiles and stores that thought; maybe someday in the far, far future, he will have to spend some serious consideration on it.

--

After having lunch at a nice family restaurant, Chanyeol decided to take Baekhyun and Sulli for a walk in a nearby park, to exhaust any of her remaining battery levels. He could remember a lot of families and children playing there from that time he attempted to jog in that park, so he thought maybe Sulli could find someone her age to play with for a while and have fun before they had to go back home. Indeed, just after Sulli finished the ice cream Chanyeol bought for her –and this is not him spoiling her, because he doesn’t do it by choice; it’s the puppy eyes, they get to him every time–, three little girls came over and asked to play with her. Chanyeol and Baekhyun had no objection, and the girls’ mothers even waved at them politely from where they are still sitting under the shadow of a tree. The little girl has been playing with her new friends peacefully ever since, and Chanyeol is happy to hear her bubbling laughter rising above the noise of the sunny park every now and then.

On a side note, Chanyeol wasn’t aware he knows so many places in the city that are fit to spend a day with a child. He really surprised himself on that one.

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun asks, sitting down on an empty bench as they pass by it, swinging his tired legs under his seat childishly. Chanyeol smiles endearingly at the sight. “Can I have some ice cream too?” he beams up at Chanyeol innocently, his eyesmiles sparking prettily in the afternoon sun. The puppies have taught Baekhyun well, because there is no other explanation for this irresistible cuteness. Chanyeol doesn’t need to be told twice; he would make the earth spin backwards for Baekhyun, an ice cream is hardly a feat.

With a promise to be back soon, he returns to the ice cream van quickly and buys a cup of chocolate ice cream for Baekhyun, two scoops, certain that he will enjoy it, and one cup of vanilla-strawberry for himself. The lady at the van gives him a knowing smile, but Chanyeol doesn’t pay any heed; he’s spoiling his favorite people, no harm in that. He all but skips his steps back, and Baekhyun smiles widely at the sight of his ice cream like a child, his eyes sparkling adorably, as Chanyeol takes a seat beside him, handing over the treat. “Thank you, Yeol” he says excitedly, and unexpectedly leans over to peck him on the cheek. It’s too swift to be noticed in a lively park of families, but Chanyeol’s vibrant blush might be less discreet. Chanyeol feels his heart flair, and for the first time today he feels like he really is with Baekhyun, because Baekhyun is the only one with that power over his heart. But when he steals a glance, Baekhyun is already eating his ice cream as if nothing ever happened, like the mischievous puppy he is.

“We should go home after we finish with this” Baekhyun says after a while of enjoying his sweet iced treat silently, poking the scoop before he chips off a small spoonful. Chanyeol hums around his spoon in agreement; they’ll have to start preparing dinner at some point too. “Sulli must be tired” Baekhyun continues absentmindedly, his eyes scanning the grassy field to find Sulli reflexively at the mention of her name. Chanyeol smiles again at the thought of Baekhyun as a parent, staring at him a little dazedly, watching how beautifully the brilliant colors of the sun which has started to set reflect in his puppy eyes.

“I think I’m tired as well. Aren’t you?” Chanyeol asks, stretching his long legs on the ground for a few moments before pulling them back and tucking them under the bench seat again, because there are people and puppies walking on the path, and Chanyeol wouldn’t want to trip any of them.

“Well, I’m so and so, to be honest” Baekhyun admits with a small smile, shuffling on his seat and folding his legs butterfly-style on the bench. The smaller hums happily under his breath, savoring his ice cream, any hints of tiredness fading in under the subtle glow of his small smile. Chanyeol knew it since the beginning that they would both be tired by the end of the day, but he didn’t expect Baekhyun to handle it so well. Not only is he charming and kind as ever, he also helps in every way he can without complaints and excuses, sharing the responsibilities of child caring and making the most of their time together.

“You’re amazing, do you know that?” he says seriously, his deep voice sounding even lower inexplicably, and Baekhyun’s smiling cheeks turn slightly pink under the veil of golden sunlight on his skin. A few moments pass in silence and Baekhyun is mostly poking his ice cream pensively, as Chanyeol gazes at his beautiful features and the strange hues of his hair locks in the setting sunlight. These are moments of happiness, the breeze shifting the leaves on the branches, children’s laughter rolling over the grass, puppies wiggling their tails and Baekhyun pouting at his ice cream on a summer’s day.

“Chanyeol, do you remember that talk we said we should have sometime?” he asks quietly after a while, not risking a glance at Chanyeol, his eyes still favoring his ice cream. He looks oddly bashful, but it’s not easy to tell, considering Baekhyun is very good at hiding his emotions in public. It takes Chanyeol one heartbeat to tune into reality again and remember what Baekhyun is talking about; that talk. Of course he remembers, it was only yesterday; admittedly, he didn’t expect it to happen so soon though. He clears his throat, sitting up properly on the bench and preparing himself mentally.

“Sure I do” he answers, making sure that his voice is completely calm, so that he won’t discourage Baekhyun. He’s not sure how far into that talk they can go at the moment, but he’s prepared to talk with Baekhyun about it any time –he has spent many hours thinking about it too. The smaller shifts in his seat, slightly nervous.

“Do you think that maybe…we could talk about it now, just a little bit?” his eyes flicker to Chanyeol just for one glance before settling on his ice cream again. Chanyeol finds it cute, but he has to keep other things in mind right now. He doesn’t want to scare Baekhyun or dishearten him or make him feel uncomfortable, because he knows that his little guy is inexperienced, and this must be already a little hard for him.

“Anything you want Baek” Chanyeol reassures him calmly, and Baekhyun’s shoulders visibly relax at the sound of his words, so he must be doing something right. Chanyeol cheers mentally and he is thankful that, for once, his deep voice is useful, because it sounds much more reassuring and it hides his own nervousness perfectly. Even though he has prepared mentally, it’s still not an easy talk. Baekhyun lowers his ice cream to his lap and takes a deep breath.

“Do you ever think about it? About us and those things, I mean?” Baekhyun chooses to turn and look at him innocently after his question, probably to have an idea about his reaction, and Chanyeol feels cornered. He didn’t expect that question, at least not so directly. What is he supposed to say? Yes? And so he admits that he has been having naughty thoughts about Baekhyun, expecting him not to freak out? Or no? And thus imply that he doesn’t see Baekhyun that way and pretty much reject him in the face, expecting him to do what after that?

“Ughhh…” comes Chanyeol’s eloquent reply, his eyes fleeting nervously over anything and everything in the park. Baekhyun pinks, his eyes widening in realization, and shakes his head.

“Sorry, that was an awkward question” he mumbles to himself and, much to Chanyeol’s relief, he wets his lips and tries again. “Do you find me attractive?” he rephrases, his one eyebrow quirking, as if trying to estimate if this was an appropriate question. Well, at least that’s a question Chanyeol can answer.

“Very much, you have no idea” he answers quietly, thinking of all those times he has admired Baekhyun for his physical traits and even now, with the picture of Baekhyun bathed in golden sunlight, slightly blushed, looking small and adorably sweet, yet mischievous and alluring in Chanyeol’s eyes.

“G-good to know…” Baekhyun mumbles, his cheeks becoming rosier, surprised by the immediate answer. Chanyeol belatedly wonders if he should have answered differently, maybe with prettier words or less enthusiastically. On the other hand, is there a point in hiding how much he loves Baekhyun? They’ve been close to each other before, so he is sure Baekhyun has noticed that Chanyeol wants him. Baekhyun blinks away his shyness with fluttering eyelashes and takes another breath. “So, since you are the one with relationship experience…how long does it take for people to, um, take it to the next level, let’s call it?” he bites his lower lip and scratches his neck in embarrassment, but he doesn’t seem to regret the question. Chanyeol guesses he should answer it then.

“I don’t know…I guess it’s different for every person, whenever they feel ready” Chanyeol admits honestly. One month, two months or two weeks, he has heard of people taking even longer than that or significantly less, it depends on many factors inside and outside of the relationship…He is sure there is no point in explaining; after all, Baekhyun knows a lot about behavior and relationships, which Chanyeol can only confirm. The smaller man seems to be having a long, thoughtful moment, and Chanyeol can almost see the thoughts spinning in his eyes but he cannot understand them.

“Am I taking too long for you?” he asks then, and admittedly Chanyeol just lost the page.

“Excuse me, what?”

“Am I too slow for you?” Baekhyun repeats, and then he lowers his eyes and starts talking faster “Because I know I am inexperienced and awkward in those things and, we might be official for a few weeks now, but we’ve known each other for almost a year, and it’s not like I don’t feel all those things I am supposed to feel with you to think I am ready, but I still find myself holding back and- I think about you, I think about you a lot, but I don’t even know what I’m doing- If I was a girl, or maybe more experienced, things between us might had happened a long time ago and- Your previous relationships, were they the same?”

“Baek…” Chanyeol stops Baekhyun with a gentle call of his name, before he jumps to the next worrisome topic of his thoughts, and Chanyeol is already having a bit of difficulty keeping up with his fast talking. He takes Baekhyun’s hand in his and weaves their fingers securely, resting their hands on his knee. Baekhyun’s eyes focus on their hands, his fingers squeezing back, but his lips pout sadly. He looks like he has many more things to say, but at the same time, he has said too much, and now he is insecure and quiet, deep in thought. Chanyeol sighs lightly. “Stop comparing yourself to my previous relationships and those people in my life. You are not the same as them, you are more than they ever were” he says, trying to catch Baekhyun’s downcast gaze.

Chanyeol has no idea where this heartfelt confession just came from, but he is glad his mouth didn’t mess up this time. He said exactly what he meant to say. Baekhyun doesn’t have to worry about disappointing him, of feel embarrassed, or compare himself to a girl; he is Baekhyun, and that’s why Chanyeol loves him, that’s why he wants him, and he wouldn’t change him for anyone else. It takes Baekhyun a couple of moments, but eventually he nods in understanding with wobbling lips, and his eyes lift slowly to Chanyeol’s face. Chanyeol gives him a sweet smile and brings their intertwined hands to his lips so that he can kiss the back of Baekhyun’s hand. That brings a smile on Baekhyun’s lips too.

“Just out of curiosity though…” Baekhyun’s fingers tighten around Chanyeol’s hand for a moment like a nervous twitch, but his smile doesn’t fade. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but I- I would appreciate an honest answer” he nods his head along as he babbles, his cheeks turning a lovely rosy hue. Chanyeol’s eyebrows quirk in curiosity. “How many people were there, before this relationship?” he motions with his free hand between the two of them, and then he presses his lips in a thin line, a small frown appearing between his eyebrows, giving Chanyeol a determined look.

“You mean, people I was intimate with?” Chanyeol guesses, just to make sure they’re on the same wavelength; he wouldn’t want to start a different awkward conversation when this is already somewhat difficult on Baekhyun. Baekhyun presses his lips a little harder and nods, bracing himself. Chanyeol doesn’t think there is a need for that. “Three” he answers easily, shrugging his shoulders casually. He was not planning to hide it from Baekhyun anyway. Baekhyun’s eyes open wide in surprise.

“Only three people for bedroom activities?! But you are Park Chanyeol!” he says in disbelief, his eyebrows lifting higher. Chanyeol doesn’t know how to feel about that reaction, but he hopes those puppies in the back didn’t catch anything indecent.

“Yeah, I am, so?” he asks, furrowing his eyebrows and pouting in confusion. Baekhyun blinks taken aback.

“Well, I mean, you have dated more models and actresses than I can remember and, you’re good looking, so propositions must have been coming at you left and right, you’re a healthy and respectable grown man, and pretty much anyone with eyes would want you…Are you sure you are not sugar-coating this for me? I promise I won’t get mad or anything, I would totally understand” he says, looking into Chanyeol’s eyes earnestly, his gestures accompanying his words perfectly; Chanyeol finds a little cute –or a lot.

“No, Baek, I’m serious; there have been only three people” Chanyeol repeats with a light chuckle, but his conviction is clear in his words. Yes, he has dated many people, maybe kissed some of them, and yes, he has had a sunflower load of indecent proposals in his life, but he has never done anything without sincere feelings. He finds it pointless, dishonest and cowardly, and he has had this attitude ever since he can remember, no matter his teenage hormonal needs –perhaps his father’s indiscretions served a purpose for him. Seeing how Baekhyun doesn’t seem convinced yet, his expression confused and disbelieving, Chanyeol decides to explain, letting out a sigh.

“The first one was my third girlfriend in high school. We had been together for the whole senior year, so we thought it was natural and we did it. I broke up with her two months after that, because it was teenage love not meant to last. The second one was a girl in Italy. I met her while studying there and she was great, but I had to come back here and we wanted different things, so we ended it as friends. The third was Dara and, as you already know, that didn’t end well. And that’s pretty much it, no matter the in-between dating history. I’m sorry if you find it disappointing or…” Chanyeol shrugs his shoulders, his lips slanting to the side in the way his dimple shows. He really cannot guess what Baekhyun might think. It sounds a bit traditional and boring, not what one would expect of someone like him, he knows, but he wouldn’t want to change it either. Baekhyun’s reaction is questionable, because his eyes widen, either in shock or excitement, it’s hard to tell with the sun twinkling in them.

“Oh my god…” Baekhyun mumbles numbly and pulls his hand away to cover his face with both his hands. Chanyeol is going to go with shock, as the meaning of this reaction. Please, let him not be disappointed in me…“I turned you gay. I turned the Park Chanyeol gay” Baekhyun concludes after everything he’s heard, groaning in his hands in embarrassment. Chanyeol blinks, feeling an invisible weight lifting from his chest, relieved that this reaction has little to do with his original worries of disappointing Baekhyun. What just happened? With this outcome, after exposing so much of himself, he can’t control the laugh that bubbles out of his throat, his voice ringing sweeter when he thinks of Baekhyun’s endearing reaction. “Not funny” Baekhyun’s mortified mumble sounds muffled behind his hands, as if to punctuate his cuteness. How can he be shy over this? Chanyeol has always liked Baekhyun and in this conviction he never questioned himself. So what if his former partners were girls? It’s not the same but it’s not all that different either, and because he is so much in love, it is even better. Chanyeol scoots closer and embraces Baekhyun to comfort him, arms circling around his waist and trying to bring him closer, but since that doesn’t work with the way Baekhyun is sitting, he leans over Baekhyun’s shoulder and nuzzles his nose on that spot of soft skin on Baekhyun’s neck. The smaller squirms with a small whine of protest.

“You make me the happiest Baek, that’s what matters” he says with a wide smile in demonstration, and Baekhyun pulls his hands away from his flushed face just a little bit to give Chanyeol a side glance. Chanyeol kisses Baekhyun’s temple and pulls back, vaguely aware that they are still in public and he is acting like a clingy three-year-old. “I don’t mind how slow or fast you want to take things. I’ll do anything you want, because I want to keep you for a long, long time, and I want you to be happy throughout that time” he grins, a little self conscious with how that came out he does want Baekhyun to be happy with him for a long time, if Baekhyun wants to be with him for so long in the first place.

Baekhyun looks at Chanyeol with an indecipherable, innocent gaze for a few long moments, and then he bites his lower lip while his lips curl into a small smile. It’s all the answer Chanyeol needs.

They bask in the sun in silence for a little while longer, and when the sun has almost disappeared behind the horizon, they decide it’s time to leave the park; Chanyeol can sense he’s going to be hungry soon, and it’s a proven fact that his appetite has nothing on Sulli’s, so they should go home and prepare dinner soon. They get up and throw away the plastic cups in a nearby recycling bin, and then Chanyeol waves at Sulli to come over. She notices them instantly and scampers to say bye to her new friends, the little girls waving at each other adorably. Chanyeol watches with a fond smile as the girl bounds to them happily, and Baekhyun stretches like a lazy cat beside him, to unknot his muscles. Sulli soon hops to their side, running straight for Baekhyun, who is already expecting her with open arms. She climbs into his embrace, her arms settling around his shoulders, and Baekhyun fixes her dress and a couple of flyaway hair strands with a smile. They seem to be closer than Chanyeol thought.

“Since when do you let other people hold you?” he complains to Sulli with a playful lilt in his voice, and he pouts at them exaggeratedly, feeling left out. Baekhyun smiles at him sweetly and Sulli giggles.

“Since I have Baekhyunnie oppa! He’s so strong~” she answers cheerfully and clings on the smaller male even more for emphasis, with a blissful smile; Baekhyun squeezes her in his arms too, grinning widely. He loves cuddles after all. “And he smells nice” Sulli adds then, and Baekhyun bursts into laughter, Chanyeol joining him. The little girl only giggles again and leans her head on Baekhyun’s shoulder. Chanyeol finds the picture of Baekhyun holding a child adorable, but he keeps his thoughts to himself.

“Did you have fun?” Baekhyun asks Sulli, and the girl smiles enthusiastically, lifting her head to recount her day properly.

“It was great! I made so many friends! We played chase and we made flower bracelets! Can we do this again sometime? Please?” she turns to Chanyeol with pleading puppy eyes for her request –she is old enough to know he is weak, everyone knows it, even Baekhyun smiles knowingly, giving Chanyeol a look. Chanyeol pretends to roll his eyes –if only to save a fragment of his dignity– and mutters in surrender, resulting in a cheering squeal from the girl and half a hug to Chanyeol as she leans from Baekhyun’s arms. Baekhyun makes sure he doesn’t drop her, silently cooing at Chanyeol for being such a softie.

“Aww, look at them! Such a nice family, they are such cute fathers!” a few female voices chatter and coo nearby, and Chanyeol realizes it’s them they are talking about. Baekhyun must have heard it too, because he blinks up at Chanyeol innocently and his cheeks turn five adorable shades pinker. Chanyeol only stares back at him, not knowing what to say. It’s hard to think straight when they’re standing with their faces so close due to Sulli’s hug from one man’s arms to the other’s.

“You are not my fathers though” Sulli is the one to speak, detaching from Chanyeol and allowing Baekhyun to make a step back. They both blink at her, surprised. Chanyeol panics for a moment because, sunflowers, how is he supposed to explain to a little girl about intimate relationships between people of the same gender, and what is Sulli going to think of Baekhyun after that, and his aunt is so going to kill him over this-

“Sulli, what that lady meant-” Baekhyun starts to explain to the little girl, and Chanyeol feels partly relieved, because he is still panicking and there is no way he will form a coherent, acceptable response anytime soon.

“I know what she meant” Sulli stops Baekhyun calmly and surprises them both even more “I might be five and a half, but I know you love Chanyeollie oppa. I know that he loves you too, Baekhyunnie oppa. Mommy says that people who love each other sometimes make a family. She says that all children in the world come from a mommy and a daddy, but I think I wouldn’t mind having you two as my daddies, and I don’t think I would miss a mommy. But, the truth is, I have a mommy already, and a daddy, so you can’t be my fathers. But don’t be sad! I will love you even then!” she wraps her arms around Baekhyun’s neck in a tight hug, as if to comfort him, missing the stunned silence of the two adults. Baekhyun looks up at Chanyeol with wide eyes, completely speechless, and Chanyeol returns the look. They have no idea what to say, but it seems okay, because it is mutual.

When Sulli is done suffocating Baekhyun, he puts her down and holds her hand as they start walking to the parking lot quietly, Chanyeol holding her other hand, listening to Sulli’s cheerful narrations of her games and her new friends. Chanyeol makes sure she has buckled her seatbelt properly, her voice chattering endlessly, while Baekhyun listens to her patiently as he settles in the passenger seat. The radio is on before Chanyeol even makes it into traffic, and by the time she is asleep in the back seat, Chanyeol and Baekhyun have forgotten about the earlier incident, and Chanyeol is in high spirits, driving home while holding Baekhyun’s hand.

--

“Over here princess! Run, run, run!” Baekhyun squeals, maneuvering around the coffee table in Chanyeol’s living room to hop on the huge couch. It feels slightly wrong to step on something so expensive, but Chanyeol himself is not sparing his furniture the rough treatment, so Baekhyun thinks it’s okay to have fun around the house, as long as he doesn’t break anything, because his bank account will never be able to replace it.

Sulli rushes out of the hallway running on her small feet, looking like a little ghost because she’s wearing Chanyeol’s white t-shirt as a nightgown, and Baekhyun feels slightly concerned at the back of his mind, lest she trips over the oversized article of clothing the way she’s stumbling to escape. She giggles and squeals her way to Baekhyun, turning her head to glance over her shoulder every now and then, her black ponytail bouncing, baby hairs wild around her flushed face.

A few moments later, Chanyeol comes out of the hallway too, flailing his arms and laughing loudly. Sulli yelps in distress and playfully calls out to Chanyeol a couple of times. Chanyeol chases her around the dinner table, hiding behind the chairs and making her scream with his sudden appearance; and Baekhyun wonders where he gets all that energy because, personally, he feels two steps away from dropping to the floor and snoring till tomorrow afternoon. When did he grow so old? Or maybe, Chanyeol still stays young? The giant looks absolutely adorable playing with the little girl, handling her gently and playfully at the same time, just enough for her to squeak and laugh. Baekhyun thinks that Chanyeol would make a wonderful parent, partly because he is a lot like a child himself sometimes, so it’s easier to communicate.

“Save me! Baekhyunnie prince oppa, save me!” Sulli calls breathlessly, running to the couch, squeezing herself between the coffee table and the armchair. They are playing a game in which Sulli is the princess, Baekhyun is the prince and Chanyeol is the dragon –because he is the tallest and the loudest, he got the part without any competition. They’ve been chasing for the better part of the evening, keeping her busy and hoping to tire her out until it’s time to send her to bed; it shouldn’t be long now, she is already tired and they can’t be as loud as this into the night.

“Don’t worry princess!” Baekhyun hops over the back of the couch bravely –just look at his ninja agility when his brain is only half-awake, wow– and picks her off the floor in his arms, to throw her gently onto the couch, their safe place, where she falls giggling, safe from the intimidating dragon with the incredibly deep voice. Baekhyun is about to cheer for their success, when two strong arms surprise him, circling around his waist and pulling him back until he crushes against a firm chest. Chanyeol curls around him like a cage and he can’t move an inch against the strong hold. He can feel his cheeks pink instantly and his heart racing, but he laughs his surprise away; it’s not the first time Chanyeol has caught him in this game, even Baekhyun jumped on his back earlier to save Sulli in a pinch. Somehow, so much touching is acceptable in the context of their game.

“What will you do now? I got your prince!” Chanyeol calls to Sulli, his warm breath brushing on Baekhyun’s skin and neck, his entire body feeling too warm from the intense workout that is chasing a child around the house. The girl pops up from behind the back of the cough with wide eyes and wails, supposedly in distress. Chanyeol chuckles darkly next to Baekhyun’s ear, his deep voice raising goose bumps on Baekhyun’s skin. He can feel the warmth of Chanyeol’s body behind him, and his labored heartbeat from running around earlier resonating against his back, but he pretends it doesn’t make his insides stir and his skin tingle. He tries to wiggle away playfully, like he did last time, but Chanyeol only holds him tighter against his stone body, his fingers and taut muscles digging into Baekhyun’s flesh softly –and Baekhyun thinks he is this close to stop giggling and start whinnying and pressing up further against him, because oh-

Nope, he didn’t just think that.

“Let him go! Let my prince go, and I will give you a kiss!” Sulli proposes an exchange, and Chanyeol mercifully loosens his hold on the smaller, letting him catch a breath. Baekhyun is ready to scurry away to save himself, terrified with the thoughts he is having in the presence of the child, but to his surprise, Chanyeol keeps him around for a lingering second, too small to be noticed by anyone else.

The taller doesn’t even have to lean any closer to kiss the nape of Baekhyun’s neck briefly before releasing him, his soft and warm lips touching Baekhyun’s skin so fleetingly that the girl couldn’t have noticed. Baekhyun feels fire spreading all over his skin and down his spine, unable to prevent it. W-what just happened? His body freezes in place instead of rushing away like he had planned, and his cheeks are burning a million degrees. Chanyeol doesn’t say anything though, his arms dropping from around Baekhyun’s body as he promised, and he strides closer to Sulli, kneeling by the couch so she can reach him. Baekhyun stays behind, dumbfounded and furiously blushing. Chanyeol claims his kiss from the girl and, after he receives a peck on the cheek, he supposedly transforms into a knight and their game ends. Baekhyun watches the two cousins bicker playfully and laughing childishly, and he slowly finds a way to breathe again. It was a game, yeah, just a game.

He will pretend this never happened. He will lock it away and pretend this game ended when he brought Sulli to the couch. Because he can certainly not afford to be thinking of Chanyeol right now, alongside other things, and the things that Chanyeol does and make Baekhyun’s head spin with all sorts of crazy emotions. Baekhyun throws all those thoughts at a dark corner in the back of his mind and joins the others’ celebrations, plopping down on the couch next to Sulli and receiving a hug from her with a wide smile.

“I want water, oppa…” Sulli flutters her eyelashes at Chanyeol innocently with her request, and the taller twirls her ponytail around his finger before leaving a kiss on the top of her head gently. Baekhyun squeals inwardly at the gesture. Chanyeol gets up from his seat and leaves for the kitchen without any objections; Baekhyun giggles unnoticed at how the little girl manipulates Chanyeol and has him wrapped around her little finger. Admittedly, having a giant as a servant might come in handy many times, let alone if the giant is gorgeous, strong, polite, good-hearted and soft…Sulli is a smart girl.

Baekhyun relaxes in his seat, finally letting his protesting muscles loosen, his body feeling so heavy and lethargic. Sulli stirs next to him, and he can detect a few nervous twitches in her moves, due to the earlier energetic spree that had them running and chasing around the house, creating too much noise. She seems like she is coming down from her hyperactive cloud fast though, pressing the right button to open the tv with clumsy fingers, blinking furiously in an effort to find focus. She tunes in to a random channel that no one intends to be watching, and then she settles comfortably, wiggling her way closer to Baekhyun and melting against his side with a long, sleepy sigh. Baekhyun smiles at the new sensation of a small body fitting against him; it stirs something protective in him, and he thinks he understands now how Chanyeol is willing to do anything the girl asks. He wraps an arm around her shoulders and she leans her head on his ribs drowsily.

In the next second, the screen is full of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, flexing his tan muscles and giving smoldering, angry stares through the screen. Baekhyun is not in the mood to pay attention to the movie further than admiring the actor’s physique, and his thoughts travel back to pictures of Chanyeol and Sulli interacting throughout the day. Chanyeol smiles even wider when he is playing with Sulli, and he looks twice as sweet and gorgeous with her in his arms, so much that Baekhyun thinks there is no mother out there who wouldn’t swoon at the picture, and no child –or adult, quite frankly– that wouldn’t want to be in Sulli’s place. And that terrified look on Chanyeol’s face when Sulli brought over the Great Dane was absolutely hilarious –even though Baekhyun pretended he didn’t see anything.

“Oppa…” Sulli chants in a low voice, capturing his attention. He snaps out of his daze and turns to see her in the flashing lights of the screen, her expression mesmerized, eyes wide and glazed, slack with surprise. Well that’s cute… “Who is that?!” she demands then, pointing at the screen furiously, and Baekhyun smirks knowingly when he glances over at the device.

“That’s Hugh Jackman, love, he is an actor” he offers, as Sulli leans out of his arms and turns over to lie on her stomach, swinging her calves in the air and resting her head in her hands. She gives the tv a dreamy stare and Baekhyun holds back a chuckle. The girl has good taste –give or take forty years.

“He is amazing…” she mumbles under her breath, and Baekhyun turns his eyes to the screen to enjoy as well. Because, come on, it’s Hugh Jackman, you cannot not like him.

“Mmm, he is dreamy, isn’t he?” he agrees with the girl, who sighs longingly in response “Him and Chris Hemsworth”

“Who’s that?” Sulli turns to Baekhyun with jittery interest sparking in her eyes, and he grins at her fondly.

“That’s the actor who plays Thor, the god of thunder. We’ll talk about him some other time” he winks at her conspiratorially and she smiles widely, her eyes twinkling. Baekhyun finds himself unexpectedly entertained with this new mission of introducing Sulli to superheroes who look like something above average. His personal views on superhero movies aside, every human being with proper eyes admires the actors; even just the physical exertion is admirable, but some of them are very talented too. The little girl parts her lips to say something, but she stops herself when Chanyeol comes into view.

“Here is your water, princess. What did you and Baekhyun talk about while I was gone?” he gives her the glass of water and kneels on the floor in front of her to reach her eye level, giving her a hopeful look and a small smile.

“It’s a secret” Sulli shoots him down with no remorse, and Chanyeol’s smile turns into a heartbroken pout in a heartbeat –how can he turn so cute in a blink? Sulli remains unfazed, only snickering coyly and then bringing the glass to her lips to drink water. Baekhyun has a feeling she has tortured Chanyeol like this before. The giant turns to Baekhyun with the same pout, which dares Baekhyun for the second time today to kiss it, but Baekhyun shrugs his shoulders innocently instead, playing along with the girl to tease Chanyeol. Chanyeol gives up with a huff when Sulli finishes her water and hands her glass back to him.

“I’m sleepy, oppa” Sulli turns to Baekhyun and tugs at his short sleeve, leaning on him as her eyes flutter close. Baekhyun smiles sweetly at her and takes her in his arms, tucking her head against his shoulder and holding her carefully while getting off the couch. She’s already slack in his hold, and Chanyeol chuckles quietly, leaning around Baekhyun to check if she’s sleeping. He offers to take her from Baekhyun’s arms and relieve him of the strain, but she is not all that heavy, so Baekhyun keeps her.

“It’s okay, I’ll take her to her bed” he whispers, feeling the little girl breathing evenly on his shoulder, fast asleep. Chanyeol gives him a sweet smile that makes his heart flip, and Baekhyun smiles back sheepishly, feeling a small blush on his cheeks. That soft and warm look of a proud parent who is in love in Chanyeol’s caramel eyes makes Baekhyun feel oddly flustered. For obvious reasons.

“I’ll make us some tea, okay?” Chanyeol whispers behind Baekhyun, and the shorter nods over his shoulder as he makes his escape for the hallway, hoping that his cheeks didn’t get too red or that Chanyeol didn’t notice much. He maneuvers in the darkness until he finds the guest room –surprising himself by how familiar this huge house seems to him now– and he lays Sulli on the bed carefully, making sure she is safely tucked in under the covers. He smiles and brushes a strand of hair away from her angelic sleeping face. She is so cute and small, and her peaceful expression is so different from her smiling and excited ones earlier. He glances at her one last time before leaving silently, tip-toeing away from the room.

Baekhyun pads quietly down the hallway and finds Chanyeol in the kitchen, just as he finishes making their tea in two ceramic mugs. The giant is focused on measuring everything perfectly, a small frown carved between his eyebrows, his lips pouting adorably. Baekhyun smiles privately and enjoys the picture for a few moments, watching silently by the doorframe and leaning against it. It’s not every day a mortal gets to see Park Chanyeol in his kitchen, much less see him as your boyfriend, preparing something for you only. Looking at his plum lips and his twinkling caramel eyes, his soft peach skin and his small cute breaths, Baekhyun wonders how he could have ever missed that he liked Chanyeol. The feeling the man invokes inside him is clearly more than friendly admiration, his heart thundering and then dancing and then spinning happily before it starts drowning in a pool of glinting emotions.

Wait; did Baekhyun just glance at Chanyeol’s body? Oh my god, he just did it again! Stop it, stop it, stop it…But the sight is rather inviting. Chanyeol is wearing loose black sweat pants that taper snuggly under the hem of his green t-shirt, which would be huge on Baekhyun –and why is Baekhyun thinking about wearing Chanyeol’s clothes? Baekhyun bites his lips at the sight of the milky expanse of skin on Chanyeol’s forearms and the muscles that flex underneath as he moves. His black hair makes the skin at the nape of his neck seem even fairer and he looks very childish –only taller, toner and se*ier.

Oh god, Byun Baekhyun get a hold of yourself! They had that conversation earlier, and it was left to Baekhyun’s imagination to conclude that Chanyeol is waiting for Baekhyun, until he is ready. Problem is, what do you do when you are feeling constantly ready, but your body doesn’t know how to show it? Because Chanyeol is a wonderful man, very attractive and a great boyfriend, and Baekhyun can’t help but feel safe and treasured with him, he trusts him completely, and he has been ready for some time now. He thought he was making himself clear every time they kiss and get closer, but Chanyeol holds back, so maybe Baekhyun is making him uncomfortable without realizing; admittedly, Baekhyun’s body stiffens when they get too close, and the taller might think of this as a sign of discomfort.

Baekhyun’s thoughtful frown is erased instantly when Chanyeol turns around, holding two cups of steaming tea. Chanyeol notices him immediately and he smiles softly.

“Hey beautiful” he says, keeping his deep voice down, resulting in a lower timbre that makes Baekhyun’s spine feel like jelly, his knees weak and his skin ravished by goose bumps. He feels his cheeks growing hotter, and he thinks he must look really weird if he blushes just at the sound of Chanyeol’s voice. “Why are you standing over there?”

“I was just being q-quiet…” Baekhyun mumbles and his cheeks are definitely pink by now. He inwardly groans; did he have to stutter? He could have pretended to be cool and casual, he has the acting skill –just not the mental coherency right now, after such a long day. He bites his lower lip, feeling embarrassed; Chanyeol just caught him checking him out, for crying out loud. He is not entirely sure he was doing something he was not supposed to, but he feels guilty the more he thinks about it, and his heart is fluttering in his chest. Chanyeol doesn’t say anything though, and he quietly comes closer, offering Baekhyun one cup with a wide grin, and Baekhyun returns a small, thankful smile. He is also thankful that Chanyeol chooses not to comment on his rosy skin.

“This is for you” he says simply, and Baekhyun wraps his cold fingers around the cup, feeling the warmth sipping under his skin. He inhales the scented steam which he recognizes as forest fruit, and he smiles behind the rim of the cup, thinking that Chanyeol got his favorite, as he takes a small sip, careful not to burn his tongue. He smiles up at the giant and he is surprised to find him staring already, with a gentle smile on his lips. His heart reacts at the sight and Baekhyun would blush if he wasn’t already pink. “Let’s go inside” Chanyeol ushers him to the living room, with a hand on the small of his waist to guide him.

Baekhyun’s knees might or might not be wobbling slightly on the way to the couch due to that small touch, so it’s a huge relief when he sits down, getting comfortable with a faint smile on his lips. His heart calms down significantly when Chanyeol sits beside him, the familiar proximity between them easing his nerves; he’s ready to enjoy the quiet moments with his boyfriend, unwinding after the long day. This feels pleasantly relaxing after a day full of energetic activities; being around Chanyeol feels warm and fuzzy in the best way imaginable. He notices a plate of sliced apple, drizzled with honey and cinnamon, on the coffee table and he smiles, picking up one piece and nibbling on it, feeling content. Chanyeol is not just taking care of him, he is spoiling him. It feels nice.

Chanyeol is calm for a while, humming a tune under his breath which Baekhyun recognizes as ‘something stupid’, and he quietly sings along to every other verse; they keep stealing glances at each other and smiling, until most of the tea is gone. When there’s only a dusty drop of liquid left in Baekhyun’s cup, Chanyeol takes it from his hands, leaving both cups on the coffee table; Baekhyun pouts in bewilderment, because he doesn’t need to be spoiled that much, he’s not as tired to have everything handed to him. But all his thoughts scatter when Chanyeol starts leaning towards him with a cryptic smile; Baekhyun blinks in confusion and starts leaning backwards to save some breathing space, trying to decipher the look in Chanyeol’s twinkling caramel eyes –why is Chanyeol so gorgeous and soft but also tempting and seductive, and why is he coming closer, Baekhyun’s heart can’t take it!

“C-Chanyeol?” Baekhyun stutters in confusion, but the taller doesn’t stop tilting forward, further and further, until Baekhyun loses his balance and falls on his back against the couch seat with a squeak. Chanyeol chuckles, that same, husky, dark chuckle, and Baekhyun’s heart nearly skips out of his chest, his stomach squirming. Chanyeol is clearly in a playful mood, when he inevitably falls out of balance too and crashes with a giggle, but instead of trapping Baekhyun underneath him, he manages to fit himself snuggly between Baekhyun and the back of the couch, even though it seemed impossible for a giant body to fit in that confined space. Baekhyun doesn’t have time to process what is happening or sigh in relief, before he feels a strong arm curling around his body and pulling him closer to Chanyeol’s firm chest. His legs get tangled with two longer limbs and his body feels so comfortably warm in that small nest, the tension gathered in his muscles now melting away alongside his worries in Chanyeol’s arms. Baekhyun feels his heart explode in a whirlpool of lights, and it’s very hard for him to refrain from nuzzling closer to Chanyeol and molding himself against his lean frame, his softer body filling in all the nooks and crevices between them.

“Shhh” Chanyeol hushes him softly, and Baekhyun stays silent with a hidden smile for a while, listening to his own heart pounding loudly in his chest and the soft breaths flowing in and out of Chanyeol’s chest, instead of asking what this is about. Does he really need to know? Being so close to him is nice no matter the reason. Chanyeol’s cotton scent and the rhythmic caresses of his warm hands up and down Baekhyun’s spine help the smaller relax like an indulgent cat, melting in Chanyeol’s strong arms and surrendering to the comfortable and comforting feeling of safety and peace. Cuddles are always a great way to end the day, if only Baekhyun weren’t so sleepy; he’s so tired he feels like he might doze off before the next blink of his eyes, and that wouldn’t be fair to Chanyeol.

“You are as cuddly as am I” he says after a while with a chuckle, trying to keep himself awake for just a little bit longer; if he can keep his eyes open, he can enjoy every moment of Chanyeol’s affection, which might or might not be an effort to compensate for their lost date, even though Baekhyun had a great day and he wouldn’t ask for anything in return. Not that he is complaining; Baekhyun rarely meets people as cuddle-prone as he is, seeking for caresses and warmth with every given chance, and he doesn’t do it all that often for himself, but right now he realizes that maybe that similarity is one of the things that brought Chanyeol and Baekhyun closer in the first place. Chanyeol was the first to give him a hug, and neither ever protested to holding hands, or leaning on each other, or being unusually close, and even after they became an official couple, they always find ways to sneak touches and kisses and hugs.

“You only notice that now?” Chanyeol pulls back to look down at him with a strained smile and raised eyebrows. Baekhyun laughs a bit at the teasing and slaps his chest playfully, his arm too weak to do much other than caress Chanyeol’s sternum. Chanyeol lets out a quiet laugh and Baekhyun marvels his deep voice until it shimmers down, oblivious to the goose bumps rippling Chanyeol’s skin on his arms.

But Baekhyun has landed the first touch now, and his drowsy hands have a mind of their own, smoothing over Chanyeol’s pectorals, fingers tracing his clavicles over the soft t-shirt, looping over the ball of his shoulder and then sliding back down towards the centre of his broad chest. Chanyeol is scratching softly between his shoulder blades and Baekhyun can feel shivers down his spine and across his skin. His back arches and his toes press on Chanyeol’s ankles as he stretches, and oh, look at that, he’s close enough to kiss Chanyeol’s chin. Straining his neck with a breathless giggle, Baekhyun manages to peck his favorite mole on the underside of Chanyeol’s jaw, and Chanyeol squirms in protest, plastering himself against the back of the couch, trying to save himself from Baekhyun’s sneaky kisses. He looks down at Baekhyun with wide, incredulous eyes, but the effect is ruined by his wide smile.

“Don’t you try to distract me, mister koala, I heard you earlier” he accuses playfully, his voice barely above a whisper, not to disturb the sleeping girl a few doors down the hallway. Baekhyun frowns in confusion; did he say something chargeable earlier? They have talked and laughed a lot today, his sleepy brain is not helping him remember anything specific. Chanyeol plays along to his words and pouts cutely; Baekhyun doesn’t know what brought this on but he is squealing inside with the close view of those velvety pouting lips. They stare at each other like this for a few moments and Baekhyun keeps drawing blanks in his head, until Chanyeol decides to explain himself. “Hugh Jackman is a dreamy guy?” he whimpers adorably, his lower lip jutting out temptingly.

“I knew you were listening!” Baekhyun accuses with an incredulous look. He knew it was odd that Chanyeol didn’t hear their conversation when he was just in the other room –and it was suspicious that he tried to get the truth out of Sulli. But then why didn’t he say anything earlier? Maybe he wanted to let the little girl believe he hadn’t heard. Chanyeol gives him a hurt look, his puppy eyes gleaming beautifully.

“Yeah, I heard…” he mumbles dejectedly and keeps pouting even more miserably, like a kicked puppy. “But I didn’t do it on purpose and I wasn’t very happy about it in the end. How can I compete with Wolverine?” he huffs with a troubled frown before going back to melancholy. Baekhyun stifles a laugh at the cuteness of it all, Chanyeol’s jealousy of a fictional character –of all things– and his charming and endearing reaction. He snakes a hand between them and reaches for Chanyeol’s nape, playing with the ends of his hair and his short, silky strands around his large, flaming ears.

“You don’t have to compete, you know” he coaxes gently, reassuring the childish giant with a smile. Baekhyun likes many things and admires many people, but he doesn’t love anyone else like Chanyeol –certainly not a fictional superhero. The taller blinks sadly at him with his caramel depthless orbs, making Baekhyun’s butterflies spin frenzied in his stomach. As if anyone else could make Baekhyun feel like this; the subtle lights of the room pooling in his glassy orbs, the glossy rose color of his pouting lips, the soft velvet of his skin, the black chopped strands of hair falling messily over his forehead, it all makes him look so endearing and charming, and irresistible in every way. The spell floats between them, a pull that tingles on the skin and makes their hearts beat in anticipation against each other’s chests. With a flickering glance to Chanyeol’s almond eyes, Baekhyun can see the same emotions he feels reflected in his gaze, and he takes his chance, leaning up as far as he can, closing the small distance between their lips.

Chanyeol is expecting him, tilting his head slightly to accommodate their kiss and gathering Baekhyun closer to him securely, making sure he won’t tumble over the edge. Baekhyun kisses Chanyeol tenderly to ease his blues, brushing his lips against the soft curves of Chanyeol’s plum lips once, before leaving a soft kiss against them. He puts hardly any pressure, leaving a feather light, loving kiss on the adorable pout he has been yearning for all day. Chanyeol’s lips curve in a small smile and the butterflies in Baekhyun’s stomach start celebrating, his blood dancing faster and warming up in his veins. He waits until Chanyeol’s hand moves, caressing up Baekhyun’s spine, giving him a hint; and that’s all Baekhyun needs to know. His hand cups Chanyeol’s porcelain cheek and his lips shift to mould around Chanyeol’s lower lip; he feels the soft, warm flesh between his lips, nibbling and massaging it, enjoying the low grumble he feels boiling under his other hand against Chanyeol’s chest. Baekhyun doesn’t know why, but he thinks Chanyeol’s lips feel like chocolate mousse, silky and sweet.

Baekhyun’s heartbeat is erratic but he doesn’t even notice it, too caught up in his bliss to care. Chanyeol’s hand caresses all the way down his back, resting precariously low on his waist, and Baekhyun’s heated body moves instinctively, his knee dragging up Chanyeol’s leg and hooking around his hip. The world shifts a little as Chanyeol pulls him to lay half on top of him, but feeling another heart against his own is hypnotizing, Chanyeol’s lips drawing him in again and again, and Baekhyun forgets to be shy. He caresses the trapped softness between his lips with his tongue, and he revels that small noise in the back of Chanyeol’s throat. He smiles and repeats his action more boldly; Chanyeol gasps in response, his breaths panting.

Baekhyun has all the access he could ever ask, but he chooses not to change this kiss and send it down a naughtier path. He is too sleepy to keep up much further, as tempting as it might be, so he doesn’t give in, not even when Chanyeol’s lips are bitten red and parted, cheeks flushed, eyes dark and hooded, so warm and so close. Baekhyun smiles down at the taller, a soft, reassuring smile, which seems to explain everything wordlessly, and Chanyeol’s expression turns more focused and peaceful, understanding Baekhyun perfectly. The taller’s hands are caressing the small of Baekhyun’s back idly, and he captures Chanyeol’s upper lip between his lips this time. His hand caresses down Chanyeol’s blushing cheek and down his long neck, as he presses his teeth slightly against the taller’s soft lip, before pulling away and kissing the corner of Chanyeol’s lips, then his cheek, slowly down his jaw to his ear. He nuzzles his nose against Chanyeol’s throat and hums contentedly, laying his head down.

Feeling more drowsy than ever and pleasantly sated, Baekhyun rests his cheek against Chanyeol’s neck and shoulder, as the taller pulls him closer, his arms wrapping around Baekhyun’s body. The combination of Chanyeol’s scent and his heartbeat is strangely lulling, and Baekhyun practically purrs when Chanyeol starts petting his hair, running his fingers in zigzags behind his ear. Baekhyun keeps thinking about the day when he will be able to sink his own fingers through the soft strands of Chanyeol’s locks again, because they are too short for now. Chanyeol slowly regains his breath from the dazed state he was earlier, and Baekhyun’s body moves with every inhale and exhale.

“Baek” he says in a low voice which reverberates against Baekhyun’s ear; the latter hums in response. “I’m sorry we didn’t go on a date today” Chanyeol apologizes for the nth time, and Baekhyun can hear his pensive pout in his voice. He manages a sleepy smile as he pulls back to look at the apologetic giant in the eyes.

“Don’t be sorry, Yeol; I had fun today, really” he promises, blinking up at the taller. Sure, it wasn’t the date he had been expecting and wishing for, but it wasn’t a disaster, far from it. It was nice and fun, one of the most energetic and cheerful days Baekhyun has had in months. Even just for the fact that he got to pet puppies and be around Chanyeol for a whole day –which hadn’t happened in a while–, this day deserves to be considered wonderful and it made Baekhyun happy. He wouldn’t even complain about his couple-time with Chanyeol; the stolen moments to themselves throughout the day were equally sweet as ever, making his heart flutter excitedly in his chest, warm and sunny and sweet. Chanyeol gazes at him fondly, his fingers gently pushing Baekhyun’s hair out of his eyes.

“I don’t know what to do to thank you enough for being so nice and wonderful” he says, smiling softly, and Baekhyun feels a small blush creeping up his cheeks. He tries to ignore it and leans into Chanyeol’s touch, smiling cheekily.

“Just be a good pillow” he quips, giving up on trying to keep his head upright and tucking it underneath Chanyeol’s chin with little effort. He wiggles a little on top of him to get comfortable and lets his heavy lids fall shut, the relief making him sigh contently. Chanyeol really is a good pillow. The taller chuckles overhead, combing his fingers through Baekhyun’s violet hair and kissing his crown.

“Sleep well, Baek” Chanyeol’s deep voice vibrates in his chest against Baekhyun’s cheek, sounding even deeper and more velvety, lulling Baekhyun swiftly out of consciousness.

--

The door knocks and Sehun walks backwards, trying to keep his eyes on the tv for as long as possible –so as not to miss the developments of the drama he always refuses to be watching while waiting for Luhan to come back–, as he heads for the door. The hollow knocks on the door sound again –rather impatiently, if Sehun may say so– in the short time it takes him to reach it, and he tears his gaze off the screen to answer it; thinking that he made sure he kept the shopping list light and precise, so Luhan had better not bought three extra bags of useless things like last time…

He is slightly surprised when he opens the door to find someone he has not seen before. He hasn’t seen an unfamiliar face showing up at Luhan’s apartment since the postman retired and a new one was assigned. The man is tall –really tall, taller than Sehun– and he is rather well built, perhaps a bit intimidating to the average person. Tree-guy has blond hair, short and messy, although it might have been combed nicely once, and his eyes are closed as if he’s sleeping on his feet, but his eyebrows are scary. He is leaning against the wall weakly, his otherwise expensive clothes ruffled and untidy. It’s a suspicious combination of polished and disheveled. Sehun raises an eyebrow at the sight.

“Hello?” he asks politely after a while of pregnant silence, since the man looks like he might sleep on the wall any minute, but not likely to identify himself properly before that happens. The man opens his red-rimmed, tired eyes, and gives Sehun a scowl. Or that might be his natural expression; anything is possible with those eyebrows.

“Luhan?” the man asks in a gruff voice, and if Sehun had any hopes that the man had gotten the wrong address and he could become someone else’s problem soon, they finally disperse. His eyebrow quirks curiously for a moment; Sehun doesn’t look like Luhan, what sort of mistake is that? Even with blurred vision, he is obviously taller than his boyfriend. Either the man is even less coherent than he seems, or he doesn’t want to bother with anyone else other than Luhan. The question is why though…

“Luhan is not here. Can I help you?” he offers politely, as simply as he can, subtly examining the man’s appearance, more closely this time. He doesn’t look like a thug –too much–, but Sehun can’t think why a man like him would ask for Luhan while being in such a condition. He doesn’t like assumptions, but it doesn’t look like a very friendly reason.

The man grumbles and his knees give out for a moment, making him sway from his own weight –that doesn’t look very good either. At least he doesn’t fall. The man tries to mumble something that Sehun’s ears don’t catch.

“Sir, can I help you?” he repeats, trying to keep his polite demeanor. He would never turn aggressive or impolite, especially since this is not the door to his own house, but that doesn’t mean he is not feeling slightly irritated. He doesn’t like feeling impatient. The man gives him a death glare that doesn’t sway Sehun. He’s immune to Kyungsoo hyung’s glare, please, this is nothing compared to that.

“Luhan.” the man repeats, frowning stubbornly, and he detaches himself from the wall to take one step closer to him. That’s when the familiar stench hits Sehun’s nose –whiskey. Oh, so that’s how it is…

“I’m afraid he is not here, sir” he makes sure his words are spoken clearly and slowly enough; when his father is in a similar condition, it seems to help him understand if Sehun speaks like that. This time, it is questionable whether the man understood or not. He bangs his fist on the door frame, around the same height as Sehun’s face, and the latter doesn’t appreciate the aggressive implication –or the possible dent left there.

“LUHAAAAN!” the man hollers in Sehun’s face, looking past him inside the apartment. Sehun almost chokes at the alcohol scent thrown in his face. He mentally shakes his head; unless the man is paranoid, why would Sehun hide Luhan?

“Sir, please keep your voice down” Sehun reminds him, minding the hour. The neighbor’s children sleep late on weekend mornings and they would be rather spooked by the man’s rough voice echoing in the hallway. On a side note, Sehun is surprised he is so familiar with Luhan’s neighbors’ children’s sleeping habits. That’s a lot of possessive nouns.

“LUHAN COME OUT! LUHAN!” the man insists, succeeding only in causing partial ear damage to Sehun, who is sure the ringing is in his ears is as real as the stench he is inhaling.

“Sir…” he tries calmly, thinking around the behavioral loops he could use to calm the man and make him understand that Luhan is not here and Sehun is honestly not lying. The man ignores him and he starts banging on the door frame again –it’s a little dangerous how close to Sehun’s face the fist is punching uncontrollably, but he doesn’t want to make any remote physical contact. Sehun sighs inwardly and decides to wait patiently until the man is done or the door breaks down, whichever comes first. It’s not like the tree-guy is in a mental state to listen to him, much less understand him.

“Sehun dear, everything okay?” the gentle voice of the woman next door catches Sehun’s attention, and he turns to her as if the gigantic man crushing his fist against the wall repeatedly is invisible. The woman glances at the man with contempt and worry, and then she looks at Sehun with concern, hiding her curious, intimidated –and awake by now– children behind her half opened door.

Sehun grits his teeth at this misfortunate predicament. Now the expectations are high of both his social skills and his patience. He is supposed to keep his mental coherency and calm demeanor, when he is already handling a nearly two meters tall, drunk man acting like a child, with an audience to their encounter, not to mention how his curiosity about how the man knows Luhan is exploding in fireworks. Life is not supposed to be so complicated.

“Everything is under control, thank you” Sehun tries to smile, as if that would be enough to convince the woman that there is no reason for concern. She nods in understanding and ushers the children inside, giving the man one last glance of worry.

“LUHAAAAAN!!!” the man nearly shirks in Sehun’s face, and he thinks he has had enough; he has been civil so far, hasn’t he? The whole building knows about the uninvited visitor by now and this is getting tiring, so Sehun has no obligation to treat him gently anymore.

“Okay, listen, Luhan is not here. I don’t know when he will be back, but can you please keep it down until then.” he deadpans with a poker face, which wouldn’t change even if an asteroid was about to hit the earth. The man growls and gives him a dirty look.

“Listen, you flimsy midget” the man mumbles threateningly, grabbing Sehun’s collar violently. Sehun doesn’t even flinch; yes, it wouldn’t be the first time he got hit by a drunken man, his father beat everyone to it, so he has learnt that staying calm helps avoid a lot of blows. “You bring me Luhan right now or-”

“Oh my god, Kris?!” Luhan’s shocked voice echoes in the stairs of the empty building. Sehun is released from the death grip instantly, unharmed, and he stumbles back, frowning at the sight, as Luhan, pale and trembling, rushes over to their side and dumps the shopping bags on the floor outside the door. “What are you doing here?” he demands of the stranger abruptly, and his eyebrows knit together above his eyes, although he is still pale from the surprise.

“Luhannnn…” the man says with a small smile of almost relief on his sleepy face. Sehun is vaguely troubled by the fact that they know each other well enough to be on first-name basis. Tree-guy is named Kris, apparently. Hi, he is Sehun.

“You stink” Luhan replies, scrunching his nose, referring to the alcohol no doubt; Sehun picks up the bags quietly, moving them inside the house. The man is Luhan’s guest now, so he is no longer required to participate in the conversation. But he stays by the door, in case Luhan needs help, or in case Luhan decides to notice Sehun and finally say something to him, explain or at least glance at him.

“I know…” the man grumbles and leans forward to rest his huge head on Luhan’s shoulder. Luhan doesn’t pull away and it feels oddly like a betrayal to Sehun. He still doesn’t know who the man is, how he came to know Luhan and what on earth made him think it is okay to show up at Luhan’s door, drunk over his head in the middle of a fine weekend morning.

It is obvious that Luhan is not welcoming him, but his actions are not completely unfriendly either. If anything, the man looks oh-so comfortable around Luhan, and Luhan returns the feeling, only with a sense of bitterness. It is irritating. Sehun doesn’t like feeling paranoid.

“You stink and you are heavy” Luhan spits the words with less repulsion than Sehun would have thought appropriate. The man rolls his head on Luhan’s shoulder and Sehun can feel an itching desire to push the man away. But, for one thing he is drunk, and for another, Luhan doesn’t seem to need his help. Sehun would do anything to help Luhan, but if Luhan won’t welcome his help, he would rather stay put and watch.

Sehun can bottle up a lot of things.

“Can I st-tay?” the man hiccups and looks up at Luhan; Sehun can’t decide if he is more concerned due to the proximity of their faces or the fact that Luhan is not leaning away. Who is this man anyway?

“No, you can’t” Luhan answers sternly, flickering a short glance at Sehun. So, finally, Sehun gets his attention, but it is not comforting like he thought it would be. These feeling are getting strange and confusing; maybe he should talk to Baekhyun hyung about it sometime.

“Please, Lulu…” the man whines and pouts in an utterly unattractive way –and Sehun is being very objective on this one, trust him. Tall men with his face should not be allowed to pout, it actually makes him look scarier. Luhan shakes his head strictly, sticking by his decision to send the man away.

“No, Kris. I’ll get you a taxi or something but you can’t-” Luhan’s solemn announcement stops in a heartbeat, when the man slides off of his shoulder and leans to the side, tilting further and further, until he crushes lifelessly, face first on the ground. He passed out. Oops. Sehun will not show he is secretly happy that the man will wake up to a throbbing headache and a bruised cheek, possibly a fractured nose and a sprained arm. Okay, he’s making this seem more serious than it is…probably.

“I can’t believe this luck…” Luhan sighs and pinches his nose bridge, closing his eyes in an effort to calm down. There’s little chance they’ll stuff the man into a taxi and send him off unconscious, right? They’ll have to help him now. And so, Sehun finds himself in a situation he hoped he would never come across.

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

a/n. Hello, buttercups! Wow, it’s been a long time –time really flies when you’re busy. I’m very sorry I couldn’t keep the updates coming while I was busy with other things; I can’t thank you enough for sticking with me through all this time *cries* If I have forgotten to answer messages and comments, I’m very sorry; don’t be shy and remind me! I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to!

One of those ‘other things’ I mentioned earlier might be to your liking, actually; if you check the list of my stories within the next few days, you’ll find a new addition! My BAE fic baby is going to be cross-posted soon~ hehe I hope it will be a nice treat for those who haven’t read it!

I’m going to go back to writing now, preparing the next update (and possibly other things for you? Hmmm who knows…) I hope I’ll be able to cope better in the summer ^v^ For those who finished school already, happy summer! Make plans for your vacation, have fun and lots of ice cream! Till next time~ kitty