The day starts normally, or as normal as it can be when you’re living with Park Chanyeol - disaster extraordinaire. Baekhyun was forced to wake up at 8AM on a Sunday morning, no thanks to Junmyeon, who decided that calling people early on a weekend morning to remind them of a dinner appointment two days later is an appropriate action. He’s in a grumpy mood after that, tossing fervently on the bed trying to fall back to sleep with little success. This is the start of the disaster.  

Baekhyun stays hidden under the covers comfortably; the chill from late autumn clings onto the walls of their house, making him reluctant to step out of bed to increase the heater’s temperature. His leisure scroll through Instagram, in an attempt to catch up with all the stupidity his friends engage on a daily basis is accompanied by the loud clanging of pots and pans as Chanyeol sets them down on the stove with too much strength. He knows that he should check up on Chanyeol - nothing good ever happens when Chanyeol is left in the kitchen alone - but keeping warm and snuggly while teasing Zitao over his newest selca is more important. He regrets that thought soon enough.

Chanyeol, being the thoughtful boyfriend he is, decides that having homemade pancakes dolloped with excessively sweet ice-cream will be the best way to make the morning right. He forgets that Baekhyun hates chocolates and anything sweet.

Egg shells are conveniently thrown in the sink (something Baekhyun will scream at him for), and flour are scattered into the air, subsequently covering the countertops around him white as he sets the setting of the mixer too high. By the time he is done, the sink is overflowing with bowls and pans, there are traces of batter dripping down the countertop, and Baekhyun’s favorite apron had been compromised by the splattering oil. Despite all these, Chanyeol is still proud of his final product. A fluffy stack of pancakes sits in the middle of the tray with ice-cream scooped generously on top of it, there is a small jug of maple syrup to the right, and their favorite banana milk is set at the corner.

He wipes his dirty feet on the kitchen mat, humming his favorite Coldplay song under his breath as he walks out of the kitchen. This is going to be a perfect Sunday.

Baekhyun is typing on his phone furiously when Chanyeol opens the door, balancing the tray of food precariously on one hand. Most of Baekhyun’s body is hidden under the blanket, with only his head and fingers peeking out of the white covers as he curls on the bed.

“Hey baby,” Chanyeol calls out softly, not wanting to startle his lover. “I’ve made us some breakfast.”

“Yeah, I can hear you even with the door closed,” Baekhyun’s reply is snarky, but there’s a small smile playing at the corner of his lips as he lifts the corner of the blanket for Chanyeol to slip in.

Chanyeol places the tray on the table, brushing his feet against Baekhyun’s warm calves purposely when he moves in to snuggle with his boyfriend, eliciting a small yelp from the smaller boy.

“Park Chanyeol, stop it.” Baekhyun threatens warningly, using a pillow to push Chanyeol away.

Chanyeol simply laughs, his loud voice echoing in their small bedroom as he puts the tray on his thighs.

“Sit up,” he tugs on the hood of Baekhyun’s hoodie gently. This was originally his hoodie, but somewhere between college and moving in together, Baekhyun had hoarded that piece of clothing, and is constantly using it as his pajama.

Baekhyun shakes his head in refusal, squirming away from Chanyeol’s touch.

“Feed me.” Baekhyun opens his mouth wilfully.

Chanyeol carefully cuts a slice of pancake and slather it with syrup and ice-cream before sending it in the direction of Baekhyun’s mouth.

“I don’t want ice-cream on it,” Baekhyun pushes Chanyeol’s hand away, turning his head to avoid the sweet gooey mess.

“Just try it once,” Chanyeol whines, pushing it even closer. “It tastes super good, I swear.”

“I hate it.”

“Try it.”

“I said I don’t want it,” Baekhyun snaps, hitting Chanyeol’s hands which causes a chain reaction when Chanyeol jerks accidentally.

It happens in slow-motion; the tray slips off Chanyeol’s thighs, and the cup of milk topples first. Droplets of yellow fluid flies into the air, the pancakes leap out of their positions on the plate, causing the ice-cream to drip sloppily onto the tray, and lastly the jug of maple syrup tips over. Finally, all of them land on the blanket, coloring the once white sheets into a disarray of colors.  

“Park Chanyeol,” Baekhyun screams in frustration when he feels the liquids seeping through the blanket. “What did I tell you? What should we do with this mess now?”

Chanyeol hangs his head guiltily, quickly peeling the wrecked covers off the two of them. “I’m sorry Baek. I’m sorry.”

Baekhyun lets out another shout of frustration, and watches as Chanyeol quickly sets the tray on the floor and rolls up the blanket, trying to prevent the mess from spreading.

“What are we going to do now?” Baekhyun huffs in annoyance, crossing his arms over his chests.

Chanyeol looks at him pitifully, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Can you bring this for dry cleaning?”

“What!”

The irritation rolling of Baekhyun is palpable, and Chanyeol cowers as he replies, “I need to clean up the kitchen.”

Before Baekhyun knows it, he is locked out of his house with only the blanket and his car keys in hand.

He muffles a curse under his breath, wary of his neighbor’s daughter staring at him as he pulls his coat tighter, trying to shut out the cold wind. The blanket feels too heavy in his arms, threatening to fall to the floor as he attempts to press for the lift. They should had gotten a smaller bed, so that he wouldn’t had to lug this heavy load to the store every laundry day. But Chanyeol had protested, claiming that his legs would dangle out of the bed frame if they settled for a smaller sized bed.

Baekhyun rushes for the car once he reaches the carpark, not wanting to stay in the cold weather any more than necessary. The stereo in the car turns on immediately after Baekhyun switches on the engine, but instead of the familiar voices of girls generation, he finds himself hearing a male’s voice that sounds a lot like Chanyeol.

“Hey baby,” Chanyeol says in a voice that Baekhyun is unfamiliar with. All the loudness and confidence are stripped off his voice, leaving only unreserved amounts of uncertainty and adoration. It is not like Chanyeol, and yet it is so distinctly Chanyeol that Baekhyun feels his cheeks heating up as he turns the car out of the basement.

“You must be so angry right now, am i right?” Baekhyun shakes his head at that, even though he would never admit it to Chanyeol. He finds it impossible to stay angry with Chanyeol, especially when the other boy always seems genuinely apologetic about his mistakes, and tries his best to make up for it. And maybe, Baekhyun is way too in love with him.

“I’m sorry, so please forgive me and listen to what I have to say. Turn right when you reach the traffic lights, and head straight for supermarket tucked in the third left alley you'll see,” Chanyeol instructs calmly, as if he has the map of their district etched in his mind.

Baekhyun is slightly skeptical, the laundry shop is to the left of the street and he definitely doesn’t want to spend winter without the comfort of his warm blanket, but he decides to humor Chanyeol, taking part in whatever the other had planned.

The shop is secluded from view, and its dull grey signboard does nothing to make it stand out. If not for the fact that Baekhyun is looking out for it consciously, he would have missed it.

“Go in, and check the jelly section.” Chanyeol says, right after Baekhyun pulls into the street. It might have been a coincidence, but Baekhyun pictures Chanyeol going through the route, timing the distance carefully so that he knows the exact time Baekhyun will reach the store.

Baekhyun pushes the door open slowly, the hinges creaking loudly due to the accumulated rust. He doesn’t know what Chanyeol wants him to find here, but he greets the cashier politely, and turns to look for the snacks section.

A thin layer of dust covers most of the items in the store, caused by the apparent lack of customers since Lotte mart is just two streets away. The store is small, and Baekhyun manages to find what he is looking for quickly.

Hidden behind multiple packs of gummies lies a yellow envelope taped with a lollipop on it. Baekhyun holds up the envelope confusedly, but he sees the cashier nodding at him, and knows instantly that Chanyeol had left it here for him to find. He heads back towards the car, tearing the envelope open once he is alone.

Chanyeol’s voice starts playing again in the background as he takes in the details of the photo. It was taken years ago when they were still in high school. He wasn’t close to Chanyeol at that time, and he stands in a corner, a smile lifting his lips as he watches Chanyeol and Sehun wrestle. A ‘thank you for being there when i argued with sehun’ is written at the back of the photo, scribbled in the scrawl Baekhyun is so familiar with.

Chanyeol and Sehun had been best friends even before he was included in their little group of friends. The two were constantly joined at the hips, playing pranks at the unsuspecting Junmyeon or simply sharing inside jokes that no one else will understand. Nobody would have expected them to get into a fight, especially over something so trivial that Baekhyun couldn’t understand it till today.

The duo had been throwing insults at each other as per usual, and they would normally laugh it off in a matter of minutes before reverting to their stupid conversations. However, the insults got more heated, and before anyone could react, Sehun had already gotten up from his seat and slammed his way out of the room.

It would be an understatement to say that life the next few days was difficult. Despite their fight, they seemed unable to stop talking to each other, often relying on their other friends to pass on the message. Their petty argument lasted surprisingly long, ending only after Junmyeon intervened and forced them to apologize.

“I dislike the fight with Sehun, but I’m also grateful for it, for we would had never became close without it.”

During that dark period, Sehun would drag Jongin and Zitao away, leaving Chanyeol with Baekhyun and Junmyeon most of the time. And since Junmyeon refused to talk to anyone of them till they made up, Chanyeol and Baekhyun got close quickly, learning more about each other in that week as compared to the past few months they had been friends.

“Thank you for eating tons of chocolates with me that night even though you hate them,” Baekhyun gags at the memories of swallowing chocolates so that he won’t have to taste them. “Even though you might not remember it, this was the store we were at that night.” Chanyeol sounds embarrassed by his cheesiness, but he braves on, “so are you ready for the next destination?”

Baekhyun places the photo onto the vacant passenger seat carefully, and follows Chanyeol’s directions to the next destination. He already knows what Chanyeol’s surprise is about, but it doesn’t stop him from anticipating what he will receive next.

The next place is a cafe near his college, somewhere he and Chanyeol used to hang out at whenever they needed to finish their assignment or when they wanted to get away from their friends for a quick date.

Like old times, the smell of coffee assaults him the moment he steps into the store, and Baekhyun finds himself reminiscing about the times when he lived with only coffee in his bloodstream.

“Luhan,” Baekhyun calls out in excitement. His favorite barista is still behind the counter, charming people with his sparkly eyes.

“You ungrateful brat,” Luhan pulls his face into a scowl, the corners of his mouth twitching as he suppresses a smile. “Did you forget how I saved your life with all those cups of coffees?”

Baekhyun rubs the nape of his neck, and laughs sheepishly. “I was busy.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Luhan answers him perfunctorily, apparently not believing him.

“Chanyeol asked me to pass this to you,” the barista sets an envelope onto the counter, “and you’re not allowed to stay for a drink.” He says when Baekhyun pulls a chair out, ready to order his favorite coffee.

“Why?” Baekhyun whines petulantly.

“I don’t want Chanyeol to drop by and nag at me when his plan fails. Having him here repeating the plan for 3 hours straight is enough.

Go now,” Luhan makes a shooing motion, and attends to the next customer in line. Baekhyun sees the cup of coffee he secretly sets in the collection counter.

The car is colder this time when Baekhyun steps in with a cup of coffee and envelope in tow. Chanyeol doesn’t speak for a minute after Baekhyun switches on the engine, as if waiting for the other boy to open the package, and realizes the meaning of the gift within.

It is a stack of musical sheets, most of them having messily written lyrics under the lines, or little notes annotated at the side.

Chanyeol lets out an embarrassed cough, and clears his throat slightly before he starts. “These are all my compositions from college. I knew that you had always wanted to see them, but they're a bit,” he trails off, laughing nervously. Baekhyun had always found that side to Chanyeol endearing. No matter the situation, he always tries to diffuse it with a smile.

The dorm room they shared in college was by no means large, but somehow, Chanyeol managed to keep those sheets of paper safely hidden, to the extent that Baekhyun was unable to find them even after going through every corner in their room.

In his desperation, Baekhyun coerced Zitao into helping him break into the professors’ office so that he could nick Chanyeol’s submission. Not that he would ever admit to it. To his disappointment, the sheets of scores that Chanyeol submitted were void of any writings or eraser marks. It was as if Chanyeol had recopied everything before submission.

They had gotten into multiple fights over it, and Baekhyun pulled out the boyfriend card, complaining about Chanyeol not trusting him enough. But Chanyeol never relented, always coaxing Baekhyun with different means, distracting the upset boy from the situation on hand.

"Just go through them and you'll know. I've ordered them chronologically."

Now that Chanyeol is willingly sharing these with him, the stack of papers sits heavy on his heart, and Baekhyun feels wary of the notes and words he had been so curious about.

"Don't worry about anything," Chanyeol assures him before the disc comes to an end.

Baekhyun flips through the papers quickly, catching words such as ‘first date’, ‘first kiss’, ‘best partner in crime, and ‘exam period encouragement’ written in the title column. On the very last piece of paper, a CD is taped onto it, and Baekhyun takes that as his cue to eject the current one and replace it.

“By now, you would have found out that I was writing about you in all my assignments. It was a little embarrassing to admit it at that time. You’ve always disguised your affections as jokes, and I didn’t want to appear too invested.” Chanyeol’s voice is tremulous, and Baekhyun takes a large sip of his coffee, willing the myriad amount of emotions he is experiencing away.

“But, you won’t laugh at me right? I’ve recorded all the songs into the CD, and you’ll probably need it since the next destination will be Han River.” Chanyeol laughs again after that, his signature awkward laughter worming its way into Baekhyun’s heart. Suddenly, it feels as if he is eighteen again, where quick fluttering of the heart and tinted cheeks are always accompanied with everything Chanyeol does.

He will definitely tease Chanyeol endlessly about it, but not before he tackles his taller boyfriend into a hug, and mutters all the overdue ‘i love yous’.

The traffic to Han River is horrible, with most of the cars on the road heading towards that direction to spend the day with their families despite the chilly weather. Chanyeol’s voice serves as a comfortable companion, albeit cheesy as he serenades about the different moments in their relationship.

The memories from college were too distant for Baekhyun to remember it in detail, most of them fading into a single 10sec gif which shows Chanyeol and him spending all their free time together.

Chanyeol, on the other hand, had safely preserved all of them, recording down all the useless squabbles they engaged in when stress was running high or the mundane disagreement over the dinner menu. Out of them all, Baekhyun loves the track ‘midnight movie’ the most.

Their group of friends had always loved watching movies, crashing at a different dorm every weekend to do a movie marathon. These sessions were always fun, with Zitao freaking out at the mildest horror movie, Jongin being a know-it-all and pointing out discrepancies between the books and their movie adaptations, Sehun keeping a straight face regardless of the movie genre, and Junmyeon trying to get everyone under control lest they’re caught staying up after curfew.

“Do you want more drinks?” Chanyeol asked, leaning over to whisper in his ear when they’re halfway through the third Harry Potter movie. For some unfathomable reason, even with Jongin’s complaints of the movies not living up to the books, and Zitao whining about being able to memorize all the lines, they still watched it once a term, like a tradition.

“Nope,” Baekhyun kept his eyes trained on the television, shuddering visibly as Chanyeol’s breath tickled his ear.

Chanyeol pushed the blanket that they’re sharing over to Baekhyun’s side, mistaking his shudder as a sign of coldness while keeping their entwined hands safely covered. Baekhyun smiled gratefully at that gesture, moving closer to his boyfriend. Their thighs touched, but neither of them moved, allowing the heat to burn the insecurities they had towards their relationship.

None of their friends knew about the relationship at that time, with both of them unwilling to be the one that broke the news and destroyed the dynamics with the group. Instead, they settled for hidden touches, and whispered endearments, letting their secret bloom in a hidden corner.

The CD is still playing even after Baekhyun pulls into the Han River carpark. He doesn’t turn it off, letting the songs wash over him as he watched groups of friends and families lugging their picnic baskets to the benches. He will be so mad if Chanyeol ever tries to emulate their actions. It doesn't make sense to have an outdoor picnic in autumn.

“That’s all,” Chanyeol does his self-congratulatory clap after the songs end, and Baekhyun can almost imagine the smug smile on his face. “Thank you for being my inspiration. You’re probably the only thing I loved about college.

I know you want to smother me with kisses now,” Chanyeol teases, “but for now, you have to go to the river side. You’ll know what you’re looking for when you’re there.”

Yellow maple leaves litter the pavement, crunching noisily as they get crushed beneath Baekhyun’s heels. The crowd thins as he walks further away from the playground, leaving only a handful of couples who are too engrossed in each other’s presence to notice him. To be honest, Baekhyun has no idea what is it that he should be looking out for; not when all the trees look the same to him. There is an inexplicable urge to drive home, and demands Chanyeol to bring all the surprises to him instead.

The riverbank is clear except for three figures huddled in thick jackets, continuously jumping on their feet to stay warm. It might be a coincidence, but Baekhyun finds them familiar.

“Byun Baekhyun,” the one wearing a brown jacket shouts at him, gesturing for him to walk faster. “Are you a slowpoke?”

Baekhyun scowls, picking up his pace nevertheless. They are indeed his friends.

“What are you all doing here?” Baekhyun asks, pointing to the pizza box held between them. “Don’t tell me you all are so dumb that you all can’t find the picnic area.”

“We have better things to do,” Zitao rolls his eyes at Baekhyun, disdain evident in his voice.

“Then?” Baekhyun raises his brows questioningly.

“Then?” Zitao copies and Jongin steps in before the duo start their childish mimicking acts.

“We’re waiting for you,” Jongin explains, taking the pizza box from Sehun. “Chanyeol asked us to pass this to you.

And this,” Jongin digs around his bag, pulling out a set of earphones and an old Discman. “He said that you should listen to this recording here.”

“Here?”

“Here.” Jongin affirms.

“Wait,” Baekhyun calls out when the trio are about to leave. “There’s no way you three will do this for free. Tell me what Chanyeol bribed you all with.”

Sehun smirks, his smile stretched in a sinister manner as he wags his finger, “you wouldn’t want to know.”

Baekhyun curses openly at his friends’ retreating back.

Chanyeol’s voice sounds muffled in the earphones, making it feel like Baekhyun is listening to a spoilt record. “I am Park Chanyeol, your tour guide, and this is your third destination on the list,” Chanyeol starts off comically, drawing uncontrollable laughter from Baekhyun.

“For this trip, our main itinerary will be sitting by Han River, eating pizza, and listening to your lovely tour guide reminiscence about the past.”

Baekhyun opens the box of pizza, and looks through all the pieces carefully. Chanyeol had always loved ordering multiple flavors in a pan of pizza, and it would lead to petty arguments where Baekhyun refused to eat a certain flavor.

“For today, I’ve decided to give in to you and only order your favorite flavor.”

The pizza is cold when Baekhyun bites into it, and he can’t help but feel slightly touched by those bratty friends of his who probably spent quite some time waiting for him in the cold.

“I know you must be wondering why I got you to come here on such a cold day. It is stupid, but this was where we had our first date, even if it was with the rest of the guys.”

Chanyeol asked him out on the day they graduated from high school, at the most unromantic place ever known to mankind. The taller boy dragged him off to the toilet once the ceremony was over, citing that he needed to relieve himself before he immersed himself back into the crowd who would want to take excessive photos.

“Are you okay?” Baekhyun asked.

Chanyeol wasn’t Zitao, needing other people to accompany him to places, and the fact that Chanyeol had been acting jittery since the ceremony started was making Baekhyun nervous.

“Yeah,” Chanyeol loosened his tie lightly, and tried to check his reflection in the mirror subtly. “I just wanted to tell you stuff.”

“Stuff,” Baekhyun repeats after him. “Stuff that you must tell me now?”

Chanyeol nodded tersely, resting his hand on the sink while leaning against the wall. It was almost as if he was trying to act cool in front of Baekhyun.

“I, I,” Chanyeol stammered.

“What is it?” Baekhyun was genuinely worried about his friend.

“Give me a moment.” Chanyeol took a deep breath, and the moment that he requested for turned out to be ten minutes of agonizing silence.

“We should get back,” Baekhyun was getting slightly impatient. While Chanyeol’s current state was worrisome, he didn’t want to miss all the fun in his once in a lifetime graduation.

“Wait,” Chanyeol grabbed his wrist out of the blue and stared at the hand as he mumbles out his confession. “I really like you. Do you want to be together?”

To say Baekhyun was shocked would be an understatement; Chanyeol had always paid more attention to Sehun, or followed Jongin around like a lost puppy. He thought that his crush on Chanyeol was one-sided, and was something he should snap out of once he got into college.

“Me?” Baekhyun’s voice was a few pitches higher than he intended.

“Yeah,” Chanyeol ran his fingers through his hair, and avoided direct eye contact with Baekhyun, stealing little glances every now and then.

“But what about Jongin? Or Sehun?”

“What about them?” Chanyeol looked confused at the mention of his best friends.

“Don’t you like them?”

“No?

So,” Chanyeol prompted again, looking at Baekhyun in the eyes this time round. “Do you want to date me?”

“Park Chanyeol, this is such an amateur way to ask someone out,” Baekhyun joked in an attempt to conceal his nervousness. “But, I’ll consider, if we eat steak for all our future dates.”

A relieved laughter escaped Chanyeol, and he pulled Baekhyun into a tight hug.

Chanyeol pressed a gift into Baekhyun’s hand when they were exiting the toilet. “This is my second button,” he winked cheesily.

There was so much Baekhyun wanted to do at that moment. He wanted to lace their fingers together, he wanted to hug his new boyfriend, he wanted to tell the world how happy he was, but instead he settled for an “idiot”.

Junmyeon, being too sentimental for everyone’s good, suggested spending the last day of their high school life indulging in activities that only adults would partake in - drinking and staying out for the entire night (Baekhyun didn’t have the heart to tell him that the rest of them had done it once behind his back). They ended up freezing their asses next to the Han River that night; boxes of pizzas and multiple cans of alcohol placed beside them.

Jongin succumbed to sleep first, his head bobbing to the rhythm of the waves as he curled against Sehun’s side. Junmyeon followed soon after, his can of half-finished beer held in a death grip. Unlike Jongin, Junmyeon’s posture was perfectly straight even in his sleep, easily giving the illusion that he was simply looking at the waters. Sehun and Zitao whispered in low tones, munching on the remaining food. Baekhyun caught snippets of complaints about Junmyeon, as well as the revenge that Zitao was planning. He had no intentions to stop it.

By the time everyone was asleep, Baekhyun felt his eyelids threatening to give in to gravity any moment. Chanyeol was snuggled by his side, constantly showering him with shy, and yet affectionate smiles.

“Go to sleep,” Chanyeol pushed Baekhyun’s head onto his shoulder.

Baekhyun shook his head even though his eyes were already closed, and whatever Chanyeol was saying sounded distant.

“I like you too,” Baekhyun muttered, sneaking his hands into Chanyeol’s pocket.

He would need to get a new jacket, he thought, seeing how his own was incapable of keeping out the cold unlike Chanyeol’s.

“Even though it wasn’t the best date we could have, but I think we matured through it.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes at that. Chanyeol always labels whatever insignificant challenges he overcame as a chance for maturity.

He wipes his hands on the pavement sloppily, and Chanyeol nags through the earpiece. “Wash your hands before you touch the car. I might not be able to continue smiling if the steering wheel becomes oily.

Even though, I’ll still look forward to spending everyday with you as much as I did years ago.” Chanyeol lets out a loud groan after saying that, and Baekhyun hears him hitting his face lightly.

“Cheesy,” Baekhyun can’t keep the smile off his face as he walks back to his car despite the weird stares he gets from passersby. It doesn’t really matter to him.

Chanyeol directs him to the laundry shop next, “you'll probably be upset with me if you forget to send the blanket to the laundry.”

Baekhyun sighs, belatedly remembering his agenda for leaving the house on a cold Sunday when he was supposed to be watching his weekend drama while cuddling with Chanyeol’s excessively huge Rilakkuma.

The shop is crowded, teeming with ahjummas trying to get their winter jackets cleaned before the temperature drops too drastically. Baekhyun’s blanket proves to be too big for the tiny shop, constantly hitting the arms of whichever lady he walks past, earning him multiple annoyed glares.

“Sorry,” Baekhyun apologizes continuously, cowering under the irritated looks sent his way. While he loves to call himself fearless, he will rather not incur the wrath of scary old ladies.

By the time he manages to squeeze to the front of the counter, it feels like he has aged ten years, and there is a new found anger towards Chanyeol.

“I’ll like to dry clean this,” he dumps the heavy covers onto the counter, glad to be rid of the weight that had been tiring his arms.

The lady at the counter smiles knowingly as she inspects the stain, and a flush creep up Baekhyun’s cheeks. “Come back in 3 days,” she passes him a receipt, and clips a tag onto the blanket.

“And your boyfriend asked me to pass this to you,” she hands Baekhyun a bag of freshly washed blanket, and the heat on Baekhyun’s face intensifies.

“Thank you,” he mumbles awkwardly, and rushes back to the car.

His relationship with Chanyeol had always been an open secret in the neighborhood.

When they first moved into the district, their older neighbors were excited with the appearance of good looking, eligible bachelors, and tried to set them up with their granddaughters. They had always declined those offers, using their age as a reason for not wanting to settle down. That excuse worked for the first two years, but the neighbors slowly became suspicious of them when the duo did everything together, be it shopping for groceries, going to work, or doing laundry at the rooftop.

What really gave their relationship away was how Chanyeol always waited for Baekhyun at the lift lobby whenever the latter had to work overtime. Chanyeol had always worried too much for his own good, insisting that it wouldn’t be safe for Baekhyun to take the lift alone when it was close to midnight even when they lived in one of the safest neighborhood in Seoul.

The rumor of them dating started after one of their neighbor spotted Chanyeol waiting for him every night, and slowly the matchmaking offers dwindle. They had been teased a couple of times, especially by Jieun, a highschooler who had too much interest in gay couples.

But, this is the first time someone acknowledges it so openly.

Baekhyun stuffs the blanket into the backseat; a white envelope trapped beneath the plastic sheet catching his eye. He knows that it must be another recording Chanyeol had left for him, and the color on his cheeks darkens as the thought of the laundry shop owner listening to it invades him.

“Hey baby,” Chanyeol’s deep voice fills the space in the car as Baekhyun drives out of the alley, bent on getting away from the shop as quickly as possible.

“I’m not sure if you still recognize that blanket, but it was the one you wanted to get when we went furniture shopping for the first time.” There is a hint of sadness in Chanyeol’s nostalgic tone. It was the cause of their first major fight.

The couple decided to move in together after college, right after Chanyeol got a job offer as a guitar instructor at the neighborhood’s music school.

Furniture shopping was extremely difficult with the tight budget they had even after their friends chipped in, and Chanyeol refusing to buy anything second hand making the process even more draining.

They had been looking at bed linens when Baekhyun chanced upon the blanket resting in the backseat currently. Baekhyun had taken a liking to it immediately; the high thread count gave the covers a very soft finish while the down enclosed within the white sheets would be able to block out the coldest winter wind once he was safely cocooned in it.

He had wanted to get it, willing to forsake a couple of kitchen appliances for the pricey blanket. However, Chanyeol refused, calling it a waste of money since the heater in the house would always be on once winter came. Instead, Chanyeol wanted to get DIY sound insulating foams for one of their rooms, which in Baekhyun’s opinion was the unnecessary investment.

“What good would those foams be?” Baekhyun challenged defiantly, upset that Chanyeol had rejected his suggestion of getting the blanket even before he could explain his rationale.

“I can practice guitar at night without having to worry about disturbing the neighbors,” Chanyeol looked tired of the argument, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “And you can practice piano anytime you want?”

Baekhyun scoffed, unable to keep the malice out of his voice, “isn’t the only thing you’re doing at work practicing?”

Color drained out of Chanyeol’s face, and he nodded in slow succession. “Okay.” That was all he said before he left the store, leaving Baekhyun alone to deal with the unsettling lurch in his gut.

They had never been able to stay in an argument for long. Chanyeol would sidle up his side, offering a hand-written letter and his most sincere smile as an apology within hours of their fight. It didn’t even matter whose fault it is, Chanyeol was always the one apologizing.

The longest time they had gone without talking was 2 hours, when Baekhyun accidentally spilt carbonated drinks on Chanyeol’s project. Chanyeol had been furious, and it led to them throwing insults that they didn’t mean at each other. But, it didn’t match the severity of the current fight they were having.

Chanyeol was in the kitchen when Baekhyun got home, putting the takeaways he bought into plates. He didn’t avoid Baekhyun on purpose unlike the previous fights, but Chanyeol refused to acknowledge the other’s existence, behaving like he’s the sole tenant of the flat.

Baekhyun paid no heed to that, too used to Chanyeol giving in to him that he expected Chanyeol to beg for his forgiveness that night. Chanyeol didn’t, and it continued for a week.

There were multiple occasions when Baekhyun wanted to make the first move, but all the apologies withered in his throat before he could work up sufficient courage. He hadn’t needed to apologize for anything for way too long.

In the end, Chanyeol was the one who made the first move.

“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol placed a box of sushi onto the table, and squatted on the floor, looking up at Baekhyun with his huge eyes.

“Talk to me, baby?” The cute, whiny voice that he was using managed to put a smile on the shorter boy’s face.

The end of their cold war was anti-climactic. There were no hugs, no passionate kisses, and definitely no tears spilt. Instead, they fell back into their old routine, teasing each other endlessly as they would had a week ago, and fought for Luigi in their weekly Mario Kart session.

It wasn’t till early dawn, when they were both safely encircled in each other’s embrace, when Chanyeol’s soft snores tickled his ears endlessly, did Baekhyun muttered the words carefully. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry that I didn’t buy it for you at that time,” Chanyeol apologizes as he always did even when it’s not his fault, “and that it took me so long to get it.”

“But, you will finally get to spend winter the way you want this year.” Chanyeol’s voice wavers and Baekhyun envisions the uneasy expression on the taller boy’s face as he frets over Baekhyun not liking his gift.

“I love it a lot,” Baekhyun says to no one in particular.

Chanyeol doesn’t give him sufficient time to think about anything, “It’s time for the final location.”

Chanyeol doesn’t tell him the exact location this time round, instead directing him through every turns and tunnels starting from the laundry shop.

The roads blur into a mess of grey speckled with the occasional color from passing cars as he turns out of the highway into a small road tucked between two buildings. The route feels vaguely familiar; he’s sure that he had passed by these buildings before. He just can’t remember when or why.

Soon enough, endless plots of land and houses with tin roofs come into view. Recollection comes crashing down on Baekhyun, and he knows what he’s supposed to look, or rather dig for.

Chanyeol orders him to stop before the crossroads, reminding him of what he needs to find here. It is unnecessary; the probability of Jongin swearing off chicken is bigger than the probability of Baekhyun forgetting the time capsule that was buried here.

“I know that we aren’t supposed to take it out till we’re fifty, but that’s too long a time to wait.” Chanyeol’s voice cracks; apparently tired from recording all the CDs at one-shot.

“Mine is in a black box. Take it out carefully so that Junmyeon wouldn’t find out,” Chanyeol sounds scared, and Baekhyun prays that Junmyeon would never realize that he is digging the time capsule before its time. He isn’t confident of surviving nagging that can last for days.  

“And, open the box before you come back into the car.”

Baekhyun will have preferred driving up the slope, his tiny car small enough to squeeze through the makeshift roads. But Chanyeol insists on him walking up the path, and he complies even when it is easier to go home and lie about it.

The road seems to stretch on endlessly, with the tree at the end of the field being further than he remembered. Baekhyun sighs deeply, shoving his hands deeper into the pockets of his jacket and continues his trudge uphill.

A bright red shovel resting on the tree trunk is the first thing Baekhyun sees when he reaches the top, and he has no doubt that Chanyeol is the one who left it there. The ground is wet under his touch, an after effect of the abundant rain in the past few weeks.

Baekhyun shrugs off his jacket, having worked up a sweat in the last 5 minutes. His hands are smeared with dirt, Baekhyun thinks he’ll have to throw his jeans away with the amount of mud clinging onto it, and yet the top of the tin is nowhere to be seen.

It takes another ten minutes of work before the rusting corners of the metal box peeks through the soil, and Baekhyun brushes the rest of the ground away with his hands, tugging at the cover lightly.

Taking off the lid is more difficult than expected, the rust on the metal keeping the box tightly shut. By the time Baekhyun manages to open it, he is sure that Junmyeon will notice the dent, and they will all get into trouble.

Baekhyun quickly picks out the small black box and buries the time capsule back at its rightful place.

The box looks exactly like how it did years ago; a huge silver ribbon decorates the top of the package, and Chanyeol’s immature warning to those who tries to open his box is scribbled messily at the side.

Baekhyun had always been curious of the contents in everyone’s box, but he had the most interest in Chanyeol’s, seeing how the other boy was avoiding him for the entire morning before they buried their time capsule.

He pulls at the ribbon, the silver string falling apart easily. He fingers the rim of the box gingerly, and for a moment, he wonders if this was how Pandora felt when she was about to open the box.

The contents within the box were nothing Baekhyun would ever expect. Multiple photos of Baekhyun doing various activities are safely stowed in the black container, and beneath them is a piece of paper with Baekhyun’s name written all over it.

There are a few photos which he had posed for, but even more are photos which he has no recollection of, all taken secretly when he was not paying attention. His legs tremble for more than one reason, and Baekhyun has to push himself against the shovel to gain leverage.

He shoves himself into the car, uncaring of the dirt soiling the car seat. He fumbles with the car keys, taking multiple tries before he manages to start the engine, and almost instantly Chanyeol’s voice comes up, echoing in the enclosed space.

Chanyeol recounts about the time when Zitao kicked his leg against the tree in frustration after Sehun took a peek at his box, or how Jongin simply dropped a Michael Jackson CD into the time capsule, not bothering to hide it. He talks about everything except for the numerous photos of Baekhyun in the box.

Chanyeol seems to think that he doesn’t need to explain it, and he’s right. Baekhyun understands it without any explanation. That didn’t stop the happiness accompanied with slight apprehension from coursing through Baekhun’s veins.

Junmyeon had told them to put their dreams into the time capsule.

Baekhyun schools his expression into one of indifference, pressing on the door bell repeatedly after he lugs all of Chanyeol’s gifts to their floor. There is a soft click, and Chanyeol appears behind the door, lending him a hand to move all the items in.

Once he places all the CDs onto the table, Baekhyun lets himself slump against the kitchen’s top, gulping down huge mouthfuls of yogurt without stop. The day had been draining; he left the house in the morning, drove all over Seoul, and went through a relatively shocking revelation, all without food in his stomach.

“How do you like the surprise?” Chanyeol asks eagerly, eyes shining with anticipation, and Baekhyun sees his imaginary tail moving rapidly.

“Why is there a surprise?” Baekhyun narrows his eyes in suspicion. That had been a question that weighed on his mind since this morning.

They are still a few months away from their anniversary. There is still a month to Christmas. There are no reasons for this elaborate memories hunt he went on.

“Because it wouldn’t be a surprise if it happens on a day you’re expecting something?”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes at that, taking out the side dishes from the fridge. “You sure you didn’t do anything behind my back?”

Chanyeol looks at him quizzically.

“Like buying another ridiculous Rilakkuma. Zitao told me that you were looking at a pink one last week.”

The tips of Chanyeol’s ears color, and he stammers through his vehement denial.

“Really?” Baekhyun moves towards Chanyeol, peering up at his taller boyfriend.

Chanyeol nods, nearly knocking their head together in the process.

Baekhyun stills, and then relents. “Good job,” he pats Chanyeol’s head like how he will pat Jongin’s poodles, “why will you need another stuff toy when you have me?”

Baekhyun hogs the Rilakkuma on the couch after dinner, spreading his legs on the stuffed toy’s stomach, leaving Chanyeol to seek refuge on the floor. It is Chanyeol’s fault that this huge stuffed toy takes up more than half of the couch.

“Why did you put my pictures into the box?” Baekhyun asks nonchalantly, trying to disguise his nervousness by playing with Chanyeol’s ears. Not a shred of attention is given to the variety show.

“My dream was, and still is spending the rest of my life with you. So, technically, you’re my dream.” Chanyeol turns to look at him, the seriousness in his expression making Baekhyun slightly uncomfortable.

Even though he already knows, hearing it makes it feel real. The words coat over his heart, casting a warming spell over it, just like the silver band resting on his finger.

“What about wanting to be a musician?” Baekhyun asks, remembering all those times when Chanyeol would stay up late to write songs.

“It is my dream too,” Chanyeol answers truthfully. “But we were only supposed to choose one item at that time, and you’re more important to me.

And, you still are.”

Baekhyun pushes Chanyeol’s head away, avoiding eye contact, “My dream is to live in a house bigger than Junmyeon’s though.”

Chanyeol doesn’t need to know that instead of an item, Baekhyun put a list into his time capsule, and Chanyeol happens to be on more than half of the list.

“Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol wrestles Baekhyun off the sofa, holding his head in an arm lock. “Why must you always spoil the mood?”

Baekhyun grins, channeling all his cuteness into his voice.“But you still love me right?”

Chanyeol smiles indulgently and leans forward, bending down to kiss his forehead.

“Right.”