Happy New Year!

Please enjoy part 3/3 of this mini vacation side story

**

Leading up until now, Baekhyun had engaged in semi public ual activities, went clubbing for the first time in years, and became a makeshift star for his husband. Needless to say he held high expectations for the cruise, wondering what adventures the sea would bring, what new experiences would be added to his impressive repertoire.

Falling ill on their 1st day on the ship did not meet his expectations at all. Spending his time in the bathroom with his head buried in the toilet for the entirety of the first day and half of the second day really put a damper on his mood. Getting diagnosed with sea sickness was terrible but the easily acquired medicine and the extent of how well it worked quickly restored his happy mood.

It was just in time too, because their first scheduled Skype session with the kids was just moments away and Baekhyun wanted to be healthy and present for it.

"Are you feeling better?" Chanyeol asked whenever Baekhyun joined him on their bed.

He nodded in response. According to the cruise ship's schedule, they would be out at sea all day and night until the ship was docked the very next morning. So it was imperative that Baekhyun would be okay until then.

"I've made it through morning sickness three times in my life. This is nothing. And besides, the medicine helped a lot."

"Good," Chanyeol was relieved. Their honeymoon up until that point had been filled with amazing surprises that made for worthwhile memories. So of course he didn't want Baekhyun to feel like everything was ruined if he was sick for the majority of it. But because Baekhyun clearly seemed in high spirits again, Chanyeol knew they had nothing to worry about. After they checked in on the kids and the ever gracious grandparents who agreed to watch the kids for two weeks, their honeymoon could continue as planned with no major setbacks. 

Chanyeol fumbled with his laptop's web camera for a moment, aiming for the perfect angle of them both, before initiating the video call. He and Baekhyun sat back against the bed's headboard, laptop situated in front of them, and waited for someone to answer. Baekhyun stuffed his hands in the pocket of the hoodie he was wearing and rested his head on Chanyeol's shoulder as they waited a few seconds longer.

"Your mom does know how to use Skype, right?" He asked.

Chanyeol chuckled. "I hope so. I taught her the basics before we left."

Just when they thought no one was going to answer, the blank screen on the laptop suddenly transitioned into a guest bedroom in Sung-Woo's (and Young-Mi's) house. It was blatantly obvious that the bedroom had been taken over by Mina, seeing as her things (stuffed animals, clothes, shoes, pillows, etc.) were everywhere. It made perfect sense that their daughter was the first one they saw on camera. From her place between her favorite stuffed animals and pretty pillows on her bed, she yelled out enthusiastically, "Grandma, I got it to work!"

While she waited for the appearance of her grandmother, she waved happily into the camera.

"Hi, mommy. Hi, daddy!"

"Hi, sweetie." Baekhyun smiled.

"Where's grandma, grandpa, and Jaxon?" Chanyeol asked. 

Before Mina could respond, Jaxon was already eagerly making his way on screen by climbing on his sister's bed. In the blink of an eye, the 5 year old was front and center, longing for a glimpse of the parents he missed dearly.

"Hey, buddy." Chanyeol greeted his look a like son.

Jaxon preferred to skip the greetings and jump straight into, "Are you coming home tomorrow?"

Baekhyun smiled gently and shook his head. "Not tomorrow. It'll be a little while longer before we come home."

Neither Chanyeol nor Baekhyun expected tears to be shed so soon but after confirming they wouldn't be back for a while, Jaxon burst into tears.

"Jaxon, don't cry." Baekhyun stated, wishing he could hold his son until he stopped crying. Until the time came again where Baekhyun would be able to gather his son in his arms and kiss his forehead, he'd have to sit back and watch someone else do it. Young-Mi, radiant from her newfound love and reconnection with her son and son in law, appeared on camera next to gather Jaxon in her arms and give him a comforting kiss.

"They will be back very soon. Do not cry." Her English continued to improve at a rapid pace and it was clear that she had finally gotten to a point where she could influence feelings and actions by her words. Jaxon cuddled into his grandmother and sniffled, never once looking away from his parents with wet eyes, but at least he no longer cried freely.

The three of them, Jaxon, Mina, and Young-Mi positioned themselves on Mina's bed in a manner not so different from the way Chanyeol and Baekhyun were situated on their bed. Tears aside, greetings aside, they could officially start chatting.

"Where's Sung-Woo?" Chanyeol noticed his step father's absence.

"He worked later than usual. He is on his way home now." Young-Mi responded. They had almost forgotten the significant time difference. While it was just past 11 in the morning in the Mediterranean countries, it was past 5 at night in the Western countries.

Their video chat mostly consisted of Mina and Jaxon telling their parents interesting things that had happened at school, at after school activities, and at their grandparents' house. Young-Mi threw in a few curious questions about how their trip was and whether it was progressing nicely. Whenever she didn't know how to phrase whatever she was thinking in English, she spoke in Korean and either Baekhyun or Chanyeol translated for the kids.

Some time after an entire conversation in both Korean and English, Mina asked a question of her own, "Are you on the ship right now?"

"We are," Chanyeol answered for the both of them.

Mina cocked her head to the side, clearly questioning the authenticity of her parents' claim. "But it looks like a hotel room."

Baekhyun and Chanyeol were situated on a standard king sized bed against a generic beige colored wall. The pictures that decorated the wall behind them were also rather generic. But the focal point of the room wasn't the bed, the wall color, or the pictures. Rather, it was the astonishing view that was currently only visible to Chanyeol and Baekhyun. The latter made a point to graciously share the view that was all their own.

He picked up the laptop and turned it around so the web camera was facing what was in front of them. Four large windows and a sliding glass double door (providing entry to their private balcony) allowed much more than a glimpse of the vast shimmering deep blue ocean that stretched out as far as the eye could see. Light ripples in the water indicated a gentle breeze periodically flowed through. No other ships were currently visible and if Baekhyun didn't know any better, he would think they were all alone in the middle of the dominating sea.

When he turned the camera back around to face them, Mina's eyes were wide with fascination. Jaxon and Young-Mi seemed rather astonished as well.

"The view is lovely." Young-Mi marveled. She was no doubt considering the reality of her and Sung-Woo boarding a cruise ship for their future honeymoon.

"It's pretty!" Jaxon perked up, happy mood restored by the glistening blue water.

"Can me and Jaxon come the next time you go on a cruise?" Mina asked excitedly, because honestly, who wouldn't want to see such a marvelous sight in person?

Chanyeol shared a look with his spouse before speaking for them both, "We'll see."

Mina pouted a little. "Doesn't that just mean no?"

Baekhyun chuckled. "It means that your dad and I will consider it and we'll come up with a response later."

There were a ton of various aspects and details that needed to be considered when discussing an international family cruise vacation. Neither Baekhyun nor Chanyeol were focused enough at the moment to pay close enough attention to logistics and details. They were too focused on each other and how the rest of their honeymoon would play out.

Jaxon changed the subject with a question of his own, "Can you swim in the ocean?"

"No. But the ship has a huge pool we can swim in."

"Really?" Jaxon and Baekhyun asked at the same time.

Greatly amused, Chanyeol looked at his spouse and nodded. Since Baekhyun had been sick up until that point, he hadn't had a chance to explore more than where the cruise ship doctor resided. While Baekhyun had been resting in bed or locked in the bathroom, Chanyeol had familiarized himself with the cruise ship's map. He made various mental notes of places he knew Baekhyun would enjoy the most. The pools, bars, lounges, performance spaces, casinos, and entertainment centers were sure to be of interest to him.

"There's also a gelato cafe."

"We're definitely going there first." Baekhyun, who hadn't eaten much in the last day, had a sudden craving for gelato.

Chanyeol, who hadn't taken his eyes off his spouse replied, "We'll go wherever you want. We can do whatever you want."

Baekhyun smiled at the thoughtful reply and looked up at his husband. He wanted Chanyeol to know that he also had an equal say in how they would spend their time on the ship. "We'll go wherever you want and do whatever you want, too."

Chanyeol responded with a kiss, just because Baekhyun was so ing adorable and it had been more than 24 hours since they'd last kissed. Just before they pulled away, Young-Mi gushed in Korean, "You guys are too cute."

Because it had taken such a long time for her to accept their relationship, Chanyeol beamed at the compliment at the same time Jaxon whined, "I want a kiss too."

Young-Mi smiled and gave Jaxon a kiss on the cheek. Because he looked so much like Chanyeol, she had an incredibly soft spot for her grandson. And because Mina had inherited many amazing traits from both her parents, Young-Mi gave her a kiss on the cheek as well.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol could only settle for giving their children virtual kisses. For the time being, the kisses were sufficient in portraying their love for their kids, no matter how far away they were.

As the conversation continued, a few more questions were asked and a few more answers were received.

"How big is the ship?" Jaxon asked.

"Much bigger than your school." Chanyeol replied.

"What do you do on there all day?" Mina asked.

"Today we're mostly going to explore it. For the rest of the time we'll probably just relax until our first stop." Baekhyun responded.

The last question was asked by Young-Mi, "Should we anticipate souvenirs?"

"Yes. We'll bring back souvenirs." Baekhyun promised.

By the time the video chat was ready to come to a close, an hour had passed, Sung-Woo had made a surprising appearance to greet the vacationing couple, and neither Mina nor Jaxon wanted to say goodbye to their parents because they both knew it would be a few more days before they could see them again.

"We need to go now, alright?" Baekhyun spoke gently, hoping not to upset Mina or bring Jaxon to tears again.

"5 more minutes." Jaxon pleaded, not so unlike his pleas for a longer bedtime on a nightly basis.

"No more minutes, you two need to eat dinner." It was past 6pm on the other side of Chanyeol's web camera and it was about time to wrap up the conversation.

"We can eat and talk." Mina suggested in a desperate attempt to keep the video open for just a little while longer.

"No, sweetie. It's time for us to go. We love you very much." Baekhyun said.

Mina admitted defeat with a pout, "I love you too."

"We love you lots and lots, Jaxon." Chanyeol added.

"I love you too."

Last but certainly not least, they said goodbye to Young-Mi and Sung-Woo who had become and would forever be their parents and their children's grandparents.

Knowing they were on the other side of the world from their family, Baekhyun found it difficult to turn the camera off at first. Only after he turned the camera off and Chanyeol reminded him that they were doing something for themselves for a change and that the only family they currently needed was one another, Baekhyun appreciated his husband all over again. They were there for each other because they loved each other. They had no reason to feel guilty for wanting to be alone.

"Gelato first?" Chanyeol asked after he'd put away his laptop. Just like that, the vacation was all theirs again.

"Uh-huh." Baekhyun nodded but made no move to get off the bed. Chanyeol knew there was more that needed to be said and possibly done before leaving their room.

Baekhyun continued with, "After you give me a real kiss." The kiss he'd given him while they were on camera had been too watered down to protect the eyes of their young company. Since their young company was no longer present, Baekhyun wanted a kiss from his husband to make up for the whole day they hadn't kissed.

"I'd be delighted to give you a real kiss." Chanyeol smiled and climbed back onto their bed. He kissed the smaller with all the passion he'd suppressed for a day. Baekhyun kissed back with the same intensity but because he wanted gelato so badly, he pulled away before the kiss turned into something more.

"Better?" Chanyeol asked as they stared into each others' eyes afterwards.

"Much better." Baekhyun breathed. A few moments passed before he playfully pushed his younger husband out of the way, "Now move so I can get some gelato."

Chanyeol laughed as Baekhyun rushed to put his shoes on so they could go ship exploring (after gelato eating, of course).

"You're so cute." The taller smiled as he slipped his shoes on as well.

"Only during the day." Baekhyun teased as he reached the door that led into the hallway of their deck floor.

Chanyeol nodded thoughtfully and responded in a similarly teasing manner. "Right, since you turn into a y little at night."

Baekhyun turned around to face Chanyeol and failed to notice other people in the hallway approaching them from behind. He replied with, "Look who's talking Mr. I'm going to you so hard you won't remember anyone's name but mine." 

Chanyeol, who noticed the small group of people coming from the opposite side of the hallway before Baekhyun did, snickered loudly. The group of people had clearly heard what Baekhyun said and looked at the couple a bit strangely before walking past.

Baekhyun buried his head in Chanyeol's chest, not out of embarrassment but pure hysteria. In a single overheard sentence, that group of people learned more information about his and Chanyeol's life than they probably wanted to learn.

Baekhyun pulled back and said between uncontrollable laughs, "Let's pretend that never happened."

Chanyeol took a moment to control his own laughter before responding, "Agreed."

When the laughter died down, Baekhyun led the way down the hallway in what he assumed was the direction of the gelato cafe before realizing he truly had no idea where he was going.

"Wait, which way is the cafe?"

Chanyeol chuckled, "Keep going that way. The elevators are going to be on our left and the cafe is on the 12th deck."

"How do you know the ship so well?" Baekhyun asked as he continued to lead the way.

"I had to find some way to entertain myself while you were puking in the bathroom." It had been quite a surprise for both of them to find out Baekhyun was an avid sea sickness sufferer because he hadn't always had such a sensitive stomach. After having children he noticed that some things about his body had changed and never went back to the way they used to be. Dealing with a sensitive stomach was apparently  one of them.

It didn't take long for Baekhyun to find out that Chanyeol had indeed been correct and the gelato cafe was on the 12th deck. Among other things, Chanyeol failed to mention that an incredibly large pool (with two hot tubs on both sides) and poolside bar was the highlight of the 12th deck. Excluding the gelato cafe on the opposite side and the two levels containing an abundance of lounge chairs on the perimeter, the interior of the 12th deck was completely open to the outside. Not only could pool goers and bar goers enjoy the unlimited view of the expansive sea, they could also feel the ocean breeze on their faces and smell the sea salt in the air.

Baekhyun was in such awe of the 12th deck that he could only imagine what the other decks looked like.

After a quick stop at the gelato shop, gelato in hand, the couple found themselves on the top deck. The top (14th) deck, was intended as a place for sport and recreation. Ping pong tables were lined up side to side across from strategically sectioned off basketball and tennis courts. A putting green area for mini golf claimed its own section of the deck with a track intended for walking/running surrounding the perimeter of that deck.

The first few floors, back inside the interior of the ship, were home to a grandiose gold, white, and black color schemed lobby complete with extravagant spiral staircases, a few additional cafes, restaurants, and shops that gave the ship a nice shopping mall-esque feel, a casino magnificent enough to rival Las Vegas', a smartly decorated piano lounge meant for late night drinks and the enjoyment of R&B music, a spa that incorporated various relaxation methods for the guests, an array of comfortable sitting areas meant for casual conversations, and an empty theatre with red velvet seats and low lighting in preparation for upcoming live performances.

A thorough walk through of nearly the entire ship took the married couple approximately two hours to complete. It would almost be impossible to spend a significant amount of time on every deck while participating in every activity offered. They would have to be particular in deciding where they would spend their time and how they would go about it.

Before jumping in the pool, before sitting at the bar, before playing ping pong, before failing miserably on the slot machines, before cuddling up in the piano lounge and listening to soothing music, and before catching a live performance, Baekhyun wanted to set aside time to take it all in, to feel the wind on his face while watching the trail of rippling water the moving ship left behind.

Per Baekhyun's request, they had gone back to the top deck and found a designated place for looking out across the Mediterranean sea. 

"It's so beautiful." Baekhyun murmured while instinctively leaning against the ship's railing for a better look. 

Chanyeol s his arms around Baekhyun's waist and rested his chin on his shoulder. He, too, looked out across the blue ocean and the wonders it held.

"I'm glad you like it."

"Like isn't a strong enough word." Baekhyun turned around so his back was against the railing and he was facing his taller husband. "I love the view, I love this vacation, and I love you."

"I love you too," Chanyeol replied. He radiated with joy because Baekhyun was clearly the happiest he'd been in a while and Chanyeol, who had his own personal battles of achieving genuine happiness, knew that being there with Baekhyun made him the happiest he had been in a while.

After a few extra moments