“Please forgive me, and wake up.”

It was Chanyeol.

When Baekhyun returned to consciousness, he was well aware of the room he was in. A general hospital room with the same boring walls and the same uncomfortable beds. Not to mention the obnoxious beeping to the right of him. To his left were the single-pane windows that allowed him to see the nightlife below. Of course, he didn't fail to miss a tall man in a suit standing at the window, watching the streets underneath.

With a groan and a weak cough, he sat up and leaned on his knees. When he heard that Baekhyun was up, the man quickly pivoted on his heels, making his way to Baekhyun.

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun croaked.

Chanyeol grapsed Baekhyun's hand tightly and muttered, “I'm sorry, Baekhyun.”

“What? What's going on?”

“You don't remember?”

“No... I-I remember you driving out of that restaurant and…” Baekhyun's ears began to ring and his head started to pound. Not a good sign.

“Don't think too much, ok?” Chanyeol instructed and squeezed Baekhyun's hand again, as if to reassure himself that Baekhyun was, in fact, alive. "It was awful, I'm sorry."

“Chanyeol... What...? What happened?” Baekhyun asked, blinking to adjust to the lighting.

“I…” A pained look passed over Chanyeol’s face. “I was pulling into the parking lot of a more private restaurant, owned by a family friend, and the media was already standing there. They were crowding around us when we got out, and I guess you had already had too much attention and just... Fainted.” Chanyeol breathed the last word.

“W-what?” Baekhyun murmured. He let go of Chanyeol's hand and clutched his head as the ringing became louder. So going to Chanyeol's mansion, the interactions, and the confession of love was simply... A scenario made up in his comatose state. Realizing this, Baekhyun felt heart broken. He was so elated when he thought Chanyeol had kissed his forehead. Now realizing it was just his silly imagination, he covered his face, leaned over, and began to cry.

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said softly, putting a hand on Baekhyun’s back and rubbing it. “I’ll make sure you aren’t bothered by the press ever again. Once I’m sure that you’re safe, I’ll leave for good, alright?”

“F-forever?” Baekhyun’s voice cracked as the ringing subsided.

“Every time I’m around you, I always do something that results in  you crying, and I don’t want to see you like that.” Chanyeol sighed. Baekhyun looked to Chanyeol with puffy eyes and shook his head. For the nth time, he felt his heart race, not from feeling uncomfortable, but with all his courage, he spoke up.

“N-no!” He sniffed.

“No? No what?”

“Please… don’t… leave. Please… I...” Baekhyun’s eyes began to fill with tears and his bottom lip twitched. So what if his imagination played cruel tricks on him? Losing the real Chanyeol was much worse than a lucid dream. So what if Chanyeol didn’t actually care for him in that way? Baekhyun had been disappointed on many occasions, so this time wouldn’t be any different. Telling himself otherwise would just hurt more.

“All I wanted was to keep tears from your face, but it seems I have done just the opposite.” Chanyeol sighed and grabbed a box of tissues. Taking one, he started dabbing the tears cascading down Baekhyun’s face. “I’m an awful person, aren’t I?” He laughed bitterly.

Baekhyun shook his head vigorously and was about to respond when Chanyeol’s phone rang. A groan of protest passed Chanyeol’s lips and he fished his phone from his pocket. When he read the caller, he answered quickly.

“I’ll be back.” Chanyeol mouthed and left the room after giving Baekhyun’s hand another squeeze.

As he exited, Baekhyun leaned forward and murmured into his hands, “I love you.” His heart felt heavy knowing that he could never say that with Chanyeol listening, but at the same time, he felt as though burden was lifted and he could breathe easier. It was something that he had known since the day he returned home from the first day, and never actually said it to himself.

“I’m sorry, I had to take that. It was one of the managers.” Chanyeol said, exasperated and pulled up the chair near Baekhyun’s bed and plopped himself in it. Then he leaned forward and caught Baekhyun’s wandering gaze. The latter couldn’t help but get lost in Chanyeol’s gorgeous eyes and be so in love with the human being who was the owner of the eyes. Nervously, Baekhyun gulped and broke away. If he looked at Chanyeol any longer, he may as well be a puddle on the ground.

Suddenly, Baekhyun sat bolt upright and turned to Chanyeol with a scared look, “How long was I out?”

Chanyeol, too, sat up, alert, “A day and a half, at the least. Why?”

“My sheep!” Baekhyun exclaimed, but then mentally face-palmed. Right, that didn’t actually happen. “I-I’m sorry, I meant my cat.”

“Ah, Haru, right?”

Baekhyun nodded.

“I’ll go check on him, alright? Don’t worry.” Chanyeol said and stood up, grabbing his keys from the table nearby.

“Ah, my key.” Baekhyun muttered and pointed to his pants that were folded neatly on another table. “The back, left pocket.” Chanyeol nodded and walked over to the clothes and retrieved the key and put it in his wallet. With a small wave and a held gaze, he left.

About an hour and a half later, Chanyeol returned to find Baekhyun sleeping peacefully, but noticed the frown on his face. With a small smile, he took a finger and pushed the sides of Baekhyun’s mouth up, creating a more neutral look. Ever so carefully, he brushed the stray hairs from Baekhyun’s face, but it caused him to stir and turn over.

Suddenly, Baekhyun sat upright, eyes wide open, “I was supposed to stay awake, I’m sorry.” He said loudly and glanced at Chanyeol who was standing there with an amused look. “Is my cat ok?”

“Yes, he is ok. He was a little grumpy, but once I found the food, he warmed up.” Chanyeol chuckled and stripped his coat off along with his suit jacket. Doing so allowed Baekhyun to watch Chanyeol’s back muscles flex and his broad shoulders were more pronounced. When he sat down, Baekhyun was unable to look at him, for he would only stare.

A few minutes pass and Baekhyun was still looking at his hands which were sweating  profusely. What to do, what to do. He was bedridden for the another day and having Chanyeol sitting there was nerve wrecking. The silences felt so heavy as each minute ticked by. Finally fed up with it, Baekhyun spoke.

“Aren’t the visiting hours over?”

“Ah, yes, but they made an exception. I, I couldn’t leave you,” Chanyeol sighed and rubbed his face. “I couldn’t leave knowing I was the reason you collapsed.” He looked up, guilty. Confused, Baekhyun glanced over but instantly regretted it. The hurt expression on Chanyeol’s face was too much for his heart to handle and he could barely contain himself. He kind of just wanted to cuddle with Chanyeol.

“N-no! I, my, it’s just, well, my social anxiety…” Baekhyun muttered. “It’s not your fault.”

“I should’ve been more considerate, I’m sorry.”

With a yawn, Baekhyun shook his head and frowned. When he looked over at the digital clock on the table, he noticed that it was 1am and stretched. Then he laid back down, turned away from Chanyeol, but then he flipped over when he realized that the hospital gown he wore was just slightly revealing in the back. A chuckle escaped Chanyeol’s lips and he stood up, retrieving his jacket and setting it over Baekhyun’s shoulders.

“I don’t think that thin blanket will do much for your warmth.” Chanyeol whispered as he adjusted it. When he did, Baekhyun breathed in deeply and caught the strawberry-esque scent from Chanyeol’s jacket. It was comforting and he closed his eyes, subtly adjusting the jacket so it covered his nose slightly. With a deep breath, he snuggled into the covers. Although he couldn’t see anything, he felt the bed dip slightly, and Chanyeol’s head brushed Baekhyun’s stomach slightly while moving around.

“Sleep well, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol sighed and then his breathing became slower, indicating he was asleep. That night, Baekhyun slept with a slight smile on his face.

The next morning, Baekhyun woke up to a nurse quietly checking the machines around him and when she noticed he was awake, she smiled and bowed slightly. She didn’t speak as she kept checking  everything, but once she was done, she informed him of the note on the table next to him. Curiously, Baekhyun reached over and picked up the note, but as he did so, he noticed a silver ring around his right middle finger. It looked quite familiar…

Then it struck him; it was the ring that Chanyeol had allowed Baekhyun to try on the first day they met. However, the day following, Baekhyun had refused to take the ring, so why was it back on his finger? Baekhyun held out his hand and admired how it looked. It would make a beautiful wedding ring, he thought -- it wouldn’t be his, though. Sighing, Baekhyun picked up the note and unfolded it.

Good morning, Baekhyun.

    I’m sorry I’m not there when you wake up, but I have many important meetings today that I cannot miss. After they’re done, I will visit you around 1.  Try not to cry today, alright? Just rest your head and you’ll be out by tomorrow.

    Yours,

Chanyeol

At the bottom of the note, the handwriting wasn’t the neat one like on top, but instead a messy scrawl, but it was definitely Chanyeol’s.

I assume you noticed the ring on your finger. Please, keep it. It’s too small for my hand, and it fits onto yours perfectly.

Baekhyun smiled at the kind gesture, and looked at the ring again. The silver band was still shiny and the hearts etched into it were just as beautiful. Carefully, Baekhyun slipped it off of his middle finger and onto his left ring finger. It certainly would make a wonderful wedding ring. Maybe he would give it back to Chanyeol so he could give it to whoever he proposes to, simply because Baekhyun didn’t deserve something so expensive.

While he was admiring the ring, there was a knock on the door frame and he looked up when a nurse popped her head in.

“A visitor.” The nurse announced and stepped back to allow the person to step in. At first, Baekhyun thought Chanyeol had gotten out of his meetings early, but he was mistaken when he noticed a familiar pair of jeans that were quite out dated and ugly. As his eyes travelled up, so did his fear factor. The visitor wore a mustard color turtle neck and had cameras hanging around her neck.

“Hey, Byun Baek! Long time, no see, boo.” She cooed and stepped more clearly into Baekhyun’s line of vision. She was unattractive as ever. Around her nose was flaky red skin, and he could see how stuffy it was. Above her upper lip, it was dry and it showed obvious signs that she had it one too many times.

“Wh-what do you want?”

“What do I want? Oh, I simply -- what’s this?” She leaned closer and inspected the ring he had just slipped onto his ring finger. “He really did propose to you, didn’t he?”

Baekhyun shrunk back and hid his hand under Chanyeol’s jacket which he held close to him. With a malicious glint in her eye, she walked over and snatched his left arm, causing him to yelp. Then she took his hand and inspected the ring before taking it off his finger and slipping it onto her own. Satisfied, she held it up in front of Baekhyun’s face, showing it off.

“It looks much better on my finger, doesn’t it, Baekkie boo? Much better than your ugly hand.” She squealed and took one of her cameras and took multiple photos at different angles. “So, Baekkie, tell me, how do I seduce Chanyeol? It’s obvious that he’s got a thing for you, most likely a fleeting want, but you don’t even compare to him. Seeing you next to him is like seeing a blobfish next to an eagle, Chanyeol being the eagle, of course. With me there, I can be his stunning mate!” She smiled and twisted the ring on her finger.

“Please, c-can I have that back?” Baekhyun asked.

The lady looked over and laughed, “Oh sweetie, you won’t be needing it. Channie will propose to me sooner or later.”

Suddenly, Baekhyun was infuriated by the lady’s clear ignorance of common sense, and, anger overriding his social anxiety, said more firmly, “Give the ring back. It was given to me, not you.” He held his hand out and glanced at the clock. It was 12.55, which meant he had only a few minutes until Chanyeol could help if the woman still wouldn’t give it a rest.

Completely ignoring Baekhyun’s demand, the lady walked over to the nightstand and picked up the note, “My Chan will be here soon? Wonderful! However, his last note, it’s not true. He’ll see. When he sees it on my finger, he’ll fall in love with me!”

“Give me the ring.” Baekhyun said louder this time, and more aggressively.

“Is our little puppy finally getting a backbone? Aw, how sweet, but no, sorry honey. It’s rightfully mine.”

“You’re delusional.” Baekhyun muttered and glanced at the clock. One more minute until he would be saved by the crazy chick. As he waited, sweat began rolling down his face. Only a few more seconds… When the clock struck one, there was the familiar call of Baekhyun’s name and the low voice that accompanied it. Chanyeol’s timing couldn’t have been better.

“Baekhyun, I -- what’s going on?” Chanyeol asked and set the bag of food he had next to the door.

“O-oh! Chanyeol…” The lady said, attempting to acquire Baekhyun’s personality. “Hi,” she gave a small smile and covered her face, as Baekhyun had done countless times. When she did, Chanyeol noticed the ring missing on Baekhyun’s finger was now on hers and was furious. Never before had Baekhyun seen such a look on Chanyeol’s face and it honestly scared him.

“Take that ring off.” Chanyeol said in a low voice that sent shivers up and down Baekhyun’s back.

“Oh! Are you going to propose to me? Wonderful!” Happily, she took the ring off and gave it to Chanyeol who, instead, gently slipped it back onto Baekhyun’s middle finger. “Chan-oppa, why would you do that?” She whined.

“I don’t know who you are, I don’t know why you’re targeting Baekhyun, but you need to stop.”

“Oh dearest Chanyeol,” she sneered, suddenly switching personalities. “I told you yesterday, didn’t I? Fiancee Byun Baekhyun isn’t so safe anymore.”

“Get out of this room right now, or I’ll call security.” Chanyeol growled.

“I will ruin you, Byun Baekhyun!” She shouted and stormed out, purposefully running into Chanyeol on the way out. Sighing, Chanyeol turned to Baekhyun and smiled wearily. Then he sat down in the same chair and handed the plastic bag to Baekhyun. As he did so, Baekhyun couldn’t help but notice the silver ring that adorned Chanyeol’s right ring finger. Strangely, it almost matched the one given Baekhyun, but the design was slightly different and more intricate.

“I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know I had such crazy stalkers. Well, here, I thought you may want to eat something besides the food they have here.” Gratefully, Baekhyun took the bag and opened it to find a wrapped grilled cheese sandwich that was still warm. “I didn’t know what you liked, so…”

“It’s-it’s fine. I love grilled cheese.” Baekhyun smiled and unwrapped the sandwich, allowing the scent of the cheese to waft up his nose. It reminded him of when he was a child; he would come home from school, usually in tears, and his mom would always make him a grilled cheese sandwich.. Feeling starved all of a sudden, he took a large bite and allowed the cheese to become stringy. Everytime he had cheese around his mouth, he would laugh gleefully and wipe it from his mouth.

As he finished his sandwich, he heard the familiar ringtone from his frantically vibrating phone indicating his mom was calling. It was a slightly annoying voice saying mom in multiple different ways. Laughing, Chanyeol stood up, fetched Baekhyun’s phone and handed it to him. An embarrassed smile appeared on Baekhyun’s lips as he answered and brought the phone to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Oh Baekhyun, darling! Are you alright? It’s your mom and dad, we’re on speaker.”

“Mom! Dad!” Baekhyun glanced at Chanyeol who was checking his own phone, but still wore a small smile as he did so. “I’m alright.”

“Thank goodness. We had seen some pictures circulating the interwebs and--”

“And on the news. Your face is everywhere, Baekhyun. Have you even the television lately?” Baekhyun’s dad finished.

“I’ve kind of been… busy.”

“Ah, yes, with your alleged fiancee.” Baekhyun’s mom teased.

“Mother, let’s not go there, please.”

“Does he take good care of you? There have been pictures of you with him… a lot over the past few days. So are you guys actually a thing now?” She pressed.

“If I’m alive, obviously he has,” Baekhyun hissed, hoping Chanyeol couldn’t hear him. “And no, we aren’t.”

“So where are you?” Baekhyun’s dad asked, voice getting louder.

“The hospital. I’m only in here today and then they’ll release me. They’re just making sure I get rest, I guess.”

“Is Chanyeol with you?”

“No.” Baekhyun replied quickly.

“Son, don’t lie to your parents because we know you’re awful at it.”

“Dad!” Baekhyun whined.

“Put us on speaker! I want to talk to you guys.” Baekhyun’s mom asked cheerfully.

“But mom, no!”

“Baekhyun, do as your mother says.”

Grumbling, Baekhyun took the phone away from his ear, mouthed “I’m sorry” to Chanyeol and turned them on speaker.

“Hello?” Chanyeol called out.

“So you’re the famous Park Chanyeol that has been all over the news, eh?” Baekhyun’s father asked in a playful tone.

“Yes sir.”

“Please, just Mr Byun is fine. You’re making me sound old.”

“Sorry, Mr Byun.” Chanyeol glanced at Baekhyun who was burying his head in Chanyeol’s jacket from embarrassment. His dad could be such a weirdo and probably would embarrass him further.

“So Chanyeol, how old are you?”

“I’m 23.”

“And you’re a CEO? Wow, Baekhyun, did you know this? He’s your age.”

“No.” Baekhyun squeaked.

“How come someone so young already be the CEO? Is this a sort of ‘Kim Jong Eun’ deal?”

“Dad! What are you--!”

Chanyeol laughed and shook his head, “No, Mr Byun. For one, my father is definitely not the dictator of North Korea, and he’s alive and well. He simply has a lot on his plate, with owning other companies and such, so he entrusted Park Records to me.”

“Oh, I see. I see. You must’ve been pretty well off as a child.”

“Yeah, I was.” Chanyeol smiled.

“Let’s see, honey, you wanted to interrogate Baekhyun’s fiancee too, right?”

“Dad, we’re not--!” Baekhyun groaned and basically wanted to sink into the floor. Unfortunately, the only thing he could do was cover his face in his knees and Chanyeol’s jacket, but that didn’t make him disappear. Chanyeol’s presence through the whole thing was somewhat unnerving.

“Ah yes! Of course. Let’s see… What first?” There was a pause before she said, “Aha! So, Chanyeol, I would first off like to say how grateful we are for taking care of our son. Ever since we could remember, he’s had social anxiety and he would come home crying almost every day because the other kids scared him. Throughout his school years, he never made honest friends because of it.”

“Mom, please, let’s not--”

“No, quiet Baek. Anyway, when he up and left for college, he went to one close to home, so we were able to visit often just to check on him and give support. However, when he said he wanted to move away, we were really hesitant, as you can guess. But we wanted our little boy to be happy, and if it was moving he wanted, then that’s what he would get. So, just a few weeks ago, he moved into his current apartment and was basically holed up there until he started his novel at that internet cafe you two met at. So, we are overly grateful that you’ve helped him through tough situations with the media and have been the supporting figure in his life that we can no longer be.” Baekhyun’s mom finished in a shaky voice which sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

“It’s not a problem, Mr and Mrs Byun. It’s the least I could do, since I was the one who dragged him into this mess.”

“Thank you, Chanyeol. Please don’t leave my baby alone and take care of him. He really needs someone like you.” Mrs Byun said.

“Of course, Mr and Mrs Byun. I wouldn’t dream of it. Baekhyun is a truly wonderful person. It’ll be hard to find another like him.” Chanyeol said with only sincerity in his words. Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol with a mixture of shock, happiness, and love. It was hard to find another like Baekhyun? No, it was hard to find another like Chanyeol who was so kind and wouldn’t hurt a fly; maybe just scare it off with his glare, though.

“Thank you, again.”

“Ok, Chanyeol. Now time for some more serious questions.” Mr Byun said.

“So, why did you chose to--”

Baekhyun hastily spoke up when he saw where the conversation would be directed, “Ok! Mom, dad! Great talking to you guys! The nurse is here and I have to go! Bye.” He said loudly and tapped the hang up button. Then he threw his phone to the edge of the bed and rubbed his eyes.

“Baekhyun,”

“I’m sorry for doing that.” Baekhyun said quietly and wouldn’t look Chanyeol in the eyes. “I know it was awkward…”

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol started again.

“My parents meant well, really.”

“Baekhyun, everything I said about you, I meant it wholeheartedly.” Chanyeol said solemnly and looked at Baekhyun directly. Now, the latter’s mind was unable to grasp any sensible sentence that wasn’t “I love you.” So instead, he met Chanyeol’s gaze with wide eyes as a blush began to creep up his cheeks and to his ears, turning them a crimson red.

“Wh-what?” Baekhyun whispered.

“I know yesterday I told you I’d leave once this whole thing was cleared up, but being with you today made me realize how much I don’t want to. I enjoy your presence, and I know that I can’t find someone like you.” Chanyeol replied.

Baekhyun suddenly could hear his heart beating in his chest, he could feel it, and he was starting to shake because of it. Hearing those words from Chanyeol’s mouth made his heart soar higher than the clouds, and only made him fall further in love with the man sitting in front of him. Not only that, but Chanyeol was the first person that wasn’t his parents to say something so heartfelt. Others Baekhyun had come across were able to say kind words, but were unable to deliver it with honesty. So overwhelmed with happiness, Baekhyun felt tears fill his eyes and he began to cry through a smile.

“Baekhyun!” Chanyeol exclaimed and hopped up from his chair to embrace the smaller. “What’s wrong?”

Baekhyun just threw open his arms and welcomed the hug. It was by far the best hug he had ever received in his entire life. It seemed as though time around them stopped and it was just them, alone in the world, but together and joyful. As Baekhyun pressed his face into Chanyeol’s broad chest, he felt exhilarated which caused him to cry harder and hug tighter. With a wide smile, Chanyeol close his eyes and buried his face into Baekhyun’s neck.

As Baekhyun calmed down, and wiped tears from his eyes, he pulled back and stared at Chanyeol with a gorgeous smile. Still unable to say anything, Baekhyun merely smiled and returned Chanyeol’s look. Taking one hand from Baekhyun’s back, Chanyeol held out his pinky. Baekhyun looked at it in confusion, but then realized what was going on and held up his own pinky.

“I’ll promise you one thing, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun nodded.

“We’ll stay together forever, whether it be as best friends, or as lovers. No matter what happens, we must keep this promise, alright?”

Delighted, Baekhyun nodded vigorously and could hardly believe he could smile any wider. With this promise, Baekhyun and Chanyeol linked pinkies and sealed it, both grinning from ear to ear. Despite all the commotion earlier that day, perhaps it was the best day of Baekhyun’s life. With another look of joy, the two hugged again, only causing Baekhyun’s heart to melt for probably the millionth time.

“Forever?” Baekhyun whispered into Chanyeol’s chest.

“Forever.”