Chapter Text
Like a moth to a flame
I'll pull you in, I'll pull you back to
What you need initially
It's just one call away
And you'll leave him, you're loyal to me
But this time, I'll let you be
Chanyeol with a glass of champagne in his hand, gazed at a blond-haired man from his position in the shadowy corner of the grand hall of a luxurious hotel where the anniversary party of the Byun's company was being held.
However, it was much more than a dinner where businessmen attended to create more contacts for their business, that night the engagement of the son of the one who organized the event would be officially announced.
His bored gaze never wavered from the small man who seemed to shine brighter than any other day that night, smiling warmly at each person with whom he engaged in animated conversation or laughing shyly when the man next to him grabbed him around the waist and leaned over to murmur something in his ear.
The black-haired man took a sip of his drink and reached into his trouser pocket for his mobile phone. Finally averting his gaze from the couple, he looked up Baekhyun's number in his contacts. He knew that with just one call, he would come to him like the loyal lover he was, leaving everyone behind.
Chanyeol looked up, searching for the blond-haired man again and found him standing next to his parents talking happily, while hanging on his fiancé's arm. However, with a shaky sigh, the tall man put his mobile phone away again and this time, he took a carton of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. He needed to get out of there for a moment and smoking in the garden was a perfect excuse.
' Cause he seems like he's good for you
And he makes you feel like you should
And all your friends say he's the one
His love for you is true
Chanyeol let the smoke out and quickly took another drag on his cigarette, while his shoulder leaned against a pillar and he looked out over the vast inner garden illuminated by small lights, but also by the moon.
He wanted so badly to go in and ruin the evening and take Baekhyun away from the place, but he couldn't, he had no right to. He had lost the chance long ago to claim the shorter one as his own in front of everyone and now he was left to make do with what little he could take from the other man.
Besides, he couldn't deny that Baekhyun looked and felt too comfortable with the guy who will be his husband, even though they ended their relationship three months ago.
It was all bullshit, because Chanyeol thought they could work it out and when he went to do it, only a day after the breakup, the blond-haired guy told him that they wouldn't get back together and a couple of days later he found out that the real reason was because Baekhyun had gotten engaged to someone else.
He had felt betrayed by it, but he could blame no one but himself.
“Baekhyun looks so happy.” Chanyeol heard someone say and looked out of the corner of his eye to see the little man's best friends standing a few feet away.
“Yes! Donghyuk is the one for him.” The other replied enthusiastically, while lighting a cigarette. “ He's always been in love and now they can finally be together, arranged marriage or not, they're both right for each other, so it won't be long before Baek falls in love too.”
“I hope so, so he forgets about that stupid guy he had as a boyfriend who always made him cry .”
“Ugh, yeah, I still can't believe he's kept it a secret from us that he's been dating a jerk for so long, he won't even tell us who he is enough to go and smash his face in.”
Chanyeol wrinkled his nose and took one last puff on the nicotine stick, before throwing it on the floor and crushing it with one of his expensive shoes. He then turned around to go back inside, ignoring the stares of the pair when they noticed his presence and the whispers that it was odd to see him there, as Park never attended Byun events.
The tall man had a mess of thoughts in his head, but one thing he agreed with those two, Donghyuk really seemed to be the one for Baekhyun, plus he looked happier now, unlike their relationship in the past few months, as the shorter one was crying because of him. So, should he let him go?
But does he know you call me when he sleeps?
But does he know the pictures that you keep?
But does he know the reasons that you cry?
Or tell me, does he know where your heart lies?
Where it truly lies
When Chanyeol returned inside, he scanned the whole place for the blond-haired man and frowned when he saw Donghyuk talking to Baekhyun's mother and some of his aunts, but there was no sign of the man he was looking for.
He took another glass of champagne as a waiter passed by with a tray full of them and began to walk around.
He was tired, he had gone to that event after arriving from a trip just to see his lover, but at no time could he get close to talk or even give him a small gift he carried with him in one of his pockets. Chanyeol should go, maybe Baekhyun would call him later when his fiancé was sleeping, like he always did.
The tall man began to walk around the large hall and after a few minutes finally decided to leave. However, as he stepped out into the cold of the night, waiting for a valet to pick up his car, his eyes fell on a small, hunched-backed figure, standing in the dimmest spot of the entrance.
Chanyeol frowned in confusion when he recognised the pink coat, but he couldn't tell if it was really Baekhyun, maybe someone else was wearing the same garment. But if it was him, what was he doing there, why wasn't he inside with his family and fiancé?
Without hesitation, he took long strides over to the man and towered over the other, confirming that it was Baekhyun because of his blond hair with dark locks, but his concern came when he heard him retching and finally noticed that his little lover was vomiting into a bin.
“Baby?” The taller one came to her side and placed a hand on her back.
Baekhyun looked up slightly and eyed the taller man tearfully, before emptying his stomach back into the container.
“Hey, you look like you drank a lot.” Chanyeol tried to joke, stroking Baekhyun's back and helping him to hold his coat against his chest so that it wouldn't get in the way. After a few moments, Baekhyun seemed to recover and stood up straight. The taller one handed him a handkerchief so he could wipe himself. “Are you alright now?” The blond-haired man nodded softly, looking at the ground. “What were you doing out here?”
“I- I- I thought you were gone, so I went out hoping to find you here, but I got nauseous and well.... You know the rest.” Baekhyun raised his head and looked at him in anguish. “Where were you?”
Chanyeol raised his eyebrows in surprise and then placed a soft smile on his lips. He lifted a hand to arrange the messy locks on the other's forehead.
“I was smoking in the garden.” The shorter one's cheeks flushed red and he averted his gaze, frowning as he noticed the black-haired man's vehicle being parked in the driveway. Chanyeol turned to see what changed the other's expression and let out a sigh. “I'm going home, baby. So go back to the party.”
“Huh? Why are you leaving?” Baekhyun turned his gaze to the man.
“Why stay?” The tall man answered with another question. “Baek, I came here only because of you, but I haven't been able to talk to you all night... until now. Besides, I'm tired after the trip I made and also from listening to everyone talking about your engagement.”
The blond-haired man bit his lower lip and reached out his trembling hand to wrap it around the other's wrist.
“But now you're with me, we can go back in there and stand in a corner.”
Chanyeol let out a laugh and shook his head.
“Don't you think they're not going to take you as soon as we enter the hall? It's your party.” The taller one reminded him and grabbed Baekhyun's hand to break the grip he had on him. “So go back inside, baby. We can talk later.”
The younger boy's eyes filled with tears and his lips trembled.
“Why do you sound like you're breaking up with me?” Baekhyun let out a whisper.
“I'm not breaking up with you, baby.” Chanyeol replied gently, as he wiped his thumb under the little boy's eyes. “ There's not even a relationship between us to break.”
The blond-haired man let out a soft gasp and took a step back.
“But we are lovers , Chanyeol.”
“And you consider that a relationship?” The taller man asked tiredly and shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts and find the right words so as not to hurt the little man in front of him. “Because I don't , Baekhyun. I'm just your ex-boyfriend, the one you go to when Donghyuk isn't around. Or does he know what you call me when he sleeps in the same bed we once shared? Does he know about the pictures of us you still keep on your mobile phone or the reasons why you cry?” Chanyeol blurted out in frustration, he couldn't stand the situation they were in any longer. “Does he even know that I still own your heart?”
Baekhyun's eyes glittered with pure pain under the yellowish lights of the hotel entrance.
“I never slept with Donghyuk .” The blond-haired man let out his trembling lips.
Chanyeol furrowed his eyebrows at the stupid answer he received and ran his hand through his hair, looking back to where the valet was standing with his car parked to one side.
“I know that, baby.” He looked at the younger one again and stroked one of his damp cheeks. “But I'm tired, not of you of course, but of the way we ended up. Five years together and a stupid break-up so that now you're going to marry another man because you could never refuse your father's wishes, while I have to settle for your free time? Baekhyun, this was not what I imagined for our future.”
The blond-haired man took Chanyeol's hand that was resting on his cheek between his own and held on tight.
“Chanyeol... Please… ” Baekhyun's trembling voice made his heart ache. “Don't do this to me today.”
“Why?” The curt tone that came from the taller man drew a sob from the blond-haired man, who tightened his grip. “Why is it your engagement?”
“Y-you're being mean, Ye-yeol.” Baekhyun blinked several times to push away his tears. “You said you'd support me and always be by my side.”
“But I realised I can't do that when you're marrying another man.” Chanyeol blurted out, stepping back and pulling his hand away from Baekhyun's, which fell limp at the side of his body. “Now go inside, wash your face and go back to the party with your family.”
The blond-haired man shook his head frantically.
“No, if you don't go with me I'm not going anywhere.”
Chanyeol let out a snort at the other's stubbornness. However, just as he was about to open his mouth to say something else, another male voice was heard a few feet away.
“Baekhyun? Sweetheart... I've been looking for you for a while now.” Donghyuk's footsteps were approaching in the direction they were both standing.
You should be with him, I let you go from time
You should stay with him
“Your fiancé is coming for you, baby, so you should go with him.” Chanyeol said teasingly, a fake smile on his lips. Baekhyun gave him a sad look, wiping his eyes with the sleeves of his cover-up, not caring if his make-up smudged. “I love you, Baekhyun. Always remember that, okay?”
The shorter man nodded slowly with a pout on his lips, surprised when the black-haired man leaned forward to kiss his cheek quickly, before turning to walk away from him and past Donghyuk, bumping his shoulder purposefully.
Chanyeol knew Baekhyun would call him as he did every night, but nothing prepared him for the news that broke only an hour after he left the place, nor the constant pounding on his flat door.