Work Text:
Year 2022
“...will you marry me?”
Four words. Four simple words that made Baekhyun hyperventilate and hiccup uncontrollably, ugly crying in front of his kneeling boyfriend.
“Bubba?” Chanyeol asked worriedly, standing up from his kneeling position when he noticed that Baekhyun was having a hard time breathing.
“Hey…hey, I’m sorry. Sshh, breathe, Bub. Hey…” he kept calling to Baekhyun who continued to gasp in between his sobs.
Chanyeol was still holding the ring box where a beautiful white gold band, inlaid with turquoise and a small diamond in the center, sat sparkling in the center. Baekhyun cried harder at the sight of the ring.
Their friends that suddenly came out from the restaurant’s kitchen looked on with worry.
“S-sorry…” Baekhyun breathed out.
“Sshh…it’s okay. It’s okay, did I shock you too much? I must have asked too early. I shouldn’t have—”
“Yes.” Baekhyun answered absentmindedly, nodding his head vigorously.
“O-oh. Oh, okay…I—I’m sorry…” Chanyeol didn’t know what to feel.
Baekhyun panicked upon seeing the devastated and pained look on Chanyeol’s face. He suddenly felt confused.
“W-what? W-why? No.” he tried again.
“No?” Chanyeol looked at him confusedly.
Everyone else in the room looked at the couple both in confusion and anticipation. What was going on?
“I-I-I mean…” Baekhyun tried to speak over his hiccups.
Damn his body for betraying him at a time where it was supposed to be a perfect moment. His uncontrollable crying was making it hard for him to say what he wanted to say. His mind was stuck at those four precious words and he didn’t understand why Chanyeol was apologizing and why he looked devastated when he said yes.
So, instead, he started gesturing wildly with his hands, hoping that his boyfriend understood.
He pointed to his chest, and then towards Chanyeol’s, repeating it back and forth, and then the ring, and then nodded repeatedly. It was a confusing gesture to anyone who was looking at them without knowing the context.
Heck, even their friends were confused.
But Chanyeol, oh, his dearest darling Chanyeol, who, in a span of two years was patient, and dedicated enough to learn about Baekhyun’s quirks, understood immediately what he was trying to say.
“Y-yeah?” Chanyeol asked, his face lighting up with hope.
Baekhyun just kept nodding, while trying to regulate his breathing.
“O-okay. Okay. Yeah. Yeah…” Chanyeol was now crying too, nodding and smiling so widely.
“Did he say yes? Or…” Sehun, Chanyeol’s best friend, whispered in Jongdae's ear.
But Jongdae was already crying like his best friend, blowing his nose on a napkin.
“Oh love…” Chanyeol proceeded to hug Baekhyun tightly, but the shorter male tapped his back in response.
“Right! Sorry! Okay. Sorry…breathe first bub, okay. I got you…follow my lead, okay? Let’s breathe together…” Chanyeol said after letting go and leaning his forehead against his, now, fiance’s.
While following Chanyeol’s breathing and synchronizing with him, Baekhyun started giggling before full on laughing. Chanyeol couldn’t help but laugh too at how chaotic his proposal had been.
“I’m sorry…” Baekhyun whispered…well, wheezed, more like.
“No, don’t be. It’s alright. Made it more memorable, eh?” Chanyeol teased. Baekhyun hit his arm weakly.
Instead of speaking, Baekhyun gestured to his chest, just over his heart and tapped it before tapping Chanyeol’s and smiling adoringly up at him.
“I love you too, Baekhyun. So much.” Chanyeol whispered with as much affection as he could convey.
And that’s when he picked up the ring and gently slipped it into Baekhyun’s left ring finger.
And despite his lungs nearly giving up on him, Baekhyun tiptoed to wrap his arms around his fiance’s shoulders and kissed him.
Their audience cheered despite being so confused at what just happened.
After all, if you told Baekhyun somewhere in between seven years ago that he would be asked that question in the future, he would have scoffed, rolled his eyes, and walked away after telling you that “love isn’t real”.
But Chanyeol was just that perfect firestarter to ignite a different kind of burning love deep within Baekhyun. A kind of love that he never expected to find or experience.
Two years ago…
“Come on, it’ll be fun! I swear!” Jongdae excitedly encouraged his best friend of fifteen years.
Baekhyun rolled his eyes playfully,
“Fine. Fine. I’ll go. You’re not going to stop bugging me until I do.”
“You bet your ass, I won’t.” Jongdae said before squealing and then hugging the life out of Baekhyun, who just chuckled at his best friend’s antics.
Jongdae has been bugging him to go to their high school reunion, all because he discovered that his old crush was going to be attending—Oh Sehun, who used to be their high school’s basketball varsity co-captain, now turned model and professional photographer.
Jongdae had been following the man’s career since he started becoming famous on Instagram. At this point, he was sure that Jongdae was heavily infatuated with the guy who was two years younger than them. They’ve been conversing over the years, chatting once in a while, small talks here and there, just catching up on life, basically.
But they’ve never met in person ever since they graduated from high school. And Jongdae was all too hyped and excited to meet his so-called “man of his dreams” when he discovered from the source itself that he’ll be attending their high school’s grand centennial celebration.
Baekhyun was going to be supportive, of course. After all, he knew Sehun to be a good kid back in high school. And so far, even throughout his career, the young man has never had any public scandals aside from the fake cheating allegations spread by his former agency that he sued and was found guilty of covering up a bigger company scandal.
But the idea of socializing with his former peers wasn’t too exciting for him.
He didn’t have a bad high school experience, per se, in fact, it was…normal. As normal as a hormonal teenager could experience. He dated some of his classmates, both male and female, but none of them lasted for more than six months. It was basically years of exploring and getting to know oneself.
But there was one person who left an impression on Baekhyun that he couldn’t forget to this day.
“Is that…Park Chanyeol?” Jongdae asked him with a nudge as they stood by one of the cocktail tables with their high school buddies, Junmyeon, Kyungsoo, and his boyfriend, Jongin.
“As in Baekhyun’s first love?” Junmyeon teased with a playful smirk.
Baekhyun rolled his eyes but still followed Jongdae’s line of sight.
“Oh my gosh, he’s here!” Jongdae said excitedly.
Because beside Park Chanyeol, was with none other than Oh Sehun.
Of course, you’d see them arrive together, the two have been inseparable since their varsity days—with Chanyeol as the captain and Sehun as the co-captain—the two were known as the best duo their high school basketball team has ever seen.
And boy, do they look like princes that came out of a manhwa with their pristine suits and slicked back hair.
Baekhyun couldn’t stop the blush that formed in his cheeks, especially after remembering how he learned to explore more of his sexuality with Chanyeol. Junmyeon was right, after all, the tall male was Baekhyun’s first love. And as far as they know, Baekhyun was Chanyeol’s too, until they drifted apart during college.
At one point they became an official couple. But then suddenly, both of them started seeing other people until they somewhat got back together again, only to finally “break up” during their college years when both of them fell in love with other people. It was confusing, truly.
But Baekhyun did cry on Jongdae’s shoulder when they “broke up” because Chanyeol started dating another girl after months of “getting back together”. He got over it after a couple of months and started dating his assho—
“Hey!” Baekhyun’s train of thought was broken by Jongdae’s high pitched greeting when he saw the two tall men walking up to them.
“Hi! Nice to see you here, finally.” Sehun greeted smoothly, looking at Jongdae with—was that fondness? OMG.
“Yeah! You guys look good! Chanyeol.” Jongdae said with a small bow of greeting to the other tall man whose eyes were already fixed at—
“Baekhyun.” Chanyeol greeted with a small smile and a tilt of his head.
Jongdae glanced at Sehun who was obviously trying to hold in his laughter and then at Kyungsoo who had one of his thick eyebrows raised. Junmyeon and Jongin looked confused at what just happened.
“Ch-Chanyeol.” Baekhyun greeted back with a small voice and an even smaller smile.
And then…awkward silence. Why the hell is his heart beating so fast?
“Kyungsoo.”
Everyone turned towards the other short male whose voice broke through the awkward air and had his hand raised.
“Aren’t we calling out each other’s names?” he asked, looking genuinely confused.
Jongin at his right suddenly started giggling,
“Babe, if that’s the case, you’re not supposed to call out your own name.” he quipped, making Kyungsoo smirk and laugh.
And then the rest somehow followed, and the awkward tension slowly left, finally giving way to more comfortable greetings and introductions.
But throughout the night, even after the alumni awards—where Baekhyun was granted with the “Distinguished Alumni” award from their batch, and had to give a very awkward and spontaneous speech—Chanyeol couldn’t take his eyes off of the pretty male whose hair was dyed pink and was wearing a light gray and powder blue suit, a complete contrast of his much darker one.
Socializing and mingling with other people became difficult for Baekhyun ever since he became single. It wasn’t really much about the people, per se, but it was more because of himself that making small talk with his former peers and reminiscing about the “good old days” made him feel…awkward, for a lack of a better term.
It was a strange feeling. It’s not that he didn’t want to talk to them, or want to learn about his former classmates’ current lives—Baekhyun just felt awkward about talking about himself and his achievements in life, despite that most of them probably wouldn’t judge how he is now.
Baekhyun sighed, leaning back and stretching his tired legs as he sat by the bleachers at the soccer field outside the school’s gymnasium. He had his eyes closed as he basked at the cool summer winds blowing against his hair.
“Hey…” he heard a deep voice that made him jump in surprise.
He blushed at the sight of Chanyeol towering over him, holding a red plastic cup of what Baekhyun guessed was beer.
“Hey to you, too.” Baekhyun greeted awkwardly, sitting up properly with a small smile.
“May I sit down?”
Baekhyun responded with a small nod.
“It’s strange to be back here, eh?” Chanyeol said with a quiet voice as his eyes roamed around the field.
He could distinctly remember how he ran laps around the field as a morning exercise before basketball practice.
“Yeah…” Baekhyun responded with a sigh.
“How are you? I haven’t heard from you in a while.” Chanyeol didn’t let the mild awkwardness in the air faze him.
“I’m…okay, I guess? Surviving.” Baekhyun chuckled after a shrug of his shoulder.
“Distinguished Alumni Award. I think you did better than just surviving,” the taller male said with a grin, pointing towards the plaque that sat next to Baekhyun.
The smaller male shrugged again,
“I only did what I thought I should do as part of my profession.”
Chanyeol chuckled then,
“You know…I’ve always known you’re going to make an impact on society.”
Baekhyun turned his head towards him then,
“Oh? How so?”
Chanyeol turned to him with a fond smile,
“You’ve always been a leader. A passionate one at that.”
“What do you mean?” Baekhyun furrowed his eyebrows.
“Remember back in high school? You used to stand up to those who got bullied in a way that demanded respect rather than contempt. You’d sacrifice your own comfort just so others could have their way. You were popular as the kid who people could rely on and can look up to.”
Baekhyun’s eyes widened and scoffed mildly, shaking his head in disbelief.
“What?” Chanyeol asked, confused at his reaction.
“I don’t…I don’t even remember being like that in high school. Was I, really?”
Chanyeol nodded slowly,
“I remember you being the life of your friend group and the person they can ask for help whenever they’re struggling with something. You were the smart, witty kid in class that everyone generally liked.”
This time, Baekhyun did scoff,
“Not everyone.”
“Well, the three queen T’s don’t count, did you know that Tiffany went through two divorces already?” Chanyeol quipped like a gossip queen and Baekhyun’s jaw dropped at how the topics suddenly shifted.
The three Queen T’s, Chanyeol put it, were Taeyeon, Tiffany, and…Jessica. Weird clique name, but hey, it was high school.
“What?” Baekhyun laughed incredulously.
“Yeah! I heard from Sehun. You know how that kid is, he’s friends with everyone. It’s also how I learned about some of your achievements.” he shrugged as if it was nothing before taking a huge gulp of his beer, finishing the whole cup.
“You…kept tabs on me?” Baekhyun’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Well, not…really. It was Sehun who told me tidbits about you. Between you and me, I think he has a thing for your best friend. Did you know that aside from me, he’s the only one he kept in touch with from high school? He didn’t even keep in touch with most of our teammates.”
Baekhyun felt like having a whiplash with all the sudden information, and the fact that Park Chanyeol was talking to him like they weren’t—what were they before, anyway?
“R-really?” Chanyeol nodded,
“He was pretty insistent that we attend this reunion. Don’t tell him that I told you that he dressed up well today to impress your friend.”
Baekhyun laughed easily at the information,
“Jongdae was the same. I didn’t actually plan on attending today but he pretty much pushed me to. I only agreed because he promised to treat me to lunch for a whole week.”
“So, you got bribed too?” Chanyeol teased.
“Pretty much. What about you?”
“He promised to take care of my baby for free while I go to New York for a business trip.” Baekhyun was slightly taken aback,
“A baby? He has a child?” he thought.
But Chanyeol excitedly pulled his phone out of his pocket and started showing Baekhyun a picture of a small puppy in a dress.
“Her name is Zzar. She’s my little princess. She’s adorable, isn’t she?”
Baekhyun didn’t know why, but he felt immense relief upon knowing that he meant a puppy—that he’s a furdad and not an actual dad…who could possibly be married. He even let out a breath that he didn’t even know he was holding.
And for the rest of the night, that’s how they bonded, by sharing pictures and anecdotes of their fur babies. Chanyeol with his maltipoo, Zzar, and Baekhyun, with his Welsh corgi, Mongryong.
Year 2012
“Honey, I got in!” Baekhyun said excitedly as soon as he entered the small apartment he shared with his boyfriend, Minhyun.
“Got in? Where?” Minhyun asked, not even turning around to face Baekhyun as he stirred the pot of stew he was making.
“Graduate school! I got accepted! I didn’t get the scholarship though, but that’s okay! I talked to my parents and they said they’ll help support me, but I’ll still get a part-time job to help you pay the bills and the groceries.” Baekhyun told him in a rush, still grinning widely from excitement.
“You really went and applied for that already? I thought you were going to wait for two more years?” Minhyun asked with furrowed eyebrows.
“I know, but, mom suggested that I take it now while I’m at my peak and still motivated to study. If I don’t start now, I might never get my Master’s in the future.” Baekhyun explained.
“But we had plans. I thought you said you were going to get a job first?” Minhyun said, finally turning around to face his boyfriend.
Baekhyun’s smile slowly faded at the sight of Minhyun’s frown.
“I did. I am! Well…part-time, but I will. Mom and dad are going to help me with the school fees while I get a part-time job so I can help you with the bills. It’s a win-win situation, yeah?” Baekhyun explained carefully.
He heard Minhyun sighed heavily before giving him a small (forced) smile.
“Okay, honey. If that’s what you want.”
“We’ll be okay, don’t worry.” Baekhyun assured him with a smile and a hug.
“Yeah, I know. Congratulations. Are you excited?”
“I am! Oh, I can’t wait to meet all my mentors. Did you know that…” Baekhyun started telling Minhyun about all the esteemed researchers in special education and child psychology that are part of the faculty roster. The people that Baekhyun looks up to and wanted to be one day.
Minhyun looked on with a small smile as he listened to Baekhyun, nodding in agreement at the right moments. But his smile doesn’t really reach his eyes and Baekhyun never saw how the light in his eyes dimmed a little.
Year 2020
Baekhyun suddenly started giggling in his seat while looking at his phone and then typing on the on-screen keyboard. He didn’t even notice that Jongdae was slowly sneaking from behind him and peeking over his shoulder.
“Aigoo , what is this? Are you guys getting back together again?”
Baekhyun gasped and hit send prematurely, without finishing his message, and practically slammed his phone, screen down, on his office desk. Jongdae was looking at him strangely while wiggling his eyebrows.
“What are you talking about? Of course…not.” Baekhyun’s voice started drifting off to a quiet whisper before blushing like a strawberry.
“You guys have been constantly flirting with each other for two weeks now.” Jongdae said with his arms crossed and a raised eyebrow.
“We’re not…flirting. We’re just…talking.” Baekhyun sounded in denial even in his own ears.
“Uh huh. And what do you guys talk about when he calls you late at night?” Baekhyun turned away, avoiding Jongdae’s eyes.
“Just…stuff,” he shrugged, acting nonchalant.
“Stuff, huh?” Baekhyun slowly turned towards Jongdae whose smile was slowly morphing from a strict frown to a cheshire grin.
Baekhyun, annoyed at his best friend for making him feel awkward and embarrassed, threw his pencil at him. The music teacher just laughed and pulled another chair next to Baekhyun.
“You know, despite you sleeping so late in the night talking to Chanyeol, you’re glowing with happiness. It suits you.” he smiled softly at Baekhyun.
“I…don’t know what I’m doing, to be honest.” Baekhyun chuckled awkwardly.
“Well, I know you’re the psychologist between us, but tell me what you feel right now? Thinking about Chanyeol.” Jongdae gently asked.
“I’m…both scared and excited at the same time, Dae. More on the feeling of excitement, to be honest. He…” Baekhyun started to bite his lip and his eyes turned glassy,
“He confessed to me when we met at the cafe the other day. He straight off told me that he likes me and if I was willing to try again with him.” Baekhyun nearly whispered.
“He, what? He said that?” Baekhyun slowly nodded.
“And? What did you tell him?” Jongdae leaned forward on his knees and looked straight at Baekhyun’s eyes that sparkled with something that Jongdae never thought would see in his best friend’s eyes again.
“I…told him that I was. Willing to try with him, I mean. I…I don’t know, Jongdae, I feel like we’re going too fast. Waaaay too fast. I mean, less than two weeks? It was just a little over a week since the reunion when he confessed, and now…I—” he blushed profusely and covered his face, suddenly feeling all shy and embarrassed.
“Are you…boyfriends now?” Jongdae’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I’m actually still in shock and it’s just now that it's sinking in when you asked me.” Baekhyun answered sheepishly.
“So, what happened? How did your conversation get to that?” Jongdae leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.
He even took a notebook and a pen, and looked at him pointedly, acting like the stereotypical therapist. Baekhyun chuckled at his best friend’s antics, but ended up telling him how it all started.
A week ago…
“...pretty sure you’d seal that deal. You’re too charismatic and charming for them to say no.” Baekhyun said truthfully, albeit a little absentmindedly, and only realized what came out of his mouth when Chanyeol started teasing him,
“You think I’m charming and charismatic?” the taller male said with a flirtatious smirk.
“I—well—you—uhmm…” Baekhyun stuttered and blushed.
“My my, are you flirting with me, Byun?” Chanyeol wiggled his eyebrows playfully.
It’s been a little over a week since the reunion, and to be honest, Baekhyun was getting more and more attracted to the CEO of a growing tech company. Especially with the things that he kept learning about him that he shared.
Back in high school, Chanyeol was every parent’s dream son, and everyone else’s dream guy. He was boyishly handsome with that curly brown hair, very athletic, and an above average student. Despite being on the introverted side, he had plenty of friends. And during the time that they dated, Baekhyun discovered more about his nerdy and humorous side.
Chanyeol loved technology, gaming, sitcoms, anime, and music. Things that Baekhyun was fascinated with as well but not as passionate about. But Baekhyun, back then, was an extrovert and loved to meet new people. Something that Chanyeol couldn’t relate to and eventually, became the reason why they drifted apart.
But there’s always been something about Chanyeol that Baekhyun kept returning to him. Until it reached a point where Chanyeol stopped accepting Baekhyun and met a girl in college that he dated for a long time.
Baekhyun squared his shoulders and answered smugly, despite the shy blush in his cheeks,
“Maybe I am, why? What are you gonna do about it?” Chanyeol chuckled,
“Careful now, Baekhyunee. Don’t start something you can’t commit to.” Baekhyun raised an eyebrow at that, suddenly feeling offended,
“What the hell does that mean?”
“I mean, if you’re going to flirt with me, you have to be sure that you want me. Because if you ask me, right here, right now, I’m going to tell you straight off, I like you.” Baekhyun was taken aback at the sudden confession,
“But I’m too old to be playing around, dilly dallying with feelings, playing with that push and pull that we used to do back in high school. If you’re going to flirt with me, I’m going to flirt back but with the clear intention of wooing you to something more.” Chanyeol suddenly leaned forward with his forearms over the coffee table,
“I like you, Byun Baekhyun. And if I may be straightforward, I’d like to know if you’ll be in this for the long haul because honestly, I am—will be, if you are.”
Baekhyun blinked in shock. Did he just—
“But if you’re not and you’re just playing around, then…I suggest you stop right now before you give me any hopes that we can be something more. I don’t want mixed signals, Baekhyun, we’re both too old for that.”
Yeah, he did. Park Chanyeol just confessed to Byun Baekhyun.
“A-aren’t we going to…you know, try and get to know each other first? Date? I mean…” Baekhyun gestured vaguely with his hands.
He felt overwhelmed with the sudden confession and his brain was short-circuiting on what to do.
“But we already know each other and…technically, we are on a date right now.” Chanyeol said with a shrug and a grin.
“Yeah, but…” Baekhyun tried to find an excuse, and all he could think of was—
“Aren’t we…going a little too fast about this? I mean…we only met again just a week ago and now…you want us to be…boyfriends?”
Chanyeol smiled at him softly,
“It’s not too fast if it’s something you know you really want. And I know I want you, Baekhyun.”
Baekhyun was stumped.
“In business, when making deals and creating a partnership, both parties lay all their cards on the table before finalizing a relationship. So…”
Baekhyun was dumbfounded with his logic but he went along with whatever Chanyeol was leading the conversation to. And so, at the end of that conversation, Baekhyun was sure that he wanted to try with Chanyeol.
And when the CEO dropped him off at his apartment, they had their first (not really) kiss.
Back to the present day…
“So…you mean to tell me you and Chanyeol practically negotiated each others’ terms and conditions in a relationship like it’s a business deal?” Jongdae asked, equally dumbfounded at what he just heard.
“Kind…of?” Baekhyun tilted his head, looking at Jongdae with a sheepish smile.
“Huh.” Jongdae sat back, relaxing his shoulders and looking far off the window of the faculty room,
“When you really think about it, it’s basically what happens during a getting to know stage but instead of taking months and learning about each other on your own, risking misunderstandings, you guys went off and became honest and…just told each other what you like and dislike, right off the bat.” he summarized thoughtfully.
“Pretty much?”
“And…you guys are still talking even after a week?”
“We even slept together the other day before he flew off to New York.” Baekhyun deadpanned.
Jongdae started coughing, choking on his saliva,
“You had sex with him not even a week into re-meeting him?!” Baekhyun ran to cover his mouth and looked around their office to see if anyone was listening in.
Good thing there’s not many teachers in the room and most of them are in their classes. Jongdae and Baekhyun just had this free period which was now being used for gossiping.
“Will you quiet down?! Oh my God.” Baekhyun was mortified.
“But seriously? You didn’t even give in to Minhyun after a year! And Chanyeol—”
“To be fair, I lost my v-card with him back in high school so…no surprise there.” Baekhyun whispered.
“So…” Jongdae went back to give him his signature Cheshire grin.
“What?” Baekhyun huffed.
“How was he in bed? Is he better than back in high school?”
“Kim Jongdae!!”
Baekhyun arrived at his apartment after having dinner with Kyungsoo and Jongdae who practically squeezed all the juicy details of his growing relationship with Chanyeol. Kyungsoo, at one point, had to cut in and divert the attention to Jongdae’s and Sehun’s growing relationship instead because the other short man knew that Baekhyun was starting to get annoyed.
Hah. Payback was a bitch. They had Jongdae all shy and flustered, which, in a way, made Baekhyun laugh because it wasn’t like his best friend to be so attracted yet intimidated by a guy.
As soon as he put his keys to his bowl and took off his shoes, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket:
Yeollie 8:32pm
Hey bubba, good morning! Are you home yet?
Baekhyun couldn’t stop the smile that formed on his lips as he saw the message with a selfie of a freshly woken up Chanyeol, still in bed, smiling widely and still looking sleepy. Baekhyun started typing a reply,
“Just got to the apartment. How was your sleep?”
Yeollie 8:37pm
It was okay. I wish you were here so I could cuddle you.
Dreamt of you last night.
“Oh? What was it about?”
Yeollie 8:40pm
[sends picture]
Baekhyun blushed at the picture of Chanyeol’s bulge through his boxers with a small wet patch.
Yeollie 8:42pm
It was a wet dream.
Baekhyun couldn’t stop the blush and the hotness that ran over his body. He bit his lip and decided to be naughty. He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing his collar bones and took off his trousers to reveal his milky legs with the fading marks of Chanyeol’s love making. He posed seductively, looking cute but sexy at the camera before snapping a picture and sending it to his boyfriend.
Yeollie 8:42pm
Fuck, baby, you’re going to make me late for today’s meeting.
“😋😋😋 miss you daddy~”
Yeollie 8:42pm
[sends a very lewd dick pic that made Baekhyun hot all over]
Miss you too, beautiful.
Can’t wait to go home to you and love you hard and fast.
“I can’t wait too. A week is so long. 🥺”
Yeollie 8:45pm
Just a couple more days. I’ll take you out on a date when I get back.
I went shopping the other day. I bought you something.
Reminded me so much of you.
“What is it? You know you didn’t have to get
me anything right?
Yeollie 8:46pm
I know. But I want to.
Let me spoil my pretty baby.
[sends a picture of a big corgi plushie]
Something you can cuddle at night when I’m not around.
“Yeollie, that’s huge!! How the hell are you going
to carry that home!?”
Yeollie 8:47pm
I’ll figure it out. 😉
I can make it sit next to me on the plane.
Or just hug it while on the plane.
At least it’ll be like hugging you too.
“Are you telling me I look like a puppy? 😤”
Yeollie 8:48pm
Yes.
My cute sexy pretty puppy.
That I’ll kiss senseless.
Baekhyun chuckled at their exchange, feeling warmth all over himself for a whole different reason. Chanyeol never failed to make him feel adored and make him feel beautiful in his own skin. In fact, in the course of two weeks of dating him, Chanyeol always reminded him how much he appreciated his looks—even with his bed head and dried drool on his chin.
It was something that his ex gravely failed at in their four years of relationship until they broke up five years ago.
Baekhyun could distinctly remember how Minhyun once called him out on his eating habits. Stress could make someone binge eat all their comfort food without realizing it. Baekhyun didn’t find anything wrong with it, but Minhyun clearly did—saying that Baekhyun is going to put on weight and he’s going to bloat, making him too puffy.
But with Chanyeol, he called him out on his binge eating in a different way.
“You’re going to hurt your stomach if you keep skipping meals and then eat everything in one go, bub. And then you’re going to complain about a bloated, aching tummy that makes you feel all awful.” Chanyeol worried with a pout,
“I’ll buy you your favorite snacks and then just put them in your bag or in your drawer so you’ll always have something to munch on, okay? That way you won’t get a stomach ache.” he continued as he nursed a belly aching Baekhyun.
“I’ll get fat if I snack too much too often.” Baekhyun mumbled.
“So? So long as you’re eating properly and not getting sick, I don’t care if you put on weight. You deserve a good meal after working so hard.” Chanyeol said while handing a cup of chamomile and mint tea to ease the acid and gas bloating his tummy.
True to his word, Chanyeol did fill up his pantry with snacks and made sure that he has a full snack box to take to his office. Jongdae was thankful because he got to snack on them too but since then, Baekhyun didn’t go too hungry and his stomach upsets lessened.
It was…enlightening and refreshing—a little scary too, but whenever Chanyeol looks at him, all his fears and worries just melt away.
Compared to the four years with Minhyun that was shrouded with underhanded gaslighting. Baekhyun didn’t even know that he was losing himself in the relationship and thought that it was how relationships were supposed to go.
Dating Chanyeol, though, it felt like he was dating a child trapped in a hot man’s body. He never knew that someone could be that showy with affection until he met him. Heck, not even high school Chanyeol was like that. It was all shy touches and soft kisses with him back then.
However, it’s been ten years since they last saw or even talked to each other. A lot of things have changed since. Baekhyun was sure that he changed too so it shouldn’t be surprising that Chanyeol grew to be the confident man that he is now.
They were like polar opposites back in high school. And deep down, Baekhyun knows that they were still opposites but in a different sense. But despite that, they can easily flow along with the tide of their relationship through compromises.
And apparently, it took toxic relationships for the two of them to grow maturely.
A week ago during their date…
“When did you realize that you had to break up with Wendy?” Baekhyun asked Chanyeol, genuinely curious about what happened with him and his ex.
Wendy was, after all, the girl that Chanyeol left him for.
Thinking about it, Baekhyun couldn’t blame him for not accepting him again back then. It was only when he got older did he realize that he became somewhat of an asshole to him by doing that push and pull and meeting other people while claiming to date him.
“When I saw my sister with her husband, it made me realize how unhealthy our seven-year relationship was,” he chuckled,
“We fought about the smallest inconveniences, especially when things didn't go her way. She was jealous of nearly everyone I got close to, be it a man or a woman. She even got jealous of my own sister at one point because I chose Yoora, who needed me to accompany her to her check-up, rather than spend the day with her and her friends.”
Baekhyun huffed and gave him a look of disbelief,
“Well that’s stupid. That’s your sister.”
“To her, she should be more important. She even asked why it had to be me and not her husband who was just her boyfriend at the time. Jihong-hyung was out of the country for business and her check-up was an urgent matter. She had a cancer scare then, you know? Found a cyst in her ovaries bigger than normal. Thankfully it was benign and the doctor said that she could still have kids. But Wendy didn’t accept the urgency. She even asked, why not my dad?” Chanyeol shook his head with a chuckle. He was so angry then but now, he could just laugh about it all. He was truly glad that he didn’t end up marrying Wendy.
Baekhyun felt angry at how ridiculous it all was. He couldn’t believe that such a person existed.
“She made promises to change for the better when I broke up with her, but…she also made the same promises every time I tried to break up with her, and I always gave in. Not that time anymore though.”
“What made you decide that it was the final straw?” Baekhyun asked as he sipped on his iced americano.
“I met someone and we…kind of clicked. It was another college classmate, Rose. We…well, we were never official but we did like each other and confided in each other. I wanted to pursue something more with her but she didn’t like me enough to do so.” Chanyeol shrugged,
“Said she can’t deal with someone who’s not…always there. In my defense, my company was just growing then and I had to be fully hands-on until it became steady. But I immediately dropped whatever we had going, and she didn’t chase me either, so…no hard feelings.” Baekhyun looked at him thoughtfully,
“When was this?”
“Hmm…two years ago, I think? She has a girlfriend now.”
“Oh, that’s…good then.” Baekhyun looked away.
“You don’t have to worry about any other exes.” Chanyeol said half-teasingly.
“Not even your former one-night stand partners?” Baekhyun raised an eyebrow.
“Not even. I barely had any with how busy I got with the company.”
Baekhyun slowly nodded and pouted, thinking of what else to ask the man before him. The way Chanyeol looked directly in his eyes and answered so confidently was refreshing for him. There was no hint of deceit in his eyes or his facial expression. There was no mockery either which made Baekhyun feel at ease.
But he also felt so scared at how easy it was to just give in and go for it. His heart and even his gut instincts clearly wanted to go for it. But his logical brain was giving him warning signals but he couldn’t explain to himself what could go wrong. He knew it was his trust issues speaking, especially after his ex and all the other men who treated him like shit.
But there’s really just something about Chanyeol that he knows he can trust.
“What about you? Weren’t you in a long-term relationship with someone before? What happened?” Chanyeol finally asked.
There was no judgement, and no mockery in his tone. Nothing but pure curiosity at what happened. And after years of not talking about it to anyone other than his closest friends, this time, he felt more at ease to talk about the relationship that caused him so much pain.
“I was. He cheated on me. And the worst part was that I held on to him despite him wanting to break up with me.” Baekhyun chuckled humorlessly.
Chanyeol tilted his head and kept his eye contact with him.
“Minhyun…we decided to live together as soon as we got out of college. But despite living under the same roof, we barely saw each other. He travels a lot for work, you see. He’s a classical musician that performs at events and gets invited to perform in different parts of the country. Mostly at weddings, and functions.” he started,
“Calls and texts were a necessity for us. We were like in a long distance relationship despite being in the same city. It was fine for me, he comes home almost every weekend, sometimes every other weekend. I understood that playing music was his passion and his profession, I respected that. Until…” Baekhyun paused to watch him raise his hand.
“Until…? Go on. I’ll just call a server to order us something to eat. It’s nearly dinner time. You said you only had a sandwich for lunch and it was an early lunch too. You must be hungry by now.” Chanyeol gave him a charming smile.
Baekhyun gratefully returned his smile and was touched by the fact that Chanyeol remembered and thought of him. Thankfully the server noticed them right away and was able to take their orders before Baekhyun continued with his story.
“Until he was offered to teach music in another country. It was supposed to be a one year contract but for some reason, the school didn’t like him and how he taught the kids so he was laid off almost immediately. He fell into depression because he left the band for that opportunity so when he returned, they only took him back to work part-time, instead of full time. And that’s when things started going downhill…”
Chanyeol was attentive the whole time. Never interrupting Baekhyun and was just digesting everything he was saying. In fact, Baekhyun was the one who couldn’t keep eye contact anymore because he wasn’t used to the kind of attention he was giving him.
“When he said he wanted to break up with me, he did it over a text message. I told him to come home and talk to me in person but he said he couldn’t—he wouldn't. Four years…and he wanted to end it all through text. Of course, I didn’t agree. I told him that I'll only break up with him if he told me he didn’t love me anymore to my face.”
“You were braver than him, that I can definitely say.” Chanyeol commented with furrowed eyebrows.
“Yeah, but I wish I had been more logical about it rather than spending a year waiting for something that never came.” Baekhyun pursed his lips and sighed.
“So…he just left you hanging? He didn’t face you at all during that year?” Chanyeol sounded annoyed.
He scoffed when Baekhyun shook his head no,
“I ended it the way he wanted to. I sent him a text message that I’m tired of waiting and ended everything then,” Baekhyun chuckled,
“He only took his stuff one by one from the apartment while I was working or while I’m in class during the year. I should have seen it then, but I kept hoping. He would bring home take outs and leave it on the table whenever he came to pick something up.”
“Hmm.”
“And then…after three months of ending it, I discovered from one of his bandmates’ posts that he had already been dating someone else and they were celebrating their anniversary at a fancy hotel.” Baekhyun said as-a-matter-of-factly.
“He made you wait, didn’t face you to tell you what you wanted to hear, and once you did end things, he went public with his new partner?” Chanyeol asked in disbelief.
“I felt so stupid when I learned that he was already dating someone else all throughout the year that I was waiting for him. And the funny part was that he even told me about the guy having a crush on him! He practically warned me and I didn’t see it coming!” Baekhyun laughed humorlessly.
“He blamed me, did you know? He said he fell out of love with me because I didn’t give him enough support when he was depressed after his stint in another country. And he said I wasn’t present in his most trying times and basically at most of our relationship. I mean, I get that I have my faults too but—”
“He’s the one who’s always out of the house, why blame you?” Chanyeol raised an eyebrow.
“Every time I look back on days that we were together, slowly I realized that I may have been bruising his ego. I was pursuing my dreams with no problem because I had enough support from my parents and I could support myself by teaching at the university. At one point, I was earning more than him and…for him, well…”
Chanyeol started chuckling,
“A fragile ego, eh? So he went to date the guy who can boost his ego, who he can manipulate and obviously, someone who’s a lot less smarter than you.”
“You don’t have to insult his boyfriend like that.” Baekhyun smiled, amused.
“Oh, I’m going to insult him, alright. He’s a third party and he probably knows that you were still pining over the guy who wanted him. He probably also thinks that he won because your ex left you, not knowing that he got a ball-less man with an ego more fragile than a glass doll.” Chanyeol shrugged,
“I say you still won and dodged that bullet. You could have been living an even more miserable life. He would have just pulled you down with him.”
“Yeah, but…the after-experience wasn’t pleasant either.” Baekhyun sighed and watched as their server arrived with their plates.
Baekhyun’s stomach loudly grumbled at the sight of the creamy pasta and garlic bread before him. Chanyeol found the sound adorable and handed him his utensils, even taking off the napkin that the staff wrapped it with. Baekhyun whispered a shy thank you to Chanyeol before he started to dig in.
Chanyeol’s adoring look as he ate made him feel warm all over. He smiled at him and did a little dance as a show of how much he was enjoying the food. Chanyeol chuckled at his antics before digging into his own plate of pasta.
“Growing pains, as they call it. Consider it as that—a rite of passage by fire so you can be your best self and find your own footing. Be independent and more confident in your own abilities and in your own skin.” Chanyeol quipped.
“It’s…I was depressed for several years, Chanyeol. I didn’t even know it was depression until my mentor pointed it out. Funny…I’m supposed to be a psychologist and I didn’t even notice the symptoms.” Baekhyun said sadly.
“A doctor still needs another doctor to help him. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“I know that now. But…uhmm…yeah, so…I still have my episodes so…if you’re willing to see and go through with that, well…” Baekhyun’s voice started drifting off to a quieter tone.
He didn’t expect Chanyeol to reach over and hold his hand,
“I’m no therapist. But I’ll be whoever you need me to be when you go through your episodes. If you need me to hold you, I will. If you need me to give you space, I will.”
Baekhyun breathed in deeply and gave him a watery smile,
“I…appreciate that. Thank you. It’s not…so far, it hasn’t been that bad. I’m not suicidal, no, but…I tend to become a workaholic that I forget to take care of myself until my body fails me or I get sick. And then I have my moments of suddenly breaking down but I can’t explain why I was feeling so down. So…if you’re okay with that…”
“I’ll be the one to take care of you, then. If I have to force you to take a leave of absence to rest and tie you down to the bed and feed you myself, I will, just so you can get your much needed rest.” Chanyeol assured him.
“But there are days where I can barely move. Tiredness that lasts for days, even weeks, that I can’t explain why I’m so tired, even if I didn’t do anything the whole day. I just feel so…unmotivated.”
“Then, I’ll do what I can to help you get back to your feet.” Chanyeol said slowly.
That made Baekhyun chuckle,
“You’re not just making promises, are you?”
Chanyeol replied with an amused, yet sincere smile of his own,
“I’m a businessman, Baekhyun. I don’t just make promises, I commit to them. It may take me a while to learn the right thing to do and what would work, but I will do what I can.”
Baekhyun felt like crying at the sincere, determined look that Chanyeol was giving him. He slowly nodded with a soft smile before quietly saying,
“Okay…if you’re sure.”
He blushed when Chayeol lifted his hand up to put the softest kiss over his knuckles.
Year 2013
“Uuugh, this is so cringe.” Minhyun said, turning the speakers off.
“Hey! I was listening to that!” Baekhyun complained, looking up from his study table in their living room. His round glasses perched near the tip of his nose.
“The song sounds awful. I don’t understand how you like that.” Minhyun scoffed.
“It’s catchy.” Baekhyun defended.
“It’s not going to help you concentrate with what you’re doing. Classical music helps you focus better than…whatever that was.” Minhyun fiddled with the speaker and connected his phone on it to play his preferred music instead.
Suddenly, the doorbell to their apartment chimed.
“Oh! That must be the album I ordered!” Baekhyun said excitedly, hopping off of his chair and running towards the door.
True enough, there was a small box by the door making him grin widely.
“Album? What album?” Minhyun asked
“My favorite group made a comeback the other week.” Baekhyun excitedly said as he cut open the box containing his album sets,
“Oh, I hope I pull my bias,” he added as he pulled out five photobooks that look exactly the same.
“You’re wasting money on that? All five of them are exactly the same album. Why do you need the same ones?” Minhyun huffed as he looked over Baekhyun’s shoulder who was opening one photobook.
“It’s not about the CD itself but more of the inclusions on the album. See? There’s a photocard inside which I can trade with other fans.”
“It’s just a piece of paper with some…cringe-looking dude? You collect these?” Minhyun furrowed his eyebrows as he took the photocard from Baekhyun’s fingers.
Baekhyun didn’t answer anymore, already feeling dejected with how much Minhyun was mocking the stuff he bought. But his mood lifted up a bit as soon as he opened the next photobook and he pulled his bias, LOEY.
“And who’s that?” Minhyun asked as he noticed Baekhyun’s smile.
“LOEY. He’s my favorite among them. He’s the main rapper but he sings so well too.” Baekhyun said with a giggle.
Minhyun visibly cringed at the photocard of a guy with his hands raised as if poised to pounce like a wolf.
“He looks stupid.”
Baekhyun’s smile fell.
“Anyway, I’m going to start dinner. Go clean that up once you're done. I don’t want to see that displayed anywhere.”
Baekhyun didn’t bother opening the other three albums anymore.
Year 2020
Yeollie 3:22pm
Baby, look! Have you seen this already?
[sends link]
“I did! 😭”
“Noooooooo. I haven’t even moved on from Suho’s enlistment.”
Yeollie 3:23pm
They said that he’s gonna have a fanmeeting on the same day.
“Huhuhu I kinda want to go but Jongdae is at a
conference on that day.”
Yeollie 3:23pm
I’ll go with you then.
“Really? 🥺 I thought you didn’t like ‘em?”
Yeollie 3:24pm
But you do.
I’ll buy us the tickets. 😉
When the day came, Chanyeol did buy the tickets for the fanmeet, even allotting enough time for him to wait for the link to open and hit purchase. They had good seats too and when the time came to say goodbye to CHEN, Baekhyun cried. Chanyeol just sat next to his boyfriend with his arm wrapped around his shoulders for support.
He may not understand his boyfriend’s obsession for his favorite group but Chanyeol knows that their music made him happy.
And when Baekhyun is happy, he’s also happy.
Year 2013
It was raining cats and dogs. Baekhyun was stuck in the faculty room, still reading and grading papers.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you home? It’s pouring out there.” Jongdae offered.
“It’s alright. Minhyun said he was going to pick me up. You can go ahead.” Baekhyun gave him a tight lipped smile.
Jongdae rolled his eyes. He never really liked Minhyun even when they first met. Baekhyun asked him why and Jongdae merely answered with “instincts,” before shrugging.
“Alright. But if you need anything, call me, okay? The weather's terrible out there.” he said before sighing.
Baekhyun simply nodded and watched his best friend leave him, albeit reluctantly.
He has known Jongdae since they were in elementary school. They may have been separated during college, taking different programs and universities but somehow, fate still brought them back together when both of them got hired to teach at the same university—with Baekhyun teaching psychology and Jongdae teaching music theory.
Jongdae has always been skeptical about his relationship with Minhyun. He can’t blame him, really. The man has a history of being a cheater and a shameless flirt to everyone he meets, but Baekhyun was confident that Minhyun wasn’t like that anymore.
His friends and his mother said so, anyway, and he trusted them. Especially his mom who brought him up by herself. He was sure that if there’s anyone who would know Minhyun better, it’s his mother.
Baekhyun picked up his phone again to check if Minhyun had already sent him a message but to no avail. The last one was from five hours ago when his boyfriend said that he’ll pick him up from work so they could have dinner together.
Finally, after weeks of not seeing each other due to Minhyun having to go to his hometown, they were finally spending time together. Even if it was just as simple as a dinner at home. Baekhyun thought back,
“When was the last time we went out on a date?” he couldn’t remember.
It’s been months and it has been a struggle finding time to spend together. Especially with Minhyun finally taking on a permanent teaching job at a high school where he grew up. His boyfriend literally just comes home or meets up with him when he has something he needs to settle in the city.
Baekhyun sighed for the nth time as he waited for his boyfriend’s message.
An hour has passed and he finally finished grading his students’ papers, but there was still no message from Minhyun. He furrowed his eyebrows and checked the time. It was nearing nine in the evening. This was the latest he has stayed in the university.
It was still raining but it’s not as bad as before. However, Baekhyun was sure that the streets were flooded and cars would have difficulty passing them. Baekhyun decided to call and check up on his boyfriend, worried that Minhyun might have gotten stuck somewhere.
“Hello?” Minhyun picked up after the fifth ring on the second call. The first one got rejected and Baekhyun thought that he must have accidentally hit cancel again.
But Minhyun sounded frustrated.
“Hello? Babe?” Baekhyun asked.
“Baekhyun? What do you need?” Baekhyun furrowed his eyebrows and wondering what his boyfriend meant.
“It’s been six hours, you said you were going to pick me up and you never sent any message at all. Are you at the university or close by?” he asked.
“Are you kidding me? How the hell am I going to pick you up when it’s pouring out there? You want me to drive two hours to pick you up and get stuck in traffic? Where did your common sense go?”
Baekhyun was shocked.
“O-oh. I…I thought you said…why didn’t you—”
“You said you were busy so I didn’t bother you and I figured you’re smart enough to think that I won’t be coming to pick you up with that kind of weather there.”
Baekhyun’s chest tightened and he felt all sorts of emotions swirling like a storm within him.
“Okay. I’ll just hail a cab, then.” he said quietly, trying his best to control his voice.
“Okay. Take care, then.” and then Minhyun hung up before Baekhyun could even say anything.
Angry and frustrated tears sprung up his eyes. He wanted to yell, he wanted to throw the papers he meticulously organized and graded—his breathing turned heavy to the point of wheezing. With his fumbling fingers, he called Jongdae.
“B? What’s up?” he heard his best friend’s voice after the third ring.
Baekhyun couldn’t form the words. He couldn’t speak with how much his lips were quivering. Instead of words, Baekhyun let out a squeak. He tried his best to focus and control his breathing.
“Hold on, okay? Keep me on the phone, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes tops. Let me just get my keys.” Jongdae said in a rush, sounding worried. Baekhyun could hear his rushed footsteps on the other side of the line and the jingling of keys.
“Stay with me, Byun Baekhyun, okay? Hold on. I’m coming. Just focus on my voice, okay? Are you listening? I’ll keep talking until I get to you, okay?” Baekhyun simply nodded, despite his best friend not seeing his response.
But bless Jongdae’s heart because his incessant yapping did help Baekhyun focus and ground himself. At one point, Baekhyun slowly started responding with sounds of affirmation that he was listening as Jongdae drove back to the university.
He only let himself breakdown when Jongdae came back up to the faculty room after nearly twenty minutes—makeup-less, already in his pajamas, even wearing his fluffy bedroom slippers, and his skin care headband.
Bless Jongdae’s heart, his beloved best friend who immediately knew what he needed before he could even say anything.
Year 2021
“Are you sure you’re going to wait for him? The snow’s falling pretty heavily.” Jongdae asked him while putting on his padded coat.
“Yeah, he promised he’ll pick me up.” Baekhyun grinned up at him.
“Hmm…not to be a pessimist but…” Jongdae looked at him pointedly.
Baekhyun knew what he meant, but for some reason, he felt confident that Chanyeol would keep his word. Unlike the last time someone made a promise to pick him up and—
Suddenly, his phone started ringing before he could even give a response to his best friend. Baekhyun grinned wider at Jongdae and gave him a look that said “see?” and pointed to his phone. The caller was none other than Chanyeol.
Baekhyun picked it up and put it on loudspeaker.
“Yeollie?” Baekhyun greeted as a hello.
“Hey, bub, I’m sorry to tell you this, but I can’t pick you up. I’m still stuck in this meeting and we’re trying to do damage control with the software we’re set to launch next week.” Chanyeol said, sounding frustrated yet regretful.
“Oh…uhmm…that’s okay, Jongdae can—” but before the disappointment take root in Baekhyun’s chest, Chanyeol cut him off,
“No need. I asked Sehun to go there and pick you up, he’s on his way there right now. His shoot was close to your university so I asked him for a favor. I’m so sorry. I know I promised dinner with you and even made a reservation but…yeah…” Chanyeol sighed heavily.
Baekhyun slowly smiled and turned to Jongdae who looked…impressed—and a little too happy that his…Baekhyun wasn’t sure what Sehun and Jongdae were exactly as his best friend did say that they weren’t official.
“Will you be long? Have you eaten already?” Baekhyun asked worriedly.
“It might take longer than usual, I’m not too sure.” Chanyeol said, sounding tired already. Baekhyun noticed that he didn’t answer his other question.
“Okay. I’ll wait for Sehun, and then we’ll just drive back there to your office, is that okay? I’ll bring you guys dinner.” Baekhyun suggested.
“The weather is bad, baby. It’s too cold out. Just go straight home and rest, I’m sure you’ve had a long day too.”
“It’s okay. Classes are cancelled tomorrow anyway.” Baekhyun could hear the commotion and the random discussions in the background.
“You don’t want to go straight home and cozy up in this weather?” Chanyeol asked, sounding more affectionate.
“No. Not without you, anyway.” Baekhyun said quietly with a blush.
Jongdae teased him by pretending to gag. Chanyeol chuckled on the other end of the line,
“Alright. Maybe with your presence here, I won’t be too wound up.” Chanyeol responded with a fond tone.
Baekhyun giggled and made Jongdae roll his eyes, but the music teacher was smiling.
“Okay. Text me how many you guys are still there, I’ll bring something to cheer you guys up.”
“There’s no need, little bub. Just come to me safely. I’ll ask someone else to bring us food.”
Baekhyun shook his head, humming a complaining no,
“I’ll bring it. You guys are busy and I’m on the way there anyway. Save you guys more time and you can finish quicker. I’ll take care of it, okaaaay? Let me help.”
He could hear his boyfriend’s deep, appreciative chuckle,
“Alright, bub. Thank you. I really appreciate that. I’m sorry again if I can’t come pick you up personally.”
Baekhyun smiled fondly,
“That’s alright, bubba. I understand.”
Just then, Jongdae’s phone pinged and he heard his best friend chuckle,
“Sehun said to hang up and get down already. He’s already in the parking lot.”
“Oh? Hi Jongdae!” Chanyeol suddenly greeted,
“Hi Chanyeol! You guys are sickly sweet, by the way, everyone in the office heard your conversation with Baekhyun.” he teased.
“Don’t listen to him, bub, it’s just us two in here, everyone else already went home.” Baekhyun said with a chuckle.
“Ah, too bad. I wanted that guy—what was his name, again?”
Jongdae laughed,
“Taeyong?”
“Yeah, that dude who keeps trying to hit on my Baekhyunee.”
“Bubba, he’s not hitting on me, he’s just trying to get to everyone’s good side being a new teacher and all.” Baekhyun explained.
“Naah, he’s really just trying to get on Baekhyun’s good side.”
“Because he’s under my department. He’s treated you to lunch too, remember?” Baekhyun huffed at Jongdae.
“Yeah, once. But he always invites you and buys you lunch.” Jongdae teased further,
“That I reject every time. Can’t waste what Chanyeollie prepared for me.” Baekhyun said as-a-matter-of-factly.
Suddenly, Jongdae’s phone started ringing.
“You better get your ass ready, Byun, Sehun is getting impatient. He’s calling me now.” Jongdae said with a wide smile.
Baekhyun rolled his eyes,
“Answer it then, we both know you looooove to hear his voice~” he teased back.
Baekhyun laughed when Jongdae blushed but didn’t deny the allegation. He heard Chanyeol laugh on the other end too.
“Okay, big bub. I’ll go downstairs and meet Sehun. I’ll see you in a bit, okay?” Baekhyun bid cheerfully.
“Tell Sehun to drive safely, okay? I love you. Come to me in one piece, hmm?”
“I will. I love you too! See you in a bit.”
“See you!”
Baekhyun was smiling so widely when he hung up and pulled on his padded coat that was a size too big for him. It was actually Chanyeol’s old one that he fell in love with how warm it was. Chanyeol still often wore it when he wasn’t using it, and it brought him comfort that it always smelled like his boyfriend.
Jongdae watched as his best friend pulled on his coat and carried his laptop bag with a genuinely happy smile on his lips.
“What?” Baekhyun asked when he noticed his expression.
Jongdae shook his head, and instead of responding verbally, he held Baekhyun's hand and pulled him along out of the faculty room. Baekhyun just looked at him confusedly but didn’t pry.
Jongdae was holding back happy tears. After all, it’s been nearly six years since he last saw his best friend genuinely smile and glow with happiness like he did just now.
Year 2014
Baekhyun sat on a long table next to Minhyun, surrounded by his friends. He could hear them laughing and teasing each other, but in all honesty, he doesn’t understand what was funny with their topic.
“Look, I met her at a bar in Singapore. She chased me all the way here. Tsk. Can’t get enough of this.” said one of Minhyun’s friends, gesturing to himself while showing off a picture of him in bed with a blonde haired girl, cuddling up to him.
Both of them were obviously naked underneath those dark blankets.
The rest of them whooped and cheered him on,
“Look at you, you handsome punk. Was she any good?” one of his friends.
The guy made a lewd facial expression that made Baekhyun internally cringe.
“Does Mijoo know about you sleeping with other people?” one of their friends asked with a raised eyebrow but his smile said that he wasn’t too opposed to what his friend was doing.
“They’ve been on the rocks for months, they barely see each other. Why would it matter if she knows? They’re practically broken up.”
Baekhyun froze in his seat. Not because of how much it hit too close to home but because it was Minhyun who said it.
“That’s true. Pretty sure she’s been sleeping around too. What’s wrong with me having a bit of fun, right? Besides…Mijoo is too vanilla. But Jinri…whoo!” he made another lewd gesture before taking a swig of his beer.
Everyone else on the table, including Minhyun, started teasing and passing their friends’ phone around with more racy pictures of the woman. It made Baekhyun uncomfortable, but he smiled through it and pretended that the topic was indeed entertaining.
It’s always been like that for Baekhyun whenever he hung out with him and his friends—the feeling of being out of place and unneeded. But of course, for the sake of Minhyun, he pretended that it didn’t bother him and everything was fine.
Year 2021
The launch of the software was a success. A team dinner was held in celebration of another completed project and Chanyeol was at the center of it all. Baekhyun felt proud of his boyfriend and his development team.
At one section of the long table where the younger tech staff sat around, they could hear jeers and laughter. When asked what it was all about, Baekhyun felt a little deja vu.
“Taejoon met someone at a bar the other day, hyung.” one of the tech staff said to Chanyeol.
It was one of the reasons why Chanyeol was an effective CEO. He was strict when it came to work, his COO and business partner, Minseok, never forgot to remind the staff about it. But out of office, he was like their big brother, with the exception of Minseok being the oldest in their small company.
“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” Minseok asked.
“I do, but we’re on a cool-off at the moment,” Taejoon explained with a sigh.
“A cool-off? That’s still a thing?” Chanyeol asked while serving Baekhyun another piece of nigiri on his plate.
“Of course, hyung! It happens when you two get into an argument and want to give each other space.” Taejoon said, sounding like a know-it-all.
Baekhyun furrowed his eyebrows at the kid’s response. Out of all of Chanyeol’s staff, Taejoon was the one that gives Baekhyun an off-vibe. He told his boyfriend about his gut feeling one time, and Chanyeol explained that Taejoon was one of those stereotypical rich kids who also happened to be smart and talented enough to get into a prestigious university.
Simply put, the kid has an obnoxious personality but he was talented. Chanyeol and Minseok were simply tolerating the guy.
“But you two haven’t broken up?” Chanyeol asked, sounding nonchalant and simply curious.
“Not really. We’re not on speaking terms right now. He’s busy, and I’m busy. But you know how sometimes we need to release a bit of tension and stress from work, right?” Taejoon said with a sly grin.
“By having a one-night stand while being in a relationship? That doesn’t sound right.” Minseok said with furrowed eyebrows.
“Well, we’re on a break so I don’t see anything wrong.” Taejoon shrugged, “besides, it’s only for fun. It’s nothing serious.”
Baekhyun raised an eyebrow at that remark but didn’t say anything. He froze when Taejoon continued,
“I mean, us men will always be men, right? We need a good lay once in a while and sometimes it gets boring with the same person again and again, right?” he laughed obnoxiously.
Baekhyun clenched his fists under the table and resisted the urge to speak. He was surprised when Chanyeol laughed with him. But before a cold dread wash over him, Chanyeol suddenly spoke,
“Oh, you’re going to get sick one day with that kind of mindset, kid, and that’s going to be your worst karma.” he said with a shake of his head.
The rest of the team chuckled. Chanyeol didn’t mind them and continued,
“You’re young, I get it, you want to get a taste of every single flavor available out there. I understand, but let me be frank with you…”
Everyone on the table held their breaths, including Baekhyun. But the shorter male felt his boyfriend’s hand over his own.
“You’re being an asshole to your boyfriend. I met Jisoo and he’s a sweet kid, dedicated to his dream of becoming a doctor. And to be perfectly honest, you’re the one that’s holding him back. And with that kind of mindset, I’d say you don’t deserve him and he doesn’t deserve to be treated like how you’re treating him now, no one is.”
Taejoon had the gall to look embarrassed.
“And what’s wrong with having a single partner for the rest of your life? That’s the beauty of falling in love and finding your soulmate. And there’s so much more in life than sex, money, and success, kid.” Chanyeol continued before turning towards Baekhyun and giving him a wink.
The shorter male blushed and chuckled before shaking his head fondly.
“Chanyeol’s right. Real men are faithful to their partners even after a terrible argument or when you’re in a “cool-off” stage.” Minseok agreed, raising his fingers and doing air quotes while speaking,
“So I suggest breaking up with Jisoo and saving both of yourselves the trouble,” he continued.
“And don’t be a reason for someone to question their worth, all because you decided to be an asshole.” Baekhyun added before tipping back a shot of soju.
Chanyeol, his sweet Chanyeol, turned towards him and gave him a loving smile that made his insides turn to mush.
The party continued on, and not once did Baekhyun feel out of place. Not with Chanyeol always turning towards him, either to offer a drink or food, ask him how he is and always including him in the conversation. The best part was how his tall boyfriend made sure that they were always in contact—hand holding, an arm around his waist, a hand on his thigh or an arm at the backrest of his chair.
Chanyeol made sure that Baekhyun didn’t feel neglected even if he was among Chanyeol’s circle.
Year 2015
It was time for Baekhyun’s graduation for his Master’s degree. But what was supposed to be a momentous celebration of his achievement of gaining another degree—with a Latin honor on top of it—was dampened by the fact that Minhyun tried to break up with him through a measly text message two weeks prior.
Jongdae was livid. Baekhyun’s parents, especially his mother, apparently saw it coming.
“He wasn’t good for you anyway.” Hyejin told him when Baekhyun arrived at his parents’ house in Bucheon, carrying a suitcase of more clothes and personal stuff than usual.
“Mom…”
“I’ve always had a bad feeling about him, bug. He’s got that air around him that’s foul and full of arrogance, but no substance. Probably because he’s from a broken family and his late father was an asshole.” Hyejin continued.
Baekhyun retaliated that not all people who came from a broken family were like Minhyun. Jongdae, after all, was a product of one.
“Well, Jongdae’s parents were good people, despite their differences. His dad wasn’t like Minhyun’s who slept with other people despite being married and siring kids left and right!” Hyejin countered.
At one point, he could understand his mother’s prejudice about kids born from shitty parents. He couldn’t blame her because she has never met someone who turned out to be more than a decent human despite having the shittiest of parents. Baekhyun has, on more than one occasion, especially with his profession as a psychologist and a teacher.
Baekhyun could only sigh,
“You’re better off without him, bug. It hurts now, I know, but it’ll get better.” Hyejin promised him with an understanding, loving smile.
Baekhyun took a break from everything after Minhyun’s text message. He filed a leave of absence from work for a whole week. And when he did come back to work after a week, his parents never pressured him to go find another apartment in the city, despite his father always needing to wake up early and drive him to work in the mornings.
Even when he graduated with flying colors, his parents never put pressure on him to get back on his feet and let him recover at his own pace. However, what they didn’t expect was Minhyun’s appearance right before they entered the hall.
“What are you doing here?” Baekhyun asked him after he was pulled aside.
“I’ve only got a few minutes before I need to head back. I just want to wish you congratulations.” Minhyun said with sincerity in his eyes, handing out a bouquet of flowers.
“Thank you.” Baekhyun whispered, taking the flowers gingerly from his boyfriend’s(?) hands.
He glanced up to look at his eyes. Minhyun was scratching the back of his neck and was visibly nervous. Baekhyun anticipated that he was going to say what he challenged him to do, right there, right now.
“Tell that to me to my face, Minhyun. Tell me that you don’t love me anymore to my face, and only then will I break up with you.” he remembered telling him.
He was caught by surprise though when Minhyun leaned forward and kissed him on the mouth. It was just for a moment but it was enough for Baekhyun’s heart to race with hope. And even more so when he wrapped his arms around him tight and told him how proud he is of Baekhyun and of his achievements.
Minhyun even had tears in his eyes while looking at him with genuine pride. Baekhyun couldn’t help but tear up too.
“Are you sure you’re not going to come in? Watch me get my medal?” Baekhyun’s voice broke.
Minhyun shook his head,
“No, I’m needed somewhere. Much as I want to join your family, I don’t think they’ll appreciate my presence there.” he added, glancing back over Baekhyun’s shoulder to see Jongdae glaring at him.
Baekhyun’s parents just looked worried.
“I’ll talk to them. I’ll tell them that—”
“No need. You don’t need to bother with that. Just enjoy the day, okay? This is your day and your moment.” Minhyun gave him a soft head pat that made Baekhyun smile.
“I’ll see you around, okay? Take care of yourself, Baekhyunah.” Minhyun said before leaving Baekhyun staring after him.
And that was the last time he ever saw Minhyun, not knowing how much more heartbreaking it’ll be for him after over a year when he learns that his ex had been playing him all this time.
It was a five year struggle for Baekhyun to get back on his own feet. A five year struggle where he could barely remember the first couple of years.
He met a couple of good people who stayed with him and made him realize his own worth. Some stayed, some went and drifted away from him after a couple of months, but all of them were key players to re-discovering his own self.
In those five years, he re-built himself from scratch—discovering new things he learned to love, new hobbies to hyperfocus on, and new skills to learn. But the most important part of his healing journey was learning to love himself more—to be kinder to himself, and to forgive himself for things that he couldn’t control.
And then he met…well, re-met, Chanyeol.
“You seem troubled. What ails you, my beloved?” Chanyeol asked with a dramatic flair to his voice, acting all playful.
They just got back from the restaurant where they celebrated Baekhyun’s graduation and gaining his PhD, and where Chanyeol proposed. Baekhyun fiddled with his engagement ring, still not used to its comforting weight in his finger.
Chanyeol plopped down next to him on the bed, wrapping his long arms around his small boyfriend and cuddling him close,
“Come here, let me hug my fiance.” Chanyeol said playfully, tucking his head at the crook of Baekhyun’s neck, spooning him from behind.
Baekhyun giggled and snuggled closer to his big boyfriend…err, fiance. He still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that he’s engaged. Something he only once dreamed of, with a person that nearly broke him.
When he was still young and naive, Baekhyun dreamed of getting engaged at the age of twenty five and getting married, and having kids at the age of thirty. But after what happened in the past, Baekhyun stopped dreaming of having a family of his own.
Until Chanyeol…
“Seriously, you’re quiet, bub. Is there something wrong?” Chanyeol mumbled against his shoulder, sounding more worried now.
Baekhyun sighed and turned in his fiance’s arms to face him. His eyes were glassy as he gazed upon the handsome face of the man who showered him with nothing but love, appreciation, and assurance. He lifted his ringed hand to caress his chiseled jaw,
“Nothing is wrong, my love, in fact, everything feels…right.” Baekhyun whispered, suddenly feeling overwhelmed again with emotion and love for the man in his arms.
“Thank you for making my dreams come true, Yeollie. Thank you for making me feel more alive than I’ve ever been,” his voice broke as tears fell down across his eyes.
“Oh, my sweet…” Chanyeol cooed, gently wiping his tears away and pulling him closer to his chest.
“I love you. I love you so much, hmm?” Chanyeol whispered against his beloved’s hair,
“And thank you too—for saying yes, for being my number one cheerleader, for being my best partner in everything, and for being my pillar of support. Thank you for accepting me, Baekhyunee…” he added, full of emotion and love for the man who stood by him in his best and worst days in the past two years they spent as boyfriends.
Chanyeol, in the eyes of the general public, especially his employees, looks to be the stern man who always looked put together—like nothing can ever phase him. Baekhyun thought the same at first but over time, he learned that Chanyeol too had his insecurities that he rarely showed.
Like how sometimes Chanyeol would ask him if he still loves him even if he annoys the hell out of Baekhyun. Or how Chanyeol would feel offended when Baekhyun tells him certain words like “go away” or “don’t touch me” whenever he goes on a cute aggression on him. Or how Chanyeol would subtly ask for encouragement on doing things that made him nervous.
Little things that, to most people, seemed silly, but meant the world to his big bub.
“And thank you for choosing me…” Baekhyun whispered against his chest.
“Always, my love. I’ll choose you, always.”
And that’s how they’re going to spend the rest of their lives—choosing to support each other, choosing to understand each other, choosing to accept their faults and misgivings. The most important? Choosing to love each other, despite the storms and the changes that life would bring.
After all, a working relationship isn’t just based on feelings and hormones alone, but more on the choices you make to make it work.