Back to you
Author: ANONYMOUS
Prompt #: 198
Title: Back to you
Word Counts: 5632
Side Pairing(s): Kyungsoo/Junmyeon
Rating: G
Warning(s): -
Disclaimer: The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary:
Baekhyun never expected to meet Chanyeol again, and to be his son’s favorite teacher.
Author's Note:
I hope you like this. Yay it’s done and I’d like to thank people who cheered me on and helped me to finish this. Probably steered off on my original course but I hope it’s somehow what you wanted.
Luhan stomps to his room and Baekhyun is left dumbfounded. His son just walked out on him and slammed the door. He goes to the sofa and sits down slowly, frustratingly running his hands down his face.
After an hour, thinking both of them has cooled down, he goes to Luhan’s room and is surprised that it was unlocked.
“Luhan? I’m so… Luhan?”
The boy seems to be not in the room. Baekhyun feels dread wash over him. He runs outside to see if maybe Luhan is somewhere there playing. But the boy isn’t.
Baekhyun goes inside his room, picks up his cellphone and dials the number of the Kims, Luhan’s best friends’ family.
“Hey Kyungsoo, sorry I know it’s late. But is Luhan there?”
“No, he isn’t. Sehun and Kai are already asleep but I’ll ask them if they know. Are you ok? Do you need help?”
“I… I can manage. Let the kids sleep. Thanks, Soo!”
After he hung up on Kyungsoo, he sits down and goes to Luhan’s room again.
He sees a picture of Luhan when he was 4 years old. The first time Baekhyun held Luhan in his arms after finalizing the adoption papers. How happy he felt that time. Finally, someone he could call his and he would give his love to. Now his baby boy is all grown-up, wanting to go on a trip without him. But how could he say yes when he would worry every minute his eyes aren’t on him?
He gets startled when he gets a call from an unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Good evening. Is this Luhan’s father?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“It’s Mr. Park, his science teacher. Uhm, you might be looking for him right now and…” Baekhyun hears a faint sound of don’t tell him! “He’s actually with me. You could pick him up. Do you have a pen? I’ll tell you the address.”
Baekhyun immediately climbs into his car to go to the address given to him. He’s so frantic he forgot he’s still wearing pajamas when he went out. He knocked on the door when he was sure he got the house number and the street right.
“Hey, are you Mr. Park? Is Luhan ok? Luhan? Hey Mr…” And, there, right in front of Baekhyun really was Mr. Park.
Mr. Park Chanyeol.
The guy he once thought he would build a family with. The man who had teased him mercilessly about his choice of baby names. It’s so surreal seeing him standing there because he looked so different but he also looked so painfully familiar. It was so long ago, but to his surprise, it still hurts to think that, once upon a time, they promised each other forever.
“Baekhyun?” Chanyeol asks, obviously shocked.
“Mr. Park! You know my dad?” Luhan chimes in.
All Baekhyun can do is nod.
“Come in! I know you were worried. But, as you can see, Luhan’s fine.”
Baekhyun, recovering from his own shock upon hearing his son’s name, runs to Luhan and checks his arms and legs for injury.
“Why did you run away? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“He’s okay, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol assures him softly. “Luhan can you get water for your dad from the fridge? Please?” Luhan looks at Chanyeol and complies.
“I… Hi?”
“Hi, Mr. Park.” Baekhyun shouldn’t be feeling this awkward with someone from his past but he does.
“Ah yes, so we have a field trip coming up. I’m sure Luhan already told you about it?”
“Yes, it’s probably why he left.” Baekhyun looks up and Chanyeol is still the tall, handsome fellow from years ago.
“I already told him that was wrong. But can I ask why you said no? I’m sure the letter said that teachers would be there to supervise and they would be safe.”
“I just don’t want him to get hurt.”
“I don’t either.”
“How would you know he won’t be?”
“I’ll be there.”
And it’s unfair that that moment, is so reminiscent of a memory long ago. Of Chanyeol wanting to go on an adventure with Baekhyun, out on the woods, swimming on an unknown lake and Baekhyun, being the indoor type of person doesn’t want to go. The wild is so full of things that can harm him. And Chanyeol being the free spirit that he is assured him saying I’ll be there. Just like he is now.
“I… I don’t know. I’ll think about it.” Baekhyun relents because he sees Luhan peeking from the kitchen with pleading eyes.
“Yay!” Luhan jumps from the kitchen spilling water from the glass he’s holding. “Really?” He asks with hope in his eyes.
“I said I’ll think about it. It’s not a yes yet.”
“Mr. Park! You’re really great.” Luhan hugs the said man and turns to hug his father after.
“We’ll be going. Thanks, Mr. Park.”
And Baekhyun hopes that it’ll be the last time he sees Chanyeol.
It was summer when they met. An aspiring art student and an aspiring physicist. They met in their freshman maths class.
“Hey, do you have a pen?” the tall guy sitting beside Baekhyun asked in his rich deep voice.
“I do and I’m using it.” Baekhyun replied not looking once at his seatmate concentrating instead on copying the notes the professor is writing on the board.
“Awww don’t be like that.”
Baekhyun, annoyed, took out a pen and handed it over to the tall guy.
“Next time bring…a pen.” Baekhyun looked beside him and damn, the guy beside him is not only tall but handsome too, especially smiling up at him like it isn’t a pen he’s holding out but heaven.
“Yes, next time I’ll bring your pen so we could talk again.” He winked at him and stood up in time for the ringing of the bell. “Name’s Chanyeol.” He said before walking out of the room leaving Baekhyun to stare at the door.
“Luhan, listen to me. You have food and medicine in your bag. If you need anything, it’s all there in your bag.” Baekhyun opens Luhan’s backpack showing Luhan where the things are. “Also, here’s a phone, my number is there, so if you need to call just long press one. I'm on speed dial. Also…” Baekhyun was listing in his head what else he could have forgotten to pack for his baby. For his baby’s very first field trip without him.
“Dad! I’ll be alright. I’m eight!” Luhan pouted at his dad.
“Yes, you are.” Baekhyun steps back to look at Luhan, his boy really is growing up fast. “But still! I might have forgotten your favorite blankie…”
“Daaaaaad!”
“Hi Mr. Byun! Hi, Luhan!” A deep familiar voice greeted them.
“Mr. Park!!!” Luhan jumps towards Chanyeol to hug him. Baekhyun stands up to politely greet the man.
“All set. We’ll be back here at 6pm, don’t worry. I’ll personally take care of him.” Then he squeezes Luhan to emphasize. Luhan snuggling with his favorite teacher is also squeezing his heart. He shakes his head off dangerous thoughts.
“No need to do that, you have lots of other children to look out for.” Baekhyun is trying not to look straight at Chanyeol, which makes Chanyeol smile.
“Not a problem. Luhan is a really good boy, just a bit mischievous at times but nothing I can’t handle.” He chuckled.
“Yeah, just like you.” Baekhyun smiles and narrows his eyes when he realizes what he just said. “I mean… he likes you. He really does. How did you do it?”
Chanyeol is thankful Baekhyun isn’t looking at him because he would've noticed Chanyeol’s ears turning so red.
Promptly at 6pm, Baekhyun is right at the school’s gate waiting for the bus to arrive. He opens his windows slightly and listens to the radio. A few minutes later, the yellow bus appears down the road and stops a few meters from where he is parked.
“Dad!” Luhan runs to him, hugging him. Chanyeol’s walking behind the boy.
“He’s here, hmmm safe and sound.” Baekhyun notices the pause before Chanyeol said safe and raises an eyebrow. He looks at Luhan’s smiling face and that’s when he sees it. There, on Luhan’s left leg, is a big white bandage.
“What happened?” He looks up at Chanyeol who was scratching the back of his neck.
“I’m fine, Dad. Mr. Park patched me up! Look! He drew on my bandage!” Luhan proudly shows a cute drawing of a dog in his bandage. “We named him Lulu! He’s cute right?” Luhan gazes up to his dad with a wide smile and Baekhyun just can’t say no to that face and because it is cute.
“Yes, ok, baby can you go to the car now. I’ll take your bag.” Luhan shrugs off his bag for his father to take and runs to the car singing a song he probably learned on their trip.
Before he can say anything, Chanyeol has his hands up to stop him.
“I know, I know.” Chanyeol says when Luhan was out of earshot. “ I said he’ll be ok when he comes back. He… tripped over a tree branch. But he was so brave about it saying he won’t cry.”
How Chanyeol had a fond look on his face while telling the story and the image that Baekhyun imagines is so sweet that he wants to coo but then he remembers this is Chanyeol, the one who broke his heart, so why would he coo over Chanyeol and his son. He shrugs off the thought and says his thanks walking over to his car.
“Bye Mr. Park!” Luhan waves enthusiastically while Baekhyun drives away.
The last semester on their last year was the worst. Baekhyun and Chanyeol just hit their 3rd year together and they were spending most of their time in the library doing homework and thesis. Chanyeol was spending more and more time staring into space and Baekhyun, due to stress, started nagging.
They had fights before but Chanyeol usually gives in or Baekhyun usually says sorry but with the stress of it all, they both lost sight of each other.
“Chanyeol, what are you doing? Aren’t you supposed to be looking for your related lit? Or writing your paper?”
Chanyeol doesn’t answer and begins to doodle animals on his notebook instead and Baekhyun frowns at this. Chanyeol seems to not have answers for him these days. When he asks where he wants to eat, he just shrugs. When he asks where he wants to go after school, he just says wherever and Baekhyun is afraid they’re starting to fall apart.
But he’s more afraid that they already are.
On a beautiful morning, Baekhyun excitedly wakes Luhan up to go to his favorite hangout place in the city. They go there whenever Baekhyun is stressed from work and right now, he’s in the middle of a very big project.
Baekhyun likes to go to a small park beside the Han river. Near it is an ice cream shop that’s been around for ages and they make the meanest strawberry ice cream in the city, and must he say, around the country.
“Daddy! Let’s go get ice cream! I want three scoops of chocolate mint!” Luhan skips towards the ice cream shop with his backpack jinggling behind him and Baekhyun looks at Luhan with a big smile on his face. He is never fond of chocolate mint but he knows someone else who does.
“That’s too much Luhan.”
“But…” He stops in his tracks.
“Two scoops?” Baekhyun relents and raises two fingers up.
“Yay!” He continues to skip.
Baekhyun is happy to hear the chime of the bell of the ice cream shop. He can already see families inside having happy conversations.
Luhan goes up to the counter first, ready to order. They’ve been there enough times for Luhan to already have a favorite.
Baekhyun got a double scoop of his favorite strawberry ice cream and a double scoop of chocolate mint and is looking for a seat for him and Luhan when Luhan shouted loud and held him by the elbow to drag him towards an empty or rather half empty table.
“Hi Baekhyun!” Chanyeol who is seated on the table Luhan dragged him to, greeted him with a big smile. Baekhyun doesn’t know how he feels seeing Chanyeol in a place that holds so much memories… for the both of them. Once happy memories.
“There aren’t much chairs available, we could share.”
“Are you following us?” Baekhyun asks, which he meant as a joke, but the look he gives Chanyeol is decidedly suspicious. When he and Luhan were doing grocery shopping the other day, they bumped into Chanyeol also doing his shopping. Last weekend, they again saw Chanyeol while walking towards the train station.
Suddenly, Chanyeol is everywhere.
Chanyeol chuckles. “I was actually here first Baekhyun.”
“Well… yeah.”
“Dad, your ice cream is melting.” Luhan says before digging in to get a scoop of Baekhyun’s ice cream.
“Yes, Dad it’s melting.” Chanyeol echoes before he play-fights with Luhan to get a scoop from Baekhyun’s bowl .
“Shut up.” Baekhyun looks at the two heads fighting over his bowl.
Suddenly, there are tears on the edge of his eyes. He promptly blinks it off and stands up to go the the restroom.
“I’ll be back. Luhan, stay in your seat.”
“Mm.” Luhan then laughs at something Chanyeol whispered to him.
“A few years from now, what do you think we’ll be doing?” Baekhyun asks while he and Chanyeol were sitting down, in front of the Han river, their favorite spot away from everyone. Baekhyun is tucked under Chanyeol with Chanyeol’s arms around him.
“Well, I think…” He stops and kisses Baekhyun behind the ear. “More of that...and something else.” He softly laughs against Baekhyun’s ears tickling him. Baekhyun looks behind him and swats at Chanyeol.
“You’ll be a famous painter like you dreamed of and I’ll be slaving away in a lab.”
“Hmm, I like that.”
“We’ll be living in a big house with a pet, you choose between a cat and a dog.”
Baekhyun imagines their messy living room with muddy footprints by the dog and somewhere in Baekhyun’s heart that he hasn’t told anyone else, he wants something or rather someone to complete their small family.
“Care to share?” Chanyeol nudged him with his big smile when he got too immersed in his day dream.
“Nothing.” Baekhyun grinned. “I was just imagining what our house would look like with the dog and…”
“And?”
Baekhyun twists around to face Chanyeol.
“How do you feel about adopting a child?” Baekhyun stared hard at Chanyeol waiting for his reaction.
“Adoption. Hm.” His forehead creases. “That would be…”
Baekhyun closed his eyes afraid of what Chanyeol will say.
“Wonderful.” Chanyeol leans in to kiss his eyelids. “That would be wonderful, love.”
“Really?” Baekhyun opened his eyes to see Chanyeol’s genuine excited eyes staring back at him.
“Yes, he has to be really cute and smart like you.”
“He?” Baekhyun giggled at his cute boyfriend.
“Of course! He has to be strong so when we adopt a girl next, he’ll protect her because he’ll be strong like me.”
“Hey hey, slow down.” Baekhyun leaned on Chanyeol’s chest, whispering an ‘I love you’ before wrapping his arms around the other’s waist. It’s final, he’s in love with a great man.
A few days after their encounter in the ice cream shop, Baekhyun hasn’t been seeing Chanyeol around. He wants to avoid Chanyeol but he didn’t expect he doesn’t need to since he rarely sees the other man and somewhere a part of him kind of misses him. So when he picks Luhan up one day and sees his son sitting beside Chanyeol, he forgets himself and he waves at Chanyeol. He puts his hand down but Chanyeol already saw and waves back.
“Luhan, lets go.”
“Hey Baek! How’re things? I haven’t seen you around.” Chanyeol bashfully asks.
“Have you stopped stalking us?” He jokes in response and Chanyeol laughs.
“Yeah, I should really go back to stalking.” Baekhyun’s face goes serious at this.
“We… we have to go home.” He holds Luhan by the hand and walks away stopping himself from looking back.
They were on the parking lot and Luhan is whining about how he is so hungry.
“Ok! Ok! We’ll go and eat.” They were passing by the school gates when Luhan spots Chanyeol outside the school waiting. Luhan opens his windows and waves.
“Mr. Park! Come with us we’re going to eat!” Luhan says happily. Baekhyun slows down his driving.
“Is your dad going to be ok with that?” He asks.
“Are you going to take the bus?” Baekhyun counters the question.
“Yeah, my car broke down so I’ve been taking the bus. Go on and enjoy!” He taps the car to signal them to go. Baekhyun sighs when he sees Luhan look at him with pleading eyes.
“Come on in before Luhan cries.” He jokes before unlocking the door. Chanyeol looks surprised at the offer but sits at the back of the car.
“Yay! Family dinner!” Luhan does a fist bump.
Baekhyun just chooses to ignore the comment and looks at his rearview mirror to see Chanyeol grinning.
“So where to?” He asks Luhan. Both of them shouting “McDonald’s!” as a response.
They arrive at the nearest store and Luhan runs towards the counter to look for the latest toy that they have.
“Dad! I want a burger and the happy meal!” He yells and runs to take a seat.
“I’ll order. Enough payment for giving me a ride.” Chanyeol tells him.
“Alright. I’ll have burger too, with large fries and…”
“And a float. Yes, I remember.” Chanyeol smiles at him and Baekhyun thinks that’s unfair. That he remembers things he shouldn’t have. He walks away to take a seat with Luhan.
Chanyeol arrives with two boxes of the happy meal. Baekhyun looks at him questioningly.
“Figured he likes the complete set but I can only afford two at the moment.” He gives the toys to Luhan who screams in glee.
“Thanks so much!”
“You shouldn’t have.” Baekhyun takes the box and the plastic off the toys for Luhan to play with.
“Well, I did. Come, lets eat.”
Baekhyun is halfway his burger when he stares at Luhan then at Chanyeol. Luhan again then back to Chanyeol.
The resemblance is glaring at him and he thinks why he didn’t notice it before. The way they take out the pickles in their burger to the way they play with their straw before taking a sip. The way they steal fries from Baekhyun when they think he’s not looking and the way they chew very long before the next bite. And Baekhyun smiles. In another life, Luhan could have two fathers loving him and taking him to McDonald’s and feeding him fries and ice cream and all the child would want. If only they never fell apart, but then maybe it’s for the best because Luhan wouldn’t be here if they didn’t and he would never have his job and Chanyeol wouldn’t have his.
“What are you smiling about?” Chanyeol asked with his big smile just like Luhan’s.
“Nothing. Just things.” Baekhyun looks down and stiffens when he feels Chanyeol reach out to wipe his lips with his finger. He looks up with wide eyes and sees Chanyeol blushing.
“Oh, there was a… uhm… ketchup. Yeah, so I wiped it for you.”
“Ah, thanks.” He takes a tissue to wipe his lips again. It’s tingling for some reason and his heart is working double time and it doesn’t stop until they go home.
“Hi!” Baekhyun opens the door to Chanyeol standing at his doorstep looking like he ran.
“What are you doing here?”
“Hi!”
“Hello… Chanyeol if you don’t…” Baekhyun makes a move to close the door and Chanyeol stops the door.
“Please just hear me out.” Chanyeol goes back to contemplating in front of his house. “I probably don’t deserve it and you’d probably say no but I want to at least try because if I don’t I might miss my chance again but then…”
“Chanyeol, what?”
Chanyeol snaps his head up. “Go out with me.”
The door slams shut this time.
“Chanyeol? Please open the door?” Baekhyun knocks for the hundredth time but the door to Chanyeol’s room stays closed.
“Why won’t you open the door? I want to talk. I have something important to tell you.” Baekhyun has been begging for days for Chanyeol to talk to him. It started to stay closed when the exams started and Chanyeol asked for time to study by himself which Baekhyun understands. But exams are finished and the door is still closed.
“I got in.” He whispers.
“I got in and I wanted this for a very long time but I want you to tell me to stay instead. For you I will, you know that.” He continues and tears starts streaming down his face.
“Chanyeol? If this door stays closed, I’ll consider this as you telling me to go.”
There is silence that follows. Baekhyun walks away and doesn’t hear the cries that echoes that night.
“So I heard Chanyeol asked you out.” Kyungsoo asks when Luhan came over for a sleepover at the Kims.
“How did you even know that?” Baekhyun gulps his drink. He slammed the door on the poor guy and hasn’t heard from him since.
“Do I need to remind you my husband is part of the school? He told me Chanyeol has been looking miserable for days.”
“Junmyeon is a gossip. You too!” Baekhyun almost feels sorry for the guy but he doesn’t want a repeat of the past.
“So why did you say no?”
“It is none of…” Kyungsoo stares at him with his hand on his waist as if to say yeah try again. “Fine. He and I had a past. That is all I’m going to say.”
“Did it end badly? Guy seems to be remorseful for it. And besides, Chanyeol seems to be a great person. Luhan likes him a lot too. Sound like a good match to me.”
“Thanks but I’d rather not.”
“Just think about it. Junmyeon says even Luhan is upset to see his favorite teacher down.”
On his way to pick up Luhan, Baekhyun has been staring at a picture Luhan drew for him a few years ago when Luhan was just starting school. It was a drawing of him and Luhan holding hands and a drawing of a house. Luhan wrote below about how Baekhyun is the best father ever for giving him a new life. Baekhyun cried over it for days thinking he did well adopting Luhan and also because they had to write their wish below it.
“I got a house and new family. That’s all I ever wanted. My wish is for my new Dad to be happy.”
“I want to say sorry about that night.” Baekhyun stands outside the classroom where Chanyeol teaches. Baekhyun nods and starts to walk away. Chanyeol grabs onto his elbows.
“Give me another chance. Please?” He’s pleading and Baekhyun is weak under those eyes. He has always been, even after the other broke his heart. Even after all the tears he cried he knows if all those years ago if Chanyeol ever sought him out, he’ll easily give in. But that was years ago.
“Ok.”
“Ple… wait what? Really?” Chanyeol smiles up at him and Baekhyun thinks maybe he is right to give this a chance.
Chanyeol brought him to the restaurant beside the ice cream shop they usually go to. When they first dated, all Chanyeol could afford was ice cream so they never went inside the restaurant beside it.
“I know you like the view so I brought you here.” Chanyeol pulls out a chair for him.
“Thanks! I like to look at the river.” And remember the good days, is what he doesn’t say.
They order and Chanyeol talks about his students and Baekhyun talks about Luhan. All is well and good until Chanyeol mentions about passing by their old university and how everything has changed. Baekhyun refrains from flinching at the mention of their university, of the place where everything fell apart.
“I… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.”
“No harm done. Are you done? I think we should get the bill.”
“No, wait. We should get dessert.”
“Luhan will be waiting for me. We should go.” Baekhyun looks down at his watch without seeing it.
“Baekhyun I’m so sorry. All those years I go. I never wanted to lose you. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“But you did. You did and I heard no remorse from you.” Baekhyun stands up from his seat and walks out the door. Chanyeol follows him after leaving some bills on the table.
“I thought I was ok. I really did. But you can’t just come barging right back in my life! Bringing up the past like there’s something to pick up on what we left behind.” Baekhyun hastens his steps but Chanyeol catches up with him.
“I let you go and that was the biggest challenge of my life. But I had to.”
“You had to? What lies did you believe all this time to think that I was going to be ok with it. Didn’t you think I should get a say in it. Tell me so I can tell you now what bull I think it is.”
“I did it for you. But I did it for me too.” Chanyeol shouted. “We needed that time apart. That Japan internship was the best for you, you and I both know it. So when you said you got in, I told myself that was great because you will achieve your dreams and I will have time to discover mine.”
“You could have told me and I could have been here to support you.”
“And that would have killed me. You deserved that job and it would have been selfish of me to stop you because even without me telling you, you would give it up for me.”
“So what? It’s my life!”
“And you are mine. It was too late when I realized how twisted my reasons are for letting you go. I was confused over what I wanted. You were the only constant thing that was going through my mind. But for my future, for our future, I needed to get my shit straight.”
“Is your shit straight now?” Baekhyun joked through the haze of his tears.
He shouldn’t be this easy. But he knows when he left that day, his heart will always come back to Chanyeol. No matter what, he will always come back to Chanyeol.
Chanyeol pulled him close and enveloped him in the tightest hug.
“Am I forgiven?” Chanyeol asked.
“No, but you can ask me again after the second date.” Chanyeol kissed him on the forehead before letting him go and going for his hand.
They walked hand in hand back to Baekhyun’s house.
Chanyeol brought Baekhyun to an art gallery for their next date. Baekhyun has already been in that gallery more times than he can count since he likes the arts and also because he has his favorite painting there.
“I hope you like this place.” Chanyeol says and Baekhyun hides his smile.
“I do. I like it very much. I like it a lot that I just went here last month.” And Chanyeol’s face fell at that. Baekhyun took his hand and squeezed it before guiding him to where his favorite painting is.
“Don’t be sad. I like to go here anyway. It’s one of my favorite galleries to go to once in a while. I even brought Luhan along once.”
They arrive at the place but Baekhyun is shocked to see an empty space to where his painting is.
“Where’s the…” And he sees Chanyeol holding a paper wrapped square object and his heart beats loudly. He thinks he knows what’s inside but he doesn’t want to expect. But then Chanyeol unwraps it and he thinks there’s tears in his eyes. He’s not sure.
“How did you know?”
“Luhan asked me one day if I like paintings. Of course I said yes. Someone I love likes to paint anyway. Imagine my shock when he showed me a picture of a painting in his phone.” He says while looking at a painting of a man sitting by a lake. A man who resembles him. “When I went to visit the gallery, it was still up for sale.”
“I had to buy it of course.” Chanyeol looks up to see a crying Baekhyun. “Don’t cry.” He wipes the tears from Baekhyun’s eyes before putting down the painting and hugging him.
“It’s the last painting I have done. I lost the will after I left.” Baekhyun cries because he thought Chanyeol would never find that painting of him. The painting that shows the sadness he felt before leaving for his internship. How Chanyeol fits perfectly in the serene environment, with the peaceful unmoving lake, without Baekhyun.
“Paint again, this time paint me with you. With Luhan.” And Baekhyun cries again because, he already sees the painting in his head. Their dream house and their family. Are they really a family now?
“How are we going to tell Luhan?” Chanyeol asked after their seventh date.
“I don’t know. You’re the teacher between the two of us.”
“Luhan!” Baekhyun called out. “Mr. Park has something to say to you.”
Luhan runs out of his room to where they are sitting at the living room.
“What is it?”
“I decided to change my name.” Chanyeol starts.
“Huh?” Baekhyun and Luhan both asked at the same time.
“I decided you should call me daddy now.”
“What?”
“Are you trying to traumatize our son?” Baekhyun pushes Chanyeol playfully.
“Ours?” Chanyeol looked at him with a big smile on his face before Luhan jumps on him.
“Are you really going to be my daddy?” He asks while wrapping his arms around Chanyeol.
“Baekhyun?”
“Yes, Luhan. Would you like that?” Baekhyun hope Luhan is because it seems Chanyeol will be a permanent fixture in their lives.
“Yes! Yes!” He says before hugging the life out of Chanyeol.
They are currently on the road to the beach. As Chanyeol said, Luhan should explore the country and since it was summer and there are no classes, Chanyeol decided to take them on a road trip. Luhan is sitting in front while Baekhyun is sitting at the back with their bags. They are currently jamming to the songs in Luhan’s ipod.
“Cheer up baby! Cheer up baby! Come on Baek!” Luhan looks at him and Chanyeol through the rearview mirror.
“Shy! Shy! Shy!” He sings cutely with hands doing the crying baby gesture which makes him cringe after but makes Chanyeol laugh.
They continue singing until they arrive at the beach.
Baekhyun takes their bags out and he takes out their mat and puts it on the sand. Luhan runs towards the water excitedly, Chanyeol follows and they start throwing water at each other.
“Hey hey, be careful!” He’s starting to feel he’s actually taking care of two kids. He smiles at the thought of more of this in the future. He’s lost in thought and didn’t realize Chanyeol is walking towards him until he feels arms wrap around his waist.
“No! Put me down!” He screams when Chanyeol carries him and dumps him in the water. He wades back to the shore and sits there. Chanyeol goes to him with a grin and sits beside him and takes his hand in his.
“No, don’t touch me.” He says and tries hard to look fierce but fails and just crawls in between Chanyeol’s legs and sits there instead.
“It’s getting cold.” Is his excuse.
“Yeah ok.” Chanyeol wraps his arms around him and they look out at Luhan who continues to swim and waits until the sun sets.
“Come on Luhan. Time to go.”
Luhan sits with them and they watch the last rays of the sun go.
“Beautiful.” Chanyeol whispers in his ear and Baekhyun agrees, the view is beautiful. But he feels Chanyeol blow a kiss on his cheek. “Pretty.” He says and this time, Baekhyun sees Chanyeol not looking at the view and is staring at him.
Their lips meet for a moment the time is theirs.
“I’m sleepy.” Luhan says while snuggling beside Chanyeol. They smile at each other and Chanyeol steals one last kiss before they stand up and clean up.
“Alright, let’s go home.”
“Chanyeol?” They are currently having a picnic in their favorite spot in front of the Han river. Luhan is wading in the edge of the river. Baekhyun is seated in front of Chanyeol, back to chest, just like before. He’s keeping an eye out for Luhan but his mind is wandering on other things.
“Yes, love?”
“Don’t ever struggle by yourself again.” Baekhyun nervously picks on Chanyeol’s fingers. “Nothing is more important to me than you and Luhan. Not our future. Not even the greatest job in the world.” Chanyeol places his head on his shoulders.
“Promise me.”
“I promise. I don’t ever want to experience having to let you go again, so even if you don’t want me, you can’t get rid of me anymore.”
“I won’t ever not want you.”
“I love you.” Baekhyun feels Chanyeol lean against him.
“I love you too.” And he twists his head to meet Chanyeol’s lips.
Their kiss is as sweet as ever. It felt like home, felt like the promise of forever that they made long ago and maybe, in a few months, they will seal their forever.
Prompt #: 198
Title: Back to you
Word Counts: 5632
Side Pairing(s): Kyungsoo/Junmyeon
Rating: G
Warning(s): -
Disclaimer: The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary:
Baekhyun never expected to meet Chanyeol again, and to be his son’s favorite teacher.
Author's Note:
I hope you like this. Yay it’s done and I’d like to thank people who cheered me on and helped me to finish this. Probably steered off on my original course but I hope it’s somehow what you wanted.
Luhan stomps to his room and Baekhyun is left dumbfounded. His son just walked out on him and slammed the door. He goes to the sofa and sits down slowly, frustratingly running his hands down his face.
After an hour, thinking both of them has cooled down, he goes to Luhan’s room and is surprised that it was unlocked.
“Luhan? I’m so… Luhan?”
The boy seems to be not in the room. Baekhyun feels dread wash over him. He runs outside to see if maybe Luhan is somewhere there playing. But the boy isn’t.
Baekhyun goes inside his room, picks up his cellphone and dials the number of the Kims, Luhan’s best friends’ family.
“Hey Kyungsoo, sorry I know it’s late. But is Luhan there?”
“No, he isn’t. Sehun and Kai are already asleep but I’ll ask them if they know. Are you ok? Do you need help?”
“I… I can manage. Let the kids sleep. Thanks, Soo!”
After he hung up on Kyungsoo, he sits down and goes to Luhan’s room again.
He sees a picture of Luhan when he was 4 years old. The first time Baekhyun held Luhan in his arms after finalizing the adoption papers. How happy he felt that time. Finally, someone he could call his and he would give his love to. Now his baby boy is all grown-up, wanting to go on a trip without him. But how could he say yes when he would worry every minute his eyes aren’t on him?
He gets startled when he gets a call from an unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Good evening. Is this Luhan’s father?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“It’s Mr. Park, his science teacher. Uhm, you might be looking for him right now and…” Baekhyun hears a faint sound of don’t tell him! “He’s actually with me. You could pick him up. Do you have a pen? I’ll tell you the address.”
Baekhyun immediately climbs into his car to go to the address given to him. He’s so frantic he forgot he’s still wearing pajamas when he went out. He knocked on the door when he was sure he got the house number and the street right.
“Hey, are you Mr. Park? Is Luhan ok? Luhan? Hey Mr…” And, there, right in front of Baekhyun really was Mr. Park.
Mr. Park Chanyeol.
The guy he once thought he would build a family with. The man who had teased him mercilessly about his choice of baby names. It’s so surreal seeing him standing there because he looked so different but he also looked so painfully familiar. It was so long ago, but to his surprise, it still hurts to think that, once upon a time, they promised each other forever.
“Baekhyun?” Chanyeol asks, obviously shocked.
“Mr. Park! You know my dad?” Luhan chimes in.
All Baekhyun can do is nod.
“Come in! I know you were worried. But, as you can see, Luhan’s fine.”
Baekhyun, recovering from his own shock upon hearing his son’s name, runs to Luhan and checks his arms and legs for injury.
“Why did you run away? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“He’s okay, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol assures him softly. “Luhan can you get water for your dad from the fridge? Please?” Luhan looks at Chanyeol and complies.
“I… Hi?”
“Hi, Mr. Park.” Baekhyun shouldn’t be feeling this awkward with someone from his past but he does.
“Ah yes, so we have a field trip coming up. I’m sure Luhan already told you about it?”
“Yes, it’s probably why he left.” Baekhyun looks up and Chanyeol is still the tall, handsome fellow from years ago.
“I already told him that was wrong. But can I ask why you said no? I’m sure the letter said that teachers would be there to supervise and they would be safe.”
“I just don’t want him to get hurt.”
“I don’t either.”
“How would you know he won’t be?”
“I’ll be there.”
And it’s unfair that that moment, is so reminiscent of a memory long ago. Of Chanyeol wanting to go on an adventure with Baekhyun, out on the woods, swimming on an unknown lake and Baekhyun, being the indoor type of person doesn’t want to go. The wild is so full of things that can harm him. And Chanyeol being the free spirit that he is assured him saying I’ll be there. Just like he is now.
“I… I don’t know. I’ll think about it.” Baekhyun relents because he sees Luhan peeking from the kitchen with pleading eyes.
“Yay!” Luhan jumps from the kitchen spilling water from the glass he’s holding. “Really?” He asks with hope in his eyes.
“I said I’ll think about it. It’s not a yes yet.”
“Mr. Park! You’re really great.” Luhan hugs the said man and turns to hug his father after.
“We’ll be going. Thanks, Mr. Park.”
And Baekhyun hopes that it’ll be the last time he sees Chanyeol.
It was summer when they met. An aspiring art student and an aspiring physicist. They met in their freshman maths class.
“Hey, do you have a pen?” the tall guy sitting beside Baekhyun asked in his rich deep voice.
“I do and I’m using it.” Baekhyun replied not looking once at his seatmate concentrating instead on copying the notes the professor is writing on the board.
“Awww don’t be like that.”
Baekhyun, annoyed, took out a pen and handed it over to the tall guy.
“Next time bring…a pen.” Baekhyun looked beside him and damn, the guy beside him is not only tall but handsome too, especially smiling up at him like it isn’t a pen he’s holding out but heaven.
“Yes, next time I’ll bring your pen so we could talk again.” He winked at him and stood up in time for the ringing of the bell. “Name’s Chanyeol.” He said before walking out of the room leaving Baekhyun to stare at the door.
“Luhan, listen to me. You have food and medicine in your bag. If you need anything, it’s all there in your bag.” Baekhyun opens Luhan’s backpack showing Luhan where the things are. “Also, here’s a phone, my number is there, so if you need to call just long press one. I'm on speed dial. Also…” Baekhyun was listing in his head what else he could have forgotten to pack for his baby. For his baby’s very first field trip without him.
“Dad! I’ll be alright. I’m eight!” Luhan pouted at his dad.
“Yes, you are.” Baekhyun steps back to look at Luhan, his boy really is growing up fast. “But still! I might have forgotten your favorite blankie…”
“Daaaaaad!”
“Hi Mr. Byun! Hi, Luhan!” A deep familiar voice greeted them.
“Mr. Park!!!” Luhan jumps towards Chanyeol to hug him. Baekhyun stands up to politely greet the man.
“All set. We’ll be back here at 6pm, don’t worry. I’ll personally take care of him.” Then he squeezes Luhan to emphasize. Luhan snuggling with his favorite teacher is also squeezing his heart. He shakes his head off dangerous thoughts.
“No need to do that, you have lots of other children to look out for.” Baekhyun is trying not to look straight at Chanyeol, which makes Chanyeol smile.
“Not a problem. Luhan is a really good boy, just a bit mischievous at times but nothing I can’t handle.” He chuckled.
“Yeah, just like you.” Baekhyun smiles and narrows his eyes when he realizes what he just said. “I mean… he likes you. He really does. How did you do it?”
Chanyeol is thankful Baekhyun isn’t looking at him because he would've noticed Chanyeol’s ears turning so red.
Promptly at 6pm, Baekhyun is right at the school’s gate waiting for the bus to arrive. He opens his windows slightly and listens to the radio. A few minutes later, the yellow bus appears down the road and stops a few meters from where he is parked.
“Dad!” Luhan runs to him, hugging him. Chanyeol’s walking behind the boy.
“He’s here, hmmm safe and sound.” Baekhyun notices the pause before Chanyeol said safe and raises an eyebrow. He looks at Luhan’s smiling face and that’s when he sees it. There, on Luhan’s left leg, is a big white bandage.
“What happened?” He looks up at Chanyeol who was scratching the back of his neck.
“I’m fine, Dad. Mr. Park patched me up! Look! He drew on my bandage!” Luhan proudly shows a cute drawing of a dog in his bandage. “We named him Lulu! He’s cute right?” Luhan gazes up to his dad with a wide smile and Baekhyun just can’t say no to that face and because it is cute.
“Yes, ok, baby can you go to the car now. I’ll take your bag.” Luhan shrugs off his bag for his father to take and runs to the car singing a song he probably learned on their trip.
Before he can say anything, Chanyeol has his hands up to stop him.
“I know, I know.” Chanyeol says when Luhan was out of earshot. “ I said he’ll be ok when he comes back. He… tripped over a tree branch. But he was so brave about it saying he won’t cry.”
How Chanyeol had a fond look on his face while telling the story and the image that Baekhyun imagines is so sweet that he wants to coo but then he remembers this is Chanyeol, the one who broke his heart, so why would he coo over Chanyeol and his son. He shrugs off the thought and says his thanks walking over to his car.
“Bye Mr. Park!” Luhan waves enthusiastically while Baekhyun drives away.
The last semester on their last year was the worst. Baekhyun and Chanyeol just hit their 3rd year together and they were spending most of their time in the library doing homework and thesis. Chanyeol was spending more and more time staring into space and Baekhyun, due to stress, started nagging.
They had fights before but Chanyeol usually gives in or Baekhyun usually says sorry but with the stress of it all, they both lost sight of each other.
“Chanyeol, what are you doing? Aren’t you supposed to be looking for your related lit? Or writing your paper?”
Chanyeol doesn’t answer and begins to doodle animals on his notebook instead and Baekhyun frowns at this. Chanyeol seems to not have answers for him these days. When he asks where he wants to eat, he just shrugs. When he asks where he wants to go after school, he just says wherever and Baekhyun is afraid they’re starting to fall apart.
But he’s more afraid that they already are.
On a beautiful morning, Baekhyun excitedly wakes Luhan up to go to his favorite hangout place in the city. They go there whenever Baekhyun is stressed from work and right now, he’s in the middle of a very big project.
Baekhyun likes to go to a small park beside the Han river. Near it is an ice cream shop that’s been around for ages and they make the meanest strawberry ice cream in the city, and must he say, around the country.
“Daddy! Let’s go get ice cream! I want three scoops of chocolate mint!” Luhan skips towards the ice cream shop with his backpack jinggling behind him and Baekhyun looks at Luhan with a big smile on his face. He is never fond of chocolate mint but he knows someone else who does.
“That’s too much Luhan.”
“But…” He stops in his tracks.
“Two scoops?” Baekhyun relents and raises two fingers up.
“Yay!” He continues to skip.
Baekhyun is happy to hear the chime of the bell of the ice cream shop. He can already see families inside having happy conversations.
Luhan goes up to the counter first, ready to order. They’ve been there enough times for Luhan to already have a favorite.
Baekhyun got a double scoop of his favorite strawberry ice cream and a double scoop of chocolate mint and is looking for a seat for him and Luhan when Luhan shouted loud and held him by the elbow to drag him towards an empty or rather half empty table.
“Hi Baekhyun!” Chanyeol who is seated on the table Luhan dragged him to, greeted him with a big smile. Baekhyun doesn’t know how he feels seeing Chanyeol in a place that holds so much memories… for the both of them. Once happy memories.
“There aren’t much chairs available, we could share.”
“Are you following us?” Baekhyun asks, which he meant as a joke, but the look he gives Chanyeol is decidedly suspicious. When he and Luhan were doing grocery shopping the other day, they bumped into Chanyeol also doing his shopping. Last weekend, they again saw Chanyeol while walking towards the train station.
Suddenly, Chanyeol is everywhere.
Chanyeol chuckles. “I was actually here first Baekhyun.”
“Well… yeah.”
“Dad, your ice cream is melting.” Luhan says before digging in to get a scoop of Baekhyun’s ice cream.
“Yes, Dad it’s melting.” Chanyeol echoes before he play-fights with Luhan to get a scoop from Baekhyun’s bowl .
“Shut up.” Baekhyun looks at the two heads fighting over his bowl.
Suddenly, there are tears on the edge of his eyes. He promptly blinks it off and stands up to go the the restroom.
“I’ll be back. Luhan, stay in your seat.”
“Mm.” Luhan then laughs at something Chanyeol whispered to him.
“A few years from now, what do you think we’ll be doing?” Baekhyun asks while he and Chanyeol were sitting down, in front of the Han river, their favorite spot away from everyone. Baekhyun is tucked under Chanyeol with Chanyeol’s arms around him.
“Well, I think…” He stops and kisses Baekhyun behind the ear. “More of that...and something else.” He softly laughs against Baekhyun’s ears tickling him. Baekhyun looks behind him and swats at Chanyeol.
“You’ll be a famous painter like you dreamed of and I’ll be slaving away in a lab.”
“Hmm, I like that.”
“We’ll be living in a big house with a pet, you choose between a cat and a dog.”
Baekhyun imagines their messy living room with muddy footprints by the dog and somewhere in Baekhyun’s heart that he hasn’t told anyone else, he wants something or rather someone to complete their small family.
“Care to share?” Chanyeol nudged him with his big smile when he got too immersed in his day dream.
“Nothing.” Baekhyun grinned. “I was just imagining what our house would look like with the dog and…”
“And?”
Baekhyun twists around to face Chanyeol.
“How do you feel about adopting a child?” Baekhyun stared hard at Chanyeol waiting for his reaction.
“Adoption. Hm.” His forehead creases. “That would be…”
Baekhyun closed his eyes afraid of what Chanyeol will say.
“Wonderful.” Chanyeol leans in to kiss his eyelids. “That would be wonderful, love.”
“Really?” Baekhyun opened his eyes to see Chanyeol’s genuine excited eyes staring back at him.
“Yes, he has to be really cute and smart like you.”
“He?” Baekhyun giggled at his cute boyfriend.
“Of course! He has to be strong so when we adopt a girl next, he’ll protect her because he’ll be strong like me.”
“Hey hey, slow down.” Baekhyun leaned on Chanyeol’s chest, whispering an ‘I love you’ before wrapping his arms around the other’s waist. It’s final, he’s in love with a great man.
A few days after their encounter in the ice cream shop, Baekhyun hasn’t been seeing Chanyeol around. He wants to avoid Chanyeol but he didn’t expect he doesn’t need to since he rarely sees the other man and somewhere a part of him kind of misses him. So when he picks Luhan up one day and sees his son sitting beside Chanyeol, he forgets himself and he waves at Chanyeol. He puts his hand down but Chanyeol already saw and waves back.
“Luhan, lets go.”
“Hey Baek! How’re things? I haven’t seen you around.” Chanyeol bashfully asks.
“Have you stopped stalking us?” He jokes in response and Chanyeol laughs.
“Yeah, I should really go back to stalking.” Baekhyun’s face goes serious at this.
“We… we have to go home.” He holds Luhan by the hand and walks away stopping himself from looking back.
They were on the parking lot and Luhan is whining about how he is so hungry.
“Ok! Ok! We’ll go and eat.” They were passing by the school gates when Luhan spots Chanyeol outside the school waiting. Luhan opens his windows and waves.
“Mr. Park! Come with us we’re going to eat!” Luhan says happily. Baekhyun slows down his driving.
“Is your dad going to be ok with that?” He asks.
“Are you going to take the bus?” Baekhyun counters the question.
“Yeah, my car broke down so I’ve been taking the bus. Go on and enjoy!” He taps the car to signal them to go. Baekhyun sighs when he sees Luhan look at him with pleading eyes.
“Come on in before Luhan cries.” He jokes before unlocking the door. Chanyeol looks surprised at the offer but sits at the back of the car.
“Yay! Family dinner!” Luhan does a fist bump.
Baekhyun just chooses to ignore the comment and looks at his rearview mirror to see Chanyeol grinning.
“So where to?” He asks Luhan. Both of them shouting “McDonald’s!” as a response.
They arrive at the nearest store and Luhan runs towards the counter to look for the latest toy that they have.
“Dad! I want a burger and the happy meal!” He yells and runs to take a seat.
“I’ll order. Enough payment for giving me a ride.” Chanyeol tells him.
“Alright. I’ll have burger too, with large fries and…”
“And a float. Yes, I remember.” Chanyeol smiles at him and Baekhyun thinks that’s unfair. That he remembers things he shouldn’t have. He walks away to take a seat with Luhan.
Chanyeol arrives with two boxes of the happy meal. Baekhyun looks at him questioningly.
“Figured he likes the complete set but I can only afford two at the moment.” He gives the toys to Luhan who screams in glee.
“Thanks so much!”
“You shouldn’t have.” Baekhyun takes the box and the plastic off the toys for Luhan to play with.
“Well, I did. Come, lets eat.”
Baekhyun is halfway his burger when he stares at Luhan then at Chanyeol. Luhan again then back to Chanyeol.
The resemblance is glaring at him and he thinks why he didn’t notice it before. The way they take out the pickles in their burger to the way they play with their straw before taking a sip. The way they steal fries from Baekhyun when they think he’s not looking and the way they chew very long before the next bite. And Baekhyun smiles. In another life, Luhan could have two fathers loving him and taking him to McDonald’s and feeding him fries and ice cream and all the child would want. If only they never fell apart, but then maybe it’s for the best because Luhan wouldn’t be here if they didn’t and he would never have his job and Chanyeol wouldn’t have his.
“What are you smiling about?” Chanyeol asked with his big smile just like Luhan’s.
“Nothing. Just things.” Baekhyun looks down and stiffens when he feels Chanyeol reach out to wipe his lips with his finger. He looks up with wide eyes and sees Chanyeol blushing.
“Oh, there was a… uhm… ketchup. Yeah, so I wiped it for you.”
“Ah, thanks.” He takes a tissue to wipe his lips again. It’s tingling for some reason and his heart is working double time and it doesn’t stop until they go home.
“Hi!” Baekhyun opens the door to Chanyeol standing at his doorstep looking like he ran.
“What are you doing here?”
“Hi!”
“Hello… Chanyeol if you don’t…” Baekhyun makes a move to close the door and Chanyeol stops the door.
“Please just hear me out.” Chanyeol goes back to contemplating in front of his house. “I probably don’t deserve it and you’d probably say no but I want to at least try because if I don’t I might miss my chance again but then…”
“Chanyeol, what?”
Chanyeol snaps his head up. “Go out with me.”
The door slams shut this time.
“Chanyeol? Please open the door?” Baekhyun knocks for the hundredth time but the door to Chanyeol’s room stays closed.
“Why won’t you open the door? I want to talk. I have something important to tell you.” Baekhyun has been begging for days for Chanyeol to talk to him. It started to stay closed when the exams started and Chanyeol asked for time to study by himself which Baekhyun understands. But exams are finished and the door is still closed.
“I got in.” He whispers.
“I got in and I wanted this for a very long time but I want you to tell me to stay instead. For you I will, you know that.” He continues and tears starts streaming down his face.
“Chanyeol? If this door stays closed, I’ll consider this as you telling me to go.”
There is silence that follows. Baekhyun walks away and doesn’t hear the cries that echoes that night.
“So I heard Chanyeol asked you out.” Kyungsoo asks when Luhan came over for a sleepover at the Kims.
“How did you even know that?” Baekhyun gulps his drink. He slammed the door on the poor guy and hasn’t heard from him since.
“Do I need to remind you my husband is part of the school? He told me Chanyeol has been looking miserable for days.”
“Junmyeon is a gossip. You too!” Baekhyun almost feels sorry for the guy but he doesn’t want a repeat of the past.
“So why did you say no?”
“It is none of…” Kyungsoo stares at him with his hand on his waist as if to say yeah try again. “Fine. He and I had a past. That is all I’m going to say.”
“Did it end badly? Guy seems to be remorseful for it. And besides, Chanyeol seems to be a great person. Luhan likes him a lot too. Sound like a good match to me.”
“Thanks but I’d rather not.”
“Just think about it. Junmyeon says even Luhan is upset to see his favorite teacher down.”
On his way to pick up Luhan, Baekhyun has been staring at a picture Luhan drew for him a few years ago when Luhan was just starting school. It was a drawing of him and Luhan holding hands and a drawing of a house. Luhan wrote below about how Baekhyun is the best father ever for giving him a new life. Baekhyun cried over it for days thinking he did well adopting Luhan and also because they had to write their wish below it.
“I got a house and new family. That’s all I ever wanted. My wish is for my new Dad to be happy.”
“I want to say sorry about that night.” Baekhyun stands outside the classroom where Chanyeol teaches. Baekhyun nods and starts to walk away. Chanyeol grabs onto his elbows.
“Give me another chance. Please?” He’s pleading and Baekhyun is weak under those eyes. He has always been, even after the other broke his heart. Even after all the tears he cried he knows if all those years ago if Chanyeol ever sought him out, he’ll easily give in. But that was years ago.
“Ok.”
“Ple… wait what? Really?” Chanyeol smiles up at him and Baekhyun thinks maybe he is right to give this a chance.
Chanyeol brought him to the restaurant beside the ice cream shop they usually go to. When they first dated, all Chanyeol could afford was ice cream so they never went inside the restaurant beside it.
“I know you like the view so I brought you here.” Chanyeol pulls out a chair for him.
“Thanks! I like to look at the river.” And remember the good days, is what he doesn’t say.
They order and Chanyeol talks about his students and Baekhyun talks about Luhan. All is well and good until Chanyeol mentions about passing by their old university and how everything has changed. Baekhyun refrains from flinching at the mention of their university, of the place where everything fell apart.
“I… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.”
“No harm done. Are you done? I think we should get the bill.”
“No, wait. We should get dessert.”
“Luhan will be waiting for me. We should go.” Baekhyun looks down at his watch without seeing it.
“Baekhyun I’m so sorry. All those years I go. I never wanted to lose you. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“But you did. You did and I heard no remorse from you.” Baekhyun stands up from his seat and walks out the door. Chanyeol follows him after leaving some bills on the table.
“I thought I was ok. I really did. But you can’t just come barging right back in my life! Bringing up the past like there’s something to pick up on what we left behind.” Baekhyun hastens his steps but Chanyeol catches up with him.
“I let you go and that was the biggest challenge of my life. But I had to.”
“You had to? What lies did you believe all this time to think that I was going to be ok with it. Didn’t you think I should get a say in it. Tell me so I can tell you now what bull I think it is.”
“I did it for you. But I did it for me too.” Chanyeol shouted. “We needed that time apart. That Japan internship was the best for you, you and I both know it. So when you said you got in, I told myself that was great because you will achieve your dreams and I will have time to discover mine.”
“You could have told me and I could have been here to support you.”
“And that would have killed me. You deserved that job and it would have been selfish of me to stop you because even without me telling you, you would give it up for me.”
“So what? It’s my life!”
“And you are mine. It was too late when I realized how twisted my reasons are for letting you go. I was confused over what I wanted. You were the only constant thing that was going through my mind. But for my future, for our future, I needed to get my shit straight.”
“Is your shit straight now?” Baekhyun joked through the haze of his tears.
He shouldn’t be this easy. But he knows when he left that day, his heart will always come back to Chanyeol. No matter what, he will always come back to Chanyeol.
Chanyeol pulled him close and enveloped him in the tightest hug.
“Am I forgiven?” Chanyeol asked.
“No, but you can ask me again after the second date.” Chanyeol kissed him on the forehead before letting him go and going for his hand.
They walked hand in hand back to Baekhyun’s house.
Chanyeol brought Baekhyun to an art gallery for their next date. Baekhyun has already been in that gallery more times than he can count since he likes the arts and also because he has his favorite painting there.
“I hope you like this place.” Chanyeol says and Baekhyun hides his smile.
“I do. I like it very much. I like it a lot that I just went here last month.” And Chanyeol’s face fell at that. Baekhyun took his hand and squeezed it before guiding him to where his favorite painting is.
“Don’t be sad. I like to go here anyway. It’s one of my favorite galleries to go to once in a while. I even brought Luhan along once.”
They arrive at the place but Baekhyun is shocked to see an empty space to where his painting is.
“Where’s the…” And he sees Chanyeol holding a paper wrapped square object and his heart beats loudly. He thinks he knows what’s inside but he doesn’t want to expect. But then Chanyeol unwraps it and he thinks there’s tears in his eyes. He’s not sure.
“How did you know?”
“Luhan asked me one day if I like paintings. Of course I said yes. Someone I love likes to paint anyway. Imagine my shock when he showed me a picture of a painting in his phone.” He says while looking at a painting of a man sitting by a lake. A man who resembles him. “When I went to visit the gallery, it was still up for sale.”
“I had to buy it of course.” Chanyeol looks up to see a crying Baekhyun. “Don’t cry.” He wipes the tears from Baekhyun’s eyes before putting down the painting and hugging him.
“It’s the last painting I have done. I lost the will after I left.” Baekhyun cries because he thought Chanyeol would never find that painting of him. The painting that shows the sadness he felt before leaving for his internship. How Chanyeol fits perfectly in the serene environment, with the peaceful unmoving lake, without Baekhyun.
“Paint again, this time paint me with you. With Luhan.” And Baekhyun cries again because, he already sees the painting in his head. Their dream house and their family. Are they really a family now?
“How are we going to tell Luhan?” Chanyeol asked after their seventh date.
“I don’t know. You’re the teacher between the two of us.”
“Luhan!” Baekhyun called out. “Mr. Park has something to say to you.”
Luhan runs out of his room to where they are sitting at the living room.
“What is it?”
“I decided to change my name.” Chanyeol starts.
“Huh?” Baekhyun and Luhan both asked at the same time.
“I decided you should call me daddy now.”
“What?”
“Are you trying to traumatize our son?” Baekhyun pushes Chanyeol playfully.
“Ours?” Chanyeol looked at him with a big smile on his face before Luhan jumps on him.
“Are you really going to be my daddy?” He asks while wrapping his arms around Chanyeol.
“Baekhyun?”
“Yes, Luhan. Would you like that?” Baekhyun hope Luhan is because it seems Chanyeol will be a permanent fixture in their lives.
“Yes! Yes!” He says before hugging the life out of Chanyeol.
They are currently on the road to the beach. As Chanyeol said, Luhan should explore the country and since it was summer and there are no classes, Chanyeol decided to take them on a road trip. Luhan is sitting in front while Baekhyun is sitting at the back with their bags. They are currently jamming to the songs in Luhan’s ipod.
“Cheer up baby! Cheer up baby! Come on Baek!” Luhan looks at him and Chanyeol through the rearview mirror.
“Shy! Shy! Shy!” He sings cutely with hands doing the crying baby gesture which makes him cringe after but makes Chanyeol laugh.
They continue singing until they arrive at the beach.
Baekhyun takes their bags out and he takes out their mat and puts it on the sand. Luhan runs towards the water excitedly, Chanyeol follows and they start throwing water at each other.
“Hey hey, be careful!” He’s starting to feel he’s actually taking care of two kids. He smiles at the thought of more of this in the future. He’s lost in thought and didn’t realize Chanyeol is walking towards him until he feels arms wrap around his waist.
“No! Put me down!” He screams when Chanyeol carries him and dumps him in the water. He wades back to the shore and sits there. Chanyeol goes to him with a grin and sits beside him and takes his hand in his.
“No, don’t touch me.” He says and tries hard to look fierce but fails and just crawls in between Chanyeol’s legs and sits there instead.
“It’s getting cold.” Is his excuse.
“Yeah ok.” Chanyeol wraps his arms around him and they look out at Luhan who continues to swim and waits until the sun sets.
“Come on Luhan. Time to go.”
Luhan sits with them and they watch the last rays of the sun go.
“Beautiful.” Chanyeol whispers in his ear and Baekhyun agrees, the view is beautiful. But he feels Chanyeol blow a kiss on his cheek. “Pretty.” He says and this time, Baekhyun sees Chanyeol not looking at the view and is staring at him.
Their lips meet for a moment the time is theirs.
“I’m sleepy.” Luhan says while snuggling beside Chanyeol. They smile at each other and Chanyeol steals one last kiss before they stand up and clean up.
“Alright, let’s go home.”
“Chanyeol?” They are currently having a picnic in their favorite spot in front of the Han river. Luhan is wading in the edge of the river. Baekhyun is seated in front of Chanyeol, back to chest, just like before. He’s keeping an eye out for Luhan but his mind is wandering on other things.
“Yes, love?”
“Don’t ever struggle by yourself again.” Baekhyun nervously picks on Chanyeol’s fingers. “Nothing is more important to me than you and Luhan. Not our future. Not even the greatest job in the world.” Chanyeol places his head on his shoulders.
“Promise me.”
“I promise. I don’t ever want to experience having to let you go again, so even if you don’t want me, you can’t get rid of me anymore.”
“I won’t ever not want you.”
“I love you.” Baekhyun feels Chanyeol lean against him.
“I love you too.” And he twists his head to meet Chanyeol’s lips.
Their kiss is as sweet as ever. It felt like home, felt like the promise of forever that they made long ago and maybe, in a few months, they will seal their forever.