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Chanyeol bows and smiles as the last client of the day make her way out of his mother's coffee shop. It has been an hectic summer day, where people has been rushing in and out, having lunch, looking for a small refreshment to pass by the hottest day Chanyeol can remember so far in his 23 years of life or to simply spend a few minutes in the air conditioner in order to not pass out on the streets. It had been funny, seeing the ever happy Yixing scowl at the few people entering the shop just to stand there for a few minutes, letting the cold air get rid of the overwhelming feeling of too much sweat on their faces to then walk out without even sparing a glance around.
"Some people are so rude." He complains as he rubs the counter with a damp cloth after the mess a kid had done with his mango smoothie.
Chanyeol laughs and shakes his head, a grumpy Yixing is adorable, not that he’s going to let the elder know that.
It’s nearing seven in the evening when Chanyeol is finally able to call it a day. He had let Yixing manage the cash register while he took the duty of closing doors and wiping tables. Chanyeol finds it oddly relaxing.
He’s working on the last table near the bigger window when he sees him, the short and cute flower shop owner across the street, and he stops everything he’s doing. It’s never healthy for him every time the black haired guy appears, either sweeping the sidewalk, arranging the pots with colorful flowers he keeps outside the shop during the day or when he graces Chanyeol with his presence by stepping in the coffee shop and ordering his usual strawberry-kiwi smoothie with wiped cream on top, a weird ─and disgusting─ combination if you ask him, but considering the guy's state, Chanyeol can only think it’s normal.
And so there he is again, spacing out and thinking on how beautiful the boy is, and how delicate and fragile he looks as he hands an old lady a big bouquet of orange and pink flowers with that signature bright smile of his. He doesn't notice the moment the cloth he was using falls to the floor, neither he notices when Yixing stands next to him, crossing his arms and hugging the broomstick against his chest, a soft crease of eyebrows as he as well, stares out of the window.
"I thought you were over it." He says, surprising Chanyeol and making him jump on his place as he turns his head to look at him, wide eyes and mouth open.
"I─ what are you saying?" Chanyeol frowns.
Yixing sighs. "I'm sure I'm not the only one who had noticed your small crush on Baekhyun."
"Yeah well, I don't see why that is a problem." Chanyeol shrugs as he goes back to cleaning the table despite of being already spotless and shiny.
"There's the small detail that he is pregnant, Chanyeol. Very, heavily pregnant, about to give birth pregnant." Yixing adds, looking through the window how Baekhyun waddles his way inside the shop again. His short height making him look like an overweight —and cute— penguin. "You don't even know if─"
"Oh my god!" Chanyeol exclaims, cutting his friend off. "He shouldn't be doing that, he's pregnant!" He unconsciously points out of the window, watching as Baekhyun starts to lift a heavy looking pot of purple flowers. And just when he’s about to rush out of the shop and cross the street to help, another guy shows up, snatching the pot from the pregnant's hands and by the look of Baekhyun's ashamed expression, the other one is scolding him.
Yixing shakes his head. "You don't even know if he has a partner or if he's married."
"He's not, his idiotic boyfriend ran away when he found out Baekhyun was pregnant." Chanyeol answers, pouting and sitting down on a chair to be able to keep watching and be comfortable while he does so.
"How do you even know that?" Yixing asks, alarmed and scared that his friend could have reached a new level of creepiness.
"See, Jongin." He points out at the guy across the street that’s now taking the pots inside. "His cousin, he's on my morning class. He told me about it."
"So... what you're saying is, you don't care about his state?" Chanyeol shakes his head. "Say, if he ever happened to like you back... would you take responsibility of that baby?"
"Woah hyung, slow down a little. He doesn't even know I exist, and in any case... I don't think he would let someone he just met take care of his kid, even if he, indeed, happened to like me back. These things take time."
Yixing chuckles, deciding to drop the topic for now. Even though he’s worried about his friend, there is nothing he can really do about it when Chanyeol is more than infatuated with the flower shop owner.
After Yixing saying his good byes and good nights, Chanyeol takes his apron off and gathers his stuff inside his bag. He has a test the next day and long night of study is waiting for him at home. By the time he leaves the coffee shop, it’s already dark and the streetlights are the only thing illuminating his way; he walks slowly, enjoying the slightly fresh breeze that accompanies the night.
He glances around and crosses the street, curious as to why the lights on the flower shop are still on and the 'open" sign still up.
He thinks about knocking, asking Baekhyun if everything is okay, but then again, they aren't friends, they had barely talked to each other before and Chanyeol doesn't want to appear as a freak to the older guy. He still has a small hope of getting acquainted with him, at least. Chanyeol shakes the thought away, smiling and thinking that maybe Baekhyun has work to finish 'till late, so he keeps walking. It isn't until a loud crash coming from the inside of the store catches Chanyeol's attention, just as he’s about to cross the street again and go on his actual way; he rushes back without thinking twice and pushes the door, ignoring the fact that it was indeed open.
"Hello?!" He calls, letting his bag fall to the floor next to a row of yellow flowers near the door. "Baekhyun?" He tries again. After not receiving any answer, he takes it on himself to walk further into the shop and behind the counter.
The section separating the back of the counter from what Chanyeol thinks it’s Baekhyun's area of work isn't so large, a few steps and he’s pushing the door to find several glass jars and ceramic pots broken on the floor, along with a mess of water, dirt and flowers everywhere.
His eyes dart up a little only to find Baekhyun lying on the floor next to the tall table, trying to hold himself with one hand as the other is pressed on his stomach, a terrified and painful expression on his face.
"Oh my god.” He rushes to his side. “Are you okay?" Chanyeol asks.
Baekhyun shakes his head. "No." He pants. "I think he's coming." He points at his stomach as his face scrunches up with another contraction.
"What─ what do I do? Do you want me to call Jongin?" He asks, moving his hands all over, not sure if he can actually touch the older.
"N-no, he said he would be seeing someone tonight, he’s─" Baekhyun breaths, closing his eyes on attempt to calm himself and failing. He groans and bends over, another contraction piercing through his body. "Call an ambulance." Chanyeol nods and makes an attempt to stand up and get his phone from his bag, but Baekhyun's hand wrap around his wrist. "Wait, don't leave!" He grunts.
"M-my phone is in my bag, I need to─"
"Okay, okay, go." Chanyeol tries to move again, but again, Baekhyun stops him.
"No, please, don't leave me alone." He whines, another shot of pain attacking him.
"Baekhyun, I have to─"
"Please, please, don't go. It hurts. I can't do it, I can't─" Baekhyun cries, tightening his grip around Chanyeol's wrist as tears slide down his cheeks.
"Yes you can, just─ just wait up, I'll be back, I promise."
Chanyeol manages to break away from Baekhyun's strong hold and run back to the front of the shop. He rummages inside his bag, cursing himself for being so careless and always throwing his phone inside, along with the rest of his stuff, causing it to get lost in there.
Right after he kneels back next to the older, Baekhyun takes his wrist again, squeezing hard as Chanyeol tries to dial the emergency number with just one hand. Baekhyun's whimpers and groans of pain distracting him. A few minutes later and after five failed attempts of dialing, he finally gets the number right. Chanyeol quickly gives in the address and information and hangs up to completely focus his attention on the older.
"This hurts like hell, I can't do it. It's going to kill me, I can't do it." Baekhyun keeps repeating, eyes closed and scrunched up nose.
"It's not going to kill you, you're gonna have your baby and you'll be happy and─"
"We're not going to be happy!" Baekhyun growls, clenching his jaw due another contraction. "We're gonna be alone and─ and unhappy!"
"Don't say that, you won't be alone, okay? Just relax and breathe, the ambulance it's on its way."
"No I can't!" Baekhyun whimpers. "I'm scared, Chanyeol. I'm so scared, I─"
"Don't─ wait, you know my name?"
Baekhyun groans. "Of course I know your name. You know how hard it was to get someone on a coffee shop five miles around to get me a─" he hisses "─to get me a strawberry-kiwi smoothie with wiped cream on top and not think I was disgusting?" He whimpers again. Chanyeol had thought, actually, that it was disgusting, but probably telling that to a pregnant man in pain isn't the best idea. "Oh god!" He pops his eyes open. "I'm going to explode."
"Breathe, Baekhyun. Everything's going to be fine."
Baekhyun starts to pant, fast and sharp as more tears trickle down his cheeks. Fear printed in his eyes and Chanyeol wants nothing more but to pull the older and hold him closer, protect him and tell him that he could make him happy, that he’s willing to stay by his side no matter what, but is not the time nor the moment.
"You promise?"
"I promise." Chanyeol nods, softly removing Baekhyun's hand from his wrist to take it on his own and squeeze it reassuringly.
20 minutes later and less blood pressure on his hand, Chanyeol sighs in relief when he finally hears the ambulance sirens on the distance. It pains him to hear Baekhyun repeating how scared and alone he is, how he’s afraid of messing things up, of not being enough for his son, for anyone. Chanyeol wants to assure him so many things, but at the same time he knows he has no right to make any promises he probably can't keep.
He’s allowed inside the ambulance, despite of not being a family member thanks to Baekhyun’s pleas and cries, not wanting to let go of his hand. Later on, Chanyeol only watches him disappear through the operation room doors after being asked by the nurses if he was the father and receiving a negative answer, they tell him to wait outside.
Hours of waiting along with Jongin seems longer than he expected. Doctors and nurses coming and going, not even sparing them a glance. They are worried, to say the least, at the lack of information about Baekhyun.
"Was he okay?" Jongin asks after a moment of complete silence.
"Yeah, well... not exactly, he couldn't stop saying how scared he was." Chanyeol whispers.
"I know. I─ I've trying my best to keep him company, at least he wouldn't be alone during the day but... I know it gets hard for him sometimes, especially at nights, I've heard him cry." Jongin sighs.
"What happened? With the father of the baby, I mean. Why did he run away?" Chanyeol asks, carefully as he shifts his body to face Jongin.
The latter shakes his head. "It doesn't matter now, he left because he's a coward. There's nothing more to it." Chanyeol nods, understanding and at the same time not wanting to pry any more into the topic. "Thank you, though. For helping him."
"It was nothing, I really─"
"Mr. Byun's family?" A nurse finally appears, interrupting Chanyeol from saying what he wasn't really ready to say out loud. They both stand up, Chanyeol realizing he had nothing more to do there, he takes a step back.
"I'm his cousin." Jongin says. The nurse asks him to follow her, leaving Chanyeol alone.
Chanyeol leaves the hospital after that, with a heavy heart and an annoying feeling growing inside his chest. He feels restless and out of place, he wants to stay and wait to see Baekhyun and make sure he’s okay by himself, but he’s scared and also, he still has school in the morning.
During classes, his body is there, but his mind keeps wandering to other places. It isn't until that same afternoon that Chanyeol arrives to the coffee shop to start his shift, that he sees Jongin coming out of the flower shop, carrying a small duffel bag and another one with plastic food containers. He drops his apron and runs out of the shop, being able to catch Jongin before he could round the corner.
"Oh, hey." Jongin smiles at him.
"How's Baekhyun?" He asks, breathless.
"He's fine. He has been asking about you."
"He has?" Chanyeol’s eyes widen, more excited than he would have liked to show. Jongin laughs.
"Yeah, but since I don't have your phone number I couldn't get in touch and Yixing told me earlier your shift started in the afternoon."
"Ah, yeah uh... is it okay if I go see him now?"
"Sure. Why don't you take this with you?" Jongin adds, handing him both bags. "Some of his clothes and he said he was hungry."
"Okay."
"I'll go check on him later." Jongin winks at him before going back from where came from. Chanyeol nods, thankful.
The ride to the hospital is short and nerve wracking. He walks into the ward they have Baekhyun in without knowing what he’s actually doing, he doesn't even know what he’s going to say once he sees Baekhyun. A nurse leads him to the older's room, carefully opening the door to reveal a very awake Baekhyun with a small blue bundle in his arms; the room is filled by little grunts; Baekhyun is smiling, the most sincere smile Chanyeol has seen ever since he started watching Baekhyun from afar.
"Hi." Chanyeol mumbles once the nurse is gone. He leaves the bag on the couch near the door and the food on the small table in front of the bed.
"Hi... come closer." Baekhyun tells him, noticing how the guy has stood frozen in his place. Hesitating, Chanyeol slowly walks towards him. "Jongin told me you left last night."
"Yeah, I─ I'm sorry, I wasn't sure if I should've stayed."
"Nonsense, you did a lot for me."
"No, I just─"
"You want to hold him?" The older then asks, signaling the baby with his head. Chanyeol gasps and shakes his head.
"I can't, I've never hold a baby in my life before. What if I drop him?"
Baekhyun laughs, hissing softly at the pain in his stomach. "I make sure you won't. Just... give me your arms."
Chanyeol does as he’s told. Baekhyun places the baby and carefully helps him fold his arms around him in the right way, smiling and caressing his son's head once he’s sure he’s safe on Chanyeol's arms. The taller coos silently, looking down at the now sleeping baby; his face still red and wrinkly, but he could tell by just seeing him, he’s going to look just like Baekhyun.
"He's cute."
"Nah, he's still ugly." Baekhyun says laughing, gaining an incredulous look from Chanyeol. "I can’t wait for him to grow a little more." Chanyeol chuckles, redirecting his eyes to the baby.
"Does he have a name yet?"
"Chanhyun."
Chanyeol look up. "Sorry?" He asks for good measure.
"His name is Chanhyun." The taller twitches his lips on a smile and nods. "Hey, listen uh... I was thinking, after we get out of here, maybe you could… come and visit us sometime for lunch or dinner, if... you're not busy."
Chanyeol stops the soft noise he’s making to sooth the baby when Baekhyun's words hit him. If that’s a subtle way to ask him out without actually having to ask him out, then he’s fine with it. He stares at Baekhyun for a few seconds as the older grow nervous and starts to play with the hem of his blue sheets.
"I would love to." Chanyeol answers. Wincing as Chanhyun starts crying and squirming on his arms.