Work Text:
"I'm not like that anymore, B."
"Oh? No more fucks-and-run?" Tumawa lang si Baekhyun as if hindi siya isa mga fucks-and-run niya, as if hindi siya umiyak at nasaktan, eh. “No more fubus only?”
Tahimik na tumango lang si Chanyeol.
"Eh di very good ka kung ganun."
"Baekhyun, mahal kita."
"No.” Sagot agad ni Baekhyun habang kinuha yung pangpunas sa mesa.
Di sumagot agad si Chanyeol, tiningnan niya lang ang nagiisang taong minahal niya habang nagliligpit.
Ang nagiisang taong mahal na mahal niya hanggang ngayon.
Ang iisang taong winasak niya ng sobra and na-realize niya kung gaano ka importante ito sa kanya nang huli na ang lahat.
"Baekhyun, please –"
"Chanyeol, please lang rin," sabi ni Baekhyun, habang nakapikit ang mga mata. Gigil siya bigla, eh. "Umalis ka na."
Kung ikaw ba naman lalandiin ng best friend ng Kuya mo, pina-fall ka, kinama at halos naging magjowa na kayong dalawa for almost five months pero walang label, tapos bigla mawawala after a week without even contacting you or anything - parang literally na naglaho ng parang bula.
And when you finally met him again after a month, sasabihan ka ng wala lang yung inyo? Na it was just a phase? Na ang lahat ng ‘yon in the end, it didn't mean anything?
Tell me, di ka gigil 'nun?
But Baekhyun Jace Byun wasn't the type of person who where's his heart on his sleeve.
At least, not anymore. Not after everything.
The last thing the middle child of the Byuns wants to be is to be weak and vulnerable and end up falling again for a certain giant with yoda ears and too big sparkly eyes and in the end, sasaktan lang naman siya ulit.
Baekhyun broke eye contact and sighed heavily. Nakakaloko ang mga mata na 'yan. Literal.
Dami na loko, eh. Isa na siya run kaya buti malang naging immune na siya. Ata. Di siya sure.
Anyways, back to the present inside Baekhyun's resto kung saan nakatayo si Chanyeol while contemplating what he should say.
"Chanyeol, if wala ka nang kailangan pa then please, by all means, umalis ka na." Baekhyun said after cleaning the counter.
Chanyeol pouts immediately. Wow may gana pa talagang magpa cute ano?
"Pinagtatabuyan mo na ako ngayon?" Malungkot na tanong nito.
"Ay, di mo bet ang feeling?" Baekhyun replies sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "'Cause you know what? Same."
Okay, bitter na kung bitter pakinggan pero Baekhyun can’t help it. Chanyeol just stood there and quietly took the words and their underlying intentions in, deserved niya naman 'yun, alam niya.
Pero tangina kasi, masakit 'rin pala?
Naghintay talaga ang CEO ng Park & Co. hanggang closing time (which was almost four hours, by the way) sa harap ng vintage looking resto para lang maka usap ang owner nito.
Which was the same owner of his heart for the past five years.
Ever since that day he told Baekhyun that he didn't mean anything to him, everything changed for Chanyeol Eleazar Park, only son of the prestigious and rich family na mga Parks.
Lumaki si Chanyeol having anything and anyone he wants, kasi alam niya at the end of the day, people will show their true colors in time.
They'll show you that they never wanted you in the first place kundi pera, fame and connections lang pala habol sayo. Chanyeol's parents taught him that, at the innocent age of six, na hindi niya kailangan ng ibang tao or that he should never trust anyone - not with his toys and their family's money. And most especially his heart.
Kaya Chanyeol grew up being detached to people, cold and indifferent to many, not knowing and quite not understanding the concept much less the feeling of what people claim to call Love.
Dahil for a then 21 year old Chanyeol, Love seemed nothing more than a child’s daydream.
But that had been before he knew Baekhyun.
Baekhyun, who with his smiles and crescent eyes, always made him calm and happy even just by doing the most mundane of things.
Baekhyun, who with his infinite patience na halos mahiya na ang ibang totoong martyr sa kanya, always stayed and understood Chanyeol as a friend kahit Chanyeol was a year older than he was, same age sa older brother ni Baekhyun na si Junmyeon.
Baekhyun, with sunshine personality and caring nature, na laging andiyan para mag aruga at mag mahal kay Chanyeol even during his most horrible and selfish days.
Chanyeol's dad was right, no one really stays with you. But this time, it had been Chanyeol's fault kung bakit siya iniwan.
In his fear na masaktan at maloko, the panic rising in his gut because of the attachment and affection blooming inside his chest every time he sees Baekhyun, it raised red flags in his mind.
And just like the coward that he is, lumayo siya.
Siya ang unang nanakit bago siya ang saktan.
Siya ang unang nagdestansiya at lumayo bago siya yung iwanan.
Siya yung unang nag sabi ng hindi at ayaw bago pa sila mag simula.
Siya yung takot. At sa huli, siya rin yung nasaktan.
Losing Baekhyun felt like losing a limb. Na in the short span of five months of momol and fucking around, lies the comfort and familiarity that only a certain connection would bring between two people.
And when Baekhyun left the country to heal and look for himself that he had lost in the process of loving Chanyeol, Chanyeol had felt like he lost a part of himself, too. He lost a routine, a comfort, a friend.
He lost someone who was only there out of love for him. He had lost his love before he even realized he was in love.
He tried looking for Baekhyun, but kahit si Junmyeon who understood where he was coming from knowing Chanyeol's past didn’t tell him where Baekhyun was. Hindi si Junmyeon nagalit sa kanya like he had expected, na-disappoint ng sobra, oo. Pero hindi ito nagalit sa kaibigan, he simply chose his brother's welfare over his friend’s.
He understood his friend, despite everything Junmyeon talked and helped Chanyeol, too, knowing Chanyeol's family. But family always comes first sa mga Byuns, rin. Isang bagay that Chanyeol had always envied.
Kaya all the pain, self-loathing and frustrations he felt, linabas niya through his academics and then later on his work until he became CEO of his Dad's company through his sheer hard work and capabilities, all in the attempt of trying to forget his pain of hurting his Baekhyun.
"Baekhyun, ang sabi ko mahal kita. Mahala na mahal kita." Sabi nito ulit for the nth time, “Maniwala ka sakin, please.”
"Chanyeol," Baekhyun sighs, his face was a mixture of annoyed, confused and worried as he stared at... Well, ano nga ba sila noon eh walang label 'yon. Ex-something, let’s put it at that. "Chanyeol, matagal na 'yon, hayaan mo na. That is already a closed chapter of our lives..."
But the moment Baekhyun said that, biglang napaluhod si Chanyeol sa harap niya, hawak hawak yung dalawang kamay nito. The giant looked like he was about to cry, his face was nothing short of looking so heartbroken, yet so desperate and determined.
"Cael!" Baekhyun said, not realizing he was calling the taller by his nickname. Nagpa-panic na siya dahil sa itsura ng lalaking nakaluhod at tila nagsusumamo sa harapan niya, "Tumayo ka diyan!"
“Baekhyun, please, give me a chance to prove to you na mahal kita,” Chanyeol whispered against Baekhyun’s beautiful hands, yung luha at snot nito nag mi-mix na sa kamay ni Baekhyun pero wala nang pake ang dalawa. They were too caught up in the situation and in their feelings.
“I tried looking for you, I wanted to apologize the moment I realized that I was in love with you, that I’ve always been in love with you,” Chanyeol was talking in a single breath, like a dam had been opened up inside of him, like he was scared that if he stopped talking, stopped confessing, baka mawala sa harapan niya si Baekhyun at baka panaginip lang pala ang lahat, “Jun asked me to give you space and I did. I asked the universe that if I get to you see again, I’ll tell you everything – apologize to you and tell you how much I love you. I love you so much, Baekhyun.”
And Baekhyun would lie if he said na hindi siya affected, na wala siyang naramdaman para kay Chanyeol even after all the pain and after those years apart. Mahal niya, eh. Mahal niya pa rin.
“Baekhyun, please,” patuloy na pag iyak nito, “One chance to prove myself, that’s all I ask.”
Lumuhod si Baekhyun sa harap ni Chanyeol while the latter continued to cry his heart out, clutching at Baekhyun’s hands as if they were the only thing in the world that was grounding him on earth at that moment.
“One chance to let me love you and treat like how you deserve,” Isang hikbi, isang halik sa kamay ni Baekhyun, “Like how I should have treated you in the first place. Please.”
“Chanyeol…” Baekhyun called softly, trying to cup the taller’s face in his hand kaso ang hirap kasi ayaw ni Chanyeol umalis sa pagkayuko nito habang umiiyak, “Chanyeol, please will you look at me?”
Nagdadalawang isip ito bago tumango and slowly lifted his head to look at Baekhyun. And he was surprised to see a soft smile on the latter’s face. And Chanyeol could feel his heart beat crazily inside his chest. Napakaganda talaga ni Baekhyun.
“Okay.” Sabi nito, kaya napatigil ang CEO.
“Okay?”
“Okay, I’ll give you a chance,” sabi ni Baekhyun, his voice was soft but steady, a soft smile was playing on his lips but Chanyeol could see the inkling of fear in his eyes, “Pero we’ll do it slowly, ha? I still have my reservations about you but I can see you’re sincere…”
“I am.” Chanyeol spoke immediately, eyes burning with said sincerity as if to make a point. “I am serious about you. About us.”
Tumango si Baekhyun bago punasan yung luha sa mga mata ni Chanyeol.
“Then, slowly, yeah?”
Chanyeol smiled tenderly, eyes closed as he held the smaller’s face tenderly in his hands, their foreheads touching softly, “Yes, slowly.”
***
three years later
***
“Chanyeol, ano na naman ba ‘yan!” Sigaw ni Baekhyun inside his restaurant when he heard a crash from the inside. Dali-dali siyang pumasok sa pantry nila only to see his husband and their two-year-old son covered flour and chocolate.
Baekhyun heaved a sigh, placing both his hands on his hips before glaring at the two.
“Care to explain what the two of you are doing?” He said, raising a single eyebrow. Sehun, their sweet baby boy, looked so sheepish and scared as he hid behind his tall father’s legs.
“Okay, okay,” Chanyeol laughed a little, raising both hands in surrender. He looked at their son who seemed to be close to tears before looking back at his small but obviously annoyed husband, “We wanted to surprise you.”
“Oh?” Baekhyun said, taken aback.
“Sehun wanted to surprise you for your birthday,” Chanyeol explained, “He asked me to help him make you your favorite chocolate cake but I accidentally hit the bowl full of flour and well...”
Chanyeol pointed to himself as if to explain and just like that, all his anger and annoyance instantly faded. Baekhyun laughed as he took tentative steps towards the two. He shook his head at his husband when he was in front of him, clearly amused at their failed attempt at his surprise, before he crouched down to coo at their baby.
“Sehun, baby,” tawag niya sa anak, “Halika dito kay Papa.”
Sehun looked up at Chanyeol as if asking if it was safe and that if his Papa wasn’t mad at him, Chanyeol chuckled softly before patting his hair and nodded.
“Go to Papa, bub.” Chanyeol said, tumango ito sa direction ng asawa.
Sehun shyly went towards Baekhyun who immediately opened his arms for a hug, and when Sehun saw it, he ran towards his Papa’s warm embrace.
“I’m sorry!” Sehun cried against Baekhyun’s neck, “Papa, sorry!”
“Shh,” Baekhyun cooed, “It’s okay, baby.”
Tumayo ito habang karga ang anak as he approached the taller who wrapped an arm around his waist, pecking his forehead when he was near.
“Sorry, love,” Chanyeol seriously said, laughing at himself in embarrassment, “I tried but this is the reason why you’re the chef and not me.”
Natawa nalang rin si Baekhyun, his husband looked like a kicked puppy and he found both him and their son truly adorable.
“How about this,” Baekhyun said, putting Sehun on the counter to sit on, “How about Papa will bake while you two help me and then we’ll clean up after we’re done?”
“Sounds like a plan!” Chanyeol instantly smiled, pecking his husband’s lips quickly before turning to their son, “What do you say, bub?”
Sehun nodded happily before making grabby hands at Baekhyun, obviously excited to bake with his parents. Baekhyun hugged him before putting him down the floor so that he and Chanyeol would clean themselves a bit as he prepared the things he needs.
Baekhyun could hear his boys’ loud laughter as Chanyeol removed all traces of flour on Sehun’s hair and face, how their baby giggled at his Daddy’s weird faces.
Baekhyun smiled to himself, he felt so content and happy. He looked back and saw Chanyeol wiping Sehun’s tummy, the two sharing a laugh as they did so and the smaller couldn’t be more at peace. Looking back to years ago, nung time na sinaktan siya ni Chanyeol, the smaller never once thought that things will turn out like this, yet here they are now. Happy and okay.
Baekhyun stared at the two again for a moment before gathering his ingredients. Yeah, they were okay.