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Kyungsoo is arriving home later than usual because of work. He had told his mate to eat first but his mate had always been adamant about eating together. His mate had said, "eating together is good. It will strengthen our bond by spending more time, Soo. Besides that, it was the only time for us to have for ourselves aside from our days off from work. To talk about how our day is going and all." Is what his mate had reasoned.
At first, Kyungsoo is a bit sceptical, but after 8 years of them being together, maybe his mate’s saying had some truth.
Byun Baekhyun, his beautiful mate is everything but a nervous ball. Baekhyun has been fidgeting a lot from the moment Baekhyun readied the food for him on the table, but Kyungsoo didn’t bother to comment about it. Kyungsoo didn’t really have to. Because Baekyun will always ends up telling him himself in the end. But right now, even after Kyungsoo had finished his dinner, Baekhyun hasn't yet touched his. He only played with it. Even Kyungsoo’s playful footsie didn’t get returned like they usually did.
Baekhyun always tells him anything and everything at the end of the day, but at times like this, Kyungsoo likes to take the initiative of asking his mate if something is wrong with him, so he ask, “Are you sick Baek?” As expected, there must be something bothering him because Baekhyun got startled by the simplest question.
“N-no. I'm good.”
Kyungsoo gestured to Baekhyun’s uneaten food, “Then, why aren’t you eating any? You only ever do so when you feel unwell most of the time.” Kyungsoo already had his hands on Baekhyun’s forehead.
“No, I’m not sick.” Baekhyun finally smiles when he looks into Kyungsoo’s eyes. It was the first time since Kyungsoo arrived home that Baekhyun had looked straight into his eyes. “Thank you for worrying though. But really, I’m fine. I’m just not feeling it.”
“Byun Baekhyun and food feat not feeling it?” Kyungsoo’s teasing gets him a hit on his arm. Baekhyun is finally like himself when he laughs and retorts to Kyungsoo’s countless jokes as he usually did.
.
.
.
Just like they talk about how their days going on when they eat, they also talk about something they find interesting when they're about to sleep. “And so that's how it happened. It’s amazing, Soo. Everything happened so naturally like that. Who had thought, all this time, Sehun and Jongin are soulmates? I’m really happy for them.”
Kyungsoo who had been silent, and only interrupted when necessary is all smiling listening to his mate's story. “I’m so happy for them too, Baek. Should we get them something?”
Baekhyun perks up at that. “Yes! Yes, we should!”
Kyungsoo squints his eyes, “Sure, but, only for them. You have no part in this. I’m not paying for you.” Baekhyun’s smile is playful, and Kyungsoo is really trying his best to sport an annoyed face, but everyone and their mamas know, Kyungsoo is a simp when it comes to his mate.
“Oh, darling. Need I to remind you, my money is my money. Your money is also my money. Now shush. Let’s sleep. I’m sleepy.” Kyungsoo groaned in annoyance, but the smile tilting on his lips didn’t match his attitude at all. They exchange a few more snarky remarks and jokes and the last thing Kyungsoo remembers before he fell asleep is the peals of laughter coming from his mate.
Kyungsoo can’t believe Chanyeol, his best buddy since elementary school with unnecessary long limbs is finally getting married. The ceremony is done privately with only close friends and families invited. But Kyungsoo is not sure if this is really a private ceremony. Not when Chanyeol and his mate-now-husband, Jongdae invited over 1800 people.
Kyungsoo who Chanyeol had hired to be his best man, had told Chanyeol, people who made their weddings privately don’t usually invite almost 2000 people. But Chanyeol had refused and was very adamant about calling his wedding private. And who is Kyungsoo to say no? so Kyungsoo just agrees with whatever Chanyeol said.
His eyes prickled with happy tears when Chanyeol start to read his vows. Everything felt so surreal. It felt just like yesterday Chanyeol cried over Jongdae rejecting his confession. But now, 5 years after that, here they are reading the vows they made full of love and promises.
Standing by Chanyeol's side made him miss his mate, so he looks around only to see his mate already had his eyes on him. Even after all those years of them being together, Kyungsoo’s heart still rates undoubtedly fast every time he caught Baekhyun looking at him, his heart still flutters every single time Baekhyun smiles at him. His heart even aches right now. The kind of ache of wanting his mate right by his side. Seems like Baekhyun knew exactly what he felt because Baekhyun mouthed a ‘miss you too’ to him.
.
.
.
“Once again, congrats Yeol. I’m really happy for you.” Kyungsoo hugged the taller. Even though Chanyeol is an alpha, he doesn’t usually act like one. He also tends to be a little bit clingy, so when Kyungsoo is about to release himself from Chanyeol’s claw, he refused and instead hugs him tighter, making Kyungsoo choke a bit.
“Baby, let Kyungsoo go. You’re going to suffocate him.” Jongdae dragged his husband by the collar. Chanyeol pouts. They all cackle with laughter “Fix that habit of yours, babe. We don’t want Baekhyun to become a widow without getting married first.”
Kyungsoo snorts. Baekhyun went quiet. Chanyeol still has his pout hanging on his lips, and Jongdae silently notices the changes in Baekhyun's reaction.
“So, when will your turn be?” kyungsoo quirked an eyebrow in question.
“Duh. Marriage? You guys have been together longer than us.” Chanyeol pointed to himself and his mate– now husband. He then continues, “It’s about time buddy.”
Kyungsoo laughs, Baekhyun is still mum, and Kyungsoo didn’t seem to realize it. Not even when Baekhyun’s body slightly jerks when Kyungsoo drapes his hands around Baekhyun’s middle. “Do we have to? I mean, we are more married than married couples themselves without even getting married.” Kyungsoo laughs.
Chanyeol who had been as clueless as Kyungsoo about the tense air also laughs along with Kyungsoo. “Right. You guys are more married and disgusting than married couples.” Chanyeol drapes his hands around Jongdae’s shoulder. “ But not us though. We will be that disgusting, disgustier lovey-dovey married couple you’ve ever seen.”
Shaking his head, Kyungsoo laughs. That sounds very Chanyeol-like, and he didn't doubt him when he said he would be much more disgusting like he claimed he would be. Kyungsoo knows how much of a sweetheart his best friend is.
They laughed, and Chanyeol still joke about marriage again all while kyungsoo dismissed it very easily.
“Excuse me, I need to go to the washroom,” Baekhyun uttered, trying to excuse himself from the conversation more accurately.
Kyungsoo finally noticed the changes when he set his eyes on his mate. “You okay? Need me to accompany you?”
“N-no.” Baekhyun smiles. “I’ll be quick.” Baekhyun left, but not before leaving a peck on Kyungsoo’s lips.
“Okay… careful…” Kyungsoo replied a tad bit late for Baekhyun to hear. Now that he noticed, he knew something is definitely wrong…
Jongdae sighs, knowing precisely what the problem is about, while Chanyeol is still clueless if there’s ever anything happening at all.
A week passed since Chanyeol and Jongdae's marriage ceremony happened, and a week also passed where kyungsoo felt the small distance put by Baekhyun between them. Whether his mate did it intentionally or not, he is not sure.
They're out having their weekend date as they always did when they bumped into Baekhyun's cousin.
“Baekhyun oppa?” A girl with a cheerful smile greets him.
Baekhyun turned around, “Seulgi?” Seulgi shriek excitedly and Baekhyun joins second later to harmony.
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other right, oppa?”
“It is,” Baekhyun finally has the biggest smile kyungsoo has seen for the first time in a week. “Are you alone?”
“Let’s not talk here,” Kyungsoo spoke first before Seulgi could reply to Baekhyun’s question. They’re currently in the middle of the mall and honestly, this is not the best spot to catch up with your cousin. “Seulgi, if you don’t mind, want to join us for dinner?” Kyungsoo offered instead.
Seulgi smiles sheepishly, “Won’t I disturb you guys' date?”
"No–" Baekhyun and kyungsoo answered at the same time. Kyungsoo smiles, “No, you’re not. Let’s go.” Kyungsoo tugged Baekhyun’s intertwine hands in his, while Baekhyun offered his other hand for Seulgi to take.
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.
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Baekhyun and Seulgi talk about a bunch of things. Though kyungsoo didn’t talk much, he don’t feel ignored either. Once in a while, he will answer Seulgi's questions, at times when Baekhyun realizes he’s far too excited, he would slowly creep his hands for kyungsoo to touch. So it’s pretty comfortable for him.
“So, what are you doing here alone?” Baekhyun asks. “Are you still with your sweetheart, Wendy?”
Seulgi’s cheeks paint in crimson blush, “Yes, we’re still together,” Seulgi chuckles. “I’m here just to check on a few more preparations needed for my wedding.”
Kyungsoo quirked an eyebrow, “A wedding?”
Seulgi nods “I’m planning to hand out our wedding invitation early next month, but since I already meet both Oppa here,” Seulgi searched for something inside her handbag, she then handed it to Baekhyun, “I’ll just directly give it to you both then.”
Baekhyun opens the card in his hands, reading the names of the brides and the eventful date. “The wedding is in two months,” Seulgi nods, smiles never once leaving her pretty lips.
Baekhyun closes the card, eyes crinkling and smiling widely for his cousin, “thank you for the invitation. I’ll be making sure to bring the best present for you.”
Seulgi laughs and talks some more with Baekhyun, but something shifts in the air, and it seems like only Kyungsoo noticed such demeanour coming from Baekhyun.
Kyungsoo gets ready to sleep since tomorrow is Monday and he hates that he has to work. His mate is working too, but being a famous writer and working at his own pace had its very own privilege of going to work whenever he wants to so it doesn’t really matter if he sleeps late or early. Despite so, Baekhyun is not the type to let Kyungsoo sleep alone in their bed.
His mate is nowhere in the room, so he is probably downstairs, or in his office room. Kyungsoo is dead tired, but he still goes searching for his mate because even though all these ideas of eating together, sleeping together, and showering together were originally initiated by Baekhyun, right now, the one who cannot live without doing so is Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo can go on without eating or showering, but sleeping alone without his mate? Nah. He’d never done that. Even when Baekhyun's muse sings cacophony in his head or he’s busy with his deadline or simply just stressed he cannot sleep, Baekhyun will always head to bed with him when it’s time for them– Kyungsoo to sleep.
Kyungsoo finds his mate in the kitchen, sitting near the kitchen island with an almost-finished bottle of soju in hand.
“Baek… what are you doing here not getting ready to sleep?”
Silence.
“Baek-”
“Everyone around us is getting married,” Baekhyun whispers as if he’s talking to himself. But Kyungsoo knew, Baekhyun knew Kyungsoo was listening, and Baekhyun talked to him, not himself.
Baekhyun down the remaining soju in the bottle, "We've been together for 10 years. 2 years of us being friends and 8 years since we officially being together. But we're still not married yet." Baekhyun chuckled bitterly. "Everyone but us."
Kyungsoo supposed it was about marriage that made his mate gloomy these days. He finally grasped the situation clearly now.
There was silence on both sides. Kyungsoo doesn't know what to talk about. He has always been okay with the way they are now, and so is Baekhyun.
Like why do you have to get married just to show the other they love each other? Especially the bonded one. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun's soul is already bonded with each other, they're mated already. It's more of a big deal than marriage. They're honestly more like a married couple than any married couple themselves. So he doesn't understand what's the big deal really.
It is when Baekhyun wobbly stands up on his feet trying to open their freezer to snatch another bottle of soju Kyungsoo reaches out for his hands. "Enough, Baek. You're drunk. Let's go. I help you get ready for bed, and sleep."
Baekhyun glares and Kyungsoo sighs. "Why do you want us to get married, Baek? Whether we get married or not we're still going to live the same life. Marriage is just an acknowledgment on a piece of paper. We," Kyungsoo, point to them repeatedly, "Is bonded. We mated. Instead of an acknowledgment of our love on a piece of paper, we have this," Kyungsoo tilted his head and showed their mating bite. He then pulled Baekhyun's shirt down his shoulder a little to show his too. "Why would you want a promise on a piece of paper that you can tear anytime and call it a day when we have this mark engraved in us?" Kyungsoo rubs the mark he left on his mate 8 years ago. Softly," We have this, Baekhyun. And it's a promise for eternity ."
Seconds passed before Baekhyun spoke, voice small, "I want to call you mine."
Kyungsoo closes their proximity. "I am yours–"
"I want to carry your first name," Baekhyun said in a small voice. "I want to call you my husband ." Baekhyun still has his face facing down, looking at the tiles beneath their feet. "I want the world to know, we're not only bonded, but we're also married. If I go shopping alone and there's a dress shirt or– something that I like that might look good on you and when the salesperson asks me who I want to buy this for, I want to say it's for my husband. I want to buy coffees for you when I'm around your office and have the barista write 'my husband' with love written on your cup rather than your name, or your pet names. I– I want to do a lot of things for you as my husband… I want to brag to the world that not only do I have the best mate in the world, but he's also the best husband…"
Baekhyun is looking anywhere but Kyungsoo's face. If only he had enough courage to look at Kyungsoo.
Baekhyun's heart prickles a little when Kyungsoo doesn't reply. He's drunk, and drunk Baekhyun is very fragile at heart, so he can't help the sobs pass past his lips. "I'm sorry," Baekhyun spoke again. "You're right. We're mated. It doesn't matter. You're right, Soo… you're right so please, don't just keep quiet. I'm sorry for being stupid. Please just say something."
Slowly, Baekhyun feels his mate wrap his arms around his torso. His body tense at first, but the nervousness ebbs away, and just like that he melts under his mate's touch.
"Let's go to sleep." That’s all Kyungsoo said.
Baekhyun who still has his heartache nodded nevertheless.
Another week has passed since then. Baekhyun is kind of glad Kyungsoo decided to act as if nothing happened the morning after. Though he can't lie his heart still aches because that means it really means nothing to Kyungsoo.
But all those aches were replaced with a lot of kisses and hug his mate never failed to send to him every day, so there was no space left for Baekhyun to feel any awkwardness.
Kyungsoo told him they're going to eat outside today so Baekhyun is on his way to a restaurant they usually frequent that is owned by Chanyeol. When he entered the restaurant, it was quiet aside from the sounds of soft romantic instruments playing in the background. There seem to be no customers at all. His mate hasn't arrived either. Baekhyun had offered to pick him up since Kyungsoo refused to drive a car today, but his mate said he might get out late and he doesn't want Baekhyun to wait for him so he'll be coming straight from the office with a cab.
Baekhyun took their usual spot every time they came here. It's in the farthest corner beside the wall glasses.
"Oh hey, Baek. You came." Jongdae's voice came piercing.
Baekhyun smiles, "Yeah, Kyungsoo wants us to eat outside today."
"Great," Jongdae smiled back at him. "Let's go."
Baekhyun is confused. "Huh?" Jongdae burgundy ignored him and proceeded to pull the chair Baekhyun sat on.
"I need you to wear this," Jongdae gave Baekhyun something like an eye mask. "Hurry up, Baek. The clock is ticking."
Baekhyun is still confused but he takes the eye mask anyway. "Seriously what happened? I have to wait for my mate."
Baekhyun feels a little bit terrified with his eyes close while Jongdae helps him to walk. There's a few stairs he had to go through before Baekhyun was left alone in the middle of somewhere. He called for Jongdae but ignored. He feels vulnerable alone, with his eyes closed. Jongdae better not joke with him and take him somewhere dark. Or Baekhyun swears he's going to bother Jongdae with bad luck all year long.
Baekhyun is in the middle of rambling about something when he feels hands wrap their way around his middle. He doesn't have to ask who because the next thing he smells is his mate's pheromone. "Baby? Where– Are you okay?" Baekhyun asks because Kyungsoo's pheromones reek of nervousness.
"You can open the eye mask after I give you the sign." Kyungsoo tightens his hold on Baekhyun, "But first, let me hold you for a minute."
Baekhyun chuckles endearingly, "Soo, you can hold me as long as you want. I won't be going anywhere but in your arms." Kyungsoo hums. They stay like that for a while, with Kyungsoo constantly smelling at the junction of his neck.
The first thing he noted is, they’re on the rooftop of Chanyeol's building, and there's nothing aside from the view of other buildings. "Soo, what is happening–" Baekhyun gasps when he turns around.
Candles and roses petals everywhere and Kyungsoo is on one knee, hands up in the air holding a box of rings. Kyungsoo smiles nervously, "Byun Baekhyun, the love of my life, the one my wolf sings for; earn for, my mate, you might already know– or not– but I love you with my whole being. I love when you're happy, when you're sad when you're smiling, even when you're mad at me. I love you as a whole, and there's nothing in this world I want aside from your happiness.” He smiles shakily.
"And when you talk to me about marriage, it got me thinking. 'Ah, I want that too; to call you my husband, to brag to the world how much of a good husband and a mate you are to me.' I want you, and want whatever you want as long as it includes me in your want."
Kyungsoo's eyes turn into glasses, "I'm not good with words, but I swear to show you how much I love you in another way I can easily show. So Byun Baekhyun, the love of my life, my mate, would you please marry me?"
Baekhyun's entire being is shaking, he can't see clearly. Not when his eyes fill with new tears every time it falls dampening his cheeks. But his voice doesn't waver when he says 'yes' .
The wedding days.
Baekhyun is surrounded by his close friends and is drunk. He's too happy he really let go of himself in his own wedding. Ironically, he warned Kyungsoo to not get drunk, because Kyungsoo is his husband, and it's his husband's duty to look after him and fuck him after their ceremony end. Kyungsoo only rolled his eyes when Baekhyun told him that, but he agreed anyway.
Kyungsoo saw Chanyeol creeping closer to him from his peripheral vision, and when he looked, he knew the taller one had something up his sleeve.
"There's this guy said they're going to make a simple wedding with close family and friends only," Chanyeol's smirks grew heavier, "Never knew 2000 guests considered small."
That's what he planned, but Baekhyun had batted his eyelashes with pout lips saying how much he wanted the people in this town to know he will be married to a gorgeous, hot man named Doh Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo still negotiated with a max 200 guests, but who is Kyungsoo to refuse when his mate– now husband suddenly did a strip show and bid higher. Kyungsoo is a weak man when it comes to his mate. Sue him.
He groaned when Chanyeol started cackling. "Shut up, Chanyeol. Shut up."