The Boy & the Tornado - Chapter 4 - dosmilkshake (2024)

Chapter Text

“Where the hell have you been?” Baekbeom demands.

Baekhyun stares at him, rooted to the weathered grass path. It’s yellow instead of green. Patches of dirt balding the unmarked trail.

Baekbeom repeats his question, striding up to Baekhyun with fists balled at his side. The start of a fight glimmers in his eyes. Baekbeom wants to take a swing at him. At least the feeling is mutual. All those years remembering a brother who didn’t love him, who didn’t protect him from their own mother. He almost wants to cry as much as he wants to throw his fists up.

Instead, he utters, “the f*ck?”

Standing in the frame of the front door is his mother. She looks thinner, if possible, but her cheeks have color in them. It isn’t the tell-tale alcoholic flush that painets her whole face. This is softer, coloring the center. He hasn’t seen that in years.

“Mom called three days ago, said you haven’t been home in a week. She thought you left,” Baekbeom accuses. His nostrils flare just like Baekhyun’s do.

Baekhyun glances at his mother. The sun skews her expression. Narrowing his eyes at Baekbeom, Baekhyun fumes. “I’m not you. How the f*ck was she able to contact you? We haven’t heard from you since you left eight f*cking years ago.”

Baekbeom reels back, anger receding for a moment to be replaced by something. Worry? His voice is meek. “She’s known how to contact me for years.”

“What?” Baekhyun spits. He is going to vomit. He hurls a question at his mother. “What does he mean you knew how to contact him?”

Baekbeom steps in front of Baekhyun to block him from his mother and braces his shoulder with a hand. “Baekhyun—”

“Don’t touch me.” Baekhyun pushes him off.

Baekbeom releases a frustrated sigh. “She’s had my address for five years. I sent her my work number and landline a year ago.”

Baekhyun takes a step back. Then another. His mother shirks back into the shadows of the house with her head timidly watching her sons unite for the first time in eight and a half years. Baekhyun glowers. “Since when did you decide to show up for family?”

“I…” Baekbeom also glances over his shoulder at their mother, losing some of the bravado he had when first confronting his younger sibling. “The hospital called me.”

“The hospital? What do you mean?”

“She admitted herself to the hospital Wednesday for bad stomach pain. They’re still running some tests, but they know it's liver disease. We’re just waiting to find out what stage.”

Baekhyun’s heart lurches painfully, brain stuttering. Liver? What does the liver do? He skipped a good chunk of his health classes. He wishes he could remember, but he’s far too blinded. He grits his teeth, seething as he says, “We’re? Since when were you a part of this family?”

“Since you decided to disappear without telling anyone, and she had no one else to call!” shouts Baekbeom.

“I’m not you. I don’t just leave forever.”

Baekbeom presses his lips together and closes his eyes.

How else is Baekhyun supposed to react to the fact that Baekbeom contacted their mother? Not once did he make his existence known to his abandoned little brother, Not once did he think about how much Baekhyun needed him. Not once did he try to find out how Baekhyun was doing, but Baekbeom dares to be upset at him for being gone for a week? He’s mental if he thinks Baekhyun will let the last eight years slide.

“I went to a friend’s house for a week. Do you know where she was when I went to tell her? Passed out on the sofa, where she is every day no matter what time it is unless she has a shift. Do you know who’s been paying the mortgage, the groceries, the electricity? Me. Do you know what she pays for? Beer and vodka.”

“Why didn’t you stop her from drinking, then? The doctors said if she continues to drink, she’ll die.”

“So it’s my fault?” Baekhyun yelled in disbelief. He should’ve never come home. He should’ve waited for the first train to pass and hopped on it. He should’ve brought his Arrow to Kyungsoo’s and left this forsaken town behind. “She’s my mother. She’s supposed to take care of me! But I guess I missed the Western Union’s memo that all the responsibility falls on me when our father died.”

“Don’t—” Baekbeom chokes on whatever he is planning to say and looks away. “You don’t know what it was like after he died.”

Baekhyun scoffs. “You don’t know what the last eight years have been like. I’m so…” He takes a deep breath, there’s a burn in his chest. An inferno. Baekhyun has spent so long like this, pushing aside his feelings so he doesn’t erupt into embers and ashes, but Baekbeom’s sudden return is a punch to Baekhyun’s stomach—right where it is hollow from their father’s death, from their mother’s negligence, from Baekbeom’s leaving, from Baekhyun severing his ties with the most amazing human he’s ever met, Kyungsoo.

Baekbeom looks at him like he is still that same kid sobbing, clutching his mother’s leg for an anchor of comfort, but Baekhyun is far from being that child. First, he knows there is no anchor. He’s had to learn how to float on his own. Second, when he lost the stars in his eyes, a cold fire was lit. He has been able to hold it back until now.

His throat scorches. “I’m so f*cking angry.”

Anger. Rage. Fury. Baekhyun tries so hard to hide it, lest someone realize the reason. If his family can abandon him without it, who else will abandon him when they realize every inch of him is covered in resentment? If he isn’t enough for his family, he won’t ever be for anyone. At least he decided for Kyungsoo before he saw Baekhyun for who he truly was. He’s unsure if he can withstand Kyungsoo choosing to leave him for something better, even if Baekhyun knew the end all along.

“At me?” Baekbeom puts a hand over his chest, surprised.

Baekhyun wants to scream or punch something until his knuckles weep. Does Baekbeom not realize what he left behind? Does he not understand what it did to them? He knew their mother was a drunk, even back then. He probably remembers how her nighttime routine snuck into the day more clearly than Baekhyun does, yet he left Baekhyun defenseless and alone with her. If he knew, why does he think Baekhyun was selfish for leaving without a word for a week?

It was the best week of Baekhyun’s life.

Because of Kyungsoo and the Dohs, Baekhyun has had the best Christmas, the best fettuccine alfredo, the best spring break. There could have been an endless list by the end of summer, but it would only plague Baekhyun with an abundance of greed. He has to remember who he is, what he came from, what is his.

The Doh’s, the Park’s, the Kim’s have shown Baekhyun what it means to be a family, what looks like, and how it feels. He doesn’t feel that way about his mother or Baekbeom, and he’s tired of holding onto the moments of the past when he had. He can’t bring his father back. He can’t make his mother stop drinking. He can’t make Baekbeom stay.

Baekhyun began walking to the back of the house to get his Arrow. He can’t stay here anymore. He can’t go back to Kyungsoo’s either or Chanyeol or Jongdae, but the meadow has always been a safe haven. He can come plan his next move there. Baekbeom follows him, footsteps squashing the weeds.

As Baekhyun nears the bush where he hid his bike, ice prickles his lungs. Whirling around, he demands, “Where is my bike?”

“I sold it,” Baekbeom says.

There’s a crack in Baekhyun—no. A shatter. His motorcycle, his one escape and the only physical piece he has of Kyungsoo, gone. The ground can swallow him, and it won’t make a difference. He’s stuck no matter what. He’ll be hollow forever. He’ll be just like his mother.

“Mom said it was fine. We needed to pay for her hospital bills,” Baekbeom explains. “She said you’d understand.”

Baekhyun spurs into motion, striding for the house. His fist slams into the door, following his mother shrinking further inside. Shards dig into his throat. “You had no right!”

“You’re hiding your money from me,” she accuses, her tone sharp. Her gaze is heartless and unapologetic. “How were you able to afford it?”

“It was a gift!” Baekhyun’s voice rattles the weak rafters. He hopes he makes the ceiling cave in. He hopes it crushes them. Instead of dying in the filthy remnants of her drinking, at least they die in the splinters Baekhyun pulled down with his bare hands. “I built it from scraps for it to run. Do you have any idea how hard I worked on that?”

It doesn’t matter if she thinks Baekhyun’s money is hers. He let her have it when she failed to pay utilities or fill the fridge, but this was crossing the line.

“Then you can build another one. Use that to leave this place,” she snaps.

“So that’s what this is about. You sold it so I couldn’t leave you! It wasn’t for the hospital bills. It was so you have someone to go get another fifth of vodka. Why don’t you tell Baekbeom the truth then? Admit you won’t stop drinking. Admit that it controls you. Admit that you sold my bike so you wouldn’t die alone!”

“Baekhyun,” Baekbeom says from behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “That’s enough.”

Baekhyun shoves him, an inkling of remorse when Baekbeom slams into the wall behind him. He hadn’t meant to use so much force. “No! Not until she admits drinking is the only thing she cares about. Even before Pa died, alcohol has always been more of a priority than us.”

“Do you know why I drink?” Her voice rips through her, sounding like a stranger’s. “Because he wanted to go to war. He didn’t want to be with us anymore. He would rather die than be with you!”

“Stop lying. He probably saw you for what you were. A drunk!” Baekhyun fired back.

His mother’s chin quivers. She lunges for something on the table and raises it above her. The light gleams off of it. “What did I tell you about talking to me in that tone?”

“Mom!” Baekbeom strides past Baekhyun to grab her wrist. “What’re you doing?”

“She hits me,” Baekhyun says breathlessly with his heart somewhere below his stomach, cold, turning on his older brother. “Did she do that to you?”

“I—” Baekbeom stares at his mother’s glazed over eyes.

Baekhyun takes his silence as an answer and sighs. “I’m going out.” He pauses at the door and adds bitterly, “I’ll be back.”

He walks to Mikey’s Quick Mart, the sun beating on his shoulders. The morning with Kyungsoo feels like it was days ago. He wishes he could go back and start the whole week over. He’d kiss Kyungsoo before the night of the party, so he’d have more time to enjoy their last few days together. He’d rescue the Arrow before his mom could ever find it. He’d—Baekhyun stops himself.

The past has stolen enough from Baekhyun. He is tired of holding onto it. He is tired of trying to forget it. The door chimes when he enters and goes straight to the refrigerator to grab a soda. The weight he’s gained from the week at Kyungsoo’s will likely not linger now that he is at home, and with the stress of Baekbeom’s appearance, he doesn’t even want to think about food. He’s pulling out money at the counter while the cashier gets him two due backs when someone behind him speaks.

“Do I know you?”

Baekhyun turns, an immediate distasteful curling on his lips when he recognizes the person. He’d remember the man who tried cracking Kyungsoo’s skull open with his fists anywhere. Baekhyun finishes paying taking his things. “Yeah, you tried to beat up my friend because you’re a sh*t driver and a fat f*cking loser.”

The guy’s square face is stunned. He’s silent as he steps up to pay for his things.

Baekhyun exits the mart and lights a cigarette, leaning against the side of the mart.

The door swing opens, and the guy with a good couple of inches and pounds on Baekhyun walks out. His beady eyes scour the area, expecting to see someone.

A smirk finds its way to Baekhyun’s lips. “Looking for me?”

The guy lands on Baekhyun and growls with an ugly, wide grin, “Now, I remember you. You and your boyfriend sure know how to throw a punch. I never got to return you the favor.”

Baekhyun’s jaw tenses at the word boyfriend. There is no way the guy knows about him and Kyungsoo. They were barely friends when Kyungsoo took him to his first race. Baekhyun remembers how hard his heart thundered, electricity in his fingertips at the discovery of Kyungsoo’s secret. He saw a new side of Kyungsoo that day, and since then, Baekhyun had to know more. He’ll always want to know more.

They didn’t have enough time together to put a label on them, and now, they never will. If love wasn’t Baekhyun’s downfall and time a means to an end, maybe they could be boyfriends. He can’t even enjoy the thought because the idea was given by human lard.

Today must be Baekhyun’s unluckiest day. Starting from the decision that he and Kyungsoo can’t be together, to his brother’s return, his mother’s threat to hurt him, to the chance of running into a muscled thumb that tried to kill Kyungsoo. It is also his luck. Baekhyun is in the mood to deliver pain.

The guy grabs ahold of Baekhyun’s jacket and punches him square in the face. Immediately, Baekhyun’s lip is coated in something hot and wet. Metallic covered his tongue. There’s a ringing in his ears, but the pain doesn’t register. He wants this. Nothing quite like physical pain to ease the ache in his heart.

Baekhyun spins out of his jacket, escaping the guy’s hold. While he is likely stronger, Baekhyun is faster. He is disoriented at the switch, dropping Baekhyun’s leather jacket on the ground and stomping over it. Baekhyun takes the opportunity to connect his knuckles with the guy’s jaw. There’s a distinct crunch and lightning zips up Baekhyun’s arm. He doesn’t have enough time to assess the damage because he is doubling over, groaning as another punch lands in his stomach.

Baekhyun squeezes his eyes shut, trying to catch his breath. Kyungsoo was in this very position, seconds away from a blow to his head if Baekhyun had not stepped in. He was surprised to see Kyungsoo unflinching when facing a fight. It made Baekhyun wonder just what and who he had to face in his past. Knowing, Kyungsoo’s classmates attacked him for uncontrolled feelings, Baekhyun wants to face every kid who ever hurt Kyungsoo. He didn’t deserve it.

This guy is no different. He has no idea about Kyungsoo, but Baekhyun retaliates for Kyungsoo, for every punch or kick aimed at him. The guy’s knee gives out, and he stumbles forward. Baekhyun elbows him in the throat, using the other’s weight to push him down. His foot connects with his stomach. Once. Twice.

“Don’t ever show your face to Kyungsoo again.” Thrice. Baekhyun gives one last kick to the guy’s head before picking up his jacket and cigarette he dropped, inhaling a long drag as he chases down the passing train.

His nose is probably broken, Baekhyun surmises. His whole face aches, and there’s a sharp stab in his nostrils when he tries to breathe. His hand is most definitely broken or severely sprained. It’s swollen, doubled in size, and a deep violet.

He cradles it against his chest, mourning the songs on the piano he cannot play with a broken hand. Not that he has access to a piano anymore. Even after everything, Baekhyun has to keep reminding himself that he won’t ever see Kyungsoo again, and all the things that came with it: exploring Mr. Doh’s record library, eating dinner with the Dohs as if he was apart of the family, driving lessons in the Fleetmaster, piano lessons in the sunroom, drying dishes with his arms flush to Kyungsoo’s. All the doors Kyungsoo opened for him, Baekhyun closed. He wonders how long Kyungsoo will wait for Baekhyun to knock until he realizes the other will not be coming around.

Will he be watching the skies for the signs of a tornado that will never form? What is it like chasing after tornadoes? It’s a strange interest for a future doctor, but Baekhyun can picture Kyungsoo on the porch on a wicker chair, dark gaze on the violent grays in the distance. Baekhyun wants to see it once. The funnel form and swirl. Feel the wind try to take him with it. Now, Baekhyun needs to know what exactly what Kyungsoo likes about tornadoes. They cause so much destruction. It is the kind of natural disaster you cannot outrun or hold firm against. If the storm wants it, it will claim it.

When Baekhyun finally goes home, it’s night, and Baekbeom sits up on the couch at the sound of the door whining open. The place has been cleaned of bottles and cans. The only mess is a sorted pile of mail. Baekhyun can actually see the floor from the entrance all the way into the dining room. There are stains on the floorboards, showing the years of abuse it's gone through, but it makes the house seem bigger than it ever was.

“Baekhyun?” Baekbeom questions, wiping his eyes to look at Baekhyun in the dim light from the kitchen. He leans in to stare more concentrated. “What the hell happened to you?”

Baekhyun shrugs, toeing off his chucks. Just because Baekbeom is here now, doesn’t mean Baekhyun owes him anything. He’s spent half his life without his older brother’s help. He doesn’t need it now.

“You need to go to the hospital,” Baekbeom says, standing to inspect.

“I’m fine,” Baekhyun grumbles, even though a strong headache has begun to form, and he winces every time his hand is touched or moved. “I’ve had worse.”

Baekbeom tuts. “You have blood all over you. I’ve had a couple of guys hurt themselves on the job, and I’ve helped them. Come here.”

Baekhyun follows Baekbeom to the kitchen. Part of him wants to know what Baekbeom does for work, where he lives, what his life is like, but Baekhyun also knows if he does, it will only make it worse. Look. It’s one more person who has more of a future than Baekhyun ever will.

Baekbeom pulls out a rag, wetting it in the sink. It is all so strange to see Baekbeom back, moving about the house like he never left. Baekhyun guesses he didn’t manage to punch all his feelings out because anger crystalizes in his chest.

Baekbeom dabs at Baekhyun’s nose, telling him to ‘suck it up’ when he winces. There’s a long pause between them when Baekbeom asks, “When did mom start hitting you?”

In Baekhyun’s opinion, this is safer territory than talking about how he got his injuries. “First time it happened, you had just left. She was immediately sorry, and it didn’t happen again until almost a year later. It became a twice-a-year thing, then every three months, and then, whenever she’s really angry or drunk or stressed. I’m assuming she’s two out of the three since she hasn’t had anything to drink since going to the hospital.”

Baekbeom’s mouth thinned. Finally, he says, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”

The crystals in Baekhyun’s chest sharpen. “I shouldn’t have expected you to.”

This makes Baekbeom pull back. “I’m your big brother. Of course, you should’ve.”

Baekhyun doesn’t respond. He can’t or the shards—shards he might not even mean anymore—will come spilling out. Instead of anger, Baekhyun is more tired than anything.

“I’m sorry, Baek. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. I’m sorry I left the way I did. I’m sorry I didn’t take you with me or that I didn’t stay. I never thought Mom would get like this….I knew she liked to drink, but for it to get as bad as it is, I guess I didn’t want to believe it could happen. I was only thinking about myself the day I left. I wasn’t ready for the responsibility of providing for you. All I knew was that I couldn’t be here and still see him. I know now that it was selfish. You were so much younger and barely knew him, but I…”

“Do you think what mom said was true?” Baekhyun asks so quietly, that he almost hopes Baekbeom didn’t hear him.

Baekbeom meets his gaze, a frown on his face. “I hope not, but I’m not sure. I thought Pa loved being home, but I think he also felt a lot of purpose after he was drafted the first time. You know what they say. After you’ve seen so much death and violence, it changes you. He wasn’t the same either. I think he tried to be, for us. I’m not sure if you remember, but he didn’t know you were even born until you were four.”

Baekhyun half-smiles. “I remember being really weirded out about why this strange man was hugging me while crying. You and Mom talked about him, and we have a few pictures of him, but I felt no connection. I felt guilty that first year he was back when I ignored him, and I was jealous that you no longer gave me any attention.”

Baekbeom chuckled.

“You know, I thought of you as more of my ‘dad’ than Pa, even after I got used to him being around. I felt even guiltier about that,” Baekhyun confesses.

Suddenly, Baekbeom wraps his arms around Baekhyun. The crystals in Baekhyun’s chest recede. Maybe not fully gone, but the shards aren’t pressing into him. Some more time and Baekhyun might be able to forgive Baekbeom. For now, they are trying to understand each other and what it takes to heal.

The meadow is quiet today. Baekhyun stretches his arms behind his head, stick between his lips, a book over his stomach. The sky is threatening with rain, but he counts on it not falling. He has a few days left until he is alone with his mother for ten days. School is still in session, so it is a perfect time to avoid Chanyeol and Jongdae discovering him. His heavy lids fall close, listening to the wind.

His eyes shoot open with the roar of a familiar truck. Baekhyun sits up, blinking against the low headlights flooding him. The slam of the metal door jumps Baekhyun to a stand.

“I thought you might be here skipping school.” Jongdae is limping over to him…alone. “I kept wondering why my best friend never came to visit me after having a f*cking organ removed.”

Shame rushed over Baekhyun. He completely forgot about Jongdae what with cutting off ties with Kyungsoo, Baekbeom’s return, and mother’s health. “I’m sorry, I—"

“I don’t care. What the f*ck happened to your face?”

Baekhyun groaned. So much for avoiding his friends for a bit. This is what he gets for falling asleep. “I ran into a kid that tried to beat Kyungsoo to a pulp.”

Jongdae narrowed his eyes, kittenish mouth downturned in a grumpy frown. “He attacked you?”

“Uh…sorta kinda?”

Jongdae crossed his arms, favoring the side that didn’t get gouged by a scalpel.

“I might have instigated it. You should’ve seen what he almost did to Kyungsoo. I needed to make sure he wouldn’t mess with him if they ever crossed paths again.” Baekhyun can’t be there for Kyungsoo anymore. He can’t attend any more races, so he’ll have to protect Kyungsoo the best he can from afar.

“Does he know?”

“Who?” Baekhyun asks dumbly, knowing the answer.

“You look like this for Kyungsoo. Does he know what you did?”

Baekhyun shifts his weight, not liking whatever stare Jongdae is trying to pin him with, but Jongdae had a way of needling Baekhyun for answers, pushing him to think, to understand. His voice is small. “No. He doesn’t need to know.”

“I think he would want to know if you’re starting fights for him.”

Baekhyun bites his lower lip. “He would worry too much.”

“So, you’re just going to lie to him about why your nose is busted?”

Baekhyun looks down.

“Ah, I see. You’re going to avoid him.” Jongdae pauses, watching Baekhyun avoid his gaze. His tone softens, surprising Baekhyun. “Why are you avoiding him? I thought he was like your new best friend or something”

Baekhyun meets Jongdae’s stare. He can’t tell his best friend the truth. All the secrets he has are confined by very thin wires. One string loosened, and they’ll all come spilling out. It will be a trainwreck. He’s not even sure if he can tell anyone about him and Kyungsoo. What will Jongdae think? “I can’t…he and I can’t be friends anymore.”

The words burn. They char his throat, leaving him hollow.

“What happened? Did he do something?”

“He…” Baekhyun inhales shakily. “He didn’t do anything.”

“Did you do something?” Jongdae knows him too well.

“I can’t tell you,” Baekhyun says.

“How am I supposed to help you then.”

“I don’t want your help!” Baekhyun shouts, not really at Jongdae, but at the sky, at anyone who was willing to listen and not judge Baekhyun for having an alcoholic mother, a brother who reappears after years wanting to be a family again, a heart that beats too fast for a boy with cinnamon eyes, a bright future, and an interest in tornados.

Jongdae looks taken aback, rightly so. His mouth pinches. “Okay, then.” He turns on his heel and limps to the truck.

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun rushes to say. He doesn’t want to lose Jongdae too. “Kyungsoo and I…he wants to know me, Jongdae. He wants to know about me, who I am, and I can’t tell him.”

Jongdae looks at him over his shoulder. “Why can’t you tell him, or me, or Chanyeol?”

“He’ll leave me. You all will. I can’t watch that happen.”

“So you made the decision for Kyungsoo? Does he know that? Did you bother to tell him this?”

“I…no.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little unfair?”

Baekhyun doesn’t answer because Jongdae knows. They both do.

“Did you…” Jongdae grimaces. “Did you decide this for Chanyeol and me too?”

Baekhyun shakes his head, but in a way, he has. He has been avoiding them too. Maybe not forever, but until he can face them. Until he can make sure they won’t ever know the truth.

“I always accepted that you have your secrets. I always knew there had to be a reason, but I never expected you to cut us off or forget about us because you didn’t want us to know. I know you don’t drive, but friendship is a two-way street, Baekhyun. We trust you, but you can’t trust us. It isn’t fair that you get to lie to our faces and we have to accept that. Chanyeol and I deserve better. Kyungsoo deserves better. I might not know everything about you two, but he cares about you a lot, and I know he deserves an explanation.” Jongdae opens the cab door and climbs inside.

Baekhyun tries to follow, but the weeds grab hold of his ankles. “You don’t understand, Jongdae.”

“I’ve known you for seven years, Baekhyun. You’re like my brother, so what do I not understand? What could you possibly be hiding from me and Chanyeol that would change that?”

Tears prick behind Baekhyun’s eyes. He won’t cry.

Jongdae waits for an answer. When Baekhyun shows no signs of giving one, he clicks his tongue and turns on the truck. He pokes his head out. “As my friend, I expected you to be there for me. Don’t show your face until you’re done being a coward and can apologize.”

Baekhyun follows the headlights, wishing it would swallow him or burn his eyes from ever seeing, maybe then he can forget. Maybe then, he will never have to know who is leaving him behind.

Baekbeom takes the train home, which is in Portland Baekhyun learns, two days later, promising to return with his car in ten days to take their mom to a rehab clinic near where he and his wife live. Baekhyun is shocked to find out he has a sister-in-law and a little niece or nephew on the way. It is weird to think there is this whole side to his family that he didn’t know existed, but he also had no idea if his brother was still alive until now.

“You should finish up school here. We can figure out what to do with the house until then. I need to speak with my wife to make sure its okay, but I want you to know you’re welcome at my place. There’s a garage nearby that I can ask if they are hiring any mechanics,” Baekbeom says it like a question. Like he wants Baekhyun’s permission.

He is giving Baekhyun an escape. He’s not sure how to feel about it when he’s spent so long hating his brother for leaving him, who unknowingly sold his one ticket out of this hell-hole town, to now offering him a welcoming hand to come with him.

Baekhyun nods. “Yeah, I’ll, uh, think about it.”

His first thought was ‘what about Kyungsoo’. Even though it's been six days since he’s seen the other, his mind can’t stop going to him. He wonders how long it will be before it stops. What if he is too late and he’s already doomed to be forever attached to the idea of what could have been with Kyungsoo?

He doesn’t go to school either. His mom needs constant attention. Her biopsy came back, confirming the worst scenario. At first, she wasn’t sad. “I’ll get to see your father again,” she said after the visit. “It won’t be so bad.”

The next day she cried about all the things she would miss out on: Baekhyun’s marriage since she missed Baekbeom’s, see her grandchild(ren) be born and raised.

“I’m not sure if I’ll get married,” Baekhyun replied.

“Of course, you will! You’re my handsome boy. Any lady would be lucky to have you as their husband.” She sniffled, strangling his arm as she dabbed her face with tissues.

His weak mind went to Kyungsoo dressed in a tux. If he looks great in a sweater vest, like he did on Christmas, Baekhyun doesn’t think his imagination can capture how handsome Kyungsoo will be on his wedding day. One of his first assumptions about Kyungsoo was that he was the poster child for the American dream, second-generation doctor, a white picket fence kind of guy with a pretty wife on his arm, two kids who call him ‘Daddy’ no matter how old they get, and a golden retriever at his side. God. Baekhyun can picture it. It’s dangerously easy for his brain to replace the wife with himself. He wants it. He wants it all, whatever Kyungsoo will give him.

He can’t have it though because if he has everything he wishes for and loses it, it’s in his blood to destroy everyone and everything around him. Too much of a good thing is bad for a person like Baekhyun.

After the crying, came his mother’s anger. Baekhyun was used to her drunken fits, but sober, she was lucid enough to hurtle every hurtful thing she could think of. Without the litter around the house, she resorted to throwing one of the three lamps they have—now two lamps. Utensils, cans, pillows. Baekhyun did his best to avoid it with his fractured hand and busted nose.

Baekbeom had done a good job at patching him up since they couldn’t afford to pay another hospital bill, especially when Baekbeom was taking out of his own savings to help pay for Mom’s rehab until they could sell the house. Baekhyun doesn’t think about where he’ll go from there, but he has to go somewhere.

He visited Gary’s Garage, explaining the situation when Baekbeom was still home. He hoped to be back at work in two weeks. Baekbeom informed the high school for Baekhyun, otherwise, he would’ve never said anything. He’s on thin ice with his attendance but having to make sure your mother doesn’t drink herself to death gave him some grace.

Taking care of his mother turns out to be fate’s twisted joke of a distraction. He often catches himself wondering if Kyungsoo has realized Baekhyun’s absence is on purpose. As soon as anything Kyungsoo-related appears in his brain, he goes outside to smoke. Sometimes he splits it with his mother just so she’d stop shaking.

It feels like forever waiting for Baekbeom to return. Sometimes he worries that his brother won’t return. He’ll leave Baekhyun to watch his mother die. Perhaps Baekbeom couldn’t watch another parent pass. Perhaps he knows it’s only a matter of time, a matter of someone, to send Baekhyun spiraling.

Baekbeom told Baekhyun all about his wife. “Her dad actually hired me to work for him. He owns a roofing company. She never judged me for my choices, even though she should. She is the one who encouraged me to send Mom my contact. She’s been telling me for ages to write to you, but I could never bring myself to do it. She called me a coward and we had a big fight, but she’s always right. She’s my biggest supporter.”

“She sounds nice,” Baekhyun said.

Baekbeom sighed and gave the sky a goofy, lovesick smile that made Baekhyun feel a little squeamish. “She is. Her dad wants to pass the business down to me since he never had sons.”

“Were you not scared?” Baekhyun asked unable to allude to what was so terrifying about love. One moment it feels like you have the world, and he has no control over the world if it wanted to snatch it all away.

“Of course! She’s amazing, and I…” Baekbeom paused, and Baekhyun understood. It is exactly why he can’t tell anyone where he lives or what his family is like. “She showed me what a family is like, and forgave me for rejecting my own because I was too hurt and angry to stay. I know Mom and Dad loved each other, but I didn’t really know what love was supposed to be until her. I wanted to fight for the bad moments and the good because she’s alive, she stays, she wants me to be her future. If you ever find someone who makes the bad moments good, who will fight for you, who has confidence in you even when you don’t, keep them and don’t let them go. It’s worth it.”

Baekhyun takes a long drag. Baekbeom ticked off everything that Kyungsoo had done for Baekhyun. When Baekhyun was wandering the street, bloodied and aimless, Kyungsoo lulled him back, patched him up, made him smile. Kyungsoo knows Baekhyun has secrets, but he wants to know them so they can be stronger together. He tells Baekhyun he has a future, even if he doesn’t quite see it for himself. Yet Baekhyun let him go because he’s so f*cking scared.

Fear makes you into a coward.

Jongdae is right. Baekhyun is undoubtedly one. He’d much rather break his hand punching things than admit he might wholeheartedly regret choosing to lose a future that was handed to him in the shape of a boy who likes tornados because he’s terrified of who he’ll become without it.

Baekhyun’s birthday falls in the midst of caring for his mother. He doesn’t even realize it until the end of the day when he checks the calendar off, nearing closer to Baekbeom’s arrival. For a moment, he allows himself to wonder what his birthday would have been like spent with friends and Kyungsoo.

It’s day seven of no alcohol. It’s the worst day yet. She begged, groveled, and threatened Baekhyun for beer. He stays firm. If Baekbeom doesn’t show up on the tenth day, Baekhyun also might be in need of rehab. If his stupid heart won’t lead him to drink, his mother sure will.

After wrestling her back into the house for the third time, his mother is napping on the couch while Baekhyun reads. A train passes by, rattling the house, the sputter of an engine chases after it and then it cuts off. Baekhyun glances at the calendar, making sure he had the right day, and then the window. There’s the sound of a car door slamming. He jumps up to look out the window, heart leaping at the sight in their yard.

“sh*t.”

A bright blue Fleetmaster sits across the train tracks facing the house. Baekhyun is outside before he can think. Why is he here? It’s been almost two weeks since they saw each other, but Baekhyun’s heart is racing a mile a minute, moving up his throat to his fingertips.

Baekhyun’s footsteps kick up dirt. The shut of the door makes the owner of the Fleetmaster glance from the side mirror of his car to him. Baekhyun nearly stumbles. His memories are nothing to the vision in front of him. Kyungsoo looks good. Kyungsoo in light wash jeans that hug his thighs and waist the way that makes Baekhyun’s brain mush. His blue-striped shirt is tucked into his jeans, and he’s wearing the leather jacket Baekhyun gave him.

Baekhyun missed him. So much. Too much. He shouldn’t be this weak. He steels himself before opening his mouth. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Hi to you too,” Kyungsoo deadpans without a hint of emotion in his dark eyes. “You look ugly.”

Baekhyun’s steps stutter, and then he can’t stop himself from marching up to Kyungsoo. His palms itched to slide over Kyungsoo’s hips, so he pressed them flat to his side. He grits out, sounding firm compared to the fragile organ beating in his chest, “You need to leave.”

“Not until you tell me why you’re avoiding me.” Kyungsoo crosses his arms over his chest, relaxing against his car. There are dark circles under his eyes, a stardust of pimples on his cheeks, and a challenge on his face. Even so, Baekhyun finds him enchanting, unable to look away.

“I’m not—”

“Then why did Chanyeol tell me you haven’t been to school in over a week? Why did Jongdae say you took a beating for me?”

“It’s none of your business,” Baekhyun replies, leaning toward Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo scoffs and pushes him away. “Coward,” he spits. “Was anything real with you?”

Baekhyun inhales through his teeth, glaring at the dark pits of Kyungsoo’s stare. A dare. All Baekhyun needs is an invitation and he’ll draw Kyungsoo into his arms. This is more than a dare. It’s a test. “Leave, Kyungsoo,” he tells him not nearly as harsh or cold as he wanted.

“Say you don’t feel anything for me, and I’ll go.”

Baekhyun’s heart thrashed in his ribcage. The words are on his tongue, wetting his lips, but his mind is a traitor. He remembers the first piano lesson Kyungsoo gave him, Kyungsoo beaming when he played the sheet of music all the way through without skipping over the keys, Kyungsoo saying he trusts Baekhyun wholly in the cab of his Fleetmaster, the teasing game of touches while at the drive-in under the guise of night, the first time he saw Kyungsoo really laugh, hearing Kyungsoo’s voice for the first time, Kyungsoo’s arms around Baekhyun’s middle on the Indian Arrow. He can’t just easily forget what all those moments meant to Baekhyun. He doesn’t want to. It’s all he has left of the boy.

Kyungsoo encouraged Baekhyun to dream of a life beyond his house by the train tracks, but Baekhyun can’t dream of a future if it doesn’t have Kyungsoo in it, and Baekhyun isn’t in Kyungsoo’s. Why would Baekhyun tell Kyungsoo the truth when Kyungsoo hides his own secrets? Maybe he knows a future with Baekhyun leads to ruin. There’s no American Dream with Baekhyun. There’s heartbreak. There’s disappointment. He’s a house fire waiting to explode, splinters and all shooting for the heavens.

“I don’t—”

“Baekhyun!” His mother’s voice rings through the trees.

“sh*t.” Baekhyun glances over the hood of the car. His mother, in her pink robe, leans out to peek at the car in their yard. Without thinking, he grabs Kyungsoo’s shoulders and tries to direct him inside his car. “You need to go. Seriously.”

“Baekhyun, who is this? Is it Baekbeom? Have him pick up a case or I’m not going.” She wobbles, taking the two steps and beginning to cross the patchy lawn toward them.

“Please, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun begs.

“No,” Kyungsoo replies stubbornly. A pout plumping his lip. Baekhyun hates him for it, but he also wants to kiss him for it.

Dropping his hands, Baekhyun circles around the car, blocking Kyungsoo from his mother’s eyes. “Go inside, Mom. It’s not Baekhbeom.”

“Who is it?”

“Just a friend,” Baekhyun says, wrapping an arm around his mother’s shoulder and trying to steer her inside.

“I want to meet your friend.”

“Later.”

“Why won’t you let me meet your friend? I’ve never met one of your friends. I used to meet all of Baekbeom’s friends.” She clenches Baekhyun’s wrists, squeezing until he gasps and loosens his hold, then she sidesteps him, beelining for Kyungsoo.

“sh*t, sh*t, sh*t,” Baekhyun mutters.

“Language Baekhyun Byun,” his mother says over her shoulder curtly. Apparently, sobriety also improved her hearing.

Baekhyun quickens his pace just as his mother braces Kyungsoo’s hand. He wants to curse again because Kyungsoo is wearing the most charming smile directed at his mother that is sure to soften her desert heart.

“It’s lovely to finally meet you, Mrs. Byun,” Kyungsoo says. “I’m Kyungsoo Doh.”

“So charming. Do you go to school with my son?”

“No. We met through Chanyeol.”

Baekhyun’s mother tilts her head. “Who’s Chanyeol? You know what? Doesn’t matter. I’m glad my son is friends with such a well-behaved kid who listens to his elders. Can you do me a favor since Baekhyun is occupied taking care of—”

“Mom.” Baekhyun grabs his mother’s hand from pulling out whatever bills are in her pocket to hand over to a very worryingly blank-faced Kyungsoo. Shame floods Baekhyun’s face This is exactly what he wanted to avoid, but of course, Kyungsoo hasn’t learned curiosity killed the cat. Except the cat is Baekhyun, quickly sinking further and further into his grave.

“There’s no harm in asking him. He looks like a respectable, young—”

“There is harm, Mom. You heard what the doctor said. You’ll die if you drink. What about Baekbeom? I just got my brother back. You want all his effort to be wasted?”

“If I die, I’ll see your father again and you won’t have to clean up after me.”

Baekhyun can’t withhold his contempt. “You’re delusional if you think heaven will accept a drunkard.”

The slap is cold, crashing like a falling tree. Baekhyun’s pulse is in his cheek, and his heart is burning in his stomach.

“I’ll tell him what a disrespectful son you grew up to be,” his mother scorns, face as red as the handprint on Baekhyun’s cheek.

“Mom,” Baekhyun croaks, voice cracking. If God is real, he prays he can be struck by lightning or swept away in one of those tornadoes Kyungsoo loves so much. Anywhere is better than having all his worst attributes exposed to Kyungsoo’s wide, analytical eyes.

His mother’s gaze blazes, tongue and hand ready to lash out again when a low, soothing voice stops her.

“Pardon me, Mrs. Byun, but I have to decline your request. I came from across town to check on your son. You see, his friends, my parents, and I have been worried about his well-being. I understand now his absence is due to his responsibility toward you.”

“Your parents?” Baekhyun’s mother blinks.

Kyungsoo chuckles good-naturedly and rubs the back of his neck. There’s a smile on his lips that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Yes, ma’am. They are quite fond of Baekhyun, and even treat him better as a son than me and my brother from what I’ve witnessed in our short amount of time as friends.”

Baekhyun gapes at the cold twist of Kyungsoo’s lips directed at his mother. Even his mother gawks, not expecting Kyungsoo to speak so directly, and maybe embarrassment creeps into the lines of her face, realizing what she had just done in front of a total stranger and teenager, and being called out by said teenager. Baekhyun wants to kiss Kyungsoo, maybe never see him again, maybe go back in time and meet Kyungsoo all over again so he doesn’t waste any time this chance around.

“H-how dare you speak to your elder this way? Who are your parents?” his mother demands, balling her bony fists at her side.

Kyungsoo bows in apology mechanically. “If you wish to speak to my parents over my behavior, I can arrange a meeting, but they both are working late shifts this week, and it would be an inappropriate time to visit.”

“Where do they work? I’ll go to them.”

“They’re doctors at the Harborview Medical Center. I’m sure they can spare a few minutes between patients to discuss my disrespect.”

Baekhyun has never seen his mother so quiet. Her lips pull together tightly, wanting to get the last word, but not finding it. She turns to Baekhyun. “You have ten minutes to talk, and then you must come inside and help me.”

Baekhyun bites down on his grin as she walks away, slamming the front door behind her. A balloon pops in his chest. “Kyung—”

“I’m not done talking,” Kyungsoos says, swinging his hard eyes to Baekhyun. He’s silent for a moment, looking the other over. It is their first meeting all over again, figuring out who the kid in leather is, wondering if he is a worthy companion. Baekhyun isn’t worthy, but he desperately wants to be. Even after all he’s done to Kyungsoo, even after what he will do, Baekhyun wants Kyungsoo’s acceptance. “Are you alright?”

“I—what?” He didn’t expect that to be the first thing out of Kyungsoo’s mouth. A curse, perhaps. A demand for why he went radio silent, definitely. The last thing was about his well-being.

“Answer me, Baekhyun.”

Avoiding eye contact, Baekhyun nods once.

“Look at me.”

Baekhyun does. The skin where his mother’s hand landed is nothing compared to the burn in chest. One look and he is reminded of every day he spent with Kyungsoo. Fingers overlapping to chase after piano keys. Thighs flushed together whenever Baekhyun could excuse the opportunity to be so close. Open-mouthed kisses across his jaw, his neck, the hollows of his collar, all the places he wants to touch and kiss, but will never get to.

“Were you ever going to tell me you didn’t want me?” Kyungsoo asks, disrupting the unraveling of Baekhyun Byun.

The way Kyungsoo looks, god, Baekhyun hates it. There’s a piercing sheen in his eye, a cool redness to his cheeks, and his beautiful rosy lips are cut from the way he tears at it with his teeth. Baekhyun has never the target. Kyungsoo’s heart is. Baekhyun had it in his hands for the most wonderful, fleeting seconds, and Kyungsoo thinks Baekhyun never wanted it. So wrong. He has it all wrong.

“I, at the very least, deserve to be told the reason why before you drop off the face of the planet. What about Jongdae and Chanyeol?” Kyungsoo spears on, voice growing more venomous by the second. He hedges Baekhyun too, following him until Baekhyun is pressing against the Fleetmaster with no where to run. “They definitely deserve a better friend than you. Do you know Chanyeol cried? Jongdae, who didn’t even cry from the pain of his gallbladder imploding, was on the verge of tears because he felt like giving me your address was a betrayal. He protected you because of your dumb pride, and you don’t have the decency to at least write to them and tell them you are alright. Instead, they have to go to the garage, the meadow, the sheriff’s office, and the worst of it, I had no idea you had done any of this until Chanyeol showed up at my door, blubbering, that he hadn’t seen you for days!

“I didn’t even know you disappeared. I felt so stupid, just waiting for you to show up, like we…” Kyungsoo’s voice falters, shoveling Baekhyun deeper into his grave. Kyungsoo runs a hand through his soft hair. “I thought…I thought maybe you needed time to process us or whatever. f*ck. I didn’t even think it was because you were so repulsed by me that you had to just vanish from the face of the earth, but guess what? Chanyeol and Jongdae might let you off the hook, but I’m not. You said you would be honest with me, so for once in your goddamn life, Baekhyun, you’re going to tell me the truth.”

Kyungsoo heaved, glaring. Baekhyun must’ve really hurt him to go on a tangent with more cursewords and insults than he could count, but he will bet his heart is more tattered, more unraveled, and confused than Kyungsoo’s. He tried to protect Kyungsoo, but really, Baekhyun was trying to protect himself. He doesn’t have cozy sweater vests and tailored khakis. He’s got beat-up used clothes once he grew out of Baekbeom’s hand-me-downs. He doesn’t have a shiny future. He’s a broke, future dead-beat nobody, and Kyungsoo is everything. He’s smart. He’s funny. He’s patient and caring. He’s loyal. He’s a great son. He wants the best for nobodies like Baekhyun, and Baekhyun is none of those things—not really. It’s all pretend, but Kyungsoo is here, across the train tracks, because he cares. Because he wants to know Baekhyun enough for closure.

Here Kyungsoo is, a boy, chasing after one wildly destructive tornado.

“My brother sold the Arrow,” Baekhyun says. He doesn’t expect his eyes to sting as he admits it, but they do. He loved that bike. He put so much work into it. He was proud of himself. Even after the summer, he at least would be left with a reminder of the person who gave it to him. The person who went with him on his first ride. The person Baekhyun might love if he allowed himself.

“What?” Kyungsoo blinks, looking around for it. “You said you didn’t have any siblings.”

“I lied. I have an older brother, Baekbeom, but he left when I was nine after our dad died. I haven’t seen or heard from him since. He could’ve been dead, and I would have never known.”

A crease forms between Kyungsoo’s heavy brows. “I’m not following.”

Baekhyun sighs and starts from the beginning. “After my dad died, my mom started drinking more. I guess Baekbeom thought it was better to run away from home than to be stuck with me and our mom, although he says he didn’t realize just who exactly he was leaving me behind with, and I’m not sure if I believe him yet. I never wanted you or Jongdae or Chanyeol to know about this place. Jongdae kind of stumbled upon it by accident, and I made him swear to secrecy, but he didn’t know what life was really like for me. My mom, she…she has cirrhosis, which is a disease of the liver from drinking. She nearly died over spring break because I hadn’t come home. If I had been there I…”

His throat squeezes. He never let himself imagine if she had died there in their living room, and it would have been his fault. He should have left a note or something to say where he’d gone for the week. Instead, she was alone. Baekhyun knew how terrible it felt for the world not to notice if he stopped breathing.

“She went to the hospital, and since she didn’t know where I was, they called my brother. I didn’t know my mom had Baekbeom’s contact. I never thought I would see him again, so it was easier to say I didn’t have a brother. But he came back for our mom. He sold the bike to pay for her hospital bills. I’m so sorry, Kyungsoo. It’s the best gift anyone has ever given me. If I had known, I would’ve never left my bike here. I would—”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Kyungsoo murmurs, smoothing his hand over Baekhyun’s shoulders and down the length of his arm. “It’s okay. It’s—”

“It’s not okay!” Baekhyun shouts at the sky. At God. At whatever high power cursed him with this life. “I’m a selfish prick for being upset that she sold it to keep her alive, but f*ck—she didn’t even consider how I felt. All I ever wanted was to get out of this town, and finally, by some miracle, the most amazing person I’ve ever met handed me a golden ticket to make it happen, and she took it from me. Just like everything else. I’m so f*cking angry. There’s so much I want to blame her for: Dad dying, Baekbeom running away, chosing alcohol over me, making me exactly in her image, but I can’t because she’s dying and then I’ll be all alone in this stupid f*cking town, stuck, while everyone else has the life they always wanted.”

His knees crumble, and he slides down the car, cradling his head. His exhales hiss out his nose. The balls of his hands press into his sockets. Something soft cards through his hair, and a hand cups his cheek, forcing Baekhyun’s hands to fall away to his kneecaps. Kyungsoo’s fingertips cool the hot indent of his mother’s hand.

Kyungsoo smiles softly, astounding Baekhyun. He doesn’t deserve even a hint of that heart-shaped smile, yet he can’t look away from it. “It’s okay to be angry. It’s okay to blame her for some things. It was out of your control. You were just a kid. You’re still just a kid. I’m sorry you had to go through it alone, but Baekhyun, look at me. You never had to be alone. I know Chanyeol and Jongdae aren’t Baekbeom, and they didn’t grow up with your mom, but they’re your brothers too. If they had any idea what you’ve been dealing with all these years, you would’ve never had to feel so alone.”

“I’m not a charity case,” Baekhyun responds with residual spite. It’s why he never told them.

“Stop it,” Kyungsoo says sternly. “No one said you were, and you know damn well Jongdae and Chanyeol would never do that. They opened their homes to you. You’re as much the Kim’s son as you are the Park’s. They don’t deserve half of you when they gave you so much of them.”

He’s right, but Baekhyun can’t admit it yet. “I didn’t tell them because they’ll leave me. Baekbeom left and he’s my real brother. If there was anyone to stick around, it should’ve been him, but he left. I always knew people would leave. Jongdae will be successful in whatever he studies. Maybe even he and Yoora will get married. Chanyeol’s going to college three hours away, and I’ll never see you again by the end of the summer, so it is easier to cut things off before they get too deep.” Before I fall too deep and drown.

Kyungsoo stops thumbing the arch of Baekhyun’s cheek. “Why do you think you will never see me again?”

Baekhyun chokes on a bitter laugh. “I saw your acceptance letter to Stanford, Kyungsoo, and you didn’t even tell me. I always knew you were too good for me and this place, but I would’ve understood if you told me. I know we aren’t forever.”

“We aren’t?”

“We can’t be,” Baekhyun clarifies. “I’m just…I’m no one special. You and I both know I will never be some amazing doctor or pilot or musician. I fix machines. I have grease in my pores. That’s not…I’m not someone who will be great. I know that, but I didn’t expect you to hide it from me.”

Kyungsoo’s hand retracted. There’s an odd expression on his face, one Baekhyun thought must be guilt. He hit the mark for once. It stings. It feels sharp and jagged. Having it confirmed hurts more than Baekhyun imagined. It feels like his lungs are breaking, his heart is failing, and a crawling sensation settles over his skin. He doesn’t want to be here. He doesn’t want Kyungsoo to tell him he’s not enough. He wants to be anyone in the world than be himself collapsed at the cusp of rejection right now.

“Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says so gently, shattering his heart fracture by fracture. “Not once did I think I was too good for you. No one in their right mind would say that about you. You’re good. You might have made some mistakes, but that doesn’t make you a bad person. I wish you could see yourself the way I do so you can see just how brightly you shine.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Stanford. I was going to, but first, I had to test myself and see if I could live with my feelings for you being one-sided while sharing the same living space. I didn’t expect you to return my feelings, and when you did, I lost track of time. I planned on telling you the next time you came over, but you never did.”

“What do you mean by sharing the same living space?” His heart thrummed. He can’t allow himself to hope. He can’t.

The prettiest smile blooms across Kyungsoo’s face. Heart. Heart. Heart. “I was going to ask you after I told you about Stanford if you would like to come with me. To be honest, I never wanted to be far from home, but it’s a great program that feeds right into their medical program. I’ll be there for a while, so Dad got me an apartment. I thought if you came and lived with me, I’d have a little piece of home with me. Dad scouted the area for us. There are two garages an easy bike ride away from the apartment, and there’s a trade school not too far or a community college a short bus ride away if you wanted to study something else.”

Baekhyun laughs with disbelief. Surely this isn’t real. He’s dreaming. No way would Kyungsoo offer to take Baekyun with him or have Mr. Doh look around for prospects for Baekhyun. Of course, Kyungsoo’s shiny blue Fleetmaster would never be parked outside his little wooden home that feels on the verge of folding each time a train passes. It’s too good to be true.

“I don’t want you to agree because I’m your only ticket out. I want you to agree because you want to be with me,” Kyungsoo says, red dusting his ears.

Looking is not enough for Baekhyun to know if this is real. He crosses the distance between them and holds Kyungsoo’s face in his hands. Kyungoo leans into the touch, curling his fingers over Baekhyun’s wrist, pressing into the pulse point.

“Your heart is beating really fast,” Kyungsoo murmurs, gaze flitting between Baekhyun’s eyes and mouth.

A stuttered breath brushes his skin. “I really want this to be real,” Baekhyun whispers. “I don’t deserve you or your family’s—”

“You do,” Kyungsoo says, leaving no room for debate. “It is real if you can be honest with me. I don’t care that this is where you grew up or that your family isn’t like mine. In fact, I like you a lot more because you shared it with me. I see how resilient and strong and tender-hearted you are. I always knew you had it in you, but now I see where it comes from. You’re amazing, Baekhyun. I want to support you even if things get ugly around us. Tornadoes do it all the time.”

Baekhyun hiccups a snort, cracking a smile and earning a soft grin. Then, the truth is there. It’s what made Baekhyun run away. It’s what still makes him run away even if everything he’s ever wanted is right in front of him with dark amber eyes, but he has to try. Kyungsoo came all this way and stood up to his mother. He can try. “I’m scared, Kyungsoo. I’m scared I’ll be just like her. Loving my dad and then losing him made her into this. I don’t want that to happen when I lo—” Baekhyun can’t say the words. Already it is too close to the truth.

But Kyungsoo seems to understand anyway because he takes Baekhyun’s hand and presses a feather-light kiss against his heartbeat and then to each of his fingertips, even the bruises from the fracture. Baekhyun’s heart melts at the touch.

“It’s okay to be scared, but believe me when I tell you that won’t happen to you. I won’t let it. Jongdae and Chanyeol won’t let it. The only person making you feel alone is you, and you’re not alone. You don’t have to be anymore. You have me.”

“You don’t control the world, Kyungsoo. You can’t always control what happens to you.” He wants to believe Kyungsoo, but no matter how much experience he might have, the unexpected can take everything he loves with a single letter.

“Or you.” Kyungsoo points out. “You can’t decide for everyone just because you want to protect them or yourself from something that may or may not happen. Of course, there’s a chance something will happen to you or me or us, but you’re worth getting my heart broken over. I’d regret it for my whole life if I didn’t chase after the perfect storm.”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes to hide the warmth spreading all over his chest. “I’m not a storm,” he grumbles.

“You’re a leather-clad, cumulonimbus of emotions,” Kyungsoo teased.

“Baekhyun! Time is up!” Baekhyun’s mother rains down on them.

Kyungsoo holds out a hand for Baekhyun to lift him off the ground, but it means more than that. Kyungsoo is saying he will be here if Baekhyun, and if he takes it, Baekhyun is promising not to let go and to let Kyungsoo in. They have a lot more to discuss, but something is bothering him.

“Kyungsoo, what you asked earlier, I couldn’t tell you I was going to avoid you because I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave your side. I want you. I want you so much. It terrifies me how much. I’ve never felt this way about anyone or anything, and one word from you can fill me with so much happiness. If you said you wanted to stay in this town, I would agree to it. If I still had my Arrow, I might have followed you to Stanford even if I am too much of a coward to show my face to you. I-I really like you, Kyungsoo Doh,” Baekhyun admits, taking a deep breath and trying to pour all his sincerity in his eyes. “If you’ll still have me, coward and all, I promise to be honest with you, and I’d like to go to Stanford with you.”

Kyungsoo rubs the back of his neck and glances over his shoulder where the shadow of Baekhyun’s mother is watching them. When he meets Baekhyun’s gaze again, he grins and skates his hand over Baekhyun’s waist, sending tingles and a brand new craving over Baekhyun’s skin. “I would really like it if you came to Standford with me, and I really like you too, Byun.”

“Yeah?” Baekhyun says a little breathlessly. They’ve established this from the kisses they shared, but it still manages to make Baekhyun light and giddy. He won’t tire of hearing it. Kyungsoo likes him. Kyungsoo likes him.

Kyungsoo leans in so their faces are less than two inches apart. There’s sunshine dancing in his eyes. “Yeah, and I really want to kiss you.”

Baekhyun’s mouth goes dry.

Kyungsoo steps away with a stomach-curling smirk. “It’ll have to wait. That nose will have to heal first. When can I see you again?”

Baekhyun swallows, trying to veer his thoughts away from kissing, heart-shaped lips, or anything he would do if they were all alone. “Baekbeom is coming in a few days to take my mom to a rehab near him in Portland, so if you can wait a few more days…”

“I can wait, but if you try to disappear on me again, I won’t be so forgiving,” Kyungsoo says leveling his gaze with Baekhyun’s. “You still owe me.”

“I think you might be the tornado between us,” Baekhyun replies, realizing in the moment how true his words are.

Kyungsoo entered his life like a storm, uprooting all of Baekhyun’s plans, or lack thereof. Before Kyungsoo, Baekhyun only allowed himself to dream of catching a train, but now he has something real, a plan, to be something and be someone. Kyungsoo’s someone. For as long as Kyungsoo thinks Baekhyun is good enough, he’ll spend his life trying to be good enough for Kyungsoo.

“You know where I am if you need me,” Kyungsoo says, circling his car and opening the driver’s side. “I’ll see you, Baekhyun.”

“You will,” Baekhyun promises, taking one step back. Then, another. He waves at Kyungsoo as he backs out of the lot and watches until Kyungsoo has crossed the train tracks, disappearing behind the thick foliage where the main road is. For the first time ever, Baekhyun is hopeful.

Baekbeom stays true to his word, and Baekhyun gawks when the unfamiliar car parks where Kyungsoo’s Fleetmaster had been a few days before.

“Stop looking at me like I’m a ghost,” Baekbeom says as soon as he gets out of the car, followed by a pretty brunette with a slight bump to her belly, who introduces herself as Jamie Byun. “How’s mom?”

“Sleeping, but the withdrawal has been hard these last few days. She barely sleeps more than thirty minutes,” Baekhyun tells him as his brother pulls him into a hug. It takes a second for Baekhyun to respond, but when he does, Baekbeom sighs, as if he had been nervous.

“I’m proud of you,” Baekbeom says, looking at him in the eyes.

“I’m just…I’m doing what a son’s supposed to,” Baekhyun replies through the tight squeezing in his chest.

“You’ve done more than what was ever asked or expected of you. I appreciate it, and I hope when Mom gets better, she’ll see what a good son she has.”

Baekhyun averts his eyes, fighting the sting behind his eyes. He didn’t expect it, but a part of him really needed to hear it. “Thanks, Beom.”

“Thank you. Is all of Mom’s things packed? I want to make it back to Portland before sunset.”

Baekhyun starts putting the luggage in the back of Baekbeom’s car, talking to Jamie about his future niece or nephew as Baekbeom wakes their mom up and walks through the house to see if Baekhyun missed packing anything. Baekbeom spoke to a realtor about selling the house with a buyer already interested. The government had written them multiple letters for two years about buying the property to develop a highway that connects Seattle to Boston.

“They’re offering a lot more than what the house is worth,” Baekbeom tells him. “They high-balled it because they think we don’t want to give up the property.”

“I guess not opening your mail comes in handy sometimes,” Baekhyun jokes.

“It’ll be good. We can pay for you to go to college if you want, and we’ll be able to pay for Mom’s rehab in full. We’ll even have enough to build an en suite at the house for you and her, if you want.”

Baekhyun freezes. “You’re serious then? You want her to live with you?”

Baekbeom puts the final box in the backseat and gives Baekhyun a sheepish look. “I don’t want my kids to grow up and not know their grandmother. If she recovers, I want her to stay with me. Besides, it’s time you focus on taking care of yourself.”

Baekhyun doesn’t know what to say. It’s a weird feeling, to see Baekbeom take so much initiative after nearly a decade of nothing. It’ll take him a while to get used to the transformation, but he thinks the change of environment will be good for their mother.

“We haven’t finalized the paperwork with the realtor yet. I’ll probably have to come back to sign everything and get whatever’s left in the house, but I promise you’ll be okay to live here until you graduate. I can get you a train ticket to come stay with us. You can see if you’d like Portland.”

Baekhyun shakes his head. “I would like to visit over the summer if that’s okay, but I’ve decided I’m going to move to California with a friend.”

“Oh?” Worry pinches Baekbeom’s brows. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Baekhyun says. “When you come back to do the paperwork, we should get a meal together so you can meet my friend. He’s-he’s important to me.”

Baekbeom thinks about it and gives Baekhyun a smile that makes him look identical to their father. It is strange how extreme emotions on Baekbeom’s face brought the vision of their father back to life. “I’d like that a lot. Oh, before I forget, here’s my house number and the phone for the rehab if you want to talk to Mom. We’ll have to get a landline installed here.”

Baekhyun laughed. “Don’t bother. They’ll bulldoze this place as soon as it's sold.”

“I know, but I need to be able to get a hold of you.”

“I’ll call you and leave you with my friend’s number. I’m usually over there most evenings. He’ll let me know if you call.”

“Fine,” Baekbeom acquisises. “Well, I think we have everything. We better get going. Say bye to Mom.”

“I am,” Baekhyun says, but he speaks to Jamie first and then awkwardly shuffles by the cracked-open car door where his mother is already buckled in. He forces a smile, gripping the side of the door. “Get better, Mom.”

His mother’s chin trembles. Her thin hand grips the inside of the car, and when she looks at him, her gaze sways over his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Baekhyunnie,” she murmurs without indicating the laundry list of things she is possibly sorry for.

He can’t forgive her that easily. Trying to not let his anger get the best of him, he says, “Just-just try to get better, if not for me, for Baekbeom. Don’t let him run away, okay?”

Her head bobbles shakily, giving a weak smile. “Be good, and apologize to your friend for me.”

Baekhyun nods. “I will, but you’ll have to apologize to him in person for it to mean something.”

Surprise thins her lips, but Baekhyun is shutting the door and walking away before she can say anything else. He watches Baekbeom, his sister-in-law, and mother drive away leaving Baekhyun all alone, but he’s not really alone. He knows that now.

Baekhyun parks his bike on Kyungsoo’s lawn. He drags Kyungsoo over to Chanyeol’s house where, coincidentally, Jongdae is also over to join them for dinner. He endures his friend’s scolding and lets them bang their fists on his back for being stupid after he tells them why he’s been absent for the last two weeks. The Parks don’t seem to mind they have two additional mouths to feed. Even Yoora ruffles Baekhyun’s hair more than once in the evening. They seem happy to see Baekhyun is back. No doubt Chanyeol shared his worries with anyone who has ears.

They play a few rounds of poker with Mr. Park before calling it a night. It was a school night and they had a month left before graduation. Baekhyun walks Kyungsoo home, lingering at the door feeling suddenly nervous. They have yet to establish what they are despite deciding there’ll be no end to them when fall comes. Baekhyun will be going with Kyungsoo to Stanford.

Kyungsoo leans against the front door with his arms crossed. “So Baekbeom came and got your mom?”

“Yeah. He’ll visit in a couple of weeks. He said he’ll treat us to lunch.”

“Us?” Kyungsoo quirks a brow at him.

“Yeah, us. I want him to meet you.”

“Oh, um.” Kyungsoo bites down on his lower lip, seemingly flustered all of a sudden. Baekhyun finds it impossible not to grin at the sight. “I don’t have a good track record with your family so far.”

“Well, you can meet my dad this weekend, if you want. He doesn’t talk much, but I know he’ll love you.”

“He’ll love me?” Kyungsoo questions, pushing the door open and allowing Baekhyun to slide by.

“It’s hard for anyone not to,” Baekhyun says, hoping Kyungsoo will understand what he is trying to say. Give me some time. I’ll get there.

“Funny. That’s exactly what I think about you.” There’s a playful tilt to Kyungsoo’s mouth, and he is tugging Baekhyun closer by the lapels of his jacket with just a simmering amount of distance between them.

“I need to ask you something.” Baekhyun zeros in on the red center of Kyungsoo’s lips.

“What is it?”

Baekhyun nearly becomes a puddle on the floor from how low and rumbly Kyungsoo’s voice is. He really could listen to him talk or sing all day. Who needs Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra on record when he has Kyungsoo Doh live and ready to croon to Baekhyun’s piano? Although Baekhyun still can’t play just yet because of his healing finger. Soon.

“Can you write down your number?”

Baekhyun calls his brother leaving him with Kyungsoo’s number if he ever needs to reach him. They speak over the phone giving an update on their mom.

“I dropped her off at the rehabilitation center this morning, and she seemed eager about getting help,” Baekbeom says. He’s optimistic, and Baekhyun can’t help but hope for the best too.

Afterward, Kyungsoo kicks him out saying he needs to go home and sleep before returning to school after a two-and-a-half week hiatus.

Baekhyun pouts at the door long enough that Kyungsoo tip toes to press his lips to Baekhyun’s forehead, followed by a pinch to his arm. “Go,” Kyungsoo urges. “Summer’s almost here, and I’ll be all yours.”

Baekhyun’s chest flutters. He is okay with that. Really okay. They have more than the summer remaining, and Baekhyun has a lot more story to tell Kyungsoo.

It’s strange adjusting to an empty house. He no longer has to avoid it, but he easily finds his way back to his usual routine, working late at the garage and running over to Chanyeol or Kyungsoo’s house afterward. It’s even weirder when his three friends show up at his house, filling it with so much noise and laughter that Baekhyun thinks the walls might really collapse, but it’s nice. No one comments on the stains or the faint hint of vodka trapped in the floorboards.

Chanyeol wails when Baekhyun tells them he’ll have to complete a summer class if he wants his diploma, but he can still walk with the rest of them as long as he has no more absences. Baekhyun immediately regrets telling that to Kyungsoo because every school night he is sent away by 8 p.m. to ensure he has no excuse to avoid missing school, not that Baekhyun would try pushing his luck. He made it this far, surprisingly, and he doesn’t want any more time taken away from his summer with Kyungsoo even if they aren’t looking at an expiration date anymore.

Baekbeom arrives two weeks later in the early afternoon. Kyungsoo is sitting on Baekhyun’s bed swinging his legs when the rumbling purr of an engine booms through the walls. Baekhyun won’t ever get used to seeing Kyungsoo in his house after becoming a fixture of the Doh’s home.

Baekhyun peers out the window, saying, “That’s Baekbeom.”

Kyungsoo makes sure his shirt is tucked in even though he is always tidy. “Are you nervous?”

Baekhyun scans Kyungsoo up and down, itching so badly to pull him by the belt loops. He doesn’t. He’s not sure if he’s earned it. They haven’t talked about it, and Kyungsoo has not initiated anything himself to indicate where they stand. They touch. Hands twining when they are alone, goodbye forehead kisses, sitting unnecessarily close, but other than that, nothing. Not that they’ve had much of a chance either. Baekhyun’s absence and Jongdae’s self-destructive gallbladder meant they needed to make up for the lost time, and who else but the needy giant Chanyeol himself claimed every available opportunity Baekhyun had to spend with Kyungsoo?

“A little,” Baekhyun admits. “This is as new for me as it is for you.”

Kyungsoo follows him out of the house. “Yes, but this is your brother. Your mom hates me. What if—”

“My mom was dealing with withdrawals. She wasn’t in her right mind. If you were that worried about making a good impression, you could’ve just bought her beer.”

Kyungsoo scowls at him. It’s adorable. “That’s not funny. I was in an awkward position, and all I could think about was protecting you even though I was very angry with you.”

“I know I didn’t show it the best, but when I saw your Fleetmaster, there was a split second I wanted to run out, hop in, and tell you to floor it. What I mean is, I really missed you.” Baekhyun lightly touches the small of Kyungsoo’s back, leading him to Baekbeom’s car. This is the most they’ve talked about that day. Neither of them wanted to bring it up around Chanyeol and Jongdae which Baekhyun appreciates. “He’ll like you. There’s nothing not to like.”

“Hey,” Baekbeom greets, coming around the car to greet them. “Hi, I’m Baekbeom, Baekhyun’s brother.”

“Kyungsoo Doh,” Kyungsoo says, shaking Baekbeom’s hand.

“Nice to meet the friend I spoke to over the phone.” Baekbeom grins, nudges Baekhyun, and envelops him in a side hug. “How you’ve been, rascal?”

“Fine,” Baekhyun grumbles, not used to this familiarity with his brother, but it’s nice. It reminds him of Jongdae and his brother. When he glances at Kyungsoo, there’s a soft smile directed at him, sending butterflies scurrying in his stomach.

“C’mon. I’m starving, and I have to meet the realtor in two hours,” Baekbeom says. Once driving down the main road to a steak and seafood place Baekbeom always wanted to go to as a kid, he looks in the back mirror at Kyungsoo. “So, how did you meet my brother? Through school? You’re not loud like that one kid Baekhyun was friends with.”

“You remember Chanyeol?” Baekhyun asks, surprised.

Baekbeom snorts. “Yeah, it was such a pain having to walk you to his neighborhood when you were a kid.”

“Actually, I am Chanyeol’s neighbor,” Kyungsoo says, staring out the window. His hands are folded in his lap. Baekhyun regrets not sitting in the back with him so he can bump their shoulders purposefully, easing both their nerves. “Chanyeol introduced us.”

“Good to know you haven’t changed that much if you have the same friends.” Baekbeom flashes a wide smile at Baekhyun. “Do you go to the high school then?”

“No. I go to a private school outside of town.”

“To the all-boy’s Catholic school?” Baekbeom wrinkles his nose, expressing a fraction of Baekhyun’s initial disdain for the idea of befriending a prep kid, but then he got to know Kyungsoo and even other kids who attended there, like Sehun and Jongin, who turned out to be cool, even though he still has a bone to pick with Sehun for making Baekhyun jealous and inevitably forcing him to address his feelings for Kyungsoo at the party.

“It’s a nice school,” Baekhyun says.

Baekbeom gives him a judging look. “How would you know that?”

“I went to Kyungsoo’s school for a play and met some of his classmates. They aren’t what you expect them to be like. At least, not all of them.” Baekhyun looks away the moment Kyungsoo turns to him in the review mirror. He doesn’t need to see the look to know he shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

“Well, that may be the case, but I can’t help but be a little relieved by thinking you’ll keep my brother out of trouble.”

“I try,” Kyungsoo replies.

Baekhyun snorts, thinking of all the dangerous things he’s done with Kyungsoo because of Kyungsoo.

“What is it?” Baekbeom asks.

He doesn’t want to share that with Baekbeom though. It’s his and Kyungsoo’s secret only. “Nothing. I don’t think Kyungsoo tries to stop me from doing anything. He just gives me a look.”

“A look is all you need to know you’re in trouble, Byun.”

Baekbeom laughs. “I like you,” he says to Kyungsoo, and then to Baekhyun as he parks, “we should’ve picked up Chanyeol too. I want to see if that kid grew into his ears.”

“He hasn’t,” Baekhyun and Kyungsoo respond simultaneously. Baekhyun turns in his seat to directly lock eyes with him, bursting into peals of laughter.

Inside and seated, Baekhyun sits beside Kyungsoo, leaning over to look at the menu instead of his own. “This sounds good,” Baekhyun murmurs. “But I want to try their alfredo too.”

Kyungsoo nods in agreement. “I’ll get the alfredo then.”

“Really?” Baekhyun asks, squeezing Kyungsoo’s thigh.

Rolling his eyes, Kyungsoo sighs in faux exasperation. “Yes, Baekhyun.”

The words, “You’re perfect,” come tumbling out of Baekhyun’s mouth. Kyungsoo is perfect, but he freezes and glances at Baekbeom, who is watching him with a considering gaze.

Baekhyun laughs it off, moving away from Kyungsoo. He doesn’t want to, but he just got his brother back. He doesn’t need to throw in the fact that Baekhyun has abnormal feelings for Kyungsoo, and he doesn’t feel abnormal about it at all. In fact, kissing, touching, flirting with Kyungsoo feels all too natural to Baekhyun, like this is who he should’ve been waiting his whole life for instead of wasting his time with pretty girls.

Kyungsoo is prettier than all of them, and time with him is never a waste. One day, he’ll tell Baekbeom how he feels, but it’s not today. After all, Baekbeom might not even stick around in Baekhyun’s life. They can take things slowly, even if Baekhyun’s feelings for Kyungsoo are not slow at all. Dumb, yes. Stubborn, yes. But once actualized, Baekhyun craves Kyungsoo even when they are together. Summer was never going to be enough. Stanford might not even be enough, but he’ll take all the time Kyungsoo will give him. He knows that now. It’s better to live freely than regret not.

Kyungsoo frowns worriedly at Baekhyun, catching his change of demeanor and maybe hearing his thoughts too, so Baekhyun smiles reassuringly.

Lunch goes smoothly despite Baekhyun’s slip-up. Baekbeom drops Baekhyun off at Kyungsoo’s house since the realtor will be meeting him at the house. Kyungsoo’s Fleetmaster is accompanied in the driveway by the Hudson today.

“You’re different with him,” Baekbeom says as Kyungsoo heads inside, leaving the brothers alone to say their goodbyes.

Baekhyun tilts his head. It’s not the first time he’s heard it. It likely won’t be the last either. That thought tickles his stomach. “How so?”

Baekbeom shrugs. “I guess you’re calmer? You’re both very attentive to each other like you take care of one another. It’s nice. I’m glad you have a friend like him.”

Baekhyun glances at the front door where Kyungsoo disappeared. “Yeah, me too.”

“Is he an only child or something?”

“No, he has an older brother too. Why?”

Baekbeom shakes his head. “Nothing. I just thought…Anyway, I need to get going. When is graduation by the way? Maybe mom will be out and we can come see the ceremony. I didn’t graduate, so it’d be nice to see you walk.”

“Three Saturdays from now, but you don’t have to come. It’s not a big deal. It’s not like I’m going to college or anything.”

“It’s something to celebrate, so let us. Make good decisions,” Baekbeom says, getting in his car and driving out of Chanyeol and Kyungsoo’s neighborhood.

The front door creeks and a sliver of wide eyes stares at him.

Baekhyun tries to look cross, hands on his hips, meeting that eye head-on. “Were you listening the whole time?”

The door widens to reveal all of Kyungsoo’s handsome features. He hangs against the door, letting it support most of his weight. “No.” He pauses and then winks. “Friend, huh?”

“Kyungsoo Doh,” Baekhyun growls, unable to fight the rising grin. He lunges forward, dashing inside the house, laughing when Kyungsoo squeaks into motion.

“Boys!” Mrs. Doh chides after them from the sitting room.

Baekhyun stutters, kicking off his shoes with lightning speed and greeting Mrs. Doh, but Kyungsoo doesn’t slow down for him. He swings around the banister, running up the stairs. Baekhyun huffs, takes two steps at a time to catch up, and uses the walls of the hallway to propel him faster. Kyungsoo darts into his room, nearly shutting the door closed before Baekhyun is there, tackling him to the single bed.

Kyungsoo’s cackles are contagious. Baekhyun laughs with him, straddling him, trying to dig his fingers into Kyungsoo’s side. He is beautiful like this. Soft hair skewed across the pillow. Eyes curling shut. Mouth wide in the greatest grin known to man.

Baekhyun sighs, easing his attack, then yelps. Kyungsoo flips him over onto the floor, locking his hands at his side, his legs and hips are trapped under Kyungsoo. “What was that?” Baekhyun asks with a mix of awe, a wheeze, and accusation.

“I took mixed martial arts for a few years,” Kyungsoo says, leaning over him with a dangerous smirk.

“Who are you?”

“According to you, I’m perfect.”

Baekhyun squirms, face flushing, but not with just embarrassment. Kyungsoo looks too good like this. Over him. Pinning him. Feels too good like this. After living off brief touches for the last few weeks, Baekhyun’s brain is going haywire. Something else is going a little haywire. “End me,” he requests, pleadingly.

Kyungsoo hums, clearly having too much fun tormenting him. “I could, but then I wouldn’t be able to do this.”

Supple lips press to Baekhyun’s. Kyungsoo sighs at the same time Baekhyun melts like he’s been waiting just as long to do this. He lets go of Baekhyun’s wrists to cup his jaw. A thumb drags down Baekhyun’s chin, parting his lips so Kyungsoo can deepen their kiss. Baekhyun’s hands immediately find Kyungsoo’s thighs, sliding up to his waist, smiling into the kiss when Kyungsoo shivers.

Kyungoo’s tongue sweeps over Baekhyun’s bottom lip in retaliation, smothering the moan he elicits. “Shh,” Kyungsoo whispers in between gentle pecks. “Can’t you be quiet for one second of your life?”

“Sure, I can,” Baekhyun replies, leaning on his elbows to sit up and chase after Kyungsoo’s mouth. “I can be quiet for two seconds.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, sitting back on Baekhyun’s thighs, hands still around the other’s neck. “My grandparents are here.”

Baekhyun brightens. He’s missed Grandma Doh’s doting and Grandpa Doh’s grouchiness, but Kyungsoo’s lips are shiny, begging him to press more kisses upon them. He tells Kyungsoo this.

“Later,” Kyungsoo says, and Baekhyun holds him to his word.

They spend the rest of the day with the Dohs. Grandpa Doh accuses Baekhyun of cheating when he loses three times to him in a game of chess. Grandma Doh teaches Baekhyun how to make peanut butter and jelly sugar cookies. For the second time that day, Baekhyun uses the word perfect to describe the day.

Baekhyun doesn’t see much of Kyungsoo leading up to the day of his graduation thanks to exams. Catholic school testing is no joke according to Sehun, who stopped by the garage on his way to pick up pizza from the study session at Kyungsoo’s house.

Jongdae picks Baekhyun up at Chanyeol’s house on the Friday evening of Kyungsoo’s graduation. Baekhyun feels stuffy in Jongdeok’s borrowed button-up and blazer, but Jongdae insists Baekhyun will get thrown out in his ripped jeans and plain tee. Chanyeol adds a bowtie to his outfit, which he is teased for, but he stands by looking polished.

Jongdae turns beet red when Yoora pops her head into Chanyeol’s room and says to him, “You look handsome.”

Baekhyun pokes him repeatedly, imitating Yoora’s sweet voice until Chanyeol’s sister pops back in to throw a shoe at him.

They head to the auditorium where Kyungsoo’s winter musical was held. Baekhyun can’t stop fidgeting, oddly nervous to see Kyungsoo in his cap and gown. He waves at the Dohs, who sit closer to the front. Mrs. Doh makes a gesture to the empty seat next to her.

Jongdae snorts. “Your new family wants you to sit with them.”

“Shut up,” Baekhyun mutters, flushing, but the grin he directs at Mrs. Doh gives him away.

Mrs. Doh squeezes him tightly when he shuffles through the seats to them. Mr. Doh stretches around his wife to shake Baekhyun’s hand. When the graduates start filing in, Mrs. Doh whacks her husband and Baekhyun in the arm, pointing to the serious-faced Kyungsoo dressed in a baby blue gown.

Baekhyun holds back his laughter because of course, Kyungsoo Doh doesn’t bother to look around for his family, unlike the majority of his peers. It isn’t until they call his name—Mrs. Doh jumps up with a hoot, clapping loudly—does Kyungsoo lift his eyes to the crowd after taking his diploma and spot them. Baekhyun rises too, clapping softer, and grinning so widely his cheeks hurt. Heart. Heart. Heart. Kyungsoo’s smile is all heart, shyly waving at them.

Jongdae releases a dinosaur cry from the back, and awkward chuckles scatter across the crowd. Baekhyun shoots him a glare, silently promising to throttle him at the end of the service. As the caps soar and families cluster together to find their loved ones, the Dohs wait for Kyungsoo to find them.

“Are you sure you don’t want to join us for dinner tonight?” Mrs. Doh asks.

Baekhyun smiles politely. “You should spend some alone time with your son. I’ll see him tomorrow.”

Mrs. Doh simpers and squeezes Baekhyun’s arm fondly. “What time will you be coming over?”

“Eight. We’ll be back around two p.m., does that work?”

“Gives us plenty of time to prepare,” Mrs. Doh says. “Seungsoo flies in at ten.”

“I’m glad he can make it.”

“I would not let him miss his only brother’s graduation,” Mrs. Doh replies sternly. Her voice pitches high when Kyungsoo finally is able to escape the crowd and come to them. She throws her arms around him, leaving pink lipstick on his cheeks. Kyungsoo’s cheeks bunch so adorably, Baekhyun wants to pinch them.

Mr. Doh claps Kyungsoo on the back in their brief hug, and then Kyungsoo turns to Baekhyun, looking a little wary. Baekhyun laughs and flings himself on Kyungsoo, nearly knocking them into a family behind them. It’s okay though because Kyungsoo’s low laugh is in his ears and against Baekhyun’s heart.

“Proud of you,” Baekhyun murmurs before stepping back and letting Mrs. Doh wipe away her lipstick smudges on Kyungsoo’s cheeks.

They move outside to wait for Mr. Doh to return with the camera while Kyungsoo catches up with his friends. Jongdae and Chanyeol meet the rest of Kyungsoo’s classmates even though they’ll meet tomorrow. Although Kyungsoo isn’t aware of the surprise party. Sehun won’t let go of Joonmyun, whining in his shoulder about being abandoned by the senior.

“I told you to fail,” Sehun says.

“I told you to skip a grade,” Joonmyun replies, prodding his junior.

“Not with his math grade,” Jongin says, grinning at his friend’s miserable expression.

When Mr. Doh returns with a polaroid camera he specifically bought when Seungsoo graduated, he quickly gives Baekhyun a tutorial, so he can take a picture of Kyungsoo with his parents. He smiles into the camera. Then, Mrs. Doh demands Kyungsoo to take a picture with all his friends. They squeeze together. Baekhyun stands at the end, letting the graduates fill the middle, but a hand curls around his arm, tugging him right to Kyungsoo’s side.

Kyungsoo smiles blindingly at him, not letting go of Baekhyun. Baekhyun is grateful for all the noise from the people around him otherwise everyone will hear the loud swooping of his heart.

“Say ‘cheese’!” Mrs. Doh instructs.

Chanyeol shouts, “Skipidity doo bow bow,” and the whole group of friends and new acquaintances burst into laughter.

When it's time to say goodbye, Baekhyun doesn’t want to go. He plays with the tassel of Kyungsoo’s hat, flicking it into his face. The string attaches to the prettiest lips in the world, and Kyungsoo blows a puff of air at Baekhyun with amused annoyance.

“I want to take you somewhere,” Baekhyun tells him. “Tomorrow, eight a.m.”

Kyungsoo lifts a curious brow. “Will you be driving?”

“No. I’m the navigations guy.”

“That sounds dangerous. Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.” Baekhyun winks. “Just be awake. I’ll dress you.”

“Definitely, dangerous,” Kyungsoo muses with a teasing simper. “You’re not even going to let me sleep in on my first day as a high school graduate?”

“No rest for the wicked.”

Kyungsoo snorts. “I just graduated from a Catholic school, and you’re already quoting proverbs.”

“I studied up so I can impress all your classmates.”

“Baekhyun,” Jongdae calls, waving at him to hurry up.

Mrs. Doh and Mr. Doh are lingering expectantly too.

“See you tomorrow, graduate,” Baekhyun says softly.

“Bye, Byun.”

Baekhyun parks his bike against the side of Kyungsoo’s house a minute before eight. Kyungsoo is waiting for him, clad in striped pajamas, wiping sleep out of his eyes. The house is silent, but Baekhyun still looks around before bringing Kyungsoo in his arms and kissing the corner of his mouth. The tired smile Kyungsoo gives him is so endearing, Baekhyun’s chest constricts.

Since realizing his feelings for Kyungsoo, his heart seems more than determined to remind him every second as if telling Baekhyun he won’t ever be able to deny it again—not that Baekhyun would try.

Kyungsoo twines their fingers together, and Baekhyun leads them to the bedroom. Kyungsoo goes to brush his teeth while Baekhyun rummages through the drawers and picks out Kyungoo’s outfit for the day. Their outfits are nearly identical. Baekhyun lays out jean shorts and a white, short-sleeved button-up. He picks out sandals from Kyungsoo’s closet and waits downstairs for him to change.

“Ready?” Baekhyun asks when Kyungsoo returns downstairs.

“Are we going to the park?” Kyungsoo asks him, eyeing their bare legs. Their shorts are high-waisted, ending at the middle of their thighs, giving Baekhyun plenty to ogle at. The beach is the right move.

“Maybe. C’mon. Let’s go.” His voice snaps Kyungsoo’s lingering attention on his legs. Heat creeps up Baekhyun’s neck.

He already has towels thrown into the trunk of the Fleetmaster along with a picnic basket with lunch. He’s never planned something like this before. It feels like a date although he’s not sure he can call it one when Mrs. Doh had asked him to get Kyungsoo out of the house for a while so they can prepare to throw him a party.

It’ll be the first time they are alone longer than half an hour since spring break. It makes Baekhyun ancy, eager to cross the distance and touch. He doesn’t. It’s dangerous while driving, and Kyungsoo has a habit of being reckless behind the wheel.

Baekhyun doesn’t unfold the map until they are on the highway. They wind the windows down, whispers of summer threading through their ungreased hair. Baekhyun belts Louis Armstrong in between directions.

“Golden Gardens Park?” Kyungsoo reads the passing sign. “I was right.”

“Kinda, it’s a beach.”

“Really?” From the eager pitch of his voice, Kyungsoo is excited. “I’ve never been to the beach.”

Baekhyun hides his pleased grin. When Mrs. Doh first asked him the favor, Baekhyun spent a whole day wondering where they could go for a couple hours. They could take a trail, but the idea of the beach came to him. This particular beach, his family used to go to when they were a unit of four. The last time they went was a few months before his dad left to serve. All four of them played volleyball with sand covering their legs.

Kyungsoo parks. The lot is fairly empty, but the clock is shy of nine. Baekhyun takes the stuff out of the trunk, handing Kyungsoo the towels and frisbee and grabbing the picnic basket.

“Did you prepare lunch too?” Kyungsoo asks with a layer to his voice Baekhyun hasn’t heard before.

“And breakfast,” Baekhyun says. “It’s not much, but hopefully it's good.”

“I…” Kyungsoo hesitates before following Baekhyun to the shore. “You planned all of this?”

“Why do you sound so surprised?” Baekhyun chews on his lower lip. Why is Kyungsoo looking at him like that? Has he done something wrong?

“Have you done this before?”

“Uh, no.”

“You didn’t want to invite Jongdae and Chanyeol?”

They’re helping your parents with your secret party, Baekhyun doesn’t say. He thought about it when Mrs. Doh first asked him, but he selfishly wanted Kyungsoo all to himself, especially before they were surrounded by family and friends for the remainder of the afternoon.

“What is this, Kyungsoo? Am I being interrogated right now? Do you want to go somewhere else?”

“No. No. That’s not…I’m just surprised.” Kyungsoo looks at Baekhyun like he is piecing some mystery together. It brings a fondness to Baekhyun. Maybe Kyungsoo doesn’t understand everything about him yet.

“I thought it should just be us. We have the whole summer to come here with them. Although, we should go to the actual beach next time. It’s a further drive. Puget Sound is nice, but the waves aren’t anything to talk about, or so I’ve heard. I haven’t gone anywhere outside of Seattle, but if you want to go somewhere else, we can; Discovery Park isn’t too far, or there’s Cedar Falls, or Chester Morse Lake, but I haven’t been here in a long time, and I wasn’t sure how much you’ve seen of Seattle since moving—”

“Baekhyun, breathe. We’re not leaving. I just…I’ve never been on a date before.”

Oh. Oh. Baekhyun sighs in relief. He didn’t think Kyungsoo was possibly nervous. They’ve spent so much time together alone as friends and briefly as more than friends that Baekhyun never really wondered what a date with Kyungsoo would look like, but if he were to picture it, he’d want it to look like this. Even if Mrs. Doh had to tell him to take Kyungsoo out of the house for a few hours. The location, the preparations, the activities, this is all Baekhyun. He couldn’t stop thinking about how Kyungsoo would react. Luckily, he doesn’t have a mirror in his room or he’d catch a stupid grin on his face while thinking about it. It didn’t occur to him that he might be nervous.

“Well, I’ve never planned a date before or been on one with a guy either. You’re my first,” Baekhyun says.

Kyungsoo begins to walk, leading Baekhyun across the sand to pick a spot to set up. “You’ve been on a million dates, and you’ve never planned one?”

“I don’t count having a girl drive us to Key’s Nest to make out because I suggested it, so no. I haven’t.”

An upside-down smile greets Baekhyun. Decidedly, it’s in his top five favorite Kyungsoo smiles. A mangled heart, but a heart nonetheless. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Baekhyun repeats. He needs the assurance.

“Okay.”

They lay towels across the sand. The shore is wide, and the water is a dark sapphire blue. There’s a public restroom in the distance, and a few people are already lounging along the shore, but otherwise, they are alone. Kyungsoo sits criss-cross, opening the picnic basket. His eyes light up as he takes out the breakfast sandwiches Baekhyun made from scratch. Homemade biscuits are a lot harder than they look.

Baekhyun also takes out the round Tupperware with the fruit salad he prepared. Kyungsoo unwraps the biscuit sandwich and peers at the layers of egg, Spam, and cheddar cheese, before taking a bite and moaning. The sound shoots heat right to Baekhyun’s groin, making his cheeks flush.

“How is it?”

“Did you really make this?” Kyungsoo asks.

“I made the biscuits last night.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes go rounder than normal, brighter than the sun. “What time did you wake up preparing all of this?”

Baekhyun rubs the back of his neck. “I may or may not have slept for only three hours last night.”

“Baekhyun!”

“But! It wasn’t because I was cooking the whole time. I was excited.”

“I really want to kiss you right now,” Kyungsoo says so openly, looking so fondly at Baekhyun. It spreads warmth all over Baekhyun’s chest.

He stretches to dance the pads of his fingers across the hem of Kyungsoo’s shorts. “We can under the water.”

“That water is freezing and you know it.”

Grinning, Baekhyun takes a large bite out of his sandwich. Before it gets too crowded, they walk the length of the beach. Baekhyun tips his toes in the water and screeches. Kyungsoo keels over, laughing. With a determined press of his lips, Baekhyun braces the cold and slams his foot down in the water, effectively splashing the other.

Kyungsoo’s smiley eyes turn into daggers. Baekhyun cackles as Kyungsoo chases him across the sand. When Kyungsoo catches him, wrapping his arms around Baekhyun’s middle. He lifts him with surprising strength, ignoring Baekhyun’s thrashing and squawks, and drops him into the water.

The water reaches Baekhyun’s knees. Someone might think he’s being murdered because of how loud he screams. If anyone is concerned, they’ll see a wet puppy-like human and his heart-heart-heartful companion, red-faced from breathless laughter. However, Kyungsoo’s snickers die when Baekhyun takes off his damp t-shirt, gaze becoming aglow as the midnight sun.

It paints Baekhyun’s cheeks red, following Kyungsoo’s eyes trail down his body. His throat goes dry and he’s tries to steer his thoughts clear of what would happen if they were alone.

They attempt to build a sand castle with their hands since Kyungsoo has never done it. It’s a shabby, lumpy mound, but Baekhyun declares Kyungsoo the prince of it either way. As the sun warms their skin, Baekhyun curses himself for not remembering to bring sunscreen. More people fill the beach, but by noon, they eat the peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches (“We can’t be chefs for every meal, Kyungsoo”), finish the fruit salad, and pack up to leave.

Baekhyun takes out the map and directs Kyungsoo to go in a different direction than home. “If it’s okay, we’re going to take a short detour.”

Kyungsoo entangles their fingers, resting them over his thigh. “Anywhere.”

When they pull into the cemetery, Kyungsoo’s brows tighten. The morning had started cheery, maybe a little cautious, but now, they were both somber. Normally, Baekhyun would lighten the mood, but he hasn’t been here in years. They circle the fields of graves for a bit before Baekhyun sees the familiar patch of green and tells Kyungsoo to stop.

Kyungsoo climbs out of the car first. He watches Baekhyun slowly step out and freeze at the curb. “Baekhyun?”

“I…” Baekhyun’s hands shake at his sides. He didn’t anticipate feeling so scared and small. He’s dead, Baekhyun thinks, but it doesn’t make him feel any better. He’s a bad son. He’s never come here on his own. He hasn’t come here in years. He doesn’t have flowers or anything, just a leftover breakfast sandwich. Maybe he shouldn’t have come here. It was a bad—

A palm slides over his, anchoring Baekhyun. He looks at Kyungsoo, seeing a hint of trepidation, but he nods as if saying ‘You got this, Byun.’

Baekhyun swallows. Hand in hand, they weave through gravestones until coming to one with Byungho Byun etched into granite. A stone forms in Baekhyun’s throat. He stands there for a moment, taking in the dates, the words used to describe him. Father, husband, son, soldier.

Taking a shuddering breath, Baekhyun bends down, knees sinking into the grass. Kyungsoo lets go of his hand and rests it on his shoulder.

“Dad,” Baekhyun says, voice cracking and sounding much smaller than he wanted. He tries again. “Dad, it’s me, Baekhyun. It’s been a while, huh.”

He chuckles awkwardly, and Kyungsoo rubs circles into his shoulder, never once letting him forget that he’s not alone. Kyungsoo’s here. He’s not leaving.

“I probably look a little different from the last time you saw me, but I’m eighteen now, I graduate from high school next week, and I’m going to move to California at the end of the summer. Mom is with Baekbeom in Portland. She’s not well, but she will be. Yeah, you heard right. Baekbeom came back. I honestly can’t believe it still. He looks so much like you. It’s a little scary. I probably shouldn’t spoil his news, but I’m not sure when he’ll make it over here to visit. He’s married now and has a kid on the way. You’re going to be a grandfather. It’s crazy to think all these years he was gone, he was doing so well. I won’t lie and say I’m not upset anymore, but I am happy for him. He seems to be happy.

“I’m sorry I didn’t bring you anything, but I didn’t come entirely empty-handed.” Baekhyun places his hand over Kyungsoo’s urging him to sit beside him. “This is Kyungsoo Doh. We met right at the beginning of senior year. He’s going to Stanford, and he’s the reason I’m moving to California. He’s studying to be a pediatrician. Isn’t that awesome? You used to say grandma wanted to have a doctor in the family, and now, maybe you will. I…I really like Kyungsoo, Dad. I’m sure if you were alive, you wouldn’t be thrilled with this news, or maybe even understand it. I didn’t understand it myself at first, but Kyungsoo is an amazing person. He’s helped me a lot this past year, and he’s funny and smart, which you need to be to be a doctor. His parents are doctors too, and they treat me really well. His brother is training to be a pilot. Sometimes, I don’t feel worthy to know someone like Kyungsoo or even receive his attention and be so accepted into his family, but that just shows how amazing Kyungsoo is.

“You’re the first person who knows about Kyungsoo. He’s met Baekbeom, but not like this. Maybe I’m a bit of a coward for telling a dead person first, but I promise I’ll tell more people in the future. For now, Kyungsoo will be our little secret. You can’t go telling everyone up there in heaven, okay? I don’t need grandma to visit me. Anyways, I didn’t bring him so he could be silent, so I’ll let him introduce himself to you.”

Baekhyun throws an urging smile at Kyungsoo, looking at him for the first time since approaching the grave. His eyes glisten, and he’s staring at Baekhyun with wonder. He shuffles on his knees and takes Baekhyun’s hand in both of his.

Solidly, Kyungsoo says to the gravestone, “Hi, Mr. Byun. It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Kyungsoo, as Baekhyun said. I think I should set the record straight and say your son is too modest. I moved here from Oklahoma almost a year ago. I didn’t expect much from the move, but I never thought I would meet someone who could brighten up my life so much. Baekhyun is a little slow to the obvious because he’s stubborn, but he’s smart too. He built a whole motorcycle by himself. Got it running and everything. He’s a genius with anything powered by an engine, and I think he can accomplish anything he sets his mind to. He’s a talented pianist and singer. My whole family fell in love with him the moment they met him. A shared trait of the Dohs, I think.

“He’s endured a lot, and that might make it seem like he has a cold heart, but I know that’s not the case. He’s just protective, but he’d do anything for his friends and family even if he might complain about it. He punched a kid to protect me even though we were strangers. He’s the slowest driver in the world, but he can read maps pretty well. I know we just met, but I want you to know your son is safe with me. I’ll take care of him. He is really special, and you should be proud of him.”

Kyungsoo nods once, satisfied with his introduction, and faces Baekhyun.

Tears are slipping down Baekhyun’s cheeks. His breath catches, trying hard not to let anymore fall, but Kyungsoo’s unlocked something in him. Thumbs swipe at his cheeks, and just as Baekhyun’s eyes start to clear, he notices streaks down Kyungsoo’s face. He chuckles, chest aching, eyes watering more. They don’t say anything and instead lean on each other until their faces dry.

It’s nice. Baekhyun’s never been this open with anyone, not even himself. That little bit of him that is quick to anger loosens. It’s not gone, but perhaps it’s mending faster than it had been.

Voice gravelly, Baekhyun asks, “Ready?”

Kyungsoo lets Baekhyun pull him off the ground. He wraps his arms around Baekhyun’s waist, hooking his chin over Baekhyun’s shoulder. Traitorously, Baekhyun’s eyes sting all over again. He hides his face in Kyungsoo’s neck and holds Kyungsoo there until he’s positive he won’t cry again.

“Thank you for taking me here,” Kyungsoo says with the most tender gaze.

Baekhyun clears his throat. “Thank you for being here with me. It means a lot.”

“This means a lot to me too.”

“What’s going on, Byun?” Kyungsoo narrows his eyes at the cluster of cars around his house.

Baekhyun flashes a tentative grin. “Um…so you’re mom asked me to get you out of the house for a bit, but that doesn’t make today any less of a date!”

Kyungsoo mutters something under his breath, a strong scowl on his face. He unbuckles his seat once parking his car next to the Hudson. Baekhyun rushes to his side of the car and opens the door for him. Kyungsoo shoots him a glare but grazes the inside of Baekhyun’s wrist with his own. “I can’t believe you tricked me,” he says under his breath.

“C’mon. It’s still a good day. Everyone is here to celebrate you and all your hard work.”

“I’d rather just celebrate with you since you didn’t come to dinner last night.”

“We can do that later.” Baekhyun grins salaciously, making Kyungsoo chuckle lowly.

“Later is becoming our thing, isn’t it?”

“Not for long. There’ll be plenty of time for us to catch up during the summer, and then, they’ll be Stanford, and we never have to be parted from each other ever again,” Baekhyun croons.

Kyungsoo laughs even more, pausing at the door to brush his knuckles along Baekhyun’s jaw. “You make it sound like we’re getting married.”

“Hm, think of it more like practice.”

And then Baekhyun opens the door and they are both his with a cacophony of voices shouting, “Surprise!”

Chanyeol’s voice is the loudest, but it’s Seungsoo who greets them first, punching his brother in the arm and pulling him into a hug telling him congratulations and then to his surprise, hugging Baekhyun too. It’s a flurry after that. Baekhyun is being choked in a hug by Mrs. Doh, he kisses Grandma Doh’s cheek in greeting, and he fist bumps all of Kyungsoo’s friends from prep school.

Despite Kyungsoo’s grumbling, he is smiling widely the whole time as he is roped into congratulations and conversation by all the attendees. Whenever his eyes find Baekhyun’s, though, his smile softens into a heart. Baekhyun can’t help but laugh and grin widely back.

“Did something happen between you two?” Yoora asks into Baekhyun’s ear. “You look like Kyungsoo put the sun in the sky.”

“Please, Jongdae looks that way at you all the time,” Baekhyun says without thinking. He stills, slowly turning to meet Yoora’s imitation of Chanyeol’s sh*t-eating grin. It’s ear-to-ear and full of teeth. Sometimes he is scarily reminded they shared a womb.

“Is that so?” Yoora replies smugly.

Nausea rushes over Baekhyun. “Please, Yoora, don’t tell—”

Yoora hushes him, coming to stand in front of him, caging his shoulders with her hands. She’s an inch taller than Baekhyun now. “Chill, Baekhyun. Chill. We’re cool. You’re cool. Kyungsoo’s cool. I won’t tell anyone, but I’m not the only one who’s noticed. Chanyeol and Jongdae are a little obtuse and might not have made the complete connection—you don’t know how many times I had to tell Jongdae he does not need to be jealous of your friendship with Kyungsoo—and if he is, our relationship might have some problems here, but you don’t need to worry. About me, at least. Jongdae and Chanyeol, they love you. Nothing will change that, even if you love Kyungsoo in a different way.”

Different. There’s that word again. It’s not that he minds Kyungsoo is different. He likes him a lot for it, but maybe Baekhyun is realizing he’s different, and it’s too much when he and Kyungsoo haven’t verbalized what it is that’s so different about them. They’re friends. Great friends. Best of friends. Friends who’ve kissed. Friends who seek one another’s touch. Friends who can spend endless, dull hours together because there never is such a thing as a dull hour even if they’re staring at the ceiling, listening to one another’s exhales. Friends who meet your dead father and admit there is something different about their relationship than what meets the eye—unless that eye is Yoora Park’s.

“I’m sorry, Baekhyun. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Yoora apologizes, blinking her said, large Park eyes at him with sincerity.

Baekhyun relaxes. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable.”

Yoora side hugs him, leaning her head on his, and sighs. “I can tell he makes you happy, and I haven’t ever seen this side of you. It’s nice. I hope you guys remain friends for a long time.”

“Thank you, Yoora,” Baekhyun says with a small smile. He ruffles her hair that has grown far past her shoulders. A year ago, it was at its signature length at her shoulders in a bob, and it would go flying in every direction when Baekhyun messed with it. Now it falls down her back like black silk. “I hope that too.”

It’s nearing nine when guests begin returning home, meaning Mr. Doh has to shoo all the kids off his property so Kyungsoo’s grandparents can go to bed. Baekhyun realizes as Mr. Doh is ushering the elders to the guest room, saying their first names instead of mom and dad, he has been referring them as Mr. Doh’s parents.

Kyungsoo chuckles when Baekhyun tells him this. “They basically are his parents. We just call them Grandma and Grandpa, but my paternal grandparents died when I was young. They moved to the east coast before Seungsoo was born, so I only met them once or twice—not that I remember.”

“I don’t think I’ve met my paternal grandparents,” Baekhyun admits. “My other grandparents died before I was born.”

“You can have ours. They adore you,” Seungsoo says, passing them with a trash bag in his hand. “I think you’ve replaced Kyungsoo as Grandma’s favorite.”

“That’s because he plays the piano better than me,” Kyungsoo replies, not bothered in the slightest by his replacement.

“I’m Grandpa’s favorite.”

“As long as I’m Baekhyun’s favorite, I’m okay,” Kyungsoo says. Seungsoo groans with a face of disgust and returns to cleaning.

“I should help clean up too,” Baekhyun says.

“It’s my party and I want you to stay right here, next to me,” Kyungsoo demands.

Who is Baekhyun to refuse him? So they sit on the patio for another hour talking. Mrs. Doh pops her head out saying she made a blow-up bed for him in Kyungsoo’s room. They retire shortly. Kyungsoo kept the clothes he borrowed the time before and offered it to him again.

Once they door is shut behind them, Baekhyun is already rocking back and forth on the air mattress. Kyungsoo steps over him to reach his bed, but Baekhyun snags his leg, pulling him down. He laughs loud and clear. Seungsoo bangs on the wall that connects their room, shouting I can hear you!

Baekhyun grins, telling Kyungsoo to shush with his finger even though he was the one who is being loud. Kyungsoo shoves his shoulder and jabs his belly. Baekhyun gasps, backing away. Kyungsoo’s mouth ticks, saying That’s what you deserve. Baekhyun smirks, waggling his eyebrows and slowly approaches Kyungsoo.

Today would almost be perfect if Baekhyun was allowed to touch Kyungsoo as he wants, but there’s still a few hours left. He can sacrifice noise for a little bit. Kyungsoo is wary, dropping his eyes to the closing distance between them to Baekhyun’s lips to the curl of his eyes. Gingerly, as not to spook Kyungsoo from snapping his teeth, Baekhyun furls his hand into the cotton of Kyungsoo’s striped pajamas, lifting the fabric slightly so his other hand can slip underneath and splay across the side of Kyungsoo’s belly. The soft skin flexes at the touch.

Baekhyun watches it, drawing circles with his thumb. When he glances up, Kyungsoo’s eyes are dark, pools of ink, focused on him. “Did you have a good day?”

“Of course.”

“What was your favorite part?’

“I had a lot of fun today, but I loved meeting your dad.”

Baekhyun’s hand stays knotted in Kyungsoo’s shirt. He tugs at it, blinking widely. “But we cried.”

Kyungsoo cradles Baekhyun’s face in his hand and brings their foreheads together. “I got to meet someone who is a part of you. I got to understand you better. I got to tell someone how amazing you are. I got to hear how you feel about me. I got to support you. I cried because I was happy to be there with you, that you let me be there with you.”

Baekhyun huffs out a laugh, but his eyes are a budding spring. Damnit. “Kyungsoo Doh, you’re really…” I love you. Love. Baekhyun loves him. He has for a long time but didn’t want to jump there so soon. He couldn’t. He can’t be love or be loved when his heart is closed. But Kyungsoo wedged it open, just a crack, so Baekhyun knew it was safe to push wide, and he waited for the day when Baekhyun would poke his head out. It might have taken the realization that Kyungsoo isn’t easily startled by Baekhyun’s past. One gust of wind and Baekhyun threw open the door. He can’t face tornadoes alone like Kyungsoo, but maybe together…

“You don’t have to pretend around me anymore. Be you, all of you. Even the ugly beautiful,” Kyungsoo says.

“Ugly beautiful?” This close, Kyungsoo looks a little cross-eyed, but it's adorable. His long lashes are extra pretty, and there’s a freckle nearing the inside of his eyelid.

“Because even when you ugly cry, you’re beautiful. You are never not beautiful.”

Baekhyun exhales shakily, voice lilting despite the rapid patter of his heart. “You are so into me, Kyungsoo.”

“What gave it away?” Kyungsoo deadpans.

Baekhyun angles his head. Their noses bump, and Kyungsoo’s breath fans across his cupid’s bow, lips parting in anticipation. Baekhyun grins.

Whining, Kyungsoo whispers, “Just kiss me already.”

Baekhyun complies because he really, really can’t deny Kyungsoo. He can’t. With a gentle press, their lips meet. It’s languid and tender, careful that they are quiet, but it still stirs feelings in Baekhyun’s heart and lower belly when Kyungsoo sighs into each kiss. His hands move all over Baekhyun: fingers teasing the ends of his hair, stretching the hem of his sleepshirt, running over the length of Baekhyun’s thighs. Baekhyun accidentally lets out a high-pitched whimper, and they both freeze, listening for Seungsoo. There’s a squeak of the mattress. Then, silence.

Baekhyun’s head falls on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, muffling his groan. “You can’t just touch me like that.”

“Well, if you weren’t so damn sensitive,” Kyungsoo says, deep in Baekhyun’s ear.

He shivers, bringing his mouth to Kyungsoo’s neck. Kyungsoo’s breath hitches. “Not fair,” he hisses.

Baekhyun sits back and grins. “Well, if you weren’t so damn sensitive.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, turns off the overhead light, and climbs into bed, patting the small space for Baekhyun to occupy. Baekhyun maneuvers them so he’s lying on his back and Kyungsoo presses his ear to Baekhyun’s heart, leg threading through Baekhyun’s. Lit by moonlight, Baekhyun watches Kyungsoo scoot until their bodies are snug. They fit wonderfully.

“Why are you smiling?” Kyungsoo asks, propping his chin to peer at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun probably has a double chin trying to look at him, but Kyungsoo’s smiling too. “It’s nice. You’re nice.”

Kyungsoo hums, tucking his hand underneath Baekhyun. “And you’re comfy.”

“Kyungsoo?”

“Hm.”

“Does your parents know about you?”

Kyungsoo doesn’t bother to look at him but tiptoes fingertips across Baekhyun’s sternum. “Yeah.”

Baekhyun tenses. “Do they know about us?”

His fingers do a twirl and dart underneath Baekhyun’s shirt, spreading across his abdomen. Baekhyun sucks in a breath. “What is there to know?”

“A lot,” Baekhyun says. “How I like you and you like me.”

“Ah.” Kyungsoo’s hand trails lower, so close to the waistband and Baekhyun’s thinning self-control. It’s not fair. Kyungsoo knows Baekhyun can’t keep quiet. He nearly lost it just by kissing. “I haven’t told them, but they can tell. I think they know you like me too. They wouldn’t be so at ease with you around if they didn’t trust you.”

“But I haven’t done anything to earn their trust.”

Kyungsoo drags his hand up to press notes into Baekhyun’s ribs. “Of course, you have. You’re polite. You’re kind. You’re good, Baekhyun. Everyone sees that in you but yourself. They knew immediately you were nothing like the boys in Oklahoma. So did I, even if you tried to seem all tough like they did.”

“I am tough,” Baekhyun gripes. “How did you tell your parents about you liking dudes?”

“I didn’t. Seungsoo was the one who told them. He heard what happened between me and my classmates, and he kinda freaked out, told our parents when we got home, yelled at me for being different. Seungsoo doesn’t cry unless he stubs his toe, but he cried that day. We didn’t talk for a month. Honestly, Mom and Dad took it a lot better than him. They treated my scrapes and bruises and told me they loved me. We talked about it a week later when they said they were having us switch schools and to be careful.”

“What about Seungsoo?”

Kyungsoo chuckles under his breath, closing his eyes at the memory. “I thought he was ashamed of me that’s why he didn’t want to talk to me unless he had to. One day at our new school, he saw a classmate put his arm around me. He flung the guy’s arm off me and threatened the kid not to touch me. I was flabbergasted and honestly pissed. I yelled at him on the way home, saying the guy was my friend, and if he’s so disgusted by me he doesn’t have to look. Seungsoo looked so shocked and about ready to cry again. He told me he was never disgusted or ashamed. He didn’t understand me entirely, but more than anything he was scared that he wouldn’t be there to protect me if someone tried to hurt me. I began to cry when he said that. We decided to sign up for mixed martial arts together. We used to take it when we were little, but stopped when I started piano lessons. You’re the first person I’ve brought around them that I have feelings for.”

“I am, but what about now? I don’t think it counts if you introduce me as a friend when we were just friends.”

“Do you want me to introduce you as something else?” Kyungsoo smirks.

Baekhyun’s cheeks flame. “I mean, what’s the difference?”

“I don’t talk about my other friends the way I talk about you. I don’t look at my other friends the way I look at you. Seungsoo gave you the stamp of approval after Christmas, saying you’re a gentleman. Mom added that it helps you’re handsome too.”

Baekhyun exhales, turning toward the ceiling. “Your family is pretty cool.”

“Yeah. I got pretty lucky. I’m glad you like them.”

“Of course, I do. What’s not to like? I wish they were home more, so you weren’t alone so much, but I understand why they aren’t. I could tell from the moment I met them how much they love you. The Parks and the Kims have always made me feel welcome, but your parents made me feel like I’m a part of the family. I…I haven’t felt that way in a long time like I’m accepted just for my existence. I don’t want to disappoint them or you.”

Kyungsoo props his chin up on his hands and smiles softly. “It’s cute that you worry about them liking you, but you shouldn’t. They like you. Seungsoo likes you. I very much like you. As long as you keep being you, all of you I mean, nothing will disappoint them or me.”

Framing Baekhyun’s face in his hands, Kyungsoo draws him in for a chaste kiss, giggling as he retreats. “Very cute,” he murmurs.

Baekhyun groans but replies, “I like you very much too.”

The day Baekhyun graduates is when his little world by the train tracks veers off track and collides with the world outside of it. Baekbeom comes to graduation with his wife, Jamie, but their mother is absent. He should’ve expected it, but disappointment pinches him. The feeling is forgotten the moment arms are flung around his neck, the scent of lavender and cedar filling Baekhyun with more warmth than the sun.

“You did it,” Kyungsoo whispers, voice muffled by Baekhyun’s hair.

Baekhyun wraps his arms around his waist, ignoring the curious stares of his classmates. He laughs and says, “I still have to complete a make-up class, so it’s not official.”

Kyungsoo unfurls his arms, stepping away. His heart-heart-heart is on display for the world. “That’s easy. You have me to make sure you pass.”

“Don’t forget Jongdae and I,” Chanyeol booms, grinning widely like a fool, trapping Jongdae’s shoulders with the weight of his arm. His ears stick out from underneath his cap.

Baekhyun flicks it off his head, cackling along with Jongdae as he scrambles to catch it.

“He can’t forget us even if he tried,” says Jongdae, squatting down in a wrestler’s move and blowing a slow-motion punch to Baekhyun’s stomach.

“Or me,” Yoora adds, swinging Sunny’s arm over, chanting, “Fight, fight, fight.”

This is how the Kyungsoo’s parents find them. Chanyeol is sprawled on the ground, trapped in Kyungsoo’s headlock. Jongdae is piggybacking Baekhyun, yelling, “Ride cowboy,” and swinging his cap over his head like a lasso while Yoora and Sunny suggest fictional wrestling moves.

Baekhyun drops Jongdae when he hears a giggle and sees Mrs. Doh hiding her similar heart-shaped smile behind a fan. This time, Baekhyun walks forward opening his arms to receive Mrs. Doh’s signature hug. It’s slightly painful but full of motherly warmth. Baekhyun offers his hand to Mr. Doh, smiling wider when Mr. Doh returns it.

“Well done, Sport.”

Baekhyun soars.

There’s a brief awkwardness when Baekbeom and Jamie find them, and Baekhyun makes their introductions. Despite telling Mr. and Mrs. Doh that he has no siblings, they don’t blink twice when he introduces his brother Baekbeom. Kyungsoo has a faint smile directed at Baekhyun, making him conclude Kyungsoo brought his parents up to speed with Baekhyun’s complicated mess of a family. He doesn’t mind though. He hates that he lied to Mr. and Mrs. Doh, but he never would expect this to be how his final year in high school would end. He never even expected Kyungsoo and his family to become so permanent in his life.

The tension comes from Chanyeol and Jongdae who are not as forgiving with Baekbeom’s absence. Baekhyun fights a laugh at the sight of Chanyeol’s big eyes narrowing and Jongdae’s sassy scowl. Kyungsoo nudges them both to lighten up, and Baekhyun can’t be more grateful for his friends than at this moment.

They all go to the diner, minus the parents. Baekbeom and his wife come too since they are heading back to Portland later in the evening. They sit in the largest booth sharing French fries while they wait for their burgers. Baekhyun is sandwiched between Baekbeom and Kyungsoo, listening to them discuss Baekbeom’s preparations for being a dad. Even Jongdae and Chanyeol relax around his brother, or they at least act normal with minimal engagement unless a question is directed toward them.

They do tell Baekbeom stories of Baekhyun’s worst moments. Like the time the P.E. teacher made him run laps because he was caught smoking under the bleachers. Baekhyun swore there was blood in his lungs from how much he ran. Or the first time he skipped class and the principal nearly caught him if Baekhyun hadn’t jumped into a trashcan to hide. Yoora had to tell them the time she put makeup on him, Chanyeol, and Jongdae, and he looked the prettiest out of them.

Kyungsoo never leaves his side, even after the Parks head home for a family cookout and Jongdae is picked up by his brother. He stays as Baekhyun says his goodbye to his brother, talking to Jamie to give them some privacy.

“I’m sorry about Mom. She isn’t ready to be released yet,” Baekbeom says.

“It’s okay. Is she…is she doing better?”

“We visit her every weekend, but she’s pretty quiet. I think she’s still trying to process everything. They think she’ll be ready in two weeks, but you should come visit when she’s out. Bring Kyungsoo if you like. You might have to share the pullout couch, but if you want to stay since we’re closing on the house at the end of June, we have some time to make arrangements—”

“I won’t be staying,” Baekhyun says. “I want to go to California with Kyungsoo. He has a full ride to Stanford, and his parents got him an apartment. He says there’s a garage nearby and a community college if I want to take some classes.”

Baekbeom sucks in a breath, nodding through the idea. “That sounds…sounds like you’ve got it all figured out. Are you sure his parents are okay with you moving in with him? What will you do between the time after we close the house and moving?”

“The Doh’s already said I can stay with them for the summer as long as I give them a discount at the garage. They are more than fine with me living with Kyungsoo. I think they are glad he won’t be all alone.” Baekhyun glances over at Kyungsoo, catching his eye. There’s so much fondness, so much depth in the inky swells of his eyes. Baekhyun can’t help the smile stretching across his face. He doesn’t have to say goodbye to Kyungsoo. Not ever if he has any say about it. Summer will end, but Kyungsoo will stay.

“You guys are closer than I expected. His parents seemed quite fond of you too. Did I hear them offer to take you to that fancy Italian place outside town?”

“They treat me well. I owe a lot to them and their son.” They taught me what family is, how to love and be loved.

Baekbeom’s voice tightens, eyes shimmering. Before Baekhyun can see what’s in it, he’s tugged into a hug. “I’m happy for you, Baekhyun. Dad would be proud to see us. Give me a call sometime or write me a letter. If you don’t, I will.”

Baekhyun promises, knowing he’ll keep it, “I’ll write to you. I want a picture of the baby too.”

Baekbeom and Jamie leave to pack up their car with more things from the house. Kyungsoo bumps his shoulder. “I hope you left room after that chocolate milkshake.”

Baekhyun squints at him. “Someone took my strawberry milkshake.”

“Hm, wonder what kind of thief would do that when chocolate is so superior. You’re coming over, right? Mom picked up lobster.”

“For me?”

Kyungsoo smacks his arm at Baekhyun’s shock. “Who else, Byun?”

“I’ve never had lobster.”

“I know.”

“Did you plan this?”

Kyungsoo shrugs. “I might have suggested it, but they wanted to do something for you. I figured another party would be a bit much.”

“It would,” Baekhyun agreed. There’s that creeping feeling that spreads all over his body, the kind that reminds him he can’t believe this is his life now, can’t believe someone as amazing as Kyungsoo is in it. “I think I might love your parents.”

Kyungsoo leads Baekhyun to the blue Fleetmaster, but Baekhyun slides his hand into the pair of khakis, stealing the keys out of Kyungsoo’s pocket so he can unlock and open the driver’s side door for him. Surprise and something else stare back at Baekhyun, something that always lights a flame. “Anyone else you might love?”

Above, the sky is heavy with rain clouds. Distant thunder rolls.

Baekhyun glances around. There isn’t anyone walking along the street or driving by. Most people must’ve taken shelter to prepare for the storm. It’s Kyungsoo’s favorite kind of weather. It makes his eyes darker, more impossible to resist. Baekhyun’s fingers snag the loops of Kyungsoo’s form-fitting, high-waisted pants, and tugs slightly so the other is thrown off balance. Their noses bump, and Kyungsoo gasps at the proximity, the boldness. Baekhyun really couldn’t care who saw. He needs this. He’s waited all day for it.

“There’s no might with tornado-chaser, Kyungsoo Doh. Only do,” Baekhyun says, leaning so close that their lips barely brush. “I do love you.”

Then, right as Kyungsoo murmurs those very words, eyes fluttering shut, does Baekhyun close the remaining distance as the first droplets of a thunderstorm land on his shoulders.

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo stand on the curb outside of their apartment complex. Kyungsoo embraces his parents tightly, nodding to every instruction his mother gives him. Baekhyun has already received her speech and a violent display of her love in the form of a bone-crushing-hug. He really doesn’t understand where she hides her muscles.

“Keep Kyungsoo out of trouble, don’t stay up too late, make sure you eat all your meals, and try to make sure he has fun instead of drowning in schoolwork. Call me if you need anything. I will drive down here in a heartbeat,” Mrs. Doh told him sternly, but she kissed Baekhyun’s cheek and wiped her eyes.

“I will, Mom. I’ll make sure Kyungsoo becomes the best doctor in the world,” Baekhyun said and squeaked when she wrapped her frail but steely arms around him, squeezing all the air out of him. While she move onto her son, Baekhyun turns to Mr. Doh, holding out a hand, but he doesn’t take it. Instead, he pulls Baekhyun into a hug, patting his back.

“Take care of my son,” he says.

“I’ll do my best,” Baekhyun replies, throat sticky.

“I know you will.”

Then, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo stand side by side as Mr. and Mrs. Doh pile into their car. Mrs. Doh throws kisses at them while they wave goodbye to the golden Hudson Hornet until it disappears north toward the San Francisco sun. Slowly, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo peel their feet from the sidewalk and step inside the three-floor brick apartment building. When they reach 2D, Baekhyun clears his throat, stopping Kyungsoo’s hand from contacting the brass door knob.

Kyungsoo turns to him, confused. “What?”

“You can’t go in. Not like that.”

Rose-hued lips part in surprise as Baekhyun scoops Kyungsoo into his arms.

“Baekhyun, what are you—”

Baekhyun struggles to open the door, but he does it, balancing some of Kyungsoo’s weight over his thigh, crossing over the threshold, and twirling Kyungsoo in the bare living room save for the stack of boxes that mostly came from Kyungsoo. “I heard it's bad luck if you trip or fall walking into your new home.”

Kyungsoo softly beats his fist against Baekhyun’s chest. “That’s for married couples, you fool, and I am not a bride”

“Whoops,” Baekhyun says against Kyungsoo’s lips, “I didn’t realize.”

“Mm, I think you just wanted an excuse to be all cheesy,” Kyungsoo replies between kisses. “I know you, Byun. You like to seem all tough as if nothing bothers you, but really, you’re a romantic at heart.”

Baekhyun’s hold slowly loosens, keeping their lips connected and dropping Kyungsoo to the floor one foot at a time. He hums, not even trying to disagree because… “I’ve been waiting for this moment.” His mouth moves to the tantalizing pale length of his neck, licking from his Adam’s apple to his earlobe and nipping at the pliant skin.

Kyungsoo moans and twines his fingers in the silky fabric of Baekhyun’s checkered button-up, a late graduation gift from Seungsoo. “These blasted buttons.”

Baekhyun chuckles against Kyungsoo’s pulse point. He’s probably had the same thought a hundred times by now. Kyungsoo’s shirt and khaki buttons are his old friend, his righteous enemy. It’s nice to see Kyungsoo tormented for once after a whole summer of stealing kisses in the quiet of the night, and that one night when Kyungsoo pulled over to the side of the road during another harrowing storm, turned off the Fleetmaster, and slipped between Baekhyun’s thighs to mouth at the stiffen length. Baekhyun surely thought he had died and gone to heaven then, sinking his fingers into Kyungsoo’s short hair and tugging his pants down as fast as he could.

In the rare moments they had alone, they were reckless. The first time either of them came had been when Chanyeol left to eat dinner, promising to return, and they knew how fast Chanyeol could scarf down food. It was quick, hot, and sticky on the leather chair while Kyungsoo climbed on top of Baekhyun’s lap and made quick work of his hips moving, grating on the growing bulge in Baekhyun’s jean shorts. Kyungsoo’s voice, the soft panting, his rhythmic urging of ‘come on, come on, f*ck, you’re so hot’ had Baekhyun dirtying his underwear in no time. It did not erase the flush to his cheeks when Chanyeol popped back in just as Baekhyun came down the steps with Kyungsoo in tow wearing Seungsoo’s old track pants.

They had even less time alone together because Seungsoo thought it was a good idea to spend the summer home before he graduated with his pilot’s license in December. When they weren’t with Seungsoo, Chanyeol and Jongdae had a sixth sense to come over or drag them to the meadow. It was the best summer of Baekhyun’s life.

They spent a week at Baekbeom’s in Portland, helping him finish the en-suite for Baekhyun’s mother, who was much kinder and apologetic to Kyungsoo. They even came another weekend toward the end of July to help paint and build furniture for Baekhyun’s future niece or nephew. He didn’t mind that their time was always shared with someone or doing tasks, he knew at the end of summer, they would have this time…a lot of time really…to themselves. Baekhyun promised to take advantage of it the first chance he had. Kyungsoo seems to have no protest.

“Don’t hate my buttons.” Baekhyun smirks, shimmying his chest in jest.

Kyungsoo gives him the side-eye, but he can’t fight the pull of a smile. He relents. “I don’t hate them. You look very handsome, but right now, they are in my way.”

“What will you do about that?”

Far too experienced for Baekhyun’s sanity, Kyungsoo deftly undoes the top three buttons of Baekhyun’s shirt. Baekhyun gulps.

“There,” Kyungsoo says smugly. His hand smooths over the plains of Baekhyun’s chest, tweaking a nipple as he passes.

“Better?” Baekhyun breathily asks.

There’s a slow-burning fire in his belly, pooling low.

Kyungsoo tilts his head. His gaze drops down the length of Baekhyun’s body. A swallowing darkness in the depts sends a flicker of heat to Baekhyun’s spine. “No, I’ve waiting too long for this.”

Baekhyun opens his mouth to question what he means, but Kyungsoo’s tongue is licking over the back of his teeth, drawing out a blissed-out moan from Baekhyun. All his nerve endings are haywire, struggling to keep up. Kyungsoo is incessant, pushing Baekhyun against the wall, claiming his mouth with so much want and assertiveness that Baekhyun’s knees go weak.

He tries to match him. It really has been too long, he thinks. His arm circles Kyungsoo’s lower back, drawing him closer, their hips slotting together. They both release moan. There’s a fire in Baekhyun’s belly, pooling lower and hotter as he slots his leg between Kyungsoo’s and feels the hard strain grind against him.

“f*ck,” Baekhyun hisses, moving his hips for a little relief in the burn steadily rising.

One hand is in Baekhyun’s hair, pulling at the same time Kyungsoo bites Baekhyun’s lip. A stuttering moan escapes, softened by a suck in apology. The want has always been there, flickering in Baekhyun’s chest, but now it engulfed him along with the need for more.

“I—ah, want you,” Kyungsoo says, voice deep and broken.

Baekhyun is clumsily tugging Kyungsoo’s shirt off, latching onto the first expanse of well-built shoulder offered to him. Kyungsoo is still rutting against him, but it’s a slow, painful drag that makes Baekhyun’s eyes roll to the back of his head. He has half a mind to remember Kyungsoo actually spoke words instead of breathing hotly in his ear. “Y-yeah,” Baekhyun says, grasping Kyungsoo’s hips and connecting their erections for a dirty grind. “S-so good.”

Kyungsoo’s head lolls back, sweat gleaming off his temples. “That’s, ah, not what I, m-meant.”

Baekhyun trails his tongue across pale collarbones up Kyungsoo’s neck to suck the soft joint underneath his jaw. Lips ghosting over the shell of Kyungsoo’s eardrum, he asks, “What do you mean?”

It’s as if Kyungsoo drops a bucket of ice over Baekhyun by stepping away, removing all points of contact that sizzled through Baekhyun’s clothes. He stares, slack-jawed as Kyungsoo slowly backs down the hall, finishing Baekhyun’s job of removing his shirt and letting it fall to the floor.

“More,” Kyungsoo answers, eyes so dark, so alluring. Baekhyun’s weak heart pounds louder, failing to keep up with all the blood rushing below.

“More,” Baekhyun repeats softly, hypnotized by the tanned expanse of Kyungsoo’s chest.

They had visited multiple beaches with Chanyeol, Jongdae, and even some of his prep school friends, but Baekhyun had never been allowed to ogle. His touches had to be purposeful, lingering only for a second instead of forever, only friendly instead of amorous. Time with Kyungsoo always felt like he was dancing at the edge of a cliff. The tides were too high, too dangerous to take the plunge until now, when the breeze is warm but gentle and the waves mollify, appearing like peaks of blue feathers. Baekhyun strips his shirt and steps forward to jump.

It's a dance. Kyungsoo retreats one step. Baekhyun pursues one step. Kyungsoo pops the button on his khakis. Baekhyun focuses on the fair dusting of hair that runs from Kyungsoo’s belly button to somewhere below the stretch of his briefs. The urge to crawl and follow the trail of treats in discarded clothes to worship the male before him is strong. Surely no priest could imagine the sinful pleasure before him

The jingle of Kyungsoo’s pants hitting the hardwood floor at his ankles is a chorus in Baekhyun’s ears. Kyungsoo’s briefs are mouth-wateringly tented, peaking toward his belly, a dampened spot marring the white.

“Take it off,” Kyungsoo requests demurely, biting into the ripe red plumpness of his lower lip.

Without thinking, Baekhyun obeys, groaning when the pressure around his erection is relieved from the confines of his jeans.

All of Kyungsoo’s teasing comes to an end. One second, Baekhyun is feasting on the near-naked sight just barely out of his reach. The next, he is blinking at the empty hall. He hears the rustling of a cardboard box from the bedroom and then the springs of a mattress creaking. Baekhyun steps inside his and Kyungsoo’s room, heart stopping completely at the sight.

Kyungsoo is fully naked on the bare mattress, he’s leaning back against the wall, legs spread, a jar of petroleum jelly next to his hip, and his hand on his very red, very leaking co*ck. The gaze that meets Baekhyun’s is half-lidded falling to where Baekhyun is pulling off his pants and underwear in one go. He trips on a pant leg, catching himself on the edge of the mattress and blushing at his boyfriend’s bubbling laughter. He slaps a hand to Kyungsoo’s thigh, smirking at the way he jerks.

“On second thought, I’ll prep myself,” Kyungsoo says hoarsely, glaring at him.

Baekhyun drops his eyes to the space between Kyungsoo’s legs, wetting his lips. His throat is bone dry, scratching at the word, “Please.”

One thick brow raises, chin tilting. “Please what?” Kyungsoo is still stroking his length languidly, sweeping his eyes over Baekhyun appreciatively.

“Let me,” Baekhyun rasps, falling forward to brace his arms at Kyungsoo’s side, leveling their eyes. His hand skims the soft skin of Kyungsoo’s inner thigh, fighting the smile at the little tremble of the muscle. He kisses Kyungsoo’s slightly damp forehead, nosing down his brow bone, peppering feather-light kisses down his cheek, and leaving a brief open-mouth kiss over Kyungsoo’s lips.

Kyungsoo gasps, chest heaving for a firmer touch. Baekhyun grants him what he wants, bending low to take a nipple in his mouth and circling his tongue around it. He blows cool air, vision hazy when Kyungsoo twitches, whines, “Don’t tease me.”

Baekhyun flicks his gaze up to meet swollen lips and a hungry stare. “You started it.”

“Byun—” Kyungsoo's warning tone is cut off by Baekhyun’s lips surrounding his nipple sucking, grazing the bud between his nipple. He squirms, breath fragmented and fanning the top of Baekhyun’s head. While Baekhyun nursed one with his mouth, he messages the other with his thumb. With each tremble, short exhale, and whisper of his name, heat lashes down Baekhyun’s spine.

It’s almost punishing how much Baekhyun wants Kyungsoo. He’s never wanted anyone more, will never want anyone else. He’s divine. God is real because Kyungsoo is living proof.

He isn’t very vocal, only saying Baekhyun’s name with a thinning voice that blinds Baekhyun with desire. What he doesn’t say, he displays. The twitch of his abdomen, the screwing of his eyes, the spreading of his thighs while helping Baekhyun coat his fingers with petroleum jelly. One hand cups Baekhyun’s jaw, guiding him up and up to meet in a sweet, slow kiss.

Baekhyu runs his fingers down Kyungsoo’s stomach, grasping the hot length in his palm and tantalizingly tugging at the smooth skin. Kyungsoo’s kisses become sloppier, puttering out to inhale sharply.

Baekhyun sits back on his haunches, taking in the male underneath him, the way his own long fingers wrap around the circumference of Kyungsoo’s co*ck. Precum glistens at the head. It’s beautiful. “You’re beautiful,” Baekhyun tells him. “So so perfect.”

Kyungsoo looks at him with an unreadable stare, but Baekhyun knows that smile. It's soft, fond, and reminds Baekhyun why he was drawn to Kyungsoo in the first place. Why he loves him. He has to tell him it in every way he can, savoring this moment he never thought would happen. “I love you,” Baekhyun whispers to the juncture of Kyungsoo’s hip to thigh.

“…love you,” he says to the soft roundness of his belly.

“…love you,” he says against the heated skin of his length.

“…love you,” he says before lapping the swollen tip of his co*ck.

“f*ck, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo curses, thrusting up. “Just…just…” He can’t complete the thought lost somewhere in the sensation and visuals of Baekhyun taking the head of his co*ck into his mouth and swallowing. Kyungsoo’s fingers thread through Baekhyun’s hair, thighs trapping the head between them.

It’s Baekhyun’s second time taking Kyungsoo into his mouth but it is one of his favorite things. He loves the salt taste, the weight on his tongue, the smooth skin against his lips. When Kyungsoo had first blown him, Baekhyun came too embarrassingly fast, taking them both by surprise. Baekhyun was honestly a little scared Kyungsoo would nearly choke him if he came unexpectedly in his mouth, but he quickly got over that fear when Kyungsoo’s shallow breath filled the space of the car as Baekhyun licked at the tip.

Kyungsoo was considerate, telling Baekhyun he was close so Baekhyun could suction the head. The taste wasn’t pleasant but well-deserved when Kyungsoo licked into his mouth, praising him.

Baekhyun doesn’t try to take Kyungsoo deeper. He presses his tongue against the head, molding around the shape while a jelly-covered finger brushes his pernenium then circling the tight ring of muscles. It twitches against Baekhyun’s touch. He gazes up at Kyungsoo as he pushes his fingertip in. Kyungsoo tenses, fluttering around the intrusion, but he nods at Baekhyun once he’s still. Baekhyun sinks his finger deeper, creates a gentle rhythm of moving in and out without slipping fully out.

Breathing through his nose, Kyungsoo’s chest shallowly rises and flushes when Baekhyun begins to take his co*ck a little further into his mouth. A second finger spreads over his rim, asking for a sign to add it.

“Soo,” Baekhyun whispers, his breath teasing the cooling spit on Kyungsoo’s co*ck. “Can I?”

Kyungsoo’s presses his lips together, swallows, and stutters an answer, “Y-yeah.”

Baekhyun kisses his thigh, nosing at the flinching balls. It’s tight.

Kyungsoo hisses at the intrusion. “Slower—f*ck—wait.”

Baekhyun freezes.

Kyungsoo takes a few deep breaths and then says, “Okay.”

Proceeding, Baekhyun moves at a snail's pace inserting a second finger. It takes longer for Kyungsoo to adjust. Baekhyun doesn’t let his mind imagine what the clenching heat around his finger would feel around his very desperate, leaking co*ck. Instead, he focuses on the little by little Kyungsoo’s brows unfurl from its knot at the center. He tries curling his fingers as Kyungsoo begins to relax. Suddenly, Kyungsoo’s lip pops from his teeth’s grasp, and a starling loud, throaty moan escapes.

Baekhyn is startled, unmoving.

“There,” Kyungsoo rasps. The depth, the rawness of his voice making Baekhyun impossibly stiffen more. It does something to him.

His finger presses back into that spot, his teeth latch onto Kyungsoo’s inner thigh and sucks. Kyungsoo’s whole body shakes, another long moan filling the room and spurring Baekhyun to press more insistently, drawing a third finger to coast Kyungsoo’s hole.

This time he watches the pink, puffy rim wink against Baekhyun’s finger. He’s mesmerized. It’s almost like a mouth, quivering and swallowing around the insertion.

“f*ck, Kyungsoo. You’re so—” f*cking hot. Baekhyun could probably cum like this by just fingering Kyungsoo’s ass, but they came this far and he’s so hard, nearly purple with the want to experience that tight heat fully wrap around him. “I wish you could see yourself. You’re just sucking me in. It’s so hot.”

Kyungsoo moans at Baekhyun’s words or maybe with the feeling of three fingers inside him, spreading him. “You’re—ah—fingers are p-perfect. S-so long,” he hiccups.

Baekhyun surges up, kissing Kyungsoo deeply. Legs wrap around his waist. The hold on Baekhyun’s fingers tighten, easing at the new position.

“Perfect,” Kyungsoo murmurs, angling his head, saliva connecting their tongue, “so perfect. ‘m ready.”

“Yeah?” Baekhyun's breath quickens.

He sits back again, takes his fingers out of Kyungsoo’s hole, and watches how it gasps around nothing. Baekhyun nearly sobs when his hand comes in contact with his own dick. It’s been neglected for so long. It's too sensitive. He seethes while coating it with a layer of jelly and aligning his hips with Kyungsoo’s.

He grips Kyungsoo’s thigh with one hand, guiding the tip of his weeping co*ck to the pouting rim. Kyungsoo seizes, digging his fingers into the edge of the mattress.

Baekhyun releases Kyungsoo’s thigh and smoothes the taut muscles of his stomach. “Shh. I won’t move. You tell me.”

Kyungsoo cutely shakes his head, eyes cinched shut. “I-I trust you.”

Baekhyun fits between Kyungsoo’s legs, leaning over him as he tries once more to press the tip in. He almost stops again when Kyungsoo stops breathing, but he continues, his own lungs struggling for air, as he presses in and the head of his co*ck slides in. They both exhale at the same time. If Baekhyun thought the neglect was punishing, this is worse yet a thousand times better.

The grip on his tip is suffocating in the best way possible, but he has to fight every nerve in his body telling him to sink further. He doesn’t want to hurt Kyungsoo, dealing with the pain of waiting until he’s comfortable. Waiting feels like an hour but a second. Kyungsoo doesn’t even say anything, just wraps his legs around Baekhyun and pulls him forward.

“f*ck!” The breath is knocked out of Baekhyun. He pants over Kyungsoo, and then there’s a demanding mouth over his, a tongue curling around his. Kyungsoo grinds back and Baekhyun babbles into his shoulder, “Christ, Soo, so f*cking tight, I’m going to die. You’ll kill me, I swear it.”

Kyungsoo clenches around him, flashing the hottest smirk known to man.

Baekhyun isn’t sure if he moans from the sight or the feeling squeezing his dick so deliciously. He has a vise grip on Kyungsoo’s hip as he draws back and thrusts forward. Kyungsoo’s mouth drops open, clawing down Baekhyun’s side.

Baekhyun moves again, watching where they connect. It is just the beginning of them, of their lives together. Kyungsoo’s own length bobs. More precum collecting just below his belly button. His thrusts pick up in rhythm. He can’t last long. His skin prickles, little fireworks shooting down his limbs, charging all his nerves. He brings Kyungsoo flush against him, pressing as deep as he can.

Kyungsoo’s pupils disappear, crying out and tightening even more around him. “Theretherethere, Baekhyunbaekhyunbaekhyun,” he chants.

Baekhyun threads their fingers together, drawing Kyungsoo back to him, slowing the pace for one second. He’s nodding and slurring, “G-gonna come soon. You’re s-so good.”

Kyungsoo spreads his legs further apart, managing a muffled intelligible agreement. “Mmm—ah.”

Then Baekhyun drives his hips forward, chasing the sparks flaring down his belly and igniting a rapidly rising heat. He grabs Kyungsoo’s length, stroking irregularly and making noises he’s never uttered before, losing himself to the engulfing feeling, Kyungsoo’s panting, the constricting in his balls and then exploding with a strangled whimper. Kyungsoo follows a second later, spilling into Baekhyun’s fist, weakly moving his hips.

Baekhyun collapses next to him, a loose grin dawning on his face when Kyungsoo’s eyes meet. For no reason, he laughs, and Kyungsoo joins, fully laying beside him. Baekhyun’s not sure they lay like that, but his limbs are boneless, eyelids heavy.

“Can we just stay like this?” he asks.

“I’m not sleeping without sheets on the bed,” Kyungsoo says gruffly.

Baekhyun pouts at the ceiling. “But we need to push our beds together.”

Kyungsoo pats Baekhyun’s hip and sits up. “Precisely. Let's shower, and then get some Italian. I saw a place down the street. They might have the world’s best alfredo.”

“Impossible,” Baekhyun sighs, soaking up the sight of Kyungsoo naked, hair mussed, puffy nipples, a rosey hickey at his thigh.

Kyungsoo catches his leering stare and rolls his eyes, but he plants a languid kiss over Baekhyun’s lips. “C’mon. If you want another round, I need food.”

Baekhyun perks up, stumbling over his words at the prospect. “Okay, okay, yeah. I could do you for the rest of my life.”

Kyungsoo snorts but brings his palm against Baekhyun’s cheek. “I hope so. You might have escaped town, but you’re never escaping me.”

“I don’t need to escape anywhere as long as you’re with me,” Baekhyun replies saccharinely, feeling a softer warmth in his chest but just as consuming.

Kyungsoo pretends to stare blankly before his lips spread into the most beautiful smile that quite literally takes Baekhyun’s breath away. “You’re so cheesy.”

“You like it,” Baekhyun teases, swinging his legs over the bed.

Kyungsoo throws his arms over Baekhyun’s shoulders. “I more than like it.”

If you asked Baekhyun a year ago where he sees himself in August of 1959, it was most definitely not in Stanford California, just freshly moved into an apartment, and in love with a prep kid from the Midwest who had an unexplainable fascination with tornadoes and wants to be a pediatrician. He couldn’t even imagine meeting someone like Kyungsoo and sharing the same feelings for one another.

In all honesty, he was dreading August of 1959. He would have to say goodbye to Chanyeol, accept he won’t see Jongdae nearly as much anymore, and realize he’s not good enough for college or the big city or anywhere other than the little house by a set of train tracks. All it took was for someone to believe in him, to tell him when his doubts were louder than words, and to show him that he could achieve it on his own (and with the loving support from his unofficial in-laws).

Epilogue

Portland, Oregon – December 25, 2012

“God. You’re old,” Jongdae says, grimacing as he walks through the mid-century home.

“Kyungsoo doesn’t look a day over sixty,” Baekhyun immediately shouts from the kitchen.

Kyungsoo shakes his head from where he sat in the large recliner, a book neatly splayed over his lap.

“His mind is going,” Jongdae says, thanking Yoora who helps take off his coat.

Baekhyun stomps in with just as much energy as he did a decade ago and pointedly waves a spatula at Jongdae’s face. “You’re the one who looks his age, old man.”

Jongdae squawks just as loudly as he did when he was a child, turning to Yoora for her denial. She smiles sweetly, eyes crinkling so prettily. Jongdae harrumphs. “Baekhyun is 98% bullsh*t and hasn’t matured since he was seventeen. Remember when you smoked a pack a day? It’s divine intervention your lungs haven’t failed you.”

Baekhyun preens as if it were a compliment. “Kyungsoo and I take an hour's walk every day, and I garden, and I’m—”

“—vegan on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays,” Jongdae finishes for him, scowling.

“And Sunday too now. The Lord shall cleanseth me,” Baekhyun says to the sky.

“Heavens,” Jongdae mutters.

“If anyone acts seventy-one, it’s Chanyeol,” Yoora says, and Kyungsoo laughs so hard he slaps the arm of the recliner.

“He never shuts up about his back,” Baekhyun bemoans. “Kyungsoo threatens to whack him with his walking stick every time he says it.”

“I tell him each time to go see my friend about it, but then he’ll just whine and say he’ll be put on pain medication or recommend surgery, and recovering from the surgery will be the thing that puts him in the grave,” Kyungsoo says.

Somehow, over the years, the four friends ended up moving to the same city. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were first, moving to Portland in 1971 wanting to be near Baekbeom and his three daughters, who adored their weird uncles, and Kyungsoo got a great position at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital as a pediatric hospitalist, where he eventually retired as Director of Pediatrics.

Jongdae picks up the frame with four familiar faces in it. “Yahhh, I looked so good back then,” he praises and then sneezes. “No wonder Kyungsoo has a cold all the time. There’s so much dust around here. It will kill you.”

“Plenty of things can kill us, Jongdae. Dust is the least of my worries,” Kyungsoo says placidly.

Baekhyun swipes the frame out of Jongdae’s hand just as Chanyeol hobbles into the room after using the bathroom for thirty minutes as soon as he arrived. In the photo is a yellowed picture of Jongdae, Yoora, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo in front of their houses, beaming with a stack of boxes underneath Jongdae’s carport. Jongdae and Yoora moved next door in 1975 to be two hours away from Jongdeok and his family stationed as an engineer south of Portland instead of five hours while in Seattle.

Baekhyun puts the frame back down on the mantle, skimming over the same pictures he looked at for decades. Him, his mother, and Baekbeom together with his first niece right before she passed two years after graduating from rehab and being sober during that time. A picture of him with his arm around Kyungsoo in front of his just-opened garage for classic car repair and restoration. A black and white photo from their early twenties with Baekhyun on the piano in a thrift store tux, Kyungsoo, also dressed dapper, crooning into a mic, likely performing their rendition of their song, Bing Crosby’s “I Can’t Begin to Tell You”. Baekhyun tended to perform at jazz bars or co*cktail lounges when Kyungsoo had late nights studying or during his residency.

On the wall is a sneaky photo Kyungsoo took of Baekhyun and Baekbeom building the treehouse for Baekhyun’s three nieces. The brothers bonded over interior design, starting and finishing home improvement projects on their houses, one of which was the floor-length library Kyungsoo demanded. It is still his favorite room in the house even though Baekhyun pouts and says he worked extra hard on the patio.

“Where’s Baekbeom?” Jongdae asks, groaning as he sits on the sofa.

“He should be here soon,” Kyungsoo says, eyeing his watch. “My nephew too.”

Seungsoo moved all over the US, flying commercially for forty years and taking his family wherever he went. When Seungsoo’s son finished high school, he came to live with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo while attending Reed College to study political science, promising his uncles to be a politician and advocate for same-sex marriage.

Kyungsoo said he was crazy and not to waste his time. They were too old for marriage and could afford their taxes. Baekhyun, who had bought Kyungsoo an unofficial wedding ring when they were twenty-five, clapped his nephew on the back and gave him an extra serving of dinner every time the boy vowed. Two weeks ago, their nephew was one of those who signed the bill to be passed in the state of Washington. Kyungsoo did cry when his nephew came over with the news.

Seungsoo passed away five years ago, and Kyungsoo still calls his cell phone every once in a while to hear it ring. Secretly, Baekhyun dials their nephew, hinting for him to give his uncle a call when he has the chance. Kyungsoo’s phone never fails to ring a few minutes later, an unsuspecting, delighted smile blooming on his handsome (but aging) face.

Yoora, who took a trip down memory lane in the photos (even though she has seen these pictures for decades and even has a few duplicates in her own home), lingers in the ‘wedding hall’ when Baekhyun put up all the photos from everyone’s wedding. She giggles, pointing to the only picture that wasn’t from an official ceremony. It’s a picture of Baekhyun and Kyungsoo trapping Chanyeol and Jongdae in their arms at Chester Morse Lake the year three of them graduated from university and arranged a reunion back home. It is also when Baekhyun and Kyungsoo decided to tell them about their four year relationship.

“I won’t ever forget Jongdae’s face when you told him,” Yoora says.

“I can’t believe you knew and kept it from me all those years,” Jongdae whined. “I felt like the worst friend ever for not knowing.”

“Chanyeol looked stupider,” Baekhyun says. “Do you remember what he said?”

“It was a valid question!” Chanyeol shouts. Even with hearing aids, he doesn’t realize his voice is decibels louder than Jongdae’s.

“It was kind of obvious it you took a minute to think,” Jongdae tells him, getting into a volume match.

Baekhyun grins at the noise. He likes it when their house is full of people, but he also loves having Kyungsoo all to himself. Even after all these years, Baekhyun is just as in love and needy for Kyungsoo’s sole attention as he was as a teenager.

There were times when Baekhyun wished he could’ve fulfilled his vision of Kyungsoo’s American Dream (minus the wife—thank you): white picket fence, dog, and two kids. Kyungsoo had to remind him that he never said it was his dream to have all those things. He’s around kids all the time at work. He loves Baekbeom’s daughters. He loves Seungsoo’s son and daughter. With the addition of Jongdae and Yoora to the neighborhood, a little Jongdae came shortly after the move. He didn’t get a dog once in college. It was Baekhyun who brought home a stray in their third year of living together in Stnaford.

Chanyeol, like Baekhyun, could not be far from his sibling’s child. Little Jongdae had his shaggy-haired, big-eared giant uncle tied around his little pinky. He moved two years later two blocks away after landing a full-time position hosting the morning radio where he met his second love (supposedly the first was not Sunny). Soon they had a little Miss Chanyeol in their midst.

As soon as Baekhyun lamented their empty nest to the quiet of their home, it was Kyungsoo who secretly called Jongdae, Baekbeom, or Chanyeol, to bring their kids over for a sleepover. Baekhyun was the first to pass out amongst the children, always in the middle of playing some game. Kyungsoo found it endearing. Somehow their little life was complete enough. Their fence wasn’t white (Kyungsoo liked wood stain), but it enclosed the backyard for the, not one but, two dogs.

Since Chanyeol moved to Portland, holidays became a grand affair. In the warmer months, they set up tables under the connected carports between the Kim’s and Byun-Doh’s houses and feasted together with munchkins running between yards, Baekhyun protecting his fur babies for the menace little Jongdae, and a mix of family, blood or not, mingling together.

Mr. and Mrs. Park would always come over, spoiling their grandbabies, but still stern on their real babies. Mr. and Mrs. Kim would be there as long as Jongdeok had the days off to make the trip. The Doh’s would alternate between Seungsoo and Kyungsoo for the holiday until they grew too feeble to make the trip, and Seungsoo ended up settling in their large Victorian mansion (“It isn’t a mansion, Baekhyun.”). As they got older, fewer people attended and their parents passed, except Mrs. Kim who is livelier than Jongdeok and nags him every day. The kids grew up and began families of their own, alternating holidays they spent with them or their in-laws.

This year is different. Baekhyun, unbeknownst to his best friends, requested all their offspring make the trip to be together for the holidays. The house is going to be packed, but it lasted forty-plus years and the foundation is much better than Baekhyun’s childhood home, one over-populated holiday won’t bring it down.

Chanyeol’s daughter and her husband are next to arrive. Then Kyungsoo’s nephew and his boyfriend, it isn’t until the prodigal son, little menace Jongdae and his family of six, for the elder Jongdae to catch on.

“Wait. What is going on here? I thought it was just going to be the Silent Generation attending,” Jongdae wheezes as his army of grandchildren climbs over him. Little Jongdae grins wickedly. He didn’t just inherit his father’s name. Yoora coos at all her grandbabies.

Baekbeom is the last to arrive, which was expected, being helped by his strapping son-in-laws and three nieces in tow. They all come to give a kiss to both their uncles’ cheeks after setting down platters of food in the kitchen.

Kyungsoo is having a hushed conversation with Seungsoo’s two kids, holding onto his niece’s hand when Baekhyun clears his throat gaining his attention. He is helped to stand and crosses over the room to wrap an arm around Baekhyun’s waist.

“Hear ye, hear ye,” Baekhyun announces.

“Speak up!” Chanyeol bellows.

Kyungsoo raises his walking stick threateningly.

“As you all know my favorite nephew—”

“Your only nephew,” said nephew retorts, grinning.

Baekhyun continues ignoring the comment. “As you all know my Politian nephew along with the wonderful public of Washington State passed a bill two weeks ago that legalized same-sex marriage.”

Cheers erupted in the room, the loudest coming from Baekhyun’s trio of nieces.

“If you didn’t know, Kyungsoo and I have been partners for fifty-two—”

“Fifty-three,” Kyungsoo corrects.

“—fifty-three years.”

Jongdae gasps. “You like men? That isn’t God’s way.”

“Go to hell, Jongdae,” Kyungsoo barks out a laugh until it turns into a deep cough. Baekhyun rubs his back.

“But-but how do you have sex?” Yoora tittered, repeating Chanyeol’s question from all those years ago. Little menace Jongdae chastises his mom, worrying for his children’s young ears. She shushes him, “Your father and uncle said worse things around you.”

Chanyeol’s face, though wrinkled and worn, still flushes with embarrassment. “It’s valid!”

“Anyways,” Baekhyun says, steering the conversation back on track. “We invited you here not only to celebrate the birth of the Almighty but to join us for Kyungsoo and I’s wedding.”

“Oh my f*cking god!” Yoora shouts, bursting into tears. This time, little menace Jongdae appropriately chastises her, but it’s too late.

Jongdae is using all 100% of his shriveling lungs to shout, “Hell yeah!”

Chanyeol forgets his age, stands up too quickly, and nearly crushes the Jongdae’s army of oblivious grandchildren, coming to wrap his long, thin arms around Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. Then, unexpectedly, kisses them both on the mouth. “I’m so happy for you guys,” he hoarsely says while beaming through the tears streaming down his face.

“Alright, alright,” Baekhyun says over the noise, trying to gain control of the room again. Kyungsoo is giving him that fond smile he knows like the back of his hand. Finally, he thinks. “I know it’s a little chilly, but we set up a little ceremony on the patio. My favorite politician, nephew will be doing us the honors as our officiant. Please put your coats and scarves on and make your way.”

“You won’t be married as long as Yoora and I have been,” Jongdae says in passing.

“Technically, we’ve been together before you two. Remind me what took you so long to ask her to be your girlfriend.” Baekhyun fires back, laughing at the withering expression on his best friend’s face.

Once alone in their living, Kyungsoo grabs Baekhyun’s hand and asks, “Ready?”

“You’re not escaping me now, Kyungsoo Doh,” Baekhyun replies, squeezing their hands and leaving one last soft kiss over his lips before they become husbands.

Kyungsoo’s smile is still heart-heart-heartful. Only thinner and not as luscious. His eyes curl, disappearing underneath the sag of his lids. “I’ve chased after your storm this long, why not do it ‘til death do us part?”

THE END