Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Taehyun please." Soobin begs for the hundredth time.

"No Soobin hyung. I cannot agree. You know how it went last time." Taehyun is determined in his decision.

"He really needs it Tae. He won't be a bother. I promise. He really needs a place to stay for a while." 

Taehyun sighs. He's been friends with Soobin since high school and Soobin really never asked for any serious favours until now.

"You see, Beomgyu is going through a tough time right now, and having a stable living arrangement could really help him out. He's like a brother to me. Please Tae." Soobin begs. 

Taehyun is in his last year of studying medicine and he cannot afford having any sort of distractions right now. His previous roommates have been pain in the ass. He doesn't want to have a repetition of last time. But now that Soobin is asking him for letting someone named Beomgyu to stay in his apartment, he cannot help but to agree.

"I'll consider it, but we need to set some ground rules if we decide to go through with this." Taehyun finally gives in.

Soobin breathes a sigh of relief. "You're a lifesaver Tae."

Taehyun did not need a roommate. He always has a hard time adjusting with other people. By the time he has already gotten used to them, they'd already up and left. Besides, he could pay his rent himself.

Beomgyu has finally had enough of the abuse. He has been living with Myung Dae for nearly a year and the physical and mental toll it had taken on him has been immense. He is getting ready to move out, but before he can Myung Dae found him packing.

"Where are you going?" Myung Dae asks in a tight voice.

Beomgyu takes a deep breath and replies, "I'm leaving. I'm not going to stay with you anymore."

Myung Dae's face contorts in anger and he steps closer to Beomgyu. "How could you just walk away after all this time?" he snarls. "Don't you understand how much I've done for you? I supported you and opened my home to you. You owe me this!"

Beomgyu steps back, trying not to succumb to the guilt he was feeling. He has come to realize that he has done nothing wrong, and that the abuse is something he could not live with any longer. He refused to be intimidated by Myung Dae anymore.

"This has nothing to do with debt. I'm leaving, and that's final," Beomgyu declares firmly.

Myung Dae took a step back. "Fine," he said coldly. "We'll see how you do on your own."

Beomgyu was a dreamer. Ever since he was a little boy, his head was always up in the clouds, lost in a world of his own creation. When adults would ask him, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' he could never give them a straight answer. How could he, when his mind was filled with endless possibilities and endless dreams? To define is to limit they say. So he never defined himself. Rain falling from the clouds don't know whether they'll fall into a river or sea or whether their fate is forever caged into a fixed area of an artificial pool. Like a raindrop falling from the sky. Beomgyu had left it all to destiny. 

He wanted to be a musician, at first. Music was his passion, his escape from the real world. He would spend hours strumming on his guitar, lost in the melodies and lyrics he created. But then, his dad broke his guitar one day, in a fit of drunken rage. From that day on, his dad's abuse only got worse. Beomgyu's dreams of becoming a musician were shattered, along with his guitar.

He ran away from home, unable to take the abuse any longer. He didn't have a plan, didn't know where he was going, but anything was better than staying with his father. He wandered the streets, with nowhere to go, until he stumbled upon an old acquaintance from high school - Myung Dae.

Myung Dae was charming and charismatic, and had always been popular in school. He had been Beomgyu's first love, but things didn't work out between them. Yet, when Myung Dae saw Beomgyu in such a vulnerable state, he took him in without a second thought.

Beomgyu was grateful for Myung Dae's kindness, but he soon realized that it came with a price. Myung Dae had a gambling addiction, and he would often take money from Beomgyu to fuel this addiction. At first, Beomgyu would give the money willingly, wanting to help the person who had given him a place to stay. But as time went on, he started to feel trapped and used.

He wanted to leave for so long, but he had nowhere else to go. Myung Dae knew this and used it to his advantage. He would threaten to kick Beomgyu out if he didn't comply with his demands. Beomgyu felt like he had no choice but to stay and endure the abuse, both verbal and physical, from Myung Dae.

Soobin was kind enough to find him a new living space and he's thankful for that. Beomgyu lets out a sigh of relief as he finished packing. He knows that it was the right decision for him, and he is ready to start a new life without fear of abuse. 

Will Myung Dae really let go of him that easily?

"Okay so first of all, no playing loud music and secondly not making any loud noise and talking loudly on the phone. Can you do that?" Taehyun asks the boy sitting in front of him with two luggage bags by his feet.

"I won't be a bother I promise." Beomgyu states.

The boy is almost his height if not an inch taller but the way he sits makes him look like so much smaller than he intends to be. His eyes roam around his surroundings to find anything suspicious, he cannot sit still and he keeps fixing his hair. Over-all his whole stature screams that he's anxious. Beomgyu doesn't say anything to him, having heard from Soobin about how he was abused by his ex boyfriend.

"I hope we get along." Taehyun simply says before retreating to his room to study for his test, leaving Beomgyu in his too empty spare room.

__

Taehyun had been studying for days, trying to get ahead of exams that are months away. He had no idea when he decided to take a break and look out onto his balcony that he would find his new housemate in tears.

Beomgyu, was sitting on the wooden floor with his knees pulled in close to his chest. 

Why is he crying?

He didn't flinch when Taehyun carefully opened the door without making any sound.

"Beomgyu? What's going on? Why are you crying?" Taehyun initially thought of letting him be but he feels curious about the boy's situation all of a sudden.

Beomgyu flinches at Taehyun's sudden presence. He's quite embarassed to be seen crying by his new roommate. "Hey, Taehyun. I didn't mean to bother you." He sniffles, quickly wiping away a few stray tears.

"You're not bothering me." Taehyun sits besides Beomgyu. "Are you okay?" He asks, regretting the next second cause Beomgyu is clearly not okay.

"It's just... I've been thinking about some stuff from the past, and it's hitting me hard tonight. I hate how I let myself be used." It's almost midnight, Beomgyu is tired, he cannot hide his emotions any more

"You can talk to me." Taehyun assures, "What happened?" He asks, "you can share with me if you want."

"I never really told anyone about this besides Soobin hyung, but my ex-boyfriend was... he was abusive. Physically and emotionally." He says in a low voice, being ashamed at himself.

Taehyun isn't surprised. He knew this. But he didn't know that the extent of it reached to physical abuse.

"Beomgyu, I had no idea. I'm so sorry you went through that." Taehyun says lightly draping his arms around Beomgyu's shoulder to which the boy hissed, "Ouch, careful it hurts."

"Did he do that?" Taehyun asks knowing very well that the answer will be yes. His blood boils. He doesn't know this boy very well but he already feels protective over him in some way.

Beomgyu doesn't say anything for a while. Both of them stay seated in the dark under the moon's pale white light.

"I thought I was over it, but tonight, it's like all the memories came flooding back." He starts again. He doesn't know why but Taehyun feels like someone very close to him. So he doesn't hide anything. He sobs in his palms while Taehyun keeps rubbing circles on his back.

"You're not alone anymore Gyu. If you ever need to talk or if you're feeling overwhelmed, I'm always here for you." He says. "Well not during my exam season though." He jokes, earning a small laugh from the crying boy.

"Thanks, Tyun. It means a lot. I just... I needed someone to know. I couldn't tell all this to Soobin hyung because he's very soft hearted." Taehyun smiles internally at his new nick name.

"You're brave for sharing this with me. We'll get through it together." Taehyun promises with determination in his voice.

__

Beomgyu wakes up early the next morning to prepare a special breakfast for Taehyun. He wanted to show his appreciation for the support he had received the night before. As the aroma of kimchi fried rice fills the air, he hums a tune, feeling content.

Meanwhile, Taehyun is still in bed, revising few lessons . He had only slept a few hours, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. The events of the previous night had taken a toll on him, but he was grateful that Beomgyu had confided in him.

Taehyun drags himself out of bed and makes his way to the kitchen, where he finds Beomgyu bustling about, a smile on his face.

"Wow, what's all this?" Taehyun asks, his voice tinged with surprise.

"Just a little thank you for being there for me last night," Beomgyu replied, placing a plate in front of Taehyun.

Taehyun's eyes widens as he takes in the spread. "You didn't have to do this, but thank you. It looks amazing."

Beomgyu beams at him. "I wanted to. Now, dig in before it gets cold."

As they eat, Taehyun cannot help but smile at Beomgyu's efforts. It has been a while since he had seen his roommate in such high spirits, and it warmed his heart.

"You know, you really didn't have to go through all this trouble just to thank me," Taehyun says, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Beomgyu waved a hand dismissively. "It's no trouble at all. Besides, it's the least I could do after dumping all my problems on you last night."

Taehyun chuckled, the sound genuine and light. "Well, I didn't mind. We all need someone to lean on from time to time."

After they finishes eating, Beomgyu clears the table, humming a soft melody to himself. Taehyun watches him, feeling a warmth spread through him at the sight of Beomgyu's easy demeanor.

"Thanks for this," Taehyun said, his voice filled with sincerity.

Beomgyu turned to him, a soft smile on his lips. "Anytime, Taehyun. That's what roommates are for, right?"

As they shared a smile, Taehyun knew that their bond had grown stronger. It was moments like these that made him grateful for the friendship they shared.

---

Beomgyu is reading a book on his bed when he hears a knock on his door. His heartbeat accelerates in fear of who he might see to open the door. He opens the door to see Taehyun standing with a small bowl of strawberries. Beomgyu raises an eyebrow in confusion. 

Taehyun grins and says, "I bought these as a thank you for you cooking lunch."

Beomgyu smiles in gratitude and invites him in. He takes a strawberry in his hand. He had never tasted one before, but soon as he took a bite he immediately fell in love. The sweet and slightly tangy flavor burst in his mouth, and he cannot get enough. He quickly finishes the bowl. 

"I can't believe I've never had strawberries before," Beomgyu said. "They're amazing!"

"What?" Taehyun looks at him in disbelief. "You've never eaten strawberries?"

"I mean they're pretty expensive so never really tried." Beomgyu states. "But I love the taste. Thanks for introducing it to me."

Taehyun looks at the curtain haired boy with his boba eyes and a soft smile on his lips. "Anytime, Beomgyu. That's what roommates are for, right?"

From that day onwards their shared fridge never runs out of strawberries and Beomgyu never try to figure out how.

Chapter Text

Beomgyu is busy cleaning up the apartment he has been living in with Taehyung for the past few months. He has always been particular about keeping his living space tidy and organised, and today was no different. Beomgyu puts on his favourite music playlist as he is wiping down the countertops in the kitchen when he spots something out of the corner of his eye. He doesn't give it much thought and ignores it. As he sweeps the living room floor, he notices that the object is a familiar case at the back of Taehyung's cupboard. Curiosity got the best of him, and he reached for the case, pulling it out onto the couch.

To his surprise, the case contained Taehyun's old guitar. Beomgyu is surprised to know that Taehyun used to play the guitar. As he dusts off the case and opens it, Beomgyu cannot help but feel a wave of nostalgia wash over him. He cannot help but feel a pang of sadness wash over him as he remembers his own father breaking his own guitar in a fit of rage.

He slowly picks up the guitar, running his fingers over the familiar strings. Memories of him playing his own fill his mind, and he cannot help but feel a sense of longing to hear the sweet sound of music once again.

Without realising it, Beomgyu begins to strum the guitar, the chords coming back to him effortlessly. He closes his eyes and lets the music take over, feeling a sense of peace and contentment fill him.

As he continued to play, lost in the moment, he didn't hear Taehyun come home from work. It wasn't until Taehyun stood in the doorway, a small smile on his face, that Beomgyu noticed his presence.

Slowly, Beomgyu's fingers came to a stop on the strings, and a small smile appeared on his face as he handed the guitar over to Taehyun.

"I didn't know you could play," Taehyun said, his eyes shining with admiration.

Beomgyu shrugs, feeling a little shy all of a sudden. "I used to play a little when I was younger, but then my dad broke my guitar," he explained, his voice tinged with sadness.

Taehyun's smile falters for a moment before he gently places a hand on Beomgyu's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't know," he said softly.

Beomgyu shrugs again, trying to brush off the memories. "It's okay; I'm just glad I can still play a little," he said, trying to put on a brave face.

Taehyun handed the guitar back to Beomgyu and took a seat next to him on the couch. 'Well, I think you should play more often. It sounds beautiful,' he said, a genuine smile on his face.

Beomgyu cannot help but smile back. "Maybe I will," he said, feeling a sense of comfort and acceptance from the boba-eyed boy. "But you have to sing."

"But I haven't sung in a long time." Taehyun protests. "But if you insist, I will, but don't blame me if the neighbours make noise complaints." Taehyun said, earning a small laugh from Beomgyu.

They sut on their balcony, and Beomgyu plays the guitar and sings his heart out. Taehyun sang along, their voices and hearts in perfect harmony. It was in that moment that Beomgyu realised the joy of living in their shared apartment. It wasn't just a place to live, but a place where they could share their passions and dreams and build a strong bond that would last a lifetime. Probably.

After the guitar incident, Taehyung had spent the last few days locked in his room, frantically studying for his exams. He had been feeling exhausted, stressed, and on the brink of a mental breakdown. He let out a sigh of relief as he stepped out of the examination hall. He had studied hard and given his best, but the pressure of exams always took a toll on him. But finally, the last exam was over, and he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

As he collapsed on his bed, Beomgyu burst into his room with a bright smile on her face. "Congratulations, Tae! You survived the exams!" he exclaims, jumping next to him in his bed.

"How did it go?' Beomgyu asked.

Taehyun smiled wearily. "It was tough, but I think I managed to do okay." Taehyun said, sitting up and leaning against the headboard, when suddenly Beomgyu put his arms around his waist and placed his head on his lap.

'He has been very clingy and touchy lately,' Taehyun thinks to himself, 'Not that I mind. Maybe that's his love language' he further debates in his mind.

'Wait, love?' His string of thoughts gets broken when Beomgyu holds his hand and starts shaking it. "Let's go celebrate!" He requests like a little child.

Beomgyu then starts patting Taehyun on the back, saying, "You deserve a break after all that hard work. Let's go somewhere to refresh your mind."

"Let's go to that new cafe down the street. I've heard they have some amazing food and a calm ambiance." Taehyun suggested thinking of delicious food and a peaceful environment. Beomgyu agreed.

___

As they reached the cafe, the warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee welcomed them. They found a cosy corner and ordered their favourite meals.

As they chatted and laughed, Taehyun started to feel more relaxed and happy. The weight of exams seemed to disappear as he sipped his coffee and enjoyed the delicious food.

Taehyun is busy listening to whatever Beomgyu is animatedly talking about when he notices fresh cream on Beomgyu's cheek.

'Oh my God, he looks so cute.' He thinks to himself. 'Shut up. Wait, do you actually find him cute? C'mon, Tae, you know he's unavailable,' One side of his brain says. 'But look how pouty his lips are and his sweater paws!' Another part argues.

"Wait, you have something on your cheek." He says shutting his brain off.

Beomgyu reaches for a napkin. "Where? I'll just clean it off."

Taehyung snatches the napkin from Beomgyu and says, "Here, let me do it." He gently wipes the cream off his cheek.

B blushes a bright crimson, sending Taehyun's brain into haywire. "Thanks. I didn't even notice."

But soon they both laughed it off and continued to enjoy their time at the cafe.

As they left the cafe, Taehyun felt rejuvenated and refreshed.

He turned to Beomgyu with a smile and said, "Thanks for dragging me out of our apartment. I needed this."

Beomgyu grinned, his heart clenching at the word "our apartment." "Anytime. Let's make this our little post-exam tradition."

Taehyun's heart fills with the joy of a promise for a future together.

Taehyun and Beomgyu spent the entire day strolling through the city. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and they were both smiling from ear to ear. It had been awhile since they were able to just relax and enjoy each other's company without any worries.

Beomgyu cannot believe how lucky he is to have a person like Taehyun as his roommate. He is sweet, caring, and always knows how to make Beomgyu laugh. As they sat down on a bench to rest, they shared some snacks and laughed about silly things. Beomgyu cannot help but feel grateful for finding Taehyun in his life, especially during the most difficult time of his life.

Little did they know, someone had been watching them from afar for a long time.

Suddenly, Beomgyu froze as he spotted his ex-boyfriend, Myung Dae, walking towards them with a menacing look in his eyes. Beomgyu's entire body tensed up as memories of their toxic relationship flooded his mind. His smile faded as he remembered the days of constant fear and pain. Myung Dae was a possessive and controlling partner, and he would often get physical with Beomgyu. It took all of his courage to finally break free from the toxic relationship and start a new life. Taehyun noticed the change in Beomgyu's demeanour and immediately knew something was wrong.

"Beomgyu, what's wrong?" Taehyun asked, concern evident in his voice.

"It's... it's him," Beomgyu muttered, nodding towards Myung Dae, who was now standing a few feet away from them.

Beomgyu's heart rate skyrocketed as he quickly grabbed Taehyun's hand and tried to walk away.

Taehyun's eyes followed Beomgyu's gaze, and he clenched his jaw in anger as he recognised Myung Dae from the countless stories Beomgyu had told him about their relationship. He could see the fear in Beomgyu's eyes, and he knew he had to protect him.

Without a word, Myung Dae approached them, his fists clenched. "Well, well, well. Look who we have here," he sneered, looking at Beomgyu.

Beomgyu's heart is pounding in his chest as he tries to back away, but Myung Dae grabs his arm tightly, causing him to wince in pain. "What do you want?' Beomgyu asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"I want you back, Beomgyu. You know I can't live without you," Myung Dae said, his voice filled with anger and desperation.

Beomgyu shakes his head, tears stinging his eyes. "I can't go back to you. You were toxic for me; you never treated me right," he said, his voice breaking.

Taehyun stepped forward, placing himself between Myung Dae and Beomgyu. "Leave him alone, Myung Dae. He doesn't need your barbaric behaviour in his life anymore," he said firmly.

Myung Dae's eyes narrowed as he looked at Taehyun. "And who the hell are you?" he spat.

"I'm Beomgyu's roommate, and I won't let you hurt him anymore,' Taehyun said, his stance becoming more defensive.

Myung Dae let out a harsh laugh. "Roommate or fuck buddy? Do you think you can replace me? Beomgyu will always be mine, and I'll make sure of it," he said, lunging towards Beomgyu.

But Taehyun was quick to react, pushing Beomgyu out of the way and taking the hit himself. 

Without a second thought, Beomgyu ran towards Myung Dae, his anger and fear fueling him. He slapped him, his emotions overflowing. "Go away, you bastard!" He screamed as loudly as he could, earning a few stares from people in their way. Myung Dae narrowed his eyes at Beomgyu in a 'This isn't over manner' but went away nonetheless, trying not to cause a scene in the public. It is the first time Beomgyu stood up for himself, and he felt a sense of empowerment.

Beomgyu turned to Taehyun. "Are you okay?" Beomgyu asked, tears streaming down his face.

Taehyun managed a small smile, "I'm fine. Just glad you're safe," he said as he wrapped his arms around Beomgyu. "Let's go home."

As they were returning home, the streets were bustling with people. Taehyun suddenly felt a wave of overprotectiveness towards Beomgyu take over him. As they made their way through the crowded streets, Taehyun noticed that Beomgyu was getting overwhelmed by the noise and commotion after their interaction with his abusive ex. Beomgyu looks paranoid.

"Hey, Beomgyu, hold my hand," he said, reaching out to him.

Beomgyu was confused at first. He had never held anyone's hand in public. But then he noticed the concern in Taehyun's eyes, and, without hesitation, he grabbed his hand.

Taehyun smiled at him, and they continued to walk, navigating through the busy streets. With Taehyun's hand in his, Beomgyu felt a sense of security and comfort. He could feel Taehyun's strong grip, protecting him from getting lost in the sea of people. But the paranoia never leaves him. What they don't notice is a pair of eyes following them home.

Chapter Text

I'd rather eat yellow to stop feeling so blue,

Why the canvas on your floor is of dark crimson hue?

The sky outside a cascade of pink and lilac

Why is the inside of my heart dark pitch black?

I'd eat yellow to drench your red flag in white,

Why did I let you paint me black and blue without putting up a fight?

Cheeks rosy pink from an old bruise instead of a blush,

There's drying blood on your palette and paint brush.

You promised me orange sunsets and moon on dark blue skies,

But all you're leaving me with are purple goodbyes,

Wish I didn't love rainbows, wish I knew what was really in your mind,

Wish I could see your true colours, wish I didn't pretend to be colour blind.

—

The winter season has just arrived, and the city is covered in a blanket of snow. They are having dinner one evening when they start feeling a chill in the air, which gradually upgrades to shivering in extreme cold. Taehyun discovers that their room heater has broken down.

"Great, just what we needed in this cold weather," he mutters as he fiddles with the thermostat, trying to fix the heater.

"Maybe we should call someone to fix it," suggests Beomgyu, shivering as he rubs his hands together for warmth.

Taehyun sighs, "It'll probably take forever for someone to arrive. We'll freeze to death by then." He dials the number to get the heater fixed, but the shop informs him that they are short on staff and it might take two days to send someone to fix it.

Beomgyu's face lights up as he exclaims, "I have an idea! Why don't we just sleep on your bed tonight? It's big enough for the both of us, and we can use my blanket as well. Double the blanket, double the warmth."

Taehyun gives him a, 'Are you sure?' look."

We'll have to get really close, and I don't want to invade your personal space." He replies.

"It's fine; I don't mind. Plus, we can keep each other warm." Beomgyu says it with a reassuring smile. "C'mon, it'll be like a sleepover!"

Reluctantly, Taehyun agreed, and they both grabbed their pillows and settled into Taehyun's bed. Beomgyu was right; the bed was big enough for the both of them, and they were able to spread out comfortably with the double blanket covering them.

At first, they lay there awkwardly, trying not to touch each other. But as the coldness seeped through the thin walls of their apartment, they scooted closer and closer until they almost touched. They were both too cold to care about personal space at that moment.

Beomgyu's eyes become heavy with sleep, and soon he drifts off. Taehyun lays awake, counting sheep, but sleep doesn't come.

So he thinks. About everything that has happened since Beomgyu came into his life. It's a good change, really. He's not skipping his meals like he used to. He doesn't have to come home to an empty apartment now. He has a person with whom he can have small talk. It's nice. He likes Beomgyu. He won't lie to himself; he more than likes the boy sleeping next to him.

All these thoughts slowly lull him to sleep.

—

It's pitch black, and Beomgyu cannot see a single thing. He's got his phone in his hand, but the phone's flashlight won't just turn on. He's trying to find a way out of the darkness, but there's just no end to it. He's struggling, and he's scared; it's an unknown place in a vast plain, and it's dark, and he's lost. Just when he feels like he's found some source of light, he sees Myung Dae approaching him.

He's trying to run away, but he doesn't know how the endless plain turned into a dark, small cage. No matter how far he is trying to run from his ex, there's just no way.

"Gotcha!" Myung Dae speaks, jumping on a startled Beomgyu. He starts taking off his clothes hurriedly. "Myung Dae, stop! Let go!" Beomgyu screams, but to no use. He cannot breathe; he doesn't have control over his own body, but he struggles to loosen his ex's tight grip on him. Just when Myung Dae was about to remove his last piece of clothing, Beomgyu's eyes opened.

He's panting heavily as he stares at the ceiling of Taehyun's room, slightly lit by the night lamp. Before he knows it, there are tears running down the side of his eyes into the pillow. He turns his body away, facing in the opposite direction from Taehyun, trying not to make a sound while he sobs; he doesn't want to disturb the sleeping boy.

It was a nightmare. Or more of a memory. He shuts his eyes, hoping that the images of Myung Dae will go away, but the scene keeps on playing in his head, in loop. He's struggling to breathe, his nose stuffed with all the crying.

Taehyun, being the light sleeper he is, wakes up to the sound of someone sniffing and someone trying to breathe through their mouth. He quickly remembers their sleeping arrangement and figures out that it is the long-haired boy who's trying not to make a sound while he's crying.

"Hey, Beomgyu, what's wrong?" He asked, concern dripping from his voice as he placed a reassuring hand on Beomgyu's shoulder, startling the boy.

"It's nothing. I'm sorry for waking you." The crying boy hiccups, still facing away from his roommate, hiding his face in the pillow, like it'll make the memories of the nightmare disappear.

"Beomgyu, look at me, baby." The word just slips off his tongue without him knowing, but they both don't notice it.

Beomgyu slowly turns to face him as he sniffles. Taehyun is shocked to see Beomgyu's horrified face, his face pale, his eyes big with fear, and his whole face soaked in tears.

"Oh baby," Taehyun affectionately wipes his face dry with the sleeves of his jumper.

"I'm so cold, Tae," Beomgyu whimpers. Taehyun then notices that the boy is shaking like a leaf, more in fear than of cold.

"Come here; I'll keep you warm," he reassures, throwing his arms around him and coddling him in a warm hug. Beomgyu complies like a little kid; his teeth chatter as he buries his face in Taehyun's warm chest.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Taehyun asks in a soft voice.

"I was so scared," the long-haired boy mumbles in Taehyun's chest. "It felt so real." His voice breaks as a fresh batch of tears leaves his eyes, soaking the front of Taehyun's jumper. He does not want to tell the full details of his nightmare. He's too sober for that.

"Can you tell me a story?" Beomgyu asks like a little kid.

"I don't know many stories." Taehyun states. "Do you want to hear my childhood story?" Taehyun asks, trying to divert Beomgyu's mind. He just hums.

So Taehyun starts. "When I was a little kid, I wanted to become many things. One day I wanted to make robots, and the next day I wanted to go to space. I was a studious kid. I used to study so hard that I forgot to eat my meals. My mom always used to feed me when I'd forgotten to eat my meals. When I moved out during my high school days, she'd always call to make sure I'd eaten properly. She has never said 'I love you' to me. But she'd always say, 'Tyun, don't forget to eat your meals.' That was her 'I love you'". He takes a deep breath. His voice was shaking at the end.

"Then what happened?" Beomgyu asks in a sleep-laced voice, his face still in Taehyun's chest. He feels warm all over, with their bodies intertwined.

"Then cancer took her." Taehyun declares. "That's when I decided to become a doctor."

"I'm sure she still makes sure you're eating properly somehow." Beomgyu tries to console.

Taehyun closes his eyes, thinking that she might have sent the boy in his arms to do exactly that.

"Guys! We are here!" Huening Kai announces, kicking his shoes.

"And we got booze!" Soobin holds up both packets in his hand.

It is a Saturday night, and the four friends are gathered in the living room of Taehyun and Beomgyu’s apartment. Huening Kai is a junior from college to Taehyun, but soon the boy made a place in his heart, and eventually Soobin's with his adorable personality. Oh, and also, their heater is now fixed.

"Hi! You're Beomgyu, right?" Kai leaps in Beomgyu's direction, startling the boy and giving him a big hug. "I've heard a lot about you from Hyung! He talks about you all the time."

Beomgyu's cheeks heat up at that comment. "Good things, I hope." He speaks in a small voice.

"Yeah! He's-"

"Hyuka, come help me choose the movie." Taehyun interrupts, not letting him finish.

“Okay, let’s watch a horror movie! It’s been a while since we’ve had a good scare,” he exclaims, trying to convince everyone.

They are surrounded by pillows, blankets, and tons of snacks, ready for a movie marathon. As they were discussing which movie to watch, Hueningkai suggested watching a horror movie.

“Absolutely not,” Taehyun immediately objects, shaking his head vigorously. “I hate horror movies. I can’t even watch the trailers without getting nightmares.”

“Me too,” Beomgyu adds, agreeing with Taehyun. "But I still love horror stuff; they are just so interesting and exciting."

Soobin, however, is all for it. "Come on, it’ll be fun. We’ll just turn on all the lights and pause the movie when it gets too scary," he said, trying to persuade Taehyun.

"We’ll even hold your hand, Hyung, if you get too scared," Kai chimes in, wiggling his fingers teasingly.

With much reluctance, Taehyun finally give in to their friends’ persistent requests. They put on a random horror movie, and as soon as the first jump scare appeared on the screen, Beomgyu let out a high-pitched scream and buried his face into Taehyun’s shoulder.

"You said that you like horror movies!” Taehyun whispers to Beomgyu.

"But I didn't say that I wasn't scared of them!" Beomgyu retorts.

Soobin and Kai tries hard to stifle their laughter.

As the movie progressed, Taehyun and Soobin cannot help but tease Beomgyu, who is now completely covering his face with a blanket and muttering prayers under his breath.

“Guys, stop it! This isn’t funny,” Beomgyu exclaims, his voice muffled by the blanket.

But Soobin and Taehyun cannot stop laughing, and even Hueningkai joined in on the teasing. They are all having a great time until the climax of the movie arrives. In a sudden turn of events, the antagonist of the movie appears on the screen in all its horrifying glory while a loud, eerie sound effect blares through the speakers.

All of them let out screeches together while Taehyun struggled to find the remote so that he could turn the TV off.

“I think that’s enough horror for one night,” Taehyun said, turning off the TV and the lights.

His friends nodds in agreement, and they all decided to call it a night.

———

"Oh God, I didn't know this movie was rated R." Taehyun sighs, putting down his wine bottle.

After Kai and Soobin left, Taehyun and Beomgyu decided to watch some light-hearted rom-coms to forget the horror one, but the main characters were full of copulating in the first half of the movie. It's the last thing he wanted to see with Beomgyu in the same room.

He looks over at Beomgyu to see his reaction, only to find the boy silently crying, his almost-finished bottle still in hand.

'He must be a sad drunk.' Taehyun thought to himself. 'That's why a cheap intimate scene is making him emotional.'

"They love each other so much." Taehyun hears the crying boy whisper to himself. "I wish I could experience that." He added, gulping down the rest of the liquor left in his bottle.

"Experience what?" Tae asks, pausing the movie. All that fake moaning was giving him a headache.

"To make love like that without getting hurt." Beomgyu replies, his speech slightly slurred. Beomgyu's heart clenches inside his chest. Normally, people get hot and bothered while watching such things. Not Beomgyu. He just sees the love people pour into each other. It's primitive at best, but it makes Beomgyu think hard. How do people get to make love without having their bodies turn into graveyards of scars?

Taehyun looks at him with questioning, concerned eyes. Those eyes that silently ask to confess all the secrets that Pandora's box inside Beomgyu's chest kept hidden.

"I don't want to trauma dump on you again." Beomgyu sighs, wiping away his tears. What's the point in pouring your heart out to a person who showed him nothing but kindness? He does not want him to see all his cracked parts.

"Hey, it's not trauma dumping. What if I become a professional therapist in the future? It's going to be practice for me." Taehyun tries to bring down the tension in the room.

"Myung Dae hurt me a lot." Beomgyu's voice quivers, his lips turning downward.

"In bed. He hurt me a lot. He always chased his own desires. He fulfilled his own needs, leaving me behind like a rag doll." Beomgyu brings his knees closer to his chest, sitting in a foetal position in the furthest corner of the couch, the hand-rest stopping him from falling down.

Taehyun stares at him, his eyes agape. He knows that Myung Dae abused him physically and mentally, but he never knew that he had gone this far. He moves closer to Beomgyu, letting him know that he is here and that he can continue telling his story at his own pace.

Beomgyu stares into space as he continues, "I would wake up with bruises and soreness all over my body. He'd look at them with a proud smirk, like I'm his latest art project, and he's having a great time painting me black and blue." He states it as if he were reading the morning news.

"See." He lifts his t-shirt to reveal a jagged scar beside his navel. It's still not fully healed. It's red, it's angry, and it shows Taehyun what the boy has gone through.

"This is the latest scar that I've got." There's a tremble in his voice, a fresh batch of tears leaving his eyes. He is crying so much that it seems there will be permanent tear trails on his cheeks, like dried-up river beds.

"He came home one night after losing another game of gambling and took it all out on me." His breathing is coming out of his pants as he relives the memory. "I was sleeping when I felt him beating the shite out of me with his belt. The hook pierced through here, but he didn't bat an eye. He always said that those scars made me look uglier."

Taehyun's eyes are glassy with unshed tears. There were warning bells blaring inside his head, and all he wanted in that moment was to rip Myung Dae's hand. He gently held Beomgyu's hand instead.

"He lied." Taehyun speaks with urgency. "He lied, Beomgyu. I'm looking at you right now, and I don't see anything ugly. You're beautiful. Your scars are proof that you're a survivor." He pleads with Beomgyu to believe him.

"You haven't seen all of me, Tae." Beomgyu chokes on his own tears. "I'm damaged goods. I let him use me as a punching bag in the name of love." Beomgyu wanted to bang his head against a wall. How could he be such a fool? How could he let that monster use his body and soul? He wanted to run away. But he didn't know where.

Taehyun doesn't utter a word. He did not know what to say.

"But do you know what's more bruised than my body?" Beomgyu suddenly clutches Taehyun's hand in his, surprising the latter.

"This." He weeps, placing his palms flat over his chest, where his heart lies.

"Can you do something to fix it, please, Tae? You are a doctor, right? Please, please fix me. It hurts so much." Beomgyu asks in a frenzy; he cannot breathe. He physically cannot stop crying; he feels that his hiccups might rip his throat.

Taehyun never cries. He had seen people crying; he had seen people mourning. It's only a daily routine for a future doctor. Taehyun thought that all of that had turned his heart into steel. But he was so wrong. He watches the catastrophe unfold in front of him. He watches Beomgyu sobbing into his own hands, hiding his face, hiding all the agony that he kept tightly inside him. And the scene claws at his heart, causing collateral damage and piercing him in places he doesn't know he could feel pain in.

His body reacts before his mind can process anything. He wraps his arms around Beomgyu, capturing him in a tight hug, the boy crying into his chest. Beomgyu holds onto him like his life depends on it; if he loosens his grip a little bit, he'll be washed away in the waves of guilt, self-loathing, and suffering. He holds onto him like the last autumn leaf, resisting the inevitable fall. He clutches him like a castaway clinging to a fragile piece of driftwood in a tempest-tossed sea.

"No, don't touch me." He croaks, his own mind betraying him. He never had anyone holding on to him this way. He does not want to let go. There are three words on his tongue, but he swallows them. "I'm gross and useless. I'm not worthy of your pity." He vomits venom instead.

"Can't you hear my heartbeat for you?" Taehyun seethes. He is angry. He is hurting for the boy in his arms as if there were wires connecting them and transmitting each other's pain. "There's lots of things I feel for you, but pity isn't one of them." He is full of tears. What happened? The invisible dam broke, and now the water is flooding away every happiness in his heart, uprooting every root of joy and leaving behind a black, dirty, murky, muddy river of sorrow. "Do you think it's beating so fast because of pity?"

"I don't know anything anymore, Tae." He whispers into Taehyun's chest. He feels drained, like a candle flickering its last breath, surrendering to the encroaching darkness. He let go of Taehyun, looking directly into his eyes.

"Don't you understand?" Taehyun asked desperately. His voice quavers as he cups Beomgyu's face in his palms.

He has never seen his face this close, but now that he has, he's memorising every line of it. Choi Beomgyu's eyes are galaxies, sparkling with a universe of emotions veiling black holes, nebulae, and dying stars. His nose is a sculpted peak, guiding the gaze like a mountain against the canvas of his face. His lips, a symphony in motion, compose warmth and softness, inviting whispers of secrets. It looks like it was hand-carved by Eros himself. Besides the lips, he notices a small mole. It's so faint that it can only be seen from this close. It rests like a poetic pause, an accent adding charm to the lyrical composition of his features.

"Make me understand." Before Beomgyu can even finish, there is a pair of lips on his, and he feels like he can breathe again. There's renewal playing through his lungs, as if the universe had composed a second chance for him. He has kissed lots of people—drunken kisses on shitty clubs, kisses to shotguns, forced kisses that hurt him, kisses of manipulation—but nothing compares to this. He cannot get enough. He's savouring every second of it, collecting each drop like a lark after a drought. When they break the kiss, Beomgyu wants more.

His body shudder in a shiver.

"Gyu, are you okay?" Taehyun is concerned that he might have triggered his trauma.

The long-haired boy lets out a watery smile. "Can I ask you for one thing? I promise I'll never ask you anything ever again." There's pleading in his voice.

"Anything." Taehyun speaks in desperation.

"I want to make love. I want to make love with you." He corrects him, letting him know he wants this one thing that's in his power.

"Are you absolutely sure you want this?" Taehyun tries to confirm.

"Yes." He lets out a breathy huff.

Taehyun just needed this affirmation; he has always wanted to give so much love to the prettiest boy he has ever seen, since the first day he met him. He had never known what being in love felt like, but right now, having this boy in his arms feels like a dream.

He nibbles on the skin of his exposed collarbones, a pair of hands tucking his hair, pulling him closer and closer until they're an inch apart.

Beomgyu looks into Taehyun's eyes, and he sees so much kindness in them. He is overwhelmed by all of this love, which is for him and him alone, and it's not the fact that the boy in front of him undressing him is making him feel naked; it's the love in those eyes. Beomgyu isn't afraid of uncovering himself; he wants those eyes to see him, see all of him. Maybe for the first time in his life, he wants to trust those eyes. He wants someone to see his body and all of his scars and not be disgusted by them.

Taehyun kisses each and every scar littering his body. Beomgyu's eyes sting. His throat hurts. Maybe this is what being loved feels like.

He brushes his lips over the soft skin, which tasted sweet like nectar. The smell of vanilla and strawberries from Beomgyu's shampoo—he has it imprinted on his heart by now. He can recognise this smell anytime, anywhere.

Taehyun thinks how lucky he is at this moment that he gets to worship this pretty body while Beomgyu is leaving tiny pecks all over his body with his soft pink lips, which are swollen right now, and he will never be able to forget how those lips feel on his skin.

Taehyun reaches for his wallet to bring out a packet. Don't get him wrong; he's a medical student; he gets those for free as samples. Beomgyu is slightly annoyed at the loss of contact; he feels cold inside. Now that he has him, he doesn't want to let go of this boy with boba eyes; he wants him close always.

Just when he is having turmoil in his heart, Taehyun hovers over him, and he looks at him with the same eyes full of love for Beomgyu. He feels so warm; suddenly, he feels warmer than before. He feels at home.

"Can I?" Taehyun asks for his permission before tearing the packet.

Beomgyu is on cloud nine. No one has ever asked for his permission before taking something so precious from him, but then there's Taehyun, making him feel like he's something important. He wants nothing more than the feeling of all of Taehyun inside him; he wants all of the love that he's giving him, so he nods, giving a smile, and a few tears of happiness and contentment leave his eyes.

Just like his personality, Taehyun is very gentle. Beomgyu winces at first at the intrusion, but soon he finds a familiar pair of lips over his own, comforting him and telling him he's safe and he's loved. Soon they find their own rhythm, swaying their bodies to it together.

"You are so beautiful, Gyu; you have the prettiest moles; I always wanted to kiss them." Taehyun keeps on worshipping Beomgyu, whispering even sweeter chants in his ears, "I love how your eyes are shining brighter than the moon outside."

They are perfectly in sync, as if their bodies were made for each other.

"I'm close." Taehyun puts his pants in Beomgyu's ears and kisses his earlobes. Beomgyu holds his face and kisses him, knowing he's also close. They reach their peak together, waves of pleasure washing over their bodies and breaking off like high tides. It might be the first time that Beomgyu feels so satisfied and pleased.

"Wait here," Taehyun says, kissing Beomgyu's cheeks before getting up to get wet wipes from the counter. He cleans both of their bodies as Beomgyu lays there, savouring every second of it, looking at the other boy as if he had hung the moon. No one has taken care of him this way after they were done with him. This feeling is new to him, and he wants to savour its taste and imprint it in his memory.

After Taehyun's done cleaning them, he lies beside him and puts an arm around Beomgyu, bringing him closer and letting him rest his head on his bare chest. He brushes the hair off Beomgyu's face, trying to get a better look at the angel-looking boy.

They don't need words to describe what they are feeling at that moment. They are looking at each other with eyes full of love and trust for each other. There are many things left unsaid, but do they really need words to say them?

They remain like this in silence until both drift off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Beomgyu let out a sigh of relief as he closes the door to their apartment, putting down the heavy grocery bags down on the kitchen counter. It has been a few days since he bared himself to Taehyun and he has been on cloud nine ever since. They haven't talked about that night but he knows that he wants to do it again. Taehyun has been extra careful and affectionate towards him, from giving him random pecks on the cheeks to cuddling to sleep he's doing it all. He thinks that they should have a talk on their situation.

He is in the middle of unpacking his belongings when he hears a knock on the door. Taehyun said that he'll be home late. Could it be Soobin? Beomgyu's heart clenches in fear, but he cautiously walked towards the door. As he opened it, he is taken aback by the sight of Myung Dae standing in front of him.

No no no no no no. This cannot be happening. This has to be a nightmare. Wake up, Beomgyu. This is a nightmare. Why isn't Taehyun waking him up? Beomgyu was dreading this encounter. He knew, he knew that this minx was following him that day. What a fool! What a fool he is to think that he's allowed to be happy, to be in love.

"Myung Dae? How did you find me?" Beomgyu asks, trying to hide his trembling voice.

"I have my ways. You really thought you could just run away from me, Beomgyu?" Myung Dae sneers, his eyes filled with malice.

Beomgyu's heart begins to race as he remembered the years of torture and pain he had endured at the hands of Myung Dae. He thought he had escaped that hell, but he is wrong. He took a deep breath and mustered up all the courage he had left.

"Leave. I don't want to see you ever again," Beomgyu tries to sound confident.

Myung Dae's expression turns serious, and he takes a step closer to Beomgyu. He pushes him aside and enters the apartment. "I'm not here for a reunion, Beomgyu," he circles around Beomgyu. "I know you've moved on with someone else. But I need you to come back with me." He tightly grabs his chin in a threatening manner.

"I won't!" Beomgyu raises his voice. There's a whirlwind going on in his chest. He's not strong enough to face Myung Dae. Not alone.

"Little Birdie can shout now?" Beomgyu mocks. "Oh baby, you think you can go against me?" He grabs his cheeks leaving red marks on them.

"If you don't come with me, I'll make sure Taehyun becomes a patient in the very hospital, he's practicing in." Beomgyu's eyes widen in horror. He knows it's not an empty threat. He knows what this bastard is capable of. He can't let him hurt Taehyun.

"And if you still don't go with me, I'll have to take the responsibility myself to make him incapable of walking again." He paused. "How does that sound?"

"No no no no no no no please Myung Dae I beg you don't hurt him please." He is the one who healed me, I don't want him to get hurt because of me.

And Beomgyu is a kid again in his childhood bedroom, begging his father not to break his favourite guitar. He falls to Myung Dae's feet begging him not to hurt Taehyun. "I'll do anything, please don't hurt him." He cannot speak, he's choking on his words, he wants to rip his hair off. He is reliving his nightmares. Except this isn't a nightmare. This is reality. This is Beomgyu's life. He was such a fool to think that he could be happy. Oh, God. What a fool.

"Anything my dear Beomgyu?" Myung Dae asks, poison dripping from his voice.

He nods, tears relentlessly falling from his eyes, kneeling in front of him, surrendering everything to his feet. His happiness, his sanity just for the sake of Taehyun.

"Then you have ten minutes to pack your bags and leave with me." He orders, "And stop this shitshow and act like you're happy to go with me. Your boytoy will be here any minute now won't he?"

Beomgyu wants to slit his throat. Surely the pain will be less than what he's feeling on his heart. He nods.

——

"Beomgyu I've brought straw-" Taehyun stops mid sentence seeing Myung Dae sitting in their living room. Beomgyu nowhere in sight.

"What are you doing here?" He asks, eyes filled with rage.

"Oh me?" He says with non-chalance, "Just waiting for my little pet to pack his bags." Pet. Yes that's exactly he sees Beomgyu.

"What?" Taehyun spits, "Why is he packing bags?" He hates the way Myung Dae is acting, like he owns this place.

"Why? Oh, cause he's coming home with me." He points out like it's a very normal thing for him to do.

"What the fuck are you talking about Myung Dae?"

Just then Beomgyu enters the living room with his bags packed. His face is awfully calm, no sign of fear or anger or agony. Just empty eyes.

"Let's go Myung Dae. I'm done." He's avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"What the fuck are you talking about Gyu? What happened why are you going with him?" Taehyun's blood boils.

"Can't you see? I'm going with him." Beomgyu utter the words like a parrot who's trained to speak only these words.

"But why?" Taehyun does not understand. He's scared, scared of Myung Dae sitting in his living room, playing with his knife and he's scared of losing Beomgyu.

"I'm sorry Tae but I have to go." His empty eyes silently plead him to let go.

Taehyun knows that Beomgyu doesn't want this. He knows. He knows that he's terrified of Myung Dae. He knows he's not willing, he knows there's a bigger picture. But he cannot do anything. He's a mere soldier with no weapons watching his homeland getting invaded and he doesn't have the power to do anything. He knows Beomgyu is good as dead if he lets him go with this monster but what can he do? He cannot fight against someone like him. He's a coward and he's selfish, he doesn't put up a fight.

Tears start rolling down his eyes as the gravity of the situation falls on him. Beomgyu is going away. Myung Dae is forcing him to go with him and there are no emotions on Beomgyu's face. He's acting like a puppet on a string. He'll probably never see Beomgyu ever again. He feels helpless, like he's only muscles and blood and every bone in his body has disappeared including his spine.

"Beomgyu can we talk alone?" His voice trembles. He desperately wants to tell Beomgyu how he feels, how much this boy has made him fall in love with him. He knows telling this will hurt Beomgyu more. But he's so selfish 

"There's nothing to talk about he's going with me kid." Myung Dae interrupts, authority in his speech.

"You don't talk in between us!" His patience has run out.

"Or what?" He asks in mockery.

"Or I'm going to call the police against you for trespassing!" He grabs his phone to dial the number. It's a last try to scare him away.

"Oho? And you think the police are going to help you? My cousin is in the police little Taehyun. There's nothing you can do." And the feeling of helplessness again. Isn't there anything he can do to help Beomgyu? Anything? Nothing? He wants to scream, he wants help. He needs help.

Beomgyu stands there witnessing the impending doom falling on his life. He watches his knight in shining armour fighting tooth and nails to protect him from the evil dragon. Except there's no miracle happening, there's no magic saving them. He's losing the battle, mischief is winning the war.

"Beomgyu tell me you don't want to go with him." He hates hearing his precious Tae cry. What do you do when the one who saves you needs saving and you cannot do anything to help them. He wants to tackle him into a bear hug like all the time he has hugged him. But his hands are tied to the trolley bags with invisible shackles and there's a collar on his neck, the rope of which is in Myung Dae's hand. He knows Myung Dae is getting angrier and he can get violent with Tae any minute.

"I have to go with him." Beomgyu deadpans.

"But do you want to?" Taehyun's voice is wet, he's crying uncontrollably in front of a stranger, the same Taehyun who never ever shows his emotions.

"C'mon Beomgyu it's getting late." Myung Dae tugs on his hands, almost out of the door.

"Beomgyu please. Don't go. I know you don't want to." Taehyun begs clutching onto Beomgyu's cold hands.

"Let me go," Beomgyu pleads, the same iciness in his voice. "Let me go, Tae. This is for our own good. There's nothing you can do anymore." To help me.

"How can I let you go after everything?" After everything he's done to you? He's on his knees begging. Begging to every Gods to let this be a nightmare. 

"Tae, let go." He takes his hand out of Taehyun's iron grip leaving his barren, cold. Isn't that what life is? An act of letting go? But what hurts the most is, he doesn't want to say goodbye. Even if it's the last one.

"Thank you for taking care of me." Beomgyu isn't looking at him, just at his dark gloomy future ahead.

"Gyu, don't go." Taehyun knows, the request will fall on deaf ears but he cannot help. He watches Beomgyu stepping out of his apartment and hus life through blurry eyes.

"And Tyun," beomgyu turns for one last time directly looking him in the eye. 

"Don't forget to eat your meals." 

Oh. Oh.

Only when he closes the door behind him, Beomgyu lets his tears fall.

Taehyun has lost the war. His homeland is invaded and his ship is burning and he's going down with it like Casabianca.

So, if you love me, let me go

And run away before I know

My heart is just too dark to care

I can't destroy what isn't there

Deliver me into my fate

If I'm alone I cannot hate

I don't deserve to have you

Ooh, my smile was taken long ago

If I can change I hope I never know

Chapter Text

"God, I'm so tired. I did so much work." Yeonjun dramatically exhales as he wipes his flour-dusted hands on his apron.

"Stop acting like a baby girl and go serve the customers." Beomgyu scolds the pink-haired boy as he kneads the dough for the croissant. "Gosh, how many more babies do I have to take care of?" His complaints fall on deaf years.

"You wouldn't have to if you could find me, my prince charming." Yeonjun argues, pouting his lips like a kid.

"When will my knight in shining armour come and sway me of my feet?" Yeonjun dramatically asks, annoying the living daylights out of Beomgyu. "When will someone call me a pretty boy?"

"Yeonjun." Beomgyu warns, still kneading the dough. "Don't keep the customers waiting." He orders.

"Is that him? Is that him calling me?" Yeonjun keeps on doing his weird antics instead of taking orders from the customers.

"Dumbfucker, it's me." Beomgyu lightly hits him on the head.

"Ouch," Yeonjun rubs his head, "you wound me."

"Stop acting. I didn't hit you that hard. Now go take the customer's orders. There's a queue already."

"Ugh," he puffs. "You don't even let me dream."

-

Ever since he left his old life, this bakery has been home to him. He doesn't want to remember how he got here or what happened that led to all this. Not right now, when he has a batch of croissants to bake. Beomgyu has found solace in baking. He found that the process of mixing ingredients, kneading dough, and watching the final product rise and turn golden brown in the oven was therapeutic for him.

Beomgyu is now the proud baker of a small but cozy bakery and cafe called "Sweet Creams" in the heart of the city. The once-run-down bakery has now become a popular spot for locals. The aroma of freshly baked pastries, bread, and cakes fills the air, drawing people in.

This bakery is not just a place to buy baked goods; it's also a place where people can gather, relax, and enjoy delicious treats. Beomgyu wants to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, so he decorated this bakery with warm colours, comfortable seating, and even a cozy reading corner. Since the owners have handed him every responsibility, he has no restraints on what he does. And whatever he does turns out to be good.

His signature item is a croissant filled with homemade strawberry jam and topped with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. People love it so much that each batch sells out in minutes. Beomgyu takes great pride in using only the finest ingredients and putting his heart and soul into every bake.

As he stands behind the counter, greeting customers with a warm smile while Yeonjun is in the backroom lazing, he can’t help but feel grateful. Grateful for the support and love from his customers, grateful for the healing power of baking, and grateful for a chance to start over and make a positive impact through his passion.

Life after the incident hasn’t been easy, but Beomgyu has found his peace and his purpose in the bakery. And for that, he will always be grateful.

_

Beomgyu stares at Yeonjun flirting with customers as he refils the counters with freshly baked goods. He let his mind wander back to a memory that would always hold a special place in his heart. It is a memory of how he first met Yeonjun.

It was a chilly evening. Beomgyu had just finished his grocery shopping at the market and was heading back home after closing the bakery. As he walked down the narrow and quiet street, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching him from behind. Beomgyu quickened his pace, a sense of unease creeping up on him.

Before he could even react, he was surrounded by a group of thuggish-looking guys. Fear gripped Beomgyu as he saw the malice in their eyes and the knives in their hands.

"Give us all your money, kid," one of them growled, pointing his gun directly at Beomgyu's face.

Beomgyu's hands trembled as he fumbled with his pockets, trying to get his wallet out. He knew he shouldn't have carried all his earnings with him, but he was too sceptical to keep the cash in the shop.

Just as he was about to hand over the wad of cash to the intimidating man, a loud voice echoed through the alley.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Beomgyu looked up and saw a boy around his age, with a bold and fierce demeanour, making his way towards them. He had a striking appearance, from his pink hair to his sharp fashion sense. But what stood out to Beomgyu the most was the confidence that he exuded.

The thugs laughed and mockingly gestured for the boy to come closer. But Yeonjun paid them no heed and stood his ground.

"I suggest you leave now before you regret it," Yeonjun said, his voice firm and unwavering.

The leader of the thugs stepped forward, ready to strike Yeonjun. But Yeonjun was quick, and with a swift movement, he dodged the attack and punched the man's face, knocking him down.

The rest of the thugs were taken aback by Yeonjun's skills and hesitantly took a step back. Sensing the opportunity, Beomgyu quickly grabbed his abandoned bag and ran towards Yeonjun.

Together, they fought off the remaining thugs, their bond strengthening with each punch and kick they landed.

After the last thug took off, Yeonjun turned to Beomgyu with a warm smile on his face. "Are you okay?"

Beomgyu, still catching his breath, nodded gratefully. "Thank you so much for saving me," he said, relief and admiration evident in his voice. Now that he had seen the face of the pink-haired boy properly, he noticed that he also visited the bakery once in a while.

Yeonjun shrugged nonchalantly. "It was no big deal. I couldn't just stand there and watch them rob you, but now you owe me."

"Anything you want." Beomgyu promised, scared of what he might ask him.

"You work at the bakery, right?" Yeonjun asks, popping a lolipop in his mouth out of nowhere.

"Yeah, I do." He meekly replied.

"You think I can get a job there?" 

"Absolutely!" He beamed. "We're hiring, actually. We need more hands."

From that day on, Beomgyu and Yeonjun became inseparable. They learned more about each other and found out that they had a lot in common. Beomgyu found a loyal and protective friend in Yeonjun, and Yeonjun found a kind and genuine companion in Beomgyu.

As Beomgyu snaps out of his reminiscing, a smile spreads across his face as he realises how grateful he was for that fateful encounter. He knows deep in his heart that Yeonjun was more than just a friend; he was his guardian angel. He has lost a lot in his life. So he prays to every God in existence to not take this boy away from him.

Chapter Text

"Tae, we've run out of strawberries!" Beomgyu pouts, opening the fridge door.

"I'll buy it tomorrow, babe; I don't want to go out this late in the night. It's so cold outside." Taehyun sips on his hot chocolate, cocooning himself in a layer of blankets as he sits on the sofa watching TV.

"But Tae~" beomgyu whines like a baby throwing a temper tantrum, "I wanted to eat strawberry with chocolate." 

He hugs Taehyun from above the blanket layer, whining some more, trying his best to show him his puppy eyes.

"Please, babe, I won't ask you for anything; please, strawberries?" He asks, blinking his eyes and pouting some more, peppering small kisses on Taehyun's face.

"Fine, I'll go." Taehyun gives up.

"Yaaay, I love you." Beomgyu wonders why he was feeling sad a few moments ago. He's right here with Taehyun in his arms and at his service, bringing him strawberries; he'd probably give him the moon if he had asked him to. So he cannot pinpoint why he was feeling empty before. Taehyun's here. With him. And he's not going anywhere. He's not going anywhere, right?

"Gyu, babe, let go. I have to go now." Taehyun tries to get him off him.

And all of a sudden, Beomgyu's scared. He doesn't want to let go of Tae. The idea of having strawberries and chocolate tastes like dry ash in his mouth.

"Tae, you don't have to go. I don't want strawberries anymore." Beomgyu tells him, a slight tremor in his voice.

"But I have to go now, baby." Taehyun cusps his cheeks with his palms.

"Don't go, Tae. Don't leave me." And there it is again. That feeling of desperation, that feeling of emptiness, the hopelessness.

Taehyun says nothing; he just gives him a quick kiss on the lips. Beomgyu grabs him in a bear hug, his head resting on Tae's shoulder. "Don't go, Tae. I'm so lost without you." He cries and cries, and it feels like he was sent on this earth for the soul purpose of shedding tears.

And then in the next moment, he's hugging only blankets, and there's no sight of Tae. He looks around the whole apartment looking for him when his eyes land on the fridge, which's now a scarlet red. That's when the doorbell rings. He is scared to open it, but he does anyway, and Taehyun stands there with strawberries in his hands. "Hey, I'm home."

Beomgyu sighs in relief. "Thank God, you're here. I thought I was having a nightmare and thought you were gone."

"I'm always here, Gyu. I'm not going -"

Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.

The continuous ring of the alarm wakes up Beomgyu from his sleep.

Oh. 

It was just a dream. Taehyun was there with him. He is not sure if it was a good dream. His memory is somehow blurred while travelling from the land of dreams to reality. But Taehyun was there with him, so it was a good dream. But sadly, it was just a dream.

He searches for his phone on the bedside table to turn off the faint alarm. It's 4 in the morning. He does not have the time to be sad right now. He cannot slack off right now. He has a fresh batch of bread to bake.

_

It is another busy day at 'Sweet Creams'. Beomgyu wants to slap Yeonjun for ditching his morning shift for a date, leaving him to do all the work by himself. Who goes on a date in the morning? Beomgyu knows that date and all that is an excuse. He probably procrastinated on doing his assignments and is completing them at the last minute. Don't get him wrong, he very much wishes to see his best friend happy and thriving academically, but taking, serving, and packing orders, as well as handling cash at the same time, is taking its toll on him.

He has just taken a seat when a kid with his mother enters the bakery, and the kid starts inspecting the display of confectionery to find one to his liking. Beomgyu watches his shenanigans with a smile on his face.

"Omma, can we please buy 100 of these croissants?" He points at Beomgyu's signature dish.

"100? That's a lot, honey. I think they don't have that many." The mom tries to reason with the child.

"But Omma They're the best croissants I've ever had! And I want to eat them every day!" Beomgyu beams with pride at the child's comment.

"Why don't you ask the Baker uncle if he has 100 croissants?" She points at Beomgyu, asking with her eyes to play along.

"Excuse me, Baker uncle, do you have 100 of these?" The kid asks, melting Beomgyu's heart.

"I'm flattered that you love my croissants so much, but I'm afraid I only have two left for today." Beomgyu boops the kid's  nose.The mother sighs in relief.

"Only two?" The kid's face falls.

"Yes, you see, I use high-quality ingredients and bake each croissant with love and care. That's why they're so delicious. But it takes time, and I only have a limited amount ready each day." Beomgyu tries to persuade the child as best he can.

"See, honey? Beomgyu works hard to make these croissants, and we can't ask him to make 100 just for us."

"I guess you're right." The kid says, rubbing his chin. "Can we just get two then, baker uncle?"

"Of course, dear. And you can come back another day for more. I'll make sure to have more croissants ready for you next time." Beomgyu reassures while packing. the order in a box. But he sneaks in another one because he has a soft spot for kids.

"Yay! Thank you."

"Thank you for tactfully handling him. He'd throw a tantrum otherwise. You'd make a good dad one day." The mom quietly thanks Beomgyu for the cooperation.

Beomgyu blushes a deep red. "It's nothing. Please visit us next time." He hands them the box, and they go on their merry way.

Just when he is about to call Yeonjun if he's coming for the evening shift or not, he gets a call from the owner of the bakery.

"Hello Aunt Mi-Yeon?" He receives the phone only to hear the woman's frantic voice.

"Beomgyu, hurry home. It's Eunji. It's been an hour and she won't stop crying."

Chapter Text

“Please God, let her be okay, let her be fine.” Beomgyu keeps uttering in his mind as he is quickly putting every stock of pastries left in the refrigerator. Since he has gotten the call, he’s been working on auto-pilot to close the bakery as soon as possible. He really needed Yeonjun right now, but well, tough luck. He rushes through the busy street frantically to reach home right away. Maneuvering through the busy streets he plays a thousand scenarios of what could have gone wrong in his head but he is scared to reach any conclusion. Just when he’s around the block hear loud cries of Eunji from behind the closed front door. He is panting as he opens the door to find Aunt Mi-Yeon cradling the girl of eleven months old on her arms while she cries her lungs out. 

“She hasn’t stop crying since she has woken up this morning.” No sooner than he steps inside the house Mi-yeon rushes towards Beomgyu. 

“Why didn’t you call me sooner?” Beomgyu takes the crying girl in his arms swaying her to calm her down even a little bit before proceeding to examine what might be wrong for eliciting such a response from her. 

“We thought that maybe she was hungry or cranky from the lack of sleep. We did everything to stop her. When she still kept crying and refused to eat that’s when I called you.” The middle-aged bakery owner briefed Beomgyu about the whole situation. 

Meanwhile the little girl in Beomgyu’s hold has calmed down a lot after being in her father’s arms as her loud shrill cries has boiled down to small hiccups. 

“What’s wrong baby? Appa’s here Eunji-ah.” He quietly swings the baby in his arms as her tears stop falling down her eyes. “Does it hurt anywhere my little angel?” He asks knowing he won’t get any response. But when the little girl’s cries come to a stop, he realizes that no, she isn’t hurting anywhere. 

“Well it looks like someone was crying because she was missing her appa a lot.” Mi-Yeon breathes a sigh of relief as she takes a sit on the sofa after a long day of consoling a baby.

“Where’s Uncle Joong-Su?” Beomgyu asks cradling Eunji with one hand while preparing baby formula with the other. It’ll be easier for her to eat that after a hectic day of crying. 

“He went out a few minutes before you came home to buy some toys for Eunji. He was hoping that it would make her stop crying somehow.” The lady said smiling at her husband’s actions. As if a toy would make up for his father’s absence to his daughter. 

Beomgyu smiles to himself, thanking every star that made him meet this sweet couple right here. They not only gave him work but also a place to stay. 

“I’m sorry that I had to close the bakery, Auntie.” He apologized, in a guilt laced voice.

“Beomgyu-ah, don’t be sorry dear. I know how important Eunji is to you. You are family, aren’t you? Family always comes first before any business.” The sweet lady assures Beomgyu in a motherly tone. “and next time I see Yeonjun-ah, I’m gonna scold him for ditching you.” Beomgyu laughs while feeding little Eunji, who puts up no tantrum while being fed by her dad. 

Just then Beomgyu’s phone starts ringing. 

“Speak of the devil. Its Yeonjun. Auntie can you feed her while I go talk to him?” he asks with the phone in hand. 

“Sure. Eunji-ah will you let halmoni feed you now?” She asks the baby who smiles and claps her little hands. That little devil, acting like she didn’t freak everyone out minutes ago. Theatrics of uncle Yeonjun is rubbing too much on her. 

“Beomgyu I’m standing in front of the bakery and its closed. Is everything okay?” Yeonjun asks Beomgyu through the phone speaker, sounding a little worried. 

“Not really. I slipped down and broke my leg. Now I’m in the hospital.” Beomgyu calmly lies guilt-tripping Yeonjun. 

“Oh my God, Beomgyu, I’m so sorry. Which hospital are you in?” Yeonjun asks with concern, he can hear the boy’s heavy breathing through the phone. 

“No hospital, you asshole. I’m fine. I was just teasing you. Come to my house, I’ll explain everything.”

Chapter Text

“Man, I hate your girlfriend for dumping this baby on you and then leaving.” Yeonjun expresses while playing with the new toy for Eunji while the baby sleeps. 

“It's a lie Yeonjun.” Beomgyu nonchalantly drops the bomb. All the years of lying to Yeonjun about his non-existent has finally caught up to him. Its time he confesses the whole truth to someone he calls his best friend. 

“What?” Yeonjun asks dumbfounded. “Everything. Everything I told you has been a lie. Eunji isn't my own daughter. I did not impregnate anyone. My girlfriend did not leave Eunji with me. I never even have a girlfriend to begin with. I'm gay and Eunji isn't my own daughter.” He confesses in one breath. 

“I knew it!” Yeonjun exclaims. “I knew you were gay!” His gaydar is really active and he always has his suspicions but Beomgyu has a daughter, so it cannot be. 

“Yeonjun I just revealed my deepest darkest secret to you and this is the first thing you caught on?” Yeonjun has enough confidence in his gaydar. Beomgyu is surprised at his friend’s nonchalance. He just dropped the bomb and this is how he’s reacting. 

"Umm yeah.” Yeonjun pouts. "Why did you lie to me then?" he asks innocently looking at the baker, making him feel guilty for lying to him. 

“I was scared, okay? I was scared and tired. I just met you back then and lying was easy than explaining the whole situation. I was scared that you'd leave me too if I tell you everything.” He tries to defend his actions. 

“Well I'm not going anywhere so might as well tell me right now.” Beomgyu requests, still pouting. 

“It's a long story.”

“I submitted my assignment so I have the whole night to myself.” Yeonjun’s eyes widen as he realizes that he has let the truth slip’ “I knew you skipped work for completing your assignment asshole.” Beomgyu hits him lightly. 

“Guilty. I’ll treat you to a dinner. Now tell me your real backstory.” He says heading towards the kitchen. 

"Wait, where are you going?" beomgyu asks, confused. 

“To bring popcorn of course.”

“Fuck you Yeonjun."

“I'll pass.”  

-

“Stop eating my popcorn and start the story already!” Yeonjun complains grabbing the popcorn bowl from Beomgyu’s hand. 

"Okay okay. And sorry if my 'backstory' isn't as cool as your anime characters." Yeonjun mouths a ‘not funny’ but Beomgyu completely ignores that.

"So, my mom passed away when I was really young."

“Classic main character move.” Yeonjun says earning a glare from his best friend. “Sorry sorry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that.” He apologises. 

“It's okay, she passed away before I even got to know her so it's okay.” Beomgyu sighs. 

“Still sorry.”

“Don't be. So yeah, my dad kind of raised me. I went to school, had friends and had a normal childhood. Then one afternoon out of nowhere I realised that I find boys attractive. And things went downhill from there. My dad found me kissing a guy in my bedroom one day. He was my band mate, we were working on a song. Kissing him wasn't worth it anyway. But he insisted and I complied. After dad caught us, he slapped me and broke my guitar. He started hating me after that. Who wanted to have a 'freak' of a son anyway? He started coming home drunk and took his anger out on me. So basically, I became his punching bag.” Beomgyu pulls his knees to his chest as he recalls his childhood he has buried deep inside his heart. 

“You didn't do anything to stop it?” Yeonjun asks with a frown on his face. 

“What could I do? He was feeding me and giving me a place to stay.” There’s a tremble in his voice. 

“But he's your dad. He is supposed to do so.” Yeonjun cannot understand how a dad can hate his own son, coming from a family with loving parents. 

“I don't know Yeonjun.” He looks defeated. 

“What happened after that?” the punk haired boy asks curiously. 

“I met this guy in high school. His name is Myung Dae and it was love at first sight for me. But only that. I always admired him from afar, never told him anything or shit like that. Then one day Dad came home really pissed and that day I was genuinely scared of him. I thought that's enough. Packed my bags and left home.” He recalls that day when his father almost hit him with his pliers. He shakes the memory away.

“For the first few days I was staying in a few of my classmate's house but they soon turned their backs on me. Who wanted a homeless parasite? A leech. I was just a burden to them. Another mouth to feed.” “Don't say it like that.” The always bubbly, cheery and fun-loving guy seem to be deeply saddened by his friend’s past story. So much so that he might cry any moment now “It is what it is. Then I one day Myung Dae found me on the streets and took me to his house. 

Long story short, he used me for his pleasure and let me stay in his house. I don't want to recall everything but you know the drill. He fucked me at home and then went out to gamble all his money away. And then he started taking mine. I was doing a part time job back then. When I refused to give me money, he'd hit me till I pass out. I found myself being someone's punching bag once again.” Yeonjun moves closer to Beomgyu who is now crying retelling all the painful memories he tries to forget every day. He silently hugs him, rubbing his back up and down. “But one day I had enough. One of my friend and co-worker at that time found me a cheap place to move in. I thought I was out of Myung Dae's grasp.” He blubbered. 

“The guy I moved in with gave me the cold shoulders for the first few days but when he got to know me a bit, he started treating me like an angel. He treated me so well, I don't even know how to describe it. He was my piece of heaven on this Godforsaken hell. I showed him all of my ugly scars but still he did not cower away. He healed me. He patched up all my torn pieces. He was the only person who treated me as a human being and not a source to take out anger, a punching bag. I fell in love with him. I thought I could not love anymore but I did and I think he loved me too but that'll be too much assuming on my part. I miss him so much Yeonjun.” He cries into Yeonjun’s chest. He doesn’t even have the ability to say Taehyun’s name out loud. 

“What happened? Did he leave you too?” curiosity is getting the best of Yeonjun. 

“No, I left him.” Beomgyu’s voice sounds hollow. 

“Why?” he tries to find a reason but cannot. 

“One day Myung Dae found out my new address and gave me a visit. He told me that if I don't go with him, he'll harm my roommate and his friends. I knew Myung Dae was dangerous and he could do some permanent damage to these people. So, I left with him.”

“Your roommate let you?”

“He had no choice.”

“Then what happened?”

“Then I was again back on my hell. Heaven was nice while it lasted.”

“Where's Myung Dae now?”

“Midway in to the story and you already want spoilers?” Beomgyu tries to lighten the mood. 

“Don't joke. This is serious.” Yeonjun scolds. 

“Hold your horses. We're getting there.”

Chapter Text

"Myung Dae?" Beomgyu asked, lying on the farthest corner of the bed, after being thoroughly used. His low voice cut through the silence of the room.

"What?" Myung Dae's angry voice rumbled, making Beomgyu flinch. What did he even expect from someone like Myung Dae? Princess treatment? Still, he gathered some courage and asked.

"Did you ever love me?" He didn't know why he asked such an absurd question. He got up in a sitting position, moving closer to the man he once loved with his whole existence.

Myung Dae frowned at Beomgyu's action, not giving him anything but silence as his answer.

Beomgyu moved closer, embracing him in a hug and burying his face in his abuser's neck, trying to find solace in him. It's like looking for snow in a burning desert. Absurd. Laughable.

"Did you not even love me a little bit?" There's a silent plea in his tone, asking Myung Dae to tell him yes, even if it's a lie. Starving people will eat garbage, and there was Beomgyu trying to find freshly baked bread in a dumpster.

Myung Dae held Beomgyu in a tightening grip, causing him more pain than comfort and forcing the boy to silently cry, his cold tears irritating the man even more.

"You're just a hole for me to fuck and a servant who'll serve me. Nothing else." And there it is. The hard truth. It's nothing new to Beomgyu. He shouldn't feel this amount of betrayal, but he did. An involuntary sob broke out of his throat, further worsening Myung Dae's mood.

"You were probably the same thing to that boy too. You're nothing but a pretty face after all." Beomgyu wanted to scream. He wanted to tell Myung Dae that, no, Taehyun isn't a monster like him; he never said that he loved him, but he didn't need to. He didn't say anything, not wanting to take any more beatings. He quickly let go of the creature beneath him, rushing to the bathroom and locking himself.

Pain. There's pain everywhere. His body, mind, and soul. As the scalding hot water of the shower ran down his body, the cuts and bruises all over his torso burned like salt to wounds. Life had been like this for Beomgyu after leaving everything behind. Dull. Numb. Grey clouds with no rays of hope. Every new dawn of his life brings more darkness than the darkest night. There's a graveyard of unreachable dreams buried deep inside his heart, the headstone of them poking scars inside his chest.

Birds born in cages think that freedom is a crime, losing their ability to fly in the open blue sky. But what happens when they are given the taste of freedom? When they are broken free from their cage and are served love on a silver platter, when they are made to think that they are finally free to fly in the vast blue sky? And what happens when they are caught again, their wings clipped, and they are brought back to the very cage they were entrapped in their whole life? Beomgyu felt like that bird—wings clipped, beak broken, and blood spilled inside the cage.

After leaving his happy, peaceful days to live with Myung Dae, he wasn't allowed to go out. He wasn't allowed to have a cell phone or access to the internet. He was living like a prisoner. He was half a man at best, with an arrow lodged inside his chest. 

Things were going pretty mundane when one day he heard the doorbell ringing. No one visited Myung Dae, so he was taken aback. 

He opened the door to find a young girl who looked no older than seventeen, staring at him with wide eyes. There was a man wearing suit and tie behind her with a serious look on his face.

"Who are you, and where's Myung Dae?" She asked in a whisper.

Who is he to Myung Dae? He wondered. What was he going to tell her—that he was Myung Dae's slave and bedwarmer?

"I'm his friend from high school." He ended up saying, "Who are you?"

"I'm Jieun and I'm going to be the mother of his child."

The land started slipping from beneath his feet.

—

"So you're telling me Myung Dae got a minor girl pregnant?" Yeonjun is baffled to learn the information coming out of Beomgyu's mouth.

"That's not all." Beomgyu sighs.

"There's more?" Yeonjun asks, bewildered.

"Of course; otherwise, I wouldn't be here, would I?" Yeonjun gives him a look and asks him to go on with the whole story.

"Jieun wanted to be an actress. She met Myung Dae in a club, where he brainwashed her into thinking that she'd get her break-through if she gave him special favours. So basically, if she slept with him. Being the naive and innocent girl she was, she did it without thinking of the consequences. She soon found out that Myung Dae was a scum, and to her horror, she found out that she was pregnant. And at that point, doing anything meant risking her life. Not to mention, her parents had already disowned her. But thankfully, she had one person she could go to. She had a distant cousin who was a bit older than her, but they were close. No one in her family had contact with him either because he was openly gay. Luckily for her, he was a lawyer and had a boyfriend who was in the FBI working on a drug dealing and human trafficking case. And guess who was involved in all that?"

"Myung Dae?" Yeonjun asks with excitement.

"You guessed that right. And he had solid evidence too. It was an open-and-shut case. Myung Dae was a lot more dangerous than I deemed him to be. He was involved in several drug cartels and all that shady business. He's still behind bars, which is probably where he'll be for the rest of his life. Hopefully. To think that I once loved someone like him" Beomgyu trails off, eyes distant.

"So anyway, the lawyer, Hajoon, and his boyfriend, Jihan, were very pleased with the outcome of the case. I was out of Myung Dae's grasp. They offered me a place to stay, and I had no choice but to accept. Jieun became my best friend within a few days. But then one day Jihan got a transfer order to the States, and Hajoon didn't want to let him go alone. After they left, it was just Jieun and me. They'd video call often, but they could only do so much being that far away. They still call sometimes, but that's it." He stops, sucking in a deep breath.

"Then the day came. Jieun got into labour and delivered a healthy baby girl. But she had lost too much blood, and the doctor said there were few other complications." There he is again. Crying.

"That day, I lost my best friend. But she left a little gift for me. Eunji. She's the only one I've got. And here we are. That's a story for another day. I'm tired now."

Yeonjun quickly hugs Beomgyu before he can break down. "I'm sure she's proud of you, Gyu. You take care of her daughter like your own." He consoles the boy, breaking down in his arms.

"Why did you not contact Taehyun? I mean, you didn't have to fear Myung Dae, right?" He cannot help but ask.

"Tae was going to be a doctor. I did not want to tie him down with my baggage." He blurts out after a few hiccups.

"Because, Yeonjun, when you love someone, you set them free."

Chapter Text

The smell of freshly baked bread fills the small shop. Beomgyu is behind the counter, jotting down a shopping list, his hair a little disheveled, flour smeared on his cheek. Yeonjun is lounging lazily, playing with Eunji, eating a croissant like he owns the place.

“You’re going. End of discussion.", Beomgyu stated glaring at Yeonjun.

“Why do I have to go? I’m the assistant! You’re the boss, remember?" Yeonjun lies back dramatically.

It’s that time of the month when these two starts bickering about who should go to the town to bring supplies for the bakery.

“I have been putting up with you and your awful singing for the last 2 hours. If you don’t want to get fired, Mr. Assistant I think you should get your lazy ass moving “, Beomgyu throws the car keys in Yeonjun’s direction.

“Awful? Excuse me! Eunji loves my singing, don’t you baby girl?” Eunji smiles and that lights up the entire bakery shop.

“Are you seriously not going?”, asks Beomgyu raising an eyebrow.

“I haven’t been feeling good, I think it’s the morning sickness “ Yeonjun pretends to vomit, making a gagging noise.

Beomgyu bangs Yeonjun’s head with the notebook he has been scribbling on, “Enough with your drama, give the keys”

“As you please, my Lord." Yeonjun hands him the keys back. 

“If you want to keep eating free croissants, make sure you keep my baby safe.” Beomgyu threatens while taking his apron off.

“Okay , first of all , those croissants aren’t free. I earn them by being charming and good-looking. Second-“, he gets hit again.

"Please be serious. You know how much im worried when I am not with her." Beomgyu sighs with a genuine concern.

"It’s not the first time I'm looking after her. I'm an excellent babysitter and her favourite uncle." Yeonjun grabs Beomgyu's shoulder givimg an assuring nod.

"I’ve prepared the food, don’t forget to heat it up before giving her, don’t watch scary movies with her, and most importantly don’t teach her any bad jokes of yours, favourite and only uncle." Beomgyu mocks.

"Aye aye captain . You should start paying me more for babysitting your kiddo, who knows I might be a billionaire some day." 

Beomgyu nearly throws the notebook in Yeonjun's direction but he quickly runs away before he can do that.

Beomgyu picks up Eunji from her stroller, now asleep without a care of the world. He places a feather light kiss on her cheeks not to wake her up. "Appa will be back in the evening. Be good."

"Don’t forget to call me if anything happens!" Beongyu shouted as he gets the car ready.

"Of course I will. Geez. Go already." Yeonjun shouts back, feigning irritation.

_____

The sun is up the sky and it's been a while since Beomgyu left. Yeonjun is serving the customers while Eunji was sound asleep. Sale has been pretty good recently. They can’t invest in advertisement, so there’s not much scope of publicity and a crowd of customers, however there are some known faces who always enjoy the cakes and pastries and never forget to compliment.

Yeonjun is done taking an order when he goes to take a look at the sleeping baby. As soon as he enters the room he finds her looking at him with wide eyes and a not so happy expression. "Aww baby wakey wakey?" Yeonjun says not noticing the little one's grumpy face.

"Foods ready, baby eating time." Eunji has always been an easy kid. She never makes a fuss while eating or sleeping. She even loves to play on her own.

When Yeonjun is heating her food up he hears a cry and he immediately rushes to the source of the sound.

"Kiddo what’s wrong?" He picks her up from the crib. She feels a bit warm.

Yeonjun rocks her in his lap, tries to sing her to make her sleep, tries feeding her but in vain. 

Yeonjun rings Beomgyu but the phone wasn’t connecting. Damn the network.

Yeonjun rushes out to the shop. Some customers were still there enjoying the bites of the pastries they ordered. But thankfully there were no new customers.

“Do you know any doctor nearby? Doctor who would see the kids?” He asks frantically to one of the regular customers who would sometimes bring her grand kids to the shop.

"You mean a pediatrician?" The lady asks.

"Yes yes that"

The old lady takes her time to think. Yeonjun has no option but to wait for her answer. 

"There’s this new kid, Dr. Kang who practices in the clinic in the next street. My grandson has been there quite a few times, I have been hearing about him from my son. He's a new doctor but really skilled. Let me ask the contact details from my son."

"Hello Doctor?" Yeonjun calls after getting the contact number.

"Yes speaking." A calm voice replies.

"Can you please come to my house, my kid has been crying and she feels a bit warm too, can you please come quickly?"

____

The room is small but cozy, with the aroma of vanilla and butter lingering in the air. Eunji is sleeping peacefully in her cradle. The doctor, a young, slightly awkward man in his mid twenties is carefully checking her with his stethoscope and furiously scribbles something on the notepad

"Is she okay, is it serious? Should I take her to the hospital?" Yeonjun asks worriedly.

The doctor interupts, "Relax Mr.?"

"Choi Yeonjun."

"Mr Choi Yeonjun, She’s fine, just a little anxious. Kids are like this sometimes." The young man informs. "Look how beautifully she’s sleeping now. Cute little princess."

"Are you sure she’s fine? She felt a bit warm , that’s gotta mean something right?" Yeonjun seems to be worried still.

"It’s probably a mild cold, don’t worry i have prescribed some medicines and vitamins, she’ll be back to playing with you in no time." The young man states confidently.

"Thank you doctor i was really worried." Yeonjun huffs a sigh of relief.

The young man was about to leave when Yeonjun rushes to bring him a strawberry cheesecake. "Here, doc," he hands him the plate. "Taste a slice of our finest strawberry cake as thanks from me."

"Well i’m not supposed to accept it-," The young man says hesitantly.

"Are all the doctors out there are as generous as you?" Yeonjun asks out of curiosity.

He smiles, "Well i am not a doctor yet, so can’t answer that on behalf of everyone."

Yeonjun is taken aback, "What do you mean? You are not a fake doctor are you?"

The young man breaks out into a laugh, "Calm down gentleman, I am an intern working under my senior. He got into something serious and asked me to fill in for him."

Yeonjun is still surprised, "Well If you don’t trust me, you can call him up later I am sure he will be happy to pay a visit and have a taste of your finest cake." The young man teases taking a bite and is taken aback at the taste.

Yeonjun turns red at the compliment even though he knows very well Beomgyu would be hitting him again if he was here.

"You got me scared for a second, Dr.- ?"

"Well, not a doctor yet." He reminds again. "But you can call me Kai. Well I should be leaving really, give a call if there’s any problem with little princess."

_____

The front door swings open, and Beomgyu enters, balancing a large bag of supplies in one hand and a smaller one in the other. His hair is windblown, his cheeks red from the chilly breeze outside.

"I’m back! I got everything we need”

He stops mid-step when he notices Eunji lying quietly under a blanket, her cheeks slightly flushed. Yeonjun is sitting nearby, trying to assemble a tower of colorful plastic blocks to entertain her.

"Wait what's the matter why is she wrapped in a blanket?"

"Relax boss she's fine-"

Beomgyu drops the bags and rushes to her daughter, observing her closely, "Fine? She doesn't look fine! She looks pale . Why is she under the blankets? Did she eat something weird? Did she fall?? What happened?" 

"Okay, first of all take a deep breathe. She wasn't feeling great earlier so I called for a doctor." Yeonjun mumbles the last part.

"WHAT!! YOU HAD TO CALL A DOCTOR?

WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL ME?" Beongyu shouts.

"I tried to call you but you know how the network is in the town. Calm down , the doctor said she's fine-"

"You don't want me to freak out? She's my daughter?" 

"I handled it, she's resting, she got checked by a doctor she's fi-"

Before yeonjun could finish , Beomgyu picks sleeping Eunji in his lap, "Baby are you okay? Appa is sorry." Tears roll down Beomgyu's eyes.

Yeonjun leaves the room letting the father and the daughter have a moment. Explaining that she's okay won't do anyone any more good.

____

The bakery kitchen is dimly lit, the warm glow of a single lamp casting soft shadows. Beomgyu and Yeonjun sit at the small dining table, a simple dinner of rice and stew spread between them. Beomgyu looks tired, his hands wrapped around a steaming mug of tea.

"I am sorry for yelling at you earlier,"

Yeonjun shrugs. "you were scared I get it."

Beomgyu looks apologetic, "No I was an idiot. I shouldn’t have snapped. You took care of her when I couldn’t, and...thank you. Really."

"Hey that's what assistants are for, right?" Yeonjun grins faintly. "Saves the day like a hero when the boss is busy buying flour in the town." That earns a giggle from both the boys.

"You are the worst assistant ever you know that?" Yeonjun smirks, "Wow! Is this what I get for making you a stew and bribing an intern doctor with a cake?"

"Intern?"

"Yes he was filling up for his senior."

"Oh I almost forgot, give me the doctor's number in case I need in the future."

Beomgyu notes down the number. "And the name of the doctor?"

Yeonjun scratches his head. "Well what was the kiddos name again?"

"Well you know the senior doctor's name right? Beomgyu asks.

"Oh yeah, Doctor Kang. It was written on the prescription." Yeonjun says proudly. 

"Dr Kang?"

Chapter Text

The sun is setting, casting a warm orange glow on the streets as Taehyun’s car smoothly cruises along. Kai is in the passenger seat, bouncing with excitement like a hyperactive puppy. Taehyun, on the other hand, is calm, one hand on the wheel, the other occasionally adjusting his glasses.  

"C’mon, Taehyun, you have to try their strawberry cheesecake. Yeonjun told me it’s life-changing!" Kai said eagerly.

Taehyun rolls his eyes, "You’re way too easily impressed. It’s just a cheesecake."  

Kai gasps dramatically, "Just cheesecake?! You’re a strawberry cake expert! You of all people should appreciate this. What kind of connoisseur are you if you don’t taste the best in town?"  

"The kind who doesn’t get dragged around by sugar-crazed maniacs like you." Comes a savage reply from Taehyun. Kai gives a disgusted look.

"Kai, I’m not going to some random bakery just because you’re craving cheesecake. I’ve got better things to do."  

"Better things than checking on the little girl who was sick last time? " Kai says with puppy eyes.

Taehyun raises an eyebrow "What are you talking about?"  

"Isn’t it your duty to check on her? You know, just to make sure the intern didn’t screw up."  

Taehyun stops at a red light, giving Kai a suspicious look, "You’re really playing the doctor card just to get me to buy you cheesecake, aren’t you?"  

 "I’m just saying, you could save a life and enjoy some dessert. Two birds, one stone!" Kai states innocently.

Taehyun hit Kai's head lightly, "You’re unbelievable. Fine, I’ll go check on the kid. But you’re paying for your own cheesecake."  

Kai acts hurt dramatically, "Ow, Taehyun! Violence doesn’t suit you. Doctors are supposed to be gentle and save lives."  

"Keep talking, and I’ll prescribe you a punch instead of cheesecake."  

"Totally worth it." Kai giggles.

---

The happy chime of the bell indicates the entrance of Taehyun in the shop, the warm scent of sugar and strawberries envelope him instantly. Beomgyu is in the room feeding Eunji, while Yeonjun is lazily leaning against the counter, munching on a cookie in between serving the customers. 

"Can I have two strawberry cheesecake? I have heard good things about it." Taehyun places his order while Kai is attending an urgent call outside.

"Welcome to Sweet Creams ! Strawberry cheesecake? Excellent choice."  Yeonjun proceeds to carefully plate a slice of cheesecake. 

"Can you hold her for a minute, I need to check on the doughnuts" Beomgyu barges in handing over Eunji to Yeonjun and then leaves like a storm. 

Taehyun's marble eyes is about to pop out seeing glimpse of a young man barging in and disappearing in the kitchen within seconds  

"Is that Beo-.... No that can't be true right?" He asks himself. Taehyun clears his eyes, still not being able to believe what he saw .

Taehyun is cut off his thoughts by the cry of Eunji.

"What's wrong my baby, you want appa? Appa will be back soon" Yeonjun tries to coax the baby in his lap.

"Here's your cheesecake. Sorry for the delay.“ Looking at Eunji, Yeonjun smiles "You know the drill with a kid in the house“

Taehyun smirks "Oh I very well know it. By the way how is she feeling now, I heard she was sick.“

Yeonjun blinks in surprise and confusion "Oh, uh, she’s doing much better, but...thank you? Wait, who told you she was sick?"  

"What's taking you guys so long, I'm starving here." Kai complains reaching the counter finally ending his call. 

Yeonjun's eyes lits up , "Oh hey Doc- , Sorry Future Doctor" 

"Well I brought a real doctor with me this time. How is your princess doing?"  Kai ruffles through Eunji's hair finding her cute . 

Eunji not very well accustomed to human interaction, breaks into a cry again. 

"Oh I'm sorry -" Kai retreats.

Just when Taehyun was about to throw death glares at Kai for messing up with all the kids he sees, a figure rushes in, holds the baby from Yeonjun and begins to caress her.

"Don't cry my baby, Appa is here now" 

Taehyun can't believe what he is seeing now. 

It's that same familiar face that he saw leaving him years ago. That face which is very well instilled in his heart. That face which made time stop for Taehyun.

"Gyu, here's the doctor who visited Eunji last time", Yeonjun points at Kai. 

Beomgyu looks up and his eyes get fixated on a pair of boba eyes. 

Something changed in the air. There was a  silence that wanted to ask so many questions.

"We just stopped by to see how was kid doing." Kai explains.

"Are you sure you weren't looking for an excuse to have a bite of the finest cheesecake." Yeonjun smirks 

Kai stammers out of embarrassment"Well we must be leaving, have lives to save, you know??

He nudges Taehyun, signalling him to leave. 

"Thanks for visiting Sweet Creams, Dr. Kang, if I'm not wrong." Yeonjun extends a hand . 

"My pleasure." Taehyun shakes hand. 

Yeonjun looks with confused eyes at Beomgyu who seemed to have lost touch with reality. 

He whispers "They are leaving, say something." 

"Oh... Please do visit again, Tae- Dr. Kang."

"I will." He leaves with a curt nod. His world is crushing down on him.

Chapter Text

Where were you all this time? How are you? Are you happy? These are the exact questions Taehyun wants to ask Beomgyu after his brief encounter at the cafe. The questions kept trying to penetrate out of his tightly shut lips, but he stayed quiet. He'd rather vomit blood than ask Beomgyu these questions. He doesn't want to be reminded of the past if he has moved on and started anew.

He looks happy. He seems happy enough to adopt a child with someone else. Isn't that what Taehyun wanted? For Beomgyu to be happy? Now that he has seen him happy with someone else, why does he feel so crestfallen?

"I'm back home." He shouts out to the empty apartment, the echoes of the hollow words welcoming him. He wanted to move out of this apartment multiple times; the memories of him and Beomgyu haunted him. No matter how unforgiving these memories were, these are the only memories he had, so he clung onto them, never wanting to leave this box of memories.

Ever since Beomgyu set foot out of this apartment, Taehyun's life has been upside down. There's a constant ache in his heart, the cure of which cannot be found in any medical books. He buried himself in them to keep his mind off of morbid thoughts after the time Beomgyu had left.

There were days when existing felt too tiring, and the thought of ending everything sounded very easy, but the thought of seeing Beomgyu again kept him running like a well-oiled machine.

He used to wake up, went for his rounds in the hospital, studied, came back home, ate while the TV played as white noise since the silence was too deafening, and tried to sleep but failed. But most importantly he blamed himself for not being able to keep Beomgyu safe, protected. Beomgyu probably looked up at him as his sanctuary, the harbour that kept him at bay but all Taehyun did was let him go. What was he afraid of? Was he afraid of what Myung Dae could have done to Beomgyu or himself? He could have lost Beomgyu to Myung Dae forever if he intervened but didn't he lose him either way? 

It's a never ending war in his mind. But every time he tried to watch it from a new perspective he could only see himself losing. 

The constant worry for Beomgyu tugged at his heart whole. He always felt like a prey being hunted by an invisible force. His conscience, guilt perhaps. He slept but never felt rested, he ate but never had an appetite, he existed but didn't live. 

But guilt did not slowly him down entirely. He took responsibility of his actions and made himself prepared to face people like Myung Dae in the future. He started letting his frustration out in the gym and learnt and mastered Taekwondo in the meantime, so the next time he meets Beomgyu he wouldn't have to leave him for his own shortcomings.

Everytime he used to see a person with curtain bangs on the streets, he deluded himself to think it's the boy who he so dearly wanted to see, only to get slapped back to reality. No amount of pestering from Kai or Soobin would force him to move on from Beomgyu, though Soobin and Kai themselves looked everywhere for him. But it was a wild goose chase that led them to nowhere. Day blended together and Taehyun's graduation came closer.

One such day, as the TV played in the background while he was having dinner, a newly formed habit as he couldn't be left alone with his thoughts, he heard a familiar name. He noticed that a local news channel was on and someone was caught and jailed for human trafficking and drug dealing. Well, good riddance. Just as he was about to lose his focus, he spotted the name Myung Dae among the headlines, "Breaking News: Infamous Drug Dealer and Human Trafficker Myung Dae Arrested and Sentenced"

 He focused on the TV, increasing the volume. "Law enforcement officials have successfully arrested and sentenced Myung Dae, a notorious drug dealer and human trafficker, bringing an end to his reign of terror.

Myung Dae, who had been on the authorities’ radar for years, was known for orchestrating large-scale drug distribution networks and exploiting vulnerable individuals in human trafficking operations. After months of intense investigation, the police conducted a high-stakes raid on his hideout in Busan, where they seized a significant quantity of illegal substances, forged documents, and evidence linking him to a trafficking ring which trafficked only only women and minors but also young boys, spanning multiple cities—

A dull, insistent drone burrowed into his ear, like a dying insect trapped inside. 

So this is what that devil did.

And in that exact moment he couldn't breathe anymore. He couldn't think anymore. He couldn't feel anymore. All he could do was miss Beomgyu with his entire being, body, heart and soul. He didn't want to think where Beomgyu might had been then but all he could pray for was him to be okay. 

All this while, from then till now, Taehyun has lived with the fear than Beomgyu has been trafficked somewhere but now that he's seen the boy happy with his own two eyes he should feel relieved right? Then why is he sobbing? Why is he rocking himself back and forth? Why does his hands bleed, wanting to touch Beomgyu to see if he's real? He wants to see the boy happy. But now that he is so close to his vicinity why is there an endless stream of rain falling on his heart? Why can't he forget all of you hatred he had for Myung Dae and all of the sadness he has for Beomgyu? He wants to go talk to him, ask him why he didn't contact him if he was safe. He wants to tell him how much he missed him, how his heart ached at every thought of him, but he can't. Beomgyu has moved on. He has a kid and a loving boyfriend. He can't be in the way of Beomgyu's happiness. 

So he swallowed his questions back and he prays for Beomgyu's happiness.

Chapter Text

The bell above the glass door rings with a cheerful little chime. Sunlight filters in through the bakery’s lace-curtained windows, scattering gold across warm wood and powdered sugar.

Soobin steps inside, brushing snowflakes off his coat. His tall frame commands attention even without trying, all messy brown hair and flushed cheeks from the cold, hands shoved nervously into his jacket pockets. His eyes sweep the cozy little space, the scent of cinnamon and baked strawberries thick in the air.

Behind the counter, Yeonjun drops his tong.

Like, physically drops it.

It clatters to the tile, forgotten, as his entire brain short circuits.

What the hell.

Was this a man or a manifestation? There’s a god-tier level of hot and then there’s whatever this is. His pink hair falls into his eyes as he gawks, lips parting like he’s forgotten how to speak. It takes him a full three seconds to realize he’s staring.

Another two to decide that he doesn’t care.

“Well, hello,” Yeonjun drawls, leaning an elbow on the counter like he owns the place and wasn’t just wiping milk foam off the espresso machine ten seconds ago. “New in town, or just decided to bless our little bakery with your heavenly presence today?”

Soobin blinks.

Then he chuckles, a low embarrassed sound, rubbing the back of his neck. “I uh. I’m actually here to see Beomgyu?”

Yeonjun is already halfway around the counter before the words even register. “Of course you are. Because hot people are never single,” he mutters to himself, loudly. Then louder, with more drama: “You know him? You're not like, his ex, right? Or his boyfriend? Or his married boyfriend who’s here to steal him away?”

Soobin sputters. “What? No! I'm uh I’m Soobin. A friend.”

Yeonjun freezes mid step, his eyes going wide, pupils dilating like a cat who just heard the treat bag crinkle.

“Soobin?” His voice pitches upward like a bad pop song. “As in, the Soobin? The hyung Soobin? The one who’s like a tall soft-spoken tragic romance protagonist from a 90s drama?”

Soobin doesn't know what to do with that description so he just nods, adjusting the strap of his messenger bag. “Yeah. That Soobin.”

Yeonjun turns on his heel and yells into the back room, “BEOMGYU YAH! YOU NEED TO GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW OR I’M QUITTING!”

There’s a clatter of metal trays and a brief panicked curse from the kitchen. A few moments later, the flour dusted swinging door creaks open.

And Beomgyu steps out.

Apron tied loose at his waist, sleeves rolled to his elbows, cheeks pink from the heat of the ovens. He looks up, wiping his hands on a towel, and for a second he doesn't register what he's seeing.

Then he does.

The towel slips from his fingers.

He’s frozen in place, heart hammering. The sound of the café dulls into silence around them, the sizzle of an espresso machine and the murmurs of customers all falling away.

“Soobin hyung…?”

His voice cracks on the last syllable.

Soobin takes one slow step forward, then another, eyes soft, until Beomgyu’s running at him. No warning. Just the full force of emotion in a heartbeat he wraps his arms around Soobin’s waist like he might fall apart if he doesn’t, burying his face in the older boy’s chest.

Soobin holds him like he’s been waiting to. Like he’s carried this hug around in his chest, unspent, for too long.

Yeonjun watches from behind the counter, mouth slightly open, like he just stumbled into a K-drama finale he didn’t audition for.

He slowly reaches for a croissant and takes a bite.

Because clearly, he needs popcorn.

---

Beomgyu doesn’t cry not right away.

He stays clutched into Soobin’s chest, breathing him in, letting the warmth soak into his frozen bones like sunlight after rain. His fingers dig lightly into the thick fabric of Soobin’s coat. It smells like snow, and laundry detergent, and something achingly familiar. Something that makes his throat tight.

Soobin holds him wordlessly, chin resting on Beomgyu’s hair, rocking him just a little like he used to do when Beomgyu was younger and the world felt too loud. It’s the kind of hug that lasts past comfort and settles into quiet understanding. The kind of hug you remember during sleepless nights.

Yeonjun clears his throat. Loudly. No one notices.

Beomgyu pulls back eventually, just a little, enough to look up.

His eyes are glassy. Rimmed red, but not from crying yet. Just from the weight of having someone from a life he left behind standing right in front of him solid, alive, real. He wasn’t ready. He thought he was, but he wasn’t.

“Hyung…” His voice is soft, barely there. “Why are you here?”

Soobin looks down at him, cupping the side of Beomgyu’s head in one large, trembling hand, his thumb brushing lightly behind his ear.

“Do I need a reason?”

Beomgyu blinks rapidly, swallowing something that tastes like grief and relief all at once. “I just I didn’t think after everything I thought”

“You didn’t call,” Soobin says gently, not accusing. “You didn’t message. You just disappeared. What was I supposed to do?”

“I didn’t want you to see me like this,” Beomgyu whispers.

Soobin shakes his head, jaw tightening. “Like what, Gyu? Alive? Safe? Breathing?”

Yeonjun snorts from the counter. “Okay, but are we all just gonna ignore the fact that you guys are literally talking like a tragic war reunion right now? Should I light candles? Dim the lights?”

Beomgyu turns, sniffling out a laugh despite himself. “Yeonjun, shut up.”

Yeonjun shrugs with a mischievous grin, leaning one hip against the counter, hand still holding his croissant like it’s a mic.

Soobin notices him for the first time. Really notices.

He squints at the pink hair. The way Yeonjun’s leaning too comfortably. The faint smudges of flour on the collar of his shirt. The child-sized high chair tucked in the corner.

A slow, dawning horror washes over him.

He stares at Beomgyu. Then at Yeonjun. Then back at Beomgyu.

“You guys have a kid?”

Beomgyu looks so confused.

“What?” he blurts.

Soobin points at the high chair like it’s a crime scene. “Is that not yours?”

Yeonjun chokes on his croissant.

“Oh my God, absolutely not.” He coughs violently. “No offense, Gyu, but I would rather perish in the arms of capitalism than co-parent with you.”

Beomgyu frowns. “You literally asked me last week if I’d name a sourdough after you.”

“Yeah, because I’m iconic, not because I want to change diapers with you.”

Soobin looks helplessly between them. “Wait. You’re not together?”

Yeonjun recoils like he’s been slapped. “Do I look like I could handle this emotionally repressed raccoon of a man in a romantic setting?”

Beomgyu gasps. “Excuse me?!”

“Case in point,” Yeonjun says, dusting crumbs off his shirt.

Soobin’s expression eases into something softer. A little relieved. A little ashamed. “I’m sorry. I just saw you two and assumed. And the kid chair?”

“That’s for the customer’s toddlers,” Beomgyu mutters, cheeks tinged pink now. “We’re not… that.”

Soobin smiles, just a little.

“Okay. Good.”

Beomgyu freezes. “Good?”

Soobin immediately looks like he regrets that word.

But before he can explain himself, he blurts out, “Taehyun was sad to see you yesterday.”

The room stills. All of Beomgyu’s movement comes to a halt, like someone’s hit pause on a film reel.

“What?” Beomgyu breathes, barely above a whisper. His voice is so thin, it might snap in half if anyone talks too loudly.

Soobin shifts his weight like the floor under him has started burning. “I mean—he didn’t say it in words. You know him, he never says it in words.”

Beomgyu’s eyes go dark and unreadable. “No, hyung. I don’t know him anymore.”

That lands heavy in the middle of the room like an unwanted guest.

Yeonjun, sensing the tectonic tension, starts busying himself with refilling the pastry shelf, except he's just moving the same two croissants back and forth. Every now and then he sneaks a glance at Beomgyu’s face. Then at Soobin’s. Then back again.

“He came back that night,” Soobin says, quieter now. “After you left. He didn’t talk to anyone. Just locked himself in his room. I could hear him through the wall, Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu’s fingers curl at his sides. His knuckles go pale.

“He didn’t cry. He didn’t do anything dramatic,” Soobin continues. “Just silence. For hours. Like someone turned the volume off inside him.”

Beomgyu lets out a shaky exhale. “Don’t.”

Soobin looks up sharply. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t tell me that. I don’t need to know that.”

Soobin bites the inside of his cheek, chewing his words down before they spill out wrong. “I just thought you should know. He’s not... indifferent. He never was.”

Beomgyu turns away, busying himself with wiping an already clean counter. He scrubs harder than he needs to, like he's trying to erase the conversation with lemon-scented spray.

Yeonjun speaks up, finally. “If I may,” he says, voice raised like he's applying for a mic on open-mic night, “I would just like to clarify again for the sake of future awkward reunions and potential fanfiction, I am not dating Beomgyu.”

Soobin doesn’t respond right away.

Yeonjun pushes up his sleeves dramatically and walks around the counter. “I am not the bakery husband. I am not co-parenting a sourdough baby. I am not kissing him behind the freezer. And that child seat over there?” He points with a flourish. “It’s for literal children. Not some metaphor about our shared domestic life.”

Beomgyu sighs. “You’re being loud.”

“I’m being clear.” Yeonjun turns to Soobin. “We are coworkers. I flirt with him because I’m me, and he ignores me because he’s broken. That’s our dynamic.”

“Yeonjun”

“And,” Yeonjun says, now holding a bagel like a microphone, “if I was his boyfriend which I’m not I wouldn’t have let him walk around looking like a malnourished anime side character for six months. So. There’s your answer.”

Silence. Beomgyu wants to dig a hole in the tiled floor and lay in it.

Soobin clears his throat, barely hiding a smile. “Right. Got it. You’re not together.”

Yeonjun winks. “But if you’re interested in me, tall boy, I am single and very emotionally available.”

Beomgyu throws a dish towel at his face. “Go mop something.”

“I mop souls, not floors,” Yeonjun says, already walking away.

As he disappears into the back, Soobin’s smile fades slowly, replaced with something gentler. Something weightier.

“I wasn’t trying to mess anything up,” he says to Beomgyu, voice lowered. “I just… I’ve never seen Taehyun like that. It scared me.”

Beomgyu closes his eyes.

He doesn’t want to ask. He doesn't want to hope.

But the question slips out anyway, raw and quiet:

“Was he really sad?”

Soobin nods, eyes kind. “He looked like someone who just lost the thing that mattered most.”

Soobin says it gently, like he’s laying something fragile down on a table and doesn’t want it to shatter.

Beomgyu goes still.

“What?”

Soobin nods, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets. “He came back that night. Didn’t talk. Barely looked at me. Just went straight to the guest room. I’ve never seen him like that before.”

Beomgyu doesn’t speak right away. But something starts coiling in his chest, something bitter and familiar. His eyes drift toward the window, far off.

“You said he was sad after seeing me?”

“Yeah,” Soobin answers. “Why? Did something happen?”

Beomgyu lets out a soft, disbelieving laugh. “Happen? No. Nothing happened. Because I didn’t speak to him.”

Yeonjun perks up. “Wait. What?”

Beomgyu looks at both of them now, eyes burning with the weight of what he's kept buried. “He came to the bakery last week.”

Soobin’s brows lift. “He did?”

“I didn’t know at first,” Beomgyu says quietly. “He was just standing there, asking about about Eunji.”

Yeonjun suddenly connects the dots. “Wait. That was him? That hot intern-looking doctor who came in and refused cake?!” His eyes go wide. “Beomgyu, that was Taehyun?”

Beomgyu nods once. “I didn’t realize until he looked at me. Really looked at me. And by the time I did, I couldn’t—” He breaks off, fingers gripping the edge of the counter like it might steady him.

Soobin looks down, then quietly: “He probably thought you didn’t want to see him.”

Beomgyu lets out a shaky breath. “I didn’t think he even remembered me. I didn’t

think he’d, he’d look for me. I thought he’d forgotten. I was hoping he had.”

Yeonjun’s voice softens for once. “Why? Because if he hadn’t… it means you hurt him?”

Beomgyu doesn’t answer.

He doesn’t have to.

The silence says it all.

Chapter Text

The kitchen smelled like overbaked sugar and burnt almonds.

Beomgyu wiped the counters with mechanical precision, his sleeves shoved up to his elbows and an ancient song playing on the tiny speaker clipped to the ventilation hood. The bakery was between rushes, and Eunji was curled up in the corner with a juice box and a sticker book, mumbling to herself in cartoon voices.

Yeonjun was sitting on a stool like it was a throne, sipping lukewarm espresso and gazing at the ceiling like a tragic poet. It had been twenty full minutes since his last dramatic declaration.

And now—

“I’ve decided,” Yeonjun announced, legs crossed, espresso mug raised like a wine glass. “Soobin is my soulmate.”

Beomgyu didn’t even look up. “You said that about the dog shelter guy.”

“That was different. He had a mustache. Soobin has aura.”

Beomgyu snorted. “You also said it about the barista who made your latte wrong.”

“That was also different. That was lust disguised as caffeine dependence.”

“And the violinist from the subway?”

“I was going through something,” Yeonjun snapped, defensive. “But this? This is real.”

Beomgyu finally turned to him, cloth in hand. “You met him yesterday.”

“Exactly,” Yeonjun said, eyes wide and serious now. “And I haven’t stopped seeing him since. Every time I close my eyes, boom. There he is. Those cheekbones. That voice. That tragic tallness. He’s haunting me, Gyu.”

“You’re haunted by a guy who said six words to you.”

“I don’t need words. I felt his soul.”

Beomgyu rolled his eyes so hard it almost counted as a full-body stretch. “You need medication.”

Yeonjun opened his mouth to deliver another heartfelt monologue and the bell above the front door jingled.

Beomgyu glanced toward the doorway out of habit, wiping his hands on his apron. And then he froze.

Because standing there was Soobin.

And next to him, almost half a step behind, was Taehyun.

Yeonjun gasped dramatically, slapping a hand over his chest like he was in an opera. “See? I told you. He’s here. My vision. My curse.”

Soobin gave him a look amused, cautious. “Hi.”

Yeonjun stood up. “You came for me, didn’t you? You couldn’t stay away. I knew it. Admit it. You’ve been fantasizing about me since yesterday.”

Soobin blinked slowly. Then, with absolutely perfect deadpan: “Yeah. Yeah, okay. You got me.”

Yeonjun swooned.

Beomgyu, meanwhile, was frozen. His eyes weren’t on Soobin. They were locked onto the person beside him.

Taehyun stood stiffly, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his coat, like he hadn’t fully decided if he wanted to be here.

Beomgyu couldn’t breathe properly.

Soobin casually clapped a hand on Yeonjun’s shoulder. “Anyway. I’m here to steal you.”

Yeonjun blinked. “Wait, really?”

“Yep,” Soobin said cheerfully. “Come with me. Outside. Now.”

Yeonjun glanced at Beomgyu, then at Taehyun, then slowly started to grin. “Ohhh. I see. You’re sacrificing yourself for the plot.”

“Shut up and walk.”

“Gladly.”

Yeonjun turned back, winked at Beomgyu like this was all part of a very elaborate romcom script, and let himself be dragged toward the door.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he called over his shoulder. “Which is very little. You have permission to be filthy.”

The bell jingled again. The door shut behind them.

And then, there were two.

Just Taehyun. And Beomgyu.

Breathing in the same warm, dough-scented air.

Trying not to break.

---

The door clicked shut with a soft finality, the kind that left silence behind it like a shadow.

Beomgyu stared at the flour on his hands. At the burn on his thumb from earlier. At anything that wasn't standing two feet away from him in a long coat and too many memories.

Taehyun didn't speak. He looked at the bakery’s narrow kitchen like he was measuring how much of the past could fit inside.

“I’m here for a routine check-up,” he said at last. His voice was even. Like nothing hurt.

Beomgyu let out a breath that almost became a laugh. “Is that what Soobin told you to say?”

Taehyun hesitated. “I didn’t want to come.”

“You made that part obvious yesterday.”

“I mean Soobin insisted. He thought I should.”

“You always do what he tells you?”

A beat. “Not always.”

Beomgyu finally looked at him. Just one glance. But it lingered.

Then he crouched down by the baby pen in the corner, where Eunji sat among mismatched toys and a stuffed rabbit with a missing ear. She blinked up at him, eyes big and drowsy, and reached out her arms with a whine immediate and wordless.

Beomgyu lifted her gently, careful of her head, settling her in the crook of his arm like he’d done a thousand times before.

“Can you check her while I hold her?” he asked, without looking.

Taehyun stepped closer, slowly, and opened his bag.

The air between them thickened as he worked. Cold fingertips pressed against tiny wrists. A stethoscope brushed soft cotton. Eunji squirmed, whimpered once, then quieted nestling into Beomgyu’s chest like she knew he was safety.

Taehyun’s voice was low. “She’s healthy. Breathing sounds good. No fever.”

Beomgyu nodded. “Thanks.”

“She’s sweet,” Taehyun added, his tone shifting, softening. “She seems calm with you.”

“She’s not mine.”

“I know,” Taehyun said. Then, after a moment: “But you raised her.”

Silence.

Beomgyu looked down at the small girl in his arms. Her head fit neatly beneath his chin.

“I just did what no one else would.”

“That counts,” Taehyun said.

Another pause.

Then: “How are you?”

Beomgyu blinked. “What?”

“I meant” Taehyun faltered, eyes on the floor. “How’s your life? Raising her. Was it hard?”

Beomgyu looked at him, startled.

And then slowly, he smiled.

Not the kind you wear for customers. A real one. Small. Faint. Sad.

“Some days were harder than others.”

Taehyun looked around really looked.

The ceiling fan that barely turned. The wire rack with three cracked mugs. The wall where the paint was peeling in a thin strip above the sink.

This wasn’t a place built for comfort. It was a place built to survive.

“If you ever needed,” Taehyun said quietly, “I have space. At mine. It’s warm. Safe. You and her you could stay.”

Beomgyu’s expression dropped.

“No.”

Taehyun’s lips parted, unsure. “I didn’t mean it like”

“I said no,” Beomgyu cut in, sharper now. “I’m not someone you take in because you feel responsible. I’m not a project, Taehyun.”

“I know that,” Taehyun said, eyes narrowing just slightly.

“Do you?” Beomgyu’s voice cracked, raw under the words. “Because you couldn’t even look at me yesterday.”

“I was trying not to break,” Taehyun said.

Beomgyu looked away.

Taehyun exhaled once, like he had more to say but no words left.

Then he left.

The door swung gently behind him.

And Beomgyu stood still, holding the only thing in the room small enough to protect.

Chapter Text

The bell above the door jingled like any other morning.

But the person who entered wasn’t just anyone.

“Annyeonghaseyoooo~” Yeonjun sang, bursting into the bakery with his arms flung wide like he was reenacting a K-drama opening credit sequence. “You may now begin applauding. It is the birth date of the bakery’s most gorgeous employee.”

Beomgyu didn’t even look up from the dough he was kneading.

Yeonjun tried again, louder: “The world rejoices today because I was born.”

Still no response.

Yeonjun stomped his foot. “Beomgyu. Look at me. I wore glitter eyeliner.”

Beomgyu finally lifted his head. “You look like you lost a fight with a kindergarten art project.”

Yeonjun grinned. “And yet, flawless.”

He strutted to the counter and rang the service bell three times, despite being an employee.

Beomgyu groaned. “Stop doing that. The customers think we have rats.”

“Well, we do,” Yeonjun muttered, leaning dramatically across the glass. “You. You’re the rat king.”

Before Beomgyu could retaliate, Yeonjun turned to the first customer of the day, an old lady who came in every Friday for cinnamon rolls.

“Good morning, eomonim,” Yeonjun said with a theatrical bow. “In honor of my miraculous survival of another year, your order is on the house today.”

The woman blinked. “But I didn’t order anything yet.”

“Doesn’t matter. You get three pastries, free of charge. Take them. Take the universe.”

Beomgyu smacked him lightly with the edge of a tray. “We are not giving away the universe, idiot.”

Yeonjun turned to him, gasping. “How dare you? This is my day. I am the bakery birthday fairy. I bring joy and carbs.”

The old woman left with her cinnamon rolls and a confused smile.

By noon, Yeonjun had given away six croissants, two macarons, and an entire box of misprinted cookies with smiley faces that looked slightly drunk. Every time Beomgyu tried to stop him, Yeonjun would hold up a single finger and whisper, “My birthday,” like it was a curse that granted him divine rights.

Beomgyu hated how contagious the energy was.

By early afternoon, even he was smiling more than usual, though he refused to admit it aloud.

Eunji babbled in the corner, surrounded by tissue paper and ribbon scraps Yeonjun had pulled out to wrap “birthday pastries” like gifts. At one point, he tried to tie a party hat to her head and got a fistful of baby drool in return.

“You’re lucky she likes you,” Beomgyu muttered, watching as Eunji clung to Yeonjun’s shirt with one tiny hand.

“Of course she does. I’m a Virgo. Babies love Virgo.”

“Babies love loud noises and chaotic shapes, Yeonjun.”

“Exactly,” he said proudly.

Beomgyu shook his head, but under all the exasperation, he felt it, that rare softness. That impossible warmth of seeing someone you love genuinely happy.

Yeonjun had always been loud, but on days like this, he wasn’t performing.

He was just glowing.

And somehow, that made the tiny bakery feel full.

---

“I’ve made an executive decision,” Yeonjun declared, lifting Eunji’s bottle like a champagne glass. “There will be a dinner party. Hosted by yours truly. With food. Made by these hands.”

Beomgyu didn’t even pause in sweeping up flour. “No.”

Yeonjun blinked. “Excuse me?”

“No,” Beomgyu repeated. “You’re not allowed near knives when you’re this emotionally unhinged.”

“Emotionally unhinged?! I am radiantly festive! I am the living embodiment of joy and culinary daring!”

“You nearly set a salad on fire last time.”

“That was a technical error involving a faulty lighter and too much trust in romaine lettuce.”

“You blew up a microwave, Yeonjun.”

“I was infusing honey.”

“You don’t infuse honey with a CD inside the bowl.”

Yeonjun placed a hand on Beomgyu’s shoulder, solemn. “Gyu. Listen to me. I need this. I need to cook. I need to host. I need to be adored in candlelight.”

Beomgyu stared at him.

“This is about Soobin, isn’t it.”

Yeonjun’s lips twitched. “It’s about me. But yes. Also Soobin.”

Beomgyu groaned and dropped the broom. “Fine. But I’m not cleaning up whatever you set on fire.”

Yeonjun clapped like a child. “You won’t have to! I’ve already got a vision board. I’m thinking: balsamic-drizzled peaches, artisanal pasta, maybe a roasted chicken”

“You’ve never roasted anything in your life.”

“I’ve roasted you daily.”

Beomgyu considered walking out the back door and never returning.

Instead, he followed Yeonjun to the kitchen after closing time, where chaos began immediately. Within ten minutes, Yeonjun had managed to drop an entire container of salt, confuse sugar for flour, and attempt to peel garlic with a spatula.

“You’re literally allergic to competence,” Beomgyu muttered, tying an apron around his waist with a sigh. “Move. You’re not hosting a party, you’re hosting a safety hazard.”

“You’re just mad because I’m vibrant.”

“You’re vibrant the way a gas leak is vibrant.”

Yeonjun stuck out his tongue and went back to slicing bell peppers with all the confidence of someone who had no idea what he was doing but looked amazing doing it.

That’s when he said it.

“Oh, by the way,” Yeonjun tossed out casually, like he was mentioning the weather. “I invited Soobin.”

Beomgyu paused mid-chop. “You what?”

Yeonjun nodded, as if it were no big deal. “He said he might swing by.”

Beomgyu turned to face him, brows raised. “Wait, are you guys, like dating?”

Yeonjun made a scandalized noise. “Dating? Gyu, please. That’s so basic. Dating is what people do when they’re unsure.”

Beomgyu blinked.

Yeonjun continued, eyes shining, “When it’s real? You skip all that. What’s the point of dating when you can just, get married?”

Beomgyu let out a pained groan and dropped the knife onto the cutting board.

“Oh my god, not this again.”

“No, but listen!” Yeonjun pointed at him with a tomato-covered finger. “He’s perfect. He’s calm. He’s hot. He wears sensible shoes. He’d look amazing holding a toddler and a mortgage.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“You’re just jealous because I see destiny and you see dish soap.”

“I’m jealous because you flirt like a runaway Shakespeare character.”

“And yet, Soobin flirts back.”

Beomgyu rolled his eyes so hard he nearly saw his past lives. “He pats your head and tells you to hydrate.”

“Affectionately.”

Beomgyu didn’t respond.

Yeonjun grinned like a man with a prophecy to fulfill. “Just wait. He’s coming tonight. You’ll see.”

---

The pan flared up like it had been waiting for the drama.

“FUCK FIRE” Yeonjun screamed, flailing toward the faucet with a bowl in hand.

Beomgyu had three seconds to react. He lunged across the counter, grabbed the lid, and slammed it down with enough force to shut down a conversation. The flame died with a hiss and a wisp of blackened paper towel.

Yeonjun stood frozen in the corner, spatula held like a weapon. “Is it over? Are we alive?”

Beomgyu stared at him. “You just tried to assassinate my kitchen.”

“I was going for lightly torched elegance,” Yeonjun said weakly.

“You were going for an arson charge.”

Beomgyu looked around. Burnt garlic. Boiled-over pasta water. A counter sprinkled with sugar and salt because Yeonjun had confused them again. It was a disaster zone.

He exhaled.

And rolled up his sleeves.

“Get out of the kitchen,” he muttered, already pulling out a pan. “Go light your weird candles or whatever. I’ll cook.”

Yeonjun blinked. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“Even after I nearly killed us all?”

“Especially because you nearly killed us all.”

Yeonjun sniffled dramatically. “This is why you’re my platonic soulmate.”

Beomgyu didn’t respond. He was already chopping onions like they were responsible for all his emotional damage.

By the time Soobin and Taehyun arrived, the kitchen smelled like sautéed butter and garlic, actual garlic this time, and fresh rosemary. Beomgyu had somehow produced roasted vegetables, a pot of tomato stew, and a tray of cheese-stuffed bread rolls from a fridge Yeonjun hadn’t stocked properly in weeks.

Yeonjun greeted them at the door in smoke-streaked eyeliner and a party hat that sat crooked on his head. “Welcome to my glamorous night of near-death and culinary redemption.”

Soobin raised a brow. “It smells good?”

“That’s me. Hero of the kitchen. Culinary martyr.”

Beomgyu poked his head out. “Stop talking.”

Soobin smiled faintly. “He always this charming?”

Yeonjun placed a hand on his heart. “Only when furious. Which is often.”

Then Soobin added, with a flick of his gaze to the door behind him, “I hope it’s okay Taehyun came.”

Beomgyu didn’t answer right away.

Yeonjun clapped a hand on his back like this was all perfectly normal. “Na na, it’s great. I mean, hopefully I’m not the only one getting laid tonight, right?”

Beomgyu nearly dropped the ladle.

Taehyun stared at the floor.

Soobin blinked. “Thank you for the warm welcome.”

Yeonjun winked.

Soobin allowed himself to be pulled into the living room, trailing faint amusement and cologne.

Taehyun lingered by the door, coat still on. He looked toward Beomgyu, who was now stirring the stew with unnecessary force.

They didn’t speak.

Not yet.

But something was simmering.

And not just on the stove.

---

The room smelled like roasted rosemary and softened cheese.

Soobin stretched out his legs beneath the low table, chewing the last bite of bread roll like he’d just returned from war and found religion.

“Oh my God,” he groaned. “This is the best thing I’ve eaten in months.”

Yeonjun beamed, chest puffed like he’d just won a cooking competition. “Right? I told you I had it in me.”

Beomgyu, sitting with his sleeves rolled up and flour still in the creases of his knuckles, said absolutely nothing.

Soobin nodded slowly. “You really outdid yourself.”

Yeonjun tossed his hair. “I always do. It’s part of my tragic genius.”

Beomgyu stabbed a piece of roasted carrot with silent aggression.

Soobin, still oblivious, leaned over to whisper, “Did you make the bread yourself?”

Yeonjun didn’t even blink. “Absolutely. Kneaded it with the same hands I use to ruin men.”

Beomgyu almost choked.

Taehyun, meanwhile, had been mostly silent, eating slowly, quietly. But now he looked up. Eyes soft. Focused.

“This really does taste heavenly.” he said, his voice low but deliberate.

He didn’t look at the food when he said it.

He looked at Beomgyu.

And Beomgyu, he didn’t reply. Not with words.

But his eyes dropped. And there was the tiniest smile on his lips. One that stayed hidden from everyone else, but Taehyun saw it.

The moment broke when Yeonjun slammed a cabinet door open like a man declaring war.

“ALRIGHT. Time for alcohol.”

“No,” Beomgyu said, already exhausted.

“Yes,” Yeonjun said, dragging out a bottle of soju and two tiny glasses like props. “It’s my birthday. You cooked. We vibe. Eunji’s asleep. No one is bleeding. It’s time.”

“No.”

“Beomgyu.” Yeonjun gave him the full puppy-eye treatment. “Tonight. We drink. You have no excuse. There’s even a designated baby monitor.”

Beomgyu pinched the bridge of his nose.

Taehyun surprisingly said nothing. But when Yeonjun poured him a shot, he didn’t protest.

Soobin shrugged and reached for a glass. “One won’t hurt.”

Beomgyu scowled. “You’re all disasters.”

But half an hour later, he was sipping out of a mismatched mug, half-sulking and half-listening to Yeonjun tell a story about accidentally getting locked in a convenience store freezer in 2018.

That’s when the doorbell rang.

Yeonjun lit up. “That’ll be Kai!”

Beomgyu frowned. “You invited Kai?”

Yeonjun waggled his brows. “Group chaos builds intimacy.”

Soobin raised a brow. “You just want more people to flirt with.”

“Is it working?” Yeonjun asked, leaning into Soobin’s space with a grin.

Soobin didn’t move. “You’ve got seaweed on your chin.”

Yeonjun wiped it off with absolutely zero shame. “Still hot though.”

---

The door swung open, and Kai walked in like he owned the playlist.

“Am I late to the descent into debauchery?” he asked, eyes gleaming.

Yeonjun whooped from the couch, raising a shot glass in greeting. “You’re right on time, birthday boy number two!”

Kai arched a brow. “Isn’t it your birthday?”

“Yes, but I’m generous and a little bit tipsy. Take off your coat. Stay a while. Flirt with my guests.”

Kai laughed, shaking off the cold and toeing off his boots like he’d done it a thousand times. He offered everyone a round of cheek kisses, stopping just short of Beomgyu, who looked like he was clinging to the last thread of sanity holding the group together.

“Kai,” Beomgyu said dryly, “if you kiss me, I’m throwing you into the compost bin.”

Kai grinned. “Noted.”

Soobin slid over to make room, patting the spot beside him. Kai sat down. Another round was poured. The drinks were mismatched, soju in wine glasses, whiskey in mugs, something vaguely fruity in a plastic cup that Kai didn’t question.

Yeonjun turned the music up a little, just enough to fill the spaces between conversations with warmth.

“Soobin,” he said, dramatically draping himself across the back of the couch, “on a scale of one to legally binding, how in love are you with me right now?”

Soobin didn't miss a beat. “Somewhere between ‘you’re cute’ and ‘you need therapy.’”

Taehyun, still seated cross-legged with one hand around a lukewarm glass, laughed softly. Beomgyu heard the sound and looked over instinctively.

Taehyun was already looking at him.

He didn’t look away.

Beomgyu blinked first.

Kai raised his glass. “Alright, we need a toast.”

Yeonjun climbed halfway onto the table, tipsy and dangerous. “To me-”

“No,” Soobin said.

“To handsome and fruity men!” Yeonjun corrected, voice rising.

“To chaos,” Kai offered.

“To Beomgyu’s cook

ing,” Taehyun said quietly.

That made Beomgyu’s head turn again. His eyes met Taehyun’s across the low table, and this time, neither looked away.

“Cheers,” Soobin said, raising his glass.

They clinked mismatched cups together.

The warmth settled in.

And something else too-something that didn’t taste like alcohol.

It tasted like a memory.

Chapter Text

“Let’s play something stupid,” Yeonjun declared, slurring only slightly. His legs were splayed across Kai’s lap like he lived there, a shot glass dangling from his fingers. “We need more chaos. This party’s getting too emotionally stable.”

Soobin raised an eyebrow. “We just watched you try to arm wrestle a wine bottle.”

“Exactly! That was foreplay. Now it’s time for the plot twist.”

Kai leaned back, lazy grin in place. “Truth or dare. Let’s keep it classic.”

Beomgyu was tucked into the corner of the couch, arms folded tight. He’d stopped drinking after his second cup, but the warmth hadn’t left his face. Maybe it was the room. Maybe it was Taehyun still sitting across from him like a storm with nowhere to go.

“Not playing,” Beomgyu muttered.

“You’re absolutely playing,” Yeonjun shot back, already pointing at him. “Democracy died the second I was born.”

Kai laughed. “C’mon, Gyu. You survived my cooking critiques. This should be easy.”

Soobin sipped his drink, amused.

The bottle spun on the table, mostly for show, before Kai lifted his chin toward Beomgyu.

“Alright, birthday gift,” Kai said. “Dare.”

Beomgyu didn’t blink. “No.”

Kai grinned wider. “I dare you to kiss the person next to you.”

The room didn’t go quiet, it just slowed.

Yeonjun immediately gasped. “Oho! That’s me!”

He wiggled his eyebrows, face flushed, hair tousled, grinning like a cartoon villain. “Come on, Gyu. Pucker up.”

But Beomgyu’s eyes drifted the other way.

To his other side.

To Taehyun.

Who hadn’t moved.

Who sat stiff, unreadable, hands folded in his lap like he was holding something back with his whole body.

Beomgyu’s pulse kicked up. The air felt thick in his lungs.

He looked back and forth, Yeonjun, smiling, leaning in, his voice already halfway to teasing.

And Taehyun, watching him like the world was waiting.

Beomgyu swallowed.

“Fine,” he said.

He turned toward Yeonjun.

He was safe.

He was easy.

He was not Taehyun.

Beomgyu leaned in.

Their lips brushed.

Just once.

Quick. Soft.

Yeonjun made an exaggerated swooning sound.

Everyone laughed.

Except Taehyun.

Who moved.

---

The laughter had barely reached its peak when Taehyun reached forward and grabbed Beomgyu’s wrist.

Not roughly.

But firmly.

Enough to make the laughter stop.

Enough to make Beomgyu freeze mid-turn.

“Taehyun?” Yeonjun said, blinking, still half-tipsy and half-stunned.

But Taehyun wasn’t looking at him.

He was looking at Beomgyu.

His grip pulled Beomgyu back not forcefully, not violently, just urgently.

And then he kissed him.

No warning.

No question.

It wasn’t soft.

It wasn’t gentle.

It wasn’t like the ones Beomgyu used to imagine when he was eighteen and lonely and still naïve enough to think love would be simple.

It was a claim.

Taehyun’s lips on his. His breath. His hand on Beomgyu’s jaw. The ache of something old finally breaking open between their mouths.

And then like a snapped string Beomgyu pulled back.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he whispered, breathless, voice jagged.

Taehyun didn’t hesitate.

“I’m doing what I should’ve done years ago.”

Beomgyu just stared at him. His lips still tingled. His hands had curled into fists without him noticing.

Around them, no one moved.

Yeonjun opened his mouth, then closed it. Even Kai had gone silent.

Soobin blinked slowly, his face unreadable.

Beomgyu stood.

Wordless.

He walked out of the room, fast and tight-shouldered, disappearing down the hallway.

No one followed.

Not yet.

They were all too drunk.

Or maybe too afraid.

---

The door shut behind him with a soft click.

The sound was too small. Too polite. Like it didn’t know the fire it sealed in.

Beomgyu didn’t turn on the light. He didn’t need it.

The dark was easier. It let him pretend.

He crossed the room slowly, past the dresser he never finished painting, past the box of old sweaters Taehyun once liked to borrow, past the faint smell of baby shampoo clinging to the softest corners.

He sat on the edge of the bed.

Then folded forward.

And let his hands tangle in his hair, knuckles white.

He didn’t cry.

Not at first.

It was worse than crying.

It was that silent cracking in his chest. The one that started in the stomach and bloomed upward, tight and slow, like grief on delay.

He shouldn’t have kissed Yeonjun. That was the first thing his mind sank its teeth into. It was stupid. It was a joke. He used someone else as a shield, again.

He should’ve pulled away from Taehyun. Sooner. Harder. More convincingly.

But the worst part?

He hadn’t wanted to.

And now it was all coming back. The nights. The goodbye. The way he’d stood at the edge of that shared apartment with Myung Dae waiting downstairs, thinking if he just left quickly enough, Taehyun would hate him instead of miss him.

That had been the plan.

Leave.

Be the villain.

Make it easier for Taehyun to forget him.

But Taehyun hadn’t forgotten.

And worse, he’d waited.

“I’m doing what I should’ve done years ago.”

The words curled around Beomgyu’s ribcage like vines.

His mouth still burned. Not from the kiss. From what it meant.

He pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. Hard. Until the color behind them burst into stars.

He couldn’t do this again.

Not with Taehyun.

Not when he was already barely holding it together for Eunji, for himself, for whatever this half-life was he’d managed to build out of flour and silence.

He lay back on the bed, eyes wide open in the dark, staring at the ceiling like it owed him answers.

But the ceiling was quiet.

And Beomgyu had never felt emptier.

---

The door didn’t knock.

It creaked open slowly, hesitant but sure.

Taehyun’s voice came through the crack.

“Can I come in?”

Beomgyu didn’t answer right away. His chest was still tight, his hands buried in the fabric of the bedsheet.

But then, quietly, without looking, “Yeah.”

The door clicked shut behind him. Soft footsteps crossed the floor. Taehyun didn’t ask where to sit. He just came closer—and Beomgyu didn’t move.

Not until he felt a hand against his face.

Not until Taehyun leaned in, not rushing, not hesitating and kissed him.

Again.

It was softer this time. Slower. Less like a demand and more like a memory trying to be real again.

Beomgyu flinched, whispered, “Stop”

Taehyun pulled back just slightly, but he didn’t let go. He reached for Beomgyu’s hand and held it, fingers trembling.

And then his voice cracked.

“Please don’t stop me anymore.”

Beomgyu looked at him.

Taehyun’s eyes were wet. He was crying.

“I know why you left,” he said. “I know you were protecting me. But I didn’t ask you to suffer like this. I never wanted that.”

Beomgyu’s throat tightened.

Taehyun’s grip on his hand grew desperate. “You don’t have to live like this anymore. I’m not scared. I’m not a kid you have to shield. I’m here, and I want to do this with you.”

“Do what?” Beomgyu whispered.

“Everything.” Taehyun’s voice shook. “I want to take care of you. Of Eunji. I want to help. I want to give you a better life than this—than just surviving.”

Beomgyu blinked fast, chest heaving, mouth parted like he couldn’t keep up with the rush of it.

“I’m not trying to rescue you,” Taehyun added. “I just want to come with you this time. Wherever it is you’re going.”

Beomgyu’s resistance cracked somewhere under his ribs.

He leaned in.

Their mouths met again gentler, deeper. Less panic. More ache.

They kissed like it wasn’t the first time but like it was finally the right time.

In the dim light of the room, beside the baby cot where Eunji lay asleep, breathing soft and even, the two of them folded into each other like old pages pressed flat again.

Beomgyu pulled back just slightly. He looked toward the crib.

“She doesn’t deserve this,” he murmured. “This tiny room. These burnt-out days. I’m trying, Taehyun, I’m trying so hard, but I don’t know if I’m enough.”

Taehyun followed his gaze, then rested his hand over Beomgyu’s heart.

“You are,” he said. “You always were.”

And Beomgyu finally, finally let his head fall against Taehyun’s shoulder.

And didn’t say a word.

Chapter Text

Beomgyu’s voice was barely audible.

“He said if I didn’t leave you he’d ruin you.”

Taehyun didn’t move. Not even a breath. But Beomgyu could feel the weight of his gaze, the kind that didn’t demand explanation but deserved it.

Beomgyu stared at the ground, fingers curled into the fabric of his pajama pants like he was trying to hold himself together physically.

“He didn’t scream the first time. He smiled.”

That line alone made something flicker in Taehyun’s throat.

“He told me how lucky I was. That I’d be nothing without him. That you were a distraction—too soft, too weak, too righteous. He said you’d ruin me before I ever had a chance to be something.”

A bitter smile ghosted across Beomgyu’s lips. “And I believed him.”

Taehyun’s hands stayed still in his lap. But his jaw Beomgyu saw it tightened.

“He never had to hurt me at first. Just twisted the room around me. Controlled everything. When I was allowed to eat. When I could leave. What I wore.”

His voice hollowed. “How I spoke about you.”

Taehyun looked away, unable to keep the burn in his eyes from surfacing. Beomgyu pressed forward.

“He asked if I was still in contact with you. I said no. He smiled. He always smiled when he knew I was lying.”

A pause.

“Next morning, he had your number blocked on my phone. Called your name disgusting. He said if I didn’t delete your messages, he’d delete you.”

That made Taehyun look back. Hard.

Beomgyu met his eyes.

“He said he had people. He knew your school. Said a word from him could get you expelled. Drug charges, sexual misconduct. Anything. And I, I didn’t even question it. I just started packing. I left while you were asleep.”

His voice cracked like ice underfoot.

“I thought it was love. I thought I was saving you. But the truth is, Tae—”

He looked down.

“I was just scared. And weak. And stupid. And I didn’t know how else to keep you safe.”

Taehyun opened his mouth, but Beomgyu kept going.

“He said I was poison. That anyone who loved me would end up ruined. I didn’t want to believe it. But when I looked at you? Everything good, everything hopeful I just knew I’d destroy it if I stayed.”

Silence.

Beomgyu's throat tightened around his last words.

“So I disappeared. And I hoped if you hated me, you’d survive.”

The room held stillness like grief.

Taehyun finally breathed. “You think I would’ve survived without you?”

Beomgyu didn’t answer.

Because he hadn’t let himself believe it could ever be a question.

---

“I didn’t hate you,” Taehyun said, finally.

His voice wasn’t angry. It wasn’t soft either.

It was just real.

“I never hated you. Not even for a second.”

Beomgyu didn’t lift his head. But Taehyun wasn’t done.

“I thought you left because you stopped loving me. Or because I wasn't enough. For weeks, I couldn’t eat. Couldn’t sleep. Every time I heard the apartment door open in the hallway, I thought it was you.”

His voice dropped, brittle. “It never was.”

Beomgyu closed his eyes.

“I searched for you,” Taehyun whispered. “I called hospitals. Old friends. Places I thought you might run to. You know how many nights I walked through your favorite cafés, just to see if you’d show up?”

He laughed cold and broken. “I started checking morgue records.”

Beomgyu's head jerked up.

“I’d open missing persons databases, convince myself every nameless boy was you. I even called the police once, but I didn’t know what to say. He’s gone, but maybe he doesn’t want to be found. That’s what I told them.”

Beomgyu reached for his mouth like he could silence the world with his own hand. His eyes were shining, wide and horrified.

“I thought maybe he got into drugs. Or was trafficked. Or overdosed somewhere I’d never find.”

Taehyun’s voice cracked again. “You were so soft, Gyu. You always wore every feeling on your face. And one day, you just vanished. I thought someone hurt you. I thought someone killed you.”

There was no distance between them anymore.

They weren’t touching. But they could’ve been.

“I used to lie awake and picture you scared, alone, calling my name. I’d look at my phone every night and think, what if I missed the call? What if he needed me and I wasn’t there?”

He looked straight at Beomgyu now.

“I blamed myself. Because I was supposed to protect you.”

Beomgyu shook his head, whispering, “Don’t”

“I was supposed to fight for you,” Taehyun said, voice rising. “But you didn’t give me the chance. You left. And I had to live with that silence.”

His hands trembled in his lap.

“Do you know what it’s like to scream into a void for someone who never screams back?”

Beomgyu couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe.

Taehyun finally looked away.

And whispered, “I thought I lost you. And I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

---

Beomgyu had always been pale. But now, he looked hollow.

He sat motionless for a long time after Taehyun finished. His fingers twisted the hem of his shirt until it wrinkled in uneven waves. His eyes were glassy—not quite crying. Just lost.

Then he said, very quietly, “I wanted to come back.”

Taehyun didn’t speak. He let him say it.

“I used to stand outside your campus. Just across the street. Watching. You looked so focused. So serious. Like you were becoming who you were always meant to be.”

Beomgyu’s lips twitched upward in a ghost of a smile.

“And I would think I could ruin that. Just by showing up.”

He finally looked at Taehyun. His face was stripped bare. No sarcasm. No distance.

Just pain.

“I didn’t recognize myself anymore. Not just what he did to me but what I let happen. He didn’t even have to hurt me by the end. I was already doing it for him.”

His hands were shaking now.

“I stopped calling myself anything. I’d go days without speaking. I’d forget how to laugh. I’d wake up panicked that I forgot something, but I didn’t have a life to forget anymore. Just him. And the version of me that knew how to be loved? That version died somewhere in that apartment.”

Taehyun’s hand moved tentative but didn’t reach him yet.

Beomgyu looked down.

“You don’t know what it’s like, Tae. To survive something… and still feel guilty you survived it.”

The tears came slow.

“I thought you deserved someone stronger. Someone whole. I wasn’t whole. I was wreckage. Burnt-out and cold. So even after he was gone even after the trial I didn’t come back.”

A pause. Then a whisper:

“Because I thought I wasn’t someone worth returning to.”

Taehyun’s heart clenched. The kind of ache that couldn’t be exhaled.

He opened his mouth, but Beomgyu wasn’t done.

“You know what else?” Beomgyu asked, voice cracking. “I used to rehearse what I’d say. If I ever saw you again. But every version of the speech ended with I’m sorry, and I didn’t think that would be enough.”

He looked up.

“But it’s all I have.”

Taehyun finally reached forward.

And touched his hand.

Not like a lover.

Like someone catching something that was falling.

---

“She saved me,” Beomgyu whispered, voice hoarse. “And then she left me too.”

Taehyun looked up from where their fingers now rested together on the floor. Beomgyu’s thumb was trembling against his own, his posture collapsed, like whatever held him upright had finally crumbled.

“Who?” Taehyun asked softly.

Beomgyu inhaled sharply. “Her name was Jieun.”

He paused, blinking slowly. His eyes weren’t wet. They were dry, cracked open. Like something scorched had finally split.

“She wanted to be an actress. Had this laugh loud, embarrassing, perfect. The kind of girl who called everyone ‘unnie’ even if she barely knew them. She believed in stupid things, like signs from the universe and soulmate energy and retrograde planets.”

His voice thickened.

“She met him in a club. Of course she did. He promised her everything casting calls, connections, a shot at something bigger. But he only wanted what he always wanted.”

Taehyun’s mouth parted.

Beomgyu nodded without needing the question spoken. “Yeah. Her too.”

He clenched his jaw. “She was a minor. Barely seventeen. And she believed him. She let him take everything. By the time she realized what he was, she was already pregnant. And she was too scared to run. Her parents had disowned her. She had no one.”

Taehyun leaned in, his whole body still and listening.

“But she had a cousin. Distant, older. Hajoon. He was a lawyer. And his boyfriend, Jihan, worked in the FBI. They were building a case against Myung Dae already drugs, trafficking, everything. Jieun told them everything.”

Beomgyu swallowed. “And suddenly, I wasn’t alone anymore. They had evidence. Real evidence. The kind that stuck. The kind that finally made him small. Court, trial he didn’t even fight it. Just smiled like he always did. But this time it didn’t work.”

Taehyun watched him carefully.

“I didn’t testify,” Beomgyu said, staring ahead like he was seeing it all again. “I couldn’t. But they knew. Hajoon knew what he did to me. He didn’t ask me to speak. Just said, ‘You’re safe now.’ I didn’t believe him, but I stayed. It was a little rooftop apartment. I slept on a mattress on the floor. Jieun used to sneak me leftovers and force me to play Mario Kart.”

A broken laugh escaped him.

“She was a mess. But she was good. She was the first good thing I’d met in a long time.”

He blinked and now the tears returned. Slow and soft.

“Then one day, Jihan got transferred to the U.S. Hajoon left with him. Jieun and I stayed behind.”

He paused.

“Things were quiet. Safe, even. We made it work. I started baking again. She sang constantly. She’d put her hands on her stomach and say, ‘I know she’s a girl. I can feel it in my back pain.’ I thought she was crazy.”

He wiped at his eyes but kept talking.

“And then the baby came. It was early. She went into labor in the kitchen. We had no money. I carried her down four flights of stairs and hailed a taxi with blood on my shoes. She was screaming and laughing at the same time. She said, ‘If it’s a boy, name him JiHyuk. If it’s a girl, name her Eunji.’”

Beomgyu stopped.

When he spoke again, his voice was smaller.

“The delivery was fast. Rough. She lost too much blood. There were complications they didn’t catch until it was too late. I was holding the baby in the hallway when the nurse came out and said they couldn’t stop the bleeding.”

Taehyun covered his mouth.

Beomgyu kept going.

“She was already gone. And I” He broke off, teeth clenched, trying to steady his breath. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye. Just this envelope they found in her bag. She’d written a note. To me. ‘If anything happens, please take care of her. You’re the only one I trust.’”

Beomgyu turned slowly to look at the crib, voice shaking.

“I named her Eunji. It was scrawled at the bottom of the note. Half-faded, probably the only thing she managed to write through the pain.”

Taehyun’s throat closed up.

Beomgyu’s voice cracked again. “I didn’t know how to raise a child. I didn’t even know how to raise myself. But I looked at that baby, and I remembered how it felt to be thrown away.”

He rubbed his palms together like they were stained with something he couldn’t wash off.

“I couldn’t let her grow up believing she was unwanted. I couldn’t let her end up in the system. So I stayed. I scraped by. Job after job. Burned my hands. Slept on floors. Fed her before I fed myself.”

He looked up, finally, eyes rimmed red.

“She doesn’t have anyone but me, Tae.”

Then, quieter.

“And I don’t have anyone but her.”

Taehyun didn’t speak.

He just pulled Beomgyu into his arms. Slow. Full. Fierce.

They held each other beside the crib, where a baby girl slept peacefully, unaware that her presence had kept a broken boy alive.

---

The room was still.

Eunji’s soft breathing rose and fell in the crib nearby, the small nightlight casting a warm, uneven glow across the floor.

Beomgyu sat back, his head resting on Taehyun’s shoulder now. His eyes were swollen. His body, limp.

He hadn’t spoken in minutes.

And Taehyun hadn’t let go.

His arms wrapped around him, steady and slow—fingers moving gently along the curve of his spine, not to comfort, but to remind him: you’re not alone.

Beomgyu exhaled into his shirt. “I’ve never told anyone. Not even Yeonjun. Not all of it.”

Taehyun didn’t say thank you. He didn’t say I’m honored. That wasn’t what Beomgyu needed.

He just whispered, “You don’t have to tell it again. I heard you.”

Beomgyu let out a breath. It came out shaky. But freer.

A pause stretched between them. Taehyun glanced down at him.

“You should lie down,” he said softly.

Beomgyu blinked, dazed. “I should check on her formula. I forgot to refill the kettle”

“Shh,” Taehyun murmured, guiding him gently toward the mattress laid out near the crib. “She’s okay. You’re allowed to rest too.”

“I don’t really sleep anymore.”

“Then just close your eyes next to me. That’s all.”

Taehyun helped him lie down slowly, carefully, like every motion might crack open another old bruise.

Beomgyu turned onto his side, facing the crib, watching the faint outline of Eunji’s tiny feet under the blanket.

“I keep thinking I’ll mess this up,” he said. “I don’t know how to raise her. I don’t know how to stop being scared.”

“You don’t have to stop being scared,” Taehyun said, lying behind him now, voice close at his ear. “You just have to stop thinking you have to do it alone.”

Beomgyu was quiet.

Then: “Stay here tonight.”

Taehyun didn’t hesitate. “I’m not going anywhere.”

The room exhaled with them. Beomgyu’s breathing slowed.

Taehyun shifted closer, carefully, until his forehead rested against the back of Beomgyu’s neck.

His hand reached out, curled gently over Beomgyu’s hand where it rested near the baby’s crib.

The mobile above Eunji turned once, slowly.

The lullaby played again.

And somewhere between exhaustion and safety, they both drifted off.

Together.

Chapter Text

Morning light filtered through the thin curtain like it had been waiting all night to see them. Soft and forgiving. The kind of light that didn’t judge.

Beomgyu didn’t stir at first.

His face was half-buried in Taehyun’s hoodie. His lashes trembled slightly in sleep, and one hand was loosely curled in the blanket near his chest. He looked peaceful.

Taehyun lay beside him, fully awake, breathing slow. His arm was still tucked protectively around Beomgyu’s waist he hadn’t moved it since they fell asleep. Maybe he hadn’t dared to.

There was no space between them. Just heat. And memory.

A small sound came from the crib, soft babbling. Eunji was awake, wriggling beneath her blanket, reaching up toward the spinning mobile.

Taehyun turned his head. Watched her.

She didn’t cry. Just made that tiny squeaky sound like a question. He reached out with one hand, gently touched her foot through the blanket. She stilled.

She knew him.

That alone made his chest hurt.

The door creaked open, just slightly.

Yeonjun peeked in, a glass of water in one hand, his hair a disaster. His eyes scanned the room and then froze.

His mouth opened.

And then closed.

He stepped back and gently shut the door without a word.

Which, for Yeonjun, was historic.

In the kitchen, Soobin was already half-dressed and making instant coffee.

Yeonjun walked in like a ghost had licked him.

“They were asleep together,” he said flatly.

Soobin blinked. “Eunji and Beomgyu?”

Yeonjun shook his head. “Beomgyu and Taehyun. Fully spooning. Like a tragic couple in a historical drama.”

Kai, sitting at the table eating cold toast with peanut butter, looked up. “Are we allowed to acknowledge that? Or are we pretending it didn’t happen?”

“We are pretending,” Yeonjun said firmly. “For the sake of their sanity and my blood pressure.”

Soobin finished pouring the coffee, lips quirking. “You’re going soft.”

Yeonjun groaned. “I walked in ready to tease and nearly cried instead.”

Kai offered him toast in condolence.

Back in the room, Beomgyu finally blinked awake.

He didn’t move at first. Just registered the warmth behind him. The arm around his middle.

Taehyun.

Still here

Still holding him.

Beomgyu exhaled, long and slow.

Then he pulled away gently, just enough to sit up.

Neither of them spoke.

Eunji let out a whimper. Beomgyu reached for her instinctively. Taehyun moved at the same time. Their hands brushed over the edge of the crib.

Their eyes met.

And just like that, the moment was gone.

Replaced with morning.

And everything left unspoken.

---

A few days passed.

Just like that.

No one brought up the morning they found Beomgyu and Taehyun asleep in the nursery.

Yeonjun made several attempts opened his mouth, raised a finger, even gasped dramatically once in the middle of reheating soup, but Soobin shot him one long look across the table, and he shut up.

Kai, to his credit, only smirked. “I think it’s cute,” he said, once, to no one in particular. “Gay trauma healing is my favorite genre.”

Everyone went back to their lives.

Mostly.

—

Yeonjun and Soobin had been on three accidental dates.

They still refused to call them that.

“It was a walk,” Soobin insisted, sipping his iced americano like a professional denier. “Not a date.”

“You held my hand,” Yeonjun pointed out.

“You fell in a ditch.”

“You let me fall in a ditch. That’s foreplay, Soobin.”

Soobin tried not to laugh. Failed.

Kai texted the group weird memes at midnight and voice notes at 2 a.m. with no context. No one replied. He didn’t mind.

—

Taehyun was back at the hospital.

His shifts were long, brutal, draining. He barely had time to eat. But every night, no matter how late, he sent a message.

And every morning, Beomgyu replied.

They didn’t talk about that night.

The night with the tears. The kisses. The breathing in unison. The aching closeness.

They talked about Eunji.

About work.

About nothing.

---

taehyun: how’s she doing?

beomgyu: teething. i’m bleeding.

taehyun: send pic

beomgyu: of the teeth or the blood?

taehyun: both.

---

Sometimes, Taehyun would say something quieter. Slower. Not flirty. Not careful. Just close.

taehyun: you sleep okay?

beomgyu: yeah. when she does.

taehyun: you used to be an insomniac

beomgyu: still am

beomgyu: but she dreams out loud. it helps.

Beomgyu never brought up that morning.

Never asked why Taehyun hadn’t let go.

And Taehyun never asked why Beomgyu let him stay.

They lived between lines now.

Comfortable.

Almost.

---

The texts always started the same way.

taehyun: she eat anything?

beomgyu: half a banana. then she bit me. betrayal.

taehyun: proud of her. carry on the legacy.

—

taehyun: how’s your back?

beomgyu: what is posture. i’m turning into a comma.

taehyun: you’ve always been a comma. just a dramatic one.

—

beomgyu: she said “ba” three times in a row. does that count as a word?

taehyun: depends. was it in a sentence?

beomgyu: “ba ba ba”

taehyun: oh absolutely. fluent.

—

It was easy.

Safer than it had ever been when they were younger.

There was no pressure. No heavy glances. Just blinking phone screens and tired thumbs and warmth between the lines.

But sometimes, Taehyun wanted to say more.

He’d type things. And delete them.

Like:

 “I still think about that night.”

“You felt safe in my arms.”

“I meant it. When I said I’d stay.”

But instead he sent:

taehyun: did eunji sleep okay?

And Beomgyu would reply five minutes later.

beomgyu: yeah. she clung to my shirt in her sleep.

beomgyu: i think she dreams with her fists closed.

Taehyun would reread it four times before responding with just:

taehyun: you’re doing so well.

No one said I miss you.

No one said I want to try again.

But the silence wasn’t cold anymore.

It was waiting.

Soft.

Patient.

---

It was a Thursday.

Rain tapped against the bakery window in tiny, apologetic fingers.

Eunji was asleep against Beomgyu’s chest, one hand curled in the collar of his shirt, her breath slow and warm. He hadn’t moved in twenty minutes. Wouldn’t dare.

His phone buzzed once on the counter.

He shifted just enough to see the screen.

taehyun: saw someone today who looked like you.

taehyun: same eyes. you’d hate him though. his haircut was awful.

Beomgyu smiled a little.

He typed:

beomgyu: tragic

beomgyu: no one should be out here slandering my bone structure like that

The typing bubble appeared.

Then vanished.

Appeared again.

Then disappeared for good.

Beomgyu stared.

He opened a new message. Paused. Then typed:

beomgyu: how’s your night shift?

Sent.

A minute passed.

Then:

taehyun: long. boring. got yelled at by a woman who thinks ibuprofen cures heartbreak.

Beomgyu replied:

beomgyu: does it not?

Another pause.

Then:

taehyun: maybe. but you worked better.

Beomgyu’s fingers stopped. Mid-type. Mid-breath.

He didn’t answer right away.

He looked down at Eunji—her tiny hand still tangled in his shirt like she knew something he didn’t.

That night, Taehyun lay in bed staring at the ceiling, phone still in his hand, unsent message glowing dim in the screenlight:

“I still meant it. What I said that night.”

He didn’t send it.

He just turned off the screen.

And went to sleep alone.

Chapter Text

Beomgyu woke with a start.

The room was dark, but something was wrong.

His eyes burned. His throat itched. The air was thick, too thick. There was a smell—sharp, acrid, unmistakable. Smoke.

For a second, he thought it was a dream. Maybe he was imagining it. Maybe it was one of those nights where sleep clung too close to waking, where nothing made sense.

But then he saw it. The haze.

Smoke curled in lazy threads around the doorframe. It was real.

"No," he whispered, heart slamming against his ribs.

He didn’t think.

He moved.

He leapt from the mattress, nearly tripping over the edge of the low table. He stumbled toward the crib, barely able to see now. His eyes stung as he reached down and scooped Eunji into his arms.

She whimpered in her sleep.

“It’s okay,” he murmured. “We’re okay. I got you. I got you, baby.”

His phone was on the counter. He grabbed it with shaking hands, barely able to hold her and dial at the same time. He didn’t even know what number he hit. The screen was foggy, smeared with sweat, or tears, or maybe something else. He didn’t care.

He opened the door.

The hallway was worse.

Smoke was pouring in from the stairwell, black and angry, moving fast.

His heart stuttered.

The shop.

He pushed forward, shielding Eunji with his body, cradling her close to his chest.

Every breath was a punishment.

Every step burned.

He reached the front of the bakery and stopped in his tracks.

The flames were already visible through the display window. The counter was on fire. The oven room—his oven, the one he saved up for, the one he babied like a child—was completely engulfed.

Glass cracked.

Something exploded in the back.

Eunji cried out now, fully awake, sobbing against his shoulder.

He didn’t realize until that moment that he was screaming too.

He turned, ran. Kicked the front door open with his bare foot and stumbled into the street. Cold air hit his face like a slap, but it didn’t help. His lungs were still on fire. He collapsed to his knees on the pavement, still holding her tight.

She was crying so hard.

He held her tighter.

He reached for his phone again, this time focused. He called the fire brigade.

He gave the address. His name. Over and over.

"Please. Please hurry. My shop’s burning. It’s everything I have."

The call ended. He didn’t even remember what they said.

The fire roared behind him. He couldn’t look. He couldn’t look back.

He sat on the curb and held her and cried until the sirens came.

Then he did the only thing that made sense.

He called Taehyun.

---

Minutes later, after firefighters pulled the last of the flames down into soggy ruins, Taehyun found him.

Beomgyu was still crouched on the sidewalk, wrapped in a thermal blanket someone had handed him, Eunji asleep against his chest from exhaustion and tears.

“Gyu,” Taehyun said, kneeling in front of him. He reached out, gently touched the side of Beomgyu’s face. “You're hurt. Let me see.”

Beomgyu didn’t respond. He didn’t even blink.

Taehyun's hands were steady. He moved slowly, peeling back the edge of the blanket. Beomgyu’s forearms were blistered, red and raw where the heat had kissed too close. One of his palms was peeling. His shirt sleeve was singed.

“Shit,” Taehyun muttered. “Okay. Okay, we need to clean this.”

He gently shifted Eunji from Beomgyu’s arms and handed her to Soobin, who had just arrived.

He pulled out a small kit from his car—he always carried one.

“This is going to sting,” he warned, voice soft.

Beomgyu didn’t flinch. Not even when the antiseptic touched open skin.

Taehyun worked fast but gentle. He wrapped gauze around the burns, checked for signs of deeper damage. His hands never trembled.

“I need you to go to the ER after this,” he said. “These burns are second-degree at least.”

Beomgyu finally spoke, voice hoarse.

“It’s all gone.”

Taehyun paused.

“The bakery. Everything. I have nothing left.”

“That’s not true,” Taehyun said, looking him in the eyes. “You have Eunji. You have us. You’re alive. That’s not nothing.”

Beomgyu blinked, and the first tear fell.

Taehyun caught it with his thumb.

---

The fire was out. But the smoke lingered.

It coated everything—the sidewalk, the air, Beomgyu's clothes, his throat. He could still hear it, even though the flames were gone. That roaring, eating sound, like the building itself was crying.

The bakery was nothing but a charred skeleton now. The roof had partially collapsed. The front display was shattered. Bits of burnt flour bags and melted trays lay scattered like bones.

Beomgyu sat on the edge of the ambulance, a fresh blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He stared straight ahead. Not crying. Not shaking. Just hollow.

Taehyun stood nearby, speaking quietly with a firefighter. His brows were tight. His arms crossed like he was trying to hold back fury. Soobin stood a few feet behind him, rocking Eunji slowly to keep her calm.

Yeonjun arrived last.

He pulled up so fast he nearly hit a hydrant. He got out of the car and took one look at the scene before freezing.

His eyes landed on Beomgyu.

And for once, for the first time anyone could remember, Yeonjun didn’t say a word.

He walked over slowly, crouched beside Beomgyu, and put a hand on his knee.

Beomgyu didn’t look at him.

“I didn’t even smell it until it was too late,” he said, voice flat.

Yeonjun squeezed his knee. “You got Eunji out. That’s what matters.”

Beomgyu finally turned, eyes bloodshot. “It was everything. My oven. The recipes. My notebooks. The stuff I kept from Hajoon. All of it.”

Taehyun walked over, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll get the insurance money. It’ll take time, but we’ll figure it out.”

“I don’t want to figure it out,” Beomgyu whispered. “I just want it back.”

He looked at the remains again. The blackened walls. The twisted shelves. The place that had been his second chance.

Yeonjun, without warning, sat down on the pavement and put his face in his hands.

“Shit,” he muttered. Then louder, broken, “Shit.”

Soobin came to stand beside him. He placed a steady hand on his back.

“He worked so hard for this,” Yeonjun choked out. “He finally had something. He was happy.”

Taehyun said nothing. He just crouched in front of Beomgyu again, pressed a hand over his chest.

“You still have us,” he said. “And we’re going to carry you until you can stand again.”

Beomgyu closed his eyes.

And sobbed.

---

He didn’t remember Taehyun helping him into the back of Soobin’s car, or Eunji strapped to Yeonjun’s chest with a borrowed sling, or the smell of burning wood that still lingered in his hair. Everything had blurred into a wet, ash-colored haze.

The only clear thing was Taehyun’s hand—holding his, steady and warm.

They reached the emergency ward just before sunrise. The staff took Beomgyu in immediately. His arms were treated, again. Painkillers were finally administered. A nurse wrapped his burns properly this time, said he was lucky to avoid full-thickness injuries.

Beomgyu didn’t feel lucky.

He sat on the gurney afterward, quiet, blinking slowly at the white walls.

Across the room, Eunji slept in Soobin’s lap. Yeonjun was pacing. Taehyun hadn’t moved from Beomgyu’s side.

“I keep thinking,” Beomgyu said softly, voice hoarse. “What if I hadn’t woken up in time?”

“You did,” Taehyun replied.

“But what if I hadn’t?”

Taehyun reached out and took his hand again. “But you did, Gyu. You got her out. You saved her. You saved yourself.”

Beomgyu’s fingers tightened around his. “I don’t know what to do now.”

“You heal,” Taehyun said. “And we help.”

Beomgyu nodded slowly.

Then, unexpectedly, he said, “I think I left something in the back room. The picture from Jieun’s last birthday. I hung it near the spice rack.”

Taehyun looked at him. “We’ll try to salvage what we can. But we’ll make new pictures too. New memories. We’ll rebuild.”

“Even if it’s not the same?”

“Even then.”

Yeonjun stopped pacing. Walked over. Sat on the bed.

“I’m just saying,” he muttered, voice rough, “if I ever find out which idiot installed that oven without updating the wiring—”

“Jun,” Soobin said gently.

“I’m serious! I’ll throw cinnamon in his eyes.”

That made Beomgyu smile. Just a little. Just enough.

Then his voice turned quiet again. Fragile.

“Taehyun?”

Taehyun looked over. “Yeah?”

Beomgyu hesitated. Then, barely louder than a whisper:

“Myung Dae… he used to say it. That he’d burn me. That one day, if I ever left him, he’d find a way to make sure I watched everything I loved go up in smoke.”

Taehyun froze.

Beomgyu stared down at the gauze wrapped around his palms. “I know he’s in jail. I know. But I can’t stop thinking it. What if he made a call? What if this was him?”

Taehyun moved closer. Sat down beside him and gently wrapped his arms around his back.

“Gyu, look at me.”

Beomgyu did.

“He’s still locked up. I promise. I checked last month after you had that nightmare. He hasn’t moved. No phone calls. No visitors. Nothing.”

Beomgyu’s throat tightened. “Then why does it feel like he’s still winning?”

“Because trauma doesn’t stop when the threat does,” Taehyun said. “But this wasn’t him. It was faulty wiring. The fire chief said so. Short circuit, not sabotage.”

Beomgyu finally nodded, but slowly. Hesitantly. Like his body accepted it before his mind could.

“You’re safe,” Taehyun said again. “And you’re not alone anymore.”

This time, Beomgyu didn’t cry.

But he leaned into Taehyun’s arms.

And let himself be held.

—

Morning crept over the city slow and gray. The hospital windows were fogged from the inside, casting everything in a pale, quiet light. Taehyun was still sitting beside Beomgyu when the nurse came in to check his bandages. Beomgyu didn’t say much. Just nodded, winced, said thank you. Eunji was asleep again, tucked safely in Soobin’s arms across the room.

Yeonjun was curled in a waiting chair, arms crossed, eyes closed but definitely not sleeping. Soobin was whispering something to Eunji in a soft singsong voice, one hand smoothing down her hair with a kind of reverence. The air was heavy, not with smoke anymore, but with the silence that comes after.

Beomgyu looked at his arms. The fresh dressings were clean. Neat. His skin beneath them throbbed.

"What now?" he asked finally, voice rough from smoke and exhaustion.

Taehyun looked at him. "Now, we figure it out."

"It feels like there’s nothing left to figure."

Taehyun didn’t argue. He reached into his coat and pulled out a small notebook. The edges were charred, corners blackened, the cover half burned. He placed it on Beomgyu’s lap.

Beomgyu stared at it.

"I found it outside the bakery," Taehyun said. "One of the firefighters handed it to me. It was in the alley. Maybe it just flew there. I don’t know. But I thought you’d want it."

Beomgyu flipped it open with shaking hands. Inside were scribbled recipes. Sketches. Some old shopping lists. The corner of a photo of Jieun taped beside a drawing of a cake.

He covered his mouth.

"Not everything is gone," Taehyun said quietly.

Beomgyu looked up. "You really think I can start over?"

Taehyun smiled. "You don’t have to do it alone. That was the mistake last time."

Beomgyu nodded slowly. His fingers tightened on the notebook.

Yeonjun stirred, sat up with a groan. "God, I feel like I aged ten years in one night."

Soobin laughed under his breath. "You’re still just as dramatic."

Yeonjun stood and stretched. He looked at Beomgyu. "So. What now?"

Beomgyu met his gaze.

"Now," he said, "I go home. I let my friends help me. I hold my daughter. I breathe."

Taehyun exhaled, like he’d been waiting to hear him say that.

Beomgyu leaned back against the pillows. He looked tired. But not hopeless.

"We’ll rebuild," Taehyun said again.

"Even if it’s not the same," Beomgyu echoed.

Taehyun reached for his hand. Held it.

"Even then."

Chapter Text

Beomgyu sat on the hospital bed, bandaged arms resting limply at his sides, his eyes glazed as they stared at the beige floor tiles. The smell of antiseptic still clung to the back of his throat, sharper than smoke but no less bitter. Eunji was asleep again in the corner, her tiny body curled up in a borrowed blanket inside a makeshift bassinet. She’d stopped crying hours ago, but Beomgyu hadn’t.

The fire had taken the bakery.

But more than that, it had taken his home.

He’d been living in the small room behind the shop for nearly a year now. Just enough space for a bed, a tiny shelf of books, and a crib pressed against the wall. It wasn’t much, but it was theirs. And now it was gone.

Taehyun sat beside him, arms folded, eyes watching Beomgyu carefully.

“You’re not going back there,” he said.

Beomgyu blinked slowly, like the words took too long to travel.

“It’s gone.”

“Exactly,” Taehyun said. “So you’re coming to stay with me.”

Beomgyu flinched. “No. I can’t, I don’t want to be a burden. I-”

“Hyung,” Soobin interrupted from across the room, where he was rocking a half-asleep Eunji. “You’re not a burden. You need a place to stay. Taehyun’s place has space, and you know Eunji’s comfortable around him. Just go.”

“Exactly,” Yeonjun added, stepping in through the door with a water bottle in hand. “Unless you want to come crash at my place and share a bed with me and Soobin and our body pillows. I mean, you’re cute, but not that cute.”

Beomgyu managed a weak laugh. “You’re insane.”

“I’m serious,” Yeonjun said, more gently now. “Go with Taehyun. You’re exhausted. Eunji needs routine. And Tae has more rice in his house than any human should.”

“I really don’t mind,” Taehyun said again. “It’s just temporary. Until the bakery is rebuilt. Just come with me. Let me help.”

Beomgyu looked around the room.

His arms throbbed. His legs were shaking. Eunji stirred softly in Soobin’s arms, sighing like she knew they weren’t going home tonight.

There was nothing left to fight for. No place to return to. Just this moment, and the open offer in Taehyun’s voice.

He nodded slowly.

“Okay. Just for a little while.”

Taehyun stood, his shoulders easing a little. “Let’s go home.”

---

Taehyun’s apartment wasn’t large, but it was clean and warm, with the kind of subtle organization that told you someone lived here who needed calm in the chaos of life. Beomgyu stepped inside slowly, holding Eunji against his chest like a shield, though she was already half-asleep from the car ride. Her small hand rested over his heart.

“You can take the guest room,” Taehyun said, gesturing to the door on the right. “It’s not much, but there’s a bed, and space for her crib. We can move it from the storage room.”

Beomgyu nodded, throat tight. “Thanks. Really.”

Taehyun shrugged off his coat and walked toward the storage closet without another word. By the time Beomgyu had taken off his shoes and placed Eunji on the couch cushions, Taehyun was already dragging the small white crib out, arms strong and sure.

It felt strange, watching him do something so domestic. Beomgyu had always known Taehyun as meticulous, calm under pressure—a doctor. A caretaker. But seeing him quietly fuss over screws and the placement of a crib made something shift in his chest.

They set up the guest room in silence, side by side. Taehyun unfolded the spare blankets. Beomgyu carefully laid Eunji down, placing her favorite plush bunny next to her. Her lips twitched in sleep, eyes fluttering under her lids.

That night, Beomgyu didn’t sleep much. He lay on his side, facing the crib, every muscle stiff. Even with Taehyun just in the next room, it didn’t feel like his space. He felt like a guest in someone else’s life. And yet—the smell of rice in the air, the quiet hum of the refrigerator, the soft tick of the wall clock—it was... peaceful.

The next morning began with Eunji’s babbling.

Beomgyu was halfway to sitting up when the door creaked open, and Taehyun peeked in.

“She’s loud,” Taehyun smiled. “Want coffee?”

Beomgyu blinked. “You’re home?”

“Day shift,” Taehyun said. “I go in at noon.”

Beomgyu nodded and followed him to the kitchen.

They fell into something like a rhythm over the next few days.

In the mornings, Beomgyu would feed Eunji her mashed bananas or oats while Taehyun brewed coffee with quiet precision. They barely talked during breakfast, but the silence wasn’t cold. It was... comfortable. Like they didn’t need to fill every gap.

When Taehyun left for work, Beomgyu started cleaning the kitchen. He couldn’t do much with his burns, but he could tidy, fold laundry, hum songs to Eunji while she crawled around the living room on a blanket. She had taken to Taehyun almost immediately. When he walked in the door, she squealed, reached out both arms, and clung to his coat like it was the best part of her day.

Beomgyu pretended not to notice how his heart swelled at the sight.

One afternoon, Taehyun came home later than usual.

He looked exhausted, his hair damp with rain. Beomgyu had stayed up, waiting. He reheated the rice, plated the stew. Set it on the table with a quiet kind of purpose.

“You didn’t have to wait up,” Taehyun said as he sat down.

Beomgyu shrugged. “You’d wait for me.”

Their eyes met across the table.

No one said anything else.

That night, when Eunji woke up crying from a nightmare, Taehyun was the first one through the door. Beomgyu found him already rocking her gently, whispering nonsense and soft reassurances. The baby clung to his shirt, hiccupping into his neck.

“You’re good with her,” Beomgyu said quietly, arms folded across his chest.

Taehyun looked up. His voice was barely above a whisper.

“She trusts me.”

Beomgyu nodded.

“So do I.”

They didn’t talk about it again.

But Beomgyu started packing lunch for Taehyun after that.

—

It started with small things. The kind of gestures no one pointed out, but everyone noticed.

Taehyun had a habit of coming home and dropping his keys in the exact same ceramic dish near the door—a habit Beomgyu hadn’t even clocked until the one day Taehyun didn’t do it, and the sound didn’t come. Beomgyu had looked up from the sink, waiting, confused for a moment, until he heard Taehyun’s voice from the hallway whispering something to Eunji.

He was carrying her.

She was giggling.

Beomgyu leaned against the counter and smiled without even meaning to.

That day, Taehyun had come home early, arms full of groceries Beomgyu hadn’t asked for but appreciated. And Eunji, in her pink bear hoodie, had practically leapt from Beomgyu’s arms to his.

“You’re spoiling her,” Beomgyu said dryly, watching as Taehyun bounced her gently on his hip.

“She deserves it,” Taehyun replied. Then to Eunji, whispering conspiratorially, “Don’t tell your dad I got you extra yogurt snacks.”

“I heard that,” Beomgyu muttered, turning away before Taehyun could catch the laugh that slipped through his teeth.

---

The days fell into something almost like domestic bliss, though neither of them dared to name it.

Beomgyu started packing Taehyun’s lunch every morning, even when his hands still ached from the burns. It wasn’t fancy—rice, grilled vegetables, the occasional rolled omelet when he felt ambitious. He packed it in a neat little blue box, always with a folded napkin and a post-it note tucked inside with a doodle or a sarcastic comment.

Taehyun never said much. But the box always came back empty. And sometimes, Beomgyu found the notes carefully pressed into the corner of the mirror in the entryway.

Eunji, meanwhile, had fully imprinted on Taehyun. It didn’t matter how tired he was, or how late his shifts ran—the moment he stepped through the door, her whole face would light up. She’d shriek and crawl toward him at full speed, squealing his name in whatever baby-approximation she could muster.

“Tae-tae!”

Beomgyu stopped correcting her after the third day.

Taehyun would scoop her up, kiss the top of her head, and hum to her until she relaxed against his shoulder. Sometimes, she fell asleep that way, and Taehyun didn’t even try to move. He’d just sit on the couch, one hand resting protectively over her back, eyes half-closed from the weight of the day.

And Beomgyu would watch.

He would stand in the doorway to the kitchen, hands still damp from doing the dishes, chest tightening in a way he didn’t understand.

It wasn’t just that Eunji trusted him.

It was the way Taehyun looked at her. Like she was the most precious thing he’d ever been allowed to hold.

---

One evening, while Beomgyu was folding laundry in the living room, he caught sight of a new drawing pinned to the fridge. A stick figure version of Eunji, scribbled with blue crayon, her hair just a swirl of curls. Next to her was a taller stick figure, holding her hand.

Underneath, in crooked handwriting: Tae + Junie, best friends.

Beomgyu raised an eyebrow as Taehyun walked past.

“You drew that?”

“She supervised,” Taehyun said with a straight face.

Beomgyu rolled his eyes. But he didn’t take it down.

Later that week, he caught Taehyun singing lullabies in the hallway at 2 a.m., gently rocking Eunji back to sleep. His voice was hoarse from the long shift, and the lyrics were half-wrong, but she settled almost instantly.

Beomgyu stood at the doorway, unseen.

He didn’t interrupt.

And when he went back to bed, he lay awake a little longer than usual.

---

There were still moments when Beomgyu pulled away. When he caught himself reaching for Taehyun’s arm and stopped. When he wanted to say thank you but it came out as you didn’t have to.

But Taehyun never pushed.

He gave Beomgyu space when he needed it. And slowly, gently, Beomgyu found himself stepping closer again.

It was in the way they moved around each other in the kitchen without bumping. The way Taehyun automatically handed him the tea kettle just as it began to whistle. The way Beomgyu quietly adjusted the bathroom shelf to make space for Taehyun’s extra toothpaste.

Little things.

Quiet things.

But they meant everything.

—

The day had been unusually quiet. Taehyun left early for his shift, dressed in a navy windbreaker and black scrubs, a thermos of miso soup in one hand and Beomgyu’s neatly packed lunch in the other. Eunji had cried a little when he left, reaching for him from her high chair. He had come back to kiss her forehead twice before finally slipping out the door.

Beomgyu spent most of the day cleaning. The routine helped—wiping surfaces, folding tiny socks, restocking Eunji’s formula. In the late afternoon, he took her for a short walk around the block in her stroller. It was cloudy, but calm. A few people nodded at him. Someone smiled at Eunji. She waved back.

But by the time the sun started to set, the wind picked up.

Dark clouds thickened fast. The sky turned gray, then almost green. Beomgyu looked out the window and felt a knot twist in his stomach. He didn’t like storms. Never had.

He moved quickly around the apartment, closing the balcony doors, drawing the curtains. Eunji was already a little fussy, pulling at the hem of his shirt, whining quietly. Her eyes were wide.

“It’s okay, Junie,” he murmured, scooping her up. “Just thunder. Nothing to be scared of.”

But the moment the first boom echoed outside, deep and low, she screamed.

Beomgyu held her tighter, heart racing.

Thunder again. This time louder. Closer.

The lights flickered once, then steadied. Beomgyu rocked her, whispering softly into her ear, but she wouldn’t calm down. Her little fists clung to his hoodie, face pressed against his neck.

And that was the moment the front door clicked.

Taehyun.

He came in soaked through, hair dripping, jacket half open, breathing fast.

“The bus stalled a few blocks away,” he said, not even looking down as he peeled off his wet coat. His eyes were fixed on Eunji. “She okay?”

“Scared,” Beomgyu said quietly, his own voice shaky.

Taehyun walked over and gently took her from Beomgyu’s arms. He rocked her slowly, murmuring something under his breath as he brushed her damp hair back from her face. She was still crying, but softer now.

“Hey,” he whispered. “It’s just the sky grumbling. Happens sometimes. You’re safe. We’re here.”

Beomgyu stood beside them, watching.

Another crack of thunder. Eunji whimpered and buried her face in Taehyun’s chest.

“Come on,” Taehyun said. “Let’s lie down with her. She needs warmth.”

They moved into the guest room together. Beomgyu lay on one side of the bed. Taehyun on the other. Eunji between them, still crying but more softly now. Beomgyu reached over and gently stroked her hand.

Taehyun hummed. A lullaby from their childhood. Something soft and slow.

The storm outside raged louder.

But inside, the rhythm of their breathing was starting to sync.

Beomgyu looked over at Taehyun. His eyes were closed. His hand rested just beside Eunji’s small one. Their fingers didn’t touch, but they were close.

He didn’t know when he closed his eyes.

He only knew that when he woke again hours later, the storm was gone.

And they were still lying there.

All three of them.

Together.

---

The room was still when Beomgyu opened his eyes again.

Outside, the storm had passed. The steady drumming of rain had slowed to the occasional tap on the windows. No more thunder. No more flashes of light. Just the soft hum of the world exhaling.

The first thing he noticed was warmth. Not just the covers, but something heavier, softer. He turned his head slightly.

Taehyun was still asleep, one arm curved gently around Eunji’s tiny body. She had rolled closer to him in the night, her little hand curled in the collar of his shirt. Her mouth hung slightly open in sleep, cheeks flushed from crying, but peaceful now. Safe.

Beomgyu swallowed hard.

He didn’t move. He didn’t want to break the spell. For the first time in what felt like weeks, maybe months, the ache in his chest didn’t feel sharp. It felt... quiet.

He let his eyes close again.

For a while, he just listened.

To Eunji’s soft, steady breathing.

To Taehyun’s subtle exhale as his arm shifted a little closer.

To the silence between them, full and unspoken.

He could’ve pulled away. Could’ve gotten up, checked the time, started breakfast like he always did.

But he didn’t.

Because this moment wasn’t about habits.

It was about stillness.

And trust.

And the way Taehyun’s fingers, still not quite touching his, seemed to hum with something unfinished. Something not yet said.

Beomgyu let his hand inch forward, just a little. Close enough that their skin brushed. Once. Barely.

Taehyun didn’t flinch.

Didn’t open his eyes.

But he smiled.

And Beomgyu did too.

Just a little.

Just enough.

Outside, the world carried on.

But inside, they stayed like that.

Three of them.

One bed.

One breath.

And not a single word needed.

Chapter Text

It was a Thursday when the call came.

Beomgyu had just finished folding Eunji's clothes, tiny socks, soft cotton shirts, the pastel hoodie with the bear ears Taehyun had bought on impulse. She was asleep in her crib, the late afternoon sun turning her cheeks golden. The apartment smelled like boiled rice and laundry detergent.

His phone buzzed.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Choi?" It was the inspector from the city. "We're happy to confirm your unit is cleared for reoccupation. Rebuilds are finished. You can return anytime next week."

Beomgyu blinked. "Already?"

"Yes, sir. Just some final insurance paperwork, and you're good to go."

He hung up slowly.

It was what he'd wanted. What he'd been waiting for. A chance to start over. To go back to normal.

So why did it feel like something was sinking?

---

He told Taehyun after dinner.

They were cleaning up, Beomgyu wiping Eunji's mouth while Taehyun washed her bottle. He said it as casually as he could.

"They called. Said the bakery's ready."

Taehyun didn't answer at first. He just kept washing, slower now.

"That's... good, right?"

"Yeah," Beomgyu said, drying his hands. "I guess I'll move back in after the weekend. Start prepping."

Taehyun set the bottle down. His shoulders were stiff. He turned around, drying his hands on a towel. He looked like he was trying to find the right words.

"Gyu..."

"Yeah?"

Taehyun stepped closer. Not too close. Just enough.

"Don't go."

Beomgyu blinked. "What?"

"Don't move back."

"Tae, the bakery..."

"I know. I know the bakery's ready. I know this place isn't big, and maybe it's not where you planned to end up. But I can't..."

His voice cracked. He exhaled, looking away like it hurt to even say it.

"I can't do it again."

Beomgyu's heart twisted. His throat tightened so fast it hurt.

"I lost you once. I lost you for years. I don't think I can do it again. Not now. Not after this. Not when I just got you back."

Taehyun's voice was trembling. His hand gripped the back of a chair like it was the only thing keeping him upright.

"Please don't go," he whispered. "Stay. Not just tonight. Stay here. With us. With her. I want you here. I want both of you. Every morning. Every stupid dinner we don't talk during. I want that. I want you."

Beomgyu felt the tears before he even realized they were coming. They slid down his cheeks, hot and fast, and he didn't even try to stop them. His hands were trembling.

"Tae..."

"You don't have to say anything," Taehyun said quickly, eyes wide, voice panicked. "You don't have to feel the same. I just... I had to ask. Before I couldn’t anymore. I thought if I said it too late, you'd be gone again. And I wouldn't survive that."

Beomgyu took a step forward.

Then another.

And he collapsed into Taehyun's arms.

Taehyun caught him without hesitation, arms folding around him like he’d been holding space for this moment all his life.

Beomgyu shook silently in his embrace, fists gripping the back of Taehyun’s shirt.

Taehyun didn’t say anything else. He just held him. Firm. Safe.

Eventually, Beomgyu pulled back just enough to whisper, voice shaking so hard the words barely held together.

"I'm staying."

Taehyun nodded, eyes glassy, mouth slightly open like he didn’t trust himself to speak.

Beomgyu looked down, pressing his forehead into Taehyun's shoulder.

"Not for me," he added, voice softer now. "For Eunji. She needs you. She's happy here."

Taehyun gave the faintest, smallest laugh. Not bitter. Just broken in relief.

He didn’t say, You looked happy too.

He didn’t need to.

Because the next morning, Beomgyu unpacked his suitcase.

And stayed.

---

The apartment felt warmer these days.

Not in temperature, but in the way it held them. The way it breathed with the rhythm of their new life. Soft, steady, familiar.

Beomgyu woke first most mornings. Not because he had to, but because Eunji always stirred around six-thirty, fussing in her crib until someone lifted her out and pressed a kiss to her sleepy cheek. He didn’t mind. There was something comforting about the routine. About the way she curled into his chest, warm and drowsy, while he padded into the kitchen with bare feet.

He brewed coffee while holding her, balancing her tiny weight against his hip. She gnawed lazily on the shoulder of his sweatshirt. When the smell of roasted beans filled the kitchen, Taehyun usually appeared, hair a tousled mess, eyes still puffy with sleep.

“Morning,” Taehyun mumbled one day, rubbing at his eyes and reaching automatically for a mug.

Beomgyu handed it to him without looking.

Eunji squealed at the sight of him. She reached both arms toward him, babbling nonsense syllables. Beomgyu passed her over, watching how her small fists immediately tangled into Taehyun’s shirt.

“You’ve created a monster,” Beomgyu said, pouring himself tea.

“She’s a genius,” Taehyun replied, kissing the top of her head. “She knows good taste.”

They both laughed.

After breakfast, Beomgyu cleaned up while Taehyun changed Eunji in the nursery. It had become their unspoken pattern. Taehyun narrated everything in a gentle stream of nonsense: the color of her onesie, the weather forecast, the importance of washing behind her ears.

“Appa’s going to be late if you keep squirming,” he said playfully one morning, and then froze.

Beomgyu, passing the door with a basket of laundry, paused.

Taehyun looked up, face flushed. “I didn’t mean... I just—”

Beomgyu smiled. Soft. Unshaken.

“She calls you Tae-tae. Might as well be halfway there.”

Taehyun relaxed.

Later, when the laundry was folded and Eunji was down for her nap, they sat quietly on the couch. Taehyun’s head tilted back, eyes closed. Beomgyu scrolled through grocery coupons on his phone.

“Do you want tofu or chicken tomorrow?” he asked.

Taehyun peeked one eye open. “Whatever you like.”

“You’re impossible to meal plan for.”

“And yet you keep doing it.”

Beomgyu snorted.

Taehyun sat up and nudged his knee gently with his own. “Thanks. For staying. For this.”

Beomgyu didn’t answer right away.

He just looked around the room. At the basket of toys by the window. At the blanket draped across the back of the sofa. At the coffee mugs drying on the rack.

“This doesn’t feel temporary anymore,” he said.

Taehyun’s voice was quiet. “That’s because it isn’t.”

Neither of them said anything else.

Outside, the city moved on. Cars honked. A dog barked three floors down. But inside the apartment, it was still.

Still, and full.

A quiet kind of joy.

Home.

Chapter Text

Two Years Later

Spring came early that year.

The cherry trees outside the apartment bloomed before the rest of the city caught up. Pale pink petals drifted onto the balcony railing, caught in Eunji’s hair when she leaned over the edge to look for birds. Taehyun stood behind her, one hand on her shoulder as she babbled about finding a pigeon with a funny walk. Her curls bounced with every excited sentence.

"Tae-tae, it limps like Junie when she stubbed her toe!" she giggled.

"Maybe it's the neighborhood's famous pigeon. You should name it," Taehyun smiled.

"Pickle!"

"Excellent name."

Inside, the apartment looked different now. Not changed by furniture, but by rhythm. A second set of slippers always by the door. A rotating pile of folded laundry on the couch. A tea mug left near the window where Beomgyu liked to sit and read when the bakery closed early.

The bakery.

It reopened two years and a half ago, and now Beomgyu couldn't go five minutes without someone tagging his pastries on social media. His sourdough was in local magazines. A food blogger had declared his salted caramel buns the reason she abandoned her keto diet. There was even talk of opening a second location downtown.

He still kept the same schedule, though. Up at six, back home by four if the deliveries didn’t run late. Every day, he came home dusted in flour, a little tired, and always with a treat in hand for Eunji. She waited by the door now, every day.

"Appa, what did you bring?"

"Close your eyes and guess."

She always guessed wrong. He always pretended to be shocked. The routine never got old.

Taehyun had opened his own small clinic by then, tucked between a florist and a bookstore. It wasn't fancy, but it was personal. His patients knew him. Trusted him. Even Kai, now a full-fledged doctor, visited from time to time to joke about how he used to follow Taehyun around like a duckling.

"Still do," Kai would say, rolling his eyes and stealing snacks from the clinic's reception desk. "You just don't notice."

Yeonjun was a local celebrity now. His dance crew toured internationally. He wore rhinestones and eyeliner unapologetically and always introduced Soobin as "the man who keeps me grounded and carries emergency snacks." Their apartment was two blocks away, but they were over at least twice a week.

"Junie, who's cooler," Yeonjun asked Eunji once, holding a dance pose in the living room, "me or Tae-tae?"

Eunji blinked. "Tae-tae cooks better."

"Savage," Soobin muttered, handing over a fruit pouch like he’d won a bet.

Evenings were slow, easy. Beomgyu and Taehyun moved through the apartment like they shared the same current. Some nights, they watched Eunji dance around the living room in mismatched socks. Some nights, they drank just enough wine to blur the edges of what they weren't saying.

Once or twice, they kissed. Once behind the bakery after Beomgyu had locked up late. Once on the couch, when Eunji had fallen asleep between them and the soft flicker of the TV had painted everything blue. But they never talked about it. Never labeled it.

Neither of them was in a hurry to break what already felt whole.

Until one morning, over a bowl of cereal, Eunji looked up and said, mouth half-full,

"Tae-tae, when do I go to big-kid school?"

Beomgyu paused mid-sip.

Taehyun blinked. "Soon, Junie. Why?"

"I want to bring lunch like Appa. And a pencil. And tell everyone I have two papas."

Beomgyu smiled. But something shifted in his chest.

It was time.

Time for forms. And signatures. And maybe, finally, saying the words out loud.

---

The preschool was warm and cheerful, with hand-painted walls and tiny shoes stacked by the front door. Paper butterflies hung from the ceiling, and the soft hum of lullaby music played from a speaker in the corner. Beomgyu held Eunji’s hand as they walked inside, Taehyun beside them, carrying a canvas tote filled with her documents.

"Welcome! You must be Eunji," the teacher said, smiling brightly as she knelt down to Eunji's level. "We've been expecting you."

Eunji hid behind Beomgyu's leg for a second before peeking out. "Hi," she said shyly. "I'm almost four."

"That means you're ready for big-kid school!"

They laughed and followed her into a small office where a desk and two chairs waited. Beomgyu and Taehyun sat side by side, Eunji perched on Beomgyu's lap, swinging her feet.

The teacher handed over a small stack of papers. "These are the enrollment forms. Parent signature, basic health info, emergency contacts..."

Beomgyu nodded and began flipping through. As he skimmed, the teacher pointed to a line.

"This is where the legal guardian signs."

Taehyun had reached for his pen, but paused.

Eunji tilted her head. "Why isn't Tae-tae signing?"

The room went quiet.

Taehyun cleared his throat gently. "Because I’m not your guardian on paper, sweetheart. Just your Tae-tae."

Eunji frowned. "But you're my appa too. You do Appa-things. You cook my rice and put band-aids and do hair, even the hard side."

Beomgyu froze.

He looked up at Taehyun, who met his eyes briefly before looking down again, a soft smile on his lips but something flickering behind it. Resignation. Familiar, quiet heartbreak.

Beomgyu's hand tightened on the pen.

The teacher, kindly, moved along, distracting Eunji with stickers and a cup of orange juice.

But the rest of the form blurred in front of Beomgyu.

That night, he couldn’t sleep.

___

The apartment was quiet.

Too quiet.

Beomgyu sat at the edge of the bed, the enrollment form still in his hands. It was slightly crumpled now, bent from where his fingers had unconsciously curled around the corner too tight. The ink was already dry on the guardian signature line. His name alone.

He stared at it like it could rearrange itself. Like it might make more sense if he just kept looking.

Eunji was asleep in her room, curled up with her stuffed bunny. Her breathing was soft through the baby monitor. Steady. Safe.

He had everything he wanted.

So why did it feel incomplete?

He got up, padded through the hallway barefoot. Light spilled from the laundry room. Taehyun was there, folding towels, his movements slow, methodical, like he was deliberately keeping his hands busy.

Beomgyu stood in the doorway, watching.

"You don't have to keep doing that," he said quietly.

Taehyun looked up, startled. "It helps me think."

Beomgyu stepped into the room. "I kept thinking about what she said."

"She says a lot of things," Taehyun smiled faintly. "Half of them are about bugs lately."

"Not that. At the school. About why you weren’t signing."

The towel in Taehyun’s hands stilled.

"You didn’t have to feel bad," he said after a beat. "I never expected to be anything legal. I’m just here to help. She knows I’m not... official. And she’s still happy. That’s enough."

Beomgyu shook his head. "No, it’s not."

He placed the papers on the table, slowly sliding them forward.

"Why don’t you sign this?"

Taehyun looked down. "Because I’m not her legal guardian."

"Not that one."

Taehyun looked up.

Beomgyu met his gaze. "Our marriage paper. First sign that. Then this."

Silence.

Not a long one. Just enough to stretch Taehyun’s breath into disbelief.

He stared.

"Wait," he whispered. "Are you proposing that we get married?"

Beomgyu nodded, throat dry. "Yeah. Maybe. If you want to."

The towel dropped to the floor.

Taehyun crossed the room in two long strides and pulled him into a kiss.

It wasn’t soft.

It was urgent. Years of quiet love and aching and unspoken things pouring into a moment that finally dared to say them.

Beomgyu kissed back, fingers gripping the sides of Taehyun’s shirt, pulling him closer.

They only broke apart when the need for air forced them to.

Taehyun rested his forehead against Beomgyu’s, eyes wide and shining.

"You really mean it?"

Beomgyu nodded again, tears slipping from the corners of his eyes.

"I’ve meant it for a while."

---

They didn’t speak much after that. They didn’t need to. Taehyun’s hands never left Beomgyu’s waist, and Beomgyu didn’t try to step away.

They stood there in the glow of the laundry room’s single overhead bulb, like they’d stepped out of time. It wasn’t how Beomgyu ever imagined proposing. No fancy dinner. No kneeling. No rehearsed speech.

But this felt more real than anything else ever had.

Taehyun cupped his face gently, thumbs brushing the tears Beomgyu didn’t even try to hide.

"You’re sure?"

"I’m so sure it scares me."

Taehyun laughed quietly, voice shaking. "I used to dream about this. Then I stopped. It hurt too much."

"Me too," Beomgyu whispered. "But we’re here now. And I don’t want to keep pretending like you’re not already everything."

Taehyun pulled him in again, this time slower, more tender. Their foreheads rested together after.

"I want to wake up next to you for the rest of my life. I want to be someone Eunji can call Appa without anyone questioning it. I want to come home to this. To you."

Beomgyu nodded, unable to speak.

"Then let’s do it," Taehyun murmured. "Let’s get married. Let’s make this real."

Beomgyu exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for years.

And smiled.

They didn’t sleep much that night. They talked in whispers, knees tucked to their chests on the bed, hands linked between them. They talked about paperwork. About rings. About whether Eunji would wear a flower crown.

They talked about everything.

And for once, nothing was left unsaid.

---

The next morning was soft and slow.

Beomgyu woke to the faint morning light slipping through the curtain and the sound of Eunji’s sleepy babbling from the next room. Taehyun’s arm was still draped loosely over his waist. They hadn’t shifted much during the night, both too tired and too full of everything to move.

When Beomgyu slipped out of bed, Taehyun stirred, eyes cracking open.

"She’s awake?"

"Mhm. I’ll get her. Sleep a little more."

Taehyun didn’t argue.

Beomgyu padded into Eunji’s room, where she was sitting up in her bed with her bunny in one hand and her blanket tangled around her waist.

"Appa," she chirped. "My bunny had a dream about pancakes."

Beomgyu scooped her up with a smile. "Then we better make some. Wouldn’t want to disappoint the bunny."

They made breakfast together, Eunji pouring in far too many blueberries, giggling when flour puffed onto Beomgyu’s nose. Taehyun joined halfway through, yawning, but smiling like nothing in the world could ruin this morning.

As they sat at the table, the conversation drifted. Books. Work. What color flowers Eunji had seen yesterday. It wasn’t until she asked again, as she was finishing her juice, that the moment returned.

"Appa, Tae-tae, when we go to school, will they know you’re both my papas?"

Beomgyu and Taehyun exchanged a glance.

Taehyun set his cup down gently. "They’ll know. We’ll tell them."

Eunji blinked. "But what if they ask why we don’t have the same name?"

Beomgyu reached for her hand. "That’s what we’re going to fix."

She tilted her head. "We’ll all have the same name?"

"You already do," Taehyun said softly, brushing back a strand of her hair. "You’re ours. Always have been."

Eunji grinned. "Can I pick the cake?"

Beomgyu laughed. "You can help. But no gummy worms this time."

She pouted.

Taehyun leaned over and kissed her forehead. "We’ll be a real family now. Not just in our house, but everywhere."

Later that day, they went out for a walk. Beomgyu carried the documents in a folder tucked under his arm. Marriage forms. Guardianship forms. New beginnings, printed in black ink.

Taehyun walked beside him, one hand lightly brushing Beomgyu’s with every step. Eunji ran ahead, chasing petals in the breeze.

No one said it aloud.

But they all felt it.

This was the start of forever.

Chapter Text

The morning sun filtered in through the gauzy curtains of their apartment, turning the walls gold and the hardwood floor into polished honey. It was the kind of morning that made the world feel quiet and alive at the same time.

Eunji was the first to wake up.

She bounded into their bedroom with a squeal, launching herself between them, her tiny hands pressing against Beomgyu's cheek.

"Wake up, Appa! It's your marry-day!"

Beomgyu groaned softly, half-buried in the pillow, but the smile tugging at his lips gave him away.

"Is it today already? I thought we postponed it."

"Nooo!" she squealed, climbing over his back to poke at Taehyun. "Tae-tae! He's trying to run away!"

Taehyun laughed sleepily, reaching out to pull her into his arms. "We better keep an eye on him. Just in case."

Beomgyu stretched and turned over, facing them both.

"What if I do run?"

Taehyun leaned over Eunji and kissed him softly on the forehead. "Then I’ll chase you."

Eunji clapped. "And I’ll ride the dog!"

"We don’t have a dog, Junie."

"Then I’ll borrow Kai’s!"

They stayed there a little while longer, tangled in laughter and the quiet hush of morning. The city outside hadn’t stirred fully yet, and in the stillness, it was easy to forget everything else.

---

The apartment hummed with activity. Beomgyu was at the ironing board, smoothing out the creases in Taehyun’s white shirt with precision. The scent of lavender starch floated in the air, and the radio hummed quietly from the kitchen.

"Don’t even look at the iron," he warned Taehyun, who was sipping coffee on the couch.

"I wasn't going to touch it."

"You were thinking about it."

Taehyun raised both hands in surrender. "I’ll go re-steam the suits. Happy?"

"Ecstatic."

Eunji sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by her flower girl dress, pink glittery shoes, and at least three hair clips. She had insisted on styling her own hair, but Soobin had wisely promised to step in just before they left.

"Do I look like a princess?" she asked, twirling once and almost falling.

"You look like a whole kingdom," Taehyun said.

"Queen Eunji of Strawberryland," Beomgyu added, giving her a dramatic bow. She giggled and waved her plastic wand in approval.

It wasn’t long before the doorbell rang.

At precisely 10:32 a.m., chaos knocked.

Yeonjun burst in with two hangers, a pair of sunglasses on his forehead, and absolutely no idea where his tie was.

"I forgot it," he announced.

"The tie?"

"Yes."

"How do you forget your tie when you're a groomsman?"

Yeonjun dramatically threw himself onto the couch. "I'm too beautiful for accessories."

Soobin followed behind calmly, holding a box that clearly contained Yeonjun’s tie, socks, and an emergency sewing kit.

"He left it on the kitchen counter. I told him three times."

"And I ignored him for artistic purposes."

"You’re lucky you're pretty," Beomgyu muttered, finishing the last pass of the iron.

Taehyun walked past with a knowing smile. "He knows."

Kai arrived shortly after, balancing a thermos and a folder of what he claimed were "marital emergency notes."

"I brought electrolytes, tissues, and ibuprofen," he said as he kicked off his shoes. "Someone always cries before the ceremony. Usually the couple. Sometimes Yeonjun."

"Excuse me, I weep artistically," Yeonjun called from the bathroom.

The whole apartment buzzed. They steamed suits, adjusted boutonnières, triple-checked the ring pouch. Eunji spilled apple juice and had to be changed into her backup dress. Beomgyu cursed under his breath when he got mascara on his thumb trying to help.

"You’re hopeless," Taehyun said with a grin, wiping it off.

"I’m trying."

"I know. And you’re adorable."

Beomgyu rolled his eyes, cheeks warming.

Eventually, it all came together. The shirts were crisp. The shoes were shined. The rings were tucked into Taehyun’s jacket pocket. Eunji had her flower basket, filled to the brim.

In the final quiet moments before they were due to leave, Beomgyu and Taehyun found themselves alone in the bedroom.

Beomgyu adjusted his collar in the mirror, fidgeting.

Taehyun came up behind him, resting his hands on his shoulders. Their eyes met in the reflection.

"You look beautiful."

"You always say that when I wear a jacket."

"You always are."

Beomgyu turned. They stood close, the soft hush of the room wrapping around them.

"Are you nervous?" Taehyun asked.

"Yes. But not in the way I thought I’d be."

"How then?"

Beomgyu exhaled. "It doesn’t feel like something new. It feels like I’ve been waiting to say yes to this for years."

Taehyun brushed his fingers through his hair.

"Me too."

They held each other for a while. No rush. No words.

A knock came at the door.

"We have to go," Kai called. "Before Yeonjun breaks the mirror trying to take a selfie."

Beomgyu laughed.

"Ready?" Taehyun asked.

He nodded. "Let’s go say yes."

Together, they stepped into the hallway, hands brushing, hearts full.

---

The venue was tucked away behind an ivy-covered wall, hidden in a quiet pocket of the city where sunlight filtered through the branches of tall sycamores. Paper lanterns swayed gently above the garden path, strung from tree to tree in soft arcs. The hall itself wasn’t grand, but it glowed with charm. White folding chairs lined up in two perfect rows, flower petals scattered along the aisle, every seat warmed by the presence of someone who mattered.

Eunji was the first one down the aisle. Or, more accurately, the first to attempt it.

She took three confident steps in her pink tutu dress, holding her little basket of petals high like a trophy. Then she tripped. Flat on her knees.

Gasps came from the crowd.

But before anyone could move, two figures were already at her side.

Taehyun and Beomgyu both crouched down, checking her elbows and brushing her skirt. They kissed each of her cheeks in sync.

"Are you okay, Junie?"

"I fell like the pigeon!" she whispered.

Beomgyu laughed softly. "You got back up like a queen."

She stood again, straightening herself, and with her chin high, she marched forward the rest of the way.

It was a perfect beginning.

Kai stood at the front, unusually solemn, in a navy suit that didn’t quite match his socks. The air was heavy with soft music from the string duo seated near the hedges. Soobin sat in the front row, holding Yeonjun’s hand as Yeonjun dabbed tears from his eyes before the ceremony even began.

"We haven't said anything yet," Soobin whispered.

"I'm emotionally invested," Yeonjun sniffled.

Taehyun took his place on the left side, eyes fixed forward. Beomgyu waited at the end of the aisle, his hands calm but his heart pounding. When their eyes met, it was like the world faded.

Then came the moment. The walk.

Beomgyu stepped forward, slow, deliberate, past each row of friends, memories, life. His chest was full of every moment that led here: flour on his apron, lullabies sung at midnight, the sound of Eunji’s giggle when Taehyun tickled her belly.

He reached Taehyun and took his hands.

Kai smiled and opened the small leather book in his hands.

"I wasn’t expecting to be the one to officiate this, but apparently I’m the only one with a printer and a decent speaking voice, so here we are."

Everyone laughed. Beomgyu did too, relieved at the break in emotion.

Kai continued, voice softening.

"Marriage isn’t just about love. It’s about choosing that love again, every day. In burnt toast and shared chores and fights over which way the toilet paper should face. It’s about coming home even when you’re tired. It’s about knowing someone—not just when they’re smiling, but when they’re hurting—and staying anyway."

He looked at them both.

"You’ve already built a life together. This is just saying what’s already true. So... let's say it."

Taehyun went first.

His voice trembled at the edges.

"Beomgyu, I’ve loved you for so long I forgot where the beginning is. I loved you when I was too afraid to say it. I loved you when I didn’t understand what it meant. And I loved you in every quiet moment you gave me without asking for anything in return. You taught me what home feels like. Not just in a place—but in a person."

He glanced at Eunji, sitting on Soobin’s lap, clutching her flower basket like it held all the stars.

"And I promise I’ll keep loving you. When we disagree. When it’s hard. When we’re old and annoying and arguing about which socks are whose. I’ll choose you every time."

Beomgyu blinked quickly, then took a breath.

"Tae... I didn’t know I could want something this soft. I didn’t think I deserved it. I came to you in pieces. I didn’t have a plan, or answers, or much hope. But you gave me all of that without asking for anything. You let me be scared. You let me be small. And you never made me feel like I was less because of it."

He took Taehyun’s hands tighter.

"You were always my safe place. Even when I left. Even when I didn’t know how to come back. And now that I have, I’m never leaving again. This is it. You. Me. Her. Our weird, chaotic, beautiful little life."

They both laughed through the tears.

Kai cleared his throat. "Well, I was going to ask if anyone objected, but if they do, I’ll fight them. So... by the power entrusted to me by the internet and my general charisma... I now pronounce you married. You may kiss. Finally."

They didn’t rush.

Taehyun reached up slowly, cupped Beomgyu’s cheek, and pressed their foreheads together for just a breath.

And then they kissed.

It was soft. Full. Quiet.

Like the world they’d built.

And everyone cheered.

Even Eunji.

Especially Eunji.

"They’re married now!" she shouted. "Forever!"

Forever.

Beomgyu smiled against Taehyun’s mouth.

Yes.

Forever.

---

The reception took place just across the courtyard in a small glass-roofed hall lit with string lights and laughter. Tables were set with handwritten name cards and little jars of honey as party favors. The scent of lilacs drifted through open windows. Someone had brought a Bluetooth speaker, and the playlist was a messy, charming mix of early 2000s ballads, soft indie guitar, and Eunji’s favorite cartoon theme.

Beomgyu and Taehyun were barely two steps into the room before Yeonjun flung his arms around them both.

"I can’t believe you two are legally allowed to be this soft."

"You’re the one who cried through the entire ceremony," Soobin reminded him.

"That was catharsis."

Kai appeared with champagne, glasses already poured. He handed one to each of them and then to Soobin, saving the last for himself.

"To the only couple who took years to kiss in public and still made the rest of us cry harder than a K-drama finale."

They all clinked glasses.

Beomgyu looked around and felt the full weight of the moment. Every chair was filled by someone who had stayed. Someone who mattered. Eunji was being passed around like a treasure between Yeonjun and Soobin and Kai, each of them taking turns to spin her around or sneak her sweets.

The cake was small but perfect: white frosting, a single sugar flower, and the word “home” written in delicate cursive.

Beomgyu cut the first slice and tried to feed Taehyun.

"Open up," he said teasingly.

Taehyun opened his mouth like he was preparing for a medical examination.

"You’re impossible," Beomgyu muttered.

"You’re stuck with me now."

They both laughed.

And then the music changed.

Someone had cued a slow dance track, and the guests instinctively moved aside. The room quieted.

Taehyun held out his hand.

"May I?"

Beomgyu took it without hesitation.

They swayed, slowly, barely moving. Just shifting in a small circle with the rhythm, Beomgyu’s chin resting on Taehyun’s shoulder.

No one spoke. They didn’t have to.

It was enough just to be there. Enough to feel.

After a few minutes, Eunji tapped on Taehyun’s leg.

"My turn!"

They traded. Beomgyu danced with her while Taehyun stood by, hands in his pockets, smiling so wide it hurt.

Yeonjun eventually stole the speaker and announced, “It’s time for a solo,” before launching into a completely improvised, overly dramatic interpretive dance that had Soobin laughing so hard he nearly fell off his chair.

Kai clapped politely. Eunji tried to copy the moves, resulting in a tangle of limbs and another round of giggles.

Taehyun, flushed from wine and joy, sat down next to Beomgyu with a sigh.

"Is this real?"

Beomgyu leaned against him. "As real as you and me."

He felt Taehyun’s hand slip into his beneath the table.

And held it like it was everything.

Because it was.

---

They left the next morning.

The sun hadn’t fully risen yet when Beomgyu zipped up the last suitcase and carried it quietly into the hallway. Eunji was still asleep, bundled in a nest of pillows between Yeonjun and Soobin on their couch. Her bunny was tucked under one arm. Soobin had his hand protectively on her back, and Yeonjun snored into a decorative throw pillow, a crumpled party hat still stuck in his hair from the night before.

Beomgyu stood in the doorway for a moment, soaking it in. It wasn’t often he let himself look away from her for more than a few hours. But if there were two people in the world he trusted, it was those two.

Taehyun came up behind him, slipping an arm around his waist.

"They’ve got her. She’s fine."

Beomgyu nodded. "Still feels weird."

"It’s okay to want something just for us."

So they slipped out, leaving a note on the fridge, a backpack of snacks beside the crib, and a carefully folded list of emergency instructions that Yeonjun would absolutely ignore.

---

The train ride was quiet and beautiful. The windows filled with soft countryside light, rolling hills and scattered trees. Beomgyu rested his head on Taehyun’s shoulder. Neither of them said much.

They’d chosen a coastal town for their honeymoon. Somewhere small. Peaceful. A seaside village where no one knew them, where the pace was slow and the breeze always carried salt and jasmine.

Their hotel was quaint, painted a faded sea green with climbing vines up the exterior. The room had a wide window that overlooked the ocean, and a little balcony with mismatched chairs and a chipped teacup left by the last guest.

It was perfect.

They dropped their bags and sat on the bed, silent.

Taehyun leaned back. "We’re really married."

Beomgyu nodded. "We are."

"Does it feel different?"

"A little."

"How?"

Beomgyu turned to him. "Feels like I finally get to stay. Like there’s no more running. No more holding my breath."

Taehyun reached over and brushed a thumb under his eye.

"You’ve been holding your breath for a long time."

"Yeah."

"Then let it out. We’re here."

---

The next few days passed in softness.

They walked along the beach barefoot, the sand warm under their toes. They stopped at roadside stands and bought fruit, juice, and earrings shaped like tiny seahorses that Taehyun insisted Beomgyu wear at least once.

They ate seafood by candlelight. Sat with their ankles tangled under the table. Read books on their balcony while the sea crashed below. They kissed in the ocean, salt on their lips, water at their knees, wind in their hair.

They didn’t talk about responsibilities. Didn’t talk about the bakery or the clinic or the next week’s schedule. They just existed. Together.

At night, they fell asleep tangled together, sometimes talking softly about the past. Sometimes not talking at all.

One evening, wrapped in blankets after a sudden drizzle soaked them on the pier, Beomgyu turned to Taehyun.

"Do you think she misses us?"

"Absolutely not. She’s probably teaching Yeonjun how to braid."

"He’s going to give her glitter for dinner."

"Soobin will stop him."

Beomgyu smiled.

"We’re lucky, aren’t we?"

"We really are."

They watched the rain hit the sea in long diagonal streaks, holding hands, heads leaned together.

No plans. No pressure.

Just peace.

Just love.

And the world, finally, feeling like home.

---

It started with silence.

They’d returned from the honeymoon just hours ago, the apartment still faintly smelling of the jasmine oil Beomgyu had packed in their suitcase. The windows were cracked open. The late evening rain misted the curtains. It should have felt like home. It did, on the surface.

But something inside Beomgyu felt jagged. Like something was sitting wrong in his chest.

Taehyun was in the kitchen, barefoot, heating up leftover soup. He hummed under his breath, the sound low and familiar. Safe. He looked over his shoulder once, offered Beomgyu a tired smile, and Beomgyu smiled back. Except it didn’t reach.

Beomgyu sat on the couch, knees tucked under him, staring at nothing.

He should have said something right then.

But he didn’t.

Not until the bowls were emptied, the dishes stacked in the sink, and Eunji was sound asleep in her room down the hall.

Taehyun came in, drying his hands on a towel, eyes soft.

“Come to bed?”

Beomgyu blinked slowly. “In a bit.”

Taehyun paused.

That’s when he felt it. The shift. The air between them suddenly thick.

He walked over, sat beside him, their knees touching.

“Are you okay?”

Beomgyu didn’t answer right away. His fingers twisted in the hem of his hoodie. He looked down at his lap.

“I don’t know.”

Taehyun’s voice stayed calm, quiet. “What’s wrong?”

Beomgyu shook his head. “It’s stupid.”

“Try me.”

Another long breath. Then finally:

“I’m scared.”

Taehyun didn’t speak. He just waited.

“I’m so scared that this is all going to vanish,” Beomgyu whispered, barely audible. “That something terrible is going to happen. That one day I’ll wake up and it’ll all be gone. You. Eunji. This life.”

Taehyun reached over, rested a hand gently on Beomgyu’s thigh. He didn’t interrupt.

Beomgyu’s voice cracked. “It’s happened before, Tae. I’ve lost everything before. It doesn’t matter how careful I am. It always slips.”

“But you’re not alone now,” Taehyun said softly. “You don’t have to hold all of it by yourself.”

“I know. But knowing doesn’t fix the fear.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Beomgyu looked at him then, finally. And Taehyun’s heart broke at the sheer weight in his eyes. “You say that, and I believe you. But the part of me that lived in hiding for years—he doesn’t trust happy endings.”

Taehyun didn’t say anything for a moment.

Then he leaned forward and took Beomgyu’s face in his hands.

“I’m not your happy ending,” he said. “I’m your middle. Your everyday. Your fights over dishes. Your warm socks in winter. Your come-home-and-vent days. Your I’ll-hold-you-through-it nights.”

Beomgyu closed his eyes. His body trembled.

“I’m tired of being scared,” he said. “I just want to love you without flinching.”

Taehyun’s thumbs brushed his cheeks.

“Then let’s start tonight. Just you and me. In the quiet. No past. No future. Just now.”

Beomgyu surged forward, their lips meeting in a kiss that wasn’t neat or timed or gentle. It was desperate. It was grounding. It was everything he couldn’t put into words, poured into the space between them.

Taehyun kissed him back just as hard.

And when they pulled apart, foreheads resting together, Beomgyu whispered, “Tell me you love me.”

“I love you.”

“Say it again.”

“I love you, Beomgyu. I’ve always loved you. I will always love you.”

He didn’t realize he was crying until Taehyun kissed the tears off his cheeks, one by one.

They stood slowly. Hand in hand.

No urgency.

No more words.

Just two people walking into the darkened bedroom, letting their bodies remind them of everything they already knew.

—

The bedroom was dimly lit, the window cracked open just enough for the sound of light rain to settle into the walls. Outside, the city murmured faintly, but in here, everything felt suspended.

Taehyun shut the door quietly behind them. Beomgyu stood at the foot of the bed, chest rising and falling like he’d just run a marathon.

Taehyun stepped closer.

Neither of them spoke.

Taehyun raised one hand and let it rest gently on Beomgyu’s jaw. His thumb swept across the skin beneath his eye like he was learning it from scratch.

“You’re shaking,” he whispered.

Beomgyu nodded. “I always do when I’m about to fall.”

“You’re not falling. You’re home.”

Beomgyu leaned forward. Their mouths met again, slower this time. A kiss not fueled by desperation, but by reverence. Taehyun moved like he was afraid to break something precious. Beomgyu leaned into it like he’d been waiting his entire life for this exact feeling.

Fingers found buttons. A shirt slipped from shoulders. Every movement was deliberate. Unrushed. They didn’t tear at each other. They undressed like they were unwrapping the truth.

Beomgyu’s hands trembled as they reached Taehyun’s skin. Taehyun stilled them with his own.

“You’re safe,” he murmured. “We both are.”

Their clothes pooled gently on the floor. The bed welcomed them in its quiet way. Sheets shifted, warm skin met skin, and the space between them dissolved.

Taehyun’s fingers mapped the ridge of Beomgyu’s spine, trailing along the curve of his back. Beomgyu let out a breath that sounded almost like a sob.

“I’m scared to love you this much,” he whispered against Taehyun’s mouth. “It’s so big, it hurts.”

Taehyun kissed the corner of his lips. “Then let it hurt. I can take it. I want all of it.”

Their bodies pressed closer. Not to claim. To stay.

When Beomgyu arched into him, Taehyun murmured his name like a promise. When Beomgyu’s hands clenched at the sheets, Taehyun kissed his neck and held him like he’d never let go.

“I choose you,” Taehyun whispered, lips brushing his ear. “I’ll choose you in every life.”

Beomgyu opened his eyes. There were tears there. And awe.

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Yes, you do.”

“I was broken.”

“You rebuilt yourself. You didn’t need saving. You just needed someone to see you.”

“I see you,” Beomgyu breathed. “I see all of you. And I love every part.”

Taehyun kissed him again. Deeper. Slower. Their hands found each other again and again. A rhythm built between them—not hurried, but constant. Like waves.

“I’m yours,” Taehyun said, forehead pressed to Beomgyu’s. “Every heartbeat. Every breath. Every day after this one.”

And Beomgyu, trembling, kissed him back with everything he’d ever been afraid to say aloud.

Their bodies moved in sync, slow and desperate, built not on lust, but need. Every sigh, every kiss, every whispered “please” layered meaning onto meaning.

They clung to each other like survivors. Not of disaster—but of waiting.

And when it ended, when their bodies stilled and breaths slowed and sweat cooled against skin, they lay tangled in silence, chest to chest, forehead to forehead.

“I never want to be without this,” Beomgyu whispered.

“You never will be,” Taehyun said.

---

It rained again that morning.

Not the heavy kind, but a gentle drizzle, soft and rhythmic against the windows. It was the kind of rain that made the world feel like it was still sleeping. The kind that asked you to stay in bed a little longer.

Taehyun and Beomgyu did just that.

Wrapped in the blanket, tangled together, neither of them spoke for a long time. Their breathing was steady, their limbs loose, their fingers lazily tracing each other’s skin. There was no tension anymore. No fear. Just warmth.

Beomgyu tilted his head, looking at Taehyun’s profile in the pale gray light.

Beomgyu smiled softly, then pressed a kiss to Taehyun’s shoulder.

They lay there for another stretch of quiet. But this silence wasn’t the heavy kind. It was the kind you earned. The kind that meant nothing was missing.

Until a soft knock at the door broke it.

They both looked up, then at each other.

"She’s awake," Taehyun murmured.

"She waited longer than I thought she would," Beomgyu added, already sitting up.

He slipped out of bed, grabbing his shirt on the way, and padded down the hallway. When he opened the door to Eunji’s room, she was standing in her crib, bunny in one hand, blanket dragging behind her.

"Appa?"

"Good morning, my mooncake."

She held her arms out. Beomgyu scooped her up and kissed the side of her head.

"Did you sleep well?"

"You weren't here."

"I was just next door. Tae-tae was there too."

"Both my papas are sleepyheads," she grumbled, rubbing her eyes.

Beomgyu laughed, carrying her to the kitchen. He sat her on the counter while he poured her cereal. She hummed under her breath, swinging her legs.

Taehyun joined them a few minutes later, hair still a mess, shirt inside out.

"You look like someone who lost a fight with a pillow," Beomgyu teased.

"That pillow fought dirty."

Eunji giggled. "Tae-tae’s hair is like a chicken."

Taehyun grinned, accepting the insult with grace. He came over and kissed her forehead.

"Good morning to my favorite judge."

They all ate breakfast together, Eunji babbling about her dreams (something involving pirates, a rainbow fish, and a bakery), while Beomgyu rested his cheek on Taehyun’s shoulder.

There was nothing remarkable about the moment.

Which made it perfect.

---

Later that afternoon, they bundled up and walked to the park.

Eunji ran ahead with her arms spread wide like wings, pretending to be an airplane. Beomgyu and Taehyun followed hand-in-hand, smiling at the sound of her laughter echoing across the playground.

They sat on a bench, watching as she climbed, tumbled, and got back up with the kind of joy that only a child could carry.

"Do you ever think about adding to this?" Taehyun asked suddenly.

Beomgyu turned, brows raised. "Adding?"

"A sibling. For her. Another little monster to share snacks with."

Beomgyu blinked. Then smiled.

"Yeah. I do. More lately, actually."

"We could look into it. Not now. But soon. I just... when I think about the future, I keep picturing someone new at our table. Another high chair. More shoes by the door."

Beomgyu’s heart ached—in the best way.

"I’d like that. I want that. With you."

Taehyun leaned in, their foreheads bumping gently.

"We’re really doing this. We’re building something."

"We already have. And it’s beautiful."

---

That evening, Eunji fell asleep between them on the couch after demanding story time and a blanket fort. Her small frame curled like a kitten, thumb in her mouth, bunny tucked under her chin.

Beomgyu covered her with the throw blanket, tucking it under her arms. Taehyun adjusted a pillow beneath her head.

They didn’t speak for a long while.

Taehyun looked at Beomgyu, his voice quiet. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I really am."

Beomgyu leaned against him, eyes soft. "Sometimes I still wake up expecting the worst. But today... today I didn’t. And that means something."

Taehyun kissed the top of his head. "It means you believe in tomorrow."

They sat like that until the sun dipped low.

And when they carried her to her bed later, and when they crawled into theirs, they did so with the peace of people who knew, without a doubt, that this was it.

This was forever.

Their family.

Their life.

Their love.

The rest of them.

Whatever came next, it would be theirs.

And they would face it together.

---

THE END