i know i have other on-goings but i wanna (finally) finish this series first before anything else.

so here's another update before i take a break. again.

x x x

"I don't like drunk Chanyeol. We already made that mistake a few years ago... It wasn't nice."

On that faithful twenty-seventh of November seven years ago, everything about Byun Baekhyun was undeniably perfect. He's already six years into his very healthy relationship with Park Chanyeol and they haven't had any big issues yet. He just recently had his hair dyed into a sultry shade of brown, accentuating his pretty eyes and fair skin which blushes over the smallest matters. This morning, he even put on a pink sweatshirt Chanyeol gifted him on his birthday, matching it up with some jeans that hug his lower body in all the right places.

November twenty-seven— Park Chanyeol's birthday.

It's obviously a special day. Baekhyun, being the very devoted partner, prepared their itinerary for the day, which mainly consisted of strolling along the park, watching street performances, and street food-hopping. He even cooked them the best dinner menu he could think of. He wanted everything to be perfect. He didn't want to make any mistakes. And up until they entered a convenience store, he did just that.

Up until he took those soju bottles out of the refrigerator, no mistake was actually made.

Baekhyun clasped a hand over his mouth just as they were walking towards the convenience store to buy some water, making those retching noises. Chanyeol immediately looked down at his boyfriend with worried eyes. "Oh my god, Baek, are you okay?"

"I'm so full—" Baekhyun choked. "We ate so much today, I think I'm gonna puke."

Sighing, Chanyeol ran his palm over his boyfriend's back, soothing him, as he chuckled. "Not my fault you wanted to try twenty-six street food stalls in one day," he said. "You were eating like a freakin'... monster."

"I know, I know," Baekhyun groaned as he hugged his tummy like a baby. "But at least my eating habits got to make you laugh the whole day, so I guess that's worth it."

"Aw, babe. Of course you make me laugh every time. In fact, you made me so happy today I could give you a smooch," Chanyeol smiled, leaning down to give Baekhyun a kiss.

But that's before the smaller stopped him, one palm on Chanyeol's lips.

"V-Vomit," he managed to choke out before running towards the side of a 7/11 convenience store to throw up into an open trash bin. Chanyeol was quick to follow him though, wearing that worried face as he continued running his palm across Baekhyun's back as the smaller puke out practically everything they ate that day in their undigested form.

For the previous years of his life before meeting Byun Baekhyun, Chanyeol celebrated his birthdays with no one else but his family in candlelit dinners and grandiose hotel ballroom halls. He won't say he isn't thankful for all the privilege, but he didn't expect a relatively simple day like this with the one person who matters the most would make him happier than any other day— Even with all the vomiting and slurred curses.

"Fucking shit," Baekhyun sat back down on the ground as soon as he finished, wiping his forehead and lips with the back of his hand. The night is definitely cold but he's sweating like crazy and there's snot in his nose. He sniffed and realized he teared up a little. 'From the puking itself and the embarrassment, I guess,' Baek groaned inside.

Chanyeol crouched down in front of him, caressing his shoulders. "You okay now?" the giant asked softly.

"I'm so sorry," the brunnette swallowed as he looked up at his boyfriend with sad eyes. "It's your birthday and I— I'm sorry. I really am."

"Hey," Chanyeol chuckled, shaking his head. "No need to worry, love. It's okay." He reached up to wipe the sides of Baekhyun's lips with his fingers. "Today was really fun, and you know how much I love spending time with you, Byun Baek. That's all I ever wanted for my birthday anyway."

Baekhyun can't help but smile back despite his still churning stomach. He didn't really eat anything bad, all the food was just too much his small digestive tract can handle in one time. "Thank you," he muttered. "I really appreciate that."

The taller leaned forward to plant a gentle kiss on Baekhyun's forehead. "I love you," he whispered before standing back on his feet and offering Baekhyun a hand to help him up. "Come on. I'll get you some water... and mint candy."

Baekhyun grinned. "Yeah, okay," he grabbed Chanyeol's hand, accepting the help. "I'll come with you."

The convenience store was pretty much empty that night. The cashier looked undeniably bored as she watched some ongoing cliché korean drama on the small television set attached to the ceiling. An office guy, probably going home after a night shift, was eating hot ramen on one of the covered tables outside the store looking so glum and tired. Chanyeol pulled them inside by the hand, the store bell hanging on the glass door ringing to announce the couple's arrival. He led the smaller straight towards the back of the convenience store where all the refrigerators are at.

"M'kay, babe, here you go," Chanyeol muttered as he pulled a one-liter bottle of water from the ref. He twisted the cap open and handed it to Baek. "Careful."

Baekhyun drank plenty from the bottle before letting Chanyeol wipe his chin clean with a hanky. He suddenly looked like a small child being taken care of and the thought made Baek blush a little inside. Or so he thought, because Chanyeol definitely caught that ghost of a smile appearing on Baekhyun's lips when he touched his lips and that faint pink color filling his cheeks.

"Thanks," Baek muttered sheepishly, clumsily closing the bottle cap.

The taller cannot help but chuckle at Byun Baekhyun's almost bewitching cuteness. They've been dating for years, he knows that, but Chanyeol doesn't really think he'll ever get used to the fact that he's in love with the most beautiful person he's ever seen and that person, fortunately, is head over heels for him, too. 'Thank god,' Chanyeol thought before turning on his heel to find the section for candies and gums.

"What's so funny?" Baekhyun called out as he followed his boyfriend.

Chanyeol shrugged. "Nothing," he said. "Just... saw some sunshine."

Frowning, Baekhyun looked back through the store's glass walls and into the night. 'Sunshine?' He thought. 'What the hell is this giant talking about?' He wanted to ask what Park Chanyeol has been smoking these days as a joke but he let it slip. There are more pressing things right now. Like... his breath, for example.

The brunette crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned on one of the shelves, watching in amusement as Chanyeol glared at all the sweets displayed as if they're going down for the final judgement. "They're candies, Park Chanyeol," he said. "They don't really care if they go to heaven or not."

"What—? No..." Chanyeol continued glaring. "They don't have an apple mint flavor."

"Oh. And?"

"It's your favorite... And..." the taller started picking up gums then throwing the rejected ones aside. "What the hell? Why don't they have that?"

"Honey, it's fine," Baekhyun picked up some random mint candy. "Here. Let's go pay—"

"No, no. I like it when your lips taste like apples and mint," Chanyeol just blurted out, looking so serious as he continued rummaging through the shelf quite annoyed.

"So, you're going through all this trouble for yourself?!" Baekhyun laughed.

Chanyeol glanced at him quickly, smacking his lips. "Eighty percent."

"Yeah, okay," Baekhyun nodded. "I'll just pretend my boyfriend didn't just indirectly say he doesn't like my bare lips."

And it was like Chanyeol was struck with something. "Hey!" He turned to his boyfriend completely. "I did not say that! Your lips are perfect. They're lovely and soft and sweet and definitely my favorite. I can even kiss you right here, right now, and I won't even stop even if you tell me to! I'm telling you, Byun Baekhyun. Just say the word—"

"Yeah, okay, okay," Baekhyun couldn't stop laughing as he reached out to pat Chanyeol's chest, calming him down. "Geez, Park. I was just joking!"

But the giant had to double check. "You know I love everything about you, right?" Chanyeol pouted. It just bothers him a lot whenever Baekhyun thinks a little bit bad about himself— Joke or not. It doesn't sit right with him. Maybe he's just being paranoid. Maybe he just doesn't like the love of his life feeling insecure about anything. Because for him, he is unquestionably perfect already.

And Byun Baekhyun knows his boyfriend well enough to understand his sentiments.

So he gave Chanyeol a slow, gentle smile. "I know," he murmured as he looked into Chanyeol's jet black orbs which seem to shine a little brighter whenever he looks at him. The taller probably doesn't have any idea how the fact makes Baekhyun's heart so happy. "Thank you. And I love you, too."

The words made the giant smile back rather softly. "That's a relief," Chanyeol murmured back before giving his boyfriend another loving kiss. The author's pretty sure it's already the hundredth smooch Chanyeol gave Baekhyun that day— The couple's love for kissing cannot be overstated enough.

Chan and Baek continued looking through the store's shelves after that, grabbing some more candies for the drive home, totally oblivious to how the now-attentive cashier watched their interaction with a small smile. She totally forgot about the boring heterosexual shit on TV and found herself more invested in this live boy's love drama she was seeing.

"Fucking cute," she muttered to herself as Chanyeol and Baekhyun walked towards her spot to pay. Cashier girl scanned the couple quickly with her eyes. 'Both are amazingly good-looking,' she noted, nodding to herself. 'Taller one's probably the top— Has huge biceps, tall figure, killer eyes, and fancy Chanel winter wear. Smaller one's too sexy to be top— Has super petite body, curvy waist, bright eyes, pink lips, and clothes that accentuate all the right places.

'What a fucking perfect couple,' the cashier shakes her head in amazement. 'I've never seen such a sight before.' And maybe she was too invested enough in observing them that she failed to realize how close the protagonists already got to her store spot.

"Um, excuse me?" Chanyeol gently knocked on the counter. "Are you... You okay, miss?"

The cashier— who most probably represents all fujoshi around the world— blushed red in embarrassment. "R-Right," she straightened before grabbing clumsily on the counter. Chanyeol and Baekhyun shared worried looks.

'Is she okay?' Baekhyun wanted to ask out loud but he just resorted to watching the cashier with attentive eyes.

Cashier started scanning the barcodes. "Okay... Three packs of gum, sour patches, and... an opened bottle of water."

Baekhyun bit his lip. "A-Are we not allowed to...?"

"No, no, sweetheart, that's okay," the cashier smiled sweetly because no she cannot break this puppy's little heart. "Are you guys gonna get anything else?" She looked sideways. "Um, a pack of... I don't know... maybe—" The little shit "accidentally" nudged a box of condoms with her elbow. "Oops. Sorry, my bad. He he."

Chanyeol just frowned, thinking about how weird the five feet and two inches cashier suddenly got, while Baekhyun, on the other hand, missed the provocation because the cashier's question struck something else in his mind.

"Huh. Actually..." The smaller started before walking back towards where they came from, passing the shelves of sweets and to the row of refrigerators standing against the far wall of the store.

Park Chanyeol threw him a curious glance, muttered an apology to the cashier, then followed Baekhyun. "Hey, baby," he said. "What are you— Why are you taking four bottles of soju?"

"Yep. Get another four and we're good," Baek told his boyfriend.

"Babe, I thought you're going to cook us dinner?"

"I will!" Baekhyun exclaims. "But I'll be sleeping at your apartment tonight so why not get drunk? We're also free tomorrow, so there's that."

"Babe," Chanyeol sighed. "I-I don't— I don't think that's a really good idea."

Baekhyun is slightly confused. "Why do you think that?"

The giant doesn't want to answer that. But Chanyeol isn't really a master in hiding things and he has this default expression— shoulders tensed, gaze away, and lower lip upturned— that indicates there's something he does not want to say. "N-Nothing," he stammered. "Just because."

"Well, well, well," Baekhyun said it like Maleficient. With a matching smirk. "Come to think of it. I've never seen you drunk before! Not even once."

"Come on!" Chanyeol protested. "I do get tipsy whenever we go partying."

"Tipsy, my ass!" Baek exclaimed. "You hold your liquor so well you could even do a six number computation when I asked you to!"

Chanyeol sighed. "In my defense, math is quite easy for me and we didn't drink that much—"

"We had five bottles of vodka with Jongin and my brother and you took my shots."

"Okay, okay," Chanyeol raised his hands in surrender. "You win. If you want to get drunk tonight, then fine. But if anything happens, don't say I didn't warn you."

Baek giggled, shaking his head. "You're so dramatic," he said before snagging one abandoned basket beside a ref and grabbing four more bottles of soju to satisfy his wishes.

"It's not even twenty-eight yet, it's still my birthday," Chanyeol pouted as he followed his boyfriend back towards the cashier.

The brunette threw him a quick, confused glance. "Your point, hon?"

"Then why am I the one succumbing to your wishes right now?"

After placing the basket on the counter, Byun Baekhyun turned to Chanyeol with a sly smirk. He reached over to wrap both arms around his boyfriend's torso, kissed his chest gently, then gave him the most alluring glance. "That's not true," he whispered in a soft voice. "I could grant all your wishes tonight..." And it's the spark in Baekhyun's brown eyes and that tempting curve of his lips that told Chanyeol he might be getting more than the usual dessert tonight.

The giant glanced at the box of condoms the cashier purposely tumbled down a while ago.

Maybe buying a box wouldn't be a bad idea afterall.

Byun Baekhyun isn't a cook. In fact, cooking is something he had loathed until Park Chanyeol came into his life and he suddenly had this urge to make him happy in all ways possible. Like via food, for example.

As much as he had kept saying he'll cook dinner on Chanyeol's birthday, he did not really have the skills of a chef yet so the food mainly consisted of main and side dishes prepared by a person with the skillset of an average high school student.

The food wasn't bad. They're surprisingly fine, actually. But Chanyeol probably enjoyed exaggerating the praises— Mainly because he appreciates everything Baekhyun does for him and a little bit because of how cute his boyfriend looked in the pink 'Kiss the Chef' apron.

"Here, make a wish, baby," Baekhyun murmured when he finally lit up the candle nestled on top of a personally-baked cake which turned out to be a little tilted to the left. Nonetheless, Chanyeol loved every bit of the music-themed dessert. So he closed his eyes, pressed his palms together, and wished for the very first thing that came to his mind.

'Hey, universe,' Chanyeol thought. 'I definitely have no idea about anything that's about to come from this day on... But the only thing I want is to live each day with this beautiful person's love,' He peeked through one eye towards Baekhyun who was watching him happily. 'And to be a better person not just for myself but for our future together.'

"There!" Chanyeol clapped his hands once before blowing the candle.

"Yay!" Baekhyun squealed. "What did you wish for?"

The giant frowned. "Am I allowed to say it out loud?"

"Good call," Baekhyun nodded. "Don't tell me, don't tell me. I want your wish to come true."

"It's a simple one. I'm pretty sure the heavens would hear my birthday wish."

The brunette pouted, eyes suddenly begging. "Baby, please don't tell me you wished for one of those pet... rats."

Chanyeol cannot believe he's on it again. "It's not— It's called a ferret, okay?!"

"Well, whatever that is, it still looks like a giant rat—"

"It's not—" Chanyeol heaved a sigh. "And— But... No. I didn't wish for that..."

"Thank god!" Baekhyun breathed out rather too dramatically, enjoying how Chanyeol desperately defends the animal.

"Oh, come on! They're kinda cute."

Baek pursed his lips. "I'll just pretend I didn't hear that."

For sure, it's Park Chanyeol's birthday and everyone around them was expecting him to celebrate the day with grandiosity. But shouldn't this one day in a year be celebrated just the way you want it? Spending the whole day with his Byun Baekhyun— no matter what they decide to do— would be the only appealing choice in mind, and he wouldn't have his birthday any other way.

So, whatever happens, he isn't complaining. He doesn't care about the old movie playing on the TV right now, how the popcorn tastes a little saltier than necessary, or how his room feels a little colder than usual. Chanyeol only cares about the small figure cuddling with him right now on his bed, wearing a pair of pajamas he stole from the taller's closet while crying his heart out when Jaime finally told Landon she has leukemia.

"Please tell me they're not gonna break up," Baekhyun sobbed, glancing fast at his boyfriend, asking for reassurance.

Chanyeol chuckled, pulling up the blankets and wrapping them with it. "It's an old movie. You should have seen it already."

"I haven't," Baek sniffled. "It's too sad for it to go up my favorite movies list."

"You mean the list with nothing but MCU?"

"Hey!" Baek smacked Chanyeol's chest. "At least I don't get to cry like this—"

"When Black Widow and Iron Man died, you didn't talk to anyone for a week!"

At that statement, Baekhyun's pout might as well reach the floor. He gave Chanyeol a look between a glare and a sulk, while the giant just waited patiently with an unreadable expression (He's definitely laughing inside). Realizing he's never going to win this conversation, Baekhyun just gave a disgruntled "Hmph." before returning his look to the sad movie.

Chanyeol smirked to himself. "They're not gonna break up. They just have to be ready to face everything together," the giant muttered, answering Baek's previous statement before pressing his lips against the smaller's hair. A Walk to Remember is a classic, and he cannot let Baekhyun spend the rest of his life not seeing the movie. So when his pretty boyfriend asked for a romance movie, Chanyeol immediately suggested it. One, because it's a good watch. And two, because Baek will surely cry and he looks kinda cute when he does.

The movie's ending was kind of satisfying so Chanyeol was a little bit confused when Baekhyun didn't stop crying. It wasn't like a wailing type of grief, more like the ones where you can't stop your tears from coming so you kind of keep wiping the sides of your eyes with your fingers, hoping tears would just fucking stop. And that is exactly what Baek kept doing as the credits finally rolled on screen.

Netflix started to suggest another romance movie and that's when Chanyeol pressed the 'Off' button on the remote. The room was quiet again, aside from slight sniffles and the movement of skin against bed covers. Baekhyun contented himself with resting his head against his boyfriend's chest, breathing in his scent and feeling more comfortable than ever.

"Hey, baby," Chanyeol broke the silence.

"Hm?"

"Will you hate me if I say I kind of like it when you cry?"

Startled, Baek sat up and turned to his boyfriend. "What?"

"I like it when you cry."

"You mean...?" Baekhyun is confused. "You mean like in a... sadist way?"

"No! Of course not," Chanyeol sighed, quite embarrassed. Now he already doesn't know why he blurted out such nonsense. Sometimes, he hates how he just says whatever's in his mind. "I-I mean... In whatever instance... I don't ever want to hurt you in any way. But when you tear up over the most trivial things... I don't know..." He shrugged. "Maybe, I just find it charming... I guess..."

The brunette is now fighting off an amused smile. "Whatever do you even mean, Park Chanyeol?"

"I don't know, okay?" Chanyeol exclaimed this time, blushing fiercely. "I-I don't even know why I said it! It just slipped off my freakin' mouth."

"Is that why you like watching emotional movies together?" Baekhyun narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why you took me to that orphanage last time for my birthday? Why you sang me that song yesterday? Why you keep telling me sad stories so randomly? And why you like playing it rough during sex until I fucking cry?"

Chanyeol thought for a while. "Yes. No. No. No... And maybe... yes?" the giant smiled a little. "But it's not like you're crying during sex because I'm being rough. You're crying because it's too good."

"You'Re cRyiNg bEcaUsE iT's tOo goOd," Baek mocked with his classic eye roll but he didn't deny shit. They both know Chanyeol's right anyway.

The taller chuckled. "I just like it because you make such cute expressions," he explained lightly. "And because I get to see a vulnerable side of you. No inhibition."

"Like when you're drunk?" Baekhyun raised an eyebrow. When Chanyeol gave him a surprised look, he smiled. "I asked Jongin on our way here. He told me you're incredibly impulsive when you're drunk. You just do what you wanna do. No inhibition."

Feeling a little defeated and betrayed, Chanyeol just sighed. "I don't want to hurt you so I don't like getting drunk when you're around," he said. "Plus, I tend to forget everything I've done the night before. Drunk me is definitely not a pretty sight."

"How bad could it be?" Baek chuckled. "Definitely it's not because you could kill someone, right?"

"Well, I'm not inherently a murderer, so probably not to that extent," the giant muttered, smiling a little.

"Then, it's probably all good! No need to worry," Baekhyun beamed like some freakin' sun.

"I don't know..." Chanyeol was indeed hesitant. "You're here looking all breathtakingly beautiful, babe, I don't wanna wake up my libido. You know, when I'm drunk, I don't know how to stop. Like... seriously."

Byun Baekhyun definitely thinks Park Chanyeol's overreacting. 'Come on!' Baek thought to himself. 'It's just alcohol! No one can be that intoxicated to the point of exhibiting animalistic shit... Right?' The brunette sat up straight, obviously intrigued. "Well, I'm curious!" he announced. "Besides, I didn't get all those soju for nothing."

"Baby..." Chanyeol tried to reason with his boyfriend, almost grabbing Baekhyun back to bed when the smaller enthusiastically ran towards the kitchen to get the alcohol. He felt defeated and worried at the same time. It's his birthday, for sure, but that doesn't mean he does not like indulging his temptress of a boyfriend on his own special day. Baekhyun's too charming to be denied. He loves him too much to not succumb to his simple wishes.

"Baek's right," Chanyeol told himself. "It's just alcohol. What could go wrong, right?"

"Be sure to get drunk, alright?!" Baek practically shouted as he sprinted back towards the bedroom, all soju bottles at hand. He plopped on the bed, snickering. "I'm so excited! I got to see drunk Chanyeol soon! I'll be sure to take videos!"

Park Chanyeol internally sighed when Baekhyun handed him a bottle. He stared at it for a few seconds.

'Okay. No turning back now, I guess.'

end of part one.