September 1st , 7:26 PM

It has been chilly ever since the day started but Byun Baekhyun still fearfully opened the sliding door leading to the balcony of his room. Cold air washed through his face and he shivered before pulling his two blankets around his body even tighter. His favorite Girls Generation song is playing in the background as he settled on a futon he placed just before the door where Peanut—who, surprisingly, is welcome to stay for two nights in their house—is already sleeping.

Baekhyun ran a hand through the cat's fur affectionately. "Good night, sweetie," he whispered before holding his mug of hot chocolate between his hands as he gazes at the stars outside and in the sky. A few minutes ago, he just finished three paintings he has to submit on Monday and this is his favorite kind of rest: staring at the sky and trying in vain to count how many connect-the-dots images he could create.

"That looks cozy."

"I know," Baekhyun grinned without even looking at the door. He knows who just entered his room, anyway. Soon, he felt a kiss on his forehead before Park Chanyeol settled beside him on the futon, pulling a blanket over his shoulders, too. When Baekhyun threw him a glance, he noted his fiancé is wearing something nice and he smells strongly of expensive perfume.

Chanyeol moves to sit behind him, wrapping his arms around Baekhyun's waist and resting his head on his shoulder. He kissed Baekhyun's neck, his sweet smell more familiar than ever. "Hey, is that chocolate?" he asked, gesturing to the mug with his lips.

"Yeah. Mom made it," Baek nods and he offered it to Chanyeol. "Want some?"

"I'm fine," Chanyeol kissed his neck again. "I just remembered something funny."

Within a second, Baekhyun is giggling already. "Yeah," he nods slowly. "I'm really sorry about that. I am clumsy and you know that."

"I was forced to walk topless from the park and to my car, Byun Baek," the taller laughed. "'Sorry' doesn't even cover the embarrassment."

Baekhyun turned his head to give his fiancé a look. "Oh, come on," he rolls his eyes. "It's not a really bad first date! Besides, I have this feeling you enjoyed showing off your body that day, thanking me deep inside that I spilled my chocolate drink on you."

"Not true, Byun Baek," Chanyeol shook his head before a blush creeped up his cheeks. "But I hit the gym the day before. Just in case you'll fall against my chest or something."

"What?" Baekhyun is already laughing so hard. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm not!" Chanyeol whines. "I was looking forward to that first date and I wanted it to be perfect."

The smaller grinned before he reached up to pinch his fiancé's cheek. "You're just so cute, aren't you?" he smiled brightly and that earned a quick kiss from Chanyeol before he reached for Baekhyun's mug and drink almost half of the chocolate. Baek wiped Chanyeol's lips before he took the mug and place it on the floor beside them. He stared at the taller's face, brushing his cheek with his thumb. "That first date was perfect, okay? You don't have to worry about anything."

Chanyeol smiled back shyly. "Even the second one?"

Baekhyun cocked his head to one side. "Where I accidentally stepped on your foot while we danced in the middle of that fancy restaurant?" the smaller giggled. "Yeah, that's perfect, too."

"That really hurt my foot, though," Chanyeol pouts.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I was really scared during that third date where we got separated in that amusement park and I didn't have my phone with me," Baekhyun shivers and his fiancé pulled him closer against his chest. "It really sucks being directionally-challenged sometimes."

The taller kissed him again. "Nope," he shook his head fast. "That didn't make me feel any better, sorry. I was terrified and I have to call out your name for twenty minutes!"

"How about the fourth date?" Baekhyun smiles. "That one didn't suck."

Chanyeol looked at him darkly. "I met your childhood crush while we're on the line to the cinemas!" he complains. "And you were practically blushing while talking to him. That date sucks. That date sucks for me."

"He was really cute!" Baekhyun defends himself. "Anyone would blush if you're talking to your childhood crush! And he thinks I'm cute, too, so that's a double blush right there."

"NO!" Chanyeol hugged him closer and he buried his face against the crook of Baekhyun's neck. "No no no no. I won't allow this. Stop talking about that unattractive human being."

Baekhyun laughs but he let his fiancé hug him until it feels like he's crushing him. "Well, at least I'm not the one who promised someone I'll marry them when we get older," he shoots Chanyeol a look. "Am I right or am I right?"

"I didn't promise Lara I will marry her," Chanyeol mumbled against Baek's neck. "I just said and I quote: Maybe we could give it a try when we're older. I just feel like there's more out there waiting for us than now. And I was right because if I'm not, I won't be holding this gorgeous guy in my arms right now. Am I right or am I right?"

"Fine," the smaller rolled his eyes in fake annoyance. "Okay. Maybe that fourth date really sucked. For you, at least."

Chanyeol nods. "It really sucked," he groans. "He was so chatty and he kept staring at you and he was smiling like a complete pervert."

"What the—?" Baekhyun gasped. "That's not true!"

"You weren't the one who's studying him very closely so your opinions aren't valid, Byun Baek."

"But you're biased, too, babe!" Baekhyun whines. "You don't like him!"

Chanyeol pursed his lips and pretended to think. And then he shrugged. "Well, whatever."

Baekhyun let out an exasperated sigh. "You're—"

"But you know when's my favorite date?" Chanyeol asked, looking at Baekhyun with a sly smirk. He raised a brow and when the smaller met his gaze, Baek just rolled his eyes and turned away to hide a blush. He picked up his hot chocolate again and pressed the mug against his lower lip sheepishly.

Baekhyun let out fake, tired breath. "The ninth one?"

"Yeah," Chanyeol chuckles. "I like that date."

"Huh. Because it's the first time we made out?"

Chanyeol gave him a quite confused look. "No," he whispered, shaking his head slowly. "Because it's the first time you said you like me, too, Byun Baek. And it's the night I realized how much I love you."

Byun Baekhyun feels warm to his core even if the night is as cold as it could get. His heart feels like it's about to burst as he stares into Park Chanyeol's dark orbs, softening like a puddle as he takes in his face. It felt so real and so pure and he wants nothing else but to wake up everyday to that look.

"That's really sweet, Park Chan," Baekhyun smiled. "I like that date, too."

Chanyeol smiled back and he pressed his forehead against Baek's, breathing in his scent for a whole minute before kissing the tip of his nose as he pulled him closer. He just feels so happy and contented right now, he could gladly spend the rest of his life just like this. "Happy anniversary, baby," he breathes before kissing Baekhyun gently on the lips. "It has been nine years now, huh."

"Yeah, that's right," Baekhyun grinned. "Happy ninth anniversary, Park."

For a while, they just stayed like that, staring up the sky and muttering stories they never heard from each other before. Peanut woke up two times because of all the laughter and was forced to transfer to a quieter spot soon enough. The night blew wave after wave of cold air and after an hour, Chanyeol stood up to close the sliding door, tucking them back to the warmth of the room.

"So, what do you want to do tonight?" he asked as he sits cross-legged in front of Baek. "You didn't allow me to buy you any gift so I guess I could treat you to a late night dinner."

Baekhyun hugged his knees against his chest. "I don't feel like doing anything tonight, though," he mumbles. "Let's just cuddle."

Chanyeol's face obviously brightens. "Let's do that." He resumes his position behind Baek, wrapping his arms around him again and continued telling him the story of how his mother freaked out this morning when she realized Peanut is nowhere to be found. They forgot telling her about the cat spending two nights at the Byun residence so the thirty-minute panic was entirely their fault.

Stories drifted back and forth between the two of them for another half-hour before they both tensed and looked at each other almost abruptly. They have the exact same look on their faces as they realized something. "Oh my god," Baekhyun breathes in horror. "We sound like an old couple."

Chanyeol's eyes are wide open, too. "We sure do," he swallowed. "Like a really, really old couple."

"We can't be an old couple!" Baekhyun freaks out, pulling Chanyeol up to his feet. "Let's do something tonight!"

"Let's watch a last full show," Chanyeol grabbed Baekhyun's coat from a chair and tossed it to him. "The scariest movie. Let's watch that."

"Right!" Baekhyun took Chanyeol's hand and they both dashed out of the room. "And let's make out inside the cinema. Like, really, make out. Super old couples don't do that."

"We can't do that!" Chanyeol cried out. "They'll kick us out!"

"We can!"

"No! We can't!"

But they still did. So. 

x x x

To be continued.