+ twenty one

Chanyeol pulled his pants back up and left the apartment close to midnight with a grin plastered on his face. He wanted to stay longer, but he knew that if he were to get caught sneaking out of the apartments in the morning, there would be rumors starting. Narda still wasn't ready for him to tell everyone that they were dating. Since he had been a good boy in meeting her parents and the damage had already been done--all of her hints had made him believe she was planning something more intimate that night--she decided to reward him. Though she had explained to him again that it was as far as she was willing to go with a boyfriend. He didn't mind at all, considering that he was head over heels in love with her and any touch was one he welcomed.

He snuck into the SM dorm building under the dim light of the street lamps outside, making his way up the long set of stairs that led up to the sixth floor where EXO dormed. He stumbled into his bedroom clumsily, drunk off his own happiness and quickly stripped down to his underwear to climb into bed before getting caught by Baekhyun or any of the other members. He knew that if they were to spot him awake so late, they would likely question him. He had moved back into the same room as Baekhyun now, after the incident with Guti in Busan, they had both promised they would make an effort to get along better. They were stil a bit hostile, and still didn't talk much anymore. But they wanted to show her that they were at least trying.

Baekhyun had been sound asleep, having gone to bed almost as soon as they arrived back at the dorms, but his room mate had woken him when he tripped over the rack with all his hats on it, knocking it down to the floor and making a mess that he wasn't willing to clean up. His eyes shot open and he glanced at the clock on the nightstand between both beds. 

It was fifteen past midnight already and Baekhyun's lips came together to form a tight line in annoyance. He saw the grin on Chanyeol's face, combining it with the time on the clock, he immediately put two and two together. And he didn't like what he was imagining. Almost not wanting to ask because he didn't want to confirm his suspicions, he finally asked cautiously, "Why are you coming in so late? Where were you?"

Chanyeol plopped down on his bed and placed his hands behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling. Sighing happily, he replied to his room mate with a vague answer. A vague answer that also left a lot to the imagination. "I went to see my girlfriend, and we had a good time. She had a surprise for me tonight." He was still trying hard to keep the two apart, since Narda was with hmi but he knew that Baekhyun still loved her. That was despite not knowing that his room mate had already tried to talk to Narda recently.

Baekhyun felt his stomach drop. "Did you...have sex?"

"Hm." Chanyeol hummed a response.

"Liar." He challenged.

"I don't have to prove anything to you." Chanyeol responded with a snap of his words, his good mood faltering slightly. He added before their conversation could continue, "Go back to sleep before you put me in a bad mood. I came here relaxed and happy. I don't need you killing this for me."

Baekhyun turned in his bed, his back now facing Chanyeol. As he pulled the covers around himself, he muttered bitterly. "Whatever. I know my Guti isn't like that."

-

Nari returned to the apartment about five minutes after Chanyeol left. She and Kyungsoo were in one of the company cars, parked outside her apartment building as they waited for him to leave. She wanted to give him and Narda some privacy. As she opened the front door, Narda was cleaning up the coffee table and taking all the dirty dishes. They had eaten pizza, ice cream and other snacks, and Narda wanted to clear everything and take it to the kitchen sink before going to sleep. She was in the middle of washing the dishes when Nari entered the apartment and hurried over to her with excitement on her face.

She nudged her friend from behind, giving her a jolt and trying to startle her playfully, "What are you doing here, Guti?" She asked with a smile.

Narda turned her head towards her and then gestured to the dirty plates in front of her, "I'm doing the dishes. I don't want to leave them over night or the food will stick to them and it will be harder to clean." Narda was barefoot in the kitchen, wearing only his sweater and her underwear. She had removed her leggings after he left the apartment. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail and she appeared a bit tired. Nari had been almost certain that something had happened between them and she wanted the details.

"I'm surprised you were even able to get out of bed. I honestly can't even walk after Soo and I--" 

"Nari!" Narda dropped the dish she was cleaning into the sink and turned towards her, eyes widened in shock. Not only that, but her cheeks had gone red. She came from a very conservative family and she didn't normally like to talk about intimate things. Nari, on the other hand, was very comfortable giving her best friend all the details of her relationship with Kyungsoo.

"What?" Nari gave a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "Its totally normal."

Narda turned around and leaned against the sink, heaving a sigh as she admitted shyly. "We didn't do anything. It was a misunderstanding. That surprise I told you about was...meeting my parents and you made him think I was going to have sex with him."

Her room mate instantly felt guilty. 

"You should have seen his face." Narda explained, biting down on her lip. She remembered how he looked when she explained that the surprise was that she wanted him to meet her parents. "He was so disappointed." 

Nari frowned, she genuinely felt bad about what happened. Especially because she noticed how "I'm sorry, Guti. I just thought you two were finally going to take things to the next level. I shouldn't have meddled and said those things to Chan oppa though."

"I'm not going to have sex until I'm married." Narda informed her, matter-of-factly, her Catholic upbringing poking through her words. Her parents had always taught her that it was something very valuable that she shouldn't give to just anyone. "Its a personal choice because I think its something really beautiful and special that should be given to one person only. Chan knows that, and he respects my choice."

"I thought you and Baek already..." Nari trailed off.

Narda gave a shake of her head. "No. I told him from the start that I wouldn't. I only gave him, you know..." She cut herself off, too embarrassed and shy to get the words out.

Nari hugged her friend tightly, cooing, "Aish, Guti. You're so cute being shy like that."

"Same with Chan." Narda said, still feeling embarrassed. "I didn't want him to go home like that, so I helped him with his problem."

-

The next day, Chanyeol had asked for the afternoon off to visit family. He hadn't been entirely lying. He was planning to see his parents and his sister Yoora, but he planned to take Narda with him so that they could meet. He left practices early that day, and hurried back to the dorms. He showered and changed clothes, then he asked Narda to meet him in an alley near her apartment building. He was waiting in his car for her there, hoping not to be seen by fans or the press. 

From there, they drove the short distance to the residential area of Seoul where his parents lived. Narda was surprised by the appearance of his house. She had read on fan sites that a lot of the EXO members came from families with money, but she had always assumed they were moderately rich, or maybe middle class.

Chanyeol's family lived in a large house in the upper class neighborhoods of Seoul. He had a remote for the front gates attached to his keys and the doors opened before them with a click of a button. He drove up the path to the front of the house. 

They walked up to the front door together and Narda began to fidget nervously with her outfit and her hair. She had worn a dress, with a pink trench coat over it. Nari had done her make up and hair, styling it into long curls and adorning her hair with a pink bow. Chanyeol had dressed up casual in jeans and a t-shirt with a black trench coat to shield him from the cold. He grabbed a hold of her hand as his finger moved to ring the doorbell.

"Don't be nervous." He smiled at her. 

"Its one thing to talk to my parents over skype like you did, and its a much scarier thing to come and meet your parents like I'm doing." She looked up at him. Even in heels, she was much shorter than him.

The door opened after about a minute and they were instantly greeted by Chanyeol's mother. Narda recognized her from social media. When she was still living in the United States, she often searched the web for information about EXO and their families. She had found pictures of Chanyeol's parents, Jongin's siblings, and the other members' families. The woman smiled brightly at her son, but she seemed to be surprised and taken aback when she saw Narda.

There was no denying that she was different. Narda wasn't Korean.

Chanyeol leaned in for a hug, pulling the small woman into his embrace. His mother was small,  a bit smaller than Narda. He was a giant by her side.

"Eomma." He said lovingly in his deep voice.

"Channie." His mother greeted, still surprised. She snuck a glance at Narda whilst hugging her son, as though trying to make sure that she was seeing correctly.

When they pulled away from their embrace, Chanyeol gestured to the young woman standing by his side. His mother's reaction had made Narda more nervous than she had been initially. "I want you to meet my girlfriend." He said proudly, introducing her in English so that Narda would understand what he was saying. He would never get tired of letting people know that she was his. 

Narda stuck her hand out for his mother to shake. She spoke in English, since her Korean was limited and she was certain his mother didn't speak Spanish. "My name is Narda Gutierrez-Lozano. But everyone calls me Guti, and you can call me that too if its easier."

"Guti is Mexican and American, and she's hear on a teaching program. She works at a primary school." Chanyeol informed her.

But his mother was still speechless. When she was finally able to react, she stepped to the side and invited them into the house. "Your father and sister are waiting for us in the living room. Come in so they can meet your girlfriend too."

She turned and walked into the house, as Narda stepped past the front door, she performed the sign of the cross on herself and hoped that everything would go well. She really wanted Chanyeol's parents to like her. 

-

another update today because im on a roll. i promise the update for talk about boys will be posted tonight. tomorrow i have to work but i get out at one. and today is payday so i might go to korea town and get some new albums. i also have some things ot solve, but im hoping that will turn out well.

now i have to go get ready because im going to have lunch with my sisters in a bit.

thank you for reading.

-clary