And Then There Was You

Chances

"We need to talk about us."

Baekhyun stared at him with a contorted, confused expression. His lips parted, yet the hesitation stopped him from immediately responding. Realizing how close they actually were in proximity to one another, Baekhyun took one step back and dropped his arms to his sides. "Us...?" he said, his voice lower than it was before. "If you want to talk about parenting styles, then that's fine. But not right now--"

Chanyeol shook his head. "That's not what I meant."

His gaze dropped to the ground for a few seconds before he looked back up. He hadn't taken the time to fully realize the sun was beginning to peak from the horizon until he saw the warm early morning tones wash over the brunet whose eyes seemed to glisten in the light.

When he finally snapped out of his daze and responded moments after, the playful air that had surrounded Chanyeol before was gone. "I want you and Kyungsoo to live with me in Seoul."

"What?" Baekhyun was in disbelief.

"There are better schools for him in the city--private ones," Chanyeol continued, disregarding the look Baekhyun gave him. "There are after-school programs and activities for kids his age to do. Museums, parks, libraries... Even pediatric care and hospitals if he ever needs them. It's all there."

"Chanyeol--"

"And... if you're there with me, Kyungsoo doesn't have to spend any time traveling between us."

Pressing his lips together, Baekhyun tried his best to level his breathing. With his heart racing, it was an effort with little effect. "So you want to put the two of us in a nearby condo to make visiting easier."

"No." There was a short pause of silence. "I want you to move in with me."

The sound of the front door being pushed open surprised both of them as they turned their heads to see Chanyeol's father slowly walking down the steps. Pressing his lips together, Baekhyun took two large steps back, away from the giant, before smiling at the older man and greeting him.

Chanyeol stayed in place for a few seconds, replaying the expression of shock and loss written on Baekhyun's face the moment he mentioned Seoul... Then, followed in the brunet's suit and greeted his father as though their exchange hadn't happened.

-

-

Pulling back his hat, Baekhyun wiped the sweat off his forehead with an arm as he stretched his back. It was beginning to ache from having spent hours bent over, placing the small rice seedlings in the ground. Looking over his shoulder, he peered at Chanyeol who hadn't complained much since starting the day.

The Park's plot of land wasn't very large. It had expanded over the years since their childhood, but only by a little bit. At the rate Chanyeol was moving with the ox, tilting the land over, he'd be finished by the time the sun was scheduled to begin setting. That only meant that Baekhyun had to pick up his pace if he wanted to finish at least two of the rectangular plots, leaving the three others for tomorrow. Maybe he could even finish a third if he was faster than usual.

Despite trying his best to remain focused and use the physical labor as a way of distracting himself, Chanyeol's words kept coming back to him.

Move in with me...

Looking away from Chanyeol, Baekhyun stared at the muddy waters at his feet. He had to keep working, but at the same time, he didn't want to move, feeling trapped by complicated emotions stemming from himself that even he didn't know how to interpret. After a few seconds, he managed to force his body to move down the row, finish the last bunch of seedlings in his hands.