Boss Complex

59. Unconditional

The men don't elaborate where or what is going on. The men in black suits, looking like suits of cards in identical matching order, neatly pressed with all of their lines hard and flat, don't speak at all. They took Chanyeol with them, leaving Junmyeon in a state of bewilderment, but somehow Chanyeol already knew before seeing the familiar black sedan parked in the garage below, that these men were going to take him to his family house. These aren't the security detail guys he was accustomed to but there's something inherently familiar about their starched assembly.

Only a few hours earlier, he was dining with the Byun family, getting approval to marry Baekhyun, and laughing with his once again re-united extended family. Even Mama Byun gave him a disapproving but soft hug before he left. The way mothers do when they're disappointed but they can't help but love you. He'd seen it on TV hundreds of times, but he'd never experienced it like this. He almost felt welcome in that moment, until she begged him to reconsider marriage and he laughed it off.

Baekhyun had been working more and more these days, and there had started to form space between them where Chanyeol was the stay at home husband and Baekhyun was the business oriented head of house. But when they made love, Chanyeol took back the reins and was in complete control of their satisfaction. But as Baekhyun's work became increasingly stressful, he found that the man came home later and later, and tired. Too tired to do much of anything but shower and curl up in bed. After confirming that for the 4th night in a row, Baekhyun would be eating dinner in his office, Chanyeol had taken it upon himself to go visit the man at his place of business.

Armed with Japanese takeout, he surprised the man at work, which once more brought mixed emotions from his lover.

"Chanyeol, thank you for dinner, really, but I can't leave until--"

He smiles to himself in reflection, staring out the window of the car, his mind completely lost in a memory.

"I'm not doing this again. This thing where I'm forced to be apart from you for too long. I don't like wondering when I'll see you again." He'd said, closing the distance between them.

"I have a job, Park."

"You do, Baekhyun. And I should appreciate that instead of complaining. Kappa maki?" He asked steering a piece of sushi towards the man's mouth.

He took a seat then, turning his head away.

"I don't like cucumber." He said with a haughty pout. "Why are you here?"

He had lowered his chopsticks then, feeling lost and scared that maybe they still wouldn't find their happily ever after. Maybe all of this would be for nothing and their spark just couldn't last anymore.

"Honestly, I respect your job, Baekhyun. I do." He promised.

"Then why did you come?"

Chanyeol ran his his fingers through his hair and shrugged, feeling flustered and upset at once.

"Because I can! Because I know where you are and if I want to I can come here and see you. I spent so long wanting to reach out to you, to see you and you... Baekhyun, you were gone..."

Baekhyun reached for his hand but he pulled clear to shake his head.

"Chanyeol..."

"Now I can see you whenever I want. And If I want I can touch you and be touched by you and hold you, Byun Baekhyun. So don't pity me when you say my name. I don't want to deny myself anymore. You have no idea how much I missed you, and how happy I am to have you back."

But his boyfriend rolled his eyes, looking all around the room like he was being dragged through a lecture that he just didn't have time for.

"Fine, fine, what did you bring for dinner?" He asked folding his arms over his chest.