Winter Heat | chanbaek

Chapter Twenty-Seven

A/N: Thank you for the 5K reads on this story, lovelies! I hope you enjoy the chapter, and as always, votes and comments are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Love from,
BunnyBaekkiee ❤️

~ 🌸 ~

Around three, Chanyeol called a cab to take himself home, even despite Baekhyun's numerous offers to drive him home himself. After he had left, the house suddenly felt too big and quiet without Chanyeol's tall and strong frame to fill some of the space, and his teasing and joking and laughter to fill the silence.

Living alone had never bothered Baekhyun before, he had been grateful when he got his own place and had been able to move out of his parent's house, freeing himself of their judgement and strict ruling chains. He was always at peace with the silence of his cozy home, but now that he's had the taste of Chanyeol sleeping in his bed at night and making him lunch in his kitchen, the silence was suddenly suffocating and overbearing. He didn't like it.

Sighing, he pulled his phone out of his back pocket and sent a quick text to Sehun. An when he got a reply from him agreeing to meet, Baekhyun quickly texted back to set up their meeting spot, and then he was getting ready and leaving the quiet of his house for the bustling noise of the city.

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"Thank you for agreeing to meet me," Baekhyun said.

"You're welcome," Sehun muttered as he fiddled with his coffee.

Baekhyun sighed. "Okay, I'm not going to beat around the bush so . . ." He took another deep breath before saying, "Chanyeol and I are seeing each now, and I've already talked to him about our baby situation. Chanyeol has agreed to be there for me, and I know you told me you'd happily help with the baby but that was—-"

"That was before you screwed my best friend," Sehun muttered bitterly.

Baekhyun pursed his lips, and he felt a jab to his heart, but pushed it away because he knew Sehun was still upset; he continued on as if Sehun hasn't said anything. "If the baby ends up being Chanyeol's child, he . . ." Baekhyun trailed off, and cleared his throat before saying, "But if the baby is yours, I'd like to know if you'll still want to be a part of our lives? I know it's asking a lot, but for the sake of the child, I can't have you being there one day then disappearing the next. It would be confusing and stressful, and I won't put my child through that. So Sehun, if the child is yours, are you still willing to be the father?"

"I said I would, Baekhyun, and I won't turn my back. I promise you," Sehun said sincerely.

Baekhyun bit back on another flow of tears as he weakly smiled and softly muttered, "Thank you, Sehun, hearing you say that means so much."

Sehun smiled thinly. "You're welcome, Baek."

After his talk with Sehun, Baekhyun had to make one more stop before he was on his way home. When he got there, Kyungsoo's car was in his driveway and the front door was unlocked. Baekhyun balanced the bags in his hand and clutched tightly to the object in his other hand as he struggled to open the door. He nearly had it opened when it pulled inward from beneath his hand and Kyungsoo's face appeared in the doorway.

"Why do you have so much stuff?" Kyungsoo asked as he glanced at the bag filling one of Baekhyun's hands to the other. His jaw dropped and he gasped, "Oh my god, you did not!"

Baekhyun smiled sheepishly as he said, "I did."

Kyungsoo laughed as he dropped to the floor, reaching his hand out to Baekhyun's new little black puppy as he wiggled his fingers and softly cooed. "Awe, Baek, he's adorable! What's his name?"

"I don't have a name for him yet," he muttered.

Kyungsoo giggled as the puppy crawled in his lap and licked his hand. He held it close as he asked, "What even made you decide to get a puppy?"

Baekhyun sighed. "It's stupid . . ."

"Oh come on, just tell me," Kyungsoo said with an eye roll.

Baekhyun sighed. "Fine, after Chanyeol left to go home the house felt too big and quiet so . . . Puppy," Baekhyun said as he gestured to the little ball of fur.

Kyungsoo smiled at the puppy and rubbed the fur above his nose as he distractely muttered, "Getting a puppy is a strange reaction to feeling like your house is too big and quiet."

Baekhyun shrugged as he set the bags down and took off his coat. "I was feeling lonely and I missed Chanyeol, and besides, I think having a dog will be nice."

"Until the baby comes . . ." Kyungsoo muttered, then he grinned and chirped, "So if it becomes too much, I'll gladly take this little guy off your hands!"

Baekhyun huffed as he cried, "No you will not, give me my puppy!" Kyungsoo pouted as Baekhyun pulled the little dog out of his arms, he teasingly kicked Kyungsoo's leg before muttering, "Get your own puppy, Soo, this one's mine."

Kyungsoo huffed before getting to his feet as he said, "I can't, Jongin would steal it and hide it in his room."

Baekhyun laughed. "Doesn't he already have a dog?"

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes before grumbling,  "Yes, three of them in fact. Nepture, Zeus, and Hermes, and Jongin treats them all like God's while he tosses me the leftovers."

Baekhyun bursted into laughter as he said, "Don't worry, Soo, I won't feed you scraps."

"At least you're nice to me," Kyungsoo muttered.

Baekhyun laughed again as he set the puppy down before opening up his new food and water bowls in the kitchen, before filling each of them. He went to his fridge next and pulled out the ingredients for a salad; since he ate a big lunch earlier with Chanyeol. He tossed everything into a big bowl while Kyungsoo made himself at home at Baekhyun's kitchen table, and decided to play with the salt shaker.

He was twirling it in circles when he asked, "So besides the amazing sex, how are things with Chanyeol?"

Baekhyun blushed as he said, "Really good, I talked to him about the baby, and he told me he'll be by my side through the whole thing."

"But what if the baby's not his, then what?" Kyungsoo asked.

Baekhyun pursed his lips before saying, "He promised not to leave me, Soo, and I know you probably don't believe that but I do. Chanyeol's a good person and he cares about me. He's nothing like those other guys I went out with...."

Kyungsoo sighed. "I hope you're right, Baek, because we both know it'll be me picking up the pieces again."

Baekhyun nodded and muttered, "I know, and I'm still grateful."

Kyungsoo weakly smiled as he stood up to help Baekhyun with the food, and once it was finished, they went into the living room to watch TV with the puppy trailing behind them.

Word count: 1,143