A Sunflower in the Winter - ChanBaek

Chapter 1

Unedited

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Baekhyun felt a tear slide down his cheek as he tried his best to control the sobs that wanted to escape his chapped lips. His eyes were stuck on the news playing on his run down TV, the news lady announcing that Park Chanyeol was now engaged to Oh Sehun, the model and son of a CEO that he'd been dating for three years.

Deep inside, Baekhyun understood that he had no right to feel bad about it. After all, it had been him who left Chanyeol without an explanation for the reason why. Yes, the smaller had done it for Chanyeol's own good, but that didn't mean that he hadn't been cruel to him. He broken his heart in the most callous of ways and he would never forgive himself for that.

Still, he felt his heart breaking at the news. Even if Baekhyun hadn't seen him in person in six years, his heart still beat fast whenever he heard the giant's name. Chanyeol had been his first and only love, his saving grace during his times of despair and the only one that Baekhyun had ever trusted enough to give himself completely to. Never had Baekhyun felt more loved and cherished than when he had been Chanyeol's partner.

Sadly, fate hadn't been by his side, and Baekhyun had been forced to leave his happiness for the sake of Chanyeol's well-being.

"...No official date has been set for the ceremony, but insiders have revealed that the couple want a fall wedding..."

"Fall is so close, though," mumbled Baekhyun in between his hiccups, his heart aching as old, unhealed wounds opened again.

Not that the date mattered much. After all, Baekhyun knew that he'd lost Chanyeol forever the moment he ran away, leaving behind nothing but a letter full of senseless excuses dictated to Baekhyun by Chanyeol's mother. It had hurt to write those lies, jumbled words of how he didn't love him anymore and how he needed to look for his place in this world taking over the piece of paper Mrs. Park had forcefully placed in front of him.

Shaking his head, Baekhyun bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes. He took deep breaths to try his best to calm down, but it wasn't helping much. His heart was hurting too much. He was exhausted too, both physically and emotionally, and that left him with no energy to fight the turmoil of dark thoughts and feelings that flooded him.

"Papa?" He heard a small voice ask, and Baekhyun fought with everything in him to calm down. He couldn't allow his son to see him so out of control.

Wiping his cheeks and hoping that his baby didn't notice, Baekhyun turned around and smiled as brightly as he could. "You should be asleep already, sweetheart."

"I'm scared," mumbled Mino, his bottom lip wobbling.

Baekhyun rushed over to his son and took him in his arms, embracing him tightly as he stood up and went to sit on the couch. He kissed his son's forehead repeatedly and rocked him back and forth as he sang to him the same lullaby Chanyeol used to sing for Baekhyun whenever the smaller had one of his horrible panic attacks. If Baekhyun couldn't give Mino his father's presence in his life, the he would give him a piece of Chanyeol, even if it was too small a gesture to ever compare to Chanyeol's presence in his life.

After a couple of minutes, Baekhyun felt his son relax as his breath evened out, which meant his prince had fallen asleep. Baekhyun kept Mino in his arms, though, as he stared at the TV, which was still focused on the news of his ex getting engaged. Chanyeol looked amazing, with his previously black hair now dyed silver with a stunning black-haired man standing next to him, both staring at each other with nothing but adoration in their eyes. The smaller bit his bottom lip to stop his sobs from spilling past his lips, not wanting to wake up his baby again, even though the tears were impossible to contain.