Chapter 6 (1/1)

The last days of the year seemed to fly by. Their rings came about a week after they'd ordered them, and both were worn religiously. Minseok had gotten plenty of curious stares at work the first time he wore it there. It didn't seem like Joohyun would stop teasing him about it any time soon either. He was happy though, and Baekhyun seemed like he was over the moon as well. Minseok often found him just staring at his ring, smiling dumbly to himself. Everything seemed like it was coming together perfectly.        They hadn't talked about moving in together yet, but it was on the list of things to do along with figuring out a name for the baby. Minseok was still completely blank on that front. He figured everything would come with time, but as Baekhyun neared his 7th month of pregnancy, he knew they really needed to start at least tossing ideas out.        New Year's Eve flew by and Baekhyun did a count down into the new year on his radio show. He was up really late as a result and didn't get to Minseok's place until close to 2 am, but they still spent some time together, setting off a few party poppers and talking about New Year's resolutions with each other. After that, Minseok had been far too tired to stay up any longer and Baekhyun was faring miserably as well, so they both passed out. It was the beginning of a new year, but it was also the beginning of Baekhyun's worst trouble yet.        It was a couple weeks after the start of the year and Baekhyun had just finished his time on-air for the night. He would probably only be working for another month at most before finally taking some time off. It was getting exhausting to work while pregnant, but Baekhyun was always bad about having too much zeal and work ethic. Truthfully, he was afraid to stop working and go on maternity leave. He knew he wouldn't be able to hide a child from the media forever, and he didn't know how bad the reaction would be when everyone found out that he had a child and a boyfriend he was committed to.        Baekhyun had gone to the bathroom while Kyungsoo finished ironing out some details with the staff. Having a baby slowly compressing his bladder and other organs made it so he had to go to the bathroom usually every hour or so. When he was done there, he went to a back room where he normally rested before and after the show as well as kept his coat and other items in. Kyungsoo would usually meet him there and they'd head out the back together. Baekhyun was showing quite a bit now and he didn't like to walk through the front door of the studio. There were too many people that could see him there.        One thing Baekhyun didn't expect upon opening the door to his room was for Song Haneul to be waiting for him there, leaning against the wall with the usual sneer on his face. Baekhyun gasped and instantly tried to leave the room, but Haneul had already pushed himself off the wall, pulled Baekhyun into the room, and slammed the door shut. He pushed Baekhyun against the adjacent wall, not hurting him this time, but pressing so close to him that Baekhyun couldn't get away.       “What the fuck are you doing here!?” Baekhyun shouted. Haneul instantly covered his mouth, pressing him harder against the wall.       “You don't seem to take me seriously,” the other man said darkly. “You think I'm just going to let you go? We aren't finished, Byun Baekhyun.”       “Yes, we are,” Baekhyun grumbled, managing to push his hand off his mouth. “You promised not to harass me further. So why the fuck are you here?”       “An eye for an eye, right? You pretended like you threw me away for an actor when the reality is you cheated on me. You damaged my name just to save your own. You hurt me, Baekhyun.”        He emphasized 'hurt' by shoving Baekhyun's head back against the wall, causing him to yelp. Haneul covered Baekhyun's mouth once more to keep him from making too much noise. He then leaned forward so he could glare into Baekhyun's eyes while he spoke.       “I loved you, and all you ever did was blow me off. Then you turned our love into nothing but a fling and the press ate it up. That was pretty heartless of you, Baekhyun. Then you go and get yourself knocked up with some other man. You think I wouldn't mind that?”        Baekhyun tried to respond, but Haneul still had his mouth covered. In an attempt to get away, he pressed his hand against Haneul's arm, trying to push him away. That was when the other singer noticed the gold ring on his finger. He let out a mocking laugh and glowered at Baekhyun.       “You're even wearing a ring. Trying to be a converted slut now?” Baekhyun shoved his hand away finally and there was fire burning in his eyes.       “Leave me alone! It's none of your business!”       “Oh, but you see, it is. I have a very big announcement to make at my next press conference in regards to the two of us. You definitely won't want to miss it.”       “What the fuck are you planning? Just fucking say it,” Baekhyun hissed. He was tired of beating around the bush.       “So foul-mouthed. That's no way to talk around a baby. You know they can hear you even before they've been born. I wouldn't want our child to hear such profane words.”       “He's not your baby, you sick freak!”        Haneul covered his mouth once more, jamming the side of his palm into Baekhyun's mouth to act as a gag. Baekhyun whimpered and tried to jerk his head away, but Haneul's grip was much too tight. The man got closer, and Baekhyun could feel his hot breath on his face. It was cringe inducing.       “The press won't know that, will they? They'll eat it up with a spoon. Poor, thrown away idol finds out his ex-boyfriend was keeping his baby from him. You'll be seen as a demon, as the heartless piece of shit that you are.”        Baekhyun tried to say something about the contract, but it came out as muffled noises because of Haneul's hand. The man still seemed to know exactly what Baekhyun was trying to say though.       “The contract? You think I won't be able to pay off a silly lawsuit like that? The damage you'll face for keeping the baby from me will be much worse, don't you think? People will be more appalled by that than your fucked up genitalia. I think it's merciful of me to redirect the attention. Besides, if you play along with it and come back to me, you'll probably be warmly received in the eyes of the media once more.”        He pressed himself closer, lowering his lips to kiss along Baekhyun's neck. His other hand traveled down Baekhyun's stomach, planting itself firmly on his hip bone. Baekhyun tried to squirm away, but Haneul was pressed too close to him. So, Baekhyun did the next most logical thing and bit down as hard as he possibly could on Haneul's hand. He heard the other singer shout in pain and a hand yanked Baekhyun's head back by his bangs. He hardly registered what happened next, but Haneul had ripped his hand from his mouth, only to punch him with it seconds later.        Baekhyun could taste blood on his lip and his cheek and jaw felt like they were on fire, but Haneul had backed away from him some. Baekhyun immediately shoved the man further away and ran out the door, slamming it behind him. He didn't stop or look for anyone else. Instead, he ran to the bathroom once more, locking himself in a stall.        Haneul cursed to himself and left the room, glancing around and trying to find where Baekhyun had gone. A staff member suddenly started walking down the hallway, and he quickly ducked back into the room. He was going to have to leave soon if he didn't want to be spotted. He wasn't interested in dealing with Baekhyun's manager at the moment. The boy had escaped him for now, but Haneul had made his threat. Baekhyun would have to make a choice now. As soon as the staff member had walked by, Haneul snuck out of the room and left the building through one of the back exits.        It took Baekhyun a moment to recover from the initial shock of everything. His lip and cheek were stinging more with each second, and he hardly noticed he was crying until tears were dropping down onto his shirt. He sniffled and wiped at his face, wincing as he put pressure on what was probably a forming bruise near his mouth. He needed to let someone know what had happened. He needed someone to tell him that it would be ok and help him dig his way out of the mess he'd gotten into. He needed Minseok.        He slid his hand into his pocket, never more grateful in his life that he'd managed to shove his massive cellphone in there. He dialed Minseok's number and held it to his ear, trying to stifle his sobs. When he finally heard the voice on the other line, all his resolve seemed to fail.       “Hey, love. What's up? Did you finish at the studio? Do you want to come over?”       “Minseok...” Baekhyun whimpered. The tears spilled forth again and he wiped his face in vain, no longer fighting back his cries.       “Baekhyun, what's wrong!?” Minseok asked, suddenly frantic. “Are you alright? Talk to me!”       “I need you...Please. I'm so scared...”       “Where are you? Are you at the studio?”       “Yes...”       “I'm coming over. Are you safe?”       “I think so...”       “Then stay where you are. I'll be there soon. Is Kyungsoo with you?”       “N-No...”       “Should I call him and have him go to you?”      “NO! Don't hang up, please...”       “I won't then,” Minseok soothed. He'd never heard Baekhyun this upset, and it really scared him. Something must have gone horribly wrong. “Listen, I'm walking to my car now. I'm going to drive to the studio, then I'll come find you. Stay on the line with me until then.”       “Ok...Thank you, Minseok. I'm sorry...”       “It's fine. Will you tell me what happened?”       “Haneul came to the studio,” Baekhyun whispered. Minseok's eyes went wide.       “What did he do?”       “Just please come...” Baekhyun begged. “I'll tell you when you get here.”       “Alright...Is he still there?”       “I don't know. I ran away from him.”        Minseok let out a deep sigh. Baekhyun was keeping something from him, and that didn't bode well at all. Haneul had done something to him, perhaps intimidate him with his presence or make actual threats. He could feel his insides churning from both fear and anger. Haneul had taken this too far long ago, and Minseok was done with it. He was done watching Baekhyun deal with it on his own.        Minseok sped down to the studio, thankful not to run into any cops along the way. He'd put his phone on speaker during the car ride, but Baekhyun was mostly silent. Minseok would glance down every once in a while to make sure the call didn't get disconnected. When he pulled in to a parking spot, he rushed out of the car and into the studio. A security guard stopped him at the entrance and Baekhyun told him to hand over his phone so he could tell the guard to let him through. When that obstacle was taken care of, Minseok was running through the hallways, following Baekhyun's directions in an attempt to find him.        Finally, he found the bathroom in which Baekhyun was supposedly hiding, and he pushed the door open, slipping inside. He glanced around, looking for a sign that anyone was in there with him.       “Baekhyun?” He called. He heard a soft sniffle and let out a sigh. “Baekhyun are you in the stall?” He asked, walking over to the locked stall and knocking on it. He heard the line disconnect on the phone.       “I'm here...” Baekhyun said gently. Minseok slid his phone back into his pocket and leaned against the stall door.       “Will you come out? No one else is in here. You're safe, I promise.”       “You have to promise you'll stay calm...”       “I will. You're scaring me, Baekhyun. Please, come out...”        He heard Baekhyun let out a shaky sigh followed by the sound of the latch unlocking. Minseok backed away to give Baekhyun the space he needed to get out. The other didn't meet his eyes at first, but finally, Baekhyun looked up at him, cheeks tear-stained and lip swollen and bloody on one side. Minseok felt like his chest was on fire. He wanted to kill Song Haneul.       “He hit you,” he stated darkly, cupping Baekhyun's cheeks to inspect the injured side further. Baekhyun's eyes watered.       “He wouldn't let me go...He started kissing my neck and it felt so gross, so I bit him and he punched me,” he explained, breaking down into sobs as he went on. Minseok shushed him and pulled him into a hug.       “It's ok, calm down,” he whispered, rubbing Baekhyun's back. He felt two arms snake around his waist and squeeze him tightly. “I'm here now. You're safe. I won't let him hurt you.”       “Minseok, he knows. He knows about me...He knows about the baby,” Baekhyun cried. Minseok stiffened at this. “He said he's going to tell the media that he's the father. Minseok, I don't want this! You're the father, not him! He can't just shove himself into my life! Not again...I don't want him to expose everything. I don't want this...”       “Have you told Kyungsoo?”       “No...I've been in here since Haneul hit me...He's probably wondering where I am...”       “We need to tell him. He'll be able to help or get someone that can help us. What about the contract?”      “Haneul doesn't care. He wants to drag me down, whatever it takes. I can't tell if it's because he wants me and he's jealous or because he really hates me...”       “It doesn't matter. He's not going to get away with it.”        Baekhyun started crying harder into Minseok's shoulder and the latter rocked him from side to side. This level of stress and anxiety couldn't be good for him or the baby. Minseok really wanted to take a closer look at his lip and clean it up as well. They needed to tell Kyungsoo what had happened. He would probably be able to offer some advice that would calm Baekhyun down a bit. If he didn't get angry about Baekhyun's injury, that is. Minseok knew that despite how intense Kyungsoo seemed at times, he was extremely protective of Baekhyun. He would be angry, though not at the boy himself. Still, Kyungsoo was good at acting fast in these situations, so Minseok wanted to get him involved as soon as possible.       “Let's go find Kyungsoo. He needs to know about this, Baekhyun.”       “I'm scared...”       “It'll be fine. Kyungsoo will take care of you, you know that. And I'll be right here too, ok? Come with me.”        He kept one arm around Baekhyun and pushed the bathroom door open, pulling the other with him. Baekhyun was still clinging to his waist, keeping his face pressed against his chest as he walked, so Minseok was doing most of the directing. He was getting used to Baekhyun clinging to him like this.        They were walking down the hall near Baekhyun's waiting room when they spotted Kyungsoo. He was looking around frantically with phone in hand. Minseok figured he was probably trying to call Baekhyun, but the other still had his phone on silent mode from the broadcast. When Kyungsoo spotted both of them, his eyes went wide and he ran over. Baekhyun flinched when he saw and quickly hid his face completely in Minseok's chest so Kyungsoo couldn't see. Minseok sighed and rubbed his back gently.       “Where the hell have you been, Baekhyun!? Do you know how worried I was? Why is Minseok here?” Kyungsoo asked frantically, nodding at Minseok in greeting.        Minseok felt Baekhyun cling tighter to his shirt and he sighed. Baekhyun was way too emotional right now to even answer Kyungsoo coherently. He barely answered Minseok's questions and he broke down crying doing so. Minseok would have to explain this time.       “Haneul came to the studio. I don't know if he's still here, but he attacked Baekhyun and he ran away and hid. That's when he called me and I rushed over.”        Kyungsoo's eyes grew wider as the explanation went on, then his brows furrowed and Minseok noticed him clench his fist at his side. Kyungsoo let out a shaky breath in an attempt to calm himself, and he placed his hand on Baekhyun's shoulder, causing the latter to jump.       “Baekhyun...Did he hurt you?” Kyungsoo asked as gently as he could, but Minseok could tell his voice was shaking as he tried to keep his anger under control. Baekhyun clung to Minseok tighter before nodding. “What did he do? Show me...”        Baekhyun shook his head vehemently this time, turning away from Kyungsoo. His manager lifted his hand from his shoulder to run it through his hair, which had become a mess between the struggle and rubbing himself against Minseok. Kyungsoo's expression was quickly changing from anger to sadness.       “Baekhyun, please. We need to take care of you. Let me see.”        Minseok patted Baekhyun's back a couple of times, trying to signal that it was ok and he could show Kyungsoo. It seemed to work because Baekhyun finally loosened his grip a bit and lifted his face from his chest, revealing drying blood on the corner of his mouth and a growing bruise surrounding it. Kyungsoo slowly cupped his cheeks, running his finger along the swelling flesh and earning a whimper in response. Minseok almost thought he saw tears in Kyungsoo's eyes for a second.       “Let's go to your room. We need to clean this,” Kyungsoo said in almost a whisper.       “There are other things we need to talk about as well,” Minseok added grimly. “I want to take care of Baekhyun first though.”      “Of course. Come on, let's go” Kyungsoo urged, his attention back on Baekhyun. “I'm sure you're tired of standing. You always complain about your back hurting, right?”        Kyungsoo placed his hand on Baekhyun's back, guiding him to his room. Baekhyun was hesitant to go in at first, since that was where the incident had happened and there was a chance Haneul might still be in there, but with Minseok and Kyungsoo on either side of him, he was able to convince himself that he would be safe. To his relief, the room was completely empty. Minseok immediately guided Baekhyun to a chair and made him sit down on it. After that, he knelt in front of Baekhyun, gently taking his chin and looking at his injury once more. Kyungsoo grabbed a paper towel and poured some water from a water bottle onto it, then handed it to Minseok so he could start cleaning up the blood.        Baekhyun winced as Minseok gently dabbed at the wound, but he ultimately held still. Kyungsoo watched from the side as Minseok worked, arms crossed and frown ever present on his face. When Minseok had finished, Kyungsoo walked over and held his phone up to Baekhyun's face, taking a few pictures.       “This is for evidence,” he said gently. “There's no way in hell I'm letting him get away with this.”       “There's something else you need to know about,” Minseok sighed, placing his hands on Baekhyun's thighs to comfort him.”       “He knows about the baby,” Baekhyun whispered, surprising even Minseok. The latter had fully planned to explain the situation to Kyungsoo in his stead.       “He what?” The frazzled manager asked.       “He found out about the baby one of the times he harassed me...”      “Why did you keep this from me!?” Kyungsoo asked, raising his voice and causing Baekhyun to flinch. Minseok gave him a pleading look to stay calm, squeezing Baekhyun's thighs to try and keep him calm as well.       “I was scared you'd get angry...”       “I can't protect you if you don't tell me these things, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo sighed, leaning against the small counter in the room. “What else did he do to you?”       “He threatened to tell the media about the baby at his press conference next week...He plans to say that he's the father. He wants to make himself look like a victim and ruin my image...He's not scared of the contract he signed either.”       “The bastard better get scared,” Kyungsoo growled. “There's no way in hell he's telling that to the press. He's got a restraining order coming his way. I'm going to try and peg him for violence and blackmail too. He's walked over you for far too long.”       “Will you be able to do all that before the press release?” Minseok asked warily. Kyungsoo grimaced.       “I might be able to get it started, but at this rate, unless I go straight to his agency and try and pull some strings to get him to keep his mouth shut, there's not much I can do.”       “So everyone will know about the baby,” Baekhyun whispered lifelessly.       “We're going to try and prevent it. I'll take care of you, I promise,” Kyungsoo soothed.       “Speaking of taking care of you, I want to take you home,” Minseok said softly, running his thumb along Baekhyun's cheek. “You need to rest.”       “I agree,” Kyungsoo stated. “I'll take over things from here. I'm gonna leave you to take care of him in the meantime.”       “Of course. Thank you.”        Kyungsoo nodded and gave Baekhyun's shoulder a firm squeeze. The latter leaned against him in response, feeling drained but wanting to thank him one way or the other. After that, Kyungsoo left the room, mumbling darkly under his breath.        Minseok turned his attention back to Baekhyun, sitting up on his knees so his face was almost level with the other's. Baekhyun instantly leaned forward, planting his head on Minseok's shoulder and wrapping his arms around his neck. Minseok sighed and rubbed his back, turning his head to kiss his temple.       “Let's go home, ok?”        Baekhyun nodded into his shoulder and pulled away so Minseok could stand up. After that, he helped Baekhyun get to his feet. Being 7 months pregnant, Baekhyun was starting to struggle with getting up as well as other simple tasks. Thankfully, Minseok or Kyungsoo usually were around to help him.        They walked with arms around each other's waists to the back of the studio. Minseok left Baekhyun long enough to pull his car around to the back door. They weren't going to risk someone seeing Baekhyun, not in this state. Minseok helped Baekhyun into the car and kissed his lips before shutting the passenger door and heading over to the driver's side. When he got inside, he started the car and gave Baekhyun's thigh a couple of pats.       “I'm going to your house, ok? Your bed is better than mine and I know you sleep better when we're both there than at my house.”       “Ok...” Baekhyun mumbled. He closed his eyes and sighed, leaning his head on the window. “Mini-Min decided it's time to hit me too.” Minseok smiled gently, rubbing Baekhyun's stomach.       “Be nice,” he chided, as if the baby would actually listen to him.        Baekhyun received small kicks and jabs for the rest of the ride home, but Minseok held his hand the entire time, so it provided some comfort. He was getting so tired of being pregnant. The baby was heavy, his back hurt, his nausea was starting to act up again, though he wasn't sure if it was from stress or the pregnancy any more, and he was exhausted all the time. He just wanted to go back to the way he used to be. Why did he still have to carry the baby for another 2 months?        By the time they got to Baekhyun's home, he was starting to doze off. Minseok let go of his hand to park the car and quickly walked around to the other side, opening the door for him. Baekhyun groaned and rubbed his eyes, and Minseok smiled, bending over and wrapping his arm around Baekhyun's lower back so he could help him out of the car. Minseok kept his arm around his waist as they walked into his house. They stopped briefly in the kitchen.       “Should I get some ice for your cheek? It looks like it's bruising...”       “I'm fine,” Baekhyun whispered. “I just want to rest.”       “Alright.”        Minseok kissed his forehead and they walked down the hallway to Baekhyun's bedroom. The boy instantly crawled onto his bed, arranging his pillows comfortably around his body and groaning. Minseok smiled and rubbed the boy's back.       “I'm gonna borrow some of your clothes, alright? I don't want to sleep in jeans and it's too cold to wear nothing.”        He winked and Baekhyun blushed slightly. He rolled over onto his other side and watched as Minseok dug through his drawer for some looser clothes. Finally, he pulled out one of Baekhyun's over-sized shirts and a simple pair of sweats. Baekhyun watched as Minseok pulled his shirt off, lean back muscles flexing. He wanted so badly to touch Minseok again. He wanted to have sex again. He wanted to stop feeling so damn tired all the time. Sitting up felt like too much of a challenge now.       “I miss having sex with you,” Baekhyun mumbled as Minseok walked over and sat beside him.       “We can still have sex. I'm not against it, Baekhyun.”       “No we can't. I'm pretty sure I'd pass out on you...or throw up. I'm so tired...I want this to be over.”       “I'm sorry...Do you regret this?” Minseok asked softly, running his fingers through Baekhyun's hair.       “No, I'm just tired. I want to go back to being able to move my body as I please...I want to be able to fit through doorways. I feel like a whale, and it's only gonna get worse.”       “Hey,” the other boy chided softly. “You aren't a whale. You're still plenty hot with a baby belly, trust me. These 2 months will go by before you know it. Then you'll be right back to sexy idol, Byun Baekhyun.”       “If I still have a career.”       “You will,” Minseok sighed, laying down beside Baekhyun and patting his own chest.        That was Baekhyun's invitation to snuggle closer, and he gladly did so, flopping his head on Minseok's chest. The baby was still lightly kicking Baekhyun, and Minseok could feel some of the jabs as they laid together. He got an idea and smiled to himself.       “Hey, why don't we get our minds off all the bad things for a bit and think of a name for the baby?”       “Huh?” Baekhyun grumbled.       “We're gonna need to name him eventually, why don't we do it now? Have you had any ideas?”       “Um...Something with Min in it. We already call him Mini-Min and I got attached to the nickname.”       “I knew you would,” Minseok sighed. “Isn't that going to be confusing between the two of us? You're gonna shout Min and the both of us will come running.”      “I wouldn't mind that,” Baekhyun laughed softly.       “Hmm...Minhwan? Minhyuk? Minjae?” Minseok listed off slowly. Baekhyun patted on the other's stomach.       “Minhyuk is nice! Do you like that one?”       “Yeah. Though it does sound a little similar to Minseok...”       “I'll be sure to pronounce your names well so you know for sure I'm calling for you or him~”       “You'll probably just call him Mini-Min until he's an adolescent and has enough wherewithal to get embarrassed.”       “Yeah, probably,” Baekhyun agreed, laughing heartily and hugging Minseok closer. The latter smiled widely.       “This is the good, old Baekhyun,” he sighed. “You'll find a way through all of this. I know you. You're too stubborn to let this get you down and stop you.”       “You've got an awful lot of faith in me.”       “Of course. I believe in you more than anyone else. I take pride in that,” Minseok practically singsonged. Baekhyun held him tighter and sighed.       “I wish I could have you with me all the time. I'm really not that strong, but I feel better when you're here.”       “Have you thought about living together? The baby's coming in like 2 months. I don't really want to raise him in 2 separate places, especially if we're still dating, you know?”       “Do you want to move in with me?”       “Duh,” Minseok deadpanned and Baekhyun snorted.       “No hesitance. As it should be.”       “Your place is much nicer than mine and big enough for a family of 3, so I think it would be ideal, though the occasional paparazzi is a bit of a pain, but I don't think we can avoid that.”       “I'm sorry...”       “It's fine. I'm not going to let it keep me from living with you. It's more a matter of are you allowed to live with someone as an idol?”       “I think it would be ok, given we're raising a child together. The CEO of my agency is actually really progressive and chill with these kinds of things.”       “I didn't think that was possible in this day and age,” Minseok said, half-sarcastic and half-genuine.       “He let me come out as gay back when I first got caught with another man, and he protected me from some pretty bad slander at the time. He also knows about my body and this pregnancy. He leaves the daily stuff to Kyungsoo, but we had to tell him everything when I first got pregnant. He was the one that gave the ok to the schedule Kyungsoo thought up and got a trustworthy crew working on my radio show.”       “Wow...So he knows you're still with me?”       “Mhm. And my guess is Kyungsoo's going to go to him in regards to Haneul and the lawsuit,” Baekhyun said with a heavy sigh. Minseok pressed him closer and kissed his head.       “It's gonna be ok. You've got people on your side.”       “I wonder if it's better to just tell the world about the baby,” Baekhyun mumbled, startling Minseok with the thought alone. “I mean, when he's born, it's not like I'm going to be able to hide him forever. I'm not going to hide and never go out in public with my son, I'm sorry. I can't do that to him or to me.” Minseok nodded.       “It would be nice to at least be able to be a family outside of closed doors.”       “Would you be ok if we dated publicly?” Baekhyun asked, looking up at him worriedly.       “As long as I kept some semblance of privacy in my daily life, yeah. It's really hard not being able to be seen with you and sneaking about everywhere. And it's gonna get harder to do if we live together. Maybe it's time to come clean like you said...But are you ok with it?”       “I just want to protect you and the baby,” Baekhyun mumbled. “And I want to be with you.”       “But Baekhyun, if you admit to having a baby, a huge amount of your privacy is going to be gone. People will know about your body. You'll lose some fans too. It's going to be really hard. Are you sure that's what you want?”       “I don't want to lie and say I adopted him or something like that. He's my baby and he's your baby. I don't want to deny him his parents or his heritage just because of closed-minded assholes. If you'd asked me 7 months ago, I definitely wouldn't have told a soul, but now...I think I'm ready. Things will get better in time too. People will get over it as soon as another scandal comes out.”       “You're really ok with putting your career at risk?”       “It's at risk now,” Baekhyun sighed. “And it will be as long as I'm hiding a kid and a boyfriend. I'm just going to be controversial and scandalous til I die, I guess.” Minseok laughed softly.       “Well, at least the boyfriend and the baby will stick around for a good long time.”       “I think that's all I really need at this point.”        Minseok nodded, bringing his hand up to play with the hair on Baekhyun's neck. The singer had really come a long way since they first started dating. Minseok was still really worried about him, since everything was causing him so much stress. Despite how strong Baekhyun had become emotionally, Minseok could tell that he really was exhausted physically. Perhaps a break from his job would be a really good thing after all.       “Hey, Baekhyun...How long are you planning to work anyways? I mean, it's getting hard for you right? I don't want something to happen to you or the baby.”       “Just for one more month at the most,” the boy sighed. “I don't think I'll be able to push myself any further than that.”       “Don't be afraid to stop sooner if you need to either. I really don't like the idea of you overdoing it.”       “I won't, I promise. What about you? When are you thinking of moving in?”       “Whenever. My rent is monthly, so I'll give the landlady notice that I'm moving out and won't pay rent for next month. I'll spend the rest of this month boxing stuff up and moving it over here. It might cause a bit of a commotion.”       “That's fine. I wish I could help you, but...”       “There's no way I'm letting a 7 months pregnant person lift anything heavy or bend over a ton. It's fine. You can help me pack and unpack some of the easier stuff if you want.”       “Deal. Hey, when you move in, we should set up your computer next to mine! Then we can game together!”       “I can just imagine you in a month, ready to pop, yelling at the computer at the top of your lungs as you get your ass handed to you.”       “What the hell happened to having faith in me!?”       “I do, just not in your ability to play video games.”       “Asshole,” Baekhyun pouted.        Minseok chuckled once more and nestled down into the bed, turning on his side so he could face Baekhyun. After that, they rambled for what felt like hours about where they would put what, their plans for the baby's room and where they would put the crib when he was still a newborn, and what furniture Minseok wouldn't need to bring over since Baekhyun already had it. It was a soothing conversation, and it succeeded at keeping Baekhyun's mind off Haneul and the attack from earlier. The only thing that brought the memory up was the pain that ran through Baekhyun's cheek each time he smiled, but usually Minseok would be able to easily redirect his thoughts. Baekhyun really would be lost without Minseok. This would be a good change for the both of them. This was the right path. For once, Baekhyun felt confidence in his decision. ~*~       Kyungsoo arrived at Baekhyun's house early in the morning. Minseok was getting his morning coffee, but he'd let Baekhyun sleep in because he seemed too tired to wake up. Minseok offered the manager a cup and to his surprise, Kyungsoo accepted. He must have had a hell of a lot to deal with that day as well. They made small talk, touching on Baekhyun only long enough for Minseok to say that he did manage to sleep and from what he could see, his face hadn't swelled too much.        Baekhyun woke up a short while later, wobbling into the kitchen sleepily. His eyes widened when he saw Kyungsoo and he nodded, his cheeks somewhat flushed. He wasn't used to seeing Kyungsoo in such an unprofessional state. The other man didn't seem to care though. Instead, he smiled softly at Baekhyun and walked over to him, gently checking his face.       “It's bruised but it looks less swollen than yesterday. That's good to know.”       “What's the status of everything?” Baekhyun asked, slowly lowering himself onto one of the chairs at the table. Kyungsoo sighed and sat beside him.       “I let the CEO know what happened. We're working now on getting the lawsuits in order. I think the news has already gone public.”       “News on what!?” Minseok asked nervously. The last thing he wanted was for Haneul to act faster than them.       “News on the lawsuits. It was announced that Baekhyun was filing for a restraining order against Haneul on accounts of abuse and harassment. Naturally, there's already a lot of fire among the netizens and fans, both demonizing and supporting Baekhyun and Haneul, depending on whose fan it is.”       “Great,” Baekhyun groaned.       “The chairman wanted to know if we could release pictures of your face,” Kyungsoo mumbled. “I don't like the idea since it seems a little invasive, but it will prove a point and gain you more support.”       “We'll need to give them to the court as evidence, right? Might as well just go all the way,” Baekhyun sighed. Minseok walked over and massaged the back of his neck before sitting on the other side of him.       “We've also contacted Haneul's agency and I personally gave his manager a piece of my mind, mostly to pass it on to Haneul, but...Damn idiot should keep better track of his shitty celebrity.”        Baekhyun smiled softly. It was endearing when Kyungsoo grumbled like this, even though the subject matter was so dark this time. Baekhyun felt Minseok's hand squeeze his own and he glanced over, meeting questioning eyes. Baekhyun knew what the other was asking too. It was about what they'd talked about last night. They needed to talk to Kyungsoo about it too.       “Hey, Soo,” Baekhyun started, looking over at him nervously. Minseok's grip on his hand became just a little tighter.       “What's up?”       “Minseok and I were talking about stuff last night...And I think...I want to come clean about the baby.”       “You mean make an announcement?” Kyungsoo asked, eyebrows raised. Baekhyun nodded.       “I don't want Haneul beating me to it and making things way worse for me. But I also don't want to hide my baby. I don't think I can once he's born, and I don't want to deny that he's mine. I also want to come out about dating Minseok.”       “That's an awful lot, Baekhyun...It's gonna be pretty shocking to the public. Have you and Minseok agreed about dating publicly.”       “I'm fine with it,” Minseok interjected. “We also decided that I'm going to move in here. I want to be able to take care of Baekhyun in the final stretch, and both of us should be there for the baby.”       “Right,” Kyungsoo agreed.       “For that to happen, it means I'm going to be coming and going from Baekhyun's house on a daily basis. Someone's bound to notice. It's best to just announce that Baekhyun and I are dating. It's better than him getting wrapped up in more drama from getting caught.”       “I completely agree,” the manager stated. “But I really want to double check with you about the baby, Baekhyun. I want you to be positive that you're going to be ok with that information being out there. You will get a negative response to both dating someone and being pregnant.”       “I know,” Baekhyun muttered. “I want this. I'm tired of hiding it. My body structure shouldn't govern whether or not I can sing. If people can't love me for my music because of my body, I don't want them to be my fans anyway.” Kyungsoo nodded slowly.       “I'm going to have to talk to the CEO about all of this before we officially decide something. But I think you bring up good points and like you said, you won't be able to hide a baby forever. We've done well hiding it up until now.”      “Barely,” Baekhyun laughed tiredly. Minseok gave his hand another squeeze.       “It's going to be ok, Baekhyun. I'll talk to the CEO. If this was you being flippant and stupid, I'm sure he'd be harsher, but he knows that this is a pretty big matter for you and that you're basically a family now. I think he'll be pretty supportive and do his best to keep the waves of hate that follow under control.”      “I'm never going on the internet again.”       “We'll see how long that lasts,” Minseok muttered under his breath. Baekhyun pouted and tried to pull his hand away playfully. Kyungsoo smiled gently and nodded to himself.       “We'll make sure this lasts. Your career will go on.”       “Thank you, Kyungsoo...For everything. I really would be lost without you.”       “Trust me, I'm very aware of that,” the manager sighed, getting to his feet. “I'm going to go meet the CEO again. Take the day off, Baekhyun. We'll get something else going during your broadcast time. I'll get back to you later with what we decide to do.”       “Thank you,” Minseok stated.        The manager nodded again and left the two alone. Minseok took another sip from his coffee and sighed, leaning back in his chair. Baekhyun glanced over at him, then up at the time, and his eyes went wide.       “Are you going to be alright!? Don't you have to go to work?”       “I called in sick,” Minseok shrugged. “I wanted to be with you today.”       “I'm sorry...”       “Don't apologize. It's not like I've never played hooky from work.”       “What are we going to do though? You didn't really bring much over...”       “I fit your clothes just fine, so I'm set. I was thinking we could start with a nice, leisurely breakfast cooked by yours truly.” Baekhyun rolled his eyes and Minseok leaned in closer, smiling with the slightest hint of a smirk. “Then I was thinking we could do whatever you want to do.”       “That's descriptive.”       “How are you feeling? Rested? Nauseous?”       “I feel fine enough.”       “Then don't waste that,” Minseok urged. “We'll do anything you want to do.”        Baekhyun's brow furrowed as he was trying to figure out where Minseok was going with this, then his eyes shot wide open when he remembered their conversation last night. He gulped nervously and bit his lip, looking at Minseok timidly.       “Anything I want?”       “Anything.”        Minseok leaned forward and connected their lips, humming slightly into the kiss. It wasn't too hungry or lustful, given neither of them were even fully awake yet, but there was enough hidden passion in there for Baekhyun to get the message. Minseok sucked at his bottom lip, dragging his teeth along it as he pulled away. Baekhyun could already feel his heart beating faster and his cheeks flushing.       “There's more of that coming after breakfast,” Minseok promised with a smirk. “Just relax, I'll cook.”       Baekhyun was pretty sure he loved Minseok with every fiber of his being. No other man even came close to making him feel the way Minseok did. Baekhyun was starting to think they should both take days off together more often. It obviously was beneficial to both of them in more ways than he could count. He was going to get the most out of this opportunity that he possibly could. As he would come to find out, Minseok was more than happy to oblige him with everything he wanted. Sick days really were the best.