sugar daddy * baekhyun x chanyeol

Thirty four

"So..." Mrs Park began, seated across from the fledgling couple at the long table, her husband at her right. "How are things going? Baekhyun I know you've been unwell, are you feeling better now? Is Chanyeol taking good care of you?" Baekhyun chewed the mouthful of mashed potato and quickly swallowed. "Yes Ma'am I am. Chanyeol is very good at taking care of me."

"I'll bet he is," Mr Park smirked making his son flush bright red with embarrassment. "Dad.." he groaned but Mr Park just laughed. "What? When your mother was pregnant with you she was on me all the time. Her hormones were crazy." It was Baekhyun's turn to blush now as he stared back at the meagre plate of plain foods he'd been served. While the rest of the dinner party were enjoying a meal of various seafood and lightly fried vegetables Baekhyun had been handed a plate of mashed potato with chicken nuggets and a light gravy. He knew it was the work of Chanyeol and it made him feel wonderful. Chanyeol had already thought ahead for him and saved him the embarrassment of trying to force down a dinner of unpalatable foods in front of strangers.

"So are you planning on continuing work once the babies are born?" Mrs Park asked as Baekhyun filled his mouth with more potato. He quickly swallowed it and took a sip of the iced peach tea he'd been served as he shook his head. "I don't really know yet Mrs Park. My business is really taking off at the moment and I guess I haven't though that far ahead. I don't really want to hire a nanny.." his voice trailed off as he thought about what would happen. He'd hoped to be home for a while with the babies and had already started saving.

"I'm saving right now so I can take some time off when they are born. I don't know how long I'll be able to take but it's not even the money really..." his past came back to haunt him again when he remembered the eye watering price tag of his failed wedding with Sehun. He could have really done with that money to fall back on right now. He didn't want his business to sink after he had worked so hard to build it up to where he was. He suddenly felt overwhelmed and put his fork down and when his hand dropped to his lap he felt Chanyeol grab it and squeeze it tight. "It will be fine. You aren't alone. We'll work it out together Baek."

"I hear your apartment is nice, Chanyeol says it's a great building, right across the road from a big park. Are you planning on staying there?" Baekhyun nodded. "I really can't afford to sell. I'd rather stay and have more money to stay home longer after they're born. I really underestimated how expensive all this was going to be."

He smiled shyly at the sophisticated people sitting opposite him picking at their meal. "I want to go shopping tomorrow and look at baby stuff actually, get an idea of what I need, try and set a budget.." "We, what we need Baekhyun, and budget isn't an issue." Chanyeol's usually calm demeanour stiffened a little as he sat up taller in his chair. "I can provide them everything they need. I've told you this before and I don't want you worrying about money."

Chanyeol's demeanour seemed so odd as opposed to his usual calm relaxed manner. Baekhyun went to say something but quickly filled his mouth with a chicken nugget instead. He really would prefer having this conversation alone.

Talk quickly turned lighter, the conversation shifted to Baekhyun's love of design and how he ended up as a wedding planner, his aptitude for event planning and aesthetic crossing over into a successful business idea. He felt the mood lift and he chatted happily and comfortably with Chanyeol's parents. They were really so nice and he could see where the gentle giant next to him got his pleasant manner and charming personality from. But Chanyeol was uncharacteristically stiff and silent next to him now and he couldn't help but think he'd upset him.

The conversation swung back to Baekhyun's apartment and it's suitability to raise two children. "I'm really embarrassed that I'm not in a better financial position at my age," Baekhyun sighed in the face of his children's grandparents. "I made a really bad decision and it's been hard to bounce back from." Baekhyun could see by the look on their faces that Chanyeol had already appraised them of the sad story of his runaway groom. "I like where I live and I want to raise my children there. Maybe when they are a little older I'll be able to afford a bigger place..."

"So when are you going to start living together then? I know Chanyeol is sick of running back here and living out of that duffel bag. Plus you'll need the help when they're born.." Mrs Park eyes glinted with just a hint of mischief as she smirked at her son and he stared down at his plate. "Mum...." he whined a little and Baekhyun suddenly realised the transience he'd inflicted on Chanyeol's life. "He, ah, I don't know..." Baekhyun had been put on the spot and was having trouble recovering. "He still has a right to his own life and I've already caused so much turmoil..."

Mrs Park had just thought the biggest issue out there. Baekhyun didn't just want Chanyeol with him, he needed him, he needed him like he needed oxygen. And when the babies came he would need him even more. He hated every single minute Chanyeol was away from him, he hated him having to go back and forth and fetch clothes and stuff all the time, but he was just too scared to ask the questions Mrs Park had no trouble throwing out so casually.  He stared down at the almost empty plate and sighed as he looked up. "I'm sure he isn't ready, this is all moving so fast...." He swallowed thickly as his throat felt constricted and when he looked around three sets of wide eyes stared at him. The widest belonged to Chanyeol who blinked at him with glistening orbs of dark expectancy.

"We can, maybe, talk about this later...." He said and the quiet chatter and eating resumed.

After a lot of talking and some delicious dessert Baekhyun began to yawn and Chanyeol said he would take him home. Baekhyun watched Chanyeol pick up the duffel bag he'd already packed and left near the door and he felt inexplicably sad. Why couldn't he just talk about things?

As soon as the car door closed behind them Chanyeol lost it. "Baekhyun," his voice was low, definitely not a yell, but the emotions inside it were simmering with anger. "Please don't ever embarrass me like that in front of my parents again." Baekhyun frowned as Chanyeol reversed his car and his bottom lip trembled in fear. He knew Chanyeol was mad and now he had to face why.

"I've told you. This isn't your problem or responsibility alone. I can provide for them Baekhyun. I can support you while you take time off and I can most definitely buy them all the things they need. Please don't ever make me feel like that in front of my parents ever again." Baekhyun immediately felt defensive before realising that was the problem. He was so defensive all the time, hiding his true feelings, hiding his needs and his wants and his desires. He'd been so defensive during the dinner. The last thing he wanted was for Chanyeol's parents to think he was after his money. Instead he'd just made the gentle man feel like shit in front of his parents.

"I'm sorry Chanyeol," Baekhyun said sadly as he stared out the window. He felt awful and could barely bring himself to look at Chanyeol but he turned his head and saw him smiling back at him.

"I've told you," Chanyeol whispered as he pulled up in the carpark of Baekhyun's apartment, "I have money. And it's not my parents money. It's my money. And now it's our money." He looked down at Baekhyun's burgeoning stomach and smiled. "It's their money. It's all for them." Chanyeol reached out and let his huge hand rest protectively on Baekhyun's' stomach and both their eyes widened in surprise. "Did you feel that?" Baekhyun said and the look on Chanyeol's face proved he did.

Chanyeol was just in the right place at the right time to feel one of his babies kicking him and Baekhyun did not want to risk him missing any more moments.