Archive of Our Own

Being a son to one of the most prominent figures in the country puts Chanyeol in a pretty difficult situation. No matter what he does, it’s always put into the public. So many eyes are watching his every move, scrutinizing it whenever he does something that the people think of something wrong. They are watching his life through the media, consuming it as a form of entertainment.

(Especially his love life. The public eats that news so fast.)

It’s sickening, sometimes, having to live like this. But Chanyeol has learned to endure it, to just embrace it because the sooner he accepts his fate, the sooner he can live his life peacefully. Although sometimes there are some days where he wants to pull his hair out. 

One of those days is when his mother drops by his apartment randomly just to catch up. Catch up, to his mother, also means the day where she’ll bother him for half of the day (sometimes, all day). Some days, his mother would be doing something as random as cleaning his apartment (even though it’s spotless already because he has someone coming in to clean his apartment twice a week), cooking him all his favorite foods (it’s therapeutic, she admits, because she isn’t really fond of spending too much time in the Palace’s kitchen), or reading a book in his office… with him working there (she said that it’s nice because she doesn’t have to read alone in the library). 

He welcomes his mother every single time, really, but there are just days where he’d appreciate it if his mother leaves him alone. It’d be nice, though, if his mother didn’t come over when he has lots of things to sort out and needs maximum focus. It becomes especially hard when she starts asking him things right just as he’s focused on something.

“Mom, I love you, but could you please stop with these questions already?” Guilt starts to grow as soon as he lets the words out of his mouth, but basically, he will go crazy if his Mother asks her another question about the Kim clan of the neighboring kingdom. He has nothing against the Kims (he works with one of them), but he knows nothing about whatever gossip she’s asking him. 

He doesn’t know if the Kims are planning a marriage for their eldest son next year, or if his business partner is having a secret relationship with one of the nobles from their kingdom. As much as he wants to tell his mother about things that he knows about them, it’s not his place to say it… and gosh, he just wants to be left alone for once. 

“Oh, honey, I was just merely asking you a question about Junmyeon. Haven’t you heard anything from him?” His mother is nothing but persistent. 

Finally taking his eyes off of the laptop screen, his gaze lands on his Mother who’s casually lounging on the couch pressed against the corner of the room. 

“No, Mom. Junmyeon and I don’t um- really talk about our private lives like that.” Liar, he wants to tell himself. The only thing Junmyeon and he talk about during their lunch hour is their private lives, especially since his business partner slash long-time best friend has been pining over a certain gentleman for months. 

His mother just hums. “What about you, then?” 

“What about me ?” he furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

“Is there anyone I should know about?” He should’ve known that this is what his mother has been trying to ask for since the first time. 

“The only thing you should know about is, I’m adopting a puppy from Jongin.” Judging from the smile that blooms on her face, it’s enough to distract her attention elsewhere. 

“ Oh? Chanyeol, honey, that’s good! I’ve been wanting to tell you that this apartment is way too empty and I think a puppy would be good for you. At least now I don’t have to worry about you feeling lonely here.” Before Chanyeol can even say anything, his mother continues her words. “Is there something I can help you with, though? Have you made any purchases for the puppy? The food? The toys?” 

The smile blooming on his mother’s face tugs at his heartstrings. When’s the last time he saw his mother smile like this? He can’t help but smile earnestly at the sight of it. She even stands up from the couch and starts walking around the room, the skirt of her dress flowing around as she paces in excitement. 

“I have everything settled already, Mom. You don’t have to worry about it.” Closing his laptop and taking off his read-glasses, Chanyeol thinks that it’s no use trying to work as long as his mother is still here. He might as well just entertain her while she’s here.

“How about a dog-walker? Who’s going to take your dog walking when you’re at work?” Well, now that’s something he hasn’t thought of. Leaning back on the back of his seat, he tries to think of any name.

“Hm, I can tell Kibum-hyung to do it. It’d be no-”

“No, no, definitely not your secretary. He already has enough on his plate with his work. I’ll just find someone to do it for you, okay? What do you think of that?” Knowing his mother, it’s a futile attempt trying to decline that. 

“Yeah, sure. That’d be great, actually, Mom. Thank you.” As if it’s possible, the smile across her face gets even wider. Although, deep down he already sees it coming when she approaches him and hugs him as tight as she can from the back. 

“It’s no worry, my son. I’d be glad to arrange that for you.” When she places a kiss on top of his head, he feels like he’s back to when he’s five and received a reward from her for finishing his homework and doing great on his exams. The thought of it and the warmth spread around in his veins makes him feel like he’s a good son, a good boy . 

👑

Doh Kyungsoo doesn’t really keep up with pop culture. 

But there’s this word, ‘cultured’ , that is stuck in his brain since he woke up this morning.

Well, he doesn’t even know what this ‘cultured’ even means, but somehow that particular word is stuck in his mind all morning. Probably it’s because he hangs out with Baekhyun and Sehun way too often these days (and that he’s been scrolling through his social media timeline a bit too much these days). As someone who uses his social media mainly to post things related to his work, he can’t keep up with the slangs that his friends keep spewing out at such random times. 

Trying to get that particular word out of his brain, he tries to keep his focus on the laptop screen in front of him. The sight of the blank white screen is his challenge for the day; for the day before and the day after too. It feels as if it’s mocking him; reminding him of how he hasn’t drawn anything in the past two days. His deadline is approaching, but his productivity just keeps declining each day. 

“Kyungsoo-yah…” A familiar voice shouting his name is what caused him to tear his gaze away from the laptop screen just as the door with a huge puppy sticker on it opens up and out walks his close friend. “Have you had breakfast yet?” 

Byun Baekhyun doesn’t look as charismatic as other people perceive him to be on an early morning like this. His hair is in different directions, and he tends to walk with his eyes still half-closed. Other people may be blinded by the babyface and puppy eyes, but Kyungsoo knows better. After all, they’ve known each other since middle school. 

“I’ve had breakfast and yes, I left some for you. You can just heat them later.” At the mention of food, his friend’s eyes light up. Kyungsoo tries not to startle at the way the other man walks fast towards him and sits on the empty chair next to him. The next thing that comes out of Baekhyun’s mouth doesn’t even surprise him anymore.

“I love how you can easily read my mind. Why don’t you just marry me, Soo?” That’s his cue to turn his gaze away from his friend and to just start thinking of his pending work. Staring at the tree leaves swaying in the wind is much healthier for his brain, even if it's only for a moment. His brain doesn't seem to give him a break anytime soon. It keeps pulling him towards the work he should've been doing. 

“Funny how you can easily say those words to me but not to your boyfriend.” He pretends he doesn’t see the way Baekhyun pouts and deflates. “Why are you up so early, though? Didn’t you stay up late last night?” Kyungsoo minimizes his blank page and aimlessly looks through his past projects in hopes they might spark an inspiration or something.

“Gotta pick up Yixing-hyung from the airport. You wanna come with me? I could use some company for the road.” Baekhyun’s voice sounds a bit faint in his ears as the said man finally makes his way to the kitchen. He’s way too familiar with the apartment already as if he’s living there, too. 

Maybe he can just let Baekhyun live here when he moves to the neighboring kingdom. It’s a pretty solid situation since his apartment won’t be left to dust. Although, that is something he can think of later when he’s not swamped with deadlines.

“And be the third wheel later? No, thanks. I’d rather stay home and catch up with work.” A particular graphic that he made earlier this month for a kindergarten catches his attention. 

“By work, you mean staring at your laptop screen for hours?” His friend comments, his voice drowning in the sound of him turning on the stove and heating the leftover kimchi fried rice. 

“Don’t get smart with me.” Opening up his current project tab again, Kyungsoo decides that he should at least try to make an outline. At least, that won’t make him feel anxious for doing nothing all day. 

“I am smarter than you.” 

“Then, don’t eat my food.” There’s a beat of silence that smells like victory to Kyungsoo and he enjoys it, a small smile blooming across his face.

“ No! You really are smarter than me and I love you, Doh Kyungsoo.” Bingo. It’s always fun to tease Baekhyun.

Kyungsoo can’t help but roll his eyes in amusement. “Save that flattery for your boyfriend. I don’t need it.” 

The rest of his morning goes by with him finally outlining his current project. It feels like it has been a long time since the last time he used his drawing tablet when it’s just a few days ago. Still, there’s a sense of accomplishment simmering within himself as he tries to transfer the image in his brain to a proper drawing. He thinks it could be better, but just like any other day, he reassures himself that it’s fine; that he needs to be patient with himself. 

Baekhyun, thankfully, has sensed the sudden change in Kyungsoo’s mood and doesn’t try anything that can break Kyungsoo’s focus as he takes a spot next to him again. What breaks Kyungsoo’s focus, though, is the sudden ring from his phone. 

Letting out a loud sigh, he carefully places his drawing pen down and grabs his phone. Oh Sehun flashes across his phone screen.

“Hello?”

“Good morning, Kyungsoo-hyung. Are you busy?”  

He furrows his eyebrows at his cousin’s words. “Uh, no. Is there something wrong, Sehun?” 

“The Queen of Aeria is asking for your number.” It doesn’t take him long to remember who Sehun means. 

The last time he met The Aeria's Queen was about two years ago, right when he finished a backpacking trip. He remembered attending a celebration of some sorts at their kingdom with his family and staying there for about two weeks. Since his father is one of the ministers at the Kingdom of Astalilia, they must come. Not to mention there’s also this long history between his family and the Parks. 

The way the Queen's eyes were instantly on him as soon as his parents approached the royal couple was something he can't forget until now. It was pretty intense how she kept watching Kyungsoo as if she had her mindset on something. It was like there was a hidden plan already brewing inside her head, and Kyungsoo didn’t know if he should be scared or impressed by the Aeria’s Queen. 

So, when Sehun tells him that the Aeria’s Queen is asking for his number, he can’t think of one single reason why she needs it. 

“Oh? Does the Queen contact you herself to ask that?” Kyungsoo ends up asking him back, eyes zeroing on the top of a tree outside of his apartment.

“Of course not. My mom told me about it. So, are you okay with that?” It puts him in a difficult situation. He has a right to refuse since he isn’t given a proper reason why the Aeria’s Queen his contact. But, if he really refuses, he just knows he won’t be able to sleep well; afraid that his parents will catch the wind of it and he’ll end up getting scolded by them for refusing such a simple favor from a Queen. A Queen of a Kingdom they have good relationships with, nonetheless. He can already imagine what kind of speech his dad will give him. 

Really, Kyungsoo just wants to save himself from that headache and any kind of thing that will be in the way of him moving away to Aeria. 

“Yeah, yeah, sure. It’s okay. She probably needs my number for something important or something. Besides, it’s not like I really would refuse the Queen. You know that, Sehun-ah.” At the realization, he starts to tap his fingers on the table, his friend passing him a weird look before scurrying his way to the kitchen once he finishes his breakfast. 

“Okay, I’ll relay that to my mother. See you soon, hyung.” He just hums before hanging up the phone. 

His eyebrows are still drawn even when a moment has already passed since the phone call. His brain is working hard, trying to come up with a reason why, but he supposes that it’s a waste of time thinking of such a matter. 

Shaking his head softly and tearing his gaze away from the top of the tree he’s been staring at for God knows how long, he decides that it’s time to put his focus back on the task waiting for him. Even though the question still lingers in the back of his mind, he pushes it every time it comes up to the surface. Whatever it is can wait for another day, while his work simply can’t.

💋

He doesn’t know what his business partner is thinking, but he knows that the man is just not in his right mind. 

Kim Junmyeon is a man of style. Knowing him for years, Chanyeol knows when the man that he considered as an older brother has a lot of things in his mind. It shows from the way he dresses. Junmyeon, if not seen wearing a vest on top of his shirt, likes to match his clothes. 

Now, unlike his usual self, Chanyeol can see that the striped shirt he’s wearing doesn’t match with the grey sweatpants he’s wearing. It feels like he doesn’t know whether to dress up or dress down. He hopes he doesn’t get his pictures taken, though, when he’s on his way to work. God knows what’s going to happen if the Kims see their second child show up like this to work. 

“Hyung, is everything okay?” Chanyeol carefully asks as he makes his way inside his partner’s office. Closing the door behind him, he takes a seat on the empty chair across Junmyeon’s desk. 

Junmyeon, finally aware of the appearance of the Prince in the room, looks up from his tablet and blinks his eyes rapidly; like he’s just pulled out from whatever reverie that occupied his mind.

It takes Junmyeon quite a moment to finally answer his question as if he’s preparing himself for something huge. 

“No, not really. I slept with Oh Sehun last night.” Chanyeol can’t even hold back the gasp he let out. His mother was just asking him about this a few days ago, and now this? It’s still early in the morning, he doesn’t know if he can bear another secret revelation.

“B-but, how? I thought Sehun was still in Europe?” he voices out his confusion, tilting his head to the side. Kim Junmyeon lets out an agonizing groan like it just hits him, the thing he did last night. 

“No, he arrived in the afternoon and went straight to my penthouse.” Chanyeol tried to relax and brace himself for the long talk, bouncing his right leg out of habit. “He came with his cousin. The one who’s a writer? I forgot his name but they came together. He left, though, not long after that, leaving me and Sehun together. And Chanyeol? It’s a mess after that.” 

The ever noble Kim Junmyeon then lets out another groan and buries his head in his hands, the event that occurred last night probably just hit him like a freight train. Chanyeol can’t do anything but sympathize with the older man, patting the man’s head a few times, and pulls his hand back, afraid he’d mess up the hair. 

He’s pretty sure Junmyeon doesn’t need anyone messing up his hair, on top of his already jumbled mind. 

And so that’s how Chanyeol spends half an hour listening to Junmyeon rant about how his night went with Sehun and when he looks up to Chanyeol, flashing him a disgruntled look, Chanyeol can only pray and wait that the youngest of the Kims shows up before he’s running out of commentary. 

“Hyung, stop bothering Chanyeol-hyung with your escapades with Sehun. He doesn’t need to know about that.” As if on instinct, Chanyeol gets up from the chair and turns around to face the youngest Kim, flashing him a grateful smile. 

"How do you know about that?" The older sibling hisses, squinting his eyes at his sibling. 

"Hyung... Sehun and I are friends." The deadpan in Jongin's voice makes Chanyeol want to laugh, but he assumes that the timing isn't right. So, he holds it in. "I thought you knew!"

It feels like a disaster waiting to happen, with Jongin goading to his brother about Sehun and Junmyeon trying to keep himself together so he doesn’t burst. Although it is amusing to watch the siblings bicker, Chanyeol is there for one thing only. 

“Jongin,” he calls out softly. Thankfully that’s enough to pull the youngest man’s attention away from his sibling. “Uh, about the puppy?” 

“Oh! Yes, hyung!” His eyes light up at the mention of the promised puppy. “C’mon, let’s just talk in your office.”

Chanyeol passes his business partner a weak smile before he gets pulled around by Jongin. The youngest man looks rather excited now that Chanyeol asked him about the puppy he’s promised. They get looks from the people that pass them by, though. It’s probably a rather unusual sight for them; to see their Prince gets pulled around by another Prince from the neighboring kingdom. 

For Chanyeol’s secretary, a male named Kibum, though, it’s not very surprising for him. That’s why he isn’t the least surprised when Jongin says, “Kibum-hyung, don’t let anyone come in, okay? We have a very important matter to discuss.” 

The assistant just nods and waves them around, not even flinching when the door to Chanyeol’s office makes a rather loud sound when it’s shut. 

“Before we proceed any further, I have a few questions for you, hyung,” Jongin states before Chanyeol can even take a seat on his chair. 

“Go ahead, Ni.” The nickname easily slips out of his mouth every time he’s away from other people, same as the straight look across his face that he drops whenever they’re alone. Jongin lets out a hum as he sits on one of the chairs across the big desk. 

It’s okay to be comfortable with each other, but always remember to be careful when you’re in public. People are always there to judge you and every single move that you make, his father’s words once again ring through his mind. 

“Have you had everything prepared for Mocha?” It’s a name they already settled together. Jongin didn’t let him decide on a name when he’s not there. He remembered the man said, ‘since it’s my gift for you, it’s only fair that I know her name before you decide it yourself. I don’t want her to grow up with a weird name, hyung ’. It was also one of the terms he has to agree on before Jongin wholeheartedly let him adopt the puppy. 

“Yes, I had her bed ready, and her food ordered already. They’re set to arrive today, so I think the package would have arrived already when I go home later.” 

“Who’s going to take care of her when you’re not home? When you go on business trips and can’t take her with you?” 

“My mom plans on having someone take care of her when I’m not around. They’ll feed her and take her on to walk, too.” Jongin nods to his answer, looking pretty satisfied with his answer which is good. 

“Promise me you’ll take very good care of her, okay? Shower her with love, snacks, and- I don’t know, just everything you have to offer.” It has been a long journey for Chanyeol trying to adopt Mocha. Jongin was so reluctant on letting him adopt one of his puppies because he knows how busy the Prince can be. But with enough pestering and lots of cuts of the best beef he could ever find sent to the man later, he finally got the permission to adopt the puppy. 

“I promise, Jongin. You don’t have to worry about that.” 

Jongin nods. “Good. Now let’s pick a picture of you and Mocha to post on your Instagram.” The mischievous glint in his eyes is a sign he should’ve picked up, but of course, he’s not as perceptive as he thinks. 

Chanyeol knows that he’s going to get an earful from the royal advisor, but he can’t resist. “Sure sure.”

He is going to wake up tomorrow with a phone call from the royal advisor and be scolded for posting this kind of stuff, but he doesn’t care. All he cares about now is letting the world know that he’s going to have the most adorable puppy with him.

🐶

Too many things happen at once in two weeks, and Kyungsoo is one step away from going out of his new apartment--this time is a studio one--to go to the nearest pub, which is a pretty reckless move even though he technically isn’t in Astalilia anymore. 

Technically, he could have a bit more freedom here, since his parents aren’t the ones put in the spotlight by the media and the people. But he assumes that two weeks is simply too soon for him to do things like this. It would be a different scenario if he had Sehun with him, though. Too bad the man is a little bit too preoccupied with a certain gentleman. 

In the end, he opts to go to the nearest convenience store to buy a few cans of beer and some snacks. 

The first thing that he notices about nights in Aeria is that the night sky isn’t as clear as it is in Astalilia. Here, the thick clouds crowd the sky, giving a gloomy feel as if it will start raining any minute when in fact it isn’t. The thick clouds are just there, painfully existing above his head and making him think that there won’t be a sunny day. 

If he thinks about it, there really hasn’t been a single sunny day for the past few days, though. Or since he finally met the Queen of Aeria at the palace. Suddenly shivers run down his spine just from remembering that alone, even though the meeting wasn’t actually of something urgent. 

“ Ah, Doh Kyungsoo… you must be tired from all the moving. I’m sorry for this sudden meeting,” is the first thing the Queen said when she steps into the majestic sunroom where he’s told to wait. The interior design of the palace is vastly different from Astalilia's palace. Where it’s mostly in shades of green and anything warm, the Aeria’s palace is mostly in neutral and monochrome colors. Fitting with how the sky is looking outside, he supposes. 

Standing up and bowing 90 degrees to greet the Queen, he flashes her a small smile. “It’s alright, Your Majesty. I’m taking my time to settle in.”  The Queen’s smile reminds her of her mother for a second, and he makes a mental note to give his parents a call later today. 

The Queen and the son of the neighboring Kingdom's Prime Minister don’t say anything as the servants serve them tea and assorted cookies to have the tea with. It’s not until the last servant leaves them to their privacy in the warm sunroom that the Queen finally says something. 

“I’m not going to beat around the bush, Kyungsoo… I have an offer for you.” Kyungsoo hasn’t even taken a single sip from his tea. But he has no other options other than drinking his tea later since the Queen’s words are more important than his desire to drink the steaming hot tea. 

“An offer?” The Queen just nods. 

“My son just recently adopted a puppy, and I want you to take care of it while he’s at work.” Her son? Park Chanyeol just adopted a puppy? 

He doesn’t know which one he should focus on; the fact that Park Chanyeol just adopted a puppy or that he’ll be taking care of his childhood friend’s puppy. 

"Oh? Will that be okay with him, though?" Kyungsoo likes to think that even though he's the smartest person out there, it's not hard to take a hint that Park Chanyeol has been avoiding him. 

They have met some times before when they were little, only during some diplomatic meetings between two kingdoms or some parties. Chanyeol was a pretty timid kid, and Kyungsoo was brave enough to approach this kid with cute ears who kept latching on his sister's dress. It didn't stop there too. Every time there's a party where both parties attended, they managed to find each other.

Kyungsoo saw how Chanyeol grew from a shy kid with endearing ears to a man with cute dimples, endearing ears, and soft fluffy looking hair who towers over him. It's such a sight to see while he grew physically, but until they're 22 (the last time they met properly), a trace of innocence was still present in Chanyeol and he liked how Chanyeol's ears and cheeks still flushed whenever he complimented him. 

The public might see Chanyeol as the super charming Prince of Aeria, but to Kyungsoo, he's a mix of young Park Chanyeol whose eyes got so bright and wide when excited and the Prince of Aeria whose smile makes him want to give the prince a big hug and a pat in the back.

"It'll be fine, I promise. You don't need to worry." Those words don't soothe him as much as he wants to. "Actually, he'll be delighted, I think."

Not knowing how (or wanting) to reject the request, Kyungsoo ends up agreeing to it. Taking care of a puppy won't be that time consuming for him. In his brain, he already tries to figure out how he has to make a new slot in his schedule. Between brainstorming and drawing for his new book, he can squeeze in some time to take care of the puppy. Heck, he can even take care of the puppy while he works if he's determined.

As he gets lost in his thoughts, he misses the blooming smile across the Queen's face and the glint in her eyes; as if she's just won big in some important negotiation. 

It's not a negotiation; since she doesn't have to work hard to convince the young man sitting across the table. But it is something big; since it concerns her son's (love) life. 

He doesn’t mind, really, with the Queen’s request. Taking care of a puppy is easy for him since he has two dogs back at home that he usually took care of. The thing is, it’s Park Chanyeol’s puppy. It’s a puppy belonging to his childhood friend who he’s been dying to meet again since years ago. He was running out of ideas before, trying to reach out for him. But this time, it feels like the universe is giving a sign to finally make his move.

He has so many things to say to him, and not to mention that he also has plans of things he can do to make the Prince ease upon him again. Deep down, there’s a fear that the plans will backfire and end up sabotaging everything. The Prince, although soft, is a rather unpredictable person, so he can only hope that everything will work in his favor. 

🌟

Chanyeol has no idea who his Mother hired to take care of Mocha when he's away for work, but he has to admit that whoever this person is has done such a great job at it. 

He hasn't seen Mocha's corner in the kitchen so neat and clean like that before, and there's even an add-on too! A sticky note with a cartoon version of Mocha is stuck on the refrigerator. It's so cute that he can't even handle the coo that comes out of his mouth. 

"This is so cute, " he breathes out, tracing the paper softly as if he does it just a bit rougher it will mess up the drawing. 

Fishing out his phone from his pocket, he snaps a picture of the drawing and posts it on his Instagram. His social media is open only for work purposes, but he assumes it's fine to post it on the Story feature. He just hopes he won't be woken up tomorrow to the royal advisor blowing up his phone just for that one post. 

Just as he places his phone on the counter, Mocha comes running towards him from where she's playing with her soft toy in the living room. Crouching down, he gives the puppy a well-deserved head scratch and coos. 

"Ah, looks like you've been good today." The puppy keeps pushing in on his hand, asking for more head scratches. "Okay, okay, I think you deserve more than that, right? How about a treat? Would you like that?" Mocha lets out a yip that sounds like an agreement. 

Getting up from the floor, he opens up one of the kitchen drawers to look for the puppy’s snack, only to find not only one kind of snack but numerous brands of snacks with a sticky note placed on top of it. 

I noticed that you only have one kind of snack for Mocha, so I brought more. It’s so she doesn’t get bored. 

P.S. She likes the snack in the blue wrapper the most. 

And there’s a doodle version of Mocha on it again, the same one with the sticky note on the refrigerator. 

Whoever it is that his mother hired to look after Mocha when he’s away for work must have been a great person. He hasn’t found someone who would go through such lengths only to take care of a dog. He wants to thank the person for what they’ve been doing, but he doesn’t know who they are, let alone their number. His mother has been keeping things very hush-hush as if it’s a matter of national secret. He has run out of ideas trying to get his mother to tell him. 

Frozen on his spot, an idea suddenly passes his mind. 

Fishing out his phone from his pocket, he dials his sister’s number and puts the call on speaker. Placing his phone on the countertop, he squats down and tears down the snack package. The dial tone echoes around the quiet kitchen as he hand-feeds the snack to his puppy. His heart feels like it would burst just from watching his puppy eat, the sight is too precious for him. 

“Hello?” 

“Oh! Hello, noona.” Mocha looks up from where she’s having her snack when Chanyeol lets out an excited greeting to his sister. 

“Ah, I’m good, Chanyeol. How are you, my dear little brother?” His sister teases him, laughter can’t help but slip out of his mouth at one of his sister’s favorite ways to call him. 

“I’m okay, noona. Have been doing good now since I have a new roommate.”

“Is it the puppy? Mom has been telling me a lot about it.” He perks up at his sister's words. Tearing his gaze away from his puppy, he stares at his covered-toes and wiggles them. 

“Oh? What Mom has been telling you about Mocha?” 

“Just the usual… That you adopted her from Jongin and such.” He frowns at his sister’s short answer. 

“Did she tell you who Mocha’s caretaker is?”

“Well,” she drags out, “she did, but I’m not gonna tell you who it is.”

“ Noona…” he whines, eliciting a laugh from the older sibling. 

“You’re cute but I’m still not going to tell you who. I think you’ll find out soon enough, though.” He lets out a grunt at his sister’s vague answer. For a second he thinks he’d be getting closer to the answer, but now he only has more questions. 

Knowing that he’s not going to get the answer he wants, the siblings then talk about their days. 

They haven't seen each other a lot since they're busy with their careers; Chanyeol with his charity foundation and Yoora with her duties as the next in line to the throne. Yoora has been assisting the King and is practically almost glued to their father since there are a lot of things she should learn. 

They manage with phone and video calls, though. It's not their favorite way to communicate, but it's what they can do so far. There are some days where his calls are left unanswered, and while he still sulks about it from time to time, his sister manages to win his heart again when she calls back (even though it takes her days to do it) and takes him out for a meal. 

When they hang up the phone and Chanyeol is left with his thoughts alone again, he sits down on the floor and leans back on the kitchen counter. Mocha paws at his thigh before he ends up scooping her into his arms and hugging her to his chest. The action brings a sense of warmth running through his veins, making him feel like he’s not lonely. 

Shutting his eyes and finally letting go of Mocha who keeps wriggling in his hold, his brain keeps coming back to the thought of the notes left around his kitchen from Mocha’s anonymous caretaker. It confuses him how he’s only looking for someone to take his puppy to walk while he’s at work, to get someone who not only takes his puppy for a walk but also leaves these little caring notes that squeeze his heart.

He must be losing his mind, he thinks. He doesn’t have the slightest idea of how this person looks, and yet his heart skips a beat at the care shown by this person. This is not something that he should think about, though.

But Chanyeol just can’t help it. Especially when he arrives home to more notes and now even food in his fridge. First, it’s kimchi; spinach kimchi which is his favorite and he ends up tearing up in front of the fridge reading the note left on top of the kimchi container with Mocha pawing at his feet.

I made too much kimchi yesterday, and since I noticed that you almost ran out of yours, I decided to bring you a box of my freshly made kimchi. Hope you enjoy it! 

And then it’s a pot of samgyetang on his stove that he can easily heat up for dinner. This time, the note looks as simple as “ it’s been raining these few days, hope this samgyetang can warm you up ”. The samgyetang tastes flavorful and so delicious that he ends up ranting about it to his mom who listens to his stories with a sweet smile across her face when he visits the Palace to have tea with his mother the next day.

The boldest move has to be the day when his secretary suddenly walks into his office with a lunch bag just ten minutes before lunch break. 

“It’s for you.” Kibum easily drops the lunch bag on his desk that he has to stop typing to look at the lunch bag, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Who is it from?” Looking up to face his assistant, he hopes that this time he gets an answer. 

“He doesn’t say his name, but he has his puppy with him when he stops by.” 

“Why didn’t you call me when he’s here?” Chanyeol asks in disbelief, to which Kibum just sighs.

“You were still on that conference call with the foster home when he’s here.” At his assistant’s answer, he lets out a groan.

“Ugh, fine. Thank you, Kibum-hyung.” He grumbles out as he reaches out to bring the lunch bag closer to him. 

As soon as he takes out the lunch box, the usual note on top of it greets him.  

I noticed that you never bring your lunch to work. So, I decided to make this while I waited for Mocha to wake up from her nap. Hope you like it! 

What greets him when he opens up the lunch box is a generous portion of kimchi fried rice with bits of pork belly in it and crushed seaweed and a sunny side up on top of it. The sight of it reminds him of the old days, where his mother used to pack him lunch for school. Both Yoora and he were home-schooled, but he still wanted to get the experience of having a lunch box, so the Queen indulged his wish. Even though he ended up eating his lunch at the Palace’s garden with his mother, too. 

It brings out one of his fondest memories that he easily reaches for his phone and takes a picture of the food, having thought to post the picture later on his Instagram when he’s done with his lunch later. He doesn’t care that his lunch break hasn’t started, all he cares about is devouring the food, and finding the very man who’s been leaving him notes, and feeding him delicious food that makes him feel like he's in love each day.

📱

Kyungsoo is on a roll. 

He’s made progress with his work and also with Mocha and Chanyeol. He doesn’t know if still not talking to Chanyeol can be counted as progress, but he’d like to take how Chanyeol’s cheeks are now getting a bit chubbier is definitely progress.

Kyungsoo likes how Chanyeol looks, chubby cheeks or not. But he noticed how the last time he saw the man’s picture on a news portal, his cheeks looked too thin and his eyebags were noticeable too. It seemed like the Prince hadn't been taking good care of himself, thus began his mission to take care of the man in a way he only knows how. 

So, with having that mission in mind, his days go a bit like taking Mocha for a walk, cooking something for Chanyeol (it can be something as simple as kimchi jjigae or something as complicated as samgyetang ), and squeezing in his work in between all that. He knows how Chanyeol doesn’t go home at least until dinner time, so he has plenty of time to decide what he should cook for the man. 

That’s why when there’s a sound of the front door opening, he doesn’t mind it. The last time it happened, it was just Chanyeol’s secretary, who was there to fetch something for his boss. 

Imagine how surprised he is when the Park Chanyeol himself walks into the apartment when it’s only 3 p.m. He’s not supposed to be home until, like, 7 or 8 p.m; why is he home already?

Although, he can’t say he doesn’t enjoy the surprised look across Chanyeol’s face when he sees him sitting in the living room with his iPad on his lap and Mocha sleeping on the space next to him. He can’t imagine how confused Chanyeol must be. 

He can feel his own heart beating so hard against his chest, though. Millions of thoughts run through his mind; the best and worst scenarios of this moment finally happening. Schooling his expression, Kyungsoo leans forward to place his iPad on the coffee table and gets up from the couch to greet the man he’s been dying to meet. 

“Hello, Chanyeol,” he calmly speaks out, watching how Chanyeol keeps darting his gaze from him and Mocha like he’s trying to put two and two together in his mind. 

“K-Kyungsoo? Doh Kyungsoo?” Chanyeol breathes out, his hands shaking a bit from how nervous he is. He can’t believe his own eyes. Doh Kyungsoo standing in his apartment is a sight he never thinks he would ever see in his life. He has given up on that years ago when he found out that someone is already promised to marry his crush. 

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo says with a sheepish smile across his face. “I’m sure you must have a lot of questions.” The way Chanyeol gulps subtly and blinks his eyes rapidly is an answer enough from him. “You might want to-”

“Is it my mom? Is she the one that made you do everything ?” It seems like tonight his mouth decides to work faster than his brain. While he usually dreads when it happens, but now he’s thankful because if it doesn’t, he’ll only get lost in his thoughts. 

“Well, she only asked me to take care of Mocha while you work. While the notes and the food… it’s all me.” Warmth and content are the most prominent things he can feel as soon as he hears the words coming out of Kyungsoo’s mouth. It’s still a bit too surreal for him, but even when he pinches himself (this doesn’t go unnoticed by Kyungsoo) to wake himself up from his daydream, he’s still there. He’s still standing in his living room with the man who has been taking care of him silently standing not too far from him. 

“But why, though?” 

“I noticed that you look tired and worn out these days. It feels like you haven’t been eating well, which is not a surprise at all see how empty your fridge is,” he explains as calmly as he can, despite the slight tremor in his hand. The way Chanyeol’s eyes go wide and his lips turn down into a pout give him mixed feelings, though. He looks way too adorable for his heart and he wishes he can hug him soon. The man looks like he needs it too. 

A moment passes until Chanyeol can finally manage to let himself speak again. 

“Um, is it okay if I ask for a hug? Is it too much?” Whatever worries that cross his mind for a moment before is washed over by a sense of relief. 

“It’s never too much, Yeol-ah.” The nickname slips out easily from his mouth. With hesitant steps, Chanyeol walks over towards where Kyungsoo is standing with his arms open, ready to accept him in his arms. 

It feels like the time slows down and things are moving in slow motion as Kyungsoo waits to finally welcome the man with endearing ears in his arms. When he finally, finally holds him, though… it feels so surreal, that his brain can’t even comprehend what just happened. All he can feel is warmth enveloping the two of them; how Chanyeol tries to make himself small and fit in his arms, how he leans his head on Kyungsoo’s shoulder and tucks his face in the crook of his neck. How Chanyeol has made himself fit in his arms; how Kyungsoo has his arms wrapped around the other man’s body and how he can’t resist but strokes his back and gives him a soft pat afterward before enjoying the embrace they’re wrapped up in. 

“Thank you so much for taking care of me.” Kyungsoo almost can’t make sense of the mumble Chanyeol let out, due to how soft and small his voice has gotten. That’s why when he realizes what the Prince says, he squeezes him in his arms and places a kiss on the side of his head, causing Chanyeol to pull back from the hug and flashing him the brightest smile he could muster.

“Will you let me take you out for a meal sometime?” From up close like this, the faint blush on Chanyeol’s can be seen clearly. Not to mention, his dimples, too. Kyungsoo has a strong urge to touch it, but he thinks that it’s still too soon. 

“Why would you even ask? You can ask me anytime, besides I’m not the one with a super busy schedule like you.” The way Kyungsoo easily teases the Prince with his words only causes the man to pout. It’s unbelievable how plump and soft Chanyeol’s lips look from up close. 

This time, though, Kyungsoo doesn’t resist the urge to finally touch the Prince’s face. Carefully, he brings his hand up and places it gently on Chanyeol’s cheek, cupping it in his hand and caressing it softly which causes Chanyeol to lean on his hand with his eyes shut. 

Opening his eyes to look at Kyungsoo’s doe eyes that have been on his for a while, Chanyeol utters his next words softly, “We need to catch up on lots of things.” 

“We do, yeah,” Kyungsoo replies just as softly. “We have a lot of time to catch up. Now, why don’t you come with me to the kitchen and help me cook?” 

With Chanyeol sitting on one of the stools and asking him lots of questions related to beloved Mocha, a fond smile blooms on his face ever so slowly. It’s a nice difference when usually it’s just Mocha’s bark that accompanied him. This time, it’s the man that Kyungsoo has been wanting to meet himself who accompanies him. It’s very comforting to hear and see the expressions Chanyeol makes when he compliments all the food he’s been eating; thanks to Kyungsoo who’s been generously cooking him a variety of food. 

The clouds are overtaking the sky and the sun finally sets just as Kyungsoo finishes cooking and they have their dinner in the living room, sitting cross-legged on the carpeted floor and some random cooking shows from Netflix playing on the TV. It feels domestic, what they’ve been doing for hours now. It feels like the gap between the last time they met and the present time is non-existent. It also makes their heartbeat work weirdly; how it beats so fast at first, and now it slows down to its normal rate, giving them a sign that they’ve managed to be comfortable around each other. 

The love between them sure is going to take time to grow. It started with a platonic love that bonded them. It grows with time and is nurtured by each of them as time passes and they grow older. But now… it’s a love that is unfamiliar but is welcomed, judging from how the both of them seemed to keep getting closer.  It’s an exciting feeling that sometimes makes him want to rush and chase it. 

But it takes time, and time is something both of them have. They have all the time in the world for everything to grow with them.