Baekhyun pulled up to his house and quickly got out before running to his front door and flinging it open. He slipped and slid his way to his stairs before hurriedly ascending them, and then he was flying into his bedroom out of breath to see Chanyeol just as he left him; sound asleep and perfectly beautiful in his bed.

Baekhyun exhaled a shaky breath before slowly walked towards the bed, he kicked his shoes off as he crawled forward and gently caressed Chanyeol's cheek as he leaned in to whispered, "Chanyeol, wake up, I need to talk to you."

Chanyeol grumbled and groggy muttered, "What, Baek, I'm tired."

Baekhyun smiled and combed his fingers through Chanyeol's hair as he softly replied, "I know you are, but I have something important to say."

Chanyeol huffed and rubbed his eyes before unwillingly sitting up, as he did, Baekhyun crawled onto his lap and wound his arms around his neck. He leaned in close and delicately kissed the side of his neck before softly whispering, "I love you, and I want you always, but if I stay here...." Baekhyun trailed off with a sigh. "Staying here will kill me, Chanyeol, I need some place new where no one will ever know me and I....I don't want to live without you."

Baekhyun smiled as Chanyeol stared at him confusedly, and then Baekhyun glanced to his right as his eyes searched his bedside table. When he found what he was looking for, he grabbed it and held it in both of his hands before snapping it in half.

Chanyeol gasped, "Baekhyun, what are you—-"

Baekhyun pressed his two indexfingers over Chanyeol's lips and whispered, "I'm talking, so please, be quiet for the moment." Baekhyun glanced back down at the object in his hands before tossing aside what he didn't need. His eyes flickered up to meet Chanyeol's confused and concerned gaze as he softly whispered, "Park Chanyeol, I don't want to live without you, so would you do me the greatest honor and marry me?"

Chanyeol gasped. "Wh–what?" he stuttered.

Baekhyun held up the thin ring of gold he had broken off his small lamp before softly saying, "Marry me?"

"I–I . . . I don't know what to say," Chanyeol said with a breathless laugh, and then his eyes flickered up to Baekhyun's face, and he smiled too as he tenderly reached out to caress his cheek. "Yes."

Baekhyun had to bit down on his bottom lip to contain his joy, and then he through his arms around Chanyeol's neck and happily laughed. He held him close for another moment before he pulled away and breathlessly said, "We need to start packing."

"What do you mean, 'We have to start packing'?" Chanyeol asked as Baekhyun crawled off his lap.

"We're moving, and leaving for somewhere far away," Baekhyun said.

Chanyeol was still so confused, and his brow furrowed as he slowly stood up and said, "We—-we can't just leave. What about your company and family? My family? Baekhyun, stop packing for a moment and look at me!" Chanyeol cried.

Baekhyun froze in his movements and glanced at Chanyeol as he quietly muttered, "I can't stay here, Chanyeol, this place is too bad for me to stay and hope for a long and happy life with you. I have to start over, and I want to start over with you."

"But you just —- you just proposed . . ." Chanyeol said.

"I know, so we're going to elope and never come back."

"Baekhyun, your not—-your not making any sense...." Chanyeol trailed off.

"Chanyeol, it's simple, if I stay here and continue to live this shell of a life I created through anger and sadness and self-pity one day there will be nothing left of me for you to love. So I have to leave. I need a new beginning without all the reminders."

"But what about your company? Are you going to let your brother and father take it over?" Chanyeol asked.

Baekhyun bristled at the question, and he set his jaw as he said, "No, I'd never give it to them. I built that place with everything I had, through all of my pain, so it's only fitting that I leave it behind as well. I can't start fresh with that place looming over me as just another one of my many reminders."

"Then what will become of it?" Chanyeol asked.

"Nothing," Baekhyun whispered. "It will go to the bank and someone else can buy it. That place is no longer my dream, Chanyeol, my priorities have changed."

"What are they?" Chanyeol asked.

"You," Baekhyun whispered. "I'm choosing you...."

Word count: 775

The End.