Jiyong usually enjoyed his job as a mailman very much.

Sure, you didn’t earn a fortune as one, but it was enough to pay the bills and have some extra money left for him to spend as he pleased to, the colleagues were nice, most of the customers too and seeing that he did his job by bike, it got him some daily exercise and a good amount of fresh air as well.

Today however…

Let’s say…

Today was not working in his favor, so far.

His coffee machine broke, he didn’t find the key to his bicycle on time and it was raining. Jiyong didn’t really care if it was raining or not, the people he delivered to, however, did care very much.

He sighed, clearly frustrated.

The busy postman had the pleasure of meeting 2 grumpy business man, 1 annoyed student and a couple of bickering seniors, so far.

Jiyong really didn’t mind tho, he was used to it and there were always the people he was looking forward to meeting.

The nice, old lady Irene, for example, who asked him to come in for a cup of tea, everytime he came around, or the nice vicar, who blessed his day every time he met him.

Jiyong wasn’t really religious, but it was a nice gesture and the man genuinely just wished for Jiyongs best. It was cute and it always lifted his spirits.

His favorite guys to meet, however, weren’t of human kind.

Jiyong loved the pets he got to meet the most, the majority cats and dogs, of course. There were some horses and the like, too. Pets were like that. Some were small, some were big, some were hyperactive and some were lazy. Just like it was with people.

There was one thing all of them had in common though.

No matter how tall, small, grumpy, fluffy, old or young, all of them were eager to get patted and caressed and none of them denied some nice treats, the kind mailman was always carrying around with him.

Jiyong was working the same route for almost 5 years now and he felt like many of the people and animals who lived there, were his family.

They certainly treated him as if they were.

Getting the cute and always cheery boy sweets for Christmas, some even sending new year’s wishes to him per mail (oh the irony), many of them asked him in, from time to time and he really liked to comply, whenever he had some time to spare.

Jiyong knew about Mary’s and Carl’s vacation in Egypt, he knew about Joanna’s major at college and her final thesis, he knew how the grumpy, but kind Mr. Williams liked his coffee, he knew of Andrews children, whom came to visit the dedicated father every week. He knew what Stephanie got on her last birthday and that she just broke up with her girlfriend, he knew about Enrico’s tattoo disaster and how he got it covered up for a lot of money (it honestly was an embarrassing one, but Jiyong won't snitch on him, ever).

Jiyong knew about a lot of things, humans and animals alike.

He knew that Sharona, the cute poodle lady, didn’t like it to get scratched behind her ears, whereas Santiago, the German shepherd next door, loved to get scratched there. He knew that Marano, the little pony, living on Evercorts farm, wasn’t allowed to get sugar cubes as treats, because the owner was certain, it got even more upbeat because of it.

Armano, the proud Arabic stallion, got sugar treats from Jiyong all the time.

That’s why he always shared some lunch with Marano, giving her some apple slices and thus making up for the, in his eyes, unfair treatment.

Then there was Charlie. A cute, fuzzy dog, he fell in love with, immediately.

Up to this date he hadn’t ever seen Charlie’s owner around.

The old lady, next door, told Jiyong that he belonged to someone named Snughun.

Jiyong was pretty much sure, that she just messed up, some poor foreigner’s name, because no way someone’s name would be Snughun. Jiyong just deemed it not possible.

He was curious to whom he belonged to, seeing that the lady didn’t give him any further information. Neither gender, nor age wise.

Who was Charlies owner? A little kid? An old lady? A stressed student?

He didn’t know and it irked him.

There was a name plate, stating S. Choi.

Considering he delievered some mails before, for Seunghyun Choi, he assumed that the lady turned Seunghyun into Snughun.

But then again there could be living other people in that house too, a Vietnamese? Someone from Russia? Jiyong was no language expert and even if he was, assuming things, wouldn’t take him anywhere.

Jiyong was almost finished with his load and his favorite stop of the day got closer.

He always saved this one, as the last one, he liked sitting on the front porch for a while, playing with Charlie. It made his day.

It was 4pm when Jiyong got there, leaning his bicycle against the garden fence and taking the mails for house number 45 with him, carefully sliding them through the slit.

He looked around, with furrowed brows.

That was weird.

Charlie was always there when he came.

Disappointed, Jiyong turned around, intending to leave, just as a brown, wet fluffball dashed around the corner, making a run for him.

Not even a second later and Jiyong found himself lying on the muddy, hard ground, his face covered in dog slobber, just as fast.

Jiyong chuckled quietly, the dog’s fur.

“You are lucky that you are so cute.” Jiyong grinned, moving to get up, just as a frantic guy came into sight.

“Charlie!” The new arrival got into scolding wet dog, immediately.

He was good looking, Jiyong thought.

Chest nut brown hair, covering half of his face with a wavy fringe. He was tall, broad shoulders, muscular and had nice, strong arms.

Suddenly realizing the pair of eyes observing him, the unknown beauty looked up, clearly flustered and apologized.

“I’m so sorry… I don’t know what to say…” He rubbed at his nape, in distress.

“It’s okay.” Jiyong waved off.

“Ummm…”

“I… slipped you some mails…” Jiyong coughed awkwardly.

“I guess…” Jiyong casted his eyes downwards.

“I better get going then.” He turned to leave, before his legs could decide to betray him.

“Wait!” Jiyong turned around, confused.

“Do you want to come in?” The guy flushed red, before hastily adding.

“For a piece of apology cake, I mean.” He got quieter towards the end of the sentence, embarrassment, painfully obvious, written all over his handsome features.

Jiyong moved towards the guy again, Charlie for once, forgotten.

“Yes. I’d really like that.” He shyly looked at Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome again.

The taller one visibly relaxed after that, directing a smile and a strong, warm hand towards Jiyong, both waiting for Jiyong to welcome them.

Jiyong shook his hands a fraction too long, distracted by cute dimples and gorgeous, deep eyes.

“I’m Seunghyun, by the way and you and Charlie seem to know each other already, don’t you?”

“Jiyong and yes. I’d like to call us friends, even.” Jiyong laughed cheerily.

“I’m very sure about that. Charlie doesn’t like a lot of people, you are kind of like the chosen one.” Seunghyun laughed.

“I can’t say that I’m surprised tho.”

“What makes you say that?” Jiyong asked.

“There’s just something about you. I don’t know. You are one of the few people who make it feel like the sun is shining brightly, even on rainy days like these.”

Jiyong’s cheeks became a nice shade of red.

This was definitely the nicest compliment he had ever gotten so far.

They bathed Charlie again, getting rid of the mud lumps and brought him in afterwards, to towel him dry.

Seunghyun gave Charlie a treat and disappeared into another room, leaving Jiyong alone, in the living room. He came back out again, a towel, a pair of trainers and a tee in his hands, giving them to Jiyong.

“How about I prepare some coffee and you get yourself into something cozier while I am at it.”

“Thank you and I’m sorry for being a bother.”

“I’d hardly call a cute, sunny guy on my couch a bother, but whatever you say.” Seunghyun winked at him and left the room.

Jiyong felt flattered.

Had he seen Seunghyun in a bar or a disco, he wouldn’t ever have gotten the courage to chat him up, ever. Receiving compliments from a guy as good-looking, intelligent and cute, as him, was kind of like double the honor.

Jiyong felt giddy, nervous even.

There he sat. On the couch of a really hot guy, invited to cake, wearing said guy’s clothes.

Toweling his messy, blond hair, one last time, he folded the towel neatly and tried to straighten his hair afterwards.

His bony fingers didn’t really do the deal.

He was lost in thoughts for a few moments, before a deep voice asked for his attention.

“Are you changed?” Seunghyun was standing in the doorframe, covering both of his eyes with his hands.

“Yes.” Jiyong giggled at the sight, finding the lean man, utterly adorable.

“Good.” Seunghyun left again and came back with two steaming cups of coffee and some milk, setting them down and disappearing into the kitchen again, getting the rest of the items. Two plates of strawberry yoghurt cake and some sugar.

“I figured you like your coffee sweet and creamy.”

Jiyong looked at him in surprise.

“How did you guess?”

“Call it a hunch.” He laughed deeply.

“I have a hunch, that you like your coffee dark and sugar free?” This time it was the taller males turn, to look surprised.

They sat together for a while, Jiyong sharing some funny stories from work, about people he met and mistakes he made, in the beginning, being the newbie and all.

The rain stopped falling long ago, but neither of the two got aware of that or cared.

***

“I don’t know, I was so embarrassed, but I just... I don’t know I basically dropped down the stairs, because of a little kid, Seunghyun! A little kid! The mail was scattered EVERYWHERE and I almost dropped them a second time because of that devil kid and Mrs. Romanova and that potthead from one story above laughed so hard, my head is still turning dark red whenever I see them.” Jiyong touched his heated up cheeks, still plenty embarrassed, even 4 years later.

“I don’t know. I think it’s cute. You are cute.” Seunghyun grinned at him.

“Hey! I am not cute!” Jiyong’s pout didn’t really help him underline his statement.

“Yes you are!” The older one chuckled fondly.

Jiyong smirked, all of a sudden, remembering something.

“What?” Seunghyun was confused, where was that coming from at once?

“Tell me about it…” he paused, dramatically.

“Snughun.” Jiyong’s smirk was the final nail in the coffin.

“No…” The older breathed, a look of horror taking over his face.

“She didn’t. She so didn’t. Not again.” Seunghyun propped his head up on his hands and sighed pathetically.

“Yes. Yes she did.” Jiyong’s smirk only grew.

“Who’s the cute one now, Snughun.” He grinned, pleased at the reaction he got out of the older.

“Still you!” With that he got up, tickling the defenseless boy.

Jiyong wheezed with laughter and tried, defending himself, to no avail.

“S- S- Stop! Please! Show ‘me mercy- eeEEHH!” Jiyong flailed his arms, finally getting the taller one off of his chest.

Regaining his breath, he eyed the other warily.

“Promise me to not call me that again.”

“Only if you don’t call me cute again.” Jiyong huffed.

“But you are cute.”

“But it’s weird for a man to be cute, isn’t it?”

“Who likes a cute man, afterall…”  Jiyong added, silently.

Seunghyun heard it nonetheless.

“I don’t know about you, but personally, I do like cute men, a lot.” Seunghyun took a hold of the smaller set of hands and lovingly caressed the younger boy’s knuckles.

“You do?” Jiyong was unsure, if he got it right. Did he mishear something? He wasn’t sure before, if the other one even swung that way. He looked like a real ladies man, so Jiyong initially thought he didn’t stand the least of chances and even if, a man like Seunghyun wouldn’t ever pine after a boy like him, would he?

“Yes. I do.”

Jiyong smiled.

Looking outside, he saw that the dark, grey clouds were gone, swapped for lighter ones. The rain stopped falling and the sun, finally, broke through the heavy blanket of clouds again, casting it's warm rays, wherever they could reach.