“Come on Jun, can we get this doll? I promise I won’t ask for anything else for the next 3 months,” Minghao pleaded eagerly, his bottom lip jutting out in an exaggerated pout as he the said doll about an inch away from Junhui’s face.

Junhui sighed warily, before gingerly taking the Victorian era doll from Minghao’s hands and inspected it closely.

The porcelain doll (named Annabelle by its original owner, the shopkeeper had told them) was lightweight considering its size and was in good condition compared to majority of the other items in the antique shop that the couple was currently in.

The elder continued to scrutinize the doll; all the while being very aware of how Minghao was staring at him with bated breath, eyes widened in expectation.

After what seemed like an eternity to Minghao, Junhui finally spoke up, “This doll looks pretty ing creepy, are you sure you want to get this?” as he turned to face the younger with an eyebrow raised in question.

Of all things, Minghao was definitely not expecting Jun to elicit such a reply. He was shocked, to say the least - maybe offended even – because how could his lover think of such a nasty thought? This doll is precious!

Minghao puffed his cheeks irately, before opening his mouth to retaliate. But Junhui knew it was coming and cut him off before he could start shooting out protests at the elder, “Alright, alright – we can get this as long as you keep your end of the deal and make sure that this doll doesn’t come within even 10 feet of our bedroom, got it?”

Minghao gave an ear splitting grin as he nodded profusely in understanding. He leaned in to press his lips against the elder's, tongue swiping out to Jun's bottom lip before pulling away. A light pink dusted Junhui's features, startled by the sudden display of affection, but enjoying it nonetheless. Junhui averted his gaze, feeling slightly embarrassed for reacting in such a manner even after dating Minghao for so long.

Not wanting to linger on the moment any longer, he quickly brought the doll to the checkout counter to pay for it. Minghao simply let out a giggle while trailing closely behind, a skip in his steps and a tiny smile on his face, deeply pleased with himself for having successfully convinced Jun to bring back home Annabelle.

As they neared the counter, the lady behind the cash register looked straight into Junhui’s eyes, her expression unreadable as though the lady knew something he didn’t. An unexpected chill suddenly shivers down Junhui’s spine, uneasiness settling in the pit of his stomach out of nowhere. He fumbled for a bit trying to get his wallet out so that he could get the exact amount for the doll.

Inhaling deeply, he brushed off the eerie feeling as best as he could and smiled his thanks as the lady bagged the doll and handed it over to Minghao. He barely managed to throw his own word of thanks over his shoulder towards the lady when Junhui swiftly grabbed a hold of the younger’s hand and intertwined their fingers, before deftly leading them out of the shop to start on their trek back home.

Honestly, Junhui could only hope that he wouldn't be regretting this someday, a sense of foreboding instilled in his gut even as they were blocks away from the ominous antique shop.

Minghao plopped himself on the couch as soon as they got back, eagerly taking Annabelle out of the paper bag to cradle her as though the doll was his own child. Junhui simply rolled his eyes at the sight of his boyfriend cooing and coddling the doll, already used to Minghao's quirky antics since they started dating more than 3 years ago.

Instead of joining him on the couch, he decided to head to the kitchen to get drinks and snacks for the both of them, the long walk home depleting most of Junhui's energy. Checking the (almost empty) fridge, he made a mental note to go grocery shopping as soon as possible, before grabbing two cans of soda and leftover kimbap from the takeout they ordered the previous day.

"Baobei, i got us something to eat," Junhui was walking back to the living room where his lover was when he stopped in his tracks at the alarming sight that greeted him. Minghao was cradling the doll, staring into its eyes with a blank expression on his face, his body strangely still and unmoving.

Unable to stand the sight, Junhui quickly set the refreshments aside on their coffee table before kneeling in front of the younger. He gripped Minghao by the shoulders and shook him lightly, not liking the way that Minghao was looking fixedly on the doll with his eyes blank and glazed over. It seemed like it wasn't going to work, so he ripped the doll away from his lover's hands. 

Blinking himself out of his sudden stupor, Minghao slowly turned to face Junhui's worried gaze, "What happened? I suddenly feel like ," he murmured, looking around to absorb his surroundings, his mind a jumbled mess as he quickly recollected himself.

Junhui opened his mouth to reply, only to close it back again. Should he really tell Minghao what had just happen? His eyes trailed to Annabelle, which was on the floor a little further away from where they were on the couch.

He chided himself mentally for even considering being an and telling Minghao that the doll indeed is pretty ing creepy, instead opting to joke reassuringly, "Nothing happened, just that you were cuddling Annabelle more than you did with me this whole week; it's starting to make me question our relationship," Junhui let out a string of laughter at his lover's indignant squawk as Minghao aimed a spiteful slap on his shoulder.

Minghao looked at the doll, quickly getting up to place the doll on some nearby shelf full of miscellaneous crap, deciding that what happened was entirely unworthy of his attention. He plopped down next to wherever his lover placed himself on the couch, immediately snuggling into Junhui's side. Junhui pecked his partner's cheek before switching on the television to watch whatever cheesy rom-com movie that was playing on their favourite Chinese channel. They were mainly silent while the movie played out, deeply immersed as they only exchanged a few kisses and even had one or two make out sessions during the boring parts.

Needless to say, the couple were enjoying themselves thoroughly after a long day - oblivious to Annabelle sitting in the corner of the room staring at them through dark eyes, a seemingly evil glint reflected in those glass orbs.

A/N: i apologise for the lack of dialogue, im still trying to get used to writing them since ive got into this habit of not adding them. so yes, this would end in around 2 more parts?  life is a mess lol and so is this fic, i'll review it later im too tired rn lmao. ok hmu on my tumblr if you have any questions :-)
a/n (2): i edited a few mistakes like the period of time where they were dating, as well as the paragraphing so that it's easier on the eyes esp if reading on mobile.
 

side note my "main" account is bitnaneunlady and i have another exo drabble i posted there so u can read that too if u want. ^^