( And while Lu Han and Minseok are having their buddy-buddy time at the playground…)

Baekhyun whistles as he walks, carrying his latest sculpture in a box. He hates living so far away from the campus, in the opposite direction of everyone else. If only he lived on the other side of town, he wouldn’t have to walk back home (oh the life of a guy without a driver's license) with a very important, very heavy piece of work in his arms. There isn’t anything else he can do. He left his wallet containing his money and his bus pass on his kitchen counter. He was grateful (and lucky) Lay didn’t mind going full circle to pick him up this morning and take him and his project to class.

The sun beats down on him and he grimaces when he starts to feel the wet of sweat forming on his back. This is the last time he wears black in the confused, warming spring time, he thinks, regretting dressing himself in a plain black tee and black jeans. With a tired grunt, he hoists the box up when his grip falters. He refuses to let these unbearable conditions get to him. After all, he needs the exercise. Being an artist doesn’t offer much in terms of physical conditioning and fitness. Plus, this is the price he has to pay for wanting to go into sculpture work.

Ever since he can remember, he’s always been interested in three-dimensional artwork (as noted by the number of small trinkets he’s broken, much to his mother’s distress). He’s always loved to create things. He’s been burned by his hot glue gun a record number of times from trying to make something out of nothing. In high school, he took all of the offered sculpture and three-dimensional design class offered. Getting to university, he pushed aside his artistic love for another, but after a year of having no time for art and staring at his untouched supplies, he decided he would switch to a fine arts major and let whatever consequences happen.

But even though he loves creating, loves his work, he can only carry this box but for so long before his arms give out with numbing exhaustion. Checking out the area, Baekhyun groans at the lack of places where he can stop and set down his sculpture safely. The closest bench isn’t for another four blocks or so and it’s not like he can just put down his precious bust in the middle of the sidewalk.

...Baekhyun sets the box down in the middle of the sidewalk. It isn’t a very good idea, but he justifies his decision with the stinging pain in his arms and the absence of people on the street. With as empty as the area is, no one should be stupid enough to walk into his sculpture. It isn’t large, but as a bust, it isn’t miniature either. He doesn’t plan on keeping it there for long anyway. He only needs to regain feeling in his arms.

Behind him, he hears what sounds like shouting and scraping of chairs against a hard floor. He looks over his shoulder at the commotion. Strange, he’s never noticed this restaurant before on his way home. He wonders how long it’s been in business and how long he’s been this oblivious. But the thought isn’t important and he faces the street, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Whatever is going on there is none of his business. That’s just how things work around here — witness something suspicious, turn around as if it was nothing more than a butterfly fluttering past.

Ignoring the happenings in the food establishment behind him, he whistles idly to a randomly fabricated tune. He’s barely registered that laughter and screaming has gotten louder when the sound of his life ending mutes every other sound in the universe.

Baekhyun looks down to see the back of someone’s head. The shrill sound that escapes Baekhyun’s throat is something much more intense than a scream -- there isn’t even a word to describe it.

“Get back here and pay!” A small, older woman rushes out of the restaurant. Baekhyun doesn’t hear her but the person sprawled out over the ground does and glances behind them.

Pushing himself up on to his feet — and causing the shattered pieces of clay to clank together — the person gives the woman and Baekhyun what is supposed to be a charming smile. Baekhyun doesn’t see anything but the crushed state of the box his precious bust was in.

“Sorry about that, dude. No hard feelings right?” He chuckles. Baekhyun only hears maniacal laughter. “Well, I gotta go. Good luck with that!”

The woman from the restaurant shouts after the guy flees. She runs up the sidewalk after him but Baekhyun doesn’t care. Baekhyun can’t even breathe.

He drops to his knees and rips off the tape holding the box closed. Gingerly, he opens one flap and then the other. The sight of such a beautiful masterpiece destroyed brings tears to his eyes.

“My sculpture. My precious sculpture. Ruined. Murdered. My baby is in pieces,” he laments to himself.

The lady has returned to her shop, muttering about calling the police about ungrateful delinquents. She doesn’t spare Baekhyun a glance.

Closing the flaps of the box, he stands and glares in the direction the murderer ran off toward. “How blind do you need to be to not see such a big box, you moron?”

Kicking his tattered box, Baekhyun forces himself to not chuck it into the nearest dumpster and break into mourning tears. He’ll try to revive it but if he has to start this project over, that standoffish wide-eyed son of a needs to pray Baekhyun never sees him again. Denting the box further with another kick, all Baekhyun envisions is blood on his hands. And what a beautiful picture it is. He can imagine the sight of those eyes bulging out of that guy’s skull more than they already do. He can imagine how lovely that amused, unapologetic face will look with an expression of pair and horror. And he didn’t think it possible, but the image is made much more appealing when he beings to fantasize over Sehun in the same situation, suffering at Baekhyun’s will.

As a sadistic grin spreads across his face, a worried jogging woman approaches him. Before she has a chance to open , Baekhyun slaps his hand over her entire face.

“Hush. I’m planning funerals, right now. Don’t ruin it.” 

When the sun starts to fall behind the distant horizon, Lu Han says goodbye, explaining how Sehun is staying at his apartment for a few days and mooching all of his food. Minseok walks with him up to the corner of the street his apartment complex is on and declines the offer of coming in for something to drink. His mind returns to the phone call earlier and he makes up some excuse about how he has to run over a script and find his character before tomorrow and it’s already getting late so he should just get on home. From the way Lu Han pats his back, he seems to believe his lie. As the Chinese male leaves in the direction of his building, Minseok waves and wishes for a slight second that he himself could stay at Lu Han’s place. But that is a bad thought and he scolds himself for not wanting to return to his own residence.

Minseok pivots on his heel and starts to head in the opposite direction. He’s barely taken two steps before his phone rings again. One look at the caller ID and he sighs.

“I’m not in the best of moods, Tao,” Minseok murmurs, checking for cars before he starts to cross the street.

“He came in looking for you. He’s pissed, Min.”

A gasp crawls up from his chest, but it never makes it out of his mouth, and he stops short in the middle of the street. He stands there until a car horn blares in his ear and he rushes to the other side of the street, bowing deeply but not really looking at the car.

“How long ago? What did you say to him?”

“About fifteen minutes ago and that I had no idea where you were. Xiumin, you shouldn’t be sneaking around like this. You know how Kris is.”

“I don’t need you to lecture me right now.” Turning at a corner, Minseok sighs and presses his palm into his right eye. The stop for the bus he needs to take is still a few blocks away and he’s not even sure what time the next bus will come. He’s not even sure if he wants to return home yet; at least, not with this dull headache, but he knows he has to.

“Do you want to stay at my place? I’m sure Jongin won’t mind.”

“Thanks but no thanks. Staying with you tonight will only make him angrier.”

Minseok freezes when an arm snakes around his waist and his phone is taken from his hand. The pain of the headache behind his right eye intensifies and he feels sick with an onslaught of various emotions.

“I’m could never be angry with you, love.” Kris’s voice is sickly sweet and if his grip wasn’t threatening to break Minseok’s phone, Minseok would have believed him. “But I’m sad you think of me in such a way.”

The soft press of Kris’ lips against his temple has a wave of guilt settling restlessly in the pit of Minseok’s stomach.

“I’m sorry,” he says, dropping his head. He feels another kiss at the back of neck, right above his collar.

“I know you are,” Kris mumbles against his skin. “We’ll talk more in the car.”

And then the arm around his waist disappears and Minseok exhales. Hesistantly, he follows Kris to where he parked his car just around the corner from where the playground is. He keeps his eyes on the ground and tries not to think about how Kris knew he was here. He tries not to think about how much he regrets not taking up Lu Han’s offer of a drink.

“So what were you doing around here?” Kris questions as soon as he starts the car. It’s nothing fancy, just a freshly painted black convertible his parents gave as a gift for his birthday last year. Minseok looks up from his lap but doesn’t turn to face the other.

“I was meeting a friend.”

Kris nods and shuts off the radio when the awkward, cutesy voice of some female pop singer sounds. “What friend? Tao’s working all day, Kyungsoo went to annoy Kai, and Chanyeol and I had some work to do down at the shop after class.”

“Some guy I’m partnered up with for my next performance skit. We decided to come over to this side of town since it’s not as grungy and-”

“Don’t lie to me, Min.” Kris pulls up to a red light and stretches his arm across the back of Minseok’s seat, giving the smaller man a pointed look.

“His name is Lu Han,” Minseok admits. Absentmindedly, his hand reaches for the end of his sleeve but before his fingers can caress the soft cotton material, Kris moves his arm and takes Minseok’s hand in his.

He interweaves their fingers together and kisses the back of Minseok’s hand. “That’s all you had to say.” He smiles and Minseok wonders how he could ever talk bad or react so aversely to him. A subtle smile creeps up on Minseok’s own face and he becomes so engrossed in the feeling of their hands clasped together that he doesn’t notice how Kris grips the steering wheel as if he wants to rip it off with just that one hand.

Minseok pushes the front door closed and the click resonates in the small hallway. Kris slips off his shoes wordlessly and stalks into the bathroom. Heaving a sigh, Minseok slowly takes off his own shoes. He flicks off the light as he shuffles into their bedroom, knowing that when Kris goes into the bathroom as soon as they get home there is no point in trying to make dinner. He leaves the general bedroom lights off and takes a memorized path in the dark to his bedside lamp. Turning the switch, he casts a dull yellow hue over the room. He frowns. Perhaps he should buy a new light bulb.

Their bed is dressed perfectly (Minseok makes sure to smooth out the sheets and rearrange the pillows every morning) with silk black linens and a bedspread that is too soft and has too much insulation for the warming weather. Minseok tosses himself onto the bed face-first and groans into the blankets. He registers the sound of their door closing and Kris’ calm, approaching footsteps but makes no effort to move. The mattress sinks under the weight of the younger man. Minseok presses his cheek into the bed in order to watch Kris crawling onto the bed. Folding his arms and laying his head atop them when Kris hovers over him, Minseok doesn’t expect the fingers that dig into his sides.

“Kris!” He screams in surprise and tries to crawl away but Kris drags him back, refusing to stop.

“What? You don’t like it?” Kris mocks, targeting Minseok’s waist with his ticklish fingers. The older man continues to flail around spastically, overcome with laughter.

“Stop, please,” he begs out of breath with a large grin on his face.

Kris doesn’t let up until Minseok screams again and he sits back on his haunches, observing the quick rise of the smaller man’s back as he regains his breath. Minseok shifts beneath him, but before he can move away Kris slides his fingers into his hair and yanks his head up by the short strands.

Despite the pain that spreads through his scalp, Minseok bites his tongue to keep from whining. This is what he was waiting for all day, what he knew was coming. It’s peculiar… Usually Kris is more straightforward with his punishments; he’s hit Minseok in public with no hesitation before just because of a minor misunderstanding.

Kris lowers his head until their cheeks are pressed up against each other, his hand still pulling at Minseok’s hair. “I’ll forgive you today but the next time I won’t be as nice.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

Screw it. I'm just going to have awkward/random titles. yolo. Isn't Kris just the sweetest boyfriend? Yeah, I know :D So we have the appearance of more people~~ Anyone figure out who broke Baekhyun's poor sculpture?

@raelin:  I think everyone wants to eat the baozi, and if they don't then they're crazy.

@callisto:  It must be because Gloria's milk is pink lol. There will be plenty more of Chanyeol but that's a little later~ And all aegyo is welcome but no you don't have to do aegyo to be friends with me haha ^^

@soymilk149: There is no such thing as late, my dear. No such thing. Kris likes to make sure he has his baozi in check. He has to keep his pimp hand strong, okay?

@palabra_viva: And the jealous, possesive drama stuff begins~~

@fmaxp3rt: It the worst thing I could ever discover, okay? Do you know how long it's been since I've had strawberry milk? (About three weeks but still...they dropped the baozi in the chemical z).  Luhan bb is not awkward, his swag is just too much for you. And nope, no remorse.

@dibsfortwo: Xiumin's presence changes him from normal Luhan into overly cute Luhan. And hey, if Minseok looks good in his Kris' clothes then what's wrong with it? XD

@tomatomc: Xiuhan is perfection. That is what Xiuhan is 8D

@starkey: haha, no it's not just you who thinks that. Minseok's oversized clothes are obviously a sign of Kris' love. Either that or he's a gang member.

@yoonmi:  Of course Kris loves Xiumin that much~~ Luhan works fast. They barely  know each other and he already has a nickname for him.

@shuukaaku: omg yes that is perfect. Chanyeol should add all of those smileys to the end of his name.

@lastlaughlane: Of course it did XP I just had to include the baozi nickname since Luhan seems to be seriously confused in real life as to if Minseok is human or a steamed bun.

@start-to-finish: lol Xiumin knows there is no point in fighting it anymore and he's going to be a baozi forever.

(ﾉ＾▽＾)ﾉ～～～～♥