From: Baekhyun

To: Sehunnie:3

You didn’t forget right? I’ll meet you there in an hour. Did you remember to wear something nice Sehunnie? <3

Baekhyun sent a text to Sehun with a smile. He had to be sure that their maknae didn’t forget; it was unfortunately known to happen a lot. He and Chanyeol were snuggled up on the sofa watching an episode of Firefly. Baekhyun was sat in a pile of pillows with his fluffy socks clad feet dangling over Chanyeol’s legs. Chanyeol was still wearing the same orange reindeer jumper, adamant that it was too comfy and soft to take off.

“Bae…” Chanyeol started but Baekhyun quickly silenced him.

“Shhshshhhshh, a great quote’s coming up….” Baekhyun waited on tenterhooks for of the many epic lines of the series, “…If horses were wishes then we’d all be eating steaks.” Baekhyun said along with Jayne in his best gruff voice which came out a little too high pitched to really mimic the manly character. “Ahh I love Jayne, he’s so y!” Baekhyun squealed before looking over at Chanyeol. Chanyeol blew a wisp of hair from his eyes with a grumpy pout. Baekhyun just giggled and scratched the younger’s head. “I love you more dummy.”

“Yeah, but you like Jayne ‘cause he’s all muscly and stuff…”Chanyeol grumbled, his lower lip still obstinately sticking out. Baekhyun jabbed at the protruding lip with his finger and laughed as Chanyeol withdrew it.

“You’re manly too Channie, c’mon, show me your muscles.” Baekhyun said, lightly tugging at Chanyeol’s arms with a grin. Chanyeol shook his head as his cheeks turned pink. Baekhyun rolled over so that he was sat on Chanyeol’s lap facing him and tugged again.

“No Baekie, that’s embarrassing…” Chanyeol said, looking down, unable to meet Baekhyun’s eyes. Baekhyun lifted his chin with a single fingertip and smiled. “But Channie, how am I supposed to know that my man is a manly man unless he shows me?” Baekhyun made his eyes wide and turned down the corners of his mouth, in a desperate plea. He couldn’t help teasing Chanyeol, usually he was the one blushing and it was nice to have the tables turned for once.

Chanyeol finally lifted his arms slightly and flexed his muscles, his face as red as a tomato. Baekhyun let his fingers trail along his boyfriend’s well defined muscles. No matter how much he , he couldn’t deny that Chanyeol seemed to be becoming more toned and muscled all the time. He wasn’t horribly ripped but it was enough to make Baekhyun drool a little. Baekhyun leaned down so that his lips were grazing past Chanyeol’s ears, “See, you’re my y, manly boyfriend, Or as Carrie would say; manfriend.” Baekhyun said with a giggle.          At that moment his phone began playing SNSD The Boys, muffled through his jeans pocket. He delved the phone from his pocket and slid the bar across to talk to Chen.

“Byun Baekhyun, wanton God with a very bad man between his thighs.” Baekhyun said into the phone, replying to Chen with a, “…mum…” Before they both burst into giggles. He had to stop letting film and TV quotes rule his life, but for Bridget Jones and Firefly he would always make an exception.

“So, is Luhan going to go Chen?” Baekhyun asked, getting to the real reason behind the phone call.

“Yeah he is, and he bought the whole party thing too so he should be dressed well for a date.” Chen said, his excitement audibly heard by his buzzing voice. “Oh wait, we forgot! Lighting to Light, can you hear me Light?” Chen said in a naval voice.

“I hear you clear as day lightning, I am sitting on fire.” Baekhyun replied with the same military formality.

“Thanks for the unwanted mental image Light.” Baekhyun giggled at Chen’s reply.

“Ya, why are all of our code names so similar? I mean lightning causes fires which is a source of light. What sense does that make?” Chanyeol said with a flick to Baekhyun’s forehead. Chen’s voice crackled from the phone at that point, “The reason Chanyeol is that all of us are stubborn and none of us wanted to give up our code names.”

“Good point Lightning.” Chanyeol said with a pearly grin. Baekhyun glanced at his watch, and spoke up again, returning the phone to his ear from where he had been holding it between himself and Chanyeol.

“I gotta hang up now so that I can be ready to call and cancel on Sehun. Bye Chen...Err I mean Lighting.” Baekhyun hung up the phone after hearing Chen’s goodbye. Baekhyun smiled at Chanyeol and leaned down for a soft kiss before tucking himself into the younger’s chest.

“You ready to make Sehun very angry and then happy again within the period of about five minutes?” Asked Chanyeol softly as he drew his arms around Baekhyun’s torso to hold him closer.

“You bet Channie.” Baekhyun said with a grin and a twinkling eye smile.

Sehun POV

Sehun’s feet crunched along the frost frozen grass of the park as he made his way to his favourite bubble tea shop. He loved the noise of crispy grass, it was the like when you step an awkwardly far distance to the side while walking just to step on a crunchy looking leaf. Just to hear that satisfying crackle. He had his long pale fingers stuffed deep into his coat pocket, trying to keep them from the chilling wind as he walked. He had decided not to dress too extravagantly as he didn’t know what type of party it was that Baekhyun was planning on taking him to. He had settled for wearing skin tight black skinny jeans with a half buttoned down plain blue shirt with a black tank top underneath, topped by a much less fashionable thick black coat to keep away the chills.

His black converse clad feet clacked on the ground as he stepped back onto the concrete pavement. His dead pan expression spread into a small smile as he saw the small building he was approaching. The warm glow emanating from the windows was drawing him in and he felt his legs automatically pull his body towards the warm embrace that he knew that the little café would provide him with. He pushed through the bustling throng of people on the little street and after a little effort managed to make it to the front door. The tinkling chime as he opened the door elicited another small smile from him as he waved to the old woman behind the counter. She had fairly dark, wrinkled skin, worn down like old leather and warm dark eyes. Her black hair was hung in a thick plait as usual over her shoulder and her eyes held their constant bright sparkle.

“Good evening Sehun. I had a feeling that you might come today so I saved your table by the fire.” She said in her soft, gentle voice.

“Thank you Mrth Choi, how do you alwayth know?” Asked Sehun, as he leant over the counter to press a light kiss to each of her cheeks. She smiled brightly back at him, “Just call it a mad old woman’s instincts dear. Do you want your usual then?” Sehun tapped his finger on his chin in thought, what did he want? She chuckled merrily at him as he slipped into the thinking face that only bubble tea could draw from him.

“Oh, I know!” He burst out with a grin. “Can I pleathe have the banana bubble tea but with the fudge thauce and you know thothe, I don’t know what they are, the crunchy thingth on top.” Sehun pouted a little as he forgot their name, but he remembered that they were delicious to eat. Mrs Choi smiled and squished his cheeks endearingly with a smile.

“I know what you mean Sehun, go sit down and it’ll be right over.” Sehun nodded happily a few times before sliding into his regular chair.

It was a table for two, sat beside the roaring and crackling fire that was flickering merrily in the stone fireplace. He loved this café, it didn’t feel like a café, it felt like home should feel. Warm and always making him feel happy.

“Are Baekhyun, Kai or any of the others joining you today?” Mrs Choi called across the small room, there were only a few other customers at the time and they didn’t seem to mind at all so Sehun called back.

“Mmm, Baekhyun-hyung ith meeting me. You know what he ith like at being late though tho I wouldn’t make hith yet.” Sehun looked up with a grin. Mrs Choi had walked up to his table with a toweringly tall glass filled with bubble tea and topped with…well…toppings. “I’ll wait until he arrives, don’t worry. Enjoy dear.” Mrs Choi said, ruffling his hair before going back to the counter. She slipped on her old fashioned brown glasses and Sehun could hear the tell-tale tapping of calculator keys, telling him that she was checking up on her finances. He grumbled as he fixed his hair but he wasn’t really angry.  

At that moment his phone buzzed, looking at the caller ID he saw that it was Baekhyun. “Hey Hyung, are you on your way?” He said as he answered the phone.

“Ah, sorry Sehunnie!” Baekhyun said in a soft, saddened voice, “Chanyeol was over this morning and he was going to go to visit his aunt this evening but he got a really bad stomach ache this morning and isn’t well enough. I think I’m going to have to stay here and look after him, I am so sorry for bailing Sehunnie!” Baekhyun was almost wailing his words out and panic set in for Sehun.

“It’th fine Hyung, I don’t mind really, thtay with Chanyeol if he needth you. Pleathe don’t feel bad.” Sehun tried to convince Baekhyun that it was okay, worried at the cracked voice of his Hyung.

“A-are you sure Sehunnie? You’re not mad?” Baekhyun sounded so broken, Chanyeol must have been really ill. Sehun made a mental note to check up on him when he got the chance.

“No of courthe I’m not mad Hyung. You should go take care of Chanyeol-hyung. I’ll ring you later, nae?” Sehun said in his calmest voice to steady the elder.

“O-okay, Bye Sehunnie.”

“Bye Hyung.” The line rang dead as Baekhyun hung up. Sehun sighed as he slid the device back into his pocket. He looked down at his full glass of bubble tea before his eyes trailed back up to stare deep into the depths of the fire. He lost himself in the glow and crackle of the embers. He slipped from his chair onto his knees and grabbed two logs from the basket, laying them onto the cinders, being careful not to burn his fingers. He then grabbed hold of the coal bucket and roughly poured a few blocks of the sooty blackness into the spaces around the logs. He slid his knees back a little on the slate hearth and got his face low enough to blow life into the sparking coals. Happy with the roaring and crackling result he lifted his head with a smile and clapped any dirt from his hands.

“Sehun?” The light, lilting voice chimed behind him in a question. Was that who he thought it was? He kept his knees in place but looked over his shoulder to see the petite, angelic figure stood a few meters away from him at the counter. Luhan.

Luhan’s head was tilted to one side, his doe eyes wide and inquisitive, forever asking questions to things he would never know the answers to. His pink lips quirked into a small timid smile as Sehun looked around. Sehun’s heart stopped and shuddered, his cheeks reddening, though he hoped that it looked like it was the heat from the fire. His reply caught in his throat as he noticed the blue bobble hat that was pushing Luhan’s honey toned hair into his now half-moon eyes. Luhan lifter a single finger to motion Sehun to wait for a minute. Sehun just nodded robotically, lifting himself off of his knees and brushing off any soot still clinging to his jeans, though you could hardly see it on his jet black jeans, he did it for his own peace of mind. He settled back into his chair and wrapped his slender fingers around his bubble tea glass. On the outside he looked cool and collected but on the inside he was screaming and spazzing.

Sehun glanced over at the counter, trying not to look too obviously at the boy that had his heart racing. Luhan was wearing a red and white stripy sweater with pale blue skinny jeans in the same shade as his little hat. Sehun wondered how the boy hadn’t caught a chill, it was bitterly cold outside, Sehun had been sure that had he sneezed it would have formed icicles from his thin nose. Luhan bowed at Mrs Choi with a wide smile and bowed to her twice before walking towards Sehun. Sehun was saddened to see that the wide smile that Luhan had just given to Mrs Choi was now just a slight curvature of his cute, pink lips.

“Hey Sehun.” Luhan uttered, barely above a whisper. His eyes were focused on his toes as he spoke and Sehun noticed his white cheeks had a tint of pink, it reminded him of a pink and white pack of marshmallows, which then caused him to say…”Do you like chubby bunnieth?” His eyes widened as he realised what he had said. Luhan looked up at him with his questioning eyes. “Umm, I meant, hi?” Sehun felt his own blush returning as Luhan giggled, the sound resonating through the whole of Sehun and making him shiver.

“So what are you doing here?” Luhan asked, a little louder than the first time but Sehun still had to strain to catch the soft words.

“Oh, I wath meeting Baekhyun-hyung but he can’t come now, he hath to take care of Chanyeol.” Sehun replied, proud of his stutter free voice, “How about you Luhan?”

“Me? I’m waiting for Chen…” Luhan looked over at a free table across the room, his expression portraying his uncertainty. Sehun took a deep breath and clutched his drink harder.

“Do you want to thit with me while you wait?” Sehun held his breath, glad of having taken a big breath before, as he waited for the response. Luhan looked up at him with a timid smile but bright, glistening eyes as he nodded and slipped into the chair opposite Sehun. His little hands rested on the table either side of his drink, they were so close to Sehun’s own hands, he wanted nothing more than to just reach out and touch them. Luhan leaned down and drew a large mouthful up through his straw, slurping happily.

“So, what flavour did you get Sehun?” Luhan asked, his inquisitive eyes full of curiousity over something as simple as a flavour.

“Hmm, I got the banana with fudge thauce and the, you know, the crunchy bitth on top.” Sehun said, coughing slightly in embarrassment at his haphazard explanation. “What about you? What did you get?” Sehun couldn’t stop himself from leaning over to peer into Luhan’s glass, “No! Let me gueth.” He tapped his chin and his tongue slipped out and slicked his lips as he thought, still gazing into the glass. He heard a sharp intake of breath and looked up to find his face only inches from Luhan’s, whose eyes were wide, lantern like orbs, those of a startled deer. Sehun hurriedly pulled away and sat straight in his chair, coughing again.

“Umm, ith it chocolate with dried orange thprinkleth and chocolate orange thauce?” He asked, trying to shoo away his blush.

Luhan’s startled eyes turned into ones of awe as he clapped and giggled, “Ah, it is! How did you know?” Luhan gasped, eyes glowing with excitement. Sehun scratched the back of his neck.

“I, um, well I jutht really like bubble tea I gueth.” He gave a small smile and his heart stuttered as Luhan returned it. Looking at the blonde beauty in front of him he hoped that Chen would never arrive so that they could have longer together. So that he could have longer in the presence of an angel. So that he could look upon perfection for even a second more.

“So, do you…” Luhan started with the expression of someone who was about to undertake a full on conversation about something that Sehun was sure he would lose the thread of at the beginning and end up just nodding complacently along to. But before he could finish his sentence a quiet buzzing cut him off and Luhan held up the single finger that Sehun was becoming more and more accustomed to, and strangely more and more infatuated with. Quickly reading his text Luhan’s eyebrows raised and his cute eyes widened. He chewed delicately on his bottom lip as he tapped out a reply. The sight made Sehun’s heart flip and cartwheel through his ribcage.

“Uhh, Chen isn’t coming now.” Sehun tried to look as though this was disappointing news when inside he was throwing a little party for himself.  “I guess I should get going then.” Luhan said. Was that a note of regret Sehun heard as Luhan said that. No, he couldn’t leave, not now.

“N-no.” Sehun said automatically, his lips habitually as he looked down. “I mean, you had betht at leatht finithh your bubble tea. You paid for it after all.” Sehun tried to convince Luhan, eyed still locked on a knot in the wood of the table.

“I don’t want to disturb you though.” Luhan said sadly as he stood up to leave. Sehun reached out and wrapped his cold fingers around Luhan’s warm wrist, the skin on skin contact sending electrically charged sparks throughout his entire body, accumulating in his chest. “I-I want you to stay, pleathe?” Sehun asked, his cheeks flaming by this point as he finally looked up into Luhan’s eyes. Luhan’s sad expression slipped from his face as he smiled shyly, his eyelashes batting beautifully against his cheeks as he sat back down and looked at Sehun.

“I’ll stay then…” He paused before locking his eyes on Sehun’s. His rich brown, almost black eyes were full of warmth and something else that Sehun had never seen in someone’s eyes before. “…Sehun-ah.”

To be continued...