"Who the ing hell took my car?!" Luhan all but screams right after stepping out of the building. His fingers were fidgeting on his side, a mannerism he never seemed to outgrew since grade school whenever he's upset or agitated, too agitated because holy crap his bulging eyes couldn't see even a wheel of his baby no matter how much he swirls his head left to right searchingly or how he narrows his eyes hard at the relatively empty space of the parking lot where his car was supposed to be parked. Xiumin's forehead furrows deeply in bewilderment after hearing about Luhan's missing vehicle in shill hysterics.  

 

"What? Luhan are you sure you parked it here?" Xiumin asks fervently, looking over a frantic Luhan moving around, restlessly scanning the whole lot for his car. He had seen Luhan's car, that classy vehicle he drives around  ostentatiously. It wouldn't be a wonder why every thief in the city would take interest on stealing it.

 

"Of course! I parked it right here."  The wheels left deep indented tracks on the snow where Luhan's stands, cursing loudly, unfazed by  the offended downturn of Xiumin's lips as if it's him he's swearing at. But Luhan's busy fussing over his baby to care about his words or the disapproving look on Xiumin's face Joonmyeon does all the time when Luhan's talking s.

 

His Lamborghini Murcielago is too dazzling he could recognize it from a mile away, and from the look of it his precious baby is grievously missing. Gone. Puff.  

 

"I'll call someone and-" Xiumin threw Luhan a surprised look when the Chinese male hastily stopped him from fiddling with his phone and says he just remembered someone asking for his car keys during the filming break and he gave it away willingly.

 

"I think it was Baekhyun." Luhan's grits his teeth, reminding himself to  amputate his dearest friend's limbs when he gets a hold of him. Xiumin sighed in an outmost relief that Luhan didn't just had his car stolen away by an actual thief, but just Baekhyun. The way Luhan's nares flares though appears to be even more enraged by that tiny bit of info and he's murmuring Baekhyun's name and death simultaneously.

 

"Um.. we can use my car?" Xiumin sheepishly offers, tilts his head and pointing his parked car just a few walk from where they're standing. Xiumin's car wasn't luxurious as Luhan's Lamborghini Murcielago, it wasn't even eye catchy by Luhan's standards but since it's Xiumin's, i'll do just fine as long as they'll be in it together. Xiumin was slightly taken aback by the wide skittish smile Luhan's flashing at him that he nearly trip over a twig when the Chinese male all too enthusiastically bustled him towards the direction of his car.

 

"So, ah- where do you wanna eat?" Xiumin inquires the moment he made it on the driver's seat and scratches his cheek dumbly."Sorry, i was so preoccupied with the filming that," he was too focused on reviewing the shots they filmed that looking for a place to take Luhan slipped from his mind completely. He prays Luhan wouldn't throw an hour of his rantings for it. And he should just consider himself lucky because Luhan did no petty tantrums and just looked at him with a knowing grin.

 

"I made reservations Xiumin, no worries." Luhan sings, scrambling into his seat and hopping comfortably. He turns and settles his precious thermos into the bottle holder by the door side before he glances at Xiumin over his shoulder."Pierre Gagnaire à Séoul."

 

Xiumin gave out a long dumbfounded stare."W-Where?" he squeaks, visibly confused by the foreign name only that he knows it sounds French. Luhan giggles heartily, hiding his proud smirks for causing the latter's quizzical reaction. He haven't really been to the said place, only deciding on spending his dinner date there because of it's excellent reviews. That and also because he'll sound really suave saying Pierre Gagnaire à Séoul to Xiumin after diligently practicing how to properly pronounce the damn french words the entire afternoon. The starpodcast helped a lot too.

 

"Sogong-dong, Jung-gu in Lotte hotel Seoul." Luhan says, leaning over the armrest stifling an erupting laugh when the young director turns the ignition on in a haste, lips pursing musingly that Luhan's kinda starting to find a little more too adorable for Xiumin's sake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pierre Gagnaire à Seoul was located at the top floor of the Lotte hotel.

 

 

Luhan strides along the elegant flooring confidently, taking his time in every steps, basking under the admiring eyes following him as he pass. Xiumin on the other hand could hardly take steady continuous steps as he keeps his eyes wandering above the intricate interiors of the hotel. They were both politely greeted by few hotel personnel's when they reached the top floor, warmly welcoming them in. Luhan was openly amused by Xiumin who's, without a doubt, enthralled by everything, from when they're ushered to their reserved table, to the last second they sat facing each other on their sits.

 

Luhan made sure they'll be having the best seat in the house by the window overlooking Seoul's various flickering city lights and the Bukhan mountain obscured by the murky gloom of the night. Xiumin is still staring down at the view with a small parting of his lips, urging Luhan's own to lift up across his face in fondness for the other male. Luhan gives himself a good pat on the back for doing a marvelous job of obviously wooing Xiumin. He definitely scored with this one.  

 

"Wow, Lu-Luhan this place is a-amazing." Xiumin blurts after long minutes of just looking over and taking in the sight beyond them. The gleamy lights looks like tiny tidbits of stars in Xiumin's eyes as it reflects in them. Luhan sees the beauty Xiumin's looking at through his eyes and it's squeezing something in his chest, in a good feeling kind of way.

 

"I know." Luhan looks into those pointy eyes of the latter, he takes in the pleasure of watching how it travels around the whole place again, glimmering in astonishment like child who can't stay still.

 

Luhan is amazed at the place himself. He carefully looked this whole place up the entire day and by the entity of it, the photographs didn't do it's justice. The flourish interiors was professionally designed i'll have anyone staring for hours. The Chandeliers down to the tiniest silverware are closely majestic and probably costs four times more than a person's kidneys. There's that soothing European music blending with the enticing scent of french cuisine  loafing pleasantly in the air, deceiving Luhan into thinking that he's on a date in France with Xiumin.

 

Luhan might be enraptured by the scenery, the intimate ambiance or the appetizing fragrance, but he'd rather die than let his amazement be reflected in his face. He needs to play it cool and refined to Xiumin so he ducks every tingling adoration with a chic,"Yeah," to the other male and a little more of him leaning causally back against the softest chair he'd ever rest his on.

 

The menu was offered by a tall male in cream crisp clothes and a dark vest, smiling benevolently at them. Xiumin flips through the menu after giving the fine server a small thankful nod. Luhan picks the menu and eyes the writings. With pretentiously disinterested eyes, he studies the dishes on the menu, humming sweetly as he rests his chin over his propped hand. His laid back facade masks a Luhan internally pulling his hair and singing profanities at the enormous amount of french words he's looking at and what's Tronçon de sole meunière suppose to even mean?

 

"Excuse me sir but," Luhan takes a fugitive look over the menu he's holding, gulping down his chuckles as he watch Xiumin poking the server on his arm and shows him the menu."Could you um.. tell me what this is?" he sounds twice as shy and naive as he usually does around Luhan and it's terribly choking him inside because Xiumin's undeniably the cutest little thing alive that could cause Luhan's demise.

 

The young director was pointing a portion on the menu and despite the english translated terms preceding the french words, the server earnestly explained the dish to an eagerly listening Xiumin.

 

Luhan couldn't help but melts away as Xiumin grins that grin that makes Luhan want to keep him forever."Thank you," the young director says after understanding what the server courteously explained. Luhan have been staring too closely that it only occurred to him how Xiumin's only wearing simple casual clothes. A faded blue jeans and a gray hoodie with a USA written in big fonts on it, a size too much for Xiumin's small frame. Luhan suddenly felt overdressed, but then pushed the thought away rationalizing how it's a must to make Xiumin go gaga all over him. He has to admit Xiumin looks so darn cute even in simple clothes and wonders if he could still consider him the same once he's gazing at him .

 

"How about you sir?" the kindly gentlemen asks Luhan, promptly breaking the Chinese's male's trance of 'stripping Xiumin's casual wear he'll look more delicious without them,' thoughts.

 

I'll have a Xiumin on a silver platter well prep thanks.

 

"Just um," Luhan clears the lump in his throat and consciously squirms on his seat noting the expectant look on Xiumin's face."Whatever he's having." he says shortly, closing the menu and handing it back to the server with his handsomest smile, secretly hoping Xiumin's somehow fanboying over his manly features and eyeing his expensive wristwatch.

 

Xiumin wasn't.

 

The server excuses himself with a half bow. It's just Luhan and Xiumin alone together both looking over each other.

 

It's Xiumin who breaks the eye contact, deciding on looking back at the view over them."This place is so good Luhan, i mean, the view is breathtaking."

 

Luhan leans over the table, the dainty cutleries clanks as he props his elbows on the white crisp table clothe. Chin on his palm and sparkly eyes staring dazzlingly at Xiumin,"The view is certainly spectacular from here." he agrees, giggling warmly at Xiumin looking away again when he realizes it was he that Luhan was greasily referring to.

 

The tiny smile was cute, but Luhan thinks the beet blush creeping across Xiumin's puffy cheeks is way way cuter.

 

 

 

 

 

"So, how many people have you dated?"

 

The foods were served and the  delectable dishes in it's aesthetic presentation and the rumblings in his stomach were distracting Luhan from tuning in to Xiumin's answer. They have been talking inconsequential things as they waited. Majority of it was Xiumin blabbering about work, his broken heater and how his neighbor is having an affair with his boss who comes over when his neighbor's wife is out. Luhan doesn't really care about the drama they're working on even if he's one of it's editors, or particularly concern with the latter's unfaithful neighbor. The heater did alarmed him though because it's winter, and Xiumin will look like a frozen steam bun if it won't get fixed soon. Luhan would more likely to volunteer his scorching body to hug Xiumin around every time he'll feel cold but then, maybe Xiumin wouldn't much like the idea and just purchase a brand new heater. So Luhan kept quite and asks a question that he's more dying to hear the answer.

 

"I haven't dated anyone." the young director sitting from across says curtly, munching on his roasted scallop and looking at Luhan as he does.

 

Luhan was trying his hardest, aiming for a nifty clean cut as he slits his grilled beef gracefully with his knife when the latter's answer crawls to his nerves."ing hell what?!" he hisses, his confit onions flew out of his plate and his fallen cutlery resonates across the room, stirring the serene atmosphere and unavoidably garnered the attention of an old couple on the neighboring table.

 

Xiumin turns and smiles apologetically at the couple, much to Luhan's chagrined. Well there goes his gracefulness."I mean, are you serious?" Luhan adds, now in a finely gentleman manner as he regains his cool little by little."Haven't ever?" he presses on with some desperation beneath the gentleness in his voice. He doesn't really want to sound like he's prying so hard so he rearranges the lining eyebrows on his forehead and smoothens it out to seem like he's devastatingly concerned of Xiumin's social welfare.

 

"Yeah, i've never been in a relationship before." Xiumin shyly admitted, concealing his sheepish chuckles behind the slender glass of champagne. If Luhan wasn't quick with his reactions, this time he would have joyously screamed at the top of his lungs, possibly shocking the courteous server who came to his side to replace his fallen cutlery.

 

Xiumin hasn't dated anyone. If he has been single for the past years, it could only mean one thing. Xiumin is a freaking . Might be a . Could still be a . Luhan's instantly floored by this new piece of information that the only sound he could come up with is a drawled, "O-oh." when it should have been a boisterous 'Oh ing yes!' and a fist pump. Xiumin did say he's not currently dating anyone but Luhan sure as hell didn't expect it to mean that way. Surely, with that splendid face and a perky how could Xiumin be possibly untainted?

 

"Even in middle school? College? You-" Luhan wants to be sure. The erratic beating of his heart nudges him to be absolutely certain and the uncomfortable growing tent in his pants tells him Xiumin better not be speaking lies.

 

Xiumin hums, giving the question a thought before nodding quite demurely at Luhan."I did like some few people when i was in college but i guess i'm really not the attractive type and- Luhan, hey are you alright?!" Xiumin's suddenly half sitting, eyes growing alarmingly wide as he straightened his back fully. He's about to scramble to Luhan's side and call someone over immediately because Luhan has his fist stuck up his mouth and he looks like he's struggling to breathe.

 

"I'm alright!" Luhan is not alright.

 

"A-are you sure?" Xiumin's slowly sitting back down on his seat, regarding Luhan with a solicitous look.

 

The Chinese male roughly coughs after pulling his fist out of his mouth. He downs half a glass of water in one go, feeling Xiumin's unsettling stare on him.  If he didn't just jab a hand down his throat he would have been bawling as penetratingly loud as a trumpet. Xiumin's oblivious on how it's a freaking good news to Luhan. If he gets the chance to sleep with the latter which he so certain he will one way or another, i'll be like hitting a jackpot, winning a lottery, being hailed king of the world.

 

Luhan couldn't be anymore thankful to those student's who went to the same university as Xiumin. A batch of blind fools they were. If he happened to meet Xiumin he wouldn't let the young director pass him by without snatching his phone number. Nevertheless, he'll be the first one to pop Xiumin's cheery and that's all it takes for Luhan to add up to the Chandelier's blinding light with his brightest megawatts smile.

 

"How about you?"

 

"Ha?" Luhan's far long gone in his cloud of happiness over picking a suitable flavor and toys to even notice Xiumin looking at him after taking the last chunk of his scallops.

 

"Have you ever been in a relationship?" Xiumin asks in feeble stutters, face florid.

 

Luhan's smile vanishes instantly. The prime beef he had eaten feels like it's galloping it's way out of his throat. The harmless question pricked his victorious bubble in a blink of an eye, carefully enlightening Luhan that just because Xiumin hasn't dated anyone doesn't really say he's still a . Luhan himself hasn't dated anyone seriously yet he had slept over a lot of people to even remember their names. Who knows, Xiumin could be like him too. No.

 

"Luhan?" Xiumin his head, baffled as to why Luhan's giddiness were shooting to different colors then in a spur of a moment he's sitting there like a wilting sunflower. His head facing down on his unfinished meal, shoulder hunched with a mournful gloom and Xiumin's hearing these whimpering noises spilling from Luhan's mouth. Why was he even whimpering?

 

"I- have't .. either." Luhan weakly says, lifting his chin up so he could cast Xiumin a bitterly defeated smile, asking himself why he's feeling dismayed over Xiumin's ity.

 

As far as he could recall, or not it never really bothered him before. He didn't go around asking people if they're still a before knocking them hard against the wall. It leads Luhan to his own confusion as to why he even cares? He shouldn't care.

 

"What? Really?" Xiumin choked on a mouthful of dry wine, his bun-like cheeks protrudes that makes him appear so squish-able to Luhan. There's this fringe poking on his right eye making him blink fretfully at it, and it's Luhan's silent wish to be the one to tuck it right back.

 

A tall server came with there deserts before Luhan gets to say something.

 

The chocolate soufflé biscuit had stolen both of their attention for a moment there, even Luhan who was suppose to be lamenting over Xiumin's virtue. The Chinese male half grins as he observes how Xiumin looks lost in front of a puddle of sweets, spooning a praline ice cream topping and takes it in, eyes closed. Luhan let's himself be temporarily distracted by Xiumin's little mewls and smiles as he eats. He looks like a kid, a kid Luhan would very much be willing to adopt and spoil.

 

Luhan laughs hard, picking up his own spoon and goes to get a taste of the chocolate biscuit. He sits there wordless, letting the thick texture of chocolate delves into his tastebuds, savoring it. It tastes heavenly and rich it sinks up on his palate. But those pair of thin lips and glimpses of toothy smiles Luhan sees on Xiumin's face after finishing his own plate is maybe the sweetest thing Luhan ever wanted to get a taste again.

 

"Why haven't you dated anyone?" Xiumin's dapping a napkin across his lips as he asks. Luhan is dying to blurt it out that he missed a spot    on the left under his lower lip and he'll be happy to lap it off with his own tongue for him but that would be so wrong, and inappropriate and he's suppose to follow Joonmyeon's instructions. So he did, a bit anxiously though.  

 

"I don't know?" Luhan averted his eyes, finding his fingers were actually prettier than Baekhyun's and he has to admire it for a minute.

 

He knew why of course, only that some things in his life were better  off hidden, locked away in the darkest corner of his heart where no one would be able to reach. He'd like to keep it that away."Same reason why you haven't i guess?" he says with a crooked smile, killing the wonderment right then and there before Xiumin gets the chance to sneak through some clandestine parts of heart.

 

"What? But- but you're attractive. Why wouldn't anyone-" Xiumin's spilled words trails off hearing what he just said himself, he started chanting nonsensical things as he panics to make sense. Luhan cries a half-suppressed laugh, nailing his fingers on a stable ground before he reaches across the table and pinch a handful of Xiumin's rounding cheeks that are now looking as red as the beetroot jelly he had eaten.

 

"So i'm attractive huh? why don't we discuss more of that." of course Luhan knew that already, and is merely teasing the other male for his own indulgence.

 

Xiumin's cheeks turned a shade rosier, in spite of himself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luhan paid for everything. Batting away Xiumin's rants that lasted more than fifteen minutes. The server, Michael, was smothering a laugh as he witnessed them bickering.The young director wanted to pay for it himself but Luhan's having none of that. While Xiumin's be over his failed efforts, Luhan feels good knowing Xiumin's becoming at ease around him.

 

They trudged out of the hotel's reception hall two hours later. Seoul's cold evening breeze washes over them, the stuffy wind sends a bristling shiver down Luhan's spine, making him grumble for forgetting his snugly glove at home and maybe bringing an extra pair for Xiumin just in case he didn't have one.

 

Indeed, Xiumin forgot his winter gloves. Luhan steals some few glances at Xiumin's quivering hand, debating whether holding the other male's hand would be considered inappropriate, by Joonmyeon's standards.

 

Xiumin unlocks his car, before he walks around gets in, Luhan opens the passenger's seat and calls Xiumin's attention."Wait Xiumin!" he bellowed, grabbing his thermos from it's compartment. He turns his head, coming face to face with the young director who's eyeing him curiously."T-This is for you."

 

Xiumin looks at Luhan and stared down long at the thermos before he accepts it."What's this?" he eyes the bottle with a scrutinizing gaze, tilting it and feeling the liquid  slosh inside. Luhan is cackling so evilly inside his head it's a great thing Xiumin can't hear him.

 

"It's a tea i made it just for you!" Luhan smiles merrily, veering Xiumin's attention to something else because he thinks he handed his thermos bottle a bit to rashly and his words a bit too loud to be not considered suspicious. Xiumin hums, carefully twisting the cover open. He took a quick peek at the tea and gets a whip of the fragrance. He puts the cover back on and offered Luhan a thoughtful smile that ensnared Luhan into one of those daze spells.

 

"Thank you." Xiumin says gratefully, still holding the thermos. Luhan grins a bit shyly, toeing a pebble on the street, he bit on his lip and hid his disappointed frown when Xiumin showed no intention on drinking it at all.

 

"Drink it!" Luhan urges, making Xiumin flinch."Like right now." he says, voice strong. He worked his off since early dawn to witness this very moment, he will not let the opportunity of seeing Xiumin swallowing down the tea that will tie them together pass him by nope.

 

Xiumin blinks at Luhan and look down at the bottle again. Whatever suspicious thoughts swirling in his head dissipates at the look of  Luhan's unrelenting cheery lips pursing at him, making the Chinese male even more attractive. Xiumin always had a hard time dealing with anything that gets him flustered, so he obliged. For his sake and not  because Luhan has his own snaring ways of prompting Xiumin into doing something for him. He scarcely survive how Luhan pouts, he's not sure he can afford hearing him whine.

 

Luhan could hear the booming drum-rolls in his ears, accelerating the thrilling moment of his life. His eyes were completely on Xiumin's lips touching the rim, he has both of his hands clench in a fist as he silently whispers,"Drink it yes, bottoms up," cunningly. The edges of Luhan's lips were slowly broadening because freaking God yes Xiumin has his eyes closing and his tilting the cup and-

 

"Wait! Candy comeback! Puppy!"

 

The squealing voice had them turning to find where it's coming from. Not too far from them there's a tiny puppy with curly fur as white as snow dashing in her tiny tiny paws towards Luhan and Xiumin's direction. There were two girls chasing after the tiny one, crying loud at the top of their lungs.

 

The tiny puppy stops at Xiumin's feet and snug her small frame at the space of Xiumin's parted feet, whining as it does. Xiumin giggles, cooing at the little puddle of goo hiding from it's owners.

 

Luhan would have done the same if not for the two girls who stopped and hunches down between them when they found the terrified puppy glueing itself on Xiumin. The little girl around the age of eight with pony tails, coax the tiny puppy out and grabs it up with her petting hand. The girl beside her helped her up.

 

One funny thing about the youngest generations these days is their insane growth spurt. Middle-School student's weren't suppose to be as tall as a freaking tree, that when she stood up, all flexed limbs straightened, her shoulder knocked Xiumin's hand that was holding the thermos and dismally tipping the entire contents over.

 

Luhan's mouth swang open as he sees how his tea spilled from it's confinement with Xiumin's surprised yelp and the two girls loud grasps as the dramatic's scene's tragic soundtrack. The tea splashes on the cold snowy pavement melting the iced particles.

 

The two girls bows and profusely apologized to Xiumin. The young director grace them a nonchalant smile and waves it off in a forgiving tone. Luhan, unfortunately, had lost his mind and is staring vacantly at all of his ual fantasies slipping away. His hands were lifelessly at his sides and his mouth have never been opened wider before."You! How dare you you little brat!" Luhan brusquely yells, recovering from shock quite so soon and startling the other three.

 

Xiumin freaks a little when the two girls started tearing up. He's instantly on his knees and rubbing warm comforting circles behind the younger girl's back,"He called me a brat!" accusing forefinger shot directly at Luhan. The little girl brawls so loudly it's doing some serious damage on Luhan's eardrums. Xiumin hushed the little girl again saying Luhan oppa will apologies because adult people shouldn't shout at pretty girls for something unintentionally done.

 

Luhan would have drooled and moan and damn right be hearing Xiumin calling him oppa, if not for his precious tea that is now draining away. The two girls took a curious look at Luhan to see if he's terribly regretful. Luhan gave them his most lethal death glare i'll wake them screaming in the middle of the night for weeks.

 

"That Ajusshi just gave us the stinky eyes he's a mean ajusshi!" The tiny girl gabbers in shaky lips, fat tears rolling down from her blushing cheeks. The other girl was sniffling and cuddling against Xiumin's arms. Luhan actually wanted to pull her damn braided hair.

 

"Oppa is sorry." Xiumin says tenderly, wiping the girl's tears with his fingers. He fished out four rolled candies from his pocket and gave it to them as a piece offering. It magically chased the sad tears away and makes way for silly smiles.

 

They gave Xiumin each of their thanks and ran off with a high pitched "Bye Xiumin oppa!" ignoring Luhan's very existence and his spilled tea all together.

 

Children. Deceitful little creatures.

 

"You shouldn't have shouted at them Luhan, you scared them." Xiumin says softly, gazing at Luhan and wondering why he's crying over a thermos like it's his pet that had died.

 

Luhan gapes, infuriated."She spilled my tea! and she called me an ajusshi!" the little called him an ajusshi. Even reffering to him as that like Luhan's a rock or something.

 

"Luhan, it's just a te-"

 

"No!" Luhan wails, hand raised effectively cutting the latter mid-sentence. Hearing it from both of his friends was one thing but hearing it from Xiumin is overtop depressing."I will not hear another degrading word against my tea!" cause if Luhan does he'll precisely end up killing the innocent bystander typing something on his smart phone just by the corner.

 

Luhan shoulders were shuddering, and the next thing Xiumin hears is a Luhan sobbing in front of him, leaving him stunned yet again for seeing a grown man who's quite fierce and domineering at most times, tearing up badly over a tea.

 

Before he knew it he's reaching out for Luhan and letting the other male drape his trembling body all over him."I really made it for you and i've never worked something so hard to give to someone and she just spilled it off, now what am i going to do with my life how will i ever have you Xiumin how? My tea is gone and you're probably not a anymore and it's just so sad, it makes me sad, why does it make me sad? My life is screwed. Yes it is." the words were mostly muffled on Xiumin's jacket that he barely heard some of it. He starts hushing the latter to silence and runs a calming caress at his back. The sole gesture reminded him of when he witnessed Luhan crying in Yixing's kitchen. The memory blooms a smile on his lips.

 

"Hey, if you'll make another tea for me i'll make sure to drink it." 

 

"Really?"

 

"Yes." Xiumin chuckles.

 

"Is that a promise? You'll really drink it no matter what?"

 

"Yes. Promise i will." Xiumin swears, if he only knew what he's getting himself into.  

 

Thankfully, Luhan's hiccups had died down and he's more of mumbling senseless words on Xiumin's shirt."Hey, if it's okey. Can we go to this place i've been wanting to go?" Xiumin gently whispers, unaware of his own arms wrapping around Luhan's waist encouraging the latter to burry his face on his neck deeper.

 

"Is it a motel? I know i perfect place."

 

An ambulance rans by speedily, siren blaring so loudly it made Xiumin jerk."What? Sorry didn't hear you."

 

Luhan huffs."I said okey." he says grumpily, a bit annoyed but too at ease and happy to let Xiumin go.

 

Xiumin giggles and nods."Okey."

 

"Okey."

 

Xiumin smile gingerly tenses up when he realized their positions and that they've been hugging way longer than necessary."We should get going then." he peels himself away from Luhan, a seriously hard task when Luhan's clinging to him like an octopus.

 

Xiumin finally managed to get Luhan an arm away from him. He stares long at Luhan rubbing a balled hand on his puffy eye and his sniffling a snot too.

 

At that particular moment, Luhan's unknowingly looking so utterly lovely to Xiumin that he didn't stop his own heart from jumping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Xiumin? Where are we wh-what  are we do-doing here?"

 

Xiumin cast him a mischievous glance, forcibly dragging a disheartened Luhan towards the entrance hall. The young director falls in line at the ticketing booth, leaving Luhan in his apprehensive state.

 

There were kids sprinting around with their parents while a certain few were excitedly bouncing around. There were also people in weird costumes, couples walking hand in hand wearing animated headbands. When Luhan sees tall towering castles and hears the screams of a vast amount of people it finally clicks to his senses that Xiumin took him to-  

 

"Welcome to the Lotte world. Have fun!" was the rather exhilarated cheer of the ticketing personnel. Xiumin turns to Luhan holding two admission tickets. Luhan stared at the tickets blatantly stupefied at it.

 

Xiumin laughs hilariously, pulling Luhan by his sleeves and dragging him to the entrance with a firm grip."I wanted to cheer you up?" he says, excitement in his pointy eyes and never giving in to Luhan's cries of wanting to leave.

 

Luhan heaves an exasperated sigh, given up on wriggling out of Xiumin's hold and let himself be pull around like a listless stroller."If you wanted to cheer me up all you have to do is strip in front of me." he whines like a child. He would have taken his words back, if it weren't for the ing bundle of balloons that smashed right in his face by a ten year old who ran over him. Luhan doubts Xiumin heard him when the young director's busy laughing at him.

 

"I'll be fun." the hand clutching on Luhan's sleeves glides down to his arm and encircling around his wrist. Xiumin halts on his tracks to give Luhan that inciting toothy smile that miraculously compelled Luhan into nodding in agreement.  

 

Luhan's sidling beside Xiumin as he leads him to various places, holding him close whenever Luhan tries to create some distance for Xiumin's sake of not being d when his overly tempted to feel him all up. But Xiumin's busy looking daze and awe at the carnival parade to even feel Luhan's eyes never leaving his buns.

 

Luhan never liked being at the center of a crowd where the loud bumping drums and a huge number of people running into him and shouting right through his ears.

 

The ringing noise pitching in his ears as an aftermath made him stagger to his feet, dizzy and confused and the fear of getting lost in a horde of unfamiliar people caused an uncomfortable throb in Luhan's chest. However, the tugging gesture Xiumin makes with their linked hands whenever he takes a few glimpses of Luhan looking like he'll pass out, appeases Luhan's heart, painting a smile across his fair face and follow.

 

Luhan gnaws on his lower lip as he  feels his heart thrumming fast every time he takes notice of Xiumin's warm slender hand never letting go of his wrist. The young director seemed to be clueless of the act and is mindlessly shuffling to the next place he wants to show Luhan.

 

They visited the folk museum, and it amazes Luhan how Xiumin spent the time chattering about Korean history and culture. It never crossed Luhan's mind that Xiumin can be a chatter box on special occasions. He tuned in to every words anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luhan have never tried skating in his entire life. So does Xiumin. 

 

They both laughed comically at themselves after slumping exhaustedly on the cooled ice floor numerous of times for the past twenty grueling minutes. The skating rink was located at the B3 floor indoors of the park at the center surrounded by various restaurants. There were many people loitering in the rink, a lot of them skating like a pro while others were as hopeless as Luhan and Xiumin.

 

"You okey?" breathing hard, Luhan looks over Xiumin and watched the cool mist dance over Xiumin's chapped lips as he exhales. They were currently lying on the ice, body beaten but nevertheless, both smiling.

 

"Yeah, you?" Xiumin says, locking gazes with Luhan as he breathes.

 

He has a smile on his lips that Luhan really really likes to kiss but can't."Barely," he says back a bit strangled, gulping the lump in his throat and looking away before he grabs Xiumin by the back and kiss him right there.

 

There's a sound of a gliding ice skate halting on them, it made them both rose, half lying."Hi." a girl by the age of eight says, her shy greeting and long curled eyelashes intended exclusively for Xiumin.

 

"Hello," Xiumin greets back, fully sitting up and smiling so broadly at the child it nearly knocked the air out of Luhan's lungs. He even talks with the cutest intonation making the little girl smile sheepishly at Xiumin.

 

"I'm Lauren."

 

"Hi Lauren!" Luhan says his own greeting, lively and full of wide sunny smiles."I'm Luhan oppa, and this is Xiumin oppa."

 

"Um, would-would you like me to teach you how to skate??" her airy like voice came out as a squeak, deep set of eyes staring at Xiumin with infatuation, obviously hypnotized by the cute tilting of Xiumin's head, his low whispery cooes and just Xiumin entirely. She hardly noticed Luhan raising a brow at her.

 

"Will you teach Xiumin oppa for free?" Xiumin sweetly asks, adjusting the little girl's tiara.

 

"Yes!" she said firmly, smiling so adorably it made Xiumin reach out and pinch her cheek.

 

Luhan had enough of the two's private interaction."And me?" he asks, still smiling. The little girl's eyes significantly widen at the sight of a creepily grinning Luhan. She looked more frightened than infatuated.

 

"What .. are you?" the small girl blurts heartlessly after she looked up and gave Luhan a once over. Xiumin hardly kept a straight stance and convulsed so so hard as he laughs at Luhan's wounded expression. The child drag Xiumin away by his wrist and Luhan's left fuming because of an eight year old.

 

"Wow. Children these days sure knows how to flirt." Luhan groans angrily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They were strolling along the park with a cone of strawberry ice creams on hand when Luhan spotted it. He dashes towards it with Xiumin traipsing behind him. Luhan jubilantly runs his eyes over the claw machine and peeks at stuffed toys filling inside.

 

"Which one do you like?" Luhan round doe eyes flickers to Xiumin. The young director's intensely eyeing the different kinds of fluffy toys. He turns to Luhan when he didn't give him an answer."Well?" he asks again, voice thin and encouraging.

 

Luhan shakes his head, breaking the light trance Xiumin had put him in, again. He squints his eyes and stared hard through the crystal barrier, looking for a stuff toy that that will capture his heart.

 

Just below a bulk of pororo's was a small pearl colored cotton plushie shaped like a steamed bun twice the size of Luhan's fist. It has a curved line drawn on it as it's eyes and it's sweetest smile is calling to Luhan."That! I want that!" he shrieks, pointing at the little thing.

 

His forefinger smudges against the class barrier. Xiumin narrowed his eyes, trying to pinpoint the stuff toy but failed in confusion."That one! that medium size steam bun with a smiling face." he describes, Luhan was about to sit and pull a coin to collect the plushie he wants when Xiumin suddenly handed him his own ice cream.

 

"Hold it for me." he says, and collects a coin from his pocket and plunges it. Luhan gapes as he watched Xiumin maneuvering the controls with his teeth on his lower lip, grunting in anticipation as the four pronged claw nears the stuff steamed bun.

 

"X-Xiumin .. "       

 

He stood there in clear daze as he observes Xiumin growling in disappointment for failing to get the stuffed toy into the drop box due to the lack of time. He tries again, rolling his sleeves this time and preparing more coins. He plunges it after every failed try and he keeps on going despite the thin chance of actually getting it.

 

"Hey kid hold this for me." Luhan pulls his phone out after handing the ice cream to an eleven year old girl. He swiped his smart phone's screen and searches for the camera. He raised it to a perfect angle and snaps a picture of Xiumin looking all worked up on controlling the pronged claw.

 

Luhan fondly an image of a determined Xiumin on his phone. He slowly feels some fluttery things scrawling around his stomach and his heart is doing some weird things again. He smiles at it because he can't help himself."Eherm." Luhan turns to his side and was met by a pissed looking girl, brows furrowing and an impatient foot tapping on the ground.

 

"Hey wa-" before Luhan had the chance to salvage Xiumin's beloved ice cream, the girl dumps the cone on the ground and left with a humph. Luhan was a bit shocked as he watched her go.

 

"What's wrong with this thing?" Luhan haven't seen Xiumin this frustrated before even when he's harassing him. He believes it was a different kind of frustration.

 

Luhan pokes Xiumin on his cheek to get his attention. Xiumin verbalizes his stubbornness when Luhan asks him to stop."But the steam bun-" he was still looking hauntingly at the thing but Luhan incessantly peels him off the controls.

 

"There's plenty of steamed buns in the world. I'll find one somewhere." he's already with one, he giggled. He hands him the ice cream. Xiumin begrudgingly takes his steps away from the claw machine and on the ice cream that was actually Luhan's.

 

 

 

 

If it weren't for Joonmyeon's briefing, Luhan would have naturally gone through his plan. He'll still be taking Xiumin out to dinner at the Pierre Gagnaire à Seoul. Xiumin would feel so overwhelmed over dinner and be thoroughly blushing hearing Luhan's never ending sweet flowery words. He was supposed to be swooning at the sight of Luhan flashing his golden credit card. The tea should have been flowing down Xiumin's throat and Luhan would be the luckiest man alive when Xiumin states how he wants to have with him. Xiumin would feel sore and raw after a raucous night of having satisfying adventure in bed with Luhan and oh things wouldn't end there.

 

That was suppose to be the natural flow of things. So Luhan couldn't quite fathom how he ended up sitting rather anxiously on a seat with the rest of the thirty thrill seekers sitting on a circled structure of a high altitude thriller ride. The Gyro drop.

 

Luhan's afraid of heights. How did Xiumin talked him out of it? He really can't remember. What he do know now is that he can no longer feel the rough stable ground under his feet and his own trembling body is being pulled up up up as the thriller ride starts to work to life, lifting it's occupants and Luhan is literally freaking out of his wits."Xiumin!" he roughly screams, his throat feeling scratchy by his sudden outburst. He feels the piercing tears pooling at the rim of his eyes and he thinks he just saw his own soul jumped out frantically from his earthy body and leaving him behind to die alone.

 

"Hey, Luhan i'm here." Luhan could barely breath, chest tightening, heart crazily pumping, and to see Xiumin sitting on his right, poking his head to check on him, is like a breath of fresh air. He's half crying and half smiling at the sight of Xiumin. He probably looks ugly all over for making such a petrified face but he doesn't ing care.

 

"Are you okey?" Xiumin asks with worried lines on his forehead and a prickle of concern reigning in his chest seeing Luhan's blanching face.

 

"I'm far from being okey! I'm scared of heights Xiumin oh god i'm gonna die we're gonna die!"  knuckles turning blue from his crashing grip on the handle, he hugs the rest of the safety belts fastened all over him, they're just not enough to be Luhan's sole life support. He started screaming for his dear life when everything starts spinning around, their seats flying higher and higher.

 

"Why didn't you say anything?!"

 

Everyone was screaming by the time they reached the very peak.

 

"I was trying to impress you so bad and Xiumin i wanna go home!"

 

"Look at me Luhan."

 

"No! I'm terrified." he stares down bellow and gapes at how high he's perched. There's hot tears spilling from his very eyes and he's calling out to every God's to at least confess all of his wrong doings and repent before his heart stops.

 

"Hold my hand," Xiumin fumbles about for Luhan's hand and when he finally held it,"Don't be scared i'm right here." he says reassuringly. For the briefest second Luhan searches for Xiumin's eyes. Those sharp pointy eyes were staring back at him with a protective gleam on each of his irises and something he couldn't quite discern.

 

Luhan feels warmth creeping over his right hand, urging him to drop his gaze towards it. Xiumin might be a few inches short but his hand and fingers are just the perfect size for Luhan. His heart is pulsating so harshly as he watch Xiumin's tiny digits threads between the empty spaces of his fingers, filling the gaps till they're locked together, warmth and frosting cold wafting into one.

 

"I won't let go, Luhan." Xiumin says, gentle and firm and Luhan heartily believed him.

 

And then in an instant, they're free falling, hands connected.

 

 

 

 

 

Luhan's hurling the entire contents and anything that was left on his stomach. He's sorry for giving the pretty flowers an unhealthy sprinklers. Xiumin's been by his side all the while, giving him support and rubbing a comforting hand behind Luhan's back.

 

"I'm f-fine really." Luhan is not fine.  His head feels light and his entire limbs are still tingly for being swoop up and down like a yoyo. He just managed to let Xiumin see how pitifully vulnerable he is with heights. He sure as heck isn't proud of himself."Okey i'm not fine." he concedes, disgorging over the bushes again.

 

Xiumin offered a handkerchief as he guides Luhan to the nearest unoccupied bench. They sat closely beside each other, Luhan hunching forward, eyes still watery, throat burning and his tongue unpleasantly tastes like acid."Have some of this." Luhan glance at Xiumin's hand, clearing his hazy eyes as he blinks.

 

There are two minty candies on Xiumin's palm. The same ones he gave to those deceitful children. He took one and carefully unwraps the green sheath then offers it to Luhan."It'll tone down the nauseous feeling for awhile." his expression consoling. There's that alluring tone in his voice again, the one he used when he tried to pacify those sorrowing children at the hotel, and that enchanting voice of his is having it's desirable effects on Luhan.

 

Luhan stares fixedly at the hovering candy with eagle eyes. There's this naughty idea flickering inside his head such as taking the candy by mouth, on Xiumin's slender fingers as he takes it whole in. Oh he was prepared to do it if not for Joonmyeon's annoying voice reverberating  inside his head pressing a,"No inappropriate behavior." It's a mental torture to have what he wanted right there and Joonmyeon just have to pop around somewhere to pull him back on the grounds.

 

With a devastated sighed Luhan spins to Xiumin's direction. The young director was gazing nonchalantly, closely paying attention as Luhan gathers the candy into his mouth, letting just a small portion of his moist lips linger on the tips of Xiumin's pointy finger, quite aware how Xiumin stop breathing for a moment there. Luhan drew back with a repressed grin on his face, he likes how Xiumin's adam's apple nervously bobs up and down as he leaves him there a bit gaping.

 

Xiumin clears his throat gruffly, his eyes unfocused. He's unexpectedly feeling suffocated by the lack of space between him and Luhan, and scooted an inch farther from the latter to give his lungs some free air to breath into."Do you always give candies to lonely people?" Luhan starts, leaning against the sturdy backrest of the bench with the candy swelling on his right cheek. He feels a sudden surge of confidence when his eyes captured Xiumin's eyes were on his moisten lips.

 

Xiumin's clears his throat persistently again and refuses to look at Luhan who by the way, sees how Xiumin's ears are turning crimson red. Luhan's doing that happy dance thing inside his head because did he just roused something on his little baozi?"Yeah, it always work like magic." Xiumin spare him a tentative glance over his shoulder and threw a frivolous lopsided smile at Luhan.

 

Luhan's laughing sounds nothing but fake amusement."A-ah," he croaks, tone uneasy. He averts his eyes and deliberately crosses his legs, lips thinning into a straight constrained line because life is never been this unfair for Xiumin giving him an impromptu by merely smiling and talking about candies. Darn it.  

 

"I'll get you a bottle of water. Stay here and wait for me kay?" Xiumin stood up, patting Luhan on the shoulder before he go. Luhan nods and tells the latter to not get lost.

 

Xiumin left with smile on his face. Luhan puffs his mouth as he watch the other male, his perfectly fairy like features wrinkling into an unattractive frown."You make me bleed Xiumin." he cries, choking on his candy as he pours out his repressed frustration on crushing the tiny delight inside his mouth to particles. He stomps his feet, claws his face and screams helplessly in his bare hands because Xiumin is too charming for his own good. Luhan cannot promise the latter's safety by the time they'll be left alone in the car.

 

He breathes in and out, meditating in a crowded place and popping another candy into his mouth even when the nauseous feeling is long gone. He decides to occupy his mind with things that could soothe away his rebelling hormones. He needs to think of anything that is hideous.

 

So he took his phone out and tapped Baekhyun's number.

 

"Why is your voice sounding so sore and rough? Did you just blow Xiumin under the table?" Baekhyun's irritating voice was what's greeted Luhan the minute he said,"You, ugly." as his opening speech. Luhan's pleasantly arousing thoughts were swift away by the obnoxious nasally laughing voice of Baekhyun and Luhan's already completely fuming by the second Baekhyun stopped giggling on the other line. Just hearing the latter's voice makes him want to kill somebody.

 

"I don't blow people under the table Baek that's your hobby. Anyways, you filthy little what did you do to my car?" Luhan lashes out, gritting his teeth and glaring down at his shoes. There's some small undigested grain tuck on it that had left his mouth awhile ago. He wipes it off by rubbing it on the grass.

 

"Why would i do something to your car? I didn't take it. I have my own car ." Baekhyun spats. Luhan heard a cluttering noise on the other line and some heavy thumps. He let out a hostile laughed, happy how he successfully stepped a nerve.

 

Luhan rested back, casually the melting candy on his tongue and marveling at the sound of Baekhyun grunting. "I don't know? Maybe because you have a habit of stealing someone's vehicle and crashing them to the nearest lamppost."

 

"I told you countless of times it was an accident! God." the brunette male exclaims, whining on the other line for hearing such accusation over and over.

  

 

Luhan sneered. Angering Baekhyun is one of Luhan favorite recreational activity, he's starting to feel good already."Hah! You crushing a car because you got distracted by a hot guy crossing isn't an accident Baekhyun, it's fate do you hear me?!" Luhan blares, shouting over the phone and cackling like an insane person enough for the women buying a cotton candy to look at him with a weird expression on her face. Baekhyun breaks a few of his own favorite insulting words at Luhan but the honey haired male was far gone, distracted by the thoughts of Xiumin.

 

It's been more than fifteen to tweety minutes of having pointless talk with Baekhyun and still no sign of Xiumin returning. He's beginning to worry."Where is he?" he scans around the perimeters hoping to spot the latter. There was a particular stall selling goods and beverages not too far from where he's sitting. Where could Xiumin be possibly-

 

"Hey."

 

Xiumin's grasping some air, bent to his knees and swaying a little. There's tiny drops of sweat forming on his forehead. Luhan hang up on Baekhyun's mid cursing sentence and absentmindedly took the mineral water from the latter. He pulls Xiumin to sit beside him."Where have you been?" he asks, wanting to wipe away a cascading sweat along Xiumin's neck but held back.

 

Xiumin grabbed the bottle of water from Luhan. He twisted the cap open and gave it back to the other male with a suggestive smile making it's way on his face.

 

Luhan's question was left an unanswered.

 

 

 

 

 

After assuring Xiumin he feels a little better, the young director decides to call it a night and drove Luhan home. Luhan isn't particularly thrilled by idea when he hardly had the chance to kiss Xiumin. Although he could feel the heaviness in his muscles, too strained from having to scurry about wherever Xiumin pulls him to. In spite of it all Luhan could ever muster was a low spirited nod then spend the rest of the drive home pouting glumly on his seat.

 

Xiumin parked his car by the lamppost at the front of Luhan's apartment. It had been three minutes since the vehicle's roaring engine gone silent. Two full minutes since Xiumin wordlessly unlocked the doors leaving an opportunity for Luhan to step out. And it's one minute and thirty one seconds since then that Luhan and Xiumin had fallen into their own silence, neither of them showing any cue of striking up a conversation or maybe even needing to part ways. Xiumin kept humming a random tune every now and then, sneaking glances at Luhan and quickly averting his eyes when Luhan looks back, stealing indiscreet glances of his own too.

 

Luhan's sniggered on his seat, fingers tinkering with the buttons of his jacket. He couldn't quite understand but the atmosphere had gotten awkward all of the sudden. It's not the kind where he wanted to dig a hole and die there, but the one where he doesn't know what to say but he's sure he needs to say something because he just have to. It's an odd feeling, for Luhan who isn't acquainted with such emotion that leaves him tongue tied. He always has something to say. It confuses him enough to groan.

 

Xiumin jolted on his seat by the sudden stir. Luhan started cursing himself when Xiumin starts,"So, we're here. You should probably go and rest." the obvious hesitancy in Xiumin's voice reaches Luhan's ears, and something inside him turns a little soft at that.

 

If he plans on obeying Joonmyeon's words, he should probably hop out of Xiumin's car by now and bid the young director goodbye before he changes his mind.

 

Luhan flicks his eyes on the latter before he means to go. He can't help but notice the faint sliver glow coming from the lamppost gracing it's soft gleam on Xiumin's meek profile touching the softest contours of his cheeks. Luhan follows how the hue ray filters through Xiumin's lashes as he stares contemplatively at Luhan, his pointy eyes blinking so innocently as if asking Luhan to stay where he is and just, watch till he drools.

 

Xiumin just have to look so damn handsome. Why is he always like that?

 

"Luhan?" Xiumin inches a little closer as he murmurs the chinese male's name, wondering why Luhan's looking vigilantly at him.

 

Luhan's head bobs at the call of his name, snapping him out of his own consuming thoughts."Right! I should get going!" he really doesn't understand why he's panicking but he is and he sounds like a dummy even to himself. He fiddled with his safety belt. He appears like he's too eager to bounce off the vehicle when in contrary, all he wanted to do was remain sitting beside the other male and do all sorts of naughty things with Xiumin's mouth.  

 

He only realized how cold it really was outside the moment he shuffles out and sunk flailing about on the freezing snow. It's an effort to lift his leg with his entire limbs are trembling from the coldness."Luhan .. " came the gentle call of his name and the loud thud of the car door closed shut. Luhan hears the latter's little snickers when Xiumin spots him burrowed in the icy snow with a scowl on his face.

 

"Come here." Xiumin reaches out his hand to Luhan with a toothy smile that he didn't even bother hiding despite the frown on Luhan's face. Luhan grabbed the latter's hand, almost bumping into Xiumin's chest by the latter's strong haul. Okey, so Luhan didn't quite expect Xiumin to be all that strong when he practically allowed Luhan to manhandled him during his past .. efforts.

By the moment they both were both facing each other, the awkwardness slithers it's way back to mostly Luhan. 

 

"Are you alright?" Xiumin inquires, dusting off some snowflakes that had gotten stuck on Luhan's honey locks.

 

"Huh? Yes i'm alright, i mean great, so great. How about you are you all right??" he's a little distracted by Xiumin's moving fingers and the outlandish beating of his heart.

 

Minseok eyes widens by the slightest, face slowly breaking into a cheeky grin,"The dinner, it was great by the way. And i'm really sorry for spilling the tea and i didn't know you were afraid of heights." he says, voice slow and careful. He has a hand rubbing his nape and he's growing cuter and cuter in Luhan's eyes.

 

"It's okey," Luhan shrugs, partly snorting at Xiumin's apology when he was clearly not at fault but those nasty children and that dog. He should've kicked the damn animal off Xiumin's feet if Luhan could only go back and rewind things. And despite the amount of trouble he went through, almost killing Baekhyun on the process for a tea. Yes, Luhan is now thinking hurtful things about his tea. He'd rather not make another one again."The tea tastes bad never mind it." he says, breathing stuffily. Pretending Xiumin didn't mentioned his issues with tall heights.

 

"I swear to drink your tea if you ever make one again."

 

Luhan squints his eyes and begin humming thoughtfully."Okey."

 

Somewhere between exchanging teasing words and tiny awkward  smiles they both found themselves laughing at each other."It's getting cold, i think it's best for you to go inside." Xiumin encourages, tilting his chin to the general direction of Luhan's apartment.

 

Luhan feels a pang resting over his heart making him pout childishly."Fine," he grumbles off, breaking a silly smile on Xiumin's lips. When their eyes clashes, Luhan braves himself. He
pushes off the echoing voices that constantly reminds him not to and took two courageous steps towards Xiumin so he could stand a breath away from the latter. Xiumin fell a step back and pauses Luhan's body from pressing on him, knowing too well what Luhan's aiming to do.

 

"I have something to give you Luhan." Xiumin prattles on, hands brushing Luhan off gently. Luhan blew on his fringe, dismayed how Xiumin saw it coming. If he had caught him off guard Luhan would have slosh their lips together end of story.

 

"Is it a kiss?" Luhan tries to guess and oh how he wished it.

 

"Ju-Just close your eyes."  

 

Luhan wanted to laugh so hard. He didn't know Xiumin was into these cliche s. If it were with someone else he would have laughed unkindly. Sweet, greasy, sickening cliche things is just not for him yet, Luhan fluttered his eyes closed. At least he'll get Xiumin to kiss him, something he'll consider a reward, or a compensation for all the horrible experiences he went through tonight.

 

Luhan stood completely still, eyes closed and ears keenly following the heavy shuffling steps and the car door opening and shut. When he felt a warm familiar breathe hovering over his face, Luhan prepares his lips by excitedly on them. He doesn't plan on letting his arms hang idly by his sides just like that, he lifts them up and ever so desperately clenched a fistful of Xiumin's shirt and drew the young director towards him.

 

He needs to kiss Xiumin. Just a tiny, tiny one would do.

 

 

Luhan had stolen kisses from Xiumin's lips here and there, and since he had done it more than once he already knew what Xiumin's mouth or his thin supple lips would be like on lips and along his insistent tongue. And he does't recall it being fluffy and literally hairy and-

 

Luhan stumbles back almost at the verge of screaming in fright, but stopped himself once his doe eyes focuses on the thing Xiumin's stuffing off his face."Is that .. Oh." Luhan's jaw is hanging so wide that Xiumin should be helpful enough to close it.

 

On Xiumin's hand was the white chubby steam bun plushie Luhan had wanted. Xiumin aligned the fluffy toy with his own round face, imitating the cute bloated look of the toy. He doesn't even have to try.

 

Luhan giggled humorously because the two looked nearly alike and squishy altogether. Xiumin smiled in mischief seeing Luhan choking on his own spit from laughter. He handed the toy to Luhan who cradled it like it was some infant."You, you managed to win this? For me??" Luhan asks, his eyes were almost sparkling too blindingly to Xiumin, that he had to look away for a bit and grin rather smugly for making Luhan .. happy.

 

"Not.. not really." Luhan looks up from pinching the toy's supposed to be cheeks and raised a brow at at the other male. Xiumin turns his back on a perplexed Luhan and waltz towards the back of his car and opened the trunk.

 

When Xiumin hauled a huge paper bag loaded with various stuff plushie's, Luhan cupped a hand over his mouth and starts letting out breathy gleeful laughs so loud Xiumin's thoroughly embarrassed with himself."I couldn't get it no matter how i tried so i asked one personnel if it was okey for me to buy one particular toy but they- well let's just say i ended up having the whole bunch of them and this is really embarrassing i'm-" Xiumin's gibberish talk halts by itself when Luhan chortles amusingly at him, hand gesturing for Xiumin to stop talking. Xiumin heaves a long depressed sigh, scratching his head and mulling over his poor tactics of getting the toy for Luhan.

 

Luhan's thoughts were all jumbled up and scattered that he doubts if he could ever come up anything to say to Xiumin. His chest feels so full and warm that all he could do in return was to laugh really loud like an insane person and place a hand on his cheeks because they feel so hot that he couldn't stop smiling at the stuff toys squeezing at each other inside a bag. He already thought of the perfect spot for these cute balls of fluff inside his room.

 

"Xiumin-"

 

"You can call me Minseok."

 

"Minseok," Luhan uttered in a unsteady voice, blinking his eyes thoughtfully with a smile on his lips and liking how the name rolls off his mouth."Thank you, they're all cute." Luhan casts his eyes down at the bag on his hand and he should really stop smiling it's beginning to make him look so crazy.

 

A pondering silence.

 

"Luhan, i don't kiss or sleep with people on our first date." Xiumin enunciated each word slowly, with eyes a little hopeful.

 

Luhan mentally slap a hand on his face. Of course, Joonmyeon is always right."But, but you said you haven't dated anyone though." he frowned deeply, mourning at the fact that Xiumin is indeed not a anymore and he should probably go and cry on his bed with all the plushie's surrounding him.

 

Xiumin chuckles."I haven't been in a serious relationship. Not that i haven't gone out on a few dates."

 

"Wait," Luhan's heart is ing violently over his chest as he grips on the bun plushie anxiously,"Does that mean you want to go out with me? again?" breath held back and lower lip in between his pearly teeth, Luhan looks over at Xiumin with many wistful thoughts running through his head.

 

"Well, if .. yeah. If you'd like to.. I mean, i don't want to force you if you don't want to go out with me again." Xiumin's stuttering and it would be best for him to pause and breath for a awhile, and dust the crimson blush coloring the tips of his ears.

 

" I want to!" Luhan shouts, his voice resonating through the empty driveway and hopefully doesn't wake anyone in their sweet sweet sleep.  

 

"Let's go out again then." Xiumin says with finality, voice warm and inciting. He doesn't look so much like the Xiumin who kept running away from Lunan, but the Minseok who took Luhan out to the lotte world, made them an embarrassing pair at the skating rink, miraculously talked Luhan out into getting on a Gyro drop that could have caused Luhan a sudden heart attack, the Minseok who purchased an entire bunch of childish toys from the claw manchine and Minseok, who wanted to go out again with Luhan.

 

"Yes." Luhan feels like tearing up about now till he remembered something important."Will u kiss then? On our second date?" 

 

Minseok inhales, feigning a contemplating front as he looks at Luhan's eyes gleaming with hope. "Maybe?" he shrugs off rather casually, a smile fighting hard not to show up when Luhan's shoulders deflated drastically with all his hopeful thoughts too."Good night Luhan."

 

Luhan nods, and before Minseok turns to leave, he walks fast and enveloped Minseok in a constricting hug, nearly knocking them both down the snow because Luhan is still glueling himself and the bag full of plushies. Minseok tries to brush him off gently when Luhan tried sneaking tiny pecks on Minseok's neck.

 

"Good night Minseok! Drive safely!" Luhan waves a hand on a flustered looking Minseok before turning his back and walking straight to his apartment with a huge bag of plushie's and a smile so sweet on his lips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Did you guys robbed a toy shop or something?"

 

 

Baekhyun spitefully asks, looking up from decorating their old christmas tree. He eyes Luhan crouching over a huge paper bag as his arms collects the plush toys strewn all over the floor. His dear friend's silence pique his curiosity. Something is so not right for a Luhan prancing down the hall too exuberantly for someone who's, one, home early and two, isn't reeking of but rather, towing a paper bag full of big eyed plushie's.

 

Luhan didn't drop any spicy comebacks or any violent reactions of some sort when Baekhyun actually expects it. He did flash him his middle finger before closing the door to his room. 
  

Luhan opens up the paper bag and unloaded all the plush toys on his neatly made bed. He threw the bag away and stands by the end of his mattress, drinking in the sight of the scattered toys b over his bed and how his heart is overflowing with irrepressible happiness everything time he chants a,"Minseok gave me these." to himself.

 

He plopped himself down on his bed, resting with all limbs spread out all over the plush toys with a big smile on his face. He grabbed a toy bulking under his arm, a pororo plush, and starts squealing impossibly disturbing Baekhyun tripped over the boxes outside mistaking it to be a crying siren or something close to alarming.

 

"You're cute. You too, all of you are cute!" he exclaims, grabbing as many as his arms could and squeezes them against him. In the middle of admiring each of their big enchanting eyes as if it were all his children, he found the steam bun plush toy. His thoughts instantly drifts to a certain young director, his cheeky grins and his shy gestures had Luhan's heart hammering so wildly over his chest he think i'll swell.

 

All in all, Minseok gave him forty seven plush toys and giddily arranges them on his bed, where he plans on keeping them permanently beside him when he sleeps. He was in the middle of playfully chewing on the plush toy that reminded him most of Minseok, when his phone rings.

 

He fumbled his phone from his pocket, answering the said call without checking who it was. Secretly hoping it's Minseok checking up on him.

 

 

"Minseok hi-"

 

 

"L-Luhan."

 

 

Luhan's widespread smile slowly cuts into a thin line. The grip he has over his plush toy gingerly loosens when he recognized Joonmyeon's distinct voice. By that Luhan's throat clenches, nervousness looming over him because it wasn't Joonmyeon's usual chime like voice with the sweetest lilt. His voice sounded broken, weak, as if fading.

 

"Joonmyeon, are you- are you okey?" Luhan hears the careful deep intake of breathes, like Joonmyeon's gauging every air he inhales so he could get a grip of his wobbling voice."Are you crying?" Luhan drops the plush toy on his bed, and clenches his fingers around his phone as he pray's that Joonmyeon's just upset over something and not having an asthma attack somewhere Luhan can't reach him immediately.

 

 

"Do you remember the playground at the center of the park a few blocks from our apartment? C-an you can you-" Joonmyeon's stumbled over his own words, with that Luhan knew he's trying not to cry on him over the phone.

 

""I'm on my way."

 

 

Luhan's curses as he grabs an extra coat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was starting to snow again when Luhan found Joonmyeon at the playground, sitting by himself on a single seater swing. He's resting his head against the swing chain, petite frame under layers of winter coats made him look smaller. Howbeit, sitting there alone rocking himself slowly with nothing but the drizzling snow in the wintriness of a deserted playground as his companion, made him look even more fragile and abandoned. It creates a tear running across Luhan's heart.

 

Luhan held his breathe back and took cautious steps towards Joonmyeon."Hey." he whispers, as if saying it so loudly would break Joonmyeon. He slowly takes a sit on the vacant swing beside the other before placing another coat around Joonmyeon.

 

Joonmyeon didn't look up to him, or even flinches."H-Hey." he says back, voice feeble under the red scarf wrapped snugly around his neck. He look cold. But in the middle of a freezing park with no one around but him, who wouldn't be? Luhan rests a hand on Joonmyeon's shoulder, silently telling him he's there, that he can depend on him. Joonmyeon shifted and toss a glance to Luhan's way, acknowledging his presence.

 

Luhan bit on his lower lip hard when he takes in Joonmyeon's crestfallen form and the tears welling in his eyes. His pale cheeks were duller than they have ever been, and his cherry lips appearing redder and swollen. He must have been crying in here for longer than Luhan hoped. Joonmyeon still managed to gave Luhan a smile despite how shattered he visibly is. It saddened Luhan so much."Joonmyeon, what the happened?" Luhan can't help but snarl with his words, blurting it out in a demanding tone when saying it gently would have suited. He's done being scrupulous and playing patient for a night.

 

Joonmyeon didn't seem surprised, like he already seen it coming from Luhan and spares him from repeating his question."I saw them together." Joonmyeon starts, his voice raspier now than it did over the phone."I-I should have known, since he obviously have someone to take care of him but then i," there's that pause in his unsteady words that had Luhan slowly inching over the edges of his seat. Joonmyeon tries to keep his voice from quivering as he stuffed a hand into his pocket and fishes a few tablets of Painkillers.

 

Luhan looks at it and sees the tiny drops of Joonmyeon's tears dripping on the tiny circles as he gazes down at it."I'm so stupid Luhan." Joonmyeon's drawls, hands on the packet turning in fist as he struggled to subdue the sob lingering at the back of his throat. He ends up choking in coughs when he tries humoring himself with a dry laugh.

 

Furious. Luhan is beyond furious but he temporarily quenches his emotions as he waits and tensely waits till Joonmyeon's able to say it all out."I have been meaning to give this to him so i went around looking. H-He wasn't- alone when i-when i found him. I saw him, with Yixing and they-" Joonmyeon's might have managed to hold himself together and he was doing a fairly good job at it since but now, as Luhan helplessly watch Joonmyeon's pained tears shedding fleetingly along his reddening cheeks, breathing in shallows, his nibbling on his lower lip quelling the sobs as much as he still can. Luhan dreads there won't be anything else left tying Joonmyeon's will strong together and he's about to.

 

"They were kissing, and-"

 

He refuses to cry out, stifling his sobs with his hand as his tears cascades along his cold cheeks, one after another. Joonmyeon doesn't want him to see how it slices him from the inside him and Luhan doesn't have to, because he clearly hears Joonmyeon's heart splintering inside his chest with no other way to mend it all back again. A person could only endure enough and with Joonmyeon, he's at the point where he doesn't stop the pain from consuming him but letting it come and break him.

 

Before his name rolls out of Joonmyeon's mouth completely, Luhan's already own his knees with arms open for the other male."L-Luhan," Joonmyeon uttered his name hopelessly, sounding wreck as his heart. He toppled over and grabs a desperate hold around Luhan's shoulder.

 

Luhan closes his eyes and let Joonmyeon weep in his arms. As someone who's been there with Joonmyeon for the past years, hearing Joonmyeon sniveling, having him like this is breaking Luhan's heart too. It's making his eyes moisten because Joonmyeon's crying so hard now, it sounds even louder, stirring the serenity of the atmosphere with his stricken cries that anyone who would happen to hear him will know that Joonmyeon's crying out all that is left of him.

 

"I feel so jealous Luhan." words were partly incoherent on Luhan's coat but he catches the one word that Joonmyeon's gravely of concern."And i hate it." Joonmyeon writhes around in Luhan's arms,"I hate myself." he nearly screamed, voice hoarse and indignant. His anger is directed more at himself than to anyone. It prompted Luhan to draw Joonmyeon away no matter how he wanted Joonmyeon to lean on him more.

 

"You're jealous?" he asks, eyes searching."Then that only means-" he knows. Of course Luhan knows. He's not insensitive and it doesn't take a genius not to figure Joonmyeon's true emotions no matter how he twists it. Joonmyeon thought he had veiled it well but he has always been bad at lying, and awful on hiding things specially on how it had been years after years and his heart had been scarred and tampered along those insufferable times yet Jongdae still holds power over Joonmyeon's whole heart.  

 

"Luhan, what am i going to do? Tell me what to do." Joonmyeon's voice cracked as he gazes his tear filled eyes at Luhan beseechingly. His lips were so red they could be bleeding already, his kindly crescent eyes were spewing with crystal tears never ceasing to spill as he vehemently pleads for a solution from Luhan. He looks as  wrenched as he was years ago and it's such an unbearable sight to see.

 

Luhan wipes Joonmyeon's hot bitter tears on his own accord. He soothes his shuddering shoulders and tries to quietens Joonmyeon's  wails that causes Luhan's heart to ache. This reminds him of when he sneaks into Joonmyeon room and found him crying himself to sleep with Jongdae's name on his lips. It burns knowing he couldn't do anything to make it better. He can only be there for him and it's still isn't good enough, Joonmyeon's still broken.

 

"Right now? What we should do, is to get you home and take some rest." Luhan cups Joonmyeon's cheek and brushes his palm to warm Joonmyeon's cold cheek. He pulls him by the nape and lets him rest his head over his shoulder."Tomorrow. We'll figure something out kay?"

 

He might not be someone who could fix Joonmyeon's bruised heart. But he can be Luhan who has his shoulder open for Joonmyeon to cry on till he feels like his tears had run out, and there's nothing else left to pour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun's almost done decorating their old christmas tree, just the glittering star he needs to perch and he needs a stool to do it too, when Luhan and Joonmyeon enters their apartment, walking side by side. Baekhyun's brow shoots up as he takes notice of Joonmyeon's disarranged look."What happened?" he says, he's asking Luhan who's more likely the sensible one to give him an answer.

 

"Not a word Baek." Luhan sternly warned, supporting Joonmyeon and walking the shorter male to his room where he insisted for Joonmyeon to sleep overnight.

 

Baekhyun snorts, feeling pretty much taken aback and annoyed knowing he's being kept in the dark and Joonmyoen chooses Luhan over him where it had always been him who have been with Joonmyeon the longest."It's Jongdae again isn't it?" he sarcastically comments without preamble, halting Joonmyeon from walking in Luhan's room.

 

Luhan's brow is twitching at Baekhyun and nothing good ever happens following that kind of gesture. Baekhyun rolls his eyes at that and fixes his attention on Joonmyeon who looks utterly affected by just hearing Jongdae's name."Stop cheating Joonmyeon." he chides, piercing eyes looking back at Joonmyeon accusingly.

 

Luhan couldn't believe what Baekhyun just said. His temper is suddenly escalating that if Baekhyun even have a tiniest mistake of saying another God forsaken word he'll gladly punch him square on the face."Shut the up Baekhyun or else."

 

"Or what?" he laughs, mocking Luhan further.

 

"I'm not cheating." Joonmyeon says surprisingly calm and face unperturbed.

 

"Ow okey," Baekhyun says quite sarcastically."You're probably not kissing Jongdae behind a dressing room or trying to woo him back to you but your heart clearly is. Stop it before you even hurt Kris." Baekhyun knows he touched a sensitive spot at the mention of the young businessman when he sees how Joonmyeon's solemn eyes weakens at his words, watery.

 

He just didn't know he also crossed a thin line of Luhan's patience. Baekhyun's eyes snaps wide having Luhan's fingers gripping on his collars."You think you're so good and righteous Baek? You're making me laugh." Luhan chortles mockingly. Baekhyun looks at him, addled and was speechless for awhile before pushing Luhan off after recovering.

 

"I think i'll just go .. home to Yifan. He's probably looking for me Lu." Joonmyeon took Luhan's car key's  saying if he could borrow it again and walks out without hearing Luhan's affirmation or saying any word to Baekhyun or even sparing him a small hurried glance. The two other male watches Joonmyeon go.

 

When the main door shuts Baekhyun glares at Luhan."What the is you're problem?!" Baekhyun hisses, eyes challenging."Are you siding with Jongdae now? Are you ing kidding me you know how he messed up Joonmyeon's life may i remind you. I just hope Joonmyeon wouldn't forget how Jongdae made him miserable and Kris-"

 

Luhan interrupts Baekhyun's rants mid sentence with a low sardonic      chuckle."You know, you talk as if you're so innocent and have no part on it all. I'll probably believe you if i only i hadn't known better." Luhan watched in amusement, how Baekhyun's pretty face crumples up in confusion, lips tilting and eyes imploring.

 

"What the hell are you spurting about Luhan?"Baekhyun howls.

 

Luhan pulls a chair and sits there comfortably."I heard everything, i heard the petty things you and Jongdae were arguing about at the kitchen the other night." a sneer carefully crept it's way to Luhan's  doll like features, enjoying the sudden change in Baekhyun's fuming expression. His fierce gesture completely was stripping off, his eyes becoming unsteady and eventually couldn't look at Luhan in the eyes. Baekhyun's literally fidgeting by the second Luhan's propping his elbows on the table and smiling expectantly at him.

 

"L-Luhan." the brunette male audibly stammers, swallowing the huge lump in his throat.

 

"Oh. Surprise surprise!" Luhan chirps, he's only beginning to like how this talk he's been wanting to have with Baekhyun since the other night, will go."You're really something Baek." he leans back against the backrest of the chair and looks over at Baekhyun. His playfully cheerful smile morphing into an enraged look.

 

Luhan couldn't help but think back at the scene he almost walked in to.

 

 

 

 

He was heading for the comfort room to void when he happened to walk by the kitchen and sees Baekhyun through the ajar door harshly shoved against the cold surface of the refrigerator by a seething looking Jongdae. Witnessing such scene, Luhan's pent up hatred towards Jongdae was drastically surging, he's a step  away into rushing in and landing a punch on Jongdae chiseled face when he heard him talk.

 

"You told me he was fine! that he was holding up and everything's going smoothly! You lied to me you-" Jongdae's eyes were blazing that even Luhan who's standing stealthy behind the askew door, slightly trembled by the sudden change of character. Jongdae's keeping his words down but the rough timbre of his voice speaks spectrum of rage. Anyone who hear it would shiver. Baekhyun look taken aback and decidedly uncomfortable but shrugs it off with a constrained chuckle.

 

"What do you want me to say? That Joonmyeon was miserable from missing you so much all he ever talked about is to go home and be with you again?" Luhan hears Baekhyun say through gritted teeth and eyes challenging Jongdae's scorching sharp stares  that significantly weavers at the very sound of Joonmyeon's name and the rest of what Baekhyun divulges.

 

Jongdae's hands that were pinning Baekhyun firmly were carefully loosening,"H-He wanted to go home and se-see me?" the raven haired male asks in disbelief, looking generally baffled. Somehow Luhan sees shards of pain and longing in Jongdae's eyes.

 

"I'm his best friend Jongdae, and i wouldn't dare see Joonmyeon throw away his entire future for you!" Baekhyun half shouted.

 

"And you thought i'd let him do just that? You think i'll encourage him to come home to me, so you ing lied about everything was that it Baek?" Jongdae's hands were back on Baekhyun, pressing him back against the hard surface, his sonorous voice turning up in every word with grim. Baekhyun's expression was briefly of panic in fear of being heard.

 

"Why? was i wrong?" Baekhyun scoffed.

 

Jongdae lips curled into a sly smile. Baekhyun squeaks in shock, shuddering against the hard wall when a fist slammed an inch from his left cheek. Jongdae cursed under his breathe, his dark feline like eyes swimming with loathing.

 

Baekhyun eyes flutters, breathe coming out into pants."When i had it all under control and Joonmyeon started coping i tried Jongdae. I tried to contact you but then you.. you suddenly disappeared without a ing trace. I couldn't reach you, no one could ever reach you. Joonmyeon .. he couldn't deal with it. So before you pin the blame on me at least try to remember the fact that you left Jongdae. You were gone, you disappeared, you turned your back on him altogether." Baekhyun says, voice controlled. The slightest fear in his eyes diminishes when Jongdae's  blazing eyes wavering.

 

Baekhyun ed Jongdae off of him. The young director slump against the edges of the marbled table, his arms grew flaccid and eyes torpid."As far as i can see you're doing well with your life right now so why bother?" Baekhyun smirked, apathetic.

 

Luhan hands tremble as he saw Jongdae standing spiritless beside the counter looking disoriented for the very first.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I was trying to help Joonmyeon Luhan. I was trying to keep him from throwing everything away!" Baekhyun reasons fast. Luhan laughs, finding everything, every word rubbish.

 

"Ah yes. Help, you were helping him." Luhan smiles before he it became an unforgiving one."You're a ing liar you know that?" Luhan harshly shouts, voice loud and drilling enough it made Baekhyun befuddled for a moment.

 

"Wha-what?" Baekhyun squawks, his hands were shaking terribly.

 

"You didn't do it for Joonmyeon. You did it for yourself." Luhan points an accusing finger that stabs through Baekhyun's soul.

 

"Stop saying nonsense Luhan we both know that-"

 

Luhan interrupts him with a raised hand, giving Baekhyun no chance to defend himself."You can't really live in a foreign country all by yourself if Joonmyeon ever decides on leaving, and he was decided on leaving Canada behind. Joonmyeon wanted to go home and you know the funny thing about two best friends who have been together for an awfully very very long time? They rely too much on each other to the point of losing own confidence without the other and that's you Baekhyun. You didn't try to help Joonmyeon from throwing away his dreams, you tried to held him back to make sure you keep yours! You needed him. His presence, his support, his opinions ."

 

"That's- That's not true. I- I don't-" Baekhyun croaks, his reserve mien crumbling.

 

"Joonmyeon never had the tad bit of hope to cope. He didn't get better. I know this because i was ing there too incase you had forgotten! He was only getting worse day by day that you resort on finding Jongdae. The pathetic thing was, Jongdae's already gone to ing nowhere and every single s happened after that. Now did i miss anything? Oh yeah, i almost forgot the part to say that deep down in your twisted head you're just as selfish as everybody else." Luhan cruelly says, venom seeping in every word spoken.

 

Baekhyun's body swayed, knees shaking. His lips quakes as he pulls a chair and carefully sits with his face draining it's lively aura.

 

Luhan stood up abruptly. The chair screeches as it graze against the tiled floor."Joonmyeon trusts you," Luhan's muttered exasperatedly, hands clenches and teeth biting on his lower lip." .. probably more than he could ever put his trust on me Baek." he murmurs, chest numbing to every waking thoughts of Baekhyun having someone like Joonmyeon who treasures him so much it makes Luhan wish he had someone like that too, during all those years he was alone and left behind."I hope you're feeling so ashamed of yourself right now." he berates mercilessly, does't care whether he hurt Baekhyun or not because all Luhan worries about is Joonmyeon and how i'll break him in half, not caused by a past lover this time, but a friend. Someone close, someone he sincerely treasures.

 

"Well," Luhan sniffs, admiring the different lights on their christmas tree behind Baekhyun."Now Joonmyeon's successful with his career, at least he has that to thank you for when he learns about how you," he raises his hands, fingers quoting for emphasis,"Helped, him." he turns his back on Baekhyun with a mordant smirk on his lips, daring not to stare at Baekhyun in the eye to only see it prinkling with tears. He doesn't have any sympathy left for him.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol barely made it to the front doors of his apartment and he's already running the short distance long when he spots a familiar figure slump listlessly on the bottom of the door and staring off into space. When he gets a little closer Chanyeol realizes it's Baekhyun.

 

"Baek? I thought you were staying at-" he stopped when he noticed Baekhyun crying. He crouches down to Baekhyun's level immediately and gathers the brunette male into his arms. "Baekhyun, tell me what's wrong." he demanded in a huskier tone, controlling himself not to panic too much. Baekhyun's arms around his neck were tight, his entire face snuggling in the crevice of his neck, silently sobbing it pains Chanyeol.

 

"I made a mistake," Baekhyun stutters, crimping a portion of Chanyeol's white crisp uniform behind his back as he grips on it."I tried to fix things i really did b-but, but then things just gotten out of hand and-" his voice broke before he whimpered loudly in between sobs. Chanyeol gently lifts the other up and punches the security code. He partially carried the crying male inside his apartment. He thinks of fetching a glass of water for Baekhyun but his fiancee refuses to let go, pinning the both of them on the cushion.

 

Chanyeol hauls the latter down to sit on his lap."Sssh, Baek." he says in a tone he hopes is calming. He runs his hand on the entire expanse of Baekhyun's back and mutters appeasing words to his fiancee.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sorry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

 

I'm sorry, really really sorry for being gone over a year.

 

It's because;

 

1). I lost my iphone, it's where i write, edit and store chapters.(I don't have a laptop. I lost it too in a fire before i got into AFF. ~long story~) I lost it on dec. 31 2013. I was devastated for months. I couldn't write anything since then.

 

2.) When i finally got another iphone, around march or was it may? I got really really busy at work that i couldn't concentrate when i try to write again.

 

3.) and when i did try to get back, i lost confidence in my writing. Even if i know what comes next after D&M 15, i just couldn't put it into words. I wasn't satisfied i felt like i also lost whatever i had back then when i was writing the first few chapters of D&M with a lot of  enthusiasm.

 

 

4.) But i wanted to write again, i wanted to finish D&M and write more and some of you guys were waiting for this chapter that i just couldn't ignore those people who messaged me, encouraged me.

 

5.) So i started reading other people's work for months to help me get back on track and to be honest, i was really hooked on reading that it distracted me more than it should. Haha i know, punch me or something.

 

6. I took a long leave from work this holidays and it's when i started writing back again.

 

Thank you, to those people who messaged me. I was encouraged to write again and quick. I wasn't joking around when i told some people i was coming back, it's just, it took me a lot of time to get back.

 

 

Thank you, to those who subscribed (WELCOME!) and waited even if i'm a crappy author. :D and oh! D&M got recommended on tumblr and i was gaping the whole night. I didn't know D&M was okey enough to be recommended. But i was happy, and thankful, and pressured. LOL.

 

I'm sorry for the grammar mistakes! [I swear a lot of LJ writers are freakin good, best, like i cry in envy reading their work. ;) ] I'll work hard to make the future chapters better.

 

I missed you guys so much. I missed the feeling of excitement whenever i'm about to update, the fun when i'm writing and the happiness in every comment i read.

 

 

Yep. I'm back. Hope you guys missed me even a little bit. Hihi oh happy new year!

 

 

 

With love,

 

k.