A little white cloud of condensation coming out of his mouth, Sehun looked up at the vividly-coloured sign above him telling ‘Plushies~♫’. He smiled at the little pink music notes and pushed the glass door, entering the shop. It consisted of a single room, rather small, that was almost silent. Sehun stood there for a minute, completely lost.

                Cuddly toys; cuddly toys everywhere around him. He didn’t even see the walls – they were covered with blue bears, smiling cats and fluffy dogs. Sehun swallowed and called, hoping someone would answer and help him finding the thing he needed so that he would be able to leave as soon as possible.

                “Em…hello? Is there anyone here?” he said hesitantly. His voice was muffled by all the plushies around him, that were smiling as if they were mocking him. Sehun almost felt embarrassed by a smirking snake. (What was that? He couldn’t even look at it? It was a toy, for God’s sake!) He was about to call again – or leave, when he heard a voice at last.

                “Yes, I’m getting down at once!”

                Sehun looked in the direction the words came from, and spotted a pink-haired boy who was standing on a stepladder, almost touching the ceiling. His hair was the same colour as a dolphin near him so Sehun hadn’t even seen him.

                He frowned. The boy was rummaging through the fluffy toys, and finally managed to grab a little dog, which was a bit far away from him. (Sehun was even afraid he might have fallen when he had bent to catch it.)

                Sehun raised his eyebrows when the boy turned towards him and smiled brightly. He had the little dog in a hand (it seemed less weird than the other toys because it was brown and cream-coloured, rather than green or yellow), and a needle and white sewing thread in the other. Sehun smiled back awkwardly as the boy started to sew up again something on the dog’s belly.

                “Em…hi,” he said almost as low as a whisper, and the boy’s smile widened.

                As he saw the dark-haired boy gazing at him and looking puzzled, Luhan giggled inwardly. He liked becoming friends with the clients, especially when they were so handsome and looked a little shy like this tall and discreet boy.

                “How may I help you?” he asked joyfully. Sehun started to worry – the pink-haired boy was still standing on the stepladder and was sewing without looking at his work, his eyes locked on Sehun’s face. As Sehun stayed silent, frozen, he put the little dog back with the other toys and quickly got down from the ladder.

                Sehun found his tongue again. “I – I’d like to buy a cuddly toy (he felt stupid because cuddly toys were obviously the only thing in there) for – my little cousin.”

                Luhan beamed at him softly. “And what would you like? An animal?” he asked. He was curious to know what the dark-haired boy wanted. Most of the time, people asked for animals, but other ones somehow preferred different sorts of toys.

                Sehun nodded jerkily and followed him; they walked to another area of the shop. Now that he could see him more closely, Sehun noticed that the pink-haired boy didn’t seem much older than he did.

                “Is your cousin a boy or a girl?” Luhan asked.

                “A – a boy,” Sehun answered. He didn’t know why, but a lot of things around him right then were flustering him. But he swallowed slightly difficultly and managed to smile. Luhan saw he was embarrassed and giggled.

                “Look, I think this bear is adorable!” he said enthusiastically, showing Sehun the said bear with a big grin. Sehun almost chuckled. Luhan didn’t look like a shop assistant; he almost seemed to be the one buying the toy.

                “It is,” Sehun replied with a smile. As the pink-haired boy stood on tiptoes to grab a black and white fluffy toy, Sehun noticed he was a little shorter than him. He raised his arm and helped Luhan catch the toy.

                “Ah, thank you,” Luhan said happily, and Sehun’s cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. “Here, a penguin. Isn’t it cute?”

                Sehun laughed this time. The small boy looked adorable holding it. “Yes, I think I’ll buy this one,” he said. They smiled at each other and Luhan walked to the cash register. Sehun chuckled inwardly. Even there, there were cuddly toys. About ten of them, small and colourful, were hanging to the register.

                “Is it a present?” Luhan asked, and Sehun nodded. He took a roll of wrapping paper, cut it and wrapped it around the penguin. Finally, he added a small ribbon and smiled, putting the package on the desk. He told Sehun the price, and the dark-haired boy paid him timidly.

                “Em, goodbye then,” Sehun said, taking the penguin and stepping back. Luhan laughed inwardly. He almost seemed scared.

                “Goodbye, I hope I’ll see you again!” he said, beaming at him. Sehun smiled back quickly and walked to the door. But as he was about to push it, Luhan said, “Oh, by the way, my name is Luhan. What’s yours?”

                “Se – Sehun,” Sehun answered. Sesehun, what a nice name, Luhan thought, giggling.

                “Goodbye Sehun, then,” he said softly. Sehun blushed, nodded and exited the shop. Luhan watched him go through the glass door and he laughed out loud. Something was telling him the dark-haired boy would come back soon…

                Sehun almost started running once he was a few meters away from the cuddly toys shop. His heart was beating fast, his cheeks felt awfully hot and his hands were shaking. “,” he cursed very low, trying to regain his composure (and to feel calm again, because well, the pink-haired boy had really messed up all his feelings, when they had been in the shop).

                Why was he feeling so light and weird inside?

~

                Luhan had been right; Sehun did come back, about a week later. In fact, his cousin had loved the penguin so much he had decided to go back to the shop to thank Luhan. (And that was an acceptable excuse to justify the fact he was dying to see the pink-haired boy again.)

                When he entered the small shop, Luhan was chatting with a middle-aged woman, who was carrying a big bag surely full of cuddly toys, so he had to wait for a few minutes. Luhan turned towards him and threw him a radiant smile.

                “Hello again!” he said cheerfully. “Do you need anything in particular?”

                Sehun smiled. “In fact, I wanted to thank you. My cousin is fond of the penguin I bought you, and he even called to tell me he slept with it every night! So thank you very much.”

                He had expected Luhan to giggle, but strangely, the pink-haired boy only had a small mischievous smile, and, tilting his head, he looked at Sehun intensely. “No, you chose it. It wasn’t me. You don’t need to thank anyone – unless you want to thank yourself, but…”

                He muttered a few more words, but Sehun didn’t hear him. (Surely because Luhan didn’t speak loud when he was a little embarrassed.) Then, silence settled between the two of them. Sehun tried to find something to say, but his mind was blank. Luhan smiled, looking at his feet, and turned around to wave at somebody in the street.

                Meanwhile, Sehun had an idea. He would have felt bad to leave without buying anything, and he wanted to see Luhan’s bright beam again. So he looked around, trying to spot a fluffy toy that wasn’t too weird… Finally, he saw a black cat that looked okay, so he cleared his throat, causing Luhan to look up from the papers he was writing on and smile at him softly.

                “Yes?” he asked, and Sehun blushed because he hadn’t been thinking Luhan might have been doing something important. (In fact, Sehun was always afraid to speak when people were doing something else because of that.)

                “I – this black cat over there, I – ” he began, but lost his words progressively, and at the end his voice sounded rather like a whisper. Fortunately, Luhan had followed his gaze and saw the cat. He fetched it and handed it to Sehun.

                “This one?” he asked gently. Sehun blinked several times. He didn’t even look at the cat – he couldn’t take his eyes off Luhan. The pink-haired boy saw it and restrained a giggle.

                “Y – yes,” he answered finally several seconds later. Luhan wondered whether the dark-haired boy stammered all the time like that. As he smiled at him and went behind the cash register, Sehun found something to say at last. He breathed in deeply. “Em…have you run this shop for long?” he asked.

                “Ah, six months,” Luhan answered. “My uncle used to run it, but I took it over after he died,” he added with a little smile.

                “Oh, I’m so sorry…” Sehun said sadly, hating himself for having asked. Anyway, everything he did was always mistakes. Luhan saw he was genuinely concerned and shook his head.

                “No, don’t, it’s okay,” he said. The dark-haired boy nibbled on his lower lip. He hated distressing situations, which drew him to feel guilty or embarrassed; he tended to avoid them whenever he could, but once he was caught in them… He always had troubles to escape. Though Luhan could feel his uneasiness and beamed at him.

                “Here, your kitty,” he said. Sehun blushed and grabbed the toy clumsily. Luhan giggled; he hadn’t seen such an adorable boy for a long time. “I hope you two will get on well,” he continued.

                “W – what?” Sehun stuttered, almost defensively. “Who are you talking about?”

                Luhan smiled. “The kitty and you,” he answered. “You know, cuddly toys do have a soul. They may love you…or not.”

                Sehun looked at the pink-haired boy with a straight face. Either he was crazy, or he was trying to cheer him up. “Oh, do they?” he said, smiling awkwardly. “Well I hope he will…like me…”

                “I’m sure he will,” Luhan said softly, leaning on the cash desk. “After all, you’re so cute nobody could dislike you!”

                His remark had the intended effect: Sehun’s cheeks turned crimson and he clutched the fluffy toy in his hands, looking down at it. However, when he didn’t say anything, Luhan started to worry – he hadn’t expected the dark-haired boy to get so upset.

                “I’m sorry, that was silly of me,” he said, resting his hand on Sehun’s shoulder and fondling it gently. “Are you okay?” he asked, concerned, when he saw the tall boy kept looking down, squeezing the black cat hard. He was breathing very fast.

                Sehun blinked several times, petrified. I really need to grow up, he thought. Why am I so shy?... “Sorry, I don’t know –” he whispered, through clenched teeth. Luhan smiled at him softly.

                “Do you want to drink a cup of hot chocolate?” he offered. “I can make you some, if you want to.”

                The dark-haired boy nodded weakly and Luhan led him to another room, opening a wooden door, then closing it once they both were inside. It was a sort of small kitchen, and there was also a sofa and a television set. Sehun stood there awkwardly, wondering whether Luhan lived there, until the pink-haired boy motioned him to sit down at the table.

                He sat down and clenched his knees with his hands between them, slightly bent. He watched Luhan prepare two cups of hot chocolate. A few minutes later, the small boy came and sat next to him.

                “Here,” he said. “Drink it, it’s hot. It will do you good.”

                Sehun grabbed one of the cups and raised it to his lips. He almost burnt himself but he didn’t want to deceive or worry Luhan, so he drank the chocolate nevertheless, his throat on fire. Meanwhile, the pink-haired boy kept smiling at him softly.

                “Are you feeling better?” he asked when Sehun put the cup down on the table.

                “Yes, thank you very much,” the dark-haired boy answered very low. Luhan was about to say something, but suddenly the tinkle of a bell resonated in the shop. He got up and smiled softly. “I’m coming back in a minute, okay?” he said, and exited the room.

                Sehun remained sitting on the chair, not daring to get up or do anything. Wringing his hands under the table, he stared at his watch. It was stupid, but he did the same thing he used to do when he was a child: watch the minute hand and the second hand. He tried to cheer for the slower one mentally – maybe someday it would catch up with the other.

                He didn’t hear Luhan come back in the room. “Oh, sorry, I kept you for long. You can leave if you want to,” the pink-haired boy apologised when he saw him looking at his watch. Sehun opened his eyes wide and shook his head frantically.

                “No, no, I was just – I don’t want to leave!” he exclaimed. (He couldn’t tell Luhan he had been watching a watch hand race.) “I mean, you’re not – keeping me or anything,” he corrected himself. Ah, he always said the wrong things… Now Luhan would think he wanted to squat there.

                But the pink-haired boy laughed and sat down next to him again. “So. Why were you so upset?” he asked gently. But as he saw Sehun’s face darken a bit, he said, “Unless you don’t want to tell me. It’s okay.”

                Sehun looked at him and had a little smile. “It’s just that…I’m a little – shy,” he said bashfully. Luhan patted the back of his hand affectionately.

                “I can see that,” he said in a playful tone. “But don’t worry, it will go and someday you won’t be shy at all anymore!”

                “No,” Sehun replied, and Luhan could hear sadness and resignation in his voice. “I’ve always been like that, nothing can change… I must face facts; I guess I’ll be like that forever.”

                “Don’t say such things,” Luhan said, getting closer to him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Sehun shivered a little but soon he found out that Luhan’s arm felt really good against him.

                I’m such a baby, he thought. Luhan patted his back and smiled at him. “I think I have something for you. Wait for a minute.” he said gently. Sehun watched the pink-haired boy get up and open a box behind the sofa. Then Luhan came back and handed him something out. Sehun looked at the thing he was holding.

                It was a little white rabbit. Its body had a slightly indistinct shape and it had a very big head compared to its body. It had two little black pearls for eyes and its ears were hanging loosely, almost as long as the whole body. Sehun noticed the tip of the legs seemed to be used, as if they had been nibbled at.

                He looked up at Luhan, surprised. “What is it?” he asked in a whisper.

                “It’s the first plush I ever had. I really love him – look, I even used to nibble on his legs!” he laughed. “He’s yours, now, okay?”

                Sehun stared at the pink-haired boy. Then, “I can’t accept that,” he said. “It’s your first – I mean, you can’t give it to me like this…”

                He knew Luhan must love cuddly toys very much (after all, he sold them and stayed with them all day). And especially his first one, his very first one! He squeezed the rabbit weakly. It was cute. He felt a smile form on his lips as he imagined Luhan biting the tip of the legs. Then Luhan put his hands over the dark-haired boy’s. Sehun froze then looked up.

                And he dissolved into tears.

                “Oh dear…” Luhan said, hugging him tight. “Don’t cry… (He took the rabbit and rubbed it against Sehun’s cheek.) Here, look, Peco wants to kiss you to cheer you up…”

                The dark-haired boy didn’t whether to cry at Luhan’s kindness or to laugh at his weird attempt to make him stop crying. He wiped his eyes with sleeve and hugged Luhan tighter. “Tha – thank – youuuu…” he managed to stutter. Luhan smiled softly.

                “Don’t cry anymore, or otherwise Peco and I, we will be sad. Okay?” he said. Sehun nodded and sniffled but stopped sobbing. Luhan patted his back again and handed him a tissue. The dark-haired boy whispered an incomprehensible ‘thank you’ and blew his nose. (He tried to make as little noise as possible but as he had cried a lot, it was quite impossible.)

                Luhan looked at the boy affectionately. He was obviously very shy. Although he had quite a strong appearance. He smiled at him and the dark-haired boy looked down, embarrassed.

                “I – I’ll leave now – thank you for…the chocolate and – and everything. Well, good – “

                Luhan cut him and grabbed his hand as he turned around to exit the room. “Hey, we could really be friends, if you want to,” he said warmly. “We’re about the same age.”

                Sehun stayed silent for a moment then looked at him hopefully. “Really?” he said.

                “Of course,” Luhan replied. “How old are you, by the way?”

                “Sixteen,” Sehun said. “And you?”

                This dialogue was awkward. Sehun was starting to feel weird inside.

                “I’m twenty years old,” Luhan said joyfully. Sehun raised his eyebrows. He really hadn’t expected him to be that older than him. A four-year gap… Oh, after all, that wasn’t so big. “So, wanna be friends?” Luhan continued.

                Sehun thanked him mentally – that meant he wouldn’t have to do strange things like buying a cuddly toy every day or even standing in front of the glass door for hours to make him understand his mute (and almost unconscious) ‘Please love me, I want a friend like you, Luhan!’. Well, at least, that was a good thing.

                “Sure,” he answered, clumsily holding out his hand to the pink-haired boy, who took it gleefully. Instinctively, Sehun’s fingers tightened around Luhan’s thin ones, and he almost wanted to squeeze his petite hand and never let go of it.

                They stayed like this for a moment. Luhan’s hand was starting to hurt a little but he didn’t say anything, because he knew Sehun might very well be upset if he told him to let go of it. But finally Sehun seemed to notice he was really clutching the pink-haired boy’s hand and relaxed.

                “Em…well, I have to go,” he said, fidgeting strangely. Luhan smiled. He was really adorable. When the younger boy turned around to leave, biting his lower lip, Luhan stopped him once again.

                He handed him the little rabbit. Sehun took it and looked at Luhan, who was beaming. “You were going to forget him,” the small boy said.

                “Thank you,” Sehun replied. He fondled the white animal with his fingers. It was really soft, but the little threads pointing out of the tip of the legs were pleasantly tickling. Sehun felt very proud Luhan had given him his first cuddly toy. It wasn’t anything.

                “Take care of him, Sehun,” Luhan said. Sehun nodded gravely. The elder boy walked him to the door and gave him one last hug.

                “Bye,” Sehun said in a low tone. But when Luhan pecked his cheek, his heart started to beat faster than it had ever beaten. “I – I –” he stuttered. Luhan smiled mischievously and opened the door.

                “I hope you’ll sleep well with Peco,” he said. “See you soon, Sehun-ah.”

                Sehun nodded and went out of the cuddly toys shop as if he were in a dream. His cheek felt really warm. He thought he still felt Luhan’s lips against it. Instinctively, he squeezed the cuddly toy to reassure himself as he walked back home.

                A baby in the street who was in a pram pushed by his mother tried to grab it when Sehun passed near him, though the dark-haired boy quickly put it out of his reach, glaring at the kid. The mother threw him a judging look but he didn’t care. It was his cuddly toy, his cuddly toy that Luhan had given him as a present, and nobody else than him would be allowed to touch it.

                When he slipped into his bed, he nuzzled the soft white rabbit. It smelled like the toy shop. Even like Luhan. Sehun held it tighter and fell asleep thinking about the pink-haired boy.

               A/N: Do whatever you want, but it would make me very happy if you commented or subscribed. Thanks a lot~