Jongin takes a deep breath, taking in the pleasant smell of coffee and pastries so early in the day. Well it's already mid-morning, but he thinks that's early enough for him when, in actually, he wakes up after lunch on weekends. But not this Saturday, not when he finally gets to introduce Lu Han to Jongdae and Baekhyun.

He straightens up when Lu Han comes back with their order, placing two mugs of steaming coffee on the table and a dozen cupcakes. Jongin smiles and pulls Lu Han close when he finally sits down beside him, pressing a light kiss to his cheek.

"You okay?" Jongin asks.

"Fine," Lu Han answers with a stiff nod and a smile that has absolutely no mirth in it.

"Hey." Jongin pulls him even closer, his arm falling around his waist. "It will be okay. There's no reason to be nervous."

"I just want them to like me," Lu Han says in practically a whisper. He's quiet for a second before he's turning to face Jongin. "What if they don't like me? They're your best friends and then there's--"

"That's exactly the point," Jongin cuts him off with a smile and a kiss on the forehead. "They're my best friends and when they see how happy I am, they will have no reason to dislike you."

"Jongin," Lu Han starts, but Jongin is standing up and greeting said best friends.

Jongdae and Baekhyun sit across from Jongin and Lu Han. They exchange pleasantries and soon enough they are all chatting easily with each other, Lu Han's background and home in China catching both his friends' interests.

"This is so good," Jongdae suddenly comments as he munches on his second cupcake. "Man, remember Chanyeol's red velvet cupcakes?" He shakes his head, smiling. "Those were good!"

Lu Han shifts in Jongin's embrace, but Jongin just squeezes his arm. Jongin laughs when Baekhyun agrees, continuing on to say that those were one of the perks of being Jongin's best friend at that time because Chanyeol baked such amazing goodies.

"Jongin really enjoys sweets, doesn't he," Lu Han comments, turning to smile at him.

"Yeah, which is why he and Chanyeol hit it off so much," Baekhyun goes on, slapping Jongdae's hand when he reaches for another cupcake. "Leave some for the lovebirds." He nods towards Lu Han and Jongin.

"Oh did you make this for Jongin?" Jongdae asks sheepishly. "Sorry I thought--"

"No, I didn't," Lu Han quietly cuts him off. He shifts in his seat, a smile on his face that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "I don't know how to bake."









Later in the week, Jongin is frowning as Lu Han's phone just keeps on ringing and ringing and ringing. He's barely seen his boyfriend since they met up with Jongin's friends and now Lu Han's not even picking up his calls. Pocketing his phone, Jongin decides to just go ahead and go over to his apartment.

When he arrives, getting in easily because he knows where the spare key is, he finds Lu Han covered in flour practically from head to toe. There are batches and batches of cupcakes, some looking edible and some looking... not so edible.

"What's going on?" Jongin asks, eyeing the disarray that is Lu Han's kitchen.

Lu Han jumps and whips around, the bowl where he was doing so mixing in falling to the ground, its contents spilling to the marble floor. Jongin stares at the added mess before looking at Lu Han, whose eyes are wide and shining.

"I--" Lu Han starts, but cuts himself off. Instead, he crouches down and tries to sweep up the fallen flour on the floor and back into the bowl.

"Hey," Jongin crouches down beside him. Lu Han's hands are shaking and there's a telltale sniff coming from him. "Han," he calls, grabbing his hands and making him look at him. He furrows his brows at the sight of tears. "Why are you crying? What's wrong?" He glances at all the baking. "Are you stressed about something?"

Lu Han merely shakes his head and untangles his hands from Jongin's grip. He stands and moves to the sink to wash his hands. "I'm just experimenting," he says, laughing as he faces Jongin straightening up.

"Experimenting," Jongin repeats. "But you don't bake..." His eyes widen in realization and Lu Han laughs again. "Lu Han, you don't--"

"How am I supposed to compete with someone you've been in love with for years?" Lu Han blurts out, cheeks pinking due to his peaking emotions. "Someone who's been in your life since you were learning to read and write and someone you still have a friendship with, someone whom your friends clearly--"

"Han," Jongin cuts him off, wrapping an arm around his waist and placing his hand on his cheek. He searches Lu Han's face until their eyes finally meet. It hurts him to know that Lu Han is hurting over something he shouldn't feel anything for. Sure he and Chanyeol are still friends. But Chanyeol is his past. "You're my present," he tells him earnestly. "The here and the now and, hopefully, the future."

Lu Han's face scrunches up as he bursts into tears. "Even if I don't know how to bake?" he sobs.

Jongin laughs and hugs him tightly. "You don't need to know how to bake for me to be with you," he says, "for me to love you."

"Really?" Lu Han asks, pulling away so he can see Jongin's confirmation.

Jongin cups his face and kisses him. "I love you," he whispers in his ear. "You know that, right? I love you."

Lu Han nods like an appeased child. Meeting Jongin's gaze with wide eyes, he leans forward to kiss him again. "And I love you," he whispers through his lips.

Jongin kisses him back with more fervor than he ever has. For Lu Han to be insecure, when he's not one to feel so, means that he's more worried about this than he normally would be. And he wonders what he can do to show Lu Han that he means the world to him.

"What do you say we stop baking for awhile and cuddle while we watch a movie?" Jongin suggests, steering Lu Han towards the living room.

Lu Han eyes him. "You don't like cuddling," he says a bit suspiciously.

Jongin shrugs. "Well, I love you so..." He beams at him when Lu Han wraps his arms tightly around him as they settle on the couch.

Maybe one of these days he and Lu Han should take a baking class together, wrinkling his nose when he remembers the mess in the kitchen.