~Fluffy’s Refuge~

Chenguang’s POV

"WHAT!!? Yixing's your partner!!?"

"YES!!! OH MY GOSH, I'M GOING TO HAVE A FAMILY WITH HIM!!" Not really, literally speaking but left me have this moment.

"AAAAH!!!~ Kai get over here and jump up and down in excitement with us!" Sulli demanded as she ran over to him and tried pulling him up from the ground only to have him hug the tree.

"NO! I don't care! Leave me out of your little family reunion thingie!" Kai yelled as he tried swishing his legs to get it out of Sulli's grip.

Sulli let out a dramatic gasp and sat on him, grabbed his legs again and started waving them in different directions. "YOU TAKE THAT BACK! How dare you! What kind of uncle to this baby are you!?" She proclaimed and violently swished his legs.

"UNCLE!? I'm too fabulous to be- AAAAH!!! SULLISULLISULLISULLI STOOOP!! I don't think my legs are supposed to bend this way! “As Kai yelled that out I realized we were creating a scene and some people were staring at us and we were so loud it was like everyone stopped their conversations just to hear us. I slowly turned around so that my back faced the onlookers so that they wouldn't see my face.

After Sulli had let Jongin go, we sat down and talked as usual.

"Oh yeah! Mission Paws and Claws starts tomorrow, I can't wait! When Kai and I went to see Taemin and Jonghyun we practiced and Jonghyun helped me pick out a great song. I'd record myself singing and send it to you but I want you to see it yourself tomorrow." Sulli said, yes, Mission Paws and Claws would take place tomorrow. Oh my gosh, I'm kinda nervous for this and all I'm doing is helping out with pet services.

"Taemin's pretty awesome too. We have the choreography down and everything we're just going to rehearse today one more time till we do it in front of everyone tomorrow." You too, Jongin?

"I can't really say I have anything to show you guys so...Meh. I hope this works out." I shrugged.

When I arrived at work, I was eager to see Sehun for some reason. Most likely because of what happened that night with his parents. When Sehun heard the bells chime he looked up and when he saw me, he nodded in acknowledgement and went back to his work. So basically, same old, right? It's like what happened that night is behind us now.

"Chenguang, there you are! Pick which service you'll be doing. Bathing and styling the pets, selling accessories or walking around in this huge suit." Tao came up to me and held up this costume that not even I would wear and I don't have a keen sense of fashion. It was a pit bull mascot costume. I stared at it with distaste and looked at Tao who waited for my answer.

"I'm selling accessories!" Sehun quickly yelled out and smirked at me while I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Okay, I'm assisting with bathing the pets and I don't trust you enough to style them but....It's your choice. Styling the pets or wearing this costume? Key should be over in a few so decide between the two of you, okay?" Tao then walked away as I sighed and waited for Key to come. No way am I walking around in that costume. Also, if I end up styling the pets the customers might ask for a refund.

I walked over to Sehun and poked him on his forehead and sneered. "You....How could you..." I grumbled and he swatted my hand away.

"Girls will probably be more biased towards buying these accessories since they're all 'cute' looking so I might as well do it. Look at me, I'm a good way to get girls to buy these things with this face and this voice." Wow, full of yourself aren't you, Sehun?

"Yeah, but now I have to choose between styling the pets and walking around in a pitbull costume!" I whined.

"I suggest you choose the latter because the customers are going to want their money back if you attempt to 'beautify' their pets." Sehun you could have at least given me some comforting words here.

"Then why don't you do it?" I asked him.

"I don't want to give pets pedicures and dress them up nor do I want to walk around in that suit like the unfortunate people in movies do. For one, I'll sweat buckets in that thing. Two, if I get caught wearing that I'm moving and maybe I'll change my name and open up a curry shop in Mexico. So, no. That's why it has to be you." He explained and went through some papers of the stocks.

"But....But....Why me?" This isn't what I signed up for.

"You're the chosen one now, be like a nut and bolt, will you? I have work to do." This is probably just Sehun's way to tell me to leave him alone. I pouted and went to help Tao.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late again. I had some work to finish off on campus." Lay said as he walked into the shop and he spotted me. "Oh! Hey there 'mommy'~ how are you?"

"MOMMY!!!???" Sehun and Tao yelled and Suho peeked his head out of the door in the back with a bewildered look on his face.

"YOU'RE PREGNANT!!!?" A new voice yelled out and I turned around and saw Key in the doorway holding a bag full of our final outfits we'd wear tomorrow. I face palmed and looked over at Lay who only laughed.

"She's the mother of my ‘child’ and of course I'm the father." He happily said. Tao's usually feline sharp eyes were now around the size of two ping pong balls. Sehun actually looked shocked for once, a whole new expression on his face from the usual blank one.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" Suho asked amidst the confusion.

"Girl or boy?" Is that really important right now Tao?

"........Wow, Lay, consider yourself on her dad's blacklist you're on top now not me." Sehun how could you fall for all of this!?

"I'M NOT EXPECTING!" I yelled out and everyone became silent and stared at me while Lay just laughed in the background.

"It's a school project taking place next month. We have to show that we know how to care for children when they've got a cold or flu or something. The whole class is doing it and Lay's my partner." I finished off and Sehun let out a sigh of relief and Tao made an 'o' shape with his mouth and nodded. Suho sighed and closed his door and Key placed the bag with outfits on the counter as Tao walked over to him.

"Key, there's still two positions left to choose for tomorrow. Sehun's selling accessories and I'm bathing the pets. I need someone to handle the styling with the pets though, and someone needs to walk around in the pitbull costume." Tao explained.

"I'M DOING THE STYLING!!!" Both Key and I yelled out at the same time and we looked at each other a bit annoyed.

"Oh please, you saw what I did to you a few nights ago! Did you even know you were capable of looking like that?" Key retorted.

"I don't want to walk around in a flipping costume!" I yelled back.

"DON'T WORRY NO ONE WILL SEE YOUR FACE! YOU'LL HAVE THE PIT BULL HEAD GEAR TO COVER IT!"

"WHAT PART OF ME NOT WANTING TO WEAR THAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND!?"

"THE PART ABOUT YOU NOT WANTING TO WEAR IT!"

"ENOUGH!" Tao yelled and we both shut out mouths and looked at Tao. "Chenguang, please, just wear it it's not like you're going to wear it the entire day." Point taken Tao but still.

"Do it for Fluffy's Refuge." Tao, that's not really convincing me.

"It's just for one day." Lay added.

I stared at the costume and sighed.

"Fine...I'll wear it."

The next day after University had finished, I found Kai and Sulli waiting for me outside the classroom. Sulli smiled at me while batting her eye lashes like when I first met her and grinned widely.

"I figured since today's Mission Paws and Claws, and we're all playing a part why not go together?" She said as she linked her one arm with mine and the other with Kai who grumbled at this.

"Not a bad idea. Shall we go together, then? Come on Cheng-Cheng~" Lay who suddenly appeared at the doorway said and he linked his arm with my free one which made be blush. Sulli made kissy noises and Kai told her to shush as her rolled his eyes.

"I refuse to be a victim of your mushy couple love. If that's how it's going to be I'm walking ahead and leaving you three!" Kai exclaimed as he took his arm back from Sulli who pouted at him and stuck her tongue out.

"You need to get a woman in your life, Kai. I'll search for one when we get to Fluffy's Refuge!" Sulli took Jongin's hand and started walking ahead as she dragged Kai with her who groaned in protest.

"Shall we?" Lay spoke up and nudged my arm which was linked with his and I grinned at him and we followed Sulli and Jongin. Before I could turn a corner I saw Kris in the corner of my eye.

"KRIIIIIIIIIIS!!!" He stopped walking and turned to look at me.

"DON'T FORGET TO COME TODAY, OKAY!?" I reminded him.

He didn't reply and simply turned around and lifted his hand in the air.

I don’t speak hand gestures but I’ll take that as a ‘Yeah, see you there.’

When we got to Fluffy's refuge, the people from SM were there already it was sort of stuffy having everyone in the store. We still had the closed side displayed along with a huge poster advertising the event today. People were allowed to come and have fun here with their own pets as well. By now we all knew each other but we didn't really know some of the guys on Taemin's side who were performing with him.

The counter where Sehun usually stood had accessories displayed over it, we had moved some of the pet cages into the corners of the room and some into Lay's pet care room. We now had a decent place where some pet baths were placed on tables and there was a whole basket filled with pet shampoo bottles.

Outside the store, we had put a 'stage' up. Jonghyun had brought some speakers and a mic, saving us the cost of having to buy it ourselves. People had been walking past the store and would look over in curiosity wondering what would happen. I seriously hope this works out, that way, things will look better for this store and we'll have more customers and these pets will find someone to care for them.

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE LISTEN UP!" Suho yelled as he cleared some of the accessories on the counter, messing them a bit and stood up on it. Sehun, who stood behind the counter and had taken the time to neatly place the accessories neatly on the counter, stared up at Suho blankly.

"This thing is actually happening in a few minutes! I just want to thank the people from SM Arts who did this out of their own accord, seriously, thank you! Including the dance team here as well as Chenguang's friends. Now, everyone knows what to do right?" He asked, everyone nodded in his direction. "Taemin, you're dancing with your team and Kai with Lay who's getting dressed in the back. Zitao, you're bathing the pets and Key you're helping with the styling. Jinri, Jonghyun, you two will be singing so you two will be our first performers, draw a crowd in with your voices! Sehun, try and sell as much accessories as you can, okay?" After Suho said that, Sehun looked at Suho and at the accessories that had been sprawled out over the counter.

"Lastly, our mascot! Chenguang, I need you to-..........Why aren't you wearing the costume!?" Suho yelled and everyone turned to look at me, I was still dressed in my casual clothes.

"Suho-sshi, do I really have to wear that? Can't I just charm the customers and lure them here with my looks?" I asked and I heard Key snort from somewhere in the room.

I will find you, Key....

"Chenguang, you agreed to wear the costume so wear it! Okay, any questions? None? Alright, Tao open the shop! Jonghyun, Sulli, go and get us our customers. Taemin and Jongin, ready yourselves for later, as soon as we gather enough people here I'll make my speech. Tao, stand re-"

"SUHOOOOO!!! Dude, we get it! We know what to do, we've been working on this for like...What? A month?" Tao whined as everyone else went off to go and prepare for the customers.

Lay came out looking so seriously hot. That design Key made for him was definitely making him stand out.

"How do I look?" He asked.

Like Steak....

You look like Steak....

I like Steak...

".....Ehauuueuheerrr...er..."

.........All my years in school during language classes might have been for nothing when it comes to Lay.

Lay stared at me for a while and I face palmed. What was that!?

 Ehauuueuheerrr!!?

 Wow Chenguang, might as well start your own dictionary.

"Great! You look great! You're a beautiful specimen! “A specimen. I should have said person. No, man.

Lay laughed and thanked me and walked over to Taemin and Kai. I sighed and picked up the costume and walked into the back room to go and change.

"Don't you comment on this, Sehun oppa." I said through the head of the costume as I looked at Sehun who stared at me in this costume up and down. His mouth was moving, almost twitching just to say something.

"Oh my gosh. Better you than me." I turned to look to Key who was filling the pet bath with water and staring at the costume like it was made out of vomit.

"So, you're dressed?" Suho said, he as now dressed in a black suit and stared at me and nodded. "There's a few people out there, stand there and try to gather us a crowd."

"Oh, she'll gather a crowd, alright. Look at what she's dressed as. I wouldn't even wear that as pajamas." Key commented as Tao who helped him tried to hold in his laugh. I wouldn't wear this as pajamas either, Key.

I reluctantly walked outside where a few people stood around the stage, boys and girls, some of them from my University. I could see Yoseob and Junhuyng as well as Amber.

Jonghyun was setting up the volume while Sulli was doing Mic tests, Sulli saw me in the costume and I could see her laugh from here and she waved. I waved back but she only laughed more. It must look funny to her, seeing me in this costume with a happy pit bull face waving at her.

I don't think I'm going to Disneyland for a job.

I stood near the entrance where people would past and I tried to get their attention. A young boy was walking with his mother and he saw me and stopped walking.

"Hey there, kiddo! Would you and your mum like to adopt a pet or if you have one, why not buy him or her a cute accessory which you can find inside!?" I said in a cheerful tone and waved my arms around to add more effects to my actions. I don't think I want to find out how I look right now.

"Umma, can we? Please!? We can buy Bonnie something!" The young boy asked his mom and shook her arm. She sighed and nodded and they walked towards the store. A few minutes later I heard music started and when I turned around, Jonghyun stood in front of the mic.

He smiled at the crowd and some girls started screaming. "Good Afternoon you guys, I hope you'll stay and enjoy yourselves here. Enjoy the performance!" He yelled into the mic and Sulli raised the music's volume a bit higher and Jonghyun had begun to sing.

I knew he was good but seeing him there singing is a whole new thing. I can kinda see why he's a major in his subject now, his voice is beautiful!

Before I knew it customers were piling it and if I had to stay in this costume any longer I'm going to start sweating. The place was filled with people, some were watching the songs performed by Jonghyun and Sulli and some were inside getting their pets washed or buying accessories. I saw Suho head towards the stage after Sulli finished singing and he took the mic and faced the crowd.

"Everyone, welcome to Fluffy's Refuge. I'm Kim Junmyeon, the owner of the store. I hope you enjoy yourselves here as the people who gathered here to make this possible worked hard to make this happen." Actually, some of us were forced to work by wearing this costume.

"Enjoy the performances here today, inside we're selling accessories and if you have a pet, feel free to get them washed and looking like they belong on the red carpet! Thank you." Suho left the stage and I sighed and stretched.

"Working hard?" I quickly spun around and saw Lay there smiling at me.

"I'm want to throw this costume off a cliff when I'm done with it or find some other way to dispose of it." I replied and Lay simply stood next to me as we watched people browse through the place. Someone very familiar was about to walk past Lay and I when I shot my hand out and grabbed his arm. The person turned around and stared at me in shock for a second and tried getting my arm off.

"Hey! What are you doing!? Let me go! HELP!" He yelled and struggled to release himself from my grip.

"Kris, chill! It's me!" I said, trying to get through to him.

"What the-....Why do you know my name? STRANGER DANGER!!" He screamed and Lay started laughing.

"NOOO! KRIS, IT'S ME! CHENGUANG! Isn't your name Yifan or something? I'm your partner in class!" If he keeps this up I'm going to get arrested. Imagine how this looks to other people, someone dressed in a pitbull costume is tightly holding a grown man's hand who is trying to get away and screaming for help.

After Kris found out it was me, he sighed and face palmed himself and walked off.

At least he came.

"Why don't you change out of that costume and take a short break? I'm performing next so watch me, okay?" He said and ran off to the stage where Taemin, Jongin and the dance team stood ready for their turn.

 I ran inside the store and I saw Sehun, girls were around the counter asking him for his opinion on the accessories. Tao and Key were busy with bathing and Styling the pets as well. I went to the back and changed out of the costume. I sighed out in relief and ran back outside where some upbeat music was playing. Taemin and the rest were all up there with Taemin, Kai and Lay in front. They were moving their bodies to the beat and the girls were screaming and making videos and taking pictures.

They were seriously talented, Taemin and Kai definitely did a good job but my eyes were trained on Lay. That usual spaced out look I was used to was replaced with a focused one. The smile I had grown used to was not there and his lips were tightened shut as he focused on the dance.

OH MY WORD

LAY IS CAPABLE OF LOOKING LIKE THIS!!?

My mouth was probably open but I can't care right now. I should probably befriend one of these girls and ask them for the video on their phones.

Suddenly, Lay looked up at me. I froze and stared back and he smirked and winked.

Take my cheeks out of the oven because they are so done, you can fight some blushes but you can't fight them all.

Zhang Yixing just winked at me!

ME!!!

The girls that saw it screamed even louder and some started yelling "OPPA!!"

I grinned and ran towards the crowd around the stage and joined in with the girls who were cheering for him.

After Taemin, Jongin, Lay and the rest if the dance team were done performing, I kept replaying the wink in my head. Just thinking about it had me in giggles.

I walked over to the back of the store and leaned against the wall and sighed. I seem to be doing a lot of that lately. I closed my eyes and felt like I could fall asleep on this wall right here and now, I had been so tired I hadn't heard someone approaching.

"Enjoy the performance?"

"GAAAAAHHH!!!...Oh, sweet poop. Lay...Dude.......Couldn't you make some noise!?" I yelled as I clutched my chest and tried breathing properly, now I felt wide awake again.

Wow, Lay.

For once, you're making my heart race for a different reason.

"Even if I did you'd probably still get scared. So, did you enjoy the performance?" He asked again and leaned against the wall next to me.

"Y-Yeah it was....It was great!" Wow he's standing really close to me.

"Just great? I winked at you though..." I KNEW IT WAS FOR MEEEEE!!!

"Your face was so red, Cheng-Cheng~" He cooed and started pulling on my cheeks.

"Whatsh are shu shaying!?" I tried to speak as he mushed my cheeks together and finally let it go as I rubbed them.

"Oh, you're definitely blushing now!" Lay said as he pointed to my cheeks.

YOU MADE ME BLUSH!

"We should probably head back to the front before people get the wrong idea here or something..." I stated as we made our way back to the front. When we came back, Taemin and his dance team had been performing something and Kai was talking to Sulli and Jonghyun near the stage. I was going to walk over to them when I saw a little boy crying in the crowd. Lay and I made our way to him and Lay bent down to look at the young boy. I recognized him as the young boy who came here with his mom when I had dressed in the pit bull costume.

"Hey, there. What's wrong, where's your mom?" Lay asked as the boy only cried harder. Obviously his mom isn't around in my line of vision so that must mean that he's lost.

"Umma......I can't find Umma.." He said in between his sobs as he wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his jersey. I bent down too and took one of his little hands in my hand and it gently, trying to coax him to look at me.

"When last did you see your Umma?" I asked.

"I was watching the people on the stage and when I turned around Umma was gone!" He wailed, he was starting to raise his voice and people were looking at us and whispering.

"Are those two parents?"

"Seriously? They look so young!"

"That poor boy, they must not be good at raising a kid when the mother is practically a child herself."

Among all the whispering, the last one really got to me. Who does that lady think she is to just assume this about me!? I turned to look at the woman who said that and she looked shocked for a second and quickly looked away.

Something wrong with saying it to my face, huh?

Lay suddenly took the young boy in his arms and smiled at him. "Let's find your Umma, okay? She's probably looking for you too." The little boy sniffed and nodded as Lay wiped some of his tears away with his thumb.

"Leave it to Noona and Hyung, okay? Try and spot your Umma from here in my arms." Lay, you're seriously good with children. I deem you worthy of being a possible candidate for bearing my children!

"Okay...Umma said not to let go of her hand but I just wanted to see what everyone was looking at.." The little boy softly said as he scanned the crowd for his mother. He looked so lost and alone I kinda felt sorry for him. I remember one time when I lost Mama and Baba in the shopping center.....That's an experience I don't want to relive.

"What if Umma went home already and forgot me here?" He suddenly said, in a panicky voice. I patted is head a bit and tried to get him to calm down.

"Now why would she do that!?" I hope she didn't..."Tell you what, you have a pet right? Barbie, was it?" I asked, suddenly coming up with an idea.

"Nooo! Our doggie's name is Bonnie not Barbie!" Not this name thing again. I nodded at the boy and pulled Lay into the direction of the store. "Why don't we buy Bonnie something, huh? Pick anything and Noona will buy it for you, okay?" I'm a genius this can distract him a bit. The young boy nodded and Lay and I walked up to the counter towards Sehun where an older sister and what I assume to be is her little sister stood.

"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" The older sister asked seductively as she leaned against the counter while her little sister tried standing on her tippy toe to see what was on the counter. Sehun blankly looked at the older sister with a raised brow.

“Ma’am, please, you're holding up the line." He remarked in a dull tone as the girl scoffed and stormed out the store with her sister behind her.

"What was that all about?" Lay asked and Sehun simply shrugged his shoulders and shifted his gaze curiously to the boy in Lay's arms.

"Kid's looking for his mom." Lay said.

"Noona, what about that paw thingie there?" The boy pointed at a silver shaped animal paw dangling from what looked like a key chain. Sehun held it up and gave it the boy who stared at it in awe.

"How much for this one, Sehun?" I asked as I got my wallet out. Sehun told me the price and my jaw slightly dropped.

"Who came up with these prices!?" I exclaimed.

"The two of us did, at your house." He replied while holding his hand out for the money. I sighed and gave him the money and looked at the boy who happily played with the silver paw print.

"You take this and you put it on Bonnie's collar to make it look prettier." Lay explained as the boy nodded in understanding and held tightly on to his prized possession.

"I must have been out of it when we decided on these prices." I replied as Lay and I walked out the store.

"Daesung!" A lady suddenly yelled and ran in our direction.

"Umma!" The boy in Lay's arms screamed as he reached out to her and Lay gently placed Daesung in his mother's arms. The lady cradled the boy in her arms tightly.

"I was looking for you, do you know how scared I was?" She said as she looked into Daesung's eyes to make sure her eyes were not fooling her.

"Noona and Hyung helped me, look Noona even bought this for Bonnie!" He held up the silver paw key chain as his mother thanked us and walked home. Daesung waved at us and we waved back.

The day soon came to an end and it was dark out. Taemin's dance team had went home after the performance and the rest of us lounged around the shop. The SM Arts guys as well as Sulli and Kai had left already.

"So...How did we do?" Tao asked, inspecting his now shriveled skin from all the water when he was washing the pets.

Sehun who counted the money looked up from the page he was busy with and eyed Suho, Tao and I. We watched in silence, waiting to hear the amount.

"We ran out of shampoo so Tao had to stop bathing pets, Key ran out of things to dress the pets in and both of those cost money, I basically sold all the accessories and some people left tips near the stage after the performances. We made A LOT of money. I'd say this is more than enough to keeo=p us going for a little while." Sehun said.

Suho got up and yelled in happiness and Tao did the same. Lay simply smiled watching the two of them and I let out a huge sigh of relief.

There's Mission Paws and Claws out the way.

"I have to head home now. My parents have been messaging me the whole time, see you later." Sehun said and I locked eyes with him and stared at him, a bit worried. He smirked at me and walked out the door with his coat into the night.

"Lay and Chenguang, you guys go ahead, Tao and I will clean up." Suho said.

"I don't remember agreeing to this, Suho.." Tao slowly said.

"Huang Zitao...." Suho warily drawled out his name.

"Um...Yes?" Tao asked.

"Was that a yes I heard? Broom’s over there."

Lay and I walked together and it was a bit cold so I stuck my hands in my pocket.

"So...Are you ready to be a mother to our so called 'child?' “Lay jokingly said and nudged my arm.

WHY DOES HE KEEP BRINGING THAT UP!?

"It's not like we're actually going to be parents..." I replied as I refused to look at him and played with the fabric of my jacket.

"What are you saying? We have to care for a sick child like dedicated parents." Lay said as I looked away trying not to let him see my face that probably looks like a tomato.

"I joined for the animals not the babies." I said.

"You're good with kids though.” No, that kid made me lose a lot of money today. "Some people even thought we were Daesung's parents." OH MY GOSH, HE HEARD THEM!?

I cleared my throat and finally, we came to the part of the street where we go our separate ways.

"See you tomorrow. Walk safely and look both ways before you cross." He told me and brushed my hair out of my face.

"Who's the 'mommy' now, huh?" I said, referring to his warnings and actions being that of a mother teaching her kid how to cross the street to school.

"Still you, I'm the daddy in this relationship. Bye!" Lay waved and ran across the road and disappeared into the next street.

Wait.

In this relationship?

AM I STILL FRIEND ZONED OR...

Or....

Urrgh I don't know...