Luhan rode Velvetier down dirt roads in the unfamiliar forests as he traveled West. He was far into the first month of his journey, and nearing the road to the North region. Staying in a new village every night had already given Luhan a broader perspective. He had met people from all walks of life. Kind old ladies who opened their doors for him, but also cocky young men who tried to push him around. He had gotten better at interacting with those he came across. 

His food supply had only been planned to last him a small time, so he picked up food as he passed through more towns. Perhaps a bit over-zealous, he found his pockets a little lighter than he was comfortable. He had been juggling the idea of finding work someplace, at least for a while. He wasn’t sure what he’d be able to do though. He wasn’t physically strong, he didn’t possess any talents, he didn’t even have any skills unless you counted caring for one horse. The village he would soon arrive in was one of the largest in the West, as it served as the core for travel into other regions. That would probably be the best place for Luhan to find work. 

Just before Luhan hit the outer village though, he looked for a decent clearing in the woods that lined the path. It had been a while since he had done it, and he figured it would be a while until he would get to do it again. He pulled Velvetier up the steep hill, feeling her fidget with excitement. As he laid down on the grass, he relaxed immediately. His mind drifted back to all the days he had spent in the clearing near his home and involuntary, he drifted off to sleep. 

His dream was the exact same one he’d been having since before he left home. Except recently, it ended with him locking eyes with the bandit he had encountered his second day. It didn’t make sense to him, why he would dream about the incident, and why it occurred with his dream about his childhood memory. 

A ray of sunlight filtered across his face, waking him from his sleep. His eyes flickered open and he laid there for a while, squinting up at the leaves above. 

“Maybe I just have a big heart for the less fortunate” Luhan theorized out loud to Velvetier. Her soft neigh in response sounded like she agreed. 

“Well, it’s late noon now, if we don’t get into town now we might be homeless ones tonight.” 

As he arrived into the village, he was amazed at the size and amount of people. There were more than few fruit vendors to chose from. As he made his way along the roads, he was shocked the find more and more bakeries around every corner. One shop made him stop though, as they showcased delicious looking cakes of odd shapes and intricate designs. One cupcake, a treat for his search for a job, he told himself. The shop inside had more to display on covered stands and behind sheets of glass. His eyes watered as he looked at it all. There was no one in sight, but faint crashing and yelling could be heard behind a door. 

Luhan rang the bell sitting on the counter. 

Suddenly, a small ghost burst through the swinging door behind the counter. Luhan jumped at the sudden arrival, but upon further inspection he realized it was not a ghost, but in fact a small man covered head to toe in flour. They seemed disoriented and panicky as they dusted off their sleeves. 

“What would you like sir?” 

Luhan blinked, unable to chose what to start with his order or inform the baker he had flour covered all over his cheeks. 

“Uh… would you like something small? Or do you have an order to place- we cater!” 

“Oh yeah sorry, I’ll just take one of those amazing looking chocolate cupcakes” Luhan was brought back to his senses. 

“Good choice! It’s a classic.” The baker walked over to the glass case and took one of the perfect cupcakes, setting it on a decorative plate. “Anything else I can get you? A cup of coffee?”

“Yeah, sure” Luhan took his dessert excitedly, bringing it to a table close to the counter. 

Luhan wanted nothing more than to shove the entire cake in his mouth, so he took a small bite -just as heavenly as it looked- and attempted conversation with the talented baker. 

“You seem kind of busy back there. Do you get a lot of customers” his eyes flickered to the rest of the empty room. 

“If I was honest, I don’t have many walk in customers” he spilled some coffee. “But I do have the most beautiful cakes in the city, so I get a lot of orders. Could you tell?” The baker talked confidently, it made Luhan both impressed and admirable. 

“There seemed to be quite a commotion going on behind the door” he took his second bite. 

“That’s probably not a good impression. I get orders daily, it’s a lot to handle sometimes.”

“Is it just you here?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow. Doesn’t it get, well- stressful?”

“Oh definitely, but I’m doing what I love” the baker gave a warm smile and walked over with the coffee. 

Luhan was surprised when the male took a seat across from him. 

“What about you stranger? I’m Baekhyun by the way” he leaned in, eager to hear what this customer had to say. 

Luhans cheeks turned pink as he felt put on the spot. “I’m Luhan.” The easy part was done with, what else could he say that was remotely interesting? 

“I’m just travelling from a small village, I haven’t gotten too far yet.” 

As Luhan talked, he relaxed into his seat. Baekhyun seemed to be just as good as a listener as he was a talker. As he got to know the baker, he was amazed by the confidence and admittedly his sass. It wasn’t a long conversation, as Baekhyun needed to get back to work, but by the end, Luhan was offered a place to sleep for the night. 

“Oh, by the way” Luhan mentioned to a Baekhyun on his way back to the kitchen “you have some flour on your face.” 

“Crap, where?” Baekhyun wiped his hand down his cheek.

“Umm, here” Luhan motioned to his whole face. 

“Oh. My. God.” Baekhyun walked back into the kitchen mortified, and Luhan supposed he was going to find a reflective surface to survey the damage. 

Luhan thought it was nice to make a friend.

A/N: I know its been like, a year and my audience is gone but I wanted to write this again anyways