If someone would have told Sehun he would settle down and live a peaceful domestic life, he would have scoffed. Settle down? The thought never even crossed his mind. The word ‘domestic’ and his name would never be in the same sentence, at least that's what he told himself as a 19 year old.

 

Somehow life had other plans for Sehun. All it took was meeting a handsome stranger while walking along the streets of Paris back when he was 22. He somehow had gotten lost on his way to the museum and during the confusion he met the most stunning person he had ever laid his eyes on. Apparently both of them were trying to find their way to the museum. Once they finally made it, neither of them made the attempt to go on their own way. After 3 hours looking at paintings, a quick stop at a café, and a shy exchange of cell phone numbers, Sehun was pretty sure he was head over heels for Junmyeon.

 

That was 3 years ago and that simple sequence of events changed everything. Sehun and Junmyeon started to date a month after meeting in Paris. There were ups and downs throughout the year and a half that they did, but they stuck together through thick and thin.

 

The relatively quiet apartment sprung to life as Sehun’s alarm began to blast his latest favorite song through its tiny speakers. It's already 10am and he really should be up, but pulling an all nighter in an attempt to meet a deadline really takes its toll on his sleeping schedule. Being an editor for a fashion magazine was his dream job. He loves what he does, but when he is sitting at his desk at 2am half of the way done and his work is due by 4am, he really wishes the ground would swallow him whole. He squints his eyes as he tries to wake up and take in the morning sun peeking through the curtains of their bedroom. Their bedroom. As much as Sehun tries, he can't help the smile that stretches across his face and the heat that rises to the apples of his cheeks as he stares at the gold band on his ring finger. The fact that he is married hasn't sunk in yet, even though it's been about 5 months since the wedding.

 

Sehun always sleeps facing away from Junmyeon, and every morning he tries to compose himself before quietly turning around to take a look at his sleeping husband. Junmyeon thinks it's hilarious but Sehun is very serious when he says waking up to such a handsome face at his side isn't good for his heart. He takes a deep breath and turns, expecting to see the beautiful subtle glow of Junmyeon’s cheeks and his pouty lips. Instead he sees an empty space to his right, the cold temperature of the sheets indicating Junmyeon has been gone for quite some time. Of course he is gone, why wouldn't he be? It's 10am. Technically Junmyeon should have the summer off because all teachers do when summer break rolls around, but of course his wonderful husband couldn't say no when he was offered to lead a summer program for his kindergartners. Sehun would happily help Junmyeon, but the last time he went he made a little girl cry. It wasn’t his intention, all he had said to her was that she couldn’t marry professor kim because he was married and more specifically married to him. He tried to comfort her by saying they could share, but she wasn’t having it.

 

It takes 30 more minutes of rolling around hopelessly in bed for him to finally get up. Sleeping in sounds oh so tempting, but the almost animalistic growl of his stomach tells him otherwise. Once he steps out of his room into the kitchen he is greeted with the round fluffy face of his dog Vivi.

 

“Hey my handsome little man, how are you this morning hm? Did Junmyeon feed you?”

 

Judging by how Viví trots away happily, his question has been confirmed. Now that his furry son’s breakfast has been dealt with, it's about time he finds something to eat. Sehun feels particularly lazy, and reaches for the box of cereal above the fridge. He knows it's not where the said box should be, but it's fun to wake up some mornings and see Junmyeon struggle to reach it. As he sits down to watch some TV and enjoy his cereal, he can't shake off the feeling that he is forgetting something.

 

*****

 

It's 12pm when the jingle of Sehun’s phone is heard from the bedroom. He reads the caller ID and he is tempted to not pick up, but his thumb has already pressed the answer button.

 

“How’s it going casanova?”,the person on the other line says, a hint of amusement present in their voice.

 

“Will you stop calling me that Jongdae? I'm fine. How goes it?” he replied.

 

He had met Jongdae about 3 months into dating Junmyeon and he was quite the character.

Apparently Jongdae had wanted to meet him earlier than that but Junmyeon didn't want him to scare Sehun away. Jongdae wasn't scary, loud, or threatening in anyway, he was just looking out for his best friend. Based on the initial exchange of conversations between them, Sehun could tell Jongdae was making the attempt to see if Sehun was invested in being part of Junmyeon’s life. Once that was over, they actually became quite good friends. Contrary to what Junmyeon might have initially thought, he was happy Jongdae was part of Junmyeon’s life. It was obvious how close they were and the fact that Junmyeon was willing to introduce him to his best friend made his heart swell.

 

“Well I was just wondering if you needed help with anything today or do you need me to stall Junmyeon for a bit?”

 

Stall? By this point Sehun was completely confused. Instead of replying he waited patiently on the phone for Jongdae to explain himself.

 

“................. please tell me you didn't forget Sehun”

 

“Forget what……….?”

 

“Check your calendar you .”

 

Even as Sehun stared at the calendar, he couldn’t quite figure out what Jongdae was so riled up about. He stared at the blank square on the calendar.

 

“It’s Monday.”, he replied, stating what he considered to be obvious

 

“ Monday the ?”, Jongdae pressed.

 

“The 22nd ?”, Sehun questioned. They were getting nowhere and frankly all Sehun wanted to do is go snuggle up with Vivi on the couch. It was his day off and he somehow ended up playing some messed up form of charades on the phone with his friend.

 

“The 22nd of ?”

 

“My gosh Jongdae, it’s the 22nd of May! I don’t see where you are going…… OH MY GOD!”

 

Sehun may be a lot of things, but forgetful is not one of them. Out of all things he could forget, he isn’t sure how in the world he could forget Junmyeon’s birthday. It’s today. May 22nd. It’s the same day every year and somehow he forgot.

 

“Wow you actually forgot.” Jongdae replied after minutes of silence coming from the other end of the line. Well, not completely silent. Jongdae is pretty sure he can hear the existential crisis Sehun is having in his head even if he isn’t saying anything.

 

“What do I do Jongdae? Junmyeon is going to comeback in a couple of hours and I’ve got nothing!”, Sehun confessed.

 

He had begun pacing inside of his room, the soft carpet of the bedroom providing little to no help in calming his nerves.

 

“Listen”, Jongdae continued, “you will figure something out. You know Junmyeon is a simple guy. He wouldn’t get worked up over not getting a gift”.

 

Jongdae had a point. It’s the thought that counts, right? His words managed to settle Sehun’s nerves, but regardless of how small, he was going to get Junmyeon a present. Now all he had to do is figure out what.

 

“I’m going to need you to distract him from getting home at his usual time Jongdae”, Sehun said with determination.

 

“You can count on me. My break is almost over, gotta go. I’ll have the light of your life home by 4:30!”, Jongdae replies enthusiastically before hanging up.

 

Now that Jongdae had hung up, Viv’s snores from the couch and Sehun’s squawk of distress are the only sounds heard throughout the house.

 

*****

 

Thirty minutes had passed and Sehun had nothing, no clue what to buy or what to even do. Maybe they could go out to eat? Or maybe he could buy some roses? Jewelry? Sehun threw himself on the couch, his lanky body landing with a loud thud. He has known Junmyeon for 4 years at this point, it shouldn’t be this hard, at least that is what he tells himself. He knows so much about Junmyeon and for some reason none of that knowledge is helping him. He knows Junmyeon only uses one towel to dry off and only uses one pump of shampoo to wash his hair. He is messy, but his appearance says otherwise. He’s a prankster; Sehun clearly remembers the time Junmyeon thought it would be hilarious to sneak up on him while he was working. It had resulted in a bloody nose and a couple of laughs. He knew so much, but he also knew he had a lot more to learn. One hour after his conversation with Jongdae passes, and for some reason a carton of eggs is what sparks an idea. Junmyeon would never see it coming, it was brilliant.

 

“It’s baking, it should be easy. Right?”, he questions as he ties an apron around his waist. He doesn’t expect a response from Vivi, but his dog is oddly focused on him.

 

He pulls up a vanilla cake recipe on his tablet, hoping that having some guidance will lead to his first successful birthday cake. Sehun is a man of many talents, but baking is not one of them. The last time he baked was last Christmas and there weren’t any casualties, but Junmyeon was also there to help him. Just thinking about last Christmas reawakens the dormant butterflies in Sehun’s stomach. It was just the two of them last Christmas, baking sugar cookies and decorating them right next to their tiny 2-foot Christmas tree. Junmyeon looked so stunning with the array of christmas tree lights painting various hues across his face. Junmyeon may having been concentrating on decorating the vast array of cookies in front of him, but Sehun was concentrating on engraving his husband’s beautiful presence into his memory.

 

A small yip snaps him out of his day dreaming. “Okay, I’ll get back to work. You run a tight ship don’t you Vivi?”, he says as he smiles down at his dog.

 

*****

 

Several spills and confusing measurements later and Sehun wonders how he ever thought this was a good idea. He now has some batter and 2 hours to finish. Vivi hasn’t left the kitchen since he started which is comforting because he knows he would have either given up or had a mental breakdown by now. It’s also comforting to know all that is left to do is put the baking pan in the oven and wait, which has probably been the easiest thing to do since he started. As he sets the timer and places the pan in the oven, he busies himself with preparing the rest of the things needed to decorate the cake. He never would have thought a simple mix of butter, milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla could make such a delicious frosting. The temptation to eat some of it is strong, but Sehun’s determination to get this cake done before his husband comes home is stronger.

 

It was going so well. It really was. The cake had baked properly, the frosting had tasted delicious. Frosting a warm, fresh-out- of the oven cake is a rookie mistake, and it’s one that Sehun deeply regrets making. At first it seemed like it was holding up, but once he began piping the details on the top of his masterpiece it was all over. The frosting started to melt right off, it’s once fluffy texture turning into nothing more than a liquified mess. Surprisingly the art he had piped on top of the cake with black icing didn’t look too bad. Before he could find some way to fix his gift, he heard the familiar rattle of keys. It’s might be weird to some people, but Sehun can tell the sound of Junmyeon’s keys apart from anyone else's. They tested this once when they went drinking with some buddies. Sehun was drunk (maybe a little too drunk), and even though he could barely walk straight he could still identify the rattle of Junmyeon’s keys with his eyes closed.

 

Junmyeon walked through the door and if Sehun wasn’t holding the counter his legs would have given in. It seems like Junmyeon spent his day outside with the kids, if the short sleeved light blue shirt and black denim shorts is anything to go by. How Junmyeon makes such a simplistic outfit look completely mesmerizing, Sehun will never know. He is wearing those terrible black sandals Sehun hates, but he can let it go. Junmyeon didn’t style his hair up, and he looks just like he did when they met in Paris years ago.

 

“Oh hey, I didn’t know you would be awake. You pulled an all nighter last night, didn’t you?” Junmyeon said as he slipped out of his sandals. After briefly petting Vivi, Junmyeon makes his way into the kitchen to hug Sehun, but before he reaches him he stops in his tracks to look at the messy kitchen. Sehun is embarrassed to say the least. His cake looks like it’s been stepped on and the kitchen has seen better days.

 

“Sehun, what’s this? Is this for me?”, Junmyeon says with an amused smile on his face.

 

“I tried to make you a cake, emphasis on tried”, Sehun replies. Something about the way Junmyeon is smiling as he looks down at the cake stirs something in Sehun. No matter what Sehun does, Junmyeon is always smiling at him. Well not always, all couples have their disagreements, but it’s at that moment that Sehun really thinks about everything Junmyeon does for him.

 

Even on days when Junmyeon has had a rough day, he always has it in him to smile Sehun’s way. He stays up with Sehun when he can, motivating him to do his best. He’s lent his shoulder for him to cry on when he was younger and wanted to give up, when he thought his dreams were unattainable. Junmyeon always knows what to say, always knows when to make a silly face or dance like an idiot to make Sehun laugh.

 

“Why are you crying?”, Junmyeon asks, the concern evident in his voice. He comes up next to Sehun and rubs his back, hoping the gesture will provide some sort of comfort.

Sehun hadn’t even realized he was crying, but his husband’s gesture only makes the tears flow even faster. Eventually Sehun takes a deep breath and reaches out to hold Junmyeon hand.

 

“I’m just really lucky to have you in my life you know”, Sehun says as he smiles at Junmyeon.

 

“I know you are, I thought that was obvious”, Junmyeon cheekily replies.

 

“Don’t ruin the moment Junmyeon.”

 

“Sorry, continue.”

 

“Anyways” Sehun continued, “Thank you for everything. I don’t regret getting lost in Paris one bit. This is our first time celebrating your birthday as husbands, and I know there will be more to come. Happy birthday.”

 

It’s Junmyeon who goes in for a hug, standing on his tiptoes in an attempt to look a little taller. Hugging Junmyeon is complete bliss to him. There is something comforting about the smell of sandalwood and citrus from his husband’s favorite perfume and he could stand there for hours without complaint. They stand in the middle of the messy kitchen enjoying the embrace, until Vivi decides he wants a hug too and begins to paw at their feet. Before they separate, Junmyeon gives Sehun a peck on the cheek.

 

“Accept this cake as a token of my love, even if it’s seen better days” Sehun said as carries Vivi and points to his creation. “ Look I even drew Darth Vader on it.”

 

“Sehun sweetie, that’s Chewbacca”,Junmyeon replies as he tries to hold in his laughter.

 

Sehun eventually heads off to their bedroom to change into something more comfy. His gift didn’t turn out how he thought, but Junmyeon seemed to love it. He quickly searches for some sweatpants in the the pile of clean laundry on their floor. All he wants to do now is snuggle up on the couch and watch some movies with his favorite person in the world.

 

*****

While Sehun heads to the bedroom, Junmyeon busies himself with looking for some wine to go with the cake. He finds the perfect bottle of Riesling and sets it on the counter. The cake may look a little weird, but it’s vanilla cake nonetheless. It’s his favorite kind of cake and Junmyeon decides it won’t hurt to take a little bite of it before Sehun gets back. He barely nicks the corner of the cake and excitedly gives the cake a taste. The excitement doesn’t last long as the strong flavor of salt attacks his taste buds. His face immediately scrunched up and his tongue curls inside of his mouth in an attempt to not swallow the piece of cake. His taste buds are in disarray. Surprisingly the frosting tastes sweet, but the bread tastes like he just a hamster's salt wheel. He tries his best to dry heave quietly, hoping not to catch the attention of his husband in another room. He rushes to the small trash bin in the kitchen and spits it out. When he looks back at the kitchen counter, he notices there are 2 containers on the counter, one labeled sugar and one labeled salt, but only the salt container is still open. He looks back at his birthday cake, wondering if he should tell Sehun or just let him find out on his own. Out of the corner of his eyes Junmyeon sees a ball of white fur lying down next to the kitchen island, it’s black eyes having been witness to what Junmyeon had just done. “You saw nothing Vivi” Junmyeon whispers in his dog’s direction. Junmyeon is convinced Vivi understands English because his sweet little dog looks in his direction one more time before getting up and quietly making his way out into the living room. At that very moment, Sehun comes into the kitchen, his expression showing his excitement at spending some time with Junmyeon.

 

“Ready to eat some cake?”