UNDODGEDBULLET | seven

It’s too damn early and too damn cold on this Thursday dawn so Sehun is a little grumpy...but then again, he has never claimed to be a morning person. It’s natural to wake up in a bad mood since he has to drive 90 minutes away to Oh Jewelry’s main factory for a meeting and then another 90 minutes to go back to his office at their main HQ in the city.

The alarm beeps at 4.45 am and he reluctantly untangles himself from Joohyun, taking care to not wake her up since she could use all the rest she could get. Their blanket falls to his waist and for a moment he just groggily sits on the bed with his hair sticking out all over his head. He lets out a tired sigh and looks down at his wife who is curling on her side, still fast asleep. 

Haish, how does she manage to make snoring cute?

He snickers as he bends down to give her a gentle kiss, his palm sliding inside the thick blanket to caress her still flat belly in an unconsciously protective gesture. She softly hums in her sleep at his touch and he watches as her brows start to furrow, her hand blindly reaching out to his side of the bed. Her fingers touch his pillow and she quickly pulls it close to her face as if she's inhaling his scent on it before she settles down and continues sleeping.

He lets out a silent chuckle. Was she looking for me?

The clock is ticking so he groans lazily and slides his feet off of their cozy bed, not even bothering to put something on. He bends down and picks up their clothes scattering on the floor before he dumps them in the laundry bin inside the bathroom. Six months ago he wouldn't have bothered to do something like this, he would have left everything to the maids. But Joohyun is a neat freak who likes to do things by herself and it's definitely starting to rub off on him too. 

He brushes his teeth and enters the enclosed shower stall, his eyes automatically shutting as sprays of warm water start to soak his hair and body. He is about to reach for the soap when he looks to the side and realizes his sleepy wife is standing outside the shower stall; hair tousled and shoulders bare, their white bed sheet wrapped loosely around her bare body like a dress. He opens the glass door quickly, one hand pushing his dripping wet hair away from his eyes.

“Baby? What's wrong? Why are you up so early? Is it morning sickness? Do you want to throw up?”

She shakes her head as if amused by his anxiety, her pink lips curving into a smile. “Morning, honey. Hmmm, I think someone told me once that we should all do our part to conserve clean water?”

He stares at her silently for a second before he breaks into a huge, understanding grin. 

“Eek-!”

She yelps as he wordlessly tugs her bed sheet until it drops to the floor before he grabs her wrist and pulls her into the steamy stall. The glass door closes again with a bang over the sound of water and his wife’s soft giggles.

---------------------------------------------------

“Stand still, honey. Why do you seem taller all of a sudden? Did you magically grow a few more inches last night or what.”

"Uhm…” Sehun has to bite his tongue to stop from blurting out an R-rated reply to Joohyun’s innocent remark. She wasn’t complaining about his height in the shower twenty minutes ago. “I’ll bend down a little then—"

“No need, just, stand still—" *smacks* "Yaah, those hands better stop wandering. Seriously, it's like you're in byuntae mode 24/7."

"Well, that's because I am, obviously."

She shakes her head as she stands on her toes and continues to fix his silver Armani tie, grumbling softly under her breath about 'stupidly tall husband with octopus hands' (which sounds like something out of a horror movie so she can't possibly be referring to him). 

He is already almost fully dressed for work while she’s still in her pink fluffy bathrobe after their shower earlier. Unlike him, she’s in no particular rush to go to the café so early. She's almost done with his tie when his sneaky hand slips inside the top of her robe, pulling it down to expose part of her shoulder and her collarbone.

She tries to push his hand away. “...Haish this byuntae, you don't have time—”

"I just want to see something really quick, baby."

His eyes are fixed on the fresh love bites scattering her fair skin while his arm circles her waist, pressing her body close to his as she starts to squirm. 

"Yaah, seriously stop that--"

He cuts her words off with a purposely puzzled look on his face. “Ommo, what happened to you? Is there a giant mosquito hanging around in our shower stall? Look at these bite marks....tsk tsk tsk...”

"Yes, a giant dorky mosquito named Oh Sehun." She cringes at her own retort even as he bursts into laughter. “Ugh, it's too early for my brain to deal with your lame jokes... There, your tie is done, honey.”

He wordlessly kisses her forehead as a thank you and she loops her arms around his neck and demands a proper kiss. He grins and gives in, liking how aggressive she gets with affection nowadays. Their marriage is slowly maturing and she is becoming less shy to tell him what she wants but the pregnancy hormones might also be influencing her since she’s also more sensitive than usual.

He breaks the kiss unhurriedly. “Thanks for waking up so early with me today, baby. And for just now...in the shower. That was crazy hot.”

Her cheeks heat up and she gives him a small nod.  “Uhm, you’re welcome.”

He palms her cheek and stares into her eyes, frowning slightly in worry. Uh oh, she mentally sighs, he's gonna start again in one, two...

“Do you really have to go to the cafe today? Seulgi Noona and that new chef should have everything under control already. You still feel sick whenever you try to cook, right? Why don't you take the day off and stay home?”

She tries not to groan out loud. Sehun gets a little too protective lately. She can't even remember the last time he lets her drive her own car. But she's feeling better now and she's honestly excited to finally be driving her Audi again. 

He smiles in amusement at her expression, his palm sliding down to gently rests on her stomach as he plants a kiss on her forehead. It's still too early for her to start showing but he doesn't hide how much he's really looking forward to it. "I'm sorry baby, I know I've been annoyingly overprotective...."

She sighs and immediately softens at his words. It's just her luck to marry a clever, exasperatingly overprotective man who right now is clearly guilt-tripping her to not be pissed at him. And damn it, but it works. It always works.

She gives him a tight hug, her face resting on her favorite spot on his solid chest as she listens to his steady heartbeat. "Ugh... Yes, you are being an annoyingly overprotective idiot, but then, you are my annoyingly overprotective idiot and I love you. But you have to stop worrying too much, honey. I'm just going to the cafe, not camping in the middle of a jungle or something, haish....seriously.”

He is silent for a moment before he plants a kiss on the top of her head and reluctantly nods. “I'm just—hmmm, fine, but don't force yourself, okay? Uhm, better yet, don’t drive the Audi, I’ll ask Ahjussi to drive youfff--”

She cuts him off by standing on her tiptoes and pinching his cheeks with her finger, her eyes comically wide. “Ommooo, you look like a chipmunk! Should I feed you some nuts?"

He stares back at her in shock as if he can't believe she's doing such a juvenile thing to him. "..........."

She stretches his cheeks further and cackles. "Yaah, stop worrying already, my handsome chipmunk. I'll be fine. Repeat after me, Joohyun is going to be just fine. Come on, say it. Joohyun is going to be just fine.”

"Yaahff Baefff Joohffff--"

She squeezes his cheeks a little harder. “Quick, do it Oh Sehun or I'm gonna pinch you harder—"

“Owwmff—jeez! Hmffine— Joohyunisgoingtobejustfine—"

"See, that wasn't so hard was it?" She gently rubs his reddening skin. “Ommo, so red? Did I pinch too hard? Tsk tsk tsk, bad girl, Bae Joohyun.”

"You’re going to pay for that.”

“I am? Fine, here’s my payment then.” She hooks a hand around his neck and plants a smacking kiss on his cheek.

He huffs. “Not enough, sorry.”

She kisses his other cheek. “There. All good now?”

“No. Still not enough.”

Haish, this big baby. “What do you want then, Director Oh?"

He stares at her steadily even as his blood starts to stir at her teasing words. He wonders if she knows how much he likes it when she starts calling him formally like that. An image of his wife lying on her back on top of his office desk starts to form in his mind like the beginning of the most wicked scene and he closes his eyes for a second, swallowing hard to try and chase it away.

He cups the back of her head and mutters in her ear. "Hmmm...how about you come and visit me at the office later this evening...but let Ahjussi drive though."

She blinks in surprise, confused by his request. "Uhm, okay?"

A delicious fantasy has begun to take root in his mind and now he can't stop thinking about it. “Come to think of it, I just remembered that someone had promised she'll wear that flimsy black thing I found in my grey suit with her red Valentino shoes."

He watches as she stares at him with an initially blank look before a metaphorical lightbulb turns on in her mind and she begins to blush. He raises a brow and smirks. "Why, did you think I'd forgotten about it?”

As a matter of fact, she really did think he had forgotten about it. Then she finally realizes why he wants her to visit him all of a sudden.

"Did you just mean....at the office? Yaah, be serious!"

He just shrugs in reply. “We have a lock for a reason."

She stares at him for a long moment, wondering if he's just messing with her. She's only been at his office several times, usually to have lunch together. This seems...entirely unprofessional and....kind of exciting? God, she must be losing her damn mind for even entertaining that idea.

"Sehun, seriously? What if someone hears us? I would die if Abeo-nim finds out—"

There's that stubborn look on his face that she has recognized so well now, the look he has whenever he adamantly wants something and there's no point in arguing with him about it. "You've promised me, baby. Anything I want, remember?”

Goodness, he's completely serious. There's an intimate promise in his eyes that makes her blush so hard and she finally nods, her whole body suddenly tingling with anticipation. Mentally she's wondering how does he manage to make her crave things that had never even crossed her mind before. Haish, she's getting as byuntae as him nowadays. Or maybe she should blame the pregnancy hormones.

He gives her a grin for her response, his fingers brushing her pink cheeks. "Hmmm... I can't wait."

Somehow his words make her feel embarrassed so she quickly ducks away from his intense gaze and grabs his wrist to look at his Tag Heuer watch, suddenly remembering that he has to rush out soon. “Ommo, look at the time! Come on honey, let's go downstairs and get you a quick breakfast. You're gonna get stuck in a traffic nightmare if you don't leave soon.”

He is still staring at her, but now there's a small knowing smirk on his face. "Maybe I’ll just have my breakfast right now."

Her pulse starts racing fast. She knows that look. Oh no, this idiot. She stammers as he wordlessly drops to his knees on the rug right in front of her. His fingers reach for the belt of her bathrobe and she thinks she's about to hyperventilate as he quickly undoes the knot. 

“...W-what do you think you’re doing? Are you crazy? You’re gonna be late!”

The belt drops silently to the floor and he looks up at her from where he's kneeling. “You said breakfast first.”

"Idiot, I didn't mean--Sehun, oh God--!"

Apparently, his idea of breakfast is quite different than what she has in mind, not that she’s complaining.

---------------------------------------------------

The factory manager bows as they stand at the entrance of the Oh Jewelry's factory building. “I'm sorry for making you drive all the way here, Director-nim. I didn’t know the helicopter is in maintenance service.”

Sehun smiles and shakes his head. “Don’t worry. I haven’t been here in while anyway so it’s good to visit.”

“Ah, by the way, it’s really late but congratulations on your wedding. Everyone at the factory was talking about it...." The manager laughs, "Quite a few female workers were crying too... Your wife is beautiful, Director-nim. I'm looking forward to meeting her at our company's annual dinner in a few weeks.”

His smile turns wide at the mention of his wife. “Ah, thank you. I know she's excited to attend it too.”

They finally say farewell and Sehun gets in his car and drives away from the compound. The factory manager stands and watches as the sleek white BMW speeds away, a little amazed at how transparently happy the young man had looked during their meeting this morning. When he had found out that the Director had to drive all the way down here in the early morning instead of a quick helicopter ride he had anticipated him to be a little grumpy.

“Yokshi,” He mutters to himself, “the people at the HQ is right. Director-nim is really super smiley nowadays.”

---------------------------------------------------

Aegy-ah, why? Joohyun thinks mournfully as she rubs her belly softly. Eomma can't cook at all now? Did your sneaky Appa tell you to do this so I'd just stay home?

"Yaah, don't look so sad, Joohyun-ah. You know you should rest before you throw up again. Go home, you're temporarily banned from the cafe."

"Yes Sunbae-nim," Nayeon, their newly hired executive chef nods in agreement, "Go rest, we got this."

"Ugh, fine, I'm going."

She grabs her Chanel bag from her smirking best friend while Seulgi just laughs at her cranky face. Two of their young waitresses are sneakily giggling at her from the corner of the kitchen.

 Joohyun huffs and maturely sticks her tongue out at them as she takes her phone out of her bag. “Uh, I'm firing all of you.”

"You love us, Chef! Just go home already!" Joy, her head waitress shouts from outside the kitchen. Haish, everyone is conspiring against her today.

She punches the number in, pretending not to hear the still giggling girls in the background as the phone connects to her husband's number. He answers the phone immediately.

“Hello, baby—”

“I’m going to close the café and fire everyone here.”

“Err, what?”

She pauses to tur