6:02 AM

The sound of a car alarm going off startles Jongin awake the next morning, and the adrenaline is enough to make him scramble out of bed in less than a second. He puts his jeans on one leg at a time, which Jongin surprised he ends up accomplishing, considering his head feels like it's being kicked around like a soccer ball. Since he has yet to draw his curtains, the fog covering the window pane makes it impossible to make out the deserted street outside, and it's not until Jongin reaches out to draw them that a cold gust of morning wind hits him out of nowhere. Despite feeling like bashing his head against the nearest wall upon opening his eyes a minute ago, the mere thought of Monggu fired up and waiting for him is enough to make Jongin slide a random shirt over his head, grab his backpack and force himself out of the room.

The first thing that hits Jongin is that he certainly isn't used to waking up this early, which becomes apparent when he comes dangerously close to tripping down the stairs and breaking his neck in his hazy state. Jongin opts to descend the stairs one at a time, all while he takes in the silence of the house. Even though he knows that Taemin is fast asleep at this hour, Jongin is sort of surprised that he isn't hearing any loud strumming, but he figures that even Taemin wouldn't sacrifice his beauty sleep for his guitar, no matter how stressed to bits he might be. A faint whiff of tobacco hits Jongin when he tip toes past Taemin's bedroom, which in turn makes his gut to coil so painfully that Jongin contemplates scrapping the idea and spending the rest of the day in bed.

Jongin opts against it, though, when he feels his phone buzzing with a text in his back pocket. Knowing it's Luhan reminding him about his deed, Jongin curses under his breath as he toes his sneakers on and grabs his jacket. The sudden sound of shuffling coming from Taemin's bedroom has Jongin practically ripping his jacket off its hook before he throws it on, grabs his backpack and scrambles for the door handle.

The cold, foggy air that hits him the moment he steps outside is a whole lot more comforting than whatever obscenities Taemin was about to throw at him, and the thick fog momentarily has him wondering which direction to take to Luhan's house. Jongin eventually settles for the usual route (if he remembers it), and he makes sure to watch where he's putting his feet as he descends the patio and slings his backpack over his shoulder. Its heaviness only reminds him of their (or rather, his own) project due next week, but the biting cold effectively masks the tugging at his gut while he makes his way down the street.

Surely enough, Jongin fetches the main key from its place in one of the pots after he approaches Luhan's house ten minutes later, and he makes sure to send Luhan's little sister a smile when he unlocks the front door. To say that every ounce of agony weighing Jongin down promptly disappears the second he sees the tiny, chocolate poodle rushing towards him in the hallway would be a vast understatement, and Jongin soon finds himself attempting to grab the leash from the top shelf while remaining crouched so that Monggu can his hand. Jongin contemplates texting Luhan that he's at the latter's house when his phone buzzes again, but he forgets all about it when he says goodbye to Luhan's little sister and heads back outside.

The warmth of Luhan's house promptly disappears and is replaced by the familiar, biting cold when Jongin mentally recites his steps, given that he has little to no idea where the park even is. With Monggu excitedly running in circles by his feet and threatening to tie his ankles together, Jongin opts to blindly follow another dog walker when they walk past with their Golden Retriever. Inevitably, Monggu immediately rushes around, as much as his leash will allow him to, and Jongin figures that if Monggu were any larger, he would be swept off his feet in an instant (if it wasn't for his backpack, that is). As they continue down the cold, deserted road, all Jongin can think of is how he literally begged Taemin to buy a dog hours after Luhan's party, to which Taemin effectively shut him down with a look of disgust. Jongin figures that if Taemin actually saw Monggu, he might just change his viewpoint, but Jongin figures he probably shouldn't hold his breath as he watches Monggu curiously sniff everything in sight.

To Jongin's relief, they eventually end up at the park, which is so littered with trees that it resembles a yellow blob among the otherwise gray area, and he contemplates releasing Monggu from his leash when he sees the hundreds of dogs freely running around. Jongin opts against it, though, since Luhan would probably kill him for losing Monggu somewhere in the park, so he keeps a tight grip on the leather strap while Monggu aggressively attempts to yank himself free to play with the other dogs. The bright orange leaves falling all around him sort of makes Jongin take back his initial urge to go back to sleep, since the radiant colors are doing wonders to wake him up (especially when a large leaf smacks him square in the face). To his dismay, they don't do much to stop the uncomfortable tugging at his gut, so Jongin resorts to gawking at a German shepherd chasing after a stick to distract himself.

Feeling the tips of his ears go numb, Jongin figures that Taemin must be up and rehearsing for the show tomorrow, which in turn has him biting back a curse. Jongin finds himself gripping the leash perhaps a little too tightly, since he ends up yanking Monggu back a step, when he recalls his and Taemin's brief altercation last night, and the mere thought is enough to make Jongin opt against dragging himself to the show altogether. Jongin figures that if he does end up going, he'll stick by his excuse of wanting to talk to Chanyeol, but he also knows that he'll be doing both him and Taemin (and Sehun, for that matter) a huge favor by simply shying away from the whole thing, so Jongin shoves the thought aside while he prepares a plastic bag.

It's not until they've made it past the neglected outdoor gym that Jongin feels his stomach churn, and he seriously regrets not swiping one of Taemin's energy bars as he adjusts the strap to his backpack. He forgets all about it, though, when Monggu goes on to yap at a handful of yellow leaves blowing like a whirlwind. Before Jongin knows it, he's bending down and unclasping Monggu's leash, and he fights the urge to squee in adoration when Monggu proceeds to frolic in a pile of leaves like his life depends on it. Even though Jongin isn't (all too) worried about Monggu possibly running away, even when a group of German Shepherds rush past, he still makes sure to keep his eyes glued on Monggu attempting to swipe a few falling leaves on his hind legs. Feeling his shoulders ache thanks to his backpack, Jongin contemplates getting down on the leafy ground and cracking open his History textbook, but he doesn't get a chance to when something rushes towards him in his peripheral.

Jongin ends up putting his idea on hold when he sees a tiny, white dog running towards him, and he's about to scoop Monggu up when it charges towards the leaf pile. Inevitably, Monggu emits a series of ecstatic yaps upon seeing his new friend approaching, which is closely followed by them frolicking together and chasing leaves. Jongin gets down on his knees to work on his project (after panicking over being accused of kidnapping somebody else's dog), only to emit a squawk of surprise when the white dog suddenly pounces on him and attacks his face with sloppy, wet kisses. Jongin ends up tumbling backwards in surprise, all while he prays he won't drown in dog goober.

To Jongin's relief, somebody whistling nearby has the white dog scrambling off of him (while using his face as a launching pad, of course), and he wipes his cheeks with the back of his hand as he gets to his feet. Tightening his grip around Monggu's leash, Jongin watches the white dog rushing off, and he's about to tell for Monggu to follow him back down the path when Monggu, without a warning, runs off in the same direction. Jongin figures that it doesn't take a genius to know where he's headed, and he wholeheartedly hopes that Luhan won't kill him as he flies after Monggu.  

Surely enough, Jongin spots Monggu yapping away with the little white dog after he rounds a bush, but he doesn't get a chance to scold him before he subsequently registers the uneven ground beneath his back. It takes Jongin a minute to realize that he's staring up at the trees, and he momentarily curses all the godforsaken joggers in the area as he stands up and brushes himself off. Figuring he's probably already late for his first period at this point, Jongin is about to bend down and click Monggu's leash into place when a familiar voice nearly has him jumping five feet in the air. 

"Sorry about that, he does that sometimes," Sehun says with a sheepish chuckle as he gestures for Vivi to sit by his feet. "We've just gotten started with the no-leash policy, but he's a fast learner," he adds when Jongin looks like he's on the brink of a meltdown. It's not until a cold breeze passes and messes up his hair that Sehun sends Jongin a smile. "'The world's cutest freaking dog', I presume?" he chuckles, gesturing at Monggu, who is too caught up with curiously sniffing his coat to notice.

Opening and closing his mouth, it takes every fiber in Jongin's being not to turn on his heel and bolt straight down the path, and he simply nods as he tries ignoring the harsh pounding in his ears. "Luhan's dog, yeah," he dumbly mutters, gripping Monggu's leash until his knuckles turn white. It's not until Sehun bends down and attaches Vivi's leash that Jongin feels his bottom lip tingle like it's been set on fire, but he tries his best to ignore it when Sehun looks at him again. Thankfully, Jongin saves himself from asking Sehun what he's doing here at the last minute, but he sort of wishes he'd asked and risked embarrassing himself when they fall into silence. In fact, Jongin seconds away from grabbing Monggu, returning him to Luhan, and locking himself in his bedroom for the rest of the day when Sehun speaks.

"How's everything?" Sehun asks, feeding Vivi a doggy treat from his pocket. The bright yellow leaf that lands on his back is nearly blinding against his black coat, and Jongin doesn't even realize how long he's been staring until Sehun looks up.

"Fine--" Jongin clamps a hand over his mouth when his loud voice nearly scares a little girl senseless. He waits for her to run off to her mother to continue, but he can't even bring himself to choke out a single sentence when Sehun sends him an expectant smile, so Jongin opts to keep his eyes glued on Monggu running around by their feet. 

Sehun brushes a leaf from his hair, which is an unstyled, fluffy mess atop his head. "You sure?" he asks, making sure to keep a tight grip on Vivi's leash when Vivi tries running off towards a group of huskies a few feet away. "You look a little--" He cuts himself off when Jongin automatically runs a hand through his own hair, all while the latter wants to sink through the ground in embarrassment.

"Sorry," Jongin croak-garbles, not even knowing what he's apologizing for, and he sort of regrets forgetting to brush his hair this morning when his finger briefly gets tangled in the brown strands. "I mean-- There's been a lot going on, and-- I guess I haven't been able to sleep very well." In a sense, Jongin figures that Sehun has every right to remark his appearance, considering he probably looks like a living dead with messy hair at this point (which makes Jongin regret not swiping some of Taemin's concealer earlier). For a moment, Jongin contemplates apologizing for accidentally running right into Sehun, but he forgets about it when he feels his shoulders cramp due to the weight of his backpack. "It's-- I mean, where have you been?" He internally screams when Sehun raises an eyebrow. "I mean, you weren't here yesterday, and the day before that, and I was getting--" This time, Jongin does manage to clamp his mouth shut, and he fights an impulse to climb up and hide in the nearest tree in embarrassment when Sehun continues to look at him.

"I was at my parent's place," Sehun replies, bending down and  Vivi's fur just in time to miss Jongin flailing his arms around in a fit of apologies. "They're in the middle of moving to another apartment and briefly needed my help." He scratches the back of his head before he stares at the pack of huskies frolicking with a soccer ball, and it's not until he looks back at Jongin that the latter contemplates banging his head against the nearest tree trunk. "You drink coffee, don't you?" Sehun asks after a minute of silence, before he turns up his collar when a breeze passes.

Jongin blinks, barely even noticing Monggu trying to climb up his leg when the familiar warmth comes over him like a tidal wave. At least he hasn't dropped off the face of the Earth. "Yeah--" Jongin cuts himself off, but the rapid pounding in his chest (and growling in his stomach) makes it impossible to keep his mouth shut. "Wait-- Is that-- I mean, is that, like, your way of asking me if I wanna get coffee or what?" Gripping Monggu's leash impossibly tight, Jongin tries not to scream when Sehun looks at him.

It's Sehun's turn to blink. He clears his throat before he grabs a leaf falling from one of the trees above in midair. "That's probably one of the reasons you're having trouble sleeping at night, but--" He barely gets a chance to finish his sentence before Jongin erupts in a fit of garbled apologies, nearly whacking Sehun in the face as he flails his arms everywhere. 

"I'msosorryI'msosorryI'msosorry," Jongin croak-garbles, wishing he had a collar of his own to turn up, because he'd rather Sehun didn't comment on the blush creeping up his neck. Well, then. "You should probably-- I mean, first period's starting soon and--" Jongin nearly jumps out of his own skin when two dogs bark at each other right next to him, but he forgets all about it when Sehun sends him a smile. "I mean, I should probably return Monggu first, cause Luhan's gonna kill me if I...yeah."

"Now that you mention it--" Sehun cuts himself off to hand the giant, red leaf between his fingers to Jongin, who accepts it with a shy thanks. "I usually pass by this little shop--" He gestures down the now vacant path before a sly smirk creeps up his lips. "Since I'm assuming you haven't had breakfast yet." Vivi begs him for another treat, which Sehun gives him after asking him to sit. 

Jongin finds himself nailed to the ground for an embarrassing amount of time before a cold gust of wind s him back into reality. School long forgotten, Jongin tries to control the frantic racing in his veins while he watches Sehun pick up a stick, which Vivi proceeds to chase after. Blaming his overwhelming hunger for making him lightheaded to the point of nearly toppling over, Jongin hears himself choke out a barely coherent 'Sure', and he narrowly avoids tripping over an incoming Golden retriever when he flies down the path after Sehun.

---

Jongin has to ignore the pang of guilt in his chest when he ties Monggu's leash to a pole outside the shop, and he goes on to repeatedly assure Monggu that he'll be back in no time flat (despite Monggu seemingly having his time of his life with Vivi) before he stands up and eyes the rows of rainbow pastries in the window before him. Jongin wonders if Luhan is aware of the shop's existence, given Luhan's own daily walks through the park. After somebody enters the shop, Jongin's eyes flicker back and forth between the baby blue street sign and the colorful stickers scattered all across the door, all while Sehun ties Vivi's leash to said pole. The bright blue shop sticks out like a sore thumb among the gray sidewalk and houses, and it's not until Jongin notices just how tiny the shop's interior is that he wonders if his six foot self will even make it past the threshold without suffering a concussion. The passing breeze has Jongin dismissing it (since he figures he'd rather hit his head than freeze to death) and he fights an impulse to bury his face in Sehun's sleeve when he worries he might die of hypothermia.

Sehun seems to get the hint, because he quickly stands up after patting Vivi's head one last time. In his practically frozen state, Jongin barely registers Sehun holding the door open for him before he stumbles inside the shop, which is so brightly lit, and with so many colors, that Jongin wants to squeeze his eyes shut. A blast of heat engulfs Jongin's body the moment he walks in the door, which has him wanting to cry in relief as he scans the many shelves of colorful macaroons, cookies and cakes placed around the whole shop. It sort of reminds Jongin of Krystal's favorite bubble tea shop, but there's something about this one that has his chest fluttering in a way he didn't think was possible. Spotting a table for two in the corner, Jongin makes sure to point it out when Sehun walks in the door a second later. However, Jongin figures that he should have watched where he put his feet, because the next thing he knows, he's scrambling to latch onto Sehun's arm after he nearly tumbles down the five steps leading to the other room. Even though Sehun doesn't seem to mind, Jongin finds himself apologizing at least five hundred times before he flies towards the table. 

Despite usually feeling exceptionally tiny under Sehun's gaze, Jongin is once again hit with the painful truth that he is, in fact, beyond the average side of the height spectrum when he takes a seat on one of the dollhouse-looking chairs. Hoping it won't collapse under his weight, Jongin places his backpack on the floor, eyes twinkling when he sees the pink blankets draped across some of the chairs. Stomach growling, Jongin hums to himself as he drums his fingers against the pink tabletop. The soft, romantic melody emitting from the speakers sort of makes him want to scream, but he manages to distract himself by watching Sehun converse with the young girl behind the counter. Jongin has to look away when she blushes profusely at the mere sound of Sehun's voice (even though he can definitely get behind it), and it's not until he spots a couple deep in conversation a few tables away that he swallows. Fidgeting with a packet of sugar, Jongin feels the usual coiling sensation returning to his gut, but he blames it on the fact that he hasn't eaten since yesterday's dinner as he crosses his legs. It's not until the thought of Baekhyun waiting for Sehun back at school hits Jongin that he internally panics. He sort of hates the feeling that creeps up his throat when he goes on to think about Baekhyun figuring out Sehun's whereabouts, because the last thing Jongin wants right now is for Baekhyun to track him down and beat him up in the middle of the shop. For safety reasons, Jongin contemplates texting Baekhyun, but he forgets all about it when he notices the large, mint colored tray in front of him.

After draping his coat across the backrest, Sehun takes a seat across from Jongin, and he makes sure not to bump shins with the latter when he crosses his legs. "You said you drank coffee, so I figured." Sehun chuckles when Jongin goes on to stare wide-eyed at the large, chocolate colored mug on the table. "First period isn't mandatory, so there's no rush." He drops a few sugar cubes in his own coffee, which is nearly as black as his hair, before he picks up his spoon. It's not he sees Jongin contemplating the mug that Sehun chuckles. "Go ahead."

Scrambling for the mug, Jongin manages to choke out a barely audible 'Thanks', and he's overly thankful that he doesn't end up knocking it over when he attacks the straw with his lips. A part of Jongin wants to remind Sehun that while first period might not be mandatory, it sure is for him, considering Jongin knows that he's looking at a whole week's worth of detention if he bails on math even once. Jongin dismisses it when he watches Sehun stir his own coffee, and he tries to focus on the ice cold liquid traveling down his throat when Sehun looks up. "Thanks for, uh...I needed--" Jongin cuts himself off when he notices the obvious love heart drawn in the foam of his coffee, and he makes a mental note not to look the female barista in the eye on his way out. "I needed some breakfast--"

Sehun nods in agreement as he wipes his mouth with a napkin. His phone buzzes on the table, but he simply shoves it in his pocket after picking it up and glancing at the screen. "Since I assume you got my text," he hums, fidgeting with the handle on his cup. Sehun goes on to comment on the romantic portraits lining the walls, all while he misses the look of utter bewilderment on Jongin's face.

A couple walks in with their screaming child, but Jongin barely hears it over the clouding in his head. Blinking for the nth time, Jongin's hands move of their own accord as he scrambles for his jacket pocket. He ends up staring at his screen for nearly a full minute, and Jongin has to reach out and grab his mug to stop himself from screaming out loud.

(6:12 A.M)

Can we talk? /SH

Stuffing his phone back in his pocket, Jongin fights the urge to crawl underneath the table and hide when he sees Sehun casually inspecting the dessert menu on the table. Jongin figures that he probably should have bolted for the door when he had the chance, since he can practically feel his leg muscles melting into a pile of goop the longer he stares at Sehun. A cool breeze fills the small shop when the door opens, which Jongin is thankful for when he feels a blast of heat explode in his cheeks. The silence certainly isn't doing much to help, and Jongin sort of wants to burst into tears when Sehun stares at him. A part of him doesn't even know why Sehun would choose to take him out for coffee just to belittle him in public, but Jongin can't bring himself to think about it as he scrambles for his mug. 

Across the table, Sehun simply takes another sip of coffee before he puts his cup back down. He's silent for a minute, gaze briefly following the cyclists outside the window before he looks at Jongin again. He clears his throat and brushes a lock of hair out of his eyes, all while Jongin watches with a deer-caught-in-headlights expression on his face. "I mean, I don't know if--" Sehun cuts himself off again to send Jongin a smile. "Thanks for coming, by the way." he chuckles when Jongin blinks. "On Sunday, that is-"

"It's fine," Jongin blurts out, slapping a hand over his mouth when the couple next to them sends him annoyed looks. He finds himself gripping the edge of the couch until his knuckles cramp, because he isn't sure if Sehun is being serious or just trying to get him to fess up in public. Jongin ends up clamping his mouth shut, though, not even noticing that his heart is practically beating through his chest while Sehun crosses his legs. "What did you, uh...wait, never mind, sorry--" Jongin opts to stare at the colorful logo on his plastic cup when he feels his cheeks heating up. Damn it.

Sehun makes sure that Jongin is finished talking before he clears his throat again. "I was just-- I mean, I don't know if you--" He shrugs and takes another sip, seemingly contemplating his shoelaces while he keeps his fingers locked around the handle. The romantic music and loud chattering of customers are the only things preventing them from falling into complete silence yet again. Sehun tightens his grip around the mug, but he doesn't pick it up as his eyebrows furrow. "Me and Baekhyun have decided to take a break," he says after nearly a full minute, seconds before a baby burst into tears behind them. 

Jongin opens and closes his mouth about a hundred times, and he has to check to make sure that he hasn't spilled coffee all over his pants when he finally processes Sehun's words. Even though he's overly relieved that he isn't being screamed at, Jongin can't help the pang of guilt in his chest when Sehun rubs the back of his neck. Jongin sort of hopes that Sehun isn't anything like Taemin, who wouldn't even hesitate to sock him in the jaw for ending a one year relationship, but he remains silent as he racks his brain for a response. Jongin gives up, though, when he feels like his mouth has been sewn shut, so he opts to nod along and hope that Sehun will pick up on the way he's screaming at the latter not to hate him.

Thankfully, Sehun does seem to pick up on it, since he simply picks up his cup again. "I didn't know if...I figured you might want to know." He cuts himself off when he takes a sip, which seems to go on forever. His eyebrows furrow upon seeing Jongin's eyes anxiously darting around the room, and Jongin nearly flinches when Sehun reaches across and places a hand on his shoulder. "Listen," he says, lowering his voice, "I know what you're thinking, but this isn't your fault at all, okay?"

Shifting in his seat, Jongin loosens his painfully tight grip around his mug when Sehun sends him a reassuring smile, and he forces himself to nod despite his head feeling like it's about to explode. Jongin takes a sip to distract himself, which works, since he subsequently finds himself impossibly intrigued when Sehun goes on to remark the walls, which are such an alarming shade of baby pink that Jongin low-key feels like he's inside Krystal's apartment. As they gradually empty their mugs, as well as the basket of pastel macaroons (which Jongin didn't even notice until Sehun went on to ask him if he was hungry), Jongin figures that the caffeine in his system must be doing a great job at drowning the butterflies in his stomach, given that he finds himself feeling nothing short of ecstatic when Sehun goes on to talk about his parent's moving process. Amid the clattering of dishes, soft music and the rhythmic sound of the door opening and closing around them, Jongin hears himself rambling on and on about their latest math quiz (which he most likely flunked), all while he keeps his gaze locked on the tray in fear of looking up at Sehun and thus choking on his own words. Jongin figures that he doesn't even need to look up to know that Sehun is nodding along while listening attentively, which has Jongin feeling slightly better about running his mouth like there's no tomorrow.

It's not until Jongin eventually looks up, only to realize that he's essentially leaning across the table, that he ends up suffering a mental lockdown mid sentence, and he wishes the floor would swallow him up when he ends up looking like a confused goldfish for nearly five whole minutes. A part of Jongin wants to bolt out of the shop when Sehun chuckles across the table, but he remains glued to his seat as he fiddles with his mug. The romantic tune filling his ears only makes Jongin want to cry that much more, and he scrambles to remove his jacket when he figures he must be sweating bullets. Now that Jongin thinks about it, he has no idea what got into him when he decided that telling Sehun all about his love for cute dogs was a good idea, but he dismisses the thought when Sehun hums in contentment.

"I guess I was right about Monggu and Vivi getting along, then," Sehun chuckles while gesturing at the window, which has Jongin fighting the urge to save Monggu and Vivi from the biting cold by smuggling them inside the shop. Sehun is silent as he inspects the sky outside, which has darkened to the point that only their reflections stare back at them, before he eyes his empty cup. "You're coming on Friday, aren't you?" he asks, his sudden voice nearly making Jongin fall off his chair in surprise. 

Jongin blinks, trying to shove his roommate's face out of his head as he shrugs. "I mean, I guess," he mutters while taking a sip from his mug, only to curse himself when he realizes that it's empty. He opts to stare at the pink, blue and green crumbs on his plate, and he's about to shrug again when a thought hits him. "He invited you?" Jongin squawks, only to regret it when Sehun sends him a look. 

"He emailed me yesterday," Sehun hums before he goes on to talk about how much he's looking forward to seeing Taemin actually play the guitar on stage instead of simply talking about it. "Hopefully she ends up canceling our exam on Friday afternoon," he adds, a hearty laugh leaving his lips when Jongin whips his head up like a bullet. "It's all she's been talking about for the past two weeks, silly-"

"I didn't know," Jongin squabbles, internally dying as he mentally prepares himself for yet another four hours of detention on Friday. He contemplates texting Taemin to tell the latter that he'll not only be home late on Friday, but that he'll also end up missing the show in that case, all while he fights the urge to run a hand down his face. . "She'll kill me for sure," Jongin mumbles, mostly to himself, before his eyes land on his backpack by his feet. "You weren't here when we-- Uh, we have something to--" Jongin nearly jumps through the ceiling when he looks up and sees Sehun leaning towards him, to the point that their foreheads are nearly touching, and it takes him a minute to recover from the mental blackout that engulfs his brain.

Sehun nods along when Jongin proceeds to tell him all about their upcoming project, making sure to assure Jongin that it won't be a problem after the latter goes on to apologize for being terrible at History at least a hundred times. It's not until one of the waitresses shuts off the music that Jongin realizes that they're probably minutes away from closing time, but he finds himself unable to move when Sehun says something about Monggu and Vivi probably being lonely outside. No matter how hard he tries forcing himself to stand up, Jongin's legs feel like cement as he watches Sehun turn around and grab his coat, and he can only watch as Sehun fixes his hair after turning up his collar. However, it's not until Sehun comments on how dark it is outside that something hits Jongin like a bag of bricks, and he doesn't even bother squashing the heavy feeling in his chest while he hears a few waitresses converse with each other behind the counter. A part of Jongin is glad that they're about to part ways, though, because he figures he'll need the rest of the night to complete their project, mostly because there's no way he's going to bother Sehun by asking him if he wants to work on it.

Jongin finds himself flying out of his seat like a rocket when Sehun sends him a soft smile, and the next thing he knows, he's scrambling to put on his jacket as he follows Sehun outside. With the warmth of the shop being drained from his body, Jongin immediately shivers the second the door closes behind him, but he tries his best to ignore it when he bends down and unties Monggu's leash. Inevitably, Monggu proceeds to his crumb stained hands, and Jongin tries not to squeal in adoration when he turns his head and sees Vivi attacking Sehun's face and hair with kisses. Jongin nearly topples over when Monggu suddenly tries running off towards another dog, which has Jongin tightening his grip around the leash. Hoping Luhan won't be too angry with him for returning Monggu a little later than planned, Jongin bites the inside of his cheek, because even though he wants nothing more than to walk together with Sehun, he highly doubts that Sehun is interested in walking all the way to Luhan's house, only to walk back home again. So, Jongin opts to keep his mouth clamped shut when Sehun stands up straight.

They fall into brief silence, which is soon broken when Jongin opens his mouth. "Thanks for buying me breakfast," he blurts out before he can stop himself, only to curse when he figures that he's better off thanking Sehun for buying him dinner, instead, which Jongin realizes when he catches a glimpse of Sehun's watch. An ice cold gust of wind passes, which has Jongin fighting the urge to bury his face in Sehun's warm coat. He forgets all about it, though, when the thought of his math teacher currently scheduling him for only God knows how many detention sessions hits him. "Man, she's gonna kill me--"

Sehun chuckles under his breath. "My pleasure," he replies, running a hand through his hair to prevent it from getting messed up in the wind. "And I'll make sure to cover for you if she decides to," he adds with a less than discreet wink, which effectively reduces Jongin to a grateful (albeit blushing) mess. Checking his watch, Sehun nods towards the park. "He usually protests if I don't walk him for at least an hour," he chuckles sheepishly, to which Vivi responds by yapping at the top of his lungs.

Jongin blinks, and he's seconds away from apologizing to Sehun (but mostly Vivi) for interrupting their walk when he half-assedly gestures down the road. "Luhan will probably protest if I don't return Monggu," he blurts out, barely even registering two cars nearly colliding a few feet away over the loud pounding in his chest. "I mean, it's in the same direction as-- Maybe we could walk together???" Jongin shoves a hand in his pocket, wholeheartedly expecting Sehun to call him a weirdo and take off in the opposite direction as he awkwardly clears his throat. It's not until Jongin comes to the painful realization that they would be walking together anyway that he nearly cries in embarrassment.

"I'd like that," Sehun says, tightening his grip on Vivi's leash as he buttons his coat with his free hand. He practically has to drag Jongin across the street when the latter finds himself entirely unable to move.

---

Sehun unclasps Vivi's leash as soon as they swing the gate to the park open, and Jongin watches as Vivi excitedly runs around among the piles of leaves scattered everywhere. As much as Jongin wants to release Monggu, but he decides against it in fear of Monggu running off again (which would make finding him again rather difficult, given the darkening sky). Instead, Jongin opts to watch as Sehun tosses a few dog treats to Vivi, who catches them in midair, before he shoves his free hand in his pocket. The entire park is nearly deserted at this hour, which Jongin figures wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't for the fact the pounding in his ears is threatening to shatter his eardrums, and he doesn't even bother taming the erratic beating of his heart when his hand accidentally brushes against Sehun's sleeve. Thankfully, Sehun doesn't seem to notice, and Jongin makes sure to walk one step behind so that Sehun won't comment on his face, which is probably as red as the leaves falling from the trees above.

Even though the sky has darkened significantly in just two hours, Jongin can easily make out the dazzling, red and orange leaves as they rustle in the wind, and he nearly jumps out of his own skin when one gets caught in the breeze and subsequently lands on his neck. They find themselves walking in comfortable silence, and a part of Jongin sort of wants to pout when he sees Luhan's house come into view, because the thought of walking home all alone makes his gut churn. Jongin attempts to distract himself by staring at Sehun's hair and how it blows in the breeze, unlike his own hair, which probably resembles a crow's nest thanks to the harsh winds. The sound of Sehun whistling at Vivi has Jongin flinching, and he doesn't even realize that he's walking so close that he's practically breathing down Sehun's neck until Sehun halts to inspect a falling leaf, which in turn causes Jongin to walk straight into him from behind. Thankfully, Sehun doesn't seem to mind, but Jongin still finds himself apologizing at least a thousand times.

It's not until they round a sea of bushes that Jongin feels like he's been kicked in the chest, because no matter how hard he tries, Sehun's words won't leave his head. In a sense, Jongin wants to slap himself for even wanting Sehun to bring it up, but he would be lying if he said that he didn't want Sehun to bring up what happened that night, even for just a brief moment, even if it meant verbally mowing him down for it afterwards. Jongin tries his best to squash the heat that bubbles in his chest when he goes on to reminiscence Sehun's warm lips moving against his own, and he has to clench his hands into fists in his pockets in an attempt at controlling his raging pulse. It doesn't work, which Jongin comes to realize when he feels a pang of guilt in his chest so powerful that he briefly stops walking to assure himself that he isn't going to pass out on the ground. To Jongin's relief, he finds himself calming down ever so slightly when he watches Sehun cuddle both Monggu and Vivi in his arms at the same time, and Jongin promptly forgets all about the pain in his chest when he jogs towards them.

Sehun mentions something about how he wishes Vivi was as kind to strangers as Monggu is before he puts them both down. Wiping his hands on his coat, he waits for Jongin to catch up before he gestures at the hundreds of leaves falling all around them. A young girl jogs in their direction, and Sehun is barely able to save her earphones from being chewed up when Vivi proceeds to chase after her. It's not until they fall into comfortable silence again that Jongin opens his mouth to speak, but he ends up clamping it shut in fear of possibly scaring Sehun away forever with another mind-numbing series of pointless rambles. Instead, he opts to walk next to Sehun while the latter calmly comments on the prettiness of the leaves, and Jongin figures that he would have remained listening forever if it wasn't for Monggu harshly tugging at the leash after spotting a squirrel scurrying up a tree.

Jongin isn't entirely sure what happens next, but what he does register is the loud squawk that leaves his lips when he subsequently loses his balance and tumbles down to the uneven ground. In the commotion, Jongin blindly scrambles for Sehun's sleeve, which Jongin doesn't even realize until he lifts his head and notices that he conveniently managed to land face first in a puddle filled with mud (plus yesterday's rain water, to make things that much worse). However, Jongin ends up repressing the feeling of wet mud beneath his palms when he turns his head and sees Sehun standing up and brushing dirt off his coat. Jongin immediately regrets scrambling to his feet to apologize, since he ends up slipping again, and he doesn't even bother screaming at the cold sliminess trickling down his face and bangs when he sees his life flashing before his eyes. To say that Jongin wholeheartedly expects Sehun to turn on his heel and run away would be a vast understatement when he goes on to stare at his sneakers and jeans, all of which are caked to the brim with drying mud. Damn it.

To Jongin's surprise, Sehun quickly takes a step back and extracts his hand, which has Jongin pressing his lips together (given that his hands are painted with mud from the wrist down). However, it's not until a jogger sends them a disgusted look that Jongin scrambles for Sehun's hand, praying he won't slip a third time as he's swiftly pulled to his feet. Tightening his hold around Monggu's leash, Jongin sort of wants to cry when he sees Sehun staring at him from his spot a few feet away, and he prays that Luhan won't be home to see him like this when the familiar heat creeps up his neck. A large leaf falls from the sky and sticks to his cheek like glue, but Jongin barely gets a chance to feel irritated when he hears Sehun chuckling next to him.

"Hopefully Luhan will let you use his shower," Sehun chuckles, only to loudly squawk when Jongin tosses a handful of mud at him. It blends in almost perfectly with his black coat (as opposed to Jongin's baby blue jacket), and Sehun narrowly manages to protect his face with his collar before he can get his cheeks stained dark brown. "Watch it-"

Jongin fights the urge to scramble behind the nearest tree upon noticing a group of cyclists approaching, all while Vivi and Monggu excitedly circle their ankles. "At least you're not covered in it," Jongin pouts, stifling a groan when a couple of leaves fall from the sky and land in his hair. He's lucky, because Luhan's (and his own) house is only a block away, and Jongin hopes he won't freeze to death when he feels the ice cold mud penetrating his skin. He doesn't even need to check to know that Sehun is giggling to himself, which has Jongin fighting the urge to launch him into outer space as they continue down the path. It takes every fiber of Jongin's being not to scream when Sehun gently brushes the few leaves out of his hair, but Jongin doesn't get a chance to comment on it before they approach Luhan's patio.

After unlocking the door, Jongin nearly cries in relief upon realizing that Luhan isn't home yet. Jongin greets Luhan's little sister and unhooks Monggu's leash in under five seconds, and he wholeheartedly expects Sehun to turn on his heel and walk back home after he closes the door. However, Sehun doesn't budge, and Jongin is seconds away from asking Sehun if he's okay when the latter speaks.

"Hitting the books now, huh?" Sehun hums as they descend the single patio step and make their way down the quiet street.

Jongin blinks, because he'd forgotten all about their project up until now (which in turn makes him realize that his backpack is entirely mud free, for some strange reason). As he attempts to remove a chunk of dirt from his forehead, Jongin shrugs in defeat, seeing no other choice than to go home, take a shower and get to work. Making a mental note to tell Taemin not to annoy him with his guitar if he's going to get any work done at all tonight, Jongin shrugs again. "I guess so," he says as he watches Vivi walk between them. The dim street lights are the only things preventing Jongin from blindly stumbling around in the dark, and he nearly latches onto Sehun's arm when the lock of hair sticking to his eyelashes makes him oblivious to the rock laying directly in his path.

They reach Jongin's front door before Jongin can even blink, which has him wanting to pout (as much as the mud on his lips will allow him to) as he proceeds to retrieve his keys. However, given the mud staining his hands, Jongin ends up asking Sehun to do it for him, and Jongin sort of hates the pang of heat that erupts in his chest when Sehun goes on to reach into his back pocket, before he fishes out his keys. To Jongin's embarrassment, he also ends up asking Sehun to unlock the front door for him, which has Jongin wanting to cry as he kicks the door open. It's not until it hits the wall with a dull thud that Jongin bites the inside of his cheek. Even though he knows that he should probably be saying his goodbyes right now, Jongin finds himself awkwardly standing in the doorway while staring at Sehun, who politely shoves his hands in his pockets as he sends Jongin a smile. The warmth inside the house seems to be calling his name, but Jongin pays it no mind as he swallows the lump in his throat.

Jongin makes sure that he doesn't accidentally end up screaming from the heat pulsing through his veins when he finally opens his mouth. "I, uh-- Thanks for the-- Wait, never mind--" He internally curses when he realizes that he's already thanked Sehun for the food. Great. Awesome. "I mean, would you like to come in???" he asks after a minute of silence, hoping he isn't scaring Sehun away as he rubs the back of his neck. Even though he didn't mean to, Jongin blames the godforsaken smile on Sehun's face for making him do it, and he has to bite down on his tongue to stop himself from jumping up and down in glee when Sehun nods.

Tightening his grip around Vivi's leash, Sehun scratches the back of his head. "I'd-- I mean, if it's-"

"It's fine," Jongin blurts out, feeling low-key guilty for making Sehun stand outside in the cold when the latter crosses the threshold. After practically slamming the door shut, Jongin scrambles to remove his filthy jacket, which he immediately tosses in the laundry basket, all while Vivi curiously sniffs Taemin's boots on the shoe rack. Even though Jongin knows that Sehun is only intending to stay for a minute or so, he can't help the fluttering in his gut when he turns on the hallway light. Jongin forgets all about it, though, when he hears the sound of something boiling on the stove in the kitchen, and it's not until he picks up on the faint strumming coming from somewhere inside the house that he huffs in irritation. Briefly excusing himself, Jongin walks towards the kitchen perhaps a little more stubbornly than he'd intended. "How many times have I told you not to leave your unattended--" He clamps his mouth shut when he turns the corner.

Chanyeol blinks when he looks up and sees Jongin staring at him like a deer caught in headlights. "Good evening to you, too," he chuckles as he stirs the pot with a fork. "Minnie called me over like, two hours ago, said he needed help with memorizing stuff," he says with a hint of exasperation in his voice. His silver hair glows in the dim light, and Jongin figures that he would have kept staring forever if it wasn't for Taemin entering the kitchen five seconds later.

Lighting a cigarette, Taemin brushes his hair, which makes a crunching noise due to being doused in spray, out of his face before he sends Jongin a look. "You're home early," he says between puffs, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Jongin's entire face is covered with dirt as he fishes his crumpled solo sheet out of his pocket and slams it down on the table. "Why don't we just change the goddamn chord progression in the first verse to CDC instead of CCD? Would make so much easier," he grumbles, mostly to himself, before he takes a seat at the kitchen table. 

Shrugging, Chanyeol puts a hand on his hip. "That's the twelfth time you've asked that in the past half hour," he says without looking up from the stove. "You know your solo better than anyone el-"

"Thanks for the goddamn help," Taemin interrupts, chucking his cigarette out the kitchen window. He grumbles to himself for a minute before he gestures at Chanyeol, who looks as happy as can be while typing away on his phone. "What's got your so riled up for the past two goddamn days, anyway?" He stubbornly crosses his arms over his chest, and Jongin sort of regrets letting Sehun in when Taemin points to him. "What did y'all end up doing, anyway? You never answered my question." Despite barely having smoked anything of his first cigarette, he quickly lights a second one when Jongin blinks.

"End up doing?" Jongin echoes, fighting the urge to apologize to Sehun for making him listen to Taemin's illogical nonsense as he rubs the back of his neck. A part of Jongin sort of wants to smack Chanyeol with a dirty dishrag for even proposing the idea of Taemin's solo to begin with, but he dismisses the thought when he swallows. "And don't ing point at me like that, you goddamn-"

"All you said was that you messed the f-" Taemin doesn't get a chance to finish his sentence before Jongin flies across the room and practically smacks his lips off in panic. Taemin manages to get Jongin to scramble away in an instant when he threatens to burn the latter with his cigarette, and he only chuckles as he takes a drag. "Lemme guess, Romeo's giving you the cold shoulder," he sing-songs, all while Chanyeol sighs from his spot by the stove. "Typical."

"Shuttheupyou," Jongin squabbles, flailing his hands in all directions as he fights the urge to shove Taemin off his stool. Hearing Sehun feed Vivi a treat in the hallway, Jongin feels his veins throb in irritation as he glares at Taemin. Not now. Please, not now, for 's sake. "It's not my goddamn fault that you're too idiotic to learn the freaking thing by heart." He hears himself growl as he gestures at the wrinkled paper on the table. "And I've got stuff to do tonight, so if you-"

"You do realize we need the whole house, right?" Taemin stares at Jongin, not breaking eye contact as he takes a drag. His black eyeliner is smudged out across his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose, as if he's been anxiously rubbing his eyes for hours on end. "Feel free to do your stuff elsewhere, but we. Need. The. House. Tonight. Got it?"

"I mean, you're welcome to stay," Chanyeol hums, looking at Jongin, "but we probably won't bring you much peace, that's for sure. Y'know, cymbals and all." He shrugs apologetically before he playfully flicks Taemin's forehead. "How about you lay off terrorizing the little one and help me set the table-"

"Shut up," Taemin huffs and he's about to get up when Vivi's sudden barking has him scrambling for the edge of the table with a loud shriek. Sending Jongin a death glare when the latter goes on to emit a loud cackle, Taemin nearly knocks his chair over as he gets to his feet. "The actual  is--" He blinks when he peeks his head in the hallway, and Jongin fights the urge to scream when Sehun awkwardly waves at him. "The are you doing here," Taemin grumbles and Jongin definitely doesn't miss the way his eyes soften when they land on Vivi's wagging tail.

Sehun tightens his grip around Vivi's leash when Vivi attempts to break free to run towards Taemin. "I just thought I'd--" He politely gestures at Jongin, who manages a half-assed smile. It's not until Taemin sends him his trademark death glare at him that he clears his throat. "I didn't mean to disturb-"

"It's no problem," Taemin sing-songs before he thumps Jongin's back, making Jongin sputter. "Maybe you'd even be willing to stay behind and watch me lecture the little one about maturity and responsibility," he adds with a sly smirk, which immediately melts off his face when Jongin jabs him square in the ribs.

Chanyeol blinks before he walks up behind them and taps Taemin's shoulder. "You literally asked me to accompany you down to the basement half an hour ago because you were afraid of mons-"

"Listen, I don't want to start anything," Sehun says, making sure to keep Vivi by his side when Taemin sends him a glare. It's not until Jongin emits a pained sigh that he takes a step back. "I can come back later if you-"

"It's alright, it's fine," Jongin blurts out before he jabs Taemin's ribs, which has Taemin nearly shooting through the roof with a yowl. "He's just being-"

"If you've got nothing else to say, you're both free to leave," Taemin groans as he rubs his sore waist, while pointing at the door with his free hand. He turns to Jongin with a smirk on his face. "By the way, Yeol's got full custody of your crib, so you'd better calculate an alternative real quick unless you're planning on crashing on the sofa."

Jongin blinks before he throws his hands in the air in frustration. "You gave him my room???"

"Didn't I say we needed the house tonight?" Taemin barks, gesturing at the door with his burning cigarette. "Get out-" 

"So you're kicking me out of my own house?" Jongin scoffs and crosses his arms over his chest. "Real class act-"

"Unless Romeo isn't offering his goddamn wing," Taemin says, gesturing at Sehun, who only clears his throat. "Then-"

"Girls, you're giving me a freaking headache over here," Chanyeol says as he practically tosses two plates on the table. It's not until Jongin goes on to shove Taemin into the nearest wall, causing the latter to stumble backwards, that Chanyeol smacks a hand on his forehead. "Do y'all mind--" He doesn't even get to finish his sentence when Jongin brushes past them before throwing the front door open.