It should have been a sign for Junmyeon when they were late to arrive at Kris' party the next night. He was never late for anything and making Sehun and Yixing get to the party when it was already in full swing made Junmyeon feel even worse. The fact that they were late in part because Yixing (not so subtly) kept checking out Junmyeon’s assets, stirring Sehun’s possessive instincts, wasn't any comfort. The trio heard the loud voices and even louder music pouring from their friend’s house as they parked out front. Sehun guided his boyfriend with an arm around his waist when the other started to lag behind. Sehun swore he was going to the mall tomorrow and buy new jeans. Yixing chuckled quietly, secretly enjoying his boyfriend’s jealousy.

The front door was open so the boys didn’t bother to knock as they entered the chaotic event. Yixing gave Junmyeon a thumbs up before he went off with Sehun in search of the snacks. Junmyeon wandered through the house, grabbing a chip or two between making small talk with acquaintances as he strolled.

“Hey! Junmyeon, have you met my boyfriend, Huang Zitao? Tao, this is Sehun’s roommate, Junmyeon. He’s a Gemini and likes cats” Kris said.

“Sup.” The tall blonde briefly nods. His gaze was hidden behind a pair of oversized designer sunglasses but Junmyeon still felt as if he’d been judged and found lacking.

“Okaaayyyy….. Nice to meet you Zitao. Great party Kris. I just saw someone I need to talk to so….. We'll talk later, okay?” Junmyeon said as backed slowly away from the now cuddling pair. He should have stayed home and adopted a cat or twenty instead of trying to socialize with strangers. On the way to the relative peace and quiet of the back porch and the blessed lack of people that the gazebo had to offer, Junmyeon grabbed a cup of punch.

He was nearing his haven of solitude when he heard a voice murmuring softly. Junmyeon was ready to return to the house, not willing to walk into anyone's romantic interlude when he caught some of the words being spoken.

“You’re so cute! What are you doing out here all alone? Come on, I won’t hurt you baby.” The vaguely familiar voice coaxed. Junmyeon was hurrying away when he heard a quiet “meow” followed by a chuckle.

“I know, your human’s party is really loud, isn't it?”

Owner’s party? Kris doesn’t have a pet except for his goldfish, Gucci. Could a stray cat have wandered into the yard, looking for him errrr.. a home? Junmyeon was feeling a little fuzzy headed, whether it was the punch he drank or the lack of oxygen from his too tight pants he wasn't sure but he was finding the well traveled path extra difficult to navigate. So he found himself stumbling into the gazebo and almost straight into the lap of the guy sitting on the ground talking to the stray cat.

“Woah there! Are you okay?” The guy asked as he tried to cushion Junmyeon’s head first launch towards him.

“Yes….. I uhh…..” Junmyeon’s fuzzy brain could not process where he knew that y voice from or apparently form a proper sentence. He was barely able to roll a small distance from the kind stranger when he had a cat’s tail swishing across his face and loud purring could be heard. That was all fine and good until the cat decided Junmyeon might make a nice pillow and he began to stroll up and down Junmyeon’s body kneading here and there as he went. This went on while Junmyeon tried to gather his wits until the cat wandered below the belt and thought Junmyeon’s groin area would be a great place to take a nap but first it needed to be tenderized.

The “Umph” of discomfort was enough of a clue to signal to the other guy it was time to relocate the cat, but not without a very attractive chuckle escaping his lips first.

“Are you okay?” The stranger asked again, making no attempt to hide his laughter.

“Mmmm…. Great…… Fine….. Never better.” Junmyeon mumbled, thinking maybe a dog would be a better choice in pets.

“Hey aren’t you Yixing’s friend?” The mystery man asked.

“Baek, this is the perfect place! No one comes back here!” An unmistakable deep voice is heard along with the sound of footsteps heading in the direction of the gazebo.

“Yeol, you know I love you but I have a killer headache. Can't we just go home and hunt Pokemon tomorrow? I just want to go back to our room and snuggle with you.” An equally familiar voice said.

“Of course my love. Anything for you!” There was a pause in the noise and the pair hiding in the darkness of the gazebo exchanged a look of amusement.

“You spoil me.” Baekhyun said softly as he reached up to kiss his boyfriend.

“I can make you a nice cup of tea when we get home, too.” Chanyeol said as they walked back towards the house.

“Kris, I saw it! You were practically undressing him with your eyes!” A new voice was heard.

“Tao, you're my one and only pookie bear.” Kris reassured in a patient voice. “Beside I just said he looked nice tonight not that I wanted to drag him off to the nearest bedroom. We've been friends for years, don't you think if I had an interest in him, I would have made a move sooner? I knew you all of 5 minutes and we were off getting better acquainted.” He reminded his boyfriend, accompanied with eyebrow waggle.

“If I recall correctly, I was the one dragging you off to the nearest private area.” Tao pointed out with a chuckle.

“But I went with you, didn’t I.” Kris wheedled. The voices faded to indistinguishable murmuring as the pair walked away, presumably to return to the party.

Junmyeon took that as a sign that it was time to move. Unfortunately his pants had other ideas. First he tried sitting up but ended up flapping his arms in the air uselessly. Next he tried flopping onto his stomach but given the limited range of motion his jeans allowed Junmyeon wasn't any more successful in that position either.

A soft chuckle reminded Junmyeon he wasn't alone and he was flailing around like a fool in front of the nameless stranger.

“Here let me help you.” Was all the warning he received before he felt a pair of hands at his waist, lifting him easily to a standing position.

“Thanks.” Junmyeon said, hoping the darkness hid his flushed face.

“I still haven't gotten your name.” As the stranger spoke, his breath tickled Junmyeon's neck as he hadn’t released his grip.

“You can call me clumsy.” Junmyeon muttered under his breath earning him another chuckle that sent goosebumps chasing across his flesh.

“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you. We’re leaving. Yixing promised to cook for me when we get back to our dorm, so let’s go. Who’s your friend?” Sehun interrupted before Junmyeon could form a proper reply to the mystery man’s question. “Never mind. No time for chit chatting, my baby promised me home cooking.” Sehun grabbed Junmyeon’s wrist and started towing his friend towards where the car was parked.

Junmyeon glanced back and finally realized why the stranger’s voice was so familiar. The man stood at the edge of the gazebo, the moonlight highlighting his high cheekbones and sharply chiseled jawline. It was ‘Mall guy’. So much for redeeming himself if they ever met again, Junmyeon thought to himself as he struggled to keep up with Sehun’s much longer strides.