Chapter Twenty-seven

The Fruit Mouse
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A/N: Happy 614 everyone! My CB heart smiles just thinking about our favorite pair, and it's fitting that this chapter is being posted on on the day that suits them most. 💗🥰

 


 

The rest of the evening, Baekhyun tried to avoid actual conversations. At dinner he only smiled as he ate and commented when spoken to, but after eating he quickly brought his dirty dishes to the kitchen area then ran to go upstairs without offering to help with the clean up. Just before leaving the area he deliberately let his eyes briefly meet the heavy gaze of the almond-shaped ones and then smiled shyly at the boss who was still sitting at the table. But the interaction was quick and the orphan was soon rushing out of the room. 

He tried to not think about the rustle of curious conversation that began as soon as he reached the staircase. After all, Chanyeol had promised to speak to the men if things became too intense for him. 

Baekhyun stopped as he came to the door of his room and stared into the semi-darkness.

 

Chanyeol. 

He had unintentionally used the handsome man’s first name in his thoughts. 

 

This was new. And exciting. And scary. 

 

In his mind the man had moved from boss to love interest so quickly. But that was ok, wasn’t it? The tall man had specifically said he liked Baekhyun. 

Baekhyun. The pitiful, inexperienced orphan, who had never had an actual love interest in his entire difficult existence. 

Did he deserve to have such a strong, virile, capable man as his lover? 

The orphan put his hands up to his mouth in shock but couldn’t help a giggle. Lover??

Baekhyun ran into his room and threw himself on his bed. He rolled around on the blanket, bunching it up underneath himself as he curled inward, trying to cover the huge smile that threatened to break his jaw. He hadn’t smiled that big since- well- he couldn’t remember ever smiling that big. He rolled and giggled again, this time louder and bordering on actual laughter.

The sound of conversations coming up the stairs alerted him to his situation and Baekhyun schooled his face into a smaller smile and sat up quickly on his bed as he smoothed out the blanket. Some of the workers walked by the open doorway holding a lit lantern and this reminded Baekhyun of how dark it was getting in the unlit room. He quickly got up and jogged out the door.

“Hey!” he called after the small group. The men all paused and turned with smiles. “Can I borrow the lamp for a second to light the one in my room?” he asked. The task was easily completed and Baekhyun smiled his thanks with a small bow, then went back into his room and placed his now-lit lamp on the side table. But after thinking for a moment, he picked the lamp back up and placed it on the floor. Although this made strange shadows on the ceiling, it helped illuminate the floor very well, so Baekhyun was satisfied.

He then went over and pulled the sewing kit and the wrapped bundle of material out from under his bed. He opened the paper wrapping and spread it as carefully as possible, then unfolded the material out on top of it, protecting the material from the dirty floor. Then he got the large scissors out from the sewing kit tin, and began cutting. Being careful to avoid cutting the paper and still cut straight lines, he eventually managed to have enough rectangular pieces cut for twenty cloth bags. 

By now the noise in the house had risen and Baekhyun recognized the sound of a good-natured card game as well as some singing going on. He smiled to himself as he carefully collected all the material pieces in a stack and wrapped up the little bit of material that was left along with the ribbons. Just as he was opening the sewing kit tin back up, Sehun came to the doorway. 

“I wondered why the light looked different in here… Can you see ok in the light that way?” he asked.

The orphan nodded and smiled. “Yeah. I laid everything out and just had to make sure to not cut the paper while I was cutting the material on the floor.”

“Ohhh I get it. So you don’t get the material dirty that way… smart!” Sehun said with an impressed tone. But then his tone turned teasing. “You know, the boss told me you were smart from the first day we saw you.”

Baekhyun flushed a little with the compliment but didn’t say anything. He placed the scissors into the sewing kit and closed the tin as the taller man continued his teasing. “He usually talks at dinner, but the boss didn’t say much tonight. He just did a lot of smiling for no reason. I don’t suppose you have any idea why that is…?”  

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crgb1234
I apologize for this update taking longer than usual. But fear not -- the characters have completely taken over the story and will not let me leave this unfinished! Thank you for continuing to read -- subscriptions, comments, and upvotes are all really appreciated!!

Comments

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Sharo001
684 streak #1
Chapter 38: Thank you for this year end surprise, I was so excited when I saw you updated. I’ve missed our little mouse and he is still chock-full of ideas to make their lives better. The exchange of rings at the end was beautiful, I could clearly picture the whole scene with the guys looking on. Another big thanks and Happy New Year!
Beau1996 1305 streak #2
Chapter 38: I was so excited to see an update! Thank you for the holiday treat!
Sharo001
684 streak #3
Chapter 37: I completely agree that they would never have made it to Baekhyun’s birthday.☺️
Sharo001
684 streak #4
Chapter 36: Their Christmas was so sweet and I love that Baekhyun helped with the cooking to show his thanks and appreciation for the beautiful ribbons. The best scene was the ‘almost’ romantic dinner. Chanyeol is so loving and respectful toward Baekhyun. The evening was just perfect.
Beau1996 1305 streak #5
Chapter 37: It's Halloween 🎃 not Christmas but I need to thank you for that gift of an update!!
Beau1996 1305 streak #6
Chapter 36: I love the pieces of ribbon - not a cheap gift at the time! The candlelight dinner with...beef stew - ah, be still my heart!!
BaekonJagiya #7
Chapter 35: Thank you for this awesome and nice story Author-nim! I love Baekhyun's growth in the story and his relationships with the people there. He might be the 'little boss' to everyone, but he's always be the 'little mouse' for his lover, Chanyeol. ❤️
yshinnoona
#8
This was very enjoyable story. I loved Baek's growth in this and the lovely relationship he had with Chanyeol.
Beau1996 1305 streak #9
Chapter 35: Lovely ending! The setting was cool and I liked the timeframe of the story. I will miss reading😢 will you start another story?
Sharo001
684 streak #10
Chapter 35: Aw, I didn’t realize it would end so soon!😭 Thank you for taking us on this wonderful journey with our little mouse. I love that he found love and acceptance in the unlikeliest of places. The Boss and Little Boss are going to have a lifetime of happiness. I don’t say it often but this story is a precious gem that will be enjoyed again and again. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next.

P.s. Many thanks for also wrapping up LuHan’s story, he also deserves his happiness.