His mind was telling him the numbers couldn't logically be swimming on the page before him so why did they look like they were? Kyungsoo rubbed his eyes frustratedly as he forced himself to focus on the neat columns of figures he had to somehow make sense of by the end of the workday.

 

Unfortunately, his mind kept cycling through images of focused Jongin on the paintball field with his tank being teased by the wind, nervous Jongin trapped between himself and a heap of melons, confident Jongin cooking maeran gari, sleepy Jongin drawing hearts on his back and affectionate Jongin clinging tightly to him on the motorbike. And apart from the constant bombardment of Jongin visuals, there was the nagging issue of why he was being so evasive about the work he did at IN BLOOM. It had been the most unproductive day and all he could say was thank God he only had one more hour before the workday was officially over.

 

He vaguely heard the reception bell go "ding" and started getting up to go and see who it was but Baekhyun beat him to it - waving him away with his arm. Kyungsoo sat back down in relief and was finally making some headway with work when Baekhyun returned five minutes later. Wait, five minutes? Why had he even been out there for five minutes?

 

"Kyungsoo, that kid's here." Baek had a really amused look on his face.

 

"Kid?" Kyungsoo's voice was filled with confusion. "Wait, do you mean Jongin?"

 

"Erm no, the kid. His cousin, Sehun."

 

"Sehun is looking for me? Why would he even ...?" Kyungsoo was truly confused now.

 

"He's carrying a bouquet of white flowers. They're for you. According to Sehun, they're called anemones. Pretty."

 

Kyungsoo stood up and rushed to the reception. Why wasn't Jongin delivering the flowers himself? Had something happened? He felt an odd achy sensation in his chest as he saw the tall, wiry young man restlessly pacing the reception floor. He'd grown accustomed to seeing a slightly shorter, slightly more compact and much more tanned delivery guy in his reception area.

 

"Sehun, where's Jongin? Is anything wrong? Did something happen to him? Why isn't he here?" Kyungsoo meant to sound calm but perhaps it was the number of questions he asked and how fast he asked them because Sehun put his hands up in a gesture of mock surrender as if he'd been under fire.

 

"Whoa, whoa, calm down, Kyungsoo hyung. My cousin is fine. There's just a lot of work at the shop and he can't get away so he sent me over. He wanted to make the delivery himself but there's just too much going on. So anyway, these are for you." Sehun offered him the exquisite bouquet of flowers, which looked a lot like white poppies, and a clipboard and form for him to acknowledge receipt.

 

"Who are they from?"

 

"Not signed. I just deliver the flowers, Kyungsoo, hyung. Only the person taking the orders would know."

 

"Is that Jongin?"

 

"What? Jongin? Noooo. It's always Luhan who takes care of orders and most stuff involving customers. Jongin just ... um, he takes cares of deliveries and stuff."

 

"Oh." Kyungsoo assented absent-mindedly as he signed the form with his spidery signature.

 

"Thanks, man. Um, so I was wondering, what does Baekhyun like to eat? I was thinking of taking him out for dinner sometime." Sehun was looking directly at him as he asked and Kyungsoo couldn't help but compare the two cousins. Jongin had spent a fair amount of time staring at the ground, shuffling his feet nervously and flushing in embarrassment the last few times he'd been here. Sehun, on the other hand, was effortlessly confident and hadn't looked downward once. Again, he felt that dull ache in his chest cavity. He tried his best to ignore it as he began answering Sehun's rapid fire questions.

 

* * *

 

Kyungsoo bit his bottom lip as his index finger glided gently along the edges of one delicate, silky white petal. The anemones really were pretty as Baekhyun had pointed out earlier. Kyungsoo sighed. Those flowers had to be from Jongin because who else could they be from?  And who else would be that romantic really? Why wouldn't he admit it though? 

 

He reached for his phone and began typing:

 

 

He clicked send and waited. Twenty seconds later:

 

 

Kyungsoo swore he could sense Jongin's ears turning pink because that would be a typical Jongin thing to do and he had to chuckle at that.

 

 

There was a much longer pause this time:

 

 

Kyungsoo had frowned when Jongin had dodged the question, but at the same time, he had to smile too because Jongin was suggesting plans on his own when he'd been so shy and tentative just a week ago. 

 

 

Likewise, ten days ago Kyungsoo would rather have died than allow a text with a smiley to ever leave his phone, and now look at him. How the mighty had fallen, Kyungsoo shook his head in disbelief at himself.

 

 

There was that hollow sensation in his chest again.

 

 

There was a five second pause before four letters popped up on the screen:

 

 

Kyungsoo laughed at the corny alphabets on his screen. Did anyone even say XOXO anymore? He felt better than he had all day since leaving Jongin's apartment. The exchange had thankfully recharged him and he managed to find the determination to finish analyzing all the figures just before 5pm. 

 

At 5.05, as Kyungsoo was stretching his arms overhead, Baek appeared. He propped his chin on the top of Kyungsoo's cubicle wall, with a pensive look on his face. 

 

"Soo."

 

"Yes, Baek?"

 

"The kid ... he asked me out." He announced matter-of-factly.

 

"Did you say yes?"

 

"We have nothing in common. He listens to punk rock, for God's sake. My Chemical Romance and Blink 182, Soo. I listen to Usher and Alicia Keys. And he's really kind of hyper which is the complete opposite of what I'm like. It drives me to distraction."

 

"So you told him no?"

 

Baekhyun sighed, rubbing the back of his neck ruminatively, "Not exactly. What the hell am I even doing? He's ... basically a kid."

 

"Jongin says he's 21, that's hardly a child, Baek. He's old enough to vote, old enough to buy hard liquor, and he has a job. Why did you say yes?"

 

"Who even knows? But he makes me laugh. And he's got so much energy it makes things exciting again, I guess."

 

"Baek, you make it sound like you're 40 or 50 and desperately trying to recapture your youth. But you're only 25," Kyungsoo chuckled.

 

"My life is very calm and uneventful, Soo. I like it that way. Remember that mess I told you about? I said you needed a bit of mess in your organized life? Well I am open to messing up my life every now and then but I generally like how my life is kind of quiet and predictable. Sehun is like ... a force of nature - for lack of a better description. He practically leaves this trail of noise and energy in his wake. I'm sure when he was a kid he would have left a trail of destruction too. I was the kid who sat quietly in the corner with my Lego  or a book. I used to stay away from kids like him."

 

"You seem to know quite a bit about him already, Baek."

 

"We grabbed dinner together on Saturday night. And yesterday afternoon, we went to the aquarium at Sorrento Quay. It was ... fun."

 

"The aquarium?"

 

"You wouldn't know it from looking at him but Sehun has a thing about marine biology."

 

"What on earth is he doing in a flower shop then?"

 

"He never went to college. He did well enough in high school to qualify for a decent college but he was 'all about girls and getting laid and catching waves'. Those are his words, Soo - wipe that look off your face!" Baekhyun laughed, "You know there's no way I would ever say something like 'catching waves' so help me, God."

 

"So he was into surfing and girls huh? Girls?"

 

"He wasn't ready to admit things to himself I guess? I don't really know anything about that. We haven't talked about it. He seems to be pretty insistent about dating me though. And I don't seem to be doing a good job of resisting him. But we have nothing in common! It's a disaster waiting to happen."

 

"You don't know that, Baek. He might surprise you."

 

"Well, we'll see how things go. Anyway, enough about me, how was your weekend?"

 

"It was great. Jongin is just, yeah. He's great," Kyungsoo chuckled, "You know how I with words. Basically, I'm happy. He makes me happy. I think that pretty much sums it up perfectly."

 

"I'm glad." Baek patted his shoulder.

 

"So I bumped into Jongdae and Yixing yesterday. At a dim sum restaurant. Playing fricking footsie."

 

"I can't say I didn't see that coming." Baek said calmly.

 

"What?! I didn't see it coming at all! What did you see before?" Kyungsoo was not altogether surprised - Baek had always been the most intuitive and observant of them all. Seeing everything and saying mostly nothing.

 

"Well, I never noticed anything on Yixing's part but for the past, I don't know, month or something? I've caught Jongdae watching Yixing while he's talking to you or Junmyeon. And he really watches him, you know what I'm saying? Like not in that casual, oh-I'm-just-paying-attention-to-what-he's-saying kind of way but more like an I-wonder-what-his-favorite-color-is kind of way. Not even an I-wanna-rip-your-shirt-off-and-slam-you-against-a-wall kinda way. Feelings, I sensed feelings for Yixing," Baek chuckled, "But I never said anything to you because it was just a gut instinct I had. If I'd seen him do more I would have mentioned it."

 

"Jongdae having ... feelings. This is an alien concept to me. I think I need to take a moment." 

 

"I've been taking a month let alone a moment and I'm still struggl-" Baek laughed only to be interrupted abruptly.

 

"Baek! Soo! I'm heading out!" Jongdae's voice suddenly bellowed from four workstations down, making both of them flinch.

 

"Are you sure he does feelings?" Kyungsoo asked skeptically.

 

"Watch him. That's all I'm saying. Just watch him next time we meet up with Xing. I think you'll agree that Jongdae can and does indeed do feelings."

 

"It's like the end of the world as we know it." 

 

"I know, right?"

 

* * *

 

Jongin watched as Kyungsoo's slim figure maneuvered itself into the front passenger seat. As Kyungsoo turned to face him, smiling, Jongin closed his eyes and just inhaled the heady scent of Do Kyungsoo and Aqua Fahrenheit for a few seconds. And for the first time since they'd said goodbye in the basement carpark of his apartment building, Jongin felt he could really breathe. It had been so busy at work he hadn't had time to dwell much on not having Kyungsoo around, but it had been there in the background all day anyway. Like a dull phantom toothache that had just refused to go away. But now that Kyungsoo was here, that ache was gone.

 

" How was your day, hyung?"

 

"Horrible. Today, I forgot how to count apparently so it took me ages to finish a small amount of work. It was a nice distraction when Sehun dropped by with some flowers. About those flowers, were they from you?" Kyungsoo looked straight at him and Jongin hastily turned to look out the windscreen.

 

"We'd better get a move on. There's this place I know which has the best samgae-"

 

"Jongin-ah, was it you?"

 

"The samgaetang place is in Koreatown, on Atherton Street, so we can take a walk around Koreatown before dinner - since we missed out on going there on Sunday."

 

"Jongin," Kyungsoo made an exasperated noise but Jongin wasn't ready to talk about it and besides, he had his own schedule to keep. Do Kyungsoo wasn't the only one with a schedule.

 

"The samgaetang at this place is incredible. You get one whole spring chicken for yourself, and there are huge ceramic pots filled with different kinds of kimchi. And you sit on the floor on wicker mats."

 

"I've been there, Jongin. You don't have to sell the place to me. What you do have to do is tell me if the flowers are from you. Are you my secret admirer, Kim Jongin?"

 

"Maybe?" Jongin fidgeted with the steering wheel and the ignition in an effort to distract Kyungsoo.

 

"Maybe? Well that's better than an infomercial on a samgaetang restaurant in Koreatown, I guess. I'll take it. For NOW. But you can't run away forever."

 

"I know, hyung. And thanks for being patient. Wednesday, I promise." Jongin felt bad but at the same time, he wanted things to play out the way he'd planned. He quickly distracted Kyungsoo by asking about his day - laughing out loud when Kyungsoo began his account by asking if Sehun had been a bit of a bully in school. 

 

"Why would you even ask that?! What did Sehun do?!  Did he try to intimidate you? That boy is so out of control sometimes. Tell me what he did!"

 

* * *

 

"Jongin, will you stay? My PJs are a little short for you but that's ok, right? You know, you should bring your stuff with you the next time you come over."

 

"I kind of did." Jongin admitted sheepishly, avoiding eye contact with Kyungsoo.

 

"What?!"

 

"Be prepared. That's the scout motto right? My overnight stuff is in the boot. Just in case ... you know,  you wanted me to stay over. Oh God, this is so embarrassing." Jongin buried his face in his hands. And as Kyungsoo had done in the CD store that first time, he gently removed Jongin's hands from his face to reveal his handsome, blushing face. 

 

"Get your bag, Jongin." Kyungsoo said as he slowly released Jongin's hands. Then, as Jongin took a red backpack out of the boot and pushed the boot door down, Kyungsoo announced cheerfully, "You get bonus points for upholding Scout Law No.3 - a scout is helpful. A scout has initiative would've been better but sadly that's not one of the Scouting laws."

 

"Hyung, are you kidding me?!" Jongin groaned in disbelief at the lame humor.

 

"Admit it, you found that funny."

 

"I did not! STOP IT. You're awful, hyung!"

 

 

* * *

 

"I'm so tired, hyung. Things were just crazy at work today." The news was on TV and Jongin's voice was husky with fatigue. With a kind of liquid grace, he stretched his long legs and body out on the sofa and lay his head on Kyungsoo's lap while his left palm cupped his knee. It surprised the other man, but after the initial shock had worn off, Kyungsoo placed his hands on Jongin's shoulders and began to knead the tense muscles in first his shoulders, and then his back. He could feel Jongin's body slowly go lax beneath his fingers, and he smiled as he heard him say, "Thanks, hyung. I really needed that." Kyungsoo murmured something inaudible in response and continued working on the knots, while Jongin's body grew more and more relaxed. His breathing grew louder and his grip on Kyungsoo's knee grew light. Kyungsoo smiled indulgently as he stopped massaging Jongin's back and began his lustrous black hair instead. He must have fallen asleep.

 

The female newscaster's voice was a barely perceptible droning in the background and Kyungsoo's chest felt full as Jongin's head lay cradled in his lap. In the place where that hollow ache had been all day at work, there was now warmth and calm and something else. He thought of his stupid schedule and weighed it against how empty he'd felt earlier today and in the end there was no dilemma.

 

"Jongin-ah?" Kyungsoo called softly.

 

"Mmm?" Jongin's voice was colored with sleep and languor as he stirred.

 

"Jongin, this is about two months ahead of schedule but ..." Kyungsoo paused as he waited for Jongin's eyelids to flicker open lazily. He looked up at Kyungsoo expectantly, and Kyungsoo's fingers his jaw gently before he bent over to kiss Jongin tenderly.

 

"Hyung?" Jongin's smile was bemused as he straightened himself into an upright position beside Kyungsoo and faced him. Kyungsoo remained quiet for a while, his eyes serious and eyebrows furrowed. Then he looked up and gazed steadily into Jongin's eyes.

 

"Saranghae, Jongin. Saranghae." 

 

And Kyungsoo's lips covered Jongin's once more. He surrendered to the kiss as Jongin's arms wrapped around him and pulled him closer, deepening the contact. Several passionate kisses later, Jongin tore his mouth away from Kyungsoo's to whisper just beside his ear,

 

"Nado saranghae, hyung. Nan neggeoya." I love you too, hyung. I'm yours.

 

Kyungsoo held Jongin tightly to him and said quietly, "I'm yours too, Jongin. Always."

 

 

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

 

A/N: I'm not leaving much of an A/N today bc the epic one I left last update was BORDERING ON READER ABUSE! I'm so sorry for the verbal diarrhea guys. Today's update is another slow one and it's 2,800 words worth of interior monologue and relationship talk and don't hate me cos it's sleep inducing. But it's also where Kaisoo officially declare their feelings so I hope that makes up for the rest of the waffling. Actually this chapter is all about feelings isn't it?  /falls over snoring/ I blame it on the emo strawberry yoghurt smoothie I drank while writing some of it. I knew I should have had latte - manlier lol. And did you guys catch the XOXO reference?! I'm so corny I kill myself lmaooo.

 

A huge thank you to phoqueen @Admin Thu who included IB in the kpopfic-hall-of-fame and kkamsae @Admin Sae of kaisoo-fics for mentioning IB. I'm drowning in a sea of gratitude I can't even orz.

 

Ok, I'm not going to say anymore today other than OMG THE KAISOO FEELS FROM LAST WEEKEND I AM STILL SPAZZING CAN YOU TELL?? Did I not tell you Jongin was not subtle? Ok, that's all - and I swear this was supposed to be a short A/N /creys. I tried. I did, I SWEAR!

 

PS. May Kaisoo live long and prosper! 

 

PPS: I'll be out of town for 4 days so the next update may take a while, otl. Anyway, everyone will be occupied with Comeback Stage - GOOD LUCK EXO! And throw us a bajillion Kaisoo moments please?

 

PPPS: OMG OMG the Wolf Teaser! Did you guys love it? I'm so excited to watch the whole thing (even if I am still trying to like the song) cos SEA OF PRETTY and EXCITING PLOT-TY STUFF HAPPENING IN AN SM VIDEO! It's been 5 hours since the release and my right eye is still twitching from the feels omfg. Ok I need to calm down and go lie down and breathe or something. Hope you guys don't hate today's update -byeeeeee!