“Well if this doesn’t rub it in, then I don’t know what does!” grumbled Luhan, an annoyed pout gracing his pursed pink lips, as his gaze roamed over the offending announcement. “I mean really…”

 

With a dejected sigh, Luhan crossed his arms across his chest, fingernails digging painfully into the flesh of his arms, as he continued to read the contents of the message, all the while wondering why it seemed that the universe wanted to mock him.

 

In celebration of Valentine’s Day next Thursday, all employees will only be working for half of the day. This will be followed by a luncheon at the Wu Mansion – don’t forget to bring your partner!

- Kris

 

Well thanks a lot, Kris, he snarled to himself, chocolate eyes narrowing into slivered slits of pent-up frustration. Now you’ll have me announce – in front of everyone, no doubt! – that I am single on Valentine’s Day; when I know for a fact that everyone else in the office is either married or at least seeing someone.

 

“He’s being pretty nice about it this year; Valentine’s Day, that is.”

 

Luhan was jolted out of his reverie by the sudden voice and as he turned his head slightly to the left to face his companion, his voice caught in his throat when he realised exactly who was standing next to him.

 

Huang Zitao.

 

His ex-boyfriend.

 

“Y-Yeah,” he stammered, mentally cursing himself for being awkward as his cheeks tinted a hazy shade of pink.

 

As his eyes roamed over Tao’s handsome face, his eyes lingering on the lips curved into a friendly smile, the dark bangs of hair falling across his forehead, before settling on his coffee-coloured eyes – that Luhan had once found himself drowning inside – he remembered why he’d fallen for him in the first place.

 

But that was the past…and it should be left there.

 

“Well…I’d better let Sehun know,” Tao said with a nervous grin, before whipping his phone out and sending a quick text to his current lover. “He’d want to know the details…”

 

“So Sehun…how is he?” Luhan began timidly, half in curiosity for the new man in Tao’s life and half because it seemed polite to ask.

 

It had been quite a while since Tao and Luhan had mutually parted ways, both agreeing that the spark had fizzled out, but there were times when Luhan simply missed having someone tenderly hold him at night and whisper sweet promises in his ear.

 

To put it simply, he missed being in love.

 

Though he was pleased that Tao had found what had seemed his ‘perfect partner’ and that he was kind-of friends with his ex, he couldn’t help but feel depressed at his single status.

 

“He’s been good,” Tao replied with a fond smile as he slipped his mobile back into his pocket. “He was drowning in assignments a while back – and kept complaining that his course was too hard, but he’s enjoying it now that the workload isn’t as bad.”

 

“Just wait until he gets into the ‘real world’,” he chuckled as Tao shot him a quick grin. “He’ll see that studying is easier than working.”

 

“Mmm,” he agreed with a small nod. “So…are you bringing anyone to Kris’ place on Valentine’s Day?”

 

Luhan stiffened, his entire body frozen in position as Tao’s seemingly innocent question sent his mind into a nervous frenzy. Feeling his cheeks heating with the tell-tale signs of a blush, he gulped and attempted to pass-off his embarrassment as initial shock.

 

“Uh…well,” he stammered anxiously, unconsciously fiddling with the hem of his shirt as he formed a response. “Y-Yes, actually. My…b-boyfriend will be coming with me.”

 

Well. Okay then.

 

Erm…what the hell, brain?!

 

Luhan felt his heart start pounding at a ridiculously fast – and almost deafeningly loud – pace, as Tao’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and he looked at him curiously.

 

“Boyfriend? You didn’t tell me that you were seeing someone…”

 

That’s because I’m not…

 

“T-That’s because it’s only pretty recent,” he spluttered, forcing a somewhat believable smile onto his face, as he felt his face go up in flames at his terrible lie. “We haven’t been seeing each other long…”

 

Or at all, for that matter…why am I doing this to myself?

 

It wasn’t that Luhan had wanted to lie to Tao about his love-life, but deep down, somewhere in his subconsciousness, he didn’t want to seem pathetic in front of Tao for not being in a relationship…and so he made one up.

 

“That’s great, Lu,” Tao beamed, evidently pleased for him – which only resulted in Luhan feeling even worse.

 

“Yeah…well, I’ve got to go,” he mumbled, already backing away.

 

“I can’t wait to meet him!” he called out after him, a cheerful smile on his face.

 

Neither can I, Luhan thought as he fled to the safety of his office.

 

~**~

 

Luhan paced the living room floor; sock-clad feet pounding against the well-worn carpet as panicked fists clenched and unclenched. Pausing every so often, Luhan emitted a frustrated grunt, before covering his face in his hands, tense muscles releasing their pent-up stress, as he bemoaned the situation that he found himself in.

 

The minute that the clock struck five, he’d bolted out of the office and made haste for home, all the while texting his best friends to meet him there in the hope that they would give him some much-needed advice.

 

“So tell me if I’m right,” began Baekhyun, shifting slightly amongst the burnt orange couch cushions as he looked up at his best friend. “You told your ex-boyfriend that you would be bringing your current, non-existent boyfriend to some ‘work thing’ Valentine’s Day because you didn’t want to seem sad or pathetic?”

 

“In a nutshell…yes,” he replied with a grim expression on his face.

 

“What the hell were you thinking, Lu?!” Baekhyun snickered, ever the supportive friend as Kyungsoo glared at him. “You should’ve told him the truth!”

 

With a despairing whimper, Luhan collapsed onto the couch next to the silent Kyungsoo, the latter enveloping him into a comforting hug and his hair, all the while shooting Baekhyun dirty looks.

 

“Don’t worry Lulu,” soothed Kyungsoo, a gentle smile on his face as his friend looked up at him dejectedly, a few tears falling from his eyes. “We’ll help you work it out…well I will, anyway.”

 

“I will too! I-I’m sorry, Lu,” Baekhyun apologised quickly, getting up and giving him a hug as he realised his insensitivity. “I shouldn’t have laughed…”

 

“It’s alright,” Luhan sniffled, giving Baekhyun a small smile to show that all was forgiven. “If it wasn’t me, I would’ve thought it was funny too.”

 

“Mmm…I kind of agree with Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo said suddenly, causing the pair to look at him in surprise. “Not the funny part – just that you should tell the truth.”

 

“He can’t do that now,” Baekhyun replied, rolling his eyes as Kyungsoo frowned at him.

 

“It’ll only make me look even more sad and pathetic,” Luhan added with a sigh, closing his tired eyes and resting his head on Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

 

“Well what do you propose then?” Kyungsoo retorted, looking disapprovingly at Baekhyun for an answer.

 

“Just ask a friend to pretend to be your boyfriend for the day,” he shrugged, feeling slightly pleased as Luhan quickly sat up and looked at him, eyes sparkling with interest.

 

“Tao knows all of Lu’s friends,” Kyungsoo argued, wincing as he saw his friend’s face fall at the reminder. “He’d know that Luhan would be dating any of them.”

 

“I’ll go with you, Lu – he doesn’t know me!”

 

The trio jumped in surprise as the deep voice suddenly boomed through the air and a cheerfully-grinning Chanyeol bounded into the room, eyes twitching while unruly caramel curls bounced on his head.

 

“It’s alright,” smiled Luhan with a shake of his head, feeling touched that he’d offered. “But I don’t think that Baekhyun would appreciate me stealing you away on Valentine’s Day.”

 

With a shrug of his shoulders as if to say ‘your loss’, Chanyeol took a large bite from the half-eaten sandwich in his hand, before heading back to the kitchen to no doubt scavenge for more food.

 

Does Baekhyun not feed him or something? But then again…he does eat a bloody tonne!

 

“I know!” shouted Baekhyun out of the blue, before turning to Luhan with a delighted smile on his face. “Why don’t you hire someone to be your date? Like an or something?”

 

“No – absolutely not,” protested Kyungsoo, his heart sinking as he saw Luhan consider the ludicrous idea. “Lu…this will make you look worse. It’ll be a waste of money – and dignity!”

 

“No one but us will ever know,” Baekhyun retaliated, already reaching for the phonebook on the mahogany coffee table before them. “And this way, Lu gets to be pampered on Valentine’s Day and he doesn’t have to admit that he made his boyfriend up; it’s a win-win situation!”

 

“Kyungie…” whined Luhan, pouting at his stubborn friend. “Please help me with this.”

 

With both Baekhyun and Luhan looking at him with their pleading puppy-dog eyes – eyes that were famous for getting him to give in to their crazy schemes – Kyungsoo sighed, before offering his friend an exasperated smile.

 

“Fine,” he grumbled grudgingly, though his smiled as both Luhan and Baekhyun tackled him into an enthusiastic hug. “But I still don’t like it…”

 

“You don’t have to,” Baekhyun replied, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he flicked through the pages, trying to find the ‘male escorts’ section. “Just go with it.”

 

“I guess that I’ll have to,” he muttered, not wanting for the plan to backfire and cause his friend any more troubles. “And hope for the best…”

 

--

 

Nearly an hour and many phonecalls later, Baekhyun pointed to a small ad at the bottom of the page.

 

“What about this guy?” he giggled, having only stopped crying from laughter when it turned out that the last that they’d called turned out to be really high pitched.

 

“Let me see,” Luhan replied, wrestling the book away from his friend and scanning the few brief words. “For the perfect date to make your friends green with envy…call Kai.”

 

“It says that he’s twenty-one, 182 centimetres tall and is a part-time model,” Kyungsoo continued, reading out the rest of the information. “Do you want to give him a shot?”

 

“Yeah…” Luhan murmured distractedly, punching the numbers into his phone and waiting for someone to answer.

 

I like the name Kai.

 

~**~

 

Fighting his way through clusters of bustling people, the sound of their chattering penetrated his jumbled mind, Luhan walked briskly down the street, paying no heed to the street vendors begging for his attention, nor the exquisite displays in the shop windows, the varying shades of scarlet, rose and ivory reminding everyone about the upcoming day for lovers.

 

He was a man on a mission, so to speak.

 

With a nervous chuckle as he bowed his head to an elderly woman that he’d happen to jostle, Luhan paused for a moment, and took a deep breath, trying to keep his panic at bay.

 

He would be meeting him today.

 

From the second that he’d heard his mellow voice, he’d known that Kai was the one that he needed – and thank goodness that he was available for hire on Valentine’s Day.

 

He’d explained his situation to the man, asking him if hiring him as his boyfriend for the day was okay, and when the calm voice on the other end assured him that it would be perfectly fine, Luhan knew that he was in luck.

 

Perhaps the universe doesn’t want me to make too big of a fool out of myself, he thought happily, his lips curving into an animated smile, causing passers-by to stop and stare.

 

After they’d discussed times, addresses and other unimportant details, Kai had suggested meeting up beforehand – so that they could get to know each other a little and make it appear more natural on the day.

 

Luhan had readily agreed.

 

And so, with Kai’s description of what he looked going through his mind on an endless rerun, Luhan made his way to a small café in one of the quieter streets that Kai had claimed to have the best hot chocolates – albeit, half-an-hour earlier than they’d originally planned.

 

There’s nothing wrong with being a little punctual, he told himself, pushing the blue wooden door open, smiling as he heard the distinct tinkle of a bell.

 

With a contented sigh, Luhan let his gaze roam over the quaint little tables, each of elegantly-carved rosewood and the matching chairs complete with patterned prints, before he allowed himself to admire the rest of the décor – cream-coloured walls decorated with beautiful photographs of the natural wonders of the land – and how the yellowed lighting gave the café a distinct ‘home-y’ feel.

 

As he stopped in front of the large glass cabinet, displaying sweet treats for all different tastebuds, Luhan smiled at the cashier and ordered a bubble tea and a chocolate-chip muffin. Taking the muffin from the friendly-smiling girl with a promise of ‘your tea will be right with you, sir’ and a gesture to take a seat, Luhan looked around, deciding on where to sit, when his eyes widened as his gaze landed on the occupant of table number six.

 

…Kai?

 

With dark brown hair hanging floppily across his forehead, chocolate eyes staring into his coffee mug, and tanned skin glistening with a thin layer of sweat, Luhan came to the conclusion that Kai was early too.

 

Smiling cheerfully – though he was still a bit apprehensive about the whole situation – Luhan made his way over to the table in the far back corner of the room. His gaze took in the simple white tee, denim clad legs and the black leather jacket hanging on a nearby chair – exactly what Kai had told him he’d be wearing, as he halted in front of the handsome male.

 

He’s hotter than I’d thought he’d be…

 

“Hi Kai,” Luhan began, plopping down into the empty seat across from him. “Seeing as how we’re both here early I think that it would be best to get started – no point in wasting any time, right? Anyway, so I was wondering how we should do this? Should it be ‘Q and A’ style? Or did you just want to talk? My friend Baekhyun – he’s the one that found you in the phone book – suggested that we should just ta-”

 

Luhan paused, a frown on his face, as he took in the flabbergasted expression of the young man seated before him, mug poised before his plump pink lips.

 

“Oh…sorry for getting a bit carried away there,” he apologised, a faint blush on his cheek as he scratched the back of his head. “I just don’t really know what I’m doing – I haven’t done this before, you see? – and so I tend to babble when I’m really nervous…so, what do you think?”

 

Luhan looked at Kai expectantly, waiting for him to make the first move.

 

“I’m sorry…who are you?” he asked, setting the mug down on a coaster as he looked at Luhan, confusion still evident on his face.

 

“Oh,” gasped Luhan in sudden realisation. “I’m Luhan – we agreed to meet today. I understand if you don’t really remember me; you must have a lot of clients and their names would come and go.”

 

“Uh…clients?”

 

“Yeah, don’t you remember? I hired you to be my date on Valentine’s Day.”

 

Now it was Luhan’s turn to be confused.

 

He could practically see the mechanisms of Kai’s brain whirring into existence, as he attempted to process this seemingly new information. To be perfectly honest, he didn’t expect him to forget that easily – but then again, escorts would have to remember a lot of details so he didn’t feel insulted that he couldn’t remember their agreement.

 

“Oh…y-yeah,” Kai stammered after a while, shooting Luhan a small smile – he looks attractive when he smiles; it’s no wonder why he’d get a lot of clients!

 

“You remember know?” he teased, lips curving into a wide smile as he picked up his muffin and took a bite of it, savouring the baked goodness.

 

“Uh…kinda?” he replied, biting his lips as he looked at him apologetically.

 

“Okay…so you’re going to accompany me to my boss’ Valentine’s Day luncheon, as my current boyfriend,” he explained, feeling pleased that Kai looked as if he was really paying attention to what he was saying. “We were going to meet here today so that we could get to know each other a bit – I guess that it’s lucky that you come here often, or else I would’ve missed you!”

 

“Y-Yeah…very lucky,” Kai replied with what Luhan could only describe as a ‘dreamy’ expression on his face.

 

“Hmm…so where should we start?”

 

Kai looked startled for a moment, before his eyes widened and he stood up in his seat, eyes frantically scanning the vicinity, as if he was searching for something. Or someone.

 

“What are you looking for?” he frowned, turning slightly in his seat before Kai’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.

 

“We need to go,” Kai stated, grabbing his jacket and offering a hand to Luhan, which he accepted with a gracious nod.

 

“Why?”

 

“B-Because…uh, I feel like walking in the park,” he stammered, his cheeks blossoming with a deep red – something that Luhan found endearingly adorable. “A-And we could get to know each other better there, right?”

 

“Sure thing,” Luhan shrugged, not really caring where they went as he followed Kai out the door – but not before grabbing his bubble tea from the cashier.

 

--

 

With large evergreens on either side of the winding concrete path, curled leaves littering the ground, as the occasional ray of golden sunshine peeked through the hidden gaps of the tree canopy above them, the park was quite beautiful. It was made even more so by the delighted giggles as young children darted here and there, colourful toys in their hands as they played all sorts of games.

 

In his peripherals, Luhan could make out the troubled look on Kai’s face as they strolled side-by-side, and for some insane reason it bothered him – he didn’t like to see him like this.

 

“So…what are your hobbies, Kai?” he asked, hoping to distract Kai from whatever was causing him such grief.

 

“I only really have one,” he replied with a soft smile, his eyes glazing over as fond memories invaded his mind’s eye. “I like to dance.”

 

“Really?” Luhan answered, pausing to look at him in mild surprise. “I didn’t exactly picture you as the dancing type…”

 

“Is there a type?” Kai chuckled, his eyebrows quirking up in a teasing manner, causing Luhan to blush in embarrassment. “Nah…I just like how it lets me express myself, you know? It grants me freedom that I can’t get from anything else…and that’s why most of my students do it, I guess.”

 

“You teach? Do you even have the time to teach?” Luhan asked incredulously, as Kai’s eyes widened, and he looked like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar or something.

 

“Y-Yeah...well,” he stuttered, and Luhan wondered why he seemed nervous all of a sudden. “If anything I consider this ‘ thing’ as a part-time job – not the other way around.”

 

“Hmm…well I hope that I’ll get to see you dance one day,” Luhan smiled, eyes disappearing into crescents as he looked up at Kai.

 

“I hope that I’ll get the chance to show you,” he replied with a tender look on his face, before offering his arm for Luhan to take.

 

And as they continued to meander through the various gardens and past the water fountain, Luhan felt pleased that things were going so well with Kai.

 

The universe must be on my side, after all!

 

~**~

 

Today was D-Day…or was it V-Day?

 

Either way, Luhan was sitting at his desk, spinning around and around in his chair as he tried to calm the fluttering butterflies in his stomach, because to be honest, he felt like he had a whole swarm flying about inside!

 

Taking a deep breath, Luhan stopped his turning about and buried his face in his hands, giving himself a pep-talk about how ‘it was going to work out’ and ‘nobody would ever know’.

 

Oh, who am I kidding? He moaned silently. This’ll somehow turn into a massive failure!

 

Sighing as he removed his hands from cover his face, Luhan picked up and uncapped a fountain pen lying haphazardly on his messy desk, before grabbing a file and attempting to actually do his job.

 

After reading the same line for what seemed to be ten minutes, he eventually gave up and abandoned the document on top of the ever-growing pile on his desk. Dropping the pen back into its holder, Luhan took a quick glace at the clock next to the door.

 

Ten o’clock.

 

Two hours to go.

 

Though he couldn’t deny that he was as paranoid as hell that something would somehow go horribly wrong, he did feel a certain thrill at showing up to the luncheon with someone as handsome as Kai by his side.

 

I bet that they’ll all be jealous…I know that I would be!

 

Chuckling to himself, Luhan tried to force all thought about the impending event from his mind, and choosing a different folder, he hoped that he could actually get some work done before he clocked off.

 

Needless to say, the sudden knock on his door quickly eliminated any chances of that happening.

 

“Luhan? There’s a delivery for you at reception,” Taeyeon said with a smile, her eyes teasing as she looked at his shocked expression. “I think that you’ll want to collect it yourself…”

 

A delivery…for me?

 

Confused as to why he would receive anything, Luhan got up and followed her out into the hallway but when he arrived at the reception area, he nearly collapsed from shock.

 

“T-That’s for me?!” he gasped in utter astonishment, his wide eyes taking in the impressive display before him.

 

“Uh-huh,” Taeyeon replied with a friendly grin. “Just came in.”

 

Still surprised – not to mention feeling very touched by the sweet gesture, Luhan allowed his gaze to roam over the simply beautiful flower arrangement in front of him.

 

It was large, to put it simply.

 

Placed on the tiled floor, it easily reached a metre in height. From the scarlet box on the ground there rose at least two-dozen vibrant green stalks, each lined with tongue-shaped leaves, curled at the tips, which in turn disappeared into the deep red petals of the exquisite flowers. Littered amongst these red giants, was the occasional bunch of Baby’s breath, their simple white blooms enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the roses, and in the centre of the array was a medium-sized, fluffy white teddy bear, holding a satin pink heart in its paws as it lay nestled amongst the gorgeous blossoms.

 

“It’s…beautiful,” he breathed, feeling as if there was no word to describe the lavish display before him.

 

“And this came with it,” Taeyeon continued, handing Luhan a crimson envelope before shooting the flowers an envious look and heading back to her desk. “You’re really lucky…my boyfriend only bought me one rose – and it was made of chocolate!”

 

Lost in his own world, Luhan opened the envelope and pulled out the white card inside, smiling as his eyes trailed over the familiar messy script.

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I can’t wait to see you later – don’t worry, by the way, everything will be fine!

I hope that you like the flowers...

xoxo

 

Reading the sweet message, Luhan was powerless to stop the wide smile from gracing his lips; instead he grasped the card to his heart and for the first time in ages, felt giddy with joy.

 

Whipping out his phone to text Kai – the latter giving him his ‘new’ number when they were at the park – Luhan couldn’t help the feelings of affection from blossoming within his chest.

 

If only he was my boyfriend for real!

 

Stiffening as he realised what he’d just been thinking, Luhan felt a sense of disappointment as reality came rushing back, drowning him in its immense force. He couldn’t afford to entertain such thoughts about Kai.

 

He was only doing his job, after all.

 

~**~

 

“Luhan! Just where did you find that guy?!” giggled Yuri, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder as she came over to where he was standing near the balcony. “He’s such a charmer!”

 

“Not to mention that my ovaries exploded when he looked at me!” squealed Yoona, an expression of adoration on her face. “Those lips – hell, I’m so jealous of you, Lu!”

 

Laughing off their more-than-flattering compliments regarding Kai, Luhan couldn’t help but be impressed at how he had completely won over each and every one of his fellow workers.

 

Once they’d arrived at the Wu mansion, Kai’s arm casually slung around his waist, he’d taken it in his stride to make conversation with everyone in the room.

 

With Luhan pressed up against his side – not that he minded, Kai had talked to Kris about music and dance, and after finding out the surprising fact that he liked to rap, had promised the elder male that they’d hang out sometime and rap together.

 

After pressing a fleeting kiss to Luhan’s forehead that had made him blush like a schoolgirl, Kai had left with the promise of bringing back food for the both of them from the buffet.

 

And as he watched Kai stroll away – and might he add, Kai looked downright y in a suit! – occasionally stopping to converse with a random co-worker or someone’s ‘other half’ and not noticing the lustful glances sent his way, Luhan felt his heart flutter knowing that he could claim Kai as his – even if only for today.

 

Like I said before…if only he wasn’t just doing this because I’m paying him to.

 

“-was the one to send you those roses, right Luhan?” asked Yoona, an envious look on her face as she effectively jolted Luhan out of his internal musings.

 

“Yeah, he was,” he smiled in reply, unable to contain his joy as he remembered the beautiful flowers, which were now displayed on his coffee table at home.

 

“He’s a keeper then,” nodded Yuri knowingly, taking a sip of champagne from her glass. “Anyone who sends you those roses definitely is the one.”

 

“I’d marry him if I were you,” added Yoona, the trio looking over to where Kai was laughing merrily with Taeyeon and her husband. “As soon as you can.”

 

“Hmmm…I don’t think that it’s that easy,” he sighed, mostly to himself. “Our situation is…different to most.”

 

Emitting a slight gasp as both women each grabbed one of his arms and dragged him outside onto the balcony, Luhan could only speculate as to what was running through their heads at this moment in time.

 

“Listen to us, Xi Luhan,” began Yuri in a serious voice, as Yoona looked at him gravely. “Just because you’re gay, doesn’t make love any different for the two of you.”

 

“If you are in love then that’s all that should matter,” Yoona continued, gently placing her hand on his arm and squeezing it slightly. “Nothing should stand in your way.”

 

“I couldn’t agree more,” grinned Kai, finally joining the group with two full plates in each of his hands. “So…what exactly were you talking about?”

 

“Hmm…just giving Luhan some friendly advice,” answered Yuri, shooting him a knowing glance.

 

“Which he should take,” continued Yoona with a gentle smile, before grabbing Yuri and heading back inside, effectively leaving him alone with Kai.

 

“Hey…are you okay?” Kai asked, looked at him with concern etched all over his face.

 

Placing the food down on the wide ledge, Kai sighed deeply before pulling Luhan into his arms, tucking the latter’s head under his chin and encircling him in a warm embrace.

 

“You can trust me, you know.”

 

“I know,” Luhan sighed, snuggling into his chest and enjoying Kai’s comforting presence.

 

Luhan almost found it scary how attached he’d become to Kai in just a short amount of time; more often than not, he found himself checking his phone regularly for any new messages from the dashing male – seeing as how Kai often texted him to find out how his day was going – and often he wondered if all of his clients got this kind of treatment.

 

But the more that he thought about it, Luhan decided that he didn’t care. Because with every ‘Good Morning’ text, every smiley emoticon and every ‘xoxo’ he found himself becoming even more drawn to Kai.

 

Which was scary because he knew that after today, they would have no reason to keep in contact, and just the mere thought of never seeing his smiling face, hearing his soothing voice or even getting a simple text from him was just too much for his heart to bear. He knew that Kyungsoo and Baekhyun would disapprove of his attachment…but he was powerless to do anything but give in to it.

 

“How about I get you a drink?” Kai asked softly, and Luhan smiled into his chest, touched by how caring he was.

 

Pulling away, Luhan smiled gratefully and nodded.

 

“Thanks.”

 

Turning back around to admire the pleasant view of rolling green hills, with the cerulean sky filled with cottonwool clouds as a backdrop, Luhan sighed once more, accepting that even if it was for only one day, he was glad to have Kai with him.

 

“Hey, Lu,” Tao smiled, suddenly materialising beside him. “Enjoying yourself?”

 

“Yeah, I am,” he replied truthfully as Kai’s face flashed in his mind.

 

“I wanted to say congratulations, by the way,” he continued, offering Luhan a genuinely pleased smile. “I can tell from the way Kai looks at you, that he’s in love…I’m really happy for you.”

 

“Thanks, Tao,” he answered, a small smile on his face as he tried to force the bittersweet thoughts from his head.

 

“Well, I’d better go,” Tao said, clearing his throat as he headed away. “Sehun asked me to grab him some more wine – I swear if he gets drunk…”

 

“Then you’ll look after him,” Luhan chuckled, as they looked at each other with fond smiles. “Bye Tao.”

 

As he watched Tao leave, Luhan’s gaze met Kai’s as the latter was heading towards him, his lips curved into a beautiful smile, causing Luhan to wish that Tao’s words were true.

 

I wish that he really was in love with me.

 

~**~

 

Not a word was spoken as the couple headed up the stairs and onto the porch, Kai’s arm wrapped tightly around Luhan’s waist almost as if he didn’t want to let go.

 

Pausing in front of large oak door, panels of coloured glass adorning its structure, Luhan inwardly sighed as he came to the depressing conclusion that his time with Kai was officially over.

 

It was almost ridiculous how much he didn’t want to say his farewell.

 

Reaching into his pocket for his keys, Luhan finally mustered up the courage to look the sun-kissed male in the eyes, praying that he wouldn’t crumble in front of the piercing gaze.

 

“T-Thanks…for today,” he mumbled, forcing a small smile onto his lips, which probably looked more like a twisted grimace, reflecting his emotional turmoil inside. “It went really well.”

 

He watched as Kai took a deep breath before returning the smile, a flicker of emotion dancing quickly over his face – was that…guilt? He couldn’t be sure – before Kai wrapped his other arm around him, once more pulling him into his embrace and tucking his head under his chin.

 

“Y-Yeah,” Kai replied softly, his voice thick with emotion, as he gently Luhan’s hair and held him tight. “I had a great time.”

 

Confused as to why Kai was suddenly acting the way that he felt, Luhan drew away a little, before looking up at Kai, wondering what had brought out this sentimental side.

 

Was he like this with all of his clients?

 

Luhan really hoped not…because Kai made him feel special; special in the way that he hadn’t felt like for months. He felt loved, and perhaps the most wretched thing was that he was paying Kai to make him feel this way.

 

With a sad smile lingering on his lips – although Luhan was still confused as to why – Kai leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Luhan’s forehead, allowing them to remain against his skin for more than a few seconds.

 

Eyes wide with surprise as Kai pulled away and gazed at him sorrowfully once more, Luhan felt his heartbeat quicken with the knowledge that this man would be walking away with more than his money…he’d be walking away with pieces of his heart.

 

“I-I’ll go get the cheque,” Luhan whispered, biting down on his lower lip, as he untangled himself from Kai’s hug and went to unlock the door.

 

With reflexes that could rival lightening’s speed, Kai reached out and grabbed Luhan’s arm, a pleading expression on his face as he held the other male in place.

 

“I have a confession to make,” Kai suddenly blurted out, before pausing for a moment, panic in his eyes as he took a nervous gulp of air.

 

“What is it?” Luhan asked, looking at Kai’s reddening face in curiosity.

 

“I-I…I’m not Kai,” he stated, gazing into Luhan’s face, gauging his reaction to his words.

 

“O-Of course you’re Kai,” he replied with an unsure laugh, wondering what Kai was playing at. “Who else would you be?”

 

“My name is Jongin…a-and I’m not an ,” he began, watching as a visibly-stunned Luhan struggled to comprehend what he was saying. “When we met at the café…you must’ve mistaken me for this ‘Kai’ guy.”

 

Staggering backwards as he was bombarded with the sickening feeling of realisation, Luhan stared at a guilt-stricken Kai – no, Jongin – and all of a sudden it made sense. The whole ‘not-remembering’ thing – and not to mention, the sudden change in phone numbers; he felt like a fool for not figuring it out earlier.

 

To say that he was embarrassed was an understatement. Luhan’s cheeks turned a healthy shade of scarlet as he shifted his gaze to the ground, not wanting to look him in the eye. Though he felt mad for being deceived…he was confused even more.

 

“W-Why?” he choked out, hating the dreaded sensation of pinpricks at the corners of his eyes, as he felt himself start to tear up. “Why didn’t you t-tell me?”

 

“I-I’m sorry, Luhan,” Jongin replied somewhat brokenly, watching with a pained expression, as a few tears trickled down Luhan’s pale cheeks. “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner…but I’m not sorry for pretending to be Kai, if it meant that I could be with you – albeit for a short time only.”

 

At this, Luhan ceased his muffled sobbing and wiping away his tears, looked at him with a puzzled frown on his face.

 

“I didn’t say anything because I felt…well, drawn to you, so I couldn’t help myself – you were just so perfect with your friendly smile and sweet voice,” Jongin continued, his voice just that little bit shaky. “And I knew that if I told you who I really was, then I wouldn’t see you again…you know, throughout the entirety of today, I wished that I really was your boyfriend.”

 

Luhan proceeded to gape at Jongin’s confession and he couldn’t deny the rush of happiness that he felt that his endearingly sweet words. As he felt his face blossom pink once more, he watched as Jongin shot him a small smile before turning away and heading back down the steps.

 

“Then why don’t you be?” Luhan blurted out, his lips curving into a delighted grin as Jongin stiffened before looking back at him in shock.

 

“W-What?” he whispered, racing back and gazing searchingly into Luhan’s twinkling eyes, as the latter simply smiled charmingly at him.

 

“Be my boyfriend….Jongin,” Luhan murmured, inwardly giggling as said male’s cheeks heated up and his face split into a wide grin.

 

“Nothing would make me happier,” Jongin answered, drawing Luhan into his arms and hugging him tight.

 

And as Jongin’s lips tentatively met his, in perhaps the sweetest, most tender of first kisses, Luhan realised two very important things; the first one being that Jongin is a much nicer name than Kai, and the second one almost made him want to laugh at the irony of it all.

 

Who knew that when I was searching for ‘Mr Right Now’, I would actually find Mr Right!

 

 

---

 

Word Count: 6,084

Hey, hey! Sorry for taking a little long to post this, but a few assignments had me really busy!

Anyway, I hope that you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day /throws roses, chocolates, teddy bears and Kai

And don't forget to comment and let me know what you thought! ^_^

With Love,

Minspro <3

p.s. please don't unsubcribe now that this is over...it would make me so sad :(