The Friday was just like any other Friday. In EXO-M deli the customers would come, order, eat, and then leave. It was just a usual day with nothing exciting or unexpected happening. That caused some people to think of it as a boring day, but to others it was very relaxing.

            At the end of the day things started to pick up. The deli was now closing and everyone was getting ready to go home. Well everyone but Tao. That was starting to become the usual. The rest of the staff however, changed out of their work clothes and into their casual clothes.

            There was something that almost everyone noticed though. These days Chen seemed to be keeping to himself. There was obviously something on his mind that he just wasn’t telling anyone. Luhan and Lay would always ask him if he was okay and interrogate him about it but he would always smile and say that he was fine.

            In the back, Chen was the first to change out of his work clothes. “So are you sure that you are okay with riding with Luhan tonight Lay?” He asked.

            “Of course. Luhan and I have been best friends for a while. I am completely fine with riding with him.” Lay explained.

            Chen nodded and then smiled. He then looked over that Luhan. “And you’re okay with taking him home? I know it’s a bit out of your way.” He said.

            Luhan shook his head and smiled. “Don’t worry about it Chen. What’s a quarter of a mile more to drop Lay off?” He replied.

            “Okay if you guys say so. Thanks a lot. Xiumin?” Chen said.

            Xiumin looked up from his locker and over at Chen. “Yes?” He asked.

            “It’s Friday so are we going to meet at your house or my house tonight? I don’t mind either one.” Chen explained.

            “We can meet at my place tonight. I just went shopping for some ingredients not too long ago so I think we should have enough to make something.” Xiumin explained.

            “Okay, I’ll see you at…nine then?” Chen asked while looking at his wrist watch.

            “I think that sounds good. I’ll see you later then.” Xiumin replied.

            “I guess so. I’ll see you guys later Luhna, Lay.” Chen said and then walked out of the locker room. He walked all the way out to the dining area and saw Tao. “I’ll be seeing you later Tao.”

            “Bye Chen.” Tao replied. Tao went back to sweeping the floor while Chen left the deli and started to head home.

            When Luhan and Lay were sure that Chen was gone, they both turned and looked at Xiumin. They were now sure that Xiumin knew why Chen was acting so weird. They were positive that Xiumin know why Chen was so distant from everyone.

            “So Xiumin, what are you and Chen meeting tonight for?” Lay asked.

            Xiumin just rolled his eyes and started to gather his things. “You know, you two have to be the nosiest people in the whole entire deli. Even the whole entire block. You guys need to find an entire new hobby than getting into everyone’s business. It’s going to get back at you two one of these days.” He explained.

            “Now that isn’t fair.” Lay said.

            “Yeah, we actually do have real hobbies. Lay goes to a dance studio and is part of a dance crew there. And when he isn’t doing that, he is going to clubs and hangs out with some friends. Then I go around town and look for the best coffee places around. I’m basically a coffee critic. I’m actually quite famous. When I walk through that door some of the barista’s widen their eyes in fear.” Luhan explained.

            Xiumin shook his head. “What a coffee addict.” He said.

            “Hey don’t judge just because I know good coffee from coffee that tastes like crap.” Luhan explained.

            “Anyway, let’s get back to what you and Chen are doing tonight Xiumin.” Lay said just to take the subject off of coffee. He knew that Luhan could talk about it forever.

            Xiumin sighed. “”Well if you two must know, about every Friday night, Chen and I get together after work and cook a new recipe at one of our houses. It helps us relive our days as cooks in a restaurant. Sometimes you have to slowly adjust into a new position in a different place and cooking almost every Friday really helps. It also gives up good practice for if we decide to go back more into the restaurant industry.” He explained.

            That was not an answer that the two boys wanted. They wanted a juicy detail that was the reason as to why Chen was so distant. Or something that had to deal with girls and clubs. But then again, recently they found that girls weren’t entirely their forte. “Well that wasn’t the answer we were looking for.” Luhan said.

            “Yeah it was actually kind of a lame answer.” Lay added.

            “Well I’m sorry to disappoint you guys. But sometimes people just want to have a normal, boring, and lame life.” Xiumin said with sarcasm.

            Lay and Luhan looked a little down after that. “Well could you at least tell us why Chen has been acting so weird lately? You work next to him all day and talk to him the most here. So you must at least have some idea as to why he’s been that way.” Lay said.

            Xiumin looked the two boys in the eye and then let out another sigh. “You guys have noticed that too huh?” He said very softly but loud enough for the two boys to hear it.

            “Almost everyone here has noticed it. Kris is the only one that hasn’t noticed yet but I am pretty sure that that’s because he’s too busy trying to think of ways to make our lives a living hell.” Luhan explained.

            “Yeah, I mean, why does he always have his door closed? The only logical reason would be that he has some kind of plan in there that causes all of us to slowly die off.” Lay said dramatically.

            Xiumin laughed a bit at that. “You guys, he is your boss. Give him a break. He is trying his best to try and keep this deli going. This whole competition thing has really got him on the edge and plus today he has to check in with the assistant CEO to let him know how the deli is doing. So just give him a break.” He explained.

            “Fine whatever. But why is Chen acting so weird?” Luhan asked again. He was just not going to give up on finding out what was wrong with Chen.

            “”Honestly I don’t know why he’s acting the way he is. He hasn’t really spoken to me in the past few days. Mostly he has been in a daze and he hasn’t really looked at me either. Usually we talk a lot and check to see how the other is doing. But I think he had been in a daze because he’s been working really hard lately.” Xiumin explained.

            Luhan and Lay looked at each other and just shrugged their shoulders. “I guess. But it feels like something else is up. Something more than him just working hard.” Luhan replied.

            Xiumin put on a grin as he thought of a way to change the subject. “Well if you ask me, Tao is the one that you two should be interrogating. The hickey on his neck the other day was quite noticeable. I would try and find who made that hickey.” He said.

            Luhan sighed. “I already asked him about that. That boy has to be the definition of stubborn. He would not tell me a thing. But someday he will. I am determined to find out who made that hickey.” Luhan explained.

            Xiumin gathered the last of his things and then closed his locker. “I’m going now. I’ll see you both tomorrow.” He said and then left the locker room. “I’ll be seeing you Tao.”

            “See you later Xiumin.” Tao replied and then Xiumin left the deli.

~.~.~.~.~.~

            Since Xiumin lived alone, he basically had a carefree life. He would just toss his clothes all over the place and leave things out. He had a tiny apartment so when he had guests; it was a bit of a problem. He got home only half an hour before Chen was supposed to come over. Xiumin rushed into his room and started to pick up all his clothes. He then put away some things that should have been put away a while ago. He did everything as quickly as he could. It took him a total of fifteen minutes to just tidy up the whole apartment. Then he rushed over to his bathroom so that he could take a shower.

            After he took his shower, Xiumin had around five more minutes to just relax. With fresh clothes on and damp hair he walked over to the couch and laid down there. The silence in his apartment almost felt like heaven to him. There were no people arguing with each other, there were no ovens or stoves on and buzzing, and there was no boss yelling at the two nosy employees. It was just the perfect moment in Xiumin’s eyes.

            His five minutes went by very quickly. As much as he was falling asleep the doorbell rang waking Xiumin up. Xiumin basically fell off the couch and walked over to the door. He wiped his eyes and then opened the door. As he opened the door he saw Chen with a long brown coat, a scarf around his neck, and slightly damp hair. It was quite obvious that Chen had also just taken a shower.

            Xiumin looked at his wrist watch and smiled. “You are just on time as usual. Come on in and let’s get started.” He said and gestured for Chen to come in.

            Chen smiled and stepped inside Xiumin’s apartment. As he usually did, he took off his coat and then his scarf and put it on the coat rack that was near the door. Then he made his way over to the kitchen and stood by the stove.

            “So, do you have any idea of what you want to cook tonight? You look like you already know what you want.” Chen said jokingly.

            Xiumin put on a very big smile. He did in fact know what he wanted. “Honestly, I haven’t had pasta in a long time. Is it okay if we make that tonight?” He asked.

            There was a nod from Chen. “Of course it is. What kind of pasta were you thinking? We can have alfredo pasta, lemon chicken pasta, or the traditional pasta.” He explained.

            There was one pasta that Chen mentioned that really got Xiumin’s attention. “Can we have Lemon Chicken Pasta please?” He asked with a hint of a baby voice.

            Chen smiled at how cute Xiumin answered. “Yes we can make Lemon Chicken Pasta. Let’s get cooking shall we?” He said and then Xiumin nodded.

            Since Chen and Xiumin both worked as cooks in a five star restaurant before, they pretty much knew what they were doing. They had memorized a bunch of recipes and this was one that they had memorized. Even if they did need the recipe it wasn’t like they were going to stick to it completely. They had learned how to put their own little twists on things and since it was just the two of them they were going to be as creative as they wanted.

            The first thing that Xiumin got was the lemon out of the refrigerator while Chen grabbed the onions and garlic. Xiumin started to take zest from the lemon and then he cut the lemon in half and started to get the lemon juice out of it. Chen was on the other side of the kitchen chopping the onions and garlic so that it can go in the pan. Once Xiumin was done juicing the lemon he washed his hands and then put a pan on the stove and put some oil inside. Then he the heat.

            When the pan got hot enough, Chen put the onions and garlic inside and started to mix it. Xiumin had already taken the liberty of starting to cut the chicken s up into smaller pieces so that they could also go in the pan. Chen got the pot off of the shelf and filled it with water. He filled the put up to just under half way and then put it on the stove before turning the heat on.

            Once the onions and garlic turned a light brown, Xiumin put the chicken inside and started to watch the pan closely. He had to keep a closer eye on the pan since he didn’t want the chicken to cook too long. If it cooked too long then it would become dry and the texture would not be very appealing. While Xiumin was watching the chicken cook, Chen was on the side making the cream sauce for the pasta. It was made from egg, butter, and milk.

            After around ten minutes, the water started to boil and Chen put in the pasta noodles so that they could cook. He then rushed back over to the cream sauce and started to mix it all together.

            In about five minutes the pasta was cooked. That was the fastest that pasta had ever cooked for Chen but he was ready to drain it. He grabbed the pot and then made his way over to the sink while being careful not to bump into Xiumin. When he got to the sink he dumped out all the hot water and started to cool the noodles down with cold water. He drained the noodles one more time and then went back to put the pot on the side for when they were ready to put it in with the rest of the food.

            When Xiumin saw Chen was ready he turned down the heat and gestured to him that he was ready for the pasta. Chen grabbed the noodles and started to slowly put them into the pan since he didn’t want to cause anything to splash. After getting the noodles in the pan he then grabbed his cream sauce and slowly poured that into the pan as well. When he was done, Xiumin started to mix everything together.

            After Xiumin mixed everything together, he took the cover on the pan and put it on. All the two had to do now was just let the pasta simmer for a little bit. In total, that took them about fifty minutes to make. Plus they were going to wait another ten just to let the pasta simmer.

            “That’s looking pretty good. What do you think Chen?” Xiumin asked.

            “I think it looks pretty good.” Chen said as he looked at the food. He then looked at Xiumin’s face to see that he had a bit of sauce on it. When Xiumin was mixing the pasta it must have splashed on him. Chen let out a little giggle.

            “What is so funny?” Xiumin asked.

            Chen walked over to the sink and wet a small hand towel. He wrung it out and then started to wipe off Xiumin’s face. “There is some sauce on your face.” He replied.

            The cold towel on his face made it feel really good. It was very refreshing. Xiumin eventually took the towel from Chen and started to wipe his face along with his neck. That was even more refreshing to him.

            “Thanks for that.” Xiumin said.

            “Yeah it was no problem. Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I just let you stand there with food on your face?” Chen asked.

            “Obviously you would be a very crappy friend.” Xiumin replied.

            “And that is why I helped you get food off of your face.” Chen said.

            Xiumin laughed and then looked down. When he looked down he noticed that he had split something on his shirt. “Aw shoot. Do you mind watching the food while I go change shirts?” He asked.

            Chen shook his head and leaned against the counter. “I don’t mind. By the time you get back out the pasta will probably be ready.” He explained.

            Xiumin nodded and then left the kitchen to go to his room. He closed the door leaving Chen in the kitchen alone while watching the food. Every few minutes Chen would end up stirring the pasta so that he could mix the flavors together.

            By the time Xiumin had come out of his room the pasta was finished cooking. The majority of the time he was gone, he was trying to wash his shirt. The stain wasn’t coming out so he just gave up on it. He threw the shirt in the hamper and then went over to his closet and found a brand new shirt to wear.

            As he walked towards Chen he noticed that the pasta was already plated. Chen had taken it upon himself to plate the pasta and clean the plates. It was like he was in the restaurant plating mode. He was very careful and made sure that it was appealing. He even added a few leaves of basil just for design on both of the plates.

            “Wow, you made these look really good Chen. I see that you definitely have not lost your touch for these things.” Xiumin complimented.

            Chen looked at Xiumin and smiled. He then walked over the sink and started to wash his hands. “It’s really nothing. All I did was plate it and put on a little basil. It did feel good to do that again though.” He explained.

            “It looks good non-the-less.” Xiumin said and then took the plates off the counter and placed them on the small dining table that he had. After he placed the plates down he went back into the kitchen to get utensils and then he set them. “Let’s eat.”

            Chen nodded and then walked over to the table. Both he and Xiumin took their seats at the table and looked at the pasta. Xiumin was the first to pick up his fork and mix the pasta. He stared to twirl the pasta and then he put it up to his mouth.

            Xiumin got a bit of everything in that first bite. A big smile appeared on his face. “That has to be some of the best Lemon Chicken Pasta that I have ever had.” Xiumin said.

            Chen looked at the pasta and then smiled. He started to twirl the noodles and took a bite of it. It was actually very good. The sauce was nice and creamy and there was the perfect amount of lemon that just added a great balance to everything. “It’s a success. Once again, we have done this through awesome teamwork.” He said.

            The two ate the chicken pasta quietly. They were just enjoying it so much. Xiumin eventually got up and walked back into the kitchen. He got two wine glasses out and a bottle of red wine. He poured two cups and then brought them over to the table. He handed one cup to Chen and he took it happily.

            After they were done eating they just sat around so that they could rest their stomachs. They were so full that they felt like they were going to explode. But they still had their wine so they were still going strong.

            As they were just sitting Xiumin thought that he would start a conversation. “So things seem to be going really well at the deli don’t you think?” He asked.

            Chen looked at his wine for a second and nodded. “Yeah, I guess it’s been alright.” He replied hesitantly.

            “You know, Lay and Luhan think that there is something up with you. They actually started to interrogate me right after you left today.” Xiumin said with a bit of a giggle in his voice.

            Chen took in a deep breath and looked at Xiumin. “What did they ask you?” He asked.

            Xiumin took another sip of his wine. “It’s really not that important Chen. They are just two nosy people who don’t know how to mind their own business.” He replied.

            Chen made a fist under the table and then bit his lip hard. He was trying not to show how upset he was. “I’m just curious Xiumin. What did they say to you?” He asked with a bit of anger.

            Xiumin could detect that anger almost instantly. It had scared him a bit but he had to keep calm in this situation. “They just think that you have been acting a bit strange lately. They just feel like you haven’t been yourself and a bit distant from the rest of us. That’s all they said. I promise.” He explained.

            “And what did you tell them?” Chen asked.

            “Basically I just told them that I hadn’t really noticed and that they should just get over it. Why? Is something actually wrong Chen?” Xiumin asked with concern in his voice.

            Chen sighed. “No, nothing’s wrong. I should probably get to washing the dishes.” He said and then stood up from his seat. He grabbed his plate and then Xiumin’s and took it over to the sink in the kitchen.

            Chen put the dishes in the sink and started to wash all of them. The kitchen was quiet except for the clashing of pots and pans, and the water running. The two boys didn’t say anything the entire time that they were in the kitchen. The conversation from before had really affected the mood. In fact it pretty much killed it. Xiumin felt bad about the entire things so he was thinking of what he could do in order to try and make it up to Chen. But he couldn’t think of anything. He just regretted bringing the subject up.

            When Chen was done with the dishes he wiped his hands and then the counter around him for any stray puddles of water. He then put the towel down and started to walk out of the kitchen. Xiumin followed him out and then stopped in the living room. He felt so bad about the whole thing in general. If there was a time for him to apologize, that time was going to be now.

            “Chen.” Xiumin said.

            “What?” Chen replied in and irritated tone.

            “I’m sorry about what I brought up earlier.” Xiumin said.

            Chen sighed and then turned around to look at Xiumin. Now he was the one who felt bad. He was causing Xiumin to feel bad about something that he didn’t even understand. It wasn’t fair to Xiumin at all.

“I’m not mad Xiumin. There is no real reason for you to apologize to me. I’m just a little frustrated right now because of something.” Chen explained.

            Xiumin was confused. “Why are you frustraited? What’s going on with you Chen?” Xiumin asked.

            Chen looked down and then put his hands into his pockets. He let out a sigh and then looked back up at Xiumin. “I was honestly going to wait to tell you this but it seems as if I am going to have to tell you now.” He explained.

            “What are you talking about? What is it that you were going to wait to tell me?” Xiumin asked.

            Chen sighed again and looked Xiumin in the eyes. “Xiumin, I don’t think I can work at EXO-M deli anymore. I just, don’t think I can handle being there anymore.” He explained.

            Xiumin’s heart froze. It felt like it just stopped beating. “Why is that?” He asked in a shocked tone.

            “I don’t really know. I don’t really know how I feel about being a project. I want to work someplace that is more permanent. I mean at any time we might find out that our deli didn’t make it and then go under a totally different management and process. I, I just don’t like being uncertain of what will happen in the future when it comes to my career.” Chen explained.

            Xiumin still seemed to be in a bit of shock. “But, you can’t quit.” He stuttered. “Whose going to make the daily soups and keep me company in the back of the deli?”

            “It’ll be okay Xiumin. I was going to let Kris know after the party and give him the time to find my replacement. I will show them how everything works and then I will move on to go work in a restaurant just like I used to.” Chen explained.

            Xiumin shook his head while tears were generating. “No, I don’t want to work with your replacement. I want to work with you. Chen you can’t leave.” He said.

            “I am so sorry Min. I’ve already made up my mind. This is what I want.” Chen replied. Xiumin didn’t know what to think after that. His face was just completely blank. Chen looked at the clock and then sighed. “I should get going.”

            Chen turned around and started to head towards his coat. As he was just about to grab it he felt two arms wrap around his waist and hold him tight. He could then feel Xiumin burry his face in his back. He could tell that the tears will still falling from his eyes.

            “Please don’t go Chen. Don’t leave me.” Xiumin managed to say.

            It was quite interesting how different Xiumin and Kris were. Some would wonder how the two even got along with each other. Kris was the type to see cold and emotionless while Xiumin was soft, warm hearted, and very sensitive. He was not afraid to show his emotions. In a weird way, it caused balance in the deli.

            “Xiumin I-.” Chen started but Xiumin cut him off.

            “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Just don’t leave me yet. Please don’t leave me Chen.” Xiumin said. The tears started to come more rapidly.

            Chen didn’t say anything more and he didn’t move. He just stood there while Xiumin cried and tightened his grip around him. He wanted to just leave but he couldn’t. How could he walk away from his friend like that? That would have been too cruel.

            When Xiumin calmed down a little bit and slowed down his crying Chen loosened his grip from around him and turned around. Chen sighed as he saw red and puffy the older boy’s eyes were. He himself wanted to cry after seeing that.

            “Come on Xiumin let’s get you to bed.” Chen said. Xiumin just stood there with a blank face again He just didn’t move.

            Chen let out another sigh and just looked at the boy for a little while longer. He then took one of Xiumin’s arms and put it around his shoulder. He then moved to pick Xiumin up. He picked him up bridal style and started to walk off.

            He walked all the way to Xiumin’s room and over to his bed. He placed him down there and the first thing that Xiumin managed to do was face away from Chen. He was just so upset and emotional about the news that he just couldn’t look at him without crying.

            “I’m sorry Xiumin.” Chen said and then headed out of his room. He then made his way over to the coat rack that was right by the door. First he put on his coat and then he put in his scarf. He felt so bad since this was not the way that he wanted Xiumin to find out. In fact Xiumin was supposed to find out towards the end. But he had made his decision and he wasn’t going to go back on it now. He took one last look at Xiumin’s apartment and then sighed. He then made his way home.

~.~.~.~.~.~

The next day at the deli, Xiumin didn’t come into work. Chen was cooking the soup and noticed that Xiumin just wasn’t there. He would just keep looking over at Xiumin’s station and thought about him. Chen knew that the whole reason why Xiumin wasn’t at work was because of him. That really didn’t sit well in his mind.

            “Hey Chen, where is Xiumin today?” Lay asked as he walked up to Chen.

            Chen looked up at Lay and shook his head. “I’m not sure where Xiumin is today. I hope that he didn’t get sick or anything like that.” He lied.

            “That is just strange to me. Xiumin barely ever gets sick. I wonder if he even called in sick. How did he seem to you last night Chen?” Luhan asked now joining the conversation.

            Chen shrugged his shoulders. “He seemed fine to me. He seemed a little tired and dazed from the day’s work but fine.” He lied again.

            “It’s just so strange. Well if anyone knows where Xiumin is, it would probably be Kris. But asking him is like asking for death if it’s from me.” Lay explained.

            Chen just rolled his eyes and then left his station. He got Lay’s hint. What he was saying was that be just wanted Chen to go and find out where Xiumin was since he was too chicken to do it himself. If Chen didn’t do it then they were just going to pester him about it the whole time until he did it.

            Luahn and Lay watched Chen as he walked over to Kris’ office. Chen got to Kris’ and knocked on the closed door. “Come in.” Kris said.

            A sigh had left Chen’s body and then he opened the door. To everyone, except Xiumin and Tao, when they entered Kris’ office it felt as if they were entering a dungeon. Sometimes they would even call it the dragon’s lair. Sometimes if they knew they were in a lot of trouble them it was the devil’s lair.

            As he walked in Chen closed the door behind him. He then walked over to the chair that was placed right in front of Kris’ desk. He was so uncomfortable being in there but he just needed to know if Xiumin was okay.

            When Chen sat down Kris looked up from his desk and smiled. “What can I do for you Chen?” He asked in a bit of an impatient tone.

            Chen grew even tenser now. “I was wondering if you heard from Xiumin. He isn’t here so I was wondering if you knew where he was.” He explained.

            Kris looked Chen deep in the eyes and smiled. He shook his head and then leaned back in his chair. “Xiumin called in sick today. He basically said that he just wasn’t feeling good. I don’t buy it but if he’s not coming to work then he has a very good excuse.” He explained.

            “Oh I see.” Were the only words that Chen could think of at the moment.

            “Kris sighed. “Well if he is sick then I guess now would be the time to do it. The party is next week Friday so I guess getting sick now is better than getting sick then. That would just .” Kris explained.

            “I guess so. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll be getting back to work now.” Chen said and then got up from his seat. He left Kris’ office and went back to his station. Kris felt like something was up but he just let it go. He was actually not interested at all.

            That rest of the week Chen was going to have to act like nothing was going on. He had to just pretend that everything was fine when it really wasn’t. He had to just keep his cool and continue to act like it’s just an easy day at work.

            When Xiumin got back to work a day later there were minimal conversations. If one of them said anything to the other it would be about the food. They didn’t have any conversations between each other. Chen could tell that Xiumin was still upset and for a whole week he just received minimal conversations. In a way he got what he deserved. But it made working with Xiumin more difficult than it already was.

A/N: So that now makes five couples. One more to go. Baekyeol right? Then its the SUPER AWESOME EXO PARTY!!!! I am so excited to write that. I felt like this was a sad chapter but I needed a sad chapter somewhere. It'll make something cuter. Anyway thanks for reading and thanks to all my subscribers. Please comment. I love reading them :)