Hey guys! So I know this update is kind of short, but the next chapter will be pretty long... Thanks for reading, and for the subs and comments<3 *Hugs you all*

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“Would you stop doing that?”

            Kai jumps at the sound of Kris’s voice, almost dropping the spoon he’s been tapping against the counter.

            “Sorry,” Kai mutters, placing the spoon into the sink.

            “You seem especially annoying today,” Kris notes, wiping his hands on a towel before leaning against the counter. “Shouldn’t you be leaving? It’s 12:05 p.m..”

            Kai glowers at his boss. “I know,” he says. “I’m just waiting for someone.”

            Kris raises an eyebrow, but thankfully, he turns and leaves, moving away to attend to other business besides his grumpy employee.

            Kai sighs and glances out of the front windows of Starbucks for the millionth time in the past half an hour.

            “He’s only five minutes late,” Kai tells himself, moving to go back into the staff room to grab his bag and coat.

            But by the time Kai has emerged back into the coffee shop from the bag, backpack hanging from his shoulders, it’s 12:10 p.m., and Sehun is still nowhere in sight.

            A mixture of disappointment and confusion settles into Kai’s limbs, his feet moving to the front doors before he’s pushing out into the loud and busy New York sidewalk. He adjusts his scarf around his mouth, glancing up and down the street. Everyone is wrapped in gloves and scarves and hats and coats and boots, trying to protect themselves from the biting wind.

            Kai sighs again, wondering if maybe he shouldn’t have been so forward with Sehun yesterday. Maybe he scared him off.

            Deciding to head home, Kai turns to leave.

            “Kai!”

            Kai turns around towards the sound of his name, surprise etched into his features. And there is a familiar shock of rainbow-colored hair just visible through the crowd, and Kai sighs again, this time in relief.

            Sehun jogs down the sidewalk, backpack bouncing between his shoulder blades, gloves in hand. By the time he reaches Kai, he’s out of breath, puffs of air from his mouth visible in the freezing air. Sehun bends over, holding up a hand to ask Kai for a second while his other hand presses to his side.

            “Sorry I’m late,” he finally manages to gasp out, straightening. “I was in the darkroom, and I lost track of time, and then it was like 12:00 p.m. when I checked my phone, so I ran all the way here, and I think I got developer on my shirt, so I’m going to have to wash that out tonight with cold water, and-“

            Sehun stops speaking, suddenly realizing that he’s rambling.

            Kai is trying his hardest not to laugh, and the way Sehun’s face suddenly fills with embarrassment makes it even harder. But Kai doesn’t want to make Sehun any more uncomfortable than he already is, so he just says, “It’s okay. Come on, I know the perfect place to grab something to eat.”

            Sehun pulls his gloves on before following Kai down the street, camera bag bouncing against his hip. For a few steps, Sehun walks behind Kai, taking in Kai’s black jeans and the back of his head and the way one hand is down in his coat pocket while the other hangs down by his side.

            And then Kai is turning around, glancing at him.

            “You can walk beside me you know,” he says with a cocky grin. “I don’t bite.”

            Sehun feels a grin tug at the corners of his lips, along with the familiar heat of a blush staining his cheeks, and he moves to walk beside Kai, keeping his hands in his pockets to avoid any accidental hand-brushing.

            As they walk, Kai complains about some of the customers at work, making Sehun suppress giggles at some of Kai’s descriptions.

            Every time Sehun tries not to laugh too loud, Kai will glance over at him, wanting to watch the way Sehun’s mouth twitches, and the way his eyes crinkle into half-moons.

            They finally reach the subway station, jogging down the flights of stairs to the busy tracks below the streets. Trash and dirt litter the concrete platforms, and the smell of people, garbage, and food is strong. The fluorescent lights cast everyone in a sickly glow, and the sounds of the trains approachin