~Fluffy’s Refuge~

Chenguang’s POV

“Luhan, do you have any idea how to kiss someone?”

“PSSSSSHHFFFT!!!!”

Luhan spat some of the apple juice out, let out a strangled noise that kinda sounded like a dolphin with hiccups. He let out a few coughs now and then and cleared his throat and stared at me like I was a ticking bomb.

“WHA-WHAT!? Aw man, I think that went down the wrong pipe…Ack…Nnnrgh!!!” He started making weird sounds and took a seat opposite me at the dinner table wiping the tears away from his eyes.

“I asked, do you-“

“DON’T!” He held his hand up and took in a deep breath and turned to face me. “Okay you just asked me something….Really….Un-ask-able..”

“It’s totally ask-able I just asked you.” Was he gonna answer me or not?

“Does this have anything to do with you looking up ‘signs that he’s interested’ the other day?.....It totally does doesn’t it? Oh my gosh, Chenguang you- I have to tell Baba!” Luhan exclaimed as he dug in his pockets for his phone.

“NOOO!!” I yelled and leaped over the table while releasing a way cry.

“AAAAHH!!!”

“So let me get this straight. Sehun kissed you and you don’t exactly have kissing experience so you asked your brother?”  Sulli blinked and stared at me expectantly.

“Pretty much.” After this morning’s incident with Luhan I thought it’s probably best to talk to Sulli.

“He then wanted to tell your dad about it so you practically leaped over the table and wrestled him for his phone which is…”

“Probably in the repair shop by now…” I had to make sure he wouldn’t tell Baba, I don’t want to face that consequence just yet.

“I see, and you don’t have your own phone with you right now because..”

“He took my phone because I broke his.” I finished off for Sulli who stared at me in disbelief while Kai, who had stayed silent and listened, decided to laugh.

“It’s not funny! It’s coming out of my pay check!” I yelled and crossed my arms while pouting. My poor phone, in the hands of Luhan.

“What if your brother goes through your things?” Sulli asked with a slight gasp and I smirked at her and showed her a small plastic like thing between my two fingers.

“Here’s my memory card and I he can’t open the phone cause it’s locked with a special password!” Hah! How do you like me now, brother!?

The moment I stepped through the doors of Fluffy’s Refuge, I saw Sehun who smirked at me and let out a dark chuckle.

No way, bruh.

I was probably special to Smeagol cause baby, I am precious, but don’t play me like that!

Work was spent with me awkwardly helping around the place and this did not go unnoticed by Tao.

“Ooooh, had a quarrel with your boyfriend?” He teased while petting the head of a dog, I scoffed at him.

“Psh! Sehun? My boyfriend? Keep dreaming, Zitao.”

“I didn’t say it was Sehun though~” He cooed.

……

Pickle-snots! He got me! Very clever, Zitao you’ve cornered me .But I shall not give in!

“I’m not dense you know, I can see the way you two look at each other.” He said while ushering the dog away and used a cloth to wipe a nearby cage that had been empty for cleaning.

“With our eyes? Yeah, you and I do that sometimes too.” I don’t know what you’re trying to do Zitao but no, just no!

“You two look at each other like how I look at Ramyeon with Chinese spices.” Is he trying to say that Sehun look edible or something?

“What are you trying to say?”

“In short, there’s a connection of some sorts between you two. Like two people meant for each other and they just don’t know it yet. One of you has to make the first move and accept each other’s feelings.” He softly said with a serious face and I stared at him with wide eyes.

“Hesitant Love, a quote by our dear friend, Huang Zitao.” A familiar voice said and we both turned to find Sehun holding surface cleaner and he handed it to Zitao who grinned at him.

“You heard us?” Tao sheepishly asked.

“Did I?” Sehun retorted and walked back to the counter leaving Tao and I confused. I walked over to Lay who I hadn’t seen for quite some time only to find him fast asleep against his desk in the pet care room. I smiled and thought about how adorable he looked and adjusted his position so that he’d be more comfy. His hair was messy too so I tucked the strands away and his hair felt smooth under my fingers, gosh, what does he use? I should ask him next time this hair is absolutely gorgeous, look at this volume!

PAH!

Something hit me against the side of my head and I blinked and turned to find Sehun in the doorway crumpling up papers into little paper balls. I narrowed my eyes at him after finding out he was the one who threw me.

“Whoops. My bad, I just threw it. And you just happened to be there. Oh well.” He finished off and walked away.

This guuuuuy.

How could Tao assume that the two of us would eve like each other!?

I don’t get it…

Really, I don’t get it.

Ever since what happened in the pet store, I think Sehun’s flirting with me or something…Or not, he’s doing something but I dunno if it’s flirting or…

Okay, let me explain.

During work I’d get uncomfortable and if I look up, I see him looking straight at me! Now, usually if you’re looking at someone you’d want to be discreet about it but Sehun..Oh no, he didn’t do that. He flipping smirked at me and stared even more with me looking straight at him!

Tch.

Like it would have any effect on me!

…………..

It did, I blushed and I was the first to look away.

Then this one time, I was biting the skin of my lip (ate some toffee apples, totally worth it) and he was looking at me AGAIN! Okay, not at me, MY LIPS!

No, I’m not getting ahead of myself I saw this people!

He’s totally after my grill.

Nuh uh, he can’t get this barbeque, my milkshake is not for the Sehun’s in the yard.

In other news…

Luhan has successfully managed to block my phone in an attempt to find out my password now I can’t access my phone. Now both of us are without our phones cause both our phones are in the repair shop, we are now on fair terms seeing as I broke his phone and he broke mine.

Siblings…

 “Chenguang, come here.” Sehun’s voice said in a demanding tone and I resisted the urge to snort and sneer at him.

“I don’t want to!” I yelled and went back to putting tick powder on the German shepherd now named Bulgolgi (Tao was hungry at the time) while the other Jack Russell, Doughnut (Yixing wanted dessert, not food) wagged its tail in excitement looking for amusement.

“It seems you can’t tell the difference between a question and a demand. I wasn’t asking you.” He smartly said and I sighed and got up while dragging my feet towards him.

“What do you want, Malfoy?” I groaned.

“What?”

“What do you need?” I quickly responded and cleared my throat while awkwardly looking to the side.

“….Anyway…Help me with something quickly, I need you to help me bring in the new bags of dog food. There’s about twelve of them.”

“Ask Suho!”

“He said no.”

“Yixing then…”

“Said something about hamster and diarrhea.”

“……What?...Never mind then, Tao?”

“He’s currently consulting the Great Big White One.”

I stared at Sehun in confusion which caused him to roll his eyes at me.

“He’s in the office.” Sehun said, emphasizing on the last word,

“…..I thought Suho’s in there.”

“The toilet, Chenguang, he’s in the toilet probably solving the cross word puzzles now hurry up and come with me!” He slightly yelled getting more frustrated by the second.

“I don’t want to be left alone with you!” He grabbed my hand and pulled me outside where the dog food was aligned against the wall and picked one up and suddenly gave the big, heavy bag to me and I went down with an ungraceful “AURGH!”

When Sehun picked up a bag he blinked at me and nudged his head towards the store doors.

“What part of I don’t want to be alone with you don’t you get?”

“Why? Scared I’ll do something to you? Afraid I’ll kiss you aga-“

“HAAAGAGA BABABA SHHHH!!!” I screamed and wobbled my way over to him and he chuckled, either cause I just yelled out random stuff to quiet him or cause I looked funny trying to run to him with a heavy load in my hands.

“Why are you being like this all of a sudden!?” I whisper-yelled and looked inside the store windows to see if Lay or Tao heard us.

“Being like what?”

“All…Teasing like and stuff. Are you flirting with me by the way!? Where’s the Sehun that kept wanting me to go away!?”

“Oh that Sehun is still here, sometimes you still make me want to tie you to many balloons and I’ll watch and wave as you fly away.” This guy actually said that with a smile on his face, how dare he!?

“So you just want me to go missing?” I dully said and gave him a blank stare.

“Not always,-“

“WHAT!?”

“- there’s a bright side to it too. You’ll get to fly around the world with the birds!” Like that’s supposed to make me feel better!

“What if I fly all the way to space!?” Doubt that could happen but it’s Sehun’s balloons people.

“All the more better, don’t you think? You’ll be famous if a satellite snaps a nice pic of you doing aegyo in space.” He said as he walked into the store and told me to hurry up and I felt like curling up on the floor and screaming about a lot of things related to Sehun.

“Appreciating the fine structure and craftsmanship of the ground, are we?” He called out and I sighed and stared at the bag with much exhaustion and started dragging it into the store.

After all the dog food was brought in and stored away, break time came and it was so much appreciated.

Suho and Lay went to the café opposite us to buy some beverages for us to sip on, Tao was somewhere in the back doing who knows what…

Sehun was tapping his a beat on the counter listening to music through his earphones and doing his homework. Suddenly, his phone rang and when he stared at the screen his face contorted into a displeased expression and he slid his finger to the reject call side. A few seconds later the phone buzzed again and he did the same thing.

Finally it was quiet again for a few minutes and then his phone buzzed again and he let out a growl of some sorts and answered it.

“Yes?......I said I’d be busy…..No…I told you already I don’t-…..Stop bugging me about it already!....I already said no, okay?....I don’t have to if I don’t want to. No….I’m hanging up now.” He did hang up and even gripped his phone so tightly in his hand I thought it would break. The air almost felt heavy and I started to wonder if Tao went back to the toilet and fell in it or something.

“I take it you don’t want to talk abo-“

“No.”

Okay, then.”

Well, that attempt failed.

Again.

“WE’RE BAAACK~!” Suho happily said as he loudly opened the door holding a tray full of warm beverages…Why was he so happy? As if he knew what I was thinking Lay smiled and laughed.

“They had a special discount offer today.”

I awkwardly smiled and thanked Suho as he handed me my drink and I walked over to Sehun and stared at him, wondering what the phone call was about. Sehun noticed and eventually gave in.

He in a deep breath and tried breathing in a steady rhythm and looked at me.

“Come to the park tonight.”

“What if you get jumped by a dragon!?”

“Luhan there are no dragons in South Korea…” Or in the world for that matter as far as I know.

Wait…

……

Kris…

“Or if you get kidnapped and when you wake up you’re in the middle of nowhere and far from home!”

“They’ll bring me right back, you heard what Mama used to say back when we went shopping; ‘Chenguang, no one in their right mind would want to kidnap you, they’ll just bring you back.’” I was quite the kid back in my day I kid you not.

“……How will I even contact you, both our phones are in the repair shop?…If anything happens to you..” He softly said and I smiled in return at how he was acting. “If anything happens to you, the bills are gonna be a pain in the neck to pay cause then I’ll be the only one wor-OW!” I flicked him on his forehead, scoffed and walked out the door. I seriously thought he was concerned about me!

“Not too late!” He screamed from inside.

Luhan’s POV

This girl has got to stop making trips to the park at night. Who in their right mind would go to a park at night and for what purpose?

Just then dramatic yet almost powerful music started to play and I fiddled around in my pocket for my spare phone, where one words made me almost choke on my tongue.

As Darth Vader’s theme song played the screen flashed with the word in bold.

MOM CALLING

Estimated time to write a will before the call time ends?

……….

Not enough. On my other phone, her ringtone is One Winged Angel.

“Han?....Oh, you answered from your other phone, I called the usual number but it’s not in service apparently and I can’t get through to your sister. Did something happen?” Yeah, both phones are in the repair shop but you don’t need to know that.

“…..Ahem….MAMA!! Hiiii~ How are you? Good, I hope? That’s great, I’m great too. I ate today, it was food, the edible kind. Oh wow, it’s getting late, I should go to bed now. Bye, thanks for calling, love you~ XOXO-“

“LU.HAN. So help me, if you put this phone down, the next time you close your eyes you’ll wake up in the netherworld so if I were you I’d think twice before you put this phone down…”

………

Just to be nice I thought about it thrice.

“Where’s your sister I want to speak with her.” Why was Chenguang always getting me into trouble!?

“Um…In South Korea?...”

What?

She is!

Just then I heard some noises on the other side and Mama was yelling something and then a new voice spoke through the phone.

“So she’s in South Korea, hey?” I gulped painfully at the new voice, why was Baba on the phone!!?

“Y-yes..” Don’t stutter Luhan! Be a manly man of manliness!

“Of course she’s in South Korea, if she wasn’t you’ll wake up the next morning hanging by your undies from the Namsan Tower your mother and I visited. Now, where is your sister?”

Probably jumped by dragons, kidnapped and soon she’ll wake up in the middle of Nowhere and live with Courage, Muriel and Eustace where creepy stuff happens and it’s up to Courage to save the day but unfortunately for the dog, Chenguang’s  gonna be there.

“Well, son?”

“You see….”

Chenguang's POV

I was currently sitting next to Sehun on the park bench and silently yelling to myself about how I forgot to bring a jacket with me. Sehun looked like Kris on Monday mornings…And that’s not good.

Kris would repetitively stab his eraser full of holes, it’s so full of holes it gives me goosebumps to just look at it. Like some kind of cheese.

“Let me guess..” I sighed, wanting to cut to the chase, “…it’s your parents isn’t it?” Sehun’s eye twitched a bit.

Bingo.

Just for now, I’ll put aside the fact that you kissed me (more than once btw just saying) and I’ll listen to you.

“We have got to stop meeting up in the park, Sehun.” I chuckled, noticing the dude was oddly silent, and that’s too quiet for Sehun.

“Sehun?....”

He didn’t say anything and instead shoved his hands in his pocket and slowly dragged his gaze to me and I swallowed a bit at the look he gave me.

That look gave me an unsettling feeling for some reason.

“Sehun, seriously, you’re scaring me a bit what’s wrong, tell Dr Chill.” I nervously chuckled uneasily and tried to joke but received no snarky or sarcastic comment, not even a scoff.

Biting my lower nip anxiously and cleared my throat to gain his attention and tapped my foot on the floor. “Listen here, Sehun. I’m not really supposed to be here this late and you told me to come out here so what is it? If you don’t talk I’m going to just go.” I was about to turn on my heel and storm off when he grabbed my hand and I halted in my tracks.

“Chenguang…” He spoke, his voice low and soft I barely caught him saying my name. I slightly leaned down and stared at him urging him to carry on and he kept his grip on my hand.

“Yes?..” Just tell me already, this is like cliffhangers and dramatic pauses. I knew one thing though.

Whatever it was that had upset Sehun like this, I wouldn’t like it.

Not one bit.

“I’m quitting, I don’t think I can work at Fluffy’s Refuge anymore.”

I KNEW IT!

“If you quit I will personally ……personally….Uh…” I struggled to find words that would prevent him from quitting and instead stood in front of him with a determined look. “I got nothing, so I’ll just go for it…” I finished and got into a crouching position.

“Go for it? What do you mean? Why are you-“

“CHAAAAARGE!!!!”

BAM!

“AAARGGH!!!”

“Are you going to get off of me any time soon?” Sehun asked as he stared at the sky having lost count on how long he had been lying sprawled out on the ground like an eagle. I had been sitting on him making sure he had no way of escaping.

“I’ll get off when you decide not to quit.” I stubbornly replied and he sighed and looked at me.

“I told you, I don’t think I can work there anymore.”

“Why not?”

“Because..”

“Stop it, you sound like Baba.” I pouted. Why couldn’t he just tell me, never mind, I’ll get it out of him.

“You said it had something to do with your parents, right?” He didn’t reply but I saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

Bingo.

“You already told me a few things and I saw some things so you might as well tell me everything, Sehun.” You can’t lead someone on and decide last minute not to tell them the rest, I can’t take that.

“Can we just not talk about it? I seriously don’t need this in my life right now.” He groaned and closed his eyes and frowned.

“No we can’t not talk about it cause this info is way out of nowhere nor is it pleasing so you better tell me now or I’ll tickle you and show no mercy. Eventually your stomach is gonna hurt plus I’m sitting on you and you’ll struggle for air and probably die. So, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Tickling, my last resort, stay strong with me, comrade Ticklesworth!

“Really? Are you even being serious right now? How can you joke at a time like this!?” Sehun yelled and glared at me when I used one hand to bind both his wrists on top of his head and put the other near his waist.

“Sehun, it doesn’t have to be this way, I don’t have to use the ultimate method.” I teased, hoping to crack a smile out of him but to no avail.

“You’re seriously slowly getting on my nerves right now.” He lowly growled.

“So be it!” I whispered dramatically and tickled his sides making weird noises as he wriggled in my grasp.

Sehun then suddenly easily loosened his hands from my weak grip and flipped our positions so that he was holding my wrists down and I was below him. Obviously, my attempt at cheering him up and getting the info out of him failed cause he looked like he wanted to dump me in the Han River right now.

“Stop it.”

“And if I don’t want to?” I replied.

“Listen here-“

“No, YOU listen here!” I screamed, finally having enough of this guy. “I didn’t leave home to come meet you here in the park so we can beat around the bush. Did you bring me all the way here just so you could tell me you were going to quit and not give me a reason why!? That’s not how things work around here, Sehun.” He stared down at me in slight surprise but not for long when he went back to glaring at me.

“You’re really pushing this on me right now!? You don’t get it, do you? You have it easy, you have a nice family that supports what you want to do and you can live a normal and easy going life. Me? I have to play puppet to plans I want no part in!” He scoffed and stood up and walked over towards a nearby try and leaned on it with his head looking down. I slowly got up from my own position and stood a few feet away from him.

“I don’t…I don’t want to quit.” He whispered softly and I almost missed what he said. “I actually liked working there. I liked the fact I would be away from home, away from business talks and study books. Just surrounded by people I know who treated me normally as if my background meant nothing to them.”

I was at a loss for words, he looked like he’d break down any minute and I couldn’t find it in me to yell back at him cause it was kind of true, I don’t have much worries and I’m fortunate enough to have a family to support my decisions.

“Sehun…I..” I what? I don’t know, I don’t even know what made me talk.

“I’m sick of it. I know my parents just want what’s best for me, I know that stuff. I just don’t understand why they can’t see that what they think is in my best interest is more of theirs. I don’t want to take over the company, I don’t want to take accounting classes and I don’t care about wealth or politics.” The one time Sehun is speaking more often than usual and it has to be under y circumstances like this.

“If you don’t want to quit then why? Why are you quitting?” I asked and went closer to him and he looked up at me.

“To start training to work in my dad’s company my job shadowing.” He sneered. I stared at him with widened eyes. What does he mean lose our jobs!?

“Sehun, what are you talking about?”

“You already know my dad owns a company, it’s a big one.” Sehun said, the serious look on his face told me he was not kidding.

“He can’t do that! What about Lay and Tao, not to mention Suho. Suho’s not gonna laugh about this!” So many questions and I want answers, just how much of a big boss is Sehun’s dad!?

“I agreed because I’m tired of fighting about it. I have to work in his company for training.” He told me and broke off our eye contact and stared at the ground sadly. I don’t know what came over me but I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. I don’t know what it’s like for him to be going through this stuff but I don’t want to find out either.

Sehun’s arms found its way around me and if people saw us from afar, we’d probably look like a couple to them. The hug was slightly comforting but I couldn’t grasp the fact that Sehun would no longer be working at Fluffy’s Refuge and there wasn’t much I could do to help him this time. Holding his hand and listening to his problems wouldn’t help much and neither ill the hug but it’s something at least.

“This , doesn’t it?” I mumbled into his chest.

Sehun didn’t say anything in reply and we stood there for a few minutes before Sehun gently pulled me away and looked at me and sadly smiled.

“It . It’s weird saying this but….It’s not going to be as fun working there if you’re not there with me.”

“Sehun, why are you-“

I didn’t get to finish my words because the next thing I knew there was a warm pair of lips on mine and as soon as it came it was gone. Sehun gave me one last look and a smirk that didn’t quite seem as sarcastic or humorous as they usually were but more solemn and he walked away from me.

I stared at his retreating figure with a finger on my lip like feel of the peck he gave me was still there, he’s walking away and I’m letting it happen. I didn’t know, I seriously didn’t know. I didn’t know that the straightforward and sarcastic guy behind the counter was going through things I probably wouldn’t be able to handle.