Archive of Our Own ^beta

Junmyeon just simply didn’t want to go. He didn’t know any of the music-he barely knew how to say the rapper’s name properly- and he just simply didn’t want to leave his home for some dirty, smelly concert with people that didn’t even care for him.

But he was going, nonetheless.

Junmyeon was invited by his barely connected friends to head off to a neighboring city for a big concert of artists he didn’t know. It was some kind of music festival that lasted a weekend and it was hosted in the center of the neighboring city about an hour away. A lot of different artists were performing but the only one the group really cared about and the only one they really wanted to see was the rapper by the name Sehun.

Junmyeon didn’t know him. He heard his name and very little of his work but that was about it. He was more of a girl group/musical type of guy.

He was invited by his boss’s daughter who he barely knew. She was the same age as him and a lot more outgoing than him when it came to events that required him to be social. It was his boss really that made him go on such short notice. Junmyeon was just going to come in on the weekend again, so he could catch up on some clientele work like he usually did but the older man told him no, that he needed to get out and live while he was still young and free of responsibilities. He told him that life should mustard more than his accounting job at some accounting firm. Junmyeon wanted to argue against him but only kept his mouth shut.

Junmyeon knew the girl and her friends pretty well since he was only a few years older than the rest. He even went to college with some of them as an upperclassman. It was one of them, the over-excited boy who treated him more of the younger than the elder, who got the tickets and passes. They were short by one and it was way too late to sell them on the internet for a decent enough price. They gave it to him because they needed his car more than anything since he was the only one who drove an adult enough car (meaning that it had a backseat and a trunk).

The concert was on the last day of the festival, one of the few last acts that night. They drove out in the hour-long drive earlier that day, planning to crash in a motel later on that night since they already knew they were not going to sober enough to drive back home ahead of time.

Junmyeon drove while everyone jammed in his car talked and laughed around him. He smiled along with them, acting out of pure mannerism while he kept him main focus on the road before him. He wasn’t exactly close to any of them, since they all seemed more of the type to act their actual age. They loved partying and having fun with alcohol and sex. Junmyeon was just a man who gained a lot of enjoyment out of doing math problems and organizing a lot of numbers in boxes. He was a lot more boring and simple than the rest of them. He had an older soul, enjoying more of the smaller luxuries of life. It was just who he was as an individual.

They arrive at the motel, paying and checking into their room before preparing for the evening. The girls were giggling as they sung along to the songs that were going to hear live that night. The guys were getting started on their hair and fighting over the gel. Junmyeon simply put on his pair of black skinny jeans, which was his only considerably stylish piece of clothing, and waited for the time of departure. He agreed to be the D.D. that night, knowing that he was going to be it even beforehand.

They drove into the city for the concert. His friends were beyond pumped and ready for the evening, screaming and cheering in the car as he parked in the lot outside of the venue. Junmyeon rolled his eyes at them when he led them in front, towards the forming crowd at the entree. They are let in smoothly with both their tickets and backstage passes scanned. Their seats were near the front of the stage, one the floor ground. A part of Junmyeon (his grumpy old man part, as he liked to called it) was annoyed with this and the absence of sitting. His knees were defiantly going to hurt after this.

The concert starts shortly after with the star of the hour coming out and introducing himself. Junmyeon couldn’t see him very well, considering that everyone around him was already jumping up and down and he was considerably shorter than the average man. He heard him well enough though. He sounded young and lively.

The rapper performed his songs, about ten of them. Junmyeon clapped and jumped along in the crowd to fit it. His friends were having a blast, which is all he could really have asked for. He did have some fun too, especially whenever the rapper brought out another artist with him. He doesn’t recall the name at all, but he liked to the song enough to somewhat dance to it.

It wasn’t till the end when things got especially crazy. Sehun has just announced that they were going to perform the closing number, which was a never released song that no one has never heard before- until now.

The audience went inside. People were cheering and screaming from the new founded adrenaline and excitement. One of his females friends started crying from happiness and Junmyeon knew that this was big.

It only got crazier from there, when Sehun invited two more artists to come out and perform with him. One of them was the same one as before, while the other one was new and had people screaming like mad once he came out. Some were calling him a legend and titling them as the holy trinity of throes. Junmyeon still didn’t know who any of them were.

The music started and everything exploded from there. Everyone around him was ecstatic, yelling so loudly over the thrill that they almost drowned out the new music. It was good in Junmyeon’s opinion. He wouldn’t mind to listen to it again. That and he could appreciate the business move that the artist made there. It was a nice touch.

It was near the end of the song, after the slow and sweet chorus, when Sehun kicked back in the slowly rising speed to the ending that it got to wild for him. The rapper was spitting out his part, and happen to say something along the lines of “I’m in a new tax bracket, someone calls the CPA.” .

Junmyeon knew it was coming instantly.

“We got one right here!” One of his friends cried out as he lifted Junmyeon up from behind, by his knees, resting him on his shoulders.

“No, no, no, no!” Junmyeon tried to protest before being shot up into the air, but he ended up there anyway, his friends calling out to the still rapping artist about the suppose require he just made.

Junmyeon was finally able to see over the people around him (that was a first for him in life overall) and looked around that the huge concaving crowd of people surrounding him as the audience. He turned to look on stage to find himself about fifteen feet away from the artist on stage himself. He noticed him in a way but kept up his lines.

He wore tight and ripped jeans and cloth belt over his slim waist. His t-shirt was black and his jacket was navy blue with orange letters over the left side of his chest, making his skin a paler white and his hair a deeper black. He wore a thin gold chain around his neck and a silver bracelet on one wrist and a black iron watch on the other. He was mixed matched and disorganized, and Junmyeon liked that.

Junmyeon could have sworn that they made eye contact when his part ended and Junmyeon was still in the air for about three seconds. The artist was still looking at him and moving along to the music. He seemed to sway his hips side to side slowly and alluringly just as he bit his bottom lip like he was doing it just for Junmyeon, like he was giving him his own little show.

Junmyeon was brought back down to earth then, making him almost have whiplash as he saw his friends faces again. He planted his smile back on and playfully hit the boy that lifted him up. He let himself laugh at the action and fun in order to forget what he just thought he saw. He turned his attention back to the stage to find Sehun already on the other side of the crowd, before reaching the center again right before the end of the song.

Everyone around him yelled out their enjoyment while Junmyeon tried to regain his senses. The artist in the center, the main star of the show, thanked sincerely to everyone who came out and hoped to see them again in the future. The concert was over at that point, and now all of his friends were nearly crying. One of the boys just kept saying that it was a killer show, one that he would tell his children about. Junmyeon rolled his eyes again at them all.

They made their way back to the car before driving off to the place where the after party was held. His friends took it upon themselves to pregame a bit before some with some vodka that they snuck into his car without him knowing. He wanted to scowl them for the matter but didn’t. He just wanted this to be a fun night.

They make it there, thankfully. The parking is so much better, letting Junmyeon get closer to the front door. His friends got out of his car and basically ran before him to the entree way. They showed their passes and told the bouncer their names before going in. The developed into the dark shadows and neon lights and were officially out of Junmyeon sight. He started to worry then. He hoped they were alright.

He started to move through the crowd of people drinking and dancing around him. He wasn’t particularly in the mood for anything of it since he didn’t like dancing in public and didn’t trust any of the drinks being served. He really just wanted to sit somewhere and rest. He should have just stayed in the car and waited for them when they were barely able to walk and talk and needed him to actually get to the car (he’s done that before and had more fun doing just that).

He eventually finds a spot near the back of the club where they are open seating of comfy looking couches and decided that what he wanted more than anything at the moment. Of course, that was the area where people sat down and smoked weed, but Junmyeon just ignored the smell the best he could and settled himself down. He didn’t have anyone around him, the nearest people to him where a group of old men in suits, drinking what looked to be like water and such. It was like they were having a business meeting in the club, which seemed odd, but Junmyeon didn’t question it.

They were louder than the music half the time, switching from English and Korean every now and then. Junmyeon knew Korean and could understand everything they were saying. One of them, in particular, was bitching about the last notice on the meeting and asking why they were in a damn club for it, surrounded by stupid intoxicated children. The other one told him in the shut and focus while the drinks were still free. Junmyeon would have laughed if he wasn’t scared of being caught eavesdropping.

Junmyeon mainly sat there and pretended to do something on his phone while everyone moved around him. He didn’t pay much time to them till he noticed a new form walking over and joining the group of older men, a pair of leather shoes that came by his way. They were big and had a squared point at the end.

He glanced up in curiousness, only to find it to the rapper himself, Sehun. He sat next to one of the men, taking off his blue jacket and rolling up his black tee shirt sleeves. He combed a hair through his black locks before sitting down and joining to the discussion which was currently in Korean.

Junmyeon didn't freak out or fan girl at the sight, he simply thought of how his friends would react at the sight. The girls would defiantly be squealing, if not crying. They would have their phones out, recording him and his every move while confessing their undying love for them. Funny how Junmyeon decided not to do that. He simply turned back down to his phone and tried to not eavesdrop on them (Although he had to admit, Sehun’s Korean was incredibly good).

Junmyeon didn’t notice Sehun again till a little bit later when Sehun stood to leave. He glanced up to the movement in his side vision before looking back down to his phone. He notices something else move in a downward motion as the rapper kept moving. He looked up more to find a white lighter on the dirty floor. He turned back and let his eyes follow Sehun out of the club through a back door at the farthest wall. He notices the slim glance of the dark outside world between the opening cracks.

Junmyeon turned back to the lighter, thinking that he might actually need the damn thing. But what for? Weed? He could have easily done that here without any type of backlash. Cigarettes? His nose scrunched up slightly at the smell of smoke. He got up anyway, picking up the lighter and following the trail the rapper had passed just moments before. He was just going to do his good deed for the year and that was it. He didn’t want anything out of it. That wasn’t his attentions out of any of this. He was just a good person who didn’t know when to quit.

He opened the heavy metal door to find the rapper outside, under the street light, not too far from this sight. It wasn’t completely dark yet, only a fading blue turning into black. Junmyeon could still see him without the street light. He still wore the same outfit he wore during the concert, just with his shoulder exposed underneath his jacket. It was slightly humid outside, enough to make Junmyeon’s skin feel icky underneath his flannel. He recalled how his friends gave him shit earlier for not dressing nice for the occasion, telling him his comfy shirt made him look out of place and dumb. He just kept his eyes on Sehun, who’s back was turned away from, making him not see him. He was padding down his clothes, looking for something.

“Mr. Oh?” Junmyeon decided that was the best he could do.

The rapper turned startlingly to him, his eyes wide and his black hair slightly messy. His look fell from Junmyeon’s face to this hand which was out reached and holding out his lighter. He calmed down after that. Junmyeon saw him breathe for a moment in relief.

“Thanks, man.” As weird as it made Junmyeon feel, the supposedly famous rapper sounded normal, like an average bro. He realized then, while Sehun took back his lighter, that he was holding a smashed up pack of cigarettes in the other hand.

“You want one?” He offered.

“Nah. I’m good. Thank you, though.” Junmyeon denied his offer.

“Don’t smoke?” He asked him.

“Nah. I don’t like the taste it leaves in my mouth.”

“Can you even buy them?” Sehun smirked at him with a lit cig in his mouth, the flame tall and hot from his white lighter. Junmyeon found him charming looking, so much that he wasn’t even mad at what he said.

“I can. Yeah.”

“Really? How old are you?”

“Twenty-four.”

Sehun raises a brow. “Damn, you look a lot younger.”

“I get that a lot.” Junmyeon shrugs. He’s not easily offended. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-one.”

“At least you can drink.”

“Thank God for that.” Sehun smiled at him and took the cig out of his mouth. Some smoke came out of his mouth. “What’s your name?”

“Junmyeon. Kim Junmyeon.”

Sehun looked him up and down again. He could tell the other boy didn’t take him as his own in his crowd (whatever that meant).

“Are you some rich man’s son or something?” Sehun asked him. “Why are you here?”

“My friends somehow got their hands on some extra tickets and passes. That and they needed me to DD for them.”

Sehun nodded while letting out a noise of acknowledgment. Junmyeon realized then he was actually having a conversation with him. And if felt normal, just he was an average person on the street making small talk with him. He didn’t expect that.

“Did you at least enjoy yourself while you were here?” Sehun asked him in a tone he didn’t know how to take. Amused? Flirtatious? He doubted it.

“Yeah. I went to your concert earlier. It was a lot of fun.” Junmyeon mentally scowled himself for his response. He should have sounded more excited about it, since it was his own concert. He was being rude and insulting to his work.

Sehun stopped and looked at him for a long second as he stepped down on his half-finished cigarette. He studied Junmyeon hard before breaking out a smile as he had thought of a good joke.

“You were that one guy in the crowd.” He points at him. “The one that was up in the air by the end.”

Junmyeon laughed at the actual thought that Sehun did notice him that moment earlier. He laughed again when it was reality to cope with the flattering feeling blooming in his stomach. He really did notice him.

“Yeah, that was me.” He confessed. “One of my friends did that because of that one line in your song. The one about a CPA and taxes.”

“You’re a CPA?” Sehun asked him. He looked good under the street light, with his brows raised and a real friendly smile on his face. Junmyeon almost let himself believe that Sehun was enjoying his company.

“Yeah,” Junmyeon answered and Sehun nodded.

A second of silence goes by.

“This is where you offer me the job?” Junmyeon joked. Sehun turned from him as he laughed, clapping his hands at the corny and unexacting joke. Junmyeon lets himself laugh too, mainly from Sehun’s reaction of amusement.

“I mean,” the younger boy spread out his hands. “If you really want it.”

They laugh together again, under the street lights and near the dumpsters. They claim down enough to breath and Junmyeon lets himself smile for a bit longer.

“Are you still enjoying yourself though?” Sehun asked him, a hand in his front pocket. He looked cool. “You didn’t look like it at the time.”

Junmyeon nervously laughs. “I don’t really like being off the ground.”

Sehun looks at him for a moment before giving him a knowing smirk. “You don’t know any of my music, do you?”

“No,” Junmyeon confessed again and the two go off in a fit of giggles again. Junmyeon was actually scared of him being upset at him, the same man on the ground now laughing. He can’t remember why he thought like that earlier.

“That’s alright, man.” Sehun was breathing calmly again and wiping his tears of laughter. Junmyeon felt proud to make the boy that happy (that was the first time he was actually funny enough to do that to someone else, other than himself). “So you didn’t enjoy the party or the concert… How about the city?”

“I like the city. I use to live here for a little while when I was younger.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah.”

“So you know your way around here?”

“Yeah.”

“Is there any good places to eat nearby here?”

“Yeah. There’s a really good Japanese Grill type of restaurant nearby. If it’s still open that is.”

“You know where it is?”

“Yeah. It’s in walking distance.”

Sehun then offers out his arm to him and threw out his best smile. “Then lead the way, Mr. CPA.”

Junmyeon stood there for a moment and looked at him, then his arm, then back at him. “Wow. You have such a way with words.”

They finally made their way there once Sehun stopped laughing at Junmyeon’s ending comment. It was light and probably not funny to anyone else (he knew that from experience) but Sehun liked it. And that seemed to be all that mattered at that moment.

It was about halfway when Junmyeon noticed the emptiness of the street which seemed very odd for the extremely large and busy city.

“Where is everyone?” Junmyeon asked while holding Sehun’s arm.

“They’re probably at Chanyeol’s concert. He’s closing out for the festival.” Sehun explained. Junmyeon wanted to ask who Chanyeol was but decided against it.

They made it to the restaurant. There’s very little livelihood there with only the staff and an old people at another table and grill. Junmyeon and Sehun sit together and close. Sehun leaned into to brush against Junmyeon’s shoulder with his while the chef cooked their chicken and steak. Sehun ordered a crafted beer from the waiter and tried to convince Junmyeon to do the same. He just smiled and ordered a water like a goody-two-shoes. Sehun only jokingly rolled his eyes at him.

They talked while they waited for their food and ate. Sehun told him about how he got ready for the night and how he had to fly in from his tour stage across the country to get here last minute. Junmyeon asked him why it was so last minute. Sehun told him that his manager took up the spot for him when the previous artist bailed out about a week ago and they couldn’t fit anywhere else in his schedule. Junmyeon asked him if he at least rested well on the fly between performances. Sehun only looked at him and smiled, looking back down to his plate of food and shaking his head at him. Junmyeon didn’t know what that meant. He was anxious about.

When the waiter came toast about the bill, Sehun told him one and gave him card right there, before Junmyeon could protest. Sehun just looked at him with a winning grin and laid a gentle hand on his knee. He winked at him before turning back to the waiter.

They walked out into the fully dark night. Sehun threw his arm around Junmyeon’s shoulders as they made their way back to the club where the party was. Junmyeon loved the feeling of the night’s heat and the weight of Sehun body weight leaning on him and his side. The younger boy was acting tipsier than he really was, just trying to rest his head onto his for support. Junmyeon only swung an arm around the other boy’s waist to help him stay stable.

They were quiet during the walk, but suddenly Sehun speaks when they were near the club, seeing it in the near distance.

“You know, Junmyeon… You’re pretty cool.” Sehun states. “A lot more than most people I’m around with.”

Junmyeon was only left to wonder what ‘cool’ really meant.

They reach the cross section of the corner right before the club. As they approach it, they see people being dragged out by security, all of them forming in a group with one another. One girl stood out from the rest, screaming that the guards couldn’t treat her like this and that she blamed the patriarchy for this indecency. Junmyeon realizes how late it actually was then and how he was the DD driver for his friend who was now being escorted out of the club.

“Oh shit!” Junmyeon was ready to run out to his friends in the state of urgency. He made it two steps before he was pulled back suddenly. He was also somehow turned around in the process, making him land against someone’s chest, causing his face to come right up against someone’s face, the same one he had been looking at all night. His nose even poked to the area beneath his eyes and to the side of his nose. He aroma smelled so good, a mixture between expensive cologne and aftershave with beer.

Junmyeon pulled himself back to find himself constricted into someone else’s arms. He’s face to face with Sehun now, his hands on his chest and his mind everywhere else but there in that moment. Sehun really was good looking with a sharp jawline and pretty thin lips. Junmyeon allows himself to glance up to those eyes that were light and bright, slanted shaped and framed by long natural eyelashes. There was a dawning look in his eyes, one that Junmyeon didn’t know how to read. He couldn’t think straight enough (or at all) to do so.

“It’s not safe to cross a busy road without looking first, Junmyeon,” Sehun tells him in a cute quiet voice.

Junmyeon makes an effect to turn back at the lifeless road between them and the club. “I think I would have been alright.” (He thought that maybe the boy got this from a K-drama or something.)

“It’s never safe to assume, Mr. CPA.” Sehun winked at him for the second time that night.

Junmyeon looked down at the ground, seeing how mixed up and tangled their legs where together. He bit his lower lip when he sees how close they were together. Junmyeon never stood this close to someone without being in a relationship with them, and he last relationship was in college (which was saying something major in his case).

“I have to go. My friends need me. They’ll get arrested soon if I don’t.” Junmyeon told him. He also wanted to confess again, this time about how much he didn’t want to leave.

“Are you sure? I can just call a taxi for all of them.” Sehun asked him, before tightening the hold his arms had around him. “And you can spend a little bit more time with me.” He whispered in his ear, making him feel hot all over.

He bit his lip down from saying yes right away. He was very tempted, but knew better. He knew how this normally turned out into a one night stand and nothing more from it. Junmyeon was never good at one night stands.

“I really need to take care of this. Or else I will worry about them for the rest of the night.” Junmyeon told him, unclenching his hand on Sehun’s chest as a gesture of sincerity.

“Alright. I get it.” Sehun sadly smiled at him but nodded nonetheless. He then grabbed his right hand into his own. “Just… keep this on for a little while for me. At least till you leave the city, okay?” Sehun took off a ring on his finger, one that was so golden it faded into this skin, making it go unnoticed by Junmyeon earlier on. Sehun slips the ring onto his middle finger and kisses his knuckles before letting him out of his arms.

“Okay.” Junmyeon agreed to the promise. The ring feels tight and different on his finger but he likes it. The skin on his fingers where Sehun kissed him was on fire. “I got to go.” (He was talking more to himself than Sehun at the moment).

“Go on, then.” Sehun smiled and waved his hand at him. “It’s safe for you now. Just try not to get hit.”

Too late. He already was, and he was down for the count.

Junmyeon got his friends back to the motel that night safely, half of them passing out during the drive. It was somewhat of a struggle to get them to the room and into the bed, considering that the girls wanted to be carried and the men whined about not having a hook up for the evening. Junmyeon just told them to hush and sleep.

The next morning came along and all his friends came into his room at one point to borrow some headache medicine for their hangover while he was packing. He just handed it to them without a word; his mind was somewhere else.

He was just about done when the motel phone on the night stand rung. He answered it and was informed by a girl at the front desk that there were two men in the lobby asking for him. Junmyeon thought it was odd and wondered if this is how people got killed by the mafia before going down the steps onto the main floor. The two large men waiting for him were in black suits and were muscularly build (He was seriously considering his funeral burial requests at this point).

He saw the men look down at him, both of their eyes covered by thick black sunglasses. He had to focus heavily on the lens to see the eyes behind them. He watched them as they sized him up a few times. They seemed to land on a certain part to the side of him. Junmyeon realized then it was his hand, his right hand with the golden ring still on it. Junmyeon covered his hand behind him.

The men spoke to him then, finally. One of them informed him that he and his friends have arrangements at a fancy sounding hotel where they will be staying the night while the other one handed him all filing and room keys. They made it clear that they were to take part in the evening events that a certain somebody had prepared for them. It was the same person whose account was paying for the expenses of the night. When Junmyeon asked who it was, the men didn’t respond, acting off-put by the answer but only momentarily. They told him that they would be waiting for him and his party down here and they would transport them to their new destination. Junmyeon asked about his car in the parking lot, and they told him that they already took care of it.

Junmyeon went back to the room and told him friends about the new changes in the schedule. They were hesitant at first, but then Junmyeon then showed them the name of the hotel, that was apparently know for celebrities’ parties, and they were officially on board. They reasoned that they had an extra weekend day and, if they get it for free, then hell, why not? They didn’t ask him how this came to be and only dashed out the door and down the elevator. Junmyeon stayed far behind them, entering into the big van waiting for them last and watching out for everything around them. He turned back and scouted out for his car. It was nowhere in sight. He didn’t see it again after the hour-long drive into the city, when the van parked next to it in the private and valet parking. It looked shiny and polished, like it had freshly been cleaned.

They entered into the lobby of the high class hotel, with marble floors and chandeliers. People walked around inside in brand named and formal attire, making their way to the five star restaurant to the side or to the casino on the other side. All the staff was in tuxes or dresses, including the guide that greeted them to the hotel. She intruded herself and told them that she would be leading the way through the hotel and to their rooms. None of his friends in front of him were really paying attention, considering that they were too busy looking around the place and gasping whenever they saw someone remotely famous. Junmyeon was slightly embarrassed, but also cautious, putting himself at the end of the group near the men in black, that he guested was now security guards or something. He didn’t trust them or anyone else here fully, so he made sure there was space between them and his friends.

The guide showed them all the features of the hotel, telling them they had access to it all since they were staying guests. There were multiple restaurants, a luxurious spa, a movie theater, and a fully graded winery room that they were all invited to enjoy for their stay. She also told them that the party they were scheduled to attend was on one of the top floors, in one of the most extravagant spaces in the country. His friends were flipping out, one of them talking about having the greatest night of their life here, like in the movies. Junmyeon only kept walking, wanting to get to the room.

They finally got there, everyone being treated to their own private room with a premium bathroom that was better than an average apartment. All of his friends were too busy freaking out to notice him going into his own room without a care for their plans. He went into his own room, that was more of a suite in comparison of theirs, and instantly notice a small, white, folded up note on his comforter. He picked it up to find a phone number and single ’S’ dashed at the end as a signature.

He knew, deep down, who did all this. He wasn’t that ignorant. But this was… odd. He barely knew the boy, barely met him and yet he was here. Was he trying to show off or what? Junmyeon recalled how he called him cool, cooler than most people then he knew. It left a funny feeling inside his stomach, and a warm expansion in his chest. He hope this was more than a showy fling.

The night soon arrives and Junmyeon is left to put on his black skinny jeans and red flannel for the evening. He was hoping to only sneak in and out real quick, just meeting the bare minimum requirement for social activity before treating back to his room. He figure that to be his plan, but then received a text, telling him to meet him in the blue-lit corner of the club. He would be waiting for him there. A shiver went up Junmyeon’s spine that the demand, the feeling in his chest returning. His blood was aflame at this point.

He leaves his room to meet his friends in the hall, where the guide arrived to lead them to the party. Junmyeon hanged in the back again when one of his female friends looked back as shook her head at his outfit. He didn’t give her the react, which was annoyance and anger. He didn’t need that from her.

They arrive at the top floor which seems to give a whiff of wealth once the elevator doors part and the crisp and fragranced air hit his face. He followed the group into the opening of the party that had a large glass door behind the bouncer. It gave a view of the insane party inside with loud music and strobe lights. He could hear it from the outside and the ground seemed to vibrate the closer he got.

The line was long, but the group skipped ahead to the front, letting the guide whisper something in the bouncer’s ear. He could have sworn that he saw the guide nodded her head back to him, making the bouncer’s eyes follow and land on him. He could have sworn again that they dropped down to this right hand before letting them all in. He pretended that he didn’t notice.

His friends disappear into the party instantly, like they just combusted into the air and blended in with the smell of sweat and alcohol. Junmyeon just kept moving, squeezing through bodies around the mass in the middle of the dance floor. He walked around in the giant room till he could actually see over the dancer’s heads, trying to find the blue-lit corner of the club. It took a while but he found it in the back, with blue neon lights lighting up the stairs leading up to the floor. It was cut off from the rest of the club like it was the VIP section to the VIP section. He headed over carefully, looking for him in the dark.

He comes up to the section, slowly walking up the steps. The bouncer is already looking at him up and down, ready for him to deny his entree till a figure emerges from the dark corner, saying something to the bouncer that nodded obediently before unleashing the line and letting him out. Junmyeon stopped walking and tried to recall how to breathe.

Sehun came down the steps in a breezy fashion, but it was breathtaking to Junmyeon. The blue lights underneath showcased his sharp facial features, making his one-sided black hair became vibrant with a shiny hue. His eyes were ecstatic and he walked down with a looming smirk on his face. It made him look charming and alluring, like the smirk on his face was actually because he knew what he was doing to him. Junmyeon didn’t even care at this point. He would fall for anything the other boy set him up for.

“Hey.” Junmyeon whimpered almost like an animal once he approaches him fully, shaking his reach out hand. Sehun held his hand tightly and gave it and his elbow a good squeeze.

“Hey there,” Sehun smirked at him even more and winked at his for the third time. He leaned down to Junmyeon’s ear then. His hot breath on his skin made him shake again. “You want to get out of here?”

Junmyeon didn’t trust himself to answer vocally, so he nodded bluntly. Sehun smiled down at him before handing out his arm again. Junmyeon took it without a second thought and they walked towards the exit together. Everyone seemed to move out of the way for Sehun who glided in like a skater on the ice. Junmyeon just held onto him and tried to keep up. He noticed some of the looks they were getting but pushed it off his mind. He was sure they were looking more at Sehun than him.

They make it back to the entry way, with it was a lot quieter and breathable. Sehun nodded off to the bouncer and walked out like he owned the place. Some of the people in the line called out to him and he turned back and waved at them. Junmyeon only smiled up to him at the act.

“Are you happy that we left there?” Sehun asked him.

“Yeah. It was a bit too loud in there.” Junmyeon nervously laughed.

“I’m guessing you’re not much of a party boy, are you?”

“No, I’m not. I’m more of a library boy.”

Sehun snickered at him like he was a cute kid. “I’m not one either. I rather just stay home. Parties require me to be a social person, and that’s the last thing I am.”

“Same.” Junmyeon could tell he was telling the truth.

He noticed that they were walking back in the direction of the elevator. “Where are we going?”

“Dinner,” Sehun told him, smirking again. “It’s more of my idea of a date.”

Junmyeon almost stopped everything. A date?

He tried to recall the last time he had a date, and with someone even remotely as cute or charming as Sehun. He came up with a blank slate.

They make it to the elevator and enter inside, alone. Sehun pressed the button on top of the floor they were on now before throwing an arm around Junmyeon’s shoulders and pulling close to his side. Junmyeon took a brave look at him with his black suit and a black turtle neck underneath. He looked so good, which only made Junmyeon feel uglier in comparison.

“So… Do you own this hotel or something? Since you were able to do all of this…” Junmyeon asked him the silence. He scowled himself mentally for asking such a dumb question.

“No. I’m just a stockholder. They treat me good here, though. Benefits and all.” Sehun almost said it too causally for Junmyeon to process. He was too busy at the moment praying that Sehun didn’t think he was only with him for the money or fame. He realizes his question reflected that interest and he began to panic inside.

They arrive onto that floor and are instantly opened up to a fancy look restaurant that’s nicer than anything that Junmyeon ever been in. The hostess at the opening escorted them without question. He stayed on Sehun’s arm as they followed the man through the open dinning polar full of high-class people, to a remote place in the back, which ends up being a glassed-in door balcony with the most beautiful view of the city with the mountains surrounding it in the distance. He didn’t realize how high up from the ground they were till then. He was thankful that he wasn’t afraid of heights.

There was only one table out on the balcony, candle lit and everything. The waiter let them walk in and Sehun pulled his chair out for him. He never had that gesture done for him before and thanked the younger boy for it. Sehun sat down himself and smiled at him again.

Just then, Junmyeon notices how his phone goes off repeatedly in his pocket and he smiles up to Sehun in an apologetic manner. He checks the notifications, all of them from his friends supposedly freaking out like mad. They ask him who he was with right now and what he was doing with him. One of the girls asks if that was Oh Sehun and Junmyeon can see from one of the snapshots they had, they saw him meeting up with the rapper in the club and recorded it, along with them walking out as well. Junmyeon didn’t reply back. He put his phone on silent from there.

“Everything alright?” Sehun asked him, his hand holding up his hand.

“Yeah. They can handle it.” Junmyeon smiled at him assuredly. He didn’t want any of them to ruin what he had right here and right now with him. This was the most beautiful thing he had ever been a part of in a romantic sense.

“I guessing those are your friends?” Sehun took his napkin and unfolded it in his lap.

“Yeah. They saw us walking out just now.” Junmyeon confessed.

“Did they recognize me?”

“No. I think they only saw me. Because of my clothes.” Junmyeon gestured to his flannel and then took notice again of everyone else he saw beforehand who was dressed very elegantly. “I don’t think I meet the dress code here either.”

“Don’t worry, you’re cute enough to get away with it,” Sehun told him in a flirty tone before winking at him for the fourth time. Junmyeon let himself smile and blush.

The waiter comes along after that. Sehun takes it upon himself to order the same thing for both of them, considering that Junmyeon didn’t how to pronoun any of the foods that the waiter listed off to them, much less know what they actually were.

The same waiter comes back shortly after with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He pours for them, which makes Junmyeon feel a bit awkward. He leaves the bottle on the table before exiting. Sehun takes his glass and takes a sip. He reacts the motion, knowing that he should sniff the wine before taking a sip. The dark liquid smelt like fruit and roses.

Junmyeon looks back up to find Sehun staring at him with his head resting on his hand. He’s smiling fondly at him. Junmyeon feels himself blush again.

“So tell me about yourself, handsome.” Sehun makes the order and Junmyeon nearly chokes on his wine.

“Umm...” Junmyeon is at a blank on what to say (flirting was never his strong suit). “There’s not much to tell about me. I’ve been told that I’m rather boring.”

“Nah. Not you.” Sehun replied.

Junmyeon smiles politely again. He knows that’s bull.

“Come on. Tell me.” Sehun urges him. “Tell me about your life. What’s your story?”

Junmyeon tells him because that look in Sehun’s eyes was easy to believe in.

Junmyeon tells him about his childhood. How he was the youngest of two sons with a mother and father. Both his parents were traveling nurses, so the four of them moved around the country a lot. It wasn’t until he got into middle school when his parents decided to get a divorce, which left a bigger scar on his older brother than him. His brother eventually got into some bad stuff and ran off away from home, leaving it only him and his mother afterward, since his father was already out starting a new family with his new wife. Junmyeon took care of his mom after that. He still did, even though he lived a bit farther from her now with his new job.

“That actually explains a lot about you...” Sehun voices this after a moment of thought. He looks far off in his eyes, even though he was looking right at him like he was deep in thought.

Junmyeon took another sip of his wine. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” Sehun waved it off with his hand. “Go on. Tell me more.”

“That’s mostly it.”

“No. I want to hear more. What about your high school years and college? I bet you were at the top of your class.”

“Oh no. I wasn’t even an honor grad. I mean, I would have been if they didn’t cut it off at thirty.”

“What ranking were you?”

“35th.”

“Out of how many?”

“Like 200 something.”

Junmyeon realized what he said then and saw how big Sehun’s smirk got, almost a blown out grin. He leaned back in his chair and chuckled. “Go on.”

Junmyeon smiles at him and himself before going on. He tells him about how he got into a good college with scholarships and majored in a good study and got his masters before he took his CPA exam and ended up at the firm he was at now, which was the same one he got an internship from earlier on. He’s been there for years now, and he liked it enough to find it decent and comfortable. He was friends with most of his co-workers and liked his boss well enough, who was the father of one of his friends.

“You know that friend I have that you saw last night, outside of the club?” Junmyeon asked him.

“The one screaming about the patriarchy?”

“Yeah. Her dad is my boss.”

“Oh shit.” Sehun laughed at that, which Junmyeon liked. He really just wanted to make the boy laugh since he had such a big smile on his face when he did, big enough to scrunch up his eyes and show all his teeth.

“And now I’m here.” Junmyeon ended his life tale.

“See? I told you. You’re not boring. I think you’re really interesting.” Sehun smiles softly at him.

Junmyeon smiled back, fully. “Tell me about you now. I want to know about your life too.”

Sehun huffs shortly at that. “Nah. I’m just some rich kid who was lucky enough to get into a rich fine arts school and somehow ended up with a good career.” His tone had changed. He sounded deflated and somewhat frustrated, almost disappointed even.

The food arrives then, with the waiter setting it down for them. They eat in silence for a long moment before Junmyeon mustards up the courage to say something. He mindlessly pokes at the food as he does so, trying to figure out if it’s fish or not.

“You don’t sound happy about it.” He starts. “Your career, I mean.”

Sehun looks away from him for a second. He doesn’t answer him.

“Do you not like being a rapper?” Junmyeon goes a step farther to ask.

“It’s not that I don’t like being a rapper. I do like it. It gives me a creative outlet, but it’s not...” He takes a moment to think. “It’s wasn’t my first choice.” He puts it simply.

“What would be your first choice then?” Junmyeon asked.

“Dance,” Sehun says with any kind of hesitation. “I went to school for dance, but I wasn’t good enough.”

Junmyeon watches Sehun look down and away from him like he was ashamed that he failed or something like that.

“I think you are,” Junmyeon states with thinking but he knows he means it.

Sehun looks back up to him like he’s crazy. “You’ve never seen me dance before, Junmyeon.”

“I know, but I can still tell.” He defends himself. “You seem to be the type that’s good at everything.” That was his fifth confess that night.

Sehun looks at him for a long minute, his eyes hard yet glimmering in the candle light. Junmyeon wanted to know what he was thinking, but before he could ask, Sehun smiled at him again before changing the subject.

Dinner was wonderful. The food was delicious and Junmyeon really enjoyed talking to Sehun more. He told him more eventually about his job and such. He was on tour right now for a little while, and he stated that most of his staff and crew acted more as family than actually co-workers or employees. He talked about all the pranks and jokes they all shared and how they all ran around like kids when they were drunk together on those few good and free nights. Junmyeon loved the way he talked about other people around him, both work and not, like he really did care about all of them and how he really only saw the good in them. He liked that most about Sehun, the fact that he was human and still saw other people as human. He wasn’t arrogant or trying to act like something or someone he wasn’t. He was just… real and living.

They leave the balcony soon enough, Junmyeon back on Sehun’s arm as they make their way out and back towards the elevator. Junmyeon was curious about what was next for them when Sehun’s pushed the bottom for the top floor.

“Where are we going now?” Junmyeon asked him again.

“It’s a surprise.” Sehun winked at him again for the fourth (or fifth?) time that night. “How are your friends?”

Junmyeon had checked his phone again after dinner. He didn’t see any more text message with recent time stamps so he didn’t (did) think anything of it. He wasn’t (was) worried.

“They’re alright, I guess.” He answered. “I’m sure half of them are blacked out drunk right now but that’s nothing new.”

“Are you worried about them?” Sehun smirked down at him again.

“…A bit.” He confessed to the younger man. “I always worry, really.”

Sehun didn’t say anything to that. He just looked at Junmyeon with bright eyes and a slowly spreading smile. The arm that Junmyeon was holding suddenly travels down and around to his waist, pulling him in and moving him closer to the other man, chest to chest and face to face. Junmyeon had the feeling that he had been in this position before (déjà vu).

Junmyeon actually likes being this close to the other boy. He was even better looking up close and his cologne smelt just as good as before. He had thin pink lips that looked so pretty, and Junmyeon wondered if they were just as soft as they looked. He liked the distantly familiar feeling of a strong arm around his waist and he longed for the touch of a real man that knew how to treat him. He liked this too much for his own good, and he knew that he keep his head above the water, or else he’ll end up drowning in something he’ll have a hard time swimming out of.

Sehun suddenly takes his chin then, while he was in mid-thought and day dream. The boy slowly and delicately cups his cheek into the palm of his hand as he smoothly runs his thumb over Junmyeon’s bottom lips. He’s eyes are set there, and Junmyeon can see him considering his move downward before actually doing it.

The doors open before anything happen, making both of them jump. Junmyeon was left cold without Sehun’s touch, especially since the doors open to the outside world, with the sky fully dark. Sehun takes his arm away from his waist but takes his hand as recovery and pulls him always to follow him out. Once Junmyeon took a few steps, he came into the full view of what they were doing next, knowing fully so what was happening then when his eyes landed on the massive size helicopter. It saw there, on it wide and mark platform, with doors open, waiting for them.

Sehun, who was slightly in front of him, turned back to look at him, still holding his hand. “I know you don’t like being off the ground, but let me give you the ride of your life, baby.”

Junmyeon couldn’t have said no if he tried.

They board onto the flying machine with the help of two men there. The pilot was already strapped in, talking to Sehun in Korean on where he wanted to go and how long. Sehun said to fly around high, so they could see the lights and he would tell him when they were ready to land. Junmyeon acted along as clueless, turning to Sehun with a wide and excited smile. Sehun smiled fondly at him.

They took off soon enough, Sehun holding onto his hand as they did so. Junmyeon didn’t actually mind being off the ground as much as he led on, but he wasn’t going to take back his hand for anything at that moment, and they stayed like that the whole ride.

After the harsh winds and loud noises from the spinning blades above, the ride through the air was peaceful. They glided like ice through all the clouds and such, and once they had an opening, Sehun pointed it out to him. The view took his breath away.

It was a high up view of the city, covered in bright yellow lights that looked like stars inside the building and skyscrapers. The street lane in the heart of the city was the brightest part, making the linear shape that resembles a cross the most stunning figure out of it all. It was amazing to see, in constructs to the hovering and gloomy looking clouds of the night. It made the world look a little bit more beautiful.

Junmyeon turned back to Sehun to see if he was seeing this too. He thought he caught him starting at him for a second, before turning back to him and smiling.

The city was so amazing above, he almost sobbed when Sehun ordered the pilot to land soon, ending the ride. It took a moment to land and get off, but Junmyeon didn’t mind. He enjoyed every second he was up in the air with Sehun.

They returned back onto solid ground and Junmyeon’s legs felt like jelly. He stumbled out a bit when he climbed out the steps, almost falling flat on his face.

“Whoa, now.” Sehun grabbed his arm after he steadied himself. “Don’t go hurting yourself on me now.” He wrapped his arm around his waist again, claiming it was to help them both find their balance again. Junmyeon didn’t care if that was true or not at this point. He just wanted to be close to Sehun.

They stood in the middle of the roof of the hotel, tightly held in each other’s embrace. Sehun was smiling down at him again and Junmyeon smiled back up to him, feeling giddy and carefree.
“It was wonderful. The ride, everything about tonight. All of it.” Junmyeon began, feeling as if the dinner was years ago and the night before was another life time. “Thank you, so much.”

“Don’t worry about it, baby,” Sehun called him the affective term again and Junmyeon wanted nothing more than to hear it again, for the rest of his life even.

Sehun lean his forehead in to touch his, making Junmyeon feel the giggles and blush bloom inside him and slowly rise up to his throat and face. He couldn’t look at the other boy, feeling his eyes on his skin. He ducked his head down into Sehun’s shoulder as the other boy’s phone went off. Junmyeon was close enough to him to feel it vibrate in his pants pocket.

Sehun pushed himself away and took the phone out. He looked at the screen before turning back to Junmyeon and mouthing “One second.” Junmyeon nodded, letting him take the call. He did, taking a few steps away from him before answering.

Junmyeon watches as Sehun talks to the other person on the other end, looking back at Junmyeon over his shoulder multiple times before he switches his speech into Korean. Junmyeon stays put in his spot but tries his best to listen to the conversation. He can’t really make out anything from the other end but he can understand Sehun enough to make something out of the conversation. He kept asking if they had to have it right now, if they couldn’t just push it off to the morning, or have it in the afternoon liked they originally planned. He kept saying that he was with someone important right now, that he was in the middle of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with someone he couldn’t just excuse himself from.

Junmyeon deflated. He didn’t want the night to end, and not in a sudden manner like this. He wanted to stay with Sehun longer. He didn’t really care what they did at this point, as long as he was with him. He couldn’t tell if this was most likely a meeting for work within the fancy hotel or somewhere in the city. He didn’t know any of the details of what was really happening and what was being discussed on the other side of the phone. All he knew was that he didn’t want Sehun to go.

Junmyeon decides then to take action, making his way over to Sehun while he was turned away from him. He sneaks a hand under his blazer, placing a light finger on the lower end of his back and tracing it up his spine as Sehun turns around to see him. Junmyeon takes hold of him there, by his waist, pulling him as close as they were before. Sehun doesn’t pull back.

There wasn’t a doubt in Junmyeon’s mind that didn’t tell him that he had more of Sehun’s attention than the other line. He had the boy’s eyes and focus all on him, making the other line speaking seem like nothing more than background noise of the street life happening below them. Junmyeon ran his hand over Sehun’s chest, up his abdomen and over is bicep and then to his shoulder, sliding ever so slightly under his blazer, acting as if he wants Sehun to take it off. He moves his hand quickly back down on Sehun’s body. The air between them is tight and Sehun even stabbers his inhale as he pulls and pushes Junmyeon closer to his body, holding him with force on his upper back with one arm. Junmyeon likes the tight feeling on his chest.

The other line calls for Sehun, shouting his name almost to gain his attention. It does, but very little. Junmyeon has his eyes looking directly into his and his hand caressing the side of his body like a life line. Junmyeon smiles innocently up to him, acting cute like he doesn’t know what he’s doing and doesn’t know what going on before letting his eyes trail down to the younger man’s lip. He keeps his stare there for a moment and slightly bites his lower lip.

The tenseness increases between them by twentyfold, making Sehun breath in shakily again as he tightens his hold on him. They were close, to the point, Junmyeon was breathing in the air he let out. He likes his position and let himself ghostly trace his partially parted lips over Sehun’s neck and jawline, coming up to his lips and staying there with very little space in-between. It wasn’t a kiss, but if one of them moved a centimeter, it would be. Sehun looked like he was about to lose his self-control and Junmyeon actually found himself wanting that.

The other line sharply snapped out at Sehun, making the boy flinch away and turn his head from him, asking what the other line said beforehand. Junmyeon could make out the other line, which sounded like another man, asking his angrily if he was even paying attention and what he was doing. Junmyeon tucked a finger into the folded over turtle neck collar his sweater and pull his head back to face him in a small space. He looked up to him sweetly again, like a kid saying he didn’t do anything bad, ever.

He heard the other line ask him who he was with and Sehun answered back saying someone that required a lot of his attention. Sehun then raised his hand up from Junmyeon’s back to his neck and head, combing his hair deeply. Junmyeon let out a light moan as Sehun continues to move his hand over to his face. He cups his cheek again and his runs his thumb over his bottom lip. Junmyeon nibbles on his fingertip, looking up to him to fully send the message by winking at him.

The other line screams Sehun’s name then.

“What do you want?” Sehun changes into English with an irked tone. Junmyeon whispers into his thumb “You.”, letting his lips brush against his skin, enough to feel but not entirely enough to fore fill. Sehun bites his lip down as he smirks at him with a raised brow and wondering eyes.

The other line speaks in English as well now, telling Sehun to get his ass down to the lobby so they can have this damn meeting with the label officers before they fire both of them. He stated that he had to be here despite his plans. Sehun asks if they really couldn’t do it another time in Korean, trying to not let Junmyeon know the truth. Once his manager said no, Sehun looked at this phone and signed. He told him he be there soon and then hung up.

Sehun put his phone away and Junmyeon took a step back from him, giving him some space to breathe some of his own air. He knows his effects were useless and he has just been defeated before Sehun even tells him.

“It’s okay. I understand.” Junmyeon wants nothing more than to tell him to stay, to make him stay. “Just… Thank you again for all of this. This has seriously been the best night of my life and I know you didn’t have to do any of it and-”

Sehun cuts him off by taking his face with both of his hands and kissing him, finally.

All the steamy attention that was built up between them seem to convert over into passion. Sehun kissed him softly but with the same needing and desirable being delivered out in every synced and lingering movement between their lips. It was lustful, but longing. Junmyeon inhaled the full amount of water then. He knew so when he was left parted from him breathless.

They stood there for a long time, in each other space, just being there with each other and feeling not only comfortable but rightful in it.

“I have to go.” Sehun finally proclaimed.

“I know.” Junmyeon sounded like a small sad child to himself. “But are you sure? Just a little more time? Please?”

Sehun looks at his phone again for a moment before answering his desperate plead. “I can spare you ten minutes.”

That was all Junmyeon needed.

He smiled widely up to the taller boy before taking him by the hand pulling him over to the more open space, near the edge and the view of the bright and lively city below and beyond them.

“You know what we can do in ten minutes?” Junmyeon asked him.

“What?” Sehun lightly laughed.

“You can dance with me,” Junmyeon stated, and Sehun didn’t hesitate to pull Junmyeon in again.

They began the movements in the proper format, but minutes passed swiftly by before they were just spinning around in circles, holding each other tightly and laughing at the becoming dizziness before them. It was the most fun Junmyeon has had with someone in years, making him feel young and happy again. Sehun always made him feel like that, he realized soon enough.

They ended the dance out of breath and laughing. Sehun kissed him lightly in the mix of it and Junmyeon kissed him back in return and they were partially back to how they were minutes before in the same spot about six feet away. It thrilling and delightful.

They parted and Junmyeon looked downward to breathe. He didn’t know what he was doing exactly or where this was going or even if it had been ten minutes already or more. A part of him didn’t care. All of him only cared about Sehun, who was looking at him again with wide and bright eyes that shined a gleam he couldn’t read, with his line in a firm line. He held Junmyeon’s face in his hands again, making him look up at him, making the younger boy his only view.

“You have no idea how much I want you… In every way…” He spoke in Korean again, breathless and in a daze. Junmyeon knew exactly what he said but he didn’t understand the entirety of what he meant. He knew enough to know this meant more than most things he had because it makes his feel so much more. That was true for both of them. But that was all Junmyeon fully knew.

He wanted to say it back. That he wanted him too, in more ways than a one-time-only ordeal. He wanted him in a sense of forever, in this moment or outer time. He just wanted him.

Junmyeon reached up on his tippy toes and kissed him softly and sweetly again before announcing his final confession of that night. “I want this… I want you and me to be more than just these two nights and…”

“We will be,” Sehun told him. He spoke in a confident and firm voice. “We’ll be in touch. This isn’t goodbye. We will see each other again. I promise.”

“Promise…” Junmyeon repeated more to himself than anything.

“I’ll talk to you till I see you again. I won’t forget. I promise. Just wear my ring for a little bit longer. For me? Okay?”

“Okay.” Junmyeon believes him, nodding along and agreeing to his demand without thought or doubt. Sehun kisses his right hand to seal the deal like he did the night before. They kiss deeply again before Sehun takes him back to the elevator, back to his hotel room floor.

Junmyeon leaves with his friends that next morning in his own car. He gets a text from Sehun, telling him that he hopes he slept well and that he should text him once he gets home safely. Junmyeon does later that night, but no further communication is taken on from there.

Junmyeon goes to work that following weekday, falling back into his routine smiles and small talk with clients and co-workers. He has to listen to his friends talk about the concert all week during his lunch hour in the common room. They bragged about the hotels and the parties to the other workers, who listened with all their attention on them. Junmyeon didn’t do anything but stare at his phone waiting for a reply. He knew that would come faster than any thanks from his friends for the hotel room and party he got them in.

Sehun kept his promise overall, but not as much as Junmyeon really wanted. He texts him every day, sending out the message first. It was a simple ‘Hey’ most of the time, and there was no schedule to when Junmyeon would receive it, varying from very early in the morning or to the late evening. He would text back instantly though, no matter what. He even stopped working on a huge tax return that was due within minutes before the meeting for the client began just to reply to him, telling him that he wasn’t doing anything really important before finishing the document in a hurry and going off to the meeting. It was the most stressful six minutes of his life.

The conversation between them haven’t last long though. They haven’t adventured long pass the “So how’s your day been?” mark, which is mainly due of lack of response from Sehun’s part. Sure, Junmyeon himself was busy but he always responded. He always told himself that it didn’t mean anything like that, like he was thinking. Sehun was just busy and couldn’t get to the phone right now. It wasn’t him ignoring him or forgetting about him. No, it wasn’t that. Sehun hadn’t forgotten about him, he assured himself. He kept the ring on his finger, even when he fell asleep at night.

He didn’t hear from Sehun at the end of the week and so on to the weekend. He spends half the time waiting by the phone for it, twisting the ring around his finger as he nervously paced in his living room. The other half of the time he was distracting himself from the problem, rather than be house chores or extra work on his projects. The latter part always cycled back to the first.

It was horrible and stressful and left him sad and miserable. A part of him told him to forget it and move on, to understand that it would have never really become what he really wanted. That all the other boy wanted was sex, and once he realized he wasn’t going to get it, he was just going to deal like all the other men in the world. That same part told him that even if Sehun did want the same thing as him, there was no way their lives and schedule could work it out for them. Sehun had already discovered this and was going off the radar and leaving Junmyeon to figure that same thing out for himself in the leftover silence. Forget him, he told him. Move on and get your shit together.

The other side simply told him to wait. Sehun would be here soon enough. He cared and he just needs to handle something else, right now. It’s alright. He kept the ring on his finger nonetheless and distracted himself again from texting him again. He was being clingy and he just needed to wait.

Junmyeon just got his take-out food and arrived back home with it when he got the email from his boss. He was checking it while getting a glass and plate down from the cabinets when he pushed on it. He grabbed his fork when he saw that the man was telling him to enjoy himself on his vacation, that he earned it.

Junmyeon dropped his fork at the words. Vacation?

Just then, a notification drops down from the top of his screen with the name of a ghost.

Sehun: Hey baby

Junmyeon nearly squeaks at the sight before moving to his texts, completely forgetting about his take out.

Sehun: Car will be there by noon. Sleep in and pack up for a few days. Don’t forget the flannel ;)

Jesus Christ…

Junmyeon texted him back immediately, firing off questions from the millions of thoughts in his mind right now. Sehun, of course, doesn’t respond with an answer to any of them. He only tells Junmyeon that he can’t wait to see him tomorrow. Junmyeon takes his defeat, but smiles in the wake of it. It wasn’t what he was expecting, but he didn’t care, because it was with Sehun. That was all he wanted.

Junmyeon packed a few day’s worths of clothes with his two best flannels. He doesn’t sleep that night much, thinking over everything that was supposed to happen tomorrow, since he wasn’t going to work and instead of traveling back to paradise. He was excited and more than willing to be with Sehun again, but not knowing more about tomorrow made him nervous and stress. He didn’t like surprises, and of course, Sehun was really all about them. He secretly liked that about the boy, but not in that certain moment.

That one part of his mind still nagged at him, telling him that Sehun was only doing this to finally get the sex he’s been after the whole time. Junmyeon hoped that wasn’t the case. That Sehun was only doing this to end the chase between them. Junmyeon hates the chase. He hates the end of the chase even more.

The car shows up in front of his house at exactly noon. He walks out of his home and meets the men in the drive way. They were two different men from before, which made his more nervous. He noticed how the checked his hand immediately once they saw him and didn’t offer to help him with his luggage till the saw the ring on his right middle finger. They let him in the back set and when Junmyeon asked where they were going, they didn’t respond. Junmyeon sat in silence, twisting the ring on his finger again out of worry. He noticed that they went north, and tried to think of somewhere from there. He was clueless.

The ride was about an hour and a half long, before parking in a building lot full of cars. The outside was mostly empty of life though, and for a secret Junmyeon though this was where he was going to be assassinated here by the mafia-like he originally feared. He walked inside the building behind the guards who passed him off to the front desk girl who took him and said she would show him the way.

Junmyeon followed her down the hall to the end set of doors. He discovered that that was where all the life was because once they open it he saw everyone from tall pretty girls to running around assistants in suits. Some more people were running around with makeup brushes and cans of hair spray as they worked on the girls as they walked on by. He realized soon enough that this was some kind of fashion agency or something, and he started to worry wait he was here on Sehun request.

The girl leads him to the far in of lane framed by an endless rack of clothes. At the end was a lot of flashes of lights and clicking noise, all with a voice calling out commands for things that he didn’t understand. They finally arrived to see a photo shoot taking place with about a dozen models and even more photographers. Junmyeon looked on to pass them to find a tall figure standing near the dark back side of the room, next to the table full of food.

The girl left him there to fend for himself. He thanked her before slowly making his way over to him. He didn’t see him till the last second, smiling at him with enlightening eyes.

“Hey.” Junmyeon greeted him. His chest was tight and he felt over joyed to see him again.

“Hey, handsome.” Sehun hugged him, only letting him go after a long second.

“How have you been?” Junmyeon asked him, trying not to think about how many times he’s asked the boy that.

“Good.” Sehun smiled and nodded. “Better now.”

Junmyeon returned the grin and glanced down to Sehun’s hand mindlessly playing with his flannel. This one was black and white and more new than the other one he wore.

The man in charge called out for everyone to take a five-minute break, which caused everyone to relax and disperse. Sehun took his hand then and lead him over to the shoot. “Come on. I want you to meet one of my friends.”

Junmyeon followed him over to the man in the chair labeled “KAI”. The man in it was the director of the shoot and when Junmyeon finally got a close enough look at his face, he could vague connivance himself that he knew the guy from somewhere, but he wasn’t sure where exactly.

“Jongin,” Sehun addressed him. “I would like to intrude yours to the next top model. No need for a touch up on this one. He’s already perfect.”

Junmyeon smiled and nodded up to the other man in a polite manner who looked down at him with a raised and judgmental brow. Junmyeon then reached out his hand for a shake.

“Hi, I’m Kim Junmyeon.” He greeted him. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Oh!” The man was taken back. He takes his hand and shakes it with a slowly blooming grin. He cut his eyes up to Sehun for a solid second before looking back at him. “So this is the famous Mr. Kim I’ve been hearing about for the pass week.”

“Hopefully only good things.” Junmyeon didn’t know how to exactly respond to that. His nerves tighten.

“Will he be joining up us for dinner tonight?” Jongin asked Sehun beside him. “Only if he wants to.” Sehun looked over to his with hinting eyes.

“Sure. I would love to join.” Junmyeon tried to keep his voice leveled.

“Make sure to change then,” Jongin told him. Sehun glared at him for the rude remark. “What? He needs to look good. First impressions matter.”

“Might if we borrow some of your collection then?” Sehun asked while putting his arm over him.

Jongin simply waved his hand. “Go right ahead. Have at it.” Then he pointed at Junmyeon. “He’s a size four in the waist but get his pants in a six because of that…” He raises his brows at Sehun. “Make sure his shoulders fit nicely into the shirt. He’s in-between a medium and a large.”

“Thanks, mom,” Sehun said as he turned himself and Junmyeon around.

“Thank you, sir,” Junmyeon told Kai before they began to walk away. Kai bows little before walking away himself.

Sehun led him over to the army full of racks of color-coordinated clothes. He dove deep into the dark blues that spilled over into the blacks. Junmyeon didn’t exactly know how to dress in a way that was acceptable, especially since he didn’t even know how to care for the luxury end clothing before him. He picked along them while Sehun was heavily investigating each piece, looking for something to match the image inside his head.

“So… How do you know Jongin?” Junmyeon finally remembered the boy after a minute. He was a famous uprising fashion designer that was known for being awarding winning actor and model before his career sudden career change.

“He was my roommate back at the dance academy. I consider him one of my closest friends.” Sehun explained while still pulling out shirts from the rack.

“You must have known him for a long time now,” Junmyeon commented.

“Yeah. I’m the one who set him up with his husband now. Do you know of D.O.? He owns all the radio station in the state.”

“Oh yeah.” Junmyeon recalled the name from past information inside his head. He heard about the boy in one of his marketing classes in college. “So he owes you?”

“Big time,” Sehun smirked at him, before holding up an outfit to his body, looking down for judgment. He finally hands it to him. “Try this on.”

“Where are the changing rooms?” Junmyeon asked him.

“Just do it out here. It’s normal.” Sehun said. Junmyeon becomes hyper-aware of all the people around him them. He felt vulnerable, even though he was surrounded by all the racks.

Junmyeon takes a deep breath before taking off his shirt. He can feel Sehun’s eyes on him as he changed. His skin was on fire and he felt the blush on his face. He liked it but was also unsure. He pulled his t-shirt over his head and strapped on the white button up that the other boy chose for him.

“Well damn… I wasn’t expecting that.” Sehun had his head titled and his eyes wide like he was actually surprised. Junmyeon used his hand to cover his stomach. He didn’t think about his abs before then and he didn’t know how to act about it.

“Yeah. I don’t work out as much anymore. They use to be better than now, but their starting to slowly fade away.” Junmyeon explained himself.

“Still… That’s impressive.” Sehun’s voice is low as he steps closer to him. Junmyeon can’t look at him but can feel his careful hand grace over his chest and down to his abs. Sehun dipped down to his face and kissed him deeply. Junmyeon lets him, opening his mouth for him and his tongue. It’s nice and steamy and Sehun tries to slide his hand down a bit down south. Junmyeon grabbed his hand before he gets too far and they part. Sehun looks at him with concern in his eyes, like he was afraid of doing something wrong.

“Not here,” Junmyeon whispered to his lips. “Later.”

Sehun smirked at that, removing his hand from his body. “Alright. I’m going hold that to you though.”

“As long as that’s not the only thing you hold against me tonight,” Junmyeon said, just because he could.

Sehun looked as if he wants to tackle him onto the ground. “You’re such a fucking tease… It’s endearing.”

Junmyeon had an idea of what endearing really meant, but didn’t push it. He only got dress, feeling more comfortable under Sehun’s eyes for some reason. He was dressed in a dark navy suit with a white printed shirt underneath. Sehun undid some of the top buttons for him. Junmyeon didn’t comment on it and Sehun explained why he only winked.

They leave the building after waving goodbye to Jongin, who waved back, saying that he would see them later tonight and telling Junmyeon he looks really good. They thanked him before making their way out and back to the parking lot.

Sehun and he get in the same van as before, with the same two men as before. Sehun sat in the back with him, holding his hand and leaning on his shoulder.

“Where are we going now?” Junmyeon had a feeling he might ask that question too much for his own good.

“My place. It’s up in the mountains.” Sehun actually gave him a good answer for once.

The drive was short and hilly, making Junmyeon’s ears pop a couple of times. They passed through the gated entry way of the neighborhood and drove all the way down to the house third from the end. It was big and modern looking, like one of those houses they show when they talk about how the future is supposed to look like, but more realistic. It was the nicest house Junmyeon has ever seen, easily.

The van backs out the drive and leaves as they make their way into the house. Sehun acted naturally with it, looking down at his phone as he unlocked the door and walked in and tossed his wallet and keys onto a nearby table. Junmyeon made sure to wipe his feet six times before walking in with his duffle bag around his shoulder. A maid then rushed in and took his bag and told him he would have it in his room. Junmyeon thanked her and Sehun told him to put it in his room. She went off and did as she was told.

Sehun tossed his phone onto the couch before reaching out his hand to him. “I want to show you the garden first. I think you’ll like it.”

Junmyeon comes over to him and takes his hand and they go out to the landscape through the giant glass French doors. It was a nice sunny day outside and Junmyeon appreciated the sunlight and warmth. The yard was small but open, and Junmyeon thought it was cute.

Sehun took him over to the thin line of flowers he had planted across one side of the yard. it was about ten feet long, and they were divided between roses and daisies.

“My mother planted all of these. It’s a little hobby of hers.” Sehun told him and he looked down at them. They really were beautiful, most of them were fully bloom and vibration with color.

“This is so pretty.” Junmyeon complimented him.

“Thank you.”

“It’s sweet you let your mother do this in your yard. Are you close to her?”

“More than my father,” Sehun answered him. Junmyeon found that slightly strange. “That’s not really saying much though.”

“What do you mean?”

Sehun shrugged. “He works a lot. He has a really successful computer company that he makes a lot of money from. My mother didn’t have to work, so she could go off to the country club and stuff.”

“She didn’t take care of you?”

“She did. But she needs something to do while my brother and I were at school. And Dad was almost never home. He was working.”

“Oh…”

“Yeah. But we were spoiled, especially me, since I was the baby.” Sehun stated. “So was my brother, but if you ask him, he was mistreated somehow.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. He’s just odd. Like, clingy and sensitive.” Sehun was looking away from him when he answered. He was lost in thought again, and Junmyeon wondered again what he was thinking inside that head of his.

“I’m sorry.” Junmyeon felt the need to apologized. He didn’t mean to put Sehun in this mood. He wanted to know more about Sehun’s life though. He wanted to know more about what made him like he was tonight, which was completely different than what he thought most celebrities or rich people were like, or anyone he ever met for that matter. He was remote and unsocial but easy to talk to once he got him alone. He was more down to earth and level headed than he expected most people his age would be, like he actually had his life together and actually mind have a clue on what he was doing. Most of all, Sehun seemed loyal and more trusting than anyone he met. He didn’t really know anyone that would so everything the boy did for him on a whim for a strange they had dinner with on a radon and spontaneous night out. He didn’t know anyone who would linger this possible one night stand on, especially like this and especially for someone so average like himself. It made Junmyeon think of the type of person he was for letting him do this.

“It’s nothing. Come on, let’s go back inside. I’ll show you around the house.” Sehun smiled reassuringly like he was actually okay and normal and there was nothing for him to worry about. Junmyeon didn’t believe it but followed him anyway.

Sehun showed him around his house, which had too many bedrooms and bathrooms to count and a game room next to the theater room on the second floor. On the first as a fully finished kitchen with a professional chef, preparing food for the dinner tonight. That’s when Sehun told him it was a dinner for him and his friends and it was their turn to host it here since everyone was in town. Junmyeon tried to stay calm at the news. He really wasn’t good with surprises.

On the top floor was Sehun bedroom and studio. Sehun’s room had a wall full of windows to the outside view of the mountains concaving into the distancing and lingering desert. He had a huge bed and stainless fuzzy carpet that Junmyeon always liked. He had a small second living room, with a TV and a red brick fireplace.

“I always wanted a fireplace in my house,” Junmyeon stated. He remembered wanting one when he was younger and the heating was out of the little apartment his shared with his roommates in college. He promised himself he get one just in case that ever happens to him again.

“It’s nice, especially when it gets cold up here at night,” Sehun added on while wrapping his arms around him from behind. He took hold on his hand and ran his knuckles. Sehun’s skin was warm and his fingers fitted perfectly along with his.

“I didn’t know you live here. I assumed you lived close to your label.” Junmyeon rested his head against his.

“Nah, I need some space from work, you know?” Sehun informed him.

“Do you work a lot?” Junmyeon asked him.

“Not unless I’m touring.”

“Aren’t you on tour now?”

“Yeah, but I’m on a minor break for the time. Flew back in early this morning. I won’t head back till a few more days.”

“Like a vacation?” Junmyeon asked him in a playful tone, hinting.

“Yeah. Like a vacation.” Sehun smiled at him.

“How did you even pull that off? How did you get my boss’s email and talked him into giving me some time off?” Junmyeon asked him since he’s been thinking about it.

“You said his daughter was a huge fan of mine, right? That was all I needed.” Sehun smirked at him making him laugh at his secretive ways. He would have found it more creepy than touching if it was anyone else than Sehun. He knew the other boy wasn’t going to hurt him.

Sehun pulls him in then and Junmyeon lets him, resting his head on his shoulder and Sehun held him tightly. This was nice and beyond anything that Junmyeon ever had with someone else. He felt safe and taken care of. He was comfortable, more than he really was with most people, and that meant a lot to him. He didn’t get close to anyone really, mainly because of his trust issues, expect for Sehun, who seemed perfect for him in more ways than one.

“This isn’t a fling, right?” Junmyeon suddenly asked in the silence. He brings his head up to look at him. He tried to read his eyes that look even and solid.

Sehun shakes his head. “No. I don’t want this to be one.”

“You’re not just saying that, right?” Junmyeon edged on.

“No. Of course not.” Sehun assured him in a firm tone. “You won’t be here if it was. You won’t be meeting all my friends tonight if it was nothing more than a hookup.”

“Promise?” Junmyeon made his last attempt.

“Promise.” Sehun agrees and Junmyeon believes him. “You are wearing my ring after all.”

Junmyeon looked at his hand, pulling it up to view. The ring was still on his middle finger, slim and golden. It felt like nothing on his hand now, like it had morphed into him and became a part of him already. Sehun took his hand and kissed his knuckles softly and longingly. Junmyeon feels more than anything he could describe at that moment.

Junmyeon stepped closer to him, making their foreheads touch and he smiles up to the other boy. Sehun lightly caresses his face before holding his cheek again. He brings his other hand up to completely hold his face again, making Junmyeon look his directly in the eye. His face felt hotter than ever before from the look they held in them, with a burning fire in his irises. It’s a flame, like the same one from his white lighter.

Sehun begins to speak in Korean. “I knew you were the one for me, from that first night. I knew it. From your eyes and the way you talked… I just knew it. And I’m so happy you’re here with me now.”

Junmyeon watches him slowly smile and feels himself do the same. He then debates if he should tell him then or not. Knowing what he says could help him farther down the line in this since he does it when he doesn’t want him to hear something (and he won’t mind hearing more things like he just heard) but he decides to be honest.

“I have something to tell you.” Junmyeon states and watches as Sehun become nervous and on guard.

“What?” Sehun asked him. “Do you have a boyfriend or something? Or what?”

“I can speak Korean too,” Junmyeon confessed in Korean which makes the boy step away from him and put his face in his hands after a second shock that soon turned into embarrassment.

“Oh my God…How much have you heard?” He asked through his hands, ashamed. Junmyeon pulls his hands away from his face and replaces them with his own.

“Enough.” He kissed him deeply and lovingly then, to make it all better. Because this was enough. Perfect even.