Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Sehun mutters to himself as he rushes as fast as humanly possible to get ready at 6:31 in the morning. His poor dog, Vivi, stares at him from where he’s still cuddled underneath the covers, all toasty warm and undisturbed by his owner’s freak out.

Sehun had called for an emergency meeting with his PR and legal team regarding his artist, Byun Baekhyun, first thing in the morning. Last night rumors had spread that Baekhyun is in a secret relationship with a non-idol woman. With Baekhyun’s comeback album set to release in two weeks, it’s no surprise some anti is trying their best to set him up.

From the very unconvincing ‘evidence’ that had been posted, Sehun thinks it’s safe to say that the rumors are false. Still, it’s not stopping all the hate Baekhyun is receiving, no matter how lacking the proof is. So, he was forced to order a meeting so that everything can get settled down right away and Baekhyun can release his album without an issue.

What the real problem is is that he had forgotten his personal assistant, Chanyeol, wasn’t able to call in an order of pastries to be delivered for the meeting. Yesterday, he called out saying he had fallen ill, so Sehun ordered him to just relax and not worry about anything work related until he felt well enough to come back in. Thus, Chanyeol isn’t aware of the emergency meeting that he scheduled.

“Damnit!” Sehun’s fingers fumble with the tie around his neck. Taking a calming breath, he goes through the motions again at a slower pace so he’s able to create a knot.

Being so used to Chanyeol being his extra hand and extra head, it completely slipped his mind he won’t be there. Though the rumors are false, the stress of having one of his idols under fire still had him worked up. When he has meetings early in the morning, he always makes sure to get his employees some food to enjoy during it. He feels bad enough forcing them into a meeting, so he tries to apologize with baked goods.

Chanyeol is in charge of placing the orders to Sehun’s preferred bakery that’s a few miles away from the building. They are then able to get it delivered just in time for their morning meetings. However, it’ll take too much time to prepare an order for Aries Entertainment and have it delivered this morning. While the bakery is used to filling orders for Sehun, he’s sure they wouldn’t appreciate a very last minute call requesting one.

Thankfully, after a quick search, Sehun is able to find a promising looking bakery that is only a five minute walk from his building. He never took notice of it since it appears to be squished in between two other stores, but the reviews are all positive, so it’s a good sign. It’s along the way, so he can easily stop and get some food before he arrives at the building.

“Bye, Vivi!” Sehun calls as he exits his bedroom. It only takes him a few more moments for him to do a double check to make sure he has everything he needs before he leaves. He has to get to this bakery as soon as he can so he can get first dibs on whatever they have.

With his Ferrari parked on the side of the road, Sehun now stands at the door to Cotton Bunny Bakery. In the center of the glass door is what Sehun figures is the place’s logo, a cartoon looking drawing of a bunny. Beneath the large picture lists the bakery’s hours. It opens at 7 am, and right now it’s 7:03. So, Sehun yanks the door open, a tinkling bell signifying his entrance.

“Welcome!” Sehun almost startles when a man in a baker’s outfit pops his head out of a doorway. “Please, give me a second and I will be right with you!” The guy gives Sehun a heartwarming smile before disappearing.

Standing in the middle of the place, Sehun tries to calm his anxiety over trying to obtain the pastries by gazing around the bakery.

The walls are painted sky blue, fluffy clouds painted towards the upper wall. The bottom half of the wall is painted to look like grass, and amongst the grass Sehun can see all sorts of painted bunnies in various colors. The tables and chairs are all wood and there are soft cushions atop each chair and small plants that Sehun can’t tell if they are real or fake in the center of the tables. The menu board is hanging up on the wall, handwritten in neat writing. Classical music drifts through the air.

“Hi, thank you for waiting!” The guy appears again and makes his way to the order counter. Sehun steps up, eyeing all of the goods already in the display case. “How can I help you?”

“I would like two dozen pastries, please. A variety of them. Doesn’t matter what they are,” Sehun requests. His order causes Junmyeon’s (thank god for name tags) eyes to go wide.

“Are you sure?” Junmyeon sounds a bit hesitant, probably because Sehun told him to go wild instead of directing him what kind of pastries he would like.

“Yup. I will pay for everything no matter the price. Everything looks good, so I am sure my employees will be happy.” He means what he says. To be honest, Sehun isn’t much of a pastry kind of guy. He prefers breakfast sandwiches, but he can’t deny that everything looks mouthwatering. All the reviews he looked at quickly were raving about how tasty their treats are.

“Okay, sounds good!” Junmyeon turns around and picks up a purple box to place the pastries in. Sehun watches as he fills one box with scones, danishes, and croissants. He seems to take great care in selecting what to put in, almost like he’s creating a very fine art piece. In the next box goes doughnuts, muffins, and cinnamon buns. When he’s done filling that, he places both boxes into a plastic bag to carry.

“Is that all?” Junmyeon looks up at him with another bright smile and it makes Sehun feel dizzy.

This is the first time in his life he has ever seen the man, but he thinks this baker is the most handsome guy he has ever seen looking at him up close. When he smiles his cheeks get all rounded and the look in his eyes shows he’s happy to be doing his job. His hair is honey colored and also looks incredibly soft. It’s even long enough that you can card your fingers through it. Funny enough, Sehun thinks he resembles an actual bunny. Hm, maybe that’s how he came up with the name.

“Oh, uh.” Sehun has to rip himself away from his wandering thoughts once he realizes he was asked a question. “A large black coffee, too. Four spoonfuls of sugar and a little milk, please.” This will be his first of many today.

Junmyeon adds it to his order before turning around to prepare his coffee. He places it right in front of him then rings everything up for his total price. Naturally, Sehun pulls out his black card. Junmyeon seems to pause, staring at the card as he inserts it into the reader, but he quickly turns his attention back to the screen as the payment processes.

“Thank you for visiting!” Junmyeon calls out happily as Sehun gathers his purchases and heads for the door. “Have a nice day!”

“Thank you, you too!” Sehun calls back politely as he pushes the door open with his shoulder. He can hear it faintly jingle once it closes.

When he gets back to his car, he makes sure to settle the boxes on his passenger seat very carefully. He then gets in the driver’s side where he takes a second to take a sip of his coffee. When he pulls the cup away from his mouth, he notices that the same bunny that was on the door is also on the cup design. It makes Sehun smile a bit to himself. He has to admit that it is quite adorable, just like that guy.

Sehun arrives at Aries Entertainment just in time for him to bring the boxes into the meeting room and set out some plates and napkins they always have stocked in the break room. He’s thankful he didn’t have to worry about getting coffee too since he is sure everyone will come shuffling in with their preferred caffeinated drink. With the assortment of pastries Junmyeon gave him, he’s sure that everyone will be able to find something they like. Now, all he has to do is wait for Baekhyun and everyone else to gather in the meeting room.

Just as he predicted, the meeting went well. Baekhyun claimed his innocence and all ‘proof’ that was shown was debunked, further proving that Baekhyun is currently single. Throughout the meeting, his employees selected their choice of pastry, noticing a few of them looking curiously at the unfamiliar boxes that were set in the middle of the table. He was happy to see that by the end, though, all that was left on people’s plates were crumbs. Seems like the reviews for Cotton Bunny Bakery didn’t lie about the food being good.

“Oh! You got food from somewhere else?” Sehun’s secretary, Jongin, asks when he sees him approaching his desk. Jongin has known Sehun for a long time, and when Jongin was previously fired from his old job, Sehun offered him to work for him in a heartbeat. Of course, Jongin accepted the position and has now been with him for two years.

“I forgot Chanyeol called out sick. I found this bakery that’s right down the road.” Sehun holds out the box for Jongin. He had placed all the uneaten baked goods into one box.

“What’s it called?” Jongin’s arm reaches over to pick up a chocolate croissant. He takes a huge bite, ecstatic with the offering of food.

“Cotton Bunny Bakery.” Sehun watches Jongin chew before he swallows. “How is it?”

“Good! Did you have one?” Jongin takes another bite of the croissant.

“No, you know I’m not a big pastry person,” grumbles Sehun. Most of the time, he finds pastries to be too sweet for his liking.

“You should try one of them,” suggests Jongin once he swallowed his second bite. “Just from those two bites I think this is better than the other place.”

“Really?” The words surprise Sehun. The bakery he always buys from has nothing less than 4 and a half star reviews. He knows the owner of the place only uses the freshest and top quality ingredients to use in her products and they have been a hit with all his employees through the years. He never thought no one was better than her goods.

“Yeah, these are amazing! This croissant is fluffier, which I like. And it has way more chocolate, which is also a bonus!” Jongin can’t help taking another bite, and Sehun can see the chocolate filled middle. He can’t help thinking that it does look tempting to try…

“Well, it seems like the PR and legal team also liked them,” admits Sehun as he glances down at the box.

Maybe he can switch it up a bit and buy from this new bakery for a little while. If his employees seemed to like the man’s goods, then it wouldn't hurt to buy from him more often. Besides, Cotton Bunny is much closer to the building, so it will take Chanyeol less time to pick the boxes up. But if Chanyeol is the one who picks up the food, then he won’t be able to see Junmyeon…

The flash of sadness that fills him takes him aback. He was only in the man’s presence for less than 10 minutes, and he is already upset at the thought of not seeing him. But his smile made Sehun feel so comforted, and the general atmosphere was so welcoming and calming. With the everyday stress that comes with running a huge entertainment company, he needs more of everything that could cause any sense of calm for himself.

“Is it alright if I take another?” Jongin’s voice breaks Sehun out of his internal thoughts. He looks at the man, noticing that his croissant is completely gone now. Usually, Jongin is more of a nibbler when it comes to eating, but he practically inhaled the croissant. It must have been that good for Jongin to do that.

“Yeah, there’s still a few things left.” Sehun opens the box again and Jongin scans over the remaining food before finally picking up a cinnamon roll.

“Thanks!” Jongin looks ecstatic as he bites into his next baked good. “Mm, yeah, this one also tastes amazing!”

“I’ll take a note of that,” Sehun says. “I’ll put the rest in the break room. I better not see you steal another one. You’ve already had two!” He playfully scolds the other who pouts.

“It’s not my fault these are the best pastries I’ve ever had,” whines Jongin. “By the way, your next meeting is at 9, okay?”

“Okay, okay, got it.” Sehun dismisses quickly. He can’t remember what the meeting is even for, and he’s not about to admit that to Jongin that he accidentally forgot. The stress over dealing with Baekhyun’s situation completely took over his brain. He’ll figure out what this meeting is 5 minutes before it starts. It can’t be that big of a deal if he can’t remember what it’s for.

Sehun then does as he said he would, taking the unfinished pastries into the break room. Placing the box on the counter, he eyes the box, specifically the cartoon bunny in the center. His mind flashes back to the rounded cheeks of Junmyeon and how happy he looked. He can’t miss the feeling of longing that appears as he thinks back to the man. It’s ridiculous that this man seems to have some sort of hold on him.

Reaching out his hand, Sehun hesitantly opens the box, searching for a left over good that would be more his taste. Thankfully, there’s what appears to be an apple danish left over. Happy with that, he rips off a piece of paper towel so he can pick it up. Wrapping it up like it’s a delicate baby, Sehun then shuts the box and scurries out of the break room like he just committed a crime. It won’t kill him to try a Cotton Bunny Bakery pastry.

Sehun is convinced that whatever Junmyeon put in his food is laced with something because Sehun could not stop thinking about the apple danish after he finished it. Like Jongin, he practically devoured the whole thing once he took the first bite. The dough was pillowy soft and there was the perfect amount of frosting drizzle on top. The drizzle gave a nice sweetest to the apple filling that was there in every bite, creating the perfect sweetness level.

When Sehun had left last night, he took a glance at the box of leftovers he had set out only to find it in the trash. He hoped that meant the rest were eaten throughout the day and that no one was being wasteful, but with how pleased everyone was with trying the pastries from Cotton Bunny Bakery, he doubted any were thrown in the trash.

Now, as he’s getting ready for another busy day at Aries Entertainment, Sehun debates what he should do. There is no early meeting with any of his staff today, so there’s no need to pick up another box of pastries, but his mouth is watering at the thought of getting another apple danish, or trying something else. Not to mention he wants to see that baker again. Maybe it would be nice to visit again and tell him how much his staff enjoyed his products…

Sehun lights up at his own idea. He’s sure Junmyeon would be pleased to hear the raving reviews his staff had, and Sehun would be able to see him again. It’s like killing two birds with one stone! There’s no way Junmyeon would figure out that part of the reason why he had come back was to see his gorgeous face. With a sense of determination, Sehun rapidly finishes getting ready.

Just like yesterday, the bell above the door jingles as Sehun pushes it open. This time, he’s here closer to 7:30. Now, there’s a few people inside the bakery unlike when he was there the day before. However, to his dismay, the person at the front counter filling out orders isn’t Junmyeon. The man has silver hair, and his eyes are sharp like a cat’s and his smile as he hands over a paper bag to a customer is gummy. He prays Junmyeon is actually just in the back.

Sehun waits patiently for when the two other people in front of him place their orders and are served. Not once has he seen Junmyeon come out, but from the muffled clanking sounds he hears coming from the back, there’s a chance the man might actually be here. He had to hype himself up enough in order to stop by before going to his building, so it doesn’t hurt to take his chance to see if he’s here.

“Hello,” greets the man whose name tag reads Minseok as Sehun steps up to the counter. “How can I help you?”

“Hello, I would like to ask, is Junmyeon here?” Sehun nearly freezes when he sees the man’s eyes faintly narrow. He looked so nice from afar, but now Sehun is intimidated. He supposes it’s odd to ask for the man out of the blue when he’s only ever stepped foot into this place twice and seen the man only once.

“What’s your name?” Minseok questions him, a look of suspicion on his face.

“Oh Sehun. I bought two dozen boxes yesterday,” he then rapidly explains, knowing that Junmyeon wouldn’t know his name. “I just wanted to tell him how much my employees enjoyed the food. Is he the owner?”

Hearing the explanation, Minseok’s hard face melts. His eyes become bright and friendly like how they were when Sehun entered. He nods, his gummy smile appearing.

“Yes, he is part owner. Let me go get him.” Minseok quickly turns to slip through the swing door. Sehun hears some muffled talk before the man he’s here to see appears.

Just like yesterday, Junmyeon is in a baker’s uniform. This time, though, it’s messy with splotches of flour all over it. The man doesn’t seem to mind as he grins brightly at Sehun again. Just like that, Sehun’s heart begins rapidly thumping like it does when he accidentally drinks too much coffee.

“Hello! Did you enjoy the pastries?” he asks curiously, coming over to stand behind the counter. Sehun meets his eyes and sees that they’re practically glimmering.

“Y-yes!” Like the love struck fool he’s already become, Sehun stutters. Hearing the answer, Junmyeon instantly breaks out into a wide, pleased smile. Seeing those gorgeous lips spreading into the smile, Sehun feels the need to continue.

“My one employee swears they’re better than the other bakery I normally buy from.” That statement causes the baker’s rounded cheeks to color, his happiness now turning into shyness at the praise. Sehun’s heart swoons and he figures it wouldn’t be surprising if his eyes have little hearts in the middle.

“Th-thank you! Those are all very kind words. I’m really glad my pastries were enjoyed!” Though his face is flustered, Sehun can pick out the sparkles in the man’s brown eyes due to how happy he is. Sehun is about to ask if he would be willing to supply baked goods for his meetings when he hears the bell jingling, signifying a customer. Sehun thinks his eyes are playing tricks on him when he notices Junmyeon’s face practically deflate now that he has to attend to the customer that just came in.

“Um, is it too late to ask for a large black coffee with four spoonfuls of sugar and a little milk?” Sehun asks, not ready himself to part from the quaint little bakery and the man who runs it. “Oh, and a chocolate chip muffin?” He orders the first thing his eyes land on after a quick scan at the selection.

“No, it’s not too late.” Junmyeon perks back up, tapping at the screen to ring up Sehun’s order. Once Sehun pays, Junmyeon calls out for Minseok to come and help the other customer. He makes his way out of the back room, giving a side glance at Junmyeon before he steps up to help the woman.

“Here you go!” In a minute, Junmyeon is handing over his fresh cup of coffee and a small paper bag with his chocolate chip muffin in it. “Enjoy!”

“Thank you, I’m sure I will.” Sehun accepts his items, sending Junmyeon his brightest smile he can manage at so early in the morning. Thankfully, Junmyeon’s cheeks round up in another smile and he feels giddy that he’s able to make that happen.

“Whatcha got?” the ever nosy Jongin asks once Sehun walks past him with his coffee and paper bag.

“Uh, nothing?” Sehun should’ve known that Jongin would have caught him trying to sneak in with something other than his usual coffee and breakfast sandwhich. The other male’s eyes squint suspiciously at him.

“Is that from Cotton Bunny?”

“Maybe?” Sehun starts to shift under the gaze of his friend. Jongin might be one of the sweetest guys he has ever met, but he can be intimidating when he really wants to, and it’s a bit scary to see.

“You don’t really like eating sweet foods in the morning, or really in general. What made you go back to Cotton Bunny? You don’t have super early meetings today.” The tone Jongin is using makes him sound innocent, but Sehun knows he is just digging for more information.

“I tried a leftover apple danish and it was really good, so I figured why not get breakfast from there? Plus, it’s close to the building.” Sehun knows it’s a shit excuse, but Jongin accepts it and nods. He can only pray Jongin won’t needle him about it more later.

“What did you get?”

“A chocolate chip muffin.” He secretly hopes it’s not overly full of chocolate chips, but he guesses he will see in a bit. He might not have intended to buy it, but he’s not a food waster.

“Nice. Enjoy your breakfast.”

Sehun gives the male a slight nod before slipping into his office. He plops into his plush chair after carefully placing his coffee onto his desk. He eyes the bag for a second before opening it and pulling out the muffin. It looks like any ordinary muffin, but there are little sugar crystals on top of it. Sehun thinks it’s a cute touch. Peeling away the muffin wrapper, he leans in to take a bite.

Suddenly, Sehun is in love with muffins. Or, maybe it’s just from where the muffin is from that has Sehun loving the taste of it.

It’s lunch time when Sehun hears a knock on his office door. Not long ago he had placed an order for delivery from a Mexican place, so he is expecting the knock to be related to his lunch.

“Come in!” He calls, pushing aside his laptop to make room for the take out container.

At his word, the door pushes open and Jongin steps in. He figured the secretary would be the one bringing it into him since Chanyeol is still out, and Sehun desperately wishes his personal assistant was here once he spots the devilish little glint in his eyes.

“I got your lunch!” Jongin pads over to the giant wooden desk.

“Thank you, Jongin-ah.” Sehun stands up so he can accept the bag, then sitting back down and pulling out the Styrofoam container. He glances up at Jongin as he pulls out the napkins and other items from the bag, a playful smirk spreading across the other’s face when they lock eyes.

“I was craving something sweet for lunch,” starts off Jongin, and Sehun does not like the start of that sentence.

“You should be eating something healthy for lunch, not sugary stuff,” Sehun tries to chastise, but Jongin continues on, completely ignoring him.

“The closest place that sells something sweet is Cotton Bunny Bakery.” Sehun freezes at the mention of the bakery. He knew this wouldn’t lead to anything good. “So, I decided to take a little visit and get something.”

“Oh, really?” Sehun avoids eye contact with Jongin in favor of looking over his chicken tacos. They look perfect, and despite the anxiety worming in his stomach at whatever Jongin is trying to do, he can’t wait to dig in. “It’s a cute place.”

“Not as cute as the people working there,” Jongin practically sings songs, knowing he’s caught Sehun now. And his trap works for his boss’ eyes shoot right to him, narrowed.

“What are you trying to say?” says Sehun lowly. He doesn’t appreciate the teasing tone in Jongin’s voice. Sometimes he hates the fact that someone who can read him like an open book works for him. He can play Big Bad CEO all he wants, but Jongin knows the real Oh Sehun.

“I’m saying I can see why you have a sudden interest in going there. The Junmyeon guy is the one who caught your interest, isn’t he?” From the excited look on his face, Jongin knows he’s right.

And Sehun proves it even further when he can’t help the coloring of his cheeks at the mention of the baker’s name. His sparkling eyes and rounded cheeks flash across Sehun’s mind. His heart beats a little faster as he remembers his wide, bright smile as he handed Sehun his order.

“I knew it!” Jongin squeals like he’s a middle school girl and not a grown man working for a CEO. “The Minseok guy did not look like your type at all. He looks like he would eat you alive, but Junmyeon is so cute! I just wanna squish his cheeks!”

“Jongin-ah.” Sehun wills himself to calm down, but it’s a bit difficult with his friend’s teasing. “I would like to eat in peace, now.” That gets the other to stop the teasing, but it doesn’t erase his delighted expression.

“Fine. You can have your peace… for now.” With a bright smile, Jongin turns and exits his office. He at least has the decency to make his departure a quiet one since he shuts the door as quiet as if Sehun is sleeping instead of preparing to eat his lunch.

With Jongin gone, Sehun lets out a groan, sinking in seat and just reflecting for a good few moments before his food gets cold. He straightens in his seat. Maybe he can eat his feelings in food.

Thankfully, last night Chanyeol had messaged Sehun and told him he was feeling much better and he would see him tomorrow. Sehun had been happy to hear his personal assistant is feeling better. He decided that the best way to welcome him back, though he was only gone for two days, is by buying him some breakfast. And the perfect place to get something for breakfast is from Cotton Bunny Bakery.

Don’t get Sehun wrong, he still would have done something nice for the man regardless of having an ulterior motive or not. He would have just ended up paying for Chanyeol’s lunch, but he knows that he will be in a rush to get to Aries Entertainment since he had been out for two days. Sehun knows that if that’s the case, Chanyeol wouldn’t have eaten a good breakfast. If he picks up a few items for him, Chanyeol could eat now or even save it for a snack later. It’s a perfect plan.

For the third day in a row, Sehun opens the door to Cotton Bunny Bakery. Again, there are already a few people inside waiting for their orders which Junmyeon is getting. Sehun almost stops breathing when he notices that this time, Junmyeon’s bangs are up in a bun on top of his head. As if he didn’t think Junmyeon could get any cuter, he has to do this!

Sehun has to mentally prepare himself as he gets in line. He gazes around the quaint little area to take his thoughts off for a moment on how he has a literal crush on someone he’s only seen and talked to a handful of times. When he accidentally catches the man’s eyes during his eyes’ aimless wandering, he almost flinches in surprise.

When their eyes meet, Junmyeon sends him a small, genuine smile before he goes back to pulling out a doughnut from behind the display case. Sehun tries his hardest to rationalize that the smile is just him being polite, but his stupid heart thump, thump, thumps harder seeing his rounded cheeks. At least his brain is functioning enough that he forms his own lips into a smile, forcing away his ‘resting bitch face’. Jongin tells him it’s quite serious, but it’s also very effective in keeping up Sehun’s strong CEO image.

“Hi, good morning!” Junmyeon chirps happily. Despite it being so early in the morning and half of the customers he saw walking out looking like zombies, Junmyeon seems to have boundless energy. Sehun will admit that seeing the man so energetic soothes his own feeling of fatigue. He’s like a ray of sunshine., his rays radiating and soaking into Sehun, giving him his own burst of strength.

“Good morning,” Sehun says back, his eyes flickering over the display case to see what Chanyeol would like best.

“What can I get you? Did you like the chocolate chip muffin?”

Sehun’s eyes shoot back to Junmyeon whose eyes still hold the same sparkle that he saw before. In all honesty, Sehun’s shocked he even remembered what he bought. He figures hundreds of customers come and go each day, and he doesn’t think he stands out very much to be that memorable to the bakery owner. The comment only further sends his frantic heart into overdrive.

“It was great. I loved the sugar crystals you put on top,” he admits honestly. The chocolate chips were mini ones, all scattered about the moist muffin. He had finished it all in a matter of a few minutes.

“Yeah, that’s a favorite amongst everyone.” Sehun wonders if the owner’s cheeks are always hurting from how much he’s always smiling. “What can I get you?”

“Uh, a cinnamon bun, a glazed doughnut, a chocolate croissant, and a large black coffee with four spoonfuls of sugar and a little milk, please.” Chanyeol will enjoy the cinnamon bun and doughnut while Jongin will be happy to have another chocolate croissant. He would probably whine about ‘favoritism’ if he only got something for Chanyeol, even though he was the one just sick. Some days Jongin is just a pouty baby, but he’s excellent at his job, so Sehun can’t complain.

“Got it!” Junmyeon rings him up and Sehun inserts his card. Just when he pulls it out, he hears his phone ring out in a notification. Now distracted for a second, he puts his card back into his wallet before pulling out his phone. It’s just a message from Chanyeol saying he’s at the building and is ready to get back to his job after missing a few days. Sehun responds saying he will be there in a moment and that he has a surprise for him. Unsurprisingly, Chanyeol sends back a string of smiley face emojis. He’s been working for Sehun for nearly three years, so by now they have formed a more relaxed and comfortable relationship.

“Here you go!” Another blinding smile graces Junmyeon’s face when he hands two paper bags over to Sehun and his usual coffee order in a cup with a now familiar cartoon bunny on it. Sehun, of course, makes sure to say his thanks to the baker with his own grateful smile. Junmyeon wishes him to ‘have a good day’ and Sehun is sure he will just because it was Junmyeon who told him that.

“Oh, here he comes!” Sehun hears the not so subtle voice of Jongin as he steps closer to his office. As he comes closer, he can see Jongin at his own desk while Chanyeol is standing right beside him, iPad in hand. Chanyeol glances up from it to his boss.

“Hyung!” With how close Chanyeol and him have become, Sehun allows him to address him as ‘hyung’ in private.

“It’s good to see you’re feeling better,” Sehun says as he sets his coffee and paper bags at the edge of Jongin’s desk.

“Ah, I think I’ve seen that bunny a time or two,” Jongin begins his teasing once he notices said logo on Sehun’s coffee.

“I would keep my mouth closed if I were you, or I’ll eat your chocolate croissant,” threatens Sehun. He knew that by going back to the bakery he would risk being teased by Jongin again, but the joy he receives when he sees Junmyeon’s gorgeous face makes it worth it.

“You got me a croissant?” Jongin perks up in interest, eyes immediately lighting up in excitement at the thought of food.

“Since I am such a nice and caring boss.” Sehun rolls his eyes, but he isn’t agitated in the slightest. Of course, Sehun tends to buy all his staff food and drinks just to show his appreciation and he gives them little gifts during holidays, but Jongin and Chanyeol get just a little bit more special treatment.

“Did I get something too?” Chanyeol asks with puppy eyes. He eyes the bags, and Sehun just knows he’s dying to see what kind of goods are inside.

“Of course!” Letting out a little chuckle, Sehun opens the bag closest to him. Inside of it is the glazed doughnut and the croissant. “I got you a doughnut and a cinnamon roll too.” Opening the second bag, he stares in surprise when not only does he see a cinnamon roll, but a muffin as well.

“What’s wrong?” Jongin frowns in confusion at seeing his reaction and leans over to peer into the bag. “I don’t see anything wrong.”

“I didn’t order a muffin,” mumbles Sehun, immediately reaching into his pocket to pull out the receipt. It’s crumpled from how he just carelessly shoved it into his pocket, but smooths it out enough so he’s able to read his order. There’s not a single mention of a muffin on it which means, “He gave it to me for free.”

Sehun nearly goes lightheaded with the rush of joy that floods his veins. Maybe since he complimented the sugar crystals on top of the muffin Junmyeon decided to be generous and slip him one. But why? Did the guy actually like him that much to give him a free muffin? There’s no way Sehun would be that lucky with his new crush.

“He gave it to you for free?” Just like that, Jongin’s face morphs into a mischievous grin. “It definitely sounds like he’s flirting with you!” Sehun must think this is the best day of Jongin’s life now with how his words make Sehun splutter. Attempting to play it cool, he raises his coffee to his lips to take a gulp.

“Well, Junmyeon does like guys, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he was,” Chanyeol says thoughtfully as he casually pulls out the doughnut from the bag.

Hearing Chanyeol, Sehun chokes on his coffee mid swallow. He manages to swallow the rest of it down instead of spitting it out before he starts coughing. Jongin, beginning to panic, quickly pulls out a napkin from the paper bag and hands it to Sehun. Thankfully, in just a few moments he is able to catch his breath and calm down. Wiping his mouth, he then turns to Chanyeol.

“What did you just say?” he croaks, voice a little warped from his coughing fit. Chanyeol’s eyes round in an innocent look.

“I go to Cotton Bunny all the time,” he reveals. “I’ve known the co-owner, Minseok, before they even started the bakery. I knew he and Junmyeon dated at some point in college, but then they realized they’re better off as friends, and then later, business partners.”

“Wow,” breathes Sehun. It sure is a small world that one of his employees knows someone from the bakery and has this knowledge about his crush. Just thinking about how his crush is also interested in guys makes him even more flustered. Maybe he was trying to subtly flirt with him?

“Oh, so you have a chance!” Jongin squeals. “This is so exciting!” Sehun sure is glad he’s able to provide quality entertainment for someone because right now he is internally panicking over this new development. Knowing he might have a chance is making him wonder how he can show his interest to Junmyeon.

“He’s super sweet,” continues Chanyeol. “He loves to travel and take crazy aesthetic pictures. You should see his Instagram. Actually…” Placing his already half eaten doughnut on a napkin, Chanyeol pulls out his phone. In just a few seconds, his phone is presented in front of Sehun. He takes it for himself so he can better look at the pictures.

Just like Chanyeol said, Junmyeon’s posts are all beautiful. Each picture looks like a professional took it even if it's of something as simple as flowers or a dog. Sehun figures the dog is his based on how frequently he sees it on his page.

There’s even posts of him in front of various landmarks like the Roman Colosseum and the Louvre Museum. In one post, Sehun can easily spot gondolas and boats that line the canals of Italy, and in another he can see ‘NYC’ on the side of the yellow cab. When Chanyeol had said Junmyeon likes to travel, he expected locally, not all across the globe. It’s a good thing to keep in mind regarding the man.

What impresses Sehun the most, though, is that in many of his pictures, his clothes match the background he’s against. In one he’s against a black and yellow wall drinking a coffee, his jacket exactly matching the colors. In another, he’s matching the earthy tones that are striped across a blue wall. Even wearing something like a green hat and posing in front of a building covered in ivy showcases his desire to color coordinate.

Sehun thinks he might just be a little bit more head over heels for this man now. Someone who loves to travel is perfect for him, and his ability to coordinate his colors to the scenery around him gives an insight to how meticulous he is. Plus, it appears he has a dog! Sehun would rather be caught dead than be with someone who doesn’t like dogs. Vivi means the world to him.

“I’m impressed,” Sehun says honestly, handing the phone back to Chanyeol. He nods in agreement, his one hand slipping his phone back into his pocket while the other holds the doughnut he’s taking another bite of.

“He also just got into tasting wine,” Chanyeol mumbles around the mouthful. “You like wine, too. You guys can go on a wine tasting together.”

“That’s a great idea.” Jongin nods along in agreement.

“Let me talk to him about something not related to buying from his bakery first,” Sehun groans. He has to admit, though, that a wine tasting would be a good idea. He’ll have to keep that in the back of his mind, just in case.

“We’re just trying to help you out, hyung.” Jongin shrugs.

“And thank you for that, but I need to talk to him more before I start planning dates. He might not actually be interested in me.” As much as it seems like this is going in his favor, if he gets his hopes up too high and it doesn’t work out, he’ll be crushed. It’s always good to think realistically, and realistically, there is a chance he could be rejected.

“Oh, please, you don’t just give a free muffin out to anyone,” snorts Jongin in disbelief.

“He gives me free stuff sometimes.” Chanyeol has to butt in with his comment. Jongin sends him a subtle glare as if telling him to knock it off, “but I’m a friend of Minseok’s!” He rapidly explains. “Plus, he knows I’m straight, so there’s no sense in him flirting with me.”

“I guess I can thank him tomorrow for the muffin,” Sehun murmurs to himself. By the time he’ll be done today, he knows the bakery will be closed. Plus, since today is Friday, he has lots to finish before the weekend. He won’t even be able to have a few moments to himself in order to slip away to the bakery, even if it’s just a few minutes walk away.

“Good idea. Junnmyeon will be there tomorrow. He’s always at the bakery even though Minseok can manage it on his own. I think he’s a workaholic,” admits Chanyeol. Inwardly, Sehun thinks that that makes two of them. He can be considered a workaholic, but it started to really affect his health both physically and mentally, so that’s why he really tries to do nothing work related on weekends.

“Here, hyung.” Suddenly, Jongin picks out the muffin and wraps it in a napkin before handing it over to Sehun. “It’s a busy day for you. Eat up and then soon we will be outta here and you can rest before you see your man tomorrow.” He winks, and it makes Sehun roll his eyes again.

“Thanks, Jongin-ah.” He accepts the muffin and the younger smiles back at him warmly. He’s right. It’ll be a busy day and he will need to focus all of his attention on matters concerning his artists and company and not a cute bunny looking guy. That can wait until tomorrow.

Sehun’s idea of sleeping in is 8 am, but he indulges in the warmth of his bed and his dog curled into his side for far longer. It always feels refreshing when he wakes up with no obligations.

Yesterday, everything that needed to be done was done, so that means no one should be bothering him for anything. The only one allowed to bother him is Vivi, and it will probably be for pets or extra treats. Still, despite how comfortable he is, the thought of visiting Junmyeon causes him to finally leave his bed.

This morning, he takes his time getting ready, not burdened by the time crunch of getting in so early. He takes a long, relaxing shower, making sure to use his best body wash and shampoo so he will smell divine. He makes sure to dry his hair and styles it in a ‘messy but still tactfully styled way’ so that he can appear more casual, but at the same time, still put together.

For his outfit, he pulls out his favorite Dior jacket before anything else. With spring starting, the temperatures are slowly getting warmer, but for now, a jacket is still needed for the slight chill that’s still hanging around. He figures that just a simple white tee shirt under it and some nice fitting jeans will be a good outfit to see Junmyeon in. He doesn’t want to flaunt himself or draw too much attention by wearing his most expensive clothing items.

Before he leaves, he has to shake out his nerves by giving Vivi lots of pets while muttering to him his concerns. Vivi seems to pick up on his nervous energy for he licks his hand a few times as if encouraging him. It seems to do the trick since Sehun finally musters up the will to get his wallet and keys together.

In no time, Sehun is parking his Ferrari on the side of the street and stepping out of it. Up ahead, he can spot the bunny logo on the door. He’s come to adore seeing the drawing, and he smiles to himself as he steps closer to the door. Peering inside, the place is empty of customers. It probably has to do with the fact that, by now, the acceptable time to eat breakfast is nearing its end. That fact doesn’t stop Sehun from pushing the door open, the bell instantly causing Junmyeon to look up from where he’s busy wiping down the counter.

Sehun absolutely does not miss the way he sees the man’s eyes widen the briefest second before he schools his face into a welcoming grin. He places the towel aside, then turns all of his attention onto Sehun as he steps up to the counter. Junmyeon’s eyes shine with recognition, even though Sehun looks a bit different without a suit on and comma hair.

“Hello, welcome to Cotton Bunny,” Junmyeon greets him brightly, before his gaze turns a bit sheepish. “I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”

Sehun preens at the idea that Junmyeon had been thinking about him. He’s glad that he was able to surprise the male by appearing on a Saturday.

“I wanted to thank you for the muffin you slipped me yesterday,” he says honestly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” responds Junmyeon, but with the playful glint in his eyes, he knows exactly what he’s talking about. Sehun smiles softly, deciding just to accept the little gift as it was.

“My name is Sehun, by the way,” he finally decides to introduce himself. If he’s going to be showing his face around here a lot more to get closer to Junmyeon, the guy he likes should at least know his name. It seems like it was a smart idea since he noticeably sees Junmyeon perk up at learning his name.

“Junmyeon, but you probably knew that already,” laughs the man, motioning to the name tag pinned onto his apron.

“The introduction is still nice.” Sehun is thrilled that he’s able to have this casual conversation about something as basic as their names. It’s the beginning of something, and it’s not related to just buying some coffee and food.

“Where do you work?” Junmyeon asks, his head tilting the slightest bit to the side to convey his curiosity. “I've only seen you in suits, so this is a pleasant surprise.” He says so casually it seems like he himself is unaware about how he’s also been looking forward to seeing Sehun again.

“Oh, I am the CEO of Aries Entertainment,” Sehun says a little sheepishly.

For as rich as he is, he really doesn’t like to flaunt his wealth. Sure, he has a lot of nice clothes, jewelry, and a few luxury cars, but at the same time, he will re-wear the same Louis Vuitton shirt till it practically falls apart. He doesn’t buy more than he needs, preferring simplicity instead of buying so much he will never get around to actually wearing the clothes.

He instead likes to show his money in a more down low sort of way. He will donate to charities across Korea all the while asking for nothing in return, not even something as little as a ‘shoutout’ on social media. Some people think he’s greedy for never publicly showing him donating, but those who he’s met with know just how selfless he is when it comes to giving to organizations in need.

The mention that he’s a CEO seems to startle Junmyeon. The gentle smile on his face and the relaxed posture disappear as he straightens up, now the one looking sheepish. Sehun unconsciously frowns at the reaction.

“I’m sorry,” apologizes Junmyeon while he gazes at the countertop, “I shouldn’t have been so casual with you.”

“No, no, you can be casual with me,” Sehun rushes out in a panic, fearing that he’s already fumbled his chance with Junmyeon when it’s barely just begun. “I’m sure we are close to the same age. How old are you?”

“37, but I’ll be 38 in May.” Junmyeon seems a bit more relaxed after Sehun insisted that it was okay that they can already be informal with each other.

“I’m 36, 37 in April.” Sehun gives him a reassuring smile. “Can I call you hyung then?”

“Yeah, you can call me hyung.” Junmyeon returns the same light smile. There’s a comfortable brief moment of silence again before,

“You’re the CEO of the same company Baekhyun and Chen are under?” The question causes Sehun to burst out laughing.

“I’m assuming you're a fan?” he presses, noticing how Junmyeon starts to fluster.

“They’re my favorite solo artists,” he admits and Sehun definitely stores that away in his brain for later.

“They are most certainly a fan favorite. They’re great guys.” Sehun can’t say enough good things about his artists. He always makes a point to get to know them personally so he can understand what they want or need. He believes that if his artists are happy and well taken care of within his company, then they will create better art and experiences for fans.

“I’m really excited for Baekhyun’s comeback!” Just like that, Junmyeon starts gushing about his favorite artist, telling Sehun about how he heard his song ‘UN Village’ while grocery shopping one day and became an instant fan.

“I’ll be sure to pass the excitement along.” He honestly means that. Baekhyun has his own twitter to see the hype his comeback is attracting, but him telling Baekhyun in person how someone is eagerly waiting for his album release will make him happy.

“Thank you, Sehun-ah.” The said male almost freezes at how natural his name sounds coming out of his mouth.

“You-you’re welcome.” Suddenly, the jacket he is wearing feels too hot. He wants to blame the warmth of the store that’s contributing to his hotness, but he can’t deny that it’s all because of hearing Junmyeon call him by his name.

“By the way, is there anything I can get you today?” Junmyeon’s ever tender smile makes Sehun feel even mushier inside. He thinks the man must be aware of the effects he has on Sehun since he looks at him with sweet doe eyes.

“Oh, um, yeah, a large black coffee with-” Before he even has a chance to finish saying his order, Junmyeon is giggling behind the register.

“With four spoonfuls of sugar and a little milk?” the man finishes for him.

“Yeah,” breathes out a stunned Sehun. He can’t believe Junmyeon remembers his coffee order, though he figures it’s not difficult when he’s ordered it every single time he’s met him so far. Still, it makes more warmth nestle into Sehun’s heart.

“Anything else I can get for you?” With those eyes and gorgeous smile, Sehun would buy everything in the store if it would make Junmyeon happy.

“A strawberry doughnut, please.” This morning, it looks quite appetizing. The pink frosting stands out amongst the glazed and chocolate ones, causing his attention to be caught. It’s been a while since he’s had a doughnut, but the pink frosting with little sprinkles on it looks inviting.

“They’re my favorite thing we make!” Junmyeon perks up in excitement at Sehun wanting to try his favorite treat. “Strawberries are my favorite fruit, though, so I might be a bit biased.” He becomes sheepish, as if Sehun wasn’t in awe watching him become excited over the doughnut.

“I’m excited to try it then,” says Sehun honestly. He’s already so whipped for Junmyeon that he bets he would have bought one even if he was allergic to strawberries. Thankfully, he is not, so he can safely enjoy Junmyeon’s claimed favorite.

“I really hope you’ll like it.” Junmyeon gazes down at the tablet screen as he taps in Sehun’s order. “Is that everything for today?”

Sehun is about to say yes when something else catches his attention. He’s not sure how he’s never noticed it before if it’s always been there before, but he sees it now. Actually, he’s sure Junmyeon’s angelic features have given him tunnel vision, but today he spots a clear jar that has paw prints all over it. Inside are dog biscuits and they appear to be handmade, not store bought.

“Are those dog treats?” As soon as the words come out of his mouth, Sehun wants to smack himself. Of course they’re dog treats! It clearly states that on the tag sitting in front of it. Plus, them being bone shaped and inside a paw printed container is a dead give away to what they are too.

“Yes, and they’re made with all natural, safe ingredients for dogs!.” If Junmyeon gives Sehun a look for saying something so obvious, he’s glad he didn’t see it since he’s still eyeing the jar.

Vivi already has a whole basket full of assorted treats at home, and his vet has continuously warned that too many treats can lead to Vivi going on a diet, but buying some dog treats can open up a whole new window of conversation. If it’s one thing humans share in common, it’s that they all love talking about their pets. Junmyeon might not know Sehun already knows he has a dog, but if his hunch is correct, the man is about to tell him himself.

“I’ll take two of them for my dog.” He finally glances away from the jar to meet Junmyeon’s eyes again. The man’s eyes are bright in interest when he mentions his dog.

“What kind of dog do you have?” Junmyeon asks to make more conversation. Since the jar is right beside him, he opens it before grabbing a pair of tongs to pick out the treats.

“He’s a Bichon Frise. His name is Vivi.” He quickly pulls out his phone to flash Junmyeon his lockscreen, which is of Vivi peacefully sleeping on the couch. He looks more like a pillow with how he’s curled up, but it’s still a very adorable picture of him.

“He’s so cute,” coos Junmyeon, tongs half way in the jar as he’s staring at the picture. “I have a dog, too!” He finally grabs two treats, then picks up a smaller paper bag to slide the treats in. “Her name is Byul. She’s a mini terrier.”

“She sounds adorable,” Sehun is glad his brain didn’t let slip that he’s already seen his dog before. Just like he thought, Junmyeon started talking about his own pet, thus continuing on the conversation, “and she sounds spoiled with homemade treats.”

“Yeah, she is quite spoiled with her all natural, fresh baked treats. She likes them so much I figured it would be nice to sell some for other dog owners.” He sets them onto the counter, then leaning some of his weight against it in a casual manner. “Minseok is upset we haven’t started selling cat treats because-”

“Yah! I heard that!” All of a sudden, the said male comes bursting out from behind the door. Sehun startles in surprise since he wasn’t even aware he was here since he didn’t hear any clanking and commotion from the back.

“Ah, it’s you again.” Minseok gives him a once up and down and Sehun is honestly not sure if he meant it in a nice or passive aggressive way. He’s not being glared at, so he hopes that means the man has warmed up to him after his slightly awkward first encounter.

“Minseok-ah, that’s not a way to talk to a customer!” Junmyeon gasps, face morphed into a look of shock at his co-worker’s casualness. Sehun doesn’t mind, but he can’t help the light laugh that bubbles out of him at seeing Junmyeon’s expression.

“He seems more like a friend instead of a customer because I hear you guys chit chatting instead of serving,” Minseok retorts with a huff, but he says nothing more as he wanders back to where he came from.

“Sorry about him,” Junymeon apologizes, his cheeks tinged pink most likely due from Minseok’s scolding. “There’s a reason why I’m out front more than he is.”

“I heard that too!” comes the slightly muffled shouting. This time, Junmyeon laughs out loud.

“Alright, alright, let me get everything for you before Minseok comes out and pinches me.” He taps the screen a few more times and then Sehun is paying for his treats. After handing Sehun over the paper bag with the dog treats, he turns to make his coffee and grab his doughnut.

“Here is your large coffee and doughnut!” Junmyeon turns back around with the items and hands them over to Sehun with his ever kind smile.

“Thank you so much, I’ll enjoy them well.” Then, a thought pops into his head. “Not the dog treats, though, I’m sure Vivi will enjoy them.” His love sick brain has to make sure his crush is aware that the dog treats will be eaten by the intended creature.

“I’m sure Vivi will like them very much,” says Junmyeon after laughing heartily at Sehun. He figures Junmyeon is the kind of guy who likes the simple jokes, and that makes Sehun swoon just a little bit more.

“I’ll be sure to give you his review tomorrow,” Sehun promises, but he freezes when he notices Junmyeon’s face falling.

“Tomorrow I won’t be in since it’s my day off,” he explains. “Minseok will be here, but I won’t be. Will you come Monday?” He gazes up at Sehun with eyes shining with hope.

“Of course I will,” Sehun agrees. He’s about to come every single day just to see Junmyeon’s cute face. The food also tasting good is an added bonus to the mix.

“I’ll see you Monday, then!” Cheeks rounding up, Junmyeon looks incredibly pleased with Sehun’s promise.

“See you Monday.” Sehun has to keep in check how excited he is over Junmyeon wanting to see him again just so he can tell him all about Vivi eating the treats. Though he wishes they could talk longer, Sehun knows this is the acceptable time to leave. He has his items, plus he doesn’t want to risk being chased out by Minseok for distracting Junmyeon. Balancing everything in his two hands, he makes for the door. However, just as he’s about to push it open, he hears a voice call out to him.

“Sehun-ah?” He turns slightly, face pinched in confusion. “That jacket looks really nice on you,” Junmyeon compliments.

“Th-thank you!” Sehun squeaks in surprise at the compliment. He never would have thought Junmyeon would complement his looks, but it makes his skin tingle with how giddy it makes him feel. Though he might have sounded like a shy school girl when saying his thanks, the embarrassment doesn’t outweigh the cloud 9 feeling he’s experiencing now.

As soon as he gets home, Sehun sets his coffee cup and doughnut on the table in favor of pulling out a dog biscuit. Breaking it in half, he calls out for Vivi who scampers to his side immediately. Usually, it takes him a few seconds to get a move on, but this time he’s by his side in a flash. The little shit must know that his owner brought a treat for him.

“Okay, Vivi-yah.” With one hand holding the treat, he uses his other to pull out his phone. Unlocking it, he quickly opens the camera then sets it to record.

“Vivi-yah, sit!” he instructs, crouching down so he’s more at Vivi’s height. Obediently, the dog does as he’s told and sits on the first command. “Paw.” Vivi lifts up one paw and places it on Sehun’s closed fist. “Other paw.” He does the same with the other paw.

“Good boy,” coos Sehun. “Here you go.” Uncurling his fist, Vivi’s treasure is sitting in the palm of his hand. The dog gently takes it from his owner’s hand and immediately starts snacking on it. In only a few seconds, the treat is completely devoured. Behind his phone, Sehun smiles happily at seeing his dog enjoy it. He ends the recording.

“Your daddy’s crush makes them.” Vivi is always privy to Sehun’s thoughts and feelings. Of course the man has already told all he knows about Junmyeon despite the animal having no clue what is being spoken to him. It’s therapeutic, though, and Vivi does not tease him, unlike Jongin and Chanyeol.

Of course, Vivi doesn’t reply to him, but after finishing the half he looks at Sehun in betrayal. He wonders how his dog is so smart because it seems like he’s aware there’s another half to the piece he was given. Fearing being under the wrath of the Bichon Frise, Sehun moves to grab the other half for Vivi. This time, he only tells him to sit before giving him the rest of the biscuit. With how good of a mood Sehun is in, his dog deserves to be in a good mood as well.

Now, it’s time for him to eat his treat. By now, the coffee should have cooled off to the acceptable temperature where it’s not ‘burn your tongue’ hot, but still warm enough to enjoy. He’s excited to try the strawberry doughnut. He wasn’t lying when he told Junmyeon he’s excited to try it. He’s unable to contain his excitement and hurriedly pulls it out from the bag.

“Even bunny sprinkles?” Sehun muses out loud, a soft grin forming at the sight of the multicolored bunny head sprinkles. Looking at them from afar in the case he couldn’t tell that the sprinkles were shaped, but for obvious reasons, the design is very fitting.

“He’s so cute,” he murmurs to himself, finally bringing the doughnut to his lips.

He takes a bite, the pastry pillowy soft. Chewing, the taste of strawberries is quick to cover his tongue. The frosting is actually made with real strawberry bits, giving it the extra flavor. Plus, it’s plentiful, so each bite will have the perfect amount of frosting. Even the sprinkles are soft, so there’s no awkward crunching while he chews the bite and swallows. The strawberry doughnut just might be his favorite as well.

The rest of Saturday and all of Sunday comes and goes before it’s finally Monday again.

Sehun made it a point not to do anything too crazy over the weekend. He watched a few movies, had some wine to mellow out, and also did a workout. While he was a bit upset that he couldn't see Junmyeon on Sunday, he knows how important it is to have a day off. He just hopes that the man also had a relaxed weekend.

Normally, Sehun would be grumpy with the coming of a new week, but now he has something to look forward to. He promised he would stop by Cotton Bunny Bakery, and he will honor that promise even if he’s still sleepy from his relaxed weekend. Besides, seeing Junmyeon will instantly put him into a better mood.

Just any other time he has come in the morning, there are people packed inside the bakery. Holding open the door for a woman exiting, he then steps inside. Already, his mood is lifting due to the sweet aroma of all the baked goods and the fresh smell of the brewing coffee. Junmyeon, however, has yet to see him, but that’s not surprising as he is tending to his customers.

Patiently, Sehun waits in line. As he waits, Minseok comes out from the back with a fresh batch of scones. While putting them inside the display case, his eyes briefly roam around the store until they happen upon Sehun. The man does a double check, and when he stares at him longer, Sehun gives him a small wave. In return, Minseok gives him a gummy smile.

Just then, Junmyeon comes over to the display case. Before moving out of his way, Minseok gives him a little nudge and subtly motions to where Sehun is standing in line. Sehun watches Junmyeon’s eyebrows furrow a bit, but his eyes then follow along in the direction Minseok jerked his head to.

Their eyes meet, Junmyeon’s eyes widening just a fraction when he realizes who he is looking at. As soon as the recognition hits, the surprise turns into a blazing smile. Junmyeon enthusiastically gives him a wave, and Sehun absolutely cannot miss the fond eye roll Minseok does at the action. Still, Sehun sends him back his own wave, one that has a lot more energy put into it than the one he gave Minseok.

Sadly, their moment is broken since Junmyeon has to fulfill the order. Sehun watches him grab a pair of tongs and reaches for a danish. Before he makes his way back to the front counter, Junmyeon gives Minseok his own nudge with a hip. Sehun’s face scrunches up in a brief second of confusion. For no words spoken, the actions sure spoke a lot.

“Hello, good morning, Sehun-ah,” Junmyeon greets him by name when it’s his turn to order. “Usual coffee?”

“Morning, Junmyeon hyung.” Sehun feels tingly all over again at hearing him say his name again. He has to keep his cool, though. “And yes, please. I would also like a strawberry doughnut.” He’s fortunate enough to come at a good time since there are only three left that he can see.

“Ah, so you enjoyed it, huh?” Junmyeon adds everything together and when Sehun assures him that’s all for this morning, he pays.

“Yes, I can see why it’s your favorite. Vivi also enjoyed the dog biscuits.” Sehun’s eyes follow Junmyeon who gets his coffee after the doughnut.

“I’m so glad to hear you two enjoyed everything.” In no time, both his items are being handed to him. “It really means a lot to hear that.” His voice is full of sincerity as he speaks, so Sehun knows he means every word he just said.

“Of course. I’ve loved everything I’ve tried so far,” Sehun responds honestly. It’s really no wonder why the place is always packed so early in the morning and why the online reviews are nothing less than raving. He might have a crush on the guy, but the food is just simply that good.

“That makes me so happy.” Sehun is hoping his tired eyes aren’t playing tricks on him when he sees a pink color blooming on Junmyeon’s cheeks. It always makes him so unbelievably happy when he’s able to fluster Junmyeon. He wishes he could stay longer, but the morning rush is still coming in and he can’t hog Junmyeon’s attention for too long.

“Have a good day, hyung. I’ll see you tomorrow.” As he politely turns to leave, he hears Junmyeon’s melodic voice calling out,

“You too, Sehun-ah. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Of course, a giant smile is on Sehun’s face by the time he’s fully out the door.

“Yes, I went to Cotton Bunny, and no, I didn’t get you anything.” announces Sehun when he makes it up to his office. Of course, Jongin and Chanyeol are already there and are chit chatting together as they wait for their boss.

“I didn’t even say anything!” whines Jongin who then pouts. Chanyeol bursts out laughing, his hand coming down to smack against the other’s shoulders.

“I knew you were going to.” Sehun rolls his eyes, opening his office door. Both men follow him in, waiting until he sets his items down and flops into his comfy chair.

“You’re so whipped for this guy you’ve only been eating breakfast from there. I’ve never seen you eat so much sugar in your life. Your teeth must be screaming,” teases Chanyeol.

“My teeth are perfectly fine.” Sehun takes a large sip of his coffee. He knows today is going to be a busy day. He’s got all sorts of meetings, so he knows he will need a lot more cups of caffeine in just a little while.

“He bet he knows his coffee order by now,” giggles Jongin. The look on Sehun’s face must give something away because he starts laughing even harder now. “He does, doesn't he?”

“It’s an easy enough order to remember,” grumbles Sehun. It’s honestly impressive how Junmyeon gets the taste of it just right. Sometimes, he’ll order his usual coffee and it will end up being too sweet, but the coffee makes tastes perfect every single time.

“Hyung, it honestly sounds like he’s into you,” Chanyeol says honestly. “Junmyeon is a nice guy, but it sounds like he’s being extra nice to you. You just have to make your move.”

“He’s so pretty it scares me. I see his cheeks go all round and my brain practically short circuits.” Sighing, Sehun opens up the paper bag to pull out the strawberry doughnut.

“You’re even getting his favorite item!” Chanyeol points a finger at the pastry Sehun is now taking a bite of. “Do you even like strawberries?”

“Yes, Chanyeol-ah I do actually like strawberries. You order me strawberry smoothies all the time in summer.”

“Oh, yeah.” Chanyeol grins sheepishly.

“Are those sprinkles on it? coos Jongin, peering closer to look at them. “How cute!”

“Yup, bunny ones.” Sehun is still highly amused by the little detail.

“Wow, he’s really committed to the theme. I’m surprised he doesn’t have actual bunnies hopping around,” jokes Jongin.

“Actually,” Chanyeol starts, which makes Sehun automatically look at him. “A few years ago he tried to have some in the bakery like those animal cafés do, but it didn’t work out, so now every so often he raises money for shelters that take in bunnies.”

“Oh god don’t tell me that or I’m gonna fall in love with him more,” groans Sehun. He puts his head in his hands, taking a moment to think about Junmyeon playing with a bunch of fluffy bunnies. It’s quite adorable.

“No time to think about making love to him; you have a meeting soon!” Jongin chastises, patting Sehun’s shoulder to give him strength.

“I wasn’t thinking about that!” Embarrassment causes Sehun’s cheeks to become reddened. Again, Chanyeol bursts out laughing, this time so hard that he has to support himself against Sehun’s desk before he falls onto the floor.

“Sure, hyung. I believe you.” Jongin says in a sarcastic tone. Sehun groans again, accepting his fate of always being teased now.

“Who am I meeting with first? The contractors?” As Aries Entertainment continues to grow, more practice rooms are needed to make sure all his artists are able to have enough space to do so. He, of course, has to meet with some contractors to draw up some plans for the future rooms.

“Yup, so finish your doughnut and coffee. We’ll leave you alone to think about your future lover.” Jongin nudges Chanyeol who has recovered from his laughing attack. Without saying a word back, Sehun waves the two off, both of them giggling as they exit his office.

Sehun knew today was going to be busy, but he hadn’t expected it to be so stress inducing as well. The meeting with the contractors went horrible, thus setting him into a bad mood afterwards. The contractors had lied about how fast it would be to set the plan into motion, which would cause construction of new practice rooms to be pushed back greatly.

Then, not long after he finished up with the meeting, Jongin had come in and informed him that a member from his group called Neo Tech, Taeyong, had sprained his ankle while practicing a new choreography. While he was already checked out by a doctor and his injury wasn’t deemed as critical, he will still need to stay off his leg for a few weeks as it heals.

Knowing one of his artists is now injured, it made him upset. He cares very deeply about each and every idol under his company. While he knows injuries like this can happen when practicing intense choreography like Neo Tech does, it doesn’t make him any less upset when it does happen. He jots down a quick note to check up on Taeyong himself later. He knows the man will be disheartened that he won’t be able to practice with his group for a little while.

All of this has happened before lunch time, so now everything can take a pause while it’s time to eat.

Slumped into his chair, Sehun takes a second to breathe. He tries to push down the growing tension rising in him. If he stresses too much, there will be consequences down the road. He just needs to take some calming breaths and order some lunch, and also another coffee.

“Chanyeol,” Sehun calls for his assistant once he calmed down enough to be able to face someone else.

“Sir?” Chanyeol opens the door, standing right infront of his boss’ desk. It’s easy to pick up on the tension along Sehun’s shoulder, so Chanyeol makes sure he’s extra polite now.

“Please order me some sushi from Jasmine’s. You know my usual order.” Rubbing his face, Sehun exhales loudly. “I need another coffee.”

“I can go make you one after I place your order,” offers Chanyeol like the personal assistant he is. Normally, Sehun would take him up on that, grateful he doesn’t have to move, but now he declines.

“No, I’ll get some coffee myself. I need to take a little walk.” With that, Sehun rises from his chair then stretches out his back for a few seconds.

“Okay, I’ll let you know when your food arrives.” Chanyeol makes room for Sehun to pass by him to get to the door. Chanyeol quietly shuts the door behind them before pulling out his phone so he can order Sehun’s lunch.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Sehun lets Jongin know. Since the man’s cheeks are stuffed with noodles, he just nods instead. Jongin already knows how Sehun is currently feeling, his eyes softening in sympathy.

Since it’s lunch time, Sehun passes by various other employees while heading down to the lobby. Each person bows respectfully as they pass, and though he might be in a bit of a sour mood, he still makes sure to properly greet them back. It’s none of these people’s fault his day has gone downhill. They don’t deserve his wrath.

Like a magical spell has been cast, Sehun’s mood instantly lifts upon setting foot into Cotton Bunny Bakery. The atmosphere is soothing, especially with the classical music always playing. This is exactly what he needs in his stressful day today. His mood lifts even higher when Junmyeon glances up at him after the bell sounds above his head.

“Hello!” Junmyeon greets after setting down the stack of to-go cups he’d just been rearranging.

“Hello, hyung.” Sehun wishes he could sound a bit more cheerful in greeting him, but it really is just one of those days.

“Tough day today?” Junmyeon asks softly, catching onto Sehun’s flat tone and the deep frown.

“Yeah.” Sehun sighs for what feels like the hundredth time today. “I need a coffee to pick me up.”

“That I can provide.” Junmyeon gives him a gentle smile, toning down his usual exuberant self. “Your usual?”

“Yes, please. That’s it for today. I’m having lunch delivered.”

“Ah, what did you order?” He rings up the coffee then motions for Sehun to pay.

“Sushi. I haven’t had it in a while.” Sehun’s eyes follow Junmyeon. He can’t help staring at the apron tied tightly around his waist. It just shows that he has a small one and it makes Sehun want to wrap his hands around it.

“I love sushi! I had some last night.” Junmyeon makes quick work of grabbing a cup and pouring in the steaming coffee. Adding Sehun’s sugar and milk, Junmyeon is handing it over after a few seconds of stirring.

“You know, I’m told I’m a great listener.” He motions to one of the tables. “The bakery isn’t busy around this time. If you have a few minutes to spare, I can listen to your troubles.”

“That… would be nice,” admits Sehun. Just Junmyeon’s presence has a calming effect on him. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to him for a few minutes, at least until Chanyeol tells him his food is delivered.

“Then let’s sit.” Junmyeon removes his apron before making his way from behind the counter. Sehun does as told and settles onto the comfy cushion of one of the chairs. Taking a sip of his coffee, he allows the hot liquid to burn his tongue a bit to bring him back from his moodiness before swallowing.

“I’m here to listen.” Junmyeon plops down onto the unoccupied chair, his back straight and full attention on Sehun.

“One meeting didn’t go as planned and another thing happened that just added onto my stress. After lunch, I have even more meetings today, yet I’m already so tired.”

“When you get home you need to do some serious self care. I’ve watched tons of dramas, you CEOs are workaholics!” Junmyeon wiggles a playful finger at him. Sehun lets out a laugh, already feeling energy seeping into him.

“You have to be when you’re running your own company. You must understand, you own this bakery.” Sehun waves around the area.

“Ah, ah, Minseok and I both own it, so we can support each other. I might just be co-owner of a bakery, but I do know the importance of treating yourself after a stressful day. It’s how I stay so positive.”

“So that’s the secret?” Sehun eyes Junmyeon in surprise at hearing how Junmyeon is always radiating energy. This time, Jumyeon is the one laughing out loud.

“Yup! That’s the secret. No matter what the day was like and what I have to do the next day, I make sure I have the time to do something nice for myself.” Junmyeon smiles brightly at Sehun. It’s really as simple as that, but that’s how it works for himself. He can hope his method would also work for Sehun, but it might not.

“What do you do for self care?” Sehun asks curiously. He wants to know what makes Junmyeon happy enough that he uses it as self care.

“Well, it all depends.” Junmyeon looks thoughtful, brows furrowing as he thinks about what he tends to do for his self care. “Recently, I have been getting into wine. So, I’ll have a glass or two along with something that pairs with it.”

“Ah, do you prefer red or white?” While Sehun is more of a whiskey guy, he does have his fair bit of knowledge in wine.

“Right now, it’s red wine, but I still have a lot I’d like to try.” It seems like the man is serious about his new interest, and Sehun admires that.

“California has great wineries, I’m sure you’d love it there.” He’s been to Napa Valley a few times with friends on vacation. The scenes had been gorgeous, and the wine, as well as food, was nothing less than spectacular. Sehun’s sure any wine lover would love to visit.

“I’ve researched it a bit. It seems like a great place. I would love to visit there one day.” Junmyeon sighs wistfully, probably thinking about drinking wine in the sunshine while gazing out over beautiful countrysides.

“I hope you’re able to visit one day,” says Sehun honestly. Already, he thinks if this will go anywhere, he will surely take Junmyeon to Napa Valley one day. Maybe for an anniversary? Right now, though, he’s thinking way too far ahead.

“I hope so too.” Junmyeon smiles gently. “That’s just one thing I’ll do. Other times I’ll eat dessert for dinner, watch a few episodes of my favorite TV show, splurge on expensive skincare products. Sometimes, the best self care is just going to sleep early.”

“Going to sleep early,” Sehun mutters to himself. He can’t even remember the last time he did something like that, no matter how exhausted he has felt. He’ll stay up late either working on something or simply enjoying the peacefulness that comes with just being alone.

“That’s your self care for tonight!” Junmyeon claims. “Even if it’s just an hour earlier than you usually go to sleep, try it, okay?”

“Okay,” murmurs Sehun, thinking it over. Most of the time he doesn’t end up falling asleep until early morning, thus only catching a few hours of sleep before he has to get up again. Maybe extra sleep is what he needs.

Just then, his phone chimes with a text message. Already knowing what it will be about, Sehun still takes it out just to be 100% sure. Just as he expected, it’s Chanyeol informing him that his lunch has been delivered, along with a chocolate bubble tea that he took the liberty of ordering as well since Sehun’s in a bad mood. He thanks Chanyeol and lets him know he will be back in a few.

“I must go now,” he informs Junmyeon. “My lunch has arrived. Thank you for the help.”

“No problem.” Though he is smiling, Sehun can detect the slight dejection on his face that appeared when he said he has to leave. “Have a good lunch, Sehun-ah. And remember, go to bed early tonight!”

“Yes, hyung,” laughs Sehun. He stands up, grabbing his coffee that has cooled down by a lot as they sat. “I’ll be sure to go to sleep tonight.”

“Good. Now, hurry back.” Junmyeon playfully shoos him out the door so he can start walking back since that is what he did. He decided to walk to the bakery to cool off from his stressful morning.

Leaving the bakery, Sehun turns back around so he can give Junmyeon a wave goodbye. Of course, Junmyeon is still staring at him and he waves back energetically. He hopes the man knows how much their little talk made him feel so much better. He will take Junmyeon’s advice to incorporate more self care into his daily life.

“I know you said you were getting coffee, but I’m sure you wouldn’t pass up bubble tea.” Chanyeol greets Sehun. He had already stabbed the straw through, so Sehun immediately takes a swig and allows the chocolate flavor to wash over him. Getting bubble tea is most certainly a part of his limited self care.

“I would never. Thank you.” Sehun places both his drinks down onto his desk, placing the coffee a bit off to the side. He had only taken a few sips, but just talking to Junmyeon alone had given him the energy he was missing. Though, he’s sure later once he finishes up the bubble tea, he’ll be forced to reheat the coffee.

“Did you see Junmyeon hyung?” Chanyeol asks, obviously noticing the bunny logo on Sehun’s cup. He isn’t surprised at all since he knew where his boss was heading as soon as he told him he would be getting his own coffee.

“Yeah, we even talked a bit.” Sehun removes the lid from his sushi, then picking up the pair of chopsticks and cracking them apart.

“Good.” Nodding approvingly, Chanyeol is about to leave since he doesn’t want to press more when Sehun continues to speak.

“He could tell I was stressed, so he talked to me. He said he’s so energetic because he always makes time for self care and he told me I need to do the same.” He gazes down at the array of rolls, not sure which one to eat first.

“Hyung,” starts off Chanyeol a bit hesitant after he processes what Sehun had just said. “Allow me to say something as someone who genuinely cares about you and not just as your personal assistant?”

“Hm?” Sehun gives him confirmation to speak. Suddenly, he’s very interested in what Chanyeol has to say.

“Junmyeon hyung is right. Self care is very important, especially for you. You’ve been endlessly busy since you built the place from the ground up. It’s okay to take time for just yourself. Nothing will collapse if you take a few more extra days off a year. You deserve them,” Chanyeol speaks honestly. He cares deeply for Sehun and he knows he still struggles with not being constantly obsessed with work.

Sehun reflects on Chanyeol’s words. He remembers the time he had almost run himself into the ground because he was working so much, even on so called ‘days off’. That’s when Jongin and Chanyeol had intervened and Sehun began his new practice of avoiding work on the weekend. Despite his new ways, his working conditions are still greatly taking a toll on him. He looks Chanyeol dead in the eye.

“Thank you,” he says simply. He needed to hear those words from someone’s opinion he really values. Both Chanyeol and Jongin are always his voices of reason, especially when he’s blind to how he begins to deteriorate when he’s immersed in work.

“Oh, uh, you’re welcome!” He wasn’t expecting that response, but Sehun seemed to take his words to heart, so he’s happy. “I’ll let you enjoy your lunch in peace.” With a bow, Chanyeol exits the office. Jongin gives him a curious look when he catches his friend’s serious face.

“I’ll tell you later,” assures Chanyeol. Jongin pouts, not liking to be out of the loop.

The good vibes Junmyeon was sending Sehun’s way must have worked since the rest of his meetings went far better than his first one had. After his final one at 4:00, he had messaged Taeyong wishing him better and asked if there was anything he could provide for him. He had responded with a ‘no’, but he was very grateful for the well wishes.

Sehun made sure to have everything done before heading home. Jongin and Chanyeol always leave before him, so they made sure to stop in to say their goodbyes. Chanyeol gives him a knowing look before he shut the door, Sehun giving him a slight nod to let him know that he will now be doing more self care.

Just as he promised Junmyeon, he goes to sleep early.

After arriving home, he had eaten his dinner that he ordered before he left Aries Entertainment. To begin his self care, he ate while starting to re-watch a movie he hadn’t seen in a few years, Twilight.

He would rather die than to let anyone know he enjoys the Twilight saga, but he does genuinely enjoy it. He had first watched it during its height, using the movie as a way to sharpen his English skills. He thought he wouldn’t have liked it, but he ended up doing so by the end of the first film. This is his time for self care, so he is spending it how he pleases.

When it ended, instead of dwelling on his phone, he immediately got ready for bed. While it took some time for him to complete his own skin care routine, he didn’t feel so burdened tonight. Everything was calm as at 11:05 he tucked himself into bed with Vivi right by his side.

It sure feels nice to be in bed so early.

Upon waking up the next day, Sehun’s nose feels a bit stuffy and his throat feels scratchy as well. He puts it off symptoms caused by seasonal changes since spring is here and flowers and trees are starting their bloom. As he gathers all his items for the day, he makes sure to slip a few miniature packs of tissues into his pockets. Sehun is hoping the stuffiness will clear up in a bit, but he’s not risking having a runny nose.

“Good morning!” To no surprise, Junmyeon greets Sehun just as brightly as the other times he has come in. However, this greeting is followed by a thorough glance over. “You definitely look more well rested than yesterday,” he then comments.

“Yes, I listened to your advice and went to sleep early. I do feel a lot better tired wise, but now my nose is a bit stuffy. Must be because of the season.” It’s not unusual to have irritation from all the new growth. If it gets worse, he can send Chanyeol out for some allergy medication.

“It probably is.” Junmyeon nods in agreement. “You still need your coffee, though, don’t you?” he teases.

“Yes, I do,” Sehun chuckles. “I would also like a- oh.” Sehun’s voice falters off in disappointment when his eyes wander over to the case. What he’s looking for is gone. Junmyeon seems to pick up on what he wanted and smiles apologetically.

“I’m sorry, there’s no more strawberry doughnuts left. They were a big hit this morning. I can save you one for tomorrow, if you’d like?”

“Would you please?” Sehun asks hopefully. It’s so sweet of Junmyeon to set aside a pastry for him. It makes warmth spread along his chest.

“Of course!” Cheeks rounding up, Junmyeon beams at Sehun. “Are you just going to order the coffee today, or are you interested in something else? If you like the fruit flavors, the danishes would be a good choice,” Junmyeon suggests.

“I’ll take an apple danish as well, please.” Hearing the man suggest the danish, he’s reminded about the very first good he’s tried from Cotton Bunny. He had been meaning to buy another one, but then he got caught up in trying different pastries.

“Apple danishes are a big hit too,” Junmyeon comments, adding the items together.

“Honestly, I think everything is a big hit,” compliments Sehun who slides out his card. “Your reviews are amazing, and everyone comments how good your stuff is.”

“Ah, really?” Junmyeon flusters. “I don’t check reviews, but that’s very good to know. Let me go get your coffee and danish.” He scurries off, making quick work of getting his items together. Sehun can tell how humble he is since he seems so shy at being told his bakery is well loved.

“Thank you.” Sehun gracefully accepts his coffee and the danish. Sadly, he can’t keep chatting with Junmyeon since he heard the bell chiming, signifying a customer.

“Have a good day, Sehun-ah. I hope you feel better soon,” Junmyeon tells him kindly.

“Thank you. You have a good day too. I’ll see you tomorrow. I can’t wait for that doughnut.” He still can’t get over how he’s come to love the food. He’s never been big into pastries, yet here he is.

“See you tomorrow!” Junmyeon gives him a wave, sending Sehun on his way.

Sehun, sadly, does not feel better soon. He thought that as soon as he settled into his office and got to work he’d forget about his annoying symptoms, but it was hard to when they started to get worse.

A few hours into the day, his nose became increasingly stuffy, causing him to whip out the mini tissue packs and call Chanyeol in requesting some allergy medication. In just a few minutes, Chanyeol was handing him a packet of some over and Sehun was swallowing them back with some water Chanyeol also had brought him.

“I still feel like shit,” mumbles Sehun to his assistant. He had tried to finish his lunch, but he only managed a few mouthfuls before he really wasn’t feeling the teriyaki beef anymore. He thought the allergy medication would have kicked in by now, but his nose is still a wreck, and a pounding headache has also made itself known.

“Hyung, I’m starting to think this isn’t because of allergies,” Chanyeol voices his opinion. “You’d be feeling better by now.”

“What? Do you think I’m sick?” Sehun groans, resting his head on the back of his chair. He might have gone a while without catching any sort of sickness, but it’s always inconvenient when he falls ill. No one likes being sick, and Sehun is far too busy of a man to have to deal with this on top of everything off.

“You might be. I was just sick. Maybe I accidentally spread it to you.” Chanyeol looks upset at the realization. Just because he was feeling better enough to come into work, it didn’t mean that he wasn’t contagious anymore.

“Or I could have caught it from someone else.” Sehun waves off his worries, picking his head back up. “Germs are everywhere.” While Chanyeol was just out because he was ill, Sehun knows that a client he had met with not long ago was suspiciously sniffling and coughing through the whole meeting. He thinks Mr. Jung is more responsible for spreading sickness to him than Chanyeol is.

“I could order you some orange juice?” Chanyeol says in a wary tone. “Get some vitamin C in your system to help fight whatever you have.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s a good idea.” Sehun agrees with a sigh. “And some cold medicine, too, please. And more tissues. I want to be prepared.”

“Of course, I’ll get right on it!” Chanyeol pulls out his phone so he can get the requested items delivered. With a polite bow, he then exits, leaving Sehun to rest his head on his desk in defeat.

“Well this sucks,” he mutters to himself, check pressed against the wood. However, his continuously stuffy nose forces him to straighten up and grab a tissue.

While Sehun might be feeling miserable, he’s sure his staff is happy that he ordered them all to finish up and leave early. It’s a Tuesday, so whatever happened to not get finished today can be worked on later in the week. Plus, Jongin has already canceled his only meeting for the day. It shouldn’t have taken very long, but Sehun doesn’t have the energy to sit through it, plus he doesn’t want to risk getting anyone sick.

“I’m always available, hyung,” Chanyeol stresses to Sehun before he also packs up to leave. It warms Sehun’s heart that the man is always willing to help him even when he doesn’t have to do so outside of work. It shows how big Chanyeol’s heart is and his desire to help people.

“I’m sure this will pass quickly. I’ll go home and rest.” Nothing is exciting Sehun more than driving back home and curling up in his bed with Vivi.

“Good.” Chanyeol nods approvingly. “Please, let me know how you’re feeling later.”

“I will, I will. Now, go and have a nice rest of your day.”

“Will do! It’s a beautiful day to take Zzar out to the park.” Chanyeol grins at the mention of his dog.

“Give her some pets from me.” Sehun’s met the tiny dog a handful of times. She is full of energy, just like her owner, but very loveable. He would love to have a Vivi and Zzar playdate, but Vivi likes to keep to himself.

“Don’t gotta tell me twice. Bye, hyung. Feel better!” Chanyeol shuts the door, no doubt making a bee line to his desk to gather his stuff. Sehun sends him off with a wave.

Waking up, Sehun is convinced he got ran over by a truck in his sleep. His alarm had barely been able to wake him. He normally wakes up the second it starts going off, but this time he wakes up disoriented and sees that his alarm has already been going off for a minute by the time he silences it.

Sehun groans weakly, the simple movement of him grabbing his phone taking an unexpected amount of energy. Since he wasn’t feeling well last night, he had a quick dinner before going to sleep early again. He even skipped his normal night time skin care routine in favor of crawling into his bed. It was foolish to think that a night of early sleep would be the cure to his illness. Now, he feels a thousand times worse than he did yesterday.

“Jongin-ah,” he practically whines into the phone after locating his secretary’s number. Sehun knows that Jongin is awake early so he knows he won’t be startling the man awake.

“Hyung? Are you okay?” comes Jongin’s panicked voice after he picks up on the second ring.

“I really don’t feel well,” Sehun mutters, then beginning to shove off the blanket on his bed. Only now does he realize just how hot and sweaty he is. “I think I have a fever.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll cancel everything for today and reschedule,” Jongin says, picking up on the implication that his boss is not well enough to come in. “Do you want me to send Chanyeol over right away?”

“No, no, I’m sure I’ll be alright. Just let him know I’m not gonna be in, please.”

“Will do. You know he’ll just show up later anyway, right?”

“I know.” Chanyeol’s love is no joke. Since he genuinely cares for Sehun, he’s sure to come over and check up on him. He has full permission to come up to Sehun’s penthouse, so no one from security will bat an eye at him when he marches into the building.

“In the meantime, you need to sleep,” urges Jongin softly. “And keep hydrated if you do have a fever. Plus, eat something light for your stomach. Have some toast.”

“It’s not my first time being sick, Jongin-ah,” Sehun teases. Honestly, he does appreciate the other’s concerns. He is so lucky to have found people like Jongin and Chanyeol.

“Sorry, sorry,” Jongin quickly apologizes. “Don’t you worry about anything today. I’ve got everything covered.”

“Thank you,” he says sincerely. He has the utmost trust in Jongin to make sure things run as smoothly as if Sehun was actually there.

“No problem, boss. Now, get back to sleep so you can feel better quickly! I’ll talk to you later. Bye!”

“Bye, Jongin-ah.” The call disconnects after that and Sehun drops his hand that has been holding his phone to his ear.

No matter how badly he wants to fall back asleep right away, he slowly peels himself off his bed. Sehun’s movements are slow as he shuffles over to his closet. His current sleepwear is damp from all the sweat, so he shucks them off and trades them for a pair of lounge shorts. With his torso exposed, he can feel the heat radiating off him. Yup, that’s definitely a fever and he’s definitely sick.

Then, he forces himself out into his kitchen. He knows he needs to make sure he drinks water while having a fever. It’s slow, careful steps towards the fridge, but he eventually makes it and he’s able to pull out a water bottle. Cracking the lid, he takes a few sips to test his stomach.

He at least doesn’t have to worry about taking care of Vivi. He has an automatic feeder and has an area that has his faux turf mat which he uses to relieve himself. Vivi is exceptional at picking up on his owner’s mood, so he will probably spend his day curled up by Sehun’s side. He’s thankful to have such a loyal dog.

His next steps are towards his living room. It’s closer to get there than his bedroom, and it’s spacious enough to accommodate his long frame. With the state he’s currently in, Sehun doesn’t care if he falls asleep on the couch or back in his bed. And falling back asleep is exactly what he did.

The next time Sehun awakes, it’s because of Vivi’s barking. His eyelids still feel heavy, but he forces them open to see why the dog is making such a commotion. When he does so, his vision takes a second to adjust until he realizes someone is making their way towards him.

“Hi, hyung. I’m here to check up on you,” Chanyeol says, a plastic bag hanging off his wrist. “I tried to message you first, but I figured you were asleep when you didn’t respond.”

“Hi, Yeol,” croaks out Sehun. He forces his body to sit upright, his body shivering. Ah, so here comes the part where he feels like he’s freezing when his skin is actually still hot to the touch. “What time is it?”

“It’s just a little after noon. I brought you a few things.” He opens up the bag and begins to pull out some electrolyte water, soup cans, and crackers.

“Thank you.” Sehun won’t admit that even just looking at the soup cans is making his stomach queasy, but he also knows at some point he will have to try and eat something.

“Have you eaten anything?” Chanyeol asks the dreaded question Sehun knew was coming.

“No, I got water then I passed out again.” He barely had the energy to get the water, let alone did he have the energy to make food.

“Your stomach is upset, isn’t it?” Chanyeol tries to gauge Sehun’s level of sickness. He must admit he really doesn’t look too good. He definitely has something that’s more than just a common cold.

“Yes,” Sehun groans. The chills wracking his body gets the better of him and yanks the blanket he has draped over the couch off and slings it around himself.

“How about some toast?”

“Okay.”

In just a few short minutes, Chanyeol hands Sehun over a plate with a single slice of buttered toast on it. He even urges him to open up the electrolyte water and start drinking that instead. Sehun, letting himself be bossed around for once, listens to his friend and makes sure the bottle is within easy reach.

“So, we got a delivery today,” Chanyeol starts off after Sehun had taken a few nibbles of the toast.

“Of what?” Sehun asks curiously.

“Of Cotton Bunny Bakery sweets.” Like a bolt of lightning, Chanyeol’s words strike Sehun.

“I was supposed to visit Junmyeon today,” Sehun murmurs, disappointment flooding him. He can only imagine the disappointment the man must have felt when he didn’t show up like he promised he would. Sehun didn’t mean to do it intentionally, but he had still promised.

“Jongin says he came in looking for you, and he told him you’re out sick. He then gave him a note, which I picked up before coming here.” With that, Chanyeol leans over to open up the plastic bag on the coffee table. This time, he pulls out a folded piece of paper. Sehun sets the plate in his lap in order to take the paper. He unfolds it.

‘Sehun, I am so sorry to hear you’re sick. I was worried when you didn’t come in this morning, so I came to Aries Entertainment to make sure you’re alright. Make sure you get lots of rest and you will be feeling better in no time! I also made sure to save you a strawberry doughnut, so eat it when you feel better! - Junmyeon’.

Right by his name is a quickly drawn bunny with a speech bubble drawn above it that has ‘get well soon!’ written inside of it.

“He is so sweet.” Sehun can’t help the pout that forms on his lips as he finishes reading the letter. Junmyeon actually cares enough about him to visit his building in order to check up on him.

“He is a great man,” Chanyeol agrees. “I did bring the doughnut, but I figured you wouldn’t want it now, do you?”

“No, this is already tough enough on my stomach.” Sehun grimaces at the toast. He doesn’t want to eat so much that he throws it back up and causes himself to be even more dehydrated.

“I'll put it away then.” Chanyeol removes the paper bag with the doughnut in it then heads for Sehun’s kitchen. To store the pastry longer, he places it in a container and makes sure to stick it in the fridge. He knows Sehun would be upset if he’s not able to eat the doughnut that was specifically saved for him.

“Thank you,” Sehun’s weak voice comes faintly drifting across the air.

“You’re welcome, hyung,” Chanyeol calls back.

For the next few days, Chanyeol stays with Sehun to take care of him. Naturally, Sehun had protested having him stay, but Chanyeol’s extremely stubborn nature had won out. After seeing the state his friend/ boss was in when he came up to check on him, Chanyeol had gone back to his apartment to gather some belongings and also drop off Zzar at his parents’ house so they could puppysit her.

Of course, Sehun’s penthouse has more than enough room to accommodate Chanyeol, so the man had thrown his duffle bag of clothes in one of the guest rooms like he owned the damn place. There was no way Sehun would have been able to take care of himself with his feverish body and weakened state. Taking care of Sehun is nothing for him since he cares so much for the man. Besides, Chanyeol and Jongin are the people closest to Sehun. Without them, Sehun would have no one.

“You’re certainly looking much better.” Chanyeol nods approvingly at how Sehun is finally eating the doughnut that’s been waiting for him.

“I am feeling much better,” Sehun confirms. It’s been five days since he became sick. Chanyeol made sure he’s been hydrated as best as possible and monitored his food so he wasn’t eating anything too harsh for his sick stomach. Today, he’s feeling well enough to eat the strawberry doughnut, but he’s taking it slow since he’s been living off soup, crackers, and toast the past few days.

“See, if I hadn’t come over you probably would have been dead already and Vivi would be eating your body,” jokes Chanyeol.

“Oh, please, Vivi wouldn’t eat me since he has the automatic feeder.” Sehun rolls his eyes at Chanyeol’s ridiculousness. Still, he can’t express how grateful he feels towards Chanyeol for taking care of him. He wouldn’t have been feeling better so fast if he’d been dealing with this alone. Even Chanyeol’s ‘ray of sunshine’ presence alone has made him feel better. It’s been nice to have someone to talk to to distract himself from how horrible he’s been feeling.

“You know that’s exactly when the feeder will mysteriously break and he’d be forced to eat you.”

“Yes, Chanyeol-ah, you are my savior.” While his words have a teasing edge to them, he does actually mean them. When Chanyeol’s face then turns soft after hearing that, Sehun knows that Chanyeol knows he’s serious.

Sehun is feeling well enough to go back to Aries Entertainment right as a new work week begins. Jongin had made sure to hold down the fort while he had been gone. He is already planning to give the man a bonus for his hard work while he thinks Chanyeol deserves an all expenses paid trip to wherever he wants as a humongous thank you for taking care of him.

Yesterday, Chanyeol had told him that Junmyeon had brought even more goodies for everyone on Thursday and Friday to ask for updates about Sehun. Of course, Chanyeol had been talking with Jongin, so he had been able to tell Junmyeon it would still be a few days until Sehun would be back.

Now, Sehun is getting ready for a brand new day. He knows exactly how he will thank Junmyeon for his concern, the pastries he gave to his employees, and even saving a doughnut for him like he promised. As much as he wants to go to the bakery right away, in order for his idea to work, he has to wait for a certain someone to make his way into the building for practice.

“Hyung!” Sehun hears the excited shout of Jongin. The man bolts from his seat, crashing into Sehun for a hug. He hugs him tightly, happy to see his boss/ friend back and feeling better.

“Hi, Jongin-ah.” Sehun is grinning to himself as he soaks up the warmth from Jongin’s body. “Thank you for taking care of everything while I was away,” he says once he’s released from Jongin’s tight hold.

“There wasn’t that much to do,” he snorts. “I rescheduled all your canceled meetings and you have a list on your desk of who called to schedule one while you were out. List them from most to least important and I can get on with scheduling for you.”

“Thank you, I’ll do that right away.” Feeling good to be back, Sehun is about to open the door to his office when Jongin’s voice stops him.

“Wait, you didn’t go to Cotton Bunny?”

“I will later. I want to get something first to thank him for his generosity and concern.” As soon as he gets what he wants, he will head straight over to the bakery.

“He was really concerned,” Jongin tells him. “He looked like he was about to cry when I told him you were out sick.”

“Okay, I think you’re exaggerating a bit.” Sehun rolls his eyes, not believing in Jongin’s dramatic retelling.

“I might be a little bit,” the man giggles, but turns serious again. “but it was very clear he was concerned about you. I mean, if he wasn’t he wouldn’t have come back to ask how you were. If you don’t go over there soon enough, he’s going to come back and then he’s probably going to be upset that you didn’t come in to see him this morning.”

“I know, I know, but I needed to come here first to get what I needed to thank him.”

“What are you doing?” Jongin eyes him curiously.

“He’s a fan of Baekhyun’s. I figured he’d appreciate a signed album.” He remembers Junmyeon gushing about how he became a fanboy of Baekhyun’s. It’s really no surprise that the artist has a wide variety of fans across all sorts of ages and genders. He thinks giving the man something as special as a signed album will show he’s thankful for his concern.

“Oh, that’d be nice. Baekhyun-ssi should be here soon, right?” Jongin glances at the watch he’s wearing.

“Yes, so I want to catch him before he starts practicing. I know he’s very busy.” Not only is Baekhyun’s album being released very soon, he’s also been preparing for a solo concert. This isn’t known to the fans yet, but he’s been working tirelessly when it comes to practicing and going over the stage production already.

“Just relax until he gets here, then. I’ll call his manager to call me when he arrives,” insists Jongin.

“Thank you, Jongin-ah.” With that, he heads into his office. Chanyeol is out getting coffee for Sehun, along with probably himself and a hot chocolate for Jongin. The man isn’t the biggest fan of coffee, so Chanyeol tends to pick him up sweeter drinks rather than the bitter coffee he and Sehun drink.

“Hyung, Baekhyun-ssi is here!” Jongin tells him after knocking on the door and entering once Sehun gave him permission. It’s only been a little over an hour of waiting for Baekhyun to arrive at the building, so Sehun’s been doing meaningless little tasks to keep himself occupied before meeting him.

“Great, thank you.” Sehun immediately rises from his seat. He also grabs the album he had obtained from his storage. Every single album one of his artists releases, he keeps one copy of each version that’s released. It’s like an archive. Since Baekhyun’s album is due to release in a few days, he’s already received the copies of his newest album. It will be easy enough to grab another album for his collection later.

Sehun makes his way to the elevator, like usual, anyone he passes by gives a bow of respect. He even gets side tracked a few times by asking his employees about this and that regarding their personal life. He cares, and if he knows of one employee having an issue, he tries his best to check up on them or help in any way he can.

Eventually, he makes his way a few floors down where the practice rooms are. As if waiting for him, which he probably was told Sehun wants to see him, Baekhyun is standing outside the door to one of the rooms, his manager, Kyungsoo, standing right beside him. Both are chatting, but when Minseok spots him, they stop and bow in greeting.

“Hello, Baekhyun-ah, Kyungsoo-ya,” he greets them kindly.

“Hello, Jongin-ssi said you wanted to see me,” Baekhyun says, curiosity lacing his voice. He was hoping he didn’t scare the man into thinking there is something wrong when he was told Sehun wants to meet with him, but he only looks curious and not nervous.

“Ah, yes, would you please sign an album for a friend of mine?” Sehun extends the album to him, and when Baekhyun takes it, he then pulls out a sharpie he had stuffed into his pocket, also handing that over.

“Of course!” Baekhyun happily chirps, shuffling over to a nearby table so he can write on it. He uncaps the sharpie. “Who should I make it out to?”

“Junmyeon,” he says. Imagining the man’s reaction when he sees the album makes him smile to himself. However, his smile slips when suddenly Baekhyun pauses just as he is about to write and glances at him.

“Isn’t that the name of the guy you have a crush on?” Baekhyun asks mischievously.

“Chanyeol told you about him, didn’t he?” groans Sehun who is now putting two and two together.

“Maybe!” Baekhyun sing songs, then turning his attention to writing down a message.

He had completely forgotten that Chanyeol and Baekhyun are buddies. Chanyeol is the kind of guy who is friends with damn near everyone and can make friends with everyone. Hell, Sehun is convinced that he could befriend even a rock. He is just that personable and loves talking to people.

Apparently, the two had gone to the same high school, then going their separate ways once it was time to go to college. They were close in high school, but the busy and hectic life of being a college student had caused them to gradually fall out with each other. That is until Chanyeol and Baekhyun reconnected once Baekhyun signed on with Aries Entertainment.

From then on, the two have reconnected their friendship. It’s not surprising that Chanyeol, being the chatterbox he is, has told Baekhyun about all the excitement about Sehun’s developing (?) love life.

“I made a note to make sure I get an invite to the wedding,” teases Baekhyun as he hands the signed album back over to Sehun.

“You did not.” Still, knowing how Baekhyun can be, he takes a peek at the message written on the cover. All there is a sweet message of Baekhyun thanking Junmyeon for all the support and that he hopes he likes the new album.

“Joking aside, I hope everything works out,” Baekhyun says sincerely. “Chanyeol has told me how wonderful this guy is.”

“Thank you, Baekhyun-ah.” Sehun feels touched. “I’ll let you get started with your practice. Thank you, again.”

“No problem,” Baekhyun sends him a wink before his manager herds him into the practice room.

Since Jongin made sure to keep his workload light for his first day back after recovering from his sickness, he has nothing to rush back to his office for. That means this is the perfect time to visit Junmyeon after not being able to do so for days. Plus, he knows that the morning rush of customers should be over. By now, most people should be at work, so that means Junmyeon won’t be so busy with helping customers.

Sehun has never been so happy to hear a ringing bell in his entire life once he pushes the door to Cotton Bunny open. Frowning, he realizes that no one is at the front counter at the moment. Thankfully, the bell signals that someone has come in for he sees the door to the back swing open. However, he deflates when he spots Minseok walking out instead.

“Oh!” Minseok makes a noise of surprise when he sees Sehun standing by the counter. Just as quick as he came out, he backs up. Two seconds later, Junmyeon pops out.

“You’re back!” Sehun is surprised when the man runs out from around the counter and engulfs him into a hug. He makes a slight ‘oof’ noise due to the abrupt contact. As if realization just dawned on him, Junmyeon immediately pulls away from Sehun. He wishes he could keep the man wrapped up in his arms with his cheek snug on his shoulder.

“You’re looking a lot better,” states Junmyeon, cheeks developing a pink color while his eyes shyly gaze down at the floor. “I was so worried,” he then says softly.

“I’m feeling good as new,” reassures Sehun. “I just wanted to stop by to tell you I’m feeling better and also give you a little something as a thank you for your concern.” He holds up Baekhyun’s album, Junmyeon’s eyes following the motion before gasping.

“Is that Baekhyun's new album?” With Sehun’s motioning to take it, Junmyeon accepts the gift, his eyes wide in shock. He reads over the message the idol had written, a pleased smile blooming on his face. It makes Sehun grin from seeing the man’s joy.

“I can’t accept this.” Suddenly, Junmyeon is handing the album back to Sehun with a pout on his face.

“What?” asks Sehun dumbly. He thought Junmyeon would be over the moon with receiving Baekhyun’s unreleased album along with a personal message written to him by said man. He refuses to take the album, instead he gently pushes his extended hand away.

“You don’t have to thank me like this because I was worried about you.” Junmyeon laughs softly. “I did it out of my own will, not because I was expecting anything in return as a thank you. Seeing you well again is the only thanks I need.”

“But I’d like to repay you back for all the food you brought my staff. My secretary told me all about it. I’m sure they enjoyed the food.”

“Again, I did it without expecting a thanks in return. I remember you telling me about how much they enjoyed them the first time, I figured they’d enjoy some treats while bossman was away,” quips Junmyeon. “Though, if you really want to thank me, I know something you can do.”

“What’s that?” Sehun meets Junmyeon’s eyes. He’s excited to know what else he can do to make Junmyeon happy. He would do or buy damn near anything to make that happen.

“How about you go on a date with me?” the man asks smoothly. Sehun swears he hears a squeal of excitement coming from behind the closed door to the back.

“A… a date?” Sehun reels from the surprise of being asked out so suddenly. Never would he have thought that Junmyeon would be that bold to ask him out so soon.

“Yeah. How about dinner?” Junmyeon tilts his head to the side just a slightest bit, eyes warm as he gazes back at Sehun. “There’s a nice restaurant that sells Western food not far from my place. How does that sound?”

“That sounds great!” Sehun can’t contain his excitement at the thought of having dinner with the man he developed a crush on.

“Here, I’ll give you my number.” Junmyeon lists off his number once Sehun quickly pulls out his phone to put it in. Once he has Junmyeon’s contact set up, Sehun then sends him a message so he has his number.

“Is this Saturday a good time? Maybe for seven thirty? I’m sure I can call ahead to make a reservation.” Junmyeon begins to fret about their upcoming date.

“That sounds perfect,” assures Sehun. “We still have some time to figure it all out.” As excited as he is for the upcoming date, everything doesn’t have to be ironed out right now.

“You’re right, you’re right.” Junmyeon seems to calm down at the realization that Saturday is days away. “I’m sure you have lots to do and worry about beforehand since you were out for a few days.”

“I do.” Sehun groans, thinking about the meetings that had to be canceled. “I should head back now.” As much as he wants to say, he has to be a responsible CEO and make sure his company is running smoothly.

“Thank you, for the album, by the way,” blurts out Junmyeon, turning shy again as he gazes down at the album. “I really never expected such a gift.”

“You’re welcome, I knew you would love it.” The way Junmyeon is looking at the album like it’s a new born child really shows how appreciative he is of it. “But please do not leak any pictures of it since it isn’t released yet,” he jokes even though he trusts Junmyeon not to do such a thing.

“I would never!” the man laughs. “I’m the one lucky enough to see it first, so of course I’m not going to share!”

After some quick goodbyes, Sehun finally steps out of Cotton Bunny Bakery. He practically has a skip in his step as he enters back into Aries Entertainment and selects the floor where his office is located. Jongin, who is busy typing away at his computer, glances up at Sehun when he sees him over the top of the screen.

“How’d it go? He like the gift?”

“Oh, he loved it! And now, we’re planning to go on a date Saturday,” he drops the news on Jongin casually.

“No way!” he gasps excitedly like a teenage girl gossiping. “You have to tell Chanyeol too. Chanyeol hyung!” Jongin motions for Chanyeol to hurry over from where he’s coming from in the direction of the bathrooms.

“What did I miss?” He joins the pair quickly, picking up on Jongin’s excitement.

“A move was finally made, numbers were exchanged, and a date is in the works.” The giddy feeling hasn’t left Sehun’s chest since Junmyeon suggested they go on a date. He feels so free and light hearted as he revels in the joy Junmyeon’s presence gives him. He’s spent far too long being the serious man running an entertainment company. It’s time for him to finally indulge in the carefree feeling he has when he’s with Junmyeon.

“Ah, I bet Junmyeon made the first move,” Chanyeol says knowingly. When Sehun frowns, he knows he’s right and it causes his boisterous laugh to echo across the floor and Sehun’s arm to sting from the playful slap he leaves on his arm.

“I’m so happy for you, hyung!” Jongin gives his support, a genuine smile on his face at seeing Sehun look so happy.

“And I’m happy for you too!” Without warning, Chanyeol yanks Sehun into his arms, giving him a tight squeeze.

“Yeol, please,” Sehun wheezes when he feels his ribs being compressed from how hard he’s being crushed to Chanyeol’s chest. His personal assistance likes to frequently work out, so he has quite the muscle mass when it comes to his arms. Sometimes he doesn’t understand the power of his own strength.

“So, what’s the plan?” Chanyeol needles for details once he releases his boss. Sehun smooths out his suit before indulging in Chanyeol’s curiosity first. He also knows Jongin is dying for details, but the two deserve the bit of suspense as payback for all the teasing.

“He suggested we go to a place that sells Western food on Saturday. We still have to officially plan it all out, but I think that’s the plan.” Saying out loud again that he’s going to go on a date with Junmyeon still has him smiling. He can’t wait for Saturday.

“That sounds great!” Chanyeol beams, happy to hear their plan.

“Just remember, hyung,” Jongin pipes up again, “I’m sure the restaurant isn’t going to a five star one, so you don’t need to wear a three piece suit and all.”

“Jongin-ah, I’ve eaten at regular restaurants before,” he groans, but he knows this is another round of teasing he can’t avoid.

“Yeah, but I know you’ll spend an hour debating what to wear, and reminding you not to wear a suit will make it easier.”

“Do I need to pre approve my outfit with you now?” Jongin, though not very outspoken about it, also enjoys fashion much like himself. Sehun knows that the younger will have no issue telling him he looks unacceptable for a date.

“Only if you want me to,” laughs Jongin, knowing his hyung will look fantastic for his date no matter what.

“Okay, okay, enough talking. It’s time to get back to work, now.” Sehun shoos the pair away. “I’m done entertaining you two.” He doesn’t actually mind the two being so eager to hear about his progress, but they really cannot stand around the whole day talking, especially when there’s so much to catch up on due to his absence. Chanyeol and Jongin pout, but listen and slink off back to their respective spots.

Later at night once he’s home and relaxing with Vivi, he’s surprised to see a message come from Junmyeon. With his tunnel vision he gets when he’s at work, he had already forgotten that they had exchanged numbers, thus he was taken aback with the message asking how his day went. If anyone asked, he wouldn’t deny that the sweet message had instantly made his night better.

Sehun decides to be honest, telling Junmyeon about how busy he was upon returning back to Aries Entertainment. Junmyeon scolds him by telling him he needs to take it easy since, while he’s feeling better now, his body is still recovering from his sickness. Sehun appreciates the concern and promises that come tomorrow, he will look over all his reports, meeting schedule, and whatnot to really establish what needs to be done now vs what can be done in the future.

Once Sehun gives his report, they talk about Junmyeon’s day. After he closed the bakery for the day, he had gone back to experimenting with his own carrot cake recipe. He tells Sehun he’s been working on this for weeks and he has yet to form a recipe that he’s 100% satisfied with. Sehun doesn’t recall ever having carrot cake, but when Junmyeon extends the offer of Sehun being a taste tester, he gladly accepts. He needs more vegetables in his diet anyway.

Sadly, though, they don’t talk for very long. Junmyeon has to get up very early in the morning so he can start on making his goods and open the shop. Still, Sehun is happy enough with the conversation they’ve had. He makes sure to wish Junmyeon a good night and he responds back with a ‘thank you, you too’ and a purple heart. The little emoji has Sehun grinning like a fool.

Coming to Cotton Bunny Bakery each morning feels as natural as breathing by now. He hasn’t been doing it for long, but Sehun has easily adjusted his morning routine in order to take a visit to the place. Long gone are the breakfast sandwiches he would usually eat in the morning, trading them for the sweets he had fallen in love with.

It feels natural as he steps over the threshold and into the bustling bakery. Like usual, all sorts of people are waiting for their baked goods or waiting for their order to be taken. Sehun eagerly waits to meet Junmyeon’s eyes when the bell rings out signaling he’s come inside.

Just as expected, Junmyeon’s eyes automatically flicker over to the door, doing a double take once he realizes it’s Sehun walking through the door. Sehun gives his little wave which makes the man smile brightly. Sadly, there are four people in front of Sehun this morning, so he has to wait until he’s faced with Junmyeon.

“Morning, Sehun-ah,” he greets as soon as Sehun steps up to the counter.

“Good morning, hyung. I’d like to try a chocolate chip scone this morning, please.” As much as he enjoys the strawberry doughnuts, he is determined to now try every good offered at Cotton Bunny Bakery. The scone is the first thing his eyes landed on this time in the display case, so a chocolate chip scone it is today for breakfast.

“Plus your coffee?” double checks Junmyeon as he rings up the scone.

“Ah, of course. I would be dead without it,” he quips. He can’t miss the playful eye roll Junmyeon gives him.

“Sorry I had to end our conversation early last night,” apologizes Junmyeon over his shoulder while he grabs Sehun’s items.

“There’s no need to apologize,” Sehun reassures. “I would have hated keeping you up while knowing you had to be here so early.”

“Sometimes it’s rough getting up so early to get here, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Junmyeon’s smile reflects how much he adores running his business. Sehun loves nothing more than seeing the blissful look on his face as he talks about Cotton Bunny Bakery. He truly admires the man for all the hard work he puts into his own business.

“It looks like being a baker was made for you,” Sehun says sincerely.

“It was. Even as a young kid I was always fascinated with baking. I blame my grandmother.” Junmyeon laughs, face still lit up as he briefly remembers his days as a child. “Here you go.” Finished with making Sehun’s coffee, Junmyeon hands him his items.

“What are you doing for lunch?” Sehun blurts out when their hands brush during the exchange. With Junmyeon being so bold to ask him out on a date yesterday, Sehun figured he should man up as well and maybe see if they can spend their lunch times together.

“Oh, I usually bring leftovers, but I didn’t have any today, so I was going to order take out. Minseok and I usually just eat here.”

“Would you like to have lunch together? I could pick something up for the both of us and we could eat here,” offers Sehun.

“I thought our date was on Saturday?” Junmyeon playfully asks, a huge grin on his face.

“It is,” Sehun clarifies, “but we can still eat lunch together as a sort of an ‘unofficial date’.”

“Okay,” Junmyeon laughs. “I have lunch at 11. I haven’t had fried chicken in a while, does that sound good to you?”

“Sounds perfect.” Sehun smiles back at him, but inward he cringes at the thought of eating the greasy food. He’ll have to make sure he doesn’t drop any on his suit either, but if that’s what Junmyeon is craving, then so be it. He’ll just have to use a bunch of napkins.

“I’ll see you at 11, then!” Junmyeon sends him off, knowing that Sehun is a busy man and needs to get to his building soon.

“Bye, hyung, I’ll see you later!” It’s time for them to part ways for now, but Sehun is overjoyed that he will be seeing Junmyeon again in a few hours. A final wave goodbye, and Sehun slips out the door.

“Morning, boss!” Jongin chirps in greeting once Sehun makes his way to his office. “What did you get this morning?”

“Chocolate chip scone. I haven’t tried one from the bakery yet.” He sets his coffee down on Jongin’s desk so he can pull out the rounded scone.

“I don’t like those dry things.” Jongin’s nose wrinkles. “Guess you already love him so much you’d be willing to eat them.”

“I have my coffee to wash it down,” Sehun simply says, unbothered by Jongin’s comment. He takes a bite, the scone crumbling in his mouth as he does so. Yeah, it is a bit hard to swallow, but he places it in the paper bag again to take a swig of coffee. He ignores his secretary’s giggles.

“Ah, Chanyeol-ah!” Sehun directs his attention to the man who is walking towards the two of them with his own coffee and paper bag in hand.

“Good morning. What can I do for you?” Chanyeol asks, always eager to help him out.

“Please find the best rated fried chicken spot in Seoul. I’m meeting Junmyeon for lunch at 11 and he wants fried chicken.” He normally doesn’t take lunch until a little while later, but being CEO means being his own boss. Being his own boss means he can allow himself an early lunch.

“Oh, ho, ho, a lunch date now?” Chanyeol starts to tease instead of saying something like ‘Yes, boss. Got it, boss. You’re the best ever, boss’. “What about Saturday?”

“That’s still on,” groans Sehun, just wanting some peace without the teasing. “I just asked him today if we could eat lunch together and he was fine with that.”

“Both of you deserve a nice lunch together. Junmyeon will enjoy that. I’ll get right on with looking!”

“Thank you.” Sehun lets out a sigh of relief that the teasing has ended. “So, what’s planned for the day?” He then turns back to Jongin so he can get a rundown of what to expect today.

At 10:45, Chanyeol is handing over a large plastic bag that contains a bucket of fried chicken from the most raved about spot in Seoul. Sehun sincerely thanks Chanyeol who he also allowed to buy himself and Jongin lunch with his card. He knows Jongin also adores chicken, so the man would have been upset if Chanyeol was the only one to receive a nice lunch.

Cradling the bucket to his chest, he walks to the bakery. His steps are quick, eager to see
Junmyeon for their lunch get together. A bag with two fruit teas also swings from his arm, another request from Junmyeon after he messaged him asking if there was anything else he would like. Just as he’s only a few feet away, he spots Minseok leaving the bakery.

“Have a good lunch,” the man says kindly while holding the door open for Sehun.

“Thank you, you too,” Sehun responds back, giving Minseok a small smile. Minseok flashes his own smile before he lets the door close behind Sehun and heads down the street.

“Hyung?” Sehun doesn’t spot the man in the front, but he does hear a muffled ‘be right out!’ which comes from behind the door.

“Ah, perfect timing!” Junmyeon appears 30 seconds later. His apron is off, exposing his white baker’s uniform that’s usually obscured by it. “Here, we can eat here.” He points to one of the tables after he flipped the open sign in the window to closed.

“I ordered from the most top rated fried chicken spot,” announces Sehun while he sits down and begins to pull out the chicken bucket.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have,” Junmyeon murmurs bashfully once he slips onto the stool across from Sehun. Unconsciously, the man licks his lips at the sight of the food.

“I wasn’t sure what was good around here, so I just went with the best!” Next, Sehun pulls out the fruit teas, twisting the lid to one before handing it over to Junmyeon.

“It does smell incredibly good,” he admits, already reaching for a piece. Sehun inches the bucket closer to him.

“Then let’s dig in.” Once Junmyeon selects his piece, Sehun plucks out one for himself. Already hungry, he takes a huge bite of it just as Junmyeon is biting into his own.

They eat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Junmyeon compliments the chicken between stuffed cheeks and Sehun agrees with him. They ask each other about their day, both having pleasant days so far. Then, they lapse back into their peaceful eating. That is, until Sehun has a question.

“So, why bunnies?” Sehun asks curiously. As he’s been eating, his eyes have been roaming all over the painted bunnies on the walls. The more he looks at him, the more fond he is of the little creatures adding to the atmosphere of the area, but he’s been wondering about the significance of them.

“Ah, as a kid I’ve always been compared to a bunny,” Junmyeon begins to explain after he wipes his mouth with a napkin. “I was a small boy and startled very easily, like a rabbit. I know it was meant to be negative, but bunnies are very soft and cute animals. I think of myself as a soft hearted person, so I turned that negative connotation into a positive one. Thus, Cotton Bunny Bakery’s name.”

“Wow, that’s incredible,” breathes out Sehun. It’s very admirable of Junmyeon to turn something that was seen as mocking into something beautiful.

“I also think I’m very cute myself, just like bunnies sooooo.” Junmyeon sends a cheeky wink to Sehun.

“Yes, I will agree with that,” Sehun says after he burst out in a laugh at Junmyeon’s words. He never expected for the baker to be the bolder one out of the two, even with the comments like that. He was fishing for confirmation and he got it.

“I’m glad you agree.” Another sly smile is given to him. “Anyway, what about your start?”

“Huh?” Sehun asks dumbly.

“How you became a CEO!” presses Junmyeon excitedly. “And why become a CEO of a company for idols?”

“Oh, it’s nothing too dramatic.” Sehun wipes his fingers on one of the napkins provided. “I have rich parents, I went to school, they gave me some money to start up, and I was lucky everything fell into place.”

“Ah, I see.” Junmyeon nods. “And idols?”

“My dad is a lawyer. As I was growing up, I heard all about legal issues regarding idols. Some companies really treat them like shit. I wanted to create a company that actually cares about the safety and well being of my idols both physically and mentally.”

“That’s very sweet,” Junmyeon murmurs. “I’m sure they appreciate you a lot.”

“I believe they do, since they haven’t tried to escape yet.” Sehun chuckles at his own joke, but he honestly thinks every idol under him is happy. He does his utmost best to make sure their needs are met so they can have a pleasant time as an idol.

“What about the name?” Junmyeon questions next.

“Ah, the name isn’t very creative,” Sehun admits. “Since I was born in April, my zodiac sign is aries, the ram. I thought ‘aries entertainment’ sounded better than ‘ram entertainment’.”

“It does!” Junmyeon agrees once he finishes laughing at the explanation. “I really like the name, though. And it’s personal to you, which is nice.”

“Yeah, that building is practically my child.” Sehun has spent many, many, many hours gathering the money to open it up so he wasn’t relying solely on his parents, setting up plans for design, recruiting idols, and so forth. While he now has his own team to help him out now, at the very start, it was mainly just him.

“Yeah, I get that. This bakery is my child too, and my dog is my baby too.” Junmyeon smiles at him, a mutual understanding between them. Their businesses mean the world to them, but both wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Vivi’s my baby too. Thankfully, he’s pretty easy going.” Sehun will take any opportunity to talk about Vivi.

“Byul, is easy going too. She just won’t eat any other treat now besides the ones I make, so she has her spoiled moments.” Junmyeon perks up as he talks about his dog too. Another thing they have in common is their undying love for their pets.

The rest of their lunch is spent talking, not about each other, but about their dogs. It’s silly, but both of them bounce off each other saying this or that about their pets. Many of them are of funny things Vivi and Byul have done, which makes the other laugh. It’s stress free just carelessly chatting about one of the things the two of them love the most.

“Ah, I should get back to work now,” Junmyeon frowns once he notices the time after Minseok had come back from his lunch break.

“I should head back too.” Though reluctantly, Sehun starts to gather up all of their trash and their now empty bottles.

“Thank you for getting lunch,” says Junmyeon appreciatively. “I really enjoyed that.”

“You’re welcome. If you don’t have lunch plans tomorrow, we could also eat together again?” Sehun tries to keep the hope out of his voice, but some of it seeps through as he looks into Junmyeon’s eyes.

“Yeah, I had a nice time. Let’s do it. I’ll buy lunch for us this time since you did so today.”

“Deal,” agrees Sehun, relief flooding him since the man accepted his offer. “Let me think about what we should get tomorrow.”

“Let me know.” Junmyeon follows Sehun to the door where he had been migrating towards it so he can finally go back to his company. “Have a good rest of your day, Sehun-ah.”

“You too, hyung. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Sounds good.” Junmyeon sends him off with a bright smile.

For the rest of the week, Sehun showed up at Cotton Bunny Bakery to have lunch with Junmyeon. Sehun requested they have ramen the next day, so when he arrived, there was a to-go container of ramen waiting for him thanks to Junmyeon. They spent their time chatting about whatever, as if they had been friends for ages. It just feels so natural when it comes to making conversation.

Now, it’s Saturday night, aka, time for their first ‘official’ date. Sehun will admit that all the lunch dates this week could have counted as dates, but this time they will be able to have a nice dinner out in public. They have agreed to meet at the restaurant that sells western food at 7:30 since Junmyeon was able to get reservations.

It’s only 6, and Sehun had just stepped out of the shower. It only takes him a minute to dry off his body, but he lets his hair air dry as he begins to contemplate what to wear. He’d looked up the restaurant name, not at all surprised that it was just a casual restaurant like he figured.

Both Jongin and Chanyeol had messaged him not long ago asking how he was doing, as if tonight is the very first date he’ll be going on. He deeply appreciates the two, but he still finds it funny how they are so concerned for him when he’s older than both of them and also their boss. Jongin even gave him another reminder saying he doesn’t need to dress up crazy fancy, and Sehun replied with a thumbs up.

Once Sehun selects an outfit, he makes sure to send a picture of it and send it to them. He picked out a dark gray sweater and a nice pair of jeans that he knows fits him well. Almost immediately, Jongin responds and gives his approval while Chanyeol takes a few more seconds, but also agrees that the outfit choice is good. Once the outfit is nailed down, the two send him a barrage of messages telling him ‘good luck’ and ‘have fun’.

It really doesn’t take Sehun long to get ready at all. Since his hair isn’t long, it only takes a little bit for it to dry. Once it does, he styles it into a curtain style. It’s simple and still looks nice, which is exactly what he’s going for. He also spends a few minutes looking over what sort of jewelry to wear, but ultimately decides to go with a few rings. His last touch to the outfit is to spritz some cologne and then he’s good to go.

“Hello, hyung,” Sehun greets once he makes it to the table where he spotted the honey blonde head of Junmyeon.

As he was driving to the restaurant, Junmyeon had messaged him saying that he arrived and told him where their reserved table was. Sehun bypassed the hostess and was quick to find the male waiting at the table with two waters on the table. When Sehun comes into view, Junmyeon’s face blooms into a smile.

“Hi, Sehun-ah, you look really good in that sweater,” Junmyeon says honestly.

“You do too,” breathes out Sehun as his eyes roam over his outfit. He’s wearing a white shirt with a pink cardigan and brown pants. He’s only ever seen him in his baker’s attire, but he’s damn near drooling over how hot he looks even wearing a damn cardigan.

“Thank you,” Junmyeon giggles, a blush rising on his cheeks that Sehun can’t miss. “Sit, sit.” He motions for Sehun to finally take a seat after he was stunned by his beauty.

Sehun, without hesitation, obeys. He sits, but his eyes can’t move on from the man in front of him. Junmyeon smiles shyly at him when he sees Sehun still staring at him when he slides him over a menu. He murmurs a soft ‘thank you’, eyes this time flickering to read over the menu.

Much like their little lunch dates, this dinner is also relaxed as they talk about whatever comes to mind. Sehun had ordered a steak with salad while Junmyeon ordered an open face turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy. Again, Sehun couldn’t peel his eyes away from the man since he was so adorable enjoying his food. It makes him happy seeing the man enjoying himself.

“Would you like some dessert tonight?” their waitress asks once their plates had been taken away.

“Would you like to split a strawberry shortcake?” Junmyeon looks at him. Sehun has to admit that he’s feeling pretty stuffed, but also sharing a dessert with Junmyeon sounds like a great way to end the date.

“Yes, that sounds good.”

“A strawberry shortcake then, please.”

“Alright, I’ll be right back.” Their waitress quickly walks away, and as promised, she returns a few minutes later with their strawberry shortcake and two forks on the plate.

“I’ve never had strawberry shortcake before,” Sehun mentions casually as he picks up the fork. Junmyeon looks right at him, a look of horror on his face.

“You must have the first bite then!” Junmyeon nudges the plate with the dessert closer to Sehun so he can pick up a bite easier. “I make them all the time for myself. It’s one of my favorite desserts.”

Upon Junmyeon’s insistence, Sehun finds a part of the cake where it seems like there are tons of strawberries and whipped cream. The fork cuts through it easily, and in a matter of seconds Sehun is lifting it to his mouth. Junmyeon watches him eagerly as if he’s the one who made the cake instead.

He chews thoughtfully, really taking the moment to savor the very first bite of strawberry shortcake. The strawberries are fresh, the taste refreshing as their flavors coat his tongue. The cake itself is sweet too. It’s not overly sweet since the strawberries aren’t covered in sugar. The whipped cream, too, tastes handmade, and that fact brings it all together to make this a delicious dessert.

“How is it?” presses Junmyeon who is waiting expectantly for his reaction.

“Very good,” Sehun confirms when he swallows his bite. Junmyeon beams.

“Let me try.” The plate is then pulled back to him. Junmyeon takes a big chunk, stuffing it in his mouth in excitement to try it. Sehun watches him now as he chews, a smile spreading on his face when he swallows. “Yeah, that’s a perfect strawberry shortcake.” Unable to help himself, Junmyeon immediately goes in for a second bite.

The plate does get set equal distance between the two, and they take their time taking bite after bite of the cake. When there’s only one piece left, Junmyeon insists Sehun has the last bite since this is his first time eating a strawberry shortcake. Sehun had wanted to refuse, but he decided it wasn’t worth putting up a fight and thanked Junmyeon as he scooped up the last bit.

“Here’s your bill.” Their waitress comes back one final time, taking the plate after placing the slip of paper between the two of them.

“Thank you.” Sehun automatically reaches for it, used to paying for meals since he has an abundance of money. However, before he can touch the paper, a hand flashes out and snatches it up.

“I got it!” chirps Junmyeon. Sehun is left flabbergasted, but Junmyeon remains unbothered as he checks over the price.

“I was going to pay,” protests Sehun weakly. Junmyeon’s eyes meet his at hearing his words.

“Don’t worry about it,” he says softly. “I suggested we go on a date, so I will be paying for it. When we go on our next one, you can choose where we go and pay, but for now, I got this covered.” After finding his wallet, Junmyeon pulls out his card.

“Our next one?” Sehun asks to confirm what he heard. Hearing the questioning tone, Junmyeon’s eyes light up with panic.

“Yeah, a next one,” he starts off nervously. “I thought we had a good time. Did you not? I would love to go out again with you again, but if you don’t want to, I’d understand.”

“No, no, no,” Sehun is quick to reassure the man. “I had a great time, I was just shocked that you already established we’re going on a second date. I’m glad you had a good time as well.”

“Yes, I very much enjoyed our first ‘official’ date,” Junmyeon puts emphasis on the word official. “Though I still consider all those lunch dates real ones, too. This would be our what? Fifth date?”

“Okay, okay, maybe those were dates.” Sehun laughs, finally agreeing that all the times they have met up before have been dates. There’s no real definition to a date, so having lunch in an empty bakery can very well count as one.

“I’m glad you finally see the light,” Junmyeon jokes, standing up. “Let’s go pay. I would hate to rush this, but I’ll have to catch the bus soon since I don’t want to miss it and have to wait for an extra forty five minutes.”

“Let me drive you home,” blurts out Sehun after hearing Junmyeon’s mode of transportation. Then, he backpedals. “Only if you’re comfortable with that.” He doesn’t want to make it seem like he’s forcing Junmyeon to let him take him home.

“Well, since you’re offering.” Junmyeon blinks up at him with innocent eyes. Sehun is glad he said something about how he was getting home. Even though he knows Junmyeon probably uses the bus on a daily basis, driving him home will give him some more time with him.

Junmyeon pays for the entire meal, Sehun not paying a cent of it. It feels odd for him to not be the one paying, but he’s deeply relieved that he doesn’t have to. He has to admit that once he revealed what his job title is to Junmyeon, he had the fleeting thought of what if he was being led on because of his money. However, with how Junmyeon didn’t expect or insist Sehun to pay for their meal instead, he knows for sure his money doesn’t matter to the other. After dealing with a situation like that before where the guy only wanted him for a sugar daddy type of relationship when Sehun wasn’t looking for anything like that, this feels extremely refreshing.

“I’m parked over here.” Sehun motions for Junmyeon to follow him once they exit the restaurant. Junmyeon trails behind him, arms wrapped around himself since the nice spring day had turned into a colder night.

“Ah, an Audi?” Junmyeon hums when they approach the car. Tonight, Sehun had gone with his Audi since it’s way less flashy than his bright red Ferrari.

“Yup.” Sehun unlocks the car. Junmyeon immediately slides inside it, relaxing into the seat in relief at being out of the cold. “Would you like the heat on?”

“Yes, please.” Sehun starts to fiddle with the controls for the heat.

“Okay, lead me back to your place.”

“Alright, so when you pull out, turn to the left.” So begins Junmyeon giving him directions.

It takes around 15 minutes to arrive to Junmyeon’s apartment complex. Without even thinking, Sehun had placed his hand on Junmyeon’s thigh during the ride. When it registered in his mind what he had done, he had made to pull away, but Junmyeon was quick to grab his hand back and keep it there. Sehun didn’t say anything, just squeezed his thigh. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the smile on Junmyeon’s lips as it was lit up by the passing lights.

“What are you doing?” Junmyeon questions when Sehun parks his car and turns it off.

“Being a gentleman and walking you to your front door,” replies Sehun, following Junmyeon out of the car. “I have to make sure my date makes it back safely.”

“And they say chivalry is dead,” jokes Junmyeon, a gentle smile on his face. “C’mon, the elevator is over here.”

Junmyeon lives on the 23rd floor of his apartment. Sehun does all the dramatics of presenting the open elevator door for Junmyeon to step in like it’s a red carpet. It makes him giggle, which in turn makes Sehun laugh right back. It’s silly, but both of them enjoy the time it takes to make it up to Junmyeon’s floor and down the hall to his door.

“So, you walk your dates to their front door, do you also kiss them good night?” Junmyeon asks in a suave tone, looking up at Sehun through his lashes.

“Only my prettiest dates,” Sehun flirts back.

“Am I one of them?” Junmyeon tilts his head to the side the tiniest bit, catching onto Sehun's implication.

“I don’t know, how about we find out?” Slowly, Sehun reaches up to cup Junmyeon’s cheek. His thumb brushes over his cheek bone as he begins to bend down, Junmyeon, on the other hand, rising on his tiptoes to meet him halfway.

The way their lips meet for the very first time is nothing but sweet and tender. From how much they’ve already gotten to know each other through their lunch dates, their lips pushing and pulling against each other feels natural. It doesn’t stop the fluttering feeling his heart experiences, though. Sehun would bet that every time he kisses Junmyeon he’ll have the same feeling. When they pull apart, Junmyeon has a blissed out grin on his face. Sehun knows he’s mirroring the same smile himself.

“The perks of being a pretty guy is being able to kiss other pretty guys,” says Junmyeon mischievously.

“Oh, yeah?” Sehun raises an eyebrow. “What other pretty guys are you kissing?”

“Hmm, just one.” This time, Junmyeon is the one who initiates the kiss, unable to resist the feeling of Sehun’s lips on his again.

Just like that, the sweet and tender moment is over. This time, the kiss holds more passion, Junmyeon pressing his lips roughly onto Sehun’s. Feeling the fire course though him, Sehun backs Junmyeon up against his front door, plastering his body against the smaller man’s.

“Next question is, what about staying the night?” Junmyeon pants out once they take a break to catch their breath. He’s still tightly pressed against the door, Sehun’s warmth enveloping him as his expensive cologne makes him want to devour him more.

“That I can’t do,” Sehun says with a groan, coming out of his lust haze. “I have dog dad duties.” As much as he would love nothing more than to head straight into Junmyeon’s apartment and preferably head straight into the bedroom, he can’t just leave Vivi for the night, and it would be too late to ask Chanyeol or Jongin to check up on him.

Junmyeon stares at him for a second before he bursts out laughing and goes, “Yeah, yeah, I understand that.”

“I’m sorry.” Sehun has to admit that he feels guilty for basically cockblocking him and Junmyeon because he has a spoiled Bichon Frise at home.

“Please, don’t be.” The air is back to being sweet as Junmyeon reassures him that there’s no offense taking that they have to part now. “There will be a next time.”

“Yes, a next time,” confirms Sehun, the fluttering feeling in his chest appearing again.

“Go home to your dog,” Junmyeon urges him gently. “I had a wonderful time tonight.”

“Me too.” Sehun’s gaze softens as he takes in the man he’s come to develop a crush on so quickly. Never in a million years would he have thought that Chanyeol falling sick would have led him to this moment. He really hopes this will actually lead to something, and if so, Chanyeol definitely deserves to be the best man for their wedding. Though, Sehun thinks he might be thinking way too ahead of himself right now.

“Get home safe.” Junmyeon stands up on his tiptoes again to press a chaste kiss to his lips. “Let me know when you get home.”

“Will do.” Sehun has to physically force himself to leave Junmyeon’s front door. The man unlocks it, stepping inside and giving Sehun an air kiss. Sehun lets out a light laugh, deciding then that he’ll be fine to leave Junmyeon now since he’s sure he’ll be seeing him soon again.

Like he promised, as soon as Sehun steps foot into his penthouse, he messages Junmyeon assuring he’s home. On the ride home he had reflected on the dinner and how much he genuinely enjoys being with Junmyeon and how the man puts him at ease. Not to sound cliche, but he thinks he was meant to meet Junmyeon some way, somehow.

No sooner than he’s able to lock his phone after sending the message, it vibrates in his hand. Sehun already knows who caused his phone to go off, but what he’s not expecting is what the message says.

‘Glad to hear! So, when’s our next date? ;)’

Sehun would be stupid if he replied with anything but ‘as soon as possible’, so that is exactly what he sends back.

When Junmyeon asks him what he’s doing for lunch the following Monday, Sehun thinks it’s safe to believe that everything will be alright.

🐥~Epilogue~🐰

“And we’re open… again!” Junmyeon cuts the ribbon to the brand new Cotton Bunny Bakery location. He’s greeted with loud cheering and even some whistles as the purple ribbon flutters to the floor.

“I am so happy for you,” Sehun’s murmur can barely be heard over all the noise, but Junmyeon can pick up on his boyfriend’s joy through the kiss he then pulls him into after cutting the rope.

Over the past year and a half you could say that things have stayed the same and also changed drastically.

For starters, it didn’t take very long for Sehun and Junmyeon to officially slap the ‘boyfriends’ label on their relationship. Sehun wasn’t even fazed when he told Chanyeol and Jongin and Chanyeol had proudly demanded Jongin to hand over some won. Still, the two were extremely happy for him and they had gone out for drinks that night in celebration in Sehun finally being snatched up after countless other men and women alike had tried to court him.

The morning runs to the bakery and eating lunch together had grown to stay as well. Since they officially became boyfriends, Sehun greets Junmyeon with a kiss over the counter and gives him his order. Given that they’re boyfriends now, Junmyeon takes liberty in writing cheesy pickup lines on Sehun’s coffee cup. He always rolls his eyes in faux annoyance, but Junmyeon knows he secretly adores the borderline cringy messages and that’s why he continues to write them.

Speaking of the bakery, it eventually became so huge that Junmyeon and Minseok bought a bigger store space and moved their operations to the building they had just officially opened moments ago.

It became so popular due to Sehun’s influx of bringing in goods for breakfast, as simple as it sounds. His idols came to fall in love with the sweets he brought in, thus frequent sightings of said idols at Cotton Bunny Bakery caught fans’ attention. It quickly became a hot spot for fans trying to catch a glimpse of their favorite idols, but they ended up staying for the food. Eventually, the frequency of customers became so great the two owners couldn’t keep up.

Now, Cotton Bunny Bakery has a full staff so that both Junmyeon and Minseok are able to have more days off. The layout is practically the same with the painted bunnies on the walls, it’s just there’s a lot more tables and chairs set up for people to enjoy their treats. Sadly, it is a bit further away from Aries Entertainment, but Sehun is willing to make the extra few minutes trip it takes for him to see his love while he’s at work.

When it was found out the baker is dating the CEO of an idol company, Junmyeon was subject to unnecessary hate accusing him of ‘using Sehun’ for his money. However, both Sehun and Junmyeon know it’s not true since the bakery’s food is so delicious that the increase in customers is only because the bakery is finally getting the recognition it finally deserves. Sehun never had to bribe anyone in his company to eat the food.

With the idols continuously visiting the bakery and Junmyeon doing his own personal deliveries to Aries Entertainment, he’s come to befriend many of them, taking a fond liking to Taeyong and always slipping him samples of new recipes. He’s even managed to befriend his favorite idols, Baekhyun and Chen, or Jongdae, as Junmyeon now comfortably calls him. It made Sehun’s heart fill with glee seeing them all getting along.

“You’ve already got lots of loyal customers to serve.” Sehun motions to some of his idols that have gathered together outside. Hearing about the grand opening of the new and improved Cotton Bunny Bakery, the idols that love the goods the most are the first in line to receive some. Naturally, where idols are, so are fans, so there’s already multiple fans recording and taking pictures of them. Thankfully, Sehun was able to recruit security to make sure the fans stay in check.

“I better get to work then, I wouldn’t want you to deal with grumpy idols who couldn’t get their favorite pastry.” Junmyeon plants a quick kiss on Sehun’s lips. “As happy as I am about today, I already can’t wait to be back at home.”

‘Home’ now means Sehun’s penthouse.

Sehun can’t pinpoint exactly when it happened, but the more time they spent together, the more Junmyeon’s belongings migrated into Sehun’s penthouse until one day Sehun officially decided he should live with him fully. The place didn’t seem as dull anymore when Junmyeon began leaving traces of himself behind through something silly like an unwashed wine glass in the sink or a book he’d been reading still sitting on the couch. Sehun’s place is much too large for just one person, and having another being sharing that space has given him the comfort a domestic life gives.

To his amazement, even Vivi welcomed Junmyeon and Byul into his home after some time. He was worried about another dog being in his space, but after a few weeks, Vivi began to warm up to Byul slowly and gradually. Now, it’s not unusual to find the two sleeping side by side. His dog must be so attuned with his owner’s feelings he was able to pick up on the adoration Sehun has for Junmyeon. Junmyeon might have also brought a homemade dog treat each time he came over for Vivi, but that’s besides the point, honestly.

“No, we wouldn’t want that to happen.” Sehun gladly accepts the kiss. “I promise tonight will be a night of relaxation.” And he means that. They’ll celebrate with some wine, take out from Junmyeon’s favorite restaurant, probably some passionate love making followed by a bubble bath in Sehun’s ginormous bathtub both can thankfully fit in, and then ending the night snuggled in their pjs with their pups curled up on the bed as well.

“I’ll see you later then. I love you.” Another kiss, and this time Baekhyun playfully shouts about the ‘terrible service’ since ‘he’s starving’ and ‘the two of them are so busy sucking face he can’t even get a muffin’.

“I love you too.” Sehun laughs at Baekhyun’s dramatics. “I’ll let you be, now, since Baekhyun might steal all the muffins himself.” He slips away from Junmyeon, heading straight for Baekhyun instead where he gives the man a pinch on the arm.

“Ow! This is abuse! I’m gonna call my lawyers!” whines Baekhyun while he rubs at his arm.

“I think you should become an actor as well,” Sehun points out. “Since you are so great with being dramatic.”

“Great idea, hyung!” Baekhyun beams. Sehun rolls his eyes.

“I’ll see you back at the building, Baekhyun-ah,” he says his farewell after giving the idol a nicer pat on the back. Baekhyun says his own goodbye as Sehun begins to weave through the throngs of customers waiting to buy from the bakery.

Now that the ribbon has been cut, everyone has migrated inside. The new employees are already busy with handing out orders and brewing coffee. Automatically, Sehun’s eyes find Junmyeon zipping around the place with a grin that is probably hurting his cheeks, but it’s all a sign of how his happiness is infinite.

His boyfriend is much too busy to even look his way, but Sehun is content just to watch him through the window. He’s completely in his element as he stops to talk with a few customers, Sehun even seeing him lean over to give a quick hug to the person with pink hair that he knows is Taeyong. Then, he’s off to the back, a second later carrying out a fresh batch of strawberry doughnuts that are snatched up by his employees no sooner than he places them in the display case.

Since Sehun has already been at the bakery for a few hours helping set up for the opening, he’s already had his fair share of the doughnuts. No matter how many he’s consumed over the past year and a half, it still continues to be his favorite since it’s Junmyeon’s favorite as well. He often remembers the time Junmyeon sent him a strawberry doughnut when he had fallen ill, keeping his promise to save one for him. At this rate, he thinks their wedding cake is going to be strawberry flavored.

But, now is not the time to think about weddings. Junmyeon has to settle down first with becoming adjusted to his new and improved bakery and Sehun is busy himself with his ever growing company. Wedding planning is the last thing the two of them need to also fret over right now. There’s nothing wrong with just enjoying their time together while still only having the title of boyfriends. Sehun hopes their time of being called fiancés then husbands will come, but for the time being, Sehun is proud to call Kim Junmyeon his boyfriend.

With one last glance at the man through the freshly cleaned glass window, Sehun heads for his Audi. While it’s not the right time to plan for a wedding, what Sehun can plan for is a vacation. Junmyeon deserves some rest and relaxation, and with all the extra help, he doesn’t have to worry about who is running and managing the bakery while he’s away.

Junmyeon has yet to go to Napa Valley in California. Sehun thinks that’s the perfect place to take a well deserved vacation for the two of them.