Good Things Come in Small Packages
pairing: kai/suho
rating: R
word count: 4.2k
warnings: none
summary: Joonmyun wants to get inside of Jongin's pants.
author's note: I knew this was the prompt for me the moment I laid my eyes on it. The fic is unbeated, so I apologize in advance for any errors.
Originally posted at cuddlybros.
Joonmyun enters the convenience store with one thing in mind, he needs to pick up pain medication and heat pads for Baekhyun. Ever since his roommate started to do yoga to become more flexible, his body has been nothing but sore. He can barely walk out of his room without whining. Joonmyun suspects the younger male is merely too lazy to leave the apartment, which is why he’s out and about in his stead.
Late night news plays on the portable television situated by the counter, allowing the cashier to keep himself entertained during lulls on the job. Joonmyun greets him before he heads towards the back of the store, where all the personal care and health products are placed. He is overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options at his fingertips. Does Baekhyun want morning or night medication? Are pills more effective than liquids? Will the color of the heat pad matter at the end of the day? Joonmyun furrows his brows as he tries to figure out what his roommate would like best because calling him up will only lead to more moaning and groaning.
Joonmyun has a hard time deciding, picking up one bottle and putting it down when his eyes spot a better deal. It’s an endless cycle, and he can’t choose to save his life. After a while, he figures that Baekhyun won’t care what he buys as long as it helps dull the aches. Joonmyun takes the doctor-recommended brand and calls it a day.
Just as Joonmyun turns around to leave, a cute guy brushes past him. All of a sudden he thinks he needs to buy himself some cough syrup because it’s almost flu season. One can never be too prepared. Apparently that’s what the cute guy has in mind as Joonmyun watches him browse the selection of condoms from the corner of his eye. He tries to not make himself too obvious by pretending to read the drug facts on some random medication he plucks off the nearest shelf.
The cute guy takes his sweet time going through his options, and Joonmyun notices he’s focused on the top row of smaller-sized condoms. It piques his interest. For someone so tall and muscular (it isn’t hard to tell with that body-hugging wife beater he has on), it’s peculiar to think he isn’t packing downstairs. Joonmyun doesn’t care, though, because all he wants to do is watch the cute guy play with himself and perhaps more. He catches himself staring at the cute guy’s crotch when he turns towards him.
“Uh, can I help you with something?” the cute guy asks, hands behind his back.
Joonmyun forces his eyes to look at the cute guy’s face, and wow, he’s beautiful up-close. His blonde locks compliment his tan complexion, and his pretty, pink lips are asking to be kissed. “No, I just… do you need help?” Great save!
The cute guy stares at him with wide eyes, mouth agape. “I have to go.” And off he goes, rushing over to the cash register. Joonmyun follows behind him because he needs to make a purchase, too and to his delight, the cute guy leaves the store with a box of small-sized condoms.
Joonmyun returns home with medication, a heat pad, and a boner. All he could think about as he drove back to the apartment was the cute guy’s dick and how it would look in his hands. He wants the cute guy to fuck him up against a wall, on the floor, under the sheets, everywhere. The place doesn’t matter. As long as Joonmyun gets the full experience.
“What took you so long?” Baekhyun cries from the dining room. He has a bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of him and a blanket draped over his shoulders, as if he is suffering from something more than a few sore muscles.
“I wanted to get you the best medicine modern science has to offer,” Joonmyun says as he walks over to his roommate and drops off the paper bag on the table.
“You would much rather see me die, Joonie,” Baekhyun grumbles as he takes the bottle of pills out and reads the recommended dosage on the back.
“If only you were taking those yoga classes because you want to get fit, not because you want Zitao to fuck you in new positions,” Joonmyun quips.
Joonmyun remembers the day Baekhyun came home with new fitness gear that consisted of fluorescent yellow yoga pants (“because my butt can’t get enough attention”) and slinky tank tops with asinine inspirational quotes on the front. His roommate announced that he joined a yoga class downtown in order to become flexible. At first, Joonmyun didn’t think anything of it since Baekhyun was always talking about getting in shape. But then one day, Joonmyun came home early in the hopes of relaxing. He was ready to unwind when he heard Baekhyun talking over the phone with Zitao, discussing the different things they’d try once he was able to do the splits. Joonmyun left the apartment feeling violated, to say the least.
Baekhyun rolls his eyes and pops two pills, chasing them down with spoonfuls of soup. “Whatever. You’re just jealous that I have a loving boyfriend, and you’re stuck with shitty one-night stands.”
Joonmyun can’t say Baekhyun is wrong. It gets tiring after awhile when you have no one to come home to, or talk about your problems with. Baekhyun is only there for him whenever Zitao is busy. Joonmyun needs some stability, someone who will stick by his side through thick and thin. Someone like the cute guy from the convenience store.
“If Your Royal Majesty is done whining, I’m going to take a shower,” Joonmyun teases. He grabs a clean towel from his room and strips down in the bathroom, kicking his clothes off to the side. Baekhyun complains about his lazy tendencies, but it’s not Joonmyun’s fault he happens to miss the hamper every time. Blame it on my awful luck, he tells his roommate.
A nice, cold shower is just what the doctor prescribed, helping Joonmyun destress after a long day. He can feel his muscles relax under the cold stream of water, sighing in relief. This is what he looks forward to everyday because his job at a florist shop is surprisingly difficult. He thought taking a position down there would mean an easy paycheck, but then his first customer came in and to hell went his fantasy. Most days he makes floral arrangements for small affairs happening around town and helps unload the shipments in the morning. Then there are days when assholes come in asking for help to woo a woman because bitches love flowers and all that shit. He has to keep his professional face on in order to avoid a bruised face.
Once Joonmyun is all washed up, he wraps a towel around his lower half and leaves a trail of water in his wake. Baekhyun complains about this, too, but Joonmyun can’t help it that his flimsy towel won’t soak up all the water. Maybe we should sue the company one day, he tells his roommate.
Joonmyun lounges on his bed, still soaking wet. He browses the internet on his phone for cute guys with adorable smiles and small dicks because there’s no way in hell he’ll be able to sleep tonight without a little help. All the faces he sees are nothing compared to the boy he bumped into earlier on. It displeases him so. He gives up when half an hour passes by with no substitute in sight. Holding onto his weak memory is all he has for now until they meet again.
Wednesday is Joonmyun’s least favorite day of the week because he is stuck feeling elated and grumpy. The weekend is just over the horizon, but then he remembers there are still two more work days ahead of him. He doesn’t let his conflicting moods get in the way of his job, though. He pretends to be happy for all the potential customers who walk into the quaint shop, offering his assistance whenever he can. He spritzes the flowers in between to pass the time and makes small talk with the men and women he rings up. They’re all so kind, yet utterly dull. Hearing about other people’s mundane lives reminds him he needs to get laid soon to forget his own.
“Hi there. Can you help me pick something for a friend of mine?”
Joonmyun glances up from the catalogue he’s been perusing and smiles at the perfect face he sees. It’s the cute guy again, but this time he’s wearing a hoodie and matching sweats. The laidback look suits him.
“Oh! I… it’s you,” the cute guy mutters under his breath.
“It’s me,” Joonmyun confirms, rounding the counter so that they’re closer. He wishes it wasn’t against store policy to have sex with customers onsite. He should probably check the regulations later just to be sure.
“I think I have to go now.” The cute guy turns around to run, but Joonmyun catches him by the hand before he can get too far. To know one’s surprise, his skin is soft to the touch. Everything about him is perfect.
“You came here for a reason, and I’m here to help you with that,” Joonmyun says as calmly as possible. “How about we start with your name? I’m tired of referring you to as ‘cute guy’ in my head.”
The cute guy gives him a horrified look and tries to worm his way out of Joonmyun’s grasp. “It’s Jongin, now please leave me alone!” he shrieks out.
Joonmyun lets go of Jongin reluctantly and regrets it immensely as he watches the boy leave the shop in the blink of an eye. He wonders what he did to deserve this and sulks at his station, sitting precariously on the stool behind the counter. Things could have gone much more smoothly, but Jongin just had to show some resistance. Next time, Joonmyun tells himself, he’ll do better.
The next day, Joonmyun has to leave the front door of the shop closed in order to fend off the cold weather. He isn’t allowed to turn the thermostat up because the flowers can’t thrive in warmer temperatures, or so says his boss. He keeps his sweater on despite the fact it covers up his uniform. All that matters is that he wears his apron and a smile on his face, anyway.
Joonmyun busies himself with checking stock once he realizes no one wants to buy flowers on such a cold day. The streets outside are fairly empty, except for the occasional pedestrian running with a hot cup of joe. It must be the winter blues slowly creeping up on everyone.
He takes the clipboard off its hook and enters the backroom to check everything is accounted for. He makes tick marks down a column, whistling to himself to make the task less dull. When it seems like nothing is out of place, he goes out to the front to look over the displays.
“Do you guys usually ignore your customers?” a young man asks.
Joonmyun wonders when he came in because the bell above the door should have rung. Perhaps his whistling was a little too loud.
“No, I was just a little busy. Sorry about that. How may I help you?” Joonmyun asks, placing the clipboard down.
“I need to get something for my friend. He’s in the hospital with a broken leg,” the young man explains, his voice droning a little.
Joonmyun wouldn’t like this guy to be his friend because he looks like he couldn’t care less about his friend, or maybe he’s suffering from resting bitch face syndrome. Either way, the guy is pretty cute in a boyish way. He’s gangly, pale, and ready to be eaten up. If Jongin fails to show up in his life again, Joonmyun might have to settle for this fellow.
“Would you like to choose from one of our flower arrangements or create your own?” Joonmyun leads the young man over to their more popular and cheap options. He knows he’s supposed to try to upsell, but who in their right mind spends more than ten dollars on flowers unless they fucked up really bad?
“Whatever thirteen bucks and…,” the young man starts and rifles through his pockets. “forty-nine cents can buy me.”
“How about a dozen carnations? I’ll even wrap them with filler for free,” Joonmyun offers because he wants the young man’s name.
The young man shrugs and walks over to the counter, leaving Joonmyun to pick out the colors for him. He grabs a mix of whites and yellows, and he returns behind the counter to make the bouquet nice and pretty.
“Would you like a card to go with that? I have really lovely handwriting.” Joonmyun looks at the young man hopefully.
The young man shrugs again and mutters a message for Joonmyun to scrawl down on a blank card. He asks for his name to sign off with, and the answer he receives confuses him.
“Jongin, and please put a heart after it,” the young man replies and chuckles.
“Jongin, huh? You’re the second one this week…,” Joonmyun mutters under his breath. What’s the chances that the two cute guys he meets have the same name?
“Nah, my buddy told me to come in for him because he failed yesterday,” the young man explains, pointing to the front of the shop. “I’m just using his name.”
Joonmyun peeks over the young man’s shoulder and to his surprise, Jongin is hanging outside of the shop with his hands in his coat pockets. The boy looks so vulnerable as he waits for his friend. Luck might just be on Joonmyun’s side today.
“If you let me have the flowers for free, I’ll give you Jongin’s number,” the young man offers, smiling smugly.
Joonmyun knows better than to believe this kid because he looks like the type who will promise you riches and give you fool’s gold at the end. He is kind of desperate, though, because Jongin is really cute and his dick is fascinating. It’s been way too long since he’s had a good lay, and Jongin is the perfect solution. Compromising his job is worth the risk.
“Why would you sell out your friend like that?” Joonmyun doesn’t need anyone to know he’s willing to stoop low just to have a chance at Jongin. He keeps his eyes down as he wraps the carnations up with cellophane and paper, tying a pink ribbon around the base.
“Because he thinks you’re cute and you’re all he talks about, you fucking creep. Now, how about that deal?”
“Okay.”
Despite the fact that Joonmyun is now the proud owner of Jongin’s phone number, he has yet to call the boy up. He isn’t sure what to say without coming off as a stalker, though he’s pretty sure Jongin’s friend already told him about the little deal they made. Typically, he has more game than this. He can sweet-talk anyone into bed, yet he’s running into wall after wall with his newest obsession. The lack of progress infuriates him. By now he should have had sex with Jongin at least three times, perhaps four if the flower shop has no regulations against fucking on the property. He has yet to check.
“Staring at his number won’t get you anywhere, Joonie,” Baekhyun gushes and joins Joonmyun on his bed.
Joonmyun pushes Baekhyun away when his roommate tries to grab the card from him. Who knows what Baekhyun will do once he gets his grubby hands on it. The younger male has a record of putting his nose where it doesn’t belong, and Joonmyun wants to keep his love life pest-free.
“Oh, come on! Just let me call up this kid and see if the number is even real,” Baekhyun begs and throws himself against Joonmyun, tackling the elder down onto his back.
It never occurred to Joonmyun that he may have received a fake a number, until now. He had been over the moon after Jongin’s friend went through with his part of the deal and never bothered to think anything of it. He was just happy to be one step closer inside of Jongin’s pants.
“Okay, fine. If it turns out to be Jongin, you have to hang up immediately. I still don’t have the right words to say,” Joonmyun asserts and relinquishes the number over to Baekhyun. If his roommate was a dog, he’d be wagging his tail right now. He looks way too happy for his own good.
Joonmyun covers his face with his hands once he sees Baekhyun pull out his phone, dialing the number up. A part of him wants the number to be a dud to avoid any accidental embarrassment, and the other part hopes to hear Jongin’s voice on the other end of the line.
“Hi! Hello! Is this the lovely Jongin?” Baekhyun barks into the phone.
Joonmyun tunes out Baekhyun’s voice in favor of putting his mind in a happier place, where he isn’t the butt of the joke. It seems to work well because he ceases to hear his roommate’s annoying laughter. A little too well. He peeks over at the corner of the bed, and the rascal is not there! He scrambles onto his feet in search of a soon-to-be-dead Byun Baekhyun.
The apartment is quiet, surprisingly. Joonmyun has no choice but to flip the entire place upside down. He starts with the obvious place, Baekhyun’s room. The younger male is nowhere in sight. His bed is still unmade with the covers on the floor and leopard print panties stick out from underneath the pillows. Joonmyun swears he’s seen them on Zitao before during an impromptu sleepover a few days back. He shudders thanks to the horrible memory. Guests should have the decency to wear their pants, but Zitao likes to think this apartment is his second home.
Their shared bathroom is the next place to check. Yet again, Baekhyun can’t be found. Joonmyun kicks the hamper out of frustration, and it tips over. Dirty clothes spill all over the floor. He has no time to clean up and quickly leaves the mess for his roommate to find later.
The kitchen, balcony, and even the linen closet leave Joonmyun with no luck. He is running out of places to search through. He slumps down on the couch and presses a cushion against his face, letting out a groan. The next time he sees Baekhyun, he’s going to kick his ass. God knows what the younger male has told Jongin, assuming it was him who picked up.
And then the devil himself walks in through the front door. He takes a seat next to Joonmyun, throwing an arm over his shoulders oh-so-casually and dropping his phone down on the coffee table.
“Jongin sounds like a sweet kid, but he hung up the moment I started talking about your creepy obsession with him,” Baekhyun sighs out.
Joonmyun smacks his roommate in the face with cushion and again for good measure. Jongin probably thinks he’s some freak now. There’s no amount of damage control that will fix the situation at hand. Curling up under a rock sounds good right about now.
Despite his overall negative attitude, Joonmyun attempts to patch up the nonexistent relationship he has with Jongin. He sends several text messages to him over the course of a week, but there are no replies. His phone calls go unanswered as well.
“What’s got you down, champ?” Zitao asks him two weeks after the incident. He’s over at the apartment as per usual, in nothing but frilly, pink panties and panda slippers.
Joonmyun finds it impossible to be angry at Baekhyun right now because his discomfort with Zitao’s choice of wardrobe is overpowering. He keeps his eyes glued ahead on the television screen even though it’s turned off. “Nothing. Everything's just peachy,” he replies.
He knows immediately he’s said the wrong thing because Zitao is pulling him into his embrace and resting his chin atop his head.
“If you think Baekhyun didn’t tell me what’s happened, you really don’t know him at all,” the scantily clad male states.
“Why’d you bother to ask then?” Joonmyun grumbles as he tries to escape.
Zitao tightens his hold around him. “Anyway,” he starts, glossing over Joonmyun’s question. “You’re a great catch. Anyone would be happy to sleep with you, except for me. When Baekhyun first told me he was taking those yoga classes, I didn’t think much of it and now -”
“Get straight to the point,” Joonmyun cries out loud because he really doesn’t need an update on his roommate’s sex life.
“I honestly don’t have any solid advice for you, but when you finally get your hands on Jongin’s dick, never let go,” Zitao says with a straight face.
Joonmyun finally understands why Baekhyun and Zitao work as a couple.
“Have a good day sir,” Joonmyun shouts out to the receding figure of his last customer of the day.
It’s time to close up shop. He goes outside and lugs one potted plant at a time indoors, taking care not bruise himself or the merchandise. Once that task is out of the way, he sweeps up the floor a little and counts the money in the register.
The bell above the door rings. Joonmyun thought he had locked up.
“Sorry, but we’re closed now,” he announces without looking up, determined to finish up his duties so he can go home and sulk.
“You forgot to flip the sign,” a voice similar to Jongin’s says.
It can’t be… can it?
Joonmyun peeks up and nearly loses his breath. Jongin stands in front of the counter with his hands in his jeans’ pockets, hair slicked back and white t-shirt hugging his body. Out of all the scenarios running through his head, never did he predict that Jongin would be the one to break the silence between them. It’s a nice surprise though.
“Did your friend break his other leg?” Joonmyun tries to make things less awkward.
Jongin fights back a smile and shakes his head. “No, I’m actually here to see you this time.”
There are so many questions Joonmyun wants to ask him, but he’s pretty sure Jongin didn’t come down here for an interrogation.
“I didn’t mean to avoid you like that,” Jongin supplies, knowing exactly what’s on Joonmyun’s mind. “I just couldn’t believe my friend thought my number was worth a dozen ugly roses and when your friend called…”
Joonmyun offers Jongin a sheepish smile and a nod to let him know he understands where he’s coming from. Any rational person put in Jongin’s shoes would have done the same thing.
“So, I heard you think I’m cute,” he sing-songs, pretending to be oblivious to the fact that Jongin is now walking towards him. When he doesn’t get an answer, he continues to talk. “I’m quite flattered, really. I like to think -” Jongin cuts Joonmyun off by yanking him closer by the collar. The latter’s eyes go wide at the sudden shift in mood, but who is he to complain? He takes the initiative to close off the distance between their mouths and hums in delight because Jongin tastes like peppermint and perfection. Jongin kisses the way he acts, shy for the most part with bursts of urgency. It’s really cute which is why Joonmyun doesn’t rush him, allowing the boy to take his time exploring his mouth with hesitant flicks of his tongue.
“Why do you have to be so cute?” Joonmyun mutters to himself as he slips a hand underneath Jongin’s shirt, caressing the smooth skin above his hips. The simple action seems to ignite a flame inside of the boy because he shifts his hips with a soft whine. Knowing how sensitive Jongin is here, Joonmyun continues to tease him with soft touches as he kisses his jawline. It amuses him to hear the low and sometimes faint sounds coming out of the boy.
“H-hurry,” Jongin pants out, moving Joonmyun’s hands lower towards his crotch.
Joonmyun shakes his head, intent on making Jongin suffer the way he did the past few weeks. Revenge never looked so sweet. He isn’t too evil, so he cups Jongin through the front of his pants just to feel him out a little. It’s exhilarating, the thought that there are only two layers between him and destiny. Jongin is back to being less vocal as he rocks against Joonmyun’s hand, desperate for any kind of friction at this point.
Good things are supposed to come to those who wait, but not in this instance. Before Joonmyun can even begin to shift gears, Jongin is already throwing his head back and his body goes rigid.
“We’ll have to work on that,” Joonmyun comments while he gets down on his knees. He’s disappointed that their first encounter had to end like this, but no one said an encore couldn’t happen.
“What are you doing?” Jongin asks.
“I’m going to clean up the mess,” Joonmyun replies nonchalantly, and Jongin cries out of embarrassment.
rating: R
word count: 4.2k
warnings: none
summary: Joonmyun wants to get inside of Jongin's pants.
author's note: I knew this was the prompt for me the moment I laid my eyes on it. The fic is unbeated, so I apologize in advance for any errors.
Originally posted at cuddlybros.
Joonmyun enters the convenience store with one thing in mind, he needs to pick up pain medication and heat pads for Baekhyun. Ever since his roommate started to do yoga to become more flexible, his body has been nothing but sore. He can barely walk out of his room without whining. Joonmyun suspects the younger male is merely too lazy to leave the apartment, which is why he’s out and about in his stead.
Late night news plays on the portable television situated by the counter, allowing the cashier to keep himself entertained during lulls on the job. Joonmyun greets him before he heads towards the back of the store, where all the personal care and health products are placed. He is overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options at his fingertips. Does Baekhyun want morning or night medication? Are pills more effective than liquids? Will the color of the heat pad matter at the end of the day? Joonmyun furrows his brows as he tries to figure out what his roommate would like best because calling him up will only lead to more moaning and groaning.
Joonmyun has a hard time deciding, picking up one bottle and putting it down when his eyes spot a better deal. It’s an endless cycle, and he can’t choose to save his life. After a while, he figures that Baekhyun won’t care what he buys as long as it helps dull the aches. Joonmyun takes the doctor-recommended brand and calls it a day.
Just as Joonmyun turns around to leave, a cute guy brushes past him. All of a sudden he thinks he needs to buy himself some cough syrup because it’s almost flu season. One can never be too prepared. Apparently that’s what the cute guy has in mind as Joonmyun watches him browse the selection of condoms from the corner of his eye. He tries to not make himself too obvious by pretending to read the drug facts on some random medication he plucks off the nearest shelf.
The cute guy takes his sweet time going through his options, and Joonmyun notices he’s focused on the top row of smaller-sized condoms. It piques his interest. For someone so tall and muscular (it isn’t hard to tell with that body-hugging wife beater he has on), it’s peculiar to think he isn’t packing downstairs. Joonmyun doesn’t care, though, because all he wants to do is watch the cute guy play with himself and perhaps more. He catches himself staring at the cute guy’s crotch when he turns towards him.
“Uh, can I help you with something?” the cute guy asks, hands behind his back.
Joonmyun forces his eyes to look at the cute guy’s face, and wow, he’s beautiful up-close. His blonde locks compliment his tan complexion, and his pretty, pink lips are asking to be kissed. “No, I just… do you need help?” Great save!
The cute guy stares at him with wide eyes, mouth agape. “I have to go.” And off he goes, rushing over to the cash register. Joonmyun follows behind him because he needs to make a purchase, too and to his delight, the cute guy leaves the store with a box of small-sized condoms.
Joonmyun returns home with medication, a heat pad, and a boner. All he could think about as he drove back to the apartment was the cute guy’s dick and how it would look in his hands. He wants the cute guy to fuck him up against a wall, on the floor, under the sheets, everywhere. The place doesn’t matter. As long as Joonmyun gets the full experience.
“What took you so long?” Baekhyun cries from the dining room. He has a bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of him and a blanket draped over his shoulders, as if he is suffering from something more than a few sore muscles.
“I wanted to get you the best medicine modern science has to offer,” Joonmyun says as he walks over to his roommate and drops off the paper bag on the table.
“You would much rather see me die, Joonie,” Baekhyun grumbles as he takes the bottle of pills out and reads the recommended dosage on the back.
“If only you were taking those yoga classes because you want to get fit, not because you want Zitao to fuck you in new positions,” Joonmyun quips.
Joonmyun remembers the day Baekhyun came home with new fitness gear that consisted of fluorescent yellow yoga pants (“because my butt can’t get enough attention”) and slinky tank tops with asinine inspirational quotes on the front. His roommate announced that he joined a yoga class downtown in order to become flexible. At first, Joonmyun didn’t think anything of it since Baekhyun was always talking about getting in shape. But then one day, Joonmyun came home early in the hopes of relaxing. He was ready to unwind when he heard Baekhyun talking over the phone with Zitao, discussing the different things they’d try once he was able to do the splits. Joonmyun left the apartment feeling violated, to say the least.
Baekhyun rolls his eyes and pops two pills, chasing them down with spoonfuls of soup. “Whatever. You’re just jealous that I have a loving boyfriend, and you’re stuck with shitty one-night stands.”
Joonmyun can’t say Baekhyun is wrong. It gets tiring after awhile when you have no one to come home to, or talk about your problems with. Baekhyun is only there for him whenever Zitao is busy. Joonmyun needs some stability, someone who will stick by his side through thick and thin. Someone like the cute guy from the convenience store.
“If Your Royal Majesty is done whining, I’m going to take a shower,” Joonmyun teases. He grabs a clean towel from his room and strips down in the bathroom, kicking his clothes off to the side. Baekhyun complains about his lazy tendencies, but it’s not Joonmyun’s fault he happens to miss the hamper every time. Blame it on my awful luck, he tells his roommate.
A nice, cold shower is just what the doctor prescribed, helping Joonmyun destress after a long day. He can feel his muscles relax under the cold stream of water, sighing in relief. This is what he looks forward to everyday because his job at a florist shop is surprisingly difficult. He thought taking a position down there would mean an easy paycheck, but then his first customer came in and to hell went his fantasy. Most days he makes floral arrangements for small affairs happening around town and helps unload the shipments in the morning. Then there are days when assholes come in asking for help to woo a woman because bitches love flowers and all that shit. He has to keep his professional face on in order to avoid a bruised face.
Once Joonmyun is all washed up, he wraps a towel around his lower half and leaves a trail of water in his wake. Baekhyun complains about this, too, but Joonmyun can’t help it that his flimsy towel won’t soak up all the water. Maybe we should sue the company one day, he tells his roommate.
Joonmyun lounges on his bed, still soaking wet. He browses the internet on his phone for cute guys with adorable smiles and small dicks because there’s no way in hell he’ll be able to sleep tonight without a little help. All the faces he sees are nothing compared to the boy he bumped into earlier on. It displeases him so. He gives up when half an hour passes by with no substitute in sight. Holding onto his weak memory is all he has for now until they meet again.
Wednesday is Joonmyun’s least favorite day of the week because he is stuck feeling elated and grumpy. The weekend is just over the horizon, but then he remembers there are still two more work days ahead of him. He doesn’t let his conflicting moods get in the way of his job, though. He pretends to be happy for all the potential customers who walk into the quaint shop, offering his assistance whenever he can. He spritzes the flowers in between to pass the time and makes small talk with the men and women he rings up. They’re all so kind, yet utterly dull. Hearing about other people’s mundane lives reminds him he needs to get laid soon to forget his own.
“Hi there. Can you help me pick something for a friend of mine?”
Joonmyun glances up from the catalogue he’s been perusing and smiles at the perfect face he sees. It’s the cute guy again, but this time he’s wearing a hoodie and matching sweats. The laidback look suits him.
“Oh! I… it’s you,” the cute guy mutters under his breath.
“It’s me,” Joonmyun confirms, rounding the counter so that they’re closer. He wishes it wasn’t against store policy to have sex with customers onsite. He should probably check the regulations later just to be sure.
“I think I have to go now.” The cute guy turns around to run, but Joonmyun catches him by the hand before he can get too far. To know one’s surprise, his skin is soft to the touch. Everything about him is perfect.
“You came here for a reason, and I’m here to help you with that,” Joonmyun says as calmly as possible. “How about we start with your name? I’m tired of referring you to as ‘cute guy’ in my head.”
The cute guy gives him a horrified look and tries to worm his way out of Joonmyun’s grasp. “It’s Jongin, now please leave me alone!” he shrieks out.
Joonmyun lets go of Jongin reluctantly and regrets it immensely as he watches the boy leave the shop in the blink of an eye. He wonders what he did to deserve this and sulks at his station, sitting precariously on the stool behind the counter. Things could have gone much more smoothly, but Jongin just had to show some resistance. Next time, Joonmyun tells himself, he’ll do better.
The next day, Joonmyun has to leave the front door of the shop closed in order to fend off the cold weather. He isn’t allowed to turn the thermostat up because the flowers can’t thrive in warmer temperatures, or so says his boss. He keeps his sweater on despite the fact it covers up his uniform. All that matters is that he wears his apron and a smile on his face, anyway.
Joonmyun busies himself with checking stock once he realizes no one wants to buy flowers on such a cold day. The streets outside are fairly empty, except for the occasional pedestrian running with a hot cup of joe. It must be the winter blues slowly creeping up on everyone.
He takes the clipboard off its hook and enters the backroom to check everything is accounted for. He makes tick marks down a column, whistling to himself to make the task less dull. When it seems like nothing is out of place, he goes out to the front to look over the displays.
“Do you guys usually ignore your customers?” a young man asks.
Joonmyun wonders when he came in because the bell above the door should have rung. Perhaps his whistling was a little too loud.
“No, I was just a little busy. Sorry about that. How may I help you?” Joonmyun asks, placing the clipboard down.
“I need to get something for my friend. He’s in the hospital with a broken leg,” the young man explains, his voice droning a little.
Joonmyun wouldn’t like this guy to be his friend because he looks like he couldn’t care less about his friend, or maybe he’s suffering from resting bitch face syndrome. Either way, the guy is pretty cute in a boyish way. He’s gangly, pale, and ready to be eaten up. If Jongin fails to show up in his life again, Joonmyun might have to settle for this fellow.
“Would you like to choose from one of our flower arrangements or create your own?” Joonmyun leads the young man over to their more popular and cheap options. He knows he’s supposed to try to upsell, but who in their right mind spends more than ten dollars on flowers unless they fucked up really bad?
“Whatever thirteen bucks and…,” the young man starts and rifles through his pockets. “forty-nine cents can buy me.”
“How about a dozen carnations? I’ll even wrap them with filler for free,” Joonmyun offers because he wants the young man’s name.
The young man shrugs and walks over to the counter, leaving Joonmyun to pick out the colors for him. He grabs a mix of whites and yellows, and he returns behind the counter to make the bouquet nice and pretty.
“Would you like a card to go with that? I have really lovely handwriting.” Joonmyun looks at the young man hopefully.
The young man shrugs again and mutters a message for Joonmyun to scrawl down on a blank card. He asks for his name to sign off with, and the answer he receives confuses him.
“Jongin, and please put a heart after it,” the young man replies and chuckles.
“Jongin, huh? You’re the second one this week…,” Joonmyun mutters under his breath. What’s the chances that the two cute guys he meets have the same name?
“Nah, my buddy told me to come in for him because he failed yesterday,” the young man explains, pointing to the front of the shop. “I’m just using his name.”
Joonmyun peeks over the young man’s shoulder and to his surprise, Jongin is hanging outside of the shop with his hands in his coat pockets. The boy looks so vulnerable as he waits for his friend. Luck might just be on Joonmyun’s side today.
“If you let me have the flowers for free, I’ll give you Jongin’s number,” the young man offers, smiling smugly.
Joonmyun knows better than to believe this kid because he looks like the type who will promise you riches and give you fool’s gold at the end. He is kind of desperate, though, because Jongin is really cute and his dick is fascinating. It’s been way too long since he’s had a good lay, and Jongin is the perfect solution. Compromising his job is worth the risk.
“Why would you sell out your friend like that?” Joonmyun doesn’t need anyone to know he’s willing to stoop low just to have a chance at Jongin. He keeps his eyes down as he wraps the carnations up with cellophane and paper, tying a pink ribbon around the base.
“Because he thinks you’re cute and you’re all he talks about, you fucking creep. Now, how about that deal?”
“Okay.”
Despite the fact that Joonmyun is now the proud owner of Jongin’s phone number, he has yet to call the boy up. He isn’t sure what to say without coming off as a stalker, though he’s pretty sure Jongin’s friend already told him about the little deal they made. Typically, he has more game than this. He can sweet-talk anyone into bed, yet he’s running into wall after wall with his newest obsession. The lack of progress infuriates him. By now he should have had sex with Jongin at least three times, perhaps four if the flower shop has no regulations against fucking on the property. He has yet to check.
“Staring at his number won’t get you anywhere, Joonie,” Baekhyun gushes and joins Joonmyun on his bed.
Joonmyun pushes Baekhyun away when his roommate tries to grab the card from him. Who knows what Baekhyun will do once he gets his grubby hands on it. The younger male has a record of putting his nose where it doesn’t belong, and Joonmyun wants to keep his love life pest-free.
“Oh, come on! Just let me call up this kid and see if the number is even real,” Baekhyun begs and throws himself against Joonmyun, tackling the elder down onto his back.
It never occurred to Joonmyun that he may have received a fake a number, until now. He had been over the moon after Jongin’s friend went through with his part of the deal and never bothered to think anything of it. He was just happy to be one step closer inside of Jongin’s pants.
“Okay, fine. If it turns out to be Jongin, you have to hang up immediately. I still don’t have the right words to say,” Joonmyun asserts and relinquishes the number over to Baekhyun. If his roommate was a dog, he’d be wagging his tail right now. He looks way too happy for his own good.
Joonmyun covers his face with his hands once he sees Baekhyun pull out his phone, dialing the number up. A part of him wants the number to be a dud to avoid any accidental embarrassment, and the other part hopes to hear Jongin’s voice on the other end of the line.
“Hi! Hello! Is this the lovely Jongin?” Baekhyun barks into the phone.
Joonmyun tunes out Baekhyun’s voice in favor of putting his mind in a happier place, where he isn’t the butt of the joke. It seems to work well because he ceases to hear his roommate’s annoying laughter. A little too well. He peeks over at the corner of the bed, and the rascal is not there! He scrambles onto his feet in search of a soon-to-be-dead Byun Baekhyun.
The apartment is quiet, surprisingly. Joonmyun has no choice but to flip the entire place upside down. He starts with the obvious place, Baekhyun’s room. The younger male is nowhere in sight. His bed is still unmade with the covers on the floor and leopard print panties stick out from underneath the pillows. Joonmyun swears he’s seen them on Zitao before during an impromptu sleepover a few days back. He shudders thanks to the horrible memory. Guests should have the decency to wear their pants, but Zitao likes to think this apartment is his second home.
Their shared bathroom is the next place to check. Yet again, Baekhyun can’t be found. Joonmyun kicks the hamper out of frustration, and it tips over. Dirty clothes spill all over the floor. He has no time to clean up and quickly leaves the mess for his roommate to find later.
The kitchen, balcony, and even the linen closet leave Joonmyun with no luck. He is running out of places to search through. He slumps down on the couch and presses a cushion against his face, letting out a groan. The next time he sees Baekhyun, he’s going to kick his ass. God knows what the younger male has told Jongin, assuming it was him who picked up.
And then the devil himself walks in through the front door. He takes a seat next to Joonmyun, throwing an arm over his shoulders oh-so-casually and dropping his phone down on the coffee table.
“Jongin sounds like a sweet kid, but he hung up the moment I started talking about your creepy obsession with him,” Baekhyun sighs out.
Joonmyun smacks his roommate in the face with cushion and again for good measure. Jongin probably thinks he’s some freak now. There’s no amount of damage control that will fix the situation at hand. Curling up under a rock sounds good right about now.
Despite his overall negative attitude, Joonmyun attempts to patch up the nonexistent relationship he has with Jongin. He sends several text messages to him over the course of a week, but there are no replies. His phone calls go unanswered as well.
“What’s got you down, champ?” Zitao asks him two weeks after the incident. He’s over at the apartment as per usual, in nothing but frilly, pink panties and panda slippers.
Joonmyun finds it impossible to be angry at Baekhyun right now because his discomfort with Zitao’s choice of wardrobe is overpowering. He keeps his eyes glued ahead on the television screen even though it’s turned off. “Nothing. Everything's just peachy,” he replies.
He knows immediately he’s said the wrong thing because Zitao is pulling him into his embrace and resting his chin atop his head.
“If you think Baekhyun didn’t tell me what’s happened, you really don’t know him at all,” the scantily clad male states.
“Why’d you bother to ask then?” Joonmyun grumbles as he tries to escape.
Zitao tightens his hold around him. “Anyway,” he starts, glossing over Joonmyun’s question. “You’re a great catch. Anyone would be happy to sleep with you, except for me. When Baekhyun first told me he was taking those yoga classes, I didn’t think much of it and now -”
“Get straight to the point,” Joonmyun cries out loud because he really doesn’t need an update on his roommate’s sex life.
“I honestly don’t have any solid advice for you, but when you finally get your hands on Jongin’s dick, never let go,” Zitao says with a straight face.
Joonmyun finally understands why Baekhyun and Zitao work as a couple.
“Have a good day sir,” Joonmyun shouts out to the receding figure of his last customer of the day.
It’s time to close up shop. He goes outside and lugs one potted plant at a time indoors, taking care not bruise himself or the merchandise. Once that task is out of the way, he sweeps up the floor a little and counts the money in the register.
The bell above the door rings. Joonmyun thought he had locked up.
“Sorry, but we’re closed now,” he announces without looking up, determined to finish up his duties so he can go home and sulk.
“You forgot to flip the sign,” a voice similar to Jongin’s says.
It can’t be… can it?
Joonmyun peeks up and nearly loses his breath. Jongin stands in front of the counter with his hands in his jeans’ pockets, hair slicked back and white t-shirt hugging his body. Out of all the scenarios running through his head, never did he predict that Jongin would be the one to break the silence between them. It’s a nice surprise though.
“Did your friend break his other leg?” Joonmyun tries to make things less awkward.
Jongin fights back a smile and shakes his head. “No, I’m actually here to see you this time.”
There are so many questions Joonmyun wants to ask him, but he’s pretty sure Jongin didn’t come down here for an interrogation.
“I didn’t mean to avoid you like that,” Jongin supplies, knowing exactly what’s on Joonmyun’s mind. “I just couldn’t believe my friend thought my number was worth a dozen ugly roses and when your friend called…”
Joonmyun offers Jongin a sheepish smile and a nod to let him know he understands where he’s coming from. Any rational person put in Jongin’s shoes would have done the same thing.
“So, I heard you think I’m cute,” he sing-songs, pretending to be oblivious to the fact that Jongin is now walking towards him. When he doesn’t get an answer, he continues to talk. “I’m quite flattered, really. I like to think -” Jongin cuts Joonmyun off by yanking him closer by the collar. The latter’s eyes go wide at the sudden shift in mood, but who is he to complain? He takes the initiative to close off the distance between their mouths and hums in delight because Jongin tastes like peppermint and perfection. Jongin kisses the way he acts, shy for the most part with bursts of urgency. It’s really cute which is why Joonmyun doesn’t rush him, allowing the boy to take his time exploring his mouth with hesitant flicks of his tongue.
“Why do you have to be so cute?” Joonmyun mutters to himself as he slips a hand underneath Jongin’s shirt, caressing the smooth skin above his hips. The simple action seems to ignite a flame inside of the boy because he shifts his hips with a soft whine. Knowing how sensitive Jongin is here, Joonmyun continues to tease him with soft touches as he kisses his jawline. It amuses him to hear the low and sometimes faint sounds coming out of the boy.
“H-hurry,” Jongin pants out, moving Joonmyun’s hands lower towards his crotch.
Joonmyun shakes his head, intent on making Jongin suffer the way he did the past few weeks. Revenge never looked so sweet. He isn’t too evil, so he cups Jongin through the front of his pants just to feel him out a little. It’s exhilarating, the thought that there are only two layers between him and destiny. Jongin is back to being less vocal as he rocks against Joonmyun’s hand, desperate for any kind of friction at this point.
Good things are supposed to come to those who wait, but not in this instance. Before Joonmyun can even begin to shift gears, Jongin is already throwing his head back and his body goes rigid.
“We’ll have to work on that,” Joonmyun comments while he gets down on his knees. He’s disappointed that their first encounter had to end like this, but no one said an encore couldn’t happen.
“What are you doing?” Jongin asks.
“I’m going to clean up the mess,” Joonmyun replies nonchalantly, and Jongin cries out of embarrassment.