One of a Kind 1/2
Title: One of a Kind
Rating: PG-15
Pairing(s): Junmyeon/Jongdae, Kyungsoo/Jongin, Zitao/Sehun, Minseok/Lu Han, Yifan/Chanyeol, slight!Hakyeon/Taekwoon, slight!Seokjin/Yoongi
Length: 13k+ (13,248 words)
Summary: Junmyeon owns a bakery with his brother, Jongin. Jongdae literally runs into his life, followed by Kyungsoo, and one of the best and most eventful weeks of his life begins. Also known as the only time Kyungsoo is glad Jongdae pulled a prank on him. Soulmate!au
**PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE READING THIS FIC**
Jongdae rushes in ten minutes before Sweet Corner closes. Junmyeon makes a startled noise, gloved hands clutching a sponge. Jongdae doesn't notice and almost slips over the wet floor.
"What-" Junmyeon starts. Their eyes lock and they both freeze. The moment breaks when a scream of Jongdae's name is heard.
"Hide me!" Jongdae squeaks, diving behind the counter. Junmyeon barely has time to react before another man comes running in.
"Jongdae, I fucking swear, if you don't-" the man stops when he realizes another person is in the shop. "I am so sorry," he immediately apologizes, "I didn't mean to-"
Junmyeon cuts him off with a wave of his hand. "No, no. It's fine. I was just cleaning up a little. Would you like something....?" He trails off, gesturing for the other to speak.
The man realizes it a beat too late and blurts out, "Kyungsoo! And-and uh no thanks. I just came in here because I was looking for someone. Sorry to disturb you." He awkwardly explains, and almost turns to leave. Kyungsoo freezes, though, when he hears another deeper, more familiar voice.
"What's going on?" Jongin says, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He has on the same Sweet Corner apron Junmyeon has and Kyungsoo bristles at the way Jongin drapes his arm around Junmyeon.
"On second thought," Kyungsoo says, noticing how Jongin's arm drops from its place at the sound of his voice, "I would love a blueberry scone, if that's okay."
Junmyeon nods and nudges Jongin's side, telling him to grab the pastry. He stays rooted at his spot and instead grabs Junmyeon's arm.
"Junmyeon," Jongin blurts, any trace of sleep suddenly gone. He slightly cowers behind Junmyeon when Kyungsoo's gaze shifts towards him. He tugs lightly on Junmyeon's button down. He rests a gloved hand on top of Jongin's, giving Kyungsoo an apologetic smile.
He turns and whispers, "What?"
"It's him." Jongin's grip tightens.
Junmyeon gives him a confused glance before he opens his mouth in a silent 'oh'. "You mean...?" he mouths, gesturing towards Kyungsoo. Jongin nods vigorously.
Junmyeon grins, an evil glint in his eye.
"Well," he says, nonchalantly pushing Jongin closer to Kyungsoo, "I'll go get that scone. You two..." he motions at them, "talk!"
Junmyeon mentally pats himself on the back. Jongin was never going to gather the courage to speak to Kyungsoo anyway.
Junmyeon starts to softly sing a ballad about romance to himself as he heads towards the kitchen in the back of his bakery. He nearly has a heart attack, however, when he sees Jongdae sitting near the sink. He had completely forgotten he was here.
Jongdae grins and Junmyeon suddenly thinks of the kitten he sometimes sees lounging outside the bakery. He shakes his head lightly and asks, "What are you still doing here?"
Jongdae's eyes slide down Junmyeon's face to his barely exposed collarbones and arms, all the way down to his worn out converses. His face heats up and he fidgets on the spot, not used to someone staring so intently. Jongdae's grin turns into a smirk as he answers, "I want to personally thank you for not telling Kyungsoo I'm here." He takes a step closer.
Junmyeon thrusts his hand forward before Jongdae can get any closer. He looks up in surprise before laughing and shaking Junmyeon's hand. Jongdae then glares at their hands and Junmyeon glances down at them, confused. He realizes he still has those awful rubber cleaning gloves on and pulls his hand away from Jongdae's with a sheepish smile. He points to a door on their left. "It's a back exit."
Jongdae looks over. He turns back and salutes, winking. "See you tomorrow."
Junmyeon opens his mouth to reply, but a crash and a groan near the front entrance makes him turn around. When he glances back, Jongdae is gone.
He looks around in disbelief as he pulls off the gloves. Junmyeon grabs a plate and places a blueberry scone on it. He quickly walks back out, wondering about the noise he heard.
Junmyeon sees Kyungsoo standing over Jongin, who seems to have tipped his chair back too far and fallen down. Kyungsoo reaches out his hand to help Jongin up only to immediately recoil the moment they touch. Jongin sits up, eyes wide, and backs up into the counter. Junmyeon warily walks over and puts the plate down.
"What happened here?" he says, righting the fallen chair and sitting on it.
All Jongin can do is point and make incoherent sounds while Kyungsoo stands completely frozen. Junmyeon rubs at his temples and sighs.
"Come on, Jongin. Kyungsoo?" He turns to the other with a hopeful look, but gets no reply. "Really, what happened? What could be so surprising? It's not like you two are soulmates or anything."
Junmyeon laughs at his attempted joke but it dies quickly once he sees the way Kyungsoo and Jongin are now staring at him. He squints, a look of disbelief on his face. "No..." They glance at each other briefly and Jongin rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. He gapes at both of them.
"You're kidding me."
"My little baby brother has a soulmate!" Junmyeon wails, pulling Jongin's head to his chest. Kyungsoo had left in a hurry several moments after Junmyeon had boxed the scone. He immediately thanked him and exited, stuttering about noisy roommates. "It seems like just yesterday I was making your favorite chocolate chip pancakes with a whipped cream smile."
"That was yesterday," Jongin retorts from his awkward position, trying to escape the surprisingly strong embrace. "And I'm twenty, Jun; I'm not a baby anymore."
"Yah!" Junmyeon says, suddenly pushing back Jongin's head. He stumbles backward and grips the counter for balance, eyes wide. Junmyeon glares. "If you aren't a baby anymore then cook your own breakfast! You're a baker here too."
Jongin rolls his eyes. "You don't even let me make the cupcakes. You would never trust me to make my own food."
"You're just shit at decorations," Junmyeon sniffs.
Jongin laughs at his response. His expression falters, though, as the memory of what just happened rushes back to him. "I'm going to call it a day. See you upstairs."
Junmyeon nods and motions for him to leave. He locks the door and makes one final sweep in the kitchen before shutting off the lights and walking up the stairs leading to their home.
He knocks softly on Jongin's room door, entering in when hearing Jongin snore. Junmyeon sits on his bed and tries not to roll his eyes as he takes in all of the haphazardly thrown clothes. He cards his fingers through Jongin's hair, pushing his bangs to the side and pulling his blanket up to his chin. Jongin murmurs lightly in his sleep, shifting towards Junmyeon's hand. The elder smiles gently and stands up. He exits as quietly as he can into the hallway and shivers slightly.
Winter may be the best season for customers for his bakery business, but not for Junmyeon personally. Winter means a higher gas bill, less fresh fruits for his pastries, buying Christmas gifts, and risk of sickness. On the flipside, winter means Jongin stays and helps out for three consecutive weeks. It also means snow and finally being able to wear those wooly sweaters Jongin pretends to hate. Junmyeon pulls on one of those sweaters- an oversized one with a snowflake and reindeer pattern zigzagging across his chest- and climbs into his bed. He contemplates showering or at least changing out of his jeans but his eyes close automatically as he slowly crawls under his blankets.
Junmyeon wakes to the sound of excessive yelling and loud groans. The clock on his wall tells him it's only five in the morning. He forces down his irritation as he slowly walks to the bathroom across his room. The water is unsurprisingly cold and he splashes some of it on his face. The shock is enough to completely wake him up. Junmyeon brushes his teeth and runs fingers through his messy hair twice before finally checking out the commotion in the living room.
Sehun. Of course.
Sehun stands on the couch, hunched over slightly, playing a round of Mario Kart. Jongin sits on his left and jabs the buttons on the Wii remote as if his life depended on it. Junmyeon rolls his eyes before asking as politely as possible, "Sehun, what the hell are you doing there?"
Sehun doesn't even glance in Junmyeon's direction. "I have a key. One, if I remember correctly, you gave to me."
"I don't recall giving you a key to the bakery. And I never... wait. Is that where the spare house key went?!"
"Oh yeah, that one is my fault." Jongin's eyes flit briefly to Junmyeon before returning to the screen. He shrugs. "Sehun comes over so much that I decided to just give him a key."
"Well, what about the bakery key? I would never give you that."
Sehun sighs dramatically before pausing the game. He pointedly ignores Jongin's protests and explains, "Remember, about a month ago, when you woke up late so you had me open the shop?"
Junmyeon's eyes widen. "You idiot!" He smacks the side of Sehun's head and he yelps. "That wasn't for you to keep. You told me you lost it!"
"And I did! But, I found it in my coat pocket and reasoned it would be better if I kept the key."
Junmyeon drags his hands down his face and groans. "Okay, whatever. But if you're going to barge into my house at five in the freaking morning then you'll be helping me bake."
Jongin snickers as Sehun groans. "But I'm terrible at baking! You told me that yourself!"
"Really? Well, Jongin can help you. You will help him, won't you?" Junmyeon smiles innocently, raising an eyebrow as if daring him to say otherwise.
Jongin nods immediately and stands, pulling Sehun outside by the arm. Junmyeon laughs lightly before taking off his sweater and following the two to the kitchen downstairs.
Three hours later and several dozen pastries and two cakes have been made. Sehun slumps into a chair, groaning, "I'm so exhausted. How can you do this every single day, Jun?"
Jongin rolls his eyes and shoves Sehun onto the floor. "All you did was gather the ingredients for me and put them into the oven after I finished mixing. That's nothing."
"Oh yeah? Well at least I didn't make Junmyeon look over my shoulder every few seconds asking for approval of the batter."
"At least I know how to mix. Can you do that?"
Junmyeon tunes out Jongin and Sehun's petty argument and instead hums a new pop song as he slices the red velvet cake covered in cream cheese icing and fondant flowers. He places two slices on separate plates, leaving them on the counter for them. He clears his throat and they immediately stop. Junmyeon hears the clatter of forks right before the two plates are whisked off the counter. He scoffs as he walks to the counter with the first cake, placing it on a special stand and scribbling a price tag on the side. Then the cookies, cupcakes, muffins, scones, tarts, doughnuts and others are placed on display. Junmyeon steps back into the kitchen and has to bat away Sehun's predatory hands reaching for the chocolate cake cooling off. He smiles as sweetly as possible. Sehun only does that when he wants something and a sense of dread fills Junmyeon.
"Junnie~" Junmyeon cringes at the nickname. Sehun knows he hates it whenever he says that. "Can I get another slice of cake? I swear, it's not for me. It's for Zitao. You know he loves your delicious and wonderful cakes~"
Junmyeon sighs. He may not be very fond of Sehun, but he does have a soft spot for Sehun's boyfriend, Zitao. The twenty-one year old Chinese man had become increasingly attached to Junmyeon ever since he first entered the bakery with Sehun leading him inside. Zitao had said it was like meeting an angel as he comforted a pouting, jealous Sehun. At first, Junmyeon had been weary of Zitao- he looked like he could murder you with only his stares- but after several long and seemingly one-sided conversations, he realized Zitao was just the Chinese male equivalent to a fourteen year old girl. Zitao now clings onto Junmyeon and calls him his mother. He finds it endearing.
Junmyeon busies himself with cutting yet another piece of cake and calls over his shoulder, "Jongin, go wash up and change." Out of the corner of his eye, he sees his brother nod once and head towards the stairs. "It's almost opening time, Sehun, so I need you to unlock the door and pull up the blinds." He shoves a neatly wrapped box into Sehun's arms. "Here's the cake for Zitao. Don't move the box too much, like what you did last time."
Sehun rolls his eyes at the comment and readies the shop. Just as the last window opens, Minseok rushes in. He kneels over, placing his hands on his knees, panting, "I'm- I didn't mean to- my alarm clock didn't-" He pauses, catching his breath. "I'm sorry I'm late! It won't happen again."
Junmyeon peeks his head out from the kitchen and furrows his eyebrows. "You're thirty minutes early."
"But..." Minseok glances at his phone. A text from Lu Han stares up at him and he curses. "Lu Han! That asshole! I should've known something was up when he asked all of those questions about my clocks last night. Ugh, I knew we should've just gone to his house like always."
Sehun raises an eyebrow. "Sounds an awful lot like you two are-"
Minseok cuts him off with a wave of the hand. "Yeah, I know, it's weird, but Junmyeon doesn't like co-workers dating so we try not to make it widely known that we're together. Surprisingly, Lu Han is fine with it, but that might have something to do with the fact that he said he hated the way we got together." He shrugs. "He still flirts with me here anyway."
Sehun tilts his head, curious. "How'd you two get together?"
"Lu Han was completely drunk and confessed. I couldn't even reply before he promptly threw up on me and passed out." Minseok laughs. "I don't know why he hates it so much. I mean, he wasn't the one that got thrown up on."
Sehun bursts into laughter as Jongin arrives, buttoning the last few buttons on his shirt. "What's so funny?"
Sehun points at Minseok. He shakes his head, still chuckling. He pulls on his coat and steps out of the bakery, cake in hand.
Jongin turns to Minseok and raises an eyebrow. He shrugs again. "I already told you what I told Sehun. Let's get to work, okay?" Jongin groans in response. Manning the cash register is considered terrible in his opinion, but at least Minseok is good company.
Junmyeon comes out of the kitchen around noon, flour smudges on his forehead and left cheek. He smiles at Minseok, who returns the gesture, and Jongin, who sticks his tongue out instead. A handful of customers sit at the tables, light conversations filling the bakery with a cheerful mood. Loud laughter suddenly can be heard from outside and Junmyeon smiles wider. His favorite customer has arrived.
Chanyeol bursts through the doors, another smaller man being pushed forward. Two others follow after, grinning.
"Junmyeon!" He shouts, and the other customers turn to glare at him. He earns a slap on the arm from one of the men, and when he glances over, Junmyeon recognizes him as Kyungsoo. Jongin seems to recognize him too, because he grabs Junmyeon's arm and pulls him to the side, whispering frantically, "Please, please stay at the register for me."
The sheer panic in Jongin's eyes has Junmyeon nodding and he immediately relaxes. "Thank you so much, Jun, I owe you big time!" He hugs him tightly before running into the kitchen. Junmyeon walks over to the cash register just as Chanyeol approaches.
"Junmyeon! How's my favorite baker doing?" He grins, leaning over way too much to place his elbows on the counter.
"I've been fine, Yeol. I see you brought friends today." He looks over Chanyeol's shoulder and sees Kyungsoo, a man staring down his cupcakes, and... Junmyeon blinks back his shock when his gaze lands on the man who had run into his shop yesterday. Their eyes meet and the man winks. Junmyeon's eyes widen and he adverts his attention back to Chanyeol.
Chanyeol nods enthusiastically, oblivious. "This is Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Jongdae. We've known each other since high school. Jongdae here," Chanyeol roughly pats the back of the one currently smirking at Junmyeon, "seemed really interested in this bakery. Good thing I'm a regular here, huh?" His laugh is loud and an octave too deep and Junmyeon flinches. "Anyway, what I really wanted to know was if a certain someone-"
Chanyeol is cut off by a crash in the background. The four of them turn and see a man sprawled across the ground. Junmyeon rushes to his side and helps him up.
"Yixing, you idiot," he says softly, quickly checking for any damage. "Are you hurt?"
Yixing shakes his head. Junmyeon stands and swiftly assures everyone that he's fine. Yixing grins and waves in Chanyeol's direction before entering the kitchen.
Baekhyun grabs Jongdae's arm. "Did you see that?!"
"Yeah, I did," Jongdae mutters. "They were too close, in my opinion."
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "No, not that, who cares about that? His smile, Jongdae, did you see his smile? Oh my god, it's so perfect. I need him, Jongdae. I need him more than that cotton candy cupcake on display."
Kyungsoo scoffs, listening to their conversation behind them. "No one would go out with you, Baekhyun."
"Well what about you, huh? We all know why you're really here." Baekhyun motions towards Jongin talking animatedly to Yixing.
"I still have a better chance of dating him than you'll have with anyone," slips out before Kyungsoo can stop himself. Baekhyun glares and Jongdae laughs. Chanyeol interrupts them by calling them over to a table. He ordered them all a slice of chocolate cake, he tells them, looking slightly dejected.
"Why the long face, Yeol?" Jongdae asks as Minseok comes over with their cake.
Chanyeol furrows his eyebrows. "Remember when I said I met this awesome guy who's taller than me?" They nod simultaneously. No one can really forget Chanyeol's excitement when he found someone who rivaled his height. "Well, apparently he's Junmyeon's best friend, and I was kind of hoping he would be here today. I guess he isn't, though."
Jongdae places his hand on Chanyeol's back as a form of comfort. He opens his mouth to say something but is cut off by Baekhyun, "Holy- Chanyeol, why is this the first time you've brought me here? Jongdae, try the cake. Right now. It is like eating chocolate sunshine; my taste buds are screaming with joy."
Jongdae rolls his eyes but complies. Baekhyun is... strangely accurate. The cake is soft and sweet, almost melting in his mouth. The frosting is smooth and has a hint of dark chocolate, which Jongdae deems fairly addicting. He takes several more bites before nodding in agreement. The cake is gone too fast and Chanyeol, Baekhyun, and Kyungsoo are already getting up to leave.
"Wait one moment!" Jongdae shouts. He hurries over to the counter and grabs Junmyeon's attention. Junmyeon discreetly looks for Minseok but can't find him. He inwardly curses and faces Jongdae, smiling warily. "Can I help you, Jongdae?"
Jongdae bites his lip at the way his name rolls off of Junmyeon's tongue. He gives a small shake of the head and answers, "I'll have a vanilla cupcake to go."
He grabs one cupcake and boxes it carefully. He even adds a thin ribbon which he ties securely around the box. Junmyeon places the box on the counter. "One vanilla cupcake."
Jongdae stares intently at Junmyeon's face. His eyebrows are scrunched together as he looks at Junmyeon's cheek. "I think you have a little something..." He reaches out to brush away the flour clinging to Junmyeon's face. Junmyeon takes a giant step back, laughing nervously. He rubs his cheek viciously and Jongdae pouts.
"I um-" Junmyeon coughs, "I think your friends left you."
"I know." He grins. "Well, I need to get going. See you tomorrow, Junmyeon." Junmyeon gulps. The way Jongdae says his name shouldn't be legal. Another wink and Jongdae leaves.
Jongin whistles, startling Junmyeon. "What was that, Jun?" He waggles his eyebrows suggestively.
Junmyeon blushes and shoves Jongin towards the register. "Get to work, Jongin. Kyungsoo left a while ago." He sputters but the elder just shakes his head. "I don't know why you're avoiding him. You two are soulmates, correct?"
Jongin groans as he uses Junmyeon as an armrest. "He probably just thinks I'm weird and clumsy."
"Stop being so dramatic. Just talk to him; I mean you already like him."
"Shhh! Do you want everyone to know who I like?!" Junmyeon rolls his eyes. No one is currently in the bakery besides Yixing.
"I'm pretty sure Yixing already knows you like Kyun-" Jongin suddenly jumps on his back, hissing "Shut up!" in his ear as he covers his mouth. Junmyeon turns in surprise and sees Kyungsoo standing there.
"I just..." He quickly glances around before reaching over and picking up a scarf lying on a seat. Kyungsoo ducks his head awkwardly. "Sorry if I was interrupting anything." He turns and walks to the door.
Jongin takes his hand off of Junmyeon's mouth and places his forehead on his shoulder as Junmyeon still holds him up. "Oh god, that was close, right?"
"Uh, Jongin-"
"I mean, imagine if Kyungsoo heard-"
"Jongin, I really don't think-"
"-that I like him! I would just die-"
"Jongin!"
"What!" Jongin lifts his head off of Junmyeon's shoulder and glares at him. "Don't you think you've caused enough..." The words trail off as his eyes meet Kyungsoo's from across the bakery. Kyungsoo's hand on the doorknob falls down as he gapes.
"You like me?"
Junmyeon promptly drops Jongin with a loud crash. He gestures between them several times before shooting Jongin a look and stepping into the kitchen. Jongin pulls himself up and walks around the counter. He rubs the back of his neck and smiles sheepishly. "I do like you, Kyungsoo. But it has nothing to do with us being soulmates." He blurts. Jongin mentally slaps himself for sounding even creepier than he intended. He's about to backtrack when Kyungsoo says, "Good."
Jongin doesn't have time to think of a proper response before Kyungsoo takes several steps forward and roughly pulls his collar down to kiss him. The skin contact causes bursts of color in his vision and it lingers for a few seconds after Kyungsoo breaks the kiss.
"I like you too, Jongin."
He grins and leans in close enough for their noses and foreheads to touch. The door opens behind them and someone scoffs.
"Ugh, get a room Jongin. No one needs to see your PDA this early in the day."
Jongin laughs breathily and looks up. "It's almost two. And you aren't any better with Minseok, Lu." The said man just childishly sticks out his tongue and walks over to the counter.
"I should get going," Kyungsoo says, biting his bottom lip and slowly stepping back. Jongin nods.
"Wait, you forgot your scarf again." He grabs it and holds it out to Kyungsoo.
"Oh, that's not my scarf." Kyungsoo shrugs. "I came back to give you my number but then I saw you jump another guy, so I just made something up."
"But you still haven't given me your number."
Kyungsoo pats Jongin's arm and grins. "I think you should check your pocket." He takes a step back, waves, and exits the shop.
Kyungsoo grins as he walks back to his apartment. On any other day, he would've never had the courage to confess to Jongin, much less kiss him. Finding out your crush is also your soulmate boosts your confidence significantly.
He steps into his apartment and is immediately greeted by Chanyeol. He smiles excitedly and hugs Kyungsoo.
"What the-" Chanyeol lets go and squishes Kyungsoo's cheeks together.
"My little baby has a boyfriend!" Chanyeol shrieks. Jongdae and Baekhyun appear behind Chanyeol.
"Whoa, what's this about our baby having a boyfriend?" Jongdae places his hands on his hips.
"Yeah, since when did our baby have any game?" Baekhyun earns a slap on the head from Jongdae.
"They grow up so fast." Chanyeol wipes away a fake tear.
Kyungsoo shoves him off and glares. "First of all, I am not any of your guys' baby. Second of all, how the hell did you know about that, Chanyeol? And why are you even here? You don't live here."
Chanyeol waves his hand around. "This is like my second home." He pulls out his phone and points at it. "And Junmyeon just texted me everything that happened with you and Jongin."
Kyungsoo mutters curses as he walks away and Jongdae looks at Chanyeol in surprise. "You have Junmyeon's number?" He nods.
Jongdae grabs Chanyeol's arms and shakes him vigorously. "Give me his number."
"Why? What are you going to do for me?"
"I'll consider inviting you to the wedding." Jongdae attempts to grab Chanyeol's phone but he holds it up in the air, far above Jongdae's reach. He pouts and Chanyeol smirks. Jongdae scowls and tries again, almost toppling both of them over.
"Down, kitty!" Chanyeol yelps, "Don't make me use the spray bottle on you!"
"I use that for cutting your stupid hair, you idiot!"
Chanyeol drops his hands and frowns. "That was rude."
Jongdae huffs, annoyance slowly slipping away. He can't be annoyed when Chanyeol looks like a kicked puppy. But Jongdae is nothing if not persistent. "If you just gave me Junmyeon's number in the first place, I wouldn't never insulted your hair. Or called you an idiot."
Chanyeol sighs. "But Jun wouldn't like it if I gave his number to someone he barely knows." The conflict is written clearly on his face and he sits on the floor as he weighs the pros and cons. Jongdae decides to leave him to it and goes to his room. He'll just wait for an opportunity to take Chanyeol's phone later.
He comes out several hours later, and Chanyeol is still in the same spot. Jongdae nudges him with his foot and nods towards the kitchen.
"Kyungsoo made dinner for us today."
Chanyeol brightens. "Really? I love it when he cooks!" He almost trips when he goes to the dining room table and Baekhyun cackles while Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. Jongdae takes the opportunity to search Chanyeol's phone. He scoffs at his lack of password and notes to himself to tell Chanyeol to make one.
He scrolls down the contact list and groans. They're ordered by last name. When he finally gets to Kim, Junmyeon, Jongdae fights down a smile from the fact that his name is directly on top of Junmyeon's because of their last names. He fishes out his phone and when he looks back, he realizes he saw wrong because another name is on top. Kim, Jongin. Jongdae scowls.
The number is saved onto his phone. Jongdae grins triumphantly and gets up, heading towards the others.
This'll be fun.
Jongdae contemplates the first message he should send to Junmyeon throughout dinner. He decides on a simple Hi (◠‿◠✿) Chanyeol gave me your number and immediately sends another text after saying, It's Jongdae, by the way (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ～
He slips his phone back into his pocket and is disappointed when there's no reply back after a few hours.
Junmyeon glances back at his phone, hands caked in batter. His phone had vibrated twice in its spot on the counter. Does that mean it's important? But they would've been more persistent if it was, right? He finishes separating the dough into balls before washing his hands and placing the tray into the oven.
Two texts from an unknown number stare up at him. Junmyeon's eyes widen when he reads that it's Jongdae. He slams down his phone and lets out a strangled noise. Jongin steps into the kitchen and raises an eyebrow.
"Why are you making cookies at midnight?" Junmyeon's phone buzzes again and Jongin promptly snatches it.
I'm sorry, is it weird that I have your number? (◕﹏◕✿)
Junmyeon rips his phone out of Jongin's grasp and cradles it to his chest. Jongin laughs.
"Who's Jongdae?" Junmyeon shrinks further into himself and Jongin shakes his head. "You should reply back to him. His first message was sent four hours ago."
"Don't look at my messages!" he squeaks.
"So cute," Jongin coos, pinching Junmyeon's cheek. He yelps and swats away the hand. Jongin makes a sound of disapproval. "Sometimes I don't get how you're older than me."
Junmyeon glares, hissing, "I am three years older."
"Yeah, sure, whatever helps you sleep at night." Jongin raises his hands up in defense. "Before you kill me, you should check on your cookies."
Junmyeon squints at Jongin's seemingly innocent smile before placing down his phone and walking towards the oven. Jongin sneakily grabs his phone and texts Jongdae.
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
It's not weird at all! I'm glad I have your number so I can text you allllllll the time~
Jongin snickers and hits send. He knows he's going to be in so much trouble, but right now, Jongin couldn't care less. It's fun to see his brother all flustered and nervous in front of people he likes.
Jongdae's phone rings and he lunges for it, only for Baekhyun to snatch it out of his hands. He reads the message and gags.
"Junmyeon sounds disgusting."
Jongdae gasps and jumps onto Baekhyun. "Give me my goddamn phone!"
"Never!" Baekhyun shouts. He leans out of Jongdae's reach and in return, Jongdae pulls his hair. Kyungsoo walks in, pinching the bridge of his nose. He grabs both of their ears and twists, pulling them apart.
"Why do I have to deal with children," Kyungsoo mutters. He plucks Jongdae's phone out of Baekhyun's hand and hits them both with it. Jongdae whines and takes his phone back. He walks into his room, locks the door, and finally checks his messages.
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
It's not weird at all! I'm glad I have your number so I can text you allllllll the time~
Jongdae clutches his heart, falling onto his bed. His phone buzzes again.
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
I am so sorry for that last message, Jongin sent it. Please ignore what it says. Sorry.
Jongdae gapes.
To: Junmyeon
From: Jongdae
Does that mean you don't want to talk to me? (◕︿◕✿)
Junmyeon gapes.
He feels his face heat up. What kind of grown man uses Japanese emojis in every single text?
"Can you get off of me?" Jongin asks, voice muffled from the floor. Junmyeon tucks his legs under himself, resting his entire weight on Jongin. He groans and tries to move, failing.
"I'll get off of your back when I want to."
Jongin whimpers. "I didn't know you were so cruel, Jun." He squirms. "You're heavy."
Sehun laughs from where he sits near Jongin's head, back resting against Zitao's chest. "Nah, you're just really weak." He pokes Jongin's duck taped hands.
"Aren't you supposed to be on my side?!"
Sehun snickers. "I'm the one that taped your hands together, remember? Totally worth the two bucks I spent."
Jongin groans again, letting his face hit the floor. Zitao reaches over and pats his head.
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
I'm sorry. Let's start over. Hi, I'm Kim Junmyeon.
Junmyeon immediately gets a reply. He takes pity on his brother and stands up, walking to his room.
To: Junmyeon
From: Jongdae
I'm Kim Jongdae ★~(◡‿◕✿)
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
What's with the Japanese emojis?
To: Junmyeon
From: Jongdae
They're cute! Like you~ (◕‿◕✿)
Junmyeon feels his face heat up as he slams his phone down. He covers his face with his hands and grins widely despite trying to force himself not to.
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
I thought we were starting over
To: Junmyeon
From: Jongdae
We are! I thought you were cute from the beginning so I can still say that ヽ(゜∇゜)ノ
Junmyeon laughs softly. He glances at the time and curses.
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
I'm sorry, but I have to go....
To: Junmyeon
From: Jongdae
Oh my god sorry was it me? I tend to say whatever is on my mind when I'm nervous ( ﾟдﾟ)
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
No! I just have to wake up in less than five hours to bake and put up Christmas decorations for my shop
To: Junmyeon
From: Jongdae
Oh! Would you like me to help you? Wait, why am I even asking? I'll be there at 7. Goodnight (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
Junmyeon hesitates, unable to think of a proper response, before just texting back a simple Goodnight.
Junmyeon finishes preparing for his bakery at around seven, nudging Jongin so he can help carry out some decorations. Sehun and Zitao walk down the stairs, each carrying their own box of decorations. Junmyeon glances up as he hears the door open and sees Yixing, Minseok, and Lu Han enter. He smiles as another taller person steps in.
"Yifan!" Junmyeon walks over to him with his arms outstretched. Yifan grins, hugging Junmyeon and lifting him slightly in the air. Junmyeon hits him on the shoulder the moment they pull apart. "How was Canada, Mr. I'm Not Going to Tell My Best Friend I Left the Country?"
Yifan laughs. "It was exactly what I wanted but not what I needed. I'm happy to be back with you and your bakery and all of the crazy people that come with it."
"Well, you're just in time to help me with these Christmas decorations."
"You mean be the person to place the decorations because you're too short to reach the ceiling yourself?"
Junmyeon glares and turns away from Yifan. "You know, I did not miss you one bit."
"Aww," Yifan pulls Junmyeon into a back hug, "but I missed you sooooo much! Why are you denying my love, Junnie?"
"You shouldn't say that Yifan," Jongin cuts in, "Jun's got a boyfriend."
"What?!" Yifan lets go, turning around Junmyeon to face him. "Why have you not told me this I am your best friend."
"Jongin," Junmyeon leans over to stare down his brother who immediately averts his eyes, "I will deal with you later. Yifan, I do not have a boyfriend. Jongin's insane."
"Am not!" Jongin shouts as he walks back to his box of decorations. "He's totally in love with this guy that came to the bakery like once."
"I barely know Jongdae; how can I love him?!"
In that moment, Jongdae enters Sweet Corner with Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol in tow. They all freeze as they hear Junmyeon's words and Jongin's following laughter. Junmyeon opens and closes his mouth several times, attempting to find the right words to say.
"Let's just start decorating, okay?" Yifan says, reaching into a nearby box and pulling out tinsel. Junmyeon nods slowly and grabs a handful of mini snowflakes to place on the windows.
The mood becomes cheerier as all twelve men help decorate Sweet Corner while Christmas music blasts through someone's speakers. A fake Christmas tree is put up in the far corner of the bakery, empty wrapped boxes placed under the tree. Junmyeon also places his actual gifts under the tree when no one looks. Snowflakes hang from the ceiling and dot the windows of the bakery. Tinsel lines the glass displays and a wreath is hung on the front entrance.
"We're just missing one thing," Baekhyun says, dragging a chair over to a random spot in the shop. He stands on it and Yixing walks over to hold his legs steady. Baekhyun steps down from the chair with the help of Yixing, a look of accomplishment on his face. "Mistletoe!"
"You know what that means, don't you Baek?" Jongdae gives him a pointed look and Baekhyun glances around, confused. His eyes widen when he realizes that Yixing and him are directly under the mistletoe.
"T-that can't- it doesn't count!" Baekhyun stutters, shooting Jongdae a glare. He turns toward Yixing for support. "It doesn't count, right?"
Yixing shrugs before pulling Baekhyun close by the neck and kissing him. Several of the guys applaud and Jongdae whistles. Baekhyun flips him off as they pull apart.
"I'm Zhang Yixing. Nice to meet you."
"Byun Baekhyun. Likewise."
Yixing laughs and pulls him towards a table. Everyone else pairs off and relaxes, waiting twenty more minutes for the bakery to officially open. Jongin and Kyungsoo sit at a table with Sehun and Zitao, Minseok and Lu Han whisper quietly to each other, Yifan and Chanyeol talk loudly on the side, and Jongdae plops into the seat in front of Junmyeon.
"I don't know how you do it."
"Do what?"
"All of this," Jongdae gestures all around, "owning a bakery. Waking up at six to have to bake for several hours. Waking up even earlier to appeal to customers. Dealing with weird customers like me in general. I would never be able to last a day as the owner."
"You're giving me too much credit, Jongdae. I just bake the initial pastries and make sure everything is under control. I usually don't talk to customers and just stay in the kitchen."
"Really?" Jongdae grins, a mischievous look in his eyes, "Does that mean I can take you out and around town and you wouldn't have a reason to say no?"
"Are you asking me out on a date?! I don't even know you that well!"
"Depends. Would you say yes if I was? And, you know my name is Jongdae. I'm also twenty two, my favorite word is euphemism, and I like long walks on the beach." Junmyeon forces down the smile he feels uncovering.
"I really can't, though. I'm decorating the second floor of this place and that's going to take a while, considering the fact that I'll be doing it alone."
"Oh! I'll help you!" Jongdae pauses. "Only if you want me to."
"Oh, well okay. I'll let Jongin open the shop and we can get started."
(Part 2)
Rating: PG-15
Pairing(s): Junmyeon/Jongdae, Kyungsoo/Jongin, Zitao/Sehun, Minseok/Lu Han, Yifan/Chanyeol, slight!Hakyeon/Taekwoon, slight!Seokjin/Yoongi
Length: 13k+ (13,248 words)
Summary: Junmyeon owns a bakery with his brother, Jongin. Jongdae literally runs into his life, followed by Kyungsoo, and one of the best and most eventful weeks of his life begins. Also known as the only time Kyungsoo is glad Jongdae pulled a prank on him. Soulmate!au
**PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE READING THIS FIC**
Jongdae rushes in ten minutes before Sweet Corner closes. Junmyeon makes a startled noise, gloved hands clutching a sponge. Jongdae doesn't notice and almost slips over the wet floor.
"What-" Junmyeon starts. Their eyes lock and they both freeze. The moment breaks when a scream of Jongdae's name is heard.
"Hide me!" Jongdae squeaks, diving behind the counter. Junmyeon barely has time to react before another man comes running in.
"Jongdae, I fucking swear, if you don't-" the man stops when he realizes another person is in the shop. "I am so sorry," he immediately apologizes, "I didn't mean to-"
Junmyeon cuts him off with a wave of his hand. "No, no. It's fine. I was just cleaning up a little. Would you like something....?" He trails off, gesturing for the other to speak.
The man realizes it a beat too late and blurts out, "Kyungsoo! And-and uh no thanks. I just came in here because I was looking for someone. Sorry to disturb you." He awkwardly explains, and almost turns to leave. Kyungsoo freezes, though, when he hears another deeper, more familiar voice.
"What's going on?" Jongin says, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He has on the same Sweet Corner apron Junmyeon has and Kyungsoo bristles at the way Jongin drapes his arm around Junmyeon.
"On second thought," Kyungsoo says, noticing how Jongin's arm drops from its place at the sound of his voice, "I would love a blueberry scone, if that's okay."
Junmyeon nods and nudges Jongin's side, telling him to grab the pastry. He stays rooted at his spot and instead grabs Junmyeon's arm.
"Junmyeon," Jongin blurts, any trace of sleep suddenly gone. He slightly cowers behind Junmyeon when Kyungsoo's gaze shifts towards him. He tugs lightly on Junmyeon's button down. He rests a gloved hand on top of Jongin's, giving Kyungsoo an apologetic smile.
He turns and whispers, "What?"
"It's him." Jongin's grip tightens.
Junmyeon gives him a confused glance before he opens his mouth in a silent 'oh'. "You mean...?" he mouths, gesturing towards Kyungsoo. Jongin nods vigorously.
Junmyeon grins, an evil glint in his eye.
"Well," he says, nonchalantly pushing Jongin closer to Kyungsoo, "I'll go get that scone. You two..." he motions at them, "talk!"
Junmyeon mentally pats himself on the back. Jongin was never going to gather the courage to speak to Kyungsoo anyway.
Junmyeon starts to softly sing a ballad about romance to himself as he heads towards the kitchen in the back of his bakery. He nearly has a heart attack, however, when he sees Jongdae sitting near the sink. He had completely forgotten he was here.
Jongdae grins and Junmyeon suddenly thinks of the kitten he sometimes sees lounging outside the bakery. He shakes his head lightly and asks, "What are you still doing here?"
Jongdae's eyes slide down Junmyeon's face to his barely exposed collarbones and arms, all the way down to his worn out converses. His face heats up and he fidgets on the spot, not used to someone staring so intently. Jongdae's grin turns into a smirk as he answers, "I want to personally thank you for not telling Kyungsoo I'm here." He takes a step closer.
Junmyeon thrusts his hand forward before Jongdae can get any closer. He looks up in surprise before laughing and shaking Junmyeon's hand. Jongdae then glares at their hands and Junmyeon glances down at them, confused. He realizes he still has those awful rubber cleaning gloves on and pulls his hand away from Jongdae's with a sheepish smile. He points to a door on their left. "It's a back exit."
Jongdae looks over. He turns back and salutes, winking. "See you tomorrow."
Junmyeon opens his mouth to reply, but a crash and a groan near the front entrance makes him turn around. When he glances back, Jongdae is gone.
He looks around in disbelief as he pulls off the gloves. Junmyeon grabs a plate and places a blueberry scone on it. He quickly walks back out, wondering about the noise he heard.
Junmyeon sees Kyungsoo standing over Jongin, who seems to have tipped his chair back too far and fallen down. Kyungsoo reaches out his hand to help Jongin up only to immediately recoil the moment they touch. Jongin sits up, eyes wide, and backs up into the counter. Junmyeon warily walks over and puts the plate down.
"What happened here?" he says, righting the fallen chair and sitting on it.
All Jongin can do is point and make incoherent sounds while Kyungsoo stands completely frozen. Junmyeon rubs at his temples and sighs.
"Come on, Jongin. Kyungsoo?" He turns to the other with a hopeful look, but gets no reply. "Really, what happened? What could be so surprising? It's not like you two are soulmates or anything."
Junmyeon laughs at his attempted joke but it dies quickly once he sees the way Kyungsoo and Jongin are now staring at him. He squints, a look of disbelief on his face. "No..." They glance at each other briefly and Jongin rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. He gapes at both of them.
"You're kidding me."
"My little baby brother has a soulmate!" Junmyeon wails, pulling Jongin's head to his chest. Kyungsoo had left in a hurry several moments after Junmyeon had boxed the scone. He immediately thanked him and exited, stuttering about noisy roommates. "It seems like just yesterday I was making your favorite chocolate chip pancakes with a whipped cream smile."
"That was yesterday," Jongin retorts from his awkward position, trying to escape the surprisingly strong embrace. "And I'm twenty, Jun; I'm not a baby anymore."
"Yah!" Junmyeon says, suddenly pushing back Jongin's head. He stumbles backward and grips the counter for balance, eyes wide. Junmyeon glares. "If you aren't a baby anymore then cook your own breakfast! You're a baker here too."
Jongin rolls his eyes. "You don't even let me make the cupcakes. You would never trust me to make my own food."
"You're just shit at decorations," Junmyeon sniffs.
Jongin laughs at his response. His expression falters, though, as the memory of what just happened rushes back to him. "I'm going to call it a day. See you upstairs."
Junmyeon nods and motions for him to leave. He locks the door and makes one final sweep in the kitchen before shutting off the lights and walking up the stairs leading to their home.
He knocks softly on Jongin's room door, entering in when hearing Jongin snore. Junmyeon sits on his bed and tries not to roll his eyes as he takes in all of the haphazardly thrown clothes. He cards his fingers through Jongin's hair, pushing his bangs to the side and pulling his blanket up to his chin. Jongin murmurs lightly in his sleep, shifting towards Junmyeon's hand. The elder smiles gently and stands up. He exits as quietly as he can into the hallway and shivers slightly.
Winter may be the best season for customers for his bakery business, but not for Junmyeon personally. Winter means a higher gas bill, less fresh fruits for his pastries, buying Christmas gifts, and risk of sickness. On the flipside, winter means Jongin stays and helps out for three consecutive weeks. It also means snow and finally being able to wear those wooly sweaters Jongin pretends to hate. Junmyeon pulls on one of those sweaters- an oversized one with a snowflake and reindeer pattern zigzagging across his chest- and climbs into his bed. He contemplates showering or at least changing out of his jeans but his eyes close automatically as he slowly crawls under his blankets.
Junmyeon wakes to the sound of excessive yelling and loud groans. The clock on his wall tells him it's only five in the morning. He forces down his irritation as he slowly walks to the bathroom across his room. The water is unsurprisingly cold and he splashes some of it on his face. The shock is enough to completely wake him up. Junmyeon brushes his teeth and runs fingers through his messy hair twice before finally checking out the commotion in the living room.
Sehun. Of course.
Sehun stands on the couch, hunched over slightly, playing a round of Mario Kart. Jongin sits on his left and jabs the buttons on the Wii remote as if his life depended on it. Junmyeon rolls his eyes before asking as politely as possible, "Sehun, what the hell are you doing there?"
Sehun doesn't even glance in Junmyeon's direction. "I have a key. One, if I remember correctly, you gave to me."
"I don't recall giving you a key to the bakery. And I never... wait. Is that where the spare house key went?!"
"Oh yeah, that one is my fault." Jongin's eyes flit briefly to Junmyeon before returning to the screen. He shrugs. "Sehun comes over so much that I decided to just give him a key."
"Well, what about the bakery key? I would never give you that."
Sehun sighs dramatically before pausing the game. He pointedly ignores Jongin's protests and explains, "Remember, about a month ago, when you woke up late so you had me open the shop?"
Junmyeon's eyes widen. "You idiot!" He smacks the side of Sehun's head and he yelps. "That wasn't for you to keep. You told me you lost it!"
"And I did! But, I found it in my coat pocket and reasoned it would be better if I kept the key."
Junmyeon drags his hands down his face and groans. "Okay, whatever. But if you're going to barge into my house at five in the freaking morning then you'll be helping me bake."
Jongin snickers as Sehun groans. "But I'm terrible at baking! You told me that yourself!"
"Really? Well, Jongin can help you. You will help him, won't you?" Junmyeon smiles innocently, raising an eyebrow as if daring him to say otherwise.
Jongin nods immediately and stands, pulling Sehun outside by the arm. Junmyeon laughs lightly before taking off his sweater and following the two to the kitchen downstairs.
Three hours later and several dozen pastries and two cakes have been made. Sehun slumps into a chair, groaning, "I'm so exhausted. How can you do this every single day, Jun?"
Jongin rolls his eyes and shoves Sehun onto the floor. "All you did was gather the ingredients for me and put them into the oven after I finished mixing. That's nothing."
"Oh yeah? Well at least I didn't make Junmyeon look over my shoulder every few seconds asking for approval of the batter."
"At least I know how to mix. Can you do that?"
Junmyeon tunes out Jongin and Sehun's petty argument and instead hums a new pop song as he slices the red velvet cake covered in cream cheese icing and fondant flowers. He places two slices on separate plates, leaving them on the counter for them. He clears his throat and they immediately stop. Junmyeon hears the clatter of forks right before the two plates are whisked off the counter. He scoffs as he walks to the counter with the first cake, placing it on a special stand and scribbling a price tag on the side. Then the cookies, cupcakes, muffins, scones, tarts, doughnuts and others are placed on display. Junmyeon steps back into the kitchen and has to bat away Sehun's predatory hands reaching for the chocolate cake cooling off. He smiles as sweetly as possible. Sehun only does that when he wants something and a sense of dread fills Junmyeon.
"Junnie~" Junmyeon cringes at the nickname. Sehun knows he hates it whenever he says that. "Can I get another slice of cake? I swear, it's not for me. It's for Zitao. You know he loves your delicious and wonderful cakes~"
Junmyeon sighs. He may not be very fond of Sehun, but he does have a soft spot for Sehun's boyfriend, Zitao. The twenty-one year old Chinese man had become increasingly attached to Junmyeon ever since he first entered the bakery with Sehun leading him inside. Zitao had said it was like meeting an angel as he comforted a pouting, jealous Sehun. At first, Junmyeon had been weary of Zitao- he looked like he could murder you with only his stares- but after several long and seemingly one-sided conversations, he realized Zitao was just the Chinese male equivalent to a fourteen year old girl. Zitao now clings onto Junmyeon and calls him his mother. He finds it endearing.
Junmyeon busies himself with cutting yet another piece of cake and calls over his shoulder, "Jongin, go wash up and change." Out of the corner of his eye, he sees his brother nod once and head towards the stairs. "It's almost opening time, Sehun, so I need you to unlock the door and pull up the blinds." He shoves a neatly wrapped box into Sehun's arms. "Here's the cake for Zitao. Don't move the box too much, like what you did last time."
Sehun rolls his eyes at the comment and readies the shop. Just as the last window opens, Minseok rushes in. He kneels over, placing his hands on his knees, panting, "I'm- I didn't mean to- my alarm clock didn't-" He pauses, catching his breath. "I'm sorry I'm late! It won't happen again."
Junmyeon peeks his head out from the kitchen and furrows his eyebrows. "You're thirty minutes early."
"But..." Minseok glances at his phone. A text from Lu Han stares up at him and he curses. "Lu Han! That asshole! I should've known something was up when he asked all of those questions about my clocks last night. Ugh, I knew we should've just gone to his house like always."
Sehun raises an eyebrow. "Sounds an awful lot like you two are-"
Minseok cuts him off with a wave of the hand. "Yeah, I know, it's weird, but Junmyeon doesn't like co-workers dating so we try not to make it widely known that we're together. Surprisingly, Lu Han is fine with it, but that might have something to do with the fact that he said he hated the way we got together." He shrugs. "He still flirts with me here anyway."
Sehun tilts his head, curious. "How'd you two get together?"
"Lu Han was completely drunk and confessed. I couldn't even reply before he promptly threw up on me and passed out." Minseok laughs. "I don't know why he hates it so much. I mean, he wasn't the one that got thrown up on."
Sehun bursts into laughter as Jongin arrives, buttoning the last few buttons on his shirt. "What's so funny?"
Sehun points at Minseok. He shakes his head, still chuckling. He pulls on his coat and steps out of the bakery, cake in hand.
Jongin turns to Minseok and raises an eyebrow. He shrugs again. "I already told you what I told Sehun. Let's get to work, okay?" Jongin groans in response. Manning the cash register is considered terrible in his opinion, but at least Minseok is good company.
Junmyeon comes out of the kitchen around noon, flour smudges on his forehead and left cheek. He smiles at Minseok, who returns the gesture, and Jongin, who sticks his tongue out instead. A handful of customers sit at the tables, light conversations filling the bakery with a cheerful mood. Loud laughter suddenly can be heard from outside and Junmyeon smiles wider. His favorite customer has arrived.
Chanyeol bursts through the doors, another smaller man being pushed forward. Two others follow after, grinning.
"Junmyeon!" He shouts, and the other customers turn to glare at him. He earns a slap on the arm from one of the men, and when he glances over, Junmyeon recognizes him as Kyungsoo. Jongin seems to recognize him too, because he grabs Junmyeon's arm and pulls him to the side, whispering frantically, "Please, please stay at the register for me."
The sheer panic in Jongin's eyes has Junmyeon nodding and he immediately relaxes. "Thank you so much, Jun, I owe you big time!" He hugs him tightly before running into the kitchen. Junmyeon walks over to the cash register just as Chanyeol approaches.
"Junmyeon! How's my favorite baker doing?" He grins, leaning over way too much to place his elbows on the counter.
"I've been fine, Yeol. I see you brought friends today." He looks over Chanyeol's shoulder and sees Kyungsoo, a man staring down his cupcakes, and... Junmyeon blinks back his shock when his gaze lands on the man who had run into his shop yesterday. Their eyes meet and the man winks. Junmyeon's eyes widen and he adverts his attention back to Chanyeol.
Chanyeol nods enthusiastically, oblivious. "This is Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Jongdae. We've known each other since high school. Jongdae here," Chanyeol roughly pats the back of the one currently smirking at Junmyeon, "seemed really interested in this bakery. Good thing I'm a regular here, huh?" His laugh is loud and an octave too deep and Junmyeon flinches. "Anyway, what I really wanted to know was if a certain someone-"
Chanyeol is cut off by a crash in the background. The four of them turn and see a man sprawled across the ground. Junmyeon rushes to his side and helps him up.
"Yixing, you idiot," he says softly, quickly checking for any damage. "Are you hurt?"
Yixing shakes his head. Junmyeon stands and swiftly assures everyone that he's fine. Yixing grins and waves in Chanyeol's direction before entering the kitchen.
Baekhyun grabs Jongdae's arm. "Did you see that?!"
"Yeah, I did," Jongdae mutters. "They were too close, in my opinion."
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "No, not that, who cares about that? His smile, Jongdae, did you see his smile? Oh my god, it's so perfect. I need him, Jongdae. I need him more than that cotton candy cupcake on display."
Kyungsoo scoffs, listening to their conversation behind them. "No one would go out with you, Baekhyun."
"Well what about you, huh? We all know why you're really here." Baekhyun motions towards Jongin talking animatedly to Yixing.
"I still have a better chance of dating him than you'll have with anyone," slips out before Kyungsoo can stop himself. Baekhyun glares and Jongdae laughs. Chanyeol interrupts them by calling them over to a table. He ordered them all a slice of chocolate cake, he tells them, looking slightly dejected.
"Why the long face, Yeol?" Jongdae asks as Minseok comes over with their cake.
Chanyeol furrows his eyebrows. "Remember when I said I met this awesome guy who's taller than me?" They nod simultaneously. No one can really forget Chanyeol's excitement when he found someone who rivaled his height. "Well, apparently he's Junmyeon's best friend, and I was kind of hoping he would be here today. I guess he isn't, though."
Jongdae places his hand on Chanyeol's back as a form of comfort. He opens his mouth to say something but is cut off by Baekhyun, "Holy- Chanyeol, why is this the first time you've brought me here? Jongdae, try the cake. Right now. It is like eating chocolate sunshine; my taste buds are screaming with joy."
Jongdae rolls his eyes but complies. Baekhyun is... strangely accurate. The cake is soft and sweet, almost melting in his mouth. The frosting is smooth and has a hint of dark chocolate, which Jongdae deems fairly addicting. He takes several more bites before nodding in agreement. The cake is gone too fast and Chanyeol, Baekhyun, and Kyungsoo are already getting up to leave.
"Wait one moment!" Jongdae shouts. He hurries over to the counter and grabs Junmyeon's attention. Junmyeon discreetly looks for Minseok but can't find him. He inwardly curses and faces Jongdae, smiling warily. "Can I help you, Jongdae?"
Jongdae bites his lip at the way his name rolls off of Junmyeon's tongue. He gives a small shake of the head and answers, "I'll have a vanilla cupcake to go."
He grabs one cupcake and boxes it carefully. He even adds a thin ribbon which he ties securely around the box. Junmyeon places the box on the counter. "One vanilla cupcake."
Jongdae stares intently at Junmyeon's face. His eyebrows are scrunched together as he looks at Junmyeon's cheek. "I think you have a little something..." He reaches out to brush away the flour clinging to Junmyeon's face. Junmyeon takes a giant step back, laughing nervously. He rubs his cheek viciously and Jongdae pouts.
"I um-" Junmyeon coughs, "I think your friends left you."
"I know." He grins. "Well, I need to get going. See you tomorrow, Junmyeon." Junmyeon gulps. The way Jongdae says his name shouldn't be legal. Another wink and Jongdae leaves.
Jongin whistles, startling Junmyeon. "What was that, Jun?" He waggles his eyebrows suggestively.
Junmyeon blushes and shoves Jongin towards the register. "Get to work, Jongin. Kyungsoo left a while ago." He sputters but the elder just shakes his head. "I don't know why you're avoiding him. You two are soulmates, correct?"
Jongin groans as he uses Junmyeon as an armrest. "He probably just thinks I'm weird and clumsy."
"Stop being so dramatic. Just talk to him; I mean you already like him."
"Shhh! Do you want everyone to know who I like?!" Junmyeon rolls his eyes. No one is currently in the bakery besides Yixing.
"I'm pretty sure Yixing already knows you like Kyun-" Jongin suddenly jumps on his back, hissing "Shut up!" in his ear as he covers his mouth. Junmyeon turns in surprise and sees Kyungsoo standing there.
"I just..." He quickly glances around before reaching over and picking up a scarf lying on a seat. Kyungsoo ducks his head awkwardly. "Sorry if I was interrupting anything." He turns and walks to the door.
Jongin takes his hand off of Junmyeon's mouth and places his forehead on his shoulder as Junmyeon still holds him up. "Oh god, that was close, right?"
"Uh, Jongin-"
"I mean, imagine if Kyungsoo heard-"
"Jongin, I really don't think-"
"-that I like him! I would just die-"
"Jongin!"
"What!" Jongin lifts his head off of Junmyeon's shoulder and glares at him. "Don't you think you've caused enough..." The words trail off as his eyes meet Kyungsoo's from across the bakery. Kyungsoo's hand on the doorknob falls down as he gapes.
"You like me?"
Junmyeon promptly drops Jongin with a loud crash. He gestures between them several times before shooting Jongin a look and stepping into the kitchen. Jongin pulls himself up and walks around the counter. He rubs the back of his neck and smiles sheepishly. "I do like you, Kyungsoo. But it has nothing to do with us being soulmates." He blurts. Jongin mentally slaps himself for sounding even creepier than he intended. He's about to backtrack when Kyungsoo says, "Good."
Jongin doesn't have time to think of a proper response before Kyungsoo takes several steps forward and roughly pulls his collar down to kiss him. The skin contact causes bursts of color in his vision and it lingers for a few seconds after Kyungsoo breaks the kiss.
"I like you too, Jongin."
He grins and leans in close enough for their noses and foreheads to touch. The door opens behind them and someone scoffs.
"Ugh, get a room Jongin. No one needs to see your PDA this early in the day."
Jongin laughs breathily and looks up. "It's almost two. And you aren't any better with Minseok, Lu." The said man just childishly sticks out his tongue and walks over to the counter.
"I should get going," Kyungsoo says, biting his bottom lip and slowly stepping back. Jongin nods.
"Wait, you forgot your scarf again." He grabs it and holds it out to Kyungsoo.
"Oh, that's not my scarf." Kyungsoo shrugs. "I came back to give you my number but then I saw you jump another guy, so I just made something up."
"But you still haven't given me your number."
Kyungsoo pats Jongin's arm and grins. "I think you should check your pocket." He takes a step back, waves, and exits the shop.
Kyungsoo grins as he walks back to his apartment. On any other day, he would've never had the courage to confess to Jongin, much less kiss him. Finding out your crush is also your soulmate boosts your confidence significantly.
He steps into his apartment and is immediately greeted by Chanyeol. He smiles excitedly and hugs Kyungsoo.
"What the-" Chanyeol lets go and squishes Kyungsoo's cheeks together.
"My little baby has a boyfriend!" Chanyeol shrieks. Jongdae and Baekhyun appear behind Chanyeol.
"Whoa, what's this about our baby having a boyfriend?" Jongdae places his hands on his hips.
"Yeah, since when did our baby have any game?" Baekhyun earns a slap on the head from Jongdae.
"They grow up so fast." Chanyeol wipes away a fake tear.
Kyungsoo shoves him off and glares. "First of all, I am not any of your guys' baby. Second of all, how the hell did you know about that, Chanyeol? And why are you even here? You don't live here."
Chanyeol waves his hand around. "This is like my second home." He pulls out his phone and points at it. "And Junmyeon just texted me everything that happened with you and Jongin."
Kyungsoo mutters curses as he walks away and Jongdae looks at Chanyeol in surprise. "You have Junmyeon's number?" He nods.
Jongdae grabs Chanyeol's arms and shakes him vigorously. "Give me his number."
"Why? What are you going to do for me?"
"I'll consider inviting you to the wedding." Jongdae attempts to grab Chanyeol's phone but he holds it up in the air, far above Jongdae's reach. He pouts and Chanyeol smirks. Jongdae scowls and tries again, almost toppling both of them over.
"Down, kitty!" Chanyeol yelps, "Don't make me use the spray bottle on you!"
"I use that for cutting your stupid hair, you idiot!"
Chanyeol drops his hands and frowns. "That was rude."
Jongdae huffs, annoyance slowly slipping away. He can't be annoyed when Chanyeol looks like a kicked puppy. But Jongdae is nothing if not persistent. "If you just gave me Junmyeon's number in the first place, I wouldn't never insulted your hair. Or called you an idiot."
Chanyeol sighs. "But Jun wouldn't like it if I gave his number to someone he barely knows." The conflict is written clearly on his face and he sits on the floor as he weighs the pros and cons. Jongdae decides to leave him to it and goes to his room. He'll just wait for an opportunity to take Chanyeol's phone later.
He comes out several hours later, and Chanyeol is still in the same spot. Jongdae nudges him with his foot and nods towards the kitchen.
"Kyungsoo made dinner for us today."
Chanyeol brightens. "Really? I love it when he cooks!" He almost trips when he goes to the dining room table and Baekhyun cackles while Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. Jongdae takes the opportunity to search Chanyeol's phone. He scoffs at his lack of password and notes to himself to tell Chanyeol to make one.
He scrolls down the contact list and groans. They're ordered by last name. When he finally gets to Kim, Junmyeon, Jongdae fights down a smile from the fact that his name is directly on top of Junmyeon's because of their last names. He fishes out his phone and when he looks back, he realizes he saw wrong because another name is on top. Kim, Jongin. Jongdae scowls.
The number is saved onto his phone. Jongdae grins triumphantly and gets up, heading towards the others.
This'll be fun.
Jongdae contemplates the first message he should send to Junmyeon throughout dinner. He decides on a simple Hi (◠‿◠✿) Chanyeol gave me your number and immediately sends another text after saying, It's Jongdae, by the way (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ～
He slips his phone back into his pocket and is disappointed when there's no reply back after a few hours.
Junmyeon glances back at his phone, hands caked in batter. His phone had vibrated twice in its spot on the counter. Does that mean it's important? But they would've been more persistent if it was, right? He finishes separating the dough into balls before washing his hands and placing the tray into the oven.
Two texts from an unknown number stare up at him. Junmyeon's eyes widen when he reads that it's Jongdae. He slams down his phone and lets out a strangled noise. Jongin steps into the kitchen and raises an eyebrow.
"Why are you making cookies at midnight?" Junmyeon's phone buzzes again and Jongin promptly snatches it.
I'm sorry, is it weird that I have your number? (◕﹏◕✿)
Junmyeon rips his phone out of Jongin's grasp and cradles it to his chest. Jongin laughs.
"Who's Jongdae?" Junmyeon shrinks further into himself and Jongin shakes his head. "You should reply back to him. His first message was sent four hours ago."
"Don't look at my messages!" he squeaks.
"So cute," Jongin coos, pinching Junmyeon's cheek. He yelps and swats away the hand. Jongin makes a sound of disapproval. "Sometimes I don't get how you're older than me."
Junmyeon glares, hissing, "I am three years older."
"Yeah, sure, whatever helps you sleep at night." Jongin raises his hands up in defense. "Before you kill me, you should check on your cookies."
Junmyeon squints at Jongin's seemingly innocent smile before placing down his phone and walking towards the oven. Jongin sneakily grabs his phone and texts Jongdae.
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
It's not weird at all! I'm glad I have your number so I can text you allllllll the time~
Jongin snickers and hits send. He knows he's going to be in so much trouble, but right now, Jongin couldn't care less. It's fun to see his brother all flustered and nervous in front of people he likes.
Jongdae's phone rings and he lunges for it, only for Baekhyun to snatch it out of his hands. He reads the message and gags.
"Junmyeon sounds disgusting."
Jongdae gasps and jumps onto Baekhyun. "Give me my goddamn phone!"
"Never!" Baekhyun shouts. He leans out of Jongdae's reach and in return, Jongdae pulls his hair. Kyungsoo walks in, pinching the bridge of his nose. He grabs both of their ears and twists, pulling them apart.
"Why do I have to deal with children," Kyungsoo mutters. He plucks Jongdae's phone out of Baekhyun's hand and hits them both with it. Jongdae whines and takes his phone back. He walks into his room, locks the door, and finally checks his messages.
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
It's not weird at all! I'm glad I have your number so I can text you allllllll the time~
Jongdae clutches his heart, falling onto his bed. His phone buzzes again.
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
I am so sorry for that last message, Jongin sent it. Please ignore what it says. Sorry.
Jongdae gapes.
To: Junmyeon
From: Jongdae
Does that mean you don't want to talk to me? (◕︿◕✿)
Junmyeon gapes.
He feels his face heat up. What kind of grown man uses Japanese emojis in every single text?
"Can you get off of me?" Jongin asks, voice muffled from the floor. Junmyeon tucks his legs under himself, resting his entire weight on Jongin. He groans and tries to move, failing.
"I'll get off of your back when I want to."
Jongin whimpers. "I didn't know you were so cruel, Jun." He squirms. "You're heavy."
Sehun laughs from where he sits near Jongin's head, back resting against Zitao's chest. "Nah, you're just really weak." He pokes Jongin's duck taped hands.
"Aren't you supposed to be on my side?!"
Sehun snickers. "I'm the one that taped your hands together, remember? Totally worth the two bucks I spent."
Jongin groans again, letting his face hit the floor. Zitao reaches over and pats his head.
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
I'm sorry. Let's start over. Hi, I'm Kim Junmyeon.
Junmyeon immediately gets a reply. He takes pity on his brother and stands up, walking to his room.
To: Junmyeon
From: Jongdae
I'm Kim Jongdae ★~(◡‿◕✿)
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
What's with the Japanese emojis?
To: Junmyeon
From: Jongdae
They're cute! Like you~ (◕‿◕✿)
Junmyeon feels his face heat up as he slams his phone down. He covers his face with his hands and grins widely despite trying to force himself not to.
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
I thought we were starting over
To: Junmyeon
From: Jongdae
We are! I thought you were cute from the beginning so I can still say that ヽ(゜∇゜)ノ
Junmyeon laughs softly. He glances at the time and curses.
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
I'm sorry, but I have to go....
To: Junmyeon
From: Jongdae
Oh my god sorry was it me? I tend to say whatever is on my mind when I'm nervous ( ﾟдﾟ)
To: Jongdae
From: Junmyeon
No! I just have to wake up in less than five hours to bake and put up Christmas decorations for my shop
To: Junmyeon
From: Jongdae
Oh! Would you like me to help you? Wait, why am I even asking? I'll be there at 7. Goodnight (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
Junmyeon hesitates, unable to think of a proper response, before just texting back a simple Goodnight.
Junmyeon finishes preparing for his bakery at around seven, nudging Jongin so he can help carry out some decorations. Sehun and Zitao walk down the stairs, each carrying their own box of decorations. Junmyeon glances up as he hears the door open and sees Yixing, Minseok, and Lu Han enter. He smiles as another taller person steps in.
"Yifan!" Junmyeon walks over to him with his arms outstretched. Yifan grins, hugging Junmyeon and lifting him slightly in the air. Junmyeon hits him on the shoulder the moment they pull apart. "How was Canada, Mr. I'm Not Going to Tell My Best Friend I Left the Country?"
Yifan laughs. "It was exactly what I wanted but not what I needed. I'm happy to be back with you and your bakery and all of the crazy people that come with it."
"Well, you're just in time to help me with these Christmas decorations."
"You mean be the person to place the decorations because you're too short to reach the ceiling yourself?"
Junmyeon glares and turns away from Yifan. "You know, I did not miss you one bit."
"Aww," Yifan pulls Junmyeon into a back hug, "but I missed you sooooo much! Why are you denying my love, Junnie?"
"You shouldn't say that Yifan," Jongin cuts in, "Jun's got a boyfriend."
"What?!" Yifan lets go, turning around Junmyeon to face him. "Why have you not told me this I am your best friend."
"Jongin," Junmyeon leans over to stare down his brother who immediately averts his eyes, "I will deal with you later. Yifan, I do not have a boyfriend. Jongin's insane."
"Am not!" Jongin shouts as he walks back to his box of decorations. "He's totally in love with this guy that came to the bakery like once."
"I barely know Jongdae; how can I love him?!"
In that moment, Jongdae enters Sweet Corner with Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol in tow. They all freeze as they hear Junmyeon's words and Jongin's following laughter. Junmyeon opens and closes his mouth several times, attempting to find the right words to say.
"Let's just start decorating, okay?" Yifan says, reaching into a nearby box and pulling out tinsel. Junmyeon nods slowly and grabs a handful of mini snowflakes to place on the windows.
The mood becomes cheerier as all twelve men help decorate Sweet Corner while Christmas music blasts through someone's speakers. A fake Christmas tree is put up in the far corner of the bakery, empty wrapped boxes placed under the tree. Junmyeon also places his actual gifts under the tree when no one looks. Snowflakes hang from the ceiling and dot the windows of the bakery. Tinsel lines the glass displays and a wreath is hung on the front entrance.
"We're just missing one thing," Baekhyun says, dragging a chair over to a random spot in the shop. He stands on it and Yixing walks over to hold his legs steady. Baekhyun steps down from the chair with the help of Yixing, a look of accomplishment on his face. "Mistletoe!"
"You know what that means, don't you Baek?" Jongdae gives him a pointed look and Baekhyun glances around, confused. His eyes widen when he realizes that Yixing and him are directly under the mistletoe.
"T-that can't- it doesn't count!" Baekhyun stutters, shooting Jongdae a glare. He turns toward Yixing for support. "It doesn't count, right?"
Yixing shrugs before pulling Baekhyun close by the neck and kissing him. Several of the guys applaud and Jongdae whistles. Baekhyun flips him off as they pull apart.
"I'm Zhang Yixing. Nice to meet you."
"Byun Baekhyun. Likewise."
Yixing laughs and pulls him towards a table. Everyone else pairs off and relaxes, waiting twenty more minutes for the bakery to officially open. Jongin and Kyungsoo sit at a table with Sehun and Zitao, Minseok and Lu Han whisper quietly to each other, Yifan and Chanyeol talk loudly on the side, and Jongdae plops into the seat in front of Junmyeon.
"I don't know how you do it."
"Do what?"
"All of this," Jongdae gestures all around, "owning a bakery. Waking up at six to have to bake for several hours. Waking up even earlier to appeal to customers. Dealing with weird customers like me in general. I would never be able to last a day as the owner."
"You're giving me too much credit, Jongdae. I just bake the initial pastries and make sure everything is under control. I usually don't talk to customers and just stay in the kitchen."
"Really?" Jongdae grins, a mischievous look in his eyes, "Does that mean I can take you out and around town and you wouldn't have a reason to say no?"
"Are you asking me out on a date?! I don't even know you that well!"
"Depends. Would you say yes if I was? And, you know my name is Jongdae. I'm also twenty two, my favorite word is euphemism, and I like long walks on the beach." Junmyeon forces down the smile he feels uncovering.
"I really can't, though. I'm decorating the second floor of this place and that's going to take a while, considering the fact that I'll be doing it alone."
"Oh! I'll help you!" Jongdae pauses. "Only if you want me to."
"Oh, well okay. I'll let Jongin open the shop and we can get started."
(Part 2)