Prompt #58: Choux Mein

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Prompt: #58
Prompt Details: When the son of a Chinese restaurant owner (Yifan) fell for the new patissier (Junmyeon) at the bakery cafe nearby, he knew he's in trouble.
Title: Choux Mein
Genre: Romance
Rating: NC-17 for sexual innuendo
Summary: In a small space where there was no one else besides oneself, one would start to think a lot. Kris, too, was no exception.
A/N (Author's Note): Never tried this kind of writing before, so I hope you get what I am trying to say. And in this fic, Kris is the younger one, but only about 4-5 years younger than Junmyeon. And Kris is not a minor of course. Or else I would already mention that in the warning. Okay? Okay.

His hair bugged him a bit.

A lot, actually.

It was sticking out the wrong way and his confidence was slowly diminishing as the stubborn tuft of hair kept springing out no matter how he flattened it down.

This kind of thing never bothered Kris before. He was a free spirited man, one that ran free in this man-made concrete jungle. He gave no shit of how his appearance looked to other people as long as he himself thought that he looks good.

Yet here he was, standing in front of a small face mirror on the wall of a narrow staff room, getting frustrated at the standing strands atop of his head that refused to bow down to join their other friends. Because he had someone that he wants to appeal right in this moment and having bad hair was by no means, appealing.

He took out a hat from his opened locker and placed it on his head, checking himself out in the mirror for one last time.

---

With a broom equipped in one hand and a long handled dustpan in the other, he made his way out to the front of the Chinese restaurant.

He placed the dustpan on the ground then starts sweeping the floor. By the time he is halfway done, he heard a shrill noise coming from across the street.

He’s here.

With heart filled to the brim with anticipation, he waited for the aluminium roller shutter to go up and reveal-

The bakery shop helper.

Kris cursed a little under his breath when he saw Baekhyun (according to the name tag; he’d been to the bakery before) waved enthusiastically at him.

“Good morning, Mr. Angry Bird!”

His grip on the broom handle got tighter hearing the nickname Baekhyun gave to him when he first went to the bakery. He didn't bother to correct the boy at that time; thinking that he had no need to come to the rival store again.

He had never been so wrong in his life.

“We have special item today!” shouted the boy from the bakery.

Kris grabbed the handle of the dustpan with his unoccupied hand, already heading towards the front door.

“I’ll tell my boss to save some for you if you want!”

At that, Kris halted his step.

He acknowledged Baekhyun properly this time, looking straight at the boy before giving a small nod.

Baekhyun mouthed Okay then moved away from the glass panel.

Kris’s eyes followed the boy until the latter disappeared from his sight. He was a little disappointed, to be quite honest, because the one that he waited to see was not the bakery shop helper.

It was the patissier.

A handsome, halo-over-the-head kind of person that managed to take Kris’s heart at first Hi.

Ahh. . .  I want to see that smile again.

Kris grieved inside for his lack of luck and continued his way towards the door when somehow his instinct told him to turn his head towards the bakery again. He of course, followed his instinct.

There, standing behind the glass panel, was the man he wished to see before.

All the way from here Kris could see the halo on the other’s head despite the absence of mechanical lighting; that was how much he shined.

The space between them was only a road apart so Kris could see everything through the transparent glass pane from here. Everything.  From the way the man combed back his slight bangs between his third and fourth fingers to the way he tilted his head a bit, Kris could see every single thing.

If he knows that I already chose the name of our dogs when we move to a beach side house and gayly spending our time together would he freak out?

The young patissier somehow glanced his way and upon recognition, turning fully towards Kris. The man beamed at him.

Fuck. He knows. Fuck I gotta dash.

He did exactly that – he ran into the restaurant to hide himself from the luminous being.

---

After that severely unflattering incident, Kris had made it his life mission to not being seen from the other side of the street. Whenever there were customers sitting right next to the glass pane, he would push the other staff to take the orders instead while he manned the counter.

Not long after that, his mother came in and took the spot at the counter.

He opted to take the kitchen job but there was new part-timer already in charge of the cleaning duty. Cooking was a no-no; he couldn’t even fix himself a decent chow mein, what more serving other people.

So as he walked aimlessly like a zombie in the background, he heard the deliveryman telling the owner (which was also his own stepfather) that he had some kind of emergency so he had to take an abrupt leave. Kris then, of course, happily went to the boss and offered himself to be the deliveryman of the day.

The old man looked at his wife, then at his stepson. Looked again at his wife, this time with a face that said, “Could this beloved son of yours go, oh my dear wife?”

“Ride safely, Fanfan,” she said from the counter (guess that Kris would never grow out of that childhood nickname), and that settled it.

---

By the time the sun sank lower in the sky, Kris had completed several trips of delivery. Though this time when he went back to the restaurant, there was a box–off-white coloured cardboard with outlines of clouds around it and a much bigger cloud on one side with GUREUM BAKERY written on it–waiting for him in the fridge.

“A guy from the bakery in front gave it to you. He said that you asked them to keep some for you before they closed for the day.”

Kris just realized that it was Monday and that the bakery only opened half day every first day of the week.

“Who’s the one that came? Baekhyun?” Kris asked the part timer back.

“I don’t know his name, but he’s kinda short I guess. Black hair–”

Kris nodded, knowing that it was Baekhyun indeed that came.

“–and he’s very fair, like really fair. And he’s so pretty. Like- like Snow White.”

His heart dropped a beat at that for he knew that the part timer wasn’t talking about the bakery staff; he was talking about the patissier. The same person that he was trying to avoid all day.

“I mean I’ve seen handsome guys, but this guy is handsome AND pretty. And he–”

“Stop talking,” Kris cut, unconsciously.

The boy seemed confused. “Eh?”

Kris came to realize a few milliseconds that he was using a rather commanding tone towards the boy for no reason, and it wasn’t him to use that tone to anyone. Kris tried to calm down; he didn’t even know why he got agitated in the first place.

“Stop talking or I–” Kris opened the box to see six golden, puffy choux crème in the box. He was about to cry right there and then.

“–I won’t give you one.”

“Oh. Okay!”

Kris was really sobbing inside when the boy took one out of the box. Ah, my precious choux crème.

---

One more stop and it would be the end for Kris the one-day deliveryman.

With both hands heavy, he made his way to the elevator and used his long index finger to press on the button numbered 9.

In a small space where there was no one else besides oneself, one would start to think a lot. Kris, too, was no exception.

(Elevator door shutting) Urgh these are heavy. Ahhh my hands hurt. Should I put them down?

(First floor) You use to call me on my cellphone~~ Late night when you need my love~~ And I know when the hotline bling

(Third floor) It was a jerk move really. He smiled at you and then you ran? You piece of shit.

(Fourth floor) Is it too late now to say sorry~~ Cuz I’m~ missing than just your body~~

(Sixth floor) He even came all the way to give you those puffs even though you ignored him. Kris Wu Yifan you are such. A douche.

(Eighth floor) What do I gotta do hoo hooooo~~~ When sorry seems to be~~ The hardest~~ Wor- Whoops it’s my floor

---

He really did managed to find the house in no time.

The customer apparently just moved into the apartment complex, so he ordered some black bean noodles and sweet sour pork to give to his friends who came over for help. He was an acquaintance of Kris’ stepfather which explained why they were so many side orders that wasn’t even on the order list.

“The people in this neighbourhood are so friendly and nice,” stated the man. Kris just smiled politely at the chatty older man while thinking to himself that he should get back to the restaurant fast to help tidying up before closing.

“There's one bachelor living above. A very nice guy. He said that his shop is near to your restaurant.”

Kris perked at the question. He knew every shop owner around the neighbourhood, and he knew for sure that all of them were married men and women. Except. . .

“What's his name again? Kim Jun. . . Jun. . . I know for sure he’s a Kim-”

“It’s Kim Junmyeon, uncle.”

Kris eyes went wide open at the new person that joined the conversation.

It was the patissier, the one that made him lost his concentration just from a smile, the one that he ran away from this morning.

He cursed himself inward for forgetting that Junmyeon did mention he was living around that area before.

“Ah yes, Junmyeon. Sorry for not remembering your name. You told me about the Chinese restaurant in front of your shop, right? So you must know this guy.”

Kris knew that Junmyeon was giving him a once over from his side. Shit, was that a bead of sweat rolling down his face?

“Anyway, uncle, here's some pastries for you. If you can't eat them all tonight, just put them in the fridge. Welcome to the neighbourhood.”

Ah. I just got ignored. Wow. That really hurts.

The older man took the decorated cardboard box from the patissier, face brightened at the gift.

“I’ll be excused then,” Kris heard Junmyeon telling the older man. A little part of him waited for the patissier to say something at him, but the latter just walked away.

The older man continued to talk about something else right now but Kris was not going to stand there any longer.

“Sir,” he cut the older male, “you don't have to pay for the order. It’s on the house.”

By the time Kris reached the upper floor, Junmyeon had already in his apartment and was about to close the door.

“W-wait!”

Kris’ outburst managed to grab the attention of the other male. He went closer until he was just inches away from the patissier.

Classy, man. Stay classy.

“‘Sup.”

Junmyeon grabbed on the door handle.

“No no NO WAIT,” Kris tried to hold the door from closing. Using his foot. The groan coming from his throat was definitely not staged.

He fell onto the floor, clutching his painful foot.

But the moment Junmyeon started to fuss over him, the pain was gone in an instant. Kris however still wanted to have Junmyeon’s warm hands on his back.

“You don’t have to do that! Why are you such an idiot. . . Are you okay?”

Junmyeon got down to level with Kris and caught him trying to hold his laughter. The patissier then gave a slap on the taller male’s shoulder.

“You idiot! I was so worried about you,” Junmyeon chided him.

“I know, I know. I am an idiot.”

Junmyeon was definitely unhappy at him, judging from that downturned corner of the lips.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore you this morning.”

The smaller male huffed.

“I was just- I freaked out, okay.”

“Why did you freak out?” Was it because of me?  Even though Junmyeon didn’t ask him that, it was written on his face.

“I was just, thinking of things. Then you looked at me like you knew what I was thinking and I just. I ran.” Because you’d know how much I was crazy for you and I couldn’t let you know that. Not now.

“I was quite upset when you ignored me, to be honest.”

Kris observed how Junmyeon kept his eyes down. Looking at the other male as they both crouched down on the floor, it gave him a new perspective.

“I thought that you lost interest after our first date yesterday. Maybe, you know, you realized that older guy like me was a bad idea after all.”

Kris looked at the other male in disbelief. Was that what Junmyeon was thinking all along?

“It wasn’t that. Really.”

There was a crack of smile on Junmyeon’s beautiful face.

“Okay,” said the smaller male, voice cheerful like the time when Kris first met him when he walked into the newly opened bakery.

“How long are we going to stay like this.”

“As long as you want,” Kris replied playfully.

There was unmistakably a sly smile on the patissier’s face when he said, “I’d love to have an interaction somewhere else. . . horizontal. . .”

“I don’t know, I kinda like it here–Okay okay I’m up.”

Kris followed Junmyeon’s lead and got into the apartment, obeying the apartment unit’s owner to close the door behind him.

---

Just talking on first date. Kissing after a few dates. Got official not long after. Then made love once both sides were ready. Maybe considered marriage at some point.

Kris always thought that that was the way it should be in relationship. He believed that everything should be paced, so he wouldn’t fell in love too soon. Everything would fall in its place when the right time came.

But Kris wasn’t the one taking the lead here. He was dancing to the beat where Junmyeon was the composer. And the beat was fast, exhausting. They would dance together; messy, tangled steps that seemed easy for Junmyeon but was proven hard for a beginner like him.

Kris would try to keep up with the other but his partner was far too experienced in this field. He was already on the edge but Junmyeon still wanted to keep moving. On and on and on until he couldn’t hold up any longer.

He had fallen; his legs gave in.

Then he felt a gentle touch on his face.

“It’s okay,” he heard a whisper that’s unmistakably Junmyeon. “We’ll get there together.”

And so, with a new tempo, Junmyeon took his hands and they danced to a slower beat. It built and built–Kris didn’t fall out of step this time–until the song they danced to reach its climax.

---

His hair was cooperative that day. He kept wanting to feel the strands between his fingers because they felt unbelievably soft. His hair smelled nice, too. Junmyeon knew how to pick good shampoo, he thought to himself.

He hummed a happy song as he took the broom and the dust pan with him out of the front door of the restaurant, then proceed to swipe the pavement like he always do.

Like the day before he heard the sharp sound of the aluminium shutter being unlatched from across the street.

In his mind he counted the time it took for the aluminium shutter to roll up completely to reveal the person behind it.

Five seconds later, he finally saw the face of. . . Baekhyun.

Shit. He forgot that loud mouthed boy did exist.

“Hi there, Mr. Angry Bird! You look amazing today!”

Kris somehow got a bit smug because of the compliment. As a sign of gratitude, he balled up his fist and lifted it up at eye level, then gave a thumb up towards the boy.

Baekhyun mirrored his action right after with a face full of smile. He then turned his head around swiftly as if being called by someone, then disappear from Kris’ sight.

Finally, the man of the hour stepped into the light.

White was Junmyeon colour, Kris deduced. The patissier really looked good in his white uniform and Kris bet he would look good in anything white; like clinical coat or nurse uniform.

Maybe even in all white tuxedo with a bouquet of red roses in his hand.

Kris was thinking too much again.

He woke up from his daydream when the man he was dreaming about waved his hand at him.

“Hey,” the smaller man seemed to ask, “what were you thinking?

Kris sent a wink instead. Junmyeon just laughed.

There’s no way he could tell that to Junmyeon. At least not at that moment.