"Okay and that wraps up the Pink Lemonade Cupcakes."

"Mhm."

"Um...is there anything else to do sir?"

"Just get the chocolate cakes into the freezer once they're out of the oven."

Jeno sighed and leaned back against the wall, his tired body almost collapsing into the bucket of water beside him. He had been kept awake for a pretty gross amount of time. His inner wolf was screaming at him to just let his poor body rest and not cause any damage to himself. But that wasn't an option, not once his professor found out he had gotten into the baking competition. Ever since that day when he happily ran up to him and proudly showed him the email, his professor had been pushing him to his limit. It was for the best, at least that's what Jeno told himself.

A ding from behind him signaled that the brownies were done. He pulled them all out and loaded them into the freezer, then he gladly retired his apron.

He walked out the door and wished his professor a good night.

💕💕💕

Haechan was walking back from late night swim practice. He was taking his usual route back to the dorms by cutting through the culinary building. Theoretically, this was the most convenient way to go back. But he also went this way because each time he went he hoped to run into a certain Omega.

And speak of the devil.

"Jeno!"

Jeno turned around to try and find who had just called him. He was standing just outside the culinary room he had popped out of. Once he spotted Haechan looking at him him he smiled from ear to ear making Haechan do the same.

Haechan broke into a half walk, half run in order to catch up to the boy.

"Hi Chan. What are you doing here?"

"I was just on my way back from swim practice. I always cut through here since it's the fastest way back. What's up with you?"

"Oh I was just finishing up some of the baked goods with my professor. I'm on my way back to the dorms now."

"Well let me walk you there. It's late out and I'd be worried if you were out here by yourself." Haechan quickly offered. Jeno gladly accepted. Haechan reached down to sling Jeno's small bag over his shoulder and the two set off.

The walk to their dorms luckily wasn't too far from the culinary building. However, it was dark and a little chilly. Jeno tried to cover his shivers but Haechan did eventually notice. He offered Jeno his jacket but Jeno refused. If he accepted it he knew what that would mean.

"So how was baking?"

"Hm?" Jeno peered curiously up at Haechan. He had been pretty lost in his thoughts and hadn't heard what Haechan said.

Haechan chuckled at Jeno's cute reaction. "I asked; how was baking? You said that's what you were doing when you came out of the culinary classroom."

"Oh." Jeno faced ahead again. "It was okay. My professor's been a little tough on me since he found out I got into the annual baking competition."

"Naw, I bet he's just still salty about having a whole plate of cupcakes dumped on him." Haechan let out another hearty laugh. "Especially after that whole thing about the meme of him spread around the school."

Jeno made one of those cute noises he made when he was confused about something. Haechan had to hold back his smile.

"You mean you haven't seen this?"

Jeno shook his head.

"Oh my god." Haechan shoved his hand into his pocket to fish out his phone. He came to an abrupt halt making Jeno stop too. Jeno wobbled on his feet a bit from the unexpected change in momentum, so Haechan quickly used his free hand to grab Jeno's shoulder; steadying him.

Once Haechan finally found his phone he pulled it out and opened up his Instagram. After a little bit of scrolling he eventually found what he was looking for. Sure enough, a picture of Jeno's teacher coated in cupcakes, with an angry look in his eyes, filled the screen. Jeno lightly tapped on the screen to read some of the captions the students were putting on it.

When u gotta get high but u don't have any $ so u gotta improvise.

Honey when I said cream me this isn't what I meant.

I said mix it not whip it around like a fucking tornado.

When you keep getting ads for a product you already bought.

Be a professor, they said, it would be fun, they said.

Jeno giggled at a couple of them; a sound which Haechan relished to hear. He switched the phone off and returned it to his pocket when Jeno was done reading. Then both their eyes went to Jeno's shoulder which Haechan was still holding onto. Haechan quickly let go and the two boys looked away from each other. They awkwardly kept walking as if nothing happened.

The cold always made Jeno feel sleepy, but tonight it felt amplified due to the fact that he had been on his feet the whole day and hadn't been getting adequate rest as of late. His walking started to get a bit sluggish and his head was hung low. Haechan eventually noticed his behavior.

"Tired?" He asked. Jeno nodded.

"That's understandable considering the day you've had." Haechan said.

Almost as if his words flipped a switch in Jeno; he let out a labored sigh and stumbled off the walkway over to a bench to rest. Haechan watched him with raised eyebrows.

"Just go ahead to the dorms. I'm going to take a little rest here for awhile and I'll join you later." Jeno said as he leaned back into the bench.

Haechan hesitated.

"Jeno I can't just leave you here like this." He said, concerned. When Jeno didn't move for several moments Haechan let out a sigh. Then he turned around facing the direction of the dorms.

Just when Jeno thought he was going to start walking again, instead he crouched slightly and reached behind his back, making grabby hands at Jeno.

"Hop on my back."

That caught Jeno's attention. "What?"

Haechan glanced back at him. "I can give you a piggyback ride to the dorm."

Jeno didn't move from his spot on the bench. "Are you sure Chan? I mean, we're still pretty far and I'm heavy."

"You're not that heavy Jeno." Haechan rolled his eyes. "C'mon. It's not that far, I can handle it."

Jeno held back for a moment but eventually he reluctantly got up from the bench and climbed onto Haechan's back. Haechan hoisted Jeno up a bit further then he kept on his way.

Jeno knew he was tired, but the second he was off his feet it became really obvious to him just how exhausted he was. He took a few moments to enjoy the calming sound of Haechan's shoes scuffling against the concrete, and the light trace of chlorine still lingering in his hair. But eventually the lulling sounds of the cool breeze rustling leaves on the ground and the feeling of the wind caressing Jeno's cheek got the better of him. Before he knew it, he was snoring into Haechan's back. Haechan took a moment to check on Jeno. When he saw that the older was asleep he smiled faintly and continued on his way.

Haechan fumbled to get the key into the lock. The keys were a nightmare in the first place, but they were practically impossible when you had a sleeping Omega on your back. Eventually, by some miracle, he got the door open. Jaemin and Renjun were in the middle of rearranging the living room when he walked in. They looked in his direction and their eyes widened at the sight of their unconscious friend hanging off Haechan's back.

"It's alright." Haechan quickly assured them. "He's only sleeping. He was just exhausted after his professor gave him a tough time."

That explanation seemed to calm them both down a bit. "Nana don't move that. We could wake him up." Renjun quickly spoke up when Jaemin tried to resume moving the futon.

"You're not waking him up, he's completely knocked out." Haechan said while pushing Jeno further up on his back. "Actually guys could you direct me to his room so I can put him down?" Jaemin nodded and directed Haechan to Jeno's shared room with him while Renjun followed behind. Jaemin helped Haechan to carefully transfer Jeno off his back, onto the mattress. Once Jeno was completely lying down on the bed Haechan pulled his covers over him, then he busied himself making sure he was tucked in properly. Jaemin and Renjun exchanged knowing smiles with each other.

They were well past the point of knowing when someone had a crush.

a/n okaaaay so is it normal for an author to vote for their own stories? I haven't done it yet and I just noticed that I have the option to do that. Do any of y'all other watty authors out there do it?