Be Mine, Baby✅

Chapter 4

"You don't get to come in here, and tell me how to run this store!" War almost yelled. Yin laughed at him and turned his back. It was already a month since they had made the deal and War had won it. The store was now very successful and the customers were very pleased with the little thoughts that went into their bouquets. Yin had stopped by to check up on the store and before he knew it, he and War started bickering.

"You're such an asshole," War shook his head and walked away to the counter.

"Ai'War! Calm down! We're still open. Don't scare away the customers." Ray muttered from behind the counter. There were still minutes from closing, so they couldn't say who might suddenly stop by.

"Fine," War muttered, calming down. "But tell him to leave. He's being a bossy jerk. And he thinks it's funny when I get pissed."

"I do not," Yin protested as he turned around and looked at War. "I think you're cute when you get pissed." War didn't care to show any emotion.

"What?" he asked innocently. "I do." He said as he walked up to War. He put his hands on either side of him, resting his hands on the counter and leaning over War. War was enveloped in the scent of Yin, his perfume, or was it his natural scent. Yin was almost close enough to kiss.

"In fact, I think it's damn sexy," he added, a smirk on his beautiful face.

Two could play this game. War grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him so close that he could feel Yin's breath blowing across his cheek. He pressed his mouth to Yin's ear.

"Sexy, hmm?" He purred. "You have no idea how sexy I can be."

He smiled as Yin shivered at his words. War released his shirt, and Yin leaned off him, standing upright with a confused smile on his face. He stumbled backward a couple of steps, almost crashing into the flowers behind him. He stared at War for several seconds, before he seemed to shake himself loose from whatever had a hold of him.

"I have to make a phone call. Excuse me," Yin muttered before exiting the shop.

Ray chuckled.

"Wow, I've never seen you do that before. What did you say?"

"Nothing much," War shrugged.

"Right," Ray laughed. "You two are ridiculous." He said as he took the checklist of the flowers.

"What's that supposed to mean?" War turned around to look at him. Ray looked up with a thinking face before replying.

"All I'm saying is that I think you two like each other way more than either of you is willing to admit." He said before walking away.

War laughed at first, but the more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that Ray might be right. He had to admit to himself that he liked the guy from the minute he stepped into the store. And he knew that Yin was the reason why his mood had been off recently. He keeps pushing War's buttons most of the time. War sighed. He was positive Yin doesn't feel anything for him. He wasn't even sure whether the guy was into men. No use dwelling on these thoughts of whether Yin liked him or not.

Soon they closed up the store, and War was the last to leave. As he was walking past the store, he heard Yin's voice.

"What the hell was I even thinking?" War slowly retreated his steps and hid behind the wall to peep. Yin was talking on his phone. Yin sighed, his fingers running through his hair. Just as he was about to say something, he stopped. He seemed to have heard or seen something. War wasn't sure.

"Hey, Jedi. I'll call you later," he said and hung up the call before putting the phone into his pocket. And that's when War heard it.

A small, high-pitched whine. What the...?

Yin stepped forward when he heard the whimper again. It was a very soft, pained cry that was barely audible. He had to look around thoroughly before his eyes finally caught the little ball of fur huddled against the wall just a few feet away.

Taking a few steps closer for a better look, he realized that the fluff ball was a small puppy. Its coat was dirty and damp, making it resemble dirt more than fur. Its eyes were wide and brown, body racked with shivers. No collar, which meant it had no owner. A stray probably abused pup.

Yin was a softie when it came to lonely, abused things and creatures. They were just so helpless and... sad. He found himself kneeling in front of the tiny dog, and now that he had a very clear view, he identified the dog, a labrador. It was so small, that it would easily fit in one of his large hands.

"Hey there," Yin said softly, an equally tentative smile curling on his face.

The pup looked at him with sad, wary, and desperate eyes. Slowly, so he didn't startle the dog, he reached his hand out, and the labrador immediately sniffed his hand before giving a shy lick. That made the smile on Yin's face widen. He petted the little creature, chuckling as the dog leaned into the touch eagerly.

"You must be cold," Feeling like a little kid who found treasure, Yin scooped the dog and held it close to his chest. "Don't worry, little one. You're safe and warm now," Yin muttered before walking out of the alley.

As he got into the car, he asked the driver to stop by the pet store to pick up a few dog bath products.

As the car drove off, War walked out of his hiding place. He was watching Yin the whole time. And his heart melted, seeing how the guy turned into a caring person when he held the puppy.

He was confused. He wanted to know who the real Yin was.

He pulled out his phone and opened his LINE messages. He scrolled up and found a photo sent by Ray.

It was a photo of him and Yin sitting at the café with the caption "Looks like you have a sugar daddy" and a winky face emoji. The photo was of War looking down at his phone, and Yin's head was lowered toward his plate as he took a bite of cake, but Yin's eyes were not on his food. They glance slightly up, resting on War.

Every time, he saw the photo he couldn't help the force of the heat that began to crawl up his neck.

The short time they spent together the previous day was pleasant. They spoke about what they were doing in their life. War learned that Yin was his senior who had finished his studies in business the year before. They spoke for a while until Yin got a call and had to leave. They had bid their goodbyes, and War returned to the teasing eyes of his friends.

War even remembered when Yin had walked in earlier to see how the store had changed. He was not as surprised as War thought he would be. His face held an expression that War thought he might've imagined. He would've expected Yin to smirk like he always did or chuckle sarcastically. But he never expected for his expression to be, relief?

He had this satisfied smile on his face, and his eyes were glistening as he looked around at the store. That was before he could start messing with War again. Thinking about it now, War felt in the back of his head, that maybe, it wasn't Yin's intention to shut the flower store down in the first place.

Thinking of how close they were before, made War's heart beat rapidly. War placed his hand over his chest.

This guy was not only playing with his mind, but it looks like he's playing with his heart too.

TBC...

Published on 19th September 2021