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The lights are off inside, but the display table by the glass window is softly illuminated by the store’s neon sign—Oh! Hunnie Spa & Salon. Suho reaches with trembling fingers and presses them against the glass trying to picture his fingernails decorated with one of the gorgeous designs on display. He swallows, heart thumping wildly inside his chest.
I’m gay. I’m out.
It’s okay to want to express myself in ways that make me happy.
Even as he recites the words inside his head, a full-body shudder goes through him. Suho steps away from the window, gut churning with disappointment at himself. He usually tries not to be so hard on himself. At thirty years old, the realization that he was in the closet and then the eventual stepping out of that closet have not been easy. But still, denying himself things just because he’s afraid…
It’s stupid. I’m stupid.
Suho sighs.
“They are beautiful, yes?”
A yip escapes Suho’s lips and he spins to face the mild-voiced speaker. He swallows past the knot of fear that has lodged in his throat, and takes a second to inspect the young man standing by the store’s front door. Long and lean like a dancer, but a certain tilt to his body which speaks less about classical discipline, and more about freedom and wildness. He’s dressed in black—jeans, shoes, shirt—and the salon’s logo is embroidered on the left side of the polo. Suho gets distracted by the toned pecs and lean biceps marked by all that smooth dark cloth.
The young man chuckles. “Like what you see?”
Suho’s stomach swoops and his face heats up. It’s a second too long before he can respond. “It’s…I…very beautiful. T-The nails.”
The mischievous twinkle in the young man’s eye says he’s not buying it. “I’m Sehun,” he says, extending a pale hand. His nails are short, well-manicured, and with a metallic rose line along the tips. “I’ve seen you around a few times.”
If a hole opened up in the ground, Suho would gladly jump in.
Every other day after work, Suho would detour through the longer route home just to get a glimpse of the nail designs at Oh! Hunnie’s. He thought he was being subtle by waiting until the salon closed to approach the displays and indulge in a quick moment of daydreaming. Guess he shouldn’t have acted like a total creep and simply walked in during the salon’s working hours.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be—”
“Shifty? Shady?” Sehun chuckles. “The boss wanted to call the cops on you, but I said, ‘You know? That cuties is probably just too shy to come in.’”
The blood rushing upwards to flood Suho’s entire face leaves him quite dizzy. Kill me now. “I-I’ll leave now. Sorry. Again.”
“Would you like to get your nails done?”
Suho freezes on the spot. “I do,” he admits, surprising himself.
Sehun tilts his head, clearly assessing Suho’s reaction. “Still in the closet?”
“No.”
“Then…”
Suho licks his lips. “I’m, um, dressing up for Halloween. First time…”
Sehun blinks.
“First time dressing up as a woman.”
“Ah.” It’s not a judging response, just a simple acknowledgement.
“It feels like cheating…doing it when everyone else will be in costume, you know?”
Sehun smiles. “Nonsense. I think it’s a great opportunity to try out crossdressing.”
Suho’s stomach does its swooping trick again. “I’m not…a-a drag queen…I just like…the clothes.”
Sehun lays a hand on Suho’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m sorry for labeling. You don’t have to label anything until you are well and ready. Hell. You don’t have to label at all if you don’t want to.”
“You are being terribly kind to some creep you found ogling your goods.” Suho looks up at Sehun in time to see the dirty smirk spread over his mouth. “I-I mean not your goods. The store’s goods. Not that you don’t have goods.” Oh god, what am I even saying? “Your goods are fine. Very fine. Anyone should be grateful to ogle them.” Shutting up now!
Sehun is grinning by now, clearly enjoying Suho’s flustered babbling. “I understand perfectly.”
“I should go.” Yes, before I make a bigger mess.
“How about a house call?” Sehun asks.
“What?” Suho doesn’t mean to yell, but the idea of the sexy, sassy, stylist in his home sends his mind reeling and his libido reeving.
Sehun clasps his hands, his eyes sparkling animatedly. “We do salon house calls for some of our elderly clients who don’t always have the means to come to our store.” His gaze roves up and down Suho, intense enough to make him squirm. “Not that you’re elderly. At all. But I think this could be an exception.”
Suho’s heart beats faster. He tries to ignore the warmth spreading all over his body to think this through. All that’s been holding him back is doing this thing in view of a judgy audience. Getting a manicure at home, away from curious eyes…yes, that would work.
“In fact,” Sehun continues, “why don’t I come over on Halloween night and help you dress up?”
“Y-You’d do that?”
“I’m certified as a nail stylist and I just finished a certificate in professional makeup.” Sehun steps closer—he so deliciously tall—and he lowers his voice and says, “It would be my pleasure to make your gorgeous self even more gorgeous.”
Suho wants to rise up on his toes and attach his mouth to Sehun’s, but he’s pretty sure that’s considered assault. So, he settles for nodding his head way too fast, agreeing to this madness before Sehun can retreat the offer.
“Perfect,” Sehun steps back with a huge smile, as if he’s just won gold at the flirting Olympics. “Could I have your cellphone, please?”
Suho pulls it out of his pocket trembling fingers and hands it over.
After fiddling with it for a minute or two, Sehun poses for a selfie, fiddles some more, and then hands it back. “There’s my number. You can text me your address later so I know where to find you on Halloween night.”
“O-Ok.” Suho puts the cellphone away and then shuffles his feet, not sure what to do. “I guess I should go now.”
“Just one more thing,” Sehun says. “Who are you dressing as?”
Suho’s face goes up in flames. “Jessica Rabbit…in pumpkin colors.”
“My, oh my.” Sehun licks his lips. “We’re going to have some fun, aren’t we...”
Sehun’s heated look and the hidden promise in his words is enough to ensure Suho walks all the way back home with a semi and a silly grin on his face.