[M] Part I: Beijing (1/1)

Early mornings are Minseok's favorite. The streets are quiet, and smog fades the city into pastel hues of blue, gray, yellow, and red. Flashes of green streak past in his peripheral vision, sparse strips of organic life lining the crowded roads.   Minseok pulls over and lights up a cigarette to fill his lungs with warmth just like he does on every chilly spring morning. Heat licks his curled palm as he protects the flame from the wind. He taps the end and leans against his taxi, letting orange embers scatter to dusty gravel. He tosses the cigarette butt into a gutter, and the lingering glow dies away slowly.  Minseok takes a deep breath, feeling alive.  He has barely driven to the end of the block when he is hailed by a frenzied looking man clutching onto the handle of a suitcase with one hand and waving at him furiously with the other. Minseok brakes by the curb and helps the man pack his suitcase into the trunk. He catches a glimpse of the man's luggage tag, which reads "Property of Kim Joonmyun." "Thank god," Joonmyun pants when he swings the door open and clambers inside the taxi.  "Where to?" Minseok asks.  "Can you, um, take me...here?"  He fumbles with a scrap of paper tucked in his suit pocket and unfolds it for Minseok to see.  "Got it," Minseok says with a curt nod.  Joonmyun grins nervously, and he bobs his head in gratitude.  The streets are crowded, but it's no more chaotic than usual. At least, no more than what Minseok is used to, though his passenger seems to be alarmed by the rowdiness of Beijing traffic. Minseok turns sharply, veering away from an oncoming vehicle at the last second. He digs the heel of his palm into his horn and smirks when he hears a startled intake of breath from the man sitting beside him.  "Foreigner?" Minseok asks in Korean.  The man's eyes widen in surprise, and then answers sheepishly, "Is it that obvious?" "You look terrified," Minseok chuckles. "And I read your luggage tag." "Really?" His face falls in disappointment, but he brightens up almost as quickly. "Wait, you can read Hangul?" "Well, I was born in Korea. I'm Korean." "Ah, me too! And that's where I'm from, too!" "Is that right?" Minseok asks, taking a sideways glance at Joonmyun, who is beaming happily like a kid.  "I used to work in Huafei's Seoul division, but I was just recently transferred to the company headquarters in Beijing." "Must be exciting, working for such a big company." Joonmyun shrugs and glances out the window at the rush hour gridlock surrounding their vehicle.  "I'm just a temporary worker, so my job isn't that interesting, to be honest. I just do whatever's needed, wherever I'm needed. I'm just really grateful for the chance to travel and live abroad. I've spent years learning Chinese, but this is my first time actually living in China." "Now that's gotta be exciting." "And kind of terrifying, yeah! But what about yourself? How did you end up in China?" "I was born in Seoul, but my parents split when I was a kid, so I moved with my mother to Beijing." "Wow, that must have been quite an intimidating experience." "It wasn't too bad–" Joonmyun flinches when Minseok presses his horn with a quick pulse to alert a pedestrian crossing into their path. He brakes to let her pass and then digs his toes into the accelerator. Joonmyun jerks forward, and his palms slam against the dashboard. "–since I was young enough that it wasn't too hard for me to pick up Chinese," Minseok continues. "You okay?" "Y-yeah. That was just kind of...abrupt." "Ah, sorry, I'll try to be more gentle." "No, it's okay! I'm just not quite used to–" "How aggressive Beijing traffic is?" Minseok finishes for him. Joonmyun nods meekly, and Minseok asks, "Besides the traffic, how do you like China so far?" "It's...too early to tell," Joonmyun admits with an apologetic smile.  "I understand," Minseok laughs. "It's chaotic, especially in the city, but it's also quite beautiful if you take the time to appreciate it. And the food here's great. Not quite spicy enough for my taste, but still." "Yeah," Joonmyun sighs, leaning forward to peer up at the surrounding skyscrapers towering above the streets. Sunlight glints off their mirrored surfaces, and Joonmyun blinks the glare out of his eyes.  "Looks like we've hit rush hour traffic. Might take awhile," Minseok apologizes. "Hope you're not in too much of a hurry." "Don't worry about it, I've got all morning to move into the company dormitory. I don't have to report at the office until the afternoon." "Oh, that's good, then. Not too much stress for your first day." "Yeah!" Joonmyun agrees excitedly. "That's exactly what I thought, too." "I just realized—your dormitory, it might be the same one as..." "As who?" "Well, I can't really say for sure, but there's an interesting customer of mine who I think lives in the same dorms as you." "What's his name?" "It's not really my business to give or take names, but I'm sure you'd notice him if you met him." "Oh? Um, how?" Joonmyun asks, still confused.  "He's got this...aura about him. He's a very charismatic guy. And in your case..." Minseok turns to scrutinize Joonmyun's widened eyes, narrow nose, and shapely lips. "He might make a pass at you." "W-what?" Joonmyun stammers, feeling heat rush to his face.  "You're a handsome guy, Mr. Kim," Minseok remarks entirely too casually.  "A-ah, um, thank you! You are too!" Minseok smirks. "Cute. You're exactly his type." Joonmyun's lips tremble as he tries to smile, but his heart is suddenly beating much too quickly. It's quiet in the taxi, and he clears his throat out of nervousness.  "I'm sorry, was that too forward?" Minseok asks, more amused than apologetic. He knows that Luhan likes the easily flustered ones the most. "I couldn't help it. I'm glad that I found you first." Unsure of how to respond, Joonmyun ducks his head and nods shyly.  "So, um, what time do you think it will be when we get there?" "At this pace of traffic, I'd give it another twenty minutes or so." "Twenty?!" "It's not that far away, but it doesn't seem like we'll be moving much. Too many cars. It would probably be faster just to walk the rest of the way." "I don't think that's a great idea for me...I would get lost," Joonmyun admits.  "Take a nap, then," Minseok suggests. "You must be tired from your early morning flight." "Now that you mention it..." Joonmyun yawns. He had been too overwhelmed by the new city to realize the fatigue of travel settling in.  He leans his head against the window and almost instantly dozes off with his mouth slightly ajar. A trickle of saliva leaves a shiny streak from the corner of his mouth to his jaw, and Minseok is caught between finding the sight of him endearing and repulsive.  Joonmyun wakes up with his mouth feeling dry and his tongue numb. He rubs his face with his shirt cuff in alarm when he realizes that he had drooled in his sleep, glancing furtively at Minseok. The taxi driver spares him the embarrassment by looking straight ahead as he announces, "We're here. Need a hand with your luggage?" "No, I've got it. Thanks for the ride! It was nice meeting you!" Minseok watches Joonmyun in his rearview mirror as he struggles with his suitcase and waves goodbye at him. Minseok waves back as he drives off, and Joonmyun's reflection shrinks in the distance.

"You took your time getting here," a stylishly dressed young man remarks when Joonmyun checks in at the office that afternoon.  "I was told that I could spend all morning moving into my dorm room as long as I showed up in the afternoon?" Joonmyun says uncertainly. His voice tilts up at the end, as though he's asking a question.  "Well, I hope you realize how lucky you are that Luhan isn't here." "Luhan?" "I suppose I should make introductions," the man sighs, pushing his round frames up the bridge of his nose. "I'm Kim Jongdae." He holds out a hand for Joonmyun, who grasps it and wills his palm not to sweat. But thinking about it only makes more sweat prick his skin, and he catches a flash of disgust in Jongdae's expression as he glances down at Joonmyun's clammy hand.   "Luhan's the executive director of Marketing. He's our boss," Jongdae explains. "He's rather rude and quite stingy, but he's good at his job. Just stay on his good side, and you'll survive." Joonmyun is terrified of Luhan already. "So when do I get to meet him?" he asks cautiously.  "Hopefully, never. He's at a meeting in Shanghai at the moment, but once he comes back, the less you see of him, the better." "Oh. Um, why is that?" "Those who see him often are the ones he either really likes or dislikes. But the thing is, it's almost impossible to tell which you are. He gives everyone a hard time, regardless." Jongdae gives him a bright smile, which Joonmyun returns weakly.  "But don't worry too much," Jongdae assures him. "Come to me if you have any Luhan problems. I'm his personal assistant—his proxy and right hand man, but you can also think of me as his handler." "Thanks, I really appreciate it. Luhan sounds...scary," Joonmyun confesses.  Jongdae takes a step back and tilts his head slightly, looking Joonmyun up and down with an appraising eye. "You know what, I have a feeling he might actually like you." "R-really?" "You're cute," Jongdae grins. "For some reason you strike me as his type." "That's the second time someone has told me that today!" Joonmyun giggles in disbelief.  "Is that right?" Jongdae laughs, a bright, shimmering sound. "Well, let's not waste any more time. I've got a lot of people and places to show you, and we don't have all day." Any hopes of having an easy first day are ruined by the time Jongdae leads him to the final stop of their tour: Joonmyun's cubicle.  "You know, I usually don't give one-on-one tours," Jongdae tells him accusingly as Joonmyun settles into his mesh-backed chair.  "Am I special then?" Joonmyun grins.  "More like late," Jongdae scoffs. "The other new recruits came in first thing this morning, and you didn't arrive until after lunch." "They told me I didn't have to report until the afternoon!" "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is," Jongdae advises him sagely. "No matter what you're told, the earlier you get here, the better." "I...I apologize. I'll remember next time." "No worries. You'll just be a bit behind on paperwork." "Paperwork?" "Today was a paid workday for you, what did you expect?" Jongdae lifts up a stack of forms from Joonmyun's desk. "Finish these by tomorrow. This pile has got some heft to it, so I would try to start as soon as possible." "But it's past five, won't the office be closing in half an hour?" "I don't know how things worked in the Seoul division, but you leave when you finish. Just know that all the lights on our floor shut off automatically at 7:30 pm, so try to finish by then, or be prepared to take your work home." "Just the lights on our floor?" "Luhan always insists on saving energy, so he implemented an automatic shut-down system," Jongdae sighs. "It's impossible to be environmentally conscious in a corporate building, but he's adamant about that kind of thing." "Wow, really? I love saving the earth, too!" Joonmyun says enthusiastically, suddenly perking up. Bit by bit, Joonmyun's image of his enigmatic boss is falling into place. He is intimidated by and fascinated with him all at once.  "Then you two should get along just fine. A warning, though. Luhan has total reign over our department, so you also won't be able to find any tissues, paper towels, or toilet paper on our floor. He thinks it's a waste of resources, so you can either bring your own or be prepared to beg from another floor." "Toilet paper...towels...got it...I think," Joonmyun says, slightly dazed.  "It's a lot of information, I know. Here's my number if you ever need it, and here's Luhan's too, just in case." Joonmyun enters the numbers into his phone, thanks Jongdae, and begins his assigned paperwork.  If it had been in Hangul, Joonmyun might have been able to finish it within an hour or so, but scrutinizing unfamiliar Chinese characters soon has his head swimming with angry strokes and dashes. The lights flicker in warning at 7 pm, and by 7:30 Joonmyun is packing his belongings away with the aid of his phone's flashlight setting.  The company dormitory is just down the block from the office building. Joonmyun follows the orange glow of streetlamps, passing by the bustling, impatient nightlife opening its eyes even in the business district.  There is only one other person in the elevator when Joonmyun enters it, a smartly dressed young man slightly taller than Joonmyun himself. The man's lips are slick and shiny, and his hair is mussed deliberately, like someone had grabbed his hair with the intention of making him look wrecked.  Joonmyun leans in to press the button for the third floor and catches a whiff of sweat mixed with something musky—if lust had a scent, Joonmyun thinks. He hears a light cough, and Joonmyun suddenly realizes that he's still bent over with his finger jabbed into the button, trying to inhale more of the stranger's heady aroma.  "S-sorry." He stammers the apology in his native tongue out of nervousness without even realizing it until he hears the answer, "It's okay," in quiet Korean.  The man smiles at him gently, and Joonmyun stares at him in shock. The smile folds into a slight frown when the elevator stops on the third floor and the doors slide open, but Joonmyun doesn't move.  "I think it's your floor," the man says quietly, startling Joonmyun into flinching and rushing out of the elevator without so much as a glance behind him.  As he fumbles with his room key, Joonmyun's heart beats rapidly for no apparent reason. It's not as if it's the first time Joonmyun has ever laid eyes on an attractive man. It must have been his scent, or perhaps the shock of hearing his fluency in Joonmyun's native language.  The living conditions of each dorm room improve as the floors progress upwards. Joonmyun's level is so low that there isn't a single bathtub on his floor. There are communal showers, but he has to go up to the fourth floor to take a bath. Even though it's a communal bathtub, nothing feels better after a long day of work than taking a hot soak.  He slides into the water until he's chin-deep and steam kisses his cheeks. He closes his eyes and lets the warm water relax his muscles as his mind goes blank. His breathing slows, and he slips even further into the water until tiny ripples are lapping at the tip of his nose.

An hour earlier: "You're alone?" "It's been a week since the last time I rode in your taxi, and that's the first thing you have to say?" Luhan asks incredulously.  "Well, you're usually not alone when you call me up," Minseok points out.  "Next time I won't be." "Didn't get lucky tonight then?" Minseok jokes half-heartedly.  "I just got off my flight, you picked me up from the airport, idiot." "Had a good flight?" "It was turbulent as hell because of this damn rainstorm that followed us all the way back to Beijing. Now it's fucking cold and rainy, and I'm gonna catch pneumonia in this fucking weather." "There's the Luhan I know and love." "Pull over." "I can't." "Down the next alley to the right is a parking lot. The store should be closed by now, and parking is free." "I...can't." "Like I said, next time I won't be in here alone." "You're filthy." "I'll be in the backseat, and I might just have another lady with me next time. That gave you a shock when you picked me up last time, didn't it?" Luhan leans in with his arm wrapped around Minseok's headrest and his lips inches away from the driver's jawline. His Beijing dialect is a silky purr that drips into Minseok's ears.  "But it still turned you on, right?" Luhan continues. "You always hear everything from the front seat, and I know you always wish it was you instead." Minseok parks in the empty lot that Luhan instructed him to, but he doesn't switch off the ignition.  Luhan's voice is even closer, and his lips brush against the shell of Minseok's ear as he whispers, "Did you touch yourself as soon as you dropped us off? Or did you wait until after you cleaned up the mess we made in the backseat?" "I..." Minseok begins involuntarily.  "Wait, I know." Luhan runs a fingertip down the slope of Minseok's jaw. "You touched yourself while driving us, right? I don't blame you, she was a lot more vocal than the rest. She didn't even try to keep it down." Minseok keeps his silence, and Luhan chuckles, "Naughty boy."

An hour later: Thoroughly satiated, Luhan leaves Minseok a tip, much to the driver's distaste. He's feeling more generous than usual, so he presses two ¥20 bills into Minseok's palm rather than just one.  Luhan leans his head against the mirrored wall of the elevator, admiring the work Minseok had made of his hair. But as soon as the doors have shut, they slide open again for a slight, nervous looking man. He presses the button for the third floor, apparently not noticing the button's orange glow indicating that the elevator is already headed for the third floor.  A new neighbor, then. Luhan tries to hide his irritation for the sake of a good impression, but it's hard when the man is behaving so strangely. Almost as if he's inching closer and trying to smell Luhan. Weird. He follows behind as the man hurriedly searches for his room, which is, incidentally, adjacent to Luhan's.  Luhan takes his time getting ready for his bath. Even with Minseok to satisfy his body, today's irritations require no less than a long soak to alleviate.  It certainly doesn't help that Luhan enters the baths just to find the man on the verge of drowning.

Joonmyun wakes up to his world spinning out of control. His eyes focus, and he finds a face close to his and fingers gripping tightly to his shoulders. He realizes that the world isn't spinning—rather, he's being shaken violently by a half-naked man.  His surroundings settle to a standstill, and the hands loosen around his shoulders. Joonmyun's heart lurches when he recognizes the man holding onto and staring intensely at him. It's the same man from the elevator, the one with the long lashes and ardent eyes who makes his heart beat faster for no reason. Had he saved him? "So annoying," the man grumbles.  "W-who's annoying?" Joonmyun coughs.  "You are. Who fucking falls asleep in the bathtub and almost drowns? Are you a fucking half-wit?" "S-sorry," Joonmyun sputters.  He doubles over, wheezing, and Luhan hoists him onto his lap, thumping him soundly on the back. More bath water is dislodged from Joonmyun's corrupted lungs. Gasping for breath, Joonmyun reaches out to touch Luhan's cheek.  "Thank you," he whispers, attempting a smile.  "The fuck are you thanking me for." "You, um, saved me. I'm really thankful. I...I owe you my life." Luhan looks away uncomfortably when he realizes that Joonmyun is being completely earnest.  "Yeah, yeah," Luhan mutters. "Just don't let it happen again or you might drown for real next time, stupid." "Joonmyun. My name is Kim Joonmyun." "Whatever, you're still an idiot. I'm going to take a bath now, so get the fuck out of here and go drown in the shower or something." He can't help it. The more embarrassed Luhan gets, the more rudely he behaves, like some kind of defense mechanism. Inevitably, Joonmyun interprets the agitated set to Luhan's jaw as actual disgust and bows hastily, wrapping his towel around his hips. He forgets his pajamas and rubber slippers in his hurry to leave, but he's too terrified to turn back.  The linoleum flooring is painfully cold against his bare feet, and he nearly slips several times on his way back to his own floor. The only thought that keeps him upright is the fear that Luhan might find him if he fell and was unable to move. By the time he returns to his room, he’s still dripping wet, shivering, and his nipples are rock hard. The day's events have been overwhelming to say the least, so he flops onto his bed in exhaustion and falls asleep almost immediately.

Joonmyun's general ineptitude baffles Luhan, who rolls his eyes as he watches Joonmyun flee. The blushing man brings with him only his towel, leaving behind his pajamas and rubber slippers in a neat pile next to the edge of the bath.  "Fucking moron," Luhan hisses aloud, even though nobody else is around.  It's only their first time meeting, but Joonmyun is proving to be particularly troublesome in a way that Luhan can't quite explain.  With any luck, he'll only have to deal with Joonmyun maybe once or twice a day at a maximum. Luhan usually gets home much later at night, well past midnight at the very least. He works hard and plays hard, since he has the convenient ability to function on very little sleep without affecting his health. The only thing that has suffered is his personality.  It's not that Luhan wants to avoid Joonmyun because he dislikes him. If Luhan's being entirely honest with himself, it's probably the opposite. He's not used to the way that Joonmyun had looked at him, with sheer admiration and gratitude. Luhan knows how to handle people who dislike or even hate him, but Joonmyun makes him feel something he can't name, something not entirely unpleasant, but not exactly comfortable either.  Which is utterly ridiculous, feeling this unsettled after such a brief encounter. But for some reason, Luhan can't stop thinking about Joonmyun's narrow, but sturdily built frame or the pink tint that flushed his skin in the bath. That fucking idiot.

Jongdae leans on Luhan's desk, holding his coffee just out of reach. When Luhan tries to make a grab for it, he holds it away even farther just to see his boss scowl.  "Don't fuck with me," Luhan growls, and Jongdae gleefully takes a sip from Luhan's coffee before setting it down.  "When do I ever?" Jongdae laughs. "How was the meeting?" "Terrible," Luhan replies irritably. He curses under his breath when the bitter drink scalds his tongue.  "Good, good. How'd you sleep last night, though? You seem even more irritated than usual." "Fucking awful," Luhan declares emphatically. "This fucking dimwit moved in who's probably never taken a bath on his own in his life, and he would have fucking drowned last night if I hadn't saved his doe-eyed rosy-cheeked ass." Jongdae stares at him, unsure of whether Luhan is joking or completely serious. What he said made very little sense, even coming from Luhan. A light knock from the doorway interrupts his ruminations.  "Oh hey, there you are! Come on in!" Jongdae calls out. "You made it bright and early this morning, I see. Luhan, this is Kim Joonmyun. I gave him a tour of the office yesterday–" "Did you fucking catch a cold last night?" Luhan demands.  "W-what?" Joonmyun asks in a small voice.  "You went to bed without wearing pajamas or even drying your hair, didn't you?" "Wait, um, how did you know?" "Who do you think delivered your pajamas to your doorstep, idiot? And your hair's a fucking mess. If you're gonna catch a cold, be more fucking considerate since the walls are so thin I could hear you sneezing all night." "S-sorry!" Joonmyun yelps. "I mean, um, thank you? For the pajamas, but also sorry. About everything else..." "Luhan, you're scaring him," Jongdae whispers. "Look at his knees, they're actually shaking." Now that he knows they live in the same dormitory, Joonmyun realizes that this man, Luhan, must also be the one the taxi driver had warned him about. But if both the taxi driver and Jongdae told Joonmyun that he was Luhan's type, why is Luhan looking at him with such distaste? Perhaps if Joonmyun acts a bit cuter... "What the fuck are you doing?" Luhan spits out with an even more pronounced frown.  "Aegyo?" Joonmyun responds uncertainly.  "Ah, um, Chinese people don't really do aegyo," Jongdae advises him, thoroughly confused by whatever is going on between Joonmyun and his boss. "How about you get back to work now that introductions have been made?" "Yes, of course! Thank you, Jongdae and L-Luhan!" Once Joonmyun bows out of the office, Jongdae asks under his breath, "What's your problem? You scared the poor guy to death on his first day." "That's my job, to intimidate the newcomers." "Terrorize, you mean. But don't you think you went a bit overboard with Joonmyun? He's cute." "That's the problem," Luhan grumbles.

Beijing glows at night. The evening before, Joonmyun had been too focused on finding his dormitory building to appreciate the luminous neon landscape surrounding him. Streetlamps twinkle like stars above glittering stores and shopping centers.  "Beautiful, huh?" a voice behind him asks.  "What? Oh, yeah! Hey Jongdae!" Jongdae grins and offers a cigarette, which Joonmyun declines with a wave of his hand. A hidden flame flickers in the palm of Jongdae's hand, making his fingertips glow red.  "Have you eaten yet?" Jongdae asks, breathing out gray wisps of smoke from the corners of his mouth.  "No, I was going to make some noodles when I got home." "I'll take you somewhere nice, my treat." "No, no, you really don't have to–" "Nonsense. You haven't tried Beijing style duck, have you? There's no way anyone can visit Beijing without trying Peking duck at least once." "There's really no need–" "Joonmyun. Hyung. Can I call you hyung?" Joonmyun nods, and Jongdae continues, "I feel bad about what happened today." "What do you mean?" "That asshole Luhan," Jongdae explains emphatically. "I don't know why he was being more of a prick than usual today, but you deserve a lot better." "T-thank you? I don't know what to say..." "Just say yes, and this will go a lot more smoothly." "Fine, then, but just this once! And you have to let me pay next time!" "Who said there was going to be a next time?" Jongdae teases.  "Oh, um, sorry, I didn't mean to assume–" "No need to be so nervous, it's not like this is a first date or anything! We're just going to dinner as co-workers! As friends." Jongdae drapes his arm comfortably around Joonmyun's shoulder and guides him to the curb, where he flags down a taxi. For some reason, Joonmyun's heart skips a beat when Jongdae's hand slides down to his waist as they climb into the taxi together.  He isn't sure what it means when Jongdae's fingers wander down to his hip and hold him closer when a sharp turn jerks Joonmyun away from him. It's more than protective, it's affectionate. But during the entire trip, Jongdae chatters away with the taxi driver like Joonmyun isn't even there.  Which is fine. They're just going to dinner as friends, after all.  "Anything you'd like?" Jongdae asks as they pore over a menu with their heads huddled together.  It feels nice like this—accidentally brushing knuckles and bumping knees under the table. Almost like they're a couple.  After Jongdae places their order and before the dishes arrive, a waiter stands sentry at their table and recites a rapid-fire spiel in Mandarin that Joonmyun only catches bits of. When the waiter leaves, he looks questioningly at Jongdae who tells him, "He was just explaining the history of the restaurant and the dish. This is actually one of the oldest Peking duck restaurants in the city, which they take a lot of pride in." "Wow, that's really amazing..." "As far as restaurants go, this place isn't bad. It's one of the most important ones because of its history, but I'll take you somewhere even better next time." Next time. Joonmyun likes the sound of it.  Joonmyun watches with fascination as the golden-brown roasted duck is carved before their eyes with precise incisions that slice the tender meat into thin strips. They are neatly arranged on a ceramic platter while another waiter lights a votive candle beneath the plate to keep the meat warm during their meal.  "You eat it like this, hyung.” Jongdae peels a thin pancake from the stack and arranges strips of duck, cucumber, and onion on it before drizzling the fillings with sweet dark bean sauce.  "Open wide," Jongdae instructs as he folds the duck into the pancake. He parts Joonmyun's lips with the pad of his thumb and guides the food into his mouth.  "I could have done that myself," Joonmyun whines.  A tickly feeling crawls in his stomach when Jongdae grins at him and fondly cups Joonmyun's chin. Joonmyun looks away shyly. "You don't need to take care of me," he mumbles.  "I know. But that's just the kind of person I am," Jongdae says almost apologetically.  "There you are!" They look up when they hear the sound of a familiar voice. It's Luhan, weaving between tables and bumping into both waiters and diners on his way to Joonmyun's table. Close behind him is a smaller, slightly scruffier looking man.  "Oh, it's you!" Joonmyun calls out, standing up to greet Minseok.  Luhan's grin slips when he realizes who Joonmyun is addressing. "You know Minseok?" he demands.  "Yeah, he picked me up from the airport!" Luhan's eyebrows bunch together, and Minseok mumbles, "You're not the only person I drive around." "How did you know what I was thinking?" Luhan asks.  "I just know." "Why don't you join Jongdae and me for dinner?" Joonmyun suggests, grasping Minseok's hand enthusiastically.  "Can't, still on duty," Minseok apologizes, shifting uncomfortably. "Luhan just wanted to find you, so I'll be heading out now." "You were looking for me?" Joonmyun addresses Luhan incredulously.  "Yeah, yeah, you weren't at your dorm when I checked earlier." "Jongdae took me to this restaurant." "No shit." "So, um, what did you want, Luhan?" "Never mind, let's go, Minseok." "But—you came all the way here! You found us! How did you even find us?" "Wasn't hard, Jongdae always takes people here for first dates." "First...dates?" "As friends," Jongdae clarifies. "I always take my friends here first." "Oh. Right, friends," Joonmyun echoes in disappointment.  Luhan fixes Joonmyun with a hard stare before turning on his heel to leave.  "So dramatic," Minseok mutters. "What are you trying to act all mysterious for?" "Why don't we grab a bite to eat while we're here?" Luhan suggests. "Hungry?" "I said I can't. If you really want someone to eat dinner with, why don't you ask Joonmyun next time? Since you seem to like him so much." "Is it that obvious?" Luhan asks quietly.  "I can tell that you're crazy about him." "Crazy, huh?" "Fucking insane," Minseok laughs dryly.  Joonmyun invites Jongdae into his dorm room after dinner with the pretext of sharing a kettle of green tea.  "My room's pretty sparse," Joonmyun apologizes as he rummages in his pocket for his keys. "I wasn't sure how long I'd be staying here, so I rented the cheapest dorm available." "That explains why Luhan lives just next door to you, then," Jongdae laughs. "He can more than afford an apartment, but he so would choose to rent the cheapest room possible." "Yeah," Joonmyun agrees, cracking a smile at his boss's expense.  "Hey, what's this?" Jongdae plops onto the bed and lifts up a large cubical object covered in pastel yellow gift wrap. There is a shiny silver bow on top with a note affixed to it.  "To keep you warm," Jongdae reads. "Were you planning on giving this to someone?" "I've never seen that package before," Joonmyun says slowly with a confused frown. Did someone break into his room to leave him a gift? "Open it!" Jongdae urges. Joonmyun cautiously slides his fingers inside the folds to break the tape holding the gift wrap in place. The pastel yellow paper falls away to reveal a box containing a thickly padded duvet stuffed with goose down. He opens the box and pulls the duvet out, feeling the plushness under his palms like clouds. This kind of luxury Joonmyun could never afford on a temporary worker's salary.  "The note didn't have a name on it." Jongdae pokes curiously at fluffy white pockets of goose down. "Any idea who could have given you that?" "Maybe." To keep you warm. Luhan mentioned stopping by Joonmyun's room earlier that evening. Joonmyun wouldn't put it past him to dabble in breaking and entering.  "Luhan's so weird," Joonmyun muses.  "As an expert on Luhan, I can confirm this," Jongdae agrees.

It's one of those mornings when Luhan is so engrossed in his work that he fails to notice his assistant's presence by his desk.  "So it was you?" A cheeky grin tilts the corners of Jongdae's mouth when Luhan glances up in surprise.  "What are you talking about?" "The gift on Joonmyun-hyung's bed. You broke into his room to give it to him, didn't you?" "How did you know about that? Were you in his room?" Jongdae's grin grows wider. "So what if I was? A better question is, how did you get into his room without his permission?" "I asked the landowner. Why were you in my employee's bedroom?" Jongdae cackles and spins around on Luhan's office chair as the Luhan digs through his filing cabinet. He grimaces and slams the drawer in frustration.  "What do you need?" Jongdae asks, suddenly serious.  "Twenty copies of a document that doesn't exist," Luhan groans. "I have a meeting in an hour." "I'll take care of it, you can finish up your presentation for the rest of the hour." "Who said that I needed to finish it at the last minute?" "When don't you?" Jongdae sighs. "I'll be in my office. Or in the copy room. Actually, just call me if you need something." Jongdae spends so much time with Luhan that his own office is almost redundant. It's smaller than Luhan's and farther away from any source of natural sunlight, but Jongdae retreats to it now and then to take advantage of its privacy.  He's almost finished typing when he hears a knock on the door.  "What do you want," he begins irritably without looking up.  "Was this a bad time?" Joonmyun asks worriedly. "I'll just go..." "No, sorry, I thought you were Luhan. Give me five minutes." Joonmyun loiters uneasily outside of Jongdae's office, hoping to not get caught wasting time. He hides his face by staring in the opposite direction when he sees Luhan approaching. Out of the corner of his eye, Joonmyun catches a glimpse of Luhan frowning at him and returning to the direction he came from.  "Hey." Jongdae taps him on the shoulder with a rolled up packet of papers. "Can we walk and talk?" "Yeah, sure!" "So what was it you wanted to talk about?" "Well, um, you said I could come to you with my Luhan problems right?" "Of course. This way." Jongdae guides him gently with his fingertips against Joonmyun's back.  "Jongdae, I..." Joonmyun lowers his voice to a whisper as Jongdae leads him into the copy room. "I'm in love with Luhan." "Say again?" Jongdae asks pleasantly. "Didn't quite catch that last part." "I'm in love with Luhan." "Are...are you sure?" Joonmyun's chest tingles as Luhan's name leaves his lips. He chews on the inner lining of his cheek and nods, thinking about how he had been intoxicated by Luhan from the moment they met in the elevator. The gift was an unexpected display of consideration that had given Joonmyun the barest hope that Luhan felt the same way. "I wasn't sure if he even liked me," Joonmyun whispers. "I'm still not sure." "You should just be upfront with him, then," Jongdae says airily. "Just tell him how you feel." "You think so?" "Yeah, of course. Luhan is brick-level dense. You could build the Great Wall of China with a few thousand of him. He's a simple guy. Very straightforward." "Um, but what about that taxi driver guy he was with last night? Minseok?" "I'm not sure exactly what's going on between them, but they’ve known each other for a while. Luhan seems to think that Minseok is his personal chauffeur or something, and he’s the only one Luhan trusts to drive him anywhere." Joonmyun's lips silently mouth "oh" and Jongdae quickly adds, “That isn’t to say they’re in any kind of relationship. If Luhan was interested, they’d probably be dating by now. And if they were dating, I wouldn’t hear the end of it. So give it a shot!" "I'm not sure..." "As far as I can tell, Luhan seems to really like you, too. There's no way he could say no, trust me."  Though Jongdae hates to admit it, Luhan does seem particularly interested in Joonmyun. It's difficult for him to express his feelings openly, but Jongdae can tell that Luhan is making an attempt to do so, in his own idiosyncratic way. Jongdae has no choice but to put aside his own feelings for Luhan's sake. Because Luhan always gets what he wants.  "Thank you so much!" Joonmyun beams. "Is there anything at all I can help you with?" "Could you collate and staple these packets?" Joonmyun's smile thaws the icy bitterness creeping up on Jongdae, further proving the fact that Jongdae could never dislike Joonmyun even if he tried. As if that needed proving.

Pacing is something Luhan has been doing a lot of lately. Pacing, sighing, and wringing his hands when no one is around. He only allows himself to be this vulnerable when he's sure that no one can see. And everyone in the department knows better than to interrupt when Luhan's door is closed.  "What do you want," he barks when he hears the door open behind him.  "Luhan?" Joonmyun begins uncertainly.  “Joonmyun?” Luhan's frown deepens, and he turns to face Joonmyun. "What do you want?" Anxiety slurs his syllables as his dialect slips into his speech, making his words round and slippery.  "This is for you. Jongdae told me to drop these off at your office." "That disaffected son of a bitch," Luhan grumbles, feeling more agitated by the second.  Joonmyun waits for a thank you, but none comes as Luhan tosses the stack of papers onto his desk. A tense silence crawls over them, and Joonmyun realizes that Luhan is glaring at him.  "B-before I go, one more thing," Joonmyun stammers out before his courage crumbles. "I really like you, Luhan. Would you be interested in–" "Are you fucking with me?" Luhan demands.  "Pardon?" "Did Jongdae put you up to this?" "I'm not sure why you're so suspicious of Jongdae, and I hope I haven't said anything to offend you but–" "Go to hell. And tell Jongdae the same." Joonmyun's eyebrows knit together in frustration and confusion. Luhan's response is completely bewildering to him, especially without any background knowledge of his unstable moods. Joonmyun opens his mouth, searching for something to say, but the words won't come.  He turns on his heel and strides angrily out of Luhan's office.

If Jongdae had any doubts about the quality of Luhan's character, all his suspicions are confirmed as fact by the time he finds Joonmyun in his cubicle just before their lunch break. "So, how did it go?" Jongdae asks in a tone aimed at sounding interested and supportive.  "Terribly." "You sound like Luhan. What happened?" "I confessed to Luhan, but he got angry for no reason and told me to go to hell." "Hey, it's alright. The more Luhan likes someone, the rougher he talks. I’m sure he was just putting up a tough act." "No, it actually sounded to me like he didn't want me there. I don't think he likes me at all, I don't know what I was thinking when I thought he did." "He might be stressed out. Maybe try talking to him again later? He's an asshole, but he's usually not that rude." "I feel like I've heard that before," Joonmyun laughs bitterly. "It's okay, I'm not that masochistic." He sighs, and it comes out shaky. He's never quite sure how to deal with rejection, and it hurts a lot more than what he remembers of it.  Jongdae has never seen anyone look more like a kicked puppy, so he takes Joonmyun by the hand and all but drags him away from the office. Despite Joonmyun's protests, he takes him to a family owned restaurant across the street, where he treats him to local dishes.  Fragrant pork buns, eggplant, pickled radish, shrimp dumplings, and rice are piled onto Joonmyun's plate, and Jongdae urges him to eat by insisting that his next raise hinges on how much he can consume in one sitting.  "Do you even have that kind of power?" Joonmyun groans when the original white of his plate finally peeks through the food piled on top of it.  "Nope!" Jongdae grins, his cheeks bulging with rice. “But don’t let any of this food go to waste, alright?” The lunch cheers Joonmyun up considerably. They go for a stroll around the block afterwards, but Joonmyun tenses up when they catch a glimpse of Luhan staring down at them through his office window on their way back.  "Is that...?"  "Yeah," Jongdae sighs. "Don't worry about him. Actually, if I were you, I would be glad that I escaped being Luhan's significant other." "What do you mean?" "I mean, I think you can do a lot better." Jongdae reaches for Joonmyun's hands and lightly rests his fingertips against his knuckles. When Joonmyun doesn't resist, he slides his fingers down and slots them through the spaces between Joonmyun's fingers.  "We've got a few minutes left before we're due to return. Want to head up to my office? It's a little more private there," Jongdae suggests with tilted eyebrows.  Whatever chemistry that existed between them is reduced to a purely physical attraction by the time they reach Jongdae's office. Joonmyun is buzzing to the fingertips with psychic tension and grabs Jongdae by the narrow waist as soon as the door is locked. There is an unspoken agreement between them, a tangible promise. "I'm almost never in here, but I'm glad this space is being put to good use," Jongdae laughs.  Joonmyun smooths Jongdae's chestnut curls away from his forehead, and suddenly Jongdae can't speak as he watches the corners of Joonmyun's mouth draw back softly. His pearly teeth peek through his lips in a gentle smile, and a long dimple creases his cheek. This close, Joonmyun's lazy smile is too much for Jongdae to bear, so he fixates on the tiny mole above Joonmyun's pink lips and then gives in altogether, closing his eyes.  He feels Joonmyun's lips move against his, brushing tongue against tongue. And then they're close, too close, skin against fabric against skin with only a couple thin layers of poplin and polyester blend between their thudding chests.  "People always say I'm too nice," Joonmyun whispers roughly. "Is it okay if I'm not nice for a little bit?" Jongdae nods, and a thrill runs through his body when Joonmyun pushes him backwards onto his desk. He's the kind of man Jongdae likes the best, the type that Jongdae didn't initially take him for. He's shaping up to be a man of action, rather than one who is paralyzed by uncertainty or fear of rejection. Assertive, but not aggressive. Stable. In short, the complete opposite of Luhan.  The edge of his desk digs into Jongdae's thighs, and his keyboard is knocked askew. Joonmyun's mouth is warm on top of Jongdae's as drags his hand down Jongdae's concave back, running his fingers across the knobby buttons down his spine. And then Joonmyun is palming at Jongdae's crotch, bringing Jongdae to his tiptoes as he lifts his hips for more contact.  "Shall we?" "You tell me," Jongdae gasps.  "I'll make it quick." Jongdae braces his palms against his desk for support while his belt is unfastened and his pants are unzipped, falling to a puddle of fabric around his ankles.  "This is so wrong," Jongdae laughs in disbelief. "What are we doing? How did we end up here?" "I've always wanted to do this,” Joonmyun admits. "You're unbelievable. I would never have expected this of you." Joonmyun hums thoughtfully with his thumb pressed to the ridge just below the tip of Jongdae's cock. Jongdae groans when Joonmyun rubs the spot carefully, with measured speed and pressure, squeezing the base of Jongdae's cock with his other hand.  "Quiet," Joonmyun murmurs. "Or our coworkers will hear." "You like this kind of play, don't you?" Jongdae grunts.  He has to cover his mouth with his own hand when Joonmyun guides Jongdae's cock to his mouth, smearing precum on his lips and leaving the skin even pinker and shinier than before. And then Jongdae's cock is enveloped with mind-blowing tightness as Joonmyun hollows his cheeks and suctions his mouth, unveiling his unexpected expertise in pleasing a lover.  "I can't believe this, I can't believe this," Jongdae repeats like a mantra as Joonmyun sucks and rubs and fondles him until Joonmyun is spitting Jongdae’s semen into a wad of tissues.  The rest of the day passes in a hazy blur, without either of them really remembering how they ended up in Joonmyun’s bed with him bending Jongdae in half, his heels on Joonmyun's unexpectedly wide shoulders as he fucks Jongdae into the mattress.  "The walls are thin," Joonmyun grits out when Jongdae lets out an embarrassingly high whine. "Luhan lives next door." "Shit," Jongdae hisses. He turns his head and bites into the pillow, filling his lungs with the scent of Joonmyun's coconut breeze shampoo.  Joonmyun exhales sharply and pulls out to jack himself with lewd slaps until he leaves a trail of semen splattered along Jongdae's chest and abdomen.  "The, um, showers are across the hall," Joonmyun mumbles awkwardly, avoiding Jongdae's eyes as the embarrassment sets in.  "The walk of shame can wait for a bit longer. And, by the way. It's okay if you pretended I was Luhan this whole time,” Jongdae says tenderly. "W-what?" "I know you're hurt. And I was a means to an end. I understand. Luhan's the same way." "I don't know if I like that comparison," Joonmyun sighs, burying his eyes into Jongdae's shoulder as the younger man holds him close.

By the end of the week, Joonmyun receives a letter notifying him that he has been transferred to the company's Wuhan branch. Underneath the letter is a terse handwritten note of apology signed by Luhan.