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"Good morning everyone. My name is Choi San and I'll be your new manager from now on, let's all work efficiently." The man spoke in his perfectly tailored black suit with a smile that showed off deliriously cute dimples.
Yunho had woken up this morning with a terrible headache. It turned out—unsurprisingly— that the human body couldn't be allowed to drink alcohol until the whole neighborhood was profoundly asleep, and be expected to go to work the very next day which appeared to be a fresh Monday.
He miserably got ready and drove to his office job despite the poignant headache, only to witness the most unexpected thing: the appearance of a new manager.
He frowned momentarily, ignoring the way the morning light hit the room in a dreamy hue and how his colleagues seemed to beam ecstatically as they welcomed Choi San with a short round of applause. Something wasn't right.
Before he could get to analyzing the newcomer, he thought about their last manager. Mr. Seo wasn't the best in terms of—well, everything. He was a catastrophic leader, encouraged laziness and unfortunately made their department famous for being incompetent when in reality, he never had the time to check on their work, never had the precaution to assign deadlines and even worse, was more of an entertainer than anything.
It wasn't a great working environment to say the least.
Yunho knew the day he would be fired or reassigned would soon come, it was common knowledge at this point, and he had witnessed such an event four or five times ever since he was interviewed to work in this company.
Still, with the headache, the dry throat and his absolute hate for Mondays, he couldn't be as happy as the others—who for some reason, seemed to know the man.
When the gathering dissipated, he joined his work station, lazily taking off his jacket and discarding it onto the back of his chair. He sighed at the pile of files he had left there the previous week, a few items he had to review and obviously procrastinated; they stared at him smugly, whispering 'extra hours, extra hours' into his ears until they bled and Yunho was already fed up.
"What's with that face?" A voice echoed next to him, which belonged to none other than Song Mingi; dear friend of his and colleague, holding a few cups of coffee like the angel he was.
"Song Mingi, I love you—" Yunho immediately reached for one, the other rolling his eyes with a short laugh. "How are you not miserable from yesterday?" He asked, since his friend was beaming and just as handsome as a prince out of a shower.
They had in fact, been drinking together the night before, yet there was a stark difference in how they held themselves.
"Simple. My sweet Yeosang made me some hangover soup this morning, so I feel great." He answered with a stupid smile, rushing for the opportunity to flex how wonderful his boyfriend was.
Yunho was happy for him and it wasn't even a question, but he simply rolled his eyes this time. "Whatever, man."
He wasn't the relationship type.
It was a good enough excuse, he believed, to cover the fact he actually never even put himself out there. He went to work in the morning, did what he had to do, got back home and repeated—on the weekends, he went out with friends to have a drink and get his mind off of work before he would have to go there again.
He wouldn't say he was necessarily boring.
Yunho had many hobbies and enjoyed his life the best he could, he just never felt the need to fill his free time with a lover, nor the desire to; and nobody around him even qualified.
"Did you see the new manager?" Yunho suddenly inquired, turning on his computer.
Mingi's eyebrows rose immediately, as if he had been waiting to be asked this question for his whole life. "Mr. Choi? Of course. He's wonderful, isn't he?"
"Wonderful?" Yunho echoed, suspiciously looking up at his friend. "How would I know?"
"You don't know who he is? What he's done?" Mingi sounded dumbfounded. "Do you actually live under a rock?"
In fact, he did.
Many things happened in the company on a daily basis; he often surprised interns whispering and gossiping in the resting area next to the copy machine, and it took them too long to notice his presence and quiet down since they were so engulfed in the drama.
Yunho had no idea what happened if it didn't concern his department or more specifically, his work goals.
"He's younger than you, can you even tell?" Mingi asked, pulling a chair closer and sitting right next to him. "He's incredibly smart. People say he outdid every salesman by his first year here, and he was only a three-month contract employee."
Yunho's mouth fell in a small 'o' shape. "Oh really?"
"That's barely anything. He's been transferred to so many departments too because everyone wants him on their floor. Once he starts working somewhere, the performance rate just.. skyrockets!"
"Aren't you exaggerating a little bit?" He chuckled at his enthusiasm.
"No way!" Mingi shook his head immediately and touched his shoulder. "Can't you see how happy everyone is?"
Yunho looked around, and the whole atmosphere in the room seemed lighter and overall better than it was the week before. Their floor used to always be rushed; employees were running into each other and papers would fly around clumsily, not to mention the noise and just how on edge they were.
He did feel himself grow more secure to hear such news, glad someone could make his job easier.
"And also, have you seen him?" Mingi spoke, his hand resting onto his lips in pure shock.
"Yes, I did."
"No, but have you SEEN him?" He gasped. "He's stunning."
Yunho thought about the slight glimpse he had caught of him, and even through the blur of his memory, could make out some sharp features, a wide frame and dimples. Well, he was probably stunning, but he wouldn't care about something as such. Especially since he had just been told about how great of a leader he could be, because this definitely mattered more.
"How is everything going?" A soft, yet masculine voice erupted from behind Yunho, and he suddenly froze.
Mingi stood up from his seat, "Perfectly, I was just handing him a cup of coffee. Do you want one too?"
Yunho rolled his eyes and held back on a laugh; his friend could be such a bootlicker. Then, unfortunately for him and his heart, he turned to glance at the manager.
Oh.
"How nice of you, Mr. Song, thank you." He smiled, his eyes disappearing into little crescents while he took a cup from Mingi.
The coffee was most likely lukewarm by now, but he still accepted it like it was the most precious thing in the world, and Yunho understood immediately why everyone was so ecstatic about working with him.
At the same time, he was hit with the type of beauty that was only described in the finest pieces of literature, the kind that fueled the hearts of men all throughout history and gave them enough courage to go to war— and he wasn't exaggerating one bit.
San, well manager Choi to stay formal, was the most beautiful person he had ever laid his eyes on.
Then when he looked at him, oh, when he looked at him, something snapped inside. Something he would never ever be able to put back together no matter how hard he would try. He hadn't noticed Mingi had left the scenery, nor the slight confused tilt of San's beautiful face when he was met with silence and an oblivious stranger looking up at him as if he was the moon.
"So.. what are you working on?" He asked gently, pulling the other out of his clearly inappropriate trail of thoughts.
Yunho froze again, clearing his throat once, then a second time to make sure he was well adjusted.
"Uh, items. I'm reviewing the next one to go after."
"That's interesting." He glanced at the pile of files, reaching for the one Yunho has opened to check. "Can I?"
San gave him a quick glance, and the tone of his sweet request nearly made him combust. He immediately nodded, not trusting his voice at all.
He wasn't usually like this. He was never like this.
Yunho was internally ashamed at how this very formal and normal interaction was sparking interest of a very different kind inside of him, as if he was under some kind of spell.
San reached for the file, pretty brown eyes going over the string of words and numbers in an untold professionalism. Even doing the simplest task, he was insanely pretty—Yunho hated himself.
"This one isn't too bad." San uttered; eyes glued to the paper. "What do you think?"
Yunho's brain was suddenly filled with nothing but thick, white fog. "Well, China has always been a guarantee for a good risk to reward ratio. I'm just worried about the Freight inflation."
"Not the tariff volatility?" San brought up, and Yunho's brows furrowed slowly.
There was a beat of silence, and San kept looking through the file as if he hadn't said anything. Yunho understood immediately what he was doing, he was testing him. This wasn't just a regular question, and he was probably wondering if he was experienced enough to know the answer. He had to be, as the leader of his team and as their senior.
The way he had spoken was so sleek, Yunho had almost missed it.
"Well, while they're both to be expected, you can limit the damage of tariff volatility by using first sale valuation or tariff loopholes. Also, they're often announced and specific to certain items." He started, looking through the pile. "Like this one." Which he handed to the manager. "Freight inflation is just chaotic, unpredictable, and priced by volume and weight—not to mention the delays and the additional work."
San reviewed the second file, giving Yunho a smile that seemed somewhat proud and satisfied—which made something warm bloom in his chest. Was that how Mingi felt too? He stuck his tongue to the inside of his cheek to prevent a stupid smile from forming on his lips.
"Good. I'll be looking forward to working with you." He added, as if that soft grin hadn't been enough.
"Uh, me too. Of course." Yunho nodded, stilling when he felt a warm palm onto his shoulder, patting him a little before he left.
If he had been skeptical before his friend's enthusiasm earlier, he now completely understood, as much he hated to admit it; he was right. The exchange had left him intrigued and unfortunately hooked, truly eager to witness how Choi San would fix their department.
During his teenage years, Yunho had wanted a normal job. Well, most jobs were, but he wanted something that was not only comfortable but repetitive, something that wouldn't be too full of surprises. At this time, he pushed back so many of his dreams onto adulthood, feeling as if after the pressure of high school and college, he would be rewarded with so much free time to do everything he wanted—then was proved wrong.
So, to compensate, a boring job would give him enough time to still make those dreams come true.
Unfortunately for him, things turned out to be exactly what he tried to run away from, only because of the bad leadership of his previous manager.
So, the week with Mr. Choi passed, and Yunho observed in real time how everything became as tranquil and quiet as this job was sold to him, he now also smiled at the thought of having San on their floor for longer—not because of how pretty he was, definitely not.
He also found out he wasn't the only one with that kind of a crush he harboured for his manager, when he entered the resting area to prepare himself a cup of bitter coffee—since they were out of sugar—and heard two of his colleagues talk about him.
"Ah, he's so nice and handsome... I wonder if I should confess my feelings?" One of them wondered, sipping her own coffee next to the glass window.
"Are you a teenager? This isn't high school; this is your job. We're here to work, not find love." The older one answered.
"Unnie don't be so narrow-minded, you can find love anywhere." She continued with a smile.
"Sure, but don't cry when he rejects you."
Yunho laughed internally, obviously keeping a straight face since they were his subordinates. He couldn't simply join on the gossip even though it sounded really interesting.
It was nice to know he wasn't alone, especially when his lingering stares on the Manager's hands and forearms as he retrieved the sleeves of his white shirt made him feel like an absolute creeper.
Still, was he really to blame?
San seemed to know exactly what to do to make him focus on nothing but the way his first top button came undone during warm evenings, as well as the collarbone peeking right under, hinting there was more to uncover. San looked like nothing but a treat waiting to be unwrapped, yet every time his thoughts wandered boldly lower and his eyes quietly focused on his lower body, he chose sanity and forced himself to look away.
He couldn't let himself get past that line. San was a human being, his superior, at that and here he was, fantasizing about bending him over his work station.
Yunho simply focused on working, or at least tried to, very hard.
Since San was their manager, a lot of things changed. The tense feeling regarding deadlines was annihilated by his decision of making schedules ahead of time, so most items had a pre-existing deadline which guaranteed for them to be dealt with despite fluctuations.
The workload was also evenly distributed, which made it so they would now get to go home earlier—if company dinners were excluded.
However, other things changed to Yunho's disarray.
He ended up choosing an item and making a global preview on everything it would cost, according to the tariff schedule and other parameters, as well as other important information. As soon as he was done printing it, he walked over to Mr. Choi's office.
He knocked twice, and then stepped in, immediately greeted by the delightful sight of San with glasses on, all focused on his computer.
He aborted each one of these thoughts right away.
"Mr. Jeong, good morning." San greeted him with his signature smile, and Yunho fought the urge not to sigh in delight. "I haven't seen you this morning, you seemed.. busy with something."
"I was, it's true." Yunho answered, mechanically handing over the file he had just printed. "The team chose an item, and I had to gather all the information necessary."
San frowned cutely, looking down at what he was holding. "So, you made a preview?"
"Yes, sir." Yunho nodded, congratulating himself internally for such professionalism. Soon, he wouldn't even feel his heart flutter at each grin San threw in his direction anymore.
"Why haven't you submitted it?" He took it from him, but didn't open it.
Yunho paused for a second. Submit a preview immediately after being done with it? He had never done that in his entire career.
"Excuse me?" He asked him, to clarify what he meant. Clearly he couldn't be serious.
"Since you're done with the preview, you should submit it to me. Then I will review it, forward it to the accounting department, who will notify you with the possibility of this project." San spoke clearly, looking up at him as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.
There it was, his main struggle with San.
He could smile warmly one second, then brutally expose your weaknesses with the same expression, impossibly oblivious—or not—to the absolute dread it could cause inside a simple employee like him.
Since he arrived, he made sure to do everything perfectly by the book. Book that, Yunho unfortunately had never read and believed none of his colleagues either. He wasn't upset about being corrected—well, he was—but he didn't hold any resentment towards San who was only trying to do his job and had probably built such a reputation for himself that he was now bearing very high expectations.
Their floor in particular, was in dire need of help, and they had three months to be evaluated again—which would mean a very difficult moment for San, where his efforts would be looked at with scrutiny, and where people would either keep rooting for him or completely disregard him.
Even if Yunho didn't stay in touch with the social aspect of the company, he sure knew about its peculiar politics.
"I didn't know that." Yunho swiftly answered, going for the file once more, but San retrieved it from his reach.
"I am aware." He added, eyes drifting away as if he was hesitating to say something. "Mr. Jeong... You're very good at your job. When I said I looked forward to working with you, I wasn't lying."
Yunho's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh."
"It can be frustrating to be... Corrected over things you weren't aware of, but I hope you know I'm not trying to instill a bitter environment."
He immediately shook his head, panic rising in his chest. He couldn't lie and say it wasn't annoying even a little bit, but what he felt in regards to the man in front of him was far, very very far from bitterness. "Mr. Choi, I know, you don't have to—"
"I can see you've been avoiding me." San sighed, finally handing him the file.
Something in his tone was close to disappointment, and Yunho was definitely feeling bitter now—about nobody but himself. He wasn't even avoiding San because of his incessant nagging, but because his mind bundled up with sinful images of him as if he was nothing but a horny beast.
Also, San was friendly with everyone on the floor, he didn't think it was something too genuine, more like something he did to get everyone's spirit up.
"I'm not that sociable either, to be honest." He half-lied. He wasn't sociable, but that wasn't the reason why he was avoiding him.
"Oh, it's fine, really. I just wanted to clear things up, I know I can be a bit of a.."
"Perfectionist?"
San let out a little laugh. "Yes, exactly."
A moment of silence settled between them, and Yunho witnessed something he had never seen on his face. Embarrassment? Timidity?
He tilted his face to the side briefly, trying to get a better look at his facial expression. His cheekbones were a little pink, and the color seemed to travel up to the tip of his ears.
Yunho blinked stupidly. San was blushing, right there, in front of him—because of him? He didn't want to get ahead of himself, but the horned-up spirit on his shoulder kept pushing him to imagine just how red he could get under different circumstances, and where on his skin would the color be more intense.
"So, I'll... Send the file to your email." He quickly spoke, interrupting his own perverted thoughts.
"Very good." He said just as swiftly, discreetly wiping the palms of his hands on his sleek black pants.
Yunho walked out of his office as confused as ever.
Did he just make his manager nervous?
San was a friendly man, it was easy to comprehend; he always arrived sooner than everyone else, and often brought cups of coffee with him, or when the air around the city was particularly fresh and sweet, two large boxes of bagels.
It would be incredibly foolish to think of him as a timid man too, he wasn't overly confident but even through his humble words, anyone would recognize that he held pride in his achievements.
Finally, to find himself face to face with a side he had never shown in public, Yunho felt some type of ego boost. He of course wouldn't let this get to him—he was already lusting after the poor guy, there would be so much trouble in feeding himself with enough confidence to what? Act upon his desires and confess?
He was laughing at that woman earlier; he couldn't be that reckless.
He chose to focus on something else and did exactly what San had recommended to him, hoping the beautiful man would free his poor mind.
Later that day, Yunho was surprised by the arrival of an executive on their floor. He stood up and bowed respectfully as he walked by his work station, then glanced at Mingi with a questioning look, but his peer only shrugged.
That man, Mr. Kang, never set foot on their floor, and by that, Yunho meant that he never willingly went there by himself. Everyone in the room was confused beyond measure, whispering to themselves as they questioned the reason for his presence.
He ended up straight into San's office, obviously, since nobody else had enough of a reputation to get him to leave the comfort of his seat.
Mingi took his usual gossiping spot next to him, as they shot not so discreet glances towards San's door.
"What's he doing here? It hasn't even been a month yet." Yunho asked, eyes slowly returning to the bright screen of his computer.
"He's excited for manager Choi's failure." Mingi answered simply. "He hates his guts."
Yunho frowned in surprise. He knew San could, through how genuinely awesome he was, get some people to look at him with jealousy. However, for it to be real and happen in front of his very eyes? Absurd.
Every ounce of jealousy should disappear as soon as he'd smile and speak so gently in front of even the sourest man.
"What? Really?"
"Mhm. He expressed interest in recruiting Mr. Choi on his team in the very beginning, but Mr. Choi had different projects. He sided with—now director—Park, his rival, instead. He probably didn't know." Mingi continued, recalling the event from when he was still an intern. "Results, Mr. Park's team ended up with excellent results, and he got a promotion with all the extra honor from the CEO. It was crazy."
"Oh.." Yunho hissed, almost feeling the anger and resentment as if it was his.
"Yeah.." Mingi grimaced. "Since then, he's all bitter with Mr. Choi. I guess he took it personally."
"That's stupid." He shared the confusion, and Mr. Kang now appeared to him surrounded by a gloomy aura.
"You get it."
The man was still powerful in the company, and still held a lot of honor, yet he greedily held a grudge against a junior that did nothing but serve his own interests. To Yunho, he couldn't get more pathetic.
As Mr. Kang exited his office with something indescribable etched on his face, Yunho was dying to rush there to make sure San was okay. Somehow, it rang his heart uncomfortably to know he was probably feeling guilty about this unfortunate event, which explained why he was walking on eggshells and made sure everything was done exactly by the rules.
He wasn't allowed to make mistakes, and Yunho felt so much empathy for him.
"Most of us know this, so we try to do things right. Maybe if we make great progress, he'll stay here." Mingi concluded before returning to his own station.
Yunho thought about this restlessly while working; he successfully sent the item preview to San's email, and moved onto his other tasks. He found out that having such knowledge was quite the motivation to work harder and realized he made fewer mistakes when he proofread everything.
He hated the idea of someone genuinely harbouring negative feelings in regards to San, it sat wrong with him.
San was a sweetheart who successfully carved a hole through his distant persona, and Yunho was now trapped with strange feelings. His eyes would randomly search for him around the room, and a voice in his head whispered his name from time to time, just to make sure he was still as obsessed with the manager as the first time he laid eyes upon him.
"Mr. Jeong, are you working overtime?" The sweetest voice called for him, which could be no one else but San's as he neared his work station to get his attention.
"Oh." Yunho looked around him, noticing how most of his colleagues were already gone or getting ready to leave. "I didn't notice how late it was getting."
"Well, it's good I came here, then." He grinned a little.
It was awesome that he did, in fact. Yunho felt blessed, but that was something he wouldn't dare admit. San looked oddly tired, through the charming features of his face, and he feared his encounter with Mr. Kang had sparked some doubt inside of him.
Yunho hoped he was imagining things, but San hadn't left his office after Mr. Kang's visit, and he seemed slightly tense.
"We were about to have dinner tonight, so I'd be glad if you could join us." San proposed.
He almost choked on his spit, nodding slowly to digest the proposal instead. There was nothing strange about a manager treating his team to dinner when they did a good job, and in parallel, when he was trying to lift their spirits—or rather his own.
"Sure."
"I'll be waiting for you."
Yunho put some order on the small table, writing down the last tasks he had to complete the next day on sticky notes.
San hadn't lied, he stood next to the elevator, tapping on his phone with a focused expression. It was truly demeaning to witness how tired and bothered he was, even if others didn't notice it, there was nothing else Yunho could now focus on. So little time was spent around San, yet it was so easy for him to miss the soft and encouraging air that stuck to him.
They stepped into the lift and the silence was a little awkward, both of them stealing quick glances of the other, hoping to be smooth enough not to get caught and failing miserably. Yunho felt paranoid every time San looked in his direction with something more than friendliness; he couldn't believe San was the same type of person as him, just blindly rejected the idea his endless fantasies were in fact shared.
"Do you drive?" San inquired softly, looking up at him right before the doors opened with a 'ding' sound.
"Yes, but I hold my liquor well."
"Oh, impressive." He nodded, and they joined the small group of employees waiting in front of the building.
Mingi was on the phone, probably notifying his partner he would be late because of the dinner, and he realized that was what San had been doing earlier. He froze, only now realizing that there was a great chance his manager was in a relationship—and could also not be into men, but that wouldn't make any sense to him for some reason.
It wasn't too frightening, because nothing indicated that he would ever confess his lust, or his admiration, or some kind of feeling at last.
However, it said a lot about himself not to have even considered the man he had been fantasizing about was taken. Thus, not a lot of good things.
They arrived at a restaurant not so far from the company, since most of them had parked their car there. It was a nice and cozy place, with enough privacy to book themselves a room thanks to the company card for such special occasions, and soon received some bottles of alcohol, as well as the menus.
Only after ordering, Yunho realized San had decided to sit right next to him.
He gulped, holding himself still, even though he could feel San's knee graze against his. The man was oddly warm, in a way Yunho could just picture him as being the perfect cuddler in the world—he surprised himself with such an innocent thought.
As courtesy obliged, he reached for an open bottle and caught his manager’s attention. "Your glass, Manager Choi."
"Oh no, I shouldn't." He shook his head with a nervous smile, and Yunho almost felt like cursing his sense of responsibility.
It wasn't their first-time drinking, and no matter how drunk they got, they were always able to find their way home.
"It's fine, I'll make sure everyone gets home safely." He promised. "You should get to unwind too."
Yunho spoke with sincerity. They were only able to choose an item so soon because of his guidance, it was the first time they had taken all of these extra steps to do so, and now that they did, the workload seemed oddly lighter.
San deserved to drink and celebrate as much as any of them, especially since the next day would be a Saturday—the best day of the week.
San finally complied and let Yunho pour some soju in his glass, downing the bitter liquid with a small grimace. His cheeks took a pink-ish hue immediately after and with the position they were in, Yunho could clearly see the way the color traveled down the back of his neck.
He was fully conscious of how perverted it was, but he drank in the image to make sure he would be remembering it for the rest of his life, then filled his own glass to start drinking.
Stuck there, hypnotized by the way each movement would cause some friction against their knees while everyone made it a competition to fill San's glass faster, it was almost unbearable.
He looked over to his friend, who was glued to his phone, texting his boyfriend restlessly. Just when he needed someone to distract him.
They created some drinking games, but Yunho didn't really pay attention; he decided to stop fighting himself and when he settled his eyes on San again, the man was looking back at him with a strange expression.
His eyebrows rose in surprise, and the other got so startled he jolted a little.
The alcohol was probably getting to him, his eyes were a little unfocused and he looked dizzy, the sight was truly adorable.
Yunho could only wonder, but to think someone woke up every morning next to him? It was insufferable.
San still looked troubled despite the tipsiness, even when he was supposed to be there to stop caring about whatever that executive Kang had told him, and it was all too bothersome.
Yunho stood up, "I'm gonna smoke." He announced, Mingi nodding in understanding.
Unexpectedly, Mr. Choi stood up right after him. "I'll come with you; I need some.. fresh air."
He agreed, though a little surprised, and they made their way towards the entrance of the restaurant. Yunho assumed the atmosphere of the room, with all the cheering and the way his glass never found itself empty, was probably overwhelming to him if he feared being drunk.
He lit up a cigarette and made sure to do it away from his face so he wouldn't have to smell it too much. San was just observing the parking lot, leaning back against the wall; his side profile was beautiful, with sharp features and high cheekbones, that looked strangely soft.
"Everything alright?" Yunho asked slowly, keeping his cigarette low on the side.
"Of course." He nodded in response, blinking slowly. "Why?"
"You look a little.. well, bothered."
San smiled a little as he shook his head. "I guess everyone saw Executive Kang got into my office today."
Yunho chuckled guiltily.
"I'm fine, really. I've dealt with him before, so no need to worry."
"I'm not worried about our team's work, I'm worried about you." Yunho spoke fast, probably too fast to have actually considered what his own words implied.
Even then, he wasn't the type to think before speaking since he never had to. He was careful in never putting himself in such situations; never involved himself with his superiors, never outdid himself in terms of performance, never made an effort he wasn't physically obliged to make. He lived a very simple life and he pleased himself in it.
While it seemed San on the other hand, had lived his life doing the complete opposite. As soon as he arrived, he put on such an unforgettable performance that he earned himself the reputation of a lucky charm. He was so composed and charming that he captivated any audience, and even someone like Yunho.
"I mean... You're, uh, we know we'll do great because you're with us, it's just— you know, it sucks if you have to do it under pressure." He stuttered, not recognizing the nervousness flooding his voice.
San, who had been looking at him with wide doe eyes immediately let out a cute laugh, the pink covering his face and the tipsiness making him look even more adorable than usual.
Yunho took a drag on his cigarette, immediately looking the other way.
"Thank you. It's nice to know." He spoke through a short laugh.
"People like Mr. Kang, they're insufferable and can't help blaming others for their mistakes. You're better than him, don't let whatever he said get to you." Yunho said with more seriousness.
His manager nodded, but another laugh quickly made its way out of him. Was he so easily amused because he was already drunk? Discovering such parts of him felt much too intimate to Yunho, he couldn't allow it, since it would only feed the desires he was trying so hard to ignore.
"Mr. Jeong, are you talking badly about your superiors to your manager?" He asked teasingly.
Yunho chuckled as he flicked the ash of his nicotine stick to the ground. "Well, we're not at work right now."
San paused momentarily, "then... I shouldn't call you Mr. Jeong, right?"
He slowly let his gaze walk across his face for a moment, from his plush and reddened lips to the glint in his eyes, and quickly realized he was burying himself alive.
"It's Yunho."
"Oh, so Yunho Hyung."
Yunho Hyung.
Had he heard this right?
At this point, it felt like San was a mind reader just messing with him until he'd lose his mind, while at the same time acting so obliviously, so he would feel like an even worse pervert.
Calling him in such a way, in the dark quietness of an evening when he had drunk, with that cute pout and this look he gave him so invitingly. Yunho was really about to go crazy, and San would probably have no idea.
San calling him Hyung should definitely not become a repeated occurrence. He wouldn't survive it.
Before he could even muster a single sound, the door opened to reveal Mingi, and it seemed he had already packed up.
"Manager Choi, I'm so sorry but I'm gonna have to leave. Someone is waiting for me at home." He quickly apologized, and San unfortunately untied the eye contact he had established with Yunho.
"Oh, no problem. Are you going to be able to find a cab at this hour?" He inquired.
"Sure, that won't be an issue. Thanks for the dinner." Mingi waved at both of them before he completely left.
Not even a word to his friend, what a bootlicker. Yunho thought with a chuckle.
He reached for another drag only to find out there was nothing else to smoke. He threw the cigarette butt and stepped onto it, half glad he had been able to escape this whole situation.
"We should probably head back inside." Yunho advised, and San immediately agreed.
He couldn't help but notice how pliant the other had been ever since he knew him. Of course, he was their manager, and took many decisions, but he was also a great listener. Every time someone would make recommendations, he'd listen carefully and consider it—then if he refused, his answer would come with reasons and explanations.
When it was the other way around, there was that look on his face, just plain adorable.
Yunho felt horrible for the way he struggled with decency when it came to San, yet he couldn't seem to stop.
The rest of the evening went smoothly, except for a short moment where San had filled his drink and called him Hyung again. There was nothing suggestive about this, the way he looked up at him and slightly angled his upper body in his direction, their shoulders bumping slightly.
Nobody else seemed to notice, all too drunk to do so, but Yunho had been on the verge of sealing their lips together right then and there.
He couldn't dare refuse a drink when it was offered to him so beautifully.
Yet he choked on a breath when San watched him down the glass effortlessly and made an impressed sound.
"Wow, Hyung is so good."
He probably meant to add 'at drinking' and he really should've, because as Yunho finally got home and laid in his bed after cleaning up, this was all he could think of.
San's voice floated endlessly in his brain, complimenting him and soon, the words shape shifted into other things. Then it was moaning and gasping, calling him good in so many other circumstances he was unable to rest at all.
He'd make sure to never ever accompany his team to dinner again if San would be there. For his own good.
A new Monday arrived much too fast to register, yet unlike what he was used to, Yunho stepped into a slow office. There was no yelling, nobody rushing to the printing machine, nobody arguing on the phone nor holding their faces between their palms in complete despair.
Everything was, and pleasantly, out of the ordinary.
He settled on his work station, greeting a few colleagues on the way, and they were smiling ear to ear as if there had been an increase to their monthly salary. The little changes San had instilled were completely changing the floor's dynamic.
It seemed going home before the sun was out of sight could really change an office worker's life.
"Jiwon, did accounting send their response yet?" He asked his direct neighbor, looking past the small wall separating their tables.
The woman sighed. "No, I'm still waiting."
"It's been long enough, we got to move forward." Yunho mumbled. "Should we get up there?"
"I wouldn't do that." She hissed and shook her head. "I've heard it's chaotic. Someone messed up with the numbers and now they have to review everything."
"Talk about timing."
Yunho tapped his fingers on the wooden table rhythmically, thinking about a way to get through the obstacle. He didn't want San to know about this since he had enough to deal with. His team's item wasn't the only ongoing one on this floor, and he knew he was ahead of the others which were still balancing their risk to reward ratio.
There was also a narcissistic and greedy part of him striving to do good without San's help.
He could very much occupy himself with the rookie's training, but he was so bored with this part. It suited someone like Jiwon more, extroverted and friendly.
"Wait, didn't they transfer someone there last time?" He asked her again, suddenly remembering a vital detail.
"Um.. Park Seonghwa? The tall handsome one?" Jiwon answered.
"Yes.. maybe I can find him."
"You're probably going to struggle with that. He's always shadowing Mr. Kim." Mingi chimed in, uninvited of course, only him could know such information.
Yunho groaned quietly; all of these barriers were definitely annoying him. It seemed as if the entire universe was pushing him to San's office when he was adamant on not telling him about any of this. San would obviously gladly help him, but he didn't want that. He wanted the man to see how hard he'd have worked and maybe, feel more at ease and stop putting so much weight over his own shoulders.
This feeling went over his crush for him.
As a subordinate and possibly a friend, Yunho wanted to help.
With determination to do so, he stood up and rolled up his sleeves, walking towards the elevator. He waited for a few minutes, before it opened with a light sound.
Without thinking, he rushed in and looked up to see San. "Oh, sorry." He apologized, stepping aside.
"It's fine." He smiled.
Yunho was confused by the time San arrived at; he was usually the first on the floor, and that often brought him to wonder if he even slept at all because he was also the last to leave.
He didn't look rushed either, with the perfect side part slick back and the shiny frames of his glasses, the clear honey skin highlighted by small moles, and the plush lips.
He looked like a dream; the usual.
"Have you spent a good weekend, Hyung?" He spoke as he stepped out of the elevator, giving Yunho a knowing grin.
Was he still drunk?
Yunho blinked, looking down at his manager and feeling as if he himself was the smallest one in this situation. Trapped by the insidious warmth that made its way through him because of that silly honorific, and San's absurd beauty.
Calling him Hyung in this setting was strange, and sparked some doubt inside of him. Nothing truly negative, and he was probably overthinking it, but the little smile San had on his face made it seem like he was teasing him.
Like they had something friendly going on.
Oh.
"Ah, it was alright." He chose to laugh it off, though he really did sound nervous. "How was yours, sir?"
"Good too." He nodded. "Is it alright.. for me to call you Hyung here?"
Yunho was blessed with the sight of the century.
No exaggeration could be made, San looked up at him with a soft glint in his eyes, and this face of his... Just unbelievable. Yunho was aware of their difference in height which seemed insignificant at first, until San shifted something in his posture, and he seemed so much smaller despite his wide shoulders and confident stance.
Yunho wondered if it was purposeful, or if he knew about his untold attraction and was mocking him about it.
"I'm fine with it if you are." He answered with a little smile.
"Good." San paused, seemingly hesitating about something. There was a slight pout to his lips, and his stare slid across the flooring's lines. "In fact.. I wish to get friendlier with you."
"With me?" Was all he could muster, pointing towards his own chest in surprise while San let out a little laugh and nodded. "Of course, then, I really don't mind."
It was definitely a great surprise for someone like San, the face of the company, an overachiever, to want to befriend him. Yunho had spent more time in this company, and even though he was good at what he did, he never aimed for the top. He had been promoted a few times and his salary was enough to sustain his lifestyle—also, he would hate to be given more responsibilities.
He wondered why San would approach him, out of all people on their floor.
He had the reputation of being friendly, but just enough to stay professional—unlike him and Mingi, he didn't see anyone outside of work, which was fine. So, for his first choice to be on Yunho was.. definitely something.
"Then I guess I'll see you around, Hyung." He concluded, bowing slightly before he entered the room.
Yunho stood there frozen, and it felt as though he had forgotten why he left his desk at all.
The information came back to him a few minutes later, he had to find Park Seonghwa.
The accounting department when he arrived, was in fact just like his colleague had described earlier.
He adjusted the badge to sit atop of his sternum and stepped forward, glancing over faces he barely remembered despite having worked there for six years.
He was unsure if he was even allowed to be there, let alone ask someone where he could find Park Seonghwa.
So, he made his way towards a relatively calm area, and approached someone who was eagerly tapping on their phone screen with a focused state. His badge spelled out a name that sparked a feeling of déjà vu inside of him, Choi Jongho.
"Excuse me?" He called out, catching the brief attention of the visibly younger man. "I'm looking for Mr. Park Seonghwa, do you know where I could find him?"
"Oh, Mr. Park? He went to the archive room earlier; he had a lot of sorting to do." He answered calmly, and Yunho looked around the room to realize the clear contrast between him and the rest of the employees.
"Thank you."
Yunho guessed he was probably a rookie, but this wasn't the time to wonder about such things—he had to find Mr. Park soon enough so he could go back to do his actual job.
The archive room was a few floors lower, so he took the lift and hoped he would find the man there.
Then, "Mr. Park? He left a few minutes ago.. he seemed quite rushed, carrying all of these boxes." The old woman told him, and he sighed, moving towards his next location.
The archives were stored in a small room, which was oddly colder than the entire building, he wondered how the woman could've been working here for such a long time. It made sense for Seonghwa to have moved to a different place.
He retraced his steps, asking the janitor on his way, who told him he went back into the elevator. His only choice now was to go back to the accounting department and hope for the best.
The way things were going was becoming bothersome as the feeling of impossibility weighed on him.
He wasn't usually into these kinds of actions; he did his job, and when he was stuck, he would ask Mingi or figure it out on his own. The only time he had ever asked his manager for advice or for help, he was doomed with the endless nagging of the old man—which lowered his work performances because Yunho just despised being spoken to in such a tone.
He worked alone for this very reason.
Yunho got back on the accounting floor and found a few boxes from the archives, yet searched the room and found no Park Seonghwa.
Ah, he was starting to get really annoyed.
He went back to Jongho, who was now sorting the files from the cardboard boxes peacefully. He admired his calm and composure.
"Hey, sorry but did Mr. Park return?" He inquired, noticing a slight edge to his own voice.
"He did," the man checked his very expensive looking watch. "I guess you just missed him."
Yunho nodded before he left the floor altogether at a slow, defeated pace. He waited for the elevator with a dissolving determination, alone in the middle of the bright corridor, and wondered just where Mr. Park could've gone to.
The building stood tall in the middle of the city, scraping the clouds and casting a long shadow over the streets; looking for the man in such an environment would cost him his whole life, it would be like looking for a grain of sugar in a pot of salt.
Then, the most obvious answer was to give up.
He got back to his work station with a face that basically told the whole story to who wished to know it.
"I'm guessing you didn't find him?" Mingi immediately realized, and Yunho shook his head in response. "Well, at least you've tried.. let's get coffee."
He stretched a little on his seat and let out a groan, pouting there like a kid being refused candy. Then, the thought of a hot cup of coffee seemed to be able to perfectly fill the void in his chest.
He followed his friend to the nearest café, a small and cozy place, yet overpriced like most businesses in the middle of the city. Still, they had no choice if they wanted to be back in the office in time.
The place was lit in a soft and warm hue, the sweet scent of freshly baked goods and savory drinks dragging you in like a spell would, while some vaguely intimate song was playing in the background.
"Go get a seat, I'll order." Mingi declared, and Yunho's eyes went over the room to find a good enough spot to make him forget his misery.
Then, almost as if he had fallen into a dream, he noticed the man he had been looking for all this time, idly sitting at a table while he sipped on a cup.
Yunho almost gasped and rushed over his table. "Mr. Park, good morning."
"Jeong Yunho, it's so good to see you." He immediately smiled as he welcomed his colleague. "It's been so long.."
"Yes, you're right. It's been hard to catch you lately."
"Working with director Kim is a lot, but I often come here when I need a break." He admitted.
"I see." Yunho paused, hesitating on which words to choose. "In fact, I've been looking for you this morning.. because I need your help."
"You need Secretary Park's help?" San suddenly stepped into the scene, placing a plate of cheesecake down in front of Seonghwa.
Yunho immediately stilled and looked at his manager, who just had to be there, out of all places. He didn't speak in an intimidating tone, but something was definitely bitter about it, and Yunho felt the walls close on himself in such a humiliating failure.
"Sorry, was I interrupting?" San smiled as if none of this was serious, as if it was an act and he hadn't exuded a terrifying aura the second before.
Seonghwa quickly intervened as he laughed along, allowing San to return to his obvious initial spot. The universe was against Yunho; they had been having lunch together.
"No, not at all. I've heard you work together now, right?" He motioned for Yunho to sit down too, and he complied, looking around to find a very confused Mingi sitting somewhere else with their others.
He shook his head negatively; nothing was good about this exchange.
"Yes, he's the senior on his floor so I'm learning a lot from him." San explained softly, giving him a quick glance that left the poor man even more confused.
"It's true, he's very diligent." Seonghwa nodded, and Yunho had no idea he had a reputation and was perceived by other people in such a way. It was such an odd realization. "So, what did you need my help with, Mr. Jeong?"
The humble salary man froze, letting out a nervous chuckle. He never found himself as stuck as he was in this very moment; even though there was no real exterior pressure, just some situation he had fabricated in his own mind, he felt as though San would definitely judge him for it.
If there was anything he didn't want, it was for San to be disappointed in his judgement, or for him to believe he was trying to hop over his head.
Still, he had to find something, because both of them had their full focus on him.
"I was just wondering about what happened on your floor?" He asked, noticing the surprise on San's face.
"Oh, just that? Well... It's Mr. Kang, again." Seonghwa shrugged in defeat. "I know I told the others that the numbers were messed up because of some bug, but that's not the case. I think Mr. Kang did that."
"Wow, these are... wild accusations." San rapidly intervened.
"I know, but I've been working here for a while and I know when someone messes up. I verify our software every week with Jongho from IT, so it doesn't just bug out of nowhere." Seonghwa explained calmly. "If an accident like this was common, imagine the losses and the delays we'd have to deal with every single time. The last time it happened was three years ago."
Yunho frowned momentarily, the name of this man was brought into conversations so often lately, and this couldn't be a coincidence. He believed it was linked to San somehow, which made the whole thing more annoying.
"But why Mr. Kang?" Yunho inquired.
"He came two days ago and started fussing about how slow we were at reviewing his team's items and that we were ruining his benefit planning. It was insane, really."
"I guess director Kim wasn't there." San intervened.
"Yes, he would've never had the audacity otherwise." Seonghwa laughed. "And also, I noticed a suspicious intern around the office at random hours. I know it's not enough to accuse someone but.." he squinted at both of them for a short moment. "You don't look like you're into company gossip."
Yunho was amused by that, "Oh, definitely not." He shook his head.
"I hope it'll get better though, and I'll keep an eye out on our floor to prevent this." San declared, before he stood up and seemed to be waiting for Yunho to do the same.
He slowly complied, bowing respectfully to Seonghwa before they left.
On the walk back, he seemed a little tense, but none of them were talking.
Yunho guessed it wasn't easy to deal with Mr. Kang when the man held a childish hatred against you, and he came to wonder just how many incidents were caused by him. If he was able to mess up with something as important as the company's money, it meant he didn't care about his job at all—such a thing could cost your entire career.
"You weren't really there to ask him that, right?" San finally mentioned as they stilled in the lift.
Yunho turned to look at him, eyes a little round, subconsciously acting clueless, however San only looked down at his watch.
He struggled to find a suitable lie, "What makes you think that?" So he avoided the question.
"Oh, I know you don't usually keep up with what happens... So I was a little surprised." He let out a small laugh, still as soft as the first time Yunho had heard it.
When he looked down at him from this angle, he had a clear view of the slight pinkish hue on his cheekbones and nose, and he wondered if he used something or if he was just that cute. Either way, he always found himself drawn to his face and his features, so prettily arranged, as if their creator had spent extra time on him.
Mother nature really had favorites.
"About your item.."
Yunho was immediately pulled out of his thoughts, his whole body angling towards the manager.
"I was meeting Seonghwa to ask him about it." San admitted, his voice slightly lowering.
He crossed his arms, still not looking at Yunho, but that was all he wanted at that moment. He wanted San to look up at him like he so beautifully did, enhancing the size difference Yunho was so shamefully fond of.
"You did?" His eyebrows rose, and his heart flipped on itself inside of his chest, taking a small step closer.
"I mean, I can see how much you wanted to do well." San added, the color on his cheek intensifying. "And I didn't want you to think there was anything wrong with it. It's not good for, um.. morale. Also, I knew you wouldn't ask me first."
Ah. Touché.
Yunho didn't really know how to externalize his feelings. On one hand, he was upset that his plan had so terribly failed and he had once again needed San's guidance, but on the other...
San thought about him. Unprompted.
The man knew about his weird perfectionist antics which weren't always obvious to other people around him. He simply wondered about him, looking at his distressed demeanor while checking his email box again and again, knew how stuck up he got receiving help, yet helped him anyway.
Merely putting it all together like this made him feel the kind of warmth he wasn't supposed to be feeling in such a context.
It was probably casual, but no one ever treated him like this when he barely knew them.
He was suddenly unaware of what to do with himself, of where to put his hands... He felt like kissing him.
Platonically.
"I'm.." Yunho cleared his throat. "Thank you... And you're right."
San beamed and finally turned to meet his gaze, allowing him to witness the dimples he so desperately wanted to shower with kisses.
"So, you have my approval to contact the supplier." He added, "in the meantime, I'm expecting a proper thanks from you, Hyung."
Yunho couldn't stop the warmth from reaching his face, so he immediately looked down at his feet to prevent it from being too visible.
Every time San called him that, it felt like the first time and it made him just as eager—something was wrong with him.
"Ah, you mean dinner?" Yunho inquired softer than intended, still ecstatic from the fact he could move forward with his project to the most difficult parts: Signing and shipping.
San nodded with little to no hesitation, and Yunho tried his best not to feel like this was a date.
He was being so weirdly unprofessional lately; he couldn't believe himself. His manager was just being nice to him from the beginning, because he was a senior and was in charge of a plethora of important information; the employees trusted him and even his superiors, so San was naturally doing this to maintain a good work environment.
Nothing was unusual about this, nothing was ambiguous, he was just being the pervert he had secretly been on the inside this entire time!
This looked way too much like a date.
Even though they were meeting in the same restaurant/bar they had been to with their colleagues, it still felt oddly intimate.
They faced each other in a private room this time, because San didn't like to drink in public—allegedly—and he felt more at ease like this.
Yunho didn't comment on it, because there was, as previously stated, nothing ambiguous about this.
The wooden floor was warm as they sat on small comfortable cushions, waiting for their food and drinks to arrive.
San looked ethereal to say the least, containing in his pretty brown eyes, the tiredness of having worked a full day and the determination of someone that wouldn't give up; and his hair, slightly disheveled without lacking any class, making him look so captivating that the waiter had allowed himself to slip in a compliment.
Of course, he had complimented both of them, but the intense stare he gave San said enough about his real intention. Yunho hadn't been a fan of that at all, but San simply smiled and thanked him when he brought their food and drinks.
"Not into compliments much?" He asked Yunho while pouring some alcohol in his glass.
Yunho didn't falter at all, "it's not like that." He shook his head, aiming for his own glass when San placed a hand over his and took the bottle away.
He gave him a shy glance, slowly retrieving the container while making sure Yunho could catch a whiff of his delirious scent as well as the softness of his palms. "Let me, Hyung."
He wondered if the manager did it on purpose, lifting doe and sparkly eyes in his direction as if he was directly begging to be kissed and eaten instead of their hot dinner on the table. He let go of the bottle, under the spell of San's oh so polite wish, lips parting momentarily to allow him to do something he hadn't really asked.
"Then what is it?" He said as he unfortunately got back into his seat. "Is it because it's a man?"
"Oh no." He immediately shook his head. "I'm into men."
San stilled with his focus entirely on him while he downed his drink, and something about it felt oddly intentional.
No, Yunho had to focus. There was nothing ambiguous.
"That's surprising." San said softly then, moving so casually, as if this was a normal conversation to have with a subordinate.
"Is it?"
It's not that Yunho thought it was easy to look at him and realize he liked men, he just wanted to understand San's thought process. Why could it be so surprising that he did? Was it because he hadn't hit on him already when he had been so obvious in his attraction? This was nothing but an example, he knew San was definitely not flirting with him.
"Mhm. I thought you were more of a ladies’ man." San let out an amused giggle. "Because.. I don't think you've noticed, but women like you a lot."
"That's...good to know." Yunho sat with it, since there was nothing else he could do. He had not noticed at all, and he didn't think that with someone as charming as San next to him, he could attract many stares—he was exaggerating of course, he knew he was very attractive. He took care of himself for that.
Still, something about San was simply overly entrancing.
San had a small grimace on his face when he said those words, though he chose to ignore it.
They ate in silence for a while, sharing glances and grins through the tipsiness.
His glass became empty, and San was quick to fill it again for him, even though it should've been the other way around. There was something so oddly arousing about his behavior throughout the dinner—or maybe Yunho was just way too lustful—but even when he wanted to convince himself there was nothing equivocal about their exchange, San would call him 'Hyung' in a voice made progressively whiny by the alcohol, and he would get warm all over.
"Did you really not know women liked you?" San inquired, much later, and it felt like he had been confused all this time.
"I didn't really pay attention.." which was the truth.
"They really do. Even back when I was an intern, the others would always talk about you, and how nice you were." He complimented, his hand coming up to loosen his tie a little.
"I'm flattered, really." Yunho smiled, his attention catching onto something else. "How was your intern year?"
"Oh, that.." San stilled, the tip of a finger sliding across the edge of his glass. "It was fine, nothing really happened."
Yunho noticed the way his voice became more and more quiet, until it died into a whisper, and decided he wouldn't insist on the topic.
"My intern years were horrible." He admitted right after, downing his shot of soju for some courage. He noticed San's sparking interest and grinned. "My superiors would boss me around and give me all of the work they didn't want. Since I worked on site before that, they thought I could handle it—and I could, but it was very annoying to be overworked and underpaid."
"Oh..." San nodded slowly, his eyes looking a little sad.
"Yes, and they would also play pranks on me all the time." He tsked before a laugh made its way out of him. "But then, they were fired and I'm still here."
He paused, considering the words before smiling as well, with something akin to admiration.
Yunho's diligence and determination always seemed to move and motivate some hearts, which was why he was so tranquil with retelling his awful story.
"I've always admired how good of a mentor you were, even though I was unaware of this." He explained gently.
"Oh, I just do what seems right."
He was met with a unique look on San's face; something soft and understanding, yet proud and fond at the same time, which was simply beautiful. Yunho wished he could be looked at like this for the rest of his days, and even then, he would remember and cherish this instance with everything he had.
When it got late enough, they split the bill and paid before leaving the establishment. In the meantime, it had grown much colder outside, and Yunho even felt a shiver run down his spine. He hadn't realized San was as attentive as to notice such a small reaction from his body, and the man took off his own scarf to wrap it around his neck—as they usually did in those lovey-dovey romcoms Mingi was so fond of.
Yunho had to bow a little for it to be accomplished, but he only succeeded in bringing their faces awkwardly closer.
"Sorry." He muttered, and San only laughed as he secured the piece of fabric and stepped back. "I didn't realize it would get so cold."
His manager looked around and nodded, the heavy coat on his shoulder making up for the loss of his scarf. "It's fine."
Yunho tried with difficulty to ignore the insidious scent sticking to the soft cloth and making its way to his nose, as well as the sensation of warmth that came more from the fact San had lent him something as such than the protection it offered.
San bit on his lower lip nervously. "I.. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"You'll be okay on your way home?" Yunho still inquired, admiring the way he seemed to blink slower due to the tipsiness, as if he was batting his eyelashes at him.
"Of course, I'm not drunk at all." He smiled once more, but it was obvious he wasn't completely focused. Still, he stood straight and didn't stumble on his own feet, so Yunho believed he would be alright. "Get home safely, Hyung."
Yunho stilled; right there, in front of the restaurant as he stupidly watched the other man walk into the opposite direction. It took him a minute to actually realize none of this was a creation of his wicked imagination, and slowly reached for the scarf attached to him to simply feel its softness to ground himself.
Even as he got home, his first instinct was to fall down onto the mattress since this whole evening had felt like a fever dream that should've never stopped.
He closed his weary eyes for a second, breathing in the sweet scent steadily as he recalled the whole thing. San smelled exactly like he would've imagined; fresh, with hints of something musky yet sweet teetering on the edge of femininity while staying quite neutral and ambiguous.
Yunho didn't know much about scents, nor perfumes, but he knew he had never smelled something as delicious as this—or maybe he was simply biased, but that didn't matter.
San had gotten so close to him lately, and even though these occurrences seemed like a pure hazard, a part of him was pushing this idea that perhaps he was doing this on purpose.
Perhaps looking up at him fondly, reaching to grab the bottle of Soju from his hands and calling him 'Hyung' in that affectionate voice were all done on purpose to drive him crazy.
The worst was whether it was intentional or not, Yunho was going crazy.
"Let me, Hyung."
That sentence, the whiny pitch of his voice, the feeling of his warm palms on the back of his hand. How was he supposed to stay sane?
Yunho's hand hesitantly touched the scarf again, bringing it closer to his face so he could nuzzle against it and get more of this addictive scent into him.
The tipsiness combined with the mind-shattering high of San's smell was making him unable to think clearly. Suddenly, the walls as well as everything else in his room disappeared, and he was left with the perfidious warmth from earlier that only increased and concentrated in his lower body.
He would let San do anything to him.
Whether it was pouring him a drink or making him kneel under the desk in his office to cage him between his strong, thick thighs. Yunho wouldn't hesitate—wouldn't know how to.
San would only have to give him that look, slide his hand across any spot he wanted, and ask—all he had to do was ask.
Yunho's hand tightened around the fabric, his breath hitching as his imagination went wild and so realistic that his own hips twitched upwards to be met with nothing but air. Something pathetic creeped up his limbs, but it only ignited his desire.
That same sentence resonated in his mind and it felt like San was laying right next to him, filling his senses with nothing but him and soon, sliding his palm down his toned chest, abs and crotch.
"Let me, Hyung."
Yunho shivered, feeling his dick twitch in the confines of his pants. He let out a shaky whimper muffled by the scarf and brought his own hand over the tent forming in his sleek black pants. The motion was automatic, as if his body had taken control and he laid there, victim of his own fantasies.
He nodded shakily, as if to allow the shadow of San to palm him slowly.
"Fuck.." he quietly moaned, stroking the tent on his trousers lazily because he didn't want to rush himself.
In the back of his head, he knew how filthy he was being and knew he would deeply regret it after, but the rush of guilt momentarily merged with his arousal into something so oddly exciting. He could feel himself tingling and aching for more of it.
He took his sweet time, teasing the outline of his progressively hardening cock, imagining it was San's warm hand instead. How it would fit so perfectly there, undoing his briefs and slipping inside for some skin-to-skin contact.
He didn't free himself right away, shuddering at the comfort of his hand caging his thick cock, meeting the stickiness of the abundant precum he was releasing.
Thinking of San, and wondering how he would get the job done; would he lick the bitter liquid while drooling all over his length, or would he dive straight in and allow his blunt tip to meet his tongue? Was he experienced at this or would he struggle to get even a third of Yunho's dick down his throat without gagging?
Either way, Yunho wanted it.
He wished it more than anything at this instant, to shove his palm roughly into the other's dark hair and push himself further inside, fucking the air out of him.
He eagerly freed his twitching erection, the impossibly hot arousal denying him any sort of afterthought or moral doubt about his actions. He brought his palm to his lips and spat, making the slide much easier.
Yunho's thighs suddenly shook when he teased his sensitive tip, spreading the never-ending faucet of precum all around as it mixed filthily with his spit, and let out a sigh.
He moved his hand up and down slowly, his grip tight, as if to mimic his vision of San's throat closing around him as well as his struggle.
Yunho felt sick, electroshocks of pleasure spreading through him at the thought of making his manager gag again and again around his dick, of him looking down at the ruined face with nothing but pride and lust; he dug his heels into the mattress as his hips started desperately moving into his own fist, beads of sweat forming against his temples.
"San-ah.." he whimpered, briefly letting go of the scarf to look down at his pathetic self.
The sight didn't stop him, and even ignited a newfound speed in his movements. He mewled at the filthy wet sounds of his motions, as well as the glistening moisture he kept spreading because thinking about San made him so inexplicably horny he could barely stand it.
Another whiff of his scent, and he was gone.
Vanilla filled his senses as he came in a broken cry; body tensing, head falling backwards into the pillow while he felt hot stripes of cum die into his fist and onto some of his shirt and pelvis.
The pleasure felt like hits of a whip, laced with guilt and oversensitivity since he didn't stop moving, milking everything he could out of himself. As if this sickness of a lust he harboured for San would exit his body along a string of cum.
He only let go when his dick started to soften, the stickiness between his fingers making him feel a different kind of filthy.
Yunho panted into the scarf to dissipate the dizziness in his head, and when he was fully in control, he started cleaning himself up.
Under the shower, he was as tired as he would usually be after masturbating, but this time it was different. He didn't just do that—if he did, he'd be fine—but he was now wondering how he was supposed to face San again and not lose his mind. The act itself was gruesome, really, but it was bound to happen anyways and Yunho hoped it would serve to make him less riled up when San would approach him in the future.
He hoped he was right. He really did.
He was wrong.
He stepped into the office with so much gullibility, thinking the day would go smoothly, sat in front of his computer and gathered the information related to the supplier to move forward with his item; then San appeared.
See, Yunho could avoid him as much as he could and even if in his absence he felt some peace of mind, he also felt a terrible sense of longing which, once satiated, swallowed him whole like a wave.
"Oh.. so that's who it is." San mumbled, completely focused on his screen.
Yunho had a feeling the man had come to greet him and lightly tease him about their previous encounter, yet he brought up none of it and jumped straight to the work-related conversation—Which was totally normal for their relationship—he wasn't sure why he felt disappointed at that.
"Who?" Yunho inquired, a confused frown appearing on his face. "The supplier?"
"Yes. I've dealt with him in the past," he sighed. "He's.. a lot to handle, to say the least."
Yunho had his fair share of knowledge about their most frequented suppliers, but he had never been the one to meet them or handle the bootlicking often necessary to get a contract signed. Mingi and Jiwon were much more open, prettier and friendlier than him—who could look more intimidating—so they often handled these bits.
He was always stuck with the paperwork though.
"A lot? Is he a drinker?" Yunho asked curiously, watching the focused expression on San's face from the comfort of his seat. The cute pout on his lips, the squint in his pretty eyes and the frown on his eyebrows... Just magical.
"Yes. He likes to get people too drunk to bring up business to make a second night happen." San finally leaned up. "This is obviously expensive."
The other nodded. "I see, but I guess it's not too bad."
"Not too bad?"
"Since we know him, let's plan ahead."
They stared at each other for a few seconds, and the manager seemed dumbfounded by the suggestion. "I'm listening."
"I'll go with you, and we can bring Mingi, and.. someone that's a heavy drinker."
San paused and bit on his lower lip, and Yunho was drawn to the gesture, wanting nothing but to replace San's teeth with his own. He shook his head slightly and looked away, remembering what he was here to do like a loser caught red-handed.
Even in a moment like this, where he was supposed to set his full, undivided attention to the task at hand, San troubled him so deeply.
"I know someone from accounting." He finally smiled as a glint of hope appeared in his eyes.
Yunho was aware he used to work in accounting for some time thanks to director Park that switched him between struggling departments and teams like a lucky charm, which explained how he was able to know everyone and even have lunch with Seonghwa—a man reputed for being unreachable and hard to hold in one place.
"Let's go look for him." San concluded with enthusiasm while Yunho stood up and agreed with a nod.
Yunho was surprised by the newfound atmosphere of the department. It was strangely quiet, as such a place would be in any other company that could handle it with care, what differed there was the fact they underwent a security breach less than a week ago. Usually, this type of issue would take longer to be dealt with.
However, the employees acted so differently from the last time he had stepped in the place.
One detail remained untouched, since Seonghwa was nowhere to be seen, and Yunho started to wonder who San was talking about when it wasn't him. He wasn't too worried, certain that through the Manager's abilities to make friends out of the most random people, they could find someone to go with them and remain sober enough to get the contract signed without having to go for a second round.
Yet he was surprised to find himself guided towards a familiar face.
"Jongho, it's been some time, how have you been—" San started cheerfully, his pretty dimples showing, before he was cut by a brief hand gesture from the other.
Both men froze, but while Jongho looked up with a small squint, San didn't stop smiling.
"I can literally smell your struggles from here." He leaned back against his seat and crossed his legs like a mob boss. "Let me guess, you need me to come with you so I can get your item signed."
Yunho's face lifted in surprise at the accuracy; he could've sworn that the man was new to the job seeing how young he looked, but he was probably just as much of a genius as San. It was either that or he was really good at guessing games. Or both.
"That's why I came to you, it's because you're so clever!" San complimented, the charming aura that exuded from him certain to get Jongho to do whatever he wanted; or at least that is the effect it would have on Yunho.
However, just from his playful expression, Yunho could understand he was actually a lost cause that projected his own whipped demeanor to appear saner. Jongho wasn't fazed at all, he rocked slowly from side to side on his chair—which by the way, looked much more comfortable than the ones they had in his department for some reason.
"Yes, tell me something I don't know about next." He scoffed, before concluding: "I'll tag in."
San immediately beamed.
"But... it's not gonna be free."
"What do you want?"
"What are you offering?" Jongho countered quickly, eyes sharp through the negotiation.
They looked like two cowboys in those western movies standing exactly 3 to 9 meters from each other during duels, while the sun would be blazingly hot and that tumbleweed would blow across the empty street.
"I can treat you to dinner. We'll do BBQ and soju." San decided to shoot his shot.
"Yes but we did that last time, no?" And Jongho dodged it.
Yunho looked at San, barely disguising his surprise towards the fact that he usually had dinner with other employees alone—well, face to face—just like what they had the night before.
The realization was slightly demeaning, and it bloomed into something ugly in his chest, that he simply kicked away. He had no right to feel this way when San wasn't even his friend, let alone an acquaintance.
That dinner they shared was nothing ambiguous, nothing but professional and even though it did end up with him finally freeing all the pent-up lust he harboured for San in his bed, it didn't change its primary nature.
San probably dined with everyone as a thumbs up when they worked well, and he was a reasonable man, he knew that he wasn't more than a co-worker to him. Still, it annoyed him so much.
"Then, let's do a Japanese restaurant—but I'll choose." He said once more.
"You can choose the restaurant, but I'll choose what you'll eat." Jongho countered.
"Deal."
Yunho watched as the two men exchanged a handshake before Jongho returned to his computer like nothing ever happened. "I'll text you the date and place." San declared before they left the department altogether.
Only then did he become aware of the quiet, the fact he hadn't slipped in a single word in the whole conversation. Suddenly, the silence was quite awkward even though his mind was louder and louder with questions the more time passed.
It made sense that San sensed his discomfort.
He glanced in his direction and Yunho knew he was done for the second the elevator's doors closed.
As if it would make a difference, he looked away from the manager and his heart did a weird flip at the smile he was answered with; just like San could read his mind and how ridiculously it was spiraling.
It became unbearable, so Yunho broke the silence.
"You're very bad at negotiating." He commented slowly, crossing his arms and leaning back against the lift's wall.
San chuckled, "is that right? I guess I am."
"Now you've given him a night with free drinks, a fully paid meal of his choice, and the power to choose yours." He cited, the edge of his voice becoming playful at the sound of San's laugh. "You basically lost."
"And what should I have proposed instead?"
Yunho looked away again, shrugging slightly. "Maybe to do his paperwork for three days; you didn't even have to offer dinner."
The words slipped out before he could catch them, and when his eyes fell onto the ravishing features of San, it was too late. The manager was way too smart to have missed it; the bitterness in his voice, almost possessive in the worst ways—Yunho was embarrassed to the bone.
"Ah, I see.." He nodded, his smile turning into something vaguely flirty. "How about... You tell me more about the art of negotiating over dinner? Maybe I can learn a thing or two."
What?
Yunho was floored.
Without warning, a dumbstruck sound left his mouth and it unleashed something else on the way; that strange heat simmering low inside of him whenever San was near erupted, coating his ears with red. He was thankful he wasn't much of a cheek blusher, but then, with how alert the manager was at all times, he would notice it in a second.
He looked like a deer caught in headlights, only able to stare and wait for something, anything, to end his existence right then and there. Albeit in this scenario, it wouldn't ever happen.
"Uh, what?"
San snickered in response. "What? Do you want me to earn it, Hyung?"
...What?!?
Yunho audibly stuttered then, turning into a flustered mess while San seemed to be taking the grandest of pleasures in putting him in difficult positions. He tried to speak, but nothing was ever heard; so, he sighed instead, recognizing his own failure as the elevator opened.
"We... We can do that." He nodded, walking straight ahead while he ignored his inner voice shouting inside that San didn't have to earn anything when it came to him. As long as it wasn't about his job, San would tell him to do anything and he wouldn't find a reason to argue, he would obey immediately.
Because Yunho was completely gone at this point.
He randomly remembered the looks he usually gave him, all soft and sparkly and inviting, and with so much difficulty he was able not to explode on the spot.
He was unable to focus, unable to get the man out of his mind, and the jerk off sessions became somehow a part of his routine since he still hadn't returned the poor scarf.
He felt terrible to say the least.
Just like that, in the blink of an eye, Yunho found himself leaving the office for a restaurant-bar that was famous for its privacy. The man they were supposed to meet there, Han Yeongil, was the director of the supplying company they had been working with for years. He had the reputation of being a heavy drinker, and to get his associates as drunk as possible all on their company's account.
Now, was it legal? Probably not.
Was it moral? Certainly not.
However, he imposed these rules because not only did he have the best prices on the market, but he had, allegedly, a lot of helpful connections who could help with the shipping process.
Yunho's team knew the risks when they chose the item, so they entered the room with the determination of a thousand ants.
Some music was playing in the background, something vaguely vulgar that could easily disguise itself as sensual.
Yunho was aching to go home.
He realized San, Mingi and Jongho were already there when he arrived, bowing politely to them, as well as the man at the end of the table. "Director Han, good evening. I'm Jeong Yunho from KQ's Sales department." He introduced himself.
"It's good to meet you but no need to be this formal, we're basically family at this point." He smiled warmly, gesturing for him to take a seat. "How long has it been since I worked with you guys? 14 years?"
"15." San corrected with his signature charming smile.
"See? Wow. You've got such a great memory, manager Choi." The director beamed, reaching for a bottle of some amber colored liquid Yunho ignored the name of. "Let me fill your glass."
Yunho watched as the middle-aged man filled San's glass up to its half, his composure faltering slightly at the sight. From their last encounters, it was simple to realize San couldn't handle alcohol at all. He got tipsy way too easily, so this night would probably be a nightmare for him.
As soon as their glasses were all filled, they started drinking. The liquid was bitter and burned his throat in a very displeasing way; no matter what that brand was, to Yunho it was just a more pretentious way of getting drunk, it all tasted the same.
He looked over at Jongho, and the man had downed his whole glass in one go, completely unfazed as he laughed at one of the director's off-putting jokes.
"Woah, you guys drink so well!" He commented, immediately filling their glasses again. "When I see you like this, it really makes me miss my youthful days!"
"Don't you know, director Han? Youth is nothing but a mindset." Mingi spoke in return, his cheekbones starting to redden already.
"Well said!"
Yunho did his very best to hide his disgust as he downed the liquid again, and glanced in San's direction.
The sight he was met with was nothing but worrying. San's eyes were quite unfocused and half lidded, his cheeks pink while he leaned fully back against the chair, observing them quietly, he had a dumb smile on his face and laughed a bit when everyone else did—and they were only a few glasses in.
So, Yunho did what any responsible senior would do and leaned towards his ear, "everything alright?" He whispered not to catch the other's attention, and San nodded dramatically fast.
"Of course, it's all, um.. very fun." He smiled and turned to face him.
San was drunk, and the other couldn't do anything about it but watch as the director poured more alcohol into their glasses. He sighed, swallowing back how annoyed he was before downing his glass in one go, as well as San's, setting everyone’s attention onto him as he grimaced.
"That was crazy! You guys are something else." The director laughed, and Mingi followed not to leave him on his own.
Jongho stared at him and chuckled, a silent agreement settling between them.
"I'll drink on his behalf now." Jongho announced in regards to San, who seemed somewhere else.
Han Yeongil kept pestering them for a few more minutes that stretched horribly and made it seem like they would die here before even being able to bring up the topic of their contract. Yunho was growing more and more annoyed, now unable to even chuckle at the man's stories about how hard it was to find a good apartment nowadays. It looked like he was avoiding the topic, and since Jongho wasn't from sales—which meant he had no knowledge of how to navigate the topic—and the others were already gone and dizzy, Yunho couldn't bear to let this night go for longer.
He straight up interrupted the man, "..And I was wondering, did you see the item that has been reviewed recently? We sent it to your office." He pronounced, the man shutting off completely to lean on the table with his elbow.
He gave him a sly look and an even stranger smile, "Straightforward."
"I was just growing more and more curious, you see. Must be the alcohol."
He didn't totally lie, drinking often made him more irritable and blunter, but he often could control it. Now, however, he had no desire to. He was more than pissed.
"Ah! Must be that." The director chuckled, emptying his drink before giving a look at everyone at the table.
San was practically in his own world at this point, and Mingi, extremely focused on the plate half-filled with the remnants of his food like it was a work of art needing to be deciphered.
"I see. Well, I did look through it." He nodded. "But something was bothering me, y'see."
"Something was bothering you?"
"Mhm. This right of first refusal really bothers me. See, we've been working together for years, so I was actually going to accept this clause in the new contract, but I was taken aback." The director declared, leaning back against his chair with a sigh. "It messes with our company's freedom and there are way too many risks, I'm sure you know of them."
Yunho held back a scoff.
Until now, he had never been too bold with the contract renewals. He played it safe, and even if his superiors weren't always fond of a salesman that never took risks, they couldn't really corner him as long as his decisions weren't actively hopeless. Because he had no real ambition, he didn't growl when he knowingly could have, and his income stayed constant for years.
Not bad, not good, just acceptable.
Albeit now, he was working with San, the company's golden star and the idea that the reputation he spent years of hard work building could crumble because of his bad habit hurt him in explicable ways.
So he braced himself when he heard the director's complaint.
"How could that bother you when we've been working for 15 years and kept our grounds steady? To my knowledge, we've never failed in launching a product." Yunho explained.
"Well yes, but the market is never the same as yesterday." Director Han argued. "What's our guarantee in case something happens?"
The man wasn't wrong, but Yunho would not relent. The contract renewal for this item came from him; Accounting had approved, as well as those above and around them, so he had no choice but to convince Han Yeongil.
He slowed his racing mind and looked straight into the older man's eyes, trying to understand his perspective in order to convince him. He knew this wouldn't be a 'take it or leave it' situation, so he had to give something up.
"Fine. I understand your point." He admitted. "Let's do a conditional one."
"Oh."
"We get exclusivity for 12 months, and if we fail to launch the product in that period, the clause expires."
"We're still risking a high loss. We're talking about China here." The director shook his head. "I'll settle for a sunk cost reimbursement."
This time, Yunho couldn't stop himself from chuckling. If Yeongil usually brought his partners to drink for them to be more honest and comfortable, there was nothing wrong in his act.
"A sunk cost reimbursement? For China? So that you can determine the connection's percentage behind our back and pocket more than what we spent?" He couldn't believe his ears. "We can lower the exclusivity period to 10 months, because I understand your struggle; but do you really lack trust in this company to the point of a hypothetical market launch failure?"
Yunho could taste the bitterness in his own voice, but he would blame the alcohol anyways. Jongho looked at him with humor etched all over his face, as well as San, now, but he didn't look away from the director's eyes for even one second.
Han Yeongil chuckled, probably rethinking his choices. The last thing he probably wanted was for the generational trust he built with KQ to completely crumble, especially when they were his primary partners in trading. So he silently nodded, filling both their glasses one last time.
"Fine. I'm in." He declared, aiming his glass towards Yunho before he brought them together in a quiet sound.
Yunho struggled to retain the joy that swelled in heart as he drank this time; he tried not to but he did let out a discreet grin, downing the disgusting liquid again.
He felt victorious, and he couldn't wait to meet San the next day, when he would be sober, and tell him about the great news.
The hardest part about his job had been successfully dealt with.
"Are you two going to be okay?" Yunho asked Jongho as they left the restaurant.
By the time they were done with the last contract adjustments, it was dark outside and the streets were bustled by the music of nightly businesses, hurried pedestrians and racing cars. The air was cold, but San didn't wear a scarf this time—the mere remembrance of what he had done with it brought red all over his neck and ears.
"Sure, I'll take him home safely, we're basically neighbors." He replied, lingering in his spot with a grin. "Good job today."
To be acknowledged felt good in a way Yunho couldn't explain; it didn't happen often, and he avoided such moments like the plague, but still it felt nice to have his work and talents appreciated. He wondered if San would feel the same once sober.
He paused and nodded at him with a proud smile, holding his manager with a hand around his shoulders, then waved goodbye.
He tried to ignore how truly warm San was.
It felt just like having a cat on his lap, purring and nuzzling against him. He tried to ignore the comfort of holding his firm yet pliant body against him, as well as the careful heat from him breathing down his neck, and he accompanied him towards his car.
Yunho was flustered at last, and on the verge of getting an erection at most.
San was quiet, only letting out a sigh when he could lean against the back of the seat. His eyes were hazy with something dreamy etched all over them, so naturally, Yunho didn't start the engine immediately and chose to stare at him instead.
Something about the deep blush on his cheeks contrasting with his honey skin, and the delicate flutter of his eyelashes were completely entrancing. Yunho leaned against the steering wheel, hoping San's drunkenness would cover how reckless he was.
"Hyung.." San suddenly mumbled; sparkly eyes barely opened. "You did.. amazing, like always."
Yunho noticed the smile he offered and let out a pathetic scoff, "mhm." He only answered, nodding before finally starting the car.
It awoke with a deep rumble, and even though Yunho was doing his best to play it off casually, San's compliment had caused irreparable damage inside of him. His internal alarm went off, the gears in his mind turning and wincing, because that's what praise did to him.
He wasn't lacking in that department, though.
Yunho did enough good in his life to be rewarded with compliments, he was used to them, he could handle them—but this was different, this was San.
His manager.
The man he was lusting after and possibly harbouring a crush for.
To be seen like this by him made him feel so weak, so suddenly, had the same effect on him as missing a step on the stairwell. His heart was racing pathetically.
Yunho's fingers hammered against the wheel as he drove safely towards San's apartment, trying to distract himself from his parted thighs and the way he shifted in his seat by looking out the car window once or twice—which obviously did not do the job.
Yunho couldn't stand it.
By the time they arrived, he was already at his limit.
He turned towards the sleeping beauty next to him and focused on the task at hand: getting him home safely. He lived in a decent neighborhood, so something bad was unlikely to happen to him, but Yunho still cared.
He watched the peace that settled on his face like rose petals while the other was asleep, carefully brushing some rebel strands of hair away from his forehead and tucking them behind his ear. He was slow, but his gesture was intense and charged with an untold desire, and he wondered if that was what woke up San.
His eyes fluttered open, but he didn't flinch, and Yunho knew to retrieve his hand and lean back politely. This wasn't too inappropriate, or was it? He was struggling to be ashamed of himself when he should've been.
"...are you okay?" He asked softly, watching San compose himself and reach for the end of the seatbelt.
"Yes.. I think so.." he nodded slowly, words still slurred from the alcohol and the tiredness. He was definitely cute like this, in a way. "Could you.."
Yunho immediately noticed him struggling to take off his seatbelt, and leaned forward again to help. They were maddeningly close; so close in fact, that Yunho was reminded of his sweet scent all over again, and his body reacted like it did the first time.
He felt a shiver run down his spine, suddenly so embarrassed that he couldn't look San in the eyes, because he knew he would immediately lose himself in them.
What was wrong with him?
He swiftly undid the seatbelt, itching both to get his nose at the very source of the sweet fragrance and to move away from him, because with the heat rising inside of him, he didn't know if any of this was safe. So, the choice was easily made, yet before he could pull away, San slipped a hand from his shoulder to his nape and delivered a gentle kiss against his cheek, pulling him flush against his chest.
Yunho almost gasped, the air he just breathed in becoming a hostage in his lungs, and San? He looked up at him with a hopeful and dizzying gaze, a little smile showing off his dimples. They were so close Yunho could feel his warm breathing against his lips, and he suddenly couldn't move anymore.
"Hyung.." San mumbled, batting his eyelashes at him. "Thank you for today."
Was this how San thanked any other of their coworkers after they had signed a deal?
The mere thought of it made his stomach churn, but that bodily response was unjustified; who was he to claim such exclusivity from San?
The more he spiraled, the more he was getting annoyed.
He leaned back with a low sigh. "It's.. it's nothing."
San paused for a moment to look at him before he exited the car and walked into the building.
Everything was suddenly quiet, and Yunho watched him walk at a slow pace, following his every movement until he couldn't anymore. He gripped the steering wheel tightly without even realizing, because his feelings were all so foolish and all over the place, and they were becoming unbearable.
This kiss? San would probably forget about it the next day. It shouldn't matter this much and it wouldn't have if Yunho didn't feel Whatever it was he was feeling for the guy. While the act would fade out in the back of his head, Yunho would remember it and no matter how hard he'd try, it would ultimately feed his lust into something much bigger and suffocating.
The next day came too fast for him to register.
Suddenly, he was sitting at his work station and Mingi was beaming despite him getting home completely drunk. The euphoria of having sealed a contract didn't last because now, he had to do the paperwork that followed—as well as the paperwork for the other times when he chose procrastination.
The whole thing would probably take him the whole day to finish, plus some extra hours, since he was supposed to focus on the inventory and shipping tomorrow.
He hadn't seen San at all, and hadn't looked for him, which became worrying around noon when he didn't even leave his office to get lunch or check on the team.
Yunho was glued to his computer, trying to distract himself with the task at hand while all around him, the background sounds of the office—the rustling of papers, them being shredded or stapled together, the distant hum of the copy machine...
Ten minutes passed, and Yunho stood up like a man possessed.
He found himself in a convenience store near the office, grabbing a few things for himself as well as some hungover medicine. He wouldn't lie and pretend San hadn't been on his mind despite his efforts to busy it into quietness, his concern grew into something he couldn't repress, so he needed to act.
It shouldn't be so hard though.
He knocked on the door of his office once, and heard San's voice allowing him inside. Yunho complied with a ball of nervousness growing in his stomach, and discovered a sight of the manager he had never seen before.
He looked restless, sharp brows knitted together while he rummaged through some files, periodically tapping the table with the tip of his red pen. His hair was styled the usual way, except for some strands that fell, all rebellious, onto his forehead.
"Manager Choi?" Yunho called out, closing the distance between him and the desk.
"Ah, Yunho, it's good to see you—" he said with some sense of hurry, "could you please take those to accounting?" He gestured towards a small pile of documents.
"Sure. Is everything okay?" He inquired again, taking another step closer before he placed the hungover medicine right in front of his worried eyes. "Have this, I know yesterday wasn't easy on you."
He had no idea why San was even in this state, and chose to bet on the aftermath of their business night. As far as he was concerned, he never thought the manager would look this disheveled over paperwork, he believed nothing could bring him down on this matter.
So, it sounded like he was right when San momentarily paused his nervous fidgeting with the pen to look up at him, and for once, Yunho didn't look away.
"It's.. so nice of you." San answered as he took the small bottle. The attention seemed to have slowed him down for a moment, and his features relaxed. "Thanks."
"No problem." Yunho smiled a bit. "I noticed you didn't have lunch."
"Yes.. I've been busy with team 4's items. They went over my head and immediately sent them to accounting two days ago." San explained softly, though it was obvious he was more than bothered. "Director Kim didn't like that at all, so now we have to start over."
For a perfectionist like him, it was probably the end of the world, and Yunho could understand that. The fourth team of their floor had this strange habit of doing everything on their own, which was somehow acceptable before because of their past manager, but things had changed for the better.
Reporting to the manager first took more time, but it guaranteed efficiency and an objective opinion which could often lead to a strong backup in case the planning was flawed.
San knew about that, and everyone did as well.
"I can have a word with them if you want." Yunho offered. He was their senior so he believed they would listen—that, and he also didn't want more pressure to be put on San.
"Director Kim already did, but thank you." San smiled, and all he could do as a response was melt.
He stood there with his hands in his pockets and considered hiding in a corner and gaze at the beautiful man while he did his job, the steady sounds of the pen on paper and his fingers on the keyboard would make it all the more relaxing.
It was unusual to see San not being in control, and some part of Yunho was glad to exist in the same place as this version of him. Once again, this odd possessiveness appeared.
"This looks like a lot of work." He declared, quickly dismissing such foolish feelings.
"It is, I fear it will take me the whole day." San replied with a sigh that wanted itself free of any complaints. After all, he had no choice.
"You and I both." Yunho shrugged. "I'll give you a hand if I finish before you."
San nodded slowly, a smile blooming on his features like a ray of sunshine seeping through closed curtains. Yunho wasn't imagining things, and he could've sworn some pink had appeared on this other's face. "Sure. Let's do that."
They separated on this agreement, Yunho still feeling giddy from the whole interaction as he brought the pile of papers to the accounting department. He realized that the heavy workload would be much easier to bear if it meant he could be helpful to San after, or if they could, perhaps, share the office in a strictly professional intimacy while rummaging documents.
If somehow, they would find themselves so close to each other that the outside world would disappear, their fingers would touch, Yunho wouldn't know how to breathe anymore.
As expected, the afternoon arrived and the floor emptied itself slowly. Most employees now had a lighter schedule, so they organized themselves in a way that they weren't obligated to stay until it got too late—except for those who didn't care enough.
Yunho watched Mingi stand up and greeted him warmly before he left happily; it made sense, since he had someone to go back home to, someone that was waiting for him.
Before his thoughts could wander in that territory and remind him of how awfully lonely he was, San walked out of his office, looking as gorgeous as ever. The good thing about his crush was that it could really distract him from anything that bothered him.
"Done already?" Yunho asked, stretching lightly in his seat.
"No, I'm just taking a break. I didn't even realize the sun was gone." San chuckled, looking towards the glass windows to be met with a setting sun.
At the same time that the golden hue was turning into darkness, the city re-birthed itself, adorned with shiny and colorful lights like diamonds on black satin. The view was always breathtaking from their floor, but even then, he turned to look at San instead. Nothing could compare to the soft harmony of his features, the glint of life in his eyes, his comforting smiles.
By the time he noticed he was being observed, Yunho already had gotten his fill, he would cherish this image for as long as life would allow. Yet he still felt his neck and ears grow warmer.
"Let's get coffee." San suggested.
Together, they left the office to get something more sustainable than instant coffee. Yunho paused in the hallway, suddenly patting his pockets as he realized he had forgotten his phone on his desk.
He swiftly apologized as he went back there, walking faster than normal because he'd hate to waste San's time. They still had a lot of work to return to, and he expected the pile of unchecked documents to stare at him in agony when he stepped inside the office. What he didn't expect, though, was to be met with an unfamiliar face that aimed for the exit just as he was standing in the doorway.
He frowned, looking at the newcomer with confusion. His eyes flew towards their badge, but he barely had the time to make out the letters CTRM, and the young man immediately placed his hand on top of it. His expression went from surprise to panic in the blink of an eye, and he bowed respectfully.
"Hi, I was just looking for someone but they already left." He explained, walking past Yunho to escape the room completely.
"Oh, okay. Most of us don't stay past 5pm. Who were you looking for? I can leave a post-it on their desk." Yunho proposed, trying to help and possibly ease the tension in the air that had no place to be at this moment.
"Thanks, but it's fine.. I'll come back tomorrow."
Yunho chuckled, "Tomorrow's.. Saturday."
"Oh.. yeah. Right." The stranger looked restless, like he wanted nothing more than to run away, and what seemed like something casual quickly became suspicious. "Then I'll see them on Monday, I guess, Haha. Have a good weekend."
"Sure thing." He nodded, watching the younger man practically run away from him.
He turned and looked up at the security camera facing the door, at a high corner of the wall, and noticed the way the red dot was nowhere to be seen. It was turned off, as opposed to every other time Yunho had randomly stopped to look at it when he was stuck working late hours.
All of this was definitely bizarre, but he chose not to dwell on it further since he had so many things that needed to be taken care of before the next day.
He wouldn't even have a proper weekend because of the shipping. Ah, Yunho really hated his job sometimes.
By the time he grabbed his phone and joined San, the whole interaction had already fallen into some uninteresting pile in the back of his head.
They took the lift as per usual, and Yunho resisted the poignant urge to keep his eyes on the other the whole time. When he was around, nothing else seemed important enough or worth his time at all.
"How do you handle everything?" He suddenly asked, crossing his arms on top of his chest.
San seemed surprised by the question, as he should, it came out of nowhere—Yunho really wanted to fill the awkward silence surrounding them. Although it was actually a good question, he remembered being so impressed by San's ability to always seem put together and handle so many things at once. Not everyone became a manager so fast, nor was as popular as him.
"You mean.. working?" He inquired with a subtle grin, and Yunho nodded. "I actually don't, I'm not perfect."
He doubted that answer. "You always seem like everything is under control, you make everything look fine. I was just wondering how you did that."
"Wow, I don't.. I didn't know that." San added, his smile growing into something almost flustered.
The sight made Yunho chuckle. "..and you're humble too."
"You're just teasing me." San shook his head, exiting the lift first when the doors opened.
Just when Yunho was starting to believe he couldn't possibly get any cuter, he outdid himself.
He followed the manager outside, eyes drawn to the redness of his ears as they made their way into the café and San chose to order. He couldn't pretend it was due to the cold wind they had previously fought, it had to do something with his teasing, his compliments, and his mind wandered.
If San got this red for such simple things, how would he react to his touch? To some other kind of praise?
All of these questions left him restless, more than the coffee ever could.
They returned to the warmth of the office faster than expected, and Yunho mourned their past proximity when San went back into his office.
He looked at his watch, it was fifteen to seven pm and he didn't have much left, so the plan became clear.
He typed the last parts into his computer and checked for grammar errors once before saving the files and printing them. The machine was awfully slow, and he was starting to feel the sleepiness kick in, downing the rest of his coffee in one go.
When it was finally done, he set the files into a box that would travel all the way down to the archives the next day.
And it was only seven thirty.
He eagerly made his way to the office door and opened it since he already told San he would come back later to help, but the manager was completely still despite his arrival. In fact, he was leaning over the desk, cheek pressed against the cold wood and his eyes closed. He was sleeping.
Discarded away from him, his cup of coffee remained half empty.
Yunho stepped forward to get a better look of the whole painting; San's long lashes resting idly on his rosy cheeks, the pout on his lips and simply how peaceful he looked. It was almost unfair to look this beautiful while being asleep, and it would be even more unfair to have to wake him up.
He was probably way too tired after such a long day; he, more than anyone else, deserved to rest.
So, Yunho being the professional and responsible team leader he was, took a seat next to San and rummaged through the files to get an idea of what he was trying to achieve. It wasn't his first time doing the work of a manager, yet the bitterness he had felt long ago when he was obliged to take on manager Nara's responsibilities was oddly not present this time. He figured he didn't hate working as much as he thought, as long as it was a pretty man ordering him around.
He moved quietly while doing San's job, not wanting to wake him up before he could be done, and mentally praised how organized everything was on his computer.
It was only an hour and a half later than San flinched, and then jolted awake like a startled kitten. His eyes fluttered open as they got adjusted to the lighting, and he looked up to find Yunho, organizing the freshly printed copies for the next day's meeting.
He blinked slowly, looking down at his desk which was now empty, and quickly understood what had been going on.
"Why.. why didn't you wake me?" He asked softly, standing up from his chair to watch more closely what Yunho was doing.
"You looked tired." He said casually.
"That's.." San went through one of the files, lips parting in surprise since the results were flawless. "..Really good."
Yunho's heart swelled with pride, and he bit on his lower lip to refrain from smiling too much. He didn't do it for praise and wasn't even too much of a fan, but it came with such strength that he was barely able to stand upright.
"Thank you." San added, beaming beautifully despite how tired his voice and body language were.
"It's nothing." Yunho tried to sound calm, but his heart jumped and twirled inside his chest, too quickly to register. He could barely contain it.
"You always say that, though." San chuckled, playfully pushing his shoulder. "It's not nothing. It was really nice of you." He sighed. "I can't believe I fell asleep like this.."
Despite his very visible discomfort, Yunho couldn't find it in himself to agree. Perhaps for a perfectionist like him, it was rather a foolish moment of undeserved tranquility than a simple request from the body, but napping at work was otherwise extremely normal for the common salesman.
Their last manager practically spent his whole days napping on the sofa, and Yunho had once or twice slept in the office because of tight schedules. Overall, the act was very forgivable.
San didn't look like he was ready to accept that truth, his expression still filled with embarrassment as he packed up to leave for the night.
"You looked cute." Yunho thought out loud, allowing himself to be casual just this time even if really, he was too tired to care.
Then, San immediately paused in his tracks, body as taut as an ill-adjusted guitar string. Yes, of course this was a greatly inappropriate thing to tell his manager, especially not under the disguise of a joke or a teasing comment. This was a genuine comment, something Yunho has had on his mind ever since he laid eyes upon him, something that overflowed his analytical stares.
And San knew it all too well, because the smile that appeared on his face was nothing similar to the other ones.
If Yunho was guilty for initiating a way too intimate eye contact, San was guilty for holding it still in time and space. "Only then?" He asked invitingly.
The subordinate he was could only shake his head in negation, "No. All the time, actually."
San let out a little laugh, face flushed and way too visible under the bright office lights, he patted Yunho's chest twice in the heat of the moment and the other wished he wouldn't feel just how hard his heart was beating. There was nothing really funny about the exchange, but he understood immediately—San was flustered.
The thought made him grin slowly, looking down at the other man with barely contained hunger.
When his breathing settled, his eyebrows rose as he probably realized his hand was still resting on Yunho's chest. His touch was warm, his palm was impossibly soft, and small compared to Yunho's who chose not to think about this for now.
He wouldn't possibly be able to stay still.
Only having San look up at him so fondly, almost like a treat waiting to be feasted upon, was enough to make his fingers tingle and his insides roar; he never allowed himself to explore why he felt this way, or how else it could manifest, because he knew he'd be done for.
More than he already was, to be fair.
"Let's go home." San interrupted his overthinking as he pulled away from him, and Yunho had never felt so cold.
The memories of that cursed night painfully swirled around Yunho's head as soon as he woke up to the sound of his alarm. He groaned and rolled to his side, facing away from the bright window. Despite the fact it was the weekend, he had lots of things to do.
The shipping would take place on the very day, and while Jiwon was on site to monitor everything, he needed to stay available because only he knew the inventory from top to bottom. He couldn't have possibly gone with her because of the paperwork, but he definitely had the required experience to handle it—Jiwon did too, so he wasn't too worried.
He showered and as soon as the hot water hit the expanse of his back, he sighed and immediately felt aware of his surroundings. He went on with his routine, from washing his hair thoroughly to shaving his face to get rid of the small stubble.
When he came out, he felt fresh and relaxed, determined to go through with his day.
Then came his first phone call.
He answered immediately, glad to be hearing Jiwon's voice instead of an unknown worker, it was always easier to understand someone he was close to. The work had probably begun since dawn, so there was some heavy tiredness in her voice, something he unpleasantly associated with bad news. So they came, unfortunately.
"What?!" He immediately exclaimed, eyebrows shooting up in disappointment and shock.
"They're not letting us in. We've already moved everything to the site, we're ready to get them on board but they're not letting us." She explained, audibly irritated.
"What's the reason?" Yunho inquired, already moving into his bedroom to check the documents he had sent.
"They're saying they got an anonymous report that our container has counterfeit goods. Now they're in the process of flagging it." She groaned, and Yunho could hear other voices around her, as if she was in a crowded space.
"How? That's not possible. What about director Han Yeongil? The supplier? Can't he deliver a statement?"
"He's not picking up his damn phone!"
Yunho let out a deep sigh, his free hand rummaging through his wet hair in sheer frustration. He never thought that this day was going to pass by smoothly, but this event just outdid his expectations.
He had feared Freight the most and thoroughly prepared himself to overcome it, and well, this wasn't worse but it was unexpected and could delay the shipping for weeks. This meant the rush he had put himself through to launch this item would die without no one to mourn it.
The feeling of uselessness was starting to gnaw at him, he didn't know what to do nor did he have that much resolve. The last time something like this had happened, he was still a rookie and wasn't really explained how it was dealt with—he suspected bribery—but he didn't have that kind of money nor did he want to get involved in such shady business.
His brain wires pushed and pulled and ground together in order to create some ideas, some sparks, but nothing ever came.
He would later need to find who on earth could've known about their item well enough to file in this kind of complaint and lacked the balls necessary to bare themselves. He knew the rules more than anyone else, too, the port was obligated to flag them but he was grateful Jiwon was on the site and could slow the process; this halt unfortunately wouldn't last forever.
At the same time, his phone rang once again. He told Jiwon that he would try to find a solution before picking it up.
"Mr. Jeong, have you heard?" San's voice immediately filled his ears, and he sounded just as worried as Jiwon.
"I just did, Kim Jiwon told me." He groggily answered, still unable to believe something like this was happening during such an early morning. "What are we doing?"
"We need to go there. I'm on my way, where should I pick you up?"
Yunho's eyes shot open in surprise, looking down at his... Relaxed appearance, not to say neglected—he was supposed to spend the whole day at home, he deserved forgiveness.
"I should get ready first. I'll text you a location." He quickly spoke, before San agreed and hung up.
He let out a little groan, being completely unprepared for this turn of events. He hated being rushed, he hated being unprepared, his only consolation was that he would share a car ride with San.
The event was stressful, yes, but he doubted that his annoyance would survive San's sweet gaze.
He fixed himself up quickly and texted their meeting point to the manager, packing a spare change of clothes just in case they would need to do handiwork.
He entered the car with a backpack containing all the files necessary, his laptop and spare clothes, unsurprised to find San's own in the backseat. The manager looked nice, stupidly so, the clear and smooth expanse of his face was a contrast with the soft pink of his plump lips. His hair was messier than usual, and he was wearing a pair of rectangular glasses that seemed to exist with the purpose to turn his usually threatening beauty into something lethal.
Overall, he looked beautiful with glasses on.
"We'll be there in an hour and a half at most, were you able to reach the supplier?" San inquired as he started the engine.
"He's not answering. I tried his office as well. Same struggle." Yunho answered with a sigh.
He fidgeted with the fabric of his pants for a short moment, filled to the brim with hesitation. The need to ask about what they were supposed to do was grand, but his brain still hammered away to find a solution on his own without having to. Yunho couldn't help himself, even though he had already settled with the fact there was nothing diminishing about asking for help—it just took a lot of work, okay?
"So.. should we bribe them?" He spoke without really meaning to, and San's confusedly amused expression replied immediately.
"If you want us to go to jail, sure." He laughed. "We'll just.. request an investigation on the tip's origin, that's a start."
Yunho frowned. "Why? Wouldn't that slow us down?"
"I mean.. I have a bad feeling about this." San argued as they entered the main road, "things keep happening at the office lately, I can't help but wonder if the incidents aren't correlated."
Yunho nodded thoughtfully.
As someone that wasn't as versed in office drama, he couldn't know about the numerous problems registered in the past months. He now only knew about accounting's numbers being toyed with, about Mr. Kang as a person... But who knew what lied beyond?
"Then we can ask for a delay; the time to gather the necessary documents.. we'll submit them and hopefully it'll work." Something about San's tone was hesitant, almost as if his plan wasn't infallible.
Which was honestly mind-blowing.
San never hesitated.
"How long will it take?" Yunho asked cautiously, and the manager let out a quiet hiss as he shook his head.
"We'll get it done." This time, he sounded much surer of himself, which was pleasant.
Something about the Manager's confidence just spilled his way and suddenly, he wasn't as worried as before.
They arrived at the port an hour and a half later, as predicted by San, and directly made their way towards the main office outside of which Jiwon stood, visibly irritated. None of them were able to locate the goods from the distance, and Yunho only hoped they hadn't taken it to initiate the verification progress.
"Thank God you could make it in time." She sighed, bowing slightly as a greeting when they walked up to her position. "They haven't started yet, but we're running out of time, come on."
Quite rushed in their steps, they followed Jiwon inside only to be met with a very ordinary slow-paced office. It wasn't grand on the archetype, only a few employees filled the space, all wearing the same site friendly attire. Their job was to deal with the checking and archiving of paperwork, the very final step before anything could be done; they had their own rhythm, their own rules, and things always seemed to work out.
Yunho remembered his early days in an office like this coated with a bittersweet substance. He didn't particularly miss it, but it definitely felt like a second home.
Before they were even able to spot the man they were looking for, someone noticed them with a huge grin plastered on their face.
"Oh, that's Jung Wooyoung.." San immediately paused, reciprocating the wave and smile his friend sent his way.
Yunho wasn't surprised by the fact he even knew site workers, "A friend of yours?" He asked.
"Best friend, actually."
A quick look was thrown in the newcomer's direction, before it returned to the manager. He was beaming, his features illuminated in a way he was certain had been unknown to him up until this moment. Which, realistically, made sense for someone that would randomly encounter their best friend, but even then, something unpleasant stirred in Yunho's stomach.
The other man was pretty, beautiful even—a mix of sharp features and the fondest of eyes, aesthetically pleasing in many ways.
He greeted him with a glint of something in his eyes, then Jiwon, before giving his friend an affectionate hug.
"Just what are you doing here?" He inquired confusedly. "I mean I know you miss me all the time, but still."
"Oh, I wish it was just a friendly visit." San exhaled. "We were supposed to be shipping today, but someone reported us for counterfeit and we just can't afford a check-up delay right now."
Wooyoung nodded slowly, squinting for a second before blurting out a "What about—"
"Nor bribery!" San immediately interrupted.
"I'm joking, relax." His friend laughed and patted his shoulder, shooting a quick glance at Yunho that surely didn't want itself unnoticed. "I can help, I think."
"Really?" Jiwon chimed in, eyes lighting up in genuine hope. The poor woman was probably exhausted from all the work that had started before dawn even announced itself.
"Sure. I'll hold the process for now, check the origin of that report to disprove it, and you guys will handle the paperwork." The employee listed carefully. "Anything that can prove your stuff is legit. Check in with your supplier, also.. that can help."
Yunho listened intently, taking in the instructions as he pushed down any other feeling he had been harbouring since this day started, he couldn't let himself get distracted especially when San would be there the whole time.
This was just another chance to show him his skills and how dedicated he was.
"I'm tired of writing papers so I'll go and meet up with Han Yeongil." Jiwon quickly announced, jumping onto the occasion to leave this god forsaken port and maybe grab a meal on the way.
Yunho let out a little snort. "Sure, you do that. I'll handle the rest."
San immediately shot him a glance, perhaps confused by his blunt self-sacrificing demeanor. They had spoken of this in the past and Yunho remembered it clearly, but working himself to the bone would do two very needed things. Quiet down his longing for Choi San and alleviate the Manager's workload.
Wooyoung looked up at him knowingly, but he brushed it off for there was no way the man knew anything about his inner turmoil.
"We should do both together. It'll be faster." San sounded unmoving in a way that wanted itself firm, but ended up sounding soft instead.
"Yes, and there may be a correlation." Wooyoung added.
Despite his efforts not to look at San's doe eyes and stay grounded in his decision, they pulled him in like magnets and he was swooped off his feet.
He ended up nodding, defeated, folding under zero pressure.
A few minutes later, Jiwon was gone and they made their way into Wooyoung's office. He was very comfortable and agile with the computer, looking through the reports and doing a lot of things neither Yunho nor San fully understood.
Yunho was usually good with technology, but this was another level.
"Okay, we just have to wait a few minutes now." Wooyoung said as he leaned back against his seat, swirling a pen around his fingers expertly. "Tell me, Yunho-ssi, have you known my San for a while?"
My San?
He was visibly taken aback, quickly looking at San whose face had nothing but embarrassment written all over. This interaction was quite odd.
"Not really. We've been working together since he joined my department." He was as honest and professional as he could've been, refusing himself to sound too close and embarrass the poor manager more.
Although afterwards, none of what he could've imagined appeared on his features.
"Oh.. must be nice working with him." Wooyoung tried once more.
"It is. He's very good at what he does." Yunho replied in the same tone.
They stared at each other for a few seconds longer than they should've, and unsure of why exactly this was happening, Yunho just kept himself still. Maybe there was a bit of jealousy inside of him, which he would never successfully admit because who on earth was he to feel something as such for a friend?
"It's complete, look." San suddenly interrupted them, pointing towards the computer.
Wooyoung snapped out of the attitude he had been putting on in his pseudo investigation of Yunho—and it really looked like such, but for why? Because the man was certain he hadn't let anything show.
"That's.. weird." Wooyoung noticed with a small frown, looking up from the screen. "Yunho-ssi, the report is coming from your computer."
"What?" He immediately leaned into the other's space to make sure he wasn't playing a prank on him.
Unfortunately, the IP address was linked to an ID from their own company, who perfectly matched his. Suddenly, everything surged back to him like a gigantic wave that brought with it shame and helplessness.
Both San and Wooyoung were looking at him expectantly now.
"That guy from CTRM..." He pronounced with a mix of frustration and defeat.
"What?" San echoed. "What guy?"
"Last night, before we went to grab coffee.. I ran into someone from CTRM on my way back. He was coming out of our office." Yunho explained painfully. "I knew something felt wrong.. the camera in the hallway was turned off."
"Do you remember his name?" Wooyoung quickly asked, fingers already hooked back onto the keyboard.
Yunho shook his head. "He covered his badge.. he was probably just an intern, though."
Wooyoung hummed thoughtfully, squinting at the screen while he looked through the file. Whether or not he was supposed to have access to such sensitive information was of zero importance to Yunho, since he was already planning to take the blame later.
After all, he was the one who chose to ignore the incident when he could've perfectly stopped it if he had been more vigilant. The situation they were in was no one's fault but his, he trusted.
"It narrowed down to three guys." Wooyoung announced as he showed them three very distinct pictures.
"The one in the middle." Yunho answered without hesitation.
"Are you sure?" San asked, tilting his head to the side with the slightest discomfort.
"Yes.. why?"
"That's..Mr. Kang's nephew." The admission sent a thrill of anger through Yunho, but before he could say anything, the manager intervened. "That doesn't mean anything, Hyung, we have no proof he's behind that."
"What do you mean? This is quite literally proof. Why would his intern nephew do this and risk a job he doesn't even have yet?" Yunho countered, though he remained calm as to not worsen the other's feelings.
He probably felt horrible;
Having someone he once considered his mentor treating him like an enemy for a simple choice was probably upsetting enough, but Yunho could see how much the attacks must've been impacting him in silence. He was too respectful of his age and status to give back the same energy, and had no concrete proof to talk about it to HR—not that he wanted to, because it would worsen the old man's career and in the same step, the way he saw him.
"If he did something wrong, he should be punished." Yunho concluded. "We'll do what we have to do, and then I'll ask the audit team for a proper investigation."
"Hyung..." San exhaled, and it would've been enough for Yunho if he wasn't as pissed.
"Wooyoung, please print all of these for me." He gestured towards the screen, and the other simply nodded before doing as told.
San looked at both of them helplessly, but still, he knew deep down this was the right thing to do. He couldn't go on with his work life when someone was actively being all up in his business to screw him over; walking on eggshells was starting to get exhausting.
He let Yunho do what he had announced, and when it was done, grabbed their bags to go work on the rest of the documents.
San led his colleague to a café he knew well; noon was shouting its arrival, the sun making an appearance despite the cold weather to cast a soft glow all over the city. If only the air around San and Yunho wasn't so tense, they would've been able to enjoy the fresh breeze and allow themselves to relax even a little bit.
Yet for some reason, Yunho was pent up and the manager was too intimidated to ask why. Not only that, but he was curious as to what exactly made him this way; was it the situation they were in, or did he already have something against Mr. Kang? Something he wasn't aware of?
They settled in the establishment and ordered drinks and food to have while reviewing and gathering documents, and on top of the endless business-related lines San was reading, a trail of thoughts progressed.
As if he had two pairs of eyes, one focused on Yunho while the other worked diligently.
He had never seen Yunho look this annoyed, it was endearing. The way his brows furrowed from time to time as a line drew itself between them like a strike of thunder, his jaw clenched and his shoulders tensed.. it was unlike anything San had ever witnessed on his face.
He spun his black pen around his fingers once, twice, scribbled something down a notebook, took a sip of his black coffee and sighed.
He gave one look to San and paused when their eyes met. The manager gulped, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights.
"What's wrong?" Yunho asked immediately, his staring coming off as something to be worried about. His voice, strangely softer despite still looking as annoyed as before, caressed San's ears like a tender kiss.
"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking." He answered quickly, returning to the paper.
Yunho gazed at him for a second longer than intended, before letting out a breath that left his body attached to the strain in his shoulders and the irritation in his eyes.
"Listen, I can't know how you feel, but I can't just stay still and witness that man treat you like this either." He started, surprising the other.
So, this was what he was so upset about?
He continued, "It's not only evil to act this way, but also unfair. You do so much for this company, and no one has even taken the time to check if you were okay or if you needed some help." Yunho was steady and sure of each word, more moved about his situation than the fact the shipping of his own item was compromised. San, facing him from the other side of the table, was too stunned to speak.
"He's not the damn chairman, he shouldn't get away with this." He concluded with certainty, returning to his work as if he was unaware of the flutter he had caused in San's chest.
The manager nodded slowly, simply unable to do or say anything else, his heartbeat increasing without him being able to do anything about it—and the feeling was known, way too familiar to be eligible for deletion.
The tip of his fingers tingled with something indescribable and warm, but he kept writing nonetheless, more determined to get done with this than ever.
Still, in his head, the echo of what Yunho had just said reverberated loudly and bullied him into restlessness.
Did Yunho really care about him this much?
In the span of two hours, they were done with the paperwork, all thanks to San's renewed working speed when his mind settled on the fact Yunho felt something so strongly because of him.
They gathered the correct files and printed those that Jiwon sent their way, putting together the most solid case that could've existed.
The port check-up team didn't take long before admitting defeat, facing not only the proof that there was something fishy with the report, but also the papers that proved they were nothing if legit.
When they were dismissed, San beamed and all of a sudden, offered the other a hug as he bathed in excitement, while Yunho stilled and blushed like a teenager experiencing affection for the first time.
"We did it!" He exclaimed cheerfully, yet all Yunho could focus on was the warmth exuding from the sharp lines of his body.
"Yes, we did." He simply smiled, slowly patting his shoulder, somewhere safe his hand could land on.
Unfortunately for them, it was very late by the time the shipping was over. Looking up, a cloudless night sky was visible, and the wide sky was sprinkled with small dots of light to keep the moon company.
Contrary to the way the streets emptied and stilled, frozen in tile, the employees of the port kept moving and working way after the pair had left the site, satisfied with their hard work—San even more so but for different reasons.
"Should we get a hotel?" San proposed as they got to the parking lot.
Yunho looked back at him with something indescribable in his eyes, half surprised and half flustered, in fact. He blamed the long day of work and how tired he was, unable to hear anything leave his manager’s mouth without twisting it sinfully. He wanted to slap himself.
"I figured you'd be tired, and the traffic is probably gonna be insane.." San added, trying to save himself.
Yunho didn't have much strength left to overthink it, simply giving the other a nod.
The document rummaging had completely destroyed his eyesight, and the hint of a headache was starting to settle behind his brows, not to mention the very expected handiwork he had to put it to move the products back to where they belonged. He could barely comprehend how San was still standing and had enough energy to think about such details, but still it made him feel even fonder.
"You did well today." San declared, unprompted.
Yunho let out a quiet chuckle at that. "You too."
A beat of silence passed, and he let his feet carry him into the establishment the manager had chosen, mentioning earlier how he used to always stay here in such cases in the past.
"I mean, I'm glad you were there." He insisted. "I can't deny I freaked out when uh.. you know."
"It's fine. I figured it must've been hard to make a decision that could cost them their job." Yunho explained, leaning against the counter of the empty reception. He wasn't going to speak about the surge of possessiveness he had felt upon hearing that man's name for the nth time in their business.
San was too nice to do anything like this, so it was his duty to make the hard moves on his behalf. As a colleague, as a friend, but most importantly as someone who cared about him and yearned for him.
The receptionist quickly made an appearance, surprised to receive customers this late.
Yunho spoke first, booking two separate rooms because they both needed to rest and have a room to themselves after such a difficult day—that, and he didn't think he would be capable of sleeping at all if he were to lay in the same bedroom as San.
They parted ways with sympathetic smiles, and as soon as his door closed behind him, Yunho let out the deepest of sighs.
After all of this, how could he be sure these feelings wouldn't progress into something unable to contain? Sure, it started out as a stupid crush, a justified attraction for such a beautiful individual, but unlike the other crushes he had experienced throughout his life, this one never seemed to lessen. Its skin was rather thick.
Rather it grew like weeds and wrapped all around him, trapping him in place.
It was inconvenient, especially since he would have to work with San for longer; perhaps forever if he wished to stay. Also, even if liking the manager was enough for him, jealousy had already made an appearance for the worse.
This illness of a crush was becoming more and more problematic.
Unsure of how long he stood there in this mental crisis, Yunho jolted as a knock echoed from the door.
He spun on his feet quickly, and was surprised by the sight of San.
"San-ah?" The affectionate suffix slipped out without him realizing, and it felt as though the manager had materialized as an expansion of his thoughts.
He surely took a shower and changed; his black hair was glistening and wet, and he wore a simple white shirt along with grey sweatpants. He looked domestic, soft all over and inviting, so Yunho noticed the pack of beers he was holding stupidly late.
San smiled. "Found these in the fridge and thought we should celebrate." He spoke gently, the warm glow of the light coming from Yunho's room illuminating his face almost divinely.
Yunho simply nodded, stepping aside to let him in as if he was under a spell. He watched the man settle on the sofa before he closed the door and joined him. Something about all of this, perhaps how exhausted he was, bathed the scenery in a dreamlike hue.
He wondered if this wasn't real and if he, in fact, had fallen head first onto the pillows and drifted off minutes ago.
However, San handed him a can, and its coldness was grounding. The bittersweet taste was most likely real, as well as the softness of the cushions.
"Do you remember the first time we met?" San suddenly inquired, holding his can onto his lap as he traced the edges with the tip of his middle finger. "I thought you'd have remembered by now."
Yunho frowned a bit, staring holes into San's face. "What do you mean?"
"Ah, it's nothing, I just—" he paused as if debating something in his mind. Another sip of beer, and he was filled with liquid courage. "My intern year was also kind of horrible, at first."
Yunho allowed himself to relax and gave the other his full attention. Last time, he hadn't been able to tell him about it and Yunho hadn't pushed because he knew some stories were too full of bad memories to retold.
"I didn't graduate from a school as prestigious as the others, so they excluded me all the time. Bossed me around, made me work extra.. it was unbearable." He admitted. "I remember that one night, I really couldn't bear it anymore. I was about to quit."
San suddenly looked up at Yunho, his gaze so fond that the man felt like melting on the spot.
"That's when I met you." He smiled. "You were complaining about.. uh, the copy machine acting up I think, and I was crying there. You looked just as tired as I was, but you took the time to comfort me."
Yunho searched through his memories immediately, face shifting between shock and realization when he recalled the night San was talking about. He remembered a small man, hunched over himself as he cried quietly enough not to be heard. The office was empty anyways, but it didn't matter. He had gone down to another department to use their copy machine since he was working extra to finish a presentation, frustrated and angered, sleepiness slowing down his steps.
There was San, nameless back then, leaning over the machine to cry in silence, probably sure nobody would hear him or come to check on him since it was late.
At that time, Yunho remembered two things. He was extremely tired, hadn't spoken a word in several hours, and his heart sank in a way he just couldn't describe.
His heart broke at the sight, seeing a part of his younger self in the stranger as he immediately came to talk to him. His voice was soft and controlled, trying to comfort the man and give him enough courage to stay despite everything.
He was unsure it worked at the time, but now, he was facing a very different person. And he was filled with joy, knowing he hadn't left.
San was taller, his allure almost intimidating, and he was now a role model for so many rookies in the company. The fact swelled his insides with pride, along with a gentle sense of relief.
"You changed a lot." Was all he could muster, overflowing with unnamed feelings.
Upon hearing the fact he remembered him, San displayed the warmest of smiles. "I know." He let out a small laugh. "I was so happy when I realized we'd be working together, but then, you didn't recognize me.."
A hint of disappointment hid behind his smile, and it broke Yunho's heart. "I'm sorry, I really should've."
Now it was his time to wonder if all San had been doing all this time was caused by this past event. If he wanted to befriend him because of his admiration, if he outdid himself to impress him in hopes he'd remember. Unfortunately, it did nothing but worsen Yunho's feelings for him, feeding them with the belief San was probably just as interested as he was.
"It's fine.." San's tone quieted. "Do you.." he started, eyes drifting over the carpet while he played with the fabric of the armrest.
"Yes?"
"Hyung, to be honest, I.." he paused again, finally twisting his upper body fully to face Yunho. "I didn't really come here to drink and tell you about this."
Yunho paused immediately, settling on the way San was blushing more and more as it really couldn't be from the few lazy sips he had drank. "Why did you come, then?" He stopped himself from hoping, couldn't allow this idea from fully blooming in his head when San sat there, looking delightful.
San felt warm, too much for his own good.
He had worked so diligently in storing these feelings down into the deepest pits of himself not to make Yunho uncomfortable and compromise their work relationship. He knew how much the man valued his job—and San did, too—but he didn't want to come off as inappropriate and unprofessional.
He was conscious it did slip out when he had been drunk, calling him Hyung and kissing him on the cheek, this one time... Not to mention the flirting.
All of this happened because of his lack of control over himself, his longing was a life lasting winner before anything else.
Perhaps it was the rush of today's situation?
The stressful events leaving him pent-up and suddenly desperate to be acknowledged? The distance from their workplace?
San was unsure, but he knew the moment Yunho went out of his way to contact the audit team because he cared for him, it was over.
Wooyoung, his best friend, had even looked at him knowingly and amused. It wasn't everyday that the man you'd been longing for for years would step up for you.
Truly, it did something to him.
It pushed him to the edge of the hill and San fell over like an absolute fool.
It was now or never.
He bit on his lower lip for a long second, before leaning forward and pressing his lips against the older man's. Suddenly, the warmth that had been simmering inside of him came to a boil, and the taste of sweet alcohol stuck to his mouth when he returned to his spot.
A chaste, simple peck, and yet San was out of breath.
Yunho was dumbfounded, stilling on the spot like he had been frozen. His lips burned and his heartbeat was erratic, his hand for a second squeezed around the can like it had personally wronged him, speaking of the restraint he was putting up not to throw himself onto the other.
Suddenly, there was no reason to hold back, but he was still too stunned to speak, and the time he was taking to react created sparks of nervousness inside of San.
"Hyung—" he attempted, interrupted by the sudden crash of lips against his.
Yunho kissed him with feverish passion, lips already tangling with his in a heated rhythm. The other keened and wrapped his arms around his neck to bring him closer and make sure what was happening was real, that he wasn't hallucinating the whole thing. To feel his firm body pressed against his, each line vibrating with want as he gave in and let San pull him on top of him, was everything.
San moved his lips in response and followed the other's intense rhythm, letting out an unintentional mewl when Yunho settled between his thighs and pinned him onto the soft sofa.
To be finally granted the honor and pleasure and beyond to ravish San's lips as deserved had Yunho wondering what good he must've done in his past life, because surely he must've done something, for this felt so good he was questioning his worth as a person.
He caged the other's face with his hands, keeping him still while he angled his face to capture his tongue through a quiet gasp, meeting wetness and warmth.
He explored San's buccal cavity like a starved man, relishing in the burn in his lungs from being short of breath as he leaned back for a split second and dived right back in. The way San shivered in his hold, his body practically begging for more, had Yunho on the verge of imploding.
San was everything. From the way he let himself fall pliant in his hold and whimpered so cutely against his lips, to his half-lidded eyes looking up at Yunho with hot, sticky want.
Yunho's hands couldn't help but slide lower, finally untying themselves from the invisible restraints that were his own self control.
He explored the divine curves of his body, fingertips brushing against rock hard nipples which elicited a gasp from their owner, diving into the plump flesh of his tits and drifting lower to die onto the sinfully slim waist.
"You're so beautiful.." Yunho exhaled weakly, his digits playing with the hem of San's shirt before disappearing under the fabric. "That body of yours, it's been killing me.." he almost cursed when his palm met San's warm skin.
Suddenly, he felt the urge to nuzzle into his neck and take in his scent. The one he had been exploiting from his scarf to satisfy his perverted urges, this time from the very source. The sweet scent of musky vanilla filled his senses, and he could swear his cock had twitched in the confines of his trousers, making him painfully aware of how hard he was.
He gifted San a series of wet kisses and bites all over the expanse of his neck, the other shamelessly offering more of himself.
He was, at this point, too filled with despair and lust to care about whether or not this was embarrassing. What was embarrassing about honesty?
The kisses he was offered ignited shocks after shocks of electricity down his spine, making his body jolt in surprise and his back arch into Yunho.
"Hyung, please.." San whimpered, hips suddenly buckling up to graze against Yunho's, in dire need of friction.
His voice took on this whiny edge that was impossible to ignore, and all of this mixed with the honorific used almost sent him over the edge, but still he didn't relent and kept adorning San's neck with love bites while their hips slowly ground against each other.
"I know." He muttered in response.
Their lips soon reconciled, indulging in the other's taste while their confined erections leaked pathetically and made a mess of their clothes. San tasted like mint and beer, and Yunho sucked on his tongue like this was the sweetest thing he had ever known. His free hand got bolder, sliding up his torso and mapping out the toned muscles before he settled on his chest.
They parted ways for a split second, catching some air before going back to kissing, the action serving as fuel that enhanced the flames burning low in San's gut.
Yunho's fingers met one of his buds with purpose, circling the small area before he pinched it with his thumb and pointer, drowning San in arousal.
The manager gasped, breaking the kiss with an involuntary jolt, and the sight broke something inside of Yunho he knew would never be fixed. He was flushed crimson, his eyes teary and unfocused as the lashes glistened with tears and they looked up at him with such power he could only answer by grinding his hips down faster, harder, ignited by the shaking of San's hips.
The friction made him shiver, his cock dripping more and more precum and forming an obvious wet patch at the top, but San was in the same state so he didn't mind.
"Hyung—Ah, 'feels so good.." San, all wanton and depraved, moaned.
"Wanna come just like this?" He asked the other as he leaned down, right next to his sensitive ear before he bit the lobe.
Seeing how tightly San was gripping his shirt, how his thighs shook with each one of his thrusts, it was obvious he was close. He nodded eagerly, biting on his lower lip that already looked swollen and red.
Yunho cursed under his breath, his movements slow and deep to allow San to savor each one of them, while he lowered his mouth to his chest.
He ravished his sensitive nipples, sucking and occasionally closing his teeth around them, and San was sent over the clouds. The more Yunho played with his body, tugging and pulling on the strings of his desire, the more he whined and caved in. His mind was a hot mess, only able to focus on the steady grind of their hips and the stinging resonating throughout his whole body every time Yunho's teeth collided with his skin.
Suddenly, all of the warmth that had been building up in his lower body came to a point of no return. Yunho's breath was hot against his ear, his grunts falling right where they were needed, and San's fingers coiled tightly around his shirt. The pitch of his voice grew higher, his eyes fluttered and released a tear of bliss, and then he was letting go completely, shaking in his peer's hold.
He tensed and jolted as he came and filled his underwear with hot, sticky cum. For a second, his sight was blinded by bright lights, and he panted like a wanton animal in heat. Yunho looked down at him, all impressed and especially hungry.
"Good boy. You did so well." He praised, delivering a deep kiss to his lips and licking up the drool that had gathered there.
San whined when the other pulled back, even though his thighs shook and slowly closed.
The other thought he looked delightful with his nipples hard, reddish and adorned with bite marks, with the visible patch of wetness onto his crotch.
"Want more?" Yunho asked, leaning down to kiss along his jawline. "Want Hyung to fuck you?"
"Yeah.." San nodded eagerly again. "Please.."
Even in his wildest fantasies, Yunho couldn't have imagined this picture. "Take off your clothes." He muttered, baffled by the fact he was speaking those words to San.
The manager only complied, sitting up so he could slowly pull his shirt over his head and lower his sweatpants and underwear until they were gone as well. He was completely bare, shivers running down his spine from the sudden coldness of the air, especially since Yunho wasn't all around him anymore.
He had the prettiest body on earth, and the more Yunho's eyes drank in its sight, the more difficult it was not to jump straight to the end goal.
However, he knew he couldn't rush, knew he didn't have to, for they both wanted it and had the whole night ahead of them. He leaned closer and met San's lips with his own, gently parting his legs to caress the smooth expanse of his inner thigh.
His fingers explored him, squeezing the supple flesh as he felt San's breath stutter against his mouth. Yunho finally found his dick; it wasn't small, just about average, and he noticed it twitched under his touch, the head swollen and red, glistening with the remnants of his previous orgasm.
It made the slide of his now closed fist over the length smooth and sticky, a wet sound starting to fill the room. San whined, thighs threatening to close again but Yunho kept them as they were, kept him open and willing.
"That's it, let Hyung make you feel good." He whimpered between kisses, delving just deep enough to get a taste of his tongue while his fist tightened around his erection, gathering the precum.
He teased the slit with his thumb and watched San fall apart with a pitiful moan, using his free hand to touch lower, cupping his balls and lifting them gently, then sliding down to press onto his taint. San's head fell back immediately as he let out a choked-out whimper, shocks of pleasure biting all over his skin.
He was even more sensitive since he had orgasmed only a few minutes ago, but he didn't want to stop, everything felt too good for the thought to even cross his mind.
"Fuck— Hyung.." he exhaled; his thighs opened further as he looked up at the man. "More, please.." he quietly begged.
And what kind of man would he be if he didn't fold immediately?
He massaged his taint with measured pressure, stroking him at the same time and watching his cock drool all over his fist like a faucet. San moaned so beautifully, head thrown back in bliss, mouth agape while he momentarily bit on his lower lip.
Then, Yunho realized as he brought his fingers to San's twitching entrance, that he didn't have any lube. Before he could even mention it, San pointed towards his pants with shaky hands, "look, it's in there.."
He did, retrieving a small bottle of lube from his pocket. "San-ah, did you plan this?" He asked with a small chuckle, and popped the cap open with one hand, the other still working on his dick. "Did you come here so I could have my way with you?"
The other man keened upon feeling the cold liquid being poured all over his cock as it dropped down towards his hole. He couldn't deny coming here hoping this would've happened, but still it was such an embarrassing thing to admit, especially since he also had feelings for Yunho and wasn't interested in only this.
"Answer me, kitty." San was pulled out of his thoughts when a hand gently collided with his cheek, mimicking a slap. Unfortunately, his body reacted just as if this had been a real one, his erection twitching and releasing more precum.
"I.. I didn't.." he tried pathetically.
"Or did you have this on you all day? Just waiting for an opportunity to get fucked?" He doubled down as he discarded the bottle somewhere else on the couch, manhandling San's thighs over his shoulders, basically folding him in half. "Tell me."
San was about to speak, to explain, he really was, but then Yunho's fingers were circling his rim and all that could leave him were mewls of pleasure. He ended up nodding to the inquiries, choosing the easy path, hoping the man would stop teasing him and take him already. Arguing was just useless business, so he held himself in the desired position.
"Oh yeah? You thought about it all day?" Yunho teased again, looking down at his hole with sheer lust. He pushed one finger in, slowly, meeting little to no resistance since San had already orgasmed.
"Yeah.." he nodded, more from finally having something inside him than admitting to the accusations.
To be fair, he did often fantasize about Yunho, and unfortunately it started far before they began working together. Something about his subtle acts of dominance while discussing business or simply guiding clients somewhere; the way he would hold San's shoulder to show him where to go, place his hand at the corner of the table if San was ever to lean down, or that night where he took him home when he was drunk and leaned over him to help him undo his seatbelt.
San's heart had been beating so fast he thought he was going to die.
When Yunho pushed the second finger, he bit on his lower lip and relaxed, allowing the digit inside. The man scissored them and diligently opened San up, intentionally avoiding his prostate to drive him mad.
"I thought about it all day, too." Yunho declared in a lustful exhale, pressing kisses over San's thighs and knees.
San noticed the way he blushed, even though his was more subtle.
"I thought about.. bending you over my desk so many times."
San gasped, his face growing so warm he could barely stand it. At the same time, Yunho pressed his fingers so deep, his other hand coming to massage his taint, and the level of pleasure he felt was so high it felt like his life was being threatened, he cried out, hips shifting away from the feeling, but Yunho went after him.
He held him close, "...You would've liked that, right?" He mumbled into his neck, adding a third finger to enhance the pleasure.
San didn't know where to put himself anymore, his moans turned whiny, his eyes grew unfocused and fluttered shut as if in a trance. "Hyung.." he begged, gathering all the strength he had left to meet his hungry gaze.
Please stop teasing me, please do something, please please please.. were the very foundations of his trail of thoughts.
"I've got you, pretty." The pet name provoked irreparable damage to San's mind, but he barely had the time to register it that the delicious pressure inside of him slipped away, leaving him clenching around air.
He hissed from the unpleasant sensation, but he knew he wouldn't have been able to carry on much longer if he came so soon again. He wanted this moment to last, for Yunho to have him and for him to have Yunho in every way available in so little time. After, who knew? Maybe The other man's heart wasn't beating as rebelliously for him as his, maybe he was simply in it for the momentary pleasure.
Which San didn't want to care about, because he had wanted this for so long. If he could only get a taste, as slim as it was, he would be content.
Yunho then gently cupped his cheek and turned his face towards his, displaying a focused and concerned expression. His touch was so gentle, San was crumbling from the inside out.
"What's wrong?" He murmured.
"Nothing.." San immediately answered as he leaned up to bring their lips together, which felt like a breath of fresh air after a soon to be deadly sequence of apnea.
It was slow and almost timid, lips getting used to the sweetness of the others after such intense events. Both were lightheaded, especially San, and felt like both their bodies had merged into one and were floating above the clouds.
Before any tongues could get involved, San slowly applied pressure on the other's chest, setting a beat of distance between them.
"Hyung, how should I.. how do you want me?" He inquired shyly, well determined to go all the way.
Yunho's breath stiffened immediately, his pupils dilating at the sight of the divine object of his countless and shameful fantasies asking him, a mere mortal, how he'd like him. The question was groundless, it wasn't meant to be, for its answer could be anything San wanted. At a loss for words, he drank in the sight of the beautiful man laid out under him for a second.
"Don't move, you're perfect just like this." He leaned up to finally take off his shirt and tie, throwing them somewhere on the ground, then immediately moved to his belt.
San couldn't help but follow the movements of his hands. The beautiful, huge hands carrying long and slender digits, the ones that had been opening him up so thoroughly earlier—that almost succeeded in making him come for the second time this time. San could've been drooling for fuck's sake, since a newfound craving appeared in his mind, the one to have those fingers penetrate his mouth instead, until he would gag and tear up.
He really needed Yunho to hurry.
When the belt was discarded, he observed the outline of his peer's erected and neglected cock, probably screaming in agony. As soon as his zipper came undone, Yunho freed himself and stroked it twice with a good amount of lube.
The head was an angry red, and the girth was to be considered, San did feel a little intimidated even though his own sex throbbed at the sight.
Before he could even muster anything, San was manhandled into a position that exposed him completely as he gasped. He was nearly folded in half, both his legs resting on Yunho's wide shoulders.
"Good?" The older man whispered while San felt the blunt tip of his cock pushing against his entrance.
Once again, the feeling of warmth and giddiness took over, and all he could do was mewl and nod. Yunho let out a small chuckle before placing a kiss on his nose, then he slowly made his way inside on the tight hole.
They both let out deep exhales of sheer pleasure, Yunho's grip tightening on the armrest of the couch as he inched himself deeper and deeper. He was surrounded by hot, tight walls, almost pulling him inside with little to no resistance.
It was all real, San was there and wanted this—wanted him, that alone was nut-worthy, but what he was experiencing right now felt more like heaven than any other sensation he had ever known.
His heart fluttered stupidly in his chest, filling up San to the brim while he feasted on the scrumptious expressions on his face. The soft batting of his lashes, the frown of his eyebrows and the deep, vibrant flush of his face bathed in sweat. His inhalations were shallow, the exhales shaky and whiny as Yunho finally bottomed out.
"Fuck—so tight.." he moaned, his grip on the armrest growing weaker by the second.
San mewled from the fullness and the heaviness of his peer's length pulsing inside of him, the slow grind of his hips taking him back into a delirious headspace. He sighed with content, holding onto his arms while his head fell back, letting himself be showered with pleasure.
Yunho took the opportunity to dive straight in, smothering the Manager's neck with kisses and gentle bites, while he slowly rocked into him to get him used to the stretching sensation.
The warmth soon traveled up his body and soon, that was all he could feel.
The other let himself sink in the gentle pleasure, to feel how deep Yunho was reaching while his cock drooled some more. The pressure caused by the foreign presence grazed against his sweet spot and created sparks of something new that travelled down his spine. He gasped, "Hyung Is so—Nngh..!" San started, interrupted by a sudden thrust that knocked air out of his lungs.
Yunho immediately started thrusting restlessly, a gradually fastening pace nailing him into the cushions. "What was that?" He teased, eyes glinting with mischief. "Come on, speak up.."
The other held onto his biceps tightly, desperately trying to stay afloat despite the euphoric feeling that came with being finally railed by the person he has harboured feelings for for so long. His mouth fell open, an endless series of moans spilling out shamelessly.
Yunho knew exactly what to do when brought one of his hands back towards his chest, fondling the muscle and letting out a deep grunt as it jiggled with each thrust. "Tell Hyung how good it feels." He instructed gently, noticing the twitch of San's cock as well as how drenched his lower tummy and thighs were with precum.
The sight made him curse under his breath, wishing he could lick it all clean afterwards, and his pace fastened, not giving San the time to think, to gather his thoughts and answer him. He was dizzy, his mind suddenly made up of fuzzy cotton, and all he wanted was for it to last forever.
"Hyung's so big—" he whined pathetically, feeling his cock carving itself into his insides, making it so it could remember the shape of him, his very anatomy. "So good.. so.. so good.." he blabbered.
Yunho whimpered in response, bringing his hips down harder, reaching even deeper if possible, while his teeth claimed the canvas that was San's neck. "Fuck.. yeah, it's so good.." he muttered breathlessly. "Hyung is fucking you so good."
When he was satisfied with the art he had left on the Manager's neck, he leaned back to observe his work, fingers digging into his plump thighs for support for him to start thrusting faster. San was supple and agile, which was ideal for him to be folded in such a way and Yunho fully took advantage of this.
He watched the man squirm, his eyes filled with tears as he simply took everything Yunho had to offer. Delightfully obedient and submissive, he spread his thighs further and his hips rolled to meet each thrust the best he could; and Yunho was entranced by the motion of his muscles and the wetness of his skin, reflecting light, looking as sweet as a glazed treat.
His eyes drifted to their joining point and, completely entranced, he watched his cock disappear into the tight ring of muscles which fluttered around him more and more.
"Hyungie.. I'm so close." San whined sinfully, his thighs starting to shake. He was flushed crimson, showing his restraint and how much he had been holding onto this moment so that it could last a little longer.
Yunho immediately fastened the pace once more, covering San's body with his and bringing his hips down hard enough to create a swift series of skin-to-skin wet slaps, mingling along their moans in a filthy symphony.
"I know.. come for me, pretty. Come for Hyung." He instructed, and San's strong heartbeat couldn't have been a less obvious telltale of his state.
He was drunk, dazed with want—with the need for more, even when everything his body had requested was being answered immediately. His whole being vibrated with a boiling feeling that hurt so good, making his back arch as he hugged the man that was torturing him in the best ways.
His cock throbbed and pounded into him like no tomorrow would ever come, like the world was being destroyed just out this window, like the very universe was swallowing itself.
San's voice grew higher and whinier, tears fully kissing his cheeks now, and as a particular rough thrust was given to the already abused hole, he completely froze.
San jolted, his muscles all tensed while the walls hugging Yunho's dick fluttered and kept him buried inside like a vice.
"Fuck..! San-ah.." Yunho was knocked back into the stratosphere too fast to register, the sudden clenching of San's hole bringing him to a mind-shattering orgasm.
San painted both their stomachs with thick, hot stripes of cum, while he flooded his insides, making him feel a different kind of warmth. He slowly ground his hips, milking them dry, even though he was still shaking from the intensity of the event.
Both of them panted in each other's arms, and the older stilled when he couldn't move anymore.
They remained in this position for a few minutes, relishing in the euphoria, and Yunho let the other's legs finally fall from his shoulders, digging his nose in his neck to let the scent of sweat and vanilla calm his nerves.
San still had his arms wrapped around him, and Yunho slowly reciprocated the gesture before slipping out of him so they could be more comfortable.
He couldn't believe this was happening. None of it felt real, not the fact their heartbeats were close to matching, nor the shared body warmth.. nothing.
However, he wished to still the time so he could remain like this for longer, perhaps fearing San wouldn't want to take things further or worse, that he'd be disappointed and regret the heavenly moment they had just shared.
He was suddenly anxious, evil thoughts swarming his skull like uninvited flies, freezing him in place.
"Hyung." San mumbled, gently guiding his face towards his.
He didn't resist, but he felt so vulnerable at the moment that he didn't think he'd be able to take it if San rejected him. He praised himself for his self control and the fact he hadn't made a move on San despite constantly having him on his mind and in his dreams, but now, completely bared before him, he didn't think he could carry on.
Yunho knew all of this was well painted onto his features, so San stared at him with something sweet, then sweetened by the after-sex haze, cupped his cheeks and placed a gentle kiss onto his lips.
The same kiss that had gently initiated all of it, was now putting a period to it.
"I like you." He admitted, less than an inch separating them.
Yunho paused shortly, "I.." he stammered, head falling back against his neck to hide the fire spreading across his face. "I like you too."
San let out a little chuckle and threaded his fingers into his hair, trying not to explode on the spot. He couldn't deny the previous sense of fear that had taken over him before, because he figured Yunho was older, that he was his superior, and in conclusion he probably saw him in a different light.
Courage wasn't his core strength when things came to Yunho. However, he didn't want all of this to die into regret and confusion. Even if Yunho wouldn't reciprocate his feelings, he wanted to walk away with some sort of satisfaction.
At least we did something. He would reminisce as a consolation.
What a surprise, then, to have him like this along with the knowledge they both wanted each other.
"Let's go get cleaned up." San proposed gently.
Yunho grunted in acknowledgement, finally giving him some space, even though half unwillingly.
Even after everything, San was still glowing and looking as pretty as ever. It was unfair.
At this point, he couldn't imagine him looking unpleasant in any circumstance.
"Don't go back to your room tonight." He demanded, and the tone of his voice was almost pathetic in a way San couldn't even think about arguing. He simply nodded, heart doing dangerous gymnastics inside of his ribcage.
Monday arrived as fast as the blink of an eye, and the company's building filled up casually with employee’s hopeful to have a nice week, to conclude a deal, and perhaps get a promotion. Unfortunately, the hopeful aura disappeared as soon as they stepped into the devil's lair.
This was a funny thought, sometimes.
Yunho lingered outside the building for a few more minutes than necessary, anticipating not only the attention he and his team would receive for launching a product successfully, but only seeing San's face and acting normally, even if his brain would forget how to.
After a quick cigarette, he headed inside, and nothing really dramatic happened to his psyche. Smoking did help a bit, but it didn't feel like how it usually did.
He could barely stay in place.
He remembered having slept in the same bed as San, cuddling him until morning was bright in the sky and then leaving the hotel feeling as light as a cloud.
Contrary to what he thought would happen, San was comfortable around him. He was still polite and all, but now shameless about his intentions and bold with his touches.
He would nervously suggest they should see each other outside of work sometimes—if Yunho wanted to, of course, which he very much did—and display a dimpled smile when he dropped him off while admitting he was going to miss him. Yunho did not ignore the way he blushed and avoided his gaze, but returned the endearment with enthusiasm.
The more he remembered his interactions with San, now aware of their shared past, the more he realized that he was in fact not different from the shy rookie Yunho had known.
He was more assertive as a salesman now, because he was a great one and his numbers were mind-blowing. However, he remained kind of a shy guy, and it was a refreshing fact to be aware of.
Yunho wondered if he was the only one to have that knowledge of San, to know that part of him, and if it were the case he'd relish in it.
Walking into the office didn't wipe his thoughts away, yet he was surprised by the sight of people in identical black suits swarming their office, some of them holding a few boxes. He stopped in his tracks, and was asked to step out of the way so the strangers could walk out.
He quickly read "Audit team" on someone's badge, and immediately understood what was happening.
Yunho joined Mingi and Jiwon around his work station, and swiftly invited himself in the conversation.
"They finally got Kang's ass." Mingi pronounced cheerfully.
"That's strange. I was planning to fill in a report today." Yunho countered, his gaze falling onto Jiwon.
She didn't hold out for long, "okay, yeah, it was me." She sighed with an eye roll. "But to be fair, he did see it coming."
"Why are they taking so many files then? Were there other instances where he meddled with our business?"
"No. It's for Han Yeongil." Jiwon informed calmly. "They were working together in secret for a long time. When I got to his office, they were together. I put two and two together really fast, so it was easy to get a solid report." Yunho was suddenly reminded why nobody ever messed with Kim Jiwon around the office, her sense of deduction was sherlock-esque.
She continued, "We'd sign on items with Yeongil, and they'd sell the info to rivals because of loopholes in lenient contracts. With the new one you implemented, it wasn't possible anymore, so they decided to do something to get us to fail. I suspect it might also be because manager Choi is one of us now."
Yunho frowned, learning more about the man and his techniques almost made him sick. A sense of guilt also settled in his stomach since he somehow allowed this for a long time, simply because his environment was so inattentive, and he was as well in consequence.
If San hadn't set foot in this office, this would've probably gone on for ten more years.
Yunho felt like an absolute idiot.
"Don't beat yourself up." Mingi immediately interrupted his trail of thoughts. "We were all lenient. It's not your fault, we were just assigned a bad leader." He explained, still so caring and understanding.
"He's right. Also, we got here while Yeongil was already a reference supplier. We could only integrate that ecosystem." Jiwon added, giving him a friend pat on the shoulder. "We'll be fine from now on, especially with how good of a job we did this time."
"I second that." San stepped in, surprising Yunho.
He appeared like the first ray of sunshine after a storm, hope written all over his features. His hand found his back in a short, affectionate and yet appropriate rub, which lasted long enough for him to relax but not for anyone to consider it suspicious.
Well, anyone except his best friend, Song Mingi.
His eyes went wide, then back to normal, and Yunho didn't know what to tell him.
"I think we all did great." He spoke with a smile.
"Manager Choi, I just saw your numbers this morning. You did wonders again!" Jiwon gave him a cheerful thumbs up.
The man bowed politely to thank her. "It's only thanks to you all for welcoming me so warmly."
Ugh, he was such a sweetheart.
Yunho observed his face with scrutiny, until their eyes met and he was forced to look away. He wondered if this looked normal to everyone else, and hoped nothing was too obvious to the others. He hadn't talked with San about this, wasn't even prepared and didn't know how to behave.
Only having San next to him was driving him crazy, his heart fluttering with affection as if it was his first time liking someone. That was much too dangerous and he wondered how other people did, and especially, why?
"So... They're evaluating us soon. I know it will go well, but I was just wondering... Are you going to stay with us?" Jiwon inquired, completely unaware of the chaos she had just caused within Yunho.
The manager opened his mouth and closed it immediately, giving a quick glance at Yunho. The other stomach sank, but at the same time, did he really have the right to feel this way about San's departure?
After all, they weren't exactly dating yet.
"I'd love to, that's for sure, but if I'm required elsewhere, I won't exactly be able to refuse." San cautiously answered.
"Why not?" Yunho suddenly countered, eyes carving holes into his face.
Not exactly dissatisfied with his answer, but not exactly pleased either, since something just sounded wrong. "You can do whatever you want, it's not like they're gonna fire you."
The question made sense, even from an outsider's perspective, for he wasn't aiming to express that he was claiming San in a way, but merely wondering why he couldn't simply do what he wanted.
From what he had observed, San could very much fit into the director's favorite pet, but if he spent his whole life enforcing this role it wouldn't do him any good.
San seemed nervous, but did a great job at hiding it. He smiled warmly, "I understand your point, but there's no real guarantee."
They stared in each other's eyes, and Yunho hated that somehow, this felt like a disagreement. He wondered what San was thinking, if he was speaking because it felt like Yunho was being clingy and was subtly reminding him of his place; or rather, if he understood the other's need to see him stand up for himself and not let the higher ups walk him around like a dog.
"I think what he means is.." Mingi intervened, quickly catching San's attention. "That it might be hard for you to feel like you belong with people here if you keep being assigned everywhere." San's eyes suddenly widened, but the man continued. "And since we're all looking up to you, it would be a considerable loss."
"Oh." He mumbled. "Then I guess.. I'll carefully think about it."
"That would be great."
"Well, then I'll leave you guys to work." San concluded; a grin plastered on his face before he walked away.
Yunho watched him go in silence, and while Jiwon quietly returned to her seat, Mingi dragged his chair close to his with an interrogating gaze.
He started working, turning on his computer and tried to ignore the very non-intimidating presence of his co-worker.
"I guess what he said didn't apply to you." Yunho commented with a chuckle, glancing in his direction.
He was trying to play it cool, but they both knew something was up. "What do you want?"
"Jeong Yunho, are you having sex with the manager?" Mingi whispered, leaning closer to him not to get caught uttering such a question.
Yunho immediately choked on his own spit, suddenly pressing the palm of his hand against the fool's mouth. "What. Are you even saying?" He was filled with urgency, even though he had known it would be hard to hide anything from Mingi.
"What was that just now??" Mingi freed himself before speaking. "You spoke like some crazy possessive situation ship!" He was torn between shock and amusement at the bewildered face Yunho was making. "I'm sure even Jiwon caught on!"
"I didn't speak like that—Nothing is happening so stop talking already." There was no real bite in his words, but his best friend could just feel his need to escape the topic. "I just walked in and you're already making shit up." He added, "look, I've got so much stuff to do."
He observed him for a short moment, understanding how awkward Yunho could be and how despite being closer to his forties than his teens, he still struggled with relationships. There was a reason why Mingi was the only person he saw outside of work, and well.. the only person he saw at all if coercion was excluded.
"Yeah, right.." Mingi tsked. "Whatever is going on, you really gotta talk it out with him, you're both clearly confused."
"How would you even know?" Yunho sighed, because regarding relationships, they weren't too far off from each other. Mingi just had a better way with words and navigating his emotions than him, because he bottled up and hoped things would just go away. Truly, he was terrible.
"I'm good at relationship stuff." Mingi informed, quite proud.
His best friend let out a snort, "You've only had one relationship and it's ongoing!"
"Yes! And that's because I'm good at it!" He doubled down.
No matter how much Yunho tried to glue himself to his seat and his eyes to the screen of his computer, some traitorous sense of his would bring him back to Choi San. He would catch a whiff of vanilla and his head would immediately spin in his direction, someone would utter his name at the other end of the office and the same would occur.
He was being too obvious. So obvious, even, that Mingi noticed and gave him a deadpan face each time.
Yunho believed it wasn't his fault, that surely San could've been some sex demon that got you addicted once you've tried him but in fact, this was very much what happened before. At that time, though, he wasn't as fearful to be caught because there was nothing linking them which could create issues by being exposed. Also, he hadn't practically begged San to stay by his side then.
He let out a quiet sigh as he leaned back and realized it was time for lunch. However, he wasn't hungry and accused his simmering fear to run by San on the way to the resting area.
Yes, there had been no real argument between them, but something stranger simmered in Yunho's stomach as though he had ruined everything without it even starting.
He decided to stand up nonetheless, unwilling to let fear take over his head.
Yunho walked towards the resting area and before he could fully step inside, his eyes locked with San's. They were fully alone, and he held a cup of coffee in his hand.
"Oh, hi." He greeted him with a smile which Yunho slowly reciprocated.
He stepped to make himself a cup as well.
"I've reviewed other teams progress today." He started, and as if a switch was flipped inside Yunho's brain, he fully tuned in. "I was thinking... I know they're working hard, but if you have some free time, it'd be good if you helped so we'd be a little faster?"
"Sure. I don't mind." He answered, not surprised by the request. After all, they needed to get the results in since the evaluation was soon, and San had every right to be nervous about it.
"Thank you."
There was a beat of silence dancing between them, and Yunho felt a silent burn when he held his cup. The coffee was bitter and cheap, but it would get the world done and perhaps erase the nervousness invading his mind.
"And also—"
"Have dinner with me tonight." Yunho interrupted him, "sorry, what?" He then realized he had been too blunt, but the bottling up could only be resolved in such a way.
San was quiet, mouth opened in surprise before he quickly closed it and chuckled. "Nothing." He shook his head, noticing that the quickening of his heartbeat as well as the warmth he was experiencing wasn't from the beverage in his hands. "Is that gonna be a date, then?" He lowered his voice and brought the cup to his lips, and Yunho's eyes rebelliously tied themselves to the flush on his cheeks.
"I'd hope so."
Then, San stood up in an attempt to throw away his empty cup and even though Yunho was standing in the way, he didn't feel like moving. He looked at him with intent, forgetting all sense of decorum as he leaned towards him and cautiously slipped a hand around his waist.
They were so close, wrapped up in a comfort that didn't have its place right there, where anyone could walk in, but it forced itself upon them and Yunho stole a kiss he had been needing ever since their lips parted the night before.
It was gentle and chaste, didn't last more than a few seconds but did irreparable damage to Yunho's mind.
Immediately after, he felt the urge to dive back in and give him a real kiss, something he would be feeling for weeks, something that would leave the very taste of himself against his lips.
They sadly parted ways, and San suddenly seemed completely unable to look him in the eyes. He was out of breath, the tip of his fingers tingly and numb.
Yunho intended to throw the worries under the bus but as soon as he stepped closer, two women entered the resting area, casually ingrained in a conversation. They greeted them both politely before moving to the coffee machine, and Yunho barely had the chance to look the manager in the eyes as if to transmit how much longing he still had yet to express, before they parted ways.
His mouth felt bitter, and it wasn't from the cheap after taste of caffeine.
Yunho did try to go back to work afterwards. He really did. He was focused, squinted at words on the screen, wrote down random things and squinted at the paper this time, then squinted at the screen again and the cycle repeated.
The automatic shuffle of paper and pen scratches tried and failed at keeping him from thinking about San and their dinner, their date.
Yunho hadn't had a date in ages, he couldn't remember the last one he went too, and even though before he didn't mind this about himself, a drop of anxiety was creeping up inside him. He figured they would be fine, it couldn't possibly go as bad as he imagined, especially if he thought about what to say beforehand.
He was going to ask more about San's life outside of work, and share a casual amount of information. Not too much, just enough for San to end up curious and eager for the next date. This was the perfect plan, Yunho had it all figured out.
When they met outside the building, San was wearing a coat and a scarf, and this time Yunho had also been prepared for the winter air. There had been news on his tv as he left for work, informing of the possibility for the first snow to arrive today so he actually had the time to ready himself.
"Let's go." Yunho said softly, guiding him towards the place he had in mind.
It was at a walking distance from the office; an Italian restaurant that wasn't too popular yet, so they took his reservation without too many struggles—and yes, the place was recommended by Mingi because he actually had someone to restaurant hunt with.
It was a cozy place, welcoming and warm, not as noisy as another place would be around that time. San looked around intently, apparently pleased with the choice.
Even if there were beautiful paintings on the walls and a trendy yet traditional aesthetic, Yunho couldn't seem to look away from San. The way the warm lights reflected on his honey skin, the placements of his moles and the twinkle in his entrancing eyes.. all of this was much more satisfying to observe than the rest.
They settled at the table and ordered. Yunho once again, admiring the ease in which San pronounced the name of each dish, as if it wasn't his first time there.
"Do you speak Italian?" Yunho suddenly inquired, catching his attention.
"Oh, yes. I spent some time in Italy when I was younger." He spoke softly. "...but I thought you knew that when we got here."
"Lucky guess." He shrugged, mentally thanking Mingi and his odd coworkers’ knowledge he got through bootlicking. There were indeed some perks to it.
Yunho knew he couldn't just sit there and admire San, but the man was making it difficult to think of things to say. Luckily, he was saved by the waiter who provided their dishes, filling their glasses with red wine.
"It wasn't for long, though. My father just kept traveling because of his job, so I kind of got dragged along the way with my mother." He continued before taking a sip of his glass.
"Must've been hard as a kid." Yunho answered, his heart pinching at the thought of San ever being in a stressful situation like this.
"It was. It was hard to struggle to get familiar with certain things and then having to start all over again a few years later."
Yunho nodded slowly, realizing Mingi's words from earlier had maybe hit too close to home despite the intent, as well as his. He didn't comment on it, because he was a coward of course, and didn't want to make their date about what had happened.
There were things to be said, but his stomach hurt just thinking about letting them leave his throat.
"But at least I can speak five languages now." He added to brighten the mood.
Yunho was genuinely impressed, "Maybe that's why buyers always ask for you on the phone." He joked.
San let out a laugh, "No, that's because my voice is pretty."
Yunho immediately nodded, lips curving in a mischievous smile as he recalled the moans of the other. "I know."
The manager paused for a moment, looking at him skeptically and when he finally understood, his face turned into a pretty pinkish color. "You're impossible, I didn't mean it like that!" He fake scolded as a laugh erupted throughout the sentence.
The dinner went by, lightheaded and amusing, just as Yunho had planned. San told him more about his childhood in Italy and his struggle while learning the language, and Yunho listened intently and asked more and more questions. He was just genuinely curious about him, beyond the physical attraction, he exuded something that got the other addicted beyond normalcy.
San did ask about him as well, even though there was clearly less to be said. He didn't travel much as a kid, and didn't struggle too much in school because he yelled and fought any bully that would target him; that succeeded in giving him a bad reputation, but ensured he wouldn't have to deal with this for the rest of his life.
His stories were casual, but San smiled through every word and seemed especially impressed with his diligence.
He also believed it was his best quality, but having the man of his dreams complimenting him felt different.
After they were done, San offered to pay, but he was faster.
Overall, the date went well.
They walked out and made their way back towards the parking lot, and it had gotten so much colder in the meantime that their hands found each other with no difficulty. All of this felt so natural, that Yunho was starting to wonder if this was real, if this was normal and made sense.
They existed in each other's silence, peacefully observing the street lights and the scenery of a very alive city. Yunho tightened his hold without noticing, because despite having San so close, he missed him. He wanted him closer. He wanted more of him, desperately.
The level of joy in his body was unquantifiable; sharing this moment, being in his presence, brought him the kind of feeling he had sworn didn't exist in the past. It felt better than anything else, but in parallel, it was scary.
Very much so.
If being this close to him sent him overflowing with a mix of longing and avarice, and being in the same office made his restless, what would happen if San left completely? How could he ever be able to bear it without going completely insane?
They finally stopped at San's car, their fingers not untangling for even a second, before San turned to fully face him. It was like he could read the doubt in his eyes, and aimed to heal it with the softest kiss ever.
"You're still overthinking." San smiled with sheer amusement and perhaps, nervousness. His free hand came to rest on Yunho's cheek and the other shamelessly leaned into the warmth of his touch.
"I don't want you to leave." Yunho admitted, the tip of his ears turning bright red.
Even though he was highly surprised, San's smile didn't lessen. "I know."
Yunho's gaze locked onto his; hopeful, round eyes similar to a puppy's, silently begging to be adopted. He looked so very sad, so very conflicted, and San didn't know what to do with himself.
He knew Yunho wasn't that much into relationships—which was obvious considering his obliviousness to San's obvious flirting—so he understood how overwhelming this could feel.
Or at least, he could project how overwhelming he felt from having fallen for him so quickly and so intensely. Sometimes, even looking at him tugged at his heart painfully.
"No, not that—I.. it's not—" he paused, letting out a quiet sigh to gather his words and line them up logically. "It's about me. I don't want you to leave, because I.. I'll miss you too much."
San was frozen.
"I know, this is stupid.. I can't dictate what you do, but I wanted to be honest." He added, "I really, really wish you would say because I'd just.. miss you so fucking bad."
He felt completely embarrassed, face all hot despite the freezing night air. He hoped San wouldn't be able to feel his racing heartbeat, or notice how blurry his eyes had gotten. Yunho really stood there in the cold, asking San to stay like a greedy and self entitled asshole, simply because he knew he would die if he stopped seeing the man everyday. Which was dramatic because they would literally still work in the same building, but oh well...
The hand holding San tightened its grip again.
"Hyung." San started, his voice trembling slightly. Then a small laugh fell from his lips and he stepped closer to him, until he could wrap his arms around him in a soft hug. He rested his cheek against Yunho's shoulder, and could barely stand up from the euphoria he was experiencing.
He trembled slightly, not trusting his voice or anything else, while butterflies swarmed his stomach. He felt as if he was floating.
"Of course I want to stay, and of course I'd miss you too." He confessed, enjoying the shared warmth of the hug for much longer than necessary. "I think I was just scared to assume because what we have is.."
Yunho reciprocated the embrace with fervor, the strange insidious restlessness that had taken over him evaporating completely. He felt much more at ease, and in consequence, the awful impression that despite having San with him, they were still far apart from each other, bid him goodbye.
"Then let's change that." Yunho proposed, slightly leaning away so he could look into his eyes as if to transmit just how determined he was. "Go out with me, San-ah.."
The other didn't give him a vocal answer, he physically couldn't; the sheer weight of pure, unbridled affection he had for Yunho was completely paralyzing his vocal cords. Looking back, the feeling was so similar to what he had known when they first kissed.
That feeling that got him quiet, shy and yet bold enough to link their lips together in a feverish and passionate kiss.
Just as the one they were sharing, while a single snowflake descended from the sky to bless the magical moment.