Minho and Jonghyun didn't bother removing their shoes when they entered Jonghyun's apartment, the soles clacking against the glossy wood floors as they made for the livingroom.

"What the hell is up with that place?"  Jonghyun groused, moving behind the small bar to pour himself a nightcap.  "Try to get one server's name and flirt with one dancer, and suddenly you're treated like the scum of the earth."

Minho, who'd made himself comfortable in a chair, raised a sleepy brow.  "To be fair, hyung, we really did ignore etiquette.  I shouldn't have grabbed the server, and you shouldn't have tried to pick up on that dancer-- especially given the situation."

"Hey, hey, hey..."  Jonghyun held up his hands as if Minho were crowding him.  "You can't blame me for taking what was probably the only opportunity I'd get to talk to him.  Maybe the situation wasn't exactly conducive to my cause, but it was all I had."

Minho tilted his head.  "Point taken."

"Didn't expect the dancer to be such a firecracker, but I liked it."  Jonghyun sipped his drink, wincing ever-so-slightly as the liquor burned in his throat.  "It's refreshing to see someone with such spirit."

"Spirit?"  Minho's face twisted.  "Uh... I suppose you could call it that.  I guess I just prefer a more subdued personality.  A little fire is good, as long as it's not explosive."

"But the dancer was hot!"

"I prefer cuteness; I'm not really into flashy types."

"So, what you're saying is..."  Jonghyun sauntered over and took a seat on the couch across from Minho.  "Your type is that server."

"And you're saying that your type is that dancer."

"We need a gameplan."

Around the same time Minho and Jonghyun were conspiring, Key and Taemin dragged themselves through the front door of the small apartment, tired and achy from the long night at work.  Key kicked off his shoes, then promptly collapsed onto the couch and began massaging his feet with a groan.

"Those guys tonight..."  He grumbled irritably.  "What a couple of jerks.  I despise dealing with patrons like that."

"I don't know," Taemin breathed tiredly, sinking into the basket chair.  "The one with the big eyes, uh... Minho?  He seemed nice enough the first time I met him.  Wonder what was up with him tonight."

"The first time you met him?"  Key echoed.

"Neh.  He was the guy I thought was an alcoholic awhile back.  I told you about that night, remember?"

"Taemin, listen to me," Key said gravely.  "I want you to start being more careful.  We get patrons, sometimes, that... take things too far.  It usually only happens to the strippers but I want you to start being more wary.  Don't be getting too friendly with that alien-- or any of the patrons, for that matter.  It's just not a good idea."

"A-araso," Taemin mumbled.

"Well, I'm going to bed," Key announced, rising from the couch.  He stretched his arms high over his head, lowered them when the dizzy spell struck, and trudged to his room.  Once his head settled onto the firm rice pillow, his thoughts momentarily wandered back to that alien-guy's accomplice-- the one that looked like something out of the Cretaceous period.  Key snorted with disgust when he thought of how that guy had tried to pick up on him while he was trying to protect Taemin and earn a damn living.

What a jerk.

A cute jerk, but a jerk nonetheless.

A week later, Jonghyun and Minho strode nonchalantly toward the doors of the club.

Considering the scene they'd made at the event, they decided to wait awhile before coming back.  It would allow enough time for things to settle down a bit, and for the bouncers to forget their faces.  

They flashed their ID's quickly and started heading in.

"Not so fast," the bouncer said, clamping a meaty hand on each of their shoulders.  He spun them around roughly.  "I remember you two."

.

Minho and Jonghyun exchanged innocent, puzzled looks.

Jonghyun waved a hand between himself and Minho.  "I... I'm sorry, remember us?  You must have us mistaken for--"

Sangchu delivered a light smack upside Jonghyun's head.  "Don't play stupid with me, half-pint, I was there when you two started harrassing a dancer and one of our servers that night."

Minho and Jonghyun tried -- and failed -- to not look guilty.

"Listen up, boys," Sangchu growled.  "If I hear about anymore trouble from either of you, I'll personally see that you are both not only banned from this establishment, but also ejected from the building-- via my boot in your .  Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Minho said calmly, stepping out of Sangchu's grip.  He grabbed Jonghyun by the sleeve and towed him into the building.

It wasn't very busy yet, so finding a place to sit wasn't a nightmare yet.  They took their seats at a table, watching quietly as Joon undulated and danced the pole.  

"He's really good," Jonghyun commented, nodding with approval.

"Yeh, very impressive," Minho agreed.  It was undeniable, what with how Joon's muscular physique could be both powerful and graceful at the same time.

The two continued to stare at the stage, biding their time.  As they had predicted, it didn't take long for Key to materialize out of thin air.

"What are you two doing here?"  He huffed, a fist on his cocked hip.

"Huh?  Oh."  Jonghyun politely, but minutely, acknowledged the fuming dancer.  "Anyong."  He smiled a little and dipped his head in a small bow, then returned his attention to the stage.

"I asked what you were doing here," Key snapped.

Jonghyun slowly turned his head.  "Calm down.  My esteemed colleague and I are just enjoying the show."  

"Indeed, we are," Minho concurred with a nod.  "Good dancer, that one.  However, we'd like to order some drinks, and I think he's a bit busy.  If you'd be so kind, could you please send over the waiter we had last time?"

"I beg your pardon?"  Key nearly yelled, eyes rounding out.  Oh, the nerve of this guy!

Minho raised his hands in a show of peace.  "I promise not to lay a finger on him, ok?  I just want to order a drink."

"Then you should be fine with any other waiter," Key spat.  "They all do the same job."

Minho shook his head, blinking slowly and wagging his finger like a windshield wiper.  "No, no, no.  I'm asking for him, specifically, because he's good at his job."

Key wasn't buying it.  "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean he's good at his job," Minho repeated deliberately.  "He's quick and efficient, and he's never gotten an order of mine wrong.  No spit in my drinks, either."  He beamed at the visibly incensed dancer.

Key didn't need his cute nose to know that something was fishy.  However, since they weren't technically doing anything wrong, he was without a foothold.  He leaned over so that he was between the two men.  "I will send Taemin," he snarled, "but you two had better behave while you're here."

"This place is really, very thorough," Jonghyun said airily.  "We got this same welcome speech just outside the front door."

Gritting his teeth, Key rose, his heel and stormed away.

Taemin turned up a few minutes later.  He eyed the mischievous pair with dubious eyes.  "What can I get you to drink, tonight, gentlemen?" 

Minho smiled genially.  "I'll take a bottle of Asahi, please."

"And I'll have a gin and tonic," Jonghyung piped up.

Taemin just blinked, dumbfounded.  

Why wasn't the alien grabbing at him and pressing for a name?

Why weren't they stumbling over their words, like usual?

Why were they suddenly so lucid and aware of what the hell was going on?

And why the hell did they suddenly know how to order a damn drink?!

"Uh... are you going to write down the order?"  Minho asked kindly.

"Y-yeh."  Taemin scribbled the order onto his pad.  "I... I'll be right back with those."

As soon as he left, Jonghyun and Minho surreptitiously bumped fists.

About an hour later, Taemin brought Jonghyun and Minho's second drinks to the table.  His eyes first widened, then narrowed, when Minho laid a very hefty tip on his drink tray and locked their eyes.

"Is that worth a chat after your shift?"

** A/N:

Feels so good to update again!  Sorry I had to leave you all hanging for so long, but I hope this made up for it. ^^  I will try to keep my update time to a more reasonable space from now on, but it gets hard at times.

I hope you're all enjoying this.  I'm pleased at how this chapter turned out. ^_^

Thank you all for reading and sticking around, don't forget to comment and tell your friends.  **