“Himchan.” Youngjae asked, looking up from his work. “About that favour, do you have a spare lamp or some extension cords lying around?”

            “Tell me what the new guy’s desk was like first.”

            Youngjae sat straight up, “Oh no I forgot!”

            “You are impossible! Go back tomorrow!” Himchan ordered and then groaned. “I need a better sidekick.” The pretty man’s strange obsession with having the best collection of furniture on the floor was still going strong and he seemed really disappointed.

            “But what about the lamp?”

            “Order one from distribution. A courier is passing through our Shelf today and you can give your order to him.”

            “But the distribution Shelf is so far away!” Youngjae groaned. “It’ll take forever to get here!”

            “Delivery time is only a year,” Himchan shrugged, “When do you need your lamp? Yours work fine right now.”

            “I need it tonight!” Youngjae buried his face in his hands.

            “What happened to your box of supplies anyways?” Himchan asked. “It’s gone! Where’d you take it?”

            “I gave it away.”

            “Youngjae!” Himchan shoved his friend, “You have such a bleeding heart.”

            “What does it matter? I have everything I need.”

            “But , you could have traded your box for a lamp and extension cords.” Himchan groaned. Honestly, sometimes Youngjae was impossible!

            The boy’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t think of that! But nevermind, it’s in good use now.”

            “When I get promoted,” Himchan said, “You must not give any of my stuff away, got it? Tattoo it on your arm in case you forget. A guy three rows over does great tattoos with pen ink and needles. I’ll pay for you.”

• • •

            Youngjae decided to order a cushion from distribution, then after some thought, decided to order another for Daehyun. He delicately filled in his Shelf number and desk location on the flimsy paper the form was printed on.

            “When’s the courier coming to our row?” Youngjae asked Himchan, who was surrounded by a pile of work but not doing any of it. It all seemed to disappear by the end of the day though.

            “I don’t know, soon. Now be quiet.” Himchan his lips and carefully stacked two more cards onto the card tower he built on top of his desk. He ordered the pack of cards from Distribution last year and it arrived a month ago. For the annual floor talent show, Himchan had showed off his new found card balancing ability. Youngjae thought his routine was pretty dull, but most people were too busy staring at Himchan’s face to care.

            “Do you want to order something?” Youngjae asked.

            “Not really.” Himchan looked over at Youngjae’s form, “Two cushions? Really? Is one for your boyfriend at the end of the row?”

            “No!” Youngjae squealed, “Well—yes! But he’s not!”

            Himchan chuckled.

            “Shuddup. He’s pretty cool okay? He parachuted here from a higher Shelf. I think that’s really brave.”

            Himchan suddenly choked and spazzed, his card tower toppled over. “Are you serious? Why would he do that? I bet he even had lights and stuff!”

            “And real windows set into real walls! But I don’t know. I think he fancies himself to be an adventurer. Rank and hierarchy stuff doesn’t really matter to him.”

            “But a parachute? That’s really dumb.”

            “He didn’t bring anything with him, just the parachute. I think he wouldn’t have minded if he hit the bottom of the force shield and flew into outer space. But I guess he got bored falling and not doing anything and decided to hunker down on our floor.”

            “Luckily for you,” Himchan wiggled his eyebrows and Youngjae rolled his eyes, blushing.

            “Oh, is he why you need the lamp then?” Himchan asked Youngjae, earnestly, “Because I’ll call in some favours for you.”

            “You would?” Youngjae asked, eyes wide.

            “Sure! Don’t say I’ve never done anything for you buddy,” Himchan grinned, and the pretty older man turned back to his cards. “Now be quiet, I need to make six storeys.”

• • •

            “Courier! Courier passing through!” A tall kid with a baby face walked down the row, two large, worn messenger bags slung across his shoulders. He collected the envelopes people handed him and put them into a pocket.

            “Here you go,” Youngjae gave him the envelope, “Thank you.”

            “No problem!” The kid grinned charmingly and turned to Himchan, “Anything for you sir?”

            “No, no. Go on.” Himchan gestured.

            Youngjae turned to his friend, surprised. “You always order something!”

            Himchan shook his head. “Not this time. I don’t need anything. I’m all good.”

            Youngjae did a double take. “Are you serious? Did the Kim Himchan just say he didn’t need anything?”

            “Yes!” Himchan said, “I’m quite content!”

            “Okay,” Youngjae peeked at his friend over the top of a book, and searched his face for signs of redness or sweat that would indicate a fever.

            “Stop looking at me like I have two heads!” Himchan ordered.

• • •

            “Delivery for Yoo Youngjae!” The baby faced messenger cried as he walked back down the row. It was dark now and Youngjae had fallen asleep on his desk. At the sound of the voice, he sat up.

            “Uh?” Youngjae asked half asleep, he didn’t remember any orders he had made that would have come in at this time.

            “Here you go,” The baby faced boy placed a handsome black lamp and what must have been half a mile of extension cords on Youngjae’s plain wooden desk. “Some guys on the other side of the building asked me to give this to you.” The delivery boy wore plain fatigues and had a nametag pinned to his chest that proclaimed him as Zelo.

            Youngjae raised his eyebrows, impressed. Himchan sure worked fast. “Thank you so much.” He beamed at the young boy.

            “No problem!” Zelo smiled rather fetchingly, showing all of his small white teeth.

            “Here,” Youngjae rummaged around his drawer before finding a small metal box, “I don’t have any credits with me, do you want this cookie? You can have it.”

            “A real cookie?” Zelo gasped, “Oh no. I can’t possibly!”

            “No I insist. I ordered from Distribution and never needed it. It’ll probably do you more good than me.” Youngjae handed Zelo the box.

            “What does it do?” Zelo asked, awed.

            “Something like increase your speed or memory for the next 48 hours.” Youngjae shrugged, “I forgot.”

            Zelo munched on the cookie and sat by Youngjae’s desk. “Oh man,” He says between mouthful of delicious crumbs, “You are really neat.”

            “Thank you?” Youngjae wasn’t sure if neat was some new messenger slang or Zelo was actually complementing his desk.

            “So whadduya do?” Zelo asked. He didn’t seemed to be in a hurry, he must have finished all of his work for the day already.

            “I’m an accountant. I crunch numbers and file things.” Youngjae explains.

            “Where does all the paper go though?” Zelo patted the stacks and stacks of neatly filled out forms on Youngjae’s desk.

            “People with carts come pick it up weekly to bring it to higher floors. What about you? Where do you go?” Youngjae was always a bit curious about messengers. When he was younger he wanted to be a messenger. He though the job probably beat the monotony of sitting at a sitting Desk everyday.

            “I’m an upper.” Zelo said.

            “Excuse me? You want supper?” Youngjae asked.

            “No, I’m an upper!” Zelo giggled, “That messenger talk for a courier that only goes up the tower.”

            “What?” Youngjae asked, “Only upwards? Forever?”

            “Yep,” Zelo smiled. “Even though I go up one floor a day, so far I’m still nowhere near the top. I don’t think I’ll ever get the opportunity to make a round trip!”

            “Wow.” Youngjae blinked, the scale of the tower scaring him a little. “But what about the mail that needs to go down?”

            “Oh, I leave those in the basket for the Downers,” Zelo shrugs, “That’s messenger talk—”

            “—For couriers that only go down the tower?”

            “Yep you got it!” Zelo smiled cutely and brightly, before becoming sad, “I don’t know though. I’m so lucky to have been picked as an Upper courier. Downers have the short end of the stick in every way. All the Shelfs I visit only get better and better since I go up. But Downer’s go lower and lower into worse and worser conditions. Even their name . Maybe you should have saved your cookie for a Downer.”

            “Oh no, I wanted you to have it,” Youngjae said quickly, before Zelo got too upset.

            “Really? Okay!” Zelo grinned, “Thanks!” Then boy’s face became conspiring, “By the way, do you mind if I stay at your Desk today? I want to know how it feels like to actually put my head on a desk and sleep instead of curling up in an aisle on the floor like I always do.”

            “Oh,” Youngjae felt terrible, “Its not good to sleep on the floor! You can have my chair today!” The accountant got off his red chair with the massage capabilities (it belonged to Himchan up til yesterday) and offered it to Zelo.

            “Oh, but what about you?”  The messenger asked.

            “I have to make a trip anyways,” Youngjae picked up the lamp and the heavy extension cords before heading left. “See you later! Keep my spot warm!”

            Zelo showed him a happy toothy grin and waved, before tentatively sitting down on a chair and putting his curly head of hair into his arm, imitating the sleeping people around him. The messenger grinned happily and closed his eyes for a nice, long nap.

• • •

            Daehyun was wallowing by himself in the semi-dark. Although the shallow light of other lamps surrounding his desk casted a weak glow on his station, it was too dark for him to see enough to work. Not to mention he was quite anxious about Youngjae, who still haven’t visited him today yet. He started to spin slow circles in his chair, darting back and forth like a nervous dragonfly. Finally he couldn’t take it anymore and ducked under his desk.

            Taking furtive glances at the working people around him, Daehyun confirmed that they were all too busy to notice anything suspicious he might do. He grabbed his heavy bag and dragged it to where he was sitting cross legged under his desk.

            Carefully opening the flap of the bag revealed a blank, dark screen. Daehyun had told Youngjae the bag contained a parachute, he had lied about that (he ditched the parachute once he had landed, since he wouldn’t need it anymore). Instead the bag enclosed the single most important thing—no, not a thing, it was an entity—that this tower contained.

            And Daehyun was in charge of it.

            “Wake up.” He whispered to the screen. It buzzed before glowing a light grey colour. A single white struck through the middle, like a smiling mouth.

            “What is it now?” The screen asked. The white line wavered with its soft, electronic voice. It sounded almost exasperated, if it was even possible.

            “Did you get rid of Himchan yet?” Daehyun asked It.

            The screen sighed, its white line did a funny squiggle that would have made Daehyun laugh, if he wasn’t so anxious.

            “I’ve taken care of it.” It affirmed.

            “But where is Youngjae then? How come he still hasn’t come yet?”

            “How would I know?” It asked.

            “Oh, you would know.” Daehyun narrowed his eyes.

            “Don’t abuse my power, boy. I’m too overtaxed today to take care of all of your little problems.”

            “Do you think he is with Himchan?” Daehyun asked.

            “He is always with Himchan.” The screen replied, silencing when it saw the displeased look on Daehyun’s face.

            “I wonder what would happen if I toss you overboard?” Daehyun asked It, tilting his head towards the abyss.

            The screen laughed. “Eternal slumber, for you and the rest of the occupants of this Tower.”

            “Why can’t you be more helpful?” Daehyun asked, scratching his head in an annoyed fashion.

            “And why can’t you grow up faster? He is coming.” With that said, It buzzed off into hibernation mode. Daehyun closed his bag in a hurry and nearly bumped his head on the edge of his desk as he peeked out. In the distance was the silouette of his love, walking towards him with something bulky in his arms.

            Daehyun ran up to meet him, an excited smile on his face.

            “Oh hi, I didn’t know you’d still be awake,” Youngjae blushed. “Here is the lamp I found for you.”

            “I was waiting for you!” Daehyun blurted out. He took the lamp and the cords out of Youngjae’s hands. “Here lemme hold that since you had to walk all the way here.”

            “Sorry I took so long!” Youngjae apologized shyly, genuinely sorry he fell asleep.

            “No, it’s my fault. I’m always making you do things for me!” Daehyun said quickly, eyes on Youngjae’s face.

            “Oh no! But I’m the one offering my help in the first place!” Youngjae laughed.

            “Don’t be like that!” Let me make it up to you somehow!” Daehyun bumped his shoulder into Youngjae’s playfully.

            “For goodness’s sake, will you two get a cubicle!” A pretty woman with short brown hair suddenly yelled from her desk. “I’m trying to work over here and I have no time for you disgusting mushy romance crap!” Her statement was greeted by cheers from the rest of her tablemates.

            “W-wha-?” Youngjae looked absolutely embarassed.

            “Here, take this!” The pretty woman took something from the lining of her red dress and tossed it at the two, the small package bounced off Daehyun’s chest and fell to the ground. The two boys were both too shocked to pick it up, although Daehyun was pretty sure he should just leave that lying on the ground, or else Youngjae might get wrong impressions about him.

            “Yeah Hyosung! Tell them what’s up!” Another woman with long brown hair high fived the voluptuous queen of the Shelf. To Youngjae’s horror, he realized the two woman were Hyosung and Sunhwa, two of Himchan’s best sources of gossip. He turned and began hightailing away but it was too late.

            “OMIGOD, Youngjae? Yoo Youngjae, is that you?” Hyosung cackled menacingly. “This is too good! Too good!”

            Youngjae stuttered. His big pleading eyes searched for Daehyun.

            “I can’t believe my eyes! This is not possible!” Sunhwa fanned herself with her hands. “Not Yoo Youngjae!”

            ‘What do I do?’ Youngjae mouthed.  Daehyun looked bewildered and slightly amused.

            “Whooot! Youngjae!” Hyosung teased, “Who is that hottie you have with you? Here, take another one of these!” Hyosung got another little foil wrapped package out the pocket of her red dress and tossed it and the two boys. Youngjae felt like a monkey at a zoo, being tossed peanuts. Except those weren’t peanuts.

            “They are like, so cute together!” Sunhwa giggled. “Toss another at them!”

            “Yay!” Hyosung cheered, and was in the process of getting another out of her red dress when Youngjae snapped out of his daze.

            “Run for it! Run!” He pushed Daehyun, with the lamp and cords in his arms, and the two dashed towards the older's desk.

• • •

            When they arrived, Daehyun placed the lamp on the desk and plugged it in.

            “Oh god, I can still see them.” Youngjae whimpered on the side. Himchan’s crazy acquaintance ladies were only twenty or so desks away. The voluptious brunette in the red dress was twinkling her fingers at them and winking over the bowed heads of other workers.

            “Duck down here!” Daehyun sat under his desk, lamp in hand, and motioned at Youngjae. The younger crouched and Daehyun pulled him into his arms.

            “Wow, the place under your desk is so quiet.” Youngjae observed, tucking his legs to his chest. It felt so…intimate somehow. Usually his life on the Shelf had no privacy at all. Everyone was in each other’s business. But being under the desk like this suddenly made the world seem much smaller and more manageable.

            “Its my safe haven.” Daehyun beamed at the boy in his arms. Youngjae was yawning. It had been a long day.

            “I feel so secure.” Youngjae felt his eyelids closing. He was too tired to fight the wave of exhaustion that hit him. Before he knew what’s going on, he had rested his head on Daehyun’s shoulder, and the handsome man let him with a smile on his face.

            “Good night Youngjae,” He murmured, before kissing the other on the head. He turned off the lamp. Leaning against the back of the desk and each other, the two fell asleep, radiating warmth.

            Inside Daehyun’s canvas bag, the guardian of the Tower made an annoyed but satisfied noise before manually shutting down.