Thank goodness for Fridays. 

Not only was the atmosphere in the office lighter than the rest of the workweek but it was also casual day too, which meant that Amina could appear relaxed on the outside even if turmoil swirled around on the inside.  With her turquoise denim skinny jeans, a plain fitted white tee, and pumps, she finally caved in and headed off towards the shared coffee/break bar to tank up on her single allotted cup of java for the day.  Of all days, today was the day she needed to hear the sound of boisterous laughter and everyone’s plans for the upcoming weekend.  It kept the worries at bay and prevented her from conjuring up guilt ridden thoughts.  Not that there had been many, mind you.  Yes, somehow, in some twisted sick way, the rational and logical thinker inside her decided to make an appearance last night.  She came with a vengeance, overriding any remorseful, self-depreciating thoughts, catching her completely off guard.  Because while in the middle of feeling scared, tired, and distraught, for the first time in a long time she felt…

Alive.

It felt strange.

It felt completely wrong. 

At a time where she could well be losing it, here she was - suddenly filled with a hungering need to gather more knowledge about Boss’s condition.  It was as if a light switch had flipped on and suddenly she could see again. 

Maybe it was because she hadn’t been back in the medical field in awhile.  Or maybe it was the way the two surgeons last night kept intentionally speaking over Youngbae’s head, upping one another like it was a contest that pissed her off royally.  Or maybe it was the bleak sadness she found in her husband’s eyes that made her defenses come out.  Whatever it was, she felt a stirring need to seek out all the options available for a friend that had been her beacon of light throughout her dark lonely nights.  She owed him this and more.  Because if these were to be Boss’s final days with them, then she’d make sure he’d live them out in comfort.

Yes, she knew.  Even though she only dealt with humans, she had seen enough patients when she was under Dr. Park’s employ to see all the signs that death was near.  From the lack of appetite and dehydration, to the shallow gasps for air and pale gum lining.  She just couldn’t bear to tell Youngbae.  She wouldn’t take that away from him.  Not when there was a good chance that Boss could survive from surgery and make it through. 

God, she prayed Boss would make it through.

As soon as she arrived at YG, Amina confided in Yun Hee and felt thrown for a loop to learn that news of Boss had already spread throughout YG.  Of course, she thought foolishly to herself.  Youngbae was on his phone all evening while they were waiting for surgery to be over.  He must have tweeted the news while they were at the hospital.  She would have known that little piece of information had she kept up with social media. 

I’m such an idiot.

Of course he’d let everyone know about Boss.  It would be inconceivable to think about a world with Taeyang and no Boss.  The two were inseparable.  His fans would want to know if anything happened to the small hound that had been a constant companion since almost the beginning of his debut years.  In fact, Youngbae could probably use all the encouragement right about now, she told herself.  Between his family, his friends, and his fans, Youngbae would have all the love and support he needed to get through whatever cards Life dealt him.  He had a strong system in place, was already way ahead of her in that regards.  If anything bad were to happen, it was highly unlikely that he would fall into depression the way she did, Amina predicted.

But she found herself worrying anyway.

Worrying about Youngbae.

Worrying about Boss.

As much as she tried to rationally temper her rising fears, it wasn’t enough to cast away the image that burned in the back of her mind whenever she remembered the look in Youngbae’s eyes. 

The look of hope. 

And because of hope, Amina’s stomach churned in knots and she barely ate any lunch.  It was nearly two o’clock and Youngbae still hadn’t called her.  She kept checking her phone every thirty minutes to no avail until she finally forced herself to stop.  She could feel herself becoming more anxious and worked up the longer she thought about his call.  He was probably still sleeping, she reasoned.  He knew to contact her as soon as he received word from the hospital.  He knew how much she worried about Boss.

Although surgery had gone well – even better than well, in fact, despite the additional muscle hemorrhage found, there were still a lot of complications that could occur.  As a result, Boss was under strict observation before he could be released, just to make sure there weren’t any adverse affects from the prolonged spinal compression and anesthesia.  It made every passing hour feel like agony.  She wouldn’t rest easy until he was back home with them.

“Unnie?”

Amina turned around at the sound of a familiar voice, the empty coffee cup going unnoticed in her right hand.  Her lips parted with uncertainty as she took in Yuri’s wide eyed gaze.  “N-neh?”

Yuri eyed Amina with curiosity, her eyes traveling up and down Amina’s length until she landed on the familiar YG logo ceramic mug.  “You work here?” she concluded with surprise, spotting the same cup she had in her cubicle.

Amina checked the mug in her hand and gave Yuri a small smile.  “Neh.”

“When? Uh… I mean, how?” Yuri floundered, her eyes large and owl-like.

“I just started yesterday,” Amina explained.  “Although today might be my last…” she trailed off as a familiar sight behind Yuri caught her attention.  She focused back on the young girl.  “Excuse me,” Amina rushed out and quickly left the area, heading straight towards an approaching Youngbae.

With her heart stuck inside , Amina’s footsteps quickly ate up the concrete pavement as she met Youngbae halfway down the hall.  She could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins and her knees begin to shake, as her nerves and fears started to get the best of her.  “What is it?  What’s going on with Boss?” she breathlessly asked, already concluding the worst in her mind.

Youngbae shook his head, not wanting to cause more alarm than he could already sense from Amina’s disposition.  Her face was pale and her eyes were glittery, panic-stricken.  “Nothing’s wrong,” he slowly drawled out.  “I just thought you might want to go with me to see Boss-ah.”

Amina let out a heavy relieved sigh, her hand immediately going over her pounding heart.  She threw eye daggers in his direction.  “God, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” she growled in pure annoyance.  “You nearly scared me!  I thought something bad had happened!”

“I did,” Youngbae replied, a half-open smile forming on his lips.  “You didn’t pick up.”  He slowly scanned her from head to toe, checking her out with obvious admiration.  He smiled smugly to himself.

“You called…?” Amina knitted her brows, glaring at him with a dubious expression on her face.  There was no way.  She checked before she left to get coffee, so he must have… Ugh!  “Calling me when you’re in the parking lot isn’t the same thing as telling me that you’re coming over to pick me up.”  She gave him an exasperated look.  “Let me go grab my things.”  Turning on her heel, Amina started heading back to her desk. 

She could see him trailing behind from the corner of her eye.

She could hear him quickening his footsteps, brushing her shoulder as he walked closer.

She could feel the warmth of his hand...

… sliding inside the back pocket of her jeans.

Amina jerked in surprise, only to feel the pressure of Youngbae’s forearm wrap around the small of her back.  “Bae-yah!” Amina quietly admonished, sliding to a standstill.  She couldn’t move even if she tried.  Because suddenly she found herself locked within his tight embrace, right there – in the middle of the empty hallway. 

With his hand, still in her back pocket.

Youngbae grinned into her outraged face.  “Did I ever tell you… how good you look in a pair of jeans?”

The compliment, so out of place and so unexpected, made Amina’s cheeks burn bright red; made her heart pound loudly in her ears.  Her eyes constricted with embarrassment while worked, her mind searching quickly for the right comeback.  She dismissed his flattery with a shake of her head and raised a haughty brow.  “It’s ironic that I have to wear a belly band in order for me to look good in a pair of jeans.”

He grinned wider.

“And don’t try to change the subject.  I’m still mad at you,” she retorted half-heartedly.

He chuckled, the vibration shooting straight through her chest.  His eyes slowly perused her face with avid interest.  “With so little sleep, I’m surprised you still have the energy to be mad at me.”  Youngbae gently tucked an errant strand of hair behind her delicate ear.  His eyes softened, his voice deepening with concern.  “Aren’t you tired, jagi?”

Amina slowly shook her head, her body relaxing against his.  She reached up and gently the silver cross pendant on his chain, brushing her knuckles against the fine white cotton of his t-shirt.  “I’m fine…” she quietly reassured him.  The sound of distant footsteps approaching could be heard.  She stiffened.  “Someone’s coming,” she whispered, pressing lightly against his chest. 

He dropped his arms and she stepped out of his embrace.  Amina continued walking towards the executive offices, right as another YG employee from marketing passed by.  She could hear them greet Youngbae behind her, asking about Boss.

“Neh,” Youngbae replied.  “We’re… I mean, I’m going to see him right now, actually.”

“What’s taking so long?” Amina anxiously asked.  “Did you tell them we’re here?”

Youngbae nodded, his eyes filling up with concern.  “Neh, I checked in right when we got here… forty minutes ago.”  He creased his eyebrows.  “Lee sajangnim called earlier to say that we could stop by anytime to visit.”  He shook his head in confusion.  “I don’t know what the hold up is.”

They were back at Irion Animal Hospital, waiting for their chance to visit Boss.  Initially, they thought it would be a simple event.  Sign in and then go back to where Boss’s “room” was located, where they could see how he was faring after enduring the lonely night stay.  Considering the 24-hour, around the clock hospital care, any adverse affects from surgery would have been reported to them by now.  There shouldn’t be any reason why they couldn’t see Boss right away. 

Unless…

“I’m going to ask again.” Amina tersely bit out, the determination etched on her strained face.  She strode over to the receptionist’s desk and politely bowed to the ancient ajummoni that greeted her.  They spoke quietly for a few seconds before the woman peered around Amina and curiously spied on Youngbae.

She stood up from her seat.

Amina started following the grandmotherly lady.  She glanced over her shoulder and jerked her head towards Youngbae, indicating for him to follow them.

He caught up to Amina right as the employee led her through the back-lit hallways.

“What… how’d you do that?” he whispered lowly.

Amina looked back over her shoulder, her eyes scanning his signature snapback and sunglasses, his bracelets and rings.  How that lady couldn’t recognize his infamous profile was beyond her.  She slowed down enough to speak quietly into his ear as they progressed along.  “I told her you’d give her a private dance afterwards…”

He eyed her incredulously, his steps faltering to a halt.

It took a split second for her to realize that he had stopped completely.  Amina let the old receptionist worker continue onward while she paced the last few steps back, laughter filling her chocolate brown eyes.  “Bae-yah,” Amina grinned, grabbing hold of his hand.  “C’mon,” she tugged. 

He stared straight ahead and didn’t budge. 

Amina quirked her head at an angle, seeing the stubborn set of his jaw.  “Really?”  Smiling to herself, she went back and tucked her arm inside the crook of his elbow, securing him against her side.  She rubbed his bicep with her free hand as her eyes devoured his y stoic profile.  “C’mon oppa…” she pleaded with a pretty pout.  “You can keep your shirt on if you’d like.”

He let out a huff underneath his breath and looked stiffly away, his jaw tense as he gritted his teeth in mock anger.

Amina giggled softly, pressing her forehead against the ball of his shoulder.  She quickly sobered and straightened.  “I just told her it was your dog, that’s all.  And then she remembered her granddaughter is a fan, so I said I might be able to get an autograph.”

He swung his head towards her.

“You used me,” he accused without heat.

She lowered her voice provocatively.  “Neh… But you like it when I use you.”  Amina could see the reflection of her eyes in his sunshades as they stared back suggestively at her.  A small impish smile curved her lips.  “C’mon…”  She let go of his arm and started walking without him.

He didn’t move.

With an exasperated sigh, Amina turned back around and reached for his hand once more.  She tugged lightly and they walked a couple of steps before she let go.

He stopped.

Amina rolled her eyes.  She grabbed his wrist and gradually pulled him towards her.  Her eyes filled up with amusement as she watched his foot barely inch forward.  She continued pulling and he kept moving, like he was suddenly disabled and needed her guidance.  Amina glanced up and spotted the wayward grin on his face. 

She pressed her lips together, muffling an aggravated squeal deep in .  “Enough!  You’re wasting time!” Amina reprimanded, a wide smile splitting her own face.  She tsked under breath and firmed her grip, turning around to march away.

She didn’t get very far.

He tugged hard, jerking her back.

“Mwuh?” Amina whined, scrunching her nose up at Youngbae.  He grinned and began pulling his hand that was gripped crudely in her clasp, up between their bodies.  He started gingerly peeling off her fingers one by one as he lowered his head.  Amina shivered slightly, feeling the warmth of his nose nuzzle underneath the fall of her hair until his lips were perfectly aligned next to her ear.

“I thought my private dances were for your eyes only…” he murmured.

The heat from his breath wafted teasingly against her lobe, making her dizzy with ual hunger.  She didn’t even protest as he pulled the last of her fingers away and entwined their fingers properly.  She could only nod, the barest of all nods. 

“N-neh…” Amina sputtered breathlessly. 

He slowly straightened, but not before pressing his lips against her rosy-hued cheek.  He eased up a little and took in her soft blush, her dilated eyes, her red pouty lips… He eyed her face thoughtfully.

Youngbae cocked an arrogant eyebrow.  “What did I tell you about teasing me?”

Amina blinked.