They have been kept occupied with serving customers all day long. It was a whole lot more tiring than they had expected from just being a waiter at a café. But then again, it was probably because the waiters here have to act as butlers. And a butler have things getting done much more differently, one must always present the best manners for every conceivable situation. The head butler had consistently drilled them with the basic understanding of proper etiquette for the services available at the café.

For instance, normal customers are usually brought to the main tables. But there are customers that would come for business purposes especially those who are associated with the café. These types of customers are first-class priority and they must be led to a private area, separating them from having any unnecessary commotion. It is the responsibility of a butler to ensure things go on smoothly and fulfill the requests from the customers without any failure.

“Perfection in providing these services comes first above all” T.O.P stated firmly.

These are only a portion of the rules; the others are mostly about manners. To give a realistic acting as butlers, they must be aware to keep a straight posture at all times, greeting the customers when they entered and bowing respectfully when they took their leave. Those didn’t bother them much, though.

But what did bother them were of two things. It was definitely those two major reason that had made them burned out to their core.

The first was that they were required to smile to their customers, whether it was just an occasional smile or not. They must show it at least twice to each and every one of their customers, especially the female ones. The problem was that both of them hardly ever give a smile to anyone at all. They have forgotten how to smile normally. It took a lot of tries for them to actually get themselves remember to start smiling, a forceful smile that is. It was terribly awkward that their smiles had turned into a smirk instead. Thankfully the girls seemed to think it was somewhat one of their charm points.

Second was the hardest, it was something both of them would take forever to get used to. The number one rule of ‘The Butler Café’ is that every butler must refer to their customers by addressing them as ‘My Lady’ or ‘My Lord’. It is an absolute rule that one must abide and should not break at all costs. The person at fault shall face the consequences from the head butler, or worse the wrath of the owner himself who took the concept of the café very seriously. So indeed they had no choice but to obey the rule, not really up to making the owner showing his true nature any time soon. An awkward smile comes along almost instantly as they said those words, trying their hardest not to cringe visibly.

“Thanks for the hard work boys!” Jaejoong came to bid them farewell as he gave some of the café’s bread as gifts. The five worn-out boys said their good byes and bowed to the beautiful male owner before getting on the awaiting bus.

The three close friends had already made their way towards the back seat, conquering their usual spot. Not really caring or feel anything awkward about sitting close to each other until their shoulders knocked against themselves, legs tangling messily on one another but not one of them bother to pull away. Jungho seemed like he was dead tired as Jihoon lent him his shoulder to lie his head on while Yikyung was even bolder as he invited himself to fall asleep on Jihoon’s laps casually as if it was normal being in such position and Jihoon didn’t care as he was too far gone into the realm of dreams.

Heungsoo remembered having a taste of that bond a few years ago, so it’s understandable why he longed for that kind of contact in a way. He couldn’t help but feel just a small little tiny bit of envy of their unshaken relationship. But of course, the older boy would never admit that out loud.

There were many empty seats inside the bus, Heungsoo opted for the one on the left side and sat beside the window. He saw from the corner of his eyes, Namsoon headed to sit on the right side of the bus, probably just across his seat. The younger boy sat on the other seat beside the window, and instead of facing forward though, he faced Heungsoo. The older boy had managed to ignore the other boy’s glazed stare being casted upon him.

He was doing a great job on putting off the attention Namsoon was trying to express. After minutes of not a single response from the older boy, Namsoon had reached his wit’s end and almost immediately Heungsoo sensed the burden of the stare had been completely lifted away from him. The older boy almost let out a sigh of relief, until he felt a familiar presence made itself known beside him.

Heungsoo realized that Namsoon had moved from his previous seat to sit beside him.

“What are you doing, Saekki-ya?” He gritted out the words.

“Trying to make a contact with you” Namsoon fearlessly responded.

“Why?”

“You said we’re in the process of making up” Namsoon stated.

“And why are you using that line on me now?” grumbled an irritated Heungsoo as he looked outside the window, admiring at nothing.

“Why did you carry me back to the bed the other night?”

The younger boy directly flung the question at him, Heungsoo stunned to the very core. He knew that the boy would eventually ask him about it. But Heungsoo didn’t expect it to be like this, he was caught off guard. The older boy was busy so much that day; he didn’t have time to come up with a believable excuse.

He turn his gaze from the window and stared at the back of the seat in front of him, nothing came in mind

"Heungsoo-ya" Namsoon softly called his name as the boy bent a little attempting to make an eye contact.

The older boy finally heaved out a sigh.

"You were shivering cold last night..."

Heungsoo avoid looking at Namsoon, focusing his eyes elsewhere.

"I didn't want you to catch a cold so I..." He couldn't continue on his words, he buried his face in embarrassment with his hand.

Heungsoo heard a chuckle coming from his side. Catching a glimpse of Namsoon who had formed a gentle smile onto his feature. He swore his heart had skipped a beat just by the sight of it.

Then he felt a hand firmly holds his own, slowly removing his covered face. The other hand smoothly caressed the side of his face, ushering him to face the younger boy. Heungsoo had no other choice but to look into Namsoon's eyes, left drowning in the intense gaze. Everything about the boy had him mesmerized, his clear luxurious eyes; his messy tousled brown hair had made his feature looked adorable as hell. Not to mention those luscious red lips that had made him almost lost control of his actions more than once.

The older boy was so lost admiring how Namsoon had gotten cuter these past years. Until he finally noticed the younger boy had drawn close to him, way too close. Heungsoo had snapped out of his distracting focus and bang his head backwards against the window glass hard.

"Ow! Just what the hell do you think you're doing, Saekki-ya?!" Heungsoo winced as he pressed down at the back of the head, attempting to relieve the pain.

"Trying to thank you?" Namsoon blinks dumbly at him.

"How does thanking someone needs to be so damn close?"

"Because I need to do this..."

Namsoon suddenly leaned forward, trapping Heungsoo in that fairly closed space. The older boy hadn't had the chance to even think of an escape before the other had landed an innocent kiss to his cheek. Leaving Heungsoo in a whole new dimension of being utterly dumbfounded.

The younger boy pulled back, looking uncertain of what he just did. A faint blush creeps into his face, making him triple times more adorable than usual. Heungsoo felt that self-control of his starting to get thinner.

Namsoon stared back at the dazed Heungsoo and mouths out,

"Thank you for taking care of me last night"

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They had arrived back at the resort; it seemed they were the last to head back to their room. The boys met Teacher Jung who had been waiting for them, like a mother who worries for her children that had not come back home yet. She asked some questions on how their work had went, and thankfully Yi Kyung was energetic enough to respond to her. Not long after that, she told the boys to get some sleep, knowing that they were almost on the verge of dropping down to the floor and sleep like the dead.

Jungho, Jihoon and Yi Kyung had dragged themselves to their room, while Namsoon and Heungsoo went into their own. 

"Gonna take a shower first, if that's okay with you?" Namsoon asked.

"Sure.." Heungsoo absentmindedly replied, sitting down on the queen bed.

The sound of the bathroom door closing, hardly registered in his mind, as he stared listlessly to the floor. Currently his thoughts are filled with the boy who had taken away every ounce of his focus just by saying those godforsaken words. The incident earlier had repeated itself in his mind again and again.

"Thank you for taking care of me last night"

Heungsoo blushed red, palming his face in embarrassment.

Those words sounded so wrong in every way. If it's even possible for one's mind to be pure, they wouldn't have mistaken those words for something else. But the fact that Heungsoo is definitely not that innocent, he truly had thought he had done something else to the younger boy that he hadn't noticed, so rechecked his memories of last night.  

That night Heungsoo had only lifted the boy and put him in bed, not really feeling him up despite the urge to do so. And then, he had kissed Namsoon's forehead. That he remembered, but it was out of an old habit. He used to do that to Namsoon all the time when they were young, whenever he wanted to the boy to know that Heungsoo cared about him. Namsoon would return his gratitude towards the older boy with a kiss to his cheek.

'Old habit dies hard, I guess'

Heungsoo smiled as he touched the cheek Namsoon had kissed briefly. Even though the kiss was on his cheek, the younger boy's lips was really as soft as he had imagined. What would it feel if it was on his own lips instead?

The older boy froze.

'Wait, what in the ing hell did I just-'

Lips as soft as he had imagined? Wondering how it would feel on his own lips?!

His brain was a in a havoc like some wage war by now, it was literally throwing spears at one another, explosion erupted here and there. Heungsoo couldn't think straight anymore. Same goes for his ual preference, apparently. But he hasn't really found an interest in anyone in general, so Heungsoo can't really know for sure. Although the fact that he had never reacted to anyone this badly except for Namsoon was something he had to admit. From the day he had met Namsoon, Heungsoo had only paid attention to him more than anyone else. Does that mean he was only attracted to the younger boy? Or was it just because the boy had been the only person who had ever managed to come close into his life and not just passing by?

Heungsoo simply did not understand what his feeling towards Namsoon was. He is in complete confusion, eyebrows were drawn down as he thinks, staring hard at the cupboard in front of him.  

Until suddenly a good vast of exposed wet skin with a white towel that hung low to cover someone's waist and below, appeared in his vision.

"Heungsoo-ya?" He heard a familiar voice rang through his mind.

He looked up only to meet with a freshly-out-of-shower Namsoon. It still didn't fully register in his brain as he leisurely took pleasure in roaming down from the other's wet hair, down to the depth of his hollow collarbone. Following the droplets of water on the boy's chest, lining south towards his refined abs and disappeared soon after it was absorbed by the towel. Realization finally struck into him, as he immediately looked back up and stared in disbelief at the sight. Heungsoo had finally noticed that he was looking at a wet Namsoon. A very wet Go Namsoon.

"OH MY ING GOD." Heungsoo lauched himself backwards and trying his best to tear himself off from staring at a very wet half- Namsoon.

Namsoon blinked off in wonder, "Uh... thanks?"

"No! I didn’t mean it was- Urgh. Never mind. Why didn't you just call my name instead of shocking me like that?"

"I did several times, but you didn't listen because you're busy staring off. What were you thinking so hard about anyway?"

'My feelings for you' to hell he'd say that.

"Nothing you should care about, I'll be taking a shower" Heungsoo swiftly grabbed his towel and is in the bathroom in a flash.

Inside the shower, Heungsoo changed the temperature to its coldest. Drenching down the hotness he felt just now because of that oblivious punk that had him almost unleashed his inner beast. Definitely no one other than him could ever have an effect this much on Heungsoo. That idiot bastard, Go Namsoon.

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Heungsoo finally finished his long shower, feeling much better than before. Stepping out of the bathroom, he saw Namsoon had already fallen asleep but this time it was on their shared bed. The older boy gave a small smile, he was glad the boy finally understands that he had no reason to sleep on the couch.

He went to change into a simple t-shirt with black sweatpants and strides to the bed, slipping inside the cover. He faced away from Namsoon, since he thinks both of them needed space, especially him. Heungsoo needed to clear his mind. He closes his eyes hoping to find some sleep.

But a voice stopped him, "Heungsoo-ya, are you awake?"

The older boy shoots his eyes opened. He contemplates on replying the other or not. Pretending to be asleep sounded like a great idea to avoid any unwanted questions Namsoon seemed to love attacking him with. But then again, he was curious what Namsoon has to say so he forced out a hum in response.

He felt Namsoon shifted from his position, probably facing Heungsoo’s back.

"What are we now?"

Silence drifts through the air. Honestly, Heungsoo didn't know how to respond to that. He was already fumbling around on figuring out exactly what were his feelings for Namsoon. And to go so far as to think what they actually meant to each other is something Heungsoo had not even dared to delve into yet. They knew it better than anyone how complicated their relationship had become. Both of them unsure what to make of their current 'friendship', supposedly to be fixing up due to their messed up past.

What had they used to be like before? One who would always be there for the other no matter what, one who would protect one another without a hint of hesitation, one who needed each other because no one ever did want to know them, one who would each other's wound in times of dire situation. A friendship close to true friends, almost like brothers.

A few years passed, the bond before had been torn apart, and what were they left with now? Not even close to being normal friends, leaving themselves in distortion of guilt and agonized. They had never been in a serious fight with each other before; it was always with someone else. That was why they had no secret between them. They knew the way each other thinks, almost too well that they were not even sure what the other were thinking now. This is because both of them struggled to hide their own feelings, putting up the best poker face they got; making it hard to judge the other like they always had been able to do so easily in the past. 

The way they were still so awkward yet so familiar to each other when they're alone was terrifying. To stir things up in havoc, Heungsoo was in every possible word for confusion as he was slowly growing affection for this boy, and it wasn't in a 'friendly' way. An impossible situation it was.

A relationship that doesn't fit in any category, that was them now.

“We won’t be like we used to, I know that. But we won’t be able to have a normal friendship either won’t we? Because of that mistake, because of me… even so I-“

"Go to sleep, Saekki-ya. Now’s not the time for this.” Heungsoo gave a stern respond.

“Just hear me out, okay?” Namsoon softly pleaded.

The older boy did not say anything; it could have been a reply of a silent refusal or consent. The younger one assumed it was the latter, so he continued heavily.

“Even so, I still wish to be around you. It sounds so selfish of me, not wanting to let you go after all that, isn’t it?”

Namsoon laughed half-heartedly, but Heungsoo’s heart clenched painfully at the confession.

“I bet you’ve probably gotten sick of seeing the guy who ruined your life every day… I get that. I don’t deserve to be in your life any more, let alone to be your friend but still-”

“Stop this, Namsoon-ah” Heungsoo abruptly cut off Namsoon again, his body turned to Namsoon, elbow supporting his weight as he looked at Namsoon from above.

Heungsoo stared into the boy in the dark, faintly made out the lines on the other’s flawless face reflected by the moonlight outside.

Namsoon maneuvered himself into a sitting position, in line with Heungsoo’s sight.

“Listen to me, please?” the boy gave him an earnest look, and once again found himself in silence.

Namsoon took in a breath, heaved back out a sigh as if the words alone weighed tons. The boy looked down, dragging out word by word inside him.

“But still, I couldn’t bring myself to leave you. I’ve told myself so many times to just stop appearing in your life, that my presence would remind you of the pain and hurt you all over again...”

Namsoon sounded shaky. He was about to say something when the boy suddenly looked up at him. His reddened teary eyes could be seen even with the hazy light, had struck the older boy shut.

“Yet I simply cannot let you go, what should I do?”

Heungsoo was at loss of words. The boy had been conflicting himself with those thinking all these while? Because of something he said out of anger, Namsoon grew so insecure? He needed to reassure the boy that Heungsoo was no longer being held captive by rage. And that he realized it wasn’t hatred he had had for Namsoon, it was just him being so derived with disappointment of Namsoon turning his back to him when he needed the boy, it was mistakenly ingrained in his mind that it was hate he felt for the other.

Heungsoo needed to let Namsoon know, his feelings towards the boy were anything but hatred.

“Then don’t” Heungsoo stated.

“What…?” Namsoon blinked out a tear, face contorted in confusion.

Heungsoo wipes out the tear with his hand, thumb caressing his cheek gently.

“Don’t let me go”

Their eyes locked with each other, both trapped in a trance. Unknowingly, the distance between them closed in. Heungsoo was pulled into his long-time desire, the atmosphere was inviting him to make the move. He doubted, hesitating himself at first but the very last string of his control had snapped just as Namsoon fluttered his eyes close. He could no longer hold back as he used the tips of his fingers feathered against the younger boy's face as the distance between them disappeared.

The gentle brush of the other's soft lips on his felt almost divine. Heungsoo needed more of it. He never wanted it to end. The older male pressed on firmly than before. He closed his eyes just like the other and maneuvered his hand onto the back of Namsoon neck, the sensitized skin faintly as he deepened the kiss. From time to time they had to break off the kiss for air, before savoring the other's taste once again. Not wanting to feel the breeze of reality just yet, Heungsoo continued on Namsoon's bottom lip as he it every so often. It wasn't until he heard Namsoon gasped aloud when the older boy bit lightly on the other's ravished lips, that he suddenly have a clear image on what he was doing to the boy. He snapped out from that moment of absolute trance.

He pulled away, shocked. Quickly, Heungsoo retreated every parts of his body that had been somehow attached to the other.

Namsoon opened his eyes in daze, wondering what happened. And then his eyes widened, seems like he too had come back to his senses.

Both of them were dreaded by the silent, it was practically cutting them off alive. Heungsoo stayed frozen, watching Namsoon aimlessly looked away, hiding a seemingly prominent blush across his feature. 'What the hell had gotten into me when I made a move on him?!'

He noticed Namsoon's adorably reddened ear and those swollen red lips he had just thoroughly ravished. Heungsoo could still taste the sweetness of the younger boy's lips. He was starting to feel weird waist down, quickly tearing his gaze of the boy. What was wrong with him all of the sudden?

"Anyway let's just go to sleep" Heungsoo mumbled as he swiftly turned his back to Namsoon and lay down on the bed.

"Y-Yeah..." Namsoon stuttered out a reply, doing the same as Heungsoo. 

And now with their backs facing each other, they pretended to dwell in their slumber. But deep down both of them knew, starting from tomorrow, it was going to be one hell of an awkward day and probably for days to come.

They have no recollection of ever falling asleep that night.

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The next morning came as the sleepless night went passed them. They haven’t uttered a word to each other, not even daring a glance afraid of meeting the other’s gaze accidently. Because of what had happened last night.  They had crossed on the dangerous border, and there was nothing they could do that would erase the memory of that incident.

“What a great day today! Perfect for baking breads~” Yikyung cheerfully said.

“What does weather have to do anything with baking bread?” Jihoon snickered.

“Everything! When it’s sunny, you’re in a good mood and your bread will be happier too!”

Jihoon bursts into laughter.

“Are you hearing yourself right? That happy-virus baker teacher of yours has seriously damaged your brain”

“He had done nothing! If anything, he taught me the way to appreciate the way of life!”

Jungho scoffed at that.

“Yah not you too, Jungho-ya! What… are you siding him this time?”

“I never said anything about siding anyone” Jungho blatantly noted.

“But you scoffed at me! Yah.. President Go, Hyung-nim~ help me out a little” the boy whined.

Yikyung wound up his arm around Namsoon and Heungsoo from behind, making them bumped onto each other. Both of them tilted their head intending to scold the annoying boy, only to come face-to-face with each other. Almost immediately, the two of them jolted away from Yikyung’s hold, it was of so much force that it had caused the boy to crush onto his friends behind him.

“-What in the hell?” Yikyung muttered, bewildered by the reaction coming from the two boys.

They saw the two of them turned their backs against each other, avoiding any eye contacts. Namsoon had one of his hand covered his mouth, while Heungsoo coughed in the most awful faked way possible.

“Did something happen to you guys last night?” Jihoon asked, curious.

They noticed Namsoon turned flush red at the question.

“L-Let’s just go to work” Namsoon said abruptly, as he rushed into the café.

Heungsoo was about to make his move until he felt a dagger of eyes scrapping through his back.

Sighing heavily, he turned around and a lie passed through his lips smoothly than he had expected “We just had a fight, now move your to work”

He saw the three boys grinned and it was definitely not in a good way, Heungsoo just knew trouble will come tumbling after to find him and Namsoon sooner or later. But right now, he better get to his job.

The three delinquents silently watched the former gangster went into the café, before turning looking at each other. Smirking.

“So it was just a ‘fight’, huh?”

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was as the usual crowded place in the café just as soon as it was opened for customers. Heungsoo and Namsoon were already suited in their rather fashionable uniform. The younger of the two had already taken off the bunny ears, feeling much too irritated by the amount of people saying that he’s cute with it. Even the male customers had complimented him, and that was when he made up his mind the bunny ears had to go before his masculinity ran away forever.

The café were extremely hectic compared to yesterday, their boss was also impressed by the sudden increased.

“I think they came because of you two” Jaejoong who lingered around the counter, observing the new baristas gleefully said to them when they took the ordered drinks.

And then he specifically requested for his butlers to provide more of their ‘customer service’. Letting out a silent grunt, they proceeded serving their ‘Lords’ and ‘Ladies’ with their boss observing them from a far.

Namsoon was done delivering the drinks and took a step back to take orders on another table when all of the sudden he tripped onto something and fell backwards. He readied himself to take on the impact.

But nothing came.

There was someone who held it up from falling, and he ended up slammed onto his savior’s body instead of the cold hard floor. The café grew deadly silent as all eyes were on them.

He looked up to meeting the all too familiar pair of eyes. The man who saved him was no other than, Park Heungsoo. Namsoon couldn’t help but kept on staring the man who was holding him firmly. He felt and arm snaking around his waist, keeping him standing still.

“Meow”

Namsoon flinched when something brushed his heels. Both of them looked down, it was a cat. An elegant Russian blue cat is currently its paw nonchalantly.

“Jiji-ya~ I’ve been searching all over for you!” A voice shouted throughout the momentary silent café, they looked behind them and saw Jaejoong swiftly jumped over the counter, heading their way.

Almost immediately the cat hissed and made a run, but ended up getting caught by Jaejoong anyway. The cat had given up fighting after the café owner lightly behind its ears, a purr emitted from the feline. Jaejoong looked back up to Heungsoo and Namsoon who were in dazed, the dazzling male raised his eyebrow at them as if questioning.

Namsoon followed Jaejoong’s gaze, assuming it was at Heungsoo. The older man also did the same, thinking that it was Namsoon, their boss were questioning at.

And then when the people around them broke into squeals and whispers, only then they realized that both of them are still in such a position that could be easily misinterpreted.

They turned red.

Hastily their faces that were so close before immediately retreated. Heungsoo’s arm wrapped around Namsoon also had been pulled away, cleared his throat awkwardly to the side. Namsoon hurried to compose himself by fixing up his uniform in place and bowed to the customer he served previously, muttered an apology for disturbing their time before went to someplace else.

Heungsoo on the other hand recovered quickly as he was brought back into his cool butler mode and asked Jaejoong’s permission that he’d go to the private area wanting to serve in a quieter atmosphere for a while.

And Jaejoong allowed it.

Studying the quick steps of Butler Heungsoo from behind as he continued to his now agitated cat in his arms. Jaejoong was still contemplating on the situation.

Then the owner made his way back to the counter where Jungho and Jihoon were doing their job.

“Is it just me or did something happened to those two?” Jaejoong leaned in front of the counter with a feisty cat named Jiji starting to scratch the counter for freedom.

“Boss, I think that cat needs some air?” Jihoon backed away from the angered feline.

“She’s fine, she loves me- Ow!” Jiji bit Jaejoong’s hand in retort and finally the cat escaped once again.

“Aish.. Jiji!! Come back, you need to stay in your room! Damn it, now I gotta find her again…”

“Are you okay Boss? That bite looks deep” Jihoon asked, pointing at the blood flowing from the wound.

“I’m fine, this happens all the time~ Anyway about Heungsoo and Namsoon?” Jaejoong asked again, unperturbed by the blood.

“Yeah, something definitely had happen between those two” Jungho confirmed and handed Jaejoong some tissue. The owner uttered a silent ‘thanks’.

“Heungsoo said they just had a fight” Jihoon added.

“I wouldn’t call it was ‘just a fight’, seeing that incident earlier” Jaejoong stated.

“We didn’t buy that lie either” Jihoon agreed.

Jaejoong smiled wickedly. The two baristas shuddered in fright.

“Well then, it seemed I have some interesting mission to do next! …after I find my beloved cat, that is”

The owner motioned to hop away happily soon after.

“Why do I feel like we’ve just sent those two into a demon’s lair?” Jihoon spoke.

“It’s their problem, not us” Jungho said.

“True enough. They’ll probably survive anyway”

“Probably”

Thus the baristas continued wiping off the glasses clean.

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Nope it shouldn’t ended that way at all haha. But I felt like I need to update, because it’s been a AGES since I did. I’m sorry for the supreme late update ;w; I promised to write long but I’ve got work so it took too much time and need to inform you the story isn't dead XD BTW I LOVE JIJI SO MUCH OMG. Lol.

Thank you for subscribing my lovely 160+ subscribers and my beloved 7 voters!

P/S: Next chapter will a lot stuff going on. Spoilers? New characters, a photoshoot, and someone from HeungSoon’s past appeared?!