The sound of the waiters bustling around in the casual bistro is mixed with the hushed, curious murmurs of the customers as they talked amongst themselves, asking the strangers beside their tables if the four young men in suits lounging in the bistro's outdoor tables are indeed who they appear to be.

 

"Is that really Choi Minho or am I just imagining things?"

 

"The two Kims are there too! Kim Kibum and Kim Jonghyun, right?"

 

"That's Lee Jinki! Lee Corporation's youngest CEO ever, right?"

 

The young men seated at the circular umbrella-covered table have decided to occupy the tables outside the bistro to attract less attention, but it seems that everywhere they go, people would be sure to recognize them. So instead of getting angry at the onlookers who were blatantly ogling and talking about them, they just decided to ignore them. They've gotten used to it, anyway.

 

So they enjoy their weekly lunch on this lazy Wednesday afternoon. They purposely clear their schedules at this time of the week to make way for time with their special circle of friends, and everyone in their individual companies knows that. They know that they are not to disturb the four men from spending their precious Wednesday lunches together, seeing as all they ever do on every other day of the week is work, work, work.

 

The chicken on Jinki's plate is eaten to the bone as he leans back in his chair and starts up a curious as the elder of the Kims feeds the younger his salad.

 

"So, Minho, how have things been with you and Taemin?"

 

Minho groans as he places his fork back on his plate, not getting the chance to savour the pasta he just ingested, "Why is he all we ever talk about?"

 

"Hey," Jinki raises his hands in defense, "I was just trying to make conversation. If you don't want to talk about him, then let's talk about something el--"

 

"It's fine, it's fine." Minho hurriedly takes back his previous words, ears tinged with red, amusing Jinki to no end, "What do you want to know?"

 

"Are you still trying to get rid of him?"

 

"... No."

 

"You were trying to get rid of him?!" The leaves of the salad that the blonde was bringing to Jonghyun's lips fall off of the fork during his outburst.

 

"I said I'm not doing it anymore, so what's the big deal?" The youngest in the group pouts, something that he would never do in the office.

 

Jonghyun flicks off the salad leaves from his lap and blurts out, "What made you change your mind, then?"

 

The younger freezes up for a moment, not quite knowing how to answer that question. Since when did he stop sabotaging the safety of Taemin's position, anyway? Was it the day the brunette told him off for being an ? Was it the day the brunette stopped him from hurting himself? Was it the day he made him blush by calling him 'sweet'? Minho does not remember when he stopped deliberately acting like a jerk to his assistant, but he resolves that he does not need to remember, as long as he does not do it again. He crosses his arms, looking away, trying to look nonchalant as he says, "He's... not that bad."

 

Minho prepares himself for an onslaught of teasing and over-exaggeration, but nothing of the sort happens. All he hears is the sound of the cars rushing by and the murmurs of the nosy people, no mocking voices. When he finally turns his head around to look at his hyungs, he is greeted by shocked expressions on their faces.

 

Well, except for Jinki, who has a knowing smile on his lips, instead of the gaping mouths Kibum and Jonghyun have on.

 

"Are you saying," The blonde begins dramatically after getting over the initial shock, "that you are actually satisfied with your assistant?"

 

Minho ignores the burning feeling in his neck and rolls his eyes, "Why does that surprise you so much, hyung?" Kibum does not reply, waiting for the younger's answer. He is gripping onto his chair's armrests, literally on the edge of his seat as he anticipates the answer. Jonghyun is in the same posture.

 

The younger can only sigh in defeat as he finally admits it to his friends and himself, "Okay, okay. Yes, I am satisfied with Taemin as my assistant."

 

The three men almost jump in their seats when Kibum suddenly raises his maniccured hand in the most Kibum-like fashion, exclaiming, "THIS CALLS FOR CELEBRATION!" He snaps his fingers, and it is almost as if he magically conjured a server from out of nowhere, "WAITER, BRING ME YOUR FINEST WINE, GOOD SIR!"

 

"Kibum," Jinki laughs at the over-acting blonde, "It's one in the afternoon. I don't think this is a proper time to be drinking wine. We all still have to work after this, remember?"

 

"But--"

 

"Bummie, he's right. Now drop your hand and let the waiter go. You're scaring him, see?" All four men look at the waiter who was indeed, slightly trembling from the loudness of Kibum's voice when he so snappily ordered for the wine. The blonde shoos him away with the same fabulous hand he had used to conjure him out of nowhere and turns back to Minho, bright-eyed and amazed.

 

"But really, this is the first time I've heard you say something remotely nice about your assistants. I expected the one named... ah, Jessica! to be good enough for you, but I guess you go for types like him." Kibum raises his eyebrows suggestively, then raises his thumb and index finger to his chin, as if thinking, "I never would have

 

thought that you go for the feminine-looking, adorable, homoual types."Minho chokes on his water when he hears this, coughing violently as Jonghyun pats his back. After getting his lungs to work properly again, he points an accusing finger at his hyung, "Yah, whoever said he was my type?! I'm just saying that he's reached my standards, that's all."

 

The blonde snickers at what he thinks is obvious denial from Minho, until he hears the younger ask him something again, still with an accusing tone in his voice, "And how'd you even know that he was gay? That was the first time you saw him, right?"

 

"Oh please, just from the way his hair was tied, adorably I might say, and how his suit was perfectly matched and fitted to his body like how a woman's would but in a more manly way, me and Jjong pretty much had it figured out. Oh, and the way he was walking, too. He had this cool sway to his hips that straight men rarely have. My gaydar was practically singing the song of its people the minute I saw him."

Minho gapes at Kibum's confusing explanation, still not understanding how the blonde figured Taemin's uality out so quickly when in all the months that they had spent together, Minho did not even have a clue of the younger's unorthodox ual preferences. So instead of analyzing what his hyung had said which could probably daze him even more, he just decides to shrug it off as a gay thing, where it takes one to know one.

 

But the younger's perplexed gaping is disturbed when he sees that Kibum's eyes have suddenly lit up as the man grins, waving at someone behind Minho while mumbling beneath his breath so that only the other three men could hear, "Speak of the devil."

 

Jinki, Jonghyun and Minho all think, 'Huh?' as they turn around to see who the blonde is waving out. A smile overtakes Jinki's face, bewilderment crosses Jonghyun's, and anxiety drops itself on Minho's.

 

What is Taemin doing here?

 

"I'm..." the brunette pants as he finally reaches their table, steadying his hands on his knees, looking very disheveled, as if he ran the whole way to the bistro where Minho and his friends are eating at, "I'm sorry for disturbing... your lunch... but..."

 

Minho raises a brow at his assistant, not catching what the brunette is saying "Taemin, breathe. I can't understand a word you're saying."

 

The younger takes a few moments to collects himself, standing up straight when he regains his breath, "Sir, I'm very sorry for disturbing you on your weekly lunch... but a..." he looks up the name on his clipboard, as if making sure he  has the name right, "Mr. Lee Soo Man waiting at your office."

 

"What?"

 

"I'm really sorry! I told him that you were not to be disturbed during your Wednesday lunches, but the man was very adamant..."

 

"Why the hell did you tell him that?!" Minho raises his voice, something he had not done in a long time, but not because he was upset with his assistant, but because he is now in a mild state of panic. He stands up and mumbles an apology to his friends, ", I'm sorry guys, I've gotta go..."

 

Lee Soo Man is at his office? The Lee Soo Man? Why? What for? Endless questions run through his head as he walks inside the bistro to hastily get the bill and, by force of habit, paying for all of their orders also by form of an apology for his sudden departure.

 

As he watches his boss agitatedly standing by the counter, waiting for the server to confirm his credit card's validity, Taemin becomes inquisitive. His boss had never acted this panicky for any one of his clients, so what makes the client now any different from the others?

 

"Hey, Taemin..." The brunette turns his head to look at the blonde who was addressing him. He vaguely remembers hearing Minho address the man as Kim Kibum. He also catches sight of Jinki and a shorter man he recalls is named as Jonghyun sitting around the circular table, with faint looks of surprise on their faces, but he makes sure to keep his attention on the man with the feline-looking eyes.

 

"Yes, Mr. Kim?"

 

"Are you sure that the man's name is Lee Soo Man?"

 

Taemin his head and looks back down at his clipboard, "Yes, I believe so." He raises his head to look at the blonde questioningly, "Why do you ask?"

 

Kibum takes a sip from his tea before replying, "It's just that I find it weird that a man of his caliber would want to meet up with someone as young as Minho."

 

The shorter man nods and adds,"On such short notice, too." He lays his arm behind Kibum's chair and looks to Minho's direction, "I'm pretty sure he's thinking the same thing."

 

"I don't quite get it..." Taemin furrows his brows, silently asking them to explain what they are talking about. Jinki provides it for him as he stands up, preparing to take his leave as well.

 

"Lee Soo Man is a prominent tycoon in the business world. He's internationally renowned, but people say that it's hard to establish connections with him because he 's very picky with who he associates himself with. He only likes mingling with seasoned entrepreneurs, so it's vey bizarre that he is at Minho's company, since Minho is known as one of the youngest businessmen as of the moment.  That said, he's practically froggy's idol when it comes to work."

 

Just as Jinki finishes up his in-depth background coverage of Lee Soo Man, Minho comes bursting out of the bistro's doors, grabbing his assistant's wrist and dragging him along with him saying, "Let's go."

 

He swiftly walks to the sidewalk by the bistro where he believes Taemin and Shindong had parked. He swivels his head from side to side, puzzled.

 

"Where's the car?"

 

"Well... Shindong wasn't available so I had to run all the way here..."

 

"What?!" Minho's eyes went impossibly wide as he sternly put his hands on his hips, scolding the younger, "Why didn't you take a taxi?!"

 

Taemin crosses his arms, not appreciating being talked to like a child, "I was supposed to, but by the time I was out of the building I realized that I didn't have my wallet with me!"

 

"Aish!" The elder throws his arms in the air, not caring that the pedestrians walking by can see their little spat,"Why is it that whenever I tell you to do things for me, you never forget, but when it's matters concerning yourself, you're like a freaking goldfish?! Learn to take care of yourself too, dammit!"

 

Taemin's eyes widen, surprised by the words that had come out of his boss's mouth. Minho belatedly realizes the implications of what he had said, covering his mouth and then hastening to correct himself, "Ah... I mean--"

 

"Okay, okay, cut it out, kids." Jinki walks in between them and jingles his car key's in  Minho's flustered face, "We can take my car. I don't have anything to do in the office, anyway."

 

Kibum walks up to the three men at the sidewalk, Jonghyun's wrist in his death grip and chimes, "Us too! We want to see what the old man wants to talk to you about."

 

Jonghyun shrugs at the three men as they sympathetically look at him, already used to how Kibum talks for the both of them like they were an old married couple.

 

Minho curses as he slides into Jinki's car's passenger seat for his friends' nosiness, for his assistant's lack of self-awareness, and for his carelessness in letting eight particular embarrassing words escape his mouth and fly into Taemin's ears.

 

 

The very familiar dings of the elevator fill the tense atmosphere in the very confined space. The repetitive sound makes Taemin feel even more suffocated than usual because of the small proximities between him and the other four, intimidating young men and because of Minho's antsy demeanor.

 

Well, the atmosphere isn't really tense, it is more of unbalanced, really. The three other men standing at the back of the elevator, Jinki, Kibum, and Jonghyun are having a pleasant conversation about a certain car model they are eyeing, completely comfortable and loose. But up front, Taemin stands beside a stiff Minho, whose fists are clenched yet again, and Taemin assumes that it is from the discomfiture the man is feeling.

 

The brunette, assuming that the men at the back are too preoccupied with their car-talk to notice what he is about to do, touches Minho's arm lightly, looking up at him with assuring eyes, as if to say, 'Don't worry too much.'

 

Minho looks at the younger's gently quirked up lips, and then up to his deeply brown, chest nut eyes. The look Taemin gives him immediately calms him down and his jumbled up nerves, allowing him to easily smile back.      

 

Jonghyun elbows Kibum, subtly pointing to how the two men at the front are adorably smiling at each other. The blonde smiles knowingly at the sight. Jinki only boredly stares at the pair until the doors finally open.

 

 

Taemin is pacing in his office as Jinki tries to tell him to just sit down beside them on the couch and wait patiently for Minho because honestly, the three of them are getting a head ache from the boy's repetitive back and forth motion for the past 2 hours.

 

"Don't worry, Taemin, I'm sure Minho's doing fine." Jonghyun flicks his finger to the direction of Minho's office where he and the prominent businessman are currently talking, "From the looks of things, it almost looks like they're getting along."

 

Taemin looks to the office across, and indeed, the two men seem to be enjoying themselves, laughing lightly about something Taemin probably had no clue about.

 

He heaves a sigh of relief and drops himself on the couch, sitting beside Jinki. Kibum catches how Jinki had so smoothly wrapped his arm around the distressed assistant's shoulder, letting the younger lean into him. Taemin, in turn, easily lays his head on Jinki's shoulder, sighing deeply, and this worries the blonde even more as he thinks, Damn, froggy better hurry up.

 

As Taemin waits for Minho, his thoughts are running wild. Crap, what if he screws this up and takes it out himself? What if he screws this up and his father finds out? What if... Endless what-if's are filling his mind, and he finds that the hand gently rubbing his side only doing little to ease his nerves. The only way he can ever really relax is if he sees his boss in one piece after his meeting.

 

The agonizing seconds turn into minutes, the minutes turn into hours, until...

 

"Minho! How'd it go?"

 

Jonghyun's exclamation makes Taemin snap his head to the doorway's direction. Just as the man's interjection implied, there Minho stands with his head hung low and his hands balled into fists. He immediately jumps out from Jinki's hold on him, worriedly staring down the man who had just arrived. Kibum, Jonghyun and Jinki follow suit, standing up from the couch to welcome said man.

 

"Froggy? You okay?" Jinki bends over slightly, hands in his pockets as he bent over slightly to catch a glimpse of Minho's hidden face.

 

The only reply to his question is plain silence.

 

The brunette decides to take a leap of whatever has gotten into him and warily takes baby steps towards his boss. The three other men only look on, curious as to what the young man is planning on doing.  He reaches out his hand to draw the seemingly spaced out man's attention to him, worried that with the way his boss's hands are digging into themselves, he might have to ask Shindong to pick up a bottle of peroxide and yet another roll of gauze.

 

He forgets himself and his professionalism for a moment when he touches the man's arm as he whispers out, "Minho?"

 

At his touch, Minho's head slowly looks up to him, filling Taemin with relief when he sees the growing grin on the elder's lips. But the relief immediately turns into astonishment when he feels strong, warm, suit-clad arms wrap around him.

 

He can feel the grin in Minho's voice when the man whispers into his neck, "I nailed it."

 

Taemin hears a gasp from Kibum and a 'What's going on?' from Jonghyun. He doesn't hear Jinki say anything, but he is too occupied by the feeling of the arms tightly engulfing him in their fervor that he does not find it in himself to feel embarrassed that three other men are witnessing what Minho had just did. His face had turned red, yes, but that is only because he can feel Minho's breath and voice so close to his neck that if he were to inch just a bit higher, those lips would be touching him. He warily, slowly raises his arms, returning the once one-sided embrace, whispering back a muffled and unstable, "G-Good job..." into the other's broad chest.

 

But their moment is ruined in a matter of minutes when they hear a sarcastic, "Ahem, we're still here, you know." from a smirking, feline-eyed diva.

 

The brunette prompty jumps back and out of his boss's arms, cheeks tinged with a rosy red. Stuttered apologies flood out of his lips, repeatedly saying that that was inappropriate of him to do and that he will never do it again. But Minho embarrassedly dismisses him saying that it was okay, since he was the one who initiated it in the first place. The man is blushing as well, grinning sheepishly while scratching the back of his head in bashfulness.

 

"So," Jonghyun remarks, pretending not to see the obvious blushes on the young men's faces and the expanded distance they had placed between themselves, "What happened back there?"

 

Happy at being given the chance to recount what had just happened, Minho grins, "I can't believe it myself, actually, but Mr. Lee Soo Man just agreed to sign a contract with our company, guaranteeing us 40% of their profit for the next year. He was pretty doubtful at first, but I got him to back it up 100%," The smile in Minho's face is impossibly wide as he animatedly explains to his friends how he tried to convince his long-time idol to work with him. Taemin watches on with a smile, delighted at witnessing the rare sight of a genuinely excited and happy Choi Minho. The way Minho was excitedly recapping the story to the three men kind of reminded him of a child telling his playground friends about the newest, coolest toy his parents just bought him.

 

By the time Minho has fully explained the technicalities of the latest, most successful business deal he had gotten himself into, the sun had set, and the three other men were more than ready to get back to their own companies. Jonghyun hugs Minho and pats his back cheerily, congratulating him for a job very well done. Kibum hugs him as well, telling him that this is sure to make his father, the Great Mr. Choi, proud. Jinki settles on the manlier handshake, but despite the minimal physical contact, Minho easily feels the heartfelt pride his hyung feels for him and his accomplishment as they grasp hands tightly. His heart swells as he watches his three closest friends walk away, and into the confined space of the elevator.

 

As he basks in the warmth his friends had left behind, he feels a soft tap on his shoulder, accompanied with an airy, "Sir?"

 

Minho smiles, remebering the presence he has the pleasure of being left alone with. He shakes his head as he turns around, not wanting to give away the elation he is feeling at the moment. A successful business deal plus a certain Lee Taemin might just make him explode from happiness right that instant, so he decides to put on his usual 'boss' face, which is honestly, just a blank but more-on-the-angry-side expression.

 

When he is properly facing the younger, he sounds out a 'Hm?' following with his prepared 'boss' face. But he fails miserably in trying to pull his face into a stoic expression when he sees the adorable pinkness of the brunette's face and the way that the boy is nervously fiddling with his fingers.

 

Taemin shifts on his feet, "Congratulations, s-sir."

 

Minho scratches the back of his head again, trying his best to be modest for the sake of impressing Taemin for his improved manners, "Uh-- Thanks." Realizing that he has no idea what to say next, (something that has never been his problem around other people) he ends up rambling, saying that he has something to attend to at home and that he has to go, walking away in the process.

 

Taemin nods his head, downcast, not even bothering to reply to his boss's rushed goodbye. Things between them have grown to become awkward, and Taemin feels as if it is his fault. Perhaps the touches and the looks he gave the elder scared him off?

 

"Ah, I almost forgot."

 

For the second time that day, the brunette is enveloped in a pair of jacket-clad, earnest arms. He lets out a soft gasp, not expecting to be in such close contact with the same man again (not that he isn't extremely happy about it.) But he just has to ask, "Wha-?"

 

"I couldn't have done it without your help," Minho whispers into the same spot in Taemin's neck, which frankly, was still burning immensely from the first time, "Thanks... for, you know." And just as a while ago, the brunette can hear the smile in the elder's voice.

 

He puts his arms around the man's shoulders, more confident now that his boss's hyungs aren't there to stare at them anymore and whispers back, "You're welcome."

 

He thinks that the happiness he is feeling is evident in his tone as well.

 

The elder pulls away and walks back to his office again without looking at the brunette for fear of him seeing the scarlet spread all over his face. But he knows that he doesn't have to look back, because he already perfectly remembers the light cinnamon scent of his hair, the color of his adorably wide eyes, the feel of his thin waist against his, and the melodious sound and feeling of his voice against his neck.

---

 

 

Sorry for not being able to update yesterday! Not very happy with how this turned out, but I will try my best in the next chapters. D: