A pleasant-looking woman greets Minho and Taemin, bowing deeply in respect for the two. Minho only smiles, while Taemin, still not used to the treatment, slightly bows in greeting as well. She goes through what looks to be her usual script for their customers and then proceeds to lead them to their reserved table.

 

As the woman yaps on about their exquisite dishes and imported wine collection, Taemin whispers to Minho, who is also not listening to a word the woman is saying.

 

"So, who's the client today?" The younger peers up at Minho in curiosity. But the elder, in turn, is trying his best to look away. He turns his head to the side, effectively escaping eye-contact with the boy.

 

"Uh..." He coughs awkwardly and continues, "There is no client."

 

"Huh?"

 

Taemin becomes even more perplexed from what Minho had said when the woman guiding them stopped in front of a beautifully simple decorated table, set for two.

 

The woman excuses herself, giving the two some privacy. Taemin stares at the set-up, and begins to speak, "I don't think I understand."

 

"What's so hard to get about that?" A server comes and begins to pull out one of the chairs for Taemin, but Minho waves him off. "I lied, that's that." He takes the server's previous position and smoothly puts a distance between the seat and table, gesturing for the boy to sit down. Taemin takes the offered seat, though still very much confused, mumbling a half-hearted 'Thanks...' to Minho before the man takes his seat as well.

 

"So let me get this straight." Taemin crosses his arms, perturbed by the situation, "You lied about the meeting and the client?"

 

Minho nods.

 

"So what's all this about?"

 

"I... I wanted to spend some time with you. Outside the office, that is."

 

When he hears the mumbled statement, the brunette does not know how to take it. What is he implying? Am I looking too much into this? He feels a thousand butterflies fluttering not only in his stomach but in his heart, his lungs, and maybe even through his circulatory system at the possible implications. But then he realizes how he was lied to, and he does not appreciate it one bit.

 

He fights down the blush that is threatening to appear and questions the man across him, "Why'd you have to lie?"

 

Minho mirrors the younger, crossing his arms in defense, "Why? If I did ask you out, would you have considered it, much less agreed to go?"

 

The way Minho says that makes Taemin wonder what impression the elder has of him, what it is that made him think that Taemin would have refused him. But then Taemin remembers the constant insults he hurls at the elder, the snappy comments, the cold-shoulders, and he decides that he can't blame the man for thinking that. But he pouts, anyway. "Of course I would! I mean... Why not? It's just a dinner between co-workers, isn't it?" He honestly hopes that that is not the case here, but he doesn't let it show.

 

Minho looks genuinely surprised, and then contemplative as he coolly asks, "What if I told you it doesn't have anything to do with business or the company?"

 

The younger only squints at him before sipping from the wine that had magically appeared in his glass, "I highly doubt that, but then I'd guess that this is a dinner between friends?"

 

Taemin's naivety frustrates Minho, causing him to snap, "Look, I might just be turning ing gay for you, and you're making it really hard for me to confess--"

 

"What?"

 

"NOTHING. I SAID NOTHING." A live, classy band starts playing in one section of the five-star restaurant, filling the room with a jazzy melody, as well as the burning ears of one Choi Minho.

 

Taemin honestly hadn't heard what Minho had said due to the speed in which he spoke. But from the way the elder is avoiding any eye contact with him tells him that whatever he said, it probably qualifies as an effective mess-with-minho material. So he takes it upon himself to carry out this task. He threads his fingers together and props his chin up on them as he leans forward teasingly. "I'm pretty sure you said something. Would you mind repeating it? Hm?" He brushes Minho's leg with his foot, oblivious to the immediate shudder that went throught he elder's spine.

 

"Taemin, I swear to god if you don't stop I'll... I'll--"

 

"You'll what?" The brunette challenges him with a smirk, and Minho curses himself for thinking that the way Taemin is being now is incredibly y, even more enticing than all the other women he's been with. He almost moans from the younger's  feather-light touches to his legs, but he regains the small scrap of dignity and man pride that he has and fights back, not wanting to lose to the surprising vixen that Taemin really is.

 

"You really don't want to know." He successfully makes use of the growl that he always uses on the ladies, and it surprisingly has an effect on Taemin, stopping his foot's ministrations, pulling back shyly with a pout, sad that he had lost the game that he had started.

 

A server comes over and serves the mandatory bread and basket with olive oil and a few other condiments, giving Taemin time to recompose himself. When the intruding serves leaves, he honestly asks Minho, "No, really. What was it you said?"

 

Taemin's shy, innocent, curious personality is back and it confuses Minho. The boy's doe eyes catch him off guard and he loses the confidence that he had just acquired, stuttering out that it really was nothing and that they should just forget about it. He is relieved to think that the interrogation is over when the younger turns silent, but then he feels a hand on top of his, and then a pleading voice, accompanied with Taemin's wide, pleading eyes.

 

"Please?"

 

The elder sighs exasperatedly, knowing that he just can't say no to those eyes and that voice and those lips and the hand on top of his. He runs his free hand through his hair and speaks, "Promise you won't bolt when I tell you?"

 

Taemin grips his hand tighter, nodding enthusiastically.

 

 

"I took a day off yesterday because I needed time to think because I was confused about you and myself and me and you as a pair and Kibum-hyung made me realize that I actually like you and that I would be an idiot to let you go so now I'm making my move even though I think it's really gay and weird because I don't want Jinki-hyung to get to you first." A new record for Minho, rambling all in three breaths.

 

The influx of revelations flooding towards Taemin jumbles up all his previous coherent thoughts. Jinki-hyung? Making a move? He finds that he honestly does not know how to react and what to say to what he was just told. He bites his lip and lets go of Minho's hand.

 

This worries the elder. He is worried that he might have scared Taemin off altogether by the way the boy is looking at him with wide, glassy eyes. But then the boy speaks. "Do you really mean that?"

 

"I've been trying to convince myself that I don't, but I guess I do. I ing hate it, but I  really, really, really do."

 

He reaches out for the brunette's hand lying limply on the white tablecloth, bread and basket and appetizers long forgotten.

 

"I really, really, really like you, Taemin."

 

On the outside, Minho is confident, heartfelt, genuine and put-together. But on the inside, thoughts and troubles and fears are raging wild throughout his body, all concerning the person across him. He searches Taemin's eyes for any sign of acceptance or rejection, fondness or disgust, but he sees none of that. All he sees are... tears?

 

"Excuse me, I have to go to the restroom." The boy drops the napkin that was on his lap onto the table, rushing out of his chair, keeping his head down as much as possible. Minho tries to call after him before he can get far, but stuck-up rick people are surrounding them, and he wouldn't want to cause a scene by shouting on top of the live band's jazz medley.

 

Taemin shuts the cubicle door behind him, too muddled by his thoughts to appreciate the grand, luxurious design of the restroom. He sits himself down on the closed toilet seat, gasping for breath through the flowing tears.

 

What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I crying? He honestly does not get himself at the moment, because why is he crying when he is getting exactly what he had been wanting for the past months? He has feelings for Minho, and the man had just told him that he, although not entirely accepting of it just yet, feels the same.

 

But it seems that now that the opportunity has actually presented itself to him, it makes him think about the possibilities between them. It makes him think of how they would be when or if they end up together, how much they are going to enjoy each other's company, how much happiness they would find just being in the other's presence, and how it will eventually end with them breaking up. Because that is what he has learned throughout his life:  that people will leave you and abandon you without you even realizing it. And he just does not want to get emotionally involved with anyone other than the people he had already learned to trust because he fears that he would not be able to take any more emotional trauma when things go wrong. His original father had already caused him enough to last a life time.

 

He wraps his arms around himself in the cold, quiet cubicle, pushing away the depressing memories.

 

 

"Hey there. We've noticed you've been here for quite a while." Two young women clad in formal attire barely covering their admittedly enticing bodies stand beside Minho's table, smiling flirtatiously at him. "Would you like some company?"

 

Minho, forgetting all about the importance of the good impression he is supposed to give to the public, glares at the offending females. "No thanks," he grunts out, "I'm waiting for someone."

 

The two women huff, and this third incident of women coming onto him and assuming that he is alone pushes Minho to look for his date, assistant, whatever, same thing. He pushes himself away from the table and the main course that had just been served and rushes to the only restroom in the restaurant.

 

 

Taemin's tiny sniffles and whimpers echo in the deafeningly silent bathroom. But then the brief sound of jazz music blares through the quiet atmosphere when the door to the room is opened, before getting muted just as fast as it had appeared when it is pushed shut. Taemin clamps his hand over his mouth to keep from making any more whimpering noises when he hears Minho's unmistakable deep, soothing voice calling out his name. He panics when he sees a pair of shoes standing in front of his cubicle.

 

"Taemin, I know you're in here." The brunette does not respond and this only frustrates the elder more, "Look, I'm already bad enough at this confession stuff, so if you're going to reject me, can you just tell me straight?"

 

This, in turn, pushes Taemin into a state of alarm. Rejecting Minho is the last thing on his mind (and frankly, it is the last thing he would want to do), so he quickly stands and opens the cubicle door, answering back before the man falsely assumes anything else, "I'm not going to reject you! I-I feel the same way."

 

Inexplicable joy consumes Minho's heart, but he cannot find it in himself to smile just yet because he still sees the redness in Taemin's eyes and the tear tracks down his porcelain cheeks. He raises his hand to wipe away the moisture, rubbing his thumb across the younger's cheekbone. "Then why are you crying?"

 

Taemin tears his head away from Minho’s soft touch, finding the floor more appealing to look at. The sadness in his voice is unmistakable. "Because I can't let myself have feelings for you."

 

The lone statement angers Minho. He grips Taemin's chin to make the boy look him in the eyes, because he just cannot understand what the boy is trying to say. He grounds out, "Why the not?"

 

The brunette looks him straight in the eyes, his own irises blaring with anger as well, and explains without so much as stumbling over a word. "Because, as much as I hate to say it, endings are inevitable. You'll get tired of me, I'll get tired of you, and then we'll just go through pain that could have been avoided if we had only stopped ourselves from letting things develop into anything further than acquaintanceship or friendship."

 

Eyes widen in understanding, and then arms wrap around another's body tightly.Taemin struggles against him, but Minho stays put, whispering into the other's ear.

 

"One of the reasons why I like you is that we're really similar."

 

The younger keeps pushing on his chest, tears welling up in his eyes yet again. "Minho," he whimpers, "Stop."

 

"You're as stubborn as me, too."

 

Taemin is still trying to push him away, but with considerably less effort than the first time.

 

"Taemin, just give me a chance." MInho hears himself saying that oh-so-familiar statement, and it's weird how it feels when it is coming from his own lips. The tenderness and sincerity in Minho's voice stops Taemin's struggling.

 

"If things turn ty, then that just means that it wasn't supposed to be in the first place. And if things go well, then woo-ing-hoo for me and you." He keeps whispering into Taemin's ear, smiling when the boy timidly wraps his arms around him as well, leaning his forehead on the taller's shoulder. "I'm just as afraid of this as you are, but you don't see me crying in the bathroom." He receives a half-hearted slap on the chest, and this only makes him chuckle.

 

He pulls away from the younger, but only enough so that they are able to look into each other's eyes properly. He still has his arms wrapped around the younger's waist, while Taemin has his own hands gently hooked around Minho's neck. He is still laughing at the blush that had taken over Taemin's face from his joke as he asks, "But really, what do you say?"

 

A blush. A smile. And finally, a response.

 

"I really, really, really like you too.

 

A wide grin, an endearing peck on the nose, and a tight hug.

 

 

After they had finally eaten their dinner, they head on home. A walk under the starry night sky is much more preferable if it means spending more time with the brunette, so that is exactly what they will be doing. Minho leaves his car again in the resto's parking lot, making a mental note to call Shindong to pick it up tomorrow morning.

 

Their footsteps echoing against the concrete pavement and the quiet atmosphere in general reminds Minho of when he had walked Taemin home when they were still on bad terms with each other. He smiles at how different things are just mere months later, with his arm wrapped protectively around Taemin's thin waist as they strolled, while the younger comfortably bumps into him from time to time.

 

"Just so you know, even if things turned for the worse between us, I still wouldn't let you go since you're a huge help in the office and I'm too much of a lazy to find someone better than you. So it's basically win-win."

 

Taemin bumps his hip against Minho's as he teases, "Was that supposed to be a romantic proclamation of your feelings for me?"

 

"Hey," He shrugs with a grin, "it's the best you're going to get out of me."

 

Taemin only shakes his head, remembering that that was also what the elder had said when he was trying to apologize. But Taemin can't help but notice the completely different reaction that is stirring inside him this time, butterflies fluttering in his stomach, flush creeping up his neck.

 

The atmosphere between them is completely different now, too. It is not that they are conversing more or that they have more to talk about now. In fact, not much is said as they walk the 15-minute journey to Taemin's building. It is just that the silence between them is so comfortable and easy that they do not feel the need to force any conversation out of each other, knowing that they are both content with just the presence of the other. 

 

When they reach their destination, Taemin turns around in Minho's arm to face the elder. He rememebrs that the last time Minho had dropped him off, he had cursed him away, wishing him bad luck. He is very glad that whatever death wish he had for the man did not come true.

 

Minho stares down at him, wanting to, more than anything, lean forward and just close the minimal distance between them and their lips. But he doesn't. Instead, he leans forward until their foreheads are pressed together and their breaths are mingling in their warmth. Taemin's eyes turn into adorable crescents when he smiles, whispering a breathy 'Good night, Minho.' before slowly pulling away from the man's grip and walking up his building's stairs.

 

He was too mesmerized by the beauty of the younger's irises and the familiar, sweet scent of cinnamon and everything that is Taemin that he was not able to form a 'Good night, Taemin' in response when the younger pulled away from him. He only waits for Taemin to enter the building, and then walks off with a spring in his step that he tries to hide because a grown man isn't supposed to skip along the sidewalks of Seoul at eight in the evening, no matter how giddy or happy or hopelessly in love he may be.

 

---

 

 

THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS AND FOR SUBSCRIBING! :3 mehehehe you guys make me so happeh~ Just a hint, drama in Taemin’s life will be coming up in one of the later chapters. But for now, 2min fluff!

(Idiot Minho, forgetting to give back Taemin's phone.)