"Where is he?" a windswept Kyuhyun panted out as soon as he reached the bar, where Hyukjae was waiting for him just inside.

"He's..." Hyukjae flourished his hand behind him, towards a certain Lee Sungmin who was currently slumped over a table. 

Kyuhyun immediately strided over to the snoozing man, ignoring Hyukjae's protests. 

"U--uh, please don't be mad at Sungmin for lying about his name?" Hyukjae hovered by the tall brunette, wringing his hands as the other put the back of his hand against Sungmin's forehead, brushing loose strands away from his eyes. 

"Mad?" Kyuhyun looked up momentarily, revealing furrowed eyebrows. 

"Well-- Sungmin's always given the impression that you're kinda... strict."

"Hmm." Kyuhyun decided to let this comment pass and focused his attention back on the sleeping man. 

"But his name is definitely Sungmin, so--"

"Help me get him inside my car." Kyuhyun interrupted, carefully lifting one of Sungmin's arms and wrapping it around his shoulder. Hyukjae pursed his lips and nodded, grateful for the lack of reprimanding and questioning he was sure would be hurtled at him. 

"Mmm... Hyukkie..." Sungmin managed to mumble out.

"Yes, Sungmin, right here." Hyukjae cast a worried glance at his friend after winding the other arm around him. It wasn't often Sungmin got this drunk-- the man had a high tolerance, and the last time he drunk this much was the night after Siwon boarded the flight to America.

"Where...?" 

"Shhh." Hyukjae decided telling Sungmin he was going home in his boss's car wasn't going to please him all that much.

On the other side, Kyuhyun scowled upon seeing the interaction between the two. He unconsciously wrapped his arm tighter against Sungmin's waist, and decided there was no use trying to deny his feelings for Sungmin anymore. Kyuhyun had these... feelings affirmed tonight as soon as he jumped out of bed and sped along the road trying to reach Sungmin as fast as possible. 

Because Cho Kyuhyun has never, ever cared this much about anyone. He's never felt this... desperation to be by someone's side. Siwon and Donghae have gotten drunk plenty of times before and asked Kyuhyun to pick them up, but the brunette had always just snapped down the phone for them to get a taxi because 3am was an ungodly hour to wake someone up. 

Kyuhyun glanced at his watch.

04:29am, its face seemed to tick pointedly.

Kyuhyun inwardly sighed as he wondered what it was about Sungmin that made him fall so deep so fast. Sure, the other had been a good childhood friend, and Kyuhyun had always retained a soft spot for him, but it was pure coincidence that the same childhood friend is now the subject of his...

Of his...

Affections?

Kyuhyun wrinkled his face. Affection was never something he associated himself with.

Affection wasn't what got him so far in the corporate world in so little time.

After they put Sungmin into the passenger's seat with relative ease, Kyuhyun glanced at the skinny friend.

"So... you're the real Hyukjae."

Hyukjae nodded. "Please don't get angry at Sungmin, he didn't mean--"

"Okay." Kyuhyun didn't need to know more. Just because he's gotten... fond of Sungmin doesn't mean this fondness extended to other people. 

Hyukjae stood awkwardly, wondering if he had stepped out of line asking his boss-- one of the most powerful people in Korea, for god's sake-- to drive his friend home.

"Do you need a ride home?" Kyuhyun decided to amend himself after strapping Sungmin into his seatbelt-- he didn't want to come across as a complete arsehole, especially not towards Sungmin's friend.

"Uh-- no, thanks, I can take the bus." Hyukjae's eyes widened at the offer, but riding in your rich and powerful boss's car with a drunk friend was never going to work.

Kyuhyun nodded. "Thanks for calling me. See you."

Before Hyukjae could react to the almighty Cho Kyuhyun thanking him, the brunette had already started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, making a smooth turn at the end. 

Hyukjae, however, stayed flabbergasted.

He'd heard horror stories of how ruthless their young heir could be, how employees could get fired just from getting him the wrong coffee. It's been drilled into his head on the first day that you wouldn't want to come across the young Cho. And if you did, running away quickly would be the best thing to do. 

But tonight, Kyuhyun has shattered everything he'd built up in his head about the man. Hyukjae wasn't sure if it was the alcohol blurring his senses, but he was sure Kyuhyun's face almost had a... softened look to it whenever he glanced at Sungmin.

And now that he thought about it, Sungmin did admit he liked someone tonight... someone he called an arrogant prick...

It seemed like puzzle pieces were slotting in right in front of his eyes, but alcohol has ultimately won and prevented him from finishing the picture.

But something was undeniably fishy.

And this time, it wasn't his boyfriend Donghae.

Hyukjae sighed and scratched his head. He's got a lot of work to do if he wants his internship to become a permanent job, and worrying about his best friend's love life is not going to help him whatsoever.

The skinny man mumbled curses, wondering why he ever thought drinking with Sungmin was a good idea as he walked slowly to the busstop.

***

Kyuhyun stepped on the brakes lightly, the car rolling to a quiet stop in front of the red lights. The brunette took this chance to glance at the sleeping man for the first time since they drove off.

Kyuhyun drunk in the sight of the dim lighting casting distorted shadows across the shorter man's face, making his eyelashes cast dark lines across his cheeks. M-shaped lips were parted slightly; just enough to create a small gap in between the plush rosiness. Unblemished full cheeks surrounded a perfectly straight nose, and this smoothness extended down to a long slender neck, which led to a broad chest moving to the man's breaths--

A loud honk interrupted the silence, and Kyuhyun stepped on the accelerator without thinking, swallowing hard as he tried to get rid of the dangerously lewd thoughts in his mind.

He's your secretary! A lowly personal assistant! One half seemed to scream at him.

So? Do you really give a about all that when you know you like him? It's useless and just your way of denial! The other half seemed to retort, knowing it's right.

"." Kyuhyun muttered. 

The inner conflict is driving him crazy. The rational side of him is strong, having been what has guided him through these years working under his father at KM-- it's telling him to be judgmental about all this; telling him to take into account what his parents would say, what his image and reputation entails him to do, why he should quash these feelings for Sungmin.

But still... 

The future heir of the largest company in Korea let out a soft sigh. He's got all the money and power he wants at his disposal, yet he's stumped over something as trivial as his own feelings for someone. Feelings that never emerged before, because that's not what gets you this far in the corporate world. How he let Sungmin worm his way through all the barriers he's put up over the years, he has no idea. 

Kyuhyun cut off the engine once they stopped in front of his apartment block. He remembers insisting on paying for it from his own pocket, against his father's protests of how KM's heir should unquestionably live in something that emulates more wealth. But Kyuhyun rather liked the cozyness of this place, liked the interior, and liked its convenient location-- so he bought it, on the condition that he accepted a summer house under his name from his father. 

Most people his age would kill to have their own spacious summer house facing a private beach, but unlike what it seems on the outside, Kyuhyun had never cared much for materialistic things. He's always secretly craved to have someone to share a connection with (Kyuhyun inwardly groaned at how cliched this sounded), but that wish also got pushed back down into the unconscious crevices of his mind after taking on the role of acting CEO. 

He wonders offhandedly if-- and he means a big if-- Sungmin and himself somehow became... "together", whether he'd also be as happy as Donghae seemed to be whenever his boyfriend Eunhyuk is mentioned.

Kyuhyun furrowed his eyebrows as he realised he never really bothered accepting one of Donghae's invitations to meet this Eunhyuk. He must remember to sometime.

"Right, let's get you into bed." Kyuhyun muttered as he unbuckled Sungmin from his seatbelt, letting the elder lean on him as he stumbled and nearly tripped over a step as they reached the entrance to the apartment block. The shorter man was none the wiser, still snoozing away in the deep slumber alcohol has put him in. 

As they slowly but successfully reached the elevators, Kyuhyun wanted to shout curses to the whole world when he saw the sign that had been placed on the elevator doors, words that seemed to mock him: Closed for maintenance until 7am. Please use the stairs. Sorry for the inconvenience.

"ing hell." Kyuhyun decided today was just not his day and glanced down at his personal assistant, one arm still clinging onto his for support like a koala. 

There was no way they were going to make it to the sixth floor if Sungmin had to climb six flights of stairs.

Kyuhyun groaned as he realised what this implication meant-- there really was only one viable thing he could do. 

"You owe me so much, Lee Sungmin." Kyuhyun whispered before putting an arm under the other's back, and the other arm under his knees. Kyuhyun was slightly surprised at how light the elder seemed to weigh in his arms, and had to swallow back a grin as this position left the other's face unobstructed, and the innocence radiating from his sleeping face somehow made him utterly adorable in Kyuhyun eyes, albeit knowing just how much of a temper Sungmin has got. 

"Okay, Cho Kyuhyun. Six flights shouldn't be too bad," Kyuhyun tried to motivate himself as he looked up towards the long climb that awaits him.

***

Kyuhyun lied.

It was bad.

Lightly panting with aching arms and legs, Kyuhyun somehow managed to bring Sungmin into his apartment. He stumbled the last few steps to his bed, gently placing Sungmin on it before wiping a thin film of sweat that had gathered on his forehead.

Kyuhyun could barely keep his eyes open before collapsing on the couch, succumbing to his own exhaustion.

***

Kyuhyun could hear water running.

The light ter clatter of pans.

The soft deep buzz of the coffee machine turning on.

The brunette cautiously cracked open an eyelid, trying to be subtle as he surveyed his surroundings. 

He didn't see his personal assistant anywhere.

Kyuhyun sat up slowly, and winced as he brought a hand to massage his sore neck-- the result of collapsing on the couch in an awkward position.

He extended both his arms and stretched, letting the rich aroma of caffeine fill his nostrils. 

"You're awake." 

The simple statement nearly made Kyuhyun choke mid-yawn. 

"Want coffee?" Kyuhyun craned his neck towards the source of the voice, almost immediately regretting his decision as he was convinced he heard something go crack.

"Um. Black in the mornings." 

"Okay." 

As Kyuhyun's vision became less blurry from sleep, he could see Sungmin behind the island in the kitchen, pressing some dials on his coffee machine. 

"Hurry up sleepyhead, or you're going to be late for work."

Kyuhyun frowned. Shouldn't the elder be thanking him after all the trouble he went through last night-- for him?

"And whose fault was it that I am late for work?" Kyuhyun decided to mutter as he got up and walked towards the bathroom. He chanced a glance at the other, and didn't know if it was because his eyes were still not quite awake yet that he saw Sungmin's cheeks turn just a shade pinker. 

The elder just hummed and continued to stare at the cup of coffee being made.

***

Sungmin was ed.

He hadn't intended to drown himself in alcohol until he could barely stay awake-- he rarely got into one of his drunken states, and he certainly didn't want to admit to himself that Kyuhyun was the reason for his drunkedness this time. 

Because that would mean he felt something other than annoyance and distaste for the other. 

Sungmin frowned as he remember how much hatred he had for the brunette just a few weeks ago-- where had all that gone? 

None of the initial feelings of disgust lingered anymore.

Poof.

Gone.

Disappeared.

Without a trace.

He chewed his bottom lip as he heard Kyuhyun brush his teeth in the bathroom; he didn't remember all the events from last night, and he wasn't sure if it was alcohol that made him dream ridiculous things-- like the sensation of Kyuhyun carrying him. 

Because there was no way his boss would actually do that, right?

When Sungmin had woken up in an unfamiliar-- and utterly comfortable-- bed this morning, he had panicked-- this sure as hell wasn't his room, and it wasn't Hyukjae's, either. For one horrifying moment he wondered if he'd had a one night stand-- but a quick turn of his head quashed that possibility, along with the weight of clothes on his body and the rationlisation that Hyukjae would never allow him to go have when he was this drunk.

He'd rubbed his eyes and quietly padded out of the room, but the sight in the living room that greeted him had nearly made him faint.

The sight of a certain Cho curled up uncomfortably on a couch that was way too short for his body made Sungmin's breath stop.

He had cast his eyes over the soft brunette waves that fell messily across one eye-- making the other look adorable and for once, younger than his age. There was no usual crease between his eyebrows, and dark eyelashes fell across high cheekbones surrounding a tall nose and slightly parted lips. The lips looked chapped, but somehow, at that moment, Sungmin had wanted nothing more than to kiss them-- a thought Sungmin quickly brushed over.

Not wanting to wake the other, Sungmin had decided to busy himself by doing the small pile of dishes that had accumulated in the sink while trying to make sense of the events from yesterday night-- especially how he had ended up in his boss's house.

As he tried to remember to no avail, Sungmin gave up and instead focused on his talk with Hyukjae last night in the bar before he decided to get absolutely hammered-- the talk regarding Kyuhyun.

There was only one conclusion really, Sungmin thought. He knew there was no use denying it, because god knows stress isn't good for him (or his skin). Besides, no one else would know if he only thought about the fact that...

Well, about how he has fallen for Kyuhyun. 

Sungmin had wrinkled his face after that thought decided to intrude in his otherwise peaceful mind-- because somehow, thinking clearly about it had made the situation more real.

There was no way Sungmin had intended for this to happen-- he had his mind set to hate the man with a passion, a passion fueled by how KM wanted to demolish his parents' business with no regard to how that might affect Sungmin's family. But now that Sungmin thought about it, it seemed unlikely that Kyuhyun had made that decision himself; he was acting under orders for the growth of his company. Seeing the other's workload for the past few weeks had made Sungmin realise that the other really had no idea in the decisions he made outside of those figures and analytical graphs, where it just came down to profit over expenses. 

Sungmin's thoughts then drifted to what had changed his thoughts about the younger man-- the way he would smile dorkily, especially recently, when Sungmin turned up to work; how he had insisted Sungmin keep the car that night after dinner with Siwon; how he actually seemed to be concerned for Sungmin's wellbeing. 

Sungmin had tried to hide the urge to smile, finding it harder and harder as each day passed. Because if he let his feelings loose, he's just gearing himself up for heartbreak and a storm that would surely end with Sungmin dislocating the younger's jaw and their parents being sued penniless. 

But many small moments had made Sungmin's mind a mess, and after seeing Kyuhyun sleeping on the couch this morning, Sungmin's first reaction of I want to jump him scared him less. 

There was no way this boss of his would ever feel the same way about him. 

Sungmin decided to concentrate on the reality of the situation as Kyuhyun walked out of the bathroom, running a hand through his hair.

Sungmin mentally cursed at that perfect, perfect hair. 

"My coffee?" the other asked Sungmin as a greeting. Kyuhyun had his pride to nurse, after all.

Sungmin cursed again at the husky morning voice as he silently handed over the cup of steaming liquid.

"What's with the constipated look?" 

"Nothing." Sungmin muttered. "I--uh, don't usually get drunk."

"Hmm." Kyuhyun took a sip, surveying the other over the rim of his cup. 

Somehow, Sungmin looked more... fidgety than usual and didn't seem to want to make eye contact.

Kyuhyun sighed. 

"You know, we didn't have last night, if that's what you're wondering." Kyuhyun hoped this would put the elder more at ease.

Sungmin's head snapped up and -- was that a blush creeping up his cheeks?

"Obviously not." Sungmin rolled his eyes. "I have higher standards, you know."

Kyuhyun couldn't even make himself feel offended. A snarky Sungmin just didn't work with rosy pink cheeks.

"Of course," Kyuhyun replied dryly. "And I wouldn't want to have with someone who couldn't get it up anyway, seeing as how he was so drunk I had to drive him home and carry him up six flights of stairs." 

"You-- you did that?" Sungmin's voice suddenly lost its sharp edge. Because although he hates to admit it, but Lee Sungmin is an absolute er for romance. And being carried up six flights of stairs fits under romance.

Kyuhyun shrugged. "The elevator was down, so I had no other choice. Well, I could've left you to sleep in the foyer, but I don't think the security guard would've appreciated that." 

"Um." Sungmin wasn't sure what to say. "Thanks." he decided to mumble.

Kyuhyun's ears perked up at the word and instantly thought having an aching body was worth it. Not that Sungmin needed to know, of course.

"Yeah, my back is aching because of you. You're heavy."

Sungmin frowned. "Take that back."

"You need to lose weight." Kyuhyun crossed his arms.

The elder narrowed his eyes. "Take. That. Back."

"Make me." Kyuhyun smirked. He might have come to terms with the fact that he likes Lee Sungmin, but that doesn't make teasing him less fun. 

"Cho--" Sungmin began, then stopped. 

He still didn't know the other's first name.

"Cat got your tongue?" Kyuhyun smirked wider.

"No." Sungmin snorted. "Although, come to think of it, I've been working for you for weeks now but I still don't know your first name. Everyone just calls you sir, because you like to be seen as an arrogant prick." 

Kyuhyun narrowed his eyes, a flash of annoyance cutting through. 

"Oh, but I don't think I know your name either." Kyuhyun muttered.

"W--what do you mean?" Sungmin suddenly widened his eyes, slightly alarmed. Surely Hyukjae--

"I think you know what I mean," Kyuhyun leaned dangerously close across the island, making Sungmin lean back against the kitchen counter. Those two almond-coloured eyes were piercing, making feel Sungmin feel exposed and vulnerable, tearing his strong facade. 

"I'm asking you again." Kyuhyun was now so close Sungmin could feel his breath caress his cheeks, smelling of caffeine with a faint tinge of peppermint. 

"What's your name?"

----

HUEHUEHUEHUEHUE.

And this story is back! Hello again to all my readers <3

Comments appreciated :D (I really do read them all, and I'm sorry if I don't reply to all of them-- but they all make me smile)