“Hello.  Where are you?  You’re not trying to back out now, are you?”  Junho said over the phone.  “Because I will come and get you.  Or better yet, I’ll bring the whole party over there and I’m telling you we’ll make a mess.  So you better get here right now or I’ll - ”

“Wait, who is this?”  You said trying to stifle a laugh.

“What?”  Junho’s world went on pause for a few moments and then stared at his phone to check if he got the number wrong.

“I was just kidding.”  You burst into laughter as you walk over to the door.  “I’m already here at your door.”  You said as you hang up on him.

Taecyeon answered the knock at Junho’s door while Junho was keeping busy in the kitchen.  Your eyes widened upon seeing the tall man standing on the other side.  As rude as it might appear to be you couldn’t help but stare at his smiling face for a few more seconds before you forced yourself to blink.  You’ve seen him a couple of times before in the university, but never this up close.

He leaned against the doorframe with a grin.  “Wow.  Junho did say you were pretty, but he never told us you were this beautiful.”

“I’m what?”  You appeared greatly taken aback by his words.

“If I knew, I would’ve searched for you myself in school.”

You shook your head and squinted at him.  “Wait, Junho talks to you about me?”

“He talks about you all the time.  In fact he even told us –“  Taecyeon was about to divulge another one of their private conversations about you when Junho yanked him back by his shirt.

“I’m sorry.”  Junho stood in front of Taecyeon to face you, amplifying the nervous bubbles in your stomach.  “He’s a caveman.” You giggled weakly.  You were grateful to see he was casually dressed, a white shirt with a graphic print on and a pair of dark jeans.  You have been incredibly nervous about tonight ever since you lost over a coin toss.  You have stared at your closet for hours trying to decide what to wear, until you finally settled for a sleeveless knit top, jeans and ballet flats and you hoped you look decent enough to meet his friends.  “Anyway, you look lovely.  Come in – please.”  He leads you inside his flat.

You tucked your hair behind your ear with a smile.  “Thank you.  You don’t look half bad yourself.”  That was the understatement of the year.  He looked gorgeous as always especially with that million-watt smile of his on.  “I brought wine-”  You handed him the bottle.  “-and a box of assortede pastries.”  You lifted the box to show him.  “I hope that’s fine.”

“You didn’t have to.  But thanks…the boys will definitely love you.”  He looked down at the label and raised an eyebrow in appreciation.  “Petrus.  Very nice.  I see you know your wine.”

“Nah.”  You shook your head.  “I just asked the sommelier for something suitable of your status.”

“So, I’m a Petrus?”  He laughed and you nodded knowing both that a Petrus equals expensive.  “Anyway, let me introduce you to everyone.”  Realization dawned in your eyes and you began to hear your heartbeat in your ear once again rendering your face pale.  “Take a deep breath, you’ll be fine.”

“I can’t believe you talked me into this.”  You whispered with worry.

“I didn’t talk you into anything.  You lost to a coin toss to me, remember?”  You rolled your eyes at him and then took a deep breath and let it out.

The two of you made your way to the living room, where four of his friends have gathered making a crowded group.  Junho stepped back so he was partially behind you as he introduced you to MInjun, Nichkhun, Taecyeon and Wooyoung.  You all exchanged your greetings and pleasantries with bright smiles when about halfway through the introductions you felt Junho’s hand on your back.  You’re not sure if the rest of the group saw it, but it made you relax knowing he is by your side.  You stood there trying to silently count the boys with your eyes.  You could have sworn they were six in the group.

Nichkhun grins as he looked at you.  “You’re trying to figure out who’s missing, aren’t you?”

You shook your head with a guilty smile.  “No, actually, I’ve met Chansung in the elevator before.  So I kinda knew he’s the one missing.”

“He’ll be here soon.  We asked him to buy something on the way over.”  Junho said as he offered for you to take a seat on one of the vacant wingback chairs.  “By the way, she brought wine and food.”

“We love you already.”  Taecyeon said as he reached for the box of pastries.

“See?  I told you, didn’t I?”  Junho turned to you with a smile and a weak attempt at a wink.

“Thank you.”  Nichkhun said with a gentle smile.  “You’ll have to forgive him.”  He points at Taecyeon beside him on the couch.  “He comes from the prehistoric era, seldom gets out of the cave to socialize.”

“That’s quite alright.  I’m quite the same.”  You said as you look at Taecyeon open the box and peruse the selection inside.

“I think the stew needs a stirring.”  Junho said as he turned towards you.  “Wanna come help me in the kitchen?”  He held out his hand offering it to you.

“You know I don’t know much about cooking, but I would love to.”  You placed your hand on his.

“No!  No!  No!  Sit!  Sit!”  The boys screamed.

“You’re a guest, you shouldn’t be in the kitchen.”  Wooyoung said.

Taecyeon took a whole chocolate profiterole into his mouth.  It was a delight watching him eat like he has been starved for years and this would be his first meal.  “Yup-guest-no kitchen.”  He said incoherently.

“Then…you go check on the stew.”  Junho pointed to Taecyeon who was wiping the whipped cream off of his lips with a finger.

Taecyeon smiled shaking his head.  “We’re guests too.  Your stew.  Your kitchen.  You go check.”

“I don’t want to leave her alone.”  Junho said not letting go of your hand.

“Yah!  Why would she be alone?”  Minjun retorted wide eyed and pointing at Junho.  “Just in case you forgot, we’re here.”

Junho looked at his friends with a scowl and then back at you.  His attention went to Taecyeon who popped the remnants of the flaky pastry in his mouth, dusted the crumbs off his trousers and leaned forward to reach for another.  Just as he was about to choose the apple strudel, Junho slapped the box lid shut on his hand and angrily stood up to check on the stew.

“Just shout if you need me to get you.”  Junho said as he started to the kitchen.  “And don’t trust them too much.”

“I heard we go to the same university.”  Taecyeon said as he hands you a glass of wine.  “How come I never saw you around?”

“I’m kinda hard to spot.”  You took the glass from him with a smile.  “You on the other hand I’ve seen twice or thrice in campus.  It’s easy to spot you of course.”

“It’s easy to spot me of course why?”  Taecyeon’s eyes widened and his tongue flicked out to wet his dry lips.

“Well, one you’re freakishly tall.  You tower above most people in campus.  And second you’re a mob magnet.”  You said before taking a sip of wine.

“A mob magnet?”  Wooyoung asked.

“When he walks around, a crowd normally forms around him.  I’m sure you’re all like that.”

“Not really.  He gathers a crowd because he is a freak.”  Minjun said and everyone including you and with the exception of Taecyeon laughed.  ”Anyway, we heard Junho’s been causing you misfortunes.”  Minjun said.

You smiled and wondered what Junho has been telling them all this time.  “Not really, most of them was also due to my own clumsiness.”

“That’s not what we heard.”  Nichkhun said with mischief.

“What did you hear exactly?”  You smiled into your glass of wine.

“A lot.”  Nichkhun answered.

“A whole lot.”  Wooyoung joined in.  “You even kissed.”

You clapped your hand over your mouth to keep yourself from cursing as your whole face turned bright red.  “Lee Junho!”

“What?  What did they do?”  Junho said running over to your side while Wooyoung sank down on the cushions on the couch, hiding himself.

You looked at Junho, your brows coming together in a scowl.  “What have you been telling your friends?”

“What have they told you?”  Junho blinks in surprise as he looks at you and then at his friends who chose to remain quiet with a grin.  He was nervously rubbing his throat as he tried to assess the situation.

“You told them we kissed?”

Junho’s mouth formed an O as he regarded you.  “Didn’t we?”  A smile flickered across his face as he leaned and closes the distance between your faces.  You pinched his nose hard to wipe the smile that has taken permanent residence in his face.  “Ah!  Ah!  Ah!  I was wrong. Sorry. I was wrong.”  He shouts and you let him go making you laugh, throwing your head back.  "But we did kiss." He rubs at his nose.

“Now I get it.”  Nichkhun said with a smile.

“Get what?”  You tried to stop laughing.

“How Junho fell in love with your laugh.”  NIchkhun said.  “He said it was…”

“Enchanting.”  Taecyeon finished Nichkhun’s sentence.  “And it is.”

“Oh mercy, their all the same as you.”  You said, your shoulders tensing as you sat straight up.

“Sweet and charming?”  Junho said raising his brows.

“Weird and flirty.”  They could see the smile fighting to break out against your best efforts.

“So, we haven’t asked you ‘the question’.”  Minjun said.

“What’s ‘the question’?”  You asked tilting your head to the side.

“Who among 2PM do you like best?”  MInjun asked again.

“You.”  You said with a giggle.

“Really?”  Minjun looks at you excitedly.

“Not really.”  Junho said laughing.  “I told her the unspoken rule.  If asked who you like best, you say the name of the person who asked first and then the person you really like second.”  Everyone laughed throwing their head back with the exception of Minjun who’s shoulders suddenly slumped.

“So, who’s second?”  Wooyoung asked.

“Let me use your bathroom.”  You said excusing yourself to avoid answering the question.

---

You stood on the hallway looking at the pictures hanging on the wall on your way out of the bathroom.  You could hear the boys laughter and jeers from where you stood although you couldn’t hear them very well, but you realized Junho was right.  They were more than just celebrities and famous people.  They were his friends … family even.  You were near the living room when you heard the door burst open.  It was Chansung spilling into the room with a bunch of bags at hand. 

“You’re late!”  Junho said.

“Hey how come I became the errand boy?  I know I definitely won the bet.  Aren’t we supposed to make Junho into a slave now since he couldn’t  get the girl upstairs to kiss him?”  Chansung said out loud…enough for you to hear clearly.