“1, 2, 3. Ok, thank you, Henry.”

The restaurant manager gave Henry a thumb up after taking a photo of his with the chocolate vanilla cookie pizza. Henry replied with a wide grin before digging the spoon into the dish, starting to enjoy his meal.

“Would you mind if I uploaded this on our page, as some kind of PR?”- the manager waved his phone with Henry’s photo on the screen in front of him.

“Of course you can use it. The dish tastes heavenly. People should know more about this place.” He took another mouthful spoon. “But I don’t reject if you offer me an offer or a free meal.”

The other man laughed. “Sure. You won’t have to pay for this dish.”

“Why must we do so? He sure earned much these days. And that’s my first try!” The girl standing next to them opposed.

“Amber. He helped our restaurant.” The older man said easily and Henry flashed an eye-disappearing-grin at his best friend while she made a face at him in return.

“Anyway, what caption should I put under this?”- The man scratched his chin thinking.

Amber rolled her eyes and grabbed the phone. “Shhh… Give it to me.” Then she her heels, setting to leave.

“Don’t you stay?” Henry looked up from the dessert with his puppy eyes. He was always a messy eater and he had a chocolate moustache at the corner of his lips and it made him so much more like a child. But it wouldn’t work on Amber, as she always stated (He still tried though, perhaps her boss could fell for his trick and let her stay with him), she just threw a napkin at his face and headed to the door of the VIP room: “Nah… You’re here to pay while I’m here to work. So, no.” She gave him another threaten then. “And don’t you dare leave any leftover. That’s my first attempt!”, leaving the Snoopy-looking boy pout.

---

Out of the room, Amber quickly typed a caption into the phone “Super Junior Henry right before scarfing down our Chocolate’s Vanilla cookie Pizza!” and handed it back to the manager, who also was her friend (that’s why she came to help with the restaurant). “Here.”

The man read the caption and began to add something “Done. It’s perfect now.” The female staff grabbed the phone to type some more in herself “Ok, now it really is perfect.”

---

Amber was telling her friends not to post her picture online that day when Henry barged into the kitchen with the biggest goofy grin on his face “You really do?”

His question clearly didn’t ring anything in Amber’s mind, as she raised an eyebrow: “What are you talking about? And why are you even here? This is the staff’s area.”

Henry leaned on the nearby counter, with his stupid grin still on. “I’m bored. I’m here to meet you but you just leave me alone! I don’t think you even care about this friend. But it’s Ok now, since you said you watched Real Men because of me and [Henry Lau- *heart*]”.

“What!? When…!?” Her eyes widened but she still managed to catch a small sound of muffled laughter behind, as well as the sight of her two other friends trying not to laugh at the corner of her eyes.

Amber quickly pulled out her own phone to check, just to come into a horrible shock. “ARE YOU GUYS SERIOUS?” She shouted at the friends before turning back to Henry.

“This is not me. They did it!”

Henry didn’t let it go easily, of course. “Don’t be shy, Ambie. Just admit it.”

She glared, thumb wiping another moustache near his lips. “I swore it’s not me! And why are you so messy?”

“Just because… [Henry Lau *heartttttt*] ”, he drawled, grinning cheekily.

“Eww, creepy… Stop it, Snoopy!”

“You’re the main reason we watch R…”

She clamped her hand over his mouth in attempt to successfully shut the annoying mouth up, but the mischievous glint is gleaming in his eyes and she felt like gradually losing her cool as a tingle feeling was running up her spine.

“Have anyone told that you two are like a bickering couple?”

Amber was sure Henry was beaming behind her hand while she mumbled nearly inaudibly at her friend’s comment “Yes”

She removed her hand from Henry’s face then and turned back to the dish she was learning to make. “It’s just that I can’t put up with his . But I have to, that’s the cost of being friends with a stupid Snoopy for seven years!” Henry was pouting again for sure, she thought, damn that 3-year-old boy.

Her friends laughed before making their way out of the kitchen to serve the other customers.

Now that there are only Amber and Henry in the private room (because Amber is not really a staff, she was trained in a separate small room), and Henry still watched her prepare the dish without saying anything since her remark, she started to feel uncomfortable. Is he angry? It’s not like it’s the first time she said so!

She gulped lightly and put the taco she was trying to make down, about to turn around to look at him. She never had the chance to do so though because the next thing she knew was a pair of arms wrapping around her waist and pulled her closer from behind. She got startled and froze on her feet, yet made no move to escape from the embrace. Henry put his chin on her shoulder, his warm breath fanning her neck.

“What are you doing?” Amber whispered. She breathed in the familiar scent of his, one of things that can always comfort her. “They can come back right now.” Yet she continued standing still, even leaned back a little to sink deeper into his warmth.

“I miss you.” Henry whispered back, tightening his grip on her, and burying his face against her shoulder. Those three simple words sent chill down her spine and Amber inhaled sharply, trying to keep calm.

“I can’t meet you as much as before.” He huffed.

“You’re getting busier. That’s a good thing, Snoopy.”

“Yet when we meet, you treat me like this.”

Amber sighed. “You know we must be secretive. Now is the important time in your career.” She missed him too, but she couldn’t risk it. Now is not the time for them to go public, yet.

Henry stayed mute again for a moment, before breathed out softly “Amber…”

“Hmm…?” She turned her head at the right time for his soft lips to land on her own. She was so longing for such contact that she totally forgot she was just afraid to be found out right a few moments before. Instead she shifted a little to have a better angle and savored the feeling of his lips against her.

“Oops… I’m sorry!” A yelp along with a loud thud of the door opening made them pull apart and jump in surprise. Her friend grinned at Amber and Henry fumbling to gain back the decent look “Friends of seven years… No wonder you are soooo close.”

Amber turned bright red and decided to put all her frustration on the poor boy. Henry was kicked out with no mercy. “That’s own your fault. GET OUT NOW!!!”

---

Henry was still grinning when he was back at his table. That’s when he realized that another woman was now sitting in the room, a table behind his. She seemed to know him though, as she smiled with him. Being the smooth guy he was, he offered back a bright smile. He got a little surprised when she stood up though. “Are you Henry?” He nodded, dumfounded, she didn’t sound like a fan, how could she be?

“Nice to finally meet you, Henry. You might not know me. I’m Mina, Amber’s friend.”

So that’s the close friend who is an artist Amber has mentioned to him sometimes. His smile grew wider and he stretched his arm out to offer a handshake. “Oh, how do you do? I’ve heard about you.”

Henry never really had difficulties starting conversation with anyone, as a friendly dude  he was, and this time made no difference. He spent the next good half an hour chatting with Mina, jokingly complaining about how he introduced Amber to all of his friends while she didn’t do the same. Amber was still nowhere to be seen though, she was deliberately avoiding that VIP room, or more like Henry. Did she really hate it when their relationship is known by her friends?

“She is just shy, you know?” Mina suddenly said as if she could read his mind. Henry felt somehow guilty because he lost track during their conversation. “It’s hard to make her tell about you. But now as we meet already, you are cute indeed.”

“[Indeed] ? That means Amber said that I’m cute?” Henry got all excited at the new found piece of information.

“It’s more like this. [He's... uhm... cute...?]” Mina mimicked the way Amber avoided direct eye contact, shifting her weight between her feet and playing with the hem of her shirt nervously. “Bonus pink cheeks and ears.”

Henry could immediately portray the adorable image in his head and a happy grin bloomed on his face again.

---

“See? They’re happy talking already. No need for me.” The two of them whipped toward the voice, seeing Amber being dragged into the room by her Coreanos friends.

The manager pushed her down the seat. “I give you a day off since you insist on being a role employer. Don’t waste your time but spend it wisely with your close friend.” He emphasized the last two words, much to Amber’s dismay before nodding at Henry. “Enjoy, sir.”

Henry bit back his smile and took a mental note of thanking the kind man later, whirling around to face a grumbling Amber next to him.

“Why are you working here by the way?”

She murmured something that Henry was only able to catch “free time”, “help” and “money”. He understood anyway, as he had known her clearly like knowing his own palm.

“You can be an assistant at my studio. I’ll pay higher.” He observed amusingly as she turned an adorable shade of red. “I even offer sleep-over place. Ouch!”

Henry rubbed the new sore spot on his arm while Amber shot him a what-the-hell-Mina-is-here-too glare and Mina giggled.

“I have my own studio, a friendly reminder in case you forget.” She casually sipped water from his glass.

“Where Jackson and others come to all the time.” The boy mumbled under his breath, earning another hard kick on his shin from a tomato-red Amber and a laughter from the other girl.

“It’s not like you don’t have anyone come over. Shut up and eat your taco.” Amber shoved the taco she had just made ((specially for him)) into his face and watched eagerly as he took a bite and shrieked in horror. “It’s ing SPICYYYYYYY, Ammmm”.

The other companion at the table couldn’t help but fall into a fit of laughter at the scene.

 ---

Later that night, Amber was texting when an incoming Skype phone call appeared on her laptop screem. She clicked ‘Agree’ right away.

“Yo, Stitch.” A boyish grin welcomed her.

“Hey, Snoopy. What’s now? We’ve just talked for the whole afternoon. Isn’t it enough?” She asked, fingers still tapping on the phone’s screen.

“Can’t never get enough of you. I even want to spend the night together.”

“God, stop the cheese, Snoopy! You gave me goose bumps.” She glared and rubbed her arms up and down as to prove the state, but the hint of a smile at the corner of her lips and a tip of pink ears kind of gave her away.

“I’m not cheesy. I’m cuteeee, aren’t I?” He puffed out his famous cheeks that he’d managed to gain back gradually recently and winked.

“Don’t ask me. Go ask all the girls you’ve been flirting with on national TV channels.” She stuck her tongue out.

He laughed. “And you are the one who kicked me when I mentioned Jackson.” He paused then, frowning, eyeing the phone on her hand. “By the way, who are you texting with? Jackson? Soryong? Dario?”

Amber tossed her phone away, chuckling lightly at her jealous boyfriend. “Don’t be silly. I am asking Mina to delete her tweet this afternoon.”

“The one that said I’m lovely? But why?”

“Some fans think that I have a boyfriend.” She heard his small laugh. “And some guess it’s you so I think it’s needed…” She sent him the link.

“Woa… Your fans really pay close attention to all your words.” Henry said, studying the post. “But hey, it’s not like they all guess it’s me. Actually more are guessing it’s Kris.” He looked straight up at the camera and grinned. “You act like that again.”

And by “again”, Amber knew he was talking about that day. Henry had passed by when she’d been replying to a fan’s post about their identical llama hats. He’d asked why she must personally denied so while fans did it all the time and whether she disliked being paired with him that much. Then she’d answered she was afraid he could feel uncomfortable if he found out because they were like siblings (though that was not what she wanted) It’d turned out that Henry didn’t like the idea of being siblings either as he’d leaned over to claim her lips.

Amber smiled at the memory. “I don’t know. Perhaps it’s just in me that I can’t sit still when the issue somehow relates to you?”

“That’s sweet. I’ll take it as another confession of yours.” His smile shone even through the screen. Then he tried to hide a yawn but failed miserably.

“Oh, look at the time now! Go to sleep already! You’ve schedules tomorrow.” Amber made a gesture of shooing him away.

“You too.” Another yawn. “Good night, Stitch. I love you.” He even sent her a visual kiss.

---

Henry got startled when Amber suddenly ended their video call. He stared blankly at the screen for a while before turning it off and snuggling into the blankets, pouting. He was about to turn off the light when the phone beeped. His face lit up at the message and the smile didn’t leave his lips when he already drifted off to dreamland.

“From: Stitch

1-4-3”

---

“She’s just shy, you know?”

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

Author's note: /curl up into a ball and hide somewhere far away at the corner of my room/

I seriously lost all my confidence in writing (which actually nearly doesnt exist already) after getting to be friends with some of my favorite authors...

So I hope this is not toooo bad T_T Ok, I'm going. I should stick to drawing /try to hide myself somemore/

[If anyone in my Henber tlist see this by any chance, please don't talk to me about this, lol]