Promise me forever

Length: 11.1k

Genre: romance, fluff, ceo/assistant!au

Rating: NC-17

Summary: In which Kim Jongin is one of the most brilliant (and arrogant) CEOs in Seoul and yet he’s too stupid to even notice how his assistant feels about him.

Warning(s): a full on exaggerated korean drama in just one story

Jongin stirs awake when he feels the weight of the blanket being pulled off of him. He gives a quiet whine, half-lidded eyes searching around the room until he lands on a small figure standing near the foot of his bed, arms folded across his chest.

"It's almost eleven in the morning, so I suggest you get out of bed right now."

Despite the boy's constant nagging, Jongin can't help but bury his head into the comfort of his pillow, folding it against his ears to block out his assistant's voice, "Just five more minutes, Soo."

"I've been waiting for the past hour, Jongin. I think it's time you get out of bed and get ready." Kyungsoo walks over to the ceiling-to-floor window and presses a small button from a gray remote.

After a few seconds, the white curtains begin to draw, revealing a vast blue ocean and a small boardwalk along the beach. It was already before noon and the beach was slowly getting crowded with more and more people, colorful beach towels and umbrellas decorated amongst the white sand. But even with the amazing view outside his window, Jongin gives a low hiss towards his assistant, using his pillow to cover the top of his head.

"Mr. Kim--”

“Kyungsoo, stop calling me that. It makes me feel all old and boring.” Jongin snaps, voice muffled underneath his pillow.

“Jongin, you're seriously being ridiculous right now." Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, walking up to the side of the bed with an unamused frown, "Would you like me to wake up your 'friend' or can you do it on your own?"

Jongin slowly lifts his head up and glances over at Kyungsoo, "Huh?"

Following the direction of his assistant's gaze, he stares at the petite figure hidden underneath the white blanket, strands of long, black hair peeking out. Memories of getting intoxicated and casually flirting with a stranger before taking her back to his million-dollar home floods back into his mind until he remembers every vivid detail.

"Oh." He replies.

Jongin quietly slips out of bed, careful not to wake up the woman. Kyungsoo doesn't even flinch when he sees the taller man's body. It's been more than six years and he's eventually grown used to it, and with a body like Jongin's, there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

Jongin tangles his fingers through the back of his hair, "Just give me a sec, I'm gonna take a shower first."

"Oh, so now you're expecting me to stay here until she wakes up?"

"I'll be quick. But if she wakes up before I finish, tell her she can leave." Jongin ruffles the top of Kyungsoo's dark red hair, laughing in amusement when the latter swats his hand away.

"I'm not gonna wake her up myself," Kyungsoo growls.

"Too late. I'm going to the bathroom."

"But--"

He stops when the bathroom door slams shut. Kyungsoo groans after hearing the shower turn on which gives him at least twenty minutes to wake the woman up and kick her out of the house.

And in all honesty, he hated how Jongin would always bring someone home every night while he constantly stayed awake and waited for him to come home. And now Jongin's adding another name onto his list of one night stands. Being an assistant to someone like Jongin was extremely difficult, and yet Kyungsoo still stays despite the cons weighing more than the pros.

The cons? Witnessing Jongin flirting with complete strangers at business parties, watching him give flirtatious touches towards women whom he finds attractive, and seeing that arrogant yet oh so attractive smirk on his face when he knows people want him.

But even with the younger's constant procrastinating and slightly cold personality when it came to important business matters, being able to spend every single moment with his best friend outweighs the consequences of working as Jongin's assistant. And maybe that was the reason why Kyungsoo has fallen hard for Jongin.

Slowly, the woman on the bed wakes up, eyelids fluttering open before sitting up and staring around the unfamiliar room. Kyungsoo secretly breathes a sigh of relief when she sees her still dressed in her bra and underwear and after growing a little impatient, he clears his throat to get her attention.

When she finally looks up at him, he puts on a fake smile, “Mr. Kim told me to tell you that you can leave once you get dressed.”

He watches with faint amusement as she gets out of bed and searches around the bedroom for her clothes, grabbing her shoes and garments with flushed cheeks. After she gets dressed and looks somewhat presentable, she stops and turns back to Kyungsoo. “Tell Jongin to call me if he wants to go out sometime. He already has my number so I don’t have to go on with the details.”

The corner of Kyungsoo’s lip twitches into a smile. “Mr. Kim has a very important schedule this evening and later on during the week and month, but I’ll be sure to pass on the message when I see him.”

The woman falls silent, biting on her lower lip before she sighs and glances back up at the young assistant, “High school’s already over, Kyungsoo, and you’re still following Jongin around like a lovesick puppy. You still don’t have that silly crush on him ever since our first year, do you?”

“You’re right,” Kyungsoo nods in agreement, the smile on his face never leaving. “I’ve been close to Jongin ever since the beginning of high school and we still remain close today. In fact, I’m happy that he trusts me enough to let me handle his personal situations such as booking appointments, setting up important business meetings, and--”

She blinks, expecting the last answer to fall out of Kyungsoo’s mouth but she gets nothing but silence in return. “And what?”

Kyungsoo walks over to the door. He grabs onto the handle and pulls it wide open, tilting his head to the side and flashing a genuine smile, “And taking out the trash.”

---o---

Twenty-four minutes later, Jongin steps out of the bathroom, a white towel wrapped around his lower waist and another drying his wet hair. He glances at the bed, now empty and perfectly made as if it had never been slept on and he gives a low whistle. “I thought she’d never leave.”

“That’s what you get for inviting people over and hooking up with them,” Kyungsoo deadpans.

“But I think she was one of the worst. She couldn’t keep her hands off of me last night.”

The shorter boy takes a deep breath, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his cellphone. He stares at the screen for a brief second before glancing back up at Jongin, “I need to go over your schedule for today.”

“Can we talk about that later?” Jongin runs over to his bed, throwing himself on top of the mattress and scrambling for the remote. With another click of a button, a small slot opens from the ground and a large TV rises.

Kyungsoo sighs, “Jongin, I really need to discuss with you about the collaboration deal with SM Corporations. Your whole family’s expecting you to make the company bigger than ever.”

“Pfft, I know that, Soo. I just need a bit of rest for today.” Jongin continues to surf through the channels until he finally lands on a college football game. The roar of the crowd and the thunderous boom of the announcer’s voice forces Kyungsoo to raise his voice.

“Jongin, did you forget about the business meeting today at four?”

“What?” Jongin shouts, eyes still fixated on the screen, “I can’t hear you!”

Now practically fuming, Kyungsoo storms over to the bed and snatches the remote out of Jongin’s hand, pointing it towards the TV until it finally shuts off. Jongin blinks at the black screen in front of him, “What the hell was that for?”

“Can’t you just give me a minute to tell you what you need to do for today?” Kyungsoo asks.

Jongin falls silent and leans back against the enormous pile of pillows behind him, “Fine, talk.”

“Thank you,” Kyungsoo breathes out. He pulls out his cellphone and begins scrolling through the list. “You just need to sign a few papers at the company around one o’clock, your mother wants to have a late lunch with you at two-thirty, and then that gives you just enough time to attend that business meeting with SM at four.” Looking up at Jongin, he gives a soft smile, “Not so hard, right?”

“I guess.” Jongin mumbles.

“So, do you understand what you have to do today? I can go over it again with you if you want--”

“Sign papers at one, hang out and pretend to have fun with mom at half past two, and then go to that pointless meeting with SM at four. I got it.” The younger man grabs the remote from Kyungsoo’s hand and turns the TV back on.

The assistant glances at his watch, cursing quietly under his breath, “Oh, shoot. I need to head on over to the company to help with the new intern. I’ll be going then, Jongin.” After walking up to the door, he turns back around, “Make sure you remember!”

“Don’t worry!” Jongin calls out, waving his hand towards Kyungsoo’s direction, “Just go on ahead and I’ll catch up with you later.”

A flush of relief floods through Kyungsoo’s chest before he leaves the room.

Finally, a day where nothing will go wrong.

---o---

By three forty-five, Kyungsoo's anxiety begins to grow. The butterflies in his stomach refuse to go away, growing in size each time he hears Jongin’s voicemail answering his phone call rather than the CEO himself.

“Jongin, just please call me back when you get this. The meeting’s starting in fifteen minutes and you have to be here. Just-- Call me back, ‘kay?” Kyungsoo quickly sends the voice mail and begins pacing back and forth in the middle of the hallway. It’s been more than an hour and still no sign of Jongin. Maybe he was still at the office signing the papers, or listening to his mother lecture him about having such a huge company in his possession--

He feels his phone vibrating in his pocket and Kyungsoo yanks it out, pressing it against his ear. “H-hello, Do Kyungsoo, Mr. Kim’s assistant.”

“Is Mr. Kim Jongin there?” The voice from the other line asks.

His heart sinks a little when he hears the unfamiliar voice, “I’m sorry, but he’s not available at the moment. Can I get back to you later?”

“But I really need to discuss with him about the papers we planned for today.”

Kyungsoo stops pacing, “The schedule at one?”

“Yes, and unfortunately Mr. Kim never showed up for his scheduled appointment.”

“What?” Kyungsoo’s fingers clutch against his phone, “He wasn’t there at all?”

“No,” The woman sighs, clearly just as exhausted as Kyungsoo was, “We’ve tried contacting him with his phone, but he never replied back to us. We were wondering if you’ve been able to contact him for the past hour.”

Kyungsoo stares down at the ground, “No, he’s not answering any of my calls or text messages either.”

The woman falls silent before saying in a low voice, “Then I’d suggest when you finally see Jongin, he should realize that there are more important things to do rather than going out to parties and hooking up with other celebrities.”

Even with the serious atmosphere, Kyungsoo can’t help but smile, “I’m surprised you know how he acts.”

“Honey, his face is literally on the cover of the local newspaper every week. I’m surprised he’s not the father of more than forty children with all those people he's been hooking up with--”

His phone begins to beep and Kyungsoo glances at the screen, “Excuse me, miss, but I’m getting another call. It might be Jongin.”

“I’ll just hang up now. If you hear from Mr. Kim, tell him to come to my office to sign the papers as soon as possible.”

After she hangs up, Kyungsoo picks up the other call. “Hello--”

“I’ve been waiting for two hours!” A shrilly voice shrieks through the phone and Kyungsoo nearly drops it. Instead, he keeps it a few inches away from his ear and says in a quiet voice, “Mrs. Kim--”

“Where on earth is my son! It’s already past four and I’m still sitting here sipping on my glass of wine!” Her voice continues to scream in the air and Kyungsoo gives the server and the rest of the tables around her a bit of sympathy.

“Please calm down.” Kyungsoo says. He really should be telling it to himself. The meeting with SM was going to start in just a few minutes and Jongin hasn’t even arrived yet.

Jongin’s mother snaps, “I specifically told him to show up fifteen minutes earlier and now he’s more than an hour late, and why isn’t he picking up when I’m trying to call him? Go call Jongin and tell him to come here!”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Kyungsoo says in a weak voice, “H-he’s not answering my calls either.”

By now the woman is fuming and, in the background, Kyungsoo can hear her screaming towards the waiter to get her another glass of wine.

“If he calls you,” Her voice is shaking as she keeps herself composed but it really has no effect, “Tell him to call me immediately.”

“Of course, Mrs. Kim. I’ll make sure he’ll talk to you straight away.” Kyungsoo hangs up the phone, his heart racing and fingers trembling.

It was already twenty minutes past four and the men are all seated in the conference room, setting up a projector screen and talking to each other in hushed murmurs.

The assistant shuffles into the room and peeks his head inside.

A man catches sight of him standing through the doorway and he claps his hand together, “So has Jongin arrived for the meeting yet?”

Kyungsoo clears his throat and says, “Mr. Kim hasn’t arrived yet, but please enjoy the beverages and snacks that are given to you while he is on his way."

"It's already past our scheduled meeting!" One person sitting at the front slams the palm of his hands against the table. "Tell Jongin if he doesn't come here in the next fifteen minutes, then the deal's off."

"Excuse me?" Kyungsoo stutters. Did the CEO of SM Corporations really say what he was dreading for the past month?

"Fifteen minutes," The man repeats, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He falls back against his seat and the rest of his workers nod and mumble in agreement. "My patience is wearing thin and that's not good for a company who wants to be successful."

Kyungsoo swallows the lump in his throat, "I'll call him right away."

"Good, because--"

The door to the conference room slams open and Jongin, now dressed in a clean cut business suit, steps in. Kyungsoo breathes a sigh of relief when he sees the young man walking up to the front to shake the other CEO's hand.

"Sorry I'm late." Jongin walks over to an empty spot and makes himself comfortable. "I had a little business to take care of."

He throws his feet over the table, hands pressed behind the back of his head while the other company stares back.

"Mr. Kim," The other CEO clears his throat and speaks in an agitated tone, "I expect you to show up to your scheduled meetings on time. We've been waiting for quite a while and I nearly told your assistant here that the deal would be if you didn't show up in the next fifteen minutes--"

Jongin rolls his eyes, "You would never do that."

"I beg your pardon?" The man stutters, face turning red with embarrassment. Most of the other workers look up at Jongin in disbelief.

The corner of Jongin's lips lift to a soft smirk, "Wasn't it you who practically begged me to make a business offering? Without my help, your company will fail rather than become as successful as mine."

The CEO fails to make an excuse. He clears his throat and begins picking up the manila envelopes on the table as if nothing had happened.

"And I suggest you not threaten my assistant." Jongin says, "Whatever you're angry with, he has nothing to do with my late arrivals or my rejected phone calls." He looks around the rest of the table but no one seems to make eye contact with him. Who would? Even though he was a CEO at an extremely young age, Jongin was one of the toughest in the country and had millions of companies and wealth to prove it. Ever since Jongin made his first deal, the family's company has grown tremendously along with the young CEO's ego.

"Let's get started with the meeting, shall we?" Jongin asks.

Kyungsoo sighs in relief when the lights go dim and the projector light turns on, hiding his red face.

Jongin turns on his computer before looking back up at his assistant, "Kyungsoo, do you mind sitting out on this meeting? The information here is a bit confidential."

The shorter male nods, bowing his head towards the rest of the table before leaving the conference room. His back presses against the door once he closes it shut and he takes a steady breath.

At the corner of his eyes, he spots the new intern making his way down the hall and calls out for him.

"Yeah, hyung?" Sehun walks up to Kyungsoo. "You need anything?"

"Some water and pills for my headache please," He mumbles.

The intern gives a small laugh, "Let me guess. Jongin?"

---o---

After signing the paperwork and shaking the CEO's hand, Jongin steps out of the conference room and stretches his arms in the air. The meeting lasted more than an hour and his legs were beginning to feel numb from sitting for so long.

He sees his assistant down the hall, looking through his phone and writing a few notes on a piece of paper. With the serious and concentrated look on his face, Jongin finds him almost adorable.

He calls out in a loud voice, "Kyungsoo!"

The young man looks up at the sound of his name, eyes narrowing when he sees Jongin in front of him.

Jongin tucks his hands into his pockets, "So, um, I was gonna head on home and--"

Jongin finds himself slammed against the wall, a small hand pressed against his shoulder. A few workers glance towards their direction, quickly looking away when they see Kyungsoo taking out his anger on Jongin.

"Kyungsoo, what the hell?"

"I should be saying that to you!" Kyungsoo snaps, fingernails digging into Jongin's shoulder. He doesn't even flinch because wow Kyungsoo is weak but he looks cute so might as well just play along.

Jongin tries not to smile but he can't help but give a little smirk, adding more fire to Kyungsoo's temper.

"It's not funny! I specifically told you to finish signing those papers and guess what? The company called and told me you never showed up." Kyungsoo glares up at Jongin, scrunched nose and wide eyes trying so hard to look angry, but the latter knows his assistant can never be angry with him.

"Look, Kyungsoo, I'm really sorry--"

"And your mom called and was screaming about me because you never met up with her for lunch and she spent the next two hours waiting for you!" Kyungsoo flicks Jongin against the forehead and the latter winces in pain, "And you had to show up twenty minutes late to a very important meeting which I had to reserve a month in advance!"

The assistant presses his hands against his hips, chin lifted up to stare at Jongin, "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I won't do it again, Kyungsoo."

"Bull," The shorter scoffs, already seeing through Jongin. It was so easy to look past the younger man's lies.

"No, believe me." Jongin grabs onto Kyungsoo's wrist and smiles sweetly. "I promise I'll show up on time for everything. Just forgive me this one time?"

"No, I'm not going to let it slide." Kyungsoo shakes his head.

Jongin presses his hand on Kyungsoo's shoulder, "I'll make it up to you?"

His assistant pauses, "By promoting me?"

"You get the most benefits in my company and you practically live at my place. There's no way I can promote you even more."

"It was worth a shot," Kyungsoo huffs in disappointment, but then he quickly looks back up, "Then what?"

"Movie marathon while eating dinner on the couch?" Jongin tilts his head to the side. Kyungsoo looks away as if contemplating the offer.

"I'll pay?" Jongin suggests.

"Fine, and I get to pick the movie and what we're having!" Kyungsoo grumble.

Jongin places a hand against his chest in mock hurt, "That's not fair."

"Not fair? I've been your assistant for who knows how long and I still have to deal with your bull every day."

"Okay, then. Whatever it takes to make you not angry anymore."

Suddenly, Kyungsoo's eyes soften, his shoulders sinking lower before he gives a long sigh, "I'm not angry."

There was the assistant Jongin knew and loved -- his best friend. Despite the number of times they bicker and argue, they can never really be angry at each other.

"So movie and dinner tonight at my place?" Jongin asks.

Kyungsoo nods, "You didn't take your car with you today, did you? Your chauffeur told me he drove you earlier so I thought we could go home together and get the stuff along the way."

"Actually," The taller man rubs the back of his neck and gives a weak smile, "I have a few things to do before, so do you mind setting up until I get back? I promise I'll be home before nine. I'll even pay you back when you get the stuff."

"Oh." Kyungsoo's heart sinks a little lower in his chest, but his lips press into a thin smile and he nods. "Okay, I'll see you then."

"Mr. Kim," Sehun calls out.

Both men turn around and the young intern points at the front office, "Someone's here to meet you."

Jongin nods, grabbing his things and Kyungsoo sees a young girl standing at the front with makeup caked all over her face. Taking a closer look, he notices it wasn't the same girl from last time.

"I'll promise I'll be home in time. I won't even take that long." Jongin waves towards his young assistant before wrapping an arm around the petite girl's waist. It sends a sharp pang towards Kyungsoo's chest but he manages to wave back with a smile.

Once he leaves with the stranger, the smile on his face drops into a disappointed frown. Beside him, Sehun nudges him against the arm, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kyungsoo says, secretly glad Sehun can't see past his lies.

---o---

Once Kyungsoo finishes a few errands at the office, he heads back to Jongin's place. The clock strikes six in the evening when he kicks off his shoes, giving him a good amount of time to pick out a few movies.

An hour finally passes and Kyungsoo patiently waits for Jongin to show up. He sits in the living room, surfing through the channels until he settles on a cheesy cartoon that Jongin usually watches when there’s nothing interesting on.

By eight o'clock, Kyungsoo returns back Jongin’s place with an assortment of food wrapped in plastic bags. From Chinese takeout to chips and soda, the assistant sets everything down on the kitchen table before he begins taking out paper plates and cups. Jongin should be arriving any minute now and it was best if he was prepared before then.

A night just hanging out with his best friend. Kyungsoo smiles at the thought as he places the first item onto the coffee table in front of the living room couch.

---o---

“Jongin.” The woman (What was her name again?) clutches onto the young man’s arm, batting her fake eyelashes coated in thick layers of mascara. “You haven’t been talking a lot. Is there something wrong?”

Not something, but someone. Preferably one with big eyes and works as an assistant for a very successful CEO.

“It’s nothing.” Jongin pulls his arm away from her vise-like grip, leaning his elbow against the bar counter, “I’ve just been tired with work lately.”

“Then maybe you should loosen up a little bit.” She says in a flirtatious way, waving the bartender over and ordering a couple of drinks.

When she tries to offer him one, he shakes his head. “I can’t. I have something to do tonight.”

“You’re not seeing someone else, are you?” She teases, playing with the drink in her hands.

“Relax. He’s just a friend. Don’t even worry about it, but we’ve been planning this and I don’t want to mess it up for him.”

She wraps a hand around his arm, leaning close until her lips brush tantalizingly slow against the side of his neck. “One sip wouldn’t hurt, would it?”

Something cold and wet presses against his mouth and Jongin parts his lips, allowing the liquid to slide down the back of his throat. But now something else is touching his lips and Jongin sighs when he feels no spark -- not even a single zap -- from the kiss.

He imagines it as someone else kissing him, lips more plush and fingers tangled through short hair instead of fake extensions. Jongin pulls away, drowsy from the alcohol that was sinking into his system.

“Do you want another?” The voice is slightly hard to hear, but Jongin manages to give a weak nod, taking another glass into his hands.

---o---

Kyungsoo lifts his head up, heavy eyelids pushing themselves open and his vision begins to clear. He’s still in Jongin’s living room, the food now cold and the TV still playing a small sitcom with a few comedic actors. Quickly, he glances up at the clock and sees that it’s already past one a.m. and the house was still as quiet as ever--

A small giggle can be heard from the front door along with the jingle of keys. The door bursts open and two figures step in, stumbling inside the room with red faces and wide smiles.

“Jongin.” Kyungsoo stands up from the couch and notices the second person to be the same girl who came to the office earlier in the afternoon. He tries not to look too disappointed, “Where were you? I thought you said you were gonna be home before nine.”

“Is it ‘lready past nine?” Jongin nearly trips on his own feet, falling into his assistant’s arms. Now that he has a closer look, the younger looks absolutely wasted and the scent of alcohol and cheap perfume still lingers in his clothes.

Kyungsoo sighs, “Yes, it’s already past nine. It’s already past ing midnight.”

“Whoa, time flies fast when you’re having fun, 'm I right?” Jongin flashes a grin. “‘nd Kyungsoo, what ‘re you still doing here?”

I was waiting for you, Kyungsoo thinks to himself. But instead of looking disappointed, he lies, “I just came to check up on you. Just to make sure your friend has a ride home.”

“You’re too kind, Soo.” Jongin throws an arm over the shorter man’s shoulder and Kyungsoo grunts at the heavy weight being pressed against his body. The younger points a finger at Kyungsoo, turning his gaze towards the petite, intoxicated woman, “See ‘ere? This is why he’s my assistant. Isn’t 'e so adorable?"

He begins pinching the corner of Kyungsoo’s cheek, but the latter quickly slaps it away and grabs his phone, “That's it. I’m taking her home. Excuse me, miss, but where do you live?”

The woman looks utterly lost at his words, eyes blinking but not registering the way his mouth moves.

“Hey," Jongin grabs his wrist, "She’s gonna stay ‘ere tonight with me--”

“No, she’s not, Jongin. She’s going back home or else your reputation is going to ing sink below the ground.” Kyungsoo snaps back angrily before he pulls out his phone, “Please just tell me your address and I’ll get you home.”

It takes a few minutes for her to finally understand what he was trying to ask her. She says it loudly, almost like a small child and another hour passes before she’s finally dropped off in front of her apartment with Kyungsoo dragging her up the front steps before rummaging through her purse for her house keys.

By the time he goes back to the car, Jongin is already passed out in the passenger seat, his cheek pressed flat against the window and his even breaths fogging up the cool glass. His quiet snores fill in the silent gaps during the car ride, leaving Kyungsoo to think whether he should tuck him into bed once they get back home or toss him out on the street. There were so many things running through his mind and none of them have an answer. He was mostly angry at the business CEO, but then again this was the type of thing he's been expecting to happen.

Once they get back inside the house, Kyungsoo helps the younger climb into bed, tugging off his shoes and taking off his jacket. Right when he was about to leave, Jongin grabs him by the wrist.

“What is it now, Jongin?” Kyungsoo sighs tiredly.

“Hot.” The younger grunts, tugging against the collar of his dress shirt, “It’s too hot.”

Kyungsoo was exhausted, but he helps Jongin take off his shirt, leaving him bare before he tucks him back into bed. He steps out into the living room with the shirt in his arms. After a closer examination, he notices something red against the collar and when he touches it, the thick texture rubs off on his fingers.

“Lipstick.” Kyungsoo says quietly to himself. He’s so disappointed; at Jongin because the younger never kept his promise and at himself for being so gullible and believing him. He turns on the washing machine and tosses the dress shirt inside instead of leaving it in the laundry hamper, the perfume in the fabric making him sick to his stomach.

Later on, he sees the table full of food completely untouched and cold. The assistant sighs and begins cleaning everything up. They could do this some other time.

---o---

Jongin stumbles into the living room, fingers raking through the tangles in his black hair. His trousers feel itchy against his sweaty skin, throat burning after downing so much alcohol in one night. He quickly takes it off and tosses it on the floor and hisses when he feels pain shooting up his right temple. How many drinks he had the other night, he doesn't even remember. All he knows is that there's bile rising up in his throat and he can't tell which door leads to the nearest bathroom.

After emptying what was left in his stomach, Jongin steps out right before tripping on his own feet. He wipes the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, body shuddering at the sour aftertaste still left on his tongue.

"Kyungsoo?" He croaks out, but after a few seconds, he receives no response.

He searches around the house until he realizes it was empty, but once he reaches the kitchen, he sees a yellow sticky note taped against the fridge.

"Had a scheduled meeting and won't be back until later. There's food in the fridge if you're hungry and some Tylenol on the counter if your head still hurts. - Kyungsoo"

That was it. No smiley face, no exclamation points like how he normally writes. It was simplistic and boring and Jongin wonders what he did to make Kyungsoo so angry. Hopefully it wasn't too serious.

---o---

Kyungsoo makes his way into the office, nodding his head towards the secretary sitting at the counter.

Sehun sees Kyungsoo and catches up to him, "Oh, good. You're finally here. He's waiting in the room right now." The taller male leads him down the hallway where a young man was sitting in front of the folding chairs with a small camera cradled in his lap.

"You're Kim Joonmyun?" Kyungsoo asks.

The man stands up after hearing his name and nods, "Yeah, that's me. Are you Kim Jongin's assistant?"

"I'm Do Kyungsoo." He holds out his hand and Joonmyun shakes it gently.

"By the way, thanks for letting me have this interview." Joonmyun smiles and Kyungsoo finds it oddly attractive and sweet.

"It's fine. And I'm guessing you're interviewing our company for a paper?"

Joonmyun nods, holding the camera close to his chest, "It's just an article about rising businesses and how it might benefit society." He looks past Sehun and Kyungsoo and asks quietly, "Is Kim Jongin with you guys yet?"

Sehun glances down at Kyungsoo, just as confused as the guest, "Is he?"

Kyungsoo shakes his head and gives a nervous laugh, "He was really tired and had to get some rest, but I'll make sure he gets here before noon." Beside him, Sehun gives a loud scoff.

"Oh, okay then. Then do you mind if I took a few pictures around the building?" Joonmyun holds up his camera, "For the paper?"

"Sure, Sehun and I can show you around."

The intern looks at his watch, "Actually I have a lot of work to finish, but you can lead Joonmyun around and show him everything." He ruffles the top of Kyungsoo's head and nods over to Joonmyun, "I'll see you guys around."

After he leaves, Joonmyun steps closer up to Kyungsoo, "Let's go?"

The assistant nods, giving a soft smile, "We can start with the front of the building."

---o---

Jongin steps into the building, walking up to the front counter, "Where's Kyungsoo?"

The woman jumps at his cold, bitter voice and she sinks lower in her seat as he continues to glare at her, "He's showing the interviewer around--"

"What interviewer?" Jongin asks. He's the CEO of the company and yet people don't have the audacity to tell him something this important? "I don't remember agreeing to this."

"Kyungsoo was the one who allowed it," She stutters.

"And why did he do that?"

"B-because you weren't here when the interviewer asked so he decided it for you." She glances over her shoulder, breathing a sigh of relief when she sees Kyungsoo and the guest, "Oh, they're here. I'll call them over--"

"No, you did enough." Jongin leaves the front desk without another word and walks up to Kyungsoo. His assistant was still talking to the stranger, pointing towards different sculptures and photographs lined around the room. While he's explaining, the man beside him snaps away with his camera.

"Kyungsoo, I've been trying to find you." Jongin grumbles, irritated that his assistant wasn't paying as much attention to him as he did for the stranger.

"Oh, sorry. I was just showing Joonmyun around. And by the way, Jongin, this is Joonmyun, he's the one who wants to interview us for his article."

Joonmyun smiles, holding out his hand but Jongin merely glares at it. He gives a nervous glance to Kyungsoo, "So, um, would you like me to interview you now, or--"

"I have an important meeting to attend today and I'm currently busy for the rest of the week."

Joonmyun glances back at his camera, brushing the lens cap with the tip of his finger while biting on his lower lip, "Is next week fine?"

"No--"

"Yes." Kyungsoo says at the same time. He sends a small glare over Jongin and smiles back at Joonmyun. "I'll push the meetings another day so you can spend a couple of hours interviewing Jongin. It won't take that long, will it?"

Joonmyun shakes his head, "I only have a couple of questions, so it'll probably take around half an hour or so."

"Great, so next week then. I'll walk you out."

Jongin stares in envy, watching Kyungsoo as he leads Joonmyun out of the lobby.

"Mr. Kim," The secretary squeaks out, "Your meeting just started five minutes ago."

The two figures disappear out of sight and Jongin takes a deep, shaky breath before he follows her to the conference room.

---o---

"I'm really sorry about Jongin." Kyungsoo sighs when they stop in front of Joonmyun's car. "He got really drunk last night so I guess the side effects are still there."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it," Joonmyun laughs. He shakes his camera a little, "And I got a lot of good shots too, so all I need is the interview and then I'm done." He bites his bottom lip, toeing the sidewalk with his shoe, "I know this might be a little sudden, but do you mind if we grab dinner some time?"

Was Joonmyun asking him out on a date? Kyungsoo looks up from the ground, eyes wide and surprised. He's not used to being asked out all of a sudden.

"I-I mean, if you don't swing that way, then that's totally fine. I just thought we could hang out together!"

"No, it's not that. I was just surprised, that's all." Kyungsoo laughs quietly, "Because no one's ever asked me out on a date before."

"Really?" Joonmyun asks, but then the corner of his lips lift into a smile, "So is that a yes?"

Kyungsoo nods, "Yeah, a date sounds good."

"Cool, here's my number." He scribbles a list of numbers and hands Kyungsoo a small white card, "We'll figure out a time and place when you're available?" He gives a final wave before walking over to his car, "Nice meeting you, Kyungsoo. See you on the date."

---o---

"What's that in your hand?" Jongin folds his arms across his chest and glares at the small card.

Kyungsoo glances at it before shrugging his shoulders, "It's nothing-- Hey!"

The younger man snatches it out of his fingers, heart racing when he sees a phone number, "Is this Joonmyun's number?"

"So what if it is?" Kyungsoo mumbles. He reaches for the card but Jongin holds it up high in the air, completely out of his assistant's reach. "Just give it back to me!"

"Not unless you tell me why he gave you his number!"

"It's none of your business, Jongin."

“None of my business? Kyungsoo, you’re my personal assistant. There should be no secrets between us if you want to work with me.” Jongin tears the card in half, then into tiny little pieces until it scatters all over the carpet. “Ha!”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes when he sees the torn paper on the ground, “You’re a ing idiot, Jongin, because I already saved his number on my phone!”

“Then give me your phone!”

“No, it’s mine!” Kyungsoo tucks his phone into his pocket, glaring at Jongin with a deep frown. He storms down the hallway and Jongin groans out in frustration. He accidentally knocks a pile of paperwork onto the floor and then orders the closest employee to clean up the mess. His head was beginning to hurt, and it wasn’t from this morning’s hangover.

---o---

Jongin finds his assistant on his phone the majority of the time, scanning through the words on the screen with a smile on his face like a lovestruck teenager. It makes Jongin want to grab his phone and throw it against the ground so it can smash into a million pieces, but he knows breaking things will just piss Kyungsoo off even more.

And he genuinely hates Joonmyun. The guy with his stupid fancy cars, his stupid camera, and his stupid limited black credit card he keeps in his wallet and only takes it out to show it off to Kyungsoo. Only one credit card? Jongin wants to laugh obnoxiously at the man. The business CEO had the money and the power to buy the entire credit card company. Hating Kim Joonmyun was an easy task, but getting Kyungsoo to hate him as well was much harder than he’d thought it would be.

On Wednesday, he sees Kyungsoo standing in the middle of the hall while talking to the intern, Sehun. Jongin finally plucks up the courage and calls out for his assistant.

“Oh, hey, Jongin. Did you need anything?” Kyungsoo barely glances over his shoulder, turning his attention back to Sehun.

The simple question has Jongin’s heart sinking a little lower in the pit of his stomach. Where was that sparkle in Kyungsoo’s eyes whenever he spoke to him? Now, it seems as if Kyungsoo doesn’t even care about him anymore. Their long conversations were now short words and simple reminders of certain business meetings. Jongin was always the one who was a part of Kyungsoo’s life, but now Joonmyun was slowly taking his place.

“Are you busy tonight or tomorrow? ‘Cause I was wondering if you wanted to go get something to eat with me. There’s this really cool place that I’ve wanted to try, so we should go together?”

“Oh,” Kyungsoo shifts his gaze back and forth from Jongin to Sehun, the latter shrugging his shoulders in response. “Um, I actually have plans.”

“With…” Jongin hesitates, “Joonmyun?”

“Yeah, we’re just gonna watch a movie together and then he’s planning on taking me out to eat. It’s nothing special.”

“Nothing special?” The younger man mumbles angrily, “You and Joonmyun have been going out for the past week. If you ask me, it sounds pretty damn special.”

“Why are you getting so mad at me?” Kyungsoo asks, the volume of his voice raising a little higher. It’s starting to create a scene with most employees glancing over at their direction.

“I’m not mad at you, Soo. I just want you to be careful.”

“Thanks, but I think I can handle taking care of myself without your help.” Kyungsoo says. He grabs his phone when it vibrates and reads the text message on the screen. “I have to go now. I’ll see you later. Bye, Sehun.” He pauses when he sees Jongin waiting before grumbling out, “Bye.”

 Sehun scoots closer beside him and gives a low hiss, “What did you do?”

“Nothing,” Jongin mumbles, a dark cloud gradually forming above his head. “God, what does he ing see in that Joonmyun guy.”

The younger shrugs, “I don’t know.” He gives a soft smirk towards Jongin, “Why, are you jealous?”

“And why would I be jealous?”

“C’mon,” Sehun scoffs, “You and I both know you can’t live without Kyungsoo or else you’ll die.”

Giving a low grumble, Jongin folds his arms across his chest, “I’ll just talk to him about it later.”

---o---

"What's the relationship between you and Jongin?"

The fork Kyungsoo was holding hovers midway before he stutters, "Me and Jongin?"

"Yeah." Joonmyun takes a small sip from his glass of water, glancing up at the younger male. "You guys seem pretty close. How long have you guys known each other?"

Kyungsoo bites his bottom lip and sets his fork down on the plate, "Since our first year in high school actually."

"And you've both been really close ever since?"

The younger nods, smiling to himself. "He's been my best friend for as long as I can remember."

It's hard not noticing the glint in Kyungsoo's eyes every time Jongin is mentioned in the conversation. Joonmyun also sees Kyungsoo biting his lip every now and then, cheeks turning into an attractive shade of pink.

"But there's so many times where he hooks up with all these people at school and work and--" Kyungsoo stops, unable to finish his sentence. "I don't even know anymore. I just get so tired of it. And it's so annoying how he never shows up to anything on time, or at all even, so I'm the one who has to apologize to everyone while he spends his entire day flirting with strangers and taking them to bed."

The elder gives a sympathetic smile, "He's really young to work as a CEO so maybe he gets stressed because people expect so much from him."

"I'm not saying he's a bad CEO -- he’s actually one of the best. He knows how to handle things under pressure and practically all these companies are begging him to collaborate together and share a division.” Kyungsoo rests his chin in the palm of his hand, shoulders sinking before he mumbles quietly, “Jongin… He’s just amazing at everything.”

The conversation dies down after that, mainly because Joonmyun can’t seem to find anything else to say and Kyungsoo is at a loss for words, too caught up with Jongin, Jongin, Jongin. And the way he talks about the young CEO, cheeks flushed and oh so attractive makes Joonmyun feel worse because Kyungsoo’s adorable smiles were meant for someone else and not for him.

“I should start cleaning up.” Kyungsoo breaks the silence and picks up the empty plates and forks, hurrying over to the sink and turning on the faucet.

Joonmyun stands up as well and stands beside the younger, “I’ll help out too.”

---o---

Jongin rubs his tired eyes with the back of his hand and lets out a loud yawn. Working on papers can really tire a person out. He unlocks the door to his house and steps inside, kicking off his shoes and checking the time to see it was already eleven in the evening.

The thought of finally going to bed has Jongin sighing happily, but the sound of metal pans clanging and glasses clinking makes him realize he's not the only one in the house.

Walking into the kitchen, he sees Kyungsoo and Joonmyun standing near the sink, arms brushing against each other as they clean up the dishes and glassware.

"What are you both doing here?" Jongin growls out. His exhaustion is tossed aside, now replaced with anger slowly bubbling inside of his chest because why is Joonmyun in his ing house alone with Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo looks over at Jongin, giving a weak smile, "Sorry we barged in, but I told him about my famous kimchi spaghetti and he was dying to try it--"

"Get out." Jongin growls, pointing a finger towards the door.

Kyungsoo blinks, stunned at the younger's sudden outburst. "Why are you acting like this? I practically live here."

"No, I want Joonmyun out. Now. You and I need to have a little talk."

The shorter male tries to yell back, but Joonmyun cuts him off, pressing a hand against his shoulder, "I really should leave. It's getting late and I have work tomorrow. I'll see you later?"

Kyungsoo hesitates before giving a weak nod.

"G'night, Jongin." Joonmyun whispers and grabs his things, exiting the house as quietly as possible.

Once the door closes shut, Jongin slams the palm of his hands against the countertop, "Why do you keep on doing this to me?"

"What are you talking about?" Kyungsoo shouts, "I'm not doing anything--"

"Yes, you are. This random guy just shows up into my company and now all of a sudden you guys are hanging out and you're completely ignoring me."

"He just took me out on a couple of dates, that's all. There's really nothing going on between us."

Jongin gives an amused laugh, sounding more psychotic by the second, "Do you seriously think I'm an idiot?"

"Of course not--"

"Then why do you keep on lying to me?"

Kyungsoo walks closer to the taller male and jabs a finger against his chest, voice trembling with anger, "Why do you hate Joonmyun so much? He's seriously not doing anything wrong."

"Because he's literally taking you away from me! We barely even talk and half of the time you're talking about Joonmyun. Do you know how hard it is for me to see you brag about him all day?"

Kyungsoo pauses. "You think it's hard? For more than five years, I've been watching you hook up with more than a hundred strangers and I had to keep my mouth shut the entire time!"

Kyungsoo's eyes are beginning to water, voice trembling with hurt before he says quietly, "It hurts, Jongin. It seriously hurts seeing you and touch and kiss total strangers while I just stand in the back and pretend that everything’s okay."

Jongin falls silent, allowing the words to sink in but being the stubborn man he was, he mutters angrily, "Why do you even care? You're in love with that Joonmyun guy."

"I'm not!" Kyungsoo shouts, "I was never in love with him. I’m in love with you--” He slaps a hand against his mouth, eyes growing twice its normal size after hearing what he just blurted out.

The younger man can’t seem to let those words register either. “Wait, what did you say, Kyungsoo? I need you to repeat that again.”

“N-nothing, just ignore everything. I’ll leave now so you can get some rest. I’m sorry for making you mad.” Kyungsoo tries to leave, but Jongin stops him by grabbing onto his wrist.

“Kyungsoo, if you had feelings for me, why didn’t you just say so?”

“You think it’s that easy?” Kyungsoo asks, teeth gritted and fingers clenched until his knuckles turn white. “Because I thought I was pretty obvious ever since high school, but you never seemed to notice how much I liked you. And what can I say when you’re too busy hooking up with other people?”

He takes a deep breath before he says in a hushed voice, “And you’re my best friend. What if I told you how much I liked you and you just completely shun me out of your life?”

All those words and Kyungsoo looks so much smaller than he already was. It hurts Jongin to see how much pain he’s caused to his assistant -- his best friend -- for so many years. He bites on the inside of his cheek, hand still wrapped around Kyungsoo’s wrist because he was so afraid his best friend was going to leave him.

If only he knew about this sooner, because then Jongin would've realized how much he liked Kyungsoo back.

Kyungsoo shifts from his left foot to his right, uncomfortable with the way Jongin keeps on staring at him without saying anything. After a few more minutes of silence, he stutters, “W-what’s wrong?”

“I just--” Jongin blinks before he asks, “Can I kiss you?”

Kyungsoo barely makes out a quiet “What?” before Jongin cups his jaw between his hands and presses their lips together. Their kiss ends up rougher than he’d imagined it to be, more teeth biting against bottom lips and nails digging into each other’s skin. But it’s the first time they’ve ever kissed and Jongin can’t seem to stop.

And maybe it’s the frustration bubbled up inside of him after so many years, because Kyungsoo’s fingers are gripping tight onto the taller man’s dress shirt as their bodies mold together so perfectly, pleasured moans spilling out of swollen lips. He feels so desperate and needy for Jongin as if he was going to slip out of his fingers at any moment, but the latter is kissing him back, reassuring him after each press of their lips that he wasn't going anywhere.

Somehow, they manage to make their way into Jongin’s bedroom. The younger pushes his assistant against the side of his drawer, lips never drawing away while he shrugs off his business jacket and tosses it on the floor.

It doesn’t take long for Kyungsoo to Jongin’s pressed shirt, now wrinkled on the ground and completely forgotten. He fumbles with the younger’s belt, letting out a soft whimper when Jongin presses his lips against the junction between his neck and jaw. He kisses the smooth expanse of Kyungsoo’s pale skin, pulling back to see red marks blossoming all over his neck.

Kyungsoo clutches onto Jongin’s arms, his heart racing both from sheer lust and anxiety. He’s heard from others about Jongin being great in bed and the thought of finally being with him for one night heightens his arousal. But at the same time, he’s nervous about disappointing Jongin. What if something went wrong? What if Jongin changes his mind? What if--

“Stop thinking, Kyungsoo.” Jongin growls out, now moving his lips down to the shorter man’s collarbones while ing his shirt and throwing it onto the floor. He grips onto the back of his assistant’s thighs and lifts them up so they wrap around his waist before he moves over to the bed.

Jongin’s lips skim over the his assistant’s body as he takes in every inch of Kyungsoo’s milky-white skin before he reaches down the hem of his jeans. With a quick tug, he pulls it off along with Kyungsoo’s boxers and the latter can feel his cheeks growing red. He wasn’t as comfortable with his body as Jongin. Unlike the younger who had lean muscles and perfectly tan skin, Kyungsoo was pale and less masculine, narrow shoulders and a thin torso. He curls himself together in embarrassment, afraid of seeing Jongin lose interest just because of what his body looked like.

But the younger man doesn’t seem to care. In fact, he loves how Kyungsoo is more soft and delicate, his calloused fingers brushing against smooth skin before he moves down to cup the curve of Kyungsoo’s .

“Jongin.” Kyungsoo whimpers when his legs begin to shift and the younger throws his legs over his broad shoulders, forcing Kyungsoo to spread his legs wide. He shivers when he feels Jongin’s hot breath fanning over his erect before he nudges the tip between his lips.

Back arching up from the bed, Kyungsoo lets out a strangled moan as Jongin runs his tongue along the slit of his , lapping up the pre-come before taking him whole. By the next few minutes, Kyungsoo turns into a sobbing mess, head thrown back in pleasure and fingers raking through jet black hair, his other hand covering his mouth to muffle his loud moans.

With a sharp tug, Jongin manages to pull Kyungsoo’s hand away, his fingers gripped tight around the latter’s wrist so he can hear every moan and whimper of his name.

He knows Kyungsoo is reaching his . Just by the look on his face and the way he writhes his body, but Jongin doesn’t want it to end so soon. He pulls his mouth away from Kyungsoo’s and the latter whimpers out in frustration, sending an innocent glare towards Jongin.

“Not yet,” Jongin whispers. He leans up to kiss Kyungsoo on the lips, using that time to fit himself between the elder’s legs.

“Wait.” Kyungsoo calls out and looks up at Jongin, “I don’t-- I’ve never done this before.”

“It’s fine.” Jongin places his hand against the side of Kyungsoo’s cheek and kisses him again, more slowly and reassuring. It calms Kyungsoo’s nerves and his shoulders begin to relax, his hand reaching up to hold onto the younger man’s fingers.

“Then we can take it slow?” Kyungsoo bites his bottom lip.

“Of course.” Jongin pulls away for just a moment to reach over to the nightstand beside his bed. After a few seconds, Kyungsoo sees a small bottle in his hand. “What’s that?”

“Lube.” The younger states, popping open the cap and pouring a small amount of the substance onto his fingers, “It makes the slide easier.”

Kyungsoo lets out a quiet “oh” before Jongin molds their lips together. With teeth tugging against swollen lower lips and foreheads knocking against each other, he lets out a soft whimper when he feels something cold against his puckered entrance.

Jongin gives a quiet laugh before slowly pushing a finger in. He stares at the way Kyungsoo squints his eyes shut, his breaths slow and even as he tries to get used to the uncomfortable feeling.

“Does it hurt?” The younger asks.

Kyungsoo shakes his head, “No, just weird. Really weird.”

Biting back a smile, Jongin distracts him again with yet another kiss. He pushes a second one in, silently enjoying the velvet walls clenching around his fingers.

“Okay, now it hurts.” Kyungsoo breathes out. He reaches his hands behind him and clutches against the pillow underneath his head, teeth gritted as Jongin slowly drags his finger out and pushes back in.

“You’ll get used to it,” The taller boy grins. He loves seeing the way Kyungsoo's lips part as he in a deep breath, the red marks scattered all over his neck and chest because of him, his fingernails digging crescent-like shapes against his arm.

Jongin draws it out long and slow, giving subtle kisses along Kyungsoo’s neck and collarbones as he stretches the elder by the third finger. And it doesn’t take long for Kyungsoo to roll his hips along with Jongin’s fingers, a small whine indicating that he needed something more.

He never pulls back from his kiss as he aligns his length against Kyungsoo’s entrance and pushes in as gently as possible. Kyungsoo lets out a low hiss, nails clutching against the bedsheets as he adjusts to the size. It was much thicker than Jongin’s fingers so the preparation didn’t do much help, but about a minute later, he finally starts moving his hips, bottom lip caught between his teeth as Jongin drags his out before pushing back inside.

They start off at a slow and languid pace, Jongin leaning over to bite against the side of Kyungsoo’s neck as he listens to his quiet moans. Fingers tighten against the back of Jongin’s hair before his assistant pants out, “Move faster.”

Jongin gives a low chuckle, “I thought you wanted to take it slow.”

“But now it’s too slow. Faster please, Jongin.”

The younger laughs, amused at how his assistant can go from shy at one minute to demanding the next. Kyungsoo keeps on rolling his hips for more, begging Jongin to pick up the pace and the latter is happy to oblige.

His s become more solid with each snap of the hips, and Jongin notices how the elder was starting to get more vocal, whispers and silent begs for him to go faster and deeper.

Most of his one night stands have never been like this. It was quick and easy and Jongin never saw them again the next day, but for Kyungsoo… this was something he wanted to experience for the rest of his life. He doesn’t want those fingers clutching against his arms to let go nor does he ever want those moans spilling from heart-shaped lips to ever quiet down. He never really saw how perfect Kyungsoo was and he’s glad he finally did.

His thoughts are interrupted when Kyungsoo gives a small cry of pleasure and looks up at Jongin with those most lust-filled eyes.

And Jongin only smirks, cupping the curve of Kyungsoo’s as his s become more sloppy and deep, hitting against the bundle of nerves that has his assistant crying out for more.

“Jongin, Jongin, Jongin.” Kyungsoo pants out. His body continues to sway at each Jongin makes. He looks so shameless and bold and it turns the younger on even more. “Jongin, I’m so close, please.”

He whimpers the younger’s name out like a mantra before Jongin finally takes Kyungsoo’s into his hands and starts pumping as fast as his s. It doesn’t take long for Kyungsoo to finally come, a loud cry of Jongin’s name spilling past swollen lips as he rolls his hips along to his . Spurts of white stain both of their stomachs and Jongin doesn’t finish pumping until Kyungsoo’s thighs are trembling from the overstimulation and his chest is rising and falling with exhaustion.

Jongin continues to snap his hips, finding his own release after six, seven, eight more s until he's finally reaching his own and god, Kyungsoo is clenching down on him and Jongin’s completely buried to the hilt before he comes hard.

The room is silent except for their quiet breaths and the rustle of bed sheets as they try to make themselves more comfortable. Jongin reaches over and grabs the box of tissues, wiping up the mess on both of their stomachs and the inside of his assistant's thighs. He gives Kyungsoo another kiss before the latter sighs in content.

"Stay with me tonight?" Jongin asks as he peers down at Kyungsoo.

The elder gives a shaky nod and Jongin chuckles, holding out his hand palm facing up before Kyungsoo firmly grasps onto it.

---o---

The white material feels cool against his bare skin. Kyungsoo shifts into a more comfortable position, hiding his face away from the burning lights peeking through the open cracks of the curtain. Right before he closes his eyes for a few more minutes of sleep, he’s starting to question why the bed smells so much like Jongin.

He opens his eyes when he feels an arm lazily thrown over his waist and someone breathing against his neck. Kyungsoo panics at first, but then he feels how Jongin is holding onto him, how his lips are barely brushing against the back of his neck and he breathes happily, pressing back against the younger's chest.

The small nudge has Jongin waking up slowly and he wipes his eyes with the back of his hands. This is the time when Kyungsoo starts to panic, squinting his eyes shut and pretending to be asleep.

After his vision clears up, Jongin notices the small figure in his arms before he hums and wraps his arms tighter around Kyungsoo, forcing the latter to let out an involuntary squeak.

"Morning." Jongin's voice is rough and deep, heavy with sleep and he presses his lips against Kyungsoo's left shoulder.

Kyungsoo says quietly, "Morning."

They stay like that for the next few minutes, wrapped in each other's warmth and neither of them wanting to move. Jongin traces a few patterns and swirls along Kyungsoo's hip before hugging the latter even tighter. "Let's stay in today."

"Jongin, I have work to do."

"It can wait." Jongin mumbles, "I just want to stay here all day with you."

"You're being ridiculous," Kyungsoo laughs, but he's pressing back against Jongin.

"No, I'm not. We should have our own little date today. I can take you out for breakfast, and then we can go out together and go sightseeing--"

"Oh no!" Kyungsoo pulls out of Jongin's embrace and starts grabbing his things from the ground. The younger blinks after seeing Kyungsoo shoot out of bed, "Wait, what's wrong?"

"I was supposed to see Joonmyun today to go sightseeing!"

The mention of his name has Jongin sitting up from bed and he snaps angrily, "After we have the most mind blowing , you're still going to hang out with him?"

Kyungsoo starts fixing the knots in his hair, "No, you don't understand!"

"Why do you keep on doing this to me? I know I didn't see it all before, but I do now, Kyungsoo, but why--"

"Jongin." Kyungsoo grabs him by the arm, "Please trust me. I'm just going to tell him everything."

From the way Kyungsoo looks at him, Jongin knows he isn't lying. He lets out a frustrated sigh and nods, but once Kyungsoo leans on the tip of his toes to steal a kiss, the corner of Jongin’s mouth curves into a satisfied smirk.

"I'll be back soon." Kyungsoo whispers, pecking his lips for a final time before he gets dressed and hurries out the door.

Nothing can get more perfect than this, Jongin thinks. He falls back against the soft pillows, breathing out a sigh of relief. Things were finally starting to make a little more sense now.

---o---

Kyungsoo makes it in time to see a small figure holding a camera in his hand, looking around the busy streets of Seoul.

"Joonmyun!" Kyungsoo calls out.

Said man turns around, smiling when he sees the younger running up to him, "Hey, why were you so late? I tried calling you too, but you never picked up."

"Sorry, I was just--" Kyungsoo pauses to catch his breath, and then he says softly, "We need to talk."

"About what?" The elder asks.

Kyungsoo swallows hard before murmuring, "I don't think it's working between us... I think it’d be best if we just stick to being friends."

Joonmyun pauses, the camera still in his hands before he lets out a small sigh, "You and Jongin, huh?"

“Oh,” Kyungsoo replies, "How did you know?"

"It's not that hard to tell." Joonmyun gives a reassuring smile, "I see it both of your eyes when you look at each other. You both suit each other well, like you're each other's anchor or something."

Kyungsoo blushes, "... I'm really sorry."

"Don't be. We're friends and we can still hang out, just not in a romantic sort of way." Joonmyun looks up at the sky before staring back at Kyungsoo, "So I guess we're not going sightseeing today?"

Kyungsoo shakes his head. "I have things to do. It's been crazy, but I'm slowly getting used to it."

Joonmyun laughs, "Life's crazy when you're in love.” He gives a friendly wave before turning back to his car, "I'll see you around, Kyungsoo."

---o---

"So after a bit of research, it turns out I really can promote you." Jongin smirks, "Wow, you're my personal assistant and you still get all these amazing benefits. Aren't you just lucky."

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but asks anyway. “So am I getting a bigger wage?"

The younger shakes his head, "Even better."

"What can be even better than more money?" Kyungsoo chuckles.

Jongin throws an arm over Kyungsoo's shoulder, "How about a free pass to my bed any time you want and the access to kiss me whenever you feel like it." He glances down at Kyungsoo, "And instead of calling you my assistant, I can just call you my boyfriend. How does that sound?"

Kyungsoo hums, pretending to be nonchalant and shrugging his shoulders, "I guess that sounds pretty decent." In reality, he finds all these extra bonuses in his job to be absolutely perfect.

"And your first promoted paycheck." Jongin leans over and kisses Kyungsoo fully on the lips. He pulls back with a satisfied grin, "Better than your previous one, huh?"

Kyungsoo nods, still breathless from the kiss.

Jongin gives another laugh and ruffles the top of Kyungsoo's hair, but the latter doesn't swat it away like how he normally does. Once Jongin pulls away, Kyungsoo takes the taller man's hand into his and doesn’t let go. Things were actually starting to get a little more perfect and by pulling away, Kyungsoo thinks his dream will end and everything that happened was just a figment of his imagination.

The younger man gives Kyungsoo’s hand a tight squeeze, “Just to let you know, I’m not going anywhere, Kyungsoo. I never will.”

And despite the amount of unkept promises Jongin has made towards the elder, this time Kyungsoo genuinely believes him.

---o---

Next update: 23/07/2014