Minseok had barely slept through the night. He was too busy cursing his luck. If he had met Luhan some other way he probably could have won the damned contest in a matter of months. Because he could see hunger in the man’s eyes and for once, in many years, Minseok felt a little hungry too. But damn if it would never work out.

The morning could not come soon enough. When it did Minseok was up early, dressed, choking down some gruel that the old woman had made for them. He picked out more than one cat hair from his bowl, disgusted. When ten o’clock rolled around everyone was quick to jump into the two cars and make their way to the location of the hotel build, because after their meeting they would be on their way to the airport, and on their way back to civilization.

“Do you think the protestors will be back?” Chanyeol asked, munching on a candy bar. Suho looked at the executive assistant and wondered how he always, at any time of the day, was eating something.

“Probably, I am sure Baekhyun clued them in on the meeting.” Jongdae shot an annoyed look at the corporate lawyer, who threw his hands up in disgust.

“Hey- you try being plied with liquor and keeping a plane schedule secret!”

“Yeah, it is soooo hard not to tell a group of crazy protestors where they should protest next.” Kyungsoo scoffed, which set Baekhyun off on a ramble about how Kyungsoo wouldn’t be able to keep his mouth shut either.

Sure enough, when the cars stopped at the building site, the protestors were all gathered. Minseok could see Luhan in the front, holding a megaphone. Damn, he looked cute protesting. Minseok snapped out of it when he realized what he was thinking – how very wrong it was.

“Great, just great.” Suho sighed heavily, “Looks like the contractors are over there.”

Minseok could see the black vans, they had clearly been stopped by the protestors as well.

“Run for the vans?” Kyungsoo suggested.

“How about no? Do you remember what happened last time we ran for it?” Suho gestured at the eldest brother’s leg.

“Yixing, can you pull up close to the vans?” Minseok asked, hoping they could get this over with quickly.

“Sure thing.” Yixing got as close to the vans as he could without hitting the crowd. Thankfully Luhan was keeping them orderly for the most part.

The Monday Enterprises group alighted from their vehicles, ignoring the uproar at the sight of them.

Sehun was at the back of the group, looking around to see if he could spot Tao. When he did he waved happily, Tao waved back. They both quickly realized how embarrassing their actions were and looked away from each other.

Minseok bowed first, his brothers followed. He shook the contractor’s hand, smiling warmly.

“I am sure you have found this out rather quickly, but there is no communications access on the island. We will be heading back to Seoul after his meeting.”

“That isn’t the only problem.” The contractor, a trusty middle aged man that Monday Enterprises had employed for years on various building projects, gestured towards the landscape. The shouts of the protestors, Luhan’s voice echoing above them thanks to the megaphone, made it hard to hear. Minseok leaned in close so he could understand what the older man was saying.

“I don’t know who approved this purchase, but there is no way we can build here. Solid rock, and that beach idea couldn’t happen even if we removed half the bedrock under this place.”

Minseok paled. Who had approved the purchase?

“. So it is a no go?” Minseok trusted the contractor, if he said they couldn’t build then they couldn’t build.

“Afraid so. The only thing this land is good for is maybe grazing a few goats or sheep or something. Certainly not good for beaches or hotels.”

Minseok beckoned Suho closer, as a finance director he should have the financial impact figured out if they didn’t build on the site “We can’t build here. What is the loss?”

Suho looked surprised, “Really? But Uncle Kwang Soo had sworn...”

“Wait! He approved it?” Kyungsoo was close now too, overhearing the issue. Kwang Soo – in fact all five of their “uncles” – had been on the company’s payroll on an unofficial capacity for years. Sometimes they even worked in business development- with varying degrees of success.

“Aish. So what is the damage?” Minseok asked again, dreading Suho’s response.

“Not too bad actually- we purchased the land for cheap. I would say somewhere slightly south of $100 million won.”

Minseok still hated the sound of it. A $100 million won loss was still a loss, even if given the company’s net income the impact would be minimal.

“Well, I guess that’s that. We should see if we can sell the land back.”

“So we are not building here, right?” Sehun seemed unusually interested at this recent development.

Minseok was about to confirm the fact when the protestors got just a bit louder, Luhan began chanting with more fury. And then it hit him. They weren’t building here. So Luhan’s entire reason for not doing “all sorts of things to Minseok that shouldn’t be said out loud” or whatever erted thing he had whispered was now null and void. Which meant Minseok was about to shoot ahead in the contest.

Without another word Minseok spun on his heels and approached Luhan.

The doe eyed boy looked shocked as Minseok neared him, a small smile on his lips. He wouldn’t give in though. Nope, not even a little bit. Luhan shouted louder. And then Minseok grabbed the megaphone from his hands, easily commanding the crowd’s attention.

“Please, please, be quiet, I have something important to say.” Minseok shouted, the crowd stopped chanting but their chatter still filled the air, “Monday Enterprises will not build on this land! Your voices have been heard!”

Luhan froze. What in the hell was going on?

“In fact, we will consider all offers from interested parties to purchase this land back.” Minseok was happy. Happy he was able to speak in front of so many people, happy that he just took a loss on the land. Why? Because maybe, just maybe, that meant that he was in first place.

The crowd seemed skeptical but soon began cheering (with a lot of help from a certain excited protest leader). Suddenly the crowd was chanting another cause – and that was the cause to buy the Kang brothers a drink for their kind actions.

Suho and Kyungsoo bit their lips, ready to get the hell out of crazy town. But Sehun protested that they should at least take advantage of the situation, what was one more night on the island anyway? Surprisingly Minseok seemed to like the idea. The two middle brother’s protests were soon cut short, which made them both very suspicious of their hyung and maknae’s motivations.

***

Sehun was drunk. Very drunk. So drunk that he had trouble standing up, so instead he was leaning against Tao.

“You will come back with me, Taozi?” Sehun singsonged, damn sure that luck was on his side.

“If you have a job for me I will.” Tao had an arm around Sehun. It had taken no time for the two to realize they were both fans of skin ship, so much so they had been hanging off each other all night.

“So that was why he wanted to stay!” Kyungsoo was sending a death glare at his younger brother. The protestors, now the brother’s instant best friends, had dragged them to the largest restaurant on the island and were busy feeding them and giving them as much free alcohol as they could drink. The restaurant fit the look of the rest of the island, it was rustic and a bit rundown with cheap plastic tables that called the 1970’s home.

“Well, I can’t say Minseok hyung had innocent intentions either.” Suho was sending a death glare at his older brother. Together Kyungsoo and Suho were shooting their siblings with plenty of spiteful looks, but their siblings didn’t care. They were too busy getting a head start on the contest.

“Is he actually flirting?” Jongdae asked, staring at Minseok. The oldest of the Kang brothers was sitting at a table with the head protestor, and he was definitly flirting. He was giggling, damn, he was even trying to look coy.

“I think so.” Chanyeol took a bite of a sandwich, “That is so gross.”

“Kyungsoo, we need to hurry or I have a feeling we are going to lose this.” Suho sipped his drink, cringing at the taste, “They definitely made this in some bathtub, didn’t they?”

“Not a bathtub, a sty.”

Kyungsoo, Suho, Jongdae, and Chanyeol turned to see who had spoken, it was the old woman that owned the “motel”.

“Pig sty. Dog’s like to take a bath there now and then, but here on the island we say it is good for the flavor.” She laughed, downing a glass of the concoction with glee.

Suho chocked. He was pretty sure he was going to be sick.

***

“So your latest cause is done with. Now what are you going to do?” Minseok asked, making small circles on the rim of his glass, trying to be a little too obvious at how seductive his fingers could be.

“I don’t know. I was thinking about Polar bears…”

“Have you ever thought about something in Seoul? Something that might involve people, not animals?”

Luhan stared at Minseok, drinking in his features. He was cute, probably too cute. And he was interested, he was practically dangling in front of him. And god damnit did Luhan want it.

“I would, if I had something waiting for me there.”

“Like what?” Minseok looked up, widening his eyes.

“Like you.” Luhan was hungry, very hungry.

Minseok giggled, looking away, “Well, we could try it, but I am not easy.”

“You will be.” Luhan said firmly. Because damn if Minseok wasn’t acting like it.

“I kind of want to wait until marriage.” Minseok tried his best to seem convincing.

“Really? Because I am pretty sure you don’t.” Luhan leaned forward, capturing Minseok’s hand in his own.

Minseok jumped back, acting startled, “I do. Seriously, Luhan, I do.”

Luhan groaned. Damn if the first person he met in years that he would want to take a tumble with only hours after meeting them had to be someone saving themselves for marriage.

“Well, can we date?” Luhan asked, not ready to give this, whatever this was, up. After all, his time on the island had very suddenly run its course. He needed something new to dedicate himself to, and why not mingle an urban social cause with trying to get in a hot guy’s pants?

“Yeah, I think so.” Minseok smiled a gummy, crooked smile, which turned Luhan’s insides into goo.

“How can you seem like such a hard business man most of the time and then turn into a flirt?” Luhan asked, truly intrigued.

“Maybe I met the right man.” Minseok smiled back.

Luhan was pretty sure Minseok’s smile would kill him.

***

“You know something…I used to have a crush on you.” Baekhyun was drunk. Giggly drunk.

“I haaaaaate yoooooou.” Kyungsoo’s words were slurred, but his intentions were clear. He hated Baekhyun, always had, and always would.

“Me too.” Baekhyun answered energetically, drunk but still semi lucid. He laughed, dragging Kyungsoo by the hand back to his room.

“Do you think that I coooouuuullld wiiiin inn a fight?” Kyungsoo slurred.

Baekhyun laughed, taking the opportunity to grab onto Kyungsoo’s shoulders “No..your shoulders are too tiny. You are too tiny.”

“Yaaaah!” Kyungsoo leaned forward, poking a hand into Baekhyun’s cheek “I could take you any day.”

Baekhyun dragged Kyungsoo a little more, until they made it to the bed, or blankets on the floor (because cat lady did not have beds, except for her cats). They landed on the floor with a smack, neither fully feeling the impact due to their inebriated state.

“I am serous Kyungie, I used to really like you.” Baekhyun said, laughing his head off after his confession. When Kyungsoo did not respond he continued “Since university” Baekhyun stopped to hiccup “I thought you were smart and good looking and I liked it when you called me dumb and ugly” hiccup “So I wanted to ask you out but you punched me when I said you were cute and little and mean and” hiccup “so I never did. We should date?”

Silence. Baekhyun hiccupped a few more times.

“Kyungie?”

Hiccup, no response.

Baekhyun nudged Kyungsoo, but the other man was sleeping. It was only a minute or two more before Baekhyun passed out too, his confession lost to him when the morning came, his drunken state not allowing him to remember his honesty.

***

A private plane left a tiny little island one summer morning. Half of the island showed up to cheer for the people leaving the place – joyous in the fact the departing party had given up all ideas to ruin the little place. Of course the inhabitants had no idea that these city slickers were only leaving because there was no possible way they could actually build on the rock – but those were minor details.

Aboard the plane were the four Kang brothers, their lawyer, their secretary, their executive assistant, and two newcomers. One of which was practically glued to the eldest Kang brother, the other holding tightly to his seat – it was his first time on a plane and he was terrified.

“What if it crashes?!”

“It won’t crash Tao, trust me.” Sehun was a little annoyed, but he was mostly amused. He had never met a person who had never been on a plane before. Or at least met a person he certainly knew had never been on a plane before.

“It might!” Tao squeaked, holding the seat even more tightly.

“Do you like music, Tao?” Sehun tried to distract his new friend.

“Trot songs.” Tao answered, shutting his eyes tightly.

“Trot? Really?” Sehun rolled his eyes, seriously – who liked trot songs?

“Do you like any magazines?” Sehun asked, giving up on the music angle.

“Vogue.” Tao answered, biting his bottom lip with fear.

“A ha! The newest copy, straight from Seoul!” Sehun produced the glossy magazine, distracting Tao into opening his eyes.

“Oh my god!” Tao squealed with delight, “I love fashion.”

Sehun smiled and handed over the periodical. It seemed like he had some things in common with the fisherman after all.

A few seats ahead of the maknae and his friend sat Minseok and a very clingy Luhan.

“Do you like apples?” Luhan asked, snuggling into Minseok’s shoulder. Minseok tried to shrug the man off, no matter how flirty he could be after a few drinks he was not exactly comfortable being all touchy feely in front of his brothers and coworkers.

“No, not really. Hey Luhan, I think I am going to take a nap.” Minseok jerked himself away from his frien- wait, they had agreed to date – boyfriend and closed his eyes.

“But Minseok! We barely know each other and I am moving for you!” Luhan managed to worm his way back to Minseok’s shoulder.

Minseok was seriously considering his life choices. He had saw an easy win, an attractive win with Luhan, but he had not considered how clingy the man could be. He knew Luhan wanted him – hell, if he wasn’t in this damn contest he probably would have already had him. But Minseok had to hold out for a ring and a marriage, not give himself away to lust. But he thought lust was lust, not cuddles and constant touching.

“Luhan?” Minseok had to placate him somehow.

“Yeah?” Luhan answered eagerly.

“Do you like oranges?”

“No, not really. You know what I do like?”

“What?” Minseok asked, trying to sound interested when all he really wanted to do was jump on his emails after a few days of zero connectivity.

“Baozi!” Luhan smiled at Minseok, “And you remind me of one! All soft and white and...” Luhan leaned close, his cute and eager face turning into a lust filled eager face, “Edible. I just want to eat you, slowly.” He whispered sinfully.

Suddenly Minseok was interested, far too interested in Luhan’s words. So he shrugged the man off him again, looking up to see Suho and Kyungsoo looking on with disgust, enough to kill any kind of surging libido that may have been troubling him.

“Time for a nap.” Minseok shut his eyes tightly and turned as far away from Luhan as he could manage in the tight space. It seemed that his idea to get ahead in this damn contest was sure to be fraught with a whole lot of things he had not anticipated – like a cuddly Chinese boy with a erted mind.

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a/n- So, here it is, the latest Xiuhan fic. Love it, hate it, don’t care? Let me know in the comments!

Monday Couple had to happen in one of my fics- this is seriously my OTP if I had to choose one couple I ship. And what could be more entertaining than imaging the cast of Running Man messing with four guys lives? Nothing, nothing indeed. Okay, I may be one sick puppy, but hey- I have great taste in Korean variety shows. So comment away, suggestions anything just let me know. Thanks for reading!

Not sure at this point how long this fic will be – expect at least fifteen chapters but beyond that…not sure. The last fic I was all “Thirty thousand words” and it ended up three times that so, yeah, not going to make promises (short or long) at this point. But I hope you enjoy! Cheers!