Namjoon watched from the doorway as Seokjin crunched his body over his laptop. “Uh, I have your food.” He lifted the paper bags and cup carrier in his hands.

“Right, thanks.” Seokjin gestured to a corner of his desk without looking up. “Just put it over there.”

Namjoon put Seokjin’s share of the food on the desk and backed away to his chair. “I’ll, uh, be over here if you need anything.”

Seokjin nodded absently. It had been four days since he had found himself swamped with work the moment he set foot into his office after the bathroom fiasco. The boss had sent a twenty-page document detailing a penthouse that a rich young heiress had commissioned a high-end real estate agent to get built for her (in the city center, no less). Her specifications were paradoxical and far more specific than anything Seokjin was used to, sending him into a tailspin of doubt and frustration and Namjoon scurrying to complete his orders.

Namjoon ate his sandwich, watching Seokjin simmer at the screen and ignore his breakfast. He felt slightly useless, as he only knew how to research things and overlay drawings with a predetermined colour palette.

A few more tense hours were spent inside the office, but after witnessing Seokjin almost pull some of his own hair out, Namjoon decided that enough was enough. “Okay, you need a break. Get your coat, Seokjin-shii.”

He grabbed Seokjin’s untouched breakfast and ushered the other out of the office after he was cocooned into his coat- even though it was the beginning of spring, the winds still held some of their midwinter chill. They left the quiet building, Namjoon commenting on the emptiness of the place on Saturdays, and entered the park across the street.

The two men wandered the paths, early-blooming crocuses and hyacinths lining the lush lawns. Anemone flowers nodded at them in the breeze, along with the cherry blossom trees spreading overhead, covered with buds. Every now and then, birds swept across pockets of stems and bushes laden with unbloomed flowers.

“I’ve never actually walked around in here before,” Seokjin said through a mouthful of toast, his eyes wandering the empty lawns. “It’s actually pretty big.”

Namjoon raised raised an eyebrow sidelong at Seokjin, his hands deep in his pockets. “Why not? You said you’ve worked here for almost two years.”

“I never really had time… even at lunch I would still be working down at the cafe. My workload has gotten lighter, though. Until now.” Seokjin pulled a face, remembering the last four days.

“Is that why you got an assistant? It didn’t seem like you wanted one when I first met you.”

Seokjin laughed, his breath misting out. “Yeah. You were assigned to me. Taehyung told me the boss said that he couldn’t have one of his best employees bogged down with work.” He finished off his breakfast and shrugged modestly when Namjoon glanced at him with admiration. “It’s been a month since you started working here, how is it now?”

Namjoon mulled over his answer. “I think… it’s been really interesting to see how all the planning and architecture ties into construction works, it’s kinda like a metaphor for life.”

Seokjin laughed and gestured at a bench next to a fountain. “I didn’t expect you to go all deep this early in the morning… is there anything else? Like annoying co-workers and stuff.”

“Not really.” Namjoon sat on one end of the bench after wiping the dew off the seat with the edge of his scarf. “Yoongi-shii seems to be able to direct the people working for him really easily.”

“That’s because he’s a good boss.” Seokjin sat beside Namjoon, rubbing his palms together to try and keep warm. “I honestly never expected to stay at the company for this long.”

Namjoon’s eyebrows lifted. “Really? Did you bounce from job to job or something?”

“Yeah. I didn’t realise this until a while, but the people I used to work for pushed me around a lot. Everyone here is respectful and kind… except for Hoseok when he hasn’t had coffee yet.” Seokjin laughed as he sandwiched his hands between his thighs.

Namjoon recalled one of the stories from Jimin’s birthday party, where Hoseok had almost fired an employee over a malfunctioning coffee machine. “I can imagine,” he chortled as he unconsciously pulled Seokjin’s hands to himself.

“...What are you doing?”

“What?” Namjoon looked down and realised he was cupping Seokjin’s hands with his own. “O-oh. Uhh, you looked like you were cold, so, um…” He started withdrawing, not wanting to overstep any more boundaries.

Seokjin swallowed a chuckle as he watched Namjoon fidget. “No, come back here. You’re like a radiator.” He slotted his hands back between Namjoon’s, relishing the warmth.

“T-thanks.” Namjoon felt his ears burn and knew that his cheeks were turning red.

They sat like that for a while and talked of trivialities, then meandered down another path, pausing at a lamp-lined bridge suspended over a small lake dotted with lily pads. Seokjin dropped a hand on Namjoon’s shoulder, watching a string of ducklings swim with their mother. “Hey, thanks for this.” He gestured around him.

“Anytime.” Namjoon smiled at the other. “Should we head back now?”

Seokjin pursed his lips. “...Let’s not. The project can wait for a bit, and it’s pretty nice out here.”

They stayed at the bridge for another half hour and fed the ducks with leftover bread from Seokjin’s breakfast, before wandering back to the building to finish off another room design.

Author’s Note:

another chapter, another drop of progress. ^ᗜ^

I meant for this to be a transitional chapter, kinda like the start of the next arc… if you guys felt that without reading this part, I’m glad ^^

by the way, have you guys seen the tracklist for the new album? fmfvakfofrargl THE TITLES ARE THE OPPOSITES OF WINGS IM SO HYPED GOODBYE MY RELATIVELY-RECOVERED FANGIRL HEART AAAAAAAAAA

*awkward out ;-;*