“Zhang.”

 

“Kim.”

 

“The bet ends today. Are you ready?”

 

“I was born ready.”

 

“To lose ?” Yixing smirks, his dimples making an appearance. Junmyeon wants to punch the cockiness out of his face.

 

“Whatever, Zhang. I’m winning this bet.”

 

6 months ago, Zhang Yixing and Kim Junmyeon, star detectives of the 101 precinct made a bet to prove who’s the better detective. Whoever makes the most felony arrests, wins. They have been keeping tabs for 6 months now, they even have a scoreboard tally in the meeting room. 

 

Despite the childish act of both detectives, Captain Do Kyungsoo and Sergeant Kim Minseok are quite pleased with how the bet is making their star detectives even more productive. The friendly competition has led to them arresting more perps, especially in the last few months. 

 

The stakes are, if Junmyeon wins, Yixing will lend him his benz. According to Yixing, that car adds charisma to his good looks – a date magnet for both men and women. And Junmyeon can do whatever he wants with that car for a day. If Yixing wins, Junmyeon will go on a date with Yixing in that car and the latter will decide what he’ll wear, where they eat, and what they’ll do. Junmyeon is already convinced that it’ll be the worst date that will ever happen in his life. 

 

Currently, the score is tied up and both of them are determined to win.

 

Junmyeon turns and goes back to his desk to finish a case report. He doesn’t have time for Yixing and his nonsensical babblings. He recites his daily mantra, I am going to be a Captain one day .

 

He pushes his long-sleeves to his elbows and adjusts his glasses. He’s about to reach for his 2nd cup of coffee for that day when he’s distracted by an annoying sound made by the most annoying person in front of him. He sees Yixing's head tilted on the table. His eyes are droopy and are even droopier at that moment

 

“Are you stifling a yawn?” 

 

“I haven’t had my morning coffee yet. I feel like dying.”

 

“Good. Die.” Junmyeon rolls his eyes and Yixing throws a pencil in his direction which he dodges easily.

 

Junmyeon sees Captain Do walks straight in their direction. The Captain puts his hands in his hips and speaks with an authoritative tone, “You are both two highly trained detectives who can’t behave like an adult to each other. Get back to work.”

 

Junmyeon wants to sink in his seat. He hates it when the Captain is disappointed in him. He ignores the face Yixing is making in the background and continues to work on his case report.

 

✦

 

Yixing taps his fingers impatiently on Chanyeol’s desk. “Let’s go, Park.” 

 

An informant called awhile ago, reported the major suspect’s location for the illegal drug trafficking that he’s closely monitoring for weeks now, the location is at a secluded bodega. Yixing and his partner for that case, Chanyeol are going to arrest them and that arrest will guarantee that he’ll win the bet today. He strides confidently as he makes his way out of the precinct, he notices Junmyeon looking at him so he shoots a wink in his direction and turns his head before Kim could even scowl at him.

 

Chanyeol puts his arms around him as they make their way to the reported felony location.

 

“So if you win, what’s your date plan?” Chanyeol wiggles his eyebrows. 

 

“Since I’ll have the power to decide what he’ll wear, what we’ll do, where we’ll go…so you know how his wardrobe only consists of blue or beige or white long sleeves and tie right? ugh always so formal. What if I make him wear an all-pink outfit? I'll make him wear a bunny headband inside the car and I'll take pictures and use it as a form of blackmail–” 

 

“Bunny headband? What? Is this some kind of kink of yours?” 

 

Yixing ignores the teasing hint in Chanyeol’s voice and continues, “no it’s not a kink, It’s just from his nickname, Bunny which I used to call him when we were in the academy."

 

Chanyeol’s curious eyes widen.

 

Yixing cuts him off before he even asks, “Don’t ask me why, Kim will kill me if I tell you the reason. So as I was saying, we’ll go to the cheapest seafood restaurant in the city, watch a movie at a shady old movie house, and then we’ll go to a park and I’ll pay a couple of kids to sing ‘you , Kim’ on loop.”

 

“Okay, okay.” Chanyeol laughs and slaps Yixing’s shoulder. “You know why little boys pull little girls pigtails on the playground?”

 

“Because they’re easy to grab?” Yixing doesn’t understand why Chanyeol is asking him this.

 

“Because they like the girls and that’s the only way they know how to get attention. I’m not saying it’s a nice and proper way but some children are like that.” Chanyeol looks at him as if implying a point he’s meant to understand.

 

“What are you saying, Park?”

 

“All this teasing, this elaborate date plan, admit it somewhere deep down you like, Junmyeon.” Chanyeol raises his brows and eyed him critically.

 

“Okay, that’s straight-up insanity.” Yixing shakes his head and lightly flicks Chanyeol’s forehead.

 

“Oww!” Chanyeol rubs his forehead. “What I mean is, you’re putting a lot of effort into your so-called ‘worst date’ Yixing. Why don’t you just sit down and have a real conversation with him?”

 

“Never gonna happen, Yeol. Because I find him like any other straight-laced Detective, whose only concern is following every rule in the patrol guide, he’s a killjoy–”

 

“And attractive.” Chanyeol chimes in.

 

“And attractive.” Yixing repeats unknowingly and covers his mouth.

 

“What’s that now?” Chanyeol laughs and slaps Yixing’s shoulder once again.

 

Yeah, he's attractive and maybe a part of him wants to go on a date with him for real. Yixing ignores the small voice in his head triggered by Chanyeol’s incessant teasing. 

 

“Dude, shut up and stop hitting my shoulder. C'mon."

 

✦

 

Junmyeon hums excitedly, he just locked in a perp he arrested for assault in the 4th-floor holding cell. He’s currently leading by 1 point on their bet scoreboard. 5 minutes until the end of the bet and there’s no way, Zhang would win.

 

"Junmyeon!" He enters the bullpen and sees Chanyeol waving enthusiastically at him, "Zhang is looking for you."

 

"Oh? I just made an arrest. Tell Zhang, if he wants to say anything to his car. Say it now before I set it on fire and he'll never see it again."

 

"The only thing that will be on fire is you in my car, darling." 

 

Junmyeon turns his head and sees Yixing smiling and mocking him as if he's victorious in the bet. 

 

"I know what you're thinking, Kim." Yixing stares and Junmyeon stares back, "But you’re wrong! it loser! I won the bet! Park and I just arrested 3 illegal drug trafficking perps!"

 

Junmyeon freezes in the spot, Zhang is 3 arrests ahead of him. oh no, this is not happening. 

 

Yixing bows and offers his hand, "Kim Junmyeon, will you go on the worst date ever with me?" The taller leans in and whispers, "You have to say yes."

 

He swallows thickly and nods, "Yes..." he can’t say no to anything including Zhang’s mock proposal with a $1 candy ring.

 

"What’s that? Louder."

 

"Yes, I will go on the worst date with you." 

 

"He said, Yes!" Yixing slides the candy ring on him and squeezes Junmyeon's cheeks. 

 

Chanyeol threw confetti. Everyone in the room erupts even Sergeant Kim joins the crowd in shouting their congratulations to Yixing. 

 

✦

 

“Do I really have to wear this?” Junmyeon is fine with the all-pink ensemble. He doesn’t mind looking like walking cotton candy for just one night. What he does mind is the ridiculous bunny ears headband Yixing is making him wear as if reminding him of that embarrassing incident when they’re in the academy. To make matters worse he’s taking photos of him, he even snapped a selfie of them together. He’s pretty sure Yixing will use those photos to blackmail him.

 

“Don’t worry, you look cute. ” Yixing says, he beams at him for a second before turning his head to start the engine and focusing on the road. He looks casual, trading his usual black leather jacket for a blue sweater, the sleeves are long for his arms giving him sweater paws.

 

Junmyeon bit his lip, Yixing called him cute with no insults after. He’s so used to bantering and the insults and now he didn’t know how to respond to a simple compliment from him. He decides to open the radio, The Bee Gees singing How Deep Is Your Love fills out the awkward atmosphere. 

 

“ And you come to me on a summer breeze, Keep me warm in your love ...” Yixing softly hums to the song. This is the first time he hears him sing and his voice is nice.

 

Junmyeon can feel his phone vibrating from his pocket, he checks it and sees it’s Captain Do calling.

 

“Captain, I’m with Zhang right now.”

 

“Turn the loudspeaker on.”

 

Junmyeon presses the loudspeaker on.

 

“One of our informants called and we’ve been tracking that cargo from Busan, the informant said the suspects will unload the cargo of unauthorized firearms in Incheon. I will text you the location, I need you to stake out the drop site.” 

 

“We’re on a date but–” 

 

“Captain, I don’t need Zhang to come with me. I can go alone if he doesn’t want to.”

 

“It’s fine, I’ll come with you. Maybe we’ll still have time to watch a movie at Screen Queen after.” 

 

“Screen Queen? That old Movie Theater? I thought that’s closed already!” He even hears gossips that there’s a ghost lurking in the shabby building, Junmyeon shudders.

 

“ Reconcile whatever differences you have. You’re not children. This is your commanding officer ordering you to do your job.” Captain Do abruptly ends the call.

 

✦

 

Junmyeon and Yixing climbed at the rooftop of an abandoned building to get a decent vantage on the drop site’s location. Yixing scans the area through his binoculars, he turns his head to Junmyeon’s direction, he seems to be squinting, Kim wasn’t able to prepare for this stakeout since they are supposed to be on a date night tonight.   

 

“I have extra binoculars in my stakeout bag, you can borrow it.”

 

Junmyeon opens the bag and sees a large pack of nuts. “You got a lot of nuts in your stakeout bag.”

 

“I get very hungry when I’m on a stakeout.” Yixing says grinning, “You can have some if you want.”

 

“Sure.” Junmyeon opens the pack of nuts and starts nibbling. He lifts the binoculars and points straight to Yixing’s car. “Zhang looks like a pigeon pooped in your car! Anyway, your car is crappy. Why do you love it so much?”

 

“It was from my Dad. It’s a gift from him when I graduated from the academy.”

 

“Oh, I’m sorry for calling it crappy.” Junmyeon looks down at his hands.

 

“It’s okay, it’s not the first insult you threw at my car. I mean you did mention setting it on fire multiple times.” Yixing nudges Junmyeon’s shoulder. Junmyeon’s apologetic face with nuts bulging from his cheeks like a bunny is a funny sight that Yixing suddenly starts laughing.

 

Junmyeon’s face eases out and starts to laugh with him and Yixing thinks he would like to hear that laugh more.

 

Yixing receives a text from the Captain, saying that he got someone from the night shift to relieve their stakeout. He glances at Junmyeon his face still flushing probably from laughing a few minutes ago. He texts back [ Captain. Hold off on the relief team. Ya know since we’re already here. Plus I’m curious to see what happens. ] The Captain just replied, [ Okay, it’s your call. ]

 

They have been on the rooftop for an hour and still no sign of the cargo truck. Surprisingly, Yixing is not tired of Junmyeon’s ramblings, even now he’s talking about a certain book that the Captain gave him. Boasting how the Captain is mentoring him hands-on. Yixing forgot the title of the book but he will not forget the details on Junmyeon’s face. He’s following the movement of his lips, every syllable. The way his eyes sparkle when he's talking about the things that interest him. The moon casting light on his face, his cheeks shining a bit. Junmyeon has always been fascinating, he noticed it long before ever since they’re in the academy. In Yixing's defense, he's just a good observer. That's one of the reasons why he's one of the best detectives.

 

“You know, Zhang. If I win the bet, honestly, I have no intention of setting your car on fire. Maybe breaking a few glasses-”

 

“Are you serious?”

 

“Ha! Joking!” Junmyeon holds his hands up in mock surrender as he laughs. “I’ll just drive it around and hide it somewhere. Then I’ll make you think that I burned it until you cry on your knees then I’ll say ya got pranked!”

 

“You are an evil bunny.” 

 

“Call me bunny one more time I dare you." Junmyeon's shoulders brush against him, his thick eyebrows furrow and his voice is threatening but Yixing couldn't take him seriously because he's just staring at his lips. He's pouting and Yixing is seriously distracted by that.

 

He's flirting with you. Go kiss him. The voice at the back of his mind starts to nag him once again, the same voice echoing whenever Chanyeol teases him about his apparent attraction to Junmyeon. Cool, cool, cool, cool, No doubt, no doubt, no doubt.

 

Junmyeon stands up and yanks Yixing’s arm jolting him out of his thoughts. “Zhang! Look there’s the cargo truck! I got the plate and the Driver’s face. I think that’s the same guy from the pictures Captain sent awhile ago, the one who runs the drop house.”

 

“So I have a plan,” Yixing says and Junmyeon leans in. He tries his best to concentrate on telling the plan instead of inhaling Junmyeon’s rose-scented perfume.

 

✦

 

Junmyeon drew in a deep breath in preparation before fully stepping into character.

 

“Alright, darling,” Yixing emphasizes on the endearment as planned. They’re gonna pretend as a bickering couple asking for direction.  “I’ll ask him, will that make you happy?” 

 

“Excuse me, Sir.” Yixing approaches the man unloading a box from the cargo truck.

 

“We’re kind of busy here.” The man momentarily flicks a look at them while still holding a wooden crate.

 

“My boyfriend and I are lost, can we ask you for directions?” Yixing shows his dimpled smile. They need to stall them to have enough time to draw them both out for arrest.

 

Junmyeon controls his expression, he’s been in many dangerous situations before but for some reason he’s nervous at this moment. He pushes lightly the feelings that are trying to rise up including the fact that Zhang has called him darling so many times today.

 

“He’s an idiot! I told him that we should just stay at home!” Junmyeon yelled in response and crosses his arms and throws out his lines hoping that he’ll sound convincing. He notices that Yixing’s eyes are swiftly scanning the area, possibly counting how many perps are present.  Only two. They won’t need a backup. If they resist and fight, they can definitely take them down.

 

The man is just looking at them incredulously. The other man, the driver of the truck, checks in on them and says, “Hey! Is there a problem here?”

 

Yixing nods as soon as he meets Junmyeon’s gaze. And things happened fast, they took their guns out in unison. “Police! You’re under arrest!”

 

The two men drop the crates and put their hands in the air to surrender before Yixing placed handcuffs on them. 

 

“For a second, I really thought you’re a couple.” The man huffs in disbelief.

 

“We did it.” Yixing extends a hand for him to shake. "But we still gotta go on that date, some other day. After all, I won the bet." He smiles sheepishly.

 

“You make everything sounds so easy, Zhang.”

 

“That’s what makes me the best, darling.”

 

Junmyeon shakes his hand, the grip is tight but comforting. 

 

It’s cold but there’s a warmth and fuzzy feeling radiating from his belly. He may have lost the bet but that night is definitely not the worst night ever in Junmyeon’s life. It actually ended up nice but he’s not willing to admit that to Zhang. Not right now, he supposed.

 

✦

 

“Junmyeon! the Captain is calling for you in his office. Go right now!” Jongdae, the Captain’s secretary shouts lazily from the other side of the bullpen. He didn't even lift his head from his phone when he called for Junmyeon.

 

“Captain” Junmyeon greets as he walks inside the office of Captain Do. Captain Do lifts his head slightly and gestures for him to sit on the chair across the table. His eyes flicker on the man sitting on the other side, it seems like he got a haircut. Yixing is now sporting an undercut complimenting his usual leather jacket and pants ensemble. He catches his gaze and smirks. Junmyeon steadily turns his head and looks away.

 

“Detective Kim, Detective Zhang.” Captain Do nods, he brings a hand up to adjust his glasses and picks up a case file on the table. “Excellent job on the stakeout. It’s good to see you two work well together, despite that ridiculous bet.”

 

“Thank you, Captain.”

 

“Looking forward to your teamwork once again on the next major case I’m assigning you both.”

 

“Next case? With him” Junmyeon points his finger to Yixing. “As my partner?” He looks at him with disdain. A stakeout is fine but a major case is another level. 

 

“Are you perhaps letting your personal feelings cloud your judgment?” Yixing teases, obviously enjoying the stricken expression on Junmyeon’s face. “You know how capable I am, Detective Kim.”

 

Junmyeon clenches his jaw and recites a mantra in his head, I am going to be a Captain one day and this idiot will not slow me down.

 

“Okay Captain, What’s the case?” 

 

Captain Do lifts the case file, holding it out open on the table. Pictures of the crime scene glare at them. “There’s a string of murders at Lotus Apartment Building. The suspect is targeting couples. I need you to investigate this major case and go undercover as a couple.”