"So how was the first date?"

Jihoon paused from spooning his kimchi fried rice into his mouth to look up at Seungcheol. "Since when have you been interested in my 'love' life?"

Seungcheol gasped and clutched at his chest dramatically. "I have always been interested! How could you Jihoonie!"

Rolling his eyes, he replied, "It was alright. I made it out in one piece. And at least we setteld for a first meeting story, so I should be all set for Sunday."

Seungcheol hummed in response, "Oh yeah? And what kind of lie is your first meeting going to be?"

"It's not a lie. Our first meeting... will actually be about our first meeting."

"That disaster?!"

"Yeah. More like a nightmare."

~

Seokmin sat opposite Soonyoung in the cold noodles restaurant near their office that they always frequent during lunch hour. He stared intently at Soonyoung, an empty bowl long forgotten on the table.

"If you have something to say, just say it Seokmin. Your staring is making me more unconfortable than what your whole being already makes me feel."

"So... where were you yesterday? Seungkwan told me that Jihoon did not show up to work as well."

"Make an intelligent guess, humour me."

"Date?"

Soonyoung nodded.

"You skipped work to go on a date with Jihoon?! That's so uncharacteristic of you."

"Something came up and we had to settle it. Kind of like an emergency."

"We? You're now a we?"

"Yeah, Jihoon and I."

Seokmin continued to stare at Soonyounng, trying to find a change in expression, but sighed when nothing showed up on Kwon Soonyoung's nonchalent face. He shook his head in disbelief. Soonyoung and Jihoon? Really?

~

Lunch break had just finished and Jihoon was back in his office, typing away on his laptop. He hears someone knocking on his office door and glances up to see Seungkwan with a look that could only spell mischief. Gesturing Seungkwan in (who very ungracefully burst through the door), Jihoon pinched the bridge of his nose, not sure what to expect this time. Seungkwan made himself comfortable on the couch of Jihoon's office and cleared his throat, "So, someone did not come to work yesterday. Kwon Soonyoung did not show up as well."

"Good job Sherlock."

"What went down? I need to know!!" Seungkwan pressed hiis hands against his head, acting distraught.

Rolling his eyes (as he always did), Jihoon sipped from his coffee, his third cup that day. "Nothing went 'down'. Soonyoung was not feeling the best and forced me to take care of him the whole day. You know what a ing baby he is. I could not say no now could I."

Seungkwan raised his eyebrows. "You could not say no? Now that's a story worth the headlines."

"Get to work Seungkwan! And stop being so nosey!" Jihoon balled up some scrap paper and threw it at Seungkwan who hurriedly ran out of his office, not forgetting to stick his tongue out at Jihoon.

~

"Shoot! Quick before Jihoon sees us."

Seungkwan and Seokmin were crouched behind one of the couches in the lounge.Jihoon would be coming out soon to grab another cup of coffee and Seungkwan was not ready to die young if Jihoon ever did see the two of them together. Like this especially. Put Seokmin and Seungkwan together and you would only find trouble.

"Soonyoung said it was an emergency they both had to handle. Together."

Seungkwan frowned, "Well, according to Jihoon, Soonyoung was sick and made him care for him the whole day."

"Well... Somebody must have been lying."

Seungkwan stood up from his fetus position, dusting his slacks off, "Or they both were."

~

You ready for tomorrow?

Not like i have a choice. What is the dress code for the party?

Nah, it's just lunch. Mom wants the setting to be more intimate.

Oh how brilliant.

Just wear something formal. But not too formal.

Are you seeing what your typing Kwon? Formal but not too formal? Its the same thing as black but not too black.

Dont sass me Jihoon. I'll pick you up at 10. 

Sure. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.

Goodnight.

~

Jihoon had gotten up at 8:30am, clothes picked and left on his bed as he stepped into the bathroom to take a nice hot shower. He could feel his nerves start to creep in. Sure, he has great wit and could think on his feet. But this was not science or math or anything logical. No, this was about feelings and emotions and if a random question were to be asked, one that was not rehearsed, he would be ed. He sighed. Fake it till you make it. Right?

~

10am came too quickly and Jihoon found himself staring at the door of his apartment, waiting. Just then, the sound of the doorbell reverberated throughout his home and it sent Jihoon jumping to his feet.

Opening the door at lightning speed, it revealed Kwon Soonyoung, standing with a bouquet in his hands.

"Wow."

"A bouquet Soonyoung? Really? I'm not a sixteen year old waiting for her knight in shining armour."

Soonyung could hear the distinct sounds of Jihoon speaking, but honestly, all he could see right now was Jihoon in a black dress shirt, first 2 buttons remaining open, and pristine white pants and blazer. He looked amazing. He was still taking in the sights, not really processing anything until he felt something or more like someone push past him. He looked down at his hands to find the bouquet of flowers no longer there.

"What are you waiting for Soonyoung? Don't we need to leave? God you're such a snail." Jihoon commented, back already turned against Soonyoung as he made his way to the lift.

Soonyoung violently shook his head, trying to rid the image of Jihoon out of his head, and the blush off his face.

~

The drive had gone on smoothly and before they knew it, Soonyoung was parked in the front yard of the Kwon mansion. Jihoon shook his legs nervously.

"You will be fine Jihoon. We will be fine." Soonyoung reassured as he shut off the engine to he car, pulling out his keys.

"I can't impromtu Kwon. Not about dating details and ."

"Just leave that to me and just be yourself. They will love you."

"If I were to be myself, the whole world would hate me."

"I don't hate you Jihoon." Soonyung mumbled as he stepped out of the car.

Jihoon followed suit, missing Soonyoung's soft voice. Soonyoung walked over to Jihoon's side and reached out his hand, "Shall we?"

Jihoon took the hand and grasped it tightly, feeling Soonyoung lead him into his house. Just be myself. Or try not to be.

~

The mansion was huge, which was totally expected. But its simplicity was a pleasant surprise. The floors were white marble and the chandeliers hung brilliantly from the ceiling. Jihoon was in utter awe at the grandeur and Soonyoung beamed beside him, "You're drooling."

"Shut it." Jihoon snapped back.

Just then, a beautiful lady dressed in a simple summer dress with an apron appeared in front of the end of the hallway the two men were walking in. The woman spoke up, "Ah Soonyoung! You're here early! I haven't even changed yet!"

Soonyoung broke away from Jihoon and moved to embrace the woman who lovingly hugged him back. Jihoon felt a little empty the moment Soonyoung left his side. "Mom! I missed you thats why. Can't your own son come by a little earlier? You hurt my feelings..."

As Jihoon slowly approached the pair in front of him, he was able to get a better look at Mrs Kwon, and he could definitely say she aged beautifully. She does not look a day older than sixty. He gulped a little, coming face-to-face with Mrs Kwon.

"And you must be Jihoon! I have no clue why Soonyoung hasn't told us anything about you! Just give me a moment my dear, I will gather everyone for lunch."

"It's not a problem Mrs Kwon. It is my pleasure meeting you. You're gorgeous." And Jihoon had meant everything he said.

Mrs Kwon touched Jihoon's cheek and headed towards the staircase of the mansion, leaving the couple in the dining room.

"Well, mom liked you."

"We met for like five seconds."

"Yeah, and I can safely say she likes you already." Soonyoung pulls out a chair at the table for Jihoon, who quickly took the seat. Soonyoung made his way to the seat beside Jihoon and plopped down. He placed his hand on the table, palms facing up and wiggling his eyebrows at Jihoon. Jihoon scoffed and rolled his eyes, but he reached out to intertwine his fingers with Soonyoung's.

~

Soonyoung's father, or the President to be more exact was sitting at the head of the table, Mrs Kwon taking a seat on his right while Soonyoung was on his left. Opposite Soonyoung was his younger sister Kwon Mina, who Jihoon was pretty sure had a older brother complex. As the maids brought in the very extravagant lunch of roast duck, ravioli, ratatouille, lobster (and those were the few he recognised), he could feel the stares of the Kwon family on him. He started sweating.

The President broke the silence. "As you all know already, this is Lee Jihoon. He is a very competent Director at the company. Worked his way up from the bottom like Soonyoung."

Jihoon smiled shyly, head bowing meekly. He didn't know that the President thought of him so fondly. Guess he got lucky.

"You are the absolute cutest! How did the two of you meet? Who asked who out? For how long already? What do you like about each other?" Mrs Kwon was practically bouncing in her seat.

"I wouldn't call him cute if I were you mom."

Jihoon kicked Soonyoung under the table, "Ow! Jihoonie!"

Mina glared at Jihoon, "What do you even like about him oppa? He's repulsive."

"Mina, don't be rude. Jihoon is a good man. I'm surprised he even settled for someone like Soonyoung."

"Dad!" Soonyoung and Mina cried out in unison.

"Come on come on. I want details lads!"

"Relax mom. I will tell you everything over the meal."

"Alright. The food is all here I presume, let's begin the meal." The President lifted his cutlery and worked on his beef, the rest following soon after. It was showtime.

~

"Hmm, we met when Jihoon first entered the company as an intern. He was assigned into the same team as me and boy did that not work out well. We fought like cats and dogs."

"I hated him so much back then." Jihoon cut in.

"Right. The hate was mutual. And I guess after working on more projects together, we just naturally got closer and closer."

Jihoon nodded and continued, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "Our first project together as co-leaders solidified our teamwork, I would say. We worked surprisingly well together and delivered a satisfactory product."

The President scoffed. "Satisfactory? They won an award for the most inpirational advertisement that year."

Mrs Kwon's eyes sparkled and she clapped her hands together.

"Thank you Sir, but we don't deserve all the credit. And after being assigned more projects together, we started talking more and then the next step after friendship came very naturally."

Soonyoung finished his meal and rested his elbows on the table, gaze fixed on Jihoon. "And as to who asked who out, it was me. I was sick of being his friend. I wanted to be more than that. I didn't like anyone looking at Jihoon thinking they had a chance. I hated the idea of someone being beside him other than me."

Mrs Kwon brought her hand to her chest, "That was so sweet. The two of you. And Jihoon, what do you like about our Soonyoung?"

Jihoon gulped. What did he like about Soonyoung. He felt his palms grow clammy. "I... erm... I like everything about him. The way he makes me smile all the time?" Jihoon's reply came out stiff and painfully awkward. He looked over at Soonyoung, eyes calling out for help. Luckily Soonyoung picked up on his SOS and reacted.

He carressed Jihoon's cheek, "And I love how Jihoon has a mind of his own. The time he talked back to me when we first met was also the first time anybody in the company crossed me. They were all scared of me being the son of the President. He always disagreed with me and always did something opposite to what I would say. He would annoy the heck out of me but not once did he leave my mind. He has such a strong character but such a beautiful heart. He would come in early to work and offer to help the cleaning lady in the mornings or offer them drinks when they were tired. He went out of his way to help measly new interns just because he knows exactly how it feels to be lost and alone. He may seem like ice but his heart is anything but."

Jihoon was flabbergasted. How did Soonyoung know about the cleaners? And the interns? Soonyoung should just quit and be an actor. His acting is impeccable. 

Mrs Kwon dramatically wiped an imaginary tear from her face. "Amazing. I have never seen Soonyoung fall so hard before. What are you waiting for my boy? Kiss the bride."

Soonyoung let out a breathy laugh and moved closer to Jihoon, eyes closing, lips inching closer and closer till they were separated by mere milimetres. Jihoon froze, a deep red blush erupting on his face. He could feel Soonyoung's breath on his lips. His eyes remained stark open, and brain blanked out, all sense of information and logic leaving, except for one thing. Did she just call me a bride?

Clang! Mina who had remained silent the entire meal slammed her cutlery onto the table, and shot up from the table, effectively shocking Soonyoung away from Jihoon. Jihoon gasped for air, not even realising he had been holding it for the duration Soonyoung had been moving in to kiss him. His heart was racing and he was so sure he would have popped a vein.

Mina stormed out of the dining room, leaving her last words hanging in the air. "I will never accept you for oppa."

The President sighed and massaged his temples. "Please forgive her Jihoon. We had gone soft on her and now she thinks she is a princess."

"Not a problem sir. Puberty can be a pain."

"I am so very sorry my dear. Do you have room for desserts? I made apple pie today, would you like to have some?"

"Mom makes killer apple pie, you would be a fool to miss it."

Jihoon smiled his signature eye smile. "How could I ever say no?"

~

Jihoon was sitting in the passenger seat of Soonyoung's car, a tray of apple pie lying in his lap. Mrs Kwon did make killer apple pie. The lunch went smoothly other than the fact that Mina threw a tantrum. But she was the least of his concern, as long as he had convinced the grownups. Soonyoung pulled up into the carpark of Jihoon's apartment and stepped on the brakes. He turned towards Jihoon and unfastened his seatbelt for him.

"I have hands. I can do it myself."

"I know you have hands," Soonyoung paused, "and you did great today. Thanks. The folks back at home really bit the bait."

"You are the one who deserves the Oscars. That was some A class acting right there. How did you even come up with all those things that you like about me on the spot? I guess being a playboy really improves ones lying skills by leaps and bounds."

Soonyoung remained silent as Jihoon stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut. He leaned back down and peered his head through the open window. "Thanks for the ride Soonyoung. Help me deliver my thanks once again to Mrs Kwon. I'll be sure to enjoy the apple pie. See you at work tomorrow."

~

That night, Soonyoung flopped onto his bed and brought his fingers up to touch his lips, mind only thinking of one thing. Jihoon's lips.

~

Jihoon on the other hand stood under the running water in his shower, steam fogging up his mirrors. He brought his fingers up to his lips, thinking about what could have been. He slapped his face a couple of times and shook his head wildly. No no no. Soonyoung was acting. Almost had me fooled. 

Authors Note:

The italics part with conversations appearing on the left and right sides of the page are texts messages exchanged between Soonyoung and Jihoon. Left will always be Soonyoung and right, Jihoon.

I was writing this chapter on the plane and it flowed out more smoothly than I thought it would. I was wondering how I would type the whole conversation with the fam bam without getting bored and deciding to skip that whole part (like I always do when I get bored describing stuff). But hopefully the story flows smoothly for those reading them. It may come out choppy as I tend to skip scenes that I find unecessary with the handy-dandy ~.

And if Mina comes off as a , good. That is exactly what I envision her to be. HAHA hope everyone enjoyed that chapter!