”(Kai/Angstish+Fluffish)

“Morning.” She greeted the receptionist. Although it was a real estate agency, the building had a specific smell to it. She couldn’t put her finger on it but it was a pleasant smell and it greeted her every single morning. It was so familiar that it was almost comforting.  “Good morning,” the receptionist greeted back, “ it’s going to be a busy day for you.” 
“Can’t wait for it to end already.” the last receptionist’s laugh was the last thing she heard before the elevator doors closed. She hummed along to the music elevator music playing-which was only one song on loop from opening the closing. Her office was on the fifth floor but the elevator made a stop on the third floor. “Good morning Chen.” She greeted. Chen flashed her a smile, “I wish I had your energy in the morning.” She laughed and gave his shoulder a pat, “Medium coffee with 3 shots of espresso and lots of sugar.” 

Although she had only been at the company for a little over a year, she always felt like a part of the family. Everybody working there was kind and welcoming right from the beginning, which made work and early mornings easier to handle. 
“Besides my mornings usually end badly because-“ the elevator dinged and the doors opened revealing a tall figure with a sly smile on his face. 
“Morning partner.” That voice made her blood boil. “-I have to deal with him.” Chen laughed and rubbed her back, “Good luck. Page me if you can’t handle it anymore.” and walked off to his office. She smoothed her pencil skirt before maneuvering her way through the floor and towards her office doing . Her floor only had five rooms, one of which was a photocopying room. It was also surrounded by windows giving everyone a decent view of the city-considering that they were only on the fifth floor. Plants decorated the floor and red couches were placed outside each room for clients. She loved the building and her office, she just wished she didn’t have to share with a certain somebody. 
“Aw, were you talking about me with Chen?” he cooed. She gritted her teeth, “Jongin I have a ton of work today and I’d appreciate it if you just let me be.” She settled down in her chair and continued to avoid making eye contact with him as he settled down at his own desk, which was right across from hers. 
“Sorry sugar but since you are my lovely partner, we have to work together.” He teased. She looked up at him and shot him a fake smile, “And I’m just so happy and grateful.” Jongin had his black hair gelled and wore a tight fitted black button up. Though she hated him, she couldn’t deny that he was absolutely beautiful. She could see the outline of his abs through his shirt and she hated when he did his hair like that because it suit him so well. Sometimes it was hard to hate him because she was so physically attracted to him. The two of them were busy setting up their monitors and organizing their paperwork, creating a quiet and almost tranquil atmosphere.

Ever since she and him were paired together, it was nonstop bickering, competing, teasing and built in anger-the anger mainly coming from her. Jongin was a great agent, he knew exactly what he was doing, and was very charming which was an asset with the client they dealt with. Those factors were why she tolerated him. She’d never tell him, but she learned so much from working with him and it had such a positive impact on her career. However, he also had another side where he always criticized her work, accused her of being in love with him when she asked him for help, stealing her pens when he lost his or making surprise plans or meetings without confining in her first.
“By the way,” Jongin said still organizing his papers, “we’re switching lunch hours today.” She paused, “What do you mean?” Jongin shot her a fake pout, “What I said was pretty direct sugar but sure let me reiterate. I convinced the boss to let us switch lunches today.” 
She clenched her fists, “And why?” Jongin smiled, “Just cause.” It was only 8:50am and she already wanted to smash a window. She had been waiting for this day specifically because a makeup brand she was following was finally releasing their newest collection. If customers got it today and from noon to 1-which was supposed to be her lunch break-they would get a 40% discount and a goodie bag to go with it. It was the only thing she was looking forward to and the only thing that would keep her sane while working with Jongin. And what upset her the most was the fact that he knew. He knew how bad she wanted this and she was not surprised. “I.Hate.You.” she said between clenched teeth and proceeded to throw her unorganized papers into her drawer and slamming it. “I heard a slam, are you good?” Chen’s voice came through the speaker on her telephone. “I’m just peachy.” Her teeth still clenched. Jongin leaned back into his chair with the most satisfied grin plastered across his face. He’d never tell her, but he was completely smitten by her and has been for as long as she’s been working with him.
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She rubbed her eyes and leaned back into her chair. All the numbers and words were lulling her to sleep and she could barely keep her eyes open. There was still 10 more minutes until the office really opened but she decided to come in half an hour early just to go through all the paperwork she did yesterday. After Jongin came back from his break, her nose was still buried in her paperwork. She didn’t get food either; just another cup of coffee and then went back to her office. Even after having a full day, she still had lots to do. They had just launched a building and now had to sort through and send their clients contracts, deposit cheques, do some title searches-all the fun stuff. Even though she could not stand him, she wished she had Jongin’s time management skills and calm demeanor when presented with piles of work.

Closing her eyes for a few more seconds, she returned back to papers. A tall figure stepped in and she didn’t look up to acknowledge who it was. 
“Morning sugar.” Jongin greeted. “Not today Jongin I-“ he placed a hot cup of coffee on her desk and a glazed donut. 
“3 shots of espresso and I cut back a little on the sugar. You already have enough of that in your personality.” Jongin grinned. She stared at the food he got for a bit before looking up at him. Today he was wearing another tight fitted button up but it was navy blue this time and his hair was styled just the way she liked it. He had a way with colors and knew how to put them together. She couldn’t say a word; she was overwhelmed by his kindness. Jongin rolled his eyes, “Oh stop with the thanks, you’re flattering me,” he scoffed and settled down at his desk, “besides you need the coffee. I’ve seen you without it once and it was terrible.” She cupped her hands around the coffee creating an immediate surge of warmth running through her arms. These were the moments when she couldn’t deny her feelings which went beyond physical attraction. For a year, their relationship had been a constant push and pull. One minute he’d anger her so much she thought she was going to put a hole through the wall, and the next minute he sweeps her off her feet by going out of his way to do something nice for her. And his acts of kindness weren’t just helping her finish some paperwork but it was remembering how she took her coffee or what her favorite snacks were. If it wasn’t for the other side of his personality, she swore she could’ve fallen in love with him.  “Thank you.” She said quietly sipped her coffee. It didn’t have the same amount of sugar she put in but it tasted a whole lot better. And with that, the conversation ended.

As the day went by, the building became brighter from the sunlight shining through the windows. Jongin had his head down at his screen but he’d constantly take secret glances at her throughout the day. By now he was full on staring at her and she wouldn’t notice because she was slowly falling asleep. The grip on her pen slowly loosened before it completely fell out of her hand. 
“That’s why I bought you coffee.” Jongin muttered. He grabbed a scrap piece of paper, crumpled it into a ball and tossed it at her head. She jolted awake and after realizing what happened, she blushed and cleared in embarrassment. “Do you need help?” Jongin offered. She shook her head, still embarrassed by the fact that he caught her falling asleep. “Alright then.” He sighed comparing the 3 sheets of papers he had on his desk and the stack of folders she had on her desk. She sat quietly fiddling with her fingers as she tried to make sense of the words and numbers in front of her. She really did need Jongin’s help but that meant giving him another tick on their non-existent tally scores. Her eyes were glued to the page making her yet again, oblivious to Jongin’s eyes. He his teeth and went over to her desk. 
“There’s nothing wrong with asking for help.” He said. His voice had startled her and she almost had a heart attack when she turned towards him and found his face was right next to hers. She could feel her entire body heat up with him being so close. He was so close that if she moved her face slightly, her cheek would graze against his. The smell of his cologne filled her senses and though his shoulder was just slightly brushing against hers, it felt like it was on fire. “Relax sugar, I’m only here to help you.” Jongin chuckled. She was completely transparent and it fed his ego even more. If she wasn’t red before, she definitely was now. “Now that you’re back from admiring me, I can teach you how to do this simple task.” Jongin teased again. If this were anybody else, she would have definitely fallen asleep. But Jongin made contracts and real estate sound so interesting. His voice was hypnotizing and his cologne made her head spin. It wasn’t until he finished talking that she realized how much closer he was to her. “Do you understand now?” he asked, his voice low and husky. His plump lips were mere centimetres away from her own. suddenly felt dry and she lost the ability to speak. He called her name softly and she felt her heart explode. He was so close and it was driving her insane. Jongin reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before resting his hand on her cheek. 
“Finally getting along now?” a voice called breaking the spell between them. 
“Jesus Christ!” she gasped in shock and pushed herself away from Jongin. Chen was leaning against their door smiling from ear to ear. Jongin straightened his body and shot him a stern look. 
“Sorry big boy,” Chen laughed, “just wondering if you’d like to grab a sandwich. It’s noon.” She tried to remain collected, but her body was trembling from head to toe. She looked at the clock and saw that it was 10 minutes past noon, “Oh yeah sure! I’ll meet you by the elevator.” Chen raised an eyebrow at her and then back at Jongin before leaving them alone again. Jongin remained beside her and she felt like she was going to suffocate. 
“Hey I-“ 
“Can’t talk sorry, Chen’s waiting.” She interrupted and made a beeline for the elevator, their shoulders bumping into each other. 

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The small bickering here and there turned into full blown arguments. Ever since that day, Jongin became detached and distant. He didn’t call her sugar anymore- in fact he didn’t even talk to her unless he needed something. 
 

“You did all this wrong.” Jongin sighed throwing her paperwork aside. She glared at him from her desk, “I’m sorry. Are the words too big for you to understand?” He clenched his jaw and continued typing away on his computer. Although she put up a tough front, she was devastated on the inside. She missed his teasing, and his pet names for her and she hated this Jongin. This was a new side of him emerged out of nowhere making her end her days disappointed and incomplete. Her days just didn’t feel right anymore. She didn’t feel quite right anymore. There was an aspect of their relationship that she missed so badly and wanted back.
 

She got up and collected her papers from his desk. “What are you doing?” Jongin asked. She didn’t answer, afraid that they’d have another argument. He grabbed her wrist, “These are all wrong, I have to correct them.” 
“They’re not wrong, and if they are, I’ll look over them and correct it myself!” she snapped pulling her hand out of his grip. The awkward silence was interrupted by the sound of their coworkers saying goodbye to each other. She sighed and placed the papers on her desk, “I’m punching out. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Jongin turned away and continued to work on his computer.  As she was packing up, her manager called and asked her to come to his office.

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Jongin came in the next morning tired. He was not in the mood to socialize with anyone. It use to be a dull ache before seeing her everyday but never being able to tell her how he truly felt or interacting with her the way he really wanted to. It stung seeing her everyday and having arguing being their only means of communication now. But it hurt like a when she denied his feelings and pushed him away. That small moment they shared felt so real and genuine to him and it broke his heart when she chose to eat with Chen then stay with him. He walked into their office and felt his heart completely shatter when he saw her desk. It was completely was empty. Her files were gone, her folders were gone, her pens were gone. What was left was the company computer and telephone. 

“Whoa, what’s up?” Chen whistled when a distraught Jongin entered his room. He was out of breath and fidgety. 
“Where did she go?” Jongin asked. Chen raised a brow, “Who?” 
“She’s gone! Her desk is empty! I thought maybe you would know because you’re her closest friend here.” Jongin cried running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Did I take it to far or something? Did she quit?” The fear of never seeing her again made him that much more desperate. He was willing to break his calm and collected manner for her. He was willing to do anything for her.
“Ohhh, her.” Chen said in a singsongy voice. Jongin looked at him, “Chen please tell me.” Chen sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes, “Okay but only because you two have a lot of things to solve and you’ve like in love with her or something.”

She looked around her new office and took in its surroundings. It looked just like the one she had with Jongin, but with a better view of the city now that she was on the eighth floor. Her manager decided to give her and Jongin new partners. He pointed out that it was obvious they didn’t work well together anymore due to the sloppy work being handed in and the unsatisfied reviews from their clients. He thought that this would be beneficial for both of them and the company. So now she had a new partner, a new office kind of but the same feeling of disappointment. She was just about finished moving everything, and her partner so generously offered to help. She had to door behind her close.
“Thanks again for helping me,” she said turning around to face her partner, “you really didn-” her breath hitched.
“Yeah sure don’t mention it. Now tell me why you’re up here.” Jongin said, locking the door behind them. Remain calm. She shrugged and sat on the corner of her desk, “Boss thought we would work better with new partners. I think he was going to talk to you about that today.” He bit his lip and ran his hand over his face, “Why?”  She looked at him in shock, “You’re kidding me right?” Jongin glared at her and walked towards her, “Do I look like I’m joking?” She gripped onto the edges of her desk, “Jongin use your head! All we do is fight and you’ve been acting like a complete lately anyways! He said the work we were handing it was sloppy and our clients have been complaining. Does that sound like good team work to you?” 
Jongin was now standing in front of her, “Did you ask him for a change of partners?” 
“No! Did you not hear me? It wasn’t my choice but I think it was a good one.” she said looking down. He placed his hands beside hers and leaned down so he was eye level with her. She found herself in the same situation as before. His face just centimetres away, she could feel the heat radiating off of his body. His cologne once again filled her senses and she felt her body shiver. Before she could recollect herself, his lips were against hers. They were soft like she always imagined they would be. Another shiver ran through her body as he pulled away only to quickly seal their lips once again. She hesitantly slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. He placed his forehead against and had his eyes remained closed taking in all the sensations that were overriding his senses. A year of waiting and resistance, and he was finally rewarded. “So why were you such an ?” she asked quietly and Jongin let out an awkward laugh, “You know that thing in elementary school where if a boy was mean to you, it meant he liked you?” and for the first time she saw Jongin shy and timid. “I also didn’t know how to react when you went to get lunch with Chen when this could’ve happened last week. Sorry.” and then that cocky grin returned. She blushed and look down at their hands, which were now intertwined. “So what does this mean?” she asked. “This means we get dinner after work and I’ll try to get us back together.” he said. She thought about it for a minute and shook her head, “I think it’s best if we don’t stay partners. It might not be a good mix especially now.”
‘Fair enough. But how about the dinner part?“ he said looking at her lips. "I think that’s a good plan.” she replied and pulled him towards her. She couldn’t believe she was saying that. “Now” meant a beginning with Jongin. Today he got another tick on their imaginary tally score, and she was totally fine with that.