How about Wed next week? New horror film’s playing.

Kibum read the text message from a couple hours ago again while waiting for the coffee machine to fill his giraffe mug. He had forgotten to reply the text during lunch break and had finally come around to it now.

Not sure yet. Might have an early call on Thursday so can’t stay out late.

Kibum slipped his phone into his pocket, just as it started vibrating. Well, that was quick. Kibum picked his mug up and started walking to his desk as he pulled his phone out again. He sat down before actually opening the text, taking a sip of coffee as he did.

Aren’t you supposed to be working? I miss you~~~ When can I see you?

Kibum barely managed to hide his smile as he lowered his head behind his monitor to block Jinki’s view of his face. The incessant, probing questions from the other might just be the end of him if he found out about Minho.

Yah, you’re one to talk. :P You free this Friday evening? I miss your annoying face too.

“Who are you texting?”

Kibum almost jumped out of his skin at that. He clutched his chest as he looked up at a very cheeky- looking Jinki.

“No one.”

“Didn’t look like no one.”

“Yeah well, it’s none of your business, so it’s no one to you,” Kibum said, ignoring the other’s questioning eyes that watched his every move as he turned to his work. Another text came in just then and it kept Jinki’s attention on him, Kibum noticed through his peripheral vision.

Can’t. Yoogeun’s team has a baseball match.

Kibum sighed, exhausted at having his every attempt of arranging a date thwarted. He looked up to find Jinki recording him on his phone, so he swung his chair around to escape it.

“Hey, I was filming a footage of a lovestruck man’s swinging emotions. Help me complete my quest!” Jinki begged. Kibum stretched his left arm and stuck his middle finger out to help JInki with his so-called quest.

“Tough luck, Jinki, your friend’s an ,” Jinki spoke to himself, loud enough for Kibum to hear.

Oh. So that leaves us with only Wed then. I’ll try to make it happen, okay?

Kibum knew the weekends were not an option after what had transpired the Sunday he met Yoogeun. The young boy had managed to keep Minho busy on the weekends for the past two weeks somehow. Kibum hadn’t even had the chance to see him in the weekdays because of their own busy schedules. The weekends would have been the only way for them to meet, but now that seemed like a very difficult feat.

Kibum could tell Yoogeun really did not want him getting close to Minho. He’s young and possessive of his father, which was understandable for someone in his position. But the boy also seemed very cunning for his age. It was just an impression Kibum had gotten through their short exchange.

Now, Kibum was in no way prepared to be taking on the role of a parent figure. The thought of it scared him to hell and back. But he had convinced himself that he would get to know the boy as a friend first and see how things went from there. After all, he really did like what he had going on with Minho and wasn’t ready to give up on it on account of his own fears. Yoogeun, however, was making it very difficult for him and Kibum was finding it harder and harder to empathize with him.

Another text brings Kibum back from his reverie.

Okay. Now onto more important things, what’cha wearing? 😉

Kibum rolled his eyes, typing up a quick reply and hitting send. He put his phone away and turned back to his work. JInki peered up from his monitor at him questioningly.

“I’ll tell you when the time comes, alright?” Kibum said, watching Jinki mull over this over this for a bit before returning to his work.

Work passed by in a blur. The day had been filled with so much paperwork for his upcoming projects, thanks to the success of his first feature, He had a fashion show, a concert and a celebrity wedding photoshoot to prepare for, followed by a nature photo shoot for extra materials. He had been writing up schedules and budgets for the shoots. Then, he had wasted about an hour on the phone with the management of the fashion show for giving him terrible seats for his coverage.

All in all, it had been a hectic day and Kibum was about to end work for the day when he had received a vague text from Minho asking if he was still at the office. He had replied yes and had received no other texts since. It has been 10 minutes since and Minho wasn’t picking up his phone so Kibum picked up his laptop bag and made his way down to the lobby.

Exiting the lift, Kibum’s eyes first fell on the white Audi parked right outside the office complex. He began to walk towards it in confusion before he was stopped by a firm hand on his forearm. Kibum turned around, meeting the familiar pair of dark orbs that were Minho’s irises.

“I must say I’m a bit disappointed that you’re not in your monk’s robe,” Minho said, his hand sliding down to take Kibum’s. He looked so handsome in his grey suit and pale blue tie that Kibum almost missed the exhaustion in the other’s face. But he didn’t, because he seemed to have developed an extra sense for reading Minho’s face.

Kibum looked around the lobby, noticing only the security guard at his post and an older woman leaving the lift. So, he slid his laptop bag onto his shoulder, freeing his right hand that he used to pinch Minho’s cheek playfully before briefly caressing the spot he had abused. Minho whined in his low voice in response, much to Kibum’s enjoyment. It was all he could do right here to show his affection without attracting too much attention.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were working late every day this week…”

Minho didn’t say anything as he began tugging Kibum in the direction of the exit and his car. Kibum had to tell him that he had planned to get himself Chinese take-out on the way to the subway station and head home right away.

“Great, we can eat together then…” Minho said, buckling him into the passenger seat, “I’ve worked enough to last a lifetime this week. I’ll just go in earlier tomorrow to make up for today.”

Kibum understood the feeling. He didn’t have much to complain about being kidnapped like this anyway. He would have been home on his couch in a vegetative state otherwise, so a spontaneous dinner date with Minho seemed like a step up in every sense.

They got themselves Chinese fried noodles and stir-fried pork, along with some very unhealthy snacks from their childhood at a convenience store beside the restaurant. Minho had a nanny taking care of Yoogeun till 8 that night so they had a couple hours to kill before he had to leave. Minho drove them to a high-end neighbourhood up in the hills that had a nice view of the city at night, where they ate their dinner in the car with the roof down and sky turning dark above them.

The only thing that would have made it more romantic would have been stars coming out in the sky, but it would have been impossible to see with this much light pollution from the city anyway, so they had to settle for the moon and a few twinkling lights from down below.

Kibum didn’t mind though. It was hard to think about much else in Minho’s presence.

“So you’re telling me you were the only one who broke out laughing at her,” Minho repeated Kibum’s account of his most embarrassing moment during work. He had been taking pictures at a local fashion show when the model had slipped and the glass of mocktail she had been carrying spilled all over a bald man sitting right beside the ramp.

“Yeah, I know, I still cringe at the thought to this day…”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’re an …” Minho mocked him, rummaging through the bag filled with snacks. Kibum reached over and grabbed it away from him in retaliation for the comment.

“It’s a coping mechanism, okay. I can’t handle second hand embarrassment that well,” Kibum said, pulling a lollipop out and unwrapping it. He was careful to keep the bag out of Minho’s reach.

“Awww come on, gimme some too, Bummie…”

Kibum raised an eyebrow at the nickname, only to receive a mirthful smile back as Minho began to tug at Kibum’s folded legs. They ended up in a mini wrestling match until Minho had successfully captured both his feet on his laps. The hems of his pants were still slightly wet from playing in the fountain earlier, so Minho pushed them up as far as they would go and started massaging his feet.

“Now can I get something?” he begged. Kibum took pity on him, so he picked up a sour lolly from the bag as well and gave it to Minho after unwrapping it. Silence settled over them as they ate their lollies while Minho continued to knead his feet with varying pressures, summoning sighs of satisfaction from Kibum. Every once in a while, Kibum would let his toes wiggle between the buttons of Minho’s shirt to tickle him and every time he did that, he received an equally satisfying squirm from the other.

“How is Yoogeun?” Kibum asked, finally breaking the silent spell in the car.

“He’s doing fine. Been throwing more tantrums lately. His teacher told me that he talks back to him in class in front of other students and that that made him look weak,” Minho said, distracted by his thoughts.

“What did you do then?” Kibum asked, curious.

“I taught him to use polite words when talking back…”

Kibum laughed out loud at this. Of course Minho would.

“My boy’s way too smart for that teacher…” Minho said, the pride in his voice hard to miss. Kibum loved seeing him like this.

“Did he- Did he talk about me at all?” Kibum asked, slightly anxious about what he might hear, but he had to know.

Minho’s hands on his feet came to a halt. Kibum sensed the shift in the mood. He retracted his legs from the others lap but remained in his position otherwise. Minho met his eyes with a tinge of sadness.

“He’s not very… He doesn’t…”

“It’s alright, Minho. I understand…”

“He will come around to it, Kibum. He doesn’t know you like I do yet. If he did, he’d love you too…”

Kibum nodded mindlessly, looking out the windshield at the city before he realized something. His eyes widened and his head snapped back in Minho’s direction. Minho seemed to have come to the same realization as Kibum, as indicated by his red ears and cheeks and his fleeting eyes. Kibum cleared his throat awkwardly, seating himself properly.

The word has yet to be exchanged between them and to hear Minho say it casually in conversation was jarring. He hadn’t said it directly, but the implication was direct enough. They have both been dancing around that word for weeks, not wanting to move things too fast. Even now, the air was filled with uneasiness.

A tiny voice in the back of his mind told Kibum that he wouldn’t mind hearing it again from Minho. Not at all, actually.

“Um, remember the baseball match I told you about,” Minho asked suddenly, changing the topic. Kibum nodded, still looking straight ahead.

“Would you like to come with us?”

This finally distracted Kibum from the awkward atmosphere.

“I don’t think that’s a very good idea…” Kibum said honestly.

“Yeah, me neither. But we have to start somewhere and a public occasion might help me have control over any tantrums he might throw. Plus, he’s like me. He never lets anything distract him from winning, so he’d be far too occupied to bother about you…”

Kibum studied Minho’s expression to see if he was really serious about this. Minho was unsure about it, but he seemed like he really meant it.

“Have you told him yet?” Kibum asked.

“I’ll tell him soon…” Minho grinned as he said that, making him look like a young boy himself.

“Yah, you better tell him before Friday. I’d prefer him to know beforehand…”

“I will, I will. Don’t you worry…” Minho said, starting the engine and closing the roof of the convertible. Kibum could not believe him for some reason, but he gave the other the benefit of the doubt.

“So it’s a date then?” Minho asked, just to be sure. Kibum nodded once again, already feeling nervous.

“Yeah, it’s a date…”