Andy woke up slowly, stretching and yawning before he opened his eyes.

Something was very wrong.

Instead of his small, plainly decorated apartment, he had woken up in a large bedroom that was tastefully decorated in shades of warm yellow and sandy brown. The comforter that covered him was white with stripes of the same brown and yellow as the curtains and the rest of the room. He went to get out of the bed and noticed that someone was beside him.

.

Sure, it wouldn’t be the first time he had gone home with a stranger but he clearly remembered leaving the restaurant alone last night. Not just alone, but exceptionally drunk. There was no way he had been in any shape to be picked up. As his feet hit the floor, the body beside him rolled over and Andy saw who he had spent the night with.

“You?”, Andy stuttered as his mystery bed mate sat up and rubbed a hand sleepily across his face and through his hair.

“Yes, me. Should I have left you asleep on the sidewalk?”, Hyesung said and flipped the covers off. He was, as was Andy, thankfully still dressed. Hyesung had on a pair of boxers and a old t-shirt with faded writing on the front. Andy was still in his work clothes from the day before, minus his shoes and suit jacket. “You were passed the out when I left.I was going to leave you there but I felt sorry for you, I guess.” Hyesung got of bed and headed for a door tucked into the corner of the bedroom.

Andy rubbed his hand across his head as he tried to remember last night, but the only thing that came to mind Minwoo taking away his soju and getting up to leave, alone.

“Pity? I don’t want your pity”, Andy spat out and watched as Hyesung opened the door and headed into what he assumed was a bathroom, based on the glimpse of white tiled walls he caught before the door shut.

Andy spotted his shoes and jacket on a chair by the bedroom door and headed for them, eager to get out of here. He patted the pockets of his jacket as he slipped it on, his keys, phone, and wallet were safely tucked inside.

“Bastard……”,he mumbled as he walked out of the bedroom into a hallway that had two other doors. From there he went to the living room. It was spacious and done in the same colors as the bedroom, along with a teal color that reminded him of the sea. Framed seascapes hung on the walls and a cream colored sectional couch hugged a long wall.

There were no personal touches on the walls,save for what looked like a few frames that contained diplomas on the wall opposite the front door. Andy barely glanced at them as he breezed past and opened the door.

Had he stopped to look closer,he would have seen that they were from the same university he had attended. He shut the door quietly behind him and found himself in a hallway. The walls were lined with other apartment doors but all he saw was the thing he needed most.

It was an escape route in the form of an elevator door.

He jogged to it and pressed the down button after he figured out he was on the 5^th floor. The doors slid open silently and he entered without a backward glance and they shut behind him. He pressed the button for the lobby and the elevator began its downward ascent, taking him away from what he considered hell on earth. The sun shown through a huge window that showed the street outside. It was still early so there weren’t many people out yet.

“Thank god….. now I can just go home and sleep last night off”,Andy muttered to himself as he went outside. He fumbled in his pocket to pull out his phone to call a taxi and when he tapped the screen, it showed black. His phone had died during the night and he didn’t see anyone that he could ask to use their phone. He turned and tried to open the door but it was locked behind him.

“”, Andy muttered and kicked at the ground. A quick scan of the neighborhood showed him shops that weren’t open yet and not a pay phone in sight, not that many were around these days. A metal box beside the apartment building caught his attention and he went over to look at it. It was a call system for the residents, along with buzzers that would let a resident know they had a visitor. Hyesung’s apartment was clearly labeled but he would be damned if he asked that man for help.

“Fine, I’ll just wait til something opens so I can used their phone”,he muttered as he sat down on the stoop and stared ahead dejectedly.

******

Hyesung came out of the bathroom, a sky blue towel wrapped and tucked around his slim waist. He looked at the chair where Andy’s jacket and shoes had been and saw it empty. He had expected Andy to run out while he was in the shower but he still frowned. He had hoped to talk to him, explain their past, even if Andy didn’t remember him.

With a sigh Hyesung went to his closet and pulled out his clothes for work. The dress code was relaxed so he made sure to dress casually but still stylishly. Today’s outfit was slim white slacks, a sky blue collarless t-shirt that was made of the softest cotton and a white cardigan shot through with strands of a blue that was slightly darker than his shirt. He dressed quickly and went out into the kitchen and started to pull covered dishes out of the fridge. Breakfast would be simple; rice with Chukchi, cold burdock salad and some grilled fish leftover from dinner a few nights ago.

He took everything to the table and just as he was a bout to sit down his doorbell rang. He went over and pressed the buzzer.

“Who is it?”,he said and when he heard the voice at the other end his eyebrows went straight up in surprise.

“I…let me come in and use you phone”, Andy stuttered as he held down the button downstairs. “My phone is dead and I need to call a taxi t get home.” He grimaced and looked at the still deserted streets around him. He had gotten tired of waiting and resorted to the only solution he could think of.

Hyesung chuckled then pressed the buzzer that would unlock the main doors. Andy heard the audible click and ran for the doors, without thanking Hyesung. Back inside he went to the elevator and pressed the up button. The doors took a moment and when they slid open a woman and little girl came out. He waited until they had passed then went inside and pressed the button for Hyesung’s floor. When the doors opened he headed for the door he had snuck out of. He rang the doorbell and the door swung open.

“Come on in, I was just sitting down to eat”, Hyesung said and went back over to the table and sat down. Andy stared at him and meekly came inside and shut the door, staying beside it instead of coming all the way in.

“My phone isn’t over there”,Hyesung said nonchalantly as he started to eat. Andy clenched his fists at his sides and walked forward until he was in front of Hyesung.

“Can I please just make the call? I want to go home”, Andy muttered under his breath as he watched Hyesung eat, using his chopsticks to pick up food and eat delicately.

“You can wait until I’m done eating”, Hyesung said as he stopped and filled a glass with water and took a sip. “It’s not like you have to work today. I heard Mr. Lee tell you to take the day off.” His tone made Andy grit his teeth and flop into the chair across from him,his arms crossed over his chest, a pout on his handsome face.

Hyesung ate in silence and Andy watched every bite that went into his mouth. His mouth started to water and his stomach made a loud grumbling sound. Hyesung smirked behind the rim of his water glass and pushed the bowl of fish in Andy’s direction.

“There’s more than enough for two if you want some. I had planned to make breakfast this morning but my guest disappeared before I got out of the shower.” Andy sighed and reached for a pair of chopsticks that were in a glass in the middle of the table.

“I didn’t remember even coming here last night”, Andy grumbled as he brought a piece of fish to his mouth and ate it. “How do I know you didn’t do anything weird to me?”

Hyesung looked at him for a beat, then burst into a belly laugh.

“You really think I would have done something to you? You woke up fully dressed didn’t you?”, Hyesung chuckled and moved the rest of the food a little closer to Andy.

Andy eyed him suspiciously,”Well, you got me there. But still, how would feel if you woke up somewhere strange?”

“Well that is right but I only made sure you were safe, Andy”, Hyesung said with a wink. “It would be a shame to lose such a hard worker.”

Andy scoffed and muttered something under his breath. Hyesung cocked his ear and raised his eyebrows.

“What did you say? I didn’t quite catch that.”

Andy blew a breath out through his teeth and set his chopsticks down on the table abruptly,”I said you seem to be the only one that notices how hard I work.”

Hyesung tapped one long slim finger against his cheek thoughtfully as he considered Andy’s words.

“Why do I feel like this explains your behavior since I came into the company? I bet you wanted this position didn’t you, Andy?” His tone was soft and Andy felt choked up as he nodded.

“Can you imagine how I felt? I’ve been with this company for five years and when a chance to advance comes up, some guy off the street swoops in and takes it.” Andy felt his throat close up as he held back a mix of anger and sadness. Hyesung saw the look in his eyes and poured another glass of water and passed it to him. Andy took it and gulped it, his hands shaking.

“I’m sure Mr. Lee knew you wanted the position. Maybe he didn’t think you were ready for it”, Hyesung said carefully.

Andy took another gulp of water and set the glass down hard on the table.

“I knew Mrs. Choi’s job like I know the back of my own hand. Who do you think stepped in and took over her duties until you showed up?”, Andy said in a rough voice.

“Then maybe Mr. Lee thought it was time for new blood in the office. I get along with everyone so well and I really enjoy my work. Well, I thought I got along with everyone”, Hyesung said softly.

“I didn’t treat you any differently than the others I work with. Even though I couldn’t stand it”, Andy said, feeling bad for the first time since meeting Hyesung. Hyesung nodded and looked away for a moment.

“But…. I can see your point of view, Andy”, Hyesung said. “I can tell Minwoo that I’m stepping down for personal reasons and suggest he give you the position.”

He hated to say it but if Andy didn’t want to work with him, there was no point in him staying there. When he saw Andy in that conference room the day he first started he was floored. Who would have guessed that he would meet him again after ten years? Andy wasn’t just some classmate Hyesung looked up to. In their fours years of college together Hyesung had developed a crush on him and not even ten years had erased that giddy feeling he got when he saw the shorter man.

Andy cheeks flushed and he shook his head vigorously, “No, don’t do that. You are really good at the job and if you leave we are short a person. Who says Minwoo would even listen to your suggestion?”, he said lamely,unable to believe that he was asking the person he hadn’t been able to stand to stay.

Hyesung smiled and bit his lower lip. “Why don’t you think about it today and tomorrow we can talk about it again? It’s not a decision to be made lightly.”

“I’m sure I won’t change my answer but sure, I’ll think about it”, Andy said, smiling for the first time in Hyesung’s presence. Sure, there had been the fake forced smiles at work but this time it was genuine and reached his eyes.

“Why don’t you stay for breakfast and I’ll drop you off at home on my way to work”, Hyesung said as he started to eat again, ignoring the way Andy’s smile made his heart race. Andy nodded and they ate breakfast together in companionable silence, occasionally punctuated by conversation about work.

******

Andy, as promised, was dropped off at home by Hyesung. He watched the younger man drive off with a wave before he headed inside his apartment building. Once inside he went and put his phone on the charger and went to take a shower before he did housework.

He finished up by putting a load of laundry in the dryer then went to check his phone. The first message was from Minwoo.

M:Did you make it home okay? You were pretty wasted. I bet you’re glad I told you to stay home today.

Andy sent a short reply and let his boss know he would be there on time the next day and thanked him for the break. As he was typing, another message popped up. This one was from a number he didn’t recognize but he opened it anyway.

H: Don’t over think it, okay? Just relax today and tomorrow I will meet with Mr.Lee.

A: How did you get my number?

H: It was in the team phone list, I hope you don’t mind me looking it up.

A: not at all. I’m gonna get some sleep now, thanks for breakfast :)

With a peace he hadn’t felt since the day Hyesung walked into the office, Andy laid down and fell asleep. He wouldn’t wake again until late afternoon, feeling refreshed and more sure than when he left Hyesung’s apartment that he wouldn’t let Hyesung leave for his sake. He would go into work tomorrow and make sure that Hyesung stayed exactly where he was.

******

Andy went into work early the next day and went to his desk. A few files waited for him so he opened them and flipped through them. It was a small account and he was certain they could get it taken care of in a few days without much trouble. Another team had already done most of the work and all that was left to Andy’s team was to finalize the figures and make sure the campaign was pushed out on time.

“Morning, Andy?”, Hyesung said as he walked over to Andy and stood to his left and set a take out cup of coffee beside him. Andy closed the folders and turned his head to look at the tall man. Hyesung was dressed well, as always. The long sleeves of his cream colored dress shirt were rolled and cuffed perfect just above his elbows and he had on a loosely woven red cardigan over it. The weather was nice out, spring had arrived and hung around for a while so he wore knee length khaki shorts and white tennis shoes without socks.

“Did you think about what we discussed?”, Hyesung said as he grabbed a chair and pulled it over to Andy’s desk and sat down across from him. He stretched his long legs out and crossed one ankle over the other.

“Yes, I did. And my answer is the same. I didn’t give you a fair chance from the start and what you said really made me think. Instead of being mad that I didn’t get the position,I should be thankful that he brought in someone with experience. I also wanted to apologize for taking my frustration out on you”, Andy grabbed the coffee and took a drink. Surprisingly, Hyesung had gotten him the coffee exactly the way he liked it; an Americano with an extra shot and a splash of milk.

Hyesung could hear the honesty in Andy’s voice and he smiled,”Well, now that you’ve said it, you can’t take it back.” He was thrilled that Andy had come to this conclusion and he stuck it hand out,”Let’s shake on it. From now we will get along at work and even out of work functions.” Andy leaned forward and took Hyesung’s hand into his own smaller one and shook it firmly.

“And to make up for the past, I’ll buy you lunch today. Anything you want.” Hyesung’s hand was warm in his and he could feel the strength in his seemingly delicate fingers.

Hyesung looked at their joined hands and felt a blush creep up his neck. He squeezed the other man’s hand once then slipped his hand free. “You don’t have to do that”, he said but his body language said that he would love nothing more.

“I won’t take no for an answer”, Andy said with a boyish grin. “I want to make up for my bad behavior.”

They chatted for a few more minutes before the rest of the team showed up and then it was time to get to work. They worked steadily until lunch time and as promised Andy and Hyesung went to lunch. Hyesung was so elated that he couldn’t even remember what they had eaten. Lunch passed quickly and with reluctance, Hyesung went back to work with Andy. At least now they were getting along and he wouldn’t feel as awkward as he had up until now.

******

A few weeks later

Andy looked at the address of the restaurant in front of him. It was his ten year college reunion and his classmates had reserved one of the back rooms here to celebrate. He ran his fingers through his hair to make sure that it was laying down and with a smile he opened the door and headed inside.