Happy Birthday pouty Chipmunk Park Jinyoung!! 🎂🥂

***

MARK JOLTED UP AWAKE, gasping for air. Beads of sweat ran down his bare chest, heart hammering in its cage. What happened? Did he have a dream? Bits of memories began filling his head, presenting blurry pieces to his already scuffed mind. He got the idea though. What his dream was. It was intense and felt real. He looked down, to the man still sleeping on the bed. All of a sudden, his insides were tickled with the urge to laugh. And he did, silently. What a mess, Jinyoung would never do that. Differentiating between unreal images and reality suddenly became a challenge for Mark.

The clock on the wall said it’s 5.30, still quite early, but falling back to sleep was no longer an option for him. He got up carefully, not wanting to wake Jinyoung, feeling all lethargic but deeming going to the gym for a light run on the treadmill would do him good. He exercised for almost an hour, sweating off the remnant thoughts and sensations so he wouldn’t show up in front of Jinyoung with ‘I had a naughty dream about you’ stamped on his forehead.

The breakfast came after that, one big American breakfast because he felt like it, with a heck ton of coffee. He needed caffeine running through his veins. Sometime around 7, he got back up to the room. Standing for a full minute in front of the door before swiping the key and pushing it open. The first thing that came to his view was Jinyoung sitting on the sofa, fixing his trainer shoes.

“You got up early,” Jinyoung commented upon seeing him.

One particular moan rained on him. Focus. Focus. “Hm.”

“Nightmares?”

Why did Jinyoung suddenly care if he had nightmares or not? “No, I’m just well-rested, I guess.” Liar, liar, pants on fire. Better than saying ‘Ah, no, it’s just that I had a wet dream about you and I can’t shake it off my head’.

“Have you eaten breakfast?”

“I have,” Mark replied while opening the cupboard for a suit. Even though it had become a regular occurrence, it was actually hard to look at Jinyoung’s eyes today. It’s his first time having a lewd vision while sleeping on the same bed with the object of his dreams, after all. “Going to the gym?”

“Yeah,” Jinyoung responded, his footsteps approaching. “I’ll head down to the gym then.”

“Sure.” Mark literally pressed himself against the bathroom door when Jinyoung walked past him on the entryway, worried that their skin would touch or anything. He didn’t trust himself with that kind of occasion yet.

He breathed out a sharp sigh as soon as the door clicked shut. Oh, wow, that was more awkward than he thought. Jinyoung, of course, appeared to be normal. As normal as Park Jinyoung could be to him. Clearly, he had zero ideas that Mark was doing him dirty, or else he would have freaked out. Then, why should he act differently? What’s the difference between this and the previous dreams? The fact that they’re now temporary roommates should have not changed the fact that those ty images were pure imagination, no one got hurt, no one got sued for indecency.

In a deeper perspective, should he rejoice? Being Jinyoung’s roommate gave him more realistic images than ever. The sighs, the moans, the sweet melody of him coming. It was astonishing when he first woke up, but now it had registered better, he would make use of this chance to the utmost. Park Jinyoung wouldn’t know what’s coming to him.

***

Declan’s black sedan showed up precisely at 8.30, the owner waving excitedly from inside the car, which Mark returned with an equally excited wave and a laugh. Jinyoung remained unreacted beside him.

“Morning!” Mark greeted, getting inside the car.

“Morning, Mark! Morning, Jinyoung!” Declan reciprocated with so much cheeriness despite it being early in the morning.

“You have too much energy in the morning,” Jinyoung remarked bluntly.

Mark cringed. “Perhaps because he doesn’t have to go through traffic like us,” he said, attempting to blur the sarcasm.

Declan laughed. “Excuse me, we have traffic too! Not as bad as DC or NYC but still!” he protested with a light laugh, driving the car away from the hotel drop-off.

“Just kidding, bro.”

“I get that.” Declan smiled, looking through the rearview. “So, Jinyoung, good sleep?”

With that one question, Mark thought Declan was either too nice to people or too oblivious to not get miffed by Jinyoung’s passive-aggressiveness, still daring to engage in a conversation.

“Good,” Jinyoung replied shortly, looking intently at his phone.

“The bed is nice, yeah?”

Mark fidgeted in his seat. Not the bed, please.

“Very nice,” Jinyoung answered. “If only the ia Office would kindly book us two rooms, instead of one room with one bed.”

Mark gasped inaudibly. Park Jinyoung couldn't shut up for his own good. He threw a glance at the man at the wheel, the latter had a bewildered look across his face.

“My office booked you a room?” Declan asked incredulously. Clearly, the information didn’t register well in him.

“Yes.”

“But you said you guys hadn’t booked a room, I took it that you didn’t know that we booked a room for you?”

“We didn’t.” Mark chimed in, afraid that Jinyoung might say something too harsh. It’s not even 9 in the morning yet. “It’s a big coincidence that you took us to that hotel, to be honest. We came to the reception, the receptionist asked for an ID, and we were informed that your office had a room booked for us.”

“And it’s only one room? With one bed?” Declan asked further. There was a mix of incredulity and amusement in his voice, which Mark understood why.

“Yes.”

“Oh wow, I hope it’s not a single bed.” Declan giggled, breaking his eyes from the road to glance at Mark. “Don’t tell me… It is?” His jaw dropped.

“It’s a queen, fortunately.” Or not.

Declan burst out laughing at the answer, hitting the wheel repeatedly. “On behalf of my office, I’m sorry that no one informed you about the room, and second, I don’t know what kind of plan my office had, but I apologize for making you two rooming together, with one bed! Man! That’s harsh!”

“None was taken, Dec. We’re grateful that you guys even booked us a room, even though you didn’t have to.” Mark assured him, squeezing Declan’s arm a little. “The breakfast was also good as you said!”

“Good to hear that, but really, I’m gonna check who the heck booked the room, and see if they can book another room for tonight.”

“No need, there’s no room left available. We checked.”

“Oh?”

“Maybe your office can book another room in another hotel?” Jinyoung suggested.

“Jinyoung,” Mark warned.

Jinyoung returned his look through the rearview. “Why?”

“Do you not want to room with Mark that bad, Jinyoung?” Declan probed, grinning.

Mark was sure Declan didn’t mean anything other than teasing Jinyoung, but given last night's situation, it hit differently with him. “Probably, even though I don’t snore or kick people in my sleep,” he joked, laughing nervously. Bits of the noises from last night replayed in his head.

“I never said that.” Jinyoung huffed.

Oh, that’s news. Mark thought he'd answer with some sarcastic remarks like he hogged the pillow or trespassed the border too often.

“It’s not like we do anything other than sleeping.” Jinyoung continued, throwing his attention to the building outside the window.

Now that definitely hit Mark. What’s that supposed to mean?? That’s so ambiguous! Did Jinyoung expect something else to happen?? What kind of activity did people usually do in a hotel room?

“Welcome back to the hell hole,” Declan announced. The ia Office looming over them. “You all still have a lot to fix today, yeah?”

Mark took a deep breath, refocusing his mind. “Yeah…”

“If you guys finish earlier tomorrow, I’ll take you to Chic's Beach!” Declan offered, grinning from ear to ear.

“Chic’s Beach?” Mark asked, pushing the door open and stepping out of the car, followed by Jinyoung, then the car owner.

“Chesapeake Beach, that’s how people call it here. Sometimes Chick’s beach, too, since you know, a lot of chicks in bikinis.” Declan waggled his eyebrows, smirking.

“Jinyoung would love that,” Mark commented flatly, throwing a look at his co-worker. He didn’t mean to but it just slipped past unplanned.

“Yeah?” Declan looked to his side where Jinyoung was. The latter didn’t respond, eyes kept forward.

“Thanks for the ride, man, big help.” Mark patted Declan’s shoulder when they arrived on their floor. Jinyoung, of course, wasn’t here for pleasantries and went out of the lift without words.

“No biggie, I’m your chauffeur here, I promised you that.”

“Ah, thanks, man! See you!”

“See you, Mark!”

Mark waited till the door was closed before he went inside the workspace, greeting everyone he passed by. The unit head’s face brightened at his entrance, approaching closer in light steps.

“Morning, Mr Southgate.”

“Morning, Mark. How’s your sleep?”

“Good, Sir, thank you.” Better lie than sorry.

“Ah, great.” Mr Southgate smiled but it faded away in a second. “Katie told me that she had forgotten to tell you about the room?”

Mark smiled. “No problem, Sir. Thanks to Declan, he brought us to that hotel, and we’re glad to find out that the office already booked us a room.” So it’s this Katie that booked them the room.

“That’s a relief, and sorry for the lack of information.”

“No, no, it’s alright, really.”

“Oh, that’s Katie.” Mr Southgate perked up at the sight of someone. “Katie! Apologize to Mark here!”

Katie, a petite woman with blonde hair, turned up at the mention of her name and perhaps at the sight of her boss, scampering over with wide eyes. “Mark, I’m really sorry! I had in my mind to inform you after lunch but then I got distracted by meetings and such,” she cried. “I’m really sorry! I called the hotel around midnight when I remembered, and they said you guys had checked in! I was so relieved to hear that.”

Mark chuckled lightly. “It’s okay, Katie, I understand. All and all we have room to rest.” The question as to why she booked them a single room hung heavy on his tongue. But, he decided not to pursue it. Humans made mistakes.

“Oh gosh, thank you!”

“Okay, it’s settled.” Mr Southgate laughed. “Katie will buy you guys lunch, yeah?”

The blond woman’s lips tugged up in a mischievous smile. “Only if I’m allowed to buy it with the company’s credit card.”

The three of them laughed. Mark felt really welcomed in this office despite only being here for a day.

“Okay, Mr Southgate, I have to work! Don’t want you to nag at me later.”

The unit head patted his arm. “Go on, boy! I’ll drop by later.”

Mark smiled and excused himself politely, off to the meeting room. Jinyoung was already in his chair, eyes on documents.

“Getting chummy with Katie, huh?” Jinyoung sneered without taking his eyes off the document.

“Jealous?”

“No way.”

“Then why do you care?”

Jinyoung jutted his lower lip out, unconsciously it seemed like. “Shut up.”

Interesting. Despite knowing that Mark was gay, Jinyoung was still brought up on the topic. Was he really jealous? Like, romantically jealous? But that didn’t add up, why would he be jealous when he’s in a normal straight relationship? If he’s not jealous then why let out a comment like that?

Mark studied Jinyoung’s face, mentally trying to pry that head open. Alas, he got distracted by the view. His co-worker’s really handsome and soft when he’s not talking. His lips were always moisturized, facial hair shaved into perfection, ears big but not at all diminishing his beauty. And that beauty posed as a case for his detective skills. Truly a mysterious one.

“You are staring.”

Mark straightened up in his seat. “I d-didn’t.”

Jinyoung snorted. “No need to be shy.”

“I’m not shy!”

“Okay, then.” One corner of Jinyoung’s lips curled up in a smirk. “You better start working, it won’t fix itself.”

“I’m working on it.” Mark ducked his head down, busying himself with papers. He must not be under Jinyoung’s mercy. He had decided to play the game, his game, and he’d win it.

And so with the responsibility attached to them, they fell into work, the sound of keyboards and paper rustling was the background music accompanying them. No talk was needed at the moment, so no words were exchanged.

“Guys!! I brought lunch!” Katie barged in with paper bags in her hands.

“Lunch?”

“It’s already half-past twelve, mind you, time to leave the numbers and refill your energy.” She preached, putting the bags on the table.

“What?! Time flies!” Mark chuckled. “What are these?”

“It’s pesto sandwiches. These are biscuits and gravy. Trust me these are the best ones out there. Try them out! I’m gonna leave you guys so you can enjoy it! I tend to speak too much when it comes to food. Bye!” She giggled airily, exiting the room.

“Thanks, Katie!” Mark opened the paper bag happily, now realizing how hungry he was. “Here.” He handed out one pesto sandwich and the entire bag of biscuits and gravy to Jinyoung.

“Thank