"Look alive... guests incoming!" 

The silver sedan glided to a halt in front of the large, elegant building.  A man stepped out, his eyes roving over everything.

"Phew," he whistled, impressed with the surroundings.  "Nice digs.  Very nice indeed!" 

"It's an important week," you muttered under your breath as you shut the passenger door. 

"Welcome to the Crimson Aurora Hotel and Spa!" chirped a beaming young man.  Your companion handed the car keys over to him.

"You sure you can reach the pedals all right?" 

"Don't worry about a thing, sir!" the valet said, a bit too brightly through clenched teeth.  "We'll take good care of it." 

You rolled your eyes behind the safety of your sunglasses.  Already, he was making things awkward with his insufferable attitude.  But that was the reason for this trip... to try and fix the uncertainties in the relationship.  It wouldn't be a good sign to start things off with another big fight, so you simply gave yourself a rueful shake of the head, and kept your comments to yourself.

It was fortunate that the sunglasses had stayed on your face after all.  When you walked back to the trunk to retrieve your luggage, you were met there by another young man with a blinding grin on his face.

"I'll get that for you, miss.  Why don't you head on inside?  Dongwoon and I will follow with your bags."

"Oh.  Okay.  Thank you, Mister... um?" 

"Chanyeol, miss."

"Thank you, Chanyeol." 

"My pleasure." 

Wow.  Seriously, how did one person have so many perfect, pearly white--

"I think I just gave my car to someone who's not old enough to drive yet," the man appearing at your side grumbled. 

"Not to fear, sir!  Yoseop looks young, but he's the best driver here," Chanyeol declared proudly.  "He's got lots of experience."

"Is that so?  Shall we?"  Your boyfriend took your hand and led you through the lobby.  He continued to stride at a steady pace while you lagged behind, taking in every gorgeous detail with widened eyes. 

At the front desk, an enthusiastic desk clerk wearing a name tag that read 'Baekhyun' greeted you.  "Hello, and welcome!" 

A soft scent wafted up, and you inhaled deeply.  "Oh jagi, look at the flowers!  I haven't seen these since--" 

"Hmm?  Yeah... nice."  The response was a hollow afterthought, as he had become distracted by his phone.  "Hey, can you finish checking us in?  I need to answer this now.  'scuse me, where's your business-- ah, never mind!  I see it.  Thanks!"  He rushed off before Baekhyun's hand had risen to indicate the direction of the room that would hold your boyfriend's attention for the next few days.

"Reservation for two," you said bitterly. 

• • • • •

"Yah!  YAH!!!  Kyungsoo-yah!"  Chanyeol's deep baritone echoed around the kitchen.  The boy in question shivered, not from the chill of the walk-in cooler he was currently taking refuge in, but because the loud voice of his friend meant an end to the peace and quiet he desired most.  Chaos followed Chanyeol as if he were the Pied Piper of trouble.

The dreaded head with its large, protruding ears poked through the doorway.  "Ha!  Found you!"

"What do you want, Yeol?" 

"The VIPs have arrived.  Junmyeon wanted you to send their welcome gift up."

"Fine."  The chef grabbed a plate of chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of sparkling wine, arranging them nicely on a room service trolley.  "What?" he asked the boy who had been eyeing him closely. 

"You got any of those for me?" Chanyeol's voice was tinged with hope.

"Dream on.  I don't even get any.  There are never extras."  Kyungsoo rang the bell that called his server.  Then he motioned with his chin.  "What's with the flowers?" 

"I'm supposed to deliver them with Jongdae.  Speak of the devil..."  He followed behind the cart as it was being pushed away by the incoming waiter.  "Gotta go.  See ya later." 

• • • • •

Outside Room 1204, the boys knocked.  The door opened a mere crack, barely enough to see your worried eyes peek through. 

"Hello, miss!  We have a welcome gift for you.  May we come in?" Jongdae entered first when you nodded.

"The flowers are part of it?" you asked, watching Chanyeol following behind with his arms full of the beautiful blossoms.  "I don't remember them being mentioned." 

"No ma'am, it was a special request."  Chanyeol neglected to mention that it was the staff's idea... more precisely, his and Baekhyun's, to present the bouquets to you as part of the gift, after seeing how much they pleased you before.

He placed the vases on a couple of the various tabletops, and his eyes drifted to one side of the room, where it looked as though a suitcase had exploded, the contents within scattered over every surface.  Maybe a war had broken out instead?  He cleared his throat softly, not sure if he should even ask.

"Is, uh, everything satisfactory so far, madam?" 

You blushed, knowing what he was referring to without saying a word.  "You'll have to excuse me.  I'm a bit of a messy traveler."  You reached for some clothing lying on the floor.  "Could I ask you for one thing though?" 

"Of course, ma'am," he bowed. 

"Please don't call me that any more.  It makes me feel old.  Call me Y/N.  And yes, everything's fine.  The room is beautiful, and so are the flowers.  Thank you so much."

• • • • •

Kyungsoo looked up from his chopping board, where he was completing his prep for the evening meal.  His eyes grew wider at the sight of Chanyeol returning with a sweating ice bucket in his hands. 

"Junmyeon's gonna freak if he finds out you're stealing stuff."

"I'm not stealing," Chanyeol protested.  "She made me take it.  Said it would end up back in the hallway otherwise.  I figured you could reuse it this way."  

Jongdae nodded in agreement.  "It's true.  The guest didn't want it." 

"Which room was it again?" 

"1204.  They're coming down for dinner tonight.  They're the VIP ticket."

"Great," Kyungsoo sniffed.  "No pressure then.  If you guys would get out of my kitchen, I could get my mise finished, and focus on service."

Chanyeol and Jongdae took his cue and scattered, each preparing for the evening's duties.

• • • • •

"It's here!" cried Jongdae, his shrill voice piercing more than one eardrum.  He waved a small piece of white paper over his head.  "Top table, order in!" 

"Fire one pasta, and one special," Kyungsoo called out.  His line chefs echoed back with a "Yes, chef!"  Jongdae stood by to watch the red tongues of fire flare up, and metal clashing against metal.  His friend was truly an artist, only his medium was edible and fleeting.  Kyungsoo thought his success was measured in empty plates, not something everlasting.

Soon, the chef placed two dishes on the high counter in front of him.  "Special order, Dae."

The boy hoisted his tray aloft.  "Hold on to your taste buds, table 12..."

• • • • •

Chanyeol made a beeline to the walk-in when dinner service was beginning to wind down.  He was scanning the shelves before he was wordlessly removed by a kick to his rear from the head chef.

"Stay out of my cooler, you hyena, and get back to your piano."

"Kyungsoo-yah!  Do you have any more of that pudding cake thing left?"

"The chocolate mousse cake?  You can't have any more... it's for the guests." 

"I know!!!  I need a piece for one of them!"

Kyungsoo raised a skeptical eyebrow.  "Seriously?" 

"Yes!  Soo, I swear... it's for that girl."

"The one at the VIP table?" Jongdae piped up, entering the kitchen to drop off some dishes.  He paused so the chef could look them over, observing what was left behind, making notes on what he needed to improve. 

"Yah!" Kyungsoo exploded.  "Why's this duck untouched?!  It takes two days to prepare the freaking thing!"

"Because the guy left midway through dinner and never came back.  Poor girl.  Give her the cake, Kyung-ah."

"She might not want it, if things are as bad as you two seem to think they are."

"I'll go see," Jongdae said, sweeping out to approach your table.  "Would you care for anything else, Miss Y/N?  Some coffee, or dessert maybe?" 

You twisted the napkin in your lap.  "Well... actually... is there any way you can apologize to the chef for me?  I feel so bad about the duck.  Please tell him I'll still pay for it.  I could have it later, if they'll put it aside?  I'll order room service..." 

"I will certainly have a word with him for you, but you shouldn't worry too much about it.  Now then, what can I get you?  Shall I bring your dessert out, if you're in the mood for it?" 

"You know what, Jongdae?  Bring both portions.  I freaking deserve it."

He smiled broadly.  "You got it, miss!  Oh, and if there's anything you wanted to hear, I have a feeling Chanyeol would indulge you."  You both looked over to see the pianist sliding back behind the keyboard.  He gave you a small wave when he caught your eye, which you returned.

"Think he knows any Rage Against The Machine?" 

The waiter threw back his head and laughed.  "If he doesn't, I'm sure he'll be able to come up with something suitable."