It had been two weeks since Dongwook kissed Seunghyun but it was as if it had never happened.  Despite the intimacy of the kiss and the situation as a whole, the kiss itself was brief enough that it could have been passed off as very intimate skinship, even if a bit questionable.  It didn't necessarily mean anything.  And both men were happy to pretend it didn't.  Things were not the least bit awkward between them which was a further indication that the kiss really was not a big deal.  Of course nobody knew about it because that could just bring on a string of unwanted questions or make them wonder about any possible feelings about it all.  Besides, it wasn't exactly something you just brought up in conversation.  So, they just went on about their daily lives and continued joking with each other constantly whenever they happened upon each other in the halls, meetings, or worked with each other. 

Their schedules had been quite hectic leaving no time for them to actually get together or even have a meal together at the company.  Seunghyun spent most of his time with s, at photoshoots, or working otherwise while Dongwook spent all his time on his own duties.  It was on a Saturday morning that Seunghyun's phone went off to a text from the older.

[How late does your schedule run today?]

[It could be until 2 or 3 in the morning but I have a long break in the middle of the day.]

[Oh, I'm done early at 1.  Do you want to eat?]

[Okay.  I'll be at the company too we can just leave from there.]

[See you at 1 my handsome dongsaeng!]

The younger smiled as he pictured the radiant smile on his hyung's face and chuckled as he slipped his phone into his pocket, turning his attention back to the half-written lyrics on his screen.  "Who was that?" asked Jiyong casually but still in leader mode.  "Dongwook hyung."  Jiyong nodded and continued to work on his own lyrics as well before saying, "Are you going out drinking?"  Seunghyun laughed and said, "We don't just drink!  Especially not at lunch."  Jiyong laughed at his hyung's response and the two continued to work, only talking when it came to consulting each other's lyrics.

It was true that Seunghyun and his hyung did enjoy drinking together but that had not happened in a long time.  They had both been too busy or otherwise tired to go out drinking.  It had started when Seunghyun was the only one old enough from his group to drink and Dongwook, of course, had gladly taken him along when he went out.  The two had started bonding from the beginning and the nights out only solidified their friendship.  At 1pm there was a knock on the door of the studio where Jiyong and his fellow rapper were working and Dongwook stepped in without waiting for a response.  "What’s up, hyung," said Jiyong without looking up from the paper he was writing on.  Having found his groove he didn't want to break.  The older just smiled and said, “I’m here to steal TOP away for a bit.”

"Ah, hyung, I'm almost ready," said Seunghyun as the older nodded.  After just a couple minutes he gathered his things and said, "I'll see you later tonight for practices," to which Jiyong simply nodded.  The two men walked out of the studio and into the empty hallway, where the oldest felt he could now talk without disturbing anybody.  "Are you in the mood for anything specifically?"  The younger shook his head and left the decision up to his hyung.  "Well, since you have to come back here we can go to a good beef stew restaurant nearby.  We can just walk there, ne?"  Seunghyun nodded and pressed the button on the elevator to take them down to the main lobby. 

They headed out of the company's facilities to be immediately greeted by waiting and screaming fans right outside the gates.  Despite this, it was relatively safe for the two to walk around unaccompanied in this area due to the vicinity of the label building and security that came with it.  It was not too uncommon for some of the artists to step out around here.  They smiled and waved politely at the fans who were polite enough to not mob them despite their high energy and enthusiasm.  They rounded a corner and walked for a couple minutes before Dongwook motioned to the entrance of the restaurant.  "You wanted to stay really close then," the younger laughed.  The older laughed as well and said simply, "I thought it would be easier."

A small bell clinked on the door to alert the staff of new customers.  A young hostess stepped out from the back room and, wearing her best smile, said, "Welcome.  We are ready to seat you."  The two followed her into a back dining area and settled into their seats.  "So, were you working on new songs?"

"Ne," said the younger as he looked through the menu.

“For BigBang?”

“Ne, no more side-projects for now.”

“Ah, I see.  It’s time for a comeback.”

“How about you?”

“I’m solo, Seunghyun-ah, I don’t have side projects.”

The younger glared at him, the intensity of his gaze a stark contrast to the twinkling eyes and grin of the older.  He just laughed at his dongsaeng’s characteristic reaction as he finally made a selection.  After placing their order they sat in silence for a couple of minutes.  Though it was not uncomfortable, it was slightly different than usual.  This was, after all, the first time the two were alone together or out for anything other than business since their kiss in the dressing room.  This realization seemed to have struck both of them at the same time as their eyes flicked toward each other and, with pink-tinted cheeks, they both quickly looked away.  Seunghyun cleared his throat and said, “Hyung-“ but stopped short because he didn’t know what to say or even if he wanted to say anything. 

Dongwook looked up to see the younger with his eyes cast downward, cheeks still pink, lower lip caught between his teeth.  He couldn’t help but find his embarrassment endearing though he was feeling pretty much the same way.  He resolved to break the tension without actually mentioning the incident directly.  He reached over to pat the younger’s arm and said, “Yah!  This is really unnecessary.”  His plan seemed to work because the younger did not wince at his touch and relief spread across his face.  He nodded and his tensed body instantly relaxed into the hand still placed on his arm.  The older smiled encouragingly and swept his hand back down, lightly brushing the younger’s hand with his slender fingers. 

It was with that touch that they both felt the tiniest jolt run through them- a jolt they had not felt since that night two weeks ago.  Even that was not enough to throw either one back into temporary awkwardness, each casually reconciling the jolt in his own way.