"Have you found a place yet?” Jongin asked, as he stocked the fridge door back up with beer and soda.

“I’ve got a few places in mind, I’m going to look at them today.” Luhan informed. It had been three days since Luhan had first crashed at Jongin’s place, and every night since then, Jongin had insisted he take his bed and not the couch. He'd been sleeing much better in the last two days, something he attributed to not having Jongin climb into bed with him in the middle of the night strangely. “Why, eager to get rid of me?” Jongin laughed jovially, not really giving Luhan an answer with it. Over the last few days, he'd had gotten used to certain things he’d hoped were Jongin things, because if everyone in the big city was as intimately physical as his host, he was considering flying back to China. To put it lightly, Jongin was touchy. Very touchy, and more often than not he would be poking, prodding, hugging and even nipping into Luhan whenever the latter was busy finding an apartment, or planning his next move in this network of skyscrapers and congested roads. Luhan really hadn’t protested; he didn't think anything particularly romantic about the gestures, and after such a long time alone, he welcomed the tantalizing touches when they came.

“How are you going to pay for a place like that?” Jongin said, pointing to Luhan’s first option on the laptop screen.

"Well, when I get a job, I'll save up for creature comforts and then move in.” Luhan's flat done did little to give creedence to his plans.

"And how goes the job hunt?” He had to ball his hands and look away, fearful of Jongin seeing the pink beam across his cheeks.

“Fine.” He mumbled. Needless to say, Luhan had been lying through gritted, bitter teeth.

"You haven’t even handed in your resume anywhere, have you?” Jongin poked his tongue out and tickled it across the nape of Luhan’s neck, the older boy quickly smacking him in the face with a sharp, warranted look.

“I have so! But no one is hiring at the moment.” He lamented, collapsing into the desk before him like a rope, haphazardly tossed aside.

“No one ever is honey.” Another Jongin-ism; he liked to call Luhan pet names like, sweetie, cutie, honey, gorgeous, etc. Baby had been Luhan’s favourite, because he’d always used it in appropriate situations. Still, he refused to consciously assign them any meaning whatsoever.

“Do you know anyone who is?” Luhan turned to face Jongin, who presided himself very coolly over Luhan, whose eyes had turned pitifully pleading.

“As a matter of fact, I do know of someone hiring.” He smirked. “They are quite desperate for someone actually.”

“Oh great! If it’s not too much trouble, could you give them this,” Luhan said, leafing over his resume to Jongin without hesitation, “and ask them to call me with a response?” Jongin took the sad, double-sided piece of paper and looked it over intently.

“Hmm, it’s a shame really. Someone of your age should really have a thicker resume.”

"And yours is any bigger?” Luhan retorted.

“Well, maybe not my resume but…” Jongin replied, winking. His eyes went over Luhan’s resume with scrutiny. “Okay, you’re hired!”

“What?!”

“Well I hate to agree with Jongin, but it’s true…” Suho regretted. The thought of Jongin making any intelligent suggestion was a hard pill to swallow, and even harder to admit to. “You’re hired, kid!” Luhan’s face turned bitter as the urge to kick Jongin in the balls became increasingly appealing.

“It’s Luhan…”

“Luhan, sorry. Jongin can show you to the storeroom so you can pick out your sizes for your uniform. You start now!”

“Come on Lulu!” Jongin grabbed Luhan and pulled the boy over, like a girl with her ragdoll to the aforementioned storeroom. It was now that Luhan had no problem with sticking his foot between Jongin’s legs, and hard. “.” Said the younger boy, as he fell to the ground, and Luhan stepped on and over him into the storeroom to leaf through the smaller-sized end of the shirts. It was large enough for three, maybe four people in a cramped space, with a decent range of sizes from Luhan's preffered smaller fits to shirts nearly twice his size.

“Oh here we are.” He said moving on to the waistcoats as Jongin flopped and flailed on the floor in throb pain.

“, do you know how valuable these are!” He said with his hands a little too comfortable in his crotch.

“Believe it or not I do, if you remember back to the first night we met.”

“Oh yeah…” Jongin said, face a little too happy with his hands between his legs at this point.

“Okay, get your hands out of there, and please help me get down that waistcoat.”

“Fine.” Jongin complied. “Why do you have to wear Doc Martens?”

“When you travel as much as I do, you need a reliable pair of shoes.” Luhan answered.

“Fair enough, but you should mind whose legs you stick them between. Here you go.” He said, handing him the coat hanger with the appropriately sized waistcoat in question on it. “That’ll look good on you.” He complimented off-handedly, yet honestly. Luhan defaulted to his standard response to compliments from men like Jongin.

“Shut up.”

“I’m being honest!” Jongin argued.

“Well then thank you.” He said, purely to get the one off of his case and back on to the subject at hand. “Do you have anywhere I can get changed?”

“Just get changed in here. Don’t worry, I’ll close the door and wait outside.”

“Promise not to look?” Luhan dead-eyed.

“Promise.” He said pressing a light kiss on Luhan’s forehead. “I’ll be outside.” One skip, that's all it was. One heartbeat skipped, but that was nothing. I’m not getting attached. The line began to sound repetitive, and its’ overuse over the last three days began to rattle on Luhan’s conscience. After two minutes of changing, and three minutes of constantly adjusting every aspect of himself ,right down to the angle of his bowtie and the length of his sleeves (which Jongin had told him had to be at elbow length) he knocked on the door for Jongin to get off of and open up for him.

“I told you so.” was the only thing that came out of his devilish mouth.

“Shut up.” This time, he said it with an irrepressible smile.

“Come on, let me show you the place.” Jongin scooped Luhan up with his arm and pulled him down the stairs to give him the guided tour.

“You know people will think we are dating if you keep this up.” Luhan joked.

“That’s the idea, then eventually you’ll think it too and you’ll sleep with me.” He winked schemingly.

“You’re a little sometimes you know that?” Luhan shook his head, sighing with a feigned expression of disappointment.

“Shush, don’t use that language in front of the kids!” When Jongin finally peeled himself from Luhan, he felt somewhat lonely, but then was distracted by the actual kid that Jongin had brought him. “Luhan this is Sehun, he’s going to be on the wait staff with you on Tuesday and Friday nights.”

“Hi.” They both said.

“You don’t have to tone down the language around me, I’m not that young.” Sehun joked, making Luhan laugh too.

“Haha, I’ll be sure to remember it. It’s nice to meet you.”

“L-like wise.” Sehun said smiling, catching his tongue before smoothing out his words.

“Okay, now moving on to the best part.” Jongin said, picking Luhan up under heavy protest and setting him on the bar counter where Luhan had sat here three days ago. “The bar! Okay, you are going to have to get down to come and see this.”

“But you put me up here in the first place!”

“Duh, do you know how much I’ve wanted to do that since I met you?” Jongin said, flicking a finger over to the drinks cabinet.

“You .” Luhan said, even cracking a smile but sure that Jongin wouldn't be able to see. As his younger, but senior coworker showed him the different drinks and ingredients he’d need to become familiar with, along with the cocktail recipes, he proceeded to show the rest of the establishment down to the dishwashers in the kitchen until Luhan had truly seen it all.

“And here comes the head chef. Hey Sunho!”

“Hey Jongin, who’s your new friend here?” Sunho smirked, as Jongin had his arm around Luhan as he’d waved to Sunho.

“This is Luhan, my–”

“If you say boyfriend I am going to make sure you never feel anything when you touch yourself.” Luhan threatened, in a low growl.

“Geez, commitment-phobe much?” Sunho asked bluntly. Blunt, Luhan could deal with (he lived with himself for goodness sakes) but Jongin's skirting and inciteful flirtations he couldn’t deal with.

“No, I am seriously not dating him.” Sunho nodded, as Jongin began to drag Luhan out of the kitchen by his wrist.

“Keep it that way.” Sunho whispered on his way out.

“And over there is where Chanyeol and Baekhyun sing, they come in most nights except for Wednesday and Sunday. Those are the nights that kid Hyunjoo comes in.”

“Kyungsoo.” Sehun corrected as he wiped down the bar.

“Yeah him, whatever.” Luhan picked up the change in tone from bubbly to flat, not giving any more thought to it once Jongin had begun talking again. “And that’s pretty much it.” Jongin said pulling up a stool. “Want to make me a drink?”

“NOT ON THE JOB JONGIN.” Suho blared.

“I’M PUTTING THE NEW KID THROUGH HIS PACES, I SWEAR I WON’T DRINK IT.”

“SEHUN IF HE EVEN THINKS ABOUT DRINKING IT, KICK HIM IN THE NETHER REGIONS.”

“Okay!” Sehun yelled back.

“What is it today with other people kicking my junk?!” Jongin huffed. “I’d rather your hands then your feet to be honest.” He said laying down his head on the bar.

“Would you rather we punch you in the crotch then?” Luhan smirked.

“That’s some you’ve got going on there Lu.”

“What would you know of Sehun?” Jongin sighed rhetorically. “Such an innocent child. Don’t grow up Sehun it hurts. It hurts your balls more than anything.”

“Alright Jongin.” Sehun agreed, with a smile piercing his usual early morning grimace.

Jongin leafed through the mail as he came inside, setting the bills in one pile, the newspaper in the recycle bin under the table, and carrying the survivors to the kitchen with him.

“Have you found a place to live yet?” Jongin asked as he stocked the fridge door back up with beer and soda, leaving the mail on the counter as he did so.

“I think tomorrow after work I’ll go check out one of the places.” Luhan said, now turning from his seat to face Jongin. “Didn’t you stock up on beer a few days ago?”

“Dude, that was two weeks ago.” Jongin chided, as if Luhan was slowly going senile. Oh I’ve been here too long, Luhan panicked. “Or I could go now and look at that place, you know it’s really not that far from here~” Luhan picked up his keys from a tiny blue dish that Jongin Jongin's door, and unlocked the door to Jongin’s front door with the spare key he had cut for him god knows how long ago.

“Okay, I'll see you tonight then.” Jongin said. “Oh, bright eyes! Could you stop by the corner store and pick up something for dinner tonight? I cooked last night so I guess it’s your turn tonight.”

“Okay fine, cool, yup. See you later.” And the door slammed shut.

“Geez what’s up with him?” Jongin shook his head, picking up his mail and looking at one that stood out the most. Opening the ornate envelope, he was faced with his name and a splurge of confusing and vague words.

Kim Jongin,

We were thoroughly pleased with your audition last week and are pleased to inform you that you have been offered a position for our dance training here at JYP Entertainment. If you wish to accept, please see the map for map directions to our dance studio and be there by 9AM in exactly a week’s time.

“Well me, I got in.” Jongin said aloud. A hundred things swelled in his brain as he reread the letter and stared at the map for a bit. One recurring topic in his mind was Luhan, and what he’d do about him if he accepted. He’d have to think about this carefully.

“And there is bathroom. You can see it’s very well equipped, and we’ve just had the hot water system in this building converted to gas, so you should be able to have all the hot water you want!” The manager chirped. Luhan didn’t really know what it meant to have gas versus electrical hot water heating, but after his tiny episode back ho– at Jongin’s place, he’d take no hot water over that place any day. You need to get out, you’re going to slip and fall in and you’ll never notice until you scream as you fall. “I’m sorry but, madame?” Luhan said, shaking off disturbing metaphors about holes and screaming.

“Yes?” The manager turned around, looking a bit taken aback by his formality.

“I don’t really care what kind of hot water system or kitchen appliances this place has, I’m a backpacker, it’s not really interesting to me. The fact you have a roof has my mind set. Can I just please move in?”

“Oh… Well of course!” She said cheerily, pulling a key off of a rather large ring of similar keys, each with different coloured heads, some in pairs, some not.

“Thank you so much!” Luhan breathed, highly relieved to finally have a safety net over the tight rope of the delicate situation of Jongin.

“Welcome to the building~” She beamed, extending a courteous hand which Luhan gladly shook to settle the agreement. “Now for the paperwork…” Okay, maybe not settled yet, but close enough.

Jongin was halfway though cleaning out a draw in his bedroom dresser before he heard the all to early sound of the door unlocking, keys falling into the key bowl and Luhan calling his name. When Jongin didn’t reply, he’d found him in his room folding clothes and placing them on the bed.

“Whatcha doin’?” Luhan asked a little out of breath, a plastic bag in his hand filled with what Jongin hoped was dinner.

“Oh just, cleaning out some clothes I don’t want anymore. I’m thinking of taking them to the charity store, unless you want some.” Jongin lied. He gestured to the pile that Luhan took a gander through. He found one on the top of the first pile, a black shirt with the iconic red lips and tongue hanging out on the front. Rolling Stones, nice.

“Isn’t this your favourite shirt?” Luhan whined.

“Yeah, I don’t think it really fits me anymore.” Jongin acted out.

“Well if you don’t want it then...” Luhan smiled, folding it over his arm and heading back for the stairs. “Thanks.”

“No worries.” Jongin waved.

“Hey, I found a place!” Luhan held up his new key with its’ fluorescent yellow cap on top. “I move in tomorrow.” He informed.

“Oh cool, well then I’ll guess I’ll be seeing you at work then.” Jongin smiled as he put his hands in his pockets.

“Yeah, still.” Luhan dropped both the shirt and the plastic bag on the bed and hung his arms around Jongin’s neck. “Thank you.” He kissed him softly on the cheek by the ear, and as he pulled away Jongin reached out and pulled him back into his torso.

“No worries.” Jongin made half the attempt to move his head in closer to Luhan’s, before he patted him on the shoulders and reminded him of the hour, and how he should probably get a start on dinner. “Oh come on, it's your last day here, let me cook.”

“Really? Okay!” the two ped themselves from each other, and the analogy followed as it tore Jongin in two, emotionally.

“No worries. Don’t forget your shirt.” He said pointing over to it laying on the bed. Luhan collected said shirt, and on his way to packing it safely into of the duffels by the couch (now that the entire contents of his Chevy was in Jongin’s house) he couldn’t help feeling something wasn't right with Jongin. Oh well, it’s Jongin. He’ll bounce back, I think? I hope… Luhan thought.  got a condo, and I just cleaned out one of my draws for you. Jongin sulked inside.

Jongin’s borrowed mobile buzzed on the bedside table, and it was a groggy struggle to reach over and pull it down and answer it.

“Hello?" He groaned. "Nfh... This is Luhan.”

“Oh, Luhan! It’s Jae Hee.” The manager.

“Oh, hello! What can I do for you?”

“I’m sorry, I wish I was calling to give you better news.”

“What happened?” He asked, sounding sympathetic. Oh .

“Well, it seems that the people we called in to refit our hot water system didn’t do all that well at replacing the hot water system and…”

“Oh no…”

“It seems your apartment had a bit of a fiery accident, b-but’s it’s really nothing to worry about! No one was hurt, and we have called in a new set of experts to refit the system, it’ll only be a few more weeks–”

“Weeks? I’m sorry madame, it’s not that I don’t want to wait, it’s that I can’t afford to wait any longer for a place.” A heavy sigh came from the manager’s side of the receiver.

“I see…”

“I can come and drop by your key tomorrow night after work.”

“Oh no, don’t bother. The fire melted the lock on the door, so there is really no need.” Wow, that bad?

“Alright then, I’m so sorry miss Jae Hee.”

“So am I. Well, I hope you don’t have any trouble finding a new place to live!” She cheered on. After some quick goodbyes and being hung up on, Luhan set the phone back down on the end table and tried to rub the reality out of his eyes. Could this be a dream? Maybe Jongin is secretly a crack lord, and I’m having a strange crack dream, and none of this is happening. Yeah, that’s it. Don’t worry, I’ll wake up and I will go to my new apartment today, and it won’t be a fiery inferno. Even to himself, his lies were hopelessly awful. Oh me

“What’s wrong?” Jongin said croakily. He ran a hand through his greasy hair and as the flexing of his muscles brought his languid form into the moonlight, Luhan had a hard time clearing the lump in his throat for a sentence to come through. Jongin was thin, but not sickeningly so. You couldn’t see his ribs, and his abs weren’t over pronounced, but he wasn’t bony around the chest by any standards. It was the kind of skinny that really got Luhan riled up, but now was hardly the time. It was a skinny, yet muscular contradiction that intrigued Luhan, and the tattoo only added to his captivating allure.

“My apartment burned down.” Luhan lamented.

“Bummer. What about those other lots you were looking at?” Jongin inquired to.

“Taken by now.” Luhan hung his head regrettably. “Hey Jongin?”

“Yeah?”

“I think you’ll want your bed back.”

“Why?”

“Do you mind if I start paying the rent with you?” and Jongin answered the only way Jongin could. With a sharp flick of a smile, he jumped onto the sea of silk sheets and pinned Luhan against the headboard, to which Luhan whimpered a little bit. Jongin buried his head in Luhan’s neck, and as he mumbled incoherent words, Luhan began to giggle from the tickling. “Jongin stop, stop!” He cried out laughing.

“Will you cook me dinner lots?” Jongin said looking up to Luhan.

“Only if we sit down together and work out some necessities and rules.”

“Alright, whatever you want.” Jongin agreed, smiling with his mouth open and showing his beautiful pearly whites. Would he have had one, Jongin’s tail would be wagging a hundred miles and hour by now. He had half a mind to kiss Luhan right now but decided against it, and then decided on it.

“And a lot less of that. If you want to do that, you’re gonna have to work extra, take me out for a movie at least.” Luhan babbled, trying to save his pride.

“Wow are you a cheap date." He blurted. "OW, NOT MY JUNK AGAIN!”

“You deserved it!” Luhan snapped. Early hours were not his best, and being woken up with news like he'd received didn't help either. “I’m going to make some coffee, want one?” You’re in too far, stop it. The voice said in his mind, taking over his own conscience to tell him what he didn’t want to hear.

“No thanks.” Luhan left down the stairs, and it wasn’t until he was sure he heard the kettle go on, did Jongin rush for the door, pull out the letter of acceptance from JYP and without thinking, ripped it into the smallest pieces he could fashion, before dropping them into the recycle bin.

“You’re not tearing up the bills are you?” Luhan jested.

“I wish.” Jongin said. He stared at the tiny pieces in the bin and wondered if it was the right thing to do. He decided that regret was for wimps, and he would take that coffee he was offered and not think about this ever again. I think you are worth it. Jongin prayed.

A/N: Another chapter ✬ Comment, up-vote, subscribe, whatever you feel like doing. Getting your feedback and chatting with you all is such an amazing thing, and I really hope you won't be too shy with your comments! I have the time to read and reply. Thank you for being such wonderful readers ♡ It means a lot to me

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