The first month of work went swimmingly. No bar fights or abusive drunks in the house since Joon’s departure, and today was the day Jongin decided to kick off Luhan’s training wheels, rather like a cruel parent suddenly letting go of the bicycle handles.

“What do you want me to make?” Luhan asked. Jongin propped his arms on the bar, the tattoo displayed prominently, as he thought about it.

“ on the beach.” He smirked, looking smittenly junvenile.

“Jongin!” Luhan almost went as peach as the main ingredient, not quite sure how to respond other than a shrill outburst.

“It’s a legitimate drink!” He defended, pulling out the Cocktail Bible and showing him. “See?”

“Okay, fine.”

“Take a look at the ingredients carefully…” he said slowly. Luhan’s eyes drifted over the title and lost focus, before Jongin snapped the book closed and held it defensively under his arms.

“HEY!”

“This is a test, make me a on the beach. AND I’M NOT GOING TO DRINK IT BOSS.”

“ATTA BOY JONGIN~”

“Give me back the book.” Luhan demanded.

“No.” Jongin argued shoving the book in his pants.

“Ew, I’m not going near there.” Luhan cringed.

“That's not what you said last night.” He winked.

“JONGIN.” Luhan screeched, now turning cherry red, even though his claims were untrue. At that point, Sehun had accidently bowled over the tub of soapy water he was mopping the floor with.

“Oh .” He said dropping the mop along with it.

“Let me help you.” Luhan vouched.

“Don’t try and get out of my on the beach here Luhan.”

“Screw you.”

“Thanks Luhan.” Sehun said, with probably the biggest yawn Luhan had ever seen escape his face.

“We’re you up late studying last night?” Luhan asked, whilst he did most of the wiping up.

“Yeah, bunch of practise exams and , even though it’s only the first term.” Sehun sighed.

“Why don’t you go make yourself a coffee, it’s on me.” Luhan smiled, Sehun thanking him before starting up the coffee machine.

“Luhan, Luhan, Luhan~” Jongin started prodding his with his foot as he chanted his name.

“Okay Jongin, you can stop that now.” Luhan smiled sarcastically.

“You have such a sweet though baby.”

“You can stop that now too.”

“But honey–”

“Jongin, shut the hell up.”

“I like it when you get bossy~”

“SUHO!”

“Oh god, don’t invoke the wrath upon me, please.” Jongin panicked, suddenly turning turtle and surrendering.

“JONGIN, IF YOU LET IT OUT YOUR PANTS, YOU LOSE YOUR PAY. GO USE THE BATHROOM.”

“Ooh, good idea~” And Jongin was gone.

“THANKS SUHO.” Luhan said, only getting a disgruntled

“NO WORRIES.” back. Luhan often wondered just what it was that Suho did all day everyday in his office, thinking it must be hard to run a business like this, especially when you land staff like Jongin and Sunho along the way.

“Aaah, that is so much better.” Sehun said after a steaming sip of coffee.

“I’ll bet. I remember studying for my exams…” Luhan shuddered, “I’m glad those are days far behind me.”

“I can’t wait until it’s just all over.” Sehun agreed. “I could use the freedom.”

“What are your plans when you graduate?” Luhan asked, grabbing a fresh towel to dry up with.

“Wel,l I was definitely thinking univer–”

“Oh Luhan~” Jongin whoop-whistled, to which said boy merely dropped his head and grumbled.

“This is going to haunt me while I try to sleep tonight… Yes Jongin?”

“Can you get me a wet towel? I seemed to have–”

“JONGIN THERE IS TISSUE PAPER FOR THAT!!” Luhan screamed, scaring half the pants off of all of the staff, except Jongin who Luhan suspected already had his pants around his ankles.

“But tissue paper sticks where you don’t want tissue paper to stick!” His voiced bounced off the tile in the bathroom, making his whinging all the less tolerable. With Luhan letting out an array of cusses, and questioning his entire life up to this poin,t he soaked a towel in water, wringed out the excess and tossed it over the cubicle door.

“If you use one term of endearment for that I will drop acid on your s in the middle of the night.”

“Well that’s a step up from kicking my junk.” Jongin joked. Luhan left to see Sehun had already gotten back to, and finished his cleaning. He thanked Luhan and then left to head off for school, as he had another practise exam today so he was allowed to be at school only for that.

“GOOD LUCK SEHUN.”

“THANKS BOSS!”

Sehun didn’t come back for the rest of the day, deserving the time off to study. The rest of the day went easily, Jongin only groping Luhan’s once and earning a nice knee in the balls for it, as he walked passed him to grab the tonic water. Chanyeol was back today with Baekhyun, and they sang together like they usually did, doing some covers and some originals.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun came by often, and Luhan liked talking with Baekhyun when he had the chance. He more than often left a tip in Chanyeol’s guitar case, which was always well appreciated, and when he couldn’t afford to, he’d just make them free drinks on the house. Luhan thought it was because he was a hopeless romantic, and Baekhyun and Chanyeol were the epitome of sickeningly sweet. Never the less, he passed the rest of the night away chatting up Baekhyun, as Chanyeol and Jongin did their broodingly masculine equivalent until closing hour hit, and everyone went their separate ways in pairs.

“What do you want to drink?”

“A water will be fine, thanks.” Luhan answered, hanging up his parka on the hanger. When he turned around there was Jongin with a soft drink in one and a water bottle in the other hand. 

“Here you go.” Jongin said, handing it to Luhan and giving an affectionate peck on the cheek.

“Nope!” Luhan asserted. “Keep your puckery lips for someone else, I did not move in so you could trophy me like your latest toy, this has to stop.”

“Why Luhan, are you… putting your foot down?”

“Don’t get smart with me Jongin, you can’t keep doing stuff like that!” Luhan said, turning pink and resisting the pressing urge to stamp his foot and squeal. When Jongin opened his mouth to speak Luhan cut him off. “And if you are going to ask why, then you need to learn how to be a human being.”

“I take it you don’t want to go to a movie?”

“No I want dinner and I know for a fact you can’t afford it without skipping on your end of the rent.”

“Damn you.” Jongin huffed. “One last kiss before you abstain me?”

“No.”

“We never worked out those necessities you promised me.” Luhan informed Jongin.

“You’ve bought take out for the last three days.”

“With my own money!” Luhan protested. “That counts.”

“I like your cooking better than the Wong’s sweet and sour pork.”

“But the Wong’s are so nice and– hey don’t change the subject!”

“What necessities could you possibly need? You have lived here for a month and you haven’t died. I don’t see the problem.”

“The bathroom is practically empty of any cosmetics.”

“What are you, a woman?” Jongin huffed disdainfully.

“No I’m a human being.”

“Okay, how about what ever you use, you pay for, and whatever I use, I pay for?”

“What about things that we share, like shampoo?”

“Make me a list then woman, and come back to me later.” It took Luhan about ten minutes to draw up a list of three columns labelled Luhan, shared and Jongin. 

“Fill in your section for me?” After much pencil scrawling Jongin finally handed back the piece of paper and smirked.

“Jongin, that is not something we need in the bathroom.”

“I could cuff you to the towel hanger.”

“Jongin be serious, this means something to me!” Luhan whined, furrowing his brow and staring with insistent eyes to Jongin.

“Fine, fine. Let’s go over the things we need then.” Luhan tore the page from the notepad and sat down on the floor by the couch to a new page. Jongin sat on the couch not far behind and the two got stuck into their list making. “Shampoo is a must if we are going to share.”

“Your shampoo smells nice.” Luhan smiled at Jongin, turning his head to face the towering idiot who reciprocated the gesture. “So we can put a ‘W’ next to that one.”

“For ‘we’?” Jongin asked.

“Yup.” Luhan beamed. “I need new face cleanse so that gets an ‘L’ next to it…”

“Face towels for ‘W’.”

“You don’t have face towels?” Luhan stared at Jongin for a second.

“Nope.” Twenty minutes later, Jongin and Luhan were still at their listing, during which Jongin frequented the fridge refresh their drinks.

“Urgh.” Luhan said, sitting up straight and hearing his back satisfyingly crack at least eleven times.

“Come on, sit on the couch with me.” Jongin called over, as he patted the space beside him.

“No I’m alright, I like sitting on the floor.”

“Alright then.” Jongin said, sliding onto the floor, crossing his legs and slapping his thighs twice. “Come on.” Luhan eyeballed him for a few seconds suspiciously. “I promise not to grind you if you sit in my lap.”

“Fine.” Luhan said placing his trust in Jongin as he shuffled over, letting himself be helped into Jongin’s legs. The further back he sat, the further Jongin’s knees spread until they stopped, and Luhan was comfortably nested on Jongin’s lap in the perfect position. Jongin was always warm, which was nice for cold-blooded Luhan, since the combination of Jongin’s clinginess and the lack of central heating of any kind in the flat balanced each other out. He slung his arms around Luhan’s hips and rested his chin onto his shoulder, as he peered over and inspected the ever-growing list. Luhan eyed him once more, but he only had to puppy-dog with his eyes and Luhan let it go.

“Condoms.”

“JONGIN!”

“Not like that! If you ever want to bring someone over, or if I bring someone over, then at least we stay protected.”

“Okay fair enough, but we are going to have to go over those rules too.”

“First of all, no rules are being set in place, only courtesies. And second, you owe me a candlelit dinner if we are going to talk about .”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“I’m serious.” Jongin said. Luhan didn’t expect that either, but he didn’t mind –even welcomed– the unexpected these days, given he was roommates with Kim Jongin. “Take it or leave it.”

“Tomorrow night I get off work early, but you stay on which means I have time to get ready. Pick me up here at eight?”

“Split the bill?” Jongin asked.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Tomorrow at eight. Cab.”

“Okay.” Luhan acknowledged. “Can we take a break? I’m exhausted…”

“Sure. Can we eat then?” Jongin and his stomach asked.

“I’ll set the rice cooker.” Luhan grinned.

“Hey Jong, what are you doing after work tonight?” Chanyeol asked.

“I’ve got plans, why?”

“Baekhyun’s going back to his parents house tonight, but it’s okay if you’re busy.”

“Ask Sehun, he might be free. Sorry man.”

“Sehun!” Chanyeol boomed, the offer of rental movies and free food seeming to work. Jongin looked at his phone for the time. “Oh , Sehun do you mind closing tonight? I’ve got to get going in like, two minutes.”

“Sure, no worries.”

“You’re a star Sehun I love you man!”

“Then should Sehun come to dinner with us as well?” Jongin was stunned at the sight before him: a Luhan with enough sass to knock a girl’s group dead. He blocked the doorway, and effectively Jongin’s escape from this situation. He wore a pair of red, battle-worn Chuck All Stars, with skinny jeans that were rolled at the ankles, but revealed no sock or skin. He wore his iconic brown leather belt he’d bought in a market back in China, and a black raglan shirt that complimented his striking eyeliner. Finally, he wore a matching caramel leather jacket, lined with a cottony fur, in a similar style to vintage fighter pilot uniforms. It was left hanging open in the wind, as his hair bounded around in undeniably elegant, undulating waves. He held Jongin’s black coat and his own beige scarf that Jongin had never seen before in his arms, as he leant against the doorframe.

“U–u–uh, no I was just saying– what are you doing here anyway?” Jongin finally said.

“I got ready early, and I was getting bored at your place.” Luhan hated calling it their place, home, or any other variety on a meaning that suggested they cohabitated on a permanent arrangement, instead always calling Jongin's place. “I’ll help you close up, then we can drive together.” To be honest, Luhan hadn’t been on a date in a very long time, and he wanted to make an impression on Jongin. He questioned in his mind whether this was actually a date, or just a friendly outing, and then felt extremely awkward about his interpretation of Jongin’s dinner proposal, but went along with his plan anyway. He reached for the mop that Sehun always seemed to be wielding, until Sehun snapped it away from him on the basis of the following logic.

“I– I don’t want you getting your clothes dirty…”

“Oh come on Sehun, I backpacked for four years in circles in these clothes. And these are Jongin’s jeans, so who really cares about these.”

“M–my jeans?”

“Yeah, want ‘em back?” Luhan winked.

“N–no it’s fine! You keep them on.” Jongin stammered. Wow that’s hot. Before Sehun had to come up with another excuse not to let Luhan help clean the bar on his night off, Chanyeol intercepted the situation.

“You two run along and have a nice evening now, don’t let a silly thing like mopping get in the way. Bye now!” Neither Luhan nor Jongin could fend off Chanyeol’s size, nor strength, so they were both left on the cold side of a locked door with nothing but wallets, one phone and Luhan’s car keys.

“How did you get here if the car was here?”

“I walked.”

“You’re insane.”

“You asked me out.” The logic didn’t follow for Jongin, but there wasn’t enough blood in Jongin’s brain for him to think about it.

“Can I at least get changed at home?”

“Sure.”

“You look nice.” Jongin smiled, and for the first time, Luhan had made him blush a rather brilliant shade of crimson.

“Thank you.”

Jongin didn’t take long to get changed, but had to throw on two coats of deodorant to hide the sweat from the stress and rush of getting ready so quickly. By the time he’d come down from the bedroom (it’s ownership a heavily grey area nowadays) Luhan had already called a cab and low and behold, it was already here.

“You look handsome.” He smiled.

“Thanks.” Jongin blushed again. He wore a simple white button up that he left untucked, and to do Luhan justice, slipped into one of his pairs of lightly faded jeans with tears in the thighs that he wasn’t sure were factory made, handmade, or from the sheer age of being worn for four years around the Korean countryside. “Shall we go?”

“Sure.” Jongin collected him by the hip and pulled him along, locking the door and closing it on their tails. Luhan had noted to himself how that annoying, condescending of a voice in his head had stopped nagging him about getting to close to Jongin, and after questioning whether it was right, he shrugged it off and happily forgot that the entire thing had happened.

A/N: So what did you think? Love it ? :D Hate it? Comments well, you know where those are ☟ Thank you to my 100 subscribers :D WOO! Not necessarily to this story but I have 100 subscribers over the board now and I love each and every one of you for it! I also want to say how I love all of you who always comment, you make me so happy I could cry :')

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