Jinki whined, wrapping his blanket tighter over his shoulders and falling on his side on the couch, weakly using the remote to turn off the TV. He felt achy, sweaty, and cold; he was more than positive he had the flu, but had decided to save money on a doctor’s visit and just suffer through it at home. Jinki had been on Advil all day, barely watching television shows that he didn’t much care about in a dozed-out daze. But now he had completely run out of tissues and the meds were wearing off and, above all, he was hungry. Not wanting to go through the effort of actually making anything, he decided he would simply shower and order a pizza.

Once dry and clothed, Jinki re-wrapped himself in blankets and called the nearby pizza place.

“This is Little Shop of Pizza, may I take your order?” Instead of a peppy female voice, as Jinki expected, his call was answered by the deep voice of a young man. It made him falter for a moment, stumbling over his words as he ordered a medium pepperoni pizza.

“Alright, I got it. Anything else?”

“Um…” Jinki thought for a moment. “I don’t think so.”

“Not even a drink?”

“No thanks.”

“Okay, it’ll be there in around fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you.” Then, out of habit maybe, or because he had been talking to his mom earlier that day, Jinki said “Love you, bye.”

“Love you too.” The response came without hesitation, followed by a long silence. Jinki decided to break it, apology rushing out, face burning.

“Sorry, that was just out of habit, I--”

“Me too.” 

Another silence, then “I hope you’re not expecting a discount on that pizza just because we confessed our undying love to each other.” 

In spite of his embarrassment, Jinki laughed a bit. The young man laughed back, reminded him that his pizza was on his way, and, after thanking him, hung up. At this point Jinki couldn’t tell if his face was on fire from the blush or the fever, so he just sat on the couch, stuffing his face in his pillow.

Thirteen minutes later, there was a knock on his door. Keeping his blanket cocooned around him, Jinki padded up to answer it, money in hand.

The man outside was surprisingly handsome despite his foolish work-issued outfit and cap, and it made Jinki well aware of how he must look--pale, nose red, eyelids droopy.

“Here you are, one medium pepperoni pizza.”

At his voice, Jinki was sure this man was the one he’d been on the phone with. He flushed, handing the money over and taking his food from the man’s hands, deciding to speak.

“Are you sure I don’t get a discount?” he asked. The man laughed and Jinki’s breath caught in his throat. He blamed it on the phlegm, taking a step back to cough.

“I don’t know, maybe.” The delivery man looked him up and down, concerned. “You don’t look too good.” 

“Yeah, you’d better stay away from me. I’m sick.” Jinki subtly covered his mouth with his blanket as he spoke. But he got a smile in response, and if anything, the man stepped closer.

“Don’t worry, I never get sick.”

“Lucky.” Jinki grumbled, before smiling and saying “Thanks,” his eyes flashed to the man’s name tag, “Minho.”

“Thank you for ordering from Little Shop of Pizza.” It was the customary response, Minho tacking on “It was really nice meeting you. Get well soon!”

After a last smile, the man got in his delivery car and drove away. Jinki spent the next four days coughing, fighting down fever, and resisting the urge to order another pizza, just to see if Minho would show up again. 

On the fifth day, Jinki decided he was healthy enough to return to work. Kibum was pleased, separating himself from a bouquet he was arranging to give him a hug. 

“How do you feel?”

“Fine, I guess. I--”

Kibum gasped, holding Jinki an arm’s length away and looking at him intensely. Jinki looked back, waiting.

“You like someone!”

Jinki sighed, trying to pull out of Kibum’s grip. 

“Wait, wait. It’s a guy you just met, he’s younger than you… And you think he’s really cute.”

“It’s really creepy, that you can do that.” Jinki walked over to the closet in the back of the flower shop and pulled an apron over his head. “I didn’t even know he was younger than me.”

“I thought you were dead sick all week. Where did you meet him?”

“He came to my house.”

“Mail order?”

That made Jinki laugh. “No, he delivered me pizza. Just once though. It’s nothing.”

“You didn’t order another pizza?”

Jinki sighed, finishing the arranging job that Kibum had began as the younger man hopped onto a counter. “Why would I order another pizza if I didn’t need one?”

“Jinki, if I’d been single for as long as you have, I would have ordered pizzas until the guy got the hint and gave me his number.”

“Thanks Kibum.” Jinki responded dryly. They spent the rest of the work day more or less talking about this guy, and as they were locking up the shop Kibum decided that he was going to Jinki’s that weekend, and that they were ordering pizza.

“And if he doesn’t deliver it?”

“Then we’ll order until he does.”

“What if he doesn’t work on Fridays?” 

“Everyone orders pizza on Friday, Jinki. He works on Fridays.”

And sure enough, when Jinki ran to answer the door (coming across a bit too excited than he had intended) Minho stood behind it. But Kibum opened the door first, and Jinki’s sock-clad feet had him sliding too fast across his hardwood floor, barely being able to stop himself from crashing into Minho, having to grab the door frame. 

“Hello to you too.” Minho said with a grin.

“Sorry about that.” Jinki responded, taking a step back.

“This is your cute pizza guy?” Kibum asked. Jinki gave him a look. Kibum shrugged back. 

“I’m your cute pizza guy?” Minho asked.

“I’ll take this into the kitchen.” Jinki said loudly, pulling the pizza box from Minho and walking into the kitchen, cursing Kibum as he went. He came back just in time for Minho to wave at him, smiling, and close the door behind him.

“He’s gone already?” Jinki sat down on the couch with a sigh. 

“He said he left a note for you, I think it’s on the box or something.” Kibum said, waving a hand. Jinki brought the pizza into the living room, opening the box to see a grease stained napkin sitting atop of the food. 

I know this will sound cheesy, but you are one supreme slice.

“Wow, that’s the worst pickup line I have seen in my life.” Kibum remarked, picking up a piece and taking a bite. “That’s worse than the ‘My face is leaving in ten minutes, are you going to be on it or not?’ one I was told last week.”

“Kibum, your boyfriend said that one to you.” Jinki countered, once he was done laughing. 

“What can I say? Jonghyun is an idiot.” Kibum shrugged, taking another bite.

The next week passed without incident. Jinki was about to leave when his friend stopped him with a question. 

“Has Minho called you yet?”

“What?” 

“I said, has your cute pizza guy called? His name is Minho, right?” 

“Yes, but… Why would he call me? He doesn’t even have my number.”

“Actually…” 

Jinki walked over, eyebrow raised. 

“Kibum, what did you do?” he asked slowly. 

“I kind of slipped your phone number on a napkin in with the money when I paid him for the pizza…” Kibum said sheepishly, shielded his face with his hands and leaned away. When he realized Jinki wasn’t going to hit him, he continued. “I’m just surprised he hasn’t called you after a week, that’s all.”

That left Jinki in a considerably put-down mood, unable to sleep that night. When he woke the next morning he was dead tired, stumbling into his kitchen with eyes half-open to find that he was completely out of coffee.

Grumbling something about world destruction and hellfire, Jinki slipped on his shoes and got into his car, driving to the closest coffee shop. 

“One large grande espresso with just about everything, please.” 

The employee gave him a look but didn’t argue, about to ask something when the customer in line behind Jinki said “And one more of what he’s having, please.”

Jinki spun around, too tired and decaffeinated to feel like putting up with anything a dumb stranger wanted to pull. When he saw who it was however, his complaint died in his throat.

Minho paid for the drinks and took them, extending one of them to Jinki, who still hadn’t spoken. “Hi there, cutie.” 

“Oh, um, thanks.” 

Minho walked over to a table, gesturing for Jinki to sit down across from him. 

“You know, your friend gave me your number about a week ago, but I’ve just been too nervous to call you.” Minho finally said. 

“What’s there to worry about? I’ve already told you that I love you.” Jinki said with a shrug. Minho laughed. They sat there, talking, and sometimes Jinki missed whatever Minho said, too distracted by how big and brown (and lovely) his eyes--

“Do you not have work today?” 

“Work?” Jinki echoed, eyes darting to a clock on the wall. He was late, very late. “Oh no, Kibum’s going to skin me.”

Minho actually looked rather alarmed at that exclamation, standing as Jinki did and following him outside. 

“Wait!” 

Jinki turned, raising an eyebrow. 

“By the off chance that you don’t get skinned by your friend, do you think you’d be interested in going to dinner with me this weekend?” 

“Well that depends, are we going to have pizza, or…?”

Minho laughed. “We can have whatever you want.” 

“How’s Thai food?”

“How’s seven o’clock?” 

“That would be wonderful.”

Minho gave Jinki a smile that he couldn’t help but return. “Hurry! You’re late for work, remember?”

Thankfully, Kibum didn’t skin him. Instead, he insisted to know every detail of their conversation and what Jinki planned to wear that weekend. If Jinki wasn’t nervous about the date before, he definitely was by the time his shift was over, rooting through his entire closet in frustration after he got home. By Friday (with some assistance) he was all ready to go by around six o’clock, wandering circles around his living room until his doorbell rang. 

“I really hope it isn’t too creepy that I remember your home address.” Minho said once Jinki opened the door. He looked fantastic, really, and all Jinki wanted to do was kiss him.

“You know, I wasn’t thinking about it until you said that.” 

Minho winced. “Right.” 

Jinki just laughed, and they were off. Dinner was quiet, and the night was still young by the time they finished it, so Jinki offered a hot chocolate in exchange for a walk around the city. 

“I still remember the first day I moved here. I tripped over that curb. And that one. And… that one too. Why am I sharing this story again?” Jinki asked with a sigh, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. 

“That clumsy? Really?” Minho laughed, pressing his teeth to the lid of his cup. 

“Yes, unfortunately. I even fell down an elevator shaft once, everything you see here is reconstructed.”

How wide Minho’s eyes got at that statement just might have been Jinki’s favorite part of the entire night. “Wait, really?” 

He couldn’t help but laugh. “No. But the face you made was great.”

Minho laughed too and leaned slightly in to him, and for a moment their fingers tangled together clumsily. Jinki glanced over at Minho, who retracted his hand quickly and shoved it into his pocket. 

Jinki smiled a bit, pulling Minho’s hand out and lacing their fingers together. 

“And then he drove me home, and kissed me.”

“Tongue?”

“No.”

“Bummer.”

“Kibum!” Jinki exclaimed. “It was still a nice kiss. I had a lot of fun.”

Kibum sat up on the counter, resting his elbows on the cash register and giving Jinki a thoughtful look. “Your cute pizza guy. Hm… How big is his ?”

Jinki choked on air, nearly dropping a finished bouquet he was supposed to be wrapping. “What?”

Kibum broke down into laughter, leaning heavily on the cash register. Jinki glared. 

“Can I take off tomorrow?” Kibum asked once he could breath again and had wiped the tears from his eyes. 

Jinki shrugged, something he knew Kibum would take as a yes, and went out to make a delivery.

The next day, an attractive man with dark hair came into the shop and asked Jinki to make a bouquet that said “Congratulations, I love you, I’m so proud of you”. And to write that on the card that came with the flowers. 

“Who should I make it out to?” Jinki asked once the flowers were arranged and their stems wrapped in tissue paper. 

“Choi Minho, from Taemin.” 

Jinki’s marker froze. “Choi Minho?” he echoed. Minho? His cute pizza guy?

“Yes. He got a new job that he’s very excited about, and I’m excited for him.” 

Jinki wrote the name out slowly, air feeling twisted in his lungs. When he rang up the total amount and the man handed his card over to pay, Jinki’s eyes caught the ring around one of his fingers, and his stomach sank. 

Congratulations, I love you, I’m so proud of you.

Jinki felt tricked, and betrayed, and stupid as the man thanked him with a huge smile, and went happily on his way. But maybe the flowers were for a different Choi Minho. There had to be more than one in the area, a different one that’s in a relationship with a cute dark haired man with a ring on his index finger. 

His phone on the counter buzzed, receiving the first text message that Minho had sent him. 

From: Minho (cute pizza guy)
I got a new job!!!

Jinki decided to close the shop for the day, go to Kibum’s apartment, and eat his body weight in ice cream.

“Maybe it was just a friend! Or his brother or something.” 

Jinki shook his head, spooning another bite of ice cream into his mouth. “He had a ring on his finger, Kibum.”

“So? That doesn’t mean anything. They couldn’t have even gotten married here. Did he tell you anything about being married?”

“Kibum, if he was cheating with me, why would he tell me anything like that?” 

“Just call him, alright?” 

Jinki didn’t want to call him. Jinki didn’t even want to think about him, turning his cell phone off and keeping his head low, only going back and forth from work. He watched more rom-com movies than he would ever admit, ignoring Kibum’s efforts to get him out and about. 

“Hey, loser, since you’re not going out with Jonghyun and I tonight, can you make this last delivery?” Kibum asked, shrugging on his coat. “Here’s the address.” 

“Sure.” Jinki shrugged, waving to Kibum as the door opened and closed. There wasn’t a name to the delivery, just the location of a fancy restaurant. 

“Probably some guy with a date.” Jinki grumbled as he started up his car, driving out. When he got there, a waiter saw the bouquet and pointed.

“Table twelve.”

He began making his way over, freezing when he saw just who was seated at table twelve.

Minho’s face broke into an immediate smile, gesturing to the empty seat across from him, where a glass of water and an empty plate were waiting for him. Unsure of what else to do, Jinki sat down. 

“You made me bring you flowers?” Jinki asked. 

“Well, you’ve been ignoring my calls, and I happened to stop by the shop on every one of your off days, so what else was I supposed to do?”

“Maybe ask your boyfriend about it?” Jinki held the flowers in his lap. He wasn’t handing them over just yet. 

“My what? Do you mean you?” 

“I mean the cute guy with the ring that ‘is so proud of you, congratulations’.” 

Minho’s shoulders shook, hand over his mouth in an ill-disguised laugh. Jinki waited.

“You think my step-brother is cute?”

“Your...what?”

“For the record, he thinks you’re cute too. Why didn’t you just call me?” 

Jinki sighed, handing the flowers to Minho in favor of propping his head up with his hands. “I was afraid that I would be right, and you would end up being a cheating jerk that I happened to have fallen over a cliff for.”

“But if you had called me, I could have told you that I love you. Not on purpose, of course.” Minho teased, propping his chin on his fist too and leaning close. 

“And I could of said that I love you too,” Jinki closed the space between them, for just a moment, leaning into Minho’s plush lips. “Accidentally.”