At the end of the month, the company hosts an extravagant gala. It's an annual thing, the one event a year where they finally get to make use of the building's banquet hall and fill it with fancy food, fine wines and expensive, imported liquor, an event with a default dress code of suit and tie for the men and dresses for the ladies.

If Joonmyun had a choice, he wouldn't go. He's been to every other yearly gala as long as he has been working at the company, and for the most part, he finds it incredibly boring. He can easily think of better things to do with his Friday night – such as curling up on the couch with Yixing to watch a movie and maybe make out a little. Or a lot. Preferably a lot.

However, it is expected of Joonmyun to be there, as it is a great opportunity to woo potential future business partners or clients, and it wouldn't look good on the company if one of their most prominent employees didn't show up. That's what Joonmyun's boss told him, at least (Joonmyun has a feeling he told several other people the exact same thing, though).

In any case, Joonmyun decides to go, if nothing else, then to please his boss. The gala is held immediately after work, so in the morning, Joonmyun puts on his finest suit in preparation. That way he won't have to go through the trouble of having to go home to change before the party. Yixing watches him get dressed, sprawled out on Joonmyun's bed half-asleep and with squinty eyes. “You look good,” he mumbles.

Joonmyun casts a glance down his own body. “I'm wearing what I wear every day, though.” Maybe his tie is a little fancier than usual, and he did elect to wear a shirt made from Egyptian cotton rather than a plain cotton one, but that's about it. Other than that, everything's the same. All of Joonmyun's suits are fit for formal wear.

“Yeah, and you look good every day,” Yixing insists.

Joonmyun shakes his head good-naturedly. Yixing's cheesiness seems to be directly proportional to how sleepy he feels at the time of the compliment. “Go back to sleep.” There are still hours until Yixing has to be at work since he's doing a late shift tonight, and Joonmyun knows he needs all the sleep he can get for that.

“I will,” Yixing says. “After you've kissed me.” He's already puckering up expectantly. Joonmyun shakes his head again but relents and walks over to the bed to give Yixing the kiss he wants. In Joonmyun's opinion, there's no better way to start the day than with Yixing's comforting presence.

Not a lot of things are different from last year's gala. The CEO does his pre-written speech, thanking everyone for coming, they eat their dinner, they drink enough wine for it to be categorized as a Bad Decision. It's pretty much exactly what Joonmyun had expected of this thing: a bunch of middle-aged men with arm candy for wives making underhanded petty remarks about their rivals' companies while disguising it as good-natured jabs. It's always like this.

Except this year there is a different element (apart from the fact that Joonmyun can now come to Jongdae and Luhan for help when he feels the need to talk to someone under the age of forty-five). This year, Yixing is here too. Joonmyun has to do a double take when he suddenly sees him walking into the hall, and he nearly chokes. Jongdae shoots him an accusing look from across the table. “Why didn't you tell us Yixing would be here?”

“I didn't know!” Joonmyun hisses. And, really, he didn't. Of course he knew that Yixing was going to work, but he didn't know that said work would be, well, this.

Yixing is obviously doing his job, that isn't hard to tell. He's carrying trays of food to the tables as well as taking any special drink requests the guests and employees might have, and Joonmyun does recall Yixing telling him once that the restaurant also does catering from time to time, so he's not so much surprised by that, more by the fact that Yixing is here of all places. Once again it's starting to feel a lot like one of those unrealistic romantic comedies where everything seems to fall into place by way of some crazy coincidence.

And then there are Yixing's clothes, which is probably the main reason for Joonmyun's staring. He's not wearing the regular work uniform Joonmyun has gotten used to seeing him in. No. Today's waiting staff has been made to wear formal suit and tie for the occasion as well, and Yixing looks goddamn amazing. It's Joonmyun's first time ever seeing him in a tuxedo and he can't tear his eyes away. He feels a little warm. Yixing looks so good.

Joonmyun jumps in his seat when the toe of Jongdae's shoe collides with his shin under the table, and he glares at Jongdae, even though he must admit it's a very effective method of distraction. “Stop being so obvious,” Jongdae says through his teeth. Oh. Right. They're kind of in the middle of something here. Joonmyun lowers his head and stares at the table and not at Yixing, and he tries his very best to block out the indecent thoughts playing in his mind. This is definitely not the best setting for that kind of thing.

Luhan plops down on the chair next to Jongdae, back from his toilet (read: cigarette) break. “I'm back!” he announces. “What'd I miss?” Jongdae nods in Yixing's general direction, and Luhan turns his entire body in his seat. He's even less subtle than Joonmyun had been. “Ooh. Handsome. The guy sure cleans up nicely.” Luhan looks at Joonmyun. “Are you sure he's seeing someone?”

“He is,” Joonmyun replies immediately. Bitterly. “And they're very happy together and they like each other very much.” Luhan lets out a disappointed noise. Jongdae is staring at Joonmyun with a gaze he finds difficult to interpret. Joonmyun looks away, avoiding eye contact.

Yixing is assigned to a table in the other end of the room so he doesn't have anything to do with the one Joonmyun is sitting at, but after the rush to get the dinner out dies down, he exchanges a few words with one of the other waiters, who nods his consent. That is when Yixing approaches Joonmyun's table. Joonmyun tenses up involuntarily. “Hey,” Yixing says with a smile. He places his hand on Joonmyun's shoulder in greeting, brushing his fingers over the back of Joonmyun's neck. To anyone else, it would seem like an unconscious gesture. Joonmyun knows it isn't.

“Hey yourself,” he says, remarkably calm. “Why didn't you tell me this is where you had work?”

“I didn't know! They didn't tell us anything at all until we showed up for our shift this afternoon.” He frowns. Joonmyun wants to kiss his cute pout. At the same time, he wants to ravish him. These thoughts are very destructive.

Jongdae clears his throat pointedly, and Joonmyun snaps himself out of it. He gestures towards the other side of the table. “You already know Jongdae.” Jongdae waves while Yixing bows in greeting. “And this is Luhan.”

“Oh,” Yixing says. “I've heard a lot about you.”

“I wish I could say the same,” Luhan says, laughing. “Joonmyun never talks about anything outside of work. I guess he's a man of few words.”

A small crease has appeared between Yixing's eyebrows. “Right,” he mutters. “Anyway. I should probably get going. I only have five minutes of break time and I really need to go to the bathroom as well.” He hasn't moved his hand from Joonmyun's shoulder the entire time they spoke, and he gives it an affectionate squeeze before motioning to walk away.

Joonmyun grabs him before he can leave. “Next time you get a break, come find me, okay? I... I want to, uh...” He glances at Jongdae and Luhan for a second. “To show you my office.”

Yixing looks confused. “But I've already been to your office.”

“Yeah, but... I didn't really show you around properly, you know.”

“Okay.” Even though it doesn't really seem like he does know, Yixing shrugs. “I'll come find you.” Joonmyun gives him arm a squeeze – not unlike the one Yixing just gave him – and he lets him go.

When Joonmyun looks at his friends on the opposite side of the table, he finds them both grinning. “Oh,” Luhan says, leering. ““Now I understand.” Joonmyun flushes from head to toe.

Yixing's next break happens a couple of hours later. As promised he comes to find Joonmyun, hovering awkwardly in the background like he feels out of place until Joonmyun excuses himself from the conversation he's having with someone from one of their sister companies and goes to greet Yixing. Joonmyun still feels like he's been punched in the gut when he looks at him in all his suited glory. “You got another break?” That's a stupid question. Joonmyun feels stupid.

“Just a short one,” Yixing says, which is, in Joonmyun's opinion, a shame, but he supposes it'll have to do. For now.

“Alright, let's go.”

A sense of urgency lingers over them as they make their way up to Joonmyun's office, though Joonmyun thinks he might be the only one feeling it. Yixing seems as at ease as always. He does not seem like all he wants to do right now is make out with Joonmyun, he does not seem like his fingers are itching to tear off clothes. Must just be Joonmyun, then.

After what feels like an eternity of being trapped within the confines of the elevator, they finally make it to the right floor. Since Yixing has been here plenty of times before, he knows just where they're going, even though the whole place is shrouded in darkness and they have to rely on what little light falls through the windows from the illuminated city outside. “It does look kinda different like this,” Yixing says as he looks around.

“I guess,” Joonmyun mutters. He's just trying his best not to stare at Yixing's .

Yixing is like a kid in a candy store when they make it to Joonmyun's office. The first thing he does is walk over to the giant window and press both his hands and his face up to the glass to look out at the cityscape with an excited expression. “The lights are always so pretty at night.” Joonmyun lets out a noncommittal noise. He's busy closing the blinds so no one will be able to see inside if they were to walk by the office for some reason. His trembling hands betray him, this is taking longer than it should, but Yixing is too occupied admiring the view to notice anything amiss.

He does look startled when Joonmyun suddenly grabs him and pushes him up against the desk a bit too violently. Papers scatter and pens go flying, and Joonmyun gets an eyeful of Yixing's shocked face before his lips meet Yixing's in a passionate kiss, which Yixing soon returns, arms wrapping around Joonmyun to pull him even closer as they make out. Finally.

Joonmyun's hands are on Yixing's waist, Yixing's hands are on Joonmyun's shoulders, fingers clawing at his back as though he's trying desperately to hold on. “You look so ing hot in that suit,” Joonmyun growls, rid of prohibitions. “I've been wanting to you all night.”

“Oh my God,” Yixing gasps and his hips twitch. Whether it's involuntarily or on purpose, Joonmyun doesn't know, but it makes them both moan. Everything is so hot, and Joonmyun wants to take off both of their clothes or maybe even Yixing while he's wearing that suit, but Yixing pushes at his chest to stop him. “Joonmyun, we... we can't.” Despite his protests, he easily tilts his head to the side to give Joonmyun better access for mouthing at his jaw. “I-I have to go back to w-work.”

Joonmyun suddenly remembers where they are and what they were doing before they got up here. Oh. Right. “Yeah, I should probably get back as well,” he mutters. Before people start to wonder. “When do you get off?”

“Late. Really late. I have to stay and help clean up after everything.” Joonmyun grimaces to show his dissatisfaction, and Yixing cups his face and kisses him again, softer now. “Sorry.”

“Not your fault,” Joonmyun says. He slides his hands down to grab Yixing's while he presses their lips together one last time. Then he backs up before his hormones run away with him again. “Okay, go.”

Yixing stands up straight – for some reason it pleases Joonmyun to see how unstable his legs are – and brushes his fingers through his hair a couple of time to fix the mess they've made of it. It doesn't help much. “I'll see you later,” he says and leaves quickly.

Joonmyun stays in his office for a while. He's not going back there with this problem in his pants.

The event officially ends at one am, but there are several people making plans to go out for drinks after it's over. Joonmyun politely declines when Jongdae asks him to come with them. “Sorry, I'm exhausted,” he says. “I think I'm just going to head home and get some sleep.”

“Sleep,” Luhan mutters with a knowing grin. “Right.” Joonmyun clears his throat awkwardly and tries not to seem too flustered by Luhan's obvious skepticism. He makes his rounds, saying goodbye to everyone worth saying goodbye to, and then he heads home.

Joonmyun really wasn't lying when he said he's exhausted. He's been in a constant state of tension ever since he first laid eyes on Yixing earlier that night, and it's been grating on his energy so now he's nearly out of it.

All he does after stepping through the door is change his clothes, wash up a bit, brush his teeth, and then he heads straight for his bed with the intention of falling into it face first. It's been a long day.

~*~

A/N: at this point, the story is mostly just about how joonmyun is perpertually . quality content! 

what else can I really say? as usual, there's not a whole lot going on in this chapter other than yixing and joonmyun being gross and cute and then later doing a freakin' 180 and nearly boning on joonmyun's work desk before realizing that can probably also be categorized as a Bad Decision. quality content!!! at least now luhan knows that joonmyun and yixing are ~a thing~ so perhaps he will stop ogling yixing (but only whenever joonmyun is around to get jealous about it, hah). 

oh, and once again, there are a few hints about what's going to happen between these kids in upcoming chapters... though I guess you'll just have to wait and see what the future brings, huh? ;)))

y'all are the real MVPs. ilu 5evr. ♥

ps. please take a moment to check this out.