It was really cold outside. Yunho’s kept groaning every time he looked outside the little window on his left. There was a layer of snow that looked more like slush, covering the pavements and roads. Business had been slow, and half of their fellow workers were missing due to colds and flues. Needless to say, Yunho was grateful that at least his assistant was present, or who else would he go and complain to every fifteen minutes.

“Ugh!” he slammed his head down on his desk. He just couldn’t concentrate on work when everything around him was so miserable. He sighed, thinking that if it were Friday, he probably wouldn’t be so bored. Oh where was JJ?

With the thought of his well-wisher, Yunho picked up the five year old card on his desk. Rereading the same message, although it was more like reciting because he had every single word memorised. He’d looked at it so any times during the last five years that he remembered every curve and squiggle – because, yes, JJ had a thing for squiggling things out. And as usual, he couldn’t help the automatic smile that crept up on his face. He was confident that he could recognise JJ’s handwriting out of thousands.

“Yunho, we have a client that would like a consultation, please.” Came his assistant’s voice through his speaker phone.

“Who is it? I didn’t know this slot was booked.” he was still distracted with his thoughts.

“Well it’s not, but since you don’t have clients and your two o’clock cancelled, I thought you may as well take it.” Yunho was amused to hear the drawn out voice. He probably shouldn’t be smiling, but it gave him some comfort to know that he wasn’t the only one suffering. Ok, so he was mean!

“In that case, send them in.”

While the clients were making their way towards his room, Yunho briefly thought about what JJ would be doing. Was he comfy and warm, or cold and bored just like him? And for the nth time, Yunho wondered about his age.

“Hello.” A woman walked in with a genuine smile on her face.

“Hi there. Please take a seat.” He offered, happy that he wouldn’t have to put up with a grouchy person during his already bad day.

“Thank you. Joongie get your skinny in here!” She bellowed. Yunho jumped in his seat, completely taken by surprise. What the hell? Before he could get more confused, another person walked in hesitantly.

“Noona, must you humiliate me at all times?” he rolled his eyes at the woman, crossing his arms.

A man. A very tiny, insanely cute man. What the hell? He was so freaking adorable, Yunho couldn’t help gaping. As he made his way to sit opposite the desk, Yunho took in the rest of him. There was a red woolly hat with two dangling bits on either end, on his head. It had a fluffy pompom thing at the top, which added to the already awe-striking appearance. The rest of his body was clad in the most comfy looking, fuzzy jumper Yunho had seen, and he suddenly wanted one too. It looked ridiculously cosy. How is that fair? thought Yunho. He wanted to be cute and pull off silly outfits as well!

Cue internal pout.

“Quit being a baby. Just because we treat you like one doesn’t mean you have to behave like it.” The woman chastised him with a hand pulling at his ear. People still did that? Wasn’t he a little too old for being told off in this way?

“Noona!” he complained loudly, slapping her hand away.

The woman seemed to have realised they had company, as her cheeks tinted slightly. She coughed, and giving one final look to the bag of mushy cuteness next to her, she turned towards Yunho.

“Kim Ahyoung. And this is my brat of a brother, Jaejoong.” She introduced with a little embarrassed smile.

“The brat of a brother would like to object to being chastened!” Jaejoong stated, sending a squinty-eyed look towards his sister, who simply ignored his presence.

He stuck his tongue out. Jaejoong stuck his tongue out childishly at his sister! What the actual !? How old was this guy? How was it possible to look cute while sticking your tongue out at that age? Yunho wanted the secret. If he pulled such a stunt, he’d make a fool of himself.

He was so engrossed in staring at the enigma in front of him, he didn’t even realise the object of his fascination (plus his sister) were looking at him expectantly.

He coughed to clear his throat, embarrassed at being caught staring. But when he looked back up, Jaejoong was looking directly at him. He had the most curious looking smile on his face as he gazed at Yunho...almost, in an adoring manner? Huh?

“Ah, Yunho. Jung Yunho…” he lamely introduced himself. His mouth automatically opened into a smile though. He couldn’t help it, the way Jaejoong was looking at him was just so entrancing.

“We know” Jaejoong said, in an almost sing-song voice, putting his elbow on the desk and resting his chin on his palm…still looking at Yunho with that smile.

Yunho lifted an eyebrow in question, to which Jaejoong nodded towards his nameplate next to his laptop. Now he felt stupid. A little uncomfortable, he fidgeted in his seat as he got into his Agent persona.

“So, how may I be of service today?” he asked, deliberately stealing his gaze away from the brunette staring at him with his head tilted to one side.

“Well, we were looking for an apartment for Joongie here. Our parents have had enough of his backside in their home. It’s about time he moves out…” she drawled on about how he was over-staying his welcome, and that he was too lazy to go and look for a suitable living place for himself. Although she was talking with a loving undertone, Yunho was surprised that Jaejoong didn’t in and plead his case.

He glanced at the guy to see his reaction, but he was now engrossed in looking at the picture of Yunho with Taepoong draped around him. He’d taken the picture a month after JJ had sent him the dog. It was placed right next to the card that had resided on his desk for over five years now. Yunho furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

Jaejoong was looking at the picture like it had personally offended him somehow. His nose was scrunched up cutely, and his lips pursed in distaste. Hmm, guess he wasn’t an animal person.

“Well, whatever you say, you can’t deny that mommy and daddy love me more than all of you combined” Jaejoong suddenly turned towards his sister, with the smuggest look on his face. He even lifted his eyebrow in challenge.

In an attempt to stop another sibling battle, Yunho quickly interrupted.

“So, what exactly are you looking for? If you have any particular budget, size or style in mind?” he directed his question towards Jaejoong since the search was for him.

“Nothing fancy. I can do the deco later to fix things up. I like to personalise my home, you see. I just need something small – Oh! Animals. The place has to allow pets on site.” Pets? So he was an animal lover? Can someone say confused?

“Alright. Let me draw up the properties we have with that specification. It’s definitely an apartment you’re after?” he clicked away on his laptop, the listings coming up in front of Jaejoong and his sister on the attached Tablet.

It took some time to finally schedule Friday for having a tour of the two bedroom apartment which happened to be in the same block that Yunho lived in. Of course he didn’t tell him that, which he probably should have, but he was so caught up in the conversation that it didn’t even occur to him until after Jaejoong had left.

By the time they were done, Yunho was already late for his other appointments. And so, he continued to slave away. The weather had gotten even worst, he was hungry and his clients were throwing tantrums because they’d been made to wait a little longer than normal.

***

That was the first time in over five years that Yunho forgot about the goings-on of Fridays. 

He was printing out the info sheets needed for the Kim’s tour of the apartment, when his assistant popped her head in.

“What’s wrong with you?” she deadpanned.

“Wrong? I’m working…?” he looked at her, confusion written on his features.

“It’s Friday.” As though that was supposed to be reason enough for her to question his wellbeing.

“Yeah. I know, I have the Kim’s tour. I was just printi-”

“I don’t care about the tour. Yunho, IT’S FRIDAY” Again, she waited for him to grasp the situation.

His eyes flitted to his desk, and as soon as his eyes landed on the picture and card, it clicked. JJ.

“Oh .”

“Yeah, ‘oh ’. Definitely oh .” She was now fully inside his office, one hand on her hip, the other holding a prettily wrapped package.

Throughout the whole week, Yunho had been so preoccupied thinking about Jaejoong and his smile, the way he tilted his head when looking at him, the little smile playing at the corner of his eyes as though there was some secret that he was hiding, the super-duper cute outfit, that he hadn’t had time to think about JJ. Even at home, it would have made more sense for Taepoong to remind him of JJ. But instead, he kept picturing Jaejoong’s scrunched up face as he looked at the picture of the man with his dog.

And now, now that he suddenly remembered JJ again…he felt guilty. As strange as it sounds, he felt like he was in some sense cheating on JJ. That was stupid, but he couldn’t help it. It was JJ that had gotten him smiling and playing around again. It was JJ that had given him something to look forward to every week. It was JJ that made him feel like he’d be ok. And he’d forgotten about his bright spot so easily. He felt ashamed. A pretty face shows up and suddenly he’s so enraptured.

He slowly fetched the package from the desk where his assistant had left it. As he unwrapped it, feeling guilt overtake him, his curiosity built again. What had JJ sent this time?

A winter package. There was a pair of gloves, a soft velvety scarf and a pair of cartoon-face socks. On the note attached, JJ had written: “I tried to knit a scarf, but it turned out to be a disgusting disaster. My mother’s ashamed of me. Anyways, cover up when you’re going out. Frostbite doesn’t suit anyone, no matter how handsome you may be. Forever Grateful, JJ.”

Ok as touching and incredibly thoughtful as the gesture was, Yunho was more focused on one particular section of the note. “No matter how handsome you may be”? What? In all the years, JJ had never even made a hint that he knew what Yunho looked like, never mind calling him handsome. Yunho was sure that JJ had not seen Yunho, just like he hadn’t seen JJ. And there’d never been any form of…flirting? Was that flirtatious? Omg! Was JJ flirting with him?

Did that mean he’d seen him? When, where and how? Yunho was so confused. Why was everything so complicated recently? He didn’t want to change his little thing he had going on with JJ. He was afraid that he’d scare him off somehow.

Scared that his bright spot would be no more.

It was stupid and dangerous to be so attached to someone he’d never seen or met, but it wasn’t really in his control.

***

He was still pondering over the note and its meaning when he arrived at the parking lot. As he got out, he was happy to see how useful JJ’s gift had been. The scarf was wrapped tightly around his neck, it was incredible with insulation! As he walked towards the entrance of the building he pulled one glove off his hand with his teeth, using his free hand to sift through the sheets one final time.

“BOO!”

“AHH!”  He jumped out of his skin, dropping all the papers on the floor. His heart was racing as he looked at the perpetrator. Very cutely wrapped up perpetrator.

Jaejoong was laughing so hard he was bent at the knees, one hand pressed his stomach, the other covering his mouth. No fair, Yunho wanted to see his mouth when he was laughing like that!

“That was evil.” Yunho complained, crossing his arms over his chest, sulking.

“Oh I-I’m so-s-sorry! Oh god you should have seen your face!” and he was back to laughing his head off.

By the time Jaejoong had collected himself, Yunho picked up the papers from the floor as a cover-up to hide his own dorky smile.

“I’m sorry. You’re right that wasn’t funny.” Jaejoong said. The words were apologetic, but the face that went with it…not so much. Yunho had not ever come across a remorseful face that was faker than this.

“Oh, don’t you worry. I’ll get you back.” He grinned.

Jaejoong’s eyes lit up even more – if that was at all possible. “Oh, really? And how do you suppose you’ll do that?” he tilted his head to the side in that way again, lifting an eyebrow.

“You’ll make it very easy, should you like the apartment enough to take it.” He felt like he should tell Jaejoong about his own residence in the block, too.

“Is that so? Do you plan on driving over to attempt pranks? At your age? Don’t you think that’s a bit excessive, Ahjussi?” Jaejoong went on mischievously.

“Yah! Who are you calling Ahjussi? You don’t even know how old I am!” And again, Jaejoong had that look in his eyes. For a second, Yunho thought it was a guilty look before he dismissed the thought.

“Anyway, about the apartment. I actually happen to live two doors down from the one we’re going to look at today…” he trailed off, scratching the back of his neck.

“You live here?”

“Yeah. Not that it has anything to do with the sale. I mean we’re here for professional purpo-” Yunho started rambling, trying to explain…he didn’t even know what he was trying to make out.

But he was cut mid-sentence by a cubby finger poking his cheek.

“You living in the same block…that’s just an added bonus. More pros that I can consider when making the decision. Shall we go in now?”

“Uh, sure. Yeah, let’s go in then.” Yunho was a little dumbfounded.

Whether JJ was flirting or not was questionable. But Jaejoong, he was most definitely flirting.

And Yunho found, he did not mind one bit.

“Nice scarf, by the way!” Jaejoong chirped on the way to the lift.

“Thanks.” Yunho smiled, snuggling into the warmth.

“Where’d you get it from?” Jaejoong asked. For some reason, Yunho thought that wasn’t really what he wanted to know. It almost felt like Jaejoong was disguising the real question he wanted answered.

“I didn’t. It’s a gift. From someone special…” he was afraid saying that would change Jaejoong’s attitude, but surprisingly, as soon as the words were out of his mouth, Jaejoong was smiling from ear to ear, again.

What curious fellow.

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