Archive of Our Own

Baekhyun loves his workplace. He really does. His bosses don’t look down on him for leaving work on time, vacation days are paid, and company dinners are optional. Everything is perfect. Almost perfect.

“I can’t believe Manager Do sent my proposal back,” Baekhyun grumbles, viciously stabbing a fork into his salad. Across the break room table, Jongdae simply rolls his eyes, while Sehun looks far too engrossed in his sandwich. “I mean, I spent two weeks on that thing!”

“The thing about proposals is that they also need edits,” Jongdae says patronizingly.

“Sure, but the comment thread was longer than the actual document!” Baekhyun whines.

“You’ve seen worse, I’m sure,” Jongdae soothes. “Kyungsoo is just thorough. He won’t say anything that doesn’t need to be said.”

“Why do you hate Manager Do again?” Sehun asks nonchalantly, taking another bite of his sandwich.

“Because,” Baekhyun sputters.

The two of them stare at him, unimpressed. “‘Because’ needs more words after it for it to be a reason,” Jongdae says.

“I don’t hate him,” Baekhyun concedes, chasing a cherry tomato with his fork. “But just because he’s so good doesn’t mean he has to lord it over all of us. Like, we get it, you’re good at your job. No need to be a dick about it.”

“Yet only you seem to have this grievance,” Jongdae observes sardonically.

Baekhyun throws his hands up in defeat. “I just can’t see us meeting eye to eye.”

Sehun snorts. “With that height, I can.”

“Why are you even here?” Baekhyun sneers. “Shouldn't you be plotting your takeover of the company, you little nepo baby?”

“The company’s already mine, genius. That’s what being a nepo baby means .”

“If you weren’t the president’s son I’d be wringing your neck, Intern Oh.”

“Have fun trying to reach it.”

“Can I hit him at least once?” Baekhyun pleads with Jongdae. “Please?”

Jongdae sighs, long-suffering, and closes the lid of his lunch box. “Try and get along with Manager Do and maybe I’ll let you.”

“Betrayed by my own supervisor,” Sehun mutters.

“Manager Do has to get along with me first!" Baekhyun complains.

Jongdae massages his temples. “When they promoted me to manager, I did not think I’d have to babysit a bunch of toddlers. I already have enough of that at home.” Baekhyun and Sehun shift in their seats guiltily. “Just try and be nice to him,” Jongdae pleads. “I’m sure Kyungsoo has some redeeming qualities, or else he wouldn’t be working here.”

Baekhyun crosses his arms and huffs, unwilling to acknowledge the truth in Jongdae’s words. His manager lets him have his little hissy fit, at least, until the afternoon all hands meeting.

They’re a small-ish company, so the conference room table isn’t always filled up, but it might as well be with how much everyone is chattering. Minseok is struggling to hook up Junmyeon’s laptop to the projector, the general manager trying his best to be helpful even though Baekhyun knows he’s equally as technically challenged. A few seats away, Chanyeol and Sehun are animatedly discussing last night’s drama episode.

Across the table, Jongdae and Kyungsoo are going over some reports, and Baekhyun happens to catch Kyungsoo’s eye as he’s taking his seat. Kyungsoo doesn’t nod or show any sort of acknowledgement, going back to his papers like Baekhyun isn’t even there. 

He scoffs. How annoying. Even more annoying is the fact that he’s affected—being ignored is much better than picking another fight, isn’t it?

Maybe Jongdae was right about the trying thing.

With Minseok finally getting the projector to work, Junmyeon begins his presentation, Baekhyun zoning out when he talks about projects that have nothing to do with his department. Jongdae nudges his shin at the tail end of the meeting, and Baekhyun sits up just in time to see the final item on the agenda.

“Finally, there’s that account we need to open up in Daejeon,” Junmyeon explains, waving his clicker around haphazardly. “The strategy’s already been approved, so this is basically just a courtesy call. We need at least two people to give the presentation. Mr. Byun wrote the proposal, so he’ll be going…” Junmyeon turns to Jongdae. “How about Manager Kim?”

Jongdae shakes his head. “No go, sir. I’m already meeting with some of our clients here.”

“Right,” Junmyeon sighs, scrolling through his laptop. “Oh, Manager Do is free.”

Baekhyun’s eye twitches. Across the table, Kyungsoo looks up from where he’s flipping through his planner. Who even has a paper planner nowadays?

“Is that okay with you, Manager Do?” Junmyeon asks.

“No problem, sir,” Kyungsoo answers, though he looks like he’s just eaten a lemon. 

“That’s settled, then!” Junmyeon cheers obliviously. “Sehun can book your accommodation.”

Sehun confirms with an uncaring thumbs up. Baekhyun sinks further into his chair, glaring daggers at Kyungsoo who, at least, vindicates him with an equally vitriolic sneer.

Baekhyun sidles up to Chanyeol’s cubicle later that day, waiting until the deputy manager notices him lingering. With a skeptical raise of his eyebrow, Chanyeol pushes his headphones down to his neck and swivels in his chair to face Baekhyun.

“Chanyeol…” Baekhyun wheedles.

“I know what you’re gonna ask, and the answer is no,” Chanyeol says firmly.

“Aw, c’mon! I know you’re free next week.”

“Even if I were, I wouldn’t switch with Kyungsoo anyway. It’s high time you two got along,” Chanyeol sniffs.

“Easy for you to say—he’s like your little bestie,” Baekhyun spits. “I don’t get it! We’re practically the same person, but he likes you and hates me!”

Laughing, Chanyeol swivels his chair back around to type something up on his laptop. “The difference is that I actually try. I’m not taking his side, okay? I think both of you could put in more effort to get along.” He shudders. “Some real harsh vibes at work dinners, man.”

“Ugh…” Baekhyun groans, draping himself over the wall of Chanyeol’s cubicle.

“Just do it, for the office’s peace of mind,” Chanyeol pleads.

“Fine, whatever.” Baekhyun pushes himself off the cubicle, pointing an accusing finger at Chanyeol. “But if I end up on the news, it’s on you and Jongdae.”

“We’ll be the first mourners at your funeral.” Chanyeol beams, clapping Baekhyun on the back hard enough that it makes him choke. “Good luck!”

If Baekhyun was being honest and digging into the deepest, most hidden part of himself, he’d be able to admit that half of his animosity towards Kyungsoo comes from a place of inferiority. They came into the company at the same time, and ever since, Baekhyun has engaged in some sort of fucked up one-sided competition with the other staff member.

He tried to be nice—he did—but Kyungsoo was difficult to get close to, laser-focused on work and prized for his productivity, while Baekhyun actually took the time to get to know people and be a pleasant person to work with. Their MOs couldn’t be any more different, and that was only the first point of contention. 

Baekhyun is mature enough now to realize that having different people in the company is best. There’s no wrong way to work, as long as you get the work done. But it really didn’t help that Kyungsoo got promoted to manager while he’s been senior staff for two years now. It’s not to say that Kyungsoo doesn't deserve it, but it's embittering all the same. One more tick on Kyungsoo’s side of the scoreboard.

By all means, his ire should be focused on Jongdae, who’s the same age as him and his direct superior. But Jongdae is difficult to hate, and it’s for his sake that Baekhyun resolves to actually try and get along with Kyungsoo for this trip.

On Monday morning, the company car takes them to Daejeon so they can check into the best hotel corporate can afford. Kyungsoo deals with the receptionist while Baekhyun takes pictures of the light installations in the lobby, tapping on a notification from Jongdae when it pops up. 

“Mr. Byun,” Kyungsoo calls.

Baekhyun looks up, sheepishly pocketing his phone. “Sorry, Jongdae was just checking in. You were saying?”

“There was a mix up with the booking,” Kyungsoo sighs, running a hand through his hair. “The hotel’s full up and we’ve been given a room with one bed.”

“Oh, great,” Baekhyun mutters. “Well—let’s just unpack and worry about that later.”

“Agreed,” Kyungsoo grunts. 

Baekhyun shoots a furious text to Sehun as the elevator climbs up to their floor. By the grace of god, the bed is a king size, though it doesn’t diminish much of his irritation. 

They throw their duffels into the closet and make their way to a small food and beverage company, some place looking to expand their business beyond the city. The presentation itself isn’t so bad; the marketing strategy they’re pitching has already been approved, so there’s no room for disagreement there. Besides, Jongdae would wring his neck if he got wind of any argument while they’re in the presence of a client.

The day goes so well, in fact, that their new clients invite them out to dinner after work. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo share a look, a rare moment of commiseration—neither of them are keen on drinking on a weekday—but they can’t turn down the opportunity, either, so they begrudgingly trail after their clients to a pojangmacha down the street.

Besides, Baekhyun thinks he’s earned the right to get drunk, having gone through a whole day alone with Kyungsoo. And someone has to make up for Kyungsoo’s general stand-offishness, so he takes it upon himself to mingle with their clients, accepting most of their drinks until Kyungsoo takes over with a few shots.

The taxi ride back to the hotel is a bumpy one. Baekhyun digs his fingers into the cushioning beneath him, trying his best to keep it all in.

“Don’t throw up,” Kyungsoo mutters beside him.

“Ugh,” Baekhyun groans, cradling his head in his hands. “Why did we agree to drinks again?”

“Social mores?” Kyungsoo suggests. “You should have switched to water.”

“You should mind your own business,” he snaps.

So much for actually trying.

They wash up in silence, Baekhyun gulping down water as Kyungsoo takes his shower. He feels marginally better, at least, much more when Kyungsoo emerges from the bathroom. Baekhyun can’t suppress his laughter at how odd it is to see Manager Do in casual clothes. 

“What is it?” Kyungsoo asks, frowning at him.

“Nothing,” Baekhyun coughs. “Just that your sleep clothes are so… you.”

“And what does that mean?” 

Baekhyun smiles mockingly. “Plain shirt and shorts. Boring.”

Kyungsoo snorts. “Same goes for you, though.”

“And what does that mean?” Baekhyun echoes.

“Animal print pajamas,” Kyungsoo points out, eyes darting to the pajama set next to Baekhyun on the bed. “Childish.”

“I like the little ducks, okay?” Baekhyun says defensively, crossing his arms over his chest. “I would have packed something manlier if I knew we were sharing a room.”

“No need to put up a farce, Mr. Byun.” Kyungsoo smirks. “You’re exactly the kind of person to wear duck pattern pajamas.”

“At least I’m interesting,” Baekhyun fumes, brushing past Kyungsoo and slamming the bathroom door shut.

Kyungsoo has already taken over the right side of the bed, briefly looking up from where he’s browsing on his phone to chuckle at Baekhyun’s choice of sleepwear. Rolling his eyes, Baekhyun climbs into the other side of the bed, as far as possible from Kyungsoo without toppling over the edge of the mattress.

After a while, Kyungsoo turns off all the lights except for the one by his nightstand. Baekhyun shuts his eyes in irritation. He can’t fall asleep unless it’s pitch dark; leave it to Kyungsoo to be the exact opposite.

Baekhyun turns over on his side, still glaringly aware of the light even when his eyes are closed. Then he turns over on his chest, burying his face in the pillow, faintly hoping that he’ll suffocate and fall asleep that way. Then he turns back over on his side, and Kyungsoo groans from the other end of the bed.

“Stop moving around,” he demands irritably.

Baekhyun winces. “Sorry, I’m trying to get comfortable.”

“Just stay still and close your eyes.”

So Kyungsoo is one of those people that can fall asleep immediately. It’s like he was genetically engineered for Baekhyun to hate.

Carefully, Baekhyun shifts himself to lay on his back—but he somehow ends up snatching part of the comforter from Kyungsoo’s torso, and he sits up immediately, hand grabbing Baekhyun’s wrist and pinning it to the pillow. “Seriously?” he growls.

Tongue-tied, Baekhyun can’t bring himself to react with any of his usual snide remarks. It’s like the world has been reduced to that one point of contact—Kyungsoo’s hand gripping his wrist. It doesn’t hurt, but there’s palpable strength in it, too, able to hold him down without difficulty. It’s somewhat thrilling.

Baekhyun’s breaths come shallowly, mind running in a hundred different directions as Kyungsoo hovers above him. He’d always known Kyungsoo was handsome—infuriatingly so—but had he ever looked this attractive? Wearing his hair down reduces some of Kyungsoo’s severity, though his eyes are as piercing as ever, gaze unwavering as he appraises Baekhyun below him.

“Are you still drunk?” Kyungsoo asks in the quietest voice Baekhyun’s heard from him.

“No…” he trails off. “I don’t think so.”

“Then tell me to stop,” Kyungsoo says. “I’ll stop.”

Baekhyun tilts his head forward and closes his eyes in answer.

Kyungsoo’s lips are soft, tasting faintly of strawberry lip balm. His right hand is still wrapped around Baekhyun’s wrist, trapped against the pillow; the other rests against his hip, warm yet firm in his hold. Baekhyun doesn’t exactly want him to stop, but god, this is Kyungsoo, his coworker—they’d bickered just a few minutes ago, and he’s already forgotten why—

His lips part in a slight gasp, and Kyungsoo takes this opportunity to slip his tongue into Baekhyun’s mouth, the wet slide of it completely distracting. Baekhyun groans, an involuntary, guttural sound, and he can feel Kyungsoo smile against his lips.

Irritation battles with arousal low in his stomach. He’s already half hard—he doesn’t know if Kyungsoo is really just good at this, or it’s been so long that any kind of touch feels amazing after such a long dry spell. 

Kyungsoo’s hand wanders further under his shirt, exposing his stomach to the chill of the hotel room. Baekhyun fists his free hand into the hair at the back of Kyungsoo’s head in response, twisting his fingers into the strands; not to be outdone, Kyungsoo straddles him by the hips, the weight of him pressing into Baekhyun’s pelvis.

They both moan, arousals rubbing against each other through layers of cloth. Kyungsoo doesn’t let up—Baekhyun should have expected this, he always gets his way in the office, and it seems like he’s no different in bed—putting even more weight on him, even more pressure, grinding down filthily and swallowing Baekhyun’s frustrated groan into his mouth. His thumb brushes over the delicate skin of Baekhyun’s wrist, over the web of veins right by his pulse point.

Baekhyun shudders, breaking the kiss and looking up at Kyungsoo with bewildered eyes. 

Kyungsoo pulls his hand away, much to Baekhyun’s equal relief and annoyance. “What is it?” he murmurs.

He can’t tell Kyungsoo he accidentally found one of his erogenous zones. There’s enough humiliation in store for him as it is. “It’s nothing.”

“We can stop,” Kyungsoo suggests.

“When did I say you could stop?” Baekhyun whines, bringing Kyungsoo’s fingers to the collar of his shirt. He hopes Kyungsoo can’t see just how red he must be right now.

“Do you always beg this nicely, Mr. Byun?” Kyungsoo teases, brushing his fingertips across Baekhyun’s clavicle. Goosebumps erupt on his arms. Even the slightest touch sets him off—and Kyungsoo’s voice—

Groaning, Baekhyun closes his eyes and grits out, “Either fuck me or don’t.”

Kyungsoo has the audacity to laugh as he pushes off the bed to rummage in his duffel bag. Baekhyun unbuttons his pajama top in record time, not taking his eyes off Kyungsoo even once. “Tell me you at least have lube and condoms,” he says breathlessly, shucking off his shirt.

Kyungsoo stares, swallows, and nods, gathering a packet of lube and condoms in his hand. Setting those down on the bedside table, Kyungsoo takes his own shirt off, grabbing it by the collar and pulling it over his head effortlessly.

God, he’s in shape. Baekhyun's not quite sure what to look at—Kyungsoo’s pecs, his biceps, or his cock straining against his shorts. When Kyungsoo climbs over him again Baekhyun wastes no time, kissing him and running his hands over Kyungsoo’s arms, his shoulders, the swell of his chest, grinning when his palms brush over Kyungsoo’s nipples and he pulls away with a gasp.

When Baekhyun brings his hands to his own waistband, Kyungsoo grabs one of his wrists again. “Let me do it.”

“So bossy,” Baekhyun mutters, though his ears burn as he raises his hips to let Kyungsoo do as he wants.

It’s embarrassing to let Kyungsoo take control, something he’d normally push back on when they’re in the office. But Baekhyun is a people-pleaser to his core, and his self-consciousness is quickly overridden by satisfaction as Kyungsoo sits back on his haunches and stares at him shamelessly.

“Your turn,” Baekhyun breathes.

Kyungsoo steps off the bed to pull his underwear and shorts down in one go. Baekhyun’s mouth goes completely dry—so that’s what Kyungsoo has been hiding beneath all those starched white button ups and tailored slacks. 

Catching his stare, Kyungsoo smirks, grabbing the lube and condoms from the bedside table and kneeling by the foot of the bed. “Turn over.”

Fully hard now, Baekhyun scrambles to follow the order, Kyungsoo sliding a pillow under his hips as he settles. Burying his face in the pillow by his head, Baekhyun screws his eyes shut in anticipation of the burn.

His entire body seizes up when Kyungsoo prods a wet finger at his entrance, even more when Kyungsoo spreads his asscheeks wide with one hand, Baekhyun whining at the tease.

“Relax, Mr. Byun,” Kyungsoo asks, finally breaching him with his finger. “Has it been a while?”

“Something like that,” Baekhyun gasps, forcing himself to get used to the intrusion.

“Clean as a whistle down here, though. Hoping to get lucky?”

“I hope you’re not suggesting I was planning this—agh!” Baekhyun pitches forward, gritting his teeth as Kyungsoo pushes his finger up to the last knuckle. “Give a man some warning, asshole!”

“Sorry,” Kyungsoo says without a hint of contrition. “I mean it. Relax.”

Sighing, Baekhyun tries to get comfortable on the sheets, cheek mashed against the pillowcase as Kyungsoo slots in his second finger. Something cold drips onto his ass, and Baekhyun gasps, turning to Kyungsoo with a frown as he drizzles more lube onto his fingers.

He’s starting to relax, though, Kyungsoo’s fingers pumping in him less of a burn and more of a delicious stretch, his other hand firmly gripping Baekhyun’s hip. He’s forgotten how good this feels. Sure, he’s more than capable of getting himself off, but it really is different when someone else is doing it for him, the unpredictability of the movements heightening the pleasure.

“Someone’s enjoying himself,” Kyungsoo observes, adding another finger.

“Isn’t that the point?” Baekhyun snaps.

Kyungsoo, the son of a bitch, responds by pulling his fingers apart and making Baekhyun choke on his own spit. Kyungsoo runs the hand by his hip up the dip of his waist, over the spine of his arched back. “The other departments always gossip about how pretty your face is,” Kyungsoo muses. “I wonder what they’d say, that I found out for myself how pretty you are down here, too.”

Oh my god, he’s a fucking freak. “S-shut up!” Baekhyun exclaims.

“If you say so.”

Kyungsoo pulls his fingers out without warning, Baekhyun gasping at the loss and clenching around nothing. With his clean hand he cups Baekhyun’s jaw to tilt his head to the side, capturing his lips in a messy kiss that Baekhyun is all too eager to reciprocate. 

He’s desperate for it now, pushing his ass back onto Kyungsoo’s hips in wordless request. He’d never beg Kyungsoo for it, but it feels like Kyungsoo wants it, too, by the way he groans and rubs his cock in the lube-slick crevice of his ass.

Kyungsoo’s lips disappear from his, then his heat. Disoriented, Baekhyun can only listen to the sound of a condom wrapper tearing open behind him, wishing he could have put it on Kyungsoo himself, tease him a little bit more.

“Ready for it?” Kyungsoo asks, voice strained.

Baekhyun groans, arching his back like it will beckon Kyungsoo closer. “God, just put it in.”

A pair of hands slide appreciatively up the back of his thighs, over the swell of his ass, then on either side of his hips. Kyungsoo lines himself up, the blunt head of his cock just kissing his entrance, then finally, finally, he pushes in.

This is all just so unfair. Kyungsoo is handsome, good at his job, and thick, if the sting is anything to go by. 

Baekhyun grits his teeth, whines muffled in the pillowcase by his mouth. Kyungsoo’s lips drag at the curve of his shoulder as he drives in and in, his breath hot against Baekhyun’s ear as they both try to adjust. 

“You okay?” Kyungsoo asks once he’s fully sheathed.

“Give me a minute,” Baekhyun manages to pant out.

Kyungsoo trails his lips across Baekhyun’s shoulder, then his neck, leaving a cold, wet trail that is so at odds with the heat in his belly and Kyungsoo’s hands at his waist that it makes him shiver. Baekhyun surfaces from the pillow to catch Kyungsoo’s lips between his again, the kiss making him grind just that little bit more inside, thighs flush against Baekhyun’s hips as they try to get closer.

A string of saliva stretches and breaks between them when they pull apart. Somewhere between embarrassed and too worked up to care, Baekhyun hugs the pillow to his chest and lets himself sink down into the sheets. With one last exhale, he uses what little leverage he can and pushes his hips back, clenching around Kyungsoo hard.

“Fuck,” he moans, and Baekhyun is sure Kyungsoo cursing is one of the hottest sounds he’s ever heard in his life.

“You can move,” he instructs breathlessly.

Kyungsoo starts off slow, careful, making sure Baekhyun feels every inch of him. He’s not drunk enough to be unaware, but tipsy enough that everything is heightened: the hot, wet drag of Kyungsoo’s cock, just enough friction to drive him mad; his voice reverberating through both of them, whispering filth into Baekhyun’s ear; the commanding grip of his hands, fucking Baekhyun back onto him.

“Like that?" Kyungsoo punctuates his question with a brutal thrust that makes Baekhyun gasp into the sheets. “You’re taking it so well, Mr. Byun.”

“Please,” Baekhyun groans, swiveling his hips in vain.

“You’re not gonna get it like this,” Kyungsoo rasps. “Turn over.”

Kyungsoo pulls out, Baekhyun moaning at the empty feeling as he’s helped onto his back. He averts his eyes when Kyungsoo crawls over him, face warming at how openly he’s being appraised, Kyungsoo’s gaze dragging over his chest, between his legs.

Lowering himself onto his forearms, Kyungsoo lines himself up and pushes in again, kissing Baekhyun to distract from the stretch. It feels different like this, but not any less pleasurable; Baekhyun winds his arms around Kyungsoo’s neck, sighing into his mouth when he’s fully in.

Baekhyun grinds his hips down experimentally, and both of them moan, Kyungsoo taking it as his cue to fuck into Baekhyun. His head falls back into the pillow, letting Kyungsoo just—give it to him. 

Kyungsoo gets back on his knees, and Baekhyun has a clear view of him now: abs clenching with each thrust, brow furrowed in concentration, sweat dripping down his chest. It shouldn’t be this hot, but it is, seeing Kyungsoo’s singular focus at work translated into how he fucks.

He angles his hips a bit higher, and Baekhyun keens, because Kyungsoo hit the spot that has his back arching over the bed and his toes curling in pleasure. “Fuck! ”

“There?” Kyungsoo asks, punctuating his question with another jab at his prostate.

“Don’t you fucking stop,” Baekhyun threatens, tipping his head back on the pillow.

Kyungsoo does as he wishes, finding that spot again and again—accurate and precise, Baekhyun’s fuck-addled mind supplies unhelpfully, and he would laugh if there was any air left in his lungs. It’s so good— Kyungsoo makes it so fucking good, punching out moans from his chest with every thrust, tweaking Baekhyun’s nipple with the rough pads of his fingers.

His hand trails down Baekhyun’s chest to circle around his cock, and he cries out, asking for—something, anything, he doesn’t know, and Kyungsoo gives it to him, jerking him off without ever letting up on his prostate. And with his eyes screwed shut in bliss, Baekhyun can hear himself, his mindless begging, the squelch of Kyungsoo’s cock inside him, sounds so filthy he can hardly believe they’re coming from him.

Kyungsoo’s hand moves up and down faster, and he bends over Baekhyun again, lips grazing against his ear: “Come for me, Mr. Byun.”

He shoots off all over Kyungsoo’s hand. The release has him almost sobbing in relief, nails digging into Kyungsoo’s shoulders—fucking him, still fucking him—clenching and unclenching around his cock with every convulsion. 

Kyungsoo’s pace becomes erratic, chasing his own release now that Baekhyun has had his. Almost at the edge of oversensitivity, Baekhyun grinds his hips down to help him get there, whimpering into his ear until Kyungsoo finally comes into the condom with a cut-off groan.

Baekhyun can barely feel his limbs, much less Kyungsoo’s weight easing up on him, Kyungsoo’s hands cleaning him up as he slips in and out of consciousness, alcohol and sex leaving him wrung out and satisfied. He doesn’t quite catch what Kyungsoo says when he pulls the comforter over them, only managing a dazed nod before his eyes flutter shut.

Waking up is a disorienting experience. As a homebody—and someone who doesn’t get much action—Baekhyun is far too used to the bed at his apartment. Like any other day, he tries to stretch over to his bedside table to fumble for his phone and check the time, but something is clutching at his waist.

Manager Do is a cuddler. Baekhyun never expected to know this information, nor have firsthand experience of it.

He doesn’t have a hangover, thank god, but unfortunately he possesses all the mental faculties required to acknowledge that a) his lower back is killing him, and b) Manager Do Kyungsoo is pressed up against him with his arm around Baekhyun’s waist. A very shirtless Kyungsoo, as luck would have it. Baekhyun averts his eyes as quickly as he looks back, face burning in realization. 

Jesus Christ. This is so not him. He didn’t even do this in his twenties—getting drunk and hooking up with a coworker? And with Do Kyungsoo no less—

Baekhyun muffles a scream into his pillow. This is fine. He can be an adult about this. People have one night stands all the time and move on. Granted, he was never one of those people, but who’s to say he can’t be?

Very slowly, Baekhyun reaches over to the nightstand, gathering his phone in his hands. His fingers are itching to tell someone, anyone, but who else could understand how uniquely fucked up this situation is? Just their coworkers, but Baekhyun would rather be Kyungsoo’s direct subordinate than tell anyone in the office he just slept with him.

In the end, he settles for gorging himself at the hotel’s complimentary breakfast before Kyungsoo wakes up. When he limps back to their room, there’s a bottle of soothing gel and an Advil on the nightstand. Baekhyun tries to drown out the telltale sounds of Kyungsoo in the shower as he swallows the pill, packing his things up swiftly and quietly so he can escape to the lobby.

He manages to avoid Kyungsoo well enough until next Monday. Pleased with their progress, Junmyeon cancels the all-hands meeting they have at the beginning of every week, and Kyungsoo isn’t expecting him to get back to the proposal he submitted until Wednesday, anyway. Baekhyun is more than content to stay in his cubicle and tap away at his laptop, avoiding the marketing side of the office as much as possible. 

Unfortunately, all this does is let his guard down, allowing Kyungsoo to corner him by the vending machine when he decides to take a break. Like an idiot, Baekhyun shrinks himself as much as possible, stepping aside to let Kyungsoo peruse the drinks in the machine.

“Fancy seeing you here, Mr. Byun,” Kyungsoo says conversationally.

“It’s the vending machine, so yeah,” Baekhyun mumbles.

“Anything you want? Wait, I remember—” Kyungsoo snaps his fingers. “You tore into me when I said I liked americanos. Latte it is.” 

“No—it’s okay, Manager Do, I don’t need anything,” Baekhyun stutters out, holding his hands out in front of him in refusal.

“Mr. Byun, I’m trying to talk to you here. Let me buy the latte.”

Baekhyun watches in bewilderment as Kyungsoo presses the numbers into the vending machine, feeds it a bill, and smiles when the coffee can clatters into the bin. Nice Kyungsoo is weird. Baekhyun much prefers Snarky Kyungsoo, who is at least familiar; even when they were being intimate, he never lost that edge to him, that pettiness that wants to oppose Baekhyun just for the sake of it.

“But why…?” Baekhyun asks, accepting the latte.

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. “It feels like you’ve been avoiding me ever since that business trip.”

Baekhyun’s ears burn hot at the reminder. “Wasn’t just a business trip, was it?”

“Well.” Kyungsoo shrugs. “Do you regret it?”

“No!” Baekhyun blurts out. “I mean… It was just out of character for me. I don’t usually—do it with guys who I’m not dating.”

“Is that it? Do you want to date?” Kyungsoo suggests.

“When did I ever say that?” Baekhyun bites back, irritated. “I just said it's not like me to have one night stands.”

“I see.” Kyungsoo smiles slightly, leaning against the vending machine. “To be honest, though, I was hoping for a repeat performance.”

“You—did you not hear a word of what I said?” Baekhyun says incredulously, heart racing at the proposition.

“I know, I know, my bad. Not your kinda thing.” Kyungsoo’s grin grows somewhat predatory. “You did like it, though.”

Trust Kyungsoo to be a dick about this, even though he clearly liked it enough to be asking for seconds. “You made me finish, so yeah, it was serviceable.”

“More than serviceable, the way you were begging for my—”

“Are you insane? ” Baekhyun hisses. “This is our workplace! How could you talk about something like that so—so—”

“What?”

“Nonchalantly.”

“Like you said, it was a one night stand.” Kyungsoo shoves his hands into his pockets, peering at Baekhyun curiously. “No point in acting differently—we’re gonna see each other every day.”

“Must be nice to be so aloof…” Baekhyun grumbles, picking at the tab of his coffee can.

Kyungsoo tilts his head. “Do you not get along with people you’ve slept with?”

Frowning, Baekhyun stares at him for a good while. They’ve had their disagreements, but Kyungsoo doesn’t look like the kind of person who would actually mock him for being so… inexperienced, as of late. Still, he never expected Kyungsoo to want to sleep with him in the first place—let alone again —so who knows what’s running through that head of his.

“This is just a first for me,” Baekhyun admits through gritted teeth. “Like I said, I’ve only done it with people I dated. Don’t worry, though, I’ll try and act normal here at the office.”

“You could start by not avoiding me,” Kyungsoo says practically.

“Gotcha,” Baekhyun sighs, shoulders slumping in defeat. They do work closely together, even if they’re in different departments. It would only inconvenience everyone else if he kept acting weird; it’s good that Kyungsoo took the first step, though he’s loathe to admit it to himself. “Uh—thanks for the coffee.”

Kyungsoo beams. “No problem. We should get back to work, Mr. Byun.”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “You’re not my boss.”

“Oh?” Kyungsoo questions, fake curious. “You follow orders so well, though…”

Baekhyun shoves past him on his way back to the office, clutching his lukewarm coffee can in his hands. “Good afternoon, Manager Do.”

At his core, Baekhyun is a creature of habit. His life revolves around his job, his family, and not much else. He likes it that way—his job is great, his coworkers are great, and though it’s tiring enough that he collapses into bed the moment he gets home, it’s nice to not have the time to think about anything else, like the fact that he’s thirty-one and yet to be engaged in any sort of long term, serious, adult relationship. But he digresses.

This break in his routine has thrown everything off. More accurately, Kyungsoo has thrown everything off. That little taste of what he could offer has made Baekhyun hyper aware of everything Kyungsoo does. It was dark when they—ahem—so there was no opportunity for Baekhyun to examine him in great detail. But the office is brightly lit, and when they’re not shoved into their cubicles, Baekhyun finds his eyes drawn to Kyungsoo. 

On Wednesday, they go over Baekhyun’s edits in one of the smaller meeting rooms, and he counts the moles on Kyungsoo’s chin as he talks. Thursday, Kyungsoo comes in wearing a pair of glasses. He hasn’t needed them in a while—ran out of contacts, Baekhyun is assuming—and their officemates take note. Baekhyun would have joined in on the teasing if he didn’t find the thick frames actually maybe kind of charming.

The final straw is the all hands meeting next Monday. The office is running hot with the AC under repair, everyone having taken off their outer layers and fanning themselves with the folders in their hands. At the other side of the table, Kyungsoo rolls up his sleeves as he listens to Junmyeon talk about… something, Baekhyun doesn’t know what, but it can’t be more important than Kyungsoo’s forearms.

Jongdae nudges his side, prompting Baekhyun to snap his mouth shut before he drools all over the quarterly report. “What is up with you?” Jongdae mutters. “Do you need water?”

No, but he’s thirsty as fuck for something else. 

God. He’s a professional—he ought to act like it. One night stands shouldn’t affect his focus, but the fact that he has to see Kyungsoo five out of the seven days of the week isn’t helping, and his imagination is running wild now that Baekhyun knows what he can do. 

The possibility of a “repeat performance”, as Kyungsoo crudely put it, is almost more tantalizing than what they actually did. Kyungsoo liked it, wanted it enough that he asked Baekhyun if they could do it again. He must have done something right. And—if Baekhyun is being honest with himself—Kyungsoo has piqued the same curiosity in him.

His routine is already screwed up, anyway. Maybe it’s time for a lifestyle change.

He catches Kyungsoo in the elevator down to the basement, car keys jangling in both of their hands. Kyungsoo raises his brows in acknowledgement, but otherwise doesn’t say anything, which somehow irritates Baekhyun. Like he wasn’t just begging to fuck him last week… he can’t believe horniness made him forget how much Kyungsoo gets on his nerves.

Either way. Baekhyun clears his throat, looking straight ahead at the mirrored elevator doors. “About what you said, by the vending machine…”

Kyungsoo’s reflection is unmoved. “Yes?”

Baekhyun breathes in, out. “Does the offer still stand?”

Kyungsoo actually turns to him, looking Baekhyun up and down in surprise. “I thought fuck buddies weren’t your thing.”

“You are not my buddy,” Baekhyun scoffs. When Kyungsoo stares back at him, unimpressed, Baekhyun amends, “Just once. Just to get it out of my system.”

“Right.” The smirk that spreads across Kyungsoo’s lips is almost predatory. Baekhyun wonders briefly if he has to fear for his life. “Your place or mine?”

Baekhyun doesn’t know when or how, but at some point past them barely making it through the door, he ends up straddling Kyungsoo on the couch. His apartment is nice, sure, but Baekhyun can hardly take it in—Kyungsoo’s lips are on his, then his tongue is in his mouth, then his hands are all over.

He makes quick work of Baekhyun’s button up until it’s hanging around his shoulders, and the slight chill in the room makes him snap out of it, surfacing from the kiss with a gasp. “W-wait!” he stutters out.

“Is there something wrong?” Kyungsoo asks, peering curiously up at him.

“Nothing, let’s just…” Baekhyun places his hands on Kyungsoo’s shoulders. “Slow down.”

Kyungsoo hums, trailing his palms slowly over Baekhyun’s sides. “Alright. Tell me if I’m going too fast, Mr. Byun.”

Baekhyun fights the urge to shudder into Kyungsoo’s touch, fisting at the dress shirt underneath his hands. “Ugh, don’t call me that,” he complains. “Feels like I’m at work.”

“Oh?” Kyungsoo raises an inquisitive brow. “It is a little sexy, though. Doing something naughty in the workplace.”

“Absolutely not!” Baekhyun exclaims, scandalized. “I’d be too afraid of getting caught.”

“That’s the thrill, isn't it? Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says carefully, tasting the name on his tongue. It’s strange to hear his voice say Baekhyun’s name like that, devoid of any honorifics.

“I don’t know which feels weirder,” Baekhyun confesses. “Are we close enough for that, Kyungsoo?”

“Is this close enough yet?” Kyungsoo whispers, lips brushing against the juncture of his neck. He trails his mouth upward, right by Baekhyun’s ear, making him shiver. “How about this?”

Baekhyun tightens his arms around Kyungsoo’s shoulders. “Mm, I’m not sure…”

They don’t make it to the bed. Baekhyun rides Kyungsoo right there on the couch, Kyungsoo’s hand jerking him off as Baekhyun bounces on his cock with an enthusiasm that’s drained when he comes all over Kyungsoo’s stomach. Only a few minutes later and he’s folded in half with his legs up to his ears, unable to do anything else but just take the pounding Kyungsoo gives him.

And Kyungsoo makes it good. Real good. But he doesn’t need to know that.

Kyungsoo somehow still has one orgasm left in him before they go to bed, and before Baekhyun knows it he’s on his knees drinking him down, not breaking eye contact for one second. Caught up in the post-orgasm haze, Kyungsoo forgets to be abrasive, looking down at Baekhyun with barely concealed amazement as he pulls off with a satisfying pop.

“Fucking hell,” Kyungsoo swears, running his fingers through his hair.

Baekhyun wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, scrunching his face up in disgust. “Bleh.”

“You shouldn’t have swallowed,” Kyungsoo chastises, flicking his forehead lightly.

Pouting, Baekhyun answers, “Got carried away. I forgot how nasty it tastes, ugh.”

“Serves you right,” Kyungsoo laughs. “There’s mouthwash in the bathroom.”

There’s a glass of water waiting for him after he gargles in the en suite. Baekhyun gulps it down in one go, sighing in relief, which Kyungsoo smirks at from the other side of the bed.

Exhausted, Baekhyun falls onto the mattress, rubbing at his jaw. “I can’t believe I let this happen again,” he grumbles. “You are so not my type.”

Kyungsoo snorts, drawing up the covers. “What’s your type, then?”

Baekhyun pretends to think. “Hmm… tall.”

“I make up for it in other ways, right?” Kyungsoo asks impishly.

“Ew, are you talking about your dick?” Baekhyun grumbles. “How juvenile.”

There’s nothing Baekhyun wants more than to wipe off the smug smile on Kyungsoo’s face. “I didn’t say anything about my dick, you did.”

“God, I hate you,” Baekhyun mutters, pulling up the covers on his side of the bed and turning his back to Kyungsoo.

“That had more bite before we slept together,” Kyungsoo points out.

“Unfortunately,” Baekhyun sighs, closing his eyes. “Well—good night.”

“Careful now. I might think you’re starting to like me.”

“Please shut up.”

Chuckling, Kyungsoo turns off the bedside lights. “Night, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun does not get it out of his system.

The repeat performance ends up being more like a neverending encore. Baekhyun doesn’t know what he hates more: the fact that he’s this sexually attracted to Kyungsoo, or that Kyungsoo actually ended up getting exactly what he wanted from Baekhyun.

He’s never had a fuck buddy before. Evidently, he’s been missing out. The last time he was this constantly horny, he was sixteen and discovering that he did, in fact, have a penis, and he felt good when he touched it. It’s a kind of stress reliever, an outlet after a particularly rough day at work. His only vindication is that it looks like Kyungsoo feels the same, too, by how often he’s willing to fuck it out.

They set the rules after the third time, just in case they arouse suspicion in their officemates. No talking about it at work or during work hours. Booty calls are to be made strictly through personal messages. Above all, no telling anyone in the workplace, no exceptions.

They’re still the same Manager Do and Mr. Byun at the office, arguing about the most mundane things when they’re in the same room. But their verbal spats have a lack of edge to them now, more tongue-in-cheek than scathing, rife with meaning only they know. 

The rules don’t stop them from exchanging heated glances across the office, which—to Baekhyun’s begrudging acknowledgment—is as sexy as Kyungsoo said it would be. Though he’s not brave enough to act on his impulses while they’re at their place of employment, Baekhyun is placated with the knowledge that he can do whatever he wants to Kyungsoo with just one text. 

And boy, have they done it. They often end up at Kyungsoo’s place because it’s closer to the office, but there was the time Kyungsoo couldn’t even wait and they did it in the car, his head between Baekhyun’s legs and his tongue—

“Earth to Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun jolts out of his daydream, turning his eyes to an unimpressed Jongdae. “Huh?”

“I know it’s break hours, but damn, would it kill you to pay attention to me?” Jongdae whines, opening up his takeout.

Baekhyun smiles sheepishly at him, rubbing his hands together in contrition. “Sorry. I just kinda zone out when you’re not giving me something to do.”

“Rude.”

“What were you talking about again?” Baekhyun asks, stirring the jjajangmyeon in his bowl.

“What is up with you and Kyungsoo?” Jongdae asks bluntly.

Baekhyun almost freezes, forcing himself to keep stirring. “What do you mean?

“Don’t act coy, it’s not cute,” Jongdae grumbles, picking off the cucumbers in Baekhyun’s bowl. “I mean—it’s not like you’re all buddy-buddy now. That would totally freak me out. But you guys are almost… civil?”

Maybe they’re not being as subtle as they thought. It’s just a natural consequence of spending so much time with Kyungsoo—Baekhyun wouldn’t be having sex with him this often if he was actually unbearable. Jongdae was right about him having redeeming qualities, chief among them being an amazing lay.

But he can’t exactly tell his supervisor that he’s being dicked down within an inch of his life by the other supervisor in the office, so he says, “I dunno—we just got along better after that trip to Daejeon.”

“That easy, huh?” Jongdae ponders. “Alright, if you’re getting along so well, you’ll have no problem handling the new account with him. I’m swamped as it is.”

Baekhyun perks up, beaming at Jongdae. “Are you sure?”

“Of course. It was your proposal that got approved, after all,” Jongdae says, smiling warmly. “You have a vested interest in seeing it implemented.”

“Jongdaeee,” Baekhyun wheedles, crowding into his side. “You trust me.”

“None of this crap. You’re my best underling, and you know it,” Jongdae laughs, lightly shoving him off with a shoulder. “You better prove yourself, Mr. Byun.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” Baekhyun salutes, digging into his lunch with renewed fervor. Maybe he can celebrate with Kyungsoo later.

Baekhyun breathes a sigh of relief when they step through the door of Kyungsoo’s apartment. It’s only Tuesday, but it’s been one of those long, shitty days where nothing ever goes right, and he’s been at the end of his rope as early as lunch. He just barely held off until COB to text Kyungsoo if he could come over, and he’s been looking forward to blowing off some steam since they clocked out.

He’s only just toed his shoes off when Kyungsoo presses him against the door without any warning. Taken aback, he can barely reciprocate when Kyungsoo starts kissing him, bullying his way into Baekhyun’s mouth with his tongue.

Normally, he would find it enticing—how Kyungsoo’s laser-focus at work translates to how he is in bed, lavishing Baekhyun in attention until he reaches his climax. The kiss feels good and all, and Kyungsoo has been rough before so this isn't entirely new territory; but today, his attention just feels suffocating, and he tears his face away from Kyungsoo’s to stare him down, hands at his shoulders to keep him at a distance.

“What?” Kyungsoo asks, frowning.

This simple question tips Baekhyun over from mildly annoyed to upset. There’s something about Kyungsoo’s tone—his impetuousness, like he feels entitled to sleeping with Baekhyun, along with his actions so far that pushes Baekhyun over the edge.

“Do you really have to jump my bones the moment we walk through the door?” he asks irritably.

“Isn't that what we're here for?” Kyungsoo returns.

“Have you ever heard of foreplay? Couldn't we at least have ramyun first?”

Kyungsoo frowns, bewildered. “Isn't that a euphemism—”

“You’re missing the point!” Baekhyun exclaims. “Is it too much to ask—treat me like a human being instead of a—a—”

The words come to a stuttering halt on his tongue. Kyungsoo looks concerned, now, stepping away from Baekhyun as though he’s realized how he’s trapped him against the door.

Baekhyun swallows thickly. He’s never had an outburst like this before, never showed Kyungsoo this face of his—and all of a sudden he’s embarrassed, having berated Kyungsoo of all people.

“Hey,” Kyungsoo calls, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, I’m sorry.”

“No, uh…” Baekhyun takes a deep breath, prying Kyungsoo’s hand off him. “Sorry for blowing up on you.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “Don’t apologize. You’re right—I was being a dick.”

Baekhyun doesn’t agree, but he can’t bring himself to meet Kyungsoo’s eyes, either, so he just nods.

“Look, I understand if you want to leave—” Kyungsoo begins.

“No, I—I wanna do this,” Baekhyun interjects, panicked. “I just… give me a minute.”

“Baekhyun, I’m not gonna fuck you when I’ve just upset you,” Kyungsoo says incredulously. 

Baekhyun flinches, more at Kyungsoo’s crude wording than what he’s saying. “Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. I’ll call you a taxi, okay?”

Kyungsoo pulls his phone out before Baekhyun can say sorry again. He types his address into the phone wordlessly, Kyungsoo watching him carefully the whole time. Baekhyun refuses to give him any more than he already has—he’s sure Kyungsoo has had quite enough of him, anyhow, waving a hand when Baekhyun suggests he pay for the taxi.

He walks Baekhyun to the lobby, and they wait together at the curb, Kyungsoo flagging the taxi down. “Get home safe, alright?" he says once Baekhyun is in the back seat, closing the door behind him. Baekhyun doesn’t answer.

The taxi pulls away from the apartment building, and Baekhyun watches Kyungsoo grow smaller and smaller in the side view mirror. Sighing, he hits his head softly against the car window, closing his eyes when the driver looks back at him in concern. Maybe Kyungsoo had the right idea, trying to get him home. He doesn’t want to be seen any more than he already has.

“Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun almost jumps out of his skin, barely managing to catch the car keys that have slipped from his hand. He should have known Kyungsoo would corner him some way or another; he just didn’t expect it to be by his car, when Kyungsoo would usually still be doing overtime in the office.

Caught, Baekhyun sighs, turning around to face him. “Kyungsoo, not at work.”

Kyungsoo looks around at the empty parking lot, leaning leisurely against the hood of Baekhyun’s car. “We’re not at work,” he says matter-of-factly.

He was hoping to avoid this exact conversation, but Kyungsoo seems determined to talk—and if Baekhyun knows anything about him, it’s that Kyungsoo gets what he wants. “Alright,” Baekhyun agrees hesitantly.

Kyungsoo tilts his head toward him. “You okay?”

“Yeah?” Baekhyun agrees hesitantly. “I mean—I’m okay now.”

“Good. I just wanted to apologize again, about yesterday,” Kyungsoo explains.

Baekhyun winces. “Yeah, me too.”

“I told you, you don’t need to.”

“I just feel like I do.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “I was being pushy, and I overstepped your boundaries. I’m really sorry.”

“I told you, it’s okay,” Baekhyun insists.

“If you're sure,” Kyungsoo says doubtfully.

“I’m sure.” Baekhyun chews on his lip. “I understand if you don’t wanna do this anymore—I mean, it was such a turn off…”

“Why?” Kyungsoo asks. The sincerity of his question gives Baekhyun pause. “I know what I did wrong, and I won’t do it again.”

“What?” Baekhyun shoots back, bewildered.

“You need to work up to it. Set the mood, something like that.” Kyungsoo shifts his weight onto his other foot, appraising him for a reaction. “Not just go straight into hooking up.”

Baekhyun’s instinct is to disagree—who is Kyungsoo to assume these things about him, anyway?—but his words would just contradict his actions. He’s under no assumption that Kyungsoo should treat him like some fragile flower; he’s just a hookup, after all. But all the same, it would be nice to live in the delusion a little bit, pretend like they aren’t just using each other. Make this arrangement a little less of a transaction and more like a mutual agreement.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Baekhyun concedes.

Kyungsoo nods. “I’ll do that—if you want to keep on going.”

The answer comes to him before he can even think. “I do.”

“Problem solved, then,” Kyungsoo says with finality.

Baekhyun frowns. Is it really that easy, or is it just convenient to keep fucking him rather than find someone else? No, he’s sure Kyungsoo can do that just as easily. Just in the office, there’s no shortage of people who’d love to get the chance to sleep with Kyungsoo. So why…

“So. Ramyun sometime?” Kyungsoo suggests, pushing himself off the hood of the car. “Actual ramyun, before the other stuff.” 

Baekhyun nods wordlessly, watching Kyungsoo straighten himself out, simple as anything. 

“Alright. See you tomorrow, Baekhyun.”

“See you,” Baekhyun answers dazedly. Kyungsoo offers him a brief smile and a wave, walking towards the elevators without another word.

It takes him a bit to get moving again, unlocking his car and sliding into the driver’s seat more out of muscle memory than any real thought or intention. He shuts the door behind him, frowning at his reflection in the car window. 

It’s a little disconcerting how Kyungsoo is so sure of himself; it makes Baekhyun feel even more unsteady on his feet than he already is. Not for the first time, he feels acutely aware of how little he knows about this world of hookups and no strings attached. 

Setting his pride aside, though, he’s more than willing to let Kyungsoo take the lead. He’s the one with more experience, after all.

It takes two weeks before Baekhyun feels ready again. Not fucking Kyungsoo just makes him aware of how often he’s been fucking Kyungsoo (one to two times a week for a month, but who’s counting), to the point that it feels strange going home to his own apartment each night. He can’t believe he’s going through dick withdrawals. How the mighty have fallen.

Not that Kyungsoo is any different. He’s antsy on the way to Baekhyun’s place, going down roads he’s never seen before, but Baekhyun decides not to tease him just yet. Kyungsoo would just tease him back, anyway.

It’s still a little awkward when they go through the door, Kyungsoo looking around at the living room politely while Baekhyun scours his cupboards for food. Hookup etiquette is still a mystery to him. The people that come over to his house are either family or friends close enough that they can skip over common courtesies.

Baekhyun settles for asking Kyungsoo if he wants something to drink. They crack open a beer each as they settle into the couch, Baekhyun scrolling through his delivery apps for something to eat. “Cooking is a bust,” he sighs. “Let’s just get something delivered.”

Kyungsoo hums through a swallow of beer. “Chicken?”

Baekhyun scrunches up his nose. “I want something lighter, though.”

“But I’m hungry.”

“You try fucking bottoming for once,” Baekhyun complains, punching Kyungsoo lightly in the shoulder. “Lazy ass tops.”

“Who’re you calling lazy?” Kyungsoo scoffs, draping his head over the back of Baekhyun’s couch. “Ugh, I am fucking tired, though.”

Baekhyun tears his eyes away from the length of Kyungsoo’s neck. “Yeah, what was that about earlier? The junior staff looked scared out of their minds when you were finished with them.”

Kyungsoo laughs humorlessly. “There was an issue with procurement. Some samples didn’t show up on time for our meeting with the client.”

“Oh, yikes,” Baekhyun says sympathetically. He’s dealt with something like that before—all deadlines pushed back, everyone scrambling to get it right. None of the PR team were keen on the extra work. “You’d think they’d know better.”

“I know, right? They’ve been here for a year. ” Furrowing his brows, Kyungsoo takes another swig of his beer. “Either way, their fuck up reflects on me as their manager. There was something different I could have done to prevent it.”

Baekhyun hums, sending off an order of Hawaiian pizza while Kyungsoo is distracted. “You can't blame yourself for everything that goes wrong.”

“Sure, but it's my responsibility to fix it, anyhow.” Kyungsoo nudges their knees together. “If you were under me, you’d never have let that happen.”

“Damn right,” Baekhyun agrees, puffing his chest out a little bit. 

“Alright, don’t let it get to your head.”

“Ah, cut yourself some slack.” He slaps Kyungsoo’s thigh lightly, jumping out of the way when Kyungsoo swipes at him. “It’s, like, the one mistake you made this year. No one has a perfect track record.”

“Telling that to a perfectionist, great strategy.” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes when Baekhyun stares at him, unimpressed. “Alright, alright, I’ll get over it.”

“Poor Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun simpers. “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

Kyungsoo eyes him with interest, putting his beer down on the coffee table. “I can think of a few things.”

Baekhyun has barely set his own beer down when Kyungsoo’s hands find his waist, natural as anything, and pulls Baekhyun towards him to capture his lips in a searing kiss. Smiling into Kyungsoo’s mouth, Baekhyun returns his enthusiasm, climbing into Kyungsoo’s lap and settling his arms around his neck.

Kyungsoo roams his hands over his body, leaving trails of heat in his wake—his thighs, his ass, palm brushing over his nipple through his dress shirt—but Baekhyun can tell it’s not enough for him, swallowing Kyungsoo’s frustrated groans into his mouth. 

Baekhyun nibbles lightly at his lower lip, pulling away with a satisfied smirk. “Someone’s eager,” he observes, and Kyungsoo nods, nosing at Baekhyun’s neck.

“Been thinking about this all week,” Kyungsoo murmurs, nipping at his ear. “I was waiting for your text the whole time.”

It’s the way Kyungsoo says it that makes Baekhyun shiver. It’s one thing to feel it—how keen Kyungsoo is to have sex with him again, unable to stop touching him—but to hear that Kyungsoo wants him that much, has been wanting and waiting for him…

Kyungsoo drags his lips from Baekhyun’s ear, to the curve of his jaw, licking into the corner of Baekhyun’s mouth before kissing him. “Couldn’t stop thinking about your mouth,” he admits, tilting Baekhyun’s chin towards him.

Breathless, Baekhyun asks, “Do you want me to suck you off?”

“Something different, this time.” Kyungsoo’s thumb swipes over his bottom lip. “Open up.”

Obediently, Baekhyun parts his lips. 

Oh, wow. Kyungsoo wasn’t lying. His eyes lock onto Baekhyun’s mouth immediately, breathing deeply as he pushes a finger in, then another. Baekhyun isn’t even doing anything, really, but Kyungsoo looks enthralled, fucking his fingers into Baekhyun’s mouth. It makes him want to do good. 

Baekhyun starts sucking on Kyungsoo’s fingers in earnest, bobbing his head up and down, flicking his tongue in the space between. Kyungsoo grunts in approval, shifting in his seat as he starts hardening beneath Baekhyun.

“You’re taking it so well,” Kyungsoo murmurs, completely absorbed. “Bet you wish it was my cock down your throat, huh? You seemed to like it even more than I did. Swallowed every last drop like a good boy.”

Baekhyun closes his eyes and whines in humiliation. He was planning on teasing Kyungsoo, but he can’t exactly mouth off while drooling all over Kyungsoo’s fingers. It’s disconcerting—also somewhat arousing—how thoroughly Kyungsoo has reversed the dynamic, how easily Baekhyun bends to his whim. How much he likes it, Kyungsoo taking control, leaving no room for thoughts other than being pleasured and giving pleasure.

“Maybe I’ll feed you my dick later. For now…” Kyungsoo presses down on his tongue, and Baekhyun gags slightly, swallowing around Kyungsoo’s fingers as he tries to breathe. “You seem to be enjoying yourself well enough, choking yourself on my fingers. You’ll take anything, huh, Baekhyun? Anything from me.”

Baekhyun pulls off, gasping for breath. “You were the one who wanted to do this,” he accuses, cheeks hot.

Kyungsoo hums, smirking up at him knowingly. “And you still did it. Good job.”

“Shut up,” Baekhyun groans, pulling Kyungsoo back in for another kiss—but the doorbell rings, breaking the spell.

Kyungsoo laughs, depositing Baekhyun on the couch. “I’ll get it. This is fun, but I really am starving.”

Pouting, Baekhyun crosses his arms as he watches Kyungsoo stand up. He looks back at Baekhyun, smiles, and bends down to press a quick kiss on his lips before going to the front door.

Once they’ve fed and watered themselves, Baekhyun spreads a towel on the bed because he’s not in the mood to change his sheets. Kyungsoo laughs at that, beckoning Baekhyun to sit next to him on the mattress, hand finding its place on the back of Baekhyun’s neck to pull him into an uncharacteristically lazy kiss.

“Wow,” Baekhyun says, unbuttoning Kyungsoo’s shirt. “You must be really tired.” 

“Not tired enough to stop," Kyungsoo answers. “Anything you want me to do to you?”

Surprised by the question, Baekhyun pauses, fingers resting on Kyungsoo’s sternum. “Nothing in particular…”

“Think about it, for next time.” Kyungsoo smiles slightly, no doubt recalling how easily Baekhyun had caved in to his earlier request. “I want to return the favor.”

Too exhausted for anything vertical, Kyungsoo fingers Baekhyun on his side, his head tucked below Kyungsoo’s chin, panting into his neck. Baekhyun shimmies down a little to lick at Kyungsoo’s nipple, and he gasps, retaliating by shoving another finger into his ass and pulling them apart. He’s not sure if the sound that comes out of him is a gasp or a laugh.

Kyungsoo gives him a kiss before turning him over, chest pressed against Baekhyun’s back, not unlike the position they usually end up in while they sleep. He pushes in slowly—it’s been a while, and Baekhyun needs to get used to the stretch, but the slight pain just makes the pleasure feel that much sharper.

Baekhyun whimpers, biting into the back of his hand once Kyungsoo bottoms out. He missed this feeling, Kyungsoo filling him up, his mouth peppering distracted kisses on Baekhyun’s shoulder as he tries to adjust. 

He thrusts once, testing the waters, and Baekhyun muffles his moan into his hand.

“Don’t be shy.” Kyungsoo trails his hand up Baekhyun’s side, twining their fingers together and drawing Baekhyun’s hand away from his mouth. “It's nothing we haven’t done before.”

Baekhyun squeezes Kyungsoo’s fingers. “Not like this.”

“Hmm. You don’t like it?”

Baekhyun shudders. In this position, he can feel everything— Kyungsoo’s chest molding into his back, each breath he takes, every satisfied little sound fed directly into Baekhyun’s ear. “I do,” he admits. “I’m just getting used to it…” 

“Don’t overthink it,” Kyungsoo whispers.

They’re off to a slow start, not at all the pace they're used to. But they’re in no big rush on this Friday night, so Kyungsoo takes his time with him, Baekhyun getting lost in the sensation of his body welcoming Kyungsoo in again after a while.

Kyungsoo picks up the pace, grinding filthily into him as his hands roam over Baekhyun’s chest, his stomach, ghosting over his hardening cock but not giving him that satisfaction yet. Baekhyun doesn’t cuss him out or beg him for it, too caught up in Kyungsoo chasing his own pleasure, pushing his ass back onto Kyungsoo’s cock to help him get there until he finally comes into the condom.

Kyungsoo’s idea of returning the favor is scooching down the bed to suck Baekhyun off, three fingertips digging into his prostate and bringing him to a moaning, shuddering finish in Kyungsoo’s mouth. No swallowing, of course. He spits onto the towel, and Baekhyun is too boneless to respond with the appropriate measure of disgust. 

“You okay?” Kyungsoo asks distantly, voice hoarse.

Baekhyun can barely grunt in answer, almost half asleep. He feels Kyungsoo crawl over to him, pushing his hair off his forehead. Strangely, he feels Kyungsoo watching him, too, and when he opens his eyes their gazes meet. 

“What?” he croaks out.

Kyungsoo looks impassively down at him. “Just making sure you were okay with what we did. And the things I said earlier—it was a lot.”

Baekhyun cracks a smile, reaching up to pinch Kyungsoo’s cheek, who recoils unhappily. “Aw, so concerned. I think you’ll know if I don’t like something.”

“You need to tell me, anyhow,” Kyungsoo insists. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable like last time.”

Sighing, Baekhyun pushes himself up to his elbows. He’s uncomfortable now, just talking about his little hissy fit. “I know, I know,” he agrees, wanting the conversation to be over. “I’ll use my safewords, sir.”

Kyungsoo laughs, sliding off the bed. “Now that’s a topic for another day.”

Baekhyun washes up quickly, keen on getting back into bed, but when he steps back into the bedroom he finds Kyungsoo helping himself to the pack of menthols on the balcony. He doesn’t notice Baekhyun for a while, lost in his own thoughts, and Baekhyun allows himself to stare just a bit. 

Kyungsoo is already unreasonably attractive in his usual attire, well put-together in his work suits and perfectly tied ties, but like this—wearing a threadbare spare t-shirt from his car, moonlight hitting the soft planes of his face, he looks effortlessly handsome but also… attainable, not so out of reach like Baekhyun thought he was for the longest time.

He steps out onto the balcony, Kyungsoo turning to him with a wave of his cigarette. “Hope you don’t mind.”

“Not if you give me a light,” Baekhyun answers, shimmying a stick out of the box and putting it between his lips.

Kyungsoo lights it up for him, hand hovering over the flame of the lighter to let it catch on. Baekhyun takes a deep puff, taking his time on the exhale, watching the smoke billow out of his mouth in satisfaction.

“I’m jealous of your balcony,” Kyungsoo says wistfully. “I have to go all the way to the fire escape every time I want a smoke.”

“Don’t wanna move?”

“Nope. Too much work. And the location is too convenient.”

Baekhyun hums, taking another drag from his own stick. He can picture it now, Kyungsoo leaning on a rickety railing, blowing smoke out into the night sky. Maybe with someone, like he’s doing with Baekhyun right now. 

For some reason, the image in his mind’s eye is mildly unpleasant. It has him wondering if cigarettes after sex is a common occurrence in Kyungsoo’s apartment.

He taps his stick on the ashtray before asking. “You never said—are you doing this with anyone else?”

“No. I’d have told you.” A pillar of smoke rises from Kyungsoo’s lips, the same time Baekhyun sighs in relief. “Anyway, I’m not in the habit of having multiple partners at a time.”

“Why not be in a relationship, then?” Baekhyun questions. “I mean—I hate to admit it, but you’re a fucking catch.”

“Glad you think so,” Kyungsoo says tonelessly. “Work is my life. I hardly have the time for anything that isn’t casual.”

Baekhyun can’t say he’s surprised by that answer. “So no boyfriends? Girlfriends?”

“In the past. I was too ‘married to my job’, as it were. Wasn’t a very good boyfriend.” Kyungsoo shrugs, unrepentant. “I don’t regret it, though—I’ve come far, and I don’t feel like anything’s missing. The right person will understand just how ‘married to my job’ I am.”

“Jesus, we really are opposites,” Baekhyun laughs. “I feel like a relationship is the one thing that’s missing.”

“And why is that?”

Baekhyun’s eyes widen, searching Kyungsoo’s face for any sign of mockery, but he finds none. He’s genuinely curious, and Baekhyun finds himself squirming under Kyungsoo’s careful scrutiny.

“I just—wanna experience the romance, is all,” Baekhyun admits haltingly. “I’m not saying I want someone to sweep me off my feet, but… I dunno. Most people move too fast for my liking, especially in our world.”

“Ah.” Kyungsoo’s smile is sly. “You wanna be courted, you little princess.”

“Ugh, when you say it like that…” Baekhyun groans, though Kyungsoo’s barbs have lost their edge for a while now. “It’s not that I’m desperate to be in a relationship. Well, I used to be. I was one of those people who’d rather be miserable and have a boyfriend than be fine with being single.”

Kyungsoo chuckles. “You were the worst, is what you’re saying.”

“I can’t deny that,” Baekhyun sighs. “Those were dark, dark days. I’m okay with it now, but… all the same, it’s nice to have someone, you know?” He grimaces, cringing at his own words. “God, that’s embarrassing.”

Kyungsoo hums in agreement. “Yeah, I get that. No shame in wanting things. I hope you find someone.”

More than a little surprised—and pleased—at the sincerity in Kyungsoo’s tone, it takes a while for Baekhyun to formulate an answer. “You’re actually capable of being nice…” he trails off thoughtfully.

“Don’t get used to it.” Just to prove his point, Kyungsoo exhales a puff of smoke into his face.

“Dick,” Baekhyun grumbles. “C’mere, I have an idea.”

Kyungsoo approaches him apprehensively, snuffing his cigarette out on the ashtray. Baekhyun turns Kyungsoo’s chin towards him with his free hand—there it is again, that fixation on his mouth—and takes a long drag of his cigarette, exhaling the smoke into Kyungsoo’s open mouth. He breathes it all in with no hesitation, eyes still trained on Baekhyun’s pursed lips.

Baekhyun has never done this before, but he can see the appeal—it’s intimate yet teasing, a little bit perfect for them. Maybe not enough for Kyungsoo, who closes the distance between them with a searing, bitter kiss. He has just enough presence of mind to snuff out his own cigarette, which quickly disappears when Kyungsoo slips his tongue into his mouth, the perfect distraction.

Just as usual, he falls asleep with Kyungsoo’s arms around his waist, and it’s nice. It’s really nice. Too bad it doesn't mean anything.

“Baekhyun-ah, can I talk to you?” Jongdae calls, sticking his head into Baekhyun’s cubicle. “It’ll just be quick. Conference room B.”

“Oooh,” Sehun needles. “Someone’s in trouble…”

Baekhyun flips him the bird as he passes by, though he is a little nervous at the prospect of a one-on-one meeting. He knows he’s been doing well, so he’s probably not in trouble like Sehun insinuated—but it looks serious, and Baekhyun doesn’t do too well with serious.

Jongdae smiles up at him when he enters the conference room, gesturing to the office chair next to him. Baekhyun sits, returning Jongdae’s sunny smile with a tentative one, folding his fingers in front of him on the table. “You wanted to talk?”

“Yep.” Jongdae slides a folder over to him, which Baekhyun takes into his own hands warily. “How do you feel about being promoted?”

Baekhyun sputters. “Well—great!” he says enthusiastically. “But what position?”

“You’ll be replacing me as manager,” Jongdae answers, gesturing for him to open the folder.

Baekhyun’s jaw drops. Inside is a revision of his certificate of employment  appointing him as manager of the PR department, a blank line with his name below it just waiting for his stamp. But this can only mean one thing—

“You’re leaving?” Baekhyun asks incredulously, looking up at Jongdae.

His manager smiles ruefully. “My wife wants to get back to work, and the kids aren’t getting any younger, so—” Jongdae shrugs. “I got an offer from another company. Lower pay, but the dual income will make up the difference, and it’s somewhat remote so I can stay at home most of the time.”

“Oh, wow.” He’d always known Jongdae to be brutally efficient, but this is on a whole other level. “I’m so happy for you, but—”

Jongdae holds up a hand. “Ah-ah. There’s no one else that could replace me here. Everyone in the office knows that.”

Smiling, Baekhyun puts Jongdae’s hand down, amused that he already knows what Baekhyun would have said next. “Thank you. You’ll keep in touch, right?” he asks nervously.

“Of course I will,” Jongdae scoffs. “And don’t act like I’m dying, I’ll transition out in a month. Plenty of time for endorsements before I leave it to you and Sehun.”

Baekhyun pouts at him all the same. Jongdae has been here ever since he started this job; Baekhyun can’t even imagine the office without him, can’t bear thinking about eating lunch without him. “Jongdae…”

“Don’t go crying on me now,” Jongdae chastises. “You’re gonna do great.”

“I know,” Baekhyun sighs. “I’ll just—”

“I know. I’ll miss your annoying ass, too,” Jongdae says with a smile. 

Baekhyun nudges Jongdae with an elbow. “Hey. Maybe now that you’re quitting, we have a shot at being friends outside of work.”

“Ew. I’d love that,” Jongdae beams. “Let’s see what you think of being friends after I dump all my deliverables on you.”

Laughing, Baekhyun pulls Jongdae in for a brief squeeze before stepping out of the conference room. 

It’s difficult to concentrate after that, the excitement still lingering as the afternoon stretches on. It’s been a while since the last shake-up in the office: Sehun’s onboarding as an intern, and with his contract almost done, he’ll probably be taking up some of Baekhyun’s work. Jongdae can at least rest assured that he’s leaving the department in good hands.

The more he thinks about it, though, the more the initial high wears off. The added workload, he can deal with; it’s not like he has anything else to do. But his conversation with Kyungsoo only made him more conscious of that fact. 

He’s been gunning for a promotion since the start of the year—he deserves this, everyone knows he does, and it’s gratifying to be recognized for his hard work. But a part of him is bitter at the reason Jongdae is leaving. Would he have gotten to be manager if Jongdae was single like him? If he didn't have a family he loves enough to take a pay cut for? Baekhyun comprehends his reasons, but—he doesn’t understand what it’s like to love someone this much. To make decisions with a partner. To eagerly clock out of work because there’s someone waiting at home for you.

And he knows it’s wrong to think this way—to believe that not having what other people have somehow means he’s being left behind, because he’s not —but he can’t help how he feels about not having what he wants. Everyone else around him is finding their partners and starting their families. At some point, it’s hard to believe Baekhyun himself isn’t the problem.

Before he can spiral any further, his phone buzzes in his pocket. 

Baekhyun looks over at Kyungsoo’s cubicle—as usual, no indication that they’re even texting each other. He chews on his lip, considering.

Over the next few weeks, Jongdae divvies up his remaining work streams between Baekhyun and Sehun. It’s a bit overwhelming, knowing that when Jongdae leaves in a month he’ll be responsible for all these things—but Jongdae is patient with him, explaining everything he needs to do and reassuring him that he just needs to keep up the good work. 

Besides, Kyungsoo is there to answer his questions, too, offering up his own advice when Baekhyun feels unsure. The only time they get to talk is at work, really, what with a huge account coming to a close and the whole office scrambling to get all the final reports done on time. The hookup requests are few and far between, both of them too tired from doing overtime every day, staying back much longer than their other coworkers.

This week, though, Baekhyun has more or less settled into his new routine, energy replenished from no longer having to memorize swim lanes and workflow diagrams. Jongdae actually has a family to get back to, so that Wednesday night Baekhyun volunteers to finish up the last of the documents, excited to spend some time alone with Kyungsoo. They’d already agreed to spend the night at his place, both of them in dire need of a breather. 

Baekhyun catches Kyungsoo smiling at him over the edge of his cubicle when Jongdae turns to leave, a private joke between the two of them.

Kyungsoo’s idea of a decompressor is cooking dinner, not even bothering to change out of his work clothes as he ties his apron on, rooting around in his well-stocked fridge for ingredients. Baekhyun is content to watch him work, fascinated by the ease with which Kyungsoo navigates the kitchen.

“You’re, like, the only other person I know that cooks when they’re stressed apart from my mom,” Baekhyun says aimlessly.

There’s a slight smile on Kyungsoo’s face as he answers, adding his aromatics into a ttukbaegi. “Should I be flattered that I’m being compared to an older lady? No offense to Mrs. Byun.”

“That’s the highest of compliments, what do you mean?” Baekhyun whines. “Her cooking is great, just like yours.”

“Alright, I’ll take it.” Kyungsoo glances at the wall clock and sighs. “I can’t believe how late it is.”

“You’re the one that came up with the M&E strategy that's running us ragged,” Baekhyun points out lightly.

“Oh.” Kyungsoo frowns at the sizzling bowl like it offended him, holding his wooden spoon in midair. “Is it really?”

“I was joking, oh my god,” Baekhyun splutters, hating the dejected look on Kyungsoo’s face. “Everyone understands it’s crunch time right now. The client was late with the documents, too—it’s not your fault.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo sighs, seemingly coming back to life. “Just—if you or any of the PR team feel overwhelmed, you know you can say so, right? It’s my job to make sure none of you are biting off more than you can chew.”

“I know. And we’re not, cause you’re a good manager.”

“Thanks.” Kyungsoo is finally smiling again, glancing briefly up at Baekhyun. “You’re gonna make a good manager too, you know.”

Baekhyun crosses his arms, leaning uncomfortably against the kitchen counters. “Ah. I hope so.”

Kyungsoo looks at him again. “Why do you look so bummed out?”

“Oh, uh… just thinking about why Jongdae quit, I guess,” Baekhyun admits with a sheepish smile. “It’s an envious reason.”

Kyungsoo hums, pouring anchovy stock into the bowl and covering it with the lid. He leans against the counter, mirroring Baekhyun’s position. “Everyone moves at their own pace. Jongdae just happened to find his partner earlier than you.”

“Yeah, I know that,” Baekhyun sighs. “But my soulmate must be taking his fucking time.”

“If it was you?” Kyungsoo snorts. “Yeah, I’d be dragging my feet, too.”

Baekhyun hits Kyungsoo on the arm with the back of his hand. But the teasing makes him feel better about it all, just a little bit.

He’s grateful when Kyungsoo changes the topic, talking about his plans to watch a movie and go to the arcade that weekend. It’s easy to get lost in Kyungsoo’s soothing voice, a welcome reprieve from the daily chaos of the office. Baekhyun could listen to him talk all day.

They eat Kyungsoo’s sundubu jjigae while watching an episode of some horrible drama on the television, unhurried despite the late hour. It’s exactly what Baekhyun wants from a night like this: everything at a leisurely pace, so when they reach that breaking point, unable to keep away from each other any longer, Baekhyun’s blood is humming beneath his skin with need.

They end up making out half naked on the bed, Baekhyun sitting on Kyungsoo’s lap, which is quickly becoming one of his favorite places in the world. Kyungsoo pulls away with a wet smack, looking up at Baekhyun. “The foreplay thing,” he begins.

Still dazed, Baekhyun asks stupidly, “What…?”

“Tell me what you like,” Kyungsoo asks. “I said I’d return the favor.”

Baekhyun blinks. “I thought you already did.” He chews on his lip, considering. “I… I don’t know.”

“C’mon, you’re over thirty years of age,” Kyungsoo insists, shifting Baekhyun’s weight so his legs don’t get numb. “You must have some idea.”

“Ew, don’t make me feel ancient,” Baekhyun grumbles, sitting back on Kyungsoo’s thighs.

Smiling, Kyungsoo sneaks his hands underneath Baekhyun’s shirt. “C’mon. Tell daddy.”

“Well, I definitely don’t like that,” Baekhyun laughs.

“Should I call you a pet name instead? What about ‘baby?’” Baekhyun scrunches his nose up in distaste. “‘Puppy?’”

Baekhyun freezes.

“Oh…” A devious smile spreads across Kyungsoo’s face. “Should we park that for later, then?”

“Shut up ,” Baekhyun groans, covering Kyungsoo’s mouth with his hands. Because he’s so painfully predictable, Baekhyun snatches them away before Kyungsoo can bite into the meat of his palms, teeth bared in a smug grin.

Has he never really given thought to what he likes? He likes everything Kyungsoo has done with him so far—he at least knows that much. But he’s not sure how much of it he can attribute to actually liking it, or liking that Kyungsoo is doing those things with him.

He gets off on his partner’s pleasure—which might just be true for everyone that has sex—but with Kyungsoo it’s different . Baekhyun likes it whether he’s being rough or gentle, the tempo he sets for both of them, how far they’ll go for the night. Most of all, when he gets this look in his eye—like awe, or amazement, something that cuts through the lust.

“I like it when… it looks like I’m doing a good job,” Baekhyun answers haltingly.

“Yeah?” Kyungsoo runs his hands up Baekhyun’s thighs, settling them on the dip of his waist.

Baekhyun gnaws on his lip again, nodding. “It turns me on when my partner looks like they can’t get enough of me.”

“I can’t get enough of you,” Kyungsoo says softly, looking right into Baekhyun’s eyes. “That’s why I keep wanting to do this.”

The words knock the wind out of him. Baekhyun knows on some level that Kyungsoo must like having sex with him—they’ve done it enough times for that to be clear. But to hear it like this… it sounds like…

They’re just words. Kyungsoo is just saying what he wants to hear so they can keep sleeping together. But god, does he want it to be real.

“Tell me more,” Baekhyun urges against his better judgment.

“I like it too, you know. When you look desperate.” Kyungsoo draws him in closer with his hands, with his voice, until Baekhyun is flush against him and breathing his air. “There’s this face you make when I do something right… you have no idea, don’t you?” Kyungsoo asks with a slight smile. 

He’s not expecting an answer, but Baekhyun isn’t sure he can give one, anyway.

Kyungsoo trails his hand down Baekhyun’s arm, his thumb brushing against the inside of Baekhyun’s wrist, and his breath hitches. “Like that,” Kyungsoo whispers. “Your wrist, huh?”

“Don’t tease,” Baekhyun says, and he hears it, too, the desperation that Kyungsoo is talking about.

“Then make me stop,” Kyungsoo dares.

Baekhyun closes the distance between them, lips meeting in a frenzied kiss. Kyungsoo’s hands are all over him—up his chest, his back, pulling away for only the briefest of moments to tear Baekhyun’s shirt off, then capturing his lips again. Kyungsoo kisses like he wants to devour Baekhyun, like he meant what he said, that he can’t get enough. Baekhyun feels that when Kyungsoo is done with him, there won’t be anything left.

Kyungsoo’s lips leave molten fire on his cheek, his jaw, his collarbone. When Kyungsoo scrapes his teeth at the base of his neck, Baekhyun tries to muffle a needy whine in Kyungsoo’s hair, but he’s having none of it.

Abruptly, Kyungsoo pulls away. “Don’t hold back,” he demands, eyes dark. “Let me hear you.”

Baekhyun nods, and Kyungsoo nips at his skin again, bites down on the juncture of his neck, and he keens high in the back of his throat. He feels Kyungsoo’s lips spread into a smile on his skin. “Harder, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun pleads.

Kyungsoo leans his head against Baekhyun’s shoulder, blinking up at him curiously. They’ve never left marks before—too obvious, like a claim they don’t really have on each other. But maybe, just for tonight, Baekhyun would like to know how it feels to be his.

“Please,” Baekhyun asks breathlessly, tangling his fingers in Kyungsoo’s hair.

His hand drags up Baekhyun’s side, between his ribs, up his throat. Kyungsoo cups his jaw with his palm, thumb resting on Baekhyun’s bottom lip. “Say it again.”

“W-What?”

“My name.”

“Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun whispers, watching the desire deepen in his eyes. “Kyungsoo, please…”

His hand curls around Baekhyun’s neck, steadying him. Kyungsoo presses his lips into a seal, sucking and nibbling at the flesh so exposed to him. One last mischievous bite, and Baekhyun sobs, pain and pleasure having him grip Kyungsoo’s arms even as he pulls away to admire his work.

Baekhyun can't see it, so he runs his fingertips lightly over where the bruise should be.

“Is that what you wanted?” Kyungsoo’s voice is low, charged with desire, and Baekhyun can feel it beneath him, too, how hard Kyungsoo is just from this.

“ Yes ,” Baekhyun answers empathically, grabbing at the hem of Kyungsoo’s shirt and pulling it up, aching to touch him. Kyungsoo complies wordlessly, watching Baekhyun all the while.

He’s not so good with his words, but with this, at least, he can show Kyungsoo how much he appreciates him. Baekhyun kisses him roughly again, swiping his tongue into Kyungsoo’s mouth for the briefest of moments before making his way down the smattering of moles on Kyungsoo’s chin, his neck, his chest, heaving with exertion and arousal, Baekhyun’s hands mapping the path his lips are sure to follow.

He grazes his teeth against a nipple, Kyungsoo’s back arching into his mouth. He sucks a mark of his own right over Kyungsoo’s heart, fingers threading through his hair and keeping his lips there until red blooms on Kyungsoo’s skin. His mouth trails over the definition of Kyungsoo’s stomach, moaning openly at the hardness, the strength palpable just beneath, expanding and contracting with each ragged breath.

Finally, he reaches the little trail of hair beneath Kyungsoo’s navel—but the hand in his hair pulls his head gently away, further from what Baekhyun wanted to taste.

“I thought you liked my mouth?” Baekhyun questions, fingers hooked in the waistband of Kyungsoo’s boxers.

Kyungsoo shakes his head, pulling Baekhyun back up into his lap. “Need to calm down. Want to make it last.”

Kyungsoo lifts Baekhyun up by his thighs and carefully lays him down on the sheets, kissing him softly as he strips him of his underwear. Rough hands pry at the inside of his legs, and Baekhyun spreads them willingly, welcomes Kyungsoo in between them as he pulls the other man closer with an arm slung around the back of his neck, his clothed cock brushing against Baekhyun’s bare one. 

They both break away from the kiss to groan, breaths mingling, and Kyungsoo asks, “Can I prep you?”

“Yes,” Baekhyun hisses, pushing Kyungsoo away to have him rummage at his bedside table. He must want it badly tonight, because there’s no smirk or tease at Baekhyun’s needy tone.

Kyungsoo moves down on the bed, coating his fingers with lube. He settles between Baekhyun’s legs again, pointer finger prodding at his hole, and Baekhyun sighs when it finally sinks in. The stretch is easy, now; Kyungsoo likes it wet, and they do this often enough that Baekhyun doesn’t feel the intrusion as much as he does the pleasure.

Another finger, then another, and Baekhyun squirms at the attention, screwing his eyes shut and moaning with his mouth wide open as Kyungsoo curls his digits in, digging into his prostate. He’s more than ready now, but Kyungsoo keeps at it, alternating between pulling his fingers apart and fucking them back in. 

Baekhyun keens particularly loudly at a well-timed jab, and Kyungsoo asks, “You okay?”

“I will be when you fuck me,” Baekhyun sobs. “Kyungsoo—”

“Don’t you feel good?”

Baekhyun nods, blinking back tears to look down at Kyungsoo between his legs. God, he’s a gorgeous sight, dark eyes and dark hair messed up every which way, all Baekhyun’s doing.

“Can you wait a little bit for me?” Kyungsoo asks, kissing the inside of his thigh and resting his head there. 

Baekhyun bites his lip, and nods again. Kyungsoo only needs to keep looking at him like that, and he would do anything Kyungsoo asked him to.

It’s only when Baekhyun is a whimpering, shuddering mess, his cock weeping onto his stomach, that Kyungsoo finally withdraws his fingers. He picks up the condom packet that’s fallen onto the sheets, but Baekhyun has just enough presence of mind to grab Kyungsoo’s wrist. “I don’t want it,” he pants.

Kyungsoo looks down at him in surprise. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun huffs, pulling him down for a quick kiss. “You said you weren't sleeping with anyone else, didn’t you?”

Kyungsoo nods, dropping the foil onto the floor. “Good thing I prepped you thoroughly, right?” he asks, a small smile on his lips as he steps off the bed, stripping his boxers from his legs.

Despite what they’re about to do, there’s so much fondness, so much ease in Kyungsoo’s voice that it makes Baekhyun flush, covering his face with his forearms. He feels Kyungsoo climb onto the bed again, weight shifting the mattress. His toes curl in anticipation.

“What are you doing?” Kyungsoo asks lowly. “I thought you wanted to look at me. See how good you make me feel.”

Baekhyun groans. “Just… give me a minute.”

“C’mon, Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo’s voice is so deep, so alluring. “Look at what you did to me.”

Unable to resist, Baekhyun moves his arms away, prying his eyes open. What he sees will haunt his dreams for the rest of his life: Kyungsoo in all his naked glory, cock thick in his hand, looking down at Baekhyun like he’s every dirty fantasy Kyungsoo has ever had come to life.

“Get inside me, Kyungsoo, please please please,” Baekhyun begs. This desperation is new, even to him—he doesn’t simply want Kyungsoo, he needs him, needs to get as close as possible and see how Kyungsoo’s body responds to his own, get even the slightest glimpse of the same madness mirrored in Kyungsoo’s eyes.

Kyungsoo lowers himself on his forearms, hovering over Baekhyun. He curls a hand around the nape of Kyungsoo’s neck, pulling him down for a deep, lingering kiss. 

Hand on Baekhyun’s hip, Kyungsoo pushes slowly in—and it’s so different when he does it raw, that last degree of separation gone, Baekhyun clenching down deliciously on every inch that his body takes and takes. 

Once he’s fully in, Kyungsoo groans, resting his forehead on Baekhyun’s shoulder. “Fuck, you’re amazing,” he rasps against Baekhyun’s skin. “So good, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun whimpers, crossing his ankles behind Kyungsoo’s back, urging him deeper. “Give it to me.”

Neither of them last very long. Months of exploring each other's bodies have taught them exactly what the other needs in this moment: Kyungsoo’s fingers threading through Baekhyun’s on the pillow, his thumb brushing against Baekhyun’s wrist, praising him between every labored breath; Baekhyun whimpering in Kyungsoo’s ear, moaning his name, clenching down every time he drags his cock out like his body needs Kyungsoo in him forever.

Kyungsoo’s thrusts grow erratic, uncontrolled—chasing his own high rather than Baekhyun’s, but he wants Kyungsoo to reach it, too, wants Kyungsoo to use him so he can get there. “Baekhyun,” he pants. “I’m close—”

Delirious with pleasure, Baekhyun begs, “Inside, please, I want it—Kyungsoo—”

Kyungsoo finally finishes inside him, groaning long and low, voice curling in his ear like smoke, pressing his lips to the bruising mark on Baekhyun’s neck. But Kyungsoo never forgets about him, still driving in and in, and it gets Baekhyun there, too, Kyungsoo hot inside him and his hand around Baekhyun’s cock pushing him over the edge, coming with a strangled moan that Kyungsoo swallows into his mouth. 

Kyungsoo’s other hand comes up to cradle the small of his arched back, Baekhyun’s own hands threading through Kyungsoo’s hair as he leaves one last kiss on Baekhyun’s lips.

When he comes down from his high, there isn’t anything left. At first, there’s emptiness—then all at once, a suffocating weight on his chest. It’s difficult to breathe, almost like he’s about to cry—but there’s a hand pushing his matted hair away from his sweaty forehead, Kyungsoo’s steady warmth pulling him in, tucking his head into his shoulder. 

He doesn’t know whether to move in closer or pull away. He knows he needs the touch—crashing from something that intense requires aftercare of some sort—but some part of this feels repulsive to him. Unnatural.

For the first time, sex with Kyungsoo feels… almost dirty, unclean, like he’s done something wrong. It’s not the act itself, but the after—the way Kyungsoo treats him when he’s spent, holds him for a bit until his heartbeat slows down, presses his lips to the crown of his head—that leads him to the sobering realization that none of this actually means anything. 

He might not know much about relationships, but he’s suddenly sure that this is how he’s supposed to feel: safe and protected even at his most vulnerable. To share this with… what is Kyungsoo to him, anyway? It doesn’t matter, none of it matters, because none of this is real , and he wants it to be . 

Uncaring of the mess between his legs, Baekhyun shuts his eyes tight and curls up on the sheets as Kyungsoo rummages through the bedside table. He must sense that something’s off because there’s no snarky comment, no teasing question about his performance as he cleans Baekhyun off with a towel.

“Let’s wash up,” Kyungsoo suggests gently.

Baekhyun follows him obediently into the en suite, arms drawn around himself as he watches Kyungsoo fiddle with the water temperature. He’s never done this with anyone before. Not without sex, anyway, and Kyungsoo makes it abundantly clear that he doesn’t want another round, holding Baekhyun’s hand as he steps into the shower and having him duck his head so Kyungsoo can lather up his hair.

“You okay?” Kyungsoo asks once he’s wiped the suds from Baekhyun’s eyes.

He nods.

“You didn’t like that I gave you a hickey. Or…?” Kyungsoo rests his hand low on Baekhyun’s hip, near where Kyungsoo had to clean him up.

“No, it’s not that,” he reassures hastily. “I liked it.”

Baekhyun is being honest, but it looks like Kyungsoo doesn’t believe him, anyway. “You never say no to anything,” Kyungsoo points out. “Except for that one night.”

“Um… yeah. Sorry about that.”

“Stop apologizing,” Kyungsoo sighs. There’s a tinge of exasperation in his voice, enough for Baekhyun to bite his lip and resolve not to speak up again should he annoy Kyungsoo even more.

Kyungsoo gives it up—for now, at least—and does most of the washing up, his own unsaid apology. Baekhyun can tell it’s still bothering him, though, brows drawn low over his eyes as he towels them both off, rummaging in his closet to find clothes for Baekhyun.

Once he’s dressed, he sits at the edge of the bed, squeezing moisture from the ends of his hair for lack of anything to do. He feels the weight of the bed shift behind him, then there’s a towel being thrown over his head, Kyungsoo’s hands massaging his scalp to dry his hair off. Baekhyun hopes Kyungsoo doesn’t hear him sigh. 

“Why are you still apologizing about that?” Kyungsoo asks quietly, tugging the towel off his head and moving to sit beside him.

“I… well, you wanted to have sex, and I held out on you,” Baekhyun explains, biting nervously at the edge of his thumb.

“Baekhyun, it’s not for you to withhold from me. It’s for you to give.” Kyungsoo is frowning, and his voice is harsh, unlike anything Baekhyun has ever heard from him. “And I was the one that stopped it that night, not you. You wanted to continue even though you clearly felt awful about how I was going about it.”

Baekhyun doesn’t know how to answer. Mostly, he’s afraid of saying the wrong thing again.

“I’m sorry.” Kyungsoo sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I know my delivery is… I’m sorry. It’s not like I have some noble wish to heal your trauma, but… I have to understand you better for us to keep doing this. I want to understand.”

It’s tempting to say he doesn’t know why. But he does, and unfortunately for him, self-awareness does not do him credit. 

“I think I told you a little,” he begins. “About how I used to be. I, uh—I had a reputation. That I was… easy.”

Kyungsoo stays silent, urging him to go on with an encouraging nod of his head.

“I did sleep around, but only with guys that I genuinely liked. Problem was, I fall—fell—for people quickly. Our world is small, and word travels fast, so I guess it spread around that I was an easy lay. They’d take me out and be nice to me, and once they got what they wanted…”

Kyungsoo frowns, and Baekhyun imagines him putting it all together, how it all circles back to the night he left.

“You were much nicer than the others about it,” Baekhyun reassures with a clipped smile. “I was the idiot that fell for it more than a few times before I realized what was happening. That night, it reminded me of those times.” He breathes in deep. “And I know that’s our arrangement, but… it just felt…”

Spilling his guts just makes him feel worse somehow, like Kyungsoo is being so understanding because he knows there’s something wrong with Baekhyun.

But Kyungsoo wants to understand all the same. And isn’t this just his luck? To be treated better by Kyungsoo than any other man he could claim to have had a relationship with.

“The romantic in me thought sex was this—special, sacred thing I would share with someone I had a genuine connection with,” Baekhyun continues. “I’ve changed my mind, obviously, but… it took me a while to realize that people were taking advantage of that.”

“There’s nothing wrong with seeing the best in people,” Kyungsoo says gently. “I wish I could do that.”

Baekhyun shrugs. “Some part of me must have liked it, being wanted like that. Back then, I’d rather have been with someone than alone, even though it meant being used. Really fucking stupid of me.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head, disagreeing. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

“Yeah.” Baekhyun inhales shakily, sitting up and forcing out a laugh. “Ugh, what a bummer. I wonder why I haven't turned you off yet.”

He knows what he’s doing. He knows it’s the wrong thing to say. But maybe—maybe if he gives Kyungsoo an easy out, he can stop all this from spiraling into something deep, something meaningful.

Of course Kyungsoo doesn’t take the bait. “I hate it when you do that,” he says quietly, eyes boring into his. “When you act like sex is all you can offer. It’s not.”

“That’s not what I…”

Kyungsoo stares him down, daring him to disagree.

“Right,” Baekhyun sighs, utterly defeated. “Um—thanks for hearing me out.”

“Thanks for telling me.” Kyungsoo squeezes his shoulder once, then after a moment of hesitation, presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “We should get some sleep.”

Baekhyun can only nod, head spinning as he settles into his side of the bed, Kyungsoo pulling the covers over both of them. It’s only a matter of minutes, but he’s out like a light, soft breaths fanning over the nape of Baekhyun’s neck.

Like every other time, Kyungsoo sleeps with his chest to Baekhyun’s back, arms around his waist. Unlike every other time, Baekhyun is unable to sleep, heart in his throat and chest swelling so much emotion it’s hard to pick out all but one. 

He regrets this—all of this, sleeping with Kyungsoo in the first place, saying yes to all the other times after. He never should have deluded himself into believing he could keep this casual; should have considered the possibility of developing feelings for Do Kyungsoo, who doesn't even want a relationship. 

It’s all Baekhyun’s fault. He himself knows he doesn’t do half-measures—he’s loving, and selfish, and now he wants all of Kyungsoo, not just the part of him he’s willing to give. He knows he falls in love easily, and there’s so much about Kyungsoo to fall for: his kindness, his wit, his passion. The way he treats Baekhyun with so much care, when he isn’t even someone Kyungsoo would consider a friend. 

He’s—he’s just so lonely, and he’s tired of falling for people who don’t really want him. He deserves more than that, doesn’t he? Kyungsoo may think it’s good of him to be a hopeless romantic, but it’s exhausting. His emotions rule his heart, and he can’t rein them in even though they’re his. He wishes he was like Kyungsoo instead, trusting in the cold logic that governs his life; yet here Baekhyun is, awake and thinking and yearning, while Kyungsoo is oblivious to it all, sleeping without a care. 

For the first time, his arms are a cage instead of a comfort, and Baekhyun doesn’t wait until the sun rises to pry himself from Kyungsoo’s hold. That morning, he leaves before Kyungsoo wakes up.

It’s shaping up to be a horrible day. Zero sleep plus one life altering epiphany equals Baekhyun looking the worst he ever has pulling up to the office, the bags under his eyes and puffiness in his cheeks making him cringe into the mirrored elevator doors. 

Kyungsoo is already at his cubicle, of course, and Baekhyun pointedly ignores his stare as he settles into his desk chair. Just like he ignored Kyungsoo’s texts earlier this morning. He can avoid Kyungsoo, he thinks, just until he does what he’s resolved to do. Then he can avoid Kyungsoo forever.

Work is a welcome distraction—this, at least, he’s certain he can’t fuck up. Though the rest of the team must notice his mood because Jongdae goes easy on him, and even Sehun treads lightly, no snarking back when Baekhyun lays out his tasks. He’s thankful for this little bit of cooperativeness, one less thing to worry about.

He ends up skipping lunch because his stomach is roiling far too much to keep anything down. Sighing, Baekhyun pillows his head with his forearms on the desk, trying to find a position he can fall asleep in. His eyes are somehow dry and watery at the same time, and there’s a headache building in his temples, and he feels the weight of Kyungsoo’s gaze on him—

Baekhyun comes to with a jolt, roused by the noise of his colleagues coming in from where they spent their lunch breaks outside. A frantic glance at his watch confirms that he was asleep for almost an hour, corroborated by the crick in his neck and the spot of drool on his sleeve. 

Embarrassed even though no one’s watching, Baekhyun wipes his mouth and straightens himself out as best he can—but as he stands up, he notices something on his desk. A can of coffee and a club sandwich, no note. He knows exactly who they’re from.

He finally hazards a look across the office at Kyungsoo, who’s eyeing him expectantly. Baekhyun tries for a smile, raising the coffee can, and Kyungsoo beams back before turning to his laptop.

Heart racing, Baekhyun all but dashes to the bathroom before he can tear his hair out. This is so fucked. Why does Kyungsoo have to be so nice ? It just makes what he wants to do all the more difficult. 

No overtime for him today. The moment the clock strikes five, Baekhyun makes his way down to the cafe on the ground floor and orders an iced americano to go. He chooses a booth in the back—just in case someone from work sees them—and waits for Kyungsoo there.

It takes a while for him to arrive, ample time for Baekhyun to think and overthink. Unbidden, his fingers drift to the bruise at the juncture of his neck, pressing down just enough to feel the sting. Kyungsoo never left marks, and Baekhyun never would have let him. There was something about last night, something he’d never felt before—but it’s not worth chasing that feeling, especially since he knows what happened last night was an outlier, a one-time fluke.

The chime on the cafe door jingles merrily, breaking him out of his reverie. He can easily spot Kyungsoo from where he’s sitting, but it takes Kyungsoo a bit to find him, smiling when he sees Baekhyun.

Heart pounding, Baekhyun somehow finds it in himself to smile back. Kyungsoo actually looks happy to see him, sliding into the other side of the booth and passing something across the table—his gray suit jacket from the day before.

“Hey,” Kyungsoo greets. “I had it in my car, just in case.”

“Oh, thank you,” Baekhyun says quietly, taking the jacket. 

Kyungsoo tilts his head towards Baekhyun, frowning slightly. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, uh… Just out of it, I guess,” Baekhyun explains, offering Kyungsoo another unconvincing smile.

“You’ve been out of it since last night,” Kyungsoo says doubtfully. “I know you said it wasn’t me, and I know it’s presumptuous, but I was worried.”

Worried. He shouldn’t be. Kyungsoo already has enough on his mind as it is—all the more reason to put this to a stop.

“Kyungsoo, I think it’s best if we stop.” At Kyungsoo’s blank stare, Baekhyun takes a deep breath, gathering the willpower to continue. “With the whole… arrangement.”

Kyungsoo looks taken aback. “Oh. Did I do something wrong?”

“You didn’t, that's the problem,” Baekhyun explains. “I can’t keep coming to you every time I feel down, or when I need a distraction. All the nice things you do for me—I want them from someone I’m in a relationship with, not just a fuck buddy. And since you don’t even like me like that, well…” Baekhyun frowns, remembering how attentive Kyungsoo was last night. “I just feel like I’m trying to make you something you’re not.”

“I see.” There’s a little frown on Kyungsoo’s forehead, too, the expression he gets when he’s pondering something at work. “I’m sorry if I crossed a line.”

“It’s—it’s okay. It’s my fault, too. But you made me see that I deserve better. Someone who’d treat me like you have,” Baekhyun says earnestly. “Thank you for that.”

Kyungsoo nods, face impassive, like he’s just terminated a contract with a client. “I hope you find the person you’re looking for.”

He means well, but—it breaks Baekhyun’s heart a little, how easily Kyungsoo can let go of him. “Thank you. Um—this is for you.” Baekhyun slides the iced americano towards Kyungsoo, forcing himself to twist his lips into another smile. “Good luck on the closeout.”

Kyungsoo wraps his hands around the cup. “Thanks, Baekhyun.” 

God, the way Kyungsoo says his name. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Baekhyun promises, gathering his things and standing up. He doesn’t look back as he exits the cafe. There’s no point, and he can’t get away from Kyungsoo fast enough. 

Baekhyun takes what feels like his first breath that day only when he’s in the safety of his car. Then—it hits him. It’s over. No more late nights, no more secret glances, no more easy distractions. They’re right back where they began: coworkers, and nothing else. Except it’s not really that for Baekhyun, pieces of his heart still scattered on the floor of Kyungsoo’s apartment. 

His only solace is the fact that this will pass. He’s been through this before; heartbreak is no stranger to him. In a year, maybe less, Kyungsoo will just be another story to tell. Or so he hopes.

Still in his work clothes, Baekhyun falls asleep the moment he hits the covers. He wakes up at four in the morning, starving and stiff, and makes his way to the convenience store downstairs in a ratty hoodie and joggers. He eats his shitty reheated breakfast tray on the benches outside, alone save for one noisy cicada, and watches the sun rise on Seoul feeling a little better than he did yesterday.

The closer it is to nine A.M., though, the worse he feels. His plan to avoid Kyungsoo as much as possible has one major flaw: they see each other most hours of the week. Kyungsoo can be trusted to operate just as usual, but Baekhyun… he’ll try his best. Who knows? With things cleared up between them, no fuck buddy arrangement to skirt around, maybe they can go back to normal.

Baekhyun winces as he buttons up his shirt in front of the mirror. The bruise Kyungsoo left is glaringly obvious, just barely hidden by his collar. He debates trying to hide it with concealer, but it might smear onto the white fabric, anyhow, so he satisfies himself with pulling his necktie tighter than usual. Only two people know it’s there, anyway, and it’ll fade. 

He hates himself a little for looking to Kyungsoo’s cubicle first thing in the morning, the moment he steps onto their floor. Kyungsoo is there before him, of course, wearing his glasses and typing away at his keyboard, the very image of productivity. It’s the same the next day, and the next day, and before Baekhyun knows it, a week has passed. 

Save for when they’re in a meeting together and actually need to talk to each other, Kyungsoo doesn’t look at him once, even when they’re the only ones left in the office. 

He can’t have everything, he knows that. But this is even worse than what they were like before. At least Baekhyun was able to rile him up to the point of retaliation; now, there’s nothing. No talks, no petty squabbles. No cracks in Kyungsoo’s professionalism. 

Was Baekhyun really such an insignificant part of his life? He knows it’s foolish to think that Kyungsoo placed some importance on him just because they had sex—they’re such different people, after all—but he had hoped that somehow, he mattered enough to affect Kyungsoo even a little. 

If anything, Kyungsoo is working harder than ever. It’s not really obvious since he picks up a lot of the slack in the office, but Baekhyun has been watching Kyungsoo for a while now. Manager Do being on top of everything is no surprise. But he’s been pushing himself just that much harder recently, unnoticeable to anyone except those close to him and certified workaholics like Baekhyun.

He considers reaching out, asking Kyungsoo to take it easy, but he gave up that right. Probably never had it in the first place.

“Baekhyun! Eat with us?”

Baekhyun blinks out of his stupor. He’s been standing at the door of the break room for god knows how long, having already forgotten what he was supposed to do. Chanyeol is waving him over to the humming espresso machine, joined by Jongdae ripping open a pack of honey waffles on the counter. 

“Is that other shot for me?” Baekhyun asks, making his way across the room.

“Looks like you need it,” Chanyeol beams. “How do you like your coffee, Mr. Manager?”

“Not yet,” Jongdae complains, punching Chanyeol lightly on the arm. 

Baekhyun chuckles. “Iced latte, please. Thank you.”

“I don't know how you and Kyungsoo do it,” Chanyeol mentions to Jongdae, grabbing a carton of milk and some ice from the fridge. “Especially Kyungsoo. He’s really pushing himself recently, don’t you think?” The question is directed at Baekhyun, who blinks at Chanyeol, bewildered.

He supposes that he should be thankful Chanyeol has enough tact not to ask about his foul mood, but that doesn’t stop him from talking about the cause of said foul mood. “Ah, I guess so…” Baekhyun answers vaguely.

“I mean, it’s good for us and all, but I’m just… worried?” Chanyeol pushes his latte over the counter to Baekhyun, who smiles gratefully. “I know it’s not out of character for him, but…”

Baekhyun shrugs. “You know him better than I do.”

Chanyeol looks surprised, stirring ice into his own cup. “Yeah, uh, sorry. I just thought…”

“What are you sorry for? You’re just looking out for your friend.” Baekhyun almost winces with every word that comes out of his mouth. He’s sure Chanyeol can hear the lack of conviction in them, but he’s too tired to act like Kyungsoo isn’t the last thing he’d rather talk about. “I’m sure he’ll listen if you tell him to take it easy.”

Jongdae, who’s been uncharacteristically quiet, says, “Alright. What’s the deal with you two?”

“What’s the deal with who?” Baekhyun says unconvincingly.

“You and Kyungsoo aren’t fighting. Why?”

Baekhyun grimaces. “There's nothing to fight about.”

“Uh, there always is when it comes to you two,” Chanyeol points out. “What’s up?”

“Nothing’s up.”

“Okay. But as your supervisor and friend, don’t think I haven’t noticed the little rain cloud over your head the past few days,” Jongdae notes.

“Thanks for the concern, Jongdae,” Baekhyun sighs, stirring his coffee restlessly. “But you don’t need to worry about this affecting work.”

“Oh, I know. You would never let anything get in the way of work.” Jongdae crosses his arms. “What I’m worried about is you —as an individual who claims to despise Do Kyungsoo—refusing to rile him up.”

This rankles him somewhat, the implication that Kyungsoo is so embedded in Baekhyun's work life that it’s strange to not hear them go at it. Like it’s not enough that he’s already seeped into so many corners of Baekhyun’s life—he has to occupy the biggest space, too. But getting mad about it would just make him even more tired, drain even more energy, and he’s so over talking about Kyungsoo without talking about Kyungsoo.

“Guess we just got tired of starting fights,” Baekhyun says with finality.

Chanyeol and Jongdae exchange a look. “If you say so…” Chanyeol trails off. “At least we’ll get a peaceful work dinner tonight, yeah?”

Fuck, he completely forgot about that. He’s not really in the mood to socialize, but they don't do this often enough that Baekhyun feels he can’t refuse. Besides, there’s enough of them that he can get away with being quieter than usual. 

Sehun sticks to him on the way to the restaurant and at the dinner table, deflecting all conversation that tries to rope him in with ease. Not one to be a stickler for seniority, Baekhyun makes wraps for Sehun in gratitude, feeding them to the intern by hand. He makes a show of refusing, but accepts Baekhyun’s little gifts each time, making some off-color, ridiculous remark that Baekhyun will laugh at because despite the snark, Sehun has really grown on him as a junior.

But because Baekhyun is a traitor to himself, his eyes search for Kyungsoo across the room, like they always seem to do these days. For the first time, Kyungsoo is looking back.

Heart pounding, Baekhyun drops his gaze to his hands. He can’t take another second of it. It was only for a brief moment, but there was no trace of warmth, or affection, or care in Kyungsoo’s eyes at all. 

“Hyung?” Sehun asks in concern.

Baekhyun shakes his head, turning his back to the rest of the table. “Pour me a shot.”

Friday night, Baekhyun makes the drive to his parents’ place for the long weekend, most of which is spent on the living room floor with Mongryong until he nudges Baekhyun with his wet nose when it’s time for a walk.

It’s good to see his parents again, something steady and reliable after the chaos of the past few weeks. Even better to eat his mom’s food; there’s no time to cook for himself back in Seoul, as hectic as his schedule is. Besides, he’s gotten his share of Kyungsoo’s cooking, and…

Mongryong whines beside him, nuzzling into Baekhyun’s cheek. He turns over on his side, propping his head up with his arm as he scratches behind Mongryong’s ears. “I wish I was a dog,” he sighs. “You don’t have to worry about men, do you, Mongmong-ie?”

The corgi pants and tilts his head quizzically at Baekhyun.

“Baekhyun-ie, can you help out in the kitchen, please?” his mom calls from the other room.

He takes his time getting up, and with one last pat to Mongryong’s head, finds his mom washing cabbage heads in the sink. “Yeah, mom?”

“Would you salt the cabbages while I make the paste? We’re running out of kimchi,” Mom explains, laying the cabbage heads on a cutting board.

“With my stomach, it’s a wonder we didn’t run out sooner,” Baekhyun quips. 

Mom smiles at him as he cuts up the cabbages at the base, one half then one quarter. There’s already a bowl of saltwater on the kitchen table, and Baekhyun spares a thought for his poor hands as he dips the cabbages in one by one, arranging them neatly on a steel tray.

He’s so absorbed in his task that he almost jumps when Mom speaks up from where she’s watching the pot boil. “How are you getting on by yourself out there?” she asks, turning down the heat on the stove.

Baekhyun sighs, fake exasperated, as he grabs the jar of salt from the kitchen counter. “I’m fine, mom.”

“I know you’re all ‘independent’ and that, but a mother worries,” she says gently. “You’re not a person who’s meant to be alone, Baekhyun-ie. You need someone to take care of you out there. Someone for you to take care of, too.”

Baekhyun frowns. Truth be told, he was hoping this long weekend would at least make him forget about… everything , just for a little while, before he has to go back to work tomorrow and endure another week of radio silence. But the only thought that comes to mind is Kyungsoo in his apartment, cooking dinner for the two of them, cleaning him up and taking care of him and I wasn’t too much, was I? You need to tell me about these things, Baekhyun.

He doesn’t realize he hadn’t answered until Mom calls his name for the third time. “Sorry, just spaced out for a bit,” Baekhyun says with a sheepish smile, scrubbing salt into cabbage leaves with renewed vigor.

He can practically hear the frown in Mom’s voice as she asks, “You know you can always talk to me, right?”

“I know, Mom,” Baekhyun sighs.

“And I know you well enough to tell that something’s bothering you,” she continues. “Now, I’m not sure how much help I can be, but…”

What’s bothering him is one of the few things he doesn’t want his mom hearing about. Telling her about Kyungsoo seems too real , somehow—another space in his life for Kyungsoo to occupy, probably the most meaningful one. 

He settles for something vague, hoping that Mom will understand in the way she always seems to. “I just feel like I always come so close to what I actually want, but I never get it,” Baekhyun confesses.

Mom hums thoughtfully. “And you’re sure you’re closer than when you started?”

“Yes?”

“So why give up when you’re so close?” she says plainly.

If only it were as simple as that. Kyungsoo has to actually want him back.

Monday comes with a sense of dread that Baekhyun isn’t able to shake. Kyungsoo brushes past him in the hallway without even so much as a wayward glance, and it stings more than Baekhyun cares to admit. 

Thankfully, most of his schedule is occupied by a photoshoot he has to monitor for a client. The assignment is simple enough—scurry around greeting everyone, shoot some videos for social media, make sure that the model leaves wanting to work with the company again. 

Baekhyun suspects Jongdae sent him instead of Sehun so he can take it easy for a bit. He almost wishes his manager wasn’t so concerned or overly involved because it means he’s being pretty obvious with his mood, but Baekhyun can’t deny he really needs the break in his routine.

He arrives at the studio early, getting the lowdown from the photographer and stylists. The model arrives soon after, dressed in an unassuming flannel and beanie, and is ushered quickly into a chair so the makeup artists can descend on him.

Baekhyun has worked with plenty of celebrities, but he can’t help being a little starstruck with Kai. The pictures don’t really do him any justice—he caught only a glimpse before the manager pulled him aside to talk about the script for the short promotional video they’re going to shoot, but it was enough to paint a pretty picture, Kai’s face still stunning even without makeup.

He gathers himself enough to get behind the camera and snap a few pictures, blushing furiously when he manages to catch Kai’s eyes in between. Baekhyun supposes he’s unfamiliar in that sense; he must have been expecting Sehun.

Apart from that, the hours pass by without incident. Even the raw pictures look excellent from where Baekhyun peers over the photographer’s shoulder, enough that they have difficulty picking out which ones to use for the campaign.

Bowing gratefully to everyone in the studio, Baekhyun gathers his things to leave—but not before Kai himself catches up to him in the entrance hallway, smiling amiably down at him.

Mildly perturbed, Baekhyun smiles back, eyes darting here and there in an effort to not look directly into Kai’s face. “Um, hello. Thank you again for doing the shoot,” he says sincerely.

Kai’s smile grows wider. “No problem, all in a day’s work." 

He doesn’t say anything after that, but he makes no move to let Baekhyun through the hallway, either, which prompts him to ask, “Uh—did you need anything? Your manager approved the posts, so…”

Kai shakes his head. “Not really—well, I do need something,” he amends, scratching at the back of his head. It’s an unusually cute gesture from someone so confident in himself. “Your number.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widen. “Um—in a professional capacity?” he asks haltingly.

Kai laughs a bit, shaking his head again. “No, uh—I was wondering if we could go out for drinks later, now that the shoot is over?” His smile is tentative, now, a little nervous and endearing. No wonder the boy has people tripping all over him.

Baekhyun wracks his brain for an answer. There’s an obvious one, of course—he’d be an idiot to refuse. But there’s a part of him that’s not ready to move on, yet, a stubborn part that’s still holding onto his unreciprocated feelings for Kyungsoo. An irrational part that thinks this would be a betrayal.

But Kyungsoo wouldn’t care, would he? There’s no reason to be loyal. 

It’s a betrayal of himself, maybe, attempting to move on in such an impulsive way. It’s not like him to find a rebound. But there was no relationship to rebound from in the first place, and he’s already gone way beyond his comfort zone in the past few months than he has his entire life.

This is what people do, don’t they? Date and hang out until they get sick of each other and date again, ad nauseam. Although they probably don’t have the same pessimism about it that Baekhyun does. But Kai looks so gorgeous and earnest, like another bad decision Baekhyun wants to make.

“Of course.” Baekhyun tries for his best smile, handing his phone over to Kai. “Put your number in and you can send me the details?”

“Great,” Kai beams, keying his number in and passing the phone back to Baekhyun. ‘Jongin’, Kai’s real name, blinks up at him from his contacts app. “See you later?”

“It’s a date,” Baekhyun promises, and Jongin’s grin grows wider, waving at him one final time before retreating back into the studio.

Huffing out a deep breath, Baekhyun leans against the wall, still processing. A model just asked him—him, Baekhyun—out on a date. He chuckles disbelievingly at his own fortune. It’s a bit exciting, he’ll admit, to know that he’s still got it.

The boost to his confidence doesn’t lessen his nerves, though, and he sends a question mark laden text to Jongdae informing him of the recent developments before booking it to his car. He has a date to get ready for, after all.

The bar Jongin asks him to meet up in is upscale and private, at the penthouse level of a building overlooking the city. Baekhyun thanks his past self for deciding to dress up a bit for the night. He doesn’t look too out of place among the swanky, attractive people milling around—not that Jongin seems to mind, complimenting him on his outfit as he ushers them into a private booth.

He catches a glimpse of Jongin’s lock screen—a little boy and a little girl kissing both of his cheeks. “Um—I’m not stealing you away from the wife and kids, am I?” Baekhyun titters nervously. There was no indication of either from Baekhyun’s cursory Naver search, but he can never be too sure.

To his relief, Jongin laughs, explaining, “No, they’re my sister’s kids. Cute, right?” 

Baekhyun lights up, finally finding some common ground. They trade cute kid stories about their nieces and nephews over appetizers and martinis—Baekhyun sipping much, much slower than usual from his glass—and they gossip about the companies and talent they’ve worked with in the past, easing into the conversation.

Despite his slight awkwardness, Jongin is entertaining to talk to, animated and lively with a slight innocence that makes Baekhyun smile. And he’s beautiful, of course, but Baekhyun can’t find it in him to put it on, as it were, to flirt recklessly or make suggestive remarks or whatever it is he’s supposed to be doing.

It’s wholly unfair to Jongin because he said yes to the date in the first place, but Baekhyun is finding it difficult to get excited at this new prospect, not when he’s still thinking about—

“Babe, I said I’m sorry,” a familiar voice says next to him. “I’ll change for the better.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widen in shock, craning his neck upward to see none other than Kyungsoo standing by their table. “What the fuck —”

“C’mon, let’s talk outside,” Kyungsoo continues, not even glancing at Jongin. “Please?”

To his credit, Jongin doesn’t look the least bit offended, gesturing towards Baekhyun. “By all means." 

“I’m so sorry,” Baekhyun apologizes profusely, sliding out of the booth. “This’ll just be a moment.”

He follows Kyungsoo to the deserted rooftop garden, still utterly bewildered at this turn of events. When Kyungsoo finally turns to face him, face not even a little bit apologetic, Baekhyun snaps.

“What the hell is your problem?” he explodes. “How did you even know I was here?”

“Jongdae mentioned it at the office,” Kyungsoo explains, waving a hand as though it’s unimportant. “He was gloating about how you scored a date with some model.”

“That fucking…”

“Don’t go on the date,” Kyungsoo requests.

Flabbergasted, Baekhyun replies, “I’m already on the date—you interrupted it!”

“Don’t finish it, then,” Kyungsoo amends hurriedly.

Huffing out in disbelief, Baekhyun starts, “Look, what gives you the right to—”

“I don’t want to be a—a lesson, just someone that passes by and makes you realize that you deserve more,” Kyungsoo says, eyes wide and beseeching. “I don’t want to end things. I want to be your boyfriend.”

Time stops. This can’t be right—Baekhyun must have heard wrong, because there’s no way Kyungsoo is asking him—

“When I heard you were going on a date, I got so distracted I couldn’t finish a single deliverable. And when I thought about you going home with him—” Kyungsoo scowls so deeply Baekhyun would laugh if he weren’t so bewildered. “I know you wouldn't, but still —”

“Kyungsoo—” he tries.

“I know I’m not your ideal guy, or prince charming—I can’t give you the whirlwind romance you deserve, but—I’ll care for you,” Kyungsoo swears. “I’ll cherish everything about you. I’d like to call you mine, if you’ll let me.”

There’s no mistaking that. A smile spreads across Baekhyun’s face, a small laugh escaping from his lips before he speaks. “Idiot,” he says fondly, heart racing a mile a minute.

Kyungsoo furrows his brows, slightly offended. “What…?”

“If you were trying to say you like me, then I like you, too,” Baekhyun says breathlessly.

Kyungsoo’s answer is equally winded. “Really?”

“That’s why I broke it off,” Baekhyun explains giddily. “I wanted to move on—that’s why I agreed to the date.”

Kyungsoo is smiling now, dazed but thrilled. “I’m glad I came on time, then.”

Baekhyun punches him lightly on the arm. “But don’t you ever do that to me again!”

“I mean, I won’t have to if we’re dating—” Kyungsoo earns another punch for that, laughing as he says, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“I’m going back in there—I don’t want it to look like Jongin got stood up.” Baekhyun bites his lip, equal parts infuriated and elated at Kyungsoo’s smug expression. “But I’m dealing with you when we’re done!”

Kyungsoo smiles, reaching out to take one of Baekhyun’s hands in his. “You look really nice,” he says, eyes sparkling.

“I know that, dickhead,” Baekhyun retorts, though he’s grinning as he yanks his hand out of Kyungsoo’s grasp. “Meet you downstairs?”

“Absolutely,” Kyungsoo beams, eyes flickering towards the bar. “Don’t look at his face, though. I can’t compete with that.”

Baekhyun laughs. “Don’t worry—there’s no competition.”

He finds Jongin still at the booth, waiting expectantly for Baekhyun to return. The warm, fuzzy feelings from Kyungsoo’s confession dissipate a little bit. He still has to let this really nice guy down, which he hasn’t had much practice with recently.

“Hey, I’m really sorry about that,” Baekhyun starts, sitting back down on his side of the booth.

Jongin waves a hand. “Was that your boyfriend?”

“God, no!” Baekhyun protests. “I wouldn’t have agreed to the date if I already had one.”

“Who is he to you, then?”

“He was my, uh… friends with benefits, I guess, but we were never friends in the first place.”

“And you caught feelings?” Jongin hums, taking a sip of his drink.

Wincing, Baekhyun asks, “That obvious?”

Jongin puts his glass down. “I’d like to think I can tell if someone is romantically interested in me or not,” he says knowingly.

Baekhyun shrinks further into his seat, burying his face in his hands. “Oh god, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” comes Jongin’s amused voice. “We had a nice conversation, anyway. I was really looking forward to getting to know you more.”

Baekhyun peers at Jongin between his fingers. He doesn’t look too miffed, at least, so he puts his hands down and says, “Me, too. Um—we could still be friends, if you’re up for it?” It’s not a hollow offer.

“Definitely,” Jongin beams. “Talk soon?”

“Very soon,” Baekhyun promises. “Thanks so much for tonight. I really enjoyed it.”

“No problem.” Jongin waves his hand again, shooing him away. “Go get your man.”

Baekhyun drops by the bar to pay for the bill—because really, it’s the least he could do—though he winces when he sees the receipt. He’s definitely holding the price of a free date over Kyungsoo’s head.

The ride to Kyungsoo’s condo is filled with charged silence. Baekhyun has difficulty putting a name to the feeling in the pit of his stomach—dread? Impatience? They have a lot to talk about, after all. It’s clear that Kyungsoo is anxious, though, his nervous energy so adorable that Baekhyun reaches over to squeeze his hand on the gear shift in reassurance. Kyungsoo smiles at him, shoulders relaxing, and turns his eyes back on the road, breathing deeply.

Neither of them speak even as they walk through the empty lobby, as they stare at each other through the elevator mirrors. Kyungsoo doesn’t let go of his hand for a single moment, not when he leads Baekhyun to his unit or types in the passcode. He opens the door, pauses, and turns to Baekhyun.

“Sorry about the date,” Kyungsoo says remorsefully.

Baekhyun smiles, releasing Kyungsoo’s hand so he can squeeze Kyungsoo’s shoulder in understanding. “It’s okay.”

“No, our relationship started off on the wrong foot,” Kyungsoo insists. “It was rude to barge in like that.”

“Kyungsoo, I haven’t said yes,” Baekhyun points out.

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen. “Oh, shit. W-well—what’s your answer?”

“Maybe? I’m not sure yet.” Baekhyun chews on his lip, watching Kyungsoo try to shift his expression into something more neutral, less disappointed. “I’m not sure that you’re sure yet,” Baekhyun clarifies hastily. “You said you didn’t want a relationship, and work was your life…”

“You're just as much of a workaholic as I am,” Kyungsoo points out, relaxing. “And… someone changed my opinion.”

It’s Baekhyun’s turn to be shocked, barely able to eke out his question. “Really?”

“When you said we should stop… seeing each other, I… it wasn’t like the other times.” Kyungsoo ducks his head, frowning—not in displeasure, but in deep thought. “I’ve ended things with my other sexual partners just fine. But when I got home from work and you were out of my sight, it reminded me that every second you weren’t with me, you were looking for someone like me… it felt horrible.”

Baekhyun can’t bring himself to respond, his heart pounding loudly enough it almost drowns out all thought. It’s hard to believe that he made Kyungsoo rethink what he wanted, who he wanted in his life. But there’s no reason for Kyungsoo to lie about this, and Baekhyun can see the truth in his words, his urgency to reach Baekhyun before anyone else got to him.

“I, uh… I’ve done a lot of thinking these past few weeks. Tried to turn it around in my head, looking for an explanation.” Kyungsoo looks up at him again, eyes shining and honest. “But the truth is just that I miss you. I meant it when I said I can’t get enough of you. Not just the sex—I was just getting to know you, and then suddenly… nothing.”

“Kyungsoo…”

“I couldn’t bring myself to talk to you about anything other than work while I was still figuring things out, and you made it clear that you just wanted to be coworkers,” Kyungsoo continues. “Every time you talked to me you looked so miserable, but you smile and laugh so easily around the others—I found myself wondering if I ever made you smile like that.”

God. When Kyungsoo gets going, he can keep going. Baekhyun takes a deep breath to steady his heartbeat, reaching out to hold Kyungsoo’s hand again. “Can we go inside?” he asks quietly.

Kyungsoo nods, lowering his gaze in embarrassment. 

It’s Baekhyun who leads him in, this time. They sit on the little platform at the entrance of the apartment, taking their shoes off by the entryway, lining them up neatly next to each other on the rack. Even though they’re pressed against each other’s sides, Kyungsoo still isn’t meeting his eyes, hands clasped between his knees. 

“Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun calls gently. “Look at me, would you?”

Kyungsoo swallows, finally lifting his head.

“I really missed you too,” Baekhyun confesses. “I ended things between us because it hurt that none of it was real. I wanted it to be real. You gave me so much more than I expected, but I wanted everything, so I cut my losses before I could get too attached. But I already was.” His smile is a little wobbly, he feels, only growing surer at the hope in Kyungsoo’s eyes. “I feel the same way—I like you so much.”

“I feel like there’s a but,” Kyungsoo says warily.

“But I’ve been burned before, jumping headfirst into things, so…” Baekhyun hesitates. He knows Kyungsoo will understand—it’s asking that’s the hard part. “Can we wait?”

To his relief, Kyungsoo finally smiles. “Of course.”

“I’m not saying no,” Baekhyun adds nervously.

“I know. We did things in the wrong order, so you want to slow down,” Kyungsoo says. It sounds so simple, coming from him.

Baekhyun nods, throat tight with emotion. They’ve said and done it all already—what’s a little waiting for his answer if it’s already a foregone conclusion? 

But Baekhyun, in his desperation to not be alone, adjusted to other peoples’ whims, moved at the pace they set just so he could say he was with someone. It took him a while to figure out that no one had bothered to ask or care about what he wanted for himself. And when he did say it—he was a prude, he was playing hard to get, he wasn’t worth the time and effort. Everyone had given up on him, so Baekhyun had given up altogether.

And to think that Kyungsoo was there all along, that Baekhyun could have known this side of him sooner if he had just given him the chance. He could almost laugh—his biggest enemy was always himself.

“Baekhyun?” Kyungsoo calls, covering Baekhyun’s hand with his own.

“I said we should wait. I didn’t say you can’t kiss me,” Baekhyun says, flushed and wanting.

He feels Kyungsoo’s smile against his lips when they kiss, the first one in a long while, sweet and full of hope.

Baekhyun wakes up with Kyungsoo’s head nestled in the crook of his shoulder, his arms around Baekhyun’s waist as always. It’s odd waking up like this—he’s only ever slept over at Kyungsoo’s to, well, sleep with him, but there’s no evidence of that today. Worn out from the excitement of the night, they’d both passed out the moment they hit the mattress, trading clumsy kisses until they fell asleep. 

He pulls Kyungsoo closer, burying his nose in the hair at the crown of his head. His back is cold, but he thinks he likes this, too, Kyungsoo’s leg thrown over his and clinging to him with all his might like he’s going to leave in his sleep somehow. 

Maybe even awake, too. Unwilling to let Baekhyun go just yet, Kyungsoo tells him to borrow his clothes for work—a decision Baekhyun suspects is more for Kyungsoo’s benefit than his. While he makes breakfast, Baekhyun roots around in the closet for clothes that won’t make him look like he’s wearing a Do Kyungsoo, Marketing and Advertising Manager cosplay. 

He settles on a plain white dress shirt and a sweater vest he’s never seen Kyungsoo wear before, who looks exceedingly pleased when Baekhyun emerges fully dressed into the kitchen. Rolling his eyes, he sits down at the table as Kyungsoo presents to him a plate stacked high with pancakes. 

“I was feeling lazy, sorry,” he shrugs, grabbing a bottle of syrup from the fridge.

Baekhyun gapes at him. “This is lazy?”

“It’s batter poured into a pan,” Kyungsoo answers in amusement, drawing up his own chair and sitting in front of Baekhyun, placing the bottle of syrup between them. “I wanted to make something special, but I don’t think we have enough time for that.”

This fucking jerk. Baekhyun kicks Kyungsoo’s shin lightly under the table, drizzling a healthy amount of syrup on his pancakes. “So the courting begins, huh?”

“Is it working?” Kyungsoo asks with a simper.

“You know you’re a good cook, quit fishing for compliments,” Baekhyun mutters, though he gives Kyungsoo a kiss while they’re washing the dishes for his efforts.

The drive to the office is spent catching up on the few weeks they ignored each other. Apparently, Kyungsoo spent his leave camping alone in Gangwon-do, his family joining him over the long weekend. It’s hard to picture Kyungsoo in such a laissez-faire environment, but he would probably thrive there, living off the land or whatever it is that people who go camping do.

His weekend at his parents’ spent stuffing his face with Mom’s cooking sounds dull in comparison, but Kyungsoo listens raptly all the same, asking about what kind of food Baekhyun likes. He can practically see Kyungsoo filing this information away for later, intent on using Baekhyun’s weakness for food against him. He’s not complaining, though. Kyungsoo’s cooking is that good.

Before long, they’re pulling up to their building. Instead of going around the side to park in the basement, Kyungsoo stops the car in the drop off area up front, pressing the hazard light on. 

Baekhyun looks over at him, raising his brows questioningly. “Something wrong?”

“We can’t go up together,” Kyungsoo sighs.

Baekhyun laughs, reaching over to squeeze Kyungsoo’s bicep. “You go park the car, Manager Do. I’ll grab a coffee from the cafe.”

“Alright.” Kyungsoo thumps his head against the headrest, groaning, “Fuck, those backlogs are gonna kill me today.”

“Aw,” Baekhyun coos. “Good luck catching up.”

“And whose fault was it that I was so distracted?” Kyungsoo grumbles, though his tone lacks the snark that it usually has.

Baekhyun gently tugs on his tie so they’re facing each other. Kyungsoo looks at him expectantly, gaze flitting from his eyes to his mouth, but Baekhyun only smiles and straightens out Kyungsoo’s collar where it’s turned up at the back of his neck. “See you upstairs,” Baekhyun says with one last pat on Kyungsoo’s tie.

Kyungsoo purses his lips in annoyance. “Get out of my car, you tease.”

Grinning, Baekhyun does as he says, blowing a flying kiss through the open car window. Kyungsoo dodges in disgust, though he smiles back when Baekhyun tells him to have a nice day at work.

Baekhyun runs into Jongdae alone in the elevator up to their office, immediately attaching himself to his manager’s side. Bewildered, Jongdae checks his watch—it’s only a little past eight, but Baekhyun usually clocks in closer to nine because of how far his apartment is.

Shit. He doesn’t have his briefcase or any kind of bag, either, just the drink in his hand. Maybe it’ll be a little obvious when they walk into the office and only Kyungsoo is there—but Jongdae wouldn’t put that together, would he?

“Early bird today, huh?” Jongdae questions.

Baekhyun tries for his sunniest smile. “Just woke up on the right side of the bed.”

Jongdae hums, unconvinced. “So how was the date? Must have gone well, if you’re in such a good mood.”

While in line at the coffee shop, he’d gotten a text from Jongin asking how’d it go with ur man? “Could have gone better,” Baekhyun shrugs. “But everything worked out alright.”

“O-kay,” Jongdae trails off, narrowing his eyes at Baekhyun. “Well, it’s good to see you back to your usual annoying self.”

“Pssh. You love me,” Baekhyun leers, threading his arm through Jongdae’s. He gets an elbow in his ribs for an answer.

Jongdae is right, though. He’s felt more himself than he has in weeks; he hadn’t even realized how heavy the weight on his shoulders was until it was lifted. 

When he and Jongdae clock into the office, even Kyungsoo is back to business as usual, clacking away at his keyboard with a vengeance. Chanyeol, ever the expert on Kyungsoo’s subtle moods, keeps frowning over at his cubicle. He can practically see the gears turning in Chanyeol’s head, trying to figure out what changed between yesterday and today. 

Baekhyun smiles to himself, ducking his head as he boots his laptop up. He feels a little guilty keeping this from the people who know him and Kyungsoo well enough to notice what’s different, but they’ll just have to wait.

Who knew Kyungsoo could be so cute? Baekhyun replies with a plethora of crying and heart emojis, changing Kyungsoo’s contact name to something more appropriate.

Kyungsoo finds him sitting at the bottom of the emergency staircase a little after noon, Baekhyun grinning up at him as he finds his seat on the steps. He looks a little worn out, his perfectly coiffed hair coming undone across his forehead. “Did you wanna talk?” Kyungsoo asks.

Baekhyun places a can of americano coffee into Kyungsoo’s hands. “It just looked like you needed a break.”

Kyungsoo smiles, cracks the can open, and says morosely, “I hate whoever invented replying to emails. If I have to send another ‘gentle reminder’ I’m gonna lose it.”

Baekhyun chuckles, petting Kyungsoo’s head patronizingly as he takes a sip from his drink. Kyungsoo glares at him, putting the can down, though his gaze quickly turns to where Baekhyun has laced their fingers together on his lap. After a moment’s hesitation, Baekhyun lunges forward, planting a kiss on Kyungsoo’s cheek.

Kyungsoo slaps his free hand to his face. “What was that for?” he demands, eyes wide and ears red.

Baekhyun pulls away, his own cheeks aflame. “Kissing’s not allowed, then?” he asks with false bravado.

“It definitely is,” Kyungsoo agrees, leaning in expectantly. 

“Slow down, tiger,” Baekhyun laughs. “We’re still at work. Let’s keep it rated G.”

Kyungsoo looks disappointed, which only makes Baekhyun want to tease him more. “Ugh. I’ve never hated work this much.”

“We can have dinner at my place when you’re done,” Baekhyun suggests, squeezing Kyungsoo’s hand.

“You sure?” Kyungsoo asks apprehensively. “You need some time to yourself, too, and I have so much left to do… “

“I’ll help you.”

“Really?”

“Uh huh.”

Kyungsoo gets this unreadable look on his face, staring at Baekhyun long enough that he starts to giggle nervously—but all Kyungsoo does is wrap his arms around Baekhyun, hooking his chin on Baekhyun’s shoulder.

“What’s this now?” he laughs, arms coming up to embrace Kyungsoo back.

Kyungsoo’s answer is muffled into the fleece of his vest. “I’m recharging.”

Smiling, Baekhyun melts into the hug a little, too. Not for the first time today, it dawns on him how bizarre this all is; a few months ago, if someone told him he’d be hugging Do Kyungsoo at the bottom of the emergency staircase in their office, he would have thought they were pulling an elaborate prank.

But the strangest, most wonderful thing has happened to him—now, he lives in a world where holding Kyungsoo like this is as easy as breathing.

“Still sure you wanna help me?” Kyungsoo murmurs. “This is your last call.”

“I’m sure, I’m sure,” Baekhyun giggles.

“Thank you.”

With one last regretful squeeze, Baekhyun pulls away, his hands on Kyungsoo’s shoulders. “I think you’re full up. Let's get back to work, Manager Do.”

“Alright,” Kyungsoo concedes, picking up the coffee can beside him. He glances at Baekhyun again, who braces himself for another hug attack—but all Kyungsoo does is leave a kiss on his cheek, quick enough that he has no time to react.

“Hey!” Baekhyun exclaims, laughing as Kyungsoo runs up the stairs without another word.

Ever the control freak, Kyungsoo struggles with giving Baekhyun his car keys on their way down to the parking level. His exhaustion wins out in the end, though, barely dragging himself into the passenger seat as Baekhyun happily revs up the car.

“Your car is so nice,” Baekhyun observes, adjusting the rear view mirror. “Is this what you get on a manager’s salary?”

“You’ll find out for yourself soon enough,” Kyungsoo answers, strapping himself to the seat and leaning it all the way back with a sigh. “Careful with my car, Byun.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Baekhyun says seriously, pulling out of Kyungsoo’s parking space.

It’s quiet for a while, Baekhyun thinking that Kyungsoo is already asleep, when a hand comes up to stroke at his shoulder. Baekhyun nearly jumps out of his skin, carefully stepping on the brakes as they reach a red light. He looks over to the passenger seat, bewildered, where a groggy Kyungsoo is eyeing him.

“This is cute,” he mumbles, letting his hand fall from Baekhyun’s shoulder. “The sweater vest suits you. It emphasizes your shoulders.”

Baekhyun bites back a grin. “Wow, fashion advice from Manager Do Kyungsoo.”

“Just take the fucking compliment,” Kyungsoo sighs.

“My shoulders, huh.”

“And your neck…”

“Noted,” Baekhyun answers, unable to hide his smile. When he looks over at Kyungsoo again, he’s already passed out, cheek mushed against the seatbelt.

When they reach the apartment, Baekhyun doesn’t even let Kyungsoo step foot into the kitchen, yet another thing he puts up a fight about. Baekhyun must be more persuasive than he thinks he is—or Kyungsoo is more lenient than he lets on—because even though he grumbles all the way to the bathroom he lets Baekhyun make dinner unsupervised.

He’s reading through the kimchi jjigae recipe his mom sent him when a bespectacled Kyungsoo trudges back into the kitchen, tapping away at his laptop on the dining table. Baekhyun’s eyes rove over Kyungsoo’s shoulders, dwarfed by the shirt from his closet. Maybe Kyungsoo was right about this clothes thing.

Baekhyun lets Kyungsoo have his fun while he’s washing the rice and prepping the ingredients, but the moment he hears a sigh, he turns around to glare at Kyungsoo meaningfully.

Kyungsoo looks up from his laptop, the screen reflecting off his glasses. “What?”

“Put the laptop away, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun chastises, stirring gochujang into the pot.

“I’m just worried. I want it to go smoothly.”

“C’mon, nothing’s ever gonna be perfect. You need to be ready for that, too.”

Kyungsoo sighs again. “That's exactly why I keep double checking everything.”

“Sure, it pays to be meticulous, but you can barely sit up,” Baekhyun reasons, frowning as he turns to face Kyungsoo. “You trust Chanyeol and the others to do their job, right?”

“Of course,” Kyungsoo frowns. 

“So why do their job for them?” Baekhyun asks sternly. “You guys will be fine.”

With one final, conflicted look at his laptop screen, Kyungsoo closes it up and sets it aside on the coffee table. 

Beaming, Baekhyun turns his attention back to the soup bubbling away on the stove. He slides the tofu on the chopping board into the pot, sighing in relief as he covers it with the lid. At least Kyungsoo will be able to eat an actual meal tonight.

A pair of arms wrap around him from behind, and Baekhyun almost curls up into himself like a pillbug at the nuzzle of Kyungsoo’s nose into his neck. “I knew it. You’re ticklish here,” Kyungsoo notes, smug.

“It’s not like it was a secret,” Baekhyun mumbles, relaxing when Kyungsoo tightens his arms around him. It’s almost overly warm with Kyungsoo at his back and the stove in front of him, but it’s pleasant. 

“Cooking for me in my clothes is such a turn on, you know,” Kyungsoo says lowly into his ear, causing Baekhyun to repress a full-body shiver.

He halfheartedly elbows Kyungsoo behind him. “You’re such a horny bastard.”

“It takes one to know one.”

“Though I can’t say I hate seeing you in casual clothes, either,” Baekhyun muses, turning around so he’s leaning against the kitchen counter. Kyungsoo’s hands don’t leave his waist. “I mean, the suits are nice, but this is just for me.”

“Hmm. Thanks for helping me out,” Kyungsoo says sheepishly. “I thought I was supposed to be the one courting you.”

Baekhyun smiles. “You can get a pass for today. From one workaholic to another, I’ve become pretty good at sensing burnout.”

“God, I know. I’m so tired,” Kyungsoo groans, thumping this forehead onto Baekhyun’s chest. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“Why are you being so cute today?” Baekhyun wonders, ruffling his hair. “I think I like Tired Kyungsoo more than Fired Up Kyungsoo.”

“You like me regardless of my tiredness level.”

“Confident, aren’t you?” Baekhyun snorts. “Well, you should be.”

“Ugh, stop being so nice,” Kyungsoo complains, though Baekhyun can hear the smile in his voice. “I feel like I’m walking into a trap.”

“Should I be mean to my not-boyfriend, then?” Baekhyun teases.

Kyungsoo looks up with narrowed eyes. “It’s also mean to string me along like that.”

“Keep that up, and you won’t get an answer.”

“Oh, no…” Kyungsoo laments tonelessly, sneaking his fingertips under the hem of Baekhyun’s sweater vest. Baekhyun leans forward and kisses him, slow and unhurried. 

He likes this kind of kiss more than all the others they’ve shared—spurred by need and not purpose, hasty because they both wanted instant gratification. Kyungsoo was right about him wanting to slow down. They fell into all of this too quickly, too unconventionally, especially for Baekhyun. 

Maybe the attraction was always there, Baekhyun thinks, sliding his fingers into the soft hair at the base of Kyungsoo’s neck. Maybe it manifested in the wrong ways—in fights and petty disagreements. Maybe they acted on the tension in the wrong way, too. But does doing things the wrong way matter when it’s led him to the right person?

Baekhyun chuckles at his phone, stretching further across the couch as he tries to formulate a reply. Kyungsoo looks up from where he’s peeling fruit at the other end, shoving Baekhyun’s feet off his lap. “What’s so funny?”

“Jongdae is asking me what I’m doing right now,” Baekhyun explains, scrolling through his collection of sticker replies. “If I answer for real, he’s gonna piss himself.”

“Why don’t you? Tell him for real, I mean,” Kyungsoo suggests.

Baekhyun sits up, hardly believing his ears. “Uh, HR?”

“Jongdae isn’t HR.”

“He could tell HR.”

“Does Jongdae seem like the kind of person to rat someone out?”

“No,” Baekhyun admits, frowning at the messages on his phone. “Are you really okay with this? Telling Jongdae about us?”

“To be honest, keeping it a secret is kind of…” Kyungsoo chews thoughtfully on an orange wedge. “I mean, I get why—but it’s weird to have no one else to talk about it with. This matters enough that I can’t just keep it to myself.” 

Baekhyun is stunned into stillness, eyes widening as he gapes at Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo looks up from the fruit bowl and laughs nervously, saying, “Only if you’re comfortable with it, of course.”

“I am,” Baekhyun breathes, gripping his phone tighter in his hand.

“Okay.” Kyungsoo smiles. “Because Chanyeol has noticed something’s different about us, and if Chanyeol is catching on…” 

“Right,” Baekhyun laughs. “You handle Chanyeol while I tell Jongdae?”

Kyungsoo nods, busying himself with peeling more fruit. Baekhyun snaps a sneaky picture, sends it off to Jongdae, and sets his phone aside on the coffee table to be ignored.

Kyungsoo throws him a questioning look when Baekhyun sidles up to him, grasping his jaw so they’re facing each other. “Someone’s busy,” Baekhyun observes.

“Someone wanted fruit for dessert,” Kyungsoo rebuts, gaze dropping to Baekhyun’s mouth.

“I’ve changed my mind.”

Baekhyun closes the distance between them, tasting the mix of acidity and sweetness on Kyungsoo’s lips. They’re both smiling when they pull away, stupidly drunk on each other, and Kyungsoo’s heart-shaped grin is so cute Baekhyun can’t resist diving in for another peck.

Laughing, Kyungsoo asks, “Are you gonna be a needy puppy all the time?”

“Absolutely,” Baekhyun answers happily, bumping his nose with Kyungsoo’s for emphasis.

Kyungsoo jerks away, pinching the bridge of his nose in disbelief as he smiles at Baekhyun. “God. This is all so…”

Baekhyun knows exactly what he means. Suddenly shy, he clings onto Kyungsoo’s arm and hides his face in his shoulder. “Yeah. Who would have thought?”

“Absolutely no one,” Kyungsoo agrees, his free hand circling Baekhyun’s wrist. 

It feels juvenile to be bashful at this—the most innocuous expression of affection—when they’ve already seen everything, done everything that couples do. But without the end goal of sex, there’s new meaning to each little action. It’s an odd revelation of intimacy; the motions are familiar, but not any less worth repeating, maybe even better for each repetition. Kyungsoo is kissing him, holding him because he cares for him. Not because he wants something from him.

“I know I asked you to be my boyfriend, but…” Kyungsoo begins, stroking his thumb across the back of Baekhyun’s hand. “To be honest, I don’t know how to date anymore. Wasn’t really good at it in the first place.”

Baekhyun smiles into the fabric of Kyungsoo’s— his —shirt. “You think I know any more than you?”

“Well… you have all these expectations for a relationship. I’m not that kind of person.” Kyungsoo’s shoulder is too comfy to look up from, so Baekhyun contents himself with imagining his frown. “I’m not a romantic.”

“What the fuck do I know about romance?” Baekhyun snorts. “It’s the blind leading the blind." 

Kyungsoo chuckles, drawing him closer. “I’m glad you gave me a chance, anyway.”

“I’d be an idiot not to,” Baekhyun says frankly. “Teenage me would faint if he knew he’d be seeing someone this hot.”

Kyungsoo laughs again, the sound coming from deep inside his chest, and Baekhyun can’t resist, peeling away from Kyungsoo to see him smile. “Stop complimenting me, my teeth are gonna rot,” Kyungsoo complains unconvincingly.

“So you’re calling me sweet?” Baekhyun teases.

“I’m calling you cheesy,” Kyungsoo shoots back, pinching Baekhyun’s cheek.

“Hmm,” Baekhyun grumbles, crossing his arms in a fake huff. “And just when I was about to ask you out on our first date.”

Kyungsoo’s smile softens, eyes sparkling at the question. “Yeah?”

“This Saturday. You’re choosing the restaurant, of course. And I think it’s only fair that you pay.”

“Of course.”

“And I’ll think of… something else to do other than eat.”

Grinning, Kyungsoo grabs at his hips, pulling Baekhyun to him so he’s straddling Kyungsoo’s lap. “You’re right,” Kyungsoo agrees, tipping his head against the back of the couch to stare up at Baekhyun with barely concealed affection. “We don’t know anything about romance.”

Kyungsoo looks so handsome like this—bare faced, all his intensity, his eyes only for Baekhyun. He cups Kyungsoo’s face with his hands, brings their foreheads together so their lips are a hair’s width apart. “At least we’ll get to figure it out together,” Baekhyun whispers.

“I’d like that,” Kyungsoo answers, and reaches up for one more kiss.