On the Clock | (c.hs)
PAIRING: Vernon x f. reader SUMMARY: Modern problems call for modern solutions, including naming a random stranger in the book store as your boyfriend to avoid an embarrassing encounter with your ex. The problem? The stranger is Vernon and heâs not supposed to be a stranger at all - heâs your coworker, and now everyone at the office - including your ex - thinks youâre dating. WC: 20,296 AU: Faking dating, Coworkers to Lovers, Romcom GENRE: Smut, some fluff and crack RATING: 18+ Minors are strictly prohibited from engaging in and reading this content. It contains explicit content and any minors discovered reading or engaging with this work will be blocked immediately. WARNINGS: Reader has some insecurity about how her working hard is perceived, some ranting about Being A Girlboss, a little bit of inner angst, my bad attempts at humor, readerâs ex boyfriend SUCKS sorry to all the Minhoâs of the world I named him after, explicit language, some minor commentary on power dynamics, Star Wars Lore, explicit sexual content including unprotected vaginal sex (never do this), oral (f. receiving), nipple play, vaginal fingering, multiple orgasms, a little bit of a handjob, some cum eating if you squint, Vernon was supposed to be a freak but I made him soft instead, mutual pining. A/N: Thank you to @camandemstudios for allowing me to be a part of the Lonely Hearts Collab. Iâm honored to be among such amazing writers and I cannot wait to see what everyone else wrote. A/N 2: Thank you to the (w)hor(e)anghae squad @daechwitatamic @eoieopda and @jihopesjoint for beta reading this and letting me blind pass it over so I wouldnât have to read it again because I donât like it :) Â
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WHOSOEVER SLAYETH CAIN SHALL SUFFER TENFOLD... OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT THE BIBLE SAYS. You havenât slayed Cain and youâre not really sure you believe in anything in the Bible, but youâre certainly suffering sevenfold. Eightfold. Ninefold.Â
Sevenfold had been earlier this morning when you dropped your glass of coffee on the ground, shattering your favorite cup and staining your white tile. Several Clorox wipes later, there is still brown stuck to the grout, looking a bit like you had an unseemly accident in the middle of your kitchen.Â
Eightfold had been when you decided to fix your weekend by heading to the bookstore. Surely purchasing books that you were going to let sit on your shelf months before reading would fix your day - until someone rear-ended you in the parking lot, leaving a good dent and an apologetic exchanging of numbers and insurance information.
Ninefold comes when you least expect it, standing in the aisle with a stack of books in your hand, eyes flickering over the different titles and ornate covers. You already feel better than you had this morning. The smell of paper, the whisper of turning pages, and the hum of the cafe brewing coffee in the distance immediately puts you at ease.Â
You swear nothing can put a damper on a good hour spent between shelves - until ninefold walks around the aisle corner.Â
The stack of books in your arm nearly drops to the ground when you see your ex-boyfriend hand-in-hand with his new girlfriend. You wheel around so fast you slam into the person behind you, which does knock all the books from your hands onto the floor.Â
A hissed curse leaves your lips followed by a quick apology. You drop to your knees, picking the books up as quickly as you can. The dude youâve collided with has also dropped his books, the amalgamation of your soon-to-be-purchases making it more difficult for you to pick up your shit and leave the scene before Minho sees you.Â
Minho says your name, surprised.Â
âFuck,â you whisper, fingers going rigid on the stack of books in your hand. You shoot to your feet and spin around, breathless as you come face to face with Minho and the new girlfriend that you definitely didnât look up on social media a few weeks ago. âHi, Minho.âÂ
âWow, itâs nice to see you not in the marketing department for once.âÂ
âWell, I work thereâŚâ You offer a bit sharply, tapering to adjust to a nicer tone. âHence, you know - finding me there.âÂ
âI meant you rarely leave there.â He laughs and you feign a grin, eyes flickering over to the rosy-cheeked and very glossy-haired girl on your exâs arm.
Good for her, you think. I wonder what hair product she uses.Â
âThis is Mina.â
âMina?â You ask, sticking your hand out as you shuffle your books awkwardly to the crook over your elbow. She smiles - god she has good teeth - and shakes your hand. âMina and⌠Minho. Easy to remember.âÂ
âItâs nice to meet you. Minho tells me youâre the only ex heâs ever left things on good terms with.âÂ
Your eye twitches.Â
Good terms was a serviceable way to put it, you suppose. Sure, there had been no fighting or infidelity or long distance that put a strain on your relationship. In fact, you hadnât been aware that there was a strain on your relationship until Minho was sitting you down on his couch and letting you know that it just wasnât working for him anymore.Â
That had been confusing. You hadnât asked any questions though, opting to sit and stare at him while clenching your teeth, nodding along while he explained that your inability to leave work at work and enjoy home while at home was wearing down on him.Â
Youâre not saving lives, heâd said. He had been earnest too, which is the crux of it. Youâre in marketing. You need to take a breather.Â
As if he didnât come home in a bad mood after shitty sales calls all day, as if he wasnât stressed when he didnât hit quota, or didnât complain about how long the department meeting went - you know. You were there, too.Â
So sure, you were on good terms. But only one of you seemed to have been unhappy with where things were going, and only one of you seems to have moved on to someone with really good hair genes and great dental hygiene.Â
Your tongue runs over your teeth, suddenly worried that youâd forgotten to brush them this morning.Â
âYeah,â you agree, clearing your throat and choking a bite. âGood terms are always the goodest - best way to end things.âÂ
âHeâs really hopeful youâll find someone,â she sighs, looking up at him dreamily. âHeâs always wanted the best for you.âÂ
A vein bursts in your head. Well- no. You wish the vein you feel throbbing in your head would burst and knock you out so youâd no longer have to suffer through this ninefold moment of suffering. Perhaps, even, a very attractive medic with glossy hair and good teeth could come save you and fall in love at first sight.Â
The genuine way that Minho and Mina look at you tells you that theyâre serious, that they see you as something that deserves love too. Said in a cooing voice, said patronizingly, said with a pat on the head and a firm pout.Â
You turn with your free hand, grabbing the sleeve of the man who is hovering behind you and pull him over to you, grin growing sevenfold. Eightfold.Â
âNo need to worry,â you assure them. âMy boyfriend is right here! The stars really did align for me, just like you hoped and dreamed.â
Your seconds-old-star-crossed-lover looks entirely startled, looking between you, Minho and Mina. His books are cradled against his chest, his brown eyes wide. Heâs actually incredibly cute, his glasses a little askewand his brown hair a little unruly.Â
âYouâre dating Vernon?âÂ
You look at Minho, blank. âWhat?âÂ
Minho looks at your Very Real Boyfriend. âYouâre dating Vernon? From IT?âÂ
Ninefold, meet Tenfold.Â
âOf course,â you answer slowly, looking at your partner of now thirty seconds. âI am dating Vernon⌠from IT.âÂ
Vernon (from IT) looks like he would rather be anywhere else than standing in the middle of the fantasy novel aisle with you at a bookstore, your nails digging tighter into his sleeve and your crazy eyes telling him to get with the program.Â
Vernon (from IT) clears his throat and nods, looking over at Minho. âYeah. Hey, Minho.âÂ
âWow. This is really unexpected.â
âIt sure is.â
Your nails dig in harder and Vernon (from IT) tries to pull away from you but you step closer, leaning toward him while flashing Minho and Mina a smile. âAnyway, no need to worry about me finding a relationship. I am very happy.âÂ
âFigures you found someone at work again.â He laughs, but the comment lands like a blow. You feel yourself flinch, smile going too tight. âYou really donât leave enough to find anyone else, huh?âÂ
Vernon (from IT) seems to notice, shifting toward you to slide his arm around your waist. The move startles you, drawing your attention to his face. He really is pretty this up close, his lips the perfect shade of bubblegum pink, his cheekbones high and hidden beneath the rim of his glasses, the tangy scent of citrus on his clothes.Â
âI like women who work really hard,â Vernon (from IT) assures Minho. âIâll never get tired of resetting her password over and over again because she loses all her sticky notes everytime the cleaning crew comes through.âÂ
If Minho senses the shift, he doesnât let on. Heâs never been great at social cues anyway, which is what makes him a decent salesman. Still, youâre eager to get out of their way and the glare of Minaâs shiny hair.Â
âWell,â You state. âWe have to get going.â
âFor sure. It was nice seeing you outside of work!âÂ
With a final nod, Vernon (from IT) tugs on your waist. You both navigate awkwardly down the aisle, steps not quite in time and hips bumping. Itâs uncomfortable and uncoordinated, but as soon as youâre around the aisle and away from your encounter, the two of you separate.Â
Vernon (from IT) looks anywhere but you. His cheeks are tinted pink as he looks up at the ceiling, shifting from foot to foot while you regain all your books in your arm. Embarrassment and gratitude both well up inside of you, one beating the other out.
âI am really sorry,â you blurt, voice a little loud. The people around you startle and you lower your pitch when Vernon (from IT) looks at you, chewing on his lip. âThank you - I donât even know how to say thank you for doing that.â
âI didnât have much of a choice.â
Your cheeks heat. âRight.â
âHappy to help, though. You can thank me by swapping books with me, though.â
âWhat?â
He gestures to your books. âI was standing behind you because you grabbed my books after you ran into me.âÂ
Oh. Right. You look down at the pile of books in your hand and see a few titles that you own, but did not plan on buying today. You divest yourself of his selections, taking the ones heâd collected off the ground from there.Â
âSo you really work in IT?â
He snorts. The sound is⌠a little off. You glance up at him, but his face gives away nothing. âYeah.â
âI didnât know.â
His smile is off, too. âI know.âÂ
Youâre unsure how to reply to that, but youâre also uneager to let him go, suddenly. Vernon (from IT) stands there for a second, lips pressed in a firm line and studying you. He really is beautiful, the light hitting his eyes in a way that turns them molten gold and-
âAlright well,â he interrupts your thoughts. âSee you later or something.âÂ
The urge to stop him strikes you, your mouth opening and closing. No words come out. You donât know what to say - or why you want to stop him, just that you do. He walks toward the front of the store to purchase his books, leaving you standing in the middle of the store and wishing youâd met Vernon (from IT) under different circumstances.Â
-
Routine is important to you, especially during the weekdays. Wake up, snooze your alarm for at least fifteen minutes, get up when the second one goes off. Groan as you feel every single joint in your body pop after sitting up in bed. Wonder if you really need a corporate job to pay your bills (decide the answer is yes), and get up to feed the furious beast yowling from the bed.Â
The ferocious beast in question has a routine as well. Perhaps not as important as yours, the cat knows when heâs supposed to be fed and when itâs even a minute past feeding time. Halloween takes his meals very seriously, which you respect.Â
Your morning continues with the monotonous rhythm youâve learned to appreciate: make coffee, shuffle back to your room into the ensuite bathroom for skin care, start your morning proper. The only thing that isnât the same thing every morning is your playlist and your outfit of choice, leading both items up to fate to decide.Â
A hint of spring is in the air when you step outside. Itâs that kind of sunny day with a cool breeze that promises longer days of sun ahead, despite still being brisk in the morning and biting when the sun sets.Â
Mornings during the days that hang between winter and spring are your favorite. You roll the windows down a little on your drive to work, fingers drumming against the steering wheel as you crawl along with all the other commuters.Â
Buildings shoot up toward the sky on either side of you. Dozens of banks, private firms, buildings with multiple different businesses and food courts become your entire world as you navigate to the parking garage. Itâs already full of cars, but you get special parking.
Well - special as of your promotion just a few weeks ago. The designated parking spot and title bump was all that had come with the promotion, though, much to your dismay.Â
Still. Youâd worked for this particular publishing house in the marketing department for close to a decade now. You werenât quite as far up the ladder as you wanted to be, but you were trying to get there little by little.Â
So close. No cigar.Â
The elevator of the parking garage opens to reveal other office workers already filling the mirror-walled space. You step in as everyone makes room, clutching their bags and briefcases a little closer. You see Mingyu from creative and flash him a polite grin, which is answered with a bright one of his own and a small wave.
When the people not associated with your company shuffle off on other floors, Mingyu slides over closer to you. Heâs one of the many designers in the art department, and definitely several rungs below your position, but you started the company at the same time together.
âHow was your weekend?â He asks, wagging his brows up and down.Â
You frown. His questions suggests thereâs something salacious to your wild weekend spent reading books with Halloween, but you donât think burning the bagel you ate for girl dinner or staying in the same shirt for forty-eight hours straight is what heâs looking for.Â
âIt was fine?â It comes out as a question. âHow was yours?âÂ
âHm. It was good. We went out to catch the big game. Seokmin got so drunk he vomited, and Vernon won all of the bets we placed before.âÂ
Mingyu leans forward, looking at you like youâre supposed to understand something. You donât get it, looking him up and down with a pinched brow.Â
âThatâs nice?â Again, it comes out as a question. âNot for Seokmin, I guess.âÂ
His eyes narrow. Pin you to your spot against the elevator wall.
Then the elevator dings, signalling that youâre at his floor. Creative is an entire level down from marketing, all dim lights and glowing screens for the designers hard at work. Mingyu gets off, still looking suspicious as the elevator doors close and you shoot up another floor.Â
Instead of focusing on it, you shrug it off. Mingyu has a penchant for being weird - a creative thing, in your opinion. As soon as the elevator door opens, his behavior is long forgotten as you slip into work mode.Â
Everyone greets you with a polite smile or small wave on the marketing floor. The main office is filled with grey-walled cubicles, employees popping up to peer over walls with mugs of coffee and protein shakes and breakfast items as they ask their neighbors how the weekend was.Â
A glass wall in the far back denotes the executive and director offices. You head for the one in the back, right corner. Instead of turning on your lights, you let the natural lighting from the floor-to-ceiling windows filter in, keeping the ambiance muted and relaxing. The only additional lights you flick on are the monitor light at your desk and a small salt lamp wedged between the books on one of the many shelves behind you.Â
Your office is still slowly being decorated. Youâd only moved in after your recent promotion, and itâs still bare of personalization, save for the salt lamp and a few things youâd moved in from your cubicle.Â
And the coffee machine - your own private, blessed coffee machine in the corner on a small bar cart. That might be your favorite thing about your office. You like your coworkers - for the most part, anyway - but being able to bury yourself in your work without having to interact with all of them every time you want coffee is nice.Â
Sitting down, you roll your shoulders. When your monitor flashes to life, you see the number of emails in your inbox and try not to groan out loud. Youâre thrilled to be the new Senior Director of Marketing, but youâve gone and made the mistake of becoming too important at work, most things unable to move forward without you playing some part in it.
In theory, that was one of the reasons Minho had broken up with you in the first place. Too buried in work, too many late nights at the office, too many dates or movie nights interrupted by the blue glow of your phone screen on your face while you answer urgent emails.Â
The thing is - you donât mind. It doesnât bother you to pause and send a quick email, or to stay late and help get something launched. You like the intricacies of being a problem solver, and with as fast as your company is growing and publishing new titles, youâve got challenge after challenge ahead of you.Â
Itâs easy to fall into the monotony of answering emails, joining virtual meetings and striking your pen through your to-do list. It fills three pages, but it feels good to cross something off, even if youâve only completed two things.Â
By lunchtime, someone is knocking on your window. You look up, surprised to see Seungkwan sticking his head in. Heâs the Manager of Digital Marketing and Social Media and heâs dubbed himself as your assistant.Â
Other duties as assigned, he always jokes, but you are thankful for him.Â
âYou have to eat,â he reminds you in a singsong voice, crossing his arms over his chest. His glasses are pushed up into his blonde hair. âMaybe you can take me to lunch and divulge every detail about your new romance.âÂ
That makes you sputter. âMy what?âÂ
Looking like the cat that ate the canary, Seungkwan slips into your office, clapping his hands together. He sits on the edge of the couch in front of your desk, bounding with energy.Â
âCome on,â he whispers, looking at you earnestly. âEveryone knows - you donât have to keep it a secret anymore!â
âKeep what a secret?âÂ
He rolls his eyes. âYouâre dating Vernon!â
You stare. âWho?âÂ
âVernon! From IT!âÂ
It comes back in tunnel vision. Ninefold meeting tenfold, Minho and Glossy Hair Mina, Vernon (from IT). Suddenly youâre hot all over, feel it creeping up your neck and blooming across your cheeks. You clear your throat, leaning back in your chair as your fingers reach for your water.Â
âIâm - oh!â You escape answering for a second by gulping down copious amounts of water, trying to cool the panic that is licking flames up your skin. âRight. Vernon⌠from IT.âÂ
âHonestly, heâs cute.â
âHa. Ha. Yes. Um. Yeah.â
âYouâre so cute when youâre flustered. How long have you been dating?â
âUhh very new. Yes. Super new. Iâm sorry - how did you hear about this?âÂ
âMingyu told me, but Soonyoung told him and Joshua in sales told Soonyoung because Minho told the Always Closing group chat.âÂ
âThe what?â
He sighs. âUgh, do you keep up with anything? The sales floor has a group chat. Itâs where Soonyoung gets all his tea because he and Joshua room together.âÂ
âWho the fuck is Joshua?âÂ
Seungkwan stares. âIt is a wonder you even know who Vernon is. I swear you donât know people youâve worked with for years.â A thought seems to strike him and he gasps. âOh my god is that why youâre always going to him for your fucked up passwords?âÂ
Something Vernon said comes back to you vaguely. Something about forgotten passwords when the cleaning crew throws out your sticky notes. Of course, no one would throw out your sticky notes if you werenât dropping them all over the floor, but thatâs neither here nor there.Â
Bolting from your seat, you startle Seungkwan, whose brows disappear in his hairline as he stares up at you.
âActually, I canât do lunch today.â
He sighs. âBoss, you have to eat.â
âI am! I am going to lunch with myâŚ. Vernon from IT.â
âOooo.â He leans back, shaking his head and grinning at you. âGo on then. Make sure you wrap it before-â
âIf you finish that sentence I will revoke your privilege to my coffee cart.âÂ
Seungkwanâs grin only gets wider. âEnjoy, boss.âÂ
In a flurry, you leave your office. Eyes follow you as you go and suddenly youâre unsure if people are looking at you because youâre walking so fast that youâre almost running, or if itâs because they think youâre dating Vernon).Â
Your finger nearly breaks as you slam the button over and over again to shoot a few floors down. It doesnât make the elevator go any faster. When the doors finally close and you begin to descend, you turn to the mirror walls and panic, tucking stray pieces of hair back into place and trying to fix the mascara smudges from staring at your screen for four straight hours.
A knot forms in your stomach. You press your damp palms against your dress pants, wiping viciously to try and keep the moisture at bay. When the elevator dings and the doors open to the silent hum of the IT department, you think you might vomit.
Unlike the marketing floor, no heads turn as you go. You try to maintain a normal pace this time, marching down the rows of cubicles before you realize you have no idea where Vernon sits. You pause awkwardly, standing on your tiptoes to try and see over the walls of cubicles to spot him.
âCan I help you?â A man sticks his head out of his cubicle, his headphones around his neck. He looks you up and down critically. âYouâll have to have proof of submitting a ticket before-â
âVernon,â you interrupt him. âVernon from IT? Where does he sit?âÂ
For a second, the guy narrows his eyes. Then a lightbulb seems to go off and he grins, leaning back in his chair. He looks far too pleased with himself, and thereâs something oily and slick you donât like about his gaze. âYouâre her.âÂ
âIâm a senior director, yes.âÂ
That changes his tune immediately. He sits up, clearing his throat. âTo the back on the left.âÂ
âThanks.â
Following his lead, you pass by several empty cubicles, everyone seemingly at lunch. You take the corner as instructed and find a handful of men sitting in the same cubicle, one sitting atop a desk and swinging his legs, another leaning against the cubicle wall, and the last one sitting in the seat.
The one sitting in the seat is the quarry you seek, his eyes going wide when he sees you storming toward him. He goes rigid in his seat, clearing his throat and slapping the leg of the man sitting atop his desk. He kicks at Vernon before spotting you and immediately jumping down, straightening his shirt.Â
Nervous energy crackles as all three sets of eyes settle on you. You stop right in front of his cubicle, trying to put on your bravest smile.Â
âHi?â Vernon asks, looking at the two men on either side of him. âDid you forget your password again?â
âWhat? No. I donât do it that often.â He looks unsure, brows raised behind his glasses. You huff, putting your hands on your hips. âOkay, I forget it sometimes. But no, that isnât why Iâm here.â
âDoes your software need updating?â
âNo, I-â
âOh. I did forget to give Seungkwan that new phone he asked for on behalf of the social team. It came in last week - Iâll finish setting it up and-â
âLunch!â You all but yell, startling all three men. âI came here for lunch.â
Thereâs a long pause. Vernonâs coworkers look like theyâd rather be anywhere else than trapped by you. You ignore them in favor of a quick study of Vernon. Heâs in dress pants and a button down shirt that is untucked and a little wrinkled. Itâs a far cry from the casual way he was dressed at the bookstore, but itâs still not totally work appropriate.Â
Still he pulls it off. Thereâs something casual and cool about it, aloof in a way that still looks good. His hair is even styled neatly, though a brown lock falls over his eyebrow as he leans forward and asks, âLunch? The cafeteria is on the first floor.â
The man who had been sitting on his desk kicks him. âSheâs asking you to go to lunch, dude.âÂ
âSheâs not-â Vernon pauses and looks at you. âAre you asking me to go to lunch?â
âYes.â
âWhy?â
Your patience narrows to a tight smile, your words pinched between your teeth, âBecause thatâs what loving girlfriends do, sweetie.âÂ
The words land and have an immediate effect. Vernon flushes from the neck up, mouth opening and closing as he presses his palms against his thigh. The man who kicked him snickers and tries to hide it with a thinly veiled cough.
Your gaze narrows and he notices you watching, clearing his throat to stretch his hand toward you. âIâm Chan. Itâs nice to meet⌠Vernonâs girlfriend?âÂ
You shake his head and say nothing, eyes drifting to the man leaning against the wall. He gives you a small salute. âSeokmin.â
âOh.â You blink. âThe puker?âÂ
His charming smile drops immediately as he looks at Vernon, smacking him on the shoulder. âYou told her about that?â
âI didnât tell her anything.â Vernon stands, shrugging away from both of his friendsâ wandering eyes. âSure, sweetie,â he answers you, giving you a plastic grin. âItâs your treat this week, right? At that very nice, very expensive steakhouse down the block.â
Thereâs a glimmer in his eyes that tells you Vernon will only play along if itâs by his rules. Youâre at a disadvantage, so you grin and nod, willing to go by his rules for now. âThatâs so right, darling. Letâs go.â
âEnjoy lunch!â Chan calls behind you as Vernon shuffles behind you, quickly trying to tuck his shirt. âDonât do anything I-â
âDonât finish that sentence,â Vernon warns, quickening his step to match yours. âSorry about him.âÂ
âDonât worry, Iâve got my own version of him sitting in my office.âÂ
The elevator ride down to the first floor and the walk out onto the busy street is silent. Itâs not the comfortable, easy silence you might have with Seungkwan or Mingyu - if Mingyu could wrap his head around silence. It's awkwardly silent, both of you looking anywhere but one another.Â
You donât know where youâre going, but Vernon leads you to a Michelin steakhouse down the block, true to his word. You glare at him when you step into the dark entryway where a host with hair as glossy as Minaâs greets you.Â
âTwo?â You both nod and she grins. âRight this way.â
Vernon follows her first, shuffling behind her as she leads the two of you into the dining room proper. Itâs a beautiful establishment with lacquered floors, rich wooden tables draped with fine tablecloths and the kind of glassware that looks like real crystal.Â
When you both sit down with menus in hand, the hostess leaves you and you lean forward, hissing, âHow much money do you think I make?â
âMore than I do in IT,â Vernon answers breezily, eyes roving the menu. For a second, his gaze flickers to meet yours over the top of the menu. Itâs the first time heâs really looked at you since you marched into his office. âConsider it an apology meal for the mess youâve got us in.â
âHey! You played along?âÂ
âYouâre right, I guess I could have just super embarrassed you in front of your ex-boyfriend. That would have been very polite of me.âÂ
That stumps you. You open and close your mouth, feeling a bit like a fish. You suppose thatâs fair - what was Vernon supposed to do when youâd grabbed him in the middle of a bookstore and staked your claim?Â
Sighing, you lean back as your server gives you a moment of respite, filling your glasses with water and going over the specials. When they leave, you grab your glass and take several gulps of water, trying to cool your head.Â
It only works a little.
âI didnât know Minho was going to tell the entire world.âÂ
âReally? Minho has the biggest mouth at this company. You should see his Teams messages.â
âYou can do that?âÂ
âOn the clock?â He asks. When you shake your head, assuring it stays between you, he nods. âYeah, we can see everything you do.â Â
âOh.â You think of all the terrible things youâve searched on your work computer like how to get over a breakup and how to tell if my ex still likes me. âAnyway, I didnât know he was going to say anything.âÂ
The server returns to take your orders. You order some sort of steak salad at random while Vernon orders something blessedly modest. As the server parts ways, Vernon leans back in his chair and looks at you again, expression unreadable.Â
âWell,â he eventually says. âNo harm done once you tell everyone weâre not dating.â
âOnce I what?âÂ
âWell youâll have to-â
âNo way.â
âWhat?âÂ
âDo you know how embarrassing that would be?âÂ
He raises a brow. âMore embarrassing than grabbing some dude in the bookstore and claiming heâs your boyfriend.âÂ
The air leaves your lungs and you melt into the seat, your misery showing. âI already said sorry.âÂ
âThereâs nothing to be embarrassed about. Just tell everyone you broke up with me.âÂ
You snort. âNo one would believe that.âÂ
âWhy?âÂ
Instead of answering him immediately, you busy yourself unraveling silverware. Itâs a hard question to answer, not because you donât know the answer but because you donât want to tell him. Vernon is quiet, though. Patient.Â
He doesnât press you for an answer, happy to wait you out until youâve folded your napkin and placed it on your lap, and once again drained the rest of your water. It does nothing for your nerves as you fixate on a spot atop the table.Â
âI donât⌠date.âÂ
âYou dated Minho.â
âYeah. Thatâs uh⌠it. Itâs kind of a running joke that I am undateable.â
He frowns at that. âRespectfully, I find that incredibly hard to believe.âÂ
âThanks. I think.â You pick at a string in the tablecloth. âAnyway, no one would buy that I ended the first relationship Iâve had since Minho. I didnât even end the last one and sort of clung to it in a way that was sort of embarrassing.âÂ
âI see.â
Youâre unsure if he really does. When Minho had broken up with you, youâd attempt to make arguments to keep him around. Offered less work hours, even said youâd go to therapy to talk about your insane need for success. He hadnât wanted any of it, and youâd eventually realized that he just⌠didnât want you.Â
They never did, when people realized what dating you entails. Everyone wants a woman who works hard. They like the illusion of it, the woman who gets up early in the morning and goes to workout before going to her corporate job and girl bossing all day long. They desire the woman who dresses fashionably, who wears designer tags and commands a room all day before coming home to make an effortless dinner followed by a luxurious night routine.Â
And you get it. You want to be that too. But the truth is most days you wake up past your alarm and rush to the office wearing shoes that donât match, and sometimes you come home so late and burned out from your job that you eat a handful of shredded cheese over the sink with a stick of beef jerky, only to do it all again the next day.
That wasnât what anyone wanted. At least, not in your experience.Â
âAnyway,â you clear your throat. âYouâre right, or whatever. I should just tell them I lied. Iâve given worse news. Just you know - less personal.âÂ
For a few minutes, Vernon is quiet. You donât look up to meet his gaze. Instead you watch the ice cubes in your glass melt, little beads of condensation zigzagging down the curve of your glass.Â
A sigh makes you look up at Vernon. âWhat if we dated for like a month or something?âÂ
âWhat?â
âI donât mean really date,â he offers quickly, sensing your surprise. For some reason, that stings a little. You swallow it down past the knot forming in your throat. âItâll get people off your back or whatever and we can just mutually end things.âÂ
âReally? Youâd do that.âÂ
He shrugs a shoulder. âI guess, yeah.â
âYou can break up with me,â you promise eagerly, leaning forward with the new promise of a solution to your problem. âEveryone will believe it. Just say I work too much and Iâm too obsessed with my career.âÂ
An uneasy gaze flickers in Vernonâs eyes. âIt can be mutual,â he says firmly. âThat way it ends nicely.â
âFine. Everyone will think one thing anyway, youâll get out without a scratch, trust me. Are you sure youâre willing to do this? I can⌠suck it up and tell everyone I made it up.â
âDo you really want to?âÂ
âNo,â you admit.
âThen itâs settled.â He shrugs, heaving a heavy sigh. âIâll give you a month and then we can mutually end things.âÂ
Sticking your hand over the table, you offer it for Vernon to shake. His mouth twitches a little as he smiles, leaning forward to take your hand. His is warm and softer than you imagined, enveloping yours firmly as he shakes.Â
âDeal,â you smile, feeling a glimmer of hope.Â
Just like that, Vernon (from IT) becomes Vernon (your boyfriend).Â
Sort of.
-
Vernon doesnât consider himself anxious. Heâs never really dealt with anxiety, and there are only a few things that can make him nervous in the world. The few times he remembers being nervous were when he was in a bidding war for a limited edition Millenium Falcon model, in line at a meet-and-greet for his favorite band when he was sixteen, and when he lost his virginity to Carley Waters in his sophomore year of college.Â
Heâd won the bidding war and managed to not sound like an idiot meeting his idols, but he definitely came immediately after putting his dick inside Carley. Two out of three were pretty good odds, all things considered.Â
Vernon is more nervous than all three of those events combined as he checks himself in the mirror for the millionth time. Usually, he doesnât really think twice about what he wears to the bar on the weekend. He has fifteen of the same shirt in the same colors, and his jeans all look the same, even though he thinks theyâre different.Â
Now, though, he has the added element of you. He cannot recall a single time that youâve ever agreed to go out with your work friends - and to your surprise, not his, you do have the same work friends - but tonight is different.Â
Tonight, youâre supposed to be dating.Â
Itâs weird. Chan and Seokmin agree itâs weird. He keeps no secrets from them and had already told them about the encounter at the bookstore. Theyâve sworn themselves to secrecy, though Vernon cannot fathom how they just go with it.Â
Sheâs really hot, Chan had said after a few sips of beer. Fuck it, right?Â
Sheâs the third most executive person in marketing, Seokmin warned. Be careful.Â
Both are true. Vernon had acknowledged Chanâs point the first time heâd seen you in Information Technology a little over two years ago. Youâd been dating Minho then and entirely untouchable - still are, kind of - and Vernon had been the only person at the office early enough to help you out. Heâd been new then, and often came in the earliest to get started on the overload of tasks he was always given as the junior employee.Â
Even then, Vernon thought you were the most beautiful person heâd ever seen. Sure, you had on mismatched shoes and there was a breathy chaos to you that would probably stress most people out, but he sort of liked it. Thought that it was different in a good way, and spoke to the sort of person who worked really hard and didnât fake their way through the day.Â
Vernon had realized Seokmin's point right after heâd learned Chanâs. As soon as he helped you login to your computer, heâd realized you were a Senior Manager of Marketing. Not a huge title in a company so big, but high enough that Vernon thought twice about his attraction to you.Â
Now, both of their points are moot. Youâre still attractive but that doesnât really change the situation - makes it harder, even. Vernon had never really dreamed of an actual relationship with you and now that heâs found himself in a fake one, heâs not really sure what to do with the acknowledgement that heâs attracted to you.Â
Worse is that he doesnât actually know if heâs allowed to date you. Vernon is a senior coordinator in the IT department and youâre a senior director. Perhaps not in his department or directly overseeing him, but itâs a high enough position that Sekomin is right - it could mean trouble if this goes poorly.Â
So why the fuck did he offer to fake date you for a month?Â
As someone in Information Technology, most people think Vernon is smart. He doesnât consider himself to be above average intelligence, and as he slides his sneakers on his feet to go pick you up for a night out, he thinks everyone is wrong about him - heâs fucking stupid.
Looking in the mirror one more time, Vernon decides itâs as good as itâs ever going to get. Jeans, a black shirt and a hat facing backward is all he really knows how to style. He shoves his keys in his pocket, a tiny vial of contact solution just in case, and grabs his phone as he heads out the door.Â
Your apartment complex isnât that far from his. He finds it with ease, surprised that you donât live in one of those high-rise apartments that all the other executives live in. The apartment is pretty modest with only three floors and rows of respectable Toyota Camrys and Honda Civics.Â
When he spots you coming down the stairs, his traitorous heart does that same little staccato it had last weekend when he saw you at the bookstore. He hadnât expected to run into you outside of work and only panicked for a split second before he realized that you didnât recognize him.Â
And then youâd called him your boyfriend.Â
Recovering from the memory of it, Vernon stares as you open the door to his car, flashing a tight smile as you slide in. He doesnât know what he thought you might wear on the weekend, but heâs surprised to see you in jeans, a black form-fitted shirt tucked in, and a simple purse on your arm.Â
âWhat?â You ask, a little breathless. He sees the sticky shine of lipgloss on your mouth and squeezes the wheel, fighting the urge to lean over and taste it.Â
Insane, he thinks as he puts the car in gear. Heâs gone insane.Â
âNothing. I guess I just thought youâd live somewhere nicer.âÂ
âOh.â
Your shift in tone makes him realize how it sounded. âSorry - not like that. I thought it would be somewhere really fancy. Youâre a senior director and all that.âÂ
âI only got promoted a few weeks ago. And it was not a pay raise, trust me.âÂ
âSeriously?â You glance sidelong at him, pausing like youâve said something you shouldnât. His lips twitch and he says, âNot on the clock.â
That gets you to grin, leaning back into the passenger seat. âOnly came with an office and title bump. I was already doing all the work of a senior director so they felt like they needed to bump my title to protect themselves, I think.â
âThatâs kind of shitty.â
You hum. âIs it like that in IT?âÂ
âI think itâs like that anywhere.â
âGood point.âÂ
A comfortable silence falls over the car. Itâs not at all like the awkward, stilted lunch the two of you had at the beginning of the week. He had been sweating through his shirt that time around, though you didnât seem to notice. Heâd been a little angry with you too, for getting the both of you into this mess.Â
But⌠it had been his idea to help you save face. He didnât have to. He didnât owe you anything, and he believes you when you say you would come clean and admit you lied through your teeth. Maybe thatâs why he offered to help anyway, your willingness to swallow the pain of embarrassment to relieve him of the facade.Â
Library is a hole in the wall bar that Vernon and his friends from work like to go to on Saturday nights. Itâs sort of a funny joke, a bunch of professionals from the publishing industry getting drunk and eating shitty bar food in a place named for the very buildings they dedicate their life to, in a weird, roundabout, mathematical way.Â
Vernon has friends outside of work that come too, but tonight itâs just the usual crowd: Chan, Seokmin and Seokminâs girlfriend, Mingyu and Soonyoung from creative, and some of the people from the sales team. The sales team is only there by virtue of Joshua, who is the only person from sales Vernon remotely tolerates.Â
Vernon isnât exactly sure what a sales team does at a publishing company anyway.Â
When Vernon parks, he sees you take a deep breath. He averts his eyes, feeling like heâs intruding on a moment before you brace yourself and get out of the car suddenly. He makes a noise and panics to follow you. Youâre already plunging ahead like youâre storming into battle, and perhaps in your mind you are.
He jogs to catch up. âWait!âÂ
You stop, turning to face him with a dubious expression. âWhat?â
âWe should walk in together.â
âOh.â You blink. Itâs a bit cute but Vernon shoves that down. âYouâre right. Sorry. I sort of⌠set my mind to the task and forgot.â
âYou canât approach this like you approach work.â
âI canât?â
He laughs. âNo. Relationships arenât jobs - so a fake one isnât either. You have to try and appear like this is natural. If you come in all to-do list and checkmarking the boxes, itâs going to look weird.âÂ
âOh.âÂ
The confidence you had a second before deflates. He feels a little guilty, reaching out to take your hand before he realizes what heâs doing. Your hands are cold in his but he doesnât mind, wrapping his fingers in yours as you stare at him like heâs grown three heads.
Maybe he has.Â
âWe should walk in together. Maybe holding hands.âÂ
âRight.â You lick your lips and he tries to give you a smile more confident than what heâs feeling. His heart is hammering in his chest, both at the way your hand squeezes his nervously and at the preposterousness of it all. âYouâre kind of good at this.âÂ
âI just have a different perspective.â
âThe perspective of someone who knows how to date versus⌠whatever I am.âÂ
He hears the joke in your tone so he lets himself laugh a little. He starts walking, tugging you next to him. âNot exactly. I just watch a lot of movies, including romances.âÂ
âReally? Whatâs your favorite one?âÂ
âUhhh.â He thinks about it as you both approach the door. He doesnât answer for a second while he flashes the security outside his ID. âI really like The Proposal. With Sandra Bullock.âÂ
Instead the bar is filled with modern music at a reasonable level and small, wooden tables with chipped tops. There is nothing about the bar that actually looks like a library, save the single shelf shoved in the corner with beat up comic books and an insane amount of hentai that Soonyoung put there.Â
âYou mean the one where the boss fake dates her employee⌠and they work at a publishing company?âÂ
As soon as you ask the question, Vernon realizes the irony. He looks at you with a wide gaze, pausing at the entrance to look at you. Your mouth folds on itself, trying not to laugh as you too realize the irony of the movie.Â
âYeah, so thatâs weird I guess,â he admits. He tugs on your hand. âCome on, we always sit in the back.â
You follow him wordlessly. The crowd isnât big inside, but there are enough people that you have to shuffle a little closer to him. He catches the scent of your perfume - it smells like sweet tobacco and vanilla, something that is subtle with a little bit of spice.Â
Turning around the corner of the bar, you see a wall entirely taken by booths with pool tables in the open space. Mingyu and Seokminâs girlfriend are already fighting over the felted green as she points a pool cue at him, threatening. Seokmin is lounging in one of the booths, watching on with a dopey grin that makes Vernon roll his eyes.
Everyone else sits in in a variety of booths, an entire corner dedicated to the dozen or so of them who have made this their home for the last two years. Vernon keeps you close, feeling his hands go clammy when all the eyes turn to the two of you. Despite the rumor having spread far and wide, itâs clear that surprise ripples through the crowd at seeing evidence of your relationship.Â
The fake one, that is. Naturally.Â
Instead of going directly to the safety - or danger, in this case - of his friends, Vernon heads to the bar. He needs to take the edge off immediately, though he knows he canât get too crazy. The drive home is short, but even if you werenât in his car for the evening, he doesnât like to tempt fate.Â
Next to him at the bartop, you drop his hand to press your palms against the sticky wood. You make a face and he laughs before ordering a simple rum and coke. You order the same but with a lime and the bartender flashes you a charming grin.
Vernon glances at you and realizes you donât even register the bartender. Youâre chewing your lip and fidgeting, pulling at the sleeves of your shirt and shifting from foot-to-foot. A pang goes through him.Â
âRelax.â You look up at him, eyes wide. âWeâre going to do fine.â
âWhat if I fuck it up?â You ask, voice barely audible as you lean in. âTheyâre going to see right through me, Vernon from IT. Theyâre going to have one conversation with us and be like âno way is he dating that lunatic.ââÂ
âFor starters, youâre not a lunatic.â You give him a look and he amends, âNot in the way thatâs bad, anyway.â
âHow do you know? We barely know each other.âÂ
Youâve got him there. The bartender comes back with your drinks and you take yours, draining half of it before remembering the lime. He watches you squeeze it into the drink while he contemplates his answer.Â
âI guess I just have a feeling for these things. You donât seem very crazy to me.â
âThanks.âÂ
âAnd I guess Iâm getting to know you, so thereâs that.âÂ
You sigh. âRight.âÂ
âYouâll do fine. But maybe donât call me Vernon from IT.â
âRight.âÂ
âCome on.âÂ
With wavering confidence, you follow Vernon over to the crowd from work. Everyone greets you warmly, though a little unsure. He notes the comments about being shocked to see you outside the four walls of your office, a joke you take in stride.Â
Itâs clear you donât know how to interact with everyone at first. Itâs not to say that youâre stiff or awkward, but Vernon can see the rigid set in your shoulders and the way your eyes follow the conversation but donât actually contribute.Â
You have an effect on others as well. For those who are a little more unfamiliar with you, they canât seem to puzzle out why one of the higher ups is here guzzling down rum and cokes. And you are guzzling them down, carving a path to and from the bar at a rate that impresses Vernon.Â
âHow are things going?â Chan slips into the seat you just vacated to march to the bar again. âShe seems surprisingly normal.â
âWhy is that surprising?âÂ
Chan gives him a look. âSheâs a suit.â
âI donât think so,â Vernon laughs. âTrust me on that.âÂ
Chan hums unconvinced, watching you at the bar. âSheâs nice, at least.â
âVery.âÂ
âDonât fall in love with her or anything.â
âWeird thing to say, man.â
âYeah, well. Sheâs attractive, nice, and no offense, a little weird. Sheâs exactly your type.âÂ
That makes him frown. âWhatâs weird about her? Also, would that be so bad?â
âShe knew the radius of the sun and the verbatim definition of parsecs. Iâm not answering that second question because I shouldnât have to.â Chan claps him on the shoulder, looking over Vernonâs head. âSheâs coming back, but seriously. Be careful.âÂ
Chan scoots away, flashing Vernon a look that makes the single drink Vernon has had sour in his stomach. Then youâre there, sitting down next to him, swaying a little bit. He smells sweet tobacco and vanilla, his eyelids fluttering for a second as you shift a little too close - or what would be too close, if you werenât fake dating.Â
âWhatâs that look on your face?â You ask, sipping your drink. He wonders if itâs appropriate to ask if you need water.
âWhat look on my face?âÂ
âYou know, like-â You try to pinch your brows together and your mouth puckers downward. He feels himself smile and he shakes his head. âSort of frowny.âÂ
âNothing.â You look at him skeptically. âHey, I have a question.âÂ
You pause, looking a little panicked. âOkay.â
âWhatâs the radius of the sun?âÂ
âOh!â You visibly brighten and itâs like watching the sun spill over the lip of the horizon, all gold and liquid, warm and bright. â432,690 miles. Surface temperature is about 5,772 Kelvin.âÂ
Suddenly, Chanâs warning feels very, very real. Vernon tries to hide his smile, looking down at the table. Meanwhile, you start rattling off facts about the sun, not taking a single breath as you explain you memorized them from when you were working on the marketing for a line of textbooks about space early on in your career.Â
Vernon lets you talk. Lets you somehow divert back to work, watching as you animatedly walk him through the process of what you do. How you think. Itâs fascinating, and heâs not really sure how anyone else could find it tiresome, seeing the way you light up when you tell him about a project that Seungkwanâs team killed it on.Â
Your pride is palpable, your energy shifting from unsure to confident.Â
Suddenly, you pause, leveling Vernon with a hard stare. He says nothing, watching the way you drink him in, something beneath the surface of your gaze he canât quite read. âCan I say something?âÂ
âOn the clock?â he asks, grinning. You shake your head and he gestures for you to continue.Â
âYou have pretty eyes. I still like when you wear glasses, though. They suit you.âÂ
Yeah. Vernon thinks Chanâs warning is very real.Â
-
Running in heels is hard. You donât know how anyone manages to do it in movies. Not that you think anything that happens in movies is real, but you canât imagine how they make it work for the scene. You nearly break your ankle three times on your sprint to IT and youâre sure you scare the daylights out of Chan when you come tearing around the corner.
You shout a greeting over your shoulder but donât stop until youâre hissing Vernonâs name while rushing into his cube. He flinches, turning around to look at you mid-task. Youâre heaving, putting a hand on your hip as you straighten, trying to suck down air.Â
âSay no!â
Heâs visibly confused. âTo what?â
âJust say no!â
Before Vernon can ask you another thing, you hear Minhoâs voice. Your heart thunders in your ribcage as you try to lean against the wall of Vernonâs cube, nearly missing it. You stumble a few steps and he catches you by the elbow, lightning quick as he helps steady you.Â
When he drops his grip, the place where Vernon had held you moments before is warm. You try not to think about it, heart thundering doubletime as you watch Minho approach, a lazy swing to his step and a smirk on his face.Â
âFunny I found you here!âÂ
âWhy would that be funny? My Vernon - my boyfriend is down here.âÂ
From the corner of his eye, you see Vernon wince. Youâre not doing a great job at keeping it casual, but youâre also still out of breath from sprinting down the stairs to beat Minho here and warn Vernon. Seungkwan had barely been able to give you the heads up that Minho was going to ask for a double date, and you simply couldnât have that.
Even as you near the end of your second week dating - fake dating - Vernon, youâre unsure the two of you can get through a date with someone who actually knows you. Vernon might be able to give some details on the surface, but you dated Minho for a year - how could Vernon ever hope to keep up?Â
Minho leans against Chanâs cube. Luckily itâs vacant of its usual occupant - Chan hates Mihno, as youâve recently learned through a lunch with him and Vernon.Â
âGlad I caught you together, then,â Minho says, though you think heâs not that glad. But what do you know? âI wanted to see if you were busy on-â
âYes.â You flash him a too-wide grin with too many teeth.Â
âI didnât even give you the date.â
âWeâre always very busy.â
âAh.â Minho scratches the back of his neck and gives Vernon a look akin to sympathy. âNever has time, does she? Always all work, no play. I wanted to see if you guys wanted to go to dinner with Mina and I tomorrow night, butâŚâ He shrugs. âSame old.â
You try not to let your exterior crack, but Minhoâs words cut right through your outer shell to the softness of you. Without fail he manages to highlight this obsession you have with work, making it sound worse every single time.Â
Behind you, Vernon shifts closer. You become acutely aware of him suddenly, warmth radiating from him as his chest presses against the back of your arm and his hand slips to the middle of your back, featherlight, like heâs afraid to touch you. He smells like ocean driftwood and salt, something that makes you think of warmer days. Fresh fruit. Cold water.Â
Fighting a shiver, you freeze up, hyper aware of him.Â
âOh, I donât know,â Vernon says gently. âShe doesnât work that much. She makes plenty of time for me.â
Minhoâs eye twitches, the only sign heâs annoyed. As a trained salesperson, his tells are always subtle, nearly undetectable. But you know him inside and out, can see the sliver of annoyance there.
Satisfaction rules supreme, a smile tugging at your lips until Vernon adds, âWe can make time for them, right?âÂ
You snap your head to the side, eyes meeting his. Vernon has beautiful eyes. Youâd said as much the other night when you had a little too much to drink, staring up at him without his glasses. He looks good without them, but you like the way the frames sit on his nose, the way they reflect light against the liquid brown of his iris.Â
Now, those eyes are staring back at you straight on. Thereâs something fierce in them, and though you barely know him, you have a sneaking suspicion Vernon is annoyed. Not with you but with Minho.Â
StillâŚÂ
âAre you sure?âÂ
Your question is gentle. For a moment, you forget Minho is there at all. Youâre looking at Vernon, trying to puzzle out why he would say yes to something insane again. It was lucky enough heâd offered to participate in this little charade to save your pride, and now here he is doing it again, unprompted.Â
Vernonâs mouth twitches. He nods, hand pressing into your back a little firmer before he drops it away. You turn to Minho, who watches the two of you with a peculiar expression. âAlright,â you tell him. âItâs a date.âÂ
âGreat. Iâll send you the details.âÂ
When Minho leaves, you turn to Vernon, the question on the tip of your tongue. He doesnât give you a chance, shooting you a sidelong glance as he says, âWhy is he always bringing up your work schedule?âÂ
You wince. Vernon either doesnât notice or is nice enough not to say anything. Instead of answering right away, you sit on top of Vernonâs desk, feet dangling a little. He makes room for you, turning his chair to face you and give you his full attention.Â
Heâs dressed the same as always today, but you notice his shirt is ironed and tucked in neatly. Rubbing his brow, he slides his glasses up on his head, pressing his fingers along his eye sockets like theyâre strained.Â
âWhat kind of stuff do you do?â You ask instead of answering his question. You gesture to his multiple computer screens. âBesides help me figure out my passwords.âÂ
âLots of stuff. Itâs mostly small things like remoting into peopleâs computers to help them solve their issues. I spend a majority of my day showing people how to unmute themselves on their virtual meeting software.âÂ
âDo you like it?â
He shrugs. âItâs got a rhythm to it that I like. I like having a to-do list every day and I can pretty much always know what to expect.âÂ
âThat does sound nice. And you can spy on everyoneâs messages right?â
He raises his brow. âOn the clock?â That makes you smile and you shake your head. âI could, but I donât. There are a ton of people who forget us and HR can see all their shit, though.âÂ
âOoo like what?âÂ
He sucks in air through his teeth, âMan, I donât think I can tell you.â
You can tell heâs teasing and you scoff, kicking out with your foot toward his knee. He dodges you easily with a playful grin. âCome on!âÂ
âIâll tell you off the clock. Real off the clock.âÂ
âFine. Speaking of - are you busy tonight?â He raises his brows in question. âWe should probably meet up and try to flesh out some details of our uh⌠relationship. I know some things about you but not a lot. Like, when is your birthday?â
âFebruary 18.âÂ
You slap your hand on top of his desk. âVernon! Thatâs super soon! Are you doing anything for it?â
âNah. I donât ever want to make a fuss and it's close to Valentineâs Day so sometimes people are doing things retroactively.âÂ
You hum, displeased with the answer, but you file it away for later. âSo are you free tonight?â
âYeah.â
âCool, you can come over to my place. Do you like pizza? You have to like pizza, right? Youâre a boy.â
âA lot of boys like pizza, yes. Specifically me.âÂ
âGood. Seven?âÂ
âSeven.âÂ
-
A knock at the door makes you look up from your computer. It takes a second for your eyes to adjust, the light outside the office windows long fading with the setting sun and the only other source the salt lamp behind you and the burn of the safety lights in the main cubicles.
Vernon leans against the door frame, resting his head against it as he peers at you. For a second, you forget about everything except the way he looks leaned against the frame, his glasses perfectly perched on his nose and hair soft with wear from the day.Â
Then, you lurch with realization, gasping and looking at your watch. âItâs seven.â
âItâs seven,â he agrees, laughing gently.Â
You bolt from the seat, groaning and grabbing things to shove in your bag. In the process, you knock over a cup and a curse flies out your lips. He pushes off the door, walking over to help you tame the chaos.Â
âEasy,â he admonishes. âAll good here, donât panic.â
âIâm really sorry. I got stuck working through this media plan that someone asked for and I completely lost track of time.â
âItâs okay.âÂ
The panic welling up inside you calms down as you look up at him. Vernon says nothing further, picking up your cup and righting the pens that youâve knocked over. His movements are casual, straightening the things on your desk until heâs satisfied and steps away.Â
You prepare for annoyance, for the same expression youâre used to when youâre late to an event or have missed a thing, when youâve yet again lost track of time holed up in your office and yet⌠Vernon just gives you an easy smile and a shrug.
No annoyance. No judgment. Just⌠Vernon.Â
Perhaps tenfold isnât so bad.Â
âItâs not pizza, but there's a tiny little bar a few blocks down that I really like. They serve food.âÂ
âYeah?â
He nods and hesitates. âItâs⌠themed, though.â
âThatâs okay. I like a theme.â
The theme in question isnât so much of a theme as it is an entire franchise. You stand in the doorway of Cantina Far Away, mouth parted as you drink in the sights and sounds of the Star Wars themed bar.Â
A circular bar sits in the middle of the small establishment. There isnât a ton of room to recreate the iconic corner of the world where you were first introduced to Han Solo as a kid, but thereâs just enough to make the magic work.Â
Kegs and other apparatuses hang from the ceiling of the stone top bar. Lights track underneath the bar top and in the ceiling, giving the dim illusion that itâs permanently dusk inside. Small, round tables fill the main space, with three booths lined against the back wall. An R2-D2 replica stands beside C3-PO in the corner, and a familiar soundtrack plays through the sound system.
âIf you want to go somewhere else-â
âDo they have blue milk?âÂ
Vernon pauses. âWhat?âÂ
You look up at him, grinning. âDo they have the blue milk?â
âThey have something on their menu like that, yeah. I donât know what it is.â
âI always wanted to drink the blue milk as a kid.â
âAlright.â He gestures to the bar, which is mostly empty. âLetâs get you blue milk.â
Popping up on a stool, you canât help but crane your neck upward to look at the bar from this angle. It truly looks like every part of it was taken from the movie set. You run your hand atop the barâs surface to realize itâs actually wood that looks like stone, marveling at the smoothness.Â
Behind the bar, two bartenders move in sync, dressed in Jedi robes. When they approach, you both order the blue milk - you, because you demand to know what it tastes like, Vernon, in solidarity.Â
Vibrating with excitement, you turn to look at Vernon. âWhen I was a kid, watching Star Wars was one of the few things my mom and I got to do together.âÂ
âOne of the few things?â
You nod, clapping your hands excitedly when the bartender brings you whatever concoction the blue milk is. It comes in a tall glass and is clear, baby blue and frothy at the top. Leaning over, you take a whiff. It smells vaguely coconutty and you narrow your eyes, leaning forward to take a tentative sip.
Coconut rum hits your tongue and you cringe. Vernon does too, making a face and sticking his tongue out as he immediately shoves the drink away from him. You laugh, not even caring that you hate it. It tastes nothing like you expected and you donât really like coconut, but it strikes a nostalgic chord.Â
âMy mom was a single parent and worked really hard at a law firm,â you eventually answer, taking another sip and cringing. Vernon orders something more generic - a rum and coke for you both. âBut she always made time on the weekend if I really wanted to do a Star Wars marathon and she took off work for all the prequel releases to take me.â
âThatâs cute. My mom was really into it too. Want to know a secret?â
âYes.â
âMy first name is Hansol. A little inspired by Han Solo. I prefer to go by Vernon with everyone who isnât my family, though.â
That makes you smile. âI like it, though. Your mom has good taste like mine. Think theyâd be friends?â
He blushes. âMaybe.âÂ
You realize how forward of a question it is. You avert your gaze to your blue drink, sipping it and grimacing. Vernon chuckles and says, âYou donât have to drink it.â
âI donât have to do a lot of things but I do anyway.âÂ
âHmm. Like what?âÂ
âUgh. I donât know? Attend meetings all day?â
âI think you do have to do that.â
You scrunch your nose. âAlright, fair.âÂ
âTell me about your job.âÂ
You glance at him, brows raised. âYou want me to talk about work?â
âItâs obvious you like what you do, and by the sounds of it, working hard runs in the family. Tell me what you like about it.âÂ
That makes you sigh as you push the ice around in your glass. What do you like about your job? Well, you like a lot of things and you hate a lot of things. So you start listing them, telling Vernon that you like the routine and you enjoy having a rhythm to your day. You like feeling proud when you can solve a problem no one else can, or when you lead your team through chaos and they look at you like youâre a god who showed them the way.
You like that you can be an authority in the room but you donât feel like a dictator, and that now when you talk, people listen. Your team is your favorite, loving the way you and Seungkwan work in tandem, and the way the creative department likes to pick your brain. Mingyu and Soonyoung are always asking for your feedback, even if your opinion doesnât matter in the hierarchy of their world.
The dislikes though⌠well, you dislike that you never have enough time in the day. That youâre always in a meeting and feel like you leave your team drowning in work picking up the slack. Hate that you get time blindness and sit in your office for hours past dinner to get something right, to get something perfect.
Hate that because you like what you do, everyone thinks you donât have a life or donât want a life. And that leads you to the center of the entire issue with your relationship with Minho.Â
You pull away like youâre approaching a particularly purple bruise when you near the topic of Minho. Your blue drink is gone and you order something more normal instead. The coke and rum sizzles on your tongue as Vernon looks at you expectantly.Â
âIâm doing all the talking,â you mutter, a little defensive. âWhatâs your favorite color?âÂ
âBlue.â
âWhat kind of blue.âÂ
âBlue like that very nasty milk you just drank.â You stick your tongue out and Vernon smiles. His smile is like a burning star at the center of a solar system, glowing and bright and warm. It gives life. âWhatâs yours?â
âDeep red. Like⌠wine or burgundy. Whatâs your favorite movie?â
âAh, not that question. Iâm a bit of a cinephile.â
âToo bad. You have to pick one.âÂ
Vernon thinks about it. The tip of his finger traces the condensation of his glass lazily and you hyperfocus on it, watching the way he catches the bead of liquid every time. He has nice fingers, you realize. The thought makes you clench and suddenly wonder if you need to walk out of the bar down to the church to confess the sin of your mind.
Not that youâre religious, but maybe you should be, with where your mind has wandered.Â
âI like The Princess Bride.â
You gasp, grabbing him by the wrist and shaking it excitedly. âMy name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die!âÂ
Vernonâs laughter is infectious. You both fall into a fit of giggles, quoting your favorite parts of the movie. Itâs nice - this is nice. Itâs unexpected and youâre a little unsure how you got here, but Vernon makes the pressure of getting to know one another in preparation to fake date in front of your ex fade away.
Until, of course, you remember thatâs why youâre at the bar and the thought suddenly sobers you.Â
Straightening, you ask, âWhyâd you want to go on a double date, anyway? You donât owe me that.âÂ
âHe seemed kind of smug. I thought it was annoying.âÂ
You hum, studying him. âItâs a bit risky. I dated him for a year⌠if thereâs anyone who knows anything about me, itâs probably him.âÂ
âI can always just hack into your data and learn everything about you.â You stare at him, mouth opens. His grin grows. âIâm kidding. I mean I probably could but Iâm not a hacker.â
âAre you sure? Youâre a bit suspicious, Vernon Chwe.âÂ
âHansol.â You frown in confusion. His tone is gentle, eyes soft when he murmurs, âYou can call me Hansol. You know⌠to make it um. Seems legit.â
âHansol.â You try out the name, liking the way it fits on your tongue. His eyes are dark and you feel like you could fall into them - you kind of want to. âHansol. I like it.â
Maybe you donât need to go to that church to beg for forgiveness after all. What you think you need might be divine intervention to stop the butterflies in your stomach when you say his name, or the nervous shake in your hand when you see him smile.Â
Not Vernon (from IT) but Hansol.Â
-
Hansol (from IT) is late when he picks you up. For once, youâre just glad itâs not you. Your heart beats a little faster when you see him pull up in his nondescript, black RAV4. He waves through the window when he sees you, a shy smile on his face as he reaches to turn down the music.Â
Inside the car smells distinctly like Hansol - driftwood, salt, a little bit of the air freshener that has long since dried but still sways under his rearview mirror. He looks good tonight, dressed in ripped jeans, a black shirt and a black leather jacket. Heâs sans glasses, and though he looks good, you miss them a little.Â
Hansol without the glasses is a little intimidating. Especially this version of him that grins when you settle into the seat next to him, his brows slightly raised as though to ask if youâre good. When you nod, his grin tilts upward again and he puts the car and drive, one hand on the steering wheel, the other on the gear shift tapping to the beat of the music.Â
It feels like youâre radiating nervous energy, but you relax as Hansol asks about your day. Heâs good at that, eliminating whatever weight is sitting on your shoulders or whatever residual stress youâve got from work. You donât feel so⌠well. On the clock.Â
The thought makes you squirm in your seat, pulling the edge of your dress down your thighs a little. You picked it out as a last minute choice, unsure whether youâre trying to dress to impress or dress to show you donât care what Minho thinks of you.
Hansol notices you fidgeting. âYou alright?â
âKind of nervous.â
âAny reason in particular?â
You blow out air, your head smacking against the headrest. âOn the clock?â
âOff,â he says with a grin.
âI feel like Iâm going to fucking blow it.â
âHow so?â
âWhat if he asks me to kiss you?â
The words are out before you can stop them. It isnât until youâre met with silence that you realize what youâve said. Youâve certainly stuck your foot in your mouth on more than one occasion. You do it often, and quite wonderfully, truthfully. It has taken years of practice to stop flubbing presentations and pitches at work, but that doesnât mean you donât say insane shit.
Like right now, when you tell Hansol that of all the things youâre nervous about, the very slim, tiny percent of a chance of being asked to kiss him is at the top of the list.Â
And yet, because itâs Hansol, he grins and says, âDamn, Minhoâs a freak like that? He likes to ask people to kiss so he can watch?â
Just like that, the tension eases. You laugh, hand flying your mouth to try and suppress it. His eyes are on the road, but they glitter when you catch a glimpse of his face in the headlines, flashing from dark to liquid gold for a split second.Â
âOkay,â you admit, laughter dying down. âHeâs definitely not going to ask that. Itâs just one of those irrational fears, especially with him.â
âWhy especially?â
âI feel like heâs always trying to prove that he was right when he broke up with me. Or I guess, in general. He loves being right and sometimes itâs like heâs trying to force a gotcha moment.âÂ
Hansol is silent as he turns into the parking lot. You say nothing, watching as he navigates to find a parking space. The restaurant is busy and thereâs a valet, but Hansol is determined to find his own. He does - very close to the entrance - letting out a happy noise as a car backs out.
Car in park, he turns to look at you. âCan I say something? Not on the clock.â
Your heart skips a little. âSure.â
âMinho is an asshole.â You smile, looking down at your hands folded in your lap. âAnd youâre going to get through dinner just fine because heâs an asshole, and youâre not.âÂ
âAre you sure?â
His laugh is full. âIâm actually pretty confident in this. And if he does ask us to kiss, you have my full consent to lay one on me. Come on.âÂ
You wish you felt as confident as Hansol seems. He slides out of the car easily, coming around to your side as you get out. He reaches out a hand almost instinctively, waiting for you to grab it. You look at him in surprise to find that he looks equally stunned at his own gesture.Â
Grinning, you take his hand. Itâs warm in yours and he gives you a squeeze as you drop your linked fingers between you, walking toward the establishment like a real couple.
It feels real. Youâre not sure what to do with that. The sudden realization of it churns in your stomach as you approach the dark interior of the steakhouse, immediately hit with a romantic ambiance that feels far too big for this tiny thing brewing inside of you.Â
Twelvefold? How many times have you suffered since that first day you ran into Hansol at the bookstore? You think it might continue through the evening, especially when he glances over at you on the way to the table to check on you, hand tightening for a split second.Â
As soon as you spot Minho and Mina, youâre glad that Hansol has a steady grip on you. Minaâs glossy hair is nearly blinding under the glow of the soft lighting and her smile is brighter still. You almost want to shield your eyes as they wave you over.Â
Neither of them seems to know if they should stand and greet you or what the protocol is. Good, you think, happy to see them as off kilter as you feel by this very weird and very unnecessary dinner date.Â
Why had Hansol agreed to do this again?Â
âShe keep you late?â Minho asks Hansol, immediately reminding you why Hansol had said yes in the first place: he seemed kind of smug. I thought it was annoying. âYouâll get used to it!â
âActually, it was me,â Hansol answers smoothly. He pulls out your chair for you, startling you again. You try to fein admiration - itâs not hard - and sit, looking up at him with a little bit of awe. Hansol sits, adjusting his seat so that itâs a little closer to yours. âI was working on an infrastructure request and lost track of time.â
That seems to shut Minho up for a moment. Then he laughs his businessman laugh and you wonder if itâs always sounded that way, hollow and fake and⌠well, annoying. âDamn, so youâre both like that?âÂ
âYep.â Hansol leans back in his chair, stretching his arm so that it rests over the back of yours. He doesnât explicitly touch you, but you feel the warmth of him radiating like a furnace, a shiver snaking through you at how close he is. âWorks well for us.âÂ
You try not to frown. Heâs not going to make it easy for your fake breakup. Youâd assumed that youâd tell everyone you just didnât have time for him, but with the way heâs talking to Minho now, youâre worried itâll make the impending breakup a little less believable.Â
âThatâs good, then,â Minho says eventually. âJust donât schedule any vacations or youâll both miss it.â
âI never did that,â you scowl.Â
Before he has time for a rebuttal, the server is there welcoming you to the restaurant. You shift in your seat, feeling irritated. Hansol senses it, the tips of his finger brushing against your bicep as if to tell you itâs okay. You relax, but only a little, still frustrated.Â
Again, you canât help but feel like your faults are being exacerbated, like Minho is drawing them up to be far grander than they really were. You had missed some dinners and cancelled on some things, but youâd never gone as far as to miss a vacation or a birthday - never the big things. Never the milestones.Â
If the server can tell the energy at the table has shifted, they donât let on. They pour glasses of wine that you let Hansol order while youâre spiraling in your head, and leave with the promise of coming back to take orders when the table is ready.Â
Itâs Mina who restarts the conversation, glancing at Minho who sucks down the entire glass of wine in a single go. âSo,â she says. âWhat is it exactly that you do?â
âCareful with that question,â Minho jokes. âSheâll talk to you about work for hours.âÂ
âWhich is what makes her good at her job.â Hansolâs voice is even. Smooth. Almost severe, a tone youâve never heard from him before. Tension ripples from him for just a moment before he looks at you and smiles. âHer job is very cool.â
Unlike her blockhead of a boyfriend, Mina seizes the chance for normalcy and asks, âMarketing, right?âÂ
Mina (with the glossy hair) is really nice. You like her almost immediately and strangely enough, youâre glad sheâs there. Minho is like a stormcloud at the edge of the table, a little pocket of pressure that everyone can feel but tries to ignore.Â
Hansol makes your fake relationship look effortless. You have to mask your surprise when he recounts a detail about you that you didnât expect him to know, or makes an observation that has you warming, ducking your face to hide the smile tugging your lips.Â
You know little things about him too. Itâs almost like you werenât aware until youâre saying them, all the small things about him bubbling to your lips like an instinct.Â
âHeâs such an Aquarius!â You laugh, finish the rest of your steak. âThe IT department is full of them, even and theyâre all so effortlessly cool and have different interests. Hansol has the coolest case full of Star Wars collectibles and-âÂ
âHansol?âÂ
Minhoâs question catches you off guard. You blink at him a few times, confused until Hansol interjects, âThatâs my legal name.â
âDamn. Should we be calling you Hansol?â
âNope. Reserved for my mom and my girlfriend.âÂ
âWow.â
Minho sits back and observes the two of you. The plates have been cleared away for the evening and the glasses of wine have dwindled. Youâre a little sleepy, ready to go home, but the appraising look in Minhoâs eyes as they flicker back and forth between you and Hansol has you on edge.
Hansol seems unbothered, finishing his water. His arm rests against your back properly now and you almost melt when his fingers start to trace a pattern on your arm, almost absently. Youâre so acutely aware of him that youâre nearly vibrating, telling yourself over and over again that this is just him committing to the bit. This isnât something to overthink. His touch is for show.
You donât want it to be for show. God, you donât want it to be, but you try not to let it unravel right now, instead finishing your water under the heavy and calculating gaze of your ex-boyfriend, who, over the course of dinner, has made you realize you are so grateful is your ex.Â
âHuh.â
âWhat?â you ask, voice coming out a little more challenging than you intend. He has that look on his face like heâs trying to figure something out, like heâs trying to position himself in a way where heâs not wrong.Â
âYou guys are really together.â
That makes you stiffen. Hansolâs fingers go still on your arm. âWhat do you mean?â
âYou just didnât really seem like you were dating at the bookstore. It didnât even seem like you knew who Vernon was.âÂ
âIt was still new,â You lie. âI also wasnât expecting to run into you both. Thatâs all.â
âI guess. Just⌠find it surprising, I guess. Figured youâd never have time for someone.â
Itâs Hansol who says, âShe has plenty of time for me. Speaking of time, itâs time we head home. I have to finish up some stuff for work tomorrow and she just finished an insane project and deserves some sleep.â
Again, Minho seems thrown for a loop. You could get used to seeing him like a fish out of water, trying not to let an evil smirk take over your face when Hansol beats everyone to the check.Â
There is an edge to Hansolâs movements. You observe him quietly, noting the way his mouth is pinched at the corners and the way his eyes darken when he looks at Minho. But when he looks at you, itâs like the world stops. Hansolâs eyes soften and his lips turn up at the corner, a gentle smile for you.
Only you.Â
Youâre fucked. Youâre fucked fucked fucked and itâs nearly all you can think about as dinner wraps up and Minho and Mina thank Hansol for paying. You want to smack him for offering to pay for the insanely expensive bill, but he takes everything in stride.
Outside, itâs a little cold. Hansol shucks his jacket off immediately, wrapping it around your shoulders while giving Mina some sort of computer advice that goes over your head because all you can focus on is the way Hansol smoothes the jacket over your shoulder, his hand dropping to your waist to keep you close.
Youâre dizzy with it. Dizzy with him. You canât recall a single time you ever felt this affected by Minho, much less anyone else. Despite having two glasses of wine, you know itâs Hansol and not the wine that has you buzzing. Hansol who has you warm, Hansol who makes it feel like thereâs static in your brain when he glances at you to make sure youâre still okay after youâve gone silent.Â
Hansol gives you a quick smile and turns to say farewell to the other couple. Youâre happy to say goodbye - though perhaps you should have asked Mina her haircare routine - and you wave as Hansol leads you into the parking lot, fingers intertwined.
He turns to you, making you look up at him. âIâm going to kiss you,â he murmurs, barely giving you a warning. âUnless you say no.âÂ
âI - okay.âÂ
There is the barest of smiles on Hansolâs face before he leans in, pressing his lips against yours. Itâs brief and gentle, so quick that you barely register heâs kissed you at all. Heâs already pulling away when you blink, nearing his car as he does.Â
âHe was a dick,â Hansol explains. âAnd he was staring at us when we left. So. Let him question whatâs real now.âÂ
Minho isnât the only one questioning whatâs real. Youâre hung up on the kiss, despite it being nothing more than a peck. Your mouth is warm, thoughts spinning as Hansol helps you into the car. You say nothing, completely consumed by the feel of his mouth, the smell of driftwood and salt, the barest taste of wine.Â
The drive home is quiet but not uncomfortable. Hansolâs hand grabs yours instinctually over the center console, fingers tied together loosely as he drives. But thereâs no one to perform for her, no one to show off too. No one who needs convincing.Â
Itâs just you and the burning desire for him bubbling up inside of you.
Youâve lost count of how many folds you have suffered, but somehow, this one is a little less worse than the others.
-
Hansol cannot stop thinking about you. Heâs pretty sure the last time he had brain rot this bad about another person, it was Larcy Dodsen in his senior year of college who had blown him to heaven and back. Heâs had better (and worse) blowjobs since then, and doesnât really think of Larcy Dodsen ever anymore.
But you. You.Â
You occupy every corner of his mind. He wavers back and forth between thinking about the way you smell or the way you laugh (a little reedy, but cute) and thinking about how bad he fucked up by kissing you that night.Â
Things arenât exactly weird. The very basis of your relationship - or lack thereof - is weird. Heâd agreed to be your fake boyfriend for a month, but with zero terms. No contract outline. No doâs and donâts. No guidelines. No rules. No regulations. Just an agreement and a fucking dream.Â
Now, heâs wishing he had something to go off of, because what started out as an agreement to help someone out has turned into something else entirely.Â
Chan was right. Hansol is desperately trying to hide that fact from his best friend, but the way Chan side-eyes Hansol at lunch when he stares off into the distance, he thinks that the younger man might be onto him.Â
It doesnât help that Hansol is buried in Help Desk tickets the weekend following kissing you, and youâre six feet under in a pile of projects. It isnât until he goes a few days without talking to you multiple times that itâs occurred to him how much he texts you during the day.Â
Hansol finds himself checking his phone again at lunch, swearing that he felt it vibrate. This time, Chan catches him, putting down the fork and clearing his throat to gesture at the phone. âSo it happened, right?âÂ
âWhat?â Even Hansol winces at his own defensiveness. âI canât check the time?â
âDo you check the time three times every five minutes? I know you can do math.âÂ
âJust checking to see how her presentation went.â
Chan laughs and crosses his arms over his chest. âRight. So it did happen.â
âYouâll have to be more specific.â
He doesnât. Chan knows it. Hansol knows it. Chan gets more specific anyway. âYou like her. As in, you have feelings for her after⌠well. This weekend will make it a month. So wouldnât that be your deal coming to an end?â
Hansol wants to think about anything other than that. âEverything is fine.âÂ
Chan holds up his hand, a white flag. âYouâre an adult. You can do what you want. Just make sure you know what she wants too, is all Iâm saying.âÂ
And thatâs the crux of it. Hansol isnât sure what you want. He assumed that you just wanted to get through this month and your fake breakup, but now heâs not so sure. He thinks of the way youâd look at him during dinner last weekend, the way your expression gets dreamy with a soft smile, eyes glowing.Â
Hansol doesnât think he made it up - his creativity is good but not that good. He had been so sure that you felt something too, swears that you melted into him every time he touched you, every time he turned to check in on you.
And the kiss⌠it had been brief and born from wanting to rub it in Minhoâs face, but Hansol had wanted to do it, too. Wanted it for himself. Wanted to allow himself a single, greedy thing. Youâd been surprised but leaned into him, almost instinctual. It had been so short but it haunts his dreams, the phantom press of your mouth keeping him up late at night.Â
Even now, Hansolâs fingers trace his mouth, as though he can remember the feeling of your mouth against his. So maybe Chan is right. Hansol likes you - has feelings for you. There is a lingering sense that you might too, but heâs not sure.Â
He needs to be sure.Â
Finding a window to make sure, is tough, though. He only hears from you once throughout the rest of the day, and it's to shoot him a quick text that the presentation was moved to Monday and that you have to work all weekend on it.Â
He feels more disappointed than he lets on. He wonders if you remember his birthday is on Saturday. Not that you owe him that since youâre not actually dating, but in a perfect world Hansol thinks it might have been a good day to tell you how he feels. That he kind of wants to make this thing real.Â
On the bright side, you do remember his birthday. On the shitty side, he canât spend it with you. Youâre working on your presentation for the foreseeable future, and Hansol had hesitated to make plans with his friends knowing some of them were celebrating Valentineâs Day late with their partners and because heâd hoped to maybe spend it with you.
It feels stupid, thinking about it now. Of course you werenât going to spend it with him. He knew what this was when he offered to do it. You were a bright burning star at the top of the company, and Hansol had been someone you barely registered.Â
By the afternoon, heâs still sullen. Heâs thinking about just spending the evening eating pizza and playing video games online where heâll get bullied by a bunch of high schoolers when he hears his phone ring and your name flashes across the screen.
Hansolâs heart soars. He all but throws the control across the room, diving to pick up the phone and answer, âHi!âÂ
âPlease donât hate me,â you rush out, completely out of breath. âI am panicking right now. My work laptop randomly got the blue screen of death and Iâm in the middle of my project and-â
âIâll come look at it.â He cringes, realizing how down bad he is. Itâs his birthday and he shouldnât have to work, but heâd rather come solve a problem for you than have a bunch of thirteen year oldâs tell him that theyâre fucking his mom. âI can come over in fifteen.âÂ
âOh! Uh⌠can you make that twenty?âÂ
Weird. âSure?âÂ
âGreat! Text me when youâre here and Iâll give you the unit number.âÂ
Twenty minutes ends up being perfect, because Hansol goes through the mental anguish of what to wear, which is new for him. He showers as quickly and efficiently as he can, hopping with one leg in his jeans and the other missing the hole multiple times. He nearly runs into the wall as heâs pulling on a band tee over his head while also looking for his flannel.Â
Hair still damp, he pulls on a hat and twists it around backward, grabbing his glasses because he doesnât feel like wearing contacts (and because you said you liked them) as he barrels out the house, radiating with nervous energy.Â
Hansol wonders if itâs appropriate to tell you how he feels today. It will be face to face but⌠no. Youâd sounded stressed on the phone and he knows how important this presentation is for you, despite not knowing what itâs about.Â
He barely remembers the drive to your apartment, blinking and realizing heâs parked and texting you that heâs there. You give him directions to your unit and with shaky hands, Hansol turns off the car. He takes a few steadying breaths before getting out and heading to the stairs, his heart hammering with each step.Â
When he finally gets to your door, he double checks that it's the right one. His hands shake when he knocks, and he has to remind himself several times that heâs just here to fix your computer. Sure, heâs thrilled that he gets to see you, but this is on the clock. Not off.
Youâre breathless when you open the door. âHi!â You say a little too loudly. He raises his brows but you open the door and step aside, ushering him in. âCome on in.â
Hansol gives you an amused grin as he walks into your apartment. Heâs confused as to why itâs completely dark, a question that heâs about to ask you as you shut the door, but you flick on the lights and heâs met with the worldâs loudest shout of surprise heâs ever heard.
He flinches, hand flying to his chest in terror as the lights flood on and Hansol realizes that the reason they were off is to hide the obscene amount of Star Wars decorations covering every part of your apartment. He canât even picture what your home is supposed to look like, just that itâs covered in streamers and paper Luke Skywalkers and RD-D2s, and filled with familiar faces.
Hansolâs mouth pops open as the crowd screams at him. Chan and Seokmin are at the forefront, phones in hand capturing Hansol as he stands there, dumbfounded. Soongyoung and Mingyu are blowing through noise makers with so much force that the paper on them breaks, and Seungkwan is leading an off-key rendition of happy birthday with Hansolâs friends youâve never even met.
Slowly, Hansol turns to look at you. Youâre standing behind him, hands clasped nervously and tucked under your chin as you watch him, terrified. Youâre chewing on your lips, entire frame vibrating with energy.Â
He wants nothing more than to walk over to you and kiss you stupid. The flame of desire that licks through him is borderline impossible to tamp down, staring at you like the eighth world wonder as you slip over to him, scanning his face.
âSurprise?â You squeak.
âYou did this for me?â
âWell, yeah.âÂ
You say it like itâs the most obvious thing in the world. He wants to pin you against the island counter behind you, but itâs fill with food and beverages and blue fucking milk. âIs that okay?â you ask, suddenly nervous.Â
Hansol softens and starts to laugh. âYeah,â he shakes his head. âIt is more than okay.âÂ
Before he can say anything else, the crowd of people crashes into him. Seokmin and Chan are screaming in his ear, grabbing him and yelling for shots. Mingyu and Soonyoung are chanting his name and his best friend from college manages to squeeze in and give him a hug and a birthday greeting.
How did you even know Minghao existed? Or how to contact him? Hansol has no idea, but before he can ask you any questions about the how or the why, heâs swept into your kitchen for birthday celebrations he thought would never happen, orchestrated by the single person he wanted to see most.Â
Fuck was Chan right more than ever.Â
-
The thing about being a bad liar is that you found it nearly impossible to hide what you were doing from Hansol. The thing about everyone thinking youâre always busy, is that it was an easy facade to shield the sheer stress of trying to plan a surprise party for him.Â
Your apartment is filled with more people than youâve ever dared to let inside. It makes you a little nervous for all of these people to see this new part of you, but with a little bit of rum and the released pressure of Hansol looking like heâs enjoying himself, you decide itâs worth it.Â
Squished in the corner of your couch, you watch as Chan leads a game of cards that he is losing very badly at. Most of these people in your apartment are casual friends, with the exception of Seungkwan who is playing DJ in the kitchen, but theyâre all friends that Hansol would want at a celebration for him.
At least, thatâs what Chan and Seokmin said. Recruiting them had been pretty easy, but during the process of them helping you plan this, youâre pretty sure theyâve caught on to the AT-AT Walker-sized elephant in the room: you are very much into their friend. In a very Not-On-The-Clock appropriate way.Â
Now, you watch as Hansol makes his way over to you, dodging people who stop to talk to him. He seems pretty determined to reach you, clapping someone on the shoulder and moving them aside to continue his journey to you.Â
Your stomach flips when he sits on the arm of your couch, perched perfectly next to you. He looks good today, dressed in jeans, a soft looking tee and a flannel. The backwards hat does wonders for you - which you will not be psychoanalyzing now - and his black frame glasses.Â
âHow did you do all this?â He asks, shaking his head in wonder. âI just⌠what?âÂ
âIt wasnât easy, but it worked, right?â
âIs this the presentation youâve been working on all week?â
âYes. Please donât be mad at me for lying.â
He laughs. âI couldnât be mad at you if I tried.âÂ
An argument breaks out over cards, Chan and Mingyu yelling at each other about someone cheating. Hansol winces at the noise and you scoot a little closer to avoid the deck of cards Mingyu throws in Chanâs direction.
âIs there anywhere quiet we can talk?â Hansol asks, though heâs laughing at them. âTheyâre giving me a bit of a headache.âÂ
You grin. âFor sure.âÂ
Getting up, you lead Hansol down the hall to your bedroom, which is off limits to the rest of the party. The good thing about adult festivities is that no one is a weirdo about going into rooms they shouldnât, staying exactly where itâs appropriate to be.Â
Shutting the door behind you, the noise of the party dies down immediately. Itâs dark in your room, save for the single lamp burning in the corner at a low setting. You realize itâs a bit messy, apologizing to Hansol as you kick clothes out of the way. You hadnât intended on bringing him in here, and suddenly the implication of Hansol standing in your room tingles down your spine.Â
âI, uh-â You stammer, looking at him. âSorry itâs a mess. I didnât intend on anyone seeing this.â
Halloween yowls, getting up off your bed. Hansol makes a surprised sound and you apoogize again, âItâs just Halloween. He likes to sleep in here. Out, kitty!â
You open the door and Halloween bolts out, going to find Seungkwan who will give him snacks.Â
Hansol grins and wanders over to the bookshelf, looking over the titles. You take a few steps to follow him but keep your distance, suddenly very nervous. He points his finger at a title and looks at you, inviting you to step closer to read it in the dim light.Â
You recognize the title - youâd bought it the day youâd crashed into him and got some of your books mixed up.Â
âThis one one of the books you accidentally swapped with me,â Hansol notes, running his finger along the spine. You zero in on his finger - his hands, in general. Theyâre pretty. You swallow hard, looking up at the ceiling instead. âHave you read it yet?âÂ
âNot yet. I started one of the others but Iâve been having trouble breeding - reading lately.â
Hansol presses his lips together in a flat line and you can tell heâs trying not to laugh at you. Warmth floods your face and you want to die on the spot, especially when he turns to face you head on, leaning against your bookcase.Â
His eyes are dark, drinking you in. Your pulse skyrockets, thinking about that quick kiss he had given you the other night. Itâs all youâve been able to think about, too afraid to ask him if it was just for show and too busy trying to plan this party to work out what to say about it.
Now, alone in your room, the questions fizzle on your tongue at the nearness of him.Â
âThank you,â Hansol says eventually. âFor planning this. I⌠would never have expected you to do that.â
âI wanted to celebrate you.â
He blushes, ducking his head. âItâs sweet. It did make me nervous, though.âÂ
âWhy?â
âI thought you were avoiding me, kind of.â
You blink. âWhy on earth would I be doing that?â
âThought that maybe I took it too far with the kiss.âÂ
âNo. You didnât.âÂ
Hansolâs gaze falls on you. Itâs razor sharp and thereâs something there, burning just under the surface. You swear itâs something like desire, but youâre too afraid to name it. Too worried that itâs just what you want reflected in his glassy gaze, and not his.Â
Then, âDid I not take it far enough?âÂ
The question hangs in the air. You cannot hear anything but the pounding of your own heart. Itâs just Hansol in this dark room with you, looking at you with exactly the same hunger thatâs been churning in your gut.Â
You donât know when this hunger started. All you know is that the last few weeks, itâs been there. Every time you look at him you feel it ignite, the desire so raw that you donât know what to do with it.Â
Now, you know he feels it too - see it, in the way he waits for your answer. Patient. Calm. Steady.
âOn the clock?â You ask, voice shaky. He shakes his head no. âYou could go further.âÂ
Thatâs all Hansol needs. Heâs gentle when he reaches for you, cradling your face in his hands. You barely get to suck in a trembling breath before heâs kissing you.
This kiss is entirely different from the peck he gave you in the parking lot last weekend. This kiss steals the breath from your lung, his mouth confident and sure as he slots his mouth against yours. He smells like the sea, all driftwood and salt and his lips taste like the tangy drink heâd been sipping on earlier.
Everything else fades to the background. Your hands twist in his flannel. Itâs soft, but nothing compared to the softness of Hansolâs tongue as he licks at the seam of your lips. You let him in and he groans, pulling you in impossibly closer as the kiss turns more desperate.
You melt. He kisses you hungrily now, sucking your tongue into his mouth. It makes your head spin, the party long forgotten as you press further into him. The bookshelf wobbles under the weight of both of you leaning against it, making you break, both of you panting.
Hansolâs mouth shines with your spit in the low lamp light and you have the urge to lean forward and lick it. You resist, only for him to give into his urge. He leans forward, tongue pressing to the corner of your mouth gently.Â
âWhat about now?â he mumbles, voice muffled against your mouth. âToo far?â
âNo.â
He makes a sound in the back of his throat, hands dropping to your waist. You let him grip you, backing you up toward your bed. Itâs a bit clumsy but you donât care, hands looping around his neck to keep him close.
âTell me what you want,â Hansol mumbles. Your knees hit the bed and you let yourself fall backward. He follows you, caging you in with both of his planted on either side of your head. âTell me how far you want me to go.âÂ
âOn the clock?â
âFuck no. Nothing I want to do right now is on the clock.â
âGood. I want you to go as far as you want.â
He drops his mouth to your neck. A moan slips between your lips when you feel his tongue scrape across the soft skin of your throat. He sounds strained when he says, âYou gotta tell me, baby. I need to know what you want.â
âYou.â Itâs the most honest thing youâve said all month. âAll of it. Everything. But for real.âÂ
Hansol nods. He presses messy, wet kisses up your neck, along your jaw, stopping at your mouth. His nose nudges yours and he smiles against your lips, giving you a chaste peck. âYouâve got me. For real.âÂ
Grinning, you slide your hands underneath his shirt. He moans, throaty and delicious. He twitches under your exploration but he lets you brush your palms up the warmth of his stomach, reaching around until your hands are gripping his lower back.Â
His mouth attaches to yours again. The kiss is messy and addictive, Hansol filling your senses as he lowers himself so that his weight is rested on top of you. Itâs comforting and wanted, your knees squeezing his hips to hold him in place.Â
One of his hands leaves the mattress to drop to your hip, squeezing before he scratches his nails against your thigh. You shiver, feeling the stimulation through your jeans. His hand slips under you, gripping the curve of your ass to lift you a little, pressing you closer to him.
A moan slips through your mouth to his when he rolls your hips against him. The stimulation isnât remotely enough but you like this version of Hansol. His touch is confident, his lips intentful as they leave a trail from your mouth to your collarbone.Â
With one last squeeze to your ass, Hansol traces his fingers over the tops of your thigh to drop between your legs. He presses his fingers to the apex of your thighs, working you through your clothes. You let out a desperate sound and you feel the way he smiles against your skin.Â
His touch sparks a flame. You tear at his flannel, peeling it from his shoulders. He helps you get it off of him but heâs just as eager to peel you out of your jeans and shirt. A deep curse leaves his mouth when he sees you in just a bra and underwear, your chest heaving as you pant, staring up at him, mouth swollen and tender.Â
Reaching for him, you grab the hat and throw it. âHat is very hot,â you admit. âBut I wanted to do this.âÂ
You slide your fingers in his hair, curling them through the strands to tug him back to you. He smiles into the kiss, tangling his tongue with yours. His hand skims up your thigh, fingers leaving a trail of goosebumps as he goes until he slides his hand back between your legs.
A gasp leaves you as he presses his fingers back to your cunt, pressing the fabric into your aching clit. He whispers a string of curses when he feels how damp you are, resting his forehead against your shoulder for a moment as he teases you over your panties.
âPlease,â you whisper, hips rising off the bed. âWant more.â
âMhmm.â He lifts his head and gives you a quick kiss to the cheek. âIâve got you.â
Hansol doesnât make you beg. You like that about him. Your breath catches when he drops to his knees, reaching his arm up to pull the back of his shirt over his head, tossing it. The sight of him between your knees in just jeans, his hair mussed and mouth swollen is enough to make you dizzy.
You prop yourself up on your elbows, watching with hooded eyes as Hansol grabs you by the calves, spreading you a little more. His hands are gentle and warm, rubbing up and down while he takes his time pressing a myriad of kisses up the right side of your inner thigh.Â
It feels so good. Your lashes flutter a little, breath coming in quicker. Everywhere his mouth touches tingles, a little path of buzzing electricity as he makes his way closer and closer to your heat until he switches sides.
You make a sound of protest and Hansol looks up at you through his lashes, grinning. He looks smug, leaning forward to bite your thigh playfully. It stings but it feels good, making your fingers twist in the sheets.Â
âFeel good?â he whispers, pressing his tongue to soothe the sting. You nod, mouth parted, unable to speak. He smiles again, dragging his tongue down your thigh. You think you might die right there.Â
Hansol makes his way back up. He drags his burning gaze up to meet yours, deliberately making eye contact as he presses the flat of his tongue against your underwear. If it wasnât soaked before, it is thoroughly drenched now. You suck in a sharp breath, knees closing on instinct to squeeze against his shoulders.
He chuckles, dragging his tongue upward where it presses against your clit momentarily. He brings one of his hands up, pressing his middle finger right against your hole. You feel yourself clench around nothing and you know he knows, his grin wicked.Â
"What do you like?"
"I... don't know."
He looks at you, pausing. "You don't know? Like what makes you come?" You shake your head and realization lights his eyes. "That jackass didn't make you come, did it?"
You shake your head and he groans.
âDonât worry,â Hansol promises with another languid lick to the soaked fabric. âI will make up for all the times you didnât get to come.âÂ
âFuck.â
Vernon (from IT) has been replaced with Hansol (the Menace). He hooks a finger in the crotch of your underwear, pulling them to the side. He drags a knuckle against your pussy on purpose, both of you groaning in unison.Â
Eagerly Hansol leans forward, giving you a teasing lick. Your fingers dig into the mattress anyway. You can do nothing but stare at him, watching the way Hansol drags his dark eyes up to watch you as he drags his tongue through your folds again.Â
âShit,â you hiss at him, a shiver wracking your body.
He seems pleased, shooting you a quick smile before he brings his mouth to you again, sucking gently. He avoids your clit at first, working you up slowly. Hansol eats you out like he has all the time in the world, like thereâs no where he would rather be than tonguing your pussy.Â
It drives you mad, his name slipping from your lips in little gasps. His tongue circles your clit, applying pressure indirectly, working you up and up until finally, he closes his mouth around the throbbing bundle of nerves, suckling.Â
âOhhhh,â you laugh, half delirious. âThat. Whatever that is.âÂ
He hums, parting only to say, âYou got it.âÂ
You see God when he fastens his mouth to you, sucking your clit gently. Dropping back against the bed, you twitch and gasp under Hansolâs ministrations. He sets a rhythm, adding his fingers to the mix as they press against your entrance. He doesnât push in, but rather traces a pattern, making you squeeze.Â
Panting, you drop a hand to his hair. He hums in delight as you tangle your fingers in the strands, bringing him closer to your cunt. You feel like youâre burning up, your sheets sticking to your skin, the room spinning as Hansol eats you out in earnest now.Â
No one has ever seemed this dedicated to your pleasure. He doesnât let up for a second, fingers and mouth working in tandem to bring you to a cliff of insanity. All you have to do is jump and dive head first into an orgasm.Â
You do. Hansol works you right to the very edge and you topple over, falling into it hard. You go taught but he holds you down, fighting your spasm as you come hard. He doesnât miss a beat, the obscene sounds of him slurping at you drowning out the pitiful, high pitched whine that leaves you.Â
In a wave of exhaustion, your orgasm subsides. You flop on the bed, still shaking as he removes his mouth in favor of pressing slick, cum-stained kisses to your thighs. You lift your head and his eyes meet yours, flashing wickedly.Â
He pauses, looking at your wet, messy cunt back to your face. âWant a taste?â
Hansol (the Menace) is going to kill you.
You nod and he smirks. He runs his tongue generously up your pussy, making sure to dip into your entrance just a little before he stands up and leans over you to press a filthy kiss to your mouth. You suck at his tongue greedily, tasting yourself and him, a combination youâll never get tired of.Â
One of his hands snakes up to your chest, tweaking a nipple gently, testing the waters. You nod, breaking the kiss with a gasp, âYeah.âÂ
âGonna work you open with my fingers,â he slurs. He kisses down your neck again, working his way to your chest. âThat okay?â
âMore than okay.âÂ
âGod,â he whispers. âYou sound so fucking good when you come. Want to hear it again.âÂ
There is no doubt he will. Hansol rids you of your bra before returning to suck greedily at your chest. Your nails bite into his shoulders, dragging down his sides as he presses a finger into your warmth.Â
âGod damn,â he laughs. He plucks at a nipple with his teeth and you curse. âYouâre so fucking wet.âÂ
âOn the clock?â
âFuck no. My finger is in your pussy.â
âI am really turned on.â
He gives your other breast a playful bite. âGood. Now I want you to come apart on my fingers.âÂ
That wonât be an issue. Hansol gets you there embarrassingly fast. He finds the sensitive spot inside of you with ease and doesnât hold back, pressing another finger in. He works you toward another orgasm like it's easy - and maybe for the both of you, it is. Maybe Hansol was meant to have you like this, gushing around his fingers and babbling nonsense as you come again, his mouth pressed against your hammering heart.Â
Maybe he was meant to have you fucked out and light-headed by the time youâre helping him out of his jeans, sliding his briefs down his muscular thighs to free his cock. The tip is dark and sticky, weeping with precum when he pins you to the bed, catching you in a bruising kiss.
Gone is the patient Hansol who had started with gentle kisses to your thighs, replaced by his need to have you. To consume you. You let him, willing to let him do whatever he wants. You want his pleasure just as much as he wants yours, slipping your hand between your bodies to palm his cock, heavy and warm in your hand.
He whispers your name and it sounds like a prayer. His forehead presses against yours, letting you pump him slowly. His hips twitch as though heâs fighting to control himself, letting you have your fun before he growls and grabs your hand, lacing your fingers to pin above your head.Â
Hansol scoots you up the bed, putting you where he wants you. Gone is the sweet guy from IT, replaced with whatever this is. You like this side of him equally, listening to him when he asks you to lift your hips so he can slide a pillow under your ass.
With a kiss to your brow that feels sweeter than the moment allows for, Hansol lifts your leg, prying you open for him. His cock is heavy against your cunt and he ruts a little, making you both whine in tandem.Â
âYou still want this, right?â He asks, voice shaking. âFor real?â
âYes.â You squeeze the hand he has laced with yours, pinned to the mattress near your head. âOn the clock. Off the clock. Literally all of the hours.âÂ
âWhat if I refuse to change your computer password?â
That makes you laugh. He gives you a glowing smile, kissing the tops of your cheekbones. âEven then,â you promise.Â
âGood. Try breathing for me when you come this time.â You give him a look and he smiles. âDid you think you were done? I told you I was making up for lost time.âÂ
He doesnât give you a second to retort, his cock pressing in at that exact moment. âOhhh you fucker,â you moan and he laughs, which makes things worse. You squeeze around him hard, barely breathing as Hansol slides in to the hilt, the pressure and stretch divine. âYou did that on purpose.â
âI did,â he admits before trapping you into an uncoordinated kiss.Â
With one hand holding yours to the bed and the other sliding under your ass to help lift you with the pillow, Hansol sets a slow pace. You continue to kiss him, just as slow as he fucks you. He is deep, cock brushing against your g-spot on every upstroke.Â
Your free hand slides to his lower back, urging him to keep going. His tempo is measured, perfect, the angle of his hips just right. You start to feel insane, mumbling his name, whining between kisses, making a pathetic noise when he increases his pace.Â
Hansol fucks like he knows exactly how you like it. Of course he does. Even from the moment in that bookstore, he had you figured out. No one else has been able to adjust to you like he has, no one else has been able to understand - to see you.Â
âFuck,â he hisses when you start squeezing on him for harder and longer. Heâs pushing you toward that edge again, so close youâre already seeing stars. âPussy feels so good.âÂ
He shuffles up the bed more, folding you a little. You make a wild sound, gasping as the angle pushes his cock in deep. âHoly shit, Hansol.âÂ
âThat the spot?â he asks, and you nod. He starts fucking you in earnest, pace picking up. âGod damn I could do this all day.âÂ
âKeep doing that and Iâll let you.â
He laughs and kisses you again, all tongue and teeth. You start to spasm, feeling the way your muscles clench as you near your third orgasm. This one is tight in your stomach, a pressure that is so compact you feel like youâre going to combust.
âBreathe through it,â he reminds you, out of breath as he chases your high. âYou can do that, yeah?â
You nod, saving your breath for when he tells you to use it.Â
A few more hard strokes and youâre doing exactly as instructed, taking in a deep breath as your orgasm hits. You see white, shaking underneath Hansol as the warmth of your high blooms in your lower stomach and expands. Itâs better than the first two, stretching longer, the feeling reaching to your toes.Â
You manage to breathe all the way through it, barely hanging on as he fucks you through the entire length of your high. He presses his mouth to your temple, slowing his pace to let you recover. You feel melted, like your bones and muscles have all gone on vacation, leaving Hansol to do the work for you.
âGood?â he asks, breath fanning your face.
You nod and wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him close. âYou,â you mumble. Itâs not a complete sentence, but he gets what you mean, kissing you quickly before chasing his own high, gritting his teeth.Â
As spent as you are, you do your part to help him get there, squeezing with what strength you have left, whispering his name, pulling him in close with a leg around his hip. It works, sending Hansol over the edge and spilling into you within a few seconds.Â
He curses into your shoulder, pace turning sloppy until he finally stops, hips pressed to yours, cock sheathed to the hilt. Both of you stay like that, trying to catch your breath in a sweaty pile of limbs.
Hansol recovers first, shifting so that he can lay next to you. He pulls out, a mess of cum and fluid going with him. You donât care, rolling to your side to kiss him slowly. Softly. He rests an arm over your hip, keeping you connected.Â
âThis is a great birthday,â he jokes, voice hoarse. âI uhhh, forgot there was a party. No one will think weâre fake dating now.âÂ
You grin. âWhatever. Weâre not on the clock.âÂ
He kisses you again. âThank god. Cause I really want to do this again in fifteen minutes.â
You smile, really glad that Hansol (the Boyfriend) is on the same page as you.
no words, just wow




















