Work Text:
The song filled the room beautifully.
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear…
You were torn between blushing and smiling – it was never comfortable having a few dozen people paying attention to you like this, and especially so unexpectedly. When Hoseok had gently urged you to come to the break room for something he had for you, you had… Well, your head had gone in many different directions. Uncouth ones, admittedly – stupid, silly ones that you needed to not think about at work where you were trying to take care of people and do your job and stay awake through a sixteen hour shift.
“Hobi, you really didn’t have to–”
“Nope. My treat.”
And then the lights turned on and the singing followed.
Happy birthday to you.
The room, stark and packed with coworkers and friends alike, all huddled around a table full of multicolored cupcakes and elegantly formed balloon animals, and all you could do was gawk as the song finished and the applause and giddy congratulations and pats on the back started. How did they know? How on earth did…?
Dimly, you remember Hoseok – sweet, unattainable Hoseok with the brilliant smile and the kindness laced in his voice. The patience and consideration. So many good things – too many good things – and fairly choked up, you managed to splutter out a ‘thank you’ before scanning the room for the devil in question. You didn’t even hang out outside of work, but you knew – you just knew–
At the same moment you made eye contact with him across the room, smiling softly, something quiet in his eyes that you couldn’t quite place, you opened your mouth to call out to him but a cupcake was shoved in it instead. By the time you swallowed it and smacked away the offender, the door he had been hovering beside was closing slowly, without a sound, and people were talking to you so you couldn’t go after him.
You told yourself, over and over, that you had balloon animals and cupcakes and people who loved you.
And you couldn’t stop thinking about him.