Work Text:
Usually Doyoung loved his job. Usually none of the paperwork or his lovely colleagues bothered him – except maybe Ten, but that’s just a crucial part that goes hand in hand with his friendship. This Monday, however, Doyoung could feel a blooming headache pounding behind his temples, the side effects of a hangover, and immediately upon entering his office Doyoung began questioning his own decisions this early morning. Why hadn’t he just called in sick? Screw his sense of responsibility.
Sitting down in his office chair, he first threw a quick glance at his boss’ schedule and then he eyed all the paperwork he would have to work his way through today sighing dejectedly, shrinking into himself. In that moment, he was overcome by the sudden urge to end his best friend’s life, especially when said person entered the room without knocking first, smiling widely and looking as fresh as ever. It would always be a mystery to Doyoung how Ten could party all night without resembling death himself upon waking up.
“Hey sweetcheeks, how are we feeling?”, Ten asked, making Doyoung wince at the noise.
The latter heaved another deep sigh before frowning. “First of all, please refrain from calling me that ever again. Second, how am I supposed to feel, you think?”
Blinking twice, Doyoung changed his mind. “Actually, don’t answer that. You know, I feel like a train wreck. It couldn’t be any worse.”
Upon noticing Ten’s sheepish look, Doyoung figured, he would absolutely hate the younger’s response.
“Do you not have any memories of last night?” Doyoung shook his head no, so Ten continued. “Well, I’m sure you remember entering the bar with us and taking the first couple of shots?” At this Doyoung gave a slight nod.
“But the more we drank, the more you began waxing poetic about boss and his, I quote, body sculpted by the gods themselves. Honestly, I’ve witnessed you whining about him multiple times before but yesterday definitely was the cherry on top. You’ve never sounded as thirsty or desperate as you did yesterday. A while after that, we migrated to the dancefloor where we lost you, so I have absolutely no clue what happened next.”
Doyoung’s mouth fell open in shock. His crush on his boss is not exactly a secret, neither to his friends nor his colleagues, yet Doyoung could never see himself letting his mouth run this loose. “Ten, are you sure you’re not mistaking me for someone else at the club?”
“Nope, I’m a hundred percent positive, it was you, Doie.” Ten turned his head left, right, took a look behind him and leaned in over the desk to whisper. “Speaking of boss, Doie. I just saw him enter the building and he did not seem to be in the best of moods. In fact, he was quite tense and way too serious for my liking. So good luck with that, sweetcheeks.”
That said, Ten bolted from Doyoung’s desk leaving him to deal with his headache (which was getting worse by the minute), his lack of memories of what happened after the fourth shot AND with his boss’s temper, all on his own.
A couple of minutes and several sorted documents later, Doyoung felt the presence of yet another person standing in front of his desk, announcing their arrival by clearing their throat. Lifting his head, Doyoung came face to face with his boss, Jung Jaehyun, facial expression ice-cold and posture rigid just like his tone.
“Good morning, Doyoung-ssi. Please clear my schedule until after lunch. Tell my business partners that something urgent came up. Personal matters”, he ordered and Doyoung found himself unable to react further than gracing his boss with a curt stiff nod. The latter left for the double doors leading to his own office, but stopped right there one hand on the handle, before turning his head to Doyoung. “Also, after you’re done clearing my schedule, come see me in my office.”
Doyoung gulped hard in an attempt to swallow down the rising nausea clogging up his throat and cutting his breath. Whether it was due to his physically sick state or due to the fact that he was probably in major trouble, he could not tell. Despite his nausea and headache his mind began racing a mile a minute, conjuring one crazy thought after another. Was his boss going to fire him? What for? It’s not like Doyoung slacked off at work or missed informing his boss about any upcoming scheduled appointments or meetings.
On the contrary, Doyoung would probably award himself the title of most committed and diligent personal assistant walking on the face of this earth. He was never late, always giving two hundred percent of his capabilities and he was always available on call, even outside of his working hours, although that was not frequent occurrence. He was so immersed in and committed to his work, that he even sacrificed his personal and love life, not having enough time to date anyone or to go out with his group of friends, consisting of Ten and his boyfriend Taeyong. If he wasn’t being fired, why would his boss request to see him personally, especially if he typically just called or texted Doyoung to let him know about what had to be done next?
Pushing all his thoughts aside for a second, he focused on the task at hand and picked up the phone dialling the number of Hwang corporation.
“Good morning, secretary Park? Yes, this is Jung & Associates’ personal assistant Kim Dongyoung speaking. I’m afraid I’ll have to cancel the meeting scheduled for this forenoon on Mr. Jung’s behalf.” His eyes flitted to the double doors, taunting him and reminding him about his impending fate.
“Something urgent came up, personal matters.” Doyoung repeated his boss’s words from before.
!!!
Maybe Doyoung should have just kept his mouth shut. When he mentioned that it could not be any worse nothing could have prepared him for what his boss hit him with.
He anxiously rapped his knuckles against the double doors, a quick Come in beckoning him into the office. Once Doyoung entered, his boss motioned for the personal assistant to take a seat across from him.
“I’ll cut to the chase; Is there anything you would like to tell me, Doyoung-ssi?” The younger blinked once, twice, before promptly shaking his head no. “I don’t think so, boss.” At this the latter leaned forward, getting a little too close for Doyoung’s liking. “Are you sure?” the corporate leader shot the other a challenging glare making Doyoung lower his head and cower. Why is he asking me when he obviously knows more?! And besides, he called me into his office!
A phone sliding into Doyoung’s field of vision forced him to lift his head and meet his boss’s demanding gaze. Something in his mind screamed at him to just take a look at the screen. The display showed an open text conversation, apparently between him and his boss.
“W-what is the meaning of this?” Doyoung wanted to kick himself for stuttering.
“Well, you explain it yourself.” The elder ordered, however, the younger’s confused expression made him take a step back.
“Wait a minute, you really have no clue what I’m talking about, do you?” Doyoung shook his head.
“What? Were you actually drunk when you texted me?” His boss replied with a chuckle, promptly choking on his laugh once he laid eyes on Doyoung’s flushed face and heard the man quietly mumble. “What exactly did I text you, boss?” Instead of responding, the phone was pushed closer to him.
“See for yourself.” With shaking hands Doyoung picked the phone up and started scrolling.
Suddenly, being fired didn’t seem like a bad idea any longer if it meant not having to come face to face with his boss ever again. In fact, he might as well hand in a letter of resignation himself, if it comes to that.
Because right there, was a picture of a penis staring right back at him. If possible, Doyoung flushed a deeper shade of red upon realizing it was, in fact, his own. Feeling a shudder run down his back as well as his hands shake, the younger desperately wished for the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Instead, he found himself scrambling for the right words, considering the situation at hand.
However, all that left his mouth was a meek “Not mine”.
His boss’s eyebrows shot up in confusion. “So, you googled pictures of random penises just to send it to me?” He questioned, which prompted Doyoung to get a grip on himself. “Yes, I mean NO! Of course not! I just- I was under the influence of alcohol last night. It- It was an accident.” At the end his voice betrayed him and broke down into a whisper.
His boss just sighed in response, out of relief or exasperation, Doyoung could not tell. “I understand if you feel uncomfortable and hence, would want me to resign from my position. Give me the pa-“ Doyoung’s ramble was interrupted by his boss snatching the phone from his shaky grip looking beyond angry.
“Now, tell me, why would I want to fire the best personal assistant I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with over something as insignificant as this? All I wanted was to hear your explanation, your side of the story, before jumping to conclusions. Now, that this is out of the way, I expect you to continue with your work the way you did before. You are dismissed.” Doyoung’s boss snarled, and without uttering another word Doyoung bowed his head and fled the office to return to the safe space of his desk. Even though he was not getting fired, the whole encounter left a bitter aftertaste.
By the time lunch rolled around, Doyoung managed to complete almost all the paperwork before him, despite his head-splitting migraine that did not get better and his mind running a mile a minute.
Apart from that, immersing himself into work served as an ideal distraction from everything that occurred within the past thirteen to fourteen hours. At least, until someone dropped a bag of food on his table. Lifting his head, Doyoung was met with his boss’s fierce gaze, which softened significantly, once Doyoung made a move to crawl back into his carefully constructed bubble.
His boss cleared his throat. “I thought bringing food might be a nice gesture taking your hangover into account. I brought you some Haejang-guk. It should help.”
When Doyoung showed no signs of objection, his boss proceeded unpacking the bowl of soup, as well as placing all utensils in front of his personal assistant. “Also, I wanted to apologize for raising my voice earlier. In hindsight, it makes a lot more sense why you entertained the thought of me firing you. But, please, rest assured, this is not a valid reason in my eyes. If anything, I might even say, I was a little flattered knowing I still had it in me to garner such form of attention, albeit it felt a little strange at first to receive this… precarious photograph… from you of all people.” He ended his short speech with a low chuckle.
However, his boss’s words caused a whirlwind of emotions in Doyoung and now he really did not know what to make of this, even less than before.
Shortly after, he was propelled out of his own headspace. “So, what do you say, Doyoung-ssi? Let’s put all of this aside and focus on working together like we used to. Without the tense atmosphere and awkward feelings?” His boss held out his hand and Doyoung timidly took to shake it, silently agreeing with a nod.
“Good”, was his boss’s only reply. Before the latter made it through the double doors, he quickly turned back to Doyoung. “I might also add, that you should just call me Jaehyun in the future.”
After the doors closed behind his boss’s, no Jaehyun’s, back, Doyoung wanted to slam his head into the bowl of soup and just disappear. He knew, Jaehyun’s words would continue to torment him for a very long time. At least, the food seemed to help his headache lessen a great amount.
!!!!
In all honesty, Doyoung really wanted to forget the incident. However, a certain someone made it practically impossible. Wherever he went Jaehyun’s extensive gaze would follow him. Each time the two interacted, Jaehyun would not only stare openly at Doyoung but also make sure to graze his skin with touches; soft at first and getting bolder by the days. It started with their hands barely brushing while passing documents between them and progressed to Jaehyun letting his hands linger on Doyoung’s arms or neck each time Jaehyun addressed him. Doyoung was very uncertain about this sudden shift in their dynamic.
Was Jaehyun somehow aware of his feelings or was it the accidentally sent picture that prompted his approaches? All these thoughts send Doyoung’s mind into overdrive and robbed him of his sleep, which in turn could have led to the peak of all their interactions the days following the incident.
It happened one late evening while Doyoung was finishing the last contract copies of that day. Turning around with a small stack of paper in his arms, he directly bumped into Jaehyun which almost send him stumbling to the ground. Doyoung already prepared himself for the impact but was stopped by an arm firmly wrapped around his waist.
“Careful, Doyoung. I can’t risk losing my personal assistant now, can I?” Jaehyun asked with a teasingly raised brow.
Not only was this the first time the two came really close, it was also the first time Jaehyun called Doyoung by his first name. No titles, no honorifics, just Doyoung.
“I- I- Yes, thank you, Jaehyun-ssi, Doyoung, no, Jaehyun.” His face went beet-red while Jaehyun let out a deep chuckle.
“I think you should go home now, Doyoung. It’s way too late and I feel like you need to get some more sleep.” The latter let go of his waist, took the stack of papers out of Doyoung’s grasp, grabbed the younger by the arm and led him to the clothing rack. Setting the papers down, Jaehyun made a move to get Doyoung’s coat as well as his bag and handed both to his personal assistant. Of course, being the ever so diligent worker Doyoung protested and yet, his protests fell onto deaf ears.
“None of that. I’d rather have you come back in tomorrow looking fine as hell. I mean refreshed. Instead of working yourself down to the bone.” Jaehyun fixed him with a stern look. All Doyoung could do was to agree meekly and take his leave with a quick Goodnight.
!!!!
“I’m confused.”
Ten halted his chopsticks mid raise and snickered. “Aren’t you always, Doie?”
“Fuck you, Chittaphon.” Why did Doyoung even bother to go to his supposed best friend for advice? After all, best friends are never helpful, right?
Picking up on Doyoung’s tone, Ten’s face fell. “Uh-oh, you’re using my Thai given name. It must be serious. Does it perhaps concern the day you were called into boss’s office?” Spot on.
Doyoung shrunk into himself. “Yes and no. Remember the day before? The day I went out drinking with you and Tae?” He sighed deeply, while Ten slowly nodded. “Well, I… did something on accident.”
Ten encouraged his friend to continue. “Something?”
Knowing his best friend, Ten expected him to panic about an insignificant issue, like he always would, but nothing in this world could have prepared him for what left Doyoung’s mouth next. “Yes, something quite stupid and definitely out of character for me, if we disregard that I actually got drunk in the first place. Anyways, might as well be upfront with you. Apparently, I sent Jaehyun a very inappropriate photo that night and couldn’t even remember it the next morning.”
For the first time in his life, since Ten learned how to speak, he was at a loss for words.
Doyoung, on the other hand, noticed his own slip-up in the meantime. He hoped and prayed to all the deities in existence that it would go past his best friend. As always, luck was never on his side. “Wait a minute. Kim Dongyoung. Did you, mister uptight with a stick up your ass, really call our boss by his first name? When did that even happen? Why am I, your best friend, may I remind you, out of the loop?”
Doyoung dropped his head on the table. “Not too long ago, sorehead. He actually insisted. You know I would never. I really don’t know how it happened, but we both dropped any form of honorifics.”
Upon lifting his head again, he noticed Ten’s scrutinizing gaze. “What else has happened that you kept a secret from me?” He prompted.
Doyoung shook his head. “Nothing. Well almost. He started seeking out physical contact more and it went as far as him catching me by the waist so my clumsy ass wouldn’t end up hurting himself.”
Suddenly, an irritating and all too familiar smirk appeared on Ten’s face. Oh, how Doyoung hated it. He desperately wanted to wipe it of Ten’s face because whatever Ten was going to say next would not end well.
“My dear, sweet, sweet, precious Doie. Just think about it. What if your feelings are not one-sided? What if our boss likes you back but tries to be relatively subtle about it to not scare you away and to gauge your reaction?”
Thinking about the ridiculousness of his current situation, Doyoung could not help but let out a guffaw. Albeit, it died down quickly, once he noticed that Ten was utterly serious and meant what he said.
“Okay, assuming you’re right on this one, what do I do?”
Ten leaned closer to Doyoung and murmured. “Two options. Either you do absolutely nothing and continue playing the waiting game or you use your charms for once and take the first step.”
!!!!
Doyoung decided to play the waiting game.
At first, there was no noticeable change in Jaehyun’s behaviour at all. He did not take any further steps nor did he stop his previous ministrations. About a week after Doyoung’s conversation with Ten, however, Doyoung received an unexpected call.
It was a Saturday afternoon and Doyoung was enjoying his free time reading a book on the couch, when he heard his phone chime. Assuming it was Ten calling him, he was ready to reject whatever request the younger might have. Instead, the caller ID displayed Jaehyun’s name. Usually him and Jaehyun had an agreement that Doyoung would only be called into work on weekends if there was an urgency, so he picked up the call after the first ring.
“Good afternoon, Doyoung. I’m sorry to bother you, I know today is a Saturday but our business partners called for an emergency online conference. And I need your assistance working through the required documents. So, if you didn’t mind coming over it would be great.”
Doyoung immediately set his book down and jumped up from his comfortable sitting position, quickly making his way into his bedroom to dress. “It’s not a big deal. I’ll be in the office in no time, you know me.”
He heard a shuffling noise on the other side of the line and then Jaehyun cleared his throat. “Thank you. Here’s the thing, they asked for the meeting on such short notice that I myself will not have enough time to make it to the office before the conference starts. So, in this case, I’m afraid, you’ll have to work in my apartment. All the documents are here anyways.”
Oh god, Ten shall never even catch a whiff of this or he’d eat Doyoung alive. He would never let Doyoung live this down. “S-Sure. B-Be there in fifteen.” Ending the call, Doyoung cursed himself for stuttering. Whilst overthinking, Doyoung still managed to dress himself, grab all the things needed, and leave for his car.
Was this really happening? Was he really about to invade Jaehyun’s private place? But, was he actually invading if it was related to work and if Jaehyun himself asked for Doyoung to be there?
He couldn’t possibly drive with his thoughts all over the place. He needed a minute to calm himself first.
Did he have a choice? Not really, he was needed for work. But, he could call in sick, couldn’t he? No, definitely not an option, since he already promised Jaehyun he’d be there in fifteen minutes. Which is why Doyoung had to suck it up and just try to not show his nerves.
When he arrived at Jaehyun’s place, everything went way easier than he anticipated. He was accompanied to the apartment door by the receptionist where he was greeted by Jaehyun and immediately handed all the papers. It was the usual task, except this time his surroundings were different. However, once Doyoung immersed himself into the documents, there was nothing that could distract him, not even the whirlwind of worries and thoughts that tormented his mind only moments ago.
By the end of the conference call it was nearing eight in the evening. Doyoung started packing his things and was ready to go home when Jaehyun grabbed his arm to stop him by the door.
“Wait, Doyoung. I know it’s almost eight, but would you mind staying over for dinner? We both did not have anything to eat yet and perhaps we could use this opportunity to get to know each other outside of work?”
For a moment there was clear apprehension and hesitation written all over Doyoung’s face and he could feel Jaehyun’s hand slowly let go of him. Doyoung knew that Ten always loved to tease him about his crush on their boss but at the same time he was also aware that Ten would kill him if Doyoung were to let this chance go by.
His expression softened. “Yes, I would love to stay over for dinner.”
Immediately, Jaehyun’s face lit up and he made his way to the kitchen. “Perfect, I’ll quickly whip up some seafood pasta. How does that sound? In the meantime, you can make yourself at home.”
Only when Jaehyun took of his suit jacket did Doyoung realize that the former had been wearing sweatpants all along. He chuckled quietly to himself, quickly following Jaehyun.
“Can I be of any help for you?” Doyoung suggested standing by the counter in Jaehyun’s open kitchen.
Without looking up Jaehyun said. “No, since I told you to be my guest.”
“Actually, you told me, and I quote, in the meantime, you can make yourself at home. As far as I’m concerned, all people in one ‘home’ can be roped in for help.” Doyoung retorted with a small smirk.
Jaehyun lifted his head and leveled Doyoung with a rather amused look, one eyebrow raised. “Fine, you can help me with the sauce.”
!!!!
“Do you prefer red or white wine, Doyoung?” Jaehyun asked as he took out two bottles from his cupboard.
The younger was about to answer, when he remembered a tiny detail. “Jaehyun, I drove myself here. It wouldn’t be very responsible of me to drink.”
The elder stopped in his track. “Well, in that case, I’ll get my personal assistant to drive you home later.”
Jaehyun’s response forced a boisterous laugh out of Doyoung. “May I remind you that I, Kim Dongyoung, am your only personal assistant?”
“Oopsie, my bad. What a shame, I guess that means you’d have no other choice but to spend the night here, if you drank.” Came the reply backed up by a sly smirk.
Doyoung’s jaw went slack. “Y-You… I- I- I… What?”
Jaehyun walked back to the stove, set the bottles down next to it and laid his hand on Doyoung’s shoulder for reassurance. “Relax, I’m just teasing you. Besides, while I commend you for being a responsible adult and for not wanting to be a danger in traffic, I also know that half a glass of wine would neither harm you nor other people.”
The younger sighed dejectedly. “You’re right. Then, I’d prefer white wine.”
Picking up on the shift in atmosphere, Jaehyun did not budge. Instead he placed a finger under Doyoung’s chin and lifted his head up. Their gazes met and Doyoung took notice of Jaehyun’s worried expression. “Tell me, what’s wrong, Doie? Is there something bothering your beautiful, clever mind?”
Before Doyoung could either delve on Jaehyun’s blatant attempts at flirting or acknowledge the use of his nickname, something else caught his attention. “JAEHYUN! The pasta!!!”
Doyoung was very certain he had never heard the usually level-headed Jaehyun swear before, at least not that much. The latter instantly removed the pot from the stove while Doyoung grabbed a wet cloth to clean the mess. After a while, both of them burst out laughing.
“At least, the mood is now lifted. I’m sorry for dampening it, Jae. It’s just… I hope you don’t see me as a pretty uptight person.”
Jaehyun placed the pot back on the stove to let the pasta cook a little longer, this time on low heat, before he turned back around to Doyoung. “I may see you as pretty but never as uptight. Also, did you just call me Jae?”
Doyoung smiled slightly. “Maybe? But you also called me Doie earlier, so now we’re even.”
“You know what? That’s a competition I’ll gladly continue.”
!!!!
During dinner, among others, Jaehyun breached the topic that Doyoung desperately wanted to avoid. In fact, the younger really hoped Jaehyun had forgotten what got him to try and get closer to Doyoung in the first place.
“So, about the incident a couple of weeks ago.”
Doyoung promptly choked on a piece of shrimp.
“I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but what made you send me that picture? Was it caused by something in particular? Or maybe someone?”
Doyoung’s mind went blank and all he could bring himself to say was: “It was Ten’s fault!”
Jaehyun was utterly embezzled. “Ten? What? Why? How?”
“He didn’t force me to do it and it also wasn’t his… well, you know, in the photo. He and his boyfriend were the ones to persuade me to drink with them. Thus, I wasn’t able to think properly in my inebriated state of mind and mayormaynothaveactedonmyfeelingsforyou.”
The last part of the sentence was blurted out very quickly, too fast for Jaehyun to catch on. “Excuse me, Doie, what was that?”
Doyoung lowered his head. “Please don’t make me repeat it.” He begged, until he lifted his head again and was met with Jaehyun’s pout. Just one look at it made Doyoung want to kiss it away but he knew he was not confident enough this time around. So, in the end he opted for just repeating himself. It could not get worse than an accidental dick pic, could it? Inhale, exhale, and then: “Okay. I said, I may or may not have acted on my feelings for you.”
In a fraction of a second, Jaehyun’s face split into a grin. “Thank god! And here I thought all my subtle and, admittedly, not so subtle attempts to woo you were futile.”
Doyoung nodded in acknowledgement. And then he realized. “Hold on, Jae? Does that- Does that mean?”
All Doyoung could hear was Jaehyun’s chair scraping against the floor and suddenly, Jaehyun was kneeling in front of him. “Doie, yes, it does mean that I like you back. Actually, if I think about it, I’ve always liked you, since the day you applied for the position as my P.A. Honestly, in the beginning I also kind of hoped that you sent the picture on purpose and was a little disappointed to find out you texted me drunk. Then I remembered the saying that goes There is truth in a drunken man’s words, which then gave me the courage to be bolder in my approach.”
He gave Doyoung a minute to process his words. “So, you really like me back? This is not a hoax? Not some kind of sick joke? Because that would make you a dipshit. If it was a joke I might even burst into tears. Wait, what am I saying? I would definitely burst into tears.”
A short pause, then: “Oh god, I cannot believe I just called my boss a dipshit, what am I doing? I’m so sorry, Jae, I-…”
Doyoung’s tirade was interrupted by Jaehyun putting his hand on the younger’s knee. “Doie, you’re rambling. I’m really not messing with you. I. Like. You. A lot.”
Jaehyun bit his lip in silent contemplation, before he looked Doyoung straight in the eyes and asked: “Would it be alright, if I kissed you or is it too soon?”
Instead of giving an answer, Doyoung overcame his state of self-induced panic and, for the first time in his life, took the first step.
!!!!
Over the weekend, Doyoung had not told a single soul that on Friday he went home from work as a single man and returned the very next Monday in a relationship. Which is exactly why he basked in Ten’s poorly masked surprise, when Jaehyun entered their department’s office with a caramel macchiato in hand, set it down in front of Doyoung and greeted him with a long peck to the lips.
“Hey, baby. I really missed you.”
The younger giggled in response. “Jae, we saw each other yesterday.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to miss you, Doie.”
At this, Doyoung got up from his chair and began pushing Jaehyun towards his personal office to avoid garnering more attention from his colleagues . Once he successfully dragged Jaehyun inside, he left for his own desk again but not before handing Jaehyun a stack of already prepared documents and giving him another short peck. Closing the double doors behind him, he came face to face with his best friend.
“So, sweetcheeks, care to explain?” Ten inquired, one eyebrow raised.
Doyoung just brushed him off. “There is nothing to explain, except that this was the first time since I’ve known you in which following your advice had a great outcome.”
He watched as Ten proceeded to puff his chest out in pride. So much for not feeding his ego any further. “Of course. You know the great Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul is always there when you need him.” Ten boasted.
Suddenly, he backtracked.
“Hey, wait a second. What do you mean, this was the first time since you’ve known me?! Kim Dongyoung, explain yourself this instant!!”