Work Text:
The concept of professionalism is exaggerated. So what Donghyuck checked his client’s ass before his secretary called him to their office? He doesn’t do it with every client, this one just had an ass worth looking. Besides, he did it quickly and there was no way his eyes didn’t drop to it.
Once said-client is sitting across from him on the table, Donghyuck sees it isn’t just his ass that deserves attention. Bright red hair the color of the devil, bright almond eyes and tanned skin, this client is going to push the borders of professionalism to another level.
“Moon Taeil?” Dongyoung asks, checking their schedule.
“Yes,” the client nods. He has a pleasant half-smile on his lips. Donghyuck feels Taeil’s eyes lingering on him longer than on his partner. “You must be Donghyuck and Dongyoung?”
“I’m Dongyoung, he is Donghyuck. We are the…” the party planner stops himself.
“Just say it, c'mon,” Donghyuck mutters under his breath.
Dongyoung sighs. “The Don-Don duo for your best parties.”
Donghyuck laughs and claps, turning to an impressed Taeil.
“Good, I was recommended to you by Jungwoo, he really liked the bachelor party you threw his friend.”
At the mention of Jungwoo, Dongyoung freezes on his seat. Donghyuck tries not to laugh at his friend’s face.
“I’m sure Dongyoung liked it too,” he says diplomatically to their client. Dongyoung shoots him a deathly gaze but he’s ignored. Donghyuck turns to Taeil, giving him his full attention. “So, what can we do for you?”
“I want you to plan a surprise party for my boyfriend Johnny.”
Donghyuck deflates on his seat. Of course the gorgeous client would have a boyfriend. Well, it’s an occupational hazard: Donghyuck is currently risking his heart to make this pretty client happy. Hopefully, a good amount of money would mend his heart back.
“Oh, what does he like?” Dongyoung asks, already picking his little notebook to take down notes. He takes a sip of water, getting ready for the many questions he will ask to get this party right.
Taeil shrugs. “That doesn’t matter. I want to throw him the worst party in existence. I’m also breaking up with him there.”
Doyoung almost spills the water he was drinking and ends up choking on it. “I’m sorry, what?!”
The smile Donghyuck displays is anything but professional.
Taeil is nonchalant about explaining. He’s dated Johnny for around two years but for the last year Taeil read hot text messages in his phone that were sent by someone else, smelled new scents on his shirt and even saw Johnny making out with an unknown lover. He kept the relationship because he needed to focus on work and Johnny showered him with gifts, probably because he felt guilty.
After so much hard work, Taeil finally got a promotion at the book editing company he works at, so he can even afford to tell Johnny to fuck himself with style.
“It’s more like a honor thing, you know? I never fell in love with him but nobody cheats on me, have you seen my ass?”
Donghyuck chimes in, “As a matter of fact—“
Dongyoung doesn’t let him finish. He looks scandalized. “Is that even legal?!”
“I think so,” Taeil says but doesn’t seem to have spent much time on the thought. “I’m not giving him a murder party, but, you know. Make the cake sour, hire the shittiest DJ ever, don’t get much alcohol, that stuff. I’d do it myself but my new job has me busy.”
Dongyoung is silent. Taeil’s eyes fall on Donghyuck. He must have noticed he has an ally in the party planning duo.
“Can I count on you? Woo told me you were the best,” he asks, eyes shining in his plea.
Donghyuck has a soft heart for pretty men. It’s even softer when said pretty man pulls the right strings. He doesn’t even ask for Dongyoung’s opinion. “Of course, Taeil-ssi.”
The client smiles. “You can call me Taeil,” he says, standing up. “Have fun planning the worst party ever.”
He turns around and leaves the office. Donghyuck watches his swaying hips as he walks out. Dongyoung snaps him out of it.
“He is insane!”
Donghyuck bites his bottom lip. “Isn’t he sexy though?”
“Are you attracted to psychos?”
“Oh, you can sleep with clients but I can’t.”
Dongyoung’s pale face turns red again. “Jungwoo was normal,” he mumbles.
“He was shameless,” Donghyuck corrects him. He still remembers Jungwoo putting a pair of panties on Doyoung’s pocket and whispering to his ears those were his. Next to him, Moon Taeil is harmless. “Besides, Taeil has his reasons.”
“The guy just cheated on him.”
“For months. And c’mon, would you eat at a restaurant when you have a good meal waiting for you at home?”
Dongyoung snorts. “You’re disgusting, Donghyuck,” he says, making sure his expression translated his words well. “If you end up hooking up with Taeil, don’t tell me I didn’t warn you when he hires us to do your goodbye party.”
Well, if Donghyuck gets a bite of Taeil he won’t mind one humiliating party. It’ll be worth it.
★☆★
“Surprise me boys, what’s the theme?” Taeil asks, an excited smile.
Dongyoung is in a considerably better mood. Taeil had already paid them in advance and promised them a fat bonus depending on how horrid the party is, so the duo had worked hard on finding the perfect mixture of a disaster party that wouldn’t be too in the nose right away so Taeil could enjoy Johnny’s suffering and play innocent for some minutes.
“Wait for this…” Dongyoung says, clicking on the prompter to change slides, “ugly sweater! You can even find one to give Johnny so he changes up for the party.”
Taeil purses his lips. “Oh, but Johnny would look hot in any sweater…” he says. Donghyuck sighs loudly. He doubts Johnny is that hot.
“Maybe make Johnny be the only one wearing the ugly sweater? So that he stands out and looks weird,” Donghyuck suggests. Maybe he’s having more fun planning this revenge than knew.
Taeil’s eyes widen and he seems pleased. “Love this, continue.”
Donghyuck changes for the next slide. Beverages. “All drinks in the party won’t have alcohol.”
Taeil’s eyes sparkle. “Amazing and makes things cheaper.”
Another click. Buffet.
“Food will be just vegan options,” Dongyoung presents. He is particularly proud of this idea.
Taeil claps in excitement. Donghyuck thinks he looks absolutely mischievous and adorable. Maybe Dongyoung is right and he has a thing for psychos. “Oh god, Johnny loves meat, he will hate it so much.”
“As for DJ and all that, we hired someone that’s bad. Like, high school DJ bad,” Dongyoung adds.
“Decoration will be made of the tackiest things. Expect bright colors. Here’s the moodboard,” Donghyuck says, showing the last slide of the presentation. Bright orange, blue and red pop out of the screen. Donghyuck wants to wash his eyes out but Taeil seems to have absolutely loved it.
“I’m so excited,” he says, overwhelmed by the horrible ideas he’s heard. His eyes dart from Donghyuck to Dongyoung. “Anything else?”
Dongyoung shakes his head but Donghyuck takes a step closer to where Taeil is seated.
“So—“
Dongyoung tries stopping him. “Hyuck!”
“Say it,” Taeil requests, attention solely on Donghyuck.
“I think you could break up with him right at the start of the party with a banner that says ‘You Suck’. It’d be quite shocking, the cherry on top,” he says, winking at the end.
Taeil crosses his legs and taps his fingers on his chin, considering this option. “Hm, really? And I’d just storm off?”
“Well…”
Dongyoung snaps again. “Hyuck!”
This time it’s Donghyuck who ignores him.
“You could kiss me,” he says and he could have betted he saw a spark of mischief in Taeil’s eyes, maybe followed by one of desire. “You know, just to show off and humiliate him further,” he explains, pretending to be a professional point of view. There’s nothing Donghyuck is but professional.
Taeil raises an eyebrow in amusement. “Oh. And you’re suggesting that for the sake of my storm off?”
“Well, maybe I wanna kiss you too,” Donghyuck says, locking eyes with Taeil.
They fall in silence, the only sound of the room coming from Dongyoung’s annoyed huffs.
Taeil finally cracks a smile. “Love the idea. It’s a deal,” he says, offering his hand. Donghyuck accepts it for the handshake but pulls Taeil close.
“Wanna practice?”
Taeil laughs. “Let’s leave the kiss for the big night to keep you on your best behavior.”
Donghyuck pouts. All he wanted was to misbehave around Taeil.
★☆★
“That’s so unprofessional,” Dongyoung complains for what must have been the eleventh time that afternoon.
“I’m sure that’s what you moaned into Jungwoo’s ear,” Donghyuck says back.
Dongyoung, who is on top of the ladder setting the last things for decoration, almost falls. Luckily, Donghyuck is holding it tight.
“Donghyuck!” he exclaims before climbing down. “Taeil is a client, he is only using you to get back at his boyfriend.”
Donghyuck shrugs. “What if I want to be used?”
“You’re hopeless.”
★☆★
The party at Taeil and Johnny’s apartment is all set. They made sure to steal all of Johnny’s booze so there’s no way for them to get alcohol, also spread a scent that’s better described as wet-dog smell and emptied the fridge for any meat. It took an effort to make a disaster party.
Before guests arrive, Donghyuck allows himself to take a look at the master bedroom. Dongyoung warns him against it but Donghyuck is too curious to care for rules. He enters the big lilac room where Taeil and Johnny share a bed. On the bedside table that must be Taeil’s side of the bed, he finds the books he is currently reading for his work next to a notebook with “story ideas” written on the cover. He so badly wants to open it but he knows his place. On a jar, there’s a yellow sunflower. He remembers Taeil having said yellow is his favorite color.
“Misbehaving already I see.”
Taeil’s voice takes Donghyuck by surprise.
“I’m sorry, I was just—“
Taeil smiles. “There’s no problem, Hyuck, I don’t have any secrets from my precious party planners. Feel free to explore. I’ll just change clothes.”
Donghyuck’s eyes widen at those last words. He wants to ask if he should leave but he wants to stay so bad. Taeil is already undressing before he can make any decision. This is definitely unprofessional but god he couldn’t help but stare at Taeil’s half-naked body. Taeil seems to know that as he sways his hips around.
“Can you help me pick that up?” he asks Donghyuck while pointing to a pair of shoes on the top of his closet and looking up with bambi eyes.
Donghyuck isn’t that much taller than Taeil but he is wearing insoles while the other is barefoot. He gets the shoes without further comment. When Taeil gets down to pick something up from the floor, Donghyuck averts his gaze. Even if he had wanted to keep it professional, his client made it impossible. In the end, it wasn’t Donghyuck’s fault.
“If you opened that notebook, you’d find my story ideas.”
Donghyuck hums, pretending he isn’t watching Taeil with the tail of his eyes. “Do you write?”
“A little. I also give other writers stories so they can sell books. The editorial market is confusing,” Taeil says. He has finally finished buttoning his shirt and fixing his pants.
He goes to the mirror to apply red lipstick to his lips. “You should know the last story I have on the works. It’s a rom-com about a party-planner and his client.”
Donghyuck feels his cheeks warming and involuntarily smirks. “Oh, really?”
“Yeah. The client wants to throw a horrible party to his ex and he hires a party planner,” he explains, setting his hair just right before finally turning to Donghyuck.
“And what’s this party planner like?” Donghyuck inquires, raising an eyebrow in interest.
“Oh, he’s completely against it. Besides, he’s slept with the client’s best friend before.”
Donghyuck gapes at that description but that only causes Taeil to laugh. The red-haired man kisses his cheek before leaving the room. Donghyuck looks in the mirror for the big lipstick stain he has on his skin.
★☆★
All the guests have arrived. Under Doyoung’s general-like orders, they’ve hidden behind the sofa or on the balcony and the place is completely dark. Donghyuck waits impatiently to finally see the one who’s played with Taeil’s heart.
Thing is, even if Taeil said he stayed in the relationship because he was focusing on work and enjoyed Johnny’s gifts, Donghyuck has seen his smile falter from time to time. It’s not normal but a thing or two slip away from him. He mentions Johnny’s favorite book or explains that his boyfriend was the one who introduced him to a tv show and his eyes lose some shine. Donghyuck lets him talk as much as he wants but whenever things become too tense, he lightens the mood with a funny anecdote. Taeil shoots him a grateful half-smile and, some rare times, is even bold enough to wrap his hand around Donghyuck’s.
Therefore, Donghyuck knows Johnny fucked up big time, not just because he lost a big ass, but because he is a big ass, and now Donghyuck wants to see this loser’s face.
Taeil brings Johnny home but they haven’t turned the lights on yet. All Donghyuck can see is a big shadow and a small shadow. Then they turn on the lights and everyone screams, “Surprise!”
Johnny smiles, but something in it feels strained. He’s very tall and Taeil was right, even if that sweater was ugly, Johnny’s build made it look like something straight out of a magazine shoot.
“What?” the man asks, frowning in confusion.
“It’s your birthday!” Taeil yells, clapping his hands with excitement.
“It is in a week…”
Taeil feigns innocence. “Oh? Must have mixed it up…”
“You know I think it’s bad luck for people to wish me happy birthday early,” Johnny grits through his teeth. It’s low but Donghyuck is close enough to listen.
“Nonsense, you’re not gonna die till then!” Taeil exclaims, playfully pushing Johnny away. By the look on Johnny’s face, he thinks it’s even more possible he will die before his actual birthday. Taeil ignores it and pulls his boyfriend to where his friends are. “C’mon, talk to your friends! Mingle, check the food, the drinks.”
Donghyuck turns to Dongyoung, the only friendly face he knows, and they chat. Usually, at this point in a normal party, they’d be nervously checking guests, making sure everything is perfect and nothing is out of place, but since the concept of this party is to be horrible, they have also decided to underperform — after Taeil’s approval, of course.
Taeil interrupts their conversation a few minutes later. He is buzzing with happiness. Maybe it’s Donghyuck’s biased view but it’s almost as if he’s shining.
“Oh god, it’s even worse than I imagined. You found Johnny’s old rap recordings and gave it to the DJ? Thank you so much,” he says between chuckles.
“You’re welcome,” Dongyoung replies pompously, the image of professionalism.
“Hope you have your lips ready for me, Donghyuck,” Taeil says, winking at the party planner.
Donghyuck smirks. “Once you kiss me, you’ll be unable to forget them.”
Taeil pulls Donghyuck close. “I’m counting on it.”
Before Donghyuck can think how to reply, a large presence interrupts them.
“Who are these?” asks Johnny.
“The wonderful party planners, Donghyuck and Dongyoung,” Taeil says proudly.
Johnny frowns. He seems to think Taeil is joking. “People actually planned this party?”
“Why, don’t you think it’s amazing?”
Johnny clears his throat. It takes a few seconds before he speaks again.“Hm, who took care of my guest list?”
Taeil pouts, confused. “Why do you ask?”
“I think I’ve seen at least four of my exes in the crowd,” he reveals, making sure that only Taeil and the party planners can hear him.
“Oh, you poor thing, I’m sure Dongyoung must have made some mistakes. Stress ruins people’s brains sometimes, you know.”
Donghyuck tries to contain his laughter as he watches Dongyoung close his fist in anger. Taeil had thanked his job on tracking Johnny’s exes earlier but now it wasn’t the time to boast.
In fact, it is time for the toast.
Taeil walks to the center of the room while holding Johnny’s hand. Dongyoung and Donghyuck follow.
“I just want to thank you for coming here to celebrate my Johnny’s birthday!” Taeil starts, drunk on joy for his revenge to wrap. “So… what can I say about Johnny? Not much, he relies his entire personality on looking pretty… He also thinks he can buy anyone and anything, but oh he definitely isn’t buying his way out of this.” Johnny seems to expect there to be a punchline to this joke. He doesn’t expect himself to be the one getting punched. Taeil turns to his soon-to-be ex-boyfriend. “I’m breaking up with you. Johnny, I just want to say,” he snaps his fingers and Dongyoung drops the banner. “You suck. And I’ve found better than you.”
Before Johnny can say anything, Donghyuck goes for Taeil, holding him in his arms and kissing him like they are at the end of a big romantic movie. When they finally part their lips, Taeil is shining even brighter and there’s no trace of the red lipstick. Donghyuck feels prouder than after he’s planned that boat party.
Taeil almost seems to have forgotten Johnny is there but he must bid his goodbyes.
“What is this?” Johnny yells, finally understanding what’s happening. “What the fuck is this?”
“Before I forget!” Taeil says, picking the cake from the table and throwing it at Johnny’s face. Everyone in the room gasps and Taeil decides this is the best time for his exit.
“Goodbye! Enjoy your no-alcohol party and have fun cleaning it up!” he yells, running before any of the guests decide to turn against them.
The trio runs down the street and only stop once they’ve found the place where Donghyuck parked his car and they all hop inside, Dongyoung taking the backseat.
“That was amazing,” Donghyuck breathes out once they’ve hit the road.
“Did you see his face?!” Dongyoung asks, finally showing some excitement in that revenge.
“You dived into that kiss,” Taeil teases Donghyuck but he doesn’t seem to be complaining.
“It was the cherry on top, we had to deliver.”
“Hm… It appears I’m single now…” Taeil mumbles shyly.
Donghyuck raises his eyebrows. “Oh, is that so?”
“As a matter of fact, yes… Ah, if only someone took me out…” Taeil sighs dramatically.
“Have you thought of Dongyoung?” Donghyuck suggests, reminiscing the small little prank Taeil pulled on him earlier.
“Ew!”
“Hey!” Dongyoung protests from the backseat.
“Jungwoo would kill me,” Taeil explains but Donghyuck laughs nonetheless. “Try giving him a call sometime.”
Dongyoung seems surprised by that info and sits back. “Thanks for the tip.”
Taeil turns his attention to Donghyuck. “I was thinking… someone else could take me out.”
“Are you talking about me? I don’t know if that would be very professional, you’re my client.”
Dongyoung huffs. “Oh, cut the crap and just kiss already. It’s not like you haven’t broken every rule in the book.”
Donghyuck can’t stand playing hard to get when Taeil is almost begging him for another kiss so he gives up his act. “Let me park the car first, we don’t need to get a driving ticket.”
Taeil giggles. “Ah, now you don’t want to misbehave…”