Work Text:
Seungkwan woke up very early today, which isn't unusual, but it's rare. His work starts at 8 AM, yet he found himself awake at 5.
Since he couldn't go back to sleep, he decided to cook breakfast and jog around his building to kill time before getting ready for work.
Fast forward, he stepped into his office elevator and opened his phone while waiting for it to take him to his floor. Checking his messages, he stifled a laugh at one sent just 10 minutes ago. As the elevator doors opened, he pocketed his phone and was about to step out when something—or rather, someone—blocked his way.
"What do you think you're doing, Mr. Chwe?" Seungkwan raised an eyebrow as Vernon suddenly stood in front of him, preventing him from leaving the elevator.
Vernon, with his hands on his hips, looked upset and sulky, like a mother who had just caught her son doing something foolish.
"Why?" Seungkwan asked, confused.
"What do you mean, 'why'?" Vernon sighed, visibly more annoyed.
Still puzzled, Seungkwan tried to calm the situation. "I'm not late, sir. I'm right on time," he said, unsure of what was bothering his boss.
Vernon was about to reply when Seungcheol and Mingyu passed by.
"Hey, we'll be late for the site meeting if we don't move now, Mr. CEO," Mingyu reminded Vernon.
"Hi, Secretary Boo! Good morning! Your boss Junhui isn't here yet, probably still asleep like Sleeping Beauty," Seungcheol greeted as he noticed Seungkwan standing between the elevator doors.
Mingyu smiled but looked curious. "Aren't you getting off?" he asked Seungkwan.
Suddenly flustered, Seungkwan stammered, "A-ah, yes, uhm. Good morning, sir. I-I was about to."
"Excuse me, sir," he added before finally stepping out. Vernon had no choice but to move aside, letting Seungkwan leave the elevator.
Sensing the tension, Seungcheol and Mingyu quickly excused themselves. "Uh, we'll head off first. See you later, Mr. Boo!" Seungcheol said, patting Vernon's shoulder before giving Seungkwan an awkward smile.
Seungkwan smiled back and bowed as they walked away. Once they were gone, he turned back to Vernon, who was still staring at him intently without saying a word.
Seungkwan avoided Vernon's gaze and fiddled with his fingers. In truth, he was starting to understand why Vernon was acting this way and was finding it hard not to laugh. He pursed his lips and coughed to cover a smile, his cheeks flushing as he tried to suppress his amusement. Vernon, sulking with a slight pout, was unintentionally adorable to him.
Just then, Vernon’s phone vibrated in his pocket. Ignoring the call, he stepped closer to Seungkwan, who was still staring at the floor, trying not to laugh.
Vernon slid his hand around Seungkwan's waist and leaned in close to his ear. "We’ll talk later," he whispered, his breath warm against Seungkwan's neck as his hand gently drew circles on his waist.
Seungkwan froze, goosebumps rising on his skin. Vernon's smirk was the last thing he saw before the elevator doors closed behind him, leaving Seungkwan standing there, blushing and blinking in shock.
Cute.
It wasn’t until the elevator was long gone that Seungkwan finally let out a breath, closing his eyes to compose himself. He fixed his coat and decided to grab a coffee before heading to his boss Junhui's house to nag him about staying up too late again.
---
"Do you think Hao will appreciate it if I give him flowers?" Jun, his boss, asked, sitting at his desk, scrolling through options online.
Seungkwan glanced lazily at him. "Are you going to give them to him yourself?"
"No, I’ll send them with the driver."
"Then no."
"But... flowers?!"
Seungkwan sighed. "We all know Mr. Xu appreciates anything you give him, but it’s different if you’re the one who delivers it."
"I’ll pick the bouquet myself. There are lots of options online," Jun reasoned.
Seungkwan rolled his eyes. "I mean, ‘YOU’ need to bring the flowers to him."
Jun’s face lit up. "Good idea! You’re a genius!"
Seungkwan rolled his eyes, “I’ve been telling you that literally for 5 minutes straight!”
He hurriedly grabbed his wallet and coat. As he rushed toward the door, Seungkwan called out, "Hep! Where are you going?"
"To see Hao! Cover for me, thanks! Love you!" Jun shouted over his shoulder before darting out the door.
Seungkwan shook his head and chuckled at his boss’s antics. After signing and editing some documents, he realized he’d run out of iced Americano. Saving his work, he got up and headed to the 15th floor for another round of his favorite drink.
While waiting for the elevator, someone tugged his hand. Turning around, he saw Vernon, the man who had been occupying his thoughts all morning, leading him to the building’s rooftop.
"What do you think you're doing, Mr. Chwe?" Seungkwan asked as they reached the rooftop.
Vernon stopped and let go of his hand. Seungkwan instantly missed the warmth.
"Why?" Vernon began.
"What why?" Seungkwan feigned ignorance, trying to save himself from the embarrassment of ignoring Vernon's texts.
"You know what I mean, Seungkwan."
Still playing dumb, Seungkwan resisted the urge to laugh. "Nope."
"Was it even sincere?"
Vernon frowned. "What? Of course it was sincere, Seungkwan!"
"Really?" Seungkwan tested him.
"Yes!" Vernon answered firmly.
"You didn’t even say it to me in person. How am I supposed to believe it?" Seungkwan raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn’t like people like me."
Vernon’s expression softened. "You're different, Seungkwan."
"Wait."
Now it was Seungkwan’s turn to be confused. "What? Why?"
Vernon took a step back, fixing himself. "I’m going to confess to you again. Just give me a minute."
Seungkwan wanted to laugh at how cute Vernon was being, knowing he was trying his best to express his feelings, which wasn’t easy for him.
"Okay, okay." Vernon turned back, blushing slightly.
"Seungkwan, I like you. No, I love you. Ever since I saw you, I’ve been in love with your smile, your eyes—everything about you. Will you give me a chance to show you how much I care?"
"No," Seungkwan said flatly.
Vernon froze, his eyes dropping to the floor. "I-I understand," he mumbled, trying to smile through his sadness.
"I just don’t want you to give all of yourself to me," Seungkwan explained. "Leave something for yourself. I’ll love you just the same. And I’ll show you how much I’ve cared for you since day one."
Vernon looked up, eyes wide in disbelief. "Y-you love me?"
Seungkwan rolled his eyes. "I’ve told you a hundred times to clean your ears!"
Vernon suddenly hugged him, and Seungkwan noticed his shoulders getting a bit wet. "Are you crying?" Seungkwan laughed at Vernon’s light sobs.
"Why are you laughing?" Vernon sulked.
"You’re so cute, Nonnie," Seungkwan teased, running his hands through Vernon’s hair.
They both paused at the new nickname. Seungkwan blushed when Vernon smirked.
"What did you just call me, love?"
Seungkwan’s blush deepened. "I-it’s hot. Yes, just hot."
Vernon chuckled. "You’re adorable, love," he said, gently cupping Seungkwan’s face and kissing his forehead.
They stood there, smiling at each other, feeling the love between them.
Vernon smirked. "Call me Nonnie again."
Seungkwan’s smile faded as his blush returned. "No," he said before running off.
"Hey—what? Say it again!" Vernon shouted, chasing after him.
"No! I don’t want to! Say it yourself!" Seungkwan yelled as he ran at full speed.
Oh, love. Mr. Chwe.