Work Text:
Wilson’s been working for this marketing firm for a few months now. It’s not the best job in the entire world, but for being fresh out of college, it’s what he was able to get in this horrible market.
And he means it; it’s really not a bad job. The pay is fairly competitive, and the location is great, being basically in the heart of the city. It’s just that he hasn’t completely adjusted to his role yet—and not because he isn’t trying or anything!
If you’d ask anyone in the office, they’d say Wilson worked his ass off and somehow does it with a blindingly bright smile. He just didn’t anticipate that the work would be so difficult for him to start out.
Granted, Wilson was never at the very top of his class or anything, but he always had the right attitude to keep trying and keep improving.
Really, all this meant for Wilson was that these past months had been full of sleepless nights and instant ramen. Lots of instant ramen.
He at least felt extremely lucky to be assigned to a senior who seemed to care more about Wilson’s well-being than Wilson’s productivity.
His senior, Shu Yamino, was one of the head marketing managers at their company, which is why Wilson was initially very surprised to find out how young– and maybe also handsome – Shu was.
It’s not Wilson’s fault, though! Shu dressed professionally, but with a creative edge that highlighted the senior’s personality quite well. He always had his short, uniquely colored hair neatly pinned to the side, keeping his bangs out of his face in this elegant way that Wilson thought was maybe kinda sorta cute.
Like, maybe Shu was exactly Wilson’s type, but that’s not the point.
Shu was just incredibly kind– kind to the point that sometimes Shu felt more like an overly doting older brother rather than Wilson’s senior. Shu would constantly check in on Wilson’s progress, not only with his work but also with how he was adjusting to the new environment.
Shu was really funny too. He just already seemed like the type of person Wilson would have gotten along with if they were in school together (though Shu was a few years older than Wilson, and Shu doesn’t let him forget it).
“Hey Willy, have you eaten yet?” Shu asked with a little laugh, peering over Wilson’s cubicle. Shu tapped the top of the cubicle with his long, colored nails, shifting his weight back and forth on his tippy toes.
“I thought I told you to stop calling me Willy!” Wilson whined, embarrassed by the nickname his senior seemed to latch onto despite his repeated objections.
“Oops, sorry, Willy,” Shu responded with a mischievous look on his face. Wilson glared at him playfully.
“Haven't eaten yet, I have some more work I want to do right now, but maybe later,” Wilson responded, smiling in a way that barely concealed how stressed he was feeling. Wilson always felt like he was playing catch-up on work he should have completed the day before. It seemed never-ending sometimes in the way it all piled up.
“Haha, what do you mean, 'maybe later'. There’s no maybe. You need to eat, silly.” Shu lectured. He glared around Wilson’s cubicle, scanning his face. The blonde seemed tired, his dress shirt unironed, his glasses sat crooked on his face, his hair a little messy, and his eyes bloodshot red. Shu was also sure to notice the empty cans of coffee sitting on his desk.
“S-shu?” Wilson asked, picking up on how the dark-haired man was staring at him intently. Shu puffed his cheeks, finally breaking his silence.
“You know, it’s getting late, you should head home soon.” Shu lightly scolded. Wilson knew his senior wouldn’t mind if he didn’t finish everything today, but he was tired of feeling so incompetent in front of Shu. Shu went out of his way to train him in things most people wouldn't have bothered to, and above all else, he was patient with him, too.
“I know, Shu. I won’t take too long, I promise.” Wilson sighed, averting his gaze toward the floor like a sad puppy. “What are you doing here so late anyway? It’s Friday, aren’t you normally gone by now?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know, hehehe..,” Shu giggled. Wilson narrowed his eyes at his senior with annoyance as Shu laughed to himself.
“Sorry, I’m being silly– I’m about to head out to a dinner with upper-management, boring stuff, but I gotta go,” Shu responded defeatedly. That would explain why Shu looked so nice today. Wilson thought Shu looked nice every day, of course, but today seemed a little more elevated.
“Oh, I see, I hope you have fun somehow!” Wilson beamed, causing Shu’s lips to curl upward. It was hard to be anything but happy in front of Wilson. His attitude was dangerously contagious.
“Mhm, I’m sure I’ll find a way. Make sure you don’t stay too late, okay? I know you work your butt off, but even hard workers need good sleep and good meals.” Shu reminded Wilson with concern dripping from his voice.
“Yes, Mom, I know, now go have fun!” Wilson taunted, making Shu’s ears turn pink upon realizing how nagging he must have sounded just now. There was something about Wilson that made it so natural for Shu to let his guard down. Probably Wilson’s stupid, likeable personality– so friendly, so nice. It’s why, despite Wilson only being in the office for a few months, many people at the company seemed to just… gravitate towards him.
Wilson watched Shu leave for a little longer than he probably should have before he diverted his attention back to his work. He could pretend all he wanted, but he really liked how much Shu would come over and bug him; it made him feel like there was someone there with him who would always be in his corner. It’s not often Wilson met people like that– like Shu.
***
After what felt like 12 hours, Wilson finally reached a point in work where he felt satisfied with stopping for the day. He exaggeratedly stretched his arms over his head and looked out the window, finding it to be pitch black outside. He glanced over to the clock, nearly 11 p.m. Crap.
“It seems I lost track of time…” Wilson murmured, unable to gather the strength to start packing up quite yet. Shu was going to be so disappointed if he found out how late Wilson ended up staying despite what he promised him.
Just as Wilson had the thought, he suddenly heard the elevator doors shuddering open and the clicking of Shu’s dress shoes against the tile.
“Waaah frick, stupid boss rushing me out of the office, making me forget my stupid bag,” Shu stammered to himself, stumbling his way over to his desk to collect his belongings.
“S-Shu? Is that you?” Wilson asked. Wilson was greeted by the sight of his visibly inebriated senior hobbling over to him. Shu was bright tomato red; Wilson had a college friend who would get red like that, too, whenever he drank too much. Shu flashed him a wide, open-mouthed smile, his eyelids heavy and drooping.
“Oh, Wiiiilly! You’re still here… bad Willy,” Shu said while slurring his words. Wilson was taken aback by Shu’s aloof behavior. Shu was normally a bit goofy, sure, but right now it was as if he was just saying whatever popped in his head.
“Are you alright, Shu? You seem k-kinda—” Wilson began before getting interrupted by the bumbling man in front of him.
“Wiiiillyyyy, thought I told you not to stay too late? You’ve been doing such a good job so far, I would hate for you to burn out just because you can’t get yourself to stop working.” Shu drawled out, stumbling his weight against Wilson’s desk. He was nearly sitting on it.
Wilson couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Shu. His senior Shu. His very handsome and professional senior, Shu. Clearly drunk out of his mind.
Wilson actually had heard a rumor about Shu when he drank. He overheard Elira in the design department say once that it only takes Shu a single drink before he’s basically gone. If this were true, Wilson wondered why Shu agreed to drink at a company dinner in the first place?
“I’m headed out right now, I swear!” Wilson protested, “Are you going to be alright though, Shu? The last train is coming soon. Are you going to be able to make it to the station okay?” Wilson inquired, worried for his seniors’ safety. Shu laughed into his hand, giving a dopey thumbs up with the other.
“Wh- I’m just fiiine Wilson, just a bit eepy, haha…” Shu trailed off, his eyes drooping as if they were about to close. Shu lurched forward as his body relaxed against Wilson’s desk before Wilson quickly stopped him. It was becoming increasingly obvious to Wilson that there was no way this man was making it home on his own, not in this state at least.
“Whoa, okay. I’m sorry, Shu, but I can’t let you go home by yourself; you drank too much, silly,” Wilson told the dark-haired man. Shu was leaning the bulk of his weight into Wilson’s arm to stop himself from diving face-first into the office floor. Wilson felt bad for feeling this way, but the weight of Shu slumping into him felt kinda nice, almost like he wouldn’t mind pulling him a little closer. He was so warm.
Wilson was not sure how Shu could have ended up like this, frankly, but he’d be lying if he said the sight wasn’t endearing. Somehow, Shu had managed to completely lose his tie coming back from the dinner, and it appeared he unbuttoned some of the top buttons, perhaps to help himself cool down. Shu notably also lost the hair clip he had earlier, his bangs were now completely down and nearly obscuring his vision.
He looked like a mess, a very dorky and adorable mess.
“Wah- okay. I’m sorry for inconveniencing you after you worked so hard today,” Shu murmured the apology as he allowed Wilson to guide him toward the elevator. Wilson pulled Shu by his wrist, being very careful not to make his senior feel too rushed or uncomfortable.
“Don’t apologize for that, I’d much rather make sure you’re safe than be doing anything else right now,” Wilson responded, checking his phone for the time.
“Mm, okey, if you say so” Shu responded sulkingly, now looping his arm around the crook of Wilson’s elbow as he held on tighter. Wilson jolted a bit at the unexpected contact, but eased up as Shu leaned into him more and more.
“Wiily, do you go to the gym a lot? Your arm is hard. Not comfy at all.” Shu complained, pulling his lips into a pout. Wilson’s face grew warm at the implication of potentially being seen with Shu hanging off his bicep. He tried not to think about it.
The elevator rang as the doors opened. Wilson precariously led Shu through the parking garage and carefully to his car. Wilson opened the door for him as Shu swayed back and forth on his feet, inviting Shu into the passenger's seat.
“Wow, opening the door for me… so gentlemanly,” Shu teased, punctuated with a stupid loud guffaw before ducking inside the vehicle. Wilson’s eyes grew wide as his lips parted open and closed as if he were searching for the right words to say in response.
“Shh, it’s just because you’re drunk, Shu. Don’t be silly.” Wilson retorted, a corner of his mouth lifted. Wilson knew Shu liked to joke around with him, but what he just said hit a lot less like a joke for some reason.
Maybe it was because of the circumstances Wilson found himself in, driving his senior to the train station on a Friday night. Wilson wasn’t even sure if Shu had been in his car before. Suddenly, Wilson felt very self-conscious about the last time he cleaned the interior.
Wilson got in the driver’s seat and began opening his GPS to locate the nearest train station. He’s still not super familiar with the area, seeing as he was at work all the time these days, he rarely went out and explored the city. Before Wilson was able to type in anything, he noticed the time and that the very last train was already gone for the night. Maybe he should have been a bit quicker leaving the office, but Shu could barely stand on his own two feet!
“Shu, it looks like your train is gone already. Do you live far? I can just drive you home?” Wilson offered, sneaking a glance over to Shu cuddled up in the passenger seat. Shu’s eyes were completely shut, his chest slowed to a calm rise and fall.
Shu had completely fallen asleep.
***
He really hadn’t given Wilson much of a choice. He just felt so bad seeing Shu sleeping calmly during the drive to his place, he couldn’t bring himself to wake him. Thankfully, Wilson didn’t live terribly far from the office.
Wilson’s place was pretty small, though. Quaint and charming some would say (the relator said). He hoped Shu wouldn’t mind too much. Wilson just wanted to get Shu sobered up and have him rest until the morning. That sounded like a good plan. Surely that would be okay with Shu, right?
“Shu? Wake up, let’s go inside, okay?” Wilson hesitantly shook Shu’s shoulder and unbuckled his seatbelt. For someone who frequently scolded Wilson to eat more, Shu was incredibly boney.
Shu slowly but surely stirred awake. The drive was only 20 minutes or so, but it was more than enough time for Shu to develop a massive headache during his slumber.
“Wah, Wilson? Where are we?” Shu yawned, allowing Wilson grab his wrist again and guide him out toward the lobby of Wilson’s apartment building.
“Didya kidnap me? Lmao.” Shu couldn’t help but jab, making his junior go pale just thinking about the hypothetical talk HR would have with him on Monday if that were the case.
“N-no! Don’t say silly things like that!” Wilson said, his face growing hot as he felt his lips stretch into a nervous grin. Wilson selected the correct floor on the elevator’s control panel, then they finally arrived at Wilson’s front door.
“I don’t know what goes on during these ‘boring’ company dinners, but you came back to the office basically shitfaced, you said something about needing to grab your bag?” Wilson explained while he turned the key in his door and welcomed Shu in.
“Oh yeahhh, my keys were in my bag, so I wouldn’t have been able to make it home without them,” Shu responded as he looked around Wilson’s small studio apartment. It definitely screamed “fresh out of college”, but it was nice. It looked like Wilson lived here for sure.
“Whoa, look at this bachelor pad! You bring any girls here yet, Willy?” Shu laughed, bumbling around as he took off his shoes. Wilson stiffened up, his bashful reaction painfully visible on his face.
“WHAT!? N-no, of course not…” he trailed off. “Glad to see you’ve sobered up enough on the drive over that you’re still capable of messing with me,” Wilson laughed, running his hand through the front of his hair.
“Hmm, is that so?” Shu contemplated aloud, “I thought for sure someone handsome like you would be breaking hearts left and right, haha. That's what the girlies on the design team are always saying anyway,” Shu mentioned casually, seemingly totally unaware of what he even just said as he stumbled into taking a seat on Wilson’s couch.
H-handsome? Was Wilson hallucinating? Shu thought he was handsome.
Cool, that’s fine, he’s fine with knowing that.
In fact, Wilson is chill right now. So chill. So chill and okay knowing his super very attractive coworker thinks he’s handsome.
Wilson could just pretend he didn’t hear that. That would probably be the most socially acceptable thing to do. Or maybe..
“You think your junior is handsome? Did I hear that correctly, Shu Yamino?” Wilson taunted childishly, a sing-songy tone infused in his words. Shu suddenly sat up straight, eyes wider than ever.
“Whuh- what the heck? I didn’t say that! You didn't hear anything just now,” Shu stammered, averting his gaze towards the floor.
Jokes aside, Shu really hoped he wasn’t intruding too much on his junior. It’s not Shu’s fault that all the old managers at the company still make the younger staff do all the drinking. Shu knew he couldn’t handle his alcohol; of course, he did! He just felt so awful that it was Wilson’s problem for the night.
Poor sweet, hard working Wilson. Troubling himself to make sure Shu was safe, and here Shu was teasing him and apparently also calling him handsome all at the same time. He hoped Wilson would forgive him.
“Shu, do you want to change out of your work clothes? If you’re anything like me at the end of the day, I can imagine you probably don’t want to be in dress pants anymore.” Wilson asked with a kind laugh, genuinely still a bit concerned for Shu’s well-being.
Wilson reached into a closet and selected a few pieces of clothing that looked vaguely Shu-sized. Not that Wilson and Shu were really all that different in size anyway.
“That would actually be super nice, thank you for offering, Willy,” Shu replied earnestly with a sleepy smile. He shyly averted his gaze to the floor again.
“I hope it’s not too much trouble, just my head kinda really hurts right now– I would really like to quickly shower if that’s okay too?” Shu inquired politely. “It’s okay if not, I get it, I’m already being a big burden for you right now, I’m sure this isn’t how you wanted to spend your Friday night.” Shu rambled, anxiously picking at his nails.
“Hmm? It’s no problem at all, Shu. I like seeing you. I don’t feel burdened by your presence at all– never ever.” Wilson replied, his tone maybe a bit too serious for what the situation should have allowed.
“Wh-oh okay, I’m glad because I was really starting to worry that you would hate me after this– and that would suck really bad because I’ve been really happy to be working with you and stuff,” Shu stated absentmindedly, again seemingly totally unaware of how his words were making Wilson’s stomach do backflips.
Shu was just so honest, it’s like he couldn’t stop himself from saying exactly what was on his mind. Wilson didn’t mind it, though. Shu was normally honest, but it was like, extra unfiltered right now. It was cute.
Gosh, Wilson felt like such a loser for fawning over Shu like this, but he couldn’t help it. He’s never seen Shu like this before. At work, Shu is a far cry from the perfect corporate manager; he was far too goofy for that. However, Shu was always calm and methodical when it came to managing his teams, and that’s why everyone loved him. He was smart with his decisions, but also flexible in areas where it could be afforded.
“What? W-what are you talking about? I could never hate you, Shu! No one in their right mind could ever hate you, you’re literally Shu Yamino.” Wilson replied as if that were the most obvious thing in the world.
To Wilson, it really was, though. How could any person not like Shu? Shu was the nicest person in the office. They’d have to be an idiot, that’s for sure.
“Haha, what do you mean ‘you’re literally, Shu Yamino’, huh? What’s that even supposed to mean?” Shu giggled through his words. Shu found– regardless of the fact that he was still a bit tipsy– it was very hard not to laugh around Wilson. In fact, there was a reason Shu and Wilson were not allowed to sit next to each other during team meetings anymore.
“I-I don’t know, you’re nice, okay?” Wilson responded hastily, “Just be quiet and let me show you how to use the shower.” Wilson handed Shu his clothes and a towel and walked him over to the bathroom.
“Okay, turn it this way for hotter, and this way for colder,” Wilson bent over the tub adjusting the water for Shu before slowly turning himself around to make sure Shu was paying attention. As soon as he turned around, he saw Shu just mere inches away from his face, smiling patiently.
“Ah! S-sorry, I didn’t realize you were right behind me,” Wilson exclaimed, caught off guard by their proximity. Shu backed up a bit, but Wilson’s bathroom was so small that it didn’t help much. Shu glanced down, staring at Wilson’s mouth for a second, then back up to meet his gaze. Wilson thought his eyes were playing tricks on him for a second.
Shu still looked a bit out of it. His smile was so sweet and warm, but his eyes didn’t match at all. They were still so hazy, so dazed. If Wilson didn’t know any better, he would think something else with Shu looking at him like that.
“O-Okay! I’ll leave you to it then. Let me know if you need anything,” Wilson shuddered before making his way out of the bathroom hastily, finally letting out a deep breath as the door shut behind him.
‘Let me know if you need anything???’ Shu would be in the shower. What would he even be able to do if he needed something in there? Stupid. Wilson stood there beating himself up for being so weird before he decided he should probably change out of his clothes, too.
Wilson threw on a grey sweatshirt and a pair of plaid pajama pants. Not exactly something Wilson would like to be wearing in front of his senior but what else was he supposed to put on if they were both about to go to bed?
Wilson thought about it for a moment. He did only have one bed… wait, what was Wilson thinking?
He decided once Shu was done with his shower, he would offer up his bed to his senior, and Wilson would sleep on the couch. He didn’t mind that, of course, Wilson wanted to make Shu as comfortable as possible in this otherwise probably slightly uncomfortable situation.
Wilson heard the shower finally shut off. Shu exited the bathroom, his hair was still considerably damp, but also notably a lot straighter than it normally was. Wilson felt a pang in his chest seeing his coworker wear his casual clothes. Shu looked very comfortable, at least.
“Wow, Wilson, I don't think I’ve ever seen you without your glasses,” Shu said, staring shamelessly.
“I was about to say I don’t think I’ve ever seen your hair so straight. Do you normally curl it for work?” Wilson asked, staring in a way equally as shameless. Shu had a seat next to Wilson on the couch, rubbing the bridge of his nose between two fingers.
“I mean, yeah, I like to look presentable at work, so I curl it a little every morning, nothing too crazy though,” Shu responded. He felt his forehead with the back of his hand.
“Why does it look really bad right now or something?” Shu asked, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious. He frantically smoothed his hand over the back of his head in case he had a cowlick.
“Wh- no. I like it, it’s actually kinda cute,” Wilson’s lips curled into a soft smile before dropping into a look that could only be described as immense fear.
Shu wasn’t sure, but it looked like Wilson definitely didn’t mean to say that out loud. If Shu were to have heard anyone say that to him, he would have assumed they were flirting with him. Would Wilson flirt with him like that? He wondered if Wilson knew how shy it made him feel to hear him say that.
“H-hey, Wilson?” Shu swiftly changed the topic, ”Do you mind feeling my forehead? I think I might be getting sorta sick,” Shu asked with a strangely mischievous smile.
It was an expression Wilson was unfortunately too familiar with seeing on Shu’s face. Like when sometimes Shu would pull his “senior card” and drag Wilson out to lunch with him on their meal breaks.
Wilson’s expression dropped slightly, a twinge of concern showing on his face as he lowered his forehead against Shu’s.
Oh, shoot. Maybe Wilson was getting too close again.
Shu squeaked at the contact, his breathing hitching as Wilson’s eyes widened in response. Shu’s eyes darted back and forth for a moment before staring back at Wilson. Wilson was caught in Shu’s gaze for just a little longer than he should have been. He never noticed before, but Shu had super long eyelashes; his irises looked so dark in this lighting, too, like glossy glass marbles.
“Oops, s-sorry, that’s how I always check body temperature with my f-family, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Wilson spoke softly.
God, he felt so embarrassed. What was it about Shu that just made him stop using his brain properly? Shu was his coworker for gods' sake!
“O-oh um, it’s okay, it didn’t bother me…” Shu trailed off quietly, “So did I feel w-warm to you?”
“Honestly, a little bit, yeah. Do you want me to run out and get you some medicine? Or do you need some water? I think I might have some icepacks somewhere. If you’re hungry too, I could make––” Wilson started before Shu abruptly interrupted him.
“No, Wilson, I’m okay!” Shu blurted out with a breathy giggle.
“Honestly, I’m not feeling sick at all. I just wanted you to feel my forehead so I could tell you I think I caught ligma, but you’re too nice, and now I feel bad for messing with you…” Shu admitted between sheepish chuckles. Wilson felt his shoulders untense themselves.
“Shu! Don’t scare me like that, I thought you were sick!” Wilson scolded lightheartedly.
‘Hehe, sorry, Willy, you’re too nice to me.” Shu laughed. “Maybe I actually should stop messing with you so much,” Shu contemplated aloud, a finger resting on his chin as if he were deep in thought.
“What, n-no I can take it! I like joking around with you, it’s my favorite part of working with you,” Wilson said faster than his mouth could take it back.
“Aw, wait, what the heck, you really are too nice to me…” Shu muttered softly. Wilson swore he could see his senior blush.
“I’m not too nice, it’s the least I could do after you’ve been helping me out so much in my first few months with the company,” Wilson responded.
It’s true, he was extremely thankful for Shu, and at this point, he’s already decided he would do anything for him. That’s what any good co-worker would do, right?
“Mm, but still, thank you for everything today. Honestly, company dinners like that kinda stress me out, and it was nice not having to worry about drunkenly making my way back home,” Shu yawned, rubbing his eyes and snuggling up into the cushion next to Wilson.
“You don’t need to thank me, I’ll always look out for you, Shu,” Wilson said, his gaze not faltering from Shu’s. Wilson didn’t know why, but he wanted to lean closer again.
“Oh, Shu! I forgot to mention, but you can sleep in my bed tonight.” Wilson stated plainly. “I know your head hurts, so I want you to get a good rest.”
Shu looked at Wilson like his head was on backwards, his eyes the most open and awake they had been the entire night.
Wilson instantly panicked, wondering what he could have possibly said to warrant such a reaction from Shu.
“Wh- uh, a-are you sure you’re okay with that… um us, in the same…?” Shu stuttered, avoiding eye contact. Wilson turned his head sideways, taking a moment before finally connecting the dots.
“I MEAN I’LL SLEEP ON THE COUCH,” Wilson nearly shouted. Wilson would hate Shu to get the idea that he was some kind of weirdo or worse.
When he laid it all out in his head, Wilson could see how what he said sounded kinda bad.
Dragging his drunk senior to his place and trying to sleep with him. Super mega giga sleazy! No freaking way! He had to be sure Shu didn’t get the wrong idea.
“Wowww Wilson, I see how it is, this is why you invited me over, huh?” Shu smiled, taunting Wilson out of his brief moment of panic.
Was Shu trying to get a reaction out of him again? It was always so hard for Wilson to tell.
“N-no, you have it wrong, Shu, and you know it!” Wilson responded, doing his best to do damage control for misspeaking.
“Plus, you were literally about to agree weren't you?” Wilson added with an annoyingly overly sly smile.
“You don’t want to fight this fight, Yamino.” Wilson continued, doing a poor job of hiding his nerves behind his words— hoping Shu didn’t notice how flustered this was making him too.
“Wh- h-hey! You can’t talk to your senior like that! I’m older than you, where’s my respect, Willy?” Shu said with a fake pout of his lips. Shu was smiling so much that every time his eyes lifted, it looked as if they were shimmering.
“Okay, you’re only 5 years older than me, you know that, right?” Wilson chimed in. Shu laughed heartily at Wilson’s comment, playfully protesting and yelling at Wilson for making him feel so old.
Wilson couldn’t believe he got to see this all for himself, Shu smiling so handsomely on his couch, his sleepiness washing adorably over his face, his laughter nearing delirious. It was incredible. Wilson never wanted it to end.
“Wilson?”
Wilson snapped back to reality. “Sorry, were you saying something, Shu?” Wilson asked, his mind clearly elsewhere.
“I asked you why you were looking at me like that,” Shu spoke quietly, seemingly unable to stop himself from staring back.
“I could ask you the same thing, Shu,” Wilson responded, his body subconsciously moving closer and closer. Shu didn’t back away; if anything, it seemed Shu was being pulled in too.
Shu again glanced down at Wilson’s lips before quickly darting his eyes back up at Wilson. Surely Wilson saw that correctly this time. The tips of their noses were nearly brushing together.
“If this is some sort of staring contest, you’ve already blinked 5 times by the way,” Shu spoke snarkily, his smile audible in his voice. Shu held his gaze without faltering; he must know by now what he’s been doing to him. Wilson tried not to think about it too much, though the color of his face gave it away completely.
“Shu?” Wilson whispered gently.
“Yes, Willy?” Shu responded, his cheeks aching from how much he was smiling. A loaded pause sat between them, overflowing with anticipation and potential energy, begging to be pushed over the edge. Shu gave him that damn look again.
“Whatever you want to ask…” Shu leaned in so close that they were practically sharing the same breath, “... ask it already.” Wilson’s heart thumped against his ribcage like a running motor.
“C-can I kiss you, Shu?” Wilson asked.
Shu wasted no time closing the gap between him and Wilson to nothing at all. He captured Wilson’s lips in a warm kiss, holding on to the nape of Wilson’s neck for purchase before all too quickly pulling away.
It was over all too soon, yet it felt like it lasted hours. The way Shu was looking at Wilson felt intoxicating. Could they keep going? Wilson wanted to.
“Heh, do you have any idea how many weeks I’ve been trying to get you to do that?” Shu asked with a smug, blissed-out grin.
“Wh- SHU!” Wilson exclaimed at Shu’s confession. “Well, you pulled away awfully quickly, tired of me already?” Wilson pouted facetiously, breaking out into a fake sob.
“Oh yeah?” Shu laughed, “ What if I said yes, I am tired of you, Wilson.”
Wilson carefully held Shu’s jaw and pulled Shu in closer, melting into his lips with a heavy want. Shu gasped, allowing Wilson to hold him, kissing him back with a bump of force behind his actions. Shu curled his arms around Wilson’s neck before Wilson finally broke away, his eyes opened to Shu’s warm cheeks and glossy lips.
“I’d say you’re a horrible liar, Shu,” Wilson said, a stupid grin growing on his face.
“Whatever…” Shu smiled, loosening his arms around Shu’s neck until he’s comfortably cuddling himself into Wilson’s chest, his arms draped over Wilson’s shoulders.
“So… how long have you liked me?” Wilson asked with a bashful expression. Funny of him to get shy now, only after he asked to kiss Shu. Silly.
“Bold of you to assume I like you, lmao,” Shu couldn’t help the jab. Wilson glared at him cutely, he looked just like an angry little puppy.
“Haha, sorry, Willy it was too easy,” Shu hummed.
“Hmm, probably since the first week you started working at the company?” Shu replied nonchalantly.
“WHAT!?!?” Wilson basically shouted, “This entire time! Shu!?”
“What?! That’s the same amount of time you’ve liked me too.” Shu stated plainly with a calm shrug.
“Huh- what? How do you know that?” Wilson asked defensively (he was right).
“Because I have eyes and you stare too much,” Shu giggled, rubbing his hand through Wilson’s hair. Wilson looked down at Shu cuddled up into him, the warmth that bloomed between them growing, Shu’s damp hair leaving a wet mark on Wilson’s sweatshirt where he lay. Shu smelled like Wilson’s shampoo. He wondered for a moment if he was dreaming.
“We can’t tell anyone at work about this, right?” Wilson asked, rubbing his hand affectionately on Shu’s far shoulder, pulling him closer.
“Oh god, yeah, no, definitely not,” Shu answered exceptionally quickly. “At least not yet.”
“Oh, not yet, huh?” Wilson inquired coyly.
“What do I have to do, Shu? Leave a few cute notes on your desk?” Wilson taunted before leaning in close, whispering in Shu’s ear.
“Want me to come up behind you and sneak a kiss when no one’s looking, hmm?”
“EW, get away from me,” Shu laughed, smacking a hand over his ear so Wilson couldn’t say anything else weird to him. Shu tapped his fingers on his cheek, thinking.
“Maybe do all those things and take me out on a date? Then we’ll meet to discuss your progress.” Shu sneered, flashing Wilson a toothy smile.
“Yes, boss, understood,” Wilson mocked in return. Shu yawned again, this time seeming to actually begin drifting off to sleep.
“I don’t mean to keep you awake, Shu. Come on, let’s get you to bed,” Wilson said as he tried to carefully move out of Shu’s embrace. Shu lay there like a sack of potatoes. Absolutely unwilling to move on his own.
“Not going. I’m sleeping here,” Shu spoke slowly, teetering between being conscious and unconscious.
“Come on, Shu! I told you I want you to have the bed so you can rest properly,” Wilson whined, trying to pull Shu upright to no avail.
“Mmm, only going if you’re coming with me…” Shu said, peeking open one of his eyes to look at Wilson’s face.
“Wh- huh?!? Shu!!!”