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Harua was feeling so, so tired that he thought he couldn't blink for long, or he'd end up dozing off right there. It was already his third time this week working overtime because he urgently needed to raise money for his puppy's neutering.
Snoopy was a sweetheart, Harua loved him with all his heart, but he never wanted a dog to begin with, so he wasn't exactly prepared to deal with the needs of his new four-legged friend.
Harua rubbed his eyes, the thought of his lovely dog waiting at home tugging at his chest and giving Harua the boost he needed. The vet’s estimate echoed in his head like a warning bell, each number heavier than the last. It was complicated having to deal with such a big responsibility, but Snoopy deserved the best of everything, so working hard seemed like a better solution than asking his parents for money at this point.
The company was already winding down, dimmed lights accompanied by the sound of shoes clicking on the floor, a sign that most of the team was ending their shifts. Harua leaned back in his chair, trying to focus on the data in front of him, worried about achieving good results so that he could possibly receive a promotion at the end of the month. He was close, so close he could almost taste it on his taste buds, sweet and well-deserved.
There was only one problem.
Wang Yixiang, his self-proclaimed arch-enemy, was also working overtime that day. The light from his laptop shone brightly, right in front of Harua, a few tables separating them. Yixiang typed with enviable concentration, and Harua desperately wanted to be that focused, because his project didn't seem to be progressing at all.
Yixiang was an exemplary employee — handsome, polite, dedicated, and always delivered good results for the company. From a distance, Yixiang always looked untouchable with his composed posture and well fitted suits that would always go well with his silver framed glasses. It was infuriating. Harua had convinced himself long ago that people like that only noticed him when they wanted something, usually at his expense.
Harua hated him.
Yixiang seemed to hate him too and would do everything to tease him, from leaving passive aggressive notes on the screen of his computer to buying him unwanted food. Harua felt like Yixiang was trying to get on his nerves, but today, out of all days, when they finished their extra working hours, they ended up in the same elevator.
Harua pressed the button quickly, hoping Yixiang would disappear in front of him, but the black haired male ran towards the metallic box and managed to squeeze himself inside just before the doors closed. He was a little breathless and carrying his seemingly heavy backpack, but still found the strength to give a lopsided smile to Harua, who, of course, just nodded and looked away.
As the mechanical gears rolled and they started making their way down, Yixiang cleared his throat. Once, twice, then it was clear that his intention was to get Harua’s attention, and Harua was not in the mood for some office bickering after a whole day working in front of the computer’s blue lights. He needed some rest, comfort food and hug Snoopy tight.
“Harua, right?”
Harua snapped his head in his direction, not believing what he was hearing. He was already sweaty and annoyed, the uncomfortable seams of his cheap suit making indents on his skin.
“You already know that.”
“Yeah, I just… We never really spoke.”
“I know.” Harua said sharp as a blade, hoping Yixiang would get the hint and just stop talking, but his plans didn’t work at all.
“So… Working late too, right?”
“Yes. As you can see.”
Yixiang seemed taken aback by Harua’s reaction, because his smile faded, just enough to resemble the face of someone hurt. He opened his mouth and Harua felt sorry for some reason, but they had no time to discuss this new situation since the elevator made a loud metallic noise and they were suddenly surrounded by darkness, the only light available coming from Yixiang’s unlocked phone.
Harua groaned.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Oh, that was not a good sound.”
Yixiang pressed the emergency button, but it did nothing. The tension kept building in the air, and every time he pressed the button again, Harua would feel more and more annoyed. Clearly that thing was not doing anything, and if the building was out of power no one would come to their rescue anytime soon.
“Can you please stop? This is not working.”
“Sorry, I am a bit nervous. I don’t like the idea of being stuck in an elevator, I’m a bit claustrophobic, so…”
“Do you think I like being here with you?”
Yixiang squinted, barely visible in the pitch black metal cube, but Harua could still see it. Its was like watching someone trying hard to figure out a deeper meaning behind something, and that made Harua angry too — he couldn’t be any more clear than that. Yixiang himself said how uncomfortable he was, was that guy really expecting Harua to run around him like a lost puppy?
Hell no!
Harua was smaller and Yixiang was very respected with his peers, but Harua would never bend for someone like him. If his plan was to make Harua his little minion, he would be very disappointed soon.
“Sorry, what?”
“I am stressed, overworked, so yes, I don’t like the idea of being stuck in an elevator with you!”
“You know what? Baek Jinho is stupid.” Yixiang blurted out and the name of their boss made Harua tilt his head in confusion.
“What?”
“I saw how he treated you these days, he was screaming and being so disrespectful, so ridiculous. Seriously, that man is embarrassing.”
“He is your boss.” Harua said matter of factly, trying to understand what the hell was going on inside that stupid tall and handsome man's mind. He was not going to be distracted with how plump and soft Yixiang’s lips seemed right now.
“And?”
“Listen, Yixiang, I really need the money at the moment. I am in no position to pick a fight with my superiors.”
“Still, do something!” Yixiang said loudly, like he was getting irritated.
“Like what?”
“Don’t let that moron yell at you!”
“Why do you care? I thought you hated me to begin with.”
“What?” Yixiang laughed. “No, seriously, what? I’ve been flirting with you for so long, and…”
Yixiang stopped speaking suddenly, looking startled at what just came out of his mouth. Harua was probably looking at him like a scared little mouse, because Yixiang went through a gradient of colors. First, he was pale white with the realization of what he just said, frightened. Then, he got pinkish on his cheeks and on the tip of his ears, probably because embarrassment settled in. Finally, he got fully red, like a healthy radish, when he noticed that there was no way back.
It was endearing, in some sort of way. Harua never really saw him like that, usually Yixiang was hidden behind his scary eyebrows and blinding silver framed glasses. Well, if Harua was up to be honest, the reality was that Yixiang was not really scary — Harua saw him talking with a hurt bird once, and he watched closely every time a new intern would ask him for help.
The only weird thing about him was this constant one sided bickering.
“Come again?” Harua finally said after gathering some courage.
“Sorry. Oh my God, did you hear that? I think some birds are chipping.”
“It is 10 pm, there are no birds. What did you say?”
“Yeah, weird birds, I… Should go.”
“Oh my God, where?! If you want to dig a hole in the elevator, fine, go on.”
“Ah, come on! You noticed, there is no way you didn’t,” Yixiang said in a pained tone, like this was not a fun topic. “I keep trying to cheer you up in the office.”
“Cheer me on?”
“Yeah, I sent you that slice of cake but I never saw you eating it. It hurt my feelings because you didn’t even say thank you, even if you hated the flavor, which I know, by fact, that you do, because your friend told me so.”
Harua’s first reaction was disbelief, because after months nurturing this rivalry, in the end he was so, so wrong.
“Oh. I am so sorry about that. I… I thought you were trying to tease me.”
“Why? And how is sending you cute pastries teasing? Even the donuts! Everyone in the office ate them but you, like, do you think I’m trying to poison you?”
“Well, because I am a small guy, sometimes people don’t take me seriously, so when the rumors of me being gay broke through the office it was around the time they announced the promotion. I figured you wanted to make me uncomfortable so I would give up.”
“Harua, that’s awful. Oh my… I would never do that. Why—Why would you think I would do that?”
Harua could not put into words how shattered his poor little heart was right now. Yixiang seemed like a sad wet cat, with those sharp eyes softening to a broken look. Was he really that wrong about him?
The pressure inside the elevator was like being inside an oven, heat suddenly covering their bodies and making both of them covered in sweat. Yixiang was expectant at first, waiting for Harua to say something and fight back, or maybe even explaining to him what was going on inside his mind, but nothing came for a long moment. That’s why he just leaned on his side after taking off his suit jacket.
Harua took a good look at the sight, because the dress shirt fitted like a glove and it made Yixiang’s chest look extra attractive. Harua became painfully aware of every sound — his own breathing, the faint hum of Yixiang trying to sing a song under his breath, the way their shoulders were just close enough to brush if either of them moved wrong. It was like being cooked alive. Yixiang was taller, broader and had a glorious bright smile, so Harua was just taking notes of everything else he found attractive on his arch nemesis besides his chest.
When he finally found the strength to look up, he realized how hurt Yixiang seemed. Being in his shoes at that moment was probably awful — confessing to the person he had a crush on at the office unintentionally, only to realize right afterward that his crush hated him, worse still, saw him as a declared enemy. It must have been terrible, and Harua tried to get his thoughts straight, because it definitely wasn't the time to drool over Yixiang's attractive physique.
Maybe it was because he was needy, since his last boyfriend had been a complete jerk and they had broken up months ago, but knowing that Yixiang liked him that way made Harua see things differently. Well, he always saw Yixiang as someone handsome, but without the layers of stubbornness and contention, he was actually quite interesting. However, there were bigger problems now, and Harua felt he should explain himself.
“I don’t know! I don’t know anything about you, and people are mean so I just assumed things without really looking into it, I am sorry, okay?”
“Okay. Sorry for bothering you.”
“No… You were not.”
“Yes, I was.” Yixiang thumped his head on the metal wall with a broken wail.
“Well, you were, but only in my head. Sorry for making you upset just now and ignoring your feelings. I did eat the cake, it was delicious.”
“You are just saying that.”
“No! I did, there were pistachios and a delicious creamy filling. I loved it, but I couldn’t bring myself to thank you. Thank you, Yixiang. You deserve the promotion more than I do.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Well, you are the perfect employee, and you just proved yourself to be so kind once again. I misjudged you, I don’t think I am able to handle a high position like that.”
“Harua… I don’t give a flying fuck about being promoted right now. I just wanted a date with you.”
Then, something bloomed inside his heart. A date?
Harua was not blind and he was well aware of how beautiful and charming Yixiang was, every girl in the office wanted a chance to go out with him, even during company dinners they would flirt and try their luck. All this time Harua figured it was because Yixiang was already seeing someone because, come on, there was no way he was single with that stupid sculpted face, right?
But this puts things into perspective.
Yixiang was not dating someone, he wanted to date him.
“Then what about the project? Why are you working late on it too?”
“I just wanted to check on you. Seriously, I think you’re sweet and you work so hard, and there was no one to help you. Every time I tried you just seemed so distant, that was the only way I found to keep checking if you were okay.”
“Stalking me, then.”
“Not like that. I think you’re precious,” Yixiang slowly turned his voice down, but he took a big breath like the big boy he was so he could finish his thoughts. “I am so sorry if I came across any other way, I am sorry too if you are not interested or creeped out by me. I promise to stop if that’s what you want.”
“Let’s make a deal.”
Harua said out of nowhere, right before the silence settled, exactly with the right timing to make Yixiang feel nervous.
“What kind of deal?”
“Well, you are interested in me, and I can’t really say the same, at least not in the same proportion, but if we go on a date, can you help me with the deadline?”
Yixiang’s eyes doubled in size and his mouth flew open, making his expression look so silly. Harua wanted to laugh, but he watched as Yixiang’s face changed from a confused and shocked expression to a smug grin. He was really like a cat.
“Are you being serious?”
“Well, if you are not interested in the project, or the promotion, then… Why not?”
The black haired male laughed, charming and alluring. Harua wanted to punch him. With his lips, if that makes any sense.
“A date and a kiss.” Yixiang offered.
“You greedy bastard!” Harua then complained, staring in shock because Yixiang didn’t seem like he was joking at all. “Fine, one kiss, but nothing more than that.”
“Deal!”
The shorter male bit his lips in apprehension, realizing that that agreement was probably not a good decision. An office romance was already problematic, but if people found out about an office romance between two male employees chaos would definitely erupt. Well, this was not the time or the place to think about the pandemonium they would go through, mostly because they were stuck in an elevator, but also because there was no way to predict that date would even work out.
What if Yixiang was badly mannered? What if he was not considerate and ordered only for himself? What if he was actually a bald monster trying to eat him?
There was no way to know, except trying it out.
Kissing him was not a bad idea, after all.
Harua approached, uncertain, but in a sudden burst of courage, he placed a subtle and simple kiss on Yixiang's lips, blushing immediately when he felt the softness of the warm cushions that were his coworker's lips. The older man smiled, wide and proud, admiring Harua's face up close, even under such poor lighting.
"That's not a kiss."
Yixiang pulled him closer, sealing his lips to Harua's in a sweet and warm kiss. Harua gasped in surprise, mainly because he hadn't expected the large hands on his waist, nor that the sensation of them there would make him feel butterflies in his stomach. Yixiang bent his neck to tilt his head and licked Harua's lips, who yielded immediately, probably because the experience of being stuck in an elevator with his arch-enemy had made him rethink some things.
When Harua felt Yixiang pulling him onto his lap, he gently pushed him away, red as a tomato and grateful for the darkness that had almost completely enveloped them.
"You got your kiss! That's done, isn't it?"
"Fair enough," Yixiang shrugged and leaned back against the cold metal wall. "But don't pretend you didn't like it."
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“You were literally melting in my arms.”
“Shut up!
“Make me.”
“Ah, come on, what are you, twelve?”
The silence that settled was comfortable now. Harua was still trying to figure out what the hell just happened.
A loud roaring sound startled them and suddenly there was light instead of darkness. Harua’s eyes were pained from the sudden change of brightness and he found comfort in the closest thing he could find to cover his eyes — which was, of course, Wang Yixiang. Harua tried to unlink from his arms, but Yixiang was pretty strong and hey, a man can feel comfortable in the nice strong limbs of his opponent, right? No problem with that at all.
When the door finally snapped open, the security guard apologized a billion times and the duo brushed it off, making an effort not to make him upset or even worse, fired for something that was not his fault. Just like that, the world rushed back in. Fluorescent lights, apologies and the harsh reality. Harua straightened his jacket automatically, the version of himself from the office snapping back into place, even though his chest still felt warm.
When they were finally out, Harua was about to power walk to the nearest subway station so he could get there in time, but obviously because he could not face Yixiang now that everything was brightly lit by the city lights.
His little plan failed miserably, because Yixiang grabbed him by his arm like in those stupid k-dramas Harua would watch alone in his home, eating a bucket of ice cream while his dog begged for some. He finally got brave enough to look and damn it, Yixiang was indeed even prettier like that, when the source of light was not only a phone screen. Harua bit his lip one more time, thinking about how there was a presence there before his teeth — another set of lips, the ones he was staring at.
“Can I take you home?”
“I don’t want to bother you, it was bad enough that I misjudged your entire persona, this is embarrassing.”
“Oh, please, I don’t mind,” Yixiang patted the top of Harua’s head, making the smaller man take notice of their size difference as a whole. Why was his heart fluttering right now? “Besides, I can’t let my date wander around so late at night all alone.”
Harua rolled his eyes, but complied anyway. It was hard arguing with Yixiang, apparently.
“Fine, you smooth talker bastard. But don’t try anything, I have pepper spray.”
With that, after Yixiang laughed with Harua’s feisty nature, they finally walked together side by side to the parking lot.
A lot changed in just a few minutes, but Harua felt like deep inside this was all he ever wanted. Already inside, while Harua was trying hard not to stare at Yixiang looking insanely attractive reversing the car to leave the parking lot, Yixiang seemed to remember something.
“Oh! The donut place is still open. Should we go there really quick? I really feel upset that you didn’t eat any of them.”
Harua rolled his eyes one more time.
“Fine. I want strawberry ones.”
“Whatever you want, it’s yours.”
Harua felt a strange sense of pride fill his body and Yixiang did everything in his power to pamper him.
… He could get used to that.