Work Text:
Minho groans as he sits down on the couch with a bucket of ice cream and spoon in hand, fully equipped for the sulking he plans to do now. He groans again and pouts when he doesn’t get the attention he wants. He picks up a pillow and throws it at his friend, whose head is almost buried in his phone screen.
“Ow! What the fuck, Minho?” Hyunjin shouts instantly.
Minho narrows his eyes and he cowers like the coward he is.
“I meant to ask what happened, Minho hyung?” he says with a fake polite smile and bowed head and folded hands.
Minho wishes he had a hoard of pillows at his disposal to bury his friend in. He sniffs and crosses his arms.
“My colleagues were being shitty again today” he knows he is whining like a baby, but he can’t help himself. He is sad, he can pout!
Hyunjin, bless his soul, immediately becomes serious and opens his arms for a cuddle. Minho eyes him with faux wariness before standing up and throwing himself at the man. Hyunjin grits his teeth and complains about rough-housing and manners. Minho pinches his side until he shuts up.
They stay in each other’s arms for a long while until Minho feels himself reaching the brink of sleep.
“You know”, Hyunjin starts speaking suddenly. Minho rolls his eyes and looks up at his face. “My company’s CEO is looking for a secretary. It is a really good job and you know how open and welcoming my company is. It is a queer run company after all!”
Minho stays silent and imagines applying for the job Hyunjin is suggesting.
“Have you ever met this CEO?” he asks.
Hyunjin grins, “Of course I have! Chris is great! He is kind and understanding. He truly values all of us employees, knows about our lives and asks after us. He is so smart too. Sometimes I forget how young he is. I mean he started this company from scratch. He is amazing, hyung! You will also love him, believe me!”
“I don’t know about ‘loving’ him yet but I guess I can apply for the job”, Minho says and rolls his eyes. He is internally pleased to know that the man he would be working for is known for being kind and nice. He has had enough of mean workplaces by now.
“Yay, hyung!”, Hyunjin shouts and raises his arms, Minho gets displaced and almost falls down.
“Hwang Hyunjin, you little shit!” he shouts.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
The first time Minho meets Bang Chris, the man is standing behind his desk. He has rolled up the sleeves of his white work shirt and the veins in his buff arms are visible, as he holds a file in his hand and reads it. He has a thoughtful frown on his face. His nose is long, Minho thinks, dazed. He has heard some things about people with big noses, so he wonders if they are true.
He is shaken out of his unholy thoughts when Changbin, the man who led him in, clears his throat. Chris looks up immediately and smiles at him. He then notices Minho standing along and blinks.
“This is Minho, Chris. He is the friend Hyunjin talked about. I will take my leave now. Bye bye, old man!”
Chris rolls his eyes in exasperation before smiling and gesturing at Minho to sit down. Minho takes the seat in front of the desk gingerly and waits as Chris also closes his file and sits down.
“Hello, I am Bang Chris, as you might know. You have applied for the position of my secretary. May I know how you heard about this job opening?” he asks and extends an open palm. Minho places his CV in his hand and bites his lip before speaking.
“I heard about the job from my friend Hyunjin.”
Chris nods, as he goes through Minho’s CV. His eyes rove over the words with interest and he nods a few times approvingly.
“So Minho, your CV here says you have worked in administration in the past. How would you describe the experience? What have you learned from such work?”
Minho nods to himself and takes a deep breath.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
Minho must admit that he never expected to actually get this job. His interview had been good, but nothing remarkable. He suspects that Hyunjin must have done more than just putting in a good word for him in the company. He had been suspiciously sure that Minho will get this job after all. But Minho doesn’t feel like pointing fingers when he is getting the benefit here.
He had been intimidated with the details of his job and Chris’s routines by a man named Seungmin. Minho doesn’t believe in love at first sight, but after meeting Seungmin he has started believing in hate at first sight. The man has innocent puppy like looks, and a hidden devil behind them. He didn’t leave a single chance to tease Minho. Hyunjin kept saying it was his way of being friendly, so Minho will grudgingly allow the teasing. It is better than the ill-spirited smiles and conversations his previous colleagues tried to engage him with.
Now he is sitting at his desk outside Chris’s office. The man has yet to arrive. Minho has been waiting for him for more than an hour now. He wants to keep the faith about Chris’s character strong that Hyunjin built for him. But right now it is very hard. He sighs and cracks his knuckles idly.
Just when he is about to stand up and go to the coffee machine, Changbin walks past his desk hurriedly. He is muttering to himself and Minho has to strain his ears to understand him.
“…. Can’t believe he didn’t go home again…. His mother would kill me…. Felix can also not know about this…. Idiot….. Fucking joke of an overworker….”
Minho blinks a few times and watches the man enter Chris’s office.
“What the flying fuck are you sleeping in your office for, man?” he shouts as soon as he enters the room.
Minho walks towards the door and peers inside. He can see Chris lying on the couch. He is still wearing his formal office wear, except he has taken off his watch, blazer and shoes. In front of him on the desk are several files spread haphazardly. Minho blinks at the chaotic scene and takes in the dark circles under Chris’s eyes. Changbin is standing in front of him, with his hands on his hips like an angry mother. Chris seems sleepy even though he has sat up and is nodding along to whatever Changbin is saying.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
Minho may have had certain PG thoughts about his boss when he first saw him. He won’t deny them. How could he when the man looks the way he does? But now that Minho has been working for this man, he can assure anyone who asks that Bang Chris is a babygirl. Now, Minho is not someone who calls someone a babygirl off handedly. No. The title needs to be earned and everything about Bang Chris screams that he is worthy of it.
The man has such delicate disposition! He is so soft hearted, so sweet and polite in his behavior that Minho can’t help but melt. He is always working himself to the edge, always considering and putting others before himself. He always tries to shoulder most of the responsibilities in the company. He is so intelligent and wise. Minho can’t get enough of him.
And if the way Hyunjin wiggles his eyebrows whenever he catches him interacting with Chris, or the way Seungmin tilts his head teasingly at him is to be considered, then Minho is not subtle at all. Fortunately for him, the man himself seems rather oblivious.
“Minho, please come here.”
Minho walks to stand beside Chris. He looks at the laptop screen in front of Chris and sees that the schedule he prepared last night is currently open. Chris is furrowing his eyebrows rather harshly. He is so cute!
“Yes, Chris?”
The man blinks and points towards the end of the schedule, “Didn’t I ask you to schedule three more meetings here with the foreign investors to match their time zone?”
Minho hums and folds his arms behind his back, “I communicated with them and asked for the best time for the meetings. I have spread them throughout the next week so that you don’t end up sleep deprived and overworked.”
Minho knows he has his cat smile on his face, but he persists when Chris looks up at him with wide eyes.
“But…”
“They agreed, Chris.”
Chris looks back at the schedule and sighs. He lifts a hand to rub at his forehead. Minho winces.
“Do you have a headache?”
Chris nods absent mindedly and picks up a file from his desk. Minho decides to bring him a painkiller from his own personal stash.
Outside the office, Seungmin is leaning against the wall. He grins as soon as Minho sees him and waves.
“So Chris, huh?”
Minho opens his bag and tries to hurry, “He insisted that I call him Chris. You call him Chris. Everyone calls him Chris. It’s not a big deal. Fuck off! Seriously! I am very busy right now!”
Seungmin straightens and walks next to him, a bit too close and leans down to speak in his ear, “You are interfering with his life by interfering with his schedule. Taking too many responsibilities for just a secretary, don’t you think?”
Minho is about to retort when they both hear Chris call for him loudly. Chris has never ever called him like this, loudly and harshly. Minho looks up at the open door and finds Chris staring at him and Seungmin. He pushes Seungmin out of the way and sticks his tongue out at him, before rushing to Chris’s side with the painkiller in hand.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
Minho looks up at the thundering sky and grimaces. The rain is heavy and seemingly endless. He can’t believe that he forgot to check the weather app today of all days. He looks around himself. No one seems to be around. It is after all pretty late. Chris was staying in the office, so he also decided to stay. Now he gets to suffer from the consequences.
Just when he decides that he is going to brave the rain, he feels someone covering him with a blazer. He looks to his left and sees Chris standing there with his arms held high. The man smiles at him gently. Minho gulps.
“Hey”
“Hi, Minho”
“Hi”
Chris raises an eyebrow and smirks with a tilt of his head.
Minho blinks and looks at the blazer still held over his head. He looks back at Chris.
“Take my blazer. My car is parked inside the parking lot, so I won’t have to step out in the rain.”
Minho takes the blazer from his hands and holds it close. He is immediately engulfed in Chris’s scent of vanilla and cardamom.
“Thank you so much, Chris. I will get your blazer dry cleaned and return it to you as soon as possible. Trust me.”
Chris smiles again and shakes his head.
“No need to go through the trouble, Minho.”
Then he raises his hand and brushes it on Minho’s hair gently. The caress leaves Minho stunned and blushing. He looks down at his shoes and lets Chris brush his bangs out of his face. He almost whines when the hand retreats.
“Good night, Minho.”
Minho blinks, “Good night, Chris”
Later that night when Minho lays in his bed, his eyes keep straying towards Chris’s blazer on the small couch in his room again and again. He huffs and picks his phone and calls the only person who would not make fun of him. The person on the other line picks up after a few rings.
“Hey?” he says confused by the sudden call,
“Jisung, I think I am falling in love.”
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
It’s another late night at the office when Chris tells Minho that they should go get coffee. ‘My treat’ he says with a grin. Minho can’t keep falling more in love every day, but he does.
They are sitting outside the store with their coffees in hand when a ghost from Minho’s past calls out for him.
“Minha! Hey! Lee Minha!”
Minho stiffens immediately. He tries to pretend he doesn’t know the person shouting. Chris looks ahead at the group of people who are walking together; the man who shouted is standing with them and waving his hand in the air wildly. They all seem drunk. Chris ignores them and continues speaking about the meeting he had today.
The man walks up to their tables and shakes Minho by his shoulder.
“Yah! Lee Minha! Who do you think you are? Why are you ignoring your superior? You little shit!”
Chris blinks before his face hardens. He stands up and pushes the man away gently.
“There is no Minha here. Please leave.”
The man blankly stares at Chris before grinning and pointing at Minho.
“This is Lee Minha. She just acts like a man. She is a woman. A woman!”
Chris looks at Minho who seems to have frozen in his seat. He looks back at the man.
“You should leave. Minho doesn’t want to talk to you.”
The man laughs loudly and starts cursing at Minho. He says slurs and walks back to his group.
Chris kneels in front of Minho.
“Minho”
Minho doesn’t respond. He is looking at his clenched hands in his lap.
“Lee Minho is my employee. He is one of the best men I know. He is also very handsome. He wears a two-piece suit to office every day and looks very dashing. He has a very charming personality. Minho is a true man. Minho is man anyone would be lucky to know”
Chris continues his rambling until Minho cracks a smile.
“Lee Minho, the man who is my employee, has stars in his eyes.”
Minho’s breath hitches and he hides his face in his hands as he cries quietly.
Chris gathers him in his arms and holds him close.
“You asked me why I made a company for queer publications. This is why. I want people like me and you to know through our literature that despite these terrible people, there is more to life. Being queer, being you is a joy. It is brave. It is important. You are brave and important, Minho.”
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
“Did you see how flustered Jeongin looked when he asked Minho out? It was so cute!” Hyunjin whispers to Changbin. Changbin rolls his eyes and continues trying to work.
“Seriously! He brought Minho a single rose and a muffin this morning and stuttered his way through the whole speech he had! I wish someone would confess to me like that”.
Chris coughs from where he is standing at the door and watches Hyunjin flinch at the sudden interruption.
“Oh, Chris! Haha! Did you see Jeongin, the intern, ask out Minho?”
Chris’s lips press thin and he shakes his head before moving closer to Changbin’s desk.
“Go and work, Hyunjin. I need to discuss some matters with Changbin here.”
Hyunjin pouts but leaves the two men alone.
Chris sighs and sinks down in the seat as soon as Hyunjin is out of sight. Changbin looks up from his work and grins.
“Man, I told you to go for it and ask Minho out. You lollygagged around and now Jeongin might get to tap that ass instead of you.”
Chris makes a face at his crude language and folds his arms across his chest.
“Don’t pout! Don’t pout in front of me!”
Chris huffs and stands up, “You are useless, Seo Changbin.”
Changbin starts defending his honour, but he doesn’t wait to listen.
When Chris gets near his office, he finds Minho holding a rose and softly touching its petals. He looks deep in thought. Chris tries to walk past him, but his inner demons win over and he stops in front of his desk.
“Hey”
Minho startles and almost falls down his chair. Chris stifles a grin and folds his hands behind his back. Minho looks up at him and blinks a few times.
“Hi”
“So, I heard that you have a suitor”
Minho shrugs and looks at the rose in his hand.
“Did you say yes to the date?”
“No”
“Why?”
Minho stares at the rose for a few more seconds before looking up straight into his eyes.
“There is a man I am hopelessly falling for.”
Chris gulps, his throat suddenly dry and achy.
“Someone I know?”
“Yes”
“Oh”
Minho shrugs again and stands up.
“Is it Hyunjin? He seems close to you.”
Minho laughs helplessly and shakes his head.
“Your friend Jisung? You do talk about him a lot sometimes.”
Minho blinks and Chris remembers that he was not supposed to give away the fact that he may have eavesdropped in a few conversations between Minho and his employees.
Minho shakes his head hesitantly.
“Who could it be then?”
Minho stares at him before picking up a file from his desk. He walks around the desk and stands beside Chris. Before Chris can ask him what he is thinking, he starts hitting him with the file in his hands like a mad person.
Chris raises his hands in alarm and starts complaining about being hit.
“I am your boss! Hey! Don’t hit me! Minho! Minho! What happened? I am sorry I was being so intrusive! Minho! Minho! I am still your boss! You can’t kill me with a file!”
Minho stops suddenly and takes a heavy breath before shouting at him.
“I love you, you fucking moron! I can’t believe I am confessing! And like this!”
Chris blinks. Minho blinks back and seems to step out of his stupor. He covers his mouth with his hands.
“Oh my god! Oh my god!”
Chris wants to touch him but that would surely overwhelm him right now.
“I am getting fired now! I can’t believe I hit you! Oh my god!”
Minho seems to be working himself up into a mess. So, Chris pulls him close by his bicep and kisses his mouth shut. Minho stops talking immediately and seems frozen for a moment, before he complies with the kiss. Chris places an arm around his waist and another around his shoulder to pull him closer. He can feel Minho’s breath hitch.
Minho is the one who pulls away first.
“You… You shouldn’t kiss your employees.”
Chris blinks at him, “I am kissing my future boyfriend.”
Minho’s ears are endearingly red. He places a hand under his chin and makes him look up.
“I love you too, Minho. I truly, helplessly love you.”
Minho smiles and tries to look down again but Chris doesn’t let him.
“Say it back, Minho. Please” he begs.
Minho giggles a sweet sound and shakes his head.
“Minho!”
“Chris!” he teases back.
Chris blinks, “Call me Chan. All my loved ones do.”
Minho tilts his head like a kitten and grins, “Okay, Chan.”
“Chan hyung”
“Now you are asking for too much. Go away.”
Chan holds onto Minho tightly and whines.