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Entry tags:
Business Proposal
Title: Business Proposal
Pairing: Yunjae
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU, Drama, Humor, Romance
Summary: The sales at Yunho’s restaurant are slipping and he has a horrible feeling that it’s the fault of a new establishment that’s just opened across the street: a cozy, home-like establishment with an angel for an owner that he doesn’t have a crush on, no matter what Junsu says.
A/N: 7,000 words, also, cliche use of Cassiopeia.
Jung Yunho was not pleased.
His company was perhaps the most well-known industry this side of the Choson Dynasty and maybe the other side as well. He was gratuitously rich, rather handsome (if he did say so himself), and by consequence, very successful.
At age sixteen, when his father had passed away, he had inherited the entire family fortune. He was pushed, rather unceremoniously, into adulthood, and by the time he was eighteen, running the family business. It wasn't like the board of directors had been entirely keen on on the idea, but when Yunho had taken a week and managed to double the income of one of the declining hotels, they had been forced to accept his control.
In the past five years, he had managed to build his quote on quote empire into something his father had never imagined possible: 103 hotels, total, in South Korea, Japan, and parts of China; 157 restaurants, in the same three countries, and also about 130 or so night clubs and bars. He wasn't too sure about the exact number of the last one - there was this pesky chain of clubs in Japan that only occasionally accredited him; but his lawyer was supposedly sorting that out, so Yunho wasn't too worried.
In addition to that, his profit, since he had taken over, had only ever increased, despite the ups and downs of the economy. At least, until now.
"Let's just go through this again. My restaurant, my main restaurant, has slipped in sales."
His accountant swallowed. "Only by two percent."
Yunho crossed his arms. Only by two percent. Why do I have such a stupid accountant? "And have we done anything to try and figure out why?"
"There is a recession going on," the accountant said.
"I am not affected by recessions," Yunho said, and he meant every word of it. He had never had a problem before and he refused to believe that he had one now.
"I want several possible theories on my desk by tomorrow, and they should also include solutions. My sales do not slip, gentlemen, ladies, and they most certainly do not continue to slip."
He waited for the affirming nods that followed the furious scribbling of pens on paper and then dismissed them all. He collapsed into his chair and rubbed his temples, vaguely aware that Junsu hadn't left.
"Yunho, you realize it probably is just the recession, right?"
"Bullshit," Yunho mumbled into his palms.
"No really," Junsu said, crossing his legs.
Yunho only had the heart to glare at Junsu for about two seconds. Despite his tough exterior, he was a good person. Everyone told him that he was a good person. He cared for his employees, was fair, paid well, and everyone loved him. But that didn't stop him from being a shrewd businessman.
"Junsu," Yunho tried keep the patronizing tone out of his voice, "If it was the economy, all our franchises and chains would be feeling it. Not just one restaurant. And certainly not the one in the heart of Seoul."
There was a moment of thoughtful silence before Junsu said, "I knew that."
Yunho groaned. "Do you think it's the service? Am I charging too much?"
"I'll figure it out," Junsu promised, "Your sales will be back up in no time."
Yunho mumbled incoherently for a second and then let out a sigh, heaving himself onto his feet and stretching. "I'm going to the restaurant for lunch. Want to come?"
"Sure."
Yunho tossed his papers into his briefcase and followed Junsu out, somehow managing to smile at all the people that acknowledged him as he passed.
*
The restaurant wasn't by any means empty, but Yunho had certainly seen it busier. He spent about ten minutes talking with the manager for a bit, and then went to sit by the window.
Junsu was already nursing a cup of coffee, appraising the people around him. "What did he say?"
"There's been a definite decrease, but nothing too severe. He's attributing it to the economy."
Junsu took another sip and Yunho was grateful for the other man's silence. The economy was not the problem. Obviously. Why was he the only one who knew this?
Their waitress was perfect and adorable and Yunho tried not to scowl at her. She obviously knew who he was, do to her overly sweet attitude and excessive hovering near by incase he happened to need something. God forbid the company president wait two seconds for an extra napkin.
He poked at his lunch savagely.
"When did that open?"
Yunho looked up from the battlefield he was making on his plate, and followed Junsu's gaze out the window. "What?" he asked.
"That restaurant. Or, no wait, it's a bed and breakfast."
Yunho got up, obviously unable to see anything from his particular angle, and stood behind Junsu, looking out. "Huh," he finally said.
It looked like a restaurant, but the sign very plainly stated that it was a bed and breakfast. Κασσιόπη's. What the hell language is that? Yunho wondered. English? He wasn’t entirely sure.
"It looks cozy," Junsu commented, "We should go look at it after we're done."
"We should," Yunho echoed dimly, a terrible feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.
It was very difficult to enjoy the rest of his lunch.
*
Κασσιόπη ended up being both a restaurant and a bed and breakfast. Junsu muttered under his breath that such a description meant hotel, but Yunho had to applaud the genius. Bed and breakfast had a much nicer feel to it than hotel.
They had waited until mid-afternoon before strolling across the street and taking in the new building that both of them had somehow missed.
"It's a lovely midnight blue," Junsu commented as Yunho opened the door, and the CEO could only roll his eyes.
The inside was as cozy as Yunho had guessed it to be and they were greeted by a man, perhaps no older than Yunho himself, with a dark head of hair and a dress shirt that revealed more chest than Yunho would have allowed in his establishments.
"Hello," he said, and bowed slightly. Yunho pegged him as a manager or higher.
Yunho glanced at Junsu and shook his head. His friend was practically drooling.
"Hi," Yunho returned the greeting, before Junsu could say anything embarrassing.
"Lunch?" the man asked, "Or an early dinner? We serve breakfast all day, if that's your kind of thing."
"Actually, we just ate," Yunho confessed, and was about to introduce himself and demand a tour, but something in the man's eyes stopped him. "Do you serve just dessert?"
"Absolutely," the man said, and Yunho ignored Junsu's Look as they were led to a table in the corner. Yunho couldn't help but admire it; it was mahogany. "Water?" the man asked when they were seated, "or coffee?"
"Coffee," Junsu said, "would be terrific."
The man smiled. “I’ll be right back.”
"He didn't introduce himself," Yunho grumbled and the same time Junsu whispered, "he is so hot."
Yunho stared for a minute before groaning, "Why do I know you?"
“I make you lots of money,” Junsu said immediately, and glanced down at the menu the man had laid down on the table. “Pretty,” he said, “Nice font.”
Yunho picked up his own menu and he had to admit it was nicely laid out, with an elegant font that wasn’t too fancy as to be unreadable. “Ooh,” Junsu said, “they have cheesecake. Yum.”
Yunho looked up to glare, but Junsu was absorbed in the menu. Yunho sighed.
“Their prices aren’t bad either. It’s nice here; you should buy it.”
The waiter returned before Yunho could respond and he watched Junsu flirt with the man, asking about their cheesecake and the fat content and “people say my ass is big, so I have to be careful.”
The man looked extraordinarily amused.
“There aren’t many people here,” Yunho noted after the man had left, “but I guess that it is a weird hour for eating.”
“Changmin would have something to say about that,” Junsu quipped, and the two laughed. “How’s he doing, by the way, with those few bars in Japan?”
“Fixing the problem, of course. He says he’ll have the money they owe me transferred by tonight.”
“As expected,” Junsu dumped a packet of sugar into his coffee and stirred it, smiling fondly.
Yunho nodded and then they lapsed into silence. Yunho’s mind went straight to his slipping sales and he frowned. His bad feeling earlier had only grown since stepping into Κασσιόπη and he had this suspicion that Κασσιόπη and it’s owner were costing him business.
“What’s the frown for?” Junsu asked.
“This place,” Yunho said quietly, just in case someone was eavesdropping, “I have this funny feeling that it’s stealing my business. And that it will continue to do so.”
Junsu sat back, setting his coffee cup down. “We’ve been here not even ten minutes.”
“I know,” Yunho said, “it’s just a feeling.”
“You’ve built your business on your feelings,” Junsu said.
“Again,” Yunho tapped his fingers on the table, “I know. That’s why this is making me really nervous.”
“Just--enjoy your coffee, enjoy the dessert, enjoy the eye candy, and we’ll leave. Then we can unleash the power of Jung Yunho on them. Alright?”
Yunho snorted.
He was staring out the window when his dessert was placed in front of him and he looked up to tell the man thank you, but his words froze in his throat. This was not the same man. Not at all.
“Yoochun had a phone call,” the new man said, and Yunho’s ears melted. The voice.
“Oh,” Yunho said.
He vaguely heard Junsu clear his throat and wondered if he should stop staring. No. No, I shouldn’t. Beautiful things are meant to be stared at.
“I’m Jaejoong. The owner.”
Oh. Oh the owner. Well that was nice.
“You’re Jung Yunho, right? Owner of Jung Industries and the rather large blot on the skyline across the street?”
“That would be him,” Junsu said cheerfully.
“I thought I recognized you,” Jaejoong the Owner Who had a Beautiful Everything said, “but I wasn’t positive until just now. What are you doing all the way over here? I’m not interested in selling the business. Or cooking for you.”
Yunho blinked, the blunt attitude snapping him out of his daydreams. “I’m not interested in buying,” he said automatically, “Just curious. It looked like a nice place from the outside.”
“Do you find it nice on the inside?”
Oh, yes. “It’s beautiful.”
Jaejoong smiled. “I’m glad to have your approval, I suppose. Enjoy,” he gestured at the dessert and walked away. Yunho watched him until he disappeared from sight.
Junsu snapped his fingers in front of Yunho’s face. “Earth to lover boy.”
“Shut up,” Yunho said, but when he met Junsu’s eyes he had a ridiculously huge grin on his face.
“Great,” Junsu said, “Just great. You have a schoolgirl crush on your rival. Fucking perfect.”
“Shut up,” Yunho said again, and bit into his dessert with bravado. It was quite possibly the most delicious thing he had ever eaten.
*
Yunho visited Κασσιόπη every day. He tried a new dish, a new drink; breakfast for dinner, lunch for breakfast, he was sure he drove the wait staff mad. Jaejoong would only laugh and say, “Whatever you want to eat, I’ll make it. Just for you.”
Yunho couldn’t care less what he ate, as amazing as the food was; he went there to see Jaejoong. He didn’t bother denying it when Junsu teased him. Jaejoong was ethereal and Yunho could not get enough of him.
When Changmin came back from Japan, Jaejoong Jaejoong Jaejoong was the first thing out of Yunho’s mouth.
“Ew,” Changmin said.
“He’s so wonderful,” Yunho gushed and Changmin pretended to shove his fingers down his throat. “Changmin come eat with me, you will love it. I mean, you always love food, but you will really, really, really love it.”
“Ew, can I please drop off my luggage first. Ew. Ew. Ew.”
“Oh,” Yunho rubbed the back of his neck, “Oh, right. Yeah.”
When they were close enough, Yunho pointed the restaurant out to Changmin. “There it is. I don’t know what to call it,” he laughed, “I don’t even know what language that is.”
“It’s Greek you utter moron,” Changmin groaned.
“Oh. Do you know what it says?”
“No, but because I’m a good friend, I’ll look it up for you.”
Yunho was unsure how Changmin managed to figure it out, but he had his phone out and was fiddling with the buttons and typing furiously before he announced, “It means Cassiopeia. Like as in the Greek myth turned constellation.”
“Oh. That’s neat.”
Changmin rolled his eyes, “Obviously this Jaejoong is far more learned than you. Maybe I’ll become his lawyer instead.”
“You wound me,” Yunho said, as they got out of the car and made their way to the restaurant entrance.
“I’m never going to let you forget this,” Changmin hissed.
The great thing about food, Yunho knew, was that it shut Changmin up. He ate everything on the plate and didn’t have any time for any sort of caustic remark on how Yunho’s eyes transformed into hearts whenever Jaejoong was visible.
“Told you it was good,” Yunho hissed, when their waitress went to go get them more coffee.
“Whatever,” Changmin said around his meal, “I’m totally going to tease you mercilessly later.”
Yunho saw Jaejoong approaching them and he smiled, “Yeah, okay.”
“You must be Changmin: the lawyer who can do anything,” Jaejoong said, when he reached the table.
Changmin wiped his mouth, “And you’re Jaejoong. Pleasure. You cook really well.”
“Thanks,” Jaejoong said, and then turned to Yunho, “Are you going to ask me if you can buy my business today?”
“No,” Yunho said, “I don’t want your business.”
Jaejoong rolled his eyes, “Yeah, okay. You’re only come in every single day, what else could you possibly want?”
Yunho opened his mouth to answer and then realized that maybe this wasn’t the most opportune moment. “Food,” He said simply, “very, very good food.”
Jaejoong let out a sigh. “Well, I’m not going to kick you out,” he muttered, “But just so you know, this is all highly suspicious.”
Yunho watched Jaejoong walk away, captivated by each swing of the other man’s hips. It was in that moment that he realized that he had it bad. “I need a Master Plan,” he announced. A Master Plan that would be perfect and enable him to capture the heart of one Kim Jaejoong.
“I remember the last master plan you had,” Changmin said as he sipped his wine, “I think it involved fish and whip cream and epic fail.”
“That was different,” Yunho insisted, talking quietly just in case Jaejoong had spies, “this is going to work.”
“Right,” Changmin said, and went back to his dinner.
Yunho spent all night thinking about it. He got up early, dressed, and made his way to Κασσιόπη. He was ushered to a table where he ordered a plate of pancakes and waited for Jaejoong to show up.
*
“He’s trying to steal my business.”
Yoochun looked up from his drink experimentation and followed Jaejoong’s gaze. “Oh? He’s here again?”
“Yoochun,” Jaejoong moaned, “Yoochun, help me.”
“Oh my god, Jaejoong, do you like him?”
“What? No. No, I just--he’s being tricky, Yoochun!”
Yoochun rolled his eyes, “Blah, blah, blah, I can tell you know. I can tell because you go and say hi every day. You smile at him and you so like him.”
Jaejoong pouted. “He’s trying to steal my business.”
Yoochun waved a bottle of Kahlua in Jaejoong’s face, “I’m not listening to you anymore. I’m really not.”
“You could lose your job.”
“I’m not worried, because he has that look in his eye.”
Jaejoong reached out and grabbed Yoochun’s arm, clutching at him desperately, “What look? Yoochun, what look?”
“The ‘I want’’ look, Jaejoong. The man wants you, it’s as plain as day. Now go say hello.”
Jaejoong pouted and tied a few cherry stems with his tongue before heaving a huge sigh and making his way over to where Yunho was sitting.
“Head over heels,” Yoochun muttered to himself, “head over fucking heels.”
*
Yunho smiled as Jaejoong sat across from him and crossed his arms, a small smile threatening to blossom into a grin. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” Yunho returned.
“I have a question for you,” Jaejoong said, “Are you or are you not trying to steal my business?”
“I have enough as it is, thanks,” Yunho replied.
“My recipes, then; you try something new every day.”
“Also a negative. I have my own brilliant chefs.”
Jaejoong hid his mouth behind his hand as he laughed and Yunho fought an urge to push it away. A person shouldn’t cover something so beautiful. It had to be a crime.
“Then why do you come here every day?”
Yunho wondered at what he could say. So I can stare at you. So I can talk to you. So I can be happy. You make me happy and you don’t even like me. You think I’m a business shark. Yet I can’t get enough of you.
“Your food is good.”
“So you are trying to steal my recipes,” Jaejoong teased.
“I’m not.”
“You said yourself that your chefs are brilliant. Why eat my food?”
Yunho set his chopsticks down (since he wasn’t using them anyway) and regarded Jaejoong with a tilt of his head. “You’re so insistent. Would you like me to steal them?”
“Of course not. But you’re a very suspicious character.”
Yunho pointed to himself in mock surprise. “Who me? You know who I am, why is that suspicious?”
Jaejoong crossed his arms, “I don’t know what you want.”
And now he’s serious, Yunho thought. “Fine, I’ll tell you.”
Jaejoong lead forward, elbows propped onto the table, chin resting on his hands. God, he is so adorable
“I come here everyday for you.”
Jaejoong’s perfect eyebrows rose. Shit, shit, shit, what did I just say? Yunho, you absolute moron, why did you open your big mouth?
“I already told you that I’m not going to work for you.”
Yunho surged to his feet as Jaejoong stood and began to walk away, “No! Jaejoong, no that’s-I didn’t mean it like that.”
Yunho was suddenly very aware of Yoochun glaring at them both from his position at the bar. “Let me,” Yunho began slowly, “Let me properly explain. Tonight. Come to my restaurant.”
“The monstrosity across the street?” Jaejoong asked, and Yunho swallowed.
“Please.”
“I’m just going to say no.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to ask.”
Jaejoong pursed his lips. “Fine. But don’t expect anything.”
Yunho could have shouted with joy; Yoochun’s evil eye as Jaejoong walked back to the kitchen kept the CEO in check, and he hurriedly sat back down and finished his meal, eager to get to the restaurant and set his plans in motion.
*
“So you have a date,” Yoochun clarified, watching out of the corner of his eyes as Yunho left, looking chipper and far too excited.
“What? No, it’s not a date. He has a business proposal to offer that I’m going to refuse.”
“Business proposal. Is that what they’re calling it these days?”
“He doesn’t like me, Yoochun. He’s too handsome and well-off and lovely to like me.”
“Right,” Yoochun coughed, thinking that his friend had to be completely off his rocker to not notice the way Yunho couldn’t keep his eyes off Jaejoong whenever he was in view. “You’re stupid,” he announced, but then realized that Jaejoong had wandered off. “My friend is extraordinarily stupid,” Yoochun said to the air molecules around him, and followed Jaejoong into his office.
“Jaejoong, he said he comes here everyday for you. He stares at you while he’s here, and now he’s asked you to his restaurant for dinner. I think he likes you.”
“As a cook maybe,” Jaejoong mused, pulling out a mountain of paperwork to sort through, “That’s all.”
“Has he told you that?”
“Yes.”
“But, that doesn’t mean that’s all he likes about you,” Yoochun argued, pulling the paperwork away, intent on having an actual discussion.
“Yoochun,” Jaejoong spit his friend with a glare, “Go inventory. I’m busy. Bye.”
Yoochun narrowed his eyes and then rolled them, exasperated. As he was walking out the door, he casually said, “What are you going to wear tonight, Jaejoong?” and then exited, satisfied that he had left the other man in a panic.
As expected, five minutes later, a flustered Jaejoong came out of the office. “I’m going home to change,” he said, and left quickly. Yoochun leered whilst simultaneously patting himself on the back.
No one knew Jaejoong like he did.
*
Yunho had never been so precise when setting up a private room for dinner. Every little thing was set exactly so, right down to the napkins folded perfectly on the plates. He had in his mind the way that Jaejoong had decorated and tried, with varying degrees of success, to arrange everything in a way that Jaejoong would like.
He couldn’t remember a time when he had been so nervous. He hadn’t exactly worked out what he was going to say. I really like you. I think you’re the best thing since sliced bread. Are you dating anyone, because I think we go well together. Like bread and butter. Do you even like men?
Changmin had laughed himself silly when Yunho had wondered aloud about Jaejoong’s sexual preferences. “That’s not what you should be worrying about. You should be worrying about what your going to say to him when he laughs in your face and says, ‘I have better men to choose from than you.’”
Yunho had almost punched him.
His maitre d’ came into the room a moment after his slight panic attack and informed him that his guest had arrived. Yunho went out to greet him and had to take several deep breaths when he saw Jaejoong in the hallway, staring at the paintings hanging on the walls. Fuck, but the man was gorgeous.
“Do you like art?” Yunho asked, after he had sidled up behind Jaejoong.
Jaejoong turned his head slightly and smiled, “Yes. These are beautiful.”
“My mother painted them,” Yunho said, never more proud of his parent’s talent than at that moment.
“Really?” Jaejoong asked, apparently deigning it okay to take a step closer and examine the piece more thoroughly. “She’s very gifted.”
Yunho was sure that he was glowing. “I’ll be sure to tell her.
He let Jaejoong wander for a few minutes more before asking, “Hungry?”
“Thought you’d never ask,” Jaejoong joked.
Yunho just chuckled and led him to the private room. Jaejoong cooed over the decorations and Yunho almost fainted with relief. Jaejoong took off his coat and sat on the floor, the table a perfect height for an intimate dinner.
“I haven’t sat like this to eat in a long time. I’m always in such a rush; usually I stuff something in my face when I’m at the bar or in my office.”
Yunho smiled, “I’m the same way.”
Their small talk was of business, as expected. Jaejoong’s dream had always been to open a restaurant. He had only ever worked in the food industry and had taken notes on things that worked and didn’t work in order to have the best in the business.
“I worked for your father, when I was really young.”
“Really?”
Jaejoong smiled around his chopsticks, swallowing, “Yes. I wasn’t there for long though, because my family moved almost as soon as I go the job.”
“Did you like it?” Yunho asked cautiously.
“I did,” Jaejoong nodded, “He was very understanding of my situation and I was grateful to him for it.”
“I’m glad,” Yunho said.
They talked about the peculiarities of business and frustrating yet useful things their managers did. Jaejoong talked about how Yoochun had been working at a sleazy night club for most of the time Jaejoong had known him, and how he had been instrumental in helping Jaejoong with management and monetary problems Jaejoong hadn’t known anything about.
Yunho told him about Junsu, and how he had been managing a bar that Yunho had bought out. He talked about Changmin, and the young man’s genius; how he could basically convince anyone of anything in a very short period of time.
“The one who liked my food so much?” Jaejoong asked.
“Yes,” Yunho laughed.
He had expected awkwardness. Had expected a cold shoulder and haughty critique of his food, but there was nothing of the sort. Before he knew it, dessert had come and gone and Jaejoong was standing up, saying that he should get back so that he could help Yoochun close.
“Was there something you wanted to ask me?” Jaejoong questioned as he slipped his shoes back on his feet.
Yunho thought about it for a second. “No, not tonight. I had a good time. You’re wonderful company.” I don’t want to ruin it.
Jaejoong smiled and Yunho’s heart skipped a beat as the other man patted his cheek, “You’re sweet,” he said, “Maybe next time I’ll cook for you.”
Yunho waved goodbye to his brain as he tried to comprehend the words next time. “Sure,” he managed, his throat suddenly very dry, “Right, next time.”
He pulled himself together enough to escort Jaejoong the door and then had to make himself a very strong drink at the bar in order to have enough brain cells to call Junsu.
“Date go well?”
“Shut up,” Yunho hissed, “Shut up, shut up, oh my god, Junsu it was the best night of my life.”
“I’m hurt,” Junsu said, “what did you do, kiss him?”
“Of course not,” Yunho snapped, “But, he said next time.”
“Next time, huh? Well good for you. Does this mean you’re buying his restaurant?”
“What? No, no I’m not going to buy it. I don’t want it.”
“What about your sales?”
Yunho moved the alcohol around in his mouth for a moment before swallowing. “If it means that I get Jaejoong in return, I don’t really care.”
“Well,” Junsu said, and Yunho could hear Changmin cackling in the background, “I wish you luck.”
*
Yoochun took one look at Jaejoong’s dreamy expression and decided that he needed a drink. A strong one.
“He said there could be a next time,” Jaejoong plopped himself down on a bar stool and stared off into the distance, “I’m going to cook for him.”
“Told you it was a date,” Yoochun said, not bothering to measure any sort of proportions.
“It wasn’t. It was a friendly business meeting. We talked about business.”
“Right,” Yoochun said, rolling his eyes, “Did he make you any offers, besides next time?”
“No,” Jaejoong said, “but you know...it was preliminary.”
“Then why the fuck are you so happy about making him dinner?”
“He’s handsome,” Jaejoong said automatically, “And so nice. Yoochun, he’s so nice.”
“Good for you,” Yoochun muttered, and downed his drink in one gulp.
*
It became somewhat of a ritual that neither party complained about. And then it became a competition. Jaejoong cooked for Yunho and Yunho had his chefs cook for Jaejoong (because if Yunho tried to cook it would be awful.) Jaejoong started dropping by for lunch before Yunho could get over to Κασσιόπη, and once, he took Yunho out to a restaurant that neither of them owned.
“Are you going to ask me today?” Jaejoong would tease.
And every time, Yunho found himself saying, “No, not today,” too entranced by Jaejoong’s smile, his laugh, his voice to say much of anything else.
Changmin and Junsu cornered him in his office one day when he was about to head out to take Jaejoong out.
“You realize that you’re dating, right?”
“We’re not dating. I haven’t actually asked him yet.”
“Yeah, but,” Junsu continued, “you’re going out for meals. Together. Without anyone else. That’s dating, usually.”
“So that makes how many dates that the two of us went on? Hundreds? Thousands?”
“We don’t like each other,” Junsu said, “we don’t consistently vomit about one other’s fantastic attributes. We don’t stand our friends up because we want to see each other.”
“That happened one time!”
“The point,” Changmin interrupted, “is that you need to get your shit together and confess already. Or we will do it for you. In the most embarrassing way imaginable. Understand?”
Yunho swallowed, “You’re horrible friends.”
“You have two days.” Junsu said, “also, that report is done and you can have it whenever you’re finished acting like your in grade school.”
Yunho cursed his life.
*
After he had read the report and filed the necessary paperwork and filled his car with gas, he went to see Jaejoong.
“Lunch?” the owner asked.
“Not today,” Yunho shook his head, and wondered if it really was disappointment he saw in Jaejoong’s face or if he was imagining it, “but if you want, I’d like to have you over to my apartment tonight for dinner.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Jaejoong’s face lit up, “Okay.”
“I’ll come pick you up.”
Jaejoong grinned and Yunho suddenly felt much better.
The day dragged by; Yunho had never watched the clock so closely in all his life. Around three he remembered that he owned the company and if he wanted to go home early, he could. So he did, cajoling food from the chef with instructions on how much sauce to put where and what to heat up when.
He may not have been the best of cooks, but he could at least follow simple instructions.
He set his table at his rather luxurious apartment, cleaned like never before, took a shower, and thanked the heavens that he was having a good hair day.
He picked Jaejoong up when he thought that it was perhaps a decent time for dinner, and he couldn’t help but take a few seconds to stare. He wanted to say “you look good” but he didn’t for fear that it would come out as “you look really fuckable” or “I really want to kiss you” or “you are the most gorgeous person alive.” All were true, of course, but Yunho thought it would be prudent to not saying anything like that at this stage.
Jaejoong drank a whole glass of wine before they even started. Yunho would have been worried, but it made Jaejoong so friendly that Yunho said nothing.
Dinner was done before Yunho wanted it to be, the two of them talking all the way through it as they normally did, like they had been friends forever.
“Let me go get dessert,” Yunho said, and Jaejoong smiled over his wine.
Yunho hurriedly set the cake on dishes and scooped out the ice cream as directed by his head chef. When he got back, Jaejoong was humming softly to himself, staring at the painting Yunho had on his walls.
“Here,” Yunho said, and set the plate down in front of Jaejoong.
“Such good service,” Jaejoong said, and Yunho resisted the urge to touch him, to sate his urge to know what Jaejoong’s skin felt like, or his hair, or anything.
"You're a little drunk, aren't you?" Yunho asked as Jaejoong aimed for his mouth and missed, his spoonful of ice cream grazing his cheek.
"No," Jaejoong said slowly, glaring at his spoon and then somehow successfully managing to land it in his mouth. He made a pleasurable sound that had Yunho swallowing nervously.
"You have ice cream on your cheek."
"F'later," Jaejoong slurred, a just-past-happy look on his face, but he swiped at it with his napkin. "Sticky."
Why are you so adorable? Yunho moaned to himself. "You're an adorable drunk," he said before he could stop himself.
Jaejoong smiled, "You're just trying to get me plastered so it's easier to steal my restaurant."
Yunho shook his head. "Are you still on about that? I'm not interested in your business Jaejoong."
The tip of Jaejoong's spoon hit the table and he wavered in his seat a moment before demanding petulantly, "Then why do we keep having dinner?"
"Do you not enjoy my company?"
"I do," Jaejoong nodded, "You're a wonderful person, but I can't help but feel that you have ulterior motives."
Yunho watched as Jaejoong went back to his dessert and finished it off, licking sinfully at anything with ice cream on it, including his fingers. When he caught Jaejoong's eye, he thought he saw, for a moment, a glint of mischievous sobriety, but then it was gone and he decided not to dwell on it.
He wasted no time in loading up his dishwasher and cleaning his pots and pans as Jaejoong wandered aimlessly, the alcohol most likely giving him courage to poke around the apartment. Yunho was sure he didn't want to know what Jaejoong was guffawing about for a good five minutes straight.
When he finished the dishes, Yunho found Jaejoong perusing his large collection of books. "Sobered up enough to read, have you?" he teased.
Jaejoong wobbled as he flipped Yunho off and the CEO chuckled, grabbing Jaejoong's elbow to steady him.
"You have a wide array of books," Jaejoong mused, "You're obviously well-read and very smart."
"Thank you," Yunho said.
Jaejoong turned and Yunho suddenly found himself much closer to Jaejoong than had been laid out in his Master Plan. At least, it wasn't supposed to happen quite this early. Also, Jaejoong looked much more sober than he had a few seconds ago. "So," Jaejoong said, "Are you finally going to tell me what it is you want or are we going to continue to try and out cook each other?"
Yunho realized that he was gripping Jaejoong's elbow very hard and he relaxed, beginning to rub at it. "Maybe," he breathed, "Maybe not; are you really very drunk?"
"Maybe," Jaejoong mimicked, as he shifted closer, "Maybe not."
"So even if I tell you, will you remember tomorrow?"
There was a fierce glare that Yunho would have wilted from if not for the fact that his desire to feel Jaejoong pressed up against him overrode everything else. Yunho decided, quite suddenly, to hell with it, and took the liberty of wrapping an arm around Jaejoong's middle. Jaejoong's arms folded up almost automatically, and Yunho thought with some dismay, he could just push me away right now, if he really wanted.
"Yoochun has this theory," Jaejoong whispered, as Yunho brought his other hand up to cup Jaejoong's cheek.
"You cheek is still sticky," Yunho said.
"He thinks," Jaejoong said, leaning his head in conspiratorially, "that we're dating."
"Sticky cheek," Yunho reiterated, tapping it, and wondering if maybe he was a little drunk himself. And wait, had Jaejoong just said dating in reference to the both of them? Or was it Jaejoong and Yoochun that were dating? "You and me?" he asked.
Jaejoong nodded.
"My fingers are sticking to your face," Yunho said, instead of gushing that he was so happy that Jaejoong wasn't dating Yoochun.
"Told you it was for later," Jaejoong pouted.
"Later for you or later for me?" he whispered, his nose threatening to bump against Jaejoong's.
There was no doubt about it; Jaejoong was most definitely sober. He searched Yunho's face before wiggling his arm up to trace Yunho's jaw. "You'd want my sloppy seconds?"
"Nothing about you is sloppy," Yunho said, "you're perfect."
"I'm hardly perfect," Jaejoong said, "I have a silly birthmark on my neck, and I yell at Yoochun, and I can't ever talk straight, and I hate washing dishes, and I throw my clothes everywhere, and-"
Yunho didn't particularly care to hear the rest of Jaejoong's excuses.
"Mmfgh," escaped from their joined lips, before Jaejoong was kissing Yunho back, and his hands were sliding around Yunho's neck and into his hair, and he opened his mouth so that Yunho could really kiss him, and holy shit Jaejoong was quite possibly the best kisser Yunho had ever come across.
When Jaejoong pulled away, Yunho bent his head and nuzzled Jaejoong's birthmark before kissing it softly, "I love your birthmark," he said, "I love that you don't think you're perfect, even though you are, and I think I might just be in love with you. All of you."
Jaejoong looked slightly dazed. "Oh."
"I'm going to kiss you again," Yunho said, and did just that.
"Oh," Jaejoong said, except that he sort of moaned it.
The order of the events following were a bit hazy in Yunho's mind.
He wasn't sure if they kissed again or if Jaejoong tugged him towards the bedroom first, or if maybe their clothes were pulled from their bodies and then they kissed, or if everything sort of happened all at once. Considering that this was his apartment, Yunho belatedly thought that maybe he had pushed Jaejoong here, or carried--or something.
The important thing, Yunho noted, was that they were on a bed, and Jaejoong was pressing up against him and they were naked. And Jaejoong was begging. And Yunho was complying, and they were both gasping against skin and sweat and sticky ice cream remnants and it was perhaps the most exquisite thing in the world.
"So," Yunho breathed contentedly, when they had calmed and Jaejoong was pressed comfortably into his side, "Yoochun's theory."
"I knew he was smart," Jaejoong mumbled and Yunho laughed, bright and cheery, and Jaejoong soon joined in, their giggles trailing off into perfect kisses and gentle caresses.
“Junsu and Changmin said the same thing. Wouldn’t have asked you here tonight if it wasn’t for them.”
“Have to thank them,” Jaejoong mumbled against the skin of Yunho’s collarbone.
"Lunch tomorrow?" Yunho asked, just before they drifted off to sleep.
"Mmm," Jaejoong murmured, and Yunho would have done a dance had Jaejoong not been draped all over him.
*
The next morning wasn't as awkward as Yunho thought it would be. He had expected a little blushing and maybe some stuttering and a few, tentative kisses; he did not expect Jaejoong to nudge him awake with his elbow and kiss him thoroughly.
"Good morning," Yunho said to Jaejoong's teeth, "You've brushed." You must have used my toothbrush.
"And showered. You should too. I'll make breakfast." You used my shampoo. Not that I mind
They shared a not at all awkward smile before Jaejoong was gone and Yunho heard clanking from the kitchen. "Make yourself at home," he muttered, without any actual malice, and dragged himself to the bathroom, welcoming water, soap, and cleanliness.
The breakfast was perhaps the best thing Yunho had ever tasted. It may or may not have had to do with the fact that Jaejoong kissed him after almost every bite and hence made breakfast taste like perfection.
"Work," Yunho said, in between his last bite of egg and a kisses trailing down his neck and Jaejoong pulling incessantly at his shirt.
"What's the point of owning that whole freaking company if you can't occasionally choose your own hours?"
Yunho swallowed his last bite and allowed himself to be pulled back into the bedroom. "And I thought this morning would be awkward."
Jaejoong snorted before pushing him down on the bed and crawling on top of him. "Think again."
*
"So," Yoochun said, when Jaejoong came in late with a ridiculously silly grin on his face that refused to go away. "Business proposal go well?"
"Shut up," Jaejoong said pleasantly.
"Due to your annoyingly cheerful disposition, something obviously went well."
"Yes, he's a good cook."
"And a good kisser?"
Jaejoong tried to hit his friend, but Yoochun dodged it, laughing. "I did try to tell you that he was head over heels. You were head over heels and you didn't even realize it. What did he say?"
Jaejoong poured himself a strong cup of coffee and sat at a bar stool.
"Okay, what did he do? C'mon, Joongie, details. Is he hot when he moans your name?"
Jaejoong slammed the mug down and gave chase, Yoochun laughing, rag in hand, as they dashed around tables. "If I catch you, you're fired."
"You could never fire me," Yoochun said, and laughed again as Jaejoong growled at him. "Go finish your coffee. I bet you're meeting him for lunch. Right?"
"I hate you," Jaejoong groaned, but he was already smiling.
"Well you make me sick," Yoochun returned, "after one night you're already sappy and gross."
"Oh, and what a night it was," Jaejoong grinned into his mug; Yoochun pretended to throw up all over the lemon slices.
*
“Sickening,” Junsu said, and he and Yoochun watched Yunho and Jaejoong kiss between mouthfuls of food.
“I already gagged three times due to the look on Jaejoong’s face,” Yoochun muttered.
“Is it too early for stiff drink?” Junsu asked.
“Never,” Yoochun replied and started to make two.
They clinked their glasses and tossed their heads back. Yoochun poured them another and by the third, Yoochun felt better. And Junsu looked fantastic, as Yoochun ran an appraising eye up and down the parts of his body that he could see.
“So,” he started, leaning over the counter, “about this ass of yours...”
~~~~~
I should be writing other things but my brain went on strike and said WRITE THIS FIRST OR ELSE. So I did.
Pairing: Yunjae
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU, Drama, Humor, Romance
Summary: The sales at Yunho’s restaurant are slipping and he has a horrible feeling that it’s the fault of a new establishment that’s just opened across the street: a cozy, home-like establishment with an angel for an owner that he doesn’t have a crush on, no matter what Junsu says.
A/N: 7,000 words, also, cliche use of Cassiopeia.
Jung Yunho was not pleased.
His company was perhaps the most well-known industry this side of the Choson Dynasty and maybe the other side as well. He was gratuitously rich, rather handsome (if he did say so himself), and by consequence, very successful.
At age sixteen, when his father had passed away, he had inherited the entire family fortune. He was pushed, rather unceremoniously, into adulthood, and by the time he was eighteen, running the family business. It wasn't like the board of directors had been entirely keen on on the idea, but when Yunho had taken a week and managed to double the income of one of the declining hotels, they had been forced to accept his control.
In the past five years, he had managed to build his quote on quote empire into something his father had never imagined possible: 103 hotels, total, in South Korea, Japan, and parts of China; 157 restaurants, in the same three countries, and also about 130 or so night clubs and bars. He wasn't too sure about the exact number of the last one - there was this pesky chain of clubs in Japan that only occasionally accredited him; but his lawyer was supposedly sorting that out, so Yunho wasn't too worried.
In addition to that, his profit, since he had taken over, had only ever increased, despite the ups and downs of the economy. At least, until now.
"Let's just go through this again. My restaurant, my main restaurant, has slipped in sales."
His accountant swallowed. "Only by two percent."
Yunho crossed his arms. Only by two percent. Why do I have such a stupid accountant? "And have we done anything to try and figure out why?"
"There is a recession going on," the accountant said.
"I am not affected by recessions," Yunho said, and he meant every word of it. He had never had a problem before and he refused to believe that he had one now.
"I want several possible theories on my desk by tomorrow, and they should also include solutions. My sales do not slip, gentlemen, ladies, and they most certainly do not continue to slip."
He waited for the affirming nods that followed the furious scribbling of pens on paper and then dismissed them all. He collapsed into his chair and rubbed his temples, vaguely aware that Junsu hadn't left.
"Yunho, you realize it probably is just the recession, right?"
"Bullshit," Yunho mumbled into his palms.
"No really," Junsu said, crossing his legs.
Yunho only had the heart to glare at Junsu for about two seconds. Despite his tough exterior, he was a good person. Everyone told him that he was a good person. He cared for his employees, was fair, paid well, and everyone loved him. But that didn't stop him from being a shrewd businessman.
"Junsu," Yunho tried keep the patronizing tone out of his voice, "If it was the economy, all our franchises and chains would be feeling it. Not just one restaurant. And certainly not the one in the heart of Seoul."
There was a moment of thoughtful silence before Junsu said, "I knew that."
Yunho groaned. "Do you think it's the service? Am I charging too much?"
"I'll figure it out," Junsu promised, "Your sales will be back up in no time."
Yunho mumbled incoherently for a second and then let out a sigh, heaving himself onto his feet and stretching. "I'm going to the restaurant for lunch. Want to come?"
"Sure."
Yunho tossed his papers into his briefcase and followed Junsu out, somehow managing to smile at all the people that acknowledged him as he passed.
*
The restaurant wasn't by any means empty, but Yunho had certainly seen it busier. He spent about ten minutes talking with the manager for a bit, and then went to sit by the window.
Junsu was already nursing a cup of coffee, appraising the people around him. "What did he say?"
"There's been a definite decrease, but nothing too severe. He's attributing it to the economy."
Junsu took another sip and Yunho was grateful for the other man's silence. The economy was not the problem. Obviously. Why was he the only one who knew this?
Their waitress was perfect and adorable and Yunho tried not to scowl at her. She obviously knew who he was, do to her overly sweet attitude and excessive hovering near by incase he happened to need something. God forbid the company president wait two seconds for an extra napkin.
He poked at his lunch savagely.
"When did that open?"
Yunho looked up from the battlefield he was making on his plate, and followed Junsu's gaze out the window. "What?" he asked.
"That restaurant. Or, no wait, it's a bed and breakfast."
Yunho got up, obviously unable to see anything from his particular angle, and stood behind Junsu, looking out. "Huh," he finally said.
It looked like a restaurant, but the sign very plainly stated that it was a bed and breakfast. Κασσιόπη's. What the hell language is that? Yunho wondered. English? He wasn’t entirely sure.
"It looks cozy," Junsu commented, "We should go look at it after we're done."
"We should," Yunho echoed dimly, a terrible feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.
It was very difficult to enjoy the rest of his lunch.
*
Κασσιόπη ended up being both a restaurant and a bed and breakfast. Junsu muttered under his breath that such a description meant hotel, but Yunho had to applaud the genius. Bed and breakfast had a much nicer feel to it than hotel.
They had waited until mid-afternoon before strolling across the street and taking in the new building that both of them had somehow missed.
"It's a lovely midnight blue," Junsu commented as Yunho opened the door, and the CEO could only roll his eyes.
The inside was as cozy as Yunho had guessed it to be and they were greeted by a man, perhaps no older than Yunho himself, with a dark head of hair and a dress shirt that revealed more chest than Yunho would have allowed in his establishments.
"Hello," he said, and bowed slightly. Yunho pegged him as a manager or higher.
Yunho glanced at Junsu and shook his head. His friend was practically drooling.
"Hi," Yunho returned the greeting, before Junsu could say anything embarrassing.
"Lunch?" the man asked, "Or an early dinner? We serve breakfast all day, if that's your kind of thing."
"Actually, we just ate," Yunho confessed, and was about to introduce himself and demand a tour, but something in the man's eyes stopped him. "Do you serve just dessert?"
"Absolutely," the man said, and Yunho ignored Junsu's Look as they were led to a table in the corner. Yunho couldn't help but admire it; it was mahogany. "Water?" the man asked when they were seated, "or coffee?"
"Coffee," Junsu said, "would be terrific."
The man smiled. “I’ll be right back.”
"He didn't introduce himself," Yunho grumbled and the same time Junsu whispered, "he is so hot."
Yunho stared for a minute before groaning, "Why do I know you?"
“I make you lots of money,” Junsu said immediately, and glanced down at the menu the man had laid down on the table. “Pretty,” he said, “Nice font.”
Yunho picked up his own menu and he had to admit it was nicely laid out, with an elegant font that wasn’t too fancy as to be unreadable. “Ooh,” Junsu said, “they have cheesecake. Yum.”
Yunho looked up to glare, but Junsu was absorbed in the menu. Yunho sighed.
“Their prices aren’t bad either. It’s nice here; you should buy it.”
The waiter returned before Yunho could respond and he watched Junsu flirt with the man, asking about their cheesecake and the fat content and “people say my ass is big, so I have to be careful.”
The man looked extraordinarily amused.
“There aren’t many people here,” Yunho noted after the man had left, “but I guess that it is a weird hour for eating.”
“Changmin would have something to say about that,” Junsu quipped, and the two laughed. “How’s he doing, by the way, with those few bars in Japan?”
“Fixing the problem, of course. He says he’ll have the money they owe me transferred by tonight.”
“As expected,” Junsu dumped a packet of sugar into his coffee and stirred it, smiling fondly.
Yunho nodded and then they lapsed into silence. Yunho’s mind went straight to his slipping sales and he frowned. His bad feeling earlier had only grown since stepping into Κασσιόπη and he had this suspicion that Κασσιόπη and it’s owner were costing him business.
“What’s the frown for?” Junsu asked.
“This place,” Yunho said quietly, just in case someone was eavesdropping, “I have this funny feeling that it’s stealing my business. And that it will continue to do so.”
Junsu sat back, setting his coffee cup down. “We’ve been here not even ten minutes.”
“I know,” Yunho said, “it’s just a feeling.”
“You’ve built your business on your feelings,” Junsu said.
“Again,” Yunho tapped his fingers on the table, “I know. That’s why this is making me really nervous.”
“Just--enjoy your coffee, enjoy the dessert, enjoy the eye candy, and we’ll leave. Then we can unleash the power of Jung Yunho on them. Alright?”
Yunho snorted.
He was staring out the window when his dessert was placed in front of him and he looked up to tell the man thank you, but his words froze in his throat. This was not the same man. Not at all.
“Yoochun had a phone call,” the new man said, and Yunho’s ears melted. The voice.
“Oh,” Yunho said.
He vaguely heard Junsu clear his throat and wondered if he should stop staring. No. No, I shouldn’t. Beautiful things are meant to be stared at.
“I’m Jaejoong. The owner.”
Oh. Oh the owner. Well that was nice.
“You’re Jung Yunho, right? Owner of Jung Industries and the rather large blot on the skyline across the street?”
“That would be him,” Junsu said cheerfully.
“I thought I recognized you,” Jaejoong the Owner Who had a Beautiful Everything said, “but I wasn’t positive until just now. What are you doing all the way over here? I’m not interested in selling the business. Or cooking for you.”
Yunho blinked, the blunt attitude snapping him out of his daydreams. “I’m not interested in buying,” he said automatically, “Just curious. It looked like a nice place from the outside.”
“Do you find it nice on the inside?”
Oh, yes. “It’s beautiful.”
Jaejoong smiled. “I’m glad to have your approval, I suppose. Enjoy,” he gestured at the dessert and walked away. Yunho watched him until he disappeared from sight.
Junsu snapped his fingers in front of Yunho’s face. “Earth to lover boy.”
“Shut up,” Yunho said, but when he met Junsu’s eyes he had a ridiculously huge grin on his face.
“Great,” Junsu said, “Just great. You have a schoolgirl crush on your rival. Fucking perfect.”
“Shut up,” Yunho said again, and bit into his dessert with bravado. It was quite possibly the most delicious thing he had ever eaten.
*
Yunho visited Κασσιόπη every day. He tried a new dish, a new drink; breakfast for dinner, lunch for breakfast, he was sure he drove the wait staff mad. Jaejoong would only laugh and say, “Whatever you want to eat, I’ll make it. Just for you.”
Yunho couldn’t care less what he ate, as amazing as the food was; he went there to see Jaejoong. He didn’t bother denying it when Junsu teased him. Jaejoong was ethereal and Yunho could not get enough of him.
When Changmin came back from Japan, Jaejoong Jaejoong Jaejoong was the first thing out of Yunho’s mouth.
“Ew,” Changmin said.
“He’s so wonderful,” Yunho gushed and Changmin pretended to shove his fingers down his throat. “Changmin come eat with me, you will love it. I mean, you always love food, but you will really, really, really love it.”
“Ew, can I please drop off my luggage first. Ew. Ew. Ew.”
“Oh,” Yunho rubbed the back of his neck, “Oh, right. Yeah.”
When they were close enough, Yunho pointed the restaurant out to Changmin. “There it is. I don’t know what to call it,” he laughed, “I don’t even know what language that is.”
“It’s Greek you utter moron,” Changmin groaned.
“Oh. Do you know what it says?”
“No, but because I’m a good friend, I’ll look it up for you.”
Yunho was unsure how Changmin managed to figure it out, but he had his phone out and was fiddling with the buttons and typing furiously before he announced, “It means Cassiopeia. Like as in the Greek myth turned constellation.”
“Oh. That’s neat.”
Changmin rolled his eyes, “Obviously this Jaejoong is far more learned than you. Maybe I’ll become his lawyer instead.”
“You wound me,” Yunho said, as they got out of the car and made their way to the restaurant entrance.
“I’m never going to let you forget this,” Changmin hissed.
The great thing about food, Yunho knew, was that it shut Changmin up. He ate everything on the plate and didn’t have any time for any sort of caustic remark on how Yunho’s eyes transformed into hearts whenever Jaejoong was visible.
“Told you it was good,” Yunho hissed, when their waitress went to go get them more coffee.
“Whatever,” Changmin said around his meal, “I’m totally going to tease you mercilessly later.”
Yunho saw Jaejoong approaching them and he smiled, “Yeah, okay.”
“You must be Changmin: the lawyer who can do anything,” Jaejoong said, when he reached the table.
Changmin wiped his mouth, “And you’re Jaejoong. Pleasure. You cook really well.”
“Thanks,” Jaejoong said, and then turned to Yunho, “Are you going to ask me if you can buy my business today?”
“No,” Yunho said, “I don’t want your business.”
Jaejoong rolled his eyes, “Yeah, okay. You’re only come in every single day, what else could you possibly want?”
Yunho opened his mouth to answer and then realized that maybe this wasn’t the most opportune moment. “Food,” He said simply, “very, very good food.”
Jaejoong let out a sigh. “Well, I’m not going to kick you out,” he muttered, “But just so you know, this is all highly suspicious.”
Yunho watched Jaejoong walk away, captivated by each swing of the other man’s hips. It was in that moment that he realized that he had it bad. “I need a Master Plan,” he announced. A Master Plan that would be perfect and enable him to capture the heart of one Kim Jaejoong.
“I remember the last master plan you had,” Changmin said as he sipped his wine, “I think it involved fish and whip cream and epic fail.”
“That was different,” Yunho insisted, talking quietly just in case Jaejoong had spies, “this is going to work.”
“Right,” Changmin said, and went back to his dinner.
Yunho spent all night thinking about it. He got up early, dressed, and made his way to Κασσιόπη. He was ushered to a table where he ordered a plate of pancakes and waited for Jaejoong to show up.
*
“He’s trying to steal my business.”
Yoochun looked up from his drink experimentation and followed Jaejoong’s gaze. “Oh? He’s here again?”
“Yoochun,” Jaejoong moaned, “Yoochun, help me.”
“Oh my god, Jaejoong, do you like him?”
“What? No. No, I just--he’s being tricky, Yoochun!”
Yoochun rolled his eyes, “Blah, blah, blah, I can tell you know. I can tell because you go and say hi every day. You smile at him and you so like him.”
Jaejoong pouted. “He’s trying to steal my business.”
Yoochun waved a bottle of Kahlua in Jaejoong’s face, “I’m not listening to you anymore. I’m really not.”
“You could lose your job.”
“I’m not worried, because he has that look in his eye.”
Jaejoong reached out and grabbed Yoochun’s arm, clutching at him desperately, “What look? Yoochun, what look?”
“The ‘I want’’ look, Jaejoong. The man wants you, it’s as plain as day. Now go say hello.”
Jaejoong pouted and tied a few cherry stems with his tongue before heaving a huge sigh and making his way over to where Yunho was sitting.
“Head over heels,” Yoochun muttered to himself, “head over fucking heels.”
*
Yunho smiled as Jaejoong sat across from him and crossed his arms, a small smile threatening to blossom into a grin. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” Yunho returned.
“I have a question for you,” Jaejoong said, “Are you or are you not trying to steal my business?”
“I have enough as it is, thanks,” Yunho replied.
“My recipes, then; you try something new every day.”
“Also a negative. I have my own brilliant chefs.”
Jaejoong hid his mouth behind his hand as he laughed and Yunho fought an urge to push it away. A person shouldn’t cover something so beautiful. It had to be a crime.
“Then why do you come here every day?”
Yunho wondered at what he could say. So I can stare at you. So I can talk to you. So I can be happy. You make me happy and you don’t even like me. You think I’m a business shark. Yet I can’t get enough of you.
“Your food is good.”
“So you are trying to steal my recipes,” Jaejoong teased.
“I’m not.”
“You said yourself that your chefs are brilliant. Why eat my food?”
Yunho set his chopsticks down (since he wasn’t using them anyway) and regarded Jaejoong with a tilt of his head. “You’re so insistent. Would you like me to steal them?”
“Of course not. But you’re a very suspicious character.”
Yunho pointed to himself in mock surprise. “Who me? You know who I am, why is that suspicious?”
Jaejoong crossed his arms, “I don’t know what you want.”
And now he’s serious, Yunho thought. “Fine, I’ll tell you.”
Jaejoong lead forward, elbows propped onto the table, chin resting on his hands. God, he is so adorable
“I come here everyday for you.”
Jaejoong’s perfect eyebrows rose. Shit, shit, shit, what did I just say? Yunho, you absolute moron, why did you open your big mouth?
“I already told you that I’m not going to work for you.”
Yunho surged to his feet as Jaejoong stood and began to walk away, “No! Jaejoong, no that’s-I didn’t mean it like that.”
Yunho was suddenly very aware of Yoochun glaring at them both from his position at the bar. “Let me,” Yunho began slowly, “Let me properly explain. Tonight. Come to my restaurant.”
“The monstrosity across the street?” Jaejoong asked, and Yunho swallowed.
“Please.”
“I’m just going to say no.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to ask.”
Jaejoong pursed his lips. “Fine. But don’t expect anything.”
Yunho could have shouted with joy; Yoochun’s evil eye as Jaejoong walked back to the kitchen kept the CEO in check, and he hurriedly sat back down and finished his meal, eager to get to the restaurant and set his plans in motion.
*
“So you have a date,” Yoochun clarified, watching out of the corner of his eyes as Yunho left, looking chipper and far too excited.
“What? No, it’s not a date. He has a business proposal to offer that I’m going to refuse.”
“Business proposal. Is that what they’re calling it these days?”
“He doesn’t like me, Yoochun. He’s too handsome and well-off and lovely to like me.”
“Right,” Yoochun coughed, thinking that his friend had to be completely off his rocker to not notice the way Yunho couldn’t keep his eyes off Jaejoong whenever he was in view. “You’re stupid,” he announced, but then realized that Jaejoong had wandered off. “My friend is extraordinarily stupid,” Yoochun said to the air molecules around him, and followed Jaejoong into his office.
“Jaejoong, he said he comes here everyday for you. He stares at you while he’s here, and now he’s asked you to his restaurant for dinner. I think he likes you.”
“As a cook maybe,” Jaejoong mused, pulling out a mountain of paperwork to sort through, “That’s all.”
“Has he told you that?”
“Yes.”
“But, that doesn’t mean that’s all he likes about you,” Yoochun argued, pulling the paperwork away, intent on having an actual discussion.
“Yoochun,” Jaejoong spit his friend with a glare, “Go inventory. I’m busy. Bye.”
Yoochun narrowed his eyes and then rolled them, exasperated. As he was walking out the door, he casually said, “What are you going to wear tonight, Jaejoong?” and then exited, satisfied that he had left the other man in a panic.
As expected, five minutes later, a flustered Jaejoong came out of the office. “I’m going home to change,” he said, and left quickly. Yoochun leered whilst simultaneously patting himself on the back.
No one knew Jaejoong like he did.
*
Yunho had never been so precise when setting up a private room for dinner. Every little thing was set exactly so, right down to the napkins folded perfectly on the plates. He had in his mind the way that Jaejoong had decorated and tried, with varying degrees of success, to arrange everything in a way that Jaejoong would like.
He couldn’t remember a time when he had been so nervous. He hadn’t exactly worked out what he was going to say. I really like you. I think you’re the best thing since sliced bread. Are you dating anyone, because I think we go well together. Like bread and butter. Do you even like men?
Changmin had laughed himself silly when Yunho had wondered aloud about Jaejoong’s sexual preferences. “That’s not what you should be worrying about. You should be worrying about what your going to say to him when he laughs in your face and says, ‘I have better men to choose from than you.’”
Yunho had almost punched him.
His maitre d’ came into the room a moment after his slight panic attack and informed him that his guest had arrived. Yunho went out to greet him and had to take several deep breaths when he saw Jaejoong in the hallway, staring at the paintings hanging on the walls. Fuck, but the man was gorgeous.
“Do you like art?” Yunho asked, after he had sidled up behind Jaejoong.
Jaejoong turned his head slightly and smiled, “Yes. These are beautiful.”
“My mother painted them,” Yunho said, never more proud of his parent’s talent than at that moment.
“Really?” Jaejoong asked, apparently deigning it okay to take a step closer and examine the piece more thoroughly. “She’s very gifted.”
Yunho was sure that he was glowing. “I’ll be sure to tell her.
He let Jaejoong wander for a few minutes more before asking, “Hungry?”
“Thought you’d never ask,” Jaejoong joked.
Yunho just chuckled and led him to the private room. Jaejoong cooed over the decorations and Yunho almost fainted with relief. Jaejoong took off his coat and sat on the floor, the table a perfect height for an intimate dinner.
“I haven’t sat like this to eat in a long time. I’m always in such a rush; usually I stuff something in my face when I’m at the bar or in my office.”
Yunho smiled, “I’m the same way.”
Their small talk was of business, as expected. Jaejoong’s dream had always been to open a restaurant. He had only ever worked in the food industry and had taken notes on things that worked and didn’t work in order to have the best in the business.
“I worked for your father, when I was really young.”
“Really?”
Jaejoong smiled around his chopsticks, swallowing, “Yes. I wasn’t there for long though, because my family moved almost as soon as I go the job.”
“Did you like it?” Yunho asked cautiously.
“I did,” Jaejoong nodded, “He was very understanding of my situation and I was grateful to him for it.”
“I’m glad,” Yunho said.
They talked about the peculiarities of business and frustrating yet useful things their managers did. Jaejoong talked about how Yoochun had been working at a sleazy night club for most of the time Jaejoong had known him, and how he had been instrumental in helping Jaejoong with management and monetary problems Jaejoong hadn’t known anything about.
Yunho told him about Junsu, and how he had been managing a bar that Yunho had bought out. He talked about Changmin, and the young man’s genius; how he could basically convince anyone of anything in a very short period of time.
“The one who liked my food so much?” Jaejoong asked.
“Yes,” Yunho laughed.
He had expected awkwardness. Had expected a cold shoulder and haughty critique of his food, but there was nothing of the sort. Before he knew it, dessert had come and gone and Jaejoong was standing up, saying that he should get back so that he could help Yoochun close.
“Was there something you wanted to ask me?” Jaejoong questioned as he slipped his shoes back on his feet.
Yunho thought about it for a second. “No, not tonight. I had a good time. You’re wonderful company.” I don’t want to ruin it.
Jaejoong smiled and Yunho’s heart skipped a beat as the other man patted his cheek, “You’re sweet,” he said, “Maybe next time I’ll cook for you.”
Yunho waved goodbye to his brain as he tried to comprehend the words next time. “Sure,” he managed, his throat suddenly very dry, “Right, next time.”
He pulled himself together enough to escort Jaejoong the door and then had to make himself a very strong drink at the bar in order to have enough brain cells to call Junsu.
“Date go well?”
“Shut up,” Yunho hissed, “Shut up, shut up, oh my god, Junsu it was the best night of my life.”
“I’m hurt,” Junsu said, “what did you do, kiss him?”
“Of course not,” Yunho snapped, “But, he said next time.”
“Next time, huh? Well good for you. Does this mean you’re buying his restaurant?”
“What? No, no I’m not going to buy it. I don’t want it.”
“What about your sales?”
Yunho moved the alcohol around in his mouth for a moment before swallowing. “If it means that I get Jaejoong in return, I don’t really care.”
“Well,” Junsu said, and Yunho could hear Changmin cackling in the background, “I wish you luck.”
*
Yoochun took one look at Jaejoong’s dreamy expression and decided that he needed a drink. A strong one.
“He said there could be a next time,” Jaejoong plopped himself down on a bar stool and stared off into the distance, “I’m going to cook for him.”
“Told you it was a date,” Yoochun said, not bothering to measure any sort of proportions.
“It wasn’t. It was a friendly business meeting. We talked about business.”
“Right,” Yoochun said, rolling his eyes, “Did he make you any offers, besides next time?”
“No,” Jaejoong said, “but you know...it was preliminary.”
“Then why the fuck are you so happy about making him dinner?”
“He’s handsome,” Jaejoong said automatically, “And so nice. Yoochun, he’s so nice.”
“Good for you,” Yoochun muttered, and downed his drink in one gulp.
*
It became somewhat of a ritual that neither party complained about. And then it became a competition. Jaejoong cooked for Yunho and Yunho had his chefs cook for Jaejoong (because if Yunho tried to cook it would be awful.) Jaejoong started dropping by for lunch before Yunho could get over to Κασσιόπη, and once, he took Yunho out to a restaurant that neither of them owned.
“Are you going to ask me today?” Jaejoong would tease.
And every time, Yunho found himself saying, “No, not today,” too entranced by Jaejoong’s smile, his laugh, his voice to say much of anything else.
Changmin and Junsu cornered him in his office one day when he was about to head out to take Jaejoong out.
“You realize that you’re dating, right?”
“We’re not dating. I haven’t actually asked him yet.”
“Yeah, but,” Junsu continued, “you’re going out for meals. Together. Without anyone else. That’s dating, usually.”
“So that makes how many dates that the two of us went on? Hundreds? Thousands?”
“We don’t like each other,” Junsu said, “we don’t consistently vomit about one other’s fantastic attributes. We don’t stand our friends up because we want to see each other.”
“That happened one time!”
“The point,” Changmin interrupted, “is that you need to get your shit together and confess already. Or we will do it for you. In the most embarrassing way imaginable. Understand?”
Yunho swallowed, “You’re horrible friends.”
“You have two days.” Junsu said, “also, that report is done and you can have it whenever you’re finished acting like your in grade school.”
Yunho cursed his life.
*
After he had read the report and filed the necessary paperwork and filled his car with gas, he went to see Jaejoong.
“Lunch?” the owner asked.
“Not today,” Yunho shook his head, and wondered if it really was disappointment he saw in Jaejoong’s face or if he was imagining it, “but if you want, I’d like to have you over to my apartment tonight for dinner.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Jaejoong’s face lit up, “Okay.”
“I’ll come pick you up.”
Jaejoong grinned and Yunho suddenly felt much better.
The day dragged by; Yunho had never watched the clock so closely in all his life. Around three he remembered that he owned the company and if he wanted to go home early, he could. So he did, cajoling food from the chef with instructions on how much sauce to put where and what to heat up when.
He may not have been the best of cooks, but he could at least follow simple instructions.
He set his table at his rather luxurious apartment, cleaned like never before, took a shower, and thanked the heavens that he was having a good hair day.
He picked Jaejoong up when he thought that it was perhaps a decent time for dinner, and he couldn’t help but take a few seconds to stare. He wanted to say “you look good” but he didn’t for fear that it would come out as “you look really fuckable” or “I really want to kiss you” or “you are the most gorgeous person alive.” All were true, of course, but Yunho thought it would be prudent to not saying anything like that at this stage.
Jaejoong drank a whole glass of wine before they even started. Yunho would have been worried, but it made Jaejoong so friendly that Yunho said nothing.
Dinner was done before Yunho wanted it to be, the two of them talking all the way through it as they normally did, like they had been friends forever.
“Let me go get dessert,” Yunho said, and Jaejoong smiled over his wine.
Yunho hurriedly set the cake on dishes and scooped out the ice cream as directed by his head chef. When he got back, Jaejoong was humming softly to himself, staring at the painting Yunho had on his walls.
“Here,” Yunho said, and set the plate down in front of Jaejoong.
“Such good service,” Jaejoong said, and Yunho resisted the urge to touch him, to sate his urge to know what Jaejoong’s skin felt like, or his hair, or anything.
"You're a little drunk, aren't you?" Yunho asked as Jaejoong aimed for his mouth and missed, his spoonful of ice cream grazing his cheek.
"No," Jaejoong said slowly, glaring at his spoon and then somehow successfully managing to land it in his mouth. He made a pleasurable sound that had Yunho swallowing nervously.
"You have ice cream on your cheek."
"F'later," Jaejoong slurred, a just-past-happy look on his face, but he swiped at it with his napkin. "Sticky."
Why are you so adorable? Yunho moaned to himself. "You're an adorable drunk," he said before he could stop himself.
Jaejoong smiled, "You're just trying to get me plastered so it's easier to steal my restaurant."
Yunho shook his head. "Are you still on about that? I'm not interested in your business Jaejoong."
The tip of Jaejoong's spoon hit the table and he wavered in his seat a moment before demanding petulantly, "Then why do we keep having dinner?"
"Do you not enjoy my company?"
"I do," Jaejoong nodded, "You're a wonderful person, but I can't help but feel that you have ulterior motives."
Yunho watched as Jaejoong went back to his dessert and finished it off, licking sinfully at anything with ice cream on it, including his fingers. When he caught Jaejoong's eye, he thought he saw, for a moment, a glint of mischievous sobriety, but then it was gone and he decided not to dwell on it.
He wasted no time in loading up his dishwasher and cleaning his pots and pans as Jaejoong wandered aimlessly, the alcohol most likely giving him courage to poke around the apartment. Yunho was sure he didn't want to know what Jaejoong was guffawing about for a good five minutes straight.
When he finished the dishes, Yunho found Jaejoong perusing his large collection of books. "Sobered up enough to read, have you?" he teased.
Jaejoong wobbled as he flipped Yunho off and the CEO chuckled, grabbing Jaejoong's elbow to steady him.
"You have a wide array of books," Jaejoong mused, "You're obviously well-read and very smart."
"Thank you," Yunho said.
Jaejoong turned and Yunho suddenly found himself much closer to Jaejoong than had been laid out in his Master Plan. At least, it wasn't supposed to happen quite this early. Also, Jaejoong looked much more sober than he had a few seconds ago. "So," Jaejoong said, "Are you finally going to tell me what it is you want or are we going to continue to try and out cook each other?"
Yunho realized that he was gripping Jaejoong's elbow very hard and he relaxed, beginning to rub at it. "Maybe," he breathed, "Maybe not; are you really very drunk?"
"Maybe," Jaejoong mimicked, as he shifted closer, "Maybe not."
"So even if I tell you, will you remember tomorrow?"
There was a fierce glare that Yunho would have wilted from if not for the fact that his desire to feel Jaejoong pressed up against him overrode everything else. Yunho decided, quite suddenly, to hell with it, and took the liberty of wrapping an arm around Jaejoong's middle. Jaejoong's arms folded up almost automatically, and Yunho thought with some dismay, he could just push me away right now, if he really wanted.
"Yoochun has this theory," Jaejoong whispered, as Yunho brought his other hand up to cup Jaejoong's cheek.
"You cheek is still sticky," Yunho said.
"He thinks," Jaejoong said, leaning his head in conspiratorially, "that we're dating."
"Sticky cheek," Yunho reiterated, tapping it, and wondering if maybe he was a little drunk himself. And wait, had Jaejoong just said dating in reference to the both of them? Or was it Jaejoong and Yoochun that were dating? "You and me?" he asked.
Jaejoong nodded.
"My fingers are sticking to your face," Yunho said, instead of gushing that he was so happy that Jaejoong wasn't dating Yoochun.
"Told you it was for later," Jaejoong pouted.
"Later for you or later for me?" he whispered, his nose threatening to bump against Jaejoong's.
There was no doubt about it; Jaejoong was most definitely sober. He searched Yunho's face before wiggling his arm up to trace Yunho's jaw. "You'd want my sloppy seconds?"
"Nothing about you is sloppy," Yunho said, "you're perfect."
"I'm hardly perfect," Jaejoong said, "I have a silly birthmark on my neck, and I yell at Yoochun, and I can't ever talk straight, and I hate washing dishes, and I throw my clothes everywhere, and-"
Yunho didn't particularly care to hear the rest of Jaejoong's excuses.
"Mmfgh," escaped from their joined lips, before Jaejoong was kissing Yunho back, and his hands were sliding around Yunho's neck and into his hair, and he opened his mouth so that Yunho could really kiss him, and holy shit Jaejoong was quite possibly the best kisser Yunho had ever come across.
When Jaejoong pulled away, Yunho bent his head and nuzzled Jaejoong's birthmark before kissing it softly, "I love your birthmark," he said, "I love that you don't think you're perfect, even though you are, and I think I might just be in love with you. All of you."
Jaejoong looked slightly dazed. "Oh."
"I'm going to kiss you again," Yunho said, and did just that.
"Oh," Jaejoong said, except that he sort of moaned it.
The order of the events following were a bit hazy in Yunho's mind.
He wasn't sure if they kissed again or if Jaejoong tugged him towards the bedroom first, or if maybe their clothes were pulled from their bodies and then they kissed, or if everything sort of happened all at once. Considering that this was his apartment, Yunho belatedly thought that maybe he had pushed Jaejoong here, or carried--or something.
The important thing, Yunho noted, was that they were on a bed, and Jaejoong was pressing up against him and they were naked. And Jaejoong was begging. And Yunho was complying, and they were both gasping against skin and sweat and sticky ice cream remnants and it was perhaps the most exquisite thing in the world.
"So," Yunho breathed contentedly, when they had calmed and Jaejoong was pressed comfortably into his side, "Yoochun's theory."
"I knew he was smart," Jaejoong mumbled and Yunho laughed, bright and cheery, and Jaejoong soon joined in, their giggles trailing off into perfect kisses and gentle caresses.
“Junsu and Changmin said the same thing. Wouldn’t have asked you here tonight if it wasn’t for them.”
“Have to thank them,” Jaejoong mumbled against the skin of Yunho’s collarbone.
"Lunch tomorrow?" Yunho asked, just before they drifted off to sleep.
"Mmm," Jaejoong murmured, and Yunho would have done a dance had Jaejoong not been draped all over him.
*
The next morning wasn't as awkward as Yunho thought it would be. He had expected a little blushing and maybe some stuttering and a few, tentative kisses; he did not expect Jaejoong to nudge him awake with his elbow and kiss him thoroughly.
"Good morning," Yunho said to Jaejoong's teeth, "You've brushed." You must have used my toothbrush.
"And showered. You should too. I'll make breakfast." You used my shampoo. Not that I mind
They shared a not at all awkward smile before Jaejoong was gone and Yunho heard clanking from the kitchen. "Make yourself at home," he muttered, without any actual malice, and dragged himself to the bathroom, welcoming water, soap, and cleanliness.
The breakfast was perhaps the best thing Yunho had ever tasted. It may or may not have had to do with the fact that Jaejoong kissed him after almost every bite and hence made breakfast taste like perfection.
"Work," Yunho said, in between his last bite of egg and a kisses trailing down his neck and Jaejoong pulling incessantly at his shirt.
"What's the point of owning that whole freaking company if you can't occasionally choose your own hours?"
Yunho swallowed his last bite and allowed himself to be pulled back into the bedroom. "And I thought this morning would be awkward."
Jaejoong snorted before pushing him down on the bed and crawling on top of him. "Think again."
*
"So," Yoochun said, when Jaejoong came in late with a ridiculously silly grin on his face that refused to go away. "Business proposal go well?"
"Shut up," Jaejoong said pleasantly.
"Due to your annoyingly cheerful disposition, something obviously went well."
"Yes, he's a good cook."
"And a good kisser?"
Jaejoong tried to hit his friend, but Yoochun dodged it, laughing. "I did try to tell you that he was head over heels. You were head over heels and you didn't even realize it. What did he say?"
Jaejoong poured himself a strong cup of coffee and sat at a bar stool.
"Okay, what did he do? C'mon, Joongie, details. Is he hot when he moans your name?"
Jaejoong slammed the mug down and gave chase, Yoochun laughing, rag in hand, as they dashed around tables. "If I catch you, you're fired."
"You could never fire me," Yoochun said, and laughed again as Jaejoong growled at him. "Go finish your coffee. I bet you're meeting him for lunch. Right?"
"I hate you," Jaejoong groaned, but he was already smiling.
"Well you make me sick," Yoochun returned, "after one night you're already sappy and gross."
"Oh, and what a night it was," Jaejoong grinned into his mug; Yoochun pretended to throw up all over the lemon slices.
*
“Sickening,” Junsu said, and he and Yoochun watched Yunho and Jaejoong kiss between mouthfuls of food.
“I already gagged three times due to the look on Jaejoong’s face,” Yoochun muttered.
“Is it too early for stiff drink?” Junsu asked.
“Never,” Yoochun replied and started to make two.
They clinked their glasses and tossed their heads back. Yoochun poured them another and by the third, Yoochun felt better. And Junsu looked fantastic, as Yoochun ran an appraising eye up and down the parts of his body that he could see.
“So,” he started, leaning over the counter, “about this ass of yours...”
~~~~~
I should be writing other things but my brain went on strike and said WRITE THIS FIRST OR ELSE. So I did.
no subject
♥