Archive of Our Own ^beta

The blue-white colour of the fluorescent lights above him flickered against the gloss of the recently waxed bathroom floor where Taekwoon sat in the last stall of the men’s room, toilet seat down, feet pulled under him, and sports jacket hanging off the cheap metal hook mounted onto the turquoise stall door. He slid his fingers over his phone’s screen, tapping listlessly at the game with long fingers until he heard the bathroom door screech open and slam shut.

He tensed, ears perking up for any signs of danger, but the shuffling footsteps informed him that it was only Wonshik.

“He’s gone,” Wonshik said with the resigned voice of a man who’s had to deal with this one too many times. “He left the building fifteen minutes ago, you can come out now.”

Taekwoon leaned forwards and unlocked the bathroom door, but he stayed where he was on the toilet seat, letting it fall open to reveal a very unimpressed Wonshik standing in front of a row of sinks and the broken hand dryer they have yet to fix.

“What have you been doing this whole time?” his colleague asked, eyebrows furrowed.

“Just playing a game,” Taekwoon muttered, surveying his phone. His balance of golden fish was high enough to buy that café house that would apparently lure in a very rare cat, but did he want to spend the fish now or save it up for that really big tower? There was more space on that tower. That would mean more cats.

“Did you even get my text?” Wonshik asked, interrupting his thoughts. “I texted you to give you the all clear.”

“I wasn’t… focused on your texts.”

“Really now,” Wonshik deadpanned, crossing his arms in front of him. “Who would’ve guessed.”

Taekwoon shot him a look— the look, the one that Jaehwan swore still made him pee a little and the one that used freak Sanghyuk out, but its effectiveness on the intern had worn off substantially as of late.

Wonshik immediately avoided eye contact, but stood firm. “Maybe you should do your job for a change instead of hiding in the bathroom like a shy schoolkid facing his older crush whenever Hakyeon comes around, man.”

“I would if I could get any work done whenever Hakyeon visits,” Taekwoon retorted hotly, ignoring the part about the crush. He locked his screen and bid goodbye to his cats with no small amount of regret as he slid the device into the pocket of his trousers. He grabbed his jacket and unfolded his legs off the toilet, wincing a little as the pinpricks that crawled down his calves sunk to torment his feet as he stood up.

“What time is it?”

“Half past two,” Wonshik said, checking his watch. “I’m driving Jaehwan to the courthouse in an hour for that fraud case, and then Sanghyuk’s leaving at four for class.”

“…I am the only one staying till five then?”

“Looks like it,” Wonshik snorts. “Probably longer, since you wasted nearly half an hour on the can.”

Taekwoon scowled and chopped at Wonshik’s neck, making the paralegal yelp and nearly run into a wall trying to dodge his hit. They rounded the corner, tripping over a badly placed potted plant. That was when Jaehwan and Sanghyuk, both presenting their best puppy eyes, instantly accosted Taekwoon.

“Taekwoon, can we have some of that? You’re not gonna eat it, right? You never accept any of the stuff Hakyeon gifts you anyway,” Sanghyuk said sweetly, batting his eyelashes. That was a lie; Taekwoon always checked out what Hakyeon brought over, even if he liked to feign disinterest.

“Just a slice, please, Taekwoon?” Jaehwan whined, hands clasped in front of him. He even stuck his lower lip out for good measure. Taekwoon pushed both of them off him before he could give in to their sugary cuteness.

“What are you talking about?” he demanded, but when he glanced over at the secretary’s desk, he was presented with a large pink box straight from Love Letter Bakery, arguably the most popular (and most expensive) pastry store in the whole city. Pulse beating quicker, Taekwoon walked over and lifted the lid to reveal an elegantly decorated red velvet cake, bigger than his whole face, complete with blue and white fondant flowers and little chocolate leaves. He couldn’t stop the awed exhale that escaped his lips, and like moths to a light, everybody suddenly crowded around him, wanting to see.

“That’s one big cake,” Wonshik commented, his chin on Taekwoon’s head.

“You can’t possibly finish that by yourself, right?” Jaehwan chimed, squeezing closer. “I haven’t eaten since nine in the morning, Taekwoon.”

“Bullshit, I can see banana bread crumbs all over the carpet under your desk,” Taekwoon said at once. His heart fluttered irrationally inside his chest. “You’re vacuuming that, by the way.”

Jaehwan pouted and made weak grabbing motions for the box. Taekwoon slapped the flap back down and lifted the box out of his juniors’ reach.

“I haven’t had lunch either. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go back to work.”

He was met with a flurry of very loud and very accusatory complaints.

“I fully saw you eat those cup noodles we were rationing for case prep all-nighters!” Sanghyuk yelled.

“You wasted twenty five minutes playing that cat app in the men’s room and now you want to work?” Wonshik demanded.

“Cake!” Jaehwan groaned, adopting a very zombie-like look on his face. Taekwoon walked briskly away from all of them and ducked into his office, noisily shutting the door behind him. Jaehwan ran smack into the glass, smushing his face so that his breath fogged up the window as Sanghyuk burst out laughing behind him. Taekwoon gave him a dirty glare and yanked his blinds down. He could hear Jaehwan’s screech before his co-worker flounced away, probably to wreck more havoc on the chamber and Wonshik’s mentality.

Puffing out a sigh, Taekwoon kept the cake box balanced carefully in the palm of his hands. He walked over to his desk, pushed a few files off to the side, and set the box down as gently as he could on the polished surface. He flicked the lid back again and stared down at the cake.

The cake stared back, not at all intimidated by his glare as Taekwoon took in the delicate chocolate leaves (cheesy) and what appeared to be little rosebuds (even cheesier). He remembered what one of his sisters said about Love Letter when it opened a few years back— that each of their decorations were hand made the day of to ensure quality freshness and taste and big bucks. He swallowed. This wouldn’t be the first time Hakyeon has splashed out on the things he gifted Taekwoon.

(“Actually, Hakyeon’s got a great knack for picking out presents that suit his intended target,” Wonshik said once. “He’s got a good eye.”

“And he always picks the cutest gift wraps or shopping bags,” Jaehwan had cooed.

“And he always comes up with the best excuses to drop by,” Sanghyuk had snorted. “My favourite one was when he told us plumbing was down in his building and he absolutely had to walk a block over to use our toilets, specifically.”

“Whose side are you all on anyway?” Taekwoon had demanded, flushing red.

“Our allegiance lies with the highest bidder,” all three of them said together, and Taekwoon chased them out of his office with a letter opener.)

It seemed, though, after gifts of spa vouchers, autographed playbills from musicals he liked, and once, for some reason, a flamingo-shaped feather duster, Hakyeon had finally figured out the way to Taekwoon’s heart was through his stomach. That knowledge had led to no fewer than four food parcels a month.

Looking challengingly at the cake, Taekwoon slid open his drawer and dug around it for the bulk pack of plastic cutlery and Frozen paper plates (courtesy of Jaehwan and his Do you want to build a snowman? phase). He quickly sliced off a decent portion of the cake, sunk his fork into it the soft texture, and shoved the whole bite into his mouth.

He’ll deny the moan that escaped his lips to his dying day. Damn Hakyeon and his intuition, the cake was so fucking good.

Taekwoon finishes half the dessert by himself in an hour.

+

It was seven when he finally walked out of his office, descended down the elevator to the underground parking, and stumbled into his car, wanting nothing more than the comforts of his bed and pillow but only receiving the stiff back of his leather seat instead. Seeing as neither sleeping in his car or his suit was a comfortable option, Taekwoon started his car, plugged his phone into the auxiliary cord, and quickly yanked his seatbelt over himself.

The interior of his car lit up with the screen informing him of his fuel gage and other stats before it began pinging obnoxiously with the hundreds of texts he gets from the chamber group chat, individual messages from his co-workers, and notifications from his cat app. He jabbed at the button on the dashboard, dismissing each one with vigor.

(4:36pm) RRRRAVEH : won the case! Unanimous vote from jury for two years in prison and a five thousand dollar fine. Are you going to treat us to meat now?

(4:49pm) cute_nose_fairy * ･ﾟ ✧ : taekwoon!!!!! I won the case!!!!!!! Ok wonshikkie wants me to write that “we” won the case but let’s be real here I did all the talking and all he did was hand me papers. are you going to treat us to meat? :) :)

(4:58pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929 : got the doctor’s okay today and I’m clear for work, I’ll be back at the office tomorrow. Heard Jaehwan and Wonshik won their case; are we gonna celebrate that and my return with meat?

(6:24pm) konohaninja95 : hey taekwoon u don’t have to drive me home from school tonight im going to the bar with my buddies ill bus home see u tomorrow! Heard u were treating us to meat! Ho ho!!!

“You kids demand meat like clockwork,” Taekwoon grumbled, and terminated the last of the notifications with a particularly violent jab. He was about to shift gears and pull out of the parking lot when the screen pinged again with a new message.

Suddenly feeling a jolt of trepidation, he opened it.

(7:02pm) cha-cha-nnn: hey! wanna go grab a drink at Hyde’s tonight? My treat, since your kids won their case today °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

Taekwoon chewed his lip. Of course Hakyeon would somehow manage to message him just before he left the parking garage and couldn’t fool himself with the excuse of ignoring the message while driving. Also, why does everybody seem to know Wonshik and Jaehwan won their case? Taekwoon really hoped those two weren’t running around bragging; it would make their chamber look sketch.

(7:02pm) j.taek : not tonight. I just left the office.

He waited a beat, and Hakyeon’s reply came instantly.

(7:02pm) cha-cha-nnn: you’re still at the office?? (๏д๏)^?!

(7:02pm) j.taek : still had a lot of follow up to do for that insurance embezzlement case Jaehwan tied up last month, and I just got a notice that the plaintiff for the armed robbery case is planning on subpoenaing a witness who’s got a lot of dirt on my guy, so I had to account for that tonight too…

(7:02pm) cha-cha-nnn: dang, that sucks (*´･Д･)

Taekwoon couldn’t contain a burst of fond laughter. Only Hakyeon would try to sum up his tirade of troubles with ‘that sucks’.

(7:03pm) j.taek : I think I’ll be heading home for the night.

(7:03pm) cha-cha-nnn: aww!!! Fine, if you insist (´д｀ι) I’ll just drink by myself, all by my lonesome, nursing a whiskey like an aged man…

Taekwoon snorted loudly.

(7:03pm) j.taek : goodnight

(7:03pm) cha-cha-nnn : oh! Wait! Before you go, did you like the cake I left for you? Sanghyuk said you went out to buy raisin bread when I came over so I was kind of worried you’d have a lot of pastries on your hands

He resisted the urge to bang his head against the steering wheel. His colleagues made a living out of playing with the ambiguities of words and that was the best story they could come up with?

(7:03pm) j.taek : it was good. you don’t have to keep bringing me food though

(7:03pm) cha-cha-nnn : nonsense! I know how much you like eating!

(7:03pm) j.taek : I like eating in moderation. That was a really big cake.

(7:04pm) cha-cha-nnn : your idea of moderation is probably a five-course meal for a snack, don’t even lie

(7:04pm) j.taek : …

(7:04pm) j.taek : im leaving now

(7:04pm) cha-cha-nnn: joke!! Im joking with you(｡◝‿◜｡) maybe another time for Hyde’s then! Drive safely!

(7:04pm) j.take : bye

He waited a beat, but when no more notifications came his way from Hakyeon, Taekwoon selected the “soothing stress-relief” playlist, dropped his phone back into his cup holder, and finally drove home, heart hammering the whole way back.

+

When Jung Taekwoon was six years old, he looked on television one night while his parents watched the coverage of one of the most controversial drug bust cases of the decade, pointed to the lawyer addressing the crowd in the courthouse and the whole world with his closing speech and said, “Mom, that man is wearing a funny wig on TV.”

He had dreams of becoming a robot flying into space that got shot down quickly by a rather mean second grade teacher, and then his next dream of becoming a national soccer player ended around the same time his waist injury nearly ended his ability to walk. He thought about being a veterinarian but flunked ninth grade biology, tried to sit through history class but ended up falling asleep, until finally, he accidentally used the wrong course code while applying for his senior classes and found himself in Introduction to Law on the first day back to school. It might’ve been sheer laziness that kept him from leaving the room and switching his schedule to the proper political science course that he had initially wanted to take, but perhaps something about the guy with the funny wig he saw on television ten years ago must’ve resonated with him deep inside. So, Taekwoon stayed in that law class for the year, and then continued to stay in all the law classes he could get his hands on from that day onwards.

His next dream soon evolved into one where he found a stable job in the field that could fund both his bottomless stomach and a cute cat, co-workers he could rely on and spend his career alongside, and perhaps far off into the future, a comfortable retirement and some proper vacation time with his family.

That dream’s managed to live itself out well, so far. Taekwoon brought his own place several years ago, adopted a puffy, regal-looking Siberian cat named Leo that was probably a bigger eater than he was, and eventually found solace with some of the weirdest but also very hardworking lawyers in the industry.

Taekwoon saw all of that in his hopes, and worked equally hard to make it his reality.

What he did not envision was one Cha Hakyeon crashing headlong into his long-term plans and life with smiles and hugs and a killer track record in the courtroom, and he certainly didn’t expect to fall completely and utterly willingly along into the whirlwind of events that left his heart longing for that game-changing man.

+

Within five seconds of setting foot inside the chamber the following morning, Taekwoon immediately decided that there were too many people standing around in his office because one, Hongbin was finally back, and two, Lee Minhyuk from Cha & Seo Lawyers was also loitering around their common area for some unknown reason.

“Why are you all being noisy?” he demanded, walking around the desks. “I don’t pay you guys to stand and talk about pointless things, do that in court.”

“But Taekwoonie! We were just celebrating Hongbin’s return!” Jaehwan cried, latching onto his arm. Taekwoon tried to twist out of his octopus-like grip unsuccessfully. “Quick, give him a fatherly blessing! Kiss him twice on both cheeks and welcome him home!”

“Are you still contagious?” Taekwoon asked, squinting at Hongbin. Their solicitor still looked a bit peaky, but otherwise completely fine.

“I had surgery on my ankle, Taekwoon,” Hongbin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Bone fractures are not contagious.”

“I went to law school, not medical school,” Taekwoon grumbled, only half listening as he set his briefcase down on the receptionist’s desk. Where was she, anyway? He thought she’d told him she was on maternity leave, or maybe vacation. Work was piling up and he couldn’t be bothered to remember. “Good to have you back though, we’re going to need your help filtering some of the recent cases because Wonshik’s soft spot for sob-story scam cases has only backed everything up.”

“Just because you’re crappy at arguing fraud cases and like to constantly push them onto me and Jaehwan—” Wonshik began indignantly, but before Taekwoon could charge Wonshik down he was stopped by Sanghyuk’s timely arrival with a fresh cup of latte. Glowering, Taekwoon accepted the drink being shoved into his hands and took a disgruntled sip.

“We’re useless without Binnie’s dazzling smile and cutthroat rejection rates,” Jaehwan cooed, pinching Hongbin’s cheeks. Hongbin slapped the barrister in the arm with a terrifying wide-eyed stare.

“I’ll rip your nose off if you keep pulling at my face.”

“Eeeyah!” Jaehwan shrieked, pretending to cower behind Sanghyuk.

“Stop yelling,” Taekwoon said crossly, shoving them all back towards their desks to general grunts and complaints. But then he turned and Minhyuk was still standing there, completely unperturbed as he sipped on a hot caramel mocha from the overpriced coffee shop around the block smiling serenely.

“I didn’t know you were working for us now,” Taekwoon said in lieu of a greeting, and Minhyuk laughed.

“I’m not, but I’m starting to think Hakyeon is,” the other man teased.

“What do you mean?” Taekwoon asked, lost, and Minhyuk responded by passing over a large, yellow envelope he’d had tucked under his arm the whole time.

“There’s a bunch of old cases regarding armed robbery that’s similar to the one you’re covering now. They might be useful.”

Taekwoon’s eyes widened as he immediately lifted the flap of the envelope to stare at the stack of papers tucked inside. Case files dating as far as five years back caught his eye in bold, blocky black letters as he flipped through the pages, stunned.

“You guys looked all of this up? Why?”

“Oh, me and the other boys didn’t do jack,” Minhyuk said, shaking his head. “Hakyeon ran back into the office at half past seven, scaring the shit out of poor Peniel I might add, and started the unofficial renovation of our office trying to dig up all these cases for you. He wanted to deliver all of these in person but he had to go to court his morning and bestowed the honour of visiting your chamber to lil’ old me instead.”

“Why is Hakyeon trying to look up files for me when he had to go to court the next day?” Taekwoon demanded. “That fool’s going to lose his case because he didn’t get enough rest.”

Minhyuk stared at him for a moment before taking a long, solemn gulp of coffee. “Taekwoon,” he said slowly. “You do know Hakyeon likes you, right?”

Behind him, Wonshik sucked in a breath of air and Jaehwan made an “oooo!” noise, which Taekwoon ignored in favour of trying not to combust with the heat of his blush.

“That’s not— he’s not— this isn’t— what’s that go to do with anything?” he stammered, and saw Hongbin cover his face in exasperation.

“When Hakyeon wants to woo somebody,” Minhyuk continued to say, quite patiently, “He really doesn’t mind going out of his own way to catch their attention, or to do something for them. That’s Hakyeon’s idea of being a romantic. When he’s not announcing to the office what spectacular food he’s going to buy you next he tries to come up with ways to show off how good he is at being a lawyer.”

“He announces stuff he wants to get me to your whole chamber?” Taekwoon whispered in absolute mortification, and Sanghyuk began patting his back with false sympathy. Taekwoon could feel his intern struggling to hold back his laughter.

“Yup,” Minhyuk grinned, straightening up. “He won’t even treat us to lunch, that bastard. So for the sake of all the boys, please just go out on a date with him sometime so Hakyeon can shut up and go back to work, okay?”

“It doesn’t work like that,” Taekwoon protested weakly, feeling his neck and cheeks burn at the very thought of going out on a date with Hakyeon.

“Sure it does. Just let Hakyeon take the lead,” Minhyuk called, already halfway to the door. “Also, I don’t want to lose the betting pool in the office. I’ve invested in quite a bit over the year. See you guys later!”

Taekwoon felt his jaw unhinge slightly as Minhyuk bustled out, cheerful as ever, and clutched at the envelope for a bit of moral support; he sure as hell wouldn’t be getting any from his co-workers, if Sanghyuk’s desperate attempts to stifle his laugh with his fist were anything to go by.

“I like that guy,” Jaehwan grinned, a twinkle in his eye. “He’s funny. I can relate to him.”

Suddenly, Taekwoon had a very horrible thought.

“You guys better not have a betting pool going on over this too,” he said dangerously, and everybody twitched in unison.

“Oh will you look at all the work I have,” Sanghyuk announced, suddenly very invested in the papers on his desk while Jaehwan shouted something about going through the filing cabinets and staying there. Wonshik had power walked somewhere very far away very quickly without a glance back, and the only one left in the general vicinity (and strangling distance) was Hongbin, who gave Taekwoon a bright smile before walking around to his desk.

“I don’t know why this is a surprise to you,” Hongbin said matter-of-factly. “Now, are we going to go over some of the cases Wonshik’s bleeding-heart succumbed to or are you going to keep on clutching that envelope like your firstborn?”

Taekwoon swallowed, forced his fingers to unfurl around the papers, and muttered, “You guys are jerks,” as he grabbed an office chair and his latte before taking a seat next to Hongbin.

+

He sent a quick message to Hakyeon over their online chat before lunch that day, thanking the other lawyer for digging up those cases for him whilst scolding him for getting so caught up in cases that aren’t even his. Hakyeon hadn’t taken any offence in the slightest, only choosing to reply with a barrage of cute emojis and “oopsies!”. Over the next few days their conversation was plagued by even more information he’d dug up since with a few sneaky messages dropped here and there, suggesting cozy cafes to check out and nice restaurants they could have dinner at. Only two weeks after the delicious red velvet cake, a whole platter of frosted butterscotch cupcakes was delivered to the chamber, accompanied with a card addressing Taekwoon. It had Hakyeon’s surprisingly elegant handwriting curling across the thick paper, and the cheer up message for him over the frustrating armed robbery case left Taekwoon red-faced and incoherent, weakly cursing Hakyeon for sending him food again.

Expensive food was wasted on his co-workers, Taekwoon finds. That was the only reason why he saved a good half-dozen for himself and locked them away in his office.

Jaehwan had actually laughed in his face when Taekwoon made that claim, and earned himself a loving jab to the solar plexus via Taekwoon’s fast right fist. Wonshik broke that particular fight up with the expression of a harried babysitter that’s seen too much shit.

He knows he can’t hide from Hakyeon forever, but Taekwoon’s a crafty coward sometimes and he’s not afraid to admit it. He knows his responses to Hakyeon’s invitations were as elusive and wordy, always putting things off and setting his answer back. But Hakyeon was as patient as Taekwoon was embarrassingly stubborn, and was apparently aware of his weakening resolve regarding the “no dating fellow lawyers or rivals” motto.

On the last day of the trial, he stepped into the lift of the courthouse with Wonshik and Sanghyuk in tow, briefcase tucked under his arm and boxes of reference notes stacked on a cart with them when he heard an all-too familiar voice shout, “Hold the lift, please!”

Wonshik, bless him, foresaw Taekwoon’s actions from a mile away and immediately wrestled him away from the panel as he lunged for the ‘close door’ button in a fit of panic. As a result, while the two of them were flailing, Hakyeon slipped in, his  hair wayward from his run, and the doors closed with a decisive ding.

“Good morning,” Hakyeon panted, all too cheerful as he straightened the lapels of his immaculate suit and flicked his head to the side, somehow managing to wisp his fringe back in place. Taekwoon immediately shrugged Wonshik off him and fixed his gaze on the padded material of Hakyeon’s bespoke suit. “What a surprise! I didn’t know you guys were at the courthouse this morning.”

“Last day of Cho v. Lee,” Sanghyuk said, clearly struggling to restrain his wide smile as he watched the exchange. “Verdict should pass today.”

“And then you’ll all be free,” Hakyeon chuckled, eyes crinkling as he swept over their faces, probably taking note of their eye bags. His gaze lingered a little on Taekwoon, who coughed and ducked his head, neck feeling very, very warm. “Well, I’ve been saying this for a while, but it’s been ages since our chambers have met up! If you guys win today, first round of drinks is on me at Hyde’s!”

“Okay,” Wonshik and Sanghyuk immediately replied in unison, their voices drowning out Taekwoon’s weak protest. Hakyeon laughed again, and he reached over to give Taekwoon a friendly pat on the shoulder. His palm is broad and warm, and it managed to make Taekwoon’s skin tingle under a three-layer combination of shirts, suits and robes.

This is why he can’t face Hakyeon. Every time he does, he thinks his heart might fail.

The elevator came to a halt on the third floor, and Hakyeon flashed them all a brilliant grin.

“Good luck! You guys can do it! Shoot me a text later!”

He stepped out, showing off how nice his ass looked in a custom suit, and the door closed. Taekwoon made a desperate gargling noise as he slumped against the sides of the elevator. Was it too early for Sanghyuk to take over his cases? His knees might have actually turned into jelly.

“Now that man is an efficient flirter,” Sanghyuk grinned, drumming his fingers over the lid of a box. “Not that it took a lot to render you speechless, Taekwoon.”

Wonshik elbowed Sanghyuk, shaking his head as he slanted Taekwoon a look, half amused, half worried.

“…just to be sure, you’re not gonna lose this case just to avoid meeting up with Hakyeon later on, are you—?”

“Kim Wonshik, don’t you dare blaspheme,” Taekwoon snapped immediately, and Wonshik raised his hands, miming zipping his lips. The elevator came to an arrested halt on the fourth floor, doors sliding open. He immediately spotted the other party’s lawyers standing outside the courtroom, surrounded by piles of notes and immaculately dressed interns. Behind him, Taekwoon was aware of Sanghyuk straightening.

He smoothed his expression into that cool, impassive look that could make grown men pee themselves and muttered, “Let’s go, you two. We have a case to win.”

+

And when Taekwoon makes a promise in the court of law, you can bet your ass he delivers.

+

“Cheers!” the chorus of voices echoed around the party room, and bubbling, golden beer sloshed around the rims as glasses were raised and clinked together. Taekwoon sighed as he pressed his lips to the edge of his glass and drank, taking huge gulps to soothe his nerves.

True to his word, Hakyeon had gathered all of the guys from Cha & Seo Lawyers to meet with them at Hyde’s at eight that night, happily celebrating Taekwoon’s win and the start of a much-needed, upcoming weekend. The room could barely host thirteen tall, grown men, but they all managed to cram themselves in somehow. Meat grilled on the hot plates, snacks were scattered across the table and even a tray of shots got passed around until they were all decently buzzed. They ate and ate, conversations switching between heated debates about the various restrictions posed by international laws to the cute girl that gave Peniel her number at the grocery store last week with alarming speeds.

Taekwoon probably would’ve sunken into a lazy, alcohol-induced stupor watching his friends if he hadn’t been wedged right next to Hakyeon.

Hakyeon was cheerful when he drank, even if he didn’t have all that much. He bounced between singing silly ballads with Jaehwan to giving Eunkwang noogies before adding pieces of meat and vegetables into Taekwoon’s bowl with a dazzling smile on his face. At those times, Taekwoon could only nod silently and shovel his food down helplessly, trying his best to focus his attention on other things like Hongbin detoxing with a cup of hot coffee and shaking his head whenever Sanghyuk threw a pieces of fried squid for Sungjae to catch.

Even as the night wound down, Taekwoon didn’t manage to relax at all.

He and Hakyeon were the last to stagger out of Hyde’s, leaning against each other as they walked. The cold night air that hit his face was refreshingly sharp, and Taekwoon shook his hair out of his eyes, straightening himself. He could already see Wonshik and Jaehwan piling into Hongbin’s car and Sanghyuk stumbling down the sidewalk with Sungjae, Ilhoon, Peniel and Hyunsik, probably on the way to the bus stop. Neither Eunkwang, Minhyuk nor Changsub were within the vicinity, which effectively left Taekwoon alone with Hakyeon.

Nerves like he’d never felt before slammed into him like an oncoming train, and he skidded to a halt on the sidewalk. Hakyeon nearly walked into him.

“Whoa,” the other man laughed, hands light on Taekwoon’s shoulders as he maneuvered around him. “You good? Not too drunk, are you?”

He shook his head, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. Hakyeon let out a loud exhale, looking up at the dark sky and the brilliant lights blazing from the surrounding buildings.

“I’m glad we got to hang out,” he grinned. “It’s been so long since we’ve drank this much. Think the last time we had a proper dinner like this was after we passed the bar exam, and that was ages ago.”

Hakyeon was standing so close to him, close enough that Taekwoon could smell the lingering scent of Hakyeon’s aftershave and the spices of grilled meat still clinging onto his jacket. He swallowed harshly and looked down.

“Taekwoonie? Are you okay?”

Hakyeon’s hand touched his elbow, and Taekwoon nearly jumped a foot into the air. Hakyeon blinked at him, expressive eyes wide and bright under the glow of the neon signs.

“Do you feel sick? Did you drink too much?”

“No,” Taekwoon stammered, and a gust of wind blew past them, making him shiver involuntarily. Hakyeon immediately placed his palms on Taekwoon’s upper arm and rubbed soothingly, trying to warm him up. Taekwoon’s stomach twisted again; Hakyeon was right in front of him now, wearing a small, rather nervous smile on his face.

“Taekwoon…” Hakyeon said, his voice soft, and his hands have lowered, gently resting on Taekwoon’s forearms as he took a step closer, brushing their noses together. Taekwoon was certain he felt his heart stop at his name, but then the realization that Hakyeon was going to kiss him brought an uncontrollable, panicked excitement crashing down on him like a massive tidal wave.

Without thinking, he jerked is arms up and shoved Hakyeon away from him with a strangled gasp, only to go cold with horror a second after he realized what he’d done.

Hakyeon stumbled backwards, a look of surprise marring his expression before he steadied himself. He looked at Taekwoon, mouth open slightly, and then heartbreak flitted across his face.

“Oh…” Hakyeon whispered, and he sounded mortified. “I…”

Taekwoon looked down at his hands, stunned at his own actions, and then looked back up. “Hakyeon,” he stammered, voice shaking, but Hakyeon took another step back, clearly trying to give him space.

“It’s okay, Taekwoonie, I understand,” Hakyeon said weakly, and Taekwoon’s heart lurched at the uncharacteristically dejected, apologetic look on the other man’s face. “You don’t have to explain. I’m sorry I’ve been so pushy. I didn’t mean to upset you, I promise.”

Taekwoon opened his mouth, but his traitorous brain shut down and his words were left, stuck at the back of his throat, trapped. Hakyeon, apparently taking his silence the wrong way, sucked in a breath and looked up with false bravado.

“I won’t bother you like this again, Taekwoon. I’m really sorry. Please don’t be mad.”

But this doesn’t bother me; I’m not mad! Taekwoon wanted to shout, but all he could do was shiver, confusion racing through his veins. He was too nervous and, god damn it, just on the side of too tipsy to form any coherent sentences. Hakyeon bit his lip and half-raised his hand, as if to touch Taekwoon’s face, but then dropped his palm at the last second. Taekwoon felt his heart plummet with the motion.

“Get home safely,” Hakyeon whispered, and then he was gone, leaving Taekwoon standing by himself underneath Hyde’s red and gold sign, knowing deep down that he had, undoubtedly, managed to fuck it all up.

+

(7:15am) konohaninja95 : oh my god, Taekwoon, Sungjae messaged me this morning and said Hakyeon went to the chamber and actually started to work? What happened yesterday night??

(7:35am) RRRRAVEH : ur kidding, it’s a Saturday.

(7:42am) cute_nose_fairy * ･ﾟ ✧ : wow not even hakyeon’s that dedicated to his job after a night out. wats goin on?

(8:05am) ParkHyoshinFan0929 : Taekwoon?

+

(10:13am) leeminhyukkie: Taekwoonie, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s a startling thing to walk into our chambers to see our boss actually working on a weekend. Is everything okay between u guys?

+

His phone buzzed non-stop for a good portion of Saturday, but Taekwoon couldn’t bring himself to check the messages. He had a feeling that none of them were from Hakyeon, but that didn’t mean the rest of his friends didn’t magically find out what happened. He dragged himself around the house, doing his ritual weekend cleaning routine until the day passed by uneventfully.

He spent then majority of his Sunday lying face down on the bed, face buried into his pillows with Leo sitting by his shoulders, silently regretting every moment of his life.

This is why he hated crushes. This is why he didn’t do romance. This is why he shouldn’t have a crush and romantic inclinations towards a co-worker and a rival in the same industry.

No— not a just rival.

Hakyeon was someone he respected. Even though they didn’t work in the same firm and had gone head to head a few times in the courtroom, it didn’t curb Taekwoon’s admiration for Hakyeon’s tenacity, attention to detail and his steadfast professionalism when dealing with a case. In fact, those were some of the core reasons why he’d fallen fast and hard for the other man to begin with.

But all it took was one slip-up like this, and everything was ruined.

Leo meowed at him, pawing at his hair until he turned to face his cat, blinking blearily up at the animal.

“I’m such a moron,” he moaned. Leo raised his paw and licked it, clearly uninterested in Taekwoon’s woes.

“Leo,” Taekwoon sighed. “What am I going to do?”

Leo’s articulate response was to bat his nose with a soft paw before walking over Taekwoon’s head, leaping for the chair next to his nightstand. There he plopped his butt down on the neat charcoal suit Taekwoon had laid out yesterday night, as he always did when preparing for work. He raised himself up on his elbows and stared at his cat.

“You know I just used the lint roller on that.”

Leo swiped his tail over the jacket.

“I’m not going to go resolve this problem with cat hair all over my clothes.”

Leo turned his nose up, but he jumped off the chair anyway now that Taekwoon seemed motivated enough. Shaking his head, he gathered the blankets under him and plumped up his pillows, thinking.

In his whole legal career, he’d never backed down just because things got difficult, or even when the case seemed like a lost cause. And if he could handle himself in court, then why couldn’t he handle a courtship?

Taekwoon rolled over onto his back, the gears in his head turning as he stared up at the ceiling. Hakyeon’s heartbroken expression over the misunderstanding crossed his mind more than once, and the memory shot through him like a physical pain.

Maybe it was time for him to make the first move.

+

“The lord has heard our prayers!” Sungjae and Changsub both wailed, falling dramatically to their knees when Takewoon walked into Cha & Seo Lawyers on Monday morning. Peniel snorted and Hyunsik shook his head fondly at their antics, but they too looked infinitely relieved to see Taekwoon.

“What,” Taekwoon said, edging away from the two on the ground.

“Ignore them,” Ilhoon rolled his eyes, walking up behind Taekwoon. He had a knowing look in his eye as he glanced up. “Hakyeon’s in the break room, trying to drown himself in coffee, I think. Do try and stop him before he crashes from a caffeine rush, won’t you?”

“Right,” Taekwoon said, steeling himself mentally. “I won’t be long.”

“No, take your time,” Minhyuk called. “We’ll just hang out here, placing our last minute bets.”

“Stop that,” Taekwoon grunted, and traced the somewhat familiar path past the cubicles and the potted plants to the little break room nestled at the back of the chamber.

Hakyeon was indeed there, sitting with his back to the entrance and nursing a piping hot cup of coffee in his hands. His navy blue jacket was slung haphazardly over the chair next to him and his collar was a little crooked, showing the slip of his silk tie around his neck. His hair looked windswept, and nothing like the tidy hairstyle he usually enjoyed sporting. Taekwoon took a breath.

“Hakyeon,” he called softly, trying not to scare him, but Hakyeon still jumped in his seat, spinning around with a shocked look on his face.

“T-Taekwoon?”

Taekwoon inclined his head, trying to settle his nerves. It wouldn’t do either of them any good to act rashly.

“What are you doing here?” Hakyeon asked, starting to stand, but Taekwoon shook his head and placed his hands on his shoulders, pushing Hakyeon back into his seat. Hakyeon plopped back down, a look of intense confusion on his face.

“On Friday night,” he started to say, and Hakyeon’s expression clouded over immediately.

“Are you still mad?” Hakyeon whispered sadly, twisting his fingers in his lap, and Taekwoon’s eyes widened.

“No! No, no, I’m not, Hakyeon,” he said quickly, feeling his heart rate pick up. “I’m not mad, I was never mad. I just— I just wanted to confirm something.”

“…Confirm?” Hakyeon asked, tilting his head, and Taekwoon nodded. Years of addressing judges, attorneys, defendants and jurors had turned smooth, elaborate public speaking into a second nature for him, but all that seemed to dissolve whenever he stood before Hakyeon.

“Were you going to kiss me on Friday?” Taekwoon asked softly, and a flush rose in Hakyeon’s cheeks.

“…Yes,” he whispered, chewing on his lower lip again. A no-nonsense voice that sounded suspiciously like Hongbin’s told Taekwoon not to falter now.

“Were you going to confess to me on Friday too? Were you going to tell me that you like me?”

“Yes,” Hakyeon said without hesitation, and he looked wrecked. Taekwoon took a step forwards, and another, reminiscent of the way Hakyeon walked up to him two days ago. He reached for Hakyeon’s hands, trembling a little as he curled his fingers around Hakyeon’s wrists, and said, “Could I kiss you, and confess to you too?”

Hakyeon’s jaw dropped, almost endearingly so, and he stammered, “Y-you what? But I-I thought—”

“I panicked,” Taekwoon admitted. “You made my heart beat so fast I thought I’d pass out. I didn’t know how to respond when you came forwards, and I hurt you a lot when I couldn’t even tell you I wasn’t trying to reject you. I was just— scared. Scared and surprised. And I overreacted.”

“No,” Hakyeon whispered, fingers tracing over the inside of Taekwoon’s wrist as he looked up at. “I shouldn’t have been so forwards.”

“If you hadn’t taken the initiative I wouldn’t never acted on my feelings either,” Taekwoon said, and he could feel himself blushing up to the tips of his ears. “I’ve let you do all the work this whole time, with the gifts and the help you gave me with my cases. I shouldn’t have left you hanging for so long.”

“I’d rather you waited until you were comfortable than give in to my overbearing flirtations anyway,” Hakyeon said. He rose to his feet, eyes shining and a little smile on his face. “I couldn’t help myself; I just really wanted to catch your attention.”

“You had my attention from day one,” Taekwoon confessed. “That first day we met each other as interns at the courthouse; I never forgot about you from then on.”

“Oh, you know how to ruin a man, Taekwoonie,” Hakyeon breathed, surprisingly shy, and Taekwoon simply leaned forwards and pressed a soft kiss to Hakyeon’s mouth. It felt like the right thing to do. When he pulled away, Hakyeon’s face was bright red, and he looked livelier than Taekwoon had ever seen him.

“ABOUT TIME!” somebody shrieked from down the hall, and there was a crash as one of the plants fell over.

Taekwoon groaned and dropped his forehead onto Hakyeon’s shoulder. He listened to Hakyeon yell at his co-workers for being terrible eavesdroppers while hiding his wide, uncontrollable smile into the side of Hakyeon’s neck the entire time.

+

“Unbelievable,” Jaehwan seethed, teeth gritted as he yanked a wad of bills out of his wallet. Sanghyuk leaned back in his seat, blinking innocently up at his senior as he accepted the cash with more than willing hands. Lying on the desk between them was a slightly blurry picture on Sanghyuk’s phone; a proof shot from Sungjae of Taekwoon and Hakyeon kissing in the break room at their friends’ chamber.

“Thank you very much,” the intern grinned, flipping through the bills as Jaehwan stomped around the chamber, grumbling under his breath the whole time.

“Don’t be such a sore loser,” Hongbin said with a roll of his eyes, scooting across the aisle in search for a stapler. “We all knew how this was going to play out.”

Jaehwan spluttered indignantly. “There was no way Sanghyuk could’ve predicted Hakyeon’s confession failing, then Taekwoon confessing, and then kissing each other at the office! It was ridiculously accurate!”

“Maybe Sanghyuk should try his hand at fortune telling instead of the law,” Wonshik grunted, having already accepted his losses. “Try not stress so much over it or Taekwoon’s gonna get mad at us for betting again.”

“There’s no actual proof!” Jaehwan yelled bounding thumping his way out of the filing cabinets. “Just you wait, Hyukkie, I’ll get back at you!”

“I’ll look forwards to it,” Sanghyuk snickered, spinning his chair around. As things stood, the youngest in the firm was now a few hundred dollars richer, Jaehwan was swearing revenge, Hongbin and Wonshik were far too used to this to care, and two of their bosses and best friends had just gotten hitched.

After all, that’s just the way life is.