Work Text:
Jinyoung strolled into his shared office just as the little hand on the wall clock moved to the seven. He set his briefcase down and placed this morning’s schedule onto his desk.
As he brewed coffee at the station in the corner of his office, he looked up and smiled proudly at the plaques aligning the wall to his left: Im Jaebum, Chief Executive Officer.
Even though the plaques weren’t in his commemoration, Jinyoung knew that they wouldn’t be there without him. Jinyoung had always been there for JB. From the opening of the company, to his fall into bankruptcy, and climbing back up to the top. Jinyoung had sacrificed sleep, meals, vacations, and even his love life, all for his job and all for JB. He was the backbone of the company’s backbone. Without him, who would remember to tell JB to sign checks every first Friday of the month, give the secretaries their daily work, scribe notes at meetings, and remind JB’s family that he was still alive and well?
As grueling and repetitive as it was, it was all worth it to Jinyoung. He knew he was indispensable to JB, and deep down, he hoped JB felt the same.
After much sorting and many commands given by Jinyoung, at 7:57, JB made his way through the plexiglass doors of his office and greeted him.
"How's Assistant of the year doing?"
"I'm fine and you're late. You have a meeting in three minutes." Although Jinyoung’s professional voice and demeanor gave nothing away, little butterflies crept up his throat when JB talked to him. But Jinyoung brushed it off as indigestion from the extra creamer he put in his coffee.
"Meeting shmeeting. Did you like your birthday present?" JB asked eagerly.
Jinyoung stared into his coffee cup, trying not to smile. “I did.” JB was pretty useless to remember most things, that's why he needed Jinyoung so much, but one thing he never forgot was Jinyoung's birthday. He insisted Jinyoung take the day off, and mailed a surprise delivery of signed, first edition copies of all of Jinyoung’s favorite books.
Jinyoung’s eyes scanned JB over the edge of his laptop, taking into account his appearance. “I hired you a stylist.”
JB hung his coat up and waited for Jinyoung to leave with him into the conference room. “Get rid of him, I don’t need one.”
Jinyoung started typing again, checking his notes about the client they were to meet in a matter of seconds. "It's a bit easier than buying you a pair of slacks every morning when you insist on wearing cargo pants.”
JB huffed it off, and Jinyoung commented, "at least you spared me today."
After work, Jinyoung was cuddled up on the couch with a cup of tea and last year’s birthday present, (a cat JB insisted he keep for company). But this years’ birthday present, The Little Prince , wasn’t doing much to ease his mind. So he had forgone reading for the evening, and thought to facetime JB and remind him to wear something professional tomorrow, or do his laundry, or something else he might have forgotten, because he cared about how JB came off to the other employees. He definitely wasn’t calling him because he was lonely and wanted to talk.
JB answered his call easily; he didn’t have a life either. "Hi, Jinyoung. What did I forget to do now?"
Jinyoung smiled a little at JB’s remark, then noticed there was someone else in the room. "Oh, are you busy? I can call back later."
"No, it's just Bambam. Say ‘hi’." JB moved his phone so the camera landed on Bambam, who looked a little too comfortable in JB's closet, spilling clothes everywhere.
"Hi." Bambam waved quickly, then went right back to the clothes. At least…at least Jinyoung hired someone passionate...
"Oh, hi." Jinyoung was shocked to see Bambam in JB's house the same day he started work. Even he didn't go over there more than once a month. "Um...I forgot what I had to tell you. I'll check my notes again then call you back later."
"Okay, bye."
Jinyoung sat back against his couch.
This little fucking intern. He shouldn’t be making Jinyoung sweat like this. Was JB really that trusting to let someone who just started into his home? Was he finally taking Jinyoung’s advice seriously? Or maybe it was something else… Was JB into twinks? Did Jinyoung need to go on a diet and start texting only in emoticons?
Jinyoung returned to work with a new vigor the next day. He had let Bambam get to his head, and forgot about all the years of loyalty and comradery between him and JB.
“Hey, Jinyoung,” JB voiced as he walked into the office.
“Hey-” Jinyoung almost spit out his coffee when he saw how stylish JB looked this morning. He easily fit the dress code for Alexander McQueen's funeral.
Black Louboutin dress shoes clicked all the way to JB’s desk, and Jinyoung caught a whiff of something unfamiliar as he passed.
“Are you wearing cologne ?”
“Oh, yeah. Bambam suggested this one...is it too much?”
“No, no,” Jinyoung quickly let out. “I was just surprised.” Damn , he thought. Jinyoung did well in picking Bambam, but this was kinda overkill. The female staff might not actually be able to focus on their tasks with JB looking so good this morning. And by female staff he really meant himself.
After Jinyoung had gotten over himself, he tried to invite JB out for dinner later, like they usually did on Tuesdays as painfully single coworkers, but it didn’t work out that way.
“I wish I could, but Bambam scheduled a meeting this evening with a designer. He wants me to see the pieces he chose from his collection. I’ll take a rain check though.”
“Oh, that’s fine. I’ll just go alone and get a doggy bag for Mittens.”
“Remember, tuna is her favorite. Just like Nora.” JB waved goodbye and went on his way.
Jinyoung didn’t like it, but he didn’t think it would get this bad. Now his relationship with JB really was strictly professional. Anytime Jinyoung suggested he do something it was, “Bambam wants me to see another collection,” or “Bambam just got a new shipment in he wants me to see,” or “Bambam got us tickets to a show in Paris, so I won’t be here all weekend, just email me any updates on the brokerage.”
Just how many damn fashion shows were there?!
Maybe Jinyoung was overthinking this and Bambam was just really passionate about his job, or maybe, just maybe, he was passionate about his boss. He was cock blocking Jinyoung at every moment possible.
Jinyoung was getting a bit desperate. It had been months since he had seen JB outside of work. It seemed like this new JB with better fashion sense didn’t need him as much as he used to, and it stung.
He had spent enough Saturday nights alone with Mittens trying to find other jobs for Bambam, but JB wasn’t letting him go. Jinyoung knew him well enough to know the bastard was drunk on compliments and Bambam’s youth, but Jinyoung wasn’t going to fold just yet.
A part of him thought maybe he should just be honest and tell JB how he really felt, but another part of him was out for blood and victory.
After months of cyberstalking and careful consideration, Jinyoung had managed to snag the perfect deal. Although JB’s company typically dealt with mergers and acquisitions of the vertical nature, Jinyoung had scheduled a business meeting with representatives of the largest luxury company to form a conglomerate with one of the company’s JB already owned. Once conquered, Jinyoung hoped this would put to death his new obsession with fashion when it was absorbed into the corporate identity and became commonplace again.
When Jinyoung pitched his idea, JB loved it, but he was soon outshone when Bambam had called to tell JB he got him a limited edition pair of YSL pumps for JB’s mother’s upcoming birthday.
The devil worked hard, but Bambam worked harder.
On the day of the meeting, Jinyoung wanted to rip his notepad in half when he saw Bambam stroll into the meeting room. JB really valued his opinion that much to invite him into a corporate meeting?
Everything was out of Bambam’s field of expertise, and it showed since he paid attention to practically nothing. The final straw was when JB had to make the decision to accept the terms offered to him. Jinyoung was pressuring him to accept this once in a lifetime deal, but Bambam’s casual reply of "I like them, their shoes aren’t tacky", was the deciding factor that made JB agree.
The meeting was over and although his plan had technically worked, and JB accepted the contract, Jinyoung wasn’t sure if he should celebrate or follow Bambam into the parking lot after work.
JB put his hand on Jinyoung’s shoulders. "You did it Jinyoung. Let’s go out for drinks, my treat."
After what he thought was finally water after a drought, JB poured sand in his mouth. Jinyoung was more than pissed when he realized it was the three of them going out for drinks. They took JB’s car to a restaurant, Jinyoung riding in the back after Bambam claimed, “shotgun!”
A round of drinks was ordered immediately after sitting down. Jinyoung didn’t hesitate to grab his drink right out of the waiter’s hand and down it. He needed a drink after the day he had.
After a couple of rounds drinks, appetizers arrived and the vibe had shifted to jovial. Everyone was tipsy and happy, and by everyone, I mean everyone except Jinyoung. He was still plotting ways to break the bond built between Bambam and JB. If he brought Bambam into this company, he could take him out.
JB had slipped away to the bathroom, but Jinyoung knew he was a lightweight so he was probably throwing up for all he was worth. And that meant there was plenty of time for Jinyoung to interrogate Bambam and get him the fuck out of IM INC.
"So...how are you enjoying your time here?"
"It’s better than I imagined, JB is really flexible. He needed a lot of work before, but I’m afraid I’ve turned him into a monster," he chuckled.
"You don’t say…" Bambam was drinking like there was no tomorrow, and Jinyoung had to keep up to save face, but he was getting drunk fast, and by the looks of it, so was Bambam.
"Yeah, he’s a really nice person and all, but I never thought I’d land my first job at a company."
"What is your dream job?"
Bambam looked off to the side, all drunk and reminiscent like. "I like Korea and all, but I wanna go big, and where it’s big is in China."
Now they were approaching dangerously drunk, and Jinyoung was having a hard time controlling what was coming out of his mouth.
"Have you ever been to China? They need more help than ten JBs put together."
Bambam was laughing raucously and they exchanged a few more jokes at China’s expense. Jinyoung was remembering why he hired Bambam. He was a good sport and knew his stuff, he was still perfectly qualified, just way too comfortable around JB.
"Okay, jokes aside, I wanna work for Jackson Wang."
"Jackson Wang," Jinyoung repeated. "That's who you wanna work for?"
Bambam nodded. "His designs are revolutionary."
"Jackson Wang?" Jinyoung repeated.
Bambam nodded again. "He's actually my idol."
"Hold that thought, Loverboy," Jinyoung smiled as he pulled out his cellphone and made a call. An associate knew Jackson Wang very well, and if all it took was this guy to get Bambam out of his hair, then so be it.
"You have a phone interview on Monday."
"Huh?" Bambam slurred.
"I'll write you a letter of recommendation over the weekend. You practically have the job already."
“What job?”
“With Jackson Wang. You wanna work for him, now you can.”
Bambam squinted at Jinyoung in disbelief. "You know him?"
Jinyoung smiled, " no ."
JB had returned, sitting cross legged beside Bambam and across the table from Jinyoung. He didn’t look too bad, considering what just happened. He was still drunk though.
Bambam was still looking at Jinyoung curiously, which JB noticed. He looked at Jinyoung too. “What happened?”
Jinyoung smiled. “I just made his dreams come true.”
“What dreams?”
“He wanted to work for Jackson Wang, and now he does.”
JB’s face froze, his mouth only moving to talk. “You helped him get a job for someone else ?”
“Yeah, he cured you, now he can spread his wings.” Jinyoung knew what he did was not cool at all, very unprofessional and generally backhanded, but after the liquor started flowing, he didn’t care. Bambam had served his purpose. The cargo pants and everything else had been abolished, and now JB had a company, growing millions of dollars a year, to add to his conglomerate. Couldn’t he care about something else besides Bambam and his fashion schemes?!
“So...you just think that’s okay, what you did?”
“Why do you care so much? You never wanted a stylist anyway.”
“You’re missing my point on purpose.”
“Maybe I’ll go work for Jackson Wang too, maybe he can understand my point,” Jinyoung said adamantly, standing up to leave. He stormed off, out of the restaurant and onto the streets. He was never this childish, nor passive-aggressive when angry. Maybe he needed to take a walk and skip the rest of the drinks. He kinda just wanted to go home and sleep this off.
As Jinyoung was cooling down, he didn’t know where he was going anymore, and stopped in the nearest alley to rethink. He put his hands over his eyes and took a breath. What the hell was happening? Why did Jinyoung do that? Why did he act against his boss and fire someone? He wasn’t regretting what he said, but how he said it. He was frustrated and JB wasn’t seeing it. If he was such a valuable employee JB should try better to show him!
There was more he was anxious about, but still too drunk to give it a name. He needed to calm down and figure out a way back to the restaurant to make amends. If he could make amends. Was JB gonna fire him?
*Bzz* *bzz* His phone vibrated in his pocket. He swiped up without thinking, putting the receiver to his mouth. “Hello?”
“Where are you?” Shit, it was JB and he sounded angry.
Jinyoung panicked, racking his brain for an excuse for earlier.
“Hello?” JB asked again.
“Hi,” he squeaked.
“Where are you?” JB asked again.
Jinyoung looked around. “An...alley.”
“ Where ?” JB was straining.
Jinyoung looked around. “I don’t know, I just kept walking.”
“Well now, so am I. Do. not. move.”
Jinyoung stayed in place, and JB didn’t hang up the line. “Are you next to W**dy’s?”
“Um, yeah, I think so.”
“Okay, just wanted to be sure.” Jinyoung turned around, hearing someone approach. It was JB, looking like he ran here. He clutched the fence behind Jinyoung, holding himself, on the verge of vomiting.
Jinyoung was too stricken to be properly disgusted.
JB tried to straighten himself up and gain some composure. Jinyoung looked in the direction he came from, expecting to see Bambam approach too.
“Where’s Bambam?”
“What?”
“Where’s Bambam?” Jinyoung repeated.
“...I guess at the restaurant.”
“Really? I was expecting him to be glued to your side.” Who cares that JB came after him? It didn't matter when his head was still up Bambam's butt.
JB ignored the catty comment. "Why are you crying?"
"I’m not,” he lied, turning his back to JB. “Sorry you have to see me so unprofessional."
“That makes for all of us.” He handed Jinyoung his handkerchief, despite his refusal.
Jinyoung mumbled, “thank you,” then blew his nose into the handkerchief. "I'll wash and return this to you on Monday."
"I don't care about the damn handkerchief, Jinyoung. I care about you."
Jinyoung sniffled, looking up. "Really?"
JB nodded. "I know you've been working around the clock to set that up today, don't think I didn't notice."
Praise God, it’s a compliment. “That wasn’t important to you.”
“Yeah, it wa-”
Jinyoung whipped back around, slurring and talking fast. “You only cared because Bambam liked it too. Fashion is more important to you than business. That’s why-”
“Jinyoung,” JB stepped closer, cupping his face. Even though Jinyoung was being a pain right now, he wasn't mad at all, almost looking at him fondly. He was revealing a softer side to himself that Jinyoung had never seen before. JB seemed to notice he changed, and shyly moved to hold Jinyoung's shoulders instead; a place less intimate. “Only because I’m drunk and you made me chase you out here-” he stumbled a little, falling closer to Jinyoung. “Shut up.” Jinyoung frowned, wanting to cry again after being shut down. “If it was a competition, you’d win, so shut up already.”
Jinyoung was still feeling combative; missing the point, all he heard was ‘shut up’, not once, but twice! Since JB was being so honest, why couldn’t he? Better to get it all out now, and blame it on the alcohol tomorrow. When would he have another chance to speak to JB like this anyways? “Do you tell Bambam to shut up?”
JB narrowed his eyes, his face losing its softness. "Why do you keep talking about him?” His hands tightened on Jinyoung’s shoulders. “Do you like him?”
“I don’t.”
“Then why are you on my ass about him?!”
Jinyoung bit his lip, staring at the blurry dumpster opposite them. They were just coworkers who happened to spend a lot of time together, maybe friends, who was he to demand answers? But maybe JB also felt the same unspoken connection Jinyoung swore he felt every time he looked at JB. Maybe that’s why he was standing so close and maybe that’s why he chased Jinyoung and left Bambam. “I miss hanging out with you,” he rushed, embarrassed.
JB’s expression changed again, his softer side returning and getting to the crux of the issue. “Do you care about me?”
“Why are you asking?” Jinyoung hadn’t fully given up his defense.
“I’m being serious.”
“Yeah...I guess.”
JB grinned, both hands returning to hug Jinyoung’s cheeks, the boundary of intimacy transcended. He kissed his right cheek, then squeezed him in a hug.
Jinyoung’s tears had dried, and his grip on JB was weak. His relationship with JB had lasted this long already. Under the circumstances, maybe now was the time to take the next step.
JB slung an arm around Jinyoung, keeping him at his side, and propelling them forward. “Let’s go home.”