Work Text:
Sunoo couldn’t believe his bad luck streak this year. His boyfriend of two years dumped him two days after the most romantic New Year’s Kiss, he was forced to move out of his gorgeous apartment into a dingy place with thin walls and loud neighbors and now he was stuck working overtime on Valentine’s day.
Okay, so it’s not like he had a date or any solid plans, but he was looking forward to treating himself to a bubble bath and a bottle of wine, not pouring over spreadsheets in an empty office!
Only total losers who had completely given up on life and money hungry CEO’s were still clocked in at work this late on the Day of Love. Sunoo sighed for the hundredth time and swung around in his chair lazily.
He wondered what he would be doing if he was still with his ex boyfriend. They would probably go out for a nice dinner and take a walk along the river. Two years together was a long time and if Sunghoon wasn’t so allergic to commitment, this would have been the perfect time to get down on one knee.
Sunoo could hear Jungwon’s nagging voice at the back of his mind telling him that there was no use in reminiscing. He was young and hot and funny and smart and he was sure that he would find someone else, maybe just not in time for a Valentine’s dinner.
He turned his head this way and that, cracking his neck and groaning at the relief that came from moving after sitting hunched over a computer for hours on end. Glowing digits on the clock told him that it was almost eight pm.
If he gave it his all and stopped taking breaks every fifteen minutes to scroll through his social media to stalk his ex, he could be done by half past eight and be home by nine, leaving him just enough time to fulfill his original plans for the day.
Sunoo leaned forward and got to work. He was going to soak in a lavender bliss foam bath tonight if it was the last thing he ever did. He deserved to cry into a glass of crisp red wine and eat take out straight from the boxes.
He always got more work done when he was on a timeline, and imposing one on himself helped him speed through his reports. He printed the final sheet and shut down his desktop just as the clock struck half past.
Sunoo grabbed his bag and rushed out of his stuffy cubicle, eager to get home. He slowed down in the hallway, patting his hair and adjusting his tie. There was no telling who he could bump into at this hour and he hated making bad impressions.
He rounded the corner and was just about to tap the button for the elevator when a large hand sporting an eye-catching silver ring reached out.
“Oh, didn’t see you there,” the stranger said. “Are you going down?”
Wow, Sunoo would go anywhere if this tall, gorgeous hunk asked him, especially down. Dressed in a form fitting suit and shiny brown shoes, the stranger towered above him, but it was his face that rendered Sunoo speechless.
Handsome, with serious, piercing eyes and full lips. His hair was dark and neatly styled, eyebrows strong, one raised questioningly.
“Um, yes!” Sunoo finally found his voice. “On my way out! I just finished some overtime. What about you?”
The stranger paused and Sunoo wasn’t sure if he was just desperate for attention and imagining things, but he swore that the stranger’s eyes dropped to his lips for a second.
“Yeah, me too,” he answered. “Shall we?”
He gestured to the open doors. Sunoo didn’t even notice that the elevator arrived. Sunoo stepped in nervously, smoothing down the front of his shirt and trying to catch his reflection in the steel interior to check his hair.
The stranger fiddled with the buttons and Sunoo’s stomach dropped as they began moving.
“So which department are you from?” he asked curiously. “I’ve never seen you around before.”
Hands in his pockets, the stranger looked at him from the side.
“Management,” he said. “I’m new.”
“Ah that makes sense,” Sunoo nodded. “You’re a few floors above us. What were you doing in Finance?”
The stranger shuffled his weight awkwardly and Sunoo could have kicked himself.
“I mean, um, you don’t have to tell me,” he hurried to say. “I don’t even know why I asked when that’s totally above my pay grade. Forget it, I’m Kim Sunoo!”
Clearly amused at Sunoo’s outburst from the way the corners of his lips tugged up, the stranger held out his hand.
“I’m Riki.”
Sunoo shook his hand enthusiastically, trying not to swoon over how big and rough it felt against his skin.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Riki,” Sunoo smiled at him. “Sorry you got stuck working the late shift on Valentine’s day.”
“It’s alright,” he replied. “I’ve got to prove myself as the new guy and it’s not like I had plans anyway.”
Interesting, very interesting.
The gears in Sunoo’s head were spinning so fast he worried that Riki would see sparks flying out of his ears. How should he play this? He didn’t have much common ground to work with and Riki didn’t seem like the type to want to talk about suit shopping, though he did have impeccable taste.
Before Sunoo could even formulate a plan, there was a screeching noise and the elevator car grinded to a halt. He misbalanced and almost landed face first on the ground, but a rough grip on his upper arm yanked him upright and against something very solid.
Sunoo looked up, right into Riki’s intense gaze.
“Are you okay?” he asked, jostling Sunoo against his broad chest, handling him like he weighed nothing.
His biceps were firm under Sunoo’s palms. He reached out to stabilize himself and he swallowed thickly and nodded.
Riki looked around, eyebrows furrowed and Sunoo stared at his throat. Riki had a thick neck. The thin silver chain he wore was tight around it and Sunoo tried his best to peep behind the knot of his tie and see what type of pendant hung from it.
“Don’t worry,” Riki said. “I’ll call maintenance and they’ll get us out of here.”
“Management has a direct line to maintenance?” Sunoo asked.
“Yeah,” Riki said, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket with one hand, the other slipping off Sunoo’s waist.
Sunoo stepped back, blushing hotly. Everywhere Riki touched him felt like it was on fire. This was so unfair! Why did he have to get stuck in here when he probably could have used his charm on his sexy hunk and shared that bubble bath with him.
“Is this building maintenance?” Riki asked. “I’m stuck in one of the elevators here. Uh huh. How soon can you get us out? Okay, thank you. Not like I can go anywhere.”
He hung up and slipped the device back into his pocket.
“Two hours,” he winced as he announced the terms of their imprisonment.
“What?” Sunoo shrieked. “Oh my god, seriously? Will we survive here for that long?”
Riki raised his eyebrows.
“I mean - “ Sunoo turned red. “We don’t know why this thing malfunctioned. What if it gives up entirely and we fall to our gruesome deaths? What if we die of heatstroke? What if we run out of air?”
Alarmed at his distress, Riki approached him carefully and placed his hands on his shoulders, bending down to look him in the eyes.
“Hey, Sunoo, it’s going to be okay,” he promised. “None of those things are going to happen. Take a deep breath for me.”
Sunoo listened and breathed in and out at Riki’s command. The fear that was bubbling inside him quelled to a light simmer.
“These elevators were replaced recently and there's a huge air vent above us,” Riki unbuttoned his coat and loosened his tie. “I don’t think we’re at risk of heat stroke but the air conditioning is out too. We might as well get comfortable.
Heat swirled in his belly as Riki stripped. First his coat, then his tie and then even his shirt, until he was wearing nothing but a thin tank top and his slacks. Even his belt was removed, and Sunoo had to bite his lip to keep from moaning out loud when he heard leather slipping against fabric.
Riki took a seat and leaned back on his palms, looking up at Sunoo expectantly.
“Oh, yeah, good idea,” Sunoo mumbled, tugging on his tie.
He turned to the side to avoid Riki’s eyes but he could still feel his gaze as he unbuttoned his shirt. He decided to keep it on and slid down onto the floor across from him. He didn’t need to draw more attention to the fact that he was wearing a camisole instead of a tank top.
“Sorry you got stuck in here with me on Valentine’s day,” Riki said.
“It’s fine, I didn’t have plans anyway,” Sunoo said with a sigh.
“Really?” Riki sounded surprised.
“Yes, why?” Sunoo asked defensively.
So what if he was spending Valentine’s day alone? There was nothing for him to be ashamed of! Valentine’s day was just a capitalistic scam -
“You’re too pretty to not have a date,” Riki said like it was nothing. “I was just surprised.”
Sunoo froze, heart stuttering in his chest. Was Riki flirting with him? His silence must have given off the wrong impression.
“I just thought - sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable - “
“No! I'm not uncomfortable!” Sunoo cut him off. “I got out of a relationship recently and I’m still adjusting.”
“Sorry to hear that,” Riki said sincerely. “And you’re stuck at the office on Valentine’s day? Man, you must hate your boss.”
“He’s alright,” Sunoo said. “It’s those hard asses at the top that need all these reports. Uh, I don’t mean you - “
Riki chuckled, throaty and sexy and Sunoo hated that he was sweating already.
“No harm,” he said. “I just started so you can start disliking me after I’ve wronged you.”
“I think we’ll be fine.” Sunoo waved his hand in dismissal. “You’re cool and we’ll have this whole stuck-in-an-elevator bonding story.”
“That’s true,” Riki agreed. “I am cool.”
Sunoo rolled his eyes.
“Tell me about yourself, Riki.”
“I, er, I’m a little bit boring to be honest,” Riki sounded…shy.
“Nonsense!” Sunoo exclaimed. “I’m sure you’re plenty intereting. Let’s play twenty questions and get to know each other.”
“Okay, but only if I go first,” Riki grinned and leaned forward, shedding his business man image and taking on the appearance of a mischievous youth. “Tell me an embarrassing secret.”
“That’s not how this game works,” Sunoo laughed.
“It’s more fun this way,” Riki insisted, he crawled over the floor and crouched beside Sunoo. “C’mon, none of that boring stuff.”
“Alright, fine!” Sunoo tapped his bottom lip with his finger as he thought. “Oh! I, er, I have a tattoo?”
“Are you sure?” Riki raised an eyebrow.
“Yes.” Sunoo crossed his arms and stared straight ahead. “I have a tattoo…on my lower back.”
“Tramp stamp!” Riki fell into a more comfortable sitting position as he laughed.
“I was sixteen!” Sunoo slapped his chest. “It’s a butterfly.”
“Of course,” Riki chortled.
“It’s my turn!” Sunoo turned to him. “Why are you at the office this late? Embezzling? Sexcapade?”
“Classified.” Riki smirked.
“Oh, come on, that's not fair!” Sunoo whined.
“You’re right,” Riki said. “So in lieu of answering that I will disclose something embarrassing too.”
Sunoo nodded eagerly.
“I have a tattoo too,” Riki said. “It’s…a pair of lips.”
Sunoo almost fell over laughing.
“No way! You seem so straight laced. What possessed you?”
“Gin.”
“Djinn?” Sunoo asked fearfully.
“The alcohol,” Riki clarified.
“Wait, you didn’t tell me where it was on your body.”
“...”
“Riki?”
“Isn’t the fact that it's a pair of lips embarrassing enough?”
“Okay, I’ll give you that one, it's your turn again.”
“What were you going to do tonight after work?” Riki asked.
“Ugh, that’s more embarrassing than my tramp stamp,” Sunoo complained. “I was going to take a bubble bath and drink wine.”
“But what if you had a date?” Riki asked. “What would you want to do with them?”
“Hmm, I thought about dinner and a walk,” Sunoo said. “But that reminds me of my ex. He was a little stuffy. Maybe something more loose?”
“Street food and karaoke?”
“Exactly!” Sunoo said. “Getting wasted and making bad decisions that I’ll look back on fondly in ten years.”
“Sounds fun,” Riki said. “I’m satisfied, it's your turn.”
“Why don’t you have a date?” Sunoo asked suspiciously. “You seem established, you’re quite a looker, what's the catch?”
“No catch,” Riki said. “I’m just new in town. I moved here a week ago and started today. I don’t really know anyone here and I’m not extroverted enough to go out and meet people.”
“Aww,” Sunoo placed a hand on his shoulder. “That must have been tough for you. Don’t worry, Riki. You’ll make lots of friends!”
“Thank you,” he said softly. “I know I’ll be happy here if everyone is as nice as you.”
Sunoo smiled warmly. Riki was sweet and cute and maybe being trapped in a small, enclosed space with him wasn’t the worst thing.
Two hours passed quickly with good company. Sunoo learned a lot about Riki. One was that he enjoyed working out, which he didn’t need this stupid game to tell him. Two, was that he was a cat person, and spent a good ten minutes showing off his fluffy Maincoone, Hime. And three, he was exactly Sunoo’s type.
Riki was funny and witty and didn’t shy away from Sunoo’s provocations. Instead, he engaged in delightful banter, knowing exactly how to push Sunoo’s buttons but also flirt just the right amount.
He hadn’t thought about dating since his breakup with Sunghoon, not seriously anyway, but he could see Riki fitting into his life. Maybe it was crazy to get his hopes up about someone he just met, but something about their chemistry felt so right.
“Okay, my turn,” Riki said. “Why did you and your ex break up?”
“I think we just drifted apart,” Sunoo said. “It was great at first, but the spark fizzled out and it felt mechanical after a while. I guess I was so caught up in the comfort zone I didn’t notice. He was nice about it but it still sucks. I thought we had something special but I guess I was wrong.”
“His loss,” Riki said.
He seemed to have lost some of his confidence, and was staring at the keypad on the wall, cheeks red.
“Could be your gain,” Sunoo said.
Riki stared into his eyes, making Sunoo’s stomach flip and his heart race. He leaned closer, and this time he was sure Riki glanced down at his lips.
Sunoo moved forward to meet him, eyes fluttering shut as he felt the soft press of lips against his.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
“Sorry to keep you waiting, boss! We’ll get you out in a second!”
Sunoo pulled away, face burning, and hurried to button up his shirt.
“Boss?” he asked.
Riki, still on the floor, looked guilty.
“Okay, don’t freak out.”
Sunoo panicked immediately, halting the very difficult task of doing the final button on his shirt. Riki stood up and held his hands.
“My name is Nishimura Riki,” he said.
“Nishimura Riki,” Sunoo said breathlessly, watching dazedly as Riki undid his buttons (Sunoo had them done up wrong) and redid them for him. “As in Nishumura Enterprises? As in my place of employment?”
“I finished college and my father wants me in the business,” Riki said, adjusting Sunoo’s collar.
“I won’t tell anyone the things you told me,” Sunoo promised. “I’m not an office gossip. If anything else you said was real anyway.”
“It was, I promise!” Riki took his hands again. “Sunoo, I’m really glad we got stuck together. You were right, coming here was really difficult for me. I left my family, my friends, and my home and I’ve been struggling. Meeting you and talking to you made me feel like I could breathe again.”
“Oh, wow, that’s - I’m really glad you feel that way,” Sunoo squeezed his hands and beamed at him. “I’m happy we met too!”
The elevator doors creaked as they were pried open.
“Listen,” Riki glanced at his wristwatch. “I know it’s late and you’re tired and probably just want to soak in your bath and drink wine but…”
Sunoo fluttered his lashes, utterly endeared at the heavy blush across Riki’s cheeks
“...would you maybe want to go out with me? Like on a date? Street food and karaoke?”
“I’d like that,” Sunoo replied. “And if we get drunk enough I’ll show you my tattoo.”
Sunoo laughed when Riki’s eyebrows almost shot off his face. He was so adorably expressive.