messy sheets, pillows tossed around the bed—even some on the floor—while a body lay across the bed. a groan fell on donghyuck's lips as he shuffles around his comfy bed to avoid the ray of sun that was slapping his face.

he slowly tries to open his eyes, as his brows furrowed, confused as to why his curtains are widely open.

just then, he shot his upper body up from the comfort of the bed when he finally fell into consciousness. his eyes started to wander around his room and landed on his bed.

he's well aware that he slept with a warm body that did nothing but hug his waist last night, why is he suddenly left alone in his bedroom?

"did he already leave?" donghyuck asked himself, even though he knows he's not going to get any answer. he doesn't know why he felt upset at the thought of his ceo leaving him early in the morning without saying anything or even waking him up.

he decided to just spring himself up from his bed, before stomping his feet towards his door and to his kitchen to finally start his day.

but as he was making his way out, he heard noises from the kitchen that made him halt his movements. he was about to question what or who is making that noise but he already got his answer when he saw the familiar pair of pants and button-up hanging on one of the chairs in the dining table.

"mark?" donghyuck calls out in a small voice. mark has his back facing him and he can tell he was cooking something.

the older finally turned around after he heard his name being called. there he saw donghyuck standing in front of him while also giving the younger a clear view of his upper body.

donghyuck can't believe he forgot he just gave mark nothing but pajamas last night, now he has to see this early in the morning—well, not like he was complaining.

"o-oh, hey..." mark awkwardly chuckles, putting the spatula down to make his way closer to donghyuck.

donghyuck looked away as he can already feel his cheeks burning. "i thought you left..." he voiced out his thoughts, but did not dare to make eye contact with the superior.

"i won't," the older simply replied, wrapping his arms around donghyuck's waist and rest his chin on the latter's shoulder, "i still have to cook your breakfast as a thank you."

if someone were to look at them from the distance, they would probably think that the two are a lovely couple but the thing is, they are not even close to being a couple.

"a thank you?" donghyuck repeated the older's words, not quite getting what he meant.

he felt mark nod, "for letting me stay for the night." he told.

donghyuck lets out a small chuckle, "so it's not a one-night stand thing then." he jokes.

but seems like mark did not take this as one as he lifts his head to match eyes with the younger. "of course not," he told while his lips unconsciously forming into a pout, "donghyuck, my intentions are genuine and true, i wouldn't use you just for pleasure."

the younger smiled before he tiptoed to give mark a peck on his cheeks, "it's just a joke, relax." he mumbles into mark's ears.

"i want to show you how much i like you," mark mumbled back on the latter's ears, pulling him closer when he felt their bodies being detached, "but if you don't like that idea then just tell me if you're—"

"uncomfortable." donghyuck finished his sentence, "yes. yes, i will." he chuckled. "anyway, what did you cook?" he walked towards the stove to take a peak at the frying pan.

mark did the same, just standing behind the younger, as for some reason his body just kept clinging to donghyuck's body, "just some pancakes," the older said, "i got them from your cupboards, i hope you don't mind."

"no, it's okay." donghyuck chuckles.

once mark saw the pancakes being done, he grabbed a plate placing it there before bringing it over to donghyuck. but instead of letting the younger eat it himself, he grabbed a fork before slicing a piece and bringing it in front of his lips.

honestly, donghyuck already expected this act from mark.

so he just let him be. eating the pancake mark cooked for him.

cute. mark thought as he stared at the younger's features.

"you do know we're already late, right?" donghyuck said, breaking their eye contest. mark only hums with a nod. "so, should we get going then?"

"donghyuck, we can come there later than i want so i can spend more time with you." the older said, "no one's going to tell me what to do in my own company."

donghyuck breathes out a small laugh, "you have a point there, but you still have two meetings to attend today."

the cocky look he gave donghyuck earlier immediately wiped off as he huffs in annoyance. why does donghyuck have to know his schedules more than him. he could've just canceled all his schedules for today but he knows he'll get a long scolding from his secretary.

"why can't i just stay in your place a little longer?" he said under his breath. yet the younger managed to hear this, which caused donghyuck to shake his head in disbelief before releasing a giggle.

he pats mark's shoulder, signaling him to detach his body off him. "um mark..." donghyuck trails off, and mark finally lifts his gaze, "how about your suit? pants? i don't have any that fits your body."

"don't worry, i always bring extras in my car." he said, "finish your breakfast first before you get ready. i'll just go get it."

"while wearing this?!" donghyuck stopped the taller, looking at him up and down. mark is just in donghyuck's pajamas and nothing else.

"yeah...?" mark raised his brows.

"no!" donghyuck replied instantly, "i'll get them for you! give me your car keys."

———

when the two finally arrived at the building, they immediately headed straight to their floor where the meeting room is located as they did, in fact, arrived late. twenty minutes before the meeting starts to be exact.

while mark entered the meeting room first, donghyuck walked to his desk to grab his clipboard and notes to take for the meeting.

the room slowly started to get filled. and as the ceo is just waiting for the meeting to start and more people to come in, a figure suddenly entered the room that caught his eyes.

"oh, jaehyun?" mark started, springing himself up from his seat to shake hands with the male.

the said name gladly took the ceo's hands, "mr. ceo!" jaehyun said in a teasing way.

"wasn't expecting you to come." mark breathes out a laugh before he took his seat.

jaeyun did the same, sitting at the nearest chair he can see as he was too busy making a conversation with the superior, "i wasn't able to come to your event," he told, "so i decided to come here and congratulate you and your sales."

"we're actually about to discuss the sales in this meeting," mark's brows perked up, "but hearing from your reaction, i'm assuming it's doing good."

"it surely does." jaehyun simply replied.

just then, mark felt a small tap on his shoulders, and turns out it was the speaker for this meeting and was asked him if they can finally start.

the ceo gave him a small nod as a go signal before he went back on their conversation with jaehyun.

mark let the speaker handle the discussion himself but at the same time, he also failed to notice his secretary making his way inside the room.

donghyuck hung his head low in order to not catch any of their attention. suddenly he stopped in his tracks when he noticed someone is already sitting on his seat—the chair next to the ceo. he furrowed his brows, confused, as to why mr. jeong was sitting on it.

it also seems like mark is also too busy paying attention to whatever jaehyun is saying and not in the meeting. he didn't even notice him walking inside the room!

he couldn't do anything but to sit in the vacant seat and continued to listen to the meeting.

it went on—talking about the company's sales and also charts being shown on the projector in front. but as the meeting went on, donghyuck couldn't help but lose focus on the topic as he was busy giving out small glances at the ceo that is sitting three people away from him.

he was supposed to take notes because after this, mark will probably ask him about it but he can't. he was too curious about what the two are talking about because it looks like it was more interesting than the meeting.

is this what mark felt when he was with sungchan?

whatever! he'll just force himself to not give a damn about the two and write notes down about the meeting to distract himself from what he's feeling.

the meeting soon ended than expected. all of them stood up from their seats to shake hands together—this caused mark to finally realize what was happening.

both jaehyun and mark stood up from their seats as their conversation finally ended. but as he was about to bid goodbye to jaehyun, he just realized where the male is sitting and it was definitely not where he was supposed to sit.

mark felt the older give him a tap on his shoulders before his eyes wander around the meeting room.

there he saw donghyuck springing himself up from his seat as he makes his way out of the room together with other people.

"donghyuck!" he chases the male with his words but it was too late anyway as he already disappeared out of the room.

———

the telephone rang for the fifth time this hour, but donghyuck just couldn't be bothered to answer it. he kept pretending he's busy with something or he's about to go somewhere as he knows it was mark that's calling him.

"hey, donghyuck." doyoung rolled his chair closer towards the secretary's table, "i think mr. lee is calling you."

the younger lets out a small sigh before turning his chair around to face the older, "oh y-yeah..." he nods while releasing an awkward laugh.

as doyoung went back to his table, he picked up the call, and as he guessed it—it was mark.

"donghyuck, come to my office."

the younger rolled his eyes, "unfortunately, i'm busy with something, mr. lee." he told, trying not to end the call there and then, "i'll get back to you later—"

"did you not hear what i said?" the superior cuts him off, "i said to come to my office, now."

he hung up the call, smashing the phone down a little too hard which definitely caught his other colleagues' attention. embarrassed, he gave all of them a small bow with yet another awkward smile before he stood up from his seat.

when he finally arrived in front of the door, he was about to knock but he already heard a loud 'come in' from inside.

and so he did, he went inside. standing not too far away from the ceo's table as he clutched his clipboard in frustration.

"did you take notes from the meeting?" mark asked, his tone of voice being the complete opposite from the call earlier.

"i did, mr. lee." he simply replied. because i know you weren't listening as you were too busy chit-chatting with mr. jeong. oh how badly he wants to say that, but he already drilled it in his head that he's still in the workplace.

"why didn't you answer my calls?" the ceo continues to question in a soft tone. to be completely honest, he wasn't really interested in the notes right now, "are you aware of how many times i called you?"

donghyuck shrugs, "i don't know," he blurts, "ask that secretary of yours."

mark was taken aback by donghyuck's sudden reply. he looked at the younger with confusion yet this immediately transitioned into amusement.

"what are you talking about?" he asked even though he already had an idea why donghyuck is acting this way.

"i said, ask that secretary of yours that was sitting on my seat!" donghyuck said before he averts his gaze away from the ceo.

mark was right. it was when jaehyun sat on his seat during the meeting. to be honest, he didn't realize jaehyun was sitting in donghyuck's seat, maybe the older didn't realized it too. the two were too busy talking about the company's new product that they didn't get to pay attention to their surroundings.

the ceo released a small breathy chuckle, "he wasn't sitting on your seat though."

donghyuck looked at the ceo in disbelief, "yes, he is. what do you mean?" he asked. if he saw it correctly, jaehyun was sitting on the only seat beside mark and the last time he checked that was his respective seat.

donghyuck's reaction just confirmed that he was indeed reacting this way because mr. jeong accidentally sat on his seat. "he wasn't sitting on my lap, baby." mark told, causing donghyuck to frown harder, "sit on my lap. this seat is all yours."

and almost immediately, donghyuck's cheeks turned red when he saw mark patting his own thighs. "we're in a workplace, mr. lee. i can't." donghyuck avoided the superior's gaze.

"i see." mark nods, before he grabbed a remote that controls the blinds.

the younger saw mark pressed something on the remote. just like that, he looked back and the blinds are already closed.

"how about now?" he questions, lifting a brow at him as he rolled his chair back to make space between him and the table. the younger looked flustered which just made the older smirk, "so are you going to do it or what? i don't have all day, baby."

that fucking pet name.

donghyuck shamefully took small steps closer towards the superior while avoiding eye contact. as donghyuck made his way in front of the older, mark pulled donghyuck down on his lap.

his secretary was now sitting sideways on top of him and mark took his opportunity to rub his sides. "i really didn't notice jaehyun was already sitting in your seat," he started softly as ever, "we were too focused on our conversation about how well the company's sales are doing."

donghyuck doesn't even know why mark had to give him such reassurance, it just looks like mark thinks he's jealous. "mark, i'm not jealous!" the younger suddenly blurts, attempting to free himself from mark's grip by pushing his chest yet failing.

mark breathes out a chuckle as he continues to rub donghyuck's slim waist, "but i've never said anything about that."