Ren had been trying to concentrate on his work for the past hour, staring at spreadsheets and files and emails, but it was hopeless. Every time he looked up from the screen, his thoughts wandered straight to Kai. Not in a dramatic, heart-flailing way, but… in that quiet, insistent way that made his chest tighten, his stomach do somersaults, and his fingers tap nervously on the desk.
Kai had walked past the office earlier that morning, carrying his usual calm aura, and something about the way the sunlight caught the fine hairs at the nape of his neck had left Ren completely distracted. Every blink felt like he'd missed some tiny detail that could have been perfect forever. He had tried to force himself to focus on the numbers in front of him, but even the faint flicker of Kai's tie from the corner of his eye made him start all over.
Finally, Ren pushed back from the desk and muttered to himself, "I'm done pretending I'm not obsessed." He ran a hand through his hair and strode toward Kai's office without hesitation, ignoring the small pang of embarrassment that prickled at him.
Kai looked up as Ren stepped in. For a moment, Ren felt like time slowed down. There he was, leaning slightly against his desk, the corner of his lips lifting into a teasing smile, eyes sharp but warm. Even in the middle of a busy workday, Kai carried this effortless aura that made Ren feel like he was standing in sunlight, completely exposed to something magical.
"Hey," Ren said softly.
Kai's eyebrows shot up, amused. "Hey, love. You look… distracted."
Ren shifted, pretending to be casual, though his heart hammered. "Distracted? Who, me? No, just… work."
Kai's smirk widened. "Right. Work."
Ren felt heat rise to his cheeks. "Okay, fine. Maybe not just work."
Kai leaned back, crossing his arms lazily. "I was starting to think you'd forgotten I existed."
"Not a chance," Ren said quickly. "I just… I wanted to talk. Not serious talk. Just… chat. Like humans do when they're not buried under emails and deadlines."
Kai chuckled, the kind of laugh that made Ren's chest flutter. "Humans, huh? That's a new way to describe us."
Ren grinned, perching on the edge of the chair across from Kai's desk. "So, how are you surviving this jungle of paperwork?"
Kai waved a hand dismissively. "Barely. I was surviving better before you showed up looking like someone swallowed the sun."
Ren froze for half a second, caught entirely by the intensity of Kai's gaze. "Me? Swallowed the sun?"
"Yes," Kai said simply, as if it were the most obvious truth. "Honestly, I can't believe you're real."
Ren blinked. "I… I don't even know how to respond to that."
Kai tilted his head slightly, letting a little smile play on his lips. "You don't have to. Just… sit there and be distracting."
Ren laughed, leaning back and pretending to be indignant. "You make it sound like I'm doing this on purpose."
"You are," Kai said, his voice soft but teasing. "Completely intentional."
They talk about trivial things—the latest office gossip, the weirdly shaped sandwich someone brought for lunch, the printer that decided to jam at the worst possible moment. And somehow, Ren can't stop laughing. Kai's impressions of Ren flailing at the printer are so perfect that he nearly falls off his chair, clutching his stomach and gasping for air.
"You're evil!" Ren wheezes, still laughing.
"Charming," Kai corrects with a smug grin.
Ren swats him playfully on the arm. "You're impossible!"
Kai nudges him with his shoulder. "I know. That's the point."
Ren's chest tightens, a little ache of wanting settling in the pit of him. He watches the way Kai's lips move when he talks, the way his eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles, the little motions of his hands that are just so… perfect. Every detail is imprinted in Ren's mind, and he realizes he could watch Kai for hours, just like this, laughing, talking, existing in the same space.
The conversation drifts into quiet moments. Their laughter softens. The office hum becomes background, almost imperceptible, like the world itself has slowed to let them exist here, together, for a few fleeting minutes.
Kai leans slightly closer, brushing a stray strand of hair from Ren's forehead. Ren freezes, and Kai's gaze holds his for a heartbeat longer than normal. There's a softness there, a pause, a gentle gravity pulling at Ren in a way that makes his chest flutter uncontrollably.
Then Kai leans in and presses a soft, careful kiss to Ren's lips. Just a peck. Brief. Sweet. Enough to make Ren's head spin without giving too much away.
Ren pulls back slightly, eyes wide, and immediately pouts. "That's it?" he whispers, voice trembling between awe and playful frustration. "That's all I get?"
Kai grins softly, brushing the back of Ren's hand with his thumb. "Don't be mad, love. Something fun for next time."