Boss Complex

23. Morning fog

Park Chanyeol overlooks the morning mist, hung so low that it obstructed any view of the lush greenery but the fresh unadulterated scent of forest could be almost touched, thick in the atmosphere. He sits with a cup of coffee in hand and leans against the open doorway. The smile pulling his lips has nothing to do with the scenery, not the java in his carefully held mug tingling his taste buds. The smile bleeds through his stony exterior this morning with the melody he catches standing in the breezy entrance to his room, carried on the morning fog from his neighbor's room. His voice is husky and happily he carries the tune, not fully hitting the notes but sounding like he may be able to if he put in just a little effort. That's the thing about this intern; with a little effort, he can be more than what he carries himself to be.

A little effort and he'd be a suit and tie proper employee on their staff. Just a little effort and he could apply for a full job rather than just being an intern. But Chanyeol is starting to feel that it all makes more sense the way it is. Baekhyun works hard, he really does, and it drives Joonmyeon crazy because legally he's limited to how much he can use Baekhyun. He would give Baekhyun more responsibility and tap into him as a resource twice as much were he legally allowed to touch on important and often confidential documents. But without signing a legally binding contract with the company, Baekhyun is limited to what he can do. He wasn't trying to drown the cute brat with work, but he wanted to be able to harness the man's skills and use them to his advantage. But Baekhyun won't give that extra 10%. And somehow, Chanyeol minds less and less.

At first, he thought he was lowering his standards, but that's not the case. He's not lowering his standards by being close to Baekhyun. The squirt that he can't seem to leave alone, the one that he can't seem to go any certain length of time without thinking of, is the first person who has truly stirred him this way.

Baekhyun's singing comes in closer and Chanyeol sneaks a glance over, charmed that the man doesn't notice him. He steps out onto the shared wrap around wooden porch, barefoot with a white tee shirt decidedly 3 times too large for him, hung off of his shoulder. He reaches up towards the sky with a yawn, bright apple red boxer briefs fitted snugly to his sturdy shaped hips. What a sight to behold first thing in the morning, the young man he dreamed of stretch out his spine on a groan before sitting unceremoniously down on the hard wood with a cotton topped ear cleaner. He resumes singing as he sticks it in his ear and Chanyeol tries to refrain from laughing at his favorite intern, look a hot mess with his still sleep mussed hair and bare shoulder exposed.

But sitting there, no cares visible to the world, less than a few feet away, Chanyeol feels possessive and attached to the man. This is no longer an unnamed attachment. And though he can't tell the exact moment he realized that he felt for the boy everything he had been confessed and more, he knows that there is no future. He has been given the one thing he always wanted, and he must accept that he cannot have it. Truth be told, he's crazy about the twerp. He's been hung up on him since the day they met and he's done trying to ignore that it's there.

He steps out onto the hard wood and alerts Baekhyun to his presence with a soft creak under his weight. The boy jumps and clutches his hand to his chest dramatically as Chanyeol joins him and takes a seat.

"Mr. Park! Why are you here?"

He grins in response, reaching over to poke his forehead; enchanted for a moment by the way he crosses his eyes to look up at the hand above his nose.

"Calm down. That's my room."

Baekhyun eyes him suspiciously and then leans in close enough for his boss to see the still crusted sleep silt tucked into the corners of his narrow eyes.

"Really? Because yesterday it was Victoria's room."

Chanyeol's eyes gloss over for a moment, looking away and sipping his coffee. They must look like quite an odd pair, Baekhyun hardly dressed and Chanyeol already in his button down with black slacks.