Fashioned For Love | Minsung AU

Twelve

~~~~~ 12 ~~~~~

Today was a very big day.

Not only was it the night of the industry party, but this morning they were announcing the theme for their SKZ winter collection. After the kiss, the next couple of days were spent the same way, long nights working on concept pieces for the line, at least enough to demonstrate their shared vision. Afterwards the other designers could offer their own ideas and designs to complete the line. At this point he wasn't really doing the work of an assistant, not half the time anyways. Minho was far more interested in involving him in the whole process. He thought he was just being nice by letting him design that one dress, but no, he wanted Jisung to let his creative juices flow. And they piggybacked off each other's ideas effortlessly. In school his style was always seen as too much and he always had to reign himself in with his other partners.

Not Minho.

Minho was eccentric. He liked weird things. But he was also very detailed and precise so it brought an elegance to the chaos that Han's overactive mind sometimes produced. In a matter of days they created something that felt like just the tip of the iceberg of what the pair of them were capable of. Plus it was an honor to not only work so closely with a man of Lee Know's caliber and notoriety but also to have him treat him as an equal. Not just his little assistant. But a fellow designer. It was like a dream come true.

So yes, Jisung was rather hyped for today and he was taking extra care with his hair and outfit as well. And if he also got Minho to kiss him again, that'd be a big win for him. They hadn't done any kissing since that one night and Han was starting to get desperate. The tension between them was certainly thick, but not uncomfortable if that made sense. He was just ready to feel his lips on his again. Sighing, he gave himself a once over in the mirror, taking a moment to admire his long, slightly waved hair, the frilly collared shirt which he paired with a black vest, slightly flared pants and a pearl chain necklace. It matched well with his chunky loafers and that messenger bag Minho bought him. Hyunjin wolf whistled when he got in the car that morning and he had an extra spring in his step as he strolled into Minho's office.

"Good morning Jisung," his boss greeted him softly, already holding a cup of coffee.

The younger man beamed, "Hi Minho," he replied, "Today's the big day. Are you nervous about the unveiling?"

"Only a little, I've done dozens, but it's always scary to put yourself out there. But you and I worked so hard on this and I'm proud of what we've created," Minho says so sincerely that it makes his heart leap in his chest.

"You had the dark romance theme, I just went along with it," Han says humbly, face turning red.

Minho shakes his head and takes his hands in his own. "Don't sell yourself short Han-ah," he chides, "You've been more than my assistant on this. You really pulled your own weight and to top it off, you've shown tremendous talent and intelligence not just in the designs themselves but in the cuts, fabric choices, the color palette and everything else. You're brilliant Jisung."

"Thank you. That means more than you know, coming from you, it's been my extreme privilege to work alongside you," Han confessed.

Minho grinned, drawing his hands to his lips, his eyes glittering with affection as he kissed them. "Mine too. And it's not ending yet. I know you're officially my assistant but in the next coming months I want most of your attention on this line. Okay?"

Jisung nodded enthusiastically, "Of course!"

Instead of the walkthrough that morning, Minho gathered everyone around the giant mood board he and Jisung had constructed which was covered with a thin white sheet, just waiting for the big reveal. "So as you all know we are long overdue for the start of our winter line and after agonizing over the theme I finally landed on this idea of a dark, cold, romantic style," Mr. Lee began, speaking confidently and easily capturing everyone's attention. This was his element and even without speaking he could easily demand the attention of the room.

Han was standing off to the side, unable to fight the proud grin on his face. He knew everyone would be in awe of Minho's vision. "I immediately went into action, gathering my inspiration and composing a mood board to showcase my latest vision, but it was still incomplete. That is until our very own, Han Jisung lent his talents to the project. I think you will all see that his level of creativity and skill is exactly what we need at SKZ and I couldn't have done this without him. Not only did he immediately understand the theme but he even improved my own designs and continued to allow his genius to flow throughout the process. Together, we've created what I think just might be our best collection to date. Ladies and gentlemen, I present our next line: Nocturnal Allure."

With a flourish, Minho pulled the sheet back, revealing both sketches, as well as the other inspiration photos, colors and fabric that made up the mood board. But what drew Han's attention the most was the presence of his name as a co-creater. When they last worked on it it just had Lee Minho's. As creative director it just made sense and since he wasn't employed as a designer he hadn't even thought to ask to be credited. Minho must've added his name sometime later. "Oh my god, Hannie!" Hyunjin cheered, grabbing him and shaking him in his excitement. "Congratulations!"

Felix joined in as well, immediately pulling both boys in a tight hug. "This is so incredible Han! I knew you were amazing, but I had no idea it was this much!"

Jisung smiled bashfully at the attention, his eyes looking past his friends and locked in on Minho who was giving him a tiny smile, "Thank you," he mouthed, before his vision was blocked by other employees coming up to congratulate and compliment him. He can hardly believe that this was happening. His name was about to be connected to such a respected fashion brand like SKZ. Not only that, but what novice fashion designer got an opportunity this huge? It was almost unheard of. And he wasn't even employed as a designer at SKZ, he was a personal assistant. Speaking of, he couldn't wait to be alone with his boss. If he didn't have any self control he might've kissed Minho as soon as his name was mentioned. He still couldn't believe the things he said, how generous he was with his praise. He made it clear that Han played an important role in the whole thing. He could've easily diminished his role, but luckily Minho was a better man than that.

"Alright, alright everyone," Minho's voice shouted above the din. "Now obviously we have a lot of work to do, but today I'm letting everyone go home early. Relax, enjoy your weekend and come back ready to work Monday morning," he finished with a rare smile and the mood was noticeably high. They were basically getting a whole day off work. Han could also tell that this little reprieve wasn't normal for Minho to grant them and the was a flurry of people trying to leave, probably before Mr. Lee could change his mind. "Han," Minho called out, "Could I see you in my office before you leave?"

With a quick nod and an apologetic smile towards his friends, Jisung followed Mr. Lee into his office. The door had barely closed before Han pounced on Minho, the older man's eyes widening in surprise even as his strong arms reflexively caught him. "You amazing man, I can't believe you're really letting me collaborate officially," Jisung gushed, cradling Minho's face in his hands.

Laughing, Minho guided them slowly to the couch, "Goodness, warning next time Jisung," he said smiling, "and of course I did it officially. You may not have come here as a designer, but I know you not only went to school for it, but you're really, really great at it. When you find a beautiful flower, you don't hide it. You put it on display."

"Do you consider me a flower?" Han queried softly, sitting on Minho's lap now that they were on the couch.

Minho shook his head slightly, "No, but I do find you beautiful." At this he tipped Han's head down for a long awaited kiss, his fingers finding their way in Han's silken waves. The kiss lasted for a long time but not long enough for Han's liking. "I'm....I'm picking you up for the party," Minho reminded him, and he smirked at Lee Knows attempt to regain his composure.

"And are you taking me home after?" Han says innocently even as he settles himself on Minho's lap, his attention now on his boss's earlobe which he teasingly nibbles.

Minho moans and his hands drop to Han's waist. "If by home you mean my place then yes," he whispered.

"Good."