It was his first day at work. Kai awkwardly sat in the conference room waiting for Sharon, who meant to introduce him to the staff and pass him the details of the project. Since the morning, Noah bombarded him with phone calls and messages, but he declined all, sending him a quick text to come over in the evening to his place. He knew why he was upset, and that will take longer to get his forgiveness. 

The door opened, and two women walked in. One of them, he recognised as Sharon and the other one tall blonde, with the serious expression on her face and sharp future, must be his new manager.

Kai stood up from his seat while they exchanged polite greetings.

"Kai, meet Susanne. She will be your manager. Susanne will introduce you to your responsibilities and coworkers. Unfortunately, I have a meeting in a few minutes and can't stay to chat with you any longer." She locked her palms in front of her. "Well, I shall see you around, Kai. I'm leaving him to you, Susanne." She turned around and left the meeting room.

"It's nice to have you on our team, Kai. Hope we get along well." A professional smile appeared on her face. Kai felt the tension in his chest rise, and his heartbeat sped up. He missed Sharon and her friendly personality.

"I hope so too. I look forward to working together." He said, trying to hide the tremor in his voice.

"I will show you around our department and explain to you the structure of your work. As a part-time, you will get assigned to help with delays or unplanned projects. Of course, you will get your own too. Mostly, you will work more as a support for the full-timers, but even if you won't be around too much, it's still good to know the people in person. Let me introduce you to the team. I know that you prefer to work from home, but I will also show you where you can stay if you will decide to come by the office." She motioned on the door, inviting him to follow her. "This way, please."

After an hour of walking around meeting people, trying to remember the tips Susanne shared and all information he got, he could leave home. By the end of the day, Kai was exhausted. It felt much more realistic and scary than he thought it would be, but his rational side knew that the first days are always frightening, and eventually, he will use to it.  

Walking from the bus stop to his apartment, he looked at traits on the snow his shoes left. The Christmas decorations were in full bloom in every direction you turned your head. On the trees in his neighbourhood, windows, even some underground trains had them.

Entering his apartment, he slowly relaxed and let the stress dissolve into sight of home and familiar to him security. It didn't last long as he heard a knock on his door and the footsteps following right after.

"Hi! How was your first day at work, which by the way, you never told me you got." Noah fell on the sofa, glaring at Kai heavily.

"Right to the point, I see." Kai walked to the kitchen area, putting the kettle on. "I'll make us some tea. I just came back home and can't feel my feet."

"Sure." Noah tore off the stern gaze he held on Kai.

"Look, I didn't tell anyone. I only mentioned Leo a couple of days ago, and I guess he told you. I'm sorry you didn't hear this from me." He sighed and sat down on the sofa, holding a cup of tea, warming up his hands. "I wanted to tell you after my first day. The thought of everyone knowing about it and asking me questions made me feel anxious. "He paused for a moment." This is my first real job, Noah. I didn't want any expectations to weigh on me. If I failed, fewer people would know about it. Especially since the last people I want to disappoint in my life are you and Leo. "

Noah stares at him in shock all over his face as he said. "Wow, what's happened to you? You talked so much, not that I'm complaining, but usually getting anything out of you... is challenging."

"I don't know, but I guess it's better this way." Kai dropped his head, looking down on his knees as he smiled softly, his thoughts drifting somewhere else.

"It is. I'm not even angry about earlier. You got my forgiveness, Kai." Noah grinned.

"Thanks, I'm forever grateful." Kai chuckled, shivering under the blanket.

"I'm cold myself just from watching you." Noah grabbed the side of the blanket and crawled next to Kai, pressing to his side. "Move closer. Cold is coming under from my side. Give me more blanket."

"You have got enough! bring yourself a new one if this is not enough for you." Kai earned himself a glare from Kai.

"Just shut up and watch the movie," Leo mumbled. "We should plan something for Christmas with guys before they will leave. I thought about a nice dinner, and then we could meet at somebody's place to watch some crappy Christmas movies. Maya loves that, and she said that it is our new tradition."

"I would like that." Kai grinned.

All week passed on Kai, working on his project, which he got assigned on Tuesday, the second day at his new job. Leo and Noah, crushing on his sofa watching TV as most of the time he ignored them, trying to do his work as well as he could.

He walked to the living room, where half asleep, Leo stared at the TV screen. His tousled hair on the pillow under his head. Kai slid down, hugging him from the back. Leo pressed against his chest, sinking himself in his arms and closing his eyes.

"I submitted the drafts. I'm free for a couple of days." Kai whispered in his ear.

"I missed you," Leo muttered under his breath in the pillow.

Kai hugged him closer to himself while noting a mental promise to talk about their relationship after the nap. It felt natural to hug. Occasionally both would hold hands, sleep together in bed when it was too late to go back home over the past week. The need to have Leo for himself was getting stronger day by day.

The nap wasn't long. Kai was too nervous and barely even got any sleep as he had no idea what to expect from the conversation he was about to begin.

"Morning," Leo smiled lazily, stretching his arms over his head.

"It's like ten in the evening. I was the working one, so how come you were so tired?" Kai teased him while Leo turned around, facing him on the small sofa. "I think this way you are about to fall on the floor very soon."

"That means you need to hold on to me tight. Don't let me fall." Without any warning, Leo leaned and pressed his lips to Kai's. He responded immediately as if his body expected it, melting into the kiss and pulling Leo into him as close as possible. He felt pleased and at peace with how right it felt. Every movement, every touch felt in its place like two pieces finding their way to be one again.

The kiss was slow yet passionate. Giving Kai all answers he was searching for unspoken yet loud and clear. Leo pulled back and looked into Kai's eyes. Smiling lazily, he gave him one more peck on the lips. Kai mirrored his smile while staying in silence while looking at each other. It felt like the complete conversation played in those long minutes.

"I feel that I should be confused, but strangely, I am not. Still, I need to ask to clear everything out. What are we, Leo?" The last words he whispered to Leo. Whose eyes never left his own, and his smile left his lips.

"I could go full cliche here, Kai." He chuckled. " Asking you, what do you want us to be, but I think that's pretty obvious. We both want the same."

Kai left shivery breath. "We do? What do you think I want then?"

"Me?" Leo's smirk grew into a wide grin when Kai smiled.

"Why would I even want you? Remind me, please."

"Why are you asking me to sell myself to you? You already have me. You can't return damaged goods." Leo said dramatically.

"Damaged? How?" Kai asked in amusement and half disbelieve.

"I think I have an arrhythmia. My heart is beating too fast. I may get a heart attack." Leo clutched his t-shirt on his chest. "You need to take responsibility."

Kai covered his eyes with his palm.

"As for a grown-up adult and literature student, you are so childish and unromantic. You just basically ruined our moment." Kai laughed and shook his head.

"We still have our moment. I never ruined anything." He pressed him closer. "You see, we lie under a cute Christmas blanket. I can hear some bad horror movie playing on the TV behind me, judging by those faked screams, and you are holding me in your arms, protecting me from falling over on the floor." Leo paused and then rushedly said with a higher raised tone. "If this is not romantic, then I don't know what it is!"

"Okay, okay," he kissed him slowly. "You are the most romantic person to me, Leonardo."

"Should I remind you that it isn't my name?" Leo raised his eyebrows.

"Did I just called you with another guys name in bed?" Kai faked a shocked expression.

"We are not in a bed," Leo kissed him again. "Yet,"

This time he smiled against his lips as they moved from the sofa to the bedroom.