The lunch had ended nicely, both of them enjoying their meals. There was some small talk here and there, but nothing extravagant. The whole time, Eunwoo could hardly look up from his plate. He had felt so confident earlier, but under Noir's intense stare, he felt self conscious, shy. 

And Noir was watching him the whole time. 

"Thank you for paying. I really wish you would've let me." 

"It's not a big deal. Don't worry about it."  

Eunwoo nods lightly, walking side by side with the racer. Snow had just began to fall, a thin layer coating the sidewalks and streets. It never snowed this much in New York, part of him really missed it. 

"So what about you." 

"Huh?" Eunwoo spins toward him, eyebrow arching. 

"Your favorite color. What is it?" 

"Oh! Teal, all the way." 

"Teal?" Noir blinks. "Why so specific?" 

Eunwoo laughs. "That's not specific at all. It's a very common color." 

"Why not something like orange?" 

That makes Eunwoo hesitates. "Oh well, that actually was my favorite color when I was a kid." He laughs, turning to Noir. He watches something flash across Noir's face, something of shock almost, before looking away. 

"Well it was mine too, so that's why." 

"Was it? What a coincidence!" Eunwoo gasps, stopping mid step to grab his phone from his pocket which is buzzing. Ah. Maksim is calling him. 

"Sorry just a moment-" He whispers to Noir as he answers the phone, placing it to his ear. "Maksim? What's up?"

"Where are you? I thought the tours ended an hour ago." 

"Oh it did, I just went to get some lunch-"

"Without me? I thought we were getting some together." 

"Eh well the tour sucked and I figured it'd be better not to call you over from work." Eunwoo clears his throat, glancing at Noir who is standing a bit away from him, seeming tense and stiff. 

"Makes sense." Maksim sighs on the other end. "I'll come pick you up-"

"No worries Maksim, I'll meet you at your place. I've got some stuff I wanna do."

"Okay. See you later."

"Sorry about that. I forgot to text Maksim and-" Eunwoo pauses when his eyes meet Noir's, the man giving him a disgusted expression. "What?"

"Why do you let that guy run your life?" 

Eunwoo blinks. "He doesn't!"

"He never leaves you alone and treats you like a child." Noir arches an eyebrow. "That's just weird to me. Controlling as fuck." 

"He's a bit overbearing sometimes, yes," Eunwoo sighs. "But he means well, and it's just because he's really cautious you know?" 

Noir scoffs. "Cautious, what for? His image?"

Eunwoo bites his tongue. Even though he has a crush on the racer, doesn't mean he will let him badmouth his best friend. "No." he says with a light bite, which causes Noir to turn to him, a bit surprised. 

It's the first time Eunwoo has ever talked in that tone with him before. 

"Yeah, he's a lot, but he has his reasons." He crosses his arms. "I don't like it when people talk bad about my friends. Just because you two don't get along doesn't mean you have to be an asshole." 

Noir stares at him, taken back and clearly at a loss for words. It's clearly not what he was expecting. 

Eunwoo stares back, eyes hard, gaze unwavering - and surprisingly, Noir is the first to break it, his cheeks turning a shade of pink. 

He clears his throat. "Sorry." 

"Thank you." Eunwoo softens a bit before looking back ahead of him. "Will you drive me home?"

"Why didn't you just ask Maksim to-" 

"Because I wanted to spend a bit more time with you before the day ends."

-

Eunwoo sits stiffly in the leather seats of Noir's Audi RS6. 

Despite Maksim's sleeker vehicle - flashy, expensive, unapologetic about its owner's wealth - Noir's car is older, subdued, almost deliberately unremarkable. As if he's doing everything he can not to be seen. It fits him, oddly enough. 

"This is it." Eunwoo says quietly, looking out the window as Maksim's penthouse comes into view. 

Noir only hums, pulling beneath the parking garage and easing the car into an empty spot. The entire ride had been quiet. Tense. Eunwoo can't help but feel like it's his fault - like snapping at Noir earlier left something unsettled between them.

"Are you okay?" Eunwoo finally asks, glancing over. 

"Why wouldn't I be?" 

"Well... you haven't said a word the entire drive." 

Noir stares at him for a long moment before turning away, breaking the eye contact. "I'm just... flustered." 

Eunwoo blinks. "Flustered? Why?"

Noir - flustered? It's not that Eunwoo hasn't noticed before. The way his ears and neck betray him, flushing pink when he's caught off guard. Still. 

"I've never had anyone talk back to me like that before." 

Eunwoo exhales. "O-Oh. Is that... a bad thing?"

"No." Noir answers too quickly, clearing his throat. "I uh-" he sighs, irritated with himself. "I liked it." 

Oh. 

Oh. 

Eunwoo's stomach twists, fingers curling slightly into his palms. The honesty in Noir's voice - unguarded, raw - hits him harder than anything else today. It's sweet. Dangerous. Addictive.

Without quite realizing it, Eunwoo turns toward him, leaning lightly against the center console. "Noir... are you into brats or something?"

"Don't be stupid." Noir clicks his tongue, rolling his sharp gray eyes. "I prefer kind, caring individuals." 

"Oh, come on," Eunwoo teases softly. "You have to at least like them in bed." 

There's no stopping him now. Confidence washes over him, warm and reckless. If he doesn't take this moment - this fragile, charged space between them - he might lose it entirely. 

Eunwoo leans closer, now pushing fully into Noir's space.

But Noir doesn't pull away. 

Even if he wanted to, he couldn't. His feels drawn in, like something unseens has hooked him there, holding him in place.

They're close - too close. Their breaths mingling, noses brushing. Eunwoo catches the scent of Noir's cologne: cedarwood, smoke, something darker beneath it.

Something intoxicating.

"Eunwoo..." Noir murmurs, his voice softer than it's ever been.

Eunwoo barely hears it. He's too focused on Noir's lips.

"Noir-" 

The air thickens. One movement - just one - and -  

A ringtone cuts through the silence. 

Both of them flinch.

Noir, now more lucid, pushes himself away like he's been burned, the haze snapping instantly. His hand trembles as he declines the call, dropping the phone back into his lap and ears burning red. 

"I need to go," he says, clearing his throat. 

Eunwoo nods quickly. "R-Right." 

All his confidence evaporates, replaced by heat and mortifying clarity. They were really about to kiss. Was that what Noir wanted? Did he push too far?

Oh god. 

"Thank you for driving me home," Eunwoo says, unclicking his seatbelt. He clutches the jacket he'd discarded earlier. "And for lunch. I had a really good time. I hope you did too." 

Noir stares straight ahead, jaw tight. He's quiet for a long moment before exhaling softly and holding out his hand. 

"Phone."

Eunwoo blinks, confused - then fumbles, quickly handing it over. The device looks small in Noir's hand as he adds his contact, then returns it.

"Go," Noir says quietly. "Before Volkov notices." 

"Yeah." Eunwoo smiles, wide and bright, bowing his head before hurrying out of the car. 

His heart is racing, body humming, buzzing with too many emotions to sort through - but he doesn't hate it. 

Does Noir feel this way too? 

Once he reaches the front door, his phone pings. 

Noir:

I had a good time.