Oneiric Tryst

9. Walking Dead

On Monday, Hongjoong picked up San at his home before they went to work together. The evil neighbour hadn't been allowed to return to his flat yet after the police had investigated and found several drugs in there. Since San had yet to feel safe in his house again, though, Hongjoong had eased the situation on both of them by collecting him.

"How's the eye?"

San slid into the passenger seat and put his work bag between his feet. At the prompt, he glanced into the mirror inside his sunscreen and sighed. His fingers prodded at the dark purple bone around his eye until Hongjoong slapped them off.

"Pulsing. Wooyoung suggested I wore an eyepatch."

"You would look cool with an eyepatch. And it would fit our pirate agenda."

San chuckled and put on his seatbelt so they wouldn't get into even more accidents. Ever so languidly, Hongjoong pulled from his spot and chauffeured them to work. If Jongho got angry over their lateness today, he had to nag both of them. And San was fantastic at pouting.

However, when they came up the stairs, Mingi greeted them first with a shocked gasp. Instantly, he slapped his fingers over his mouth to keep his expression at bay.

"What- San, what happened?" Mingi was the one who winced as he approached to look San over. The cut on his lip healed nicely, but the fresh scab gave him something roguish. Wooyoung was probably into it.

"I got into a fight with a triceratops. Beat that bastard into a pulp," San bit out before he kissed his fist. As far as Hongjoong was concerned, he didn't hit back even once. Too busy protecting Wooyoung like the big hero he was.

"I sure hope you did. Did you bring a horn to show to Jongho to prove your strength to him?"

The subtle aspirations San held to become stronger than their chef were no secret, even to newcomers. Every year at their outings, Jongho proved to San he still had to work on it. San had suffered plenty of losses in arm wrestling with that man.

"Damn, forgot it at home. Remind me in the evening, please."

Mingi nodded as Hongjoong and San went on their way. When they tried to enter the same doorframe at the same time, they got stuck. They childishly kicked at each other as their shoes came off at the same time and blocked each other's paths. Giggling, San broke free to round his desk ultimately. As a mess, their shoes remained in the door.

Only for Jongho to trip right over them when he entered the room moments later.

"Goddamn it, put your shoes under your tables if you don't wear them!" Jongho kicked at San's boot angrily, chucking it across the room. He slapped a bunch of paper on their desks. The sound was both pleasing and horrifying.

"Here, I need these today. Also- What happened to your face?"

San cradled his chin in both of his hands like a flower. The innocent blink of his lashes had even Hongjoong gag.

"Do you like it? Does it make me look manly? You like manly men, don't you?"

Jongho stared at him, unblinking. While Hongjoong pulled the papers over, he spoke up to help.

"He fought a triceratops."

"With my bare hands," San added quickly. Both of them nodded seriously.

With a sigh, Jongho jabbed his thumb over his shoulder.

"Our fridge has cooling packs in case it starts hurting again. Feel free to use them. And please don't embarrass yourself in museums while on the clock." He skipped the usual speech he held about working speed and distractions to leave right away. San winked at Hongjoong. Hongjoong copied the gesture with a strange grimace combining it.