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Over the next few weeks, Ten started dropping by New Culture's nearly every other day, when he could manage it; whenever the restaurant was slow - and he most definitely tried to find the most unpopular times to go - Taeyong would join him, sharing whatever dish he'd made that day for the silver-haired.

Slowly, they got to know each other, and slowly, they flirted more and more; Ten started slowing down a little, as soon as he realized that he was actually serious about this guy, because he could tell how shy Taeyong was - and of all the things he could mess up he did not want to scare him away.

Eventually, the afternoon came when Taeyong refused to give Ten the bill.

"Just... consider it on the house," he mumbled, looking embarrassed.

Ten made a few more token attempts at getting the red-haired man to relent, but he wouldn't, and the silver-haired left that afternoon walking on clouds.

That's gotta count as him buying me dinner. Right? Right! It's totally a date!

It didn't happen every time, but it happened enough, and after another week or two Ten decided he was going to try to at least get an answer as to whether or not the chef was single - although he was relatively certain that was the case.

He spent the morning trying to figure out how to ask without being too obvious; when he finally got to the restaurant, however - a late dinner, this time, thanks to work - it turned out that it didn't matter.

They were just sitting down to their shared meal when Taeyong - with an exaggerated cough and a pointed stare at his glass of water - cleared his throat.

"So, uh. You're a pretty big-name producer and choreographer, from what I've seen on the internet. I guess, um... I guess you get a lot of, um... interests?"

The chef was bright red as he said this, and Ten put his fork down, looking amused - and feeling more than a little surprised.

Oh my god, did he seriously just ask what I think he asked? Has he been looking me up online?

Hiding a smile, Ten raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I mean, I do have a lot of people asking for me to produce their albums and choreograph their dances, but I still get to pick and choose which projects I prefer."

"That's not, uh-"

At this point, Taeyong looked as if he was waiting for the ground to open up and swallow him up, and Ten couldn't help but smile.

"If you're asking if I date around because I'm relatively well-known in the industry, the answer is no. I did the celebrity thing, yeah, for about six months - back when Rise first hit her peak - but it dulled really fast." Ten explained. "I'm not saying I don't like people, I would just prefer to pick and choose who I spend my time with."

Ten smiled a bit more at the expression of relief on Taeyong's face.

"As for dating? I tend to be really busy, so it's going to have to be someone I'm really interested in; I'm not looking for cheap thrills and summer kicks. Living that kind of life was pretty lonely; I'd rather find someone I feel comfortable around. You know, like I could just sit down and have dinner with and talk to."

Taeyong looked up quickly at this, and when he saw Ten smiling at him, he turned even redder than he'd already been; there was a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, though, and Ten couldn't help pushing the conversation along.

"And what about you? I mean... sure, New Culture's is a business, but you're telling me there's nobody out there that's caught your eye?"

Ten took a stick of garlic bread from the basket between the two, biting into it as he watched Taeyong flounder for words. The red-haired guy mumbled something about well maybe there is, but he finally shrugged.

"I thought for a long time that I was married to my work, to be honest. I was happy just cooking and thinking up new recipes. But you know, recently I've been thinking... maybe it wouldn't be so bad to find somebody."

Taeyong was looking straight at Ten now. "I think I'm finding that putting my emotions into my meals is... making them turn out a lot better, after all."

Ten gave a shy smile, looking down at the pasta on his plate.

"So, is that why the food you're serving me keeps getting more and more amazing?"

Taeyong blushed again; he said something, and then leaned forward. "I didn't quite catch that."

At this, the chef looked up, giving Ten a half-desperate, half-annoyed smile. "I said maybe, yeah, it is."

Ten laughed, but inside he felt like he'd just won a grammy.

It took everything he had not to spend the rest of the meal grinning like an idiot; he changed the subject to something Taeyong felt more comfortable talking about, but it didn't escape his notice that the red-haired guy kept glancing up from time to time with a soft look on his face that made Ten's toes curl.

Finally, the meal was over; the clock showed that it was nearly closing time, and Ten pushed aside his plate with a sigh.

"That, once again, was absolutely amazing. I loved the extra spice in the sauce. And... hey. Ring me up for two meals, okay?"

For a second, Taeyong blinked at him; Ten looked at him, and he seemed to suddenly get it, blushing.

"Wait, no... you don't have to pay for me to eat my own food!"

The silver-haired had expected resistance, so he sighed. "Fine, then I'll start bringing a bottle of wine whenever we eat together."

Taeyong hadn't been expecting this; he bit his lip. "But... you won't know what I'm cooking ahead of time. I won't know what I'm cooking ahead of time."

They went on back and forth like this for another minute or two before Ten finally grit his teeth.

"For goodness' sake, am I the only one who considers these to be dates?"

This seemed to shut Taeyong up, as he turned bright red; after a moment, he looked down at the receipt, smiling faintly. "...No."

Without another word, he charged Ten for two Specials, and Ten smiled, feeling victorious and more than a little happy.

By the time it came to see the silver-haired out, Ten pulled his coat off the coat rack, but he put a little more force than was necessary into the motion.

When Ten had gotten his coat on, Taeyong looked up to see the rack - a heavy-looking wooden thing - starting to teeter towards Ten, who had his back to it; the red-haired grabbed the shorter's arm, jerking him back against his chest, just in time for the stand to fall over with a loud crash.

For a second, they stood there, Ten's back pressed against Taeyong's chest; the silver-haired was pretty sure he could feel the shorter man's heart racing, and Ten looked terribly embarrassed.

"I- uh... thanks." This last word was whispered so quietly that Taeyong barely heard it; he heard enough, however, and couldn't help smiling.

Giving in to his impulses, he leaned forward, putting his lips to the silver-haired man's ear, although he had to lean down to do so.

Where is this confidence coming from?

"You're really cute," he whispered.

At these words, Ten froze; Taeyong chuckled, low in his throat, and laid the softest kiss on Ten's earlobe before letting go.

The chef pulled away, suddenly looking more embarrassed than Ten thought he'd ever seen; for all that he wouldn't meet the silver-haired's eyes, however, there was a smile on his face.

Laughing quietly, Ten finished buttoning his jacket before throwing his scarf around his neck. "Thanks for the meal, Taeyong. I'll definitely be back again as soon as I can."

"...Yeah. I'll look forward to it." Taeyong's words were quiet, but he looked up in time to catch Ten's eye as he walked out the door.

Ten had come in so exhausted, he headed home in a taxi overly conscious of the eyes that were watching him drive away, still holding a hand to his ear.

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After that, things seemed to go a lot more smoothly.

The flirting was more pronounced, of course - although they had to keep things semi-professional whenever there were other customers - and while there was never anything quite as forward as Taeyong kissing Ten's ear again, they had their share of half-hugs, shoulder-leanings, and various other displays of affection.

Several weeks after the ear-kiss, Ten found himself mired in yet another long, drawn-out recording session.

He was more than a little frustrated - he'd already made plans with Taeyong, after all, to have dinner together - but unlike before, this time wasn't the recording artist's fault - not exactly.

Sighing, he pulled out his cell phone.

They'd already exchanged numbers, and although they didn't talk on the phone often - and although Ten texted more than Taeyong did (which was to be expected, given how often Taeyong was elbow-deep in cooking) - the silver-haired would occasionally open up his phone to find that the red-haired man had sent him something short but sweet

"I miss cooking for you" or "Wish you could have come by tonight," or "Did okay with sales, but it would have been nicer to see you here."

And then Ten'd get a ridiculously goofy smile on his face and feel glad that Sicheng was still on tour.

There were no such smiles this time.

They were in a forced break - the artist had locked herself in the bathroom again, in tears, and the manager had gone to try to convince her to return to the studio - and Ten fired off a quick text to Taeyong.

I'm gunna hav 2 skip dinner, nother lonnnng session. Sry, Souj. (; ;)

He'd expected no response, given the fact that Taeyong was usually busy cooking, but he was surprised to see a return text almost immediately.

Taeyong:

Oh. That's a shame. Is it another diva?

Ten:

nah, this 1s just a kid who's 2 scared 2 hit her potential, and IDK why

Taeyong:

Tell me a bit about her. Also, how are you feeling?

Ten:

Tired. Frustrated.

Wuz looking forward 2 dinner. And u.

She's... IDK. 15? 17?

Gr8 voice, but every time she gets n2 the groove, she freaks out n loses it.

There was a long break; the girl was coming back in, led by her manager, when Ten's phone lit up again, and he just had a chance to see Taeyong's return text.

Taeyong:

Just hang in there, okay?

Don't overwork yourself.

You looked terrible that one night.

Smiling a bit, Ten put the phone down. "All right, guys, let's try again from the top."

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It still wasn't working; Ten was about to just give up and call it a night when the phone in his recording booth lit up. Answering it, he found that it was the doorman.

"Mr. Chittaphon? There's a delivery here for you. Says it's dinner."

Ten was about to retort that he hadn't ordered dinner when he realized that... he sort of did. Smiling a bit, he sighed. "Yeah. Send it up, please."

Ten left the girl talking with her manager as he went to the elevator to meet the concierge; the box was a decent-sized one, obviously with more food than for just one person, and when he looked inside there was a folded note.

Ten,

As if I'd let you go without eating again! There's dinner inside for you and your protegé. I suggest taking a few minutes to talk while you're eating; I don't know if she'll open up, but she might be able to tell you what's going on.

Take care of yourself, please.

Yours,

Taeyong

The 'Yours' closing line made Ten grin like a fool; he managed to force it into more of a manageable smile by the time he got back into the studio. Setting the box down onto the table in the break area, Ten stuck his head into the room where the girl and her manager were.

"Let's break for dinner."

The girl looked hesitantly at her manager, who nodded; they got up to go, and Ten held out a hand.

"Hang on. I've got dinner here for our songbird - I don't want the crowds downstairs to stress her out too much. I'm afraid, however, I didn't feel confident ordering for you, ma'am; you've been working so hard all day, I figured you'd appreciate a break, a chance to get out and get some fresh air. We won't start recording again for at least an hour."

The girl's manager started to complain at this, but Ten gave her a calm smile, turning on his best charm.

"Ma'am, your security guard is right there." He pointed through the glass. "And he's on your payroll, not mine; I'm certain that if I were to even touch the dear girl, he'd have my head. Don't worry, I promise she'll be fine."

It was clear that the woman didn't want to leave, but Ten's smile was so professional - and the girl herself didn't actually seem terribly bothered by the idea - that in the end, she had no choice but to leave, saying that she'd be back as soon as she could.

Once the manager was gone, Ten finally exhaled; she'd been getting on his nerves all day with her constant demands, although he appreciated her efforts on behalf of his current artist.

"Come on in."

He jerked his head into the room with the table, noting that outside, the manager was talking animatedly to the security guard while gesturing at him; he just made sure to smile and wave, and then turn back to the box of food.

"Grab a seat. Not sure what we've got here, but I am sure that it's going to be amazing."

Pulling the food out of the box, Ten found that there was a large soup container for the girl, along with some foil-wrapped flatbread; opening the lid, a savory scent wafted out, and they both perked up.

"This is for you," Ten said, reading the lid. "It's... mild curried butternut squash soup with root vegetables and coconut cream." Raising an eyebrow, he looked at the singer. "Got any allergies?"

She shook her head, and he nodded, handing her a spoon. "It's a good choice. Milk would wreck your throat, but coconut cream doesn't have that problem. And the heat will be good for your vocal cords. Just don't force yourself to eat any more than you want, okay?"

The girl nodded, digging in, and Ten turned to his own container; sage and green-tea encrusted pork loins broiled with bacon, grilled peppers and zucchini, and peppercorn-cream gravy with rice.

A homey meal, but comforting, and Ten had to tighten his grip on his fork for just a moment as he was overwhelmed by a sudden feeling of missing Taeyong, more than he'd expected. After a moment, he reached for the short note, skimming it again before smiling to himself.

Already several spoonfuls in - if Ten had to guess, she liked the soup - the girl looked up at him. "This from your girlfriend?"

"Boyfriend," he said, smiling as he set the box aside. "He runs a restaurant nearby."

He briefly wondered what Taeyong would think about him using the word boyfriend, but he argued with himself.

Taeyong did agree that these are dates! And if we're dating, that makes him my boyfriend.

The silver-haired response seemed to be enough for the girl, anyhow; she just nodded and continued eating.

"It's good."

"Yeah. His food is really great." Ten dug into his meal, enjoying every bite; after a few minutes, however, he looked over.

"So, what's got you so worried? I mean... it doesn't bother me that we're not getting anywhere - you can't even imagine the clients I've had, and I have faith that you'll find your sweet spot. But I can tell something's stressing you out. Wanna share?"

With a troubled expression, the girl looked at her soup. She didn't say anything for a while, and Ten assumed she wasn't going to, but eventually, she shook her head. "I'm scared. She-"

"She, your manager?"

A nod. "She always tells me I'm perfect, I need to be perfect, I need to stay perfect. And then she watches me, and I just... whenever I hit the right notes, I get so worried that the next ones aren't going to be exact, and then it's like everything runs together and I drop the whole song and..."

Her face crumpled, and Ten frowned, pushing a napkin over to her. "Hey, I understand. And, for the record, I'd pat your back but I'm pretty sure your security guy would take my arm off and I kind of need it to work, not to mention to eat and shower."

He was rewarded by a smile and small giggle at this, and the girl grabbed the napkin and wiped her eyes. Meanwhile, Ten was staring into his meal container, thinking.

"Was she always like this?"

"No, it used to not be so bad. I mean, she's always been... strict. But it got a lot worse when we started talking about recording an album."

Classic overbearing manager.

Ten sighed. "I understand. I've seen it more times than you can count. Let me ask you this, then. Would it bother you if she didn't come back in for the rest of the session tonight?"

The girl looked at him, wide-eyed, and he gave her time to think about it. He finished up his meal at about the same time she did - he'd been starving, and Taeyong's food always hit the spot - and as he took the empty containers from her to throw away, she took a deep breath and nodded.

"I want to try."

Grinning, Ten looked outside and then nodded. "Well, then, let's go ahead and get started! Given the crowds in the cafeteria - or even worse if she went out - I don't expect her to be back for another hour or more, so let's see what we can get through before she gets back. And don't worry, she won't be coming back tonight, no matter what."

Ten held out a fist, and after a moment looking at it, and then at him, the girl shyly bumped it with her own fist and then giggled.

Not Edited

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Song Recommendation:

"Que Sera Sera" by Doris Day