Kisses and Other Necessities

《 kisses and late nights 》

a/n: dear all, I don't usually like doing this because I like to have the story speak for itself, but since you're all so sweet to me and stick with me through the second book, i really feel like we're all friends and i love you guys too much and i don't like disappointing you, so i want to explain a little bit before you read further.

while some of you think of this book as a romance, it really isn't. like the first book, i'm more interested in exploring relationships from a different and hopefully more realistic aspect. this is not an ideal love story. if you're looking for grand gestures, chasing and pursuing, people fighting to stay together against all odds, an epic love that never wavers...then i'm probably going to let you down.

we're reading Sean and Flora's story as onlookers, so even though it may seem like they're feverishly in love all through these years, they're really not. they're not thinking of getting back together all the time. they're more like two people who care a lot about each other, who carry a part of each other with them, who bury that love somewhere so deep even they overlook it sometimes, and their passion flares up every time they meet, but they also have a lot of other things going on in their respective lives. i don't know how to explain this better.

people are complicated. there's not a clear cut black and white, right and wrong, in love versus total indifference. i think it's completely normal and necessarily that they date other people and not all their relationships are rebounds. they get attracted to other people too. yes, they will never forget each other and they will always 'love' each other, but this "i'll wait for this person forever and i'll never love someone this way again" mindset, while romantic, is also quite dangerous.

we have memories and it's not always possible to ask for a 100% clean slate but that's what makes us human. trying to move on is natural. not giving up on the chance to find love is healthy. i hope this explains the previous chapters and i really hope you still love the story. after everything that i said, i still really like the idea of Sean and Flora together and i hope this chapter finally makes you happy. thank you for all the support and wonderful comments; you make me teary after every chapter too so i think we're even ;)

∞

Sean Foster sat in the spacious meeting room and tapped his pen against the table, wondering for the briefest second about how he got here. This office in Midtown boosted natural light through its dark-framed floor-to-ceiling windows and an interior almost made up entirely of glass, metal, and architectural concrete—or in Fred's words, the look of success. Fred believed in appearances.

One of the engineers, Timothy, glanced at his face and closed the file he was presenting, like he was embarrassed to keep it up there on the monitor.

Tim swallowed. "What do you think, boss?"

Sean cringed every time he wasn't addressed by his first name. "I like your idea a lot," he said, "and the execution is even better. In fact, I'd be hugely impressed if I were doing business with you."

Timothy relied on encouragements. If this were Seo-jun, Sean would tell him directly that it wasn't quite up to par. William needed a constant push, while Priya hated to be reminded; tell her once and she'd deliver with precision. Clayton and Steve were their newest members and he had interviewed them over tequila shots, his reasoning being that he only wanted to work with people he'd gladly drink with. He felt respected by his team, who would take a figurative bullet for him anytime and vice versa.

Coding with these people was the fun part. It was being an employer that he had to struggle with.

"But you're one of my best developers, Tim, and I know you're more than this. Do you think this is as ready as can be, or maybe you can show me something even more polished if I give you two more days?