Andrew stepped out of the precinct with a relieved sigh. His whole body felt exhausted. His feet were numb, while his eyelids felt heavy like marbles. The stockholder's meeting had already ended hours ago, and since there was nothing else he could do except hide from the media, sleeping sounded like a good plan. He looked up at the night sky. The stars were out tonight, and his eyes gazed at them as his feet started walking aimlessly.

"Andrew! Yoohoo!"

Andrew wondered how Allen was doing.

"I don't think he hears you, dear. Let me."

Someone was calling out to him, but he didn't have the energy to look.

"Andrew!"

Someone who he thought he had successfully avoided. He glanced towards the road. He was absentminded and hadn't noticed a black car had been slowly driving beside him. Mr. and Mrs. Lopez peeked out from a rolled-down window of the black car. This was the first time they called him by his real name. He was stunned and confused, and he didn't know what to do. Should he run, or was this the moment they will slap him with money?

"No need to look so frightened, dear," said Mrs. Lopez. She chuckled. "Apologies as we cannot step out of the vehicle as journalists might be snooping around. Come closer." She waved him over. Andrew did for whatever reason. He crouched down to their eye level but remained quiet.

"We are not angry, Andrew," said Mr. Lopez.

"You should be," Andrew replied. He couldn't meet their eyes. "I permanently scarred the family business you've sweated blood for. The internet's forever, you know. I'm not sure if people would even take Allen seriously after this. But we've put Alex behind bars, so please take it as my apology. I'll do what I can to fix this. I know we've been lying to your faces about who I was, but—"

"Andrew, please do not feel sorry," said Mr. Lopez. He reached out his hand and patted Andrew on the head. "You were never at fault here. Alex is. And regarding your identity, I'm sorry to say, but I have always known who you were. I was actually surprised you hadn't caught on."

Andrew was taken aback. "You did? How? What? Wait," Andrew sputtered out. "No, that's impossible. I was very convincing as Alfonso."

Mr. Lopez snorted, amused. "How could I not know you? Every time Allen meets me in my office, he's always going on about this Secretary Andrew fellow he's working with. Even when we are having dinner, Allen's singing praises for you. He never stops talking about you. Maybe he hadn't realized it, but it was painfully obvious he felt something for you."

He suddenly remembered Mr. Lopez calling him 'Andrew' when he showed up as Alfonso. Andrew remained quiet, but the redness on his face was telling of his emotions. Whether the redness came from his embarrassment of pretending to be Alfonso even though they already knew him, or it was the fact that Allen had been telling his parents about Andrew, he wasn't so sure anymore.

"Besides, I am the president of the company you are working for, Andrew. I always take notice of exceptional employees," said Mr. Lopez with a wink. "Why, with the way he clamored about you and the exceedingly excellent reputation you held, you were practically a celebrity. Imagine the level of disbelief in me when we first officially met in Allen's living room. I went along just to know what my son and his perfect secretary were up to."

Mrs. Lopez scooted closer and threw an irritated glare at her husband.

"Unlike my husband here, I wasn't privy to that information, dear Andrew," she sighed. "As a businesswoman, I need to keep a sharp eye on whoever we welcome into our family, but It wasn't really difficult for me to realize. The dozens of suits in your home, the way you perfectly wrapped up the photoshoot, plus we heard you arguing that night. And Hubby here accidentally calling Alfonso 'Andrew.' It was not difficult to piece together."

"Oh," said Andrew, stunned. "Well. You don't have to worry about anything, Mr. and Mrs. Lopez. As you said, you have a business to run, and you have to watch out for whoever joins your family."

"Let me stop you right there, Andrew." Mr. Lopez let out a weary sigh. His lips were pressed into a thin line. "Is this what's preventing you from letting my son into your heart?"

Andrew didn't respond.

"Even as you pretended to be Alfonso, your kindness and virtue always shined through. Do not even think that for a second that we did not notice the kindness you have shown to the employees of every establishment we went to. Even to us, you were never inappropriate or rude. You never mistreated Allen, and most importantly, you make him smile. You make this family. You have brought us an Allen we never even dare imagine."

Mrs. Lopez clasped his head with her hands and gave a big smooch to his cheek. "You're always so embarrassed with family displays of affection. It wasn't for show when we welcomed you into our family photoshoot. That was us letting you know that we love you and accept you, Andrew. And whatever you choose from now on, we are with you. Wholeheartedly."

Their driver made himself known via an awkward throat clearing and gave them an apologetic glance. They reminded them that they needed to handle certain pressing matters.

Mr. Lopez spoke up in the silence that followed. "We have to go now, son. If you're looking for Allen, he's back in the office."

They said their goodbyes, and they left. He was exhausted and just wanted to lay down on his bed for a whole week. But with no hesitation in his heart, his feet led him in front of Allen's office.

He knocked before he entered for one last time.

Bright and colorful traces of a small birthday celebration were left plastered on the walls and ceiling. Balloons flooded the floor, and a birthday cake laid half-eaten on the center table.

Allen was in front of his desk but had his back to Andrew. He was inserting wrapped gifts on a paper bag that were in the same shape and size as the framed photos of the team on his desk. How many photos did the team give him?

After observing him, Andrew finally spoke, "Happy birthday, Allen."

Allen's head snapped up. He spun around, surprised and with a sort of disbelieved face that Andrew would visit him. There was a sapphire-colored apron tied around Allen's waist.

"Andrew," Allen spoke, somehow out of breath, with a wide happy grin on lips. His eyes marveled at Andrew, yet there was a space between them that they didn't know how to fill. Allen was waiting for Andrew and vice-versa.

Andrew scratched his scalp in annoyance, but he kept one hand behind him. He took one step forward, then another, and another. Their eyes locked with one another. Andrew took his time navigating the balloon-flooded room until he reached a pleased Allen.

"What's with the apron?" Andrew asked.

Allen's eyes shined with joy at its simple mention, but there was a hint of shyness in the way he showed it off to Andrew.

"It's a gift," he said. "From my parents as a symbolic gesture, I suppose. They gave me their blessing, Andrew. They said I could pursue what I wanted. Isn't that fantastic?"

So, they approved after all of it. They let Allen go.

Allen looks...happy. Carefree.

What a relief. Andrew wanted him to be happy and live the life he wanted.

"Yeah, that's fantastic," Andrew replied. He stepped closer, took a corner of the apron, and felt the fabric between his fingers. He chuckled when he realized how significant these past few months have been for both.

"You know you've always been a consistent pain in my life. A passionate jerk whose only motivation was to torture me. Six years ago, when I first saw you. You were like a rock sinking to the bottom of the ocean with no chance of floating up but look at you now. You've taken one step closer to being happy. Congratulations."

After a moment's pause, Andrew shoved the wrapped box he's been hiding behind into Allen's chest. He huffed in response.

"A gift," Andrew said.

"A gift," Allen repeated with a pleased grin. "For me. The passionate jerk." Allen chuckled and gazed at his gift. He glanced at Andrew as if seeking permission if he could open it. Andrew nodded, and Allen carefully unwrapped it. From inside the box, he drew out a blue-covered book. 'Recipe' was engraved on its cover in simple gold writing. Allen flipped the pages, and Andrew internally confessed to being a little anxious. Would he like it?

"It's a recipe book for all the dishes I've seen you cook," said Andrew. He stood on his toes and flipped the pages to a familiar blue drink that Andrew once ordered for Allen in a bar. "And recipes of the meals you've liked so you won't have to scour around or beg someone behind my back. Although you might see some weird and questionable charges on your credit card. That was a joke. I'm going to shut up now."

Suddenly, Allen enveloped Andrew in a tender embrace. "I apologize for not asking permission before hugging you and that I am unable to stop grinning. I love it. And I love you. So much."

After a beat, while wrapped in the warmth of Allen's embrace, Andrew confessed, "I'm still afraid of loving you."

Andrew knew that Allen had already confessed to loving him for all the six years they've been together, but there was still this nagging voice inside him. So many What ifs?

How sure is Allen that this is love?

He buried himself in the nook of Allen's shoulders with his arms by his side. And by coincidence, he glanced down and a very familiar yellow pad of sticky notes inside Allen's chest pocket. The very same notes Andrew kept in his cabinet, the very same notes he saw on Allen's kitchen.

"You wrote all those notes," Andrew whispered.

Allen drew back just enough that their faces were only inches apart. Allen chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Oh yes, those," he said with a lopsided grin. "I guess I don't have to hide it anymore. I figured that you hated me, but I still wanted to support you in some way."

Andrew cupped Allen's face in his hands. This man—Really. All those notes...All the encouragement... All the strength Andrew found in them. All this time, Andrew thought it was from some random person encouraging him. How could a person be so amazing? He really should kill Allen for hiding his feelings for Andrew.

"I'll make it up to you. You don't have to love me now, Andrew. All I ask is friendship. I want to be by your side. To hear your voice. To see you smile. Six years ago, you stepped into my office—timid, scared, and everyone against you. And now you're leaving Lopez Co. with your head held high and the people cheering behind you. I'm head over heels for you, Andrew, but love can come later when you've forgiven me and when you're ready—"

As Allen kept rumbling some romantic garbage with love-filled eyes directed at Andrew, Andrew's heart got bigger and bigger. He hushed Allen the best way he knew how. He stood on the tip of his toes, closed his eyes, and after six years, Andrew was finally kissing his ex-boss. Allen's soft lips touched Andrew's own. He felt the butterflies on his stomach go wild with excitement. It was as if his whole body was tuned only to the soft lips of Allen... It felt right, like the warm feeling of going home after a tiring day. Allen's lips felt like that. Home.

The old Andrew would have cringed at his sentiment, but he was too busy enjoying the moment.

"I thought you weren't ready," Allen mumbled, dazed. His gaze locked on Andrew's lips when the younger man pulled back.

"I was afraid that what you're feeling was just a crush because we spent some time together. I was so blinded by my pain that I forgot you were in pain too, yet you've been supporting me all this time. Somehow, I was reassured that your feelings for me were true. So, now I'm risking it and taking the jump to being in a relationship with you."

"Can I kiss you again?" Allen asked. "You don't know how long I've wanted to kiss you senseless."

Andrew nodded, and Allen pulled him into a searing kiss. Allen wrapped his arms around Andrew's waist and pulled their body closer. Andrew was playful enough to bite Allen's lower lip to tease him. It felt all so new. So sweet.

Andrew tapped Allen on the back for a breather. Allen chuckled against his lips and sighed in Andrew's embrace.

"You really are the best, Andrew."

Andrew smirked. "I'm looking for a new chef for this restaurant I'm planning to build. Know anyone that has always dreamt of being a chef?"

"I know the best chef in the world." Allen grinned at Andrew and flashed a cheeky grin. "Let's build our dreams together, Andrew."

"It's a promise."

Author's Note: Thank you for reading this small humble story of mine! Let me know your thoughts! Hope you had a great time with Secretary Andrew and his evil boss Sir Allen!