mari

Yu rolled her eyes and grabbed hold of your bicep with a perfectly-manicured hand, dragging you into her bungalow and closing the door after you. She stuffed you down into a side chair, and you were gratified to see that Kamui was at least fully dressed where he was propped up at the side of Yu’s bed.

“Establishing an MPA is a huge chunk of work,” Kamui told you as Yu settled herself primly next to him. “It would take a whole team of researchers, not just one person.”

Your eyes searched across him, over to Yu. “...I don’t want to be presumptuous, but seems to me like we already have a whole team of researchers. If we had any downtime after submitting the evidence on Sunfish and the clean up plan proposals.” You trailed off uncertainly. “That is…if you think we would be the ones to monitor the clean up… and if I would be staying…?”

Yu rolled her eyes again. “Of course you can stay—you’ve basically been a perfect little assistant. As if I wouldn’t recommend you. I could use a fulltime peon.”

Kamui gratified you by agreeing. “You’ve been nothing but an asset to this team, and carrying someone else’s slack on moving around all the equipment, besides.” His eyes cut over to Yu, who purposefully ignored him.

“Death Arms is also going to make the request that we monitor the clean up,” she said. “And they’ll probably keep most if not all of us on. You especially, when the company hires you, since you’ll be underpaid as a newbie and cheaper for them.”

Any indignation you might have felt at being shorted was swiftly overruled by pleasure—that you were the likeliest candidate to keep behind.

“Thank you,” you said, feeling flushed and overcome with bone-melting relief. “I will work hard to deserve the hire.”

Yu scoffed, while Kamui said, “You already do.”

A helpless grin tugged at your mouth, even as pleased embarrassment urged you to hide your face. “So what do I—I mean how does this work?”

Yu tossed a blonde tress over her shoulder. “I’ll submit my assessment for you tomorrow when we’re done with the Sunfish evidence package. It should be a week or so before they come through with your offer.”

A thrill raced through you. A week until you were guaranteed a multi-month extension. But it wouldn’t be permanent, unless an MPA was established.

“And requirements for an MPA?” you pressed.

“That’s quite a process,” Kamui told you. “It involves defining a clear conservation goal, conducting scientific assessments, creating management plans, getting some measure of community anecdote & support, and then securing a legal designation.”

Your hands closed on the arms of your chair. “Scientific assessments like the population monitoring we already have data on? And management plans like the clean up one that can be adapted for ongoing monitoring?”

Kamui inclined his head in acknowledgement. “We would already have a leg up on establishing an MPA in terms of data.”

“So we’d just need on the record anecdotes indicating community support for the initiative? And a firm definition of our conversation goal? Before we can submit it for legal designation?”

Kamui nodded again. “Yes, I think so.”

Your legs were under you before you realized you’d stood up again. “I can get that. After we finish the Sunfish evidence package tomorrow. I can get all that.”

Yu looked ready to shove you back into the chair, making a surprised noise in her throat. But you were already moving towards the door, tearing it back open in a hurry.

“Talk to you guys about this tomorrow more!” you called over your shoulder, throwing back a distracted wave. “Thank you for all your help! I’ll definitely treat you to dinner when I get the offer package!”

“Wait, kid, what’s the rush—-?” Yu’s voice chased after you, but was cut off as you shut the door hurriedly behind you. You all but tripped down the stairs back into the soft sand, churning a path back to your own room.

You yanked open your own door, all but running for your laptop as if the hounds of hell themselves were behind you. But you were determined to get started tonight—and that by the time you had an offer in hand, your future with Shouto would be secured too.

The next few days were a brutal slog of paperwork and filling out reports.

You spent dozens of hours organizing all of your prior research, poring over hundreds of Excels worth of data, pulling out key metrics and image caps from your monitoring stations. You wrote up your own reports of finding the waste water dump site, attaching pictures, and a step-by-step account of the visit to the Sunfish facility. You argued with Yu over all of the specifics, the phrasing, making sure that every single word entered into the report could not be proven false by any of Sunfish’s security cameras, down to the second-level timing of finding the Formacide-B storage.

You thought you were developing a permanent hump in your back from sitting hunched over your laptop, and wondered if your retinas would burn away under the nearly twenty-four-seven onslaught of your screen.

But then the reports were filed to local police and government, and your clean up & monitoring plans submitted.

Death Arms took you out to the local police station himself for you to give an on-the-record report of finding the Formacide, and you led an officer back out on your boat, through the jungle, and to the lagoon again for him to take pictures himself.

When it was all over you holed yourself back up in your room, huddled over your laptop again, compiling hundreds of pages of Marine Protected Area documentation. You made Yu, Kamui, Masaki and Death Arms read every iteration of the proposal you came up with, tirelessly working in their feedback, harassing them to help with their own sections, and pulling in endless reels of data from your time monitoring the island.

Then, on a sunny morning nearly a week since you’d last seen Shouto, you left your bungalow to gather the last bits of evidence you’d need to submit the MPA proposal: community support.

You wound your way back up the dirt road and around the thick jungle brush again, following the path of Bakugou Katsuki’s driveway.

He opened the door with a frown already in place and the incredulous look of someone who could not believe the nerve of what they were seeing.

“I told you to leave me out of your fuckin’ love life,” he barked, trying to close the door on you again.

“It’s not my love life!” you cried, catching the edge of the door with both hands. Bakugou was apparently horrendously strong, however, and the door pulled inexorably back towards its frame. “I want to set up a Marine Protected Area for Shouto’s pod!”

The door froze for a moment, and then pushed begrudgingly back open. Bakugou’s angry eyebrows appeared around the edge of it again.

“A Marine Protected Area?” he asked impatiently. It was amazing how he could sound both interested and disgusted by a person at the same time.

“Yeah, it’s what it sounds like,” you said. “It’s a boundary zone the government can legally enforce conservation in and ban certain human activities, like too much boating and industry fishing. It would prohibit another company like Sunfish from operating here again.”

Bakugou pushed open the door again fully, and you stumbled back, barely managing to avoid impact.

You hurriedly continued while you had his attention. “The proposal I’m making is to continue to allow local and sustainable fishing practices by legal residents of this archipelago, but to ban industrial fishing and large scale operation. Mostly due to what’s already happened at the hands of Sunfish. But I need community buy-in.”

Bakugou’s scarlet eyes burned through you. “And your first thought was to come to me?”

You flushed. “You’re a local fisherman and a well-renowned chef. You work at that swanky hotel, Izuku told me, with access to a lot of the area’s influential people.”

“Fucking Deku,” Bakugou spat, but didn’t deny anything. He settled a heavy arm against the door, an intimidatingly large bicep looming like a threat. “So what, you want me to fuckin’ charm the pants off of all the rich assholes at the restaurant?”

An image of a crowd of besuited politicians suddenly missing their pants under Bakugou’s judgmental stare flashed through your mind, and you suppressed a shudder.

“Not… exactly,” you said. “I was thinking more like I could collect some on-the-record anecdotes from you on your fishing activities and your concerns about the impact Sunfish clean up will have. With maybe special emphasis on the impact of the quality of the dishes you’re able to serve your important guests. And maybe that makes its way into some local paper, I don’t know.”

You saw the moment Bakugou understood your intention, as his scowl reshaped itself into an almost-smirk.

“And I suppose you want me to chat up my important guests on the same fuckin’ thing and get their buy in.”

You nodded. “Yeah, grease the political wheels, if that’s feasible.”

You thought you saw something like begrudging respect in the set of Bakugou’s features, though he still eyed you irritably. “And they’d ban assholes like Sunfish and leave the island to the residents?”

You nodded again. “That’s the game plan.”

Bakugou’s eyebrows lowered. “And Fuyumi and Shouto’s little fucking lagoon?”

“Being investigated as we speak, with a plan in place to clean it up. Just waiting for actual arrests to start happening at Sunfish.”

Bakugou paused for a long moment, then inclined his head, looking something almost satisfied. “Then get your phone out or some shit. I’ll give you your fucking interview.”

You had it out of your pocket in a flash, fumbling and nearly throwing it into the sand in your haste. “Just… be your most convincing. Charming.”

Bakugou looked annoyed again, and you swallowed any other advice. It was best to get any quote at all for now, and you weren’t sure if he might stomp off if you pressed him further.

You clicked the record button in your voice notes app, taking a deep breath, and launched into your first question, meant to prompt the exact type of engagement you were looking for: “Bakugou Katsuki—you’re a Michelin-starred chef, is that right?”

Bakugou flashed you another look of irritation but took the bait, launching gamely into an explanation of his credentials.

You led him carefully through all of your questions, on his fishing habits, observations about the population and quality of local fish. You asked him what made barramundi so special and his dish of choice, and tried to get him to play up the unique qualities of the local flora and fauna. Finally you asked him about Sunfish, about his concerns, and about the expected impact to his restaurant and Michelin star.

He looked well past annoyed by the time you wrapped up, but you were smiling faintly as you tucked your phone back into your shorts.

“Thanks for helping,” you told him, watching him fold his arms across his chest. “I think you’re probably a good friend to Shouto, even though you keep telling me otherwise.”

Bakugou growled. “He’s a fucking pain in my ass, not my friend.”

You carefully said nothing, but you thought you were beginning to see right through that denial. Bakugou had helped you, explained what everything meant to Shouto, and how your course of action would ultimately impact him. He’d looked ready to blow his top the whole time, but he’d explained it all, and he was here again, helping you set up the protection Shouto and his sister would need to stay safe, longer term.

You didn’t think Bakugou was nearly as bad as he made himself seem.

You chose not to comment on that, however, and gave him a wave, seeing that his patience with you had run its course. You turned on your heel to leave, bidding him goodbye and beating a hasty retreat back up his driveway. You legged it to the inn again, and parked yourself right at your laptop, transcribing the entire interview Bakugou had given.

You attached it to your MPA proposal, and emailed the final draft to the research team, excited that things were finally coming together. Then you carved out sections of the transcript and recording into a separate email, and googled around until you found the name and email address of a local reporter. You carefully addressed it, and drafted everything in anticipation of things going down with Sunfish soon, then shot it off, with a promise to answer any follow up questions should they come up.

By the time you detached yourself from your laptop, the sun had passed its zenith, and the day was sinking into the afternoon.

Almost as soon as you shut your computer down, a pounding came at your door, and Yu’s excited tone filtered through the wood of your door.

“Hey kid, you’re gonna wanna come see this!” she called.

You hurried to the door, yanking it open, only to be grabbed by the hand and dragged down your steps, towards the front lobby of the inn.

The entire research team was gathered around the old television set in the reception room, and both Inko and Izuku were there, watching raptly as a news segment aired.

You caught a flash of policemen in uniform ushering several handcuffed workers out of a very familiar facility, before a reporter with slicked back hair and a studiedly neutral expression was pronouncing, “Local and federal authorities raided the Sunfish Cannery early this morning, following allegations of corporate fraud and the illegal release of hazardous chemicals into a nearby lagoon. Investigators say the company deliberately concealed the discharge of Formacide B, a regulated industrial preservative, into Musutafu Lagoon for at least a year.”

Your heartbeat quickened in your chest, and you could see the excitement pass through your colleagues as the reporter continued.

“According to filings made just this week, internal records suggest Sunfish executives falsified environmental compliance reports and bypassed required treatment systems to cut costs. The chemical, which can cause severe ecological damage, was allegedly released through an unregistered outflow pipe hidden beneath the facility’s processing floor.”

The segment drifted towards a close with b-roll of the cannery, and a squadron of police cars parked outside the facility, masked and hairnetted works being ushered into them. You caught sight of Ikeda being stuffed into a vehicle alongside them, looking mutinous, and couldn’t suppress a victorious grin.

Served him right.

You were so busy gloating over his arrest that Yu’s tackle caught you off guard, and it was only Izuku catching the both of you that stopped her from sending you right to the floor.

“Their timing couldn’t be better!” Yu squealed into your hair, squeezing you until you thought your eye might pop out of their sockets. You could feel Izuku gently trying to push you both back onto your feet, but Yu didn’t seem to be paying your stability any mind.

“They just sent in your offer a few minutes ago, too!” she said. “Two birds in one fell swoop!”

“That is not the saying,” Kamui intoned from somewhere beyond Yu’s mass of blonde hair. You almost missed it as Yu squealed again, completely disregarding him, and put her fist to your head, giving you a fond—if terribly painful—noogie.

“Congrats, kid!” she said, as your mouth yanked itself between a wince and an enormous smile.

“An employment offer?” you asked, hardly daring to believe it.

“Yeah! It’s in my inbox, we can look it over together in a minute before you sign,” Yu said. “They’re stationing you here for another six months with coverage of your housing and food expenses while the whole team monitors clean up. They will reevaluate the need for an extension in six months depending on clean up progress and contract negotiations with Yuuei local government.”

Your heart pounded. An offer! And six months guaranteed more on the island, which was more than enough time for you to get your MPA proposal through the pipeline as well.

You felt like your feet were leaving the floor—and not just because Death Arms had suddenly picked both you and Yu up in a congratulatory hug.

“You did good, kid,” he told you. “And welcome officially to the team.”

You couldn’t stop smiling as you thanked him, and accepted congratulations from Kamui and Masaki, as well as from Inko and Izuku. Inko also immediately insisted on making something for a celebratory dinner, and dispatched Izuku to town to pick up the requisite groceries.

Then Yu disappeared back to her room for her laptop, reappearing with a bottle of champagne from somewhere as well. Kamui rolled his eyes as she popped it right in the lounge, but accepted a glass as Inko helped Yu pour it into a variety of mismatched glasses and mugs. Inko blushed when Yu insisted she take a glass as well.

The wine was bubbly and bright, a perfect match for the feeling in your chest. You were flush with success as Yu propped open her laptop and helped you read through the employment contract and package, explaining some of the terms to you. You were so pleased you didn’t even care to negotiate your salary—you immediately accepted, typing up your virtual signature, and sent off an acceptance within fifteen minutes of opening the offer.

You were going to get to stay here, on the island with Shouto, for many months more, with the lingering promise of forever, if you could get the MPA through. And you would get the MPA through, especially with Bakugou starting to help manipulate circumstances.

You had all you could want for, salary be damned.

The entire research crew did another toast when you finished, and you were all definitely on your way tipsy by the time Izuku made it back with groceries. Inko waved you out of reception and into the part of the building where she and Izuku lived.

At your insistence, she set you and Masaki to washing and chopping vegetables while Izuku set their tiny, cramped little table. Death Arms made himself as unobtrusive as a hulking monster of a man could make himself at the table, while Yu kept everyone’s glasses filled with champagne. Under Inko’s orders and practiced hand, a meal came together, and your whole crew stuffed themselves together at the table, thanking her for the food.

Dinner turned out to be katsudon for victory—with a steaming pile of rice and mound of perfectly seasoned vegetables. You shoveled back as much as you could handle, realizing you’d eaten less than you’d have preferred in your manic frenzy to get all the reporting and proposals in order. It tasted like that perfect blend of practiced technique and love that only someone’s mother could produce.

You were tingly from wine, good food, and pleasure by the time dinner wound down and everyone bid one another good night. You trooped dutifully out of Inko and Izuku’s house with the research crew, but charted a diverging path as the rest of them headed back towards the bungalows.

You followed the path straight down to the beach, the one place you’d wanted to run since you’d sent off your offer.

You stepped right into the water, the last of the sun’s fading rays kissing the waves red and purple as they lapped at your ankles. And then you kept on going, throwing yourself into the surf, paddling out farther into the ocean, knowing a certain merprince would sense you soon enough.

Shouto must have been waiting, as he appeared even more swiftly as you had accounted for. No sooner had your feet begun to lift off the sandy ocean floor than a pair of hands were catching you under your thighs, a red and white mop of hair popping up in the center of the reflexive circle your arms made.

You hugged Shouto around the shoulders, wrapping your legs around his waist.

“Shouto, I did it!” you said, catching a mouthful of salt water halfway through. Shouto turned his head to look at you, his nose brushing yours.

He was so gorgeous up close, pale skin perfect and sparkling with the sun’s last light. Water beaded off his long eyelashes, gathering in the corners of his full mouth. His hair was wet, fringe plastered against his forehead, and he smelled like salt. You thought you’d never seen anything more beautiful—and had never been happier to see a person in your life.

“Did what, love?” Shouto echoed curiously, mismatched eyes finding yours.

He, too, looked like he’d never been more pleased to see you, and his fingers curled tighter around your thighs, pulling you more firmly against him. It had been too long of a week, and you never wanted to go this long without seeing him again.

“All of it, I did all of it!” you said, grinning. “They shut down Sunfish this morning, arrested everyone for corporate fraud. And the government renewed their contract with my company so I can stay for cleanup, and maybe even beyond that, if I play my cards right. I don’t have to leave, and they’re going to fix your lagoon. And I’m going to keep you safe.”

Shouto’s pupils went slitted for a moment, growing long and unfathomably dark, before he intoned deeply, “You can stay.”

“I can stay,” you confirmed, reaching up a hand to yank at Shouto’s hair.

“You want to stay,” he said, watching you inhumanly closely. “You want to stay with me?”

You nodded, clinging to him tighter. “It doesn’t work the same for humans I know. But I think I can say with certainty that there will be no other, for me, too. I want to stay with you, for as long as you’ll have me. I just wanted to be sure I could promise that, before I came back to you.”

Shouto’s eyelashes fluttered, and he bit back a groan, before he was crushing his mouth to yours.

One hand came up to press you even harder against him, as his mouth lay claim to you. You let him kiss you, kissing him back just as hard. It excited and thrilled you, the palpable relief and euphoria in his kiss.

You could accept it now too that you felt exactly the same.

You had no idea how long Shouto kissed you for, losing yourself in his touch, the feeling of his perfect mouth over yours, the tease of his tongue and careful curling of his fingers into your hair.

It was full dark by the time Shouto let you free again, gasping for breath underneath the twinkling stars. You found that he’d maneuvered you to shore again, sand granules digging into your back. Shouto hovered over you, the scales of his tail pressed between your thighs.

And—to your surprise—the hard evidence of something else pressed between your thighs as well.

You couldn’t help but stare down between the two of you, where Shouto had apparently suddenly grown two appendages.

“Where the hell—?” you garbled out, blinking in the dim. You could just make out that they were speckled the same scarlet and white as his tail, and were intimidatingly long and full. “Is that—? Do you have two—? How did you—?”

Shouto kissed you again, flexing his hips so that the two appendages pressed enticingly against your core through your wet shorts. You let you in involuntary hiss, grabbing at his bicep for purchase. Fuck, that felt good.

“It does not have to happen now, the consummation,” Shouto said, and you flushed wildly. Well that confirmed what those were all about.

“It is simply—kissing you like that, knowing you want me too. I cannot help but feel it,” Shouto said in a low, indulgent tone.

“But… where did they even come from?” you couldn’t help but ask, mystified. You certainly would have noticed something—especially two somethings—as prominent as those attached to the front of the man you so desired.

You peered closer, noticing they protruded from a thin slit in his tail—something like a cloaca, and you would have been totally weirded out if you weren’t already so wild with desire for Shouto. You could think about that way, way later, when your brain was back online again.

“They only emerge when I am aroused,” Shouto informed you, in his typically straightforward manner. “And I am…quite, right now.”

Your ears went warm with the open acknowledgement, and you leaned up to kiss him again, relishing the feeling of all that damp, dense muscle over you. Shouto bent his head to you again, and kissed you back with equal fervor, sliding his cocks over the core of you again with deliberate slowness.

“You’re a menace,” you gasped into his mouth.

Shouto took the opportunity to slide his tongue in, flicking it against yours in a way that made you dizzy.

“We need not consummate tonight,” he said patiently, though the slow friction of him between your thighs told you any delay would not be owed to his objections.

You groaned with the feeling of him sliding over you again. “As if I’m going to wait longer when I had to wait a whole week.”

Shouto ground himself firmly into you for that one, a pleased sort of hissing noise escaping him too. When you looked back into his face, you found his pupils had gone slitted again. “Fuck, love.”

You let your hands wander up and down his shoulders and arms, tightening any time he slid back over you.

“With the consummation,” you asked, pausing for a quick intake of breath as he moved over you again. “Do I—both?”

Shouto nodded, his eyelashes fluttering closed at the thought. “Yesss,” he hissed again.

You nodded, all the neurons in your brain realigning themselves as you tried to figure out how this was going to work. “I’m not sure that I can fit…both in one place…” you said. But you also weren’t sure how it was going to work when you only had one spot that self-lubricated enough to make it feasible.

“How do we do this then, love?” Shouto asked you.

You thought for a minute, not liking the idea of pulling away from him. But there was really only one solution you could come up with.

“Can you wait just like, thirty minutes? And meet me on the boat just outside the port instead?” you asked. “If I can get to town they have uh, a grocery with something that—-will help.”

Shouto slid himself over you again as if in protest, a sweet frown curling his mouth. He looked reluctant to let you go.

“I of course would wait forever for you,” he said, however.

Your ears went hot again with the confession, somehow even more embarrassed by it than the insistent way he was rubbing himself between your legs.

You reluctantly maneuvered yourself out from under him, sand imprinting itself on your knees and elbows. “Well I don’t think I can wait forever. I think I might explode if we wait any longer. Meet me in thirty?” you asked.

Shouto nodded, watching you get to your feet and clamber back up the hill towards your bungalow.

Back inside you quickly shed your wet clothes, scattering sand everywhere, and yanked on a fresh set of shorts and a shirt. You hunted around for your wallet, tucking that and your room key and phone into your pocket, and then made a break for the port town, almost sprinting in your haste to get there.

Your face burned when you set down the bottle of lube at the check out, and the evening island breeze teased your hot cheeks as you emerged from the grocery. You hurried down the dock, spotting your boat tied up in one of the berths, and all but threw yourself in. You carefully maneuvered your way out into the dim, the headlight on, feeling slightly insane.

You weren’t far from the port when Shouto’s head popped out of the water, and he hauled himself up over the side of the boat, pulling himself into the chair next to you.

He greeted you with a low, warm, “Hello, love,” that made you tingle all over again.

You deliberately did not look to see if he was still bearing signs of his earlier arousal, though you did press yourself against one of his broad shoulders as he helped you steer the boat out into the open water. He guided you with that unearthly precision again, seeming always to know where and how to avoid the things your human eyes could not see in the dark.

He guided you out to the north of the island, barren of almost any residents, and helped you anchor the boat. It was quiet so far from port, the only sound the waves lapping at the sides of the boat, and your own nervous breath as you settled yourself into the backseat.

Shouto’s eyes tracked across you, flickering to your hand as you produced the bottle of lube, explaining what it was.

“It’s a lubricant. So that you can also—uh—in me—” you fumbled.

Shouto seemed to get the message, however, pulling himself up over you and bearing you down to the vinyl cushions. He kissed you again, thoroughly and unhurriedly, as if refamiliarizing himself after the entire half hour spent apart.

You found that he was still hard after all, just as flush and full against your hip as before. His hands came between your thighs, pulling them apart so he could settle himself back in between them.

Then clawed fingers skimmed up to your shirt, sliding their way beneath the fabric. Your heart fluttered as Shouto settled his hands over your breasts, kneading with no small hint of fascination on his handsome features.

“You are so soft, love,” Shouto said, sounding admiring. “I’ve always wanted to feel you here.”

Before you could reply, a clawed thumb pressed to your sternum, and suddenly the constraining clutch of your bra was gone. You gasped in indignation, rocking up, only to be thwarted by the roadblock of Shouto’s whole body over you.

“You just cut my bra in half!” you said, and Shouto looked a little too pleased with himself.

“I have long disliked it,” he pronounced, a pout pulling at his mouth.

You were cut off from answering him but the press of his thumbs over your nipples, and his own appreciative groan. He ducked his head, pressing his mouth to one breast over the fabric of your shirt.

“Humans and their clothes,” he complained, curling one hand up, and you saw what he was doing before he could manage it. You quickly grabbed a hold of your shirt, yanking it up over your head, away from his claws before they could tear it too.

“Stop ripping my clothes or I’ll be trapped out on this boat with you forever,” you told him.

Shouto groaned again, grinding himself into you, like he liked the thought of that too much to contain it.

“I should prefer that,” he told you, bending his head back to your breast. A hot tongue laved over your nipple, and the feeling made you forget to be annoyed with him. He sucked at one nipple and then the other, alternately playing with them in his long fingers, until you were squirming under him, making embarrassing noises that echoed out over the empty water.

“Shouto,” you cried, throwing your head back as he grazed the side of one nipple with a sharp canine.

He did something mind-bending with his tongue in answer, and you clutched at his shoulders, writhing.

It was only when you felt one of his hands skate back down to your shorts that you came back to yourself, hurriedly trying to rid yourself of them before he could mangle them too. You managed to save your shorts but not your underwear, and then Shouto was sliding down your body until his mouth met your cunt.

You almost flung your shorts over the side of the boat as you clutched desperately at the seats, moaning as his tongue filled you. He let out a pleased hum, sucking at the hood of you in a way that made your vision blur.

“You are way too good at this,” you accused him.

Shouto blinked at you, long and slow, his pupils fully slitted. “And you are far too delicious,” he replied.

That made you hot all over, which only worsened when you heard the bottle of lube uncap.

Then Shouto was putting two fingers to his mouth, and you watched in shock as he bit two of his claws off, until the nails were short as a human man’s. You felt yourself clench in arousal when you realized where those were going, feeling faint as Shouto drizzled the lube over his fingers, looking curious.

“You cannot fight or swim but I do like your human inventions,” he said.

“You’re going to kill me,” you muttered.

Shouto’s fingers slid down your cunt until they reached your ass, and your whole face flamed as he gently pressed one in, the lube easing its way.

It was slightly uncomfortable, and you shifted a bit, until a hot mouth sealed itself over your cunt again. Then you were thoroughly distracted by a delicate suck, the luxurious curl of a tongue over your clit. You found yourself panting and bucking against his mouth, sliding back on his finger, until another one carefully joined the first.

In minutes Shouto had you nearly crying, riding his fingers as he gently scissored them inside you, never letting up the distracting suction of his mouth over you.

“Please please—I’m ready, I’m ready!” you told him, sure that if you didn’t have him inside you in the next few minutes you would die.

“Are you sure, love?” Shouto asked, pressing the flat of his tongue over your clit, dragging it up agonizingly slow.

“Shouto, please, I need you so bad, please please,” you babbled, yanking at his arms, his hair, anything to pull him up over you again.

Shouto allowed it, kissing you on the mouth again. You felt him reach down, angling himself properly, and then he was sliding slowly into you.

He pressed into both holes, deliberate and torturous, until you wanted to wrap your ankles around his back and push him in. Even the strange, unfamiliarity of having both your cunt and your ass filled wasn’t enough to put you off of how much you wanted him, how much you thought you might lose your mind unless he was fully seated all the way inside you.

You were panting by the time his hips were flush with the bottoms of your thighs, and you moaned as he gently eased himself out, and then back in.

“Is this alright?” he asked.

You nodded, leaning up to kiss him again.

“So much more than alright,” you promised, flexing your own hips, trying to move yourself on him. “You feel—really good.”

Shouto looked pained at that, groaning low in his throat as he slid in and out of you again. “We are properly mated now,” he said, with no small amount of pleasure. “I will protect and care for you for the rest of my days.”

“And I you,” you promised, cringing at how breathy it came out. “Now I hope you will also promise to get on with it and fuck me the rest of your days—oh—too.”

Shouto laughed, a white half-moon flash in the dark. And then obliged you, picking up his pace, fucking in and out of you, pressing a hand to your stomach to hold you where he wanted you.

You let him fuck you, squirming and writhing beneath him with delight, a senseless, relentless pleasure building up inside you. He made you feel so unbearably full, in a way that you had never, ever imagined, and it made every sensation a thousand times hotter.

“Mine,” Shouto panted as he fucked you, the tiniest hint of a growl in his voice. “My mate, mine mine mine.”

“And you’re mine,” you said, clenching when that made him fuck you even harder, the pace of his thrusts becoming frenzied, uneven.

“Ah—love, you’re mine,” he hissed, pressing his thumb over your clit with one particularly forceful thrust. Your skin suddenly felt too tight for your body, your nerve endings on fire, his thumb on your clit an awful, torturous, incredible point of pleasure.

You bucked helplessly beneath him, chased towards your own inevitable climax. Shouto’s thumb petted carefully over you as his two cocks drove into you. It felt like too much, not enough, everything all at once—and suddenly you were screaming his name, curling up into him as you came, clench down onto him in your ass and your cunt.

Shouto fucked you through it, looking dazed, until the pace of his thrusts became faster, sloppier, almost desperate. Then he seized up over you, claws tearing through the seat beside your head, and moaned so pretty and sweet and deep as he came too.

He collapsed over to you, sweat and seawater slicking your chests together. You caught your breath together, running your hands absently over him as he mouthed at your throat. Neither of you moved for a long time, listening to each other breathe, the waves swirl gently at the sides of your boat.

“I’ve dreamed of this, since the first day I sensed you in my waters,” Shouto said finally, his voice a deep hum you felt in your own throat.

“And to think I almost clobbered you with an oar. I thought you wanted to eat me or something,” you said, laughing.

“Oh I did,” Shouto said, leaning up so you could see the handsome half-smirk that curled his plush mouth. “Though perhaps not in the way you were thinking.”

Your entire body went hot, and he groaned as you clutched around him again where he still lay inside you.

“You’re way smoother than should be allowed for a fish,” you told him.

Shouto looked smug. “What is it called when a fish catches a human instead?” he wondered.

You smiled, carding your fingers through his still-damp hair. “Mates, I think you said.”

Shouto’s eyes darkened, and he leaned back down to press a kiss to your mouth again. “Mates,” he echoed, and it sounded like a promise—-your whole future, laid bare and clear. “As long as we live.”

You grinned into the night, relishing the unexpected happiness you’d found for yourself.

You’d make sure it lasted for the rest of your lives, and that the island remained protected long after that.

Shouto was yours now—just as these waters were.

You would keep them safe and cared for, guarding what mattered most—something in the water worth saving.

And that's a wrap!! It took me over two years to finish this bad boy but we finally did it!! Thank you so much to anyone still reading this; thank you for your endless patience with me and your relentless love and support for this fic. I have truly treasured the time writing every single word of this fic, even if I've had to do it sooo slowly with everything ongoing in my life right now.

"it’s late" you said, your voice sounding thin against the steady drone of the rain.

"the schedule says 11:15" he replied without looking up. "it’s 11:23. the schedule doesn't mean anything when it rains. the roads down by the pier always flood first, and the drivers take the long way around. they do it every time, but they never change the ink on the sign"

he finally raised his head, his dark hair damp and clinging slightly to the side of his face. he looked exhausted, the kind of deep, quiet fatigue that comes from waiting for something you aren't even sure is coming anymore. between his fingers, he held a cheap, clear plastic umbrella, the ribs groaning slightly whenever a stronger gust of wind swept down the narrow alleyway. he wasn't holding it over himself; he had it tilted just enough to keep the spray off your sneakers.

you looked away, down the long stretch of gray asphalt. the streetlights were spaced too far apart here, leaving massive pockets of shadow between each pool of yellow light. it felt like standing at the edge of a map that hadn't finished rendering yet.

"you don't have to stay" you murmured, pulling your collar up against the chill. "the bus will get here eventually. or it won't. it doesn't matter."

eunseok didn't move. he just watched a drop of water travel down the curved plastic of the umbrella, pooling at the edge before dropping onto the toe of his shoe. "if i leave, you'll just sit on the curb until your clothes are soaked through. then you'll complain about the damp for three days"

"i don't do that"

"you do it every time" he said, his voice entirely flat, devoid of any real anger but heavy with a familiar, worn-out certainty. "you think if you stay quiet enough, the world will just forget you're standing here and leave you alone. it doesn't work like that."

the honesty of it stung, a sharp little nick against a spot that was already tender. things had been sliding sideways between you two for months—not with loud arguments or dramatic exits, but with a slow, agonizing accumulation of silence. you’d spend hours in the same room without exchanging a single word, the space between your chairs feeling wider than the ocean. you were both waiting for the other to say the thing that would either fix it or end it, but neither of you had the energy to start the fire.

the distant rumble of a heavy engine echoed from around the corner, the twin high beams of the bus cutting through the mist like searchlights. the yellow glare caught the wet pavement, turning everything a sudden, violent gold.

eunseok took his hands out of his pockets. his fingers were red from the cold.

as the bus rumbled to a halt, its brakes squealing a long, agonizing note, the folding doors groaned open. the interior of the bus was bright, sterile, and completely empty. the driver didn't even look down at the two of you, just stared blankly at the wet windshield, the wipers making a heavy creek-creek sound against the glass.

this was the moment where the script usually ended. you would get on, he would walk back to his apartment alone, and the distance would grow another few inches wider by morning.

you took a step toward the rubber-lined step of the bus.

before your foot could clear the curb you felt a sudden firm tug on the fabric of your sleeve.

eunseok hadn't reached for your hand—he never did when things were like this—but his fingers were bunched tightly into the thick nylon of your jacket cuff. his grip was surprisingly heavy, his knuckles pale against the dark material. he didn't pull you backward, but he held the fabric with a quiet, stubborn intensity that made it impossible to take another step forward without dragging his entire weight with you.

you stopped looking down at his hand then up at his face.

he was looking straight at the open door of the bus, his jaw set in a hard, rigid line. the yellow light from the cabin hit the side of his face, showing the slight dampness on his eyelashes and the quiet desperation he usually kept buried under three layers of indifference.

"don't" he said. the word was small, nearly swallowed by the sound of the bus engine, but it was the loudest thing he’d said all night.

"eunseok, the next one doesn't run until five in the morning"

"i know" his grip tightened slightly on your sleeve, wrinkling the fabric. "the diner down the street stays open until two. they have those terrible, greasy hash browns you always order when you're miserable."

you stared at him, the rain continuing to beat its steady, rhythmic pulse against the plastic canopy above your heads. the driver of the bus hit the pneumatic lever, and the doors began to hiss shut, the rubber seals meeting with a dull thud before the vehicle pulled away, its red taillights bleeding into the wet darkness until they were nothing but faint smudges in the fog.

but tonight, it's all about you. he's been teasing you all day about how he can't wait to show you just how much he adores every inch of your body.

you lie on the bed in nothing but lace panties, propped up on your elbows, watching him approach with that predatory yet reverent gaze. “god, baby,” he murmurs, voice low and husky, “you're a fucking goddess. been waiting for this the whole day,” he drops the towel, his cock already half-hard and thick, but he ignores it for now, crawling onto the bed with deliberate slowness.

his hands start at your ankles, strong fingers wrapping around them gently as he presses open-mouthed kisses along your calves. “these legs... i could spend hours between them,” he breathes, tongue flicking out to taste your skin. he works his way up, lips brushing the sensitive spot behind your knee, making you shiver. his breath fans over your thighs as he nuzzles closer, nose grazing the edge of your panties. “so soft, so perfect. you drive me insane.”

you part your legs instinctively, and he groans in appreciation, settling between them. his mouth latches onto your inner thigh, sucking hard enough to leave a mark—a claim of devotion. “mine to praise, mine to mark, mine to worship,” he says, eyes locking with yours as he hooks his fingers into your panties and tugs them down, exposing your pussy. it's already slick, aching for him, and he stares like it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. “look at this pretty cunt. wet and waiting for me.”

he dives in without hesitation, tongue flat and broad as he licks from your entrance to your clit in one long, slow stroke. you gasp, hips bucking, but he holds you steady with those gym-toned arms. “stay still, princess. let me savor you.” he laps at your folds, exploring every crease, humming in delight at your taste. his lips wrap around your clit, sucking gently at first, then with more pressure, tongue circling the swollen nub until you're moaning his name.

fingers join his mouth. two sliding into your heat, curling just right to stroke that spot that makes stars burst behind your eyelids. he pumps them slowly, deliberately, his free hand caressing your hip, thumb tracing circles. “you feel like heaven inside. so tight, so warm. i could eat this pussy all night.” he adds a third finger, stretching you, scissoring them while his tongue flicks relentlessly. your juices coat his chin, and he doesn't care, just keeps devouring you like a man on a mission to prove his love.

"oh.. god, channie don't stop."

your hands find his hair, tugging lightly, and he moans into you, the vibration sending jolts of pleasure up your spine. “that's it, pull me closer. use my mouth.” he sucks harder, fingers thrusting faster, building you up until your thighs tremble around his head. when you shatter, crying out as your pussy clenches around his digits, he drinks every drop, licking you through the aftershocks until you're boneless.

but he's not done. sungchan kisses his way up your stomach, then higher to your breasts. he cups one in his palm, kneading the soft flesh before taking your nipple into his mouth. he sucks greedily, teeth grazing the peak, while his hand pinches the other. “these tits... fuck, they're incredible. so full, so sensitive.” he lavishes attention on them, switching sides, leaving them shiny with his saliva and marked with faint bites. "wanna fucking knock you up so these would be full of milk."

“fuck, channie…”

"you like that princess? you wanna have my babies?"

you arch into him, craving more, and he smiles against your skin. “princess. tell me what you want next.” his cock throbs against your thigh, leaking pre-cum, but he waits, patient and adoring. “more…” you whisper, and he obliges, trailing kisses up to your throat, sucking on your pulse point while grinding subtly against you. “every part of you is perfection,” he whispers, nipping your earlobe. “i want to bury myself in you all the fucking time.”

pushing him onto his back, you straddle his waist, taking control for a moment. his eyes widen in awe as you guide his cock to your entrance, sinking down inch by inch. he fills you completely, stretching your walls, and you both groan at the sensation. “ride me, baby. show me how you take what's yours.” but even as you move, his hands roam your sides, thumbs brushing your ribs, then up to squeeze your breasts again.

you bounce on him, pussy gripping his length with every rise and fall, but he sits up suddenly, wrapping his arms around you to pull you flush against his chest. his mouth finds yours in a deep, passionate kiss, tongues tangling as he thrusts up into you. “i love you like this,” he pants between kisses. “taking my cock so well. you're my everything.” his hands slide to your ass, spreading your cheeks as he helps you grind down harder, his tip hitting deep.

"love this fucking ass."

the pace quickens, skin slapping, your clit rubbing against his pelvis with each roll of your hips. he breaks the kiss to bury his face in your neck, murmuring praises. “so beautiful when you fuck me. your pussy's milking me so good. cum for me again, let me feel you take my dick with that tight hole.” his words push you over, orgasm ripping through you, walls fluttering around him.

"good girl, my good fucking girl."

you didn’t even really like pc rooms , you barely played video games. however sohee and sungchan managed to drag you out of the house , straight to a pc room. “just a few games then we can go to the karaoke room.” he promised you before hand — so you agreed , so there you sat after dying rounds ago and no interest in playing anymore , watching them yell at the screen ( at each other or the game you don’t know ).

“i can’t believe i let you drag me here.” you spoke up. “i wanted to go to the karaoke room.” looking around the room , it was a private room with just the three of you. “i told you , we will.” sohee hands flew across the keyboard. “just let us finish this game , i promise.” sungchans eyes not leaving the screen. “shit!” you jumped as the younger boy slammed his hands on the table. “i fucking died.” snatching the headset off. “can we go now?”

“he’s still in the game , we have to wait.” sungchan was too immersed in the game to notice the boy had died , or your growing impatience. “you can wait a little longer, right?” his hand resting on your knees. “be a good girl.” lightly pinching your thigh , teasing. “look he’s almost done.” you leaned over looking at sungchans screen. “doesn’t look like it.” you said — sohees mind somewhere else , you were leaning over him , you low cut shirt giving him a clear view of your chest.

it was no secret between the three of you that both the boys had some sort of feelings for you , most people thinking your relationship with them was odd , you were aware they liked you — sometimes you even played into it , cheekily flirting with sungchan , or letting sohee touch you in not friendly ways; not going further than that. “there’s one round left.” sungchan finally said something after almost 20 minutes of hurling curse words at the computer. “just sit there and look pretty , sohee keep her entertained.”

“i could be entertained at the karaoke room.” sitting back in your seat , sohee smiled. “i’m here to keep you entertained.” you rolled your eyes. “how are you gonna keep me entertained?” his hand that you forgot was on your knee — now higher than before. “i have my ways.” he said , his hands still moving upwards. “sohee.” you warned , that boyish smile working on you like it always did. “live a little.” he said.

“sungchans right there.” you whispered , he shrugged. “please i doubt he’d mind , and he probably can’t hear.” you watch his hands disappear into your jeans , you bit down on your lip. “see i know you want it , always letting me touch you.” his fingers tracing the line of your clothed slit. “you’re so wet.” his fingers slipped inside you , you moaned. “oh? you must want him to hear.” your eyes going to the boy playing the game. “all he has do is turn his head.” he moved his fingers. “look to his side and he’ll see you making a mess on my fingers.”

his thumb circling your stiff clit. “he’d be so jealous , he wanted to be the one to touch you first.” his scissored your cunt open , your chest moving vastly up and down. “too bad , you’re gonna cum all over my fingers.” he leaned over , kissing behind your ear , your eyes closing as you felt your orgasm approaching. “i can feel you clenching my fingers , you wanna cum don’t you?” you nodded. “cum.” curling his fingers. “look at you making such a mess.” your eyes tightly shut as he fingered you through your orgasm. “fuck look at that so pretty.” you felt his fingers slip out of you , your eyes slowly opened , adjusting to the light —

making direct eye contact with sungchan , his headphones sitting on his neck. “sohee.” he said , literally catching the you as the boy was pulling his hands from your jeans. “i didn’t expect your fingers to be stuffed inside her when i said entertain her.” your face flushed , the younger boy shrugging like it was nothing. “it kept her quiet while you played didn’t it?”

“not when i could hear her moaning through the headset.” increasing your embarrassment. “i told you.” he scoffed. “you told him? that didn’t stop you did it?” his eyebrow lifted with his question. “both of you let’s go.” he stood up, turning the computers off , his face unreadable. “aren’t we supposed to be going to karaoke? you were so eager to go before this no?” the both of you looked at each other before standing up , he took in your appearance smirking. “fix your clothes , they probably already heard you , but you don’t want them see that you were fucked in here do you.” he wasn’t going to let it down , sohee smirked condescendingly , following the boy out , you pushed him. “this is your fault.” he shrugged. “is he mad?” you whispered. “mad? no. jealous and turned on? hell yeah.” he said. “walk faster.” sungchan didn’t even turn around.

the karaoke bar wasn’t that far , a walk down the street and you were walking into the building. “one room please.” he paid for it , taking back his card. “come one.” he said , the three of you following the worker down the hall , completely oblivious to the growing tension between the three of you as he guided you guys down to the room. “have a good time.” he walked away. “go on.” he said, opening the door , the three of you spilling into the room.

the tension was still there , but you still picked up the keyboard — you were serious when you said you wanted to come , the two boys watching you choose different songs , sohee eventually joining you in some songs; but sungchan? he just sat and watched the both of you jump around , more so screaming then singing for multiple songs non-stop. “yn?” sungchan called you turned around , he beckoned you over. “come take a break…” you sat the mic down , sitting on the couch. “sohee you can keep going.” he said , the boy didn’t even question it which made you wonder how he was always so controlling over the younger , and how the younger was always so compliant in his orders. “are you upset? because of what happened.”

“of course not,” he said. “i am a little jealous though.” he confessed , the music and sohee’s loud singing in the background. “why?” you asked , he rolled his eyes. “because i wanted you first , and he knew that.” he said , your cheeks flushing at the sudden confession. “normally he listen to everything i say.” that peaked your interest. “what does that mean?” he smiled teasingly. “don’t worry about that , i’m not mad though.” he said. “wish i could’ve seen the whole thing though.” rubbing his thighs — you were fighting demons to not look down at his lower half. “watching you cum around his fingers.” he stopped , groaning; the fire in you belly from the pc room re-igniting. “fuck i’m so hard.”

finally giving in your eyes fell to his lap , his hard on evident. he was already smirking when you looked up. “just can’t help yourself, can you?” his hand coming behind your neck , not locking you in place , just lightly stroking the lower part behind your ear. “was sohee not enough?” he hummed , the younger boy still singing , you couldn’t even tell if he knew what was going on and was just choosing to ignore it. “come closer.” he guided you slowly into a kiss , dragging his hand from your neck down your stomach to your waistband , his hands slipping into your jeans much like sohee. “already dripping , good.”

his fingers slipping inside you. “fingers slipped right in.” he smirked , his long slender fingers moved fast. “fuck i can you over the music.” he leaned whispering into you ear , his voice low making you even wetter. “fuck sungchan.” you moaned. “making such a mess on the couch , pussy is begging to be filled isn’t it?” you nodded , he smiled. “be a good girl.” he whispered , unbuckling his jeans , lifting his hips to feel his cock — he was big; his tip a blush pink color , already leaking. “touch it baby.” your hand wrapped around his base , moving your hand up and down. “fuck that’s it.” he groaned , leaning his head against the wall behind the coach. “just like that.”

sohee who was so immersed in singing , finally turned around realizing what was happening. “fuck put it in your mouth.” your body half way in his lap as you took him into your mouth. “shit!” he moaned out , sohee stood there watching his friend guide your head up and down on his dick , he felt his own getting hard. “fuck , stop watching and just get over here.” he dropped the mic , making his way over to the couch , sitting down. “get on your knees.” sinking down in between sungchan legs , taking him back into your mouth — the mics all abandoned as sohee freed himself , guiding your hand to his cock , your hand moving. “fu-fuck.”

sungchan hips bucked up into your mouth , pushing your head down; sohee using your hand , fucking into your fist. “good slut , keep sucking me like that.” sungchan running his hands through his hair. “fuck i’m gonna cum.” holding your head down , bucking into your mouth , your hand tighten around sohee making moan loudly — at least this room was semi-soundproof. “oh shit.” sungchan pushed your head down , holding it bucking , his cock twitching as he shot his load into the back of your throat , sohee letting out a loud moan as he came into your hand.

he let your head go , wiping the cum from your lips pushing it back into your mouth. “fuckkk good girl.” leaning down to kiss your swollen lips. “get up.” he pulled you into his lap , laying down on the couch so you were straddling him. “you can’t take both of us right?” sohee’s cock immediately getting hard at the thought of fucking you. “i know you can.” you took your pants off , re-straddling his waist , he slapped your ass. “fuck.” he pulled your panties to the side , his cock kissing your clit. “sit on it.”

both of you moaning, feeling him entering you , your cunt sucking him in. “such a tight cunt.” sohee’s cock was fully erected , his hands coming to your waist. “you ready?” you nodded. “pl-please.” you felt his cock stretching you open , he groaned from behind you as he stuffed himself alongside his bestfriend. “shit.” they both moved simultaneously , the music still playing , the sounds of your skin slapping together filling the room. “su-such a fucking slut.” sungchan groaned. “anyone could walk by and hearing you being fuck like a whore by your bestfriends.”

his hands gripping your waist as he moved his hips , sohee pounding you from the back. “i think -fuck- i think she likes that , her pussy clenched at that.” he groaned , slapping your ass , you moaned out. “she does , such a pretty slut , just ready to be fucked.” they both began to sped up , both taking turns hitting that spot that made you see stars. “oh fuck!” you screamed , sohee pulling your head back by your hair sungchan attacking your neck. “fuck i’m gonna cum.” you warned , your legs shaking as you squeezed them tight.

“oh fuck.” sohee groaned. “fuck , hold it.” slapping your ass. “sh-shit i’m almost there.” he groaned . sungchan hips not faltering as he felt his orgasm approaching. “want us to fill this pretty pussy up.” the elder spoke. “leave you leaking with our cum.” you nodded , tears streaming down your face due to the pleasure. “please , please cum inside me.”

“begging like a whore.” he said. “so-sohee , she wants to be filled up so bad let’s give it to her.” both of them grabbing at you as they sped up , moans filling the now quiet room due to the music shutting off , skin slapping; room smelling of sex. “shit.” sohee hilted his hips , cock twitching inside of you as he came , triggering your orgasm. “oh fuck fuck fuck!” you clenched tightly around them both , sungchan hissed , cumming soon after , pushing both their loads back into your cunt. “fuck!” he groaned , slowly thrusting his hips riding out his high , before they both slipped out of you , your arms and legs feeling like jelly.

“fuck someone definitely heard that.” sohee said , helping you clean up. “we’re gonna get banned.” both of you lowkey panicking , sungchan being the one who was calm like always. “just don’t look them in the eye.” the two of you turned to him. “what , if i’m embarrassed with something , i just don’t look anyone in the eye.” he shrugged. “that’s gonna have to do because i need to shower.” you said , sungchan reaching over to wipe your face. “see now they won’t notice.” he smiled , you rolled your eyes. “come on.” you said. “head down and walk fast.”

safe to say none of you went back to that karaoke room… but you surely did fool around much more after..

YOU MET RYUJIN AT A PARTY you weren’t even supposed to be at.

someone’s rooftop. cheap tequila. hot smoke and hotter girls. she had a blunt tucked behind her ear and some chick pressed into her side like an accessory. didn’t even look at her when she laughed.

you said her taste in music sucked.

she said you looked better pissed off.

you ended up in the bathroom, dress bunched around your hips, her hand between your legs, her palm slapped over your mouth so no one could hear you moan.

that should’ve been it.

but then she started calling. not a lot. just enough to fuck you up.

sometimes she showed up at your door. sometimes you showed up at hers. no rules, no pillow talk.

now it’s been… weeks? months? you’ve stopped counting.

you don’t date. you rarely cuddle. you don’t text each other good morning.

but you always answer when she calls.

tonight, you didn’t expect to see her.

you came out with aeri and ning. it was just drinks, just dancing, just to get your mind off everything. you had a new dress on. a red one you haven’t worn before. you told yourself it had nothing to do with her.

but she was here.

leaning against the bar like the place owed her something. talking to some girl with long legs and short patience. laughing like she meant it but touching like she didn’t.

she didn’t even look at you at first.

just took a sip of her drink, nodded along to the music, and acted like you weren’t standing ten feet away watching her press her hand against some girl’s hip like it was nothing.

you’re not together.

you’re not anything, actually. you’ve both made that clear.

but she knows your schedule. knows your favorite things. knows how you sound when you fall apart in her hands, even though she barely texts first.

and you know her tells, even the ones she thinks she hides.

like how her jaw ticks when she sees you dancing with someone else.

how she smirks like it’s funny.

how her fingers tighten around her glass until her knuckles go white.

you let her see you dance with someone else tonight. and when you catch her eyes, heavy and unreadable, like a challenge, you give her a smile.

but your drink was gone faster than you expected.

so was your patience.

you ended up in the parking lot. maybe to breathe. maybe to run. maybe to cry. you’d never admit to any of it.

and then you heard her voice behind you.

“that dress is new.”

you didn’t turn around.

“so’s your whore.”

she laughed. that low, throaty kind of laugh that made you hate how your skin reacted.

“she’s not my type.”

“right. your type’s anyone who’ll open their legs.”

that made her walk closer.

you felt her behind you before she touched you. cold fingers at your elbow, then lower. bolder.

“get in the car.”

you should’ve said no. but your legs were already moving.

the car door slams shut behind you.

she kisses you hard. messy. like it’s punishment.

your back hits the passenger seat. she pulls you onto her lap before you can think twice — firm hands gripping your waist, thumbs pressing into skin like a warning.

your dress rides up. her fingers slip under it without hesitation.

you moan but she swallows it.

her mouth moves to your neck, tongue dragging along the curve as your hips roll into her.

“thought you didn’t miss me.” she murmurs.

you lean back enough to look at her, panting.

“i don’t.”

she smirks.

“liar.”

your lips crash again, rough and desperate.

it’s just friction and heat. no love.

just the way her thigh feels between yours and the way you grind down like you need to break something.

then her phone lights up.

you don’t even mean to look. but it’s right there.

yeji

“still coming over?”

your body stills. her hands don’t.

“ignore it.” she says, mouth on your collarbone.

you grabbed her wrist. shoved it away.

“don’t fucking touch me.”

she freezes. blinks once. then laughs like she can’t believe you have the nerve.

“you’re always so dramatic.”

you slide off her lap with a scoff, yanking your dress down, jaw locked.

“and you’re always so desperate.”

her brows lift.

“for you?”

you smile without warmth.

“please. you’ve been eye fucking the whole club. yeji just happened to text first.”

her smile fades.

“you’re real mouthy for someone who was about to cum on my leg.”

“and you’re real cocky for someone who hasn’t made me cum since april.”

the air thickens and her nostrils flare.

“watch your fucking mouth.”

“why? gonna shut me up with those lazy ass fingers?”

you don’t even see her move. just feel it. the way she grabs your throat and forces you back into the seat, body caged in by hers, breath hot.

“you wanna talk shit? let’s talk.”

you grinned, eyes gleaming.

“go ahead. show me how weak you really are.”

she yanks your legs open and slides her hand between them like she’s been waiting to do it all night, fingers fucking into you like she wants to leave bruises where no one else can see.

you cried out, head slamming into the seat.

“fucking pathetic. were you like this in the club? dripping all over someone else?” she mutters, dragging her lips down your neck.

“at least they would’ve finished the job.”

she stills and you smirk.

“what? hit a nerve?”

she rammed her fingers deeper and you choked on your moan.

her palm moved against your clit, fast and rough, and your whole body jerked.

“this lazy enough for you?” she hissed.

“still kinda— fuck—”

she slapped your thigh.

“run that mouth again.”

“you like it when i do.”

she lets out a laugh but doesn’t deny it. her grip tightens. she curls her fingers just right and watches your little attitude break in real time.

“that’s better. you’re prettier when you shut the fuck up.” she mutters.

you shudder, chest heaving, thighs trembling.

“fuck—”

she bites your neck.

“what was that? couldn’t hear you over how wet you are.”

you hate her. hate how she knows your body too well. hate how she fucks you like no one else could. hate how your body betrays you. hate that you were already close.

“say it. say you’re mine.” she hummed.

you moaned instead.

she sped up.

“fucking slut.”

you came with a sob, thighs shaking, nails dragging down her chest.

she didn’t stop. didn’t let you breathe. kept going until you whimpered her name like it hurt.

then she pulled her fingers out slowly and sucked them clean, eyes never leaving yours.

“say some dumb shit again. see what happens.” she murmured.

you glared at her, lips swollen, chest still moving up and down.

“you gonna fuck the attitude out of me?”

she leaned in, tongue dragging across your bottom lip.

“you’ll see.”

and you did. every fucking time.