Mishiawoo

There's something about the soft lilt of your voice that makes him feel ashamed to even speak in your presence. There's something about your enticing eyes that makes him stutter and stumble with his own words, his grammar-police persona flying out the window. There's something about the sure sway of your hips that makes him want to avert his gaze and look more all the same time; like something sinful he shouldn't want but crave for anyway.

You're the kind of woman that makes Sim Jaeyun nervous.

Park Jongseong's cousin from the States that always comes to visit for summer, with that bold show of your body that'll usually often get frowned upon in his neighbourhood, that honey tint of your skin that's far from the local society's beauty standard. You're upfront and so unapologetically you, something he admires and makes him overly conscious if his hair looks nice or not.

It's another summer and you're here again. You're always a welcome addition to their annual trip to Jay's beach house, a road trip that's usually joined by the other five plus you and him. But this year, Nishimura Riki had a last minute decision to cancel his flight to Japan and opted to spend the summer with them instead of with his family.

Which leaves all of you with no space for one person inside Jay's SUV.

"I call dibs on the rear seats," Heeseung says before anyone gets the chance to and disappears into the car. Riki opens his mouth, about to follow the eldest of the group, when Jungwon shoots him a sharp look and blocks his way with his hand.

"No, Riki. You're not getting a seat."

Riki's face morphs into horror. "What?! Am I excluded from this trip?"

"You cancelled your flight this morning. You were never included in the trip."

Seeing the look of hurt on his face, Sunoo actually takes pity on Riki. Peering inside, the blonde mumbles with a pout when he sees a small ice box sitting beside Heeseung. "Surely we can squeeze him into the rear seat, right…?"

"All of his six-feet-one ass? I'd like to see you try, Sunoo hyung." Jungwon shakes his head. He leans on the passenger door, already the assigned co-pilot of the car, in charge of Spotify playlist and Waze and moral support to his Jay hyung. "Either one of you sits in another's lap, or we can Uber Riki to the beach house."

Hearing that, Riki immediately throws his hands. "It's a two-hour drive, hyung, I might just be paying for the Uber's car loan! It's gonna be so expensive!"

"If you can afford cancelling your flight with no refunds, then I think you can afford an Uber to Sokcho."

Riki whips his head to his Sunoo and Jake hyung, jutting out his lips in a pout that's borderline pitiful. Jake mirrors his expression, not really having the power to go against Jungwon's verdict—as if anybody could. Jake pities him, really, but it's Yang Jungwon. There's a whole menace behind those cute dimples and boba eyes.

Beside him, Sunghoon lets out a long sigh. "Then one of us will have to sit in another's lap."

It's an option that has everybody darting their eyes around, afraid that any eye contact with Jungwon will make them become the sacrificial thighs for the two-hour road trip. They're all men packed with mass and muscles, a result of a gym routine that unexpectedly becomes a problem today. Each of them at least weighs one hundred-forty pounds. Jake's sure that if he was chosen, he'd lose his legs by the time they exit Seoul.

Just in time, a loud thud is heard from the car boot. You and Jay walk into the scene, just having finished loading all of their stuff into the car. Jake adjusts his glasses instinctively, unknowingly fixing his appearence when his eyes land on you.

You've abandoned your cardigan, now only wearing a yellow camisole top that only reaches your belly button and a pair of jeans shorts that ends at the bottom swell of your ass. Your outfit choice hides nothing about your figure—your perfect body that admittedly has always been on his mind.

Jake gulps and lets his eyes trail down to your legs. You're seriously one of the most beautiful and hottest girls he's ever seen, and unfortunately, he has a severe problem of having a crush on baddies who are completely out of his nerdy league. You're definitely one of them.

When he looks up, Jake almost faints when your gaze catches his eyes with an unreadable expression. He quickly averts his eyes, adjusting the thick black rims of his glasses that didn't need adjusting.

Did you notice him staring?

"Car seat problem?" Jay asks when he senses the tension among the boys, already foreseeing this issue the moment Riki told him that he was joining their road trip over the phone this morning. They hesitantly nod.

"So what's the solution?"

"Riki takes an Uber to Sokcho—"

"Which will cost him his tuition fees," Jay comments, ever the hyperbole-user.

"—Or someone has to sit in another's lap."

Judging from the expression on Jay's face, he, too, doesn't think it's a comfortable position to be sitting in on a two-hour road trip.

But apparently, someone thinks otherwise.

"Oh, then let's do that!" You pipe in, flashing them with your charming smile. "I don't mind doing it!"

There's an elephant silence that follows your statement. Upon seeing their gaped expression, your smile slowly dies down, unsure if you had said the right thing.

"…Or not."

"Or yes!" Riki interrupts, relief flooding his senses. His eyes lit up as he looks around at each one of his friends. "Guys, she's offered to sit in anyone's lap. We can do that, right?"

Jungwon narrows his eyes. "It's a two-hour drive."

Riki blinks nervously. "But noona wants it."

"Then let Y/N noona sit in your lap."

Now, there's a rosy blush blooming across Riki's cheeks. Jake frowns. Lucky bastard. "I-I mean—"

"Not him," you cut in, a small smile playing on your lips. Jake can feel the exact moment everyone holds their breath, as if the air pauses on its own accord and waits for the rest of your sentence. Either they're anticipating or dreading to be your exclusive seat in the car—he's not sure. He's certain that he's the former, but he's also certain you'd pick someone more your type—Sunghoon or Riki, who are loyal gym buddies that possess strong thighs for you to sit on—or even Heeseung who's abandoned his nap and is eavesdropping the conversation now.

He doesn't know why, but surely someone hot like you would pick someone just as hot, right? And hot in Sim Jaeyun's definition is someone who matches your confidence (not him), someone who has a good body and is not shy to show them (Jake thinks his body is nice, but he's also always wearing long-sleeves), or just anyone but him.

Jay pinches the bridge of his nose. "Then who?"

When your eyes meet Jake's, the brown-haired boy almost loses his breath.

A smile curves up your lips. Jake thinks he's hallucinating because there's no way you are smirking at him.

"With Jaeyun."

There's a ripple of gasps, disbelief and shock mixing with a hint of betrayal (no doubt from Riki). Jay's brow disappears behind his hair.

"Seriously, Y/N? You don't have to—Riki's rich enough to pay for the Uber."

Riki's protest is muffled when Jungwon pulls him into a chokehold and slaps a hand over his mouth. Jake wants to pity him, really, but this time he thinks he's the one who needs help because what do you mean? There's no way—

"I'm serious. Jaeyun-ah."

—Oh my fucking God. Jaeyun. Jaeyun. Who's Jaeyun? Who the fuck is Jaeyun?

Jake has a trouble hearing you over the loud roar of his blood, heart threatening to jump out of his throat. But he manages a small, airy, 'Hm?' when all eyes are on him.

You tilt your head slightly, eyes never letting go of his, holding him hostage in your gaze alone. This, paired with the way you call his government name—a name you prefer over Jake because 'it's cuter' (according to you, not him) when he first introduced himself to you four years ago, and Jake had let you because he could never say no to you—are the most perfect, never-before-seen formula to unravel the physics genius Sim Jaeyun.

Yeah. Jake is a goner. And will soon have a boner if no one stops you from picking him as today's sacrificial thighs.

"Can I sit with you, Jaeyunnie?"

Someone please say no. Someone please stop you. Someone please tell this Jaeyun to say no because—because why him? Is this some kind of a cliché ploy that popular girls do to play with men's feelings, especially a physics nerd like him? Because if it is, Jake hates to admit that he'd be a willing participant (even if it'd break his heart a little).

"Yes, sure," he squeaks, finally recognising that Jaeyun is his name. He's still trying to process that you chose him—not Sunghoon with his ridiculous broad shoulders, or Riki with his ridiculous long legs, or Heeseung with his ridiculous charm—but him, who's sweating buckets and dampening his armpits underneath his long-sleeved T-shirt. His glasses almost glide down his nose from how sticky it is.

"It's settled, then!" Sunoo claps once, already red and irritated from having to stand under the unforgiving sun for longer than necessary. "Jake hyung and Y/N will sit together. So I will be sitting with—"

"Me!"

"Me!"

Sunoo ignores Sunghoon and Riki, and walks straight to the rear seats. "With Heeseung hyung!"

Soon, there's shuffling and then everyone's already inside the car. Riki sits in the middle with a pout, a penalty for causing the minor disruption and losing rock-paper-scissors to Sunghoon and Jake. Sunghoon is happily humming to a song from the 80s, occassionally turning around to tease Sunoo who's been trying to join Heeseung in his mandatory road-trip nap. Jay and Jungwon have settled into their designated seats as the drivers of the day, already talking about the route they're taking and traffic condition. While Jake—well, he's preparing himself for the inevitable.

You're still standing by the door, overseeing the situation at hand, and Jake tries to ignore the way his cheeks burn under your weighted gaze.

"Can I sit now?" You softly ask. Jake hesitates a moment before nodding his head frantically.

"Y-Yes."

You, on the other hand, do not hesitate at all. Jake instinctively spreads his legs when you climb into the car, already aiming his lap as your throne for the next 120-minute of the ride. His senses heighten, overly aware of his friends' eyes watching his every move, and the soft scent of peach from your body wash that invades his nose when your weight finally settles on him.

In a split second, Jake goes from never daring to touch you to having you resting your ass comfortably on his clothed dick, thanks to a certain Japanese who's now queueing songs like he didn't just commit a fatal crime against his Aussie hyung.

His slightly longer thighs bracket your exposed ones in a hesitant cage, every point of your skin meeting his seems to burn through the fabric of his jeans. Your hair and neck are one breath away from his nose now, where he's inhaling lungfuls of peaches and creams and your vanilla-ish perfume, and Jake chooses to blink at the ceiling to avoid looking over your shoulders and possibly flashing himself with the swell of your chest under that thin camisole top. The already-cramped space feels even smaller, and Jake doesn't think he can breathe properly.

While at it, Jake hopes his prayers could break through the car roof and reach the heavens.

God, please have mercy on me and let my other head not have a brain of its own.

God answers him shortly in the form of you shifting around.

"You comfortable?" You ask innocently, adjusting yourself on his lap. Jake nearly inhales his tongue, feeling blood rush to his ears and south. A strangled noise escapes his throat instead.

"Mhm."

From the front, he can hear a snort coming from none other than Jay. "You sound constipated, dude."

'Try having a pretty girl sit on your dick then!', is what Jake wishes he could say to his friend, but he knows that this is more of a him-problem. Someone like Jay won't get flustered in this kind of situation—at least not as bad as he is, who doesn't even fucking know where to put his hands, hovering in the air like he's about to conduct a choral speaking.

So, Jake resorts to conveying his rage through the rearview mirror instead, hoping that his glare and frown are enough to make Jay feel bad. (They don't, Jay finds him cute instead).

Jungwon comes to save the day as he turns to the backseat. "Do you have everything with you?" All of them except Jake hum. He thinks he doesn't have his sanity anymore, but of course the younger boy pretends to ignore him.

Jungwon eyes each one of his friends, his gaze stopping longer at the sight of Jake gripping the leather seat, the white of his knuckles almost matching his face, and you smiling innocently at him. Jungwon badly wants to laugh.

Jake widens his eyes at Jungwon. Help me!

The younger boy gives him an indecipherable look before turning to face the front. "Alright. We're not turning back for you even if you forgot your PlayStation."

Jake wants to say that they might want to leave a certain Sim Jaeyun to save him from this misery, but all words are gone from his mind when the car starts forward with a sharp jolt. Your back meets his chest in a soft thud, punching air out of his lungs. Your ass pushes deeper into his lap and Jake nearly pierces the leather with his nails from how desperately hard he's gripping it.

"Oops, sorry!" Jay chimes from the driver seat, sounding far from sorry.

You straighten up and turn around, looking more sorry than your cousin. "You okay? Sorry about that, Jaeyunnie."

Oh, fuck. Please don't use that voice on him when he's one bump away from kissing your lips. You're so close it feels like you're breathing in the same air he exhales, so close he can see the faint, tiny freckles dusting your cheeks and the bridge of your nose.

"Yeah," he manages, voice hoarse like he's just swallowed a bucket of sand. "I'm okay."

There's a halt in your movement, like you're actually seeing him through the calm façade he's exuding. His breath catches when your eyes drop to his lips briefly, the bitten-red skin tingles under your heated gaze.

Then, after a moment, you smile at him so easily; as if the tension never existed, as if the pull was only one-sided.

"If you say so."

When he's met with your shiny hair again, Jake lets out a breath he unknowlingly held. Your voice fills up the space softly as you begin talking to Jungwon and Jay, all cheery and unrestrained while he's exerting mental training equivalent to physical labour of a building constructor to stop his dick from hardening every time you move.

He hears a snicker from his left and immediately meets with Riki's mischievous eyes. The younger boy mouths something that has Jake closing his eyes and leaning on the headrest in defeat.

'Don't get horny now, Jake hyung.'

Jake is worried that if it's not now, it'll be the next time Jay hits a bump.

Instead of a road bump, Jake's personal enemy turns out to be you.

Ten minutes in, everything is still going fine. Jake is still breathing, alive, and hasn't popped a boner that could traumatise you and get him banned from the car permanently. You also seem okay, still engrossed in a conversation with the cat-duo driving the car, talking about college and your winter trip to Japan.

For a moment, Jake selfishly thinks if his lap was that…sitable, seeing as you haven't shown any signs of discomfort yet. Or, to be fair, it has been barely ten minutes since they're en route, and though those minutes are enough to pull the others into a car nap, ten minutes feel like one round of orbit around the Sun when he has you sitting on his lap.

Jake can feel himself melt into the seat. Maybe this isn't so bad at all. Maybe he can make it to Sokcho without having to cut his dick off before anyone could see his hard-on. He just has to sit really quietly and will his mind to avoid teetering dangerous territory.

Yeap. Everything is fine.

Not until you decide to put your hands on his thighs.

Jake almost jolts at the contact, flexing his thighs instinctively when you place your perfectly manicured fingers on the surface of his jeans. It's a brief touch, one that can pass as accidental, but the lingering heat it leaves behind feels almost physical.

His eyes dart to the back of your head, trembling with nerves nearly frayed at the edges, gauging your reaction, and bites the bottom of his lips when you resume your conversation as if nothing happened. Or nothing really happened to you.

It's just a touch, for God's sake. Calm your dick down.

If a simple touch from you could unravel him this fast, what about other things? What if you hug him, or-or if you hold his hand, or—wait, is he wishing for other things to happen between you and him? (He does, but he knows that it won't happen.)

Jake gulps harshly and decides to enjoy the scenery instead. He stares hard out the window, so intense like he's memorising every species of the trees they pass by, mind lost in a whirlwind of horny thoughts clashing with rationality, when you do something again.

This time, it isn't an innocent touch on his thigh. It's an innocent move to hear Jungwon better. You lean forward, pushing your ass deeper into his lap simultaneously, offering your ear to Jungwon who seems to be sharing a secret about Jay. Jake's breath hitches and his hands almost come up to hold your waist, the friction sending heat through his body.

Fuck. He peels his eyes away from the window forcefully and follows down the dip of your spine to where your ass meets his crotch. Your position highlights the narrow of your waist and the width of your hips, all sinful curves that have him swallowing harder, something inside his pants threatening to stir alive. Jake closes his eyes.

Think of Jesus, Jake. Think of Layla. He absentmindedly fixes his glasses. Think of quantum physics. Think of—

"—Oh!" You squirm excitedly, round butt wiggling slightly against his cock. "Yes, I met her before!"

Jake hisses before he can stop himself, the sound serving like a knife cutting the conversation. You and Jungwon instantly turn to look at him, the latter wearing a mischievous expression when he sees the heat painting Jake's face red.

"Are you okay?" You prompt in concern, noticing how stiffly Jake is nodding at you.

"Y-Yeah. Good. I'm horgoony."

Freudian slip is gonna be the death of him.

Jay and Jungwon burst out laughing, catching the slip as fast as any dirty-minded man would. Jake's face turns a darker shade of red, avoiding your eyes whose brows now pinching in confusion.

"Horgoony?" You echo, pretty confident you have never heard of that strange word spoken before. Jake immediately shakes his head, panic creeping into his chest when Jungwon shows a sign of opening his mouth.

No! Do not let that orange cat speak! Jungwon only cares about his downfall!

"I feel horribly good! Yeah," Jake stammers, to hell with any logical reasoning. "Like, I feel good because we're on a road trip. But also kind of horrible because I get motion sickness sometimes."

Now that the string of the sentences has flowed out of his mouth, Jake thinks he is kind of making sense. Satisfaction blooms in his chest when you nod in understanding, because two conflicting emotions—feeling good and horrible—can exist simultaneously, right? Like the way he wants to push you from his lap and hide in the deepest part of the Sokcho forest forever but also craves to just grab your hips and pull you close and have his way with you—wait stop.

What a horrible, horny, nothing-good man you are, Sim Jaeyun.

"That does sound horrible." Jake snaps out of his thoughts when he registers your voice, nodding fervently to amplify the faux pity that he's just orchestrated.

You give him a sorry look, the one where it pulls the corners of your mouth down into a frown. Jake sighs in relief. You bought it. Thank God for his smart brain.

"Yeah. I think I'm just gonna take a nap," he adds, voice turning softer when you still look at him in concern. He feels a strange need to overexplain.

"Motion sickness happens because your eyes see one thing while your inner ears and muscles feel another. If I take a nap, it'll eliminate the visual stimuli that causes the conflict…" Jake trails off, catching himself before he could go on and on and on on why humans experience motion sickness, and possibly bore you to death. He shakes his head imperceptibly. "So—yeah. I should take a nap."

To his surprise, you only give him a warm smile. "I never knew that, Jaeyun. Then what's the correlation between motion sickness and playing your phone in a moving vehicle?"

Jake blinks behind his glasses, genuinely taken aback that you're actually listening instead of zoning out halfway through his rambling.

"Oh. Um." He clears his throat. "It's kind of the same concept. Your eyes are focused on something stationary—your phone—but your body still feels the movement of the car."

You hum softly, leaning back against him slightly, prompting him to continue. Jake immediately forgets how lungs work.

"S-So your brain gets confused because the signals don't match," he continues weakly. "Your eyes tell your brain you're sitting still, but your inner ears are like, 'No, we're moving.' It's like mixed signals, and our body doesn't like mixed signals."

His ears are warming up from how true the words are to the situation he's having with you.

"And right now you're seeing my stationary body while the car's moving," you continue with a subtle tilt of your mouth, "so you're nauseous and all dizzy now, right?"

Jake almost chokes to death. Did you know about his little problem? He blinks at you rapidly, hand itching to touch his glasses in a fit of nerves.

Oh my God. He's going to die. He's going to die and Jungwon will write 'Sim Jaeyun was a smart friend, died a horny man with a dick that never went down, a standing ovation to his contribution to Seoul National University' as his headstone epitaph. You know about it so Jake is going to die!

He stumbles with his own words. "I-I mean—It's actually—"

You give him a cheeky smile. "I'm just joking with you, Jaeyun. You're probably sick because you're having me on your lap like this."

You start digging into your front pocket, frowning when it's empty. Jake holds his breath when your hands move to your back pocket, looking for whatever it is that gets you so determined and his dick so excited whenever your finger brushes against his crotch. Jake is almost blue from not breathing.

He thinks this time he's really going to die.

"Found it!"

You offer your palm to him, where two mint candies sit idly on the soft surface. Jake's chest slowly feels lighter as air rushes in, no longer collapsing under the pressure of your searching hand accidentally brushing against him moments ago. He clears his throat.

You beam at him. "These will soothe your sickness, Jaeyunnie. Please take them."

Jake studies your face.

Do you know what you're doing to him? Was everything done on purpose, or are you really oblivious to everything?

He swallows and forces a nod, taking the candies from your palm, feeling a spark of electricity in his system when his fingers brush your skin.

"Thank you, Y/N."

You turn your back on him, resuming your conversation with Jungwon and Jay. All sweet and cotton candy, unaware of the turmoil he's going through. Jake stares at the candies in his hand, a mocking sign to his misery, and heaves out a quiet sigh. He glances at his wristwatch.

It feels like two world wars had happened but it's only been twenty minutes into the drive. An hour and forty minutes of horny torture remains for Sim Jaeyun to endure, and he's not sure if he's going to survive.

He slowly closes his eyes. Maybe sleep can help with horniness, too.

It does, but only for a moment, because Jake could swear he just blinked when you tap his shoulder a few times.

Jake blinks, half-groggy and half-alert. Did he have a wet dream of you and get hard in his unconsciousness? Is that why you woke him up?

But he's met with your apologetic face instead. "I'm sorry for waking you up," you whisper, trying not to wake other boys who are fast asleep. "But my back's sore. Can I lean on you for a moment?"

In a flash, all incoherent thoughts fly out the window. Guilt starts lodging in his chest as he realises—glancing at his watch—that you've been sitting straight for one hour. Before he knows it, Jake is already nodding at you, adjusting his seat to accommodate the new position.

"Y-Yes, you can."

God, he's such a loser. The word 'no' seems to disappear from his dictionary whenever you're around.

You reward him with an appreciative smile and waste no time to turn around and lean back softly on him. The moment your back touches his chest, Jake can feel his system kick start, a chemical reaction that he can never understand no matter how hard he studies Biology.

You physically relax into his chest. "This is so much better," you sigh, a dreamy smile on your face, resting your head in the crook of his neck. Then you tilt your head upwards to glance at him. "Is this okay for you?"

Jake hopes you can't feel how fast his heart is beating through the fabric of his shirt. The brown-haired boy nods wordlessly. "More than okay."

For a moment, you just stare at him, brilliant eyes holding his in a soft gaze. It's a silent minute full of everything unspoken, rendering him speechless and even more restless because no matter how smart he is, he could never decipher the meaning behind this look you're giving him. There's something you hide that he feels like he should know, like an open secret waiting for the right time for him to catch.

This time, Jake is even sure that you can hear his heartbeat.

Then, as if that moment never happened, you close your eyes and get comfortable.

"We should sleep, Jaeyun. Don't want you to get carsick again."

You nuzzle closer and Jake holds his breath, feeling the silky strands of your hair brushing against his jaw. His hands hover, not knowing where to land, though the pinch of your waist is where he wants to hold the most. Eventually, Jake settles on his thighs, watching the difference between his veiny hands and the smooth span of your thighs.

Is he still sleeping? Is he dreaming or are you really sleeping on his chest?

It seems that sitting in his lap really tired you out, because you're fast asleep in less than five minutes. The guilt in his chest amplifies at the sight of your closed eyes, breathing evening out as sleep overtakes your being. Jake bites his lips.

He's so shameless, napping to avoid getting turned on instead of caring for your being. He’s so horrible, worrying more about his hard-on than the fact that you’ve been uncomfortable for an hour. Jake wants to cry so bad.

Jake spends the rest of the ride watching you sleep. He fixes your hair when it falls over your face, tucking it behind your ear carefully, and then smiles to himself when he sees your pout. He blocks the sunlight with his hand when it's glaring on your skin through the window, not minding letting his hand redden from the harsh light. He instinctively holds your waist at a sharp turn, firm and secure, though he lets go just as fast as if it burns, afraid that it's not a touch you'd receive had you been conscious.

Other than the carnal desire he has suppressed for you, this road trip also makes him realise the depth of the feelings he actually harbours for you. He's so doomed. He's so doomed because in what universe would a hot, sweet, popular California girl like yourself, return back the feelings of a bland, studious, quiet Korean-Aussie boy like him?

In fictions. In another lifetime. But not in Sim Jaeyun's current universe right now.

However, the Sim Jaeyun in this universe also will never know peace.

Because just as he's getting comfortable with the you-watching routine that he just recently discovered, the road has another plan for him when Jay finally, and actually, hits a bump this time.

The first bump is a mild surprise. Jake gathers it's a small bump, one that Jay overlooks while getting excited over Bon Jovi playing on the rodeo. But the aftermath brings you settling deeper into him, pressing on him in a way that has his breath hitching. Jake holds your waist on instinct.

"Oh my God, I didn't see that," Jay mutters from the front.

Jake tries to steady his breath. That's…a shock. One that shatters the soft atmosphere he created while watching you, now replaced with the same tension he's been fighting the last hour.

Jake lets go of your waist when he assumes that it's just a one-time thing. But then the bump happens again, and instead of a solid, big one—it's shaky, like they're sliding through endless, tiny jagged rocks.

"Damn bro, this road needs fixing," Jay makes another commentary. He glances at the rearview mirror. "You good, Jake?"

Jake doesn't know what to answer. "I think I am," he mumbles, voice clipped.

Is it good that you're practically bouncing in his lap, adding more pressure with almost no interval for him to recover mentally? He thinks not. But Jay doesn't have to know that.

"We're almost there," Jungwon chimes in, navigating the map. There's a shakiness in his voice that comes from the vibration caused by the bumps. "Fifteen minutes at most. We found a shorter route just now and traffic was smooth."

Fifteen minutes.

Jake thinks he might actually die in fifteen minutes.

Another bump sends your body rocking against him softly, your sleeping face scrunching for a brief second before relaxing. His grip tightens.

Fuck.

If Jay doesn't stop the car and fix this damn road himself then he's definitely going to pop a boner soon.

Jake squeezes his eyes shut when another bump rattles through the car, and then again, and again, and again until Jake can barely separate one sensation from another anymore. Until he doesn't know where he starts and where you end anymore. You shift unconsciously, settling heavier against his chest before Jay hits another bump.

This time, Jake makes a mistake of looking down at you.

He didn't notice it before, too lost in his sappy, romantic feelings for you. But right now, it's actually so damn obvious that the angle from where he sits taller than you and you lean against him, he can easily see your cleavage past the neckline of your camisole.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

The road doesn't stop shaking beneath the tires, and so does his pulse as he watches your breasts bounce with every bump that comes their way. Jake averts his eyes, so stiff and so strained, but can't help letting his gaze drift back to watch the soft mounds shake.

This is bad. This is very, very bad, and Jake is nothing but a bad fucking pervert.

A particularly rough patch of road sends the entire car jolting. Your body bounces against him harder this time, more pressure and more friction that Jake almost whimpers. He tips his head back, gulping harshly as the line of his long neck glistens with a sheen of sweat.

Inside his jeans, he can feel his cock kick.

Oh, fuck—he's definitely hard now.

Oh my fucking God.

"This is the last one, promise!"

Jake doesn't even register Jay's words, or the way your head hits his jaw from impact, because his internal system is flooded with horny-filled panic. He can feel it: his dick twitching and getting semi-hard from the continuous stimulation from your bouncing. He doesn't even realise that he's now clawing at his own thighs, seeking strength that could neutralise his blooming lust, or that you are finally awake.

"Are we almost there?" You ask groggily, blissfully unaware of the raging boner forming under your ass. You sit up when the coastal view greets your blurry vision, mouth gaping in awe.

"Oh, wow!" You gasp, always excited to visit Sokcho no matter how many times you've been there. "It's beautiful as always!"

The road is smooth now, but Jake's final torture arrives in the form of you bouncing, excitedly and consciously, in his lap. You wiggle in enthusiasm, urging Jungwon to pass your phone that's been charging at the front to take some pictures and send it to the family groupchat.

"Jungwon, Jaeyun, look at those seagulls!"

Jake is seeing no seagulls. He's only seeing white hot, painful pleasure as you move in his lap, his brain dissolving into useless static. His fingers twitch, itching to grab your waist and force you to stay still, but you're so excited that he almost didn't have the heart to do it.

"Did you see that?" You lean to the window, and then shift happily when you spot kites in the sky. "We should do that too! Hey, Jay, do you think you can—"

Jake finally has had enough.

The restraint that he's been holding onto finally breaks like a taut wire getting cut. His hands snap to your waist, pulling you flush against his chest, hips almost bucking up from the delicious friction alone. His lips drop to the shell of your ears, hot, ragged breath brushing the sensitive skin as his voice lowers an octave.

"Y/N," Jake licks his dry lips, the tip of his tongue peeking through. He watches with dark eyes as the hair on your neck stands straight under his unforgiving proximity.

"Stop fucking moving."

And that's the moment you feel it.

A bulge, hard and rigid and big, poking your ass from where you rest in his lap.

Oh my fucking God.

Sim Jaeyun is hard.

You freeze, breath hitching.

Neither of you dare to move. Not even your excitement of being back to your uncle's beach house, or Jay's questioning look from where you cut your sentence, can bring you to move. No.

You couldn't, not when Jake's hard dick is nudging at you right now, so tangible and unmistakably his.

The brown-haired boy is still panting in your ear, shooting tingles through your system. His grip on your waist is almost bruising, like he's trying very, very hard to hold back from overstepping lines that shouldn't be overstepped.

You hadn't meant for this to happen. Sure, Jake is fun to tease. That boy is all broken words and nervous glances whenever you're in his proximity, and it can't be helped when he blushes prettily too.

You just can't stop yourself from seeking his attention in your own way, because aside from being a pretty boy, Jake is also such a sweetheart and so, so smart. And in an age where intellligence is a scarcity, you absolutely adore smart guys.

Especially the one who isn't condescending and is actually eager to help people like him.

So, really—you hadn't meant for this to happen. Offering to become the one without a seat is a decision you made when you consider yourself to be lighter than most of the guys, but offering to sit in Jake's lap is definitely a decision born from personal bias. You kind of knew what it would cause—seeing how stiff and awkward Jake had been—but you let it go halfway through when the soreness in your back outweighs your desire to tease.

Which has now brought you to this situation.

The car's still moving like nothing happened, and the boys are slowly stirring to life one by one. Everything is normal, except for the nails digging into your waist and the deep timbre in your ear.

You swallow harshly, not daring to move. Jake is so close, so close that you can feel every movement of his chest. You sit still in his hold, trying not to wince from how hard he's gripping your hips, and how hot you find the situation is.

His dick, despite no movement is being made, only hardens further. Jake gasps almost imperceptibly, almost matching the way your breath leaves your mouth when you notice, again, just how big he is.

Fuck. Fuck, that's so hot. Sim Jaeyun is so hot and you can feel yourself slowly getting turned on.

Without any warning, as if driven by an invisible force that urges to look at him, you finally turn around.

And Jake looks absolutely wrecked.

Beads of sweat dot on his forehead, the furrow of his eyebrows showing restraint and constraint. His lips are red from how hard he's biting them, and his previously clean, smooth glasses are now fogged up and hazy. His eyes, glazed over with tamed lust, lock into yours, half-lidded and dark.

A breath catches in your throat.

This is not the Jaeyun you know.

Or, more accurately, this is not the Jaeyun he usually shows.

This is another side of him, like seeing Jake wearing short-sleeves and showing his arms for the first time. Gone are his round, puppy eyes, now replaced with this narrowed, slit gaze that makes you shiver under his heated stare. He used to be so nervous around you, and you can feel that he's nervous now, too, but his pent-up sexual frustration seems to outweigh any rational daily-Jake thoughts.

This is still Sim Jaeyun. Just a different, never-before-seen side of Sim Jaeyun.

"Are we finally there?" Riki, the last one to awaken, stretches beside the two of you. You don't even notice that the car has pulled up into the driveway of Jay's ridiculously huge beach house from how piercing Jake's gaze is holding your eyes captive now.

Jake bites his lips, the fog in his head slowly clearing up now that the car has stopped. As if snapping out of a daze, he quickly maneuvers you into Riki's lap instead, showcasing his strength that he often hides. The latter yelps at the sudden weight and grabs your waist on instinct, before Jake darts out of the car without looking back.

"Sim Jaeyun! Bring your own fucking luggage!" Jay shouts from the car boot, but the brown-haired boy has already disappeared behind the door.

You sit, stunned in silence, still frozen and unable to speak. Not until Riki nudges at you, Heeseung and Sunoo impatiently asking the both of you to move so that they can get out.

"Are you okay, noona? Is hyung okay?"

You nod. You give the youngest a strained smile as you slowly move out of his lap and out of the car, careful not to start another war of hormones.

"We're okay."

The lie tastes bitter on your tongue.

Jake is avoiding you.

It's a foreseeable aftermath. It's inevitable. But it pains you regardless.

It gets to the point where he straight up refuses sitting next to you at dinner, which raises some eyebrows and teasing from the boys. But you know better.

He is deliberately avoiding you.

It frustrates you, really. Because every summer, it is your thing with Jake to sit in silence in the morning and read at the porch, enjoying the sunrise over wordless, comfortable silence. But now he purposely sleeps in, waking up later than usual, leaving you alone in the cold of dawn, your paperback copy of The Inheritance Games left untouched on your thighs.

At movie nights, he'll be the last one to join, just to see where you sit first to avoid being near you. He'll become extra quiet when you speak, acting like the floor is more interesting than your face, not even sparing you a glance.

And your patience is wearing thin. Almost thinner than the bikini you're wearing right now.

Fine. He can ignore you all he wants, act like he didn't just pop a boner after letting you sit in his lap. He can pretend like you never affected him, pretend like nothing happened, but one thing you know is that Jake could never betray his attraction for you.

So, be fucking it. You don't care if it's petty to pick the skimpiest bikini you own today, the one in hot pink that always contours the line of your cleavage, perfectly bunching up your tits and making them look rounder. The one that you know will drive Jake crazy from how bouncy your ass looks, basically confirmed when his eyes can't seem to stop trailing after you even after you dive into the pool.

You come to the surface with a gaping mouth, letting the water slide down the lines on your body, and make no show of hiding yourself from looking straight at Jake.

That coward has the nerves to look away after staring at you like a touch-deprived teenager.

"Is Sim Jaeyun single?"

The reason why you always agree to join the all-boys road trip is because it's not exactly all-boys. There are girls who live nearby. Girls you're acquainted with from how often you follow your cousin to his beach house every summer. Spoiled rich girls whose parents come from the same tax bracket as your and Jay's family.

And one of those girls is shamelessly checking Jake out now, hungry eyes drinking in the way his wet, long-sleeved shirt sticks to his torso, outlining the faint lines of his abdomen that he never shows. She's sitting on the edge of the pool, feet-dipping while you take a break from your swim.

You narrow your eyes, an ugly spark of jealousy blooming in your chest. You don't like the implication of the question, and you absolutely hate the way she's looking at him now.

"Don't even think about it."

Your neighbour only shrugs and continues her eye-fucking. "He's so my type. So nerdy, so smart. I wonder how he'll look like without the glasses?"

You will poke her eyes before she gets the chance to. "Use your own imagination," you hiss, almost bitter when you realise that you also have barely seen him without his glasses.

Jake has sensitive eyes that react badly to contact lenses, which explains his preference for thick glasses than going out without them. Even now, when everyone is fooling around Jay's enormous pool, his thick, black-rimmed glasses perch on the bridge of his tall nose—the nose you hope you can put into good use one day.

The girl only hums, half-listening to you. She sighs dreamily. "I can't believe that I have his number."

At this point, the jealousy has turned so ugly you're actually seeing green. Or red. Or whatever that Cortis song sounds like. "You have his number?"

She finally pays attention to you. "Yeap! I asked him yesterday. I don't know what I should say to start the conversation though," she pouts, glancing back at Jake who's now sitting on the side with Sunghoon, sipping on coconut water. "Should I ask him if I can join dinner at your house tonight?"

Jake gave his number to her?

You grit your teeth. The hurt has materialised into a knife, twisting in your chest in a sharp pain disguised in jealousy. So, while Jake's been avoiding you like a fucking plague, he's been spending his time giving away his number to any curious girl? He's been talking with other girls while leaving you with radio silence, one that you didn't deserve because it was him who popped that boner?!

You are the one who's supposed to ignore him—not the other way around!

What a fucking loser.

You can't stop the bitterness from leaking through your voice when you finally speak.

"It's me and Jay that you should ask—not Sim Jaeyun. And no, you cannot join dinner at my house tonight."

You leave her dumbfounded by the pool, seething in anger that the water on your skin could steam from the heat alone. You march to the slide doors, giving Jake and Sunghoon the nastiest side-eye you could ever give when the latter calls out to you, and slam the door behind.

Whatever. Or not whatever. Sim Jaeyun is a fucking pervert and a jerk and a coward, and stupidly hot while being so oblivious to how hot he actually is. Whatever! You don't care.

You don't care that he barely speaks a word to you. You don't care that he leaves any room you walk into. You don't care that he's flirting with other girls and giving away his number willingly when you had his on default for being Jay's younger cousin, and from Jay himself at that.

The corner of your eyes burn.

You wish you didn't care.

You're ignoring Jake.

Jake knows this the moment you no longer come to the porch to read. Instead, every morning is now spent in the garden with Jungwon, tending to Jay's mom's flowers. After, you'll brew some hibiscus tea that you pluck from the garden and share it with Sunoo and Riki.

And when he walks into the kitchen to get some food, you no longer meet his eyes, or save that apple that he knows you know he likes to eat for breakfast. You let Heeseung eat all of them! It's so—so unfair, because he likes apples and you know it!

It sends Jake to the end of a cliff. Why are you suddenly being like this?

His sanity is stretching thin as he tries to work his brain. Why the sudden change? Is it because of his silence? But he's just embarrassed to face you! Or—did you find out about it?

Genuine horror floods his mind when he thinks, oh no, you must've realised how disgusting he truly is. How dirty-minded and perverted he is, that every day he has to take cold showers three times a day whenever he catches a glimpse of you.

You in your sleepwear. You in your casual shirt. You in shorts.

You in bikini.

Jake has fallen out of any point of salvation, because God, could any man get this horny just from a mere look? In the back of his mind, he knows it's the image of you sitting in his lap that ignited the beginning of his undoing, but the continuous hard-on he gets whenever he's around you is definitely, entirely on him.

And Jake, oh so sweet Jake, doesn't dare touch himself to the thought of you. No. He'd rather leave his balls blue, take cold showers every morning, every evening, and every night, and let his dick go from standing tall like a national anthem was being played to becoming flaccid under the cold water without any action. He doesn't even have the guts to touch his own fucking dick, the guilt blocking him from doing anything to relieve himself.

So—did you find out about it? Because if you did, then Jake could understand the cold shoulders you're giving him.

But Jake is a mere man—maybe a bit perverted, and a bit too horny despite his image, so he couldn't stop himself from getting hard the moment he sees you walking into the living room in nothing but an oversized white tee that falls off your shoulder. He grabs the nearest cushion and places it on top of his crotch, blood already rushing south when he sees the strap of your black bra.

This is why he has to go to church sometimes; to balance everything out. Because Einstein never talked about the solution or formula to cure men's (Jake's) sexual desires that seem endless. And sexual desires that come from seeing a strap of a bra alone.

Whatever it is, Jake's soul has almost left his body, already tuning out of his surroundings. He doesn't even realise that Jay and Riki are wrestling for the TV remote, and accidentally sending said remote flying onto the floor just a few feet away from him.

He only comes to when you stand in front of him, back facing him, and bend over to pick up the remote.

You. Bend. Over. In. Front. Of. Him.

In a second, Jake has a full view of your ass. The shirt rides up slightly, revealing white shorts that stretches across the round flesh as you bend over to reach the remote and Jake feels like he's brought back to the car when he was fighting demons as you unintentionally ground his crotch with every movement.

His grip on the cushion tightens, head dizzy from the way you practically shove your butt in his face.

Jake releases a shaky exhale.

He can see the outline of your panties and wonders if it matches your black bra.

And he can see the outline of his doomed future if he stays in the living room any longer.

"Whose turn is it to pick the movie?" You casually ask, now straightening up as if you just didn't flash Jake with your perky ass.

"Jake hyung," Jungwon replies from the center of the long couch, carding his hand through Sunoo's silky hair, the blonde who's now laying down his head on his lap. "It's his turn."

Your face remains expressionless as you turn to the glasses boy. But instead of taking the remote from your hand, Jake stands up, avoiding eye contact and clutching the cushion tight over his crotch.

"I-I suddenly feel sick! Gonna skip tonight's movie, bye!"

Then he flees the living room, leaving behind six confused men and one very angry, very upset girl.

Jake thinks he deserves a medal for surviving the living room.

Or perhaps an exorcism.

The moment his bedroom door clicks shut behind him, Jake drops the cushion onto the floor and drags both hands down his face with a groan. His glasses nearly fall off his nose in the process.

What the fuck is wrong with him?

He paces once across the room, then twice.

Outside, he can still hear the muffled sounds of the movie downstairs—Riki yelling dramatically at a character, Sunoo complaining about spoilers, Jay laughing too loudly. Normal sounds. Normal people.

Meanwhile Jake feels like he's one accidental glimpse of your shoulder away from committing a crime.

His eyes squeeze shut.

That white shirt.

The black bra strap.

The way you bent over in front of him so casually, completely unaware that Jake nearly ascended right there on Jay's living room couch.

"Fuck," he whispers weakly to himself.

Jake drops onto the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees.

Maybe he should take another cold shower. That would make four today.

"I should sleep," he mutters to himself, breath shaky. "S-Sleep can help with motion sickness and horniness."

With a newfound resolution, he turns off the lamp and settles under the blanket. His movement is stiff and awkward, overly aware of the tent straining his shorts. Once he pulls the blanket over his chest, Jake closes his eyes, forcing sleep into his system.

Only, the image of you swimming in your hot pink bikini flashes behind his eyelids.

"No, stop. Not that," he whispers, brows scrunching in protest. He shakes his head, as if physically removing the image away, and tries again.

This time, the image of you in his lap comes back, stripped down to heated skin and soft breaths, your body moving against his in ways that make his stomach twist.

His eyes fly open. The image is so clear and vivid, thanks to his photographic memory and insane imagination—the very thing that's been saving him in the academic department now serving as the tool that brings him to his downfall.

His cock twitches involuntarily.

"N-No," he pants, chest moving rapidly. He grips the edge of the blanket, knuckles turning white. "I—Stop—"

Then he remembers just now: you bent over, giving him a delicious access to his ass-shaped sufferings, and Jake almost whimpers from the flashback alone.

The room rises in temperature, the air conditioner doing nothing to tone down the feverish lust spreading through his body. Jake finally relents and discards the blanket, glasses all fogged up as he stares at the bulge under his shorts.

"I'm sorry," he whimpers, slipping off his shorts and boxers until they bunch up around his knees. "I'm so fucking sorry."

His cock springs free, standing tall in the dimness of his room. The tip glistens, already drooling with precum that shows no sign of stopping. With shaky hands, hesitance still edging around his lust, Jake finaly touches himself.

He has to bite down hard on his lips to muffle the sound threatening to escape. His hand stutters, the feeling of finally rubbing some relief after days of holding back comes crashing down on him. His head spins from how heavy his cock is in his hold, veins protuding like they're going to combust.

He slowly starts moving his hand, lathering up precum to ease the glide. His head tips back, a strangled sound catches behind his throat.

"Oh, God," his head spins, sparks of lust bursting at the tip of his fingers. "Oh, fuck—"

Through his hazy gaze of the blurry lenses, Jake tightens his grip slightly. A moan escapes his lips at the force, his cock only getting heavier in his hand. He plays with the mushroom tip of his dick, thumbing the slit and hissing when it sends pleasure up his spine.

"Ngh—" his eyes squeeze shut, brain putting up pieces of his memory of you. His body jerks when the rough pad of his thumb touches the underside of his cock, and as if on cue, the image of your jiggly breasts inside the car flashes behind his closed eyes.

"Fuck—Y/N," Jake sobs, picking up his pace. His wrist turns and flicks, biceps flexing hard at the speed he's going. Guilt starts accumulating inside his chest the more he thinks of you, of your voice, of your gaze, of your scent—but guilt isn't enough to stop Jake from chasing his own release.

"'So sorry," he chokes, letting go of his bottom lip, bitten-red and swollen. He imagines it was your hand instead of his, smaller and softer, with those manicured nails that he loves so much. How tiny your hand would look around his hard dick, trying to grip his length in its fully erect state.

Jake isn't inexpereinced. He's had his own fair share of sexcapades with a few people, and he's always been told that he's bigger than average. The big dick that he hides under his pants, further concealed by his nervous persona that only certain girls find cute.

But seeing his state right now, Jake thinks he's the furthest thing from cute.

He's pathetic.

Pathetic and gross and disgusting, feeling bad for jerking off to the thoughts of you but still unable to retract his hand and stop. The sound of his cries that he fails to hide fills up the space, and for the first time in days he's very glad that he won paper-rock-scissors during room assignment.

"Oh, Y/N, Y/N, Y/N," he chants, mouth gaping open when he can feel himself close. His wrist is already tired and numb from the relentless pace he's set, the slick sound of his sinful act matching the roar of his blood rushing in his ears.

"Please, please, 'm gonna cum," he sobs, tears prickling at the corner of his eyes. His hips lift off the mattress. "Please—"

"Do not fucking cum, Sim Jaeyun."

Jake's entire body locks up.

His wrist stills immediately, pleasure crashing into horror so fast it makes his stomach twist. For a second, he genuinely thinks his heart stops beating.

The room goes dead silent except for his ragged breathing.

Through fogged-up lenses and teary eyes, Jake stares at you standing by the door, unable to process the fact that you're actually here.

That you heard him.

That you saw him.

Oh my fucking God.

His hand jerks away from himself like he’s been burned, chest heaving violently as he scrambles to sit up straighter. The blanket tangles around his legs from how abruptly he moves.

"I—"

Nothing comes out.

Jake has never felt this level of humiliation before.

Not when he failed his chemistry olympiad in tenth grade. Not when he tripped in front of his entire lecture hall. Not even when Jungwon found his hidden Pokémon card collection at nineteen.

This is worse. So much worse.

Because it's you.

You, standing there in that oversized white shirt slipping off your shoulder again, eyes dark and unreadable as you look at him sprawled across the bed like something shameful.

Jake feels sick. His face burns so hot he thinks he might actually pass out.

"S-Sorry," he chokes out instinctively, because apologising is the only thing his brain knows how to do right now. "I didn't—I wasn't—I—"

His voice cracks miserably.

Jake is going to cry.

What should he even say in this situation? Sorry that you caught him jerking off to you? Sorry that he's such a nerd, such a loser that the only time he could talk smoothly with you was when he was defining what motion sickness was, but never had the courage to tell you how much he likes you and how much you affect me? Sorry that he's such a pervert that he thinks of you in positions way too inappropriate to be just friends?

The weight of his arousal sits heavy against his thigh, a testament to a newfound, lifelong embarrassment that he'll carry to his grave.

Jake squirms under your heated gaze, and quickly covers his crotch with his blanket when you slip into his bedroom wordlessly. The door clicks shut, the sound amplified by the heavy silence hanging in the air. His body tenses up.

Oh my God—he messed up, didn't he? Jake hangs his head low in shame, tears gathering along his lashlines.

"I'm sorry—I didn't mean to…"

His vision turns blurry. Fuck, you must hate him now.

"I-It's wrong—I know that—I'm sorry—ah!"

Jake looks up in surprise when your bold hand cups his erection. There's angry lines in your forehead, a sneer on your mouth, but the nasty look you're giving him does nothing to soothe down his arousal.

If anything, twisted as it is—it turns him on even more.

"Couldn't even look me in the eye downstairs," you begin, "but you here you are, jerking off to me like I wouldn't find out?"

The venom in your voice hurts him. You're being mean with your words, and it hurts his feelings but Jake couldn't care less. His mind is a messy jumbles of guilt and pleasure and shame, so all he does is cry and shake his head.

"I-I'm sorry, Y/N—"

"Are you really sorry?" you tighten your grip on his cock, one knee dipping into the mattress. "Your dick doesn't seem sorry though."

Jake wants to cry—oh, he's already crying. His hand curls into the sheets beneath him, unable to form coherent words when you start rocking the heel of your palm on his hard-on. The friction from the blanket and the pressure from your hand only spark electric pleasure through his system.

Within seconds, Jake is all hard again—even harder than before.

"Tell me, Jaeyunnie. Did all of this happen because I sat in your lap?"

Jake whimpers pathetically. You knew. Of course you knew. You're not only hot and pretty and kind, you're also smart like him, so in tune with your surroundings. You're a little mean right now, but it's okay because Jake believes that he deserves this after avoiding you without any explanation.

"Answer me, Sim Jaeyun."

"Yes," he croaks, shame burning his face red. His eyes screw shut. The admission sets his being on fire, skin flushed from embarrassment. "O-Oh, God, y-yes."

He cracks one eye open when you don't reply. Instead, he's met with your fiery gaze. The edges have softened with lust, like you're also affected by this, but you're good at keeping your control.

Unlike him, who's unraveling like a loose thread under your touch alone.

Jake almost whines when you retract your hand, but the sound is muffled with a gasp when you yank the blanket open. He instinctively closes his crotch area with his hands, but you're fast to slap his wrists away.

"I'm so pissed off, Jaeyun," you mutter, swinging your leg over his thighs so now you're straddling him. You fix him with your sharp eyes, hand finding his dick again.

"You've been acting like we're strangers and it hurts me so bad."

Jake's mouth hangs open as you gather his precum and start working your wrist around his cock. His brain barely registers your words, too lost in a cloud of lust, but when he finally processes it, he desperately shakes his head.

He wants to apologise again and again and again, because he is truly sorry—he didn't know how affected you were. How could he not, when you're always described as everything out of his league, but he's always described as everything that doesn't fit your type?

"I'm sorry, I was just—fuck—just ashamed—" he gasps, hips bucking into your touch. "Didn't mean to—t-to hurt y—ngh, Y/N, faster please."

You coo at him, feigning sympathy as you set a ruthless pace on his cock. Jake is big—something that isn't a surprise anymore since that day you sat in his lap—but the sheer size of him is enough to make your mouth water and your panties damp.

Damn these nerdy boys. Acting all shy and innocent when they have this monstrousity hiding behind those ugly glasses.

"Faster? You wanna cum, Jaeyunnie?" you tilt your head. Jake nods frantically. "I don't think you deserve it, though. Why not ask from those girls you gave your number to?"

Something sharp twists in his stomach. Jake's eyes fly open, almost cowering when you give him a distasteful look. He grabs your arms desperately and shakes his head.

"N-No! She asked me first—" you put more pressure and Jake damn near loses his mind. "—said she needs—help—w-with Physi—cs—"

You roll your eyes. It's that easy to fool him? Can't he see the way those girls fuck him with their eyes? Without waiting for his sentence to finish, you sink down and take him in your mouth.

"Oh, fuck!" Jake screams, accidentally thrusting up his hips. He bites his lips, glasses crooked on the bridge of his nose as you take him deeper, tracing the line of his veins with your sinful tongue. "Oh, Y/N—please."

You hum around his length, tongue swirling as you hollow your cheeks to deepen the suction. Jake nearly busts from that alone, mind melting into a puddle of your name, the wet heat of your mouth serving as a better pleasure than his own hand.

You start bobbing your head up and down, marveling in the way the weight of his dick sits on your tongue. He's so big that you're so close to choking, but you don't care. You need to remind Jake how stupid he's been acting and how stupid he is if he thinks that you were not just as attracted toward him.

Jake sobs into his hands, hips jerking with every touch of his tip hitting the back of your throat. His head is getting dizzier, he can feel the coil in his stomach getting tighter and he knows that anytime soon, he will come undone on your skillful tongue.

But just as he's about to reach that high, you let go of him with a pop.

"No!" Jake whines, tears sliding down his cheeks. You're so mean. "P-Please let me cum."

"Not yet, nerdy boy." You mutter, red lips slick with saliva and precum. Jake can only sob, dick throbbing in need and desperation.

This is the punishment he deserves for being a jerk. He knows that, but he can't seem to stop crying. God, he's so pathetic.

Then he feels movement on his thighs. He blinks through the foggy lenses and lets out a breathless moan when you lift up your shirt and shorts and discard them away, leaving you in nothing but a pair of bra and panties. His mouth starts salivating at the display of your beautiful body, and Jake swears he almost cums when he sees that you're indeed wearing black panties.

Oh, fuck. Fuckfuckfuck. Just as he imagined—God, you're so perfect he wants to kiss you.

But instead of a kiss, you push his at his chest instead. "Lie down."

And like the obedient puppy that he is, Jake follows your word, carefully descending his back onto the mattress. He's still sniffling from the previous denial, but now it's mixed with anticipation of what's to come when you hover above him.

You trace a gentle finger along the tall bridge of his nose, a barely-there touch that makes him shiver. With a slow tap on the tip of his nose, you finally speak.

"Did anyone ever ride your nose, Jaeyunnie?"

H-His nose?

Girls always compliment his nose, but he's never given it many thoughts as to why they did that. "N-No. Never."

There's a wicked smile on your face as you stand on your knees. Jake watches with a mouth gaping open as you make a show of shimmying down your panties, painfully and traitorously slowly that he almost rips it with his hand.

"Ah, what a shame," you sigh dreamily. "Guess I have to be the first one then."

Once your panties are out of the picture, Jake is instanly hit with a wave of your arousal. Your pussy glistens under the moonlight, soaked with slick and dripping with need. Jake inhales shakily, stopping himself from darting out his tongue to get a taste.

Fuck. He's sure he has actually died in the car and this is heaven because not even in his wildest dream did he get to have you like this.

Too lost in his reverie, Jake belatedly notices that you have removed his glasses. Despite your mean words and your mean actions, the caresses of your thumb on his cheeks are so gentle that he thinks he's hallucinating.

"You're so handsome, Jaeyun," you murmur. "But I bet you'll look better buried between my thighs."

You give him no time to recover from your crude words when you slowly move to straddle his head. Then, with a hand in his hair, you descend, letting the tip of his nose nudge at your clit.

And oh my fucking God—you smell so divine.

"Ah, Jaeyunnie," you moan, rocking your hips slowly to test the waters. "Your nose feels so good."

You sound even more divine. Jake's eyes roll to the back, savouring the way your sinful moans fall on his ears as you use his nose to get off. The bridge of his nose slides through your folds—wet and sticky and so sweet that he can't get enough of it.

Jake wraps his arms around your thighs to give you support, and another moan escapes your lips upon seeing his veiny arms around your supple skin. He stares at you through half-lidded eyes, groaning despite your cunt suffocating him, the vibration sending jolts of pleasure to your system.

"Ngh—Jaeyun—"

He can't breathe, and he can't hear properly from how hard you're clamping his head with your legs, but he can't deny that this is the best way to die. Being suffocated by your leaking pussy sounds like a dream death compared to dying in Jay's old SUV.

You keep your rhythm, rocking your hips back and forth, grinding your clit on his nose and dragging your folds on the tall bridge until the sharp tip of his nose catches at your hole. The grip you have in his hair hurts his scalp, but everything is worth the pain when Jake can watch you fall apart on his face, his own cock pulsing with a trembling need to cum.

"Ah—ah—Jaeyun oppa—"

Fuck. Fuck that sacred nickname.

The dynamics between you two often makes Jake forget the fact that he is indeed older than you. Coming from the States, it's uncommon for you to address people with such honorifics.

But right now, using that very honorific against him ignites something inside him; a carnal desire that's been thrumming low in his guts, waiting to be unleashed.

This time, Jake barely stops himself from stealing a taste. He darts out his tongue, prodding your hole with the tip, and hums in satisfaction when your stance falters slightly.

"Don't," you hiss, but there's no heat in it. Jake takes it as a sign to continue, licking more into your weeping cunt until your pace turns sloppy.

He doesn't care. You're probably gonna be so mad at him and punish him more, but whatever it is you have prepared can wait. Right now, Jake is having the best pussy of his life—barely breathing but still eating so, so fucking well.

"Jaeyun—stop—"

"No," Jake protests when you try to get up, pulling you down until the full weight of your body rests on his face.

Oh God, choking on pussy has never felt so good.

"Sim Jaeyun!" You squirm, feeling the stirring inside your belly getting wilder. Despite your weak attempts, your hips keeps grinding on his nose, showing no signs of stopping. You throw your head back.

You knew his nose would be the best thing to ride on, but hearing the slurps of your slick and his saliva—the sinful noises of him feasting on your cunt—makes you almost regret not letting him eat you out first.

"Ngh—Jaeyun—I'm close—"

Jake pulls your hips harder, letting you grind your clit on the tip of his nose as his tongue pushes into your hole mercilessly. You let out a high-pitched scream, muscles pulling tight at his ministrations. The double stimulations are fast pushing you over the edge.

Soon, white hot pleasure crashes into you, your vision turning black momentarily. It's so blurry and messy that you haven't realised that you've been screaming his name raw, hips unrelenting to chase the high. Jake swallows every drop of your sweet nectar, moaning into your spasming hole as he licks it clean.

Fuck. He's already desperate to have another round.

When you come down from your orgasm, hair matted to your forehead, you look down at him furiously.

"Let me go! I told you not to do it!" You attempt to sit up, but Jake doesn't let go, shaking his head with a pout. His nose and chin are drenched with your release, it's so sinful and filthy and you can't lie that you like seeing him so wrecked and fucked over like this.

"Can I have more? Please," he begs, kissing your inner thigh unhurriedly. He's already so addicted to the taste of you, Jake thinks he's gonna die if he doesn't have another fill. "I'll be so good to you, Y/N. Wanna eat you out so bad."

You grit your teeth, pushing away the temptation to save your pride. "No. Get up, Jaeyun."

But Jake is stubborn. He's so desperate to have more of you that he doesn't mind if he's leaving his own cock neglected and balls blue. "Please, I need it bad," he nudges at your pussy with his finger, pupils blown wide at the strings of sticky cum decorating your folds. "Fuck, please, Y/N, I want to eat you out."

"I said get up, Jaeyun."

"Y/N—"

"Jake."

The sharpness in your voice cuts through the haze instantly.

Jake stills immediately.

The desperation in his eyes flickers into something softer, more uncertain, like a scolded puppy finally realising he’s crossed a line. His grip on your thighs loosens at once, chest rising and falling hard beneath you.

The sound of his English name on your tongue feels foreign and almost painful, because it lacks the usual warmth and intimacy that your 'Jaeyun' usually holds. Yet, something inside him pulses harder, liking the change more than he'd like to admit.

“S-Sorry,” he whispers automatically, voice rough. “I just…”

He doesn’t even know how to explain it. How could he? That hearing you moan his name made him lose every coherent thought in his brain? That he’s spent days trying to stay away from you only to end up here, beneath you, completely ruined anyway?

You study him for a long moment before finally shifting off his face.

“Sit up.”

Jake obeys instantly.

The movement is clumsy and needy. His hair is a mess, lips swollen, face still flushed from lack of oxygen and desire. Without his glasses, his eyes look unbearably open like this—too honest, too vulnerable.

You cup his jaw gently, the touch losing its cruelty. Jake melts into it.

"There he is," you murmur softly, fixing his bangs that are obscuring his eyesight.

Jake can feel his heart stutter traitorously. This version of you—tender and sweet—a glimpse of the usual-you, is always more dangerous than any teasing.

Wordlessly, you tug at his shirt, and Jake obediently holds up his arms to let you peel away the fabric. Your eyes flick downward, amusement tugging at your lips.

"You know," you start, fingers trailing slowly down his sculpted chest, "for someone who acted terrified of touching me in the car…"

He groans softly, already embarrassed.

"…You were pretty damn desperate down there, Jaeyun."

His face burns hotter. Fine, he's just a touch-starved man, desperate for you in every way possible. But how could he not? Have you even looked at yourself?

"I-I can't help it…" His eyes drop to your lips. "You tasted so good."

A breathy chuckle escapes you, quiet and fond. But to Jake's ears, he's already hearing the wedding bells chime.

And suddenly the humiliation twisting in his chest eases into something warmer when you climb into his lap again, turning slowly until your back presses against his chest.

The exact same position. That fucking position in the car that has his mind on an endless frenzy that he thinks he was genuinely getting crazy.

Jake goes completely still beneath you.

“Oh,” you whisper, settling against him deliberately. “Now you’re quiet again?”

His hands hover uncertainly near your hips, like he still can’t believe he’s allowed to touch you.

“You’re mean,” he mumbles weakly against your shoulder. You laugh, one hand patting his hair as the other one aligning his neglected cock on your entrance.

"But I know you like it, Jaeyunnie."

At the same time you presses on the nickname, you sink onto his cock slowly, letting the bulbous head of his length spear you open.

The both of you moan simultaneously. Jake's hands find puchase on your waist, trying his best to stop from manhandling you to just fucking bounce on his dick and letting you adjust. You, on the other hand, let the stretch burn, your walls spasming to accommodate his length.

"S-So big," you stutter, taking him inch by inch. Jake drops his head on your shoulder, his own breathing ragged. "So—full—"

When he finally fits inside you to the brim, you let out a long, drawn-out moan. He fills you up so good that you can feel every vein against your walls, every pulse kissing your insides. It's a dizzying experience that prompts you to start moving your hips.

Jake’s fingers dig into your waist, trembling.

Not because he wants to stop you.

Because he’s trying so hard not to lose himself completely.

The position alone is enough to send him spiraling—your back against his chest, your body in his lap exactly like the car ride, except now there’s no seatbelt digging into his side, no boys teasing from the front seat, no restraint left between the two of you.

Just you and him.

And the devastating realisation that you wanted him too.

Jake lets out a broken sound against your shoulder when you move again, his forehead falling against your skin. His entire body feels feverish, overwhelmed by too much sensation and too many emotions crashing into him at once.

"Wasn't this what got you so hard, Jaeyunnie?" You pant between breathless moans. "Me in your lap, bouncing on your cock like this?"

"Ngh—" A strangled noise escapes his throat. Jake watches with bated breath as your hands find the clasp of your bra and finally let the two soft mounds free. Now, he badly wants you to turn around, eager to relive the scene of your bouncy breasts in Jay's car.

"Did you not—ah—crave this?"

You arch your back, pleasure tingling every nerves as his cock drags against your walls. Jake feels his dick throb inside your hole, the same position that ruined him now had him completely at your mercy.

"S-So tight," he whimpers, mouth falling open at the way you clench around his cock and roll your hips. "S-So fucking tight, Y/N, fuck."

Jake clings onto you desperately, bucking his hips to chase your movement. But you hold down a firm hand on his thigh, completely in charge.

"Don't," you warn, grinding down on him in a way that makes your ass ripple. "Or I'll get up and leave."

Jake freezes instantly.

The warning slices straight through him, sharp and effective. His hands tighten on your waist, but he forces his hips back against the mattress despite every instinct screaming at him to chase you harder.

“O-Okay,” he breathes quickly. “Okay. Sorry.”

God, he sounds wrecked.

You can feel the way his thighs tremble beneath yours, the strain in his breathing every time you move your hips slowly against him. Jake drops his forehead between your shoulder blades with a weak groan, like simply holding himself back is physically painful.

"I'm still mad at you," you murmur. You roll your hips again, faster this time, and Jake nearly whimpers into your shoulder. His jaw clenches so hard he might pop a vessel.

"Are you sure you're not the one—" you moan, your thighs burning from how fast you're exerting yourself. The wet sound of skin hitting skin starts getting louder the harder you slam down your hips. "The one who's being—mean?"

Jake sobs into your skin, half-regretting, half-dizzy. The tight heat of your cunt pulses and flutters around his dick and he genuinely feels horrible for only thinking using his other head now.

Even so, he still manages to apologise again. "I'm s-sorry—"

You clench around him on purpose. Jake digs his nails deeper. "Fuck—"

"Stop fucking apologising," you seethe, voice trembling as you feel your release getting near. "Delete her number or I'll sit in Sunghoon's lap when we get back to Seoul."

There's no bite in your threat. It's just a spur-of-the-moment kind of things, one that you say just to rile him up.

But Jake takes your words like a verdict. He snakes an arm around your waist, lips worshipping your skin in desperate, wet kisses.

"I'm sorry, Y/N, darling," he begs, tears clinging to his lashes. He bites his lips in an attempt to stop himself from moaning because he's so, so close. "I will block her. Fuck—I will delete her number. P-Please don't sit with S-Sunghoon—"

His speech is interrupted by a high-pitched whine. Jake hasn't come all night, he's nothing more than a thread waiting to snap. The moment you bounce harder and faster, the supple skin of your butt jiggling wilder, Jake can feel that he's about to come.

"Y/N—ah—p-puh—lease—" he whimpers, voice scratching at his throat. "'M close, 'm g-gonna cum—"

But he should've known that you're so, so mean.

The moment you lift off his cock, Jake genuinely sobs out loud, thrashing under you.

"No! No, please—" he chokes, hiding his crying face behind his hands, too shattered when his orgasm being denied again. "Please, no—I wanna cum, please."

You turn around and the sight of him—red-faced, wet cheeks, lips trembling—it softens your heart. You quickly pull his wrists and rest his hands on your hips, your own cupping his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, baby," you shush him, blowing kisses to the tip of his nose as you take him again. Jake whimpers quietly. "I'm so sorry—I'll let you cum this time, hm?"

Jake weakly nods, then lets out a soft moan at the familiar feeling of your walls enveloping him. You move again, already sore, but you no longer have it in you to torture your poor, poor Jaeyun. This time, you immediately begin with a fast pace, giving him a show of your tits bouncing with every thrust.

"Ah—fuck—Jaeyunnie—" you bite your lips, expression so erotic that it has the brown-haired boy drooling. "Glasses—like you better with glasses."

Jake is too dazed to register your words, so you pick the glasses on your own and put them on him. And there he is—your sweet, sweet boy, your Jaeyunnie that you adore so much, your Jaeyun that thinks it's bad for wanting you this much.

"S-So—handsome, Jaeyunnie," you roll your hips, chest arching into his face. "My nerdy boy, you're mine, hm?"

Jake physically cannot take it anymore. The sight of you on top of him, bouncing on his cock like your life depends on it, putting on his glasses and calling him yours—it's too much for Sim Jaeyun who's never been given this kind of attention and affection.

Especially from you.

His lips move, but you can barely hear him.

"Hm? What did you say?"

"I said I'm sorry, Y/N," his nails dig into your waist. "I'm so fucking sorry, please don't be mad at me."

Your brows furrow in confusion, but before you know it, Jake is already flipping you around, changing your position in one swift movement. You have half a second to gain your breath before the boy hovering over you pulls you closer by your ankles and throws your legs over his shoulders.

"I'm s-sorry," Jake stutters, slipping his dick back into your cunt and starts thrusting fast. "I-I can't hold it anymore."

Despite the showcase of his strength, Jake looks absolutely ruined. There's a flicker of guilt in his eyes, but from the pace he's railing you, you know that his lust ovverrides whatever little guilt he has.

Soon enough, the air smells so thickly of sex. The sound of his balls slapping your ass, accompanied by your high-pitched moans and his groans are the only one filling up the space, to the point that you're sure one of the boys must've heard you.

It's so hot and filthy that Jake's glasses are all fogged up again. His grip on your waist is now leaving bruises, but you don't care because all you can think of is Jake, Jake's big cock, Jake's stupid glasses and just Jake, Jake, Jake.

"F-f-f-fuck," he exhales shakily, splitting you open with his cock. "I-I'm so—close—"

You thrash around, fisting the sheets until it tears from the force of your nails. "Jaeyun—" you gasp when he keeps abusing that spot that has you seeing stars. "Oh, fuck—Jaeyun—harder—"

Jake leans forward, straining his arms on either side of your head. His glasses slide down his slick nose slightly when he bends down to capture your lips in his thick ones. You both moan into the kiss, finally getting the taste of each other, tongues already clashing for more.

Jake licks into your mouth, hips never faltering, and sucks on your bottom lip. You whimper, the sensation becoming too much until you're just breathing against his lips, all heat and teeth and saliva. Jake groans.

"I-I'm gonna—cum—" he gasps against your mouth, face scrunching in pleasure when you clench around him. "O-Oh my fucking God, Y/N, fuck—please let me cum inside."

His hands find your waist again, thrusting harder than before. His head drops to your shoulder as he begs, again and again.

"P-Please let me cum inside, please," he whimpers, voice needy and whiny. "Please—I'm gonna—I wanna—"

"Just cum," you moan when his teeth scrape against your skin. "Jae—Jaeyunnie—"

Jake groans. With last few, deliberate thrusts, he finally cums—a full-body orgasm that has him shuddering, his cock spurting out rope after thick rope of his release, painting your walls white.

You follow him just a second after, vision blurring for a moment as your second orgasm rips through your body. Your mouth falls open on a silent scream, eyes rolling back from how delicious your climax is.

Jake takes a long moment breathing into your ear, grinding his hips slowly before he's finally pulling out. He hisses as he drags out his cock, careful not to overstimulate you, and watches in awe as white fluid flowing out of your pulsing cunt.

"Oh my fucking God."

You breathe out a laugh, sounding breathless and disbelieving. Seeing Jake sitting still by your legs, you open your arms toward him.

"C'mere, Jaeyunnie. Let's cuddle for a moment before washing up—I'm too sore to walk."

Jake perks up at that. Gone is the hungry, lust-driven boy a few moments ago, now replaced with the shy, kicked puppy holding his tail between his legs.

"Cuddle?" he echoes, unsure. "Are you not mad at me?"

"I could never be mad at you for too long," you reply, giving him a reassuring smile.

It gives Jake a flicker of hope. He scoots closer, still cautious and observing, like approaching a scared animal.

"But I avoided you…"

You drop your arms and pretend to think, making a show of tapping your chin with a finger.

"You're right. You were mean for that. Why don't you carry me to the bathroom and clean me up so we can cuddle afterwards?"

Hearing that, Jake finally relaxes, his tight muscles loosening. With an eager smile, he scoops an arm under your knees and your back, and then lifts you up easily as if you weigh nothing.

"Your wish is my command, my princess."

The next morning, you receive knowing looks from the boys. There are lingering stares on your neck from where Jake was mauling your skin last night, but you have no problem showing them off.

Jake, on the other hand, is on the edge of another breakdown.

"So, Jake," Jay starts, already planning a mischievous teasing inside his head. "How did it feel like to get railed—"

"I did not get railed!" he squeaks, ears blushing red. "I-I was the one who railed her! Right, Y/N?"

There's a laugh bubbling inside your chest as you watch Jake squirm under the relentless teasing of his friends. It felt good to be the one in charge, but after that display of strength and the way he manhandled you last night?

You don't mind having him on top of you.

But the both of you know who's truly in charge.

And if you choose to sit in his lap again, this time grinding and shifting on purpose that he gets hard until the car reaches Seoul, nobody has to know that.

Well, maybe Riki knows. But who cares.

wow okay

permanent taglist: @kristynaaah @seungiesdoll @in-somnias-world @rikismists @loviseamms @ikeupop @k3nza @heezeunx @ot7archives @petulapetula

It started with a single encrypted email on a cold Monday morning in your quiet Seoul apartment.

“Project Aether – Confidential Invitation. We need the best. Compensation: 850 million KRW for the first six months. Full NDAs required.”

You almost deleted it. But curiosity and the staggering amount of money made you attend the initial meeting.

Two days later, you were sitting in a sleek black conference room thirty floors underground, surrounded by men in suits who never smiled. They laid out the project clearly:

Seven carefully selected young men. All volunteers. All in peak physical and mental condition. All willing to undergo progressive human enhancement for the sake of national defense.

Your job was simple on paper: Observe. Document. Stabilize. Keep them sane while their bodies and minds were rewritten.

The money was life-changing. The risks were high. You asked every hard question. You read every risk assessment. You knew this was dangerous.

Still… you signed the contract with a big smile.

Week 2.

Enhancements had not truly begun yet.

You walked into Observation Room 4 with a bounce in your step, wearing your crisp white lab coat over a soft pastel blouse, hair tied in a neat but cute bun with a little ribbon. Tablet in one hand, a bright smile already on your face.

Behind the reinforced glass, Subject 01 was waiting.

Heeseung sat leaning back lazily, legs spread, black uniform fitting him perfectly. His sharp eyes lifted and locked onto you the second you entered.

You pressed the intercom button and waved cheerfully.

"Hi there! I'm Dr. Y/N," you said with an enthusiastic lilt in your voice. "I'll be your psychologist throughout the project! It's so nice to finally meet you, Heeseung. How are you feeling today?"

Heeseung stared at you for a long moment, clearly surprised by your energy. The corner of his mouth slowly lifted.

"So... you're the one they sent to babysit us while we go crazy?" His deep voice sent a little shiver down your spine, but you kept smiling.

You laughed softly, tilting your head.

"Not babysit! I'm here to support you and make sure you're mentally okay during all the changes. We're in this together, okay? Think of me as your friendly guide through all the science stuff!"

Heeseung's eyes darkened with interest as he leaned closer to the glass.

"You're really young... and way too bubbly for a place like this," he murmured, voice low. "Do you smile this much for all your subjects, Doctor?"

You grinned and shrugged playfully.

"Only for the ones who look like they need it! Now, let's start with some easy questions. How have you been sleeping? Any worries about the upcoming procedures?"

Heeseung chuckled, the sound rich and deep.

"I sleep better knowing someone as cute as you is watching over me."

You met the others over the next three days, bringing the same warm energy to every session.

With Jay, who was sharp and a little skeptical, you leaned forward excitedly.

"Jay! I've read your files. You're super smart. I love working with intelligent people! Tell me, how are you really feeling about all these tests?"

Jay raised an eyebrow, but his lips twitched.

"You always this cheerful, Doctor? Or are you secretly terrified of us?"

"Terrified? No way!" you laughed. "I'm excited! This project could help so many people one day. And I want to make the journey easier for all of you."

Jake immediately matched your energy with a bright grin of his own.

"Wow, Doctor, you're like actual sunshine," he said warmly. "Can I call you Y/N instead of Dr. Y/N? It feels friendlier."

You giggled. "Only during casual talks! But yes, I like friendly."

Sunghoon was quiet at first, just staring intensely. You didn't let the silence bother you.

"Sunghoon~ You have such cool visuals! Are you uncomfortable? Do you need anything to feel more relaxed during our talks?"

He finally spoke, voice low. "...You're not scared of me."

"Nope!" you said brightly. "I think we're going to get along great."

Sunoo melted a little at your sweetness.

"Dr. Y/N, you're so kind," he said softly, smiling back at you. "You really care, don't you?"

"Of course I do! That's why I'm here," you replied happily.

Jungwon watched you with calm intensity but answered your questions politely.

"You have a lot of energy, Doctor."

"I do!" you beamed. "Gotta keep the mood light, right?"

And Ni-ki was the most forward.

"Damn, Doctor. You're actually cute as hell," he grinned, fangs not yet present but his energy already wild. "I like you. When can we meet without the glass?"

You laughed, waving your hand.

"Patience, Ni-ki! Professional boundaries first, okay? But I promise I'll always be honest with you."

By the end of the first week, you had detailed profiles on all seven, but you also felt genuinely fond of them already.

You kept telling yourself they were subjects... but it was hard when they were all so interesting.

As the enhancements began, you watched everything through the observation glass.

First came muscle and bone density treatments. Week after week their bodies changed — shoulders broadening, muscles growing sharper and stronger. You noted every mood swing and wrote detailed reports, but you still visited them with the same bright energy.

The therapy sessions slowly grew more charged.

One day Heeseung leaned close to the glass, eyes intense. "Do you have a boyfriend waiting for you outside, Doctor?"

You blushed but laughed. "Hey! That's private information, Mr. Heeseung! Focus on you, not me~"

Jake teased you every session. "One real smile without the professional mask, please? Your smiles make my day better, Y/N."

Sunghoon stared longer and longer. One day he said quietly, "You smell nice today." His voice had a new, darker edge.

You giggled nervously but answered, "Thank you! I changed my body wash. Glad you noticed."

Their stares started changing. What used to be curiosity slowly turned into something hungrier, darker, more possessive.

By Month Four the final hormonal cocktail was administered. This phase pushed their strength, recovery speed, and primal instincts into overdrive.

That was when everything cracked.

Violent incidents started. Handlers were injured. The boys became restless and aggressive with everyone except when they heard your voice over the speakers.

You would speak in your usual bright but firm tone, "Hey guys, it's Dr. Y/N. Can you please calm down for me? I know it's hard, but I'm right here, okay? Breathe with me."

Every time, all seven of them would stop and listen.

Month Five.

You were called into an emergency meeting. The Director and Dr. Elias Voss showed you the footage. All seven subjects were in reinforced cells, pacing like predators. Their bodies were now much larger and more powerful. Their eyes had a faint glow and their teeth looked slightly sharper.

"They have imprinted on you, Dr. Y/N," the Director said seriously. "You are the only compatible Anchor. Without regular close contact with you, their minds become unstable and feral."

You stared at the screens. Heeseung was looking straight at the camera like he could see you.

Dr. Voss added gently, "We need you to become their official Anchor. You would live with them in the final habitat level. Daily proximity. Physical contact when needed. Your body would also receive minor modifications for safety and endurance. Their breeding instincts are extremely high now. This will not stay clinical."

The room was silent as you thought.

You bit your lip, then lifted your chin with bold determination.

"If my presence can really help stabilize them… if I can make a real difference here… then I'll do it. I'll become their Anchor."

You signed the new contract with steady hands, even though your heart was racing.

Three weeks after signing, you woke up slowly on the medical bed. Your body felt sore and strangely sensitive. Thick restraints held your wrists and ankles. IV lines were still in your arms. Your head throbbed lightly.

Dr. Elias Voss entered and helped unclip the restraints.

"Welcome back, Dr. Y/N. The synchronization was successful. Your body has been adjusted to better handle their pheromones and physical strength."

He turned the large glass wall transparent.

Your breath caught.

On the other side stood all seven of them in a luxurious common area. They looked completely transformed — taller, broader, radiating raw power. Their black uniforms stretched tight over powerful muscles. Their eyes glowed with open, dark hunger as they stared at you.

Heeseung stepped forward and pressed his large hand against the glass. His voice came through the speakers, low and rough.

"Finally… Our bubbly little Anchor is awake."

Jake smiled, but the look in his eyes was pure lust. "You smell even sweeter now, Y/N."

Sunghoon dragged his gaze slowly down your body, dark and unashamed.

Sunoo tilted his head with a sweet smile that didn't hide the hunger. "We missed you so much, Doctor."

Jungwon watched you like a leader claiming his prize. "Welcome to your new home with us."

Ni-ki smirked, fangs clearly visible. "Been waiting too long to get my hands on you properly."

Dr. Voss spoke quietly beside you. "Individual sessions begin tomorrow. Try to keep them calm as long as you can."

Heeseung's eyes burned into yours, dark and full of promise.

"Come to us soon, sunshine. We've been starving for you… in every way."

Your heart pounded hard. You felt nervous, but you also felt that spark inside you. You were no longer just their doctor.

You were their Anchor now.

And something much deeper, much more primal, had officially begun.

Dr. Elias Voss gave you a few hours to rest and adjust before the first session began. You changed into a fresh white lab coat over a soft lavender blouse and simple black pants, tied your hair into your usual cute bun with the little ribbon, and took a deep breath.

"Alright," you whispered to yourself with a small smile. "You've got this, Y/N. They're still the same guys... mostly."

When the door to the habitat level opened, the scent of warm cedarwood, something sweet, and raw masculine energy hit you all at once. The luxurious common area was massive — soft lighting, large couches, a full kitchen area, and an open gym space in the corner. It looked more like an expensive penthouse than a facility.

All seven of them were waiting.

The moment you stepped inside, their heads turned in perfect sync. The air instantly felt thicker.

You put on your brightest professional smile and waved.

"Hi everyone~! Good morning! Or... afternoon? I’m not sure what time it is anymore," you said with a soft laugh, trying to keep your voice light. "How are you all feeling today?"

Heeseung was the first to move. He walked straight toward you, slow and deliberate, until he was only a few steps away. Up close he looked even bigger than before. His shoulders were wider, his jaw sharper, and his eyes had a faint golden ring around the dark pupils.

"Sunshine," he said, voice low and rough. "You have no idea how good it feels to finally have you here without glass between us."

You tilted your head, still smiling even as your heart raced.

"Well, here I am! No more glass. But remember, we still have rules for the sessions. I’m here to help keep you stable, okay?"

Jake appeared beside Heeseung, smiling brightly but with clear hunger in his eyes.

"You smell incredible," he murmured. "Even better than before. Did they change something in you?"

You giggled nervously and took a small step back, opening your tablet.

"Maybe a little! Just to help with compatibility. Now, who wants to go first for their individual session?"

All seven of them stared at you like they wanted to be first.

Dr. Voss’s voice came through the hidden speakers.

"Start with Heeseung, Dr. Y/N. One hour sessions. We’ll be monitoring.

You led Heeseung into the private session room attached to the habitat. It was comfortable — two couches facing each other, soft lighting, and a small table. No glass. No barrier.

Heeseung sat down, legs spread wide, arms resting on the back of the couch as he watched you. You sat across from him, crossing your legs and smiling.

"So! Let’s begin like usual. How have you been feeling since the last round of enhancements? Any mood swings, headaches, or aggressive thoughts?"

Heeseung didn’t answer right away. His eyes slowly traveled from your ribbon down to your lips, then lower.

"I feel… hungry," he said finally. "All the time. Especially when I think about you."

You blinked but kept your bubbly tone.

"Hungry is pretty normal with the hormonal changes! We can work on ways to manage that. Maybe some meditation or—"

"Do you know what I think about when I’m hungry, Doctor?" he interrupted, leaning forward. His voice dropped. "I think about pulling you onto my lap and burying my face in your neck. I think about how soft you’d feel. How sweet you’d taste."

Your cheeks flushed pink. You laughed softly, trying to play it off while writing notes.

"Heeseung… that’s very direct," you said, still smiling but with a slightly higher pitch. "Those kinds of thoughts are part of the new instincts. We should talk about healthier outlets."

Heeseung smirked, dark and slow.

"You’re even cuter when you blush. Do you know how long we’ve waited to be this close to you?"

The rest of the session continued like that — you trying your best to guide the conversation back to clinical topics while Heeseung kept steering it toward you. How you smelled, how your voice affected him, how he wanted to touch your hair.

When the hour ended, he stood up and gently brushed a stray strand of hair behind your ear before you could react. His fingers felt burning hot.

"Next time, I won’t be so polite, sunshine."

The next session was with Jake.

He was more playful but no less intense. The moment the door closed he moved closer on the couch, sitting only one seat away.

"You’re nervous," he said with a warm smile. "Your heart is beating fast. I can hear it."

You giggled and lightly tapped your tablet.

"Jake! Personal space, remember? And stop showing off your new super hearing."

He laughed, but his eyes stayed locked on you.

"I missed your laugh. The way you bounce when you walk. The little ribbon in your hair. Did you wear it for us?"

You touched the ribbon self-consciously.

"It’s just my usual style! Now tell me — any trouble controlling your strength lately?"

Jake reached out and gently took your hand, turning it over in his much larger one. His thumb stroked your wrist.

"My strength is fine. It’s the other instincts that are hard to control," he said softly. "I keep imagining pinning you down and filling you up until you can’t think straight. Until you’re carrying our scent."

Your breath hitched. You pulled your hand back gently but kept smiling.

"Jake… that’s the breeding instinct talking. We need to work on redirecting those thoughts."

He just grinned wider. "I don’t want to redirect them. I want you."

Sunghoon’s session was quieter but heavier.

He barely spoke for the first fifteen minutes, just staring at you with those icy yet burning eyes. When he finally talked, his voice was low.

"Come closer."

You shook your head with a playful smile. "We can talk just fine from here~"

"You’re scared I’ll lose control?" he asked.

"No. I trust you to behave during sessions," you replied cheerfully, even though your pulse was racing.

Sunghoon leaned forward.

"I want to bite you. Right here," he touched his own neck. "And then lick it better. Over and over."

You swallowed but kept your tone light. "Biting is… a strong urge. We should add that to the list of things to manage."

By the time you finished the first four sessions (Heeseung, Jake, Sunghoon, and Sunoo who was sweetly terrifying with how gently he described wanting to ruin you), you were exhausted but still smiling.

Dr. Voss met you in the small monitoring room.

"You’re doing well," he said. "They’re calmer than they’ve been in weeks. But their fixation is getting stronger. Tomorrow you’ll do sessions with Jungwon and Ni-ki."

You nodded, cheeks still warm.

"They’re very… intense now."

Voss gave you a careful look. "That’s only the beginning, Doctor. Their need for you physically is only going to grow."

That night you slept in your own assigned room inside the habitat level. The door locked from the outside for “safety.”

You lay in bed, heart still racing from all the things they had said to you during the day.

Through the wall, you could faintly hear low voices talking. Then a soft growl. Then Heeseung’s deep voice clearly saying.“Soon.”

You pulled the blanket higher, a strange mix of nervousness and warmth blooming in your chest.

This was going to be much harder than you thought.

The next morning you woke up feeling a little more refreshed but still flushed from yesterday’s sessions. You chose a soft mint green blouse under your white lab coat today and tied your hair in your signature cute bun with the small white ribbon. Taking a deep breath, you stepped into the common area with your usual bright energy.

"Good morning, everyone!" you called out cheerfully, holding your tablet. "I hope you all slept well. Who’s ready for today’s sessions?"

All seven of them were already gathered. Their eyes followed your every movement the second you appeared. The hunger from yesterday had not faded. If anything, it looked stronger.

Jungwon was the first for the day.

You led him into the private session room and sat down with a warm smile.

"Hi Jungwon~ Let’s start like always. How are you feeling after all the changes? Any new urges or difficulties controlling them?"

Jungwon sat across from you, posture straight and composed even though his eyes were anything but calm. He looked at you quietly for a long moment before speaking.

"You look tired, Doctor," he said softly. "Did you have trouble sleeping because of us?"

You laughed lightly and waved your hand.

"A little bit! It’s a new environment after all. But I’m okay! Now tell me about you."

He leaned forward slightly, elbows on his knees.

"I keep thinking about you at night," he admitted, voice calm but heavy. "About how small you are compared to us now. How easily I could pick you up and put you wherever I want. How you would sound if I held you down and bred you full until you couldn’t move."

Your pen stopped moving for a second. You felt heat rush to your face but forced yourself to keep smiling.

"Those thoughts are very strong, Jungwon. That’s the new instincts working. We can try breathing techniques or—"

"I don’t want to control it," he interrupted gently but firmly. "I want to act on it. With you. All of us do."

He stared at you with quiet intensity, the kind that made it hard to look away.

You swallowed and wrote a few notes, keeping your voice bubbly.

"Well… we’ll work on finding a balance, okay? Step by step."

When the session ended, Jungwon stood up and gently touched the ribbon in your hair.

"This is cute," he murmured. "Makes me want to pull on it while I’m behind you."

You let out a surprised little giggle and stepped back.

"Boundaries, Jungwon!"

He just smiled softly before leaving.

Ni-ki’s session was the most chaotic.

The tall maknae walked into the room with a big smirk, immediately dropping onto the couch right next to you instead of across from you. His thigh pressed against yours.

"Ni-ki," you scolded playfully, scooting away. "Personal space, remember?"

He grinned, showing his sharp fangs.

"I’ve been waiting days to be this close to you, Doctor. Personal space is overrated."

You laughed despite the way your heart was racing and tried to start the session.

"Tell me about your energy levels. Any aggression spikes?"

"Only when I think about how long I’ve wanted to fuck you," he answered without hesitation. "I want to put you on all fours and mount you like an animal. I want to bite your neck while I fill you up. Over and over until you’re dripping with me."

Your cheeks burned bright red. You covered your face with the tablet for a second before peeking over it with a shy but determined smile.

"Ni-ki! You can’t just say things like that so casually!"

"Why not?" he asked, leaning even closer. "You smell so fucking good when you’re embarrassed. It makes me harder."

You stood up quickly, still trying to keep things light.

"Okay! Maybe we should continue this session with you sitting on the other couch, yeah?"

He laughed but obeyed, though his eyes never left your body for the rest of the hour. He kept teasing you with filthy comments wrapped in that playful tone until you were a flustered mess by the end.

After all individual sessions were done, Dr. Voss announced through the speakers that you could have group time in the common area for the rest of the evening.

You joined them for dinner. The table was full of food specially prepared for their enhanced bodies. You sat down and tried to keep the mood bright.

"Wow, this looks delicious! Let’s eat a lot, okay? You all need the energy."

They ate while watching you. The conversation started normal but quickly turned dangerous again.

Sunoo, who had been the gentlest during his session, suddenly spoke while staring at your neck.

"Your skin looks so soft, Doctor. I keep imagining how it would look with my marks all over it."

Jake reached over and lightly touched the back of your hand.

"You’re blushing again. It’s cute."

Heeseung, sitting at the head of the table, spoke in his deep voice.

"You’re doing well, sunshine. Staying so cheerful even though we keep telling you how badly we want to ruin you."

You took a sip of water and smiled, though your voice was a little breathy.

"I’m here to help you, not to run away. We can handle this together."

Jay smirked from across the table.

"You say that now. But when all seven of us lose control at the same time… even someone as bubbly as you might have trouble keeping up."

The table went quiet for a moment. The air felt thick with tension.

You stood up with a bright smile, trying to ease the atmosphere.

"Alright! Who wants to play a board game? We should do something fun to relax!"

A few of them agreed, but as the night went on, they kept finding small ways to get closer to you. Heeseung sat right beside you on the couch. Ni-ki kept brushing his leg against yours. Sunghoon stared at your lips like he wanted to devour them.

By the time you went back to your private room and locked the door, your legs felt weak and your mind was spinning with everything they had said to you.

You changed into your sleep clothes and lay in bed, heart beating fast.

Through the wall, you could hear them talking in low voices. Then a soft, deep growl echoed.

Heeseung’s voice carried clearly,"She’s holding on so well… but not for long."

Another voice (you thought it was Jay) answered,"I give it a few more days before we can’t hold back anymore."

You pulled the blanket up to your chin, breathing a little faster.

A strange warmth had started spreading through your body. You weren’t sure if it was just nervousness…

…or something the facility had changed in you.

The next few days followed a similar routine, but the tension in the habitat kept rising.

Every morning you walked into the common area with your bright smile, cute ribbon in your hair, and fresh lab coat, trying your best to keep things professional and light.

"Good morning, my favorite seven!" you sang out cheerfully on the sixth day. "Who’s ready for today’s check-ins? I brought some new calming exercises we can try together!"

They were all waiting again. Their stares had grown bolder. More possessive.

Heeseung’s eyes lingered on your legs. Jake licked his lips slowly. Ni-ki looked like he wanted to pounce.

You did group sessions that morning instead of individual ones. All seven of them sat in the large circle with you in the brightly lit therapy room.

"Today we’re going to talk about managing instincts," you said, clapping your hands with enthusiasm. "I know the new urges are very strong, but we can find healthy ways to—"

"Can we touch you?" Sunoo asked sweetly, cutting you off. His angelic smile made the question sound almost innocent.

You blinked. "For… therapeutic reasons?"

Jungwon answered calmly, "Physical contact helps stabilize us. That’s what the doctors said, right?"

You hesitated for a second but nodded, keeping your bubbly tone.

"Okay, but only hands and arms for now. And be gentle!"

That was all the permission they needed.

Heeseung immediately pulled you closer until you were sitting between him and Jay on the big couch. His large hand settled on your thigh, thumb slowly stroking the fabric of your pants.

"Soft," he murmured near your ear. "Even softer than I imagined."

Jake took your left hand and placed it on his chest.

"Feel that?" he asked. "My heart beats faster when you’re close."

You laughed nervously, cheeks turning pink, but tried to continue the session.

"See? This is good. Grounding touch can help lower aggression. Now let’s talk about—"

Sunghoon, sitting on the floor in front of you, suddenly rested his head on your knee. His hand wrapped around your calf possessively.

"You’re warm," he said quietly. "Smell so fucking good."

You swallowed hard but kept smiling.

"Sunghoon, that’s nice, but maybe a little higher than the knee would be better—"

He ignored you and gently pressed his nose against your thigh, inhaling deeply.

Ni-ki groaned from the other side. "Hyung, stop hogging her. I want a turn too."

The next hour became less of a therapy session and more of them finding excuses to touch you. Fingers brushing your waist. Hands playing with the ends of your hair. Jungwon gently tugging your ribbon while whispering how he wanted to use it to tie your wrists.

You were flushed and slightly breathless by the end.

"Alright! That’s enough physical contact for today," you announced, standing up quickly. "Great progress everyone!"

But your voice was a little higher than usual.

Later that evening, they convinced you to watch a movie together in the common area.

You sat on the massive sectional sofa with a big bowl of popcorn, trying to act normal. Within ten minutes, you somehow ended up in the middle of all of them.

Heeseung had his arm around your shoulders. Jake’s hand rested on your knee. Sunoo was playing with your fingers. Ni-ki kept nuzzling into your hair whenever he laughed.

Halfway through the movie, Jay leaned in and spoke lowly against your ear.

"Your scent is driving us insane, you know that?"

You turned your head, still trying to keep it light. "It’s just the shampoo I—"

"No," Jay interrupted, eyes dark. "It’s you. Sweet. Fertile. Ready."

Your breath hitched.

Heeseung’s hand on your shoulder tightened slightly as he added, "We can smell how your body is changing too. The facility made you more sensitive, didn’t they?"

You bit your lip and tried to focus on the movie, but your heart was racing.

"I’m… I’m just here to help you stay stable," you said softly, voice a little shaky but still warm.

Sunghoon, on your other side, suddenly pulled you onto his lap in one smooth motion. You let out a surprised squeak.

"Sunghoon!"

"Stay," he ordered quietly, arms wrapping around your waist. His chest was burning hot against your back. You could feel how hard he was through his pants, pressing against you.

The others watched with dark, hungry eyes.

You stayed there, flustered and warm, trying to act like this was still normal.

"You guys are getting really touchy lately," you said with a nervous giggle.

"Because we’re running out of patience," Ni-ki answered honestly. "Every night we talk about how we want to fuck you. How we want to fill you up until you’re swollen with our cum. How pretty you’ll look carrying our babies."

Your face burned. You squirmed on Sunghoon’s lap without thinking, which only made him groan and hold you tighter.

"Be careful moving like that, Doctor," he warned, voice strained. "I’m barely holding back as it is."

You stayed frozen after that, heart hammering wildly while the movie continued playing.

When it finally ended, Heeseung stood up and offered you his hand.

"Time for bed, sunshine."

He walked you all the way to your bedroom door. The others followed close behind like a pack.

Before you could close the door, Heeseung placed his hand on the frame, leaning down until his face was inches from yours.

"One day soon," he said quietly, eyes glowing with lust, "you’re not going to close this door on us."

You looked up at him, cheeks pink, breath a little fast, but still managed a small, brave smile.

"Goodnight, Heeseung."

You closed the door and leaned against it, breathing heavily.

Your body felt hot all over. A strange ache had started low in your stomach. The modifications they made to you were definitely working — you were becoming more sensitive to their pheromones every single day.

From the other side of the door, you heard seven low, deep voices murmuring.

And one clear sentence from Jungwon,"Soon. She’s almost ready."

The next day the facility staff increased the “physical proximity allowance.” Dr. Voss told you it was necessary for better data. You had groaned. Man, this was getting too much now. You tried to stay positive when you stepped into the common area.

"Good morning, boys!" you greeted with your usual bright smile, ribbon bouncing in your hair. "Should we do some group breathing exercises today?"

The words barely left your mouth before Heeseung was already walking toward you. He didn’t stop until he was right in front of you, towering over your smaller frame.

"No breathing exercises today, sunshine," he said, voice low and rough. Without waiting for permission, he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you flush against his chest.

Your hands instinctively pressed against his hard stomach.

"H-Heeseung… at least let me put my tablet down first," you laughed nervously, trying to keep your bubbly tone.

Jake appeared behind you instantly, pressing his body against your back and sliding his hands over your hips.

"You don’t need the tablet right now," Jake murmured against your ear, his breath hot. "You need us."

Before you could reply, Sunghoon took the tablet from your hands and placed it on the couch. Then he stepped close and cupped your face with both hands, thumbs brushing your cheeks.

"You’re getting red again," he said quietly, eyes dark. "Cute."

They didn’t give you any space. You were completely surrounded — Heeseung in front, Jake behind, Sunghoon holding your face, while the others slowly closed in.

You let out a shaky giggle.

"Okay… this is a lot of morning affection…"

Sunoo smiled sweetly as he reached out and gently tugged the ribbon in your hair.

"Can I take this off?" he asked softly, already sliding it free. "I want to see your hair down."

Your hair tumbled over your shoulders. Ni-ki groaned at the sight.

"Fuck… that’s so much better."

Jungwon stepped closer and ran his fingers through your loose hair, gripping it lightly at the roots.

"You look prettier like this," he said calmly. "Easier to hold onto."

Your heart was racing. Their hands started moving again — bolder than yesterday.

Heeseung’s big palm slid down your back and rested just above your ass, pulling you tighter against him so you could feel how hard he already was. Jake’s hands roamed over your waist and stomach, occasionally brushing just under your blouse. Sunghoon leaned in and pressed slow, open-mouthed kisses along your neck.

You squirmed between them, breath coming faster.

"Guys… we’re supposed to be doing a session…"

"This is the session," Jay said, stepping in to kiss the other side of your neck. "Stabilizing ourselves with our Anchor."

They slowly guided you toward the big couch. Heeseung sat down first and pulled you onto his lap so you were straddling one of his thick thighs. Jake sat right beside him and tugged you closer until your side pressed against his chest.

You tried to protest weakly, "This position is… really not professional—"

"Shh," Heeseung whispered, one large hand stroking up and down your thigh. "Just sit with us for a while."

For the next hour, they kept you trapped on the couch in the middle of them. Their touches grew steadily more possessive.

Fingers slipped under the hem of your blouse to caress bare skin. Hands squeezed your thighs. Someone (you were pretty sure it was Ni-ki) gave your ass a firm squeeze every time you tried to shift positions. Sunoo kept nuzzling into your neck, occasionally sucking gently on your skin, leaving faint marks.

At one point, Jungwon pulled you from Heeseung’s lap onto his own. He positioned you so you were sitting with your back against his chest, then wrapped one arm around your waist while his other hand rested dangerously high on your inner thigh.

"You’re trembling," he whispered in your ear. "Are you scared… or excited?"

You bit your lip, face burning.

"A little bit of both," you admitted in a small voice.

Heeseung, now kneeling in front of you, slowly pushed your legs further apart so he could settle between them. His hands stroked up your thighs, getting closer and closer to where you were secretly throbbing.

"Look at me, sunshine," he ordered softly.

When you did, he leaned in and pressed a slow, deep kiss just below your ear, then another lower on your neck. You couldn’t stop the tiny whimper that escaped you.

Jake chuckled darkly. "She makes such pretty sounds."

The touches kept getting heavier. They took turns pulling you onto their laps. Every time you moved to another lap, different hands explored your body — squeezing your waist, gripping your hips, stroking your thighs, occasionally brushing teasingly between your legs over your pants.

By the time lunch came around, you were flushed, breathless, and visibly affected.

During lunch they didn’t let you sit alone. You stayed on Jay’s lap while he fed you bites from his plate.

After eating, they pulled you back to the couch.

This time they laid you down completely. Heeseung rested your head on his thigh, stroking your hair. Jake and Sunghoon each claimed one of your legs, slowly rubbing up and down. The others sat around you, hands never leaving your body.

"You’re doing so well, Doctor," Sunoo praised sweetly, even as his fingers traced circles dangerously close to your chest. "Letting us touch you like this…"

You were starting to lose the ability to form proper sentences.

"I… I think we should slow down a little…" you breathed out.

Ni-ki smirked and leaned down to kiss your stomach over your blouse.

"We’re only just getting started."

The day continued like that — long, endless touches, heated whispers, and growing hunger. By evening, your lab coat was long discarded, your blouse was wrinkled and slightly unbuttoned at the top, and your body felt like it was on fire.

When Dr. Voss’s voice finally came through the speakers announcing the end of the day’s session, you were a trembling, pink-faced mess.

Heeseung kissed your forehead gently before helping you up.

"Go rest, sunshine," he said, voice husky. "Tomorrow… we won’t be this gentle anymore."

You walked back to your room on shaky legs, feeling seven pairs of eyes burning into your back.

The moment your door locked, you leaned against it and slid down to the floor, breathing hard.

This was no longer an experiment.

They were claiming you.

And you were running out of reasons to stop them.

The next morning, before you could even step into the common area, Dr. Elias Voss called you into the monitoring room.

You sat across from him, still wearing your lab coat, hair tied with your little ribbon. But your neck and thighs still carried faint marks from yesterday’s touches.

“Dr. Y/N,” he began, looking serious. “I’ve reviewed the footage. Their behavior has crossed the line. The physical contact is becoming far too intense and sexual. This is supposed to be a controlled experiment, not… whatever this is turning into.”

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat.

“They’re just… adjusting to the new instincts,” you said softly, trying to defend them. “The enhancements made their drives very strong. They’re calmer when they can touch me.”

Dr. Voss shook his head.

“They are becoming dangerous. We’re seeing increased aggression when you’re not in the room. If this continues, we’ll have to pull you out and separate you from them for your own safety. I’m going in to speak with them right now. They need to tone it down immediately.”

Your eyes widened.

“Wait— Dr. Voss, maybe I should talk to them instead—”

But he was already standing.

When you both entered the common area, all seven of them were waiting. The moment they saw Dr. Voss standing protectively close to you, their expressions darkened.

Dr. Voss spoke firmly, voice echoing in the large space.

“Subjects, your physical interactions with Dr. Y/N have exceeded safe parameters. From now on, you will maintain a minimum distance. No touching without explicit approval. No sexual comments. No marking. If you cannot follow these rules, we will remove Dr. Y/N from the habitat immediately for her protection.”

The air instantly became heavy.

Heeseung’s jaw clenched. His eyes flashed with clear anger.

“You want us to stay away from our Anchor?” he growled, voice low and threatening.

Jake’s hands curled into fists. “She belongs with us. You don’t get to decide how much we touch her.”

Sunghoon took a dangerous step forward. “Say that again.”

The tension exploded.

Ni-ki suddenly lunged forward with a snarl, aiming straight for Dr. Voss. Jungwon and Jay barely managed to grab him, holding him back as he fought against their grip, muscles bulging with rage.

“You fucking touch her and I’ll rip your throat out!” Ni-ki shouted.

Sunoo, usually the softest, had a terrifyingly cold smile on his face. “You want to take her away from us? After you made her our Anchor?”

Heeseung looked like he was one second away from violence too. His golden-ringed eyes were locked on Dr. Voss like prey.

Two security guards quickly entered the room, but they looked terrified.

Dr. Voss stepped back, visibly nervous now.

“See?” he said to you urgently. “This is exactly what I was worried about. We need to separate you right now for your safety. Come with me, Dr. Y/N.”

He reached for your arm.

But you stepped forward, placing yourself between the boys and Dr. Voss.

“Wait!” you said loudly, your voice still carrying that bright but firm tone. “Everyone, please calm down!”

You turned to the seven of them. They were breathing heavily, eyes wild with anger and possessiveness.

You gave them your softest, warmest smile.

“It’s okay,” you said gently. “I’m fine. Really. Dr. Voss is just worried about me… but I chose this. I chose to be your Anchor. I’m not scared of you.”

You slowly walked closer to them, even as Voss tried to stop you.

You reached out and gently placed your hand on Heeseung’s chest. His breathing was ragged, but he stilled under your touch.

“I’m staying,” you said clearly, looking at all of them. “We can compromise, okay? Just… try not to be too rough. For me?”

The boys slowly relaxed — but only because you were touching them and speaking softly.

Heeseung grabbed your waist and pulled you against him protectively, glaring at Dr. Voss over your head.

“She stays,” he declared, voice final. “If anyone tries to take her, we will destroy this entire facility.”

The other six moved closer, surrounding you like a protective pack.

Dr. Voss looked extremely uncomfortable, but he could see that forcing the issue right now would end badly.

“…Very well,” he said stiffly. “But I’m increasing monitoring. Any extreme behavior and this experiment ends. Dr. Y/N, you have final authority to call for extraction if it becomes too much.”

You nodded, still smiling even though your heart was racing.

“Thank you, Dr. Voss. I’ve got this.”

As soon as Dr. Voss left the room, the boys turned all their attention back to you.

Heeseung’s grip on your waist tightened.

“You defended us,” he murmured, voice dark and pleased. “Good girl.”

Jake pressed against your back, kissing the side of your neck.

“You’re really ours now, aren’t you?”

You let out a shaky breath, cheeks warm.

“I’m your Anchor… so yes. I’m staying with you.”

Sunghoon tilted your chin up.

“You just stopped us from tearing that man apart,” he said quietly. “That means you understand. We need you.”

The atmosphere had completely shifted again. Their bad mood was turning into something even more intense — raw hunger mixed with dark satisfaction that you had chosen them.

Ni-ki stepped close and whispered against your ear,

“Now that you’ve told them you’re staying… we don’t have to hold back as much, right?”

Your breath hitched.

This was getting more dangerous by the day.

Dr. Elias Voss sent a message asking you to come to the monitoring room alone. The seven boys were told to wait in the common area.

You walked in nervously, still wearing your slightly wrinkled lab coat and ribbon in your hair. Dr. Serena Voss and the senior staff doctor were already waiting inside with Dr. Elias.

Dr. Serena smiled at you gently and asked you to sit down.

“Dr. Y/N… I'm Dr. Elias's wife,” she began. "We wanted to speak with you privately."

Dr. Elias Voss looked serious.

“We’ve been monitoring their latest data. The heat cycle is starting sooner than expected. Their hormonal levels are spiking dramatically.”

The senior staff doctor was more direct.

“To put it plainly… they’re going to want to fuck you. All seven of them. Probably quite aggressively. Their breeding instincts are extremely high right now. They’ve been fantasizing about it for weeks — filling you up, breeding you, claiming you completely.”

Your cheeks burned red. You gripped the edge of your seat.

Dr. Serena continued calmly,

“During the heat, they may lose control. They might fuck you for hours. One after another, or even more than one at the same time. Their bodies will demand release inside you. We’ve modified your body to handle it, but it will still be intense.”

She leaned forward slightly.

“You still have a choice. We can try to sedate them through the worst of it… but it will be painful for them, and there’s a high chance they’ll break containment to get to you anyway.”

Dr. Elias Voss added quietly,

“If you go into that nest room with them, expect to be fucked. Thoroughly. They see you as their mate now. This won’t be gentle clinical sex. It will be raw.”

You sat there in silence for a long moment, heart pounding hard in your chest. Your face was completely flushed.

“I… I understand,” you whispered, voice small but steady. “I chose to be their Anchor. I’m not going to abandon them now.”

Dr. Serena gave you a sympathetic look.

“Then we’ll prepare the nest room. Take a few minutes to collect yourself before you go back to them.”

The three doctors left you alone in the monitoring room for a moment.

You sat there, breathing shakily, thighs pressed together as you tried to process everything they had just told you so bluntly.

When you finally stepped back into the common area, all seven boys turned to look at you at once. They could clearly see how flushed and nervous you were.

Heeseung walked over immediately and pulled you into his arms.

“What did they say to you?” he asked, voice low.

You hid your face in his chest, voice muffled.

“…Nothing important,” you lied softly. “Just some medical updates about the heat cycle.”

Jake stepped closer and gently stroked your back.

“You’re shaking, baby,” he murmured. “Your heart is racing.”

Sunghoon tilted his head, eyes narrowing. “You’re lying. You smell even more nervous now.”

You hugged Heeseung tighter, refusing to lift your head.

“I’m okay… really. I’m just a little overwhelmed. That’s all.”

Ni-ki chuckled darkly from behind you.

“They told you we’re going to fuck you, didn’t they?”

You didn’t answer. You just pressed your burning face deeper into Heeseung’s chest.

Heeseung’s hand rubbed slow circles on your lower back.

“You don’t have to tell us,” he said gently, but his voice was getting rougher. “We already know what’s coming.”

He leaned down and kissed the top of your head.

“Come on, sunshine. Let’s go to the nest room.”

The seven of them surrounded you as they guided you toward the large reinforced nest room. Your heart was beating so fast you could barely think.

You had chosen this.

And now there was no turning back.

The nest room was enormous and dimly lit, with a massive circular bed in the center covered in soft black and cream sheets. There were pillows everywhere, making it look like a giant nest. The boys guided you inside and closed the heavy reinforced door behind them.

At first, they were surprisingly gentle.

Heeseung sat on the edge of the bed and pulled you onto his lap, cradling you carefully. The others sat around you in a circle, watching you with intense but controlled eyes.

“You’re safe here,” Heeseung murmured, stroking your back slowly. “We’re not going to jump on you like animals… not yet.”

Jake leaned in and kissed your temple softly. “Try to relax, sunshine. We know this is a lot.”

You gave them a small, nervous smile, still trying to keep your bubbly tone even though your voice was shaky.

“Okay… good. Because I’m really nervous,” you admitted with a soft laugh. “Seven of you is… a lot.”

They kept you in the middle, touching you gently — hands on your waist, thighs, hair, and back. No one pushed further. They were clearly waiting.

You stayed like that for almost an hour, talking quietly, them comforting you while their bodies grew hotter against yours.

Then the clock on the wall struck 12:00.

The main lights in the room slowly dimmed, shifting into a deep, warm red glow. The temperature in the room seemed to rise instantly.

All seven of them stiffened at the same time.

Their breathing changed — becoming heavier, deeper. Their eyes darkened dramatically, the golden rings around their pupils glowing brighter. You could feel their bodies heating up against you, muscles tensing.

A small hidden earpiece you didn’t even know you were wearing crackled to life.

Dr. Serena’s voice spoke calmly but clearly,“Heat cycle has officially begun, Y/N. Their pheromones and aggression levels are spiking. Get ready. They won’t be able to hold back much longer. Remember to breathe. Your body can handle them.”

The moment she finished speaking, Heeseung’s grip on your waist became much tighter. A low, deep growl rumbled from his chest.

“Fuck…” he cursed under his breath, burying his face in your neck and inhaling deeply. “You smell so fucking good.”

Jake’s hand slid up your thigh, squeezing harder than before.

“Sunshine…” he groaned, voice strained. “I can’t… I need you.”

Ni-ki crawled closer, eyes completely feral now as he stared at you like prey.

“I’m so fucking hard it hurts,” he growled.

The gentle touches from earlier were rapidly disappearing. Their hands grew bolder, gripping, squeezing, pulling you closer like they were losing control by the second.

Sunghoon reached out and started unbuttoning your blouse with shaky fingers, breathing heavily.

Jungwon’s usual calm voice was gone, replaced by a low, dangerous tone,“Take her clothes off.”

You let out a shaky breath, heart hammering wildly in your chest as seven pairs of glowing eyes locked onto you with pure, unrestrained lust.

“Fuck…” Heeseung breathed against your neck. “It’s starting.”

Dr. Serena’s voice crackled softly in your earpiece one last time,“Heat cycle is active. It will be for the next 24 hours. Try to breathe, Y/N. They won’t be able to hold back now.”

Heeseung’s lips crashed against yours in a deep, desperate kiss. No more gentleness. This kiss was hungry, possessive, and consuming. His tongue claimed your mouth as his hands roamed down your body, ripping your blouse open roughly. Buttons scattered across the bed.

Jake was behind you instantly, yanking your pants and panties down your legs in one swift motion, leaving you completely exposed.

“So fucking pretty,” Jake groaned, his hands spreading your thighs wide for the others to see.

You whimpered into Heeseung’s mouth as Sunghoon dropped between your legs and dragged his tongue slowly up your soaked pussy, groaning at your taste.

“She’s dripping,” Sunghoon growled before sucking your clit into his mouth.

You jerked hard, moaning loudly. Ni-ki grabbed your hair and turned your head, feeding his thick, heavy cock past your lips.

“That’s it… suck me, Doctor,” he moaned, slowly pushing deeper into your mouth.

They worked in perfect sync.

Heeseung pulled away from your lips only to latch onto your breast, sucking hard on your nipple while Jay claimed the other one. Jake and Sunoo kissed and bit along your neck and shoulders, leaving dark marks everywhere.

Sunghoon pushed two long fingers inside you while still licking your clit, curling them perfectly against that spot that made your eyes roll back.

You were moaning helplessly around Ni-ki’s cock, body trembling as pleasure attacked you from every direction.

After a few minutes, Heeseung moved between your legs.

“Look at me,” he ordered, voice rough.

You barely managed to meet his glowing eyes before he lined up his massive cock and pushed inside you in one long, slow, powerful thrust.

A muffled scream left your throat as he stretched you open so wide it burned.

“Fuck… so tight,” Heeseung groaned deeply, eyes fluttering shut for a moment. “You’re taking me so well, sunshine.”

He started fucking you with deep, heavy strokes — pulling almost all the way out before slamming back in. The wet, obscene sounds of his cock plunging into your soaked pussy filled the entire room.

Ni-ki pulled out of your mouth and was quickly replaced by Jake, who fucked your throat more eagerly.

They began rotating.

After Heeseung had fucked you hard for several minutes, Jay took his place, pounding into you even rougher. Then Sunghoon. Then Jake.

Every time one of them came, they buried themselves as deep as possible and pumped you full of thick, hot cum.

By the time the fourth load was shot inside you, your pussy was a creamy, messy wreck — cum leaking out with every thrust.

You were crying, shaking, and moaning incoherently, lost in overwhelming pleasure.

Sunoo smiled sweetly even as he pushed his cock into your cum-filled pussy.

“Our pretty little cumdump,” he whispered lovingly while fucking you slow and deep, pushing the previous loads even deeper inside you.

Jungwon was next. He gripped your hips hard and fucked you with powerful, precise strokes, eyes locked on your face the entire time.

“You’re doing so well, baby,” he praised. “Taking all of us like a good Anchor.”

Ni-ki was the roughest. He flipped you onto all fours and fucked you from behind like an animal, spanking your ass hard while growling.

“Fuck yes— take my cock. Gonna fill you until you’re pregnant with our babies.”

Heeseung knelt in front of you and fed you his cock again, fucking your throat while Ni-ki destroyed your pussy from behind.

You were completely surrounded.

Used.

Claimed.

Filled.

And they still had hours left in their heat.

The red lights made everything feel hotter, more sinful.

You were a complete mess — covered in sweat, cum, and marks from their mouths and hands.

Ni-ki was still fucking you hard from behind, his hips slamming against your ass with wet, filthy sounds.

“Fuck— I’m gonna cum again,” he growled, spanking your ass hard before burying himself deep. You felt another thick load shoot inside you, so much that it leaked out around his cock and dripped down your thighs.

The moment he pulled out, Jungwon took his place again.

He flipped you onto your back again and pushed your legs up toward your chest, folding you in half.

“Look at this pretty pussy,” Jungwon groaned, staring at the mess they had made of you. “So full of our cum already…”

He slid inside easily because of how wet and stretched you were. His thrusts were deep and controlled, but each one was powerful enough to make your breasts bounce.

“So good,” he moaned. “You were made to take our cocks.”

Heeseung moved beside your head and fed you his cock again, slowly fucking your throat while Jungwon bred your pussy.

You were crying around Heeseung’s cock from the overwhelming pleasure, body shaking every time Jungwon hit that perfect spot inside you.

After Jungwon filled you with his load, Jake and Jay moved together.

Jake lay down on the bed and pulled you on top of him, sliding his cock back into your messy pussy in one smooth thrust. He held you against his chest as Jay knelt behind you.

You whimpered when you felt Jay’s cock press against your already full pussy.

“W-wait— both?” you gasped.

“Yes, baby,” Jake whispered, kissing you softly. “You can take it.”

Jay pushed in slowly, stretching you even more. The feeling of two thick cocks inside you at the same time made your eyes roll back and a broken moan rip from your throat.

“Fuck— so tight,” Jay groaned, slowly starting to move.

They found a rhythm — Jake thrusting up while Jay thrust down. The double penetration made you feel impossibly full. Every movement made wet, squelching sounds as cum was pushed out of you.

Sunoo knelt beside you and stroked your hair gently, even as he pushed his cock into your hand.

“You’re so beautiful like this,” he whispered sweetly. “All fucked out and full of us.”

Heeseung, Sunghoon, and Ni-ki watched with dark eyes, stroking themselves as they waited for their next turn.

Jake and Jay fucked you together until they both came deep inside you, adding even more cum to the mess.

By the time they pulled out, your pussy was gaping slightly, creamy white cum pouring out of you in thick streams.

But they weren’t done.

Sunghoon pulled you onto his lap, facing him, and sank you down on his cock. Heeseung moved behind you and pushed back into your pussy as well, making it three cocks stretching you at once — though only two were inside your pussy.

You screamed in pleasure, completely overwhelmed.

Heeseung growled in your ear, “That’s our good girl. Taking everything we give you.”

They used your body for what felt like hours — rotating positions, fucking you alone, in pairs, sometimes making you ride them while others used your mouth and hands.

Every single one of them came inside you at least twice.

Your belly felt swollen and heavy with their cum. Your voice was hoarse from moaning and crying their names. Tears of overwhelming pleasure ran down your cheeks.

At one point, all seven of them were touching you at the same time — hands, mouths, cocks everywhere.

Heeseung was fucking you deep while whispering hotly against your ear:

“Gonna keep you like this for days, sunshine. Full of our cum. Breeding you until it takes.”

You came again hard, shaking violently as another orgasm ripped through your body.

They praised you nonstop.

“Good girl.”

“Our perfect Anchor.”

“Taking our cocks so well.”

“Gonna look so pretty pregnant with our babies.”

Hours blurred together in a haze of sweat, cum, and overwhelming pleasure. Your voice had gone hoarse from screaming their names, your bubbly professionalism long shattered into broken moans and whimpers.

By hour six, they had you in the center of the massive bed, surrounded by pillows soaked with fluids. Heeseung had you riding him reverse cowgirl, his thick cock buried to the hilt while Jay knelt in front of you, feeding his own length down your throat. Every bounce made more cum from previous loads leak out around Heeseung’s shaft, dripping messily onto the sheets.

“Fuck, look at her,” Jake groaned from the side, stroking himself as he watched. “Our pretty little Anchor is stuffed so full she’s leaking everywhere.”

Sunghoon moved behind Heeseung and pushed two fingers alongside his hyung’s cock, stretching you even wider. You sobbed around Jay’s length, thighs shaking violently as another orgasm tore through you.

Sunoo, ever the deceptively sweet one, cupped your face gently while Jay used your mouth. “You’re doing so well, Doctor~ Taking every drop like you were made for us.” He leaned in and kissed your tear-streaked cheek even as your body jolted from the double penetration below.

Ni-ki and Jungwon took turns claiming your breasts, sucking hard enough to leave blooming marks while their hands roamed your swollen belly, already rounded slightly from the sheer volume of cum pumped into you.

They rotated constantly. Sometimes two in your pussy, one in your ass (after careful but relentless preparation), one in your mouth, and the rest using your hands or marking your skin. At one point they had you completely suspended between them — Heeseung and Sunghoon holding your legs wide open while Jake and Jay fucked into you together, their cocks rubbing against each other inside your overfilled cunt.

The wet, filthy sounds echoed endlessly. Growls, praises, and filthy promises filled the air.

“Gonna breed you until your womb is overflowing,” Jungwon panted, slamming into you with precise, punishing thrusts.

“You’ll smell like us for weeks,” Sunghoon growled against your neck before biting down.

Ni-ki was the most vocal and wild, fucking your ass with deep, animalistic snaps of his hips while calling you his favorite cumslut in that playful-yet-feral tone.

Hours passed. The heat made them insatiable.

They came inside you over and over — thick, heavy loads that made your belly visibly swell. Your pussy and ass were puffy, red, and constantly leaking their seed. At times they simply held you down and took turns breeding you slowly, savoring the way your body clenched and milked them even when you were too exhausted to do more than tremble.

By hour fourteen you were a limp, sobbing, blissed-out mess. They had to hold you up for most positions now, but they never stopped praising you.

Jungwon, ever the leader, pulled you into his arms during a brief lull around hour eighteen. The red lights were still glowing, but their movements had grown slightly less frantic.

He kissed you deeply, almost tenderly, while the others pressed close, hands stroking your marked skin.

“You’re ours now, sunshine,” he whispered against your swollen lips. “No more pretending this is just clinical. You belong in this nest.”

You could only nod weakly, voice gone, but you managed a tiny, exhausted smile — that same bubbly spirit flickering through even now. “Y-yeah… yours…”

The final hours were slower, deeper. They took you one by one again, savoring every last thrust as the heat cycle began to wane.

Jungwon was last, folding you gently beneath him and rocking into you with long, possessive strokes while the others watched, hands still touching you everywhere.

When he finally came, flooding you with what felt like the heaviest load yet, the red lights slowly faded back to soft white.

The heat cycle ended.

Silence settled over the nest room, broken only by heavy breathing and the soft sounds of shifting bodies. All seven of them collapsed around you in a protective pile of limbs and warmth. You lay in the center, completely spent, body aching in the best and worst ways, covered in marks, sweat, and drying cum. Your belly was noticeably rounded from everything they’d pumped into you. Your hair was a wild mess, ribbon long lost somewhere in the sheets.

Heeseung pulled you gently against his chest, stroking your back with surprising tenderness. His voice was rough but soft now. “You did so well, Y/N. Our perfect little doctor.”

Jake nuzzled into your neck from the other side, pressing soft kisses to the marks he’d left. “We’re so proud of you, baby. You took everything.”

Sunghoon rested his head on your thigh, eyes closed, one hand gently massaging your sore muscles. Sunoo curled against your stomach, kissing the swollen area almost reverently. “We’ll take care of you now.”

Jay brought water and a warm cloth, carefully cleaning your face and neck while Jungwon and Ni-ki massaged your legs and feet. They were all still hard, but the feral edge had dulled into deep, possessive satisfaction.

“You’re not leaving this nest for a while,” Ni-ki murmured, though his tone was playful again. “Doctor’s orders can wait.”

You let out a weak, raspy laugh — the first real sound you’d made in hours that wasn’t a moan or sob.

“I… I think I’m going to need a new lab coat,” you whispered, voice completely wrecked. “And maybe… a week of recovery.”

They chuckled softly around you, the sound warm and affectionate now that the peak of the heat had passed.

Dr. Serena’s voice eventually came through the hidden speakers, sounding both impressed and slightly concerned.

“Cycle complete. Vital signs stable. Dr. Y/N, you… handled that exceptionally well. We’ll give you all 48 hours before any further check-ins. Rest.”

The speakers clicked off.

Heeseung tucked you more securely against him, the others closing in until you were cocooned in their heat and scent. Someone pulled a soft blanket over all of you.

“Sleep, sunshine,” Heeseung murmured, lips brushing your forehead. “We’ve got you.”

As your eyes fluttered shut, surrounded by seven enhanced, utterly devoted mates, you felt a strange mix of exhaustion, satisfaction, and warmth blooming in your chest.

You had chosen this.

And even as your body ached and your mind floated in a pleasure-drunk haze, a small, bubbly part of you whispered that you didn’t regret it.

Not even a little.

The experiment had evolved far beyond science.

You were theirs now.

And they were never letting their Anchor go.

The nest room was quiet except for the soft sound of breathing and the occasional rustle of sheets. The red emergency lights had long faded, replaced by the gentle, warm white glow of the habitat’s normal lighting. You had no idea how long you’d been asleep—only that your body felt heavy, sore in the most intimate places, and deliciously used.

You woke up slowly, cradled against Heeseung’s broad chest. His arm was locked around your waist, possessive even in sleep. Jake was spooned behind you, face buried in the back of your neck, while Sunghoon’s head rested on your thigh like it belonged there. The others were tangled around you in a warm pile of limbs and muscle.

A tiny whimper escaped you when you tried to shift. Everything ached—your thighs, your core, your throat. Your belly still felt oddly full and swollen from the sheer amount of cum they’d pumped into you.

Heeseung stirred immediately, golden-ringed eyes cracking open. His voice was low and rough with sleep. “Sunshine… you’re awake.”

The others woke almost in sync, like a pack sensing their mate’s movement. Soft kisses and gentle hands immediately began moving over your body—checking, soothing, claiming.

“Easy,” Jay murmured, pressing a warm cloth between your legs to clean you carefully. “You were so good for us, baby.”

Sunoo nuzzled against your stomach, kissing the soft, slightly rounded swell there with almost worshipful tenderness. “Look at you… still carrying so much of us.”

You let out a weak, raspy laugh, your usual bubbly tone cracking through the exhaustion. “I feel like I got hit by a truck… seven very enthusiastic trucks.”

Ni-ki chuckled, fangs flashing as he grinned. “You took all seven trucks like a champ, Doctor.”

They didn’t let you move much for the first few hours. Someone brought water and electrolyte drinks. Jungwon fed you small bites of nutrient-dense food by hand while Jake massaged your sore legs. Heeseung kept you mostly on his lap, your back against his chest, his large hands gently rubbing circles over your swollen belly.

“You did so well,” he whispered against your ear, voice full of pride and lingering hunger. “Our perfect Anchor. We were worried we’d break you… but you kept smiling even when we were ruining you.”

You blushed deeply, hiding your face against his neck. “I… I chose this. I’m not going to run away now.”

The 48-hour recovery window passed in a blur of gentle touches, deep kisses, and surprisingly soft intimacy. They took turns holding you, bathing you in the large attached bathroom, and whispering praises. The feral edge of the heat had dulled, but their possessiveness remained—stronger than ever.

When Dr. Voss finally allowed you all back into the main habitat area, you tried to return to some semblance of professionalism.

You showed up in a fresh white lab coat over a soft baby blue blouse, hair neatly tied in your signature cute bun with the little white ribbon. Tablet in hand. Bright smile on your face, even if you were still walking a little carefully.

“Good morning, everyone~!” you greeted cheerfully, though your voice was still slightly hoarse. “How are my favorite seven feeling today? Any lingering… side effects from the heat?”

They were all waiting for you.

The moment you stepped fully into the room, the atmosphere thickened. Seven pairs of eyes tracked your every movement with dark, satisfied hunger.

Heeseung was on you first. He pulled you against his chest without hesitation and kissed you deeply, tongue claiming your mouth like he hadn’t spent the last 24 hours inside you.

When he finally pulled back, you were breathless and flushed.

“H-Heeseung! We’re… we’re supposed to do a proper check-in session—”

Jake appeared behind you, arms sliding around your waist. “Check-in can wait five minutes. We missed you.”

“You were literally sleeping on top of me for two days,” you laughed, trying to sound stern but failing as Sunghoon tilted your chin up for a slow, deep kiss of his own.

Sunoo smiled sweetly while playing with the ribbon in your hair. “You look so cute trying to be professional again… even with our marks all over your neck.”

You instinctively tugged your collar higher, cheeks burning.

Dr. Voss’s voice came through the speakers, sounding exhausted. “Dr. Y/N, try to keep them… contained. We’re resuming light sessions today. Physical contact is still permitted but try not to… escalate immediately.”

The boys smirked.

“Too late,” Jungwon said calmly, pulling you onto his lap on the big couch. He positioned you sideways so your legs draped over his thigh, one hand resting possessively high on your inner thigh.

The “session” quickly became them taking turns holding you while you asked your questions. You tried to stay focused—recording mood stability, energy levels, any residual aggression—but it was nearly impossible.

Every time you tried to write notes, someone would kiss your neck, squeeze your thigh, or slide a hand under your blouse to caress bare skin. Ni-ki kept nipping at your ears. Sunghoon stared at your lips like he wanted to devour them again.

At one point Heeseung pulled you onto his lap facing him, your core pressed right against the obvious bulge in his pants.

“You’re still wet,” he murmured, voice low enough that only you could hear. “I can smell it. Our cum is still leaking out of you, isn’t it?”

Your breath hitched. You gripped his shoulders, trying to keep your voice steady. “T-That’s… scientifically interesting. We should monitor—”

Jay leaned in from the side and bit your shoulder lightly. “Stop pretending you don’t love it.”

You lasted another twenty minutes before your tablet was gently taken away and set aside.

This time they didn’t go into full heat mode. Instead, they loved you slowly on the big sectional couch—taking turns fucking you with deep, lazy thrusts while the others watched and touched you. No rushing. Just long, claiming strokes and filthy praises whispered against your skin.

When they finally finished, you were once again a flushed, cum-filled, blissed-out mess in the middle of them, lab coat discarded somewhere on the floor, blouse open, ribbon slightly crooked in your messy hair.

Heeseung stroked your cheek, eyes glowing with dark affection.

“You’re not our doctor anymore, sunshine,” he said softly but firmly. “You’re our mate. Our Anchor. Our everything.”

You looked up at all seven of them—tall, powerful, completely devoted—and felt that familiar mix of nervousness and warmth bloom in your chest.

A small, genuinely bubbly smile tugged at your swollen lips.

“…I think I’m okay with that.”

Weeks later,

The experiment had fundamentally changed.

Sessions still happened—mostly because you insisted on keeping some structure—but they almost always ended with you being passed between them, filled, marked, and praised until you couldn’t remember your own name.

Your body had adapted even further. You craved their touch now. Their scent. The feeling of being completely surrounded and claimed.

Some mornings you still greeted them with your bright “Good morning, boys~!” and cute ribbon… only to be bent over the nearest surface within minutes.

They never got tired of you.

And deep down, you never wanted them to.

You were theirs.

Completely.

Author: If you ever want an epilogue, just say the word, baby. I’m here.

@heesvnqie | Do not steal, plagiarise, translate, or repost any of my work

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he kisses like he has all the time in the world and yet can’t get enough, tongue sliding against yours in lazy strokes that make your head spin. you sigh into his mouth, fingers threading through his dark hair, tugging lightly the way he likes. he groans softly, the sound vibrating between you.

curious and a little greedy, your hands wander lower, sliding from his shoulders down his chest. his shirt is unbuttoned halfway — a casualty of earlier teasing — and your palms press flat against the firm warmth of his pecs. you squeeze experimentally, thumbs brushing over the flat discs of his nipples, and jay jolts like he’s been shocked.

a sharp, broken inhale escapes him. his hips twitch up against yours involuntarily, and the kiss falters for half a second.

you pull back just enough to look at him, lips still brushing. “jay?”

his cheeks are flushed, eyes darker than usual, pupils blown wide. he tries to play it cool, clearing his throat. “nothing. keep going.”

but you’re not stupid. you repeat the motion — slower this time, thumbs circling his nipples deliberately. they harden instantly under your touch, and jay’s head falls back against the couch with a low, wrecked sound.

“fuck,” he breathes, voice rough. “they’re… sensitive.”

your heart skips. a rush of heat floods through you as the realization sinks in. park jongseong — calm, teasing, always-in-control jay — has sensitive nipples. the discovery feels like unlocking a secret weapon. you test it again, pinching one lightly between thumb and forefinger, and his reaction is immediate: a full-body shiver, fingers digging harder into your hips, a quiet whimper slipping out before he can swallow it.

“oh my god,” you whisper, fascinated. “you really like that.”

he doesn’t deny it. instead he pulls you back down into a kiss that’s suddenly much messier, more desperate. from that moment on, nothing is ever the same.

after that night, you become obsessed.

there are no more dull moments when you’re together. you find excuses to touch him there constantly. during a movie night when you’re curled up against his side, your hand slips under his hoodie without warning, fingers seeking out the soft, squishy flesh of his pecs. you knead them gently, thumbs flicking over his nipples until they pebble, and jay’s breath hitches mid-sentence, the popcorn bowl nearly forgotten in his lap.

“baby,” he mutters, voice strained, but he doesn’t stop you. if anything, he arches slightly into your touch, chest pushing forward like he’s offering himself up.

in public it’s subtler but still dangerous. a quick hug hello turns into your palms pressing against his chest “by accident,” pinching lightly through his shirt when no one’s looking. his ears go red every single time, jaw clenching as he fights to keep a straight face while talking to sunghoon or whoever else is around. you love the power of it — how this composed man turns into putty the second your hands find his chest.

makeout sessions become something else entirely.

you push him against the wall one afternoon after work, hands already working his shirt open before the door even clicks shut. your mouth trails from his lips to his neck, then lower, while your fingers never leave his pecs — squeezing, rolling his nipples, pinching just hard enough to make his knees weaken. jay moans openly now, head back against the wall, hips grinding helplessly against yours.

“you’re going to kill me,” he pants, but his hands cradle the back of your head like he never wants you to stop. “fuck, i love when you play with them.”

you hum in satisfaction and latch your mouth onto one nipple, sucking hard. jay’s hand flies to your hair, gripping tight as a broken whimper escapes him. you lick and bite gently, alternating sides, leaving faint red marks that bloom into soft hickeys by the next morning. he never complains. if anything, he wears the collar of his shirts a little lower those days, like he secretly hopes you’ll do it again.

the obsession peaks during sex.

one night you’re riding him slow and deep, the room filled with the wet sounds of skin and heavy breathing. jay’s hands are everywhere — on your ass, your waist, your breasts — but you can tell he’s holding back, eyes glassy with pleasure. you lean down, changing the angle, and drag your nails lightly over his chest before pinching both nipples at once.

jay’s reaction is visceral. his back arches clean off the bed, a loud, needy moan ripping from his throat. “shit— baby, please—”

“please what?” you ask sweetly, rolling your hips while continuing to toy with him. you pinch and tug, then soothe with your palms, squeezing the soft muscle of his pecs.

his eyes squeeze shut, lips parted. “touch me there… harder. fuck, i love your hands on my chest. don’t stop— please don’t stop.”

he begs so prettily it makes you dizzy. and you give him exactly what he wants — licking broad stripes over his nipples, sucking them into your mouth until they’re swollen and glistening, biting down just enough to make him hiss and thrust up into you harder. you cover his chest in hickeys, little purple marks that claim him as yours. every time you press on one later, he’ll shiver and pull you in for a kiss.

and jay, never one to be outdone, returns the favor with devastating enthusiasm.

the first time he does it, you’re on your back, legs wrapped around his waist as he fucks you deep and steady. he moves his head closer, mouth latching onto your nipple without warning, sucking hard while his fingers play with the other. the dual sensation makes you cry out, back arching.

“jay—!”

he lifts his head just enough to smirk, eyes dark. “not so fun when it’s you, huh?” but his voice is wrecked, and he immediately goes back to it — licking, sucking, gently biting, mirroring everything you do to him. his hands knead your breasts possessively, thumbs flicking over your nipples until you’re shaking and clenching around him.

from then on it becomes mutual worship. lazy mornings turn into both of you tangled together, hands and mouths on each other’s chests, trading moans and whispers. he loves sucking on yours until you’re dripping and desperate, then sliding into you while still latched on. you love reducing him to whimpers and pleas by playing with his sensitive pecs until he’s rutting into you like he can’t control himself.

“you’re obsessed,” he teases one night, voice rough as you straddle him again, palms already cupping his chest, thumbs circling.

you pinch lightly and watch his eyes flutter. “says the guy who begs me to touch his tits every time we fuck.”

jay laughs breathlessly, the sound cutting off into a groan when you lean down and suck one nipple into your mouth. his hands fly to your ass, pulling you down onto him.

“guilty,” he admits, hips snapping up. “they’re yours now. do whatever you want.”

and you do. every chance you get.

there will never be a dull moment again.

© jongst4r, 2026

The Kingdom of Elias worshipped three things above all else. The Crown. The Gods. And bloodlines. In that order.

A noble's worth was measured by the name they carried. A shop owner’s worth was measured by how much he earned. A soldier’s worth was measured by victories.

And the daughter of a blacksmith? She was supposed to be worth nothing at all. Yet somehow, everyone in the kingdom knew your name.

Perhaps it was because your father never stopped talking about you. Or perhaps it was because people genuinely believed the old man's ridiculous claim.

"My daughter is the Moon Goddess reborn."

Every person in the capital had heard him say it. Every market vendor rolled their eyes whenever he brought it up. Every noble laughed.

Yet none of them could explain why the entire room always seemed brighter whenever you entered. None of them could explain why flowers bloomed unusually well around your home. None of them could explain why even the grumpiest villagers softened whenever you smiled at them.

Your father certainly couldn't. He simply crossed his arms proudly and declared that he was right. As always. "My daughter was blessed by the moon."

The man was impossible. Your brothers agreed. All four of them.

Unfortunately, that meant you had five overprotective men in your life. Your father. And your four older brothers. It was unbearable.

─ · ✿ · ─

"You're not going," your oldest brother, Seo-jun, shook his head.

"I am," you replied.

"You're not," Min-hyeok agreed. 

"Yes."

"No," Tae-rin patted your shoulder almost sympathetically even if he was disagreeing too. You glared across the breakfast table. Seo-jun glared back. The rest watched the argument unfold.

"I am attending Decelis Academy," you repeated.

"You're not," Ha-jun, your youngest brother, laughed as if your ideas of leaving where hilarious.

"I was accepted."

"You can reject it."

"I earned my place."

"You can still reject it."

You wanted to throw bread at him. Instead, you settled for kicking his shin under the table. He yelped. Victory.

Your father immediately pointed at him, "See? My angel-daughter has spoken."

"Dad."

"What?"

"You cannot keep calling me that."

"I absolutely can."

Your Tae-rin groaned and Min-hyeok rubbed his face. Seo-jun looked ready to jump out a window as Ha-jun simply laughed again- like he found your suffering funny. Your father remained completely serious.

"You were born under a full moon."

"Dad."

"The moonlight turned silver-" he continued.

"Dad."

"The village priest cried-"

"Dad."

"The cows started mooing-"

"The cows always moo!"

"I know." You buried your face in your hands and the table erupted into laughter. For a moment, warmth filled your home. For a moment, everything felt perfect.

Then your father spoke again, "Any boy who looks at my daughter loses his eyes." The warmth vanished immediately and- of course- all four brothers nodded. 

You stared at them in horror. "WHAT?"

"Reasonable," Seo-jun spoke.

"Completely reasonable," Min-hyeok nodded.

"Very reasonable," Tae-rin agreed.

"Honestly, we should take their hands too," Ha-jun suggested calmly.

You nearly choked, "No one is taking anyone's eyes!"

Your father snorted, "We'll negotiate, sweetheart."

"DAD!"

Unfortunately for you, they were only half joking. Unfortunately for every young man in the kingdom, they were only half joking. Because you were adored. Absolutely adored. And nowhere would that become more obvious than Decelis Academy.

─ · ✿ · ─

The buildings stood upon a mountain overlooking the capital. Ancient stone towers pierced the clouds. Silver 'WELCOME STUDENTS!' banners fluttered against the wind. Future rulers, generals, scholars and nobles studied within its walls.Only the kingdom's most talented students could attend. Which was why many nobles were furious about your acceptance.

A blacksmith's daughter. Among aristocrats. Among heirs. Among future lords.

Scandalous. You didn't care, you had worked too hard, studied too much, sacrificed too many nights. No one would take this from you, not even nobles- especially not nobles. The academy gates opened and students poured inside.

─ · ✿ · ─

Carriages lined the roads.

Expensive fabrics. Precious jewels. House crests. Power. Everywhere.

You adjusted your books, lifted your chin and walked forward.

Immediately, people stared. You ignored them. Then someone collided into you. Books crashed. Papers scattered. A groan followed.

"Watch where you're—" The stranger froze. You froze. The boy kneeling among scattered books looked around your age. Dark eyes. Handsome features. Expensive uniform.

Noble. Definitely noble. Unfortunately.

The boy stared. And stared. And stared.You frowned, "Are you alright?" No response. His mouth opened slightly. Still nothing. A second boy suddenly appeared. Then another. Then another. And another. And another. Until six other young men stood around him.

All nobles. All staring. You were beginning to feel concerned.

"What happened?" a boy with soft eyes and gentle asked. The kneeling boy pointed at you and you blinked as they looked at you. Silence. 

Then one of them whispered, "Oh."

Another whispered, "Definitely oh."

A third whispered, "Completely oh." You had no idea what was happening. Then the kneeling noble finally stood, his eyes never left yours. 

"Hello."

You raised an eyebrow, "Hello."

The silence returned. The other boys exchanged looks. One visibly fought laughter. Another looked horrified. A third pinched the bridge of his nose.

Finally, one sighed, "He's broken."

"What?"

"Completely broken." You blinked. The noble in front of you still hadn't looked away. He extended a hand.

"My name is Lee Heeseung." Something about the way he said it felt important, as though he expected recognition.

You simply shook his hand, "Nice to meet you, Heeseung."

His friends looked excited. Heeseung looked hopeful. You smiled politely. Then walked away.

The seven nobles remained frozen. Several moments passed. Finally, one spoke, "She doesn't know who you are."

Another burst into laughter. A third nearly fell over. Heeseung stood motionless. Completely devastated. Because for the first time in years— someone had treated him like an ordinary person.

And somehow...

He liked it.

─ · ✿ · ─

The next few months changed everything. Mostly because Heeseung became impossible. Absolutely impossible. You saw him everywhere.

Library? Heeseung. Courtyard? Heeseung. Dining hall? Heeseung. Garden? Heeseung. Hallway? Heeseung.

At first you assumed coincidence. Then you discovered he had changed his study schedule three times just to match yours.

You discovered he sat near you whenever possible. You discovered his friends regularly abandoned him so he could speak with you. You discovered he was shameless. Utterly shameless.

"Good morning," he whispered for the third time that lesson.

"You said that already."

"I missed you."

"You saw me ten minutes ago."

"It was a difficult ten minutes."

You stared. He smiled. Infuriating. Months passed. Friendship grew. Slowly. Steadily. Against all logic.

Because despite his ridiculous behavior... He was kind. Painfully kind. He remembered everything. Your favorite books. Your favorite flowers. Your favorite tea. The subjects you struggled with. The subjects you loved. He listened. 

He cared. And worst of all—

you started looking for him too. The realization terrified you.

─ · ✿ · ─

One winter evening, snow drifted outside the academy library. Most students had returned home. Only a handful remained. Including you. And including Heeseung.

You sat across from each other studying. Or at least pretending to study. Heeseung had read the same page five times. You hadn't read yours at all.The silence felt different tonight.

Heavy. Expectant. Dangerous. Finally, Heeseung closed his book.

"(Y/N)."You looked up. His expression was serious. Far too serious. 

Your heartbeat quickened, "What is it?"

"I need to ask you something."

The room suddenly felt smaller. Outside, snow continued falling.Inside, neither of you moved. "What?"

He swallowed. Then stood, "Come with me."

─ · ✿ · ─

The gardens of Decelis were famous throughout the kingdom. Flowers bloomed among silver fountains. Crystal lanterns illuminated winding paths. Winter snow glittered beneath starlight.

It looked almost unreal. You followed Heeseung deeper into the gardens. Neither of you spoke. Your heart was racing. His was worse. Far worse.

Finally he stopped beneath a moonlit archway. For several moments, neither moved. Neither breathed. Then Heeseung turned toward you.

And everything changed. Because for the first time since you met him... There was no teasing.No laughter. No confidence. Only honesty. Raw. Terrifying honesty.

"(Y/N)," he said quietly. Your breath caught. His eyes never left yours. "I've liked you for a very long time." The world seemed to stop.

Snow drifted around you. Moonlight painted silver across the garden. And Heeseung continued, "I tried not to, it didn't work." A nervous laugh escaped him. "I thought it would."

His hands trembled slightly. "I thought if I waited, it would disappear."

It hadn't. You could hear it in every word. Every breath. Every heartbeat. His feelings had only grown stronger. "And now?" You whispered.

His gaze softened, "Now I think about you constantly." The confession struck like lightning.

You couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't look away. He stepped closer. Only slightly. Enough. "Will you let me court you?"

The question hung between you. Simple. Terrifying. Life-changing.

Your heart pounded because the answer had been growing inside you for months. Every smile. Every conversation. Every stolen moment. Every ridiculous greeting. Every shared laugh. Every glance.

You already knew. And so did he. You smiled- a small smile- but it was enough. "Yes." For a moment, Heeseung simply stared. As though he couldn't believe it.

Then the realization hit. And his entire face lit up. The joy there was so pure it nearly stole your breath.

He looked happier than anyone you had ever seen. And under the moonlit sky- the future seemed endless.

Neither of you noticed the figure watching from a balcony above.

Lady Lee.

Heeseung's mother. Her face cold. Her eyes sharp. And her expression furious. Because the future her son envisioned... Was not the future she intended. And she would do everything in her power to destroy it.

─ · ✿ · ─

Lady Lee did not sleep that night. Neither did Heeseung. Neither did you.

For very different reasons. You lay awake in your small room at the academy, staring at the ceiling as snow continued falling outside.

Your heart refused to calm. Every time you closed your eyes, you saw him. The way his hands had trembled. The way his voice had cracked. The way he had looked at you after you said yes.You smiled into your pillow despite yourself. Then immediately buried your face in it. This was ridiculous.

You had never been the sort of girl who daydreamed about romance. You had spent most of your life studying, helping your father, dodging your brothers, and trying not to get dragged into village gossip.

Yet somehow Lee Heeseung had appeared and ruined everything because now your heart was doing strange things. And you hated it. Mostly.

─ · ✿ · ─

Meanwhile, Heeseung was having a far worse evening because his mother had summoned him. Immediately. The moment you left. The doors of Lady Lee's private chambers closed behind him. The sound echoed. Dangerously.

Lady Lee stood near the fireplace. Elegant. Perfect. Terrifying.

The resemblance between mother and son was obvious. The same sharp features. The same dark eyes. The same commanding presence.

Unfortunately, Lady Lee possessed none of her son's warmth, "Heeseung."

His jaw tightened, "Mother."

"Who is she?" Straight to the point. Of course.

Heeseung didn't pretend ignorance, "(Y/N)."

"The blacksmith's daughter."

The words dripped with disdain. Something ugly twisted inside him, "She has a name."

Lady Lee's eyes narrowed, "You forget yourself."

"No," His voice was calm. Dangerously calm, "I remember exactly who I am."

The silence that followed felt sharp enough to cut skin. Lady Lee studied him carefully. Then sighed-like she was disappointed. "As your mother, I am attempting to save you from making a mistake."

The anger inside him grew, "(Y/N) is not a mistake."

"She is a commoner." The words struck like a slap. His hands clenched. Lady Lee continued, "You are a lord's son."

"Second son."

"That changes nothing."

"It changes everything." His voice rose for the first time, "You know it does."

The room fell silent. Because they both knew the truth. Heeseung would never inherit the titles. His older brother- Lee Heedo- would.

His future had always been different. Less restricted. Less political. Less important.

Yet somehow his mother still expected perfection. Still expected obedience. Still expected him to marry according to status. According to power. According to blood.

Never according to love. "End this," the command rang through the room. Heeseung laughed. A single sharp sound. Lady Lee looked startled.

Then offended. Then furious.

"No."

The word landed like a sword strike. "No?"

"No," Lady Lee stared. Her son had never spoken to her like this. Not once. Not ever. Yet here he stood. Meeting her gaze directly. Refusing.

Over a girl.

A blacksmith's daughter.

The realization made something cold settle inside her. Fine. If Heeseung would not end this willingly—She would end it herself.

─ · ✿ · ─

The next morning, you walked into class and immediately knew something was wrong.Heeseung looked murderous. Actually murderous. You paused beside his desk, "Good morning?"

He looked up. The murderous expression disappeared instantly, "Oh."

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"You look like you're planning a crime."

"Only a few." You blinked. Heeseung smiled. But the smile didn't reach his eyes. Not entirely.

Something had happened. Something important.

Before you could ask further questions, arolled up piece of paper struck the back of Heeseung's head. He didn't even flinch, "Ow."

"You deserved that," Jake lowered his arm, Sunghoon nodded, Jay looked unimpressed, Sunoo looked entertained, Jungwon looked exhausted, Riki looked curious.

The entire friend group had arrived. Unfortunately.

"What did I do?"

Jake stared, "You disappeared."

"Yes?"

"You abandoned us."

"Mum."

"You missed dinner."

"Okay?"

"You have a girlfriend for one night and suddenly forget your friends exist." The classroom exploded into laughter. You nearly choked. Heeseung looked smug. You wanted the floor to swallow you whole.

"He's not my—"

"Courting partner."

Jay interrupted, "Potential future wife."

Sunoo added, "Future mother of his children."

Riki smirked subtly. You nearly died. Absolutely died. Heeseung looked delighted. "Thank you, Sunoo."

"You're welcome."

You covered your face. The boys continued arguing. The teacher eventually arrived. Order returned.

Mostly.

But one thing became painfully clear. Everyone was going to know. Soon. Very soon.

─ · ✿ · ─

The disaster arrived two weeks later. In the form of your brothers. All four of them. At once.

You were walking through the academy courtyard with Heeseung when a familiar voice echoed across the grounds, "(Y/N)!"

You froze. Heeseung froze. Slowly. Very slowly. You turned around and immediately wished you hadn't.

Because Seo-jun was standing there. Alongside Min-hyeok. Tae-rin. And Ha-jun.

The Four Horsemen of Your Personal Apocalypse, "Oh no."

"What?"

"Oh no."

Heeseung finally noticed them, "Who—"

"My brothers."

"Oh." A pause. Then another. Then:

"Oh no."

Now he understood. The four men approached. Their expressions growing darker with every step. Particularly when they noticed Heeseung standing beside you.

Very close beside you. Far too close. Ha-jun pointed, "Who is that?"

You considered lying. Unfortunately, Heeseung stepped forward. And bowed politely. "My name is Lee Heeseung."

Traitor. Absolute traitor.

The brothers exchanged looks. Dangerous looks. The kind of looks soldiers exchanged before battle. "Lee?" Seo-jun repeated.

"Yes."

"The noble family?"

"Yes.""The lord's son?"

"Yes." Silence. 

Then: "No."

Heeseung blinked, "No?"

"No."

"You don't even know what I'm asking."

"I know enough," Seo-jun crossed his arms, "You are not courting my sister."

The courtyard became completely silent. Students immediately began watching. Of course they did. You wanted to disappear.

Unfortunately, your family prevented that. Frequently.

"I'm not asking permission." The words left Heeseung's mouth before he could stop them. Your brothers stared. You stared. Even Heeseung looked shocked because that had been a terrible thing to say. A truly terrible thing to say. The resulting silence was horrifying.

Then Seo-jun smiled. That was somehow worse. Much worse. "Interesting."

Min-hyeok nodded slowly, "Very interesting."

Tae-rin cracked his knuckles. Ha-jun looked delighted because chaos was his favorite hobby.

"Oh, this is going badly," You whispered.

Heeseung whispered back, "I noticed."

And somehow against all logic of the situation—You almost laughed.

─ · ✿ · ─

The first letter arrived three days later. Lady Lee's seal gleamed upon the wax. You frowned. Then opened it and your blood ran cold because the contents were clear.

Painfully clear.

'You are not suitable for my son.'

You read the words once. Twice. Three times. Each reading made your stomach twist further.

She spoke of bloodlines. Status. Reputation. Duty.

Everything nobles valued. Everything you lacked. The message beneath the polite language was unmistakable.

'Leave him.'

You folded the letter carefully. Then walked home. Your father was working. Sparks danced through the air. The familiar sight usually comforted you. Today it didn't. Immediately, he noticed. His hammer lowered, "Sweetheart."

You swallowed, "Dad."

His expression changed instantly. The smile disappeared, "What happened?"

You handed him the letter. He read. Once. Twice. Then a third time. The air became very still.

"Dad?" No answer. "Dad." Still nothing.

Slowly, your father folded the letter, placed it on the table, then rolled up his sleeves. You stared, "Dad?"

"Where is my hammer?"

Your eyes widened, "Dad."

"Just asking."

"Dad."

"Perfectly innocent question."

"DAD."

The forge door suddenly opened and your brothers entered. Unfortunately. Your father immediately handed them the letter. You watched all four read it. You watched all four become angry. Very angry. Perhaps murderously angry.Your headache arrived immediately. 

Because this situation had somehow become worse. And you were fairly certain nobody had reached peak anger yet.

Not even close. Especially not Lee Heeseung. Who had not yet discovered what his mother had done.

When he did—

The kingdom itself might have reason to worry.

─ · ✿ · ─

The kingdom had much more to worry than expected because Heeseung discovered the letter the very next day. And he was furious.

Not the quiet irritation his friends were accustomed to. Not the mild annoyance he displayed when Jake stole food from his plate. Not even the dangerous anger he showed during academy tournaments.

No. This was different. This was the kind of fury that settled deep in a person's bones. The kind that remained. The kind that changed things.

Forever.

─ · ✿ · ─

You were sitting beneath the old oak tree near the academy gardens when Heeseung found you. Immediately, you knew something was wrong. His uniform was immaculate as always. His posture was perfect. His expression was calm. Unbothered.

The sort of calm people possessed right before disaster struck.

"Heeseung?" No response. Your stomach dropped because he only ignored you when something was truly wrong.

Slowly, he approached. Then held out an envelope. Your blood ran cold. The letter. Lady Lee's letter, "Oh." The single word escaped before you could stop it. 

Heeseung's jaw tightened, "She sent this to you." Not a question. A statement.

You swallowed, "Yes."

"When?"

"Three days ago." The silence that followed felt unbearable. Students passed nearby. Birds sang. The world continued turning. Yet somehow everything felt frozen.

"You didn't tell me." You stared at the ground because he wasn't wrong. You hadn't told him. Partly because you didn't want to worry him. Partly because you knew exactly how he would react. And judging by his expression—

You had been right, "I handled it."

"No," his voice cut through the air. Sharp. Precise. “You shouldn't have needed to." The anger beneath the words startled you. Not because it was directed at you. Because it wasn't. Every ounce of it was aimed elsewhere.

At Lady Lee. At the expectations surrounding him. At every person who believed they had the right to decide your worth, "(Y/N)."

You looked up. His eyes softened immediately. Just for you. Only for you. "You should never have had to read that." Something tightened painfully in your chest. Because nobody had said that. Not your father. Not your brothers. Not even yourself. 

Everyone had focused on the insult. The injustice. The anger. Only Heeseung focused on the hurt. The fact that someone had deliberately tried to make you feel lesser. And he hated it. You could see it. You could feel it.

His anger wasn't pride. It wasn't possessiveness. It was heartbreak. For you. And somehow that made everything worse. Because suddenly you wanted to cry. Which was ridiculous. You never cried. Almost never. 

Yet Heeseung looked at you as though the letter had wounded him personally. As though your pain belonged to him too. Without thinking, you reached for his hand. His fingers immediately intertwined with yours. Natural. Effortless. As though they'd been doing it forever.

The realization sent heat rushing to your face. Heeseung smiled slightly. The first genuine smile all day, "There you are."

"What?"

"I've been looking for that smile."

You scoffed quietly and the moment shattered. Thankfully. Because if he kept looking at you like that—You might've forgotten how to speak entirely.

─ · ✿ · ─

Unfortunately, someone else witnessed the interaction. Lady Lee. Again.The woman seemed to appear whenever she was least wanted. Which was always. She had arrived at the academy to attend a noble council meeting.

Instead, she found herself standing in a stone corridor overlooking the gardens. Watching. And what she saw horrified her. Not because you were holding hands. Not because Heeseung looked happy.

But because he looked devoted. Completely devoted. The sort of devotion people wrote songs about. The sort of devotion that ignored reason. Ignored status. Ignored logic. Ignored consequences.

The sort of devotion that could not be controlled. And Lady Lee despised anything she could not control.

─ · ✿ · ─

The rumors exploded by week's end. They spread through Decelis Academy like wildfire. The blacksmith's daughter. The lord's son. The impossible romance.

Students whispered during lessons. During meals. During training sessions.

Everywhere. Most were supportive. Some were curious. A few were cruel. One particularly foolish noble girl approached you during lunch.Her smile was sweet. Artificially sweet. The kind that usually preceded unpleasantness, "You must feel very fortunate."

You looked up from your book, "What?"

"Lord Heeseung," she laughed lightly, "As a commoner, opportunities like this don't come often."

The table went silent. Completely silent. You recognized the trap immediately. Unfortunately, so did everyone else. Including Heeseung. Who happened to be sitting directly beside you with his arm around your shoulders.

The girl has made a mistake. A terrible mistake.

Because now the noble girl had purposely insulted someone Heeseung cared about and he was already angry.

The combination was unfortunate. For her. "What exactly do you mean by that?" The question sounded polite. Almost gentle. 

The girl relaxed.bAnother mistake, "I only mean she should know her place."

The dining hall froze. Completely froze. Hundreds of students stared. Waiting. Watching. Heeseung slowly set down his fork. Then stood.The movement alone made the girl pale because suddenly she realized something. 

The problem wasn't that a noble was courting a blacksmith's daughter. The problem was that the noble in question was Lee Heeseung.

And Lee Heeseung looked ready to start a war, "Her place?" His voice was terrifyingly calm. The girl swallowed. No response. Heeseung stepped forward. Just once. Yet somehow it felt threatening. "If you ever speak about her like that again—"

"Heeseung," Your voice interrupted him. Immediately. Instantly. His attention shifted. The anger disappeared.

Not completely but enough. The transformation stunned everyone. One moment he looked furious. The next he looked at you. And softened. As though the world itself revolved around your opinion.The entire dining hall noticed- every single person. The silence became deafening. You suddenly wished for death. Or invisibility.

Either would suffice. "Heeseung," You squeezed his hand gently, "Sit down."

He obeyed immediately. The dining hall collectively lost its mind. Because apparently watching one of the academy's most respected nobles obey a blacksmith's daughter without hesitation was shocking.

Personally, you thought everyone was overreacting. Heeseung disagreed, "You could tell me to jump into the Han River."

You stared, "What?"

"I probably would."

"That's ridiculous."

His smile returned, "There it is again."

You kicked him under the table and he looked delighted.

─ · ✿ · ─

Several days later, Heeseung visited your home for the first time. In retrospect, nothing good could have come from this.

The signs were obvious. Your father spent three hours preparing. Your brothers spent two. Nobody explained why, which somehow made everything worse.

When Heeseung arrived at the house, everyone was waiting.

Your father.

Seo-jun.

Min-hyeok.

Tae-rin.

Ha-jun.

All standing together. Watching. Like executioners.

"Oh."Heeseung stopped walking. Reasonable. Very reasonable. Your father smiled. The smile was terrifying.

"Welcome."

Heeseung bowed respectfully."Sir."

"Come inside." The smile remained. Still terrifying. You considered warning him. Unfortunately, it was already too late. He had entered the house. There was no escape now. The interrogation lasted three hours.

Three.

Entire.

Hours.

By the end, even Heeseung looked exhausted. Your father had questioned everything. His intentions. His future. His studies. His finances. His character. His plans. His feelings.

The weather. Probably. You couldn't remember anymore.

At one point Seo-jun demanded to know how many books Heeseung had read. At another point Min-hyeok somehow started discussing swordsmanship. Tae-rin wanted to know whether Heeseung could repair a wagon. Ha-jun simply asked increasingly bizarre questions for entertainment.

The entire experience felt surreal. Yet somehow, Heeseung never complained. Not once.Not even when your father asked the most important question of all, “Why her?"

The room fell silent. You froze. Everyone did. Even Ha-jun, which was rare. Extremely rare.

Heeseung looked toward you. Then smiled softly and answered, “Because she's her."

Silence. Absolute silence. Your heart stopped. Completely stopped. Your father stared. Seo-jun stared. Everyone stared. Heeseung didn't seem to notice. Or care. Because he continued.

"She's kind." Your face burned. "She's stubborn." Your face burned more. "She's brave." The room disappeared. "She's smarter than most nobles I've met." You considered jumping through a window. “She's honest." Death would be preferable. "And because I love who I become when I'm with her."

The silence afterward felt endless. No one moved. No one spoke. No one breathed. Then your father looked away. Quickly. Suspiciously quickly. As though hiding something. Seo-jun suddenly found the ceiling fascinating. Min-hyeok cleared his throat. Tae-rin rubbed his eyes. Ha-jun looked emotional- which was horrifying. Because if Ha-jun became emotional- the world was ending.

You looked down immediately because your own eyes suddenly felt suspiciously wet. And you absolutely refused to cry in front of everyone. Especially not because of Lee Heeseung. Especially not because he loved you.

─ · ✿ · ─

The problem with Lee Heeseung was that once he decided something- nothing could stop him. Not his friends. Not your brothers. Not the academy. And certainly not his mother.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, Heeseung had decided he loved you. Which meant the entire kingdom was about to suffer the consequences.

─ · ✿ · ─

Lady Lee summoned him again three days after his visit to your family's forge. This time, Heeseung arrived already irritated. A dangerous sign. Because normally Heeseung was patient. Reasonable. Diplomatic.

Today he was none of those things.

The moment he entered the sitting room, Lady Lee dismissed the servants. The doors shut. Silence settled. Then the argument began. "You visited her home."

Not a greeting. Not a question. An accusation.

"Yes," Heeseung shrugged.

Lady Lee inhaled sharply, "As if they are your equals."

The words landed like a slap.Heeseung's expression darkened immediately, "They are."

"No."

"They are."

"Heeseung—"

"No." The interruption shocked her. Again.

Recently, her son had become increasingly difficult to control. Increasingly willing to challenge her. Increasingly willing to choose you. Every single time. And she hated it. "You are embarrassing this family."

The statement hung between them. Cold. Cruel. Deliberate. For a moment Heeseung simply stared. Then he laughed. Not because it was funny. Because it was absurd. "Embarrassing?" his voice was dangerously quiet, "You think loving someone is embarrassing?"

"I think forgetting your responsibilities is embarrassing." Something snapped. Not loudly. Not dramatically. Just enough. The patience he'd spent months maintaining finally disappeared.

"You want to know what's embarrassing?" Lady Lee froze, because her son looked angry. Truly angry. The kind of anger that rarely surfaced. The kind that made even grown men nervous.

"I've spent years doing everything you've asked," his voice shook. Not from fear- from fury. "I studied what you wanted." Silence. "I behaved how you wanted." More silence. "I became the son you wanted." Lady Lee said nothing because she knew it was true. "And now." His jaw clenched. "You've decided the one thing I want isn't acceptable."

The room felt suffocating. Heavy. Painfully heavy. For the first time, Lady Lee saw something she'd never expected. Resentment. Years of it. Buried beneath obedience. Buried beneath politeness. Buried beneath duty. All finally surfacing.

And somehow- it was your fault. At least in her eyes. Because before you, Heeseung had accepted everything. Before you, he'd listened. Before you, he'd obeyed. Then you arrived. And suddenly he was fighting back. Suddenly he was choosing himself. Suddenly he was happy.

And Lady Lee despised the fact that happiness had made him stronger.

─ · ✿ · ─

You had no idea any of this was happening. Instead, you were attempting to survive another day at Decelis Academy. A difficult task. Mostly because your relationship was no longer a secret. At all. Not even slightly. The academy had become unbearable.

Everywhere you went, people stared. Whispered. Gossiped. Speculated. It was exhausting. You were halfway through lunch when Sunoo suddenly appeared beside you. Without warning. Like a particularly annoying ghost.

"(Y/N)."

You nearly dropped your spoon, "What?"

Sunoo grinned. "Do you know what Heeseung did yesterday?" The answer was immediately concerning.

"No."

Sunoo looked delighted which made it worse, "He threatened a duke's son."

You choked, "What?"

Across the table, Jake nodded. "Twice."

"TWICE?"

"Technically three times," Jay corrected. You stared. Sunghoon looked embarrassed. Jungwon looked tired. Riki looked fascinated. The usual.

"What happened?"

Jake pointed toward Heeseung, who was currently reading a book several tables away. As though he hadn't apparently threatened multiple nobles. The liar.

"The duke's son called you a gold digger."

The dining hall immediately became quiet. Again. You hated when that happened. Because it usually meant trouble. And trouble frequently involved Heeseung. "Oh."

Jake nodded, "That was our reaction too." You looked toward Heeseung. He still hadn't looked up from his book. The picture of innocence. Fraudulent innocence. The worst kind.

"What exactly did he say?"

The six boys exchanged looks. Then Sunghoon sighed, "Heeseung informed him that if he ever insulted you again-"

Jake interrupted, "He'd throw him through a window."

You stared. Sunoo continued, "Then through another window."

You blinked. Riki nodded seriously, "There were several windows involved."

The silence lasted five seconds. Then, "He wouldn't actually do that." The six boys looked at each other. Nobody answered. Your stomach dropped."Oh God."

─ · ✿ · ─

The academy's Spring Festival arrived two weeks later. Traditionally, it was one of the most anticipated events of the year. Students dressed elegantly. Musicians performed. Nobles socialized. Future political alliances formed. And young people found excuses to dance together. You hated it already. Your brothers were visiting.

Lady Lee would obviously attend.

Half the nobility would be present. Nothing good could possibly happen, which meant disaster was inevitable. Heeseung disagreed because he was excited. Extremely excited. Suspiciously excited.

The realization should have worried you sooner.

─ · ✿ · ─

The festival began at sunset. Lanterns illuminated every pathway, music echoed through the academy grounds, students filled the gardens, laughter drifted through the evening air.

Beautiful. Elegant. Dangerous. You adjusted your dress nervously. Immediately regretting it because dresses attracted attention. Attention attracted people. People asked questions. You hated questions.

"(Y/N)." You turned and forgot how to breathe. Entirely.

Because Heeseung was standing there looking unfairly handsome. Completely unfairly. It should have been illegal. Actually illegal.

His dark formal suit fit him perfectly, his hair was neatly styled, his expression softened the moment he saw you.

Then completely disappeared. He stared. And stared. And continued staring. Your face warmed instantly.

"Heeseung." No response. "Heeseung." Still nothing. Finally, Jake appeared. Looked at Heeseung. Then at you. Then sighed, "He's broken again."

The others arrived immediately. Of course they did. Jay took one look at Heeseung's expression, and agreed, "Completely broken."

Sunghoon nodded, "Beyond repair."

Sunoo looked entertained, "As expected."

Jungwon pinched the bridge of his nose. Riki looked thoughtful, "I think he's in love."

You wanted to disappear. Immediately. Forever.

Meanwhile, Heeseung finally remembered how to speak. Barely, "You look beautiful." Silence. Complete silence.

Even his friends stopped talking. Your heart stuttered. Then stopped entirely because he wasn't teasing. Wasn't flirting. Wasn't joking. He meant it. Entirely. And the sincerity in his voice nearly destroyed you, "Oh."

Brilliant response. Truly. A masterpiece. Heeseung smiled. The soft smile. The dangerous smile. The one reserved only for you. The one that made your heartbeat impossible, "You always do."

Your death became imminent.

─ · ✿ · ─

The dancing began shortly afterward. You had hoped to avoid it. A foolish hope. A hopeless hope because Heeseung found you almost immediately. Then held out his hand. The gesture was simple. Yet somehow it felt enormous. Terrifying. Important.

Every noble custom suddenly became relevant. Every watching eye suddenly mattered. The entire world narrowed. Only him. Only you. Only this moment.

"May I have this dance?" his voice was quiet. Gentle. Yours. Always yours.

The realization terrified you because somewhere along the way- he had become home.

You placed your hand in his, "Yes." The smile that followed nearly blinded you.

Together, you stepped onto the dance floor. The music swelled. The crowd disappeared. The world faded. Only Heeseung remained. His hand resting carefully at your waist- your fingers in his. His eyes fixed entirely on you- as though nothing else existed. As though nobody else existed. For several moments neither spoke. Neither needed to.

Then: "I'm going to marry you someday."

You nearly tripped, "Heeseung!"

"What?"

You stared in horror. He looked confused- genuinely confused. The audacity. The absolute audacity. "You cannot say things like that."

"Why?"

"Because-" Words failed. Completely. Heeseung looked pleased, which was suspicious. Very suspicious. Then he leaned slightly closer. Only enough for you to hear, "I mean it."

Your heart stopped. Again. This was becoming a problem. A serious problem because he sounded completely serious. Not hopeful. Not dreamy. Certain. As though he'd already decided. As though the future itself had been settled.

And somehow- part of you wanted to believe him.

─ · ✿ · ─

Unfortunately, someone else heard.

Lady Lee.

Standing across the hall. Watching. Always watching. And for the first time- fear entered her heart. Because she finally understood. This wasn't infatuation. Wasn't youthful attraction. Wasn't a phase.

Her son loved you. Entirely. Completely. Irrevocably. And the terrifying part? You loved him too. So, naturally- she needed a better way to destroy that.

─ · ✿ · ─

The problem with fate was that it never cared about anyone's plans- not yours, not Heeseung's.

And certainly not Lady Lee's.

Because only three days after the Spring Festival, a storm descended upon Decelis Academy unlike anything seen in years. The sky darkened before noon. Thunder shook the mountains. Rain battered ancient stone walls.

Students rushed indoors. Lessons were cancelled. Hallways filled with confusion. And by evening, nobody was permitted to leave their assigned dormitory wing.

Unfortunately, you were nowhere near yours.

---

"This is your fault."

Heeseung looked offended, "My fault?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"You wanted to walk through the gardens."

"You agreed."

"That isn't the point."

"It feels like the point."

You glared, he smiled. That infuriating man had the audacity to smile. Even now. Even while rain hammered against glass windows. Even while the academy staff attempted to organize hundreds of stranded students.

Even while you were both trapped in the administrative wing- too far from your dormitory.

"This is bad."

"It's not bad."

"It is."

"It isn't."

"Heeseung."

"(Y/N)."

You narrowed your eyes. He looked pleased with himself. Again. You hated when he looked pleased with himself, mostly because he was usually about to say something outrageous, which meant you were never prepared.

"We're dry."

"Yes."

"We're safe."

"Mhm."

"We're together."

You immediately looked away. A mistake.Because his grin widened, "Oh, there it is."

"What?"

"The blushing."

"I am not blushing."

"You absolutely are."

You were. Unfortunately.

─ · ✿ · ─

The academy staff eventually found a temporary solution. A terrible solution. An absolutely horrifying solution, which was how you found yourself standing beside Heeseung while an exhausted professor explained the situation, "We've run out of rooms." Silence.

"What?"

The professor sighed, "The lower dormitories flooded."

"Okay..."

"The guest wing is full."

"Oh."

"The faculty quarters are full."

"Oh."

The professor looked increasingly tired, "So you'll be sharing one of the study suites until morning."

The world stopped. Entirely.

You stared. Heeseung stared. The professor continued speaking. Neither of you heard a word because one sentence was repeating inside your mind.

Sharing. One. Room.

"Oh no."

The professor left. Immediately. Probably because he valued his own survival. A wise decision. Very wise.

You and Heeseung remained standing there. Motionless, neither speaking, neither breathing. The silence became unbearable. Then: "This is fine."

You looked at him. Heeseung looked back. Neither of you believed that. At all.

─ · ✿ · ─

The study suite was surprisingly large. A fireplace. Several bookshelves. A sofa. A desk. Two armchairs. One large window overlooking the storm. Comfortable. Private. Far too private.You hated it immediately. Mostly because Heeseung seemed entirely unaffected. At first. Then you noticed the slight tension in his shoulders, the way he kept adjusting his sleeves, the way he avoided looking directly at you.

Interesting. Very interesting.Because Lee Heeseung was nervous and you'd never seen that before. Not truly. Not like this.

The realization was oddly comforting. Good. He deserved it.

─ · ✿ · ─

Hours passed. Rain continued outside. Thunder echoed through the mountains. Inside, the fire crackled softly.

You sat in one armchair. Heeseung sat in the other. A respectable distance apart. Neither of you acknowledged how aware you were of each other's presence.Not once. Not verbally. At least.Until Heeseung ruined the peace, "Can I ask you something?"

You looked up from your book. He was watching the flames.

"What?"

His expression softened, "When did you start liking me?"

The question nearly killed you. Brutally. Mercilessly. You considered pretending not to hear. Unfortunately, he was patient. Annoyingly patient.

So eventually you answered, "I don't know." A lie. A complete lie. You knew exactly when- the library, the study sessions, the way he remembered everything, the way he listened, the way he cared.

You remembered all of it. And apparently Heeseung did too- because he smiled, "You're lying."

Your jaw dropped. The audacity- again, "You asked a question."

"And you didn't answer it."

"I did."

"No, you didn't."

You wanted to throw a book at him but, instead, you hugged it tighter. A much more mature response. Probably.

─ · ✿ · ─

For a while, neither of you spoke. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, which somehow made it worse- because being comfortable with him had become dangerously easy. Dangerously natural.

You watched rain slide down the window. He watched you. The realization arrived suddenly. Without warning.

And when it did- you couldn't ignore it- no matter how hard you tried. You loved him.

The thought struck like lightning. Not because it was new but because it wasn't. Deep down, you'd known for weeks. Months, perhaps. You just hadn't said it. Hadn't allowed yourself to say it because saying it made it real. Terrifyingly real. 

And Heeseung... He loved you too. Enough to fight his mother. Enough to challenge nobles. Enough to risk his future. Enough to choose you. Every single time. Your chest tightened painfully because no one had ever chosen you like that before.

─ · ✿ · ─

"(Y/N)." You looked up almost immediately because something in his voice sounded different.  Heeseung wasn't smiling anymore, wasn't teasing, wasn't joking.

His gaze held yours. Steady. Certain. And suddenly the room felt much smaller. "What is it?"

For a moment, he said nothing. Then quietly, "No matter what happens..." Your breath caught. "No matter what my mother does." Silence. "No matter what anyone says." The storm raged outside. Inside, however, only his voice existed, "I am not leaving."

Your heart shattered because he meant it. Every word. Every promise. Every impossible vow. He meant all of it. And somehow- that frightened you more than anything.

Because what if he lost everything? What if loving you cost him too much? What if- "What if I ask you to?" The question escaped before you could stop it.

Immediately, regret followed. Heeseung stared. Then stood slowly, crossing the room until he stopped beside your chair. Close. Too close to be innocent. Just enough.

Carefully, he placed his hand on your cheek, moving forward as his breath ghosted over your lips. Leaning in, he pressed a heavy kiss to your lips. A kiss that held too much pent up tension and too much heat, and far too much love.

His tongue slipped into your mouth, still carefully cradling your face with his large palm as the other slid over your hip. You breathed into his mouth, your hands coming to rest over his shoulders as you melted into the kiss. 

Heeseung pulled back slightly, his forehead pressing to yours as he began unbuttoning your uniform shirt. When it was done all the way, he did his own, pulling both of them off both of you and throwing them into the corner of the room with a muffled thud.

Discarding the rest of your clothes, he pushed you back gently into the soft plush of the mattress, coming to giver over you as your naked bodies tangled together in the heat of the kiss.

“Do you want this?” Heeseung whispered, his lips trailing down your chin and to your neck, sucking lightly on the skin there, nipping a few times but soothing it with worshipping kisses and licks.

You nodded wordlessly, your arms wrapping around his neck as you arched into his touch.

“Words, my love, I need words,” he muttered, the sound vibrating through your body and sending searing heat straight to your core.

“Please, Hee,” you whined quietly, the flickering candles set around the room framing your feverish expression with a soft, warm light. The thunder cracked outside, making you jolt and press against him once more, feeling his growing hard-on.

You glanced up through your lashes to where he had changed positions. With a single view of your doe eyes staring at him, he groaned, the noise cutting through your thoughts and adding to your arousal.

Without warning, Heeseung dropped half his weight onto your body, crashing his lips onto yours as his hand cupped your small chest, thumb flicking over your nipple. You moaned into his mouth, pulling him closer towards you while grinding on his thigh.

He dipped down, parting from your mouth to rest between your thighs, face-to-face with your slick pussy. He pressed a kiss to the throbbing mound, then licked a broad stripe up the middle. You arched off the bed, as the obscene wet noises of Heeseung making out with your dripping cunt filling the room.

You reached down, threading your fingers through his hair and pushing him further down until he was nose deep inside you, smelling the slick arousal that was gathering there.

He moaned around your entrance, moving his hand to push inside you, scissoring your gummy walls next to his tongue. Quickening his pace, Heeseung pumped his tongue and fingers together inside and out of you, trying to get you to your high as quick as possible.

You whined loudly, followed by another whine, and another, and another, until Heeseung spoke, “Cum for me, princess, please cum for me.”

With one final noise, the coil setting low in your stomach snapped, sending gushing liquid down your thighs and Heeseung’s chin. He didn’t waste a bit of it, licking every last drop until only his spit remained on your legs and pussy.

You panted quietly, pulling him up by his shoulder till he was face-to-face with you, “My turn,” you whispered into his ear, rolling both of you until you were sat on top of him.

Heeseung looked up at you, eyes filled with adoration as he followed your movements until you were seated between his thighs. “(Y/n), you don’t have to-“ he started.

“I want to,” you cut him off, your hand wrapping around the base of his flushed red cock. He inhaled sharply at the contact, hips shifting slightly before you pressed your forearm down on his hipbone, “Stay still.”

Carefully, you took him into your mouth, your lips wrapping around his leaking tip, the salty taste of precum and sweat melting on your tongue. Heeseung let out a content sigh, his head dropping back onto the pillows behind him.

Taking him deeper, your nose pressed flush against his pelvis, you swallowed around him, your throat squeezing his length lightly. “Oh my god,” he arched slightly, fingers slipping into your hair as you swallowed again.

You looked up at him through your lashes, gagging deliciously when his cock hit the back of your throat, to which he moaned again- louder this time. Pulling your mouth off him completely, a string of spit connecting your lips to his tip, you wrapped both hands around his length and squeezed, “(Y/n)-“ Heeseung gasped, his grip on the bed sheets beside him turning his knuckles white.

Outside, the thunder from the storm cracked, but you were too focused on the pleasure to notice. Taking him back into your mouth again, you pushed all the way down, so he hit the back of your throat repeatedly.

He groaned, lifting one hand to bite on the skin there to keep his noises quiet. “Don’t, Hee, I want to hear you when you come,” you mumbled as you pulled off and peppered kisses on his thighs.

You licked a long stripe up the underside of his cock, from base to tip, pressing a soft kiss to the slit at the top. Surprisingly, that made him come, the white liquid coating your cheek and nose and mouth. Looking up innocently, you made eye contact and Heeseung groaned again, more of the liquid squirting out again onto you.

When he was done, Heeseung pulled you up till you were laid next to him, his hand on your breast and his other on your ass, while he wiped his cum off your face and licked it off his finger.

“You’re such a pervert,” you scoffed, laughing slightly, but still obeyed when he lifted his finger to your mouth, sucking on it until it was clean.

“Shhh, sweetheart, I’m going to make you feel so good,” Heeseung held your jaw, pulling you into a dizzying kiss while slipping his hand down between you to rub over your clit. You whimpered into his mouth, bucking into his hand as he smirked at your reaction.

“Needy, are we, doll?” he teased, rubbing over your pussy in tight circles while his hand dropped from your jaw to your breast, thumb flicking over your nipple.

“H-hee,” you protested, trying to get some more pressure that he wasn’t giving you, “don’t, ah, t-tease…”

Heeseung chuckled quietly, pulling his hand back as he pushed your body onto the bed and got on top of you, “Sorry, angel, I couldn’t help myself, I’ll take good care of you,” he muttered against your neck, before nipping the skin there.

You could feel his hard cock pressing against your entrance, and his hips moving back and forth so it was rubbing against you but not entering yet. “Heeseung, please,” you pleaded, eyes closing briefly to hold back a whine as he teased you.

“Okay, baby,” he smiled, pulling his hips back and lining himself up with your entrance. With one rock of his hips, he pushed inside, the stretch burning gloriously  as you both moaned loudly.

“Fuck- oh my god,” Heeseung groaned.

“Shit-“ you gasped, hands flying to his shoulder as your nails dug into the skin there to ground yourself.

“Baby, you feel so perfect, squeezing me so tight,” he whispered, pressing his lips to yours.

He pulled his hips back, only to snap them back in just as fast, causing you to moan into his mouth. Taking the opportunity, he slipped his tongue into your mouth, the wet muscle sliding against yours.

He moved back and forth inside you, stretching you out completely with his girth. Pulling his mouth back, a string of saliva connected your lips, and you moaned again- louder this time. As you did, Heeseung spat into your mouth, “Swallow,” he growled.

You complied, too pleased to even care that he had just done was so perverted that it was actually insane. 

Heeseung looked down between your bodies, watching his cock slide in and out of you easily from the messes you had both created before, “That’s it,” he eased back inside of you again, “Take it like a good girl, my good girl.”

Your eyes squeezed shut, mouth open in a silent scream as your face painted a picture of pure, fucked-out pleasure, “You gonna come, angel?” he whispered, “For me?” 

You nodded, opening your eyes again and staring into his, “…p-please…” 

He smirked, biting his lip as he reached between your bodies and began rubbing small circles on your clit. “Hee-“ you whimpered, the dual pressure too much and building up pressure in your lower belly again.

“Good girl,” he praised, rubbing harder as he slammed his cock into your pussy, “Come for me. Now. Again. All over my cock.”

With a drawn-out moan, you arched off the bed, warm liquid dripping out of you and onto his cock, “Fuck-“ you yelped as you came hard.

“Shit, baby, you’re squeezing me so much, can I come inside, yeah?” Heeseung cursed, rubbing your clit harder- to which you nodded and fluttered around him. He came heavily, the orgasm crashing down on both of you as he pumped inside of you to mix your fluids, “Fuuuuckk, you feel too good, milking me like this…” he growled as he leaned down and hit down on your neck, sucking on the skin.

Breathing heavily, he hoisted your leg up onto his hip, fully prepared for round two, but you rested a hand on his cheek, making him pause, “I don’t think I can move much, I won’t be any good,” you whispered, embarrassed that you couldn’t help him.

“My poor baby,” Heeseung pouted, dropping your leg back onto the bed and cradling your cheeks, “How about we cuddle-fuck? You know, spooning? You can be my pillow-princess,” he kissed you gently, watching the way your eyes lit up and chuckling.

As soon as you got into position, your back to his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around your waist, he pushed inside you again, moving his hips at a steady pace. He moved his hand down to your lower abdomen, feeling the bulge there every time he pushed back in.

“Feel that? That’s how deep I am, right inside you, fucking you senseless, doll,” he growled and you whimpered breathlessly, your hands cradling his over your stomach.

Heeseung kept the slow pace, moving behind you gently, careful not to disturb you as he chased his own pleasure while you fell asleep in his arms. He lifted his leg over yours, pulling your whole body flush against his as he whispered sweet praises at how amazing you were into your hair.

“My perfect angel, letting me do this,” he mumbled as he kissed down the back of your neck and to your shoulder, leaving wet trails as he did. He thrust inside of you again, the bedsheets tangling between your legs as you woke up slightly, jostled awake by the pleasure once again.

You gasped quietly, your back giving a small arch against him as his tip hit your cervix once more, “Hee,” you leaned back onto his chest, your head on his shoulder as you spoke, “you’re too good, ah, at this….”

“Only for you my love,” he breathed against you, you sweaty skin pressing tight her in every way, it got to the point that you believed he would actually crawl into your skin if possible, “I only do anything for you…”

You felt the coil in your stomach pull tight again, giving a clear sign you were approaching you high again. Still reeling from the last orgasm, you moaned half-silently.

“My perfect girl,” Heeseung pressed a kiss to your shoulder, thrusting into you one more time until the coil snapped inside you. Liquid gushed between you two and onto the bedsheets, soaking the mattress as well as your thighs. 

He looked at you in awe, eyes gleaming with adoration as he pushed in and out of you, chasing his own release. The overstimulation was perfect, giving you more cum to release as he modded your gummy walls around his cock.

Heeseung came with a quiet groan, pressing his face into your neck as he spilled out inside of you, liquid releasing more and more until you had milked him dry and both of you were empty of nothing but love and pleasure.

Pulling back slightly, he answered- his voice was gentle but firm, "I won't leave you if you ask me to."

Your heart nearly stopped. Again. This was becoming a serious health concern, "You don't mean that."

"I do."

"Heeseung—"

"I love you." Silence. Absolute silence. The words settled between you. Heavy. Real. Beautiful. Terrifying.

Outside, thunder shook the mountains. Inside, the world changed because this time- neither of you pretended not to hear it, neither of you looked away.

And for the first time since this impossible train wreck of a story began, you realized that perhaps true love was stronger than fear. Stronger than status. Stronger than expectations. Perhaps even stronger than Lady Lee.

And somewhere far below the academy walls- Lady Lee was already preparing her next move. The cruelest one yet. One that threatened to separate you and Heeseung forever.

─ · ✿ · ─

The first sign that something was wrong was the silence. Not the comfortable silence that existed between you and Heeseung. Not the kind that came with shared books, stolen smiles, or lingering glances.A different silence. A frightening one.

The kind that settled over a room before disaster arrived. The kind your father always recognized immediately. The kind your brothers hated. The kind that made people uneasy without understanding why.

And unfortunately- that silence arrived in the form of a letter. Again. Only this time it wasn't addressed to you- it was addressed to your father.

─ · ✿ · ─

He read it once, then twice, then a third time. His expression became harder with every line. You were sitting across from him in the dining table. Immediately, your stomach twisted. "Dad?" No answer, "Dad." Still nothing. The silence stretched. 

Then slowly, he handed you the letter. Your eyes moved across the page.And your heart dropped because Lady Lee had escalated. Drastically. The letter was polite. Respectful. Elegant. Which somehow made it worse.

She wasn't threatening. She wasn't insulting. She wasn't demanding. Instead- she was offering money. A lot of money. Enough money to change your family's life forever. Enough to expand the workshop. Enough to buy land. Enough to ensure comfort for generations.In exchange for one thing. You. Or rather- your absence.

Your hands began to tremble. She wanted your father to convince you to end things with Heeseung. Permanently. A price.She had placed a price on your love. As though it could be purchased. As though you could be purchased.

Your vision blurred. For a moment you couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Couldn't move. Then suddenly- the letter disappeared from your line of sight.

Your father had snatched it from your hands and the next second it was in the fireplace. Burning. Gone. Destroyed.

You gasped, "Dad—"

"I don't care if she offered the royal treasury," his voice shook. Not from fear- but from anger. The kind of anger that made grown men dangerous, "My daughter's love isn't for sale."

Something inside your chest broke because your father didn't hesitate. Didn't consider it. Didn't even think about it. He simply burned the letter. As though the very suggestion disgusted him.Your eyes filled again, "Dad." His expression softened.

"Oh sweetheart." And that somehow made everything worse because now you really might cry.

─ · ✿ · ─

Unfortunately, Lady Lee wasn't finished- not even close. Because while she was attempting to buy your absence- Lord Lee was finally becoming involved.And unlike his wife- he was far more dangerous because Lord Lee rarely interfered. Rarely raised his voice. Rarely involved himself in family matters. Which meant when he did- people listened.

Even Lady Lee. Even Heeseung. Especially Heeseung.

─ · ✿ · ─

Heeseung was summoned home three days later.

The message contained no explanation- only a request. Yet somehow he already knew. The moment he entered his family's estate, he knew.

The servants looked nervous, the atmosphere felt heavy, and his father was waiting.

That alone was enough.

Because Lord Lee never waited for anyone. Not even his sons. Yet there he sat, inside the family study. Hands folded. Expression unreadable. Watching.

"Heeseung."

"Father."

The door closed behind him and silence followed. Long. Heavy. Uncomfortable.

Then finally- Lord Lee spoke, "I hear you've been causing problems."

Straight to the point. As always. Heeseung remained standing, "I disagree."

A slight eyebrow raise. Interesting. "I see." More silence. Then Lord Lee spoke again, "The blacksmith's daughter."

There it was. The real reason. The actual reason. The only reason.

Heeseung's jaw tightened, "(Y/N)." Lord Lee's gaze sharpened, "You correct me."

"She has a name." A mistake. Perhaps. Yet Heeseung didn't regret it. Not even slightly. The silence that followed felt endless. Then his father sighed. A tired sigh. An almost disappointed sigh. And somehow that hurt more than anger would have. 

"Heeseung," The use of his name was rare, which only made it worse, "You are making this difficult."

His hands clenched, "By loving someone?"

"By refusing reality." The words struck hard because Lord Lee wasn't cruel. Never cruel. Just practical. Painfully practical. And practicality was often more damaging than cruelty.

"Reality?" Heeseung laughed. A short, bitter one, "You mean status."

"I mean consequences." The room became very quiet because both men understood exactly what was being said. Lord Lee leaned forward, "The world is not kind." Neither spoke, "It never has been." Silence, "It never will be."

More silence. Until he spoke again, "If you continue this relationship, people will use it against you."

Against him. Against you. Against everyone. Political rivals. Noble families. Future opportunities. Everything.

Lord Lee wasn't lying and that was the problem. He was telling the truth. And Heeseung hated it.

─ · ✿ · ─

Meanwhile, you were completely unaware of any of this because you were too busy sneaking around with Heeseung. Entirely his fault. Mostly.

─ · ✿ · ─

It began with notes. Small folded messages hidden inside books, inside desks, inside library shelves. Everywhere.

You found one tucked between pages of a history text. That was considerably suspicious. Especially because the handwriting was familiar.

𝑴𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒔. ♡

You scoffed, then groaned, then went anyway. A terrible decision. An absolutely terrible decision because Heeseung was waiting.

And unfortunately- the moment he saw you, he smiled, which ruined any chance of remaining annoyed, "You came."

"You knew I would."

"I hoped."

"Liar."

His smile widened, "You know me too well, angel."

You rolled your eyes at the nickname but the realization was oddly comforting, you did know him, better than most people. Perhaps better than anyone.

That mattered. A lot.

─ · ✿ · ─

The hidden garden became yours. A tiny forgotten corner behind ancient stone walls. Nobody visited. Nobody interrupted. Nobody watched.It felt impossible. A place existing outside the rest of the world. Outside expectations. Outside family names. Outside duty.

Just you. And him. The first kiss happened there. Properly happened. Not accidental. Not interrupted. Not rushed. Just real.

You had been arguing- again- because apparently neither of you knew how to behave normally,  "Heeseung."

"What?"

"You are impossible."

"I've heard that."

"Repeatedly."

"Usually from you."

You opened your mouth, fully prepared to continue. Then stopped because he was smiling. That smile. The one that always ruined your train of thought. The one that made coherent thinking difficult. The one reserved entirely for you.

And suddenly- you forgot what you were saying. Heeseung noticed immediately- of course he did. He always noticed. Everything. His expression softened, then softened further.

Until neither of you were speaking. The air felt different. Warmer. Closer. Your heartbeat became impossible. His wasn't much better.

And when he stepped forward- you didn't step away. Not once. His hand lifted- carefully- as though you might disappear.

As though you were something precious. Something fragile. Something worth protecting. 

The thought nearly broke your heart.He rested his gently against yours and for one quiet, still moment, everything stopped. The world. The academy. The rumors. His family. The future. Everything.

Only this remained. Only him. Only you. His voice was barely a whisper, "I love you."

The words still affected you. Every single time. Without fail. So before fear could stop you, before doubt could interfere, before the world could intrude- you kissed him.

Soft. Brief. Perfect.

His breath caught as soon as you pulled back and so did yours. Somehow- the second kiss was even worse because now neither of you could pretend. Not anymore.

─ · ✿ · ─

For a while things felt almost normal. They were the happiest weeks either of you had had. Shared lunches. Hidden notes. Stolen moments. Secret meetings. Quiet walks. Too many kisses- never enough kisses.

The kind of happiness that felt borrowed and temporary- fragile, even.The kind that usually existed right before tragedy and tragedy was coming fast.

─ · ✿ · ─

It arrived in the form of another meeting. This time involving both of Heeseung's parents. And the consequences were devastating.

Because together, Lady Lee and Lord Lee were unstoppable. One ruled through emotion. The other through logic.

One applied pressure. The other applied reality.

Together they cornered him. Piece by piece. Argument by argument. Fear by fear. Until finally Lord Lee spoke the words that changed everything.

"If you truly love her," silence, "Then let her go."

Heeseung's mouth opened- yet no words escaped his lips. His father continued, "Eventually this family will destroy her."

The room froze, every breath, every thought, every heartbeat.

Stopped.

And the worst part? For the first time- Heeseung wasn't certain his father was wrong

─ · ✿ · ─

The realisation haunted him. For days. Then weeks. Every insult directed toward you. Every rumor. Every whisper. Every cruel comment. Every attack. Every scheme. Every threat.

He saw all of it.

Terrible questions began growing inside him.

What if loving you wasn't protecting you?

What if it was hurting you?

What if he was the reason Lady Lee kept targeting you?

What if he was the reason your family kept suffering?

What if-

The thoughts destroyed him slowly and brutally. You noticed. Of course you noticed. Because you always noticed.

The smiles became rarer. The laughter quieter. The stolen moments shorter. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

And no matter how many times you asked-Heeseung wouldn't tell you.

─ · ✿ · ─

The truth broke through one evening in your hidden garden- the place that belonged only to the two of you, the place where everything had begun, the place where everything would end.

At least for now. You knew immediately. The moment you saw him because Heeseung looked heartbroken.

Completely heartbroken. Your stomach dropped, "Heeseung." No smile. No teasing. No warmth. Only pain.

You couldn't breathe, "What happened?"

His eyes closed briefly as though the question hurt.

He looked at you and the devastation there shattered your heart because you had never seen him look at you like that before.Like someone saying goodbye.

The realization hit you so hard that for a moment you genuinely forgot how to breathe. The hidden garden suddenly felt colder. Smaller. Wrong.

Nothing had changed. The stone walls still stood around you. The flowers still climbed the ancient arches. The evening breeze still rustled through the trees. Yet somehow everything felt different. Because Heeseung was looking at you as though his heart was breaking.

And yours was beginning to break too. "Heeseung." Your voice came out smaller than intended. His jaw tightened immediately. As though hearing you say his name hurt. As though everything hurt.

The sight terrified you. Because Lee Heeseung was many things. Stubborn. Protective. Infuriating.

Romantic. Ridiculously dramatic.

But he was never weak. Never uncertain. Never the person standing in front of you now. “What happened?" The question came again. Softer this time. Almost pleading.

For several moments he didn't answer. Simply stared. As though trying to memorize your face. Your smile. Your eyes. The features everyone so greatly described as the ‘Moon goddess reincarnated’. Every detail. The realization made your stomach twist violently.

"Heeseung."

His eyes closed, then opened again.

And when he finally spoke, his voice sounded broken. "We need to stop."

The world ended. Not literally. The kingdom remained intact. The stars remained overhead. The garden remained standing. Yet your world ended. The silence that followed felt endless.

You stared, certain you had misheard or your mind had invented the words.

Because they made no sense. Not from him. Not from Heeseung. Not after everything. "What?"

His throat moved, a difficult swallow,"We need to end this."

The second blow landed harder. Far harder. Because now there was no misunderstanding. No confusion. No mistake. He was saying it. Actually saying it. And suddenly the garden became difficult to see.

Your eyes were burning, "No." The word escaped automatically, without thought, without hesitation.

Simply no. Heeseung visibly flinched. As though the single syllable had physically hurt him, "(Y/N)—"

"No." Again. Stronger. Fiercer. Because this couldn't be happening. It couldn't. Three weeks ago he had promised he wasn't leaving.

Three weeks ago he'd stood beside the fireplace during the storm and sworn he wasn't going anywhere. Three weeks ago he'd looked at you like you were his future. And now-

Now he was trying to walk away. "No." Your voice cracked. The sound stunned both of you. Because you never cried. Yet tears were already gathering. Already threatening. Already impossible to stop.

Heeseung looked devastated. Completely devastated. For some messed up reason, that made everything worse.

Because if he didn't want this- if he'd fallen out of love- you could hate him, you could be angry, you could survive. But he looked heartbroken. As heartbroken as you felt.

Which meant something else was happening. Something terrible. "Tell me the truth." Silence. "Heeseung." Nothing. "Tell me the truth."

His hands clenched. Then unclenched. Then clenched again. Until finally, the truth emerged. "My parents are right." The words sounded poisonous. As though he hated them. As though they were destroying him.

You inhaled sharply, "What?"

His laugh was bitter, broken,"They'll never stop."

Your heartbeat slowed painfully, "Lady Lee—"

"My father too." The words stunned you because Lord Lee joining the battle felt worse. Much worse. You'd expected Lady Lee. Not him. Never him. "My father thinks they'll destroy you."

Silence, "My mother thinks you'll ruin me," more silence, "And every day they find another way to make your life harder."

You opened your mouth and immediately closed it because he wasn't wrong. The rumors. The whispers. The letters. The insults. The pressure.

All of it had become worse. Much worse. Yet- "So what?"

The question escaped instantly. Without thought. Heeseung looked shocked.

"So what?" your voice shook but you continued, "They've hated me from the beginning," you paused, "So what?"

"(Y/N)."

"No," your tears finally escaped. One. Then another. Then another. You hated it. Absolutely hated it. Yet couldn't stop, "Since when do you care what they think?"

His expression shattered because that wasn't the problem. Not really. He knew it.

So did you.

Because the answer arrived. Slowly. Painfully. Like a knife. He didn't care what happened to him. He cared what happened to you. The realization nearly destroyed you, "Oh."

His eyes closed. As though he'd been caught. As though the truth itself hurt. And suddenly everything made sense. The distance. The sadness. The silence. The shorter meetings. The haunted expression. All of it.

He wasn't protecting himself. He was trying to protect you. You hated it. You hated it so much. "You're an idiot."

The insult escaped through tears. Heeseung laughed. A strangled sound. Half laugh. Half heartbreak, "I know."

"You absolute idiot."

"I know."

"You don't get to decide that."

His eyes opened slowly, "Maybe I do."

"No."

"(Y/N)—"

"No."

You stepped closer and closer until only a small distance remained. His breath caught. Yours did too. Neither moved. Neither looked away. "I love you."

The confession escaped before you could stop it. The first time you'd said it. Actually said it. Out loud. The first time. And perhaps the worst possible moment because Heeseung looked as though his entire world had just collapsed.

His eyes filled instantly. The sight broke your heart because he looked happy and devastated at the same time.

Like someone receiving everything they'd ever wanted. And losing it. Simultaneously. You reached for him. Without thinking. Without permission. Without hesitation.

And the moment your hand touched his face- something inside him finally broke.

He stepped forward, closing the remaining distance. And kissed you. Not desperate. Not rushed. Not reckless. Just heartbreakingly gentle. The sort of kiss that felt like a goodbye. The sort that lingered. The sort people remembered forever.

Your fingers tightened against his coat. His hand found yours. Holding it. As though he couldn't bear to let go. As though letting go might destroy him. Perhaps it would. Perhaps it already had.

When the kiss ended neither of you moved. Foreheads resting together. Breathing uneven. Eyes closed. The garden silent around you.

"I love you too," his voice cracked. The words nearly killed you because you knew. Of course you knew.

Yet hearing them now hurt more than anything.

"I always will."

Your chest tightened painfully.

"No."

His eyes opened. Confused. You forced yourself to continue. Because somebody had to say it. Somebody had to be brave. Even if it wasn't him. Even if it wasn't you. Even if neither of you survived it.

"No."

The second time sounded stronger. Steadier. "If we're ending this," his face went white, "If that's really what you're choosing," silence, "Then don't tell me you'll always love me."

Your words shook yet you continued, "Because I won't survive hearing that." The truth hung between you. Raw. Terrible. Honest.

And for the first time all evening- Heeseung cried. Not dramatically. Not loudly. Just one tear. Then another. Then another. And suddenly you couldn't remember ever seeing him cry before. Not once. Not ever, which somehow made this infinitely worse.

Because if Lee Heeseung was crying, then this was real. Actually real. And neither of you wanted it. Not really. Not at all. Somehow it was happening anyway.

The garden felt colder. The night darker. The future impossible. Eventually Heeseung stepped back. The movement almost made you reach for him. Almost. But you didn't.

Because if you touched him again- you would beg. And you refused to beg someone who loved you. Even if it hurt. Even if it killed you. You refused.

So instead; you stood there and watched the boy you loved break his own heart and then yours at the same time.

When he finally turned away, neither of you stopped him because neither of you knew how.