ꔛ

no rush — seungcheol, wonwoo, woozi, seungkwan

the lowk ‘looking for signs’ starts hours before. longer looks. he waits for you and for your body language to say yes before he ever does. he needs to at first clock that you feel the same way and won’t mind if he initiates. maybe he guides you to your room, dims the lights [moves to the couch if he’s you guys are feeling it!]. he keeps touching your cheeks and brushing your hair back looking into your eyes. it's very romantic ngl. designed to let you know he wants more without saying it outright. if you lean in or meet his gaze, he interprets it immediately, and the rest flows like it was always meant to happen mutual and entirely about you both.

direct but in a gentle way — joshua, jun, minghao, vernon

he just asks, “come here?” or “can i?” said in a way tgat it’s obvious you’re allowed to say no [bc you are]. there’s something very disarming about how open he is about it all, i don’t know how to explain it. personally, the way i’m imagining it, it feels less like initiation and more like an invitation you’ve already been considering. after he gets at least a little bit of hint, he steps closer but still giving just enough space for you to feel it’s your choice. then he guides you backward without words until your body meets the wall first. his hands frame you secure in a barrier and it’s so HOT!! his arms brush yours, his chest so close that you feel the heat but it’s nothing forceful as it’s all consent in motion. he leans in just slightly to let you see it in his eyes so that you decide if you want to lean in too. AND ! YOU !! DO !!!

emotion first initiation — jeonghan, hoshi, dokyeom, mingyu, dino

═══════════════════════════════

it's already a little late, you’re lying in bed having resorted to doomscrolling on your phone in just a big shirt of seungcheol's and no shorts, legs swinging lazily, waiting for your boyfriend to be back. you hear him come in, footsteps heavy, keys dropped in the bowl by the door and bag by the couch.

“baby,” he calls. his voice low and a little raspy, tired after a long three-hour practice as he pads through your shared apartment to the bedroom.

you barely have time to turn before he’s already through the door, climbing onto the bed and moving over to lie on top of you. his head flops onto your shoulder as the rest of his body covers yours totally. the faded smell of his cologne hitting your nose almost immediately. seungcheol's hands wander under your shirt, fingertips slow and deliberate, like he’s memorising the feel of you again.

“you were waiting for me?” he murmurs, his thumbs brushing the undersides of your breasts gently, "sorry i'm late, gorgeous."

he starts to kiss your shoulder through the shirt, before he trails them to your neck. your phone falls onto the bed, already forgotten and you let your head rest on your arms. "wanted to see you," you answered softly, taking away his worries of coming home late to which he hums against your skin.

his hands moved again, now cupping both your breasts and he squeezes them softly like his personal stress balls as his little kisses continued. he did this a lot, claiming they were his favourite part of you countless times. so many days of him coming home exhausted only to bury his face between them for cuddles and head scratches.

you shudder when he rolls your nipples under his thumbs and pinches them, eliciting a whine of his name from you.

"mmh?" he hums lowly, "can you roll over for me, baby?" and he moves off of you just enough for you to roll onto your back.

now that you're on your back, his hands start to push up your shirt, over your chest as his fingers return to your nipples. "cheol," you breathed, arching up into his touch.

he smiles at your reaction, "so pretty, baby." he coaxes you to pull your shirt all the way off and discards it off the side of the bed before he dips down and closes his lips around one of your nipples. and he groans like this was his sole purpose of life.

his palms find home on your ass, of course. grabbing and squeezing like it’s routine—like he has to feel it or he’ll go crazy. the mixture of his warm mouth on you, tongue swiping over your increasingly sensitive nipple, and his hands palming your ass has you squirming under him.

“can’t decide...” he murmurs, between kisses, “what i love more, baby.” with a smack of his lips, he pulls back, moving to the other breast to give it equal love. "burying my face in these... or watching your pretty ass bounce on me."

he grunts when your hips punch up weakly, brushing against his front. he kisses down your chest. soft and wet, his teeth grazing just enough to make you whimper. then he pulls away, sits on his knees and pulls his shirt off over his head.

and fuck, your boyfriend is so hot. arms you want locked around your head more times than appropriate, shoulders that you love clinging onto, and his torso firm beneath all his softness—your favourite. his abs are barely there, but you can definitely see the ghost of the lines. you love his little bit of chub. you'd spend all day kissing it if you could.

as soon as he's done with that, he tugs you nearer with his hands on your thighs, spreading them simultaneously before he leans down and kisses you deep and needy.

your cold hands rest on his tummy, digging your nails into his softness as you breathe him in between kisses. he was so full everywhere, you couldn't get enough of it. admiring how his waist spills over the elastic of his pants with your hands like the masterpiece of a creation he was.

“waiting for me in my shirt and this useless thing..." he mumbles against your lips, fingers pulling the waistband of your underwear only to let it snap back against your skin, "it's like a reward, baby."

seungcheol's hands are on your back, keeping you arched up against him. you already feel how worked up he is as the painful-looking tent in his sweats presses into your clothed cunt.

"wanna turn you over again, pretty girl. let me see all of you," he says gently, maneuvering you easily back onto your belly.

you arch just a little when he places you back down—cheeks up, thighs pressed together—and he moans, like he felt it in his chest.

“fuck yeah, there she is," he praises as he grabs your hips, ruts against you slowly just to feel the curve of your ass against his clothed cock, and leans down again, chest to your back, dragging his hands under your body to cup your tits from below while continuing to grind on your ass.

"seungcheol- baby..." you choke out once you feel his hand snake down between your legs, rubbing you slow and steady over your stupid underwear as you writhe against the mattress.

you’re on your stomach, squirming from the way he's touching you so carefully and skilfully. he’s pressed between your legs—his cock hard against your ass, one hand working over your clit to get you wet enough for him, the other toying and pinching your nipple.

“can’t believe this is all mine,” he groans, dragging his lips along your spine. "every inch of you, baby... i swear to god. can't believe i get to make my beautiful girl feel so good...”

he presses kisses between your shoulder blades as he slowly grinds against you, breathing getting heavier. finally, he sits back, leaving you laying on the bed for a second to yank his sweats down just enough, and pulls you back up by your hips, his thumb pulling your underwear to the side and lining himself up.

one of his hands goes to rub your clit as he slides in, letting you feel everything nice and slow. you let out a muffled whine as you press your face into the duvet, the stretch of him always overwhelming. "fuck, gorgeous. missed you so much."

he pulls almost all the way out and agonisingly grinds back in. "was thinkin' about this the whole time at practice, baby."

he leans over you, hands planted by your head as he keeps his hips steady. he moans in your ear—deep, and raw, almost painful. "you’re takin’ me so good, pretty girl.”

he maintains the slow pace at first, deliberate, watching how your hips curl up to meet his every time. he's biting his lip so hard he groans through his gritted teeth.

and because he's way too obsessed with your tits, he leans down again and presses his chest against your back, one hand curling under your body to pull you up against him, letting him grab and squeeze at your tits while he fucks into you from behind. it’s overwhelming and you can feel him everywhere.

"always feel so fuckin' good for me, baby. love you so much," he grunts, digging his hips in deeper, making your eyes roll back with a throaty whine.

you feel his thick arm wrap around your neck, keeping you there in a headlock and your cunt clenches hard on him. "fuck, baby-" his hips stutter, "filthy girl. you like that, huh?"

you let out a broken whine of his name, feeling the knot in your belly grow tighter and tighter. he feels it too, your hips bucking erratically against his.

"you close, baby? can you touch yourself f'me?" he groans out by your ear. your hand shakily finds its way to your clit, messily rubbing circles over yourself as your breath quickens, moans turning more high-pitched.

you barely get any words out before your body locks up against his, trembling as your high crashes over you. your other hand flies to grip at his arm around your neck, trying to find something to ground you.

“so pretty when you cum,” he pants, his voice soft as he slows his hips, still chasing his own orgasm.

“i love you so much, baby- fuck, i’m so-”

he thrusts into you once more, burying himself deep as he finishes. groaning your name into your neck and holds you close like you're oxygen for him.

═══════════════════════════════

Jeonghan - Jeonghan doesn't let go of your hand when he falls asleep. His fingers are interlocked with yours, holding you softly but firmly as you two face each other.

In the dark, he whispers sleepily, asking you to tell him about your day, your plans, to tell him everything he missed when he was away from you for work. His thumb caresses your knuckles while you talk, rubbing softly and other times, pulling your hand to him so he can place a kiss over your fingers.

Eventually, he'll get too tired, and he'll pull both your hands to his chest. He keeps both of your hands right over his heart, letting you feel his heart beat steadily as you speak, his eyes fluttering close as he listens.

Joshua - Joshua sleeps with his hand up your shirt.

His chest is pressed into your back, his arm slung over your waist as his hand cups your breast under the oversized t-shirt you wear to bed. It used to be his, but now you've claimed it as yours, finding comfort in the worn shirt like it's a security blanket. And if you can't wear it, laundry day takes your favorite shirt from you, you'll easily demand Joshua to take the one he wears right now off for you.

When he does what you've asked without hesitation, it never fails to make you grin, warmed by his shirt and his gesture. You're wrapped up in the scent of soft florals and something distinctly him. It makes him hold you closer, his head lowered onto the back of your shoulder as he curls around you, happy to go to sleep with you smiling sleepily because of him.

Jun - Jun falls asleep in whatever position you find comfortable. And that's even true regardless of whether he finds it comfortable too.

The moment you're cuddling into him, on top of him, behind him - he's not moving an inch. He would never dare disturb you the moment you melt into him, your cute face nuzzling into his arms, his chest, or his back until your breaths deepen and you're fast asleep.

He'll find a way to fall asleep, however you found him. Finding peace in your touch, even if it means his neck, his arm, his back, might be sore the following morning.

It's worth it, and he does it again each night you find your way to him.

Soonyoung - Soonyoung curves around your body when he sleeps. He's pulling you into his chest, your back against his front as he wraps around you.

His lips will barely brush the back of your neck, his nose nuzzling the curve of your neck as he sighs happily. With you in his arms, he can finally relax. Letting go of long days of work, muscles melting as his legs tangle with yours.

He sleepily tells you about his day like it's a bedtime story, words slurring towards the end, his lips imprinting the story against your skin before he finally exhales a long breath.

Then it's quiet, the even, deep breaths he huffs in his sleep lulling you to follow in his footsteps as he holds you close.

Wonwoo - Wonwoo sleeps on his side with his back facing you.

He doesn't mean to, it's just how it ends up going when he falls deeper asleep after you two cuddle. But it's okay, you actually prefer it because then it allows you to cuddle him from behind.

Your arms will wrap around his waist, and even in his sleep, his hand finds yours, interlocking your fingers as you press flush against him.

You can't explain it, but nothing feels better when you can hide behind Wonwoo's broad back, your face pressing into smooth skin after placing a quick kiss to his shoulder blade.

Woozi - Woozi sleeps on his stomach, preferably in between your legs.

His head rests on your stomach, moving up and down each time you take a breath. His arms wrap under your waist and back, hugging you to him or, better yet, him to you.

It's like he's hugging his favorite stuffed animal when he was a child. And it's the perfect position to feel your fingers card through his hair, your nails scratching his head just right to make him almost purr like a cat in your lap.

He loves that he can lay his weight onto you, grounding both you and him as he drifts off to sleep, your fingers threaded in his hair as his cheek smushes into your sternum.

Minghao - Somehow, you fell asleep on either side of your shared bed.

Maybe it has to do with it being too hot. You two have no issue cuddling, but then it's too much, and you're both throwing the blankets off to cool off. But then it's too cold, and his hands pull you close, and then the cycle repeats.

It's like when you have to stick one foot out of the blanket to be the perfect temperature, but then have to worry about the sleep monsters getting you.

So, you two stay apart, facing each other as you go to bed. But it's okay, because by the time morning comes, you're exactly where you started- in his arms with the blankets twisted at your feet.

Mingyu - Mingyu needs you practically on top of him for him to go to sleep.

He uses you like a weighted blanket, pulling you half on top of him or even fully on top of him as he lies on his back. Your head gets tucked under his chin, his large hand resting on the middle part of your back, keeping you flush against him.

You can actually feel his muscles relax, a deep, satisfied sigh slipping from his lips as he keeps you on him. Your leg hooks over his hip, your other leg spreads out, while your arm wraps around his. It's like you're a koala bear and he's the tree with the way he wraps you around him.

And you wouldn't be lying if you said it's one of the comfiest positions you get to fall asleep in. Your cheek smushed into his chest as he holds you.

Dokyeom - Dokyeom ends up following you into your side of the bed when you two fall asleep.

He starts on his side of the bed, like normal, cuddling you until you roll onto your back subconsciously. Then he follows you. It ends up with him lying on his stomach, his feet on his side of the bed, with his upper body on you. His head is on your stomach, his arm wrapped around your leg.

Dokyeom sleeps diagonally, taking up all the space so he can wrap his arm around you like you're his personal pillow. He holds you like that, his head rising up and down with each breath you take, his cheek smushed into your tummy, his other hand tucked under your back. He traps you between the bed and him, refusing to let you go.

You'll literally have to wake him up for him to free you from his grasp.

Seungkwan - Seungkwan sleeps with a leg hooked over yours.

His face rests right above your chest, both of you sleeping on your sides as you face each other. His leg tangles over yours to keep you close while his arm extends upwards to comb through your hair softly, listening as you tell him about your day. His other hand sneaks up your shirt, tracing shapes into your back as he slowly melts into you.

He needs to have you surround him, to let him get tangled up with you until he doesn't know where you start and he ends. The comfort of being in your arms after his long day of work never fails to bring a happy sigh from his lips.

And it ends with him falling asleep with his fingers resting on your head while his face presses between your breasts, keeping you flushed against him.

Vernon - Vernon falls asleep tangled with you.

Your face is pressed into his chest, his arms are wrapped around your back, and you're both lying on your sides. One of his hands is tangled in your hair, holding the back of your head softly, while his other hand rests on the lower part of your back.

He falls asleep knowing you're listening to his heartbeat, the steady rhythm mixed with his fingers drawing mindless circles across your skin, making you fall asleep before he does.

And it's while his legs are tangled with yours, his lips curve into a sleepy smile, happily falling asleep knowing you're in his arms.

Dino - Dino drapes half of his weight onto you like a weighted blanket.

It doesn't matter if you're lying on your back, your side, or on your stomach because soon enough, his arm is slung over your body, and so is half of his upper body.

It's the best, you get all of his warmth and the feeling of his body melting into yours as he tucks his face into your neck.

Sometimes, he will mumble slurred, sleepy words against your skin. He tells you his dreams, his day, his future that involves you. Other times, he is so exhausted he just presses one long kiss into the curve of your neck that shapes your shoulder, hoping you understand how he loves you deeply.

대박 - you made it to the end.

Tell me about it.

Joshua’s eyes widened momentarily before softening into a smile, the corners crinkling with warmth. His lips curled up as you blinked, dumbfounded, while he started to approach you. 

“My gosh, is that you, y/n?” he asked when he got close enough, his head tilting a little as he smiled even harder, seemingly taking you in. 

“Joshua Hong,” you smiled, and you caught yourself looking him up and down just a little too long. Had he always been this hot?

Joshua had babysat you and your sister when you were around eight years old. He was the same age as your older cousin, and your aunt had recommended the then teen to your parents. 

Whenever he came around you were always excited, seeing the mischievous boy more as a brother figure rather than a figure of authority. You and your sister always saw through his spineless threats of sending you to bed early, provoking him until you got what you wanted from him: more snacks and no bedtime. 

You felt a bit sorry for him now as the memories came rushing back to you, though Joshua had always been a good sport. He never seemed to mind you and your sister’s antics too much. 

“I haven’t seen you in years,” Joshua shook his head in disbelief, his eyes never leaving your matured face. You simply hummed, the corner of your mouth lifting involuntarily as you ogled him.  

He was wearing a white blouse, the cuffs rolled up to his elbows paired with stylish, dark jeans. Strands of his dark brown hair fell into his eyes, and those pretty lips…

“My gosh, you’ve grown so much since I last babysat you!” he leaned in a little before crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes getting smaller as he smiled sweetly. You watched the muscles of his arms strain against the fabric, not caring that you were basically undressing him with your eyes.

You needed to fuck Joshua Hong. 

“Are you still as much of a menace as back then?” Joshua giggled obliviously, sighing as he relived a particular memory. 

You wet your lips, grinning at him. “What do you think?” you cocked up a brow, making him laugh. He shook his head again, exhaling a long sigh. “I still remember you and your sister locking me out of the house,” Joshua smiled, amused. You chuckled at the memory he unlocked for you. 

“You two were such little devils,” he added, sighing again. 

If you wanted to succeed in fucking Joshua you had to remind him you weren’t just the cute kid he babysat anymore—you needed to show him. 

“We really liked you, you know,” you told him, watching his eyes light up a little. You relished in the feeling you got when you noticed him almost getting shy at your words, baring his white teeth in an endearing way that sent your pulse racing. 

“I liked you guys too,” he said sweetly, a honey-warm timbre softening his voice.  

You smiled back at him before quickly glancing back at the house. Pouting, you met his eye again, reading him for a second before asking, “Do you want to have a drink with me, Joshua?” 

The name rolled off your tongue easily, like it was second nature. Joshua excitedly nodded, quickly agreeing. “I would love to.” he beamed. 

Joshua hid his surprise when you suddenly linked arms with him, figuring you were just being very kind to an old friend. 

You felt like a predator hunting its prey as you led him inside, the rowdy mix of chatter and music a part of the scene as you closed in for the kill. 

You discovered Joshua was a wine guy. As you sat together at the same bar you started your night he slowly sipped on a complimentary merlot, idly sloshing the red liquid around as you chatted. 

Much like the velvety and fruity essence of his drink, Joshua proved to be the same soft-spoken yet mischievous guy you remembered him being. The conversation flowed easily—almost just as effortlessly as your fourth gin tonic of the night. Faux-innocuous, wandering eyes slowly turned to innocent touches—a playful shove, a teasing shoulder bump—all under the guise of a family friend simply catching up.

You knew you couldn’t make your move just yet—not with your families only a quick glance away. But once you had established that Joshua wasn’t opposed to… whatever he thought was happening, you were hoping to get away from any watchful, inquisitive eyes. 

Evident from the newfound quirk tugging at Joshua’s lips, you knew it would only be natural to move to a more quiet spot. His broad frame had found yours now, shoulders brushing as you laughed together. He had this look in his eyes, wantonly ogling you just like you had the entire time. He wanted you too. 

From inside you could see the sun was almost done setting, and after the decorative fairy lights hanging in the trees turned on and warmed up the spacious garden, you noticed you had finished your drink again. You straightened up, ready to continue your little plan. 

But then—you didn’t even need to do that, as Joshua was well ahead of you. Surprisingly, but not quite. 

“Do you want to walk outside for a bit?” Joshua cocked up his brow, setting down his equally empty glass. 

You smiled at him, noticing the subtle maroon color that had started to appear on his cheeks. 

“Fun,” you nodded, as if this was his own idea all along. 

He offered his hand to help you down from the barstool, the warmth emitting off you a subtle hint of how much you wanted this.

You walked outside together, the cool night breeze making you conscious of just how much your skin had heated up in Joshua’s alluring presence. 

“This is nice,” Joshua muttered, admiring the twinkling lights. You nodded, leisurely walking alongside him. It was noticeably less busy than before, more and more guests retreating inside to mingle or drunkenly dance to some Latin music the DJ had started playing. 

“The location is really beautiful,” you hummed, your eyes falling on your sister and her boyfriend, who were laughing with some of your cousins on the other side of the garden carelessly. 

Joshua slowed a little, making you look back at him.

“No—I mean this,” Joshua giggled. “Talking with you has been lovely,” he smiled at you, the two of you standing still now. You chuckled, watching him read you. 

“I think so too, Joshua,” you told him, blinking slowly. 

Joshua bit his lip, making you raise your eyebrows at him. He looked around for a moment, his eyes falling on a wooden garden house even farther away from anyone. 

“Can I show you something?” he asked almost nervously, his glossy eyes gliding over your frame.  

You almost smiled in amusement, but you chose not to. “You can’t show me here?” you asked, feigning innocence. You saw right through him, and now you wanted to play. 

Joshua exhaled a slow breath, his jaw ticking. He shook his head. “No, cant here,” he said pointedly, fully aware of what you were doing now. He saw through you, too.

You pouted credulously, slowly nodding. “Okay,” your lips started curling up—quickly parting when he suddenly grabbed your wrist. 

Joshua wordlessly led you to the freshly painted garden house, his free hand opening the door and entering inside. There were all kinds of tools inside, yet it wasn’t messy. Everything had its own spot, save for a pile of wood in the corner.  

The man still gripping your wrist didn’t seem too interested in the interior of the garden house, pressing you into the door with his body as it clicked shut behind you. 

“J-Joshua—What are you doing?” you gasped, feeling his hands clutching your waist. 

Joshua rolled his eyes. His brown eyes peered down at you intimidatingly, hairs falling in his face before he spoke, “Don’t do that. I know you want this,” he rasped, wetting his lips before smirking. 

Your stomach fluttered at his words. Now that—you didn’t expect. The sweet Joshua you knew wasn't like this. But you hadn’t seen Joshua since you were a kid, and you were more than liking this grown-up version of him. 

“You think I didn’t notice how you’ve been teasing me the whole night?” he exhaled a breath in amusement, softly shaking his head. “Looking at me like you were, touching me like that,” he tsked, squeezing your plush skin. 

You batted your eyelashes as if you had been clueless of how you’d been acting. “I didn’t do anything,” you told him, voice trembling just enough to make him laugh.

“Hmn, okay, y/n,” he mocked you, his face—his lips—so close to you it almost had you give in right there and then. But you were stubborn, and you were enjoying this way too much. 

“Then I must’ve thought wrong. I’m sorry,” he smiled, letting go of you. There was still a hint of mischief in his eyes, but you were actually starting to worry about him leaving that you didn’t notice. He took a step back, and you frowned, eyes widening a little. 

“No—I was just kidding,” it was your turn to grab his wrist now, and Joshua raised his eyebrows. 

“Don’t go. I’m way more fun than the party.” you tugged him back to get him close again, but Joshua barely budged under your strength. “Are you now?” he smiled, and he cocked his head to the side. 

You nodded. “Of course. Why else would you spend so much time with me?” you blinked, growing a bit bolder again. Joshua laughed, his eyes getting smaller. 

“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t want to leave you just yet.” he agreed, finally inching closer to you again. 

You inhaled a big breath when you felt his hands back on your sides, his firm chest pressing into your staggering one. You gulped. He gently lifted a hand, surprising you by pressing his thumb against your lips, swiping at your lipstick—or whatever was still left of it. It smudged on his skin, subtle blotches of red staining the pale digit. 

“Be quiet,” Joshua whispered, using the same hand to tilt up your chin and finally meet your soft lips. You sighed against his mouth, the back of your head leaning back against the wooden panels as he kissed you hard. 

Your hands found his shoulders, using the leverage to pull him even closer. You could taste raspberry when your tongue swiped his, savoring the sweet taste hungrily as you kept kissing. Joshua found the hem of your dress, warm fingers burning your skin even through the black stockings you were wearing. 

He hiked up the dress, making you moan when he sucked on your bottom lip. 

The sound of him ripping your stockings hit your ear before you could even process what he was doing, suppressing your gasp with his mouth as a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. 

“My stockings!” your eyebrows scrunched together as you whined, feeling his teeth start to nibble on your jaw after pulling back to scold him. 

“Sorry,” Joshua chuckled. But he didn’t sound very sorry. “I’ll buy you new ones,” he added, as if the problem had been the price of new stockings rather than the fact you would be walking around your aunt’s party missing an item of clothing. 

You didn’t reply to that, fixated on the feeling of Joshua kissing your neck as he tugged down your panties. His fingers found your slick pussy, rubbing your clit in a slow motion. You bit your lip before letting your head loll back. 

“You’re so wet,” he said quietly as if he was only talking to himself. Joshua slid two of his fingers inside of your entrance, surprising you. You moaned feeling him move them inside of you—still slowly, like he was simply testing the waters before fully diving in. You sighed at the feeling, pleasure blooming inside of you. 

A part of you knew this was wrong on so many levels, but you had always been reckless. And you wanted Joshua. 

He picked up the pace, making you shudder against him as his thumb found your clit. A smirk tugged at his lips, pointed eyes watching you gasp and moan for him. 

The quiet, low bass of the music coming from inside of the house seemed worlds away now, inconspicuous to the both of you as you got lost in the heat of the moment.

“God, Shua,” you gulped, opening your legs wider for him. Joshua chuckled at the nickname you had given him. He pressed a kiss to your lips, and you could feel his hard cock pressing into your thigh. The realization made you moan again, tightening around his two fingers fruitlessly. 

“Stop, stop,” you weakly pushed his shoulder, watching him frown at your words. “Hm?” he slowed down, brown eyes gliding over your features. “What’s wrong?” he whispered, giving the corner of your mouth a soft peck. 

“Just fuck me. Please?” you looked at him, his worried expression contorting into a smile as he took in your plea. He hummed softly, pulling out of your heat to open his silk dress pants. 

He watched you as he pushed them down, dress hiked up and creasing, ripped black stockings hanging from your soft thighs. He thought you looked beautiful before. But now, you looked ravishing. 

Joshua urged his boxers down, exposing his hard and leaking cock to you. His big hand encircled his length, spreading his pre-cum over himself while his other found the wall next to your warm body. “Hurry up,” you gulped, blinking when he cocked his brow at your words. 

“You have a big mouth.” Joshua observed aloud, tsking at the entitled look you were giving him next. 

He forced your thighs wider with his knee, making you gasp in surprise. He chuckled before closing the space between you again. 

His lips were on you in an instant, almost demanding as he kissed you again. Roughly, having you grab his shoulders to anchor yourself. 

He guided his wet cockhead to your puffy lips, slapping it against your cunt to make you mewl again. Your grip on his shirt tightened, feeling him inch closer to your burning core, pushing it against your entrance and slowly pushing inside. “Fuck,” you cursed, moaning against his mouth as he pushed in. 

It burned deliciously as he stretched your pussy, your walls pulsing and gripping him like a vice. “S-slow down.” you pushed your forehead against his shoulder, breathing heavily to try to get used to his big cock. 

“Is this really all you can take?” he mocked you condescendingly. You moaned loudly as he pushed in and bottomed out, amused at the sounds ripping from your throat. “Fuck you.” you breathed, your fingers shaking as you held onto him. “Fuck, Joshua,” you bit your lip in pleasure, whimpering when he pulled back to thrust right back inside. 

“You’re so filthy, y/n,” Joshua sighed as he started to move. As if he wasn’t the one who brought you here in the first place. 

You kissed him again, a mess of spit and teeth as your body grew ten times warmer. He felt so good, so thick and inviting as he kept moving. 

The panels behind you started to shake as Joshua went faster, urging your thigh over his hip so he could go even deeper. The newfound pleasure echoed inside of the enclosed space, your moans and groans and breaths the least of your worries. 

“Stay put,” Joshua mumbled against your lips, helping you hold up your thigh as it started to slide down from his rough thrusts. He squeezed your plush skin, sucking your bottom lip so hard you started to taste copper. 

He moaned when you started to play with your throbbing clit, bucking your hips while you saw stars. “Fuck, Shua. Keep going, please.” you put your arm around his neck, pulling him even closer if that were even possible. 

“Your pussy is so damn tight, baby,” Joshua groaned, twitching inside of you deliciously. “I’m gonna cum. Cum with me?” he asked you. You nodded wordlessly, throwing your head back in pleasure as you kept touching yourself as Joshua’s thrusts became sloppier. 

He nipped on your neck, sucking on your skin as he fucked you dumb. A guttural moan left your lips, squeezing his shoulder as you came around his cock. 

Your orgasm triggered Joshua’s, quickly pulling out of your warmth to release all over your thigh. “Shit,” he groaned, catching his breath against your neck. 

He rubbed his cock to get out every last drop, sighing at the bliss that followed. Joshua kissed you before slowly peeling himself off you. He tucked himself back in and fixed his clothes before tending to you, failing to hide the chuckle coming out of him at the mess he’d left you. 

“Sorry for ripping your pretty stockings.” He smiled without actually sounding too genuine. You tried to catch your breath still, watching him kneel before you to take off your heels. He took off the torn material carefully, using it to clean the mess from your thigh before tossing it aside and helping you put your shoes back on. 

“It’s fine.” you said as he fixed your dress, smoothing the creases before fixing the tousled stands of your hair. 

Joshua noticed the bruise he’d left on your lip, the subtle red lipstick that stained your chin, figuring there was no way he’d let you back to the party like this. 

He wasn’t long done with you, anyway. 

“Do you want to get out of here, pretty?” he carefully brushed your cheek, a sweet smile playing on his lips. 

You smiled back at him, slowly nodding. 

Jeonghan

Most common: y/n+ie

Usually, it's a shortened version of it too. That, or some weird variation he came up with a few years ago, and somehow, as ridiculous as the name sounds, it's stuck. Anyone who's been around you two for more than an hour would have heard it by now, but garaunteed, no one will know how or where it came from.

When he's teasing you: aegi (iykyk)

During his light-hearted teasing, while you pouted dramatically, wanting to be mad at him (which happened more often than you liked to admit), his calling you this would either make you melt immediately, or feel talked down to, not unlike a child. This, of course, never lasts for long, as Jeonghan is not Jeonghan if not the most observant boyfriend to exist, and he is always, always quick to reassure you that he only calls you this because he sees you as precious and something he must protect. Huh.

Joshua

Most common: love

Even if this is the most common pet name he uses for you, it never fails to make you feel, well, loved, every time. He somehow manages to say it with the same amount of sincerity, admiration, and pure admiration for you every, single, time.

When he's sleepy: lovie

Even though it's only a single-letter difference, Joshua calling you this just makes you feel all kinds of different. Maybe its the way his voice dips, softer around the edges in ways you didn't know was possible, or maybe its the relaxed, gentle smile that always seemed to accompany the name whenever he got sleepy. Whatever it is, you hope he never stops.

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The morning sun filtered through the windows of Mercy General Hospital’s volunteer wing, where Joshua was already on his third hour of reading to elderly patients. Mrs. Chen, a tiny woman with silver hair and sharp eyes, patted his hand affectionately.

“You’re such a good boy, Joshua. Your parents raised you right.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Kang,” he said with that warm smile that made every grandmother in the building want to adopt him. “Same time next week?”

“I’ll be counting on it, dear.”

Jia watched from the doorway, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed and a knowing smirk on her face. He spotted her and his expression brightened—though something flickered in his eyes that made her pulse quicken.

“Hey, baby!” He walked over, pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek that was perfectly appropriate for the hospital hallway. “Just finishing up.”

“I can see that. Charming all the ladies as usual?”

“Just being friendly.” His hand found the small of her back as they walked toward the exit, his touch warm and innocent to any observer. But his thumb traced a slow, deliberate pattern against her spine that sent shivers down her whole body.

In the elevator, alone for thirty seconds, he leaned close. “Missed you,” he murmured, his voice dropping an octave. “Been thinking about you all morning.”

The doors opened to the lobby and he stepped back smoothly, that gentleman’s smile returning as he held the door for a nurse pushing a patient in a wheelchair.

“Have a great day!” he called cheerfully.

Jia shook her head, amused and slightly dazed. The whiplash.

They grabbed lunch at their usual spot—a cozy café called Alexandra’s that made the best sandwiches in the neighborhood. Joshua was immediately recognized by half the staff.

“Josh! My man!” The owner, Minghao, came around the counter for a fist bump. “How’s the mentoring program going?”

“Really well! Got three new kids signed up this week. Reminds me—I wanted to ask if you’d be interested in hosting a field trip? Let them see how a small business runs?”

“For you? Absolutely. Just let me know when.”

As Hansol headed back to the kitchen, Jia settled into their booth by the window. “Do you know everyone in this city?”

“Just friendly.” He slid in across from her, that innocent smile still in place. Then his foot found hers under the table, his shoe sliding deliberately against her ankle, up her calf.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

His expression didn’t change as he picked up the menu, but his phone appeared in his other hand. A moment later, hers buzzed.

Joshua: You wore that dress on purpose, didn’t you?

She glanced down at her sundress—a simple floral print, nothing scandalous—then back at him. He was still studying the menu like he was contemplating world peace.

Jia: It’s just a dress.

Joshua: It’s driving me crazy. Keep thinking about sliding my hands under it.

Her cheeks flushed and she took a long sip of water. Across from her, Joshua flagged down their waiter.

“Hey Dino! How’s your mom doing after the surgery?”

“Oh man, Josh, thanks for asking! She’s doing great, actually. Your care package really lifted her spirits.”

“I’m so glad. Tell her I’m thinking of her.”

The moment Dino left, another text: The way you’re blushing right now… fuck, Jia.

“Joshua,” she hissed under her breath.

“Hmm?” Those innocent doe eyes again. “Something wrong, sweetheart?”

An elderly man at the next table dropped his newspaper, and Joshua immediately bent to retrieve it, helping the man gather the scattered sections with patient good humor.

“Thank you, young man. Very kind of you.”

“No problem at all, sir. Enjoy your lunch.”

Joshua: Can’t stop thinking about the sounds you make when I—

Jia’s hand shot across the table and snatched his phone. “Stop it,” she whispered, though she was fighting a smile.

He leaned back, the picture of relaxed contentment. “Stop what? I’m just sitting here, being a perfect gentleman.”

“You’re being a menace.”

“Can’t I be both?” His grin was absolutely wicked for just a second before Daniel returned with their food.

After lunch, they wandered through the farmer’s market. Joshua stopped to help a vendor whose canopy had collapsed, spending twenty minutes helping him set it up properly while declining the free vegetables offered as thanks.

“Really, I’m just happy to help!”

He bought flowers from a shy teenage girl running her mom’s stand, complimenting her sales technique and encouraging her. He gave directions to three different lost tourists. He even stopped to tie a little boy’s shoelace when the kid’s parents had their hands full with a baby.

“You’re like a walking Good Samaritan PSA,” Jia teased as they finally headed toward the parking lot.

“Just trying to make the world a little better.” His hand slipped into hers, fingers intertwining. To anyone watching, it was sweet and innocent.

But then his thumb pressed into her palm in that specific spot that made her breath hitch, and he leaned in like he was telling her something casual: “You know what would make my world better right now? Getting you home and out of that dress.”

“Joshua!” She glanced around, but he was already straightening up, waving at someone across the street.

“Hey, Mr. Kim! Looking good!”

The elderly man waved back enthusiastically. “That Joshua,” he called to his wife. “Such a nice young man!”

If only they knew.

At the car, Joshua opened her door for her, waiting until she was seated before leaning down, one hand on the roof, the other on the doorframe, caging her in. Anyone watching would just see an attentive boyfriend making sure his girlfriend was settled.

But his voice was low and rough: “I’ve been good all day. So patient. So polite.” His eyes locked on hers, dark with promise. “But I’m running out of patience, baby.”

Her mouth went dry. “We’re in a parking lot.”

“I know.” He glanced around—the lot was mostly empty, their car parked in a far corner under a tree. His hand moved to her thigh, sliding up slowly. “We’ve got a few minutes before anyone comes by.”

“Joshua—”

“Tell me to stop and I will.” His fingers traced patterns on her inner thigh, his eyes never leaving hers. “Do you want me to stop?”

She should say yes. They were in public, even if it was relatively secluded. But the way he was looking at her, the heat in his voice, the deliberate pressure of his fingers…

“No,” she breathed.

His smile was pure sin. “Good girl.” He leaned in, kissing her deeply as his hand slid higher, thumb brushing against her in a way that made her gasp into his mouth. “Been thinking about touching you all day. Driving me crazy, being so close and having to keep my hands to myself.”

“Someone could see—” Her protest was weak, especially when his fingers found exactly where she needed them.

“Then you better be quiet, baby.” His lips moved to her neck as his hand worked between her thighs, slow and deliberate and absolutely maddening. “Think you can do that for me?”

Jia bit her lip hard, her hands gripping his shoulders. This was insane. They were in a parking lot in broad daylight and Joshua was—

“That’s it,” he murmured against her skin, feeling her respond to his touch. “God, you’re so—”

A car pulled into the lot three rows over and Joshua immediately pulled back, his hand retreating as he straightened up with that easy smile. An older woman got out, wrestling with shopping bags, and Joshua called out cheerfully.

“Need any help, ma’am?”

“Oh! No, thank you dear, I’ve got it!”

He waved, then closed Jia’s door gently and walked around to the driver’s side like nothing had happened. Like he hadn’t just had his hand up her dress thirty seconds ago.

Jia was still trying to remember how to breathe.

He slid into the driver’s seat, started the car, and pulled out of the parking spot with perfect care. At the first red light, his hand returned to her thigh.

“You okay, baby?” His voice was innocent, concerned even, but his fingers were drawing those same maddening patterns.

“You’re evil.”

“I prefer ‘dedicated.’” The light turned green and he drove with perfect attention to the road, one hand on the wheel. The other hand, though… “I like making you feel good. Is that so wrong?”

“We’re in public.”

“I’m being very discreet.” His fingers slid higher again and she couldn’t quite suppress a small sound. “See? No one knows what’s happening except us.”

They hit traffic and he sighed. “Well, since we’re stuck here anyway…” His hand moved with more purpose now, and Jia’s head fell back against the headrest.

“Joshua, if you don’t—” She cut off with a gasp.

“Don’t what? Want me to stop?” His voice was low, teasing. “Or don’t stop?”

“Don’t stop,” she managed, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

“That’s what I thought.”

A motorcycle cop pulled up beside them and Joshua’s hand immediately retreated to rest innocently on her knee. He offered the officer a friendly nod and that wholesome smile.

The cop nodded back approvingly before the light changed and he drove off.

The moment the cop was gone, Joshua’s hand slid back up. “Now where were we?”

“You’re going to kill me,” Jia breathed.

“What a way to go though, right?” He was watching the road, perfectly calm and collected while reducing her to a trembling mess. “You’re so beautiful like this. Wish I could see your face properly.”

“Eyes on the road,” she managed.

“Always, baby. Safety first.” But his fingers were doing absolutely sinful things. “You getting close?”

She nodded, not trusting her voice.

“Use your words, Jia.”

“Yes,” she gasped.

“Good. Let go for me.”

And she did, biting down hard on her knuckle to keep from making too much noise as pleasure rolled through her. Joshua kept driving smoothly, his movements never faltering, working her through it with practiced ease.

When she finally came down, panting and flushed, he pulled his hand back and brought his fingers to his lips for just a second before returning both hands to the wheel.

“Absolutely delicious,” he murmured, then brightened as they approached his building. “Oh good, we’re almost home! I should probably start dinner soon. Were you thinking pasta or should we order in?”

The casual shift was going to give her whiplash. “Joshua—”

“Hmm?”

“You’re insane.”

“And you love it.” He pulled into the garage, parked, and turned to face her with that devastating smile. “Come on, let’s get inside. We’re just getting started.”

They made it across the garage without incident. Joshua held the elevator door for a woman with grocery bags, helped her press her floor button, made pleasant small talk about the weather.

The woman got off on the third floor.

They were going to the seventh.

The doors had barely closed when Joshua’s finger jabbed the emergency stop button. The elevator lurched to a halt between floors.

“Joshua! What are you—”

He was on her in an instant, backing her against the wall, his mouth crashing into hers with none of the restraint he’d shown all day. This kiss was hungry, demanding, his hands everywhere at once—tangling in her hair, gripping her waist, sliding up her thighs.

“Do you have any idea,” he growled against her lips, “how hard it’s been keeping my hands off you all day?” His teeth grazed her bottom lip. “Being polite and nice when all I wanted was this.”

Jia’s hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer. “Someone will notice the elevator stopped—”

“Don’t care.” His mouth moved to her neck, sucking hard enough to leave a mark. “Need you too badly.”

His hands slid under her dress, gripping her thighs and lifting her. She wrapped her legs around his waist automatically, and the new angle had her gasping.

“Joshua—”

“Say it again.” His hips pressed against hers, pinning her to the wall. “Love hearing you say my name.”

“Joshua,” she moaned, and he groaned in response.

“Fuck, baby.” His mouth found hers again, kissing her deeply as he ground against her. One hand supported her while the other slid between them, fingers finding her still sensitive from the car. “Still so ready for me.”

The elevator phone started ringing—building security probably wondering why they’d stopped between floors.

“Ignore it,” Joshua muttered against her neck, his fingers working her into a frenzy.

“We have to—ah—” Her head fell back against the wall as he found that perfect spot.

“We have to what? Answer it?” He nipped at her collarbone. “Tell them we’re busy?”

The ringing stopped, but they both knew security would send someone to check soon.

“Joshua, we have to move—”

“One more minute.” His thumb circled deliberately and she nearly sobbed. “Want to feel you come apart again. Right here, right now, where anyone could catch us.”

The danger of it, the absoluteness of his focus on her, the skilled movement of his fingers—it was too much. She came with a muffled cry against his shoulder, her whole body shaking.

“That’s my girl,” he murmured, holding her through it. “So perfect for me.”

He set her down gently just as they heard footsteps in the elevator shaft above them—maintenance coming to check. Joshua released the emergency stop and the elevator lurched back into motion. By the time it dinged for the seventh floor, he’d straightened his clothes, fixed his hair, and had that innocent gentleman smile back in place.

The doors opened to reveal the building supervisor looking concerned.

“Everything okay? The elevator stopped—”

“Oh! Sorry about that,” Joshua said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I think I accidentally leaned against the emergency stop button. My fault entirely. Is everything working properly now?”

“Seems to be. Just be more careful next time, alright?”

“Absolutely. Sorry for the trouble!” Joshua took Jia’s hand and led her down the hallway, all politeness and contrition.

The moment they were around the corner and out of sight, he pulled her close. “Your apartment or mine?”

“Yours is closer.”

“Good answer.” He practically dragged her to his door, fumbling with his keys in his haste.

He unlocked his door, pulled her inside, and slammed it shut behind them. The lock clicked.

And just like that, everything changed.

His eyes went dark, his expression shifting into something predatory and hungry as he advanced on her. “Now then,” he said, his voice rough and low. “No more interruptions. No more having to stop. Just you and me.”

Jia backed up until she hit the wall, her pulse racing.

“Joshua—”

“Keep saying my name, baby.” His hands bracketed her head, caging her in. “Because I’m going to make sure you’re screaming it by the time I’m done with you.”

4:30am - the kitchen is abuzz with the noise of the mixer, or the stove, or the ding of the oven. He can’t smell the aroma of freshly baked goods from where he watches through the back window. He is a bit too far. But he can see the way you slowly get disheveled, sweat building up in your hairline, face slightly flushed from the heat of the oven, leaving colored blotches on your skin. Cute. You look cute like this.

Your apron gets stained more and more as time goes on, with flour, cocoa powder, even cookie batter and sometimes that melted chocolate you use very carefully so as to not spill it. It’s the really high end stuff, he knows this. He has looked into it. You labor on for a long, long while, accompanied by the sounds of soft music. He watches silently.

7:00am - you finally started bringing the desserts to the front, carefully placing them in the glass display counters. You arrange them all slowly. You’re a little type A like that, he has noticed, always making sure everything is equidistant and neat in rows, not a single crumb scattered anywhere else. You turn on the little golden lights that shine on the display of sweets, and he has to admit, everything looks delectable. Maybe not as much as you. You’re just….. delicious.

It is around this time that Boo Seungkwan clocks in, the little bell outside the shop chiming pleasantly as he greets you loud and cheerful. Seungkwan is quite the character, his observations tell him. Apple-shaped and perked face, high cheekbones, voice a little too loud compared to how soft yours is. But Seungkwan is so kind, and so entertaining, the only other employee in your tiny shop, making you laugh throughout the day. He appreciates that. Your laugh is bright and a little high pitched. It suits you.

7:15am (give or take) - Seungkwan starts getting ready for the day as you set the last of your baked goods out. He heats up the espresso machines, dials the espresso shots in them, refills the hoppers and gets the batch brews started. You go and clean yourself up, hanging up the apron, washing your hands and face, and actually taking care of yourself with the tiny travel sized skincare and makeup products you bring along. You show up early in the morning looking like you rolled straight out of bed. He doesn’t mind. There’s something….. pure about you when you’re like that. Untainted. Especially by someone like him. And it makes sense logically too. No point in getting ready only to slave in the kitchen for hours on end. Now, you make yourself presentable, rolling a little pink stick on your cheek and smudging it to give your face more color. He wishes you were still hot from the blast of the oven, making you flush naturally. You look sensual like that, and it gives Joshua thoughts he would indulge only in the very dark of the night. But this works too. You come back out front as Seungkwan gets ready to open.

8:00 am - you open your modest little coffee shop on the corner of 12th avenue. It’s shocking that you occupy a corner of a busy street just a few blocks from the town’s business sector. It’s almost impossible to set up a business here because of how competitive the location is. He has looked at the blueprints of the surrounding area, since he wants to be thorough at his job. He might be enjoying his time with you, but he’s still a professional. He won’t go through with it if he knows it’s not foolproof. He doesn’t want law enforcement ears perking up, after all.

They won’t. He’s too good. He knows that.

Your acquisition of the place is made even more questionable by the fact that you’re so young. But it is what it is, and the fantastic location means that you have a crazy morning rush. You man the register, Seungkwan makes the coffees, helped by you whenever he needs it. It’s a few hours of lively, non-stop work, and slowly, the baked goods in the display cases get more and more scarce.

You’re a cheerful little thing. You greet customers sweetly, flash them a bright smile and ask them how their day is going. It’s maybe a bit too much for his taste, but maybe that’s why he likes it. You’re just slightly too cheesy, slightly too decadent. You’re something he has never been. And he likes that. He likes things that excite him. You excite him.

He wonders what it would be like to see you up close. Just for a little bit, to feel that sunshine. He has no need for it in his life, but he’s a curious person. And he finds himself imagining being close to you more and more.

11:00am - this is usually around the time you take a breather and go through your available treats. Things cool down a little, and you slip back into the kitchen to start prepping the doughs you were resting, the cookie batter you had chilled in the fridge, the materials already prepped for more baking, because the next rush would come near late afternoon, and you had to be ready. He doesn’t understand why you just won’t make more of it in the morning so you didn’t have to do two batches, but he doesn’t claim to know how to do your job, just like you would never know the complexities of his.

His area of expertise is….. a lot less conventional. Your day is filled with sugar and flour, the scent of cinnamon, the whir of a mixer and coffee beans ground carefully to brew warm cups. His day is spent covered in shadows, a million different clothes and disguises, a well hidden gun and a knife strapped to his leg, stalking prey, and the eventual sight and smell of blood when his job is finally complete.

You’re worlds apart. That’s why he wants a piece of you so bad.

02:00pm - this is usually around the time he shows up at the shop. The place is not overly crowded, maybe only a rare man or woman in a stuffy business suit sitting at a table at the corner with a laptop in front of them, clicking away at the keys. You’re usually in the back, and Seungkwan is lingering behind the counter. He always flashes him a bright smile.

“Hi, Josh.” He chirps. “The usual?”

And Joshua nods, settling on a stool by the counter instead of at one of the tables. He watches Seungkwan pour him coffee. Nothing fancy, black, with sugar. Something that is hot enough and bitter enough to sting his throat. Joshua drinks it in silence, usually on his phone. But his ears are alert as always, and he can hear you puttering around in the back. Sometimes, you’re humming something as you work. And he’s trained enough to catch it, even if he doesn’t recognise most of it. He doesn’t stay long. He’s been here enough times to know how everything is laid out, has watched you enough to map your movements.

Sometimes, you come to the front when he’s there, and you always greet him politely. That very soft and inviting part of you, and it’s hard for Joshua to imagine that someone like you, who giggles and puts stickers on the apples of Seungkwan’s cheeks, is also resisting and fighting back against the biggest, richest, most intimidating crime boss the town of Carat’s Ridge has seen in years. You don’t look like you have it in you, but your resilience is truly astounding.

Something twinges in his stomach when he thinks of the contrast that exists in you.

The three buildings in this business sector are all owned by the same man. Their basements are connected, according to the blueprints Joshua has seen, and this man, Joshua’s employer, a scary and shady business owner, needs this passageway for a lot of questionable trades he conducts. The only problem is you, and your little shop that you refuse to sell. The only hurdle in his way preventing him from having a clear transit route for his illegal trade. And Joshua knows for a fact that this man has no reservations in discarding any inconveniences that come his way. Everyone knows this. The town isn’t very big, so it’s more of an open secret than anything else. No one messes with him, everyone always gives in, except you.

Joshua doesn’t understand it. And as he watches you giggle with Seungkwan and hum over warm cupcakes, the mystery behind you is enough to make his toes curl. He likes it.

This is the closest he has ever gotten to your person. He has been watching for a while now. He has gone through your closet, your drawers, your cupboards. He knows what you write in your journal, the safe you keep in your office for all important documents (it took him less than five minutes to crack it), and how you personally prefer tea when you’re not at the shop. He feels like he knows you already, but the thrill that goes through him when he’s within feet of you, when your eyes meet his and when you smile at him, that thrill is unmatched. Joshua’s fingers itch to touch you, like he’s hungry for it. And maybe he is. You’re like prey, and he wants to get his hands on you already.

5:00pm - you close up. You always shoo Seungkwan off first, telling him it’s fine and you have some work to do. You lock the shop from the inside, flip the sign, and Joshua walks to the back of the building again, to his perch that will give him the best view through the back window into your office. It’s the one place in the shop that's not squeaky clean. The desk is layered in papers, some scattered on the floor as well, and every day, you go through many new letters that Joshua knows his employer is sending to you, offer after offer to buy you out, the pressure mounting with every passing day. At this point, Joshua thinks the man knows you won’t sell to him, and that’s why he hired Joshua to do things the unconventional way. But the letters keep coming, and until Joshua finally wraps up his reconnaissance, tells his employer that he will take care of it, and carefully strangles you in your office, they will keep coming. Enough to keep you on edge, enough to scare you a little bit.

Speaking of, Joshua should probably get back to his boss. He’s getting impatient about Joshua’s dilly dallying, which isn’t his style either, frankly. Joshua doesn’t like toying with his targets. But he has this crazy urge to toy with you, and he doesn’t really want to let go of that just yet. Of course, this back and forth exists in his head only. You are blissfully unaware. But it doesn’t matter. You will know soon enough.

05:55pm - It is nearing the time that you leave for home. But today is the day Joshua thinks he should wrap all of this up. There’s not a whole lot more he can find out by just watching. It’s time to make up his mind and either end your life and go get his payment, or let you go and tell his employer to hire someone else.

Or a secret third option that isn’t even fully formed in his own head. He’s still wondering about what exactly he wants to do with you, but that little thrill in the base of his stomach tells him that he already understands.

It’s way too easy to get past the locked back door, and before he knows it, he is standing in the doorway of your open office. You’re poring over what looks like expense sheets, your lips slowly moving as you do the numbers in your head. You don’t notice him, which isn’t surprising. Joshua has worked in this profession for long enough to know how to essentially mute his presence. He watches for a few silent moments before finally speaking.

“How long can you hold out before the big bad man takes your business from you, princess?”

You scream, jerking so violently that your knee hits the desk hard, buckling immediately afterwards. Joshua watches on, amused, as you struggle between processing the pain and turning your body around to face him. You lean heavily on the desk, injured leg stretched and tense. He can bet that was painful. He winces and gives you a pout.

“Relax, sweetheart. You’d think I just shot you.”

A little hitman humor. Not that you would know.

You blink rapidly at him, chest heaving as you try to catch your bearings. Your eyes flicker. You recognise him. Good. That makes Joshua feel….. good. His stomach does an excited little flip.

“H-how did you get inside?” Your voice is shaky, uncertain, and still a little breathless. Joshua just smiles, that dazzling bright one he knows will catch you off guard. And it does.

“Back door was unlocked.” He lies. Your eyebrows furrow in confusion. Joshua pushes off the doorframe and walks in, eyes darting over the mess of paper he is seeing up close for the second or third time. He’s already gone through all your things, unbeknownst to you. You shift, and he can see you wince.

“I’m really sorry. We’re closed.” You say politely.

“I know.”

“And…. you shouldn’t be back here.”

“I know.”

You are wide eyed, just blinking up at him. He wants to reach out and pinch your cheek. He’s so close to you already, and it’s making his stomach stir with something rolling and hot. You’re struggling on what to say next. So Joshua decides to help you out and carry the conversation himself.

“You know, you can just sell.” He hums. “It’s a pretty small coffee shop. In a smallish town. You could move away.”

Your jaw drops, frown still etched on your face. He wants to smooth out the little lines between your brows.

“How do you know about that?”

He hums, as if thinking. “Well, when you don’t sell to crime bosses, they often hire people like me to clean up their path for them.”

Your mouth opens and closes a few times, not unlike a fish. Cute. God, Joshua is thoroughly enjoying himself. It’s so different from his usual M.O. He prefers cleaner jobs. A single headshot with a small gun, silencer on, in and out with no trace. But you’re not easy to resist. He wants to have fun.

He wonders what kind of face you make when you cum.

“I don’t understand.”

Of course you don’t. Poor, sweet you. He wonders about that thing an elderly lady always says to young kids, about how they are so cute that she could just eat them up.

He closes the distance and stands right in front of you, mere inches away, trapping you between himself and the desk. You look up at him.

“I kill you. The shop goes to the bank. He buys it. He uses it to run his illegal business.” Four smooth sentences. Everything laid out for you. It’s not like telling you would make a difference. Tonight is the night he wraps up this job. He’s just not entirely sure how much he wants to drag it out first.

You still watch him with your mouth slightly ajar, processing his blunt words. He gives you a good ten seconds. He sees your throat bob. A hard swallow.

“My grandmother left me this place.” You mumble. He hums. He already knows this. “I can’t just sell it. I can’t let it go.”

He sighs, a little dramatically because he likes seeing the way you react to him. “I just told you the alternative to not selling.”

You blink. “Will you really kill me?”

Joshua wants to coo. He pouts, half mocking and half serious, before nodding. Fear fills your features. Oh, he can’t have that now. He has liked all your other expressions so far. Fear isn’t doing it for him. Time to change that.

He leans down to place one hand on the edge of the desk, right next to your hip. You curve back as he invades your space, your face morphing a little into surprise. That’s better. Could be even better. He will get there.

“So you’re telling me,” he says, “this shop is worth the price of your life?”

He sees you gulp again, can practically hear it. His other hand grips the table too, caging you between him. He can feel the slight tremble of your body. You’re still afraid. Joshua isn’t exactly a fan of that. He tilts his head, brushes his lips right over the pulse point on your neck. Your breath catches. He smirks against your skin.

“Fear is a powerful aphrodisiac.” He whispers.

“W-what are you doing?” You manage to squeak out. Breathy. Shaky. He presses his lips to your neck for the first time. Your pulse is bounding, rapid.

“Trying to have sex with you.”

Your body stiffens even more than it already is. “W-what?”

Joshua tuts and pulls away, frowning down at you. “I am about to kill you. I can either do it now, or I can do it after giving you the most mind numbing orgasm you’ve ever had. Your call, princess.”

You look at him like he has grown two heads. A few seconds tick by. Joshua lets out a painful sigh when you don’t react, frozen still. He reaches behind his back, tugging out the gun he tucked under his belt. Your eyes widen, watching as he places it on your desk. Material proof.

“You’ve got a fighter in you.” He hums. “Resisting so many threatening letters. Not selling to someone who the entire town is scared of. That takes balls, sweetheart. And you have them. You’re feisty. But you’re so….. sweet.”

He runs a single finger down your cheek. He feels you shiver. He smirks, and he knows you can feel the heat in his eyes.

“I’ve always had a curiosity for paradoxical things like you.”

When he lowers his head to your neck again, you don’t go as stiff as you did before. You don’t respond, but you don’t push him away. He nips at the skin, playfully, softly. He will get rough with you, something tells him you will like that, but not yet. He licks a stripe all the way to the bottom of your ear. Your breath stutters again. He focuses on sucking a hickey in that spot. He shouldn’t leave marks, but god, you would look nice all bruised up by him.

You make the slightest sound, a breathy exhale, that Joshua wouldn’t hear if he wasn’t so close already. He places his hand carefully over the curve of your hip, taking a final step closer so that his body brushes against yours. He pulls his lips back, eyeing the sizeable hickey he just sucked into your skin. All smooth, except for his mark. He feels his cock twitch, swell. Somehow, stalking you beforehand has made this experience ten times more thrilling than it would usually be.

“So?” He hums, brushing his nose over your cheek. He watches your eyes, bright as anything. You look uncertain, hesitant. He sighs a little.

“You can say no.” He mumbles. “I’m not a complete monster.”

You shake your head just slightly. “It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

Again, hesitation. Joshua waits. Neither of them is going anywhere.

“I’m a….. I haven’t done this before.”

He blinks. Once. Twice. He feels a twinge of amusement. “You’re a virgin.”

“Yes.”

God. That’s hot. In his sick, twisted head, that’s hot. There’s no way he’s letting you die without knowing what taking dick feels like. He lays a soft kiss on your cheek, another on your jaw. Then he mumbles against it.

“Do you still want to do this?”

When you nod, he almost moans. Screwing the man sent to kill you… maybe some part of you is as fucked up as him.

He hooks his hands under your thighs so he can lift you up on the edge of the desk. You’re still a little stiff, not as fluid as he would like, but no matter. He knows what buttons to push. That breathy exhale was just a teaser. He wants to hear you scream. And not in the way you will later in the night, just before he puts a bullet in your head.

He brushes his hand over your knee, the one that hit the table when he came in. Your skin is heated, and it feels even warmer as he slides up, under the hem of your dress. You always wear the cutest summer dresses. Joshua did wonder what it would be like to fuck you in them. Today, you’re wearing that periwinkle one that looks gorgeous against your skin. Perfect.

His hand slides up, just as his lips finish their trail and end at your mouth. He hovers, a hairbreadth away, and waits, wanting to see if you will make a move. Your lips part, like you’re expecting it, but when he doesn’t go on, you push forward, closing the gap so you can kiss him properly. Joshua tries to smother his smirk as he kisses you back, really sinking into you.

Your mouth moves well, smooth, purposeful. You’ve definitely done this before. He groans in approval, tilting his head so he can deepen the kiss. Your tongue is hot, slick, fluid. He knows he is rock hard. You’re making him a little dizzy too.

He finds the hem of your panties, toys with them a little. They’re simple, cotton. Nothing fancy. But god, that’s so sexy. He hooks a finger in with them and tugs them off from under your dress, lifting your hips to do it. He can feel the crotch, how damp it is, and he pockets them immediately.

You’re burning hot between your legs, a heat he has been craving. He uses his left hand to tug at your knee, spreading your legs a bit more so he can run the fingers of his right hand over your slit. He prods between your lips, finding your clit easily enough. You jerk, and he has to grip your hip tight to keep you from moving.

He pulls away to look at you. Your lips are swollen, wet with his spit. Your eyelids, now at half mast, peer up at him, blinking rapidly. Your chest heaves with big breaths. The slightest hint of sweat is building up in your hairline.

What a vision.

Joshua keeps his eyes carefully on your face so he can see your expression when he starts rubbing little circles on your clit, feeling it swell under his ministrations. Your jaw goes slack, your eyes barely open and unfocused. You’re staring at his lips. He unconsciously licks over them.

Your first moan is short and muted, broken at the end. You’re gripping the edge of the desk tightly, so tight that your fingertips have paled. Joshua watches closely, every shift in your face, as he keeps rubbing over you. You moan again, a little louder, a little surer.

“There you go.” He whispers.

When he can’t stand it anymore, he kisses you again. You whimper into his mouth, and god, if he was more of a loser, he would’ve come in his pants by now. But instead he kisses you fiercely, keeping his thumb on your clit and pushing two fingers into you with no preamble. He feels you stiffen, but his thumb is still working, and you’re so wet already, the slide in is smooth. He curls his fingers as he keeps going, tongue running languidly against yours. Your body jerks and you whine into his mouth, so he focus on rubbing the pads of his fingers on that spot, thumb still rubbing back and forth over your clit. You’re close, he can tell by the way your breaths pick up, your whimpers get more frequent, your knees nudging into his hips, trying to close but unable to. He almost has you. Almost.

He pulls back from your lips just as he feels that you’re cumming. Because he wants to see your face, how it twists and moves as you writhe in his arms. His grip on your hip tightens, holding you in place as you jerk and tremble. His fingers keep going, not even slowing, wanting to drag this out as much as he possibly can because you look divine.

He only stops when your hand grips his forearm hard, eyes teary as you look up at him, pleading. Oh, he likes this. He wonders if he can make you beg. But it feels cruel to do that for your first and last time having sex.

His cock is so hard it’s almost painful. He’s a patient man, but it’s unraveling fast. He pulls his fingers out, coated with your release, and lifts them to his mouth, popping them in, not breaking eye contact even once. You watch, almost in awe, as he sucks on them, tasting you. You taste good too. God almighty, why does he have to kill you?

He makes quick work of undoing his pants, just enough to pull his cock out. You almost yelp when he plunges two fingers inside you again, stiffening as he rubs over your gummy walls for a few seconds before pulling out, using your wetness to jerk his cock a few times. You’re looking down at it like it’s otherworldly, and Joshua almost snorts in amusement.

“Ready, princess?” He breathes out. You look back up at him, lust coating your eyes, and nod. He can see it on your face. You want this. Your orgasm has lowered your inhibitions significantly. He can’t wait to see you fall apart again.

When he slides in, it almost sends him into orbit.

You’re hot. Wet and pulsating around his shaft as he slowly but surely carves his way inside. He opened you up enough beforehand to make the slide much easier, but it’s still suffocatingly tight. He watches your mouth drop, your eyes roll, and when you lean your head back, he spots the hickey he gave you. His head spins. You’re squeezing around him so good. He lurches forward, nipping at your neck again, unable to help himself.

When he starts moving, it’s slow at first. Half because of you, because you need to adjust, and half because he thinks he will cum embarrassingly quick if he starts fast right out of the gate. So he takes his time, really reveling in the feeling of you wrapped around him. You’re moaning so cutely in his ear, spurring him on, and eventually, he lets himself speed up. He wants to feel more of you, to fuck you properly, because god, a pussy like this deserves it, and he says as much.

“You’ve got the perfect little pussy baby, fuck.” He can hear the crack in his own voice. The table groans under you. You gasp when he hits your sweet spot, and Joshua doubles down on it. He grips your hips hard, fingers digging into the soft flesh, focusing on really ramming into you now. He can hear the squelch, the filthy sound of wet skin slapping against skin, and his depravity only swells more as it hits his ears. You smell like something fruity, mixed with sweat and the smell of sex. His head is spinning, and he wants you to cum again so bad, to squeeze the soul directly out of his cock.

He kisses you with bruising force and you nearly sob into his mouth. He feels your fingers in his hair, tugging harshly in a way that sends tingles through his scalp. He hates it when women grab his hair during sex, messing it up, but it feels so good watching you lose control like this, so he lets you. Your feet have locked behind his lower back, your thighs digging into his sides, using him to ground yourself. You break the kiss to moan again, your free hand behind you, flat against the desk so you can lean back and take deep gulping breaths of air. Your head turns up to the ceiling again. Joshua can’t help but lick at your neck, sinking his teeth into it enough to try and channel some of the ferality that’s driving him crazy right now. His cock is pulsing, throbbing, slick with your juices as it pounds into you. And you let him, squeezing deliciously around his cock.

“Taking me so well.” He can’t help it, praises spill from his lips like they are meant for you. You whimper at his words. He’s drawing closer to the edge, but he’ll be damned if he gets there before you do. So his thumb finds your clit again, rubbing tight circles on it until he feels you lock tight around him, body shuddering as you come. He keeps going, addicted to the way your walls spasm around him, suffocating his cock until he can’t take it anymore. You pretty much squeeze the orgasm out of him, his whole being trembling as he rides it out. He thinks he blacks out for a second there, it hits him so hard.

He lays his head on your shoulder, catching his breath. He can feel you still shaking a little in his hold. Your arms are wrapped loosely around his shoulders, slumping into him as you come down from his high. The smell of your perfume hits him again. Fruity and delicious.

God. God. He’s so fucked.

…………………………….

Ground coffee smells sharper and stronger than whole beans. Something to do with the oils in coffee beans. They are volatile, and when they break, the aroma is immediate and very all-encompassing. It’s a stinging scent, but you enjoy it immensely. Sometimes, if baking doesn’t take up most of your mornings, you like to be the one who grinds the beans. Seungkwan always tuts and tries to take over, saying you have other stuff to do. Sometimes you let him, and sometimes you don’t. The smell is too nice. It relaxes you, so you want to do it yourself.

It’s not relaxing you now. Not at all.

Seungkwan is a little worried about how spacey you have been all morning. He’s loud and intense, but he’s also very perceptive. So it takes him only about an hour before he notices. You’re not surprised. You haven’t exactly been….. acting normal.

For one, you’re way off the mark with your timings. You burn a batch of cupcakes because you take them out of the oven too late. Then you mess up when folding the flour into your cake mixture, and it ends up clumping so badly that it is pretty much unusable. Who the hell messes up flour mixing?

“Maybe you should take the day off?” Seungkwan suggests delicately as he scraps the whole thing into a bin. He doesn’t know what’s wrong, but you are mentally not there with him, and that can be dangerous in a kitchen. You know this.

“I’m really fine.” Your voice is thin as wire, and not very convincing. Seungkwan gives you a long look, and you can see his eyes flicker to your neck, where you had tried your best to color correct and conceal the giant marks you were left with.

“Then go to the back. Lay down in your office for a bit.”

That’s a bad idea. You don’t think you can step into that place after what happened there. Especially not when…. his gun is still sitting on your desk, untouched. You don’t understand why he didn’t take it. You were too out of it to even think as he cleaned himself up and left pretty suddenly. But why not take his weapon. Why leave it there?

You don’t know what to think. You’re still fucked up by your absolute reckless decision to have sex with a complete stranger, a stranger with a gun, who claimed he was there to kill you…. And then ended up not killing you.

You’re confused. You don’t want to think about it. You need a distraction.

You shoo Seungkwan out of the kitchen and get back to work, trying your best to forget the night before. But your legs are sore, and any twinge in your muscles reminds you of what caused it. You think of his eyes again, the most beautiful, intense brown you have ever seen, more than coffee beans, more than chocolate, but so empty. So hollow.

You wonder if he will come back. He should, right? You have his gun. Well, you don’t have it, technically. It’s just there. You won’t dare touch it.

When the shop opens, the distraction is effective, way more than baking was. You get lost in the flurry of people and orders. It keeps your hands busy, as well as your mind, and before you know it, it’s lunch hour. You sigh, wondering if you should get started on the next batch as Seungkwan wipes the counter. A thought enters your head, and you hesitate before speaking.

“Seungkwan,” you swallow, “there’s this customer we’ve had for a while now. He comes in around this time, just gets a black coffee, I think.”

Seungkwan’s lips purse in thought. “Josh? Yeah, come to think of it, he isn’t here today. He hasn’t missed a single day in the last few weeks.”

You blink. “Right. Do you know what his full name is?”

That makes him pause, and he gives you a curious look. “Um, no.”

You soldier on. “What about card information?”

“He pays in cash.” Now the look is getting more concerned. “Why are you asking?”

You shake your head, trying to look nonchalant as you fiddle with the register. “I just think it would be nice if we knew our regulars a bit more.”

It’s a bullshit excuse, but Seungkwan doesn’t push. You’re grateful, because you don’t think you want to address the sick feeling in your chest that settled in you last night and hasn’t left. You want to call it prolonged post nut clarity. But that makes the situation feel even more horrific.

That evening, as you wrap up for the day, Seungkwan lingers around the counters, even after he has grabbed his stuff and is ready to head out. You give him a questioning look, and he looks a little hesitant as he clarifies.

“I was hoping I could walk you home.” He says, looking a little nervous. Your heart squeezes, touched by his gesture. So you just nod, telling him to hold on, and you quickly finish up, locking everything before you head down the street, your employee falling into step with you.

Seungkwan talks to you about random things as you walk through the downtown part of Carats Ridge. It’s still lively despite the late hour. You’ve lived here all your life, born and raised, and you really have no intention to go anywhere else. You like traveling, but you can’t see yourself living in a place that isn’t this. You have too many memories here, too many friends. Sure, most of your family left after you graduated high school, but this is home for you, so you plan to stick by for a long time.

Unless of course, the man who wants to buy your shop has you killed. Your jaw clenches at the thought, and your mind drifts to last night again.

You’re glad when you reach home, and thank Seungkwan profusely before he leaves. You watch him disappear down the street before going inside yourself, toeing your shoes off in the entryway and pattering deeper into the house. It’s a modest, one storey building, again, left to you by your grandmother when she passed. You know the life you live is very blessed, and it was a natural progression from your childhood to this.

Your parents both worked in finance, which meant endless money and opportunities, but not time. Never time. So you were left with your grandmother, in the town of Carats Ridge. You had stability because of her, even if your own parents couldn’t offer it. From a young age, you spent the time that you were not in school with your grandmother, inside her little bakery. It was just that back then, a quaint bakery. You grew with her, learned from her, and she made you everything you are today. Polite, but unyielding. You took over when she retired, and converted the bakery into a coffee shop, offering much more than it previously did. You put heart and soul into what you did, but you never forgot your power throughout it. That’s why you never sold to the man who put so many of your neighboring stores out of business, blackmailing and strong-arming them until they caved. But not you. Not yet.

You drop your bag on the couch, trudging to the kitchen to look inside your refrigerator and decide what to have for dinner. Being surrounded by baked goods all day usually means you crave something spicy around this time, so you peruse what you have, wondering what will take you the least amount of time. You’re tired, way more than usual, and you had terrible, fitful sleep the night before. You just want some rest.

The door of the refrigerator shuts gently behind you with a thud, bottle of wine in hand. When you turn around, your eyes catch the kitchen doorway and you scream.

The bottle slips from your hand and shatters on the floor, the red liquid immediately splattering on the marble. You jump in response. The man in your doorway winces, watching color bloom on the white floor. He tuts, straightening a little and walking closer to the mess. He’s dressed more casually than the button down shirt and slacks he usually wears, and was wearing last night. He’s in a simple t-shirt and jeans, and a pair of black rimmed glasses adorn his face. It takes you a few seconds to recognise him because of how different he looks, and your heart is still frantically pounding, trying to calm down after the scare he just gave you.

“You’re shockingly unaware of your surroundings.” He mumbles, walking to the small door right off your kitchen leading to the laundry room. He comes back with a mop, and he immediately bends down, carefully picking up some of the larger pieces of broken glass. Your mouth is dropped open like a fucking fish, and you’re gripping the counter tight because you’re afraid that if you don’t, you will faint. He places the pieces on the counter and then starts mopping, all the while as you watch on. He looks like he’s done this a million times before, like he feels completely at home.

No one says a word. He picks up more pieces, mops the floor dry and sweeps the rest. You finally move once the floor is cleared enough for you to save your bare feet. You put the broken bottle pieces in the trash after wrapping them up. When he steps closer, you can smell his cologne, a familiar scent. Memories of last night assault you. You feel dizzy and panicked. And you don’t know what to do.

“What’s for dinner?” He says once the clean up is finished. You blink at him a few times. He waits patiently.

“Chicken and rice.” You sputter out. He nods.

“I can start the rice.”

Once again, you move rhythmically together in complete silence. He takes the lead, and you’re so shocked and out of your element that you just go along with it. He cleans and soaks the rice before starting on the vegetables. You chop the chicken. Soon, the aroma of food fills the kitchen. The words between you two are no more than simple sentences, like ‘pass me the knife’, or ‘can you taste this?’ or “I’ll plate everything”. Soon enough, both of you carry plates and glasses of water to the living room. He flops down carelessly on the couch, digging in immediately. Normally, you would watch TV while you do this, but you just sit in silence, slowly chewing. Your tongue feels like rubber. You can barely swallow.

“Are you here to kill me?” You finally ask.

You can hear his huff. Amused laughter. He shakes his head.

“I would’ve done it yesterday if I was planning to.” He replies.

Another bout of silence. You think that it’s awkward, but with how he is lazing on the couch, you don’t believe that he feels the same way.

“Why are you here then?” You say next.

He doesn’t reply immediately this time, chewing slowly in silence. You watch him, the straight bridge of his nose, full lips, pretty eyelashes that flutter over his cheeks. No wonder you lost all critical thinking yesterday. He looks like a siren, a master at luring victims in with his endless charm.

“Chicken is good.” He mumbles, putting another mouthful past his lips. He ignores your question. You feel a twinge of irritation, placing your half eaten plate on the coffee table.

“Thanks.” You reply. “Why are you here?”

Silence again. He eats some more, emptying his helping. He gestures to the plate you just set down. “Are you gonna finish that?”

When he reaches towards the coffee table, you shoot forward, gripping his wrist hard. His head snaps to you, his expression both surprised and curious. You swallow at the intense look in his eyes, your grip loosening out of fear. Hesitantly, you take your grip away.

“What do you want from me?” You ask. “Do you want me to sign the business over? Is that it?”

He scoffs, a sound tinged with arrogance as he rolls his eyes. “I don’t give a fuck about what you do with your business.”

You grit your teeth. “Okay. What then?”

You can see his jaw tick. He doesn’t say anything more. Shadows pass over his face, a myriad of them. He’s clearly struggling with something. But you don’t know what.

“If you don’t sell, he’ll have you killed.” He says.

You watch him closely, remembering last night, looking at him now. “But it won’t be you who does it.”

He rolls his eyes, leans back on the couch. “Keep talking and it will be.”

You can feel the corner of your lip twitch. “No, it won’t. You said it yourself. If you wanted to kill me, you would’ve done it yesterday.”

Again, his jaw clicks in annoyance. Surprisingly, you feel amusement curl in you.

“You came here just to see me.” You comment. “Do you like me, Josh?”

He blinks. Stares at you. “You know my name.”

You nod slowly. “Seungkwan told me.”

When he doesn’t speak, you clarify. “Seungkwan is my employee. You know, the guy who serves you coffee everyd-”

“I know.” He cuts you off. You clear your throat.

“Right.” You quip. “Because you stalked me.”

Now, his lips lift in a smirk. “I did. You’re really cute.”

You can feel the back of your neck prick with heat. You look away when his stare becomes too much, your heart beating fast from having his gaze on you. You admonish yourself. This is sick behavior, getting excited at the thought of him watching you.

“It’s Joshua, by the way.” He mumbles. “I prefer Joshua.”

You fight the urge to squirm, feeling a little giddy. Joshua.

“So…… what now?” You try to change the subject.

Joshua huffs and purses his lips a bit. “I already told you.”

You scowl. “I’m not selling.”

He sits up abruptly at your words, startling you. He looks ticked off now, but you don’t feel the same fear you felt before around him. “What the hell is your problem? This stupid business isn’t the cost of you dying.”

“It’s not stupid.” You spit, surprised by his sudden outburst. “I put my heart and soul into this shop. It’s mine. Just because some rich businessman throws a tantrum, I’m not gonna give up and step aside.”

Joshua watches you, eyes flitting between yours. If he wasn’t so close, you wouldn’t notice the way his pupils just subtly dilate.

“You’re so hot.” He mumbles. You blink, shocked.

“What?”

His eyes dart down to your lips, and they stay there. You shift under the intensity of his stare. “This is why I couldn’t kill you. You’re so hardheaded over stupid shit. You take so much interest in it. I can’t help but….”

Your heart is kicking painfully at your ribs. Your cheeks are flaming. He’s so close. If he pushes forward just a little bit, he would kiss you.

“But what?” You urge him.

He blinks, stares at you for a full minute. Then, his lips stretch up in another amused smile, softer this time, like something in his head has clicked. He shakes his head.

“Nothing.”

You’re a bit thrown off when he abruptly stands, beelining to your front door. He tugs his shoes on, reaching into the pocket of his jeans for what looks like car keys.

“Where are you going?” You ask, flabbergasted by his sudden departure.

“Hang tight, princess.” That’s all he says, closing your door behind him with a soft click.

………………………………..

Joshua has killed many, many people.

Many people.

He has killed absolute destitutes, homeless drug dealers who are a thorn in the side of bigger kingpins. He has also killed said kingpins for even larger conglomerates. Whether rich or poor, Joshua doesn’t discriminate. He has his own system, a code, and he sticks with it no matter what.

It is wildly against his code to kill his employer. Yet, here he is.

Joshua stares at the man slumped over on his desk, tracking the slow spread of dark blood over the mahogany surface. The metallic smell of it is already infiltrating the air, a very familiar scent for Joshua. That’s not the new part, the new part is the fact that Joshua came here under the guise of accepting the job of killing you, received his payment, and then shot the man who paid him.

Oh well. Joshua doesn’t exactly pride himself on morals.

It’s comical, in a sense. The fact that Joshua is altering the ethical code he created in his head because of….. you. Some girl he is fixated so deeply on. He doesn’t know if he loves you, or could ever love you. A part of him doesn’t think he is even capable of something like that. But he is infatuated, more than he has ever been with another person, and he counts that as love, whatever version of it he can muster.

And if the look in your eyes was anything to go by, you’re infatuated with him too.

So Joshua leaves his victim just like that, draped over a pool of his own blood. He isn’t worried about being caught. The guy was basically a tyrant. No one would miss him, so no one would come after Joshua for revenge. In fact, he’s pretty sure people would thank him if they knew who did this. He has very intimate knowledge of all the businesses this man usurped, it was a part of his initial research, and now they will all flourish again. He also imagines the invisible burden on your shoulders lifted now that the man threatening your livelihood is finally gone.

Joshua doesn’t think he’s moral in the general sense. He’s moral by his own standards, and his standards are encircling around your presence frighteningly quick.

……………………………..

You don’t see Joshua for days, but many things happen in his absence.

When Seungkwan shows up at the shop the day after your encounter, his hair is wind swept and his cheeks are flushed, like he ran all the way here.

“Turn on the TV.” He gasps out when you raise an eyebrow at him. You’re just putting out the last of today’s treats, but you set the tray down and follow Seungkwan’s instructions, getting the remote for the television mounted above the counter. Seungkwan is pulling his jacket off, trying to catch his breath. He takes the remote from you and flips to the news.

Your mouth drops open.

You can’t believe it. He’s dead. Not dead, killed. In his locked office, with no witnesses and no known suspects. You immediately know who did this, and you grapple with the sudden rush of emotions you feel. You remember the look in Joshua’s eyes, the smile he gave right before he got up and left. You got a strange feeling about him leaving, but you never anticipated that he would do this. Of all things in the world that he, or anyone, could do for you, this is definitely the most extreme, the pinnacle of devotion. This is more than just an action. This is a statement.

Joshua killed for you.

The rest of the day goes by in a haze. The murder of Carats Ridge’s most prolific businessman is huge news, especially among your usual clientele who are almost all office workers in the area. The overall sentiment is a mix of shock, excitement, and suppressed, guilt-ridden relief. Everyone knows that man was cruel and undeserving, and his reign ending has left many, including you, breathing a little bit better. Seungkwan in particular hides no feelings about the situation as he blabbers on to you.

“Serves him right.” He snarks. “Bet he finally pissed some poor bastard off enough to get himself killed. He had it coming. Mingyu can get his gym back. He has been so depressed since it closed.”

Mingyu is one of Seungkwan’s best friends. He owned a gym in the next building over, that he was forced to sell to the victim of last night’s crime a few months ago. You try to tamp down your smile at Seungkwan’s comment. You’re happy. Mingyu is a straightforward, honest guy. He deserves to have his business back.

You don’t know where Joshua is.

Days pass. The news stays a hot topic in everyone’s whispers for a while, but eventually dies, people already losing interest as the police chase their own tails. No one cares, and law enforcement doesn’t particularly care either, since there’s no pressure from anyone to solve the murder. You spend day after day just carrying on, baking, serving, brewing coffee, keeping your business in order. Life goes back to normal. The dust settles.

Still no Joshua.

You wait in the office every night. You walk home slowly. You leave your front door unlocked. He doesn’t come. You have no way of contacting him, and you curse yourself for letting him leave just like that. Deep down, you hope he’s watching you again, like he claimed to watch you for so many weeks before he stepped out of the shadows. You have stopped wondering what the fuck is wrong with you at this point. You don't care. You're taken with Joshua. You want him to come back.

One week after you last saw him, you are roused from sleep in the dead of the night when you feel something on your waist, sliding forward to splay over your stomach. You go rigid for just a small second, but before you can jerk away, before the fear of being woken by someone in your bed truly gets to you, your nose is infiltrated by the scent of a very familiar cologne.

“You came.” Your voice is hoarse with sleep. He hums. You feel his front press to your back.

“This is the first time you haven’t screamed when seeing me.” He retorts. You stare straight forward in the pitch darkness of the room, basking in his touch.

Your lips tug up in a smile. You feel his mouth on your bare shoulder. He sighs into you.

“Didn’t know you slept naked.” He comments.

His hand on your stomach comes up, framing your ribcage just beneath the swell of your breast. Your eyes flutter, but all slumber has escaped from them. Your body is buzzing where he presses his clothed form into you, a contrast that feels good against your skin. Your senses are waking up. You let out a breath when he nips at your neck.

“I don’t.” You reply, letting your implication linger in the air. Joshua pauses for a brief second. Then, he chuckles.

“Dirty girl.” His voice is lazy, almost slurred. He sounds like the one who just got woken up, not you. The deep timbre goes straight between your legs. “Missed me that bad?”

You nod, and he can feel it where the side of his head presses to yours. His lips trail all the way to your earlobe, nipping at it. His fondles with your breast a bit. When you grind your ass back on him, you can feel that he’s hard.

“Why’d you do it?” You ask.

Joshua’s tongue runs over the shell of your ear. You suppress a shiver. “For you.”

He presses his pelvis into your ass, slowly, sensually. Your eyelids flutter. You’re getting wetter by the minute. You reach up, intertwining your fingers with the hand he has over your breast.

“Stay here with me?”

You feel him smile into your hair. He reaches his other hand around you, cupping your jaw to tilt your head so his lips can brush against yours.

“Always.”

Then, he finally kisses you properly. You breathe into him with relief, arching your back so your head can curve backwards more, deepening the kiss. He wastes no time sliding his tongue in, and you return his enthusiasm eagerly. It is charged and meaningful, more than the curious heat that sizzled between you the first time you did this. It’s heavier this time, with the weight of a promise. And that makes it feel ten times better.

Joshua bucks his hips into your ass again. He’s fully hard now, straining against his pants. Your hand scrambles with the material, tugging impatiently at it. He lets out a laugh.

“Eager.” He hums. “Have I turned you into a good little whore?”

A coil tightens in the base of your stomach. You can feel how wet you are. You clench around nothing and whine into his mouth.

“It’s okay.” He placates you. “I’m gonna give it to you, baby. Kept you waiting, didn’t I? Had to get a few things in order, I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you.”

He’s pulling his jeans and boxers down in one motion, and you feel his shaft nestle between your asscheeks. He grinds a few times, and you feel something wet hit your skin. Precum. He’s throbbing hard, and leaking. You need him inside you bad.

Joshua doesn’t waste any time. He doesn’t even properly push his clothes off. He hooks a hand under your knee and lifts your leg, prodding forward until his head is catching on your opening, and he’s sliding inside all the way to the base.

“Fuck.” You gasp, eyes tearing up at the stretch. Not from pain, but with the pure, unfiltered relief of being filled. Joshua is cursing into the back of your shoulder, his other arm that’s under you winding around your body to hold you closely against him. Then, he starts thrusting into you.

It’s messy and sweaty, bodies writhing on the mattress. Joshua maneuvers you into whatever position he wants that will make him hit far enough inside you to feel in the deepest parts of your core. You whine and cry through it as he whispers absolutely filthy things in your ear, describing how tight you are, how your virgin pussy still isn’t used to him, how he needs to spend all night really breaking you in until your walls recognise the shape of his cock. It’s enough to leave you a babbling, blushing mess, but you love it.

Every way he turns you, every time he rams his cock into you, makes you cum over and over again for hours, all of it leaves you feeling more depraved. Now that you’re covered and hidden by the darkness of your bedroom, his body draped over you to shield you from everything else, you let yourself really feel this sick part of you that loves everything Joshua is doing for you, has done for you. Maybe that’s why you don’t mind him, or how fucked up he is. Because you are equal parts fucked up.

He likes his coffee black and bitter. He knows that you like yours the exact same way.