𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚!

there's only a slight grimace as he watches hwan fiddle with his phone, pour over the photocards he'd made with a soft, embarrassing sigh. ❛ i tried really hard, ❜ he admits honestly, though he's sure it shows with how all out he went. ( the poses were one thing, the clothing was another. he doesn't own anything fancy, or elevated. things that someone would wear for something like that. and after worrying himself silly about it, he figured actually looking like himself was the best possible option. even if the make-up was just subpar, he wanted to show his dedication. because nothing was too much if it was for his boyfriend -- that much was evident. ) ❛ i'm glad my hard work paid off, ❜ he settles on instead, chuckling to himself as his eyes flutter, focused on the soft kisses that litter his skin.

and then he can't focus, because hwan keeps kissing him, and jay's face scrunches with affection. he sets the now empty bag down, turns to where hwan is settled on his lap, and knocks their foreheads together softly. ❛ i'm glad you think so, ❜ he encourages softly. ❛ though, if you start saying things like that, i'm gonna actually believe you. and then you'll have to deal with my weird, intrusive thoughts that three in the morning. ❜ a beat, his head shaking. ❛ not that you don't already, but -- trust me. it can always get weirder. ❜ a waggle of his eyebrows accompanies his words, and jay leans in, presses a soft row of kisses from the bottom of his jaw, up towards the tip of hwan's nose.

❛ next time, i'll have to go shopping with you, ❜ he insists softly. ❛ there's so many places that are totally hidden -- it took me a while to figure out where the best spots were. and even then, i still feel like i'm missing something. ❜ he trails off slowly, thought in his own train of thought. ( when it came to his interests, he tended to get lost like this. nothing to be ashamed of, of course -- not anymore. but, jay can't stop himself when he starts. ) ❛ i could always show you them -- make a whole day out of it. go shopping, spend too much money on things i don't need, treat my handsome boyfriend to lunch at our favorite ramen place, ❜ he tilts his head up, catches hwan's gaze with his own. ❛ come back here for dessert. could be nice, right? to have a day to ourselves? ❜

The  photocards  are  still  in  his  hands  when  Jay  knocks  their  foreheads  together,  and  Hwan  goes  still  for  a  moment  just  from  the  particular  way  it  always  settles  something  in  his  chest.  He  shuffles  through  them  one  more  time,  quieter  now,  thumb  running  along  the  edge  of  one  before  he  finally  sets  them  aside  somewhere  safe.  He'd  spent  longer  than  he  was  willing  to  admit  picking  out  the  ones  to  keep  separate  from  the  rest.  "You're  going  to  believe  me  regardless."  he  says,  tilting  his  chin  up  to  look  at  Jay  properly.  "You  always  do.  I  just  have  to  say  it  enough  times  first."  There's  something  fond  and  unbothered  in  his  expression  when  he  says  it,  like  he's  already  made  peace  with  the  fact  that  this  is  simply  how  they  work.

He  lets  Jay  kiss  up  his  jaw  without  pulling  away,  eyes  closing  briefly  before  he  exhales  through  his  nose.  The  three  in  the  morning  comment  earns  Jay  a  flat  look,  the  kind  Hwan  gives  when  something  is  funny  but  he  refuses  to  say  so  out  loud.  The  shopping  idea  makes  him  quiet  only  for  a  moment.  He  looks  at  Jay,  then  looks  away,  which  is  usually  the  tell.  There's  a  small  pull  at  the  corner  of  his  mouth  that  he  doesn't  entirely  suppress.  He  can  picture  it  clearly,  Jay  going  full  tour  guide  through  whatever  back-alley  boutique  he'd  discovered  six  months  ago  and  never  mentioned  until  now,  pulling  things  off  racks  with  that  particular  energy  he  gets  when  he's  in  his  element  and  too  excited  to  play  it  cool.

the words calm his brain down in a way he didn't know he was searching for. there's something so raw and honest in the way hwan talks to him, his words always laced with a quiet tone of disbelief in the way jay was treated. ( and he never shares to illicit any kind of response -- jay just can't hold back when it comes to being honest. and something like that is important, he thinks, if he wants this to last. and he does, more than anything else in the entire world. ) so, he's a little shy, but grateful, when hwan offers gentle words of reassurance. and he goes to say thank you again, but stops himself -- hwan doesn't do it to be nice, his brain reminds him. he does it because he cares. because he loves him. and as unbelievable as that is, jay settles into the comforting of knowing. of not having to ask and second guess and run shy. instead, he can just exist in this feeling. and he likes that.

he's about to stand, fingers absolutely pruning from the now luke warm water, when hwan helps him up. and, wordlessly, does he pick him up. jay's lips part on a soft noise of surprise as he's hoisted into the air, and his legs automatically move to wrap around hwan's waist without a second thought. he squeezes, just once, to ensure that he won't fall. his arms easily loop around hwan's shoulders, too, one hand sliding up to rest in the damp hair at the nape of his neck. ❛ you're full of surprises, aren't you? ❜ he teases, a twinkle in his eyes as he looks down to meet his boyfriend's gaze. ( because jay is not small by any means, but hwan never seems to find any difficultly in hoisting him around like he's weightless. it makes something stir in his stomach, but jay pushes it down. for now, anyways. )

❛ i'll take full responsibility if you melt away, ❜ he presses on, dropping a soft kiss to the top of hwan's forehead. ❛ but i think you're gonna make it. and thank god, too -- i don't think i can take another one of those looks from your manager. ❜ it's said with a hint of humor, but the blush that spreads across the bridge of his nose says otherwise. because yes, it's a good joke between them, but sometimes jay has to wonder just how far they can push it before there's an inevitable punishment. he pushes the thought away with a shake of his head, and jay holds steadfast onto his boyfriend until he can be lowered onto the bed, the comforter soft against his skin. ❛ and we don't ... have to get dressed, right? ❜ he adds on, the same glint in his eyes swirling as his lips tug into a smug grin.

The words come easy, always, but it's different when he can see the way they land. When Jay settles into them instead of deflecting or circling back to say thank you again. Hwan catches the way he stops himself this time, the small shift in his expression, and something in his chest loosens at it. He doesn't want Jay's gratitude. He wants exactly this. Hwan reaches out, brushes his knuckles briefly against Jay's jaw before his hand drops back to the edge of the tub. Surprises. The word earns a low sound from Hwan, somewhere between a scoff and a laugh, as he adjusts his grip and makes sure his footing is solid. ❛ You act like you don't know exactly what you're doing when you look at me like that, yeobo.❜ he says, eyes flickering up to meet Jay's, ❛ and yet, somehow, I'm always the one carrying you. ❜

He moves steady and unhurried down the hall, Jay's weight familiar in a way that still makes him a little quiet about it, in the private part of himself he doesn't examine too closely. He does not find him heavy. He never does. The kiss pressed to his forehead makes Hwan close his eyes for just a second. ❛ The looks. ❜ he repeats, flat, when Jay brings up the manager, though the corner of his mouth pulls. He's not as unbothered as he sounds. There is an eventual reckoning coming, probably, and Hwan knows it as well as Jay does , but the knowing doesn't move him enough to change anything. ❛Manager Kang likes you. He just think we should be more cool about this. But we already in. ❜

despite the ache he feels in his muscles, jay doesn't stop for a single second. there's no part of him that wants to -- despite how tired he feels, despite the way his legs are twitching, spent cock resting against him with over sensitivity, there's no pushing hwan away. there's nothing that's not the fast roll of his hips, the way he eagerly meets him thrust for thrust to ensure that hwan gets the same treatment he did. and his words -- god, the things he says. jay's positive no one's ever been this open with him, this dirty with him, in his entire life. it makes his brain begin to fizz out, makes his skin hot as he's flushes from head to toe, the color climbing down his chest and up to the tips of his ears. and the promise that he'll get to stay -- that maybe this is only the first time of many in the span of what looks to be a long weekend, makes his stomach flip pleasantly. because, the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes there's no where else he'd rather be.

his lips part immediately when hwan offers his hand to him, tongue curling around digits to clean him off as best as he can. and when he seals their mouths together, jay can only offer a groan in response. his arms wrap fully around his shoulders, palm pressed between his shoulder blades as he leans back slightly, attempts to angle himself in a way that lets hwan use him for all he's worth. ( the thought makes him twitch, makes his nails press into the warmth of his skin a little tighter. ) ❛ please, ❜ is all he can manage. with a shuddering sigh and a harsh clench around his cock, jay feels it the second hwan lets go. the sensation of being filled without anything in between, the way hwan fucks him through it, makes jay cry out. he's certain he's being too loud, but he can't care -- and he thinks that, maybe, hwan doesn't mind. his legs lock, tightening their hold around hwan's hips as he attempts to keep them together -- keep hwan buried inside of him for as long as he can. he's greedy, he quickly finds -- something that makes him bury his face against hwan's collar bones.

on a long exhale, jay collapses against his chest. in the aftermath, he can feel the bruise that's blooming on his shoulder. can feel the way his legs begin to ache from being wrapped around him for so long. his hair is stuck to his forehead, sweat clinging to nearly every part of his skin. and despite how spent he feels -- jay can only smile. it's wide, unabashedly joyful as he tilts his head to the side, catches hwan's eyes with his own tired ones. his lips purse to press gentle, barely there kisses against the column of his throat, towards his adam's apple. there's a light laugh that leaves his lips, too -- he's tired, certainly, but he's so content. so happy to stay exactly where he is. and now that he has permission, he thinks he just might. jay noses along hwan's jaw as he urges them to part -- only slightly -- with a sleepy smirk. ❛ look for yourself, ❜ he encourages, his legs loosening their hold in order for jay to spread them just enough. ❛ s-see how good i did, ❜ he tacks on, brain a little delirious, but words still impactful, his promise not forgotten.

the   sight   of   him   is   almost   enough   to   undo   hwan   all   over   again.   jay,   spread   and   satisfied,   urging   him   to   look,   and   hwan   does.   his   eyes   drag   down   the   length   of   him   slowly,   taking   their   time.   he's   thorough   about   it,   cataloguing   every   mark   that's   risen   to   the   surface   of   jay's   skin,   every   place   where   his   grip   has   left   something   behind.   his   chest   swells   with   something   that   isn't   quite   pride   but   sits   close   enough   to   it.   he   lets   out   a   slow   breath   through   his   nose,   hand   settling   against   the   inside   of   jay's   thigh.   just   resting   there,   warm   and   steady.   he   reaches   between   them,   where   his   cock   is   still   buried   and   softening   inside   jay's   body   and   presses,   feeling   him   wet   and   no   spill   and   leak   seem   to   come   through.   ❛   yeah,   ❜   hwan   says,   quiet   and   certain.   ❛   you   did   so   good.   ❜   he   kisses   him   softly   again,   touching   once   again   before   nodding   along.   ❛   you   are   a   good   boy,   you   keepin'   it   all   inside.   ❜

he   tips   his   chin   toward   the   space   beside   him,   a   small   gesture,   the   kind   that   doesn't   need   explaining.   ❛   come   here.   ❜   he   says,   softer   now,   the   edge   of   a   command   worn   down   to   something   closer   to   an   invitation.   he   doesn't   move   away   yet,   staying   just   like   that   for   a   moment,   coming   back   to   his   senses   as   he   let   his   hand   return   to   his   mouth,   licking   his   fingers   before   they   settle   against   jay's   neck.   and   even   through   the   sweat   and   the   air   smelling   of   sex   around   them,   he   doesn't   let   the   smeared   fingers   touch   jay's   forehead   as   he   fixes   some   of   his   hair   for   him.   ❛   your   heart   is   beating   so   loud,   jagiya.❜   he   can   hear   it   so   loudly   in   his   brain   at   the   moment,   under   his   skin.   it   makes   him   so   tempting,   just   like   that   first   night,   when   a   simple   ksis   had   sparked   a   night   of   desire.   though   hwan   thinks   it's   a   disservice   to   say   it's   just   lust   when   they   are   like   this.

the quiet that settles around them is somewhat familiar -- minchae is used to the silence, they find. when they work, they often keep things very minimal -- no music, no background noise. it's easier to focus this way, they think. easier to keep their head down and get things done. which is why hwan's voice causes them to jump slightly, shoulders flinching as they look up, attempt to meet his gaze with their own. ( they'd been so focused on their own work, they didn't even notice that the other had actually taken them up on their offer and joined. from over his laptop, hwan doesn't look as intimidating. ( and maybe that's the wrong word, minchae thinks, but there's something a little more... accessible about him when he's not overthinking. it suits him. )

the offer is what truly makes their head spin a little. leaning back, minchae rolls their head, lets the bones pop and crack and settle as they try to relax strained muscles. their eyes cut to the coffee -- quietly do they pick it back up, take a slow, measured sip before setting the mug back down with a quiet thud. "it's fine," they assure first. "caffeine is caffeine -- i'm not particularly picky about how it gets into my system. honestly, i think --," they pause, chuckling softly under their breath. "i think i've convinced myself that tea is somehow healthier than coffee. it makes my brain feel a little better for still needing about," their head tilts, lips pursed in thought, "four cups to make it through the day. if i'm lucky."

for the first time since arriving, minchae's lips turn up into a smile -- something soft, genuine, as they lean forward. quickly do their fingers resume typing, and despite the way their eyes are focused on their screen, they keep talking. "thank you, though," they explain, "for offering. it's... kind of you." there's extra emphasis on the word, perhaps on purpose. like minchae can help hwan feel a little bit better about the way he came off ( intentionally or not ). plus, minchae doesn't hold grudges, doesn't take it personally when people keep them at an arm's length away. sometimes, it's simply not that deep. so, shrugging, they wave off the concern. "you weren't rude," they clarify. "it's perfectly fine to be prickly about someone showing up on your front step at nearly," their eyes squint, "twelve thirty in the morning. it'd be rude if you sent me on my merry way." they pause, their eyes flicking up to meet hwan's once more. "but you didn't. i think that speaks volumes, don't you?"

the   comment   lands   somewhere   hwan   wasn't   expecting.   he's   quiet   for   a   moment,   the   way   he   tends   to   get   when   something   catches   him   off   guard   and   he'd   rather   think   than   react.   his   eyes   stay   on   his   screen,   but   he's   not   reading   anything   on   it   anymore.   speaks   volumes.   he   turns   that   over   once,   twice,   like   he's   checking   it   for   weight.   minchae   says   things   plainly,   doesn't   dress   them   up   or   soften   them   into   something   easier   to   dismiss.   he's   noticed   that   already.   it's   the   kind   of   quality   that   makes   him   want   to   pay   attention,   even   when   paying   attention   isn't   something   that   comes   naturally   to   him   with   people   he   doesn't   know.   ❛   maybe.   ❜   he   allows,   finally.   noncommittal   on   the   surface,   but   he   means   it   more   than   that.

he   reaches   for   his   own   coffee.   takes   a   sip   without   looking   up.   the   silence   stretches   back   between   them,   but   it's   different   now,   less   like   a   wall   and   more   like   something   shared.   he   sets   the   mug   down,   and   then,   with   the   particular   carefulness   of   someone   who   doesn't   say   things   accidentally,   he   speaks.   ❛   you   remind   me   of   someone.   ❜   he   says.   it's   not   an   accusation,   not   a   compliment   exactly,   just   an   observation,   stated   the   way   hwan   states   most   things,   which   is   directly   and   without   a   lot   of   room   around   it.   his   gaze   lifts   to   minchae's   face.   ❛   the   way   you   talk.   the   not   taking   things   personally.   ❜   he   pauses,   jaw   shifting   slightly.   ❛he   did   that   too.   made   it   hard   to   keep   him   at   a   distance   without   feeling   like   an   idiot   for   trying.   ❜   he   doesn't   elaborate   on   who   he   is,   not   right   away.   but   the   word   sits   there   between   them.

he   looks   back   down   at   his   laptop.   scrolls,   though   his   focus   isn't   really   on   the   page.   ❛   you   probably   saw   the   news,   ❜   he   says,   and   his   voice   doesn't   change   much   —   but   there's   something   underneath   it,   something   careful.   like   he's   decided   to   say   it   before   he   can   decide   not   to.   ❛   aerin.   ❜   just   the   name,   nothing   attached   to   it,   because   the   name   is   already   attached   to   enough.   the   story   had   spread   fast   and   ugly   the   way   those   things   always   do,   and   hwan   had   spent   the   better   part   of   the   last   few   weeks   saying   nothing   publicly   because   there   was   nothing   he   wanted   to   say   publicly.   it's   a   different   thing,   saying   it   here,   in   the   low   light   of   his   kitchen   to   someone   who   showed   up   at   his   door   past   midnight   and   didn't   make   it   strange.   ❛   he   iswho   i   meant.   ❜   he   doesn't   look   up   when   he   says   it.

being able to go back and forth with him like this will always give jay a sense of joy. he's smiling despite himself, despite the way that his boyfriend will tease and push at him. just because he can. just like he says. there's a soft eye roll, something between fond amusement and playful annoyance -- nothing that'll ever make him genuinely angry, of course. just enough to make him a little bratty, if he's lucky. the want and the need to do those things collapse, however, when hwan holds him a little closer. studies him like he's just given him an incredible gift, something indescribable. he's taken aback for a moment, eyes a little wide as his cheeks dust a soft pink. because he'll never quite get used to hwan looking at him like this, he thinks -- so openly and honestly. like he actually sees the real person that jay tried to keep tucked away for so many years. ( if he wasn't already sure the other man was his soulmate, he was positive now. his heart thrums with untapped affection. like he can't contain himself. )

❛ i love you, ❜ he echoes, his eyes fluttering softly. ❛ that's why i'll always say yes, baby. ❜ he pauses, chews his lower lip in thought, before pressing on. ❛ a-anything you want... you know i'll give it to you. ❜ it's a vulnerable admission, something that jay used to have to fight back due to fear of being too much. too overwhelming. now, however, none of that exists. it's just him and hwan. both of them. and when hwan adjusts him, noses along his skin and sinks his teeth down to feed, jay inhales softly -- the same shuddering sensation he always gets when he indulges his boyfriend in what he needs the most, on a primal level.

his words -- the praise and attention -- makes his blush deepen. makes his eyes finally close in bliss as he inhales sharply. ❛ ahhhh, b-baby, ❜ he starts, his voice a gentle whine. ❛ i-it's because of how good you make me feel. ❜ he can feel the way the filter in his brain begins to melt away -- the way his body responds to the pheromones of hwan's fangs in his skin, the way their bodies begin to move together again. his cock twitches to life, interest regained with the way their bodies grind together in tandem with how hwan drinks from him. praises him for being so good, for tasting so sweet. like that's something jay can control -- and if he can, he'd keep doing it. anything to keep that grin on his boyfriend's face whenever they're able to be like this. he clenches around him with interest, lets his body respond in kind as he threads his fingers through hwan's hair, tickles at his scalp with blunt finger nails to keep him close. ❛ please keep going, baby -- it feels so good. ❜ he pauses, inhales sharply at a particularly delicious grind against hwan's cock ❛ s'gonna make me hard, again, baby -- shit. ❜

hwan   hears   the   whine   in   his   voice   and   something   in   him   sharpens.   his   hands   stay   where   they   are,   one   at   the   curve   of   his   waist   and   one   pressed   flat   between   his   shoulder   blades,   keeping   him   exactly   where   hwan   wants   him.   close.   still.   his   mouth   works   slowly   against   the   mark   he's   made,   deliberate   in   the   way   he   always   is.   taking   what   jay   offers   without   greed,   but   without   hesitation   either.   he's   never   careless   about   this   part.   never   has   been.   the   fingers   threading   through   his   hair   make   his   jaw   loosen   on   instinct,   a   low   sound   leaving   him   against   jay's   skin.   he   tilts   into   it,   just   slightly.   enough   for   jay   to   feel   it.   his   hands   tighten   their   hold   once   before   easing,   a   slow   drag   of   his   palm   down   the   length   of   his   spine.   ❛   you   are   my   favorite.   best   fuckin'   thing   i   ever   had.   ❜   he   murmurs   against   his   throat,   lips   barely   lifting   from   the   skin.   the   shift   in   jay's   body   doesn't   go   unnoticed.  

it   never   does.   hwan   feels   the   clench,   feels   the   renewed   interest   pressing   between   them,   and   lifts   his   head   just   enough   to   look   at   him.   his   mouth   is   a   little   red   at   the   corner.   his   eyes   are   steady,   that   same   unhurried   quality   that   tends   to   make   people   feel   either   very   seen   or   very   nervous   —   with   jay,   it's   always   been   the   former.   his   thumb   brushes   the   hinge   of   his   jaw,   tilts   it   up.   ❛   if   you   get   hard   again,   then   i   will   just   fuck   you   again.   god   knows   you   are   not   lettin'   me   go   now,   baby.   you   are   so   fucking   tight   right   now.   ❜   he   groans   against   his   skin,   hiding   again   at   the   side   of   his   neck   to   keep   on   taking   blood,   holding   his   boyfriend   close   and   tightly   as   he   takes   on   the   sweet,   almost   euphoric   feeling   he   gets.  

you're doing well. it's words he didn't know he needed to hear right now. jay is used to the gentle praise that falls from hwan's lips -- there always something so steadying about how he talks to him. how he can seemingly read his mind, offer the words that settle jay's racing mind. his eyes flutter closed, and jay lets himself sink into the moment a little deeper. ( he knows hwan is always careful, always keeps his safety in mind when they do this. it allows jay to fully lose himself to the feeling. ) his fingers curl, threading through hwan's hair easily for something to hold onto. ( briefly, his brain locks onto the feeling of hwan's hand on his hips -- the steadying, constant rhythm of his thumb pressing against him through the fabric of his sweatpants. a reminder, he thinks, to stay in the moment as much as he can. ) ❛ thank you, ❜ he offers softly -- he knows he doesn't need to, but his brain can't stop the way he plays into the reassurance. into the knowledge that he's good. that he's doing good.

and then hwan insists that he maintains his slow, dragging rhythm, and jay is all too willing to oblige. there's a groan that leaves his blood stained lips, and jay nods to show his understanding before he does exactly what his partner asks of him. he doesn't speed up or slow down -- he simply maintains. he keeps the drag of their hips steady, keeps the way they slot against each other purposeful. it feels incredible -- the way they move together in tandem with the way hwan sucks gently at his neck. takes his fill. when he pulls back, rubs soothingly against jay's jaw, there's zero hesitation in the way jay bends down to slot their lips together once more. there's something intoxicating about hwan tasting like him -- like this. and maybe there's something to be said about how quickly jay's gotten used to the coppery taste, the way it makes his brain fizzle out just slightly, but he doesn't care. all he knows is hwan, hwan, hwan.

❛ b-baby, ❜ he starts, voice a high pitched whine when hwan moves, sinks into him again. his hips do move faster, then -- he's incapable of slowing himself down. it feels too good. his head tilts back, gives him space to work, as his hands tug a little harder at hwan's scalp, fingers rubbing soothingly where they nestle at the nape of his neck. ❛ it's so good -- almost too good. ❜ he has to imagine it's a combination of things -- the way his fangs work, the euphoric feeling in being able to provide for someone he loves so deeply, and the hazy ecstasy that comes with teetering on the edge. ( because hwan never takes enough to render him useless, but that feeling of existing just on the precipice of being pushed over the edge does something to him. something he hopes hwan can realize with the way his hips grind almost desperately, unable to hold himself back any longer.) ❛ l-lower, ❜ he breathes out, the word barely audible as his nose nuzzles against hwan's temple. ❛ bite me lower, yeobo -- please. i can --, ❜ he pauses, swallows thickly, ❛ i can handle it. ❜

hwan   hears   the   break   in   his   voice   before   the   word   fully   forms.   baby   —   and   the   way   jay   says   it,   pitched   high   and   unraveling   at   the   edges,   lands   somewhere   deliberate   in   his   chest.   his   hands   tighten   their   hold   on   jay's   hips   for   just   a   moment,   grounding,   before   one   slides   to   the   small   of   his   back.   he   doesn't   speed   up   to   match   him.   instead   he   holds   the   pace   he   set,   steady   and   unhurried,   lets   jay   chase   it   however   he   needs   to.   his   mouth   drags   along   the   line   of   his   throat,   tasting   salt   and   the   faint   copper   that's   begun   to   gather   there.   ❛   i   can   feel   it   in   you,   baby.   how   much   you   like   this.   ❜   he   murmurs   against   his   skin,   low   and   even.   not   dismissive   —   certain.   the   kind   of   tone   that   says   i   have   you   without   making   a   performance   of   it.   the   plea   comes   next,   and   hwan   goes   still   for   just   a   beat.   not   hesitation   but   consideration.   his   lips   press   flat   against   jay's   pulse   point,   and   he   pulls   back   just   enough   to   look   at   him.   really   look.   the   flush   on   his   skin,   the   way   his   fingers   are   working   at   his   nape,   the   grind   of   his   hips   that's   stopped   pretending   to   be   anything   other   than   desperate.

hwan   takes   all   of   it   in   with   that   quiet   attention   of   his,   the   kind   that   doesn't   miss   much.   his   thumb   presses   a   slow   circle   against   jay's   spine.   ❛   yeah?   ❜   he   asks,   and   the   single   syllable   carries   everything,   the   question,   the   check-in,   the   willingness.   he   needs   to   hear   it   confirmed,   not   because   he   doubts   him,   but   because   that's   how   this   works   between   them.   always   has   been.   when   jay   gives   him   what   he   needs,   hwan   moves.   no   ceremony,   no   drawn-out   preamble.   his   mouth   finds   the   juncture   where   jaw   meets   throat   and   travels   lower,   slow   enough   to   be   deliberate,   and   he   mouths   at   the   unmarked   skin   there,   softer   first,   learning   the   spot.   one   hand   cups   the   back   of   jay's   head,   adjusting   the   angle   without   force,   just   guidance.   ❛   hold   on   to   me.   ❜   he   says   against   him,   quiet   instruction,   and   then   he   bites   down.   careful   with   the   pressure,   controlled   in   the   way   hwan   tends   to   be   even   now   ,   even   with   jay's   hips   rolling   against   him   and   the   warmth   of   him   everywhere,   even   when   it   would   be   easier   to   stop   measuring.