ghost

"sit," he says, voice firm with no room for argument. you do, the cool cotton of the sheets brushing you bare skin as you settle back.

the air feels thicker already, your pulse picking up in your chest enough to echo in your ears. seonghwa moves closer, the floor creaking under his slow and deliberate steps.

his hand finds your shoulder first, a warm palm pressing down gently until you're propped up against the headboard. "knees apart," he murmurs, fingers trailing down your arms to your legs, spreading your thighs wider.

you feel exposed like this, the cool air hitting the warmth between your legs, your underwear sticking slightly from the anticipation. he watches you with clinical eyes: the way your chest rises and falls, the way your fingers curl into the sheets.

"you're fidgeting too much," he says, voice soft but edged with authority. his thumb brushes your inner thigh, enough to send a shiver up your spine. "good girls wait patiently. you know that."

you nod, swallowing hard as heat builds in your core. he hums, leaning in until his breath is warm on your ear. "tell me you're going to be good." his hand hasn't stopped moving, fingers now tracing the edge of your underwear, the fabric damp under his touch.

"i'm going to be good," you whisper back, and he nods once before finally letting his hand slide fully between your legs. two fingers press against you through the thin material, rubbing in small circles that make your hips twitch.

the pressure is just enough to tease, your body clenching around nothing. he watches your face the whole time, eyes half-lidded.

"that's it, pretty," he says, voice dropping lower. "mommy's here. just relax." he hooks his fingers under the waistband of your panties, tugging them down slowly. the air feels cooler now, hitting your bare skin, his hands coming to your knees to spread you wider.

his fingers return between your legs, two of them pressing against your entrance, slick from the teasing. he pushes in slow, the stretch making you gasp, walls fluttering around his fingers as they curl just right.

your back arches off the pillows, hands gripping the sheets tighter. the room is quiet except for the wet sounds of his fingers moving in and out of you.

"look at you," he murmurs, free hand pressing flat on your stomach, holding you down when your hips try to buck. "so needy already, but you're taking it so well. no rushing. you'll take what i give you."

this thumb presses to your clit, moving in steady circles, the dual sensation making your thighs tremble.

the pressure coils tight in your belly, your skin flushing hot from your chest up to your face. you can feel every ridge of his fingers, the way his fingers thrust and stretch you open.

"please," you whimper, voice breaking. he pauses for a second, fingers stilling inside you.

"please what?" he asks, tone calm and expectant. "please, need more," you manage, hips shifting under his hand.

he smiles faintly and resumes, going faster and deeper, thumb rubbing harder against that bundle of nerves. "you're doing so well for me," he says, leaning down to press his lips to your neck, teeth grazing the skin lightly. "look at how wet you are, dripping all over my hand. but you're waiting like i asked, aren't you?"

you nod frantically, the praise sending another wave of heat through you. "ask for it," he says finally, voice rougher now.

"please mommy," you gasp desperately, voice shaking as your body tenses. "please let me cum."

he hums in approval, fingers curling harder until your orgasm crashes over you, waves of it pulsing through your core. your vision blurs at the edges, thighs shaking as he works you through it.

he pulls his fingers out slowly, the emptiness making you clench again, and brings them to his lips, tasting you with a low groan.

"good girl," he says, wiping his hand on the sheets before undoing his belt. he shoves his pants just enough to free himself before positioning between your legs, hard length pressing against you. he rubs the tip through your wetness, teasing you as he coats himself. "you ready for me?" he asks, hand gripping your hip to hold you steady.

"yes, mommy," you breathe, and he pushes in slowly, inch by inch. the stretch is fuller than his fingers, making you gasp again, digging your nails into his shoulders.

seonghwa bottoms out with a sigh, letting you adjust before moving slowly. one hand pins your wrist above your head, fingers interlacing with yours, while the other grips your hip, pulling you into each thrust.

"fuck, you feel so good," he murmurs, picking up his pace, the sound of skin on skin filling the room, "taking me so well, pretty. i'm so proud of you."

your legs wrap around him, heels digging into his back, pulling a groan from his throat as he buries his face in your neck. you cry out his name as you cum again, clenching around him hard enough to pull him over the edge with you.

he follows with a few more thrusts of his hips, spilling inside you with a muffled groan against your shoulder, warmth flooding you as his hips still.

the first day you meet him, mingi is already in a small meeting room, one leg stretched out in a chair as he scrolls through his phone. his eyes meet yours, staying on you for a second longer than necessary.

"you're the assistant they assigned," he says, voice low and soft, "sit. we have to go over the schedule."

you take a chair across from him as the managers begin to talk about timelines and promotion strategies. mingi pretends to listen, but his gaze keeps drifting back to you: observing the way you write in your notepad, how you shift when the conversation drones on, the way your brow creases as you try to organize the calendar.

you move through the days, the work ordinary on the surface as you take notes and run between the managers' office and the studio.

then mingi starts asking for you specifically. starts leaving small things like bottles of water, a sticky note with dates you missed, and lets you borrow his earbuds when you forget your own.

on a late night, the studio printer jams, forcing you to dash a few floors down to find a working one. the halls were dark as most of the team had gone home and you turn a corner you don't usually take, finding a door slightly ajar.

your eyes focus on a paper taped to the wall inside, your name scrawled across it in thick black marker, making your hand tremble as you pushed the door open.

there were photos, dozens of them, maybe hundreds. they were tucked into corkbords, pinned to walls, taped to mirrors. photos of you laughing, crying, walking to work, eating alone. you back away in horror, stumbling as your heart hammered in your chest.

"you weren't supposed to see that," a low voice sounds from behind you.

"mingi.." you whimper as you turn to run, but he's already blocking the door, hands raised like you were a scared animal.

"hey.. breathe. i'm not gonna hurt you.." he murmurs, eyes softening slightly.

you shake your head, chest tightening, "what the fuck is this?"

"protection," he mutters as he steps forward, "i couldn't let you walk around here unguarded."

"you're insane," you spit, trying to push past him.

"maybe," he smiles darkly, "but you're still here." mingi's broad shoulders block any chance of escape, his hoodie still pulled over his messy hair. you take a step back, your heel knocking against a stack of printed photos that slide across the tile as they fall.

"don't," he says, voice lowering, "don't look at those right now. look at me."

you can't, eyes darting from the mirrors to the corkboards to the polaroids of your dingy apartment building that he had no business knowing about. mingi takes another step inside, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

"i said look at me." he snaps, causing your head to turn against your will, meeting his dark eyes.

"you're shaking," he murmurs, reaching out to cup your jaw with both hands, his palms warm on your skin. "poor thing.. you weren't supposed to find this place yet. i wanted to make it nicer for you.."

"mingi- this is- you can't just-!"

"shh," he shushes as his thumbs stroke over your cheekbones, "i can do whatever i want. and i have, for weeks. followed you, watched you, listened to you.. you're so lonely, baby.. it's killing me." you try to pull back but he crowds you against the wall of photos, the paper crinkling under your body.

"i kept waiting for you to notice," he continues, almost conversational, "kept leaving little hints. but you never looked twice." his knee slides between your thighs and pinning you open, causing your breath to hitch, a delighted smile playing on his lips.

"there it is.. that little spark. you feel it too, don't you? even when you're calling me insane," mingi whispers as he leans in, lips brushing the shell of your ear, "i think you stayed late on purpose. you always do when i'm still here."

"that's not- i was just working-!"

"liar," he chuckles as his hand leaves your face, trailing down the front of your blouse, fingers playing with the buttons, "you want this, you just couldn't ask for it, could you? that's okay.. this space is for us."

mingi pops the buttons of your blouse as your hands come up to push at his chest, causing him to catch both wrists in one hand, pinning them above your head.

"easy," he soothes, "i'm not gonna hurt you.. not unless you want me to." he pops another button, letting the cool air hit your skin. "you're mine now. you were mine the second you walked into the meeting room.. i've been patient. i've been so fucking patient," mingi growls, teeth grazing your jaw.

his free hand slides under your blouse, flattening against your stomach before cupping your breast through your bra, pulling a groan from his chest.

"soft," he whispers to himself, "so soft.. fuck- i dreamed about this every night.. dreamed about making you make those pretty sounds." his thumb finds your nipple, circling it until it tightens into a peak.

heat floods your face as arousal pools in your belly, embarassed at how your body responds to him instantly despite your mind screaming otherwise.

"you matter so much i can't sleep," mingi growls as he plays with your nipple, rolling it between his fingers, "i can't eat. can't finish a single track without thinking about burying myself inside you until you forget about anything.. anyone else."

mingi releases your wrists to shove your blouse off, his mouth lowering to your neck to mark you up as he unclasps your bra with ease, the cold air making you shiver.

"perfect," he groans against your skin, "so fucking perfect. i knew you would be."

mingi drops to his knees, mouth dragging between your breasts, down your stomach until he's nuzzling the waistband of your pants. "i need to taste you. been thinking about it for weeks. been dreaming of how you look when i finally get my tongue on you."

you make a helpless noise as he undoes the button and zipper, peeling the fabric down your hips with your underwear. mingi looks up at you from his knees, eyes glassy as he presses an open-mouthed kiss to the inside of your thigh.

"say it," he murmurs, "say you're mine. that you understand why i had to do this."

your voice comes out ragged, "mingi-"

he bites the soft skin hard enough to bruise, soothing it with his tongue. "say it or i stop. and i really don't wanna stop, baby. wanna ruin you right here in front of everything i've done for you."

your head tips back against the wall, the fight leaking out of you, "..yours."

mingi's eyes flutter shut, "again."

"i'm yours."

mingi surges up to kiss you messily before dropping back down, spreading your thighs wider as his tongue drags through your folds slowly, making him groan.

"fuck- taste even better than i imagined," he mutters as he flattens his tongue, dragging it from your entrance to your clit, "so wet for me. knew you would be."

his hands grip the backs of your thighs hard enough to bruise, holding you open while he sucks on your clit before dipping lower to fuck you with his tongue. your knees start to shake, making him hook one of your legs over his shoulders, his nose pressed tight against you.

"that's it," he pants between licks, "use my face. cum on my tongue."

your fingers tangle into his hair, making him moan and double his efforts, two fingers sliding into you and curling to hit that sensitive spot inside you. you cum with a broken cry, thighs clamping around his head as your hips jerk against his tongue.

mingi pulls back, lips shiny and chin wet as he stands, shoving his sweatpants down enough to free his cock, flushed and leaking at the tip.

"look at what you do to me," he rasps, stroking himself slowly, "every time you smiled at me.. brought me coffee.. i had to go jerk off in the bathroom. kept thinking about bending you over my desk, filling you up until you couldn't walk."

mingi hooks one of your legs around his hip, notching the head of his cock against your entrance before sinking in slowly, a guttural groan falling from his lips as his forehead drops to yours.

"tight- fuck, so tight. made for me- only me," he growls as he bottoms out, breathing hard against your mouth, "no one else will get this. i'll keep you locked in here if i have to.. fill you ever day until you forget everything but me."

he starts to move, thrusting deep inside you, making sure to hit every sensitive spot as his hands roam your body.

"mine," he chants against your lips, voice cracking, "my girl. my everything. you're never gonna be empty again, i promise."

the wet sounds of skin on skin fill the room, every thrust pushing you closer to the edge. mingi reaches between your bodies, rubbing tight circles over your clit, enough to make you cum again, clenching hard around him.

"that's it- take it. take all of me," he growls as he buries his face in your neck, hips stuttering as he cums right after you, flooding you as he grinds through it.

your apartment is quiet except for the desperate little whines coming from the bedroom. you follow the sounds down the hall, pushing the door open and stopping dead in your tracks.

wooyoung's shirt is pushed up his chest, face buried in your favorite pillow, hips rolling down slowly. his pussy is soaked, making a dark patch on the fabric where he's been grinding himself stupid.

he freezes the second he realizes you're standing there, eyes going wide, thighs flexing like he's about the scramble off the bed.

"don't," you murmur, shutting the door behind you. "keep going."

wooyoung jolts, his breath catching as his wet little pussy clenches around nothing. he tries to hide his face, but you're already crossing the room, making him whine into the pillow.

"i said keep going," you remind him softly, warning laced in your tone.

his hips twitch, pressing down against your pillow in a shaky grind that makes his whole body shudder. you watch the mess he makes: slick spreading, sticking to the fabric and his thighs, dripping down in strings every time he lifts his hips.

"good boy," you murmur, pulling a whimper from his lips.

you sit on the edge of the bed, close enough that your knee brushes against his skin, "you've been rubbing your pretty little pussy on my pillow all afternoon, huh?"

he shakes his head automatically, but the lie dies in his throat the second your hand wraps in his hair, lifting his face off the pillow. "try that again," you say quietly.

his lips are swollen, cheeks flushed. "y-yes," he whispers. "yes- i needed it, i'm sorry, i couldn't-!"

"show me."

you let go of his hair and he immediately drops his head, hips rolling down into the pillow with a choked moan. you watch him fuck humself stupid on your favorite pillow, a dull throb rising between your thighs.

your hand drifts down, pressing against your own clothed pussy, enough to make him see. wooyoung freezes, panting, "wait- are you- are you touching yourself? because of me?"

"keep grinding," you say, ignoring his question.

he listens, hips working in sloppy circles, his soaked slit dragging over the pillowcase, catching right against the seam. his back arches, mouth falling open as he tries to find it again.

"there?" you ask, leaning back on your palms, spreading your legs just a little so he can see the shape of your cunt under your clothes.

"y-yes-fuck-please-!"

"you're gonna cum like that?" you taunt, "humping my pillow like a needy little slut?"

a broken little whimper falls from his lips as he nods quickly, his hair falling into his eyes.

your hand presses harder between your own legs as you watch him, causing him to look at your motions, pupils blown wide as his hips stutter.

"i asked you a question," you say, voice lowering, "you're gonna cum like that? humping my pillow like a needy little slut?"

wooyoung nods again frantically, unable to get words to leave his mouth, causing you to tilt your head, waiting.

"y-yes," he finally gasps, whimpering as his pussy drags over the seam of the pillowcase, "yes- please- can i-?"

"not yet."

a frustrated whiomper leaves his throat as he tries to slow down, slick puddling onto the fabric of your pillowcase, leaving his thighs shiny.

you shift, spreading a little wider so he has a clearer view of your hand cupping yourself, and wooyoung keeps his gaze locked there, mouth open as he tries to catch his breath.

"look at you," you murmur, "couldn't even wait until i got home. just had to get your pretty pussy all messy on something that smells like me."

wooyoung whimpers, forehead dropping back to the pillow for a second before forcing himself back up, his rhythm becoming more shaky by the second as his swollen clit catches against the fabric.

"you're dripping all over my favorite pillow," you mutter, "what makes you think you get to use my things whenever you get desperate?"

"i-i'm- sorry-" he tries, his voice breaking into a whimper as the pillowcase hits a sensitive spot, causing his hips to snap forward harder, chasing his orgasm.

"don't be sorry, be useful," you snap, leaning in to caress the soft skin of his thigh, "show me how bad you needed me. fuck yourself on my pillow the way you were when i wasn't here."

wooyoung speeds up his movements, collapsing into messy and frantic grinding. he plants his elbows on the bed, working his cunt against the soaked fabric in hard circles. you keep touching yourself lazily, watching his hips twitch as he clenches around nothing.

"that's it," you praise softly, "keep going, my good boy. don't stop until i say."

wooyoung nods frantically into the pillow, hips rolling faster as he chases his orgasm, the dark patch in the fabric continuing to spread.

"go on," you murmur, pressing a kiss to his temple, "cum for me, make a mess of my pillow."

wooyoung cries out, his hips stuttering hard as his cunt pulses against the soaked pillow, slick flooding out of him and dripping down his thighs. he keeps grinding through it, pushing himself into overstimulation before he slumps over.

you ease your hand away from yourself, gently pulling him off the ruined pillow. he goes limp against you, face burying in your chest as you stroke his hair, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"did so well f'me," you whisper, "such a good boy for me."

it's well into the night when you hear the click of your back door unlocking. you freeze where you're standing in the kitchen, the mug you were rinsing falling from your fingers.

you turn around, eyes meeting jongho's darkened ones. he's taller than you expected, dressed in dark clothes.

"you.." your voice catches in your throat as recognition flickers, "from the inmate reading group.."

jongho steps closer, the sound of his boots echoing on the tile. "jongho," he reminds you, voice gravelly.

your heart hammers against your ribs and you back up until the counter presses into your spine, "i- i volunteer with a lot of people.. i'm glad you're out, but you shouldn't be here-"

jongho closes the distance, one large hand clamping over your mouth as the other bands around your waist, pulling you into his chest.

"shh," he breathes against your ear, lips barely brushing the shell, "i've waited so long. every conversation we had.. i replayed them every day.. now you need to be mine."

you struggle, the muffled sounds vibrating against his palm as he carries you to your bedroom, kicking the door shut and laying you on the bed with surprising gentleness.

jongho climbs over you, knees bracketing your hips as he pins your wrists above your head with one hand. his free hand traces your jaw, thumb pressing into your bottom lip.

"you don't remember the way you smiled at me," he murmurs, eyes dark and hungry, "but i do. i remember how your fingers felt when you handed me that book. i've jerked off to that memory every night for years."

heat floods your face as he leans down to kiss you, tongue pushing past your lips, making you whimper into his mouth. he releases your wrists to strip your shirt off, your breasts spilling free before he cups them, thumbs circling your nipples until they pebble.

"perfect," he growls, "been dreaming about these. about all of you."

his mouth kisses a path down your body as your hands push at his shoulders, but he doesn't budge. one hand slides down your stomach, under the waistband of your panties, fingers finding you already slick.

"wet for me already?" he murmurs, voice thick with satisfaction. "good girl. knew you'd break for me."

two thick fingers push inside you without warning, pulling a gasp from your throat as your walls clench around the intrusion. jongho pumps them slowly, curling them against your sensitive spot as his thumb finds your clit, rubbing in little circles.

"that's it," he praises, "let me hear you. need to hear how you sound when you fall apart for me."

he adds a third finger, scissoring them to open you up as his mouth finds your neck, sucking marks into your skin. your hips start rolling against his hand despite your mind, pleasure coiling in your belly.

jongho pulls his fingers out just before you cum, making you whine at the loss. he chuckles darkly as he strips his own clothes, his cock springing free, dark and leaking at the tip. he strokes himself a few times, smearing precum along the shaft, "been saving this for you. only you."

he pushes your thighs open, pressing your knees towards your chest before nudging the head of his cock at your entrance, slicking himself with your wetness. he sinks in slowly, groaning loudly as your walls flutter around him, filling you to the hilt.

"fuck.. so tight- so warm- just like i imagined," he grunts as he stills, pressing his forehead to yours.

jongho starts moving, pulling almost all the way out before slamming back in, hips snapping against yours brutally. moans fall from your throat as he angles his thrusts to hit that spot inside you, grinding his pelvis your clit when your hips meet.

"mine," jongho mutters against your neck, "been mine since you gave me that book. no one else gets to have you. no one else gets to hear you like this."

he picks up speed, fucking you harder as the sound of skin on skin fills the room. his free hand wraps around your throat, squeezing just enough to stall airflow, which sends you over the edge without warning, your walls clenching around him as you try to cry out.

jongho fucks you through it before flipping you over, pulling your hips up as he drives back in from behind. one hand fists into your hair, the other reaching around to rub your oversensitive clit.

"again," jongho demands softly, "cum on my cock again. need to feel it."

your body listens to him as your second orgasm rips through you, tears pricking your eyes from the intensity. he growls your name, burying himself to hilt as he follows you over the edge, flooding you with cum.

"stop-" you hiss, pushing back against him as he yanks your skirt up, shoving your panties aside, ignoring your attempts to kick at his shins.

"seonghwa, i said stop-"

"too fucking bad," he snarls against your ear as his fingers come between your thighs, finding you already slick for him. you squirm, cursing at him under your breath, causing him to laugh darkly and kick your legs apart.

"fighting only makes me harder. you know that, right? little brat pretending she doesn't want this cock," he mutters, freeing his cock and rubbing it along your folds as you try to twist your hips away, making him hold you in place with an arm around your waist.

he thrusts into you in one smooth stroke, forcing a moan from your throat as he bottoms out, the stretch burning unbearably.

"fuck, you're tight," seonghwa groans, barely giving you time to adjust before he starts thrusting in a brutal rhythm, hips snapping against your ass. his hand grips your hip, holding you tightly in place while the other tangles in your hair, yanking your head back so he can bite at your neck.

"fuck- pull out, seonghwa- i don't want this-!" you whimper as your walls flutter around him, betraying you.

seonghwa groans, hips snapping forward roughly, "yeah? then why are you soaking my dick?" he bites down on your shoulder, his hand falling from your hair to grip your throat, squeezing just enough to cut off your air.

you push back, elbows jabbing into his ribs as you try to twist free. seonghwa growls, pulling out and lifting you clean off the floor, your back hitting the wall as he hooks your legs over his arms, spreading you wider.

"stop fighting or i'll make it hurt more," he warns, eyes gleaming as he lines up again, the new angle bullying his cock deeper into you.

your head falls back, moans spilling out involuntarily as you claw at his arms. "no- too deep, pull out-!" you whimper, trying to push him away between thrusts.

"you were acting like such a brat earlier.. now look at you, crying on my cock and still pretending you hate it," seonghwa smirks, thrusting harder and deeper, grinding against your clit on every stroke.

you shake your head, "don't make me cum- i won't-" you whimper, causing seonghwa to angle his hips differently, enough to make you fall over the edge. you clench hard around him, body shaking as he pounds you through it, chasing his own release.

"seonghwa- enough, i can't-!" you choke out, making him fuck you harder, the sound of skin on skin filling the room as he tries to drag another orgasm out of you.

"you can and you will. gonna fill this pussy up, need to learn who owns you," he mumbles as he brings a hand back to your throat, keeping you pinned exactly how he wants.

you cum a second time, enough to turn seonghwa's thrusts erratic and impossibly brutal as he nears his own orgasm.

"take it- all of it," he growls, burying himself to the hilt, spilling deep inside you. he stays buried, grinding lazily as you pant, spent and trembling.

he pulls out slowly, watching his cum drip down your thighs as he sets you down slowly, your throat raw from moaning and protesting. seonghwa sighs, tucking himself away before draping an arm around your waist, breathing hard against your neck.

he crosses the room in three strides, and you start to stand, your mouth opening with questions, which causes him to shake his head sharply.

yunho sinks onto the couch beside you, arms wrapping around your waist tightly. he pulls you to straddle his lap, burying his face in the crook of your neck.

his suit is cold against your skin and you can feel his heart hammering against your ribs as his legs tighten under yours, one thigh pressing between your thighs.

"yunho.." you whisper, making him tighten his hold, fingers digging into your back as his breath grows uneven against your throat.

he keeps you tucked against him for what feels like hours, the room growing darker as the sun sets fully.

you run your fingers through his messy hair, tracing the line of his jaw, making him shudder under your touch. you tilt your head to kiss his temple, and yunho turns just enough to capture your mouth instead. his tongue slides against yours as his hands roam your body, sliding under your shirt to press his palms against your back.

his thigh presses harder between your legs, causing you to rock against him instinctively, pulling a groan from his throat.

"need you," he murmurs, hands sliding down to grip your hips, guiding you to straddle him properly. the bulge in his suit presses against you and you grind against him slowly, drawing another groan from him.

yunho peels your shirt off carefully, his lips kissing a path down your neck, across your chest and sucking one nipple gently until your back arches into him.

he pulls away from you for a second, tugging his gloves off with his teeth before returning his hands to your hips, dipping lower to push your shorts aside.

you help him shrug the rest of the suit down his hips, freeing his cock, which is dark at the tip and leaking steadily. a hiss falls from his teeth as you wrap your hand around him, stroking him slowly and circling your thumb on the underside of the head. his head falls back against the couch cushions, eyes fluttering shut.

"please," yunho breathes, guiding you to sink down onto him slowly, both of you gasping at the stretch. your hips meet his and you stay seated, feeling him pulse inside you steadily as yunho wraps his arms around you, keeping you chest to chest.

you start to roll your hips slowly as yunho guides you, thumbs pressing into the soft skin of your ass to help you ride him, every stroke dragging against that spot inside you that makes you see stars.

yunho sits up straighter, mouth latching onto your neck as his hips buck up to meet yours, the couch creaking under you both.

"so fucking warm.. feels like home-" yunho pants into your ear as he fucks up into you harder, one hand slipping between the two of you to rub your clit.

you cum first, crying out his name as you clench around him, and it's enough to push him over the edge, burying himself deep and spilling inside you with a guttural moan.

after calming down, he carries you to bed while still buried inside, refusing to be away from you for even a second. he settles onto the bed with you, one hand stroking slow circles on your back while the other cups the back of your head, fingers threading through your hair.

the morning comes quickly. san pushes the door with his shoulder, setting a tin cup of water on the floor, averting his eyes. "it's clean water, drink," he says, leaving without another word.

there's a rhythm to the days after that. every evening, someone brings you stew from the communal pot, and you eat it alone, in silence. yunho works nearby most afternoons, glancing at you when you're outside, but always keeping to himself. wooyoung mutters dry jokes that make the others snort, shaking their heads.

mingi always keeps his distance, leaning in the doorways with his arms crossed over his chest, or standing at the fence watching the horses. his eyes always follow you when you walk by, and you always feel the weight of his stare.

one evening, you watch as san brings in a foal rescued from a raid. the animal startles at every sound, but san moves slowly, rubbing its neck and shoulders until it relaxes. the kid in the gang, no older than fifteen, carries heavy buckets of water for the little foal, arms trembling under the weight.

the newspapers home called them animals, but to you, they look like tired men just trying to stay alive.

mingi finds you in the corner of the main room after supper. he leans on the wall, shirt open at the collar to ward off the heat. "you're quiet tonight," he comments after a minute.

"watching," you answer, trying to keep your voice even.

he nods slowly, "see anything worth running back to tell your daddy?"

"not what i expected," you mutter as you shake your head.

mingi stays there for a while longer before he pushes off the wall, walking off toward the perimeter of their camp, boots crunching softly.

a rain storm hits later in the week, heavy enough to make water leak through the thin roof. you help the members move crates and grain sacks to a drier corner, and mingi works right beside you, lifting the heavier loads.

he reaches past you for another sack before his arm brushes yours, his skin touching your skin for a brief second, sending a jolt through your body. you carry on, and neither of you mention it, but you feel flustered for the rest of the day.

that evening, the gang gathers around the fire, telling stories from old raids and encounters. you sit on the edge of circle, knees drawn up under your dress as you feel the fire warm your face and shins.

mingi sits a few steps away, passing you a cup of warm coffee, his fingers brushing yours for longer than necessary, enough for you to feel the calluses against your skin.

"warm your hands," he says matter-of-fact, turning back to the fire.

the metal heats your palms quickly as you sip slowly, tasting the bitter grounds at the bottom of the cup.

the days begin to blur after that, and you begin to notice small habits more often. san drinks his coffee unnecessarily strong, strong enough that you can smell it from across the room. yunho hums the same song whenever he works on cleaning guns, his fingers careful when cleaning the cylinders and triggers. mingi tends to check on old pocket watch, despite the hands never moving, thumb rubbing the worn case.

you catch him watching you more too. he stares at you as you braid your hair in the lantern light, his gaze dropping to the curve of your neck where the loose strands fall. his hand twitches to reach out to yours whenever you pass him in the halls, almost like instinct.

"your father still think we're all devils out here?" mingi asks after dropping down next to you, the fire crackling steadily.

you look into the flames, feeling the heat on your cheeks, "he doesn't know the half of it."

"guess not," mingi chuckles, letting out a short breath.

later in the week, the gang leaves on a normal supply run, leaving you to watch the younger members and the injured. you help feed the horses, carrying hay that pricks your arms, and you haul water buckets until your shoulders burn.

when the group finally rides back, you notice the dark patch of blood blooming at mingi's shoulder. he sits down on a crate near the fire, jaw tight with pain as yunho starts tending to him.

"i can do it," you murmur before your mind can catch up, stepping toward mingi.

his eyes meet yours for a long second before he nods, letting you kneel in front of him and peel the fabric back slowly. the graze on his shoulder is a mess, blood still oozing and making your fingers sticky. you clean it carefully with the basin of water someone brings, pressing the cloth firm to stop the bleeding. you eyes wander to the older scars littering his chest and ribs, the lines pale and raised against his skin. one of mingi's hands rests on his thigh, fingers opening and closing as you continue to work. the others move off, giving the two of you space to work in silence. you wrap a fresh cloth around his shoulder, tying it snug, letting your hands stay on his skin a moment longer than they need to.

"why haven't you touched me?" you ask, voice barely audible over the fire.

mingi meets your eyes again, his own eyes darkening and sharp, "because i want to. every damn day since i put you on that horse."

your heart beats loud in your ears as you lean in, letting your lips touch his softly, pulling a groan from his throat. his hand comes up to the back of your neck, fingers sliding into your hair as he deepens the kiss.

his tongue moves against yours as he stands, lifting you from the ground without breaking the kiss. your legs wrap around his waist as he carries you the short distance to the back room, kicking the door shut behind him.

mingi sets you down on the edge of the cot before pulling his shirt all the way off, letting you run your hands over his chest, feeling the muscle and raised lines of old scars under your palms.

he undresses you next, tugging your dress up and over your head, letting his palms fall to your breasts, thumbs brushing over the peaks slowly. he leans down, taking one nipple into his mouth, letting his tongue move in slow circles before switching to the other one.

your fingers thread into his hair as his free hand slides down your stomach, slipping under the waist of your panties. two fingers slip inside you with easily, curling to find that sensitive spot inside you while his thumb rubs circles into your clit.

the dual stimulation builds pressure embarrassingly fast, your thighs shaking as you cum all over his fingers with a whimper as you rock against his hand.

mingi pulls back to finish undressing, letting his cock spring free, the head already slick with precum. you wrap your hand around him without thinking, stroking from base to tip, feeling the veins pulse under your fingers.

he groans quietly, catching your wrist after a few strokes, "need to be inside you."

he lays you back on the cot, pushing your thighs apart. the head of his cock presses against your entrance before he sinks in slowly, the stretch burning as he fills you up completely. mingi stays still, hips flush to yours as he lets his forehead fall against yours, breathing hard through his nose.

"tell me if it's too much," he murmurs.

you shake your head, hands gripping his shoulders, "move.. please."

the cot creaks under you as he starts to move slowly, and you wrap your legs around his waist, letting your heels dig into his back. his hand finds yours, lacing your fingers together and pinning it above your head. his other hand slips between you, thumb finding your clit against and rubbing firm circles while he fucks you steadily.

it's enough to push you over the edge again, your face burying into his neck as you moan into his skin, walls fluttering hard around his cock.

mingi pulls out, sitting back on his heels and pulling you up into his lap. you sink back onto him, and you rock your hips, hands bracing on his shoulders. his palms grip your ass, guiding you up and down as the wet sound of your bodies meeting fills the room.

he leans in and kisses you messily, sliding his tongue against yours as he forces you to ride him harder. "feel so good," he murmurs through kisses, "so wet for me."

mingi's rhythm gets messier, hips snapping faster as he chases his own release. he buries himself all the way, cumming with a guttural groan, cock pulsing as he spills inside you, grinding until he's empty.

he eases out slowly, feeling his cum leak out of you and down your thigh. mingi pulls you down beside him, arm wrapping around your waist, tracing little patterns in your skin.

"didn't plan on any of this," he says against your skin, voice rough from groaning.

you run your fingers through his damp hair, a few strands sticking to your hand. you close your eyes and press closer to his chest, listening to his heartbeat settle.

mingi shifts after a while, propping himself up on one elbow, fingers tracing the curve of your hip, "you okay?" he asks, voice just above a whisper.

you nod, turning your head to look at him. "yeah.. sore but i'm okay."

he leans down to press a kiss to your shoulder before getitng up, finding a clean rag and wetting it with water from the basin. he kneels beside the cot, wiping you down between your legs before cleaning himself.

mingi lies back down, pulling you against his chest, slotting your head under his chin. one of his hands stroke up and down your back, his other hand rubbing small circles in the soft skin of your thigh.

'never thought it would be like this," he says after a while, trying to fill the silence, "i took you to hurt him.. but now i want you here.."

"i know.. i feel the same way," you murmur, playing with the fingers on your thigh as you begin to drift off.

the morning light wakes you first, feeling the weight of mingi's arm draped over you as he stirs awake. "morning," he mumbles, voice gravelly with sleep.

he kisses you slowly, running a thumb over your cheek, "you don't have to decide anything right now.. but if you want to go back.. i'll figure out how to get you there safe."

you think about your father, the gallows, the way he chose to kill a man despite promising a fair trial. you think about the quiet mornings at the camp, the way the men look out for each other, the way mingi looked at you last night.

"i want to stay," you say, looking up at him, "with you.. here.."