I N F L U E N C E

HIS FOOT FLATTERS to a half as a heavy musk of distinct coffee overcomes his senses, an obvious look of disgust filling his features but he masks it the best that he can, instead opting to give the younger a raised brow before dropping an undisclosed brown bag onto the table in front of her. “ that’s absolutely disgusting and a waste to the beggars who actually drink that, you know, ” sejun starts with the familiar tone that practically d r i p s of disinterest, taking a lone chair that’s merely a foot away and bringing it closer until it’s situated NEXT to the girl –– leisurely taking the seat while stretching out his legs in midst of all the discomfort. ever since news that came up that his sister had came back to town, sejun has been constantly been r o p e d into spending time with the girl as if it were to comfort the fact that she had left him. “ i got you your stupid muffin so eat it. ”

HIS BREATH HITCHED at the familiar voice, all too eerie and c l o s e as sejun dangles his own cigarette loosely between his own pinked lips, halting his steps merely a few feet away from the crouched male while eyes BORE into the back of the male’s head with the thrumming of his heart beating too loudly in his ears. he had heard that the other had recently gotten out of the jail –– that the label of a mistake had impacted his father’s law firm too r o u g h l y after word had gotten out that jung kangmin is INNOCENT and it was all his father’s fault. sejun should be frustrated, angry at the world because this wasn’t what law was; this was his father’s mistake and sejun had absolutely no power to stop this mistake from happening. ( especially when it concerned the male that his teenage heart had longed for for many, many years. ) hesitant fingers bring a lighter towards the cancerous stick, flicking the item on until his cigarette burnt ember as eyes tore away to stare into the darkened night. “ funny, ” sejun murmurs as he inhales a h e a v y influx of smoke that BURNS his lungs to the core –– almost like he was punishing himself for everything that caused the rift between them two. “ you should become a fuckin’ comedian. ”

HIS PROACTIVE SMIRK only grew at the other’s confident actions of giving him better access of her neck, teeth grazing and quietly nipping at the softened flesh as a hum rumbles somewhere deep in his chest –– the only active indication that he’s currently listening to her d r a w l e d out sentences. the timid reception of the public was something that sejun tended to IGNORE when he was with hyeona, only her soft curves and addictive lips keeping his mind focused on it’s one true goal ... her. “ i suppose i could help you into that particularly tight piece of clothing, ” sejun murmurs against her skin, fingers d a n c i n g along the edges of her shirt before TUGGING relentlessly towards the direction of the dressing rooms. “ though, the dressing room is going to be a tight fit, baby girl. ”

IF SEJUN’S GAZE lingered upon other’s softened features for a moment, he would quickly deny the fact as he lowered his eyes when he had realized –– unable to watch and bare the backlash of it all. sejun doesn’t think he’s ever worked for anything as hard in his life, or even worked for anything at all, until this sudden moment when he practically had stripped down his thoughts and EMOTIONS for the other. he doesn’t know what had p u s h e d forward those actions until the smile began to grace hyunjoo’s lips and a sudden uncomfortable warmth started to bloom inside sejun’s chest at the sight. because this wasn’t who im sejun was; sejun was cocky, arrogant –– someone who b r o k e pretty things and only survived for his needs, and his needs only. hyunjoo was never supposed to make sejun feel like THIS. ( hyunjoo was never supposed to make sejun feel human. ) so he takes the risk in stepping f o r w a r d, an inch closer towards where the other had been standing in front of him with unsure glances and a slightly bowed head. sejun, for once in his life, never felt so small. “ i want to make you happy too, ” he murmurs with a voice calm and steady, a tone masking CONFIDENCE. “ –– but you need to let me try to, at least. i mean ... that’s all i’m asking. ” sejun lifts his head to finally give a curious stare, lips curling into somewhat of a grin, though all the thoughts he could even muster up were all of hyunjoo, hyunjoo, hyunjoo. and suddenly, the warmth in his chest was filled with something more like compassion that clung to his lungs and refused to let up because the other’s words, the fact that they believe that sejun is something MORE than a virus, made him release a light chuckle that he didn’t know he had been holding in. it was almost ... a relief. progress. “ you ... don’t have to tell me why you don’t like me, you know. i’m not going to make you. but just –– ” sejun lets out a heavy sigh as eyes cast downwards once again, unable to search for the pity that probably swam in the other’s DARKENED hues. “ you’re different from everyone else and i don’t –– i don’t know why. but you just being in my life, i don’t want to let this pass me by. so if you don’t want any secrets? fine. but just so you know, once we confess, i’m not sure if i’m going to be able to let you go. ”

HIS BROWS FURROW at the question, ignoring the ugly wails of the child beside him. “ because you’re –– ” ( beautiful. thoughtful. courageous. i need you. ) “ a secretary. don’t you help w h i n y corporate children for a living? ” he reaches over and lets his own fingers smooth out the rough strands of the child’s hair, soothing the child while giving jiyoo a pointed look.

AT TIMES, SEJUN found himself drowning in the other’s dangerous aura whether it’d be the other delicate skin upon his collarbones or the hushed whispers that was shared between those hotel sheets but sejun felt d r a w n towards the danger of it all and ironically enough, the world never had to know. it was his own little SECRET. taeyang was something that the prosecutor never knew he needed –– a breath of fresh intoxicity because despite whether or not the other knew, he had held sejun’s heart in a way that he hadn’t felt in y e a r s. he had repeatedly told himself that this was all a lie; that falling in love with a criminal was something that was supposed to be against the first rule of law –– to never find yourself in bed with the enemy. ( sejun was never good at following the rules, anyway. ) because sejun was once again s u r r o u n d e d by the warmth that was so familiar towards his COLD heart, skin pressed against skin, soft lips hushed against cherry lips, and sejun let himself drown in those feelings one last time. his own blurry eyes stare up at the other male, hands roaming and inching over the smooth form that hovered above him while a deep rumble of a hum originates from deep inside his chest. “ could take days, ” sejun murmurs as lips p r e s s themselves against the soft skin of taeyang’s cheek, voice barely a whisper. “ –– weeks, MONTHS. ” there’s a pause. “ but i can’t wait that long. ”

SEJUN ONLY FELT a heavy influx of pity that ran through his mind at the time of her words ( and even an ounce of doubt ) but it were times like those where sejun knew he couldn’t afford any forms of resentment at this time because ironically, they were talking about his sister after all. “ you say ruin, i say encourage the best out of people. you never know what you’re truly like until you’re feeling pity, ” sejun replies with a tone that dripped of confidence, unable to tear his eyes away from the snowfall around them. “ i play with people because they l e t me play with them. people ask for me, you know? i can’t help if i’m WANTED. ” a scoff of a laugh escapes his lips before he conceals his ill-found humor with a smirk, rolling his eyes at the tale. though, he wouldn’t let it show but sora’s words against his sister that HIT him somewhere uncomfortably deep in his chest because no one can talk about his family like that –– not even him. “ you’re wrong, you know. i didn’t lose her ... you did, maybe. but she’s my sister. she can never leave even if she really tried. ”

DOUBT LINGERED HEAVILY on sejun’s chest the minute the sun had rose to show it’s ugly head upon the lands as nimble fingers r e a c h out to grab the discarded blazer that laid haplessly upon the other’s floor; sejun taking his cue to leave. “ you know i have to, love, ” he murmurs for what feels like the umpteenth time, a lazy smile gracing his features before returning to the bed momentarily, leaning forward until lips GRAZED the familiar patch of skin that laid upon the other’s cheek. “ –– i have work. ”

“ does it look like i have time to feel things that weren’t associated with my dick? everyone that i have liked, anyone that i have liked, were definitely UNEXPECTED because i don’t really e x p r e s s my interest for people, if you couldn’t tell, because i don’t particularly care about any of you, BEGGARS. ”

“ what’s between TAEYANG and myself is nothing more than a handful of lawsuits and a courtroom dispute. ( he’s also so much more than just a pretty face with b l o o d on his hands and i couldn’t help the temptation of knowing the softness of mornings. he’s so much MORE than you think and he knows things about me, kind things –– and it was inevitable. ) i would never associate myself freely with that ... thug. ”

“ HYUNJOO is an unavoidable catch but i have faith in that pretty, little face. they’re someone that i’ve been e y e i n g for a while and i’d be lying if i said that i wouldn’t like to see that model spread across my silk sheets wearing nothing but my tongue but –– it’s MORE to that and i can’t really say why. ”