Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
what do u think abt sucking yumaâs dick for agessss and when he finally cums we donât pull off.. so he has to pry us off!! and maybe he gets all nasty having us over his lap, making us count how many times he spanks us while we sulk and squirmâŠ.
got kinda carried away w this one hehe, i hope u like it nonie!! âĄ
ă 18+ ă tw ââââ dom!yuma . . blow job, spanking, overstimulation ( m. rec )
don't copy/translate my work. i only write on tumblr.
youâve lost track of time as your knees begin to acheâlips stretched around yumaâs cock, tongue working him with lazy, wet strokes while he leans back against the couch, one hand loosely tangled in your hair. spit drips in glossy threads down your chin, pooling warm against his balls. his groans have turned ragged, breathy as his hips twitch up into the heat of your throat, fingers tangled tight in your hair.Â
but you donât stop. you wonât.Â
not when his quiet praises slip out between gritted teethââfuck, just like that⊠good, so fucking good for meââeach word low and rough, feeding the ache low in your belly until it blooms hotter. your throat flutters around him as you take him deeper, nose brushing the dark hair at his base, swallowing once, twice, letting the spit and precum mix into something messy and obscene. every pull back leaves him glistening, twitching on your tongue, and you lap at the leaking tip like youâre starving, hollowing your cheeks with slow, reverent pressure.
he watches you the whole time, heavy-lidded, that cocky half-smile tugging at the corner of his mouthâthe one that says he knows exactly how desperate you are, how youâd stay here for hours if he let you, mouth full and eyes glassy, lost in the simple worship of him.
you donât rush.
you never do when he gets like thisâquiet, sprawled, breathing through his teeth while you take him apart with nothing but patience and hunger. every slow stroke of your tongue, every wet sound, every flutter of your throat feels like a secret youâre pressing into his skin. his fingers tighten again in your hair, not pushing, just anchoring, and another low âgood girlâ slips out like smoke, rough and sweet and only for you.
heâs been letting you set the pace for what feels like foreverâlazy and indulgentâoccasionally guiding your head down a little further or holding you there until your throat flutters desperately around him.
your jaw begins to ache, but you simply ignore the soreness, lips swollen and slick. lip gloss log gone. the wet, obscene sounds of your mouth working him fill the quiet room: slow, sloppy sucks and the occasional quiet gag when you push yourself too deep.
he lets out a low, shaky laugh that melts into a groan, fingers flexing again as he holds you down just a second longer, letting you feel the way he throbs against your tongue.Â
thick, hot pulses flooding your mouth as he curses under his breath. you swallow around him greedily, throat working in tight, fluttering pulls, milking every drop while your lips stay sealed tight around the base. the taste of him coats your tongueâsalty, warm, overwhelmingâand still you keep sucking, slow and soft now, tongue swirling gentle circles over the sensitive head even as he twitches and hisses through the aftershocks. y
ou swallow without thinking, throat working around him like itâs the only thing that mattersâmilking him of every last drop. humming softly around his member, content even as his length begins to soften, your eyes half-lidded and glassy. you can feel it twitch and leak whateverâs left into your mouth.Â
his hand tightens in your hair. âshitâokay, enoughââ
his words fall on dear ears and you donât pull off. you just hum around him, lazy and possessive, eyes fluttering half-shut like you could happily stay there all nightâso focused on the weight of his cock in your mouth that you canât even hear how ragged his breathing has become. canât hear the way his groan fractures into something sharper, almost pained.Â
âfuckâheyâ!â yumaâs voice cracks, his body jerking. he tries to shift away but you follow, keeping him sealed in that warm, wet heat. his hand tightens hard in your hair and he lets out a sharp inhale.
âwhat the hell⊠get offââ
before you can even whine around him, he grabs your hair properly and yanks you off with a wet pop that makes your lips sting. strings of spit and cum stretch and break between your swollen lips and his cock. you blink up at him, dazed, a little sulky, already missing the weight on your tongue.
when your eyes finally meet, you see it. his face is flushed. the pale skin coated in red, eyes dark and narrowed.
âwhatâs wrong with you?â he demands, voice low and dangerous. heâs still breathing hard, cock twitching against his stomach, overstimulated and shiny from your mouth.
the words land heavily.Â
he doesnât give you time to answer.
in one smooth motion, heâs hauling you up by your hairâflipping you over his lap in one swift motion. your belly pressing into his thigh, ass raised like an offering you didnât mean to make. he yanks your bottoms and underwear down in one angry tug, exposing your bare skin.
his palm smooths over the curve of your cheek once, almost tender, before the first sharp smack landsâloud, stinging, blooming heat across your skin. the sound echoes through the room. echoing loud enough to mask the weak whimper that leaves your lips.
âyou couldnât just let me enjoy it, huh? had to keep sucking like a greedy little slut even when i told you to stop.â his palm rubs over your ass again, almost gentle. but it only lasts for half a second before the second hard spank cracks down, loud and stinging.Â
âcount.â
the word is sharp. final.
you squirm, hips twitching uselessly against his thigh, a small sulky sound slipping out before you can swallow it. the sting is already spreading, hot and bright, sinking low between your legs even as tears prick at your eyes.
another spank. this time it's harder.
âthree,â you mumble, voice small and weak, face half-buried in the couch cushion.
just thinking about giving this man head while he's playing games đ€€
tags: smut, gamer!fuma, female!reader, established relationship, dirty talk, pet names, oral (m), piv, rough sex, coming inside, unprotected sex, exhibitionism
wc: 800
disclaimer: all of my works are purely fiction and do not represent the members in any way
You were needy. So fucking needy. But you would feel bad if you interrupted Fuma's down time by asking him to make you come.
At least, at first.
"Fuck," you huffed to yourself, standing up from the couch and hastily making your way to the bedroom where Fuma was gaming online with his friends.
He turned his head slightly, sending you a small smile in acknowledgement when he heard you open the door before going back to his round.
"Shit! On your right!" He yelled into the mic, leaning forward in focus and pressing the buttons quicker as he sniped his opponents.
Your heartbeat increased, thighs squeezing together as you watched his fingers, the way they moved on the controller so precisely. Calculated. Your stomach twisted. Fuck, you needed him to tap against your clit like that, to press inside of your walls instead.
You whimpered, quiet enough that Fuma couldn't hear you over his headset as you got on your knees and slipped below the desk in front of him. He peered down at you for a moment, eyebrows furrowed slightly, until the game required his attention again.
You watched him shift in his seat, listening to the vibrations of his controller. Every time he moved, you saw the tip of his cock push against the material of his sweatpants. He wasn't hard yet, but you could see his bulge slowly developing.
You licked your lips, pawing at his waistband. Fuma gave you a look of warning, but once he saw your glossy, begging eyes, he was done for; mouth dropping, thighs parting, back slouching a little bit more in the seat.
He inhaled sharply, legs jerking as you took him into your mouth, licking one long stripe up his length before kitty-licking his tip. His head fell back a little, causing his hood to fall to his shoulders. You steadily picked up your pace, Fuma leaning forward and holding you in place by pressing his elbows into your back because he still needed his hands for the controller. He rutted into you, the sounds of you choking on his cock causing him to mute the headset.
"Fuck, baby," he moaned, short thrusts against your tongue sending him closer to the tipping point, "gonna come."
His body shook, hands nearly dropping the controller onto your back as his arms pushed you even further around him so you could milk him dry. He grunted, hot white ropes dripping down your throat. He lifted his weight off of you, grabbing your strands and pulling you off his cock to see your beautifully ruined face; cheeks flushed, cum coating your swollen, pretty pink lips.
He unmuted his mic for a moment, "I gotta pause for a second guys, hold on," then looked down at you with a devilish smirk. "Someone's needy," he cooed, pulling you up gently by your shoulders, "why don't you sit on my cock while I finish playing with my friends, hm?" Your eyes sparkled, nodding as you began to slide your pants off of your body.
He grabbed your hips the second they left your ankles, spinning you around and slipping his cock into you, already ready to fill you up once more. "FâFuma," you stuttered, his length brushing against every inch of your walls as he bottomed you out. You felt so perfect, so full.
He licked just below your earlobe before biting down, your body jolting at the sensation of his sinking teeth. He hummed against you, his speed picking up.
"Why don't I unmute the mic for a little, yeah?" He suggested smugly, hand sliding down the front of your body until he reached your exposed cunt. He pressed into your clit, circling steadily. "Try to keep quiet while I fuck you like this."
You tried. Really tried. But Fuma had a way of hitting your sweet spot so perfectly every time that eventually you were gripping the sides of his desk, meeting him halfway as you fucked yourself desperately on his cock.
He pushed the microphone of his headset away from his mouth enough so he could lean over and whisper in your ear. "You know what? let them hear you, baby," he sent one deep, hard thrust into your cunt, and you whimpered, "let them know how good I'm fucking you."
And so you did, screaming and crying desperately as your body trembled, sweat pooling at your forehead, cum gushing out of you and coating his cock and thighs. "Fuckâ Fumaâ fuck!"
He laughed, almost sinisterly, still pounding into you until you were completely finished.
"Fuma, what theâ"
"Gotta go, guys," he cut off his friend, shutting down the computer immediately.
He barely gave you any time to come down before lifting you off his cock and spreading your legs apart while you stayed perched on his lap. "I'm not done with you yet, sweetheart," he taunted, handle of the Xbox controller slowly entering your hole. You gasped. "I'm just getting started."
tag list: @nichozzystuffs @yuversi @minhosimthings @hyunjinswife4ever
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
summary. ni-ki loves interrupting his girlfriends rants with kisses. pairing. bf!ni-ki x gf!reader. mentions. established relationship, kissing (duh), skinship, fluff, just a quick thing i felt like writing sorry if itâs so short lol đ«
y/n wasnât sitting still.
her apartment was quiet except for the sound of her voice filling the living room where her and her boyfriend sat with a half-finished cup of tea abandoned on the coffee table beside an open bag of snacks and a plush blanket thrown over both of their legs. y/n, however, was too worked up to notice any of it.
she sat cross legged on the couch, her hands flying everywhere as she talked. every word came out faster than the last, her voice rising and falling in exasperated little bursts as she retold a story for what had to be the third time.
âshe literally said- no, wait, youâre not even listening- riki, this is important!â
riki was listening. just⊠maybe not in the way she wanted.
he was sprawled beside her with one arm lazily stretched along the back of the couch, his tall body turned toward her. his leg bounced as he watched her with quiet amusement, brown eyes teasing every little movement she made instead of focusing on the actual story.
there was something almost unfair about how cute she looked when she was annoyed; her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink, brows drawn together, lips moving so quickly he could barely keep up. every now and then sheâd pause for a second like she expected him to react more dramatically.
instead, he smirked lightly, âyouâre cute when youâre mad, you know.â
she froze mid-sentence, staring at him.
âdid you just call me cute? iâm literally trying to tell you something-â
âyeah.â he shrugged, utterly unfazed, âi know.â
her mouth dropped open, âsee this is what i mean! youâre not taking this seriously. iâm trying to tell you what happened and youâre-â
she didnât even get to finished because in one swift motion, riki had pushed himself upright and leaned in, his hand coming up to gently catch her wrist. before she could scold him for moving or doing anything but listening to her, his lips were pressed against hers in a quick kiss - it was soft enough to feel like a tease but perfectly timed to cut off her words. just enough to leave her momentarily speechless.
when he pulled back, her brain took a second longer to catch up than sheâd like to admit. she blinked up at her boyfriend who was smiling like he was way too pleased with himself.
â..whatâŠâ
âsorry.â he said, clearly not sorry at all, âyou were talking too much.â
her jaw dropped, âexcuse me?â
riki softly laughed under his breath. his hand was still loosely wrapped around her wrist and his thumb started brushing absentminded circles against her skin, âi was listening!â he added, âbut you looked like you needed a break.â
âi did not-â
he leaned in again. another kiss. this time, it was a lot softer and a lot more deliberate, lingering for a few seconds enough to make her thoughts melt into complete static.
when he pulled away, there was a playful glint in his brown eyes that made her stomach flip despite herself.
âcontinue.â
y/n stared at him in disbelief because how dare he think she could actually continue talking after what heâd just done. he knew the affect he had on her, what his kisses did to her, and she was completely thrown off now. all the frustration from earlier had tangled up with the warmth creeping onto her cheeks.
âyouâre unbelievable.â
âmhm,â he hummed, âgo on.â
she tried. she really did.
âa-and then she said that i was being dramatic, which-âher words faltered slightly when his touch slipped from her hand and went to her waist, his fingers resting there like it was the most natural thing in the world and he hadnât just short-circuited her thoughts.
âand?â he prompted, watching her closely now. her breath hitched.
âandâŠâ y/n repeated, but there was no bite left in her tone because his thumb was rubbing softly into her side, completely distracting, grounding and infuriatingly gentle. his fingers skimmed the edge of her top, dangerously close to sneaking under her shirt and it was driving her insane.
suddenly, whatever the hell sheâd been upset about felt very, very far away.
âlost your train of thought?â
she narrowed her eyes at him but there was no real annoyance left - just a warm, flustered kind of frustration, âthis is your fault.â
âprobably.â
y/n huffed and crossed her arms, though she didnât move even an inch.
ââŠshe said i was dramatic.â she tried again. her tone was a little quieter but riki still caught it, he still revelled in her cute little sigh of irritation and the way she suddenly got so shy under his gaze.
he nodded slowly, leaning closer a bit more and flashing her that smile he knew made her weak in the knees, âyeah?â
âand i said-â
he kissed her again. this one was longer than the others, still just as soft, still just as distracting. his lips slotted over hers like they were made to mould together, and his arm slid from the side of her waist to her back, pulling her until she was practically glued to him. y/n inhaled sharply as her words dissolved completely, yet she still kissed him back, still let her hand travel to his chest as if wanting to push him away but she didnât have it in her to.
when he pulled back after basically stealing her breath, words and thoughts all at once, riki grinned down at her, unable to hide it.
âsorry, baby.â he muttered, voice dipped in mischief.
y/n stared at her boyfriend for a second before lightly shoving his shoulder, âstop interrupting me!â
âthen finish your story.â
she opened her mouth to argue but then she noticed the way he was looking at her: attentive and amused, soft in a way he didnât show often. he was enjoying this, and she knew he loved teasing her, he did it practically ten times a day which is why that look alone made it impossible to stay mad.
ââŠyouâre so annoying.â she mumbled. riki just smiled that cute, boyish, boxy smile she loved so much, the one that made his features soften so sweetly, and she just knew she couldnât ever stay mad at him.
âmhm, but you like me.â he playfully leaned forward and grazed his nose against hers before pressing a tiny peck to her cheek. y/n tried to roll her eyes but the breathy chuckle she let out gave her away.
ââŠmaybe.â
âgood.â both his arms slipped around her waist then, pulling her fully into his side until she was tucked comfortably against him. the blanket shifted around them as she instinctively curled closer, one arm wrapping around his middle.
riki planted a soft kiss to her hairline.
ânowâŠâ he kissed again, closer to her temple, âfinish your rant.â
pairing : euijoo x fem!reader. synopsis : you start to get secret admirer letters but little do you know the boy writing you silly jokes is actually the same boy you sit next to in calculus II. genre : college au, loser!euijoo. wc : 2.4k
đđđ
the letters started coming two weeks ago, always in the same spot at your workplace, on the chair of the table that was closest to the register. you didnât think much of it at first, the slip of paper only held sweet corny pick up lines, you threw them out assuming that they were just a sweet customer doing them as a thank you. but then the slips of papers started getting signed off to you. âdear ynâ or âfor ynâ or âonly open if you are yn!â, that was when you started keeping them.Â
âdoesnât it creep you out though?â yuma muttered as the two of you made your way into the line for food, picking what you wanted on your tray in the dining hall. ânot really, maybe a customer has a crush or itâs a sweet kidâ you shrugged, truth was you hadnât given it much thought since yuma brought it to your attention. maybe it was a little bit creepy but you just hoped it wasnât a creepy man or a stalker, after all the only thing that they knew was your name and your workplace. since you worked on campus it was pretty evident that whoever it was definitely went to your university.Â
âyeah but like, what if theyâre just stalking you?â yuma said, following you as you walked over to your usual table that you sat at, âthe pickup lines are extremely harmless yuma please, besides i think a stalker would do a lot more than just leaving innocent jokes on a seatâ you sighed out, picking up your spoon to take a bite of your rice. yuma nodded and pursed his lips, then his lips grew into a smile. âso you have a secret admirer then?â he grinned at you and you rolled your eyes, âguess soâ you mumbled before taking another bite of your food.Â
yuma grinned back even bigger if that was possible, âyou know i think we should find out who it isâ he said and you snorted, shaking your head. âsecret admirers are supposed to just stay secret yumaâ you replied and he groaned in response, almost kicking his feet under the table. âcome on yn! you have to be just a bit curious i mean just thinkâŠâ yumaâs voice drowned in your ears, your mind filled with the possibilities. you were in fact very curious, so curious to the point where you showed up to work earlier than your shift to find who was putting the letters there or stayed a little bit later to maybe see someone. but nothing, nothing at all.Â
you secret admirer was someone who was quiet, slick, and unnoticeable. you wonder what they looked like, if he was as sweet as the letters were or if he was more timid, maybe he was a lot more outgoing. as you daydreamed about your mystery man, yuma waved his hand in your face. âearth to yn! did you even listen to what i said?â he huffed and you hesitated before speaking. âyeah i did you uh.. um..â you blanked completely making yuma groan. âgod forget it, i ended up speaking to.. you know whoâ you smiled softly, âoh? and did you know who finally get the hint?â you pressed on making yuma sigh out.Â
ânot really, heâs still clueless as everâ he groaned, setting his spoon down to look at you. your smile softened slightly, âmaybe heâs not clueless and just not ready, give him some time iâm sure he feels the same wayâ you said, yuma smiling softly in return. âyeah youâre rightâ he sighed out reluctantly, clearly not wanting to admit that. you picked up your phone to check the time, five minutes until your calculus class. âi should head out, update me on operation: he who must not be named!â you scrambled to clean up your things and grab your bag, waving bye to yuma as you rushed out of the dining hall.Â
your calculus class was as bleak as any math class. boring professor with students who are required to be there or actually enjoy calculus that much. you didnât think that was possible because professor kimâs lectures were so boring that you never wanted to hear anything about math ever again. every boring class needed a distraction, yours was byun euijoo.Â
he sat right next to you in that boring white lecture hall, his things always neat and put together. his notes were the epitome of well structured, and he was always focused. maybe thatâs what made you so curious about him, he was the very face of a perfect student. he wore big black glasses that covered his big brown eyes and the clothes he wore were always put together and never messy. to put it simply one could call him a nerd, but you thought it was cute.Â
something in you found it so adorable how heâd mumble a soft âhelloâ to you as you sat down next to him. or how heâd laugh softly when the professor says something funny, or even how he would smile when he gets an answer right (which he does often). maybe you had the smallest crush on byun euijoo, but it was one that was slightly unattainable. you knew that you and him had two different personalities and you didnât mind that in the slightest, but you knew nothing could steer him away from school and his studies. and that was okay with you, you were just glad you got to get distracted by him with no repercussions.Â
todayâs lecture was no different, you entered the hall to see almost everyone already there, of course euijoo was there. you always assumed he was five minutes early every time. you sat down next to him, smiling as you heard him mumble hello to you. you took out your notebook and looked for a pen in your bag, the one day you decide to pack light you in fact forget every pen you own. as you rummaged through your bag, euijoo looked at you, a small pout on his face.Â
he pulled out a pen from his own pencil bag and slid it to you, âhere you can use mineâ he said, his voice as sweet as he looked. you looked at him and smiled softly, picking up the pen. âthank youâ you said, earning a soft smile from him. that was the most you had heard him speak ever. his voice was a soft melody in your head, playing as the lecture went on.Â
days went on and here you were, back at work again. as you wiped down the tables you noticed a letter, of course. you picked it up, opening the slip of paper to reveal yet another corny pick up line. âyouâre the fixed point of my attentionâ you snickered softly, a math related one. maybe your secret admirer was a little bit of a math geek, cute.Â
the next day you entered your calculus class, taking a seat next to euijoo as you always did. professor kim droned on as you took your notes, quite lazily. whenever you get slightly bored you glance over at euijoo, who of course, is completely oblivious to the fact of you staring at him. his pretty lips were always in a soft pout as he focused on making sure everything he wrote down was very neat. his hair fell in front of his face in messy bangs, making him look almost romantic. it was the perfect sight to daydream at.Â
this time however, your eyes fell to his notebook, watching him neatly write everything down. you werenât sure why you kept looking but you didnât regret it because you picked up on something. euijoo wrote his âyâ with a soft loop at the bottom, almost signing his own work with a fingerprint. you werenât sure if you had seen someone else write a y like that.. other than the letters. you furrowed your brows as you reached in your jacket pocket, pulling out the note in your lap to see the handwriting.Â
âyouâre the fixed point of my attentionâ the slip of paper looked back at you, as if taunting you. had the answer been right next to you this whole time? in the shape of the tall, awkward, nerdy byun euijoo? surely you were imagining things, more people can write their yâs like that! you shook your head softly, shoving the slip back in your pocket. professor kim clapped his hands, bringing you back to reality.Â
âwell! thatâs all for this lecture, remember that pages 130 to 146 in the textbook are due next class, youâre free to goâ and with his dismissal, the room filled with the sound of students rummaging their things to pack up. next to you, euijoo packed his things silently with no rush. you felt this thing in your stomach, nerves? butterflies? fear? you werenât exactly sure but whatever it was was eating you alive.Â
just as he was about to put his notebook away you stopped him, your hand on his arm. he looked at you with a flushed face, then down at your hand. âoh- sorry i.. i kind of dozed off this lecture.. can i take a picture of your notes?â you sputtered out, your own face flushing as well. what you said wasnât far from the truth, but for some reason you needed to be sure it was euijoo who was your secret admirer.Â
he looked at you with his beautiful wide eyes and nodded softly, opening the page for you. euijoo watched as you took a couple pictures of his notes, your hair falling over your shoulders perfectly, making you look romantic in the horrible light of the lecture room. he smiled softly, already feeling his face on fire due to the contact from earlier. âthanksâ you mumbled out, stuffing your own notebook in your bag and stood up. âno problemâ he said softly, watching as you left the lecture hall. he looked down at his notebook, a smile stuck on his face at the thought of you.Â
âoh you are so delusionalâ yumas voice rang out through your phone as you sat down on your bed. âam not! the handwriting is so similar look!â you turned around the camera so he could see the slip of paper, already analyzing the picture you had sent of euijoos notes to compare the two. âholy shitâ yuma said, clearly just as baffled as you were. âi know!â you turned the camera back around so it was back on your face, with that you laid down in bed. âwhat should i do?â you muttered, the question up in the air as both you and yuma thought.Â
your thoughts drifted elsewhere however. byun euijoo, having a silly crush on you. it seemed like you were dreaming, you couldnât think that the small crush you had on him was actually reciprocated in the form of those small little pick up lines he wrote. you imagined how he would smile as he wrote them, making sure that they were enough to make you smile or even laugh.Â
âhello? yn did you hear me?â yumas voice broke you out of your fantasies. âuh no sorry can you say it again?â you said and he sighed through the phone. âi said.. why donât you write him a small letter. you know to kind of say that you know about it without saying itâ he said once more, a smile appeared on your face at the thought of it. âthatâs perfect god youâre a genius yuma!â you said, getting out of your bed and to your desk to brainstorm the letter.Â
euijoo entered the lecture as he always did, early and first. he was used to arriving even before the professor so he did his normal routine, opening the lights, pulling down the white board and cleaning it, then taking a seat. however there was something different today. a piece of paper folded in half sat at his usual seat. he furrowed his brows, picking it up to see if it was someoneâs forgotten notes but what it actually was shocked him.Â
for byun euijoo only!! do not open if you are not him ><
dear euijoo,
youâve been figured out! at first i didnât know who in the world was sending me all of those pickup lines. but now that youâve very obviously figured out, it all makes sense. iâll be honest, i have a small (big) crush on you.. i love staring at you during class as creepy as it sounds. sometimes i find myself just daydreaming while i look at you and you just never seem to notice because youâre always so focused in the actual lecture, as you should be btw!! :). i think youâre extremely cute and i wouldâve loved making the first move but i just didnât think id be your type.. clearly i was wrong judging from your very very bold pickup lines. any other person would be creeped out but i found it very endearing so.. i am giving you a chance!Â
would you, byun euijoo, like to go out with me, yn yln?Â
yes or noÂ
circle whichever answer you want :3 , hoping itâs the answer i want!Â
he smiled to himself, scribbling something down and folding it in half, setting it on your seat now. he knew it wouldnât be long before you enter the lecture hall seeing as the professor was already here as well as a couple other classmates. and he was right, because shortly after he got his things settled you arrived, looking beautiful as always. truth was, euijoo wasnât just attracted to you for your looks. you were sweet, warm. you always said hello even if euijoo didnât respond and told him to have a good day, he saw how sweet you were with others which is what made him yearn to be yours.Â
you smiled softly, seeing the paper on your seat now as you took a seat, opting to get your things out before glancing at what he circled. it was a mystery and it wasnât like you were scared for his answer but rather you wanted to wait for a little bit just to tease him. it worked because he kept side glancing at you then the paper so you would open it. the lecture went on and you glanced at it again, contemplating what to do.Â
reluctantly you opened the slip of paper and your smile only widened. euijoo had circled the yes, and next to it he wrote: âwhy are we studying x and y if i want to study u and i?â making you snicker to yourself. you glanced over at him to see him smiling to himself as he wrote down his notes. this was gonna be fun.Â
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
ââââ âââđà§ đ đ¶ini !! đ â ííì°
CONTAINS: office worker taesan x fem!reader, established relationship (bf/gf), grinding, thigh humping, boob obsessed taesan, marking, boob sucking bruh idk, lmk if i missed anything! (0.8k) INSPIRED BY: ask 1, ask 2
a long day is a usual occurrence for a working man like taesan. but a tired arrival is too rare, something that happens once in a blue moon.
before you could greet him and ask how his dayâs been, your boyfriend was already sitting on the couch with his arms coming up to rest on top of the cushions. a heavy sigh with his eyes closed was yet another signal of just how drained he is from who-knows-what. but to you, all that occupied your mind quickly became the loosened tie and his shirt unbuttoned from the top, sweat evident in his slicked back hair, and legs spread apart to accommodate his position of comfort.
as you bit your inner lip, all the words that were supposed to come out of your mouth got stuck in your throat as the feelings of how much you missed him surged throughout your body in more ways than one. just then, he opened his eyes to take a look at your waiting figure, fingers fidgeting in front of you as you looked like you were lost in a daze.
âcome here baby,â taesan patted his thigh, his mind latching onto the idea of using you for relieving his stress. he didnât say it with words, but his actions showed that he too wasnât exactly innocent minded at the moment.
you took that as a sign as you obeyed, taking eager steps towards him until you sat on one of his thighs, his arm snaking around your waist to pull you closer to him into a kiss.
slow and deep, the first kiss turned sensual as he took his time before letting go, tilting his head the opposite way for the second. his other hand went to your back with it, his touch sucking the breath out of you as you got needier. you didnât want to give an indication of it without telling him the words though, so you brought your palms against his chest, pushing away slightly until you could open your eyes to stare into his dark orbs that were already pinned right on you.
âtaesan⊠âm getting needy you know⊠letâs go to the bedroom please?â you innocently ask, hoping that you could get what you wanted. but instead of that, you got met with his head shaking side to side.
âtoo tired today.â his answer is simple and short, his voice barely as loud as his usual volume. âbut, you can use me to get off. that alright with you baby?â
humming after a pause, you lean back in to continue kissing him, his lips simply too irresistible. and during the kisses, you managed to move closer, his thigh in between your legs to be in just the right position to grind on him. he helped you with it too, his hand rubbing your side so as to encourage you.
the first movements were slow, still getting used to his permission as the friction in between your wetness and the clothes built up. despite the pleasure growing, your mind was trained on keeping quiet while soaking in his touch. the whimpers you suppressed couldnât be hidden forever though, your throat involuntarily letting out sounds as you felt your clit rub against you perfectly with one roll of your hips.
âfeel good?â taesan whispered after letting go, smiling against your lips as he listened to your sweet sounds. you give up on keeping it in, responding with a moan of a yes, your hands grabbing his shirtâs collar for some semblance of staying grounded. he let out a soft chuckle at that, speaking up, âhow about you help me too, yeah?â
before you could agree, you felt his hands firmly grab the hem of your top, lifting it up slowly. like a habit, you lifted your arms up, helping him take it off to reveal your bare chest, nipples sticking out with need as taesanâs eyes permanently etched into your skin. with one hand squeezing a boob, his tongue darted out to lick a stripe around the other, tasting your sweat with ease while his other hand slid down your spine, urging you to continue.
feeling your dampening panty, the new stimulation made you weaker as your boyfriend sucked pretty marks all over your torso, though it mostly happened when he wasnât lustfully sucking on your nipples. he littered you with marks, some to replace faded ones from a couple nights before, and some to cover new patches of your skin that were previously empty.
to taesan, this was the bliss he seeked after a stressful day of meetings and regulating his staff, his obsession with your body, specifically your tits, being his safe haven. and the same could be said about you, the unending need for your boyfriend only getting satisfied even when you are just in his hold.
thank you for reading! please like + reblog to show support, and feel free to leave feedback and comments through rb tags, anon messages, or dms!
A/N: hi guys <3 this was supposed to be posted yesterday but i got caught up idk how, anyways this is for you my kitty baby đ€ i hope you like it ><
riding niki's fingers while he games á„«áĄ. wc: 763
you lay on nikiâs bed as the light of his computer screen illuminates the room. he's focused, his fingers flying over the keyboard, wearing that black chrome hearts hoodie you love - the one with the silver cross emblem glinting faintly. his dark hair falls into his eyes, and he doesn't even glance your way as you watch him, but there is an undeniable heat building between your thighs.
you slide off the bed and approach him quietly, your bare feet padding across the carpet. he doesn't notice at first, too absorbed in beating his opponents. you stand behind his chair, your hands resting on his shoulders, feeling the tension in his muscles. âbabe,â you whisper, leaning down to press your lips to his neck. he hums in acknowledgment but keeps playing, his body relaxed under your touch.
you walk around the edge of the chair and straddle his lap carefully. the chair creaks under your weight as you settle onto him, your shorts riding up your thighs. niki finally spares you a quick glance, his eyes dark. âwhat are you doing?â he murmurs, but his hands stay on the keyboard and mouse. you grind against him lightly, feeling the hardness starting to grow in his pants. âjust missing you,â you reply, your voice breathy.
he chuckles low, returning his focus to the screen, but one hand slips away from the mouse to rest on your hip. you take the invitation, rocking your hips forward, the friction sending sparks through you. your pussy aches already, wetness soaking through your panties. you kiss his jaw, nipping at the skin, and he tilts his head slightly to give you better access. âyou're distracting me,â he says, less like a complaint, more like encouragement.
you reach down and guide his free hand between your legs. his fingers brush against the damp fabric of your shorts, and he pauses for a split second, his character on screen taking a hit. âfuck,â he mutters, but it's about the game, not you. you unzip your shorts and shimmy them down along with your panties, exposing your slick folds to the cool air. niki's fingers find your entrance immediately, teasing the wetness there as you hover over his lap.
you lift yourself slightly, positioning so that when he pushes two fingers inside you, you can sink down onto them. he does it effortlessly, his digits curling just right as you lower your body. the stretch feels perfect, his skin warm against your inner walls. you gasp, gripping his shoulders through the hoodie, and start to move. up and down, riding his fingers slowly at first, the wet sounds of your pussy echoing softly in the room.
âyou're so wet,â he whispers during a lull in the game, his eyes flicking to yours. you nod, biting your lip, your breasts heaving under your thin tank top. you pull the straps down, freeing your tits, and niki's gaze lingers before snapping back to the screen. his fingers thrust deeper, scissoring inside you, hitting that spot that makes you go crazy. you moan loudly, risking his friends hearing though the headset.
his thumb finds your clit, rubbing circles that make your thighs tremble. you ride him faster now, your ass slapping lightly against his thigh with each movement. his hoodie bunches up under your grip, the fabric soft against your skin as you lean forward, pressing your chest to his. niki adds a third finger, stretching you further, and you cry out, your walls clenching around him. âshit, niki - right there,â you beg, your voice breaking. he obliges, pumping his hand in rhythm with your movements, his thumb pressing harder on your swollen clit.
before you even have a chance to figure out what is going on, liquid comes squirting out onto his fingers. your orgasm rips through you violently, your pussy convulsing around his hand as a gush of clear fluid squirts out.Â
the bottom of his hoodie and his lap between you are completely soaked, the hot release soaking his fingers and wrist, the scent of your arousal filling the air. âlook what you did,â he teases, glancing down at the drenched hoodie, the fabric heavy and clinging from your release.
you smile lazily, still catching your breath, and kiss him deeply. his tongue slides into your mouth, tasting of mint. âworth it,â you murmur against his lips. he withdraws his fingers slowly, slick with your squirt, bringing them to his mouth and sucking them clean, his eyes locked on yours. the sight makes your core twitch again, already hungry for more.
this was based on an ask but i accidentally deleted it sigh
what better way to make the time go by than messing around with your hot coworker?
pairing: wang nicholas x fem!reader
warnings: smut MDNI, coworker!nicho, flirty pink haired nicho OBVIOUSLY, harumaki briefly on the side lol, semi public sex, sex at place of work, unprotected sex, f and m receiving oral, kinda dry humping, dirty talk, interrupted sex, cum swallowing, drooling, slight face fucking, squirting, finger sucking.
wc: 5k
people say donât date your coworkers, but most peopleâs coworkers arenât wang nicholas.
how could you not want him?
he was, in your opinion, the hottest man who worked at your job. hell, he was probably the hottest man youâd ever seen in general. he couldâve been a model, you thought, so you werenât sure what he was doing working as a barista with you at the local coffee shop in town.
you wouldnât complain though. you liked him a lot, and he was a decent worker, too. the customers liked him as well, maybe a little too much.
âcan i get that extra sweet?â the middle aged woman standing on the other side of the counter asked, fluttering her eyelashes up at nicholas.
âof course,â he responded, adding the note onto the order. âextra sweet for the extra sweet lady.â
the lady giggled, immediately turning bright red like it was her first time ever getting flirted with. you, on the other hand, had to try with all your might not to roll your eyes.
âwhy do you do that?â you wondered when the lady walked away, and you began making her drink.
âdo what?â he wondered innocently.
âflirt with everyone,â you said.
âextra tips,â nicholas responded bluntly.
you scoffed, chuckling to yourself as you steamed the milk with extra syrup.
when the drink was done, you handed it off to nicholas to call it out.
âvanilla latte,â he called. the lady began walking over, and he gave her a wink as he handed the drink over. âextra sweet.â
she giggled, and you watched as she slipped nicholas a few dollar bills and a folded note before walking away with her drink.
you couldnât even be mad at all the women who were flattered when nicholas flirted with them. anyone with working eyes could see that he was hot with his pink hair, his sharp features, his killer smile. if you were a customer, youâd probably feel inclined to give him your phone number too.
nicholas dropped the dollar bills into the tip jar and tossed the note in the trash without even reading it.
âiâm pretty sure those tips were for you alone,â you said, wiping out the remaining coffee grounds in the portafilter.
he shrugged. âiâm a team player.â
you snickered.
âyes, we all truly appreciate you flirting with middle aged women for the sake of tips,â you said.
he leaned against the counter with his arms crossed, watching you wipe down the station.
âyou should,â he remarked.
âwell, i think you like doing it regardless,â you told him, to which he frowned at you. âhey, i donât know what youâre into.â
with those sharp eyes of his, he scanned you up and down, his tongue swiping over his bottom lip.
ânot them,â he answered vaguely.
you gulped, suddenly nervous under his gaze. but then a customer walked into the store, and so nicholas looked away to take their order, flirting with her for the sake of tips.
-
it seemed that flirting was a common occurrence at the coffee shop. the next day, you quietly restocked the milk fridge while your two coworkers, maki and harua, shamelessly flirted behind you.
âi couldnât decide if i wanted blue or pink,â harua explained, showing his new nails off to maki, âso i just did both!â
âtheyâre so pretty,â maki gushed, taking haruaâs dainty hand to examine closer.
you sighed, shutting the fridge door. nicholas was supposed to be getting to work soon, which relieved you. at least then, youâd be less of a third wheel with harua and maki.
but you forgot who you were dealing withânicholas: king of flirting. when he got to work, he immediately got right into it with the customers, complimenting them on their outfits, their hair, their eyes. it annoyed you more and more every time.
âyouâre quiet today,â he said to you once the rush had died down.
because your flirting with customers doesnât give me a chance to speak, you wanted to respond pettily.
âtired, i guess,â you responded with a shrug.
âwere you up late?â he wondered.
âa little,â you said.
âdoing what?â he asked.
you squinted your eyes at him.
âyouâre full of questions,â you answered.
âyou make me curious,â he remarked, leaving you to ponder what that meant when a customer stepped up to the register.
you shoved it to the back of your mind until you went on break, where you ended up sitting in the back officeâthe only room in the coffee shop where you could be completely alone.
when the manager came in, they usually occupied the office, but they came in very rarely, for whatever reason. that made it the perfect spot for you to take your breaks, undisturbed.
you sat at the desk chair, closing your eyes with a tired sigh. you let your body relax, feeling yourself doze off for a minute when the door flew open, jolting you awake.
âoh, sorry,â nicholas said, lingering in the doorway. âwere you sleeping?â
âno,â you said, sitting up straight so you didnât look like youâd been sleeping. âof course not.â
âoh,â he said. âwell, it looked like you were.â
you stretched, groaning.
âwhat do you want?â you asked.
he stepped further into the office, the door shutting behind him. he looked around for a second before his eyes settled on the shelf above you.
suddenly, he was standing right next to the chair where you sat, reaching up onto the shelf and stretching his arm high enough that the bottom of his shirt rose up. you couldnât help taking a peak at the little display of skin showing, the bottom of his defined abs.
and he was so close now that you wanted to just reach out and touch. you wanted to plant your palm on his abs, feel every line and indent, and bring it down further into his pants.
nicholas grabbed a phone charger from off the shelf, and brought his arm back to his side, his shirt falling back into place and covering himself entirely again.
you swallowed, your throat suddenly feeling dry.
âjust this,â he said. âiâll let you get back to your nap now.â
âi wasnât napping!â you insisted.
nicholas only smirked at you before leaving the office and closing the door behind him.
-
nicholas was drinking strawberry milk when you finally snapped. he held the little pink carton, making it look tiny in his large hand, sipping the pink milk through the thin plastic straw.
you were staring, and he caught you.
âyou want a sip or something?â he asked, offering the carton to you.
it wasnât the milk you wanted a sip of. it was him, but you couldnât. you were both at workâthe only ones in the shop.
you took the box of milk and took a sip from the straw heâd just had his lips around. you tasted him and the sweet cold liquid dissolved on your tastebuds, making you hum in satisfaction.
nicholas watched you, staring like you had with him.
âgood?â he asked you.
âmmm,â you confirmed. âreally good.â
âhave the rest of it,â he said. âi have more at home.â
you smiled at him, tightening your fingers around the cardboard milk box. he watched you sip the rest of the milk until the carton was empty.
you noticed his chest was rising and falling quicker, his jaw clenched. he swallowed a lump in his throat, struggling to look away from you.
âthereâs something in the office i need,â he said suddenly. âcan you help me find it while there are no customers?â
you hoped to god he was thinking what you were thinking.
and it turned out, he was.
the minute the door to the office closed with both of you inside, he pressed you against it and crashed your lips together. you moaned, wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him even closer.
you could faintly taste strawberry milk on his lips, and got even more of that sweetness when he slid his tongue into your mouth. you wrapped your lips around the wet muscle, sucking the strawberry taste off like it was candy.
âfuck, i want you so bad,â he mumbled against your lips. âwanted you for so long.â
âyou shouldâve been flirting with me then,â you remarked, tangling your fingers in his pink hair. ânot them.â
âwanted to see if itâd make you jealous,â he admitted, dragging his lips down your face to your neck. âdid it?â
you scoffed, and it turned into a gasp when he began sucking on your neck, just below your ear.
âfuck,â you hissed, tugging his hair as he swiped his tongue over the bruise that was forming from the suction. âyes, i hated it.â
ââm sorry, baby,â he said, sliding his hand down to the side of your thigh. âlet me make it up to you.â
suddenly, nicholas was on his knees before you, looking up at you with hungry eyes. he tugged on the waistband of your pants and slid them down your legs. you stepped out of them, kicking them off to the side.
your panties were next to go, leaving your lower half completely bare before nicholas, right there in the office of your workplace.
he kissed your inner thighs with feather like lips, inching closer and closer to where you needed him the most. now was not the time to be slow and teasing, yet nicholas was acting like you guys had all the time in the world.
âcome on,â you urged, bucking your hips forward in desperation. âplease.â
he chuckled, hot air fanning your pussy, then finally leaned in and licked a firm long stripe up your slit, your arousal coating his tongue like syrup.
you moaned shamelessly, knowing no one was out in the store to hear it. nicholas groaned, the sound of it sending vibrations through your cunt.
âmmm,â he hummed, flicking his tongue over your clit. âyouâre so fuckinâ sweet, baby.â
you felt your knees buckling, so nicholas planted his hands on your legs firmly, keeping you upright and spread for him to have enough room between them. he practically buried his face in your pussy, leaving no room between his mouth.
when you looked down at him, all you could see was his messy pink hair between your thighs. you could barely keep your eyes on him, though. the sensation of his warm, wet tongue sliding around your folds was too good to keep your eyes from rolling back into your head.
âoh my god, nicho,â you moaned. âthatâs so fucking good.â
he hummed in satisfaction, giving your leg a little squeeze. he tilted his head slightly up so the tip of his nose would rub against your clit, and that seemed to be the final thing you needed to feel your high rapidly approaching.
your legs squeezed around the sides of his head, and you were panting like you couldnât catch your breath. you could practically feel yourself dripping onto his tongue with how wet you were, and it wouldâve been embarrassing if you werenât already so far gone.
âfuââm gonna cum, nicho!â you squealed, pressing your cunt impossibly closer to his face, nearly sitting on it.
he moaned, only continuing to lap at your pussy like a man starved until the rubber band in your stomach snapped, and you were releasing all over his face.
the back of your head hit the door when you threw it back, crying out in ecstasy. your legs vibrated, your entire body pulsating and throbbing from the intensity of your orgasm.
nicholas milked you through it, his tongue slowly scooping up your essence and swallowing it like the strawberry milk. when he pulled back, his lips were pink and shiny with your cum.
he wasted no time standing back up, grabbing your hips, and bringing you over to the desk. he laid you flat on your back and unbuckled his belt with a needy ferocity.
âneed to be inside you,â he said as he slid his pants and boxers down in one go. âneed to feel that pussy around me.â
his cock, long, hard, and thick, stood straight up and was already leaking precum. if you had more time, you wouldâve gotten on your knees for him and gotten a taste for yourself, but it was more urgent that he fucked you.
he spread your legs again and you wrapped them around his waist, pulling him in close. he lined his flushed tip up with your quivering hole and slid in slowly with ease from the slick of your previous orgasm.
âohhhh,â he exhaled, sighing at the relief of your warm walls clamping around his dick.
your jaw fell slack, eyes glazing over, and you could just feel yourself going dumb on his cock already. he didnât even need to do anything and you were already so far gone.
ânicho,â you mewled, digging your nails into his abs.
âi know,â he cooed, pulling out and pushing back in. âyou feel so good, baby. so tight ân wet for me.â
you dug your heels into his back, practically giving him no escape. you donât know what you wouldâve done if he stopped with how good he was fucking you on that office desk, knocking papers and pencils down onto the floor without a care.
the stretch of his cock inside you was addictive. the way it was long enough to reach the deepest parts of you, so deep it felt like he was in your stomach. you clenched around him, sucking him deeper and deeper.
âfuck, baby,â he growled, leaning down to get close to your face. âiâm so fuckinâ deep. you feel me all up in there, hm?â
âyes, nicho!â you said, nearly yelling. âitâs so fucking deep. itâs soââ
and then, the familiar sound of the front door. that painfully irritating ring of the bell above the door, alerting you both that a customer had walked in.
both your eyes widened, and nicholasâs thrusts came to a complete stop.
âshit,â he muttered, pulling out.
âno, wait!â you begged, grabbing his arms to pull him back in. âplease, donât stop. i need it.â
nicholas had the audacity to laugh at you then in your desperate state.
âthereâs a customer,â he told you, like you werenât aware. âgo help them.â
you looked up at him in awe, eyebrows pushing together.
âm-me?â you sputtered out. âbutâŠâ
you trailed off. you wanted to forget the customer, for nicholas to keep fucking the life out of you. but you couldnât do that, not unless you wanted to get fired.
he handed you your pants, and you two got redressed as quickly as possible. you fixed your hair and readjusted your shirt, glancing at nicholas once more before opening the office door and running back up to the front.
the customer was standing at the counter, examining the menu.
âhello, welcome in,â you greeted, letting out a much needed exhale once you made it to the register.
âhello,â the woman said. âcan I please get a caramel latte?â
you heard the office door open again, nicholas making his way behind the bar with you.
âof course,â you said. âwould you like that wââ
suddenly, nicholas was standing behind you. he reached around you to grab a cup, pressing his erection into your ass, rubbing it against you right there in front of the clueless customer. it took the air from your lungs, and you couldnât speak.
in front of the customer. what was he thinking?
âwould you like that with whole milk or non dairy?â he asked, since he knew you couldnât get the words out.
âwhole milk, please,â the lady responded.
he was still behind you, his cock still throbbing against you as you took the cash from the lady and counted it out with shaking hands.
he only walked away to start making the drink once you gave her her change back.
you looked over at him, and he smirked at you like it was funny. your face had never been redder, you were sure.
what you hoped would happen was that heâd make the drink, give it to the customer, theyâd leave and you could go back to the office and finish where you left off.
what actually happened, though, was that nicholas gave the lady the drink, she left, and another customer came right after. then another. and another. you guys were busy for the rest of the day, and you knew you werenât going to make it back to the office with him.
-
a few days later, you were scheduled to close the coffee shop with nicholas. just you two.
you suffered a few hours of him flirting with customers while you made drinksâthe usualâbefore you could finally lock the doors and get to closing tasks.
he swept the floor while you cleaned the espresso machine, carefully scrubbing all of its parts.
âwas pretty slow today,â nicholas said to you, continuing to sweep.
âyeah,â you agreed, carefully screwing one of the parts back into place.
âbet we wouldâve had time to fuck without getting interrupted this time,â he said.
you looked up at him with wide eyes, but he still didnât look at you. still swept like he hadnât a clue what he just said.
âi didnât know we were gonna talk about that,â you responded.
âwhy not?â he asked with a shrug. âit was good, wasnât it?â
âwell, yeah,â you answered, watching him now. âit was. really good.â
he smirked, setting the broom to the side. he leaned on his elbows across the counter from you, biceps bulging through his t-shirt.
âsucks we never got to finish,â he said. âdonât you think?â
you gulped as his demeanor changed. his eyes became serious, the playful smirk fading from his face.
ây-yeah,â you stuttered, trying to distract yourself by wiping the counter down.
nicholas wasnât having any of it though. he stepped around the counter and grabbed your wrist, stopping you from cleaning.
âyou felt so good,â he mumbled, voice deep right beside your ear. âand it was so hot, how you just wanted to keep going. wanted me to keep fucking you even though a customer was waiting.â
you exhaled shakily, feeling a dull ache between your legs just because of his proximity, his warm breath fanning your neck. all you had to do was turn your head, and youâd be practically kissing him.
before you could, though, he grabbed your jaw with a gentle hand and turned your head for you. he leaned in and kissed you then, and you felt your body turn to jelly at the feeling.
he was the best kisser youâd ever came in contact with. his lips were warm and soft on yours, and even tasted good. you wanted to suck on them, to suck on his tongue and get every bit of essence out of him that you could.
you leaned back against the counter, planting your palms on either side of his firm face, deepening the kiss. he pressed his hands onto the counter on either side of you, leaving you trapped under him, and it was right where you wanted to be.
you dragged one hand down from his face, down the front of his shirt, and down to his belt. you brushed your hand over his bulge, feeling that he was already entirely hard. he hissed when you closed your hand over his clothed erection, palming him through his jeans.
he watched without sparing so much as a blink as you detached from his lips and sunk to your knees in front of him, his clothed cock now right in front of your face.
âfuck,â he mumbled when you started fidgeting with getting his belt off. âso pretty when youâre on your knees.â
you smiled to yourself, finally managing to get his belt off. you unbuckled his jeans and slid them down, pressing your lips to his cock now with only the thin layer of his boxers separating you from it.
you kissed the fabric, feeling his long cock pulsating and twitching with need. the teasing wasnât enough, and you knew he wanted more, but he was a lot of fun to play with. plus, you didnât have to worry about getting walked in on now. there was no need to rush.
âcâmon, sweetheart,â he urged breathlessly, hand firm on the back of your head. âwanna see you put your mouth on it.â
he pushed the waistband down, pulling his cock out. it looked even bigger now that it was right in front of your face, and you eyed it, intimidated by its size. nicholas bit his lip, guiding the tip into your mouth.
you swirled your tongue around his tip, tasting the salty precum he had built up. nicholas sighed from the relief of having your warm mouth around him, your tongue licking him like a lollipop.
once youâd lapped up all his precum, you sank down further, taking more of his length in your throat. he groaned, setting one hand on the counter behind you to ground himself while he kept the other on your head.
âoh, fuck,â he moaned. âyouâre so good at it, oh my god.â
you breathed through your nose and took his dick as deep as you possibly could, until your nose was pressed to his pelvis and his tip was nudging the back of your throat. you caught nicholasâs leg twitch, and when you looked up at him, his head was thrown back, his jaw slack in awe.
you bobbed your head back and forth, feeling tears prick in your eyes from the gagging, but it was all worth it to hear the pretty moans he was releasing, to feel his fingers tangled in your hair.
âjust like that, baby, fuck,â he groaned. âgonna cum so fucking soon if you keep doing that.â
so, you continued what you were doing because you wanted his cum. you wanted to taste him, to smear his essence between your lips and wear it like it was lip gloss.
drool was spilling out the corners of your lips, but it only made it better for nicholas because you looked really hot, and the added lubrication was a plus. he caressed your cheek sweetly, romantically even, feeling the bulge of his cock in your mouth.
he looked down at you, in awe of you still looking beautiful in such a position. you were drooling, tears streaming down your red cheeks, and yet youâd never looked prettier. he had to ruin you, had to make you an even bigger mess.
âahâgonna f-fucking cum,â he said, his voice cracking as it hit him.
his abs clenched and he held your head in place, fucking your mouth until he was spurting ropes of cum right onto your tongue. you stuck it out for him, and he groaned and grunted as each stream landed on the pink muscle, your lips, or other parts of your face.
you lapped up every bit of what he had to offer. you gathered some that had landed on your cheek and licked it off your finger because what a shame it wouldâve been to let any go to waste.
âyouâre fucking amazing,â he praised when he was done, petting your hair in reassurance.
when you rose from your knees, he kissed you again, unbuttoning your pants at the same time. he slid his hand into your panties and rubbed your clit in circles, feeling how wet you were just from sucking him off.
âgood girl,â he mumbled against your lips, inching the tip of his finger into your pussy. ânice and wet ân ready for me.â
you mewled when he slid his entire finger in, massaging it against your smooth walls. you clenched around it, grinding your cunt against his palm because you were so desperate that you couldnât even feel embarrassed. you just needed him.
once he felt you were ready, he said your panties all the way off and turned you around, pressing you down flat on your stomach so you were bent over the counter before him.
you arched your back, bracing for the stretch of him entering you. he started with his tip, popping it in and taking it slow as he slid in the rest of his length.
âyouâre so fucking wet,â he said, squeezing your hip.
âf-for you,â you sputtered out, fingers curling around the edge of the counter.
âyeah?â he asked, slowly pulling out halfway. âjust for me?â
he pushed back in so slowly, forcing you to feel every vein, every inch of his thick length, and it made your eyes roll into the back of your head. you could feel his tip pressing against your sweet spot, could feel him in your stomach.
âyes, nicho,â you purred. âjust you. no one else.â
âthatâs my girl,â he said, giving you a nice hard thrust for it. âso good at taking me.â
you squeezed around him, feeling your legs buckle because he was making you weakâtoo weak to stand up on your own. he grabbed your hips, ensuring you wouldnât collapse right there.
slow, hard, and deep, nicholas fucked you, right there at the coffee station where you worked nearly everyday. the same spot you made hundreds of drinks, the same spot nicholas flirted with ladies in the name of extra tips, getting phone numbers that he tossed in the trash without a second glance.
because it wasnât them he wanted. it was you.
you turned your head to the side, straining your neck to try and see him. his lip was between his teeth, his eyebrows furrowed together in concentration. when he noticed you turning your head to look at him, his expression softened, a warm smile overtaking his features.
âso pretty,â he said.
he brought his hand up to your face, caressing your cheek with his thumb before slipping it past your lips, flat on your tongue. you hollowed your cheeks and began sucking on it, looking up at him through your eyelashes, and nicholas thought you were unreal.
your moans were muffled around his finger, louder as his thrusts became faster and harder. the sound of skin slapping filled the quiet room, a room that was usually bustling with noise of whirring espresso machines and conversation. now, though, it was just skin on skin, high pitched moans and heaving breathing.
âharder,â you begged, his thumb slipping from your mouth.
nicholas dug his nails into your hips and fucked you even harder, his cock like a piston with how hard and fast it was moving inside you. your entire body jolted with each thrust, and you just knew that with the force he was using on you, you were going to be sore later on.
your cunt was nonstop clenching and tightening around him, sucking him as deep as you possibly could, and it was making nicholas lose his mind. a part of him was angry with himself for waiting so long to fuck you. if only heâd known your pussy was this good. if only heâd known that youâd been waiting for him to make a move this whole time.
your nonstop moans were getting louder, the intensity building up much like the pressure in your stomach. you felt like you were going to explode, like you were going to cum so hard that youâd pass out.
ân-nicho,â you sputtered, trying to find a way to warn him but you were too far gone.
you were so close to the brink, so fucked dumb that you couldnât even utter the words before you were hitting your climax. hard.
your body tensed, your pussy clenching around him as a gush of wetness shot out around his cock and down your legs, splattering on the counter and on the floor.
âfuck, nicho!â you shouted, drooling on the counter.
you clenched your eyes shut as he kept fucking you through it, milking out your orgasm while he chased his own.
âholy fuck,â he groaned. âyouâre so fucking hot, oh my god.â
he was slamming into you, your cunt squelching every time from the excess of wetness. it was humiliating, really. purely vulgar, but you couldnât get enough. plus, you were practically on another planet after how hard youâd just cum.
he thrusted three more times then came to a halt. his cock twitched inside you once, and then you felt the hot warmth of his cum stuffing your spent pussy full.
âohhhh, fuck,â he moaned, slowly rutting in and out of you as he came. âgood girl. take it all, baby.â
you did. you whimpered at he feeling of him filling you up, and you took it greedily. you wanted every last bit of him inside you.
when he pulled out, his cock was drenched in a mixture of your releases, and your cunt was dripping with the same. you were both a mess, and the surrounding area around you was a mess. your collective cum was a puddle on the floor, and your drool was drying on the counter.
âyou okay?â he asked, keeping his hand on your waist to hold you steady, noticing your shaking legs.
âyeah,â you said with a laugh, leaning into his chest.
he kissed the top of your head, rubbing your back.
âi promise if we werenât at work, iâd actually be good at aftercare,â he said.
you chuckled
âi believe you.â
you both cleaned yourselves up in the bathroom, and despite how exhausted you both were, the cafe was still only half closed down. only now, it was even dirtier than it was before.
-
âwho closed last night?â maki asked the next morning as you and him opened the store. âit looks terrible back here.â
you looked around, taking in the appearance of how you left the cafe when you closed last night. there were a few closing tasks you and nicholas decided to ditch, too exhausted and eager to get out of there.
he ended up spending the night at your place, where you continued your festivities into the night.
but you decided not to tell maki that it was you who closed last night, and you especially decided not to mention why youâd left the cafe in the condition it was in.
it was a secret that was just between you and nicholas.
cw boynextdoor x gn!reader ê± bf!bnd, established relationship, kissing, suggestive ( if you squint ), slice of life, skinship, not proofread ( sorry not sorry) 1507 wordcount
â Ꭰâ ăi was planning on writing nerd!riwoo, but brainfog took over me and i wrote this instead ⥠reblogs and likes are appreciated!
myung jaehyun âĄs cheek kisses
he was originally a sucker for kisses on the lips, but after seeing the smile that you give him every time he kisses you on the cheek, he couldnât help but fall in love with kissing your cheek. donât even get him started when you kiss him back, he basically crumbles every time you do. he loves it when the two of you are cuddling and he has his face oh so close to yours, he just canât help himself and presses a swift kiss on your cheek. âĄ
âbaby iâm going to the mall,â you giggled, bag in hand as you stood at the front of the door. all jaehyun could do was smile as you looked so cute, he leaned his head against the wall as a little smile creeped up his lips. âyou look really pretty,â he cooed, smirking like a dork as he walked towards you. âoh really?â you batted back, trying your best to look coy. âyes, how could i not think so!â he chuckled. âbe safe, okay? make sure to call me if you need anything.â he hummed, pressing a quick kiss on your cheek. you nodded, turning the doorknob. âlove you, jaeâ you sang, making him practically fall backwards.
park sungho âĄs wrist kisses
sungho likes two things when it comes to physical touch, hand-holding and kissing your wrists. in his words âitâs way less awkward for me to kiss your wrists in public than kissing your lips,â even though it draws more attention than kissing, he wants to be âdifferentâ. itâs super cute when the two of you are outside and he clasps your hands in hisâtrying his hardest to warm your freezing hands, only for him to press his soft lips on your wrist. âĄ
you were in the middle of trying out all of the cosmetics you bought from your local drug store, bottles of creams and oils scattered all over your bed. âwhat are you trying out now?â sungho hummed, curiosity all over his face. âiâm using this handcream, itâs vanilla scented and super smooth. honestlyâ it was worth it,â you rambled as you rubbed the cream in. sungho paid attention to each word you said as he stood in front of you. âcome smell itâ you cheered, raising your hand for him to hold. sungho bent his head down a bit to smell it, his eyes locked on yours with a cute smile on. âsmells really nice, yâknow i should buy it..â he said, holding your hand with such care. âit smells so goodâ he hums, pressing chaste kisses on your wrist before letting your arm fall down. âgood, we can go back there and buy it together.â
lee riwoo âĄs hand kisses
this man is like cornfield levels of corny, so donât be surprised when he jokes about being a gentleman. at first, he would kiss the back of your hand as a âfunnyâ joke, but little did he know he would actually enjoy kissing your hand. whenever youâd come home he would always kiss your hand with a stupid smile attached to his face, giggling to himself about how silly he was. as no surprise to you, you actually became fond of his little joke, even if it was 1000 days old. âĄ
riwoo jumped for joy as you brought groceries home, smiling like a dork as he ran over to hold the bags. âiâm so thankful that you brought food home, i am starving!â he sighed in relief, placing the bags on the counter. âyouâre welcome,â you chuckled, sliding your slippers off before walking to the kitchen. âsoo, what do you wanna eat? we could honestly eat a snack, and then we can cook later.â you spoke up, hoping that your idea fancied him. âyeah sure, i can wait a few more hours before eating,â he smiled, his hands taking the food out of the bags before putting them away. you nodded. as you walked over to the sink to wash your hands, riwoo grabbed your hand softly, holding your fingers in his hand before kissing your hand. âohmygod! riwoo, i didnât wash my hand, do you know how gross that isâŠâ you stared at him in shock, âwell⊠if i get sick, youâll take care of me, right?â you sighed, you knew damn well you would.
han taesan âĄs top of the head kisses
lets cut to the chase. he is way taller than you, so itâs just so convenient to kiss you on the top of the head. that is the only reason he could come up with. plus, he can do it in public and no one would bat an eye cause he can just rest his head on top of yours after. he just loves how you donât mind him doing that to you. he likes not feeling super embarrassed after kissing you, and you like how he touches you, so it clearly is a win-win situation. âĄ
the two of you stood in the moving subway, holding onto the handle as you awaited your stop. taesan stood behind you, hand resting on your waist, holding you near him. you pulled your phone from your jacket pocket and opened the camera app to use it as your mirror. you stared at your phone as you fixed your shirtâs collar, making sure it popped the way you liked it. as you were busy fixing your outfit, taesan rested his chin on your head, watching you. you didnât even realize he kissed your head multiple times. it just felt so natural, so you didnât say anything and let him do it. taesan turned you around and mindlessly fixed your outfitâsmoothning it out and helping you with your collar once and for all. âthank you, sannieâ you whispered, making him smile. you turned around again and embraced his hand in yours.
kim leehan âĄs thigh kisses
this sounds really shocking, but truly hear me out. leehan likes any kiss in general, he will smother you in thousands of kisses. but something so intimate about kissing your thighsâit drives him wild. it isnât even inherently sexual either, he just loves it when you let him kiss your thighs as itâs super rare for you to let him do it. he obviously cherishes the moment in his heart. âĄ
a random show was playing as filler noise as you laid in your bed with leehan, scrolling through your phone as you wrapped your body around him. you turned your phone off after a bit of usage and placed it on your dresser. you turned to face your boyfriend again and smiled. leehan stared at you, his eyes lazy from sleep trying to take him. âihan, youâre so cuteâ you muttered, kissing his nose. he giggled softly before yawning. you squeezed him with all of your strength. âyou give me such bad cuteness aggression, what is your secretâ you hummed, tracing your finger down his chest. âiâm not sure,â he whispered. you continued to squeeze him, the both of your bodies moving around in the bed. you finally let go after a bit and your leg was over his neck. âyouâre crushing me with your legggâ he whined, moving you closer to him, making your thigh rest over his face. âand this isnât crushing you?â you scoffed jokingly, shaking your head as a smug smile rested on his lips. without a word, a kiss landed on the back of your thigh, making you giggle. âdo it again,â you laughed, and he complied, kissing you over and over again.Â
kim woonhak âĄs lip kisses
heâs new to relationships and very inexperienced when it comes to those kind of things. so, to keep it simple in his mind he just sticks to kissing your lips. besides, his lips are so kissable. who wouldnât kiss him!? it could be cute pecks to making out with him, it doesnât matter to him. as long as you kissed him he doesnât care about anything else in the world. âĄ
you sat on the bleachers as you watched woonhak play basketball, eyes glued onto him as he ran across the court, chasing the ball and trying his hardest to steal it from his opponent. you videoed him on your phone and tried your hardest to capture all the good moments of the match. as it reached the final minutes of the game and his team winning, you knew it was going to be alright. in a flash, woonhak stole the ball from the guy and ran to their net, âYES WOONHAK RUN!!!!!â you screamed, standing up and shouting at him to shoot. in no oneâs surprise he shoots and scores, ending the game and winning for the team. you ran down the bleachers and without a doubt, woonhak ran over to you and hugged you, kissing you and squeezing your body with his. âiâm so freaking happy for you!â you cheered, making him smile like a dork. you kissed him once again and hugged him.
Niki loves using you like this, loves how you sink down on him.
The sheer heat of you wrapped tight around his cock after too damn long apart damn near steals his breath. Heâd been starved for the feel of you, that slick, snug clutch only your body gives him, and now youâre straddling his lap, riding him deep and slow, your thighs trembling against his hips.
His big hands grip your ass hard, fingers digging into the soft flesh, guiding your movements. He lifts you just enough to feel the delicious drag of him pulling out, then shoves you back down, burying himself to the hilt with a groan that vibrates through both of you. Jesus. The wet, hot velvet of your cunt swallows him whole every time.
"Look at you," he rasps. His eyes are locked on yours, burning with a hunger that makes your belly clench tight around him. "Taking me so deep, pretty girl. You feel that? All of me⊠right where I belong."
He helps you lift, then slams your hips back down, forcing a high, broken whine from your throat. "Yeah⊠just like that. Fucking beautiful."
His thumbs press into the base of your spine, pushing you into a faster rhythm. "So damn good for me. Squeezing me just right. My good girl." Every word is a low rumble against your skin, feeding the fire coiling low in your belly.
Youâre a moaning mess, head thrown back, breasts bouncing with each rough descent onto his thick cock.
The pleasure builds fast, too fast, a tidal wave cresting inside you. You sob his name, your fingers digging into his shoulders. "Niki⊠God⊠itâs too much⊠feels too goodâŠ" Your voice is a ragged plea, trembling on the edge of surrender.
His grip tightens impossibly on your ass, fingers biting into flesh. "Too much?" he growls, bucking his hips up to meet your next downward plunge, hitting a spot deep inside that makes stars burst behind your eyelids.
âNo, baby. You can take it. You love it. Feel how your greedy little cunt sucks me back in?" He starts moving up harder, faster, his hands controlling your body completely now, slamming you down onto his driving cock with relentless force. "My perfect little fuck toy," he breathes against your ear, the words hot. "Made just for this cock."
The intensity is shattering. Tears well up in your eyes, spilling over your cheeksâtears of pure, overwhelming sensation.
Niki sees them glistening in the low light. With a rough sound caught between a groan and a growl, he surges up, capturing a salty drop with the swipe of his tongue against your cheekbone.
The gesture is shockingly tender against the brutal rhythm of his hips pounding into you.
"Thatâs it," he murmurs, licking away another tear, his breath hot on your damp skin. "Give it all to me.â
He doesnât slow down. He drives harder, deeper, each powerful thrust bottoming out inside you, stretching you impossibly full, the wet slap of skin on skin filling the room alongside your choked cries and his ragged breaths.
A deep tears from his chest as he locks one arm like an iron bar across your lower back and the other hand grips your waist hard enough to bruise.
âGonna fill you up," he moans, the words desperate. "Mark you deep inside." You feel him swell, pulse, then erupt. Hot jets of his cum flood you.
At the same moment, his teeth sink hard into the tender curve where your neck meets your shoulderâa sharp bite that sends a jolt of pure electric shock straight to your clit.
He holds you there, pinned by his teeth and his cock as he empties himself into your clenching pussy, his entire body rigid with the force of his release. His low moan vibrates against your neck, a sound of utter satisfaction as he fills you with everything he has.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
all i wanna do is be with you.
êš.. â â ot6 x reader. phone calls when you're miles apart.
a/n: gn!reader for all except for taesan's because he calls you 'good girl' once lol. also suggestive for taesan's and maybe leehan's hehe. idk ihanie's one is kinda tame but he does have his shirt off...!
#ì±íž SUNGHO
you watch as sungho mumbles something about his schedule between his bites of steak and vegetables, your own morning cereal untouched as you cup your chin and watch him busy himself with his dinner through the screen of your phone propped up against the salt shakers.
âyour cereal is gonna be soggy.â
sunghoâs voice eventually breaks you out of your stupor and you shake yourself awake, eyes blink as sunghoâs blonde hair and smile unblurs in your vision and sharpens into view.
âi like watching you eat,â you mutter, poking at your milk and cereal with your spoon.
sungho leans forward, shuffling his chair forward as he pushes his plate and utensils away, âyouâll be late for work. eat.â
you reluctantly obey, shoveling the rest of your cereal - thatâs already soggy anyways - into your mouth as sungho watches.
tastes like cardboard, you want to say over the clinking of your spoon, but everything does when sungho has to go thousands of miles away from you - you swear he sucked a little bit of colour away from your life with him.
sungho watches you take another bite, his turn to watch you as he leans on his arm and stares at you through his own tiny screen.
âmiss you,â he eventually says, after youâve swallowed your last bite of milk and cornflakes.
âmiss you too,â you answer softly, placing your finger against the screen like you can reach for him through the glass, âat least itâs easier when we do it like this.â
he laughs humorlessly, hovering his finger against his own phone in the same place as yours. the two of you watch each other breathe.
âi should go get ready,â you mumble.
âyeah,â sungho agrees, âi should i get ready for bed.â
but neither of you move, and sungho sucks in a breath in that way where he has something to say but is wondering whether he should say it.
âsorry about this,â he eventually settles on, âcanât believe iâm eating dinner and youâre eating breakfast.â
you watch him shift slightly - distances compressed into pixels and numbers through a screen.
ânot your fault,â you say back, âtimezones suck.â
âthey do,â he agrees, nodding. he glances at the clock on the wall behind him through the screen.
âgo get ready,â he reminds you, âyouâll be late.â
you sigh, drawing away from the phone, âokay, okay. sleep well?â
âalways better when iâve seen your face,â he says, and he canât stop the smile tugging on his lips, âtalk tonight?â
âtonight,â you promise.
#ëŠŹì° RIWOO
âbabe, look!â you pull the phone away from your face as riwoo flips his camera around, the fireworks in view lighting up your dim room in bursts of colour and light.
âwoah, pretty,â you breathe out, mesmerised by the rhythmic explosions of fireworks across your screen.
âright?â riwooâs voice crackles over your speaker, âitâs the special version to celebrate new years! wish you were here to see itâŠâ
your chest aches again - itâs always the same feeling that bubbles up with every wishing you were here you exchange with your boyfriend.
you pull the phone back towards yourself as riwoo flips the camera back around. you can see the fireworks reflected in his eyes as he looks up at the sky. his orange hair is slightly mussed, messy like he rushed out without bothering to fix it, and heâs wearing the hoodie you gifted him when you first started dating - the one whose hoodie has been chewed through by daebak.
âme too,â you admit softly, watching an amber firework fan out behind his head, casting shadows across his face, âbut this is nice too. at least i get to see it.â
the phone shuffles on riwooâs end, and he settles on some kind of bench, the camera jostles slightly in his hold before steadying.
âit's not the same though,â he says, but thereâs no bitterness in it, âi want to hold your hand while we watch, and then i can give you my jacket when you feel cold.â
you laugh, a small, breathless sound, âyou would be cold then.â
âwe can share,â he dismisses, shrugging. you can hear the smile in his voice. the fireworks pause for a brief intermission and the call falls silent - stretched by the distance thatâs actually between you two.
âtell me what it feels like,â you say suddenly, âout there.â
riwooâs eyes drift as he thinks.
âcold,â he finally says, his eyes settling back onto your face glowing on his screen, âsmells like grass. very smoky. a lot of people around. they need to start making phones that let you smell things - that way you could smell it yourself.â
you smile at his suggestion - at the way heâs trying to solve the unsolvable.
âwell, until they invent that,â you say softly, âi guess iâm stuck with you describing it to me.â
riwoo shakes his head with a chuckle, âguess so.â
another firework blooms behind him, sparkling to life and painting everything gold. he doesnât peel away from the phone to watch it, instead studying you watching him, and somehow that feels more important than the fireworks show behind him.
âstay on the call?â you ask, even though the sun is barely peaking over the horizon and you havenât slept a wink.
âyeah,â he agrees immediately, shifting so you see the sky behind him - the best of both worlds, somehow compressed onto one small screen, âiâll stay.âÂ
and so you do. you stay in the darkness of your room while he sits on that bench under the fireworks. he keeps talking - about the people around him, what heâs planning to do tomorrow, what he ate - and you listen.
this is enough, you think to yourself, watching the fireworks that blossom in his eyes and listening to his voice over the speaker of your phone.
itâs not the same as holding his hand, but for now, itâs enough.
#ëȘ ìŹí MYUNG JAEHYUN
âdid you fall asleep?â
jaehyunâs voice jolts you out of your half-asleep state and you crack open an eye to see jaehyun sprawled across his bed, face cuddled up to the screen so much you can only see his eyes.
âno,â you clear your voice, âdid you finish showering?â
âmhm,â jaehyun replies, âdid i wake you up?â
you shake your head against your pillow, âi was waiting for you anyways.â
jaehyunâs eyes crinkle at the corners, and you know heâs smiling even if you canât see the curve of his lips.
âyou should sleep,â he murmurs softly - in the same tone he uses when heâs lying next to you in bed - soft and quiet, like heâs personally lulling you to bed. you smile at how heâs the same even though heâs no longer physically here, but oceans apart and existing together in the liminal space of a video call.
ânot used to you not being here,â you finally admit, curling your hands into your blankets, âitâs cold.â
the confession slips out of you easily in the dark, and you shift onto your side, mirroring his position as your pillow smushes against your cheek.
thereâs a pause on the other end - long enough you move to tap the screen just to make sure the call didnât freeze. but then you hear him breathe: a soft, deliberate exhale.
âi know,â jaehyun whispers, his voice cracking slightly, like say it physically tears him apart, âi know, my love.â
he shifts backwards, and now you can see a bite more of his face - his damp hair, the way his skin is still flushed from the heat of the shower. he looks so warm, so fluffy, and completely out of reach through a glass screen.
âwish i could be there,â jaehyun continues quietly, his eyes never leaving yours, âwish i could just get in bed with you and keep you warm the way iâm supposed to.â
you giggle softly into your pillowcase, even though itâs tinged in regret and longing. youâve had this conversation before - a million times - over the phone, in bed, when youâre just lounging on the couch; it never gets easier, the truth of what youâre both missing, what distance has taken from you.Â
âyouâre keeping me warm right now,â you finally say, âyouâre here, arenât you? even if itâs separated by a screen and oceans.â
âalways,â jaehyun says immediately, âiâll always be here.â
"then that enough for me," you say, "but you have to make it up when you get back."
jaehyun laughs softly, "i'll make it up and then some more."
he pulls his pillow closer, settling deeper into his bed, âgo to sleep. iâll be here when you wake up. same as always.â
he gives you that smile that always makes your stomach flutter and you give a smile back thatâs probably overly giddy and dopey. you ask your heart to stop drumming so fast and settle back into your own pillows.
âgoodnight,â you whisper.
âgoodnight, my love.â
you blow a kiss through the screen and he catches it, placing a hand over the place where his heart is.
#íì° TAESAN
âso, what do you think? is it cute enough for dinner?â
you smooth down the skirt of your dress and try not to look awkward when presenting yourself to your boyfriend through the screen of your phone, stood up against your water bottle on the dresser.
âgive me a twirl,â he demands, a hand over his mouth as he leans forward and squints at your outfit.
you do as he says, giggling to yourself as you do a slow twirl.
"sooo?" you tilt your head.
taesan shifts in his seat, adam's apple bobbing as he swallows harshly.
âyeah - um⊠it looks good. great, even.â
he bites his bottom lip and his voice drops to a lower octave, âwish i wasnât in some stupid hotel on the literal other side of the planet right now. you look way too cute.â
you laugh again, turning back to the mirror as you tug on the hem again, âyouâre just saying that.â
âiâm not,â you can hear the pout in his voice, âstop playing with it.â
you let your hands fall and regard yourself in the mirror - you think you look good - like you always do. you cock your head as you think about how taesan sees you, through his tiny phone screen, miles and miles away.
âyou like me too much,â you eventually say, voice light and teasing.
âyeah, i do,â taesanâs voice is rough and unashamed, âcome closer - to the camera.â
you hestitate, before taking a slow step towards your phone. his expression on your phone shifts - eyes darker as his jaws tighten.
âyouâre doing this on purpose,â he breathes out.
âdoing what?â you frown.
he lets out a breath thatâs sounds like a laugh.
âcancel dinner.â
your breath stutters, âtaesan -â
âiâm serious,â his voice is rough now, quieter, âcancel it and talk to me properly. take the phone back to your bedroom.â
the way he says bedroom makes your stomach dip.
you reach out slowly and pick up your phone, carrying it toward the bedroom as you try not to steal too many glances at him. but you can see him following the movement on his screen, tracking you, and he doesnât say anything at all - just sits back and watches as you nearly drop your phone in anticipation.
you sit on the edge of the bed, fiddling with your phone until both you and your sheets are in sight.
he breathes quietly, and gives you a dangerous, patient smile.
âgood girl,â he says softly, ânow - show me what else youâre wearing.â
#ìŽí LEEHAN
âkim leehan!â you shriek, slapping your palms over your eyes, âiâm not going to watch you shower!â
leehan stops, his shirt halfway off. he drops his shirt as he pads over back to his phone propped up against a wall of the bathroom.
âbut you said youâd stay on call with me!â he pouts, his eyes wide as he drinks in your flustered state.
âwell, yeah!â you fan yourself with a hand, your eyes still squeezed shut, âbut not like this!â
âitâs not like you havenât seen me naked before,â leehan blinks.
âitâs different!â
âhow is it different?â
âbecause -â you splutter, âbecause itâs different! you give me a warning!â
leehan tilts his head, like heâs genuinely confused and youâre the one being unreasonable and demanding, âi thought the shower running was the warning.â
âthatâs not -â you press your palm harder against your eyes, âthatâs not a warning! i didnât know you were gonna take your shirt off!â
he laughs, in that bright & easy way that makes it very difficult to be mad at him. you hear the soft thud of his shirt hitting the floor through the phone speakers.
âokay, okay,â you can hear the grin in his voice, âiâll keep the curtain closed, happy?â
âjust tell me when youâre done!â you yell, eyes closed.
thereâs a brief moment of silence and you hear the swish of his shower curtains opening and drawing shut.
âdone,â leehanâs voice is still teasing behind the curtain.
you crack open an eye cautiously and gasp.
âyou lied to me!â
leehan is leaning against the bathroom counter, decidedly not behind a shower curtain, arms crossed and looking far too pleased with himself for someone who just ambushed and tricked you within the past five minutes. you can't help but gape at the scene on your screen, his hair tousled and shirt notably not on.
âi know you like what you see,â he teases and you splutter, peeling your eyes away.
âso what if i do? and - and thatâs not the point!â
âwhatâs the point then?â
âthe point is -â you search for the right words, âis that we have a system!â
âa system,â leehan muses.
âyes! you warn me and i - i look away⊠or donât.â
he hums, tilting his head the other way, âso if i had said something like - hey, iâm about to shower, stay on call with me - you wouldâve said that's fine?â
you open your mouth.
you close your mouth.
he raises an eyebrow, smug grin displayed over his face.
â... thatâs not the point either,â you mutter defeatedly.
#ìŽí WOONHAK
âhehe, babe, look - youâre a potato!â
woonhakâs display jostles as he presses on the various filters on the app, cycling through turning you into potatoes, green screened into outer space, and ridiculous filters that make your eyes too big or forehead huge.
you try to muffle the laughter that escapes you, even as your face distorts into something ridiculous on the screen. the camera catches the way your eyes crinkle as you smile that even a filter can't wipe off.
âyou are a very cute potato,â you tease woonhak as he bobs his head up and down to play with filter.
âyou too,â woonhak replies. his grin grows wider as he clicks to another filter, this one giving both of you alien antennae.
you yawn involuntarily, all too aware of the time difference. woonhakâs afternoon bleeds into your midnight, and you wouldnât trade it for anything else. the stolen minutes before his schedule picks up or yours does grows sparser by the day, and you cradle your phone like itâs your lifeline.Â
âokay, one more before i go to bed,â you say quietly, careful not to tick off your flatmate sleeping next door.Â
you see woonhak lean closer to his phone, only the top of his hair visible as you hear him tap the screen of his phone.
he finds one that gives you a flower crown and makes everything pink and sparkly.
âthatâs how you look to me!â woonhak exclaims, far too proud of his confession.
âwith a flower crown and pink sparkly aura?â you raise an eyebrow.
âyeah!â woonhak laughs, âwhenever i look at you - itâs like you have an automatic filter in real life.â
âyouâre ridiculous,â you say, but a smile dances on your lips and your chest squeezes - the kind that comes with missing someone in the best way.
âyou just reduce me to some kind of idiot,â his expression softens as he looks at you through the screen.
you hold each otherâs gaze until a notification pops up reminding you both that the call is still recording and you laugh again.
"i should sleep," you say mournfully.
"yeah," woonhak taps his screen, "it's late - you need to rest."
he watches as you finally place down your phone, next to your pillow as you lie back down.
âgoodnight, hakie,â you murmur.
âgoodnight, beautiful. dream of me,â he replies.
neither of you move to hang up just yet, content with letting the seconds run out until sleep claims you or his schedule catches up.
inspired by that one picture woonhak posted of him and taesan lmao
exposing myself as a hsm fan...
somehow wrote this in like an hour WOW i am lonely.
⥠or ⻠if you enjoyed, support your writers, thank you!!
what did you think? drop your thoughts in my inbox!
cw. my attempt at humor and comedy, aged up riki (24), mentions of knives and weaponry, eating and food, violence, kidnapping, psychological and emotional distress, organized crime stuff duh, mature language (sexual innuendos, cursing), our pairing are essentially best friends that got married love this for them, blood and injury, trauma, plot twist (dun dun dunnnn), hurt/comfort, riki's a lil unstable but he means well
synopsis. he told you no, luckily for youâthat was never anything you were used to hearing. riki, your headache and your whole damn world didnât even want you stepping foot into the chaotic sphere that he calls his home. however, you were done playing housewife. but in a world where info is power and an achilles heel simultaneously, love (and riki's sanity) may not be enough to survive whatâs next.
author's note!
ciao!! i've been working on this for some time (since may omg). it's been on my mind for some time and it feels good to get it off. i'm very proud of this. i'm down to make this into a part two because i still feel like this could be more. lmkkkk anyways enjoy <333!!
partially proofread which is progress for me!!
âNo. Absolutely not.âÂ
âPlease?â
âNo.â
You followed Riki downstairs, skirt swishing and Mary Janes clacking indignantly against the marble. The long, oversized button-up you woreâhis, tailored for youâwas the same deep navy as the one he was currently wearing. You always matched. It wasnât optional. It was a language. A silent message. He didnât look back.
He never did when he was irritated. Just kept walking, tall and terrifyingly composed, descending the staircase like a man on a mission, still calm under pressure. Black slacks sharp enough to slice, the soft sheen of luxury dress shoes hitting the floor like a metronome. Even without saying a word, Riki made the entire house hold its breath.
Kaminari wasnât just a name. It was thunder, etched into Tokyoâs underworld like a scar. His great-grandfather had built it from blood and ash in the wreckage after World War IIâwhen the country was fractured and men like him learned to make an empire from silence. Each generation added its layer: first muscle, then money, then myth.
And now, Riki.
Youngest leader in the syndicateâs history. Raised in marble halls and taught to slit throats with one hand while sipping tea with the other. A businessman on paper. A storm in a suit. And your husband.
Riki and you had been married for one year now, dated for three. Granted, your marriage had shocked a lot of people seeing as you married so young, both of you were twenty-three. But you wereâareâin love and thereâs nothing that could come between the two of you. He was your soulmate and you were his. That, you both were sure of.
So as you two walked to your kitchen, passing by staff and giving your maidâClaraâa kiss on the head and a âthank youâ as you both sat at the island to eat, you sighed in frustration. âBaby, please.â
Riki, eyes glued to his omelette as he settled into the seat. âI said no.â His dark hair fell over his forehead until he brushed it backâanother small movement that looked like art. Now slicing into his food with the shiny utensils that had the family crest carved into them.
âRiki, Iâm not asking to get in the field and hold a gun. I just want toâŠbe an informant almost. Like your Oracle.â You turned to him, crossing your legsânot even wanting to touch your food now.Â
He furrowed his brow incredulously, âOracle?â He muttered with a mouthful of eggs.Â
You nodded with a smile, âMhm! Like the girl from Batman.âÂ
âYouâve been watching too much TV, baby.âÂ
You throw your hands up in frustration. âBecause you wonât let me do shit besides that!â You whined, desperate to prove a point.
Since marrying Riki, you have taken up the cushy, spoiled housewife role. And while there was nothing wrong with that, after a while you started to feel antsy. You had bought every bag, every shoe, every diamond, every car, watched every show, even rented out Disneyland for you and Riki to enjoy one day just because you only wanted to go on the Radiator Springs ride. Even the Chanel Private Client Services wasnât enough.
While you acknowledged the pleasures of being able to spend so indifferently, you started to get restless. There was something about the fact that he was able to go out every single day, going to be productive in more ways than one that made you feel almostâŠuseless.
The staff around you stopped bustling, a bit shocked to hear your raise of voice. Even Clara paused, hands folded over a linen napkin, her gaze flicking to Riki like she wasnât sure whether to intervene or bow out of the scene entirely.
Riki didnât even blink. He just calmly chewed his omelette like your words bounced off that thick wall of stoicism he kept tightly bolted around anyone who wasnât you. âIâm not telling you again.â
You didnât care, you pressed further just because you knew you could. âI know I can do it.â You frowned, âI just wanna help. Most Iâll be doing is sitting at a desk andââ
His eyes looked ahead, nodding once at Clara after she slid him his poured glass of water. But you saw his fingers clamp around the glass. Paling, but his face wasnât. Riki was calm, tempered as always. At least on the surface but he was patient with you. Something you took for granted. âYou know whatâs interesting about Oracle?â He said as he sipped his water. You didnât answer verbally but nodded for him to continue.
âSheâs sharp, stubborn, always ready and willing to help. A lot like you.â He gently stabbed the strawberry from the shared fruit bowl in the middle. âShe helped Batman and Robin. An amazing partner, she was.â He chewed on the fruit.
You perked up, âSee! Then I cââ
He calmly interjected, still not looking at you. But the vibrato of his voice verberated throughout the room. Bouncing off the walls, glass, and stainless steel. âBut then one day, Joker shot her. Right in the back. And now sheâs paralyzed.â
You blinked.
The sentence lingered in the air like smokeâharmless at first, until it filled your lungs. Riki still hadnât looked at you. Still ate like nothing had shifted. But everything had.
The room was silent. Not the type of silence that asks to be brokenâthe kind that warns you not to try.
You swallowed. âThatâs fiction,â you muttered, softer this time. âThatâs not real.â
âNeither is invincibility,â he replied simply. âNot even for people who think theyâre behind the screen.â
Finally, he glanced up at youâdark eyes laced with something you couldnât name. Something heavier than anger, deeper than fear. âYou think Iâm keeping you out because I donât think youâre capable?â He chuckled once, dry and humorless. âIâve seen you lie through your teeth and charm your way out of federal security checkpoints. Youâre brilliant. Iâd trust you to run the whole damn empire if I died tomorrow.â
Your heart skipped.
He set his fork down. âBut Iâm not dead yet.â
Then he rose. Just like that.
You expected him to storm off, to make a scene. He didnât. That wasnât Riki. He just straightened his cuffs, softly kissed your cheek, gave Clara another kiss on the forehead, and walked out of the kitchen and to the front door with the kind of quiet command that made everyone else shrink. âI love you, angel. Love you too, Claraboo.â
The guards fell in around him, black suits rippling like shadows. âI love you tooâŠâ You whispered, but loud enough for him to hear it because you knew he wouldnât leave until he heard you say it. And within seconds, the heavy front doors whispered shut, and the house exhaled a hush that felt a lot like defeat.
You stared at the imprint his coffee cup had left on the wooden coaster. Inherited empire, inherited fears. Same old script.
A gentle hand touched your shoulder. Clara. Cinnamonâandâsteel Clara, whoâd watched him grow from toddler to tycoon.
âTea?â she offered.
You shook your head softly, leaning on the marble with your shoulders slumped and frown etched onto your face. âNo thank you, Clara.â
The older woman had sort of become your best friend and aunt all rolled up in one over the last few years, sitting right where Riki did. She smiled bitterly as she rested her hand on your cheek. âYoung master doesnât mean to hurt you. Just doesnât know how to let you help without feeling like heâs failing you.â
You blinked up at her, lips parting, but she beat you to the thought. âHe thinks protecting you means keeping you in the dark. Itâs not fair. But itâs what he was taught. The men before himâhis grandfather, his brother, his father at firstâthey didnât marry for love. They married for legacy. You? Youâre the first thing he ever chose.â
Her thumb brushed along your cheekbone before dropping back to her lap.
âHeâs scared.â She said it like it was obvious. Like it wasnât something Riki would ever say himself. âNot of the enemies. Of what happens to him if something happens to you.â
You exhaled through your nose, scoffing softly at the bitter twist in your chest. âHe could just say that.â
Clara smiled gently. âHe could. But you married a yakuza, babygirl. Not a poet.â
You cracked a smileâsmall, but real.
âHeâll come around. Just donât mistake his silence for stubbornness. That boy listens. Always has.â
Your eyes met hers, lashes trembling just a little, because you were tired. Not tired of himânever of himâbut of what came with him. The silence. The walls. The feeling that even though you slept next to each other every night, there were parts of Riki that refused to come out from behind that iron curtain in his chest.
âHe talks like someone whoâs already buried a wife,â you muttered.
Clara sighs, âBecause heâs seen it all of his life. Colleagues dying, their wives dying. His motherâŠâ She trailed off.
Rikiâs mother had been shot and killed when he was two. He hadnât had any memories of her, just the things that his family wanted him to remember. All of his life he had heard stories of his motherâs laugh, how fun she was, and that one time she accidentally overheated the soup in the kitchen and made the pot boil over and explode all over the counter.
Riki had seen no point in being upset over it, he didnât remember her. In his mind, there was no use mourning someone he never knew. She didnât mean much to him until he brought you to meet his dad.
While you were in the parlor, leg bouncing and nearly hyperventilating, Riki and Mr. Nishimura were speaking in the hallway. Riki would never forget.Â
âHer laugh reminds me of your motherâs.â
That was all his father said. Stern and weathered, voice like gravel under boots, but his eyes softened for half a secondâjust oneâas he looked past Riki into the parlor, where you sat nervously smoothing out your dress.
Riki stood there frozen. Because in all the years of funerals and retellings, of whispered stories around the dinner table and framed photographs that never moved from the shrine, not once had anyone ever made her real.
Heâd never known her laugh. But apparently, you sounded like her when you did that thingâlaugh with your whole chest, eyes squeezing shut, hands slapping his shoulder even when he barely cracked a joke.
That was the moment his mother became realânot a figment, not folklore.
And that was when fear sunk its teeth into him.
But Clara didnât need to say anything. You knew. He knew. Everyone did and you couldnât forget because he wasnât going to let you.Â
So you sat there, knowingly and sighed in resignation. âI justâŠI love him and I want him to see me as an equal.â You brushed your hair back, jewelry cold on your warm face.
âHe does, sweetie.â The elder nodded with an endearing smile. âHeâs just a prideful and protective man raised by a lot of prideful and protective men. And sometimes that gets in the way. Theyâll do anything to ensure the safety of each other. Thatâs how they were raised. Youâre his world, donât act like you donât know.â
âI know,â you whispered as you stared down at your doll-like shoes. Rubbing them together lightly and creating a creaking sound with the coated leather.
Clara stood, brushing off her apron. âBut if thatâs not enough, thenâŠjust talk to him. Seriously,â she lightly pinched your cheek. âYou know just like I do that heâll listen.â
She left you with that, bowing before she went to go dust the living room.
And you stayed there, heart heavy and at this point, you felt like that same frown was going to become permanent. But you just turned to eat your breakfast.Â
Chewing on your omelette and it was cold and bitter, akin to what you thought battery acid could taste like. You frustratedly put the fork back on the plate, and just grabbed your apple juice. Leaving everything else in your wake.
â
Later that day
â
You lay in bed, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the ceiling like it owed you answers. The moonlight spilled through the blackout curtains, painting silver streaks across the sheetsâcold and unforgiving.
Riki moved around the room with his usual quiet precision, the soft click of his dress shoes replaced by the muted sound of him slipping out of his clothes. You didnât say a word. Didnât even flinch when he pulled back the covers and settled beside you in just his briefs. He liked sleeping this way.
He glanced over, catching the set of your jaw, the silent storm brewing behind your eyes. His voice was low, cautiousâthe kind reserved for moments when words had failed too many times already.
âYou still upset?â
You stayed quiet.
Your husband sighed as he stared at you, a mixture of pity and frustration. âI just want you to be safeâŠâ He leaned up on his side as he tilted his head. An idea came to his head as he smiled softly. âI have good news.â
You tightened your arms, still looking to the ceiling and staying silent.
But he kept talking, âWhile I was out, I got those chocolates you liked. I know you havenât been able to find them for months. Theyâre downstairsâŠI can have Clara bring them up for you.â He said hopefully but you still didnât dignify it.
âAndâŠtomorrow when I get back from work we can finally watch that show youâve been wanting to. The Vampire Diaries you said?â He reached to lightly brush your cheek with the back of his hand, to which you almost fell for it then but you had more resolve. âI promise not to get jealous when you call that Klaus character sexy.â He smiled gently, hoping to make you laugh but to no avail.
âCâmon, my love.â Riki kissed your temple, âdonât be so mean to me.â He said with near desperation.Â
Your eyes flicked toward him for a split second. Just one. That was all he got.
He saw it, too.
âIâm not being mean,â you muttered finally, voice flat. âIâm just tired.â
Riki stilled. His hand dropped back to the sheets.
âThatâs not what this is about and you know it,â he said, his voice quieter now, more careful. âYouâre punishing me.â
You looked at him, âYouâre underestimating me.â
He furrowed his brows, âIâŠno Iâm not. I told you earlier. I have no doubts. I love you more than you could ever understand butâŠyouâre naĂŻve.â His gaze wavered for the first time you saw in him, fear. âA-And you get in over your head sometimes. I know you wonât be in direct danger butâŠitâs enough and thatâs all I need to make me say no to you.â
You sat up, âI am not naĂŻve!âÂ
Riki smiled gently, nodding as he moved his hand to your waist. âYes, you are.â
âYou brushed it off when I brought it up. Said I was being paranoid. But that same car was on our street the next night.â He leaned in a little, voice lower now. âI didnât tell you that part. Because I knew it would scare you. And I didnât want you to feel guilty.â
He exhaled. âYouâre amazing. Brave. Smarter than anyone I know. But babyâŠthatâs what makes it worse. You think you canât be touched.â
âHave youâŠbeen touched?â You whispered in defeat.
âMe?â He snorted, âFuck no,â letting out a small laugh.
âRikiâŠâ you whined as you leaned back onto the headboard with a pout.
âWhat?â He laughed, but quietly gathered himself for you. âIâm sorry, but no. I havenât but thatâs because this is something that I was born into?â He said it as if it was obviousâbecause it was. âYou married into this life and this is just something youâd have to learn. But itâs been four years of me keeping you away from it and it will stay that way until we both croak over.â Riki nods affirmatively as he lays back down on his back. Eyes leering at the ceiling the same way you were.
A beat of silence fell over you two. You hated to push him, but this was the last time you would. âOkay butâŠat least think about this. I married you because I love you.â You huffed, looking at the ceiling as well. âYou, our union, this ring, our family nameâŠit means the worldâthe universe and galaxyâto me. But I swore to love, honor, and respect you in sickness and health, for rich or poor. ButâŠâ You turned to him with gentleness in your eyes.
âI promised to protect the integrity of the Nishimura name. That I wouldnât shame this family, myself, or you. That by becoming Mrs. Nishimura, thereâs tremendous responsibility and Iâm ready for all of it.â You tenderly pecked his lips, to which he quickly reciprocated. âI love you, and if I ever do anything to make you think I cannot handle thisâŠthen pull me out. But donât just say no if we havenât even seen how I would do.âÂ
Riki didnât respond right away. You watched his chest rise and fall, steady, like he was working through every word youâd just said.
Then, slowly, he turned his head toward you.
ââŠOkay,â he said quietly. âIâll think about it.â
You blinked, surprised he hadnât shut it down completely. But before you could say anything, he leaned over and kissed your foreheadâthen your lips. It lingered this time. Less reflex, more emotion.
âGoodnight, baby,â he murmured against your mouth.
You nodded, brushing your fingers over his cheek. âGoodnight.â
He waited until your breathing evened out beside him. Waited until your hand slipped from his chest and onto the pillow.
Then, carefully, Riki slipped out of bed and into a silk robe.
He moved quietly, barely letting the bedroom door creak open before he was down the hall, bare feet silent against the marble.
â
The door clicked shut behind him. Clara glanced up from her desk, already halfway into her second espresso. She didnât even look surprised.
âI figured youâd come,â she said, setting her cup down. âYou only knock when itâs about her.â
Riki didnât smile. Just stood there for a second.
Then: âWhat do I do?â
Clara smiled fondly, âWhat you think is best, son.â As she sipped her coffee.Â
Riki sat down on the chair in front of her desk with a sigh. âBut thatâs why I came to ask you.â He gestured to the elder with an annoyed expression but quickly hid it as he actually had respect for her. âShe made a good point. Too good. I just donât want her to get taken advantage of. I donât want her to lose her light the way so many of us did.â
Clara laughed, âYou still have your light, Riki.â She leaned back in her chair as she adjusted her glasses. âYou didnât always have itâŠbut she gave it back to you.â
He nodded with a firm look. âShe did. Sheâs my light. Sheâs myâoh goshââ Riki exhaled firmly as he buried his head in his hands, slightly shaking as he bounces his leg. Anxiety peeking through. âI canât lose her. I wonât. I will not end up like my dad. I refuse to.â He shakes his head vehemently, his black hair falling in his face to which he swiftly pushes it back.Â
âSheâs strong. Youâre even stronger. Use your strength to help her get there. She just wants you to meet her halfway. Thatâs all she needs from you.â Clara said softly. âSheâs capable and you know it. I believe so.â
Riki looks up at her through hooded lids. âYou think so?â
Clara nodded, âI know so.â She stood up and beckoned him to follow her. âCome on,âÂ
He complied and followed her to the east wing of the homeâwhere his office resided. She used her key to open it and walked to his file cabinet and pulled out a black folder and handed it to him. âHere.â
The tall man scanned the folder and looked up at her. âWhatâs this for?â
âA test.â she said simply. âStart small. Give her something to handle. If she can carry itâthen you talk.â
Riki stared at the folder, thumb brushing over the edge.
âYou sure?â
Claraâs eyes didnât waver. âIâve never been more.â
â
You sat in the living room, watching another installment of some YouTube gameplay of a horror game. After last night, you had hope. Hope that something in the universe would change the mind of your vexingly stubborn husband. That for once heâd let you have a little more agency than heâd let you have any other day.
Though, please donât misunderstand. Riki wasnât controlling by any means. He let you do and practically say whatever you wanted. You spent his money, were able to go out at your leisure (not without security), utilizeâŠhim as much as you wanted. But especially, he let you argue.
Riki never let anyone argue. Being the man he was, prideful and a leader, his word was always going to be the last one. It was his way or no way, and this was the first time he had fought you so hard on something as this only made you want it more. You wanted to help, of course. But you just wanted to be more important to him than you already were.
You knew that he loved you, you had never in the four years that you were together doubted the affection he held for you. You had just wished that he let you have a little more freedom.
So you adjusted yourself on the couch, your shorts twisting and crop top riding up just a little but it didnât matter because you had a throw blanket on. Riki entered the living room with something hidden behind his back. âHello, my love.â
You furrowed your brows, âWhat are you doing?â
He shrugged as he padded over to the couch and plopped beside you with a knowing smirk. You turned off the TV and turned to face him, giving him your undivided attention. âI have to talk to you about something serious.â
Growing suspicious, you hugged the blanket close to you. âOkay?â
He revealed a black folder from behind him and flashed it with a smile. âTa-da!â
You shrug, âA black folder. WowâŠâ
He smacked his teeth with a grunt. âTake it,â he said gently, smiling with tenderness.Â
You grabbed the folder reluctantly, opening it to sift through it: three different color USBs, CCTV stills, ledger excerpts, and then a sealable, ivory envelope with a Kaminari recommendation card on it.Â
Your heart dropped, tears welling up in your eyes as you looked at him. âNoâŠâ
He nodded, smiling, âYes, but only ifââÂ
You cut him off by throwing yourself on top of him in excitement. âThank you, thank you, thank you!â The black folder behind you now and your legs tangled with his as you held his face between your hands, kissing him once, twice, a third time just to make sure this was real.
Riki laughed into your lips, arms wrapped around your waist, holding you like the choice didnât shake him a little too. Like giving you this meant everything would be fine. âWait, woah slow down.â He smiled, âthereâs something else too. Come with me.â He stroked your cheek as he helped you up and off of the couch, grabbing the folder.
Without a word, you followed him to the east wing as if you were going to his office. But then you made a strong left. This house was so big that there were rooms you hadnât even seen yet; and youâd been living here for two years. But he handed you a key to a door, the door being right down the hall from his.Â
You took it without a word and unlocked the door to see an office of your own. A pink, girly office.
You stepped inside slowly, mouth parting in a silent gasp. It was stunning. Floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the room in soft morning light. White marble floors. Blush-toned walls. Shelves already stocked with delicate file boxes, soft leather notebooks, gold-trimmed pens, and what looked like a crystal lamp shaped like a cherry blossom. Then you looked around in the corner of the room, a plush carpet and loveseat with a mini-fridge.
There was a glass desk in the center, wide and sleek, with your name engraved on a pink acrylic placard: Mrs. Nishimuraâbut underneath, in smaller script, it read:
Behavioral Intelligence Officer
Your knees buckled a little.
âRikiâŠâ you breathed, turning around with trembling hands. âWhat is this?â
He stood at the doorframe like he wasnât watching your entire soul ascend out of your body. His smile was slow, private. âThis is where youâll work from now on. The folder stays here. You get full clearance, unmonitored access, your own contact line with everyone, and burner accounts weâll rotate weekly.â
You stared at him, absolutely speechless.
âYou said you wanted to help,â he added softly. âBut more than thatâŠyou wanted me to treat you like a partner. So here you go. This is me treating you like a partner.â
Tears filled your eyes again, but this time they didnât sting. They shimmered.
âAnd I donât have toâŠask permission to come in here?â you asked, still stunned.
Riki shook his head, stepping in and running his hands up your arms. âThis is yours. Itâs your space, your case, your decisions.â He paused. âIâll still worry, and Iâll still protect you. Thatâs not up for debate. But thisââ He looked around. âThis is where I start learning how to let go a little.â
You threw your arms around his neck again, burying your face into his shoulder. âIâm gonna cry all over this expensive-ass marble.â He let out a breathy laugh as he wrapped his arms around your waist. âDonât. I donât want a slip and fall one day in.â Kissing your temple lovingly, his voice softening. âI love you, youâre Mrs. Nishimura. Not just in love, but in title and itâs time we all started acting like it.â
You peeled off and pulled him down a bit to lay your lips onto his. Resting your hands on his nape as you kissed him like it was the last thing youâd ever do.Â
Riki, letting out a groan as he picked you up off of your feet, grabbing your thighs and wrapping your legs around his waist. He smiled into the kiss as he massaged your ass in his large hands. âShouldâve done this sooner.â
âMhm,â you hummed into the exchange as you tilted his head back to start showing his neck some attention.
Rikiâs pulse thrummed beneath your lips, his head tipping back just enough for you to taste the faint salt of his skin and the trace of expensive cologne he only ever wore for you. His breath caughtâlow, rough, entirely at odds with the marbleâcold composure everyone else knew.
He shifted, pressing you against the edge of your new desk. The glass was cool, a soft contrast to the heat rolling off the two of you.
âCareful,â you whispered, teasing your teeth along his jaw. âThatâs my desk now.â
He hummed, voice vibrating against your mouth. âThen I guess Iâll just have to get used to doing things your way.â
His hands skimmed up the backs of your thighs, thumbs drawing lazy circles that made you shiver. The black folder still sat secure on the far cornerâclose enough to remind you why you were here, but far enough to keep from shattering the moment. You pulled back just enough to meet his eyesâdark, dilated, a storm held only by sheer will. âThank you,â you murmured. âFor trusting me.â
He brushed a strand of hair from your face, thumb lingering at your cheek. âThank you for demanding it.â
The weight of those words settled between youâequal parts promise and permission. He leaned in again, slower this time, lips hovering at the shell of your ear.
âLock the door, Officer,â he murmured, a smile in his voice. âWe must discuss business.â You squealed in glee as you hopped off the desk and closed the door, clicking the lock and scampering to your desk chair to sit dramatically. Crossing your legs like this was your throne and you were about to speak to one of your subjects. âBehavioral Intelligence Officer speaking,â
Riki smiled at your corniness. âWoah there, Powerpuff Girl. We gotta lay down the ground rules first.â He leaned against your desk, half sittingâhis long legs in his signature black slacks looked you in the eye.
Raising your brows in curiosity, you knew this was coming. âRules?â
He nodded once, âRules. There are quite a few.â
âWhat are these rules?â You grabbed the folder to open it but he quickly took it from you, barely leaning forward as his long arms made quick work. âHey!â You tried to grab it back.
He held the folder out of reach and held his hand up. âNope, I need your attention.â
You huffed in frustration and leaned back in your chair. âOkay, you got it.â
He nodded, something behind his eyes switching. That domestic, loving, caring husband disappeared and now thunder, cold, and firm boss made an appearance. This is how you know he was being totally serious. âRule one: you neverâand I mean everâdo anything without consulting me. You report to me, you run things by me, you address me. This goes for everyone in the organization. I am the boss, I am your leader, I will be respected as such.â
Your eyes widen at his unyielding tone; unsure whether to find this scary or sexy. But you concede, âOkay. Number two?â
Riki nodded, âNumber two: one-way door policy. Do you know what that means?â He tilted his head.Â
You shook your head with wide eyes. âNo,â
He smiled politely, âIt means that whatever comes in here, stays here. That folder? Stays here. External drives, put it in the safe.â He points to the hidden safe behind the big picture frame of you two, the photo of him proposing to you in Cabo. âDonât screenshot anything. Donât even mention anything outside of here. The only other place thatâs acceptable is my office. Understood?â
You nod, âThat makes sense, I get it. Understood.â
âGood. Number three: when this button lights, pick up your phone. It means thereâs an emergency and someone needs to get a hold of you.â He nods to the clear knob on your PC keyboard. âWe havenât had a situation where weâve needed to do it for years. But itâs necessary. Simple.â He claps his hands as she slowly paces the room now.
âNext rule: Every accusation needs proof. Time, place, motive. You canât just say you have a gut feeling. I would believe you if you spat on me and told me it was rain. But here, we need proof. No baseless accusations. This goes for everyone, even me.â He put his hands in his pockets, as he looked at the marble floor. Letting himself think, doing that thing with his tongue-in-cheek. âAny questions thus far?âÂ
Even with receiving all of this information, you shook your head. âNo, keep going.â
âBeautiful,â he half-smiles. âNumber four, this is a special rule: mental health days for you. Brains work better when theyâre not being fried. Take a day to decompress, all of our problems will be there when you get back. And you will stop working at midnight, every night. No exceptionsâIâm not going to explain it.â He said firmly. âA few more rules.â
He stopped walking to look you in the eye. âYou only break rules to save a life, not for curiosity. Itâs cute in a mystery film but peopleâs lives are at stake everyday here, donât just do shit for the fun of it.â He comes back to his slow pacing.
âThird to last rule: this,â He gestured around the room, âis all yours. But this position isnât a sure thingââ
Your jaw dropped, âRikiââ you whined in protest, finding it to be unfair.Â
âIâm speaking.â He held his finger up to silence you, to which you complied. Cowering in your seat as you looked at him with a pout.
âYouâre going to be headed into this with little training. Youâre not used to being under constant pressure, sometimes when you arenât used to thatâŠwellâŠâ He shrugged, âyou can choke.â Riki sighed.Â
âYou think Iâm gonna choke?â You applied pressure to your tone, tilting your head in confusion. âI thought you said I was capable.â
Rikiâs jaw flexed, eyes flicking up to meet yoursâand for a moment, the weight of all this vanished. He looked at you like he always did: like you were the sun wearing heels, a hurricane with heart. But even so, his voice stayed firm.
âI know youâre capable,â he corrected. âBut being capable and being ready arenât the same thing. This isnât a trust fall, baby. If you fall, someone could die.â
You stared at him. The silence between you stretched just long enough to feel like a power shift. Like you werenât his wife at that momentâyou were his kobun, his chosen partner, sure. But stillâŠnew.
You swallowed your pride and gave a tight nod. âAlright. Next rule?â
He sighed again, knowing this one would damper you a little. âNo pet names. No âbaby,â no âmy love,â no âbabe,â âbabe-arsaurus.ââÂ
âNot babe-asaurus!âÂ
He gave you a flat look. âEspecially not babe-asaurus. Weâre not at home. You wanna call me something cute, you do it in the kitchen.â
You snorted, arms crossed as you leaned back in your chair. âSo dramatic.â
âIâm serious.â He circled back behind your desk, hands coming to rest on the armrests as he leaned in close. âPet names blur the lines. And here, we donât blur lines.â
You blinked. âOkay, edgelord.â
He grinned against your cheek, voice dropping again into that teasing warning. âKeep it up and the next ruleâs gonna be âno lip gloss if youâre gonna talk back.ââ
You raised your brows, daring him. âYou gonna confiscate it?â
He took your gloss right out of your shorts pocket like he knew exactly where it was. âFirst offense: warning. Second offense? I keep it. ThirdâŠâ He leaned in and whispered against your jaw, âYou come to my office to earn it back.â
âOohâŠâ you smile as you nuzzle his neck then pull back. âAm I speaking to my husband or Kaminari?â
He smiled back, âBothâŠbut Iâm serious.â He raised his brows, âNo names.â
You smacked your teeth, âOkay baâI meanâsir.â
Riki smiled kneeling in front of your chair now. âThat turns me on too, but final rule. And itâs the one Iâll break before I ever let you break it.â
He leaned forward, holding your face in his hands. His cool rings melted against your cheeks as he looked you in the eye. âNo lying,â he said. âTo me. Ever. If youâre scared, tell me. If you messed up, tell me. If you donât know what to do, you come to me. We do not lie to each other.â
This was an unspoken rule, not only in your career but in your marriage too. The only lie that Riki had ever told you was that he was going to work but was going ring shopping instead.
With the candor of his own familyâmeaning that Rikiâs family physically never lied to each otherâhe saw that lying was the ultimate form of betrayal. The only time that lies were acceptable were under moments of extreme duress (e.g. his job).
When you two had discussed deal breakers on your first date he had said âlyingâ before the question even left your mouth. And funnily enough, he never lied to you. He just withheld things or simply never brought things up until you asked.
He never spoke about work, and if you asked about his day then it was: âToday was shitty.â Or âIt was good. Just work.â Or âProductive, fortunately.â He never wanted you to know anything because knowing means danger and danger means you die. And itâs not paranoia! No. Never.Â
If you asked how a pair of jeans looked on you and he didnât think they suited you then heâd give a simple âYouâve got better ones, my love.â
Rikiâs brand of honesty wasnât meanâjust wrapped in a velvet glove with iron beneath. Never cold, never cruel, never abrasive. He just valued the truth and gave it to you whether you liked it or not. Simply, heâd want the same thing from you. Heâd rather you hurt his feelings with the truth now than hurt it even more with a lie ifâand whenâhe found out. You never lied to him, even when the truth would hurt more.
So now, as he knelt in front of you, thumbs brushing your cheekbones like you were made of glass and fire at the same time, it wasnât just a rule. It was another vow. Not just for the sake of your marriage but your new dynamic.Â
âNot even if itâll hurt you?â You whispered, leaning your forehead on his.
He closed the gap a little, leaning to place a gentle kiss on your lips; letting it linger. âEspecially then,â
ââŠIs this the part where I get my badge and cool-girl gun holster?â you mumbled against his mouth.
He snorted, pulling back. âYou are so annoying.â
âHot and annoying,â you corrected, poking his chest.
âYeah, unfortunately,â he sighed, mock-disappointed, before grabbing the case file from the desk. âAlright, dude. Letâs ruin someoneâs day.â
â
Riki sat on the edge of your desk again, this time with the folder open in his lap, flipping through it casuallyâcomposed as usual. âWe have a leak,â he said simply.
Your brows pulled together. âInternal?â
He nodded once. âHigh-level. The kind of leak that gets people killed.â
You leaned forward in your chair, pulse ticking up. âWhat kind of intel got out?â
âShipment logs. Safehouse rotations. Even a few agent profiles,â he said, tapping the page with the back of his ringed hand. âAll routed through dead drops in Nishiyama territory. No digital trail. Clean. Old-school.â
You scoffed under your breath, âSo weâre dealing with a professional.â
âWeâre dealing with a mole.â His voice hardened like concrete setting. âSomeone inside Kaminari is feeding information to the Nishiyama syndicate. Which means one of ours is playing both sides.â
You blinked. âA double agent?â
He met your gaze with a heavy look. âExactly.â
You swallowed. This wasnât just a briefing. This was serious. âYou already have a suspect?â
âIâve got three.â He flipped to the next tab. âSome important people. Social Liaison, Yuna. Logistics, Jo. Then Sohee, the Accountant. All had access to the stolen intel.â
You reached out, but Riki didnât hand over the folder yet. âYour objective,â he said, his tone dropping into something deadly smooth, âis to make contact with all three. Casually. I want your read on them. Behavioral patterns. Speech tells. Any inconsistencies.â
You raised a brow. âYou want me to profile them.â
âI want you to read them like a book, baby,â he said, before catching himselfâthen exhaling. âSorry. Not on the job.â
You smiled a little. âSlipped out. Iâll allow it.â
He looked at you, seriously now. âYouâre not just my wife here. Youâre the only person I trust to do this clean. No bias, no noise. I donât need proof yet. I need instinct. Which might contradict a rule but you arenât making a move yet. Thatâs up to meâŠor maybe you depending on how this goes.â
âAnd if my gut tells me who the leak is?â
He nodded. âThen we build the case. Surveillance, comms trace, movement logs. But youâre the first step.â
You inhaled. âUnderstood. Where do I start?â
Riki handed you the folder at last.
âPage one. Then you come to the compound with me tomorrow morning.â He smiled, tilting his head.
You stood with slight nervousness, shaking your hands as if the feeling was water and you needed to let it dry. âTomorrow?â You muttered as you paced in front of him slowly. âIâm going tomorrow?â
Riki smiled at your demeanor, âYes, you will be coming with me tomorrow.âÂ
âWhat? So like, do I go in a disguise or something?â You stopped and put your hands on your head dramatically, cropped shirt lifting just a tad to reveal the hem of your bra. Not that you cared, Riki had seen you as naked as the day you were born.
Letting out a breathy laugh, eyes crinkling at the corners and that was enough to soothe you. Hearing him laugh. âSure.â He crossed his arms. âYour disguise will be âmy wife.ââ Riki leaned off of the desk as he approached you. âYouâre just going to talk to them. Like I saidâŠread them. Point out red flags, assess a possible motive. But even then, you are not to engage further. No strong-arming. Thatâs my job.âÂ
âBecause youâre mean to people.â
Riki snorted. âIâm not mean. Iâm...assertive.â
You raised a brow. âYou once threatened to staple someoneâs tongue to a desk.â
He held up a finger. âBecause he lied. With confidence. Thatâs worse.â
You blinked. âYou smiled while doing it.â
âAnd I was right,â he replied, smug as hell.
You muttered something about psycho husbands under your breath and flipped open the folder anyway. Inside were three crisp profiles: one woman, two men. All clean-cut. All smiling in their ID photos. Like one of them couldâve handed someone a kill order and then gone out for ice cream after.
Your stomach twisted just a bit.
âYou good?â Riki asked softly.
You nodded. âYeah. Just a lot to take in.â
He paused, reading you again like he always didâtoo carefully, too much like someone who knew every version of you. The tough one. The soft one. The one who panicked over brunch menus and the one who could lie on cue if called for it.
âYou donât have to prove anything,â he said quietly. âTo me. Or anyone else.â
Your eyes flicked up to his. âThatâs funny. I thought this whole thing was a test.â
âOh it is,â Riki pursed his lips. âAnd you do have something to prove, I just wanted to make you feel better.â
âWhatever happened to not lying?â You furrowed your brows, now getting irritated that he was making a joke of you.
Riki didnât flinch. âIâm not lying. Iâm softening the blow. Totally different.â
You scoffed, folding your arms. âFeels the same from where Iâm standing.â
He stepped closer, his voice dropping just enough to make your spine straighten. âIf I didnât think you could handle it, you wouldnât be here. I donât hand out assignments because of marriage certificates.â
You held his gaze, jaw tight.
âSo yeah,â he continued, âitâs a test. But not of your worth. Of your readiness.â
Your heart beat just a little harder at that. Not because you were scaredâbut because you hated how much you cared about passing. How much you wanted him to see you pass.
ââŠStill feels like lying,â you mumbled, avoiding his eyes.
âThen lie back,â he said, almost a whisper now, brushing a knuckle down your arm. âBut I owe you a receipt, though.â Riki pouted his lips mockingly.Â
âA receipt?â Your eyes flitted to the side for a moment in confusion.
âMhm,â he hummed as he sharply pulled you in by your biceps, your chest meeting his upper abdomen as he towered over you. âDonât think I forgot the tone you took with me yesterday morning.â
Your heart raced and the breath caught in your throat like it had something to lose. His grip wasnât tight, but it was firm enough to remind you: Riki didnât bluff.
âI had to assert myself,â you said, chin tipping up even as your voice dipped lower.
Riki smirked, eyes flickering between yours. âOh, you asserted something, alright. Had me rethinking our marriage vows halfway through my eggs.â
âShouldâve read the fine print,â you quipped, trying to deflect the way your pulse was going off like sirens under your skin.
His smile widened just a bitâdangerous and sweet, like a dare in the dark. âFine print said mutual respect,â he murmured. âAnd you disrespected your superior officer, baby.â
You narrowed your eyes. âSuperior officer? Thatâs what weâre doing now? You get off on that?â
âI get off on putting you in your place.â He stroked your cheek with his knuckle as he leaned in, grazing his nose with yours. âI think you forgot who you married.â Something behind his eyes flickered, something dark, menacing, and slightly sinister.
He leaned back as he scanned your body. âGo to our room,â he said, voice low and unshakable. âLose the attitudeâand the clothes. I want both off by the time I walk in.â
â
Getting ready the next morning at six ante meridiem was the hardest thing youâve had to do in a very long time. You donât know how Riki did it. If it was a solid nine then that was right up your alley. And considering the events of last night, your husband wasnât exactly forgiving. You were sore as a bitch, with every part and limb aching.
Nevermind your glorious dream about riding unicorns in the rain. It didnât matter because it wasnât rain, it was your despicable husband shaking his wet hair in your face as your wake up call.
âGrand rising, beloved!â He beamed with a boyish smile.
You jumped up, clenching the linen sheets to your bare chest and gasping for air. âOh my God.â You grunted as you swung on him, hitting his bare arm. âYouâre such an asshole! Fuck you, you scared the shit out of me!â Youâre still spent for air as you fell back on the bed and he was towering over you from beside the bed, laughing from the pit of his gut.
He grinned, completely unbothered by your assault. âDonât be mad. You looked peaceful. Like Snow White, but, like...if Snow White had a felony record.â
You tossed a pillow at him, which he caught easily with one hand, the other holding his towel around his waist. âIâm not the one with the felony fucking record.âÂ
âWell technically I donât. But if I did then Iâll add something else to my list if you donât get up.â He tossed the pillow back at your face. You launched yourself at him like vengeance itself, arms wrapping around his neck as you tackled him backward. The towel slipped just enough to make it personal.
âI hate you,â you growled, even as laughter bubbled in your throat.
He caught you mid-flight with that irritatingly perfect upper-body strength, stumbling a little before regaining balance. âLies,â he muttered against your shoulder. âYou were just singing my praises last night.â
âThat wasnât singing, that wasââ you cut yourself off, groaning as you buried your face in his collarbone. âIâm too tired for this. Letâs call in rich.â
âWe are rich,â he said, smug. âBut weâre also very much still showing up, because Iâm not digging the âsore and crankyâ excuse from you today.â
You sighed and looked up at him, âI would kiss you but you pissed me off and I have morning breath.â
Riki smirked, unfazed, and leaned in anyway. âLucky for you, I have a piss kink and no sense of smell.â
You smacked his chest, scandalized. âRiki!â
He just laughed, catching your wrist and pressing a kiss to your knuckles. âRelax, I brushed my teeth for both of us.â
You narrowed your eyes. âThatâs not how hygiene works.â
âIt is in marriage,â he said, already walking away like he didnât just say the most obscene things before the Lord Himself was awake. âNow move it. Weâve got a mole to sniff out.â
You stared after him. âI swear, Iâm calling HR.â
âI am HR.â he yelled from the bathroom. âYou have two hours.â
God help you.
â
âOkay, so whatâs the plan?â You exhaled shakily, trying to rub the sweat off of your palms and onto the leather seats of black car.Â
âMy love, you asked like twiââ
âI donât care, Iâm asking again.â You looked out of the car window, watching the trees turn to mush and blur as the car sped through the highway.
âThree people, one woman: Jung Yuna. Two men: Asakura Jo, and Lee Sohee.â He said, carefully, as he soothed your nerves, gently massaging your thigh. âLeak. Youâre going to talk to them, get a feel for their personalities. JustâŠget to know them. Thatâs all.â He pressed a tender kiss to your shoulder.Â
âOkay,â you huffed. âSimple enough.â
Riki gave a soft hum. âSimple, yes. Easy?â He flicked his eyes toward you, a warning there. âNot even a little.â
You glanced at him. âWhatâs the catch?â
He didnât answer immediately, just adjusted his grip on your thigh and dropped his voice. âOne of themâs working with a third-party buyer. We donât know who. We donât know why. But we know itâs internal.â
Your brows furrowed. âAnd they donât know we know?â
âExactly. As far as theyâre concerned, Iâm bringing my sweet, unassuming wife for a fun day at work. Yuna knows me. Jo doesnât trust me. And SoheeâŠâ he trailed off, pausing. âSohee thinks heâs smarter than everyone in the room.â
You clicked your tongue. âSo you want me to play dumb.â
Rikiâs lip curled into that crooked smirkâthe one that always meant trouble. âNot dumb. Charming. A little naĂŻve, maybe. But observant. Youâre not interrogating them. Youâre studying them. I want your instincts, not your analysis.â
âSo this is âvibes-basedâ intel?â You made quotation marks with your fingers.
âThis is you-based intel.â His hand slid up your thigh, fingers curling gently. âYou see people. Youâve always seen meâeven when I didnât want you to. Thatâs your edge.â
You fell silent for a beat. âIf Iâm the edge, what are you?â
âThe blade,â he said simply. âSo keep it cute. Iâll do the cutting if we have to.â
You let out a breath, heart pounding as the trees blurred past faster now. âOkay. Letâs find our mole.â
â
You entered the expansive compound, smiling and waving at the different people. At timesâand the very few times youâve been hereâyou forget that this is an organized crime group and not an organization, a conglomerate even.
And seeing Riki walk in here was like seeing a switch flip and the light turn on. Gone was your generous, funny, doting lover and now straight-faced, strict, articulate KomichĆ. It was slightly overwhelming to be able to see someone just turn themselves on and off like that.
So when he walked in, every person lined up to greet him. His kobun, bloodbound kobun. Trained, loyal, and unshakably his.
They bowedânot out of introduction, but acknowledgment. You werenât a stranger here, not technically. They knew your face. Theyâd watched you stand beside Riki in silk and gold, watched you kiss him with a thousand eyes on your back. But none of them knew you.
Not really.
So when you walked in todayâno veil, no curated elegance, no fanfareâthere was a shift. A flicker in the way some of them looked at you. You were here, which meant something had changed. You werenât just the wife anymore. You were part of the inner workings now. At least you and Riki knew that.
Still, he said nothing else. He didnât need to. His presence was enough to quiet any question before it could rise. But the way his hand hovered at your backâsubtle, protective, claimingâtold the whole room that you werenât just tagging along. You were trusted.
A few of them looked surprised.
One or two looked uneasy.
And at least one looked curious.
You kept your posture steady, offering a nod of acknowledgment. Cool. Collected. Just another day casually stepping into your husbandâs criminal empire. Totally fine. Absolutely fine. Zero panic.
Riki leaned in just enough to brush his lips against your temple. âThey remember the wedding,â he murmured, âbut they donât know you.â
âGood,â you replied under your breath.
He smirked. âThatâs my girl.â
â
You strolled into one of the lounges, making decent use of your time here. You were careful to not immediately get to work as you didnât want to make yourself super obvious. So here you were, walking around, scaring Heeseungâhead of operationsâevery now and then just because you could. But after about thirty minutes, you decided to pull the trigger on this.
Your eyes found Sohee sitting at one of the many tables, tip-tapping away at something on his laptop. Presumably not work-related because this was considered a breakroom. But Riki wasnât that strict, he didnât care where the work got doneâas long as it was in the building and nowhere else.Â
Putting on a friendly smile, you approached the table with politeness. âHi, Sohee. How are you?â
The guy looked up from his laptop, the blank stare turning to a smile that mirrored your own. âOkaasan, Iâm doing fine. You?â
You waved him off with a smile, telling him to drop the formalities and that calling you by your name was more than fine. But he didnât comply, stating that Riki insisted that they call you Mrs. Nishimura or Okaasan.
âNo, Iâm telling you to call me by my first name. Please, itâs okay.â Smiling, nodding your head to ensure he felt a little more comfortable in this exchange. Being on a first-name basis establishes comfort. If thereâs that then the conversation wonât be so rigid.
Sohee smiled gently, being slightly flustered at your friendliness. He hadnât spoken to you ever and only knew you in passing. He was at the wedding like most of the group but besides that there were very little interactions between you and the other affiliates. No one knew about you aside from Rikiâs close friendsâsome of whom were a part of the group and his groomsmen, and his family by the time of the ceremony. âOf courseâŠâ He rubbed his eyes, âBut yeah, I havenât seen you since the wedding. Tell me about married life, howâs it treating you?â
You slid into the seat across from him, adjusting your blouse just slightly as you crossed one leg over the other. A friendly smile stayed on your lips, but your eyes had already started their sweepâwatching his fingers, his posture, how fast he minimized whatever was on his screen.
âOh, you know,â you started, tone breezy like the back patio of a brunch spot. âWe argue about whether the AC should be at sixty-eight or seventy-two, and then he kisses me. Classic honeymoon phase stuff.â
Sohee laughed politely, but you noticed the slight tug at his lipâlike he was trying to decide if it was okay to really laugh. That was good. You liked that.
âItâs different though,â you continued, tilting your head thoughtfully. âBeing someoneâs girlfriend, and then suddenly youâreâŠreally a part of their life. Your world is one, I guess. Still getting used to the perks.â
He snorted at that, relaxing a little. âI mean, if by perks you mean the estate and a guy named Chan who opens your car door every morningâyeah, not bad.â
You let out a soft laugh. âExactly. And the complimentary paranoiaâs cute too.â
Soheeâs eyes flicked up at you, and for a second, you saw the calculation behind the smile. He was smart. They wouldnât have put him over logistics if he wasnât. âYou say that like you werenât built for this. I mean, most people around here kind of expected you to be the accessory. No offense.â
You smiled wider at that. âNone taken. Accessories donât walk themselves in here and sit across from the guy who tracks where all the money goes.â
He stilledâjust barelyâbut you caught it. Bingo.
Before he could volley back, you softened your voice, brushing invisible lint off your sleeve. âAnyway. Iâm not here to scare anyone. Iâm here to get to know people. Rikiâs always talking about how tight-knit the team is. Family, right?â
Sohee nodded slowly, and you could practically hear the mental gears clicking. âYeah. Family.â
âAnd family talks,â you said lightly. âEven if itâs just about whatâs stressing them outâŠor keeping them up at night.â
He leaned back slightly, tilting his head. âThatâs a very specific way to phrase that.â
You looked at him with a half-smile. âWell. Iâm a very specific kind of person. Plus, I spend his money, I gotta make sure it gets where it has to be right?â You try to break the subtle change in vibe with a joke. He bites, somewhat relieved that the woman who has the power to either put him on the unemployment line or in a body bag wasnât taking him too seriously.Â
Despite that, you took it for what it was and whatever he was giving you. Before either of you can stretch the silence too far, the door swings open.
âHeard there were pastries in here,â a voice calls out playfully, and in walks Yunaâlight on her feet, dressed like her outfit alone had a LinkedIn profile, and confident like someone who always gets the last word.
Her gaze slides over the room, landing on you and Sohee.
âOh,â she says, lips curving upward as she closes the distance. âDidnât know this was a members only table.â
You gesture to the seat beside you. âNot at all. I was just catching up with Sohee. Join us.â
Sohee stands halfway out of his seat in reflexâa gentleman or a little afraid, whoâs to sayâbefore awkwardly sitting back down once Yuna waves him off.
âSo,â she says as she takes a seat, folding her arms on the table and angling herself toward you. âI havenât seen you since the wedding. You were a vision by the way. I mean, the ceremony? You two couldâve had a Vogue cover, just stunning.â
You chuckle, nodding politely. âThank you. It was a blur, but I do remember crying over my lashes right before walking down the aisle.â
Yuna laughs, then tilts her head a little. âSo, married life? Howâs it been? I imagine being Mrs. Nishimura isâŠan adjustment.â
The way she says itâlike sheâs biting into something sweet just to test the aftertasteâtells you sheâs digging. Not cruelly. JustâŠcurious. Or pretending to be.
You tilt your head, mirroring her. âWe were just talking about it.â You gesture to Sohee with a smile. âItâs been good.â You always loved to overshare, but it was no oneâs business what consisted of your relationship. Namely how well your husband treated you. You had to learn that lesson better now than later.
Yuna hums. âRight. Heâs always had that...edge. But seeing him soft for someone? Kind of wild, honestly.â
You smile, gentle but unmistakably proud. âItâs a side of him you have to earn.â
That lands. You see it in the way her jaw shifts just slightly, like the compliment doubled as a subtle door slam.
She nods slowly, playing it off. âMust be niceâbeing the one person who gets let into the inner sanctum. He doesnât really do vulnerability.â
You rest your elbow on the table, your chin on your hand. âNo, he doesnât. Which is why I donât take him for granted.âÂ
And that right thereâthat soft, unapologetic weight behind your wordsâis when the intimidation really hits.
Yuna smiles, but this one doesnât quite reach her eyes. âYou make it look easy.â
Sohee clears his throat, trying to reroute the conversation back to safer shores. âYou always had that energy, though,â he says. âEven at the wedding. People were talking more about you than the cake.â
You grin. âThen I hope they werenât talking about the dress fitting too tight. I ate like four slices of that cake myself.â
âBold,â Yuna murmurs, sipping her drink. âThat cake was like five hundred a slice.â
You glance at her. âWhen you marry a man who owns the bank the baker owes a loan to, cake isnât a concern.â
Sohee chokes on a laugh, half trying to hide it. âSheâs not wrong.â
Yuna raises an eyebrow, lips twitching. âThat sounds like something KomichĆ would say.â
âHeâs rubbing off on me,â you say.Â
âDefinitely rubbing,â she mumbles beneath her breath as she sipped her tea again, you barely heard it but it was definitely loud enough for you to catch.
Your ears perked up at the comment, âIâm sorry?â Tilting your head with a small smile, acting as if you didnât really hear her.Â
Yuna blinked, playing it off, though her smirk didnât quite fade. âNothing. Just talking to myself.â
You let out a soft chuckle, resting your elbow on the table and your chin in your hand. âYou should be careful doing that around here. People might think youâre losing it.â
Sohee glanced between the two of you, sensing the invisible knife sliding onto the table. âRight, well, Iâm gonna pretend I didnât hear anything either.â
âNo need,â you said smoothly, eyes still on Yuna. âI just thought I heard something interesting. Wouldnât want to miss out.â
Yuna gave a small shrug, eyes cool. âGuess my mind wandered.â
âTo Riki?â you asked lightly, no edge to your voice but every word precise.
Her lips parted like she might defend herself, but instead she laughed softly, shaking her head. âYouâre good.â
You smiled wider. âI know I am.â
Sohee cleared his throat againâless out of nerves, more out of self-preservation. It seemed so with him, Riki said he always thinks like heâs the smartest in the room but it might not even be that. Maybe, but he shrinks beneath the gaze of someone bigger. Though, intelligence and bravery arenât mutually exclusive in this case. Or any of them for that matter.
But you didnât break your gaze from Yuna, not just yet. âDonât worry,â you finally said, sitting back in your seat with a gracious tilt of your head. âI donât bite unless Iâm hungry.â Your eyes glinted, like the once inquisitive look was suddenly demoted to annoyance. But you knew better than to let her get the best of you.
Yuna lifted her tea, trying to cover the shift in her postureâthe slight tension in her shoulders, the way her jaw tightened for just a second. âGood thing Iâm not on the menu.â
âOf course not,â you said sweetly. You stand, brushing off your skirt as you slide out of your seat. âIâll be going now, guys. Thanks for hanging out with me.âÂ
âNo problem,â Sohee said with a gentle smile as he stood up to shake your head. To which you nodded respectfully, returning the gesture. âHopefully weâll be seeing more of you around here.â
You laughed with a nod, âFor sure, Iâll definitely be around.â Glancing at Yuna, you smiled gently. âSee you around, little one?â You reached out and rubbed her arm, to other eyes it was friendly. Between you twoâand maybe Sohee if he squintedâit almost seemed like you were rubbing the metaphorical snot she sneezed onto you, back on her. Sonning her, âlittle girl-ingâ her.
Nonetheless, she smiled. She nodded. And just took it. âYes, see you around.â
And off you were.
â
Speaking to Riki after that little exchange was definitely on your mind. Seriously it was, every aching part of you was determined to run down on him and question him until he physically choked on his every word. Because for real, what the fuck was that? Why was Yuna so comfortable speaking about your relationship and Riki in such a way? How has Riki made her so comfortable? When has he done that? How did it happen? Who even brought this up to her in the first place?
As the five Wâs were this close to the edge of your tongue, you decided to save it for later. Not now, no. And itâs not even like you were shy about your marriage. If one couldnât tell by now, you took any and every opportunity to mention Riki. You swore to your friends that once you got married you would âmy husbandâŠâ the fuck out of them and everyone else around you.
But you didnât know Yuna, hardly even. Youâd known her as one of the heavy hittersâessentially the PR for the group. The Social Liaison. She was delicate, yet biting. Subtle, yet direct. She was gorgeous and thatâs exactly why she was appointed, because she was easy on the eyes and no one could dare turn away a beautiful woman.
You didnât feel inferior, there was no reason to. Yuna was Yuna and You were You. Both of you were beautiful young women in a field dominated by men no matter how you sliced it. So to see her be so combative when you didnât do that to her made you feel like you lost a friend before you could even make one.
So as you were on the hunt for Jo, passing through each hallway and scouring every nook and cranny for this guy. You peeped Riki a few feet away in the broad, wide-ranging room. Speaking so firmly to one of the kobun, not making eye contact but nodding along as he walked and they briefed him on something. They were too far for you to hear but he had noticed you, almost like he felt you from ten feet away.
He didnât stop what he was doing, didnât pause, he was slick as always. Riki kept walking and as he was listening but he made eye contact with you. His gorgeous, alluring eyes followed you as you kept moving but he didnât smile. He just poked his tongue outâquick, barely there, a flicker of his usual mischief. The kind of look that says I see you, and I know you see me, without saying a single word.
It wasnât apologetic. It felt more like a challenge. Like he was telling you to come find him. To press him. To demand what you wanted to know. At least to you because thatâs what you felt like doing. But knowing him, he was just teasing. Letting you know that beneath the hard shell of the KomichĆ was your childish, teasing, yet loving husband.
You held his gaze for a moment longer, then kept walking. Because no matter how much your fists itched to grab his collar and ask him what the hell Yuna meant by that, you had other business to handle. Logistics came first. And Joâwell, Jo was never easy to find. Which was kind of the point.
So you tucked Riki into your back pocket for now, like a loaded question youâd pull out later.
Jo was somewhere in this damn compound, likely holed up with blueprints, phone calls, and at least five burner devices. And if there was anyone (sans Riki) who could give you the real lay of the landâor shift it completelyâit was him.
Riki could wait.
You pulled out your phone to shoot him a message, though:
thorn in my side: do yk where jo would be right abt now?
He replied back in a split second.
idiotbox: should be in his office. upstairs, 5th floor. 509.
thorn in my side: thanks
idiotbox: i love you
âŠ
???
i said i love you
i love you baby ????
now girlâŠ
You didnât even care to respond, you were mad at him for something you only assumed he did and that was childish, of course. You were petty, but so was he and that was how you two worked so well. Heâd pick up eventually, but you hated the fact that such a menial exchange had irritated you this badly. But you knew better than to put him in a bad mood at work.
thorn in my side: i love you more babe-asaurus
idiotbox: hm
weâll talk later
You rolled your eyes at how easily he was able to read you even without seeing you. But whatever, you have a guy to find and Riki was close to your heart as always; but the least of your worries.
Taking the elevator was intense because you hoped that it would be slower, honestly. Like how much of a rush were these guys in? You reached the first to fifth floor in less than two seconds. Now, here you are, scanning the doors and you finally reached Joâs appointed office and you politely knocked. Waiting for a âcome inâ or âenterâ or âwho is itâ literally anything. But nothing.
You scanned the hallway, peering both ways up and down. No one was around, no one seemed to be passing through and you stepped forward a little bit to put your ear to the door. Also silence.Â
Racking your brain, Rikiâs words kept ringing in your mind: you are not to engage further.
You are not to engage further.
You are not to engage further.Â
You are notâfuck it.
Without another thought you twisted the knob to Joâs office and as fate would have it, the door was unlocked. You pushed through the door and peeked your head in.
Empty.
So as you slipped in, gently closing the door behind you before locking it, you reminded yourself of what you came here for. It was to get a hold on behavioral patterns, but thereâs no harm in scanning. With a shaky exhale, your eyes followed through the space. Very minimal. Only necessary items here: desk, chair, file cabinet, desk lamp, simply essential office gadgets.
But as you neared his desk, you spied a ton of papers scattering across it. You hovered, unsure whether you should touch them, but then again, Riki did say not to engage further. He didnât say anything about observing. Which, in your opinion, made this a grey area. And what were grey areas for, if not you skating through them with barely plausible deniability?
The first sheet that caught your eye was a layout of the compoundâmore detailed than the blueprints youâd seen before. Color-coded zones, timestamped patrol shifts, even ventilation system routes. Jo is definitely playing chess while the rest of these guys are just showing up to the board.
The next paper underneath made your stomach pull a little tighter. It was a list. Names. Some you recognized, some you didnât. Some were marked with symbols: asterisks, slashes, question marks. What you did know was that this was the definitive rosterâessentiallyâfor everyone in Thunder.Â
Sans one other: Yuna.
Weird.
Then you saw it.
A manila folder tucked half underneath a blueprint sheet. You knew you shouldnât, but girlâcuriosity is a disease. You slid it out just an inch, enough to see the label written in Joâs tight, deliberate handwriting:
âINCIDENT REPORT â LEAKâ
Then another:
âNISHI â CONFIDENTIALâ
You didnât let your initial shock cloud your common sense. Without another thought you grabbed the two files and shoved them inside of your shirt. Dumb decision, yes. Strange, absolutely.
Just as you were heading to the door to make your graceful exit (youâve been doing a lot of those lately it seemed), you heard footsteps and jingling keys right outside of the door.Â
âFuck!â You mouthed in panic and scanned the room. A sliding closet was your best bet so you took shelter there, squatting at the floor and hugging the cloth covered folders to your chest. Knowing better, you ensured your phone was on silent and not on the hard floor to make noise.Â
And not a second too soon.
The lock clicked, the door swung open, and Jo enteredâas leisurely as one can be. You watched through the thin slits in the closet door as he moved with practiced ease, the way only someone who expected to be alone did.
He muttered something under his breath, inaudible, as he tossed a USB onto the desk and rolled his chair out with a squeak. You swore your heart was doing parkour in your chest, beating a rhythm so loud you were sure he could hear it.
He started typing.
Clicking, clacking, clomping. Jo hands had left the keyboard to feel for his foldersâthe absent ones.Â
His hands patted the desk once. Then again. Slower.
You could hear the moment he realized something was off.
Click, click.
Rustle.
Click.
Pause.
ââŠHuh.â
He stood up. You could see his silhouette shift through the closet slats. Jo leaned over the desk again, rifling through papers, lifting one corner of the blueprint like the folders might be playing hide and seek with him.
Another pause. Longer this time.
Then he muttered, low and sharp: âMotherfucker.â
Busted. Not completely, but the clock was officially ticking.
Jo paced once, then sat back down hard, fingers drumming against the desk in a rhythm that screamed calculating. You knew Jo very vaguelyâthis wasnât confusion. This wasnât panic.
This was inventory. This was war.
And you were right there in the middle of it, like a roach under a glass.
He pulled his phone out. Tapped. You didnât hear the call ringâprobably encrypted, burner-to-burner. Probably to someone way too important to be talking about two stolen folders and a potential mole crouched three feet away.
Still, his voice was ice when he finally spoke:
âTheyâre gone. Both of them. Yes. Both. Folders. No. Nobody elseâs been in here.â
He huffed as he slammed the device down on the desk and left without another word. Closing the door behind him.Â
You didnât move for a full thirty seconds.
Just breathed.
Slow and shallow, trying not to make even your lungs betray you. Your heart was doing a drum solo in your chest, and the folders clutched to you suddenly felt like live explosives. Your knees were screaming. Your brain was screaming.
But Jo was gone.
And you were still here.
When you finally uncurled yourself and opened the closet door like it might squeak out a betrayal, the coast was still clear. The office was eerily quiet, save for the dull hum of whatever sinister programs Jo had left running on his screen.
You grabbed his phone too, along with the USBs. Leaving that behind, what a dummy.Â
You crept out like a cat burglar in a heist movie, glancing around one more time before heading to the door.
No one.
No shadows.
You slid out and shut the door behind you, just as quietly as you came.
And then booked it.
â
Muscle memory had you headed there before you could even second-guess the idea. Ninth floor, west wing, room 920. Youâd memorized it months ago without even meaning toâlike the curve of his signature, or the way his voice dipped when he was serious.
The folders were still tucked under your shirt like contraband, stabbing awkwardly against your ribs as you power-walked. You probably looked suspicious. Not that anyone was around to clock itâyet. But paranoia was creeping in like a slow leak. Any second now, you were sure alarms would start blaring.
You rounded the corner, heart racing. Rikiâs door stood at the end of the hallway, clean and unassuming. You didnât knock. Just turned the handle and slipped inside like a shadow.
He wasnât at his desk.
He was standing at the window, back to you, hands in his pockets like some tortured antihero. Of course. Of course he was being dramatic today.
âYouâre not supposed to be here,â he said, without turning around.
You rolled your eyes and let the door click shut behind you. âThis is where my man is, this is where Iâm due. Thank you very much.â
He turned slowly, his expression unreadable until his eyes landed on your shirtâand what was very obviously not a very lumpy new bra.
âYou didnât,â he said flatly.
You didnât say anything. Just reached under your shirt, pulled the folders and phone out like a magician producing a rabbit, and dropped them onto his desk with a soft thump.
Riki stared at them.
Then at you. â...Youâre insane.â
âI love you.â
He pressed his fingers to his eyes, already visibly aging five years. âI love you too. But I told you not to engage.â
âYeah, well.â You walked to his side of the desk as he sat. âIâm starting to think you only say that when you donât wanna deal with the fallout.â You lifted yourself to sit atop his desk, folding your legs.
He didnât argue because a part of him knew better. But he was going to ask questions.
âBefore I open these, Oracle.â He smirked as he leaned back in his chair, rubbing your bare calves. âYou are going to tell me how you got these.â
You tilted your head, half-smirking, half-daring him to press. âBefore I tell you,â you said, voice sweet as poison, âyouâre going to tell me who Nishi is.â
He paused, the playful squeeze he gave your leg faltering for just a second. Just enough for you to catch. Just enough to confirm that the name meant something. Something serious.
âThatâs not how this works,â he said slowly, like he was weighing each word. âYou first.â
You leaned back on your palms, eyes dragging lazily across the office like you were boredâlike you werenât high off adrenaline and one bad decision away from spiraling. âDoor was unlocked. Papers were out. Your little friend Jo doesnât have the cleanest filing system.â
âYou broke into his office,â he said, amused but exasperated, like a teacher trying not to laugh while writing you up. âYou hid in his closet.â
âAnd you told me not to engage, which is very different from telling me not to investigate,â you quipped. âAnd how do you even know I did that?â
His hands were warm against your skin again, this time steady. Grounding. He sighed, and there was something tired in it. Like this day had finally worn him down. âFirst off, you came in here winded. Which means you were running. Something you never do.â He nodded affirmatively, like he had seen this scenario a million times before. âThen you have extra padding in your bra like you donât have enough going on there alreaââÂ
You squinted at him, offended but mostly appalled. âExcuse me?â
Riki had the audacity to grin, all smug and unbothered, like he wasnât skating on the thinnest ice imaginable. âWhat?â he said, lifting his hands in fake innocence. âI notice things. You werenât exactly subtle and Iâve seen them enough to know what they do and donât look like. The folders are poking out like a second set of ribs.â
You smacked his arm. âYou are insufferable.â
âObservant,â he corrected, laughing under his breath. âAnd I know you. You only get this chaotic when youâre pissed or nosy. Or both.â
You rolled your eyes and slipped off his desk, pacing a few steps to blow off steam. âWell, congrats. You know me. You want a medal or a map to Joâs shitty closet?â
âI want you to tell me why you went looking for him,â he said, the smile in his voice gone now. âWhat made you dig?â
You paused, fiddling with the edge of a stray paper on his desk, not looking at him. âI was just making my way down the list.â You shrug with a slight pout. âI had already spoken with Yuna and Sohee. Conveniently they were both in the same room. Then I saw you enroute to Jo, knocked on his office. Nobody home. So I took it upon myself to find what he wasnât there to tell me.â You sighed with a firm nod. âWhoâs Nishi? Is it short for Nishimura? Or short for Nisââ You paused as something in your brain had clicked, the lights werenât dim anymore.
âThe Nishiyama syndicate that you were speaking of.â Humming in understanding finally as you leaned against the desk. âIs that it?â
Rikiâs then blank expression shifted to a smile, not devilish. But kind, almostâŠproud despite the weird situation. âYeah, thatâs it.â
Somehow you felt small beneath his gaze, so your eyes shifted to the files and phone. âAre you gonna open the files?â
The raven-haired man sighed, leaning back into his chair. He was entirely too cavalier for your liking but you kept your lips glued. This was his world, not yours. At least not yet. âNo.â He shook his head gently. âYouâre gonna read them and tell me what you find.â
You blinked. âOkay,â
âOkay?â
âOkay.â
âGood.â Riki leaned up and handed you a new notepad and pen. âDonât write on his stuff. Iâm sure he knows theyâre missing.â
âHe does,â you took the items with both hands. âIs he going to hurt me ifââ
âOver my dead fucking body.â
Your breath caughtânot because you didnât believe him, but because of how fast he said it. Like it wasnât a question. Like the very thought of Jo trying anything had flipped a switch in Rikiâs brain that only lived between rage and devotion.
You stared at him. âThatâs dramatic.â
âI mean it,â he said, and this time there was no smugness, no teasing. Just that low, steady tone that made your spine straighten and your chest feel way too small. âHe touches you, he dies.â
Laughing him off, you waved your hand. âAgain, dramatic.â
âThereâs nothing dramatic about it. I have no problem putting anybody six feet under if itâs about you. Iâm telling you now, I will kill him. Myself, with my bare hands.â He nods calmly.
You nodded, lips pursed as this weird feeling of not believing him but absolutely believing him came over you. Now you arenât stupid, thereâs very few people in this life that have clean hands but since you never saw that side of Rikiâit was hard to fully compute that. You were used to the version of him that bit you when he just found you cute. The one that whenever he ate french fries, he would put them in his mouth and act like he was a walrus. The part of him that whined whenever his food touched.
The Riki that kissed you like it was his first and last, everytime. When he made love to you it was passionate, like he cared. Savoring every part of your body and ravishing it like a starved man. And even though youâve been together for as long as you have, he still makes you feel like youâre in high school. Both his and your inner childâs connect and thatâs what makes every part of being with him so worth it.
Hearing him talk about putting someone in the dirt for hurting you didnât scare you. At all, if anything a depraved part of you loved that he was so ready and willing to take care of you. But because he had kept you so far from this lifeâto the point where you never saw him right when he came home from work.
You only ever saw him after a shower when he got back. The house was big enough for him to avoid you and he didnât want you to even see him in any other way aside from put-together or casual. He simply wants to keep your perception of him one way.
Now heâs at the point where he doesnât need to get his hands dirty, but heâs not above it. He knows heâs not but he doesnât want you to know that. Maybe because youâre pure, the only clean thing in this world and he wants to honor that sanctity.
Thus you nod with a tight-lipped smile. âAye-aye captain,â
Riki nodded curtly, âThank you, now sit.â
âCan I take this home with meâoh wait, no, the rule.â I sighed as I sat down on his couch.Â
He laughed, âRight, good, good. ButâŠâ He breezed past his desk to now sit beside you. âWhy didnât you tell me you loved me?â He leaned back against the back of the couch, crossing his arms as he peered at you with patient eyes.Â
You furrowed your brows, snorting at his ridiculousness. âI tell you that multiple times an hour, Riki. I just said it when I came in. What are you talking about?â
âBabeâsorryââ He covers his mouth, trying to muffle a smile at the minor slip-up.Â
You point at him, âAh-ha! You broke your own rule, genius.â Laughing as you twirl the pen between your fingers.
Riki groaned dramatically, tipping his head back against the couch cushion like the weight of his love-induced hypocrisy had just crushed him. âGod, Iâm so weak,â he mumbled into the ceiling.
You giggled, nudging his leg with your knee. âYou made a rule you couldnât keep. Who does that?â
âA man in love,â he sighed, hand flopping over his heart. âA fool. A slave to your eyes and...whatever scented oil youâre wearing today. Beautiful gourmand.â
You rolled your eyes so hard you nearly saw your past mistakes. âYou suck so bad.â
He turned to look at you again, his playful expression softening slightly. âYou didnât say it earlier. In the texts. Well you did, but I just had to pull it out of you. Which is unusual because usually it happens easily. Like a nice, well-lubricated machine.â
You paused, the smile still on your lips but tinged now with something quieter. âI was annoyed.â
âI figured,â he said.
âAnd donât use âwell-lubricatedâ like that ever again.â You laughed as you adjusted your position, kicking off your shoes just because you could. Placing your legs on his lap as he instinctively went to massaging your aching feet.Â
Riki laughed beneath his breath, âMmm, how else should I use it thenâŠ?â He trails his hand up your calf.
âDonât even think about finishing that sentence,â you said, pointing the pen at him like it doubled as a taser. âIâm in work mode now. No nasty metaphors.â
Riki smirked, thumb dragging slow circles into your ankle like he was trying to hypnotize you. âYou sure? Iâve got a whole glossary. Synonyms. Imagery. PowerPoint, even.â
âPowerPoint?â You quirked a brow. âWow. And here I thought this organization was low-tech.â
âWe save the advanced tech for seduction,â he deadpanned.
You threw your head back in a laugh, letting your legs go slack against him. âYou are so lucky youâre cute.â
âI know.â He smiled proudly, then leaned forward, pressing a kiss to your knee. âBut seriously...I knew something was bothering you. I felt it.â
You nodded, brushing a bit of lint from your lap like it was your own way of smoothing down your thoughts. âI didnât like the way Yuna talked about you. Like she knew you. Knows you. I know itâs stupidââ
âItâs not,â he cut in gently. âWhatever it is, itâs not.â
You looked at him. âI didnât want to make it a thing while youâre working, but...she got under my skin.â
âWhat happened?â
âNothing really,â You shook your head as confusion plagued your expression. âLike she was just throwing jabs at our marriage. Likeââ
âDo you want her gone?â
âWaitâdamn! Can I at least tell you what happened?â You put your hands out in panic.
Riki blinked, caught between his gut reaction and your clearly not-yet-finished train of thought. âRight. Sorry.â He held up his hands, leaning back slightly. âContinue. Full dramatic reenactment, if you will.â
You gave him a flat look. âYouâre impossible.â
âAnd yet, here I am. Devoted. Foot-rubbing. Ready to commit crimes in your honor.â
You fought back a smile, exhaling sharply before continuing. âShe just said some things. Made it sound like she knew you in a way I didnât. Nothing direct, but it was allâŠin the way she said it. Like she was watching me, waiting to see if Iâd flinch.â
Rikiâs jaw ticked just slightly, and his hand stilled again on your leg. âWhat did she say exactly?â
âShe joked about you being soft for me. About how it must be wild seeing you like that. And then she muttered something under her breathââdefinitely rubbingââafter I said you were rubbing off on me.â You rolled your eyes. âWhile it was funny,â you smiled as you reflected on the moment. âIt was just the tone she took, it was petty.â
His voice had that eerie calm againâthe kind that made you picture storms on the horizon. âAnd do you want her gone?â
You hesitated. âI donât want to make you cut people loose just because they annoy me.â
âNot just anyone,â he said slowly. âHer. You disrespect my wife, you disrespect me. End of discussion.â
You sighed. âI just didnât like feeling like I was being tested. Like I had to prove I was worthy to be here. That I deserved you.â
âNo. You donât need to prove shit to anyone. She works for you, baby. Not the other way around.â He scoffs in irritation, not at you. Just at the situation.
âYou think she wants you or something?âÂ
Riki rolls his eyes, âPlease,â he waves off.
âNo, Iâm being serious.âÂ
He furrowed his brows, âThat has nothing to do with me, I chose you. I love you. Yuna is justâŠYuna.â
You narrowed your eyes at him, folding your arms across your chest as your legs stayed propped on his lap. âThat is the vaguest, most non-answer answer Iâve ever heard.â
Riki groaned, tilting his head back like the ceiling was somehow responsible for your suspicion. âBaby, come on. You want me to whatâspell out that she probably has some weird little crush from back in the day? Okay. Maybe. Possibly. Who wouldnât? But that doesnât matter. I donât want her.â
You blinked, lips parting just slightly. âWeird little crush from back in the day?â
He froze. Froze frozen. Like someone had just hit pause on his entire soul.
Then slowlyâpainfully slowlyâhe sat up straighter and scratched the back of his neck like a man about to give a deposition. â...I mean, likeâŠa crush she invented in her head. You know how people do. Delulu culture. Sheâs a millennial. Orâwhatever she is.â
You gave him the most unimpressed stare humanly possible. One that could suck the air out of a room if you held it long enough.
âYouâve been avoiding answering straight for two full minutes,â you said, your voice sharp but cool. âWhat arenât you telling me?â
He let out a deep sigh, eyes flicking briefly to your legs across his lapâlike grounding himself with you physically would make the words come easier.
âNothing happened,â he finally said, slow and careful, like laying down a live wire. âShe flirted. Years ago. Once. I didnât flirt back. I shut it down. It didnât become a thing because I didnât let it become a thing. Plus by that point, I had just started seeing you.â
You stared, not blinking, not speaking. Just letting the silence stretch until it felt like your heartbeat was echoing off the floors.
âAnd now?â you asked at last, voice like velvet over a blade.
His gaze lifted to meet yours, firm and unwavering. âNow sheâs someone on payroll who will never get that close again. You have my name, my ring, everything. And if I could give you more of me, I would. Sheâs noise. Vapor.â
The words settled in your chest like something warm and weighted. The kind of thing that wasnât just sweet, but true. You didnât nod. You didnât smile. You just breathedâand it came easier after that.
âGood,â you murmured.
âGood,â he echoed, reaching up to squeeze your ankle gently.
Riki had never given you any sort of reason to doubt his loyalty to you. But something about Yuna just made you feel some sort of insecure. And thatâs never a good feeling. âOkay, so back to work on these thingies.â You sighed as you grabbed all of your things, the files and notepad.Â
â
You settled deeper into the couch, the file balanced on your knees, pen in hand. Riki stayed quiet beside you, hands behind his head like he wasnât five seconds away from snatching the folder and reading it himself. But this was your job now. He gave it to you. He trusted you. And trust in this world was rarer than sleep.
The first folder you opened was the one labeled:
âINCIDENT REPORT â LEAKâ
Your eyes scanned the top page. Neat, efficient language. Joâs writing was all business. But beneath that business tone⊠was tension. A lot of it.
Summary: On 05/23, it was confirmed that classified movement data regarding the Nishiyama holdings in the Shibuya district was compromised and intercepted by an unknown third party. The breach occurred between the hours of 03:00 and 05:00 JST.
Method of Leak: Evidence points to an internal device tap. Most likely wireless, planted within the logistics room (3rd floor).
Potential Suspect(s):
T. Nakamoto (denied access two weeks prior but showed up in building security logs 24 hours before the breach)
Sohee Lee (recent behavioral inconsistencies; requires further monitoring)
UNCONFIRMED: External syndicate involvement possible (see cross-file: âNISHI â CONFIDENTIALâ)
You sucked in a breath. âSohee?â you said aloud, almost in disbelief.
Rikiâs voice was low. âKeep going.â
You flipped to the second pageâgrainy black-and-white images from security footage. A figure moving at 4:12 AM through a hallway near the logistics room. Hood up. Face obscured. But the time stamp matched Joâs report exactly.
You shook your head. âThis is bad. Whoever this is knew where to go. No camera catch, no chatter, just straight infiltration. Like a ghost.â
Riki didnât speakâhis jaw was tight. He already knew this. Heâd probably seen the footage himself.
You flipped to the next folder:
âNISHI â CONFIDENTIALâ
Your stomach clenched.
This one wasnât a report. It wasâŠa dossier.
A breakdown of an entire group.
The Nishiyama Syndicate. Or, as Riki had called them beforeââNishi.â A former rival organization that went dark years ago.
Overview: The Nishiyama Syndicateâpresumed inactive by 2017âhas begun resurfacing under new leadership. Not confirmed, but rumored to be operating under a splinter faction using legitimate business fronts. Possible laundering through offshore holdings (Monaco, Belize, Singapore).
Recent Activity:
Acquisition of real estate adjacent to Nishimura holdings.
Shadow-bidding on construction contracts connected to your familyâs public-facing properties.
Unusual surveillance patterns noted around Nishimura residences.
Notable Names:
A. Nishiyama (deceased, patriarch)
M. Nishiyama (???) â identity redacted
âSubject Nâ â possible mole or double agent; suspected to have contact with active Nishimura staff. (PRIORITY)
You looked up at Riki. âThis reads like theyâre trying to move in. Slowly. Quietly.â
He nodded, lips pressed tight. âI think the breach mightâve come from a mole inside the building. Someone feeding info.â
Your pulse spiked. âWho do you think it is?â
He looked at you carefully. âI havenât ruled anyone out. Neither has Jo. But everyoneâs guilty until proven innocent.â
âItâs innoââ
He held his hand up, âI know what it is.â
You snorted as you looked back down at the file but then suddenly looked back to him. âHey, did Jo call you at all today on one of the burners?â
He frowned in thought. âNo, why?â
Your eyes widened in slight fear, feeling adrenaline pump through your veins. âHis phone is on your desk.â Pointing to it with urgency. âHe called someone earlier, letting them know the files were missing.â
You felt like the floor shifted under you.
Riki stood up and grabbed the phone, unlocking it as he sifted through it. âGo. Continue, let me do this.â
Then you flipped one last page in the NISHI folderâand your heart stopped.
REDACTED TARGET LIST [photo attached]
R. Nishimura (active)
âOkaasanâ (active, unnamed spouse)
Status: Tracking active; no confirmed contact attempts. Maintain passive surveillance.
There was a picture.
Of you.
A candid photo. Leaving your favorite coffee shop. Hair in a bun. Not even looking at the camera.
They knew who you were.
They were watching.
âOh my fuckingâŠâ You whispered as your hands started to shake.Â
Riki didnât look upâyet. He was still going through the burner phone, locked in, muttering something under his breath. But the second your voice cracked, just the edge of that whisper, he froze.
Your hands were trembling around the paper, your breath shallow as if the photo alone had stolen the oxygen from your lungs. âTheyâre watching me, Riki,â you said quietly. âThey know. They know who I am.â
Thatâs when he looked up.
His gaze flicked to your face firstâthen to the folder in your lap. You didnât even have to show him. He crossed the room in three strides, dropped the phone without care, and snatched the folder from your lap with steady hands but a murderous edge in his jaw.
He saw it. The image. The note. The label: âOkaasan â Active, unnamed spouse.â
Your face. Your fucking face. On a watch list.
Rikiâs breathing changed.
Not heavy. Not loud.
But measured. Controlled. The kind of breathing someone does right before they explode.
âNo contact attempts,â he read aloud, barely above a whisper. âPassive surveillance. Maintain.â His jaw flexed once. Twice. âThat means theyâve been watching. But not enough to tip me off. Or you.â
You still couldnât speak. Your mind was spiraling, thinking backâevery time you thought someone was staring at you too long in the coffee shop. Every car that took a little too long to pull away. The time your key fob didnât register on the first try and you swore you saw someone standing at the edge of the parking lot.
You knew. Felt it more than anything.
Riki stepped back, slowly. âYouâre done,â he said, coldly.
You blinked. âWhat?â
âYouâre done with this.â He gestured to the papersâeverything. âI donât want you involved anymore.â
âNoâRikiââ
âI said youâre done.â
His voice wasnât raised, but it was final.
You stood, breath catching againânot out of fear this time, but out of frustration. âYou canât justââ
âI can, and I will.â He looked at you, eyes flashing with something deeper than anger. âThey put you on a list. A list with my name. They put a target on your back for being married to me.â
âYou said youâd pull me out if I couldnât handle it. I can andââ
âNo. You said that,â he bit out. âThank you so much for your interpretation of how you think this works. But Iâm telling you now, sweetheart. Youâre finished.â
You stared at him, chest rising and falling rapidly. âSo what, youâre just gonna hide me away like a secret? Lock me in the house?â
âIf I have to,â he said without hesitation. âIâd rather you hate me than end up in a morgue. You think I give a fuck about being the bad guy in your story if it keeps you alive?â
And for the first time, you realizedâhe wasnât just angry.
He was scared.
Riki Nishimura, the man who ran empires with a flick of his fingers, the one who made people disappear without batting an eyeâwas looking at you like he had already lost you. Like he was trying to stop the bleeding before the wound even opened.
And you didnât know whether to fight him or fall apart.
â
Within the next hour, Riki sent you home.Â
No yelling. No begging. No stomping down the hallway with your shoes in hand like you wanted to. Just a tight-lipped goodbye, a long look that said please donât fight me on this, and the subtle pressure of his hand on the small of your back as he walked you to the elevator. Kissing your cheeks and temple as he guided you.
âIâll be home later, I love you.â he said, eyes fixed on the elevator door as it closed, locking you in. Locking you out.
You didnât say anything. You just nodded, chewing the inside of your cheek like itâd keep your heart from leaping up and making a scene.
And now here you are.
In the house. Your house. His too. That same massive, almost-too-silent house where the floors were spotless, the air always smelled faintly of clean linen and sandalwood, and the fridge was somehow always stocked but never truly full.
You hadnât even changed clothes. You hadnât moved much. Just sat on the edge of the bed for a while, fingers interlaced, something so mundane like Rikiâs silver watch still on the nightstand like it might grow teeth.
Because it couldâve been anyone.
Anyone watching you. Anyone taking that photo.
You didnât even realize youâd started crying until you saw the wet spot on your blouse. And then more tears followedânot because you were scared. But because he had known. About the business. The threats. The danger.
And he kept you out of it. You were so proud. Marching into lounges. Reading body language. Toying with people like you were ten steps ahead. But the whole time, you were in a different game.
A different arena.
You werenât playing chess. You were the queen piece. And someone had started planning your checkmate.
You wiped your face and reached for your phone.
Nothing from Riki yet. Of course. He needed time. To clean up. To cover tracks. To burn things down.
You opened your texts anyway. Clicked on the chat.
thorn in my side: iâm home
i love you, baby
Message delivered. No reply yet.
You stared at the phone until the screen went dark.
And for the first time in a long time, the silence in your house didnât feel safe. It felt like someone else might be listening too.
â
Riki came home and the house was equally as silent.Â
Heâd come home to a quiet home almost everyday, nothing new. Most times you were in the bath, in the living room buried in a book, or on a good dayâyouâd already be in bed.
And by this time, heâd shower before he came to greet you but the weird thing about being with someone for so longâyou feel them everywhere. Your warmth, your mood, he feels it all.Â
But this time he felt nothing.Â
Immediately his mood dampened, the intuition that he had relied on so heavily over the last twenty-four years of his life already letting him know something was amiss. âBaby?â He called out as he slipped his shoes off.Â
No response.Â
He smacked his teeth, âMy goodness, I shouldnât have gotten her those fucking headphones.â
He placed his jacket on the coat rack and skimmed the area. Your keys were by the door, as usual. The sweater you wore today, okay fine. Your Mary Janesâyour favorite shoes that he always tripped over and threatened to throw away. Huh.
Again, that strange nagging feeling in Riki just never went away.
He padded over to the kitchen, seeing dinner spread out on the table. Wrapped up and ready for yours and Rikiâs consumption, there was a serving taken out of it which meant you ate something. Good.
But you werenât in the kitchen. And you werenât in the living room.
The staff not being around makes sense, he sent them home for the day. Clara wanted to spend time with her son so who was he to tell her no?Â
And now, the fucking office that he had built with his own handsâempty.
This house was huge, humongousâbut there wouldâve been some way you heard him already.
He called your name firmly. Riki never says your name, thatâs like the rule. Still, no response. He calls your phone because knowing youâitâs never too far. Straight to voicemail.Â
âWhat the fuck.â Riki Nishimura doesnât panicâbut something cold and venomous slithered up his spine as he stood in the middle of that pristine kitchen as he now made his way back there, fists clenched, jaw ticking.
And then.
Then he saw the note.
Sitting prettily on the marble counterâin a little nook. Surprised he had missed it before.Â
Simple. Clean. In all capital letters.
YOU WANTED HER OUT. SO WE TOOK HER OUT.
And on the back of the note was a photo of you. Gagged, tearful eyes, messy hair, scratched face. You had put up a fight that was for sure, it wouldnât be you if you didnât.Â
The marble counter shattered first.
He slammed his fists down, hard enough to crack the stone. The note crumpled beneath him as he shouted, loud and hoarse, like it had been ripped from somewhere deep in his chest.
âFUCK!â
Everything after that was instinct. A storm. A full-blown implosion. He threw the nearest chair across the room. It smashed into the wall with a satisfying crack, splintering on impact. Plates followed next, flying off the table with a feral sweep of his arm. Food hit the cabinets, the fridge, the floor. A glass shattered under his heel. He didnât even flinch.
âI told her to go home!â he roared. âI sent her home!â
His eyes were wild. Drenched in something between fear and fury. The kind of look no one ever saw and lived to describe.
He yanked open drawers. Punched the fridge. Tore the cabinet door clean off the hinge and hurled it across the room. A vase hit the floor and shatteredâporcelain flowers slicing across the floor like confetti made of rage.
And thenâhis voice broke.
âFuckâfuck, fuckââ
He grabbed the sink with both hands, chest heaving, eyes squeezing shut like maybe, if he tried hard enough, this would all vanish. That the note would disappear. That youâd walk out from your office and ask what the hell happened to the dining room.
But all he heard was silence. All he felt was the absence of you. The kind of stillness that only existed in grief.
He sank to the floorâonly for a secondâhands gripping his hair. And then the door creaked open.
Clara opened the door with glee, bags from the nearest arts and crafts store. âRikiâ?â
She froze in place.
The kitchen looked like a warzone. Dinner ruined. Furniture destroyed. Her bossâon the floor, shaking, breathing like a wild animal trying to hold in a scream.
She didnât ask what happened. She didnât have to.
Because then she saw the note.Â
The note.
Her hand flew to her mouth. âOh my goodness.â
Riki slowly stood. There was a line of blood down his knucklesâhe hadnât even noticed. His breathing was low now. Tighter. Like someone was holding his lungs closed.
He didnât look at her as he spoke.
âTell everyone to get on the line. Now. I want every runner, every affiliate, every fucking rat with ears in this city looking.â
Clara nodded, frozen.
âIf sheâs not found by midnightââ He turned to her. Eyes glassy. Voice cold. As he stepped beside her, venom in his eyes as he looked down at her with nothing but truth in his eyes.
ââEverybodyâs fucking dying, Clara. You included.â
Clara didnât say a word. Just nodded, pale as a ghost, and scrambled to grab her phone. Riki didnât even watch her leave. He turned on his heel and stormed toward his office, blood trailing faintly from his knuckles and dotting the floor like red ink.
He slammed the office door behind him so hard the glass panel trembled.
Without hesitation, he slammed the heel of his palm down on the black switch embedded into the side of his deskâan unmarked button that immediately turned the room red. Not metaphorically. The lights literally shifted into emergency mode, casting the entire office in a crimson hue. The kind of red that let every handler in his operation know: This is DEFCON 1. Life or death. Burn everything if you have to.His jaw clenched so tight you could hear the creak in his teeth. Then he yanked open the bottom drawer, reaching for the sleek matte tablet hidden beneath a stack of decoy files. With a swipe and a facial scan, he opened a security interface. His fingers flew across the screen.
âTracker,â he muttered under his breath. âCâmon, câmonâŠâ He clicked into a discreet sub-menu, one labeled âPRIVATE ACCESS â VELOMY.â The screen lit up, pulling a location from a hidden signal.
Rikiâs chest stopped moving for a full beat. The blinking dot that represented you was thereâactive.Â
âYouâre still wearing the ring,â he whispered to himself. A dark smirk twisted his lips, but it didnât touch his eyes. âYou stubborn little thingâŠâ
That ring. The one he gave you at the altar when he promised to you, his family, and yours that he would love you during your highs and lows. The ring that tethered you to him forever.Â
He put a chip in it. Just to be straightforward.
Rikiâs paranoia ran so deep that it became difficult for him not to. And funnily enough, he remembers he didnât tell you that it was in there until your honeymoon.Â
You both were lounging on your private beach in front of the newly bought property in the Maldives. Sun setting, breeze flowing through your hair as you both laid on your stomachs. Simply gut-laughing at any and everything, everything was funny at this moment. Youâre newlyweds.Riki smiles as he plays with the ends of your hair, twirling the end of a braid. âYou know,â he glances down at your left hand. âIâll be able to find you anywhere now.â His smile settles into something soft, something more than just teasing. âWhat do you mean?â You tilt your head in confusion. The sun hitting your face at the perfect angle.Â
He brought your hand to his lips, kissing the ring. âI put a little locator in your ring.â Rikiâs heart raced, using your conjoined hands to cover his mouth as he nervously awaited your reaction. âSee? You canât even tell.â You brought your hand back to inspect the enormous rock and heâs right. You really canât tell. And you werenât going to ask why he put it there because you knew why. Again, you knew who you married. Plus you didnât even have the energy to be mad at him right now. You couldnât be mad after you just swore to forever with your best friend.
âOkay, but I still need privacy, Riki. I donât just want to be aââ
He shook his head, âNo, no, no. Itâs not even activated. I justâŠin the event that something would happen to youâhopefully thatâs neverâbut it gives me peace of mind that I can always find you, baby.â Riki smiled gently as he carefully caressed your cheek. âOnly I can activate it. It just tells me where youâre positioned but it only works if youâŠâ His chest caves slightly as his words tremble at the thought.
âIf what?â You placed your hand on his shoulder, holding yourself up on your other arm.
âIt only works if you have a pulse.â
âWhat if I take it off?â
Riki laughs.âYou wouldnât though, and I know you wouldnât. Thereâs nothing you do that warrants taking it off.â He shrugs as he lays on his back and pulls you on top of him swiftly.Â
You yelp at his almost reflexive motion, putting your hands on his chest to stabilize yourself. âYouâre right. But itâs not like someoneâs gonna want to snatch me up at the grocery store or something.â
Riki had laughed with you then.
Really laughedâhead tilted back, his arms wrapping tight around your waist as if just the idea of losing you was so ridiculous, so farfetched it barely warranted a real thought.
But now?
Now that blinking dot on his screen was the only thing keeping him from collapsing into the marble floor of his office.
His hand hovered over the location map, the tracker still active. Still moving.
You were alive.
That was the only thing keeping the wrath at bayâbarely. Because while the dot pulsed, it wasnât close. It was on the far edge of the city, in one of the zones they rarely used. Industrial. Warehouses. A part of town they had all but erased from operations.
Which meant someone wanted you hidden. Not hurt. Not yet.
StillâŠthe bloodlust was roaring now. In all of his life, he had never felt such an insatiable, primal urge to kill like he did now. It was truly like the spirit of the devil ran through his veins and possessed him. That thirst wasnât going to be quenched until you were back in his arms.
Riki stood from his desk, shoving his chair so hard it crashed against the wall. He pressed the emergency button againâjust in case. Red lights flashed once in the corner of the ceiling.
His hands moved on autopilot, grabbing his bulletproof vest to put on over his compression shirt, his sidearm, his second piece, and the long black blade he hadnât used in years. The blade that had started it all. The blade they said made him infamous. The one he swore heâd never need again.
He strapped it to his back. Along with one of the embossed Kaminari guns.
Grabbed the note again from the kitchen and stuffed it in his pocketânot because he needed it, but because he wanted to burn it on whoever sent it. By now, Clara had rallied his top men. Jake was on standby, speaking through the comms with a strained voiceâhe had been yelling at people relentlessly within the last twenty minutes.
Riki didnât even look at the others in the room as he walked toward the front entrance, eyes locked on the car waiting just outside.
He paused only once.
To grab a bottle of your favorite perfume.
He sprayed it twice across his collarbone, once across his wrist. Something grounding. Something to carry you with him while he burned everything else down.
As soon as he stepped outside, he made contact with the two security guards meant to get you back here. They stood at the base of the stepsânervous, unsure if they should speak first. Their eyes flicked from the tension in Rikiâs jaw to the fine mist of blood still drying across his knuckles.
He didnât blink as he approached them. âYou were supposed to bring her home and ensure she was safe. I gave explicit instructions.â His voice was eerily calm, but it buzzed like a live wire underneath.
âWeâwe did, sir,â one of them stammered. âShe went inside. We locked the door right behind herââ
âI donât give a fuck what you did!â Riki stepped forward, face to face with the buff man that cowered in the face of his lean figure. âMy wife is not in my fucking bedroom because you failed to do your job.â He leaned in now, nose hardly touching hisâhis cologne and your perfume clashing between their senses.
The other guard interjected, âSirââ
Before he could utter another word, Riki placed the barrel to his forehead. Squeezing the trigger and letting a metal bullet ripple right through his brain. Watching his body fall to the ground with a thud.
The echo of the gunshot rang out like a death bell across the courtyard. Riki didnât blink. Didnât breathe. His jaw tightened as he watched the second guard freeze, paralyzed by fear and disbelief. A splatter of red stained the granite steps, and he finally looked downâthen calmly wiped the barrel of the gun with the hem of his shirt. No one moved. Not even the wind dared.
âLet this be the part where you realize,â he said slowly, eyes locked on the remaining guard, âthat I donât make idle threats. I donât give second chances. And I donât tolerate incompetence.â The man nodded furiously, hands trembling at his sides.
âGood. Now get your shit together and get in the fucking car. If she loses a single hair on her head, Iâm putting a bullet in your mouth. Understand me?â
âY-yes, sir.â
Riki exhaled sharply through his nose, holstering his weapon. His knuckles were cracked and bleeding again from how tightly heâd gripped it. It didnât matter. He turned back toward the house and grabbed your scent once moreâletting it wrap around him like armor. The tension in his shoulders didnât loosen; it hardened. Sharpened. Weaponized.
He climbed into the car.
Claraâs voice came through the comms again: âRiki. Weâve found the tunnel entrance. Sealed off, looks like it hasnât been touched in years. But the trackerâs pinging beneath it.â
His fingers tapped against his thighâonce, twiceâbefore he answered. âGood. Blow it open.â
âAlready on it.â
Riki leaned his head back, eyes half-lidded. âAnd tell someoneâI donât care who it isâto get rid of whatâs-his-name from in front of our door. I donât want her seeing that when she gets back.â
â
The floor was frigid as ever. To which you didnât understand, it was springtime. But Earthâs crust wasnât something you took time to worry about.
The left side of your head was throbbing and you were barefoot. Only your white nail polish is visible in this dark room. Your arms were bound to some wooden chair withâŠyou jostled in the chair as best you could. Zip ties. Of course they were zip ties. Your feet too but your mouth wasnât covered, big mistake on their end.Â
You smelt of debris, cinders, and a bit of blood. But none of that mattered, you had to get the fuck out of here despite you not being able to see shit. Before you could concoct some sort of plan, the lights were turned on. Stinging your eyes as your pupils had to adjust to the new sensation.Â
âOh, babygirl. Are you okay? I know itâs been a long day.â
That voice. Sweet. Familiar. The kind that once called you baby while handing you fresh towels. The one that scolded Riki for forgetting to eat. The one you trusted.
Your blood ran like ice.Â
âClara?!â
It didnât compute at first. Your brain tried to reroute it, convince you that maybe sheâd been kidnapped too. Maybe she was checking on you. But then you saw her. Heels clicking across the concrete. Calm. Clean. Untouched.
Her hair was neatly pinned up, her blouse spotless, not a wrinkle in sight. She looked like she just came from brunchânot your kidnapping.
You blinked. âClara?â you croaked. âWhat the hellââ
âShhh.â She crouched down in front of you, cupping your chin like a parent checking a child for fever. âYou poor thing. That gash on the head looks awful.â
You were too stunned to move but you quickly snapped out of it and jerked your head out of her grasp. âThe fuck is this?â
The older lady stood up straight, towering over your torn figure. âThis is retribution,â she gestured around the shithole bunker you were in.
You stared up at her, heart pounding so loud it nearly drowned out her words. âRetribution?â you echoed, like your brain was lagging ten seconds behind. âClara, are you out of your fucking mind?â
She chuckled softly. Not like a villain. Like a teacher. Like a mother. Like someone who believed she had the moral high ground. âDonât worry, your knight in shining armor is on his way here. Right to where youâre sitting. I canât wait to inform him of his wonderful test results.â
Claraâs voice lilted like she was presenting a prize at a company banquetâlike this wasnât some underground dungeon and you werenât zip-tied like a prop in a cautionary tale.
You scoffed, full of disbelief and blood in your mouth. âYouâre sick.â
âOh, sweetheart,â she said with mock sympathy, âyouâre not the first girl who thought she was special.â
She circled you slowly now, her heels echoing through the cold, damp space.
âYou think I didnât know about the tracker in your ring? You think I didnât let him find you? This is about control, baby. Not chaos. I want him to come. I need him to.â
You snickered, âYeah well, I like it when he does.â If nothing else, you were great at pissing people off.
Clara paused mid-step.
And then she laughed. But not in amusementâin disbelief. A short, sharp sound, like a knife testing the surface before a deeper plunge.
âYouâre really going to joke?â she said, turning toward you slowly. âTied up like a pig in a butcherâs shop, and youâre making sex jokes. You really think you matter that much?â
You leaned forward as far as the zip ties would allow, blood crusting against your temple and your vision still swimming slightly. But your smirk was solid as a rock.
âHeâs killed for less, Clara.â
Her nostrils flared, but she kept her composure. Barely. There was a twitch in her jaw now. Youâd landed a hit.
âHe loved me first,â she hissed. âHe respected me. I built him. I made him.â
âNo,â you said calmly, with that lethal kind of clarity only someone truly protected by love can wield. âYou trained him. I made him human.â
For a beat, the only sound was the hum of the overhead lights and the crackle of Claraâs rage simmering just below her ribcage.
Then she smiled, too wide.
âLetâs see how human he stays when he finds your body,â she said sweetly, almost like she was offering a bedtime story. But you didnât flinch. You nodded for her to come closer. Closer. Now your nose was nearing hers. âI fucking dare you to touch me.â
Two of her personal goons come in behind her, standing on either side of the door Riki was due to come in through. Claraâs eyes flickered to the guards like a general surveying her troopsâcalm, collected, but every muscle ready to snap. She stepped back, smirking like sheâd already won some invisible game.
âYouâre bold, Iâll give you that,â she said, voice silky but dripping with menace. âBut this is my battlefield.â
The two goons cracked their knuckles, eyes cold and hungry, shadows stretching long across the concrete floor. The tension in the room thickened like fog, suffocating and heavy. You kept your breath steady, every nerve screaming fight or flightâbut you knew better. The fight wasnât here. It was coming. And it was coming fast. Outside the heavy steel door, you could almost feel the air shiftâthe calm before a storm that would shake foundations and burn everything to ash.
Clara glanced toward the door, lips curling.âTick tock, babe.â
The door exploded inward, steel shrieking on its hinges as Riki stormed through like a bulletârage crackling in his bones like wildfire.
His eyes locked on you instantly, wide with fury and fear, scanning your face for injury. âBabyââ
âRiki, watch out!â you screamed, voice cracking.
But it was too late.
One goon came at him from the left, the other from behind. Riki ducked, twisted, managed to land a vicious punch to the first oneâs jawâcrackâbut the second was already swinging with a steel baton, catching him in the ribs with a sickening thud. Riki stumbled, grunting through clenched teeth, his fury barely contained.
He went for the blade tucked in his bootâonly for a third man, hidden just outside the door, to grab his arm and twist it savagely behind his back. Another punch came flying, this one straight to his jaw. The force knocked him to the floor.
You cried out, struggling against your bindings, your wrists screaming in protest.
Clara watched it all unfold with the elegance of a queen watching gladiators bleed for sport. âTsk. You boys and your dramatics.â
âDonât fucking touch him!â you yelled.
They did anyway. Stripping him of every weapon on himâblades, a small pistol, even the tracker cuff on his wrist. Riki didnât stop fighting, even as they dragged him up and slammed him into the chair beside you. Blood was already trickling down the corner of his mouth, but his glare was wildfireâaimed directly at Clara.
One of the goons zip-tied his hands to the arms of the chair with force, tightening them until his skin burned red.
âI should kill you right now,â Riki growled through grit teeth, eyes trained on Clara like a blade.
She approached slowly, as if savoring his fury. âYouâre not in a position to make threats, Riki.â
âYouâre out of your fucking mind,â he snapped. âTouch her again and I swear to Godââ
Clara only smiled sweetly. âSwear all you want, son. Youâre both right where I want you.â
You turned to look at Riki, both of you battered, bound, but alive.
And somewhere beneath the weight of adrenaline and bruises, your fingers brushed the edge of his chair.
Even nowâyour pinky searching for his.
He found yours. Linked it. Tight.Â
You were still here. And so was he.
Clara sent the men out with a wave of her hand as she pulled up a chair to sit down and face the both of you. After a few moments of silence between both of you, she finally spoke. âWow, fine couple.â
âBitch, shut the fuck up.â You spat out, rolling your eyes. âWhat are we doing here? What do you want? More money? We got that. Status, you have it. What more do you want?!â
The older woman smiled at your state. âI want Riki.â
You turned to Riki, who was so far removed from any place youâve seen him. Your husband was right next to you but the troubled, anxious boy that heâs done such a good job at hiding was making an appearance. But you didnât know which version of it was.
He bounced his knee up and down with extreme fervor, so fast that you had hardly even seen it moving. Hunched over, the top of his head facing Clara as he shook his head with his eyes glued shut. Lap dampening as what you could only perceive as angry tears misted his eyes and relentless, incessant thoughts bombarded his brain. Rikiâs breath was shallow as ever and you could only hear him mutter threats that stemmed from that same fury. More to himself than anyone in the room.
âIâm gonna fucking kill you.âÂ
âYouâre dead.â
âYou fuckingââ
âI swear on everything I love, Iâm putting you in the fucking dirt.â
His voice cracked beneath the gravel, barely audible through the grind of his teeth. Every muscle in his arms strained against the zip ties, his body trembling like he was trying to hold back an earthquake. The air in the room grew thick, like the moment before a downpourâor an execution.
You watched him, heart breaking and raging all at once. Youâd never seen Riki like this. Not even close. The man beside you wasnât your husbandânot the one who made silly faces behind menus or kissed your shoulder every time he passed you in the kitchen.
This was the version buried deep inside. The one he kept scrubbed clean and locked behind five layers of steel. The version built from years of betrayal and bloodshed. The boy no one ever loved right.
âYou didnât raise him,â you snapped. âYou groomed him.â
Her lips curled into a faint smile. âTomato, tomahto.â
âLet her go,â Riki muttered, voice low and vibrating with rage. âLet her go, and Iâll give you what you want.â
You turned your head so fast it nearly gave you whiplash. âRikiââ
He still wouldnât look at either of you. His shoulders trembled, breaths sharp and quick.
âJust let her go,â he said again, louder this time. âThis isnât her world. She doesnât belong in it.â
Clara leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. âOh, honey. She entered this world the moment you put that ring on her finger. And now sheâs in it until the end.â
Then she leaned forward slightly, that same maternal voice dripping venom: âTell me, RikiâŠdo you think your daddy would be proud of the little house pet youâve become?â
That did it.
The room cracked open.
Riki lifted his headâslowly, deliberatelyâand his eyes found Claraâs with a fire that could level nations.
And for the first time since you met him, you were afraid of your husband.
You interjected quickly, âSeriously. Why are you doing this?â
Riki glanced at you with calmness behind his eyes momentarily, but something about hearing Claraâs voice sent the wrath of the scorned through him.Â
âI want my son back.â She hummed as she folded her hands on her lap.Â
Your brows furrowed, âHeâs not your fucking son.â
Claraâs lips curled into a slow, venomous smile, like she was savoring every drop of poison she was about to pour.
âOh, sweetheart,â she began, voice dripping with sickly sweetness, âyouâve been living a lie your entire life.â
She stood and paced slowly, every step echoing like a death knell in the cold room. âThe woman you thought was your mother? The one who died when you were two? She was nothing but a convenient story.â
Your eyes locked on Rikiâs, watching his jaw tighten, his entire body tense like a coiled spring.
Clara stopped just inches from him, voice low and deadly. âI am your mother. Your fatherâs mistressâthe other woman. The one he never wanted you to know about.â
Rikiâs fists clenched so tight the veins in his forearms pulsed visibly. âThatâs a goddamn lie.â
âIs it?â Claraâs laugh was cold and bitter. âYou want the truth? Youâre my son, Riki.â She fished in her skirt pocket for a photo of her holding baby Riki as she had just delivered him.Â
You swallowed hard, staring at the photo like it was some kind of sick puzzle piece finally clicking into place. The baby in Claraâs arms had the same sharp eyes and yesâthe unmistakable mole just below his lips. âI was able to hold you for fifteen minutes before you were taken from me, son.â
His eyes screwed shut, âIâm not your son! Iâm your child. I am not your fucking son! Oh my goâbaby you better say something before IââÂ
âWhat happened after? Why was Riki taken from you?â You chimed in, in an effort to calm your seething man.Â
âBecause, I was the mistress. In love with your father, wanted a future with him. But he was married. AndâŠâÂ
Claraâs voice cracked just a little, the only crack in her otherwise steel mask.
âHe made me promise to keep quiet, to stay in the shadows. But when my pregnancy came to light, everything exploded. The wifeâŠshe found out.â Her eyes darkened, haunted. âShe made sure I lost youâtook you away before I could even hold you properly again.â
The more you looked at her, the more Riki favored her. The same mole, the same unwavering determination in their eyes. The eyes that can be kind when they want to be. âIt was either I disappear from your life completely or I stick around as the help and swear to secrecy. And I couldnât lose you again, Riki. Do you know how much it hurt me to see you call someone else âmamaâ for the first two years of your life?âÂ
âI donât give a fuck what hurts! It hurts that you had three big ass men jump me. It especially hurt that you had my wife taken from the safety of my fucking houseâthat I pay for you to live atâand lay a finger on her when you know how much sheâs relied on you.â
Claraâs eyes glazed over, âBut you did too. I was like a mom. You came to me all the time, I was your Claraboo. Remember?â She shrugged as she resigned, tears in her eyes.
âWhen Fumiko died, I thought it was a blessing in disguise.â She stood up. âBut then you found her!â She gestured to you with unadulterated disgust. âSaying how great she was, wanting advice on how to dress for dates. So I thought, âOkay, this is his first time really taking someone seriously, itâs fleeting. No big deal.â But then she started coming around. Family dinners, game nights. Then it became her spending the day, then sleepovers, then hearing you two go at it like rabbits when you thought no one could hear you. Fucking disgusting.â She snarled.Â
You looked at Riki from the corner of your eye, as did he. Both of you purse your lips to refrain from laughter during this serious moment. Lives are at stake here.
âThen, you got on one knee, Riki. At twenty-three, just throwing your best years away for one girl. And I kept thinking, âwhy does my son keep being taken from me? Why, why, fucking why?!â She grabbed one Rikiâs pistol from a nearby table and whipped you with it.Â
The crack of metal against your cheekbone rang out louder than your gasp. Your head whipped to the side, pain blooming instantly along your jaw, your vision fracturing for a second. But you didnât scream. You didnât give her that.
Riki did.
âNO!â His chair thrashed violently beneath him, muscles flexing so hard the wood creaked. âDonât you fucking touch her! Clara, I will fucking gut youâDO YOU HEAR ME?!â His voice cracked with fury, something animalistic and unhinged bubbling up from his core.
You spat blood, your lip split open now, and still you turned to Clara and hissed, âYouâre not a mother. Youâre just some bitter bitch who couldnât let go.â
Claraâs hand trembled around the gun as she stepped back, her mask cracking further. âI raised him. I wiped his tears. I was the only one who gave a damn when he cried himself to sleep when his dad would be too hard on him. And you? You think your soft little hands and pretty smile can compare to that?â
Riki had stopped shaking. Now he was stillâdangerously still. âYouâre right,â he muttered. âYou did raise me. Which is exactly why I know how to destroy you.â
Clara froze.
âYou forget who you trained, Clara,â he said lowly. âYou made me this way. You taught me how to survive. How to outsmart. How to kill.â And then he smiled. Sharp. Unforgiving. Blood drying on his lip.
âSo congratulations,â Riki growled. âYou just signed your own fucking death certificate. Maybe I really am your son.â
Clara blinked, eyes glassy. The gun trembled again in her hand. And then she raised it. But it wasnât pointed at you.Â
It was aimed at herself.Â
You froze. So did Riki.
Claraâs finger hovered over the trigger, her eyes blank. âIf I canât have you,â she said softly, voice almost childlike, âthen nobody will. Not her. Not the world. Not even you.â
âNo.â Your voice dropped, pleading âPut the gun down.â
Riki sighed, looking down and mumbling to himself. âDamn bitch let me do the shit myself at least.â Rolling his eyes, knowing only you heard him and you refused to laugh at this moment.
You clenched your jaw to keep the smile from betraying you, even as the absurdity of Rikiâs comment floated in the air like a cracked window letting in too much cold.
Claraâs hands trembled now. The gun shook between her fingers, and though it was aimed at her own temple, the tension in the room wrapped around all three of you like barbed wire.
âYou think this is funny?â Clara snapped, eyes darting between you and Riki. âIâm baring my soul, and youâre making jokes?â
âClara,â you said gently, the steel in your voice only thinly veiled by the concern beneath. âThis isnât the answer.â
âI gave up everything,â she whispered. âEverything. For him. For a son who looks at me like Iâm a strangerâlike Iâm some monster.â
âYou are some monster,â Riki muttered under his breath again, then louder, âbut we donât need a whole song and dance about it. Just...step away from the trigger, Broadway.â
You shot him a look this time. âRiki, please.â
Claraâs expression fracturedâlike a mirror that had been held together too long by spite alone. âI couldâve been someone,â she whispered, lip trembling. âI couldâve had a life with your father. With you. But I was the side note. The servant. Claraboo. Never mom.â Her voice broke. âYou donât understand what itâs like to watch someone else raise your baby. To be called help by the child you gave birth to.â
Silence. Thenâ
âIâm sorry,â Riki said quietly.
Clara froze.
âIâm sorry you went through that,â he continued, gaze steady. âIâm sorry you didnât get the life you wanted. Iâm sorry no one protected you when you needed it most. But thisââ he nodded toward the gun, ââisnât gonna bring any of that back.â
You took a breath. âPlease,â you added. âDonât make us leave here with another scar.â
You heard a low snap from your left where Riki was sitting, your eyes flitted that way. He had made free of the ties. Then, with every ounce of strength in his legs, jutted his calves out to free his legs. He slowly rose to his full height.
Claraâs sobs only intensified, shaking as her eyes squeezed shut and pumped out tears. Her breathing shallow as she trembled, hardly able to even line the barrel up with her chin anymore. She pointed the gun at him mindlessly.
Riki slowly edged to her, âClaraâŠplease.â He nodded, âgive it to me. I have a vest on, and Iâm not going to let you do something youâll regret.â His voice was low, steadyâlike a lifeline in the dark. Claraâs trembling hands faltered, the gun wobbled, and then, with a choked sob, she dropped it. The metallic clatter echoed in the cold room as it hit the floor.
You exhaled, relief crashing over you like a wave.
Riki quickly swooped up the gun as Clara plopped down on the chair in complete dejection. She looked up at her son, âare you going to kill me?â
He sighed, âI am,â he nodded with another smile he tried to smother.
She huffed out a laugh despite her tears and mucus, because if she taught Riki anythingâit was that sometimes, survival meant knowing when to play the long game.
âNot today, son,â she whispered, voice raw but steady. âYouâre smarter than me. Youâll make sure I pay in ways that cut deeper than a bullet ever could.â
Rikiâs eyes flickeredâhalf respect, half warning. âIâll make sure you regret every breath you take until then.â
She nodded, somehow at peace with her fate. âPlus, if it makes you feel betterâthere was no real leak. I just used Yuna, Jo, and Sohee as pawns. Just distractions when I knew that Ms. Pradaââ She nodded to you.
âChanel.â You and Riki corrected simultaneously.
â...Whatever. But I knew that she was itching to get involved, I made you hyper aware of a leak. When there wasnât anything to find. A perfect smokescreen to send you chasing ghosts while I set the real trap.âÂ
âSo how does that explain their weird behavior?â You leaned forward despite your restraints.Â
The older woman shrugs, âSometimes people tell on themselves. But I did tell Jo to keep it from you. Said that you had other obligations and that if anyone got in the way youâd deal with them.â
Riki frowned, âOh that pisses me off,â he pointed the gun lower and shot her kneecap. Eliciting a blood-curdling scream from the elder.
âRiki!â You yell, eyes wide as he just looks at you with humor in his eyes. âWhatâs wrong with you?!â
He waves you off, âSorry,â he holsters his gun as he comes up behind you to free you. In oh-so-convenient timing, here comes Rikiâs men down the bunker and into the room
The heavy metal door groaned open, and a squad of Rikiâs men flooded in, their faces grim but ready. Flashlights cut through the dimness, illuminating the mess Clara had made trying to stall for time.
Riki didnât waste a secondâhe tugged sharply at the zip ties binding your wrists, his hands steady but fierce. âYou okay?â His voice was low, but laced with raw urgency.
You nodded, heart still hammering, eyes locked on Clara who was now clutching her injured knee, glaring daggers despite the pain. âWhere were they?â
âThe perimeter, you really thought I came solo?â He snickered, âIâm impulsive, not stupid.â
Rikiâs men quickly secured the perimeter, eyes scanning every shadow. One of them whispered into a radio, âTarget secured. Extraction ready.â
Riki glanced back at you, his expression softening just a fraction. âYouâre safe now. Letâs get the hell out of here.â
You exhaled, relief flooding through you even as adrenaline kept you wired. Riki called out to all of them in the room as well as on the walkie-talkie he grabbed from one of the men. âKobun! Clean up the mess. No loose ends. Take the old lady to the infirmaryâalive. Sheâs got answers weâll need later.â
He turned to you, voice low and steady, âYou did good. Too good.â He brushed a stray hair from your face, the heat of his touch grounding you after the chaos. As the team moved efficiently, Rikiâs eyes locked with yoursâfierce, protective, and full of unspoken promises.
You smiled, âHow did you break free?âÂ
Riki smirked, the tension easing just a fraction. He opened his mouth and lifted his tongue to reveal a tiny razor, glinting silver against the dark warmth of his mouth.
Your eyes widened. âYou kept that in your mouth? What if you cut yourself?â
He shrugged, âTongue is the fastest healing muscle. Plus, Iâve done it enough times to not get hurt.â
You blinked, âThatâs not comforting.â
He took it out of his mouth and tossed it to the ground. âThere. Letâs go home.âÂ
â
Later that night
â
The dust had settled a bit, the kitchen was still destroyed but that was tomorrowâs problem. You and Riki had been patched up on the way here. The moonlight spilled through the blackout curtains, painting silver streaks across the sheetsâcold and unforgiving.
Riki moved around the room with his usual quiet precision, the soft click of his boots replaced by the muted sound of him slipping out of his clothes. You didnât say a word. Didnât even flinch when he pulled back the covers and settled beside you in just his briefs. He liked sleeping this way.
But you didnât let it simmer, you sat up. âAre you okay, my love?â You whispered in the still roomâthe still house.âMhm, just another day at work.â He yawned as he turned to face you with a gentle smile. But you didnât buy it. He always did this so he could be a big-bad-strong boyfriend, now heâs a big-bad-strong husband.Â
âRiki, seriously?â You tilt your head in concern as you run your hand through his freshly washed hair.
He nodded, âBabe-asaurus, Iâm cool as a cucumber.âÂ
You snorted softly, the nickname breaking through the tension like a warm breeze. âCool as a cucumber? More like a slightly burnt pickle after today.â
He chuckled, reaching out to tuck a stray strand behind your ear. âYeah, maybe a little crispy around the edges. But Iâm here. And youâre safe. Thatâs what matters.â
You purse your lips, you knew what he was doing. But you didnât pry, you never liked to. âI love you.â
He sat up, pulling you in for a hug as he kissed your lips gently. âI love you more. You know I do.â
âI know,â You kissed his bare collarbone, nuzzling his smooth skin courtesy of the body scrub you made him use.Â
âLetâs sleep, yeah?â He laid down on the smooth, clean linen.
You nodded against his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heartbeat sync with your own. âYeah. Sleep sounds good.â
â
But for some reason, cuddling wasnât on the agenda. Subconsciously, you two had partedâbut it wouldnât be you or him if you didnât touch at least. But somehow, you felt the bed tremble a bitâshaking and quivering in the midst of the silence of the room.
You sat up, turning around with furrowed brows. Feeling a little groggy from the meds you were given but still cognizant enough to know what was happening around you.Â
And with that, your husband is lying down with his back turned to you, on his right side. Chest caving in, breath shallow.
You blinked, confusion curling into worry. That tremble wasnât just from the medsâit was something else. Something deeper.
Rikiâs shoulders shook slightly, the kind of subtle, silent tremor that only showed when no one was watching. Your heart tightened. The big-bad-strong husband was cracked open and raw underneath the armor you both pretended was unbreakable.
You reached out tentatively, fingertips brushing the edge of his arm. Before you could open your mouth, he turned around and fell right into your arms. Wrapping his arms tightly around you as he buried his face into your neck. Letting a sea of twenty-four years worth of pollution fall down your neck and onto your chest.Â
Finally the dam broke, the iron curtain. The wall of stoicism was no more.
And this one time, you said nothing. You let him have it.
His bare skin pressed hot against yours, every tremble shaking through the thin sheets. The cold night air met the heat of his body, exposed and raw in nothing but his briefsâthe armor stripped away, leaving only a man unraveling.
You felt the wetness against your neck before you saw itâthe slick, hot tears silently tracing down his cheeks, the first youâd ever seen. His breaths hitched violently, chest rising and falling in ragged waves, his shoulders heaving with a grief heâd never let surface before.
He buried his face deeper, clinging to you like you were the last piece of solid ground. Your fingers trembled as they traced the curve of his spine, as if trying to stitch together the pieces of a broken man.
You held your love through the quiet like you promisedâthe good, the bad, the ugly. And this was the worst of it and even then youâd rather die than give it up. Give him up.
You rubbed his back as you scooted back to lie down. Letting him put half of his weight on you as his grip didnât relent. Not that you wanted it to. Your cold hands pressed against his warm body in effort to cool him down. But you couldnât as seeing the strongest man in your life was at his weakest.
Tears pooled in your eyes.
You kissed the crown of his head, silent and steadyâa quiet promise without words. The night held you both close, broken but unbroken, fragile yet fierce. And in that stillness, you understood something true: love isnât always loud. Sometimes itâs just holding on when everything else falls apart.
And you married a yakuza, but most importantly you married a man who lets you see the cracksâand still chooses to stay.