#ej

you might have pushed him too far this time.

euijoo is usually a professional at brushing off the jokes you make about his arguably less than impressive sex life. and by that, youre not even sure it exists at all. you've been friends for years, but you have never heard him brag about an "eventful" night, even when you've done more than your fair share of explicit storytimes. he's always a listening ear, no matter how red hearing your encounters makes the top of his.

when you'd went on vacation together in the past, the two of you have to spend a week apart afterward just to preserve the friendship you've crafted. you're just so annoying. but he loves it, way more than he'd care to admit. you once spent a week on a woodland retreat, traveling sun up to sun down with a group of very dedicated hikers. up hill. down hill. even sideways on the hill, like goats.

"can you please shut the hell up about bigfoot?" euijoo had yelled over his shoulder on the last day of the trip. you had to shamefully lower your hand and relax your shocked face, having just claimed your ninth bigfoot sighting of the week. the entire group turned to look at you, and euijoo didnt speak the rest of the hike. he made you food over your campfire, though, while you were cramming a quick nap before the final evening hike. your calves hurt more than your relationship, thankfully.

when you went anywhere, you found a bit to commit to for the duration of the trip and waited to see how long it would take euijoo to break. the first day of a trip was always the most fun, the two of you in a new place. you love his smile, and he was always painfully enthusiastic within 24 hours of the plane landing or the hotel door clicking closed. he would drag you to all the destinations you'd marked on the map with his digital camera slipped into his pocket. around the fourth day, however, he was drained. and after the fifth, he began to huff, cast irritated glances your way, and, occasionally, ask if you knew how to be quiet. from the sixth day on, you were playing with fire.

this time, you and euijoo had decided on a beach holiday. you've never been anywhere actually relaxing together, usually opting for near death or financially detrimental experiences. you thought it might be fun to lay around on a towel reading shitty romance, build sand castles, get sun poisoning- the works. so, you booked a room at a beachfront resort, adults only and all inclusive with a full breakfast bar. and you decided what bit you'd be fully committing to, even before you arrived at the hotel:

you were gonna get euijoo laid.

it would be just like love island, you thought. or assumed, since you've never actually seen it. but your best friend, who is by and large considered handsome, would be surrounded by gorgeous adult women in tiny bikinis, gleaming under stark sunlight all day long, lingering by the bar desperate for a drink that euijoo could definitely order for them. you'd even tell him what drinks girls like, in a grossly stereotyping sense.

you considered it a favor. he had a girlfriend once, when the two of you first met. you'd had some classes with her at your university but met euijoo by completely unrelated circumstance. you had taken his drink at a local cafe by accident, despite his name being written on the side of the cup in thick black marker.

"wait, your name is euijoo?" you had stared at him with wide eyes. he could only nod, face blank, as you lied to him through your teeth, "my name is euijoo, too. small world, huh?"

euijoo was hooked on you ever since, spending so much time with you at arcades and poetry readings and movie nights that his girlfriend called it quits. you became close incredibly fast. it was so easy to forget about time with him, though. the years went by so quickly, only slowing down the one week a year you isolated yourselves together and you pushed him to emotional limits he didnt even know he had.

the resort was fancy but not flashy, which was good since neither of you really looked like you belonged there. euijoo had a stupid floppy hat on, and you had forgotten to take off your sunglasses inside, the giant lenses eclipsing your entire face. the hotel receptionist was visibly reluctant to hand over your room key as if the two of you were obviously responsible adults capable of maintaining order in her establishment. when she finally handed it over to euijoo, he flashed her a genuine smile that moved his cheeks and all.

"she was cute," you said as euijoo yanked his suitcase over the elevator floor gap. you pressed your floor number, feeling his confused stare chiseling into the side of your face. she was cute, round hazel eyes and freckled cheeks. she had a friendly face, just like him.

euijoo shifted on his feet, "do you, uh, want her number? i can go back and get it for you."

he moved to press the lobby button, and you swatted his hand away. as he hissed, shaking his barely burning wrist, you insisted, "no, dumbass, for you. shes cute for you."

"for me?" his eyebrows turned up in the middle, furrowing like you'd just told him he won a raffle he never entered. his lips parted slightly, one long finger pointed into his chest.

and he kept this act up for days, playing dumb every time you tried to get him to ask someone out. "juju, she's hot," was met with, "well, the sun is out." every "you should offer her a drink" warranted an "alcohol speeds up dehydration." he was such a fucking gentleman. it made you sick.

at one point, you purposefully sat in a lounge chair on the very end of the row at the hotel pool, leaving euijoo to sit in the one between you and a very, very attractive lady. even you considered testing the waters if he ended up tanking his chances.

"hi, hi. sorry to bother you," you had sat up after twenty minutes of brainstorming and sunbathing, leaning over euijoo to get into the woman's hearing range. he audibly gulped, suddenly aware of what angle you were playing. he caught on pretty quickly. you lifted a hand just as she turned to face you and stuck it right in euijoo's hair, ruffling it, "my friend here thinks youre very beautiful. isnt that right, euijoo?"

"hm, what?" he sat up quickly from his relaxed pose on the lounger, swiping your hand from his head and shooting you a sideways glance. the woman peered at him from behind her sunglasses, watching as he searched for a response to your question, his mouth opening and closing, opening and closing until he landed on, "oh, yes! i said your hair was beautiful. its, uh, very... healthy. yeah, great hair."

he then gave her the saddest thumbs up you've ever seen, crooked and weary, and stood up from his seat, pattering away on the wet concrete. the woman watched him the whole way back to the hotel entrance, combing an absent hand through her loose, healthy curls. you sighed, "i guess i misheard him. you are beautiful, though."

"what exactly are you trying to do?" euijoo was sitting, slouched over on the edge of his bed when you returned a couple hours later. he had changed from his swim shorts and tank top into something more casual, comfy. you only noticed because you'd bought him that tshirt for his birthday last year.

"nice shirt," you laughed as you hopped up onto the edge of your own mattress parallel to him, letting your legs dangle in the space between you. he lifted his gaze from the floor to your face, dark brown eyes scanning for something you werent quite aware of. euijoo didnt smile, and you felt yourself grow sharp under his watch, "whats up with you? why are you being weird?"

"im being weird?" he breathed a laugh this time, tilting his head at you in a way that had his tousled hair swiping over his eyes. he flicked it away, absentmindedly, "interesting, since all youve done this week is try to hook me up with strangers. is that not weird to you?"

you were speechless, opening your mouth only for nothing to come out. it was day four, but you'd never pushed him this far. and it was entirely unintentional. you knew he hated the bigfoot jokes. you knew he hated when you made him do the same pose at every tourist attraction. you knew he hated your collection of tacky shot glasses you just had to buy at every souvenir shop. but this- he had never acknowledged your behavior in this way.

"is it weird for me to want my best friend to have a little fun?" you asked, gauging his reaction, which- spoiler- was not positive.

"im trying to have fun," he stressed, crossing his arms and sliding off the bed to stand, "with you. on our vacation. but you keep trying to pawn me off!"

"euijoo, i just swear to god youve not had sex with anybody in like five years. cant you, like, die from that? did i make that up?" you rubbed your eyes in thought. when you opened them, everything was blurred but the annoyance on euijoos face. like youd crossed a boundary you didnt know hed set. he scoffed, shaking his head. you added, "i thought i was helping!"

there was a beat of silence, thick and palpable.

"i just wanted to be with you," he sighed, sitting on the bed again but on the opposite side, his back facing you. you saw him take a deep breath before laying down, stretching out over the length of the bed. he mumbled, "just forget it."

you swallowed the lump in your throat and stretched out, too, on your own bed. you curled into your side, watching his chest rise and fall. his eyes fluttered closed, but you knew he wasnt sleeping. you let the silence dissipate, the air conditioning unit in the corner rumbling as the crisp air blows through the curtains.

"uh," you cleared your throat after what felt like hours of silence but you knew was closer to twenty minutes, "we have that, um, scuba lesson in a bit... that we did pay for. just by the way."

the scuba lesson seemed like a great way to get your "experience" fill for this trip, and euijoo had always talked about wanting to explore the reef or swim with dolphins. the passes werent that expensive on their own, but you'd pre-rented the gear.

euijoo didnt turn his head to look at you and, instead, just spoke to the ceiling like he didnt care if you heard it or not. "go without me," he said, "you'll just try to set me up with the instructor, anyway."

you were able to refund the rental fee for the gear, but you wished you'd have just refunded the whole lesson. floating around in spandex was a lot less fun alone, you'd realized. the whole lesson was weirdly intimate without euijoo there, just you and the instructor, who wasnt even hot. you wondered whether to tell euijoo that detail or just leave it alone. you wondered whether to tell him anything at all.

he didnt give you much of a choice, though. when you got back, he was no longer on his bed. or in the room. it was like he was never there save for the open suitcase kicked under a table, his comfy clothes from earlier strung haphazardly over the edge of the case.

you were thankful that you had upgraded your room when you booked, specifically for the two beds and larger bathroom. too many times had the two of you crammed into one bed or taken a piss while the other was brushing their teeth. the other benefit of the upgraded room: private access to a courtyard shared among the four private suites in your wing, which included a small pool, lawn games like giant chess, a self-serve bar, and a hot tub.

now, you're looking through the slatted blinds on your room's patio door, scouring the dimly lit courtyard for any sign of him. of course, the sun has set since you returned from your suddenly personal scuba lesson. the dew cast a fog on the glass panes, additional clouds growing and dissolving from your breath as you press your forehead to the door. in the corner of the yard, you see a faint glow, pulsating in the dimming twilight.

when you approach the hot tub, euijoo looks tranquil, almost blissful. his head is tipped back, eyes sewn shut as the water laps at his bare torso. the waves from the jets cast swirling reflections on his skin, everywhere. you're almost close enough to step into the water when you hesitate, stopping, considering leaving him alone and just going to bed. his eyes open, but hes not shocked to see you. he doesnt even jump, just pulls his lips into a small smile.

"come on in," euijoo nods to the space across from him, watching your every move. despite his kindness, you cant help but feel like he's analyzing you, waiting for you to say something stupid again. "how was diving?"

"humiliating," you sigh as you sink into the water. euijoos head is tipped down, chin tucked and watching you from under heavy lids. you can't deny how cold the water feels on your skin, unfamiliar warmth dancing up your arms, your chest. your neck. "i mean, i was a pro, as you can imagine. but the whole thing was... lonely."

euijoo hums to suppress a laugh. he does this often, not wanting to encourage your antics, but you can always see the little glint of humor in his eyes. usually, the smile would break loose. he'd let a laugh loose and pretend it never happened. but now, hes bittersweet, regretful. he takes a deep breath.

"i should've went with you," he says, stopping to chew at the inside of his cheek, "i was being a dick."

"yeah," you deadpan, and he looks at you with sorrowful eyes before you kick your leg up out of the water, splashing him. his hands come up defensively to shield his face, water running down his forearms. he laughs, flipping his hand over the surface to send a spray of water toward you, instead. you continue, "but so was i. i shouldn't have assumed you were interested in sex."

euijoo smiles, softly, at your attempt at an apology. that might be the best he's gonna get, and he can't stay mad at you for long. he opens up his arms, nodding his head to the side, "come here."

and as you scoot along the edge of the hot tub, you can see just how flushed his face is from the heat. droplets of water cascade down his cheek, dripping from his jaw. his shoulders glisten with a sheen of sweat, but his skin is cold when you rest your cheek on it. euijoo wraps his arm around the side of your neck, pulling you close. it should be disgustingly sticky, but it isnt. it's nice.

it's too nice, too comfortable. you'd even call it perfect, the fit of his arm over your shoulder, his skin against yours. euijoo's chest rises and falls in your periphery, the swelling of his lungs matching the ever choppy bubbling of the water. he grows rigid against you, shifting in his seat on the hot tub's bench.

suddenly, euijoo pulls his arm from around you. he folds his arms firmly over his chest, sighing deeply before clearing his throat. you retreat from your position, uncurling from his side and turning in your seat to face him. your brows furrow, "whats up with you all the sudden?"

euijoo's eyes scan everywhere but your face, finding something interesting on the side of the hotel wall, maybe a curtain blowing in a window seven floors above. he sputters out a tragedy of an excuse, "you're- its the, um, the..." he shrugs, performatively wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, "hot tub. its... so hot."

"oh, are you okay? do you need some water?" you reach out to feel his forehead, too, but he swats your hand away, shifting his body away from you.

"no!" his eyes widen, "i mean, yes, im okay. no on the water. just-"

"well, do you want to get out? we can watch a movie or something?"

"no," slower, after a visible gulp, euijoo says, "i cant."

you can barely hear him over the turbulent waves. the water around you gurgles over itself, sloshing out of the jets on your back and on the floor. columns of water billow up, wafting the burning scent of chlorine into the air. he cant? why wouldn't he be able to watch a movie with you? does he suddenly hate movies?

then, it clicks.

you reach behind his head, and, with a quick tap of a button on the tub's control panel, disable the jets altogether. the water goes still, leftover bubbles disappearing with a soft fizz. it's unnaturally quiet without the roar of the water pump or the disrupting slosh of waves on the plastic siding. theres nothing but the sound of euijoo's heart beating out of his chest and the choked gasp that leaves his mouth once he realizes what youve done.

"no fucking way," you mutter, half astonished and half teetering on a feeling you've been too scared to acknowledge for a long time, "byun euijoo, are you seriously hard right now?"

he rears his arm back and presses every button on the tub's control panel in search of the magic switch to turn the jets on and, hopefully, make everything stop. as soon as he presses it, you press it again. he presses it. you press it. back and forth and back and forth until he buries his face in his hand and groans, "please, just go inside. forget everything. forget about me. let me die here."

"don't be embarrassed, juju," you laugh, gently grabbing his wrists and pulling his hands away from his flushed face. as you lower them to the water, his eyes never leave the place where your fingers wrap around his. his expression is a mix of confusion and humiliation, chased by a rush of curiosity at your tender reaction. "i could go away. i could just go to bed."

youre sure he can see the ideas bounding in your head, bouncing from one side of your skull to the other and skipping all the zones in your brain that would tell you that this is a bad idea. its situations like these that should exist only as hypotheticals, like a fever dream just as its about to break. or a one-time daydream scenario after a hangout where he looked a little too good. maybe he wore that sweater you liked, let his jeans hang a little too low on his hips. but you had gotten very good at separating your feelings from the reality that euijoo is your best friend and could never be anything more. at least, he never showed it. not until now, having skipped all the casual flirting or cheesy pickup lines and went straight to business. straight to driving you crazy all week with his perfect, sunkissed skin and slender fingers massaging sunscreen along your spine, working lower and lower, dipping under your swimsuit bottoms just in case.

"or," you guide his wrist until his hand is cupping the side of your neck, his damp fingers instinctively threading into your hair behind your ear. you whisper, "or, i could stay."

his touch is gentle, like hes afraid he'll do something he'll regret. you're scared, too, but you inhale, chlorine rushing to your head. when you exhale, you bring your own palm and place it over his, encouraging him to please touch you. you continue, "you know, i think i understand why you didnt care about the receptionist, or that woman at the pool, or at the bar."

euijoo hums, finally heeding your silent plea and sinking his fingers deeper into your hair. he tilts your head gently as you speak, following the movement with his own head, mirroring you. his lips part, only slightly and only once youre done speaking. "you do?"

"mhm," you let him puppeteer you, letting the weight of your head fall into his firm grasp as he cranes your neck backward, exposing the front of your throat, and then back to the side, swiping his thumb under your jaw, "but i wanna hear you say it. wanna know for sure."

euijoo whines, softly, and you feel it go right to your stomach, heat pooling in your veins. you clench your thighs together, absentmindedly, as he swallows the rest of whatever sounds were threatening to spill from his mouth. you feel his hand shaking against your neck, and you reach up again to hold him, steady him. you move your other hand under the water in search of his free hand, pulling it closer to rest on your thigh. euijoo squeezes your leg, just once, and releases a shaky breath, "they're not you."

euijoo sucks a sharp breath in through his teeth as you lean further into his hold and press your lips to the soft skin on the inside of his wrist. you feel on fire as you dart your tongue out, running it along the ridges of his veins. he tastes like chemicals and sweat but somehow sweet, like burning citrus.

"fuck, they're not you," he whispers to himself, fingers dragging, tentatively, up your thigh, "would you... would you like it if i kissed you?"

you pull your lips away from his hand just to laugh, quietly. you feel bad for the reaction, but he's just so desperate, nervous. your body moves before your mouth can, suddenly draping your legs over either side of his hips, his fingertips still digging into the flesh of your thigh. you keep yourself planted in the middle of his lap, careful to distance your core from where he obviously wants you.

you hover your lips over his, and its clear to you that euijoo is not breathing. his eyes are blown wide with an emotion you cant decipher as excitement or disbelief, and his chest is frozen in a perpetual inhale. as you speak, your bottom lip grazes his, "there's really only one way to find out, hm?"

the first kiss is curious, hesitant, as euijoo closes the short gap between you. his lips are plush, just as you expected and more. he brings his other hand from your thigh to the other side of your face, cupping it softly, and sighs into you. the trickle of water from his fingers that trails down your neck sends a chill through your body that completely contradicts the heat you feel from the water, from him. as he pulls away, you tug his bottom lip between your teeth, tethering the two of you together for just a second longer. euijoo whimpers, and you drink it all up as you release him from your teeth. you cant tell if his face is flush from the heat or embarrassment, growing shy under you in every aspect, physically and under your intense gaze that scans every crease and corner of his face. he smiles as you land on his eyes. you comb your hand through his hair, smoothing it away from his face the way you like it.

the second kiss is more of everything, swallowing his smile and his sounds. your mouths work purposefully against each other, as if to memorize the exact way his lips fit into you. its a deliberate exploration, teeth nipping, tongues melding and soothing. all while his hands slide, slowly, from your face down your body. euijoo's fingers ghost under your ribs, squeezing your hips in a silent encouragement. your fingers snake around his neck, tugging at the hairs at the nape of his neck.

"you're driving me fucking crazy," euijoo mumbles against your lips, digging his fingernails into the skin of your hips, "all ive ever wanted."

his confession strikes you, humming against him in acknowledgement. you dont know if you can ever stop kissing him, which, coincidentally, is the same reason you had avoided trying before. your friend group had played their fair share of party games, which almost always ended with then drunkenly pushing you and euijoo toward each other while shouting, "kiss! kiss! kiss!" but you'd laughed it off thinking euijoo would never want risk your friendship for something as childish as spin the bottle.

if you had known you'd be in his lap in a public hot tub sucking on his tongue, maybe you'd have tried it a bit sooner.

you involuntarily rock your hips forward, body in search of some friction, and when you brush against the bulge in his swim shorts, euijoo groans into your mouth, body jerking in surprise. you hum against his lips, gauging him. euijoo pulls you forward again, hands snaking from your hips around to your ass. you always admired his delicate hands, but now youre wondering just how rough he could be with them as you roll your hips one more time against him.

"fuck," you rest your forehead against his as his straining cock nudges your clothed clit, the muted friction building, "have you had a big dick this whole time and didnt tell me?"

"have you- shit- ever been s-serious a day in your life?" euijoo chokes out, balancing the sweetest smile and the most intense crease in his brow. you're only teasing him, but it's not much of a joke. earlier, the bubbles and the dim lighting of the courtyard and the optical illusion that is water only barely revealed his predicament to you. you couldn't really see it. but, now, you can feel it. long and slender and trapped.

"i wanna touch you," you confess, flicking your gaze from his face to the space where the two of you meet, watching his pupils blow, watching his hips jerk in anticipation, "would you like that, juju?"

if he wasnt completely at your mercy, a puddle beneath you, he would have definitely flipped you off for turning his own question against him. instead, euijoo just nods, hastily. like you'll change your mind about him. he nods, eagerly. like he's been waiting to let you have him.

you hook your fingers into the elastic waistband of his shorts, pulling them down just enough for his cock to bob free under the water. euijoo moans under his breath at the lack of restraint, but he yelps as you wrap your fingers around the base of it, squeezing gently, experimentally. euijoo screws his eyes shut, throwing his head back as you drag your hand all the way up his throbbing shaft, babbling curses and your name like you're killing him. he opens his eyes only to look around, checking the windows and doors of the other suites near you.

"scared of getting caught?" you twist your hand, sinking it back down along his velvet, honey veined skin before moving to press directly on the angry, pink head. euijoo whines, bucking up into your hand and biting the back of his hand to muffle his cries. you smooth over the tip with your thumb, "you dont want anyone to see how good you're being for me? or hear how pretty you sound, juju?"

you pull his hand away from his mouth with your free hand, "let them hear. tell them how good it feels, baby."

you increase your pace. euijoos eyes focus on the rippling water where your arm works him under the surface, your grip firm and natural like your hand was designed for him, like you were. his jaw is slack with pleasure, shivers sliding over his body every time you slow your movements, rocking your hips on his leg in a similar rhythm. he groans, "feels so good. s-so fucking good."

youd be lying if said you weren't the most turned on you've ever been in your life. every movement of your wrist disturbs the water, as well as the sloshing of the water between your torsos as you grind yourself onto his thigh. youre chasing your own high, although priority number one is to see what sounds euijoo makes when he comes. in your wettest dreams, he was a heavy breather, but you realize now that your mind could not have conjured his sweet mixture of sinful mewls, husky groans, and breathy moans. and thats only what he has let you hear, still holding himself back for the sake of privacy. you'd hate to be seen, to have an outsider ruin this perfect moment. at the same time, however, the thrill of being caught tempts you to draw this out as long as possible.

"im gonna come," euijoo pants under you as you attach your lips to the column of his exposed throat, savoring the chlorinated citrus flavor of his skin, "fuck- i dont wanna come in the water. thats so gross."

you worked your lips up to his ear, slowing your wrist and nipping at his earlobe with your teeth. you whisper, "then come inside me, euijoo."

when you pull back, he's scanning your face for a semblance of humor, as if it were a joke. but you've never been more serious. this is the first time, probably ever, that you've been completely serious on a trip with him. you nod, just to reassure him as you continue ferociously milking his cock, pumping him.

"god, okay, okay," he gives in, breathless. his hair has fallen back into his face, obscuring your sight of his full pupils and glassy eyes, "i'd love to come inside of you. cant believe im even saying that- fuck."

you watch him, even more carefully now. he's beautiful in a way you've noticed before but struggled to put into words. you're sure he has ruined you for everyone else as you study the pulsing vein in his neck and the bobbing lump in his throat. just as his whines get shorter, breathing ragged and hoarse, you inch your throbbing core closer to his cock. you move your swimsuit bottoms out of the way and nudge your entrace with his tip. euijoo releases his hold on your hips so as to not slam you down and fuck you senseless, letting you control the moment, go at your pace. unfortunately for him. instead, he connects your lips in a tender kiss, licking into your mouth and stifling your moans.

the stretch is welcome, eagerly anticipated. but the water perpetuates a burning friction as you suck him in. you sigh into him as you feel the tip of him drag all along your walls. you clench, adjusting to his length as you steady yourself on his shoulders.

"ah-" euijoo gasps into your mouth, breaking free from the kiss and burying his face in your neck. he rests his forehead on your shoulder as his body tenses, snaking his arms around your waist, "coming. fuck, i-im-"

the warmth spreads low inside of you as he releases, burning white ropes plugged deep by his twitching, spent cock. euijoo comes with a silent, choked groan, followed by a sweet series of high-pitched, exasperated whimpers. you coax every sound you can from him, clenching around him, rolling your hips, and dragging your nails down his back. you allow him to just exist for a moment, connected to you in every way. his arms are still wrapped tightly around your waist, hands splayed over the expanse of your back. his heavy breathing fans over your chest, hot and slowing. his dick is still buried inside of you, now soft.

"euijoo," you say, stroking the back of his hair, "can you look at me, please?"

"not yet," he mumbles into your skin, "i'm thinking."

"thinking?" you roll the word around in your mouth a few times, walking your fingers up and down his spine, "did i fuck some sense into you?"

euijoo laughs, this time aloud. his shoulders rack under your touch. you cant help but smile as he sits up, finally, and leans back against the side of the hot tub, "wow. im literally still inside of you and you've managed to insult me. thats gotta be a new record."

youre going to see this every time you close your eyes: euijoo, fucked out and glowing, with faint bruises and pink marks up the column of his throat. you dont even care that youre staring. evidently, you didn't offend him too much, since you feel his cock begin to grow hard inside of you again. he likes it, you realize.

euijoo draws you closer, connecting your lips for one final and chaste kiss. his plump, swollen lips turn up in a smile against you. but when you pull away, he looks perplexed, like he's just remembered something. "really quick, then we can go in."

"okay," you shift uncomfortably on his lap, anxiously awaiting what could be literally anything. it's difficult to tell with euijoo. this could be anything from a sex critique to an addition to tomorrow's vacation initerary, "im all ears."

"earlier," euijoo starts, innocently scanning your face, "you said that you were sorry for playing matchmaker because you didnt know i 'wasnt interested in sex.' and, well, i just-"

"nope," you stand up from your position on his lap, quickly adjusting your bottoms to prevent any of his cum to drip into the water. you resist the urge to whine at the loss of fullness, suddenly empty as you wade out of the tub. however, you are not about to let him get the last a-ha moment, especially when youre full of his cum and still waiting on your own orgasm, "you know exactly what i meant by that."

euijoo cranes his head to follow you as you retreat back to the room, projecting his voice a little too loud, "i am interested in sex, just by the way."

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“no one wants you to kiss my girlfriend,” ej argued. “especially not me or her.”

“come on already,” yuma whined. “either kiss or don’t—i’m getting bored.”

nicholas looked over at you. you looked at ej, ej looked back at you, and then you looked back to nicholas.

“oh my god,” ej huffed. “you can kiss her cheek, but that’s the most you’re getting.”

you let out the sigh you’d been holding in, relieved that ej made the decision for you because you weren’t sure what you were supposed to do.

so, nicholas crawled over across the circle to you, tilted your head to the side and planted a warm, soft kiss on your cheek, lingering slightly longer than he should’ve.

ej rolled his eyes, shaking his head in disapproval—not at you, but at his own best friend.

the game carried on, and proved quite entertaining as you got to watch many of ej and your friends share a kiss.

and then it was ej’s turn to spin.

of course, out of all the people it could’ve landed on, it landed on nicholas.

“wow, i’m pretty lucky today,” nicholas said with a glint in his eyes, a smile on his typically serious face. “tell me i get more than just your cheek.”

“you’re such a freak,” ej responded, and then he looked over at you. “it’s not up to me, though. it’s whatever y/n is comfortable with.”

your breath caught in your throat. everyone in the circle was looking at you now. it was all up to you whether or not you were okay with nicholas kissing your boyfriend.

you knew it was just a stupid party game. it wasn’t a big deal, and you knew how ej and nicholas liked to joke around and flirt sometimes. this was nothing. it was just a kiss.

“you can kiss,” you said, leaning back on your palms with a smirk. “just make sure to put on a show.”

“you’re a freak, too,” ej said to you jokingly, before turning back to nicholas.

the circle watched with anticipation as nicholas crawled across the floor yet again, then sank to his knees once he was in front of ej.

you watched carefully as nicholas brought his hands up to cup your boyfriends face, tilting his head up. ej gazed up into nicholas’s eyes, his expression completely serious. in fact, both of them looked far too serious for just a dumb party game.

their faces were getting closer and closer, their lips just an inch away. and then they were pressed together—nicholas cradling ej’s face in his large hands, their lips moving fluidly against each other.

you gulped, feeling your face start to warm. it seemed like they were actually into it, like they’d forgotten where they were and what they were doing, that it was just a game of spin the bottle. they seemed to have forgotten that people were watching them.

they weren’t even kissing anymore, but entirely making out. you swore you even saw a glimpse of one of their tongues for just a second, and it made your breath hitch in your throat.

“jesus, you guys,” yudai spoke up, laughing. “you can quit now.”

nicholas pulled back, lips glistening with your boyfriends saliva. ej stared up at him, a glimmer of something in his eye that you couldn’t make out.

if you weren’t euijoo’s girlfriend, you would’ve thought they were the ones dating. you felt like by just sitting there, you were interrupting something.

the circle fell silent—an awkward silence. nicholas cleared his throat, then shuffled back to his spot in the circle.

“um,” ej spoke, avoiding eye contact with anyone. “i don’t really wanna play anymore.”

you noticed he had his hands awkwardly positioned over his lap, and when he saw you noticed, he pulled his knees into his chest.

“me neither,” nicholas said. “i’ve kissed enough people.”

they met each others eyes from across the circle, then quickly tore their gazes apart.

“let’s go get another drink,” you suggested, trying to intercept and break the tension.

“yes!” ej agreed, hoisting himself up. “that’s a great idea.”

together, you two found your way through other party goers, into the kitchen. ej was quick to pour himself a hefty cup of liquor.

he took a long sip, then placed his cup on the counter and turned to you.

“i’m so sorry,” he said. “i don’t know what happened. i mean—i didn’t think he was gonna kiss me like that, and then it just kept going and we’ve both had too much to drink, and—”

suddenly, ej stopped talking, his gaze falling just past you, and he gulped.

you frowned, turning around to see what it was that had captured his attention. of course, it was nicholas, leaning in the doorway.

“that was hot,” he said, walking over to you two.

“shut up,” ej scolded.

nicholas chuckled, taking a sip from his red cup.

“well, y/n thought it was hot, too,” he said, motioning over to you. your eyes widened. “i saw the way you were watching us.”

ej’s eyebrows furrowed even further together, glancing over at you. both of them, with equally intimidating stares, were facing you, waiting for you to admit it or defend yourself.

what were you supposed to say? would ej get mad if you admitted that you did think it was kind of hot watching him make out with his best friend? would he think you were weird?

“i-i—”

you were sputtering out nonsense, still fighting a battle as to whether you wanted to defend yourself or admit the truth.

luckily, nicholas was there to do it for you.

“look at her,” he said with a laugh. “it’s obvious she liked what she saw. we’ll do it again for you, if you want.”

“no, we won’t,” euijoo interjected with a scoff.

and then, just for a split second, he saw it. on your face, a flash of disappointment. it was unconscious even to you, but it seemed like deep down, you were a bit disappointed that he wasn’t interested in recreating the show you’d seen just a few minutes earlier.

“wait a minute,” he said. “you actually liked it?”

“i-i mean, i don’t know,” you answered, struggling to meet either of their eyes.

“tell me, baby,” ej pried. “just tell me the truth. i won’t be upset.”

your face was pulsating, your cheeks red. it took you a minute to muster up the strength to give him the true answer.

“yeah,” you finally admitted. “i liked it.”

you glanced up at them for just a moment to see them exchanging some kind of look. you didn’t know what it meant. all you knew was that nicholas was smirking at euijoo, a mischievous little grin.

“you know,” nicholas said, setting his cup down, “i think we should get out of here.”

-

the three of you left the party together and ended up back at yours and ej’s apartment.

it was awkward, admittedly, sitting on the couch in between the two men. none of you quite knew what to say, and the silence was deafening.

of course, it was nicholas who eventually broke the silence.

“so, should we get it started?” he asked.

“get what started?” euijoo asked, already annoyed.

“you know,” nicholas replied. “your girl wants a show. let’s give her one. and now that we’re all alone, she can join in on the fun.”

euijoo glanced down at you, scanning your face, looking for the assurance that you wanted to keep going.

“you really wanna do this?” he asked you.

“if you do, i do,” you affirmed.

he took a deep breath, glancing from you over to nicholas.

then, finally, “fine. let’s go to the bedroom.”

although it wasn’t his apartment, nicholas led the way down the hall to the bedroom, practically skipping with excitement.

you and euijoo followed, and within a few seconds, the three of you were on the bed.

you were laying back against the pillows, while euijoo and nicholas sat beside each other down at the end of the bed where your feet were.

“did you like kissing me earlier?” nicholas asked, eyes trailing ej up and down.

“it was…” euijoo trailed off, searching for the right word. “fine.”

nicholas scoffed, offended.

“it was better than fine and you know it,” he replied.

you sat up on your elbows, hardly sparing a blink as you watched their faces get closer and closer to each other.

“i wasn’t thinking straight,” ej said. “it’s hard to remember.”

nicholas hummed.

“then let me remind you.”

he grabbed euijoo’s face in one of his large hands, rings probably cold on euijoo’s skin, and then joined their lips together.

you watched in awe at the way their lips seems to just melt into each other’s, how it seemed so natural the way they kissed, like they’d been doing it for years.

after a moment, ej brought his hand up and wrapped it around the back of nicholas’s neck, pulling him in even closer. at that, nicholas moaned into ej’s mouth.

you caught a sliver of one of their tongues entering the other one’s mouth, unable to figure out who’s was who’s. but then it became a battle of both their tongues, rubbing and intertwining with each other.

you squeezed your legs together, already feeing yourself getting worked up just from the sight of them kissing. all you wanted to do was to somehow get between them, to be in on their messy makeout.

euijoo pulled back a bit, glancing over at you to check on you and gauge how you were taking it so far. your eyes were blown out wide, lips glossy from how many times you’d licked them in the past few minutes.

“still doing okay?” he asked you, his torso pressed against nicholas’s.

“are you kidding?” nicholas said with a laugh. “look at her. she’s better than okay.”

ej noticed it but didn’t want to say anything so he didn’t embarrass you. it was obvious that them making out had made your horny, though. your thighs pressed together and your bright red cheeks were evidence enough.

he smiled a little.

“you can touch yourself if you want,” he offered.

that was all he said before he faced nicholas again and pressed their lips back together. you released a drawn out sigh, watching your boyfriend and his best friend devour each other.

you wanted to touch yourself, you really did, but it was nerve wracking to think about doing so in front of nicholas. he’d never see you in that kind of way, and you weren’t sure what he’d think.

regardless, he was occupied in something—someone—else, so you took the opportunity to slowly slide your hand down your body and into your pants.

straight past your panties, your fingertips brushed over your clit. you gasped, feeling how wet you already were, staring to rub the puffy bud in little circles.

nicholas’s hands trailed down euijoo’s body, desperately rubbing up and down his sides, pushing the fabric of his t-shirt up until it was bunched up around his shoulders. they pulled apart for a moment so ej could lose the shirt entirely.

nicholas’s eyes drank in the sight of ej’s bare torso, his hands gripping and rubbing your boyfriend’s supple skin.

“fuck, look at your little fucking waist,” nicholas practically growled against ej’s mouth. “you’re so sexy, juju.”

ej smiled and leaned back in, pressing his now bare torso against nicho’s as their lips intertwined once again. nicholas held ej’s waist as he slid his tongue back into his mouth, rubbing it against ej’s.

you couldn’t help the moan that escaped your lips, your fingers gliding further down your soaked pussy. you dragged them down your folds and back up, spreading your arousal and staring at the two men unashamed, biting your lower lip.

ej pulled back from the kiss to look over at you again.

“why don’t you take some clothes off, baby?” he suggested in that sickeningly sweet voice of his.

you immediately obliged, sliding your hand out of your pants to take your shirt and bra off, all while maintaining deep eye contact with him. you almost didn’t notice nicholas stripping as well, revealing his toned abdomen.

you unbuttoned your pants and got rid of them, left in nothing but your drenched underwear. both of the men eyed you hungrily, but ej was the first to make a move. he detached himself from nicholas and made his way up the bed over to you, finally kissing you instead.

you tangled your fingers in caramel-colored hair, moaning into his mouth. he kissed you slowly, sweetly, carefully, and you wondered if it was the same way he kissed nicholas.

meanwhile, nicholas rid himself of his pants, left in nothing but his boxers. he stared as you and ej kissed, watched the way your legs quivered and spread. there was a patch of wetness on your thin panties, and it had nicholas’s cock twitching.

“do you want him to touch you?” ej asked, briefly pulling back from your lips.

you glanced over at nicholas, feeling a wave of insecurity and intimidation wash over you at the way he was staring with that hard look on his face.

“i-i—”

“he won’t bite,” ej assured you, glancing behind his shoulder at nicholas. “even if it looks like he will.”

nicholas fixed his expression, trying his best to look less threatening for your sake.

“you’re soaked,” he commented, inching his way over to you and euijoo. “let me take these off you, yeah?”

silently, you nodded, gasping when his cold, ringed fingers hooked into the waistband of your panties and slid them down your legs. you tried not to think too hard about it—the fact that you were now completely naked in front of your boyfriend’s best friend, your bare cunt on full display for him.

sensing your horror, ej leaned back in and kissed you, distracting you from your embarrassment.

you gasped into his mouth when you felt nicholas’s fingers swipe up the length of your pussy, gathering your excess of arousal. he spread the wetness around, and his fingers prodded at your entrance. just when you thought he was going to slide them in, he dragged them back up and pressed down on your clit instead.

you whimpered into ej’s mouth, humping your hips up into the air desperately. it made nicholas chuckle, and only aggravated you.

“she’s so sensitive,” he mumbled, slowly circling your clit with his middle and ring fingers. “you’re just as fun to play with as ej.”

ej hummed before he pulled apart from your lips, glancing down at where nicholas’s hand was rubbing you.

“don’t tease her,” he scolded. “she’s been good, you can fuck her with your fingers.”

you gulped, surprised to see your boyfriend take such authority when he was normally more submissive leaning. even nicholas looked surprised for a moment to be told what to do, but nonetheless, he obliged.

slowly and gently, he slid his fingers inside your pussy, getting you nice and stretched out. you cried out, gripping the bedsheet as your walls clamped around his slender fingers.

“fuck,” nicholas mumbled. “she’s so warm ‘n wet.”

ej began peppering kisses down your jawline and to your neck, and you felt like you were in heaven. the soft suction of his lips on your neck and nicholas’s lengthy fingers pumping in and out of you was euphoric. you didn’t think it could get better until you felt another hand on your pussy—euijoo’s.

while nicholas was finger fucking you, ej began to slowly rub your clit in circles, and your eyes rolled back into your head.

“oh my god,” you moaned, not even knowing what to do with yourself because it felt so good.

“is that good, baby?” ej asked you.

“yes, euijoo,” you choked out, clenching around nicho’s fingers. “it’s so fucking good.”

he smiled against your neck, continuing to kiss his way down until he made it to your chest. he wrapped his lips around one of your erect nipples and began suckling softly on the bud, eyes fluttering shut in pleasure and relaxation.

you couldn’t believe this was happening—you had two of the sexiest men you’d ever seen in your life pleasing you at the same exact time. ej rubbing your clit and sucking your nipples, and nicholas fingering you so deep that you were practically wetting the bed with your arousal.

suddenly, taking advantage of the fact that your lips were free now, nicholas brought his face to yours and kissed you—for real this time. his lips on yours and the way he kissed you was nothing like the way ej kissed you. nicholas was rougher, more intense. his tongue found its way into your mouth quickly, and you had to match his pace, so you rubbed your own tongue against his, exchanging saliva.

you moaned into his mouth, your fingers tugging on ej’s hair as he tugged your nipple between his teeth. you were practically riding both their hands, inching yourself closer and closer to your high. you needed it desperately, and you couldn’t hide it from them.

“you gonna cum, baby?” ej asked, gliding his tongue around your nipple.

all you could do was nod into nicholas’s mouth, unable to speak even if you weren’t kissing him. he plunged his fingers as deep as they could go inside of you, and your legs clamped around both their hands.

“fuck!” you yelped, breaking apart from the kiss. “shit, nghhh—i’m cumming!”

you threw your head back, releasing a strained moan as your climax washed over you. you tugged your boyfriends hair, tightening around their fingers as the knot in your stomach undid itself.

“fuck, that’s it,” nicholas cooed, watching the way your legs twitched as you started to come down. “so fucking pretty when you cum.”

he pulled his fingers out of you, and ej detached from your nipple. they were both sat on either side of you, looking down at you. ej carefully caressed your tummy, lulling you back down from the intensity of your orgasm.

“you’re so hard,” nicholas suddenly said, motioning to ej’s cock, straining obviously in his pants.

suddenly, nicholas was reaching over you to plant his palm against ej’s covered length, feeling it pulsate under his hand.

“fuck,” ej hissed, instinctively jutting his hips forward, pressing his cock further into nicho’s grasp.

nicholas smirked at his best friend’s reaction, squeezing ej’s length over the fabric of his sweatpants. he dragged his hand back and forth, but when he decided that wasn’t enough, he tugged on the waistband and tugged them down enough for ej’s length to spring free.

at the sight of your boyfriend’s dick drooling with pre cum, you eagerly sat up on your knees and positioned yourself in front of him. ej looked down at you tenderly, bringing his hand to the back of your head to guide your mouth onto his length.

you took him well like you always did, kitten licking up the precum from his tip before taking the rest of his length into your mouth.

ej sighed in pleasure, dropping his head back. you glanced up, only to find nicholas leaning forward and planting a firm kiss to ej’s neck.

“fuck,” ej groaned, bringing his other hand to the back of nicho’s neck.

it was hard to keep your eyes open with the tip of his long cock gagging you when it hit the back of your throat every few seconds, but you refused to miss what was occurring in front of you. nicholas sucking hickeys into ej’s neck was a beautiful sight, and you could feel yourself getting worked up all over again.

and it only got better when you watched ej’s hand carefully drag down the front of nicho’s torso, stopping at the waistband of his boxers. they made eye contact, seemingly exchanging information telepathically, and then ej was slipping his hand into the other’s boxers.

“oh shit,” nicholas moaned as ej began stroking him slowly. “fuck—that’s good.”

you watched the bump of ej’s hand moving in nicholas’s boxers, so entranced by the sight that you found yourself slacking on the blowjob you were giving.

“mmm, keep going, baby,” ej urged, drawing you back in with that coaxing voice of his.

you turned your attention back to him, pushing him as deep into your throat as you could go. you clenched your eyes shut in discomfort, hollowing out your cheeks.

you deep-throated him for a few minutes before he let you up for a much needed breather. when your eyes reopened, you found that nicholas’s boxers were to his knees and ej’s hand was pumping his thick cock in a rapid motion.

again, you sat back and watched in awe. the chemistry they had, the way they both seemed to know what the other one liked, left you dumbfounded. you truly began to question if this wasn’t the first time they’d done something like this with each other.

“f-fuck, euijoo,” nicholas grunted, grabbing ej’s wrist. “slow down, i’m close.”

“finish him off,” ej suddenly said to you, and your eyes widened.

“what about you?” you asked, glancing over at his long cock, standing straight up against his abs from how hard he was.

“don’t worry about me right now,” he retorted. “wanna see you take nicho, okay? wanna see you swallow everything he gives you. can you do that, pretty girl?”

you gulped with nerves, but nodded nonetheless. it was always hard to say no to ej, not that you wanted to.

you sat yourself on your knees in front of nicholas, face to face with his cock. a long vein ran all the way up from the bottom to the top, and so you traced it with your tongue before wrapping your lips around his bulbous tip.

“holy shit,” nicholas moaned, his hand finding the back of your head—not to push you, but to keep it firmly rested there. “that’s it, that’s a good girl.”

his words practically made you purr, your pussy nearly dripping onto the bed. you were so horny despite having cum all ready, but you needed more.

luckily, your boyfriend sensed that. before you knew it, ej was spreading your legs and positioning himself between them. and then, from the back, he licked a firm, electrifying stripe up from your hole to your clit, a lick so pleasurable that you whimpered around nicholas’s cock, jolting in delight.

“oh, yeah,” nicholas muttered. “fuck—is that good? you like getting your pussy eaten while you’re sucking me off?”

you eagerly nodded your head, your mouth stuffed too full to speak. although, you figured that even if your mouth wasn’t full, you still wouldn’t have been able to say anything. you were so fucked out, already dumb and you hadn’t even gotten fucked yet.

ej drank your arousal and licked your pussy up and down, circling the tip of his tongue against your puffy clit. you didn’t know what to do with your hands, so you opted for planting them on nicholas’s sharp hips, which gave you the leverage to suck him even deeper into your mouth.

your moans vibrated around his length, and he fucked his hips forward, making you gag when he hit the back of your throat.

“‘m fucking close,” he warned, tugging on your strands of hair.

you blinked up at him, your cunt tightening around euijoo’s tongue in excitement. just the thought of nicholas cumming was enough to make you feel like you could cum soon too.

he fucked his cock in and out of your throat a couple of more times before tensing, and then you felt the first string of hot, salty cum, hitting your tongue. you swallowed it and continued to do so with the ropes of it that followed, giving both him and ej what they wanted.

and nicholas looked so good when he came—his face scrunched up, releasing an array of beautiful sounds, abs tight and glistening with sweat—that suddenly, you felt like you were going to release all over euijoo’s face.

“e-ej!” you cried out, pushing your hips back into his face. “oh god, right there!”

his tongue rapidly flicked up and down, and suddenly, you, too, were cumming. you released all over his face, drenching him with your wetness, and he slurped it all up, licking your cunt clean.

you collapsed flat on your back against the bed when you were done cumming, looking up at the two men tiredly.

“wake up,” euijoo said, spreading your legs and making room for himself between them. “i haven’t cum yet, baby.”

your body was pliant from you sleepy you were, making it easy for nicholas to pick you up and place you on his lap, your back pressed to his sweaty chest. you put your feet on the tops of his thighs, spreading your legs and revealing your glistening pussy to ej.

you leaned back against nicho’s chest, steadying your breathing as ej lined himself up and nudged in until just his tip was inside you. with how wet you were, it wasn’t going to be hard for him to get you adjusted to his size.

as he slid inch by inch, nicholas wrapped one hand around your waist and brought it down to rub your clit. he used the other one to slide up your stomach and land on your breast, tweaking your hard nipple.

you felt like you were on another dimension, sandwiched between these two men, both of them stimulating every part of you. you felt so good, you couldn’t even do or say anything except lay there and take what they were giving you.

ej bottomed out and was quick to start thrusting, fucking you at a consistent pace from the start.

“is it good, baby?” nicholas asked in your ear, kissing just below it. “use your words.”

“it’s so f-fucking good,” you cried out, your body rocking back into his chest every time ej thrusted into you.

“you’re so pretty,” ej whispered, leaning forward to peck you on the lips. “such a sweet thing letting us play with you like this.”

you turned your head to the side and met nicholas’s lips, letting him snake his tongue into your mouth. you rubbed your tongues together, moaning pathetically and tiredly as ej fucked you hard and deep, his tip quickly finding your g-spot.

“mmmmph, oh my god,” you mumbled against nicholas’s mouth. “it feels so good.”

“i know,” nicholas cooed, pinching your nipples between his fingers. “i know.”

ej stared down at you in awe, perched on his best friend’s lap, making out with him. it was such an outrageously hot sight that he wanted to take a picture, and that way he’d never forget it.

but he was too close. he couldn’t think about stopping now, not when his orgasm was rapidly approaching. you could tell, too, based on his hips were moving fluidly, his thrusting losing its rhythm.

“cum again for me,” he commanded.

you looked up at him with big, watery eyes.

“can’t,” you whimpered out.

“hey, yes you can,” nicholas cooed, pressing his fingers firmly onto your clit. “you can do it. be good and cum for us, okay?”

you tossed your head back against his shoulder, and ej couldn’t resist. with your neck exposed like that, he felt like a magnet the way his hand immediately reached out to wrap around it. he squeezed just slightly, applying only a touch of pressure, but he knew it was just what you needed to get you to the brink of orgasm.

you clenched around him, legs shaking and threatening to close, but he kept them open. he thrusted, once, twice, three more times and then abruptly stopped, buried to the hilt inside of you.

you came with a silent, choked moan, your entire body twitching in nicholas’s lap. ej stuffed you full with his warm, sticky load, panting like he’d just run a marathon.

he slowly thrusted, riding and milking out both your orgasms, fucking his cum deep inside of you, where it belonged.

you were a mess. all three of you were, but you especially because—and you hadn’t realized it—but nicholas had cum against just from his cock rubbing against your back a few times. you were covered in cum from the inside out.

ej pulled out and helped you off nicholas’s lap. the three of your lay beside each other, practically melting into the sheets.

for a good ten minutes, there was silence. you were dozing off and only awakened when you felt a wetness on your skin.

you opened your eyes and realized the wetness was from ej wiping you off with a damp towel.

“you okay?” he asked, leaning down to kiss you softly on the forehead.

“mmm, yeah,” you answered tiredly.

nicholas was off the bed now, cleaning himself off and redressing. you realized, even in your tired state, that you didn’t want him to go. you didn’t like how neither them were laying beside you anymore.

“wait,” you called out weakly, getting nicholas’s attention. “can you guys just…get back in bed? can we just go to sleep together?”

ej and nicholas exchanged a glance.

“both of us?” nicholas asked.

“yeah,” you said. “if that’s okay.”

nicholas, who’d just put his shirt back on, immediately took it back off and crawled back into bed with you.

“more than okay,” he assured, kissing your cheek.

ej chuckled and climbed back into bed on the other side of you, pulling you into his chest.

“i could get used to this,” you mumbled, closing your eyes.

and you could. you felt safe with both men there on either side of you. you thought that you didn’t want this to be just a one time thing.

“yeah,” ej agreed. “me too.”

he groans quietly, pressing his face further into your hoodie. “it’s too early for talking.”

“you literally talked first.”

“that doesn’t count.”

you laugh softly under your breath.

he sounds so sleepy it’s almost unfair.

you turn slightly in his arms so you can look at him properly.

big mistake.

his hair is messy in every direction, eyes barely open, cheeks still soft with sleep, and somehow he still looks devastatingly pretty.

your heart immediately folds in on itself.

nicholas notices you staring after a second.

“…why are you looking at me like that?”

“like what?”

“like you’re having a full internal crisis.”

you let out a soft laugh. “maybe i am.”

“why?”

you smile a little into the pillow, cheeks warm. “because you look really cute right now.”

nicholas pauses for a second.

then, very quietly, he pulls the blanket up over part of his face like that somehow fixes the situation.

you stare at him.

“…are you hiding?”

“no.”

“you literally are.”

“it’s too early to be perceived.”

you laugh again, brighter this time, and he peeks at you over the blanket like he physically cannot help it.

there’s something so soft about him in the mornings.

less composed.

less careful.

just yours.

you try sitting up again.

before you can get very far, nicholas catches the sleeve of your hoodie lazily between his fingers.

“where are you going?” he mumbles.

“the bathroom.”

he frowns immediately, still half asleep. “again?”

you blink. “i haven’t gone yet.”

“oh.”

he thinks about that for a second.

then tightens his arm around your waist anyway.

“still. don’t go.”

you laugh softly. “you’re so clingy in the mornings.”

“only because you’re warm,” he murmurs against the pillow.

then, quieter:

“and because i like you a lot.”

his voice is lingering when he says it, like it slips out before he can think too hard about it.

and somehow that makes your heart feel even lighter.

because he says it like it’s nothing new.

like it’s always been true.

like it’s just part of the morning, the same way the sunlight is.

your face warms immediately.

nicholas notices, of course.

he always does.

a small, drowsy smile tugs at his lips. “there it is.”

“what?” you mumble, already trying to hide behind the pillow.

“you getting all shy again.”

“i’m not shy,” you insist, though your voice comes out softer than you mean it to.

you pull the blanket up a little more anyway, hiding your face.

nicholas lets out a quiet laugh and gently tugs it back down just enough to see you.

“don’t hide,” he says, still smiling. “i like seeing you like this.”

your chest melts a little at that.

actually, a lot.

you glance down after a second and realize—

“…wait. this is your hoodie.”

nicholas hums softly, still half asleep. “yeah.”

you blink slowly. “when did i steal this?”

“you didn’t steal it,” he says.

“then why am i wearing it?”

he takes a moment, eyes barely open, like he’s searching his sleep-fogged memory for the right explanation.

“because you said yours didn’t smell like me.”

you go completely still.

“…i said that out loud?”

“mhm.”

your voice drops immediately. “that’s so embarrassing.”

nicholas just smiles a little against the pillow. “i thought it was cute.”

you make a small noise of protest and hide your face in the pillow right away.

he laughs softly and reaches over, fingers brushing your hair back with slow, careful movements.

“you were half asleep,” he murmurs. “you also called me ‘home’ like it was a personality trait.”

“nicholas,” you whine quietly. “please stop remembering things.”

“and then,” he continues anyway, way too pleased with himself, “you took my hoodie and refused to give it back.”

you peek out slightly. “in my defense… it’s really comfortable.”

“i noticed.”

you sit up a little, still hiding half your face. “so this is what our relationship has come to?”

nicholas hums thoughtfully, eyes soft.

“apparently,” he says, “i just get robbed and complimented a lot.”

you finally crack a smile.

“and you’re okay with that?”

he reaches for your hand under the blanket, lacing your fingers.

“yeah,” he says simply. “i’m willing to suffer through it."

you peek up at him finally, and he’s already looking at you.

softly.

like he always does when you’re not paying attention.

your stomach flips a little.

“what?” you ask quieter this time.

nicholas shrugs slightly against the pillow.

“nothing,” he murmurs. “i just really like waking up next to you.”

your entire brain goes completely still.

he says things like that so gently too.

never dramatic.

never forced.

just honest enough to make your chest ache.

“you’re being suspiciously sweet right now.”

nicholas hums a little, still half-asleep. “maybe i just like you.”

you blink at him, caught off guard for a second.

then you smile anyway, like you can’t really help it.

“that’s not a fair answer,” you mumble softly.

he shifts closer under the blanket, “why not?”

“because now i don’t know what to say.”

that makes him smile—small and drifting, but so fond it’s impossible to miss.

his hand finds yours under the blanket again, fingers slipping into yours easily.

“you don’t have to say anything,” he says quietly. “just stay.”

your chest feels warm immediately.

“…i was going to,” you admit, voice softer now.

“good,” he murmurs. “then we agree.”

you glance at him, still smiling a little.

he’s looking at you like this is exactly where he’s supposed to be.

like he wouldn’t want anywhere else.

and somehow, that makes you relax even more into him.

“i never want mornings like this to end,” you say quietly.

his expression softens instantly.

he’s quiet for a moment, then breathes out a small laugh that isn’t really amused—more like he’s trying to believe you.

“why would it have to?” he asks gently.