Mornings like these were like paradise for the both of you. Baekhyun knew you’d be waking up soon. Or if it got any later, he’d have to wake you up himself, and he’d pepper your face with kisses like always. He wouldn’t stop until you were giggling before you even had the chance to open your eyes. He admired you in your natural state. He’d get out of bed, stretch so big his hoodie would slide up his slim waist, and he’d head to the kitchen to make breakfast. He never bothered throwing on any pants when it was just the two of you. He knew you’d cuddle up under the covers a little longer, fighting the warm hold of sleep before finally forcing yourself up. You’d stand behind him as he stood at the counter, making rice and warming up soup, and your hands would slip around his waist and settle on the waistband of his boxers. Your eyes would close as you rested your face against his back. Baekhyun would hum a song – usually one of his own – and you’d let the music take you. It was simple. It was routine. It was perfect. This morning, however, he felt a subtle yearning. Something about the part of your lips, the hair in your face, the sweet little noises you were making – it was getting to him. 

Your eyes finally opened to Baekhyun’s staring back at you. A smile grew on your face before you realized it was the morning. His features had an artistic softness to them, like he was painted with watercolors and outlined with oil pastels. In your half-awake state, he looked dreamier than ever, all fuzzy on the edges, besides his eyes. They were deep, brown, and analyzing you like a portrait at an art museum. In the same way he was in awe of you, it was hard not to be in awe of your boyfriend. Even after all this time, waking up next to him was like waking up next to an angel. As you forced yourself awake, you realized his thumb was stroking your cheek and his arm had replaced your pillow under your head. 

“Mm, g’mornin’,” you mumbled, eyes closing for just a second.

“Mornin’, baby,” he replied. His hand slipped down your cheek just the slightest bit. He leaned towards you and you met his lips in a kiss. Without fail, he gave you one every morning, no matter how much you insisted that you had morning breath. 

“Hope you weren’t awake for too long.”

“I wasn’t.” As he pulled back, he brushed the tip of his nose against yours. He was always so sickeningly sweet to you. “Just happy you’re awake now.”

“I like when you’re off,” you sighed contently. Baekhyun’s eyebrows flickered upwards in agreement. 

“Me too. Gives me more time to spend with you,” he giggled, pressing his lips to your cheek, just below his thumb. You were still too drowsy to properly react, opting for a laugh that harmonized with his, reaching your hand lazily towards the top of his head. His lips danced across your cheek, over the tip of your nose, over the corners of your lips – anywhere they could reach, really – before planting themselves back on yours. You weren’t sure how but his lips always tasted like sugar. 

“Too good to me.”

“You deserve it,” he hummed, kissing right behind your ear. His lips pecked down your neck, settling next to your pulse point. “You know that. I tell you every day.”

“I’m still not used to it.”

“Well, you have plenty of time to get used to it, ‘cause I’m not goin’ anywhere.” Baekhyun could feel your heartbeat against his lips. It connected the two of you like a red string of fate. His hair curled and caught between your knuckles. He hummed at the pressure. It was itching something inside of his brain. His pecks carried from the side of your neck to the center, sliding down towards your collarbones. 

“Someone's happy to see me,” you teased. Your fingers massaged the top of his head steadily. Baekhyun scooted up the headboard, landing in a lazy slouch that had you adjusting to lay on your back, his arm tucked under your torso. Your t-shirt, or moreso, his t-shirt that you had stolen from him, ran big, and it slid off your shoulder just enough to expose the skin. Baekhyun was quick to pull it further, covering your shoulder with delicate, seemingly innocent pecks. You'd learned not to hold back with him. A murmur of satisfaction filled the almost-quiet room and it was music to his ears. He was itching to hear more. He pulled back, tongue cautiously licking his bottom lip before you felt his teeth graze the skin. You hummed, untangling a lock of his hair. Baekhyun took that as a good sign and gently bit down. 

The second he felt you buckle beneath him, he realized he was way more worked up than he’d initially thought. The rain felt romantic and the sweet aroma of new air made him want a “fresh start” to the day. Plus, you’d been so good to him lately. His days ran long but you’d wait up for him to get home. Dinner would always be made, his place would be clean, and you’d be standing by the door, ready to greet him. Some nights, you’d held him as he slept, and other nights, you let him relax in the bath, washing his hair with gentle hands. Your constant support meant more to him than he could say. He intended to show it, pay it back tenfold.

His lips suctioned to your skin and slowly, deliberately, he sucked at it. He noticed the “oh–” that left your mouth, the way your fingers tightened in his hair, the way your hips twitched the slightest amount. That’s what he was looking for. 

“So easy for me,” he mumbled, nibbling at the flesh at the base of your neck. He was taking advantage of your sensitivity. Your mouth hung open and your eyes pinched shut like that would take the edge off. Baekhyun pulled away, pressing a gentle peck to the fresh red mark. He kissed down towards your collarbones, pausing only to look up at you with those fake-innocent eyes he always pulled before making you squirm. When he realized you weren’t even looking at him, he giggled to himself before licking the skin around the bone. A wave of goosebumps shot through your body at the cool air as another giggle left his mouth. His teeth were surprisingly gentle for how desperate he was. He suckled another hickey into your skin, hands never once leaving your body. It felt like he was trying to consume you. He wanted every part of you. Every inch of skin, every drop of blood, every tear, every gasp, every “I love you” was the fuel to his undying flame of adoration. It made your stomach twist in delicious knots thinking about how downright obsessed he was. 

Baekhyun pecked a few more kisses down your shoulder before your t-shirt got in the way. His movements wavered long enough for him to sigh. “Let’s get this off of you.” His hands slipped up your torso and pushed the fabric towards your head. You shimmied it off of your body. The air felt frigid against your bare skin. Your nipples hardened and you shuttered. It didn’t go unnoticed by your boyfriend. As a matter of fact, he zoned in on your chest, lips cascading down your sternum. His fingers slid up your chest and pinched a nipple between them, nuzzling his face into the other side.

“I’m gonna warm you up, baby, don’t you worry,” he murmured before taking your other nipple in his mouth. Your hum of content turned into one of pleasure, hips already trying to buck into his body. Your underwear were noticeably wet and this certainly wasn’t helping. Baekhyun stared at you through his eyelashes, tongue swirling around one hardened bud, fingers fumbling with the other. He alternated between sucking and pinching, slowing down on one side to overwhelm the other.

“Baek,” you whispered, swallowing hard. A hand moved to grip his hoodie. He hummed against your nipple and your body jolted. “Please, just–” 

His lips popped off of you with a wet smack.

“Let me take care of you, ok?” He hummed, cheek resting against your chest. You smiled sheepishly. A shade of red was prominent on your cheeks. What could you say? You couldn’t deny the poor man. Especially when he was looking at you like that – pupils blown, lips wet and parted, tongue glossing over his teeth. Baekhyun knew without you needing to say anything. He kissed the nipple that had just been in your mouth. His other hand cupped your chest before running down your stomach. Every kiss left little wet spots from your sternum to your stomach. 

“You’re so needy,” you giggled. Baekhyun mumbled something against your skin. You couldn’t pick out the words but you were sure it was something sweet. Or something provocative. Another wave of goosebumps prickled your skin as he kissed next to your belly button.

“If you could see what I saw–” he spoke up. Another peck, and then another, and then another. His teeth grazed your underwear. His eyes met yours before daring to remove them. “I think you’d understand.” His thumb slipped under the hem. He tugged and you arched your back, giving him a better angle. They slid off and dropped on the comforter, likely to get lost within mere seconds. Baekhyun’s slender hands found their way to your thighs, sliding up the skin and putting the slightest pressure on them. He was strong enough to open them. You would never say no. Regardless, he never did it without asking first.

“May I?” His eyes were soft like a puppy; warm, comforting, full of a distinct yearning you’d seen many, many times. It was a look you’d never gotten tired of. His plump lips, soft and pillowy, parted and he ran his tongue over the bottom. 

“Please,” you hummed. A chill went through your whole body. The breeze coming in from the window wasn’t helping your bare figure retain any warmth but that wasn’t going to be a problem for much longer. Your thighs parted with Baekhyun’s touch and he swallowed hard. The sight of you naked wasn’t foreign, not anymore, but it still took his breath away. The fact that you let him so close to you, allowed him to please you the way he did – it was a dream come true. One of your legs sat close to his back and the other stayed perched up and out of the way. Baekhyun traced your pussy lips with his fingers. His movements were light enough to be felt. He was slowly working you up enough to see you throb around nothing. It wouldn’t take long. You were too easy for him. 

“So pretty,” he sighed. Baek was the only man you knew who could get pussy-drunk without even tasting it. The look in his eyes only caused the arousal in your body to intensify. His hair was shaggy, grown-out with exposed roots, and the way it hung over his forehead all messy from sleep made him look heavenly. Even though you loved his guyliner, you’d always thought he was more attractive without all that makeup. He was raw in front of you, raw and bare and natural. It was the prettiest you’d ever seen him. That’d change the next day, though, when you would wake up next to him again, and you’d be reminded that the universe was on your side with this one. 

The back of his finger ran down the center of your cunt, avoiding your clit. You were already so sensitive, you couldn’t help the hushed whimper that left your mouth. Baekhyun smirked. Your fingers dug into the blanket that surrounded you for whatever stability it could offer. His pattern continued again and again with varying pressure; just when you expected him to finally cave, he’d pull away, barely grazing your flesh. Your clit twitched every time he got close.

“Baek–”

“Not yet, baby. Let me take my time.”

He laid himself in between your legs, allowing yours to spread around him. His thumbs carefully spread your lips, and oh, the sight he was met with made his cock twitch in his boxers. His hips bucked into the mattress underneath him. Your cunt was already dripping and it was taking so much self-restraint for him to not dive in and devour you right there. He blew a steady stream of cold air against your clit. Your hips twitched, hands digging into the blankets as you gasped. You tried to slide yourself closer to Baekhyun but his grip was firm. So was the look in his eyes. You were completely at his mercy. 

“That’s it,” he mused. His cheek pressed against your leg, face inching towards your pussy. His lips brushed against the skin of your inner thigh. A barely-audible hum left your lips but that wasn’t enough for him. He was aching to hear you moan. He pressed his open mouth to you, applying the faintest bit of pressure. One of your hands left the blanket and blindly searched for his head. Your eyes were closed, head back, as if looking at him would have you coming undone in seconds. Baekhyun took the hint and added more pressure, sucking a hickey into the flesh. He nipped at it with his teeth, careful not to hurt too much, tongue running over every bitemark like he was trying to soothe them as they appeared. You finally peaked for just a second, just to feel his hair in between your fingers, and the sight had another wave of arousal coursing through your body. 

“Ha- fuck,” you stuttered. Your head fell back and you covered your eyes with your elbow. Baekhyun giggled into your thigh, shifting his mouth upwards to leave another hickey closer to your pussy. 

“C’mon, you can look at me.” He nuzzled against you, eyes all dreamy. You lifted your arm just to get a peak but you finally moved it down with his little hum of encouragement. Even in the greyish light, he looked like he was glowing. He smiled at you, features softening, and he looked almost innocent. Your fingers scratched his scalp, untangling his bedhead. “Such a good listener.” 

Your cunt throbbed at the sound of his voice. You couldn’t help it. It was impossible to not listen to Baekhyun. His voice was always so gentle, and the way he looked at you… Being anything but obedient felt wrong. 

“Be good and open your mouth for me, ok?” Baek’s head cocked to the side, two fingers reaching up towards your now parted lips. You stuck the tip of your tongue out, guiding them into your mouth. The warmth was erotic but even more so was the way you sucked on them without question. Your tongue swirled around the tips, parting them long enough to drench them in saliva. Drool dripped from your lips onto your chin and as Baekhyun pulled his fingers out, it was smeared against your face. His fingers ghosted the surface of your body. Little beads of saliva dripped onto your skin as they drifted down. His spit-soaked fingers spread your lips and he sucked a sharp breath in through his teeth.

“Guess I didn’t need you to suck ‘em, huh, baby?” He hummed. He blinked slowly like he was trying to savor every second of you. “You’ve been so good for me. How many do you think you can take?”

You choked out a gasp as his pointer finger reached up to rub your clit. He hardly applied any pressure but it felt like your body was igniting. Your thighs twitched like they were going to close around his body but you knew better than that. Instead, you gripped onto your leg so hard the skin was turning pale. Baekhyun moved his fingers at a teasingly slow pace, but you were so desperate you easily could’ve cum if he let you. 

“Bet you can take more than one,” he continued. His fingers dipped down, gathering your slick before returning to your clit. “You think so?”

“Uh huh,” you sighed, voice dissipating in your throat. 

“That’s it.”

After waiting so patiently, Baekhyun’s fingers finally slipped inside of you. And God, it felt like fucking heaven. Your fluids were already gathering at the base of them. Even if you didn’t need it, he gave you a moment to get used to the feeling. You clenched around his fingers, whining helplessly. 

“Can I?” 

“Please, please, please,” you groaned.

Baekhyun laughed at your eagerness. His other hand slipped under your thigh, pulling you close to his face. Slowly, his fingers curled up into your g-spot. Your body reacted before your brain could, arching into his movements like you were magnetized to him. He was patient, precise, his pace never faltering, not even as his thumb found your clit. Every curl of his fingers was followed by a slow circle on your clit. It was just enough to tease you. A pretty whimper left your throat and a hand moved to his wrist, gripping onto it like you were trying to stop him. 

“Still feeling good, angel?”

“Uh huh,” you swallowed, eyelids flutter. You tried not to close them but staring at Baekhyun was getting to be a little too much. Warmth bubbled up in your core with every little movement. “I need more, Baek.” 

“Oh, yeah?” He adjusted himself, pulling you closer to his face. His thumb left your clit but it was quickly replaced by his lips. A gentle kiss first, and then he parted them and took it into his mouth, sucking on it with just enough force to make your legs clench. He pulled away giggling. “Is that better?”

“Mhm, so much better,” you sighed. Baekhyun smiled against your cunt. His fingers quickened as they pumped inside of you, lips moving in tandem. Your moans floated through the air like a blessing. He knew he had to stop before he got too excited and let you cum but your thighs were twitching around his head and it was spurring him on. He groaned around your clit as his cock hit a particularly sweet spot of the mattress. He had to stop; not to prolong your orgasm, but to prolong his own. 

His fingers slowed to a stop, eliciting a disappointed whine from you as he pulled them out. He made a show of sucking your fluids off of his fingers. He revelled in the flavor, letting it marinate on his tongue like you were the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted. 

“Why'd you stop?” You sat up, frowning. It was his turn to avert eye contact, laughing shyly.

“C'mere, baby,” he beckoned and you brought your face close to his. He kissed you gently but that didn't last for long. He nibbled your bottom lip and you took the que to part your lips. The taste of your own fluids were fresh on his tongue. His hand found your waist and squeezed the flesh. You cupped his cheek and your other hand pressed against his bulge. It was getting increasingly obvious how worked up he was. If it weren't for the thin fabric of his black underwear showing you everything, the wet spot under your palm was a dead giveaway. 

“Got too close?” You mumbled against his lips, slowly stroking him through the cloth. 

“You were close, too,” he giggled in response. “Didn't wanna ruin the fun.”

“Shut up, Baek,” you teased. “I wanna feel you.”

His head rolled back. He swallowed hard and you could see the way his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. God, you wanted to eat him up. 

“I can make that happen.” Baekhyun's voice was soft but you could hear the way it shook, the slight stutter that stood out. He crawled up towards the head of the bed, sitting with his back to it. He was slouched just enough to stay comfortable. You moved on top of him, sitting on your knees, ass over his thighs. You tugged the bottom of his hoodie and he wasted no time in pulling it over his shoulders and dropping it to the floor. In a desperate mess of hands, his dick ended up outside of his boxers. He pumped it as you aligned yourself over it. He helped you sink down onto it and God, the way he filled you…

It was obscene, the sound you made. You were soaking wet, leaking all over him, and your voice was so, so desperate, escaping in short whines and quick breaths as you adjusted. Baekhyun's face mirrored yours. His jaw hung open and he swallowed hard, eyes closing as he got used to the warmth of your cunt. He twitched inside of you and prayed you didn’t realize how close he’d truly been to cumming. 

“So– fuck, you're so perfect,” you whined, leaning forwards. Baekhyun buried his face in your chest while his hands squeezed the flesh of your waist. 

“You're taking me so well, baby.” His teeth clenched at the end. He hissed as your hips jerked forward, testing the waters. You nearly collapsed into him, catching yourself weakly with the bedframe. “Too much?”

“No,” you gasped as his hips jerked again. “Just getting used to you.”

Baekhyun's lips found one of your nipples, sucking it as your hips drew a circle around his dick. A string of saliva connected the two of you as he pulled back. Warm, slender hands dragged down your body and rested on the meat of your thighs, thumbs running over the skin soothingly. You brought yourself onto your knees and sunk back down. 

“That’s it,” your boyfriend hummed. He looked like he was on cloud nine. His half-lidded eyes ran up and down your body, memorizing every curvature of your body. His tongue ran over his lips and you swore he was going to start drooling if he didn’t shut his mouth. His hair curled at the ends, still a little knotted, but it looked significantly less messy than it did when he woke up. You leaned back, removing your hands from the headboard to cup his face. Baekhyun looked up at you and you subconsciously picked up your speed. 

“You’re beautiful,” you sighed. Baekhyun let out a breathy chuckle in response. 

“You should see yourself.”

You pressed your lips to his and he wasted no time melting into it. His lips moved at the same pace as your hips. Every movement was synonymous, heartbeats and breaths synced up as though the two of you were becoming one. Each kiss was sloppier than the last until his lips weren’t even on yours. You swallowed hard, head falling back, giving Baekhyun the perfect view of your exposed neck. He pecked at the hickies that he’d sucked into your flesh only minutes before. You were extra sensitive to his touch. Your body jolted as his hand moved towards your neglected clit. His hands were experienced professionals on your body. He knew what would send a shiver down your spine, knew what would have your eyes rolling into your skull, knew all too well how to make you cum with an impossible violence. When it was him, it didn’t take much.

Your pace quickened. You could feel your orgasm building up in your core and you knew Baekhyun wouldn’t stop until you’d cum at least twice. His fingers moved against you messily. Maybe he was reading your mind, or maybe he was getting desperate, but his hips jutted into you. The whine you let out in response was just enough for him to take the hint and keep at it. His thrusts met yours, cock dripping with your fluids. 

“Close, baby?” Baekhyun let go of your waist long enough to brush away the hair that was sticking to your forehead. You nodded vigorously. You couldn’t think enough to say anything besides a mantra of pleas and his name. When his hand met your waist again, it was much tighter. You let him take over, slipping your arms around his neck, head falling next to his. You could feel yourself clenching around his cock as an exasperated moan left your lips. You heard him swallow hard, letting out a shaky breath as he spoke.

“Doing so good for me, yeah?”

“Mhm,” you sighed.

“Can you look at me? Wanna see your pretty face comin' undone for me.”

Using whatever strength was left in you, you pulled your head up and forced yourself to look at him. A hot wave of arousal coursed through your body as your eyes found him and he noticed it immediately. Sweat beaded on his forehead but the look on his face was one of nothing but love. You weren’t just perfect, you were heaven itself. You were his own little piece of paradise. You felt so good around him it was a surprise that he hadn’t finished already. He was holding back for you as best he could. He wouldn’t cum until you had; that was what he always said. It wouldn’t be long before he could, however. 

“I’m gonna–”

“I know, angel,” he mused, voice thick with love. “I can feel it.”

“Can I?” Your eyes threatened to flutter shut. You could feel the heat on your face from the eye contact alone. 

“Of course. Go on, baby, cum for me.” Like clockwork, you did. Oh, you did. You moaned his name like it was all you knew, gripped onto him like he was your savior. Even as you slowed down, he fucked you through your orgasm with gentle thrusts, thumb rubbing against the skin of your waist as his fingers stayed glued to your clit. You leaned against him as your body shook, all warm and breathless.

“That’s it. So good for me, aren’t you?”

You nodded, swallowing and trying to catch your breath. Baekhyun pecked the side of your head as he stilled inside of you. Now, both of his hands were on your waist as you started to come down. The break was, however, short-lived. 

Quicker than you realized, Baekhyun had pulled out and pinned you to the bed. He leaned over you and you felt yourself shrink under his gaze. You could feel yourself slipping deeper and deeper.

“Think you can give me another one, baby?”

“Baek– I can’t,” you stuttered out. He cupped your cheek, his touch a striking contrast to the grittiness of his voice.

“Oh, but you can,” he hummed, pressing his lips to your forehead. He entered you with ease. “You can and you will.”

Without a second thought, his pace quickened again but now, it felt so much more intense. Your body was still trying to come down and you hadn’t yet caught your breath. Baekhyun seemed more desperate. His eyes fluttered shut and his hands slipped to your waist, nails digging into your sides. He was holding onto you tighter than he realized but it was comforting in the sea of overwhelming pleasure that you were drowning in. 

“So wet, fuck,” he mumbled. His voice was thick with lust and a lingering sleepiness and it rang in your head like a gong. You couldn’t respond with anything but a whine as his cock slammed into your sweet spot over and over again. The best way to describe the sounds coming from your room was vulgar. The slick wetness from yours and Baekhyun’s fluids mingling together, the skin slapping on skin, your choked moans and your boyfriend’s desperate whimpers – and it was all amplified by the cracked windows. The mere thought of someone overhearing your early-morning endeavors sent a shiver down your spine.

Baekhyun’s eyebrows furrowed. He was so close that even if he stopped now, he’d still end up cumming inside of you. You writhed beneath him but as he got closer, his ability to keep you in place dissipated. His shaking fingers found your clit for the umpteenth time and you gasped. Your walls pulsed around his cock and he nearly doubled over on top of you, catching himself weakly with his other arm. Your hand found the back of his head and pulled his face close to yours until his eyes cracked open and his lips met yours. You could still taste yourself on them.

“Oh, fuck, Baek,” you groaned, pulling back long enough to catch your breath. His fingers incessantly rubbed your clit. You could tell he was getting impatient, trying to hold himself back so he could cum at the same time as you. One of your hands dipped to his back, fingertips digging into his skin. It pulled a guttural moan from deep in his body. You swallowed it as his lips met yours again. Your other hand tightened in his hair just enough for his body to stutter. 

“So close, baby,” he whined, pressing his forehead against yours. 

“Fuck– me too.” Your voice shook as he fucked into you. Your core burned rich with another impending orgasm. The sweet scent of cologne from the night before still lingered on his neck. His hair was interlaced with yours. Your breaths intermingled, marinating in the sounds of your voices and the wetness that brought the two of you closer and closer to the edge. His lips were back on yours quicker than they’d left. They were soft, plush like a rose petal, but they worked against yours sloppily. His tongue was on your teeth and the flavor of your essence still lingered. A string of saliva connected the two of you to each other as he pulled away, mouth hovering mere centimeters away from yours. 

“I’m gonna cum.” His voice cracked as he spoke.

“Wanna feel you inside me,” you whined. “Please, Baek, just–”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” His thrusts grew harder but just like his kisses, they were getting sloppy. He needed to feel you clenching around him, milking him for everything he had. He was trying to reserve some energy to concentrate on your clit but his slender fingers were shaking, wrought with pleasure. Your hand slipped down and gripped his wrist to steady it. It wasn’t long before you let out a choked moan, head hitting the pillow as your orgasm wracked your body like a wave crashing to the shore. Your legs hooked around the backs of his like you were trying to pull himself impossibly closer. You would’ve been louder had Baekhyun not swallowed every sound like it was what he was put on the planet to do. He came just as hard and just as fast, hips rutting into you, arms threatening to give out as his body melted into yours. His bare chest pressed against yours and you swore you could feel your heartbeats syncing up. 

He stayed there as the two of you started to come down. Just a little longer, he thought to himself. He moved a hand to run through your hair. Your chest heaved as you caught your breath and he did just the same. 

“Always so good to me, aren’t you, angel?” He was breathless. Your hand rested on his lower back, drawing shapes against his skin.

“You do the same for me,” you hummed. He chuckled and the warmth from his laughter made your heart skip a beat. He pulled out, nice and slow so you could savor the feeling of him inside you. A soft sigh escaped your parted lips. Baekhyun laid himself next to you, resting his head on his arm. You turned towards him, watching every movement. The way his hair stuck to his forehead, the way his lip quivered and nostrils flared when he inhaled, the way his Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed – but you settled on his eyes and how fast they found yours. He reached out to stroke your cheek.

“Pretty baby,” he whispered. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“Can’t we just stay here a little longer?” Your fingers danced across his bare stomach. 

“Of course we can. But that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna make you breakfast,” he giggled.

“...Pancakes.” You yawned, eyes shutting. Baekhyun reached over you to grab the long-discarded comforter. You could feel his cum leaking out of you but you tried not to pay any mind to it. 

“Sounds good to me.” You could tell he was smiling. You nodded, your own smile forming on your sleepy face. He pulled you into him, nose pressed against the top of your head, humming along to an imaginary beat. “You can go to sleep if you want. I’ll clean you up.” 

“That… would be nice.”

Monday morning arrived with its usual sharp reality. Standing in the elevator, you watched the floor numbers climb, adjusting the collar of your blazer to make absolutely certain that the faint, fading shadow on your collarbone was completely invisible to the rest of the world.

When the doors opened, there he was.

Junmyeon was standing by the printer, looking untouchable. His suit was tailored to perfection, his hair was swept back, not a single strand out of place, and he was tearing into a junior analyst about a formatting error in a report. But then, his eyes caught yours.

For a split second, the mask slipped. His gaze dropped to your lips, then flickered to your neck, a knowing glint appearing in his eyes that made your skin tingle with the memory of his mouth on yours. He didn’t smile. Instead, he leaned back against the counter, a familiar, arrogant smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“You’re five minutes late.” His voice was smooth and professional. “Busy weekend?”

“I just like to make an entrance, Kim,” you countered, walking past him to leave your purse, purposely brushing your shoulder against his arm.

Junmyeon let out a sharp, scoffing laugh—the kind designed specifically to piss you off—and as usual, he spent the rest of the morning sabotaging your workflow. He accidentally forgot to CC you on a memo, challenged your data in the 10:00 AM briefing, and made sure to mention his sales leads at every possible opportunity.

It was infuriating. It was classic. It was exactly the kind of rivalry that kept the office gossiping.

The week was going to be long, and he was going to spend every second of it trying to get through your mind—and under your skin, but you didn’t mind. After all, you knew exactly how he looked when his suit was on the floor, and his pride was in your hands.

The BBQ restaurant was loud, filled with the sizzle of meat on grills and the boisterous laughter of a team finally letting off steam. Normally, a Wednesday night dinner would be a tactical battlefield for you and Junmyeon, but the atmosphere—and perhaps the several rounds of drinks—had softened the edges of the workday.

Junmyeon was sitting across from you, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing the strong lines of his forearms as he expertly manned the grill. He was in his element, playing the part of the attentive manager, but his focus kept drifting.

While you were busy laughing at a story Minji was telling, you didn’t notice that your small dipping bowl was empty. Without a word, and without even breaking eye contact with the person he was talking to, Junmyeon reached over. He took your bowl, refilled it with the exact amount of sauce you liked, and placed it back in front of you.

A moment later, he noticed you struggling with a particularly large piece of galbi. Quietly, he picked up the kitchen shears, snipped the meat into perfect, bite-sized pieces for you, and nudged the plate closer to your hand. It was seamless—a silent, domestic habit that had no place in a professional rivalry.

Sora, sitting right next to you, went quiet. She watched the exchange with wide eyes, then leaned in close, her shoulder bumping yours.

“Okay… what’s going on with you two?” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the clinking of glasses, but dripping with mischief. “Since when does Kim Junmyeon do table service?”

You felt the heat rise to your cheeks. “He’s just doing the same for the whole team.”

“Uh-huh.” A smirk played on Sora’s lips as she watched Junmyeon subconsciously slide the best cut of ribeye onto your plate. “He hasn’t cut anyone else’s meat, babe. In fact, he just told Minho to get his own water.”

Minji caught it too, joining the conversation immediately. “If I didn’t know you guys hated each other, I’d say he looks like a man who’s already obsessed.”

“Exactly!”

“Look at him—he’s literally waiting for you to take a bite to see if it’s cooked right,” Minji added.

You looked up, and sure enough, Junmyeon was watching you through the haze of the grill smoke. He caught your eye, and for a split second, that arrogant, competitive mask was nowhere to be found.

“C’mon… he’s just being annoying,” you muttered to your friend, though your heart was hammering against your ribs.

“If that’s annoying,” Sora laughed, raising her glass to her lips, “then I need to find myself an enemy, fast.” Both of them laughed together while you tried to bite your tongue.

“I agree,” Hana added after being extremely quiet, observing everything with a mischievous smile. “It’s getting hot in here, huh?” She pinched your cheek, clearly mocking you.

“Please… shut up.”

The night stretched on, fueled by more rounds of drinks and the loud, comfortable chaos of the team. Even though you were sitting at opposite ends of the table now—having been separated by a reshuffle of seating—the air between you felt like a live wire.

You didn’t speak to him. You barely even looked at him. But you were acutely aware of Junmyeon in a way that felt almost biological. You could feel the exact moment his eyes drifted toward you from across the room; you could hear his low, distinct laugh even over ten other people talking.

It was a strange, magnetic tension that neither of you could explain to anyone else.

When the dinner finally wound down, and everyone spilled out onto the sidewalk to hail taxis, the cool night air hit you with a sharp clarity. The team was buzzing, exchanging hugs and drunken promises of “doing that every week,” but you stayed on the periphery, searching for your phone in your bag.

Suddenly, the space beside you grew warm.

“The driver is five minutes away,” Junmyeon said quietly. He wasn’t looking at you; he was looking at the traffic, his hands shoved deep into his coat pockets. “I put it on my app.”

“I can get my own uber, Junmyeon,” you replied, though the protest was weak. Neither of you drank that much, but somehow the alcohol had made your limbs feel heavy and your heart a little too open.

“I know you can,” he murmured, finally turning his head to look at you. The streetlights caught the sharp line of his jaw and the dark, unreadable depth of his eyes. “But I’m not asking.”

There was that dominance again—the quiet, effortless way he took charge that usually made you want to scream, but tonight, it just made your breath hitch.

The car was quiet, the city lights blurring into long, neon streaks across the window. Junmyeon looked like a completely different person in the dim cabin. With his head tilted back against the headboard and his glasses slightly askew, he looked human—vulnerable, even. His chest rose and fell in a slow, heavy rhythm that suggested he’d finally succumbed to the alcohol and the long day.

You let out a soft, huffing breath, leaning your head back as well. “Idiot,” you whispered, the words barely audible over the hum of the tires. “Acting like you’re so composed, cutting my food like that in front of everyone... you’re going to get us caught one of these days.”

You paused, watching the shadow of a streetlight pass over his sharp features.

“I don’t know how you do it,” you continued softly, thinking he was sleeping. “Being the most annoying person I’ve ever met and… the only one I actually wanna see at the end of the day. God—it’s frustrating.”

“I called it a talent.”

You nearly jumped out of your skin. Junmyeon hadn’t moved an inch, but his lips were parted in a lazy, lopsided smirk. He didn’t open his eyes, but he reached out, his hand fumbling blindly across the leather seat until his fingers found yours, lacing through them with a firm grip over his thigh.

“You’re… awake?” you stammered, feeling the heat rush to your face.

“Just resting.” His thumb began a slow stroke over the back of your hand. “And for the record, I wasn’t acting. You were struggling, and I know how much you hate asking for help, sweetheart.”

Junmyeon finally opened his eyes, though they were heavy and slightly unfocused behind his glasses. He turned his head to look at you, his gaze dropping to your mouth.

“By the way, you’re terrible at ‘hating’ me. Your voice gets all soft when you think I’m asleep. Adorable.”

You bit your cheek, a smile threatening to break through your annoyed facade. You quickly turned your face toward the window, looking out at the passing buildings to hide the way your lips were curving.

“Shut up, Kim,” you whispered, though you didn’t pull your hand away. “The alcohol is talking.”

“It made me honest.” His voice dropped to a low, intimate rasp as he pulled your hand toward his lap.

You looked back at him, your heart hammering. “Go back to sleep.”

“Yes, m’am.” He curved his lips before nodding at you, holding your hand tighter. The way he was looking at you, with that raw, unfiltered hunger, made you want to surrender all over again.

Of course, the elevator ride seemed to go on forever; the numbers on the display ticked by far too slowly. Junmyeon let you go in first and slowly stepped in behind you. Even when he acted quietly, he radiated a heat that was impossible to ignore.

“Go home,” he whispered, his hand ghosting over your elbow for a split second—a touch so brief it could have been an accident, if not for the way his fingers lingered. “Sleep. You look like you’re already dreaming.”

“And what would I be dreaming about?” you dared to ask, looking up at him through your lashes.

A slow, dangerous smirk ghosted over his lips. “Me. Obviously.”

“Then… you sure you want me to go?”

His eyes dropped to your lips; he couldn’t even answer your question. His mouth crashed onto yours as his life depended on it, wrapping his arm around your waist. Your fingers rapidly looked into his pocket for his keys, struggling to open the door when his lips slid through your neck.

“Fuck—I need you.”

“I know you do, Kim.”

The door slammed open. You didn’t even make it to his bedroom before his tie was wrapped around your fist, pulling him closer until you could feel the frantic thud of his heart against your chest.

It was like the heat in your bodies evaporated the alcohol in your systems. Effortlessly, Junmyeon carried you in his arms to take you to bed. His lips quickly found yours again, his fingers exploring every inch of your body that wasn’t covered by your clothes. Suddenly, his nimble hands slipped off your sweater and unbuttoned your blouse as his mouth trailed down to your neck and collarbone.

“What the hell did you do to me?” He sucked your lower lip, groaning when your fingers gripped his hair tightly.

“Hmm? Nothing… yet,” you purred, chuckling.

His lips curved. “You devilish woman.” Junmyeon just pulled away a few inches as his hands took his vest off, then his tie, and finally his shirt. Without breaking eye contact with you, he let his clothes fall piece by piece onto the floor. “Will you behave tonight?”

When he saw the look in your eyes—that defiant gaze that drove him completely crazy—he leaned in to kiss you once more, slowly, passionately, just like him.

But you weren’t waiting for permission. You knelt over the mattress, your fingers tangled in his belt, pulling on it until it loosened, unbuttoning his pants to take them off in a quick move that made him groan in surprise.

“Shit—”

Your palm met the searing heat against his boxers. His cock was semi-hard, but as your thumb began a slow, agonizingly firm stroke up the length, he let out a sound that was half-gasp, half-sob, reacting at every touch.

“Behave?” You found his eyes that spoke more than his own mouth. “Of course, love,” you whispered against his skin, your mouth trailing hot kisses down his sternum, leaving a wet trail until you reach his hip.

“Fuck—baby,” he choked out, his breath ragged, making his voice sound rougher. “Make me feel good.”

“Always.”

You moved lower, your lips ghosting over the ripples of his abs, tracing the soft trail of hair that led straight into the waistband of his boxers, discharging them in a slow move. You could feel the muscles in his stomach twitch and contract under your tongue. When you finally reached the tip, you looked up, watching his face through your lashes—the way his glasses were sliding down his nose and his lips were parted in a silent plea.

“Are you going to admit how much you need this?”

“I need it,” he rasped, his hands fisting on nothing. “I fucking need you. I’ve been sitting in that damn restaurant all night just thinking about you in my bed. Fuck—please... just take me.”

You didn’t need to be told twice. You took his cock into your hand, your thumb swirling over the weeping tip, and then you leaned down, your tongue taking a long, slow lick from the base to the crown.

Junmyeon completely lost it. His hips jerked off, a loud groan leaving his lips. “God, yes! You’re so fucking good at this... and so damn pretty.”

“Am I?” you whispered, before taking him into your mouth, your eyes locked on his.

Junmyeon’s fingers were trembling with the sheer force of the lust. “Fuck yes, doll. So damn gorgeous and mine.”

You pulled out, leaving a trail of saliva, kissing his base, wrapping your fingers around his cock, the heat of his skin searing against your palm. He was thick and pulsing, and the sensation of him jumping under your touch made a low, triumphant hum vibrate in your throat. You started a slow, deliberate rhythm, your hand sliding up to the very crown, squeezing just tight enough to hear him gasp.

“You’re so responsive tonight,” you whispered, looking up at him. “Such a good boy.”

“Y-yes—y’know I am,” he managed to choke out, his hands reaching down to bury themselves in your hair, his fingers tangling deep against your scalp. Junmyeon wasn’t pulling you away; he was anchoring himself, his knuckles white as he fought to stay standing.

That sly smile on your lips couldn’t be hidden even when you bit your lower lip. You leaned in and took his cock into your mouth, the sudden heat and wetness causing his knees to buckle slightly. You swirled your tongue around the ridge, focusing on every sensitive nerve ending until he was swearing—low, filthy words that praised and cursed your name all at once.

“Oh… Jesus. That damn mouth of yours.”

When you slid back out, replacing your mouth with your hand, he let out a frustrated, needy sound. You jerked him off with a relentless, punishing speed, your thumb grinding against the tip while your other hand reached down to squeeze him at the base.

“Fuck... don’t stop, please,” he begged, his hips starting to move in a raw, uncoordinated rhythm, thrusting forward into your palm. “I’m right there... Please—”

“So desperate.” But certainly, every time he begged you, it vibrated directly into your wet, aching cunt.

You dived back down, swallowing his cock again, feeling his tip hitting your throat. You could feel the muscles in his thighs trembling as he lost the battle with his own composure. Junmyeon began to thrust more urgently now, his hips snapping forward against your face as he chased his release.

The lack of air made you pull out, breathless, dripping spit all over your lips. You had him in a vice grip, your palm slick with pre-cum and spit. Every time his hips bucked too hard, you’d slow down, circling his tip with just the very point of your tongue, watching his eyes roll back behind his glasses. Then, before he could catch his breath, you’d plunge back down, taking him so deep your eyes watered, your throat tight and welcoming.

“Fuck—yes!”

The sound coming from Junmyeon was primal—a low, rhythmic growl that vibrated through your skull as his hands tightened in your hair. He was trying so hard to maintain his poise, his thighs corded with tension as he fought to keep his rhythm steady, but you were determined to win.

“Stop fighting it, Junmyeon,” you murmured against his skin, your thumb and forefinger teasing his balls, a slow, heavy knead that made his breath hitch. “Cum for me.”

“Shit,” he gasped, his grip on your hair tightening, his knees were visibly shaking. “God—you’re so fucking good... I’m coming—”

Junmyeon didn’t finish the sentence. He couldn’t. His body went rigid, his fingers trembling into your hair as he was breathless, broken, and completely yours.

You swirled your tongue around the ridge of his tip with a wet, frantic suction that was too much for him. Junmyeon finally shattered. He let out a loud, choked-off shout, his hands yanking your head closer as he finally came, the force of it sending waves through his entire body.

You didn’t pull away. You kept licking his tip, lips dripping, swallowing his seed, feeling the heavy, rhythmic pulses against your tongue. When you finally stopped, his cum was dripping from your chin, your fingers sticky. Junmyeon looked like he’d just survived a wreck—holding you weakly, chest heaving, his glasses lopsided and his eyes glazed with a look of pure, unadulterated ruin.

His hands were still shaky, but as he regained a shred of his strength, that stubborn, dominant streak flared back up.

He reached out, his thumb catching a drop of himself on your chin, but instead of wiping it away, he smeared it slowly across your lower lip, making you suck his finger completely. Defiant, you kept staring at him as your tongue circled his thumb, knowing full well that deep down, your body was crying out for a little more of him.

“Now it’s my turn to play, doll.” He leaned down, his face inches from yours. He didn’t hesitate; he crashed his mouth onto yours, tasting himself on your tongue, claiming the mess you made.

Junmyeon pulled back just enough to look you in the eye again, his thumb now teasing the corner of your mouth.

You bit his thumb, looking at him boldly, knowing exactly what effect you were having on him. “Is it?”

“You gorgeous brat.” That dangerous, dark smirk returning to his lips. “I’m not done with you.” He reached for your waist, his grip firm and bruising, his eyes darkening as he looked at the curves of your body still partially hidden by your lace underwear. “On all fours.”

Goosebumps traveled your body. The moment your knees hit the mattress, Junmyeon was behind you, his presence a heavy, suffocating heat. He didn’t wait for you to settle; his hands were rough and efficient, hooking into the sides of your lace panties and stripping them down your legs in one fluid, impatient motion, giving you a firm spank that caught you off guard, making you whimper and clench your inner muscles.

“Shit—Junmyeon!”

He let out a low, dark chuckle that vibrated against your skin when he saw your state. “Look at that,” he rasped, his large hands coming up to grip your hips, his thumbs digging into the soft flesh of your ass cheeks as he pulled them wide. “You’ve been acting like a little saint while you’re absolutely fucking wet for me.”

“Junmyeon,” you sobbed, your head dropping as you braced your forearms against the pillows. “I swear to god, if you don’t stop talking—ah!”

You gasped as he suddenly leaned down, his mouth replacing his gaze. He didn’t ease into it; he buried his face between your flesh, his tongue lashing out to taste the slick, heavy mess in your pussy. The sensation was so sharp, so unexpected, that your thighs trembled and your elbows buckled.

“Fuck—you taste like heaven,” he growled against your skin, his hands shifting to lock around your waist, hauling you back up so you were arched and exposed.

While he made out with your cunt, he slid two fingers deep inside you, scissoring them with a ruthless, rhythmic speed that had you wailing his name into the empty room.

“Junmyeon!” you cried, your back arching as he hit that perfect spot deep inside. “Oh…”

His fingers moved faster; your fluids made the sensation even more pleasurable. “Tell me how it feels. Tell me how much you love being my fucktoy.”

You felt your knees weak, your eyes closed shut tightly, feeling completely exposed and his. “Ah—I love it,” you confessed, your voice a broken, filthy wreck. “I… Fuck—Junmyeon, you feel so good.” The words slipped from your lips without you even thinking about it.

“Good girl,” he whispered, his tongue finding your clit while his fingers stayed buried deep.

Your legs went weak when you heard that pet name. “Junmyeon… please,” you whimpered.

That soft chuckle made you grip the sheets, enough to know that he was playing the same game you had started. “Shit. So damn wet for me. Just for me.”

Junmyeon pulled out his fingers, making you whimper in fear that he would stop, but he didn’t. His mouth sucked so hard and desperately at your folds that the erotic sound coming from his mouth was enough to make your muscles clench, before his fingers were grinding against your clit.

“Oh… fuck. I-I’m so close.” It sounded like a plea in between ragged moans.

“Wanna cum for me, baby?”

“Y-yes!”

His words were enough to push you to the limit, just as he wanted. Your thighs trembled; the sensation you felt was so overwhelming that even his breathing made you shiver. Your whole body was jolted by an electric shock, pushing you to your first orgasm of the night.

Junmyeon didn’t let the silence last. He moved with a focused, predatory intent, shifting his weight behind you until you felt the searing, solid heat of his cock pressing against your entrance.

“Stay still, love,” he commanded in that deep, lower tone, making you breathe in.

Junmyeon shoved himself in, his tip dragging slowly through the slick mess his mouth had helped create. You were so sensitive that even that slight friction made your inner walls twitch in a desperate, involuntary rhythm.

“Oh… fuck,” he breathed, his voice right against your lower back, thick with a dark, satisfied hunger. “You feel so good.”

You couldn’t even form a coherent thought, you gasped, getting used to the sensation. Your hands scrambled forward, your fingers knotting into the sheets, knuckles turning white as you braced yourself. “Junmyeon... please.”

He held your waist with a grip that felt like iron, and he pushed forward. The first movement was agonizingly slow and consuming, his cock stretching you open, filling every empty inch of you. Your breath hitched and stayed stuck in your lungs—a heavy, overwhelming sensation of being completely claimed.

“God, you’re so tight,” he groaned, his forehead dropping against your shoulder blade as he buried himself to the hilt. “Every time... you feel fucking incredible.”

You let out a long, broken moan, your head falling to the pillows as you felt the sheer weight of him inside you. “Junmyeon—ah! You’re so deep.”

“I’m gonna be deeper,” he promised, his fingers digging into your hips to steady you. He began a slow, rhythmic pull-out, only to drive back in with a little more force. “You like that?”

“Ah—yes, yes!”

You sobbed his name into the pillow, your body arching as he found the perfect rhythm. The slow, deep thrusts were more torturous than the fast ones, forcing you to feel every ridge, every pulse, and every bit of his cock.

The slow, agonizing rhythm snapped. Junmyeon’s thrusts became harder, more territorial, driving deep into you with a force that made the headboard rattle against the wall.

You let your cheek rest on the mattress, trying to control your breathing, feeling your vision blur with each thrust. “Oh my god…” You felt his palm press against your head, pressing hard, causing your walls to contract once more, quivering in a mixture of desperation and pleasure.

“You like this, don’t you?” he rasped, his voice a jagged growl in your ear as he pulled your hips back to meet every punishing strike. “Tell me, sweetheart. Tell me how good it feels to be filled like this.”

“Shit—” you sobbed, your head thrashing against the pillow. “You’re... fuck—so good.”

“Yes?” he chuckled, pressing his palm a little harder. “Your little pussy feels like paradise. So made for me.”

“Oh—god,” you moaned, completely breathless. “Just… just go harder.”

“I’ll give you anything you want,” he promised, his breath hitching as he felt your walls clenching desperately around his length.

Junmyeon reached forward, his hands finding the clasp of your bra and flicking it open with practiced ease, tossing the lace aside. As you arched your back, seeking more contact, he hauled you upright. He pulled you flush against his sweating torso, your spine pressed firmly against his hard chest. The contrast of his hot skin against your back sent a fresh jolt of electricity through you.

“Can you hold it back a little, hmm?” His breath made you shiver so much that all you could do was nod helplessly.

One of his hands slid up to your throat, his fingers curling around your neck with a firm, commanding pressure that stole your breath and replaced it with a dizzying, primal heat. His other hand was a frantic, possessive weight on your breasts, kneading and pulling at your nipples as he continued to fuck you from behind with a relentless, driving pace.

“Does it feel good?” he whispered darkly, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin of your shoulder. “Just feel me inside, baby.”

You tried to nod, to answer, but the combination was lethal. The lack of air, the bruising pressure on your neck, and the sensation of him filling you to the hilt while his hand dominated your boobs pushed you straight over the edge. You couldn’t even whine; you could only let out a silent, open-mouthed gasp as your entire body seized, tearing up.

“Jun—ah!”

You hit your climax with a violence that shocked you, your inner walls squeezing him so hard it was almost painful. You were shaking, tearing up, your vision blurring as the pleasure peaked, clenching around him in rhythmic, desperate waves.

“Fuck!” Junmyeon let out a pained, guttural shout, his fingers digging into your neck as he struggled to maintain his own control. Your orgasm was dragging him under, the sheer suction of you making his own release feel like a ticking time bomb. “I’m... coming.”

“Ah! Do it.”

Junmyeon tried to keep his pace, but the way you were sobbing and pulsing around him was the final blow to his composure. He let out a guttural, pained sound—half-groan, half-sob. His cock throbbed inside you, thick and frantic, filling you with a heat that felt like it was reaching your very core.

“Fuck—y-yes, yes!” he whimpered, his forehead dropping against your shoulder, his breath coming in ragged, desperate hitches. He repeated your name like a prayer, a confession of total surrender that stripped away every bit of his own control.

Junmyeon didn’t pull away. He held you in place, his arm still locked around your waist, his hand slowly softening its grip on your neck, keeping your trembling body upright as your muscles began to fail. You felt your whole system shutting down, leaving you limp and heavy in his arms.

The silence that followed was heavy with the scent of sex and the sound of two people trying to remember how to breathe. Neither of you moved for a long time, the only connection being the erratic thud of your hearts and the cooling slick of sweat between your bodies.

You felt Junmyeon pulling out, his weight leaving the bed for a moment as you collapsed softly into the pillows, your limbs feeling like lead. You heard the rustle of tissues and the soft sound of him cleaning you up with a gentle, focused care that felt like a quiet apology for the bruising intensity of minutes before.

Junmyeon didn’t stay away long. He pulled the duvet over both of you, sliding into the clean side of the bed and immediately hauling you back against his chest. His skin was still hot, his heart thudding a slow, steady rhythm against your spine.

“Drink some water.”

You didn’t have to open your eyes to know that he had already left the glass of water and the pills on the nightstand. “I’m tired.”

“Then rest,” he murmured, his voice thick and heavy with sleep and a faint whiff of whiskey. “It was a long day.” He buried his nose deep into the crook of your neck, inhaling sharply. “You smell so good.”

You let out a weak, shaky laugh, your eyes already drifting shut. “I smell like BBQ, sweat, and probably you.”

“No, no,” he grumbled, his grip tightening around your waist as he nuzzled further into your hair. “You smell like... you. And my favorite distraction.”

You couldn’t believe the absurdity of his words, but there he was making you laugh again. “God… you’re so dumb.”

Junmyeon was quiet for a long second, his breathing leveling out, before he spoke again, the words slurring just a fraction. “Did you call me dumb?”

“Junmyeon,” you moved in his arms to face him directly. His glasses were gone, his eyes were barely open, and he looked completely undone. “Are you drunk?”

He let out a huff of a laugh that ended in a tired sigh. “Yes,” he lied, using that as an excuse to lean in and kiss your lips, slowly, sloppy and messily, until his lips formed a slight curve that looked like a smile. “Very drunk.”

“Sure you are.” You smiled, reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair from his forehead, the barely touch made him close his eyes. “Well… since you’re so honest right now, tell me. Who’s actually the best on the team?”

“You,” he answered immediately, his voice dropping to a low, rough whisper. “It’s always been you. You’re the only one who actually makes me work for it.”

You felt a flutter in your chest, but you played it off. “Okay, now I know you’re wasted. You’d never say that sober.”

“Mmm... maybe,” Junmyeon murmured, his eyes finally sliding shut for good. He moved even closer, his lips brushing against your neck as his voice trailed off into a barely audible mumble. “But you’re really good. That’s why I really like you. Just... you.”

Your heart did a violent somersault against your ribs. You felt that strange, warm ache in your stomach, the kind that had nothing to do with the sex.

“What?” you whispered, your breath hitching. “What did you say?”

“You. I like… you.”

“Junmyeon…”

But there was no answer. That deep sigh was the only sign that he had fallen fast asleep, leaving you frozen, replaying his words over and over in your mind.

He was just drunk—that’s all it was, you told yourself. But deep down, your heart kept pounding, wondering how much truth there was in his words.

The morning was a blur of caffeine and denial. You were staring into your coffee mug like the answers were written in the foam, standing in the silent break room. You tried, you really tried to convince yourself that it was nothing but a stupid joke.

The clink of the metal spoon against the ceramic mug was the only sound in the room—until it wasn’t.

“You left early.” The familiar voice ghosting near your ear.

You jumped, the spoon clattering loudly as you nearly slopped hot coffee onto your blazer. You didn’t even have to turn around to know it was him.

“Jesus…” you breathed, finally turning to face him, ending up physically trapped between the kitchen counter and his body. “You scared me.”

His lips curved, oblivious to the weight in your chest. “Good morning.” Junmyeon leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on your lips, ready to continue when reality hit you like a truck.  

That’s why I really like you—looping in your brain. The ghost that made you spend the night staring at the ceiling, and getting out of his bed earlier than you expected. 

“Junmyeon—!” The panic filled your soul. You placed your trembling hands on his chest, doing your best to keep a few inches of distance between you. At the end, you were at work. “Someone… could see.” Your eyes darted around the room so quickly, afraid that someone might see you.

“Hey… hey, easy.” Junmyeon cupped your face to help you relax, stroking your cheeks with both thumbs. “There’s no one here. Just you and me.” There was a hint of the man from the night before. It wasn’t his usual competitive glare; it was something quieter, more observant. “Did something happen?”

Great. He didn’t remember. 

“No!” you lied, your voice a pitch too high. “I didn’t want to wake you. You looked like you needed sleep.”

“I did,” he admitted, trying to catch your eye—which you were trying to avoid. “But I woke up to a cold bed and a very quiet apartment.”

You gave him a weak, strained smile, focusing intensely on everything but his deep gaze. “Yeah, well, I had to work. Besides... I didn’t wanna keep listening to nonsense.”

Shit. You said it out loud. You took his hands and moved them away from your face, feeling like a fool.

Junmyeon went quiet. He watched you for a beat too long, his eyes tracking the way your fingers were trembling slightly.

“Nonsense?” he asked, his voice dropping to that low, private register that always made your stomach flip. “Do you think that everything I said last night was just the alcohol?”

“Wasn’t it?” you countered, finally meeting his gaze, your heart hammering a frantic rhythm against your ribs. “You were wasted, Junmyeon. You said... you said things that don’t exactly fit our rivalry.”

Junmyeon rested both hands on the kitchen counter; now you seemed even more trapped between his body and the counter. He leaned in closer, close enough that you could smell his cologne. He didn’t look like he was joking. In fact, he looked more serious than ever.

“I might have been wasted, but I wasn’t lying,” he murmured.

“Oh… c’mon. You don’t even remember. Why are you so sure?” you said quickly, clinging to the lie as a shield.

Junmyeon sighed, looking down for a second and then back at you with a genuine, confused furrow in his brow as if he were trying hard not to lose his patience. “I-I remember telling you that you’re the only one on the team who actually keeps me work on it.” He let out a short, dry breath of a laugh. “That’s not nonsense.”

“No, not that,” you said, your voice dropping as you glanced toward the door to make sure no one was coming in for their morning caffeine fix. “I mean... after that. Right before you fell asleep.”

He stopped mid-motion. He looked truly lost, his eyes searching yours. “I don’t... I thought I fell asleep right after we talked about it.”

You felt a flush of heat rise to your cheeks. You shifted your weight, crossing your arms over your chest and looking anywhere but at him. You tried to force a light, mocking laugh, but it came out sounding brittle. You reached up to tuck a stray hair behind your ear, a nervous habit you couldn’t suppress.

“God… it was so ridiculous,” you said, trying to regain your footing as his rival. “You were practically snoring, and then you mumbled that you ‘really liked me.’ Like... really liked me.” You shook your head, forcing another awkward laugh. “I mean, can you imagine? The whiskey really hit you.”

You waited for him to join in. You waited for the sharp, arrogant retort, for him to call you a liar or tell you that you were hallucinating his affection.

But he didn’t laugh.

Junmyeon didn’t move. He stood there with his hand still on the counter, his expression completely unreadable. The usual spark of competition in his eyes had been replaced by something different.

“Why…” he asked, his voice low and disturbingly calm, “is that so ridiculous to you?”

Instinctively, you managed to get away from him, your smile fading, your heels clicking against the linoleum as you tried to maintain some semblance of a professional gap. The air in the break room was suffocatingly small. Every time he stepped forward, you felt your resolve—and your heartbeat—fracturing.

“Junmyeon, stop,” you hissed, your voice a sharp, panicked whisper as you glanced frantically at the glass door. “We’re in the office. Someone could walk in at any second. You-you’re acting weird. Get it together.”

But Junmyeon didn’t pull back. Instead, he stepped directly into your personal space, forcing you to tilt your head back to meet his eyes. “Acting weird?” he repeated, his voice low and dangerously steady. “I asked you a question. Why is it so impossible to believe that I like you?”

“Because we’re us!” you whispered back, your hands shaking as you tried to step back, failing completely. “We compete for everything. We... sabotage each other’s meetings. You don’t just... you don’t ‘really like’ your biggest headache, Junmyeon. It was the whiskey. You were drunk, and I was tired, and we… we need to just move on.”

“The whiskey just made it easier to say out loud,” he countered, his gaze dropping to your lips for a split second before snapping back to your eyes. Junmyeon looked frustrated, his usual composure replaced by a raw, stubborn honesty that terrified you. “Do you really think I’d let anyone else talk to me the way you do? Do you think I’d spend my nights with someone I just compete with?”

“Stop it,” you breathed, feeling your back hit the cold surface of the refrigerator. “Someone’s gonna hear you.”

“Let them,” he muttered, though he lowered his voice even further, leaning in until his breath was warm against your forehead. “Maybe I’m too tired to pretend. I said what I said because it’s true. I like the rivalry, but I like you even more. And the fact that you ran away this morning tells me you’re either scared, or… you feel the exact same way.”

“Shut up!” you hissed, your voice trembling. “I’m not—”

“Then stop running!” he challenged, his hand hovering near your waist, not touching, but close enough that you could feel the heat radiating from him. “Look me in the eye and tell me you didn’t feel anything.”

You opened your mouth to give him a sharp, sarcastic retort, but the words died in your throat. 

“Look…” he breathed, looking up at the ceiling, a piece of furniture, your mug, anywhere, as if he were trying to clear his mind before continuing. “I know.” He finally met your anxious gaze. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way. I get it.” his head tilted, your foreheads touching as he closed his eyes in a gesture of total surrender. “But… please. Don’t walk away.”

“Junmyeon…” you whispered, your voice barely audible. You closed your eyes just like he did, trying to find the strength to step back. “Stop.”

When you felt one of his hands on your waist and his lips on yours, you gasped in surprise. Your rational side was screaming at you to push him away, to shove him off, and to get out of there as soon as possible, but that something inside you completely betrayed you. Your hands clenched into fists in front of his chest, however, your lips moved with the same intensity as his.

“Stop…” you whispered against his lips, feeling a huge lump in your throat. “Please.”

Junmyeon slowly pulled away from your lips as if doing so caused him physical pain. When you met his gaze, he seemed just as vulnerable as he had on those nights you spent together.

“We need to stop,” you finally snapped, your eyes fixed on his chest, incapable of looking directly at his eyes. “For good.”

“What?” He sounded genuinely panicked. “Yeah… yeah. I know. We-we’re in the office, but—”

“No, Junmyeon,” you breathed and swallowed hard. With what remained of your strength, you pushed him away. You needed to get away quickly, before anyone saw you—or worse yet... before he made you change your mind. “Whatever this was… it’s over.” 

“Wait—” His voice came out as a trembling whisper, trying to grab the sleeve of your blazer in an attempt to stop you. “We can talk about it. I told you you don’t have to feel the same. I…” You could feel him clinging to the fabric of your clothes, while you were incapable of even looking at him. “Let’s talk later, yes? Just listen—”

“Junmyeon, please. Don’t do that,” you whispered, looking at his fist gripping your sleeve. “We had fun, yeah. But we both know this isn’t right. I don’t—”

“Then use me,” he blurted out, catching you off guard.

Stunned, your eyes met his again, unable to believe what he’d said. “Have you lost your mind?”

“Yes!” Junmyeon was desperate. He took your hands, begging you to understand what he was about to say. “Listen... I won’t say it again if my feelings make you uncomfortable. But I don’t want this to end. You’re right, we’ve been having fun, and we can keep doing this for as long as we want... as long as you want.” He let out an anxious laugh. “Fuck—I need you. I-I...”

The sound of muffled laughter and footsteps echoed from the hallway, growing louder by the second. The panic in your chest flared, a sharp reminder of where you were. To you, those voices were a lifeline; to him, they were a distraction from the truth he was trying to force you to face.

“Junmyeon, stop. This is insane,” you whispered, your voice trembling with a mix of adrenaline and fear. “Whatever this is, it’s over. It has to be.”

His eyes widened, the raw honesty in them replaced by a flash of genuine hurt. “You don’t mean that. You’re just panicked because—”

“I do mean it,” you cut him off, your words sharp and cold, designed to be a killing blow to the tension between you. “It was a game, and it went too far. Last night was the limit. I can’t do this anymore.”

Junmyeon opened his mouth to argue, his hand moving as if to catch yours, calling your name to keep you grounded in that corner with him. “Sweetheart—”

“No!” you hissed, backing away. “We’re done.”

The door swung open, and two analysts from the marketing team strolled in, mid-conversation about a project. The shift in the room was instantaneous. You smoothed your blazer with shaking hands, schooling your expression into one of professional indifference, while Junmyeon froze.

He didn’t turn around immediately. He stayed facing the refrigerator for a fraction of a second too long, his shoulders tense, his head bowed. When he finally did turn, he looked like always—stiff, cold, and untouchable—but his eyes stayed locked on you, clouded with a silent, devastating realization.

“Good morning!” one of the analysts chirped, heading for the microwave.

“Morning,” you replied, your voice remarkably steady despite the weight in your chest. You didn’t look at Junmyeon again. You didn’t dare to.

You walked out of the break room without looking back. You had to protect your career, your reputation, and your heart. But as you walked down the hall, it felt hollow, and the image of Junmyeon looking defeated in his own domain was the only thing you could see.

“Hey! I was looking for you. I need your help.” Sora appeared out of nowhere to snap you out of your trance, taking you by your cold hand and leading you over to her desk. “Were you in there? Ugh, I bet he was bothering you again, wasn’t he?”

You grimaced, trying to look indifferent. “It’s nothing… just tell me, did you need my help?”

“Oh—yes!”

Every time you walked into the office, and he was there, your facade of professionalism never faltered. But the weight of Junmyeon’s gaze was a physical pressure against your back.

He wasn’t playing the game anymore. He didn’t sabotage your files or tease you in meetings. Instead, he watched you with a quiet, persistent intensity that made your skin crawl with guilt.

By Thursday afternoon, the stress had manifested into a blinding migraine. The fluorescent lights felt like needles behind your eyes, and the hum of the office was a dull roar.

You were slumped at your desk, head in your hands, when you felt a gentle touch on your shoulder.

“Hey,” Hana whispered, her voice laced with concern. She slid a bottle of water and two extra-strength painkillers onto your desk. “You’ve been really tense. What’s going on?”

“There’s something about this report that doesn’t add up.” There was some truth to your words, but you knew that wasn’t the main problem.

“Let me check—uh, Kim sent that? Go ask him,” she suggested the most obvious solution. “Hey, Junmyeon. C’mere!”

“Hana!” you hissed, trying to stop her, but it was too late.

The split second their eyes met was enough to realize that he was completely distracted, as if he’d been lost in his own thoughts.

“Y-yeah.” Junmyeon awkwardly got up from his desk and walked over to yours.

Hana, sensing the awkwardness of the situation, tried to step in, hoping that this would help you solve your problem. “Don’t be a dumbass and help her. I’m watching,” She gestured with her fingers, indicating that she would return to her cubicle but would remain alert.

Junmyeon just nodded in her direction, swallowed hard, and dared to ask: “What happened?”

“Did you check this before sending it to me?” You avoided his gaze at all costs; his eyes remained fixed on your monitor.

“Uh… yes?”

You sighed. “It doesn’t look like it.” Your trembling finger rested on the screen, right where the error seemed to be. “This is last week’s measurement. You didn’t even bother to update it, and you ruined the whole thing,” you said, trying to sound confident enough. “I doubt this week’s figure will still be the same.”

“Shit... I’m sorry. I’ll check it and send it back to you right away,” he apologized, trying not to make the situation worse. “Just give me a minute—”

“Don’t let this happen again, or don’t bother sending it back to me.”

His face seemed blank. Incapable of saying anything else, he just nodded before disappearing back to his desk.

Hana seemed just as surprised by your attitude as Junmyeon, approaching you again warily. “Christ… if you’d said that to me, I probably would’ve run off to the bathroom to cry.” She let out a soft, nervous chuckle. “Sometimes you really scare me.”

A sharp pain came over your chest—perhaps from anxiety, perhaps from exhaustion, perhaps from heartache. “Sorry you had to see that… I-I think I’m just too tired.”

Chanyeol was mid-laugh, telling a story about a botched client meeting, but he stopped when he looked over at Junmyeon. He sat slumped in the corner of a leather booth, his tie loosened and his gaze fixed on the condensation sliding down his glass. Even when he was there, drinking with his friends on Tuesday night, he looked… sad.

“Okay,” Minho said, setting his drink down and leaning forward, the playful glint in his eyes replaced by concern. “You’ve been staring at that ice cube for an hour. What happened? Work?”

“No,” Junmyeon muttered, taking a heavy swallow of whiskey. “Everything is fine.”

“Liar!” Chanyeol chirped, his sharp eyes catching the way Junmyeon’s hand instinctively twitched toward his phone on the table. “You’ve checked your notifications sixteen times. That’s not work, Minho. That’s a girl.”

But Junmyeon didn’t even snap back with his usual quick-witted defense. He just sighed, the sound heavy with defeat.

“Yeah…” Junmyeon said, his voice barely a whisper, thick with the alcohol and the weight of your rejection in the break room. “Whatever it was... she said it was over.”

Minho exchanged a look with Chanyeol. They had never seen Junmyeon like this. Usually, he was the one in control, the one holding all the cards.

“Who is she?” Chanyeol asked, genuinely curious.

“Doesn’t matter,” Junmyeon replied. “I think I lost her because I was too honest when I was drunk.”

As the night went on and the glasses emptied, Junmyeon’s professional wall crumbled completely. He wasn’t his usual self anymore; he was just a man who missed you. Under the table, out of sight of his friends’ eyes, his thumbs were flying across the screen.

Junmyeon didn’t hear them. He was just watching as every message he sent went undelivered—noticing he was blocked in your contact list.

He signaled the waiter for another refill, and then another, downing the amber liquid. He were trying to drown the memory of the way you’d looked at him—that cold, professional mask you’d donned to shut him out.

“Easy there, Champ,” Minho said, reaching out to steady Junmyeon’s glass. “It isn’t going anywhere.”

Junmyeon didn’t even look up. He just shook his head, his hair falling over his forehead in a way that was far too messy, even for him. “Every time I close my eyes,” he muttered, his voice trailing off. “I hear her telling me it was a mistake. God! It’s driving me crazy.”

Chanyeol leaned back, crossed his arms, and watched his friend with a mixture of pity and fascination. “You’ve really met your match, haven’t you? She must be something special to have you unraveling like this.”

“She’s a nightmare,” Junmyeon rambled, his head dropping back against the leather cushion. He started laughing, a dry, bitter sound that made the others go quiet. “She’s the most stubborn, frustrating, brilliant person I’ve ever met. She is… so beautiful. And I... I thought we had something real.”

“So tell her that,” Minho urged. “Call her.”

“I did! I sent a message. She’s ignoring me,” Junmyeon said, gesturing wildly with his phone.

“Ignoring you? Did she block you or…?” Chanyeol raised an eyebrow curiously. When he saw Junmyeon’s reaction, he knew he’d messed up, and Minho gave him a light smack. “Sorry…”

“She’s scared. She thinks if she lets me in, she loses it. But I-I just want to—” He cut himself off, his face flushing a deeper red as the alcohol stripped away his last filter.

“You want to what?” Chanyeol prodded, a smirk playing on his lips.

“I wanna tell her that I’d give up on everything if she’d give me a chance,” Junmyeon confessed, his voice cracking. He looked at his friends, his eyes glazed and vulnerable. “Is that pathetic? God—I feel so pathetic.”

They realized then that this wasn’t just a crush; Junmyeon was genuinely, deeply lost in someone who was his equal in every way.

“You’re not pathetic, man,” Minho said softly, sliding a glass of water toward him. “Well… maybe just a little.”

“He’s right...” Chanyeol added, tapping his glass.

“Aren’t you supposed to help me feel better?”

“Okay, okay! That’s not the point. You’re just in over your head. Maybe you need to stop acting like you and start acting like this,” Minho suggested.

Junmyeon stared at the water, then back at his phone. He began typing another message with shaky fingers.

“Did she answer?” Minho asked a minute later.

“No…” Junmyeon let out a short, dry laugh, shaking his head. He took another slow, deliberate sip of his drink. “But I get it. She’s scared,” he whispered, his thumb ghosting over his phone screen again. “She doesn’t realize that I’m not trying to take anything from her. I just wanna be there.”

“You sound like you’re talking about a war, not a relationship,” Chanyeol pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

Junmyeon emptied his glass again, the ice clinking loudly in the silence. “It is a war.” He was rambling now, his words slurring just enough to make his friends worry, but he never slipped. “I finally lowered my guard, and she used that moment to walk away. Now I’m just standing... waiting...”

Chanyeol leaned in, his eyes narrowing as he watched Junmyeon’s thumb hover over the phone screen for the hundredth time. “You know…” he started, his voice dropping to a suspicious, low tone. “The way you’re describing this girl—stubborn, sharp, always trying to get one over on you... it almost sounds like… well, y’know...”

Junmyeon’s heart nearly skipped a beat when he heard your name. For a split second, his mask completely shattered, but he covered it with a sudden, sharp burst of laughter that sounded a little too forced.

Minho let out a loud, scoffing laugh, slapping Chanyeol on the back so hard he jolted. “Man, the whiskey has finally rotted your brain. Have you actually seen them together?”

“I’m just saying, the ‘war’ thing fit—” Chanyeol started to defend himself, but Minho cut him off with a wave of his hand.

“They can’t even be in the same elevator,” Minho said, turning back to Junmyeon with a grin. “I saw them in the lobby last week. She looked like she wanted to staple his tie to the wall, and he looked like he was ready to fire her into the sun.”

Junmyeon looked down at his empty glass, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips—because of the irony. He nodded slowly, leaning back into the shadows of the booth to hide the way his eyes softened.

“See?” Minho chimed in, pointing a finger at Chanyeol. “Junmyeon wants someone who’s actually nice to him. Not someone who spends her lunch break figuring out how to sabotage his next presentation.”

“I guess you’re right,” Chanyeol muttered, looking slightly disappointed that his theory had been shot down. “I just thought maybe the hate was covering something else up. It happens in the movies all the time.”

“This isn’t a movie, Yeol,” Junmyeon murmured. “In real life, when someone says it’s over, you’re just left sitting in a bar with two idiots who don’t know when to stop talking.”

“Hey!” Minho shouted, laughing as he signaled for another round.

Junmyeon joined in the laughter, but under the table, his grip on his phone tightened. As he listened to his friends mock the idea of you two ever being together, the weight of the lie—and the silence from your side—felt heavier than the whiskey in his hand.

Chanyeol leaned back, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he swirled his drink. “If she’s that incredible, stop being a hoarder and invite her next time. Bring her next Saturday.”

Junmyeon’s expression shifted instantly, replaced by a look of pure, unadulterated offense. He looked at Chanyeol as if the man had just suggested he sell his soul for a discount coupon.

“Invite her?” Junmyeon repeated, his voice dropping into a protective, territorial growl. “To meet you? Absolutely not!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Minho asked, feigning hurt while clutching his chest.

“It means you’re both idiots,” Junmyeon snapped, though a small, lopsided smile played on his lips from the alcohol. “She has a very low tolerance for nonsense. You two would spend thirty minutes talking about gym stats and bad puns, and you’d scare my girl away before I even got her to sit down.”

Minho let out a bark of laughter that drew eyes from the other tables. “My girl? Did you hear that, Chanyeol? ‘My girl.’ Oh, you are so down bad—you’re drowning!”

“I-I didn’t mean it like that,” Junmyeon muttered, his ears turning a bright, tell-tale shade of pink as he tried to hide behind his glass.

“Oh, you meant it exactly like that,” Chanyeol teased, leaning in and poking Junmyeon’s shoulder. “Look at him! He’s pouting because we called him out. Mr. ‘I-Don’t-Do-Emotions’ is over here writing invisible poetry about his girl who’s ‘too good’ for his best friends.”

“She is too good for you two,” Junmyeon defended, though he was failing to keep a straight face.

“What then? Should we bow when she walks in?” Minho continued, relentless now. “Bet she has him on a leash and he loves it.”

“Shut up,” Junmyeon groaned, burying his face in his hands as his friends erupted into a fresh wave of mockery.

“I bet he has a special ringtone for her,” Chanyeol whispered loudly to Minho. “Probably something soft and romantic.”

Junmyeon just sat there; he played the part of the annoyed friend perfectly while his friend laughed at his face, but inside, he just wanted to be with you.

By the time the taxi dropped him off, the cool night air had sharpened his focus, but the whiskey was still humming in his veins, fueling a reckless sort of hope.

Junmyeon didn’t go to his own door. Instead, he found himself standing in the hallway of your common floor, staring at the dark wood of your apartment door. His hand hovered inches from the surface, his knuckles itching to knock. It was far too late.

I shouldn’t, he thought, his heart thumping a heavy rhythm against his ribs. If I wake her up now, I’ll just prove her right.

He stayed there for a long minute, leaning his forehead against the cool frame of your door, whispering a silent apology to the silence on the other side. “Tomorrow,” he breathed. “I’ll make it right tomorrow.”

The walk to his bed seemed to take forever; his head was spinning, and it had nothing to do with alcohol. Junmyeon clumsily grabbed his phone and looked for your chat again. You hadn’t read any messages, of course—he was still blocked.

“It’s me again,” he muttered, tapping the voice message button. “Can we talk… please?” He sent it, but he didn’t seem convinced, so he continued: “Baby… I know I was wrong. I screwed up. But I need you to listen to me. Just this once, I promise. After that… you decide, please.”

Junmyeon threw himself onto the bed, taking off his glasses, exhausted, angry at himself for being such an idiot. He brought his hands to his face, wondering if that was enough, but he didn’t think so.

He rolled over onto his stomach to grab his phone again and sent another voice message:

“I’m such an idiot… I-I know I deserve your anger for not remembering what I said… for not saying it when I was sober, for not telling you to your face. God… I’m going crazy. I miss you, I want you… with me,” he sighed, his breath trembling. “I miss you… I miss you so much,” he whispered. “Don’t hate me, please… okay? I promise I’ll be better next time… if you give me a chance. Just one. Please, baby…”

“Okay, spill it,” Minji said, leaning across the table and ignoring her drink. She had been watching you like a hawk all night. “What’s going on in that head?”

By Friday, the neon lights of the lounge reflected off the cocktail glasses, but the vibrant atmosphere couldn’t quite pierce the fog in your head. Hana was the one who had finally dragged you out, insisting that it was girls’ night, while Sora spent the first twenty minutes of the night trying to find you a match on a dating app just to see you smile.

“It was a rough week, that’s all,” you said, your voice steady but your eyes fixed on your glass.

Sora rolled her eyes, clearly not buying the excuse. “Since when do you get a migraine over that? You usually live for that!”

“And Hana already told us you almost killed Kim Junmyeon yesterday,” Minji added, raising his drink as a sign of approval.

“Uh… it wasn’t like that—”

“It wasn’t?” Hana interrupted you. “Girl, you were this close to breaking his neck.” She gestured the distance with her hands.

“It’d have been funny to see that.” Minji couldn’t help but laugh as she imagined the situation. “Bet he used his free weekend pass today because of that.”

“Agree! But… if this rivalry turned into something personal—or if he said something that actually hurt your feelings—you can tell us,” Sora added.

“He didn’t hurt my feelings,” you snapped, a little too quickly. You caught yourself and took a slow sip of your drink. “I’m just stressed. Can we please talk about something else? Like Sora’s disastrous date?”

The girls took the bait, pivoting to laugh at Sora’s story, but you felt the weight of the lie sitting heavy in your stomach. You felt like a hypocrite. You were sitting with your best friends, pretending everything was normal, while you felt like a fool for thinking that you could just “switch off” your feelings.

The worst part was every time the screen on your phone flashed with a new notification, you felt a sharp, involuntary jolt in your chest. You’d reach for it with a speed that was far from casual, only to find a generic news update or an email. The disappointment that followed was a cold, hollow weight—one you were trying desperately to hide.

When it happened for the third time, you flipped the phone face-down on the velvet table a little too forcefully, remembering that, ever since the talk, you had decided to block him.

Minji didn’t say anything at first. She just watched the phone, then slowly lifted her gaze to yours, her eyes narrowing behind the rim of her glass. She wasn’t laughing along with Sora and Hana anymore.

“You’re waiting for a who,” Minji said quietly, her voice cutting through the ambient noise.

“What?” you asked, trying to sound confused as you reached for a fry you didn’t actually want.

“The phone,” she countered, gesturing to the device. “If it was work, you’d be annoyed. You’d be rolling your eyes and complaining about your inbox. But you’re jumping like a cat every time it vibrates. You’re looking for a name.”

Sora and Hana stopped talking, their attention snapping back to you. “Wait, is there a guy?” Hana gasped, leaning in.

“Is that why you’ve been so weird? Is it someone we know?” Sora joined.

“Girls—!”

“Wait, I bet it’s that guy from the logistics team,” Sora said, her eyes lighting up with a mischievous glint. “The one with the dimples who was helping you with the inventory sheets the other day. What was his name—Yixing! He was totally hovering!”

“Logistics?” Hana chimed in, leaning over the table. “No way, he’s too nerdy. I think it’s that consultant who was here for the audit. Doh Kyungsoo? He had that ‘I’m smart, and I know it’ vibe that usually makes you want to either fight someone or go to dinner with them.”

You let out a genuine, startled laugh, the absurdity of their guesses finally breaking through the heavy fog in your chest. “Yixing? The guy who spent twenty minutes explaining the difference between ‘shipping’ and ‘handling’? No. Definitely not him. And the consultant? No, no, no.”

“Oh, come on! Then who?” Minji teased, though she was smiling now, glad to see the tension leaving your shoulders.

“I am not waiting for any guy,” you said, shaking your head as you took a sip of your drink, the laughter bubbling up again. “You guys are literally inventing a whole story in your heads. It’s not anyone. I’m just... I’m just being high-strung. You know how I get.”

As the three of them went off on an even more ridiculous target—speculating if you were secretly dating a rival from a different firm entirely—you leaned back in the booth, the smile still lingering on your lips.

Inside, however, your mind was reeling. You watched them laugh and felt a wave of bittersweet irony wash over you. If only you knew, you thought, watching Hana act out a dramatic scene of you being “wooed” by a delivery driver.

“You’re so weird tonight,” Sora laughed, nudging your arm. “But it’s good to see you laughing. For a second there, I thought you were actually gonna cry over a spreadsheet.”

“Never,” you promised, clinking your glass against hers. “Spreadsheets are reliable. People are the problem.”

The laughter continued, and for a few hours, you let yourself be “one of the girls” again, hiding the truth behind a mask of shared jokes and absurd theories. You let them believe you were just being dumb for a night, even if the silence of your phone in your pocket felt heavier than ever.

The night went on, and you completely lost track of how many drinks you’d had. Sora was so drunk that she herself suggested ending the night there, so you all agreed. While they called a taxi, you said you’d go to the restroom first.

Sitting in the cubicle, you checked his chat again; your curiosity got the better of you, and you simply unblocked Junmyeon from your contact list. Within seconds, the messages started coming in. Twenty messages from the night before, including three voice messages—the last one nearly seven minutes long.

You giggled as you read them one by one—each one less coherent and later than the last. He’d clearly sent the audios while drunk, falling asleep in the process. In the haze of the alcohol, your pride felt small, invisible, and before you could talk yourself out of it, you hit the call button.

One ring. Two. Three. Your heart was drumming against your ribs.

From the other side of the line, the room was dark, the only light coming from the rhythmic glow of his phone vibrating somewhere deep in the folds of his duvet. Junmyeon groaned, his body feeling like lead after the two-hour run and the day’s emotional exhaustion. He’d fallen asleep with his clothes on after a quick shower, waiting for the sound of your footsteps in the hall—a sound that never came.

Junmyeon fumbled blindly, his fingers brushing against cold pillows until they finally closed around the device. He didn’t even check the caller ID; he just swiped the screen with eyes closed and pressed the phone to his ear, his voice a low, gravelly rasp.

“Hmm—hello?” Junmyeon’s voice came through, thick and rough with sleep.

“Why aren’t you here?” you blurted out, a giddy, reckless laugh bubbling up. “You said you wanted me, but... you aren’t even trying.”

There was a brief, heavy silence on the other end as he processed the voice waking him at 2:14 AM. Then, you heard the rustle of sheets and his voice sharpened, suddenly alert. “You—are you—where are you right now? Are you alone? Have you been drinking?”

“Yeees! Enough to know you’re being boring, Kim,” you teased, stumbling awkwardly within those four narrow walls. “Were you dreaming about me?” you purred and giggled.

“Damn it… stay exactly where you are,” Junmyeon commanded, his voice dropping into that authoritative tone that usually made you want to argue, but now just made you feel safe. “Don’t move. Give me the address. I’m coming to get you.”

“Hmm, no. Maybe I don’t want to be gotten,” you whispered, smiling like a fool at the door.

“Too bad. You called me. Now give me the address. Now.”

“Rude. I liked it.” You giggled, and then whispered the name of the lounge. “I might have only called because I have a secret for you. But maybe you’re too tired to hear it.”

“Tell me. Don’t hang up. I’m on my way,” he said at full speed.

Junmyeon didn’t even look in the mirror. He grabbed a wrinkled hoodie from the chair and his keys, bolting out the door with a desperate energy. The elevator felt like it was moving in slow motion, every second ticking by like a hammer against his skull.

“Hmm, no, no, no. Secrets don’t work like that!” A new notification suddenly popped up on your phone, warning that the battery was running low. “Shit. My phone’s about to die.”

Junmyeon threw himself into the driver’s seat. He peeled out of the garage, the tires screeching against the concrete as he fishtailed onto the main road. “Wait! Don’t—”

“See you later! Bye!” You hung up before he could say another word.

When you stepped back toward the street, looking for your friends, your expression had completely shifted. The haunted look was gone, replaced by a soft, secretive glow that you couldn’t suppress.

Minji was the first to notice. She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes narrowing as she looked at your face. Sora and Hana followed her gaze, their intoxicated confusion momentarily replaced by sharp curiosity.

“Oh—who was that?” Minji asked, her voice suspiciously sober for someone who’d had four mojitos.

“My uber. Just a friend,” you lied, though the curve of your lips betrayed you. “He’s... he’s in the neighborhood. He’s going to make sure I get home safe. You guys go ahead in the taxi.”

“A friend?” Hana squealed, clutching your arm. “At 2:00 AM? You are so busted! Who is that friend, huh?”

“Go on, get in the car!” you laughed, gently pushing them toward the yellow taxi that had just pulled up.

“Oh, no, no!” the three of them stopped you immediately. Even in the condition they were in, they wouldn’t just leave you alone there.

“I swear he’s already here! Just go!”

“No way!” Hana protested, grabbing your sleeve. “We are not leaving you on a dark street corner at 2:00 AM waiting for some mystery guy. We’re staying until we see the car!”

“I know him! It’s very safe!” you laughed, trying to gently shove them toward the taxi that was idling at the curb. “I’m a grown woman; I can handle a ride home. Plus, if you stay, you’ll just embarrass me by trying to interview him.”

“We will interview him,” Sora chirped, giggling. “I wanna know if he has a five-star rating.”

“Go!” you hissed, half-laughing and half-panicking as you saw a pair of headlights turning the corner—a car that definitely didn’t have an uber sticker in the window.

Minji looked from you to the approaching car, then back to your flushed, desperate face. A look of knowing dawned on her—she didn’t know who it was, but she knew you were far from being in danger. She finally sighed, grabbing the other two by their coats.

“Fine! But you are telling us everything on Monday,” Minji warned, pulling the protesting Sora and Hana closer to the taxi. “If you don’t text the group chat in twenty minutes, I’m calling the police and your mother!”

“Okay! Bye! See you Monday!” you shouted over your shoulder, already moving.

The plan to sneak away clearly failed spectacularly. Even with their taxi waiting, Minji, Sora, and Hana stayed planted on the sidewalk like a wall of stubborn, tipsy witnesses.

When the sleek black car pulled up and the engine cut, you didn’t even wait for the door to fully open.

Junmyeon stepped out of the car, looking worlds away in his casual hoodie, his face tight with genuine worry. He barely had time to scan the scene for trouble before you were a blur of motion, running toward him and throwing your arms around his torso with a force that nearly knocked him back against the car door.

“What—Are you okay? God, you’re freezing,” he muttered, his hands instinctively unzipping his hoodie and draping it over your shoulders in a desperate attempt to keep you safe, holding you closer. He immediately went into lecture mode, his voice stern but laced with relief. “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to be out this late? You’re barely standing. Why didn’t you call me early? Why would you—”

“You’re not wearing them,” you whined, cutting him off as you pulled back just enough to frame his face with your hands. You began inspecting every inch of him, your fingers brushing over his cheekbones. “Where are your glasses, Junmyeon? I like the glasses.”

He blinked, completely thrown by your sudden change in tone. “I-I was sleeping,” he rasped, his voice softening as he realized exactly how much you’d had drank. He cupped your pouty face, his thumbs stroking your cheeks. “Why didn’t you call me earlier? Why did you let it get this late?”

“I just remember I had to tell a secret,” you whispered, leaning into his touch, your eyes half-closed.

“A secret,” he repeated softly. He leaned down, his heart beating fast against your chest. “Okay. I’m here. Tell me.”

You hugged him again, tighter this time, burying your face in the crook of his neck. You stood on your tiptoes, your lips brushing against his ear as he wrapped his arms around you.

“I like you,” you breathed, the confession finally out in the open.

You felt him go rigid for a heartbeat, his breath hitching in his throat. “What?” Junmyeon pulled back just an inch, his eyes wide and searching yours with a look of pure, disbelieving vulnerability. “What did you say…” he whispered, his voice thick and wavering.

“You heard me,” Your voice was small, the alcohol-induced bravery beginning to mix with a raw, honest heat. “God! It’s... it’s so annoying, but I do.”

“Say it again,” he whispered, his voice cracking with a vulnerability you’d never seen. “Please... say it one more time.”

“I like you,” you repeated, your voice a little shaky but certain. “I really, really like you, Junmyeon—don’t look at me like that!”

In Junmyeon’s eyes, you were the most gorgeous person he had ever met. His heart was beating at full speed, feeling like he was still dreaming. He leaned in and captured your lips in a kiss that was soft, sweet, and full of the relief he’d been craving.

He was smiling into the kiss, noticing he wasn’t dreaming anymore. When he pulled back to breathe, you were the one who leaned in again—and again, and again, wrapping your arms around his neck, while he wrapped his arms around your waist.

“You’re so warm,” you giggled, peppering his jaw with tiny, messy kisses. “And I see you’re not mad anymore.”

“I wasn’t mad; I was worried,” he confessed, his forehead resting against yours. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“Sorry for acting like that…” you murmured softly before giving him quick kisses against his lips as an apology. “I’m sorry, Junmyeon.” You wrapped your arms around his neck, hiding on his chest, embarrassed.

Junmyeon kissed your temple softly. “It’s okay, love. Everything’s fine. I’m here, you’re here.” He took a breath, smiling. As soon as he glanced at the situation over your shoulder, his expression shifted—his smile turned a bit more mischievous. “I hate to ruin this perfect moment, truly... but I think your friends are currently questioning their entire reality.”

The fog in your brain cleared for a split second. You turned your head and saw Minji, Sora, and Hana still standing by the taxi, their mouths hanging open. They looked like they had just seen a ghost—or worse, their best friend making out with the man she’d hated.  

“Oh my god…” You gasped, your cheeks turning a violent shade of red. You let out a small whine of pure embarrassment and smacked Junmyeon’s chest. “Why didn’t you tell me they were still there!”

You tried to bury your face in his chest, but Junmyeon just laughed, a deep, victorious sound that echoed down the street. He didn’t look embarrassed at all; if anything, he looked proud. He kept one arm firmly around your waist and used his free hand to give the girls a polite wave.

“Do you ladies need a ride?” he called out, his voice smooth and perfectly composed. “The taxi seems to be waiting.”

Sora blinked rapidly, looking at Hana, who looked at Minji. They looked like they were trying to decide if the cocktails had been laced with hallucinogens. Without a single word, they scrambled into the back of their taxi with the speed of people fleeing a crime scene. Minji gave you one final, wide-eyed “we are talking about this” look before the door slammed shut and the car sped away.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” you groaned into his chest, though you were smiling. “They saw everything! They’re never gonna let me live this down!”

“Let them talk,” Junmyeon said softly, smiling, hiding you in a warm hug.

The morning sun filtered through the cracks of the blinds, casting a soft, golden glow across the bedroom.

When your eyes flickered open, the first thing you registered was the steady, rhythmic rise and fall beneath your cheek. You were completely buried against Junmyeon’s bare chest, the skin-to-skin contact sending an immediate rush of warmth straight to your toes.

For a second, it was just peaceful. And then, the memories of last night hit you like a high-speed train.

Your cheeks instantly burned. A wave of pure, unadulterated embarrassment crashed over you. Desperate to escape reality, you scrambled backward and threw the duvet and sheets completely over your head.

Unfortunately, your sudden, frantic rustling of the blankets completely broke the morning quiet.

Beside you, a low, gravelly morning rumble vibrated through the mattress. Junmyeon stirred, shifting as the blankets were yanked away from him. When you peeked through a tiny gap in the sheets, you saw him blinking sleepily, his dark hair a messy, adorable halo around his face. But the moment his eyes adjusted to the room, a soft, incredibly warm smile broke across his face. He didn’t look annoyed at all; he looked completely enchanted.

As you tried to shrink further into the mattress, you suddenly noticed what you were wearing. It was a dark, oversized t-shirt—the exact same one Junmyeon had been wearing last night. Your mind went entirely blank. The absolute lack of memory only made your face burn hotter.

“Good morning, love,” Junmyeon murmured, his voice thick and deep with sleep. He shifted closer, reaching out a long arm to gently tug at the edge of the duvet you were hoarding. “Hiding from me this early?”

Panicking, you immediately closed your eyes tight, freezing your muscles and trying to force your breathing into a slow, rhythmic pattern.

A soft, amused chuckle echoed from beside you. Junmyeon didn’t buy it for a single second.

“Sweetheart,” he whispered, his hand resting gently on your hip over the fabric of his shirt. He leaned in closer, his breath warm against the outside of your blanket cocoon. “You’re a brilliant marketing strategist, but you’re a terrible actress.”

You held your breath, refusing to move, determined to commit to the bit even as your heart hammered wildly against your ribs.

“Still asleep, huh?” Junmyeon teased, his voice humming with affection. “That’s a shame. I guess I’ll just have to wait here—”

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Junmyeon reached over, his arm stretching out from under the covers to grab the device. He unlocked the screen, his eyes scanning the display as a look of pure, mischievous delight washed over his face.

“Oh… look at that,” he murmured, his voice dripping with mock innocence. “It’s your friends. They’re demanding to know if you survived the night.”

You froze beneath your blanket cocoon, your eyes flying open in sheer horror.

“They seem really worried,” Junmyeon continued, his thumb hovering over the screen. “As a responsible ally. I’ll just reply for you. Let’s see... ‘Morning girls, I’m completely fine and with my handsome boy—’”

“No! Don’t you dare!”

Panic completely overrode your embarrassment. You burst out of your duvet cocoon like a rocket, lunging across the mattress to snatch the device out of his hand. But Junmyeon, already shifted and sat up against the headboard, was entirely prepared for your counter-attack. He smirked and lifted his arm high in the air, keeping the screen far out of your reach.

In your sheer panic to stop him from typing, you lunged forward, your knees sliding across the tangled sheets until you climbed right over him, ending up sitting squarely on his lap. The sudden shift in gravity brought you face-to-face, your chests nearly pressing together.

Junmyeon’s arms instinctively came up to steady you, his hands resting securely on your waist to make sure you didn’t lose your balance and slide off. His eyes darkened with a sudden, intense warmth, tracking the flush that crept from your cheeks all the way down your neck. With a soft, surrendered chuckle, he lowered his high arm and placed the phone right into your hand.

You blinked, looking down at the screen, only to realize it was just his homescreen. No group chat. No texts.

“You...” you gasped, your fingers tightening around the device before leaving it aside. “This isn’t even my phone!”

“Tactical strategy, love,” he countered softly, his thumbs lazily tracing small circles against your waist, anchoring you to his lap.

You groaned, entirely defeated. With nowhere left to hide, you simply let your posture collapse forward, dropping your forehead against his bare shoulder and burying your face in his neck. “Ugh… I hate you. I actually hate you so much.”

“No, you don’t,” Junmyeon whispered, enjoying every second.

His arms tightened around you, pulling you flush against him as he sat there, holding you like you were the only thing that mattered in the world. He leaned his head sideways, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to your burning cheek, then another to the crown of your head, before his fingers gently guided your chin up to meet his lips. The kiss was slow, warm, and filled with a deep, quiet relief that made your heart skip a beat.

When he finally pulled back, still holding you tightly, Junmyeon was looking at you with a smile so bright and genuinely joyful that all your panic completely melted away. “So,” he murmured, “you remember what happened last night.”

“Of course,” you mumbled, a helpless smile finally breaking through as you wrapped your arms around his neck. “What kind of person would I be if I didn’t remember?” You gave him a quick kiss that made him smile.

“Y’know,” he whispered. “Last night, before you called me, I really thought I’d ruined everything.”

You pulled back just enough to look up at him. “You really thought I wouldn’t call?”

Junmyeon nodded, a little bit embarrassed. “I thought I’d pushed you too far,” he admitted, his expression softening into something raw. “I was ready to come to your door again and stay there until you either talked to me or called security.”

You let out a soft, breathy laugh, hiding your face in his neck. “I’d have probably called security.”

“Sounds like you,” he chuckled, his arm tightening around your waist. “But then you called. When I heard your voice, I just needed to make sure you were okay. I needed to see you.”

“I missed you,” you confessed; the words slipped out of your mouth without you even thinking about it.

The immense happiness was reflected on his face. Junmyeon sighed, a long, contented sound that felt like he was finally letting go of a heavy weight. His arms wrapped around you more tightly, until there wasn’t a single inch of space left between you. “I missed you too, gorgeous.”

“You’re gonna suffocate me,” you teased, trying not to laugh. “Kim… let me breathe!”

“Never!” he protested, kissing your temple. “I can’t let you go after you stole my favorite shirt.”

“I stole it?” you asked, raising your voice in surprise—enough to make your cheeks flush again. You looked at him with genuine shock, getting caught with your lack of memories.

“You don’t remember?”

Junmyeon froze for a split second, a low, rumbling chuckle starting deep in his chest. It quickly turned into a full-blown laugh, and he hid his face in your neck, his broad shoulders shaking while you glared at him, your embarrassment skyrocketing by the second.

“What?” you demanded, smacking his bare arm softly. “What did I do, Kim? Tell me!”

“Okay, okay,” he laughed, finally lifting his head so he could look down at your flushed face.

“So, last night, after we got here, I got you onto the bed to get you some water. But you were completely compromised by whatever you drank. You sat up, looked at me, and decided you wanted to be... very close to me. Like, zero space between us.”

Your eyes widened as a horrible realization began to dawn on you.

“You started taking your own clothes off,” Junmyeon confessed, a completely fond, helpless smirk on his lips. “You were actively discarding the hoodie, your skirt, your blouse, trying to drag me down with you. And as much as I am completely, utterly helpless around you, I am not a monster. I refused to do anything that you wouldn’t fully remember the next morning. So I tried to stop you.”

“Oh my god…” you whispered, pulling the sheets all the way up to your nose, wanting the mattress to open up and swallow you whole.

“But you,” Junmyeon continued, his thumb reaching out to gently tug the sheets down so he could see your burning cheeks, “are a fiercely stubborn woman when you want something. Since I wouldn’t let you take your clothes off, you decided to take mine off instead. You literally grabbed my shirt and yanked it right over my head.”

You groaned loudly, covering your face with your hands.

“I didn’t even fight you on it,” he chuckled softly, his voice dropping into that warm, velvet register. “But since you were sitting there in just your underwear, shivering but refusing to admit it, I took my shirt and slid it right over your head to keep you warm. And the funniest part? You didn’t even protest. You looked up at me with these big, sleepy eyes, and mumbled that it was yours now.”

Junmyeon’s gaze softened into pure, unadulterated adoration as he looked at you now, his hand sliding to rest securely on your waist.

“You wrapped your arms around me like a koala and wouldn’t let go,” he whispered, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss to your chin. “You insisted that you wanted me closer, so when I hugged you, you slept like a baby the entire night.” He smiled, his face inches from yours, enjoying your utterly flustered state. “I didn’t know you could be so needy, love. I loved it.”

You stared at him from behind your hands, your fingers peeking open just enough to see the absolute warmth radiating from his eyes. “I am never, ever drinking tequila again,” you whimpered, your voice muffled. “My reputation is entirely ruined.”

His fingers found your hands just to intertwine them with his, giving you a small peck. “Fuck that,” he whispered. “I just care about you. Tequila or sober, bratty or needy—I want all of it. Every single version of you.”

“Ugh… you’re too romantic for your own good, Kim,” you whispered, a soft, genuine smile breaking across your lips.

“Anything for my girlfriend.” He kissed your knuckles.

Girlfriend.

A massive, overwhelming wave of pure happiness rushed through your chest, so intense it almost made you dizzy—but right on its heels came that stubborn, defensive instinct. You narrowed your eyes, instantly shifting into a full, sulky brat mode. You deliberately crossed your arms, puffing out your chest and leaning back just enough to look down at him.

“Excuse me?” you scoffed, your voice dripping with artificial disdain as you pouted. “Who said I am your girlfriend, Kim?”

Junmyeon didn’t look offended at all. In fact, his smile widened, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He absolutely adored it when you got like this. The fiery, sharp-tongued attitude that usually terrified the marketing department was, to him, the most endearing thing in the world. He loved the challenge of you, the way you refused to just bend to his will.

“Oh? Let me see if I can persuade you,” he teased, his voice dropping into a low, dangerously register.

You tilted your head, your lips curving into a daring, deliberate smirk. “Oh, really?” you teased, your voice a playful, sultry challenge. “And how exactly do you plan on convincing me, Kim? Because I’m a very tough negotiator, and so far, your arguments are entirely lacking in—”

You didn’t even get to finish the word.

With a sudden burst of energy, Junmyeon gripped your waist and flipped your positions in one smooth, practiced motion. Before you could even gasp, you were flat on your back against the mattress, and Junmyeon was hovering directly over you, trapping your body beneath his.

“Junmyeon!” you gasped, your sulky facade instantly cracking into a giggle from pure surprise.

“I have plenty of arguments,” he whispered against your skin, smirking.

His fingers slid beneath the fabric of his oversized t-shirt, tracing the sensitive curve of your waist, moving higher, then lower, his palms warm and demanding against your soft skin. He knew exactly where you were ticklish, and exactly how to make you lose your breath. You found yourself half-laughing, half-whining, wriggling beneath him in a useless attempt to escape the delicious torment of his touch.

“Jun—Junmyeon, stop! That’s cheating!” you gasped out between giggles, but he didn’t stop. Instead, he leaned down and began kissing you messily—pecking your burning cheeks, your jawline, the sensitive skin of your neck, and finally smothering your laughter with a deep, chaotic, breathless kiss on your lips.

Any lingering desire to fight him completely vanished. Your arms instinctively reached up to wrap tightly around his neck, pulling him down until his weight was completely crushing you into the soft mattress.

Junmyeon slowly pulled back just an inch, his chest heaving, looking down into your eyes. “I want to do this right,” he murmured, his voice a low, gravelly rumble.

You could sense he was nervous, trying to find the right words. “Last night, when I heard you, my entire world clicked into place. I’ve spent the last year pretending that arguing with you was just about work, but the truth is, I was just… desperate for your attention,” he admitted. “You’re the only person who truly sees me. You challenge me, you ground me, you… you even bother me! But that makes me happy. Really happy.” He smiled, looking at you.

His honesty was reflected in his eyes; it seemed as if he were pouring his heart out in the sincerest way. You couldn’t deny that it made your heart flutter. You smiled, stroking his cheek gently, letting him continue.

“I want my life to keep feeling that way. With you.”

“Junmyeon…”

“Will you do me the absolute honor of being my girlfriend?”

You looked up at him, your chest aching with a love so profound it felt completely overwhelming. The playful, sulky brat from a moment ago was completely gone, replaced by a radiant, breathless smile that you couldn’t have hidden if you tried.

You wrapped your arms securely around his neck to pull him down and gave him a peck. “Yes,” you whispered against his lips, your heart hammering happily. “A thousand times, yes, Kim.”

Junmyeon let out a soft, shaky breath of pure relief and closed the distance, burying his smile in a slow, deep kiss that felt like a quiet vow between the two of you.

“But don’t you ever think I’d let you win this month!” you warned as soon as you pulled away from his lips. “That free weekend is mine!”

He chuckled softly, certainly loving that ridiculous rivalry you two had. “I am winning, love. By 5 sales, actually.” He announced with that smirk he showed just when he’s literally over you on the list, trying to end the discussion with another kiss.

“You cheated again!” you fought back, biting his lower lip hard enough to make him growl.

“Hey!” But he wasn’t mad at all; Junmyeon was the happiest man alive, and he really showed it. “You’ll pay for it.”

He leaned down and captured your lips again, effectively cutting you off from your next complaint. His hands explored your skin, leaving your panties aside in a quick move, making you both giggle as your fingertips slid across his back.

“I’m counting on it, Kim.”

a/note: if you've made it this far, let me thank you for taking the time to read this and for loving ewb as much as i do. for various reasons, i was feeling pretty unmotivated and i even thought that the first part would be my last fic for a long time, but receiving such lovely comments really lifted my spirits and motivated me to write again. truly, thank you so much. i love you all <3

“I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick.” Kyungsoo places a hand on your lower back to let you know. You smile at him, holding the cue upright, and reply with a short and sweet “okay”. 

Your eyes linger on his body a little longer, watching it disappear behind the door. 

“It’s so cool that you’re okay with all this, Y/N.” Jiho catches your attention. He’s looking at you with a smile. The same friendly smile he used to give you on his shifts at the shop. You missed it. 

You wished things had been different. Maybe if you hadn’t been such a geek back in the day. Not that you are any cooler now. He was always nicer with you within the confines of his dad’s shop. In the hallways of high school, he was a lot different. At the time, you never really understood why.  

It got a lot worse one day. His attitude shifted completely. Even at his dad’s shop. He began to treat you like everybody else: like you were nothing. You couldn’t understand what you had done wrong. All you knew was that you didn’t feel comfortable shopping at his dad’s store anymore. 

“With all what?” You reply as you wait for Hyoseob to shoot. 

Hyoseob seems too distracted to do so. He straightens and gives Jiho a warning look. 

“Stop. What’re you doing?” He nudges his friend with a worried expression. He ignores him. 

“With the bet?” Jiho’s head tilts innocently.  

You laugh uncomfortably. “The bet?” The words don’t settle well in your stomach. You stare back at the bathroom door, hoping Kyungsoo would show up and ease the tension. 

“Jiho, he’s gonna kill you. Please shut up.” Hyoseob makes it worse, begging Jiho to stop whatever he was about to confess. 

“You know he only asked you out because we dared him to sleep with you by the end of the semester, right?” 

The polite smile on your face falters as you feel your heart sink from your chest. You think back to the time he approached you. You were skeptical. You were careful. You did the steps to protect yourself from him. And you believed him anyways. 

Of course it was all a lie. A guy like Kyungsoo would have never gone for a girl like you. 

Your breaths become shorter, desperately gasping for air. Your hand rests on your chest, trying to settle the heaviness. 

Hyoseob tries checking on you but you push his arm off you. You can feel your heartbeat through your ears as you try and find your way through the door without passing out.  

Once you find the door to fresh air, you walk. 

You walk as fast as you can for as long as your legs take you. 

You didn’t want Kyungsoo going after you to explain himself. You believed his lie once. Who’s to say you wouldn’t fall for it a second time? 

Every single moment repeats itself like a joke in your head. Your first kiss. Your first time driving a manual. Your first date. 

Fuck. 

The comic book. You halt in your steps and just stand in the middle of the sidewalk. You grab the issue from your tote and stare at it. A tear falls onto the vintage copy. You immediately panic, blotting the wet mark with the end of your top.  

You wanted to throw it away, ruin it. Ruin the memory of that fake date.  

You can’t find it in you to. 

You scoff, “A fucking bet.” 

This couldn’t be your life. It can’t be.  

Your phone rings in your pocket and you laugh at how predictable this all is. You think of what to say. You want to think of some snappy comeback. Anything to hurt his feelings the way he’s hurt yours. But you can’t come up with any. It doesn’t feel natural to be mean to Kyungsoo. 

He made you fall for him, hard, and you didn’t know how to be mean to the person who has shown you nothing but kindness this past month. How could it have been fake? 

Reluctantly, you pick up the phone. 

“Y/N? Where are you?” He sounds panicked. It hurts to hear your name come from his mouth like this. Was he worried you left or that he lost his chance at winning the bet? 

The anger returns at the thought that he wasn’t calling from a place of genuine concern. It makes you lose control over your words. You almost regret it. 

“Don’t call. Don’t text. When you see me in class, don’t even look at me. Fuck you, Do Kyungsoo.” 

You hang up before he can say anything. You wipe your tears under your glasses before gathering yourself to call your brother. You take a deep breath, trying to keep your voice as neutral as possible.   

He answers after a couple rings. 

“Hey.” Chanyeol greets you casually with the grave voice he uses when he’s out with friends. 

“Hi. Are you busy?” You ask, using all your energy to stop your voice from wavering. 

“Kinda. I’m at Myeon’s. What’s up?” You hear him stand up and walk to a quieter area. “You okay?” 

“I- Can you pick me up?” You don’t tell him how you are, knowing that if you do, you would break down in tears again.  

Chanyeol’s big brother senses were tingling though. He knew something was wrong. You can tell he does by how quickly he agrees. 

"I’m Baekhyun’s ride. Is it okay if he’s in the car?” He asks while your patience runs thin. 

“I really don’t care. Just come get me.” Your words spew out in frustration. 

“Fuck, Y/N. You good? You don’t sound good.” Chanyeol’s concern speaks through the phone. 

“No, I’m not.” 

Chanyeol hears you loud and clear, grabbing Baekhyun who whines with a red cup in his hand. 

“K, we’re coming.” 

-------- 

“Y/N! You look so pretty today. Went on a date with that gu-- Ouchie.” Chanyeol hits Baekhyun when he gets to the end of his sentence. If it isn’t clear to Baekhyun yet, it definitely is now that you’ve started sobbing in the back of Chanyeol’s car.  

“Oh no.” Baekhyun gasps. 

Chanyeol gives him a pleading look and Baekhyun is hurriedly by your side in the backseat, wrapping an arm around you so you could cry on his chest.  

“Did he break up with you? Who was it again? Do you want us to take care of it?” Baekhyun threatens in the softest voice imaginable. If you didn’t listen to the words, you’d think he was simply comforting you. 

“It’s not even worth it.” You say in hiccups. You straighten yourself out and move away from his chest. Although it feels nice to be held like this, they’re not the arms you want to be wrapped in. 

“Give us his name, Y/N.” Chanyeol chimes in. “We’ll just talk to him.” 

You wince – finding it a lot more threatening coming from your brother’s mouth. You all knew what ‘taking care’ and a ‘talk’ meant to guys like Chanyeol and Baekhyun. The first time you ever told them you were being bullied was when you were 7 and they were 8. You were only venting. You didn’t expect them to do anything about it. Chanyeol and Baekhyun have never hurt anyone prior. They can’t even kill spiders without screaming. 

They had your classmate in a chokehold, turning purple in front of you, the very next day. You vowed to keep quiet from then on, realizing how insane your brother and pseudo-brother were.  

It didn’t stop them from finding out about Jiho though. 

You didn’t approve of it. You never told them about Jiho’s sudden cold behaviour towards you. They found it weird that you were ordering your parts online instead of in person and went to ‘talk’ to Jiho. 

Jiho didn’t come to school for a week after that. 

“No. Really, I’ll be fine. It was just a bad date.” You downplay your hurt, wiping the tears with the back of your hand. “Thank you again for picking me up.” 

-------- 

Chanyeol is extra careful with you these days. He doesn’t pry as much ever since that night. 

So it’s weird when he lingers at your door.  

He checks on you while you’re studying, entering your room nonchalantly with a protein shake. He shakes it obnoxiously, to your annoyance, and checks himself out in your mirror. You don’t understand why he does this. He has his own mirror. 

“I’m trying to study.” You tell him with a flat tone. “Go be annoying elsewhere.” 

He doesn’t say anything, choosing to plop on your bed instead. He shakes his shake one more time. You sigh. 

“What? Run out of snappy comebacks?”  

He has your attention now. He wants something and he wasn’t going to leave until he got it. 

“Nah, it’s not fun when you’re moody.” He says with a sarcastic smile. “So... I learned something new the other day.” 

“What did you learn?” You indulge in what he has to say, fully turning your chair in his direction. You spin your pen, bored.  

“Kyungsoo... Remember him? Used to date the cheerleaders? Hangs out with that Jiho kid?” 

Your pen falls to the ground. 

Chanyeol watches it fall from your hold and raises an eyebrow.  

“He asked to hang out. Thought it was a bit weird considering we haven’t hung out in the past year. But then he mentioned you.” Chanyeol continues, tone becoming serious and almost scary. And he knows you understand where he’s getting at.  

Your blood runs cold. Kyungsoo’s an idiot. 

“Don’t.” You warn him, heart racing.  

“I’m meeting him in,” He checks his watch. “15 minutes. At the park.” 

“Chanyeol, please. It’s really not worth it.” You plead. You get flashbacks to that kid turning pale and shudder. 

“We’re just going to talk. We’re friends remember? I’m just gonna find out what he wants.” He shrugs and chugs his drink like he’s not threatening to snap his neck. “And then I’ll judge if it’s worth it.” 

He gets up from your bed and pats your head patronizingly.  

“Don’t worry. I know how much you like him. I’ll be nice.”  

You swallow the lump in your throat. Fuck.  

You’re stuck in your chair, unable to move from shock. Did you have to warn Kyungsoo? You groan, you really didn’t want to talk to him. Why did he have to be so stupid? He knows what Chanyeol’s capable of. 

Really, this was his own fault. What did he think would come out of this? You weren’t going to text him. He dug his own grave.  

You pick up your pen and return to your studies. You won’t get involved. 

You read the sentence over and over, even taking your glasses off to focus. Your poor pen was being chewed up to bits with how stressed you were being over this. Damn you Kyungsoo. 

You quickly get up from your seat and run off to the park.  

By the time you got there, Chanyeol was already long gone and you almost sigh in relief thinking that he didn’t go through with it. You’re about to leave when you see a familiar back slumped over the water fountain. Your heart softens at the sight of Kyungsoo scooping water and washing his face. 

You suck on your bottom lip, gathering the courage to walk away. He isn’t as bad as you thought he would be. You should walk away.  

Seeing him wince at the cool water makes you weak and before you knew it, you were at his side.  

You don’t look at him right away, focusing on wetting your sleeve with the running cold water. Your eyes drift to a scratch on his knuckles. You can feel his stare on you - strong and heavy. Your eyes sting knowing that he’s watching you.  

Once soaked, you finally look up and your heart breaks at the sight of his face. He was looking at you with a warm expression and a solemn smile on his lips. You felt your lips shiver as you apply your wet sleeve on the scrape at the side of his face. Kyungsoo leans into your touch and shakily places a hand on yours.  

“Y/N, I’m so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.” Kyungsoo’s voice was low and apologetic. You can’t bring yourself to believe him. “It was a stupid bet that I forgot about. I fucked up. None of it was fake to me.”  

Your watery eyes flicker to his. You watch them soften under your touch. Your heart can’t stand icing him out. 

“Why’d you call Chanyeol? Are you an idiot?” 

Kyungsoo smiles sadly, “You blocked my number. I needed to talk to you.” 

You frown, taking your hand away from his face.  

“You knew I’d come here?” You ask, feeling betrayed yet again. Kyungsoo reaches to hold your hand again, but you pull it back instantly. “I should have never come here. All you know how to do is manipulate me.” 

“No- That’s not what I-” 

Kyungsoo is about to defend himself, but you cut him off. 

“I was doing fine without you. Do you know how stupid I feel because of you? I thought you lik- I thought you were my friend. And- and- now you call my brother and pull this act? To what? To get me to pity you? What you did was fucked up, Kyungsoo. I was fine without you!” Your tears fall somewhat endlessly across your cheeks. Your hands are shaking in anger, sadness, frustration when Kyungsoo wraps his arms around you.  

You hate this. You hate that your body melts in his hug. You hate that he was the one to break your heart and the only one to be able to mend it. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He whispers into your hair, holding you so close and clinging onto you for as long as you’ll let him as you sob in his chest. 

“Tell me how to fix this. I’ll fix it. Please, Y/N. I’ll fix it.” He pleads, holding the side of your face gently. You shake your head, unable to talk for yourself. “I’ll fix it, Y/N.” He pleads, repeating that sentence like a broken record. 

“I don’t trust you, Kyungsoo. You really hurt me. I can’t trust you.” You struggle to say, throat aching from crying. 

“Then let me build that trust again. Let me prove it to you, please.” He wipes the tears from your cheeks with his thumbs. “I’ll fix it.” 

You let him hold you a little longer as you shake your head in his grasp. How could you trust that any of this was real? How could you trust him again? 

-------- 

Despite rejecting him at the park, Kyungsoo is still making it extremely difficult to avoid him. You caught him sitting in your spot before class one day, away from his friends. He had two cups of coffee, leg shaking anxiously. You found a seat in the back, near the exit. You thought it would be enough to hide from him.  

The minute the professor started the course. Kyungsoo looked back towards the door and found you staring down at him. It took everything in you to look away and focus on the professor and your laptop. You took your notes as well as possible, but it was hard when you felt the weight of Kyungsoo’s stare on you.  

As soon as the class was done, you bolted out of the lecture hall.  

You meant it when you said you didn’t want to see him anymore. You knew it was unrealistic, taking the same course and all, but if you could just get through this semester, you would be okay. You convinced yourself you would be. 

It was even hard to study in the library now. You were afraid that he’d come find you at any given moment, even though you had found yourself a spot in a hidden corner. He has proven to be persistent. It was only a matter of time til he tried to find you here. 

You throw your head back and sigh, closing your book. You’ll just head home and hope your family wasn’t home to make any distracting noise. It was getting late anyways. 

Unfortunately, the one time you desperately needed the house to be empty, you found that your parents had just gotten home from their business trip and Chanyeol was doing god knows what in his room by the loud screaming he was making. Your mom squeals in excitement at the sight of you. She hugs you tightly. 

“I missed you my lil batgirl.” She squeezes your cheeks like you’re still a little girl. You rarely saw your parents but when you did, you swear you didn’t grow in their eyes. You’re still their youngest daughter who isn’t studying to be an astrophysicist, but the little girl who wanted to grow up to be Barbara Gordon. “Speaking of batgirl, a gentleman dropped these off for you.” 

Your mom lets you go, excited to show you what was delivered. You wince when you see the same yellow bouquet he got you on your first date. You had dumped the first one onto the compost pile, letting it rot for the plants.  

“I didn’t know you were seeing someone, Y/N! He must really like you if he’s getting you Batman themed bouquets. This is so exciting. Tell me everything. Did you go on a date yet?” She means well. It’s not her fault that she and dad had to work all the time. It’s not like they’ll be home any longer than a couple weeks before they have to go off again. Kyungsoo will probably move on to the next too. You didn’t want them to worry. 

So you lie to her.  

Kind of. 

“Yeah, he’s a guy from my astronomy class.” You tell her, giving her a small smile to make it believable. Your mom gasps at the sound of you finally having a man in your life. 

“Oh, I’m so glad! Where did he bring you? What did you guys do?” She grabs a vase and fills it with water, anticipating your response.  

“Um, he brought me to brunch.” You realize instantly how hard it is to fake it. Your mom notices the falter in your voice almost immediately - her face scowling at the sound. “And then he, um,” You take a deep breath when you feel your eyes sting. She lets you finish. “brought me to a thrift store and,” tears start falling from your eyes again. She comes to your side and sits you down at the dining table.  

“Did something happen?” She transforms into a parent in an instant. “Was it a bad date?” 

“No, it was perfect!” You cry out, covering your face in your hands. “He got me a vintage comic book even though he found it first and he got me flowers! Just like those! Even opened and closed the doors. He was the perfect gentleman.”  

“Then what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” She moves your hands down so she could look at you, her daughter who has never ever cried to her mom this much.  

“He did all of it because of a bet.” Your lips turn upside down into a pout. Your mother’s face mirrors yours and pulls you in for a hug. She doesn’t say anything. Her warmth is enough for you. “Gosh, I feel like I’ve been crying so much lately.” 

“It just felt so real. I thought he was actually interested.” You scoff, laughing at yourself yet again at how ridiculous you were to believe him. “I feel so stupid.” 

“You’re not stupid. Don’t talk about yourself like that. He seemed very apologetic at the door.” Your mom finally speaks. “Have you talked to him?” 

“A bit. Chanyeol punched him and I went to see him.” You fold your lips into your mouth after revealing your brother’s antics.  

“Chanyeol what? We’ll get back to that.” She shakes her head. “And then what happened?” 

“He kept saying he’ll fix it. But this doesn’t seem fixable to me, mommy. He lied to me.” You explain, pouting at her. Your mom places a warm hand on your cheek.  

“Why not? He says he wants to fix it.” She tucks your hair behind your ears and looks at you with compassionate eyes. Your mother was always the optimistic parent. She believed everything and anything was easily fixable. You were a lot like your dad who was the opposite. He believes some things should just be left alone. He says only someone like your mother would be able to fix anything with her passion. 

“How could I trust someone like that?” You ask, voice small. 

“You said it yourself. It didn’t feel fake. To be honest, he stayed a bit to ask about you. He seemed very genuine.” Of course, your mother wouldn’t understand that your pain was far too great to give him a second chance. “Life isn’t as black and white as you think, Y/N. There’s not always a right and wrong. Sometimes there is gray. And I believe this is the gray area. I know you don’t believe me but think about it. Bruce Wayne himself is a morally gray hero too, you know. You mean to tell me what he’s doing is ethical? He arrests these villains who commit heinous crimes, only for them to escape and do it over again. Doesn’t sound safe for Gotham, in my opinion.” 

She gets up and smiles. “Just think about it.” She moves towards the stairs, presumably to knock some sense into Chanyeol for your little slip. “Oh, and I think you’re right. He is a perfect gentleman.”  

-------- 

There were two more courses of ASTRO101 before the final. You could handle being late to classes for 2 more weeks. You try to open the heavy door as quietly as possible. You wince when the door shuts loudly, catching the attention of some students. Your eyes search for Kyungsoo’s but they’re not a part of the looming stares. 

You find the same empty spot in the back and squeeze through your peers. You mutter apologies before settling down in the awkward seats of the hall. 

“Y/N?” A guy in front of you turns and whispers your name.  

“Yeah?” You answer, heart racing again. Last time someone approached you, they were doing it for a bet. 

“This is for you. From Kyungsoo.” He grabs a cup of coffee and hands it to you.  

You frown. “Oh, you can keep that. I don’t drink coffee.”  

He freezes awkwardly, stuck in between accepting the offer and fulfilling his promise.  

“I think it’s hot chocolate.” He tries to persuade you to take the beverage from his hands.  

You feel bad that he would be stuck with a drink he didn’t want. And you do like hot chocolate. Albeit, you don’t know how hot it actually is, considering you’d deliberately shown up late. He never did anything wrong to you, neither did the hot chocolate. You shouldn’t punish them for Kyungsoo’s wrongdoing. 

“Ok.” You grab it with a polite smile. He nods thankfully, happy to get more space on the tiny arm desk. You take a sip and watch a light pink post it fall from the cup. 

unblock me please :) - dks 

You scoff quietly and stick it in your notebook. Not that you wanted to keep it. You were just going to throw it in the recycling bin, like a good samaritan. Though, you do have to turn the page to cover it when you catch yourself staring at it a few too many times. 

The professor prepares to end the lesson. You begin to pack your things and mentally prepare yourself to squeeze by the same people you bothered at the beginning. You mutter quick apologies, holding your bag close to you as not to hit anyone. 

Like some cliché, you open the door to reveal Kyungsoo waiting for you on the other side, leaning against a wall with a plastic bag and phone in his hand. He doesn’t realize you’ve come out the door. Not with the way he keeps his eyes on his phone.  

You frown and move as swiftly as you can.  

The rush of wind catches Kyungsoo’s attention. And it’s too late for you to speed before he’s already by your side.  

“Can you slow down a bit? Please?” He has the audacity to ask.  

“No.” You try to walk faster but you fail. Kyungsoo was the jock after all. 

“I got you ice cream.” He waves the plastic bag your way.  

You finally stop walking and look at him, his expression hopeful. You grab the notebook from your backpack and take the sticky note out. 

“I don’t want it, Kyungsoo.” You push the plastic bag into his chest along with the tiny pink paper. “The flowers, the hot chocolate, the note, the ice cream. I don’t want any of it. Don’t you understand? You didn’t just hurt my feelings. You deliberately lied to me to win a bet and crushed me. This- Material crap won’t make any of my insecurities go away. I’m not going to immediately start trusting you again after I taste something sweet.” 

Kyungsoo reaches out to you, but you flinch and take a step back. You put a hand out to stop him from getting any closer. 

“I hate that I let you into my life. I hate that you made me like you. I hate that I can’t even fully hate you for doing this.” 

It’s embarrassing yelling at him like this in front of so many people. It’s even more humiliating realizing that you’ve been shedding tears. 

“So please, if even an ounce of it was real to you, like you said it was, please understand that this isn’t something you can easily fix with gifts or an apology. I need you to leave me alone.”  

“Y/N, I-” He tries again, his eyes becoming watery too. His hand twitches as if he’s trying to stop himself from reaching out to you. You can’t even tell if he’s still playing the game. It all feels so real. But you’re not sure anymore. 

“Kyungsoo, please.” You shake your head, lips quivering and cheeks wet. Kyungsoo stands there awkwardly as you plead in front of an audience of judging students’ eyes.  

That’s when he takes an assertive step towards you. 

You let him take your hand as he puts the bag in your hold. It’s warm and makes your heart calm down just a bit. It’s nice, even for just a second, to have him hold you like this.  

“Take this, at least, and I promise I’ll leave you alone after this.” His voice is shaky.  

You stare at his hand in yours for a second too long. He’s smiling at you despite his eyes telling – no, screaming at you that he was not okay with leaving you alone. Not at all.  

Your heart breaks a bit more than it already has. You lower your hand with the ice cream and Kyungsoo finally lets you go. You swallow nervously and walk away from him. 

You wanted to believe that there was gray - that what he did could be forgiven. But your heart was far too weak and would simply not allow it. All you wanted to do was close yourself off, return to who you were before Kyungsoo. 

And you couldn’t do that if he was there every single day, reminding you why you fell for him in the first place. 

-------- 

“Um,” Chanyeol interrupts your sulking on the bed. Your face first in your black sheets so when you look up at him, it’s hard to see where you cried. “Me and Baek are going out. Did you want to join us?” 

“Not really.” You plop your face back into the pillow.  

You had originally been studying for your finals, but evidently, could not focus. 

“Come on. Let’s do something. We’ll go wherever you want.” Baekhyun’s voice is loud and bright. Most importantly, convincing. Hanging out with Baekhyun does sound fun. You peek from your pillow to find Baekhyun’s beaming smile. He gives you that knowing look that gets you smiling within seconds.   

“Can I drive?” You ask, voice muffled from the pillow. 

“No way!” 

“Absolutely!” 

Baekhyun smiles as he hits Chanyeol. “This is the perfect time to teach her stick!” He exclaims as both you and Chanyeol wince for different reasons. Chanyeol is nervous about his car while you get reminded of your driving lessons with Kyungsoo. 

“I’ve been learning.” You mutter, glancing at Chanyeol for a reaction. He doesn’t look impressed, rolling his eyes, but nudging his head towards the door. His cool way of telling you “yeah okay”.  

Baekhyun, on the other hand, is ecstatic for you. He doesn’t have a manual but he knows Chanyeol and he knows what a big deal this is for you. Baekhyun himself has only driven it a handful of times. He excitingly waves for you to come quickly, despite not being dressed.  

“We’re not going anywhere crazy.” Chanyeol says, wanting to leave the house right away. 

As promised, your brothers let you take them to wherever you want to go. Wherever you want turns out to be a board game pub in the city you’ve always wanted to visit but could never find anyone to go with. 

“You’re so annoying.” You complain when Chanyeol builds yet another road to block yours, giving him the longest road award.  

“And you’re a sore loser.” Chanyeol sticks his tongue out as he steals the road card with your 2 points. You roll your eyes and turn to Baekhyun. 

“Please tell me you have 2 secret points in your cards.” Your eyes are pleading. If anyone could humble Chanyeol, it’s Baekhyun. His best friend only smiles and shrugs, not giving away anything.  

You roll the dice and laugh pitifully when you roll a 7. Normally, you’d steal from Chanyeol but he just used all his resources to build that massive wall of a road.  

“Sorry.” You apologize to Baekhyun who can only smile.  

“It’s just a game.” He says as you pull a sheep from him.  

“I guess I’ll pull a development card.” You exchange the cards for a special one. You groan when you see another knight card.  

“Are you done?” Chanyeol smiles teasingly. 

“Yes, I’m done, Chanyeol.” You say, bored. 

“Okay, I’m going to build 2 roads with my development card. Build a settlement. And I win.” Baekhyun talks you through his winning hand. He steals the road card and reveals the 2 secret victory points. You immediately start laughing at Chanyeol’s face of disbelief. Only Baekhyun is capable of defeating Chanyeol. And oh, did that make you happy. 

“I love this game.” You exclaim as you start cleaning up the board game. “Did you guys want to play a different game?” 

“Whatever you like, Y/N. We really just wanted to hang out with you.” Baekhyun says for the both of them. It warms your heart that you had brothers like them to come cheer you up like this. You and Chanyeol butt heads most times, but when it counts. He’s there.  

“Want another drink?” Chanyeol asks, already over being the loser. You nod, about to get up to join him and maybe look for a different game to play. Baekhyun gently grabs onto your wrist. You turn back, confused. 

“I was just gonna find a game.” You tell him, pointing in the direction of the shelf. 

“I know. Sit for a sec. I wanna talk to you.” His smile is always so bright and comforting. You forget he holds a black belt in hapkido and has beaten people’s asses before. You return to your seat. 

You’re not really sure where Baekhyun is going with this. Your relationship was more of an extended brother, one that would make you crouch so he could practice his jumps. There were never deep-talks at night. Chanyeol and Baekhyun kind of left you alone when you were feeling down. They would ask to hang out to get you smiling again. They would give consequences to those who put you down. 

Talking. Talking is new. 

“I wanted to ask how you were doing. Chanyeol told me what he did, but other than that. I don’t really know how you’re doing. Clearly, not great.” Baekhyun jokes as the image of you plopped face down on your bed flashes into his mind.  

“I’m ok. I told him to leave me alone yesterday.” You purse your lips, doing your best not to pout. Baekhyun leans back, taking a sip of his drink. “And I don’t know. It’s sad. I’m sad. He says he likes me but what if he’s still trying to win the bet. I don’t know. I feel like I should feel lucky that Kyungsoo even ‘wants’ to date someone like me, just accept his apology and ignore this all happened. But I can’t. It’s weird. I feel so weird.” 

“’S not weird. It was a really shitty thing to do.” He replies, scoffing to himself at how insane this situation is. “You still like him?” 

“Unfortunately.” You sigh, not needing another reminder. It was so easy to fall for him. 

“Then wait til after the semester’s over. See if he’s still interested after.” Baekhyun leans closer to the table and places the glass on the coaster. “I promise a guy who actually likes you would not leave you alone that easily.” 

“I guess.” You shrug, leaning back against your chair.  

You don’t think you have it in you to actually wait 2 weeks for Kyungsoo. You’ll try to move on in the meantime, but there was no harm in seeing if Baekhyun was right. 

-------- 

You don’t know what you were expecting. 

Kyungsoo actually leaving you alone did not surprise you, but you would be lying if you said you weren’t a tiny bit disappointed. You did tell him to leave you alone after all. Who were you to be upset that he respected your wishes?  

Finals pass in a blur and so did your feelings for Kyungsoo. 

It helped that you didn’t see Kyungsoo or his friends this past month, not once. You couldn’t find them in the lecture hall. You scanned every seat for them, and not a single one had Kyungsoo in it. He didn’t surprise you after class with ice cream. 

Kyungsoo listened. And you finally felt at peace knowing that you could truly move on. 

Now you knew, Kyungsoo was never really serious about his feelings for you. Now you knew, he was just a liar that would have done anything to win a bet.  

To congratulate yourself for getting this far, you take yourself out for a self-love date. It doesn’t take long for you to stumble across the thrift store where Kyungsoo found the Spider-Man comic.  

You haven’t been since Kyungsoo. You’ve been aching to go since finals ended, but you didn’t have the courage to go til now.  

You beeline to the mountains of comics and take a deep breath, eyes shining at the marvel in front of you. You started at one corner, crouching down and flipping through the frail books.  

Before you knew it, a pile was growing at your side. Every single time you’d find something interesting, you’d put it aside. You didn’t even care to check for the value on some of them. Today was for you. You didn’t want to think about anything else, just superheroes. 

The bell to the front door barely breaks your focus. Not many people have been coming in here today. You don’t pay them any attention. 

“I’ll be right with you. I’ll just grab them in the back.” The store clerk says in a giddy tone.  

Flip ‘Burn Nightwing Burn!’ You add it to the pile. 

Flip ‘Gotham City Sirens’ Hmm, it’s a pretty cover, you think. You add it to the pile. 

“Thank you so much for your help.”  

You freeze at the unmistakably familiar voice. You crouch even more than you were, attempting to hide. There was no way he knew you were here right now. You shake your head. He hasn’t reached out in a month. He doesn’t like you. You’re over that. You try to remind yourself of the efforts you’ve made and how far you’ve come. You return to what you came here for.  

Flip ‘War of the Worlds’ Maybe you’ll pass on these for today. 

Flip - 

“It’s no worries. You can always go through me if you need to grade anymore. My friend works there so you don’t need to drown in all those fees. Alright?” The clerk says. Grade? What could Kyungsoo be possibly be grading? 

Your body straightens as your curiosity rises. Your neck stretches as you try and take a peek at what Kyungsoo bought. You purse your lips when all you see is a box in his arms. Without thinking, your legs follow him out the store, leaving the poor pile of comics on the dusty carpet. 

You don’t even know what the plan was. Were you just going to follow him until he turns around and shows you what he got? You didn’t plan on confronting him at all. You never even planned on meeting him at all! 

It was supposed to be: get through ASTRO101 and never see him again.  

Not get through ASTRO101 and follow him out of the thrift store. 

You don’t realize how insane you are until he’s getting into his car, and you stealthily hide in an alleyway, away from his mirrors. You know you’ve completely lost it when you haul a cab soon after and ask him to follow Kyungsoo’s car.  

You’ve gone crazy. That must be it. You’ve truly lost your mind. Because there was no way you were making a taxi follow Kyungsoo out of curiosity. It had to be because you were becoming clinically insane.  

This must be how Harley Quinn felt following The Joker. Maybe Kyungsoo was your villain origin story. 

You shake your head, no, you don’t like him anymore. 

You reach for your wallet and pay the driver when he parks the car to the side and waits for you to quit daydreaming. 

“Sorry.” You apologize timidly, embarrassed by all of this. Kyungsoo was already out of the car and walking up the stairs to an apartment you assume is his. “You can keep the change.”  

You stumble out of the backseat and watch him from below. Your heart races seeing him again. He’s wearing a baseball cap, a white shirt and some cargo pants. It’s so effortless, and yet so cool. You hesitate to go up. You’ve come this far. How could you stop now? 

Kyungsoo struggles to open the door with the box in his arm. He turns around and sets it on the floor, catching your curious stare. Busted. You gulp when you think you catch a glimpse of his eyes lighting up at the sight of you. 

Your mood sinks when his eyes shift elsewhere. He turns around and unlocks his door instead of acknowledging you. He quickly grabs the box and shuts the door, leaving you agape at the bottom of the stairs. 

It was unbelievable. He saw you. He definitely did. 

You know you begged him to leave you alone, but a quick wave would have been polite, at the very least. 

Your legs irrationally bring you up the stairs. You don’t even know what you’ll say to him. All you know is that you’re upset he’d ignore you like that. 

You knock on the door. 

He opens it, surprised. Not sure why he’s so surprised, he literally saw you. 

“Y/N... Hi.” He says awkwardly. 

“Yeah hi. I get that I said to leave me alone. But why would you ignore me like that? You clearly saw me!” You frown. You don’t think you’re yelling, but the way he looks behind him at the other door makes you think you’re being a tad bit loud.  

“Come inside. My neighbours will hear you.” He gently places a hand on your arm to get you to come in. You eye the box, still in his hand. You shut the door as he takes off his shoes. You follow, biting your lip nervously. You’ve never been to Kyungsoo’s place before.  

You’re right behind him as you climb up more stairs to his place. It’s small, perfect for one person. There’s a living room as soon as you reach the top and the bedroom is right next to it. Your eyes scan to the right to find an office space and some recording equipment. His place is minimal. Not heavily decorated.  

It makes the sole box on the floor seem out of place.  

“So, you came all this way to yell at me for following orders?” He places the box over the other and crosses his arms, lips dying to curve as he teases you. 

“T-They weren’t orders.” You stutter, finding his stance a bit too belittling. “I just think it’s rude that you didn’t even give me a smile back there. You saw me.” 

He tilts his head to the side with a sly lift of his lips.  

“You wanted to see me smile?” He was enjoying this and you just wanted to go back to the thrift store to bury yourself under the mountains of comics.  

“No, wait, that’s not what I meant. I just- You were really rude!” You try to explain. You came marching to him with confidence, and here he was, deteriorating all your efforts with a single smile.  

He approaches you, backing you into the stairs with nowhere else to go, except down.  

“What’re you even doing here? This is far from your place.” He raises an eyebrow curiously.  

“I... was at the thrift store.” You say, feeling caught. 

“I was just there.” Kyungsoo says surprisingly. “It’s a coincidence that you’d walk right by my place as soon as I got home. Did you get anything cool?”  

He glances at your empty hands. He smirks and takes it upon himself to peek in your tote bag, using a single finger to open the bag a little wider for him. He turns to look at you knowingly. There was not a single comic book in there, just a water bottle and your Batman wallet. “Couldn’t find anything?” 

“N-No.” You gulp, his face inches away from yours. His plush lips were right there. It was taking everything in you not to glance at them. 

“Did you follow me, Y/N?” He asks, towering over you. You were well under his hat - heels centimeters away from falling off his stairs. He was so close to you. There was no way out. 

But you couldn’t help it. You didn’t want out. Not with the way he was looking at you. 

You stand on your tiptoes and kiss him, tote bag falling off your shoulder and down the top step. Without hesitation, Kyungsoo places a hand on your lower back and pulls you in closer. His hat bumps into your glasses. Kyungsoo quickly removes it, throwing it on the sofa, before hurriedly returning to your lips.  

“It was killing me. Not seeing you anymore.” He admits through breaths. “I really missed you. Did you?” 

His eyes search yours for a sign that you did miss him too. 

Despite convincing yourself that you moved on, you really haven’t, did you?  

“A bit.” 

Kyungsoo’s face beams upon hearing your words. He grabs your face and kisses you enthusiastically.  

“I’m really sorry again for everything. I didn’t mean to hurt you. None of it was fake-”  

You frown and cut him off with a kiss, walking him into the couch. He trips and falls onto the cushion, taken aback.  

“I was apologizing.” Kyungsoo blinks in disbelief. He doesn’t seem to mind that much by the way he’s rubbing your denim covered thighs.  

“I know. You didn’t change your speech.” You try and suppress the smile growing on your face. 

“It’s not a speech! I really feel that way. Yes, I approached you for the wrong reasons, but the bet went out the window the moment I got to know you and spend time with you. Teaching you to drive, getting ice cream, ‘studying’ with you. I didn’t care what we did. I just wanted to spend all of my time with you. How can I make you see that?” Kyungsoo doesn’t stop massaging your side. His eyes are begging you to hear him.  

You sigh, tired of all this.  

Your heart was exhausted, listening to Kyungsoo, falling for Kyungsoo, beating for Kyungsoo. He made you feel so seen and wanted. Your heart was tired of the never-ending loop of should you or shouldn’t you, wanting to find a way to convince that stubborn mind of yours. 

“I think I’m tired of pretending I’m not able to forgive you.” You say lowly. Kyungsoo darts his eyes to your pair expectingly. 

“You forgive me?” He’s looking up at you, unable to hide the stupid grin on his face.  

“That’s not what I said.” You scoff, returning a small smile. You push your glasses that have fallen a bit lower from the bridge of your nose because of how long you’ve been looking down at Kyungsoo. 

His grip suddenly tightens around your thigh, not too tight that it hurts, but enough for you to know you did something to trigger him. You gulp when he tugs you a bit closer so you were standing in between his legs. 

“Then what did you mean?” He questions you, stupid grin still visible. It looks like you didn’t upset him. His hands were rubbing your lower back, mindlessly massaging you for an answer. Your mind can’t think when he’s biting his bottom lip and staring up at you so cunningly. “What can I do to make you forgive me? Hm?” 

“Can you stop that?” You force his smile down in annoyance with two fingers, making his lips frown like some reverse Joker. “It’s making me nervous.” 

You can’t lie though. Being like this with Kyungsoo felt like a dream. You, yourself, could not stop the grin growing on your face.  

“It’s hard to forgive you.” You sound like a broken record. You think this conversation isn’t going anywhere, just like the last two talks you had with him. 

“Then why did you come here? What do you want from me?” You don’t stop him from rubbing your thighs comfortingly. He doesn’t ask with malice or hurt in his voice. He asks with a complaisant tone. 

So you say the one thing your heart’s been begging you to confess. 

“I really just want you right now.” It comes out breathier than you intend, not realizing how long you’ve been holding your breath for. Kyungsoo’s smile grows under you. 

“Then have me.” 

You feel a knot growing in your stomach as you watch his warm gaze scan you. He has your whole body heating up on his lap. 

Like a moth to a flame, you lean down to press your lips softly against his. His hands shoot up to encompass your body, running up and down your back. 

This didn’t feel real.  

Kyungsoo smiles between kisses. His tongue dances with yours, making that knot grow especially heavier. It makes you suddenly aware of how experienced Kyungsoo is and how inept you are. 

“I don’t know what to do.” You admit between breaths, resting a hand on his chest. His heart’s racing in the palm of your hand. The privilege of feeling the warm beat of his heart is taken away when he takes a hold of your fingers and brings it to his lips, kissing your palm sweetly.  

“I’ll show you.” He says lowly near your ear as he shifts under you. You feel your chest get heavier and you take a deep breath to ease the nerves. Kyungsoo sees this and pauses. 

“We can stop. I’m happy just being here with you.” 

“No, I want to.” You fold your lips into your mouth, trying to hide how shy you are feeling right now. You play with your hair cluelessly, tucking them behind your ear.  

“I’ve wanted this for a long time.” You confess, avoiding his gaze, still shy.  

“Me too.” Kyungsoo chases after your eyes with a smile. He’s looking at you the same way he did before he became the man who played you for a bet. And for now, that’s all you want to remember him by.  

“Take these off.” He unbuttons your jeans for you and plays with the waistline until you shimmy it off, leaving you in your underwear. Kyungsoo is unable to hide his smirk when he sees the little yellow bat logo. He rubs your side, looking up at you and making that knot grow inside of you.  

“You’re so pretty, Y/N.” He says before placing a kiss on your inner thigh. You feel your heat pulse when he runs two fingers across your folds. “So warm.” 

“Put your leg up for me?” He asks but he’s already moving you the way he wants you to, lifting your inner thigh so that your knee was near his head. You don’t know what to expect, letting him take control of everything. You gasp and grab a hold of his shoulder when he pulls your underwear to the side and laps his tongue on your slit.  

“Kyungsoo.” You moan when he brings his face closer to your opening, letting his mouth devour you – sucking and licking you with intensity. Your grip on him tightens, feeling bad that you might be hurting him. You do your best not to hold him too strongly, eyes shutting tightly to compensate. When you thought you wouldn’t be able to handle anymore, he slides a finger inside, slowly fucking you. 

“Look at me.” He finally comes up for air. “’s it feel good?”  

You nod, using the back of your hand to stifle your moan when he adds a second finger. 

“D’you like it?” He tries angling his fingers different ways until he finds the reaction he’s looking for. And when he gets it, the back of your hand isn’t enough to cover that moan.  

“Kyungsoo!” You call out his name, unconsciously pushing him away from the overstimulation. He’s stronger than you are though, keeping himself steady as you lose it above him. He continues to hit that spot in you as he devours your cunt with his tongue.  

“You’re not looking. I want to remember the first time I make you cum.” His other hand grabs onto yours and places it on his other shoulder – still fucking you with his fingers by the way. 

“Just squeeze here. You won’t hurt me.” He tells you before returning his mouth on your body. His eyes are looking up at you, compelling you to hold the eye contact. You can feel him smile as he continues eat you like it’s the last meal he’ll ever get.  

Your glasses slide down your nose once again and you almost push them up until Kyungsoo goes faster, sucking and slurping your juices. Your grip tightens on his shoulder and you feel your glasses fall even further.  

“Don’t.” Kyungsoo warns when you try to push them back. “The glasses don’t move.” 

You immediately come undone, body shaking as Kyungsoo’s fingers fuck you through your orgasm. Your heavy breathing as Kyungsoo takes his fingers out and shows you how wet you got, spreading his fingers to create a web of your juices.  

“Well, how was that?” 

You can’t help but laugh. You straddle him on the couch and tackle his lips. 

“So good.” You smile and finally, push your glasses up.  

“Good enough to forgive me?” He tucks a hair behind your ear, eyes shining as he scans your face, glowing in sweat. 

“Mhmmm.” You feign thinking. 

“Oh, that’s not a good response. Let me try again.”  

“Kyungsoo!” You squeal when he flips you on your back and situates his head at your entrance again. 

“Gonna make you cum til you forgive me.” 

-------- 

You stay over at Kyungsoo’s, unable to move too much with the throbbing pain between your legs. Kyungsoo hands you a mug with hot chocolate and joins you on the couch, spreading a blanket across you two.  

“Is this really your favourite Batman?” Kyungsoo turns to you with a questioning look.  

“I know it’s not the coolest, but it reminds me of my childhood. We had the VHS and we would always watch it.” You take a sip of the hot drink before setting it down and resting your head on his shoulder. Snuggling Kyungsoo was a lot warmer. He kisses the top of your head and pulls you in closer. 

“Kyungsoo,” You say, tone serious. “Were you really gonna leave me alone?” 

He looks down to find you already staring up at him.  

“You asked me to.” 

“I know... But-” 

“It’s what you wanted. I didn’t want to hurt you anymore than I did.” He continues, cutting you off. “I like you, Y/N. A lot. I don’t want you out of my life, ever, but if letting you go meant you’ll see how much I respect and care for you, then it would have been worth it. I hope I can spend every second together proving that my intentions are true.” 

You place a hand on his jaw and reach for his lips, kissing him. 

“I really thought you’d keep bugging me. I’m glad you didn’t.” You laugh, turning back to watch the movie. 

“And I’m glad you followed me from the comic book store.”  

You freeze and slowly turn to him instead. 

“I didn’t follow you!” You deny, deny, deny until you feel the blood rush to your cheeks in embarrassment. 

“Yes you did! I saw you get out of that cab!” He laughs at you, squeezing your cheek teasingly. 

“I just- What did you have graded?? I didn’t even know they did that there.” You pout. 

“Wow, you really did stalk me.” He scoffs, shaking his head disapprovingly.  

“I did not!” You shout. “What’s in the box?”  

Kyungsoo gulps. You look at him suspiciously, then to the box on the floor. 

You quickly get up from the couch, the aching now forgotten from your adrenaline rush, and run to grab the box. You open it and find multiple graded comic books. Not just any. All Batman themed. Some of them weren’t even valuable but he got them graded anyways. 

Were these for you? 

“Ok, you caught me.” He says, towering over you. “I wanted to build this massive collection for you after our first date to try and win you back but then you told me off and that plan went out the window.” 

“You’re welcome to have them if you’re still interested. I was going to sell them if you threw them in my face or something.” Kyungsoo laughs, rubbing the back of his neck.  

“This must have cost a lot...” You scan through the comics in awe. You tear up thinking about him scanning through the dusty piles of comic books, picking ones he thought you’d like then paying to have them graded. If you didn’t forgive him before, you certainly did now.  

You drop the box and wrap your arms around him tightly.  

“You like me.” You mutter in his chest to yourself, finally feeling convinced. 

“I do. I really, really do.” Kyungsoo smiles, pulling you close and kissing the top of your head. 

Sehun knew exactly why JongIn had pulled every string he could to get them assigned to this visit when the station had already completed its annual outreach quota. A knowing smile tugged at his lips. JongIn had planned this. And he'd done it so smoothly that it was almost beautiful.

Minseok had absolutely no idea what was waiting for him.

But now that Sehun knew JongIn had orchestrated the whole thing, he was more than ready to become the world's most entertained spectator... and its biggest instigator.

When Central Station's massive red fire engine rolled into the kindergarten playground with the slow confidence of a giant, Minseok and his partner expected the usual explosion of excited children.

Instead, both of them paused.

About thirty five-year-olds sat neatly on the grass in perfect rows.

And there she was.

A pair of sunglasses rested on top of her head while she held a clipboard as though she ruled the entire playground. She looked completely relaxed, completely in control.

When the engine shut off and the truck doors opened, none of the children ran toward the firefighters.

No shouting.

No chaos.

With nothing more than a subtle gesture from her, every child stayed exactly where they were, greeting the firefighters together in perfect unison.

Minseok stepped down from the truck, his heavy boots echoing against the pavement. The uniform looked unfairly good on him. The thick-duty pants and dark station shirt fit comfortably over his broad shoulders.

He barely managed two steps before something strange twisted in his chest.

The closer he got, the faster his heartbeat became.

JongIn... you bastard.

He'd been right. The teacher was stunning.

—Good morning, ma'am —Minseok greeted, forcing himself back into firefighter mode. He removed his cap in one smooth motion, revealing sharp feline eyes.—I'm Lieutenant Kim. We're ready to begin the demonstration whenever you'd like.

She greeted him with a sideways smile, letting her eyes travel discreetly over his impressive frame before meeting his gaze again with unmistakable playfulness

—Good morning, Lieutenant. Welcome.—Her voice was soft. —Firefighter JongIn told me quite a bit about your station... although he somehow forgot to mention Central was sending their finest.

Her tone remained perfectly professional for a schoolyard, but there was an unmistakable warmth behind it that caught Minseok completely off guard.

He blinked. Twice.

Behind him, Sehun quietly snorted.

The tips of Minseok's ears had already started turning pink.

She turned back to the children, introducing Lieutenant Kim and Firefighter Oh before the demonstration officially began.

Soon, the playground filled with excited laughter.

Rather than simply answering questions, Minseok had Sehun introduce the children to the equipment on the truck.

While Sehun helped several kids hold the heavy fire hose, Minseok carefully helped them try on one of the oversized structural firefighting coats they wore during actual fires.

The jackets swallowed the children whole.

Their helmets bounced over their eyes.

She moved effortlessly around the group, snapping photos with her phone.

At one point, she aimed the camera directly at the lieutenant.

Minseok was kneeling in front of one little boy, adjusting the oversized gear.

Hearing the familiar sound of the camera shutter, he looked up.

She held his gaze.

Then, to his complete surprise, she lowered the sunglasses covering her eyes with a single finger... and winked.

Minseok became so flustered that the glove he'd just picked up slipped straight out of his hands and landed on the ground with a dull thump.

Watching his lieutenant awkwardly scramble to retrieve it, Sehun had to clear his throat to stop himself from bursting into laughter.

Seeing his lieutenant's obvious fluster, Sehun adjusted the cap on his head and flashed the children the kind of smile that, to anyone who knew him, gave away exactly how much fun he was having.

—Alright, alright, hold on!—. Sehun called, raising his voice just enough to get everyone's attention—. We've already seen how adorable the kids look in the gear... But we're forgetting someone very important. Who thinks the teacher should try on Lieutenant Kim's jacket too?.

The response was immediate.

—Yeeees!—the children shouted in unison.

—Teacher! Put it on!— a pair of twins sitting right in front of Minseok chanted excitedly, clapping their hands.

She laughed, and Minseok felt another knot tighten in his stomach.

Ever since he'd stepped off the truck that morning, he hadn't been able to keep his eyes off her for very long. There was something about the effortless way she moved around the children, how naturally she shifted from keeping thirty five-year-olds perfectly organized to laughing right alongside them, that completely unraveled him.

And then there was the way she smiled at him.

As if they'd known each other for years.

He honestly couldn't remember the last time someone had managed to make him this nervous.

He watched her fold her arms and shoot Sehun a challenging look.

Then she turned back to him.

The sight alone froze him where he stood, the glove he'd finally recovered still hanging loosely between his fingers as he silently debated whether or not he should strangle Sehun later.

—Well, Lieutenant Kim—she said in a light, playful tone as she took two slow steps toward him, while he remained kneeling beside a few of the children—. Looks like we've got a very demanding audience today.

She stopped in front of him.

—Do you think a girl like me could handle your uniform?

Minseok swallowed.

At that moment, he genuinely couldn't tell whether she'd made a perfectly innocent comment or whether she'd just delivered the boldest line he'd heard all morning.

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't sure which possibility made him more nervous.

He cast a quick glance around.

The children had already gone back to giving Sehun and the fire engine their full attention.

Thank goodness.

Minseok slowly got to his feet, forcing himself to offer her a professional smile, though the sparkle in his feline eyes betrayed him. It took him a second longer than usual to answer.

—It's... fairly heavy gear, ma'am.—He cleared his throat—.But if you're willing... I don't see why not.

He paused.

For a split second, he wondered if his own response had accidentally sounded just as suggestive.

Recovering quickly, he looked toward his partner.

—Sehun, hold her clipboard.

That immediately caught Sehun's attention.

Still wearing the most insufferably entertained grin imaginable, he walked over while the children eagerly followed behind him.

Minseok picked up the massive turnout coat resting on the hood of the truck.

She handed her phone and the clipboard to Sehun.

Then Minseok stepped closer.

Much closer.

Standing only inches behind her, he lifted the heavy coat, surrounding her in his space before carefully settling it over her shoulders.

The oversized jacket fell around her body with surprising weight.

Lieutenant Kim was now standing only a few inches behind her.

She caught the clean scent of his cologne as it blended with the rough smell of firefighter gear, worn leather gloves, and smoke that seemed permanently woven into the fabric.

For the first time since she'd started teasing him that morning she had to remind herself they were standing in front of thirty small children.

—Slide your arms through—Minseok murmured.

His deep voice sounded right beside her ear.

Low.

Quiet.

Meant only for her.

Behind them, the children continued playing with Sehun, blissfully unaware.

She slipped her arms into the oversized sleeves.

The coat completely swallowed her, its weight forcing her shoulders back ever so slightly.

There wasn't much room between them.

As Minseok adjusted the coat over her shoulders, the front of his chest barely brushed against her back.

She felt herself freeze.

Before she could react, he had already stepped around to stand in front of her.

His large, practiced hands moved to the front of the coat, fastening each heavy metal clasp one by one.

There was barely any space left between them.

Every time he secured another buckle, his fingertips accidentally brushed the fabric stretched across her chest.

Minseok stubbornly kept his eyes fixed on his own hands, concentrating with everything he had on hiding the slight tremor in his fingers.

His breathing, however, had grown noticeably uneven.

The tension in his jaw was impossible to miss.

She noticed.

Realizing just how focused he was on fastening the coat, she leaned forward ever so slightly...

Closing the distance even more.

—You know, Lieutenant—she whispered, carefully lowering her voice so it wouldn't carry beyond the space between them. —JongIn talked about your station quite a bit before we scheduled today's visit.

Minseok continued fastening another clasp.

—But now that I've seen you in person—she went on softly—. I have to say he didn't do you justice.

His fingers stopped instantly.

Right on the final clasp near her collar.

His head snapped up.

His eyes widened.

Every trace of composure he'd been clinging to disappeared in an instant.

The faint blush that had only reached the tips of his ears spread across his cheeks then all the way down his neck.

For a long second, he simply stared at her. Speechless.

His hands remained frozen just below her collarbone while she met his gaze with that same fearless spark dancing in her eyes.

—P-Professor...—was all he managed before his voice cracked. He immediately cleared his throat, making one desperate attempt to regain what little dignity he had left.

From atop the fire truck, Sehun burst into loud, unrestrained laughter.

—Careful, Lieutenant!—he shouted. —You forgot the helmet!

The spell broke.

Moving far quicker than necessary, though still slightly clumsy, Minseok grabbed the heavy black helmet.

—Please tilt your head forward—he said quietly, trying to reclaim every ounce of professionalism he still had left as he carefully lowered it onto her head. The oversized helmet slipped down nearly to her eyebrows, forcing her to lift her chin with an amused smile.

Minseok simply stared. She looked tiny inside his turnout gear. Completely swallowed by the oversized coat.

And somehow... Incredibly powerful.

He was beginning to have a very difficult time remembering that he was technically still on duty.

Just as Minseok was about to answer her challenge, finally setting his shyness aside, the moment was shattered. One of the little girls came running across the playground as fast as her tiny legs could carry her.

—Teacher!—she cried.—Mrs. Molly's gray kitty climbed way up the tree and it's crying!.

The teacher immediately looked toward the fence at the back of the playground. Sure enough, a tiny gray ball of fur clung desperately to the trunk several meters above the ground.

Sehun stepped forward without missing a beat. Handing her phone back to her, he gave Minseok an exaggerated pat on the back.

—Well, looks like we got lucky—he announced with a grin.—Lieutenant Kim isn't just our captain. Rescuing cats is basically his Friday specialty.—He turned toward his superior with the most innocent smile he could fake.—Isn't that right, Lieutenant?

She raised an eyebrow.

Despite the weight of the turnout coat, she took a small step closer until she was once again standing near enough for Minseok to feel the warmth of her presence.

—Oh—she said, her smile growing just a little more playful as her eyes slowly traveled over him from head to toe.—Your specialty?—She tilted her head.—I certainly hope you don't disappoint me up there, Lieutenant.

Minseok swallowed.

Between her subtle teasing and Sehun's painfully obvious setup, he felt completely cornered.

Still... His pride as a firefighter, and perhaps an even stronger desire to impress her, won the battle.

—Don't worry, Professor —he replied. This time his voice came out steady, and the competitive spark returned to his feline eyes.— Sehun.—He never looked away from her.—Bring me the extension ladder.

—Yes, sir—Sehun answered far too cheerfully. Within moments everything was ready. Minseok climbed the ladder one rung at a time.

The late morning breeze ruffled his dark hair, and the station shirt stretched across his broad shoulders with every controlled movement upward. Whatever nerves she'd managed to stir in him only moments ago disappeared the instant he started climbing.

Up there He was completely in his element.

Every movement was precise. Graceful.

Confident.

Almost feline.

When he finally reached the frightened cat, his voice softened into something surprisingly gentle.

—It's okay—The little gray cat protested with a nervous meow and tried to retreat even farther along the branch.—I've got you.

Slowly, patiently, he reached forward until the tiny animal finally allowed itself to be gathered beneath his arm. Only then did he begin his descent.

The moment his boots touched solid ground again, the playground exploded into cheers.

The children clapped, shouted, and bounced excitedly around him. Minseok walked straight toward her.

Without saying a word, he carefully placed the little gray cat into her waiting arms. As she accepted it, her fingers deliberately brushed against his bare knuckles.

The touch lasted only a second. Even so Minseok instinctively held his breath.

His dark eyes met hers with unmistakable intensity.

—Here you are, Professor—he murmured, his voice nearly an octave lower than before. The tips of his ears were now completely red.—I hope today's demonstration lived up to expectations.

This time He took a risk. A tiny, almost hesitant wink accompanied the end of the sentence.

She blinked in surprise before smiling.

—Thank you, Lieutenant.—Holding the cat securely against her chest, she met his gaze without looking away.—That was an absolutely heroic rescue.

From the back of the truck, Sehun's lazy, teasing voice cut through the moment.

—Professor, for safety reasons and official department protocol—he called dramatically—. I think you should give the Lieutenant your phone number.—He paused just long enough to make sure everyone was listening.— You know... so he can file the confidential rescue report.—Another beat.— Or... just in case you ever need a firefighter to calm your nerves after another life-threatening kitten emergency.

She laughed openly.

The warm sound instantly shattered the composed atmosphere Minseok had been trying so hard to rebuild. She looked back at him, silently trying to figure out whether he actually wanted that.

Judging by the smile he was no longer making any effort to hide, the answer seemed obvious.

—Well—Minseok began, rubbing the back of his neck with uncharacteristic awkwardness.— I could... send you the educational material we covered with the children today.—He hesitated.—And... if it wouldn't be too much trouble—His eyes briefly flickered toward the phone she was holding.—I was wondering if you might be willing to share some of the pictures you took.

She smiled knowingly.

—I suppose that doesn't leave me much room to say no.—After a brief pause, she added—. After all... it would be a shame not to send you photographic evidence of your heroic rescue, Lieutenant.

She held his gaze just a little longer.

—Go ahead.—She recited her number slowly enough for him to type it into his phone.—But make sure that report stays strictly within your private chat.

A crooked smile finally appeared on Minseok's face. The tension melted from his jaw, replaced by equal parts relief and quiet confidence. His thumb hovered over the newly saved contact before he slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"Mongryong," you call out, stifling a yawn. "C'mere, baby, I wasn't done yet."

The dog yips, sounding as though he's coming from the front door. There must be someone walking by in the hallway outside that caught the dog's attention, and you're about to call out to him again when you hear the click of a keycard against the apartment's card reader.

Mongryong yips again as your eyes fly open. Baekhyun's voice floats down the hallway, gentle and soft in a way that makes your heart melt. "Hi, buddy! Did you miss me? I missed you soooo much."

You get off the couch and follow the sound, peeking around the corner of the entryway and smiling to yourself at the sight. Baekhyun crouches on the ground, rubbing his beloved dog's belly, a giant bouquet of flowers balanced in his free hand. His eyes are lit up with excitement, but none of that compares to the way his gaze changes when he glances up and sees you standing there.

"You're home earl— oh!" Your sentence is cut off when he wraps you up in his arms, peppering your face with kisses. You breathe in his scent greedily, immediately feeling tension that you didn't even know you had in your shoulders bleeding away.

"I missed you so much," he murmurs in between each peck, finally landing on your lips. "Two weeks is too long. Next time you're coming with me."

"I wouldn't be opposed." You smile in his arms, tenderly dragging the tips of your nails across the back of his head. "I wish I knew you were coming."

He frowns slightly. "You don't like the surprise?"

"No, I do, I'm just so..." You gesture down at your clothes: one of Baekhyun's old t-shirts with some holes in the shoulders, your well-loved sweatpants. You're sure that your hair is a mess from the nap, and you're still blinking sleep away from your eyes. "I just like to look nice for you when you come back is all."

Baekhyun blinks. "You do look nice, sweetheart." He kisses the corner of your lips. "You're beautiful. You always are."

You put the flowers in some water while Baekhyun goes to unpack in the bedroom. It hasn't been even a few minutes before he's calling your name again.

"What's all this?" Baekhyun asks when you walk in, amused.

You wince when you see what he's gesturing at: the mountain of shopping bags stacked in the corner of the room, each bag in various states of disarray. "Sorry, I was gonna clean it up before you came back," you pout, embarrassed. "Why, is it too much?"

"You know that's not it." He quirks up an eyebrow. "How come you didn't model any of it for me?"

"I wanted to show you in person," you say, drifting closer towards him. "Aren't you tired, though? Hungry? We can always do it after dinner."

Baekhyun kisses your temple, hands wrapping around your waist. The way that his hands want so badly to dip even lower doesn't go unnoticed. "I have everything I need right here. Why don't you show me what you bought, hm?"

It starts off innocently enough. He helps you carry all of your bags to the en suite and waits patiently seated on the bed while you put on each item behind the closed door. His commentary ranges from purely complimentary to thoughtful, thinking out loud that this dress would go great with this pair of heels, or you should pair this sweater with one of your purses that you haven’t found a good excuse to wear out yet. No matter what he says, he sends you off with a big smile, stars in his eyes like you’re the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. 

When you reach the last bag, your heart starts to thump a little in your chest. While showing off all the things you’ve bought is fun no matter what, this part is what really makes your blood thrum with anticipation. You adjust the brand new lingerie set over and over again, making sure every little detail is perfect before you step out into the bedroom. 

Baekhyun’s breath hitches in his throat, and you see him swallow as you take the few short steps towards him until you’re standing directly within his reach. His gaze drags down your body shamelessly, taking in the way the scant fabric hugs your body perfectly. He reaches out to touch you, but you intercept him, lacing your fingers with his instead. 

“You didn’t tell me what you think yet,” you say with faux innocence. “Do you like it?”

He laughs, looking up at you through his lashes. “I love it,” he says quietly. “You’re so stunning.” 

You settle into his lap, thighs bracketing his hips. You can tell that he doesn’t know where to look, doesn’t know whether to look up at your face or down at your body, struggling to remain composed. It’s a valiant effort. Cute. But luckily for you, you know just how to make his control unravel in an instant. 

You lean forward, brushing your lips against his, a barely-there, ghost of a touch. His eyes flutter shut, lashes fanning out onto his cheekbones. 

“Thank you,” you whisper, tone oh so silky sweet. “For buying me everything.”

Baekhyun groans, the pads of his fingers digging into your hips. His movement drags you forward slightly, pressing you against the hard tent of his cock. “Oh, you know just how to get me where you want me, don’t you?”

You laugh, sliding your hands up his shirt. “Maybe.” You undo the top button, a shiver spreading down your spine when his eyes reopen, dark and full of desire. “But you know where I want to be, don’t you?”

“Where’s that, sweetheart?” He moves your hair to one side and leans in, pressing a firm kiss to the juncture of your neck and shoulder. 

“Under you,” you whisper, your breath warm against his ear. “Or on top of you. Whatever you like.”

You let out a yelp when he suddenly stands, holding you fast against him while he spins around, dropping you gently onto the bed. He begins to finish unbuttoning the rest of his shirt and you swallow, eyes greedily watching as each sliver of skin is uncovered. 

“I have a lot of ideas,” he says, eyes glinting with need. “And I’m planning on getting through all of them tonight. That alright with you, angel?”

You cock your head at him playfully. “I expect nothing less. You have two weeks to make up for.”