#k vanity

☾ author's note: sooooooo hi. i'm back 🙂‍↕️ i'm back and i'm once again warning you that the smut scene is long af. it kind of has to be like this when you have to write polyamorous relationships lol also i wrote this while ovulating sorry

also the smut scene doesn't come until the 10k word mark. i'm sorry. i needed to put in the plot before the long ass sex scene, so be prepared to read some STORY alright don't hate me✌🏻

THIS IS LOOSELY PROOFREAD. i tried editing this at work lol

☾ disclaimer: minors DO NOT INTERACT. this post is intended for 18+ readers ONLY. please have your age stated in your blog description and try not to look like a bot please 🙂

play pretend

Your fingers kept tapping on the screen of your phone impatiently. At this point, it was as though your body was no longer under your control, ruling itself only through pain and pleasure. You hated it. You loved it.

“Stop it,” Mona hissed, leaning over you so she wouldn’t drag the attention of the people sitting around you in the subway. “You’re getting on my nerves.”

“Sorry,” you replied, resorting to gnawing at your bottom lip. “You know I didn’t want to come.”

“Well, it’s too late to turn back now,” Mona said, but she flashed a devilish smirk at you. “Besides, the girls are beginning to think that you turned into a hermit and now live at the top of a mountain all by yourself.”

“Great. And I’m dying to change their opinions about me,” you rolled your eyes.

“What’s got you so against seeing them? They’re not bad,” Mona said, glancing at your phone sitting on your lap as the screen turned on with a series of flashing notifications.

Your stomach twisted, hands scrambling to get your phone before she could even read the screen.

Have fun, baby

Seriously. Have fun. Text me when you’re done so I can come get you

Love you

It was too late. Mona’s dark eyes went so wide that even the men sitting around you in the car began looking at you and Mona weirdly.

“What the fuck?” Mona whispered sharply. “Why is he texting you?”

You weren’t sure if she got to read through the three bubbles of text popping up at the beginning of your screen. But you knew that she had seen Mingyu’s name marked at the top of each message he sent you.

Mona tried snatching your phone from your hands, giggling mischievously when you succeeded at gripping it tight and away from her. “Look—I’ll explain,” you said, a giggle also escaping you when her fingers poked at your tummy. “Can you stop? They’re looking at us weirdly!” you whined quietly.

Your best friend sent a look around you, glaring at the pair of young boys who were staring at you with weird looks on their faces. Mona blew on her own face, somehow fixing her messy fringe. “Okay, okay,” she said begrudgingly and sat back in her seat.

Once you’d made sure that she wasn’t going to try to get your phone, you opened the chat that you had with Mingyu, your heart fluttering wildly when you got to read his texts. You knew that Mona was peaking over your shoulder, but you typed back, fingers tapping the screen swiftly.

Okay, I’ll try

I love you too

You went back, looking at the list of chats you had currently going on. And right below Mingyu’s chat, Wonwoo’s chat had sat on read for two hours now. His last text reading very dry and very concise:

Have you talked to him?

You were avoiding it. Both replying to Wonwoo’s text and what it meant. Wonwoo wanted you to talk with Mingyu about the crazy proposition he’d made you the last time you saw him.

You let out a shaky exhale and locked your phone once again.

“Okay. Talk,” Mona said as soon as you both stepped out of the car.

“Can it wait? I don’t think I can do this sober, I mean,” you asked, and then laughed at yourself. “It’s a very long story.”

“Well, we have like ten minutes of walking from here to Pam’s house,” she pointed out as you both walked up the stairs to exit the station. “It can’t be that long.”

You huffed and then looked down at your shoes as you tried to regain your breath after climbing all those stairs.

“So are you back with Mingyu?” she asked, and then her tone shifted: “What happened to the other guy? What’s his face? Wonwoo?”

You nodded quietly, pressing your lips together as you tried to look for the right words to say. But the truth was—you had no right words to say because what you were doing wasn’t exactly right.

“I am back with Mingyu. We sort of… slept together again like a week ago,” you said, sneaking a swift look at your best friend, who was now gaping at you in awe. You turned away, face burning with shame. “But I’m also not done with Wonwoo.”

Mona stopped walking, and you only realized two steps past her that she wasn’t following you anymore. You turned back, afraid to encounter judgment on her face, but she was just staring at you, mouth open wide in shock.

“What?” she gasped, and you could tell that she was simply in shock and wasn’t exactly judging you yet. “What do you mean not done? Like, do you guys still see each other, and you’re also sleeping with his best friend?”

You pursed your lips, as though trying to keep this a secret still. “I mean Wonwoo is not out of my life. And I’m dating Mingyu at the same time. Look, we haven’t decided anything yet, and I still need to talk with Mingyu about what I want, but… right now we’re not labeling anything.”

Mona tilted her head to one side, now looking at you with a slight hint of pity. “Oh, you sweet girl. You’re in a situationship with not only one hunk but with two? And they’re best friends?”

Your chest caved in. You had an idea of what your best friend would say about your current situation, but hearing it in real life felt so different. “Look, I know it’s confusing but—”

“Confusing?” she cut in, wiggling her eyebrows as she appeared to be considering it. “Mmm. No, I don’t think it’s confusing. I just said it! Two hunks!” she huffed loudly and then showed you another devilish smirk. “The only confusing thing is how the hell are you all three dealing with this?”

You sighed and then tried to continue walking without paying attention to whether your friend was tagging along. You just needed to keep going somewhere. Once you saw Mona through the corner of your eye, you continued, “I need to talk to Mingyu about it. I’m just not keen on things changing just yet. What if he says no and everything changes?” You shrugged.

“Mmn,” she pursed her lips, mimicking the previous expression you’d made. “Tell you what, we can just enjoy today, and you can make up your mind about it tomorrow. Let’s have fun.”

You pondered over it for half a minute. Mingyu’s text had said exactly that.

Have fun.

Take your mind off things.

“Hey, what is your deal with the girls?” Mona asked curiously, subtly changing the subject.

You shrugged, glad to be far from the Wonwoo-Mingyu topic now. “Nothing. I don’t know. I kind of went off the map when I broke up with Jay. I felt ashamed, you know? I kept going on and on about him and me, and then everything sort of went to ruin.”

“So it’s not them you’re not hesitant to see but rather what they’ll say to you,” she reflected.

“I just don’t want to have to explain things about my life,” you sneaked a meek look at her. “You know, my ex, Mingyu, and now Wonwoo… It’s a lot.”

“You’re right. It is a lot,” she conceded, appearing to be deep in thought. She returned the glance at you, giving you a confident smirk now. “Well, you could always count on me to keep unwanted comments at bay. You don’t have to explain anything if you don’t want to, and they’ll probably get the hint.”

Before you knew it, you were smiling back at her, all nervousness put on pause for a moment. “I guess you’re right.”

Music could be heard from down the hall as you approached Pam’s door, loud chattering, thumping and laughter could only be distinctive of your friends’, and they were already in the mood for partying.

You loved your friends. You loved Mona.

But you hated nights like this.

You couldn’t quite put your finger on what it was, but ever since you started dating your ex, Jay, your life took a turn and part of you feels like you were never the same. And when Jay left, and you had a life to rebuild, you could no longer connect with them except Mona.

It felt like you were suffocating in inexplicable shame.

However, life was giving you the chance to go back to who you were, even if there were some things in the way that made that quite literally impossible. You were no longer the person who was going to marry Jay. And now, you felt even more different.

“Are you ready for this?”

You turned to see Mona, who was still wearing her happy-go-lucky smirk. “Sorta.”

She huffed. “That’s good enough for me,” she said before giving herself the license to open the door herself.

It had been a while since you set foot in Pam’s apartment. The first thing that hit you was the memory of how much you admired her sense of style and decoration, and that for so long you wished you could build something for yourself that felt like this. The apartment was a mix of cozy and fun vibes; every piece in her living room was a different colour—the loveseat was cobalt blue, the armchair was forest green, and the rug was creamy white. The kitchen was made a mess—it looked crammed, but loved and lived in, reminding you of Pam’s love for baking vanilla cupcakes and cinnamon cookies. Fairy lights were draped along the top edge of the living room window, and several lamps were turned on, creating a dim yet inviting atmosphere in the living room.

“You’re here!” Pam squealed in true happiness, jumping from the floor and flying into your arms.

Pam was a lovely girl you met thanks to Mona. She was beautiful, slender, and her hair was dyed platinum blond, which made her dark eyes pop even more. And when she hugged you, the scent of apples and jasmine made your heart squeeze with a slew of old memories.

“Hey there, Pam,” you replied, wrapping your arms around her.

“We were just about to call you,” Pam said, stepping back to hug Mona as well. She was beaming, as though not believing that you were real, and you were there. Then she stepped back once more and pointed to the other end of the living room. “Niki is here!”

Niki made a stoked expression, waving her hand frantically at you and Mona. “We were just about to spike the fruit punch,” she said, picking herself up from the floor with a grunt. Niki was tall and visibly strong. You were glad to see that Niki hadn’t changed much—still wore her hair in a jet black bob with a perfectly trimmed fringe. She was the kind of girl who would wear high heels to the club no matter what and bark at the boys who would come to your table uninvited.

“What’s up, buttercup?” Niki said, approaching you with a relaxed smirk on her face. She had to bend down slightly to pull you into a long hug. “You’ve been a stranger.”

Your heart squeezed again, but this time you welcomed the feeling. “It’s good to see you, Niki,” you replied.

At the center of the coffee table was a big bowl of popcorn, which you later realized was cheddar cheese popcorn mixed with caramel popcorn. Empty bottles of alcohol were splayed on the floor, and in the corner of the coffee table, Niki was working on mixing a big bowl of fruit punch with a ladle.

“Ooh, what’s that concoction?” you joked as you sat on the floor next to Mona.

“I made fruit punch,” Pam replied. “And Niki is going to mix it with red wine.”

You nodded slowly. “Interesting,” you mumbled, elongating the last syllable meaningfully.

Niki noticed. “Chill. We made a rule,” she said, eyeing Mona.

And Mona chimed in. “What’s said tonight stays in Pam’s apartment,” she stated. “None of us will post anything online about tonight. We won’t drunk text any of our exes. No drunken voice notes, no screenshots, no nothing. If we take photos or videos, they’ll stay in our phone galleries till the end of time.”

“Amen,” Pam said and then let out another squeal, reaching for your hand to squeeze it gently. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said one more time and then moved her hand to her phone to turn the music up.

And suddenly, it felt like old times.

Something in your entire body relaxed the moment you started chatting with your friends. It felt like the mask of the person you were now was coming off, and they could see you beneath it with expert ease. Catching up with them didn’t feel like you were swallowing down a beehive. It felt good—like an old remedy that you were needlessly trying to keep away from your heart.

After some drinking games and a lot of catching up to do, you were starting to feel hazy. Your lips felt heavy, and your cheeks were tingling, but for some reason, you couldn’t stop downing glass after glass of fruit punch. Despite its alarmingly deep red color, it tasted good.

You learned some new stuff about Pam and Niki. Pam had picked up crochet and was still knee deep in a situationship with the same guy and was going onto four years of push and pull with zero commitment on either side. Niki, on the other hand, was very happy, enjoying being single and had reconnected with her old basketball team.

You also learned that it was Niki who had shared the news of Jay’s commitment to Mona, and that Pam also knew about it. But they had your back. More than anything, they didn’t want to overstep on something they both knew was hurtful to you in some way, and knew that Mona would know how to handle it with you.

But now it was your turn to share the past few chapters of your life.

You twirled your glass in your hand, thinking of refilling it to muster the courage to say what you were about to. “Okay,” you sighed deeply. “I’m sort of figuring some stuff out,” you mumbled begrudgingly, heart thumping frantically in your eardrums. “I’m seeing two different guys. At the same time.”

Both Pam and Niki remained silent. But you realized that they were attentive, giving you the room to speak.

And before you lost your nerve, you kept going. “I crossed paths with a high school friend after I moved. Mingyu. He was coming out of a serious relationship where he got cheated on,” you said, realizing that despite the new turn of events, this side of the story still made your chest ache. “We dated for a while. I fell head over heels for him. But he broke up with me one night. And that broke me.”

You avoided looking at your friends now and settled for looking at a tiny bubble of fruit punch sitting at the bottom of your glass.

“I never planned what happened then, but Wonwoo was just there for me. We connected. He made me feel like I wasn’t alone,” you said, heart squeezing painfully at the thought of his last text message sitting unanswered. “The night that Jay announced his commitment, I lost it. And Wonwoo was there, one thing led to the other.”

You breathed in deeply, pushing away the dark thoughts telling you that your friends might judge you for this. But it only took one look at them to know that you could trust them.

“Wonwoo and Mingyu are best friends. They do everything together. And I didn’t sleep with Wonwoo out of revenge, no. I genuinely like him. I continued sleeping with him, even starting to feel something deeper,” your gaze swam to the ceiling, the fairy lights looked even brighter now. “Mingyu and I ended back up together recently, but I still… have feelings for Wonwoo.”

You could see confusion finally make it to the room, and you could feel it. Pam’s mouth dropped open just slightly, a question forming in her brain right as Niki’s frown seemed to deepen.

You sighed, the sound denoting your frustration. “I love them both, alright? And they both know. And Wonwoo, he actually suggested… that we could be all three of us together.”

Mona drank deeply from her cup to hide the smirk of excitement, seeing both Pam and Niki’s reactions.

Pam was the first one to blink. “So like a throuple?”

You nodded, cheeks burning hot. “Yeah. Wonwoo asked. I told him I would talk to Mingyu… but I haven’t the guts to do it,” you rubbed the pad of your thumb over the lipstick stain on your glass. You bent over and reached for the ladle, finally deciding to pour another glass for yourself.

“But will you do it?” Pam asked, her eyes wide in a mixture of worry and amazement.

“I don’t know,” you replied with drunken honesty. “I don’t know what to tell him, you know?”

Pam replied with a half-shrug. “Yeah, it’s not like I can tell you something from my expertise,” she huffed.

“Gotta say,” Niki started, chewing on a fistful of popcorn. “You have my respect, buttercup.”

Your cheeks burned even more, so you opted for drinking from your glass deeply.

“Do you feel safe with both of them?” Pam asked, her tone tiny and almost dreamy. “Who do you love more?”

The last question was like a jab to your gut. “Yes. I feel safe with both of them. Completely,” you replied at once. “I don’t think I love them both equally, but I also don’t think I love one of them more than the other. It’s weird.”

Mona leaned to your side, bumping her shoulder with yours. “They’re both fucking hot. I would choose them both as well.”

Niki gaped. “Really?” she huffed a dry laugh. “Seeing is believing.”

Pam placed a hand over Niki’s knee. “Wait—million dollar question. What do you want? Like, ideally, where do you see this going?”

You froze for a second. “I don’t know,” you replied sincerely. “I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But I would also love to be able to have them both in the same room and talk about what we all want. But I need to talk to Mingyu first. And then with Wonwoo.”

“And then all of you three together,” Mona added.

“If my plan works,” you nodded, downing the last contents of your fruit punch and pouring another right after. “But even then, I don’t know how to be part of a throuple,” you said with a sad laugh. 

“Set your boundaries,” Niki said with a shrug. “Who sleeps where. Who gets what nights, maybe? Make a group chat, so no one feels bad because you decided to send a good morning text to someone first.”

You let out a short laugh, but considered the idea to be not too crazy. “I was so scared to tell you.”

Mona rested her head on your shoulder. “See? I told you that you were being dramatic.”

“No, you didn’t,” you replied, trying to get her off your shoulder.

Mona giggled. “Still, you were being dramatic either way.”

You rolled your eyes. “Shut up,” you replied with a blissful smile.

But deep inside, the thought of Wonwoo’s text message sat without a reply from you. Have you talked to Mingyu? It was a simple question with no simple answer or solution. Your heart stuttered again, the sharp pain robbing you of air. You weren’t talking to Wonwoo because you lacked a true answer for him.

And now, you were drunk and scared because all you could think about was both Mingyu and Wonwoo.

“I gotta pee,” you sighed, your breath hot and heavy with the taste of wine and fruit.

Once you were in the bathroom—which was a crammed space of walls painted in true red, black and white checkered tiles and pink accents. The heart-shaped mirror in front of you showed your flushed cheeks, the faded lipstick on your lips, the smudged black mascara below your lower lashes and the unmistakenly drunken gaze.

You pulled out your phone and opened up the chat sitting at the top of your list. You didn’t even think, just sent:

Hi. Can you come get me?

You blinked your tears away, trying to keep yourself in control before coming out of the bathroom. But it was hard to keep away from the fact that you were drunk and getting emotional over the fact that you hadn’t dared to come up with a reply for Wonwoo.

Was it because you were afraid to touch on the subject with Mingyu? Or was it because you were with Mingyu again while still loving Wonwoo?

The moment Mona saw you, she knew that there was something wrong. “You okay?” she mumbled.

“Yeah,” you replied. “Mingyu is taking me home,” you said and then added with a tone that landed weirdly: “He’s actually downstairs already.”

“Want me to come downstairs with you?” Mona asked, knowing already that you were not entirely okay.

“No,” you shook your head quickly. “Really. I’ll text you as soon as I get there, I promise.”

You said goodbye to your friends and disappeared through the door right after, coming downstairs with your heart pounding loudly inside your chest. Your phone vibrated in the back pocket of your jeans as you crossed the front door of the building, cold air hitting your cheeks as you hissed at the change.

On my way. Hang tight baby

You saw Mingyu’s reply, stared at it for a long second before exiting the text messaging app. And then, with trembling fingers, you pressed the call button.

Wonwoo’s phone rang only once.

“Hey,” he answered. And despite it being just one utterance, his tone was gentle.

“Hi, Wonwoo,” you mumbled.

“I was just thinking about you,” he said, but it was a confession wrapped in worry.

“Yeah…” you sighed, then took too long to add: “I have also been… thinking about you,” you admitted through the deep feeling of nervousness coiling around your throat. You thought about telling him that you were sorry for not replying to his text messages.

And Wonwoo must’ve noticed it right away—your change in tone, the hesitation to get the words out. “Baby? You okay?” he asked.

Your heart skipped a beat. “Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just drunk,” you replied, your tone betraying you immediately. The tears had built up already, making your voice sound quiet and constipated.

There was a pause. “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you need to talk?” he asked, his tone immediately switching to a lower one.

“No, no. There’s no need to worry, really,” you said through a hiccup. You lost focus, gaze falling to the pavement. “I… I just needed to hear your voice.”

Another pause, this time longer. “I miss you too,” he admitted. And even if you couldn’t see him, you could picture him perfectly—holding the phone to the side of his face, his gaze lost somewhere, tilting his head down so no one saw the emotions painted in his face.

You sobbed quietly, even though you weren’t really crying yet. “I’m sorry for being absent. I’ve been meaning to reply to your texts… but the truth is I haven’t talked with Mingyu,” you confessed, driving that pain into your heart even further.

“I know,” he replied. “And it’s okay, baby. It’s no easy thing. You take your time, and we’ll figure things out as they come along, alright?”

The sound of his voice was so soothing that you felt dumb for pushing him away. Wonwoo had been nothing but understanding with you—and that was probably the reason why you felt like hiding. You were ashamed.

Your lower lip quivered. “Alright,” you replied.

“Listen, I’m going to Tokyo for a mixology course… I was wondering if we could talk before I leave?” he asked.

Your chest caved at the thought of seeing him again. But you nodded, knowing he wouldn’t see it. “Yeah, of course,” you stammered. “When are you leaving?”

“I leave tomorrow and will spend a couple of days there,” he said, letting out a sigh. “I actually wanted to ask earlier, but I didn’t want to pressure you… Anyway, I assume that Mingyu’s coming to get you.”

It was then that you wondered if these past few nights, Wonwoo had known about Mingyu’s whereabouts. Your heart dropped at the thought of Wonwoo realizing that Mingyu’s absence in their shared apartment was because he was sleeping in your bed.

“Yeah, he is,” you mumbled. Then you thought about the question that Pam had asked you—about where you saw this thing going. “I’ll… text you when I get home?”

You heard a sigh, and you knew that Wonwoo was smiling. “I’d appreciate that, baby.”

Your heart squeezed at the sight of Wonwoo’s battered Hyundai rolling down the street and getting closer to the point where you were waiting. “I gotta go.”

“Okay. I uh… I’ll see you tomorrow,” a pause, a slow intake of breath and then with a softer tone: “Take care, yeah?”

You smiled instantly. “Yeah, you too Wonwoo,” you replied, warmth filling your chest, knowing what those words meant in reality.

But now, it was time to face another part of your reality.

Mingyu stepped out of the car, closing its door behind him and made his way towards you. And God, he was perfect. As he approached, you soaked your gaze in his perfection—he was dressed in a simple grey ribbed knit top, dark blue jeans and a backwards cap.

You weren’t sure what you felt then, because when you laid eyes on him as he walked towards you, the feelings that invaded you were definitely something you had never had before. Just one minute ago, you were practically saying to one man that you loved him, and the next, you were nearly going insane for a different man.

And even though it had been only a few hours since you saw him last, you realized that you’d missed his face. The gentle happiness he radiated everywhere he went.

“Hey, Baby,” Mingyu said, and on his face, he was wearing a charming smile. And before you could even process what to say, he brought you in for a bear hug. 

A smile formed on your face as soon as your face was buried on his chest. You felt his warmth and could smell the citrus scent of his perfume. “Hi, Gyu,” you replied, heart beating frantically. 

It was such a blessing to be able to have Mingyu’s arms around you again. To be his again. 

He pulled back when he heard your voice. “You okay?” he asked, using his big hands to cup your head.

You felt small under his gaze, resorting to hiding your face away, but it was futile—he was holding you firmly. “Yeah, I’m just drunk and emotional,” you slurred and then added, “It had been a while since I saw my friends.”

Mingyu smiled, as though finding you cute. “You can tell me all about it on the way home,” he said, moving to get the door of the car for you.

You let out a long exhale before getting in Wonwoo’s car. It wasn’t the first time you saw this car, but it was the first time you rode on the passenger seat. The car was clean on both the outside and inside, but despite that, it smelled old and dusty with a faint whiff of men’s deodorant.

But when Mingyu took the driver’s seat, the space shrank immediately. “So,” he started, “before you tell me anything else, I gotta ask—did you have fun?” he asked pointedly, trying hard to keep his expression serious but failing in the end with a tiny smile.

Your insides twisted in adoration. “Yeah, I did,” you replied, your tone honeyed almost instantly. You turned the passenger seat to face him as he started the engine.

“What did you drink?” he asked curiously.

“Um—fruit punch with red wine,” you said, huffing as Mingyu’s face fell at the last two words you uttered.

Mingyu nodded slowly. “I’ll keep my comments to myself,” he said, and then laughed. “Was it good at least?”

You chuckled. “Honestly, it was so much better than the things you serve at the bar,” you joked.

Mingyu’s mouth dropped in faux pain. “What do you know? You only have soda when you come to the bar.”

“Well, that might be a sign to treat me to a good drink,” you said, fully smiling now.

“I will, baby,” he said, and then he moved on to his next question. “So, were you able to catch up with your friends?”

You nodded. “I was nervous to see them at first, but they made me feel better.”

“Nervous? Why?” he asked.

“It had been a while since I last saw them, and… we had a lot to catch up with. I was nervous that with everything I have going on in my life, they would see me differently,” you replied, trying to skirt around the topic but remaining honest with him at the same time.

“Ah, I see,” he nodded slowly. And then you saw that happiness simmer and then evaporate in three seconds—all that remained was a very impassive expression on his face.

You could see the gears of his brain turning, almost. Your heart was beating frantically in your chest as you quietly watched him drive. Mingyu was an excellent driver, and you were just about to learn that as he merged into the highway, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on his lap.

Mingyu had started to chew on his bottom lip, eyes glued to the seemingly endless road ahead. You wondered what was going on in his brain, and even considered for a split second to ask him to tell you.

But then, he transferred his hand to your lap, resting it palm up. Your heart almost leaped, but you willed it to calm down as you slipped your hand on his, linking your fingers with his.

“And how was it?” he asked. His tone had changed, he sounded more serious now, careful. He glanced at you briefly. “Did they… treat you differently?”

Your gaze shifted, landing on the subtle change of Mingyu’s grip on the wheel. “They were very supportive,” you mumbled shyly, looking out the window.

When the reply took more than thirty seconds to come back, you turned to him again. He lifted your hand in his and brought it to his lips, brushing your knuckles lovingly. “I’m glad, baby. I’m also glad you had fun.”

You watched him as he kissed the back of your hand, gaze set on the road in front of him. And feeling his lips on you sent a warm, fuzzy feeling down your stomach. You admired how he steered the wheel with one hand, looking relaxed while driving home.

Then, and quite aloofly, Mingyu nipped at the thin skin of your knuckles with his lips, making your blood sizzle in response. And perhaps you were too drunk to understand your feelings—because all you wanted was to climb on top of him. You ached to get to your apartment already and have him all by yourself.

A guilty thought flashed across your mind, saying—you need to talk to him. It was quick, but pressing and alarming. It shot a tight feeling straight to your stomach, pushing you to squeeze his hand instinctively.

“I’m hungry,” you blurted, mouth moving on its own.

Mingyu glanced your way, a small smile painting his beautiful lips. “What are you in the mood for?”

You giggled before you could say: “You,” you said and then, “But if the menu’s restricted tonight, I’ll settle for a burger.”

Mingyu’s smile grew with a sigh. He looked charming, dreamy. “Why not both?”

“I dunno,” you shrugged as he gently placed his hand and yours back on your lap. “You might be tired from work, and the gym… And from last night.”

“Last night?” he made a frown, pretending not to know what you were referring to. “What did I do last night?” Then he dropped his mouth open. “Ah, that’s right! You got the brilliantidea of showing me this obnoxiously long board game, and we didn’t go to bed until sunrise.”

You let out a dry cackle, shifting on the seat to reach his face with your hands and place a smacking kiss on his cheek. “Like you didn’t love that stupid board game,” you said, voice dropping to a purr.

The car slowed down, and you realized that you had come to a red light. Mingyu cupped the back of your head with his hands, dragging your face back to his and planted a kiss on your lips. “I loved hearing you ramble about it,” he mumbled, his gaze shifting to your eyes and then back to your lips. He leaned slowly to give you another feathery kiss on your bottom lip. “So?”

You sat back on the passenger seat, glancing at the console. “I don’t know,” you said with a sad pout.

“Well, you have about ten seconds to decide because once we pass this turn, we’ll only have the Thai food place and the convenience store as our options,” he joked, and then added with a light giggle: “That’s not true, shorty. We could always turn back. We could go for a drive-thru run, if you’d like.”

“Oh! That sounds perfect,” you agreed. “I’d kill for a cone.”

Mingyu narrowed his eyes slightly, sending you a quick look. “A cone?” he raised his eyebrows. “Like an ice cream cone?”

“Without the ice cream,” you nodded.

Mingyu huffed. “Alright. Let’s get you your cone,” he said, swiftly taking the turn, still gripping the wheel with one hand.

The car pulled right beside the drive-thru menu. Mingyu rolled down the window, letting in the cool breeze of the night into the car right as you unbuckled the seatbelt and crawled over him to reach the window.

“Really?” he clicked his tongue, laughing silently.

You ignored him. “Hi. I’d like to order two double cheeseburgers, a strawberry shake—”

“Two shakes,” Mingyu interrupted, taking the advantage that you were all over him to place his hand on your lower back, letting it roam down to your butt as you made your order.

You giggled in sheer ecstasy, the sound merry and slurry. “Two strawberry shakes, two orders of large fries—”

“Ten-piece nuggets,” Mingyu mumbled again.

“Ten-piece nuggets,” you repeated. “And a plain cone, please.”

You sat back as he drove to the window and quickly reached for his phone to pay.

“I’ll get it!” you said, scrambling to get your card to pay first.

But Mingyu placed a hand on your shoulder, easily stopping you from moving an inch towards the window.

“Thanks,” you mumbled shyly once Mingyu paid for the food and received the comically large bag of food and handed you the milkshake and placed his own on the cupholder.

“I take pleasure in feeding you,” he said, eyeing the paper bag sitting on your lap. “Well? Dig in.”

“But, here? Inside the car?” you asked curiously.

Mingyu frowned a little. “Sure,” he said. “Why not?”

You shrugged. “I thought—never mind.”

You dug your hands in the bag, getting your burger first while Mingyu drove in search of a spot to park. After driving for a considerable time, he finally decided to go straight to your building instead.

You were three bites into your burger, so you just handed him his burger. “Might as well finish up here,” you said, getting a large bite from your burger. “Thank you for this. And for letting me eat in the car.”

Mingyu giggled, sighing as he stuffed his mouth full of cheeseburger. “Don’t worry about it,” he said as he munched for a couple of times and then gulped. “This car has seen it all, really. And it survived Wonwoo and me in our college days. So, a bit of salt and some wayward fries won’t do anything.”

The mention of Wonwoo’s name being thrown by Mingyu made your tummy clench painfully, and the fact that Mingyu had said it so casually scrambled your brains. You had such a hard time even thinking about Wonwoo that, for a split second you envied Mingyu for being so nonchalant about it.

You chewed quietly and then took a large sip from your strawberry shake. But you just couldn’t go back to who you were two seconds before. Your mind was racing, heart thumping loudly in your chest. Had your reaction been evident?

Mingyu finished his burger in three bites, or that’s what it seemed like to you. Or maybe it was that the sound of Wonwoo’s name had split your mind in two, and that’s why you were taking so long to finish your food.

You crumpled the burger wrapping into a ball and dug your hand into the bag to get the ice cream cone. You took a bite off the pointed tip first, sighing deeply and tiredly at finally getting your cravings satisfied.

“Good?” Mingyu mumbled, and you realized that his gaze was trained on your face.

“Like heaven,” you replied, taking three large gulps from your shake.

You finished your food some moments after Mingyu did. And coming upstairs to your apartment didn’t feel awkward, even if you were both casually talking, like the mention of Wonwoo’s name alone had created a ghost that you were now aware of and dragging along.

You hated the feeling. You tried to pretend like you had just merely lost half of your battery in less than ten minutes, and not like your heart wasn’t aching for a person who wasn’t there.

In the couple of weeks that had gone by since you and Mingyu got back together, your life had suffered dramatic changes. For example, Mingyu had been coming to your apartment nearly every day or every night, however, his schedule would let him. He’d spend the night at yours if the occasion would rise—but he made sure that every day, at least once, he would let you know that he was still in.

Sometimes, it felt to you that nothing had happened—like Mingyu wasn’t gone and he never broke your heart, like the night at the basketball court where you sat on the bleachers crying your heart out never existed. Mingyu came back into your life with the full intention of loving you, of mending the girl who was so eager, so wanting to love and be loved. And he would show that every day. So much that it felt like you were in a serious—committed—relationship.

Another example was that, and you weren’t sure as to how aware Mingyu was of this, he was starting to leave some of his stuff in your apartment. First, he started with a hoodie, then he left a cap, sunglasses, and a spare phone charger…

A toothbrush.

It hadn’t meant anything, not at first. One night, he stayed at yours, and you both went for a quick grocery store run, and he decided to buy a toothbrush.

And now, every single time you saw it, your tummy clenched for some reason.

This time was no different. You brushed your teeth, changed into your pjs and removed your makeup, now feeling fully sober. And when you came out of the bathroom, you knew that your play pretend hadn’t been very convincing at all.

Mingyu was standing before the round dining table, hands gripping the back of a chair as though he needed somewhere to hold onto. He was crestfallen, as though avoiding looking your way because he didn’t want you to see the emotions shown on his face.

“Hey,” you mumbled, approaching him cautiously.

Mingyu lifted his head, his gaze softening upon seeing you. “Hey, Baby,” he replied, his tone gentle. “Listen—”

“Wait,” you said, placing your hand on his shoulder as he stepped closer to face you completely. “I want to say something first.”

Mingyu’s mouth parted slightly, analyzing your face with his gaze before nodding at you.

You breathed in, wondering if there was someone on earth who would know how to navigate this subject with less anxiety than you. You wondered if there was a better way to open this conversation.

But you finally let out a breath, saying: “I called Wonwoo.”

Mingyu didn’t even flinch. “When?”

Your heart twisted, eyes watering instantly in fear of what Mingyu’s reaction would be. “Outside of Pam’s building. While I was waiting for you,” you said, your tone shaky and burdened with guilt.  

Mingyu’s expression became hard to read. You weren’t sure whether he kept looking at your face to search for any more signs of hurt or sadness, or if he’d become just a shell of a person, hiding his feelings from you.

“I just… I needed to hear his voice,” you confessed, lowering your face when you felt like you were about to crumble under his scrutinous gaze. “I didn’t mean to—I miss him, and it just happened.”

You could feel your heart pumping, banging against your chest as you waited for an answer.

“Okay,” Mingyu said calmly, and lifted his eyebrows ever so slightly, signaling you to carry on.

You breathed in, armoring yourself with enough courage to do it. “I need to tell you something else,” you said, your voice becoming thinner: “And I don’t know how you’re going to take it.”

Mingyu remained still, except for his eyes, which flitted across your face. “Okay.”

Your whole body trembled with something you couldn’t explain. You wanted to slow down and think. You wanted to get this done quickly. Your mind and heart were torn, fighting and clashing against each other.

“I want him too,” you said, and you wished you had enough strength to raise your voice any higher.

But something in the way you said it felt so real. It wasn’t an explosive confession. It felt soft, like letting your heart breathe for the first time in days.

You swallowed hard. “I want both of you,” you said, pulse picking up the pace right back when Mingyu wouldn’t respond, his expression remaining impassive. “I don’t know what I was thinking—I tried to sort it out quietly, but I just can’t. I feel guilty for calling him. So I’m telling you now.”

Mingyu held your gaze for one long moment. His eyes were dark, but there was a glint in them that caught your attention. It was as if he could see you struggling with your emotions, and his heart softened to the extent that his eyes began to show it. It felt as though he saw you suffocating from love and couldn’t help but try to save you from the pain once more.

But he didn’t look hurt. Not like you feared. He was just still.

“I know,” he said.

“You… know… what?” you asked dejectedly.

He nodded. “I saw your face when I said his name,” he mumbled, his tone quiet and raw. His gaze shifted, and then you saw it—the guilt he tried to hide.

“You didn’t say anything.”

Mingyu shrugged. “What could I say?” he asked, sullenly.

You paused. The guilt you’d seen on his face seduced you into thinking that maybe he wasn’t hurt like you thought he would. But instead, he would be pissed. You remembered the hurt you felt when you saw Gigi’s name displayed on Mingyu’s phone. But not only hurt—the jealousy.

Your tummy clenched. “Mingyu—”

“Thank you for telling me,” he said, his tone flat and his body stiff.

“I don’t want to hide anything from you,” you said, and at that, your tears finally spilled. You sobbed, but this time your chest did so tiredly. And then you wondered when the time would come that you would stop tearing up for this.

And there it was again—Mingyu’s gaze softened. “You don’t have to. You can tell me anything,” he mumbled, his tone sweetened.

Your eyebrows drew together. “You’re not angry?”

He shook his head. “I’m not angry,” he reassured, and then, with the lightest of frowns, he reconsidered: “I’m not thrilled either. I can’t say that it doesn’t sting.”

“I’m sorry. And I know it’s a lot,” you said with a sob. “I know that it’s c-complicated, and if you say that you’re not okay with it, then I’ll take it,” you mumbled, stuttering through your tears. “I just needed to tell you.”

He looked at you. His gaze was steady, if a little worried. “I don’t want to control what you feel,” he told you, his tone had gone sweet. “I can’t pretend I don’t see it, either.”

You sobbed loudly, as if your heart had shattered, and the sound that escaped your lips echoed that pain. Your tears were hot, streaming down your cheeks. You averted your gaze from his face, afraid you wouldn’t be able to continue the conversation any longer.

But Mingyu grabbed your face, his hands cupping your cheeks fully and urging you to look at him again. “If you care about him… If you need him in your life, I get it.”

You sniffled. “I do.”

He appeared to weaken at the sound of your voice. “I’m not ready to say yes to the idea of us three,” he said.

“Okay,” you said quietly, holding back a sob.

Mingyu exhaled through his nose, as though letting go of a tension he had been trying to push down for days. “But I’m not asking you to stop seeing him either,” he said.

Your eyebrows pinched again. “You’re not?” you asked. “Then—”

He blinked slowly at you, cutting you off before you started to lose yourself in questions. “I just want to ask you one thing—no more hiding. If you talk to him or see him, just tell me. If he texts you, don’t hide your phone, okay?”

Your stomach flipped. How many times did Wonwoo text you when Mingyu was around?

“Okay,” you whispered. “So what are you saying?”

“I still want to figure things out. With you,” he mumbled quietly, his hands shifting slightly, but he kept holding your face.

You nodded. “Okay,” you repeated.

“Just give me time, okay?” His mouth curved into a small smile, but something in his eyes dimmed. “I’m not saying no. I’m just…”

You nodded. “I understand. I know it’s a lot.”

He gave the tiniest nod.

Your heart was beating faster now, but not out of fear. “Okay,” you whispered, swallowed hard and then: “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me,” he replied, still treating you with tenderness. “This is a mess, I know. But I don’t want you thinking you need to lie to protect me. If what you feel for him is real, then there’s no need to hide it.”

You blinked at him quite dumbly.

“What I mean to say is,” he continued, noticing the look in your eyes. “I want to know everything, okay? Even if it hurts.”

You were briefly thrown back to the moment when Mingyu told you about Gigi. About how she was unfaithful to him with her boss—how she cheated for weeks and hid everything from Mingyu. And even afterwards, Mingyu continued to hide this infidelity of hers out of shame and didn’t tell anyone, not even Wonwoo. And that also eventually led to even more chaotic decisions.

You nodded, slowly this time. “Okay,” you mouthed. “I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I just didn’t know how to say it. I was afraid.”

Mingyu blinked slowly at you. “I know. But we’ve gone through this before. Haven’t we, baby? We have to talk about the difficult things if we both want this to be serious, right?”

Your heart squeezed. “Right,” you nodded again. “And I want that too.”

At that, he appeared to relax. “I know,” he told you softly. He looked at your bottom lip as he traced a soft line with the pad of his thumb.

You lowered your gaze to his hands still holding your face, reaching up and lacing your fingers around his wrists. “I’m seeing him tomorrow,” you told him, cautious with every word. “Before he leaves.

Mingyu nodded, taking a deep breath through his nose. “Okay.”

And then it was your turn to feel like you could breathe again. You leaned forward, Mingyu closing the space between you at the same time until your forehead touched his. Your eyelids fell closed, feeling the weight of your choices finally come crashing down on you.

But you were certain of one thing— “I love you,” you whispered.

Mingyu didn’t skip a beat. “I love you,” he replied.

The next morning, you woke up with Mingyu’s arm perched over your waist, his breath warm and steady against the back of your neck—almost like he’d fallen asleep with his nose buried in your hair.

You loved falling asleep, nuzzling in his warmth and waking up the same. And for a while, you felt like you could just spend forever there, listening to his gentle breathing, feeling him shift around you.

With just one glance around your studio apartment, you knew that it was time to rise. The sun was slipping through the small partings of the curtains, letting you infer that if you stayed longer in his embrace, you’d be late.

Your tummy clenched as you turned over slightly to see Mingyu still deep in his sleep. God, he was a dream. Even completely asleep, he didn’t fail to make your heart skip a beat. Like you, he’d fallen asleep naked, tangled in the bedsheets and wrapped in warmth and love.

This was the hardest part. His arm was heavy, and not only that, but he also appeared to put more weight into his embrace as you tried to break yourself free from it without waking him up. He mumbled something in his sleep, a half-utterance that didn’t really make sense.

You slipped free from the bedsheets and Mingyu’s arms successfully after some struggle. But once you got up, you winced at the cold you felt, skin prickling at the same time. You scrambled to get the first items of clothing you could find and sneaked inside the bathroom to get dressed.

You hurried through it, feeling like the quicker you got out of the apartment unnoticed, the better. You splashed cold water on your face, washed your mouth and got dressed.

Mingyu was stirring awake when you crossed your bedroom in search of your phone. He took a breath in, filling his lungs and getting himself to full lucidity. He moved the arm that was previously wrapped around your waist, throwing the bedcovers around him slightly and displaying half of his naked body.

You stopped in your tracks when you heard him.

“Hey,” he mumbled, his tone raspy and somehow tiny. His hair was slightly longer now, and that allowed it to become messy in the mornings. But he looked downright irresistible.

You melted instantly. “Hey, baby,” you replied.

His eyes quickly scanned you from head to toe, his mouth parting as his brow furrowed in curiosity.

“I won’t be long,” you said.

Mingyu blinked lazily. “Okay,” he replied groggily.

Your heart clenched, feeling like you were subjecting him to something unfair.

The feeling might’ve translated to the features of your face, because he put in quickly: “It’s okay, baby. Go,” he said.

At that, you didn’t push for more. Just lowered your gaze and quietly made your way to the door, stepping out of the building and into the morning air.

Wonwoo was already waiting outside your building. And this was the first time that you saw each other since you got back with Mingyu. Your pulse quickened as you found him. Wonwoo looked like a dream—dressed in his usual dark clothes, he wore black pants, a black sweater and a brown leather jacket.

An elegant duffel bag was slung over his shoulder, which he grabbed by its strap with one hand and lowered it to his side as you approached him. It was like he already knew that you were running to hug him, because he dropped the bag on the floor. Uncaring about it, and welcoming towards you.

He wrapped his arms around you before you could even reach him. Hugging him—feeling him close—was so shocking to you that you were rendered speechless. The smell of his cologne wrapped around your senses, and you breathed him in wholly.

“Hi, baby,” Wonwoo spoke softly into your ear.

You swallowed hard, swept over by all kinds of emotions. Just a moment ago, you were sleeping with Mingyu, and now…

“Hi, Wonwoo,” you replied, your tone shaky.

He stepped back, glancing down the street. “I only have a couple of minutes before the car gets here,” he said.

Your heart squeezed, but you nodded. “Okay,” you said, not hiding the disappointment you felt.

But he didn’t let that stop him. “I’m glad you agreed to see me,” he told you. “Even for a couple of minutes.”

You paused. You wanted to have more than just a couple of minutes with him. You needed to talk to him about the conversation you had with Mingyu last night.

Wonwoo read the features of your face intently. “Something happened?” he asked, lowering his tone.

“No—I mean, yes. But…” you said faintly.

“We talk when I get back?” he asked knowingly, raising his eyebrows slightly over the black frame of his glasses.

You nodded.

His gaze flitted to the window that belonged to your apartment. “Is he…”

“Yeah,” you replied shortly, blinking away the slight punch to the gut that you felt. “He knows I’m here. With you.”

He locked eyes with you again instantly. “Oh,” he breathed. “Then we do need to talk.”

An awkward moment followed. It was full of hesitation—while you had a lot to tell him, Wonwoo was trying to assess the situation, to narrow down why you were shaky, and visibly out of place, distraught.

Wonwoo’s lips parted softly, like he was afraid for a split second. He wanted to ask, you knew it. He wanted to know if you’ve had that conversation with Mingyu, he wanted to know the outcome of it.

He wanted to know if he was already out of the game.

But then—a car honked loudly, disrupting the morning peacefulness. Wonwoo looked back, his shoulders going slack in a quiet defeat.

Before you could even think, you stepped into his space, close and abruptly. You wrapped a hand around the back of his neck, pulling him with surprising ease. But that was because Wonwoo didn’t even hesitate, letting you draw him into a kiss.

And when your lips met his, you knew that you were indeed unfair. But there Wonwoo was, grabbing your face in his hands tenderly, pushing his lips against yours once, twice, giving you soft, loving pecks before kissing you fully. His lips locked with yours like it was easy as breathing—the kiss was warm, soft, full of all of the words he was aching to say but couldn’t.

You wanted to say those words too—but you knew it wasn’t the time to say them.

He pulled back, opening his eyes slowly, breath trembling just a little. And then, his eyes darted to your apartment window, his body tensing and jaw setting tightly. Like the entire world had paused for him.

You pulled back, blinking at him. “What?”

Wonwoo didn’t answer right away. He looked like he was just recovering from kissing you again for the first time in weeks and now…

He glanced once more to a point straight above your head, then looked back at your face. The subtle eye movement made your heart drop to your stomach.

“Wonwoo?” you prompted.

He gave you the faintest smile, his hands cupping your face held you slightly tighter. “Don’t turn around,” he instructed you, his voice low.

Your heart stopped beating. “What?” You mumbled, grabbing his wrists and pulling your face up from his hands, turning around.

Mingyu’s figure was already disappearing back into your apartment, leaving nothing but a fleeting shadow.

“Shit,” you whispered. Shutting your eyes tightly. “He saw, didn’t he?”

Wonwoo nodded. “I think so,” he replied, sighing tiredly. He stepped back, grabbed his duffel bag from the floor, and then he said. “Will you be okay?”

You nodded. “Yes, Wonwoo. I will.”

His gaze flitted on your face, reading you swiftly. “I’ll call you when I land.”

You sighed, trying to ground yourself. “Bye, Wonwoo,” you said. “Take care.” 

He pressed his lips into a smile that appeared to be gentle, but you knew that he was trying to show you he wasn’t worried. He gave you a nod. “Yes, ma’am.”

And then you watched him walk off. You stood on the sidewalk as he got into the cab, and it rode away. And after gathering your senses, you turned toward the door, body tight and mind clouded with doubts, thoughts of what you were coming back to.

You opened the door and slipped inside your apartment slowly. Everything was still, quiet. Your heart stuttered when you instantly thought that Mingyu might’ve left.

But then, your eyes fell on him.

Mingyu stood in the kitchen, his back turned, stirring something in a bowl. His shoulders were relaxed, and he was crestfallen. He was half-dressed now, not bothering to put on a t-shirt.

He looked over his shoulder when he heard the door shut. “Hey,” he said, as though nothing had happened. “Want breakfast? I’m making pancakes.”

You remained standing after the door. “Sure,” you replied, tone off.

He nodded, turning on the stove. There was no hesitation in his movements, he moved smoothly and just like any other morning.

You hesitated. “Want coffee?”

Mingyu nodded.

Anxiety gripped you wholly. You started to fill the coffee brewer with water, eyeing him as he dutifully whisked the pancake mix in a bowl.

You exhaled, the sound coming out of you shortly, but sharply. “You saw us,” you said finally.

Mingyu didn’t look up, opting to nod quietly.

You opened your mouth to utter an apology. Your heart demanded you to say something, anything to ease the pulsing nervousness tightening your chest.

But no words came out. The silence was filled with insecurity. But you continued sending him cautious glances, watching for his reaction, for the emotions showing on his face.

“I was just curious,” he finally said, his tone low and raw. He gnawed his bottom lip briefly. “I knew what I was going to see. I just wanted to know how it would feel.”

You gripped the edge of the kitchen counter tightly. “And?” you croaked, shaking with worry.

He lifted his head now, locking eyes with you. “I don’t know,” he replied quietly, and you could tell that he was being honest. “I don’t know how I felt. I know it stung, but at the same time I was… intrigued?”

You watched him for a second longer, feeling your brow furrowing.

Mingyu let out a breath, smirking. “Yeah, like I said. I don’t know how to feel,” he shrugged. Then he took a pause, like reforming his opinion. “It’s confusing. But I wanted to see it. I wanted to know if I could handle it.”

You waited for him to let you know his deliberation.

“I think I can,” he said and then offered you a solemn look, his eyebrows pinching slightly. “Like I said, I’m not sure.”

You let out a breath, letting go of the tension in your body as well.

After having breakfast, Mingyu had to leave for work at the bar, but only after letting you know that he would see you later. He kissed you goodbye and reminded you that he loved you, and then left without making it harder for you to let him go.

And things felt… different.

There was a time when you were terribly afraid to be alone. You would find yourself in the space that you had created for yourself and feeling like you didn’t belong. It felt like you were walking on a floor that was about to crack under your feet, as the walls whispered in your ear that you needed to go out and find your place elsewhere.

You had been so aching to love and be loved that when you were left alone, you didn’t recognize yourself.

Now… it was as though the space was letting you know that this change would take a while to get used to. You were now trying to understand how everyone fit in the picture… even yourself.

The first day Wonwoo was on his trip to Tokyo, you kept looking at your phone. He had checked in when he boarded the plane and when he landed. And he also asked a few questions about the situation with Mingyu and the kiss he saw from the window. You assured that everything was fine, and he didn’t pry for more information—leading you to think that he was reserving his questions for when he saw you next time.

The following day, Mingyu had the day off. And he was taking a liking to using his day off to spend it with you, or so you were beginning to understand. It was the third time in a row that he asked you on a date on his day off, and this day was no different. Except for the past two days off he had, he’d let you decide what you wanted to do—going to the movies, an arcade, restaurant.

Mingyu was sitting on the sofa in your studio apartment. You were sitting at the opposite end of him, perching your feet on his lap.

“Baby?”

“Mmn?” you looked up.

Mingyu giggled sweetly. “You haven’t decided what you want to do today.”

“Oh,” you smiled shyly. You had been distracted by your phone briefly. You gave yourself a shake. “You decide tonight,” you told him.

He pouted cutely, thinking of his choice as he resorted to grab your feet on your lap, squeezing them over your fuzzy socks. “We could just chill,” he offered, rubbing your feet with his warm hands. “Do you feel like going to the gym tonight?”

You arched an eyebrow. “Are you asking me on a date or to suffer?” you joked.

Mingyu smiled. “Why not both?” he said.

You replied by smiling at him, feeling your phone buzz in your hands again. The source of your initial distraction.

It was Wonwoo. He had texted only to check in with you. A— how’s your day? Kind of text. It was simple. It meant nothing more. But to you, and while Mingyu was on the couch with you, it was more than just a simple text.

So you replied, typing swiftly and with no second thought:

I’m going to the gym with Mingyu. I’ll text you later, okay?

Mingyu looked like he was in his second home. As soon as he set foot on its rubber mats, someone waved at him from afar.

“You’re popular even here,” you mumbled beside him as he returned the friendly wave.

“I’m not,” he giggled softly, clearly ashamed. “I don’t remember who that guy is,” he confessed.

You blew a raspberry in the air.

“Shuddup,” he whined quietly, tips of his ears turning bright red.

The locker rooms smelled of men’s deodorant and floor detergent. It was a Monday night, so it wasn’t as busy as other days. You looked around, realizing that your friend, Jungkook, was nowhere to be seen.

Mingyu opened the locker that seemed to belong to him, since you’ve only ever seen him use that one in particular. He threw his gym bag in, pulling out only his phone, no earphones, no water bottle.

You were fixing your hair in a way that it wouldn’t bother you as much while being there—but it still mattered to you to look good, so you turned around to face yourself in the full body mirror.

Through the corner of your eye, you saw Mingyu glancing your way, closing the locker and then taking two steps towards you. You diverted your gaze from your hair to him, watching as he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into a back hug.

“You ready?” he asked, pressing his lips against your head.

“Depends,” you smirked. “Should I be afraid?”

Mingyu smiled, making your heart jolt. “No,” he replied. “Although you should be prepared, because I’m annoying when I work out.”

“We’ve worked out together before,” you shrugged.

“And I was annoying even then,” he said.

“Only a little,” you joked.

He clicked his tongue and dropped his mouth open, pretending to be offended.

“But you make it up by being handsome,” you said, giggling at his expression.

“I’ll take it,” he said, planting another kiss on your hair and then stepped back. “Let’s warm up.”

You made a face.

“We can’t skip warm-up,” he told you, pretending to be stern. “I don’t want you to blame me when you pull a muscle. It’s leg day today.”

“I will blame you for the soreness tomorrow either way,” you quipped.

“Tsk,” he nodded to the treadmill. “Come on.”

The whole time while warming up, Mingyu was playful. He looked almost excited, joyful like a boy in a toy shop, and he wanted to show you how every single trinket worked. The only other time you could compare this moment with was shadowed by the new attitude he carried.

Then you both moved to the floor. And this was when all the playfulness you both kept while on the treadmills died completely, and was instead replaced by an entirely different mood.

You were supposed to be doing squats. Mingyu stepped behind you to correct your form, deciding to place his hands on your hips—at first, he was doing so in a professional manner, his fingers carefully dodging the bit of skin that spilled between the waistband of your yoga pants and your top.

But your eyes flew to the mirror, finding his face. Your pulse jumped, but you had to focus all your strength and might to pull yourself up, because if not, you would’ve fallen on the floor while carrying the barbell on your shoulders.

“There,” he murmured behind you, his tone low. “Keep your back straight.”

You managed to nod, biting your bottom lip. You tried—and failed—to keep focused.

But his fingers switched, ever so slightly. And now the pads of his fingers landed on the bit of skin as you lowered your body in another squat position, carrying the barbell on your shoulders. You tried not to think about how close he was. But his gaze also zeroed in on your face, and he swallowed hard when he helped you come back up, his hands squeezing the soft muscle of your waist.

“Give me one more,” he instructed.

Your gaze shot up to find him in the mirror. “I can’t. I’ve hit my limit,” you said, tone shaky, breathing hard.

“Yes, you can,” he nodded. “You’re stronger than you think.”

You let out a breath in a resigned way. “Okay,” you said, taking a couple of deep breaths to prepare yourself.

“Come on, babe. Down again,” Mingyu mumbled, continuing to spot you as you dipped down. “Chest up.”

You let out a grunt, feeling your thighs ready to give up with crushing fatigue.

Mingyu smiled, his hands descending from your waist to your hips as you lowered them, fingertips digging into your flared yoga pants, like readying himself to rip them off you. “Lower, go lower.”

You clenched your jaw.

“That’s it,” he said, looking at you through the mirror with a proud look on his face. “That’s my girl.”

When you stepped forward to rack the bar, you stumbled a little, and he caught your waist again with both hands. Your heart nearly leapt out of your chest when his fingers dipped on the plush of your belly.

“Careful there,” he said, stepping closer to you again.

You caught your reflection in the mirror. You were sweaty, cheeks flushed, and eyes wide open in alarm. Mingyu was touching you too comfortably to be in a public space. You sent your gaze around the gym.

Mingyu noticed. “Relax,” he said, smiling with confidence.

But your body refused to relax. He was standing too close for you to focus on anything else—all you could think of was how warm his body felt, how easily you could feel the definition of his muscles through his gym clothes. And not only that, but your knees were shaking, and you were still panting. “I hate you,” you said, deadpanning to him through the mirror.

Mingyu let out a breathy laugh. “Take it out on me then. Later,” he replied.

You had barely crossed the door when Mingyu grabbed you by the hips, flipping you around and putting you against the wall. A breath caught in your throat, but you were quick—wrapping a hand around his nape as he dipped his head to meet your lips with his own.

The kiss was swift and brief, his lips barely grazing yours. “I like how you look,” he said, his tone low, tired, and raspy.

“Sweaty?” you replied with a meek giggle.

“Yeah,” he smiled. “And wearing these,” he said, his hands clenching around the elastic fabric of your yoga pants. “You were driving me crazy.”

A familiar warmth spread deep in your tummy. “Don’t think you were the only one,” you said, arching an eyebrow at him as he planted another ghostly kiss on your lips. You ran your other hand down his chest, feeling his bulging pecs beneath his compression t-shirt.

“Mmn,” he hummed, looking at your lips before diving for a deeper, longer kiss.

His lips were warm, wet—locking with yours perfectly. You melted into him, the whole world blurred around you as he expertly dipped and grabbed you by your thighs, carrying you in his strong arms with your legs wrapped around his torso.

This dance was one you knew well. It was as though Mingyu and you could speak to each other without having to utter a single word. He eased you onto the mattress, pulling back to remove the compression shirt with just one movement of his arms, and then he moved his hands to hook them beneath the waistband of your yoga pants.

With a couple of rushed tugs, he stripped your pants, the look on his face changing to a pleased one once he saw your bare legs, your thick thighs. He quickly placed his hands on each of your sides, bending down to kiss you again. “You’re beautiful,” he told you in between pecks.

You smiled, eyelids fluttering close when he kissed under your jawline. “Mingyu,” you sighed.

“The prettiest girl,” he continued, kissing your neck, nipping your skin and then etching the first lovebite.

The feeling shot straight down to your core, swift like lightning but lingering on your skin. “Gyu!” you whined.

It was his turn to smile. And you felt it—his lips curving against your skin. “And the hottest,” he added, placing another mark with his lips against your chest.

He quickly got rid of the rest of your clothes—stripping your tank top, your thong and your sports bra, all while making you feel like you were the luckiest girl in the world. The compliments kept spilling out of his lips, like he would die if he didn’t tell you how he felt as your clothes came off.

And you couldn’t help but submit to him wholly.

You wanted to make him feel good. Oh, you craved to do anything to make him feel good.

You silently took control, motioning him to sit with his back relaxed against the headboard of his bed once he was utterly and completely naked. Mingyu followed your silent command, his gaze lost in you as you crawl up to him and straddle his lap, loving the dazed look on his face. You sat comfortably with enough space to wrap your legs around him, wasting no time and grabbing his hard cock in your hand.

And when you sank on him, pure euphoria gripped your body. Mingyu was big, and you were practically slipping him inside you with no prep beforehand.

A whiny, pathetic moan fell from your parted lips, eyes watering instantly at the bite. But you bounced on top of him, trying to bottom out on him fully.

Mingyu placed a hand on your hip, his eyebrows pinching softly. “Almost there, baby,” he whispered, pressing down on your lower back but not putting enough strength to force you down and make you sit on him fully just yet. 

You closed your eyes, enjoying the pain you always got whenever you took his cock. You loved it—the way your pussy struggled to swallow his cock in, the way your walls quivered and drooled around his length.

And Mingyu loved it too. “Fuck,” he sighed, dropping his forehead against the center of your chest. He breathed out. “God, you feel so fucking good.”

Your lips curved into a smile, almost like moving on their own. “Yeah?” you purred, running your fingers through his hair. “Do you like feeling how wet you get me?”

Now his head lolled back, as though he couldn’t help but leave the rest of his body at your mercy. “Yes,” he whispered, swallowing hard. “I love it.”

You continued bouncing on top of him, enjoying the way his gaze dipped down to your chest, to your tits. His hand palmed one of your tits, running the pad of his thumb on top of your pert nipple to then pinch it softly.

You moaned louder this time, welcoming the rush from the pleasure that flooded through you. The words remained lodged between your lips, but you also wanted to tell him just how fucking good he felt. You loved feeling his big cock stretching your walls open, you loved feeling how deep he could reach inside you, how well he filled you up.

Mingyu closed his eyes, his lips parting as he moaned—the sound weak and raw at the same time. “Keep doing that, baby,” he pleaded, sighing deeply. “Please, don’t stop.”

You grabbed his face in your hands, tilting his head back so you could kiss his mouth as you rolled your hips on him slowly. “Tell me when you’re close?” you mumbled.

He nodded quietly, closing his eyes as his hands clenched around your hips, like forcing himself not to take control. But he appeared to struggle with this, moaning more and more as your hips picked the pace up.

You rode him hard, fast, trying to get him as deep as you could. But it was becoming impossibly hard to keep the movement of your hips—fatigue was taking over your muscles, and not only that, but you felt like your orgasm was drawing near if you kept going like this.

But you commanded your body to keep going—your legs wrapped around him, chest pressed to him and your hands cupping his nape. And Mingyu was following the motion of your hips with his hands on your lower back, letting them roam down your ass, squeezing it softly, and moaning as he did so.

You loved the look on his face. He looked so lost in pleasure that he could barely breathe.

“Sweetheart,” he whined, his expression riddled with pleasure, it almost looked like he was in pain—his nose wrinkled, mouth parted, and eyebrows pinched together. “I’m close—fuck, baby. I’m so close.”

You acted quickly—pushing yourself up, his cock slipping out of you and landing on his lower abdomen with a soft and wet thump. Climbing off his lap, you got to your knees beside him and with no warning, no hesitation, you took his cock in your mouth.

Mingyu winced, sucking a hiss loudly. “Fuck,” he cussed again, his hands grabbing your head, fingers coiling around your hair. But he didn’t pull, he just watched as you started to bob your head up and down his thick cock.

You blinked and looked up, keeping your eyes on his face as you swirled the tip of your tongue around his cockhead. His mouth dropped open again, but he kept his eyes trained on your face, his eyebrow twitching when you gagged around his cock, sucking him obscenely loud.

“God,” he gasped, blinking slowly. “I’m cumming,” he said, and then he started to moan. The sounds that kept coming out of his mouth were soft, sweet and whiny. Spurts of cum landed in the back of your throat, filling your mouth and almost making you choke. But you swallowed him down to the last drop, still looking at him as he melted completely into a puddle of pleasure.

He was breathing raggedly, his hands cupping your face now as you finished with a kiss on the tip of his cock. Mingyu smiled, running the pad of his thumb on the corner of your mouth, wiping your drool away.

And then, he motioned to the pillows with a tiny jerk of his head. “Lay down for me,” he asked, his tone having grown raspy and low.

You smiled and crawled to prop a quick kiss on his lips. “As you say,” you replied sweetly, plopping onto the mattress.  

Mingyu wasted no time, rolling onto his belly and burying his face between your thighs. He first placed an open kiss on one of your inner thighs, very close to your pussy. You felt the hot and wet muscle of his tongue, breath hitching loudly.

You heard him smile. “Be still,” he mumbled, bending down again and sucking a spot on your skin, leaving another hickey.

“Gyu,” you moaned, closing your eyes as he licked your folds, dipping the tip of his tongue in your puckering entrance.

Mingyu nudged at your engorged clit with the tip of his nose right before kissing it, pressing his tongue against it and then continuing to make out with your cunt as though he were kissing your mouth. He kept doing this, eating your pussy as you tensed and arched your back, gripping the bedsheets tightly.

“Mingyu,” you moaned, your tone sweet and fading as your orgasm consumed you in fiery, electric waves. “Fuck, Mingyu!” you cried out, louder this time, pleasure climbing higher and higher, crawling swiftly underneath your skin, making it prickle.

When pleasure subsided gently, you sifted your fingers through his hair, quietly indicating to him to stop. You were panting quite pathetically, shaking with the aftershocks of your orgasm.

Mingyu crawled back, and you were quick to grab his face and pull him into a hot kiss. “I love you,” you said, unable to resist the feeling gripping your heart.

He tried to reply, but ended up mumbling something against your lips—your hands still held his face, keeping it pressed against yours. Mingyu giggled, the sound joyful and sweet. “I love you,” he replied, kissing your face, your body, your hands.

After a few minutes, you and he remained lying on the bed, staring at each other and kissing every inch of each other’s bodies. And then, Mingyu climbed off your bed and started the shower for you.

As you came down to your senses, a buzzing noise distracted you. Your phone was lost beneath the small mountain of clothes on the floor, and when you reached to get it, your heart dropped.

You had told Wonwoo you would text him later. But that ‘later’ had stretched into three hours.

Hey. I’m coming back tomorrow. I’ll tell you when I land. Wanna talk?

Mingyu came back to his bedroom, and your heart stopped this time. He didn’t seem to notice the alarm flitting across the features of your face—probably because it was too badly lit in the bedroom, the only source of light coming from the bathroom.

You locked your phone and discarded it somewhere in your bed, deciding to give him a reply later.

Only that you didn’t know when later would come this time.

The next morning, Mingyu decided to wake you up by pressing loving, tender kisses on your face.

“Mn,” you hummed, blinking slowly. “Baby,” you mumbled, giggling sweetly when he kissed your cheek, then your ear.

“I’m heading to the gym,” he informed you. “Forgot I told JK we would work out today,” he said. “Wanna come?”

You shook your head. “I can’t feel my legs,” you muttered groggily.

You heard a laugh right as you closed your eyes. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours, then. Rest up, sweetheart,” he said.

And then you dozed off, hearing the rustle of his clothes and the sound of his footsteps. You fell asleep, letting the tiredness sweep your consciousness away.

But then, he came back, and you thought that he’d come back to give you another kiss, maybe. “Gyu? Did you forget something?” you asked groggily, blinking slowly to find a figure standing in the doorway to Mingyu’s bedroom. You lifted your head from the pillow, vision clearing up at the same time that panic pierced you deep in your tummy. Your breath hitched quite dramatically, pushing you to stutter— “Wonwoo?” 

Wonwoo was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his broad chest, head tilted slightly to one side. You weren’t sure how long he had been standing there, but it had given him ample time to get comfortable by crossing an ankle over the other. 

He pushed himself from the doorway, walking towards the bed with a gentle stride. You watched him as he approached, how he slowly lifted a hand to let his fingers glide against the soft bedcovers. He was taking you in, as though assessing you like you were one big, elaborate math question. 

“Morning, Baby,” Wonwoo mumbled, almost like you weren’t tucked in someone else’s bed. In his best friend’s bed. 

The tightness in your chest made you swallow hard right as Wonwoo sat down beside you on the bed, still looking at you. Now, you could discern a shadow of tenderness in his eyes, sweet, caring, but weary. 

“Wh-when did you get back?” you asked, not even attempting to hide the shock and horror in your tone.

Wonwoo blinked slowly, acknowledging your tone. “Just now,” he mumbled, shifting on the bed so he could slip a hand on your knee, feeling you over the covers. “Did you sleep well?” 

Shock and terror melted away, replaced by confusion. You narrowed your eyes at him, feeling your brow furrowing on its own. “Wonwoo—” you gasped, bringing a hand to clasp the bed sheets tightly against your chest before trying—and failing—to sit up. “What game are you playing?” 

A half smile crawled onto his face. He lowered his eyes, briefly looking at your half-asleep look—or the very evident post-sex look. But the glint in his eyes didn’t fade. “Not playing any games,” he said quietly. “It’s just a question.” 

You stared at him for one long, quiet moment, realizing that Wonwoo indeed was not playing any games. He was indeed curious about your well-being. And it was obfuscating that he was holding this position, while it was very obvious that you had slept in Mingyu’s bed. 

Wonwoo gave you another one of those slow blinks. “Relax, baby,” he said, his tone soothing, almost seducing you to follow his command. But then he motioned to the door with a subtle jerk of his head. “Did he leave?”

You nodded, sitting up on the bed. Then you felt glad that you had decided to wear Mingyu’s t-shirt, and weren’t completely naked. “But he could be back at any minute, and if he finds you here—” 

“You haven’t talked to him?” 

The question landed like a curse. You hated how it made you feel—like you were doing it all wrong, like you were stringing up something that would eventually blow up on your face. But there was something else to it, something you weren’t ready to sit down and really think about. 

“I have,” you replied with a laboured sigh. You ran a hand through your messy hair, finally raising your eyes to meet Wonwoo’s face. “He’s confused.”

Wonwoo pursed his bottom lip in a light pout, his gaze wandering to the ceiling in consideration. “Confused because you want this or because he’s not totally against it?” 

His words left you cold. You gave yourself a shake. “How do you know he’s not totally against it?” you asked, and then— “Have you talked to him?” 

He replied with a shy smile. “I’ve told you, I know him. He’s my best friend. If he were resolute about his desire to keep his thing with you completely monogamous, then he’d just say it like it is,” he said with a light shrug, meeting your gaze. “But yeah, I’ve also talked to him.” 

You arched an eyebrow at him. “What aren’t you telling me, Wonwoo?” 

He took in a breath through his parted lips, choosing his next words carefully. “I think he hasn’t said yes to the idea because he doesn’t want to admit to himself that he wants it,” he continued with a roll of his eyes and a matter-of-fact tone: “And he’s also pissed at me still.” 

You let out a light huff. “So if he weren’t mad at you, do you think he’d what, say yes?”

“I think he’s not saying yes right away because he wants to punish me for what I did for a little longer,” he said, sounding half amused. “You know, he’s letting me bleed for a little bit.”

You blinked repeatedly, dumbly. “But he’s not punishing me, why is he punishing you? It’s also something I did.” 

He slowed down—his train of thought coming to a stop. Much as though he had come into this room with an idea in mind, and your words had an impact, destroying that initial idea. “If he’s not punishing you, then why have you been distant with me?” he delivered his question carefully, tilting his head to one side. “Are you starting to feel guilty?” 

You rolled your eyes. “Try to be in my position,” you told him sternly. “And no, I don’t feel guilty. I’ve never done this—” you made a gesture with your hands, waving one towards Mingyu’s bed and the other towards Wonwoo. “—before, and it’s confusing! What am I supposed to do when I feel like the scales aren’t balanced for you or him?”

He caught a sight of the bedsheets crumpled around your hips, the bit of skin of your thigh showing. He seemed to have a hard time locking eyes with you again. “The point of all relationships is to figure that out together, isn’t it?” Wonwoo said, letting out a breathy smile, as though finding his own choice of words funny. “If it has been confusing you, then why didn’t you tell me anything?” 

There it was, the reason for all your anxieties. “Because I don’t want to hurt you,” you said, closing your eyes at the twinge driving itself like a knife right between your lungs. “You knew I was going to be with him this weekend,” you shook your head in defeat, letting your gaze wander away from his face. 

“So you do feel guilty, then,” he said. 

You blinked and found his gaze again, now at a complete loss for words. 

But then he made another one of those subtle gestures with his head, as though negating an idea that was starting to form in your mind without ever having to voice it out. He knew you well. “Don’t worry, I’m not hurt,” he said confidently. “I knew you still loved him from the first time I kissed you.”

You shuddered at the memory, heart squeezing painfully in your chest. “Wonwoo—” you started. 

He moved his hand from your knee, and even though it never touched your skin, you felt cold at the loss of his touch. But he was quick, running the back of his fingers against your cheek, grazing it lightly. “And before you say it, you don’t have to say sorry. We’re good.” 

You sighed, closing your eyes at the second his skin came in contact with yours. “I wasn’t going to say that,” you smiled softly at him. 

He caught the softness settling on your face. “Then what were you going to say?” he asked, his tone low. 

You took the hand that had grazed your cheek, squeezing his fingers gently before bringing his fingers to your lips, kissing his knuckles, and meeting his gaze again. “I was going to say that you don’t know how it feels to be in between Mingyu and you,” you said, and then a second later, you added with a lot more tenderness: “And you know I also love you.”

At that, he appeared to weaken. He let his head drop slightly forward in a feeble attempt to hide his true emotions from you. And you knew what the cause of all his weariness was, his careful questioning. Wonwoo was jealous. 

And the acknowledgement almost made you feel dumb. It was obvious, and it was staring you in the face. You were so consumed by the notion that you would hurt his feelings if he knew you were spending more time with Mingyu while he was away that you didn’t register that there might be other emotions in the mix. 

“Wonwoo…” you cooed tenderly, scooting a few inches closer to him while tilting your head to see him at a better angle. “Is that what this is about?” 

He gave you a guilty smile. “Look, I knew what was at stake when I proposed the idea of us three. I knew that there would be uncertainty, I knew that there would be guilt, jealousy…” he said and then sighed deeply. “What I didn’t count on was my lack of control over one of those emotions.” 

His honesty made every single doubt in your mind go away. Wonwoo wanted this. But it was your reluctance to fully commit to it that had him second-guessing your love for him. Did he think you would stop loving him all of a sudden? 

You laughed, the sound bubbly, honeyed. You took his face in your hands, forcing him to look at you. “Oh,” you gasped, incredulous. “You thought I—” 

“Don’t say it,” Wonwoo whispered shyly, dispiritedly. Almost as though disappointed in himself. “I never believed anything. I let my imagination run wild when you didn’t text me back. I thought you had made your choice. I was envious of him. Jealous when I thought I was out of the game so quickly.” 

He pressed his palms against the back of your hands, which were still framing his face. You offered him a kind look, feeling your heart start to melt when you saw that insecurity flitting across his eyes. “I’m not going to lie to you, I did stop replying because I was with Mingyu,” your brow furrowed in worry. “I should’ve just told you. I’m sorry.” 

Wonwoo inhaled deeply once again, but you could see the evident stress on the features of his face go away as he exhaled. “This isn’t easy. Not for you, me, or Mingyu. I guess that as we go along and decide what to do, we’ll know how to handle it.”

You offered him a small smile. “Why do you always do that?” you asked, your tone soft, sweet. 

“Do what?” he replied. 

“Rationalize everything,” you shrugged lightly. “You always know what to say,” you told him. 

“Not always,” he countered with a low tone. Then a beat—his gaze drifted away from your face briefly, and you saw it on his face that the gears in his head were turning. But he added— “And especially not now, when everything I care about is hanging by a thread.”

Your heart slowed down to the point you felt like the air was exiting your lungs. Then you remembered that agonizing thought you had successfully pushed away. “Hanging by a thread?” you repeated. 

Wonwoo blinked at the ceiling, dragging a hand through his hair. “I don’t think you notice yourself slipping away. But I do.”  

You felt your mouth hanging open. “It’s not like that,” you started. 

“It is,” he countered, but you could tell he wasn’t upset. “You’re ghosting me because you don’t want to hurt him. And I get it. I do.”

You exchanged a long look with him, one that spoke out the words he didn’t dare to. It was real—you were hurting Wonwoo, and he was finally beginning to break under the weight of your indecision. 

Your heart stuttered. “Wonwoo—” 

“Look, I’m not mad at you, okay?” he admitted, his voice softening and breaking at the last word. “I don’t want to resent you or him. I’m scared that I’m losing you before I even had the opportunity to be with you. And I’m also losing my best friend.”

Your breath hitched, and before you could even stop, tears were forming in the corners of your eyes. You lifted a hand, reaching his cheek and tenderly bringing his face to yours, commanding his gaze to yours. “Look at me,” you said softly. 

Wonwoo met your gaze, and when he did, your chest caved in. He looked wrecked—like a man who had been trying to keep his emotions at bay for days. 

You lifted your other hand; now both of your hands were framing his beautiful face. “I’m not slipping away.” 

He blinked slowly, letting out an exhale before touching your forehead with his. “I know,” he mumbled. “It just feels like you are.” 

“I messed up,” you confessed, pulling away slightly so that you could see his face again. “I did it all wrong. I thought I was making sure I wouldn’t hurt either of you, but now I know.” 

His eyes searched yours, and you knew that he was just listening intently, but in your mind, you thought he was doubting you. And the thought made your chest ache. 

“I’m not choosing him over you or the other way around,” you said firmly. “But I’m also scared of making the wrong move. I’m scared of hurting you or him, and I panicked.” 

His gaze softened, as though something he saw in you or heard in your tone made him worry. 

“Let me figure things out,” you said, your tone waning. But it was the heavy weight of your next words that made your throat really close up: “You’re not losing me. I promise.” 

Wonwoo looked at your features, his fingers reaching for a strand of your hair, feeling it between the pad of his thumb and index finger. He was thinking of what to say—you had learned to discern that look in his eyes. “What are you going to do?” he asked. 

You let out another shaky breath. “I’m going to talk to Mingyu again,” you said, tone thick in anxiousness, fear. “I’m going to tell him what’s happening between you and me.” 

His jaw tensed slightly. “And what exactly is that?” he asked quietly, looking at you, studying you. “What will you tell him? We haven’t exactly seen each other since that other day. So he knows everything that has happened between us.” 

“That’s one of the things that I need to think about,” you said, smiling faintly at him. 

Wonwoo chewed the inside of his bottom lip pensively, and you could almost feel his anxiety from where you sat. 

“Wonwoo,” you whispered at him, feeling your heart stutter when he blinked, and the features of his face relaxed. “You’re not losing me,” you repeated pointedly, this time more grounded in your decision. 

There was a long pause, one that Wonwoo dedicated to looking into your eyes. There was no doubt in him, but you knew that he needed to make sure that you were sure of what you were saying and doing. He wanted to make sure that you weren’t hurting yourself with your own choice. 

“Okay,” he finally whispered. And it wasn’t in a renounced way. It was more like there was so much he wanted to say, but his lips were sealed. 

You held his dark gaze for another moment. “Okay,” you repeated. 

There was something in him that shifted. And you could see it in the way that he shuddered, like he was suddenly made brittle. He let out the gentlest of exhales, his forehead dropping forward and touching yours, his breath brushing against your lips. “Baby…” he breathed, tilting his face forward, the tip of his nose barely grazing yours. 

It was the smallest of touches, but feeling his face so close to yours made your whole body heat up with desire and unrestrained yearning. You realized just how badly you had missed him—his voice, the smell of his cologne, his presence alone.

Your fingers found his arms, fingers curling around the fabric of his knitted black sweater just as his hands cupped the back of your head. You heard him swallowing hard right before you pushed your lips, touching his briefly, fleetingly. It was a very taunting kiss at first, almost as though sensing the warning of it, but still ignoring it just to taste what it’d feel like to kiss Wonwoo in Mingyu’s bedroom. 

Wonwoo let out a strangled sound, almost as though in surrender. His lips met yours again, now capturing your bottom lip in between his lips, kissing you passionately, but he was still tender with you. This kiss tasted like he’d been wanting to do this for days and nights, but just conforming to the memory of kissing you. 

His hands moved to your jaw, pads of his thumbs brushing your jawline gently as he tilted your head back slightly, kissing you more passionately now. His lips moved with yours in a seamless dance, almost as though he hadn’t forgotten a single kiss you shared in the past. 

You felt him wanting to lean in closer to you, but stopping before he could even shift on the bed. That made him finally draw back, his lips creating a smacking wet sound as he moved away from you, panting softly. “We have to stop now,” he whispered, but the alarm was very evident in the sound of his words. 

Your heart deflated, but you nodded. “Okay,” you replied faintly. 

But you could still feel his breath lingering against your lips. Both of you were breathing hard, and you could tell that it was partly because of the air being tight in your lungs and the rapid beating of your heart. 

Wonwoo searched your eyes swiftly. Something he saw in you made him sigh. “This is what I’m afraid of.” 

You stared at him for one long second. “What?” you whispered. 

“That we’ll continue to hide,” he said, his tone low. And he was quiet, like he didn’t want the truth to hurt you and him. “Wanting more. Not going anywhere with whatever this is.”

You were at a loss for words, your heart continuing to squeeze at each beating. It hurt to know that you didn’t have any kind of solutions to this just yet. You had been pushing away things that could change the situation for Wonwoo only because you were afraid. And in turn, you were hurting him.

Wonwoo could see that you were struggling to find something to tell him. But he kept his expression impassive, his eyes searching yours. And once he was certain of something, he leaned again, pressing the softest kiss on your lips. “Hey,” he whispered. “I’ll give you time. Whatever time you need, okay?” he said, his tone still low, but you could tell he struggled to get his words out. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

You gave him a sad smile. “I’ve done nothing but make you wait,” you told him, trying to look away because of the shame invading you, but something caught your eye.

It was him still looking at you like you were some complicated puzzle. Like he was figuring you out, trying to know what was going on in your head.

“Maybe,” he mumbled, shrugging lightly. “I guess that’s what people who love each other do, right?”

“Wonwoo…” you said, your tone shaky. 

“I know, I know,” he said, showing you an empty smile like he already knew where you would go with your words. “I’ll go now. Before I do something really stupid.”

Your heart sank to your stomach. He looked like he wanted to stay, like he wanted you to tell him just that. Your breath hitched slightly, hand slipping on top of his before he could pull away completely. “Stop,” you whispered. And it was just one utterance, but it came out desperate.

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you could hear a tiny voice telling you that whatever would happen next, there was a big chance you would regret it. But you quite literally brushed the thought away by crushing your lips against his, kissing him heatedly.

“Let’s do something stupid,” you told him, your voice rough and almost unrecognizable. You realized that you were panting, near hyperventilating from just nervousness alone.  

He paused. Your tone caught him off guard, making him blink and stare at you fixedly. “He could be back in any minute,” he said, narrowing his eyes at you slightly, curiously.

The rapid beating of your heart was starting to become annoying. “Then let’s not waste time talking,” you murmured, nearly pleading.

Wonwoo let out a sigh, a mixture of disbelief and amusement. He looked like he didn’t know how to take the sudden change in attitude. But he lifted his hand from yours, fingers brushing your cheek, slowly. As though seeing the desperation in your eyes, appreciating it like seeing his own reflection for the first time.

You leaned into his touch, eyelids fluttering wildly when he stretched out his fingers, gently touching your face, running the pad of his thumb against your bottom lip. The last thing you knew was his hand slipping down to close around your throat before pulling you into a kiss, his self-restraint snapping like a thread.

Wonwoo kissed you, this time harder, deeper, his lips capturing yours like he was trying to catch you before you’d disappear. His other hand joined, cupping the back of your head while the one around your neck gripped you gently, then slightly harder, like trying to feel your pulse. The kiss was wet, hot and messy, eliminating every single coherent thought in your brain.

He pulled away, but not far, his lips grazing yours as he laid out his final warning: “Baby,” he said, his tone waning, coming out more like a plea.

You swallowed, afraid to open your eyes. “I know,” you breathed. “I know what I’m doing.”

You fisted the front of his black knitted sweater again. You didn’t need to pull him down to your lips again, he knew that you wanted another kiss—or rather that you wanted to silence him before he could argue again. Rationalize. He groaned into the kiss, the sound weak and raspy and vibrating in your mouth.

He pressed his forehead against yours again, breathing hard. “If Mingyu walks in—”

“Then he walks in,” you said.

Wonwoo pulled back, his eyes on you. Full of lust, greed and something beautifully dark. “Just like that?” he asked softly.

You nodded. “Just like that.”

He read you briefly, his gaze capturing every blink, every breath. He noticed something, and he wanted to ask, his mouth parting slightly, but then, with a single blink of his eyes, it was gone. He framed your face with his hands, pulling you into a quick kiss. “So this is your way to force him to make a choice?” he asked.

“No,” you mumbled in between kisses. “It could happen that way, but it’s not what I’m planning.”

“Then what isyour plan?” he asked, his voice becoming gruff as you pushed yourself to your knees, his hands following the movement of your body, and landing on your waist.

“I just want you. Now,” you replied, straddling his lap. “Don’t think, Wonwoo. Just give me everything.”

Wonwoo could read you well, yes. But you also knew him better than most—and you knew his head would be swamped with concerns, with thoughts of where this was going, and all of the possible end scenarios. But you have effectively done it with the tone you used to deliver your command—snappy, urgent.

A slow smirk crept onto his face, his fascinated eyes roaming all over your face as he welcomed you onto his lap. “So this is what this has come to?” he asked stubbornly. “He gets you for a whole night, and I get what, fifteen minutes at most?”

You immediately caught on to his game. “I told you to stop thinking,” you said bashfully, looking at him through your lashes. “And it’ll probably be less than fifteen minutes,” you said, biting a cheeky smile as you grabbed his belt, unfastening it with shaking fingers.

“That needy you are?” he hummed, slipping his hand beneath your jaw, angling you for his lips. “Was he a lousy fuck, and that’s why you need me?”

You huffed softly, but it came out more like a sigh as his lips nibbled at your skin, leaving kisses down your neck. “Can’t I just need you?” you murmured, cheeks burning hot. “I miss you.”

“Hmm,” he hummed, kissing your throat. “Say that again,” he mumbled faintly against your skin.

You drew back from him to see his face. “Say what? That I miss you?” you asked, not waiting for any confirmation on his part, his glinting eyes were enough. “I miss you, Wonwoo,” you said, your tone weakening by the overwhelming feeling coiling around your throat.

Wonwoo remained looking up at you, even as your hands worked his knitted sweater up his torso, removing it and then giving his wife-pleaser the same treatment, discarding his clothes on Mingyu’s bedroom floor. Your rapid heartbeat was robbing you of air, and you thought that it would soon make you hyperventilate again. But you moved back, going for the button of his black denim pants.

“Stop,” he said, grabbing your hand in his. “You first,” he whispered.

You locked eyes with him again. “What—”

His hands moved to the hem of the oversized t-shirt that Mingyu had lent you. Wonwoo knew this t-shirt wasn’t yours, and that was probably one of the reasons why he wanted to remove it from your body. “Wait,” you mumbled, but it was already too late.

Wonwoo had already removed the t-shirt, leaving you in your panties alone. But in doing so, he uncovered what you hadn’t thought of hiding, because you remembered way too late about the lovebites littered all over your skin. Wonwoo’s dark eyes roamed from your chest to your tummy, to your inner thighs, his jaw tightening visibly as he returned his gaze to your face.

“Wonwoo…” you started, mouth dropping open in search of something to say. You recognized that look in his eyes. It was jealousy, but spiced with something else, and you didn’t recognize it at first, but you did now. 

Wonwoo enjoyed this.

“Are you sore, baby?” he asked, his tone low and surprisingly sweet. His eyes trailed down your body, following the red marks on your skin to the inner side of your thighs. He ran his hands from your hips up your back, feeling your skin, palming your breasts.

“Yeah,” you whispered, feeling obfuscated by the question. But you tensed when his hands reached your breasts, confirming your answer. You tensed slightly, but welcomed his gentle touch, nonetheless.

“Was he rough on you?” he asked, leaning to prop a light kiss on your shoulder, right on top of one lovebite.

“No,” you replied, fingers curling around his sweater. “He’s never rough on me.”

“Hmmph,” he smiled against your skin, kissing another mark. “Do you want me to be?”

This was what you loved about him. Or one of the things you loved about him.

“Yes,” you uttered quickly. “God, yes. Please.”

He let out a sound that sounded low, raspy, and mocking. But he continued kissing each mark he could reach with his mouth—your neck, your collarbones, shoulders… Eventually, he reached your chest, bringing his hands to cup your tits and kiss the lovebites he could find. You winced, breath hitching when he gently popped one of your nipples inside his mouth, kissing it, sliding his tongue around it slowly.

Your mouth dropped open, but you circled his shoulders with your arms for support, holding onto him as he switched to kiss your other nipple, slurping sounds coming from his mouth as he sucked your tits and kissed them eagerly.

“You’re going to get on all fours, baby,” he instructed, his tone still low, sugared. “I want you to be the first thing he sees when he walks in.”

Your stomach churned at the sound of those words. “Don’t say things like that, Wonwoo.”

“I’ll say whatever I want,” he told you, showing you a small smile. “You get to use me as your boy toy all you want, at least let me decide how he finds us.”

“You’re not my boy toy,” you gasped, pushing his shoulder weakly. But you couldn’t ignore the twinkle of elation in his eyes. He was still messing with you. Like a cat playing with its food.

Wonwoo grabbed you with one hand, squishing your cheeks, pulling you to kiss your pouty mouth. “No?” he mumbled, and you hated that your heart stuttered at the sight of his smile. “You only want me when you’re lonely. You ask me to fuck you, and I do. You ask me to leave, to come back, to listen to you cry, and I do it all for you.”

Your eyes widened. You were sure that he wasn’t being serious with his words, but the dark, mischievous look in his eyes made your blood heat, wanton desire boiling under your skin. “Wonwoo—!”

“If we’re going to do this quickly, then do as I say,” he told you, and he delivered his instruction with a soft tone, like quietly pleading with you to stop resisting and sub for him without having to say it that way.

Your heartbeat slowed down, almost as though seeing the confidence in him made you rethink and just follow. “Okay,” you whispered, climbing down his lap and off the bed altogether. Taking the opportunity that he was already looking at you, you hooked your thumbs around the waistband of your panties, tugging them down your hips.

He followed the movement of your hands with his lust-filled gaze. Now that you were standing in front of him, you could appreciate his half-naked body—his chest exposed, wide shoulders, the dark happy trail… And even though he wore black denim jeans, you could see the outline of his big cock tenting his pants, pressing down his thigh.

Even though he’d said those incredibly harsh words, he wanted you. Was this all part of an act to get himself hard? You weren’t sure, but you were also enjoying it.

Wonwoo jerked his head towards Mingyu’s bed, reminding you of his command. You climbed on the bed, taking a bit of free will and placing yourself on the edge of the bed first, facing the door.

Wonwoo discarded the rest of his clothes quickly, undoing the zipper of his black denims and pushing them down along with his underwear. Once fully naked, you experienced something in your chest—it was wild, like agony, lust, and love all together at the same time.

You loved this man and the lengths he would go just to be with you.

But before he could climb on the bed with you, he looked at you as you waited for him, sitting on your knees at the edge of the mattress, waiting for him. “Bend over. I want to see you,” he said, jerking his head at you.

You decided to go all out for him, following his every wish, subbing for him completely. You bent even lower, placing your face against the bedcovers and your arms framing your head—compelled to be still and waiting for his next move.

He wasn’t quick, like you wanted him to be. No, Wonwoo was calculated as always. You felt his hands on your lower back first, caressing your skin as he palmed your butt, squishing you softly, spreading you to his view. His hands on your skin had you on fire almost immediately, a breath catching around your throat.

“Ngh,” you squeaked against the bedcovers as his lithe fingers prodded around your outer lips, caressing you, touching you just to get a reaction from you. You could feel your entrance puckering at his touch, skin tingling, aching for more.

“So responsive,” he whispered to himself. Teasing your dripping wet pussy with his fingers. “Tsk, you’re so swollen, Baby.”

“Yeah. And sore,” you mumbled.

Wonwoo hummed in response, the sound low and raspy as he breathed out. He pushed the pads of his fingers against your pussy, feeling your slick and engorged folds. You whined, the sound muffled because you continued pressing your face against the mattress—partly due to being self-conscious.

“Do you like that?” Wonwoo asked, his tone faint as he appeared to sound in a daze. His fingers explored, touching gently as he slowly masturbated you, pressing the pads of his fingers against your clit, swirling his fingertips around it in gentle motions.

You nodded. “Uh-huh,” you replied, instinctively arching your back more, trying to get his fingers inside you at last.

But Wonwoo responded with an airy chuckle. “God, Baby, you’re getting so wet. You’re soaking my fingers,” he said, and just by the sound of his voice, you could tell that he was smiling. And you could almost picture it, the softest of smiles on his face as he teased you with his fingers.

You sighed, letting out a raunchy sound that was partly muffled by Mingyu’s bedcovers. You pressed the side of your face against the mattress, closing your eyes to enjoy the gentle prodding of Wonwoo’s fingers in your entrance, teasing you by just inserting his index and middle fingers to the first knuckle.

“Did he cum inside you last night?”

Your eyes flashed open, but you didn’t move another inch. “No,” you replied, feeling your heart stop when his fingers stilled inside you. “I had him cum in my mouth.”

There was a pause after that, and you ached to twist your neck to take a look at his face, to see what was happening inside that beautiful brain of his. But he let out a soft sigh, like a smile and then— “Good girl,” he praised, his tone low and almost sweet.

You blinked slowly, a shudder invading you partly because of his fingers toying with your pussy, but also because of his words. Did he mean that you were a good girl because you didn’t let his best friend cum inside you? Or because you swallowed his cum?

But before you could let those words out of your mouth, you heard shifting behind you. Your blood began to sizzle in anticipation, thinking that he might finally start fucking you, but no. His hands came to grip the back of your thighs, his fingers digging into the plush muscle of your butt, spreading you again.

And then you felt his tongue against your cunt. Your fingers instantly curled around the bedcovers, hands turning into fists for support, and then you were wailing out lewdly. “Fuck!” you screamed, eyes screwing shut as he licked your folds, lips kissing your cunt. “Wonwoo—!”

The next sounds that came out of him were a mixture of grunts and moans, slurping and smacking sounds. He was eating your pussy like he was hungry and you were his only source of sustenance—kissing your outer lips, licking your folds and your entrance, teasing you, tasting you. His hands gripped you tight, holding you steady as your body twitched and trembled in sheer ecstasy.

You realized that he wasn’t eating you out just to pleasure you, no. He was eating you out like he truly wanted to taste you, like he’d missed the fun of torturing you with his tongue. He almost sounded like he was desperate, like he wanted to mark the only part in your body that didn’t have Mingyu’s lovebites all over.

He continued licking your folds with broad but gentle strokes, teasing you slowly by running the tip of his tongue up your cunt and reaching your puckered hole. You winced, almost snapping your head back from the whiplash, but you remained still, moaning salaciously as he continued pleasuring you with his tongue.

Your hands were holding onto the bedcovers so tightly that your knuckles were turning white. You were breathing hard against the bedcovers, moaning in pleasure and desperation. You ached to feel him deeper, but you just waited.

Wonwoo drew back, and the loss of his mouth on you had you whining again. “How did that feel?” he asked, his tone had grown thick and raspy. It sounded like heaven to you.

“Good,” you sighed. “I want more,” you said, feeling your body twitching, begging for more.

“Yeah? Did you like me teasing this cute little ass?” he asked, and to emphasize his question, he circled your puckered hole with the tip of his finger. You moaned and nodded. “Do you want me to fuck you in here?”

“Fuck, Wonwoo—yes,” you mewled.

This time, Wonwoo laughed. He laughed like he’d found your neediness endearing. “I will, Baby. But we don’t have time for that today,” he said, patting your butt gently.

You understood without him having to say a word, you crawled some inches forward, making space for him to climb on the bed. Now you were both across the bed, facing the door. Sheer panic came over you, so you resorted to pressing your face against the mattress again.

“Shy much?” he teased, and you could hear the amusement in his tone as he grabbed you by the hips again. “This was your idea, remember?” he said right as you felt the bulbous head of his cock sliding up and down your folds, smearing himself with your arousal. Feeling his cockhead rubbing against your folds made you wince, salivate, and almost whine with anticipation.

You turned your head on the mattress, casting a meek glance at him, and for a split second, you almost begged him to just shove his cock into you. But Wonwoo held your gaze, his mouth parting just slightly as he pushed himself inside you ever so slowly. A long, gentle exhale came out of him just as his eyebrows began to knit, continuing to push his hips against your ass, sinking his hard cock in, and in…

“Babe—” you gasped, eyes beginning to brim with tears. You were so sensitive, so swollen, and aroused that it was hard to focus. The feeling was so good, it was mind-shattering.

“Are you okay, Baby?” he immediately asked when he saw the tears welling up in your eyes.

“Yes. Please k-keep going,” you stuttered, sounding so lewd and whiny that you felt your cheeks flushing.

Okay, he mouthed, but he kept his eyes on your face as he pushed his cock to the hilt. “I’m going to start moving,” he told you, and only started doing so after you blinked at him in assent.  

His hands moved on your body as he started thrusting. First, he caressed your hips, hands roving on your lower back and then palmed your ass gently, lovingly. You moaned at the feeling of his hands caressing your skin as he pushed his hips against your ass, thrusting his cock deep inside you, massaging your tight walls deliciously.

Tears spilled from your eyes and continued building up, the pleasure so high that your mind was slowly losing its grip on reality. You had been aching for this—for Wonwoo’s attention, for his love, him inside you. A raunchy moan spilled from your lips, and you just kept on making the same airy, lewd noise over and over as the sound of his hips snapping against your ass also flooded the room.

“Give me your hand,” Wonwoo said.

Your eyes were still on him. He noticed the tears in your eyes and the dazed look on your face. But smiled anyway as you moved a hand behind your back and extended it to him. And Wonwoo grabbed your wrist, pinning it against your lower back.

“The other,” he said, and you offered him your other wrist so he could have them both firmly secured behind your back.

And then, he started plowing on you. Hard, fast and exactly just like your body craved. Now, Mingyu’s bedroom was filled with the very obvious sounds of sex—your raw moans, the raspy, airy sounds Wonwoo made, paired with the sounds of skin slapping on skin, and smacking sounds coming from his cock ramming into your dripping wet pussy.

You blinked slowly, trying to hold back, but you were slowly losing control. “Ngh—fuck—Wonwoo!” you whined, unable to stop your moans and lewd gasps. So you just kept rambling: “Fuck—just like that. Just like that, babe…”

You could hear his laboured breathing, the little sounds of pleasure he tried to contain as he kept snapping his hips against your ass, cock reaching so deep inside you that you were slowly driven insane. You didn’t even think of telling him when your orgasm hit you out of nowhere—you just cried out, loudly and lewdly, nearly sounding like an animal.

“God, baby. Are you cumming?” he asked, his tone thick with awe.

“Uh-huh,” you nodded, dragging your teary face on the bedcovers.

“Fuck, you’re dripping,” he sighed in pleasure. And he didn’t even need to mention it—you could hear the near-sinful, squelching noises your pussy made every time Wonwoo rammed his cock into you.

You arched your back even more, angling your ass for his hips that continued slamming his cock inside your tight walls. You could feel how wet you were, how your orgasm had left you feeling warmer and quivering even more than before. Every time he went in, he reached a sweet spot deep inside your walls that had you seeing stars and letting out high-pitched cries.

But then he yanked your wrists, pulling your upper half up. You gasped at the change, arching back to feel his chest, his lips barely grazing your shoulder as he continued thrusting listlessly. “Ready for this, baby?” he asked.

Your heart stuttered. “W-what?” you asked, still coming down from your high, too dazed to pay attention to your surroundings.

The front door to the apartment had clicked shut.

Your breath hitched.

And before you could even attempt to move, Wonwoo slipped his forearm between your back and your arms, binding your arms even more.

“Wonwoo—” you gasped, choking up on fear.

“Tell me to stop and I will,” he replied in your ear, but continued pushing inside you like before, like it was a simple act between lovers, like it was just you and him… alone.

But when Mingyu appeared in the doorway, you wanted to be swallowed by a black hole. At first, you had a hard time discerning what the look on his face was. His eyes immediately zeroed in on you, on your face painted in shame, your naked body. There was nothing else on his expression except for his mouth parting barely. Was it awe? Disappointment? Excitement? You couldn’t tell.

“Say the word,” Wonwoo told you very quietly in your ear.

You failed to speak. It was too late now. And you weren’t even sure what you would say, even if you could speak.

Your hands sprang open, trying to reach anything you could grab—but Wonwoo had your arms firmly pinned behind your back as he kept rutting his hips against your ass. He had his face pressed against the crook of your neck, lips callously kissing your skin and moaning against it like he was deep in a frenzy.

Despite the deep shock you were in, you could tell that Wonwoo had started grunting more, the sounds coming out of him desperate, deep, on the verge of being animalistic. You were sure this wasn’t an act—something had shifted in him the minute Mingyu stepped through the door.

But then something you weren’t expecting happened. Mingyu dropped his gym bag at his feet, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe in the same manner that Wonwoo had been twenty minutes ago. And ever so slowly, Mingyu tilted his head to one side, his eyes trailing down your frame as though appreciative of your naked body.

Appreciative of what you were doing with his best friend in his bed.  

“I’m going to let go of your arms,” Wonwoo spoke in your ear, his voice slightly raw by the heavy breathing. His thrusts slowed down, turning sloppy, as though making sure that you were listening and not completely stunned. “And when I do, I want you to touch yourself. Put on a good little show for him. Got it?”

You nodded, turning your head to cast a swift look at him. “Okay,” you breathed, understanding that if you did what he said, then you would get on with this quicker.

But perhaps you should’ve known better.

Wonwoo showed you a light but confident smirk before letting go of your arms, but he didn’t let go of your body, wrapping his arms around your torso, his hands cupping your breasts. And then he resumed his heavy thrusts, pounding on you like there was no tomorrow, like this was his last fuck with you.

You instinctively reached for one of his hands cupping your breasts, and slipped the other hand in between your thighs, fingers reaching between your lips. The first caress of your fingers against your slippery folds made your skin prickle and your toes curl with sheer ecstasy. It didn’t help that Wonwoo kept shoving his cock inside you at an intensely hard and deep pace, because pleasure built even faster than before.

Your eyebrows knitted on their own, and you moaned so sweetly that it made Mingyu’s puppy eyes trail back from your hand to your face. Mingyu also enjoyed this—you finally acknowledged, feeling dumb at the realization.

Of course he liked this. Otherwise he would’ve walked out the door, you thought.

You watched as Mingyu’s gaze roamed all over the features of your face, making you wonder what you would look like. Your face felt hot, and you knew that your hair was still messy. You wondered if the light twinkle in his eyes was at seeing all the angry red lovebites littered all over your body. His eyes looked at your chest, the light jiggle of your tits as Wonwoo groped them in his hands, your nipples peeking out between his fingers.

You wondered if Mingyu liked seeing how Wonwoo was taking your body. How his best friend was fucking you so hard that it was certain that you would be bruised by tomorrow. And Wonwoo was faithful to your request and wasn’t stopping or going gentler any time soon—breathing fitfully against his neck, he was moaning raunchily and repeatedly, like he was trapped in a daze.

Mingyu’s gaze returned to your hand, looking at your fingers as you toyed with your swollen clit, rubbing it with fast swirls. It was your turn to moan lewdly now, seeing that Mingyu was biting his lower lip, breathing deeply as though to keep himself in check.

But there was no way you could ignore the growing erection beneath his gym shorts. And as your gaze fell on his cock, he rubbed a hand on top of it, shifting the position of his cock so that you could take a better look at the outline of it. It was huge, leaning downwards and pressing on his thigh. The sight made you lose what little sanity you still had—pleasure sizzled beneath your skin, making it prickle. You moaned, moving your fingers against your clit in the only way you knew it would bring an orgasm to you, that along with Wonwoo still thrusting his cock inside you hard and deep.

You were cumming again, at the same time that Wonwoo hugged you tighter to his body, his hips pressing against your ass fully as he emptied his load inside you. You knew he was cumming, you had learned every single manner of his in bed. He pressed his face against the crook of your neck, soft grunts escaping him as he finished off with a final, deep thrust.

And then you wanted to crash down.

Wonwoo unwrapped his arms from around your torso when you wriggled in his embrace, trying to break free, only because you felt like the air wasn’t reaching your lungs. Your hands reached the bed before you could even process what was happening, head snapping back to look at Mingyu, who was moving away from the door.

Everything happened slowly, but your head was spinning so fast that you were having a hard time keeping up with reality. You weren’t sure what you were feeling—different emotions were colliding and mixing like being thrown into a big storm.

The truth was that you felt shame. Shame for not wanting to stop. Shame for wanting more, wanting both men to be there in the same room, watching you naked, vulnerable and raw. You felt sticky, dirty. The kind of filth that you knew would not wash away with a hot shower. 

Your vision blurred, an ache rising inside you and coiling around your throat. “Mingyu—” you whispered shakily, looking at him as he paced to the foot of the bed, his expression hard to read.

Mingyu lifted a hand to cup your face, his warm fingers pinching your jaw as he delivered the next words sweeter than ever before: “You okay, Baby?”

Your heart stuttered, shock trickling down your spine—hot and vehement. Overwhelming. “Eh?” you uttered. It didn’t occur to you that in a moment such as this, Mingyu would turn his concerns to your well-being.

“You look like you’re about to cry,” Mingyu explained, his eyes beginning to show a little worry as he glanced behind you swiftly, meaningfully.

“If you want to stop, we stop right now,” Wonwoo said, and you didn’t see his face, but even though his tone was raw, he said those words firmly.

It took you some seconds to understand that both men were holding out for your answer. And you, in turn, were desperately trying to breathe, trying to gather as much lucidity as you could, but your heart was thumping loudly in your eardrums.

Mingyu took one good look at you—as though seeing through you. “We’re good, baby. I’m not mad,” he told you, lowering his face so you could only look at him in his eyes. “Do you want to stop? Say it.”

You were on the brink of melting into the mixture of emotions clashing and fighting inside you. Wonwoo knew it just by hearing your silence, and Mingyu could see it on your face.

But everything clicked in one second.

You slowly shook your head. “No,” you mumbled, finally finding the will to command your body. “I don’t want to stop.”

Mingyu released one breath slowly, shakily. Like he was scared for one second until he heard your response. “Yeah?” he breathed, still sounding sweet. He rubbed the pad of his thumb against your bottom lip. “Want me to give you more?”

You weren’t sure what your body felt at that moment. As you looked at Mingyu, you regained your senses, starting with your face, Mingyu’s warm hand still holding it firmly.

You nodded again, slowly.

Mingyu read your expression for one brief moment. “Talk to me. I need to hear you say it, baby,” he said gently, as though still unsure you weren’t panicking on the inside.

“I want more,” you confessed with a shaky and tiny tone. Your heart started racing as you uttered your confirmation. And you knew you had to be crazy to play such a wicked game with both of these men—because there was no other way you could love two men at once without having to be a little bit insane.

But the craziness was just an excuse you needed to prove to yourself that you were capable of doing this.

However, Mingyu saw something in your face that didn’t allow him to be convinced, not fully. “Come here,” he muttered, grabbing your chin in one hand. You understood what he wanted without explaining verbally; you pushed yourself back on your knees, holding his shoulders before kissing him briefly.

It was a small peck on the lips. Tentative. But you weren’t sure if you were testing him or yourself. The shock your heart suffered from being passed from one man, and then the other right away, made the movement of your body stiff and visibly unsure.

But seeing you like this made Mingyu smile. His beautiful lips curved just a little, the spark in his eye regaining some playfulness. “What’s wrong, Shorty?” he asked, his tone low and raspy, as though wanting only you to hear him. “Lost your nerve?”

Quite instantly, you knew what he meant—he wanted you to play this game with him again. You thanked him by giving him a meaningful look, because there was no way you could do this without some foreplay on his part.

“No,” you replied to him, slipping your arms around his shoulders before bringing him closer to you. You kissed him, this time fully, passionately, his tongue brushing yours the moment you asked for entrance. He moved his hand from your chin to your waist, the contact from his palms to your naked skin sent shivers down your spine, pushing you to moan in his mouth.

With one effortless movement, Mingyu lifted you from the bed like it was nothing. And thinking that he was going to pull you away from the mattress, you attempted to wrap your legs around him. But no, he placed your back on the bed again, pulling back from you to remove his black compression t-shirt.

The first thing your eyes fell upon was the big red hickey sitting on the base of his neck, very close to his left collarbone—the one you had made last night. And Mingyu was sporting it with pride, as though telling anyone who could see it that he was taken. Mingyu smiled, glancing at Wonwoo and then back at you.

“You could’ve waited at least till I got back home,” Mingyu said, and for a moment, you weren’t sure what he meant.

But then— “To be fair, this wasn’t my idea,” Wonwoo replied, the matter-of-fact tone he used making you move your head back to look at him. There was a light smirk on his face, the kind he used whenever he was pleased with something.

“Oh, is that right?” Mingyu asked, now lifting his eyebrows at you. Then, and very slowly, he placed one hand next to your head, and then the other, now bending over you. His gaze fell on your lips, and then travelled back to your eyes. “Who would’ve thought you would become so greedy,” he said, and it wasn’t a question.

Before you could even muster some kind of response, Mingyu closed the space between his face and yours by kissing your lips slowly. It was a featherlight kiss, one that was then followed by a second, then a third. “Does this greedy girl want more, hm?”

Greed. Mingyu was right. So right he was that it dawned on you that the shame you felt was born from the greed you were trying to ignore with cheap excuses and absurd lies. You were greedy. You loved them both.

They both loved you.

But finally, you were able to smile at that bitter truth. “Yes,” you mumbled sweetly. “I want you now, Mingyu.”

“Mmn,” he purred slowly, giving you more of those ghostly kisses. You turned your head as he made the trail down your neck, kissing each one of the lovebites he made. And once he got to kiss down your collarbones and your chest, you began to lose all clarity over the stuff that made you feel nervous initially.

“Gyu,” you whispered, his name barely making a sound as it escaped your lips. But you found yourself closing your eyes as his lips touched your skin, making it prickle. Then you were threading his soft hair with your fingers, following the movement of his head as he sank to your chest, kissing now your tits.

You blinked and opened your eyes, searching for the man sitting at the other end of the bed. Wonwoo was looking at you as he sat back and pressed his back against the headboard, determined to keep his eyes on the show. Instinctively, your mouth dropped open when Mingyu moved his hands to cup your tits, wrapping his hot mouth around one of your nipples and began to suckle.

Something inside you was sure that you had to be crazy—the reaction of your body was so strong, so vehement that there was no room for judgment. If there was something in your mind telling you to rationalize what you were doing, it was instantly shadowed by a shudder down your spine.

Mingyu was kissing your body while Wonwoo watched. Your skin was prickled, covered in goosebumps as Mingyu suckled one of your nipples, blinking slowly at you to lock his gaze with yours. He parted his mouth only to let the tip of his tongue glide around your areola. He looked like it was his life’s mission to pleasure you in that exact moment—his pupils were blown with lust, his dark hair messy from your fingers pulling on it, his lips reddened and glossy with his spit and yours.

And you were completely entranced now.

“Gyu. Please. Now,” you breathed, sounding all sorts of desperate. Whiny, needy.

At first, you weren’t sure he’d heard you at all. Because he continued kissing your body, his lips touching each and every single hickey he could find, as though reclaiming what was his.

A strangled sound escaped you when he nipped one of the lovebites with his teeth. It had your body responding on its own, heart skipping a beat, at the same time, a rush of heat sizzled under your skin. Mingyu heard the sound you made because he grazed your skin with his teeth a second time, and the feeling had your walls clenching around nothing, and your back arching instinctively.

Mingyu let out a breath against your skin, lifting his head to show you the smile painted on his face. “Fine. Don’t get all whiny,” he said with a playful tone, pulling his body back from yours.

You shot a quick look at Wonwoo. His gaze was still glued to your face. And if you didn’t know him, you would think that he’d grown bored—his expression flat and nearly hard to read. But you knew him well—you could see the slight glint in his eye as you looked back at him. Wonwoo was finally, finally getting what he wanted. And he was putting you to the test.

When you looked back at Mingyu, he was getting rid of his gym shorts. A thrill of excitement raced under your prickled skin at seeing him pushing his black boxers down. And once you saw him all gloriously naked, you couldn’t help but stare at his body; his beautifully tanned skin, his well-defined muscles…

Mingyu placed his hands on your thighs, caressing them briefly before wrenching them open for him. His gaze was trained on your face, and you knew that he was making sure that you were still in the room with both him and Wonwoo.

His gaze softened once he was certain, now letting his gaze roam all over your body. You knew you were a mess—you could feel it on your skin. And you wondered what you’d look like to them—skin covered in hickeys, hair messy, eyes darkened with pure lust and love.

“Gyu,” you pressed, trying to get him to do what you sorely needed.

Mingyu smiled, but didn’t avert his gaze from your body. You watched as he bit his bottom lip, a hand moving from your thigh to the top of your pussy. And then he slipped one finger between your folds, making you wince dramatically. “Are you sensitive?” he asked curiously, sinking the tip of his finger in your entrance.

You swallowed hard and nodded. “Very,” you added. And you knew just from the tingling feeling in your pussy alone that you were wet, swollen and red all over.

Without thinking, you glanced at Wonwoo again, shuddering hard when Mingyu slipped his finger inside you again, pushing the cum dripping out of your cunt. Wonwoo was now looking at what Mingyu was doing to you with his hand between your legs. And you could see now how arousing this was for both men—Wonwoo was completely hard again, his cock resting on his lower abdomen, leaning to one side a little.

“Do you think you can take me, baby?” Mingyu asked, his tone gentle and sweet.

“Yes. Please, Gyu. Now,” you urged.

You looked at Mingyu again, the sound of his smile calling your attention to him. He wrapped his hand around his cock, guiding it to your cunt and deciding to tease you a little bit more by gliding the tip down your slippery folds. You let out a moan as he nudged his cockhead in your entrance, and then he started to slip in.

Mingyu started pushing his cock in and out, grabbing your hips to keep you steady for him. And then, as though on command, you lifted your gaze and found Wonwoo. Something was written on both men’s faces, like a dark fascination that was focused solely on you.

You felt it—the change in the air in the bedroom as they shared one long, quiet look. And then you realized how idiotic you had been. You had tried to convince yourself that what you wanted was unrealistic, selfish. You had punished yourself for being unjust, for not picking the sane option.

But this wasn’t some math equation. You realized that Wonwoo hadn’t looked at you like some big puzzle he couldn’t find the pattern of.

And finally, finally, you understood that you didn’t have to split your heart. You found that your answer was to stop apologizing for how much love you had to give.

They both loved you.

You loved them both. 

☾ author's note: heeeeeeello

i took a long time updating this series. and i am writing this author's note to apologize for disappearing for such a long time.

the truth is, i'm tired. many things have been happening in my life that have slowed me down and continue to make me feel like i'm stuck in a rut. this past 6 months have been hell for me.

but it has been so so so nice to see you guys still engaging with my fics, and asking how i've been. truly, the only thing that keeps me coming back here is hearing from you guys, from the people that send asks and leave comments. i love you all, thank you for being in my writing corner! 😭🩵

i guess that's it from me for now, i'll be updating the other fics when i can!!

thank you for reading, seriously, guys. thank you 🫂🩵

toodles!

☆ STAY TUNED FOR PART XI! ☆ | PREVIOUS CHAPTERS | BUY ME A COFFEE ♡

Park Seonghwa.

A name hot on the lips of everyone in the underground. Notorious kingpin and ruthless negotiator of his own crime syndicate, Wonderland. His name holds more power, and elicits more reactions than a nuclear bomb. It is not a name you want to hear is chasing after you.

There is nothing he wouldn’t do to get what he wants. If anyone dares to stand in his way, their existence is wiped completely off of the map. Empires have risen and fallen in mere days thanks to his handy work, that staying on good terms with him often depends on his mood.

Cold. Emotionless. Calculating. Brutal in the most volatile of ways. Park Seonghwa is not a man to be reckoned with, nor is he to be taken lightly.

A man with many quirks, who has but one fatal flaw.

You.

Being the wife of such a notorious crime boss is not easy. The constant threat of being targeted by hunters, assassins, kidnappers, or even rival syndicates in attempts to gain an upper edge over your husband gets quite tiring. Not many have ever succeeded in hurting you, let alone killing you. No one ever will.

Not unless they wish to live another day.

Seonghwa has spared no expense in regards to your protection, selecting only the best of the best of his most trusted men to protect you. However, there is the issue in and of itself. They’re men. Humans. They can only offer you so much. He used to have an elite team of vampires guarding you, but they were bought over by a rival gang.

Shame. They were his second strongest team.

Humans, fickle as they are, can be compelled. Once a human is compelled, no other vampire can break that compulsion. Your guards are instructed to offer their lives before accepting a rival syndicates’ offer. 

Each man was hand picked by Seonghwa himself, training them with his own personal guard to defend against any other supernatural being that they might come into contact with. Guns are loaded with indestructible bullets, inscribed with his family’s signature crest. Bullets which can penetrate any raw material, and kill whatever creature they come into contact with.

Every now and then, Seonghwa will add one of his own personal guard to yours. A precaution to make sure the compelled men are doing their job, and that the compulsion hasn’t worn off. Those who cannot abide by the rules are dealt with. Should anyone so much as lay a finger on you, the kingpin himself has no issue chopping off each extremity one knuckle at a time.

Going after you is a fool’s errand. Only the bravest - or rather, stupidest - have ever tried. If even so much as a whisper of an attempt on your life, or your relationship with him, reaches his ears, he is quick to stop it dead in its tracks. Literally.

No one comes in between the two of you. Absolutely no one.

You are the apple of his eye. The only one he can truly be vulnerable with, and let his guard down. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for you. Anything you could ever want or desire, he will provide, no questions asked. Seonghwa worships the very ground you walk on. He worships you.

You are his, and he is yours. Nothing will ever change that fact.

Over the course of many years, the two of you have had many ups and downs. Learning about his true nature had been a bit of a rough patch, especially once you discovered what he is. However, one thing that has always remained strong is your trust in one another. Seonghwa would never hurt you. He would rather carve out his own heart than do anything that would warrant you being afraid of him. A fact which you knew was unquestionably true, especially once you saw just how much of a monster he could be.

A monster whom you love with all your heart, and who has entrusted you with his own.

Perhaps that’s why his organization has lasted so long. Instead of excluding you from his affairs, he revels in the fact that you are always more than ready and willing to help. Your ideas have saved him and his men more times than anyone outside of the organization will ever know. Because of this, you’ve butted heads with his inner circle more times than he can count, but it’s always with good reason.

Nothing makes him prouder than watching you put someone in their place, even if he’s one of those people sometimes.

Your importance spans far more than a simple marriage bond. Since you are one of the only known consistent women in his life, that’s all outsiders seem to focus on. Every nasty name, every type of derogatory comment, has been thrown your way by estranged men and women. Most attempt to push the two of you apart, hoping to drive a wedge between the two of you so they can topple his empire. They seem to mock you for being the ‘outsider’ in the group, not fitting in to the typical ‘escort’ ideal.

What they all seem to get wrong is that you are not a typical ‘escort’. You’re no ‘mistress’, either.

Well… other than the times you’ve brought Seonghwa to his knees, of course.

The other women you’ve occasionally bonded with inside of his syndicate either work undercover to gather intel for his men, or are one of their respective significant others. None of them dare to cross you, all of them treating you with the highest of respect. They all know what would happen should one decide to step out of line. The last, and only women to try was a fine example.

Unlike most of the shallow men that appear in this line of work, Seonghwa is very fond of your curves, and your height. In his eyes, you are the most beautiful, precious, perfect being to have ever walked the earth. Always, he is more than happy to remind you of that fact.

Most of the time, Seonghwa can barely keep his hands to himself. Whenever you’re around, he’s always got a hand placed so delicately against your lower back, or an arm around your waist or shoulders. If he’s feeling particularly frisky, he may pull you into his lap while discussing business plans, or casually cup your ass by sliding his hand into the back pocket of your jeans. That, or he’s making a point that you’re with him.

Seonghwa is a possessive man, and he wants the whole world to know that you’re his. Similarly, there is no being more prideful than him over the fact that he is yours. You belong to each other, and nothing will change that. Everyone should weep in envy at the fact that only he gets to touch you, and only you get to touch him.

The man can’t help it. Showing you off is one of his favourite pastimes. The whole world needs to know what they can never have. It’s become so prominent, you’ve had to start imposing a rule during the extremely important meetings to keep the touching to a minimum.

Of course, he usually toes the line between accidental caresses and handsy, but it’s not like you really mind. Despite his ruthless demeanour, Seonghwa would never truly force you into anything you didn’t want. Your comfort and safety is his top priority, and he would much rather you feel safe in his arms, than believe he could ever do anything to hurt you.

Everyone else, on the other hand…

Park Seonghwa is a man of few faces, but only you get the honour of knowing what he looks like when he’s in love.

“Where is she?” A sigh is breathed out through his nose as he sits at the grand dining table. You were supposed to join him fifteen minutes ago, but you’ve yet to arrive home. “It’s not like her to be late.”

Seonghwa begins to tap the tips of his fingers against the top of the grand mahogany table. The food is going to get colder with every minute you delay your arrival, and he never wants to serve you mediocre food. Besides, he’s supposed to be having a guest for dinner.

Dark eyes flit around the room, noting the silent guards stationed at the side of the room. Their faces are stoic, giving nothing away that would suggest they’re keeping things from him. 

Not that they could hide anything, even if they tried.

Seonghwa would have gotten his own personal guards to attend this meal, but the guest’s conditions upon meeting wouldn’t allow such a thing. Still, the man sitting behind the table is smart. Despite his reputation, many still underestimate how far he will go to maintain the upper hand. No one knows this house like him and his inner circle. Besides you, of course.

Stationed in strategic parts surrounding the dining room, his personal guards wait. Some are on patrol, but the ones that never miss are on immediate standby.

Letting out a sigh, Seonghwa thinks back on the last time he saw you. It had been this morning, he recalls, your conversation echoing through his head. The vampire had been admiring you openly from the comfort of your shared bed, nothing but silk sheets draped over his hips. His head rested against his open palm, elbow supporting himself as he fought off the desire pooling throughout his entire body. 

You were positively glowing beneath the light of the rising sun, his marks practically shining upon your skin. Even after an intense night of lovemaking, Seonghwa was still insatiable. How could he not be? You are everything he’s ever wanted in life; one look and he’s ready to fall apart. It didn’t help that the image of you from last night, fucked out and desperate, with tears of overstimulation in your eyes, kept flitting through his mind.

He nearly missed the fact that you told him all about your plans for today. 

You were going to visit a friend for lunch.

It’s been hours since then, and he hasn’t heard from you once.

“Sir,” A voice from off to his right draws his attention, and the subordinate recoils in fear at the sharp look sent his way. “The guests have arrived.”

Letting out an irritated sigh through his nose, Seonghwa leans back in his seat. A quick glance is spare to the empty high backed chair beside him which matches his own in every way. Two thrones. One for the King, and one for his Queen. Neither are supposed to be empty while the other sits in theirs.

He’s not used to this. He’s not used to not having you beside him.

Seonghwa purses his lips, giving the servant a curt nod in response. Looks like he’ll have to start without you.

The large double doors to the dining room are pushed open, a lone figure walking inside. Short, dark blond hair is slicked back, grease practically dripping off of the strands. An air of arrogance surrounds the tall man, every step echoing off of the marble walls. His head is held high, an expression of the utmost confidence painted across his features as his green eyes dance in amusement.

“Seonghwa! My man!” Arms are spread wide in greeting as the man comes to stand directly before the large dining table. His eyes scan the empty seat beside the kingpin, the corner of his lips twitching upwards. “I didn’t think you were one to dine alone.”

The doors fall shut with a definitive slam, the room suddenly appearing much darker beneath the dim lights.

“James.” Seonghwa blinks, a look of disinterest on his features. Reaching out, he takes his wine glass into his hand, swirling the contents lightly. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Did you forget about out meeting?” The man quirks a brow. “It seems your wife has.”

The wine glass stills in Seonghwa’s hand. The sharpest of glares that would make anyone crumble beneath its gaze is sent James’ way, a few of the guards stationed at the sides of the room straightening from the intensity.

“Watch your mouth.” A warning that is not to be taken lightly. “Unlike you, I don’t need to control every aspect of a woman’s life.”

Seonghwa schools his features back into a look of disinterest, sipping back the rest of his wine. He rests his now empty glass near the edge of the table, fingers delicately holding onto the stem. Two taps, and the server begins to move to refill his master’s glass.

“Such brave words coming from a man who should really be keeping tabs on that which he supposedly cares for most.”

A scowl paints itself onto Seonghwa’s features, grip tightening over his wine glass. The server sure seems to be taking his sweet ass time, and the man at the table is beginning to get impatient.

“Tell me, Park,” James hums, clasping his hands behind his back with an air of relaxed ease. “Do you know where your wife is tonight?”

Seonghwa’s lips purse into a thin line, a vein in his temple throbbing as he clenches his jaw.

“Wherever my wife may or may not be is none of your concern, James.”

The server finally steps up beside Seonghwa with a fresh bottle at the ready. Wordlessly, the kingpin raises his glass into the air, fingers delicately holding onto the base of the bowl. Wine immediately begins filling the crystal, turning what once was pure into a dark red.

“No, perhaps it’s not.” James simpers. The man begins to pace lightly in front of the notorious mobster, his nose lifted pointedly in the air. “But perhaps, it should be yours.”

The doors to the dining room begin to open, a scuffle apparent in the hallway beyond. A few shouts can be heard, loud curses followed by the prominent clicking of heels.

Unrivalled fury paints itself across Seonghwa’s features as he watches your figure, beaten and bloody, being shoved into the room at gunpoint. Your clothes are torn and dirty, clear lines cutting through the smeared blood on your face to make way for your tears.

The glass in his hand shatters into pieces.

Rivulets of red trickle down his skin, his chest rising and falling dramatically. There’s a sudden chill that fills the room, and James’ own wife who is pointing the gun at your head visibly shivers.

Maria may be a powerful witch, but even she knows not to provoke monsters.

“Some security detail you had.” James guffaws, shoulders shaking in laughter. “Military men? Humans at that? You were practically begging for someone to take out the trash.”

Slowly, James begins stalking towards you.

Maria takes a cautious step back as he approaches, uncertainty in her eyes. The gun in her hand feels heavy, and she has to bring the other up to help support it in order to stop herself from shaking.

“You know… I never understood what you saw in her.” He continues, tracing his hand over your shoulders as he circles around your back. “Weak. Pathetic. Ugly.”

James pauses right beside you, grabbing you harshly by the back of the neck. The way his nails dig unforgivingly into you causes a fresh trail of blood to begin dripping down your skin.

Wood begins splintering beneath Seonghwa’s grip as he digs his hands into the arms of his chair. Lips are curled over sharp fangs, but still, the kingpin does not move.

Not yet.

The timing isn’t quite right.

“You and I both know ‘wife’ is just a codename for ‘living blood bag.’” Stepping in behind you, James purposely rests his chin on your shoulder. He forces your head to the side as he inhales your neck, making you shudder in disgust. “I don’t blame you for harvesting one so plump. Fat makes for good insulation. They don’t break as easily, and their blood is still pretty decent if you leave them to marinate for a few days. Besides, a couple days without food could do this one some good.”

The way such a vile creature has the audacity to reach up at pat your plush cheek makes Seonghwa snap. Though, at this point, he is passed the point of dramatic, extreme violence. Right now, he is so furious, a searing sense of calm begins flooding his entire body.

A list is already being compiled within his mind of all the ways Seonghwa is going to torture this vampire for even daring to look at you. Items, even more deadly than the last, are added with each offence such filth bestows upon you. Right now, that list is up to twenty-four. And counting.

“About that territory I wanted… I figured we could celebrate a done deal by draining the fat bitch dry.” James drags a single finger along a fresh trail of blood that drips over your skin.

Your eyes squeeze shut, body trembling in disgust. The feeling of this wretched man’s hands on you makes your skin crawl. All you want is to rip his dick off and shove it so far up his ass his witch of a wife can taste it when she kisses him. Only, the gun pointed firmly at your head by said woman, along with the dangerous vampire quite literally at your throat prevents you from doing just that.

James’ each movement is slow. Precise. He makes sure to drag out this moment, bringing his finger up to his mouth to suck your blood from his skin. His eyes flash with glee as he meets the furious gaze of the kingpin before him, the corner of his lips quirking upwards.

“Mmmh… Not bad…” A smug expression rests over James’ face, seemingly humming to himself. Focussing on the male before him once more, he smirks. “So, what do you say, Park? Do we have a deal?”

Seonghwa takes a deep breath in through his nose, the sharp exhale being heard all the way across the room. A sound which causes each and every one of his subordinates to freeze. A white cloth quickly gets handed to him by the server, the younger man trembling in fear. No one wants to become unfortunate collateral simply by being present during one of the King’s fits of unbridled rage.

In one fluid movement, Seonghwa shakes out the cloth, beginning to dab at the dark red staining his white sleeve. Though he’s managed to control his expression, a hard look settles onto his features. There is no denying the pure, white hot fury blazing within his dark eyes.

“You come into our home,” Seonghwa’s voice is low, dangerous and steady. Slowly, he wipes off the splatter of red that covers the shoulder of his black waist coat. “Disrespect me. Disrespect, insult, and brutalize my wife. Repeatedly mock the way we conduct proper business, and then have the audacity to insist on using underhand methods to get what you want? From me? Me?”

Seonghwa clicks his tongue, halting all movement of his hand. Fingers dig unforgivingly into the cloth as he slowly begins shaking in rage, throwing the now stained fabric harshly on top of the table. The high backed chair he had been sitting in scrapes loudly against the marble as he suddenly stands to his feet.

For the first time in his life, Seonghwa allows his throne to fall to the floor.

“It doesn’t work like that, James.” Seonghwa sneers, his eyes flashings violently as black veins begin to trickle out over the skin of his cheeks. Cracks appear throughout the wood as he leans forward to slam his hands on the top of the table, every soul present jumping at the loud bangthat echoes throughout the room. “You have three seconds to rectify this misdeed before I make minced meat out of both you and that hag who has the unfortunate displeasure of calling you her mate.”

James’ wife glances at him out of the corner of her eyes. Fear is clear on her features, her hand holding the gun to your head faltering as she begins to shake.

Not even Maria’s magic can help them now.

“One.”

“James…” Uncertainty lingers in her tone, eyes darting between the two vampires in the room.

“Don’t listen to him, Doll,” James throws her a brief look before turning to sneer at the man bracing himself against the top of the table. “He’s bluffing.”

“I can assure you that those who thought the very same are more than six feet under by now.” Seonghwa rebuttals. “Two.”

“Maybe we should rethink-“

“Too late.” A malicious grin pulls at Seonghwa’s lips, his eyes crazed. “Three.”

A bullet whizzes through the room, striking James’ wife right between the eyes.

“Maria!” James can only watch in despair as her lifeless body falls to the floor with a loud thud. He rounds on the kingpin whom looks exceptionally pleased with himself, a large smile full of nothing but pure insanity stretched across his cursed lips. “You bastard! You’ll pay for this!”

James manages to pull out his own gun. The barrel barely touches your head before it’s shot right out of his hand. You manage to jump away, another bullet sinking into the man’s upper thigh and pushing him further from your form. The man immediately recoils in pain, grabbing his bleeding hand as his legs shake, barely able to support himself on his own two feet for much longer.

Slowly, Seonghwa walks out from behind the table. Each step is meticulous, echoing off of the cold marble as another bullet sinks into James’ left knee. The pathetic excuse of a vampire immediately goes tumbling to the ground, crying out in agony as his body contorts in response to his new wounds.

Blood spills over the once clean floor as James looks up at the man he attempted to blackmail.

“Oh, James… James, James, James.” Seonghwa tuts, shaking his head in disappointment as he crouches beside the male withering in agony. A harsh grip in his hair forces James to meet the mobsters unforgiving glare. “You should have known better than to try and pull something on me.”

Seonghwa throws James unceremoniously onto the floor before standing back to his full height. Nothing but the utmost disgust rests on his features, glaring down at the trembling vampire in pure malice. Fangs are bared in a silent, mocking snarling, Seonghwa using the tip of his loafer against James’ forehead to harshly push him backwards.

Wiping his hands on his front, the Wonderland leader is quick to straighten out his waistcoat.

“I’m going to enjoy destroying you.” Seonghwa’s voice is nothing but a calm timbre as he looks down upon his prey. That familiar malicious grin tugs at Seonghwa’s features, and James finally understands what it means to make a deal with the devil. “Count yourself lucky that I have much more important matters to attend to right now.”

Without sparing another glance at the vampire slowly bleeding out in his dining room, Seonghwa turns his back towards the dying man. The click of his shoes echo throughout the dining room, each step seeming to mock his enemy. 

Both Yunho and Jongho have appeared by now, each male standing on either side of you. Their eyes are hard, glaring at the man on the floor for even daring to touch Seonghwa’s Queen.

James can only watch on as Seonghwa wraps his arm securely around your waist, leading you through a separate set of doors. Yunho and Jongho, the most notorious for their brutal interrogation and torture tactics, begin stalking towards their newest prey.

The last thing you see of the vampire that kidnapped you is a look of terrified realization painting his features as the two others close in on him.

Once the door to the hallway you now find yourself in is shut, you let out a small breath of relief. Seonghwa’s touch is nothing short of comforting as he keeps his hand placed on the small of your back, guiding you gently towards your private quarters. You can feel the way his fingers tremble against your skin; the only indication of his true emotions throughout this entire situation.

“A bath has already been drawn. Towels, as well as the proper medical supplies have been laid out for you both.” One of the head servants quickly falls into step just behind the two of you. “Mingi and Yeosang have been stationed at the first check point. Wooyoung and Hongjoong have taken the liberty to stand post outside your bed chambers. One in the hall, the other on the balcony. San will remain on watch with both Chris and Minho on the roof.”

A gruff nod is all Seonghwa gives in response, not allowing for even a hint of emotion except for displeased anger to appear on his features.

“I want to know who let that bastard so much as even look at my wife. Get the names of everyone who allowed this to happen immediately. Gouge their eyes out. Cut off their tongues. Then, feed them their severed fingers one by one.” There is no room for argument in Seonghwa’s tone, his gaze fixated on the hallway in front of you. “Do not stop until they are found, and properly disposed of. You all know the consequences. It’s time to deliver them.”

“Yes, sir.” The servant nods once firmly in understanding, swiftly turning on their heel to relay the message to the Hounds.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Seonghwa pauses just before the door to your shared quarters, turning to glance back at the servant from over his shoulder. “Tell San: ‘nice shots.’”

Another verbal confirmation is given before the servant is running off, leaving the two of you alone for the time being. Not even a moment later, Seonghwa is quick to shove through the door of your bedroom. He guides you gently inside before making extra sure all of the locks are all sliding into place. All of the curtains are drawn, the soft glow of the lamps soon flickering to life.

A breath of relief escapes you as you walk a bit further into your private quarters. Finally, you allow yourself to relax, knowing you’re now completely safe. One hand comes up to rub your shoulder, rolling it lightly beneath your touch as a dull ache begins to throb just beneath your skin.

“Well, today has been a day,” You huff, exhaling a low sigh through your nose. “I-“

Turning back to face Seonghwa, the rest of your words catch in your throat.

Never before have you seen your husband like this. Never, in all of the years that you’ve been together, have you seen him look this vulnerable. This scared.

Tears stream silently down his face, his lips parted slightly. He stands frozen to his spot like a statue, none of that familiar warmth he usually holds for you in his dark eyes. Instead, a complete look of devastation pulls at his every feature, his breathing shallow, and broken.

In a few steps, he closes the short distance between your two bodies. Trembling hands come up to cradle your face, fingers pressing lightly into the skin of your cheeks. His gaze flits everywhere over your beaten and bloody features, tracing over the largest cut he can see resting just above your eyebrow.

“I thought I was going to lose you.” Another tear slides down his cheek, his throat working as a plethora of emotions flash across his features. “Darling, I’m so-“

“Don’t do that to yourself, Hwa.” Your hands come up to gently rest on top of his own. “I wasn’t worried. I knew My Star would save me.”

Slowly, thanks to the comfort of your touch, his hands stop trembling.

“How can you be so calm right now?” His gaze searches your face, holding onto you a little tighter. “You could have died! I could have-”

His throat works, the mere idea too unbearable to even conceive.

He didn’t lose you. He can never lose you.

“Because I trust you, My Love.” You offer him a soft smile. “I have faith in my husband, even when he doesn’t have faith in himself. I know he’ll always protect me. A few scrapes and bruises here and there are nothing compared to the scars that line his body just so that he can keep me safe.”

“I will gladly bleed for you if it meant you never getting into harm’s way. Ever.” Tilting his head forward, he rests his forehead against your own.

“I know, Hwa,” A loving smile tugs onto your features. “A mosquito can’t bite me without incurring your wrath.”

“Because nothing deserves to touch you except me.” He lowers his voice, taking on a slight gravelly edge as he stares deeply into your eyes. One hand comes down to slip around your waist, pulling you closer as his touch settles against your lower back. After a moment, he adds a bit more lightheartedly, “And those you approve of. Clothes are walking a thin line, though.” At your quirked brow, he’s quick to remind you, “Don’t worry, My Love. I haven’t forgotten your lecture about respecting your mind and body, along with your autonomy. I will always respect you.”

“There he is.” A giggle escapes you, your eyes crinkling in joy. “There’s the man I always fall deeper in love with. Every. Single. Day.”

Seonghwa leans forward, nudging his nose so tenderly against your own. “I strive to always be the only love in your life, just as you are mine.”

“You are, My Love,” A soft hum escapes you, tilting your head slightly to peck his lips. “You’re my one and only.”

You barely have time to blink before Seonghwa is pressing his lips against yours. Both of his hands slide around your back, digging his fingers into your skin and pulling you flush against himself. His tongue traces your bottom lip, begging for entrance. You eagerly grant it to him, hearing a content hum escape him as you tangle your fingers in his hair.

“My Glorious Queen,” He growls against your lips. “Always, you will be mine.”

“Yours, My King,” A pleased sigh is breathed against him.

“Come,” Seonghwa pulls away from you, guiding you towards the ensuite with an arm wrapped securely around your waist. “Let me wash that vile creature from your skin.”

“Please.”

Eagerly, you both enter the bathroom to see the large tub steaming with fresh water. Bubbles lightly float against the opaque surface, a pink hue to the contents as the scent of cherry blossoms float through the air. Perched on a small podium resides a med-kit. Two large, fluffy towels rest off to the side. One with his personal crest embroidered into the fabric, the other with yours.

Grabbing a small hand towel from the vanity, Seonghwa is quick to wet the material. Turning back to face you, he begins gently washing the dried blood and dirt from your face. It only takes him a few minutes to do so, discarding of the towel and turning you both towards the tub.

A large sigh is breathed through your nose, shoulders drooping ever so slightly.

“Is something wrong, My Love?”  Seonghwa steps in behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist. Soft kisses are placed along the skin of your neck, nuzzling his face into you gently.

“No.” Lightly, you shake your head. “I’d just prefer to shower than to sit in the tub, is all. I feel bad for letting such a luxury go to waste.”

“Nothing is too much for you, Darling,” A tender kiss is placed above your pulse before the sound of the water draining from the tub greets your ears.

You barely even felt him move.

“You spoil me.” An affectionate gleam shines within your eyes, the corners of your lips quirking upwards slightly.

“As I should.” Another gentle nuzzle is given into the side of your neck, Seonghwa gently turning you both to face the mirror. “You deserve nothing but the best. If I can’t spoil you, then what kind of husband am I?”

“Mine.” Your hand comes up to settle gently against his arms still wrapped around your waist.

A pleasant hum sounds from behind you.

“I can accept that.” Seonghwa tightens his grip around you. “What I can’t accept is you smelling like another man, especially while hurt. Here I am, promising to always take care of you, and I haven’t even healed any of your injuries yet.”

“They’re not that bad-“

“Bullshit.” The way his lips curl over his fangs can be seen in the reflection of the mirror before you. “Anything that dares to mar your beautiful skin, other than my own claims, will not live to survive another day.”

His one arm holds you firmly in place as he brings his opposite wrist up to his mouth. With one sharp bite, blood begins to drip from his skin, bringing the fresh wound to your lips.

“Drink.”

Immediately, you do as told.

The smooth liquid slides over your tongue and down your throat, a sweet taste flooding your mouth with every gulp. You’ve drank from him quite a few times before, but that still never prepares you for the sensation of his blood overtaking your every sense. Your vision sharpens, scents and sounds becoming that much clearer the more you drink. It’s addicting, and no one knows this fact more than him.

Seonghwa’s eyes flutter shut. The feeling of you suckling at his wrist causes a thrill of pleasure to surge through his entire being. Every time he feels your lips on his skin, his soul comes alive. The intimacy alone of sharing such an important life source with each other has always meant more to him than he could ever describe. Though, he wishes the circumstances were a bit more pleasant.

Blood is addictive. He should know. Yours is the most fulfilling, deliciously divine taste he’s ever had the pleasure to sample. Other than the nectar that flows from between your legs, of course.

Seonghwa can never get enough of you, not that he’d ever want to. The only thing more satisfying to him than calling you his is the fact that only he gets to touch you. Only he gets to experience every glorious instance with you. Others may look, but they can never have you.

The mere image of that thing having touched you… having hurt you, makes his blood boil. The fact that someone actually got close enough to do so has him already formulating a new plan for your protection.

You are now hardly ever to leave his side, two or more of his own personal guard with you at all times. No exceptions. Seonghwa can never let something like this happen again.

Time for him to restate his claim.

Slowly, Seonghwa begins stripping you of your clothing. The more he removes, the more eager he becomes, nearly tearing the fabric at the seams to expose more of your naked body to him. The small cuts that litter your skin begin to close, and he watches in smug satisfaction as his blood heals you in real time. His fingers trace over every inch of your bare skin that he can reach, admiring how your scents begin to intermingle the more you drink.

As it should be. He should always be covered in you, and you should always be covered in him.

Finally, you part from him with a gasp, some of his blood clinging to the corners of your lips. Eagerly, your tongue darts out to catch those lingering drops, humming contently at the taste. The way he watches your eyes hood over in the mirror as you stand naked in front of him has another pleased rumble shaking his chest.

“Allow me to replace such abhorrent marks with beautiful ones of my own.”

“I look forward to it, My King.” You coo, tilting your head slightly to nuzzle against his own.

Another pleased hum fills the air, a playful nip being given over your jawline.

Slowly, reluctantly, Seonghwa lets you slip out of his arms. Dark eyes flash, a low growl echoing throughout the room as he watches your naked form slip into the shower. Most, if not all of your previous injuries have already healed, pride swirling within his chest at how well he can care for you.

The sound of running water soon fills his ears, steam beginning to fill the bathroom as he strips himself of his ruined clothes. Your eyes follow his every movement through the glass, drinking in the way his skin slowly reveals itself to you. He knows you’re watching him. You can tell from the way he faces towards you, each movement purposeful as he slides off his waistcoat, loosening his tie in the next second. Once he’s slide the thin material from around his neck, he tosses it to the floor in one fluid movement. 

Slowly, Seonghwa begins unbuttoning his white shirt, red splatters staining the material.

Water flows over your skin, the heat helping to wash away the dried blood and dirt clinging to your body. It helps to relax your tight muscles, letting out a soft sigh in content. Your tongue comes out to wet your lips, watching as your husband pops the button of his slacks, kicking off his shoes and making short work of the rest of his clothing. He takes his time to run his fingers through his long, bleached hair, the strands having come loose from his sleek, slicked back appearance due to your previous ministrations.

A smug look pulls at his features, lips tugging upwards in the corner as he begins stalking towards you. Each movement is slow, stepping inside the large shower and closing the glass door behind him purposefully. Those dark eyes of his drink in every inch of your naked body, shamelessly trailing over every dip and curve that he can see.

The tattoo he can see resting proudly over the side of your ribcage has that familiar sense of pride swirling within his chest. A tattoo which matches his own.

Seonghwa licks his lips.

“Allow me to cleanse you, My Queen,” Lowly, his voice rumbles out, closing the distance between the both of you in a few steps.

Your hands settle onto his shoulders as he slips his one arm around your waist. A soft inhale escapes you as he pulls you flush against his chest, never once breaking eye contact. Gently, he brings the fingers of his free hand up to cradle your chin, leaning in to press his lips against your own.

The kiss is nothing more than a brief, loving display of affection, Seonghwa parting from you after a moment. Only, he doesn’t step away. Instead, he tilts his forehead to rest against your own, his touch disappearing from beneath your chin. 

Without so much as turning his gaze away, he reaches for the fresh washcloth that always hangs just off to the side.

The arm he has wrapped around your waist begins to slide downwards as he wets the cloth, a firm squeeze being given to your ass. The small peep of surprise you let out makes him smirk, beginning to massage your flesh so tenderly in his hand. A pleased growl escapes him as your body jerks forward, pressing yourself even firmer against his own.

Seonghwa is meticulous as he lathers the cloth with his own body wash, soon beginning to drag the material over your skin. Slowly.

Your eyes flutter as nothing but both his scent, and his touch, surrounds you. You’ve always loved his soap, the deep musk making your head spin. 

A fact of which he knows, for he only started wearing it for you.

Anything and everything to make you fall for him. To make you his. Once Park Seonghwa sets his sights on something, he will not stop until he gets exactly what he wants. Seonghwa wanted you, - he needed you - and you are exactly what he got.

Each touch is soft, starting at your shoulders and making his way down your body. Not once does he break eye contact with you, having spent countless of hours mapping out every beautiful dip and curve beneath his fingertips. 

Seonghwa knows your body like the back of his hand. He knows exactly where to touch to elicit certain reactions, and he takes full advantage of such knowledge now.

The cloth is dragged so lovingly over your back, his opposite hand giving your ass another appreciative squeeze before sliding up your spine.

The way you shiver beneath his touch makes him smirk.

Slowly, Seonghwa brings the cloth back upwards, teasing over your shoulders before lifting your one hand with his own. Wordlessly, he intertwines your fingers together, dragging the cloth over your arm. Switching hands, he’s quick to repeat the same actions on the opposite side, letting you feel his love for you, his desire, in every touch.

Still, he does not dare to tear his gaze from yours.

Your breathing deepens, heart fluttering inside of your chest. From the way his eyes shine, you can tell that he can hear every reaction his ministrations cause your body to make. The way your nails dig slightly into the skin of his shoulders once you place your hands back onto him says it all.

Tracing the cloth back up your arm, Seonghwa swipes it gently over your upper chest. His own breathing deepens as he slides his touch down to cup your breast, his free hand coming up to cup the other. A firm, appreciative squeeze is given to both, a low moan falling from his parted lips.

For a brief moment, his gaze flicks downwards. Using his thumb and forefinger on his one hand, he gently tweaks at your nipple. The other brushes over your opposite breast, lathering the soap over your skin while his thumb teases over your opposite nipple through the cloth.

A soft, pleased hum escapes you, lashes fluttering as you revel in his touch. You cannot help but arch into him, his hands burning paths of pleasure across your skin. 

Water continues to softly cascade down your body, washing the soap away shortly after coming into contact with your flesh. No part of you goes untouched, Seonghwa making sure he cleanses your body thoroughly. He doesn’t want there to be any reminders left from what happened earlier in the day. Right now, all that should cover you is him.

Slowly, Seonghwa sinks to his knees.

A halo of kisses are placed over your stomach, soft moans breathed against your skin. Those dark eyes of his glance up at you periodically, lashes fluttering after each press of his lips against you.

Your husband can never get enough of you. Right now, he wants even more.

“I can never get over how euphoric touching you is, My Love,” Another wet, open mouthed kiss is pressed against your stomach. “Fuck- I love your body… So perfect… So soft…” A blissful sigh is breathed over your skin. “Love making you shake in ecstasy, claiming you for the whole world to see…”

Your breath hitches softly as both of his hands come around to cup your ass, squeezing your flesh so delicately.

A pleased hum rumbles from deep within his chest, devolving into a low chuckle.

“See?” Fangs nip lovingly at your skin, Seonghwa dragging the cloth over the curve your ass. Occasionally, he’ll give you another appreciative squeeze, nuzzling almost possessively into your stomach. “How could I ever want to stop touching you? Your body knows who it belongs to… Who you belong to… Isn’t that right, My Love?”

Seonghwa peeks up at you from on his knees. His eyes are dark and dangerous, a predatory look swirling deep within his gaze. There’s no room for argument in his tone, the cloth getting tossed to the side as his touch returns to your skin, gripping at your thighs tightly.

A thrill rushes through your body, clenching lightly around nothing as he stares up at you. You know that look all too well, your hands automatically reaching out to begin combing your fingers through his damp hair.

Only, it seems as if Seonghwa doesn’t appreciate your prolonged silence.

“I asked you a question, My Love,” A low, warning growl builds in his throat. 

Suddenly, you find that he’s turned you so that your back is pressed against the cool tiles of the shower wall. His fingers sink almost unforgivingly into your plush flush, dragging the nails of his one hand down your skin and hoisting your thigh over his shoulder. 

“Tell me who you belong to.” Lips curl over fangs, black veins crackling over the skin of his cheeks. “Come on, Pretty Girl. I need to hear you say it.”

The sight alone causes your heart to flutter, breath hitching slightly as you stare down at him.

“I’m yours, My Star,” You coo, continuing to thread your fingers through his hair. “I belong to you. Everything I am, everything I was or am sure to be, is yours.”

The feral snarl that reverberates against the tiles of the shower sends pleasure flooding through your veins. Dark, ravenous eyes stare up at you, irises bleeding red as white sclera shift into the deepest of voids. Seonghwa’s lips curl upwards, pulling back to expose his fangs as he slides his hands over your sides.

“Good Girl.” A sharp nip is given to your inner thigh, a small trail of blood beginning to drip down your skin. One which he is more than eager to trace with his tongue.

A thrill rushes through you, loving the deep growl that lines his voice. A tone you know all too well, affection lingering beneath every syllable.

Your fingers tighten in his hair, pausing all movements as you yank his head back so he’s forced to look up at you. The same dark look that he wears is reflected on your own features, grinning as you hear a guttural groan part his plush lips.

“And who is it that worships the very ground I walk on? Who belongs to me? Who is it that will only ever belong to me?” 

The intensity in your eyes makes him shiver, his cock twitching against his thigh. Already, precome leaks from the tip, his heart beating alongside your own. He holds onto you tighter, digging his fingers into your soft thighs as a desperate moan escapes him.

“I will only ever belong to you, My Love.” Seonghwa rasps, beginning to trail wet, open mouthed kisses up the skin of your inner thigh. “I’m yours. I always have been, and I always will be.”

“That’s right, My King,” You hum, a sultry grin tugging at your lips. “You’re mine.”

“Forevermore, My Queen,” His eyes flash, nosing closer towards the apex of your thighs. “Fuck- you smell incredible… Need to make sure you always smell like me, so everyone knows who you belong to. No one- No-fucking-one is ever going to take you away from me again.”

With those words, Seonghwa slips his hands back around to your ass, burying his face into your cunt. 

A pleased growl escapes him as his nose slips between your folds, fingers sinking unforgivingly into the plump flesh of your ass. He pulls you even closer, nuzzling against you before teasingly swirling his tongue around your entrance. The tip of his nose bumps against your clit, his lips laving over your cunt before suckling harshly at your folds.

You toss your head back against the wall, fingers immediately tangling in his hair. The way you pull him in closer to you makes him moan against your core, his hot breath making your head spin as he traces his tongue over your slit. Soft pants fall from your lips as he places sloppy, wet kisses all over your cunt, making sure no part of you goes untouched.

Slowly, he dips his tongue between your folds, holding your gaze as he licks a firm strip up from your entrance to your clit. The tip of his tongue immediately begins flicking rapidly over that pert little bud before his lips are wrapping around it, suckling eagerly at that sensitive little bundle of nerves.

The way you keen against him makes him smirk, a pleased hum rumbling from within his chest.

Each movement is messy. For the moment, Seonghwa is more focussed on covering his face in the wetness that drips from your cunt. He wants to smell like you, to bathe himself in your scent as he covers you in his. He needs it. Especially after seeing such a vile creature dare to lay their filthy hands on you.

Another firm squeeze is given to your ass, Seonghwa pulling you even closer against his lips. Those dark, ravenous eyes of his drink in each and every expression you offer him, desperate for more. Eagerly, he traces his tongue over every inch of your pussy, beginning to thrust it as deep as he can within you.

Soft pants and stuttering moans escape your parted lips. Nothing but absolute pleasure floods your veins, skin tingling everywhere he touches. The fingers you have tangled in his hair pull him in even closer, beginning to grind lightly against his lips as he desperately thrusts his tongue into your weeping entrance.

“Oh, fuck- just like that, Hwa- Oh!” Your lashes flutter, beginning to feel that familiar pressure building within your lower abdomen. “Don’t fucking stop!”

A snarl of agreement reverberates against your cunt, Seonghwa pressing himself even firmer into you. The tip of his nose bumps continuously over your clit, jolts of pleasure sending shockwaves throughout your entire body as your moans begin to rise in pitch.

“Fuck- make me come, My Star,” You pant out, staring down at him through hooded eyes. “Make me drip all over your pretty face.”

“With pleasure…” 

The words are growled against your core, Seonghwa immediately shaking his head back and forth. His fingers dig unforgivingly into the skin of your ass, swirling his tongue inside of you as his nose presses firmly against your clit. The tip of his tongue soon focusses on tracing along the top of your inner walls, thrusting desperately as he moans into you.

With one final nudge over your clit, your eyes are fluttering shut. Your orgasm washes over you like a wave upon the shore, body thrumming in ecstasy as you arch from the wall. Lightly, your thighs shake, Seonghwa not relenting for even one second as he prolongs your pleasure for as long as he possibly can.

Though, you know that this is far from over. After all, he’s only just begun.

Just as with every other time when he’s eaten you out, Seonghwa does not stop here. In fact, he only redoubles his efforts over you. Black veins pulse over his cheeks as he laves his tongue over the entirety of your cunt, making sure no drop goes to waste. 

He needs all of you. He craves it, like the very air you need to breathe.

Lips wrap around your sensitive clit, suckling eagerly at that pert bud as he balances you against the wall. One hand slides down from your ass, two fingers spreading you open to give him unrestricted access to your weeping cunt. Not even a moment later, he flattens his tongue, rubbing it in firm circles over your clit.

“Oh- Fuck!” Your eyes roll, heavy pants escaping you as you’ve barely had time to recover from your previous orgasm. Pleasure pools in your core, clenching hard around nothing as Seonghwa focusses all of his attention on your clit. “Hah- Hah- My Love- Oh!”

“More.” The firm command is growled against your throbbing clit. “Give me more.”

The lewd, wet sounds that fill the air make your head spin, Seonghwa shameless as he traces his tongue over every inch of your cunt. Pleased hum and deep moans escape him, bringing the tip back up to circle so tenderly over your clit before suckling that pert bud between his lips.

“Seonghwa…” His name is but a pleasant sigh from your lips, eyes hooding over as you stare down at your husband feasting on your cunt so ravenously. “My Love…”

“Come for me,” Those sharp eyes of his glance up at you, sucking your clit firmly between his lips. “Soak my face, Beloved. Bathe me in your sweet nectar and claim what rightfully belongs to you.”

His words have your eyes rolling to the back of your head, body shaking as with one final flick over your clit, your orgasm crashes into you. Loud moans and high pitched whines escape you, head spinning as he supports you against the wall. Nothing but pure euphoria floods your veins, chest rising and falling dramatically as heavy pants fall from your lips with every breath.

“Mmmh, that’s it, My Queen,” Seonghwa hums, chuckling lowly. Tender kisses are placed over your swollen clit, smirking against your core with every twitch he feels against his lips. “So fucking beautiful…”

This time, he slows his pace.

Soft, wet kisses are trailed over the skin of your inner thigh, his fangs nibbling at your flesh. Occasionally, he grazes you enough to cause blood to swell on the surface, his tongue quick to lap up each drop. The fingers he had been using to keep you spread open trace over the edges of your cunt, dipping down to tease lightly at your entrance.

A soft moan tumbles from your lips as you feel him push the tips of his fingers inside of you, only to remove them in the next second.

“Seonghwa-“

The desperate whine of his name gets caught in your throat, which is simply music to his ears.

“What’s that?” He hums, continuing to tease at your entrance by dipping his fingers into you gently. Only, he never pushes them more than a knuckle deep, pulling them out to trace the tips so lovingly over your folds. “Does My Pretty Girl want to come again?”

Lightly, you squirm in his hold, whimpering as you stare down at him.

“Needy girl,” Seonghwa chuckles, slowly kissing his way back up your thigh.

The one leg you still have supporting yourself on the ground begins to shake. 

“Please-“  Your voice catches, hips jerking forwards in an attempt to push his fingers deeper inside of you.

“Does My Love want me to devour her pretty pussy?” A tender nuzzle is given against the skin of your inner thigh. “Will she not be satiated unless I make her squirt all over my face? Will she not be satisfied until I make her mine?”

“Fuck- Seonghwa-“ Your fingers tighten in his hair, forcing his gaze to yours as you tilt his head upwards. Something within your eyes flash, clenching hard enough around nothing to cause yourself to begin leaking prominently over your thighs. “Make me yours. Right. Fucking. Now. I need you…“

In the blink of an eye, Seonghwa has stood back to his feet. Both of your legs are wrapped around his waist as he pins you against the wall, fingers digging harshly into the skin of your thighs. Not even a moment later, he slides his touch upwards, grabbing handfuls of your ass and squeezing at your flesh.

There is nowhere for you to go. Nowhere to run or hide, for you will forever be trapped in his embrace. Seonghwa has made damn sure of that.

Not that you’d ever want to leave him…

The tip of his hard cock nudges at your dripping entrance, slipping between your folds as he pushes as close to you as possible. Each breath is but a low snarl upon his lips, black veins crackling over his cheeks. The look in his eyes is downright predatory, fangs on full display as he stares you down.

“You’re mine.”

With those words, Seonghwa buries himself deep inside of you. He doesn’t give you any time to adjust, creating a brutal pace as he snaps his hips against your own.

A choked moan parts your lips, eyes rolling slightly as you cling to him. Your nails scratch down his back, each growl he breathes out going straight to your core as you clench tightly around his cock. The familiar stretch of him sinking into your core makes your head spin, pulling him in even closer.

“Fuckin’ perfect, Darling,” Seonghwa breathes, his forehead pressed against your own. Those dark eyes of his stare intensely into yours, fingers digging into your ass as he snaps his hips into you. “Your pretty pussy always sucks me in so well. My Pretty Girl is always ready to bounce on my cock, isn’t she? So wet… So tight.”

“It’s because I was made for you, My Star,” You exhale shakily, lashes fluttering as your tongue darts out over your lips. “You always fill me so well, My Love. Feels incredible having you buried inside of me. I can’t help but feel empty without you.”

“It’s because I was made for you, Darling,” The words are a mere rasp on his lips, slowing his movements only briefly in order to circle his hips so lovingly against your own. The way you keen against him makes him smirk, a pleased rumble shaking his chest. “Feel that? Feel how perfectly your pussy moulds around my cock? I never wish to part from you, My Love. You own my heart, and I never want it back.”

“Seonghwa-“ A soft whine escapes you as a sharp thrust is given into you. The wet squelch you can hear each time he buries himself deep inside of you makes you clench, pleasure thrumming throughout your veins. 

The tip of his cock presses so tenderly against that special spot inside of you, Seonghwa having mapped out every inch of your body multiple times. His only desire right now is to please you. As is his every desire. Your pleasure is his pleasure, and feeling you drip all over his cock while screaming his name is ecstasy of the highest order.

“You can never escape me, Beloved,” A sharp nip is given to your ear as he leans into you, his voice but a low rumble on his lips. “The moment you let me slip that ring on your finger, you became mine. If you ever even attempt to leave me, if anyone so much as dares to take you away again, I will chase you to the very ends of the earth. You’re mine.” Another sharp thrust is given into you, emphasizing his every word. “You belong to me, just as I belong to you. There is no one else. There will never be anyone else. I’m yours, and you’re mine. Until the very end.”

“All yours, Seonghwa,” You sigh, purposely squeezing around his cock. The way he grinds himself so lovingly into you makes you hum. “Always, I am yours, just as you will forever be mine.”

“That’s right, Pretty Girl,” A pleased chuckle rumbles from deep within his chest. “We belong to each other. Forevermore.”

Shifting your hand upwards, your fingers tangle in his hair. In one quick move, you guide his lips to yours, kissing him desperately as he begins rolling his hips so sensually into your own. Each thrust fills your cunt with every inch of his cock, his tongue eagerly exploring your mouth as you part for him.

The change in pace makes your head spin, pleasure pooling within your core as you drip all over his cock.

Soft whines and gentle moans are breathed into each other’s mouths, hands desperately gripping at each other’s bodies. You hook your ankles behind his back, thighs tensing as you pull him in closer.

The way your body presses flush against his own, every glorious curve of yours being felt against his skin, makes him moan. To him, there’s no other feeling quite like it. Your body sets his own on fire, soul coming alight with every touch.

“I fucking love you, My Queen,” Seonghwa mumbles against your lips, nipping lightly at your skin.

A soft moan tumbles from you lips, clenching hard around him as he thrusts sharply into you.

“As I love you, My One and Only King.”

Pleased rumbles fill the air, a deep moan of your name being breathed out by the vampire before you. He holds onto you so tightly, as if you may disappear at any moment. Desperate, deprived, and possessive. Only you can make him this way.

Though his pace has slowed, each tender thrust into you is firm. Seonghwa makes sure to fill you with every inch of his cock, loving how your warmth flutters around him each time. The way you drip over his balls and onto his thighs makes his head spin, swallowing all of your melodic whimpers and whines as he kisses you deeply.

“Seonghwa-“ You gasp into his mouth at one particularly hard thrust. When he immediately grinds his hips into you, the tip of his cock pressing so delicately against that special spot, your eyes roll slightly. “Right fucking there, My King- Oh!“

A pleased hum echoes around you, another sharp thrust given into you. His cock is angled perfectly to hit that spot, pride rumbling within his chest as he listens to the way your breath catches in your throat..

“Oh-“ Your walls clench tightly around him, digging your nails harshly into the skin of his back. “Claim me, My Love. Fucking mark your territory so no one dares to take me away from you again.”

The deepest of snarls you’ve ever heard him emit fills your ears, echoing around the tiles of the bathroom.

In the blink of an eye, you find yourself pinned beneath him on your bed. Water drips from both of your bodies into the sheets, wet strands of his silver blond hair clinging to his skin. Each strand accents his features, serving as nothing more than a bright halo beautifully framing his face.

“With the utmost of pleasure, My Queen.” 

The deep snarl that lines his every word is the most feral you’ve ever heard him get. It goes straight to your core, clenching hard around him as he begins that brutal pace once more. Tingles erupt over your skin, surrendering yourself completely to the pleasure he provides.

“Not gonna fucking stop until you’ve creamed all over this cock, Beloved. Gonna fill you so fuckin’ full of my seed, I’m gonna be dripping out of your precious cunt for weeks.” His hands grip your wrists tightly, pinning your arms above your head as he thrusts relentlessly into you. The way your body shakes, tits bouncing with every snap of his hips into your own makes nothing but love, lust, and pride swell within his chest. “Gonna let the whole world know who you belong to, and who belongs to you. There won’t be a living soul in this universe that will ever touch you again, besides me. They won’t dare. You’re mine. Do you hear me? Mine!”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Tears of pleasure begin flooding your vision as that familiar pressure builds rapidly within you. You can barely keep your eyes open to stare into his captivating gaze, harsh pants and high pitched whines escaping your lips with every desperate thrust he gives into you. “I’m yours, Seonghwa! All yours! Always and forever, My Star! Make me yours so I can make you mine!”

Another feral snarl greets your ears, his lips immediately finding your own. His kiss is nothing but desperate, tongue slipping into your mouth as he moans into the kiss.

In one swift movement, Seonghwa shifts to hold both of your wrists above you with his one hand. The other drags lovingly over your body, tracing over every curve delicately. His fingertips tease at your skin, continuing to slide his touch everywhere over your body. A tender caress is given over your stomach, the soft touch contrasting the animalistic way he fucks into you. 

With one final squeeze to your stomach, he drags his hand further downwards, thumb finding your clit and beginning to rub in small circles.

“Oh!” Your back arches from the bed, eyes fluttering closed as your whole body begins to shake. Your thighs tremble around his waist, squeezing so tightly around his cock as that pressure within you gets close to snapping. You do your best to hold back your impending orgasm for as long as you can, needing to feel him filling you full of his come before you can even think of letting yourself go. “Seonghwa- My King! Please-“

“Come for me, Darling.” There is no room for argument, his words but a command on his lips. Wet, sloppy kisses are placed against the skin of your pulse as he buries his face into the side of your neck. “Fucking flood my cock with your love. I want to hear you scream.”

With one final flick over your clit, your body obeys his every command. What serves to make the feeling all the more intense is when you feel him bite into the side of your neck, his fangs sinking into your soft flesh and drinking his fill of your blood.

A scream of his name tears from your throat, eyes rolling into the back of your head as your squirt all over his cock. You keen from the bed, whole body trembling violently as you feel him pin your hips to the mattress with his own. Spurt after spurt of come escapes him as he fills you to the brim, your walls fluttering around his cock as your combined releases begin to leak out of your core.

Heavy pants escape you, nothing but whines falling from your lips. The intensity of your orgasm washes over you, suspended in a pool of bliss as you feel Seonghwa press himself completely against you. Not an inch of your body goes untouched by him, releasing his hold over your wrists in order to gently begin tracing his hands over your sides.

Soft kisses are trailed over your neck, his tongue coming out to lave over the fresh bite mark that rests proudly against your skin. The pleased hum that rumbles from deep within his chest makes you smile, staring up at him through hooded eyes as he pulls away to admire you beneath him.

Before he even gets a chance to say anything, you beat him to it.

“Turn me.”

To say your words catch him off guard would be an understatement.

This time, it’s Seonghwa’s turn for his breath to hitch. The vampire lord stills above you, staring down at you with wide eyes as he sees the sincerity reflected on your features.

“My Love?” His words are but a breathless whisper as he brings a hand up to cradle the side of your face.

“I want you to turn me.” Slowly, carefully, you bring your own hand up to cup his cheek. Your thumb traces over his skin, admiring the man above you. A soft, tender smile pulls at your lips, eyes flicking between his own. “I know we’ve talked about it before, but it was simply never the right time. I’m ready now. I love you, Park Seonghwa. You are my forever. I’m ready to become yours.”

Tears begin building within his eyes, blinking rapidly as the first drops begin to fall gently against your skin. His throat works, hands fumbling over your body as he presses impossibly closer to you. Tenderly, he cups your face, lips finding yours in a searing kiss. A kiss which he hopes will convey everything he wishes to say to you.

The moment you smile against his lips, he knows that it does.

“I love you.” A choked confession parts his lips, placing intermittent kisses against your own before trailing even more along your cheek and over your pulse. Arms slide around you, hugging you close as he buries his face within the crook of your neck. A lingering kiss is pressed against the fresh bite mark adorning your skin. “I love you so fucking much.”

Without hesitating, you wrap your own back around him, holding him close. The fingers of your one hand come back up to thread through his wet hair softly. You cradle him to your chest, refusing to let him go anytime soon as your heart beats steadily for the man held within your loving arms.

Kisses are soon trailed from your neck and down over your chest, Seonghwa nuzzling affectionately over your heart. He buries his face against you, soon turning to rest his ear directly above that muscle pumping rhythmically beneath your skin.

A tender glance upwards is sent your way.

“Are you sure?”

You expression softens, lips tugging upwards lovingly as your whole body relaxes beneath his touch.

“More than anything, My Love,” The hand you have threading through his hair comes around to cradle the side of his face. “I never want another incident like today to occur. I despise seeing you cry, especially when I’m the cause of it.”

Seonghwa looks about ready to protest, but your finger settling gently over his lips quiets him for the time being.

“You are the love of my life, Seonghwa. I promised you forever, just as you did for me.” Gently, you trace your touch over his cheek, caressing your fingertips along his skin. Openly, you admire the beautiful man before you. “I’ve wanted this for a while now, and today only served to solidify my choice. I want to be able to claim you in the same ways that you claim me. I want to be yours. Now, and until forever.”

Pushing himself upwards with his arms, Seonghwa hovers over you. Nothing but tender love and affection can be seen within his gaze, staring down at you so fondly as he admires every inch of your skin. He takes his time trailing his eyes over your body, finally pulling out of you and sliding his palms up your sides.

He licks his lips, some remnants of your blood still clinging to his skin.

“Nothing would make me happier than spending eternity with you, My Queen.” Dark eyes shine so lovingly down at you, pressing another tender kiss to your lips. The way you smile against his skin makes his heart flutter, warmth surging throughout his entire body. 

Long since has Seonghwa dreamt of this day. Countless hours have been spent fantasizing about this very moment, bonding you to him in such an intimate way. Sure, you’ve shared each other’s blood enough times before, but this is different. Now, you will become like him.

After this, there is truly no turning back.

Soon, you’ll be able to share in even more pleasures this world has to offer, and he’ll be right by your side through it all. He’ll get to guide you through each new experience, showing you things he’s only ever dreamed about. You’ll be able to share meals with him in more intimate and fulfilling ways, teaching you the ways of his kind and revelling in each and every new discovery you make. Together.

You’ve always been quite efficient at biting and feeding from him, that he cannot wait to watch you make your first kill. 

Excitement pours through him, indescribable unconditional love flooding his veins.

Seonghwa knows exactly who that first kill should be.

A loving smile stretches onto his features, staring down at you so fondly. He can smell the way his blood courses through your veins, mixing seamlessly with your own. Softly, his hands caress over the sides of your face, searching your eyes one final time for any uncertainty or hesitance.

He finds none.

Silently, your husband vows to be the last thing you ever see in this life, and the very first thing you see in your next.

With a subtle nod of your head, another soft kiss is being placed upon your lips.

“To the start of our forever.”

He’d like to think he was a fairly patient man, however when he had come over, he definitly has had other plans then watch you worry over a text you by now knew without reading the words written down on the pages.

Yes, he was bored. Yes, he wanted attention and yes, he would burn that stupid textbook if he didn’t get it soon.

“Just 20 minutes and I’ll be done.” You argued without looking up.

Jeonghan groaned and let his head tip back in frustration.

Seriously how hard could it be to have his darling to himself for a bit? Between promotions and exams there wasn’t much time you and him actually could spend together and for once he had been able to make enough room to stay over without having to leave at an ungodly hour in the morning. All that was between him and actually having you in his arms instead of sitting on a bar stool the kitchen was that damn book!

“I’ll start a timer.” He huffed.

“Sure Hannie.”

He huffed again and actually started the timer. You just wait.

Never in his life had he thought that 20 minutes could feel this long. Was this how carats felt while waiting for their shows to start? If so, he really felt for them. It was a nightmare.

Quickly he shot a message to Seungcheol to keep his mind busy.

I hate books. Send 8:23 pm

???? Received 8:24 pm

Y/n has to study. Send 8:26 pm

😂 Received 8:26 pm

“Jagiii pleaseee!!”

“17 minutes left.”

Dear god!

Could this get any worse for him?

The rumbling of his stomach answered that question for him; calling out to the take out he had brought and was still sitting on the counter. Probably cold by now.

Neglected, hungry and bored. Someone really seemed to hate him today.

Heaving his tired bones of the couch and into the open kitchen Jeonghan grabbed two bowls from the cupboard, the wine bottle he had gotten along some snacks also waiting on the counter for later and 2 glasses. At least he could make sure you were fed when you were done studying.

The food turned in the microwave; the beep when it was done causing you to scrunch up your face as it broke your concentration before he took it out and put it in the bowls.

A glance to timer displayed on his phone beside him showed the 8 turning into a 7 as it counted down the seconds.

You were very aware that your boyfriend was standing on the other side of the bar in front of you while staring you down as if it would make time fly by faster.

It was as endearing as it was making you nervous to feel his big brown eyes tracking every move you made as you highlighted passages of your text you found important.

And when the timer was finally down to zero, you didn’t even have enough time to close the book before you felt Jeonghans pointer finger on your chin, thumb caressing over your lips and his unfairly beautiful face only inches away from your own.

your room is dark, but the faintest sliver of silver moonlight peers through the curtains. it doesn't help a lot — doesn't allow wonwoo to see the fine details of things — but it helps just enough.

luck is, wonwoo thinks, on his side in that case.

the silver light lets wonwoo eye your sleeping figure greedily. he is able to make out the shape of your body, the line of it against your bed. you had discarded most of your blanket, too hot to be burrowed underneath it as you usually were — no thanks to luck this time; wonwoo had thumbed the thermostat to a higher temperature during your nightly shower. your blanket lay against your hips, hiding your legs from his sight.

your blanket does not hide the rest of you.

wonwoo can see the line of your torso and head. he can see your sleeping face turned towards the ceiling; your hand tucked rather awkwardly, in wonwoo's opinion, behind your back;

your tits, deliciously illuminated by that beautiful silver moonlight.

you had, whether consciously or in your sleep, rucked your tank top up over your tits. it conceals half of one of them, does nothing to hide the other. and so wonwoo can stare all his fill. l

your nipples are not perked at attention, the temperature of the room warm enough to soothe your skin from any gooseflesh, to keep your nipples from hardening. your tits are pressed against your body from gravity, a stark picture from one of the scenes that constantly replay in wonwoo's mind of you bending over in a low-cut shirt that allowed him to feast on your tits as they hung, gravity perfectly showing the full bulge of them for his depraved, perverted mind.

still: wonwoo feels the blood pool at his gut, feels his cock harden and balls tug in his joggers.

you are asleep. you feel safe, here in wonwoo's apartment — your safety, as a matter of fact, was the number one reason why your father pushed for you to move in with wonwoo; you'd be safe here, your father had said; wonwoo would protect you.

and here he was, sliipping his hand down over his thickening bulge, palming at the base of his dick through his joggers.

you are safe, wonwoo thinks as he watches your tits rise and fall with every breath you take. you are safe in his home from the harsh elements of outside, from rain or thunder or wind, from opportunists and scums who would take advantage of you.

the silver light bathes you; your face is calm, devoting itself to the peaceful world you slumber in.

wonwoo slips his hand underneath the tight band of his joggers. his dick, when he touches it, jumps in his hand. he wants to fuck something, wants it so badly.

wonwoo draws his hand along the length of his cock, thumb trailing. he fists the head of his cock, eyes greedily roaming over your tits, sliding over your stomach.

he digs his thumb into his sensitive cockhead. wonwoo winces at the pleasure-pain that shoots through him at the sensation, tightening his fist around his dick, chasing that pain further.

wonwoo's balls are tight against him as he begins to fuck his fist. he was brisk with it, no finesse; he wants to cum, wants to feel that electric bubble of heat burst within him.

it would be better, wonwoo thinks fleetingly, if he could cum in your tight little pussy.

because he knows it would be tight; that your cunt would be hot and wet.

every part of you is perfect, so that, too, wonwoo logically surmised, would be heaven.

even this, wonwoo thinks as he stands in the entry way of your bedroom with you sound asleep with your tits on display, is a piece of heaven. he's allowed to look and look without distraction, and fuck —

if he doesn't look.

wonwoo doesn't fuck his hips to his hand, instead bringing his fist back to strike against his groin, the dull slapping sound of skin against skin, fist against groin, filling the quiet room. 

his balls throb; his dick hurts. 

wonwoo wants to cum so badly. he wants to watch his cum shoot out and stain your skin. he wants to watch his cum paint the walls of your cunt, watch it ooze from your cute little hole and drip down onto the bed. wonwoo would love to see his cum on your face, too; love to see it shoot across your lips and nose and cheeks, see your face of surprise. 

he thinks about it, eyes straining through the darkness to focus on your nipples, to memorize the shape of them in the hope of imagining his lips around them later. wonwoo thinks about you on your knees in front of him, eyes squeezing shut, mouth open and tongue stuck out with his white cum pearling so beautifully. 

wonwoo cums into his pants with a grunt. the wetness of it makes his joggers stick uncomfortably. his dick feels horribly sensitive as he walks from your room with his cock still tucked inside. 

he goes to the thermostat; lowers it. 

wonwoo moves to his room. he switches on the light, knowing his sweet thoughts don't deserve to take root in the darkness. 

he grabs one of his blankets off of his bed, shaking it out. 

with his pants still sticking to him from his cum, wonwoo moves back to your room. the air conditioning kicks on, and he can feel the draft almost immediately, the skin on his arms pebbling. 

he doesn't bother being quiet. 

wonwoo edges around your bed, hands finding the corners of the blanket. he fluffs it out, draping it over your form, concealing your tits from his eyes. 

you furrow your brows. your eyes flutter open, lips pressed into a pout with the soft anger of an angel being disrupted from sleep. 

"turned down the ac," he says, tucking the blanket around your shoulders. wonwoo continues to press the blanket underneath your frame, pushing it snugly to your form. "you'll be cold."

you smile at him, shifting in your bed. "thanks, wonie," you mumble, eyes already shutting. 

wonwoo shuts your bedroom door behind him, closing you and the silver light behind him, protecting you once again.

You hated the business world. 

It was ruthless. Bloodless. It had no heart and no compassion. It taught you that humans were created to tear their own kind apart; it was a dog eat dog world.

A couple years ago, your family’s company went bankrupt, and you blamed it all on the Park Company. Fine, maybe your father held some culpability for throwing his business away in a deal that was obviously so faulty. But naivete and malice were entirely different things altogether; one was mostly harmless. The other? Not so much.

The Park Company was the most ruthless corporation in the business world. Working in any kind of business guaranteed running into them sooner or later. And now, not only had they run your business into the ground, they owned over ¾ of your company’s wealth in stock. Not that it was worth much anyway.

Well, it turns out fixing your father’s mistake was a little harder than you thought. Reviving a company from the dead was difficult, especially when public opinion wasn’t exactly favorable. So you made the riskiest decision yet; to start from scratch. You invested all your family’s ruined fortune on establishing your dream hotel. Even if it was the last thing you did, you would have more than a ruined corporation as your legacy.

With ten cents to your name and a pipe dream, you managed to create what would later be the most successful hotel chain in South Korea. Your wealth grew, and so did your reputation. Some praised you for making such a comeback, some degraded you for your family’s mistakes. And it definitely didn’t help that your father became a raging drunkard after his failure, raving the streets like a maniac. You even considered having him taken out just so he’d stop damaging your reputation, but you decided against it. To you, it didn’t matter. Your success was your only concern.

Destroying your life was all in a day’s work for the Parks. They were so obscenely powerful, that losing a mere company like yours was like losing an eyelash. Meaningless. You were nothing to them.

You hated them with a vengeance. They didn’t even know your name.

Or so you thought.

☆☆☆

Awards banquets were Sunghoon’s least favorite part of being in business. Forget the ruthlessness and backstabbing, dressing up in a suit and pretending to be successful blew all that warfare out of the water.

“It’s too tight.”

“It’s fine. You’ll be fine. Just stop complaining.”

“I’m not kidding, Jake. Loosen it or I’ll kill you.” Jake sighed, tugging on the navy blue tie until it was hanging loosely around Sunghoon’s neck, a stark and messy contrast to his crisp black suit and neat button up.

“Jesus Christ. After fifteen years, you’d think you’d know how to tie a tie.” Jake said, shaking his head as his best friend checked his hair in the mirror. 

“Are you sure we have to go to this thing tonight?” Sunghoon huffed, brushing a stray piece of hair into place.

“Don’t be stupid. You’ve been going to these galas since you were six, and dragging me along with you.” Jake scoffed, pushing Sunghoon’s head from behind and ruining his hairstyle yet again, the latter glaring at him.

Jake Sim, heir to the Sim corporation. An airplane manufacturing company that was this close to going under when the Parks took pity and bought nearly all their stock. These days, their company was worth next to nothing, but young Sunghoon took Jake under his wing, and there was no escaping now, to his chagrin. Though they’d never admit it, they had grown very fond of each other.

“You love it.” Sunghoon teased, tearing his eyes away from the mirror after checking his hair a last time. “God, I can’t believe we’re still having these idiotic galas. Everyone just knows they’re a coverup for big corporations to distract from the fact that they’re abusing their poor workers.”

“Nobody cares these days. Put a bow on anything and the media will eat it up.” Jake said, adjusting his tie before slapping his friend on the shoulder. “Ready to ruin some lives? Destroy some young futures?”

“Not funny.” Sunghoon warned, pointing his finger at Jake while trying to tug on his shoes with the other hand. “You know how much I hate the company.”

“Say that as much as you want, but you’re still wearing shoes bought with your daddy’s blood money.” Sunghoon huffed.

“Hm...I suppose you’re right.” he said, putting his hands on his hips.

“C’mon, let’s get you to the ball, Prince Charming.” Jake dragged Sunghoon out of the room by the wrist, locking it behind him, Sunghoon in tow.

Sunghoon sighed. God, how he hated his life. A legacy built on deception, and nothing he could do about it. Him and Jake made their way to the elevators, his dull eyes disappearing behind the closing doors.

He didn’t belong anywhere. Certainly not here.

☆☆☆

On the other side of the city, you were having an entirely different conversation.

“Take that off, Chae.” you said, biting into an apple. Your red lipstick bled into the fruit as you stared judgingly at Chaewon’s enormous diamond necklace.

“But it’s so pretty.” she crossed her arms, but you gave her a stern glance and she turned around to change with a roll of her eyes. “And you, put that out.” you swatted at Jay’s hand, a lit cigarette perched between his two fingers, roiling smoke spilling from the top. “You’re gonna make my new dress smell like smoke.”

“Jeez, what’s got your panties in a twist?” Jay asked, putting out his cigarette on the corner of the coffee table, which made you frown. “No need to stress. You’ve done this business routine a million times over.”

“I’m just nervous, I guess.” you said, hands fidgeting in your lap.

“I thought you didn’t care what the Parks thought about you.”

“I don’t.” you said firmly, tongue poking into the flesh of your left cheek. “I just want things to go smoothly, that’s all.”

“So you’re not gonna stand up to those fuckers that ruined your life? No protest?” Jay asked, resting his chin on his hand. “You always wanted to take them down.”

“Of course I do. But tonight’s not the night.” you sighed, rubbing your forehead, smudging your foundation and cursing when you realized what you had done. “I just want to be put together, just for one night.”

“Well you certainly look the part, honey.” he said, eyes trailing over your floor length red gown. “You’re a proper businesswoman.”

“I hope so.” you laughed.

“You’re gonna kill it. I know it for a fact.” Jay said, pressing a kiss to your cheek before standing. “Now let’s get you to this ball.” You grinned up at him, getting to your feet and brushing the dust off your skirt with determination.

“Let’s show these people who the Queen company is.”

☆☆☆

When the email stated “an intimate gathering”, you didn’t exactly expect nearly 300 people crammed into a dancing hall. The building was bursting at the seams to hold all the milling guests as they sipped on champagne and dined on fine food, laughing boisterously, teeth chattering. You hid your mouth behind the rim of your glass. You didn’t want to talk to a single person tonight.

Across the room, Sunghoon was doing the same. He had just about enough of the noise, and was considering running to the bathroom to hide when his father clapped him on the back and engaged him in a conversation he didn’t care about.

You wished you could escape.

He wished he could escape.

You stood, leaving your empty glass on the tray of a passing waiter as you walked around the crowded hall, searching the crowd for anything of interest. Your eyes landed on the desserts, and you beelined for the table of sugary treats, hoping to at least find a bit of solace in them, head down as you avoided the public eye.

Your hand bumped into another’s when you reached for the tiramisu.

“Oh, excuse me.” he said softly. He was beautiful. Dark eyes, silken hair and pink lips. His posture was straight as a ruler, shoulders back and a kind look on his face. It was almost too cliche, running into this beautiful stranger. 

If only you didn’t know who he was.

You turned to look at him, eyes meeting. “It’s you.” you said, and he stiffened at the sight of your face. “I was wondering when we would meet.”

Sunghoon wasn’t expecting the daughter of the Queen Company to be so beautiful. Sure, he had seen pictures, but they had never done you justice. And putting a face to the name was suddenly making him dizzy.

“Hello.” he said politely, avoiding your eyes as he gulped, throat dry. “I’m Park Sunghoon. Son of the Park company president.”

“Oh, I know who you are.” you waved him off. “No need for introductions between us. Time is valuable, let’s not waste it.”

“And patience is a virtue, so let’s make time.” Sunghoon said, smiling a tight lipped smile with his hands behind his back.

You looked at him skeptically. You didn’t think it was possible for Sunghoon to be more of a prick than you expected him to be, but he had somehow done it.

“Y/n Y/l/n,” you said, holding out your hand for a handshake. “President of the Queen company.” Rather than shaking your hand, Sunghoon bowed his head, his lips brushing over your knuckles as he held your hand, pressing a chaste kiss to it.

“Charmed.” he said, and your brows raised instinctively.

“I’m sure.” you scoffed, pulling your hand away and rubbing it on the side of your dress in disgust. Sunghoon’s eye twitched. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m rather busy.”

“With what, buzzing around the dessert table?”

“With running a business.” you snapped, turning on your heel and walking away as fast as you could. Sunghoon watched, listening to the faint clicking of your off-brand heels against the marble floor, shaking his head the moment you were out of sight.

He totally fucked that up.

“Jesus, that guy is more of an asshole than I thought.” you huffed, taking your assigned seat and placing the desserts you had gathered on the table, Chaewon excitedly reaching for a mango pudding.

“What, is that even possible?” Jay asked, sparking up another cigarette. You swatted the lighter out of his hand, and he scowled.

“Apparently so.” you sighed, leaning back in your chair and crossing your arms. You couldn’t wait for this night to end. You could feel eyes on you from all sides, judging, watching your next move. Waiting for you to fuck up, waiting for you to make a mistake or a rash decision they could broadcast to the media.

“I think we started off of on the wrong foot.” you heard a voice say from behind you, and you craned your neck to meet the eyes of Park Sunghoon, yet again. Those damn dark eyes. Swimming with emotion.

“I think there’s a reason for that.” you responded sharply, quick as a whip.

“Let’s start over. What do you say?” he grinned, leaning his head down until he was at your level, ignoring the stares he received from your friends.

“I say I’d rather die than become acquainted with you. Sorry.” you said very unapologetically, pleased with the put-out expression on his face.

“Well,” he said, straightening up and adjusting his jacket indignantly. “Doesn’t someone have an enormous chip on her shoulder.” Your smug expression crashed, morphing into a scowl. “Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Y/l/n.” With that, he stalked away, nose turned up and an unpleasant look on his face.

“Stupid piece of shit.” Jay said, sparking up his cigarette with the lighter he retrieved from the floor. You didn’t try to stop him, just stewing in your own displeasure. You couldn’t believe that audacious bastard. Was he aware that his family was the sole reason for the ‘enormous chip on your shoulder’?

You tried not to let it get to you, and quickly gave up. Suddenly, this was feeling all too real, and you got to your feet, brushing off your dress, bunching it in your hands. You felt like you were going to throw up.

“Bathroom.” you mumbled, pushing your way past to get to the exit.

☆☆☆

If you didn’t know better, you’d think Park Sunghoon’s spirit was haunting you on purpose. The only thing convincing you otherwise was the fact that he was alive and well –to your chagrin.

You sat, fuming from your office as his snotty face stared at you from a newly mounted billboard across the street, a wide smile on his face as he endorsed some brand of cologne. So not only was he a scumbag businessman, now he was some kind of model? It turned your stomach to think about it.

“I want that billboard down, now.” you grumbled, dropping your head onto your desk in despair as Jay watched you with amusement.

“I can get someone to set it on fire, if you want.”

“Not necessary, but I appreciate the thought.” you said, standing and pacing around the room restlessly. “We need to take them down.” Jay snorted, taking a seat in one of your office chairs, twirling around comfortably.

“What, take down the biggest corporation in the country? It’s not as easy as it seems, honey.” You glared at him, continuing to pace. “Look, don’t get me wrong. I wholeheartedly support your ventures to destroy Park Sunghoon, but don’t you think your fury is a bit misplaced? His father is the one that destroyed your company.”

“Evil by association.” you waved him off. “Plus, he’s rude.”

“Can’t disagree with that.” Jay took a long drag. You hadn’t even noticed that he lit a cigarette, and you rolled your eyes at him.

“You seriously need to stop smoking.”

“I’ll stop when you stop seeking vengeance.”

“...Touche.”

☆☆☆

You seriously needed a vacation from work. After five 16 hour shifts, the exhaustion was beginning to set in. You couldn’t even remember the last time you went out with friends. A couple of years ago, there wasn’t a weekend where you, Jay and Chaewon weren’t in some hole in the wall drinking until you forgot your failures. But ever since your company took off, you didn’t have time for that behavior. But that didn’t mean you didn’t enjoy a good dive bar now and then.

You snuck through the entrance of your favorite dive bar on the East side of the city, your slip skirt waving in the wind as you nodded to the security. This was the only bar in South Korea that wouldn’t sell you out to the papers, and besides that, they made a damn good Manhattan.

There were less than 10 people in the whole place, an odd couple here or there and some folks in need of a pick-me-up. You took a seat in the middle of the bar, your usual seat at the end taken by a sodden boy with a big hood that covered his face.

“Hey, Won.” you greeted the bartender as he wiped his hands with a towel, smiling at your entrance.

“Hey, y/n.” he said, throwing the towel over his shoulder. You heard the man beside you stir. “Manhattan?”

“You know it.” Jungwon reached for a bottle of whiskey, expertly mixing and measuring like it was muscle memory, finishing your cocktail with a flourish and sliding it over the counter. You had gone to high school with Jungwon and Sunoo, the two men who owned the bar, and had been friends ever since. You trusted them.

“How’s the business?” he asked, leaning with his elbows resting on the marble. “Saw you on the news the other day. Said you stormed out of the Park’s gala.”

You sighed, “Yeah. It’s been a tough week.”

“I hear that,” he said, straightening up with a grin. “You’ll get through it, stronger than ever. You always do.” you smiled, pressing the rim of the glass to your lips.

“Thanks, Won.”

“No problem. Just kick those greedy bitches in the ass for me.” That elicited a chuckle from you, Jungwon smiling upon hearing your laugh. “I’ll go get Sunny. I’m sure he’ll wanna say hi.”

“I’d love that.” you said gratefully, watching as Jungwon weaved around the back of the bar and into the back room. You looked down, sipping your drink, lost in thought.

“What are you doing here?” A grating, angry voice interrupted your haze. You turned to the boy sitting beside you, and it felt like you lost your buzz in an instant.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.” you said, staring into the dark eyes of your nemesis yet again, this time foggy with drunkeness. “You seriously had to find the one place where I could escape your face?” he asked bitterly, taking another swig of his vodka soda.

“My face? There’s a sixty foot billboard of your face outside my window.” you grumbled, and he snorted gracelessly. You could tell by his hoodie being pulled forward and his bangs covering most of his face that he was trying to hide, just like you. “I’ve been going to this bar for four years.”

“Lucky you. I just found it last week.” he took another sip. You suddenly felt silly sitting multiple stools away from him, but you’d be damned before moving closer. “This is the only place that won’t sell me out to the press,” he sighed. “And their bartender is pretty damn good.” You observed the four empty glasses sitting beside him, the way he was slurring his words. Clearly he had come here for the same reason you had.

“Won’s a pro.” you said, averting your eyes. The Sunghoon before you was throwing you off. He had humanity, and you hated it. It gave you a reason to hate him a little less than before.

Jungwon emerged from the back, a bright faced brunette in tow. Grateful for the excuse to end the conversation with Sunghoon, you leapt out of your seat and rounded the bar to pull the man into a hug.

“Hey, Sunny!” you said brightly, and he grinned.

“I didn’t get a hug.” Jungwon rolled his eyes, reaching for a bottle of tequila to complete another order.

“How’ve you been?” Sunoo asked, releasing you to get a good look at your face. “Wow, it’s been awhile since you’ve been in here. You look all adult-like.” You scoffed, brushing him off. “Where’s Jay and Chae? I haven’t seen them in months.”

“I didn’t tell them I was coming.” you admitted.

“Ah, one of those nights?” he asked, and you nodded. “You busy working? I’ve seen you in the news, the company’s looking good.” Sunghoon snorted from beside you, and you resisted the urge to glare.

“Pretty busy, yeah. The business world is a battlefield right now.” you said with a pointed look at the man beside you who slammed his glass down on the counter.

“Another.” he muttered, and Jungwon looked him up and down skeptically.

“I think you’re done for the night. I’ve gotta cut you off.” Won said decisively, and Sunghoon looked up at him with glassy eyes.

“Fuck, whatever.” he said, getting up from his seat and drunkenly stumbling, tripping as he dismounted from the stool, using the counter to steady himself.

“He doesn’t look so good.” Sunoo said quietly, and you watched him, poking your tongue into the flesh of your cheek in confliction.

“You need help?” Jungwon said, ready to assist as he clapped a hand on Sunghoon’s shoulder, but the older boy shook him off frustratedly.

“I’m fine, get your hands off of me.” he stuttered, swiping at him.

“Hey, I’m just trying to help.” Jungwon said defensively, shaking his head as Sunghoon tried, failing, to make his way to the door. You huffed, setting your drink down and abandoning the last sip as you made your way to him.

“Hey, stop being an idiot. Let’s get you a taxi.” you chastised, and he scowled.

“I don’t want help from you.” Sunghoon mumbled, and you rolled your eyes.

“You’re drunk, Sunghoon. It’d be a nightmare if the news caught you wandering on the street.” That made him think, and he begrudgingly wrapped an arm around your shoulders, refusing to speak.

“You need help?” Sunoo called after you, and you waved back at him.

“Don’t worry, I know him. Put the Manhattan on my tab.”

“It’s on the house, angel. Get home safe.” Jungwon said, and you sent him a grateful wave as you attempted to get Sunghoon out the door, shutting it behind you.

“Why are you doing this?” Sunghoon said, almost incoherent. “You could’ve sold me out to the press. To get your revenge.” You pondered his question, then shrugged.

“I can’t say I don’t want to.” you admitted. “But you’re vulnerable right now. I know what it feels like to be blindsided when you’re defenseless. I wouldn’t do that to anyone. Clearly not even my worst enemy.” Sunghoon snorted.

“You’re a good person.” he mumbled, his eyes practically closed with the weight of his exhaustion and intoxication.

“Take notes.” you chuckled as you texted your driver, simultaneously attempting to get Sunghoon over to a bench. “I called a car for you, so just sit tight.” You both sat in silence, staring into the dark city, breath fogging in the air.

“I am sorry, y’know.” Sunghoon said, nose and cheeks red from the cold air. “About what my father did. I never would have condoned it if I had the power to stop him.” You stared at him blankly, before the corners of your lips turned up.

“Thanks. You must really be drunk.” He chuckled in response.

“Yeah, maybe.” He shook his head.

“Y’know, Sunghoon,” you started. “I hope you run the company the way you think it should be run. Stand up for yourself.” He didn’t respond to that, just staring at the floor, twiddling his thumbs. 

“Yeah,” he said after a moment. “I think I will.” A car pulled up to the curb, and you sighed in relief. Sunghoon stood up, insisting he was fine when you tried to help.

“Goodbye, Sunghoon.” He looked back at you in silence, before nodding.

“Get home safe.” And with that, he shut the door of the car, the engine rumbling as he turned the corner and disappeared into the night.

☆☆☆

Park Sunghoon was an idiot. And he was finally beginning to accept it.

He woke up with a pounding headache, grimacing and gripping his forehead in pain. It felt like there was an 80 decibel bass pounding his head, and he blamed it all on the vodka soda. And you, of course. You were making his head spin.

He stumbled out of bed, attempting to shove his feet into the slippers next to his bed, confused to find that they were pink and at least three sizes too small.

“Morning, sunshine.” a feminine voice called, and Sunghoon was beginning to realize that this wasn’t his home at all. He froze as a beautiful young woman stepped out from the bathroom, a lush robe wrapped around her body. “Feeling sober?”

“How did I get here?” Sunghoon asked, dropping back onto the bed as the woman snickered, reaching into her closet.

“You were on the floor whining and crying outside the office building. I took you home when the press got wind of your theatrics. Remind me to get a key to your apartment copied if you’re gonna keep acting like this.”

“You don’t need a key, Yunjin. Don’t be stupid.” Sunghoon rubbed his head, frustrated. He didn’t even remember going to the office in the first place, much less being picked up by her; aka the daughter of his father’s closest business partner, aka the woman he was predicted to wed if all things went his family’s way.

He wasn’t partial to the idea. Neither was she.

“A thank you would be nice.” Yunjin rolled her eyes, emerging from the closet fully dressed, already on the phone and pulling on a pair of high heels. “Now get out of my apartment. I have to get to work.” She tossed him a key and a fresh tee shirt from her closet. “Get dressed and lock up when you’re done.”

“Got it.” Sunghoon said, rubbing his eyes and pulling the tee shirt over his head. Yunjin looked back at him, tongue poking into her cheek.

“My mother still wants me to marry you, y’know.”

“Well she and my mother have that in common.” He rolled his eyes. She frowned.

“You’re too careless, Sunghoon.” The door shut, and Sunghoon was left to think about her words. His mind raced as he recalled the night before.

Your kindness.

Your smile.

How he apologized and didn’t think twice.

He shook his head, shuffling to the kitchen and opening the fridge, the cold tile pressing against his feet. Maybe he was too careless.

☆☆☆

The room felt stuffy, and so did your nose. You wondered if you were catching a cold, or if you were just allergic to business dinners.

“Hey, y/n.” Jake said, taking a seat beside you. You wiped your nose, flashing him a tight smile.

“Hey.” you replied, looking at your lap. Jake was one of the rare people you respected, and part of that was due to his company’s failure, like yours. He had built it back up to its former glory, but remained humble. You didn’t mind him. He was sweet.

“You seem bored.” he said, watching as you stared at the floor, clearly ambivalent toward what was happening around you.

“Astute observation.” you chuckled under your breath.

“I get it. These dinners can seem like a chore.” he said, picking up his wine glass by the stem. “Trust me, I’ve been going to them since I was six.”

“Lucky you.” you snickered. “Why do you even bother?” “Sunghoon always drags me here one way or another.” Your mood visibly dampened at the mention of his name, and you took a sip of your wine, hiding your mouth behind the lip of your glass. “How are things between you two?”

“If he dropped dead, I wouldn’t cry at his funeral.” you cleared your throat.

“But you wouldn’t cheer either?” Jake grinned, and you rolled your eyes.

“Whatever.”

“Baby steps.” he laughed, and you failed to suppress a smile. “I’m happy nonetheless. It’s nice to see you get along.” You wiped your nose again.

“That’s a stretch.” you scoffed. As if summoned to disprove you, the presence of Park Sunghoon suddenly entered your view, his hands tucked into his pockets. You couldn’t help but notice how nice he looked when his hair was pushed back.

“Mind if I borrow the lady for a moment?” he cleared his throat and Jake stood, flashing you a knowing look when Sunghoon wasn’t watching.

“Point taken.” you grumbled, as Jake snickered to himself, making himself busy on the other side of the room. After a moment of hesitation, Sunghoon took his seat.

“Hi.” he said slowly, and you nodded in acknowledgement. The energy was painfully awkward. “Um, I just wanted to say sorry about the other night. I haven’t really gotten a chance to contact you or anything, but I am sorry, and I should’ve called-”

“It’s fine.” you said tightly, shaking your head. “It happens.”

“Not to me.” he said defensively. “Look, I only apologize once in a blue moon, so just let it happen.” That elicited a chuckle from you.

“Alright. I accept your apology.” you said amusedly, and he let out a sigh of relief. You watched him blow a piece of hair out of his face, his lips parting for a moment to let out a breath. You averted your eyes when he caught you staring. He truly was beautiful.

Sunghoon’s thoughts were similar at the moment. While you avoided his gaze, he watched the way your eyelashes batted, pushing a strand of hair out of your face.

“I gotta go.” Sunghoon cleared his throat, and you nodded, eager for his exit. “Um. I’ll see you around, I guess.”

“Don’t sound so excited.” you said sardonically, and he rolled his eyes as he got up, giving you a dramatic bow as he walked away and towards another table. You watched him leave, eyes following his graceful figure and the way he smiled.

“You want to fuck him so bad.”

“Ew, Chae!” you yelped at the sudden interruption, waving off the smug girl leaning on your shoulder. “No way. Me and him? No, never. Don’t be silly.”

“Whatever you say.” she shrugged, taking his seat as she sipped on her third glass of red wine. “But the eyes don’t lie.” You glared up at her.

“I seriously hate you.”

☆☆☆

Three clinks of a wine glass, and your attention was at the front of the room. Sunghoon seemed to be giving a speech, and you brought your eyes to the stage. When you realized he was already looking at you, an unfamiliar feeling flooded your stomach. It felt something like dread.

“Welcome, everybody.” Sunghoon said, smiling warmly into the crowd, met with applause and good natured whoops. His father, however, was looking at him like he had just killed his cat, leading you to believe he wasn’t intended to make this speech.

And you were right. Sunghoon’s heart was pounding in his chest as he stared into the hordes, some faces familiar, some not.

“I’d like to thank you all for being here today.” Sunghoon said. “And I’d like to make a toast to the company and all of its potential. All it has accomplished, and all it will continue to accomplish.” The clinking of glasses resounded through the room as your frown deepened, your arms crossing over your chest. “And I would like to say, as the heir to the Park legacy, that I will try my hardest to steer this company towards kindness.” he said, with a fleeting glance towards you. “And so, cheers to the Park company. And cheers to ushering in a new era of ethical business.” The crowd, while mildly confused, burst into applause, their glasses rattling, champagne and wine alike spilling over the rims as people took celebratory gulps.

You shook your head, picking up the hem of your dress as you stood, walking to the exit with a smile on your face.

You sat on the steps outside the building, your knees pressed to your chest as you took a long drag of your cigarette. You told yourself you would quit, but something was itching at you that you couldn’t quite scratch, and nicotine seemed to do the trick momentarily. You were yearning for some peace.

“Flighty, aren’t you?” An amused voice said, the sound of light footsteps preceding it. You turned around, exhaling when you saw Sunghoon’s face towering over you, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

“Nice speech.” you said, ignoring his comment.

“You mean that?”

“I do, actually.” Sunghoon chuckled, seating himself beside you with a grunt. “I didn’t say you could sit with me.”

“I don’t need your permission.” Sunghoon scoffed, folding his knees. You glared at him, but didn’t protest, taking another drag. “Put that out. I hate smoke.”

“I don’t need your permission.” you mocked him.

“Touche.” he said, resting his chin on his knees. “I suppose the both of us are equally headstrong.”

“Trust me, I’m more stubborn.” you laughed, ashing your cigarette and watching the sparks hit the floor. After a moment, you stubbed it out against the bottom of your shoe, rubbing the dark ash off with your thumb. Sunghoon noticed, but said nothing.

“I meant what I said in my speech, y’know. It wasn’t just to impress you.” you snorted at that. “I mean it! I do want to reform the company.”

“That’s admirable.” you nodded. “I’m glad to see my words had an effect.”

“Me too. See? I’ve only spent a couple days with you and I’m already becoming a better person.” Both of you went silent at his words, his eyes widening as he realized what he said. But he didn’t take it back, the two of you staring, searching through each other's eyes. You hesitated to say something, but there was no hesitation when he reached out for you, your lips colliding as he kissed you.

His hand ghosted across the back of your neck, resting at your nape, making the hairs rise. Your skin felt like it was on fire as he tilted his head, pulling you closer, one of his hands resting on your waist, his thumb rubbing over the fabric of your dress. After a breathless moment, you pulled away. Both of you stared at each other in silence, panting to regain your breath, hungry for more, but hesitating.

After a second, Sunghoon’s swollen lips split into a grin, and he began to laugh, leaning back on his hands as he snickered. You heaved out a sigh, but you couldn’t hold back the smile on your face.

“You are so fucking annoying.”

☆☆☆

You now had Park Sunghoon’s number. It had been three days since you kissed, and you hadn’t yet texted him. You wondered if he assumed you would.

But you didn’t have time to worry about that now. You had work to do.

“Jay, I need you to run a diagnostic on the hotel website and check for errors. And Chaewon, please call Mr. Choi, for the millionth time, and request some new cleaners. We need three dozen rooms cleaned before 10:0o pm.” you said, flipping through a checklist. You had been buzzing around your office drinking coffee and handling busy work since 4 am. It was sufficient to say that you were in business mode. “And both of you, be quick about it. I have a million more tasks to take care of.”

“Okay, Mom.” Jay rolled his eyes, getting out of his seat on the couch and you sent him a quick glare. “Since when have you taken anything seriously?”

“If you haven’t noticed, I have a business to run these days.” you said facetiously, and Jay placed an apologetic kiss on your cheek before running out of the door. “You too, Chae.” She shut her laptop, sending you a quick salute.

The minute the room was empty, you dropped onto your chair, letting your head loll backwards, closing your eyes. The minute you opened them, you were confronted with the enormous, cheesy grin of Park Sunghoon facing you from the billboard across the street. You huffed, getting to your feet and tugging down the blinds with a frown.

You could not get him out of your head.

As you sat in silence, stewing with rage at the fact that Sunghoon, of all people, was occupying your headspace, your landline rang, the little light flashing green as the phone vibrated. You picked it up with a sigh.

“Y/n speaking.”

“Why haven’t you called?” You froze, slamming the phone down and hanging up as quickly as your hands would move. That infuriating, smug voice, you’d recognize it anywhere. You stared at the phone blankly until it began to ring again, and after a moment of reluctance, you picked it up again. “What exactly is your problem?”

“How’d you get my number?” you said exhaustedly, spinning in your chair and getting tangled in the phone cord.

“I called your secretary.” you internally cursed Chaewon, letting out a deep breath through your nose. “I gave you my number so you’d text, you know.”

“I’m busy.”

“I’m busy too. I still found the time to call.”

“I wish you wouldn’t have.” you quipped. “What, you wanna see me?” You could hear him chuckle from the other end.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Vice prez told me you’ve been waiting on upper management’s approval for your budget. I’m here to take care of it.”

“Oh.” you replied embarrassedly, crossing your arms.

“Aw, don’t sound so disappointed, sweetheart.” he tutted. “We’re sending a representative over tonight to discuss business.”

“I’m assuming that’s you.” you said, and he hummed in response. “I look forward to it. And by the way, we aren’t close enough for pet names.” You hung up without allowing him time for a reply, taking a moment to collect yourself before you straightened your jacket and got back to work, a deep frown on your face.

Sunghoon, on the other end, was grinning like a fool.

☆☆☆

Three knocks resounded from your door, and you looked up from your laptop for the first time in hours, cracking your neck in the process. Rubbing the back of your neck, you called out into the empty room.

“Come in!” you said, and Chaewon’s head peeked through the door, her black bob swishing as she walked inside, her pink heels clicking against the floor.

“Park Sunghoon is here to see you.” she said, and you sighed, looking down once again. “He’s in the lobby. Says he’s getting impatient.”

“Let him in.” you waved her off, and she nodded. “Oh, and Chae? Give out my number one more time, and you’re so fired.” She grinned coyly, blowing you a kiss as she slipped through the door. You rolled your eyes. You were beginning to wonder if you had a single competent employee in your entire company.

It didn’t take long for Sunghoon to find your office. It felt like the air chilled when he walked through the door.

“Hey,” he said warmly in greeting, his hands tucked into his pockets. He looked incredibly handsome in his tailored gray suit. You slapped yourself on the forehead internally, shifting in your chair uncomfortably. You were acting like an idiot.

“Hi.” you said tightly, straightening a pile of papers. He dropped onto the couch, kicking his feet up on the table. “Make yourself at home.” you said sarcastically.

He grinned, “Let’s talk business, sweetheart.”

“Remember what I said about the pet names?” you reminded him, getting up from your desk and slipping into the chair across from him.

“Aw, c’mon. Loosen up,” he urged you, leaning forward in his seat. “Now, whaddya got for me?” You looked down at the stack of papers in your hand.

“Well, due to necessary improvements, budget has increased this year. We’re in the process of funding a new computer system, and we’ll definitely need more support if we want to expand the branch in Seongbuk-gu. So, I’d say we’re looking at a couple hundred thousand, minimum.” you explained, sorting through your files.

“Boring.” Sunghoon mimed a yawn, standing up and walking to the makeshift bar on your side panel, unscrewing a bottle of whiskey.

“Can you please take this seriously?” you asked exasperatedly.

“I am,” he said defensively, pouring a sizable glass of whiskey. “I’m more of a vodka guy myself. I’ll have someone go on a grocery run next week and get you stocked.”

“Sunghoon.” you deadpanned, and he rolled his eyes.

“Aw, c’mon y/n. Aren’t I supposed to be the uptight one, and you the free willed?”

“You seem free willed enough for the two of us.” you grumbled.

“Alright,” he said, moving to sit back down on the couch. “I have a confession to make.” You stared at him expectantly. “Management approved the budget. I sent off the form yesterday and it was done by 9:00 am this morning.” You raised a brow.

“So…”

“So I came here just to see you, yes.” You smirked, and he groaned in annoyance before you even had a chance to respond.

“I fucking knew it!” you laughed, and he took a sip of his drink. “Park Sunghoon, you are a player.”

“Whatever.” he sassed, standing back up to refill his glass. “Promise to call me next time, and I won’t have to make any surprise visits.”

“I can’t make any promises.” you grinned. “But you can make me a drink.” He looked at you for a moment before chuckling, pouring a second glass of whiskey with a splash of sweet vermouth and bitters for a makeshift Manhattan.

“There’s no cherry, but I did my best.” he said, handing it to you.

“You remembered.” you said warmly, and he nodded. You took a sip. It was a bit too sweet for your taste, but you didn’t mind. You were smiling so brightly, he was itching with the urge to kiss your cheek, so he did. Your smile fell as you rubbed your cheek, Sunghoon avoiding eye contact with you as he sat back down.

You sat across from each other in momentary silence. The window was open, and the night air brushed against your cheeks. Sunghoon’s nose was pink from the cold.

“Do you like me, Sunghoon?” you asked, breaking the silence. He stared.

“Whoah,” he chuckled nervously, slender fingers toying with the rim of his cup. “You get straight to the point, huh?” You didn’t respond. “Let’s not talk about it.” You thought for a minute, before nodding, folding your knees and resting your chin on them.

“I’m okay with that.”

☆☆☆

Surprisingly enough, your friendship with Park Sunghoon was persistent if nothing else. In front of the press you still acted like enemies—you both agreed it was better for your respective companies if nobody knew you had become unlikely companions. But behind closed doors, you would smile when you saw him entering a room, and he would call you on a late night after a hard day of work.

Tonight was one of those nights. 

You tore your eyes away from your phone lighting up the black night, ringing on the table. You and Jay were sitting on the fire escape of your apartment complex, passing a lit cigarette back and forth and watching the smoke disappear into the evening sky. You could see all of Seoul from the penthouse.

“You gonna answer that?” Jay asked smugly, taking a long drag as he watched you stare at your phone in conflict. You turned it over.

“Nope.” you said, reaching for the cigarette and taking a drag until you felt lightheaded. “I don’t have time for him tonight.”

“You seem to be spending a lot of time together lately.” Jay replied, and you glared at him. “Hey, I’m not poking fun. I’m genuinely curious.” You turned away, staring at the glimmering skyline. “You’ve fallen for him, haven’t you?”

“No.” you brought the cig to your lips again. “No, I haven’t.”

“Then what is it?” “...I don’t know.” you admitted. Watching the cigarette burn into ashes in your unmoving hand, Jay began to light his own. “I used to hate him so much, Jay. And now, he’s something completely different than what I thought. He’s a good person.” you turned to look at the boy sitting beside you.

“I know,” he affirmed. “I know.”

“So,” you said, remembering your cigarette and ashing it on the railing, watching the gray ash fall to the ground several stories below. “What now?” Jay took a drag.

“I think that’s for you to decide, y/n. I think you’ve earned the right to let go.” His words touched you. Had you finally worked hard enough to look past those who had wronged you? You had achieved everything you dreamed of, and more.

Were you finally more than your own vengeance?

You didn’t respond, only grabbing your phone and wrapping your jacket a little tighter around your body to protect yourself from the cold breeze.

“I think I’m gonna call him.” you announced, and Jay chuckled.

“I had a feeling,” he said, stretching. “I’m gonna head home. See you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow.” you said, watching as Jay walked out the door, giving you a little salute before shutting it behind him. You sighed, staring at your phone.

3 Missed Calls From Park Sunghoon.

You hesitated for a moment before pressing the call button, letting your phone rest on your lap as it rang. He picked up on the second ring.

“Hey.” his muffled voice said through the phone.

“Hey.” you responded.

“I’m outside.” Your eyes widened, and you immediately ran to the edge of the fire escape, peering down to the entrance of your apartment building. Surely enough, there he was, his back resting against the wall, polished shoes tapping against the concrete.

“How long have you been waiting for?” you called, and he looked up, his face barely a speck from so high up.

“Not long.” he responded.

“How’d you know I’d answer?” you could barely make out his grin in the dark.

“You always do.” you rolled your eyes, retreating inside and tugging on a pair of flats. You took the elevator down, and when you entered the lobby, Sunghoon’s solemn face was the first thing you saw. His nose and cheeks were tinted red from the cold, and his hair was messy from the wind. You smiled, tucking your hands into your pockets.

“You wanna come upstairs?” you asked. “I’ll make tea.”

“Tea sounds nice.” he said quietly, smiling as he followed you to the elevator.

This was the first time Sunghoon had seen your apartment, and he was fascinated to say the least. As you fussed over the boiling water and choosing the right tea, he toyed with the perfumes on your coffee table, running his hands along your brown leather couch and smelling the fresh flowers you kept in glass vases. He was enchanted by this little space you had created for yourself. His apartment was just a bachelor pad, filled with expensive furniture and lacking life.

“I like your apartment.” he said, staring at a print of Marilyn Monroe that you kept on your wall. “It’s stylish.”

“Thanks. You want jasmine or oolong?”

“Jasmine, please. And bring a shot of vodka with it.” You snorted, pulling out two tea bags and pouring two shots, bringing them to the coffee table.

“So, what brings you to my side of the city?” you asked.

“I had a hard day.” Sunghoon knocked back the shot of vodka, wiping his lips. “Thanks. I needed that.”

“You’re welcome.” you said, throwing back your shot and setting the small glass cup on the table. You didn’t want to think of the implications of Sunghoon coming over in the middle of the night without any warning. It made your head hurt.

“I’m finding that, as of late,” Sunghoon began. “That you have a somewhat calming presence in my life.” You froze. “Lately I’ve been under a lot of stress, with remodeling the company and everything. My father’s been giving me hell about my new policies. I don’t think he likes my idea of ‘ethical new business’.” He let out a large exhale. “At the end of the day, you’re really the only one who understands me.” He smiled bittersweetly. “And, well, I’m grateful for your company lately. Spending time with you has been the only thing keeping me sane. It’s hard to imagine that we ever hated each other.”

You couldn’t think of a single thing to say. You felt like your heart was rising in your throat, and you cleared it, attempting to collect yourself. Sunghoon chuckled, looking at the floor with red cheeks.

“Is it cool that I said all that?” he said after a moment of silence. “Cause I know that it’s delicate.”

“Y’know, I used to hate you more than anyone in the world.” you laughed gently. “But I agree with you. These days, you’re the only thing keeping me sane.” Sunghoon gazed at you, but you were looking into your cup of tea. “And yeah, it’s delicate. But I don’t really care what anyone thinks but you.” You met his eyes. Those damn dark eyes. Swimming with emotion. And they were trained quite blatantly on your lips.

Before you could register it, he was reaching for your face, his rough palm caressing the soft skin of your cheek, pulling you into his embrace as he kissed you gently, his other hand on your waist.

You had kissed before, but nothing had felt as intimate as the moment you were sharing now. Those past kisses had been a fleeting moment, an impulse decision, but now Sunghoon was kissing you like you were the only thing in the universe, like you were all that mattered. His grip on your waist was bruising, as though he was afraid you’d disappear if he let go. You felt drunk on love and vodka, shifting yourself onto his lap as you tangled your hands in his hair. You were both breathless, hearts racing as you held each other tightly, losing yourselves in the taste of each other’s lips.

Sunghoon pulled away, his lips splitting into a smug smile as he tucked a piece of hair behind your ear, your lips red and swollen as you attempted to catch your breath.

“Remember when you asked if I liked you?” he asked, hands trailing over your bare thighs, eyes trained on the way your eyes twinkled under the dim lighting and the thin tank top you were wearing underneath your jacket. “Well, I think I have my answer now.” you licked your lips, before grinning.

“You’re an asshole, Sunghoon.”

“Then I’m really lucky you like me.”

☆☆☆

You woke up to two things; Sunghoon’s face, and the sound of yelling.

His eyes were closed, his full lips slightly parted as he let out gentle snores, his dark hair sticking up. As much as you wanted to admire the way the morning light hit his skin, you stood up and walked to your balcony, peeking outside.

You yelped, slamming your glass doors shut as you ran inside, pulling on a pair of sweats, simultaneously shaking Sunghoon awake.

“Sunghoon, get up. The paparazzi are here.” you said frantically, attempting to retrieve a shirt from your closet when a pair of strong arms pulled you back into bed.

“Five more minutes.” he groaned from under the covers, and you fought back a smile, attempting to pry his grip off of you. His hands made their way to the straps of your bra, pulling and letting it snap back onto your skin. “Lace, huh? I didn’t notice.”

“I’m not kidding, get up.” you said, pushing him off of you and running to your closet to grab the top half of your tracksuit, pulling it over your head.

“What’s the rush?” he said, finally sitting up, ears perking when he heard the loud voices coming from outside. Peering out the window, his eyes widening.

“Oh shit,” he cursed, getting to his feet and hurriedly pulling on his shirt. “How’d they find us?” You shook your head, biting your lip as you thought about what to do.

“Not sure, but we should try to preserve our image.” you grabbed a snapback from your nightstand, putting it on his head to cover his face. “You go out the back, I’ll curse them out and keep ‘em distracted.”

“What happened to preserving your image?” he snorted, buckling his belt.

“Well, my reputation’s never been worse.” you said, tapping him on the nose. “So you must like me for me.” He smiled, pressing a chaste kiss to your lips.

“Mm, I do.” he said, before tugging on his shoes. He blew you a kiss before running out your front door, shutting it behind him, making sure it didn’t slam. You watched him leave, your fingers tracing where he had kissed you, and you smiled for a moment before collecting yourself.

“Hey!” you yelled, stomping towards the paparazzi stationed outside the lobby of your apartment. They immediately whirled in your direction, cameras flashing as they all fought to get their questions out. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Ms. Y/l/n!” a reporter yelled. “Are you aware of the rising scandal between you and Park Sunghoon?” You scrunched up your nose.

“Park Sunghoon?” you repeated in disgust.

“Sunghoon was reported to have arrived at your home at midnight last night! Do you have anything to say to these accusations?”

“Do I have anything to say?” you scoffed. “You must be mistaken. Park Sunghoon is a pig, just like the rest of his family. I hope the media understands that I do not, and never will, have anything to do with a pompous asshole like him.” The paparazzi erupted into questions and flashing cameras, but you turned on your heel and sashayed back inside, waving them off as the sliding doors closed behind you, drowning out the noise.

On your face you wore a grimace.

☆☆☆

A newspaper slammed onto Sunghoon’s desk, his drowsy eyes snapping open at the sound. “‘Park Sunghoon is a pig, just like the rest of his family!’ States Queen Corporation’s CEO After Being Accused of an Illicit Affair with the Park Company’s Son”, stated the title. Sunghoon smiled momentarily, but his amused expression dropped when he saw the furious face of his father towering over him.

“Would you like to explain this?” he asked, his tone deceptively calm. Sunghoon was smart enough to know that meant he was enraged.

“Um, is there anything to explain?” Sunghoon said timidly. “She said it herself, we’re not involved.” Sunghoon’s father rubbed his temples.

“Well, obviously, Sunghoon. I’d hope you’re smart enough to not get involved with the one woman who could ruin our company.” Sunghoon winced internally. “We must do something about this issue. Y/n is the only threat to our company.”

“Surely she’ll leave us alone if we don’t encroach upon her business.” he attempted to reason, but his father looked at him as though he had gone insane.

“Absolutely not. We’ll have to speed up your engagement to Huh Yunjin.” Sunghoon leapt out of his seat.

“Father, you can’t be serious!” he said in disbelief.

“I won’t hear any complaints. The Huhs own the largest company in Korea, second to ourselves, and we can’t afford to make an enemy out of them. Merging our companies will give us total dominion over the business world.” his father said with finality. “Not to mention their only heir is a woman. We’ll control their company through you.” Sunghoon bit his lip.

“But I don’t want to marry her.” His father shook his head.

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice.”

☆☆☆

A newspaper slammed onto your desk.

“Park Sunghoon, a pig? A likely story.” Jay snorted, slipping into the seat across from you. You rubbed the sleep out of your eyes, picking up the newspaper. “Late night, huh? So it must be true.”

“Shut up.” you said, but you couldn’t hold back the smile on your face. “Guess I went a little overboard, but it makes for a good story.” Jay raised his brows at you, taking a sip of his coffee. “Will you stop looking at me like that?”

“I think you’ve got a little crush.” He said in a sing-song voice. You snorted.

“I’m a grown woman, Jay. Us hooking up doesn’t mean I have feelings for him.” Jay shrugged.

“Say whatever you want, but it’s obvious that you like Park Sunghoon. There’s no denying it.” You were about to respond when your phone rang, and you shooed Jay out of your office as he mimed kissing childishly.

“Hello?” you asked, and a familiar voice responded.

“A pig, huh? A pompous asshole?” Sunghoon spoke smugly.

“I did what I had to do.” you shrugged, spinning in your office chair.

“Mm, sure.” he said, holding his phone to his ear with his shoulder as he jotted down notes. “Well, Ms. Y/l/n, I’m calling to let you know that the Parks are throwing a very exclusive fundraising gala tomorrow, and there’s an empty seat for a certain CEO if she’s so inclined.” you snorted.

“Oh, really? And would your family like to see me there?” “A little trouble would do them some good. Plus, I want to see you.” You blushed on the other side of the phone, covering your mouth with your hand. “And I’ve booked a private reservation for two at the shittiest bar on the East side,” he joked. “So?”

You thought for a moment. After your recent statement in the news, walking into a Park gala would be like walking into a den of tigers. But since when had you been afraid of stirring the corporate pot?

“I’ll be there.” you promised, and Sunghoon grinned, tucking a pen between his lips. “I should look for a dress.”

“I’ll have it taken care of.” He twirled his pen. “Just wait for my call.”

“See you tomorrow then.” you grinned.

“See you tomorrow, m’lady.”

☆☆☆

It was three hours and counting until the Parks’ big gala. You stared at the wall ahead of you while Chaewon tried on countless lavish dresses and Jay sorted through piles of patterned ties. Sunghoon had assured you that you could bring your closest friends, but you weren’t certain that his family would appreciate your troupe of misanthropes intruding upon their event.

“Cheetah print, or zebra print?” Chaewon asked you, holding two dresses against her body. You shook your head, biting the nail of your thumb.

“Neither. Pick something nice, Chae.”

“This is nice.” she protested, but put the dresses down and continued to look around. Jay noticed the way you stared vacantly ahead, stressfully chewing your nails, and he set down his ties, scooching in closer.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked cautiously. “Nervous?”

“I couldn’t care less what those people think about me.” you said, and Jay chuckled at your classic behavior.

“Okay, so. What’s wrong?” His eyes held concern as he rubbed his thumb along your arm, and you sighed heavily.

“I do care what he thinks. And that’s the problem.” Jay let out a quiet sound of understanding. “I don’t understand. Why do I even care about him? The only thing on my mind for the past six years has been destroying that family.”

“Y/n,” he began. “You don’t have to punish yourself for forgiving someone.” You stopped biting your nails. “Especially someone with no fault in the situation.”

“But he’s one of them.” you mumbled.

“Does he seem like a good person?” Jay asked. Your eyes made contact for a moment, before you nodded and quickly looked away. “Then that’s all that matters.” You considered his words for a moment, before sighing, folding your hands.

“You’re right, you’re right. Thanks Jay.” 

“I’m always gonna be here for you. Try not to worry.” He patted you lightly on the back as he stood, and you gave him a tight smile. Your eyes were drawn to your bed, snug in the corner of your apartment, a large bag lying on top. Fabric peeked out from beneath the top, a shining sapphire blue. You held your head in your hands.

Trying not to worry was proving to be impossible.

On the other side of the city, Sunghoon was tightening his tie.

“You finally learned how to tie a tie.” Jake snorted, but Sunghoon didn’t laugh. He was staring vacantly out the window and into the horizon, zoned out on the skyline. “Hello? Earth to Sunghoon?”

“What?” Sunghoon snapped out of his trance, whipping around.

“Something on your mind?” Jake tucked his hands into the pockets of his ironed blazer. They were both dressed in their nicest suits in preparation for the night’s events. Sunghoon shook his head.

“I can’t stop thinking about her.” Sunghoon admitted, and Jake grew serious. “This whole time, I feel like I’ve been looking for something deeper than just being the heir to this bullshit company. When I’m with her…I feel like I found something real.” “Sunghoon,” Jake said tenderly. “As of a couple days ago, you’re engaged.” Sunghoon sighed. “You can’t do that to y/n.”

“I don’t want to get married.” Sunghoon said, his voice breaking, which he quickly covered up with a cough. “I don’t want to marry Yunjin, and she definitely doesn’t want to marry me.”

“As sad as it is, you don’t have a choice.” Jake said sympathetically. “I know you’re upset. But just try to keep it together for tonight.”

“Yeah, got it.” Sunghoon scoffed, fidgeting, adjusting his cufflinks. “After 21 years, I’ve become accustomed to putting away my emotions for my father’s benefit.” Jake watched sadly as his best friend adjusted his jacket, shaking his head before exiting his room and striding downstairs to where the gala was taking place.

☆☆☆

Your eyes scanned the luxurious room, full of familiar but unwelcoming faces. Chandeliers were draped from ceilings twenty feet high, crystals glimmering in the golden glow, sending fractals of light spiraling around the room. You were receiving dirty looks from every corner of the ballroom, judgemental whispers echoing. You tried your best to tune it out. Jay stood behind you, glaring back tenfold at every disapproving partygoer, Chaewon oblivious to it all as she enjoyed the decadence.

You needed to find Sunghoon or you would lose your mind.

His face shone from the other side of the room, and when your eyes connected it was like the rest of the world fell away. His warm, brown eyes captivated you as he quickly left whatever conversation he was a part of, weaving through the crowd to get to you. He was breathless by the time he made it through the sea of people.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey.” you responded unsteadily, looking over your shoulder to see his father watching you with a fierce glare. “Sunghoon, I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

“Since when have you cared what everyone else thinks?” he said with a bittersweet grin, and you chuckled, some of the tension relieved. “C’mon, I’ll show you the dance floor.” He tugged on your hand, whisking you away. You attempted to hide your face as you left with him.

Jake watched you leave, sipping gin from a crystal glass. Jay approached his side, picking up a bottle and emptying its contents into the largest glass he could find.

“They’re so fucked.” Jake said without thinking.

“I don’t know,” Jay said, taking a swig. “They seem like they really love each other. Who says love doesn’t conquer all?” “The business world.” Jake chuckled, looking at his reflection in the bottom of his glass. “I just hope he lets her down easy.”

“What do you mean?” When Jake looked up, Jay was staring at him inquisitively, brows furrowed. Jake’s face dropped, his heart in his throat.

“He hasn’t told her yet?” Jake asked hesitantly. Jay’s grip on his drink tightened. The two men stared at each other in silence, the tension palpable.

“...Told her what?”

☆☆☆

Sunghoon closed the towering, intricate wooden doors behind you as you entered the ballroom. Ceilings made of mirrors caused the light to bounce around the room like stars, and you watched, breathless. The smooth floor was slick under your stiletto heels.

“It’s beautiful.” you said, and Sunghoon watched you with a smile.

“A dance, m’lady?” he asked, offering his gloved hand to you. You took it with a grin, and he pulled you into his arms.

The two of you swayed, rocking back and forth in each other’s arms as he attempted to guide you in a waltz. You were uncoordinated, and you both giggled as you tripped over your feet. His thumb rubbed across your hand as he counted out the steps for you. There was no music playing, but you could both feel the rhythm in your head, like a grand orchestra was conducting a song just for you.

When you were alone, your head was suddenly clear. The stress from earlier melted away as he gazed into your eyes, and you rested your head on his shoulder, the two of you twirling as he hummed a song under his breath.

“You’re improving,” he joked. He was right, you were no longer tripping and stumbling. You had gained a sense of the rhythm, following his lead gracefully. He extended his hand, prompting you to spin, and you did.

“I have a good teacher.” you laughed, watching your gown twirl. The dress that Sunghoon had bought you was beautiful, trailing against the ground, the crystal detailing lighting up underneath the dappled golden light. Only then did you notice the sapphire shade of his tie, and how it perfectly matched your dress. “Let’s hope the press doesn’t get wind of our fashion faux pas.” you joked, gesturing to your matching attire.

“To be honest, I don’t really care.” he said, and his honesty made you gulp.

This was all too real for you. Your feelings for him were ripping you from the inside out, and you felt too nervous to speak. The feeling in your stomach was more akin to wasps than butterflies.

“Y/n.” he said seriously. “You know how I feel about you, don’t you?” He was overcome with guilt. He really didn’t want to do this to you, not now, not when he knew he’d have to break the news soon. It was too soon. His time with you was too short lived, he couldn’t let it go. Not when you were the only person who made him feel complete, the only person who made life feel like it was worth continuing.

“No, I don’t.” you grinned, baiting him to say the words himself, and he chuckled. “Why don’t you explain it to me?”

“Maybe it’s easier without words.” he said, unclasping his hand from yours so he could trace his fingers along your cheek. 

He dipped his head to kiss you, and your hands were tangled in his hair as he held you tightly. There was something desperate about the way he kissed you, holding you like you might slip through his fingers if he loosened his grip. The two of you kissed fervently, full of convolution and mixed emotions. He pulled away from you for a moment, but only for long enough to whisper,

“I love you.” You pulled away from him, his gaze intense. You always had a weakness for his eyes. It felt like they held galaxies. The weight of his words sunk upon you, and you opened your mouth to speak.

“I love you too.” you whispered.

☆☆☆

You and Sunghoon had parted ways after your illicit meeting, him fleeing to the front of the room to discuss with his father, you hesitantly retreating to your table. Chaewon was sipping vodka; Jay was nowhere to be seen.

“Everything okay?” she asked immediately, setting down her cup.

“I’m okay.” you assured her, your lips splitting into a bright smile despite your distressed exterior, and she let out a breath of relief, wrapping an arm around the back of your chair when you sat. “I can’t wait to get out of here.”

“Same.” she agreed, taking another swig of her drink. “Though I bet your reason is different than mine.” She sent you a wink, to which you shook your head amusedly.

Your eyes were drawn to Sunghoon, standing onstage with his father. He seemed nervous, and you wanted nothing more than to be standing beside him, but you knew you couldn’t. Not in public, and you were wondering if you two would go public one day.

You would do it the moment he asked, no hesitation. And that scared you.

You picked up a glass sitting on the table that you assumed was Jay’s, taking a large swig. It burned your throat, and you put it down with a wince. Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted a tall and elegant woman standing on stage, honey colored hair curling gracefully on her shoulders. Her floor length golden gown sparkled in the light.

“Welcome, valued guests.” a loud voice and feedback from the microphone snapped you back into reality, and your attention was drawn to the stage, where Sunghoon’s father was speaking with a cheesy, large grin. “Thank you all for attending our fundraising gala, graciously hosted by the Parks. We appreciate all of your generous donations.” he cleared his throat. “And on behalf of my lovely son, we have some news.” You began listening, setting down your cup.

“We are delighted to announce our own Sunghoon’s engagement.”

Your face paled. You felt like the world was crashing down around you, everything muffled. You could vaguely sense that Chaewon was talking to you, but you couldn’t process it. You felt like you were going to throw up.

“Sunghoon and Huh Yunjin of the Huh Company are set to wed in three months, and our companies will officially be merging.” Flashing cameras went off like grenades, the sound filling the room as the woman smiled for the camera, holding onto the arm of the man who told you he loved you. Despite the camera demanding his attention, his eyes were on you. And those beautiful eyes that you loved, they were devoid of feeling.

He stared at you, pale as a ghost, lips parted in silent surprise. The cameras snapped photos of him as he barely breathed, lost in the injured gaze of the woman who loved him. And you stood, striding towards the exit before you could even register what you were doing, ignoring the curious stares you were receiving. All you could see was the exit, the door that would lead you out of here.

The sound of cameras flashing and the hum of gossip silenced as you walked into the night, taking a deep and ragged breath. Tears spilled from your eyes before you could help it, and you swiped your palms over your face, smudging your makeup, sobbing unsteadily.

As Sunghoon watched you stand, he pulled himself away from the tight grip of Yunjin on his arm, eyes trained on your disappearing figure as panic rushed through his head. His father turned back towards him.

“What are you doing?” he asked quietly, urgently, as Sunghoon pushed through the crowds of paparazzi, jumping off the stage and running towards the exit. He burst through the doors, chasing you until he found your weeping figure running away.

“Y/n!” He chased after you. You knew you couldn’t outrun him, so you didn’t try. You just shook your head, turning away from him.

“Fuck off.” you replied harshly, and he grabbed your wrist.

“Please, I’m sorry, let me explain.” he begged.

“Explain?” you snapped. “Sunghoon, you’re engaged. There’s nothing to explain.”

“I don’t want to marry her.” he said desperately. “I never have, and I never will.”

“You told me you loved me,” you sobbed, wiping your eyes with your free hand, and Sunghoon’s eyes burned with tears and the cold wind.

“I do,” he said gently. “I love you more than anything.”

“Then why?” you said. “Why are you getting married?” “...I don’t have a choice. It’s for the company.” he said reluctantly, and you shook your eyes, pulling your wrist out of his grip and wiping your eyes for the last time.

“I can’t believe I thought you were different.” you laughed incredulously. “I thought you were different, but it turns out you’re exactly like your family.”

“Y/n, don’t say that.” he pleaded. “I’m not like them.”

“Yet you do what they say, slaving away for a company that does nothing but hurt people?” He went silent. “I should’ve known from the start that you would hurt me. God, I can’t believe I thought you really cared about me.” “I do.” he insisted, reaching for your hands, but you pulled away. “I care about you, I care about us-”

“There is no ‘us’, Sunghoon!” you yelled. “There never has been! Because you always knew that at the end, you’d leave me the minute someone told you to.” 

“That’s not true, y/n.” he shouted. “Everything we went through, that meant something to me. I meant everything I said, I’d do anything for you! I’d leave the company if you asked me to!” You scoffed.

“You wouldn’t do that for anyone, Sunghoon. You’re too much of a coward.” He didn’t respond, his hands hanging weakly at his sides. He felt numb.

A black car roared to life, approaching from the parking lot. The windows rolled down, and you were comforted to see Jay’s stony face in the driver's seat, Chaewon watching you from the back seat with concern. He nodded to the passenger side.

“Get in.” he said, requiring no explanation. He already knew.

You ran for the car, and Sunghoon came after you. You had one hand on the handle when he caught your wrist in his fingers.

“Please,” he begged, his voice a whisper in the night as his eyes pleaded with you. “Please, don’t leave.” You almost yielded, but instead you removed your hand from his, opening the door and sliding into your seat.

“Go.” you said quietly to Jay, and he accelerated, speeding out of the lot. His hand rested on top of yours, his thumb caressing the back of your hand. You silenced your tears, chin resting on your palm and staring out the window into the city to ignore how much your heart was aching.

☆☆☆

It had been four days since Park Sunghoon told you he was getting married to another woman. It had been three days since you called out of work sick, and two days since you blocked his number after countless missed calls. It had been only one day since you stopped crying yourself to sleep.

You weren’t used to being vulnerable. Since your father ruined both his career and your own, you were used to building up walls around yourself. You were filled with bitter irony that the person who tore those walls down was part of the family that hurt you so badly in the first place.

You felt like an absolute idiot, to say the least.

You flipped through a magazine, your hair up as you lounged in a salon chair. You had just gotten your nails done, and you tried not to smudge the gel as you flipped through pages of jewelry ads and gossip articles. When you stumbled across a promotion for cologne, Sunghoon’s handsome, smiling face decorating the page, you shut it with a sigh.

“Do you have any other magazines?” you asked the woman who came to do your hair, sharp nails gripping at the edges.

You strode down the bustling streets of Seoul, your fur coat clenched tightly around your body, a designer purse held in your free hand. You got plenty of stares as you walked down the street, some admiring, some judgemental. But you had learned not to care. You sighed, your warm breath fogging up the cold daylight, before dissipating.

The sound of screeching static froze you in place, and you turned to look at the towering screens lined up in the window of a store, all glitching. You stopped for a moment, waiting until they regained their sense, switching to a news channel.

An anchorwoman with a bad blowout and a gaudy diamond necklace was pointing very seriously at an image behind her, her other hand wrapped around a stack of papers as she read off a script.

“The business world- is sh-shocked,” she began, her voice skipping as the tvs froze and unfroze in sync. “At the alleged emancipation of Park Sunghoon from his family’s very successful enterprise. Mr. Park made a public statement this morning, claiming that he ‘would not continue to entertain unethical practices, and could not condon the idea of marrying purely for business’. Rumors are, according to inside sources from corporate high society, that he left his company for love.”

You stared quietly at the tv. A million thoughts were rushing through your head, but the majority of them were this;

You needed to find Sunghoon.

☆☆☆

The door to his apartment creaked open, Sunghoon peeking out from behind. His hair was matted to his forehead, sticking up in places, and his typical nice clothing was replaced by a white t-shirt and a pair of baggy sweats. He looked like hell, but it didn’t matter; he looked the most beautiful you’d ever seen him.

“You’re not a coward.” Was the first thing you said when he opened the door.

“I am,” he replied.

“You’re not, and I didn’t mean that. I was scared.”

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me.” he said, shaking his head. “It was all my fault. I fucked up, and I lose the only person I care about in this world because of it.” You stood up a little straighter, clenching your fists.

“At the end of the day, you’re really the only one who understands me.” you said firmly, and he smiled, recognizing his own words. “Sunghoon, I care about you more than I’ve ever cared about anyone. And that’s why I was so afraid of you hurting me.”

“I wish I could take it all back.” Sunghoon said, his hand tracing your cheek, too afraid to make contact. “I wasted so much of my life being complacent. You were the one that taught me to be brave.” You nodded, eyes watery. “I’m sorry that I made you mad.”

“I’m not mad.” you said very unconvincingly, and both of you laughed. 

You wiped your eyes furiously, hands trembling.

“I really do love you, Sunghoon.” you said shakily, and he pulled you into his arms. You melted into his warm embrace, his arms circling your waist, holding you tight. Your touch felt so familiar, and for the first time since you left him, he felt whole again, basking in the glory of your presence. He couldn’t help but kiss you, his finger under your chin as he lifted your face to his, pressing his lips against yours eagerly.

You had forgotten all the things you adored about kissing Sunghoon. The way his hands always held you so tightly, how he always tasted like honey chapstick, and the way he smiled against your lips when you lost your hands in his hair. You were both sick with love, and you were only just beginning to realize that you didn’t need a cure.

“I love you.” he mumbled between kisses, unable to pull away. “I loved you from the start, even when everyone told me not to. Nothing could, and nothing can, stop the way I feel about you.”

“I love you, Sunghoon,” you said, your tears wetting both your face and his. “And I hate you for even considering otherwise.” he chuckled, tapping your nose with his index finger.

“Well, my reputation’s never been worse,” you giggled at your own words being used against you, as he spun you around in his arms. “So you must like me for me.” You pressed a chaste kiss onto his lips with a glowing smile.

“Mm, you’re lucky that I do.”

“Dude, hurry up!” Wonwoo groans, glancing back at his teammate with an eye roll, who’s taking his sweet time. “I’m not trying to get blinded by paparazzi tonight.”

Vernon barely registers his annoyance, still riding the high of his podium win earlier that day. He trails behind Wonwoo while his mind replays the champagne sprays, trophy lifts, and the roar of the crowd celebrating with him. Nothing beats it.

Well, almost nothing.

His gaze lands on a perfect pair of perky tits spilling out of what some might generously call a top. Or what used to be one, he thinks, as his eyes wander across the knotted strings that do nothing to hide the woman’s hardened nipples. Okay, maybe strip clubs are also high up on the feel-good scale, because suddenly he feels fucking fantastic all over again.

Further inside, he’s introduced to a blur of faces; other celebrities who are here to party with him, starstruck fans, and of course other influential patrons whose names he’ll forget by morning. A dancer brushes past him in a rush, and something about her flickers in the back of his mind.

Why does she look familiar?

Before he can place it, the group is ushered deeper into the club, and he’s distracted all over again by the number of women fawning over him. Not that he’s complaining.

“Right this way, gentlemen,” the club promoter says smoothly, leading them into the private VIP section where bottle girls and expensive liquor are already waiting. “We’re honored to have the face of Virex Racing celebrating with us tonight. In fact, we’ve arranged a special performance just for you.”

Vernon barely has time to process the words before he’s surrounded by a sea of perfect tits, each pair attached to another gorgeous woman giving him all of her attention.

“We did our homework,” the promoter adds with a knowing grin, eyebrows wiggling as he references Vernon’s infamous interviews, ones where he’s shamelessly declared himself a boob guy over ass and anything else.

The lights shift as the music shifts into a new song, and each dancer moves to her own rhythm, yet somehow they remain perfectly in sync. They’re fluid, sensual, magnetic. Vernon watches completely enthralled as they twist and sway, turning the stage into a fantasy built just for him.

They part, dividing into two groups on either side of the stage, making way for what he assumes is the main event.

Then she steps into view. The redhead he clocked earlier. Her vibrant curls bounce with every step, and she’s wearing a sultry, skin-tight version of his racing suit. Much smaller, of course. Hugging every curve like it’s glued to her.

And he can’t look away.

She has him mesmerized, under a spell of sorts, as she climbs onto his lap. She tips her head back as the two dancers behind her (whom he didn’t even notice at first) spill champagne onto her chest, and she uses the moment to run her hands through her hair, down her neck, to her (temporarily) covered breasts, before tearing open the shirt, letting herself be completely exposed to him.

With every swirl of her hips against Vernon’s lap, his length awakens, growing harder by each passing second. She guides his hands to either side of her waist, his thumbs resting below the swell of her breasts, before leaning into his touch to finish the performance.

It’s quite the grand finale; he has no complaints, and neither does his aching cock. If anything, he’s sad it’s over.

As the patrons all clap, the other dancers return to their normal duties, one pretty brunette finding her way into Wonwoo’s lap, who is more than pleased to have her there.

“So Mr. Big Winner,” the redhead whispers in Vernon’s ear, pressing her bare breasts against his chest, the heat radiating through the fabric of his shirt. “How does it feel to be number one?”

His brain short-circuits as that voice sends chills–and not the good kind–down his spine.

He knows that voice.

The realization hits him faster than an F1 car can hit the Armco barrier. You’re the younger sister of his childhood friend, turned popular actor whom Vernon irregularly stays in touch with. He remembers the day Youngmin called to tell him about your disappearance, how you had vanished. Secretly moving overseas and going no contact with your family. It was a touchy subject for his friend, so he never asked the details behind what happened.

He never expected to see you here, in Monaco of all places, and this much of you at that.

His eyes drop before he can stop it, taking in your barely-there outfit, drinking in one last glance before his guilty conscience steps up to gently pull the fabric of your top back together.

“Y/N…” he says, pained from the discovery, frustrated that his fun is over.

You freeze in the man’s lap the moment you hear your name. Your real name. You hadn’t even told him your stage alias, so how the hell does he know your legal one?

Your gaze snaps up to meet his, meet his dark brown orbs that stare you down, the recognizable golden glint in them instantly reminding you of your past.

Vernon.

Your brother’s friend.

You didn’t recognize him at first. He’s changed a lot. The quiet, lanky guy you used to know is long gone. Now he’s all muscle and sharp edges, with broad shoulders and thick biceps that make your mouth water.

And the tattoos…

They twist from his fingers up each arm, a snake-like figure that turns into more inky lines that curl along his neck, disappearing beneath the collar of his shirt. You can only imagine what’s hidden beneath the fabric, what intricate details cover his chest, his abs…maybe they dip even lower, past his waistband…

Your eyes flick downward as your mind wanders.

“Y/N,” Vernon says again, voice low and rough. It sends a flame straight through you, which is quickly extinguished when he suddenly lifts you off his lap.

Before you can protest, he’s already dragging you off the floor, taking you somewhere more private, away from all the prying eyes. Of course, it just so happens to be the dressing room where all the dancers get ready before their stage sets.

Once inside the brightly lit room, his eyes sweep over you again. “So it is you,” he says, voice low but sure.

Dahlia, one of the other dancers, is at her vanity adding final touches before her next pole performance. She catches your eye in the reflection and gives you a knowing look. A silent warning. You're never supposed to be alone with a client.

Even if it’s someone you know. Or used to know. You're still working out the details on that.

“Long time, no see,” you say, letting your gaze drift over his face. Despite his new rough and tough look, there’s still something familiar about him. Something that feels surprisingly safe.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he snaps, though his eyes betray him, flicking to your cleavage before narrowing again. “Zip your jacket back up.”

“I’m working, or I was,” you say while your eyes are glancing down, trying to find the zipper just below your chest. “Until you dragged me in here.”

Vernon groans under his breath. It’s pure torture watching you fumble with your jacket. Your frustrated little huffs, the way each failed attempt pushes your tits higher. Every passing second drives him crazier but he can’t look away.

Jesus. Get it together.

He steps in before he can talk himself out of it, grabs the edges of your cropped jacket from your hands, and zips it up in one swift motion. All while pretending like he doesn’t feel your body under his fingers.

Even though he absolutely does.

“You don’t work here. Not anymore.”

You blink. “I’m sorry?” A laugh slips out after hearing his ridiculous statement. “Did I miss the part where you became the boss of me?”

“You heard me,” he growls, jaw tight and eyes burning into yours. “Grab your shit. We’re leaving.”

He’s furious, more than you’ve ever seen him. And fuck, it’s hot. Like, really hot.

“I can’t just walk out,” you say, your voice lowering as your gaze flicks around the empty room. You’re watching for Bossman. His real name is something boring like Clyde, but no one calls him that. Just Boss or Bossman. Simple. To the point. He’s the one who found you, gave you a place and a purpose when no one else would.

You signed the contract willingly. You knew the price.

And now Vernon’s here, trying to tear down your world with three angry words.

“Yes, you can.”

Walking away means giving all of it up.

The contract was clear: as long as you hit your goals, the money flows. A luxury apartment, fancy car, designer clothes. Everything you ever dreamed of.

The downsides: you can’t sleep with anyone, which also means no dating, no exclusive relationships, or anything else like that. You have to seem available–but never actually be. That untouchable aura is what keeps the girls in demand. Everyone wants you, but no one can have you. And when a customer thinks they’ve caught your attention? They spend more on drinks, dances, and gifts. All for the illusion of being special.

So, being cornered by Vernon right now, all alone? A very bad look. Just like running off with him would be.

Breaking the rules doesn’t always get you fired. Not right away, of course. But it does mean fewer performances, fewer gifts–no purses, no designer jewelry, no weekend getaways. And if the money stops flowing, if the regulars start losing interest because you're no longer rare, no longer untouchable, then you’re dropped.

No pretty penthouse. No fantasy life. Just the street.

Bossman is respectful, but he doesn’t tolerate any bullshit. You've seen what happens when girls repeatedly break the rules and end their contract. If you walk out with Vernon, your life here ends tonight.

“I think we should head back,” you say smoothly, putting on a smile. “Your friends are probably wondering where you went.”

It’s a convenient excuse to leave the locker room, of course, but it gets you back into Boss’s line of sight. Back into character.

“I’m not leaving you here,” Vernon says, following you out. He’s hot on your heels, his words catching the attention of others. “Not when every guy in this place is looking at you like you’re a meal. Absolutely not. Either you walk out on your own, or I’m dragging you out of here.”

“If I leave, I lose everything.” Your voice cracks despite your best effort to sound steady. “Everything I’ve worked so hard for will disappear.”

“Then it was never really yours to begin with,” he sighs, making a good point. “This life isn’t meant to last, Y/N. I’m giving you an out, offering you my help. I know how places like this work. Would you rather wait until he decides you’re expired? Then what?”

Exactly. Then what?

What will you do when that day comes? When the fresh faces begin stealing the attention of your regulars, when the spotlight slowly shifts further and further away from you. You’re only twenty-seven, but in this world, that clock ticks louder every night.

Your eyes flick toward Bossman, who’s leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He sees what’s happening. He knows. With a subtle nod, he gives you what little power this place allows: the illusion of choice.

And right now, the choice is yours.

“Okay,” you whisper, “Let’s go.”

Vernon lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding now that he’s finally convinced you to leave.

You quickly mention that you need to change before heading back to the dressing room to slip back into your previous outfit. Which Vernon soon learns is a tight, little red dress and a pair of the strappiest heels he’s ever seen.

His eyes darken as you make your way back over to him. “Ready?” he asks.

You nod.

“Let’s go,” he says, taking the small bag of what he assumes are your minimal belongings from your locker, tossing it over his shoulder.

He notices as you wave goodbye to some of the girls, your friends, likely. Not the ones who are already whispering about tonight’s events. Girls who, undoubtedly, are talking about both of you leaving together.

Vernon doesn’t waste another second before he practically hauls you out of the busy club and drags you down the crowded street. He barely gives you time to catch your breath, something he’ll probably have to apologize for later.

Still, considering the circumstances, he thinks he deserves a little credit for not completely losing it in there. Because truthfully? He came very close. Every time someone looked at you like a shiny little plaything, his fists tightened. Beating the shit out of half the men in that room crossed his mind more than once.

He flags down the first cab he sees, ushering you into the backseat before climbing in next to you. He gives the driver the name of his hotel and sits back, thinking about the crazy turn of events that tonight dropped on him.

It’s not until the club lights blurred into the rearview mirror that the white-hot anger in his chest begins to simmer down, allowing him to try and make sense of things. He still has a million questions running through his head, but he knows better than to ask them now. They’re not quite appropriate to discuss in a taxi, so he resorts to sitting in silence.

The drive is short, thankfully, and he slips the driver some cash with a quick thanks before stepping out. He rounds the car and offers you his hand as you step onto the curb.

As you both walk toward the hotel entrance, his palm finds the small of your back. He doesn’t move it as the elevator doors close behind you. Instead, he lets it linger, as the lift begins its slow ascent to his floor.

“Let me grab you something to change into,” he says after letting you into his suite, walking over to his wardrobe to find something–anything–more comfortable than what you have on currently.

“Do you mind if I wash up?” you ask, accepting the pair of sweatpants and t-shirt he offers to you. “I’d prefer to scrub off all the hands that touched me tonight.”

His jaw flexes, but he forces it to relax before answering. “Of course. There are clean towels folded on the top shelf, and you’re more than welcome to use any of my toiletries.” Though his items are probably not up to your standards. “Tomorrow we’ll pick up some things for you.”

“Um, thank you. I’ll just, uh–” you murmur awkwardly, gesturing toward the bathroom before disappearing inside.

Vernon watches you go, listening to the soft click of the door locking behind you. For a moment, he stands there in the quiet, the faint scent of your perfume lingering in the air. It’s only when the shower kicks on that he finally lets out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding in.

His shoulders relax as he sinks into the sofa, rubbing a hand down his face. What the hell is he getting himself into?

He sighs as his phone chimes in his pocket. Fishing it out, he scrolls through a handful of notifications, one in particular catching his eye–a text from Wonwoo.

‘Enjoy the redhead’

He doesn’t reply. Nor to the others from his buddies asking if he’s still out, suggesting drinks and a social appearance at another club.

Vernon’s had more than enough fun for the night, but a drink actually sounds good right about now. But more than that, he could really go for some comforting breakfast food–fluffy scrambled eggs, warm buttered croissants, maybe even a stack of fruit compote crêpes drizzled with honey. It’s nearly three in the morning at this point, which to him is close enough to breakfast time.

Assuming you’ll both be up while talking things through, he figures having something to eat wouldn’t hurt. He places a room service order, probably requesting far more than necessary, but at this rate, there has to be at least one thing you’ll like. Maybe he should have asked about your food preferences, or more importantly, if you have any dietary restrictions, before you disappeared into the shower.

Oh well. Too late now.

About thirty minutes later, there’s a gentle knock at the door. Vernon tips the hotel attendant generously as the man wheels in a cart loaded with hot plates and silver-domed dishes.

“Please enjoy your breakfast, and do let us know if you require anything further, Monsieur,” the attendant says with a courteous smile before leaving the suite.

The bathroom door cracks open moments later, and a trail of steam leaks through the doorway as you step out.

“Perfect timing,” Vernon says, glancing over at you as the bathroom door cracks open. Your wet hair is twisted up into a towel, and his clothes hang loose on your frame, but they still manage to cling in all the right places. That image will likely haunt him tonight more than he’d like to admit.

He gestures toward the sitting area. “Come eat.”

You sit down next to him and pass the dishes back and forth. Vernon is pleased as he watches you pile a little of everything onto your plate–proof that ordering half the menu wasn’t a mistake.

You bite into a cinnamon roll, letting out a soft hum of approval before moving on to try something else. For a few moments, the only sound is the quiet clinking of your silverware. He steals a glance at you while sipping some of the freshly pressed juice, debating how to dive back into the conversation from earlier.

You beat him to it. “So…how much do we have to eat before we talk about what happened at the club?” you ask, spearing a forkful of eggs.

Vernon exhales, setting his fork down with a faint scrape against porcelain. “I guess now’s as good a time as any.”

“I hope you meant what you said about helping me,” you say, the nerves slipping through your voice. “Because if you go back on your word, I won’t have anywhere to go.”

He frowns. Backing out hadn’t crossed his mind, but he doesn’t buy that last part. “You’d have options,” he says carefully. “You can always go home. I don’t know what exactly happened with your family, but I’m sure they’d take you back.”

Your eyes drop to your plate, voice trembling slightly. “Well, you’d be wrong. I don’t want anything to do with them–and they want even less to do with me.”

The tone of your voice is enough to stop him from pushing further, even as his curiosity craves for more details. He wants to ask, but the fragility of your words tells him now isn’t the time. You’ll share when you’re ready.

“In that case, I think it’s best if you stick with me for now,” Vernon firmly states. “I meant what I said. I’ll help you get back on your feet, and you’ll be safe with me. I’ve got a big security team, and there are always private areas at the tracks if your boss shows up and tries to cause trouble.”

“That won’t happen. My club wasn’t like that.”

He doesn’t argue, but he’s sure his skepticism is written across his face. Because he knows better. Places like that don’t just let a top moneymaker walk out the door like that before they’re done with her.

“Traveling with me does come with risk,” he continues. “The media will quickly take notice, and if you’re seen with me frequently, the tabloids will assume you’re sleeping with me. They’ll dig into your past, and I’d rather get ahead of it before it spirals.” He pauses, weighing the thought, “Which means you’ll need some kind of title. Something that explains why you’re with me. A role that shuts down the rumors and speculation before it starts.”

Your brows furrow, “So what am I supposed to do? I can’t just follow you around for months without people asking questions. And what happens when the season ends?”

Vernon rubs his jaw as different scenarios race through his mind.

Then, it clicks.

“That’s perfect, actually.” He nods, already running it over, calculating the risks.

“Um…feel like sharing your perfect idea out loud? Or am I supposed to read your mind?”

The corner of his mouth is tugged into a smirk. That attitude is familiar. Beneath the borrowed clothes and glamorous facade you’ve built to survive up to this point, you’re still the same sharp-tongued girl he remembered from years ago.

“You’ll work for me as my personal assistant,” Vernon starts. “You’ll earn money that’s actually yours to keep, and have the chance to make connections with people in all kinds of industries if you want a fresh start somewhere else once the season ends. You’ll work closely with my PR manager, and the rest…” he exhales, “We’ll figure it out as we go. Okay?”

You nod slowly. “Okay. Yeah. We’ll figure it out…together?”

His lips twitch at the word, and something tightens in his chest. “Together.”

Vernon finishes off the last of his food, pushing his plate away before standing up. “I’m gonna get cleaned up for the night.”

“Not heading back out for any lingering late-night party appearances?”

“Nah,” he sighs. “I’m exhausted. Honestly, I’m looking forward to being asleep before daylight on a race night for once. You can take the bed–”

“Oh, don’t even do the whole ‘I’ll take the couch’ thing, Vern,” you cut in. “I’m too grown to care about that. We’re both adults. We can share a bed and survive one night. Plus, I’d feel worse if you woke up with a kink in your neck because of me.”

He studies you for a moment. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’ll probably be passed out before you even climb in anyway.”

Later, as he washes his face, he can’t get the earlier image of you out of his head. Your bare skin under sparkling under the club lights, the bounce of your breasts mid dance performance, that sultry smile that had everyone–himself included–wanting more.

He shakes his head. Those are some dangerous thoughts to be having when he’s about to crawl into bed beside you. He takes a couple of deep breaths before stepping out. And just like you said you’d be, you’re already fast asleep by the time he emerges from the bathroom.

For a second, he debates taking the couch anyway. It would be safer. Certainly smarter. But he has practice tomorrow, and he needs real, restful sleep.

Vernon slips beneath the covers, careful not to wake you in the process. He’s still adjusting when you roll over in your sleep and press against him, warm and soft. He freezes, but he doesn’t push you away. Because damn…it’s nice.

Too nice.

But he can’t go there. Not with you. Not when you’re about to be an official Virex Racing team member. Which reminds him, he’s going to have so fun explaining this to the rest of his crew in the morning…

“Everyone, this is Y/N,” Vernon introduces, addressing the room of curious eyes that immediately land on you. “She’s the newest addition to Virex, working directly under me as my personal assistant. Y/N comes with years of experience managing exclusive VIP clientele in the hospitality industry. She knows how to navigate fast-paced environments, read people quickly, and balance charm with professionalism. Her specialty includes anticipating needs, handling demanding personalities, and keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes. Meaning she’s going to be an incredible asset to our team. So, please, welcome her in and help her get the hang of things.”

Well, that’s certainly one way to word your skill set.

It’s only been an hour since you landed in Barcelona, and Vernon wasted no time putting things in motion. This morning, he had a personal shopper escort you through boutiques to build a full wardrobe of sharp business wear, comfortable clothes for travel days, even pajamas and undergarments. A new cellphone was hand-delivered to you, already set up, paired with a laptop and a sleek work bag to match.

On the short flight over, Vernon gave you a crash course on Virex’s history and the basics of Formula One. To be honest, most of it went over your head, but you’ll do more research on your own tonight so you don’t sound like a total idiot in any potential conversations.

And now, here you are, standing in front of the very people you’ll be working alongside. People you hope will eventually become friends.

“Ash!” Vernon calls out.

A woman around your age steps forward from the group. Vernon gestures between you. “This is Ash, my PR manager. Typically, this would be under your realm of duties to handle with new hires, but since you’re the new hire in this scenario, she’ll help you get all the required paperwork sorted, along with your passes for field and track access. I’ll have someone come grab you once practice ends so you can meet the other Virex drivers. Your phone already has my number saved, along with the crew’s, so if you need anything, just reach out. I’ll see you in a bit, okay?”

“Sounds good, thank you,” you reply.

“Of course. I’ll see you tonight.” He gives a small nod before heading toward the door, a few team members trailing after him. Just before stepping out, he glances back at you once more, then disappears down the hall.

“That’s…strange,” Ash murmurs, eyebrows pinching together.

Your heart rate picks up. Shit. Did they already catch on? You haven’t even said that much yet. “Oh, nothing’s strange,” you say quickly. “Vernon’s friends with my brother. He offered me an opportunity, and I couldn’t really pass–”

“No, not that,” Ash cuts in. “You being here makes sense. He trusts you already. It’s just strange to see him being…”

“Friendly? Patient? The opposite of a dickhead?” someone chimes in from behind you. You turn to find a tall man with sharp features and long blonde hair holding out his hand. “Hi, I’m Rui, Vernon’s stylist. Love your hair, by the way.”

“Yeah, any of those words fit,” Ash says with a shrug. “Vernon’s…well, how do I put it? He’s notorious for being difficult. Usually with the press, but also with anyone who screws up. He’s a perfectionist, on and off the track, and expects everyone around him to be the same.”

“That’s why his last assistant lasted, what, a month?” Rui adds. “Being in charge of a racer’s day-to-day chaos is hard enough, but with Vernon Chwe?” He gives you a wry smile. “Buckle up, newbie.”

“So, he’s got quite a reputation.” Interesting. He wasn’t like that in the past.

“And then some,” Rui chuckles. “It was nice meeting you. I’m sure I’ll see you later, but I’ve got to run–big meeting with some brand reps.”

“Don’t crash and burn!” Ash calls after him as Rui practically sprints out the door. Then she glances back at you with a small smile. “Well, guess we should start our day too.”

Ash leads you deeper into Virex’s headquarters on this track, pointing things out as she gives you a brisk tour on the way to the temporary office space you’ll both be working out of for the next few days before this weekend’s race.

The paperwork doesn’t take long, and before you know it, your name is on every official list. Several lanyards hang heavy around your neck, each pass granting access to something you’ll probably need at some point.

“Honestly,” Ash sighs in relief, leaning back in her chair, “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve been juggling both PR and assistant duties the last few weeks, and it’s been a nightmare.”

“That definitely sounds like one. If there’s anything you want me to take off your plate today, I’d be happy to.”

“I appreciate it. Most of the urgent things for this week are already handled, but you’ll need to finalize a few details for the upcoming races. It’s all outlined in this,” she says, pulling up a neatly organized digital document on her screen, color-coded and broken down by date. She shares with you, and the quiet ding coming from your laptop confirms you’ve received it.

“Honestly, being a personal assistant isn’t all that different from other service-industry jobs. I think you’ll transition into the role easily. A lot of it is checking in, confirming meetings and appointments, and keeping track of the little things. Some of it’s less glamorous, like making sure to have flowers before his dates–because he’ll never remember–or grabbing coffees on early mornings. But then there are the bigger responsibilities like making sure he fulfills sponsorship obligations, keeping his schedule balanced between work and personal life, making sure he shows up for any previously arranged appearances, and travel itineraries.

“As for me, I handle the media contracts, brand endorsements, press conferences, his public image–sponsorship deals, social media reputation, that kind of thing. Sometimes our jobs overlap, so it’s a matter of whoever gets to it first. The most important part is being able to anticipate needs before they’re spoken. Being quick, adaptable, and making chaos look effortless, that’s what this job demands.”

“Well, you’re clearly nailing it. Especially in those,” you say, letting your eyes flick down to the designer heels you clocked earlier. You used to have a pair just like that…

Maybe after a few pay days, you’ll be able to buy a new pair–a set that will mean so much more to you.

“Would you mind explaining the meaning behind Virex?” You ask, diverting your thoughts back to something work-related. “Vernon gave me a brief rundown of the team’s history on the flight here, but I don’t think he mentioned that part.” And it’s been at the back of your mind ever since. It’s such an interesting name and concept, you’re sure there’s more to it than you are aware of.

“Of course,” Ash says, smiling as if she’s been waiting for you to ask. “Since it’s still a relatively new name in the racing world, the founders wanted something sharp and memorable, something that carried weight. At first, they were running under a different name; it was forgettable, too corporate-sounding. Then Vernon came into the picture. After one test drive in their prototype, the owners said it was like watching a predator stalking its prey on the track. The way he cornered, his dominance, the precision–it sealed their decision. Virex was (re)born. The name itself is a hybrid: viper for speed and danger, and apex for the top, the climax. It’s sleek, aggressive, and it embodies exactly how they wanted the brand to be seen.”

“Hmm. Fitting,” you murmur, unable to stop the image of Vernon’s serpent tattoo curling across his left arm from flashing in your mind.

Ash nods. “Right? The whole rebrand happened almost overnight. They signed Vernon immediately, and he’s been here ever since, along with our other driver. Both of them built this team’s reputation from the ground up. Honestly, it’s rare for drivers to stay this loyal. Usually, they get lured away by bigger contracts from more prestigious teams. But these two decided to stick it out, and it’s paying off. For all of us.”

As Ash guides you through the paddock, you pass clusters of Virex crew members chatting in tight circles, some faces clearly veterans, others fresh and wide-eyed just like yours. The air holds the mechanical scent of oil and rubber, and the faint roar of the engines still cooling down after practice laps.

You follow her to the garage, where mechanics stream in from the track side, their coveralls streaked with grease and sweat as they haul gear around, sharing half-shouted updates.

“Y/N, this is Wonwoo,” Ash says as a tall, dark-haired man approaches. His eyes catch yours with a flash of recognition, before his expression smooths into a polite smile. He was at the club last night, too.

You freeze.

He notices.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he says, offering his hand like a confidential vow to keep your secret. You slowly extend yours, grasping his and giving a gentle shake.

His smile grows, “My personal crew’s tied up in a meeting right now, otherwise I’d introduce you.”

“I’m sure we’ll run into them later this week,” Ash adds. “It’s hard to miss people when you work out of the same space.”

Wonwoo is about to respond when he’s pulled aside by one of the mechanics. They fall into a conversation about logistics; Ash is intently listening in as they go back and forth about cylinder pressure.

But your attention drifts to the far side of the garage, where the other heavy door slides open. Sunlight spills in, chased by the low echo of racecars in the distance.

And then he strides in.

His helmet is still on, and the tight, black racing suit clings to his toned frame. Vernon doesn’t need to announce himself when everyone around him does it for him. The subtle shift in the air, the way bodies move instinctively out of his path, the unspoken gravity that pulls everyone’s attention toward him.

When he takes off his helmet, hair damp with sweat tumbles downward, and his eyes lock onto yours through the stingy strands. His gaze is sharp, yet impossible to look away from.

Your pulse races. Heat rushes through your core as you pretend to be unaffected. This is dangerous territory; the kind you shouldn’t want to step into.

And yet, not a single cell in your body is telling you to run away.

Vernon’s eyes twinkle with a challenge, as if to say I dare you.

By the time the weekend arrives, you’ve settled into the rhythm of your new role. Every morning at 6 a.m. sharp, you’re standing outside Vernon the n’s hotel room with two coffees in hand. One for him, and one for the woman who sheepishly escapes in last night’s party dress after several minutes of knocking.

“So…call me?” she asks. He ignores her and yawns, snatching his coffee before shutting the door in both of your faces.

Today it’s a blonde. Yesterday, a brunette.

You offer the woman a polite smile as you escort her through the hotel and outside, where you flag down a cab. By the time you re-enter the snazzy lobby, the early-bird businessmen are slowly filling the available chairs as they wait for their car services to arrive. You snag one of the last open seats and look over your to-do list for the day while also waiting.

Nearly an hour later, Vernon emerges freshly showered and dressed, his typical scowl softened just the slightest by the caffeine. He nods to you as he strides toward the door, and you scramble out of your chair, catching up to him. It’s all become a part of your new routine, as has the silent car ride in the sleek company car on the way to the track.

Once at the Virex paddock, you’ll split apart. He’ll head for the garage, and you toward your makeshift office. Your day will then begin with a steady flow of emails, phone calls, sponsor obligations, and social media updates.

After tackling the above, it’s typically time for lunch–often catered for the entire team. The afternoon will then blur into meetings at Vernon’s side, or errands you run on his behalf.

Today is different.

It’s race day, and that means a new routine. During the drive to Virex’s private city complex, you scan through his schedule; it’s a long one.

His morning begins with some light training and physiotherapy, followed by the team breakfast. Then comes a data review with the engineers where they finalize his strategy, fuel loads, tire choices, and any impending weather contingencies.

Later in the afternoon, you head to the circuit together. While you’re escorted to the paddock, Vernon will make the rounds to say hello to his sponsors, his racing teammate, maybe even family if they spontaneously arrive. The mandatory driver parade takes place two hours before the race, after which you help Ash chase him down for the media and PR commitments he’s confirmed.

From there, your paths split for the next several hours.

Before lights out, Vernon is locked into his final briefing, reviewing tires again, pit stop windows, and the last-minute procedures that could decide the race results. Before suiting up, he always makes sure to hydrate and do a quick stretch. He then slips into his fireproof gear and checks his radios once his helmet is secure.

No matter how many times he’s done this, his nerves always tingle after his helmet is on his head. His mind and his body are temporarily disconnected until he’s strapped into his seat. He allows it because this is the only time he can be anxious.

By now, his car has been pushed onto the grid.

He joins the mechanics for final checks before being pulled aside for a quick interview with a reporter.

“Vernon, any thoughts on how today’s race might shape the rest of the season? Trying anything new out there?” she asks, clearly hoping for an inside scoop.

“It’s too early in the season to know how things will play out. Everyone here is hungry, everyone’s at the top of their game. I’m just excited to get out there, get down to business, and hopefully bring home another trophy,” he replies. Beside you, Ash nods, pleased he remembered his media training for once.

“Well, thanks for chatting, and good luck out there today!” the reporter says, satisfied with the quote.

You’ve done your research, and with Ash’s help, you learned that Vernon’s pre-race ritual includes blasting a very specific hype playlist through his helmet while he gets into the zone. He also does this little arm-and-shoulder wiggle-like dance, which you secretly find endearing.

You watch him do just that from your seat at the back of Virex’s garage–the last place you expected to be today, but apparently you’re needed here on standby. Ash is here too, ready to handle any sudden PR situations during the race.

She explained that depending on the circuit, you might be stationed in the team’s motorhome in the paddock, upstairs in the hospitality suites entertaining sponsors and VIPs, or bouncing between all three. But always following the broadcast, always on call.

The announcer’s voice welcomes everyone to the Spanish Grand Prix, but you tune it out. Your eyes are glued to the screen showing Vernon sliding into his car. Another screen flashes Wonwoo doing the same. All strapped in, helmets checked, engines humming, they’re ready.

Your hands grip the edge of your seat as the lights above the track count down, one by one. Holding your hold your breath, you wait for them to drop all at once.

And then they do.

Engines roar, tires screech, and the cars surge forward, a blur of speed and power. The cluster of cars slowly spreads out with each lap around the track.

The screen in front of Vernon’s engineers displays a close-up of his head. His helmet covers most of his face, but the translucent visor shows his focused eyes. He’s probably speaking to his his engineers and strategists, but nothing is broadcast aloud, for obvious reasons. Only those wearing the team headsets have access to the conversation.

A remark from somewhere over the radio must have him chuckle, as his eyes squint and his signature cockiness radiates through the camera’s view.

Twenty minutes later, laps continue spinning by, and the initial adrenaline of the race has faded.

“Well, want to head upstairs and meet more people?” Ash asks.

“Um…sure,” you say, eyes still jumping back and forth from the TV broadcast and the private Virex team screens.

“Don’t worry, we won’t miss much. The first stages of the race have the most chaos; now the engines are warm and the field’s spread out. The real action doesn’t start until the second half. That’s when strategy kicks in, and teams set up their moves.”

It makes sense, though a knot of anxiety tightens in your stomach. What if you look away and something happens to Vernon?

“Are there screens up there?” you ask, sliding out of your tall chair and following her up a flight of stairs.

“Even better,” she says, sweeping her arms toward the perfect view. “You can see the entire track from up here.”

You take it all in, eyes scanning the horizon until they settle on the sleek black car. It’s not flashy like competitor cars. Just subtle enough; it doesn’t draw everyone’s attention, but to you, it stands out immediately.

“Oh, perfect!” Ash exclaims, pulling your focus from the track. “One of the execs you haven’t met yet is up here, too. C’mon, I’ll introduce you.”

“Hey, Y/N. Happy to see you’ve lasted this long,” he teases with a warm smile. “It’s a great day for a race, yeah?”

Along with everything else you’ve learned this week, what stood out to you the most is how genuinely caring the Virex execs and company are. Beneath their hunger and ambition, beneath the trophy-driven intensity, they look out for everyone–drivers and personal staff alike.

“It sure is, sir,” you reply, returning his smile.

“This is Dave, the Virex Team Principal,” Ash introduces.

“Pleasure to meet you, officially,” he says kindly. “We’re happy to have you in the family. Vernon’s a tough fella, but if anyone is going to make him mind, I bet it’s you.”

Dave has the kind of presence that reminds you of a grandfather figure. There’s a gentle twinkle in his eyes that immediately puts you at ease.

He guides you and Ash through the area, introducing you to his partner, Kwon, along with a handful of influential sponsors, some superfans, and other key members of the Virex team who help keep the organization running.

Before you know it, only ten laps remain. As you and Ash make your way back down to the garage, the hum of engines grows louder upon your approach. The scent of burning rubber and engine oil hangs thick in the air. Mechanics are hunched over monitors, eyes scanning every move on the track, radios crackling with updates.

Ash leans close, whispering, “This is it, this is the real race. Everyone’s positioning now matters. One mistake and it could cost everything.”

The cars weave around one another, fighting for better positions, maneuvering into tighter spots. Their tires squealing on the asphalt has your fingernails digging into your palms. Your heart pounds in your chest as Vernon inches past a Mercedes car, slotting himself into a prime position. But can he keep it?

Cheering erupts from the team behind you every time he gains ground, the intensity in the room increasing with each passing second. Ash’s eyes dart between the screens and the pit monitors, shouting numbers and strategies under her breath. The shared energy in the room surges through you like a potent drug. It’s intoxicating, dangerous, and highly addictive.

From your spot just behind the team barriers, you can see the cars approaching the finish line, where the checkered flag waves. Vernon maintains his pace. Every turn is precise, every shift well calculated, and he crosses in third place, snatching the remaining podium placement. Not far behind, Wonwoo finishes in fifth, both drivers breathing heavily but satisfied with their results.

The entire garage buzzes with relief and excitement, radios chatter with congratulations, and you can’t help but grin, having witnessed something great.

Vernon’s car slowly makes its way down the pit lane, giving him a clear path to the garage for the post-race inspection.

Dave strides over once the men take their helmets off, grinning ear to ear. He claps them each on the shoulder, “That was some fine racing out there, gentlemen. Let’s go celebrate!”

Vernon’s eyes lock with yours, and his smile hits you in a way that makes your chest flutter. The same funny, familiar feeling that had disappeared after the night he dragged you out of the club, suppressed under the week’s chaos and his nightly conquests. You know you shouldn’t think of him this way–especially now that he’s your boss–but you can’t help it. Not when he’s smiling like that.

You follow Ash as she rushes toward the podium ceremony, set up on the main straight. Big cameras pan over the growing crowd, and sponsor banners ripple in the breeze above cheering people. Vernon steps onto the podium with other top finishers, his helmet still tucked underneath his arm. The national anthems play over the speakers as photographers get footage of the 3 winners.

Feeling a little out of place, you hang back slightly while sponsors and VIPS brush past for the perfect view. More cameras flash, the sound of multiple shutters almost overwhelming as you try to stay out of their way, not necessarily wanting to be in any of their shots.

You’re not camera-shy by any means, but this high-profile scene isn’t easy to adjust to with your background. You know it’s something you’ll need to get used to.

There’s a small pang of sadness thinking about the life you left behind. You miss your friends and your old routines, but you remind yourself why you came here. This is where you can actually build something for yourself, create a future instead of just living for the moment.

You don’t regret your past as a stripper. It shaped you and taught you skills that are impossible to fake. Being able to command an entire room’s attention, reading people through subtle gestures, and knowing exactly how to use your presence to your advantage. Skills that, right now, are more useful than ever.

Cowering along the edges of the crowd is the last thing you should be doing. Forcing yourself out of this feeling, you straighten your spine, take a deep breath, and flash that million-dollar smile that makes men's knees weak. Moving closer to the front, you clap along with the crowd as Vernon is handed the third-place trophy.

Like he knows you’re somewhere out there, his eyes wander across the crowd until his gaze locks onto you. For a brief, breath-stealing moment, you realize he’s not focused on the trophy, the applause, or even the race.

He’s looking at you like you’re the real prize.

It’s another race weekend. Singapore, this time, your first night race. The city glitters around the circuit, skyscrapers glowing alongside the stars in the dark sky. It’s also the first street track you’ve experienced since working for Vernon. The energy is something else tonight; despite the humidity, the fans are everywhere.

The engine’s roar echoes off the concrete barriers, sounding like trapped thunder as the teams fly by. Up until the 50th lap, things had been steady. But now, with only 11 to go, the tension is growing rapidly.

Every driver seems to be dancing with disaster, lunging at every opening and braking way later than they should. It’s a fight tonight, and they’ve come prepared with all they’ve got.

It feels reckless to you, dangerous in a way that has your stomach twisting and turning sour. Your gaze flickers between the massive screens showing the live feed of Vernon and Wonwoo threading through the streets, and the actual stretch of track in front of you where more cars blast by.

Vernon is driving like a man possessed; all sparks and speed, no human hesitation. You watch him turn late into a corner, cutting across a rival, just inches from colliding with the car. A few minutes later, he takes his car wide, squeezing an Alpine driver so close to the wall that he barely escapes.

He’s being aggressive. Ruthless. More so than usual, gambling everything. The crowd erupts with every daring move; fans cheer, rivals grumble. All while your heart is in your throat.

Then it happens.

Out of nowhere, a Haas swerves across the racing line, clipping an Aston Martin. Metal crushes with a sickening sound. The Aston snaps sideways, screeching as it cartwheels down the straight. Once, twice, three times, before slamming onto its roof. For a moment, everyone is silent until horrified screams erupt as sparks land on the spilled fuel along the track, exploding into fire.

Vernon somehow manages to escape the chaos before him. He swerves sharply, skimming past the debris, avoiding disaster by mere inches.

Knowing Vernon is temporarily safe, your eyes shift back to the wreckage just in time to see the driver crawl free, clutching his shoulder as he puts space between himself and the fire.

Relief crashes over you, but the feeling doesn’t last. The flames roar higher, swallowing the overturned car in its entirety. Sirens wail onto the scene. Medics sprint to the injured driver, while the fire crew blasts jets of foam.

A yellow flag waves, and the safety car rolls out to lead the field. Engines quiet to a low growl as the grid slows, circling cautiously for a couple of laps while marshals clear the wreckage.

When the smoke finally thins and the last of the charred debris has been cleaned up, the safety car pulls back in.

Vernon sits in second place now, closer to victory than ever before.

One of the strategists yells into his headset, talking to Vernon, “You’re in P2. Now’s the time to push! Be smart, but stay fast. This win can be yours. How bad do you want it?”

On the screen, you can see Vernon’s grip tighten on the wheel. His car lunges forward after the next turn, chasing the leader with a cocky determination.

Lap after lap, he closes the gap.

And then, with just one remaining, Vernon makes an aggressive move. He slips past, squeezing himself into perfect position just as they near the finish. The checkered flag whips through the air, waving high as he surges across the line.

In first place.

He won.

The crowd roars, the sound rattling through your chest. Before you know it, you’re jumping up and down right along with them. Your throat is raw from screaming, but you don’t care. Around you, the engineers throw their arms around one another, and the mechanics pound each other’s backs. More team members are shouting and clapping like it’s their own personal victory. And in a way, it is.

This win belongs to all of them. Vernon may have crossed the line, but it was their relentless work that made it possible.

Tonight, the podium feels different.

Vernon stands tall and proud, shoulders squared like he was born for this moment, the gold trophy glinting in his hands as he lifts it high above his head. It’s not his first win, but you wouldn’t be able to tell based on his excitement.

His triumphant holler echoes through the air, instantly matched by the cheers of thousands. Cameras flash from every direction, capturing him in his moment. You snap a few pictures on your phone as selfish little keepsakes, because none of the official shots will ever compare to having your own record of his genuine happiness.

When the formalities end, Vernon joins the second and third place drivers. Together they shake their oversized champagne bottles, unleashing a glittering spray across the podium that soaks each other along with the lucky fans pressed against the barriers below.

The crowd eats it up, chanting their names, their cheers rattling the barriers like a living heartbeat.

Grinning from ear to ear, Vernon finally hops down from the stage, champagne dripping from his race suit. He pulls you into a quick, giddy hug that nearly knocks the breath out of you before clapping Ash on the shoulder as she offers her congratulations.

Then, as quickly as he arrived, Wonwoo swoops in and tugs him away with a knowing smirk. No doubt, dragging him off toward the afterparty–and women–that are already waiting.

“Are you coming?” Ash asks after noticing that you aren’t following the group.

You shake your head with a tired laugh. “I think I’m going to skip it, actually. I’m already exhausted, and now that he’s won, my morning’s going to be hell. I already have missed calls, emails, and every outlet wanting interviews. Extra sleep will do me some good. Shit!” You say, remembering another errand. “And on top of that, I’ve got to find a dress for the gala tomorrow night. Totally slipped my mind while I was buried in everything else this week.”

“Aww, we’ll miss you,” Ash says with an exaggerated pout, then breaks into a grin. “But that’s smart. Honestly, I don’t even know if I’ll sleep tonight.” She chuckles, rubbing at her eyes like the adrenaline is still buzzing through her veins. “Oh! And text Rui. He’s got contacts everywhere and can definitely help you track down a dress this last minute.”

“You’re a genius. Have fun tonight. Don’t get too crazy, though, or else Wonwoo might decide he doesn’t want to share you with the crowd,” you tease. You’ve been sensing something between Ash and Wonwoo for a while now.

They haven’t admitted anything, but their sexual tension says otherwise. They’ve definitely fucked.

“Oh, shut up,” she says, rolling her eyes, “Weren’t you leaving?” she teases.

“Yeah, yeah. Goodnight.”

Traffic is brutal on the way back to the hotel, and all you can think about is getting to your room and kicking off your heels. You knew better than to wear them today, but they were your latest big girl purchase, and you couldn’t resist breaking them in. Besides, they made you feel unstoppable. Plus, it was worth it seeing all the men practically drooling as you walked around the paddock earlier.

Finally, the car slows to a stop outside your hotel. You thank the driver before sliding out and heading in. In the elevator, your shoulders relax for the first time all evening. You let out a sigh as the doors begin to slide shut–

Just before the close, a hand slips between the two doors, halting the motion.

“Hey,” Vernon says, stepping inside.

“Oh. Hi.” You blink, caught off guard. You’re surprised to see him here. Shouldn’t he be at the afterparty, out drinking and celebrating?

And he’s alone. No woman is dangling from his arm. For a moment, you wonder if there’s someone already waiting for him upstairs. The thought leaves a bad taste in your mouth, but you swallow it back before it shows.

Instead, you offer him a small smile. “Congrats on the win tonight.”

“Thanks,” he says in a low voice.

Then silence settles between you.

Both of you watch the floor numbers climb higher and higher, your heart thudding louder with each passing second.

He sighs, sounding almost like in annoyance. With his arms crossed, his fingertips tap along his forearm. He sighs again, before saying, “Fuck it.”

Then he moves with speed, pressing you back against the cool metal wall, his mouth crashing onto yours without warning.

The kiss is hungry, full of want and need. You can feel the hard outline of him straining through his clothes as your body arches toward his. A moan slips out before you can stop it, muffled against his lips, which he bites down onto.

Your fingers tangle into his hair, yanking, twisting, pulling–anything to get him closer. He growls deep in his chest, the sound vibrating against your mouth as he deepens the kiss, devouring you like a man starved.

The elevator dings suddenly as the doors open to your floor.

The sound jolts you both, and you break apart as if waking from a trance. Breathless and dazed. Remembering where you are…what you’re doing…and who you’re doing it with.

“Um…thanks? Goodnight.” The words tumble out as you rush through the doors before they can close again. Your pulse is still racing, your lips still tingling from where he left his mark.

Vernon watches you disappear around the corner, rubbing a hand across his face when the doors slide shut again.

The elevator climbs higher once again, carrying him to his own floor, and he’s grateful you’re not on the same one tonight. If you were…

He knows he’d make another bad decision. Too much temptation within reach.

This way, at least, you won’t hear him. You won’t know when he’s getting himself off to the thought of you, just like he’s been doing almost every night since he met you.

Other women hadn’t worked as a distraction. He’d tried, but none of them could keep his attention for long. His mind always drifted back to you. That’s why he didn’t even bother bringing anyone else upstairs tonight. They’ll never be you.

And you’re the only one he’s addicted to.

It’s torture, seeing you every day and not being able to touch you the way he wants. Torture, watching you walk through the paddock in those perfect little ‘fuck me’ heels, stealing every man’s attention, his included.

Vernon doesn’t know if it’s the constant proximity that’s driven him this insane, or if it’s the fact that he shouldn’t want you at all. That he shouldn’t picture you the way he does. Not when you’re his friend’s estranged, missing younger sister. The secret he still hasn’t confessed he’s keeping.

But none of that mattered tonight. None of it was enough to stop him from finally giving in.

And now that he has…he’s not finished. Not in the slightest.

Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 - coming soon ↳ view series masterlist

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“y/n..” jeonghan breathes in his sleep followed by a quiet moan. his body was getting warm as he tossed onto his back. “fuck.” he moans again, this time his eyes fluttering open. he gasps quietly at how tight his sleep pants feel, one of his hands traveling under the blanket to feel the hard bulge that felt like it grew more under his touch. 

whining quietly he bites at the sleeve of his sweater and rubs at the bulge, his cock twitching pathetically. he felt dirty touching himself like this when you were sleeping only a couple inches to his right. 

“i cant..” he pants quietly as he wills himself to stop rubbing his bulge. he closes his eyes to try and think of anything but the rushing blood to his cock but the only thing that came to his mind was the dream he had.

your plush thighs were quivering on either side of his as you rode his cock, tears welling in your eyes as you begged him to fuck you like he meant it. the way your moans echoed in his ears and your hands tangled in his hair had his hips bucking up, jostling you forward until you were leaning fully against his body - fully at his mercy as he found the confidence to grab your hips and thrust up into you. 

“god..” he shakes his head, hoping to shake the vivid dream from his mind. your warmth felt so real and the squeeze of your pussy around his cock felt heavenly - but it was just a dream, and he’s never actually felt the real thing. let alone does he even know how to properly thrust his hips if he was given the chance too - he could barely fuck his fist properly and even then the instance is rare as the only times he’s ever gotten hard enough to need help he’s already finishing before you could get his pants off. 

he rolls over into his side so he’s facing your back, you two had gotten into bed at two different times - him before you as you had some work to finish up. he studied the clothes you put on to sleep in, one of his hoodies and.. just your underwear. he felt his body heat up against as he sees the lace barely peeking out of the blanket that had fallen to your hips after his wild dream.

“y/n…” he whines again, timidly as he was scared to wake you up even though he really wanted you to wake up when he called your name. his finger twitches against the sheet where he rested his hand. he remembers the million of conversations you two have had, discussing possible kinks, likes and dislikes, boundaries - and amongst all the muddled memories he holds on to one.

‘somnophilia is where you can use me while i sleep and vice versa.. if you are comfortable with that.’

‘does that fall under free use?’

‘you keep asking about free use, i think you might be into that one a little more than you think hannie.’ 

the way you had giggled before explaining more about how free use and somnophilia go hand in hand and that you were more than ok with both made a chill run down jeonghan's spine.

he’s never had sex before, only experiencing heavy make out sessions with you that lead to you both being half naked before he was cumming in his pants - the stimulation of you grinding in his lap while your lips moved against his always pushed him over the edge. 

you shift in your sleep, a quiet whine leaving your lips as you shiver at the cold air nipping at the exposed flesh of your hips. jeonghan scoots closer to your body, very slow and careful as to not startle you in your sleep. every nerve in his body was on fire as he gasps as the feeling of his bulge neatly perfectly between your ass cheeks as he pushes his body up against your sleeping one. 

he hurries his face in your shoulder, biting at the hood of the sweatshirt you have on to stifle any of his moans as he grinds against your ass slowly. he has an arm thrown gently over your body, where his fingers slowly ghost down to the waistband of the hoodie. he freezes when you shift, whining at the coldness of his fingers meeting the warmth of your tiny - he could feel the goosebumps ruse as he trails his fingertips up towards your breasts. 

your nipple hardens almost instantly when he lays the palm of his cold hand on your breast and gives it a squeeze. it was soft and warm in his hand - drawing a moan from deep in his chest as he started to grind harder against your ass. 

“shit.” he whines a little loud before he bites onto the hoodie again, his fingers squeezing tighter at your tit. 

it was hard to tell what woke you up exactly, the muffled moans and whines coming from your boyfriend or the scratchy material of the sweater he was still wearing rubbing against the soft underside of your breast. 

“hannie?” you mumbles tiredly, your senses trying to come too as all you can feel is his warm body against yours. jeonghan freezes, or tries to at least, his hips have a mind of their own as they continue to grind and buck against your ass. 

“s-sorry, i’m sorry i-“

“do you need help, baby?” your voice was soft as you interrupted him, his voice shakey either from wanting to cry in guilt or pleasure.  

“yes,” he almost sobs as he starts to grind harder, more desperate. “i’m sorry, i-“

“it’s ok baby,” you push your ass back against his hips harder, a strangled moan leaving him as his forehead knocks against your shoulder. “i told you you can always use me if you need me hannie, even when i’m sleeping.” he moans as you shake your hips a little, precum soaking through his sleep pants and wetting your bare ass cheeks as the lace of your panties became lost between the plump mounds.

“i know, i just-“ his sentence gets cut off with another moan before he buries his face in your neck, his lips latching on to the skin as he sucks and bites to hide his loud and pathetic moans. 

“i wanna hear you baby,” you mumble as you stop moving your hips only for jeonghan’s to push against your ass hard enough to almost push you onto your stomach. “do you want this?” he nods as he continues to desperately grind against your ass and suck a hickey onto your neck so that everyone can see you’re his. 

just as you open your mouth, jeonghan is detaching from your neck to whimper, any care of sounding embarrassing going out the window as all he can think about is recreating the feelings he felt in his dream. 

“yes, please.. i want this.. i want you..” you giggle quietly at how breathless he sounded, you could only imagine the look on his face in that moment as your back was still turned to him. 

“are you positive?” you mumble, you weren’t that much more experienced than jeonghan was. even though you weren’t a virgin anymore, you’ve only experienced an orgasm by another person a couple times - most not satisfactory hence why you’ve taken things so slow with jeonghan. you didn’t want it to end up like all the failed relationships you’ve had in the past, that all ended due to neither of your sexual needs being met by the other. “it’s two a.m.” you finally look at the clock. 

“i know..” he whispers, finally stopping his hips so he could just hold you. “i… i had a dream. about you.” he swallows the lump in his throat. “you.. you were riding me and.. and i was so close and then it stopped because i woke up and..”

“and now you’re so hard it hurts, doesn’t it baby?” you coo quietly as he nods his head quickly. you manage to shift around in his grasp so you can finally look at him. his eyes were screwed shut and with just the moonlight illuminating his body you could still see the faint blush disappearing below the cream sweater he had on. “i can’t help with that.” 

your fingers rub at his chest lightly as you watch the way his adams apple bobs as he finally opens his eyes to look at you. it wasn’t hard to miss how his pupils were blown with just, even in the darkness. you trail your fingers down the front of his body, stopping when you catch the waistband of his sleep pants. 

“please..” he begs quietly, his hips bucking forward. 

“how about we save riding for another night..” you mumble as you lean forward, your lips ghosting over his before he’s crashing forward to kiss you deeply. the hand that was on your side moved to grab your hair, keeping you close as he shoves his tongue in your mouth only to whine when you nip and suck on it. 

“what.. what’re we gonna do tonight?” he pants when he pulls away from the kiss, not sure of what he should do exactly. no amount of porn would’ve ever prepared him to actually be in bed like this with you - even being together for ten months wouldn’t have pressured him for how hard his cock throbbed just looking at you in the moonlight right now.

“we’ll take it slow and easy.. i don’t wanna break you just yet.” the promise of you breaking him in the future had him practically pouncing you as he pushes you onto your back as he kisses you hard again. giggling into the kiss you bury your fingers in his long black locks. “hannie!”

“sorry, i just..” he whines when you pull his hair. “just so excited..” he breathes, his eyes fluttering close as he starts to grind against your clothed pussy, his precum and your slick soaking through the lace mixing and making a mess of his pants and your bare thighs. 

“take..” you let out a quiet whine. “take your pants off hannie.” he listens to you, forcing himself to stop as he pushes them down his thighs far enough for him to kick them off, along with the blanket that haphazardly hangs off his hips. 

“what next? condom?” he squeaks when you wrap your legs around his waist to pull him back down to be flush with your hot core. 

“you remind me to take my birth control everyday, hannie,” you giggle as you watch his eyes roll as he tries to comprehend how close your warmth was to his cock. “and you know i’m clean, and i know you are too..”

“raw?” his voice cracks before he moans at just the idea while you let out a hum of approval.

“want to feel all of you hannie, don’t you wanna feel all of me too? how warm and wet i am?” you purr as you run your fingers through his hair as he nods his head quickly for the millionth time that night - you were almost worried he was gonna get whiplash. 

“can.. can i..” his words got caught in his throat as he thought of what to say. 

“can you, what baby? use your big boy words and tell me what you want to do to me.”

“can i feel you?” he mumbles.

“feel me how?” you wanted to see how far you could push him until he was begging to fuck you. 

“feel.. feel you around my cock.” he chokes out, your ears warming up at how quick and abrupt he was.

“no foreplay?” you fake pout, knowing you were wet enough for him to slide in with ease. 

“if i don’t fuck you right now i might just cum in my boxers like before.” he whines a little embarrassed at how easy you can get him to cum. no one has ever had this effect on him before, the few partners he’s had in the past have never made him cum in his pants just from some making out and grinding. 

“that’s a good boy, using your words.” you loosen your legs a little so he can lift his hips enough to push his boxers down enough to free his cock. it was long, and curved with the girth of a red bull can - you just knew it was going to feel delicious as you lick your lips, a new rush of arousal soaking your panties. 

jeonghan doesn’t give you much time to even think about taking your panties off before he’s leaning down to kiss you again, pushing back the nerves he was feeling. he’s never done this before, only having the experience of fucking his fist while watching shitty porn in years leading up to finally dating you. 

“just push them to the side.” you gasp against his lips when you feel the heaviness of his cock sitting against your soaked panties. 

“like this?” he hooks his finger through the wet crotch of your panties before pulling them far enough to the side so your pussy was exposed to the cool air of the bedroom. you nod your head as you bite your lip, watching the way he licks up the drool that dripped from the corner of his mouth as he looked at your pussy glistening in the moonlight. “fuck..” 

“maybe you can taste me later.” you spread your legs wider so he had a better view.

“taste?” he looks at you wide-eyed, excitement lacing his voice because he got to taste you later.

“you can do whatever you want to me baby, i’m yours.” 

“mine..” he mumbles before a new wave of confidence washed over him. he remembered back to his dream, how he held his cock as you lowered yourself onto it. copying his dream self, jeonghan grabs the base of his cock, stroking it a couple times as he whines at the stimulation. “tell me.. if i’m doing this wrong.” he breathes as he smacks the tip of his cock against your wet folds before he pushes past them enough to bump against your clit.

“a little lower baby,” you mumble, moaning at the pleasure of his tip kissing your clit before he runs it down through your folds, slipping in farther once he finds the entrance. “there you go.” you hum quietly as he slowly starts to push in. 

he was slow, inching his way into your pussy as he processed the feeling of how warm and soft you felt. at about half way in he realized you were tight, tighter than he thought as he moaned loudly. 

“you’re so tight.. is, is that normal?”

“yes,” you let out a breathy giggle. “just.. just keep going.” you moan as he pushes in more, passing the threshold of where all your past lovers bottomed out at. 

“all of it?” he mumbles, his lip trembling as he tries to think of anything but cumming. 

“all of it.” you moan louder when he pushes the last two inches in, sheathing all eight and a half inches inside of you. “fuck hannie.. so.. so big.” your voice cracked as you tried not to lose yourself at feeling so full. his tip kissed your cervix perfectly, like he was meant for you and for breeding you. 

“i.. i-“ his voice trembled as he let his body lay against yours again, his sweater covered hands moving to grab ahold of yours for support as he pinned them to the bed on either side of your head. 

“take your time hannie.” you wrap your legs around his waist against, hooking your ankles together so you didn’t lose your grip in case he went fast. “go slow, it’s ok.. i’m not going anywhere.” the reassurance was enough to get him to experimentally thrust his hips. 

jeonghan moans along with you as his cock dragged against the plush walls of your pussy. he doesn’t have the strength in his body to hold himself up as he began to slowly rock his hips against yours at an unsteady pace. 

“hannie,” you moan when his cock hits new places you didn’t even know existed. your toes curl at the pleasure as you throw your head back further into your pillow - even at the pace and angle he was going at it felt amazing, new even. it was almost like your first time all over again as your body got used to the feeling of being stretched open and experiencing your cervix being kissed by the tip of his cock every time he pushed his hips against yours - making sure every inch of him is inside of you. 

“so.. so warm.” he whines, his body shifting so he can hover his upper body over yours, his hips reaching a slightly deeper angle as he thrusts his hips a little faster. “fuck, fuck, fuck.” he whispers as he screws his eyes closed, his fingers squeezing your hands tighter. your pussy felt soft and squishy almost as lewd squelching filled the space between your guys' loud whimpers and moans. 

he hits your cervix at just the right angle, cashing you to clench hard around his cock, his mouth falling open as he lets out an almost silent moan. his head falls forward so his forehead knocks against yours, a little string of drool dripping from his tongue as it almost hangs out his mouth. he looks completely lost in the pleasure as he whines and moans, trying to keep some type of rhythm as he finds new spots to hit, causing you to clench harder around him.

“ah~ hannie!” you almost scream when he pulls out far enough to hit your vapor when he pushes back in. 

“ngh~” he squeezes his eyes tighter, his orgasm right there. it feels nothing like the build up he feels when he’s doing this on his own, it was so much deeper in his stomach as the blood rushes through his ears. another string of drool drips from his tongue and this time you open your mouth to catch it as you moan at the feeling of his cock nuzzling your cervix with each snap of his hips. 

“right.. right there!” you whine, your pussy clenching again and this time it does draw jeonghan over the edge as he spills his hot seed deep inside your cunt. 

“f-fuuuuu-“ he chokes on the moan in his throat as he almost falls against your body. he doesn’t stop thrusting though, riding his orgasm out as best as he could as he learned the limits his body could handle. you tried to tell him it was ok to stop but he cuts your words very short as he snaps his hips harder then he has before.

“ah!” it was your turn for your mouth to hang out as he opted to snap his hips hard instead of trying to keep any kind of steady rhythm. 

“you… you like that?” he whines, his eyes welling with tears as his thighs tensed and shook at the overstimulation. he’s done this to himself plenty of times before, call him a masochist but the feeling of his body forcing a second orgasm because he was too weak to stop was blissful.

“yes.. yes baby, fuck!” you gasp, your back arching as your legs squeezed his hips tighter. “right there! don’t stop please.” you whine loudly, your body beginning to shake as your pussy clamps down on his cock - your orgasm washing over you quickly as he keeps hitting the same spot just like you asked. 

jeonghan had forced his eyes open to watch you come undone, the way your hair laid messily around your head made you look breathtaking. and even through his tears, that began to fall onto your cheeks he couldn’t help but notice the way your nose crinkles when he finally stops thrusting. he lets his body fall back against yours as he goes lax, his chest heaving as he closes his eyes and lets his mind go while he listens to your rapid heartbeat. 

“hannie?” you breathe out between your quiet pants. instead of answering you, jeonghan squeezes your hands lightly to tell you he’s heard you but he’s not all there yet. you can’t help but smile softly, your fingers squeezing his back as you lay as still as possible, waiting for him to be the one to move first. 

“that..” he finally mumbled after his lungs stopped burning from all the exertion and moaning he did. “that was amazing.” he nuzzled his face against your shoulder. 

“i’m glad,” you smile wide, the joy of his first time being amazing overfilled you. “you made me feel so good, baby.” you could feel his softening cock twitch at the praise before he’s moving to untangle himself from your body. 

you both hiss when he slips all the way out of your pussy that was dripping with his cum now. jeonghan groans at the sight before he moves your panties to cover you again, he didn’t need to get hard again - especially when you two still had work in a couple hours.

“we should go get cleaned up.” he mumbles as he helps you sit up, worry filling his eyes when you wince a little. “are you ok? did i hurt you?”

“m ok baby,” you give him a reassuring smile before leaning forward to peck his nose. “it’s just been awhile since i’ve done this.. and you’re definitely the biggest i’ve ever had.” you giggle when he averts his eyes and covers his reddening face with his sleeve covered hands. 

“don’t… don’t say things like that to me or..” he mumbles.

“or what? you’ll get hard again?” you bite your lip when you notice his cock, that’s on full display despite the sweater pooling against his thighs, twitch again. “god..” you almost whine at the sight before you look over your shoulder to see the time. 

“it’s three a.m now..” you mumble. “too tired to shower but we should both go pee and change out of these sweaters, it got hot in here.” you smile when your boyfriend doesn’t uncover his face but nods in agreement. carefully you reach forward to gently pry his sweater paws from his face to see he’s still looking off to the side with a blush on his face. “are you ok hannie?” 

“mhm..” he nods before biting his lip. “i just.. couldn’t have imagined this being more perfect.” he mumbles before finally looking at you, his hair falling into his face a little. you could feel your own face begin to heat up before you’re leaning forward to give him a quick kiss on the lips. 

“i couldn’t have imagined this being more perfect either.” you mumble before you kiss him a little deeper, your arms moving to wrap around his neck as he pulls you closer between his legs. 

“let’s go get cleaned up now..” he mumbles against your lips when he finally pulls away for air. “we can still get a couple more hours of sleep if we don’t get distracted.”

“distracted?” you smile as you pull away fully. “by what? you new found stamina for sex?” 

“no! i mean-“ he huffs and crosses his arms when he realizes you’re just pulling at his strings. “you’re unbelievable..”

“and yet you love me.” you hum satisfied as you slide off the bed to shuffle towards the private bathroom that was connected to your guys’ bedroom. 

“i do love you.” he smiles to himself as he watches the way his hoodie barely covers your ass as you walk away. 

“and i love you! now stop staring at my ass and help me clean up!” you yell from the bathroom, glad your walls were decently sound proofed.

“who said i was staring at your ass?” he yells back, getting up to grab a fresh pair of underwear and shirts for you both before he’s following you into the bathroom where you already sat on the toilet naked. he fights with every ounce in his body not to ogle at you before he’s turning around and mumbling that he’s ‘not strong enough for this’ as you giggle about the blush you can see creeping up his ears again. 

You stared at the board in utter confusion about what your professor was writing. Nothing was lining up from the notes you took in your previous class with Mr. Oh. You sighed and heard a chuckle from the boy who sat next to you. "What's so funny?" You whispered as he looked at the notes you had spread out on your laptop and the books in front of you. "If you're lost, I can help," He smiled at you. You smiled to yourself at the way his eyes formed little smiles of their own.

"If you're willing to help me out, I wouldn't say no…" you trailed off. He snickered at you. "Just give me your number," he pushed over a pad of sticky notes to you. You took the pad, wrote your number down, and handed it back to him. He looked at your neat handwriting as he peeled off the note with your information and put it in his pocket.

"I'll text you after class. You don't have to let me know what you're lost on. I can send you my notes." You sighed in relief at his offer. "I just met you, but you're my savior." He laughed quietly at you as your professor wrapped up. You stood up with him and walked out. "Good luck with the rest of your day!" he called out as you walked your separate ways. "You too!" You smiled as you walked into your booked study room.

Unknown number: Hey! It's Jaemin from statistics!

Y/N: Hey! Thank you again for being so willing to help me out! I owe you big time! ㅠ_ㅠ

Jaemin: It's seriously no problem!

Jaemin: [7 images]

Jaemin: These are all the notes I took! Text me whenever if you're confused!

Y/N: Seriously, Jaemin. You are my savior.

He laughed at your text as you smiled. Your friend was watching you, but you were too focused on texting Jaemin, which you didn't even notice.

Y/N: What's your major, btw?

Jaemin: comp sci

Y/N: so you're brilliant:,)

Jaemin: What about you, pretty?

Your cheeks flushed at the compliment that Jaemin gave you out of nowhere. You did find him ridiculously attractive, and he made it hard for you to focus sometimes. He always sat somewhere near you. Even if you didn't look up to see who was sitting next to you, you knew it was him from the citrusy cologne he always wore.

Y/N: Political science :) I'm going to start law after! I'm looking into some classes abroad once I'm done with the semester.

You had a grin on your face as you texted him; your friends were still watching, waiting for you to look up from your phone. Areum nudged you with her elbow, and you took your eyes off your phone for a moment to look at her. "Who are you texting for you to smile like that?" You blushed lightly at her, calling you out. "Just some guy from one of my lectures," you shrugged it off as she nodded a bit. "'Some guy,'" she mocked you, and you whined at her teasing.

A few days passed by, and you were still glued to your phone. Messaging Jaemin every thought you could tell him, and he did the same. You both had so much in common that you were surprised. "How's your boyfriend?" Areum teased. She became relentless when she mentioned him. She was always acting as if you've never talked to a guy on campus before him. It wouldn't be too far-fetched. You did try to talk with some other guy in your anthropology class last semester, but he wasn't into talking to you at all, and after him, you didn't really want to get involved with someone else.

"Yeah, yeah. You know he's not my boyfriend," You stretched your arms out as you put your phone down and started to focus on your classwork. "I mean, you guys are texting non-stop; you've been running off as soon as our reservation is over, too. It's not too outlandish for me to think you're dating,"

It was hard to argue; everything she was saying was true, but you just had so much fun with Jaemin that it was hard not to want to spend time with him. Jaemin was going through similar conversations with his roommate, Jisung. You were over their place so much that he started to tease you about starting to pay rent.

His place just felt so comforting, plus for two twenty-something-year-olds, their place was nice. The place was always clean, except maybe a clutter of shoes near the doorway and study materials on a dining table that they had never used.

Minnie: Come over when you're done with classes. I want to see your face.

Y/N: I'm almost out of this lecture. I'll come running over.

He laughed to himself at your message, knowing you were dead serious about running to him once you were done, and that's what you did. You ran up the steps and knocked. The door opened after a moment as Jisung stood there, his oversized shirt swallowing his body. "Jaemin! Your girlfriend is here," He called out as he let you in. Jaemin walked out of his room and smiled at the sight of you.

"How was your class today?" He smiled, embracing you in a hug. "It was good," You wrapped your arms around him as he kissed the top of your head. "Alright, love birds. I'm going to class and have a study room reserved." Jisung announced. "Have fun!" Jaemin didn't even look in his direction as he led you to his room.

He turned on the TV as he laid down on the comfy duvet. You lay down next to him, cuddling up to him as he turned on some stupid reality show that you would barely focus on. You looked up at him from his side. He smiled down at you, cupping the side of your face. "You're so beautiful," He cooed as your cheeks flushed. The way he was looking at you as he leaned down was setting off fireworks in your mind, and once his lips met yours, it felt as if the finale was starting. His lips were gentle against yours.

He moved on top of you carefully, balancing on his arms beside you. He bit your bottom lip gently, pulling gently as a soft moan slipped out from your mouth. Your body was heating up as he kissed you deeper.

Your lips melted against his as his arm slipped behind your back, pulling your torso closer to his. His tongue danced with yours as he held you closer.

You've made out with other people plenty of times, but it felt so natural with Jaemin. He held you tight, not wanting to let you go as his kiss grew deeper. "You're so perfect," He mumbled against your lips.

You could feel his growing member against your thigh, and your cheeks flushed. You should maybe slow down. It wouldn't be good to have sex just a few days after meeting... right?

You couldn't help yourself as you held onto Jaemin. His lips traveled from your lips to your chin. Leaving light and gentle kisses until he reached your neck.

His lips pressed against your soft skin, focusing on that sweet spot that made you let out a soft whimper. He loved the sounds leaving your lips as he bit down lightly. Leaving light marks down your neck.

He followed the same path as before as he kissed your lips, pulling your lip down and sliding his tongue in your mouth. He couldn't get enough of you.

His lips separated from yours, putting his forehead on yours. "We should slow down, shouldn't we?" He wasn't sure how you felt and didn't want you to feel pressured into making the heated make-out session into something much more.

You nodded hesitantly. You wanted to feel him deep inside of you. To feel his tongue so much more than just inside of your mouth. Both of you wanted much more but didn't want to rush into it just yet.

He moved over, so he wasn't on top of you. He pulled you closer to him so you could cuddle. He changed the TV to a movie for the two of you to watch. You looked up at him, seeing the way he was entranced in the movie that was playing.

"Hey, Jaemin?" You looked up at him as his eyes shifted from the screen to you. "Yeah?" He smiled softly. You looked into his eyes; god, they were beautiful. Everything about him was beautiful. "I like you a lot, Jaemin." You watched his expression.

He laughed and smiled. You tried to hide your disappointment in his reaction. People were already making assumptions that you were a couple, but you couldn't even take that seriously when all he did was look at you and smile.

No actual response to your confession. It did really hurt that he didn't even say anything back. Just a laugh and nothing else. You focused on something else as he still had his arm wrapped around you.

You both continued with what you usually did. The time together never changed. Going out to dinners, buying each other gifts just because, even the occasional intimate moments that you had. Thank god there was no awkwardness from the confession.

You looked at him, standing in his door frame as Jisung had already left for the day and went to class. His body came closer to yours. The way you were looking at him made his heartbeat speed up.

He walked over to you, cupping your face. "You're so beautiful." His voice was barely a whisper as he looked at you. Your cheek was nuzzling into his touch. He leaned down, his lips meeting yours as you held onto him. Your hands placed on his waist as he held your hips, picking you up. His hands shifted to your ass as he kissed you.

Your tongues moved in sync as he carried you to his room. Soft moans escaped your lips as he nibbled down your neck. Each sound encouraged him more, eager to please you. He carefully laid you on his bed, hovering himself above you. "I want to go further," He studied your expression, searching in your eyes for what you wanted. "I do, too," Your eyes filled with the excitement of finally feeling him.

He moved off of you, taking off his shirt and tossing it across his room as you followed what he did. Taking your bra off as he bit his lip, staring at your tits. "God, you're perfect," He exhaled, getting on top of you.

His lips were ghosting down the side of your neck and around your nipple. You gasped lightly at the feeling of his tongue flicking on your nipple. His teeth lightly pulled at the pebbled flesh. "Jaemin," you moaned quietly.

Those sweet sounds escaping your lips just encouraged him more as his tongue continued to circle. Your core was heating up with his touch. His hand moved down slowly, taking in every inch of your skin. He reached for your pants and pulled them down. Goosebumps spread as you felt his hand massage your thighs lightly. He could feel heat radiating from your body. His gentle kisses traveled down the center of your stomach. Your body tensing underneath him.

He pulled your underwear down and looked up at you, his eyes looking for permission. You quickly nodded as he spread your legs, moving so he could lay in between your legs. "If it gets uncomfortable with me here, just put your legs on top of me." He coached as you nodded; words could barely form as you were too excited to feel him on a different level.

He slid your underwear down, tossing it off to join the rest of your clothing. His finger teased your slit as you squirmed. He stared up at you, watching your expression as he parted your folds. "You have such a pretty pussy," He mumbled before gliding his tongue around your clit.

Your fingers wrapping themselves in his hair from the pleasure. Your back arched as he lightly sucked on your clit, moaning from the taste of you. The pleasure came over you in waves. He slipped his finger in as you moaned out. His finger moved slowly, making you jerk your hips, wanting more and more from his touch.

His drool dripped down your thighs as your breathing was heavy. His finger pushes in up to his knuckle before adding a second. "F-fuck, Jaemin.." You whimpered. He looked so smug, seeing how much pleasure you were in from just his touch. "Yes, baby?" You could only moan in response. His fingers sped up, touching your walls in ways you haven't felt as they clenched around his fingers. "God," You swallowed. "P-please just fuck me," You pleaded. His fingers stopped as he slipped them out of your dripping wet heat.

He took his pants off and walked over to his nightstand, grabbed a condom, and slipped it on. "How do you want to do this?" His voice was gentle. "I just want you in me. I want to feel every inch of you deep inside."

The neediness you spoke with made his hunger for you grow. He grabbed pillows and put them under your back, making it more comfortable for you. Your legs lifted for him as he placed one of your legs on his shoulder. His eyes looked at you once more for permission as his tip was pressing on your opening.

You bit your lip and looked at him. “Please fuck me,” You pleaded. That was all he needed to hear before his cock slowly was wrapped in your warmth.

"Oh fuck, Y/N," he groaned, keeping his pace slow. He wanted to savor every part of you. "Y-you feel so good, Jaemin," You mewled out as his hips rolled into you. He moved your legs off of his chest. You quickly wrapped them around his hips, still wanting to have more of your body on his

The feeling of his length pumping in and out of you making you moan out. His pace picked up as he leaned down, kissing your lips. "You feel so fucking good," His voice was so husky as you hummed in response against his lips.

His hips struck yours as you moaned out, his pace picking up as he was driving you closer and closer to your orgasms. His lips indulging in every part of your skin he could. You moaned out as your walls convulsed around him.

He picked up his pace but kept his thrusts gentle. "I love how you feel wrapped around me," He grunted as you felt his cock twitch. "Don't stop," you purred. His cock was introducing you to new pleasures. Your eyes shut halfway as they rolled back. His hips stuttered against yours as he groaned. "Fuck, Y/N," He didn't have to say much more for you to know he was right on the edge. Your walls spasmed against his cock. "I'm gonna fucking cum," You whined as he held your hips tightly.

Your legs wrapped around his waist tightly. "Jaemin," You cried out as that knot in your stomach unraveled, your legs quivering as your grip on him loosened. His thrusts halted, his body shuddering over yours as you felt his cock twitching inside of you.

He looked down at you, moving carefully to leave a long kiss on your lips. He panted as he placed his forehead on yours. "You felt so good," He smiled at you, his lips meeting yours again. Your lips melted against his. "You're amazing, Jaemin," You watched him as he pulled out carefully. You moved your legs, removing them from his hips that they were on. He got off the bed and walked to his bathroom to discard the condom.

He walked over, pulling the covers back so you both could get under. His arms wrapped around you as his thumb brushed on your shoulder. "Hey, Y/N?" He looked down at you, seeing you wrapped in the sheet as you lay on his side. "Yes, Minnie?" You smiled up at him. "I really like you. You're so perfect," you both liked each other more than you could put into words. It was hard to react to his confession. Just a few weeks ago, you confessed, and it was laughed off and pushed behind you. You nodded against his bare chest. His thumb is still brushing against your shoulder. He didn't say anything else about the confession.

An awkwardness filled the room that night. Neither of you would admit to it, but things were changing between you. You both were just trying to play it off as if nothing was wrong. You still texted one another and hung out, but jokes from Areum and Jisung disappeared. It felt weird getting asked if you were dating now. Nobody's asked in a few weeks, so maybe people were accepting you were just friends with Jaemin.

That was until you were approached by a couple of girls that you didn't even know. "It's Y/N, right?" You nodded as they stood across from the table you were working at.

"You and Jaemin are a couple, right?" Your brows furrowed at the sudden question. Strangers were now asking out of the blue. They were staring at you, waiting to hear your answer.

You bit the inside of your lip, not knowing what to say. "We're just friends, that's all," You panicked as two girls you've never met before looked at you in shock, expecting you to say that you were a couple.

"So I can shoot my shot, and you'll be okay with it?" She stared at you, waiting to hear every damn response you had. "Yeah, go ahead." You shrugged as she walked off with her friend.

You shook your body like you were trying to get rid of the vibes from that conversation. Everything felt off the rest of the day. Your phone buzzed suddenly. You weren't expecting to hear from Jaemin anytime soon as he had a lecture that took up most of his days.

Minnie: Damn, I've had like four girls dm me today. Do you know anything about that?

Y/N: I'm sorry. I panicked when people asked me what we were. I said we're just really close friends.

Y/N: I mean

Y/N: that is what we are?

Y/N: right?

You panicked with each text. Maybe you shouldn't have just dismissed the girls by saying you were friends and nothing more. That was your opportunity to claim him as yours and maybe solidify your relationship. Regrets started to seep in as you waited for his response.

As you waited to hear from him, you packed up your belongings and walked home. You were getting worried that maybe you fucked up. Maybe you should've told those girls not to talk to him. It was too late now for you to take back your words.

You sighed as you walked into your apartment. Setting your study materials on the dining table. You were supposed to focus on your work, yet you were tapping your home screen every few minutes. The screen lit up to a photo of you and Jaemin as you searched through notifications, seeing that he texted you about five minutes ago.

Minnie: Yeah

You stared at that four-letter word. He always had more to say than just one quick word. Even with the confessions from both sides, nothing happened, so why did he seem so upset this time around? For the first time, actual awkwardness seeped in between both of you. It wasn't one of those quick ones that got pushed behind you. It felt much more severe.

Conversations were shorter, and you didn't think much at first. Maybe he started talking to one of the girls that hit him up. You kept telling yourself everything would work out. Conversations were just shorter since finals were around, and Jaemin wanted to study for them seriously. It wouldn't surprise you as he always held himself to high standards.

You'd be happy for him if he did; you started talking to another guy you ran into on campus. You could only wish Jaemin was doing the same. The connection that started to form between you and Jeno was becoming similar to the one you had with Jaemin. Your only issue was telling if this would stay as a platonic friendship and not a relationship. That was always your downfall when talking to someone.

Jaemin was a prime example. God, he was perfect. He knew everything about you, every place you loved to be touched, the pace that would drive you straight to an orgasm every time without fail. He also knew what made you smile after a rough day of class or if you ran into trouble with anything. He just knew you.

You couldn't lie when you say you regret how things were beginning to separate from you and Jaemin; it would've been much easier for you just to commit and try again with confessing.

Jaemin could say the same about you. That's why he was worried about the distance that started to form. It wasn't intentional, but he was hurt that you didn't try again with him. Instead, you just let him go without talking to each other.

Minnie: Hey love, I was wondering if you'd like to come over? I miss you, and I want to talk with you :(

You stared at the text and looked over at Jeno. He was watching your movements as you held your phone. "I'm so sorry to do this. Do you mind if we study another night? You have my number, so just text me." You collected your belongings.

He gave you a quick goodbye as you made your way over to Jaemin's. Your heart suddenly started to beat faster as you got closer and closer. It has been a while since you've seen him, and you were just hoping he didn't have a grudge against you.

The door opened after a quick and gentle knock. "Y/N," He grinned and wrapped you in a hug. "I wasn't expecting you to come. You didn't say anything after I asked." You stood there in his embrace for a moment. Holding onto him like your life depended on it.

"Are you upset at me?" you blurted out, your head on his chest. Your heart rate decreased as you heard him sigh. "No, silly." He let you into his apartment, not wanting to keep holding you in his door frame. "Are you mad at me?" He fired the same question at you as you shook your head quickly. "Absolutely not. But I am curious about something," You had a mischievous smirk on your face as he raised an eyebrow, wondering what you could've possibly been talking about.

"And where is the curiosity coming from?" He sat down on the couch. "What girls hit you up?" You took your place on the couch next to him as he laughed a bit. "Let's see," He pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"We have…" He opened Instagram and clicked on his messages. "Jinsoul from my databases class, Hayun from the linguistics lecture we had. Sua from my algorithm lecture and Sohye from calculus." He laughed a bit and closed out of them.

You couldn't help but notice that he hasn't responded to any of them. "Okay, Mr. Popular," You teased him as he shook his head. "How about you?" He nodded towards your phone in hand. You laughed. "Only one person,"

"Really?" He was trying his best to hide his jealousy. "Yeah, Lee Jeno. He was in my psych class last year, and he randomly decided to message me. We've been hanging out. We have the same major, so we study it once a week."

He nodded, biting the inside of his lip. "I'm glad you found someone willing to help within your major. That's always helpful," He smiled at you, placing his hand on your lower thigh. "Yeah, but I still like your help," You grinned at him.

He wanted to ask you a million questions about Jeno but didn't want to press you. He figured it wasn't worth the questioning. He was jealous, though. He loved having study dates with you. He loved being able to watch you finally understand something difficult that he put into terms you understood.

He ignored his feelings for this random Jeno guy. It didn't matter. That's what he told himself. You and him were all that mattered when you came over.

It changed over time for him. What you once had wasn't happening anymore. Every time you came over, all you could do was talk about Jeno. What did Jeno help you with that week in your classes, and what were Jeno's favorite things to talk about?

It was all too much for Jaemin. He should've known it would end up as a fling for the two of you, but he figured you would be able to make it work at some point. He knew after this year you were going abroad, but he was hoping you would be with just him until the time you were going to leave.

He wasn't sure how to say these words to you. You meant the world to him, and he was losing you to some stupid guy in your major. He wanted to spend time with you and just have silly text messages in between you, but everything stopped. He eventually stopped asking if you wanted to come over because you would always be busy with classwork or with Jeno. He stared at his phone, debating if it was worth texting you, but he couldn't help himself, so he sent you a text. He wasn't too outlandish for wanting to see your face again.

Minnie: Come over :( I miss seeing your face. I know I haven't asked in a while.

You stared at the text as Jeno looked over your shoulder. "Hey, just stay with me," He smiled at you. You laughed lightly. "I want to, but he's also my best friend. I can't just keep saying no." You watched as Jeno crawled on top of you. His naked body is hovering over you in his sheets.

"Come on, Y/N," He kissed your neck as you sighed out, loving the feeling of his soft lips on your neck. "See, I know you want to stay." He smirked against your neck. You bit your lip, hesitation setting in. "Jeno, I'd love to stay, but maybe later. Okay? I just want to stop by his place for an hour. Two, tops." You stared up at those gorgeous eyes he had.

"Alright, love. Text me when you get there. I want to make sure you get there safe." He moved back to your side. You got out of his bed and dressed yourself. "I will," You smiled, watching as he leaned closer to you. You bent down and let a kiss land on his lips as he smiled at you. "Have fun," He watched as you walked out. Your heart was still pumping from your 'workout' with Jeno as you made the walk to Jaemin's.

You knocked on the door, and Jaemin opened it. Smiling at you, he didn't say anything, but he noticed that you didn't fix your hair after leaving Jeno's and the bite mark on the side of your neck. He just let you in without saying anything for a moment. He cleared his throat. "I was thinking we could get some food and watch one of those stupid reality shows." He looked at you as you quickly nodded. "Absolutely, I love those stupid shows." He let out a heartfelt chuckle. "I know you do."

He started to feel stupid; he didn't want to say it out loud, but he knew there wasn't much he could do on his own to make everything the way it used to be.

"So, what have you been up to since I last saw you?" You plopped down on his couch. He thought for a moment, trying to remember what he's done in the past three weeks. "Studying, I really want to do good on my final." He nodded, biting his lip as he thought a bit more. "I've watched a few anime's I wanted to get to. That's about it," He nodded.

He really didn't want to hear about Jeno, but he also didn't want to be rude and not ask how you were doing. He cleared his throat and sat next to you. "What about you?" He watched as you started to fix your hair. "I've been studying too. Going out with Jeno, too. He's amazing, Jaemin. We connect over everything, and it just feels so natural whenever we're together," You sighed happily.

A sour taste grew more potent in his mouth as he nodded. He couldn't help but think of what you said about him. "I'm glad." He was short and to the point, not wanting to hear about him again for the rest of the night. "What do you want to eat?" He was trying to hide the jealousy in his voice, as you thought. "Pizza? Or maybe some chicken," You spaced out, thinking hard about what you wanted.

Jaemin laughed. "How about both? I see the steam coming out of your ears," He teased you, making you whine at him. He smiled and ordered your food. He didn't want to pry but couldn't help himself. "So…what are you and Jeno?" He watched your reaction, the way your cheeks flushed at the mention of his name. A bitter taste in his mouth spread as he couldn’t get rid of it.

"We're together," You nodded, hearing a knock on the door. He stood up without a word and took the food, placing it on the table in front of you two. He tried to keep the mood light even though he was hurt hearing you admit your relationship with Jeno. He still believed that maybe there was a chance for the two of you—more than just a semester. But every time your mouth opened and Jeno's name left your lips, his heart broke some more.

He still desperately wanted to hang out with you, even though it became different in the past. The few times that you've had to catch up, he doesn't even say a word that you react to. All you could do was utter your boyfriend's name, and it started to make his hatred for this random guy grow. He created distance, slowly but enough for you to rarely talk. You started to notice after it's been a month and a half since you've talked.

Y/N: Minnie, is everything okay? We haven't talked in a while :( Are you upset about anything?

Minnie: I'm okay, Y/N. I'm just not trying to get in the way of you and your boyfriend.

Y/N: oh, shush. You're my friend! I always have time for you. I just have been worried since you haven't reached out.

Minnie: No. I'm okay; I'm free tomorrow night if you want to come over, and we could talk some more. I just want to get my classwork done now.

You blinked at the way he suddenly shut down the conversation. It was weird, even for him. It wasn't like him, he's been upset before, but he's always talked to you. You brushed it off for the night as Jeno's touch kept your mind off of how weird Jaemin was being.

You checked the time as you stretched out. You picked up your phone and saw Jaemin's text.

Minnie: Come over whenever.

Y/N: Alright, I'll leave soon :)

You stood up, throwing on some sweats and Jeno's hoodie. You texted him that you were walking up and saw him opening his door from the steps. "Hey," You smiled at him. "Hey," He held the door open for you as you walked.

You made your way to the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle from his fridge. "So, what did you want to talk about?" You took a sip of your water. "I know you thought something was off." He cleared his throat. "And there kind of is," You watched as he ran his fingers through his hair. Your heart sped up hearing him admit that. Silence filled the room at that moment.

"What's wrong?" You questioned, your heart beating out of your chest. "I know I told you it was no problem that you told people we weren't together. I just wish you asked me first. I feel like we never sat down to talk about it. Just weird confessions out of nowhere, and that was all." You shook your head at him, not believing what he had to say.

"Jaemin…" You sighed deeply. "I confessed to you, and you laughed it off. After that, I thought it was pretty straightforward that we were seeing it as just a fling. I didn't think it was something serious after that." You became upset that he was trying to blame you.

"I know, that's why it took me a bit, but then when I confessed, you did the same thing." He sat on the edge of his couch, staring at you. "Is this about Jeno?!" You scoffed as he held his head.

"Do you have to bring him to everything?!" He didn't raise his voice, but you could see he was getting annoyed. "Listen, Y/N. You went off and told everyone that I'm single. I got a few messages from girls who just want to sleep around. Not have a connection. While you got a whole relationship, I am upset, but I think I have every right to feel this way."

You listened as he rambled. Starting to get frustrated with how he was speaking. "You didn't make it clear to me, Jaemin. Please don't assume that it's my fault that we're not dating. There was clearly something about each other that neither of us wanted. I'm not taking the blame, and I'm not placing it on you. But you are being ridiculous."

His jaw dropped slightly upon hearing your words. "Clearly, something isn’t working. I thought we were both pretty honest with each other, but I was wrong. I can't just stand by and be here for you when you never want to see me because you're too busy with your boyfriend. I can't hang out and listen to you bring him up with every mention of something I say." He took a deep breath. "I'm happy for you. I'm glad you have someone, even though I wish it were me. I just think we should go separate ways."

You stared at him in disbelief. "What do you mean?" You watched as he crossed his arms over his body. "I found something else for me to do. A better program for my major abroad. I'd rather follow that than stand here every day, debating whether even to text you because you don't even respond anymore." He shrugged as you nodded slowly.

"Where are you going?" You looked at him, seeing the way his body relaxed completely. "Singapore, there's a good college over there, so hopefully that'll help me out to find a good job." His voice seemed so dry as if he was talking about something he really didn't want to do.

"And you really want to go?" You couldn't help but question him as he nodded. It was a slight nod, but it was enough for an answer. "I'm going to miss you," You walked closer to him. "I'm always a text away, don't forget that." You spoke gently. Reaching your arms out for a hug, he held you close. "I'm going to miss you, Jaemin," You sighed and held onto him.

He reluctantly hugged you, worried about getting himself hurt if he said much more. He cleared his throat as you let go. "Are you really going?" Your voice was small, and tears were forming in your eyes as he nodded. "Yeah, I hope you have a good time when you go abroad too. We can text whenever," He shrugged as you nodded. You were in disbelief that he was leaving, but there was nothing that you could say to make him stay.