Agippangwz

your eyes are fixated on nicholas’ hand as it grips the steering wheel. the way his knuckles clad with silver rings tap against the leather, the vein that runs beneath his skin and disappears at his wrist. he sings along under his breath to the r&b song playing through the speakers, the scent of his cologne mingling with your perfume and drawing a heat between your legs.

you know exactly how the night will end; it’s like clockwork, at this point. showing up to a party together because your apartment ‘happened to be on the way’ for nicho. you lose sight of him for hours, spending your time taking cheap shots and conversations with faces you vaguely recognize from across campus. it’s not until the crowd begins to dissolve and the night winds down that you get the routine text calling you down to the car.

weno: hurry up

you: and if i don’t?

weno: take your time and find out then

the parking garage attached to yudai’s apartment building is near isolated by the time you step out of the elevator. you cross your arms for some semblance of warmth when nicholas flickers the headlights once so you could find him. the sound of your heels echoes against concrete until you approach the car with a roll of your eyes.

“you couldn’t wait an extra five minutes?” you ask as you settle back into the passenger seat with a hand threaded through your hair.

nicholas laughs through his nose, immediately shifting into gear and driving to a secluded corner of the lot. the lights were dimmer, cars lining the rows with their owners nowhere in sight. the buzz of liquor coupled with the desire rising in your chest urges you into the backseat, nicholas following soon after a sip of water. the way he stares at you sets every nerve ending beneath your skin on fire, even in the darkness.

“c’mere,” he says softly, less of an order and more of a request. you oblige, crossing a leg over his to settle into his lap with your arms draped over his shoulders. his feline gaze holds yours as he brushes his thumb over your lower lip. the way his breath shakes sends a shiver down your spine and you whimper into his mouth when he pulls you into a hungry kiss.

you know exactly how the night will end.

it’s been several weeks since you and nicholas had come up with such a fickle arrangement. too many drinks shared and too many paths crossed over the years threw you both directly into ‘will they, won’t they’ territory. you’d be lying if you said you didn’t think nicholas was incredibly attractive. even then, you knew the kind of reputation he had and the way you would be setting yourself up for heartbreak if you gave him a chance.

so, you did the next best thing you could think of.

friends with benefits, non-exclusive, no labels. no public displays of affection and no daytime hookups. the only guilty pleasure you’d allow yourself with him would be when you craved his touch late in the night when the intoxication took over. nicholas seemed surprised by the fact that you were willing to accept so little of him but refused to let such a tempting offer slip away.

“where’d you end up going after the party on saturday?” yudai asks you the following week. the pair of you were confined to a study room, laptops open and coffee cups stacking up. he pouts, his tone mirroring his sour expression. “i wanted you to go downtown with us.”

“oh, y’know,” you shrug nonchalantly as you try to fixate on the document open on your screen. “i just had to head back early.”

“don’t tell me you hooked up with someone,” yudai gasps and leans in, ever the gossip. “who was it?”

“i didn’t hook up with anyone,” you answer quickly as you swat his arm.

as if on cue, your phone vibrates against the wooden tabletop. you and yudai exchange a silent glance at one another, frozen in place before he grabs for your phone just a split second before you can tear it away from him.

“give it back,” you protest. he scoffs and holds it well out of your reach as he thumbs in your passcode. a flurry of notifications appear on the screen, the most recent from exactly who you were hoping hadn’t decided to text in broad daylight.

“who’s this?” yudai teases, unfamiliar with the nickname ‘weno’ you’d assigned to nicholas’ contact. you groan as you outstretch your arms, struggling to take back your phone before he scrolls too far back. recognition slowly dawns on his face and you feel a sudden wave of anxiety from the way he looks over at you and sets your phone back down.

“nicholas?” he asks, the younger’s name caught in a dry laugh as yudai arches a brow.

“it’s not what you think,” you say defensively, color flushing your cheeks. “we’re not dating or anything.”

“oh, i figured as much.” yudai shakes his head once, the amusement in his voice now laced with a kind of concern you weren’t used to from him. “you know how he is.”

“i’m really not into him like that,” you reply as you raise a hand, as if to prove your honesty. “all we did was hook up.”

“once?”

“huh?”

“did you hook up once?” yudai clarifies as he holds your gaze. you swallow, knowing better than to lie to him.

“i mean, a couple of times.”

“what exactly is ‘a couple’?”

“… a couple of weeks now.”

yudai drags a palm over his face with a sigh, your name muffled as he scolds you in warning. you frown and shut your laptop, staring at him pointedly. “i promise, there’s nothing crazy going on. we just fuck after we go out sometimes. i don’t even know if he’s hooking up with anyone else.”

“would it matter if he was?” he counters.

“i don’t think so.”

“you don’t think so,” yudai repeats and you roll your eyes.

“i know what i’m doing.”

“… okay.”

you were just hooking up, you tell yourself. it’s the mantra you repeat in your mind even when he lingers after sex to press kisses to your forehead. even when he remembers your order for fast food at the end of a long night, down to the extra sauce. even when he knows where to find the glasses in your kitchen cupboards to pour out two glasses of water.

“what time do you have class tomorrow?” he asks you that night, the pair of you sat on your couch. your roommate was out for the night, granting nicholas the opportunity to come over instead of fucking you in the backseat of his car or behind the thin walls of the apartment he shared with maki and jo.

“eight,” you reply after a sip of water. he grimaces at the thought of an early-morning lab and you roll your eyes. “i’ll survive.” the yawn that escapes you prove otherwise, your eyelids growing heavier until you finally allow them to shut. you hear nicholas chuckle under his breath beside you, heat radiating from his bare torso. you feel yourself slipping, succumbing to sleep when your head drops against his shoulder.

like ice water, your eyes shoot open and you still. nicholas feels your body tense and drapes an arm over you.

“go to sleep.”

“shouldn’t you be leaving?”

“probably.”

you don’t say anything else and allow the exhaustion to pull you into a deep sleep. you’re not entirely sure what time it is when you wake up, the moon still high in the sky and beaming through the living room curtains. you brush the hair from your eyes and finally come to when you realize that you’re nestled under one of your favorite blankets, your head propped up against one of the plush couch cushions.

you reach for your phone and glance at the time through half-open eyes, nicholas’ contact name at the top of your notifications.

weno: you literally slept through me leaving

weno: get some rest

you stare at the messages, deliberating for a long time as to whether or not you should reply. your thumb hovers over the keyboard, yudai’s warning voice at the back of your mind.

you: thanks for the blanket

the reply bubble appears almost too quickly and you struggle to ignore the way your heart skips a beat. disappointment overcomes you as you watch it disappear and set your phone back aside, willing the sleep to return as you force your eyes shut.

saturday night comes back around in a blur and yudai is ready to drag you into another cycle of drinks, dancing and a terrible hangover on sunday morning. you refuse his persuasions, already overwhelmed by your assignments for the coming week. you didn’t want to think about how miserable you’d be trying to finish your lab reports with a pounding headache and sleep deprivation. you’d even told nicholas you had no plans to go out for the night.

yudai: come onnnn

yudai: i promise we can go to a study room tmrw

yudai: we don’t even have to stay super late tonight

yudai: i’ll drive us

you stare at the incoming messages from the corner of your eye and groan. as much as you wanted to be diligent, to confine yourself to your room for the night so you could finish your work early, you knew you couldn’t resist the idea of letting off a little steam with a tequila shot. or two. or four.

you: if i agree will you stop

yudai: :D

yudai: pick you up in 20

it feels strange arriving to a pregame in a car that’s not nicholas’. you’d spent the last several weeks carefully devising your entrances. yudai’s cologne didn’t have nearly as much of the same effect on you as nicholas’ did. the seats of his car didn’t feel as plush. even so, you allow yourself to feel excited as yudai pulls back into his parking garage and leads you up to his apartment.

it’s already packed by the time you get there, the boys yanking yudai into the kitchen for the drinks he’d held off on so he’d be able to drive you over. you can’t help but laugh and follow after them, graciously accepting the shots they poured you and allowing the sting of liquor to wash away the worries of your assignments for the time being.

it’s not until you glance out into the living room that you feel your stomach instantly tie into knots and your mouth run dry.

nicholas is there, clad in an oversized shirt and his silver jewelry. his raven hair falls over his eyes, half-lidded with intoxication as he leans against the wall beside a girl you recognize faintly from one of nicholas’ classes. she’s extremely gorgeous. you don’t even realize you’re staring until he looks up from the girl for a moment, his eyes catching yours for a split second.

the room quiets around you, the music muffled as you stare right back into his feline eyes. you swear you notice something flicker across his face before he swallows and returns to his conversation. yudai clears his throat beside you and you blink, snapping around to look up at him.

“you okay?”

“why wouldn’t i be?” you scoff, bitterness evident in your voice as you reach around yudai for the tequila again and take a swig directly from the bottle. he watches you silently, his gaze flickering for a moment towards nicholas. the younger man now had his arm around the girl with an all-too-animated laugh escaping him at something she says. “dude, seriously. i’m fine.”

“you know, it’s okay if you’re not,” yudai says against the shell of your ear so that you can hear him over the music.

“i’ll be right back.” you cut him off before he can say anything else and head to the bathroom at the end of the hall. the moment the door is locked, you glare at your reflection in the mirror. you don’t bother turning on the lights, allowing the dim moonlight to illuminate your features. you stare at your outfit for the night, at the way you styled your hair perfectly and sprayed an extra dose of perfume in the hopes that you’d run into nicholas tonight.

you knew you shouldn’t have planned on it. you knew better than to expect him to be waiting for your arrival, even when you said you weren’t coming out for the night. you knew exactly the type of guy he was and knew not to be surprised by the fact that he was preoccupied by someone equally as gorgeous.

so, why the fuck were you so upset?

“get it together,” you slur at your reflection, your knuckles white as you grip the edge of the counter. your vision shifts slightly and you take a deep breath, then another. your pounding heart finally slows and you sigh, adjusting the straps on your shirt before you step back outside to make your way into the kitchen for another round.

“whoa, whoa, whoa,” yudai warns as he watches you reach for the bottle of tequila again. “you’ve had, like, four shots in the last half an hour. slow it down.”

“why?” you scoff, surrendering enough to add a mixer to your solo cup this time. the sprite soothes the sting of liquor as you take a sip with a glare at yudai.

“yudai!” a higher-pitched voice chirps from the kitchen entryway. you both turn your heads to find nicholas and the girl from earlier. her manicured hand lingers on his arm, her cheeks rosy from her own buzz. “we need to steal your tequila.”

“be my guest.” yudai grins at her, ever-the-host as he offers them a fresh pair of solo cups. you don’t notice that nicholas struggles to keep his eyes off of you as he tries to focus on the girl beside him. she giggles as she pours them both another round of shots before she looks to you.

“do you want one?” she offers, outstretching the bottle against yudai’s protests.

“oh, for sure.” you smile back at her. after all, there was no reason to be rude to her. she hadn’t done anything wrong. then again, neither did nicholas. the only one here that seemed to have an issue was you.

the round of shots ends and the girl is ready to drag nicholas back into the living room when maki rounds the corner and claps a hand against the older man’s back with a grin. she disappears without him and you pull out your phone, feigning deep interest in your messages while yudai stares between you and the other two quietly.

“bro, she’s fine as hell,” maki praises, peering out into the living room with a giddy laugh. “didn’t you hook up with her last weekend?”

“uh,” nicholas clears his throat, shaking his head, “that was a different girl.” the thought of his  hand around your throat while he was buried deep inside of you clouds your mind and you ignore the way yudai looks down at you suspiciously.

“god damn,” maki chirps, his face alight with praise at nicholas’ hookups. “save some for the rest of us.”

“nico!” the girl reappears, quick to cling to his arm with bright eyes. “yuma wants to play king’s cup. are you down?”

“yeah,” he mutters before mustering a smile. it looks like the smiles he’s given you in the past but you try not to pay much attention to them as they leave.

“you wanna head home?” yudai asks finally and you shake your head before leaning against the counter with a resigned smile of your own.

“i’m good right here.”

you’re in the backseat of an uber on the way back to your apartment later when you feel your phone vibrate against your hip. even without looking, you know exactly who it could be.

weno: hey baby doll

weno: you good?

you sigh, irritated at the way your heart thunders against your ribcage at the sight of the nickname. he only ever called you ‘baby doll’ when he was drunk, which meant he’d probably not even remember that he was texting you right now. for all you know, he could be under the sheets with the same girl from earlier, about to fuck her senseless. maybe he already did. as much as you wanted to be petty, you knew it’d be unfair and thumb a quick reply.

you: yeah, just had to leave early

you watch as the reply bubble disappears and reappears before his next message.

weno: you got plans for the rest of the night?

you: don’t you?

weno: i can come over after

you: i’m gonna sleep early so dw

weno: oh ok

weno: sleep tight then

you scoff at his audacity and shove your phone back into your pocket without so much as another glance.

the next several weeks become a blur as you make a conscious effort to put your walls back up against nicholas. you hadn’t even realized when you’d let them down, not until the way you felt that night. no more instantly replying to his texts or following along when he steals you away for the night. you scold yourself when you think of him, of the way his lips felt against your skin.

nicholas: you coming out tonight?

you: can’t :( i have to submit something by midnight

nicholas: what about after?

you: i’ll prob be tired

you: next time

nicholas: okay

you finally allow yourself a night out after what feels like an eternity. logically, it felt like enough time had passed since the last time you’d seen nicholas. he’d likely hooked up with god-knows-who by this point. you’d expect as much with the way your replies to him had slowed down and the fact that you hadn’t hooked up in weeks. 

for once, the party isn’t in yudai’s high-rise apartment. the frat house is fully stocked for the night, string lights dangling from the ceiling in shades of red and white and coolers lined up against the walls with different concoctions that were sure to give you a headache in the morning. it’s a nice change of pace, a greater expanse than the crowded living room and balcony you’d grown used to.

euijoo finds you settled in a lawn chair in the backyard, a pair of solo cups in hand as he looks back to the patio deck where yudai was mid-keg stand. you can’t help but laugh at the way his long limbs flail while cheap ale is funneled into him and turn back to euijoo with a smile.

“why, thank you.” the tropical drink goes down smoothly and you gesture for him to join you. “i’m pretty sure i’m gonna have to drag yudai home one way or another.”

“oh, he can just crash on the couch,” euijoo scoffs, taking a sip of his own. “wouldn’t be the first time.” he turns back to stare at you with his big, bright eyes. “i was gonna say, though. i feel like i haven’t seen you in forever.”

he wasn’t wrong. you’d strategically avoided any occasion where you were likely to run into nicholas. the only reason you’d agreed to come out tonight was because you finally gave in to yudai’s request for you to be a designated driver and—

—well, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t find euijoo attractive.

it’s funny, the way that he was always there. he was at the same parties, the same pregames. you even had a number of the same classes together and he was always quick to save you a seat or offer help on assignments when you felt overwhelmed. you couldn’t help but wonder what your fate would have been if you’d chosen safety with euijoo over the thrill of being with nicholas.

speak of the fucking devil.

just as you glance back up at the patio deck, a familiar pair of eyes meet yours and you feel your blood run cold. you feel your breath stutter and avoid nicholas like the plague as euijoo pulls you back into conversation about something maki had done at the last party. it’s reassuring how easily euijoo focuses all of his attention on you and makes you feel like you’re the only other person at the party for the night.

“ah, fuck,” he mutters as he peers into his cup. “i need a refill. how’re you looking?”

“same,” you reply, shaking your empty cup for emphasis. he stands and offers a hand to you. with a gracious smile, you allow him to lead you back to the kitchen. he feels comfortable, your hand perfectly intertwined with his as the guys call out to him in passing. your nerves quell slightly and you allow yourself to enjoy his company, your mind finally free of thoughts of nicholas for fucking once.

“didn’t know you were coming out.” as if on cue, you turn to the sound of nicholas’ voice and wince as his scent engulfs you. euijoo focuses on refilling your drinks, glancing up at his appearance.

“needed a break,” you answer curtly, your demeanor shifting entirely when euijoo comes over to hand you a now-filled solo cup.

“i’ve been trying to get her to come out more,” he says to nicholas, draping an arm around your waist with a gentle squeeze. you watch the way nicholas’ eyes drift to euijoo’s grip on you ever-so-slightly before he returns his gaze to you with an unreadable expression.

“you having fun?”

“yeah,” you reply.

it’s the shortest conversation—actually, the only conversation—you’ve had with him in weeks. nicholas nods once, pursing his lips as he takes his leave and retreats into the backyard. oblivious as ever, euijoo tugs you into the living room as his partner for beer pong and you happily oblige.

later, during one of the few moments you have to yourself, nicholas finds you in the kitchen again nursing your drink. his expression is still unreadable, from the way his jaw tenses to the way he threads a hand through his hair. you look up at him with a nod, acknowledging his presence before turning back to the row of glass liquor bottles on the sticky counter.

“did i do something?” he asks suddenly.

you blink and turn to him, confusion etched across your features. “what are you talking about?”

“you’ve been avoiding me.”

“no, i haven’t—”

“baby doll.” the nickname stirs an ache in your chest and you swallow in a feeble attempt to ignore it. it’s the first time he’s called you that sober and you look away from him with a sigh. “you have.”

a long, heavy silence passes before you glance back up at him. “i just think we need a little break right now.”

nicholas looks over at the living room where euijoo is crowded by several of the other frat guys cheering him on in another drinking game. you follow his gaze and can’t help but laugh under your breath at how ridiculous he looks, his eyes wide as he downs what had to be his fourth shot in a row.

“you know, if you want to hook up with someone else, i don’t care,” nicholas says suddenly and you meet his eyes. it’s as if he’s saying it to challenge you, as though he didn’t really believe you would choose to be with someone other than him. “we’re not exclusive.”

“good to know,” you scoff. you leave him to his thoughts to rejoin euijoo in the living room. nicholas watches as euijoo instinctively pulls you back against him by your waist, your body nestled against his near-perfectly as he raises a fist triumphantly for his win in the game.

“you think euijoo’s gonna hit?” maki suddenly asks from behind nicholas, taking a sip of his own drink. “they’ve been flirting all night.”

“man, i don’t know,” nicholas grumbles, reaching for a bottle.

what feels like the longest night of nicholas’ life begins to feel like a breath of fresh air to you. another drinking game pushes you further into euijoo’s arms. your punishment for your loss was to give him a kiss, one that earns a resounding cheer from the others around you. he tastes like citrus, a mix of the drink concoctions and his lip balm that glistens on your own lips when you pull away.

it’s the first time in forever you’re not thinking about nicholas. you like euijoo, the attention he gives you and the way he looks at you when he thinks you’re not noticing. you can’t help but feel drawn to him, to indulge in the way he gushes over you with every shot he takes.

he leans in, lips pressed to your ear so you could hear him better over the crowd . “you doing okay?” you nod, but the way he struggles to hold your gaze and allows it to linger over your frame ignites something within you. “we can head upstairs, if you want a break.”

“you think it’d be a break?” you tease, pressing a finger against his torso with a grin as he offers you a drunken shrug in reply. the buzz from your own intoxication spurs you forward and you allow him to lead you away from the crowd, his hand finding yours for the second time that night.

your eyes meet nicholas’ as you scale the staircase, his grip on his solo cup tightening enough to indent the red plastic.

euijoo’s room is at the end of the hall, nestled beyond the noise from downstairs and prying eyes. he follows you in and pushes the door haphazardly before guiding you to his bed. you fall back onto the sheets, your head swimming from a mix of the liquor and anticipation. his hair covers his eyes, tousled enough that you instinctively reach out to brush it back. euijoo purses his lips and leans into your touch, his gaze locked on yours as his own hand reaches out to caress your waist.

“can i?” euijoo asks, his hand lingering now at your jaw. you nod, allowing him to pull you into a kiss. the taste of him lingers on your lips before he slips his tongue into your mouth with a soft groan. you melt under his touch, his hands finding their way over every inch of your skin as he leans over you so that your body is caged under his.

“bro, where’s euijoo?” for the umpteenth time, maki interjects nicholas’ inner turmoil and pulls him from his thoughts. he blinks, glancing up the staircase with a shrug and a sip of his drink.

“i think he’s upstairs.”

“oh, shit.” maki’s eyebrows raise in surprise, quickly replaced by a broad grin that stretches across his features. “i called it.”

“uh huh,” nicholas crumples his near-empty cup and tosses it into a trash bag dangling from the counter. his body trembles with an unrecognizable emotion as he saunters out of the kitchen, only to end up at the foot of the staircase.

his mind is racing with a million thoughts that are muffled by the bass resounding against the walls. nicholas wasn’t the jealous type. he’d never had a reason to be. if he fucked someone and they wanted to leave with another guy at the end of the night, it didn’t matter. he could care less if they never spoke again.

you aren’t his girlfriend. you don’t owe him anything. he doesn’t owe you anything. it was fair game if euijoo’s hand lingered on you all night, or if you kissed him and wanted him enough to follow him upstairs to his room. he said it himself—you weren’t exclusive. there were no strings attached, no labels to uphold.

even so, it felt impossible to not stare up the staircase and wonder if you’d gone through with it.

there’s no way this was jealousy. he just wants to know if you’re really interested in euijoo as much as he assumes you are. if you’re making the same faces, the same sounds as when he touches—touched—you. if your nails are sinking into the skin between euijoo’s shoulder blades hard enough to leave marks.

without thinking, he scales one of the steps. then another, and another until he’s away from the party and standing in the dark, isolated hallway that spills into the bedrooms. the whirlwind of emotions that plagues nicholas’ mind grows louder, a mess of pride and curiosity as he makes his way to the end of the hall where the last door was open just enough for him to peer inside.

your eyes meet his through the crack, hooded with lust as your lips part with a soft gasp. euijoo cages you beneath his weight, his lips latched onto your neck as he trails his tongue along the sensitive skin. your fingers curl around the fabric of his shirt, pulling it taut as your back arches instinctively.

nicholas feels a heat surge through his body that he can’t quite recognize as he screams at himself internally to go back downstairs. even then, he can’t. his feet won’t move, his breathing won’t slow. all he can do is stare at you and grip the edge of the doorframe, his brow arched as if to say he was surprised you went through with it, after all.

euijoo pulls away from you for a moment to catch his breath and realizes that your attention has shifted elsewhere. he glances over his shoulder, his chest heaving as he glances between the pair of you. color flushes your cheeks as remorse washes over you. euijoo remains still for what feels like forever before he glances back down at you, liquid courage holding him steady.

“do you want me to stop?” he asks breathlessly, brushing his thumb over your cheek. you finally look away from the door and meet his eyes again, your heart stuttering at the way he so earnestly awaited your permission even in his drunken stupor.

“no,” you breathe, sparing a passing glance in nicholas’ direction as you grip euijoo’s shirt again, “no.”

he looks down at you for a moment, assessing your reaction before lowering his hips against yours and pressing a string of kisses to your collarbone. you gasp beneath his touch, your eyes nearly fluttering shut when you make the mistake of glancing back over at the crack in the doorway. even in the dim lighting, you can make out the smirk that etches across nicholas’ face. he takes a tentative step into the room, bolder this time about the fact that he’s watching you writhe beneath euijoo.

the moment you struggle to tear your gaze away from nicholas, his smile grows wider and there’s something cocky in his expression that drives you insane. you like the way he’s watching you. no matter how hard you tried to shut him out, you wanted him.

“don’t mind me,” he hums, leaning against the now-shut door.

euijoo pays no heed to nicholas’ commentary, focused on you as he presses a kiss to your jaw and deepens the pressure of his hips against yours. you curse under your breath, gripping his biceps to ground yourself before you realize it’s doing very little. all you can think about now is the feeling of nicholas’ body on yours, the way his muscles flexed with every thrust as he fucked you into the mattress. nicholas registers this, his eyes darkening the longer he stares at you.

“you like that, baby doll?” nicholas asks, although there’s venom in the way he says your nickname this time.

euijoo finally straightens, staring down at you with renewed concern. he purses his lips, his chest still heaving with staggered breaths before he offers you a weary smile. shame envelops you and you can’t help but glare at nicholas before looking at euijoo apologetically.

“hey, take a minute if you need it,” he says, patting your thigh gently. “seriously.”

“just—let me talk to him,” you sigh, pitifully mirroring his smile as he shakes his head.

“do whatever you need to do,” he replies, reassurance evident in his voice as he brushes a strand of hair from your face. “i’m gonna head downstairs and make sure no one’s destroyed the place yet.”

you can’t help but let out a sigh as euijoo lifts himself off of you, nodding in nicholas’ direction before he heads back down the hall. rage begins to thrum along your veins as you stand upright, storming towards nicholas with a pointed finger shoved at his chest.

“what the fuck is your problem?” you snap.

“my problem?” nicholas repeats in a laugh that sends a shiver across your skin. “you’re the one that’s been avoiding my texts for weeks. you never come out anymore. you haven’t answered when i hit you up at night.”

“i don’t want to see you, nicholas,” you huff in exasperation as you gesture between the pair of you. “i’m over whatever this is.”

“oh, you’re over it?” he asks, crossing his arms over his torso. “is that why you fucking stared at me while he was touching you?”

you pause for a moment, quick to defend yourself. “i wasn’t—”

“don’t lie,” nicholas scoffs.

“what the fuck do you want, then?” you ask, threading a hand through your hair with a groan.

“i don’t—” he pauses. “—i don’t know.”

“drop it, then,” you voice is stern as you take another step towards him.

nicholas glares at you. “you think i care if you’re trying to fuck euijoo out of spite now because you can’t handle the rules you set? what, was i not supposed to fuck anyone else all of a sudden?”

“oh, fuck you,” you growl, shoving past him to go downstairs and let yudai know you were more than ready to leave. before you realize, nicholas has you pinned to the door with your hands trapped in his above your head. “let me go, nicholas.”

“tell me you don’t want me,” he breathes, his chest flush against yours, “and i’ll drop it.”

no matter how much your throat ached to scream at him that you wanted nothing to do with him, your body betrayed you. a familiar heat you hadn’t felt in weeks creeps way beneath your skin, a reminder that you weren’t one bit over nicholas.

you could swear a thousand times over that you’d had enough of him, but the way your body trembles beneath his makes it obvious that your resolve was hanging on by a thread. every last bit of you knows you need to stop. the second you gave him another chance to touch you, it’d be more trouble than it was worth.

“i don’t want you,” you muster, your voice quieter than before. nicholas furrows his brow at you with an annoyingly arrogant expression and a shake of his head.

“you’re a fucking liar,” he snaps back, lowering his grip on you. “go back and call euijoo upstairs, then.” the hesitation that lingers within you, even for a split second, is enough for nicholas. “that’s what i thought.”

“fuck you.”

nicholas’ hand latches onto your throat to pin you back against the door, the thud echoing through the room as his lips find yours. a startled gasp escapes you and he uses the opportunity to shove his tongue into your mouth. it had been weeks since you’d last kissed him, felt the way his fingers curled around your neck to leave you breathless. no matter what you told yourself, your body reacted on its own to every touch from him. you were ashamed of yourself for not putting up a stronger fight and leaving him alone.

the cool of his silver rings stings your skin as he slips a hand beneath your shirt, trailing his fingertips over the lace hem of your bra and down to the small of your back. he lets out a hungry groan against your lips, equally as touch-starved. the way you reacted to him was something he didn’t know he was craving so desperately. he finally pulls away for a moment, his chest heaving as he struggles to catch his breath. you hold his gaze as you do the same, your knees nearly buckling when he brushes his thumb across your lower lip.

“we should stop,” he says, the sudden rejection dragging you back into reality. 

“then stop,” you reply simply, more simply than he anticipated.

a chill runs down his spine as he realizes if he let himself give in to that raw, desperate need to fuck you that he’d regret the aftermath. you were no longer a random hookup he whisked away at the end of the night. he knew exactly what your fast food order at the end of the night was, he knew that you put your glasses in the second cupboard from the left of the stove.

he didn’t even remember the girl’s name from last weekend.

“i’m tired, nicholas,” you tell him as he finally lets you slip out from beneath him. he knows you don’t just mean that you’re exhausted after a long night out. “i’m gonna go home.”

nicholas watches as you head downstairs, but he doesn’t go after you.

you don’t go out of your way to avoid him after that. he doesn’t text you in the middle of the night, you don’t make excuses to get out of going out on the weekends. the lack of resolution was driving you crazy as much as it was him, but you drown your thoughts in cheap liquor and the residual hangovers that linger on sunday mornings.

you don’t speak when you’re at parties anymore. nicholas watches from his own corner of the room while you dance with strangers, the way your eyes light up when you throw your head back to laugh at a joke yudai makes. he watches the way euijoo lingers, the hunger in his own eyes similar to yours when you look back up at him. he wonders if you’ve hooked up with him by now, even though it was none of his business to find out. he’s terrible at keeping himself occupied. the girls on his arm at parties do little to satisfy the tension stirring in his body.

it’s not until another night at the frat house when yudai is wasted beyond repair and euijoo is tasked with wrangling the boys downtown that you’re stuck with nicholas against your will.

“come on,” you grumble, cancelling and reordering ubers for a ride home and growing frustrated as the arrival time continues to climb. you should have known better, especially on a saturday night. the air outside is chilly and forces you to tug your leather jacket more tightly around you for some kind of warmth.

“do you need a ride?”

a voice you haven’t heard in what feels like ages calls out to you from the house porch and you feel your body still. you glance over your shoulder, feigning ignorance as nicholas scales down the front steps and saunters down the walkway to where you were standing on the curb. you hate the way your breath still catches at the sight of him, even after making a more conscious effort to avoid him during the party. his raven hair has grown out some, falling fully over his eyes and concealing the way he looked at you.

“i’m good,” you reply, focused on your phone as your uber driver cancels on you this time and the spinning wheel returns as the app tries to find you a new ride home. you curse under your breath and look back up when nicholas clears his throat.

“i’m literally right there,” he says, pointing to his car parked alongside the curb, “and you know you’re on the way home for me.”

“i think i can figure it out,” you insist. “if anything, i’ll just head back inside and—” a yawn cuts your sentence short. “—i’ll wait for euijoo.”

nicholas stares at you pointedly, his chest rising and falling with soft breaths before he finally says, “just get in the car.”

the leather seats are as plush as you remember, cool against your skin with the faint scent of someone else’s perfume lingering in the upholstery. nicholas keeps his eyes locked on the road, focused on driving carefully in the dead of night with the music turned low. you angle your body towards the passenger door, fixating on passing headlights as a heavy silence settles between you.

“how’ve you been?” he asks, awkward enough to earn a scoff from you in disbelief.

“you see me all the time,” you reply, “i’m fine.”

“how’s euijoo?” you finally turn to look at nicholas, your brows furrowed as you try to decipher his expression. the way he asks would seem so casual to anyone else, but you knew he wasn’t asking just to make conversation.

“the sex is great,” you quip sarcastically, crossing your arms. “is that what you want to hear?”

“cool,” he replies flatly and you roll your eyes.

“that’s it?”

“what do you want me to say?”

“i don’t know,” you say as you notice the way his jaw tenses, “you’re the one asking about him.” you stare at him for a moment, a fire ignited within you before you continue, “what, are you jealous?”

the laugh that escapes nicholas almost hurts your feelings—almost. “yeah, okay.”

“so we don’t care enough to stop me from the middle of making out with him anymore now,” you scoff, “got it.”

the unresolved tension after that night continued to swell, engulfing the pair of you. nicholas would be lying if he said he didn’t think about that night. the way you looked at him, needy and desperate for his touch. you tried your best to forget about it. you pleaded with yourself to make any effort to move on, efforts that went down the drain the second you set foot back into his car. you remain silent for the rest of the ride back to your place; at least, until you notice that nicholas has taken a sharp left turn into the parking garage instead of at your lobby doors.

“what are you—”

“we need to talk,” he says matter-of-factly, pulling into a parking spot tucked away in a corner. your heart races as he shifts into park, his free hand gripping the steering wheel more tightly than before. his rings flex against his knuckles, tongue pressed to the inside of his cheek as he takes a sharp breath.

“what the fuck’s the problem?” he asks, turning enough so that you’re forced to look him in the eye.

“i don’t know what you’re—”

“if whatever this was is over, then you need to be straight up and say it,” nicholas says. “you don’t need to ice me out.”

you stare at him in the silence, the air conditioning suddenly too cold and the car too small. his cologne swallows you as your chest begins to stutter with staggered breaths. this was exactly what you were avoiding. keeping nicholas at arm’s length meant not having to acknowledge the way your arrangement had spiraled out of control. it meant you could bury any of the jealous, ugly feelings it spurred and the fact that you liked the way he wanted to be possessive of you. it meant you had won, in a way, causing someone like him to succumb to the fact that he couldn’t get enough of you.

“i—” you blink, your eyes darting between his as you struggle to find an answer.

“say that you don’t want me anymore,” nicholas continues, his voice dipping lower and sending a shiver along your spine. the moment he realizes you hesitate, he knows he’s got the upper hand and a cocky smile tugs at the corner of his lips. “c’mon.”

“i—i don’t—” you scold yourself mentally for faltering, heat rising to your cheeks and spreading to the rest of you when he cups your jaw in his hand to brush his thumb over your cheek. he moves closer to you tentatively, his breath on yours as he utters his next words carefully.

“are you and euijoo fucking?” you nod once, the thought causing nicholas to still for a moment as unexpected jealousy crawls across his skin. “are you exclusive?”

you stare at him, letting out a shaky exhale before, “no.”

that gives nicholas enough permission to press his lips to yours, the feeling drawing your legs together instinctively before he shoves them apart with his free hand. there was something different about the way he kisses you that night, with a kind of need you hadn’t expected from him. he was greedy, desperate to show you that you belonged to him whether you wanted to admit it or not. his tongue glides against yours as he traces slow, tantalizing circles along the flesh of your inner thigh. you whimper into his mouth, the sound music to his ears that he hadn’t heard in what felt like a lifetime. he finally resurfaces and your chest heaves as you steady your breathing. your lips are parted, swollen when nicholas presses another kiss to them before telling you to get in the back.

the moment your back hits leather, all hell breaks loose.

nicholas buries his face in the crook of your neck, biting and sucking on sensitive skin as he lifts one of your legs onto his shoulders so that he could fit his hips against yours. the imprint of his cock against your already dripping entrance coaxes another whimper out of you and he lets out a breathy laugh against the shell of your ear.

“that’s a good girl,” he praises, increasing the pressure as he grinds against you, “let me hear how much you missed me.”

“fuck,” you mutter as you throw your head back, partly in scolding to yourself and partly from the pleasure. nicholas brings two of his fingers to your lips and you suck on them obediently, brushing the tip of your tongue along the edge of his rings. he stares at you, his own lips parted in awe and his pupils blown wide before he retreats his fingers and hooks a thumb around the hem of your panties beneath your skirt to slip them between your folds.

he knows just where to curl his fingers, just how fast to move and how deep to go. you grip his shoulders to steady yourself, arching your back off of the seats enough so that your chest was flush against his. nicholas watches as you writhe against him, the sound of your arousal mingling with sharp, shallow breaths.

“oh, fuck,” you mewl, your nails raking across the fabric of his shirt as you bite down on your lip in a failed attempt to silence yourself. 

“ah, ah,” he scolds, arching a brow as he leans back onto his haunches to look at you, “don’t try to be quiet.”

as if to draw another sound from you, he adds a third finger and you feel your mind go blank as the pleasure surges to your core. your whimpers quickly dissolve into a string of moans, the sound like heaven to him as he bites down on your collarbone to spur you on. you can’t help but to hook a leg over his waist, drawing him closer as he drags the tip of his tongue along the length of your neck before circling it against the shell of your ear.

his thumb presses against your clit, the pressure causing you to see stars and your hearing to grow muffled as your breathing becomes hollow. nicholas senses your impending climax and picks up the pace, muttering something filthy against your ear that you can’t quite make out over the way your stomach knots and unravels as the wave of pleasure washes over you.

you barely have time to catch your breath when nicholas lowers himself onto the floor between the seats so that he can position himself before your entrance. you swallow between breaths, fighting to steady your breathing for even a second when he flattens his tongue against the soaked fabric. those feline eyes of his meet yours, intoxicating as ever as he presses his thumbs into your thighs to keep them apart.

he circles his tongue against your clit, the friction from the fabric and overstimulation after just coming causing you to twitch beneath his grip. you thread a hand through his hair and yank, hard. if there was one thing you knew about nicholas, it was that he despised anyone touching his hair. even then, he seems unbothered as he shoves his tongue into you to lap up every last bit of your release. his gaze never leaves yours, his eyes devouring the way your body responds to every touch and taste from him.

your breathing grows unsteadier until you finally pull him off of you, overwhelmed with pleasure as you lift yourself onto your elbow shakily. nicholas grins up at you, his lips glistening and covered in you before he reclaims your lips so that you can taste yourself. you shove him back with a hand pressed to his chest until he’s seated, giving you room to drape a leg over him and settle into his lap.

you roll your hips against his with a blissful sigh, threading a hand back through his hair to keep him from kissing you. it wasn’t that you didn’t want to—of course, you did—but you wanted to see every last bit of how you affected him and how you had him undone after weeks of deprivation. his brows furrow with the frustration, his face contorted with pleasure before you bring your lips to his ear with a low hum.

“you miss fucking me, weno?” you ask. nicholas hadn’t heard you use his nickname in what felt like an eternity and groans as his eyes roll back from the pleasure. he smacks a hand against your ass in approval before grabbing onto your hips to guide your pace so that you’d match his.

“bend over,” he orders breathily, ready to fuck you from behind when you shake your head and reach between you to unfasten his jeans.

“i don’t think so.”

“what are you—”

you hook a finger around your panties as you free him from his boxers, spitting into your palm before gripping his length in your hand, hard and rigid. he’s warm beneath your touch, his hips bucking ever-so-slightly into your grasp as you position his head at your entrance before sinking down without warning. the sound that escapes both of you is unholy, a low, drawn-out moan that has nicholas gripping your hips as you begin to ride him. your legs shake with every motion, the feeling of him stretching you out causing your eyes to flutter shut as you throw your head back with another moan. nicholas revels in the sight, the way you get off on using him.

the moment your pace falters, nicholas shifts to steady himself and thrusts his hips up into yours. the angle has you reeling as your head falls onto his shoulders, his broad hands pinning you to him as he fucks you hard enough to cause the car to shift beneath you.

“you like that?” he asks breathlessly between a slew of messy, open-mouthed kisses. you nod wordlessly, biting down on his shoulder and catching the fabric between your teeth to stifle any other sounds that threaten to escape you. nicholas picks up on this and wraps a hand around your throat, holding you upright with his fingers pressed into the flesh beneath your jaw. 

“tell me now how much you don’t want me, baby doll,” he orders, relishing in the sight of you coming undone on his cock. “you were saying?”

“fuck you,” you rasp, your voice caught between gasps as you clench around him involuntarily. he groans at the sudden suction and holds you steady so that he could slide fully in and out of you with every thrust. “a-ah—”

“that’s what i fucking thought,” he groans, shifting so that you were now beneath him and pressed back into the seats. he hooks both of your legs over his shoulders, forcing you to feel every inch of him as he settles into a relentless pace. his hands find yours to pin them above your head, his fingers intertwined with yours as he groans through gritted teeth. you’re not far gone enough to realize that he’s never done that before now.

“weno,” you whine before hooking a finger through his chain to pull him closer. he reclaims your lips in another kiss, this time slower and more deliberate than the desperation from before. you feel your pulse quicken as your breathing becomes more and more staggered, heat pooling between your legs as nicholas senses that you’re close.

“that’s it, baby,” he mutters against your lips, his forehead pressed to yours, “come all over my cock.” you cry out as nicholas thrusts once, twice more before he fills you to the brim with his own release. his hips jerk against your violently as you clench around him, your mouth hanging open as you fight to swallow down gasps of air. the car smells of sex and the windows are dangerously fogged by the time nicholas pulls out of you, reaching for the tissues from his glove compartment so that you could clean yourselves off.

neither of you say anything. you barely so much as look at one another as you return to the front seats in silence. a newfound tension settles between you, one that reminds you of how messy of a situation you were getting yourselves into.

nicholas breaks the silence first, clearing his throat before he turns to you. “friends?”

you stare at him for a moment, still working to steady your breathing. you knew it was a stupid compromise and that there were still so many unresolved issues between you that neither of you had the courage to address. you knew that there would be nothing but hurt if you gave into the sheer desire you felt for nicholas.

Unfortunately for Nico, Maki caught him eyeing you when you weren't looking. And Maki knew that look anywhere. Nico was imagining you without your clothes, and perhaps how you'd look bent over the sofa with your ass in the air.

Maki shook his head. Nico was too vanilla for that. Motherfucker was probably picturing you on your back with your legs wrapped around his waist while he pumped his babies in you.

"Hey!"

Nico jumped, breaking out of his dirty thoughts as Maki clapped him on the shoulder and joined him on the couch, handing him a can of liquor.

"Pretty girl," Maki called over to you, waiting for you to turn around before saying, "Come sit on my lap. Nico is staring at your ass."

Nico almost choked on the sip he'd just taken, exclaiming, "I was not!"

"You were," Maki said smugly, flashing his teeth in a grin.

You shot Maki a look, having been on your way over to him but stopped in your tracks. "Maki, be nice."

"I'm very nice. It's not his fault. Body tea."

"I can't stand you," you whined with a laugh.

Maki patted his thigh. "Then sit down."

You narrowed your eyes at him, already sensing he was up to something, and promptly sat on the other side of Nico, who was now an unfortunate barrier between you and your mischievous boyfriend.

"Whatever you guys are doing, leave me out of it," Nico said in a hurry, holding his hands up.

Maki made a noise of annoyance. "I was going to include you, but nevermind."

"Include me in what?"

"Maki, you're too much right now. Can't you just be normal?" You were complaining, but your heart wasn't totally in it. Reaching over, you took Nico's drink and downed a big gulp.

Maki whined, "You just indirectly kissed another man in front of me!"

"I'll fucking mount him in a minute if you don't stop getting on my nerves."

Nico's jaw was on the floor and he had no idea what to say in this situation. Not that he had a chance. Maki leaned toward him and said, "She's in that weird part of her cycle where she's really mean to me in between all the dick riding."

Your eyes went wide at him spilling trade secrets all over Nico and you snapped, "Maki, what the actual fuck is wrong with you?"

"Stop acting mad," Maki said coolly, smirking. "This is a safe space."

You glared at him. Poor Nico just stayed in his seat between the two of you - the unwilling buffer.

Maki turned to face you both more squarely and leaned back like he was on a beach somewhere, and said, "Well, go ahead. Fucking mount him."

You and Nico stared at Maki in disbelief. And a little bit of hesitation. The same look roadkill gets the moment it steps in front of a truck on the highway.

"Maki, when I said I'm okay with threesomes, I meant with someone that knows what we're talking about," you said in a small voice, worried that your boyfriend had just traumatized the boy next to you who'd never been anything but kind to you.

Maki chuckled, but turned reassuring, sensing what you needed. "He's fine, babe. He wants this. I wouldn't offer if he didn't."

Your gaze finally drifted to Nico. You'd been avoiding looking at him, worried he might be viewing you differently and your heart couldn't take that.

Nico was having a staredown with Maki. This felt like a trap.

Maki wasn't fazed and told him, "Don't look at me. Look at her."

Slowly, Nico turned to look at you and he swore he'd never wanted someone so badly. He always felt guilty for lusting after his best friend's girlfriend, but he never disrespected your relationship. Maki meant too much to him for that.

But there was nothing wrong with looking at you. And daydreaming about you.

Now, here you were, sitting next to him, so close he could hear your hurried breaths and smell that sweet, delicate perfume you always wore.

Nico met your eyes and said, "Do what you want," in the lowest voice you'd ever heard and your heart skipped a beat before slamming into your ribs.

Your body was already moving before your brain could fully comprehend it. You straddled Nico's lap, his arms wrapping around your waist and your hands cradling his face, the two of you crashing into a hot and heavy kiss that knocked the wind out of you both.

Maki watched eagerly, biting his lip. You'd been such a horny little thing lately (you could barely keep your hands off him to begin with, but hormones definitely didn't help), and Maki found he kinda liked the idea of his best friend getting a few orgasms out of you.

You liked kissing Nicholas. It was different from Maki. Your boyfriend was all passion and heat, but Nico was deep and intentional. His hands felt heavy on your skin, roaming your hips and thighs. At his touch and his kisses, you started grinding on him, searching for friction for the ache he was creating between your thighs.

Maki moved, you heard it, but it didn't register. Then you felt his presence at your back, hot and burning as usual. He was on his feet, pushing against you so you knew you could never escape him, and growled, "You want both, baby?"

You nodded as you kept stealing kisses from Nico, who had no problem keeping up with you. His body was moving under yours, arching his hips to meet your ministrations, his dick getting hard in his pants, rubbing against your clothed folds.

Patiently, Maki began gathering your hair in his fist, listening to your kisses with Nico grow wetter, no doubt his tongue pushing into your mouth to really taste you. There was a tiny catch in your breath; Nico had finally decided to palm your breasts hungrily.

Maki tugged on your hair, parting you from Nico's mouth and tipping your head back. You locked eyes with your boyfriend, melting at how aroused he looked, knowing he got off to being in control. Maki peered down at you with approval, seeing your breasts in Nico's hands, your rapid breathing. Nico had already sealed his lips to your neck, needing an outlet, and your eyes lolled.

"You do nothing without my permission. Understand?"

You nodded rapidly.

Maki grinned that devilish grin of his and added, "And you do exactly what I tell you. Got it?"

"Yes," you replied breathlessly. Swallowing the last of your nerves, you asked, "Red, yellow, green?"

"Always," Maki said, confirming your safe words. He glanced at Nico and growled in a rougher voice, "If she says red, you stop. I don't care if you're mid-fucking thrust or nut. Hear me?"

"I hear you," Nico said, returning to the bruise he was sucking in the crook of your neck.

Maki smoothed his free hand down your body before going right to your sex and palming you over your clothes. You were wearing leggings that fit you like a glove, and you were about to be parted from them.

"Yellow means slow down," Maki started, stroking your folds with his fingers and getting a little whimper out of you.

Nico sounded impatient. "I fucking know."

"Watch your tone," Maki chided, the warmth of his hand leaving you as he began fiddling with your leggings. "You wouldn't believe how fast I could pull her off you."

A loud tear sounded through the room, followed by your yelp.

"The fuck?" Nico grunted, glancing down to see Maki ripping your leggings to pieces until he could drop them to a pile on the floor.

"Get him out of his pants," Maki told you, then he shifted to Nico. "Get her shirt off."

You went to work on Nico's belt and jeans, while his arms tangled through yours to get your tee over your head. Behind you, you could hear Maki stripping out of his shirt, but he kept his pants on for now.

When you pulled Nico's hard dick out of his pants, you wrapped your hand around the head and pumped him, making Nico stagger out a breath. You bit your lip, already thinking about his cock inside you, and like clockwork, Maki's hand cupped your sex - now with nothing in the way - again.

"You're wet enough. Put him in," Maki hissed lowly, his fist back in your hair.

Nico's eyes flickered and he looked at Maki behind you. "Raw?"

"She's on the pill. Don't get so excited."

Nico flushed a little and as you lifted your hips, steering him to your entrance, you asked softly, "You wanna put your baby in me, Nico?"

Your lips parted and you tipped your head back a little, making Maki grip your hair tighter. You sank down, taking every inch of Nico's hard cock.

Nico sucked in air through his teeth, his hands on your hips pinching you to the point of bruising. How you could be even tighter than he imagined made him crazy.

"I'm the only one coming inside you," Maki said darkly in your ear. "If he gets one drop in you, I'll kill him."

You rocked slowly until Nico was sheathed to the hilt in your pussy. You braced your hands on his shoulders and started riding him, arching back and forth, feeling him sink in and out of you, his cock dragging against your sweet spot.

"Fuck," Nico groaned, looking up at you like he'd seen god. He hadn't even registered Maki's threat fully, he was too distracted by the hot grip of your cunt.

Maki was a lucky bastard. Now Nico understood why he was always in such a good mood.

As if reading his mind, Maki watched you riding Nico, heard the wet squelch of your perfect pussy, and taunted, "Sometimes we spend all day in bed. She begs me to fuck her till it hurts."

"Maki," you warned, grinding on Nico's cock at a faster pace.

"That's right, baby," Maki said, reeling his hand back and slapping your ass. "Say my name when you're bouncing on another man's dick."

Nico sat up, his face pressed to your neck, and started rutting his cock into you harder, driving in deep. He wandered his hands over your body, touching every inch of you he could reach, tracing the lines of you to etch into his mind forever.

"Let me fuck her right," Nico growled, nipping at your neck when you moaned.

"Nope," Maki replied mercilessly. He was so close, your ass landed against his clothed crotch with your movements. "Lay back or I'll tell her to stop."

"Fuck you," Nico snapped, too pussy drunk to realize he and Maki were playing different games.

Maki said your name and, "Stop."

You came to a dead halt mid-stride at Maki's command, holding onto Nico for dear life while you waited to hear your fate.

Nico swore again, angrier this time, his cock twitching inside you. "What do you want?"

"Well now I want you to lay back. Gotta prove my point." Maki spoke so casually it was almost annoying. Nico was balls deep inside you, your walls aching and clenching for some friction, but you dared not move.

There was a tiny pause. Nico was presumably deciding just how bad he wanted pussy. If it was worth obeying Maki.

Of course you were.

Nico shimmied beneath you a little, turning slightly, and laid back on the couch, taking you with him. You propped your hands on his chest and caught yourself staring at him. His flushed cheeks. His glistening skin, damp with sweat. His eyes pierced through yours, you almost looked away.

His hands came to your breasts, thumbs brushing over your nipples. You made a little noise and clenched on him.

"You can kiss him," Maki said, crowding your back. You could hear him fiddling with his pants.

Your lips met Nico's and you kissed for what felt like ages, his cock filling you but not moving. It was such a perfect contrast to Maki. You realized then that you would do anything for them. Anything they wanted so long as they kept touching and filling you.

Maki told you to move slowly, lifting and falling only a little, keeping Nico's cock mostly inside you. You felt Maki's hands grasp your hips followed by the head of his dick pressing into your entrance with Nico's.

"I can't," you gasped, the pressure becoming more than you'd ever felt in your cunt.

"You can," Maki told you reassuringly. "Just relax, baby. You're so wet."

Your breaths came faster, your heart thundering away in your chest. Your body was screaming, "too much!" Maki's cock kept prodding your hole, pushing until finally your sex gave way to him and a cry burst out of your throat.

Both Maki and Nico reacted, not moving anymore inside you, but their hands rushing on your body to steady you.

"Do you want me to stop?" Maki asked, his concern bleeding through.

You shook your head, vision blurry from tears. "Keep going. I want this," you told them firmly.

With your permission, Maki continued until he was buried in your pussy just like Nico, both of them thrusting slowly and carefully until your moans filled the room.

"So full," you managed to whine, your hips involuntarily bouncing, trying to get all of them with every stroke.

"You're fucking amazing," Nico panted, his hands constantly switching between your breasts to your thighs.

"Exactly where you wanna be. Right, baby?" Maki teased, but his voice was a little weak from how hard your pussy was working him.

You had no witty comeback. Both cocks drove hard and deep into your pussy, and you came - your body shaking uncontrollably and your voice breaking on a moan. The high carried you away, eyes rolling back in your head, and you felt faint for a moment before tumbling back down, landing on Nico and gasping for air.

"Atta girl," Maki cheered, rubbing your waist and sinking his cock back and forth, struggling with how hard you were gripping him.

"Let him come inside," you whispered, muffled against Nico's chest.

Maki bristled. "Fuck no."

"I need it," you purred submissively. "I need to feel all of it in me."

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Nico grunted, snapping his hips into yours, your words driving him to the edge.

"Fine," Maki huffed, just as Nico wrapped his arms around your waist, plunged his cock inside you and released with a pained groan, thick cum filling you even as Maki kept stuffing his dick in you.

Nico started coming down from the high and winced, the movement quickly pushing into overstimulation. He mumbled in another language and met your eyes as Maki started drilling you.

"Fucking both of you," Maki said as his hips slapped into your ass, cock ramming into your swollen pussy with Nico's softening length still inside. Nico's fingers dug into your skin as he tried to get himself out of you, but Maki had his hand at the nape of your neck, pinning you to Nico so both of you were at his mercy.

Finally, Maki fucked his load into you, gritting his teeth and groaning through his pleasure, slowly dragging his dick out of you and then shoving back in so hard you collided into Nico.

When both their cocks slipped out, you felt so raw and empty, you could feel their cum leaking out between your folds. You weren't surprised when you felt Maki's gathering you in his arms, lifting you upright and smashing his lips on yours.

You kissed him hard and fast, but it felt like home. Though your body was sore, it was all worth it. Especially when Maki broke from the kiss to praise, "You did so good, baby. Fuck, you're perfect."

"Thank you," you said softly, wishing you could tell him how much you loved how safe he made you feel, letting you explore the sides of yourself you'd always felt ashamed of.

"I'm still down here," Nico announced, reminding you and your boyfriend that you were - in fact - still straddling Nico.

"You did good too," Maki quipped, grinning as he swept you up in his arms to carry you to the bathroom.

The mattress yields beneath your knees with a whisper of cotton and compressed springs. Each forward shift drags a soft rustling through heavy silence.

Your heart thuds hard and wet against your ribs—thud-thud-thud—so loud you're certain Maki can taste the vibration thrumming in the back of his throat.

"Take what belongs to you," you murmur.

The challenge crosses the space between you. Refuses to retreat.

Maki's eyes flicker with amusement. That signature smirk tugs at his lips as he leans back slightly. "Are you offering… or demanding? Big difference there."

He lies spread at the top of the bed like a guillotine blade. Polished. Patient. Waiting for the neck to offer itself to the drop.

His shirt gapes open, sleeves slipping down slack arms to expose the taut stretch of his pectorals and the sharp, shadowed trough beneath his ribs—skin dipping in a dangerous trajectory toward his groin.

His sweats are shoved down. The band caught beneath the swell of his hipbones. Black fabric stark against the jutting flesh he holds in one loose, working fist.

The slide of his palm is audible—the squelch of suction breaking and reforming with each upward drag. Thumb swiping through gathering slick at the tip, spreading it until the head glistens like oil on water in the low light.

"Does it matter when I'm already on my knees?" you taunt softly, voice trembling with want even as you try to sound bold.

"You talk a big game for someone who's about to choke on cock."

The words arrive from behind you like thunder rolling across a dry plain. Nicholas's rough, gravelly timbre cuts through the room, low and dripping with dark promise.

Your stomach performs a sudden inversion. A gravity-defying flip that leaves you breathless and weightless.

The bravado in your throat dries up instantly.

Nicholas loves the way your body jolts at the sound. You hear the slow metallic rasp of his zipper—teeth separating tooth by tooth with a sound like grinding bone—followed by the soft rustle of fabric as he yanks his hoodie off and tosses it aside.

It lands on the floor with a muted thud. Strangely loud in the charged silence.

Maki's smirk deepens, eyes gleaming with amusement as he looks down at you. Pupils blown wide with anticipation. The tip of his cock already beading with evidence of his impatience.

"Suck him," Nicholas demands, voice sharp and commanding. Leaving no room for argument.

"Relax, man. She's down here already looking cute." Maki shoots Nicholas a playful look.

"Cute is nice," Nicholas murmurs, dragging his thick cock along your soaked folds, "but she looks fucking perfect stuffed full of cock."

"Maki… I thought you'd be just as greedy," you murmur, biting your lip as you glance up at Maki.

"Oh sweetheart," Maki coos, voice dripping with honey as he cups your jaw gently. "You really think I'm not dying to feel that pretty mouth?"

Nicholas spanks your ass sharply. "You hear that, baby? Maki's dying for your mouth. So stop talking and start sucking."

You lean forward. Lips brush the glistening tip in a soft, almost reverent kiss. The skin is fever-hot and velvet-smooth against your mouth. A bead of precum smears across your lower lip like liquid sin, and you taste him—salty-sweet. Addictive.

Your clit throbs in response.

Maki lets out a shaky exhale above you, watching you looking like sin made beautiful.

You part your lips.

Slowly circle your tongue around the swollen head, tracing every ridge, every sensitive edge with teasing strokes. You feel him twitch hard against your tongue, the thick vein on the underside pulsing as you lave over it again and again, coating him in warm, wet spit until he glistens obscenely.

"Look at you putting on a show with your tongue," Maki smirks. "Trying to make Nicholas jealous of how well you treat me while he's back there being mean?"

You open wider.

Sink down.

Taking more of Maki into the wet heat of your mouth.

"Oh, fuck—"

The stretch is delicious. Your lips drawn tight as bowstrings around his girth as you bob slowly, hollowing your cheeks with every upward drag. The room fills with filthy sounds—the slick glide of your tongue working him, the soft gagging when you push him deeper into your throat, the obscene wet noises of your mouth laboring.

You start to pull back up for air.

Nicholas strikes.

He drives forward without warning, burying his thick cock to the hilt inside you in one savage, merciless thrust. The sudden brutal stretch punches a sharp, muffled cry from your throat—the sound instantly swallowed, vibrating hard around Maki's length as Nicholas forces your head down at the exact same moment.

His large hand shoves firm against the back of your head, pushing you relentlessly forward until your nose is pressed flush against Maki's pelvis. Skin to skin.

Maki's cock slides straight into your throat. A sword sheathed completely, cutting off your air as Nicholas bottoms out deep in your pussy. Two invaders meeting through the thin wall of your body.

Your eyes fly wide.

The overwhelming double intrusion hits like a freight train. Your throat convulses violently around Maki, gagging wetly as tears instantly spring to your eyes, blurring your vision. Your pussy clenches hard around Nicholas's thick cock, fluttering and spasming from the sudden, too-full stretch, muscles gripping him like a fist.

Drool bursts from the corners of your stretched lips, spilling messily down your chin, dripping onto your chest in thick strands.

"Fuck— there we go," Nicholas taunts, voice smug. "One good thrust and she's got you all the way down her throat. You're welcome for speeding her up, man."

"You're such— an asshole," Maki laughs breathlessly, the sound breaking into a moan. "But fuck, I'm not complaining."

"Asshole, huh?" Nicholas smirks, thrusting sharply once to make you jolt. "Tell me, baby— how's—ah… my cock feeling buried all the way inside you right now?"

The words make it out to your tongue and no further.

Maki's hand tightens in your hair. Firm. Unrelenting. Keeping your head pinned down flush against his pelvis. His cock stays buried to the hilt in your throat, throbbing hot and heavy, completely cutting off your air.

You can't pull back even an inch.

All you manage is a wet, garbled moan that vibrates helplessly around his length as tears spill freely down your cheeks.

Nicholas doesn't wait for an answer.

He starts thrusting again in deep, punishing strokes that rock you forward onto Maki's cock with every snap of his hips.

You're completely trapped between them.

Your mind is pure static—can't breathe, too full, he's so deep, they're both so deep, I'm going to break—while your body betrays you completely. Your throat convulses wildly around Maki, and your pussy clenches greedily around Nicholas with every punishing thrust, slick dripping down your thighs.

"Can't answer me, princess?" he mocks, voice rough with pleasure. "That's okay. Your body's honest enough."

︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹

masterlist

debrief time: apologies. if this chapter seems low in quality, please understand the author was navigating a crisis. the author was forced to write this under hostile working conditions (weno posted on instagram). get me out of horny jail or put me in solitary confinement atp.

you always knew you were into older men , and when you met your now professor yudai. you met yudai a year ago before you even became a student of his. you’d see him in the halls as a junior, and you thought he was the finest man you’d ever come across since you started attending the university. yudai at first , paid no attention to your crush on him , he’d see you in the hall and simply just past you — you weren’t a student of his , you shouldn’t have been in his doorway , but you were , asking a stupid question about something he didn’t even teach — that was the first day he ever crossed the line with a student , and a year later he’s still crossing that line with you , but now you’re his student.

“mr. yudai.” you knocked on his classroom door , he looked up pushing his glasses up his nose.

“don’t call me that.” he motioned for you to close the door , you did — locking it behind you.

“i don’t know , i think it’s sexy.” you teased , walking around his desk , sitting on it.

“i don’t , i feel like i’m talking to a student.” he said , you giggled. “i am a student… your student.”

“yeah , but i’m not fucking my other students.” he stated , his hands on your thighs that were dangling in front of him.

“they don’t wake up in my bed an hour before they’re supposed to be sitting in my class listening to me teach.” lifting your legs up , slinging them over his shoulders. biting down on your lip as he pushed your skirt up. “yu-yudai.” he kissed in between your thighs , his hand lifting up to your breast , squeezing it as he kissed your clothed cunt.

“fuck taste so good.” he moaned , pulling away just to pull your panties down your legs , slipping them into his pocket before he dived back into your waiting pussy.

“oh fuck!” you moaned , your arms shook as you held yourself up, his tongue licking the inside of your walls , moaning squeezing your thighs. “fe-feels so good” your hand finding his hair , tugging at it , he groaned as you pushed his head , keeping him suffocating , but he loved it , licking slurping up your folds , your juices coating his lower face as his nose brushed against your clit. “yudai!” you shrieked , your lower abdomen tightened.

“i’m gonna cum!”

his hand sneaking under your shirt , messily making its way up your shirt due to head still in between your legs , squeezing your boob , pinching your nipples as your hips jerked up , his tongue curling inside you , sending you over the edge — you gasped , legs shaking as you came , you finally let your back hit his desk as you came down from your high. “shit.” he sighed , pulling away , breathing heavily, his dark eyes full of lust. “you always taste so good.”

undoing his tie , reaching for his buckle; his eyes never leaving yours as he let his pants fall to his ankles. “i-i want your cock.” pulling him down by his tie , his erected cock heavy against your cunt. “yeah?” he smiled , kissing your lips. “be nice and say please.” moving his hips a bit , you moaned. “please , please sir.” he groaned hearing the nickname.

“fuck.” he groaned , grabbing the base of his cock , lining it up with your cunt , pushing himself inside , both of you moaning out as he sunk into you , letting his cock drag along your walls.

“you feel so fucking good.” his head drooping as he slowing sped up , he pulled your shirt up , attaching his mouth to your nipple.

“harder.. please!”

the older man nipped at your nipple as he pounded into you , his small knick-knacks falling on to the floor as he held your waist up , pounding into you — he moved up to your neck biting down , licking the mark , groaning into your ear. “fuck you feel so good.” he squeezed your waist. “your pretty pussy is so wet for me.” you moaned at his filthy language. “so wet for your teacher.”

that sealed the deal , you moaned his name. “i’m gonna cum.” cursing as your cunt squeezed around him tightly.

“cum for me.”

his pace picked up, yudai rutting into you groaning as your orgasm peaked , legs shaking as you came. “yudai.” he kept going , his pace unwavering , your skin slapping against each other as the shadows of the student walking past the class , unsuspecting of the current situation. “sh-shit.” he let out a sigh as he came , his cum pouring deep inside you , he kissed your forehead as he pulled out , watching his cum leak from your hole. “good girl.”

helping you put your panties on , sliding your skirt back in place. “let’s go back to my place , you can wash up and eat.” he said , fixing his tie.

“this is why i’m always late to school , your bed is so comfortable.” you said , watching him pack his bag , picking his things off the floor. “come.” he helped you off the desk. “that and you climb on top of me and fuck yourself tired again on my cock every morning.” you smiled sheepishly.

“i’m never late to your class though.” he glared at you.

“because you know i’d not let you cum for an entire week of you did.”

“Date, huh?”

“Yes.”

He rubs his index finger thoughtfully over his chin before saying, “Go ahead. Take the afternoon off.”

Whew. “Thank you, sir.”

“I hope you won’t go on your date dressed like that.” 

What?

You pause, thinking you misheard, and blink at him, who is now looking at his computer screen like he did not just make that snide remark. You look down at your clothes — baby blue silk blouse and a cream skirt — this is not a bad outfit. Not that you were going to go on your date like this anyway. You asked to leave early so that you could go home and freshen up.

Biting your cheek, you hold back any retort. Instead, you decide to overlook his petulance and offer him a smile as you step back. “I will see you on Monday, sir.”

He does not respond and you march out of his office.

—

The man in front of you — Eric — is underwhelming. You already forgot his last name.

he is definitely not worth you going home early to take a full body shower, shave and put on makeup and a nice dress. One hour into the date at the Italian restaurant, he keeps on talking about some start-up he and his buddies are working on, not bothering to ask you a single question.

As you play with the cherry tomatoes on your plate, occasionally nodding as a pretence of listening, your mind starts to wander. And like most times, they drift to the thought of Choi Seungcheol, your boss.

You have had a crush on him for a few years now. The story is an embarrassing one but you have come to own it over time. Five years ago, when you first joined this company as a junior sales executive, he was the COO. He made a good name for himself and the previous chairman loved him, so it was almost an open secret that he would be the next one to take over. He was the definition of tall, dark, and handsome, with a side of sharp intellect and unapologetic bluntness, gaining everyone's admiration if not support. 

As expected, once the ex chairman resigned two years later, Seungcheol became the CEO. Right away, he needed a secretary and he wanted someone within the company who already knew the ropes. Among the five applicants, you got the job, and right there, your future was decided — working in close quarters with Choi Seungcheol, the handsome, brooding man whom you looked up to immensely. And somewhere between you switching roles and becoming his right hand person, you fell for him. Hard. 

And it was supposed to be a secret. A harmless little crush. Until that one mistake drunk you made. 

You had sent your coworker Minji — who is also one of your best friends since college — a text one night after a team dinner, fangirling about your boss in the most brazen way. The next morning, you woke up to see that you, in fact, did not send the text to Minji but the group chat you were in with all the sales team members. Words spread like wildfire, and on Monday, when you showed up at work (while contemplating on what excuse to make up and quit this job and leave this city; possibly the country) word had already reached Seungcheol. Once in his office, he asked you only two questions. Was it true? You nodded yes. Were your feelings going to affect your work? You vehemently shook your head no. As unbothered as ever, he signed some files, handed them back to you and said that all was good and he would overlook this fumble. 

And so, since then, everyone in the office knows you have heart eyes for your boss. And over time, you have gotten good at acting casual about it. Except, you know, there is nothing casual about it. It has become a disease, the way you yearn for that man, and it was high time you decided to get out of that cycle of torment. 

Which is why you are on this date.

And it isn’t really going well.

Eric is still, somehow, talking about his start-up. With a tight-lipped smile, you interrupt him as your patience stretches thin, “Shall we order dessert?”

—

It is drizzling now. 

Outside the restaurant, you stand and wait for your Uber, which seems to be malfunctioning. For the past ten minutes, it has been looking for a driver, but to no avail.

Eric left a while ago, parting with decency once you said you were not sure this would go anywhere. He agreed, saying he was too focused on his business right now anyway. So, that was that.

As you stand and watch the rain, contemplating your life so far, a familiar voice calls your name. “Secretary ___?” You turn around to see Yoon Jeonghan, one of Seungcheol’s closest friends and a big name in the business world. You have worked with him a lot on various projects over the past few years and he has almost become your friend as much as he is Seungcheol’s — especially due to his easygoing behavior and charming humour. He is the exact opposite of Seunghceol in terms of personality and attitude, and you sometimes wonder how they are such good friends.

“Good evening, Mr. Yoon.” You smile.

“See, I thought I saw you earlier when I came in.” He says, stepping out of the restaurant and standing next to you. “Were you not here with someone else?”

You nod.

“Date?”

Another nod with an awkward smile.

“Let me guess, it did not go well.”

“Not really.”

He chuckles. “Well, it is good to see you trying.” He sends a playful look your way. “As I have always been saying, you are too good for Seungcheol. I can get past you being his secretary, but his girlfriend? Nah, that guy isn’t worthy of you.”

Yeah, even Jeonghan knows about your crush on his friend. Probably everyone in this field does.

“I am sure Seungcheol would not like hearing you badmouth him.” You tease.

Jeonghan sends a dramatic look of offence your way. “Badmouth? I am stating the facts, ___. And he would agree with me.”

A black Mercedes pulls up in front of you, the driver stepping out to hold the back door open and Jeonghan extends a hand, gesturing you to get in.

“What? Oh no, I couldn’t possibly trouble you.” You refuse politely.

“No trouble, ___. Get in. You are not going to find a ride anytime soon.”

You bite your lip, hesitating for a second. “Thank you, Mr. Yoon.”

“When are you going to stop calling me that? I told you, Jeonghan is fine.”

Maybe it is the wine in your blood that enables you to say, “Alright, thank you for the ride, Jeonghan.”

He smiles, closing the door behind you.

—

“How was the date?” Seungcheol asks without sparing a look at you as you set down his morning coffee on his desk while he flips through the pages of a report.

You pause. “It was…okay.”

His eyes stray from the documents briefly, taking a quick look at your face before returning to the report. “Seems it was unworthy of the afternoon you took off.”

You look around his office helplessly, uncomfortable at his sudden questioning. It seems like he is picking on you on purpose. You decide it will be better to divert the conversation, “I met Jeonghan at the restaurant.” You cringe at how you accidentally refer to his friend by his first name. 

Your words finally make your boss drop his work and regard you with full attention. “Jeonghan?”

“Erm, Mr. Yoon, I mean.” You avoid his eyes. “He was kind enough to offer me a ride home, since it was raining and all.” You need to stop blabbering. Seungcheol stares at you silently for too long a moment, his intense eyes focused on you as if he is decoding something.

“I see.” He murmurs after a while.

A beat of silence.

“Well then, I will prepare for the meeting.” You awkwardly bow while stepping back, eager to rid yourself of the growing tension in the air. With his usual expressionless face, Seungcheol’s eyes follow you until you are out the door.

—

The meeting today is, in fact, with Jeonghan. This weekend, his gallery is holding an art exhibition, sponsored by Seungcheol’s company, with him as the keynote speaker. Today’s meeting is to cross-check if everything is in place and for last-minute adjustments. 

“Where is my dear friend?” Jeonghan asks as he takes a seat in the meeting room. You take a seat on the opposite side of the table while a junior employee distributes the printouts across the table. 

“He will be here soon, Mr. Yoon. He told me to go ahead and start the meeting.” You smile. Jeonghan drums his fingers on the desk. “I thought we agreed you’d call me Jeonghan.”

You pause, looking around, briefly meeting the eyes of Jeonghan’s secretary as well as the employee arranging the desk. “At work it may not be the most appropriate.” You explain.

He sighs dramatically. “You know, sometimes, I feel like you are becoming quite like Seungcheol.”

You look at him, wide eyed. “My god, what do you mean?”

He throws his head back and laughs, “The idea is distressing, no?” 

“Your face is distressing.” A voice says quietly but unamusedly and you turn back to see Seungcheol stepping into the meeting room, with his usual air of boredom. Taking the seat next to you, he murmurs, “Why don’t you stop flirting with my secretary and optimize the work hours?”

“Someone is extra grumpy today.” Jeonghan teases with a knowing grin. Ignoring him, Seungcheol says to the junior employee, “Mina, can you pull up the slides?”

The rest of the meeting is productive as the four of you finalize all the details and map out the entire event. As the discussion rolls to an end, and your boss is getting up from his seat, Jeonghan says, “___, I would like to have you as a translator for the exhibition day.”

Surprised, you blink at him. Next to you, Seungcheol, who just got up from his chair, stills. Jeonghan continues, “You know, there will be a lot of French guests and I would love it if you were my translator. I’ll pay you for your time, of course.”

“Just hire a translator,” Seungcheol says dryly. 

“Oh come on,” Jeonghan rolls his eyes. “Don’t be such a baby. ___ has helped us out with translations before. I need someone I am familiar with and someone who is smart and charming.” He turns to you. “You have no problem with it, right?”

“Uh,” you glance at your boss, who is staring at his friend with narrowed eyes. “No, I don’t mind.” You are supposed to be there anyway, as a representative on Sungcheol’s end. So getting paid separately to be there does not hurt. Besides, you have always loved meeting new people.

“It is settled then,” Jeonghan smiles, clasping his hands. “I promise to return her to you, Cheollie. Stop glaring at me like that.”

“Whatever,” your boss murmurs and marches out of the room, shutting the door behind him with a loud thud. You cringe, before looking at Jeonghan, “I’m sorry. I have no idea why he has been behaving weirdly for the past few days.”

A mysterious smile kisses his lips, “I think I know why.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.” He turns to his secretary, “Could you please email the contacts of the French guests to ___.”

—

The exhibition starts at 2 pm, but you arrive at Jeonghan’s gallery by 1 pm. Jeonghan’s secretary, Chan, gives you the tour, showing you around the space and the paintings being exhibited while his boss finishes a meeting. Just before the exhibition is about to start, Jeonghan finds you.

“Hey, ___. Sorry, my meeting took longer than expected.”

You smile. “No trouble. Chan was a very helpful guide.”

“That’s good to hear.” He replies before glancing down the length of your body. “You look stunning, by the way.”

Flattered, you glance down at the length of your baby pink dress before giving him a smile. “Thank you. You look great as well.”

He fixes the lapels of his maroon suit with a dramatic gesture. “Thanks, this is a custom piece from Italy. By the way, when is your boss going to grace us with his presence? He does know that he has to be here by 4 for his speech, right?”

“He said he would be here in time.” You give Jeonghan a tight smile. “He had a few meetings in the morning.”

“And let me guess, he is brooding.”

“Yeah, the warehouse shift has been a challenge.”

“Mhm, I think that’s not all.”

“What?” You blink. Before he can reply, Chan calls his name. With a reassuring smile and a soft squeeze on your shoulder, Jeonghan takes his leave.

Thus starts the event. You greet the guests and show them around the gallery, chatting and socializing all the way through while keeping an eye out to make sure everything is going as planned. Despite your worries, Seungcheol shows up on time — 15 minutes before his speech. After the viewing, the crowd moves to the auditorium for the panel discussion, where Seungcheol delivers his speech, along with a few other guests. You have some food, observe the scene, and help the staff with anything they need before finally, the exhibition officially rolls to an end.

To your surprise, Seungcheol stayed the entire time. You had expected him to march out the moment he was done with his formalities but he stayed the entire length of the artist’s discussion panel, hovering around, never quite coming to you or addressing you, puzzling you.

Why was he acting like a stranger?

Just as you are contemplating his behavior with a glass of champagne in your hand, Jeonghan appears. “Thank you so much for your help today, ___. You were amazing.”

You grin. “You are too kind. And it was my pleasure. This is a really good exhibition.”

“Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it.” He winks playfully. A cameraman walks past you and Jeonghan flags him, asking for a photo of the two of you. You pose next to him, flashing a big smile for the camera. Just as you are recovering from the blinding flash, you see Seungcheol heading towards you.

He is dressed in a dark grey three-piece suit today and all afternoon, you have tried your best not to let yourself drool over him. It does not work right now, as with the jacket off, you can see the muscles of his bicep bulge underneath the white shirt and momentarily, your mind blanks.

“Ugh, there comes Mister Sourpants.” Jeonghan murmurs. Seungcheol comes to a halt in front of you, his eyes briefly meeting yours before he looks at his friend. “Great work on not botching the show.” He says unimpressively. Jeonghan laughs, slinging an arm over his shoulder, “You underestimate me, my friend. But thanks for showing up and not badmouthing me on stage. I’m surprised you’re still here.”

“I was looking at the pictures.” Your boss responds indifferently.

“Well, since you are all still here, let's go grab dinner together.” Jeoghan offers.

“No thanks, I am going back to the office.” Seungcheol removes his friend’s arm from his shoulder. When Jeonghan looks at you expectantly, you say, “I would love to, but not today. I have to go to the office too, as I left my charger. My battery is about to die. I have some work to finish up as well.”

Jeonghan rolls his eyes, “Ever the workaholics. Come on, people, work hours are over!”

“Let’s have dinner on Friday night, perhaps?” You look at Seungcheol for confirmation but he seems busy with his phone, dialling his driver’s number. As he presses the phone against his ear, you notice something and your hands instinctively reach out to fix his crooked tie, before smoothening the hem of his vest. You have done it multiple times before — for meetings and press conferences — as Seungcheol’s tie always seems to rest in a crooked manner. 

As you finish fixing it and he hangs up the call, your eyes lock with his and a shiver runs down your spine. In a split second, the air seems to be full of tension, thick enough to cut through with a knife and hot enough to ignite a fire in your belly.

Fuck. You look away and retract your hands, trying to act as normal as possible. “Your tie was crooked.” You murmur.

“Thanks.” Seungcheol’s voice is quiet.

Jeonghan looks at the two of you with a growing smile of mischief. “Well,” he looks pointedly between the two of you, clasping his hands, “I will let you kids get back to work for today. Thanks again for your help, ___.”

“My pleasure.” You smile, suddenly embarrassed to meet his eyes. With a harsh pat on the back and a suggestive wiggle of his brows, Jenghan says goodbye to Seungcheol, grinning like a Cheshire cat. With his friend gone, Seungcheol wastes no time, marching towards the exit, “Let us get going.”

—

It is suffocating inside the car.

Even with the AC on full blast, it feels like a thousand degrees in here with zero ventilation. The earlier tense moment between the two of you seems to linger, now even more amplified than before in this enclosed space. 

You shift uncomfortably in your seat, trying to think of something to talk about but coming up with nothing. You don’t trust yourself to speak right now, so you try your very best to look out the window and pretend there is no one sitting next to you. After a while, when doing that gets tough, you pull out your iPad and start sorting through your work. 

Just then, Seungcheol speaks. “You seem to have gotten really close with Jeonghan.”

Oh boy. There seems to be an edge to his voice and you are unsure how to reply or what to reply. An awkward laugh floats past your lips. “I mean, he is easy to get along with, you know.”

“Mhmm.” Even the Sahara is not as dry as his tone.

You glance at him, waiting to hear something else. For a brief second, you let yourself be distracted by his gorgeous face — the couple of stray strands of hair on his forehead calling your name, making your hand itch to put them back in place.

Though if it were up to you, you would mess up his hair. And his clothes. And his back—

“From now on, don’t help him out.” He turns to look at you. “He might be my friend but business is still business and you are my employee.”

“Uh, okay.” You whisper. Your boss looks back out the window, and you interpret that as the conversation being over. You return to your work, but for some reason, the numbers and the letters on screen make no sense to you.

A moment later, you whisper, “Did I do something to upset you?”

Seungcheol turns his head slowly to regard you with a quizzical look. A sudden rush of emotions swirls within you, and for a scary moment, you think you might cry. With a deep, calming breath, you meet his eyes and try to flash your usual professional smile. “If you are displeased with my work or anything I have done, I hope you will let me know.”

Seungcheol is mute and slightly wide-eyed, almost like he is scared of you. The silence stretches on like chewing gum, and he looks like he is about to say something, but the car halts, and you waste no time getting out.

A quiet and suffocating elevator ride later, you step into your floor, with Seungcheol leading the way. The office is now empty and quiet, save for your footsteps, which halt in front of your desk as you set your things down. Seungcheol continues his way towards his personal office, but stops at his door. Turning his head back, he says, “Can you come into my office for a second?” His voice is not commanding, and he almost sounds unsure.

Confused, you stare at him for a second as he stands at his door, eyes fixed on you expectantly. Quickly plugging your phone in, you walk towards the double doors, stepping through the one he was holding open.

The second you are inside, Seungcheol locks the door shut behind you. You only get a second to process that you are pressed against the door with Seungcheol’s body dangerously close to yours and keeping you trapped, before a hand cups your jaw and tilts your head up.

“I can’t pretend anymore.” He whispers so low, you almost miss it. 

“What?” You croak, your heart galloping like a racehorse, your knees are suddenly weak. What the fuck is going on? Are you dreaming?

His eyes meet yours before he utters very quietly, “I can’t pretend that I don’t care for you. I care much, much more than a boss should care for his secretary.”

“I…I don’t…” You mumble, heart racing in your ribcage, brain functioning on overdrive to make sense of what is happening. 

“I am going to kiss you now, ___.” He warns. Then, Seungcheol is kissing you. 

Warm, soft and delightful, you forget to breathe for a long second, your heart swooning, ready to burst. Almost unconsciously, you wrap your arms around his neck and pull him close, molding your body with his. His large arms wrap around your back and your waist, pressing you flush against him, and you swear it is the best feeling in the world.

When you part, Seungcheol looks at you with glistening eyes, warm like a summer afternoon and for a second, you get lost in them. The kiss lingers on your lips, making you bite your lower lip. Like yours, your boss’s lips too, are swollen and just as he leans his face towards you again, you stop him, pressing your hands flat on his chest.

“Wait. Stop.” You say, voice too loud amongst the stillness.

Seungcheol pauses, eyes flashing with worry.

“Are you drunk, Mr. Choi?”

“What?”

“This cannot happen if you are drunk.” You take a deep, shuddering breath. “I… I cannot be your plaything. You know very well that I like you — I have been for a while and I’m trying to make sense of why you are suddenly doing this. I…I cannot—” you are suddenly choked with emotion, your gaze falling on the floor.

“___.” He says your name with a tenderness unlike ever before. “Look at me.”

You cannot bring yourself to, fighting to keep the tears at bay. With a finger below your chin, he tilts your face up to meet his eyes. “I am not playing with you. I am doing what I should have done long ago.”

“What?”

“I like you, ___. A lot. And I have liked you for a while. I just did not realize it,” He sighs, taking a step back and running a hand through his hair. “Well, I actually did…I think. I just did not want to give in to it, I suppose, with the dynamic we have and all.” His pauses, looking back at you. “I know this is pathetic, especially with the way I have been behaving for the past few weeks, but I cannot pretend anymore. I hate seeing you go on those dates. I hate seeing you be friendly with Jeonghan. I want to do those things with you. I want to be with you.”

Breathless, you gape at him, still struggling to believe that all of this is real.

Holy shit. Holy fucking shit.

“I took you for granted.” He continues. “I got so used to your presence around me that I thought I would have you forever, forgetting that you could eventually move and find someone else, not only getting over me but leaving this job altogether.”

“So what, this is a ploy to keep me working here forever?” An awkward laugh comes from your mouth. Seungcheol keeps looking at you with a somber expression, a quiet storm brewing in his eyes.

“I mean it, ___. I want you. I want you to be mine, and I want to be yours.” He says quietly.

Wow. You must have died and gone to heaven.

Realizing that there is not much left to say, you inhale a steady breath, remove the gap between the two of you with a few quick steps, wrap your arms around his neck and pull him in for a kiss. Seungcheol wastes no time, wrapping his arms around you, meeting your lips with an equal fervor and the passion of a starving man. Lips connected, bodies in embrace, he guides you through the office, stopping in front of his desk and pushing you against it.

Catching his breath, he swiftly takes off his jacket and your fingers reach out to undo the buttons of his vest, shaking with hazy desire. He helps in taking off your dress, undoing the ribbon on the back and pulling down the zipper before tugging it down with one strong move. Left only in your bra and panties — which do not match by the way — you cringe in embarrassment while trying to combat the sheer amount of desire flowing through your veins. Seungcheol, unbothered, gets down on his knees, face to face with your pussy.

“Oh my god, what are you doing?” You squeak. The response is him taking off your panties with a tug so harsh that the lace on the edges rips.

“Seungcheol!”

“That’s right. That’s how you call me from now on. And that is the only word I want to hear from you now.” He commands with a burning fire in his eyes as he grabs your thighs, putting them over his shoulder and then gets to work. 

Shit.

His tongue laps at your core and the first touch has you falling back on his desk, pushing down the stack of files and stationery on the floor. His tongue works at your core mercilessly, switching between playing with your folds and sucking your clit while you writhe in his grasp that is iron clad. With each flick of his tongue, your moans rise, and then he inserts one finger, which very quickly turns into two, and you think might die from the pleasure.

"Fuck!" You cry, body twisting and turning on his desk, desperate to get away from his touch but wanting it simultaneously. It is maddening —whatever that is happening, and you feel your high building, too quick, too strong.

"I cannot...Seungcheol...I think— I think—"

His response is muffled and you can only hope its a positive one as you feel the tremors run through your body, sitting right at the edge of an orgasm. His tongue moves like he has known your body for years, and with one strong flick on your clit, you go off, falling head first into an abyss of pleasure, all your nerves on fire.

As you lie flat on his desk, body still trembling from the orgasm, Seungcheol smothers kisses on your belly, slowly going up towards your chest and then your neck, biting and sucking your skin however he likes. You have bearely had a couple of minutes to recover, but heat starts pooling in your belly all over again, your hands coming up to wrap themselves around him, soft sighs parting from your lips as he kisses your jawbone, soft and sweet.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispers in your ears. With a thousand butterflies fluttering in your stomach, you turn your head to capture his lips in a kiss.

Then, he stands up, discards all the remaining clothes from his body and makes himself comfortable between your legs. You prop yourself on your elbows, taking a good look at his chiseled body and his flushed cock, which stands tall and angry, pointing at you.

“It’s rude to stare, you know.” Your boss hums, stroking his length, before hooking an arm underneath your thigh and yanking you closer to the edge of the table, your pussy a mere inch or so away from his cock.

“I am so sorry, sir,” you smile suggestively and Seunghcheol exhales a rough breath.

“You better keep screaming that when I pound this pussy.” His eyes shine with determination. You bite your lip, giving him a cheeky smile and watch as he inches his cock near your pussy. You take in a deep breath as he pushes his cock inside you, tantalizingly slowly, making sure you feel every inch and your nerves are on fire. With a moan, you fall back on the table, eyes falling shut with the way he fills you up over and over again.

“Fuck,” Seungcheol hisses, his voice throaty as he goes all the way in, and you swear you feel him in your stomach. With a loud cry, you cling onto his body, nails digging into his back and your toes curling at each thrust. He builds a pace, pushing in and out of you in steady movements. Your brain feels like mush as you fail to utter anything, your mouth simply hanging open to let out breathy pants as you close your eyes and feel every ridge of his cock move in and out of you.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” he mutters underneath his breath, eyes set on you so intensely, you feel a shiver run down your back. “Seungcheol…” his name parts from your lips like a prayer. Another mutter of curse from him before he stops his movements and yanks your ass upwards. The new angle makes his length curve inside you and you start seeing stars.

“Oh my god,” you hiss, eyes squeezed shut. The back of your thighs rests over Seungcheol’s, your legs wrapped around his waist, and your hands clutching his arms as he starts to pick up pace. With each thrust, the force increases, the tip of his cock hitting your most sensitive spot, low groans falling from his lips to match your breathy moans. 

“Shit...I want to cum...please,” your whisper mindlessly, the words scattered between whines of pleasure. “You want to come?” He taunts, leaning closer to look at your face. “Beg me. Say sir, please let me cum.”

Oh god. 

The need to find your release only intensifies at his words. You are so close you can almost taste the blissful release, and as you utter the next words, you wonder what other hidden kinks you have. “Sir, please let me come.” You beg, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him closer to you. The man squeezes his eyes shut and lets out a low groan, his pace increasing.

“Fuck, you’re going to be the death of me,’’ he hisses in your ears, his warm breath tickling your skin.

“Please, sir.” You whisper, doe-eyed and drunk on his cock. “Oh baby,” he murmurs, before leaning in to seize your lips in a bruising kiss. With one hand, he keeps a firm hold on your jaw while the other reaches below to touch your clit as he wastes no time rubbing the sensitive bundle of nerves with the pads of his finger, all the while continuing to thrust inside you earnestly.

“Seungcheol!” With a loud cry you part your lips from his, your entire body jolting at his touch.

Your reaction makes him smirk as he chases his own high, not far away from finishing inside you. Standing up, he slows he pace ever so slightly, making sure to put all his body weight in each thrust as he places your clit between his thumb and index finger, giving you a particularly harsh rub followed by a pinch.

You are catapulted over the edge. Your vision goes white, your entire sweat-coated body twitching on his desk from the intensity of the orgasm. It only amplifies as you feel Seungcheol spill inside you, his warm release filling you up while float as high as the clouds, pure bliss overtaking your senses. 

Once you have caught your breath and managed to gather your senses, you realize you lie on top of Seungcheol on the office floor, your bodies pressed together, riddled with exhaustion and sweat. For a moment, you say nothing, just feeling Seungcheol’s chest go up and down with every breath he takes.

“I can’t believe we just did that. In the office.” You whisper, almost like someone would hear you. Seungcheol shifts underneath you, helping you rest your head on his arm. “Me too but about time I acted on my desires.”

Shy but intrigued, you look at him, “Have you been wanting to do this for a while?”

“Fuck you on my desk?” He asks bluntly, making your face heat up. “God yes. You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that.”

A small burst of laughter parts from your lips, delighted at his confession. Snuggling closer to him, you start tracing your index finger aimlessly over his chest. “We are going to be a nightmare for HR.”

“Fuck them. I am the CEO.”

His response makes you smile. “You are serious about this, aren’t you?” Seungcheol’s hand reaches out to cup your cheek, tilting your face upwards to look at him. “If you still have any doubts in your heart, you need to let them go because I am dead serious. You are mine.”

His words reignite the fire in your belly. And the way your lipstick marks are branded all over his face does not quite help either. Still, you decide on teasing him with a pout, “Was that supposed to be a confession? At least buy me some flow—”

You are cut off with another ruthless kiss. His tongue passionately makes its way into your mouth, meeting yours that is equally wanton. You claw at his chest, a soft moan escaping your lips as you feel him growing hard again.

“Fuck,” he almost yanks himself free from your lips. “Let me get you home before we start round two here.” Your delighted laughter rings in the air as the two of you get dressed.

Next morning, when you wake up in Seungcheol’s bed, a bouquet of a hundred roses sits at the foot of the bed, with a note saying:

Can I be your boyfriend?

For a bonus epilogue, click here! This work will also be cross-posted on my AO3.

© startlightxsvt 2026 | All Rights Reserved. Do not copy, translate, adapt, or repurpose any of my works.

Lee Jihoon was a simple man and wasn’t someone who wanted too much out of life. He just wanted to live his life quietly and comfortably. He didn’t need all the things capitalism told society they needed.

He didn’t need the latest car model, happily driving around in a previously owned model. He didn’t need a large home with more rooms than people living there, he was content with his two bedroom home that was big enough for him. His clothes weren’t fancy luxury brands, with a lot of it thrifted and second hand. As long as they were comfortable and fit well, he was happy.

He had some of the best friends a man could ask for, and a cat that loved him.

If only everything in his life was simple.

You were the clerk at his favorite little corner shop, working nearly every time he came in, always greeting customers with a bright smile and a happy ‘hello’.  Now, he would be lying if he didn’t think you were one of the prettiest people he had ever seen, or that your smile didn’t brighten his day. He would definitely be lying if it didn’t settle in his chest in a way that wasn’t so simple.

He had to convince himself that he wasn’t special compared to the next customer to enter the small shop, nor was he the only one who would get that cute smile and greeting. He wasn’t the only one who would stay back after their purchases to chat with you, everyone would. You treated everyone like an old friend, always remembering little things about each person that came to your till.

“How’s your wife doing? I do hope you are helping with the baby and taking him when she needs to rest.” You playfully scold Chan when he would come in for things for his wife and newborn son. “If you need anything though, let me know. I can always come by on one of my days off with dinner and watch him while you two have some time to yourselves.”

“Did the recipe work? I know she had to of loved it.” You giggled with Seungcheol after you’d given him one of your favorite recipes to help impress his girlfriend, only to learn he burnt it and they ordered pizza instead. “Oh well, maybe next time.”

“Have I told you that you have the coolest robot in the entire world? I’m super jealous that it can shoot lasers.” You humored a little girl who would be clinging to a little robot action figure whenever she was in, before chatting her mother about their dinner plans.

So, when you would ask about his cat, how his music is going, or bring up something he mentioned in passing Jihoon had to remind himself that you were only doing it to be friendly. You were like this with everyone, and he was no different than the next person. You were simply just doing your job.

Except there were times that did make him wonder. There was a shine to your eyes when he would walk in, sometimes your greeting would be brighter, and your smile would sometimes soften to a shyer one when he would stay back to talk to you. While your laugh would be a little louder when he would make a joke, or you would take to chewing your bottom lip more.

Making you even prettier than you already were.

But he had to remind himself that he wasn’t any more special than the next person to come to her counter. It was probably simpler that way. Only he didn’t see the way your eyes would follow him when he would walk in or see the way your hand balled up into a fist when he would leave.

Wishing you had said something more and make your interest known.

Every weekend when spring starts the center of town would be filled with vendor booths, crowds of people from surrounding towns and would go until the end of summer. Selling different things like candles, candies, baked goods, trinkets, clothes, fruit and vegetables that were in season. Other booths would sell hot foods and cool drinks for people to enjoy as they browse, with some offering homemade ice cream when the days got hot.

It wasn’t the type of thing that Jihoon would usually go to, finding it was always too crowded and most the items being sold would just add clutter to one’s home, but he did find some of the food to be pretty decent. So, him being there on a Saturday wasn’t by his own choice, but his friend Wonwoo who was being dragged by his wife.

She had insisted that her husband needed to get out of the house more, and somehow this also meant that Jihoon did too.

Which he wouldn’t have exactly minded, had they not disappeared into the crowd as soon as they got there, leaving him to browse the booths alone. Hands in his jeans pocket, avoiding eye contact with the vendors as he browsed; not wanting to give them a chance to talk to him or attempt to sell him anything. Every so often he would catch sight of Wonwoo and his wife Adri, but they would be gone just as quickly as he would see them.

Then he saw you.

You were standing at one of the florist stands, talking and laughing with the elderly woman running the booth with your gaze on the beautiful flowers that were being sold. Jihoon found himself rooted to the spot, watching the way your face would light up from your smile and how your laughter would float to him like a melody only he ever wanted to hear.

You must’ve felt his gaze since your laughter faded as you looked his way, but your smile still played over your pretty lips as your eyes met. Giving a quick goodbye to the vendor, you adjusted the pink knitted tote on your shoulder as you made your way toward him.

Jihoon had to be mad to think that your smile got wider and there was a shine of excitement in your eyes at the sight of him.

“Jihoon, right?” You asked once closer, and he nodded with the corner of his lips upturning when you bounced with excitement. He then responded with your own name and braced himself for the chance he had gotten it wrong (that would be so embarrassing), and you nodded with the same enthusiasm. “It’s so nice to see you!”

“It’s nice to see you as well.” The words came out a little higher than he would’ve liked, having to cough to clear his throat. Of course, his voice would crack when talking to you, but you didn’t seem to notice. Or if you did, you didn’t say anything about it.

“Have you tried Mrs. Min’s lemon bars yet?” You didn’t miss a beat with your question, taking Jihoon a bit by surprise.

It was well known that the food in the market was decent, some of the best in fact, and one of the biggest reasons many would show up every weekend. Hell, most his friends would willingly get up during the weekend just to go eat,  and he had even tried many of the different dishes over the years himself, but not everything.

Like Mrs. Min’s lemon bars.

“I have not.” When he said those words, you let out a gasp before hopping (that’s the only way he could describe it) next to him. You hooked your arms around his, with your hand resting over his plaid covered bicep, tilting your head to look up at him.

It was then he realized you were shorter with him, and it somehow endeared you to him more.

“Then you have not lived yet.” The giggle that left you sounded so sweet to him, probably sweeter than the lemon bars that you were leading him to, but he was still processing you touching him.

You didn’t need to pull at him to follow you, finding himself easily falling into step with your little skips, filling the air with chatter as you walked. Telling him stories that eventually blended in with each other then took different directions to the point he barely was able to keep up. He didn’t seem to mind though.

He liked the sound of your voice and didn’t want to stop hearing it by interrupting with questions so he wouldn’t be so lost in your chatter. He rather take not knowing then not hear you.

“Here we are!” You said with excitement, the story you were telling forgotten now that you were standing at the pastry booth. Mrs. Min’s Breads and Pastries, said the sign. You then call out to the woman running the booth; a friend of yours. “Ruby! Could I get two of your famous lemon bars? Oh! And those orange bars too!” You then turned to Jihoon, “They are just like lemon bars, but even better cause they’re made with oranges.”

“I haven’t even tried the lemon bars yet.” Jihoon pointed out, with a soft chuckle, taking in how cute you were. Waiting impatiently for the pastries to be picked out and handed to you.

“I know, but what the hell right? Why not try both?” You answer, already handing over a couple of wadded bills, paying before Jihoon had the chance to offer. Taking the container that had the treats in it, you turned toward him suddenly with your smile even wider and body buzzing with excitement.

Jihoon might have just fallen in love with you.

Instead of grasping his arm, you reached out to take his hand to lead him to a grassy patch right behind the booth. Jihoon’s eyes stayed on your interlocked hands, not registering anything you had said to him until you had let go to sit. Gazing at his hand, he could still feel the weight of yours against it, slow to curl it into a fist now that you were no longer holding it.

He wanted to take your hand again, feel your smooth palm against his again. It made him wonder if it would be the same if you hugged him. Would he still feel the weight of your arms around his neck? Would your body imprint against his after the embrace? Those thoughts were quick to lead him to wonder if he was to kiss you, would he still feel your lips against his? Would they be as soft as they looked?

“Jihoon?” Your voice filtered through his clouded thoughts, your head tilted in curiosity. “Are you going to sit? Should we find a bench instead?”

It was then he realized that he was still standing while you were now sitting and was using your bag as a table for the container and the sweet treats inside it. The very ones that you were excited for him to try and brought him to this moment.

“Sorry,” He mumbled, awkwardly sitting next to you on the grass, ignoring that it was still slightly damp from the morning dew. You didn’t seem to notice or care, so why should he? “So these are the lemon and orange bars?”

“Yes, and they are so good.” You lift the container lid to show him the lemon and orange curds resting on what looked like a pie crust type and topped with powdered sugar. The sweet smell of lemons and oranges met his nose, and he glanced up toward you. “Try the lemon first.”

He tentatively takes one of the yellow squares while you took the other, but you were too focused on watching his reaction; causing you to miss your mouth and hit your cheek instead. Jihoon couldn’t stop himself from laughing at your antics, thinking you were even cuter than he already did. Especially when you glanced at him to see if he had caught your blunder, not realizing that there was a little lemon left on your cheek.

Then he did something that neither of you expected. He reached over and swiped it away with his thumb before slipping it into his mouth, tasting the balance between the sweet and tartness. It left you sitting there stunned, mouth slightly open, eyes wide and completely speechless by the action. Heat started to burn at your cheeks, and there was a shine to your eyes.

Different from the usual one he would see, this one was a little darker as if the simple action did something more to you. One that Jihoon was hoping he wasn’t misreading, making his gaze drop to your lips. Parted slightly from his action; soft, plush, and inviting. He wanted to kiss away the surprised expression until you were giggling and smiling again.

Maybe one day he would be able to.

“You okay?” His question brought you back from your daze, with it being him to tilt his head in curiosity. Except that smile was more of a smirk now, attempting to hold onto this sudden boldness that was coursing through him.

“Uh, yeah…I just…” You break away from his gaze to look down at the lemon bar in your hands, your bottom now trapped between your teeth. You cast a glance back up to him, not expecting his focus to be on you; with a dark strand of hair falling over his brown. Just him sitting there looking at you like this made you struggle with your words. “Truth is… I...” You look like you were going to say something, or trying to get the courage to, before taking a slow deep breath. Looking at him again, you were now wearing a shy smile, “Let’s eat.”

Jihoon was a little disappointed when you changed the subject and possibly would have worried that he was overstepping had it not been for the way you were looking at him. Or how they were looking at his lips then back to his eyes. While he would be the first to admit that he not always the best at knowing if someone was interested in him, there was no mistaking that you had some interest in him.

Taking a bite of the treat, he took his time chewing it. Tasting the familiar lemon that he swiped off your cheek, now mixed with the crust and the powdered sugar. It was good, but he was more interested in your reaction, and the way your eyes lit up. Waiting for his reaction and/or opinion on it.

Swallowing, he took another bite before licking his lips of the powdered sugar and crumbs.

“Well?” You asked, and he nodded.

“It’s good.” He kept his response simple, finishing what was left in his hand. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the way your face then lit up, a happy smile stretching over your lips and back was that little bounce you had to you.

“Isn’t it? Wait until you try the orange one. It will change your life.” You hadn’t even taken a bite of yours yet, but you were already to grab the orange bar for him. This made him chuckle and shake his head.

“How about you finish the one in your hand, and then we can enjoy the orange ones together?” He suggested, feeling himself grow more comfortable with you by the second. How did he end up getting so lucky you were willing to spend your Saturday with him?

“Oh, okay…” Your words seemed to come out almost breathless, sucking in your bottom lip before releasing it and taking a bite of the bar in your hand. Jihoon couldn’t tear his gaze from your lips, now coated with powdered sugar before you tried to lick it all away.

Just that small action made his heart quicken and his breath catch. It made him think of how much sweeter this treat would taste on your lips, even better on your tongue. Shaking his head, he needed to get these thoughts out of his head, feeling borderline delusional almost.

“I seriously love these,” You told him, with it helping shake the thought of kissing you and brought his focus back to you sitting in front of him. You had taken the last bite of your lemon bar, looking at him as you did. Powdered sugar still all over your face, despite your attempts to lick it all away, his smile changing to a slight amused one. Only it made you blink in confusion, “Do I have something on my face?”

“You’re…” Jihoon let out a soft chuckle, motioning around his mouth as he said this, “You’re covered in powdered sugar.”

“Oh, shit, really?” You turned toward your bag to pull something before turning back with a playful smile now on your lips, before tapping them, “I can actually say the same thing for you.”

Jihoon’s hand flew up to his own mouth, wiping away the sugar that had collected at the corner of his lips, the blush that had subsided back with a vengeance. You giggled before reaching for his hand, cleaning the clumped up powder with a small blue handkerchief.

You didn’t let go right away, allowing him a better chance to feel how soft your hands were against his rougher ones, holding onto him longer than you probably should have but neither of you seem to care. When you finally let go, the ghost of your hand still lingered on his while you sat the handkerchief down and grabbed the remaining two bars.

“Now it is time to finally come to life.” You tease, handing over the bar, once more taking your time to move your hand away.

“I think I already did,” He said softly, not talking about the bars, and this time you wouldn’t look at him, paying attention to the orange treat in your hands. Together the two of you took a bite, and Jihoon couldn’t help but agree with you. The lemon bar was good, though he probably only liked it because you were there, but this one was actually delicious. “Wow.”

“Right?! Life changing.” You sigh happily, chewing happily at the pastry. “Do you come to these things often?”

“No, actually.” Jihoon answered honestly, already finishing the bar and you handed him the handkerchief to wipe away the sugar. “I typically just stay home, and if I need anything, I can just go by the corner shop.” He looks around the crowd of people to see if he could catch a glimpse of Wonwoo and Adri, but no luck. “My friend Wonwoo and his wife dragged me along today.”

“Oh, so here against your will I take it?” You ask, taking your time eating as you watched him with a curious gaze. He nodded. “Well, I don’t know how you feel about it, but I am happy that you were forced to come. I mean, how else will you try these amazing treats?”

“Me too,” He answered with a laugh, and the two of you slipped into a light conversation. With you asking him random questions about himself, which he answered, and you then answered his questions.

The fruit bars now long gone, but neither of you moved from your place in the grass. Not caring about the people walking by you, or the curious glances of people that knew you both. Lee Jihoon and you, sitting together, with you talking animatedly to him, laughing together, and he looked at you like you hung the sky.

“I should probably see where these two are.” Jihoon said at one point, pulling his phone out of his pocket to call Wonwoo. Honestly, he had almost completely forgotten that he had lost his friend in the crowd hours earlier, lost in talking with you. Hitting the call button on his friend’s contact, he held the phone to his ear as it rang.

Wonwoo answered after the first couple of rings.

“Hey, where you guys at?” As he listened to his friend’s response, Jihoon’s eyes stayed on you while you closed up the container that once held the bars. You were doing your best to not give away that you were listening in or hiding the look of disappointment on your face.

You were about to say your goodbyes and go your separate ways. Back to normal life, back to him just being a patron of the shop you work at, and back to you wishing you could say more. Hoping he would say more.

Fate can be a funny thing though. Since Wonwoo and Adri had left nearly an hour earlier and didn’t tell him.

“What you mean you two left?” Jihoon’s voice change caused you to look at him, watching the smile he was wearing turn to a deep frown. “I came with you guys. Why didn’t you call me, or come find me?”

“Sorry, Adri was getting a headache so I took her home so she can lay down. I was going to call you but…” Jihoon cut him off by an annoyed tsk, which he was sure was making his friend feel guilty. “Do you want me to come get you?”

“Jihoon.” You said softly, leaning toward him, stopping him from agreeing for his friend to come pick him up. He raised a brow at you, and you gave him a hopeful smile, “I can take you home or back to your car… Wonwoo doesn’t have to come all the way back to get you.”

“You sure?” He asked, proud of himself that he is keeping as calm as he was outwardly, because inside he felt like he was freaking out. He didn’t want to inconvenience you, even if you offered, but he also wasn’t exactly wanting to leave you yet.

“Yeah, I don’t mind.” He was suddenly aware of how close you two actually were and that you were touching his arm. Your touch barely felt under the layers of clothes, but he could still feel the warmth coming from it.

“You know what, don’t worry about it.” Jihoon said into the phone after a minute, witnessing before his eyes as you lit up in a way that he hadn’t seen before. Hanging up with his friend, he couldn’t help but say something. “You seem excited to take me home.”

“What can I say?” Giving him a wink, you stood to brush the dirt off the back of your jeans before offering him your hand. Which he took and you helped him stand, and with your bottom lip between your lip you add. “I’m not ready to stop hanging out just yet.”

If you were able to see inside Jihoon’s chest, you would be able to see how quick his heart was beating and that his lungs were almost robbed of breath. There was no mistaken the way you were looking at him, eyes filled with adoration and how you were chewing your bottom lip, that you were interested in him. Interested in spending more time with him.

And it was not lost on either of you that you were still holding onto each other’s hands.

“Good, because I’m not either.”

It was well past one when you left the market together, with you talking animatedly as you lead him to your car. Your palm pressed against his clammy one, but you didn’t care so neither did he. Jihoon had left his car at Wonwoo’s, since he had rode with the couple that morning, and it surprised him when you told him you knew exactly where they lived.

“I know Adri through Ruby.” You told him when he went to question you, grabbing and handing over a large CD binder from behind you before buckling in. The bright blue binder heavy in his hands, “We’re taking the long way there though, so pick some tunes.”

“You still use CDs?” Jihoon asked, looking through the pages full of CDs, impressed that you still used them. So many, like him, had switched to playing music through an app on their phone or programmed into their car.

“It’s either that or the radio.” You tell him, “And I don’t feel the need to have some fancy Bluetooth set up in my car. Besides there is still something special about listening through a CD instead of through some app. Be sure to buckle up.”

Jihoon let out a laugh, doing as you told him, buckling in and choosing a CD from one of the pages. A Bruno Mars album. You pull off as the music started to play, and he turned it down so that you didn’t have to yell over it to be heard.

You weren’t lying when you said you were going to take the long way back to the couple’s home, taking as many back streets as possible. Conversations continued naturally like it had at the market, and of course you ended up rambling. Though this time you managed to keep it to three different stories that somehow intertwined, but he didn’t mind as long as he got to hear your voice and laugh more.

The afternoon sun shined bright through the car window, making you attempt the drop the visor and slip on the sunglasses that fell down; especially since the visor did nothing to help shield you from the rays. Leaving you grumbling between your responses in the conversation.

When you finally got to your destination, Jihoon didn’t make any motion to get out of the car. He stayed there so you could finish your story about when your cat got stuck in your ceiling.

“I had to call my brother, and he’s allergic to cats so it took so much convincing.” You sigh, dropping your head back against the headrest then looked his direction. Realizing that you may have taken over most the airtime in the car ride. “Sorry, I am rambling again.”

“Don’t be. I don’t mind it.” He answered, waving off your concern before flashing you a grin. “Means I don’t have to as much.”

“I do it a lot when I’m nervous, but something tells me that if I can shut up long enough, you’d be a chatter box.”

“Do I make you nervous?” Jihoon asked you, watching with mild amusement as you realized what you had just said.

“Oh… uh… yeah, a little.” You stuttered out, looking down at your steering wheel before licking you lips. “I…” You let out a laugh, nervous but sweet sounding, “I…I kind of have a bit of a crush on you…”

“You do?” Turning your gaze toward him, you nodded which in turned made him laugh. “What you know…” Both of you suddenly became aware that you were now leaning toward each other. “I do too.”

A squeak left you before Jihoon finally closed the remaining distance to kiss you. It was brief, testing, but the soft pressure of your lips felt like heaven and the soft sigh that left you made him want to kiss you again.

“Wow…” Your voice was breathless, lightly brushing your fingers against you bottom lip, sitting back in your seat.

“I should get going…” Jihoon finally spoke after a moment, catching the way your nod was small and a little disappointing. He didn’t want to end this either, but if he didn’t get out of this car, he may never leave your side again. “Would you like to have dinner with me? Tomorrow night sound good?”

“I close the shop, but I can come by after if you don’t mind a late night dinner.” There was hopefulness in your eyes when you offered this but quickly blurted out. “Unless another night works better.”

“No, we can do a late dinner. My place?” You started to nod your head quickly in excitement, and it made him laugh at how cute you were being. Dropping his gaze to your lips, Jihoon had to hold himself back from diving in for another kiss. Part of him confident that this won’t be the last time he got to kiss them.

You exchange numbers, before he finally slipped out of the car after bidding you goodbye for now. His heart racing as he watched you pulled out of your parking spot, with a small wave and a smile that felt even better than the one you would give to anyone else.

This smile. It was just for Jihoon.

You were vibrating when you got back to your place, unable to contain the excitement or the cloud nine feeling that was coursing through you. The entire day felt like a dream but the gentle pressure of Jihoon’s lips lingering on yours was proof that it very much was real.

And now you were going to go on a date with him.

You barely were inside the small apartment before you were pulling out your phone to make a phone call. After a few rings, the person on the other end picked up.

“About time!” Adri’s voice filtered through the speaker. “I see that the plan worked?”

“It did! We’re having dinner tomorrow night.” You squeal into the phone, dropping back down onto your sofa and kicked your feet in excitement. “Adri, he’s so amazing… I didn’t want today to end, I didn’t want to leave him. I want to kiss him again.”

“Ugh, you are going to be even more insufferable about him now.” Her faux disgust made the two of you burst out into giggles.

Thank you for reading! I do hope you enjoyed this fic! I am not used to writing pure fluff so, but I did have fun writing this!

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