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Even as a child, Euijoo knew there was a hairline fracture in his psyche—something a bit "sick" that hummed beneath the surface.
He traced the roots of his jealousy back to a specific kind of domestic rot. His parents had raised him on a dangerous diet of meritocracy: if Euijoo worked hard, he received. It seemed like healthy parenting on paper, but it lacked the one lesson that keeps a soul tethered to reality —the realization that some things, and some people, can never be owned.
The obsession crystallized when he was nine. It happened over a toy—a favorite, earned through weeks of perfect behavior. When his younger cousin reached for it, Euijoo didn’t see a playmate; he saw a thief. The smack on the back of the younger boy was reflex, sharp and jarring, leaving him wailing on the floor.
Euijoo had braced for the weight of a heavy hand or a stern lecture. Instead, he got a laugh from his parents.
"Oh, ignore him," his mother had chirped to the aunt, lifting the toy from the crying child’s grip and handing it back to Euijoo. "He’s just obsessed with his things. He worked so hard for that, didn't you, honey?"
At that moment, Euijoo felt triumphant, his face twitched into a small smile.
That day, he learned a lesson. Since he worked hard for what he had, he felt he had every right to do whatever was necessary to protect it.
So, Euijoo would consider his feelings for Nicholas to be moderate, reasonable, and—above all—entirely harmless.
Take the pencil incident, for instance. He didn't snap it in half out of petty jealousy just because Nicholas helped a girl who’d been "bonked" by a stray basketball. (In reality, Nicholas was just taking responsibility for his own lack of aim). No, Euijoo broke the pencil for the girl’s own protection; had he kept holding that sharp lead while watching Nicholas’s large, warm hands soothe her forehead, he might have been tempted to deposit it directly into her jugular. Breaking it was practically a civic duty.
He does not thrash their house over Nicholas cancelling plans with him and to go out shopping with his own sister instead. He was simply performing a high-energy audit of their belongings. Tossing chairs and shattering vases was just the motivation Euijoo needed to finally declutter and throw away things they no longer required.
And, Euijoo definitely did not spike Nicholas's drink with sleeping pills so the latter won't go out to grab drinks at night. Well, even if he did that, it was for Nicholas's safety, right? In this cold and vicious world, even a guy as strong as Nicholas could get hurt after a long night out with his friends.
In his mind, he would say he wasn't that obsessed over his roommate. He was just a dedicated friend who only prioritized his friend’s safety.
He is just being a good friend.
After all, he’d gone through hell to get Nicholas to be his friend. God forbid a boy should want to protect what belongs to him, right?
Euijoo considered himself a punctual and responsible man. He loathed last-minute changes and detested it when reality failed to align with his mental rehearsals.
So, when Nicholas appeared at 9:00 PM on a Friday—their sacred, annual movie night—with a girl hiding sheepishly behind him, Euijoo had to bite his tongue to keep from saying something that might fracture their "friendship."
He forced a smile as Nicholas dragged her toward his bedroom, offering a casual wink before the door clicked shut.
The moment the latch engaged, Euijoo’s face fell. He abandoned the bowl of popcorn on the dining table and retreated to his room.
He opened his laptop and pulled up a specific application. His brow furrowed at the sight: Nicholas and the girl were on the bed, caught in a frantic, messy heat. Euijoo rolled his eyes. With a clinical click of the mouse, he toggled the camera angle. Now, the view was higher; she was already on her knees between Nicholas’s thighs.
Euijoo balled his hands into fists and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He heard the frantic unzip of denim before he saw it—a sound that had become a recurring headache. Ever since Nicholas got rejected, he’d lost all sense of modesty. It was a mess Euijoo hadn't even known existed until Nicholas came to him that Saturday morning.
Euijoo was just stirring his coffee when he felt a heavy weight press against his shoulders. He fought back a smile as the familiar scent of shampoo wafted through the air. “Euijoo,” the owner of the scent murmured. Euijoo simply hummed in response. “She rejected me.”
The solemn voice tugged at Euijoo’s heartstrings, but internally, he was scrambling. Who the hell is 'she'?
As the silence stretched thin, the person behind him let out a frustrated groan.
“Do you seriously not remember who I’m talking about?” he asked, pulling away to give Euijoo space to turn around. He had a pout on his face so deep that Euijoo had to resist the urge to kiss it away.
“You don’t care about me at all,” he muttered, crossing his arms and leaning against the fridge, his frown deepening.
“No—I’m sorry, Nico. It just slipped my mind for a second,” Euijoo apologized quickly. “What happened? What did she actually say?”
Nicholas let out a long, weary sigh, his body slumping against the appliance. “She has a boyfriend. And then she told me I’m ‘too good’ for her. What does that even mean?” Nicholas rolled his eyes.
Euijoo fought every nerve and muscle to keep from beaming. Instead, he forced a look of faux sympathy and stepped closer. With his coffee in one hand, he wrapped his free arm around Nicholas.
“Well, you are too good for her,” Euijoo murmured, his voice slightly muffled by a sip of his drink. He cleared his throat and spoke more firmly: “It’s okay, you know. There are plenty of fish in the sea.”
By which I mean, I’m the fish already waiting in your net, Euijoo thought.
Nicholas looked up, searching his eyes. “You sure?”
Euijoo gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze and smiled down at him. “A hundred percent, Nico.”
And Euijoo is so done with that.
He hastily switched to his favorite angle—a camera perched high on a shelf directly facing the bed. From this vantage point, the girl was obscured; he could focus entirely on Nicholas.
He watched the way Nicholas’s breath hitched, his hand guiding her head closer. He watched the corded muscles of Nicholas's neck stand out as he tilted his head back, exposing his jugular. When Nicholas praised her, Euijoo let out a sharp, jealous scoff.
“I could do that better,” he whispered, his own hand snaking down to palm himself.
He worked in tandem with the rhythm on the screen, eyes locked on the familiar tics of Nicholas’s pleasure. When a specific, guttural groan tore from Nicholas’s throat, Euijoo sat up straight. He knew that sound. Nicholas was close. Euijoo’s breath came in short, jagged gasps until, with one final moan from the speakers, he came.
As Euijoo slumped back, spent, he watched Nicholas lean back on his hands, his chest rising up and down. But then, Nicholas’s eyes darted upward. A cold sweat broke across Euijoo’s temples.
Why was Nicholas staring at the camera?
Euijoo bit his lip, heart hammering against his ribs. Nicholas’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk. He patted the girl’s head and pulled her up for another kiss, but his eyes never left the lens.
It was like he was looking directly at Euijoo.
Flinching, Euijoo ripped off his headphones and slammed the laptop shut. He cleaned up in a frantic blur, pacing his room as his brain went haywire. There’s no way he knows. I hid it perfectly.
The sound of the front door slamming startled him. He ran toward the entrance, nearly colliding with Nicholas in the hallway. Euijoo recoiled as if the contact might physically burn him.
“What’s wrong, Juju?” Nicholas asked, brushing past him to get to the kitchen. His hand grazed Euijoo’s stomach—a light, lingering touch.
“Oh— s-she didn’t stay?” Euijoo hated how high his voice sounded. He hoped his face doesn't show much of a panic, really.
Nicholas poured a glass of water, chuckling behind the rim of the cup. He chugged it down before fixing Euijoo with a teasing look. “Nope," he simply said.
"I mean, we can be pretty loud, you know? Didn’t want to disturb your movie night.” Nicholas let out a low whistle when Euijoo just blinked at the blunt statement.
He then stepped closer, invading Euijoo’s personal space until they were mere inches apart. “Or... would you not have minded?”
His voice dropped an octave, vibrating in the small space between them. Euijoo looked away, his hand trembling as it landed on Nicholas’s shoulder to keep some distance. “I—uh, yes. I do mind. Thank you for being... considerate.”
Nicholas giggled, a low, dark sound. “If you say so.” He paused, his gaze heavy. “Now that she’s gone, want to resume our movie night?" he asked, hands finding Euijoo's sleeve.
"Come on, Juju. I want to watch Scream.”
He grabbed the bowl of popcorn and pulled Euijoo by his sleeve toward the couch, leaving the taller to wonder if he actually knew about it or if it was just a coincidence?
One afternoon, Nicholas burst through the front door in a visible panic. His hair was disheveled, and his breath came in heavy, ragged hitches. He lunged for Euijoo, who had just been settling into the living room, and dragged him toward the entryway.
"Shit, Euijoo—can you tell her I’m not here?" Nicholas pleaded. He squeezed Euijoo’s forearm, his eyes wide and bewildered. Before Euijoo could press for details, the doorbell chimed, causing Nicholas to flinch violently.
"Please," Nicholas whispered, one last desperate command before he scrambled back toward his bedroom.
Once the bedroom door clicked shut, Euijoo’s expression went ice-cold. He turned and pulled open the front door. His gaze flattened the moment he saw the same girl from last Friday, standing in front of their door. She let out a soft, pleased coo when she saw him, batting her eyelashes and swaying her hips with practiced ease.
"Euijoo-kun, right? Is Nicholas-kun inside?" she asked, her voice tilting upward in a hopeful lilt.
Euijoo didn't blink. He simply shook his head and muttered a flat, monotone, "No."
She froze, clearly taken aback by his icy demeanor. "Oh... well, can I come in and wait? He said he would be home in fiㅡ" She didn't wait for an answer, attempting to squeeze herself past the threshold, but Euijoo’s arm shot out, blocking her path like a steel bar.
“Uh, Euijoo-kun?” She pouted, her eyes darting to his arm. Instead of backing away, she grabbed his forearm and pressed it firmly against her chest, leaning in close.
"Let me in, Euijoo-kun! I’ll let you join us this time, okay?" she chirped, her voice hitting a high-pitched frequency that grated against Euijoo’s nerves.
"So loud," Euijoo murmured, his voice laced with pure disdain.
Without a hint of hesitation, he wrenched his arm back, nearly throwing her off balance. "No. And don't come here again," he said. Before she could utter another word, he stepped back and slammed the door directly in her face.
Once he thought the coast was clear, he called out for Nicholas.
The door opened slowly. Nicholas peeked his head out like a cautious cat, a sight that made Euijoo’s heart squeeze. When their eyes finally met, Nicholas’s expression softened with visible relief; he straightened up and stepped into the hallway.
Before Euijoo could even react, Nicholas lunged. His arms wrapped tightly around Euijoo’s shoulders.
“Wahhh, thank you so much! You’re my lifesaver, Juju,” Nicholas wailed. He clung to Euijoo as if trying to merge their two bodies into one. At such a close distance, Euijoo could only pray that Nicholas wouldn't notice his heart jackrabbiting against his ribs.
Euijoo reached up to return the embrace, but stopped. He felt Nicholas’s lips brush against his ear as his voice dropped an octave—low and intimate, like a dark secret intended for Euijoo alone.
“After all,” Nicholas whispered, “you’re the one who knows me best.”
He pulled away, flashed a quick smile, and walked off. Euijoo remained exactly where he was, frozen and unmoving, still trying to process what had just happened.
The longer Euijoo stood there, the hotter his cheeks became, until he finally turned around and scurried back to his room. He slammed face-first into his mattress, his feet kicking the air as Nicholas’s words replayed on a loop in his head.
The way each word had been dragged out, low and slow, triggered the worst —or perhaps the best— reaction in him. He felt like a teenage girl who had just been given a button by her crush.
Rolling onto his back, Euijoo stared up at the ceiling with a dazed smile. He stretched his arms upward, his fingers grazing the air as if he were caressing something just out of reach.
“Yes,” he murmured to the quiet room, his eyes tracing the various photos of Nicholas taped to the ceiling above him. “I’m the only one who knows you better than anyone else.”
It all happened in a blur. Just moments ago, Euijoo and Nicholas were having the time of their lives figuring out how the hell they were going to escape "The Girl" in the newest Resident Evil series. Well, it was mostly Euijoo trying to keep his cool while the monster stalked them, all while Nicholas clung to him as if he were trying to burrow under Euijoo’s skin.
Nicholas let out a series of squeaks and whimpers every time he spotted her, whispering, "You got this, Juju," and occasionally burying his face in Euijoo’s forearm after a jump scare. At one point, Euijoo even laughed, reaching back to rub the arms wrapped tightly around his own.
But now, the game sat abandoned. The screen was frozen on the pause menu as Euijoo stood in the hallway, trying to assess the situation.
They had just been getting cozy when the front door was pounded repeatedly, the doorbell ringing as if they were about to be ambushed. They traded a wary glance before Euijoo paused the game and Nicholas went to answer it. Euijoo was barely two feet into the hallway when a loud, familiar, high-pitched voice shrieked, "Nicholas-kun!"
His expression soured instantly. Walking slowly toward the entrance, he saw Nicholas being smothered by the same girl from that Friday night—and the Friday before that.
"Reina-chan! What are you doing here?" Nicholas let out a nervous laugh, gently pulling her back by the shoulders. He shot a glance at Euijoo, who remained unfazed by Reina’s frantic energy. Her head snapped toward Euijoo, and she pointed a finger at him, her face twisted in disgust.
"Stalker," she spat. Euijoo’s expression didn't waver.
"Creep," she hissed again, her voice laced with even more venom, clearly intending to draw blood.
"Reina-chan, what are you—" Nicholas started, but he was cut off when Reina stepped forward, pushing him behind her.
To Euijoo, the sight was nothing short of ridiculous. She looked like a sparrow trying to shield an eagle, puffing herself up to look intimidating. He stayed silent, his face dissolving into a look of sheer boredom and growing annoyance.
"This freak acts like he's all innocent while being a total psycho." The accusation should have hit Euijoo like a brick; it should have felt like a slap in the face. Instead, it felt like an acknowledgment—something Euijoo was almost proud of.
The silence in the narrow hallway stretched, thick and suffocating. Reina’s chest heaved, her small frame trembling with a mixture of adrenaline and perceived heroism. Behind her, Nicholas looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole, his eyes darting between the back of Reina’s head and Euijoo’s chillingly blank stare.
Euijoo leaned his shoulder against the wall, crossing his arms. He didn't look like a "psycho" caught in a lie; he looked like a man watching a particularly dull commercial.
"Is there a point to this, Reina?" Euijoo asked, his voice smooth and devoid of the warmth he had used with Nicholas only minutes prior. "Or did you just come over to practice your vocabulary?"
"Don't you talk to me!" Reina yelled, her voice cracking. She turned slightly to Nicholas, grabbing his wrist with a grip that looked painful. "Nicholas-kun, you have to come with me. Now. I saw him— I saw him when you're on a date last Tuesday. And the week before. He doesn't just 'happen' to be everywhere you are. He’s tracking you."
Nicholas winced, his voice dropping to a low, embarrassed plea. "Reina, stop. He’s my friend. We live together. Of course he knows where I am."
"He was in the bushes, Nicholas!" she shrieked, spinning back to glare at Euijoo. "I saw the reflection of a lens. He was taking pictures!"
A slow, dark smile tugged at the corner of Euijoo’s mouth. It wasn't a denial. In fact, the way his eyes crinkled at the edges was almost predatory. He took a single step forward, and Reina instinctively recoiled, bumping into Nicholas’s chest.
"You have a very vivid imagination," Euijoo remarked, though his tone suggested he found her observation skills impressive. He shifted his gaze to Nicholas, his eyes softening into a look of feigned hurt. "Nico... do you really think I’d do something so... cliché?"
Nicholas looked torn, his loyalties fraying under the weight of Reina’s frantic accusations and Euijoo’s magnetic, calm presence. "I... no, Juju. Of course not. Reina, you’re just stressed, you're seeing things—"
"I am NOT crazy!" Reina screamed, her face flushing a deep crimson. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, her fingers fumbling with the lock screen. "I have proof. A lot of it. I followed him back from the park. I saw the folder on his laptop when i was here—"
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. The boredom vanished from Euijoo’s face, replaced by a cold, sharp intensity that made the air feel several degrees colder. He straightened his posture, his shadow looming large against the hallway wall.
"You were snooping through our house, Reina?" Euijoo asked, tilting his head in a faux innocence, his voice dropping an octave. He took another step, closing the distance until he was towering over her, he leaned into the space, eyes leveled with Reina's own. "And you’re calling me the stalker?"
He reached out, his hand moving so fast Reina didn't have time to blink. He didn't grab her; instead, he gently plucked the phone from her shaking fingers.
"Nicholas," Euijoo said, not breaking eye contact with the terrified girl. "I think your friend needs to leave. She’s clearly unwell. She’s starting to project her own... obsessions onto me."
"Give that back!" Reina lunged for the phone, but Euijoo held it just out of reach, his expression one of calm, polite concern.
"Nico," Euijoo repeated, his voice like velvet over steel. "Get her out of our house. Before I have to call the police about a prowler."
Nicholas, pale and shaking, placed a hand on Reina’s shoulder. "Reina... please. Just go. You’re making things worse. I'll call a cab for you, yeah?"
As Nicholas began to usher a sobbing, protesting Reina toward the door, Euijoo stood in the shadows of the hallway. He looked down at the phone in his hand, before shoving it into his pocket.
Nicholas reappeared seconds later, his face flushed with deep embarrassment. "Gosh, I’m so sorry for whatever Reina was doing just now. Oh my god, this is so humiliating," he muttered, shaking his head in pure disbelief. He started to rub his temples, but he stopped when he felt Euijoo pull his hands away with a firm tug on his wrist.
"Way to ruin the mood, huh?" Euijoo said, a playful smile dancing on his face. He pulled Nicholas by the wrist again, leading him back toward the living room. "Let’s just resume. The part coming up is way more interesting," he exclaimed, pulling Nicholas down onto the couch beside him.
Euijoo stared at Reina’s phone, his gaze vacant and unblinking as the screen's glow reflected in his pupils. A quick glance at the clock confirmed the countdown: in two or three hours, Reina would inevitably turn up at his doorstep demanding the device, or worse, Nicholas would be the one who going to get it for her.
He didn't waste another second. Getting into her phone was a routine task, a muscle memory he’d perfected a million times before. He synced the device to his laptop, his fingers flying across the keys as he prepared the payload. He began transferring a curated collection of "iffy" photos of Nicholas—shots he had taken back before he and Nicholas were even roommates.
Several frames showed Nicholas stripping off his clothes, the lines of exhaustion etched deeply into his face. Same intrusive angles that was taken from below but zoomed in to get the line of Nicholas's body.
A series of photos from the dance studio. The camera was positioned high and obscured by the branches of a tree, capturing Nicholas mid-warmup, completely unaware of the lens. Euijoo's eyes expand at the sight of Nicholas's joyful smile when he got greeted by his students.
Euijoo throw in a handful of videos thay followed Nicholas. It tracked the latter leaving his workplace at the café and lingering under the bridge where he often went to clear his head—a place that Nicholas had kept secret from anyone when he wanted to be left alone.
It was a wicked gamble, but Euijoo was playing for keeps. He needed to pin the stalker narrative on Reina, branding her with the obsession that actually belonged to him, before she had the chance to expose his own shadows.
He scrolled through the gallery one last time, his lip curling into a pouting grimace. It pained him to "plant" some of his prettiest shots of Nicholas, but he would sacrifice his best art if it meant keeping himself—and his secrets—safe.
Euijoo’s thumb hovered over the screen, the blue light reflecting in his eyes as he finalized the change. He had spent several minutes digging through Reina’s gallery, but the search had paid off. The new wallpaper was a candid shot of Nicholas, eyes closed and breathing shallowly as he slept soundly in his own bed.
It was the kind of photo that suggested a soft intimacy—one that Euijoo was more than happy to weaponize for a harmless prank. . . it was harmless, right?
A quiet, lopsided smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Satisfied with his handiwork, he pressed the power button, watching the screen go dark and effectively locking the phone. He could already imagine Reina’s flustered reaction when she tried to explain the picture to Nicholas. He giggled giddily at the mere expectation.
Stepping out of the quiet sanctuary of his room, Euijoo maintained a mask of perfect innocence. He crossed the apartment with a light, rhythmic stride, the floorboards barely creaking under his weight. As he passed through the kitchen, he reached out and casually slid the phone onto the granite counter. It landed with a soft clack, looking entirely undisturbed.
He didn't linger to see if Nicholas was around. Instead, he simply tucked his hands into his pockets and continued down the hall, whistling a low, tuneless melody as he moved on with his day, leaving the little digital time bomb behind him.
Euijoo was focused on his work, the steady tap of his keyboard the only sound in the room, until a jagged streak of yelling and sobbing cut through the quiet. He didn't rush; instead, he rose slowly, a calm curiosity guiding him as he went to investigate the source of the chaos.
"Nicholas-kun, I swear! That wasn't—"
Reina broke off mid-sentence, her bloodshot eyes snapping toward the doorway of Euijoo's bedroom as he stepped into the living room, door clicking close behind him. The moment her gaze landed on him, her grief curdled into pure rage.
"YOU!" she screamed. "You did this! You put those in my phone, didn't you?!"
She lunged, her fingers clawing at the air, but Nicholas was faster. He caught her by the shoulders, his grip firm as he pushed her back, creating a human barrier between them.
Euijoo stared at the back of Nicholas's head in awe, his heart picking up beat by beat as the older tried to protect him.
"Enough!" Nicholas’s voice was stern, cutting through her hysterics like a knife. "You’re being ridiculous, Reina. The pictures were right there on your phone, and now you’re trying to pin your sick obsession of me on Euijoo?"
Reina was a mess; black mascara trekked down her cheeks in jagged lines as she clung to Nicholas’s arms, her voice cracking as she tried to plead her innocence. Behind Nicholas, Euijoo just stood like a statue of perfect composure. He watched the spectacle with an expression of mild concern, though internally, he was fighting every muscle in his body to keep from doubling over, laughing his head off.
Seeing her look so utterly ruined over a photo he had simply moved from a folder to her lock screen was almost more than his self-control could handle. Euijoo stepped forward a bit, eyes softened in faux concern and empathy.
"Think about it, Reina. How on earth would I ever get into your phone? I don't even know your password," Euijoo stated calmly, placing a palm on her shoulder. Reina flinched away from his touch, her teeth sinking into her lip until she drew blood.
"F-fuck you," Reina spat, fists balled at her sides, her body trembling with rage. "You’ll pay for this, Byun Euijoo. You will—"
"Get out," Nicholas interrupted. Reina turned to him, hands reaching out to plead her case one last time, but Nicholas recoiled. "Get out, Reina, before I call the police," he said, his voice cold and steady. Reina opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water, but Nicholas stood firm, his finger pointing toward the door.
She walked away in defeat, her posture shrinking with every step. The moment the front door clicked shut, Euijoo turned away, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.
Nicholas rubbed his face harshly before looking up. The blood rushed to his head when he saw that expression—even from the side, he recognized the way Euijoo’s cheeks puffed up in a smirk.
"You seem way too happy about this, Euijoo," Nicholas questioned.
Euijoo flinched, turning back with eyes as round as a goldfish. He blinked rapidly as Nicholas tilted his head, staring at him through the dark fringe of his bangs.
"I—I’m not. That was... well, it’s pretty bad, wasn't it? She seemed cool, but she just had to be a creep," Euijoo said, rubbing the nape of his neck and trying to look sheepish.
"Yeah? You really had nothing to do with it?" Nicholas asked, closing the distance. Euijoo stepped back, but Nicholas kept stalking forward until the back of Euijoo’s knees hit the sofa and he tumbled onto the cushions.
Nicholas followed him, forcing Euijoo’s knees apart as he stood between them. He didn't break eye contact instead he intensified it.
"I—I really don’t—"
Nicholas leaned in. "Then why were you smiling like a freak?" He caught Euijoo’s jaw between his thumb and forefinger, squeezing until Euijoo’s lips jutted out. Euijoo stayed quiet, his hands instinctively gripping Nicholas’s wrists.
"Want me all to yourself?" Nicholas challenged. Without thinking, Euijoo nodded. He froze a second later, eyes filling with horror as he realized what he’d admitted. Nicholas’s gaze darkened, and a low, dry chuckle escaped him.
"Aww, is that what you want, Juju? Me all to yourself?" Nicholas mocked. Euijoo’s eyes grew glossy, but before the tears could fall, Nicholas slid onto his lap and crushed their lips together.
It was bruising and hard, not a soft and romantic at all. Their teeth clacked as Nicholas pressed harder, biting down on Euijoo’s lip to force his tongue in the moment the younger boy gasped. Nicholas caught a handful of Euijoo’s hair and tugged harshly, drawing a sharp moan. He could feel Euijoo's turning hard in real-time, victorious fireworks sparks in his head.
So easy, he had said in his mind.
When Nicholas finally pulled away, he smirked. Euijoo looked completely undone—eyes hazy, lips swollen and slick with saliva that he barely knows who's who anymore. He slumped against the couch, his chest heaved as he struggled for air.
"Aww, already dying just from a kiss, Juju? How are you going to satisfy me now that you’ve chased Reina away?" Nicholas asked with a mock pout, his eyes glinting. Thumb swiping on Euijoo's lower lips.
"I—I can. I can do it, Nico," Euijoo panted, his fingers digging into Nicholas’s waist.
"Really?" Nicholas pushed their weight together, earning a whimper. He groan as he ground his hips down, the friction deliberate and heavy.
"F-fuck, Nico, please," Euijoo choked out.
"Please what? Come on, Euijoo," Nicholas said, a trace of annoyance seeping into his tone. "You’re supposed to make me feel good."
Euijoo nodded, grinding their weight together and suppressing a ragged moan as the solid heat of Nicholas pressed into him. His breath hitched when Nicholas rolled his hips downward, the friction catching against the seam of his denim. Desperate for more, Euijoo guided Nicholas’s hips, anchoring them to ensure maximum pressure between their bodies. His eyes flew open, pupils blown, when a genuine moan finally broke from Nicholas’s throat.
Encouraged, Euijoo maintained the rhythm, watching Nicholas with a predatory sort of devotion. The older boy’s eyes were squeezed shut, his head tilted back as he lost himself in the friction.
"Harder, Juju," Nicholas whispered, the command low and gravelly.
Euijoo sat up properly, wrapping his arms around the Taiwanese boy to pull him flush against his chest. He didn't break the pace; instead, he intensified the grind while peppering wet, desperate kisses along the column of Nicholas’s neck. He nipped at the sensitive skin of the collarbone, leaving a glistening trail behind. Tugging at the collar of Nicholas’s shirt, he found the soft dip where the neck met the shoulder and sucked hard, marking the skin until a deep, purplish bloom surfaced.
Nicholas shuddered violently, his fingers digging into Euijoo’s shoulders as his hip movements grew faster and more erratic. "I’m going to... ah! I’m close, Juju," he gasped, his composure finally fracturing. "Kiss me."
Euijoo obeyed instantly. He pressed their lips together—soft and slow this time—a stark contrast to the frantic friction below. He kept the momentum steady until he felt Nicholas’s body go rigid, every muscle locking in the peak of release. The sensation was enough to tip Euijoo over the edge; he leaned back, chasing his own heat until he came, his breath hitching in a series of broken sobs.
For a long moment, they stayed like that, chests heaving in the quiet room. Slowly, Nicholas pulled away, his dark eyes locking onto Euijoo’s.
"Did I do good, Nico?" Euijoo asked, his voice trembling with a fragile kind of hope.
"Yeah, you did a great job, Euijoo," Nicholas murmured, his voice returning to that smooth, teasing lilt. He reached out, cradling Euijoo’s face in his palms. "Such a good boy for me, hm?"
"Yes... yes. You won’t need her anymore, I promise," Euijoo whispered, leaning into the touch. He surged forward, burying his face in Nicholas’s shoulder and clinging to him as if he were trying to fuse their souls together. "Please never leave me, Nico. Please."
Nicholas let out a short, melodic laugh, his fingers carding through Euijoo’s hair with a deceptive tenderness. "We’ll see," he said, his tone unreadable. "Now, clean me up. I’m a mess."
He didn't move to help, simply reclining back and watching with a smirk as Euijoo eagerly set to work, devoted as ever.
Later that night, the house was silent, but the air between them remained thick. Euijoo was just getting ready to bed when Nicholas appeared, leaning against Euijoo’s doorframe, the dim hallway light silhouetting his frame. He wore loose shorts that showcased his long, lean legs and a thin tank top that hung loosely off his frame. His gaze was heavy—bedroom eyes that acted like a physical pull, luring Euijoo out of his own space.
The scent of Nicholas’s body lotion, clean and floral, seemed to float Euijoo toward the bed. They ended up tangled in the sheets, the previous tension replaced by a heavy, post-release lethargy. Euijoo lay with his face pressed into Nicholas’s chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heartbeat.
"Hey, Juju," Nicholas called softly.
Euijoo hummed in acknowledgement, eyes half-closed, feeling more secure than he had in weeks.
"Those little cameras you planted in here," Nicholas said, his voice casual, as if he were discussing the weather. "How about we make use of them later, hm?"
Euijoo’s entire body went ice cold. His head snapped up, his heart leaping into his throat.
"What?"
Nicholas didn't look angry. In fact, he looked amused. He tilted his head, a stray lock of hair falling over his eyes as he watched the color drain from Euijoo’s face.
"Did you really think I wouldn't notice?" Nicholas leaned closer, his lips brushing against Euijoo’s ear. "Try to hide it better, yeah?"