Work Text:
"Shit," Euijoo muttered, opening the pack of cigarettes, only to find it empty. He sighed and crumbled the box in his hand, throwing it into a nearby trash bin. He pulled a phone from his pocket and opened a map app, typing "mini market" into the search bar. He desperately needed a cigarette right now, and the closest market was almost ten minutes away. "Great," he huffed.
"Need a cigarette?" a low voice called out all of a sudden, causing him to jerk his head up and almost hit his back against the wall.
A man stood in front of him, wearing baggy dark blue jeans and a shirt he had left unbuttoned, revealing not only his sharp collarbones but also the elastic band of his underwear. Chrome Hearts. Cool. Massive silver rings wrapped around his fingers, holding a single cigarette, likely offering it to Euijoo. But Euijoo was more fascinated by his hair.
It was pink.
The man raised an eyebrow, slightly lifting a cigarette. "Yes or no?"
Euijoo blinked, opened his mouth, and shut it back. "I—Sorry. Yes, that would be nice," he said, trying to smile and taking the cigarette from his fingers. He put it between his lips, reaching to take a lighter from the pocket of his jacket. "Thanks."
The man nodded and leaned against the opposite wall, lighting his own. "What's your name?" he asked before dragging a cigarette.
Now it's Euijoo's turn to raise his eyebrow. He inhaled the smoke, then chuckled, blowing it out. "Why? Trying to get into my pants?" he tilted his head.
The man shrugged his shoulders. "You are cute, not gonna lie, but I can't tonight," he scrunched his nose. "So? Name?"
Euijoo hummed. "Euijoo. Byun Euijoo."
"Nicholas Wang."
Euijoo furrowed his brows. He was the Nicholas Wang? Euijoo had heard of him, but he had never truly faced him until today. He was pretty popular on campus; there was no one who didn't know who Nicholas was—captain of the basketball team and famous for the 'no dating' rule. Nicholas Wang hasn't dated anyone since his first year; a two-week affair was his max. Many girls fell for his beauty and sharp tongue. Don't take Euijoo the wrong way; even for his taste, Nicholas was attractive.
"Judging by the look on your face, you know who I am," Nicholas grinned, puffing the smoke.
Euijoo smiled. "Well, I doubt there's someone who doesn't know who you are."
"Maybe."
They fell silent for a moment, disturbed only by cars driving by the alley. Nicholas scrolled through the social media page on his phone, while Euijoo read all the messages his sister sent him. If he were honest, he didn't really want to open them, but knowing Eunha, she would definitely come to his apartment and break down the door. He was scared of his sister, and she knew that.
"Hey," Nicholas called him, making him lift his head. "We haven't met before?"
Euijoo immediately shook his head. "Nope," he said, popping 'p'. "I'm not much of a party person."
Nicholas crooked a brow. His eyebrows' shape was really nice. "But you're a club person?"
"Wrong again," Euijoo let out a short laugh. He dropped the cigarette on the ground, stomping it with his shoe. "I'm a good person who came to fetch his drunk friends."
"Wow, wish I had such a friend," he smiled, crushing his cigarette against the wall. "Wanna exchange numbers? You seem cool to talk to." He held out his hand with the phone.
Euijoo was taken aback. Nicholas Wang wants his phone number?
"Sure," he tried to play it cool, taking the phone in his hands before pressing the numbers.
Nicholas nodded, taking back the phone. "How should I name you?" He hummed for a second. "Do you like tangerines?"
Euijoo widened his eyes and slightly opened his mouth. "Eh…Sure?"
"Then Juju is it," Nicholas typed a name and pressed save. "I will text you later, Juju." He flashed him a smile before walking away.
What the fuck was that?
࣪ ˖ 𖦹°⋆
Euijoo completely forgot about his small chat with Nicholas. That night, he picked up a very drunk Yuma, who nearly curled around poor Jo like a koala and was singing out loud love songs because, according to him, no one loves him. Jo shook his head, saying Don't ask before pushing Yuma into the car.
He remembered it a few days later. He was working on his model, cutting walls from cardboard, when he received a message from an unknown number.
+82153638373
Hey
You:
Who's this?
+82153638373
Wow
And then I thought that we bonded over a cigarette
I'm hurt, Juju
Euijoo blinked at the screen. He didn't expect Nicholas to really text him. He thought it was just out of politeness or whatever.
You:
Sorry, I forgot I gave you my phone number
I will save it now
Nicholas Wang:
I hope you do
Anyway, how's life? Didn't see you on campus
You:
Maybe because we have different schedules?
I have only three days in uni
Nicholas Wang:
Fuck
Really?
I'm so jealous. I need to be there like 6 days a week
You:
Not everyone is a captain of a basketball team
Nicholas Wang:
So you know I'm a captain? :)
You:
Nicholas, don't make me block you
Everyone knows it
You're literally on the poster
Nicholas Wang:
:(
And here I thought I'm special
You:
You wish
Nicholas Wang:
Has anyone told you how rude you are?
You:
My sister
And my mom
Nicholas Wang:
Well. I'm the third one then
But really, how are you?
You:
Fine
Trying my best not to smack my head against the wall because of the model I need to make till next Monday
Nicholas Wang:
Damn
Architect major? Tough life buddy
You:
Did you just call me buddy?
And it's not that bad
Nicholas Wang:
Yep
Says you
This is why business major easy, except for micro and macro economics
You:
I'm really gonna block you
Nicholas Wang:
Wow
People dream about my number, and here I have Byun Euijoo, who wants to block it
You:
I'm not people
Nicholas Wang:
Right
Wanna hang out? I know you're not a party person, but we could go out to eat or something
You:
Are you still trying to get into my pants?
Nicholas Wang:
Nope
I wasn't lying when I said you're interesting to talk to
And I'm still shocked we never met
Euijoo bit his lower lip. It's not like he has a reason to say no. He would actually like to hang out with people outside of his friend's circle before Haewon mentions again how much of a loser he is. His fingers hovered over his keyboard.
You:
Just joking
Sure
When and where?
Nicholas Wang:
Do u like pizza?
I know one place where, at 4 pm, you get 50% off for the whole order
You:
A good deal for a student?
Count me in
I'm free tomorrow btw
Nicholas Wang:
Nice
[Location]
Meet me there?
You:
Sounds good
See u then
Nicholas Wang:
See you :)
Euijoo locked his phone, finding himself smiling wider than he would like to. He tossed the phone onto the desk before spinning around in his chair a few times. He stopped, looking at his unfinished model of cardboard, and sighed. He technically still had four days, give or take, and he could make it if he slept six hours a night and spent the whole day doing the shit. So yeah, he would be fine.
Euijoo had a difficult relationship with his major, more like a love-hate situation. He enjoyed finding out more about construction and the math behind it. But he hated doing models with all his soul. Because after weeks of building it, his back doesn't bend, and his eyes are sore as fuck. He doesn't even know if he will work as an architect in the future or will just toss his diploma away, not before showing it to his mother with words Can you now leave me alone?
Euijoo took off his glasses, throwing them somewhere on the desk, among a million cuts of cardboard. He grabbed his phone and stood up from the chair before his ass was glued to it. He smelled food earlier, and he knew if he batted his eyelashes right, Jo would share food with him because he was a good friend and easy to manipulate. Who said that?
Jo stood in the kitchen with his back facing Euijoo, frying chicken cutlets covered in breadcrumbs. He hummed a song that Yuma played on his last performance. Euijoo grinned and tiptoed behind Jo before putting his hands on his shoulders and saying Boo.
Jo screamed, jumping from his spot and nearly hitting Euijoo with the spatula. "Euijoo! What the fuck!" he shouted. It was the loudest Jo he had ever heard.
Euijoo laughed, holding hands in the air. "Sorry-sorry. It was just such a good moment to scare you."
Jo glared at him before turning back to the cutlets. "Do this again, and I will throw you out of the window."
Euijoo gasped. "Are you sure you're my Jo? Where's my soft-spoken Jo who would never hurt a bee?" he asked, leaning over Jo's shoulder. "You hang out with Yuma too much for my liking." He pouted.
Jo rolled his eyes, pushing Euijoo away with his elbow. "Fuck off. What do you want?"
"Food."
Jo looked at him. "No," he simply said, turning back to the stove.
"Please, Jojo!" Euijoo whined, hugging Jo with his bony hands around his torso. "I will do the dishes. Just a bit of food."
Jo put the spatula on the plate before turning around and pushing Euijoo. Well. Tried his best to push Euijoo. They fought like this for a good five minutes until Euijoo got tired and finally released Jo.
"Fine, just don't disturb me," he eventually agreed, even though Euijoo knew Jo wished nothing but to throw a spatula at him.
Ten minutes later, the food was served: chicken cutlet with rice and Euijoo's mom's kimchi. Jo took the plate and went to his room, shutting the door after himself. Euijoo smiled because he knew Jo would resent it for a few minutes and then come back as if nothing had happened. The food was good anyway.
His phone buzzed on the kitchen island. He chewed the chicken when he saw his sister's name on the screen.
Eunha:
When are you going to answer me?
Euijoo ignored the message, lowering the phone screen down. He didn't want to deal with her now, but maybe he would later. Or tomorrow. Or some other day. He drank some zero cola from the can before looking around their apartment; he perhaps needed to clean it. Not like they lived in a total disaster, but Euijoo would love to procrastinate more. Good choice.
He furrowed his brows when he noticed a red hoodie on the back of their couch. It was definitely not his and not Jo's because he despised red as a color. It looked like Yuma's, but he wasn't sure. And when Yuma had time to come to their apartments anyway?
Unless…
"Oh my God," he whispered. He jumped from the stool, walking toward Jo's door. He knocked on it a few times before the door opened, revealing a very annoyed Jo.
"What?"
"Please tell me you didn't fuck Yuma on our couch," Euijoo pleaded. He loved their couch, and it was his safe place. There's no way someone actually had sex on that couch. He would burn it if it were true.
Jo stared at him for a good five seconds before closing the door right in front of his face. And then he heard a muffled, "Ask Yuma."
"JO?!"
࣪ ˖ 𖦹°⋆
Euijoo didn't want to dress up for their hangout. Not because he was a lazy ass, but because he was going to pick up his model and go to the studio after their dinner. He spent most of his day lying in bed, scrolling TikTok, before glancing at the desk and groaning into the pillow. If his mother saw it, she would probably grab his ear and shout that he's throwing away his future.
He wouldn't say he dressed badly. He wore his favorite, most comfortable pair of blue jeans and a green long-sleeved striped shirt, with a cap on his head. It's not like it was sunny. He just loved his cap. Of course, if Harua saw his outfit, he would faint on the spot. But good thing Euijoo doesn't communicate well.
The pizza place was just fifteen minutes away by bus, and true to his punctual self, Euijoo was there sharp at four. He decided to wait outside since he didn't notice pink hair anywhere inside the cafe. He reached for the pack of cigarettes in the back pocket of his jeans when he realized he hadn't bought a new one, all the while bumming cigarettes from Haewon. Even though she swears she quit because Lily hates the smell.
Euijoo pressed his lips tight and closed his eyes in defeat. After dinner, before going home, he needed to buy a pack, or he would go crazy for real.
"I got a deja vu," someone said behind him, making him jump on the spot. Nicholas stood there with his hands in his pockets, grinning like a demon. "Haven't bought a new pack yet?"
Euijoo took a deep breath, trying to calm down his rising heart. Maybe in the past, he wouldn't have minded dying, but not before he ate. "Can you stop scaring me?" he hissed.
Nicholas hummed. "Nope," he replied. "Sorry for being late, kinda overslept."
"It's four in the afternoon, Nicholas."
"And?"
Euijoo stared at him before shaking his head. "Let's just eat. I'm starving," he mumbled.
Nicholas walked in front of him, pushing the door open. The cafe was full of people, which wasn't surprising because it was happy hour and everyone wanted a good deal on pizza. Nicholas somehow managed to make it to the cashier without bumping into people. Lucky he. Euijoo almost tripped over some guy's legs, and he was one hundred percent sure he stepped on a girl's foot. He panted when he finally made it close to Nicholas.
"Their pepperoni is good," he said, looking over his shoulder at Euijoo. "Hawaiian as well."
Euijoo shot him a nasty glare. "You like pineapples on your pizza?"
"Hell yeah, it's tasty."
"I'm so glad we didn't make out."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
The lady behind the counter stared at them with a crooked eyebrow. Nicholas smiled at her and finally pointed at the pizza types. Euijoo reached for his wallet in his bag, but Nicholas had already handed the girl cash as she printed the receipt and told them to wait for ten-ish minutes before she called their names.
"How much was it? I can transfer you," Euijoo asked once they walked away, pressing their backs to the wall.
Nicholas waved his hand. "Nah, it's on me. It's cheaper if you pay in cash anyway."
Euijoo furrowed his brows. "Why?"
"Taxes."
"Oh."
"So, mister architect," Nicholas turned his head to look at him. "What else do you do in your life besides dying from models?"
Euijoo chuckled. "I play guitar."
"Guitar? Damn. Acoustic or electric?" Nicholas' eyes shone.
"Both."
"Damn, Juju," Nicholas whistled. "You're even cooler in my eyes."
Euijoo shook his head, turning to look at the people. "Not really. Just a hobby."
Nicholas nudged his shoulder. "Still cool. I can play piano, but I didn't practice for a long time, so I think I lost it."
Euijoo hummed. He's biting his cheek, blinking too many times at the noises. He doesn't mind loud sounds and crowds, really. Hell, he plays with Yuma and his band in bars sometimes. But today was one of the days when he felt irritated and overwhelmed by everything. Maybe a new side effect of his pills.
"Earth to Juju," Nicholas said, poking his side. Euijoo shuddered and looked at him. "Are you okay?" he seemed truly worried.
"Ah," Euijoo blinked again, finally stopping biting the meat of his cheek. "Yeah, sorry. Too many people for such a small space," he tried to joke, but his head pounded as if his brain wanted to jump out.
Nicholas got serious for a minute. His eyes became even sharper than they were. He nodded toward the door. "Go wait for me outside. I will take food, and we can go to the park. Deal?"
Euijoo weakly nodded, pushing among people, trying his best not to get smacked by them. Once he was finally outside, he took a deep breath, leaning on his knees as support. He can't have a normal day without ruining it, can't he?
As if life wanted to laugh at him more, his phone buzzed in the pocket of his jeans. He groaned and pulled it out only to find out Eunha was calling him. He stared at it for a second before pressing the button on the side of his phone to decline the call. He didn't know what he would say if he picked up the phone. And it's best for both of them just to ignore it.
Nicholas opened the door a few minutes later, holding a box of pizza in his hand. A small smile played on his lips as he walked over.
"Feeling okay?" he asked, tilting his head.
Euijoo nodded, taking another deep breath. "Yeah, everything is great. Sorry again, I just felt a bit suffocated."
"Nah, all good, man," he patted his back. "There's one park nearby. They have this bench-table thingy."
"Sounds nice. Let's go then."
The walk was nice; Nicholas was a real yapper, talking about everything, even about the golden fish he had when he was ten, and it died because he overfed it. How would I know? Nicholas shrugged. Euijoo laughed in full voice until his belly hurt at the most ridiculous stories from Nicholas, and he wondered how such a person was still single.
Nicholas was…fun and caring. That's what Euijoo noticed. Besides his handsome face, Nicholas was truly a great person to talk to, and Euijoo was more than sure that Nicholas was even better with his significant other.
Euijoo noticed an empty bench-table thingy and tagged Nicholas by the sleeve of his hoodie to the place before someone else sat on it. Nicholas flopped on the seat with a tired groan, massaging his legs.
"And I thought here that you are an athlete," Euijoo teased.
"Ha-ha-ha," Nicholas laughed flatly. "Coach was in a mood yesterday, so he made everyone run around the court for almost an hour."
"I would die."
"I'm actually dead; you see a ghost," Nicholas grinned.
Euijoo chuckled and pushed Nicholas. They ate their pizza slices, watching little kids running around on the playground, screaming and laughing.
"Wait," Nicholas snapped his fingers and turned to look at Euijoo. "I know where I might have seen you before."
Euijoo raised an eyebrow and took a bite of his pizza.
"Your friend, Harua, is dating Maki, isn't he?"
Euijoo nodded. "I think so. I met Maki a few times, but we're not really friends."
"Well, Maki is my friend," Nicholas said and pushed his chest, as if he were proud of this fact. "So maybe I've seen you around them once or twice."
Euijoo hummed. "I've never seen you, though. Like never. I mean, yeah, posters and stuff, but…not in person."
"Good thing we changed that, hm?" Nicholas asked, smiling.
In the next hour, he tried to get Euijoo to try his Hawaiian pizza, which almost made Euijoo stand up and run away. Nicholas was a messy eater, having sauce on his chin and the corners of his lips. Euijoo laughed quietly at this, then screamed loudly as Nicholas smeared the sauce across Euijoo's cheek with his finger, grinning.
"You're such a dickhead!"
"I know!"
It was a good hangout. Euijoo smiled so much his cheeks started to hurt. And he found out more about Nicholas besides his facade of a captain. Surprisingly—when he murmured, "Wow," Nicholas punched him in the shoulder pretty hard—he was a good student as well, with a GPA of 3.7, and was even the president of the fashion club before he became a captain. He was originally from Taiwan but got a scholarship here for his outstanding sports skills, and he decided, why the hell not. He has an older sister as well—Nora—but she lives in LA now, so they rarely see each other. And they had mirroring birthdays.
"When is your birthday?" Nicholas asked after they cleaned themselves and threw the box into the trash bin.
"September ninth. Yours?"
Nicholas stared at him in shock. "Dude!" he exclaimed loudly. "Mine is July seventh."
Euijoo furrowed his brows. "And?"
Nicholas wanted to throw a napkin at him. "We're mirrors. Our birthdays mirror each other."
"Oh."
It was almost nine when they decided to wrap things up. Nicholas walked Euijoo to the bus stop; he lived ten minutes away from the cafe, five if he walked fast enough. So he was more than happy to spend extra time with Euijoo, as they waited for his bus, even though Euijoo asked multiple times if it was all right.
"It was fun; we need to do it again," Nicholas said, putting his hands into his pockets. It was a bit chilly, but he didn't seem bothered by the weather in his t-shirt.
Euijoo smiled. "Yeah, same. But not before I submit my model," he said.
Nicholas chuckled. "Of course."
When they both saw a bus coming in their direction, Euijoo turned around to say goodbye, but Nicholas beat him. 'Text me after you get home, yeah?"
"Pff, I will pull an all-nighter," Euijoo shrugged. "But I can text you once I leave the studio. Around five am."
"Sounds like a plan."
Euijoo hummed. "Get home safe," he said as the bus stopped in front of them, its doors opening and passengers getting off.
Nicholas grinned. "Awww, worried about me?"
"Not anymore, asshole." Euijoo rolled his eyes, but his lips betrayed him in a small smile, and he finally got on the bus.
He waved at Nicholas from his window and pulled headphones into his ears, smiling all the way home.
࣪ ˖ 𖦹°⋆
"Nice job, Euijoo," Professor Kim smiled at him. "I like the way you modeled the stairs and the foundation of the house. Windows could be a bit better, and next time, don't overuse glue. I see a few leaks." He pointed at the dark spots around the corners. "But overall, really great."
Euijoo nodded. "Yes, professor. Thank you."
He was done with the house model for his hardest subject, and he could finally breathe. He left the classroom with a happy smile playing on his lips, almost hopping on his way. Some people eyed him as they walked beside him, but he truly didn't give a shit. He pushed the door open, letting the girls in front of him walk in first. He deeply inhaled the fresh air of freedom for the next two weeks, puffing his chest. He squinted as the sun shone brightly. As he lowered his head to avoid getting blinded, his gaze fell on a particular guy with pink hair sitting on the steps. He smiled and walked behind, putting his hands on Nicholas' shoulders, startling him.
"Hey there," Euijoo said, smiling.
Nicholas chuckled, craning his neck to look at him. "Now you are scaring me?"
Euijoo shrugged. "Well, I had to do it at least once in my lifetime."
"Rude."
"Yes, and?" Euijoo laughed, pushing Nicholas on the shoulder, making him laugh as well.
"Why are you so happy?" Nicholas asked him.
"I submitted my model and got really good feedback from the professor," he explained, taking a cigarette out of Nicholas' fingers.
Nicholas widened his eyes and opened his mouth in protest. "First of all, you're a thief," he lifted an eyebrow, pointing at him. "But hey! That's so great!" he threw an arm over Euijoo's shoulder to hug him. "So proud of you."
"Thanks," he said and brought the cigarette closer to Nicholas' mouth, watching as he dragged on it, lips wrapped around.
"So, what's the plan of the day?" Nicholas tilted his head.
"Sleep, maybe eat first, and then sleep."
"Boring. Wanna go to a party with me?"
Euijoo dragged on the cigarette again, shaking his head. "I'm not a party person. I told you."
"I know, but you will be there with me," Nicholas leaned closer to him, taking the cigarette away. "C'mon, Juju. It will be fun."
"It's Monday; who even throws parties on Monday?" He crunched his face.
"Jaehyun does. You know him, right?" Nicholas rested on his elbows, propped on the steps.
"I know his boyfriend."
"I swear everyone is gay in this university," Nicholas laughed. "So? Yes or no?"
Euijoo licked his lips, looking at the cars behind the gates on the road passing by. "Dunno. I don't drink. And I can't stand people without getting drunk."
Nicholas rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Text me if you change your mind." He got up from the concrete, stomping out the cigarette, and saluted Euijoo, walking away.
Euijoo watched Nicholas' figure slowly disappear. He sighed, ruffling his hair, gripping its root. Now his good mood was ruined by this small fucking conversation, and he didn't even know why. He felt like something was pressing his chest, waiting till it cracked open, revealing his rotten heart. It was just a normal chat between two people where one said no to the other. He told Nicholas that he didn't enjoy parties. Nicholas still kept pushing, and Euijoo said no. He knows how to say no. He had to learn to say no, and he did so many times. So why does he now feel guilty as if he had hidden candy wrappers from his mother?
He pulled out his phone and noticed the number of notifications on the Messenger app, fifty-plus, shining brightly in the corner. He brushed the area above his eyebrow with his pinkie as he finally opened the app. He had multiple messages from Eunha, threatening him to come to his apartment door. He crooked an eyebrow as he saw that even his mother sent him a few. How are you? Do you eat? Euijoo, call me back. Where are you? Do you still take your medicine? Euijoo, text me back ASAP.
His phone suddenly vibrated in his hand, an incoming call from Eunha, her picture showing up on the screen. Speaking of the devil. Euijoo's thumb hovered over the red button for a second. He bit his lip and eventually picked up, clearing his throat.
"Hey, how are you?"
"Hey? Hey?!" Eunha repeated, shouting into the mic. He had to pull the phone away from his ear. "Byun Euijoo, don't 'hey' to me." Oh, she was angry. Very angry. "I called you for a whole week. I didn't even know if you were alive!"
"You're being dramatic now," he muttered into the phone, brushing the back of his neck. He stood up and left before someone could kick him out for being loud. "I was busy."
"Busy with what?" She snapped at him. "Mom was worried, Euijoo!"
"There's no need to panic, Jesus Christ," he said, skipping the bus stop, deciding to walk to his apartment; otherwise, he would throw the phone out of the window of a moving transport. "I had a project to do and was busy with that. Weren't you the one who told me to study well?"
Eunha went silent for a minute. Euijoo could hear her heavy breathing from the other side as she probably tried to calm down, or she was thinking of how to kill him as fast as possible. She breathed out, exhausted.
"You know why I act like that," she quietly said, so quiet that Euijoo didn't even catch it clearly.
He stopped walking, causing a guy behind him to almost bump into him. The guy cussed him, and Euijoo bowed to him, smiling awkwardly. "Noona," he brushed his face with his hand. "I'm okay now. I take medicine. I'm in remission. I'm fine. You know I would call you if something was wrong again."
"The problem is that you don't call me if something is wrong," she heaved a sigh. "Never mind." Somehow, the disappointment in her voice gave him an unpleasant feeling in his stomach. "Okay. I trust you, Ju."
He tried to smile, despite no one being around. "Thanks, noona. How are you? How is everything with Dowoon?"
"Ah, everything is fine. Planning a wedding is a nightmare, Ju." She let out a frustrated groan. "Never get married."
Euijoo chuckled, kicking a pebble. "Didn't plan to."
"You should come over for dinner, you know? Dowoon mentioned he has an open internship at his company."
"I'll think about it," he said, looking up at the sky. The sun was hidden behind grey clouds, as if they were threatening to cry soon. "I will call you again tomorrow. I swear."
"You'd better do, Euijoo. I know where you live," she joked, but both of them knew that she could break down the door if she wished. And poor Jo experienced it once.
"Yep. Bye, love you."
"Love you too."
Euijoo pulled the phone from his ear, finishing the call, tasting metal in his mouth from chewing on his cheek. He rubbed his mouth, eyes focused on the open message app with Nicholas' name on the top. He let out a quiet Fuck it and opened the chat.
You:
Hey
Is the offer still up?
Nicholas Wang:
Of course:)
Did you change your mind?
You:
Yeah
But I leave as soon as people start pissing me off
Nicholas Wang:
No problem
I will pick you up then
Send me your location
Dress cute:)
You:
Oki
[Location]
Euijoo smiled. He locked his phone and put it back into his pocket, walking down the street. He's going to hell, isn't he?
"Why do you have a wardrobe of a nerd?" Harua asked, buried deep inside of Euijoo's closet. "Seriously, what the hell?"
Euijoo rolled his eyes. "You don't have to comment on everything you know?"
"Can't hear you! Bla bla bla," his shout was muffled.
Technically, Euijoo could dress himself up for the party. He had a normal style, okay? He could perfectly manage on his own, but something made him text Harua, or maybe someone, and ten minutes later, he showed up at his door with a smug smile and a big bag. And now they have spent almost thirty minutes sorting through the closet, trying to find something appropriate. Well, Harua did, constantly whining about Euijoo's taste. Euijoo shrugged from time to time and just sat on his bed and scrolled through Twitter.
All of a sudden, a shirt flew into his face. "The fuck—" he complained as he removed the shirt, and not five seconds later, the pants were thrown onto his head. "Harua!"
"Sorry-sorry, it was easier that way!" Harua explained, definitely not feeling sorry. He closed the doors, turning around. "Now, dress up and I will help you with make-up and hair." Harua happily hummed a song under his nose, circling, opening his bag to fetch a pink glittery makeup pouch. "Is someone going to pick you up?"
Euijoo pulled the shirt over his head. It was a simple white t-shirt with a black trim around the collar and sleeves. He must have bought it a few years ago, and now it was slightly cropped, showing his waist. Harua had an unhealthy hyperfixation on Euijoo's waist, and it worried him a bit. The pants were plain black, a little looser but not baggy. Because Harua, as always, made sure to emphasize his "phenomenal" proportions. It's ridiculous to hide your long legs and a narrow waist, asshole.
"Nicholas," he said, zipping his fly. "Why?"
Harua slowly put the lipstick on the table and turned around, almost tripping over his foot. "Come again?"
Euijoo raised an eyebrow, fixing his shirt, tugging it down even though he knew it wouldn't work. "Nicholas is going to pick me up. He invited me."
"You're going with Nicholas Wang?!" Harua screamed a bit too loudly for Euijoo's liking. "What the fuck?" He squeaked. "How did it even happen? I didn't know you knew each other."
Euijoo scrunched his nose from the loudness of his voice. "We met like a week ago, maybe. I was picking up Yuma and Jo from the club, and I ran out of cigarettes. Nicholas kindly gave me one, and we exchanged contacts." He sat back on the bed.
Harua screamed again, making Euijoo whine from the sound and close his ears with his hands. "Oh my god, Nicholas Wang asked you out!"
Euijoo furrowed his brows and opened his mouth in a small 'o'. "No? He asked me if I wanted to go to a party with him. That's it. I've known the guy only for a week."
Harua squinted at him. "Still, it's big news for you. Going to a party"
"Yeah-yeah. You all think I'm boring," he waved a hand in front of him.
Harua giggled. "Notice, you said it, not me," he grinned. "But seriously, I don't think you're boring, Euijoo-chan. I'm just glad you hang out not only with us." He pulled out an eyeshadow palette and opened it, glancing up at Euijoo to pick a colour.
Euijoo chuckled. "Well, thanks, I guess." He closed his eyes as Harua applied light brown eyeshadow on his eyelid. "Besides, don't you know him?"
Harua hummed for a moment. Euijoo could feel his breath on his nose. "It's not like we're friends. He crashed over on our couch a few times when he was too drunk to go to his place. And Maki is like best friends with him."
Harua kept doing his magical work; everyone would fall on their knees when they saw you, he said. Euijoo only smiled, feeling a bit ticklish from the brush. When he opened his eyes, looking in Harua's small mirror, he dropped his jaw.
The person in the mirror wasn't Euijoo.
"Harua, what the hell?" He gasped, turning his head to the left and right to look closely at the makeup. His eyes were sharply outlined with dark brown eyeshadow without making them too heavy. Peach colored blush sat on his cheeks, while his lips looked plumped from the gloss. "Are you a fairy godmother?" he lowered the mirror to see Harua's smug face.
"I promised you that you would look magnificent," he snorted. "Now, let me finish your hair and make Nicholas Wang lose his head."
Euijoo raised his eyebrow. "You're evil."
"Yes, I am."
"Whoa," Nicholas said as soon as Euijoo opened a door. His eyes widened as he looked up and down, looking very focused. "Damn. Euijoo—Whoa, you look amazing!"
He giggled, blushing. "Thank you. I like your outfit."
It was true. Nicholas had dark jeans on, similar to the ones he wore when they met, a white tank top, and a leather jacket over it. Chrome Hearts again, huh? And his eyes were lined with black eyeliner.
"Thanks," Nicholas' lips stretched into a big smile.
Harua had left just ten minutes before Nicholas knocked on the door. Thanks god. Euijoo wouldn't be able to stand the teasing look from him.
"Ready to go?" Nicholas asked, leaning against the door frame.
"Yep, let me just grab a jacket."
Jaehyun was friends with everyone and their dog. Seriously, dude knew almost half the university, even some people from master's programs. So it wasn't unusual for him to throw a party and invite whoever wanted to come. His apartment was big enough to fit people; he secured a position in a music company, and they paid really well, according to Sungho.
The door was unlocked as they pushed it open and walked inside. Nicholas glanced over his shoulder and flashed a smile at Euijoo, grabbing his hand into his, leading the way. Euijoo let out a breathy laugh, squeezing the hand tighter. He could almost hear the whispers through loud music. Nicholas Wang brought someone to a party? Euijoo wanted to laugh loudly.
They made it to the kitchen, where counters were packed with drinks, from soda to tequila. Nicholas handed him a Sprite as he remembered his words about alcohol, while picking a beer for himself. Euijoo thanked him, smiling brightly.
"No fucking way!" a voice rang behind him. Sungho stood here with a slightly open mouth, staring, clearly shocked. "You? Came to a party?"
"Aha," Euijoo nodded, opening the can with his hand and a loud pop. He grinned. "Why? Surprised?" he took a sip of a cold drink.
Sungho smirked. "Yes!" and then he made eye contact with Nicholas. "Hey, Nico," he waved at him and then paused. Confusion appeared on his face. "Now hold on. You came together?" He pointed a finger between the two of them.
Nicholas waved back as he leaned on the counter with his elbows. "Yeah. I asked Juju to come."
Sungho's eyes ran from him to Euijoo back and forth with a question forming on his face. He stopped at Euijoo's face and raised a brow. "Really?" he asked.
Euijoo took another sip, staring at Sungho with a little smile playing on his lips. Sungho stared back before snickering and nodding. "Got it. Anyway, guys, please suit yourself and take whatever you need. Jaehyun was playing beer pong last time I saw him, if you want to say hello."
Nicholas curled the corner of his lip, watching Sungho disappear from the kitchen. He straightened up and turned his head at Euijoo. "Do you play?"
"Nope," Euijoo shook his head. "I'm pretty clumsy at these games."
"Be my lucky charm then," Nicholas flashed a grin, taking Euijoo's hand and moving to the living room where the table stood with cliché red cups.
Jaehyun stood at one end, talking to Dongmin—Euijoo had one general education class with him last semester—he bowed lower, trying to catch Jaehyun's ramble. As he noticed Euijoo, he acknowledged him with a nod and a small wave, making Jaehyun look up and smile.
"Look who's here!" He said, dabbing Nicholas. "Wow, Euijoo-ssi is also here. Came together?" he wiggled his eyebrows.
Nicholas only smiled, resting his hand on Euijoo's shoulder. Jaehyun twisted his lips and bobbed his head, having a smug expression. Dongmin raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment either.
"So, who's playing?" a new voice cut in through the loud music.
Euijoo glanced over his shoulder, seeing Younghee—she once fought with Haewon over a stupid reason, he doesn't even remember why—standing here. She was looking at Nicholas with a big, cocky smile.
"Nicholas," her voice somehow became overly high. "Wanna team up?" she asked, batting her eyelashes and pouting her lips.
Euijoo held the urge to roll his eyes. Hear him out; maybe he doesn't like girls in the romantic aspect of his life, but he doesn't hate them. He has plenty of friends who are girls! He's not a sexist. He's just protective of his friend, who was almost cut off from scholarship because of the fight.
Nicholas turned his full body. "Sure, why not?" He tapped Euijoo's shoulder, catching his attention. "Wanna be in our team?"
Younghee almost flew on Nicholas, holding his arm. "I think we're playing 2 versus 2," she purred, squeezing his arm with her hands. She had pretty nails tho.
Nicholas stared at her, but before he could say something, Euijoo shook his head. "I'm gonna team up with Dongmin over there."
Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "You know him?"
"Yeah, we had a class together," he shrugged, already moving toward the redhead who leaned against the table with his hands. "Wanna team up?" he asked, tilting his head.
Dongmin glanced over Euijoo's shoulder, probably at Nicholas. "Yeah," he said, straightening up. "Your boyfriend wouldn't mind, right?"
Euijoo furrowed his brows. "My who?"
"Nicholas Wang," he pointed at him with Younghee hanging on his shoulder.
"Nah, we're friends," Euijoo smiled and stood next to him. "Let's win."
Dongmin smiled. "Hell yeah."
The game was fun. Euijoo wasn't lying when he said he was clumsy. He leaned too far, almost knocking over a cup. His ping-pong ball hit some random guy standing a few steps away from the table, and after scoring a point, he staggered and fell. Luckily, Dongmin caught him by his waist and burst into laughter. Euijoo laughed too, enjoying the whole situation. He didn't even notice Nicholas glance at them as he sipped from his cup, his expression darkening.
They ended up losing, but Euijoo didn't care at all. He was having fun, and Dongmin was a really cool guy.
"Sorry, it's my fault," Euijoo giggled again; his cheeks flushed with laughter.
Dongmin chuckled. "Oh, no, it's fine. Really."
"You're so good at this game. Do you know any tactics?" Euijoo asked, leaning closer to his ear as the music grew even louder.
Dongmin shook his head. "I guess I got lucky." He looked Euijoo in the eyes. "Wanna grab a drink?"
Euijoo smiled. "I don't drink, sorry."
"No-no, you're good," Dongmin waved his hand in front of him. "Maybe a soft drink then?"
But before Euijoo could respond, he suddenly felt a hand wrap around his waist, squeezing it lightly. "I was right, you are my lucky charm," a voice whispered in his ear. Euijoo craned his neck to look at Nicholas, who smiled lazily at him. "You're out of your Sprite. Let's get you a new one."
He didn't even have time to say goodbye to Dongmin before Nicholas pulled him along. Euijoo noticed Younghee watching them go, chewing on her perfectly manicured nail. Euijoo wanted to be childish and actually stick a tongue at her, but he thought he was better than this.
The kitchen was surprisingly empty. Euijoo was grateful that the apartment's kitchen was somehow isolated from the living room, allowing them to hide here for a bit. He sighed and leaned against the fridge, pressing his forehead against it. The cold made him close his eyes and relax for a second. It was too hot. Or maybe he'd been laughing too much.
Nicholas rested his hands on the counter, watching Euijoo. "Had fun?"
Euijoo hummed lazily, turning around. "Yeah, Dongmin's a good player."
Nicholas studied him with his dark eyes. "Really? How did I win then?"
Euijoo's lips slowly stretched into a smile. "You said that I was your lucky charm, right?"
Nicholas slowly backed away from the dark blue wooden counter, his gaze never leaving his. "You seemed close with that guy."
Euijoo raised an eyebrow. "We did a project together," he shrugged. "You seemed very comfortable with Younghee over there."
Nicholas stopped in front of him. Euijoo knew that he was a little taller than Nicholas, but the pink-headed had a larger build. He was the captain of the basketball team, after all.
"Younghee is trying to get into my pants," Nicholas muttered. "She didn't like that I broke up with her."
Euijoo blinked. "Wait, what? You dated Kang Younghee?"
"I wouldn't call it dating."
"You dated her?"
Nicholas tilted his head. "What's wrong with her?"
"She almost ruined my friend's life!" Euijoo argued. "Ugh, I can't stand her."
Nicholas chuckled. "She's kinda obsessed with me. Can't let the 'feelings' go," he said, making air quotes with his fingers.
Euijoo rolled his eyes. "I can tell."
He knew she was watching them from afar, as if she were trying to understand what they had between them. Euijoo was sure she knew that Nicholas swung both ways and had quite a reputation.
"By the way, she's watching us," Euijoo giggled. He himself didn't know why he was being so bold today.
Nicholas snorted, then suddenly raised a hand and touched Euijoo's chin. "Wanna show her something?"
Euijoo licked his lips, his mouth slightly open. He glanced to the side, straight into Younghee's eyes. He smiled slowly, then returned his gaze to Nicholas.
"Why the hell not?"
Nicholas smiled and leaned in to kiss him. His lips met Euijoo's perfectly. He gently moved Euijoo's head, placing his hand on his jaw to get a better angle. Euijoo whined into a kiss; his hands flew to wrap around Nicholas' shoulders, squeezing them.
It was pretty fun that they were kissing in the kitchen, where anyone could have walked in. Even funnier was the stamping of Younghee's foot as soon as she saw Euijoo lean in and walk away in a hurry.
Euijoo didn't have much experience with dating or even hooking up, preferring not to deal with people in general, but one thing he knew for sure—Nicholas was an amazing kisser. He knew when to slow down, when to bite, smoothly tugging at Euijoo's lip. And Euijoo enjoyed it very much.
When he couldn't breathe anymore, he broke the kiss, lightly pushing Nicholas's chest. He giggled, breathless.
"You're a good kisser," Euijoo said, raising his head.
Nicholas' lips were red and shiny, and he wasn't sure if it was from his lips or his saliva.
"You're not bad yourself," Nicholas chuckled, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. "I'm not trying to get into your pants," he clarified.
Euijoo laughed weakly, shaking his head. "Sorry, I don't sleep with men unless they pay for my dinner."
Nicholas rested his hands on Euijoo's waist, and only now did Euijoo notice how hungrily Nicholas stared at his waist. "Are you obsessed or something?"
Nicholas looked up abruptly, blushing as if he'd been caught off guard. "You have an amazing waist. Holy shit," he said, clenching his hands tighter. "I could literally wrap my arms around it."
Euijoo rolled his eyes and playfully slapped him on the shoulder. "Dude."
"Did you just call me a dude?"
Euijoo laughed heartily, throwing his head back against the fridge. But before he could say anything, the guy walked in. His gaze was fixed on them, a flicker of recognition in his eyes.
"Wow, Nicholas Wang," he whistled. "You got a new doll?"
Euijoo's smile slowly faded. Nicholas turned his head, looking at the guy. He squeezed his waist again in assurance, as if saying It's okay.
"And you're talking bullshit again, Ahn Seungmo." A small smile appeared on his lips.
The guy shrugged. "It's a beautiful doll, tho. Will you let me use it when you're tired of it?" he asked, looking Euijoo up and down.
Nicholas lowered his arms and turned his body to shield Euijoo's away from Seungmo's lustful gaze. "Say that again about my boyfriend, and I will kick you off my team," he hissed.
Who?
Boyfriend?
Seungmo raised his hands, smiling. "Wow-wow, chill, Wang," he laughed. "I'm just kidding."
Euijoo glanced down and saw Nicholas' fists clenched tightly. He stepped closer and gently took his hand. Nicholas looked up, pursing his lips, but Euijoo merely shook his head.
Seungmo watched them with amusement. "Wow, nice for you, Wang. Have a little wifey who can calm you down, huh?"
"Hey, Seungmo, fuck off." Dongmin appeared from behind, a hand lazily placed on a pretty tall boy who, frankly, looked too young to be here.
"And who the fuck do you think you are, Han Dongmin? To tell me to fuck off?" Seungmo commanded.
"C'mon, dude, leave them alone," the tall boy huffed, scrunching his face. "We don't want to have a fight, and everyone is literally just relaxing before the midterms."
Dongmin nodded in agreement. "You heard Woonhak. Get lost."
Euijoo perhaps noticed only now the resemblance between Nicholas and Dongmin. They both behaved as cats thrown into water as soon as someone started to get on their nerves.
Seungmo shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Sure-sure," he exasperated, leaving the kitchen.
Dongmin and Woonhak watched him go before turning their heads back at them.
"You good?" Woonhak asked, knitting his eyebrows together.
Euijoo flashed him a quick smile. "Yeah, thank you, guys."
"Nah," Dongmin waved in dismissal. "He's just an asshole. I was more than happy to cuss him out."
Euijoo let out a quiet giggle. He looked up at Nicholas, who kept himself busy mixing vodka with juice in his cup. He didn't really pay attention to them; Dongmin raised an eyebrow in a silent question, but Euijoo could only shrug. He didn't know himself what was going on inside Nicholas' head. Sungho, who was passing by, as if he felt the tension, tugged his friends away. Euijoo was sure he heard Woonhak complaining really loudly.
"Hey," he stepped closer to Nicholas. "You good?"
Nicholas chugged the drink down. "Couldn't be better," he sarcastically said with a half smile. "Sure don't want to drink? This shit is good." He pointed at the vodka bottle standing just close enough to reach. "With pineapple juice at least."
Euijoo shook his head. "I can't."
"Why?" Nicholas began mixing another shot.
"I'm on meds."
Nicholas arched a brow, hands stopping for a second. "What meds?" Curiosity hinted in his voice.
"None of your business," Euijoo breathed out.
Nicholas grunted and poured juice into the cup. "Right," he said. He put the cap back on the juice, twisting it closed. He turned to face him, flashing a smile. "So…it means I can't get into your pants tonight?"
Euijoo studied him for a second. He couldn't understand Nicholas; that was what he realized. It's not like he was great with people, but he could at least see a bit of their real nature. With Nicholas? It doesn't work.
Euijoo studied him for a second. He was never good with people. His father would always laugh at his confused face back in elementary school when he was too late to realize that a girl in his class liked him. Nicholas was even harder to read, maybe because they had known each other for not that long. Maybe Nicholas didn't want anyone to dig inside him and see everything he had thoroughly hidden.
"Depends on how exactly you plan to get into my pants," Euijoo tilted his head.
Nicholas laughed, throwing his head back. "Well, maybe I'd ask you if you wanted to come over to my place," he swirled his cup. "We would kiss. I would push you against the wall and listen to your soft moans," he said, moving closer to Euijoo. "Maybe I would get down on you right in my hallway. Are you usually on the receiving end or?"
"I can be either," Euijoo sighed, feeling hotter than usual.
Nicholas smirked. He abruptly set the cup down on the countertop before leaning close in to Euijoo's ear. He could smell the vodka on him. "Maybe I'd fuck you on my bed, and you'd cry out my name. I bet you'd look cute with your big, tear-filled eyes."
Euijoo groaned and grabbed Nicholas' hand. "Show me the way. Before I decide to throw away my sanity and suck you off here."
Nicholas let out an amused laugh as he walked first. "I don't mind giving them a little show." He glanced over his shoulder. "My building is on the next street."
That's good, or Euijoo could really start eating Nicholas right in the alley.
࣪ ˖ 𖦹°⋆
"Fuck!" Euijoo yelped as he knocked his head against the wall. But his complaints were quickly swallowed by Nicholas' lips.
He kissed like a man possessed, nipping and biting, until Euijoo finally let out a moan, opening his mouth, allowing Nicholas' tongue to slip inside. Euijoo didn't like kissing with a tongue—it was too wet for his liking—but Nicholas knew how to use his, making him ignore the sloppy noises.
Euijoo didn't know what to do with his hands. He wanted to touch Nicholas everywhere. His fingers traveled into the pink hair on the neck, playing with them, occasionally tugging gently with his hand.
Nicholas leaned back only to continue spreading kisses on Euijoo's jaw, slowly working his way down his neck. Euijoo was a hundred percent sure that this man was possessive, because the number of times he had already whimpered from Nicholas' bites was insane.
Nicholas bit especially hard on the side of the neck before soothing the spot with his tongue. His hand slid down, cupping the obvious bulge in Euijoo's jeans. It was the fastest he got hard. He smirked against Euijoo's skin when he heard Euijoo's quiet whimper. He pressed one kiss and dropped to his knees.
Euijoo looked down, and fuck, he had never seen a more beautiful sight.
Nicholas worked with his belt, which Euijoo kindly helped him with. He unzipped the fly, tugging the jeans and underwear all the way down to the ankles. Euijoo's dick pathetically slapped against his stomach as soon as it was free.
Nicholas giggled.
He fucking giggled.
"I suspected you might be long, but damn," he murmured, curling his thick fingers around Euijoo's cock. Euijoo whined at the rough touch of a hand. Nicholas had rings on, which made it even worse. "Ah, sensitive?"
"Meds," Euijoo panted, his chest rising and falling too fast.
Nicholas smiled before slowly licking a long strip from the base all the way to the tip. A moan escaped Euijoo's lips as his hand flew into Nicholas' hair, gripping at the roots.
"Usually, I don't like when people touch my hair," he said, spitting into his palm, pumping Euijoo's cock in a slow tempo. "But for you…I might break my rules."
Nicholas swirled his tongue around cock's head before opening his mouth and swallowing him down in one smooth motion. Euijoo moaned loudly, throwing his head back as he closed his eyes. Fuck. Nicholas choked a little, leaning back to jerk what he couldn't fit into his mouth. He bobbed his head, one hand resting on Euijoo's thigh, encouraging him to move.
Euijoo had the strength to look down at Nicholas, who met his eyes. He looked fucking good. Euijoo's grip tightened in his pink hair as he slowly rolled his hips forward. Nicholas choked again, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes before spilling down his cheeks. Drool slipped past his lips, and Euijoo reached down to wipe it away with his thumb, eyes half closed from the pleasure.
"I'm so close," Euijoo breathed out shakily.
Nicholas moaned around his dick, the vibrations shooting up to Euijoo's spine. He was getting too close. He felt warmth spreading through his stomach before everything tightened. He hissed, trying to pull Nicholas away from his dick before he came. But Nicholas stubbornly stayed in place, sucking him even harder.
Euijoo came with a loud moan straight into Nicholas' mouth, gripping his hair too tight; a thought ran through his brain that he might accidentally pull out some of the pink strands. Nicholas kept moving his head for another few seconds, making Euijoo squirm from the overstimulation before he finally shoved him off.
Euijoo panted. His knees felt so weak that he almost slid down the wall, but Nicholas' strong hands kept him steady. Nicholas' Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed every last drop. Holding gaze with Euijoo, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"You're so beautiful," Nicholas said, standing up from the floor. His lips were swollen and red, shining brightly from the saliva.
He leaned to kiss him again, and Euijoo tasted him on his tongue, scrunching his face from bitterness. Nicholas helped him to step out of the jeans and underwear, eventually leaving them on the floor. Euijoo lifted his hands as Nicholas stripped him down.
Euijoo pouted. "Why am I the only one naked?" he asked, poking Nicholas' chest.
Nicholas let out a low laugh. He placed his hand on Euijoo's hips before leaning in close to his ear. "Jump," he whispered.
Euijoo blinked, knitting his brows together, but did as Nicholas asked. He gasped as strong hands caught him, his hands wrapping around Nicholas' neck. "What the fuck?" he mouthed.
Nicholas shrugged with a grin. His bedroom wasn't that far away from the hallway; Euijoo thought he should give them some points for almost making it to the bed. Nicholas pushed the door open with his back, carrying Euijoo inside. He gently laid him down on the king-sized bed. How cliché. Nicholas slipped off his clothes pretty fast before hovering over Euijoo, bracing himself with both hands on the sides of his head.
"Hey there," he smiled.
Euijoo let out a quiet laugh as he moved his hands over Nicholas' body. He had been right; Nicholas was a fucking god under those clothes.
"So," Nicholas tilted his head, hand blindly reaching toward the bedside table. "How do you like it so far?"
"Mhm," Euijoo hummed, dragging his nails lightly over Nicholas' skin, leaving red lines. "Very nice."
Nicholas snorted before tossing lube and condoms onto the bed. He hissed as Euijoo traced another line across his peck. "Are you sure you play guitar with those nails?" he complained.
Euijoo arched a brow, but Nicholas only leaned down to kiss him. God, he loved kissing Nicholas. His lips were dry with bits of dead skin, but somehow Euijoo liked it. And he had pretty high standards for kissing, mind you.
Euijoo's last time bottoming was almost four months ago, if his math is correct. He tried to finger himself in the shower once, but he couldn't reach the sweat ball of nerves, so he gave up, jerking off. So it shouldn't have been that surprising how tense he was as Nicholas slowly pushed his first coated-in-lube finger inside. Euijoo groaned, biting down on the back of his hand. An electric shock shot through his body as Nicholas tried to move. Euijoo's hand flew out to grab Nicholas' free one on his thigh and squeeze it.
"Wait," he whispered, his thighs trembling. "Just wait a second, fuck."
His cock was already half hard, lying on his stomach. Nicholas slowly moved his free arm, brushing over Euijoo's heated skin, his thumb massaging lazy circles. Maybe because his fingers were thicker than Euijoo's own, everything felt even more intense.
"Shhh," Nicholas softly murmured, leaving a kiss on his cheek. "Relax."
Euijoo exhaled.
If he was honest, he didn't really mind a bit of pain. His libido had been dead in the past years due to the side effects of medication. But maybe he was a freak, but he enjoyed pain during sex. It gave him kind of an additional boost to his orgasm. His therapist didn't need to know that, but she did and gave him a thumbs up.
Euijoo slowly let his body relax before glancing at Nicholas with teary eyes and giving him the green light with a nod. Nicholas started moving his hand carefully, observing Euijoo's reaction every second. He took his time stretching him open until Euijoo had become a whining mess, bubbling whatever came to mind every time Nicholas' fingertips brushed against his prostate.
Euijoo felt hot everywhere. In his guts, in his arms, legs, soul, everywhere. He wanted to pop the balloon that was slowly blowing inside, as shallow breaths came out of his mouth. He never felt so aroused, fuck.
Nicholas definitely enjoyed getting that kind of a reaction out of him, because every time Euijoo felt himself getting too close, Nicholas would pull away and leave him wanting more. And he dared to laugh with his sexy low voice every second.
What a dickhead.
"Nicholas," Euijoo panted, glaring at him. "Put inside before I make you."
Nicholas arched a brow. "Oh?" He grinned. "My Euijoo can fight?"
Euijoo rolled his eyes, and before Nicholas could react, he pushed himself from the bed, turning them over. Nicholas' back hit the mattress as he blinked, looking up at Euijoo, who looked absolutely breathtaking. His hair clung to his forehead from sweat, his eyes half-lidded, and his lips were swollen from biting them too hard.
Euijoo reached to the side, grabbed a condom, and tore it open. Only now did he get a proper look at Nicholas' dick; it was thick, veins standing out beneath the skin, making Euijoo want to trace one with his tongue. Maybe next time when he's patient. He stroked Nicholas a few times, hearing a low groan, before rolling down the condom.
He shifted over Nicholas, balancing on his knees as he reached behind himself to guide Nicholas into place before slowly lowering himself.
Euijoo gasped at the feeling of Nicholas filling him, and it was only the tip. Nicholas' hands found his thighs, gripping them firmly, feeling how muscles tense underneath. They would probably leave bruises by the next morning. It wasn't like Euijoo hated the idea.
"Fuck," Nicholas breathed out, helping Euijoo slowly sink down the rest of the way. "Fuck!" he repeated, throwing his head back on the pillows. "Euijoo—Baby—You feel amazing."
Euijoo smirked as he slowly started rocking his hips forward with Nicholas' guidance, resting his hands on Nicholas' chest as he moved in slow, lazy circles. He furrowed his brows, sweat rolling down his temple. Quiet moans slipped past his lips.
Once he got used to the stretch, he picked up the pace, riding Nicholas with louder noises. Judging by the reaction, Nicholas pretty much enjoyed the symphony. Euijoo wasn't the most vocal in bed; he preferred to keep it quiet, focusing more on his own pleasure. But today it felt like his voice had its own life. He leaned back on Nicholas' knees, changing the angle and somehow feeling him even deeper, rocking his hips forward.
"Shit," Nicholas hissed, eyes fixed on Euijoo's stomach. "I can see myself inside you." He pressed against the outline beneath Euijoo's skin, making him cry out.
After a few more thrusts, Euijoo stopped, feeling his thighs burn. He swallowed, shaking his head. "Help," he murmured.
Nicholas smiled softly and flipped them over before sliding back inside in a quick motion. He sat back on his knees and thrust harder. Euijoo whined, gripping the sheets into a fist. His cock bounced against his stomach with every thrust as curses slipped through his teeth.
Nicholas ran a tongue over his own lips, tasting salt. His hand wandered over Euijoo's body before pinching one of his nipples, making him sob and clench down. Nicholas moaned lowly and hooked Euijoo's leg over his shoulder to find a better angle, pressing deeper inside.
"Oh my god," Euijoo cried out.
A familiar heat settled in his stomach as he finally opened his glossy eyes to look at Nicholas. His body shone from sweat under the moon's light, and Euijoo had to bite his lip to hold the urge to reach out and pull him into a kiss. He had a feeling Nicholas was getting close too; his movements became rougher and more rushed.
"I'm close," he panted, finding his own cock with his hand.
Nicholas nodded. "Cum for me, baby."
It didn't take long. Two to three strokes later, Euijoo came apart with a loud moan, feeling sorry for the neighbours but not really. Warmth spread across his stomach as Nicholas kept moving through his orgasm. A moment later, Nicholas groaned as well, burying himself deep before gradually slowing his hips. They were both breathing hard by the time Nicholas gently lowered Euijoo's leg back onto the bed.
"You came so much," Nicholas pointed out, sounding a bit surprised. He traced patterns over Euijoo's stomach.
Euijoo slapped his hand away. "It's rare for me to cum more than once." He sighed, brushing his face with his hand. "You can think of yourself as a champion." He yawned, feeling sleep slowly creeping in.
Nicholas flashed him a grin before slowly pulling out with a hiss. Euijoo let out a quiet whine at the emptiness, watching Nicholas tie off the condom before tossing it out into the bin. He grabbed a pack of wet tissues from the bedside table, wiped down the puddle of cum, and threw it out as well.
"Let's wash up," he said, gently brushing Euijoo's hair from his eyes. "You will thank me in the morning."
Euijoo didn't want to move at all, but he knew he would hate himself if he fell asleep with drying lube on his thighs and sweat clinging to his body. He nodded, and with Nicholas's help, he eventually made it to the shower.
And slapped Nicholas' hand away as he reached down to his soft dick.
"You definitely need to fuck me with that dick," Nicholas pointed down, as Euijoo washed his own hair.
"Nicholas, fuck off."
"Fuck, you sound so hot when you cuss me out."
࣪ ˖ 𖦹°⋆
In the morning, Euijoo's back muscles ached, and his hips were screaming at him. He stretched out on the bed, wrinkling his nose, as pain bloomed throughout his body. He rolled over, lying on his stomach and propping up on his elbows. He looked at Nicholas, sleeping with his mouth slightly open and hair disheveled on the pillow. Euijoo's gaze traveled down to his chest, where red lines stood out on Nicholas' pale skin. Euijoo's lips curled into a small smile.
He raised his hand, softly brushing hair away from Nicholas' eyes. He stirred, smacked his lips, and then relaxed again. Euijoo chuckled, lowering his gaze.
Why not?
Euijoo moved carefully, trying not to wake Nicholas. He lifted the blanket and slipped underneath it, settling between Nicholas' muscular thighs. He pressed soft kisses to Nicholas' knee, then on his thigh, not paying any attention to his cock. He hummed, running a finger along the vein, smiling when it twitched beneath his touch. He parted his lips, letting saliva slowly drip onto the tip.
Euijoo spread the saliva around with his thumb, hearing a low, sleepy groan. He smirked as he slowly started moving his hand up and down, stroking him. Nicholas' thigh flexed under Euijoo's other hand. His cock was already half hard as Euijoo kissed the tip before giving it kitten licks.
The moment he swallowed him down, the blanket was thrown away. He whined at the sudden brightness and looked up, meeting Nicholas' eyes. He was half sitting, staring down at him with furrowed brows and opened mouth.
"What the fuck?" Nicholas rasped.
Euijoo pulled off him with a wet pop. "Good morning," he smiled, tilting his head before pressing another kiss against him.
Nicholas let out a shaky breath and fell back onto the pillow. His hand found Euijoo's hair, softly running his fingers through the strands.
"Juju," he groaned. "Fuck, it's the best morning in my life."
Euijoo grinned and kissed the vein before opening his mouth again. Nicholas was big enough; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fit all of him into his mouth. He bobbed his head, hollowing his cheeks while his hand worked the rest of his length.
Nicholas moaned above him, hand gently guiding him by his hair. Euijoo didn't mind; he actually liked it.
"Baby, I'm close," Nicholas moaned.
Euijoo lifted his head, letting the dick slip free with a wet sound. A thin line of saliva stretched before dropping down. He coughed lightly, squeezing one eye shut. His hand never stopped moving, working Nicholas through the last few strokes. He came with a low moan escaping through his tightly clenched teeth. Euijoo slowly milked every last drop until Nicholas finally sat up and caught his wrist, pulling his hand away with knitted-together brows.
"Stop abusing my dick," he mumbled, cupping Euijoo's face before leaning down to kiss him.
Euijoo giggled into a kiss, wiping his hand clean against the bed sheets. Nicholas needed to wash them anyway. They stayed like this, lazily kissing for a few more minutes, before Euijoo pushed Nicholas into the chest and rolled over the bed.
"Leaving?" Nicholas asked, dropping onto the bed. He threw the blanket around his hips for some modesty, even though Euijoo had his dick in his mouth just ten minutes ago.
Euijoo nodded and headed into the hallway to get his clothes. Once he was dressed, he checked his phone, which he'd kindly left in the jacket he'd thrown on the table by the door yesterday. He turned his head and saw Nicholas yawning and leaning against the wall.
"I had fun," Nicholas said, rubbing his eye.
"I could say the same," Euijoo said, tilting his head. "Aren't you scared Seungmo guy would tell everyone that I'm your boyfriend?"
Nicholas shrugged. "He could try," he said and yawned again. "I don't really care about rumors. Do you?"
"Nah," Euijoo waved a hand in front of him. "But if a rumor comes with good sex, I'm more than happy to spread it."
Nicholas slowly grinned. "Well, how can I say no to this offer?"
"You have my number, handsome," Euijoo winked at him. "See you," he opened the door, leaving the apartment.
Nicholas waved at him as Euijoo walked to the elevator and pressed a button. Inside the cabin, he checked his phone: messages from Harua with suspicious eggplant and dropplet emojis, as well as a few emails. He winced when the phone started vibrating with a big 'SMILE:)' flashed across the screen.
Great.
Euijoo had completely forgotten about his pills when he agreed to go to Nicholas' yesterday. He slapped his forehead, hitting it too hard. The trip back wasn't that long, just a few bus stops; Euijoo could give it a try.
He nearly ran into the apartment, slamming the door too loudly, probably waking up Jo, if he didn't wake himself up. He opened the kitchen cabinet where they usually kept their medications and pulled out a small, square plastic bag. He tore open the packaging, filled a glass with filtered water, swallowed the colorful pills, and washed them down.
"Wow," a sleepy voice muttered behind him.
Euijoo sighed and turned to face Yuma, whose hair was sticking up in every direction. "Why the fuck are you in my house?"
Yuma lifted a brow. "Because my boyfriend lives with you?"
Euijoo shook his head and threw out the plastic wrap. He put the cup into the sink, thinking about doing dishes later. Yuma was already standing in front of their small coffee machine, loading the pods. As Euijoo walked to his room, he froze. He turned around on his heels and pointed at the couch.
"Jo never fucked you on the couch, right?"
Please say no.
Yuma blinked, glancing at the gray couch. "Would it bother you if he did?"
"Yes."
Yuma smiled brightly at him. "Yes, he did. Actually, yesterday he fucked me twice—"
Euijoo let out the loudest groan, covering his ears with his hands and stormed into his room.
His poor couch!
Surprisingly, his relationship with Nicholas didn't really change. They still hung out, watched movies, grabbed dinner, sometimes went shopping together, but now additionally they kissed. And fucked. Quite a lot.
Nicholas could grab him in the middle of the street and lead him into the quiet alley, where he pushed him against the wall and kissed him hungrily, placing his knee between Euijoo's thighs.
Or another time, Nicholas had a goal of making Euijoo cum three times. He sucked him off before flipping him onto all fours and pushing his tongue inside past the tensed rim. Euijoo nearly saw the stars from previous orgasms, yet Nicholas didn't stop and fucked him, making him look into the mirror which stood in front of the bed, gripping his hair tight. Euijoo came, shooting a few pathetic watery spurts onto the bedsheets. Nicholas had mercy on him and massaged his sore muscles the next day.
This asshole even had the audacity to jerk Euijoo off in the public bathroom inside of their university. Nicholas had to shut him with his hand, because he was too loud in the quiet bathroom. Nicholas' hand moved fast, thumb playing with the slit of his dick. Euijoo rested his head against the tile, feeling pleasure slowly building up. He came, biting into Nicholas' hand to muffle the moan. Nicholas smirked at him, leaving his softening dick alone as he lifted his hand to his mouth and licked it clean.
"Gross," Euijoo murmured and lifted his jeans with weak hands.
So yeah, their friendship was normal. Just good friends who fuck from time to time.
Harua bombarded him with messages asking about his suspicious activities with a specific pink-haired man. Euijoo played stupid and only sent a single :D? before he locked the phone.
What else was he supposed to say? Oh, well, Nicholas and I are friends who fuck around sometimes, maybe twice a week, maybe even four, depending on his schedule.
Jo found out about this by accident, when he walked on them in Euijoo's room. Jo always knocks; he made it a rule after he and Yuma started dating to save Euijoo's sanity, but this day he rushed inside, ignoring his own rule. Poor boy dropped his jaw as he saw Euijoo on Nicholas' lap with pink-haired topples and an unzipped fly. He blinked and slowly closed the door.
"Uhm…" he said behind the door. "Let's talk when…Nicholas is dressed."
Nicholas laughed as Euijoo threw his t-shirt at him.
Jo sat on the couch, scrolling down his phone. He lifted his head at two of them walking out of Euijoo's room. Jo's cheeks were deep red, even though he tried his best to hide them. Euijoo sat next to him on the couch, pointing at the floor with his hand for Nicholas, who rolled his eyes.
Jo cleared his throat. "Are you two…" he asked quietly, eyes moving back and forth.
Euijoo shook his head at the same time as Nicholas said, "No."
Jo opened his mouth in a small, "Ah." He finally relaxed his shoulders. "So…friends with benefits or whatever?"
"Sure, we don't really label it," Nicholas shrugged, changing position every five seconds.
Euijoo glanced at him before nodding in agreement. "Yeah. We're friends."
"Who makes out on another's lap without a shirt on?" Jo raised a brow.
"Exactly," Nicholas snapped his fingers.
"Does anyone else know?" Jo played with the hem of his sweater.
Euijoo chewed his lip, tasting a little drop of blood on his tongue. "Harua suspects something, but I ignore him. Haewon is too busy with whatever she has with Lily. Sungho definitely thinks we're fucking."
"If Harua knows then Maki—" Jo was cut off.
"Maki doesn't know," Nicholas assured both of them. "None of my friends know. Well," he scratched his chin. "Seungmo probably walks around and tells every soul about Euijoo being my boyfriend, but I don't think someone truly cares or believes him."
Jo nodded with knitted eyebrows. "Okay then." He turned to Euijoo. "Sorry for barging inside without knocking, but I wanted to ask about—" he bit his tongue, glancing at Nicholas, who slowly arched an eyebrow. "I can ask you later. Alone."
Euijoo smiled at him, patting his shoulder. Jo left for his room, as Nicholas got up from the hard floor. They returned to his room, but continued watching a movie they played on Euijoo's laptop before getting distracted.
The moment the door closed after Nicholas, Jo's door cracked open. He peeked his head out as if checking the territory. Euijoo smiled at him, shaking his head.
"He left."
Jo nodded and came out of his room. He sat on the stool at their kitchen island, watching Euijoo fill water into a kettle.
"So," Euijoo said once he flicked the lever of the kettle on. "What did you want to ask me?"
Jo picked a skin around his thumb before taking a deep breath. "Are you going to your father's death anniversary dinner?" He asked fast enough that Euijoo's brain could barely process.
Silenced settled down. Euijoo's face didn't change; he looked at Jo, who became even paler as if scared that Euijoo would throw him out of the window. He chuckled quietly and raised his arm to ruffle the younger's hair.
"I will," he said, turning around to the cabinets. "I'm his son, after all." He took two dark blue cups from the drying rack.
Jo brushed the back of his neck. "My mom is helping…you know…with the dinner. She asked me if you're coming, actually."
Euijoo hummed, dropping packs of herbal tea into the cups before pouring hot water. He moved to place Jo's cup in front of him, carefully trying not to spill the tea. Jo smiled at him, taking the handle with his left hand.
"She said she would explain it to your mom in case you don't—"
"I already said, I'm going," Euijoo said, annoyed.
Jo's mouth awkwardly left open before he closed it, flashing another smile. "I know. We just—I thought it would be hard for you."
Euijoo knows. He knew Jo was a good guy who was kind enough to help the wretched Euijoo, who was nothing but a mess after his father died. Euijoo didn't like it when someone pitied him. Jo was perhaps the only one besides Harua who didn't act like Euijoo's whole personality was based on his dead father. His friends from middle school were assholes.
Oh, I'm sorry, dude! Father dying cuz of cancer isn't cool.
"Nope," he said. "I'm totally fine," he sipped his hot tea, warm liquid pleasantly running down his throat. "It's not like I'm going to try to drown myself again," he chuckled, as the thought of his last attempt entertained him.
Jo stared at him. "Ju—"
"It's a joke, Jo," Euijoo deadpanned, looking into Jo's eyes. "I'm done with that. I don't want to kill myself anymore."
"I know," Jo whispered. "You're right. Sorry."
Euijoo didn't like when someone apologized either. Jo didn't do anything wrong; he was just worried about his doomed friend, and yet Euijoo lashed out. Stupid Euijoo.
"Forget about it," Euijoo murmured, taking his cup before walking to his room, shutting the door behind his back.
࣪ ˖ 𖦹°⋆
"I heard Kang Younghee is back with Wang Nicholas," Junghwan said, hand reaching for potato chips on the plate.
Finals were just in a month, so before everyone went insane, Junghwan suggested an amazing idea to meet up at his and Youngjae's place to talk and have some chicken. Attention! He even said he would pay for it!
Euijoo's hand froze in front of his mouth, holding a pizza slice with pepperoni daring to slide down. Haewon gasped, dropping jelly onto the plate, as she leaned forward.
"I'm sorry, what?!" she whispered-screamed.
Euijoo ignored the glance Sungho sent him. Junghwan shrugged his shoulders, chewing on a potato chip. "Jihoon told me he saw them making out in the empty auditorium."
Yunah shook her head, comfortably leaning against the couch's back. "But Jihoon is such a gossip. What if it wasn't Younghee? Or Nicholas?"
Youngjae sniffed. "I don't think so. He clearly saw pink hair, and the girl had the same nails Younghee did at Mika's last week."
"Still can't believe she's doing her nails after everything this bitch did to me," Haewon muttered, aggressively taking a bite of cherry jelly.
Euijoo stuck a tongue against his cheek, swinging his cup in his hand. "When was it?" He finally found himself asking.
Youngjae looked at him. "Uh, two days ago? I think."
Junghwan nodded. "It wasn't Jihoon who told us; it was Dohoon."
"And Jihoon told Dohoon, got it," Lily bobbed her head as if she was a detective who solved the case.
Sungho cleared his throat. "Let's watch this movie Minju recommended," he smoothly switched the topic, nudging Yunah by her leg, who bolted up on the couch.
"Right!" She was happy after one mention of her girlfriend's name.
Till the end of the evening, Euijoo was lost in his thoughts. He didn't even understand why he felt like that. Like his heart was being torn apart. It's none of his business if Nicholas fucked someone else. Especially if this someone was his ex. Euijoo and Nicholas were just friends who occasionally kissed. He had a right to meet new people.
Euijoo shouldn't feel jealous.
Sungho shot him glances in the first half of the movie, even though he tried to hide it pretty well. Euijoo, after successfully ripping drying skin off his lip and causing small bleeding, excused himself to use the bathroom.
He knew Sungho would follow him.
This is why he left the door unlocked.
Exactly two minutes later, the door quietly opened as Sungho walked in, closing it after him. Euijoo finished cleaning his lip, comfortably leaning against the washing machine, watching Sungho.
"What's your problem?" Euijoo tiredly asked, brushing the skin in the middle of his eyebrow with his middle finger.
"My problem? What's your problem?" Sungho challenged. "Since Junghwan brought the news, you sat with a dark face as if someone killed your dog."
Euijoo's face twisted. "Dog? I'm not even a dog person."
"Not the point!" Sungho hissed. The movie played loudly in the living room. "What's up between you and Nicholas?"
Euijoo raised an eyebrow. "Nothing. We're friends, I told you."
"Cut the bullshit, Byun," Sungho grimaced. "I saw you making out at the party."
Well. Great!
"It was just one kiss," Euijoo waved it off.
"Oh yeah?" Sungho crossed his hands over his chest. "Donghyun said he saw both of you making out in the back row of the library."
Euijoo froze. "And?" he said, clearing his throat. "What's your point?"
Sungho huffed his bleached hair away from his eyes. "Tell me the truth. You and Nicholas."
Euijoo groaned. "We're friends," he repeated. "Who sometimes kiss, yes."
"And you're fine with him kissing his ex?"
Euijoo stared at him. Why shouldn't he be fine with it? Nothing tied Euijoo and Nicholas. They weren't exclusive. They didn't even label their relationship. Why would it bother him?
"Yes."
Sungho studied him for a few more seconds before shaking his head. "Fine, keep lying to yourself." He opened the door, leaving Euijoo alone.
Euijoo truly didn't care why Sungho didn't believe him. He didn't even understand why it bothered Sungho so much.
He ran fingers through his hair, gripping it at its root. He clenched his jaw, feeling something howling inside. He stepped to the sink, turning on the cold water. He splashed his face and took a deep breathe slowly exhaling through his mouth.
Fuck everything.
Euijoo came out of the bathroom and smiled at his friends, saying he needed to go. They protested; it was the only day all their schedules aligned to meet up. Euijoo laughed and said they would have more time after the semester ends. He hugged the girls before turning to the guys. Sungho saluted him and turned back, watching the movie.
Euijoo chuckled. If he wants to be childish, he would let him.
Once he was outside, he took a deep breath of cold air, December slowly creeping in. His phone buzzed with a new notification. He pulled it out of his jeans to see a bright message on the screen.
Nicol:
Wanna come?
Euijoo stared at the message. His heart drummed in his ears as cars drove by. He unlocked the phone quickly, texting back.
You:
Yeah.
'll be there in fifteen
Nicol:
Yay:D
Euijoo didn't care who Nicholas kissed in the daylight when, at the end of the day, he would come back to him over and over again. To him. Not to her.
He locked his phone with a big smile playing on his lips as he turned around in a different direction from his place. Nicholas opened the door fast, as if he was waiting since the second Euijoo sent his answer.
"Hey, pretty," he smiled, dragging Euijoo inside.
Euijoo knew Nicholas hated it when anyone touched his hair. He made that clear when he swatted Maki's hand away one day while they were having dinner at Harua's. The poor guy hissed in pain, and everyone laughed at Nicholas' glare. Maki even changed seats because Nicholas kept kicking his leg under the table.
But as Nicholas lay down on the couch with his head resting on Euijoo's lap in front of the TV where Howl's Moving Castle was playing, he didn't mind Euijoo's fingers in his hair. Euijoo's eyes were focused on the screen, as his hand kept moving, untangling knots of dyed hair.
"Why pink?"
Nicholas yawned, feeling sleepy, which was funny because this guy swore just thirty minutes ago he could go a third time. "I love pink."
Euijoo smiled. It was cute. He gently took a few strands of hair, dividing them into three neat sections. He began to loop them together, left over center, right over center, until he got a small neat braid.
"It's cute," he said. "That you like pink."
"Why? Didn't expect me to like pink?"
Euijoo let out a small laugh, continuing to braid as he felt his cheeks flush. "A bit?"
Nicholas hummed, eyes nearly falling closed. "What is your favourite color?"
"I like all of them."
"Favourite movie?"
"I don't really have a particular one," Euijoo scrunched up his nose.
Nicholas turned to look at him with a frown. "C'mon, Juju. You should have one."
Euijoo shrugged. "I just don't."
Nicholas drilled him with a glance before turning back to watch the movie. Euijoo let go of the braids, letting them unravel, softly falling back into Nicholas' hair. He raised his eyes to the TV when Nicholas pinched his thigh, making him yelp.
"Hey!"
"Your favourite movie will be this one," he nodded at the screen. "Dunno anything."
࣪ ˖ 𖦹°⋆
"You're so cute in this picture," Euijoo cooed, holding up a framed photo of Nicholas as a child.
Nicholas whipped his head around, rushing to snatch the picture away from his hands, but Euijoo was taller. And annoying. He raised his hand, laughing loudly as Nicholas stood on his tiptoes. It was fun until Euijoo stumbled backward, hitting his feet on the edge of the bed and falling, pulling Nicholas down with him.
Nicholas landed on top of him with a loud oof. Euijoo groaned at the weight on his chest. The photo frame was thrown onto the bed as Euijoo wrapped his arms around Nicholas' waist to catch him.
"Damn, your muscles," Euijoo muttered.
Nicholas giggled. "Those muscles can throw you around; what are you complaining about?"
Euijoo arched his eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"
"Uh-huh."
The next second, Nicholas found himself pressed to the bed, a confused expression on his cute face. "What the—mphm!"
Euijoo's lips effectively silenced him, pinning his hands to either side of his head. Euijoo might have been physically weaker than Nicholas, but he knew for a fact that Nicholas acted like a spoiled brat until someone else held him close. But Nicholas also liked to bite during kisses if Euijoo was in charge, like a capricious cat.
Euijoo hissed at the feeling of sharp fangs scraping his lower lip. He leaned back to look at Nicholas with knitted eyebrows. Nicholas, in response, raised an eyebrow with a sly smile on his face.
"What's wrong, baby? Can't take a bit of pa—Ah—!" Nicholas gasped as Euijoo's slim fingers cupped the bulge in his pants.
Nicholas was more vocal in bed when he was on the receiving end, and Euijoo couldn't say he didn't enjoy it. He grinned, slowly stroking the bulge with his hand, then squeezed it again.
"Euijoo—Juju."
Oh, it was easy for Nicholas to work up. It almost seemed like he was still in his puberty when they had sex. Nicholas whined as Euijoo pressed the heel of his hand against his clothed member.
Euijoo leaned toward Nicholas' ear. "You're so easy for me," he whispered, then laughed, withdrawing his hand.
He got up from the bed, a bright smile playing on his lips as he looked at Nicholas' confused face. He chuckled, turned, and walked out of the room, leaving Nicholas alone with his very hard problem.
"Byun Euijoo!"
࣪ ˖ 𖦹°⋆
"My mom doesn't even understand you, but she loves you more than me," Nicholas said one evening when he decided it was a good time to visit Euijoo, who was hunched over his desk working on his model.
Euijoo hummed to himself, signaling he was listening, and cut another piece of cardboard for his bridge. Nicholas plopped down on the bed, watching Euijoo's slow movements.
"You look so hot when you work with your glasses on," he said, a smirk flickering across his face.
Euijoo froze. He blinked and turned his head toward Nicholas. "Really? One second you're talking about your mother, and the next you're horny?"
"I have ADHD, if that makes your life any easier," he shrugged, cheek pressed against the mattress, making his voice sound a little funny.
Euijoo merely threw a crumpled paper ball at him. This, of course, didn't stop Nicholas from getting up and sucking Euijoo off right there in the chair, because he was a real menace with the patience of a five-year-old.
"Get the hell out of my house," Euijoo muttered breathlessly, pulling back his shorts.
Nicholas licked the corner of his lip. "No."
Asshole.
࣪ ˖ 𖦹°⋆
"Do you think everyone has a purpose?"
Euijoo blinked and turned his head to face Nicholas. It was almost two in the morning; they'd just showered, lying on freshly changed sheets. Nicholas was sprawled on his back, staring at the ceiling.
Euijoo rolled over. "Why?"
Nicholas shrugged. "Dunno. I've thought about it a lot." He turned onto his side facing Euijoo. "Like, would it be easier if we knew our purpose in life or what we were supposed to do? You know, like in My Little Pony, imagine if it was visible on my ass, telling me what to do."
"Nicol," Euijoo chuckled breathlessly. He smiled, raising a hand to brush strands of hair out of Nicholas' eyes. "You have a wild imagination."
Nicholas looked at him. His eyes were beautiful. Nicholas often said he found his eyes too scary because of their sharpness. But for Euijoo, they were the prettiest. He loved looking at them sparkle whenever Nicholas yapped about basketball or fashion. He loved looking at them whenever he smiled, and his gaze softened. He loved them because they were Nicholas'.
Euijoo cleared his throat, a weird feeling settling deep down in his chest. "Let's sleep."
Nicholas hummed to himself, moving closer to Euijoo to throw a hand over his waist and nuzzle his neck. "Goodnight, Juju."
"Night, Nicol," he murmured.
࣪ ˖ 𖦹°⋆
Euijoo dropped his bag on the floor, not bothered by something breaking, as he tiredly flopped on his bed. His last final drained all his energy and mental sanity, but at least he was fine with his semester. One semester to go and that's it. He let out a sigh of happiness as he melted into his soft bed.
Jo's train is tomorrow, and he's bringing Yuma with him to finally meet his parents. Yuma is freaking out, according to Harua and Euijoo, as a good friend, only laughs at him with a big grin on his face.
He stays for the break because Eunha is going to Hawaii with her fiancé, and his mom doesn't want to see his face in the next few months because of what he did last time. He didn't mean to skip his pills and get drunk, really. Life just happened.
So, he's going to rot in his bed for the next three weeks, and he's more than happy with the outcome. Harua told him Sungho stays in the town as well because of his internship. Euijoo hasn't talked to him since the bathroom argument. Maybe he will text him. Who knows.
Nicholas' sister is coming to Taipei for Christmas, and Nicholas has been talking about it for a few weeks now, overjoyed with the news. Euijoo saw her photo once, and actually he even talked to her over FaceTime when she called all of a sudden, when they were in the middle of making out. Like always.
Nicholas had to fix his hair, while Euijoo put on his shirt and quietly sat at the end of the couch. But in the end, call it feminine intuition, Nora figured out that someone was there. She made Nicholas turn the camera around and show Euijoo in a serious, flat voice. However, Euijoo was scared for nothing—Nora was adorable. With his broken English, they talked pretty well, and she asked how long they've been together, for which Nicholas choked on his saliva and returned the phone.
Euijoo awkwardly walked to the kitchen to pour some water.
Cool.
They didn't talk about it. Well, Euijoo avoided the topic by shutting Nicholas with another kiss, and later, when they were tangled under the sheets on Nicholas' bed, they completely forgot about the question.
Euijoo stretched on the bed, rolling onto his back. He turned his head, eyes falling on a small dark green paper bag. He stared at it, chewing inside his cheek. Right. A few days ago, when he needed to clear his head, he went to the Christmas market and saw a keychain with an adorable black cat in pink glasses. Nicholas' face flashed in front of Euijoo's eyes, making him buy it.
It was okay, right?
Friends gave each other presents.
Euijoo's hand reached toward the phone he tossed on the bed. He opened the messenger app, and, unconsciously, his lips slowly curled into a small smile.
You:
Hey
When is your flight?
He bit his lip nervously, waiting for the answer. It didn't take even two minutes when 'ding' rang out throughout the room.
Nicol:
Tomorrow at 11
Why?
You:
I have a present for you
Nicol:
:O
You didn't have to
I didn't buy a present for you:(
You:
It's okay
I didn't plan on buying it, but I saw one cool thing and thought of you
So I ended up with a present without realizing
Nicol:
Lmao
You:
Can I come over?
Just to give the present
Nicol:
Sure
It's a bit messy cuz I'm still packing
Sorry :P
You:
Nicholas
When was the last time I cared about your chaos?
Nicol:
:D
Euijoo chuckled and got up from the bed, grabbing the bag from the table and putting back his jacket. Jo was busy wrapping up presents anyway, so he didn't bother notifying him that he'd be out for an hour or so. Yuma, as a little menace he is, of course peeked out of the open door, watching Euijoo putting on shoes with a grin on his lips. But thanks God, he didn't comment on it.
In the last four months, the road to Nicholas had already become familiar to him. He could even point to the building on the map within a second and knew the exact time it took him to get there. Twenty minutes, and he stood with reddened cheeks from cold in front of Nicholas' door.
Euijoo didn't really need to knock; he pressed the passcode on the electric keypad and opened the door. Nicholas wasn't lying when he said his apartment was a mess; two opened suitcases lay on the floor, the couch was flooded with clothes, not really folded.
Euijoo took off his jacket, throwing it over the back of the chair. "Nichol?" his voice echoed in the apartment.
"Give me a second!' Nicholas' muffled voice rang from the bathroom.
Euijoo put the bag on the glass table in front of the TV and sat on the armchair, reading whatever he could find to keep him busy. Nicholas stepped out of the bathroom five minutes later, holding a clear bag of his toiletries. Euijoo stood up, putting his phone back into his jeans, as Nicholas smiled at him, dropping the bag into the suitcase on his way as he came to leave a peck on his lips.
"Hi," Nicholas said.
"Hello," Euijoo giggled. "Look what I got," he nodded at the paper bag on the table.
Nicholas arched an eyebrow and turned around to grab it. Without looking away from Euijoo's face, he blindly reached inside, pulling out a carefully wrapped present.
"What did you get me?"
"Open and see."
Nicholas hummed, tearing the blue paper with black dots. He gasped once he saw what was hidden under the paper.
"Oh my god," he carefully lifted the keychain, twirling it around, looking at small details. "Juju, it's adorable! I love it." He stepped to hug Euijoo, wrapping hands around his neck, resting his head on his shoulder. "Thank you."
Euijoo felt heat creeping up his neck as he hugged the man back, hands curling around his body, pulling him closer. "I hoped you liked it."
Nicholas chuckled, stepping back to put the keychain on his black leather bag on the couch. "High fashion," he approved.
Euijoo showed him a thumbs-up. "So…how's the whole situation?" He looked around.
"Nightmare. Nora wanted me to buy Korean skincare and albums of her favorite group; the argument that she was twenty-six didn't work."
"Cool," Euijoo laughed. "So, I assume this one is specifically for her?" He pointed at the mostly filled with boxes black suitcase.
"Yeah."
Nicholas' phone vibrated, the flashlight blinking brightly through his sweats. He pressed his lips into a thin line, shooting Euijoo an apologetic 'sorry' with his eyes. Euijoo shook his head and nodded, as if saying go ahead. Nicholas pulled the phone, glanced at the caller's ID for barely a second before swiping decline. But Euijoo noticed the name even in that short time.
It was Younghee.
An unpleasant lump settled in Euijoo's throat from the realization. He cleared his throat, moving his eyes somewhere else, and it was even worse as he noticed two wine glasses standing on the table, one with a lipstick stain. Euijoo curled his lips in discomfort.
"I will go," he said, slowly turning his head back. "You're busy."
Nicholas furrowed his eyebrows, looking confused. He slipped the phone back into his sweats. "You can stay; I'm almost done. We can order food."
Euijoo couldn't stay. He physically couldn't force himself to stay in the place where Younghee was. Where Nicholas kissed someone else. Fucked someone else. Euijoo was scared that if he stayed, he would definitely say things he didn't mean, acting on emotions.
"No-no," He waved his hands in front of him. "I promised to help Jo with wrapping presents," he lied. He crossed the room, grabbing his jacket from the chair. He put it on, walking to the entrance at the same time. Nicholas followed him, still confused. "Have fun with your family. And say hi to Nora. I mean—You don't have to—Uhm, yeah." He knelt to tie his shoes. As he was done, he straightened up and forced a small smile.
Nicholas studied him with this funny look on his face: eyes sharply watching him and lips pressed into a line. He sensed something was wrong, but thankfully he didn't ask. Otherwise, Euijoo would actually run away and block his number.
"Sure," he replied; tension filled the air. "Have fun with your family."
Euijoo bit his cheek. He didn't tell Nicholas about his plans for the break. He tried, but every time he got distracted by Nicholas' lips or his hands on his body; Euijoo didn't like talking about himself anyway.
"Thanks, see you in three weeks?"
"Yeah," Nicholas mumbled. "See you."
Euijoo walked home with music playing loud in his ears, snow falling slowly at him, melting in his hair. He stopped at the traffic light with its bright red light, cars driving by. He stared at the pavement, or rather at nothing. His head was full of thoughts, jumping from one to another.
Did Nicholas love Younghee? Were they really together? If it was true, then did it mean that Nicholas was cheating on her with him? Did it make Euijoo a villain? Did Euijoo even matter to Nicholas?
People walked by him, some of them pushing him in the back, others side-eyed him with knitted together brows. Euijoo blinked, seeing green light, and hurried to cross the street. He stopped abruptly as he saw his building standing tall. He could go home, wave at Jo and stick a tongue at Yuma. Pretend that everything was fine.
His breath bloomed white in the cold air.
He didn't remember how he even opened his phone; moreover, he didn't remember how he dialed the number. He pressed it against his ear, listening to the ringback tone, waiting for an answer. He chewed his lower lip, hoping that the person would pick up but at the same time preferring something different.
"Hello?
"Sungho," Euijoo shakily sighed. "I think I'm in love with Nicholas," he whispered, finally admitting out loud.
࣪ ˖ 𖦹°⋆
"I kicked Jaehyun out, so it's only us," Sungho said, grabbing a box of tissues and placing them in front of Euijoo. "Are you on pills?"
Euijoo sniffed, taking one tissue. He shook his head. "I'm done. Last pill was a week ago," he said before blowing his nose.
Sungho nodded and turned around on his heels, walking back to the kitchen to return with two cans of beer. "Sorry, didn't stock up the fridge." He placed both of them on the coffee table. "So? What happened?"
Euijoo let out a groan, throwing his head against the couch's back. "I don't know. Everything," he sniffed, taking another tissue.
"And if more specifically?" Sungho opened their beer, giving one to Euijoo.
"You know the story. Nicholas and I decided, hmmm, we're good friends, but we also don't mind fucking each other, so let's try!" Euijoo actively gestured, nearly spilling his beer. "And everything was fine, but then oops, you didn't actually discuss if you were exclusive, and then Junghwan mentioned that your dear friend kissed his ex."
Sungho took a long drink, folding his legs underneath his body.
"But you ignored it since, in the end, Nicholas was always coming back to me." He breathed out, air fully gone from his lungs. He took a deep breath in and drank almost half of the can in one gulp. "I bought him a present and came today to give it, nothing serious. But she called him, and he didn't answer in front of me. And then I saw two wine glasses on the table with lipstick stains."
"Oh god," Sungho murmured, facepalming himself. "And it helped you realize? Because you were jealous?"
Euijoo shot him a glare. "I'm sorry that I don't have an amazing love story like you and Jaehyun."
Sungho snorted. "Off pills you're more emotional."
"I know! That's the problem," he hissed. He sat up on the couch. "Before it wasn't a problem for me to keep fucking one guy and then part ways. Hell, I don't even remember the last time I fell in love!"
"What are you planning to do now?"
Euijoo plopped back down. "I don't know. He will be out of the country."
Sungho snapped his fingers. "There. Have some time alone. Distract yourself from everything."
"And then what?"
"Then talk," Sungho rolled his eyes. "Be a man, Jesus Christ. Even Jaehyun behaved like one."
Euijoo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I hated him so much that I didn't want to deal with him." He crunched his nose after taking a sip. "But he kept showing up everywhere, once he got all serious and told me that he's in love with me and would wait for ages if he needed to. I never found him that hot," he whispered.
"Ew," Euijoo pushed Sungho in the shoulder. "Where did he go, by the way?"
"Woonhak's. They work together."
"Wait, that kid from the party?" Euijoo snapped his head at him.
"Yeah, and he's twenty," Sungho shrugged.
"Still a kid."
Sungho shoved him hard enough to roll off the couch onto the floor with a loud yell.
Euijoo had no plans of texting Nicholas during the break.
He cleaned the apartment, finally sorting out their tea collection in the cabinet both of them ignored. Okay, Jo tried to keep it clean for three months, but then he gave up. Mostly because Euijoo kept mixing green tea with black. He finished reading all the books he started but could never bring himself to finish them, saying he was too busy with the semester. And he even went to his sister's apartment to water her plants because she asked him and kind of threatened through the text with a creepy smile :).
Every time his phone buzzed with a new message from Nicholas, Euijoo slid it to the side, deleting it from the notification center. You may call him a coward. He was a coward, too scared to deal with his own feelings, preferring to keep them sealed in a box. In a weak attempt to get distracted, he even agreed to go out to a club with Sungho and Jaehyun. He got an expensive, too fucking expensive, cocktail and a guy who tried his best to hit on him.
Euijoo smiled at him, thinking it was cute mostly because if the guy had a tail it would wiggle side to side. He introduced himself, but it was too loud to hear, and Euijoo didn't bother to ask his name again. They danced, the guy's hands on his hips, while he whispered absolute bullshit into his ear, thinking it was hot. Euijoo could pull away and walk back to their table, but Nicholas' face would flash in front of his eyes. This is why Euijoo agreed to come with this guy to the public restroom.
It was awful.
The guy didn't know how to kiss without a tongue. He was bulky but too much, flexing his muscles every time Euijoo tried to put his hand on him. He was also too tall, making Euijoo raise his head uncomfortably. Or maybe he was just not Nicholas.
Euijoo puffed his hair from his eyes as the man kissed his neck. He grimaced at the slurping sound and wet feelings. This was gross. So fucking gross.
"No, dude. It's not gonna work," he pushed the guy lightly into his chest with his hand.
Minhyuk? Minhwan? Something on M looked at him with confusion blooming on his face. "Wait, what?"
Euijoo tried to smile, lifting the corners of his lips. He fixed his clothes, especially the shirt, because it was tugged to the side by the guy's fingers, stretching the collar. "Yeah, sorry. Not in the mood," he scrunched his nose. "But maybe you can find someone else? Bye!" He waved his hand and walked out of the restroom. He thought he heard curses behind his back, but he didn't really care.
Sungho was sitting at their table on a bright red leather couch with Jaehyun resting a hand on his thigh and whispering something into his ear, lips brushing close. Euijoo made a gag face.
"You're in a public place, Jesus," Euijoo shouted over loud music. He sat down across from the couple, scanning the table before taking Sungho's cocktail with an innocent face.
"Hey!" Sungho protested. "I didn't even try it."
Euijoo shrugged. "You have a rich boyfriend; ask him to buy you one."
Jaehyun snorted, throwing a look at his boyfriend as if saying, 'he's right'. Sungho pinched his arm, making him jump on his seat and nearly knock over his own drink. He brushed his arm with twisted lips before he blinked, staring behind Euijoo's back, face lightening up in recognition.
"Oi!" he waved his hand.
Euijoo frowned. He turned to see a familiar figure pushing through the crowd with a lazy smile blooming on his lips. Dongmin's red hair seemed even brighter in the club's lights, making it look as if he stepped out of some anime. He waved at Sungho, who looked surprised, mouth slightly open. His eyes traveled to Euijoo.
"Hey," he said loud enough, pointing at the free spot next to Euijoo in a mute question.
Euijoo moved to the side. "Hi! Didn't expect to see you here," Euijoo giggled, taking a sip of the cocktail he was holding long enough to feel his hands go cold, only to crunch up his face in the end. He almost twisted his neck as he snapped his head toward Sungho. "What the fuck did you order?"
Sungho rolled his eyes. "This is why I told you not to take mine!"
Dongmin watched Euijoo push the glass away. He shifted to move closer to him. "What do you want to drink? My treat."
Dongmin watched Euijoo slide the glass back to the blond-haired man, who stuck a tongue at him. He shifted on the couch. "What do you want to drink? My treat."
Euijoo widened his eyes. "Oh, no-no. It's fine," he smiled, shaking his head. "Don't bother."
Jaehyun leaned forward, chest pressing against the table. "Eyyy, Euijoo-nim, let our Dongmin-ie treat you. He has the same amount of money as I do."
Dongmin shot him a glare, throwing a used napkin at him. Euijoo raised his eyebrows, glancing at Dongmin. "How old are you again?"
"Old enough."
After almost ten minutes of persuasion, Dongmin was finally able to insist on buying him a drink. Jaehyun grabbed Sungho's hands and pulled him towards himself, making him stand up and leading him to the dance floor. Dongmin seemed quiet to Euijoo when they had a course together, but apparently the guy was hilarious.
"What the fuck?" Euijoo dropped his jaw. "You're the bassist in the group that won the competition against Yuma last year."
Dongmin chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe. Long fingers, good use."
For a second, they both fell silent before bursting into laughter as soon as they realized the double meaning of the phrase. Euijoo shook his head, wiping his tears with his fingers.
"Where's your boyfriend, by the way?" Dongmin popped his elbow on the table, resting his head on his palm.
"I don't have a boyfriend," he took a long sip of his daiquiri.
Dongmin raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought I heard some rumors going on."
"Nah. I'm single."
"So hypothetically speaking, I can try to shoot?"
Euijoo froze for a second before smiling at Dongmin. "Didn't know you like me so much."
"I would be wrong if I ignored how attractive you are."
Euijoo let out a short laugh. "And you're single as well?"
Dongmin bit his lip, looking at Euijoo up and down. "I have a very bad situationship with my flatmate."
He whistled. "Wanna share?"
"Oh god, no," Dongmin snorted, waving a hand. "Nothing to share; he's in love with Sungho's sister, but we fuck occasionally. When he feels lonely, mostly."
Euijoo widened his eyes that nearly popped out of his head. "I'm sorry, what?"
Dongmin shook his head, meaning he didn't want to talk more about it. He tongued his cheek, tilting his head at him. "So? Wanna have fun? Promise I won't cry if you brush me off."
Euijoo moved his eyes across Dongmin's face, noticing every blemish and beauty mark, scraping skin around his thumb.
Is something stopping him from going home with Dongmin? Not really. But it still felt wrong, as if he's betraying not Nicholas but himself. As if he's becoming a person he swore he would never be. Dongmin was a good guy, and he would understand if Euijoo said no. And somehow, Euijoo felt a light brush of someone's hand on his nape, causing goosebumps to spread around his arm. Like Nicholas was just behind, watching every move.
Euijoo shook his head. He finished his drink, licking his lips, not missing how Dongmin glanced down. "Wouldn't it be awkward? Sungho may be quite protective of his friends."
"I'm Jaehyun's friend, and Sungho is a pain in the ass," Dongmin replied fast.
Euijoo smiled. He leaned down to whisper into the redhead's ear. "Then take me home."
Dongmin grinned and stood up from the seat, offering his hand to Euijoo. He hummed and wrapped his fingers around Dongmin's, noticing how perfectly they matched. Not even the smallest difference in length. Nicholas' fingers are longer. Dongmin crooked his neck, looking into the crowd, saluting Jaehyun once he found him. Sungho stood with his back to them, and judging by Jaehyun's hands on his hips, he did it intentionally.
They were a nightmare for their driver, laughing loudly at every stupid story they remembered. Like a popular wig story with Professor Kim, who swore he had never worn a wig in his life, yet was caught once when his "hair" moved to the side. Or about the party when Sohee got so drunk that he confessed his massive crush on Anton to Anton himself, thinking it was Jaehyun who stood a few steps away, dropping his jaw in a moment.
"How the hell do you know all of these?" Euijoo asked when they stood outside his building.
Dongmin smiled mysteriously, "I know people."
Euijoo hummed and walked inside, pleasantly sighing as warm air welcomed him. Dongmin lived with his flatmate, who unfortunately also stayed in the town. It didn't really leave them with a variety of places to choose. As Euijoo pressed the code and twisted the handle open, Dongmin pushed him inside and kissed him, making him gasp.
Dongmin's lips were well cared for, soft and moist. Euijoo closed his eyes, let out a shaky breath into the kiss, pressing closer to the body. Dongmin kicked the door shut. Euijoo buried his fingers in Dongmin's hair, realizing they were almost the same height; maybe Dongmin was just a tiny bit shorter, but Euijoo liked it.
Dongmin broke the kiss to ask, "Where is your bedroom?"
"Eager, are we?" Euijoo said, playing with hair on his nape. "Let me guide you."
Euijoo wasn't a big fan of early mornings. He didn't dislike them, preferring to run all his errands in the first half of the day, but it was only when he had something to deal with. On his days off, he would rather spend them in his bed, sleeping, especially if he went to a club and didn't fall asleep until four in the morning.
His phone buzzed uncontrollably somewhere on the floor where it had fallen from his jeans. He groaned, running his hand across the floor trying to find his phone. Once he found it, he opened one eye, his cheek pressed against the mattress. He blinked at the incoming call as it ended, showing messages from Sungho. But his attention caught something different.
Four missed calls from Nicholas.
Euijoo furrowed his brows and sat up on the bed, blanket pooling around his waist. He glanced at Dongmin, who slept perfectly fine on the side. Euijoo raised his eyebrows at the number of hickeys he left last night spread around Dongmin's throat and chest. Cool.
The doorbell rang throughout the apartment unexpectedly, startling Euijoo and Dongmin, whose eyes flew open in confusion. He turned his head to look at Euijoo, who was already putting on his sweats with an apologetic expression on his face.
"Sorry," he said and pressed his lips into a tight line.
The apartment was chilly in the morning (it was actually midday, almost one). Euijoo shuffled across the floor, scratching his bare chest. He opened the door with a disgruntled face, ready to fight whoever disturbed him, but as soon as he saw the person on the other side, he froze.
Nicholas stood in front of him, with a big smile on his face, but it fell as soon as the door opened.
He arched his eyebrow at Euijoo's surprised face. "What? Not happy to see me?"
Euijoo exhaled, shaking his head. "No! No, I—Uh," he tried to smile. "I thought you'd be back in the middle of February."
"If you'd checked your messages, you probably would have seen my text saying I wanted to spend the break with you," Nicholas explained calmly, looking Euijoo up and down. "Did you go out last night?"
Euijoo winced. It felt weird. "Yeah. Yeah, I did," he cleared his throat.
Nicholas slowly nodded. "Okay…Can I come in?" He glanced over Euijoo's shoulder.
"No," he said too quickly. "I'm—Sorry, you can't."
Realization struck Nicholas' face. "You're not alone." It wasn't even a question; it was a statement.
Euijoo bit his lower lip. "Yeah, sorry. I mean, I haven't been replying to your messages."
I'm sorry only for that. Not for having someone over.
Before Nicholas could respond, they both heard footsteps—Dongmin appeared behind Euijoo, fully dressed. Even though he'd been wearing a hoodie last night, it didn't hide the marks Euijoo had left behind. Nicholas scanned each of them, eyes darkening.
"Oh, hey, Nicholas," Dongmin waved. "I was just about to leave, if you need…privacy?" he glanced at Euijoo.
Nicholas swallowed, forcing a smile. "Hey," he waved weakly. "And no need. I was just stopped by to give Euijoo a gift."
Dongmin was a smart guy, realizing that now was the perfect time to leave. He quickly threw on his jacket and shoes, slipping through the door next to Nicholas, whose gaze burned into his face.
"Well, it was nice to see you. Bye," he said simply, and hurried away.
Nicholas watched him go, then looked at Euijoo. "Can I come in now?"
Euijoo breathed out in a shaky voice. "Do whatever you want."
He left the door open and headed to his room to get his shirt. He didn't check to see if Nicholas had just come in or left, as he couldn't stand Euijoo's annoying nature. Euijoo found him sitting on the couch, quite comfortably.
"Did you really come here just to give me a present?" Euijoo asked in a hoarse voice.
Nicholas' sharp gaze followed him. He leaned back on the couch, crossing his legs. "I wanted to see you," he said after a minute. "Euijoo, you practically disappeared."
Euijoo sat down on the chair he'd grabbed from the kitchen. He brushed his face with his hands. "I know. I just needed some rest."
Nicholas smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Three weeks is not enough?"
Was it really three weeks?
"I don't know."
Nicholas snorted, crossing his arms. "Oh my, Byun Euijoo. And I thought you were smarter than that."
Euijoo raised an eyebrow. "What the fuck do you mean by that?" he blurted out angrily.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe ignoring me for weeks was a bad idea?" Nicholas threw his hands in the air.
Euijoo's blood boiled. "Oh, maybe sleeping with your ex behind my back was a bad idea?"
Why did he say that? Why did he mention that? Why?
Nicholas laughed. Really loud and cheerful. As if it was fun for him. He looked at him with a wide smile on his lips. "Behind your back? Euijoo, we're not dating. I can sleep with whoever I want."
Ouch.
It hurts.
Euijoo clenched his jaw. "Right," he said slowly. "We're not dating. I'm just a guy you fuck sometimes."
"Don't make it sound like I'm the problem," Nicholas pursed his lips.
Euijoo stood up abruptly. "Then who the fuck is the problem, Nicholas?" he shouted. "Me? I'm the problem for not knowing the truth?!"
"Why would you have to know?!" Nicholas got up as well. "We never agreed to be exclusive."
Euijoo gripped the roots of his hair. "Damn, Nicholas!" his heart was pounding in his ears. So loud. So hard. "It's not just me. How would Younghee feel if she knew? That you fucked me while fucking her?"
Nicholas rolled his eyes. "She'll be fine. You're no better, Byun," he pointed at him. "What about that guy, huh? You had no problem sleeping with him."
"I did it after I found out about you and your ex. What's the point?"
Euijoo wanted to punch him. Right now. He wished his fist smashed into Nicholas' flawless face and tore his lip open, drawing blood. He wanted to see the lost expression on Nicholas' face. He wanted to hurt him so much, as Nicholas hurt him.
Nicholas's chest rose so quickly that Euijoo thought he was having tachycardia. His gaze grew even sharper, as if he dared to chop off Euijoo's head. Maybe he could do it and watch the red blood fill the room.
"I don't even know you, Euijoo," Nicholas whispered. "You know me, completely. You've talked to my sister; you know what my parents look like. I even showed you my baby pictures. But you?" He chuckled. "Why should I be exclusive with someone who won't even talk about himself?"
Euijoo swallowed and looked away. It was true. Euijoo knew a lot about Nicholas. His favorite color, the movie he liked to rewatch when he felt down, the foods he enjoyed, and even where he kept his first aid kit. Euijoo felt like he would pass a test of his knowledge of Nicholas with flying colors.
"I don't need to tell you anything," Euijoo said quietly. He was getting tired. He wasn't cut out for dealing with his feelings.
Nicholas looked at him and then slowly nodded. "Right. Because you're Byun Euijoo, who thinks it's cool to act so mysterious."
"Nicholas," Euijoo muttered quietly. "Stop."
"Oh no, Euijoo," he stepped closer. "I'm not going to stop. You can't just get on my nerves about my private life when I know nothing about you."
"What the hell do you want from me?!" Euijoo hissed.
"Anything, Euijoo!" Nicholas raised his voice. "Literally anything! I don't understand why you're ignoring me. What pills are you taking? What is your favourite movie? I don't even know your favourite drink, for God's sake!"
"I'm a psycho, okay?!" Euijoo exploded.
Nicholas widened his eyes, staring at him. He flinched when Euijoo looked at him with tousled hair in every direction, trembling lips, and a stance that seemed ready to run.
"I was on antidepressants. Pills that boosted my serotonin levels so I wouldn't go crazy again," Euijoo licked his lips. "I ignored you because I was hurt," he ran fingers through his hair again. "Because I felt like shit. Because I was overwhelmed by feelings I wasn't ready to face. Because I'm a fucking coward." His voice trailed off.
Nicholad didn't say a word. He listened to everything Euijoo said, letting him pour out all his feelings from the dark void where he'd been holding them.
Euijoo looked up at him, tears welling up in his eyes. He hated crying in front of anyone. "Happy?" he asked.
Nicholas' pink hair was fading, and his black roots were growing out. He opened his mouth, exhaled, and met Euijoo's gaze.
"I think it's best to keep our distance for a while," Nicholas suggested calmly.
A tear rolled down Euijoo's cheek. "Why?"
"We need to chill."
"And then what?"
"Euijoo—"
"Tell me," he interrupted. "You're not dating. I just told you I have feelings for you. So what happens next?"
Nicholas rolled his lips against each other. "I don't know, Euijoo." He shrugged, answering honestly. "I don't commit. I find you attractive, yes, but…I don't think things will work out between us. As a couple."
Euijoo sniffed, wiping his cheek with his fingers. "Okay," he said. "I heard you."
Nicholas nodded and reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out a small velvet box. He twirled it in his hand before extending his arm. "A belated Christmas present," he said, a little smile appearing on his face. "Nora saw it and showed it to me."
Euijoo didn't want to take it. He thought if he did, his whole world would collapse right there. God, how he regretted Eunha finding him back at sea. It would be so much easier if he were dead now.
"Thank you," he muttered and took the box.
Nicholas hummed under his breath. "Take care, Euijoo." He didn't wait for an answer and headed for the door, fiddling with his shoes for a few more seconds, before Euijoo heard the door slam.
Euijoo looked at the box in his hand. He slowly sat down on the chair. An idea occurred to him: he could toss it on one of the shelves and forget about it for a couple of months until Jo found it. Or just leave it here, on the counter. Or throw it out of the window.
He sighed and opened the box, hoping it wasn't something that would break his heart even more. For a few seconds, he simply stared at the ring, his brain slowly trying to process what he saw. He felt sick. As if all the toxins in his system had decided it was time to leave.
Euijoo wrapped his fingers around the ring and pulled it out of the box. It was a silver ring with a blue stone on top. He recognized where it came from and deeply regretted it. He slipped it onto his ring finger and felt even worse when it fit perfectly. He burst into tears, dropping the box to the floor. He buried his face in his hands and sobbed loudly. It would be so damn easy if life had ended at thirteen.
࣪ ˖ 𖦹°⋆
For exactly forty-seven days, Euijoo didn't speak to Nicholas. At first, Euijoo thought it would last until the first day of a new semester, and they would return to their old selves. But no. Euijoo's schedule was somewhat similar to Nicholas', so they ended up seeing each other more often, but Nicholas never looked at him. If he did, he'd turn away so quickly, as if he were being burned.
Euijoo had an idea: talk to Nicholas. Find him during break or ask Maki when Nicholas would be free. Hell, he even considered going to practice with Jo just to talk to Nicholas. But all of those plans were taken, crumpled up, and thrown into the trash.
Nicholas didn't want to deal with him, and Euijoo understood that.
It didn't stop him from spending the night at Haewon's place and smoking almost an entire pack of cigarettes sitting on the windowsill. Haewon didn't say a word, letting him fool around for a bit before slapping him across the face. But of course, she sat next to him and smoked a cigarette, even though she swore she'd quit.
"All of this because of a boy?" she asked around three in the morning as Euijoo lay on the couch.
He wanted to laugh because yeah. All of this because of a boy.
"You need to pull yourself together, Ju," Haewon sighed, playing with his hair. "It's your last semester, and then you probably won't see each other."
She's right. Probably Nicholas and he will never cross paths again. Maybe Nicholas will go back to Taiwan, maybe he will move to the U.S, maybe he will marry Younghee. Maybe Nicholas will launch his brand like he always dreamed of.
Euijoo…he will probably play his nepo-brother-in-law card and work at Dowoon's company. Maybe he will eventually apologize to his mother, act like a real adult, and visit his father's grave. Maybe he will get a cat and name it something stupid.
Different lives.
Different dreams.
"I miss him," he whispered into the darkness. Haewon's hand froze as she looked at him. "I know it's stupid and…and I shouldn't," he sobbed. "But I miss him so much, Haewon."
"I know," she whispered back. "I'm sorry, Euijoo."
Yuma was an asshole. Everyone knew that. Even Jo knew that, and he literally worshiped the ground Yuma walked on. But apparently, he was even more of an asshole when he was paired with Dongmin.
It was Friday of the third week of the semester. Most of Euijoo's friends were graduating with him this semester, with the exception of Dongmin, Youngjae, and Jo, with Yuma. They still had a year to go. To celebrate the start of their nightmare, or as it's commonly called, their thesis, they had agreed to meet at a bar where Dongmin often performed, because he had a discount—a pretty good one.
Back to assholes.
"I'm tired of Euijoo being such a dick," Yuma groaned, sipping his bright pink cocktail.
"And I'm tired of hearing your moans every night," Euijoo gave him an indifferent look.
Jo choked on his zero cola as Sungho patted his back. Jaehyun, laughing loudly, decided it would be nice to contribute. "God, when I lived with Dongmin—mphf!"
His mouth was quickly covered by Dongmin's cold hand. He'd dyed his hair back to black but let it grow. It looked cool.
"No one needs to know that," he grimaced
"No, they should!" Yuma exclaimed happily
"No, they shouldn't." Euijoo had to forcefully pull him back into his chair, grabbing his arm tightly.
When they finally decided to drop the subject, several more people arrived. Yunah smiled happily, hugging everyone, even those she barely knew. Moka angrily told the story of how the security guards at the entrance thought she had a fake ID. Minju walked behind them, tugging someone by the sleeve of their jacket.
"Guys, guess who I brought!" she giggled, revealing a cute guy with blond, curly hair.
Dongmin choked on his drink; Euijoo patted him on the back, and Sungho beamed with joy. "Donghyun!"
Ooooh.
Euijoo glanced at Dongmin's pale face and at Donghyun's. They were flatmates—a dramatic situationship. Donghyun greeted them with a slight smile and introduced himself to those who didn't know him. As luck would have it, Jaehyun stood up from his seat, giving way for Donghyun to sit next to Dongmin.
What a funny life.
"Tonight's drinks are on us, Euijoo and me," Jaehyun waved a hand at the girls and Donghyun, eliciting thunderous applause.
While the girls were choosing drinks, Euijoo nudged Dongmin under the table. "You okay?"
Dongmin nodded, not really paying attention to him.
Haewon, who had gone to the bathroom, returned almost sprinting, rushing toward Euijoo and grabbing him by the collar, yanking him sharply. "Kang Younghee is here, and Nicholas is with her."
Euijoo glanced at her before throwing a glance toward the entrance, noticing Younghee's cherry-red top. Nicholas followed her, a small smile spreading across his face. His hair. It was black now. His pallor was easily noticeable against his dark eyes and new color.
"Okay, thanks," he whispered to her.
She pressed her lips together and nodded, her eyes filled with worry. Turning around, he noticed Dongmin's gaze on him, as if he'd also heard his conversation with Haewon, who was now sitting next to Lily at the table. Yuma had also drilled holes in him from the other side, and Euijoo deeply regretted sitting between them.
"So," they even started talking at the same time, exchanging glances.
"What are you going to do?" Yuma asked at the same time as Dongmin, "Do you want to kick his ass?"
Assholes. Really.
He turned to Yuma, giving him a sweet smile. "Nothing." Then he looked at Dongmin. "Do you want me to kick his ass?" he hinted, knowing that Dongmin would understand.
They stared into each other's eyes before Dongmin snorted and straightened up. Yuma glared at him until Jo lightly slapped his thigh under the table, making him flinch. The next hour passed perfectly fine; the girls got their drinks, and Dohoon nearly knocked a plate over onto Junghwan, who was seconds away from smacking Dohoon in the forehead, but was saved by Youngjae.
Harua and Maki were late as usual, and Euijoo saw them stopping by Nicholas' table. And he knew that Nicholas noticed him the moment Maki pointed his head toward their table. Harua knew some details of the story because he was a master manipulator, and Jo was a good guy who preferred not to anger Harua. So he knew a thing or two. Euijoo noticed Harua's death stare at Nicholas and Younghee, and if Nicholas did too, he didn't say anything.
"Hey," Harua smiled at him as they approached their table.
"Hi," Euijoo hugged him, waving at Maki behind him.
For another fifteen minutes, the voices grew louder as the bar was almost full. Dongmin stood up from his stool, showing a pack of cigarettes and saying he needed to smoke. Euijoo stood up with him, raising an eyebrow at Haewon, who wrinkled her nose and shook her head.
Stepping outside, they both sighed in the cold wind. Dongmin kindly gave him one before lighting it. Euijoo leaned against the brick wall, smiling at the sky.
"I love our friends, but they are so loud," Dongmin inhaled the smoke, sniffing.
Euijoo nodded in agreement. "I don't know how I survived dealing with Dohoon and Jihoon at the same time."
They both laughed quietly.
The moon was beautiful today, shining bright in the darkness. Euijoo had been trying hard not to think about Nicholas these past few days because he felt sorry for Haewon, who had to endure his whining. And he knew she would be more than happy to help him; he still felt weird about it.
"He looks handsome," Euijoo broke the silence, taking a drag on the cigarette.
Dongmin looked at him and chuckled. "He is. Angel with a perfect face and a nice dick."
"I think I have the same problem," Euijoo smiled.
Dongmin hummed. "At least your problem isn't living with you."
Euijoo shrugged. "Does Jaehyun know?"
"I don't think it should bother you, right now," Dongmin said, pausing slightly. He stamped out his cigarette under his shoe. "First, take care of your problem, okay? Then we'll talk." He patted him on the shoulder and returned to the bar.
Euijoo sighed, bringing the cigarette to his mouth.
It was difficult for Euijoo to fall in love. He found it difficult to even allow himself to feel anything other than peace, happiness, and sometimes disgust when he walked into the apartment and saw Jo and Yuma kissing on the couch.
He considered emotions and feelings unnecessary, and that disturbed his life. He felt awkward when he acted too happy, too loudly, thinking that others might find him strange. He felt guilty when anger overwhelmed him, and he could snap at others. So yeah, emotions were weird.
At first, he liked taking antidepressants because he felt nothing, literally nothing, as if someone had turned off his emotions. It was amazing. Then his serotonin levels increased, and they returned. It was hell. Everything was too loud. Too much.
This is why he hated his feelings for Nicholas. He felt as if he was burdening Nicholas with whatever was going on in his heart. Like Nicholas would see from the inside how rotten he was; dark liquid flowed from his open chest.
"Have a cigarette?" a voice called from the side.
Euijoo blinked, turning his head sharply. Nicholas stood there, hands in his pockets. Déjà vu. He looked relaxed as he looked at Euijoo, his lips curled into a lazy smile. Euijoo must have been staring for too long; surprise was etched on his face, and Nicholas arched his eyebrow.
"So? Do you?" he asked, tilting his head.
Euijoo swallowed and shook his head, raising his hand slightly to point to the cigarette in it. "Only this."
The cigarette was almost finished burning, leaving two or three puffs. Euijoo had originally planned to put it out on the wall and walk back inside, hoping Yuma hadn't caused a scene.
Nicholas stepped forward, snatching the cigarette from Euijoo's hand and taking a long drag. Euijoo watched as his lips wrapped around the white part of it. They looked well-moistened, not as dry as usual.
Nicholas parted his lips, puffing out the smoke. "Harua almost bit my head off," he said in a hoarse voice.
"He shouldn't have done that."
"He shouldn't have," Nicholas repeated.
"Did you just come here to ask for a cigarette and tell me to keep my friend in check?" Euijoo sighed.
Nicholas shrugged, taking another drag before tossing it on the ground. "I wanted to talk to you."
Euijoo's eye twitched. "Oh, really?" he asked, sarcastically. "When I tried to do it, you avoided me like the plague."
"Will you believe me if I say I needed to clear my head?" Nicholas smiled.
Euijoo opened his mouth to reply but then fell silent. Wouldn't it be hypocritical for him to say no? If he snapped at Nicholas for ignoring him? When he had done the same thing just a few months ago?
"Euijoo," Nicholas softly called him. "Look at me."
Euijoo didn't want to. In fact, he wanted to keep running away from him, just like Nicholas did. But he looked anyway, because he could never say no to Nicholas.
"I knew you would be here."
"What?" Euijoo blinked, pushing himself from the wall.
"Jaehyun told me."
"This motherfucker," Euijoo groaned, grimacing.
Nicholas let out a quiet chuckle. "He kinda yelled at me and told me to act like a man." He grinned. "Sungho punched me, by the way."
It made Euijoo freeze, his eyes running over his face trying to find the damage. But Nicholas' face, as always, was flawless.
"It healed fast, thanks to the cream he gave me after."
"Why would he punch you?" Euijoo heard himself asking.
"Because he cares about you and I acted like an asshole."
No, you didn't. It was me who acted like a coward first and ignored you because everything was getting too loud. Euijoo gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing. He turned his head away, hugging himself as if it would cover him from Nicholas' eyes.
"You didn't," Euijoo murmured. "I was the one who ignored you first."
"I guess we are both assholes then," Nicholas laughed, running fingers through his hair. "I'm scared to seem boring; this is why I don't commit."
"What?" Euijoo frowned.
"I don't think I'm that interesting, you know," he looked up at the sky. "Maybe as a friend, I'm good, because we don't hang out too often, but as a partner…I think a person would get bored as soon as they know me."
Euijoo couldn't believe his ears. What the fuck was he talking about?
"Nicholas, you're literally the most interesting person I've ever met," he blurted out. "I enjoyed every one of our hangouts and waited impatiently for the next." He didn't notice how close they stood. He gently cupped Nicholas' face. "You're so unique, and I really don't understand people who would think of you as bored. They're blind and stupid."
Nicholas blinked and burst out into laughter. His shoulders were shaking as his voice was loud and bright. The next second, he looked at Euijoo, and his eyes were filled with tears. Tears of joy.
"Euijoo," he called him. "Why are you so kind but so secretive at the same time?" Nicholas stared into his eyes. He raised his hands, putting them above Euijoo's on his face. "Please, talk to me."
Euijoo gulped and bit his lower lip. What was he supposed to say? I don't think it matters? I don't think it's worth talking about myself? I don't want to burden you?
"I think…I have the same problem as you," he slowly started. "But not like I'm scared that you will get bored of me; rather, I think that you have more worries than I telling about myself. I was always bad with emotions and feelings and all this stuff," he sighed. "And sometimes I think I feel too much and people around me get tired of my emotions. That they can't handle it anymore."
"Euijoo—"
"Let me finish before I push you and run away," he cut Nicholas off. "I don't understand people sometimes, and I'm not sorry. I can be harsh without noticing it, and I don't really care if people like me or not." He took a deep breath and licked his lips. "But…I like you because you're so brave. You feel everything and anything; you're confident and smart. With you, I don't feel judged," his voice trailed off.
Nicholas studied him for a brief second before lifting his hands and grabbing Euijoo's neck by pulling him into a kiss. Euijoo gasped, dropping his hands onto Nicholas' waist. The kiss was soft, as if the sun brushed his skin, leaving him warm with its touch. Nicholas tasted like strawberry, probably from the drink he had earlier, as his thumb slowly stroked Euijoo's cheekbones. He smiled into a kiss as he felt a slight tremor from Euijoo.
"Baby," he broke the kiss. "You're shaking."
"Shut up," Euijoo breathed out, bringing their mouths back into a kiss.
It was risky kissing like this in the alley behind the bar; someone could easily come and see them and perhaps call cops if they're assholes enough. But Euijoo didn't care. He finally had Nicholas in his arms, and he wouldn't dare let him go.
Nicholas stumbled back as Euijoo pressed him against the wall. He squeezed Nicholas' waist before one hand traveled underneath the shirt, brushing the skin. Euijoo felt how Nicholas flinched from the contact and then moaned into the kiss.
Nicholas' hands moved down to his shoulders before giving a light push. "Euijoo—Fuck, wait," he was out of breath; a blush sat deep on his cheeks. "Let's go home. Please."
Yes.
Please yes.
But then Euijoo froze.
"Younghee?" he whispered.
Nicholas swallowed, glancing up. "What's with her?"
"She's your…girlfriend?" Euijoo wasn't sure anymore.
Nicholas started shaking his head side to side too fast; Euijoo got worried for his brain for a second. "She's no one, Euijoo. You're the only one who I want." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I want to kiss you, I want to take you on the cheesiest dates, I want you to meet Nora and my mom who loves you more than me," he chuckled. "I want to love you—Are you crying?!" He choked on his saliva, panicking.
Euijoo sobbed, wiping his tears. "It's your fault!"
Nicholas chuckled, bringing his own sleeve to Euijoo's face. "You look so cute when you're crying. Did someone tell you that you look like Ponyo?"
Euijoo shot him a glare, swatting his hands. "Did you just call me a fish?"
"No! I—" Nicholas' eyes suddenly fell on his hand. "You're wearing the ring."
Euijoo looked at his hand, where on his ring finger he saw a shiny, bright silver ring with a stone. "You gave me this as a present; of course I wear it."
Nicholas suddenly started smiling, widely, with teeth peeking out. He took Euijoo's hand into his before leaning down to kiss the ring. "I'm glad. I was worried you might have thrown it away."
"I wanted," Euijoo confessed. "Like I really hated you once I saw the ring. I wanted to call you and cuss you out because it was such bad timing."
Nicholas raised his eyebrows, giving him a flat look. "Oh really? It was supposed to be a great present, but you decided to ignore me."
"Because I realized I'm in love with you, how can I not freak out?" Euijoo deadpanned. They stayed in silence, staring at each other before breaking into a quiet laugh. "But seriously," he sniffed. "You and Younghee not a thing?"
"Nah," Nicholas waved his head. "And I haven't fucked anyone during our whole…thing," he pointed between them. "Younghee tried to make a move, but I stopped her."
Euijoo facepalmed so hard it echoed throughout the entire alley. "Nicol," he groaned, dropping his forehead at his shoulder. "I'm so stupid."
"You're not," Nicholas' fingers playing with his hair, softly brushing the back of his neck. "You're cute when you're jealous."
"I'm not…"
"You are, babe," he smiled.
Nicholas' hand moved lower, patting him slowly on his back. "So," Euijoo cleared his throat. "I can take you home and make love as boyfriends?" He looked up.
Nicholas blinked at him before snorting. "Yeah, you can, Juju."
Euijoo grinned and straightened up, taking Nicholas' hand into his. "Do you have your stuff inside?"
"Nope."
"Great."
In the taxi, Euijoo sent Jo a quick message asking to stay over at Yuma's. Sweet Jo reacted with a thumbs-up without mentioning that he noticed Nicholas' disappearance from his table. Nicholas hung on him the whole ride, lips never leaving his neck, softly biting and sucking. Euijoo hoped tips to a driver would cover the trauma from watching and hearing them.
Nicholas didn't wait even a second. The moment they stepped into the apartment, he shut the door, kicked off his shoes, and dragged Euijoo toward his room, giving him barely a second to toss his jacket somewhere onto the floor. Inside the room, Nicholas pulled Euijoo into a kiss, pushing his tongue into Euijoo's mouth and tangling them together.
"Euijoo," he panted against his lips. "I've wanted this for so long. Fuck."
Euijoo shut him up with another kiss. Nicholas hissed as Euijoo bit down on his lower lip and pinched his side, making him yelp.
"Why are you such a brat?" Euijoo frowned.
"Dunno."
Nicholas pulled his shirt over his head before grabbing the hem of Euijoo's, tossing both shirts somewhere across the room. Euijoo gently pushed Nicholas onto the bed. He landed with a small bounce, smiling up at him.
God, Euijoo loved his smile.
"C'mon, Juju," Nicholas murmured. "Show me love."
Euijoo let out a shaky breath before climbing onto the bed and hovering over Nicholas. He brought their lips together in another heated kiss as his hands wandered down Nicholas' torso, nails scraping against the skin. He slowly unzipped Nicholas' fly, thanking God he hadn't worn a belt today. Nicholas shivered under his touch, breathing heavily into his mouth.
"What's wrong?" Euijoo leaned back, brows furrowed.
Nicholas shook his head. He swallowed, lips red and swollen. "I just—Hell, Euijoo," he let out a quiet laugh. "I like you so much."
Euijoo looked at him for one more second before pulling Nicholas back into another kiss. It felt like they kissed for an eternity before Euijoo's lips traveled down Nicholas' throat. He wasn't a fan of hickeys, mostly because he was too lazy to leave marks during sex, but with Nicholas, it was different.
Everything was different with Nicholas.
Euijoo gently bit down on Nicholas' skin, earning a sharp exhale. He smiled before soothing the mark with his tongue. His teeth ached for more and more. He dipped back down to Nicholas' neck, sucking skin harder. Nicholas whined, burying his fingers into Euijoo's hair and pressing him even closer. Euijoo left wet kisses all the way down Nicholas' torso before stopping at his perked nipples. He smiled and slowly took one into his mouth, tugging it gently with his teeth.
"Eui—Juju," Nicholas moaned loudly.
Euijoo hummed, rolling the bud with his tongue for another moment before pulling away. The room felt hot as heat radiated from both of their bodies. Moonlight spilled through the curtains, washing over them. Euijoo left one more kiss before pulling Nicholas' jeans and underwear down, tossing them onto the floor beside the bed.
Nicholas was already hard, pre-cum pooling at the angry red tip. Euijoo's mouth watered, but before he could lean down, Nicholas caught him by the wrist.
"Babe, I'm too horny right now," he breathed out through his nose. "I'm gonna combust in the next minute if you don't put your dick inside me. Please."
Nicholas looked fucking gorgeous. His hair was spread across the mattress, contrasting with Euijoo's green sheets. His cheeks were flushed deep red as his lips slightly parted. His hooded eyes stared at him with so much want, making Euijoo forget how to breathe.
"Anything you want," Euijoo smiled, leaving a quick peck to his cheek.
His hand reached for the lube and condoms inside the nightstand. Nicholas ran a tongue over his lips as his hands moved to unbuckle Euijoo's belt and undo his jeans as well. Euijoo laughed, letting Nicholas do whatever he wanted. He tossed condoms and lube onto the bed next to Nicholas' head before getting up and taking off the rest of his clothes.
"Don't prep me," Nicholas murmured as soon as Euijoo hovered above him again.
Euijoo knitted his eyebrows together. "I need to. I don't want to hurt you."
Nicholas shook his head, tears slowly gathering in the corners of his eyes. "I…" he pressed his lips into a thin line before mumbling something under his breath.
"What?" Euijoo leaned closer.
"I played with myself before coming to the bar. I'm already prepped." Nicholas' cheeks got even darker, the color spreading down his neck.
Euijoo's dick twitched.
Oh, fuck.
"Nicol, that's so hot," he murmured, pressing another kiss to Nicholas' neck. "Did you think of me while you had your fingers inside?"
Nicholas let out a shaky breath as he nodded, turning his head to the side. "Hurry."
Euijoo flipped the cap open with a quiet click, squeezing lube onto his fingers. He rubbed his fingertips to warm it up. Nicholas spread his legs, letting Euijoo shift closer. Watching Nicholas' face, he slowly pushed two fingers inside, nearly gasping at how loose he was.
"How many fingers did you have inside you?" Euijoo blurted out, mentally facepalming the moment words left his mouth.
Nicholas panted with closed eyes before opening them and shooting a sharp look at Euijoo. "Ask me one more thing, and I'm leaving."
Euijoo chuckled, slowly scissoring his fingers inside before adding a third. Nicholas groaned at the stretch, mostly because he was so aroused. Whenever he bottomed, he could cum twice, sometimes even three times if Euijoo tried really hard.
"Please, Juju," Nicholas cried out.
Euijoo pulled out his fingers, nearly cumming at the sight of Nicholas' rim clenching around nothing after him. He tore open the condom with his teeth and rolled it down his length before adding a little more lube to slick himself up.
"Tell me if it hurts, okay?" Euijoo said, lining himself up before slowly pushing inside.
Nicholas let out a long, loud moan, his head falling back. He choked on the air trying to breathe, while Euijoo swallowed hard, forcing himself not to thrust all the way in. Nicholas tangled both hands in his own hair, tugging at the strands, his lips parted as he breathed too fast.
"Gosh," Euijoo grunted as he finally bottomed out.
"Move, Euijoo," Nicholas commanded, not giving him even a second.
Euijoo smirked, sweat rolling down his temple. He sat back on the bed, grabbing Nicholas' hips before pulling out and thrusting back in with one smooth motion. Nicholas screamed, clenching tightly around him. Euijoo groaned, rolling his hips again, slamming back inside. Nicholas gasped from every thrust as Euijoo brushed against his prostate.
"Eui—Ugh! Juju," he panted. "Kiss," he mumbled, reaching both his arms toward him.
Euijoo leaned down to kiss him, staying buried deep inside him. Nicholas whined into the kiss as Euijoo slowly rolled his hips, dragging against the sensitive nerve. He leaned back and pulled out. Before Nicholas had time to frown, Euijoo turned him onto his fours, pressing a hand against the back of his neck to guide him onto the mattress. He slid back inside in one quick thrust, picking up his pace.
Nicholas moaned into the blanket, dampening the fabric with his drool. Euijoo's free hand grabbed his hip, squeezing it gently. Pleasure slowly coiled low in his stomach. He inhaled sharply as Nicholas clenched around him again.
"Juju," his voice muffled by the blanket. "I'm so close, baby."
Euijoo smiled and slipped his hand under Nicholas, wrapping his fingers around his leaking cock. He stroked him in time with his thrusts, drawing even louder moans. Nicholas' hand reached back and grabbed Euijoo's wrist, squeezing it as nails dug deep into the skin. Euijoo hissed and snapped his hips forward, even harder.
"Euijoo!" Nicholas cried out as his dick pulsed in Euijoo's hand, spurts of cum spilling onto the sheets.
Euijoo quickened his pace, chasing his own release while Nicholas mewled from overstimulation. Euijoo thrusted a few more times before leaning down to bite gently into Nicholas' shoulder as he came.
Both of them were catching their breaths, Euijoo sprawled against Nicholas' back, nearly crushing him under his weight.
"Euijoo—" Nicholas groaned.
Euijoo chuckled, licking his lips and tasting salt. He pushed himself up and pulled out of Nicholas, knitting his eyebrows together for a brief moment. Nicholas gasped at the feeling of him slipping free. Euijoo tried his best not to look down at the flushed and puffed rim as he stood up from the bed, tugged off the condom, tied it, and threw it into the trash bin under his table.
"I'm not moving," Nicholas murmured, rolling onto his back away from the damp sheets.
Euijoo hummed. He grabbed a pack of wet tissues from the desk and cleaned them both up. They still needed to shower. Once he was done, he plopped down on the bed, draping an arm around Nicholas' waist. He leaned down and captured Nicholas' lips in a long, lazy kiss, feeling a smile blooming on his face. Nicholas giggled into a kiss, curling his arms around Euijoo's neck.
"Want me to carry you, princess?" Euijoo teased as he broke the kiss, brushing his sweaty hair away from his face with one hand.
Nicholas grinned. "Can you?"
Euijoo arched his brow. "Are you calling me weak?"
"No."
Euijoo, in fact, couldn't lift Nicholas up. His arms gave up halfway, almost dropping Nicholas onto the floor with a loud yelp. Euijoo felt his face heat up in embarrassment, but at least it made Nicholas burst into laughter so hard that Euijoo thought his pathetic attempt had been worth it.
"We need to fuck in the morning again," Nicholas yawned, rinsing the shampoo from his hair.
"Nicol."
"What? I love your dick!"
࣪ ˖ 𖦹°⋆
"—And then she started crying," Dongmin finished retelling the events from that day in the bar. He took a sip of his iced americano.
Euijoo slowly nodded his head. "Wow."
"Yeah," Dongmin chuckled. "Oh, Jaehyun told me you owe him around a hundred thousand won, or so."
Euijoo wrinkled his nose. "What the fuck did you order?"
"Drinks. And then Dohoon got too drunk, so he got hungry and ordered the whole menu."
Euijoo sighed and pulled out his phone to transfer money to Jaehyun. After all, he owed him more than money for asking Nicholas to face him. Dongmin stole another fry even though Euijoo suggested ordering a double portion, but he kept insisting he wasn't hungry.
Euijoo put the phone down on the table. "So? You and Donghyun?"
"Nah," Dongmin shrugged. "We talked, but it didn't really lead to anything, so we decided to take a break. I live with Woonhak now."
"Damn," Euijoo whistled.
"What about you and Nicholas?"
But before Euijoo even opened his mouth, the chair next to him was pushed back, and a bag was thrown on it. He looked up at the same time as Nicholas leaned in to leave a quick peck on his lips. Dongmin made a fake gag sound, causing Nicholas to roll his eyes.
"Hi, love," he smiled sheepishly and sat down on the couch, stealing some fries along the way. "Why are you having lunch with this guy?"
Dongmin gave him an indifferent look. "Because I'm his friend?"
"You slept together," Nicholas reminded him.
"Before you were even together!"
"Still—"
"Can you stop?" Euijoo softly cut both of them off. He wrapped his hand around Nicholas' waist, playing with the hem of his shirt. "Don't be jealous, Nicol. Dongmin has his own fucked up relationship."
"I wouldn't call it fucked up," he muttered under his breath and took a sip of his drink.
Euijoo raised both of his eyebrows. "Really?"
Dongmin shrugged as Nicholas broke into laughter. "What a loser."
"May I remind you that you two weren't even dating a week ago?" he tilted his head.
"I didn't ask you," Nicholas deadpanned.
Euijoo giggled. "Okay, let's go, or we will be late," he gently nudged Nicholas' shoulder.
"Where are you going?" Dongmin asked, pulling the plate of fries closer to him.
"We have a date," Nicholas stuck his tongue at him. "The new Spider-Man movie is out."
Dongmin groaned. "Dude, if any of you tell me any spoilers, I'll kill you, and no one will ever find the bodies."
Nicholas wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but Euijoo, who had already grabbed both of their bags, simply pushed him forward, saying goodbye to Dongmin, who waved back.
"Ahhh," Nicholas pouted. "I wanted to piss him off."
"Babe, stop."
"No, he's getting on my nerves."
"Nicol."