Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

‘Undress.’ 

The snug embrace of the collar around his throat reminds him that there is no wriggle room - it's an order to be obeyed. The authority, the directness of it with the lack of the affectionate pet makes his breath hitch. In-ho’s voice, warm but firm, wraps around his shoulder like a cloak, the man a few paces behind him, as Gi-hun stands in the centre of the room, facing the bed. It's neatly made, nothing out of place and nothing on it that would suggest any adventurous plans. As if they were going to just sleep in it. 

But the tension in the room starting to build between them is undeniable, filling the place like smoke. It could overwhelm him, if he let it. 

His eyes drift to the only source of light in the room - a bedside lamp, casting deep shadows around the bed, and - he’s reading into it. He’s definitely reading too much into it, but he wants to believe that In-ho remembered Gi-hun’s stupid, childish anxieties of being watched, looked at, observed. It’s not even a big thing, anyway; anxieties might be too harsh a word. He’s just too worried about underperforming. As a man, as a sub, as a sexual partner. 

Intentional or not, it’s pleasant regardless. The light is as warm and welcoming as it is intimate. 

Simple, but it certainly creates an atmosphere. The heavy curtains are drawn, too, blocking any potential light from the outside - moon, stars, street lamps. As if they’re cocooned in their own little pocket of space and time, separate from the rest of the world. It shouldn’t be so easy to find comfort in that, with a man he barely knows.

In-ho’s order hangs in the air. Gi-hun fights the urge to squirm. He’s undressed in front of his doms before, so many times before - but having In-ho do it instead would be easier. It’s easier to have things done to him, rather than worrying he does it wrong when he does them himself. 

And so the breathy laugh comes unbidden, his typical reaction to nervousness, before he can stop it, his hands unsteady on the first button on his shirt. ‘You- should I do it like a strip tease, sir?’ 

‘You’re nervous.’ 

The way that this is not a question floors him. The straightforwardness of the bombshell of a declaration has Gi-hun feeling out of his depth, as if the floor underneath him just dropped a few inches. He still feels he should answer. ‘A bit, sir.’ 

‘A bit what, pet? Use your words.’ 

His heart clenches, stutters in its rhythm. In-ho is not unkind in his order, and yet he is merciless, making Gi-hun always put words on things. ‘I’m a bit nervous, sir.’ 

In-ho’s voice comes from a step closer. ‘Mm. And why is that? Does the idea of being naked in front of me make you nervous?’ 

Isn’t it only natural? ‘Yeah?’

‘Why?’ 

What does he mean by why? 

‘Are you wary of the idea of being vulnerable in front of me, without your clothes?’ 

Gi-hun spends a moment considering the validity of that argument. ‘Not… not really.’ 

‘Good. In that case, could it be… Are you worried I might not like what I see, pet?’ 

Yeah, that does hit a bit closer home. With his youth long gone, he’s no longer the man that people in the past have found attractive. He sure is past his time of being desirable. He's just average. Plain. Forgettable. He thinks back to a few days ago, when he really took a good look at himself in the mirror, inspecting every bump and crease and flaw of his body, before their first scene.

‘Yeah, I think so.’ An ugly feeling coils in his chest, tight and cold - he squashes it down before it can ruin the mood. He’s too old for this insecurity shit, truly. And he's not here for free therapy. ‘But, I'll be good, sir.’ I can obey. He's done it before. 

To demonstrate his eagerness, his hands fly back towards the buttons, hurriedly undoing the first two. But that's as far as he gets before he completely freezes, suddenly, instantly - before he even realises what stopped him.

A hand. In his hair, holding the messy locks at the back of his head. Not pulling, just holding, but Gi-hun instinctively tilts his head back slightly regardless, in anticipation for the sharp sting over his scalp. It doesn't come, but his breath still catches; his heartbeat is in his throat, shoulders drawn, stomach twisting. A moment passes, in silence and stillness. 

‘Let’s take it slow. Your shirt, first.’

‘Yes- yes, sir.’

It's more breath than voice. But In-ho doesn't let go. A heartbeat, then some more, and Gi-hun realises he's to undress just like that, with his dom holding him in place. Without any more hesitation, his hands blindly reach for his shirt again, unbuttoning it - a little slowly and awkwardly at first, but getting the hang of the movements quickly as his eyes focus on the shadows on the ceiling. In-ho’s hand remains a steady presence at the back of his head. Clenching, unclenching; it makes Gi-hun twitch at first, startling him, but eventually, it grows to remind him of some kind of petting, like gentle scratches over his scalp, the bluntness of In-ho’s nails pleasant and painless. 

Once it’s unbuttoned, shimmying out of the shirt is somewhat more tricky with his current restrictions in movement, but eventually, he manages just fine. Momentarily unsure of what to do with it, he eventually elects to just drop it on the floor to the side. 

The silence swells and stretches, making his skin prickle. Finally, after what feels like forever, In-ho’s hand shifts from Gi-hun’s hair. Down, gently. Just his fingertips, trailing down the length of Gi-hun’s neck, then between his shoulder blades - the touch lingers just about until Gi-hun has time to become self-conscious of his poor posture, before it disappears. 

‘Good boy,’ the other man praises quietly, before walking past him, towards the bed, and sitting on the edge of it. Gi-hun fails to maintain eye contact almost instantly, looking to the side as In-ho observes his half-nakedness. He doesn’t really want to know what the other is thinking; though he’d like to think that he might be accepting of his rather lacking physique, he knows that being physically attractive is essentially one of the requirements for this type of job. It’s expected. But In-ho gives him nothing - no clue, no hint about what he thinks about him. ‘Your pants next, pet. Keep your underwear on for now.’ 

With a silent nod, he resumes undressing, continuing to avoid eye contact at all costs while valiantly masking his momentary internal panic. What kind of boxers is he wearing? He prays to every god whose name he can vaguely remember that he didn’t automatically grab one of his colourful prints ones, the ones that came in a five-pack and range from designs with frogs to cartoon depictions of fast food items with eyes - terribly embarrassing, but their comfort is unmatched. Thankfully, under his trousers, he finds neutral, black underwear. One less embarrassment. The next piece of clothing soon joins the shirt on the floor. 

The silence is longer this time. Gi-hun tries not to squirm.

‘Come. Sit on my lap,’ In-ho invites, patting his thighs twice. 

Fighting the blush off his cheeks is a hopeless endeavour and he feels them heat up significantly, before he even straddles the other man, knees around his hips. He feels hyper aware of every inch of skin, every gram of his weight. He's certain that someone as sturdy as In-ho can handle him, but he hesitates to put his whole weight on his legs. In the end, In-ho does that for him, not roughly but firmly taking a hold of Gi-hun’s hips and pulling him down to sit properly. The small smile In-ho gives him is perfectly innocent.

‘Colour?’

‘Green, sir.’

‘Mm. Hands behind your back, pet.’ Gi-hun obeys immediately, taking a hold of his elbows to keep his arms out of the way. ‘Cold? Want me to put the AC on?’

The question floors him with how out of the blue it is; not to mention, the care it conveys clobbers him right in the chest. ‘No, sir. Thank you. I'm- good.’

With a small smile he finally, finally, touches Gi-hun properly, his broad hands covering the expanse of each thigh. ‘You are, aren't you.’ 

He begins to melt, then. Atop In-ho’s lap, under his hands. The touch is addictive, slow strokes of his dom's warm skin against his own in soothing, circular movements, the whisper of skin against skin a quiet hush between them. It scratches at something right in his very brain, an itch he didn't even know he had. It's easier to breathe somehow, under that gentle caress. In-ho’s fingers catch on the fabric on his boxers, but continue their journey, over the swell of Gi-hun’s still clothed backside. The man’s hum seems almost appreciative, if Gi-hun would dare to think that. And still, he continues exploring, over Gi-hun’s sides, his lower back, his upper arms, gingerly stroking his skin. With every brush of his palm, In-ho draws Gi-hun’s ever-present tension right out of him, right through the very pores of his skin. Just like in their first scene.

His breath hitches when those hands inch toward his stomach. They're not shy in their caress there, nor when they reach his chest, tracing the swell of his breast. Gi-hun’s breath hitches against the warm palm on his sternum, as if In-ho caught the air in his lungs, too; pulling it out right through the bone. 

The blood in his ears is an audible pulse as In-ho works both hands on his chest, slowly squeezing, stroking, occasionally catching on a hardening nipple. 

‘For someone with a body like yours,’ In-ho murmurs, ‘to be self-conscious? That’s just so absurd.’ 

He doesn’t give Gi-hun any time to process the words - not when a warm, wet mouth closes around his nipple without a warning. The sensation tears all air out of his lungs before he even registers the pleasure; his head falls back without his control as he finds himself gasping; as if there is not enough breath between their bodies left. ‘G-god-’

Overwhelmed, he almost disobeys and moves his hands, wanting nothing more than to press In-ho’s head closer, get more, more of that delicious pleasure as In-ho pulls out all the tricks on his sensitive flesh - sucking, licking, grazing his teeth over it. But he catches himself - more than that, he wants to be good. He gets rewarded for it with his dom’s hands, embracing him, pulling him closer, pressing Gi-hun’s chest closer to his face himself, before latching onto the other nipple and beginning to give it the same loving treatment. 

Gi-hun’s whole face burns. It’s far from the first time that someone has quite literally latched onto his chest like this - and yet it’s so intimate, so goddamn hot when In-ho does it. Gi-hun chances a glance down, and somehow it’s even more arousing, not being able to see much of the other man, other than the styled locks of hair becoming messy and loose from how they brush against Gi-hun’s skin. 

But the noises. The sounds that In-ho makes is what wrecks Gi-hun the most. Aside from the obscene sucking sounds, it’s In-ho’s soft sighs and increasingly needy moans, as if he can’t get enough of Gi-hun’s warmth and the taste of his skin. 

‘S-sir- god-’ 

‘Look at you, pet. You’re so beautifully responsive.’ 

The unexpected soft praise punches another breath out of him - how can In-ho just say that - and makes his toes curl. Makes him gasp and lose control and roll his hips in a mindless, futile search for friction against his hardening cock. 

‘Oh, you liked that, didn’t you?’ Gi-hun can hear, he can feel the smirk against his skin as In-ho nips against his collarbone, the base of his throat. It just about sends him to fucking space, despite being so mortified that he’d love for the ground to swallow him up. ‘Here’s the plan, pet. I’m going to ruin you a little today, okay? Make you come multiple times, and make you come hard, until you don’t know who or where you are. And you’ll let me, pet, won’t you? You’ll let me ruin you.’ 

Gi-hun squeezes his eyes shut, or he fears they would just roll back right into his skull and never return. Fuck. How can he keep saying that stuff? ‘Yes yes yes- I’ll be so good, sir.’ 

‘I know you will be. I have a choice for you to make, now. Are you listening, pet?’ 

In-ho’s hands, after returning to their comfortable hold on Gi-hun’s backside, squeeze each cheek as if to get his attention. He obediently opens his eyes, desperately holding onto every word despite his attention slipping. ‘Yes- I’m listening, sir.’ 

‘Good. I’m going to either gag you, blindfold you, or tie your hands for the scene. What do you choose?’ 

Gi-hun’s mouth goes a little dry. There’s the surprise of being allowed to have a choice, but also- each of these options brings absolute filth to his mind, making him squirm more. 

What does he want? Is there even something he doesn’t want? 

‘Please- tie my hands, sir.’ 

He’s pretty sure In-ho’s pupils just widened slightly, right then. ‘Mm. Good choice, pet.’ 

He laughs a little, sheepish, ‘really?’ 

‘Mhm. That would be my choice, too, if it were up to me. It will be my first time seeing my pet come, so I want to see your face fully and hear all your noises properly.’ 

This isn’t a scene. This isn’t sex. This is an assault on his sanity, an actual attempt on his life. 

He doesn’t even know what his face looks like right now, but it must be a sight one way or another, given In-ho’s smirk. ‘Reach over to the nightstand for me, pet, and take out what’s in the second drawer.’ 

Gi-hun nods obediently, doing as he's told, reaching over as In-ho holds his hips to keep him steady. Weary, he reaches inside the drawer, feeling around for two cylindrical objects. Blushing, he pulls them out one by one to find out it's just lube. One bottle still sealed, the other already opened with some clear gel missing. He takes the latter one. Before placing it in In-ho’s waiting palm, he catches the word ‘soothing’ and a cartoon image of an aloe plant on the simple packaging. 

‘Good boy. Thank you,’ In-ho hums, rolling the small plastic bottle over in his palm. His intentions, and the knowledge of what's going to happen in a moment, makes Gi-hun blush, as does the praise. ‘Now,’ he starts, as he pulls Gi-hun closer by the hips with a sudden, confident movement, chests almost touching, bottle of lube momentarily forgotten on the bed, ‘the only real rule for today is to properly use your safewords. I don’t want to tease you too much for our first time,’ he smirks, ‘so I’m not going to stop you from coming or edge you indefinitely. But I want you to let me know when you’re close, alright, pet?’

‘Yes, sir,’ he answers, as always - it’s the only right answer. 

‘Good. So what did I ask you to do?’ 

Every word is precious. Of paramount importance. Noted. ‘That- that I have to let you know when I’m close.’ 

He rubs Gi-hun’s thighs, the touch still so comforting and pleasant. ‘Very good. You are so obedient, pet; I can tell you’re doing your best. Don’t think it goes unnoticed or unappreciated.’ 

Something lodges in Gi-hun’s chest; a breath, a skipped heartbeat. 

‘You can move your arms. Put them around me. Move closer.’ 

Gi-hun’s ears burn at the intimate words, but he does as he’s told - though not without a decent amount of hesitation. Even as he’s wrapping his arms around In-ho’s shoulders, burying his face in his neck - with no adverse reaction from the other man - he can’t help but think that he’s doing something wrong. He’s doing it wrong. He got the order wrong. But In-ho only sighs softly, sounding so content, hugging Gi-hun back. And Gi-hun tries to do what In-ho told him once to do; just feel - there isn’t much that In-ho has asked of him for now, so perhaps he can let himself do just that. 

Besides, In-ho’s arms around him turn his brain to mush. There is no way that the other man can't feel Gi-hun’s hammering heart, which in itself is ironic - the touch is soothing, calming, yet the proximity still makes his insides twist with both pleasure and nervousness. But gradually, ever so slowly, the simmering anxiety seeps out of him, soaked up by In-ho’s skin. 

It's as if In-ho has been waiting to feel Gi-hun melt in his arms before making his touch bolder again. Hands roam all over his body, whatever and wherever In-ho can reach, before sneaking under his last piece of clothing. He knows - he knows their destination, and he can feel the tension grow once more. His heart crawls up inside his throat as In-ho’s fingers inch ever so closer to his most private of places. 

‘Shh. Relax, pet. Let me feel you.’ 

It's been long - long enough to not be used to it anymore - since someone touched him back there. He clutches In-ho’s shirt when curious fingers brush over his hole, reminding himself that his dom is kind, is gentle. He isn't likely to hurt him or ridicule his body. 

For a while, it's just that. Soft touch, a barely-there caress. It disappears, then; a sound of a plastic cap being opened, then closed. He presses himself closer to In-ho, as if his closeness could be the only thing holding Gi-hun together. He holds his breath when the touch is back, fingers ticklish against the skin of his buttocks and hinting at the inevitable more. 

‘Relax, baby. You'll be good, won't you? I'll go slow.’ 

‘Yes, sir, yes sir yes sir,’ he whispers into In-ho’s neck while trying to obey, to unclench, to relax because it's just a goddamn finger don't be a fucking baby over it-

His whole body jolts when a single finger slides into him easily, about halfway in. Like a fool, he instinctively tries to move away, only to catch himself and bear back down on the finger - a silent apology, a wordless promise, an explanation, I didn't mean to move, please continue.

For the love of God, please continue. 

In-ho doesn't comment, doesn't admonish. He keeps rubbing Gi-hun’s buttock with one hand while the other slowly works him open. ‘Colour?’

He licks his suddenly dry lips. ‘Green, sir.’ 

And he finds he means it wholeheartedly. The slow rhythm of In-ho’s exploring digit - in, out, in, out - fills him with pleasure like it’s something physical and leaves him craving for more. He wants another finger, and he wants them deeper; in this position, with In-ho reaching around Gi-hun’s waist, he can’t exactly reach as deep inside him as Gi-hun would like to. But even as it is now, it feels like In-ho is rearranging him from the inside, making things click into their right place. 

Isn’t it pathetic? There’s so much more to come and this is only the mere beginning - and yet, the intimacy of it, the closeness - it already has him spiralling. 

When a second finger blessedly joins the first one - carrying more cool lube that makes his flesh tingle pleasantly a little - it punches a soft gasp out of him. And it continues to do so, every time it pushes in, every time it pulls out with that delicious friction. Gi-hun finds he’s struggling to keep his mouth closed, completely allowing himself to get lost in the sensation. But he tries. God, does he try, not wanting to be too noisy, right into In-ho’s ear, with the way he’s holding onto him. 

But he fails quite spectacularly and whines high in his throat when In-ho grabs a handful of Gi-hun’s ass and squeezes with surprising force. ‘Unless I explicitly say so, don’t ever hide your noises. I want to hear them all.’ Then, as if to test out Gi-hun’s obedience to the new rule, he spreads the two fingers inside him wide, sending a heady mixture of pleasure-pain down Gi-hun’s spine and making him groan, the sound tearing from somewhere deep in his throat. ‘Good, that’s it.’ 

The praise is another direct hit to his already struggling sanity, so that it’s only somewhere in the background, in the foggy corners of his mind that he realises that he’s not actually hurting. Obviously, there’s the stretch that just about errs on the side of painful, but its sharp edge, the one that would make him flinch, is wrapped in the comforting warmth of pleasure - despite the fact that In-ho’s fingers are not exactly small. 

He thought it was supposed to hurt. At first, at least. That he always would have to grit his teeth and just bear with it, his cock always softening from the discomfort. 

But In-ho is making it good. Of course he is. The only true discomfort that Gi-hun feels is the lack of friction against his groin. He’s so hard, and with how they’re holding each other, there is no way that In-ho can’t feel it. Gi-hun feels him move around, squeeze more lube on his fingers, so that when he fucks into him again, the squelching noises make the his face burn further with both embarrassment and arousal. The mild burn from the stretch is gone, leaving nothing but mind-numbing pleasure behind. He can’t believe how hard he is just from being filled, fucked by just fingers. 

He presses himself even closer, wishing he could melt In-ho’s shirt between the heat of their bodies, allowing him to feel the other man’s skin. In reality, all he can do is grip the fabric for dear life and try to bury his face further in the man’s neck. ‘ ‘s good- feels really good, sir.’ It dribbles out of him in a soft sigh before he can really stop it. 

‘Yeah?’ He can hear the smile in In-ho’s voice. ‘You like that, baby? You like being full, pet?’

‘Yes- yesss, sir- please-’

But if In-ho were to ask him what he’s pleading for, he wouldn’t have an answer. 

He barely manages to stop himself from whining pathetically when the fingers withdraw. ‘Up, pet. Stand up.’ 

Gi-hun finds himself startled by the sudden order, momentarily worried that speaking unprompted was a bad move. He’s uncertain where exactly he should stand and what he should do, anxious in advance, but with silent guidance from his dom, he finds himself standing right in front of In-ho, between the other man’s spread legs. Gi-hun’s embarrassing erection is on full display now, the thin boxers - now visibly dampened with precome - do absolutely nothing to hide it. He keeps his gaze down, on some spot on the bedsheets beside where In-ho sits. He doesn’t look up when In-ho hums - a low, content sound - or when his hands are back on Gi-hun’s thighs, rubbing wide, slow circles. 

He only does when he gets an explicit order. ‘Eyes up, pet. Look at me.’ 

His heart is hammering as he reluctantly obeys. In-ho looks so very composed, save for the intensity in his gaze that is nothing short of intimidating. Gi-hun struggles to maintain the eye contact as In-ho’s hand finds its way to Gi-hun’s cock; he shivers all over and fights to not let his knees buckle under him, sanity slipping at an alarming rate as In-ho gives him a few slow strokes through the last piece of clothing. 

And he just doesn’t stop talking. ‘Well, well, look at that, pet. All of this for me? You really liked that, hm? Sitting on my lap, legs spread, whining so sweetly as I worked your hole open?’ 

He can’t answer. He hopes he’s not expected to. He can’t focus on anything else aside from standing up, keeping his hands by his sides, and not moving - these simple tasks take up his entire brain power with how inhumanely difficult they currently are. But In-ho is actually merciless after all and begins to rub the sensitive head of Gi-hun’s cock in slow but firm circles, the damp fabric somehow intensifying the sensation. 

Fuck, he can barely breathe. He can feel that touch in his fucking back teeth. He forgot just how good the touch of another person can feel, rather than just his own sad hand. Gi-hun thinks he might pull at his hair any minute, if only to stop himself from bucking into In-ho’s palm. 

It’s hard to tell whether it’s a mercy or not, when In-ho pulls away - the touch disappearing but the heat still burning - only to hook his fingers in the waistband of Gi-hun’s boxers, toying with it for a moment, pulling, before letting go, and repeating. Teasing, and letting Gi-hun know his intentions. 

He tries to hold his breath as In-ho undresses him, but the sensation of the fabric dragging over his painfully hard cock makes him hiss. Once the boxers are down to his knees, he eagerly steps out of them, wanting to help, wanting to be good.

But then he stands up in front of In-ho again, now completely nude, terribly embarrassed, and impossibly hard. 

And In-ho, for his part - there can no longer be any doubts that he is a dom, through and through, with a sadistic streak no less; he’s silent, as if purposely making Gi-hun stew in his anxiety, while he takes his sweet time, taking in the sight of him. 

It's so quick and brief he almost misses it, but he catches In-ho licking his lips. ‘Turn around.’

Cheeks permanently burning by now, Gi-hun does as he's told, cringing a little at the sensation of lube between his buttocks as he moves. It's infinitely more embarrassing to stand there like that, facing away from In-ho, not even being able to gauge his reaction from his expression. 

After a moment of dense silence, the return of that touch, of those wandering hands on his backside makes him jump. ‘My, my. A body to die for, indeed. Aren't you just so very lovely, pet.’ It doesn't sound like a question. There's a heartbeat of silence - then, ‘say it.’

‘Say- what, sir?’ Gi-hun squeaks.

‘That you're lovely’, he squeezes one buttock firmly, but not painfully. ‘Say these exact words; I'm lovely.’

Now that makes his head spin. He's supposed to say that? About himself? That's just- that's so unnecessary. In-ho’s joking, isn't he? He's just teasing him. 

But the silence stretches once more, his dom clearly waiting - patiently, as always, but not budging on his order.

Stressed out and feeling awkward, Gi-hun licks his lips as his mind races, trying to find a way out of this. ‘I, uh- I… have an okay ass?’

The laugh that erupts behind him is instant, unrestrained, and so full of genuine mirth that it does something weird and warm to Gi-hun’s insides. ‘You’re not wrong, though I'd say much more than just okay. But, it's not what I asked for, is it? You're not going to disobey so soon, are you? Come on, pet,’ In-ho encourages, with a merciless pinch to Gi-hun’s ass that makes him yelp. ‘I want to hear it.’

Gi-hun definitely does not want to say it. He can't even imagine these words coming out of his mouth - but In-ho, for whatever inexplicable reason, wants them. So Gi-hun has to man up and fulfill that order; still, he finds himself surprised that the discomfort during a scene comes from something like this, rather than some rough physical treatment. 

‘I’m… lovely.’ 

It leaves him feeling weird and wrong, but not as much as he thought.

‘Well done. Even if it was the quietest little mumble I've ever heard,’ In-ho teases, not unkindly. ‘But you did as I asked, so I'll accept this lack of enthusiasm for now.’

Gi-hun hears him stand with a soft sigh before he feels those strong hands on him move to his hips, stroking the skin there. Goosebumps erupt all over his body, right up to his scalp it seems, when In-ho leans into his neck, breathing him in. ‘I got so lucky, didn't I? I have such a wonderful sub to play with; not only so sweet and obedient, but so beautiful, too.’

Before Gi-hun can react and rightfully protest, In-ho bites him lightly on the neck - a mere brush of teeth than anything - before pulling away.

‘Lay down on the bed. On your back.’

The words get right to his head, and he can feel his very eardrums pulse with his adrenaline-fuelled heartbeat. If In-ho sees his knees wobble when Gi-hun hurries to lay down, he does not comment, instead rummaging through the bedside drawers. 

Fuck, that bed is comfortable - he manages to stop a relieved moan just in time, but a pleased sigh still escapes him as he melts right into it. He just knows he would fall asleep here instantly, despite his occasional bouts of insomnia - if only he weren't naked and very keenly aware that he's about to get fucked within an inch of his life and made to come until he can no longer make his mouth cooperate with his brain. Probably.

His heart is in his throat when In-ho straddles him. God, Gi-hun needs to calm the fuck down and stop acting like this is his first time. 

It's sex. It's just sex. It's not even a big deal. It's just like getting off, but with someone else. And it's for a job, so it's even more meaningless, not even as impactful. It's a transaction. Perversions and shallow bodily needs. That's all. 

And yet he can't help but melt and burn with anticipation and spiral into some unknown territory that threatens to overwhelm. 

‘Relax,’ In-ho smirks, ‘all I want to do today is to make you feel good. Don't worry about anything else.’ 

His voice is like a spell, bewitching him; as are his hands, slowly and deliberately trailing from his hips, up, up his torso, his shoulders, his arms, to his hands, where he intertwines their fingers, putting his weight and effectively pinning Gi-hun to the mattress. And he's helpless. Not as a victim, not as prey, but rather as an object of such intense, undivided attention. In-ho’s proximity is stifling, and Gi-hun would be glad to suffocate on it. He opens his mouth but no sound comes out, so all he can do is nod his head dumbly, belatedly remembering he's been spoken to. 

With a devilish, delicious roll of his hips, In-ho draws a broken moan out of him after all, the friction against the other man’s clothed but very obvious erection making Gi-hun’s toes curl.

‘Oh, that was a nice sound, wasn't it?’

God, why do these words get to him so much?

He's a mere puppet when In-ho, with their hands still clasped together, moves Gi-hun’s arms above his head. The movement makes In-ho’s body stretch above his, briefly cageing Gi-hun in and making him feel wonderfully small. When the other man pulls away, he obediently keeps his hands where In-ho has put them. While he reaches for something on the nightstand, Gi-hun’s mind has a moment to snag, delayed, on the realisation that In-ho is hard. From nothing other than touching him. 

The sight of In-ho above him with a length of rope in his hands is not a surprise - it's what they agreed to, after all - but it still makes his mouth a little dry. With wonder, he realises it's with somewhat nervous anticipation and excitement, rather than fear. 

The first touch of the ropes’ fibres against the skin of his wrists doesn't change that - if there is anything that Gi-hun fears, it's how quickly he allowed himself to trust In-ho. His heart hammers from the proximity of the other man as he ties his wrists together and to the headboard with confident movements, rather than from anxiety of being restrained. 

Once done, his dom sits back atop Gi-hun’s hips, seemingly admiring his handiwork. ‘Colour?’

He licks his lips before pulling on the ropes a little, testing them out. Yeah - there is no way he’s getting out of them just by pulling. ‘G-green.’ 

‘Good. Are you scared, pet?’

‘No.’ He doesn’t hesitate. ‘I trust you, sir.’ 

In-ho sighs deeply above him, eyelids fluttering closed for a moment. ‘Very good. Very good, pet,’ he praises, voice a little breathless, his hand now on Gi-hun’s abdomen. ‘Now. Safety first, right? There are safety scissors on the nightstand. They’re for me, if for whatever reason I need to get the ropes off you instantly. They’re also for you, should I suddenly get a heart attack or stroke and not manage to release you in time with my last dying breath,’ In-ho laughs, as if this is actually funny, rather than morbid. ‘With some effort, you’ll be able to reach for them, either with your feet, or with your hands; I got the scissors secured to a string, and it’s tied right there to the bedpost so you can drag them to you and they won’t run away from you. Makes sense?’ 

Is this man even real? Who even goes to such lengths… ‘Yes, sir.’ 

‘Wonderful.’ That smile is downright predatory. But Gi-hun can’t lie to himself and finds that it’s quite exciting, being on the receiving end of it. ‘Now, I finally got you where I wanted you. Right here in my bed, underneath me,’ In-ho muses softly, his ever-curious hands beginning to wander once more over Gi-hun’s body, up his sides, almost ticklish, but not shying away from his chest, though his fingers deliberately avoid his sensitive nipples. His hands rest on the sides of his neck, and Gi-hun’s heart is right there, in his throat. ‘Both so willing and so helpless. All mine, to please and tease. I could keep you here all night, couldn’t I? Until you can’t even remember how many times you came, and you’re falling asleep and passing out from exhaustion but I wouldn’t let you - I’d just continue to fill you, keep you stimulated, until the pleasure gets too much - to the point that it’s almost painful. What do you think, pet, hm?’ 

There’s no way he can form a single coherent thought, so he sure as hell hopes that In-ho doesn’t genuinely expect him to express something as impossibly complex as an opinion. He only nods, not even sure what he's agreeing to, but trusting In-ho regardless.

His answer, or his current state - or both - must be amusing to In-ho who laughs a little in response. Gi-hun can only watch as his dom lowers his head, hovering just above him. ‘Pretty, helpless thing,’ he murmurs, and Gi-hun can feel his smile, his lips brushing against the skin of his stomach.

The air feels thicker in his lugs, leaving him fighting for each breath, as In-ho’s lips now join his hands in mapping out Gi-hun’s body - every pitiful dip and every ugly bump, as if they together came to form something beautiful - but deliberately avoiding where Gi-hun is aching the most. But only for a while. 

In-ho looks up at him once, and it’s all the warning he gets before he swallows Gi-hun’s cock, down to the very base, in a single movement. 

It blanks, then. His vision. His very mind. He’s pretty certain he lost a few precious seconds to the void, to some parallel plane of existence, because fuck. 

When he regains his senses, he takes a few seconds to take stock of his body - did he come? No, he's certain he hasn't; his body is still wound up tight like a string, arousal making him feel lightheaded. But he's dangerously close. How embarrassing would that be? To come almost the moment In-ho put Gi-hun’s dick in his mouth? The thought feels wrong, though - it should be the other way around. Gi-hun is the sub. He's the one who should be servicing, not the one being serviced-

But then In-ho begins to suck and seemingly pulls any coherent thought out of him. Fucking hell, how long as it been since-

And he hums. In-ho hums like he's enjoying it, like he's savouring it, and Gi-hun can only pull at his restraints and gasp for air that doesn't seem to reach his lungs.

Earlier, In-ho has made it explicitly clear that he wants honesty - genuine moans, sounds of only real pleasure. But that's the catch - the trick is to put on a performance that doesn't feel like one. Make In-ho, or any other customer, believe whatever he wants to believe. But under that touch, under that mouth and those hands, he can't think about performing. He has no brain power left to analyse what In-ho might want, what Gi-hun should do, how he should sound. There's only raw sensation, and Gi-hun’s helplessness against it.

‘In-h- sir-’ he gasps uselessly, only realising he's been trying to close his legs when the other man pushes his knees apart again. The movement brings a whole new wave of heat to his face with the way it makes him feel so vulnerable and exposed and open. 

He can already feel it - the pleasure, building, rushing at an alarming speed and he knows he won't be able to last much longer. His brain is cotton wool, but miraculously, through that fuzzy thickness, some neurons manage to connect and remind him of the rule, the one rule. 

‘Sir, I’m- I’m close-’

Gi-hun isn't even certain if the words made it past his mouth properly, if In-ho heard him, because he sure as hell doesn't seem like he's about to stop. Instead, he looks up to meet Gi-hun’s eyes with a piercing gaze, mouth still full of his cock. He watches, eyes sharp, lips and tongue just as wicked and attentive, and watches Gi-hun’s every breath and move. Watches, as if he's studying him, learning him.

It's that thought that punches the orgasm out of him - he comes, shaking, seizing up, every muscle tense, while he empties himself in In-ho’s willing mouth - his brain is too fried, too full of static to truly grasp just how filthy this is. 

For a few precious moments nothing exists, nothing but the pleasure, the release, all other stimuli reaching him with a delay. Distantly, he feels himself try to involuntarily shut his legs around In-ho’s head, but the other man is ready; he hooks his arms underneath Gi-hun’s hips, pulling him impossibly closer. Gi-hun feels tension, an ache around his wrists, remembering his hands are tied. 

He hears himself whimper pathetically as he settles back into his body, completely limp and spent. An involuntary, occasional shiver makes his body tremble with delicious, delicate aftershocks, his mouth still uselessly open. His hands clench and unclench around the pillow, toes curling, hips squirming, as reality continues to gradually return.

‘What a sight you make, pet.’ He blinks his eyes open, finding In-ho still between his legs. His lips are shiny with spit and Gi-hun’s spunk, surely. Gi-hun’s own cock lies spent and soft on his stomach, oversensitive to the point that the other man’s mouth hovering just above it, lips barely brushing against it as he speaks, sends fiery sparks of sharp pleasure up his spine, but In-ho, so typically of him, continues to talk. ‘You should really see yourself. Maybe one of these days I’ll fuck you in front of a mirror, hm? So you can see how pretty you look when you come. Regardless,’ he licks his lips, ‘you taste really good. Did you enjoy yourself, pet?’ 

Fuck, how does he even begin unpacking all of this? He can barely keep up with what his dom is saying, the nonchalant tone of every sentence completely mismatching its depraved meaning. 

‘Ye-’, his voice cracks, mouth dry. He pauses, licking his lips. ‘Yes, sir. Tha-thank you.’ 

That smile he gets is almost cruel. ‘Sweet, sweet thing. But you must know, right? That we are far from done.’ 

It’s as much of a threat as it is a promise, and he knows that all he can do is hold on for dear life and try to not fall off the ride. He just hopes his soul won’t leave his body somewhere along the way. 

But In-ho is mindful, as he always is. Mindful of the oversensitivity. Mindful of the way Gi-hun twitches under his touch just a little too much in those initial minutes after his first orgasm, when pleasure feels more like pain. When the thought of going for another round sounds exhausting, it’s the anticipation of what’s coming next that gets him off the ground again. Will In-ho finally undress? Will he fuck him? How long is he going to tease him for; how long is he going to make him wait? 

But for now, he appreciates the gradual build-up, the slow touches all over his body and the murmured praises and the softly-whispered filth that slowly rebuilds the arousal in him. Soon enough, the other man has him squirming again, which is when a pillow finds its way underneath his hips, making his face flush instantly. 

‘Sir-’ 

He doesn’t even know what he wants to say, and is glad that, whatever it would be, In-ho beats him to it. ‘I told you we’re not done, didn’t I? I told you I’m going to make you come multiple times - but I can’t have you getting bored with that kind of touch alone now, can I, pet?’ 

If Gi-hun had more brain power available, he would have argued that he’d happily spend a whole week like this, in In-ho’s bed and under his attentive hands and mouth, if that’s how long he would be willing to give him, but he’s hardly able to form words. Nonetheless, he watches, like a hawk, as his dom - still so composed and fully dressed, though the shirt did gain some wrinkles - very slowly, very deliberately, pops open the bottle of lube and pours a generous amount on his fingers. Spreading it, making a show of it. Gi-hun’s mouth goes dry once again. He has a fairly good idea of what’s coming next. 

‘You know, you made the most lovely noises when I had my fingers in you. Think you can give me some more?’

In-ho does not wait for an answer before reaching down between Gi-hun’s legs, the cushion under his ass giving him a much better access to Gi-hun’s hole. His whole body jolts when he feels the lubed-up fingers probe at him, even if they were not long ago. 

But In-ho is ready for the reaction, and holds him down with a warm, heavy hand on his lower stomach. ‘Shh. Relax now. It felt good before, didn’t it?’ 

Gi-hun can only nod, because he doesn’t actually want In-ho to stop - he’d probably shatter if he did. Desperate to show that he’s ready, that he wants more, he spreads his legs further; a silent signal, an invitation, a plea. The other man doesn’t say anything, but he grins at the sight, before slowly but relentlessly pushing two fingers inside, in a single motion until they sink fully inside Gi-hun’s warm body. 

It makes his brain shut down momentarily, all his thoughts coming to a halt. He can’t help a drawn out groan, and the first thing that his mind can come up with once it restarts, is how unbearably - and shamefully- good it feels to be filled. 

As those fingers start to pump in and out, curling and spreading, just about brushing past but pointedly missing his prostate, he can’t stop those embarrassing noises from escaping his throat - not even when he’s so painfully aware of In-ho watching him from above, so composed, sitting on his knees above him while taking him apart with just his hand. The edges of reality start to get blurry again when In-ho starts to lazily stroke Gi-hun’s hardening cock again; all he registers is the molten ecstasy spreading from between his legs to every other inch of his body. 

Something disappears, then - the pleasure continues to burn, but something is missing, and it’s with a delay that he realises that In-ho withdrew his fingers, leaving him so awfully empty. But just before he can whine at the loss, something bigger prods at his entrance, making his breath stutter and his heart go up to his throat. Is In-ho -

‘Relax.’ In-ho speaks slowly, but Gi-hun tries to rapidly assess the situation. With something that’s close to disappointment, he realises that it’s not In-ho’s cock, but rather a toy - a sleek, smooth, black dildo - that In-ho holds in his hand against Gi-hun’s hole. ‘Breathe. It’s bigger than two fingers, but it will feel really good. Promise.’ 

He has no doubts it will - and he wants to be good, so he does as he’s told, and tries to relax. Even once the toy pushes past his rim, filling him so impossibly, he breathes through it, breathes through the burn of the stretch until his clipped gasps turn to drawn-out moans once again, until he can’t fucking shut up. He knows he’s being too loud, his whines filling the cozy room, but they don’t drown out the filthy wet noises of the toy fucking him, which, embarrassingly enough, turn him on even more. 

‘Feels good, pet?’ 

Fucked stupid already, he can only nod. 

‘Feels good to be filled? Feels good to be so full there’s no room for thoughts, hm?’

‘U-uh-uh.’ 

‘Use your words, baby.’ 

In-ho truly has a masochistic streak after all, because the order comes just when he angles the toy just right to press against his prostate. Mercilessly, he keeps it there, the movements of his hands small enough to keep the tip of the toy rubbing repeatedly against that exact spot. 

It takes genuine, physical effort to gather his scattered thoughts into something that can make his mouth move. ‘I- fuck - it feels… feels so good to be filled, sir. I’m- I’m close-’

‘Mnn, good boy,’ In-ho hums. ‘Want to feel even better?’ 

He’s absolutely clueless about what In-ho means, until fireworks explode across his skin. 

His scream echoes in the mostly dark room, his vision whites out as he comes. The spasms seem to go on for hours upon hours of agonising pleasure, as Gi-hun finally realises what hit him - the damn toy fucking vibrates. 

And it still vibrates inside him when the world gradually stops crashing and burning about his ears, but at the very least In-ho had enough mercy to pull the toy out slightly, away from Gi-hun’s most sensitive spot inside. 

Or maybe he’s just losing all feeling. His limbs are jell-o and his brain is mush, the pleasure still brimming under his skin as he tries, once more that night, to regain some sense of control over himself. 

He risks a glance at In-ho - after a tortuous ordeal of opening his eyes - only to find the other man smirking, entirely too pleased with himself. He’s way too exhausted to even reprimand him, before he remembers their roles and realise he shouldn’t even try. 

‘How’s my pretty sub doing, hm? Colour?’ 

He’s incapable of thought or speech, exhausted and fucked out and at his limit, is what he would say, if he had more strength left, but alas, he feels every single one out of his too-many years - perhaps with twenty or so less, it wouldn’t take such a toll on him to come twice in a row, in such a short time. Instead, all he can manage is a weak, ‘Green.’ 

‘Good. That startled you, hm?’ he grins, a smile full of perfect teeth showing no remorse over frying his sub’s brain. He continues to slowly, lazily, pump the vibrating toy in and out of him, the thrusts shallow enough to dance on the edge of overstimulation and occasionally dipping into discomfort, but nowhere near the yellow or red category. ‘Didn’t think it would make you come instantly, but perhaps I underestimated it, what do you say? Must have been a while since you’ve had your prostate stimulated like this?’

Gi-hun doesn’t even try to talk, to answer in any way. He’s boneless. The only sensation in his body is the toy still vibrating and moving inside him, not letting arousal abate. 

‘You look pretty worn out. Are you worn out, pet?’ Gi-hun nods once, then again, not really certain whether he made the movement work the first time around. In-ho’s other hand keeps stroking his inner thigh, and it’s something that connects him to reality. ‘Mm, I can tell. You came twice in such a short amount of time, you’ve done really well. But you see, you’re so gorgeous when you come, and I’m really greedy for it. I want you to give me one more. Think you can do that?’

He can’t stop the whimper that comes out, and honestly, he can’t even say for certain whether he’ll manage to just not pass out if he’s made to come for the third time. But, at the very least, he wants to try, for In-ho. Distantly, he realises that the man hasn’t even undressed yet, and didn’t get to come even once. Will he finally fuck him? Hold him down and fill him, or use his mouth? Despite the exhaustion, he can’t help but squirm with anticipation at the thought. Whatever it will be, he knows In-ho will make it feel good - maybe even too good. 

All he does is nod. Whatever In-ho has for him, he wants it. 

‘Such a good boy.’ 

He’s only half aware of what’s happening to his body then. He registers the toy being removed - the cursed vibrations finally ceasing - before his body is maneuvered like a doll and he finds himself lying on his left side, his right knee bent and leg pulled up to his chest, his hands still restrained in front of him but no longer tied to the bed frame. He feels In-ho settle behind him at some stage, his warmth seeping into his skin, even through the clothes he’s still wearing. 

A wet, bulbous tip presses against him again, making his heart skip a beat. 

‘Deep breath now, pet. This one is a bit bigger, okay?’

Despite the previous toy, the new one is still a stretch, even with the copious amounts of lube. It feels long, of seemingly constant size, before it narrows and nestles deep inside him, with a flared base settling between his buttocks. A plug of some kind, then. 

But it feels different. He shifts his hips experimentally, finding himself whining, surprised, confused, at the new feeling. 

‘How does it feel, pet? Tell me.’ 

Gi-hun doesn’t know how long it takes him to gather his thoughts, but In-ho is patient. ‘It’s- it… it feels so h-heavy. Makes me feel s-so- so full, sir-’ 

‘Mmn, good, very good. That’s the point. Have you ever had a weighted plug inside you, baby?’

He doesn’t know what day or year it is, so he’s definitely incapable of recalling what deviant tools his previous doms used on him, but the term doesn’t ring a bell. ‘N-no, sir.’

‘It’s a plug that’s designed to be quite heavy. That way, it feels even better inside, makes you feel more full.’ 

Gi-hun’s brain starts to leak out his ears once more when all the stimuli start to pile up again - the weight of the toy inside, the warmth of In-ho’s body and voice right behind him, but starting to envelop him as his dom starts to touch him, wherever he can reach, skin against skin. When arousal builds for the third time, it’s with a sharp edge. It still feels blindingly good, it still draws him in like a moth to flame, but it hurts just as much. His moans are interspersed with choked-off sobs when In-ho’s hand returns to his cock, stroking it to hardness. It takes time, but he gets him there once more, until he’s hot and heavy and aching in his hand, and he can feel his dom’s touch in his very teeth and under his nails - he finds himself trying to both escape from and into that hand. 

‘I- I can’t-’

‘You can, baby.’ Gi-hun’s eyes almost roll back in his head at the sound of In-ho’s voice, right there in his ear, his warm breath and lips brushing against the sensitive shell. ‘You can and you will, because I know you want to be a good boy, don’t you? For me. I know you want to feel the pleasure I give you, mm? Tell me, pet, what do you think about when you touch yourself at home?’ 

His mouth is moving, he can hear something resembling his voice, but it acts on its own, disconnected from his brain. ‘I- I don’t- r… recently, I don’t really-’

‘Ah, you haven’t been feeling like touching yourself lately? That’s alright. What about the last time you can remember? What did you think about when you made yourself come?’ 

With the remaining shred of consciousness and awareness, he tries to squirm away, as if he could physically escape the question, but obviously, In-ho isn’t having any of that. 

‘Don’t want to tell me? Too shy? It’s okay, baby, I promise I’ve heard it all,’ he feels him smile against his ear, before his voice dips lower, a murmur that sends a shiver down his spine, to the tips of his toes and his very scalp. ‘You can tell me anything, pet.’ 

He wants to weep, because he can already feel his mouth form the words that he can never take back. ‘You, sir. About you.’  

He feels it, then. He can feel the stutter in the rhythm of In-ho’s hand as he strokes him. He can feel the soft gasp against his ear.

‘Yeah? You thought about me, pet? Thought about your dom fucking you?’ 

Gi-hun chokes on his own gasp, the voice behind him so different now, so unlike anything he’s heard before from the man - strained and desperate. But he can’t exactly think, not with the way the hand jerking him off starts to move faster, rushing him towards the inevitable climax. He can only nod, rendered completely and utterly wordless. 

‘I’ll tell you a little secret, baby.’ 

He feels his head being pulled back, a hand holding his forehead and pulling him back to rest in the crook of In-ho’s neck. His mouth hangs open, filthy moans spilling out on every breath to the rhythm of the wet sounds of In-ho’s hand jerking him off. 

‘I touched myself last night. Fucked my fist until I came hard all over my hand.’ 

He’s so close. He’s so fucking close- 

Panicked, he barely remembers the rule. ‘I’m- I’m so close, sir-’

‘And I thought about you, too, pet.’ 

The third orgasm has him screaming and sobbing. It’s more pain than pleasure, and he’s pretty certain he’s coming dry - but In-ho holds him through it so that he doesn’t fall apart. Even as he continues to shake, continues to cry, as his muscles continue to twitch and spasm and clench as the waves of painpleasure continue to wreck him. 

He’s not sure how long this goes on for. It feels like a dream, that sleepy state just on the edge of awareness, when the storm in him settles, when everything begins to quieten down. He feels drunk as he’s coming to his senses. More asleep than awake, feeling as if he’ll never escape this fog, this haze. 

But feeling returns to him gradually - mostly in the form of aching bones and muscles that he’s pretty certain he never even felt in his life. 

Through the weight of the entire world resting on his body, he notices the lack of the strange weight within him, at least. The ropes are gone from around his wrists, too. He’s still on his side, he’s still naked and sweaty and sticky and gross and rapidly cooling, but In-ho, who lies in front of him and holds him close, his arms wrapped around him, keeps the chill away. He must have felt Gi-hun stir, because he pulls back to look at him. ‘Are you back here with me?’ 

‘I… I think so?’ 

‘Good. I’ll take the collar off, now, okay?’ He nods, letting the other man unbuckle the leather strap from around his throat, the uncovered skin now feeling raw and cold. He’s grateful for In-ho draping his arm around Gi-hun again, keeping him in one piece. ‘We’re done for today. You’ve done so well, Gi-hun. How do you feel?’ 

He can’t help but feel so small and exposed without the collar, and he can’t put his finger on why. Nevertheless, that’s not his main concern. ‘I don’t- I don’t think I can move.’ 

In-ho smiles, gentle and forgiving. ‘It’s okay. You don’t have to move anywhere. You’ve decided you want to stay the night, remember? Do you still want to do that?’ 

An uncomfortable feeling - something like fear - makes his hands twitch where they rest in loose fists against In-ho’s chest. ‘Yes, please? If that’s- still okay.’ 

‘Of course.’ A hand brushing a strand of hair away from his forehead makes him feel better. ‘That’s what we agreed on. Besides, I wouldn’t want you going anywhere in that state. Let me take care of everything. Tell me, what do you need?’ 

‘Um, I’m. I’m okay.’ 

In-ho continues to question, ignoring that reply as if it weren’t worth dignifying with a response. ‘Are you thirsty? I’ll get you something to drink.’ 

‘Chocolate milk?’ 

The second the words are out, he wishes the mattress would just fucking swallow him. 

In-ho seems taken aback, too. ‘I’m- sorry?’

‘I’m. I’m so sorry. I don’t know where this came from-’

‘That’s okay. Uh, the best I can do is some hot cocoa, I think. But I’d still like you to drink some water, too, to rehydrate properly, okay?’ 

‘Just… just water is fine.’ 

‘Okay. I’ll get you a small snack too, alright?’

He curls up tighter into himself, feeling terribly vulnerable. ‘It’s. It’s okay, I’m not hungry.’ 

‘Just something small, okay?’ In-ho rubs his shoulder. ‘Just to get some sugar in you. I know that this took a lot of energy out of you. I’ll be back in a moment, promise.’ 

Gi-hun doesn’t argue anymore when In-ho gets up and tucks Gi-hun in. The covers do little to chase away the chill that the other man’s absence leaves behind, and he grips the fabric, burying his face in it so that he doesn’t have to see In-ho leave; so that he doesn’t have to see the empty shadows surrounding him. 

He knows he’s being unreasonable. He knows that it’s just some temporary, ridiculous feeling that has taken hold of him - it will pass, but the awareness doesn’t chase it away nor does it stop it from making his skin crawl. 

He doesn’t know how long In-ho’s been gone for, but whatever it was, it was too long. 

‘Gi-hun-’ 

Whatever the other man sees on his face when he looks up at him, it visibly startles him, worries him, disturbs him. He hurries to sit down on the edge of the bed, hurries to touch him. His face, his shoulder, his side. 

‘I’m sorry. I was gone for a long time, wasn’t I? Tell me what’s wrong, Gi-hun.’

He’s babying him. It’s a terrible realisation, but In-ho is babying him, like the pathetic thing he is. And even more terribly, he’s leaning into it like he needs it. 

‘I didn’t- need the water or. The- food.’ 

What he means to say is, I didn’t want you to leave just yet.

But In-ho understands. 

‘I’m sorry, Gi-hun. I shouldn’t have left. Shouldn’t have assumed I knew what you needed.’ 

‘It’s fine- it’s fine. I didn’t even tell you what I wanted-’

‘No, but I should have known better. Should have been able to read the room better.’ 

Gi-hun can’t help but be somewhat taken aback by In-ho’s sincerity. ‘It’s fine. I’m fine. And I’m really old, I can handle whatever.’ 

In-ho smiles, but it’s more sad than anything. ‘It’s not about age, Gi-hun. But let’s call it a truce for now. I’m not going anywhere. Let me get some wet wipes to clean you up,’ he speaks as he leans over to the bottom drawer of the nightstand, without ever breaking the touch between them. 

‘I- I can do it myself-’ he feels his cheeks go up in flames in embarrassment when In-ho pulls the covers away. 

‘You said you can’t even move, Gi-hun. It’s fine, really. I made this mess out of you, so let me take care of you and clean you up.’ It’s mortifying, when In-ho cleans him, but he can’t lie that it’s a big help. He can barely lift his arms. ‘This will do for now; if you’re feeling up for it later, you can have a shower or a bath, or it can wait until morning,’ he tells him, wiping between his legs, front and back, and across his stomach, cleaning away the still-wet smears of lube and the drying come. His own come. His own come only. 

‘What… about you?’

‘Yeah, I might shower later too, but don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere yet.’ 

‘No, I mean- You know. You didn’t get to. You know. You didn’t get to come during the scene. I could still-’ 

‘No.’ 

‘But- even with my mouth or with my hand-’

‘No.’

Through the unbearable weight of exhaustion, he can still feel the familiar heat of frustration bubbling up. ‘Why not?’ 

‘The scene is over, Gi-hun. And I wanted it to be just about you. So, some time next time, alright?’ He ruffles Gi-hun’s hair, and that’s the end of the argument. ‘Come on now, I’ll help you sit up so you can drink something, okay? You can lean on me.’ 

He’s not surprised to find that, on top of everything, In-ho is a surprisingly sturdy and comfortable armchair. He feels like he could fall asleep even more easily on him than when lying down. But alas, he knows In-ho won’t be swayed until Gi-hun gets some fluids and carbs in him, so he obediently takes the water that’s a pleasant room temperature and drinks the glass in small sips. Half way through it, the pleasant, familiar smell of tangerines hits his nose. He realises he has completely zoned out and hasn’t even noticed In-ho peeling the fruit while still holding his arms around him. 

In-ho wordlessly places one, then two tangerines on Gi-hun’s lap, peeled and looking perfectly juicy and bursting with flavour. ‘Do you want to share them, though?’

In-ho laughs, but shakes his head. ‘No, thanks. They’re all for you. Hope they’re good though, I just got a new pack the other day.’ 

‘Oh, I’ll love them. Fucking love tangerines, I’ll tell you that.’ 

In-ho laughs again, but doesn’t say anything more. It’s so peaceful, and between In-ho’s proximity, and the water and the fruit, Gi-hun begins to feel like a person again. 

‘How do you feel, anyway? After the scene? Are you hurting anywhere?’ 

He looks up, mouth full of fruit, surprised at the question. ‘No, of course not. I’m okay.’ In reality, aside from the brain-shattering intensity of having to come three times, it was a very tame scene. It was just his hands that were tied, and he didn’t even get hit or anything. ‘But- I don’t know if. Uh. Did okay.’ 

‘Gi-hun,’ In-ho sighs, pulling him into a tighter embrace, ‘I told you, didn’t I? You were fantastic. You’ve done so well. You did everything I asked of you, followed all the rules. I couldn’t have asked for more.’

He’s pretty certain he’s blushing from head to toe. ‘Oh. Alright. I’m, uh. I’m glad it was okay.’

‘Okay, he says,’ In-ho laughs, the sound making Gi-hun’s insides feel all warm. ‘Do you want to shower or bathe after this?’ 

He can’t even fathom getting out of bed. ‘Can it wait until morning?’ 

‘Absolutely. Whatever you need.’