Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sunlight was merciless the next morning, shining unfairly right into Seonghwa’s face. His head was pounding, and he still felt like the world was upside down. He groaned, pulling the blanket over his head as if it could block out the goddamn hangover. His mouth was dry, his stomach felt like one wrong breath away from spilling its contents and his body felt like it had been run over by something akin to a bulldozer.

He blinked hard against the blanket a couple of times, then frowned. He didn’t remember getting home last night. How the hell had he gotten home?

He closed his eyes, willing himself to remember but nothing came except a splitting headache from the effort of thinking. Seonghwa squeezed them tighter, and it worked. Sort of. Now he could see flashes of too much drinking, someone too close, and Hongjoong acting too much like an asshole.

Ah, right. Hongjoong.

Seonghwa exhaled loudly as the memories flooded back — the burning stare all evening, him almost punching the guy that wouldn’t let go of Seonghwa and then the fight. He remembered words that cut deep, unfair accusations and something in Hongjoong’s voice that made his stomach twist in a weird way.

And then… nothing. Well, that wasn’t actually true. There was something, but Seonghwa was like ninety-nine percent sure it had been a dream because there was no way Captain had been in his room last night. So no one had actually kissed his forehead.

He uncovered his face, closing his eyes against the sun as he sat up slowly, blanket sliding down to his hips. The cool air against his skin made him shiver, and that’s when he noticed he was naked — well, almost. He still had his underwear on, and the starry chain was there as well, small red indents marking his skin from having  slept with it. His jewelry were off though, his earrings and rings sat neatly on the nightstand. Too neatly for someone as wasted as Seonghwa had been (and still was because that was his punishment for drinking just to spite someone else).

Seonghwa turned his head, searching for his clothes, and found them folded on the back of his chair. He definitely didn’t remember taking them off, not the clothes and not the jewelries. And what made him blink was the fact that they were folded. Drunk Seonghwa never folded clothes, and that usually earned him teasing from his friends since he was otherwise pretty neat.

He picked up his phone, hoping that it could give him some answers. Instead, it left him with more questions. Amazing.

The call log made him frown. He had five missed calls from Wooyoung — that was normal. But also three missed calls from Stupidly Hot Idiot, all of them from yesterday night.

How in the world had Stupidly Hot Idiot got his number, and why had he decided to call him at freaking one in the morning? Seonghwa tried to remember the encounter from two years ago. The handsome man, in what he was pretty sure was a real Balmain suit, had bumped into him on the first day of his internship. He had apologized, given him his number and offered to pay for the dry cleaning of his definitely-not-designer clothes before running off.

Huh-uh. Seonghwa hadn’t actually given him his number two years ago. Then how—

Seonghwa groaned and gave up on that altogether, because it was giving him more of a hangover than all the leftover alcohol in his body. He would deal with Stupidly Hot Idiot later.

Looking further, he noticed two calls to and from Captain. One lasted approximately fifteen minutes, meanwhile the other… about three hours.

He had talked to Captain? The only thing he remembered was sending the carnations and telling him to figure it out. He didn’t remember calling him, or talking to him at all after that. Just one more blank spot on the ever-growing list of things he couldn’t recall from yesterday. It half-pained him to admit, but maybe he should have listened when Hongjoong had told him to stop drinking. Not that he would ever admit it out loud when he could barely admit it to himself.

So he and Captain had talked. What had they talked about? Had Seonghwa said something stupid? Oh god, he always did when he was drunk, Minho and Wooyoung loved to remind him of that. For some reason, he vaguely remembered something about Captain on his knees… or maybe a nest of bees? He wasn’t sure, honestly because everything in his head was a mess.

He opened their chat, but there was no new messages after Seonghwa’s own “figure it out then”.

Starlight: good morning
did we speak yesterday?
hungover
can’t remember anything

Then he opened his messages with Wooyoung.

Seonghwa
Youngie…
Did you take me home?

Wooyoung
Morning to you too princess
:)

Seonghwa
Yeah, yeah
Good morning
So?

Wooyoung
You’re cranky when you’re hungover.
Didn’t Hongjoong take you home tho?

Seonghwa blinked. Hongjoong? What the hell was Wooyoung high on?

Seonghwa
Why would Hongjoong take me home?
And I wouldn’t ask if I knew!!
I just woke  up half naked in bed
And I don’t know how I got myself in this predicament…

Wooyoung
Half-naked?
Did you get freaky with anyone?
Actually forget that. You’d be naked if you had.

Seonghwa rolled his eyes.

Seonghwa
I woke up in just my underwear
Clothes folded
Jewelry off

Wooyoung
Wait let me check with San

Seonghwa just stared at his screen, confused out of his mind at why Wooyoung would think Hongjoong had taken him home, especially after what had happened between them the previous night and… all the other times they had been in close proximity.

The typing dots appeared again.

Wooyoung
Yeah
San said Hongjoong got you home.
Yunho offered but Hongjoong wouldn’t let him?
Fuck
San said I wasn’t supposed to tell you that…

Seonghwa
Why wasn’t I supposed to know that?

Wooyoung
Idk
But San is pouting now
Just so you know, I gave Hongjoong your phone number yesterday.
And your address too

Seonghwa
What?
Why?

Wooyoung
Sorry!
He kind of freaked out when you disappeared from the club yesterday.
I tried to call but you didn’t answer, so he asked me for your number so he could try.
And he needed your address to get you home

Seonghwa
So Hongjoong took me home?
Do you think he undressed me too?

Wooyoung
How would I know?
Ask him

Seonghwa
Who?
Hongjoong?

Wooyoung
I thought you were hungover
Not stupid, Hwa…

Seonghwa
Shut up.
I don’t want to ask Hongjoong
It’s embarrassing
And he doesn’t like me

Wooyoung
You are stupid, aren’t you?

Seonghwa groaned. Wooyoung was unhelpful as ever. And nothing made any sense at all. Hongjoong hated him, he had never hidden that fact. So why would he freak out when he left after their fight? Why would he insist on taking him home instead of letting Yunho do it? If he had indeed taken him home, had he undressed him? And if he had, why hadn’t he removed the belly chain when he had removed his rings and earrings?

He tried to think of a reason for all of that. He really tried. But he could barely remember his own name as of now, so he didn’t have any hope of cracking the mystery today. Or maybe ever.

His phone vibrated again, but with a call from Captain this time. Seonghwa hesitated before clearing his throat and answering the call.

“Good morning,” he said, trying to sound as composed as possible. He was still hurt and he didn’t want to let it show.

“It’s twelve in the afternoon, pretty thing,” Captain mused softly. Then he asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit,” Seonghwa admitted before he could stop himself. He winced, running a hand over his face. “Sorry. That wasn’t—I just…”

Captain chuckled. “It’s alright. Headache?”

“Mmh. And my stomach hates me.” Seonghwa heard the humming engine of a car through the phone.

“Water, painkiller and food,” Captain listed. “In that order.”

Seonghwa flopped back onto his bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling. The sound of Captain’s voice was enough to ease some of the tightness in his chest.

“Did… we talk yesterday?” he asked cautiously.

Captain hummed. “Just for a little before Hongjoong got you home and then again before you fell asleep.”

Seonghwa frowned. Even in his hangover he knew he hadn’t said anything about Hongjoong just now.

“How you do know who got me home?”

There was a small pause before Captain’s words came out clipped for a reason Seonghwa didn’t have the mental capacity to think about. “You told me. Yesterday. On the phone.”

Seonghwa took a deep breath, trying to collect the thoughts suddenly racing through his mind. So Wooyoung wasn’t messing with him, Hongjoong had really taken him home. He probably was the one that had undressed him too. And right then, something came back to mind… the kiss he thought he had dreamt. The soft press on his forehead that had spread warmth everywhere.

No.

There was no way Hongjoong would have kissed him. That had definitely been just a dream. Seonghwa groaned, dragging a hand through his hair, unable to make sense of anything.

“I can hear you thinking, Starlight. Talk to me, baby.”

Seonghwa thought about telling him about Hongjoong, the clothes and the maybe kiss in his dream, but he didn’t think Captain would have been happy to know another man had seen him a that state of undress.

“Nothing, I was just… trying to remember yesterday.” he paused, hesitating. “Was I pushing again? When we talked…”

There was a long exhale at the end on the line. Something soft but that felt laced with guilt. “Baby, you didn’t push. You never did.”

“But you—”

Captain cut him off. “I was an asshole. I wasn’t fair to you, Starlight and I’m sorry I made you feel like you had done something wrong.”

“Did you mean it? When you said you didn’t want to meet me?”

“No! Fuck—baby, no,” he answered quickly, like he couldn’t stand Seonghwa thinking that. “I hurt you, didn’t I?”

Seonghwa felt his throat close up and his eyes were prickling with tears threatening to spill. “Mmh…” was all he could answer as he pulled the blanket above his face like a shield.

Captain’s voice softened. “Starlight, I’m really sorry. I was an idiot and I shouldn’t have said half the shit I said. The truth is…” He exhaled shakily. “The truth is I want to see you more than anything. But there is something, well many things, that you don’t know about me yet and—” he sighed. “I’m scared you might not want me anymore when you learn about them.”

Seonghwa froze under the blanket.

I’m scared you might not want me anymore when you learn about them.

It hurt because the thought was absurd to him. If Captain only knew how badly Seonghwa wanted him, he would never doubt it. But he couldn’t deny the fear in his voice, the one that sounded very real and raw.

He swallowed hard but the lump in his throat wouldn’t budge. He wanted to tell Captain there was nothing in the world that could make him stop wanting him. Well, except maybe if he turned out being a serial killer — and even then, Seonghwa wasn’t sure he would be able to resist him.

But it was a painful reminder of just how little they actually knew about each other’s lives. Each other’s world.

“Captain…” he whispered as he curled up tighter under the blanket. He didn’t know what else to say, but he hoped his voice conveyed all the things he couldn’t put into words.

On the other side of the line, Captain let out a trembling breath. “You don’t have to say anything,” he said gently. “Just… don’t doubt me when I tell you I want you. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you.”

Seonghwa pressed the palm of his hand to his eyes, rubbing like he was trying to swallow back the tears that had already started to spill.

“You mean that?” he asked, voice cracked and muffled by the blanket still resting over his face.

“Every word.” Captain’s answer came out almost desperate, like he wouldn’t let Seonghwa believe otherwise. “I don’t care if it’s messy, or complicated. I don’t care if we fight. I just don’t want to lose you, because if I did…” His voice faltered, then he sighed. “Oh, Starlight… If I were to lose you, it would feel like losing everything.”

Seonghwa’s breath caught audibly and his eyes fluttered shut, trying to take it all in. Captain hadn’t said he loved him. He hadn’t used those three words Seonghwa had only managed to say through flowers. But those words? They almost felt like the carnations in Seonghwa’s chest.

Seonghwa was about to say something when Captain spoke again. “I want to meet you, baby.”

Seonghwa sat up abruptly. “Really?” he asked eagerly.

Captain hummed. “Really. But… I need time. Just a little.”

Seonghwa frowned. “Why?” he whispered.

“Because when we meet, you might decide that you don’t want… us anymore.” His voice broke. “And I know… I know it’s selfish but please… just give me more time to figure things out.”

Seonghwa gulped silently, the words resting heavy on his chest. “More time?” he echoed, not knowing what to say.

“Just a bit more, baby. Just that. Give me two months, then we’ll meet.”

Seonghwa didn’t want to wait longer, but he didn’t want to fight anymore. Those few days without him had been agonizing and even if the knife still sat there, still deep amongst the carnations, he knew Captain was the only one that would ever be able to pull it out without wrecking it all. So he would wait. For now.

“Alright,” he finally said. “I can wait two months.”

Seonghwa heard the sound of what he assumed what a car door closing before Captain sighed in relief. “Thank you for giving me this. I need to hang up, Starlight. But let’s talk when I get home, okay?”

Seonghwa hummed softly. “Yes, Captain.”

“Don’t forget to drink and eat, baby. Talk to you later.”

Then the line clicked and everything went silent. Seonghwa didn’t know how to begin sorting through everything. On one side, he was relieved, Captain still wanted him and he wanted to meet him too. He just hope he wouldn’t make him wait too long before finally letting Seonghwa curl up into his lap. His stomach churned at the thought of what Captain was so afraid of that it made him pull back on meeting each other.     

He pinched the bridge of his nose and his head felt like it was going to explode. Seonghwa was about to get up and look for painkillers when the doorbell rang.

Seonghwa jolted at the sound, way too loud, before clenching his chest as he tried standing up without collapsing. He made his way to the door, holding himself to everything that could help keep himself upright.

When he finally reached the door and opened it, no one was there. He popped his head out, looking left and right, but the corridor was empty.

He was about to close the door again when he noticed a medium-sized white plastic bag on the doormat. Seonghwa frowned. He hadn’t ordered anything. Kneeling carefully, he picked it up and brought it back to the kitchen.

When he opened it, the unmistakable scent of warm hangover soup flooded the kitchen as he took the container out. That’s when he noticed a small post-it note.

Eat. And take the painkillers. Don’t drink that much next time, Bunny.

—KHJ

Seonghwa blinked, dumbfounded. Hongjoong had dropped food at his door. For him. From a restaurant Seonghwa knew was all the way across the city, because it was his favorite one. When he looked inside the bag again, he found water and painkillers too.

He set the container down slowly, like it might vanish, combust or maybe both. Had Hongjoong known this was Seonghwa’s favorite restaurant? He shook his head. Why would he? He had so many questions. And now? He wasn’t even sure he wanted the answers.

It had taken approximately three hours, a whole container of hangover soup and an hour long bath for Seonghwa to start feeling like a human being again. But no matter how much he had tried to remember, nothing but small, incoherent flashes would come back to him. Things that didn’t even make sense at all.

So far he could vaguely remember Hongjoong crouching in front of him outside the club, Captain telling him to be good for him but he didn’t have any context for that either. He remembered fingers in his hair though, something soft and gentle and the feeling of being safe and loved.

Something twister in his stomach because Hongjoong had been the one taking him home, right? Did that mean that Hongjoong had stroked his hair? That Seonghwa had felt safe and loved with… him? He frowned as he made his way to the kitchen. Surely not. Seonghwa had felt that from talking to Captain, that was it.

Yet, Captain’s fingers hadn’t been the one in his hair yesterday.

As he was about to settle down on his couch, he heard insistent knocking at the door and froze mid-sit. God, couldn’t he just be left alone with his hangover?

He stood up again and walked (steadily this time) to the front door for the second time that day. When he opened it, he was met by another white plastic bag, right in front of his face — this one dangling from what he assumed would be Wooyoung’s extended hand.

Seonghwa pushed the bag slightly aside with one hand, only to find Wooyoung grinning at him.

“Hangover soup delivery service,” Wooyoung announced, already pushing his way inside and past Seonghwa. “I figure you’d be half-dead, and you weren’t answering anymore, so I stopped by your favorite spot.”

Seonghwa blinked at the logo on the bag, then toward the kitchen where the empty container with the same logo still sat on the counter.

“Thanks,” he said, taking the bag as Wooyoung took his shoes off before walking toward the kitchen like he lived there. “And what did you want me to answer to ‘You are stupid, aren’t you?’”

Wooyoung just huffed, looking at him over his shoulder. “That you’re an idiot, obviously.”

Seonghwa just rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”

But then Wooyoung froze in the doorway, eyes narrowing on what Seonghwa guessed was the incriminating evidence on the counter. “Wait—” He turned, pointing accusingly at the empty container. “Hold up. Did someone bring you soup? Because you sure as hell couldn’t get it yourself and I know they don’t do deliveries.”

Seonghwa swallowed. “…Maybe?”

“Maybe? No, no, no—spill. Who?”

Seonghwa clutch the bag tighter in his arms, like he was protecting a secret. “D-does it matter?” he stuttered.

“Yes! I drag myself out of bed at this ungodly hour—”

“It’s almost four in the afternoon,” Seonghwa cut, unimpressed.

“At this ungodly hour,” Wooyoung repeated, louder. “And you’re telling me someone else beat me to my best friend duties?”

If only Wooyoung knew who that someone was. Well… he would probably end up knowing anyway. Wooyoung had that uncanny ability to pull the truth out of people no matter how much they resisted. Seonghwa was living proof of that.

“You were like four hours late to your ‘best friend duties’. No wonder someone else beat you to it,” Seonghwa shot, pushing him softly toward the kitchen and hoping that would be enough to distract Wooyoung.

Wooyoung gasped like Seonghwa had just stabbed him. “Four hours late? You should be grateful I showed up at all with the amount of alcohol still in my blood.”

Seonghwa rolled his eyes, relief flooding through him as Wooyoung took the bag out of his hands and busied himself with unpacking the soup. But the relief didn’t last. Because Wooyoung was nosy and couldn’t let anything go.

“Uh, Hwa?” Wooyoung’s voice came from the kitchen and it sounded suspiciously soft. Too soft.

Seonghwa froze where he stood. “…What?”

“Why is there a note on the kitchen table telling you to eat and take painkillers?” Wooyoung picked up the post-it note, eyes narrowing as he examined it like it was a crucial clue in a murder investigation. Probably his own. Then he looked back at Seonghwa, one brow arched high. “And tell me why it comes from Hongjoong.”

Seonghwa’s eyes widened. He had completely forgotten about that. For a second, he thought about denying and lying but that was anything but a good idea with Wooyoung. He thought back to the Feelings Journal catastrophe and the way he had handled it all. No — lying was definitely not an option.

Seonghwa took a deep breath. “Well… it’s—he just…” He trailed off, trying to buy himself some time, but Wooyoung was having none of it. Seonghwa groaned. “He dropped it off after I woke up,” he finally blurted out.

Wooyoung blinked and then looked at him like Seonghwa had just given him the confession he needed to solve the crime. “So let me get this straight.” He held the note higher, waving it to Seonghwa’s face like a damning evidence. “He insisted on getting your drunk ass home yesterday, and today he comes back with soup from your favorite restaurant, driving all across the city for it?”

Now it was Seonghwa’s turn to blink before burying his face in his hands with a muffled, “Please stop talking.”

Wooyoung ignored him completely. “Oh. My. God. He’s actually courting you. Park Seonghwa, you’re being courted just like the omega you are.”

“Like the what?” Seonghwa’s head shot up, eyes wide with confusion and the sentiment that he had just been insulted.

Wooyoung smirked, making his way back to the table to open the container. “An omega. Pampered, doted on and spoiled rotten. Next thing you know your alpha will be showing up with flowers and some of his clothes for your nest.”

“My what?” Seonghwa’s voice cracked in disbelief.

“Your nest,” Wooyoung repeated like it was obvious while grabbing two bowls from one of the cupboards. “Every omega needs a cozy little corner with their alpha’s hoodies, snacks and overpriced candles. The candles won’t be a problem, we already sell plenty of those. And don’t worry, as another omega, I’ll help you decorate.”

Seonghwa dropped his hands, staring at him pouring soup in a mix of disbelief and indignation. “You’ve completely lost your mind. What are you talking about?”

Wooyoung shook his head, exasperated. “You should get online more.”

Seonghwa opened his mouth, then closed it again before settling on, “Did you tell Hongjoong about my favorite place?”

His best friend frowned, two spoons in hand before shaking his head slowly. “I actually haven’t.”

“Then I guess he must have picked up some for himself and bought extra?” Seonghwa guessed, snatching a spoon out of Wooyoung’s hand ans sitting down at the kitchen table.

“Unlikely,” Wooyoung answered, sitting down across from him.

Seonghwa arched a brow. “Unlikely?”

“Hongjoong doesn’t drink,” Wooyoung said simply. “San told me. He only had water yesterday.”

Seonghwa’s spoon froze mid-air and his eye widened at the realization he tried to deflect.

“Maybe he went for San? Or Mingi then? Or Jongho!” Seonghwa guessed.

Wooyoung’s spoon paused, hovering over his soup, the smoke making the silver surface foggy. “Huh-uh. San was with me the whole time. They live together and we didn’t get soup delivered,” he pointed out, a small pout on his lips. “Mingi mentioned he only eats the one his mom makes and apparently Jongho never had a hangover in his life.”

“Well, maybe it was Jongho’s first one?” Seonghwa tried halfheartedly, not even convincing himself.

“Ask Yeosang. I think they went home together.” Wooyoung leaned back in his chair, smirking like it was just case closed. “Hwa, face it. He didn’t go all the way there for them. He went for you.”

Something in Seonghwa’s stomach twisted and  heat crept up his face. He had no more excuses to hide behind, only one more unanswered question. Hongjoong had gone out of his way for him and Seonghwa couldn’t understand why. Was that his way of saying sorry for their fight? Did Hongjoong even do apologies?

Seonghwa let out a long sigh. “Alright, I guess I’ll have to thank him for it then… just give me his number.”

Wooyoung arched a brow. “He tried to call you three times yesterday. Just message your last unknown number?”

Seonghwa thought back to his call log, frowning. “No unknown number called me though, only—”

He froze.

No unknown number had called him three times yesterday, but Seonghwa knew someone else that had. Stupidly Hot Idiot had called three times. But that was just a coincidence. It had to be.

Right?

Seonghwa swallowed hard. The room felt suddenly too warm and he gripped his spoon tighter.

“Only?” Wooyoung pushed, getting impatient.

“Nothing. I had no missed calls from an unknown number,” he said quickly as he took his phone out. “Just send it to me.”

Wooyoung squinted at him, clearly unconvinced. “You’re acting shady as hell.”

“I’m hungover,” Seonghwa shot back, a little too quickly. “Everything I do is shady today.”

Wooyoung rolled his eyes and took his own phone out, unlocking it with easy before typing away on the screen. A few seconds later, Seonghwa’s own phone buzzed in his hand.

He opened his messages with Wooyoung and clicked on the contact to add it, it showed up as an already existing contact. Stupidly Hot Idiot.

Seonghwa’s eyes widened and suddenly slammed the phone screen down on the table, startling Wooyoung and making him drop his spoon in the bowl, soup splattering all over.

“The fuck, Hwa?” Wooyoung yelped, jerking his hand back from the mess. “What, did you google alphas and omegas?” he teased, already reaching for the paper towels.

Seonghwa pulse rose exponentially. Hongjoong was Stupidly Hot Idiot. The hot guy from two years ago, with slick blond hair, glasses, and a Balmain suit had been Hongjoong. But how?

Wooyoung narrowed his gaze in suspicion. “Hwa? What did you see?”

“Nothing!” It came out way too fast and way too defensive in a pitch that was way too high for it not to sound suspicious.

“Totally believable. You slam your phone like it’s on fire, squeak like a hamster, and I’m supposed to believe it’s nothing?”

Seonghwa’s grip on the spoon tightened slightly before he sighed, defeated. “I—Uh… It turns out I already had Hongjoong’s number.”

Wooyoung raised a brow in question.

“Remember the guy from the café two years ago?” Seonghwa asked carefully.

Wooyoung blinked and his mouth feel open in what seemed to be a mix of shock and surprise. “Stupidly Hot Idiot? The guy you had a crush on? The one you never called because you were too intimidated?”

Seonghwa’s shoulder fell. “Yeah.” He toyed with his spoon, voice quieter now. “He was always looking at me at the café near campus, remember?”

Wooyoung nodded, gaze softening. “I remember. He looked to shy to talk to you but his eyes would never leave you.” He paused, and a frown appeared between his brows. “But wait? That was Hongjoong? How?”

Seonghwa shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. I—I didn’t even recognize him. God, I feel so stupid.”

“I mean, I didn’t either,” Wooyoung admitted. “He looks so different without the glasses and with the piercings and the tattoos.” He tilted his head, studying Seonghwa’s face carefully before he asked, “Why did you never well him?”

Seonghwa let out a weak laugh. “I—” he began, before cutting himself off to take a deep breath. “I just thought he was out of my league.”

Wooyoung almost chocked on the soup. “You? Have you meet yourself? How could anyone be out of your league?”

“Well, it was around the time my relationship with Eunwoo ended and my insecurities were just… too big.”

“You mean around the time where the bastard cheated on you?” Wooyoung made a disgusted face.

Seonghwa’s gaze fell on the bowl in front of him and he stayed silent. He didn’t like being reminded of his last relationship before Captain, it always made something ugly twist in his chest.

Wooyoung’s expression softened immediately. “Listen to me. Eunwoo being a cheating asshole says nothing about you.”

“I know,” Seonghwa sighed, eyes fixed on the soup in front of him. “And even when I felt better, well… I just didn’t want to take the risk to have my heart broken again.”

“And then Captain?” Wooyoung said tentatively.

That pulled a small smile out of Seonghwa and he finally looked up. “Yeah. Then Captain.”

“There’s something I don’t understand though,” Wooyoung added. “How did Hongjoong went to look at you like you were the only thing that mattered in the room two years ago to being a complete asshole?”

That was one of the many questions Seonghwa didn’t have an answer for. Maybe Seonghwa had read the situation wrong? He had assumed Hongjoong might have had a crush on him back then, but he might have been totally out of it.

“I… I don’t know? Maybe he just didn’t have a crush on me like I thought he had. Or maybe he resents me because I never called?” Seonghwa guessed, voice breaking.

Wooyoung shook his head firmly. “No. Trust me on this. You don’t look at someone the way he looked at you then and not have a crush on them.”

Seonghwa’s lips pressed together. He wanted to believe that, but he memories of Hongjoong’s deliberate low blows, the constant bickering, didn’t match the man from the café with soft eyes behind his glasses.

“And two years is a long time to resent someone because they didn’t call,” Wooyoung added, pensive. “No… no. That can’t be that.”

“I can’t think about anything else, honestly,” Seonghwa said quietly.

Wooyoung stayed quiet for a little while, leaning back in his chair and brows furrowed in thought, while Seonghwa’s stomach just twisted tighter. Because if it wasn’t resentment, then what? Why was Hongjoong behaving the way he was only with Seonghwa?

“Maybe he still has a crush on you,” Wooyoung finally said.

Seonghwa scoffed. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s it,” he dismissed.

“I told you,” Wooyoung pressed, smirking. “He gave me the vibe of little boys pulling their crushes’ hair at recess.”

“That’s assuming he even recognized me. We don’t even know he did.” Seonghwa paused. “I honestly just think he hates me,” he muttered, poking at his soup with the end of his spoon.

Wooyoung leaned forward, pointing his own spoon at him. “If he hated you, he wouldn’t be driving across the city for hangover soup, Hwa. He wouldn’t leave notes telling you to eat and take painkillers either.”

Seonghwa groaned, head dropping. The more he thought about everything, the less he understood any of it. Nothing seemed to make any sense at all when it came to Hongjoong and he wasn’t sure it ever would.

“I just think he is hung up on you, and he’s being a dick about it because he doesn’t know what else to do.”

He frowned. “Can you just stop with the ridiculous hypothesis? You’re giving me another headache.”

Wooyoung grinned and grabbed the box of painkillers and threw it to Seonghwa who barely managed to catch it before it could land in his bowl. “Lucky Hongjoong was kind enough to give you painkillers then.”

Seonghwa scowled at him, setting the box a little too hard on the table. “Just eat your soup before I accidentally drown you in it.”

“Fine, fine,” Wooyoung relented, going back to his soup with a smug glint in his eyes that told Seonghwa he hadn’t heard the end of this yet.

Seonghwa let out a quiet sigh, pushing his spoon through the broth without really eating any of it. Because as much as he wanted to deflect and hide, the truth was hard to ignore — nothing about Hongjoong added up in his mind, and it was starting to slowly gnaw at him.    

When Wooyoung left at around seven in the evening, Seonghwa was finally left alone to process the pile of new information. He sat on his couch, staring at his screen displaying an empty new message to Stupidly Hot Idiot.

His thumb hovered over the keyboard, but he just didn’t know what to write. Do you know I’m the guy who ruined your Balmain suit? didn’t feel like something to start a conversation with. Sorry I didn’t call you wasn’t the greatest option either. He sighed and closed the application, shutting his eyes for what could have been seconds or hours, not even realizing he was slowly drifting away.

When Seonghwa woke up again, it was about six in the morning and the sun hadn’t fully risen yet. After spending who knows how long regretting his decision of falling asleep on the couch, he dragged himself up, body aching like it was cussing him out too. His head still felt heavy, but it was nothing a quick shower or a good tone or two of caffeine couldn’t solve. Before he put his clothes on, he snapped a picture of the stars dangling at his waist and sent it to Captain.

Starlight: [image attachment]
good morning captain

Captain’s answer didn’t come until later, when he was about to lock his front door about forty minutes later.

Captain: good morning pretty thing
such a sweet picture to wake up to
my baby’s pretty and slutty waist with my chain draped around it <3
i’ll be busy and out of town today and tomorrow but i’ll call you tonight
alright?

Starlight: where are you going?
you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to
i was just curious

Captain: i drove back to my hometown
just arrived there actually
i’m helping a friend there
sorry i forgot to tell you about it

Starlight: it’s alright!
i’m on my way to the shop now
talk to you later <3

Captain: yeah
have a good day baby <3

After his exchange with Captain, his early morning went on just as it was supposed to. At Aurora Blooms, he opened up the shop, welcoming Mingi who had come with fresh coffee for him and Yunho, grinning like he had just saved two lives. Which he probably had, judging by the eye-bags under Yunho’s eyes.

“I thought you guys might want some fuel for the day,” Mingi teased, placing both coffees on the counter.

“You’re an angel,” Seonghwa said, taking it with both hands, warmth seeping into his fingers. He smiled wider when he noticed the way Mingi's eyes almost didn’t leave Yunho for a second.

For some reason, Mingi bringing him coffee made him think about Hongjoong and the random soup and painkillers delivery. He had ended up falling asleep without even sending as much as a thank you to Hongjoong and he did feel guilty about it. Even if he didn’t know what to make of the behavior and of his newly acquired informations, Hongjoong had gone out of his way to bring him soup and he should at least thank him.

“Min?” Seonghwa started softly. “Do you know when Hongjoong is coming in today?”

Mingi paused mid-sip of his own coffee, painfully tearing his eyes away from Yunho to look at Seonghwa and blinking like the question had caught him off guard. “Uh… not today actually. Or tomorrow. He is out of town for a couple days.”

Seonghwa blinked. “Oh.” He took a sip of his own coffee, trying to shake off the disappointment that caught him by surprise. He wasn’t even sure why it was there.

“Why?” Mingi asked cautiously. “Did he do something stupid again?”

Seonghwa shook his head quickly. “No, nothing like that,” he answered, stroking the warm cup with his thumb absentmindedly.

Mingi hummed. “He’ll be back tomorrow evening I think. He is helping a friend back in Anyang,” he offered. “He promised to be a guest there and do small tattoos for a couple of days for the opening.”

Seonghwa nodded slowly, lips pressed to his cup. “Right. Thanks Mingi.”

After that, Mingi stayed over a bit, chatting with Yunho, while Seonghwa kept his mind and his hands busy and the rest of day passed into a blur. He trimmed fresh stems and arranged bouquets until his hands felt numb. Regular customers came and went — the elderly woman who always asked for lilies and the young man buying a different bouquet every week for his girlfriend — and Seonghwa kept smiling through it all. Wooyoung dropped by during his break even if it was his day off, stealing half of Seonghwa’s lunch in the process while chatting about nothing and everything.

By late afternoon, Seonghwa kept himself busy by reorganizing displays that didn’t really need it and rearranging their overpriced scented candles. Work ended up the same way it usually did — by Seonghwa sweeping the tiles and wiping down the counters after having placed the flowers back in the cold room.

When evening came and Seonghwa was back home, he took off his shoes, bee-lined to the kitchen and threw together a quick dinner while music was playing low in the background. He ate catching up to one of the dramas Wooyoung had told him he absolutely had to watch. After he was done and the dishes was taken care of, he plopped on the sofa phone in hand, staring at Stupidly Hot Idiot’s contact info.

He looked at it for a few seconds before clicking on the message icon on his screen. But before he had the time to do anything else, the familiar banner at the top showed a message from Captain.

Captain: how are you feeling my Starlight?
i miss you a lot

Seonghwa smiled softly and clicked on it.

Starlight: better today actually
just ate some fried chicken and some side dishes
how was your day?
did you manage to help your friend?

Captain: yeah
he seemed happy so i think it worked out pretty well
my hands hurt a little though
i spent a lot of time drawing

Starlight: wish I could massage them for you :(

Seonghwa clicked away and went back to the empty message feed with Hongjoong. He didn’t know why writing to him felt so unnerving, even more so now that Seonghwa knew who Hongjoong was. It’s not like Seonghwa was shy or anything like that, but there was just that thing about him that Seonghwa couldn’t shake. His phone buzzed in his hand as Captain answered his message while he was typing to Hongjoong.

Seonghwa
Thank you for the soup
And the painkillers.

Seonghwa nodded, satisfied. He was about to click away to answer Captain when Hongjoong’s reply came in.

Stupidly Hot Idiot
Ah. You’re welcome.
You were pretty out of it that night.

Seonghwa
Yeah…
Thanks for getting me home.
Listen Hongjoong…

Stupidly Hot Idiot
?

Seonghwa
Do you know who I am…?

Stupidly Hot Idiot
I don’t understand…

Seonghwa
You really don’t know?
Because I think I know who you are…

Stupidly Hot Idiot
Ok, ok.
Listen Seonghwa…
Fuck
I’m sorry
I can explain

Seonghwa frowned, Hongjoong seemed weirdly panicking about the fact that Seonghwa knew he was that guy from two years ago. If anything, Seonghwa should be the one apologizing. At least for what happened with the suit.

Seonghwa
So you know?

Stupidly Hot Idiot
Yeah, I know who you are…

Seonghwa
It’s alright
You don’t have to explain yourself.

Stupidly Hot Idiot
Wait
I don’t?

Seonghwa
I’m the one feeling bad for it to be honest…
I should have known.

Stupidly Hot Idiot
What? Why would you?
I was the one fucking lying to you…
Fuck I’m really sorry, Bunny
I didn’t want to keep lying

Seonghwa blinked at the screen, so very confused.

Seonghwa
I’m not sure I’m following…

Stupidly Hot Idiot
Wait wait
What are you talking about?

Seonghwa
I’m sorry I ruined your suit two years ago
Also for not calling you
And for not recognizing you…

Stupidly Hot Idiot
Ah!
Fuck
Was that it???

Seonghwa
Yeah
What did you think I was talking about?

The dots appeared and then vanished. The reply came after a long pause.

Stupidly Hot Idiot
Forget it!
Yeah, the suit
And the other stuff
Don’t worry about it, Bunny.

Seonghwa stared at the screen for a few seconds. Hongjoong had called him Bunny plenty of times before, always teasing and mocking. But for some reason, it felt different this time.

Stupidly Hot Idiot
Anyway
Hope it made you feel better

Seonghwa
Yeah, it did.
Thanks again Hongjoong.

Seonghwa closed the application, sitting back against the couch. That hadn’t gone too badly, he told himself. But he couldn’t stop thinking about the strange aftertaste the conversation had left him with, or about the way Hongjoong’s reactions hadn’t quite matched the situation. He shook his head slightly, it just felt like Seonghwa was missing something, a piece of a puzzle he didn’t know he was trying to solve.

But at least Hongjoong knew Seonghwa remembered him now. At least they had cleared that up.

A buzz took him out of his head though, keeping the thoughts from lingering too much. He opened his messages with Captain to see four unread ones.

Captain: i’d like that <3

Captain: we need to talk

Seonghwa frowned. Too focused on the Hongjoong situation, he had completely forgotten to answer Captain. He just clicked on the call button, hoping his boyfriend would answer.

Captain picked up almost instantly.

“Hi baby.” The warmth of his voice spread over him like a blanket and Seonghwa just melted into the couch.

“Hi,” he answered almost shyly. “I’ve missed you.”

Captain chuckled low and the sound made Seonghwa sigh in contentment. “I’ve missed you too pretty thing.”

Seonghwa hummed, shifting on the couch and pressing to phone tighter to his ear. “Sorry I didn’t answer earlier. I was just… sorting some things out.” He paused for a second. “Remember how you told me about running into your coffee guy? The one you had a crush on.”

The line went completely silent before Captain’s low voice came out somewhat cautious. “What about him?”

“Well,” Seonghwa hesitated, biting his lip. “I met mine too. The one with the expensive suit.”

“Ah,” Captain said, thoughtful. “Really?”

Seonghwa hummed. “Yeah. It’s actually Hongjoong.” The words came out in a rush. “And I have so many questions. Back at the café, every time he was there when I was, he kept looking at me like—I don’t know, like I was something beautiful. So I thought… I thought that maybe he had a crush on me. But I think I read it all wrong.”

“What makes you say that?” Captain asked quickly.

“Because he hasn’t exactly been acting like someone who used to have a crush on me,” Seonghwa muttered.

“Used to?” He could almost hear the frown in Captain’s voice. “What makes you think he still doesn’t have a crush on you?”

Seonghwa blinked and let out a small sigh. “You sound exactly like Youngie. He keeps saying Hongjoong gives him little boy at recess vibe.”

Captain chuckled, the sound coming out rough, like he was somehow offended. “Little boys at recess?”

“Yeah. You know, the ones who pull girls hair because they have a crush on them. Don’t ask me, that’s his logic.”

There was a longer pause. “What… what if he was right, though?”

Seonghwa arched a brow in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“Well, what if the reason Hongjoong’s been such an—uh… ass is because he still has a crush on you?”

Seonghwa shrugged. “I really don’t think so,” he said quickly. “It’s been two years since we last saw each other. No one keeps a crush that long.”

Captain’s voice softened and came out a bit quieter than usual. “What if… what if he didn’t realize he still had one until he saw you again?”

Seonghwa groaned, hitting his head back on the couch and closing his eyes. “It just doesn’t make sense.” He paused for a second before adding, “Even if you were right, why would he be mean because of that?”

“I don’t know,” Captain admitted after a moment. “Maybe… maybe he has a partner already, and seeing you brought feelings back that he didn’t want to have?” His voice came out weaker than usual, like he was trying to hold onto something he didn’t want to let go.

“This… is oddly specific,” Seonghwa answered, a crease forming between his brows.

Captain cleared his throat. “Y-yeah. Just… a guess.” His voice was calm, nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, the hesitation lingered, slipping under Seonghwa’s skin and lodging itself somewhere deep inside him.

Seonghwa nodded slowly to himself, eyes fluttering shut. “I’ll probably never know. It’s not like I can go up to him and ask him and even if I did, I don’t think Hongjoong would answer me. But enough talk about that.”

Captain hummed. “You’re right.” He paused before adding in a low voice that made his entire body shiver. “We need to talk about the club, baby.”

His eyes shot open and his heart stuttered. “The club?” His voice cracked a little, caught somewhere between dread and anticipation.

“Mmh,” Captain murmured low. “Do you remember anything from your night there?”

Seonghwa swallowed. “Up to a certain point. Then just… pieces. Nothing clear.”

“Do you remember how reckless you were?” Captain asked, still calm but with a bit of authority layered.

“How would you even know I was reckless?” Seonghwa asked, defensively even though he knew very well he had been past his limit yesterday.

The line was silence for a few seconds. Then Captain found his voice again. “You blacked out baby.” The words came out quick. “That points to being reckless.”

Seonghwa bit his lip. “Touché.”

Captain hummed seriously. “You don’t get to drink yourself into forgetting like that,” he said, sternly. “Even if you’re mad at me. Or Hongjoong. Or both.”

“I wasn’t—” Seonghwa started, then sighed, shoulder sinking and guilt taking over the need to defend himself. “Okay. Maybe I was.” The line was silent for a few seconds before Seonghwa added. “I’m sorry if I made you worry, Captain…”

Captain’s voice softened, but the firmness remained. “I know you are, pretty thing.” He sighed gently. “But next time you drink yourself stupid like that, I won’t let you off that easy.”

Seonghwa’s breath hitched. “Wh-what does that mean?” he asked cautiously.

The other man’s chuckle was low and sounded almost indulgent. But somehow, Seonghwa knew better. “It means I won’t let you put yourself in danger again without consequences, Starlight.”

And damn, Seonghwa never thought threats could sound so hot as his breathing started coming out a little uneven. “What if…” he started, voice soft. “What if I don’t want to behave.”

Captain chuckled again, something dark and dangerous that made Seonghwa’s stomach twist in a very pleasant way. “Then don’t,” he said simply. “Refuse me. Test me. See what happens, baby.”

Seonghwa’s heart started racing and he didn’t know why, because he had always wanted to be good for his Captain. But now? Oh, now he wanted to be bad and see exactly where it would get him.

The silence stretched, only broken by the sound of his own uneven breaths. Captain hummed low. “That’s what I thought. You don’t want to misbehave, Starlight. Not really.”

“I might,” Seonghwa whispered, throat tight.

Captain’s tongue clicked through the phone, similar to the way Hongjoong’s always did and a shiver ran through his body. “Then I’ll show you exactly what happens when you do.”

A soft and needy moan escaped from Seonghwa’s lips as he felt himself getting hard at the thought of what his Captain could do to him. “I want to be bad, Captain…” he whispered. “So, so bad.”

Seonghwa heard the other man take a deep breath before cursing. “…Fuck.” It was followed my another long exhale, and a pleased sound that made something warm and dangerous stir in his lower stomach. “You want to be bad, pretty thing?”

Seonghwa’s answer came out as a small and almost desperate whine. “Mmh…”

“There’s that pretty sound,” Captain murmured, low and approving. “Do you want to see what you get when you’re bad? Do you want me to punish you, baby?”

He swallowed hard, something between excitement and unrest spreading in his body. “Mmh. I—” he tried, hand drifting to the front of his sweatpants and palming the hard bulge there. He hissed at the touch, eyes fluttering shut.

Captain tutted. “I need you to use your words, gorgeous. Tell me what you want.”

Seonghwa’s lips parted before he could stop himself. “Y-yes Captain…”

“Yes what, Starlight?” Captain asked sharply.

His voice came out shaky as he opened his eyes again, not because he didn’t want it, but because he wanted it too much. “Punish me.”

The other man hummed. “Mmh, that’s my baby.” The praise was soft but hungry and it made Seonghwa’s cock throb in his pants. “Take off your clothes and kneel for me, pretty thing.”

Seonghwa pushed his sweatpants and underwear down before removing them with trembling fingers. Then, he yanked his shirt over and put it down on the couch next to the rest of his clothes. He pushed himself down on his knees, the floorboards already making his knees uncomfortable. “I—I’m on my knees… Captain…”

“I bet you look so pretty naked and on your knees for me,” Captain said, voice low and rough. “I’ll go easy on you this time, because you wanted it and it’s your first time. But if you want me to stop, you’ll need a safe word. Do you have one?”

Seonghwa’s heart stuttered, he didn’t have one. He never had needed one, but knowing he might made heat pool low in his stomach. “Rose.”

“Rose?” He could hear Captain’s surprise on the other side of the line.

“I don’t like roses,” he breathed, bitting his lips.

Captain chuckled. “Noted. Then, if you want to stop, that’s how you get me to do it.”

Seonghwa hummed.

“Words, Starlight,” Captain demanded sternly.

“Yes.”

“That’s it. You’re going to touch yourself. Start slow and with a loose grip,” the other man instructed. “Do you understand, baby?”

Seonghwa whimpered as he gripped his cock, pre-cum starting to leak from the tip. He smeared it along his shaft and did just like Captain told him, hand barely tight enough to give him relief.

“That’s it,” Captain murmured approvingly as Seonghwa released a needy whine. “Loose grip and slow stroke, baby.”

Seonghwa dragged his hand slowly from tip to base and back again, hips twisting because of the agonizing pace. God, it wasn’t tight enough. He needed more, faster and tighter.

“C-captain…” Seonghwa moaned, eyes shutting, fighting the urge to grip harder.

“Keep going, stroke that pretty cock for me.”

A broken sound fell from Seonghwa’s lips. “Too slow—please…”

Captain chuckled low. “Already begging? But we’re just starting, Starlight.”

Seonghwa could already feel the need and the frustration building. “But I need more—please let me touch more…”

His boyfriend tutted. “It’s a punishment, baby. You don’t get what you want. You only get what I give you.”

Seonghwa whimpered, eyes still closed, his hand faltering before he forced himself back into the same unbearable rhythm. He could feel it build in his stomach, but the friction wasn’t nearly enough for him to reach what he wanted. His hips rocked uselessly back and forth into his hand, cock throbbing painfully.

“Just like that,” Captain coaxed. “Does it hurt, pretty thing?”

Seonghwa let out a sound, something between a whimper and a whine.

“Shh, I know baby, I know,” he said almost gently, but Seonghwa could hear the way he revelled in controlling Seonghwa like that. “Let it ache for me. This is nothing compare to what I will do if you keep being reckless.”

Seonghwa’s breath came in ragged, each slow stroke burning as his knees dug into the floor, every inch screaming to just screw Captain and his dumb rule to chase the release he could almost taste. Tears of frustration started pooling under his lashes.

“Please—” Seonghwa’s voice faltered and cut off on a gasp as his hand slid up and down in another maddening stroke. “I want it, Captain. I want it—want to come—make me come—”

“No.” The word landed like a hand across his face. “You asked for this, didn’t you? You know what to say if you want me to stop.”

He didn’t know for how long he stayed like that, on his knees, tears falling down his cheeks in agonizing frustration. His orgasm was right there, with just a bit more pressure he could… Seonghwa whimpered at the thought of finally being able to come.

“C-captain—Captain—” he sobbed.

“Fuck… I love it when you cry for me baby,” he breathed into the receiver. “You know I do.”

Seonghwa moaned, the praise making his leaking cock twitch in his hand. The pressure mounted, feeling like a wire ready to snap if only he was allowed to go a just little faster. He groaned, frustrated at this stupid rule, his stupid Captain and his stupid self. Because he could stop it. All he had to do was say rose and he would be allowed to come.

But he didn’t say rose. Because he didn’t really want Captain to stop. There was something so incredibly sexy and hot in giving away all the control and responsibilities to someone else. To have them make the decisions for you, even if it broke him.

“You’re so close, aren’t you?” Captain noted after another whimper and a broken plea. He sounded really pleased with the situation and Seonghwa wanted to slap the smugness out of his voice.

But all he could do was beg. “Yes—please—” Seonghwa gasped, hips twitching uselessly against his own hand. His cock leaked steadily and the slow pace tormented him more than anything ever had. Tears spilled hot down his cheek as a wet moan escaped him.

Captain hummed low. “Keep going, Starlight.”

Seonghwa’s body body trembled from being pushed so close to the edge without being allowed to tip over. “Captain, I—” His voice cracked on a sob. “Please I need—I can’t—”

“Yes you can,” Captain cut in. “You’re already taking it so well. You love obeying me, I know you do, beautiful.”

A desperate sound tore from him. “I do—I do, Captain—I’ll be good.”

“Will you, baby? Will you be good for me?” The other man’s voice was so soft, like cotton candy in his ear.

“Yes—yes Captain. I’ll be good. I promise.” Seonghwa’s voice was raw and desperate.

“Will you drink yourself senseless again, my pretty Starlight?” Captain asked, low and gentle.

“No, I won’t—I don’t want to—please, please… I promise.” Seonghwa felt himself breaking, fraying.

“Good. That’s good,” Captain cooed. “You want to come now?”

Seonghwa hummed, but it came out as a low whimper, his throat too tight for words.

“Use your words,” Captain pressed, almost cruelly.

“I… I want to come,” Seonghwa whispered, the plea spilling out fast. “Captain—let me—please—”

His boyfriend let out a dark and satisfied chuckle. “You can let go.”

The permission was what finally snapped the wire. Seonghwa’s grip tightened instantly on his aching cock, and he started stroking fast, smearing pre-cum all over. The room filled with wet sounds and Seonghwa’s high and desperate moans.

“That’s it,” Captain growled, satisfaction dripping from every word. “Make a mess for me, pretty thing. Show me how much you need it.”

Seonghwa’s head tipped back, throat raw as he cried out, chasing his release. “Captain—please—I need you in me…”

“I know you do. Go on, baby,” he said voice low and hungry. “Break for your Captain.”

His hand moved even faster, and it only took a few more wet stroke before his orgasm ripped through him, intense and so damn good.

“Captain—ahh—please, Captain…” he cried out before spilling hot over his hand and his stomach, white streaks landing on the golden stars. His hand was still stroking as his moans turned into broken little cries. He could feel the tears rolling down his face but he couldn’t care less because it felt like paradise.

“Fuck…” Captain breathed, reverent. “You sound so gorgeous when you cry for me.”

Seonghwa kept his hand moving until he had gone through the last wave of his release, leaving him shaking and chest heaving.

“That’s it baby. Now be good for me and take a picture,” he said low. “I want to see the mess you made just for me.”

Seonghwa couldn’t talk, so he stayed silent but took the phone away from his ear and opened the camera app. The screen showed Seonghwa’s ruined state — cock softening in his own hand, both full of his release, cum streaking across his stomach, covering his piercing and the belly chain. He sent the picture without second-guessing himself before putting the phone back to his ear.

The line was silent for a few more seconds before Captain growled low in his hear, the sound hungry. “Fuck… look at you,” he rasped. “My pretty thing, all wrecked and messy just for me. You did so good for me baby.”

A shaky exhale left Seonghwa and he sagged forward, head pressed to the floorboard, sweat clinging to his skin and every muscle trembling from the intensity of his orgasm.

“You were amazing, Starlight,” Captain coaxed. “You took your punishment so well for me.”

A weak sound slipped from Seonghwa, half-whimper and half-sigh.

“My perfect baby,” he continued, bathing Seonghwa in more praise. “My everything.”

And Seonghwa’s heart felt like it was swelling, surrounded by red petals and the faint scent of what Seonghwa imagined love would smell like.

“You should clean yourself up and get yourself off the floor, my Starlight,” Captain suggested softly. “Are your knees hurting?”

Seonghwa blinked, finally registering the sting radiating from his knees. “M-my knees?” He glanced down at the reddened skin. “Oh. Yeah… a little,” he admitted, breath still coming out uneven.

Captain hummed. “I thought they might,” he said, low. “Up you go, baby. Just take it easy, yeah?”

Seonghwa started moving, one hand pressing into the floor as he tried to push himself up. His thighs trembled with the effort, knees protesting painfully as the finally was able to stand. Seonghwa hissed, legs wobbling slightly, then caught himself on the armrest of the couch before sinking down onto the cushions.

“Are you alright, pretty thing?” Captain asked softly.

Seonghwa let out a shaky breath, head resting back against the couch. “Yeah… I’m alright,” he croaked, voice still raw. His chest still rose and fell quickly.

“Good,” the other man murmured, relieved. “Just sit and breathe for me. Deep and long breath, alright?”

Seonghwa hummed, nodding even though Captain couldn’t see him. Seonghwa shut his eyes for a minutes and force himself to pace his breathing until his heartbeat started slowing down. The tightness in his chest started to ease as he melted deeper into the soft cushions. The trembling lingered, but the worst of the rush was fading now, leaving him spent and emptied out.

“You’re alright, baby.” There was a small pause before Captain added. “You didn’t say rose,” he stated.

Seonghwa’s eyes fluttered open at that, a faint shiver running through his body. “I… I didn’t,” he admitted softly, throat working to get the next words out. “I liked it… you punishing me.”

“Fuck…” Captain’s small laugh was soft and stunned. “You’re going to break me,” he murmured, pleased.

A soft and satisfied smile tugged at Seonghwa’s lips. He loved the fact that Captain seemed to be as affected by him as he was by Captain.

“You should get some rest, Starlight.”

Seonghwa hummed faintly. “I’ll go clean up and then get into bed.”

“Do that pretty thing. Do you want me to call you back when you’re ready to go to bed later? I can stay with you until you’re asleep if you want.”

Seonghwa’s heart stuttered and his smile was undeniable now. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Go take care of yourself. I’ll be waiting for your call,” Captain replied before adding. “I lo—” The words broke off quickly. “Nothing, just call me later”.

Seonghwa froze, the phone still pressed to his ear, lips parted. For a second, he thought about asking but he didn’t. “Alright… later.”

The line clicked quickly, leaving Seonghwa naked, still trembling on the couch and wondering about what Captain had been about to say. When he finally stood, body sore and sticky from sweat and drying cum, he headed toward the bathroom for a quick shower.

As he stepped under the water, something that Captain said over the phone suddenly sprang into his mind.

We need to talk about the club, baby.

Seonghwa froze under the spray, warm water cascading down his face. He didn’t recall mentioning the club to Captain at all. They hadn’t been talking for a few days before that night and today… no, he was almost sure he hadn’t said anything about it.

Then his stomach eased as Seonghwa remembered that they had spoken on the phone the previous night when he was drunk and he probably had mentioned it there. That was probably it.

But still… something weird prickled at the back of his mind. As if he was supposed to know something he didn’t. Something obvious he was missing entirely, something that was supposed to be right in front of him.

Seonghwa went to bed early that evening, head still faintly throbbing from all the things he felt like he should know, but still didn’t. Captain’s voice lulled him to sleep, whispering soft words in that low voice he loved so much.

And that night, he dreamed of loud music and the club. Of Captain telling him to be good for him and to let Hongjoong take him back home. He dreamed of a soft brush at his waist, of Hongjoong’s fingers grazing the stars like they belonged to him. Like Seonghwa belonged to him.

When he woke the next morning, the touch still burned against his skin and the image was more vivid than any memory he had had of that night — like the dream hadn’t been a dream at all.

Two days after the weirdly vivid dream that he couldn’t shake, Seonghwa was left alone to close the shop. He hadn’t seen Hongjoong either since that night at the club, not that Seonghwa wanted to, of course. At least that’s what he kept telling himself, even as flashes of a blond Hongjoong in glasses staring at him kept intruding into his mind.

Seonghwa was in the backroom, trimming fresh stems from flowers that had been delivered earlier that day when he heard the familiar chime of the bell above the door.

Seonghwa put the lily back into the bucket beside the workbench, setting the floral scissors on the wooden surface. He wiped his hands on his apron before walking to the front.

When he stepped out, he saw a figure by the display near the wall, back turned as they leaned slightly over the pink chrysanthemums.

“Welcome to Aurora Blooms,” Seonghwa called gently, smoothing his apron as he approached. “Can I help you with something?”

The figure straightened and turned, tongue caught between their teeth and silver flashing in the light, grin wide. “Good evening, Bunny.”

Seonghwa’s breath caught slightly, and his eyes fluttered slightly at the ghost sensations of a hand on his waist, just like in his dream.

He swallowed hard, feeling strangely flustered. “Oh! Uh—Hi. Good evening, Hongjoong.”

Hongjoong’s grin only widened, eyes glancing over him like he had caught the stutter. “What’s with the nerve?”

Seonghwa shook his head lightly. “N-nothing.” He frowned slightly and the words tumbled out of his mouth fast. “So, what brings you here? Did we get a package was supposed to deliver to you? Yeosang didn’t tell me, but let me check at the back and—”

“Bunny.” Hongjoong’s voice came out so soft that it startled him. “Slow down, I didn’t come here for a package.”

Seonghwa blinked. “You didn’t?”

Hongjoong stepped up closer, yanking his beanie off and ruffling his hair roughly, grin never faltering. “I came to buy flowers.”

Seonghwa blinked again. “You did?” His voice betrayed the disbelief he couldn’t quite hide. “I didn’t take you for someone who bought flowers.”

“I do,” Hongjoong’s eyes flicked briefly to the orchid blooming beautifully on the shelf behind the counter before falling back on Seonghwa. “For the right person.”

Seonghwa’s heart stuttered and he blinked quickly, hands playing with the hem of his apron. “Right… well, uh, what kind were you thinking?”

Hongjoong’s grin softened and his eyes locked onto Seonghwa’s. “That’s the problem. I’m not sure.” He looked weirdly sincere, something he wasn’t used seeing from the other man. “I fucked up with someone,” he added quietly.

Seonghwa nodded slowly. “So you want flowers to… apologize?”

Hongjoong took a deep breath, eyes never leaving him. “Yeah, something like that. It was bad. I said things I didn’t mean.”

“Then… you’ll probably want a bouquet with flowers that speaks forgiveness,” he said carefully, moving toward one of the display. “Are you fine with hyacinths?”

Hongjoong hummed low, but his eyes didn’t move to the flowers, Seonghwa could still feel them on him. “Yeah. Just… no roses. Please.”

Seonghwa turned to Hongjoong, surprised. “Really? No roses?”

Hongjoong chuckled and shook his head. “They don’t like roses.”

Seonghwa paused then nodded, he understood. He didn’t like roses either. They were beautiful, yes, but he found them too… unoriginal. People always bought roses for everything — weddings, anniversaries, apologies without even caring about the meaning behind them. He preferred when people chose something else, something that spoke exactly what they wanted to say.

“That’s alright,” Seonghwa said gently. “Do you want a big bouquet?” Seonghwa asked, making his way to the purple hyacinths, brushing some of them with his fingers before picking a few up.

Hongjoong tilted his head, considering his answer. “I think so. They deserve it.”

Seonghwa nodded, picking up a few more hyacinths.

“What do they mean?”

“Huh?” Seonghwa turned to Hongjoong again, startled by the question.

Hongjoong nodded toward the purple stems in his hand. “What do they mean?”

Seonghwa blinked at the question, hands tightening around the flowers. He hadn’t expected Hongjoong to care about the meaning of flowers. “Hyacinths? Purple ones mean regret. You give them when you want to ask for someone’s forgiveness, when you’ve done or said something you’re not proud of,” he clarified.

Hongjoong’s gaze lingered on him, unreadable. But there was something in the way he was looking at Seonghwa that made his chest twist. “Then they’re perfect. I have a lot of things I regret,” he said quietly.

Seonghwa teared his eyes away from Hongjoong, walking toward a display full of white carnations. “You might want to add carnations too. The white ones. They mean purity and new beginnings. Paired with the hyacinths, they would show that you are sincere and want to start over.”

Hongjoong followed him slowly, the heels of his shoes clicking loudly in the empty shop. “Purity and new beginnings, huh?” His mouth curved slightly. “I think I definitely need some of those too, Bunny.”

Seonghwa picked up a semi-dozen of big white carnations.

“Is it someone you care about a lot?” Seonghwa asked carefully, turning towards the tulips.

Hongjoong’s stayed silent for a few seconds. “Yeah,” he finally answered simply.

Seonghwa hummed, hands hovering over the pink tulips. He picked one and showed it to Hongjoong. “They mean affection and care.”

Hongjoong’s gaze flicked from the tulip to Seonghwa’s face. “Care and affection…” he echoed. “Please, put a lot of them.”

Seonghwa’s hand trembled softly as he reached for about a dozen of the most beautiful pink tulips he had, a nice contrast against the white carnations. He walked back to the counter, Hongjoong following after him.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, looking at Hongjoong. “I need to take these back so I can put them together.”

He had expected a protest, something about being uptight and living too much by the rules. But the sarcasm and the pointed remarks never came.

Instead, Hongjoong caught his piecing between his teeth, soft smile tugging at his lips. “Take your time, Bunny. I’ll wait here.”

“Y-you will?” Seonghwa frowned, caught off guard.

“Of course,” he shrugged lightly. “Authorized personel only, right?”

Seonghwa huffed, trying to hide the upward twitch of his own lips. “Right.”

“See? I can follow rules when I want to,” Hongjoong said, grin widening, but his voice was gentle in a way Seonghwa had never heard before. Well, not from Hongjoong at least.

Seonghwa shook his head, “First time for everything.” He turned his back to Hongjoong has he carried away the flowers toward the workbench in the back room. He didn’t check to see if Hongjoong had heard him, but when he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes were still on Seonghwa — playful, yes, but there was something that strangely looked like longing and it made Seonghwa’s chest flutter in an uncomfortable way. Like he was feeling something he wasn’t supposed to as the chain around his waist felt suddenly heavier than usual.

He shook his head quickly, trying to rid himself from the thoughts and set the stems down on the bench, lining them up neatly. He picked up the floral tape, fingers moving precisely as he began the arrange the flowers together into something whole. The soft whites and pinks matched the rich purple amazingly well and Seonghwa was very satisfied with the large bouquet as he tied it together.

Seonghwa took it carefully in his hands before walking back to Hongjoong.

Hongjoong straightened from where he had been leaning against the counter as his eyes dropped to the bouquet. He looked at the softs whites, the delicate pinks and the rich purple tied together and then back to Seonghwa, like the flowers themselves didn’t matter as much as the person who had arranged them.

“It’s really beautiful, Bunny.”

Seonghwa smiled shyly. The last time Hongjoong had bought flowers from the shop had been something else entirely. It had been sharp and wrapped up un hostility. This time though… It was different. Everything felt softer, still charged, but not in the same way and Seonghwa wasn’t sure how they had gone from constantly snapping at each other to… whatever this was now.

“What paper do you—”

“Silver,” Hongjoong cut in smoothly, answering before Seonghwa had the chance to finish.

Seonghwa nodded, reaching for the silver paper behind him before beginning to wrap the flowers. He was so focused that he almost didn’t register when Hongjoong started speaking.

“Do all the colors mean the same thing?” Hongjoong asked, cautiously like he was afraid to disturb Seonghwa.

Seonghwa glanced up quickly, before focusing all his attention on the flowers in front of him again. “You mean in flower language?”

He heard the other man hum.

Seonghwa adjusted the fold of the silver paper with careful fingers, trying not to tear it. “No, They don’t all mean the same. Flowers can have a general meaning but often their colors have their own meanings too.”

He paused, debating whether to go on, then added softly. “Take the carnations for example, its general meaning is love and fascination. But the white ones means purity and new beginnings, the pink ones are associated with gratitude and the red—” a soft smile adorned his lips as he thought of Captain “—they mean deep love.”

The silence that followed was ironically deafening.

When Seonghwa looked up, Hongjoong was already watching him. His grin was gone, replaced by something unreadable and his eyes were wide.

“Deep love,” Hongjoong said, voice low. His tongue caught briefly between his teeth. “That’s… that’s a strong meaning to attach to a flower.”

Seonghwa frowned, thrown off. “Most people don’t care about their meanings, so they just never know what they’re saying with flowers. They just pick what looks nice.”

Hongjoong hummed, gaze still locked on Seonghwa. “Yeah, but you know what you’re saying with them, right Bunny?”

Seonghwa nodded slowly, eyes flicking down to the flowers again as he started tying a white ribbon around them. “Yeah, I do.”

“Do you mean it?” Hongjoong propped.

“Huh?” Seonghwa’s eyes shot up.

“The things you said with your flowers.” Hongjoong paused for a few second. “Do you always mean them, Bunny?”

Seonghwa blinked, startled by the insistence and sense of urgency in Hongjoong’s tone. “Of course I do. I wouldn’t use them otherwise.”

For a moment, Hongjoong just stared. Then he sighed, a long exhale that sounded a lot like relief. “Good,” he murmured, nodding slowly. “Good. Me too.”      

Seonghwa nodded too, trying to ground himself, tacken aback by Hongjoong’s sudden soft behavior toward him. That softness he usually gave anyone but him.

When the bouquet was all wrapped up, Hongjoong took his wallet and pulled out the black card, the same way he had done it that last time for the orchid. Seonghwa cast a quick glance to the beautiful potted flower before he took Hongjoong’s card carefully, as thought it could burn him.

“That’s going to cost a lot more than the orchid,” Seonghwa said, teasing slightly as he put Hongjoong’s card in the reader, turning it towards him. “You might want a receipt for it this time.”

Hongjoong hummed, another soft smile forming on his lips as he typed the code without even so much as glancing at the amount stated on the small screen. “Then, I’ll take one.”

Seonghwa printed the receipt for him and handed it to him together with his card and the flowers. Hongjoong took a deep breath before taking the card and his receipt, but much like last time, he didn’t take the flowers.

Hongjoong must have seen Seonghwa was about the say something because he beat him to it. “Keep the flowers. They’re for you.”

Seonghwa just blinked, not sure he understood what Hongjoong had just said. His fingers tightened about the bouquet, the ribbon brushing into his palm.

“For… me?” His voice broke slightly on the last work.

Hongjoong’s eyes never left him as he answered, “Yeah. For you, Bunny.”

“Hongjoong I don’t understand…” Seonghwa’s heart was racing and he felt something twist in his stomach.

Hongjoong took a deep breath and the next words hit Seonghwa on the left side of his chest. “Seonghwa…” he started, biting his lips and eyes darting to the floor like he wasn’t sure how to keep talking. Then his eyes went back to Seonghwa. “Bunny, I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry for everything.”

Seonghwa felt his heart clench, the breath suddenly stolen out of him. His lips parted, but no sound came out. Was this Hongjoong? The same Hongjoong who kept poking him just to break him? The same Hongjoong who had made him cry not even a week ago with words so sharp he wasn’t sure he would ever forget them?

And right there, for some reason he didn’t understand, Captain’s voice rang through his head. I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry my Starlight. He suddenly remembered the cold press of a wall behind him, and the sensation of tears running down his face. But then the words blurred together with Hongjoong’s voice and his head started throbbing painfully.

“Hongjoong…” he finally managed, voice barely louder than a whisper.

Hongjoong’s eyes were suddenly searching Seonghwa’s face like he was trying to decrypt every emotion Seonghwa was feeling. “I mean it. All of it… every flower.”

Seonghwa’s chest ached, torn between the Hongjoong that had purposefully hurt him, and the Hongjoong from two years ago, with soft eyes and a gentle smile. The one he was seeing again now.

“Why… why now?” Seonghwa finally managed to let out.

“It’s a long story, Bunny.”

“I have time,” Seonghwa said, surprising even himself.

Hongjoong let out a small chuckle, but there was no humor in it. “Another time. I don’t think you’re ready for that story yet.”

Then, without another word, he put his wallet back into the pocket of his leather jacket and turned. Seonghwa wanted to say something, anything, but nothing would come out. Nothing that would make much sense anyway.

The bell above the door chimed once more, and just like that, Hongjoong was gone — leaving Seonghwa confused and honestly? In shambles. Because what the fuck had that been?

Was it the flowers? The apology? The way he kept looking at Seonghwa like he was something precious, or the way Seonghwa’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding, guilt clawing its way out? Guilt he didn’t even understand, only that it belonged to Captain and, and it twisted until it hurt to breathe.

After that day and over the next two weeks, Hongjoong and Seonghwa hadn’t really been talking more, but it was like Hongjoong was everywhere. Like a constant hum in the background of Seonghwa’s daily life.

One morning, when Seonghwa was carrying a bucket of lilies to the outside of the shop like he did all the time, he noticed the door was already propped open. He frowned, not remembering moving the heavy stone to keep it open but then he caught a glimpse of Hongjoong’s black leather jacket just as the door to Pirate King Ink closed.

That night, Captain had called as he always did, telling Seonghwa how proud he was of how hard he always seemed to work. Seonghwa smiled at the words, warmth spreading all over and as he was about to fall asleep, his mind betrayed him with the image of Hongjoong smiling in the flower shop.

Another afternoon, after Seonghwa had complained to Captain about forgetting his lunch, Seonghwa spotted the familiar leather jacket outside, in front of the freesias. At first, he thought he was imagining it until the door pushed open and Hongjoong came in with a small paper bag that Seonghwa recognized from the café. He walked toward the counter, small smile on his lips and set the bag in front of Seonghwa.

Seonghwa blinked at it, then looked up at Hongjoong, still standing there. “What—”

“It’s a strawberry shortcake,” he said quickly, “I was… picking up coffee and thought you might want some.” His eye did not quite meet Seonghwa’s.

Seonghwa’s gaze dropped to Hongjoong’s empty hands, and frowned when he didn’t see any coffee. “Where’s your coffee?”

“I… I drank it on my way here,” Hongjoong answered, too fast.

Seonghwa’s arched a brow in confusion. “The whole cup?”

“What’s with the questions?” Hongjoong muttered. “Just eat the damn cake, Bunny,” he added, turning and making his way to the door before Seonghwa could ask anything else.

On the Thursday after that, things were slow at the shop. Seonghwa sat behind the counter after lunch, chin resting in his palm as he watched the raindrops sliding down on the glass door. The rain hadn’t been forecast and the morning had been bright and cloudless. Yet, here it was, rain pouring so hard both Seonghwa and Wooyoung had gotten drenched from taking the deliveries in earlier that day.

Seonghwa shivered under the AC they needed to keep on for the flowers, t-shirt still damp from the whole ordeal when his phone buzzed. He smiled taking it out of his pocket.

Captain: it’s raining today!
did you take an umbrella with you?

Starlight: no… because it wasn’t supposed to rain
now i’m wet and freezing

Captain: ??
not the good kind of wet i’m guessing?

Starlight: …
no
youngie and i went to take in deliveries and it started pouring out of nowhere
didn’t have any extra clothes with me either

Captain: my poor baby
you’re going to catch a cold like that

Starlight: don’t worry
i don’t get sick easily

Just then, Seonghwa sneezed, like even the universe knew he was lying his ass off to his Captain.

About thirty minutes after that, when Wooyoung came back from his break wearing San’s clothes Seonghwa assumed he had borrowed, Hongjoong sent him a message.

Stupidly Hot Idiot
Hey, Bunny. Can you come over?

Seonghwa frowned. It was the first message Hongjoong had ever sent him.

Seonghwa
Sure, what’s up?
Did you signed for one of our packages again?

Stupidly Hot Idiot
Yeah, something like that.
Just come over now, alright?

Seonghwa
Okay

Seonghwa locked his phone and looked at Wooyoung who was arranging some of the irises on display. “I need to go over to Pirate King Ink. I think one of our packages ended up there again,” he sighed.

Wooyoung frowned. “That’s weird, San didn’t say anything about a package when I went to see him on my break.”

“I’ll just go over and check. Do you mind watching the shop for a bit?” Seonghwa asked as he took off his equally damp apron.

“Sure,” Wooyoung answered simply while making his way to the register.

Seonghwa thanked him, another shiver running through his body and before he could stop it, he sneezed again.

The door to Pirate King Ink creaked slightly when he pushed it open. The shop was quieter than usual and Seonghwa’s eyes immediately found Hongjoong sitting behind the counter with a sketchbook opened in front of him. He didn’t look up right away and dragged the eraser across the page until he seemed satisfied enough to glance up.

“There you are, Bunny,” Hongjoong said,  softer than what Seonghwa had expected. His piercing shone under the light as his tongue pressed against his teeth.

Seonghwa hesitated by the door before stepping in. “You had a package?”

Hongjoong closed his sketchbook slowly, setting it aside. “Not exactly.” He nodded toward something on the counter.

Seonghwa followed his gaze and froze. There was a folded t-shirt, a pair of jeans and a black hoodie. The fabric looked soft and warm, nothing like the way his clothes felt right now.

“You’ll catch something if you stay in your clothes,” he said simply, leaning back against his chair.

Seonghwa blinked, confused. He was confused a lot when it came to Hongjoong lately. “Why would you—how did you—”

“Wooyoung,” Hongjoong answered, like it would explain everything.

It didn’t.

“They’re oversize,” he added, nodding at the clothes. “They should fit you.”

Seonghwa just stayed there, frozen, not knowing what to do with the clothes, with the care and the softness Hongjoong seemed to be showing him.

Hongjoong must have noticed Seonghwa’s bewildered expression because he looked directly at Seonghwa with an amused smile. “What? Do I need to take those clothes off from you myself, Bunny?” His head tilted slightly to the side, eyes dragging shamelessly down Seonghwa’s body, eyes locking for a few seconds on his waist.

Seonghwa felt heat rushing up his face and he clutched the damp fabric over his chest with one hand. “N-no!” he blurted out too quickly, voice pitched higher than usual. “I am very capable of doing it myself,” he added, walking toward the counter and snatching the bundle of clothes there.

Hongjoong hummed satisfied and pointed to a door behind him. “Good. You can use the back-room,” he said, voice low.

For a split second, Hongjoong’s tone was almost like Captain’s, and Seonghwa’s body reacted instinctively with the same urge to obey and be good. His fingers tightened around the clothes as he took a deep breath, guilt slowly spreading through his chest.

He swallowed hard, forcing himself to look away. “Right… the back-room.” He walked there faster than he’d meant to.

Only when the door finally closed behind him did he feel like he could properly breathe again.

Seonghwa’s brows took off the damp clothes, fabric clinging stubbornly to his skin before finally dropping at his feet. He slipped into the jeans first, then he pulled the soft cotton of the shirt above his head. The moment the fabric touched his torso, the smell hit him all at once.

It smelled so fucking good. A faint trace of cigarettes, something that smelled like coffee and something warmer beneath it, something that make his ache and long. Something that felt like… “Home?” Seonghwa murmured to himself.

His breath caught.

A flash pushed through the haze of that night at the club, too clear to be just something made up. His body curled up against Hongjoong, head resting on his shoulder like it belonged there. He heard his own slurred voice, you smell like home.

There was another flash after — his hand seizing Hongjoong’s wrist, dragging it up into his hair. Go on, Hongjoong. Love me.

And then the most embarrassing one. He heard his voice again, drunk and shameless. You just had to be my type followed by a way-too-honest I would probably have let you fuck me.

Seonghwa’s stomach twisted and Hongjoong’s smell didn’t make anything any better because it really just felt like home. Like it was something Seonghwa had always been meant to smell, to breath in, to wear against his skin. Like something he was supposed to belong to.

Seonghwa shook his head to chase the thought away because it was ridiculous. He belonged to Captain, and Captain only. He grabbed the hoodie and slipped into it as well before picking up his own clothes from the floor.

With one last deep breath, he opened the door. He popped his head out first, checking if Hongjoong was still there (which he was) before sneaking out.

He sat on the chair, arms loosely crossed like he had been waiting the whole time. His gaze lifted to the second Seonghwa stepped out.

“They look really good on you,” Hongjoong said casually, though something in his the way he was looking at him made Seonghwa’s stomach twist all over again.

“Huh?”

“My clothes.” Hongjoong’s grin was soft, tongue catching between his teeth. “They look better on you than they do on me.”

Seonghwa’s breath hitched, his fingers tightening around the damp bundle in his arms. He had no idea what to do with those words as his heart started beating stupidly fast.

“T-thank you… for the clothes,” Seonghwa said, trying to ignore the way Hongjoong’s smell made everything fuzzy.

Hongjoong tilted his head, watching him for a few seconds before he answered, “Anytime, Bunny. There’s an umbrella by the door. Take it with you, or you’ll just end up drenched again.”

Seonghwa glanced to the entrance, where a large see-through umbrella leaning on the wall next to the door, waiting for him.

“You didn’t have to…”

“I know,” Hongjoong answered simply. “But I wanted to.” He took his cup of coffee and took a small sip.

Seonghwa started walking to the door and as he grabbed the umbrella he turned to Hongjoong. “Thanks, Joong,” he said, biting his lower lips softly after the nickname slipped without meaning to. Maybe he hadn’t heard. Maybe—

Hongjoong stilled mid-sip, then suddenly started choking on his coffee, thumping his chest with the heel of his hand.

Seonghwa blinked, clutching the umbrella and his clothes tighter. “…Are you okay?”

Hongjoong coughed into his fist, nodding quickly without meeting his eyes. “Y-yeah. Perfectly fine.”

Seonghwa frowned, watching him for another second. Perfectly fine didn’t usually choke on their coffee, but he decided not to push.

“Alright. I’ll return the clothes after washing them,” Seonghwa said as casually as he could.

Hongjoong was still massaging his chest, voice raw from the coughing when he said. “Don’t worry, Bunny. You don’t need to rush.”

Seonghwa nodded and opened the door. He cast a last look at Hongjoong before turning and running back to Aurora Blooms.

When Seonghwa made it inside, Wooyoung’s eyes snapped to him and widened like he had already clocked something in the five seconds it took him to put Hongjoong’s umbrella in the stand by the door.

“Since when do you own designer clothes?” Wooyoung said, gawking at him.

Seonghwa froze. Designer? His eyes shot down to the front of the hoodie and he gasped silently. How in hell had he missed the big Valentino boldly written across the chest? And how was he supposed to explain it to someone who probably knew his closet (and his bank account) better than himself?

The gasp Wooyoung let out was anything but silent though. “You’re wearing Hongjoong’s clothes?!” he almost screeched.

“I—no, it’s not—” Seonghwa stammered.

Wooyoung looked at him. The kind of look that said don’t even try lying you idiot.

Seonghwa deflated. “…Yeah. It’s Hongjoong’s.”

He made his way to the counter, ignoring Wooyoung’s stare.

“Why do you have Hongjoong’s clothes?” his best friend asked suspiciously.

“Why do you have San’s clothes?” Seonghwa deflected before remembering it might not have been the smartest thing to bring up.

“Because we’re dating. And fucking.” He frowned, leaning in. “Are you and Hongjoong fucking?”

There it was.

“No—gosh Wooyoung. Of course we’re not fucking. I have a boyfriend and he—well, he doesn’t see me that way.”

“Would you let him fuck you if he did?” he asked shamelessly.

Seonghwa sighed, exasperated. “Did you forget the ‘I have a boyfriend’ part?”

Wooyoung smirked. “You didn’t say no, though.”

Seonghwa gaped at him, his own words replaying in his mind like a broken record. I would probably have let you fuck me.

His stomach twisted. “Shut up,” he muttered, chasing Wooyoung away from behind the register.

“So, you still haven’t answered my question,” Wooyoung pressed. “Why are you wearing clothes that probably cost more than your monthly salary?”

“Because you told him we got drenched, apparently.” Which was a half-truth because technically, Hongjoong had only said Wooyoung. But he’d assumed that was what he had meant.

Wooyoung frowned again. “I never saw Hongjoong though. I met San at their place and Hongjoong wasn’t there.”

Seonghwa nodded slowly, frowning in his turn. “Then… I’m not sure. He sent me a text telling me to come over and the clothes were already there on the counter.” He paused, something weird twisting in his stomach. “I—I thought you had told him.”

Wooyoung shook his head. “It wasn’t me.”

He didn’t press more after that, and Seonghwa was honestly grateful for it. The weird feeling in his stomach stayed the the rest of the day. If anything, it only intensified when Captain made him fuck himself on his knees, chest pressed into the mattress asking for him to keep the clothes he was wearing mostly on (he had to lower the jeans). Seonghwa, already in the haze by then just did what he was told, there had been no edging today, just pure lust, almost raw hunger and Seonghwa noticed Captain had a harder time keeping control. When Seonghwa came — toy deep in his ass and hand stroking his cock —  crying for more, surrounded by Hongjoong’s smell and guided by Captain’s deep voice, it felt like two worlds colliding at once.

And even though Seonghwa had managed not to stain the clothes with cum, shame burned hot in his chest as he cleaned himself up quietly. Because when Captain had told him to come for him, Hongjoong’s face had popped in his mind and stayed there until he had been lucid enough to shove it away. He knew it was probably his weird brain associating the smell with Hongjoong’s face and not knowing what Captain looked like had made his mind fill in the blank. But it didn’t change the fact that Hongjoong had been on his mind while he threw himself off the edge and it weirdly felt like cheating.

Seonghwa fell asleep that night thinking he probably didn’t deserve his relationship with Captain at all.

The next day, Seonghwa had to call in sick because of a fever. So much for telling Captain he didn’t get sick easily. Seonghwa’s mind was hazy and he tried looking for the remaining painkillers he had gotten from Hongjoong but he couldn’t find them. After ten minutes of looking everywhere, he felt dizzy and decided to go back to bed. Seonghwa was often needy when he was sick, and he knew that. But that didn’t keep him from taking his phone out and calling who he hoped had been Captain.

The line rang twice before he picked up. “Good morning, my Starlight,” Captain said, the surprise audible in his voice. They rarely called when they were working and Seonghwa was supposed to be at work. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work? Just wait a second.” He heard hushed voices and then what he assumed was a door creaking in the background. “Sorry, I just didn’t expect you to call me now.”

Seonghwa tried to answer something, but nothing but a cough came out.

“Baby?” Captain sounded a bit worried now. Then he paused, like he had just realized something. “Oh, pretty thing… did you get yourself sick?”

“Yeah, I have a fever,” Seonghwa answered, voice raw. “I’m sorry if you were busy but I… I just wanted to hear your voice.” An unpleasant shiver ran through him and he just wanted to be held so bad. Right now he hated the fact that Captain was still making him wait. He hated that he had agreed to it when he could just be in the arms of the person he loved.

“It’s okay, Starlight. I’m here now,” Captain murmured softly.

Liar.

“Youngie usually takes care of you when he is sick. Have you called him?” he added softly.

Seonghwa didn’t want Wooyoung. He wanted his Captain.

“It’s his and San’s day off today—” the words were interrupted by an audible shiver. “—and they’ve been trying to… to spend the day together for ages and—” Seonghwa was unable to finish when another shiver made his body tremble.

“I’m so sorry, Starlight. I wish I could hold you.”

Then why don’t you?

Seonghwa hummed, tears prickling. “It’s alright, I’ll be better in no time.”

He didn’t know why he was so sensitive, he guessed the fever was the cause of it, but knowing he couldn’t have Captain the way he wanted now just broke his heart all over again and the knife that seemed to have painlessly settled amongst the carnations started hurting again. Before he could help it, he was sniffling into the phone.

“Oh, baby… don’t cry.” Captain said, gently. “I’m sorry, I can’t be with you, pretty thing.” Seonghwa could hear the guilt in Captain’s voice and it made him feel even more silly for resenting him right now. Seonghwa had agreed to give Captain more time so why was he being selfish like that?

“Sorry, I think the fever is getting to me,” Seonghwa deflected, but he knew Captain didn’t buy it, even though he didn’t press Seonghwa about it.

Seonghwa dried his tears as the silence between them grew uncomfortable. Then he heard him curse under his breath. “I need to go baby, I’m sorry. I’ll check on you soon, alright?”

Seonghwa hummed, silent tears rolling down his cheek. “Yeah, sure…” Seonghwa sniffled again, resentment involuntarily bleeding into his voice.

“Starlight…”

“No it’s fine, really. We’ll talk later,” he barely managed to say before hanging up.

Seonghwa didn’t know how much time had passed, just that he had been in and out of sleep and shivering until someone knocked at his door. He wasn’t sure it had been real until he heard a second knock a few moments later.

He tried to get up, he really did but his body wouldn’t listen and all he managed was a feeble attempt to move his trembling legs. The knocking stopped and Seonghwa assumed whoever was there had given up, thinking Seonghwa wasn’t home. Just as he was about to close his eyes again, his phone vibrated.

Seonghwa didn’t even look at the caller ID before answering, clearing his throat. “Hello?” he asked, voice weak.

“Seonghwa? Thank god, I thought something had happened to you.”

Seonghwa frowned. Hadn’t he just hung up with Captain? And how did he know his name?

“C-Captain?” he forced out.

There was a few seconds of silence before the voice on the other hand came out rough. “It’s Hongjoong, Bunny. Can you open the door for me?”

The words tangled in his head, all wrong. Too wrong. Hongjoong? That didn’t sound right at all. That was Captain’s voice, it had to be…

With shaky fingers, Seonghwa pulled his phone away from his ear to look at the screen. The confusion didn’t get any better when Stupidly Hot Idiot stared back at him.

He blinked. Had Hongjoong and Captain always sounded so similar? How had he never heard it before?

He put the phone back to his ear. “H—Hongjoong?” he croaked.

The other man hummed. “That’s right. I have food for you, do you think you can get the door?”

Seonghwa tried to move again, but his body still wouldn’t budge. “I’m sorry… I don’t think I can.”

“It’s fine. Do you have a spare key somewhere, Bunny?” Hongjoong asked.

“Mmh. Under the potted daffodils,” Seonghwa answered simply.

“The what?” He could almost hear the frown on Hongjoong’s face.

“The yellow flowers, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa groaned.

“Wait—” There was the sound of something ruffling and a pause before Hongjoong’s voice popped again in his ear. “Ah! Got it. I’m coming in, alright?”

Seonghwa hummed in agreement before hanging up. A few seconds later, he heard the sound of the front door unlocking and panic seized him for a second, before he remembered it was Hongjoong.

Apparently the fever didn’t only make him needy, it made him stupid too.

From his bed, he heard the door creak open and a set of hurried footstep across the floorboards. Seonghwa pulled the blanket higher as another shiver made his body shake.

“Bunny?” Hongjoong’s voice echoed from the living room.

Seonghwa shut his eyes for a second, throat tight. “Bedroom,” he managed to croak out, voice breaking.

The floor creaked under the weight of Hongjoong’s footsteps until they stopped right outside his door. The door pushed open and Hongjoong stepped in.

“Oh, Bunny…” His voice was soft and careful.

Seonghwa turned his head weakly, blinking up at him.

“You look awful, ba—” Hongjoong cut himself off and Seonghwa didn’t have the mental capacity to understand why.

“Thanks,” he huffed. “I feel awful too.”

Hongjoong stepped further into the room, a paper bag and a plastic one in both hands. “I brought food. Mostly soup. But also a strawberry shortcake if you felt like having something sweet.”

Seonghwa’s stomach twisted at the mention of food, but the thought still warmed him. He curled up tighter under the blanket, trembling. “Y—you didn’t have too.”

Hongjoong frowned at Seonghwa’s word and for a second he thought he had said something wrong. He set the bags down on Seonghwa desk and rushed to his side.

Seonghwa blinked up at him as Hongjoong crouched beside the bed, eyes scanning his face. “Of course I had to,” he muttered, pressing a cold hand against Seonghwa’s forehead. His expression darkened immediately. “Fuck—look at you, Bunny. You’re burning up.”

Seonghwa swallowed, throat raw. “It’s just a little cold… I’ll be fine,” he rasped. And as if fate hated him, he had a coughing fit.

Hongjoong clicked his tongue, shaking his head. “You’re a terrible liar.”

Before Seonghwa could think of answering, he picked up a water bottle from the white plastic bag and took a pain killer in his hand before sitting on the edge of Seonghwa’s bed. “Be good for me and try to sit up, alright?” he said voice low, a hand already behind Seonghwa’s damp back. Hongjoong’s hand guided him up against the pillows like he had taken care of him his whole life.

Seonghwa blinked at him, dazed, and strangely feeling like he wanted to be good while Hongjoong propped the painkiller between his lips. He put it in his mouth and before he could think, the small rim of a water bottle touched his mouth.

“Here. Small sips.”

Seonghwa swallowed the water Hongjoong tipped into his mouth obediently and swallowed it all, weirdly self conscious about the way Hongjoong’s eyes seemed to be looking at his lips.

Hongjoong shook his head slightly. “We need to get you out of that t-shirt,” he said, pulling his hand back from Seonghwa’s back. “Can you manage?” he asked quieter, gaze flicking over him in a way that felt both assessing and hesitant, like he wasn’t sure how much Seonghwa would let him do.

Seonghwa’s fingers twitched weakly against the blanket, but everything felt too heavy. “I—I’m not sure…” Seonghwa hated how weak his voice sounded.

Hongjoong exhaled softly, then moved a little closer. “Alright. Let me.”

Seonghwa nodded, even though it felt like he really, really shouldn’t let Hongjoong undress him. But he was sweaty, cold and felt disgusting.

Careful fingers brushed against Seonghwa side at Hongjoong caught the hem of his t-shirt. As he started lifting it upward, he felt Hongjoong graze the stars resting on his skin and the other man’s hands stilled for a second. When Seonghwa looked up, Hongjoong’s eyes were shut and his expression looked pained.

Seonghwa blinked at him, confusion mixed up with the fever haze. Then it hit him — of course Hongjoong would be pained touching Seonghwa’s sweaty skin. His stomach twisted in embarrassment. “I’m sorry…” he said, cheek heating from something that wasn’t fever. “My skin—it must be gross.”

Hongjoong’s eyes shot open and he shook his head. “Don’t be stupid, Bunny,” he murmured, voice low as he tugged the t-shirt the rest of the way off. “There’s absolutely nothing gross about you.”

He stood up, tossing Seonghwa’s damp clothes somewhere on the floor. Seonghwa should have been scandalized, but he couldn’t even manage that as he looked Hongjoong going to his dresser.

“Second drawer,” Seonghwa said before coughing again.

A few agonizing seconds later, Hongjoong was back with a clean t-shirt. He sat back on the edge of the bed and helped Seonghwa changed into the new clothes and everything felt so domestic. So wrong that it started feeling right.

Seonghwa should have questioned it all. Questioned why Hongjoong was fussing about him, why he had let him help undress. Questioned why it felt so natural now to have Hongjoong close like that, even when it shouldn’t.

“Do you want me to stay until you fall asleep?” Hongjoong asked once Seonghwa had been tucked in again.

The logical answer would have been no. He didn’t really understand why Hongjoong was there at all to begin with, but he got the feeling that they didn’t hate each other anymore. Well, Seonghwa didn’t at least and sick Seonghwa was usually a needy Seonghwa and he really didn’t want to be left alone.

When Seonghwa didn’t answer, Hongjoong shifted slightly on the side of the bed as he reached out for his phone. “I understand if you’re uncomfortable with it… I just don’t want you all alone when you’re like that.”

“Stay. Please…” The words came out fast, before he could swallow them back.

The truth was, having him there did make him uncomfortable, but just not for the reasons Hongjoong might be thinking of.

Hongjoong smiled softly, a tattooed hand pushing back pink strands from Seonghwa’s face. “Alright, Bunny. Just rest now. Let me take care of you, just let me help. That’s all I need you to do.”

The words and the voice sounded so familiar — him crying outside against the wall and Captain’s soothing voice on the other side of the line.    

Be good for me until then. Let Hongjoong help. That’s all I need.

Seonghwa frowned, not entire sure his mind had made that up with the fever, or if this was another memory from that night at the club. It felt really vivid for it to be made up, but then again, fever dreams could also feel very real.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” Seonghwa asked a bit out of nowhere, just to break away from the thoughts.

Hongjoong hummed. “I had a day off,” he replied, hand still stroking his hair. “Sleep.”

Seonghwa closed his eyes, and he couldn’t remember when he fell asleep. Only that when he did, the line between Hongjoong and Captain had blurred until he couldn’t even tell who was sitting next to him anymore.

Two days after Hongjoong had nursed Seonghwa back to health, he ran into Jongho on his way to the shop after picking up coffee.

“I’m happy to see you’re doing better, Hwa.” He smiled as they worked side by side.

“Thanks. I’m lucky Hongjoong had a day off when I got sick.” Seonghwa smiled before adding, “I have to say he did a pretty good job helping me get better.”

Jongho scoffed. “A day off? Are you kidding? He was fully booked that day. San and I had to deal with a lot of unhappy customers.”

Seonghwa frowned, confused, because he clearly remembered Hongjoong telling him he was off. “He—what?”

The younger man nodded. “Yeah, he will probably have to work overtime a few days to make up for it.”

Seonghwa didn’t know what to make of that. He might have been too gone to think about it properly then, but Captain’s and Hongjoong’s voice on the phone were devastatingly similar. So similar that—

No.

That was so ridiculous that he didn’t even let himself finish the thought.

It just went on like that — Hongjoong slipping more and more into his days with coffees, snacks and softer words, until his presence in his life felt almost as uncontested as Wooyoung’s, all the while Captain remained the gentle constant filling his nights. And Seonghwa? Oh, poor Seonghwa was caught in between, guilty for every flutter in his chest when the wrong man smiled at him.

A couple of weeks passed, and Hongjoong and Seonghwa had started getting closer. Close enough for Hongjoong to start waiting for him at the café when he knew it was Seonghwa’s turn for the morning coffee runs and they would walk back together. Some times they would talk, and some times they stayed almost completely silent. It wasn’t awkward though, it was oddly peaceful even. Like it somehow was where Seonghwa was meant to be.

Today hadn’t been any different. Seonghwa had woken up to a message of Captain that had made him completely melt with love, then he had gotten ready, sent a picture of his belly chain and made his way to the café where he knew Hongjoong would be waiting for him. They ordered, Hongjoong gave a sideway look to the barista who had tried to give Seonghwa his number that one time, and not even five minute after they walked out with their order. They were half-way to work when Seonghwa noticed something peeking out from Hongjoong’s neckline when his shirt moved slightly. He was wearing a black shirt and the three top buttons were artfully undone so it wasn’t hard to spot the tattoos there. It was even harder not to see the vibrant red right over his heart amongst the ocean of black.

“Is that new?” Seonghwa asked curiously.

“You’d have to be a bit more specific, Bunny,” Hongjoong teased.

“The red tattoo on your chest,” he said simply.

Hongjoong froze mid-step, dragging the unbuttoned edge of his shirt to cover the tattoo with his free hand. “Yeah.”

Seonghwa stilled as well, looking at Hongjoong. “Can I see it?”

The other man’s eyebrows shot up. “You want to see my naked chest, Bunny?”

Seonghwa rolled his eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Well that’s what it sounded like,” he answered as he started walking again, a bit faster than before. “I’ll show it to you one day,” he heard Hongjoong add as he tried catching up to him.

For some reason, as he walked behind Hongjoong, he thought about the pictures he had taken this morning. The ones with the black lace panties and the matching loose lace top with thin straps. The exact same lingerie he was wearing under his blue jeans and his beige cardigan without a top under.

He took out his phone and scrolled in his gallery until he found the picture he was looking for.

It was a picture of Seonghwa kneeling carefully in front of the mirror, back straight. His phone was angled so the reflection could show everything but his face, only allowing a few pink strands to be visible. He had his free hand slipped under the waistband, slightly grazing the visible half-hard.

He smiled to himself as he selected the picture and sent him to Captain.

Starlight: [image attachment]
look at what i’m wearing under my clothes today
just for you captain

When the message sent, Seonghwa tucked his phone back in his pocket, chest fluttering with nervous anticipation. It was the first time he wore lingerie but Wooyoung had told him he would look stunning in it, and Seonghwa really wanted that.

Ahead of him, he heard Hongjoong’s phone buzz. He pulled it out casually from his own pocket and then froze. His entire body went still, shoulders tensed as he looked at something on his screen.

Seonghwa blinked, almost bumping into him. “…Joong?”

Hongjoong didn’t answer and turned abruptly to face Seonghwa. His eyes glanced up, raking slowly down Seonghwa’s body — from the pink hair, over the loose cardigan slightly falling off one shoulder, lingering at his waist before trailing lower, eyes widening. He blinked hard, shoving his phone into his pocket like it was made of liquid fire.

His tongue darted out, catching his piercing between his teeth, and his breath came out a little ragged and uneven. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath, low and rough.

Something in Seonghwa’s chest twisted as Hongjoong’s tone right then reminded him a lot of Captain’s. He frowned and chased the thought away. “Are you okay, Joong?”

“Fine,” he answered too quickly. Then he added with a strained voice, “Perfectly fine, Bunny.”

But the look in his eyes lingered for a few seconds, flustered and hungry. Seonghwa blinked, puzzled by the strange energy suddenly crackling around him, but he didn’t push.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, but Seonghwa had noticed the side glances Hongjoong kept giving him when he thought Seonghwa wasn’t looking.  Each one made his stomach twist in ways he didn’t want to think about.

When they reached both Aurora Blooms and Pirate King Ink, Seonghwa slowed to a stop. “Thanks for walking with me,” he said softly, clutching the hem of his cardigan with his free hand.

“Yeah,” Hongjoong murmured, already moving like he was about to leave. But then he took a deep breath and paused, turning to Seonghwa again.

Hongjoong stepped closer, fingers brushing briefly against his arm as he pulled the cardigan that had slipped down Seonghwa’s shoulder back into place, eyes anywhere but on Seonghwa’s face.

“You don’t know what you do to people, do you, Bunny?” he breathed, voice low and strained, like he regretted the words the second they left his mouth.

And then, without giving Seonghwa a chance to respond, Hongjoong turned on his heel and strode toward Pirate King Ink, leaving Seonghwa frozen in place — confused, flustered, and with his heart hammering in his chest.

The phone vibrating in his pocket is what took him out of his stupor.

Captain: shit baby
i hope you don’t have anything planned tonight
because i’m going to fucking ruin you

Seonghwa’s breath caught audibly and he was thankful that Hongjoong wasn’t here to hear it. It felt like fire and ice collided in his veins — the thrill of his boyfriend’s promise mixed with the guilt that followed how good Hongjoong’s fingertips had felt on his skin. For a few seconds, everything scrambled together: Hongjoong’s hand tugging his cardigan up, the way his eyes had raked over him just like he could see past fabric, Captain’s voice from last time telling him how good he was when he made a mess for him and the tiny stars resting on his waist.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a sigh that sounded more like a small sob. Since that time Hongjoong had called him when he was sick, he hadn’t been able to shake just how similar Hongjoong’s and Captain’s voices were, and it was messing with his head so badly.

Starlight: will you fuck me until i cry?

The dots appeared almost instantly.

Captain: you’ll ask for mercy before i’m done with you pretty thing
and i still won’t stop until i have you shaking
you’ll cry thinking of my cock buried in you baby and you’ll just take it
won’t you my perfect starlight?

Seonghwa’s stomach twisted, heat coiling in his lower stomach and settling at the base of his cock. He pressed his phone tighter in his hand, pulse racing. Maybe it was wrong that the memories of Hongjoong’s fingers were tangled with Captain’s words just now, but Seonghwa shoved it down at the back of his mind and let himself focus only on the voice he wanted in his ear tonight. He bit his lower lip as he started typing.

Starlight: please make me beg

Captain: don’t worry i’ll make you beg pretty thing
have you say my name over and over until you forget yours

Starlight: i want it
please
please make me cry for you

Captain: fuck
is my baby needy right now?

Seonghwa had to take a deep breath not to whine right out on the street, because yes, he was feeling really needy right now. And he would actually give pretty much anything to really have Captain buried deep in his ass instead of his toys.

Starlight: yes
really want your cock

Captain: how bad does my baby want his captain’s cock?

Starlight: want it so bad i want you to make me choke on it

Seonghwa’s felt heat creeping up his neck as he pocketed his phone and pushed the front door to Aurora Blooms. He walked toward the counter and greeted Yeosang sitting there. He gave him his cup of coffee and watched the smile on his face after taking his first sip.

He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket as he made his way to the back-room. When he was alone, he took his phone out and opened Captain’s message.

Captain: [video attachment]
just how much do you want it now starlight?

Seonghwa swallowed hard and just for safety measure, he connected his headphones before clicking on the video. The screen lit up and his breath caught instantly and audibly when he saw a tattooed hand wrapped tightly around a cock. It was thick and flushed at the tip, a bead of pre-cum there before a thumb smeared it down the shaft as the hand started stroking slowly, veins standing out. The sound of heavy breathing filled his ears as if he were right there with him.

“Do you see this, baby?” Seonghwa recognized Captain’s voice, it was rough and wrecked. “This is what you do to me. What thinking about my cock in your pretty ass does to me.”

His face flamed, stomach twisting tight. His own cock stirred awake in his jeans at the sight and the knowledge that this was Captain. This was what he looked like when he touched himself.

Starlight: i need it shoved so deep down my throat
please i want it so much

Captain: you were so pretty for me all in lace
i thought you deserved a reward
now keep being good for me and i’ll take you there tonight

The words on the screen made his eyes flutter and his breath tremble.

Starlight: yes captain…

Oh, this was going to be a long day. A very, very long one.

Around lunch, when things were calm and he knew Yeosang would be able to manage things on his own, he took his phone out, trying not to think about the video he had kept thinking about approximately all morning. He needed a distraction and he needed it now.

Seonghwa
Jooooooong…
Can I come over?

Stupidly Hot Idiot (Joongie)
Sure, Bunny.
But I have a client in 45 minutes so we’ll have to make it quick today

Seonghwa
That’s still plenty of time

Stupidly Hot Idiot (Joongie)
You know I like taking my time though

Seonghwa
What flavor should I bring this time?

Stupidly Hot Idiot (Joongie)
Strawberry, Bunny.
You’ll be the one eating it anyway ;)

Seonghwa
Okay, i’ll be over in 15

Stupidly Hot Idiot (Joongie)
Make it 10
I’m hungry

Seonghwa blinked at the conversation, and at how easily it could be misinterpreted for something else when in reality, they were just talking about coffee and cake.

He had done that a few times now, going there to eat cake and drink coffee over his break if he knew Hongjoong didn’t have any clients. They would sit, and talk about Hongjoong’s art, Seonghwa's dreams, and share laughter while stuffing their face with cake.

Well, it was mostly Seonghwa eating his own cake way too fast and then poking at Hongjoong until he gave his cake up.

“I’m going to buy cake, Sangie, and I’ll have my break with Hongjoong today,” he called out to Yeosang, who was texting at the register, a cheeky smile pulling at his lips.

He hummed, eyes not leaving the screen. “You’re spending a lot of time with Hongjoong lately,” he stated unhelpfully. “Weren’t you supposed to not like each other?”

Seonghwa smiled softly, making his way to the door. “I’m not even sure we’ve ever really hated each other,” he answered, thoughtful.

Yeosang scoffed. “And you’re only noticing now? Wooyoung is right, you are stupid. And blind.”

Seonghwa turned to Yeosang and threw him a scandalized look. “Is that how you respect your elders?”

“Only when my elders are stupid,” Yeosang deadpanned.

“I don’t even know why I like you,” Seonghwa sighed in exasperation.

“Because I help you keep Wooyoung in check. And because I’m cute,” he said as a matter of fact. Then he added, “I think Jongho thinks I’m cute too.”

Seonghwa smirked, nodding his head. “Oh, I bet he thinks more than that, Sangie.”

Seonghwa opened the door and left without hearing Yeosang’s answer. He walked to the café, hoping that coffee, cake, and Hongjoong would be distraction enough for him to forget about how he craved Captain and his cock.

Fifteen minutes later, Seonghwa pushed the door and stepped inside Pirate King Ink, careful not to bump the paper bag in his hand and the tray carefully balanced against his chest.

Hongjoong sat on the low stool near his station all the way to the back, sketchbook balanced across his lap. “You’re late, Bunny. Cake better be good,” Hongjoong called, eyes fixed on the page.

Seonghwa held up the bag like it was some sort of proof. “Strawberry shortcake. Don’t say I never do anything for you.”

“Mmh,” Hongjoong hummed, catching his tongue between his teeth as his eyes finally glanced up at Seonghwa. “We both know that’s for you, not me.” He turned and patted the tattoo chair next to him. “Sit. Before I change my mind about sharing.”

Seonghwa rolled his eyes but obeyed, setting the tray carefully on the tattoo chair before sitting on the edge. His cardigan slipped down one shoulder as he moved to take out the cakes from the paper bag, exposing his collarbone and one thin black strap from the lingerie he was wearing under. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hongjoong’s pencil falter against the page, the line smudging before he snapped the sketchbook open with a sharp exhale.

“Careful, Bunny,” Hongjoong warned, voice rougher than usual. “You’re ruining the lines.”

Seonghwa blinked at him, puzzled as he set the cakes next to him on the small paper plates. “What lines? You’re not even tattooing right now, you can just erase and draw them again,” he said, feet kicking slightly.

Hongjoong’s jaw tightened and his gaze swept over Seonghwa in a way that made heat prickle along the back of his neck and something curl low in his stomach. Then, too abruptly, he looked away, running a hand through his blonde and black hair. “Stop being a brat. Just—sit still, will you?”

Seonghwa frowned faintly. “I am still.”

Hongjoong let out a laugh under his breath, low and almost bitter. His knee bounced restlessly, and when Seonghwa’s cardigan slipped again, he shot up from his stool, startling him.

“Hey—what are you—”

Hongjoong was in front of him, jaw tight and eyes fixed on the fabric sliding down carelessly down his arm. Without saying a word, he dragged it back up, tattooed fingers brushing the bare skin of Seonghwa’s shoulder as his own breath caught.

Hongjoong avoided his eyes, muttering low, “You’re going to drive me fucking insane, Bunny.”

Seonghwa froze, heart pounding at the words. “What… what does that even mean?” Seonghwa stared at him, confused and flustered all at once, wondering why the word Bunny sounded so much like a plea when it had left Hongjoong’s mouth.

Hongjoong didn’t answer right away, eyes lingering a second too long on Seonghwa. “Open your mouth.”

Seonghwa blinked, thrown off. “Excuse me?”

Hongjoong reached past him, taking one strawberry with his fingers. He held it up, his expression infuriatingly casual even as his gaze stayed on Seonghwa. “For the strawberry, Bunny.”

Heat flooded Seonghwa’s face as he stared at him and then at the strawberry. His lips parted slowly, almost against his will and Hongjoong slipped the strawberry past them, Hongjoong’s fingers brushing his bottom lip slightly too much for it to be an accident.

“Bite.”

Seonghwa’s breathing came out shaky as his teeth sank into the strawberry, the burst of sweetness flooding in his mouth, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the way his heart was stuttering. Hongjoong’s fingers lingered a fraction too long against his lips before pulling away.

“Good,” Hongjoong murmured low. His eyes flicked over Seonghwa’s face, expression unreadable. “Now eat. And be quiet.”

Seonghwa swallowed hard, throat dry despite the sweet juice on his tongue. His heart kept pounding as the order sank in, making him feel far too much like he was on the phone with Captain.

Hongjoong pulled back, grabbed a plate and sat on the stool again while Seonghwa reached for the second one, bringing it onto his lap. His gazed lowered, focusing on cutting into the cake, hand trembling slightly.

They didn’t speak at all after that, the only sounds in the room coming from San’s tattoo machine hidden behind the black curtain at the other side of the shop. Hongjoong sat close, too close, and the air between them was thick with something Seonghwa didn’t want to name. He could feel Hongjoong’s eyes glance toward him every now and then, something hot and hungry, like he was holding himself back from doing something reckless.

Seonghwa kept his head down, pink strands falling over his face as he ate in small bites as the coffees stood untouched. He didn’t know what he would have said or done if he had looked up and caught that look again. He shook his head, shame and guilt twisting in his stomach.

The door opened and a voice Seonghwa vaguely recognized shattered the silence.

“Good afternoon,” the man said, stepping past the door.

Hongjoong turned toward the man, setting his empty paper plate back on the tattoo chair. “You’re early, Ian.”

Seonghwa rose quickly, snatching up the paper bag and putting both their trash inside.

“Early, late… does it really matter as long as I’m here?” Ian said smoothly. “And you’re the one who stood me up last time.” His eyes swept across the room, landing on Seonghwa. They lit up instantly. “There you are, sweetheart! I hoped I’d run into you again. We didn’t get the chance to get acquainted last time.”

Seonghwa froze, caught off guard. “Uh—I’m just—”

“Ian,” the man introduce himself instead, stepping closer. He offered his hand to Seonghwa, gaze not leaving him for a second.

“Seonghwa,” he said carefully, taking the hand that was presented to him.

Instead of shaking it, Ian brought Seonghwa’s hand to his mouth and brushed his lips against his knuckles, a smile curling against Seonghwa’s skin.

Hongjoong’s jaw flexed, eyes snapping to where Ian’s hand was still holding Seonghwa’s, before he rolled his eyes. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be, Bunny?” Then, he turned to Ian, eyes dark and voice low. “Didn’t think stuck-up florists were your type, Ian.”

Seonghwa gave Hongjoong a very scandalized look. Him? A stuck-up florist? “Wha—”

Ian grinned wide, raising an eyebrow and ignoring Hongjoong’s presence entirely. “Bunny, was it? Would you—”

“He told you his name. It’s Seonghwa for you,” Hongjoong cut in and his voice was so icy it made Seonghwa shiver.

Ian blinked, looking mildly taken aback and then let out a low chuckle, grin widening like he had just clocked something interesting. “Seonghwa, such a pretty name for a pretty face.” His eyes glanced over Seonghwa once more, slowly this time and Seonghwa felt heat creep up his neck. “The pink looks gorgeous on you.”

Hongjoong glared at him and Seonghwa swore it looked like he was two seconds away from knocking Ian’s grin right off his face. Not that Seonghwa understood why Hongjoong would want to do that in the first place.

Well, he might have had a theory, but it was still so far fetched and absurd that he just never really acknowledged it. But what if—

Ian’s voice yanked Seonghwa away from his thought. “So, Seonghwa… Do you like tattoos? I’ve got plenty I could show you sometimes.”

Seonghwa’s lips parted in surprise. “I—uh—”

“He has a boyfriend.” Hongjoong cut in again, voice flat but with something dangerous lurking under. “And a jealous one. The kind who doesn’t share. Right, Bunny?”

Seonghwa blinked, then shook his head, heat rushing to his face. “R-right,” he stammered, caught off guard, eyes darting to Hongjoong, a slight crease between his brows. “I do.”

Ian whistled, clearly entertained, his gaze locking on Hongjoong. “Ah, got it. Lucky guy, right?”

Hongjoong hummed, eyes meeting Ian's with fire and defiance. “Very lucky.” Then he looked at Seonghwa who was too stunned to speak. “Out with you now, pretty thing. Ian and I need to get to work,” he told him sternly.

“I—what?” was the only thing Seonghwa could say, still not sure he hadn’t dreamed what had just happened.

Ian turned to Seonghwa. “Well, sweet—”

“Seonghwa.” Hongjoong’s voice was strained with restraint.

Ian rolled his eyes. “Right. Then I guess you are his baby then? The one he abandoned me mid-session for?”

Seonghwa frowned. Whose baby? Hongjoong’s baby? What on earth was Ian’s talking about?

“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered, utterly confused. He felt the fabric slipping from his shoulder again, low enough to show more skin than he realized.

“Pull it up,” Hongjoong snapped suddenly, voice sharp and eyes darting to the exposed skin. Seonghwa startled, blinking at him before tugging the cardigan back in place with clumsy fingers, heart racing at the roughness of his voice.

Ian smirked knowingly, clearly enjoying himself. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart.” his gaze slid to Hongjoong, glinting. “The way he looks at you… He knows what I’m talking about.”

Seonghwa’s stomach dropped. He dared a glance at Hongjoong, only to find his jaw tight and his eyes set on Ian. Seonghwa just stood there, heart still hammering, unsure of what he was supposed to do. His mind was stuck on Ian’s words.

The way he looks at you…

“Enough,” Hongjoong said, voice low. “Ian, sit down. We’re starting.” Then his gaze snapped to Seonghwa, almost angry. “I thought I told you to leave, Bunny.”

Seonghwa’s hands tightened uselessly around the paper bag. He swallowed hard and started walking toward the door without a word, heart still hammering. He felt so small, like a child who had just been wrongfully scolded.

He left Pirate King Ink with his chest tight and thoughts in shambles, full of Hongjoong’s sharp tone, of the way he had looked at him like he had known what Seonghwa was hiding under his cardigan. Full of what ifs that Seonghwa hadn’t even dared to consider until today.

That night, not that far away from the shop, Seonghwa laid curled under his blankets, lingerie still on and staring at his phone. He hadn’t been able to shake the uneasiness and the guilt he was feeling about both Hongjoong and Captain. His chest still felt tight with confusion and with things he didn’t want to admit, but the vibration of his phone snapped him out of it.

Captain: hi pretty thing

Before he could answer anything, another notification popped up. He gasped high and loud when he saw it.

Captain: [image attachment]

It was his cock, big and fully hard in his tattooed hand. His fist was wrapped snugly around the base, thumb pressed on his shaft. Seonghwa could see liquid shining all over the swollen head and he moaned at the sight.

Captain: this is what you’re aching for isn’t it baby?
i bet your slutty hole could take it all in for me

Seonghwa’s breath hitched. Captain’s words could be filthy, but tonight? It seemed like they were filthier than usual and Seonghwa just wanted it more of it.

Starlight: i want it captain
want you to fuck me open with it

Captain: call me. now.

Seonghwa fumbled with his phone, heart racing as he pressed the call button. It only rang once before Captain picked up.

Captain chuckled, the sound dark and hungry. “Mmh. Are you that needy for my cock, baby?”

Seonghwa’s answer came out in the form of a high and desperate whine.

“Good. Because I’m not very patient tonight, Starlight. I’m going to make you fuck yourself stupid for me. You’re gonna fuck that pretty hole raw while I talk you through it, got it?”

Seonghwa’s whole body twitched, heat rushing between his legs. “Y-yes Captain…”

“That’s my fucking baby,” he growled, breath heavy against the receiver. “Now get that tight hole wet and fuck yourself open for me. Begin with two fingers.”

And fuck, Captain had never ordered him around like that before unless he was edging him, and even then, it had never been to that extent.

Seonghwa’s stomach clenched hard, a tremble running through his thighs. He switched the phone to speaker so he wouldn’t drop it, and then fumbled to find the bottle of lube he kept in the nightstand.

“Now, Starlight,” Captain ordered through the speaker. “I told you I wasn’t very patient tonight. Get your fingers where I want them.”

Seonghwa whimpered and popped the cap with trembling fingers. He poured the lube over his fingers, shivering when the coolness hit them.

“That’s it,” Captain’s voice dropped even lower, rough and hungry. “Push those fingers in now. Two of them. Stretch that needy little ass for me.”

Seonghwa gasped, the tips of his slick fingers circling his entrance, pressing in slowly until one slipped inside. His back arched under the blanket, a sharp whimper escaping his lips.

Seonghwa bit his lip as he pushed the second finger in beside the first until both were past the tight ring. He let out a choked sound, his cock twitching against the lace.

“Fuck—” Captain muttered, a low groan vibrating over the line. “How are you going to take my cock if you’re already whining with two fingers, huh?”

Seonghwa’s face burned, his lips parting around a breathless moan. His fingers curled slightly inside him. “I—I can take it, Captain,” he whispered, voice shaking.

“You will take it,” Captain rasped. “Because my cock’s thicker than that and I’m not going to be gentle when I fuck you. Open yourself wider. Shove those fingers in deeper. I want to hear you cry on them.”

Seonghwa whimpered high, hips rocking helplessly against his own hand as he drove his fingers deeper. The slick noise filled the room loudly, and he bit down on his lip hard to keep quiet.

“Let me hear it. Let me hear that pretty little hole squelching around your fingers. You think I don’t know how sloppy you get for me, baby?”

His cheeks flamed as he obeyed, spreading his fingers a little wider, wet sound echoing through the phone.

“Mmh, there it is,” Captain groaned. “That’s my perfect little slut.” The word ignited something in Seonghwa and he drove his fingers in deeper, hitting his prostate. “Fuck—do you feel how tight you are?”

Seonghwa nodded instinctively, even though Captain couldn’t see him. “Y-yes—Captain, it’s—” his words cut off into a broken moan as he curled his fingers just right again, the feeling of Hongjoong's fingers on his naked skin suddenly popping intrusively into his mind.

“You want more already, don’t you, Starlight?” Captain groaned, voice dark and dangerous.

Seonghwa’s hips jerked, his breath shuddering,. “Yes, Captain. Please—more…”

“Add another finger. Stretch yourself until you can’t stop crying for me.”

Seonghwa’s chest heaved, sweat already slick at his temples as he pushed another finger in. His thighs trembled, the stretch bordering on too much, but he needed it so much.

“That’s it,” Captain rasped, voice like a growl. “My perfect baby, push that finger all the way in.”

Seonghwa’s head tipped back, a helpless whine tearing from his throat as he forced the third finger deeper, imagining Hongjoong's hand guiding his deeper.“C-captain—”

“Shh,” Captain cut in sharply. “Don’t whine. Push through it. You can take it, baby.”

He whimpered, breath trembling as he fucked his fingers in and out, unable to rid himself of Hongjoong in his mind. Captain and Hongjoong blurred together again in his mind, but he didn't have the time to feel guilty right now. “Feels—feels so good—fuck—”

“Of course it does,” Captain muttered, and this time the praise carried something hungry and possessive. “And the day I finally get my cock in you, you’re gonna take it all, aren’t you, baby?”

Seonghwa’s hips jerked against his own hand, a desperate moan escaping. “Yes—yes, Captain. I’ll take it all. Please.”

“So desperate, begging to be ruined,” Hongjoong growled. “My needy little slut… Fucking perfect when you break for me.”

Seonghwa’s whole body tensed at the words, his fingers thrusting helplessly into himself as his breath came out ragged, images of Hongjoong's tongue piercing playing with his nipples making him moan high. “C-Captain, I—”

“Don’t stop,” Captain snapped, his voice cutting like a whip. “Keep fucking yourself on those fingers, Starlight.”

Seonghwa’s moans spilled out unrestrained, and his thighs shook as he curled his fingers, desperate to give Captain (and himself) what he wanted.

“That’s it, pretty thing,” Captain rasped, breath heavy in the receiver. “But you and I both know those fingers aren’t enough, isn’t that right, baby?”

And Captain was right. Seonghwa wanted to feel full, and his fingers were never enough. He whimpered, thigh trembling as he tried pushing his fingers even deeper.

“Aw, Starlight… your tight little hole needs something bigger, doesn’t it?”

Yes. Yes, it needed a cock. Captain’s cock, preferably. Or maybe Hongjoong's too?

Fuck…

Seonghwa gasped, feeling the base of his cock throbbing. “Y-yes, more—please—”

“So fucking needy and desperate for cock… fuck,” Captain muttered, voice laced with hunger. “Get your toy. Now. You’re going to fuck that ass for me until you’re begging for me to let you stop.”

Seonghwa scrambled blindly for the drawer, fumbling for the toy with trembling hands, his chest tight with anticipation and need.

“You’ve got it?” Captain’s voice was low and hungry.

“Y-yes—”

“Then don’t waste my time, baby. Shove it in. Let me hear how you can take me.”

Seonghwa gasped, slicking it quickly with too lube until it glistened. His hands shook as he pressed it against his entrance.

“Come on,” Captain growled, ragged with impatience. “Now push that toy in. Stretch that slutty hole for me.”

Seonghwa’s head fell back, a broken moan ripping out of him as the toy slid in fast past his sensitive rim, the burning sensation immediate. “Ah—Captain—”

“Good. Take it in. Take it all in,” Captain rasped. “Fuck yourself hard like you would on my cock. I don’t want gentle tonight, baby. I want you raw, crying my name like you can’t live without me.”

Seonghwa’s hips bucked against the toy, his moans turning desperate, messy. It didn’t help that he kept imagining Hongjoong pinning him down and Captain’s cock fucking him deep.

“That’s it,” Captain groaned. “Fuck yourself stupid for me.”

Seonghwa whimpered, forcing himself to go faster, the pace making his thighs shake.

“That’s it,” Captain snarled, voice ragged through the speaker. “Fuck. Shove it deeper. All the way. Don’t stop until you’re hitting that sweet spot.”

Seonghwa’s eyes watered, hips jerking as the toy sank further inside, slamming into his prostate. His voice cracked into a sob. “F-fuck—Captain—”

“There it is,” Captain groaned, the slick sound of his fist working his cock carrying faintly over the line. “Fucking yourself open just for me. Crying for me. I bet your cock is dripping…” he added in awe. “Does it hurt, baby? Does your pretty cock need attention?”

Seonghwa’s head fell back, the sound that tore out of him somewhere between a moan and a sob. The burn and pressure were overwhelming, and every thrust of the toy against his prostate made his cock twitch helplessly against his stomach, black lace stretched over it.

“Yes—” his voice cracked, breath coming in broken gasps as tears ran down his face. “It’s—dripping so fucking much—”

“Good,” Captain growled, his voice nothing but heat and gravel now. “Don’t you dare touch it. Just slam into that sweet spot until you’re begging for me to let you come.”

Seonghwa’s fingers trembled against the base of the toy, forcing himself to keep the relentless rhythm Captain wanted. Slick noises filled the room, louder with every thrust, obscene even to his own ears, and with the strong need to moan Hongjoong’s name alongside Captain’s.

“Fuck, I can hear you,” Captain snarled. “My greedy little slut, stuffing that toy in like it’s cock. Bet you’re clenching so tight it’s fighting to stay in.”

A choked whimper slipped out of Seonghwa, tears spilling hot as his hips rolled down harder, chasing every twinge of pleasure.

“That’s it,” Captain hissed, the sound of him stroking himself rougher now. “Push it in deeper, baby, do it faster for me.”

Seonghwa’s breath stuttered into a broken moan, his thighs trembling violently. The edges of the world blurred, his body caught somewhere between pain and desperate want as Captain’s voice filled his ears and Hongjoong filled his head. As he obeyed and slammed the head of the toy on his prostate over and over until nothing made sense.

“Keep going,” his boyfriend groaned, the sound of slick and skin still faint on the other end. “Think of my big cock in your ass, about how good it would fill you up.”

But Seonghwa couldn’t stop thinking. Couldn’t stop seeing Hongjoong’s eyes raking down his body earlier, the heat in his gaze when he had tugged his cardigan back up, the ghost sensation of tattooed fingers brushing his bare shoulder. The two of them tangled together in his head, Captain’s filthy orders and Hongjoong’s voice echoing low and strained.

You don’t know what you do to people, do you, Bunny?

Seonghwa shoved the toy back inside harder, a desperate sob leaving his throat as pleasure blinded him. The more he tried to obey Captain, the more Hongjoong’s face blurred into it until he wasn’t sure who he was crying for, aching for anymore.

His sobs turned into wrecked moans, high and raw, and he barely knew what he was saying anymore as he was too busy chasing the high he knew was coming.

“F-fuck, Captain—please—” His hips snapped forward again, the stretch burning but perfect. His cock leaked untouched against his stomach, smearing mess across his skin.

“That’s it, baby,” Captain’s voice rasped through the speaker, ragged like he was close himself. “Take it harder. Take it like you’re riding me. Cry for me.”

And Seonghwa did — tears spilling hot as Captain’s voice and Hongjoong’s eyes bled together, the two of them twisting in his mind until the rough growl in his ear and the memory of tattooed fingers brushing his skin became the same thing.

“Please—please, Captain—” Seonghwa choked out between sobs, his whole body trembling. “Let me come—please, I can’t—fuck, I need it—please, let me—”

Captain grunted low, the sound rough and hungry. “Beg prettier. Show me how much you need me.”

Seonghwa’s tears spilled hot as he slammed the toy against his sweet spot over and over, desperation clawing up his throat. “I need you—I need your cock—I’ll be so good, Captain, just please—please let me come—”

“You want to come for me, baby? Want to break? Come on then, baby,” Captain growled. “Make a fucking mess for your Captain."

“Bunny…” he swore he heard it, low and  reverent, like it was being breathed right against his lips. And that’s what got so incredibly close, a broken sound tearing through him, heat flooding his body as his climax was rapidly approaching.

“Fuck,” Captain snarled, the slick sound of his fist carrying faintly through the speaker. “Say my name when you come, baby. Say it loud. Let me hear who owns you.”

Seonghwa’s back arched, his whole body shaking and fighting the urge to say someone else’s name too. “C-Captain—” his voice cracked, frantic.

“Again,” Captain ordered, voice sharp, hungry.

“Captain—! Please—Captain—”

Seonghwa screamed, body shaking violently as cum suddenly spilled over his stomach, his toy still buried deep, milking his prostate until it was too much. His hips jerked helplessly as sobs tore from his throat.

“Perfect,” Captain groaned, voice breaking with his own release on the other end. “My perfect baby… fuck—crying so good for me.”

Seonghwa collapsed back against the pillows, chest heaving, tears still drying hot on his cheeks. His toy was still buried deep inside him, stretching him wide, but he didn’t even have the strength to pull it out yet. His phone lay on the mattress beside him, the call still connected. Guilt started flooding through him, but he shoved it down hard.

On the other end, Captain’s voice was ragged, and satisfied. “That’s it… my baby. Always so fucking good for me. So perfect.”

Seonghwa whimpered faintly, curling on his side, legs trembling where they pressed together. The toy moved inside him with the movement and he gasped, voice high and wrecked. “Ho—Captain…”

Fuck. Fuck…

His boyfriend didn't seem to catch the small slip and something was equally grateful and mortified. “Can you take the toy out for me, pretty thing?” Captain’s voice was still rough, but steadier now, like he was pulling Seonghwa down from the edge.

Seonghwa nodded even though Captain couldn’t see him, shame running hot in his face. He had just fucked himself to Captain’s voice, thinking of Hongjoong. Everything twisted and his stomach churned, nausea creeping up on him. His attraction for Hongjoong had always been there, like something undeniable. But he loved Captain. He loved him so much it hurt, and Seonghwa just didn’t know what to do with the fact that he felt such an irresistible pull toward someone that wasn’t Captain. It just baffled him because nothing like that had ever happened before.

“Starlight?”

The voice startled him out from his thoughts. “Y-yeah? Shit… Yeah, I can—” His voice broke into a whine as he reached back with shaking fingers, curling around the base. His chest heaved as he pushed it out slowly, the stretch burning all over again.

The sound that tore out of him when it slipped free was half moan and half sob. “Ah—fuck—” His walls clenched around nothing, leaving him aching and empty. “Captain, I—I don’t wanna be empty.”

“Shh…” Captain soothed low, a thin thread of roughness still there. “I know, baby. I know. You did so fucking good for me.”

Seonghwa whimpered at the words, shoving his face into the pillow as he curled tighter under the blanket. His body was still trembling, his voice ragged when he whispered, “It hurts… I need it…”

“I know it does,” Captain murmured, softer now, like he was giving back what he’d just taken. “Breathe for me. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Slowly.”

Seonghwa obeyed, sucking shaky breaths in and out, his body still thrumming with aftershocks. The ache dulled slowly, replaced by a heavy warmth of Captain’s voice.

“You did so well for me tonight, Starlight,” Captain rasped, quieter. “You took it so well.”

A ragged whimper slipped from Seonghwa’s throat.

Seonghwa kept obeying Captain’s voice until his breathing calmed down, his body finally slowing from the high. His thighs still trembled faintly as he pushed himself up on weak arms, grimacing at the sticky mess cooling across his stomach. “I—I should clean up…” he rasped, voice raw.

“Go on, clean yourself. Then get some water and curl up under the blanket for me.”

Seonghwa made a small, wrecked noise of agreement before pulling himself up, wincing at the ache between his legs. He walked weakly to the bathroom, grabbed a warm towel, removed the lingerie, and wiped himself and the chain down until the worst of the mess was gone. His hands still shook, so back in his room, he just tugged on a t-shirt over his head, drowning in the fabric as he collapsed back onto the bed.

The phone was still on the mattress, the line quiet now except for the sound of Captain’s breathing on the other end. Seonghwa reached for it, lips parted. “Captain…”

“I’m here, baby,” Captain said immediately. “Go to sleep, my Starlight. You’ve given me so much tonight.”

Seonghwa hummed faintly, shutting his eyes. The warmth of the blanket, the afterglow, the steady hum of Captain’s voice pulling him down fast.

When he stirred again during the night, the screen had gone dark, the call ended at some point. He picked up the phone to plug it in and froze on what he saw. The last picture Captain had sent still filled the screen.

Seonghwa’s breath stuttered. He’d been too distracted and needy before to really look closely at anything that hadn’t been the cock on his screen. But now… now he noticed it. The tattoos across the back of Captain’s hand, black ink curling into petals and leaves.

They looked familiar. So familiar.

Too familiar.

Seonghwa’s heart slammed hard against his ribs. He thought of Pirate King Ink, of black ink wrapping across Hongjoong’s fingers, of the times he had caught himself staring at them.

“No…” Seonghwa whispered, shaking his head quickly. His stomach twisted, guilt and disbelief warring inside him. That was impossible. Captain couldn’t be—

Could he?

He looked at the tattoos again.

His heart stuttered.

They looked… fuck, they looked like Hongjoong’s chrysanthemums.

No. That was ridiculous.

It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t.

And yet the thought refused to leave, circling, pounding in his mind. Captain’s voice and Hongjoong’s voice, the tattoos, the way both of them called him pet names in the same low, rough tone. The way Hongjoong had been looking at him…

He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head, but the unease lingered.

What if?

Three days after, the suspicion hadn’t dulled, if anything it had grown so much it was becoming unbearable. It certainly didn’t help that instead of sleeping, Seonghwa had stayed wide awake almost every night, replaying and overanalyzing every interaction, every small moment between Hongjoong and him from the very beginning.

That’s how he ended up at a café far from Aurora Blooms and Pirate King Ink, all away across town, sunglasses perched on his eyes like a secret agent on a mission and with Wooyoung for company.

They sat at a small table, tucked into a corner, away from wandering eyes and ears. Wooyoung was sipping at his latte, chatting about his last date with San, while Seonghwa was picking at the strawberries on his plate, not able to eat anything at all.

“You’re weird today,” Wooyoung deadpanned, chin propped on his hand. “Spit it out before I throw my croissant at your face.”

Seonghwa looked up, chewing the inside of his cheek. He felt like a madman, all those small coincidences adding up into something he didn’t want to name. Maybe he just needed Wooyoung to laugh, to tell him he was being ridiculous, so he could just drop it and finally sleep at night.

He exhaled shakily and unlocked his phone. He connected his headphones and handed them to Wooyoung. “Listen to this,” he said, voice quiet.

“What—”

“Please, Youngie. Just—put them on and I’ll explain later.”

Wooyoung blinked, about to protest, then shrugged and put one earbud in. Seonghwa pressed play on the clip and he could hear Captain’s possessive voice bleeding through. This is what you do to me. What thinking about my cock in your pretty ass does to me?

Wooyoung froze mid-sip of his latte. For a second it didn’t even feel like he was breathing at all — then he yanked the earbud out like it had burned him. “First, ew! Why did I have to listen to Hongjoong dirty talk. Second, why would you of all people have a video of Hongjoong grunting and dirty talking?”

Seonghwa’s stomach dropped hard. Fuck.

“Youngie… I—that wasn't Hongjoong. That—that was Captain.”

Wooyoung stared at him like he had just told him the sky was green. He leaned forward, elbows hitting the table with a loud thud. “Hwa, babe. I might be an agent of chaos, but I’m not tone-deaf. That was Hongjoong.”

Seonghwa turned the phone toward him, showing the contact name on the screen. Captain.

Wooyoung’s eyes narrowed. He looked from the screen, back to Seonghwa and then back to the screen again. “You’re fucking kidding me…”

“I’m not.” Seonghwa’s voice was quiet. “It’s a video he sent me a few days ago and then… there are more things too. On the video, I could see tattoos, Youngie, and… I’m pretty sure they look like Hongjoong’s flowers.”

Wooyoung let out a low whistle. “Okay, so either someone’s playing the longest and meanest prank in the history of mankind, or…” He tilted his head, eyes narrowing. “…or you’ve been talking to and dating Hongjoong this whole time.”

Seonghwa pushed around one of the strawberries on his plate. “No. No, it’s not—he wouldn’t…”

Wooyoung’s voice turned soft. “Hwa…”

“Stop.” Seonghwa's fork clinked against the plate as he dropped it. “I’m not stupid. I know how it looks but… But what if I’m wrong, Youngie? What if I asked and I’m wrong… Can you fucking imagine?”

Wooyoung leaned in, his usual smirk replaced with something serious. “I get it, it could be really awkward if you ask either of them and you’re wrong. But… what if you’re not wrong?” he said softly. “What if they are really the same person and you’re just sitting here, driving yourself crazy instead of asking?”

Seonghwa shook his head frantically. “I can’t ask Youngie. I just can’t… I’ll look insane.”

“Maybe,” Wooyoung said, leaning closer. “But you’re already going insane.”

“Then what the fuck am I supposed to do?” Seonghwa snapped, regretting it instantly. “Sorry…”

Wooyoung tilted his head, studying him and then his smirk crept back. The dangerous kind. “If you won’t ask, then we make him tell on himself.

Seonghwa blinked, wary. “What do you mean?”

“Captain is possessive, right?” It wasn’t a question, not really. Wooyoung tapped his nails against the table. “That chain you wear for him? He goes feral over it, doesn’t he?”

Seonghwa hesitated, then nodded slowly.

“Okay…” Wooyoung leaned in, lowering his voice, “San’s party is tomorrow. I know you said no, but what if you came? Dressed to kill, showing skin and that chain on full display. Let someone touch it. If Hongjoong is Captain, he will react, he won’t be able to hide it, Hwa.”

For some reason, his mind snapped back to that night at the club. He remembered the looks he had written off as disgust and hatred, all twisted through his own tainted glasses. But now? The looks, the way he had tried to stop him from drinking, the way his eyes had lingered at that chain…

Seonghwa’s stomach twisted. “And if he doesn’t?”

“Then you walk away and forget it ever happened. No one needs to know.” Wooyoung leaned back into his chair, taking a sip from his latte.

“Stop fidgeting,” Wooyoung hissed as they walked through the door of San’s and Hongjoong’s place. “You look hot. That’s the point. Own it.”

Hot wasn’t how Seonghwa felt right now, if anything, he felt exposed. Not because of the clothes, he loved them, but because of that he was about to do. Each step made the golden starry chain resting against his waist feel heavier.

He had to admit though, Wooyoung had outdone himself. He tugged at the hem of his cropped jacket, more out of nerves than anything else — Wooyoung having already fussed over every detail until he looked like sin wrapped in black. The gloves, the red silk in his front pocket, the way his chain glimmered under the light whenever he moved…

Head turned, like Wooyoung had promised they would, but Seonghwa felt the weight of one gaze.

Hongjoong was across the living-room, leaning against a wall, a drink in his hand. His jaw tightened the second his eyes landed on Seonghwa — lingering and dragging slowly down the line of his body until they caught the chain. His piercing flashed as he caught his tongue between his teeth, but he didn’t look away. And neither did Seonghwa.

Wooyoung nudged him, pressing a drink into his hands. “Told you.”

Seonghwa took a deep breath. He was usually good, but tonight? Oh, tonight he would be nothing but a brat and see if someone would bite. “Shut up,” Seonghwa muttered, raising his glass to Hongjoong before downing it in one go.

Hongjoong raised a brow, jaw still tight, like he was daring Seonghwa to keep going. In fact, Seonghwa was just getting started.

San appeared a few seconds later and pressed another cup in Seonghwa’s hand. “You actually came,” he shouted over the music. “You look—damn. You look fucking hot.”

Seonghwa laughed, tipping the drink back fast. The burn made his eyes water but he didn’t care.

One drink blurred into another. Wooyoung danced like a menace, tugging Seonghwa’s hips, throwing arms over his shoulders and spinning him until he was dizzy. Seonghwa found that he was actually really enjoying himself, the alcohol helping him forget what he was here to do in the first place.

San joined in, loud and wild, and Seonghwa just let himself get pulled into it, into the laughter and the easiness of it all. The stars around his waist caught the light every time he moved, slipping free when Wooyoung tugged at his shoulders, when San spun him and when strangers pressed close. Fingers brushed his bare waist twice. A stranger leaned too close, breath hot against his ear as they laugh about nothing at all.

Seonghwa laughed too, breathless, even though something twisted in his stomach. He tilted his head back, pink hair sticking to his temple as another drink popped into his hand. Half of it was gone before he realized.

The weight of Hongjoong’s gaze never left him. No matter what Seonghwa was doing or where he was, he could feel it burning through the crowd. But it wasn’t enough to prove he was right.

Seonghwa should have stopped, he should have stepped back from the strangers getting to close, but something at the back of his mind told him to push. To keep going.

So he did.

He kept laughing with Wooyoung, moving to the music, the alcohol warming his veins. He let San tug him closer, their shoulders knocking together as the shouted along to the chorus. And when a stranger pressed in from behind, hands sliding low, Seonghwa didn’t move away. He tilted his head back, pink hair brushing the man’s bare shoulder, the golden stars of his chain flashing at every sway of his hips.

The chain felt like a dare now. Like a bait.

Heat prickled at the back of his neck and he didn’t have to look to know Hongjoong was still watching.

Seonghwa’s stomach flipped, equal part thrill and guilt, but like everything else, he shoved it down. Just a little longer. Just until he could be sure.

Another hand grazed the strip of bare skin above his waistband, too close to the stars dangling there. Seonghwa startled, forcing a laugh as he twisted away — only to crash into someone that wasn’t Wooyoung or San.

A hand seized his wrist and the cup tipped in his fingers, liquid splashing over his knuckles.

“Hey—”

But the voice that cut him off was low and rough. “Enough, Bunny.”

Hongjoong.

His hand slid up to his arm and he dragged Seonghwa out of the crowd, the music fading as they stopped into the corridor that lead to the bedrooms.

“Wait—Hongjoong, what are you—”

The door slammed shut behind them, and for the first time that night, Seonghwa realized that his pulse spiking had nothing to do with the alcohol.

“Are you happy?” Hongjoong’s voice was low and laced with anger and something else.

Seonghwa blinked, thrown off by the question. “What?”

“Did you get the attention you wanted?” Hongjoong’s eyes raked over him. “Dancing like that when you can barely fucking stand. Laughing and moving into whoever got close enough. Isn’t that why you drank yourself stupid again?”

Seonghwa chest tightened. Drank yourself stupid sounding so familiar.

Seonghwa tried to speak, but his brain did not want to cooperate with his mouth. “That’s not—I wasn’t—”

“You were fucking seconds away from someone putting their hands where they shouldn’t.” Hongjoong’s jaw clenched hard and his voice was sharp. “Keep it up and you’ll end up in someone else’s bed without even knowing how you got there. Do you think I want to spend my evening babysitting you?”

The words hit Seonghwa harder than the alcohol ever could and his chest twisted, feeling a sense of déjà vu. Hongjoong dragging him away, the chain at his waist, being dragged away like he was nothing but a problem to take care of.

“I never asked you to babysit me Hongjoong,” he forced out, his voice breaking on the name. “I can take care of myself just fine.”

“Yeah? You’re sure about that? Because from where I was standing, you looked like an easy fucking target.”

Seonghwa’s stomach churned. “I told you, I wasn’t—”

“What? You weren’t thinking?” Hongjoong sneered. “Yeah, that much was clear. You never fucking do.”

The voice in his head was clear.

Push. Keep going.

“That’s not fair!” The words burst out of him. “San is fucking drunk too, why is it always me you drag away to scold?”

Why always me, Hongjoong? Say it.

Please, say it. Tell me I’m right.

“Because it’s you,” Hongjoong shot back instantly like the answer was obvious.

Seonghwa froze.

Hongjoong’s voice was low and dark now. “Because you’re the one stumbling around, showing skin and that fucking chain that doesn't belong to them.” His eyes darted back to the chain and his jaw clenched so tightly it looked painful. “I thought I told you to cover it, Bunny. Why don’t you ever fucking listen to me?”

Seonghwa blinked, chest heavy. Hongjoong wouldn’t care that much about the chain if he—

Something deep inside him kept twisting. Something that had been growing steadily for a long time, right under his nose. Something he had kept missing and denying until very recently. Something he desperately wanted to be true. 

What if—

His throat when dry. What if he was actually right?

It felt like the alcohol just evaporated from his system all at once. Hongjoong’s glare pinned him right where he stood, making it hard to think too. But Seonghwa needed to know for sure, so he forced himself to turn, to walk toward the living room again.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Hongjoong snapped.

Seonghwa stiffened. He took a deep breath, forcing words out that were reckless and not even true. Words that might or might not get him the thing he wanted the most now.

“To have fun.”

To try and see if I’m right.

Hongjoong’s hand shot out, fingers curling around the black leather on his wrist in a bruising grip.

“Like hell you are.” His eyes burned and his voice dropped low and dangerous. “Don’t think your boyfriend would appreciate you pulling that shit.”

He swallowed hard, forcing himself to meet Hongjoong’s glare. “What would you know?”

Hongjoong’s grip tightened on his wrist. “Does he know you behave like a fucking brat?”

Seonghwa pushed again, harder this time, guilt and defiance mixing together until he couldn’t tell them apart anymore. “Do you see him anywhere? He doesn’t really care.”

The words lit something in Hongjoong and his eyes went dark. In one rough pull, he dragged Seonghwa down the corridor until they reached a door that he guessed was Hongjoong’s room. He shoved it open, pulled Seonghwa inside and shut the door.

Then suddenly, Seonghwa’s back hit the wall and Hongjoong’s body caged him, heat and fury almost palpable. One tattooed hand pressed against the wall next to Seonghwa’s head and the other claimed his waist, gripping right on the starry chain, thumb brushing the bare skin there like a threat.

Seonghwa shivered, chest tightening. The touch wasn’t gentle. It dripped with possessiveness, with something unspoken and undeniable that screamed mine and stole the breath away from Seonghwa.

“You think I don’t fucking care, Bunny?” he growled, voice dangerous.

Seonghwa’s breath caught, and his eyes widened because there it was, wasn’t it? The proof. Even drunk, he had heard it very well.

The I.

Not your boyfriend. I.

Hongjoong didn’t stop at that and his grip on Seonghwa’s waist tightened enough to make him gasp audibly, stars stabbing into his skin.

“You think I don’t care when I see their eyes crawling all over you? When you make it so damn easy for them to want you?” Hongjoong’s face was so close Seonghwa could feel the heat of his breath and the faint smell of cigarette, even though he hadn’t seen Hongjoong smoking once during the past month.

“I told you again and again, didn’t I?” Hongjoong’s voice dropped lower, rough and ragged. “I don’t fucking share what’s mine.”

Seonghwa froze and the words sobered him up instantly.

I don’t share what’s mine.

He knew those words, he knew them too well because Captain had written them, whispered them, more than he could count.

“Don’t you understand?” Hongjoong’s voice was almost raw, words spilling fast like he couldn’t hold them back. “I was never like that with anyone else. I didn’t fucking care. But you? I can’t stand the way they look at you. It drives me fucking insane! And then you drink like that and—fuck—didn’t I tell you not to be reckless again?

Seonghwa’s breath hitched as the undeniable truth slammed into him hard, and even if a deep, unconscious part of himself had known it, it still knocked the breath out of him. Because now he was certain that every call, every praise that had melted him, every coaxed moan and desperate whimpers… It was Hongjoong. 

The man he so desperately loved and craved…

It had been Hongjoong all along, hadn’t it?

Seonghwa’s eyes were wide, his chest was heaving and he couldn’t hide the way he looked at him. Hongjoong probably saw it — the shock and the recognition on his face.

For a moment it felt like neither of them breathed at all. Then Hongjoong’s expression changed, realization crashing across his face as hard as it had crashed into Seonghwa’s chest.

Hongjoong dropped his forehead onto Seonghwa’s shoulder. “Shit…”

Seonghwa swallowed hard. “C-Captain…?” His voice broke on the word.

Hongjoong stilled, forehead still pressed to Seonghwa’s shoulder, breath ragged. His grip on Seonghwa’s waist tightened, then loosened like he wasn’t sure he had the right to hold on anymore.

“Fuck,” he muttered, breath uneven before letting out a small, unamused chuckle. “I messed up, baby, didn’t I?”