There's a heavy weight on Saeran's chest. And it's snoring. Saeran cracks an eye and immediately regrets it, having forgotten to remove his contacts the night before. Dry, tacky lenses claw at his corneas.
MC snorts when Saeran reaches up to remove his contacts. He's overdue to switch out the current pair, and there's no pressing need to see right now. Not when he can hear MC's wheezing snores, smell her fragrant honeysuckle soap, and feel her soft warmth pinning him to the couch.
When had they fallen asleep? The TV drones on in the living room, proclaiming the morning headlines.
Information breach reported at megacorporation C&R...
Saeran remembers kissing, and touching, and…excusing himself to shower off his shame. Then they returned to the couch in comfy pajamas. A very distinct part of him craved more salacious activities, but MC was so sleepy and warm. She tucked herself into his arms and quickly dozed off.
And this is exactly how it could be. Him. MC. Happy together, without…
"Saeyoung?" asks MC, staring up through disheveled bangs and sleep crusted eyes. She smiles before giving a loud yawn complete with accompanying stretch.
"Guess again," says Saeran.
MC pushes her bangs out of the way and blinks owlishly for several seconds. "Saeran! Sorry." MC struggles to sit up without jabbing Saeran with her elbows. "You don't have your contacts in, and I was asleep, and…"
Saeran shrugs and looks away from her apologetic eyes. "No big deal."
If what MC and Luciel were proposing came to fruition, it couldn't be a big deal that she sometimes made advances on both brothers, or confused them with one another. At least, that's the way Saeran understood the situation.
It feels like a big deal, inside, but Saeran refuses to entertain the thought.
"Shit, what time is it?" asks MC, hands grasping out at the couch cushions until she locates a phone. It's Saeran's and she hands it to him after checking the time on the home screen. "We've got work, shit. I'll call Jaehee, you get dressed?"
"Sure thing," says Saeran, letting MC roll off of him before standing up.
"Oh, wait," says MC, turning to face Saeran. She lifts up slightly on her tippy toes and presses her mouth hard against his. "Morning, Saeran."
Saeran feels slightly dizzy and the smile that appears is like some kind of lovesick cartoon character.
"Sorry about the morning breath," says MC, padding away in the direction of her bedroom, laughing. Saeran stares as she leaves. The same annoying song begins blaring over the laptop speakers spilling into the hall.
Saeran has a mighty urge to call in sick and walk into that always open doorway to make up for some of the previous night's embarrassment. But MC's right—they do have work.
Opening at the cafe is always ungodly early, but it's nothing like the all-night sermons/brainwashing sessions of Mint Eye. Saeran is awake and alert, while MC yawns and bitches her way through the dawn hour prep.
Jaehee sits at one of the tables reserved for customers, sipping a coffee she made special for herself while staring down at a ledger.
"I'm so tiiiiiiiiired," says MC, pausing in the middle of refilling the syrups.
"If you'd done this before close, as I suggested, you wouldn't be working so hard this early," says Jaehee without so much as glancing over her mug.
"You fell asleep at ten, how can you be tired?" asks Saeran, pausing with an empty scoop in his hand. MC's bangs obscure most of her eyes but their sleepy droop is still evident in her jaw and shoulders.
"I had to get up at four-thirty, that's why I'm tired! I could have gone to bed at four in the afternoon and waking up at this disgusting hour would still suck," says MC, pausing with the chocolate syrup in her hand to yawn obnoxiously loud.
Jaehee makes a strange squeaking noise Saeran's never heard before. His head snaps up to stare as Jaehee stifles a yawn. Funny, Jaehee never seems to yawn at work. Maybe all the caffeine.
"I'm going to put you in the stockroom counting boxes if you can't stop yawning," says Jaehee, side-eyeing MC. "It's contagious you know."
"Or at least don't yawn so loud, you're not a cartoon character," says Saeran.
"How are you so awake?! We went to sleep at the same time!" MC sticks out a finger and lightly boops Saeran on the nose before sticking out her tongue. She turns too quickly and almost topples into the counter, flailing for a moment.
The sudden movement causes Saeran to drop a full scoop of coffee onto the ground. Beans skitter in all directions.
"Oops," says MC.
"You two stop playing around and get that cleaned up, it's time to open the doors," says Jaehee, collecting her things from the table. She unlocks the front door before heading toward the 'Employee's Only' area. "I'm going to continue the accounting in my office, just let me know if you need any help."
"Got it covered, boss," says MC, grinning at Saeran as she goes back to pouring chocolate into its proper container. "Got it, really covered just, frosted, almost. Lookin' good."
Saeran narrows his eyes before bending down, retrieving the brush and dustpan behind the counter. MC whistles causing him to crouch with his knees rather than bend at the waist. "Grow up," he hisses over his shoulder. MC giggles to herself.
After the beans are swept up and thrown away, Saeran volunteers the first shift standing at the register. The early morning customers expect prompt service and little else. They are more understanding than the afternoon crowd. Probably because of the ungodly hour.
The first customers in line stifle laughs. Saeran assumes there's some joke that's gone over his head. MC might be yawning again or making a fool of herself somehow. He serves the first customer without further incident. It's when the next three customers laugh that he finally realizes.
Saeran hands over a coffee and catches a glimpse of himself in the stainless steel coffee grinder. There, across his nose, like some warpaint, is a chocolate fingerprint smeared across the bridge of his nose.
"Do you wanna work the register? Because I can't talk to customers with this junk on my face," says Saeran.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," says MC, licking her lips suggestively. "You just looked so sweet I wanted to frost you and eat you up."
Jaehee pokes her head through the employee's door. "Saeran, go in the back room and wash your face. MC, you're in charge of the register. That seems to be the only thing that keeps you out of trouble."
"Yes, ma'am," says MC, grinning at Saeran's scowl.
As Saeran steps out of the bathroom, his face freshly scrubbed with the cheap paper towels, he's ambushed by MC. She pushes him into the wall, barely avoiding knocking over an entire box of unopened cardboard cup sleeves. Soft lips kiss away any irritated thoughts trying to form.
"I'm sorry, I'm bad at flirting, can you forgive me?" asks MC.
"You're a distraction," says Saeran, grinning, "I'm trying to work."
"You work too hard," says MC, leaning in to plant another lingering kiss on Saeran's lips. The crisp sound of a throat clearing pulls them apart.
"Saeran, would you mind manning the register, again? MC, you can help me unload some boxes"
Saeran raises an eyebrow at MC, but she only shrugs. He leaves the two women in the backroom and returns to the register right as two customers walk through the door.
It's several minutes, and several customers, before Saeran catches a break long enough to lean back against the counter and eavesdrop.
"I just hope you know what you're doing, I feel very protective of Saeyoung and Saeran both..."
"I get that, and you're a good friend," says MC's voice from within the room. "The best, really. I want to tell you more, but it's a personal matter, and I'm not sure if it's the best time. I mean, so far, nothing bad has happened…"
"So far?" asks Jaehee.
The doorbell jingles, and Saeran jumps so hard he knocks over a stack of insulated cups. MC emerges from the backroom, smirking. "I'll clean the mess, you deal with the customers."
"Thanks," says Saeran, smiling as MC kneels to pick up the cups.
"What happened to the last shipment?" asks Jumin, sitting next to floor to ceiling windows in the penthouse suite of Tokyo's most exclusive resort. He hums softly while waiting, the phone pressed tight to his ear. "And why was there such a dramatic decrease?"
Saeyoung clenches his eyes closed and forces his brain to work. It makes no sense. They followed the ping from the address to a rural area in Japan, but now new hits were popping up all over China, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and even one hit in Pyongyang.
"Kim Jung-un this better not be you..."
"What was that?" asks Jumin, holding the phone away from his cheek for a moment.
"Nothing, boss, keep chatting about your chocolate coffee bars or, cherry coffee bars, or..."
"They're coffee flavored non-chocolates, safe for cats," said Jumin, his face completely neutral. As though that was a completely normal thing to want to produce for cats.
Saeyoung shakes his head and stares back down at his thick laptop. It's fireproof, bombproof, waterproof, and heavy as a concrete brick. Now if only he could make it work to solve this complicated problem. Saeyoung hammers away, validating the addresses they had found, looking for some clue-some lead, or connection.
"Well, have the coffee people contact the cat people, directly, and explain the benefits of decaffeinated," said Jumin. "Thank you for your time." Jumin ends the call and shifts gray eyes over to Saeyoung.
"Is it imperative to the mission that you wear that?" asks Jumin.
"Is it imperative to the mission that you wear that?"
"I'm wearing a designer suit," says Jumin, tugging distractedly at his suit cuff. "You're wearing a maid outfit."
"I'm undercover at a hotel, there are maids here," says Saeyoung, adjusting the white, lacy cap clipped onto his long, red-haired wig.
"I ran into one of the resort's maids in the hallway," says Jumin, nodding. "She was wearing a maroon pantsuit and monogrammed apron."
"Well, I look better in black, so," says Saeyoung, flicking Jumin's words away with his fingers. "I'm busy, stop distracting me."
"You've been looking at these addresses all morning, we've vetted all eight of them..."
"Twelve," says Saeyoung. "It's twelve now, I got two new hits while you were on the phone with the guy from the winery...or was it the keyboards for cats...the cat-shaped bread guy..."
"I'm an important CEO, I can't take a leave of absence in the middle of this hacking fiasco without risking the loss of the Board of Directors' confidence," says Jumin, frowning. "And, for all we know, that's exactly what the hackers responsible want, a complete breakdown of the power structure at C&R."
"No, I'm pretty sure they're after me..."
"This isn't another one of those hacker games you play from time to time? Someone out to irritate you just for the sport of taking on one of the most 'leet' hackers in the business?"
"Jumin Han said leet," says Saeyoung, whipping out his cell phone and bringing up the messenger. " I don't know what to do with this information, but I feel like people need to know."
"Would you focus?" asks Jumin.
"Maybe I could just make a Triptr update or something…"
"Sir." One of the security guards approaches one hand up to his earpiece and the other hovering near his belt. "There's someone outside. He's requesting to speak with Mr. Choi."
Both of the security guards are tall with black shades, black hair, and black suits. Saeyoung stands up and reaches into the pocket of his hoodie, soothing himself to know that his gun is still concealed away.
"Let them in," says Saeyoung.
"Are you out of your mind?" asks Jumin. Both of the guards stare at him rather than Saeyoung. "Ignore that order. We have no idea who this is. A select few people know that I am in Tokyo at the moment, but no one knows that Saeyoung is accompanying me. I thought you'd taken precautions."
The last comment is directed at Saeyoung.
"I did, I left a ton of AI programs I wrote myself running at my place. I know they're monitoring my activity, somehow. I'm using the dummy programs to make them believe I am still at my house working."
"Well, it seems at least some of them weren't fooled," says Jumin.
"I'm always careful, but sometimes you need to face problems head-on," says Saeyoung. His fingers slide across the gunmetal in his pocket. "Let 'em in."
"Get the individual's full credentials..." starts Jumin.
"We already have his credentials, Mr. Han, he only gave the name 'Vanderwood'...
"VANDY!" Saeyoung rushes through the reaching arms of the security guards to the hotel door. He throws it open to reveal two more security guards, holding Vanderwood at bay.
For his part, Vanderwood looks completely bored in a black, leather jacket with nice black slacks and a soft cream shirt.
"Bout time," says Vanderwood.
"VANDY! What are you doing here, oh my goodness, Japan vacation with buddies! We should get outside of the city and hit up some onsens, like old times!"
"I'm not here for a pleasure visit," says Vanderwood. "And don't call me that."
"Oh, shit," says Saeyoung, his hand returning to his pocket. "Please tell me it wasn't you. And make me believe you."
"I know there's a gun in your pocket, Seven," says Vanderwood.
"Maybe I'm just happy to see you?"
"Your sweatshirt pocket, pervert," says Vanderwood, snickering. "I'm afraid I don't know the people tracking you down, but my agency suspects they're another, less scrupulous agency, hired by none other than the prime minister of South Korea."
"I...I don't..."
"Vanderwood," says Jumin Han, appearing at Saeyoung's shoulder. "Please, come inside, we can speak privately within my suite. I'm afraid I must insist that you give us any information that you have that could help keep my company safe."
"Lucky for you, my boss gave me clearance to do just that," says Vanderwood, sauntering into the suite. "That's why I'm here. The person we were tracking led us to a remote location outside of Tokyo. They caught us when we got too close to the hideout, and we scared them away, but we were able to deduce that the person we tracked was tracking was you."
Vanderwood points at Saeyoung, rather than Jumin.
"So many people tracking me," says Saeyoung, holding his hand over his mouth as he giggled. "Oh, my, so popular..."
"I think I finally know why," says Vanderwood.
"Then you will be telling us," says Jumin.
Vanderwood gives a short nod.
"My company was hired by the Liberty party, to investigate the prime minister," says Vanderwood. "There were several other agencies working adjacent to us. It's become apparent the Prime Minister is involved in sharing secrets and deferring decisions to a foreign party, a spiritual leader outside of our own country. The insiders are calling for the Prime Minister's immediate resignation, but so far..."
Vanderwood spreads his hands out in front of him.
"I could have told you he was a crooked piece of shit," says Saeyoung, scowling.
"I suspect you could have..." Vanderwood's eyes shift between Jumin and Saeyoung. "Do you wish to speak about what else I know…in private?"
"Jumin knows," says Saeyoung, without flinching. "I'm guessing that, now, you do, too?"
"Gentlemen, if you could assist us by waiting in the hall?" Jumin directs the guards out of the room, doubling the number of black suits hovering near their door. The opposite of inconspicuous. No wonder Vanderwood found them so easily.
"As the party gets closer to making a move, the Prime Minister has hired agencies of his own to negate our every move. The abandonment of twins out of wedlock would be a disgraceful moral stigma for the prime minister, helpful in calling for his termination. We've been searching for signs of these twins for years now. But so are these other agencies. The Liberty party wants these twins protected. The prime minister wants them removed as a threat."
"Removed, as in, dead." It's a statement, not a question. Saeyoung exhales a laugh devoid of any humor. "The sperm donor for me and Saeran wants us dead. Better dead than an embarrassment."
"I grew up being told that my father was a liar and a dickhead, but he paid my mother to shut up so she took the cash and drank herself into a gutter. She told us we couldn't leave the house or else someone would try to kidnap us to use against him. But I guess most likely scenario was that he would hunt us down himself. Enforce that abortion mom refused to get. For whatever reason."
"I apologize," says Vanderwood, "I hadn't realized you would take it so hard."
"I'm not taking it hard," says Saeyoung, but the worried looks from both Jumin and Vanderwood, his least expressive friends, are concerning. "Not that hard. I used to think our mother would kill us, considering what a huge inconvenience we were for her and whoever our father was, but I know now, that would mean the end of her extortion money…" Saeyoung stops and forces on a big smile. "Sorry, I get off topic easily…"
Vanderwood and Jumin exchange a quick glance before Vanderwood continues.
"These hackers have been spying on you, hacking C&R just to get your attention-"
"Ha! Told you, Juju…"
"...and they lured you to one of several safe-houses of theirs to complete the contract."
"So what stopped them? Why didn't they kill me?" asks Saeyoung, his voice much calmer than he felt.
"We tracked them first," said Vanderwood, smirking.
"Awww, Vandy, you love me…" says Saeyoung, fluttering his lashes. "My knight in shining armor, rushing in to save me."
"That's hardly the situation."
"Wait until I tell Jaehee what an amazing hero you are…"
"So then what is our next move?" asks Jumin.
"If I might make a suggestion?" asks Vanderwood, waiting politely until both men present nod their approval. "We should go to another of these designated locations, leading with Saeyoung instead of myself. We're more likely to get close and get answers from the person inside. Once we know which agency is working against you, we'll know where to go next."
"So then, Vandy rushes in..."
"Don't call me that," says Vanderwood.
"Did you hear that?" asks Saeyoung, holding the camera up and away to show Vanderwood sitting in the suite's sitting area, an open magazine obscuring most of his face. "Vandy says hi!"
"Aww, Vanderwood, Jaehee talks about you all the time," says MC, giggling into her phone. Saeyoung reaches out and gently touches the screen, though MC can't see the gesture. She looks so happy.
"How's Saeran?" asks Saeyoung.
"He's good, he's good," says MC, giggling so hard the phone jiggles somewhat in her grip. "He's in the shower right now..."
"Alone?!" asks Saeyoung, giving a cheeky grin and waggling his eyebrows until his glasses slant askew.
"Ha ha, yes, alone," says MC, grinning. "Someone put chocolate sauce on his face at work so he wanted to shower as soon as he got home."
"Oh, I wonder who would do such a cruel thing," says Saeyoung, smirking.
"I don't know," says MC, laughing. "Oh, man, and you gotta check out this pic, I'm sending it right now..."
Saeyoung stares at the screen as MC starts fiddling with her phone. The camera continues to transmit her concentrating face. The way her nose scrunches up. Her eyes go sharp and focused. Her thick bangs fall into her eyes.
"Okay, sent!"
Saeyoung watches as the alert flashes on the screen and clicks on the picture. MC has taken the photograph herself with a forward facing camera, and it's from their shared bedroom. The computer is on in the background, paused on a scene of MC's favorite dance video. The one she's been trying to learn in time for the RFA Party. Saeran's standing beside her, one hand around her waist, and a bored expression on his face. It's obvious they are matching the pose on the screen.
"So I'm trying to get Saeran to dance with me since you're always wanting to dance the same part I want to dance," says MC, giggling to herself. "And he's good! Like, surprisingly good, he would probably hiss if he heard me saying that, but he's a good dancer. I really hope I can convince him to get on the dance floor with me in a couple weeks..."
"That's great," says Saeyoung, surprised at how chipper the words sound because they feel heavy. Wrong. "So awesome. Glad you two are getting along."
"We are definitely getting along, I have a lot to report, but I really want you to be here, and I'm worried about you, worried sick, babe, are you okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine," says Saeyoung, forcing a smile. "Have you seen Zen?"
"Nah, he didn't come by the coffee shop today," says MC, her face once again taking up the entirety of the screen. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothing, just Juju seems a little on edge because we had to leave before he could explain to Zen that the woman the news is claiming he's dating was just a casual business lunch."
"Well, yeah, Zen probably knows that, though, the news is always claiming that Jumin's dating everyone who appears with him out in public. Remember the time they thought he was dating me?!"
"You didn't seem to mind much," says Saeyoung, chuckling. "I know the news is always like that, just, due to their strange relationship at the moment..."
"Ah, yeah," says MC, giggling. "Ooh, I think I hear Saeran getting out of the shower. You want to talk to him?"
"No," says Saeyoung, the words coming faster than intended. "No, that's alright, but, um, listen, I hope you two aren't waiting to take your relationship to any kind of next level due to me not being there."
"What do you mean?" asks MC.
"Well, I know I said everything was fine, and it is, and if I come back in town and find out you two are together, well, that would make the next leg of this thing...easier, maybe, I don't know..."
"He's definitely opening up," says MC. Her head suddenly jerks as she stares in the direction of the hallway. "Saeran!"
The way she says the name, it's apparent even over the tinny speaker of the phone. There's so much real joy there. Has it always there, or is it new? MC had always had a soft spot for Saeran being Saeyoung's abused twin brother. But maybe now there was more.
Or maybe Saeyoung was imagining things. Maybe Saeyoung was jealous.
"Saeran, c'mere and say hey to Saeyoung," says MC.
"No, MC, that's okay, I gotta go, oh my god would you look at that, Vanderwood and Jumin just spilled baby oil all over themselves, you know what this means," says Saeyoung, nodding solemnly. "I need to go officiate this wrestling match."
"That's not happening, Jumin's not even in the room right now," says Vanderwood from his perch on the couch.
"Love you, MC, tell Saeran I said hi, and you two have fun, go do something I wish I was there doing, I'll talk to you later, mwah!" Saeyoung smooches obnoxiously at the camera before slamming his thumb on the disconnect button.
He stares at the black screen for several seconds before the app closes out and the picture of Saeran and MC dancing reappears. Saeyoung's stomach feels sour.
"What's gotten into you? How can you look unhappy to be talking to the girl you risked everything for," says Vanderwood.
"I still would risk anything for her, she's my fiancee now, you know," says Saeyoung. "It's just complicated, right now. I miss her so fucking much."
"That makes sense," says Vanderwood, nodding.
"I'm going to take a break, the screen is killing my eyes," says Saeyoung, standing up and giving a dramatic stretch and yawn. "You good out here until I come back?"
Vanderwood noisily flicks a page in the magazine. "I'm fine, thanks for the concern."
Saeyoung scurries into the adjoining room. He wants to sleep, and scream, and fly home to MC and Saeran.
If he returns and finds that they are sleeping together, that would be for the best, right? It would mean that Saeran is open to the idea of their polyamorous relationship. Everything would be just as Saeyoung had hoped and dreamed.
So why did everything feel so strange?
"And a five, six, seven..." MC starts on the beat, tapping her toes and grabbing for Saeran's hand. She places it on her waist and begins to walk through the movements.
Saeran knows the moves. He didn't realize that he knew them until the music started the first time and MC was twirling effortlessly into his arms. He had watched MC from afar, through an open door, and out in the living room on occasion. He had watched her so carefully he had absorbed the movements, almost through osmosis.
"You're so good at this," says MC, laughing as she dances the girl's part which contains considerably more movement and turns. All Saeran needs to do for the majority of the song is stand and offer a hand, and a short section in the middle where they dance simple movements in sync.
"I wish I could say the same about you," says Saeran, smirking. MC's answer is a swift jab in the chest with her elbow.
"Be nice!"
"You be nice," says Saeran, wrapping his arms around MC to stave off any more forthcoming attacks. He easily swings her toward the bed, and MC lands with a heavy oof. Two legs fly out and wrap around Saeran, pulling him down onto the bed on top of her with a matching oof.
Hands snake up Saeran's back, into his hair, still damp from the shower. Soft lips find his own and soon he's kissing MC, as casual and normal as though it were something that happened every day. When their lips break, MC giggles but keeps her face close, nose coming in to nuzzle against Saeran's.
"I talked to Saeyoung," says MC.
"What's...Saeyoung...doing now?" asks Saeran.
"GASP," says MC, pronouncing the word as she actually gasps along with it. "You called him Saeyoung! Oh my god, I need to text him and tell him!"
Saeran's hand flies to pin MC's wrist to the bed, "Don't you dare."
"Why not?" asks MC. "He'll want to know!"
"Because I'd rather...I'd rather do that in person," says Saeran, a sudden rush of heat rising to his cheeks. "I'd rather he hear it from me."
Saeran stares at the bedspread, an obnoxiously bright red thing. He stares at the matching red sheets, at a clump of laundry in the corner, and a spot of flaking paint on the wall. Anywhere but at MC beneath him.
When he finally dares to look back, she's staring up at him with dark eyes, soft and focused. "You're a good brother, Saeran."
"I'm a shitty brother," says Saeran, a bark of self-deprecating laughter escaping. "The worst. I tried to kill him, for fuck's sake, and then I moved into his house, fucked up his life, and tried to steal his girlfriend."
"You're not trying to steal me," says MC, her tone polite, like correcting someone speaking a new language for the first time. "Saeyoung is accepting of the idea of a relationship between the three of us. The fact that our relationship is growing closer is in line with what he wants for all of us. You don't have to feel bad about that."
"Fine, but the other shit..."
"You were brainwashed, Saeran," says MC, pushing up to her elbows. Saeran sits back on the bed, allowing her to sit up next to him. "Your mother wasn't ready to be a mother, your father made her life hell, you were preyed upon by a master manipulator, and abused, and none of that is your fault. Since Saeyoung saved you from that place, you've worked hard, at your own pace, to overcome. That's what's important."
"I don't feel like I'm a brother to him," says Saeran, his voice quiet and serious. MC drapes one of her arms around Saeran's shoulders and gives a squeeze.
"He thinks you're a brother to him. Saeyoung would do anything for you, and now you're realizing it, and trying to be better to him," says MC. "Things are going to work out. I can feel it."
"But won't he be pissed at me? Won't he be jealous? I mean, if we have sex..."
"Do you want to have sex?" asks MC, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.
"Uh, right now?" asks Saeran. MC's answer is a shrug and a sly smile. "I mean, yeah, but..."
"You don't have to worry about what happened last night, because…"
"Yeah, about last night," says Saeran, frowning. "I was embarrassed last night, and nervous. I didn't want to get into the details of the situation. But today, I feel like you have a right to know. I've never been with anyone, before. Not with a girl, or a boy. Not even a kiss on the lips."
"How's that possible? You're twenty-two years old and hot as hell, you're telling me those Mint Eye girls weren't…"
"Some of them were interested, maybe," says Saeran, shrugging. "But I was too devout. Too devoted to the Savior, and too engulfed with my need for revenge against Luciel. Er. Saeyoung."
"So you stayed a virgin, all these years?" asks MC.
"Not...on purpose, I wasn't saving myself because of some purity issue, I was just too absorbed in other things to put any time into getting laid…"
"Wow, so I need to teach you like, everything," says MC, brow scrunching up as she thinks.
"Well, not everything, I mean, the Internet is a thing, so I know…"
"You know about the birds and the bees? How when a man, and a woman, and another man fall in love and want to experiment in bed…"
"Stop," says Saeran, grimacing. "I know enough. But I just wanted to be honest about it, in case you noticed that I'm new to all this…"
"And you want me to be the person to show you those specifics?" asks MC.
"Yes," says Saeran.
MC smiles and reaches out to gently run the backs of her fingers across Saeran's cheeks. "Do you want to have sex with me right now?"
Saeran nods, his hand flying up to hold MC's hand against his cheek. "Yes."
MC leans in, lips brushing against Saeran's as they settle onto the bed. She's leading the movements, but they're too slow. Gentle. Saeran nips at MC's lip and forces her lips to open.
A soft moan snuffs out between their moving lips before Saeran even knows which one of them made it. When their mouths hover apart, Saeran gulps breath and attempts to move directly back in for another kiss.
"Hey," whispers MC, placing the tiniest kisses along Saeran's jaw, "you don't have to move so fast. I'm not going anywhere."
Saeran pauses, frowning as he stares at MC's eyes. "You're having second thoughts?"
"No," says MC, immediately, rising enough to kiss him fully on the lips. "Zero regrets, I just, don't want a repeat of yesterday. I thought we could take our time tonight..."
The kisses that follow are soft caresses, teasing more than satisfying. Saeran's eyes flutter closed and he holds himself in place as MC kisses his cheeks, lips, chin, and then up to his ear.
"Oh," says Saeran, hot breath against the shell of his ear causing every nerve ending in his body to feel raw and overstimulated. He flinched away when he felt the wet tip of a tongue encroaching on his earlobe.
"Too much?" asks MC. Smirking. She's enjoying this. Like testing him, systematically for weaknesses.
Saeran surges forward and presses his open mouth to MC's neck. He places suckling kisses along her throat before she can argue, kissing further up until he's breathing against her ear. She explodes in a fit of giggles.
"Okay, watch it, I'm ticklish," she says while squirming and struggling in a way that sends a jolt straight to Saeran's cock.
He gulps.
MC redistributes her weight on the bed so she can reach up and help Saeran pull his thin gray shirt over his head. Saeran ducks his head, helping her remove his shirt. Feather-light fingers trace the thick black lines of his tattoo.
"Do you regret your tattoo?" asks MC in a quiet voice.
"No," says Saeran, looking down at the Mint Eye symbol snaking across his shoulder and forearm. "It's part of my history. It's fitting that it's emblazoned on my skin forever."
"But you're allowed to move on," says MC, leaning forward to press a kiss directly to the center of the symbol. Saeran sighs gently at the gesture.
"I want to add to it," says Saeran, watching MC still tracing his tattoo.
"That's a beautiful idea," says MC, meeting his eyes with a smile. "With the right additions, this can become something even more fitting as a symbol of how far you've come."
Saeran kisses her again. Because she's the first person to acknowledge to his face how far he has come. Because she's the only person to know him this way. Because she was the one person he wanted to share this part of himself with.
The kisses move and grow becoming longer until breathing seems to have taken a backseat to other needs. Saeran breaks to slide his fingertips beneath MC's dress and pulls it over her head with one fluid movement.
Beneath the dress, MC wears a dainty pink bra with white lace and a tiny satin bow between her breasts. Her underwear has some type of wording repeated over and over. Saeran leans closer and squints. "What's today?"
"You're as bad as Saeyoung," mutters MC, answering with a kiss instead.
But Saeran's distracted. He pulls away from the kiss and moves down her chest instead. He moves lower until his lips are no longer kissing, only dragging, tasting, feeling. He places a tender kiss on each visible curve of her breasts then reaches an arm behind her and feels for a clasp.
Then feels some more. Then more.
MC giggles when he finally admits defeat.
"That can take some practice, even with two hands," says MC, smirking. She wiggles out from under Saeran and twists her body to give him a view of her smooth back. She reaches behind herself easily and expertly removes the three clasps holding her breasts prisoner. The pink bra slides free of her arms, and lands on the floor.
When she turns around, Saeran forgets to breathe. Her breasts are bared for him. She looks remarkably soft and he succumbs to the need to touch and feel every inch of her. The slopes, the curves, the pebbled flesh of her nipples reacting to the cold air-and the piercing feeling of his eyes on them.
So engrossed in exploring MC, Saeran jumps in surprise when he feels a hand cupping his erection through his pants.
"I know I said I wanted to take it slow," says MC, squirming where she sits in just her underwear. "But I'm feeling rather exposed here, and I'm getting pretty wet so..."
Wet. Saeran knows about that-he's seen plenty of videos. But something about knowing MC is wet-for him-draws out a pitiful whine that makes MC grin. Her hands find his waistband and she quickly undoes his pants and starts to ruck them down his legs before Saeran assists her and removes his pants and boxers in one sweep.
MC's hand is simultaneously knowledgeable and questing. She touches him in ways that feel amazing, but she also watches his reactions. When he inhales sharply as her thumb glides over his slit, she takes note and repeats the action. Her fingers map out the flare of his cockhead and the veins in his shaft.
There's a fleeting moment when Saeran's thighs tighten and he's sure he's going to come again-but MC's hand retreats at the exact right moment, allowing him time to catch his composure. Once the crisis is averted, he nods to MC and mouths a quiet, 'thanks.'
MC moves, sitting up on her knees as she reaches again for Saeran's cock.
"Sit on the bed," says MC, her dark eyes looking darker than he had ever seen them before, "I'm going to ride you. And you're going to like it."
Saeran sits back on the bed so quickly the mattress bounces gently. He watches in awe as MC pulls down her panties revealing the soft vee of her mound complete with a tiny strip of brown hairs cut short. Saeran wets his lips and stares.
"Do I need to..." Saeran reaches out toward MC instead of continuing, but she guides his hand away and grins.
"You don't need to worry about me, I'm good to go," says MC. She walks on her knees and straddles Saeran's thighs before grabbing his hand and guiding it back. MC brings Saeran's hand to the silky skin around her entrance. "Feel?"
Saeran curls his fingers barely, afraid to touch. Afraid he might frighten away this ethereal creature straddling his bare lap and staring into his eyes with dark, mischievous eyes.
"Wet."
MC giggles, fingers wrapping around Saeran's cock as she guides it gently to her entrance. "Yes, wet," she agrees, rotating her hips to allow the head to slide back and forth between the valley of her lips, " wet for you, Saeran."
Was she always this wanton? This forward? Or was it just for him. Saeran wants to ask, but he also doesn't want to bring up potentially sensitive subjects. Not while it's all so new and he risks losing that wet heat sliding across his cock.
With another rotation, MC's hips jut forward and he feels himself breach her opening. It's with a practiced motion that MC lowers herself slowly, taking her time, dropping her hips down until Saeran bottoms out deep inside.
It's like nothing he's felt before. Tight walls gripping his cock. It's so much better than the mindless grinding before. He's sure that he won't be able to last-except he's lasting. Even when MC makes a breathy exhale and begins to rock her hips, slightly.
Saeran's hands fly to MC's waist, trailing lower to squeeze her hips and ass as she moves torturously slow. Each time he's sure she's going to rise completely from his lap, but she slides back down, her wetness coating him, decreasing the friction, and increasing the speed.
MC's eyes are closed. She bites her lower lip and hair falls on her face almost obscuring it completely. Saeran rushes to push her bangs away from her eyes and they fly open, meeting his.
"Does it feel okay?" asks Saeran.
"You feel so good," says MC.
It's the kind of validation that makes Saeran's cock twitch and throb. It won't be long. He grasps at MC's ass, squeezing and thrusting upwards simultaneously.
"I want you," says Saeran, the words ragged and coarse. "I've wanted you for so long. I can't..."
"You don't have to worry about lasting," says MC, leaning forward to kiss Saeran's temple. "You just focus on feeling good. This time is about you. I want to show you how good it can feel when you're with someone you care about."
"Yes," the word comes out as a breathy hiss and Saeran continues to struggle to raise his hips. He needs to get deeper. He wants to push harder. He needs to fill MC up completely...
"Is it safe?" asks Saeran, immediately hating the wording. "I mean, do you have a condom, or.."
"I'm religious about my birth control, you don't need to worry," says MC, gyrating her hips with a new vigor. "You're close, huh? That's good. Because I want you to finish inside of me. It's only fair it's your turn to make me as yours-because we're all in this together. I'm yours."
Saeran groans. He's had enough. He pushes MC back onto her back on the bed, feeling his cock slide out easily and the bite of the chilly air on his wet shaft. He positions himself on top of her and his cock seeks out MC's entrance on instinct alone. Soon, he's thrusting back inside and pushing MC's legs open and back.
"Saeran!"
She doesn't sound mad. She sounds pleased. Impressed, even. And her face is a mask of lust as Saeran starts to pound forward with his hips, enjoying the rhythmic slapping of wet skin each time their bodies meet.
It's too much, and not enough. He wants to be deeper. He needs to have all of her. The way her breasts bounce with each impact and her bangs stick to her sweaty forehead. Saeran takes a mental picture. He memorizes the moment. He...
"Oh, God, I'm coming..."
MC moans as Saeran thrusts to the hilt and grinds into her warmth, spilling more come than he thought possible. His balls twitch until every last drop is spent.
Saeran opens his eyes. When had they closed? He's staring down at a breathless MC, flushed from her navel to her forehead, and smiling.
"That was awesome," she says."
"It was good for you?" asks Saeran, realizing MC must not have reached the same climactic finish.
"I'm better than good," says MC, reaching up to rest her hands on Saeran's shoulders. "It feels like I'm finally free to be with you the way I want to. The only thing missing is Saeyoung..."
And the name doesn't sting. There's a brief moment of worry-was he not enough? Was Saeyoung better in bed? But his conscious mind silences it and chases away those doubts. He's sitting in bed, still inside of the woman he adores, with proof of his adoration dripping out, soaking their thighs.
"I miss him too," Saeran admits.
And it feels like the world had lifted from his shoulders.
[[Chatroom Transcripts]]
707: MC!
MC: SAEYOUNG!1!
MC: MY LOVE
MC: I MISS YOU SO MUCH
707: I MISS YOU TWO
Jumin Han: Can we please type normally without all of the capitalization?
Jaehee Kang: I actually agree with Jumin.
MC: Look at you two getting along
707: I KNOW RIGHT
Jumin Han's irritated emote.
MC: I know you can't talk about where you're at or what you're doing
MC: But we missed you so much today! I took a pic for you!
707: YAY! PIC OF THE BAE TO BRIGHTEN MY DAY
MC sends a photograph of herself and Saeran.
MC: Saeran sends his love too
Unknown: I do not.
707: You two look happy.
Unknown: She forced me to take that picture.
Jaehee Kang: That reminds me. I've been meaning to speak with you, MC. In private.
MC: Then we can talk at work in the morning! Right now i'm missing Saeyoung!
MC: After that, more emails!
Unknown: Ugh. Isn't Yoosung supposed to be helping with this?
Jaehee Kang: It's rather important. I will send you a private message instead.
MC: Yoosung got a girlfriend, I haven't seen him all day! (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)
707: Vanderwood says hello, Jaehee.
Jaehee Kang's shining eyes emote.
Jaehee Kang: I wasn't aware that Vanderwood was going to join you…
707: Neither were we. Long story.
Jaehee Kang: Too bad Vanderwood is not a member of our messenger…
MC: HEY! Great idea! Saeyoung you should add him?!
707: Too busy right now.
MC: Of course, I meant later, sorry
Unknown: You seem off. Is something wrong?
707: Nope, just really busy, Jumin, something new popped up on the computer, come back into the main area.
Jumin Han has left the chat room.
Unknown: You're sure?
MC: If there's anything we can do to help we want to help!
707 has left the chat room.
Unknown: Saeyoung?
A/N: Finishing up the drama, and reuniting our threesome next chapter, then on to the party! Thanks to anyone who reads this story