#-wtf you didn’t argue against it why are you smacking me- -I was curious but it was still stupid-

[cow-tag]

That one scene from hotel Transylvania but it’s leo throwing Vivi off a roof as “flying lessons”

[noonachronicles]

Everlong Pt. 9

Kwon Jiyong/ G Dragon X Reader

Word count: 16k (LOL WTF)

Warnings: Language, Smut.  

Genre: Hades/Jiyong. Greek God AU. Fantasy.

A/N: I had been feeling confident about this but then got nervous because....this is longer than most of my one shots and if everyone that’s been waiting so patiently hates it and it flops I’ll probably cry. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Update Tag: @kathrynwynterbourne , @keepthelightoff​, @blue-lungs, @violagoth , @un-idntfied , @optimizche , @de-gabyconamor , @134340-cm @wonderful39530​ @ohgeezitsbreadgenie​

Moodboard by bae @memoiresofaneternaldreamer​

“Who is she?”

Hades burst through the entrance to the Hall of Destiny already panting. He didn’t have a lot of time, he’d left you asleep in the forest of Asphodel and had to make sure he was back by your side before you woke up. The Fates, with no surprise to him, sat unbothered by his abrupt entrance. Having already expected him.

“No one.” Lachesis grinned.

“Someone.” Clothos smacked her sister.

With a sigh Atropos finally looked up from the work in her lap. “We already warned you of her. I’m not sure why you’re coming to us now, Hades.”

“Why? Why did she come into my life? How is she connected to this world? It’s as if she is one of us without being one of us. This is impossible. I need an explanation.” Hades was frustrated. “Tell me what I’m supposed to do, tell me what it means!”

Clothos found his emotions interesting. Hades most typical manners were anger or calm. To see him merely frustrated was curious. “She is bound to you.”

“How?” He asked, his heart was racing, he needed to know. He had to make sense of you.

“We don’t know. Perhaps it was fate.” Atropos smirked. “She was born a mortal. And then by chance, it would seem, her thread intersected with your own. Now she is becoming one of the immortal, becoming... more.”

“Immortal?” He nearly shrieked, “I don’t understand. How does this happen? You don’t just become an immortal. You are born into it or you do something so worthy it’s gifted to you. It’s not as if she’s done something to deserve the right. You have to do something to become immortal.”

Lachesis grew annoyed by his claims. “You speak as if this was her choice, Hades. As if she asked for this. As if we three played a hand in it…This was you. Your thread found hers. Your thread intertwined. You made it your fate to never let her go and now she is bound, likely forever.”

“Show me.”

“You know we cannot.”

“SHOW ME!” Hades bellowed, his voice echoing through the hall.

Clothos stood reluctantly. Of the three sisters she feared him the most and thus was most willing to break the rules for fear of his wrath. He followed her as she slowly made her way through the hall to a door that stood wide and bright. Made of solid gold. She placed a gentle palm on the door, there was no handle or knob, and it seemed to have swung open of its own accord. The walls were dark stone but you’d never notice. The room was glowing bright, like looking into the sun. Hades squinted for a bit until his eyes finally adjusted.

The light from the room came from the strings that draped the walls like curtains, there were hundreds. All of them a warm and glowing gold that matched the door to the room. The Chamber of the Immortal. In the center of the room were five gold threads, thick as ship rope, hung from the ceiling. His and his siblings ropes. Clothos made her way to the five threads and beckoned Hades to follow.

“This is you.” She said placing her hand onto one of the ropelike threads.

As she did several smaller gold threads started to appear. Some of them disappeared into his entirely, some of them pulled away and then would attach back further down, some would attach and break away and never came back at all. They were all of the different immortal souls that had come into contact with the god in his lifetime.

Clothos lifted her other hand to one of the threads that seemed to appear out of nowhere, starting a few feet above where her hand was placed, nowhere near where his began. “And this is her.”

His eyes started at the top of your thread and followed it down. “So she really is no one?”

“She was no one and then she became someone to you. We don’t know how. We almost didn’t notice at all.” Clothos said quietly as he looked at how the two threads intertwined. “You can see it happened quite slowly at first. Barely meeting, just here and there. Now hers aligns with yours side by side, and may soon become fully encompassed, making her a true immortal.”

Your thread began as mortals threads do, as a twine. A normal and dull, beige tone. It remained the same for quite some time, the majority of your life so far. Then there was a slight unraveling of both your thread and his. They hooked together once or twice, a thin and weak connection. And then, as Clothos had said his thread had started to encompass your own. Pulling unraveled bits into his golden thread until yours had nearly disappeared into his completely. Only a single strand of beige was still visible. Towards the bottom your thread started to break apart from his once more, only this time your thread was gold like his. Smooth and silky like the immortals. His eyes followed the thread for a bit longer until it seemed to disappear. It didn’t end, an immortals thread didn’t end. It just simply faded from view.

“What’s this?” He asked the concern in his voice undeniable.

“A choice.” She answered softly.

He didn’t understand. “A choice that I make?”

Clothos shook her head, “A choice for her to make.”

“When will it happen?”

“Soon.”

“What will happen once she’s chosen?”

“It depends on the choice she makes.” Clothos felt pity at his exasperated sigh, “I can not tell you, Hades. You know too much now as it were.”

He held your thread in his palm and barely above a whisper he said, “...but she ate the fruit.”

Clothos nearly laughed, “That only works if you’re willing to reinforce it.”

“I’m going to!” He pouted, “I might...I could.”

“You were never going to make that girl stay here against her will.”

“I love her.”he was so frustrated he thought he might cry.

He was a god! He could have anything he wanted, do anything he wanted to. He made the rules. However he also knew Clothos was right. He would never make you do anything you didn’t want to.

“You love her so much you gave her immortality without even thinking about it. That you love her is indisputable.”

“But I could still lose her?”

“It’s her choice, Hades.” she said with a hint of pity. “You’ve given her a gift no god has ever given a mortal before. Absolute free will, completely unrestricted, no caveats.”

“Cou-“ he took a nervous breath, “Giving up her soul for someone else, could that do this?”

“Well, yes. In that case she would relinquish her immortality and her thread would be cut immediately. That could very well be why her future is so uncertain.” It was curious to the sister to see Hades in such turmoil, in this moment she didn’t fear him but she chose to help him regardless. “Perhaps... her decision could be persuaded.”

“Persuaded?” he asked hopefully.

“You are the god of the underworld, Hades. Use your tools.”

“Tools? What tools?” He asked more confused than before.

“You’re a clever god, you’ll figure it out.” She said with a small smile before going back to join her sisters.

Hades stood in the Chamber of the Immortal for quite a bit longer. He held your connected threads in his palm and thought back to every moment the two of you had shared together. The night you’d met, your first real conversation, the dream you’d shared…He inhaled quickly and patted his jacket where he felt his notebook. Maybe there would be some questions to answer. Perhaps he’d have to explain who he was. Despite all that he knew what he had to do now, this might be his only chance.

-

When you woke up the next morning Jiyong was by your side. Your arm was still wrapped snugly around his waist and his arm was thrown over your shoulder. You rubbed the sleep from your eyes before leaning away from his chest, which you’d been resting on. He’d been watching you quietly, curiously.

“Good morning.”

“Morning,” you blushed, your eyes moved down his body in an effort to avoid his soft gaze. You realized your leg had wrapped around his. You quickly removed yourself from him and sat up, “sorry...”

He chuckled lightly at the panic that was clear on your face. “Don’t worry about it. Are you ready for more walking?”

You groaned, your feet were so sore, just thinking about walking had them screaming. “Where we’re going, is it far?”

“No, not really. And we can stay there for a bit if you want, really get some rest. Eat something nice.” he said enticingly.

“Real food?” you asked, stomach grumbling as you stood up, “What are we waiting for?”

You followed Jiyong through the rest of the forest, amazed that all of the souls you’d seen the night before had just disappeared into the trees like they’d never even been there. Part of you hoped that when you died that this is where you’d come. You hoped you’d been good enough for it. It was such a neutral feeling being in the forest, no melancholy or pain. If you got to choose this place is what you’d pick.

Just out of the forest there was another path to follow. The two of you didn’t speak too much on the walk, but you did bask in the comfort of his presence. It was nice to have a moment where the two of you weren’t tense and arguing or angry with one another about something stupid. It felt like there had been too much of that recently.

You’d always thought you’d known comfort with Jiho. The way the two of you kind of just fell into one another so effortlessly. It had felt comfortable with him. Nothing had ever really felt different between when you’d just met to becoming his roommate and, finally, his girlfriend. There was just something easy about each transition, something so natural that had made complete sense at the time. Being around Jiyong was different, you had to admit. You weren’t even dating but there was still this feeling in your gut that drove you crazy. With Jiho it was always so simple. It just was. There was never anything to question or to worry about.

With Jiyong there was comfort, yes. There was an ease to being near him, absolutely. However, with Jiyong there was also this vibrating energy just under the surface of every other feeling you had. You realized after really thinking about it that the energy flowed through your veins constantly not just during moments of comfort and ease. It didn’t matter if you were yelling at each other, or if he was making you laugh or if everything was calm and it was like this, just the two of you in silence, existing together.

There was always this extra level to how you felt when you were with him. It was like an energy telling you how much you wanted it, every second of it, all the good and all the bad. If you were going to fight you wanted to fight with him. If you were going to laugh you wanted to laugh with him. If you were crying you wanted to cry with him near you. Taking the time to think about it you realized that the underlying current was passion.  

You tried to think back to when you and Jiho first got tog

ether, tried to remember if there had been passion then. You knew there hadn’t been recently, just before he died. The two of you had started just going through the motions. You genuinely believed that it’s just what happened in relationships as they aged. Jiho had been your only real relationship, it was the only one you knew. You had no comparisons. But something sat heavy on your chest the very second you met Jiyong. Something that made you wonder if you were wrong all along about... everything.  

“Do you see that?” You asked after quite a while.

Finally climbing out of your own thoughts you had noticed the silhouettes of flying figures just ahead. They seemed small at first, the size of crows, but as they grew near you realized they were much, much larger. Nearing the size of small planes. They looked like a bird of prey at first, but as you looked longer you realized they were some sort of bird, reptilian hybrid. Their teeth were razor sharp and several feet long. You jumped back, completely disturbed by the vision of a bird with teeth like that. As if sensing your fear one of the birds turned towards the pair of you with a squawk that blanketed the open air around you and appeared to descend.

“Oh my god, Jiyong!” Trembling in fear you threw yourself into his arms for protection, burying your face into his chest.

His eyes grew wide and he slowly wrapped his arms around you. He had been thinking a lot on this trip, about who he was before you. He realized that he’d actually been very unfamiliar with the urge to alleviate someone else's anxiety. He’d never been overly affectionate, the way he’d wanted to be when you were around. While he was being painfully honest with himself, he recognized that he never connected with Persphone like he did with you. He had been far from the perfect husband, he knew that. Even though he tried to make her happy, beyond that, he never really paid attention to her needs. He’d been selfish. He didn’t want to make those mistakes when it came to you.

He dipped his face closer to yours. The floral and spice scent of you clouded his senses momentarily. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before whispering against your ear, “You’re okay, I’ve got you.”

The aviguis, one of Hades beasts, often searched the underworld for attempted escapees, though they usually stuck closer to Tartarus. The bird, upon seeing his master was only diving down for attention and maybe a snack, as Hades often kept treats for his pets. Jiyong waved the bird away as discreetly as possible, keeping one arm tightly wrapped around you. Although slightly put out, the bird left without much of a fuss, just one more loud screeching squawk. It’d been so close when it released the loud cry that it shook the ground you stood on, causing you to press yourself into Jiyong even further.

Continuing to rub your back his fingers tangled in your hair. He lifted his hand up further, his palm cupping your neck, his fingertips gently massaging your hairline. You leaned your head back, into his hand, with a small sigh. So comforted by the feel of him your eyes had been closed. When your eyelids finally fluttered open he was staring down at you. Your eyes locked with his and you felt breathless. Overwhelmed by the perfectly curved shape of his eyes, the rich chocolate color, the surprising amount of affection reflected in them. He tilted his head ever so slightly and leaned in, brushing his nose against yours. You closed your eyes again, but then squirmed reluctantly in his arms.

“I can’t.” You said softly. The two of you already so close that your lips brushed against his, even as you declined his proposition for a kiss. “...Jiho.”

“Right...I’m sorry.” Jiyong took several deep breaths, collecting himself, before moving his lips just passed your mouth and leaving a small kiss against your cheek.

The second he pulled away from you, removing his arms from around your body, you missed his presence. He was only inches from you but suddenly he wasn’t close enough anymore. He started walking away, it wasn’t in heated frustration like it had been in the garden. It was relaxed, his hands in his pockets, on a leisurely stroll. As you followed you thought for sure you were more upset right now than he was that you hadn’t kissed just then.

“I was married once.” Jiyong said simply, casually reaching down and grabbing a small stone from the path.

“What? Seriously?” you asked, completely surprised by the confession.

“Yep.” he tossed the rock up high before catching it in his palm.

“You seem too young to have been married and divorced already. It must not have lasted long.”

“I don’t know.” he sighed, “felt like a milenium to me.”

“Such a drama queen” you said giving him a nudge. “Why’d you split up?”

“She was...we were young...and she never really wanted to be with me anyway. It got tiring, always trying to make someone so stubborn and so miserable happy.”

“You’re kidding. That sounds like the ideal circumstance for a marriage. A really stable foundation for a relationship.” you grinned.

Jiyong scoffed as he looked over at you, “You think you’re so cute when you’re sarcastic.”

“Maybe, but you think so too.”

“Yeah.”

The single word stopped you. You stood staring at him as he continued on walking. It took him a beat to realize you weren’t by his side any longer.

He paused, turning back to look at you. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just-” you shrugged before slowly making your way to him. “I expected you to say something snarky, not just agree with me.”

“So what? I think you’re cute.” he admitted as if it were nothing, “Beautiful even. Gorgeous. Stunning. Radiant. Breathtaking.”

“Stop.” you blushed furiously.

Jiyong laughed, “Why? Are you embarrassed?”

“No, it’s just…you don’t really mean it.”

It was his turn to stop in his tracks. Only he grabbed your wrist, stopping you with him. His eyes locked with yours, making your breath catch in your chest for a second time in all of ten minutes. “I do mean it. Of course I mean it. You know that, don’t you?”

And suddenly it was there again. That unshakable urge to kiss him and touch him. To give into every sexual impulse you’d ever known. Obviously you thought he might be interested in you. At the very least he’d wanted to kiss you, but even that didn’t have to mean anything.

It could have just meant that you had shared a very close proximity to each other for the last couple of days and there was some naturally built tension between the two of you. You looked at him and wondered how someone so beautiful could ever think you were attractive too. The subtle pout on his lips, the softness in his eyes, even his cheeks and his nose. With a deep breath you turned away, unable to take him in any longer. Instead you looked passed him a little ways away.

“What are those?” You asked eyeing a pair of large ivory towers in the distance.

Distracted, Jiyong turned to look as well, “That’s the towers of Elysium.”

“Towers? I thought Elysium was a field, like Asphodel was supposed to be.”

“Consistent.” He grinned. “Elysium was meant to be a paradise for fallen gods and the worthy at heart. Being stuck in a crowded field of wandering souls isn’t exactly a paradise for anyone. So some adjustments were made.”

“What’s inside of them?” You asked curiously.

“It’s hard to explain.” He said before biting his lip trying to think of how to describe it to you. “I guess, they’re paradises.”

“Paradises? More than one?” You asked and started to walk towards them.

“Not everyone is going to have the same expectations of paradise. Each tower has hundreds of stories and each story has hundreds of doors and through the doors are personal paradises of each of the worthy souls. Different souls, different versions of paradise.”

“And that’s where we’re going?” He looked over at you all wide eyed and excited.

“It was thinking it would be a nice, safe place to spend the day, maybe even stay for the night.” He shrugged.

”Wait...you mean like stay in one of the paradises?” You asked, looking over at him, “Ji, that would be so cool. I really want to see one. What if I never get the chance again? I’m not...like a great human specimen. I don’t know where I’ll go when I die, besides possibly getting stuck in the valley of sad roses.”

He groaned, dramatically throwing his head back. “I told you, you don’t belong there!”

You only hummed skeptically in response as the two of you continued down the path towards the towers. After just a few moments of silence between the two of you, you asked “Is that where you came up with your Hades story? Your own experience?”

He almost seemed nervous, but quickly wiped the look from his face with a smile. “I’m disappointed it took you so long to realize…”

You scoffed, “Yeah well, I figured you were too smart to get stuck in a shitty relationship. Apparently not.”

“Ohhh, okay.” he chuckled, “Smart people make relationship mistakes all the time. You should know.”

Your mouth fell open with a gasp, you tried your best not to laugh. “That was a good dig. I concede.”

“Thank you.” he said with a dramatic bow.

“Seriously though, sorry about your wife.”

He just shrugged, “It’s fine. My story isn’t over yet, right?”

“Definitely not.” you thought maybe you responded a little too enthusiastically and followed up with, “Probably.”

“Well which is it?” he laughed, “definitely not or probably not.”

“A guy like you? Definitely not.”

“What does that mean? A guy like me.” he asked

You blushed, “Just, you know…”

He turned to look at you but you’d been staring at your shoes as you walked, “I really don’t. Please tell me what kind of guy you think I am.”

Perfect. You thought to yourself.

“You’re like...really pretty or handsome...both. You’re just good looking or whatever. Obviously you have a career. Although I’m still not clear on what you do what is clear is that you make bank. You dress nicely and take care of yourself. You’re a real man in a sea of manchildren. You’re-” you paused. You knew if didn’t stay on surface compliments you might go too far. You could say too much and get yourself in trouble.

“Please?” he asked again, softer this time.

“It’s nothing I haven’t told you before.” you thought back to your embarrassing unrequited boat confession.

“Then it should be no problem telling me again.”

You clicked your tongue in annoyance and sighed, “Fine. I’ve never not felt safe when you were around. You have a fearlessness and an arrogance that just makes me certain that no matter what the circumstance you’d be able to take care of me. Which, you know, is something a person likes to have in a partner. You drench everything in sarcasm and humor. Sometimes it makes it really difficult to know when to take you seriously. When you are serious, you’re always very warm, and kind. You are unbelievably thoughtful. You care. You try to appear nonchalant all the time, but you aren’t…”

“Stop.” he said suddenly and cleared his throat uncomfortably.

“There’s more.”

“I can’t...it’s fine, just stop.” he wanted to cry or kiss you. Or he wanted to kiss you so hard he could cry. You saw him so differently than everyone else did. You saw him how he wished he would be seen.

“Pearly gates?” you asked looking up at the gate you’d come to that surrounded the towers. You could tell Ji had shut down a little and wanted to change the subject for him.

He rubbed his eyes, hoping to come off tired rather than emotional before looking up at the gate. It was made of white marble and gold but the marble did look like a pearl. He shrugged as he moved to unlock it, “Yeah, kind of a joke I guess.”

“Do you think Hades thinks he’s a really funny guy? He seems like he might.” you commented as you walked into Elysium.

He didn’t respond right away, just walked you towards the closest tower, and up the few marble steps towards the entryway, “Do you think he’s funny?”

You shrugged, “I don’t know him...but there’s potential for him.”

“Do you think I’m funny?”

“Comedic genius.”

“Well thank you,” finally he smiled as he opened the large glass door for you, “and welcome to paradise.”

Stepping inside, your mouth fell at the sheer size of the lobby. It was easily three stories high. The floor was a polished white marble, almost blindingly white. You actually felt guilty taking your first few steps inside. Your sneakers didn’t seem appropriate attire for walking on such beautiful, clean flooring. There were massive black marble pillars that lined the sides of the room, and you realized between each set of pillars were gold doors. Looking up at the arched ceiling you noticed the painting that covered every inch. Very sistine chapel vibes.  

“Wow,” you muttered unable to look away from the ornate painting on the ceiling. “I was not expecting anything this fancy.”

“Is this fancy?” he asked curiously, as if he really couldn’t see it. “What were you expecting?”

“It’s just so renaissance Italy, I was expecting more futuristic hospital.”

Jiyong let out an uncharacteristic snort, “Your idea of paradise aesthetic is a futuristic hospital?”

You rolled your eyes, you guessed it did sound pretty stupid. “Maybe! Maybe I like a very clean hospital look, very high tech, space stuff.”

“Lies!” he laughed, “Such a liar.”

He kept laughing as he brought you over to one of the many gold doors. You realized as he pressed a tiny button beside it that they were all elevators. Once inside the elevator he told you to pick a floor, any one you wanted. So you closed your eyes and pressed. The elevator ride to the 62nd floor was quick and smooth. It felt like nothing at all before the doors opened.

The hall was very quiet and looked mostly like a ritzy old hotel. There was a maroon carpet that lined the dark wood flooring, white doors with gold trim. Beside each door was a gold plaque with a number engraved. Jiyong hummed thoughtfully as he walked you down the hallway before finally stopping in front of one of the doors. 6233.

“Ready?” He asked placing his hand on the doorknob.

You nodded enthusiastically and he opened the door to let you inside. It was just like walking through the front door of a poorly lit apartment as the lights were off and the drapes were closed. Even still it was light enough to see the walls of the living area were a mint green that made you cringe. There was a gilded crown moulding along the ceiling and a beautifully designed persian rug on the ground. Off to one side was an office with a small writing desk, at least the walls in that room had a dark wood paneling and wasn’t the horrible green. The couches and chairs were all made of elaborately carved walnut with pink velvet cushions. There was a porcelain tea set on the table that looked like it was from a thousand years ago.  

Grabbing the tiny silver teaspoon between your fingers you gave the tea a stir. “This place is very fancy too. Very European, but less like Italy, and more like an old lady's house.”

“Do you not like it?” He asked moving around the room with his hands clasped behind his back.

“It’s very pretty, don’t get me wrong. It’s just not my,” you were going to say ‘cup of tea’. You thought the joke would have been worthy of Hades himself. Instead your voice caught in your throat.

You had moved to the window to pull back the curtain for more light. Plus you’d been curious about the view. Eyes wide with enthusiasm you dragged the curtains open completely and looked over your shoulder at a smirking Jiyong.

“We’re in Paris!” He nodded as you looked back out at the view. The Eiffel Tower sitting smack dab in the middle of the picture window. “Wait, is it real? Or is this like a smoke and mirrors, visual effects thing?”

“This is really, truly, Paris.”

As you looked down below you took in every fascinating detail. After what honestly took too long, you realized there was something very off about the scene in front of you. “Where are all the cars? Why are there so many horses? Jiyong...when are we?”

“We are in Paris in the 1890’s. This is the home of Oscar Wilde. There is a cafe a few blocks away that he really likes to frequent for writing.” He was being so nonchalant, you wanted to scream. “This is his paradise.”

“Are you joking? Is this a joke?” you practically shrieked.

He watched with much amusement as you revisited every inch of the apartment and all of its telltale details. The coat on the rack by the door, black with a thick fur collar and wrists. Cluttered writing desk in the office by the window covered in loose leaf papers, some blank and some covered in lines and scribbles. In the corner was a brown leather chair and beside it was a stack of books piled up to the arm rest.  

You dragged your hand over the writing desk and looked over at Jiyong, “So, does your paradise have to be somewhere you’ve been before? Some place real? What’s the deal?”

“A person’s paradise is limited only by their imagination.”

“Elysium,” you shook your head in surprise, “I never would have guessed that for Oscar.”

“I-” Jiyong paused as you looked over at him, “I think Hades has a fondness for the classics.”

“Huh.” you mused, making your way back over to him, “Hades is an art snob. Who knew?”

“He scoffed, “He’s not a snob. He just has an appreciation for a creative, original mind.”

“Is that how you move in and out of the underworld so easily?” you asked, “By being an ass kisser?”

“I’ve never-” he started to defend himself and then stopped, “Seeing as you’ve never been nice a day in your life, I can see where you might confuse kindness with ass kissing.”

You pouted, “You don’t think I’m nice?”

“Try.” he grinned, “Say something nice.”

With your lips slightly parted, as if ready to respond, you froze. Everything you thought to say was too shallow. Comments about how good he looked standing there with the stubble that had been collecting on his usually clean shaven face. Or they were too deep for such a lighthearted conversation like this. I love you, you’d thought. I love you was something nice to say.  

“No thoughts,” you muttered grumpily, “ head empty.”

“Not a single nice thing to say?”

“You really think I’m mean?” you asked quietly.

His shoulders fell immediately, “Y/n, it was a joke. Honestly? I think you’ve never been mean a day in your life.”

“I can be mean.” you argued, “I’m not a pushover. Am I? Do you think I’m a pushover?”

He scratched the back of his head and laughed, “Do you want to mean or do you want to be nice? Pick one so we can move on.”

“I want to be both!” you said in a gentle whine.

“Fine!” he grabbed your face in his hands.”You’re equal parts mean and nice. There’s never been a more perfectly balanced human being.”

A pleased smile spread across your face as he dropped his hands.”Thank you, that's all I wanted to hear you say. You think I’m the perfect human being.”

“Except that’s not what I said.” he responded, following you as you made your way out of the room.

“It’s what you think though. You think I’m perfect.” you said stepping out of the Paris Paradise and into the hallway. “Don’t you? Don’t you think I’m perfect, Jiyong?”

He gulped as he shut the door before turning around to face you. That’s actually exactly what he thought. When he looked at you. When he thought about you. Perfection. You were everything. He sighed, “Maybe. I might.”

“Oh please, that’s obviously a yes.” you laughed, “What’s next?”

“Want to see something really cool?” he asked. You scoffed at the question and he nodded, “Right, stupid question.”

He brought you back to the elevator and you both stepped inside. The doors had already closed as he stood for a moment looking at the numbers, trying to remember the correct one. With a sudden realization you watched as he pressed the button for the 158th floor. You were a little surprised when you stepped off on the new floor. You’d expected a bit of queasiness or dizziness from being up so high, but you guessed that was just a perk of being in paradise.

“Where are we going again?” You asked knowing full well he hadn’t told you yet.

“Do you want to ruin the surprise?”

“Yes! That’s why I asked, duh.”

“Duh…” he said mocking you as he finally found the door he was looking for. 15868. “I wanted to show you what I meant about limits only being those on your imagination.”

He opened the door and you stepped into a hallway. At least that’s the only way you could think to describe it. It felt like a corridor on a ship. All metal shiny metal walls with big bolts, no windows and low lighting. You were reminded of the corridors they showed in movies about submarines. It was also freezing cold. Even with your sweater on you were shivering. As you made your way down the corridor Jiyong threw his thick coat over your shoulders, you didn’t even need to ask.

You passed one door that opened to what appeared to be a living space. A tiny bed, barely big enough for one person. A metal desk with journals lined across the top. There was a set of blue striped pajamas folded nicely at the end of the bed, but not really much else. Nothing too telling about the occupant. The next door you found opened to a garden of sorts. The ceiling was lined with special lighting and what looked like sprinklers. They hung over large wooden boxes filled with all sorts of greenery. You looked over at Jiyong as if for permission and he just shrugged, so you went in.

There were vegetables and berries, against the walls were actual fruit trees. There were flowers and regular old green plants. And towards the back there was a collection of strange plants, ones you’d never seen before. There was one that was the most astounding blue color you’d ever seen, it’s petals appeared to be lined in purple led lights. You found two plants that were underneath a bell jars. One looked like it was a flower made of crystal but without knowing for sure you felt it was made of ice. It was spinning, suspended in air. You thought it might be ice by the way snow was falling around it, seemingly from nowhere. Beside it was a bold red tropical looking flower. But as you had been standing there, fascinated by the ice plant, you realized it had turned a bright yellow, and then a deep orange.

“What are these?” You asked, “I don’t understand.”

“Keep looking, you’ll see.”

He followed you out of the room and further down the hall. Finally it opened into a larger area. It was the bridge of a ship. A single captains chair sat in the center. You watched fascinated as, what was clearly a robot, moved around the room checking buttons and charts and screens. When you finally tore your eyes from the very Rosie Jetson-esque robot you caught the view out of the window that wrapped around the room.

“And to think I thought Paris was cool.” you muttered, walking over to the window.

As you looked out at the unfamiliar looming red and blue planet in front of you, you gulped. Immediately surrounding you there was nothing, emptiness. Passed the planet was nothing but stars and planets as far as you could see.

“Space? Seriously. Someone’s idea of paradise is alone in space.”

“Neil Armstrong.” Jiyong shrugged. “He always wanted to go further than the moon. So now he spends his time visiting different planets. Sometimes he picks up plants from them and studies them. Writes about his experiences in his journals. Mostly I think he just visits planets he saw on episodes of Star Trek, but you get the idea.”

“It’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but it must be so lonely, right?” you asked, taking in the quiet hum of the empty ship. “Is everyone always alone?”

“Oscar isn’t, he spends most of his time with a partner. Neil prefers solitude for the most part but he makes friends on every planet he visits. That’s what makes it a paradise for him. Every day a new adventure, a new friend.”

You bit your lip, looking out into the emptiness of space before you. You wondered what your paradise would look like. Who would be with you? Where would you go? How would you spend your days?

You looked over at Jiyong with a small smile, “Do you think we can find somewhere warmer?”

He nodded, “I think we can find somewhere perfect for you.”

While you did actually enjoy being in space and the phenomenal view, you made quick work of the dark, cold corridor. You had stopped once, to go back into the garden room and relook at the plants. In the hall you semi reluctantly handed Jiyong his coat back and followed him to the elevator.

He brought you down several floors but instead of taking you to a room he brought you to a long walkway that was showered in the sunlight coming from the glass archway covering it. It was a bridge from one tower to the other. The archway was designed to look like cut crystal and the way the sun reflected onto it made the floor beneath your feet look like a rainbow.

Through the window you had a pretty decent view of most of the underworld. On one side of the walkway was a view of the gates that greeted you, and in the other were the mountains near Tartarus. Once you’d reached the other tower he brought you to another elevator which led you up. It was the highest you’d been yet, the 300th floor.

Jiyong paused in front the third door of the day and turned to you. “You open this one.”

An immediate excitement surged through you, “Am I allowed?”

“I don’t make the rules, but I don’t see why you can’t.” he shrugged.

Taking a cautious step forward you placed your hand on the doorknob and gave a turn of your wrist. The smell of the ocean breeze moved passed you before the door was even all the way open. The room you walked into was basking in sunlight. A true gust of ocean air blew through sheer white curtains that opened to a modest oceanfront deck. It was the most beautiful ocean view, the water was a dazzling blue. You had never seen anything like it before in your life. You continued to explore the quaint bungalow. There were two bedrooms, each with their own en suite bathroom. One of the bedrooms had a sliding door that opened to the same ocean view you’d seen from the living room. The other room had a door that opened to a patio with a thick forest view, which made you feel like it had the best of both worlds.

Besides the two rooms there was a living room that separated them. The floor was wood but there was a massive, fluffy white carpet that covered most of the area. There was a plush, oversized sectional, and a couple of bookshelves. A huge television hung over an equally large fireplace. Separated from the common area only by a long counter was the kitchen, which truly caught your interest.

All of the rooms had been littered with vases filled with fresh flowers. Red gerberas. As he walked around the rooms, Jiyong curiously took in the details of everything. A small smile spread across his lips as he noticed each vase held one flower that had nearly snapped off and was dangling precariously. He gently fingered the soft petals and wondered if you’d realized the small detail too.

“This kitchen!” you cried out dramatically.

He moved casually from the bedroom to find you with the biggest eyes and the brightest smile as you checked every cabinet and drawer and opened every appliance.

“Is it nice? I don’t really use kitchens.” he asked rounding the counter.

“Four ovens!” you said looking over at him, “and watch!”

He leaned against the counter and watched you move over to one of the ovens and open the door.

“It’s off, it’s cold.” you said sticking your hand inside and grabbing the rack. You closed the door and pushed several buttons. There was a long beep and you opened the door once more. A gush of hot air flowed into the room. “Ready for baking in...what? A second?”

“That’s a neat trick.” he smirked.

“Okay fine, that could be nothing. It could be crazy advanced technology, but this?” you moved over to the large stainless steel refrigerator and opened the door. It was filled with everything you could need. Milk, eggs, beautiful fruits and colorful vegetables, perfect cuts of meat. You looked over at Jiyong and pressed your finger into a stick of butter, “hard as a rock. Touch it.”  

“Oh, I believe you.”

“Touch the butter, Jiyong.” you said with a serious glare.

He reached passed your shoulder and pressed a finger against the solid stick, “Yep, that’s cold butter.”

“But wait,” you said dramatically, “there’s more!”

“If I call now it comes with a free knife set?” he asked sarcastically.

With a massive eye roll you grabbed the stick and held it in the palm of your hand and then looked at him pointedly.

“Touch it?”

“Touch it.” you nodded. He pushed his finger against the butter once more, only this time it went nearly all the way through. “Slightly warmer than room temperature. Perfect for baking.”

Jiyong didn’t say anything to that. He just looked at you with an adoration that brought a blush to your cheeks. He looked at you like he’d be happy to hear you go on about the temperature of butter for hours.

“Anyway…” you turned, suddenly feeling embarrassed, and put the butter back in the refrigerator. “Whose paradise is this? Because it’s actually kind of perfect.”

“Whose do you think it is?”

You leaned against the counter opposite him and looked around for a moment. Once realization hit you grinned over at him. You stood up straight, looking enthusiastic. “Bake something with me.”

“Oh,” he shook his head, “I’m no good at things like that.”

“This is my paradise, it would be impossible for you to fuck this up.”

“Ehh.” he made a very skeptical face, “I can probably do some damage.”

“Please!” you begged, “Anything you want. Anything at all.”

Foot tapping against the tile of the kitchen floor he contemplated for a moment. “Chocolate cake. Kind of like the lava cake at the bakery?”

“Hades cake?” you asked with a hint of excitement, “How appropriate.”

He stood back and watched as you maneuvered around the kitchen to pull out the necessities. You figured out pretty quickly that all you needed to do was think of the thing that you needed and open a cabinet, any cabinet, and it would be there. In barely any time at all you had everything laid out. Bowls and pans, spatulas and whisks, eggs, flour, butter, chocolate. Everything you needed, at your fingertips.

“I’ll give you an easy part.” you assured a nervous looking Jiyong.

“And what’s that?” He asked cautiously.

“Stirring.”

You set him up in front of the flat top oven with a double broiler. You handed him a whisk and he watched as you started to fill the bowl. Butter first, and then freshly shaved chocolate, fresh ground espresso beans, and freshly ground chili.

“Just stir?” He asked when it finally looked like you’d moved to somewhere else.

“Slowly, and with love.” You smiled as you prepared the eggs in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another. Jiyong was staring into the bowl like it was a witches brew.

He was fascinated by the way you moved around the kitchen. The way you mixed things together. He’d never seen you cook before and there was an art to it that he found beautiful and contagious. Once the cake was in the oven, you showed him how to make the frosting too. And he had to admit that you even cleaned things in such a way that it looked like a dance. When you were done it looked like you’d never touched a thing.

With your head in the refrigerator you said, “We should go swimming.”

“In the ocean?”

You turned around and shook your head, “There’s a pool outside and a grill. I think we should swim and barbecue. It would be fun. And when we’re done we can comeback in for cake.”

He nodded in agreement, “Yeah, that does sound nice.”

“Great! I’m going to go get ready.”

He watched you take off to one of the bedrooms to change before moving to the opposite. It was unsurprising to him when he found his clothes in the dresser in the bedroom. What did surprise him was how nervous he’d been in deciding how he wanted to look in front of you. He stood in front of his mirror for a long while in his bathing suit. Tried it with sandals on and then sandals off, shirt on and then shirt off, sunglasses and hats. He tried every possible combination before finally just running his hand through his hair and biting the bullet.

When he came back out you were already back in the kitchen. There was a tray of food ready to be taken outside and you’d been putting the finishing touches of frosting on the cake. When you looked up from the cake you’d been smiling but the moment your eyes hit Jiyong you froze. Your face flushed and you felt like you looked crazy staring like you were but you couldn‘t look away.

“What?” he asked. He thought if he brought the attention to you, you wouldn’t notice the way he’d been looking back.

You shook your head and dropped your eyes immediately. “Nothing. Can you bring the tray outside?”

“Sure.” He grinned and moved over to the counter. “You okay?”

“Perfect. I’m fine.” you said before clearing your throat.

You waited until he’d gone outside to collapse against the counter, distraught. You hadn’t expected to react so spectacularly to a shirtless Jiyong. To a Jiyong that was in something other than his typical fashion model-esque attire. You hadn’t expected him to look so casual and comfortable. Truthfully you hadn’t expected him to look like someone you wished was your boyfriend. His hair pushed back so sloppily and the scruff that had been growing on his face over the past few days. And the way he carried himself around like none of it was a big deal at all. You had to take a minute to collect yourself before heading outside.

Outside you were able to relax quite a bit, mostly because there had been a pitcher of margaritas on the table out by the pool. The two of you drank and cooked together. Shared a meal by the pool and went for a swim after. Before you noticed it happening you felt you’d been transported. Thoughts of the underworld and of finding Jiho had vanished. Now you were just simply on a beach vacation with someone you loved, having the time of your life. Nowhere to be and nothing to do except for playing silly games and snacking on delicious food while you watched the sun coming down on a gorgeous afternoon.

Leaning against the side of the pool you admired Jiyong as he swam back and forth, the entire length of the pool. After several laps he stopped and stood up. He pushed his dripping wet hair out of his face with both hands. You watched with fascination as water droplets fell from the ends of his hair, down his neck, sliding over his back. You felt slightly faint at the sight, it was honestly more breathtaking than staring straight into space.

His body was on the thinner side, which wasn’t a surprise to you. You’d known he was an average height but had more of a petite build. You hadn’t been expecting him to be so toned all over. Or to have so many previously hidden tattoos to expose. You hadn’t been expecting your mouth to be pooling with drool at the sight in front of you. The sharp angles of his profile, along with the setting sun as the backdrop, left you yearning. You were also certain that standing waist deep in the water wasn’t the only thing that had you wet.

“Beautiful.” you muttered to yourself as you stared.

Jiyong looked over at you with raised eyebrows. “What was that?”

“This place,” you choked out. “It’s beautiful. It’s perfect.”

“I would hope so. It’s your paradise.” he smirked before diving underwater once more to take several more laps.

A pout passed over your mouth as you watched him and you muttered, “I don’t know, feels like torture to me.”

He swam laps for a little longer while you contemplated swimming out into the ocean and never returning because you genuinely weren’t sure you’d survive the night with him looking the way that he did. What you didn’t know was that he had to keep swimming laps because looking at you standing there in your bathing suit with your lip tucked between your teeth every time he came up for air was driving him insane. It was the only way he could think to blow off steam. He moved through the water towards you and popped out of water. He leaned against the side of the pool after his last set of laps.

“I think I��ll go in and clean up. Shave, maybe.” He said running his fingertips over the scruff on his chin.

“No!” You shouted, surprising even yourself, before sinking back down into the water.

“No?” He asked, amused, “Do you prefer me this way?”

You shook your head. “I don’t prefer you any which way. You should do whatever you want...”

“Mmhmm.” He grinned and ran his thumb over his jawline, watching the way your lip rolled between your teeth once more. “Maybe it’s not so bad. I guess I’ll keep it.”

“Yeah. You should. That’s cool. Or don’t. Whatever.” You rambled as you moved to get out of the water, “I think I’ll clean up too.”

You cleaned up the mess you’d made with lunch to distract yourself as Jiyong got out of the water and dried off, though you imagined with it being paradise you could have just wished it away. You were pretty sure he knew it too, with the small smile he kept on his face. He’d asked you if you needed help and you assured him you didn’t.

Then you watched as he walked back inside, watched the way his skin moved over his shoulder blades when he lifted the towel to dry his hair once more. You hands shook with a mighty need to touch his bare hips, to trace the tattoos on his torso. With a sigh you looked back down at the table to find it was cleared and your idle hands were empty. So you went inside for what you hoped would be a relaxing shower.

-

Stepping out of the shower into the steamy air of the bathroom you felt much better. When you moved into the bedroom you pulled the towel tighter around you, and walked across the floor to the dresser. Pulling open the top drawer you found two sets of underwear. One was your usual, comfy, mismatched bra and panties and folded neatly beside them was a set of what you could only refer to as lingerie. A sexy, strappy, lace bra in blacks and reds with a pair of barely there black, lace panties. Your mouth felt dry as you looked over at the closed door. The only thing separating you from Jiyong. Your hand hovered between both sets of underwear. Knowing this was all you, you wondered exactly what kind of paradise you’d created here. With a quick gulp you grabbed the matching set, better safe than sorry.

You also grabbed a pair of jean shorts and a thin tank top, throwing your hoodie on over the whole ensemble, wanting to look as casual as possible. After brushing your hair and getting dressed you opened the door. A grin spread across your lips when you saw Jiyong had the same casual vibes idea as you. He was standing barefoot with his back to you. Wearing a black hoodie, the hood of his sweater pulled over his head. A pair of black jeans that had been cut just above the knees left loose threads dangling over his thighs. Your eyes snapped up as you felt your mouth start to water.

He had turned to you at this point and there was a small smile on his face as he caught you staring. “What?”

“Nothing…” you gulped, “you look very punk rock.”

“It’s fashion, y/n. Look it up.” he laughed as you rolled your eyes at him. “I was, um, gonna go sit outside for a bit and read. Would you like to join me?”

“That sounds very nice.” You smiled, “I’ll grab a book.”

You walked over to the bookshelf next to the sliding door that was opened to the deck. With an amused hum you picked up the only book on the shelf laying flat on its side.

“Find something interesting?”

You shrugged, “Sort of. This is the book I’d been working on back home. This place is a trip.”

“Paradise,” Jiyong said moving behind you, his hand brushed your hip as he passed, “anything you want, everything you need.”

It took you a moment to catch your breath as he walked outside. With your book in hand you made your way to the deck. Strings of white lights were hanging all over and around keeping the space warm and welcoming. Jiyong was sitting on the long cushioned bench that lined the banister that overlooked the beach, the water. The moon was full and bright, glistening against the soft waves like diamonds. His legs were stretched out, crossed at the ankle as he rested his feet atop the table. His hood was still up and his eyes were already diligently moving across the pages of his notebook. Moving around the table you tucked yourself into the corner of the bench, pulling your knees to you chest before opening the book in your hands.

For the first ten minutes you sat there not a single word was read.You’d realized that if you kept your gaze right at the top of your book you could watch Jiyong inconspicuously. Even though the only things you could see from underneath his hood were the tip of his nose and the pout on his lips. You still ached. Every once in awhile he would clear his throat or his tongue would poke out to run over his lips. You started to anticipate when he would turn the page because he always fingered the corner of the page for a minute before flipping it over. Your teeth dug a little deeper into your lip every time.  

Finally realizing that you’d been staring for too long, you looked down at your own book. Still you could not read. Instead you tried to quick math to figure out how long it had been since your last time with Jiho. Then you tried to calculate your cycle because clearly this had to be some pathetic and annoying pms thirsting. In the end you hadn’t figured out anything useful. All you knew was that his voice was stuck on repeat in your head like some catchy song, “Okay. I’ll wait. Okay. We’ll kiss the right way like you want.” again and again and again, “Okay. We’ll kiss. Okay. We’ll kiss. Okay. We’ll kiss…”  

Mad at yourself for wanting to wait, and mad at yourself for wanting so badly to break your waiting rule, you were finally able to read your book. If only as a way to get out of your own head. The book had been a good distraction at first and the plot line had hit a good twist. Then there was an unfortunately placed, very steamy, very intimate sex scene. It seemed very suddenly like your head was spinning so you closed your eyes for just a moment, to try and calm yourself. Your brain was not on the same page.  

The scene in your head was set up exactly like this one. Full moon blanketing the deck with light, accompanied by bright whit fairy lights hanging above you. Jiyong sitting on the opposite side of the bench with this notebook in his lap.You stretched out one of your legs until your foot was pressing against his hip. He continued to look down at his notebook but dropped a hand onto your ankle. His fingers slid slowly, gently, up and down your shin and you were glad you’d shaved in the shower earlier.

It wasn’t enough, you needed more of his attention. You needed all of it. You pushed out your other leg, stretching until your toes were touching the outside of his thigh. You wiggled them underneath the ragged  hem of his shorts. After a moment he dropped his legs from their resting place on the table and tossed his book to the side. With a quick turn to you he snatched your ankles in his hands. When he looked up at you from beneath his hood his eyes were bright gold.Your breath caught in your chest.

“You can’t handle me.” he said, but you knew it wasn’t meant as a threat.

“Let me try.” you whispered nervously.

Hands tight around your ankles he pulled, roughly dragging you towards him. With you on your back before him, he moved over you. His hand, smooth as a snake, moved up your sweater. You moaned as his lips met your neck, the stubble on his chin scratching your throat. Your eyes closed as he massaged your breast over the lace bra. His lips moved up to your jaw, your cheek. Another moan was teetering off the edge of your lips but he caught it with his own. Your first real kiss together. You might have cried if you’d given yourself the chance to think about it. Instead you pulled him closer. One hand dug deep in his hair, the other one clutching desperately at this collar of his hoodie, not wanting him to move even an inch from you.

“Y/n?” his voice was floating through your head but his lips were pressed against yours, “Y/n?”

Your eyes snapped open and you inhaled deeply. Jiyong was sitting across the bench from you, exactly as he had been before you closed your eyes. Only this time he was looking over at you.

“Uhhh, yeah, what’s up?”

“I’m going to grab something to eat. Can I get you anything from inside?” he asked with a small smile.

“Oh, no. I’m good, but thank you for asking.” You wondered how badly you were blushing as you reached your hand to your neck. You could still feel the scratch of his chin against you.

He stood up from the bench and dropped his notebook on the cushion. Stopping in front of the door he turned and watched you stare dreamily at the space in front of you with a smirk.

“Hey,” he called, and you turned to him with big doe eyes, “You’re sure you’re not...thirsty?”

“No…” you choked out, “No...yes! No, I mean yes, I’m sure I’m not thirsty.”

You groaned, covering your face with your hands as he walked inside with an upbeat hum. Pulling your hands back down to your lap you noticed the notebook where he left it lying on the bench, open to the center page. For the briefest moment you could have sworn you saw your name. You looked away, feeling uncomfortable. That was his private notebook, it wasn’t for your prying eyes. On the other hand...you were pretty sure you’d seen your name, and what could it hurt just to take a peek.

Leaning forward slightly for a closer look, you saw it. It was for sure your name. Jiho’s name had been there too and several other familiar names as well. Your heart was racing. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if you just read a few lines, just to get the general vibe. He would never have to know you even saw it. You turned towards the door to look inside of the little bungalow, Jiyong was nowhere in sight. Biting your lip so hard you tasted copper, you leaned over and snatched the notebook off the cushion.

Confusion hit first. You didn’t understand what it meant. Dates and times, starting from the day you were born up until earlier that day. Names of everyone you knew with what looked like correlating page numbers. Actions listed out like crimes, Forgery, age 10, mother's signature on field trip participation slip. Petty theft, earlier today, Oscar Wilde’s fountain pen. You looked down at the page, mortified, as you thought about the pen laying on the dresser in your room.

Realization hit quickly after, shock followed then. A flash of pain tore through your chest as you continued to read. As the pages flipped before you fell into anger, confusion again, and then more pain. You imagined that nothing would hurt as much as the list of times Jiho had committed adultery against you. Many of the names of the women looked familiar. Women you’d asked him about. Women he’d sworn you never had to worry about. His list of lies was so much worse. They left you feeling genuinely sick. There were so many you remembered not believing but pushing the feeling aside. Excusing him. Always making excuses for him.

I love you. Lie

You’re my everything. Lie

There is nothing more important to me than you. Lie

I love you. Lie. I love you. Lie. I love you. Lie.    

Your lip was trembling. Tears fell onto the pages like raindrops as you continued on. Your grandmother, your mother, old friends, coworkers. Your father. The father you never met. He was nowhere near the monster your mother always made him out to be. He hadn’t abandoned you, he never knew you existed. She never told him. You met him once, completely by chance. He’d come back to the city for work and came into the bakery for coffee and wfi. He told you that you reminded him of someone, joked that you even looked a little him. He’d been polite and made you laugh. He died a couple years after that. Saved a teenage boy from a shooter at a gas station robbery. He was here somewhere in Elysium. You had two half sisters, still alive. Your chest felt tight. You flipped back and forth and back and forth again. Reading everything you could find. It took you some time but you finally realized there was someone missing.

Jiyong was in the kitchen shoving a forkful of cake in his mouth. His eyes raised in surprise when he saw you.

“You caught me.” he mumbled with his cheeks full. He looked at you for a long moment, swallowing the cake in his mouth and then frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Still quite dazed you made your way into the room fully. You kept moving forward until you were standing in front of the counter. You lifted the notebook onto the polished marble and pushed it towards him.

“What is this?” you asked calmly. Calmer than you ever expected you could.

“It’s my notebook.”

You let out a long sigh, “It’s fine. Don’t tell me what it is. At least tell me if it’s true. What’s in the notebook. Is it all true?”

He nodded, “Yeah. It’s true.”

“And you knew?” You whispered the question. Jiyong nodded but remained quiet. “All the lies, the cheating…the things he manipulated me into doing for him. You knew? You must have. You must have read it all. You’re always reading this stupid notebook, how could you not know... You really knew this whole time?”

“Yeah.” He knew you deserved so much more but he couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Why didn’t you say anything? You could have told me. All those times you tried to get me to leave him, why didn’t you just tell me the truth?” you quickly wiped at the few loose tears on your cheek.

“I couldn’t. It’s not what the notebook is used for. I couldn’t just abuse my knowledge for personal gain.” he swallowed the lump in his throat. “I wanted to tell you. Every time I saw you, I wanted to tell you to run from him...to run to me.”

“I would have kissed you. In the garden, you could have had me, if you’d just said something. If I’d known.” You said and tucked your lip between your teeth. “All of this time we could have been us.”

“Well now you know so what do you want to do?”

Minutes ticked by as you tried to think. What did you want to do? Keep going? Go home? Should you confront Jiho or leave him to rot? Every thought came out dull and incomplete. All of them overshadowed by one simple, carnal urge that was overwhelming every single one of your senses.

With a gulp you looked up at Jiyong, “I want you.”

“What do you mean?” He asked shakily.

“You know exactly what I mean.”

He looked you over for a long time, as if he didn’t believe this was really happening. With a single look from him you moved around the counter so you were standing in front of him. He slipped a hand over your cheek and cupped your neck, his fingers buried in your hair. Already there was a tremble in your knees and he hadn’t even kissed you yet. Leaning in his nose brushed against yours, your mouth was watering.

“Is this a dream?” he asked.

“If it is…”you whispered against his lips, “don’t you dare wake me up.”

“Agreed.” he grinned before sucking your bottom lip between his.

Inhaling sharply, you fell forward into him. If he hadn’t slipped his arm around your waist you were sure you’d have collapsed. You were unsure if it was because it had been so long or if it was because it was Jiyong, but you felt euphoric. It wasn’t until many delicious minutes had passed that he pulled away.

A whine escaped you immediately, “No.”

“No?” he chuckled.

“Come back.” you forced another kiss on his lips.

“I’m right here.”

You pushed your hips into his, “Not close enough.”

“Just breathe for a second.” he laughed again as you tugged at the strings of his hoodie.

You shook your head defiantly, “I don’t want to breathe, I just want you.”    

He dragged your bottom lip between his teeth and smirked when you whimpered after he released it with a pop. “I told you, you couldn’t handle me.”  

“Kiss now, gloat later.” you whispered against his mouth.

“Mmm.” he hummed happily, “but you know how I love to gloat.”

Tired of talking you hooked your hand behind his neck and pulled him forward. You moaned into his mouth in satisfaction of getting what you wanted. His hands slipped up your sides, dragging your hoodie with them. His fingers felt cold against the heat coursing through you. As the kiss continued your lips started to swell and became sore. Kissing was starting to hurt but you couldn’t pull away. He was like the first good meal you’d had in weeks and you couldn’t get enough.

You moved to unbutton his pants but his fingers grasped yours gently before muttering against your lips, “Slow down.”

“Slow down?” you asked, pulling away in surprise. “Haven’t we waited long enough?”

“Y/n,” he whispered against your neck before leaving a small tickle of a kiss. “I want to take my time. I want this to last an eternity. I want to treat you how you should have always been treated.”

“I don’t deserve you.” you muttered, eyes closed, head tilted back as he kissed your neck

He stepped back and eyed you curiously, “I disagree. And I’m always right, as we know now.”

Leaning in once more he captured your lips in another kiss and you could think of no complaints. Well you could think of only one complaint. The edge of the counter was digging painfully into your lower back but Jiyongs hands were in your hair and his hips were pressed against yours and his lips were on your lips. There was no way you were about to push him away or ask him to calm down, if anything you wanted more. You needed him closer. You needed there to be a way for him to mold around you and seep through you like the oxygen through your blood. Instead of that you moved your hand behind you to leverage yourself away from the counter.

“Oh, no.” you cringed and Jiyong pulled away looking mortified at the disgusted look on your face.

“What’s wrong? What did I do?” he asked.

“Not you, never you.” you groaned and brought your hand in front of you, the whole side of it covered in chocolate cake and frosting.

Jiyong laughed at the sight. “Oh baby...what to do with you.”

You pouted as he reached around you, grabbing the plate his cake had been on. As he dropped the plate in the sink you cursed yourself internally for ruining the moment. Jiyong didn’t think it had been ruined at all. With a grin he wrapped his fingers around your wrist, lifting your chocolate covered hand.

“You always have me eating out of the palm of your hand.’ he muttered as your eyes met, and he dragged his tongue over your palm.

Your jaw dropped open as you watched him lick and suck until your hand was practically clean. When he was done there was some chocolate left on his lip and you couldn’t help yourself but to pull it into your mouth.

For awhile there was nothing else but this. Time stood completely still, space was irrelevant, no one else existed. It was just Jiyong and his kiss and it felt so good. At one point he pulled away with a pop of your lips and trailed kisses over your face, down your neck. Your hand moved over his shoulders s up his neck until your fingers were in his hair. Holding him close only encouraged him to leave little marks all over your skin.

He mumbled against your skin, “kissing is nice.”

“I think so too.” You said massaging the back of his head.

“Is it selfish for me to want more of you?” He asked, fingers toying with the waist of your shorts.

You leaned back and slid your hand around to cup his cheek, “Are you always so respectful and considerate?”

He smirked, “I’m trying, you make it difficult.”

“What if you stopped trying?” You asked. He looked confused by your question. “What if for tonight you just take what you want from me? I just want all of you in return.”

“Are you sure?”

“Jiyong, if you move your hand down my shorts like you’ve wanted to this whole time we’ve been talking, you’d find I’ve completely soaked through these panties for you. I’ve almost never been so sure of anything in my life.”

With his fingers tucked into the waist of your shorts he tugged your hips forward roughly. Keeping his heavy lidded eyes on you he unbuttoned them and then dragged the zipper down as well. Your fingers curled around the edge of the counter as you leaned back in anticipation.

Lip tucked between his teeth he reached his fingers between the lace fabric and you. “Fuck.”

“Told you.” you grinned but only for a second before your mouth fell open at the feeling of two of his fingers easing inside of you.

“Needy.” he noted as your hips rolled you further into his palm. “This is going to…”

“What?” You gasped as his nimble fingers curved. “Just say it. Let go.”

He leaned in, cheek pressed against yours, and said, “It’s just, this is going to feel so good on my cock.”

“Oh, damn.” You groaned, surprised by the tone in his voice, your thighs tightened around his wrist.

He didn’t drop his eyes from your face as he pushed his hand knuckle deep. Instead he studied your expressions as he searched for that specific spot. He thought you looked so peaceful. Head thrown back and your eyes closed, he was enamored by the stretch of your neck. He’d been able to elicit some delicious moans, but he was really living for the way your lip trembled into a pout every time he dragged his fingers from you. However, he wanted something else. Something more.

Suddenly you gasped and shot forward, “oh shit!”

Jiyong grinned as you peppered his face and neck with kisses filled with gratitude. “I think I found it.”

“I’m so close. Don’t stop. Please, just don’t stop.” You begged against his mouth.

“I won’t. I’m not.” He promised, going even faster as if to prove a point.

“Jiyong!” You cried out his name, and he thought it felt good but he knew it would feel better if it was his true name falling off your lips. You whined against him, m “If you stop we can’t b-be friends.”

“What? Stop this?” He chuckled, adding more pressure with his fingertips and dragging them excruciatingly slow against your g spot.

You sputtered out something incomprehensible and slumped against his shoulder. Your orgasm pulsed around his fingers.

“I wouldn’t dare.” He murmured into your hair.

The two of you stood there against the counter for sometime. You’d kept your arms around him, knowing you’d collapse otherwise, your thighs still shook like jello. He’d removed his hand from your shorts and sucked you clean off his fingers. He let out the tiniest groan as he did so, wishing he was devouring you, but he could wait.

After awhile you leaned back to look at him. “Did you ever try that with your wife?”

“Try what?” He asked brushing hair from your cheek.

“The thing with the hand and th-“ your eyes rolled back and you sighed, “I can’t even talk about it, it’s too soon.”

He laughed and moved to kiss the skin of your neck. “Probably. Once or twice I think.”

“You’re sure you did it just like that?” You asked with some uncertainty, “because if you had there’s absolutely no reason for her to have left you.”

Leaning his forehead against your shoulder he laughed again this time so genuinely your heart nearly melted. “Stop, you’ll make me blush.”

Running your hand through his hair you gently turned his face to yours, “I can really make you blush if you want me to.”

He looked at you for a long time as if contemplating the offer and then he smiled, “You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to.” Your tongue moved over your lip and you said, “I wasn’t lying when I said I want all of you.”

When he didn’t say anything you grabbed his hand and brought him into the living room. Once your toes hit the soft carpet you turned and pulled him into you for a kiss. His lips curved into a smile as your hands moved up his sides.

“We don’t need this.” you pulled away before dragging his hoodie over his head along with the shirt he’d had on underneath. Tossing his clothes to the side you looked back at the man you’d been thinking about all afternoon. Your fingers traced the black ink on his side. “Forever young?”

“Yeah.” he smirked, “Why don’t you join me?”

Laughing lightly you sunk down to your knees in front of him. As you unbuttoned his jeans he let out a long sigh, unsure of how he’d handle you. He already felt ready to burst. You looked up at him quite cutely as you dragged the fabric of both his shorts and underwear down his thighs. You couldn’t help but grin when you took in the look of him. Everything about this man was pretty, of course his dick would be pretty too.

One hand squeezed his thigh, just above the knee while the other one lead him between your lips. He jolted slightly as soon as your tongue brushed against the sensitive skin. His teeth clenched as you eased back and forth. Your tongue and head moving in tandem to create the desired effect.

Jiyong didn’t say much, he was finding breathing to be enough of a challenge. You hummed with your lips around him as you felt his fingers slip into your hair. If you were going to try and swallow him whole he figured he might as well try and help. His thighs were trembling underneath your hands. When you looked up he was bent to the side, one hand clutching the arm of the couch as he tried to remain on his feet. Every muscle in his arm was shaking and you knew he must be close.

With your best efforts you took him in as far as you could several more times until he gasped, “That’s it...oh shit…”

It surprised you when he dropped to his knees when he was finished and pulled you into a kiss. Jiho had always been the type to get grossed out by the idea of kissing you after head. Clearly Jiyong had no qualms.

During the kiss he leaned you back against the carpet, as his fingers made their way back down to your thighs and under your shorts until they were consumed by your warmth. They brushed gently against the patch of warm wet lace and he inhaled deeply at the feel.

“Oh my goddess.” He muttered before burying his face in your neck, his slightly bearded cheek sending a tingling sensations over your already overly sensitive skin. He sucked onto the skin at the base of your throat, salty with sweat. You lunged forward slightly as his fingers found their way beneath the lace and slipped inside of you with ease once more. “I’m going to build you a temple. Biggest temple anyone’s ever seen.”

You pushed your hips up into his hand greedily. “I don’t need a temple.”

“You’re too tight, too wet to go unpraised by the masses.” He disagreed.

You laughed, embarrassed. “Shut up.”

“Fine, a statue. Marble. Sculpted of this very moment.” He compromised, “The smooth arch of your back. The hair falling off your shoulder. My hand between your thighs.”

Your eyes fluttered shut, and you hummed at the image of a naked Jiyong fingering you carved into marble. “That’s very...erotic. And I would also like one.”

“There’s just one thing that I’d want to change.” he muttered against your mouth before pulling back. “You should be naked too.”

You lifted your arms over your head and he pulled the sweater from your body. He rolled the fabric into a ball and tossed it to the side. Both of you jumped at the loud crashing noise that followed. Your head fell back with laughter at the sight of the lamp that had been on the side table laying smashed on the floor.

“So smooth.”

He shook his head as he tugged at your top, “Just ignore it. Please.”

You grabbed his face after he threw the tank top to the side as well, a little more gently, and pressed a kiss to his lips. “It’s forgotten.”

“Sexy bra…” he noted, “have you been wearing that this whole time or did you conjure it up just for me?”

“Does it matter?” You asked with a slight flush of your cheeks.

“Not at all.” He dropped his hands to your hips and pulled your shorts from your legs.

Propped up on your arms you watched Jiyong slink down until he was laying comfortably between your legs. His lips teased the soft skin of the tops of your thighs. The stubble on his cheek and chin leaving light scratches in their wake. Scratchy little kitten kisses as he moved towards the warm, moist patch of lace that kept you from him. His teeth dragged gently over your mound and a desperate hiss escaped your mouth.

“Oh my god.” You panted.

“Which one?” He asked quietly between your thighs.

“Wh-what?” You watched his arm snake around your thigh. His thin, nimble fingers trailed along the edge of your panties.

“I asked which god is your god.” He locked eyes with you as he move the fabric of your panties to the side.

“I...I,” you stuttered as the pink muscle that was his tongue flicked gently against you. “Ummm. Any...all of them any of them.”

“Let it be me.” He said before pulling you into his mouth with a light hum.

You whimpered, head losing thoughts and function with every movement of his mouth against you, “Do what? Do you want…”

“Say I’m your god.” He whispered before running his tongue deeper than before.

“Yes. Yes!”

You panted heavily and gasped for air. Every move of his mouth on you was methodical. He had you teetering on the edge, ready to fall completely. Whimpering was close to becoming real tears as he locked your trembling thighs into place. You were so close already, and for a second time. And then it just stopped. For a moment you laid there confused.

“Why?” it was all you could say when you looked down between your thighs to see Jiyong running his tongue over his glistening lips.

He sat up between your legs and hooked his fingers under the elastic of your panties before dragging them down your legs.

“You didn’t say it.” He said once he’d pulled the fabric from you and flung it across the room.

“What?”

He shrugged, “You didn’t say, you’re my god.”

You sat up and reached between your legs to grab Jiyongs shoulders, pulling him towards you. Your forehead pressed against his, you whispered, “You are my god. The only one for me.”

He leaned in for a kiss while he removed your bra. With your arms wrapped around him you laid back down bringing him with you. Your lips glued together once more.

“Can I?” he asked between kisses.

“If you can’t, we’re about to have a real problem.”

“May. I.” he growled against your neck, making you shiver.

“Yes, you may.” you gasped slightly at the feel of his teeth dragging over your skin.

He reached between the two of you and eased himself in. A long satisfied sigh escaped your lips at the stretch. There was a real sense of perfection in the way he felt to you. The way you fit together. It was as if there was nothing more for you to imagine in your paradise. You had it all. Realizing you’d never had a moment so flawless in your life before made your eyes well with tears.  

“Does that feel okay?” Jiyong asked sweetly, planting a kiss against your cheek, “Do you feel good?”

“Mm, yes. It feels…” the words stuck in your throat as you looked up at him. His eyes caught yours. They were so gentle and made you feel so cared for. With a blush you ducked your face near his shoulder.

“What?” he whispered and eased you back so he could see you, “Tell me what it feels like?”

“I can’t, you’ll run away.” you pouted.

He just laughed, “I promise you, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

“Just, it feels like I’ve been waiting for this. I’ve been waiting for you.” The way he looked at you made you want to both look away and never take your eyes out of him. “Does that sound crazy?”

“No.” he leaned forward, pulling your lips between his for a kiss, and you felt yourself relax.

Your teeth dragged against his lip while he inched his way inside of you and then rolled back again. There was a full feeling throughout your body. Your thighs tightened around his hips as they started to make quick work of you.

He trailed scratchy kissed along your jaw and you groaned when he whispered against your earlobe. “I’ve been waiting centuries for you and I didn’t even realize it. Now that I know I would have waited a hundred more if I had to.”

“Don’t stop.” you gasped, feeling that familiar tightening in your abdomen.

“I won’t.” he promised. His fingers tangled into your hair and he pulled your head to the side so he could drag his teeth across your neck.

“Fuck!” You moaned, digging your nails into the skin on his shoulders. “Jiyong...my god.”

“I am.” he muttered against your collarbone through his own heavy panting, “I am your god.”

You wanted to say something about his god complex, you knew there was a joke on the tip of your tongue, but his fingers trailing goosebumps down your abdomen and slipping between your thighs left you distracted. You dropped your arms to your side, fingers curling into the rug. He found your clit with ease, at this point he’d spent so much time with it you felt like they were best friends. His thumb rubbed you in slick circles, watching your reaction almost curiously. Finally reaching your breaking point your back arched so far off the ground you’d lifted yourself like the living dead. Your arms wrapped around Jiyongs shoulders.

“Oh, hello there.” He chuckled against the side of your head as you dug your teeth into his shoulder.

“I...fuck.” you whimpered as your body tensed.

Jiyong was grunting ever so slightly, and when you looked up at him, his eyes were squeezed shut. He looked like he was between agony and euphoria. He didn’t stop a single thing he was doing until you were limp and satisfied in his arms. He laid you back down making sure your head was resting gently before he rolled beside you.

You smiled quite happily and said, “Maybe this really is paradise.”

With a half groan half laugh he turned and kissed your shoulder. “Shower?”

“Together?” you asked turning towards him.

He grinned, “Of course.”

You dragged your fingers down his bare chest and smiled, “Again?”

“Again?” He asked incredulously.

Big wanton eyes met his when you looked up, “please?”

He huffed and rolled his eyes, “Alright, yes. Again.”

“You, um,” you teased the skin of his hip with your fingers, “don’t have to be so sweet about it this time.”

“I won’t.” He hooked his finger under your chin, lifting your eyes to his. “But you have to say it.”

“Say what?”

“Say what you want from me.” His tongue moved over his bottom lip, he looked devious.

“Why?” your cheeks burned with a blush.

Your stomach twisted at the small smile that spread over his face, “It’s going to sound so sexy coming from those lips.”

You released a long slow breath.

“I want you to fuck me.” He hummed pleased with himself. However you weren’t finished. “I want to be hand around my throat, hair ripped from my head, ass stained red with your handprint fucked.”

Jiyongs mouth fell open and he looked at you wide eyed and quite shocked. “Wow.”

“Did it sound as sexy as you expected?” You grinned.

“Sexier.”

You’d thought once more in the shower would be enough to successfully exhaust you but it had turned out Kwon Jiyong left you insatiable. Luckily one more time in the bed after the shower seemed to do the trick. And you were finally able to tuck into his side, ready for some much needed rest. Your eyes were closed while he left soft kisses everywhere he could reach.

“Don’t give up your soul for him.” he whispered after a particularly long kiss against your temple.

“What?”

“It took me so long to find you.” he sounded so soft, “I don’t want to lose you now. I can’t.”

“Okay.” you didn’t understand what he meant but you weren’t about to deny him a single thing.

Your thigh was draped over his, both of your legs tangled in sheets. You rested your cheek on his shoulder, tracing his prominent collarbone with your finger tip. Kissing the part of his chest that was nearest to your lips you smiled.

“Why aren’t you in book?” You asked quietly, you didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere, but the question had been eating at you.

He hummed, gently rubbing his hand up and down your back, “what do you mean?”

“The book. Your notebook, your name isn’t in it. I looked for you, I wanted to know more about you, but you aren’t in the book. Why not?” You placed  your palm flat on his chest, his heartbeat was racing beneath the warm skin.

“I don’t need to be.” He said simply and looked down his face at you.

He hooked his finger beneath your chin and turned your gaze up to meet his. You pouted slightly, “What makes you so special?”

“Nothing.” He grinned and pressed a chaste kiss against your lips. You whined slightly and quickly lifted your lips to his for another.

You pulled away after a minute of his soft, swollen lips against yours, “You’re trying to distract me.”

“It’s working.” He smiled and leaned in once more. As he kissed you he shifted your bodies so that he was above you. Forehead presses together, noses brushing gently. He sighed, his lips tickling yours as he said with a sadness, “I don’t want to wake up.”

You laughed lightly, but then there was a sudden sinking feeling in your stomach. It was then that you realized that yes, this was a dream. “Me neither.”

-

You laid in bed for what felt like hours. Eyes closed, willing yourself back into the dream, but you knew it was done. Even if you did manage to fall asleep you knew you wouldn’t get it back. When you finally opened your eyes it was to a dark empty room. You could hear the sound of the waves through the closed windows. Sitting up on the mattress with a sigh you noticed the glow of light coming from under the door.

You wondered if Jiyong was awake. You wondered if he’d had a dream that matched yours and was now laying restlessly in bed with thoughts of you. You swung your legs over the side of the bed. You’re feet were silent against the hardwood floor as you made your way to the door. Before opening the door you looked over to the dresser where the pen you stole was laying beside a vase of flowers.

The common room was empty, it was only the single light on side table shining with a sigh of life. As you passed by it you could still imagine the sound of it shattering against the floor. You’d swear you could hear the sound of Jiyongs laugh and yours mixed together. The spirit of your perfect moment, haunting this place.

In front of the door to his room you bit your lip nervously. As slowly and quietly as you could you opened the door. You’d been needlessly cautious as Jiyong was wide awake, lying stretched out the length of the bed, ankles crossed. There was one arm behind his head and the other was draped over his bare stomach.

“Everything okay?” He asked with the raise of a single eyebrow.

“Yeah. Everything is perfect.” You shrugged, “it’s paradise. Remember?”

“Right.” he grinned, “Well what has brought you to me at this very late hour? Do you have a scandalous request of me perhaps?”

“Ugh,” you rolled your eyes, “I just...couldn’t sleep. So, can I come in or what?”

“Sure.” it was a simple response but his face looked unbearably smug.

You crossed the threshold slowly, taking him in. All he had on was a pair of pajama pants, that hung loose at his hips. He looked like you remembered from the pool and the dream, unless the pool had been the dream too. You realized you weren’t sure where reality had stopped and the dream had started. He watched you, watching him, as you made your way from door to the bed and sat beside him. He knew you were looking at him and had been trying to figure out your thoughts but mostly you just gave off curiosity.

You gulped at the sight of the notebook lying face down on the bed beside him. You wished you could tell if that part had been a dream or reality. It had to have been a dream, right? You convinced yourself that it had been. It had to have just been a mixture of guilt from stealing the pen, and uncertainty you had about Jiho. The guilt of wanting Jiyong the way you did crashed over you. You’d convinced yourself Jiho was a monster to justify a second dream about someone who was meant to be  your friend. You felt disgusting.

Jiyong saw the way you looked at the book. He wanted you to ask about. He wanted you to lunge over him and tear it open to see how real the dream had been. Even if he knew what you’d find inside of it. Even if it meant answering hard questions and ultimately confessing who he was. He was halfway there. Halfway ready to confess everything, but not quite enough to just offer it to you on his own. He thought if you’d only ask, then he’d be able to tell you.

You didn’t ask about the notebook. Instead you reached over him and grabbed it. He watched a little disappointed as you closed it and placed it on the nightstand before switching off the light.

“Oh, have you decided it’s time to go to bed?” He asked with a laugh as you laid down beside him.

“Yes.” You answered, slipping your hand over his bare stomach until you were wrapped around him like you’d been the night before.

“What? Now that you’ve had a taste of me, pillows don’t do the trick any longer?” He joked in an effort to downplay how he felt in this moment.

“You don’t always have to ruin everything by talking.”

Despite the bite in your words he could feel the grin on your face as you laid with your head rested on his chest. He wasn’t going to be able to make you feel embarrassed for needing him like this. Not with the way you could hear his heart racing under your ear.