Archive of Our Own

Compared to surviving the Hell Train, the Hidden Floor, a coup at the Cage, and winning over slayers among other allies to somehow successfully pull off invading the Nest, and the kidnapping fiascos that followed, their latest floor test is laughably easy. 

This testing arena is a casino and their task is to enter with an assigned number of credits and leave with double that. Khun was actually the one to pick out this arena for the team. Combat based trials against other regulars would be a joke to them at this point and they've all more than fulfilled their quota of fighting. A purely mental challenge will do them all some good. There's also a rule that lets teammates help each other so even simpletons like Rak and Hatz won't get stuck. 

Predictably, Khun is the first to pass. Like a good leader, he makes some rounds to check on everyone else. Endorsi is second to pass and helps Annak while getting in some snide remarks. Hatz is doing surprisingly well for someone who can't lie. Must be dumb luck. As expected, Rak nearly flunked if it weren't for Shibisu's help. Since Shibisu is held back for so long, Bam takes third place. 

In the privacy of Khun's mind, he can admit he's purposely lingering around Bam to admire how divine he looks in his tailored black suit. If Bam notices, he doesn't comment. He catches Khun's gaze and offers a half smile before making his way to one of the private lounges.

Another reason he chose the casino is because Evankhell also has business in this area and Khun knew Bam wanted to spend some quiet time with his mentor.

Everything so far was the team strategist’s plan, but that doesn't mean he's completely happy. 

First of all, Evankhell brought Hansung along and he's been sitting at a bar while drinking instant coffee and observing everyone with his eerie golden eyes. On multiple occasions, Khun caught Hansung mockingly grinning at him. He nearly lost a round on the roulette because of it! And if Hansung watching him isn't enough, the red witch just had to show up as well for no apparent reason. 

Since Khun was keeping a keen eye on Bam, he can conclude that Hwaryun isn't here to speak with her god. She doesn't seem to be here on FUG business either. Although her aura is relaxed and indifferent, Khun can feel her focus on him. The intensity of her gaze is too heavy to ignore. 

He feels the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, and sure enough, that's Hansung looking over at him again. Sighing, he decides to get a drink at the bar that's out of sight from the blonde lunatic. There isn't much else to do right now anyways. He orders and swirls his drink, watching the jagged ice chunks clink against each other. 

Things between him and Bam have been a touch awkward since their reunion. He thought it was just stress from their years apart at all the high profile battles they were immediately launched into. That’s not even mentioning how Bam was nearly forcibly married and Khun was almost trafficked. Lately, things calmed down but the air of unease remained. But it'll all return to normal eventually, right? 

Honestly, he doesn't know how to return to before. It feels like forever ago when two of them were fully comfortable in each other's presence. 

"You look like you have a heavy heart," a smooth voice speaks up from beside him. 

"Hwaryun," he greets monotonously. 

"Why not confide in me? You'll see that I can ease your burden. Perhaps show you a way you'd never consider on your own." 

The intensity he sensed from her the entire evening is even more pressing up close. It was never like this before, not even when they stood side by side watching the bloodshed of the invasion. Now though, it demands to be known. 

She leans closer. "You're feeling off-kilter. Like your world shifted and you don't know where to stand." 

The edge of her crimson hair is in his vision, but he refuses to look at her. Instead, he takes a swig of his drink to focus on the citrus and sharp burn of vodka. 

Unfazed at being ignored, Hwaryun leans against the bar and languidly taps her fingers against the marble countertop. Her nails are painted black. "You don't need to be afraid." 

"I'm not."

A teasing chuckle. "Do you really think it's wise to lie to a guide? Besides, what I'm saying is that I can help you." 

Khun suppresses a shudder at the word 'help' coming from the demonic red witch. "Even so, I'd rather blow my brains out." 

Frustratingly Hwaryun continues to laugh at his temperament. Under her breath, she says something that sounds suspiciously like "that can be arranged." 

"What was that?" he frowns and turns to look at her. 

"Since I have you here," she begins with mischief and rouge on her lips and something darker brimming in her eye, "why don't we have a little competition. I can guarantee you that I'll make it fair." 

"And if I say no?" 

"You won't because you're too curious. Besides, there's nothing else interesting for you to do here." With that, she stands and leaves, expecting him to go along with her.

Driven by disbelief that she merely followed the team here to meddle in his love life, which really isn't any of her business to begin with, he obliges. 

Hwaryun leads them through the small crowds of people dressed in their finest. All around them, heads turn. 

Logically, Khun knows that they're both very attractive. They must make quite a pair despite their long history of mind games. Compared to the rest of the patrons, Hwaryun is dressed plainly but elegantly. The neckline of her black floor length dress is modest and it's expertly tailored for her figure. The fabric is shimmery, but not so sparkly that it's gaudy. She doesn't wear any jewelry, but with hair that shines like ruby flames, she hardly needs another statement piece. All in all, it's a good look for her. 

She must somehow be reading his mind because she loops her arm in his as if they're a real couple. "You look more stunning than usual as well." 

"Thanks, I tried." Now that he's paying attention to her, he notices the fragrance she's wearing. It's warm and mysterious. "Is that datura flower?" 

"Good senses. I'm impressed." 

"It's also called the devil's snare." He frowns as he realizes that she's leading them up a winding staircase to who-knows-where. 

She finds amusement in his quip but doesn't grace him with a response until she's unlocking the door to an extra-inconspicuous private lounge. "Yes, you could say that." 

Strangely the only furniture in the room is a white leather couch and a moving high bar table. The far side of the wall is entirely made of a window overlooking the casino. Khun wasn't able to see into these rooms while he was downstairs. It must be one way. He places a hand against the cold glass and looks closer. This is actually a perfect view of several poker tables and a roulette. 

Hwaryun shuts the door with a resounding click. "Then again, if I'm the devil's snare, what does that make you?" 

"As if you’d murder me here," he shoots back, quelling the way his heart begins to race. 

She pulls the bar table closer to them and conjures a bottle from her pocket. "You enjoyed playing the roulette down there." 

"Being good with sleight of hand means I'm good at reading others. I'm not always right with something as precise as roulette," he explains as realization dawns. "You'd obviously have the advantage as a guide." 

"Even guides aren't omnipotent. Back on the Hell Train, I couldn't be sure how your coin toss game would end. I'd say we're evenly matched with this." She pops open the cork of the bottle and pours two small glasses of mystery booze. It's clear like vodka, but Khun knows better since he's dealing with Hwaryun.

"What is that?" 

"The penalty," she says, purposefully dismissive. "Do you want ice?" 

"No, I mean..." Not even fifteen minutes of dealing with the red witch and his patience is starting to wear thin. "What exactly is that stuff? I'm not putting that in my body if I don't know what it is." 

Inexplicably, Hwaryun's eye gleams the way it does when she knows a secret that nobody else is in on but will have the misfortune of finding out very soon. "You might recognize it from someone in your past. It's just a strong alcohol that lowers inhibitions. I even uncorked a new bottle so you know it wasn't tampered with." 

Now that she said it...the distinctive shade of the deep blue bottle and the fact that it has no label does look familiar. They were all over the place at Eduan's estate. Especially when he had 'those' types of parties. 

Khun's cheeks flush. "Isn't that an aphrodisiac?!" 

Hwaryun laughs lightheartedly at his outburst. "Not quite. It just amplifies what is already there." 

Oh god...he saw the signs, but he didn't want to believe it. Now, he has no choice but to accept that the demonic red witch is well and truly hitting on him. 

"I didn't think you were the shy type," she teases. 

"I'm not." He really isn't. He's nowhere near promiscuous, but he's not completely new to hookups. 

Her grin stretches wider. "Want to compare numbers then? I'm sure mine is much, much higher." 

"Can we just start the game already?" he snaps, trying to quell his burning heart. He needs to focus, especially now. That's right. She's only doing this to throw him off. She can't possibly mean it. 

That only gets another amused chuckle. "Very well." 

They watch as the bets are placed and the casino employee reaches to spin the roulette.

"Red nine," Hwyarun states just as his hand makes contact.

Khun narrows his eyes and focuses on the employee's hand. He hones in on the turn of his wrist, the flex of his fingers, the tension in his knuckles...

"Black twenty," he says just before the roulette is spun. 

The ball chatters back and forth as the people below lean in and watch with bated breath. It lands on black twenty. 

"Well, cheers," Hwayrun says good naturedly and drains the contents of her glass. 

Khun lets out the sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding. It was hard enough making estimates up close, but doing it from a distance is a herculean effort. 

This is perhaps the first game he ever played where the odds aren't immensely stacked in his favor. It's terrifying and exhilarating all at once even though it's a silly party game that was sprung on him. 

Speaking of...

"What are we playing for?"

"What do you mean?" Hwaryun quirks an eyebrow as she refills her glass.

"You don't seriously expect me to believe that you're doing this without a good reason." 

"Who says I don't have a good reason?" she quips back. "Maybe I just wanted to dress up and drink with you." 

Khun glances over to search her expression, but as always, she's unreadable. No falsity, truth, or tells. It's one of her skills that he admires yet finds endlessly infuriating. "But what do you get out of it? Hell, we barely tolerate each other." 

Bets are being placed for the next spin. 

Hwaryun smiles and turns her attention back to the roulette. "Then perhaps we should get more familiar for the sake of the man we both serve. It would be unfortunate for him if his guide and light bearer never got along." 

His eyes widen in surprise at hearing her say 'man' instead of 'god'. 

"Black seventeen. Focus on our game." 

"Red thirty six," he stammers. It's a rushed observation, but sometimes, the quickest guess is correct. 

The ball chatters between the slots and lands on black seventeen. 

Without being promoted to, Khun picks up his glass, though he grimaces. He never touched this stuff despite how plentiful it was at Eduan's estate. Anything that could alter his mind that much, he didn't trust. 

Throwing caution to the wind, he downs it just as Hwaryun did earlier. It burns, but it's not unbearable. 

"It tastes like cheap vodka," he hisses. 

"That's because you expected it to," she explains. "It tastes like whatever you think of at the moment." 

He can feel the trail of warmth down his throat and heat pools in his lower stomach. It spreads through his entire body and he shudders. It's a wonder how Hwayrun had no visible reaction whatsoever. 

The intense ruby gaze watches him closely as he takes off his blazer. Since he doesn't want to walk all the way to the couch, he deposits it in his pocket. 

"You're finally starting to gain back some of the muscle tone you lost. That's good," Hwayrun commends with her eye still roaming. 

Not knowing what to do with the compliment, he diverts. "So whoever gets too drunk first loses? We still haven't said what the prize is." Truthfully, he could return the compliment. It really wouldn't be any trouble since Hwaryun is a gorgeous woman. She always was even though he refused to acknowledge it before. 

"You'll see," she replies with that I-know-a-secret smile. 

They make their guesses with the roulette again. This time, they pick slots right next to each other and the ball lands in Hwaryun's guess.

"Try thinking of something better than cheap vodka," she teases as she refills his glass. 

He closes his eyes and tries to conjure a fruity concoction. Just as he raises the glass to his lips, his mind wanders to what Bam is doing right now. Is he having a good time catching up with his mentor?

The liquor is still hot, but instead of an unpleasant burn, it's like drinking liquid sunlight. It's sweet like nectar but not overbearingly so. 

When he opens his eyes, his head is starting to get fuzzy and everything is lighter. Even the shinsu air is easier to breathe in. "I see how it's an un-inhibiting drug now." The words dumbly fall out of his mouth. 

"We can stop anytime you want if you're scared of losing control," Hwayrun suggests teasingly. 

"Not a chance. I want to find out what you're after." 

Her unabashed stare pins him to the spot. "And what would you do if I said that my goal is you?" 

Despite her previous flirting, Khun nearly chokes on air. "I wouldn't believe you. You wouldn't want me. Besides, you know how I feel about him." Oh god, did he just say that out loud? The mystery liquor really is working! 

Suddenly, Hwaryun is very close. Close enough that he could feel her warmth. Close enough that his head is swimming in the scent of her devil's snare fragrance. 

She tilts her chin up and their lips are so close. 

The prospect of kissing her doesn't sound insane. With that thought, Khun stumbles a few steps back. If this is how he's reacting to the magic liquor, does this mean this attraction was always there? 

He thought she was pretty when they met on the floor of tests, but that was it. Prettiness alone isn't enough to get someone up the tower. So that's all it stayed - a passing thought. 

And then, they met again and he hated her with burning rage. And then, the Workshop Battle happened and the Hell Train and all the other tests that followed. It became clear that she reveres Bam and intends to help him, in her own twisted way. He could never figure out her motives or exactly how many schemes she's running all at once. She outpaced him so many times, but with her...he had this admiration he denied vehemently. Even if she weren't a guide, she'd still be his greatest rival. 

So honestly...it should not be a surprise he'd be reacting this way right now. Attraction is primal, after all. It's just embarrassing that now she knows.

"I feel for him too. Just in a different way than you," Hwaryun muses and turns back to the window. The spin is about to start again. 

Khun presses his forehead against the cold glass to clear his head. They place their bets and this time, it lands on his slot. 

Hwaryun looks almost happy as she downs her glass again. 

"How are you not affected by this stuff?" he asks because his head feels cloudier by the minute and he wouldn't be surprised if he's unsteady. 

"I just do a better job not letting it show." 

He narrows his eyes suspiciously. Maybe her plan tonight has no grand motive. He wouldn't put it past her to get him hot and bothered and then leave him humiliated.

"It's not good to be so paranoid, so distrusting. Though with so many ghosts in your head, I can't blame you." Her smile is knowing.

"The next round is starting," he says instead of a proper response. 

"The ghosts may keep you safe at times," she continues, "but they also close you off to more beautiful things." 

Without registering his own words, he murmurs, "nobody gets this far without a few ghosts." 

"Maybe not, but I've learned to make peace with mine." 

The mystery liquor must be affecting both their judgements by this point, because they both choose the wrong slot. 

"Well, cheers," Khun scoffs sarcastically as they down their glasses. 

They play another round since neither of them would be satisfied with a tie, considering their competitive streak that was exacerbated even further since Hwaryun appeared on their ship that night and decided she would stick around. Once again, neither of them guesses correctly.

Expecting Hwayrun to refill their glasses, Khun is surprised when she re-corks the bottle to put away. "I'm not trying to get us completely trashed." 

He cracks up at her sudden crudeness. "We need some sort of tie breaker. You can't possibly be happy with this outcome." 

"You're the one who's always trying to win. I'm just doing my job," she fires back with a mischievous smile. "Though there's no need for you to be trying so hard. We both know who he favours." 

"So about the tie break..." 

Hwaryun closes the distance between them and runs one of her hands up and down his back. Up his spine to admire the slim musculature of his shoulders, back down to his narrow waist, and back up again. Surprisingly, he doesn't utterly despise the touch. 

Her crimson hair cascades down her shoulders and back like a river of lava. He's mesmerized by all the different shades of red that are entwined so that they shine so vividly. His last shot of liquor settles like lava and tension coils tantalizingly in his lower stomach.

"I suggest a test of intuition," he blurts, hoping to hell she hasn't picked up on his state of affairs. "See all those people downstairs? Whoever guesses the next person to pass wins whatever game it is you roped me into." 

There's a melodic hum and Hwaryun drapes herself against his back, hugging him from behind with both her hands running up and down his clenched abdominal. "You say that like I forced you into all this," she whispers in his ear. 

Khun bites his lip and focuses on the casino patrons below. He was trying to keep an eye on the team all along and there's no doubt she was doing the same. 

"Alright, I'll play," she says, with her lips a hairline away from his pulse point. 

"What are the conditions?" he asks suspiciously. "It's about time you told me what you really want." 

"I told you already." 

Long slim fingers undo Khun's tie. He holds back a full-body shudder, but doesn't swat her hand away. The fabric flutters to the ground with a note of finality. "I still don't believe you," he retorts, voice going raspy. 

"I will answer one of your questions. Anything, anytime you want." 

Finally. At last, this song and dance is getting somewhere. 

"However," Hwaryun continues, "I want to try something with you." One of her hands begins to unbutton his shirt while the other snakes underneath it. 

It can't be more obvious what it is that she 'wants to try'. The idea of it isn't repulsive at all. By now, it's quite the opposite. But he refuses to let his guard down and he refuses to believe that a red witch's motives could ever be this simple. "Then what's the point of even doing a tiebreaker if you're proposing a trade?" 

"As I said, you're the one who always wants to win. I couldn't care less since I'm doing my job." 

"Sounds like an awful lot of trouble to go through to get your...uhh...physical needs fulfilled." 

Hwaryun cracks up at the fumbled wording, her warm breath sending shivers down his neck. "If you think your role is stressful, try being a guide." 

"So that's what it is," Khun chuckles along because even though he doesn't quite believe the explanation, he's more likely to get to the answers he wants by going with it. "A no-strings-attached hookup between two stressed out people who happen to work together." 

"To put it bluntly, you could say so," she replies lightheartedly before turning her attention to the casino floor below. "My bet is on that lady in silver." 

Khun eyes the said lady who is at a poker table playing against Endorsi and Annak. Her main advantage is that Endorsi gets frustrated easily when she's up against other beautiful women. He turns back to the table where Rak is at. Seems like the blockhead gator finally realized that the point of poker is to play your opponent, not the cards. 

"I'm guessing your bet is on Rak," Hwaryun says knowingly. 

"Yea, it is." In the privacy of his own mind, he urges the gator to not let him down. 

The next few minutes tick by in heavy anticipation. It's a close call, but just as Khun hoped, Rak's opponents start panicking and he eliminates them all with a risky bluff. 

"That really got my heart pounding," he sighs with a victorious grin. 

In reality, he feels like he's drenched with sweat, though he knows that's just his mind exaggerating. His shirt sticks uncomfortably to his skin in several places where Hwaryun rested her hands. He realizes just how warm she is and that he's not the only one feeling a tad overheated from the effects of the liquor. 

If the liquor is indeed affecting her like this...that could only mean whatever her real motives are, the attraction she feels for him is genuine...

Before Khun's mind could go any faster into overdrive, he's jarred out of his thoughts as the window flashes by and he lands on something. He blinks away the headrush and realizes he's looking down at white leather.

Hwaryun just shoved him, or more accurately manhandled him, onto the couch and is holding him down by straddling his lower back. 

"What are you doing?!" he squawks indignantly, glaring at her over his shoulder. 

"What I wanted to do from the very beginning," she answers with dark purr. "Since the very first time I saw you walk down the halls looking so arrogant and untouchable. Since I saw you again after those seven years and the threads of your fate only got more tangled. You're a real piece of work, you know that?" 

He could thrash, he could throw her off, but his body reacts differently. It's entirely welcoming of her weight on him, of her deft hands making quick work of his clothes, exposing his flushed skin to the charged air around them. 

"You see events in absolutes - in victories and losses with nothing in between," she muses on, hands exploring every inch of his skin that hardly anyone had the privilege of touching. "I see things differently, but I admit, I do have a bit of a competitive streak when it comes to you. I enjoy our little chats, and there's no denying that you're brilliant to work with and stunning to look at. But you have no idea how many times I wanted to bend you over and shut you up. And well...I figured you would like it too. Looks like I'm right." 

Any and all coherent thoughts evaporate from Khun's mind like water droplets on coal. Never mind what the demonic red witch is really planning, he can only be sure of two things. 

One - the attraction between them, attraction that he never considered before, is very much real and mutual.

Two - he is utterly and truly fucked, and he's not necessarily against it.

"Oh god, oh god," he rambles frantically, burying his head against his forearms. 

If heightening hormones and lowered control isn't enough, that freaking mystery potion also has to amplify his nerves. He is never touching that stuff again after this.

Contrary to her foreboding words, Hwaryun's gentle hands massage along his back and shoulders, easing some of the tension. "It'll get better once your desires start getting fulfilled," she assures.

"I'm still never touching that poison again," he grits out. The heat under his skin is maddening. He's begrudgingly thankful that he's not on his back, otherwise he'd be giving Hwaryun a very vulnerable view. The tension and near-delirious haze won't be unbearable to ride out alone if he really wants to, but...

Hwaryun's voice becomes concerned. "Before we continue, I need you to say if this is something you really want. You've already done well tonight opening yourself to something new." 

If Khun's mind is less scattered, he'd realize that whatever it is the demonic red witch set out to accomplish, it is already done. Anything that follows is optional. 

Instead, all he can think about are the handful of times he was about to snap under the stress of the tower and sought out a quick remedy. Those times with Isu, and Novick, and that once with Hatz were good. And it would feel so good to surrender himself to Hwaryun. "Okay," he says resolutely, not looking up to see whatever triumphant expression she has on right now. "Okay." 

After the confession, she wastes no time uncapping a bottle of something. Something cold and slick drips against him. 

Before he could ask why she has lube so readily available, two long fingers push into him all at once. "Fuck," he hisses at the intrusion. 

"Should I go slower?" Hwaryun asks. The question is clipped, like she's in a hurry. 

"No, I can take it," Khun replies, unable to think too much of it. 

Under ordinary circumstances, being pistoned and stretched like this from the start would hurt. But somehow, the roughness translates as pleasure in his inebriated state. 

Just as he's adjusting to the pace, Hwaryun suddenly pulls her fingers out, dragging a high pitched whine out of him. Even though he knows what will come next, the prodding of a silicone toy at his entrance startles him. 

Judging by the tip alone, it's big. 

"How is that going to fit?" 

"Trust me," Hwaryun assures. 

"Not with my life-" the end of his sentence trails off into a long moan as the head is pushed in. And it doesn't stop at just the head. It keeps going further and further, inch by inch. His jaw gapes open in a silent scream, entirely out of breath. By the time the whole thing is in, he can feel it so deep and thick that he wouldn't be surprised if it could rearrange his insides. Even more shockingly, it didn't hurt at all. 

"Drinking helped you loosen up," Hwaryun answers the unspoken question. 

He scoffs indignantly. "You lied. You said that stuff isn't an aphrodisiac." 

The toy is dragged out halfway before it's pistoned back in sharply. For a brief moment, he thought he could see stars. 

"It's not an aphrodisiac, but it could be if you're in the mood." Hwaryun's tone turns pointed, like a predator catching sight of an unsuspecting prey. "So, tell me...who is that that you were originally hot and bothered for?" 

"You already know who," he snaps and is punished with a string of hard thrusts, each going further than the last. 

"Say his name." 

"No." He shakes his head obstinately from where it's still buried against his forearms and the couch. Admitting to himself that he wants this to be Bam is one thing. Admitting his feelings out loud for Hwaryun to hear is another thing. But saying Bam's name as something like this is happening is an entirely new line he doesn't want to cross. 

There's the sound of a tut and the toy is barraging him again. This time, it's shallow, quick...searching...

Despite Khun's best efforts to hide it, Hwaryun notices when she hits the most sensitive spot inside him. She pauses and there's nothing but the sound of his ragged breathing. "Who do you want?" she implores again.

"I'm not playing into your hand," he seethes as he glares over his shoulder...just in time to catch a devilish grin that suggests he already played into her hand. 

She slams the toy into him relentlessly. Each strike is quick, yet long and hard, hitting him in the spot that makes him feel electrified with the intensity of a lightning spear. He buries his head in his arms again, unable to hold himself up. He could only melt against the couch like a puddle. 

As overwhelmingly intense as it is, the heat raging under his skin begins to subside and his head clears a bit. He feels less foggy and drunk, but a clearer head also means that the sensations register more sharply. 

And that's when Hwaryun shoves the thing deep, as far as it could go, and it starts fucking vibrating. 

Khun screams when it doesn't stop. He desperately heaves, trying to get air back into his lungs. 

"Just say the name," she urges. "Who do you wish was fucking you right now?" 

"S-screw you," he gasps. 

The intensity of the device gets dialed up and his voice goes up higher than it ever has before. 

"You're imagining him, aren't you? Imagining how he'll ravage you...how he'll ruin you."

Khun bites down on his lip, refusing to give her the satisfaction. His mind may be clearer now, but it's too much, too much, too much-

"It's okay. You can do this the hard way," Hwaryun continues to taunt. "I'm sure he'd enjoy it too." 

A loud moan escapes him as he conjures up the image of Bam punishing him in the most sinful way possible. It doesn't go unnoticed.

"Oh, you would like that, wouldn't you? You'd like being held down and dominated by him. You'd like how terrifyingly possessive he'd be as he stakes his claim." 

"Oh god-" he wheezes.

The intensity goes up another notch and Khun's not sure if his vision is blank because of the white leather couch or because his brain is thoroughly blown. 

"No, you don't call him god," Hwaryun purrs and leans down to grab a fistful of his hair. "Say his name." 

"Bam!" he wails, breaking apart completely. Once he says it, it's like a floodgate was opened. He keeps screaming out Bam's name like a prayer. 

The cursed device finally shuts off, letting him come back to his own body. He must be a mess as he's sprawled across the couch, hands desperately gripping for a hold on anything, Bam's name still spilling from his lips. 

And suddenly, the warm presence at his back pulls away, leaving him cold. 

He turns around to ask what gives, but the words die in his throat when he sees an expression of pure wicked satisfaction on the red demon's face. 

"Hwayrun. Khun," a new voice speaks from the door. 

... 

...

There were times in his life when he truly thought he was going to die. Right now, spontaneous combustion is looking highly probable. 

Hwaryun's crimson painted lips grin even more mischievously. "Well, that's my cue to leave." She straightens her dress as if nothing at all is amiss and Bam did not walk in on his guide and light bearer in an incredibly compromising position. 

The worst part is that Bam doesn't even look saddened that the two people he's supposed to trust most were fooling around in the middle of a floor test. With each other nonetheless!

Instead, those gold eyes are dark with an unreadable emotion. They're like pools of blackened elixir as they pin Khun to his spot, still sprawled out on the couch. 

He really should say something right now- tell Bam it's not what he thinks, but there's no way to tell what he is thinking. Maybe he could ask about how the meeting went? 

Bam's mouth opens and closes a few times, at a loss for words as well. His gaze intensifies. 

Before either Bam or Khun could react, Hwaryun waltzes out of the room as seamlessly as a summer breeze. She appears to say something to Bam on the way out, but he doesn't so much as glance away. 

Had she...had she planned this from the start? That would mean the flirting, bringing him up here, the drinking, the game- it was all to get Bam to see him like this. And for what purpose? To humiliate him? 

He should really get back in control of the situation, but damn, the mystery booze must be messing with his head because all he can think of right now is how insanely hot Bam looks when he's focused. Khun could throw himself into the depths and gladly be devoured. 

Cursing his brain for betraying him, he scrambles to cover himself with a plush throw blanket that was conveniently draped over the couch. And then he curses Hwayrun again because she left her monstrous device in him.

"Fuck," he hisses at the sting of the abrupt movement. 

"You were saying my name." 

"Huh?" 

Suddenly, Bam is very close. Close enough that Khun could see that his eyes are such a deep shade of amber that they nearly blend into his blown pupils. 

"When she asked you who you wanted, you said my name." Bam's voice is unnervingly level, like he's repeating something to convince himself that it's true. 

"Oh god..." 

As if being walked in on in the middle of being ruthlessly dominated by the demonic red witch and left trying to cover what's left of his dignity with a blanket while there's still a freaking toy in him isn't mortifying enough, Bam also just had to hear what exactly he was screaming.

What are the chances they'll ever be able to look each other in the eyes again? 

"Bam, I-" His explanation is cut off with an entirely undignified squeak when Bam climbs on the couch. He scrambles back, feeling skittish as a field mouse about to be caught by a predator. His back hits the armrest of the couch and Bam's arms close in on either side, caging him in. 

"You were calling my name," Bam continues with his voice dropping low. "It was like you were pleading for me to appear and fuck you senseless." 

Well, they'll never be able to look each other in the eyes again, but damage control! 

"I wish you didn't hear that, not that it makes it okay, I'm sorry-" Khun rambles and is cut off again by a pair of warm lips crashing into his. 

So does this mean - could it? But how and since when?! 

He gasps when one of Bam's strong hands grip his hair, exposing his neck. 

"What are you sorry for?" Bam whispers. His breaths are warm along the sensitive skin of Khun's neck. 

"I don't know. Everything, I guess." 

Teeth clamp down and the marking that follows sends a wave of desire so strong that it leaves him lightheaded. The alcohol is probably to blame for that too, but all he wants to think about right now is the anticipation of being punished in the most sinful way possible. 

The blanket is ripped away by Bam's insistent hands and the rest of his clothes follow soon after. When Bam reaches for the toy, he drives it deeper at first, eliciting a soft moan. 

"Just take it out already," Khun gasps. 

When it seems like Bam is about to pull it all the way out, he suddenly shoves it back in and keeps at it with quick snaps of his wrist. "Does this feel good?" he growls. "I bet she fucked you good, otherwise I wouldn't have heard you screaming from the staircase." 

If Khun had even an ounce of clear-mindedness left, he'd be indignant that the door wasn't even soundproof. But alas, his inhibitions decided to take a dive off the tower along with his virtue and whatever is left of his dignity, so all he manages to do is hang his mouth open as sounds are hammered out of him.

"Bam," he sighs breathlessly. "Slow down, if you keep doing that, I'll..." 

Bam shoves the toy once more, harder and deeper than before, before ripping it out and tossing it across the room. "If some cheap gadget can get you this far, I will ruin you," he vows darkly, leaning in so their lips are brushing. "You won't even be able to think of anything else. Ever."

The promise sends a shock through Khun's spine. His back arches, pressing his body into the delectably solid one dropped over him and oh god, Bam is indeed very turned on and very well endowed. 

If he thought the toy Hwaryun used on him was monstrous, this is a straight up death cannon. Well, maybe not death unless it's possible to drop dead from being screwed too good...

The hairline distance between their lips close and all other thoughts dissipate from his mind. The way Bam kisses him is perfect. There's just enough tongue without it being sloppy. It's heated, passionate, and yearning, but also with an undercurrent of tenderness. 

Now that he's not losing his mind from embarrassment, shock, or pleasure, he's suddenly very aware that Bam is still completely dressed. The fine material of Bam's suit feels nice against his skin, but being bare together sounds infinitely better. Without breaking apart the kiss, he loosens Bam's tie, pawing at the buttons of his shirt.

The anticipation makes his hands shake and his hands never shake. Not when he's in fights for his life, not when he faces down rankers, but somehow, he's a complete mess when it comes to being intimate with his not-quite-so-unrequited-love. 

Khun's internal shrieking must be loud enough to physically hear because Bam's lips quirk, bemused. "I could get used to seeing you like this...falling apart for me and nobody else." With one last peck against Khun's lips, he pulls back and begins tugging off his clothes. 

Fortunately for Khun, he gets one hell of a view of Bam's rippling, lean muscles. Unfortunately though, the lapse in activity gives his brain a chance to hyperfixate on what 'could get used to this' means. 

And also, his hands are still shaking. 

He barely registers the pair of large, warm hands spreading his legs wider, lifting his hips...and then, he's ripped out of his thoughts when something warm and solid and completely perfect because it's Bam's enters him, breeches him like a drill. 

Earlier, he was afraid it wouldn't fit, but all the previous activity loosened him up enough and Bam is sliding in gently. Centimeter by centimeter instead of slamming in all at once like he must be tempted to. 

Mind hazing over again, Khun throws his head back and lets out long, breathy moans. 

Bam groans when he's finally buried to the hilt. "How do you feel?" 

"Perfect. You're perfect. You were always perfect, anything you do to me is perfect," he blabbers, blinking back the glassiness in his eyes. 

"You have no idea how much I wanted this. I want to ruin you, make you see stars, finally shut down that beautiful mind of yours." Bam pauses to take a deep breath. "But you're more than just that to me. You're everything." 

The seductive confession, spoken as they're in the middle of consummating their mutual attraction, ignites something primal in Khun. "Don't hold back right now. Not when we have so much time to make up for." 

That's all the encouragement Bam needs to begin making good on his desire. There are no experimental prods or buildup. It's one hundred percent, ten out of ten, from the start. Bam rails him with wild, animalistic passion. Each drag hits every single bit of his insides and each thrust steals his breath away. 

The hands caressing up and down his chest, the gentle fingers wiping the corners of his eyes are such a delicate contrast that under any other circumstance, he'd believe he's being touched by two people. 

He doesn't even realize he started biting his lower lip until a thumb eases his mouth open. It must have been a subconscious effort to keep quiet because the room is confirmed to not be very soundproof and he sure as hell does not need the entire casino to hear him getting ravished. But then again, he's powerless against what Bam desires...and if Bam desires to hear, he can only hope the other patrons of the casino are too engrossed in their own affairs to pay attention. 

Suddenly, there's something cold trailing down the overheated column of his neck, across his collarbones, down his chest...and down lower, bringing his attention to what's happening between his hips with renewed vigor. 

He opens his eyes to see Bam with an ice bucket that he got from the bar table without stopping the powerful snaps of his hips. The stark contrast between the ice and their heated skin sends Khun's head for a dizzying spin. Bam's hands are gentle as they guide another ice cube across Khun's body. The opposing sensations electrify his nerves. 

A devilish grin spreads across Bam's lips as he pops an ice cube in his mouth and sets the bucket aside. He leans down and trails the ice down Khun's neck with his lips. When it melts, he latches on like a greedy vampire, no doubt leaving an array of marks. 

The temperature difference between the freezing ice and Bam's hot mouth gives Khun whiplash in the best way possible. He's so drowned in the haze that he doesn't even know what kinds of sounds he's making anymore, but he'll probably deny them later. 

Bam's punishing thrusts are beginning to take him to the edge and he arches up to try to meet them. Ever so attentive, even now, Bam grabs his hips bruisingly tight and impossibly goes harder.

After being toyed with by Hwaryun, fucked with the same toy by Bam, fucked in earnest by Bam, and quite possibly taken to see the stars, his mind shatters apart. 

For a while, maybe even minutes or hours, he feels white hot sinful ecstasy. And then everything is staticy and fuzzy, like his senses were fried. There’s an image in his mind's eye of being devoured by a black hole. 

When the world fizzles back into view and his senses return, he's completely breathless as Bam thrusts erratically, chasing his own completion. By now, Khun is a complete mess, but he wraps his legs around Bam's hips. There's one final resounding push and a rush of warmth. 

This morning, if someone asked Khun what was his ideal situation for doing it the first time with Bam, he would have said a month at least after a picture-perfect first date so they'd have plenty of time to get used to their new relationship and discuss things. From his previous hookups, he knows he prefers to bottom, but he always thought he'd have to top the first time so he could show Bam how sex works. 

Well...first of all, it's abundantly clear that Bam does not need any sexual education. 

And second, Khun never would have expected to get together with a hookup in a casino lounge after a dramatic altercation with the demonic red witch. 

A puff of breath at the back of his neck pulls him out of his reverie. It seems that he and Bam ended up cuddling while he was daydreaming. 

"What are you laughing about?" he chides light heartedly. 

"Oh, well...umm," Bam chuckles abashedly. "I just can't believe Hwaryun of all people turned out to be the wingman."

At the mention of the witch by name, Khun grumbles. "Uh, can we not talk about her right now?" 

"Why not? You two sure were having fun earlier," Bam teases shamelessly. Because of course he would. 

"I'm never going anywhere with her again. Ever." 

Strong arms tighten around him and Bam once again laughs into the nape of his neck. "She did guide us together after all." 

And to be fair, she did. Albeit in a roundabout, mortifying, dramatic way that is unbecoming of a guide. Actually, Khun really doesn't have much frame of reference when it comes to working with guides. For all he knows, she could have gone easy on him. And well...any number of humiliating moments would be worth ending up together with Bam. 

"I suppose I can pardon her this time." 

"You suppose you can pardon her, huh. After what I saw her doing to you, I'm pretty sure you have no authority over her." 

"Bam!" 

There's a melodic laughter as Khun is pulled closer against a built tan chest. 

"I'm joking! You'll always be my most trusted conniving strategist!" 

He doesn't even want to begin imagining what it'll take to get the upper hand with Hwaryun after this. But for now, he laughs along with Bam as they cuddle on the white couch of a lounge with a blanket draped over their bare bodies. Bam's fingers carding through his matted hair is beginning to lull him to take a nap. 

"We should get back to the others." They've probably all passed the floor test by now. And then, there's the next floor to prepare for and the next battle to anticipate. 

"After we stay like this a little longer?" 

Khun holds Bam tighter as well and breathes in the scent of warm sunlight. "Okay."