playing with fire.

The second Kwon stepped into the sleek, black limo, the door shut behind him with a muted thud that felt strangely final. Before he could take a proper breath, firm hands yanked him forward, pulling him effortlessly down—right onto Tae's lap.

Kwon's eyes widened in surprise, his body stiffening from the sudden closeness.

"Tae—!"

But Tae, unfazed and already comfortably leaned back, didn't even flinch. His arms slid around Kwon's waist like it was second nature.

"Drive," he instructed the driver calmly, not even sparing a glance toward the front.

The engine hummed to life, and the city outside began to fade into motion.

Kwon squirmed, trying to slide off Tae's lap, discomfort and heat rising in his chest. "Let me sit properly," he muttered, glancing around the spacious backseat, clearly trying to escape both the physical and emotional closeness.

But Tae's arms only tightened around his waist—possessive, commanding. His voice dropped to a quiet growl. "Stay still."

Kwon froze, breath caught in his throat. His cheeks were flushed a faint pink, not from embarrassment—but from the undeniable storm of tension stirring inside him.

"Where are we going?" he finally asked, trying to steady his voice. He didn't dare meet Tae's gaze. Looking into those eyes would be like opening a door he wasn't ready to walk through.

Tae smirked. "If I tell you," he whispered, leaning close, his lips brushing just below Kwon's ear, "then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?"

He didn't give Kwon time to answer. Instead, his lips lowered slowly to Kwon's neck—bare, inviting—and pressed a gentle kiss there. Not rushed. Not forceful. But intimate enough to make Kwon's spine straighten with shock.

"Stop that," Kwon said quickly, barely above a whisper. But it lacked conviction.

Trying to pull his attention away, he took out his phone and quickly tapped out a message to Jungwon:

"I might come late… if the graduation ends, you can go home without me 🙂"

Tae peeked at the screen, his voice low but curious. "Why not call him instead and explain properly?"

Kwon didn't answer right away. He hesitated—then sighed—and tapped the call button. The phone rang a few times before Jungwon picked up.

"Hello?" came Jungwon's voice, light and curious.

Kwon inhaled. "Hey, I might come lat—"

Before he could finish, Tae's lips returned to his neck, more persistent now. He sucked gently on the sensitive spot just below Kwon's jaw. Kwon's voice cracked mid-sentence.

"If… if the gradua—hah…"

That soft moan—unintended, uncontrollable—slipped past Kwon's lips like a secret.

There was a pause on the line. "Are you okay?" Jungwon asked, concern creeping into his voice.

Kwon swallowed hard, fighting the trembling in his voice. "I… I'm fine. If the graduation ends… you can head home without me."

"…Still with Tae?" Jungwon asked gently, almost teasingly, though a trace of caution lingered.

Kwon closed his eyes, trying to hide the blush now burning his face. He couldn't trust himself to answer.

That was all Tae needed.

He snatched the phone from Kwon's hand smoothly. "Yes," he said into the receiver. "He's with me."

"Alright… I'll leave you two," Jungwon replied after a moment. "Just… make sure he gets home safely, okay?"

"Of course," Tae responded smoothly before ending the call.

Kwon glared at him immediately. "How dare you do that?"

Tae tilted his head in mock confusion. "What did I do?"

Kwon's voice rose slightly, emotion slipping through his restraint. "You knew I was on the phone, Tae. You knew. And you still… you still kissed me."

Tae's gaze softened slightly. "I missed you," he said simply, almost too sincerely. "Didn't you miss me, even a little?"

"No," Kwon snapped.

The word felt bitter in his mouth. But it was safer than saying the truth.

Tae placed a hand over his chest with a dramatic sigh. "Aisssh… that hurts." He smiled, but his eyes gleamed with something far less playful.

Kwon shifted again, attempting to move off his lap. But Tae's grip around his waist tightened once more—gentle but inescapable.

"If you move again," Tae whispered, his lips ghosting along the curve of Kwon's ear, "then I might assume you're ready to play with fire."

Kwon froze.

Tae's chin came to rest against Kwon's shoulder, his breath hot and steady against the side of his neck. The limo continued to glide smoothly through the city, but inside the car, time felt suspended. Kwon's heart pounded, not just from proximity—but from confusion, from longing, from the ache of being around someone who made him feel both safe and completely exposed.

"You're quiet now," Tae murmured.

Kwon didn't respond.

"You were always louder when we fought," Tae added with a smirk. "Now you're all flushed and frozen."

Kwon's fingers twitched against his thighs, his breathing shallow.

He wanted to say it didn't matter. That whatever they had… whatever spark existed between them… it had fizzled out.

But he knew he was lying—to Tae, and to himself.

He stayed still, unable to move away. Not because Tae held him there—but because a part of him didn't want to.

A part of him missed this. Missed him.

"You feel it too," Tae whispered, voice barely audible.

And though Kwon didn't answer… he didn't deny it either.

Kwon's heart raced.

His mind screamed for space.

But his body… betrayed him. It leaned back slightly into Tae's warmth—just for a second.

Tae noticed.

He smirked against Kwon's skin.

"You're not running," he whispered. "That means something."

Kwon swallowed hard.

Maybe I should've never gotten into this car…

But deep down, a part of him knew—

He never stood a chance once he saw Tae waiting.

Kwon shifted uncomfortably in Tae's lap, trying not to focus on the strange tension building in the air. But the more he moved, the more he felt something beneath him—something firm… something undeniable.

His breath hitched.

His body froze.

He didn't dare move again. His eyes widened slightly as realization dawned on him, and his heart began to pound in his chest.

No… no way. It can't be what I'm thinking…

He sat completely still, almost afraid that another movement might confirm the growing suspicion in his head.

That was when Tae opened his eyes slowly, his gaze locking onto Kwon's with lazy intensity. His voice came out in a low, slightly breathless chuckle.

"That…" Tae said, shifting slightly beneath him with a pained sigh, "is what your little movements just caused… hah."

He leaned his head back against the seat, running a hand through his tousled hair in frustration—half amused, half tortured.

Kwon's face flushed instantly, the heat creeping up to the tips of his ears. "I told you to let me sit properly… but you wouldn't listen," he muttered, his voice barely hiding the embarrassment.

He tried to rise, desperate to escape the growing intimacy of the moment—but Tae's arm wrapped around his waist again, firm but gentle, refusing to let him go.

"Just sit still, please…" Tae whispered, his voice unexpectedly soft.

It wasn't a command this time—it was a plea.

Kwon looked at him, surprised by the change in tone. There was something vulnerable in Tae's eyes now, something raw. It wasn't just desire. It wasn't just teasing. It was something more—longing, maybe. Need.

"Tae…" Kwon started to say, unsure of what would follow. He had a thousand thoughts racing in his head but none that formed complete words.

"I didn't plan this," Tae continued, quietly. "I didn't mean for it to happen this way. But when you're this close, when you move… I can't help it. I'm human, Kwon."

Kwon's heart trembled at those words.

For a moment, the tension dissolved into silence. The soft hum of the car engine was the only thing between them.

Kwon finally spoke, his voice almost a whisper. "You always do this. You act like you can control everything… like you can pull me close anytime and I'll just stay."

Tae looked at him, something flickering in his gaze. "That's not what I'm doing."

"Then what are you doing?" Kwon asked. "Why keep me here if it's all just… messing with my head?"

Tae didn't answer right away. He shifted slightly, resting his forehead against Kwon's back. His arms remained locked around him—like he was holding onto something he didn't want to lose.

"Because when you're near, I feel something real," Tae said finally. "And when you're far away, I feel like I'm missing a piece of myself."

Kwon's breath caught.

Those words… they weren't playful. They weren't part of Tae's usual charm or games. They were honest.

Kwon closed his eyes. For so long he had tried to draw a line, to protect his heart from the chaos Tae always brought with him. But moments like this… they blurred every boundary he tried to set.

He didn't say anything in return. He didn't need to. The silence between them, heavy and intimate, said it all.

Outside, the city lights glowed softly through the tinted windows.

Inside, in the quiet warmth of the moving car, Kwon sat still in Tae's arms—confused, conflicted, but no longer trying to escape.

He stayed.

Because sometimes, the heart has already made its decision… even before the mind can catch up.