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Caressed by someone utterly obsessed with you never felt as reassuring as the night had enveloped you. Entirely forgetting half-asleep promises as you slept, you clung close to the man in front of you. Ji-yong, unbeknownst to you, remained awake and watched as you slept. He gently ran a hand over your back, soothing you to keep you asleep.
His plan worked out so well, to have you right where you were always meant to be: in his bed, cuddled up to him.
Just as quickly as sleep took you, the world announced itself as light teased your eyelids. The warmth around you is familiar, though it was wrong in a way your sleep-fogged mind couldn't quite place. You're surrounded by the musky and familiar scent of laundry and Ji-yong’s cologne. The weight beside you shifts slightly.
Your breath stilled in response, waiting for him to speak first. The night prior was still tugging at the edges of your mind, mixed memories of what really happened and whatever was a dream. His arm is still wrapped around your waist, loose but all-encompassing. He was close enough you could feel his slow, steady breath tease against your shoulder.
It almost humored you the man was somewhere halfway in between caressing you and being caressed. You should've been shocked to wake up in such a state, but you were only met with a dull, creeping discomfort.
“You’re awake,” He murmurs, his voice rough with sleep in a way that makes you shiver.
Emboldened by your proximity, he pulled away enough to watch you as his fingers pressed against your side. Testing your reactions, to see if now that you were aware you would pull away. You should, but his voice is so gentle it makes you hesitate. Your stolen phone and flooded apartment were all distant thoughts now.
“Sleep well, jagiya?” The pet name rolls off his tongue easily, as if it's something he’s called you for years rather than something that had just started.
Those memories teasing came to the forefront- his low voice whispering to you. His hands guiding you to the bed, and the exhaustion of the day prior weighing you down until you agreed to something you couldn't understand yet.
“I-” Your voice strains, your throat feels dry.
His arm tightened around you, just enough to remind you of where you were. In his grasp, that you were his.
“No take-backs,” Ji-yong leans forward, humming as he buried his face in your hair and breathing in deep, “You already said yes.”
A shiver crawled down your spine in response. It wasn't teasing how he usually seemed to be, it rung true. It wasn't a trap, he had already succeeded and won. You force yourself to breathe in deeply, feeling how the air filled your lungs. You tried and failed to will your body to move, to do anything but lie with him and pretend like it was all normal.
Ji-yong moved first, his hand smoothing over your arm. His hand circles around your wrist and brushes over you in small circles. It's slow and sweet. You could fool yourself into thinking he'd done it a hundred times before.
“No need to rush,” His voice is sweet as it always is yet seems to curl around you like a silk ribbon tying tighter, “You don't have anywhere to be.”
You blink hard, “What?”
“You heard me,” He pushes back and leans against his balled fist to watch you, his eyes soft though his gaze didn't leave yours.
“I… Ji-yong, I have to-”
“No, you don't.”
He speaks with a tone of finality, no room for doubt in his tone. This fight was seemingly settled, and your stomach twisted. Your face screwed up in confusion, pawing your pockets for your phone he's taken hours ago.
“My job?”
“Handled,” He murmured easily, as if he was speaking about a dinner reservation, not your entire life.
Your mind scrambled, your breath caught in your throat, “What?”
“I took care of it,” His finger curls on the sensitive skin inside your wrist, grounding you to the moment with him, “I told them you'd be taking a leave. Since you're staying here, it's for the best.
The cogs are turning in your head, struggling to form a response. He notices. The flicker of shock on your face, your lips parted. There’s a glint in his eyes in response to you, satisfied at your silence. Pleased, he strokes his hand over the back of your head as if you were a pet.
“You…” Your voice falters, balling up your fists.
“Mm,” He titled his head slightly, “You're not upset, are you?”
His voice is soft- like he truly cared. The answer didn't matter though, not when it was already done. The decision to quit your job and move in with him was never up to you. All the questions forming in your head tried and failed to surface as Ji-yong patiently looked on, merely waiting for you to catch up.
Your voice is quiet but edged with disbelief as you finally manage to speak, “You told them I was taking a leave? That I quit?”
He nods as if it's nothing, “You needed a break anyway, don't you think?”
You should tell him that wasn't the point. The decision to leave your job shouldn't be up to anyone except for yourself. You would've liked to argue he couldn't make these decisions for you. Yet, his expression remains so relaxed. An expression of a well-meaning friend- boyfriend? trying his best to do something good for you. His want to take care of you only makes it worse.
“I didn't agree to that,” You shake your head, the fog of sleep that clung to you finally began to clear.
Ji-yong smiles slightly, amused, “Didn't you?” He asked, finally letting go of you to pull away from you, “You agreed to be mine, you remember? That means I take care of you now.”
A shiver prickles down your spine, goosebumps raising yet again. The reality of last night finally sets in, hard. The scene of Ji-yong pestering you to agree to taking him meant you would take him as a partner. The idea of it sent butterflies in your stomach. Despite how straightforward he was, you had always seen him as a good friend.
He was always so caring- you couldn't fault him for taking such good care of you. Never having to work again, no life outside of him- was another idea entirely. Accepting him meant accepting the tendencies he showed.
“I still have a life,” You say, trying to remain firm.
“Of course you do,” He tilted his head, his eyes flickering with something unreadable, “I'm not keeping you from anything. I just want to make your life a little easier for you.”
Your breath catches as he shifts closer. Even though you had been practically nuzzled into him earlier, the close contact now was so different. His warmth pressed into you along with that clean and musky scent grounding you. His arm shifted again to your side, surrounding you completely with every part of himself.
“Ji-yong…” Your voice comes out slightly shaken.
“You don't need to worry about anything,” He tips his head to look down at you, or rather your lips before setting back to your eyes, “I'll take care of everything.”
His calm tone ends the conversation, It's much easier to relax into the idea of letting him take over completely rather than fight it. Your brain argues with how reasonable he seemed. How easy your life would become without work, without having to worry about taking care of your own place. With him as your partner.
His fingers leave a lingering warmth against your side as he pulls away. He sits up slowly, stretching out like a cat. He reached over to his nightstand. You're about to push yourself up when he glances back at you with a small smile, gently pushing back against you.
“No rush, stay comfortable,” He murmurs.
He speaks as if he's indulging you- handling whatever you needed. Your stomach knots slightly as he turns back to face you and sets it in front of you. A neatly folded outfit, perfectly arranged. The fabric is familiar, except this time it was because it was your own instead. Your mind struggles to catch up.
As you take it in your hands, Ji-yong finally moves to stand. You sit up after him, shifting the clothes into your lap as you consider it. He casually slides his hands into his pockets, quietly confident you would take it without question. Your fingers twitch in your lap, the weight of his gaze pressed down on you.
“My clothes are here,” You can't help the surprise that's laced in your voice, thinned out as you find it again.
Ji-yong’s gaze softens, “I had them brought over. I thought you'd be more comfortable with your own things.”
“You-” You shake your head in disbelief, “You went into my place?”
“It wasn't a problem,” He steps closer and brushed his knuckle against your jaw, “I don't want you worrying while you’re here.”
Your mouth feels dry. Your heart his hammering, but you can't force yourself to react. He's already smoothed over any argument you could've had, he thought of you. He did every part of this for you. Your clothes, your personal belongings removed from your space and placed seamlessly into his own.
A realization slid into place: there was nowhere to go back to.
“Your heart is racing, jagiya. Please don't get too overwhelmed. I just wanted you to feel at home,” His fingers trail down, pressing his knuckle against your pulse.
The words that were so carefully crafted curl around you so easily. You can feel yourself being spun into the spider’s web. His home had become your own. With yours lost to water damage, and your belongings in his own home? It was all you had left. Ji-yong watched with the patience of the man who knows it's only a matter of time before you can accept it, and understand that too.
“I-” You try to gather your thoughts, but Ji-yong is already shifting closer.
He hovers over you, his hand moving up to brush a string of hair behind your ear instead. His touch lingers against your cheek and his head remains tilted, moments away from a kiss.
His voice remains sweet, endlessly patient, “You're thinking too much.”
Ji-yong weighs you down, making it impossible to pull away now. The warmth of his presence never faded, or his sweet smile. The words settle over you like a blanket, soft yet constricting you.
He smiles, his fingers tracing along your jaw and tilting the bottom of your chin towards him, “Do you trust me?”
What's the alternative? Saying no? You wonder if it would matter, if he would even allow you to disagree with him. Your eyes flicker from his to his mouth, this moment caught up in your brain. Your childhood crush and how caring he was made this moment feel sweet instead of as dangerous as it was.
Ji-yong’s eyes are unwavering, “You don't have to answer now.”
When he speaks, you know it's another trap. Another way of dealing your fate that had already been decided when you'd agreed to stay with him for a night that turned to weeks. Now he owns your clothes, your life. You can feel yourself sinking into his trap.
“...I trust you.”
It's barely above a whisper. Even as you hear yourself say it, the words don't entirely feel real. Ji-yong’s expression shifts in an instant, a soft pride in his eyes.
He gives you a slow, pleased hum, “You're so good for me.”
Before you can process the heat quickly raising to your cheeks, he leans in and presses his lips to yours. His fingers trail up from your chin and threat into your hair, holding you in place. Savoring the moment of your admission, of succumbing to him. Sealing your admission with a promise.
He pulls away, still close enough to murmur against your lips, “See? That wasn't so hard, was it?”
He doesn't wait for an answer, all too aware that each step of his plan had you sinking deeper into his hold. He presses in again, soothing you over with another kiss. Slower, this time. You find yourself leaning back into him, your hand coming up to hold onto his.
His lips are soft, and his scent is warm. It felt like a dream to be kissing him on his bed, dizzying to be there with him. He finally pulls away, an easy smile still stuck on his face.
“Let's get you dressed,” He murmured, pulling back and guiding you off the bed.
You knew better than to disagree, not a suggestion but more of an order. You glance at him, grateful he's polite enough to turn away while you pull yourself into fresh clothing. You shift out of the bed and you pass by him, half expecting him not to catch you. Though of course he turned around to face you, still smiling.
He stepped behind you, placing his hand in the small of your back and guided you out of the bedroom. His touch was light yet unwavering. His home was quiet, the scent of fresh coffee and breakfast filled the air. Hunger twisted in your stomach as he lead you toward the table, pulling out your chair like the gentleman he was.
He didn't move right away, instead he remained behind you as his hands rested on your shoulders. His fingertips pressed down just enough to remind you of his presence.
“You trust me,” He murmured, more like a reminder. Before you could dwell on his words for too long, his fingertips pressed just a little heavier. He leaned in close enough to warm his breath against the shell of your ear, “So eat.”
It wasn't so much a command as it was a form of reassurance. Without thinking, you sat down and picked up your chopsticks to eat. You took a bite, unable to hide a pleased hum at the taste of it. Finally, Ji-yong moved and took a seat across from you, watching with quiet satisfaction as he ate with you.
Every part of this somehow felt natural. The subtle weight of his control was nestled into the smallest details. The food was prepared perfectly, your favorite. He even picked your comfiest clothing for you to wear, and how his touch lingered just a little too long. Instead of questioning it you happily ate the warm food, settling something deeper inside you long before the realization could set it.
The most dangerous part of this, it was all starting to feel good.
Ji-yong barely touched his own food, even as you finished your own. You managed a worried expression his way that he shrugged off easily. If he'd planned all of this so far in advance, you didn't doubt he would've eaten beforehand. The moment you set down your utensils he wiped his hands clean and pushed his chair back.
“We're going out.”
You blinked at him, processing the sudden shift as Ji-yong was already standing expecting you to follow, “Going out?”
Your world had shrunk down to the size of the apartment over the time you'd been here. It finally dawned on you how little you knew about the city beyond his doors. It would be silly to think he'd keep you held here. He was always one step ahead, anticipating your needs before you could voice them.
Ji-yong tilted his head and stepped closer, gently lifting is fingers to brush against your jaw, “I'm only taking care of what's mine. And you are mine, aren't you?”
All you could manage for an answer was a swallow and nodding as his thumb traced a slow path over the bob of your throat.
“Good,” He praised, pressing in against your windpipe gently before finally stepping back, “Do whatever you need to be ready in ten minutes.”
…
Even though you'd only been cooped up for a day, stepping outside felt jarring. The city was open and loud, Ji-yong walked beside you. His arm effortlessly guided you by the small of your back yet again with a quiet authority. If anyone saw the two of you, it would look comforting rather than an invisible leash tightening around you.
“Hmm,” His voice was smooth, his thumb ghosting against the fabric of your shirt, “You seem a little dazed. Are you alright?”
You forced yourself to blink, pulling yourself back to the world, “Yeah, it's just a lot to take in.”
“It's different when you're with me, is that right?” He chuckled, low and indulgent.
Before you could respond, a voice cut through the hum of the crowd.
“Oh my god, is that you?!”
Your heart stuttered, and Ji-yong’s hand didn't move.
Your friend was already approaching, eyes widening with surprise, “I haven't seen you for a while! You just vanished, I was starting to think you got kidnapped or something.”
They managed a light laugh, but their gaze still searched yours for an answer. Ji-yong is still perfectly still beside you, merely watching.
“So, who's this?” Your friend's gaze flickered toward him, politely curious.
“This is Ji-yong,” You said, your throat tight, “My… boyfriend.”
The title rolled off easier than you expected. His fingers pressed into your back. A soft touch tracing a shape in your back you vaguely recognized as writing a message: good,
Your friend smiled and bowed to him, “Oh, it's nice to meet you.”
Despite how polite he usually acted around strangers, he only gave a small nod of his head in response. It was far away from his 180 degree bow you would tease him for. He still smiled, warm and charming. Unreadable.
“Likewise,” He shrugged, smoothly.
For a moment, the conversation carried on normally. Your friend chatted about their day, about how they had been meaning to text you. You don't mention that even if they had, you wouldn't have seen it. Ji-yong remained an elegant shadow, his presence never faltering. As the conversation came to a slow, Ji-yong found an opening to change the game in his favor yet again.
“You must be very close,” He mused, “It's surprising they never mentioned you.”
“Oh, well… we don't text all the time or anything,” They admitted with a light shrug, their gaze flickering toward you, “It's been a while. Why don't we all get drinks, catch up properly?”
“Drinks?” His smile didn't falter, considering it for a moment, “That sounds perfect.”
You could catch what this meant for you- he'd lost control the moment your friend ran into you. This was a reestablishment of control, and you knew it immediately.
Your friend grinned, oblivious, “Great! There's a bar down here, cmon.”
The walk passed by with a blink, Ji-yong's touch never leaving you as you walked together. The bar was dimly lit, your friend walked ahead and picked a booth for you to join them. Beside you, your now-boyfriend took the lead and gave a little bow of his head and brushed your wrist, guiding you into the booth. He slid in beside you, caging you in and pressing close enough his thigh warmed the side of your own.
“What's everyone having?” Your friend barely seemed to notice as they waved down a server.
Ji-yong barely glanced at the menu, “They'll have what I'm having.”
They paused just a second before nodding, “Man, I can't believe this. I think I remember you now- you were the childhood crush, After all these years, you guys finally got together?”
He chuckled, leaning back slightly, “We were always meant to end up together, it was only a matter of time.”
Your friend didn't seem to notice how he easily spoke over you. Even when your mouth opened to answer he quickly took the opening instead. His army snuck underneath the table and traced patterns over your knee, hidden underneath the table.”
Your friend laughed, shaking their head, “I didn't think you'd be the type to settle down.”
“Oh, I haven't settled,” His gaze didn't waver, the patterns slowing, “I've just finally taken what's mine.”
Your breath caught. Heat ran to your face and your eyes widened in disbelief. Your friend glanced at you, tilting their head curiously. You didn't have the time to answer. Out of the corner of your eye you caught him leaning in closer.
“Don't you think so, jagiya?” He purred, his voice sickly sweet yet again.
You smiled nervously and you nodded, ducking your head, “Of course.”
In a different scenario you would've scolded him for speaking in such a way. Beneath the table, he squeezed your thigh in a show of approval. His hand slid up your thighs as your friend managed a laugh.
“Things have really changed,” They shrugged as your drinks were finally served.
“Not at all,” Ji-yong grins, glancing at you and letting his voice drop lower, “They've always been mine, it just took them longer to realize it.”
“I dunno,” They mused, tapping their glass, “They've always been stubborn as hell, couldn't tell them what to do if you tried.”
“Of course,” His voice remained smooth, “That's what I love about them.”
You felt the shift in the air. The weight of his touch was firm, a silent warning to you. Your friend looked to you, searching for your own.
“I mean, you're still like that, right?” They asked.
Ji-yong traced one last thoughtful circle on your skin before slowly withdrawing. The absence of his touch felt louder than his presence.
“Of course,” You swallowed.
They held your gaze before finally knocking back their drink and leaned back, “Good. I'd hate to think an idol like him could get you wrapped around his finger.”
Ji-yong moved to wrap around your shoulders instead, pulling you in close to his side. “They know where they belong.”
As that seemed to stop that conversation in its tracks, the rest finally drifted to safer territory. The tension never fully dissolved, even as you finished your drinks. Your friend waved down the server, sliding their card onto the tray. Surprisingly Ji-yong didn't protest, watching with an easy smile as they covered the bill.
The night air as your group stepped outside was crisp. It was a welcome contrast to the warmth of the bar. Again, Ji-yong steps to your side and guides you effortlessly. The moment your friend turned to say their goodbyes, you felt the quiet search in their gaze. The unspoken question hanging between you.
“I know you've got my number, so don't be a stranger,” They waved to you, giving a polite bow.
“I'm sure they won't,” He smoothly interjected, “It was great catching up, but let's not keep each other out too late.”
Your friend offered one last smile, “Take care.”
The moment they turned away, Ji-yong exhaled softly. His touch didn't leave yours as he led you through the city streets back to his place once again. The long stretching silence of the walk sent an uneasy shiver through you. Once you were both inside, the doors closed, he finally spoke up again.
“They have no idea,” His voice was amused, taking your wrists and holding you there, “Still thinking they could pull you back. That all of it is an act, you're looking for someone to order you around properly.”
Your chest tightened as you glanced at him, trying to read the softness in his expression. His thumb pressed lightly against the center of your pulse before lifting the back of your hand, pressing a gentle kiss there.
“I hope you don't mind, but I won't let that happen,” He murmured, leveling his gaze toward you.
His expression was thoughtful, giving a quiet hum, “You know, on the walk I was thinking about what you said in there,” He turned your wrist, pressing another kiss there, “You agreed that you were mine.”
Your mind echoes the night before, that sleepy murmur. Then your date turned into an outing with your friend. Of course he wasn't going to let you take that back.
“Are you going to tell me you didn't mean it?” His tone is teasing, his free hand moving to tilt your chin towards him, “I know you did, and I know you still do.”
He leaned in close, his lips brushing yours for a moment before teasing over your cheek, “Say it again, without your sleepy mind, without your friend,” His voice is laced with a quiet satisfaction, “One more time, so I know you mean it.”
You wouldn't fight him. He'd already unraveled you, thread by thread. His careful, unshakable affection pushed you forward. You could try to push back, but as Ji-yong pulled away, you noticed Ji-yong was already smiling.
“I'm yours,” The words came out easier than you could've expected.
“That's my love,” He praised, satisfied him as you closed the distance and kissed you.
This kiss was different from those before. It was no longer a whisper of a touch, instead it was deep and claiming. The city lights kept shining, and the night passed by. There was no outside world anymore, though.
There was only him and you.