oh, how could such simple, almost innocent pleas sound so pretty and sinful? chris couldn't deny the second stab of red-hot need that surged through him at that, supplemented by how beautifully wrecked his lov— partner already was at that point — clouded hazy gaze radiating nothing but the same need that coursed through his system, kiss-swollen parted cherry lips gasping for quiet breaths, chestnut hair slightly messy from the unconscious raking and tugging he's sure he employed earlier. taeyong was simply a beautiful mess underneath him, and really, who was he to deny taeyong of his wishes?
"i got you baby boy, i got you." chris hummed in reassurance as he sat himself up, lifting his hips up a little to rid himself of his jeans and underwear and letting them join his already-discarded hoodie on the floor. he also made sure to tug off the younger's shorts, eyes glinting darkly at the revelation that taeyong had been freeballing but not making any mentions of it. at least, not yet. "keep my sweatshirt on baby, i really want to be inside you while you're wearing it." he explained to the younger in a slightly-gravelly tone.
working on pure instinct (bless taeyong for having only one chest of drawers in his room within easy reach; chris reasoned that taeyong wouldn't have stored his lube anywhere else where it would be inconvenient for him), chris randomly pulled open a drawer and attained the still-relatively-full bottle of lube, eyeing the few condoms and purposely skipping over (yet taking mental notes of) the small plethora of s & s taeyong had. he then returned to his position in between his partner's spread legs, two fingers already coated with the slick sweet-smelling substance.
"i'm going to prepare you first baby, let me know if anything hurts or doesn't feel good, alright?" chris explained, not resisting the urge to close in and land a kiss (this time sweet and reassuring) to his partner's lips. using the kiss as an opportune distraction, he also slowly began pushing his slicked fingers in, gasping and a little at the tight velvety warmth. his hard neglected member twitched in anticipation at that; if taeyong already felt /this/ good around his fingers alone, he was sure he'd be seeing heaven (and hell) when he replaced his fingers with .
@⁰² christopher b. for someone who had been incredibly patient with the man above him, having waited months for even a glance his way, taeyong was now incredibly impatient. the tender and delicate hold he had on his willpower and desires all this while had burst through the dam when they kissed that night, even more so when chris barged into the room mere minutes ago. gone was any semblance of patience. taeyong was a starving man, and chris was his ambrosia.
despite his desperate need to further their undressing, taeyong couldn't help but simply relish the feel of his lo– roommate's lips upon his. how often he had dreamt of this very scenario, dreamt of how sweet those plush lips would taste against his. now that he had them, in the flesh, upon his own... taeyong made sure to savour every bit. (just in case his dream was about to shatter.)
so lost in the throes of their heated makeout session the prince was that he didn't even anticipate those strong hips grinding down against his. the motion elicited a loud moan from taeyong, cheeks flushing while his whole body lit up as if had been doused with kerosene and set alight. the thin fabric of his shorts was not providing much protection either; it would soon be evident exactly how much chris could affect him.
once again, their lips parted when their lungs screamed for oxygen. this time, instead of allowing the elder to ravage his lips once more, taeyong gazed up into those darkened orbs, panting softly. "don't make me wait more. please."
@⁰² taeyong l. at the younger's breathy but audible consent, under any other circumstance (or even with another person, he daresays), chris would've wasted no more time and jumped in to claim his sweet, forbidden nectar without any hesitation. instead, he took even more time to let taeyong's verbalised need thickly add another layer to the bubble they've created for themselves. his gaze, as raw and vulnerable as they were, flitted momentarily to the younger's (sinfully) pretty pink couplets before he found himself closing the distance.
he was never one for dramatics and exaggerations, but the very first time he kissed taeyong that eventful night, he swore across his life that he felt literal magic course through him, bubbling and swelling and filling him with an indescribable sensation before it burst out of his chest in an explosion of sweet, tender affection. and tonight, that very same sequence of events unfolded as he lost himself into the moment. if jisung had been the forbidden apple that had condemned adam & eve to their fates, hell, taeyong would be the whole mothering forest. if chris had initially thought that he'd never get enough of jisung, then taeyong would be his one-way ticket to the ninth circle of hell.
and he was definitely going to enjoy the ride.
he didn't know how long it had been (realistically it had probably been only a couple of minutes tops), but it felt neraly physically impossible for him to pull away from his partner. alas, he eventually did due to the dire need for oxygen. sparing a momentary dazed glance at how his partner's lips were starting to swell from the liplock, chris dived in once again without another word. this time however, his (unfortunately still) clothed hips starting gyrating in the slightest against taeyong's, building up an oh-so-sinfully sweet and lascivious rhythm.
if lee taeyong was gonna be his one-way ticket to hell, it should only be right that he be taeyong's one-way ticket to the seventh layer of heaven.
@⁰² christopher b. despite being a prince, outside of his family and his royal relatives, no one treated taeyong like one. which had been his parents’ goal: they had wanted their only son to live as normal of a life as he could, while performing his duties on the side. it was wonderful to have that opportunity to fit seamlessly in society, but... it was exhausting, keeping a major chunk of his identity veiled under thick layers.
now, however, he was laid bare for chris. (metaphorically speaking, considering there were still way too many layers of clothes between them in taeyong’s opinion.) there was not a single thing he kept from his roommate. while undoubtedly the major advantage of having unburdened himself was that he didn’t have to shoulder the secret anymore in his own living space. the added perk, however... was chris truly treating him like a prince.
and taeyong would be the world’s biggest liar if he said it didn’t get to him. it was in the simple things, the small gestures and phrases like ‘your wish is my command’ that had him melting faster than butter on a hot pan. his eyelashes fluttered with the delicate gesture, merely breathing in the fact that chris was here, with him, wanting /him/. no exes, no outsiders, just chris and him. (and poor skitty who had been iled.)
his eyelids slid open, only for them to lock gazes. taeyong swore he felt at least a couple thousands volts of electricity bolt through him, not having prepared his poor heart for the magnitude of the intensity of chris’s gaze. with how raw, and emotional, and /amplified/ every little touch and whisper was, taeyong may as well have become a once more.
the rough, ragged voice sent cascading shivers down his spine and right into his shorts. they had made out only on their night of reconciliation, and none after as they were — well, chris was — still trying to figure out his thoughts. memories of that night, all the flurry of tears and angry words to dumb realizations and intense lip-locking, came rushing back to him, simultaneously stealing and restoring his breath.
“y-yes,” taeyong himself choked on a thick lump lodged in his throat, breath shallow with arousal. last time, they had limited themselves to kisses. the prince could only imagine the level chris wanted to take their relationship to this time. “please, chris, i’ve- i’ve been waiting,” he managed to punch out, the double meaning not intentional but not lost on the both of them. his pain initially hadn’t been worth the wait, he thought, but now, seeing chris above him with finally his face and gaze bare for taeyong to relish... he realized he would go through his temporary heart break a hundred times over if he could get even a mere glimpse of the angel in front of him.
@⁰² taeyong l. how their relationship had changed so dizzyingly over the span of a few nights, chris still didn't understand. he had came back from the formal that night, worried out of his skin when he couldn't find taeyong and every message and call to the younger's phone went unanswered. he'd wanted to "scold" taeyong in his own roundabout way of telling him how worried he was, but he didn't expect for the younger to go on a emotionaly-driven tirade that ended with a /very/ unexpected confession.
suddenly everything started clicking into place.
chris had told the younger that he wasn't looking to jump into anything committed just yet given his current circumstances, but that didn't mean he couldn't take and process taeyong's feelings or even feel for himself. and right now, sparked by a not-so-accidental gesture of being sent a slightly risqué picture, chris was feeling quite a fair bit for his gorgeous roommate.
(no one needed to know that the way taeyong practically purred his name out had sent an especially hot stab to his crotch, by the way.)
"your wish is my command, yongs." he hummed out, one hand reaching to instinctively, almost naturally card his fingers through the younger's freshly-dyed chestnut locks. his senses were subconsciously-yet-slowly going into overdrive, /finally/ taking in everything about the younger that he had missed and/or taken for granted prior. he internally cursed and condemned himself — lee taeyong was beautiful. ethereal. exquisite. the faint apple blossom scent he now recognised as taeyong's melded oh-so-sweetly with the slight bergamot musk that clung onto the sweatshirt he was wearing - chris' sweatshirt. his gentle-yet-mysterious orbs locked their gaze into taeyong's, feeling his breath actually get out of him from just how flawless his roommate was.
, how was he so blinded all this while?
"yongs, baby..." he began, his whispers coming out slightly choked due to the sheer amount of raw feelings he's carelessly piling into them. "i really want to kiss and touch you right now. may i?" he continued, his mysterious gaze unknowingly softening and involuntarily baring a sliver of his well-concealed vulnerability to the younger for the first time.
@⁰² christopher b. soon enough, his impatience was tampered down because taeyong heard familiar noises — the ding of their elevator, the beep of the door unlocking, the gentle shuffle as his roommate slid off his shoes. then finally — /finally/ — chris was stepping into his room, perhaps subconsciously locking skitty outside; he didn’t want their baby to be witness to such... mature acts. “chris,” he breathed out, hanging up the call and letting his phone drop to somewhere on the plushie and pillow covered bed. there was barely enough room for him when he slept — not that he slept in his bed that often... — but with chris here too, they were forced closer merely for lack of space. it couldn’t have been more perfect. just having the elder freely speak to him like this, salaciousness dripping steadily from his low voice, had taeyong’s skin shimmering with need. “well... why don’t you sh-show me, then?” the quiet syllables rode a ragged exhale, parting his legs to provide chris with more space for him to settle. if that movement (strategically) revealed more of his thighs from under the shorts he wore, he wasn’t one to blame.
@⁰² taeyong l. as he made the short way over to their shared bathroom, his roommate's subtly-but-noticeably strained voice called out to him, breaking him from his small reverie. he acknowledged the statement with a small nod and an okay sign, turning back to his room to retrieve a fresh set of clothes. was he really that tired until he could forget his own clothes? he mentally smacked himself a few times and made a small note to also prepare some coffee before dinner (if taeyong hadn't already prepared it for him). it was just the accumulated stress of his final assignments and exams, he kept reasoning with (though at this point, it sounded suspiciously more like convincing) himself. his pants pulled off, towel wrapped securely around his waist and a clean set of clothes now in his hands, he headed back out to the bathroom, feeling the not-so-subtle ogling by his roommate but choosing not to acknowledge or address it. it was weird at first, having taeyong eye him so intensely during the first time that the younger invited himself to sit in during one of his swimming practices. he'd even gotten teased by a few of his fellow upperclassmen swimmers, but of course he never told taeyong any of that. eventually he just learnt to accept that taeyong was going to be a (somewhat) regular face during his trainings, so he stopped letting himself get embarrassed by it (although the teasing still makes his ears burn pink at times, even today).
despite his roommate's reminder to shower quickly, chris couldn't help but take his time and emerged only about 10 minutes later, towelling his rebonded locks in an attempt to tame it somewhat and clad in a (unsurprising) black wifebeater with his usual pair of sleeping shorts. he hung his towel up to dry, quickly headed back to his room to hang up his clothes from earlier and (upon verification that taeyong had indeed not made any) brewed some coffee, pouring himself a cupful before taking his place at the table, seeing that his roommate was already seated and ready with an armful of skitty giving him cute kitten . chris would've cooed if not for his grumbling stomach; taeyong had always been amazingly talented in the kitchen, whipping up the tastiest and most magical of meals even from something as meagre as instant noodles and processed seaweed.
"sorry i took a little while, chef. what's for dinner?" chris called out as he settled down across his roommate, the dark circles underlining his eyes a little more prominent given his post-shower state but easily blending with the natural shadows of his facial structure when he beamed. concurrently, skitty took the opportunity to wiggle herself out of taeyong's hold, sliding off his lap to the floor and finding her new position curled up next to chris' leg, distracting his attention from his roommate. "good evening to you too, cutie. have you been a good girl today? did you kick umma from his bed again?" chris couldn't help cooing and teasing his roommate, though purposely avoiding sparing even the slightest of glances to the other male. reaching down to gently run his hand through the soft darkness of skitty's onyx fur (and realising that he'd have to wash his hands again afterwards), chris belatedly realised what his choice of nightwear entailed - the shower had washed off the foundation he'd used to cover up some of the darker, fresher marks that had been left behind from his most recent escapade with his ex.
his heart stopped for a moment at the realisation; he had yet to let taeyong in on the full story, but he knew that taeyong was intelligent enough to piece the bits and pieces he was told alongside the context of both his irregular visits to his ex's dorm and vice-versa. it's not that he felt particularly proud or shameless (honestly, what was there to be proud of sleeping with an ex with whom you ended things on a toxic note with?), but ever since he allowed himself to open up and even care for his roommate, he could also no longer be indifferent about having evidence of his escapades so brazenly displayed.
come to think of it, maybe that was why taeyong always had his eyes on him especially during his swimming trainings. chris tried not to let the sudden realisation and subsequent dip in his disposition bring down the light atmosphere that was supposed to be for this evening, instead he distracted himself with continuing to baby skitty, passing off a playful and teasing comment about his roommate to the feline every now and then in an attempt to keep the air around them upbeat. regardless, deep down he knew he'd have to bring up the matter eventually, especially since (unbeknownst to his roommate) in recent times, he'd caught taeyong ogling longer than he usually had, drooling perhaps a little more obviously at the slightest (accidental) display of skin, getting distracted more and more by even his mere presence, even becoming more bold and blatant with his flirting, both in text and in person.
chris wasn't a fool to not realise that there was a possibility that his roommate may be developing an attraction (romantic or otherwise) to him, and truthfully he's not too sure how to feel about that.
@⁰² christopher b. "sometimes i wonder too if i picked wrong," taeyong grumbled, momentarily burdened by the reminder of his degree; all the assignments, the stress, the damn coding, the terrible professors who were too smart to dumb their rantings down for students – then he shoved that away, because tonight was sacred. he wasn't letting his stress, the very reason for the birth of this tradition of theirs, to get the best of him.
the prince was thoroughly focused on setting the table to perfection, so much that when he glanced up, his heart, mind and soul were /not/ prepared whatsoever of the sight of his roommate in nothing but a towel. unbidden, his gaze latched onto the porcelain skin that stretched taut over muscles that rippled with chris's every move. as always, he found his eyes latching onto the stark black ink painting his body in those few places – one that was most intriguing to taeyong being his hipbone. god, what taeyong would do to lave his tongue over the sharp protrusion, to nibble on the thin skin there–
to prevent himself from having to explain a , taeyong forced his attention away from his roommate. his tiny shorts might as well would have drawn a neon sign towards his crotch had he looked any longer, for how flimsy they were.
"go shower fast, so the food doesn't get cold," he strained, immediately clearing his throat. if questioned, he would blame the spices floating in the air while he cooked.
absentmindedly, he wondered how delectable his roommate would look without that last barrier. it would be so easy to feign a slip of the towel on him being clumsy. to have that sinewy, gorgeous display of muscles under his very fingertips. to have the skin glistening with sweat, as he had witnessed many times after chris's track practice, under his tongue. to have those plush, pretty pink lips whisper to him how much he meant–
of course, that would only ever occur in a fever dream. or if the angels in heaven felt pity for him. chris was... still seeing his ex, was what taeyong was aware of. he was also acutely aware of the fact that they still slept together, based on the sometimes empty lube bottles and condoms he noticed in the trash. every sighting was a stab in his sternum that he had decidedly ignored. nevertheless, it was none of his business.
how he went from moping about his choice of program to how irked he was by chris's ex, taeyong had no idea. it was at times like these that he was grateful to the love of his life. almost immediately after taeyong had set down the last pan onto the table, skitty came slinking around his ankles. he would have to be dead for him to not smile at his precious kitty. "hey baby," he cooed softly, reaching down to cradle her in his arms. gently, he nuzzled his nose against her fur, taking comfort in the silkiness.
taeyong may never find his 'mr. right', but he had skitty. that's all that mattered.
@⁰² taeyong l. chris should've felt bad for surprising his poor roommate out of his skin (considering he made no prior announcement of his arrival), but the way the platinum-haired male jumped and yelped while miraculously keeping the cooking intact was more hilarious than anything, he truly couldn't control the bright hearty laughter that burst from the confines of his chest. taeyong was truly a sweetheart in more ways than one, but he also had his somewhat clumsy side which he found more endearing than an actual concern around the dorm. he truthfully couldn't have asked for a better roommate.
"that was really cute of you, but the pun afterwards had to ruin it." he teased in between fits of laughter, not being fazed by the sound of skitty's automatic feeder and the feline's smooth movement to escape his arms. chris took an involuntary movement to approach his roommate, only to hold himself back barely a second after - the situation felt oddly domestic, perhaps a little /too/ domestic. the deepest pits of his emotionally unstable heart dared liken it to his high school days when he would visit jisung every other day after school and find his ex either in the midst of attempting to prepare a meal for them or waiting eagerly for him with some take-out ready. he squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head a little hard to clear the mental image - this was not the time to compare taeyong to his ex, damn it!
he barely managed to catch taeyong's playful retort before he turned back to their stove, a quiet sigh escaping his lips from the close call. "i wouldn't be surprised, you sounded really good. if you weren't a physics major, i would think you were a music or performing arts major." chris responded as he turned to pad his way over to his room, humming in acknowledgment at taeyong's call and leaving him to the remainder of his preparation. tonight was their customary weekly movie night; he wasn't about to let the invasive thoughts of his ex ruin it for them, not on his watch. pulling off his shirt and tossing it on his bed to be hung up later, he grabbed his towel and stepped out to make his way to their shared bathroom, not thinking much of his shirtless state in front of his roommate.
@⁰² christopher b. realistically, he should have noticed skitty's absence by his side, but the curry was boiling and the vegetables needed to be added /now/ or the butter would burn and he was just really vibing with the song. so hearing a familiar voice behind him scared the living daylights out of the poor prince.
"JESUS CHRIST–" startled taeyong, jumping a mile high into the air. he had dropped the spatula into the pan, fingers clutching at his chest while he whirled around to face his roommate. even though chris had vaporized all the blood and soul in his body, taeyong's lips curved up into a bright grin at the endearing sight before him. merely seeing skitty alone was enough to brighten up anyone's day, but he was sure witnessing chris and skitty curled up together was the cure to cancer.
"or should i say jesus chris," snickered the young man, ignoring the way his voice cracked slightly from having the life scared out of him. there was this sudden, primal urge to move over to chris and kiss his cheeks, take his backpack away and give him a massage... but taeyong reigned it in, because he didn't want to ruin the friendship he had painfully and diligently built with chris. that, and he didn't want a restraining order filed against him.
his – their – cat slunk out of chris's arms upon hearing a tell-tale sound; she meandered over to her automatic feeder that was tucked into a cozy corner of the kitchen, eager to dig her paws into her own dinner. this allowed the prince to give his roommate a cursory once over. taeyong's eyes softened upon taking in the weariness evident in the other's body language, making a mental note to offer at least a massage before they sat down for their movie. it would be worth any jail time to see those tensed up muscles relax.
"actually, though, yes, people have mentioned i could rap," taeyong replied to his roommate's previous statement, quickly swivelling back to face to the stove to save the curry from coagulating at the bottom. once the vegetables had been properly sautéed, he tossed them into the cooling curry, checking on the rice cooker simultaneously.
"dinner will be ready in five, by the way. do you want to wash up before that?"
not really awaiting a response, the prince carried on with adding the final touches to the curry before he moved over to the table. he figured either way, chris would be ready to devour the wonderfully home-cooked meal the moment it was all set. so taeyong hurriedly but neatly arranged all of the food and their bowls and cutlery onto the table, eager to hear feedback from chris on the new recipe he was trying out. hopefully it was edible, or he would have to whip up some lightning-fast kimchi fried rice so as to not keep his sweet, tired roommate hungry for any longer.
@⁰² taeyong l. if there was one thing chris knew all-too-well about meeting new people, it's that you really couldn't trust how they're like until you shared a room with them. he's had plenty of experience in that department, having grown up in a foster home until he made himself disappear shortly before high school. therefore, upon setting foot into saebom, he was unsurprisingly hesitant, uncomfortable even about the requirement to room with another student. in fact, he was so hesitant, he ended up not submitting the rooming application form when it was due and proceeded to camp out in a neat little hidden corner under the bleachers furthest from any faculty building at the running tracks. he was an insomniac with a(n) (very concerning) unhealthy addiction to coffee anyway, so he wouldn't need that much sleep.
of course, that didn't turn out too well and he was subsequently caught and forced to room together with a student he didn't even bother remembering the name and face of. their living arrangement had been surprisingly alright, given how both parties managed to coexist without actually acknowledging each other's presence for the most bit. he managed to advance into his sophomore year with such an arrangement, but the cycle was to repeat itself.
enter lee taeyong.
if he was being honest, chris would admit that taeyong initially creeped the sleep out of him when he first moved in. he could make do with the other's warm and bubbly personality (which he suspected was kept under wraps for the most bit for his sake), but the little gestures and acts of affection? that was something he didn't expect at all. there was always food left out for him, the occasional snack or two, and eventually the little notes came along. unsuprisingly he turned a blind eye at taeyong's initial little antics out of reflex at first, but one particular night changed it all for him.
he'd went to see his ex that one night, attempting to sort things out once again. the end result? no differences at all. he was particularly devastated that night, he'd actually gone to the convenience store a few blocks down from campus to get himself a bottle or two and escaped to the rooftop to smoke. he wasn't sure how he managed to return to his dorm in one piece (or so he still hopes to this day), but he remembers waking up the next morning with a warm breakfast laid out and taeyong's extremely concerned face asking him if he was alright and if he needed to get any medication or anything.
chris would never admit to anyone (not even his roommate), but that incident had him making a hidden promise that he'd never allow his roommate to worry like that for him ever again.
fast forward to present time, chris found himself trudging through the university grounds as the mini-project his professor assigned today weighed heavily in his mind together with the thoughts of his upcoming exams later in the month. he was admittedly tired, but sleep was the last thing he had in his plans. he unlocked their door and was immediately met with the delicious aroma of food being cooked together with the happy mewls of a particular feline currently nuzzling herself up against his leg. ah yes, sweet little skitty. if chris couldn't have his caffeine fix tonight, skitty's gentle rubs would actually make an adequate substitute. toeing off his sneakers, he bent down and easily picked her up in his strong arms, taking the few steps down the short hallway to see his roommate working cheerfully over the stove as he rapped the lyrics to a heavy song playing over his speaker. he chuckled quietly at the sight, all traces of his fatigue gone and replaced with a fresh sense of invigoration. "has anyone ever told you that you could rap? because wow, you really lit those bars on fire." he couldn't help teasing, a small meow of what seems to be agreement coming from skitty.
@⁰² christopher b. everyone had busy schedules they stuck to. some days were more lax than others, some days were hell on earth. still, what taeyong thought was most important was taking care of the people who he loved.
which included his one-in-a-million roommate, chris.
the man was a mystery from the very first step he had taken into their shared space. the standoffish vibes at first that the man radiated made the naturally bubbly kid hesitate. he wasn't sure where the line was; so taeyong merely danced around where he figured it was.
it started with small gestures at first. a muffin left on chris's table, a banana to take to class, leftovers of his freshly cooked dinner wrapped neatly and placed on the dining table with a cute "eat well" note on top. the hook didn't catch initially, but taeyong was nothing if not persistent in his care-giving. eventually, his efforts fruit blossomed. chris began accepting his care. the man went from quietly accepting his treats to acknowledging taeyong's efforts. needless to say, the young prince was over the moon.
now, it was customary for him to pack chris a lunchbox for the day. taeyong knew that his roommate had a whole truckload of problems that he didn't want to or didn't feel comfortable enough to share with him, which caused the male to throw himself into his work. hence taeyong took it upon himself to make sure that his roommate was well-fed for whatever tasks chris wanted to tackle head-on. that meant a lunchbox, some snacks for his swimming and track practice, and occasionally the indulgent cookies or chocolate. there was always a handwritten note tucked into the lunchbox; sometimes it featured a missing corner or a deep tear, courtesy of skitty. taeyong thought it gave the note more character.
on this blessed thursday night, taeyong was in a great mood. he had finished his assignment early, thankful it was easier than usual, for it was their customary movie night. it had taken some pushing to get chris to sit with him for the movies, but now the man readily participated in the plan.
speaking of: chris was due to come within the hour. which meant dinner had to be ready soon.
donning his favourite red, strawberry apron over his usual shorts and t-shirt (stolen from chris), taeyong queued his playlist on his bluetooth speaker while he cooked. skitty gave him company by settling on the counter, her black tail swaying to the beat. it was the most precious sight ever.
taeyong was too engrossed rapping the heavy lyrics while the rice cooked to notice the door had opened. skitty, however, was smarter and more alert than her dad. immediately, the beautiful black cat hopped off the counter and pattered over to chris, rubbing against his leg as she tended to.
