Theo leaned against the counter, his gaze sharp, arms folded like a barricade.
"You shouldn't let them touch you like that. It's not—"
Yu cut him off without turning from the stove, voice calm but edged.
"You sound like a jealous and possessive boyfriend."
Theo stiffened, heat rushing to his face.
"That's not—"
Yu set the wooden spoon down with a soft clink, finally looking at him.
"But even if you were, you still don't get to decide who I talk to or who I spend time with. That's not your place, Kingsley."
Theo's jaw tightened. He tried to find words, to string together something reasonable.
"I just… I don't trust them. They're—"
"I'm an adult."
Yu interrupted smoothly, sliding the pan off the burner.
"I make my own choices. And so does Joy."
His eyes glinted, calm but firm.
"You don't own either of us."
Theo's anger flared hot, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He wanted to argue, to demand, to force Yu to understand—but the words stuck in his throat, tangled between fury and something dangerously softer.
Yu, unfazed, plated the food with the grace of habit. He untied the last knot of the apron's string, then tugged it loose with a flick and tossed the pink apron onto the counter.
"There. Dinner's ready."
He turned toward the door, grabbing his bag.
"But I've got to go. My boys are waiting on me."
His lips curled into the faintest, teasing smile.
"Wouldn't want them to starve."
The words twisted in Theo's chest, stoking the burn of jealousy he couldn't name. He said nothing, watching as Yu slipped out the door with unhurried steps.
---
In the garden's shadowed path, Joy and Izan finally stopped running. Joy bent forward, catching her breath, before a giggle bubbled out of her.
"That was… insane!"
She laughed, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight.
"Sneaking around like that—it felt like something out of a drama!"
Still giddy from adrenaline, she threw her arms around Izan, hugging him tight.
"We actually pulled it off!"
Izan froze, stiff as a board, before his arms hesitantly circled her. His face flushed deep crimson, his chest pounding.
"Y-Yeah… we did."
For a moment, the world stilled—the warmth of her pressed against him, the sweetness of her hair brushing his cheek. His heart soared, elated, overjoyed.
But just beneath it, another ghost stirred—the memory of Yu's weight on his lap, the heat of his breath, the sound of that soft, unguarded moan.
The contrast burned him with confusion.
Joy pulled back, grinning.
"Thank you, Izan. For being here. For helping."
He swallowed hard, nodding quickly.
"Anytime."
They parted ways at the estate gate, Joy heading back inside, her steps light with happiness. Izan lingered, hands stuffed in his pockets, his heart a chaotic storm of joy, longing, and bewildering guilt.
'Why… why can't I stop thinking about him, too?'
---
The kitchen was quiet except for the faint tick of the clock on the wall. Theo sat at the long table, elbows resting against the polished wood, his blue eyes locked on the plated food Yu had left behind.
Steam curled upward, rich with herbs and garlic, yet Theo couldn't bring himself to lift a fork.
Yu's words replayed, sharp as a blade:
"You sound like a jealous and possessive boyfriend."
Theo's chest tightened. He was jealous—violently, irrationally so. And not just jealous of Yu's so-called roommates. He was jealous and possessive, angry at anyone who dared touch him, anyone who dared claim even a sliver of his attention.
'Unless it's me.'
The thought came unbidden, raw, scorching. He wanted Yu to let him touch, to let him hold, to let him be the one who could claim that space.
He dragged a hand over his face, sighing heavily, but it did nothing to ease the ache.
The sound of soft footsteps broke the silence. Joy entered, her light-brown hair loose around her shoulders, her expression brightening instantly.
"Mmm, it smells so good in here!"
She looked around expectantly.
"Where's Yuvin?"
Theo's throat constricted.
"…He left."
Joy's smile faltered.
"He—what?"
Panic laced her voice.
"Did you—did you two fight again?"
Theo's lips parted, but no words came. Was it a fight? Their voices hadn't been raised, but Yu's tone had been sharp, biting, leaving no room for argument. His silence stretched.
Joy's eyes widened, shimmering with tears.
"You did fight!"
She stomped up to him, her tiny fists thumping against his broad chest. The blows didn't hurt, not physically—but every strike pierced deeper than steel.
"You better make up with him, Theo Kingsley, or I'll never talk to you again!"
Her voice cracked as she huffed, grabbed a plate of steaming food, and stormed off toward her room, leaving the door to slam behind her.
Theo sat motionless, her words echoing in the hollow kitchen. He didn't argue. He couldn't.
---
Meanwhile, across town, Yu pushed open the door to his shared house. The familiar sight of Callen sprawled on the couch, phone in hand, and Adrian perched calmly in his chair greeted him. Both looked up the instant he entered.
"You're late!"
Callen chirped, springing up with a grin.
"Where's dinner?"
Adrian's dark eyes flickered, steady but expectant.
Yu sighed, dropping his bag with a dull thud.
"…You two are really like my kids."
The words slipped out without thought, and suddenly an old ache bloomed in his chest. Taro. Kenji.
His heart trembled at the memory of little arms wrapping around him, laughter in warm rooms, the endless days of cooking, cleaning, soothing tears. But when he reached for the emotion behind it, there was… nothing. No warmth. No sorrow. Just emptiness.
The realization chilled him. It wasn't only Taichi he felt detached from now. It was his children too.
'The lives I birthed, raised, loved… are slipping from me.'
His shoulders slumped, and he shuffled toward the kitchen.
"I'll make another round of dinner."
He muttered.
Callen tilted his head, his grin dimming as he glanced at Adrian. Adrian's dark gaze lingered on Yu's bowed frame, silent but sharp with quiet suspicion.
Neither said it aloud, but both knew something was wrong. Something had shifted in Yu.
And in their minds, one name formed the likely cause:
Theo Kingsley.
---
The meal was laid out neatly on the table, fragrant steam curling above the plates. Yu sat between his two roommates, shoulders heavy, a somber quiet clinging to him that was a stark contrast to his usual teasing or lightness.
Callen, fork poised, broke the silence first.
"Alright…"
He said bluntly.
"Are you like this because of Theo? 'Cause if you want, I can go beat him up for you."
The words were so brash, so typical Callen, that Yu couldn't help it—a chuckle escaped his lips, soft but genuine.
"You?"
His hazel eyes flicked up, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Theo would probably kick your ass. But… thanks for the offer."
Callen grinned wide, proud of earning that laugh, but Adrian's gaze lingered on Yu, steady, searching.
"If he's bothering you…"
Adrian said evenly.
"You should report him. If you want, I'll speak to the dean myself."
Yu's smile faded. He shook his head.
"Forget it. It's my problem, not yours."
For once, Callen's grin slipped, his lips pulling into a grimace. Adrian stiffened, his jaw tightening, but he pressed anyway.
"…Are you really okay, Yu?"
The question hung heavy.
Yu didn't answer. His thoughts weren't on Theo anymore. They were elsewhere—on Taro, on Kenji. On the warmth of their little hands in his, their laughter, the mornings spent cooking together. His chest squeezed. He wanted to feel the ache, the longing, the love—but all he found was emptiness. Hollow memories, stripped of the feelings that should have bound them to his heart.
A choked sob slipped free before he could stop it. Yu pushed up from the table, chair scraping harshly against the floor.
"I… I need to rest."
He rushed from the room, slamming his door shut, cutting off the stunned silence behind him.
Callen dropped his fork onto the plate with a loud clink. He scowled, his voice sharp.
"Way to go, Adrian."
Adrian's hand tightened around his fork, regret flashing across his face. He opened his mouth, but Callen was already standing, snatching up his plate. He shoveled the rest of the food into his mouth in quick, angry bites, then stormed toward his room with heavy steps, the door slamming after him.
Adrian sat in silence, staring at the empty chair where Yu had sat, his chest heavy with guilt.
---
Meanwhile, at the Kingsley estate, Theo lay awake in his darkened room, the sheets tangled around him.
Sleep refused to come. Every time he closed his eyes, Yu's face swam before him. Yu in the kitchen, slipping off that pink apron with fluid ease. Yu's voice—sharp, clear—as he called him out for acting like a jealous boyfriend. Yu's back, walking away with his bag, leaving him behind.
The words echoed, battering against his chest until he turned onto his side with a growl.
'This isn't sustainable. I can't… lose him. Not to anyone. Not even to himself.'
Joy's words rang in his mind, her tiny fists pounding against him with all the strength of her heart.
"Make up with him, or I'll never speak to you again!"
Theo exhaled harshly, running a hand through his hair.
He didn't just need to make up with Yu for Joy's sake. He needed to for his own. The thought of never seeing Yu again, of him slipping further into the arms of those roommates, of vanishing from his life—it was unbearable.
By the time the first hints of dawn touched the horizon, Theo had already decided.
He would make amends.
Whatever it took.
---
The morning light was pale and hazy as Yu stirred awake, tangled in his sheets. His dreams had been uneasy, fractured things—faces he once loved flickering and fading into static.
Taichi's gentle smile.
Taro's curious little eyes.
Kenji's childish laugh.
They surfaced in his mind, but when Yu reached for them, the memories were empty—like sketches without color. He felt nothing but the hollow echo of what should have been love, should have been warmth.
He sat up slowly, hugging his knees to his chest.
'Why? Why can't I feel anything?'
"DK01…"
His voice cracked softly.
"Is this normal? Is this what it's always going to be like, if I keep moving from world to world? Forgetting the people I cared about… losing the feelings I should still have?"
DK01 was silent. The pause stretched long enough to make Yu's heart sink. Then, finally.
"…I am not sure."
DK01 admitted, its voice quiet, almost hesitant.
"This is the first time I've encountered this kind of problem. But I will look into it."
Yu's lips pressed together, his shoulders slumping. He pouted faintly, the childish gesture slipping through his usual composure.
"…Figures."
With a heavy sigh, he dragged himself out of bed.
The rhythm of mundane tasks soon carried him forward. Washing his face. Pulling on clothes. Straightening his hair. He moved like someone half-asleep, but the rituals grounded him, piece by piece.
In the kitchen, he busied himself with breakfast for the house. Chopping, stirring, plating. The clatter of pans and the hum of the stove filled the silence, soothing him with its dull predictability.
The act wasn't joy, but it was something. Something that kept him tethered.
---
The next day, on campus, Theo spotted him.
Yu was standing beneath a tree near the main quad, the morning sun painting his pale features in warm light as he chatted idly with another student.
Theo's steps faltered. His chest tightened, awkwardness clawing at him. He had rehearsed the words in his head a hundred times last night, but now, facing Yu, they stuck like stones in his throat.
Still—he couldn't back down.
He walked toward him, posture stiff, determined. Each step was heavier than the last until he finally stopped in front of Yu, his blue eyes struggling to meet hazel.
"Yuvin."
Theo said, his voice low and unsteady.
"…We need to talk."
Yu blinked, tilting his head slightly, lips curling into that faint, unreadable smile.
The air between them thrummed with tension, the first move hanging precariously in Theo's hands.
Theo's jaw worked as if chewing stones, his hands curling and uncurling at his sides. The silence stretched a second too long before he finally spoke.
"I… acted out of line. That day."
His voice was rough, low, like gravel dragged over stone. His blue eyes flickered toward Yu, then away again.
"I shouldn't have grabbed you. It wasn't…"
He swallowed, the words tangling.
"It wasn't proper. I lost control."
Yu arched a brow, lips quirking faintly as if amused by his struggle.
Theo's chest tightened. He pressed forward, words spilling faster now, unbalanced between defense and earnestness.
"I was… worried. About Joy. About you. I don't trust those people you're always with, and I—"
He cut himself off, grinding his teeth.
The silence pressed again, suffocating. His pride screamed at him to stop, but something softer—something more dangerous—kept pushing him forward.
"I'm sorry."
Theo said finally, his voice hoarse. Then, as if the words weren't enough, he added in a rush.
"If… if it would help, let me make it up to you. Money, if you need it. Any sort of item you want. I can put in a word with the dean so you can pass a class. Or dinner, perhaps? Whatever you want."
The offer hung there, raw and awkward, sincerity buried under the clumsy weight of pride.
Yu blinked slowly, then smiled—small, knowing, dangerous.
Inside, his thoughts coiled.
'Money, gifts, bribes or dinner? How quaint. Even when he's trying to apologize, Theo still sounds like he's negotiating a business deal.'
A whisper of memory surfaced—Taichi's apologies, sincere and warm, always tangled with a hint of possessiveness he tried to hide yet overflowing with devotion to make Yu happy even at the expense of his pride. Taichi's green eyes, burning as if Yu were the only tether keeping him from unraveling.
But this wasn't Taichi.
'It's almost funny, comparing them…'
Yu mused slyly.
'The way they stumble, the way they try. Theo's blunt offers versus Taichi's raw fire…'
DK01's cool voice slipped into his mind.
[Yu. Don't do that. Each Tragic Target is their own individual. Comparing them may distort your judgment. It could affect future missions.]
Yu grumbled inwardly, lips twitching into a pout only he knew about.
'You're no fun. A little comparison never killed anyone.'
Still, the AI's warning settled in his mind. He exhaled softly through his nose, hazel eyes flicking back to Theo.
'Fine. I'll handle him differently. His own unique way. Not Taichi's way. Not anyone else's. Just his.'
And the question lingered in Yu's head, sly and sweet.
'How much rope should I give him? Just enough to hang himself—or enough to tie him closer to me?'
[Host…]
'Ah, I'm kidding. I'm kidding.'
Yu tilted his head, eyes glinting with mischief as he studied Theo's stiff frame and unsteady gaze.
"Dinner, huh?"
His lips curved into a sly smile.
"Alright. I'll accept."
Theo blinked, stunned at the ease of the agreement.
"But…"
Yu added, leaning just slightly closer, his voice soft, teasing, dangerous.
"I'm expensive. So make sure you can cover it."
He punctuated the words with a playful wink before straightening and stepping back.
Theo's chest tightened, heat flashing in his ears and down his neck.
Yu turned, slipping his bag over his shoulder.
"I still have one more class."
He said airily, already walking away.
"We'll talk about it later."
Theo could do nothing but stand there, blue eyes locked helplessly on the lithe sway of Yu's walk, his gaze dragged lower—hips, long legs, the curve of his ass beneath the baggy pants. Each step Yu took was deliberate, graceful, maddening.
Theo swallowed hard, his throat dry, the ache in his abdomen growing urgent, undeniable.
The lecture hall doors slammed shut behind Yu with a heavy thud, and Theo was already moving. He spun on his heel, heart hammering, and cut across campus like a man possessed, boots pounding the pavement. The nearest men's room loomed ahead; he shoved through the door, shouldered into the farthest stall.
The stall door rattled under Theo's shoulder as he slammed it shut and snapping the lock with a sharp, metallic click like a gunshot in the empty bathroom. His pulse thundered in his ears, louder than his boots had been sprinting across campus.
"Fuck!"
He hissed under his breath, the word scraping out raw and ragged. His hands shook as he yanked his belt open, zipper rasping down. His cock sprang free, flushed dark and aching, already slick at the tip with precome that had been leaking since Yu's parting wink—that slow, deliberate blink, lashes sweeping down and up like a promise to sin.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck. Goddamn it, Yu…"
Theo snarled, voice already shredded. He spat into his palm, once, vicious, and seized himself in a grip that bordered on pain, and the first stroke dragged a broken groan from his throat.
"You little bastard."
He rasped, hips jerking into his fist before he'd even fully started.
"Walking away like that, hips rolling slow, just slow enough to make me insane. You and that little sway of your hips."
He muttered, eyes squeezing shut as the memory slammed into him:
Yu walking away, that teasing roll of narrow hips, the flash of smooth, pale skin beneath the hem of his coat.
He could still smell Yu on the air he'd left behind in the lecture hall—something clean and faintly sweet, like crushed lilies and warm skin. It clung to the back of Theo's throat, made him groan like a dying man.
"Like you know exactly what you do to me. Bet you knew."
He growled, stroking himself in brutal, twisting pulls.
"Knew I was watching every inch of those legs. Knew I was hard while you stood there all prim, thighs pressed together like you're not fucking dying for it."
His hand moved faster, rough, relentless. The stall smelled of bleach and desperation; the only sounds were the wet slap of skin on skin and his own ragged breathing.
His free hand slammed against the stall wall, fingers splayed, as if he could claw through metal and drag Yu in here by the throat. He pictured it raw and immediate:
Yu shoved face-first against the opposite wall, shirt rucked up and pants shoved down, that pale, perfect ass bared and trembling.
"Those legs…"
Theo growled, voice cracking.
"Folded so pretty when you sit… fuck, I'd spread them so wide."
He pictured it—Yu's thighs trembling, porcelain skin marked red by his grip, that coy little wink Yu had thrown him over his shoulder like a dare.
"Spread for me."
Theo hissed through clenched teeth, the words punched out with every savage stroke.
"Show me how wet you get when I look at you like I want to split you open. Come on."
He panted, hips jerking into his fist.
"You want it too, don't you? That wink—shit—innocent little tease, begging me to ruin you…"
His cock throbbed, leaking steadily now, the slick sound obscene in the tiled silence. He dragged his thumb over the head, smearing the mess, and imagined it was Yu's tongue—shy at first, then greedy, those pretty lips stretched wide around him.
"Say it."
He demanded of the empty air, voice cracking with desperation.
"Say you want my cock, Yu. Say you've been dripping for it since I stared at your throat in the quad, since you winked at me like a fucking invitation."
The fantasy shattered over him:
Yu on his knees in this filthy stall, mouth open, eyes glassy and pleading, whispering.
"Please, Theo, please ruin me."
Theo's back arched. The pressure coiled viciously tight at the base of his spine. A choked, filthy moan tore loose as he came, harder than he ever had in his life, thick ropes striping the wall, his fist, the floor. His legs nearly gave out; he locked his knees just to stay upright, breath sawing in and out, every exhale tasting like Yu's name yet his hand refused to stop moving.
Theo bit down on his own forearm to muffle another groan that tore out of him as he came again, thick pulses spilling over his fingers, splattering the tile beneath him. His knees buckled; he sagged hard against the cold metal wall, chest heaving, cock still twitching in his slick hand.
"Jesus fucking Christ…"
He whispered, voice hoarse, a shaky laugh escaping despite the shame burning in his gut. He rested his forehead against the stall door, Yu's name still ghosting over his lips like a prayer and a curse all at once.
The heat hadn't faded. Not even close.
He stayed there, slumped and shaking, cock still pulsing in his spent grip. The shame was there, a dull flicker at the edges, but beneath it the hunger roared louder than ever.
Because he knew—God help him, he knew—next time Yu looked at him, that wink wouldn't be the end.
It would be the beginning.
The Love-o-meter ticked up:
14 - 20
---
Meanwhile, Yu sat in the lecture hall, notebook open, pen twirling between his fingers. The professor droned on about the history of fabric dyeing, pigments from plants, and their cultural significance.
A soft ding chimed in his head.
[+5 JP]
[Theo Kingsley has just masturbated to the image of you. The Love-o-meter has gone past 15% meaning he has developed a crush on you. Congratulations, Host, you've been promoted from the gay best friend to potential boyfriend material.]
Yu nearly dropped his pen. His cheeks flushed pink as he ducked his head, lips twitching in equal parts exasperation and embarrassment.
'Seriously? Already?'
His hazel eyes darted down to his notes, words blurring as his mind whispered treacherous thoughts.
'How easy he is to provoke… so starved he runs off the second I leave? Pathetic.'
But another thought snaked in, warmer, darker.
'If he's that easy to wind up… I wonder what kind of stamina he has in bed.'
Yu's face burned hotter, and he quickly shook his head.
'No. Focus.'
Clearing his throat, he forced his attention back to the professor, pen scratching across the page as he scribbled notes on Roman fabric dyeing. The mundane rhythm anchored him, pulling him back from thoughts he wasn't ready to admit were tempting him.
---
Theo leaned heavily against the cool stall wall, his chest still heaving as he tried to catch his breath. The sharp edge of release was already fading, leaving behind the familiar bitterness of shame.
He dragged a hand down his face, jaw clenched.
'What the hell is wrong with me? Why do I keep doing this?'
It wasn't the first time Yu had slipped into his thoughts like this—temptation disguised in soft smiles, porcelain skin, the sway of slender hips. But this was different. Stronger. Unshakable.
He should feel disgusted. He should feel horrified. And yet…
The memory of that wink flared again in his mind, the ghost of Yu's body so close to his own that night in the bathroom doorway, the softness of his voice.
His lips parted, a low growl caught in his throat.
'It felt good. Better than anything I've ever had. And it was just a fantasy.'
Shame still lingered, but the forbidden pleasure weighed heavier now, tilting the scale. He didn't want just stolen glances, or fleeting fantasies. He wanted Yu's body. Craved it.
Theo adjusted his clothes, straightening his tie with stiff fingers as a thought rooted itself deep in his chest:
Maybe this apology dinner can be for more than apologizing.
---
The lecture finally ended, students shuffling out as Yu closed his notebook with a quiet snap. He stretched languidly, his mind turning not to Roman dyes or mathematics or anything else school related but to the text message buzzing in his pocket. Yu pulled out his phone to check it.
Theo: I got your number off of Joy. I hadn't realized I never asked you for it. How about we have the apology dinner tonight? At 7pm. I'll send you the location.
Theo's invitation hung in the back of his head like a dangling lure. Dinner. Apology. A step deeper into the web.
As he walked down the campus steps, Yu replied with an 'okay' then opened his group chat with Callen and Adrian. His thumbs tapped quickly.
Yuvin: 👀 won't be home for dinner tonight.🥂 order out instead.🖐😅
The reply was instant.
Callen: 😭😭😭🍜🍕🥺👉👈 PLEASE NOOOO don't leave us starvingggg
Yu snorted softly, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Seconds later, Adrian's reply popped up.
Adrian: 👍
Yu chuckled faintly at the contrast, slipping his phone back into his pocket.
'Children, the both of them.'
But behind the amusement, his thoughts simmered. Theo was easy to provoke, easy to trip into spirals of lust and jealousy. The real question was how far he wanted to push at dinner… and how much of himself he was willing to dangle before the man.