Theo's lips crashed down with desperate force, but what stunned him wasn't Yu's resistance—it was the way Yu melted almost instantly.
Yu gasped against him, the sharp intake of breath trembling as it gave way to something else. His slender fingers curled against Theo's shirtfront, clutching instead of pushing. The Incubus instincts buried deep inside him stirred like a sleeping beast, clawing their way up.
The Love-o-meter ticked up:
35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39…
[ERROR! REINS ON INCUBUS KING SOUL FAILING!
INITIATING EMERGENCY CONTROL OVERRIDE PROTOCOL!
…
ERROR! EMERGENCY CONTROL OVERRIDE PROTOCOL FAILED!]
DK01's voice hissed in his head.
[Warning! You're losing control, Host. Theo's thoughts aren't lining up, and his emotions are shooting up too fast. If this keeps going, the whole mission could be in real jeopardy.]
But Yu couldn't hear it anymore. His mantra—
'Don't sleep with him, don't sleep with him.'
—thinned, threads snapping one by one until it twisted into the opposite:
'Sleep with him, sleep with him.'
He pressed closer, his lithe body molding flush to Theo's solid frame. His lips parted willingly, almost wantonly, offering more. His tongue slipped out, tentative but teasing, sliding against Theo's, tasting the burn of whiskey and the heat of hunger.
Theo groaned low in his throat, the sound vibrating through Yu's body. His grip tightened on Yu's waist, fingers digging in like he feared Yu might vanish if he loosened. The taste of him—sweet, inviting, intoxicating—fueled a hunger that no alcohol could ever touch.
The study, the desk, the neatly prepared bottles—all of it blurred out of focus. All that mattered was Yu pressed against him, yielding yet fierce, his lips hot and his tongue daring.
Theo's heart pounded as if every beat screamed the same word.
'Mine.'
Theo's kiss deepened, rougher now, as though Yu's yielding lips had torn the last thread of restraint away. His hands roamed with hungry certainty—one braced at Yu's waist, pulling him tighter, the other sliding down, over the skirt's hem, fingers curving around his thigh.
The flesh was soft, pliant—malleable like warm pudding—and Theo groaned at the feel of it, squeezing as if to brand the memory into his palm.
Yu shivered, his breath catching, legs trembling beneath him.
Theo shifted, angling forward as he lifted and parted Yu's thigh with ease, creating space for himself to step closer. Now their bodies were flush, Theo's hips pressing snugly into Yu's, the desk biting faintly against Yu's back.
[Host's arousal is spiking. Your rationale is failing. Risk of prematurely sleeping with Tragic Target is imminent if you continue!
Critical Alert: Mission objectives at risk. Pregnancy probability rising. Emotional manipulation protocols compromised.]
Inside Yu's head, DK01's cold voice rattled like an alarm, cutting through the haze of heat.
[Searching Incubus System Shop…]
Yu, lips still tangled with Theo's, half-gasped at the intrusion.
'Not now—!'
But DK01 didn't stop.
[Querying for items: De-escalation / Suppression of Lust / Physical Inhibition.
...
No Results.]
Yu's pulse thudded louder. Theo's tongue demanded his, his hand still gripping that trembling thigh, and the mantra was gone now—shredded completely.
Theo broke the kiss just long enough to lift Yu from the desk, his strength unrelenting as though the smaller man weighed nothing. Yu's breath hitched, his hands instinctively clutching at Theo's shoulders as he was carried, then lowered onto the leather couch.
The cushions groaned beneath him as he landed with his legs instinctively spreading to balance, leaving him sprawled open. Theo stepped into the space without hesitation, slotting himself neatly between Yu's thighs, their hips grinding together with heated friction.
Yu gasped sharply, the sound breaking into a moan as Theo claimed his lips again, harsher this time—sucking, biting, licking until Yu's mouth felt swollen, claimed.
'Stop this. You have to stop this.'
The thought skittered through his mind, but it was drowned almost instantly by the molten wave of pleasure burning through him. His Incubus instincts screamed in delight, urging him closer, deeper.
Theo's mouth trailed lower, across Yu's jaw, down the pale stretch of his neck. Each kiss was punctuated with a nip, sharp enough to sting, followed by the hot lap of his tongue soothing the bite. Yu's body shivered beneath the pattern, arching into it despite himself.
The Love-o-meter ticked up:
43 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45…
DK01's voice boomed cold in his head.
[Warning! Host, you need to stop your responses! Something is wrong with the restraints placed on your Incubus soul! The Love-o-meter is also being effected, destabilizing. Probability of mission derailment: 73%.]
Yu whimpered softly, his thighs trembling as they squeezed around Theo's waist.
'I know, I know—but I can't—'
Theo's fingers worked deftly at the buttons of Yu's blouse, undoing them one by one until the delicate fabric parted just enough to bare his collarbone.
The sight of that soft porcelain skin sent Theo diving in again, lips fastening to the revealed flesh. His teeth sank in, rougher now, painting the skin red as his tongue swept over the mark, both old and new, possessively.
Yu cried out, the sound raw and needy, his head falling back against the couch as his body betrayed every ounce of his mantra.
Theo's mouth had just left another stinging mark on Yu's collarbone when he leaned sideways, reaching toward the small side table beside the couch. The clink of glass against wood made Yu's hazy eyes flicker open in confusion.
Theo's hand curled around the bottle of wine he had set there earlier. In one smooth motion, he straightened his back, uncorked it, and tipped it to his lips. His throat worked as he swallowed, the rich scent of alcohol filling the air.
When he lowered the bottle, his gaze was molten, pupils blown wide with desire. He dove back down, lips seeking Yu's skin again with even greater urgency.
But for Yu—everything stilled.
The realization hit sharp and cruel.
'He has to drink to touch me.'
The lust-blurred fog in Yu's mind shattered, leaving only the sting of betrayal and a rising heat of anger in its place. All those tender words, all that supposed longing—and yet Theo reached for alcohol, as if he couldn't bear to want Yu sober.
"No."
Yu's voice cracked, quiet but firm, as his hands pressed hard against Theo's chest. His thighs squeezed tightly together, pulling his hips back to shield himself. He shoved, the frantic strength in his smaller frame catching Theo off guard.
"I said stop. I don't want this."
Theo didn't seem to hear—too far gone in his hunger. He caught Yu's lips again, desperate, trying to drown out protest in the bitter taste of wine.
Yu's eyes widened, the acrid tang of alcohol slipping across his tongue.
'The baby…'
Panic sliced through him.
'If I let this continue, if that bitterness gets into me—!'
His jaw clamped shut, refusing him entry. His hands shoved harder, nails biting through fabric as he struggled beneath the press of Theo's body.
Then instinct surged.
Yu lifted one trembling leg high and snapped his knee upward, shoving his foot hard into Theo's stomach.
The impact forced a strangled groan from Theo as his body jerked back, stumbling just far enough to loosen his hold.
The Love-o-meter ticked up:
47 - 48
Both men froze in the silence that followed. Their breaths came ragged, Yu's chest heaving, his blouse hanging open to reveal bruised skin and angry red marks. Theo clutched his stomach, his expression clouded with shock and slowly dawning reason.
The air in the study was thick with the ghost of what had nearly happened—the passion, the desperation, and the dangerous line they had nearly crossed.
Yu pressed back into the couch cushions, legs pulled close, eyes still burning with fury and fear.
Theo—doubled slightly from the kick—dragged in a sharp breath, his body trembling as though fighting between the hunger that had driven him and the shame clawing its way up from beneath it.
For the first time since Yu had entered the study, the room felt deathly still.
At last, Yu's voice cut through, hoarse and trembling—not with weakness, but with fury.
"This. Right here. This is exactly why it won't work out between us."
Theo's head jerked up, eyes wide.
Yu surged to his feet, shoving trembling hands over his blouse to straighten the fabric, to close the buttons, to reclaim the dignity Theo had peeled away. His words came in sharp stabs.
"I'm proud of who I am. I'm proud of my sexuality. I don't need to hide it, I don't need to drink it away, I don't need to choke on shame every time I want someone. But you—"
His voice broke. He swallowed, his lips pressed tight.
"…You…"
He couldn't finish. The implication hung heavy in the stale, whiskey-laden air.
Yu turned his back to Theo, crossing the room in quick, decisive steps. He snatched the photo album from the desk, holding it close to his chest like a shield.
He reached for the door.
Behind him, panic flared in Theo's chest like fire licking up dry timber. His hand shot out on instinct.
"Wait—!"
Fingers closed hard around Yu's wrist.
Yu froze.
For the fifth time, Theo had grabbed him.
The first time—he'd forgiven it. But every repetition since had carved deeper, a violation that twisted inside Yu like barbed wire.
Slowly, Yu turned his head, hazel eyes glinting faintly red and as cold as winter frost.
"Let. Go."
He yanked, harsh and merciless, even though the motion hurt his own wrist. He didn't care.
Theo flinched as Yu tore himself free, the absence of that warmth stinging like a wound.
Without another word, Yu stormed out, album pressed tight against his chest. The study door slammed shut behind him, the echo ricocheting through the room like a gunshot.
Theo stood frozen in place, hand still lifted as though clutching air, his chest rising and falling, the silence swallowing him whole.
The slam of the door reverberated long after Yu had vanished.
Theo stood frozen in the middle of the room, hand still hanging in the air like he could still feel Yu's slim wrist trapped in his grip. Then his arm fell, fists balled so tight the knuckles went bloodless white.
The silence, thick and accusatory, clawed at him. Rage boiled low in his gut, but not at Yu, it was aimed at himself. He'd pushed too far, too fast, and lost the one thing he craved more than air:
Yu's trembling body crushed against his, that soft heat finally yielding.
His chest rose and fell in harsh, uneven pulls. His gaze dropped. When his arm finally fell, it felt like surrender.
He had spent years telling himself it was power he needed. Control. Order. Anything but the simple, terrifying truth that had just sprinted out of the room wearing Yu's furious face.
The thick ridge of his cock strained against the front of his slacks, throbbing with every heartbeat, the ache made worse by the dull throb in his stomach where Yu's foot had connected.
Theo hissed a curse, fingers already ripping at his belt, tearing the zipper down with a sharp metallic rasp. His eight inch cock sprang free, heavy and flushed dark, the head already slick with pre-cum.
"Fuck!"
He snarled to the empty room. The word cracked in the quiet like a confession.
He was gay.
Not curious. Not confused. Not "just male biology."
He was gay, and he was in love with a boy who wore skirts and teased like a mischievous cat and had just kicked him in the stomach for just kissing him.
The realization should have felt like a guillotine. Instead it felt like oxygen after years underwater.
"Look what you do to me, Yu."
He wrapped his fist around it without hesitation, grip brutal, punishing. The first stroke dragged a guttural groan from his throat.
In his mind Yu hadn't run out. In his mind Yu was still here, eyes wide and soft, and whispered.
"I knew… I always hoped you'd figure it out."
Theo's breath hitched on something that might have been a sob.
He pictured Yu on his knees in this office, skirt pooled around his thighs, looking up with that shy, trusting smile while Theo fed him his cock inch by inch. Pictured Yu's small hands clutching Theo's thighs, moaning like it was everything he'd ever wanted to do.
"Please~"
Fantasy-Yu breathed, voice trembling with relief.
"I've been waiting for you to want me back… the real way. I'm yours, Theo. I've always been yours."
The words unraveled him.
"You think you can kick me and run?"
He growled, hips jerking into his hand.
"You think that little kick is going to stop me from splitting you open on this cock?"
His mind flooded with filth:
Yu sprawled across the hotel sheets—skin flushed and porcelain—thighs spread wide, hole glistening and pink from Theo's fingering.
Yu caught half-undressed in the bathroom, so flustered and bare.
Yu at the stove in that ridiculous pink apron, humming like a housewife—then bent over the marble counter in nothing but that stupid frilly apron, ass arched and begging.
Yu just minutes ago, skirt hiked too high—shoved to his waist—pale thighs trembling while Theo sucked bruise after bruise into that perfect skin.
His breath broke into ragged gasps as his mind painted more scenes—Yu beneath him on this very leather couch, writhing, moaning, letting Theo take him again and again while the ghosts of meetings watched silently from the polished wood.
Forbidden. Sinful. Perfect.
Theo's hand closed tighter around his shaft in a punishing grip. He stroked, harsh, twisting over the head, and a broken groan tore out of him. His hips snapped forward like he could fuck his own fist the way he wanted to fuck Yu—brutal, claiming, permanent.
In his mind Yu wasn't fighting anymore.
In his mind Yu was soft and open and begging.
"Please, Theo… I was wrong, I want it, I want you, only you—"
Yu on his knees, lips stretched around Theo's cock, tears on his lashes but eyes shining with surrender.
Yu riding him on this very couch, head thrown back, moaning like a whore while Theo's hands locked around his waist and held him down, forcing him to take every inch again and again.
Yu whispering, voice small and sweet.
"I'm yours. I've always been yours. I was just scared to admit… that I love your cock inside me… that I need you to own me. Not Taichi. Never him."
Theo's strokes grew urgent, wrist twisting over the swollen head on every upstroke, smearing the leaking fluid down his shaft. His breath sawed in and out.
"I'd pin you right here!"
He rasped, voice cracking with lust.
"Bend you over this fucking couch and shove every inch into that tight little cunt of yours. You'd cry so pretty for me, wouldn't you? Begging me to stop—no, begging me not to stop."
Theo's rhythm switched to savage strokes. His free hand slammed against the couch armrest to brace himself as he fucked his fist, breath hitching, sweat sliding down his temple. The wet sound of skin on skin filled the office, obscene and perfect.
"Feel you clenching around me, Yu—fuck—so hot and wet, milking me while you sob my name. I'd fill you up until it drips down your thighs, until you can't walk out of here without feeling me inside you for days. Mine."
He rasped aloud, voice raw.
"You're fucking mine, Yu. I'll carve it into you if I have to. I'll keep you stuffed and dripping with me every day until you can't remember a time you didn't beg for it."
His balls drew up tight, spine arching. Pleasure coiled vicious and bright at the base of his spine, as the orgasm barreled down on him.
"Come for me, baby!"
He snarled through clenched teeth, picturing Yu's tear-streaked face buried in the leather cushions, back bowed as Theo pounded into him.
In the fantasy Yu came first—shattered, sobbing Theo's name, clenching around nothing because he hadn't earned Theo's cock yet, hadn't said the words yet. And when he finally did—when Yu finally broke and admitted that he belonged to Theo body and soul—Theo would breed him so deep he'd feel it for days.
"Come on my cock while I breed you—fuck—while I fucking ruin you for anyone else—"
Theo's rhythm turned frantic, punishing. His free hand gripped the leather, knuckles white, as he fucked his fist like it was Yu's body—tight, welcoming, finally his.
"I'm gay!"
He rasped aloud, tasting the truth for the first time.
"I'm gay and I'm in love with you and I'm so fucking sorry I was too much of a coward to say it before I tried to take it but fuck! I'm gonna come inside you. Make up for all the missed chances. Yu!"
His balls drew up, pleasure coiling vicious and sweet.
He imagined Yu coming untouched again just from having Theo inside him, imagined Yu clinging to him afterward whispering.
"Say it again… say I'm yours."
Pleasure detonated, white-hot and blinding. Thick ropes of come streaked across his fist, splattered his shirt, dripped onto the cracks and crevices of the couch. Theo kept stroking through it, riding the aftershocks until his knees nearly buckled.
His hand was still wrapped around his cock, cum cooling in thick streaks across his knuckles, but the orgasm hadn't done a fucking thing to dull the edge. If anything, it sharpened it.
He stared at the empty doorway Yu had disappeared through and felt the word carve itself into his bones.
'Mine.'
'Mine.'
'Mine.'
His grip tightened, almost punishing, dragging another raw stroke out of his spent dick just to feel the sting. The pain felt right. It felt like bliss.
He smeared the mess on his hand across his lower abs like war paint, hips jerking at the wet drag of his own release.
"I put those bruises on your thighs. I left teeth marks on your neck. I've been inside you so deep you'll never scrape me out. And you think you get to walk away? You think you get to leave without my permission?"
His cock twitched again, half-hard and greedy, like it knew the job wasn't finished. Theo let it. He wrapped his soiled fist around himself and started stroking again, slow, deliberate, punishing drags that made his thighs shake.
Another pulse of pre-cum forced its way out of him, weaker now, just a pathetic dribble over his fist, but the hunger only grew teeth.
Theo stroked his cock harshly until he came again with a guttural snarl, hips jerking hard enough to rattle the couch under him. Thick ropes of cum streaked across his clenched fist, dripped in heavy strings onto the polished floor. He kept stroking through it, milking himself dry, smearing the mess over his still-hard cock like he was marking territory.
His chest heaved. Sweat slid down his temple. The release barely touched the hunger.
He stared down at the mess he'd made—at the evidence of how fucking deep Yu was under his skin—and his lips curled into something dark and dangerous.
When the haze of pleasure passed he sagged against the couch cushions, chest heaving, cock—still half-hard and glistening—twitching in his sticky grip. The second release should have calmed him.
It didn't.
The release was violent, but hollow. It wasn't Yu's heat wrapped around him. It wasn't Yu's broken moans in his ear.
If anything the hunger sharpened—dark, obsessive, insatiable.
Theo dragged his clean hand through his hair, eyes fixed on the door Yu had fled through. His voice, when it came, was quiet and deadly certain as he pulled in a shaky breath through his teeth and glanced again at the mess he'd made, voice dropping to a low, dangerous promise.
"I'll make you say it…"
He whispered to the empty room, voice raw and filthy with possession.
"I'll make you beg to be only mine. And when you do—"
He tucked himself away with trembling fingers, zipped up, and straightened his cuffs like he hadn't just jerked off to the thought of claiming every inch of the man who'd just tried to run from him—breaking the boy he wanted more than air.
"I'll have you screaming my name."
He murmured into the silence, a dark smile curling his lips.
"Willing or not… you're going to be mine.You can fight all you want, sweetheart."
Theo whispered to the silence, voice raw and lethal.
"Kick me, curse me, run. Doesn't matter."
He dragged his cum-slick thumb across his lower lip, tasting himself, tasting the promise.
"I'm going to have you again. And this time I'm keeping you."
---
Yu's steps were unsteady as he fled the study, his grip tight on the photo album. He pressed it close like a shield, forcing his expression into something calm, something practiced.
Joy looked up from her bed as he entered, her face brightening instantly.
"Oh, you got it back!"
She bounced up, taking the album from his arms with glee and hugging it like a treasure before carefully sliding it back into her vanity desk.
Then her sharp eyes flicked back to Yu.
"So… did anything happen?"
Yu faltered, his lips parting with a clumsy sound.
"H-huh? What do you mean?"
Joy tilted her head, playful but suspicious.
"You know. My brother. You went to get it from him—did he say anything weird? Did something happen while you two were alone?"
Yu's tongue stumbled to shape a deflection, but the words tangled. And before he could stop himself—before he could remember the risk—his mouth betrayed him.
"…We were just making out, that's all."
The room went silent.
Yu froze, realizing too late what had slipped. His stomach twisted.
And Joy's eyes widened, shock flickering into something far more dangerous—excitement, delight.
"You two what?!"
Joy gasped so loud the walls seemed to echo it, then squealed as she grabbed Yu's hands and spun him around in a circle like they were kids again.
"Oh my God, Yu! You're sooo going to be my brother! Do you understand how perfect this is? This is like… like fate! Like destiny!"
Yu's face went redder with every word, his ears burning and his neck blotched crimson.
"J-Joy! Calm down, it's not—it's not like that! We just—"
A sharp ding sounded in Yu's mind.
[+5 JP]
[+5 JP]
[Theo Kingsley has gratified himself to the memory of you and a fantasy of you.]
Yu's eyes widened, his blush deepening until it nearly rivaled the pink apron he'd worn days ago. His heart pounded like a drum.
'Not helping. Not helping at all.'
Joy only saw his flustered look and squealed again.
"You're blushing! See? You like him too! Oh, Yu, you've always been meant to be in this family! I can already imagine it—you and me, siblings, matching outfits, family photoshoots, ahhh!"
Yu flailed his hands in protest, his voice cracking.
"Stop—Joy, seriously—it doesn't mean anything just because we made out! That's not how it works!"
Joy pouted, sticking her tongue out but clearly not convinced.
"Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that."
Yu groaned, tugging at the skirt that insisted on hiking higher up his thighs no matter how he shifted.
"Ugh—can I please have my clothes back before I die of embarrassment?"
"Fine, fine."
Joy laughed, still glowing with giddy energy as she disappeared into her closet.
"I'll stop teasing… for now."
Yu quickly stripped off the cute ensemble, pulling the loose shirt and baggy pants over himself with his back turned. The relief of fabric that wasn't threatening to expose him made him sigh aloud.
Behind him, Joy's phone buzzed quietly. She smirked as she tapped out a quick text with wicked glee.
Joy: Theo, get the car ready. We need to drive Yu home. 💖
Her smile was pure mischief.
"Perfect."
She murmured, sliding her phone back into her pocket just as Yu turned around, oblivious.
Yu tugged at the hem of the baggy shirt Joy had given back to him, rolling his shoulders to settle the loose fabric against his frame. He finally looked up—and froze. Joy was beaming. Not the innocent sparkle she wore when talking about Izan. No, this was her mischievous grin, wide and brimming with schemes.
Yu narrowed his eyes.
"...What are you planning?"
Joy fluttered her lashes innocently, tucking Yu's bag under her arm.
"Nothing~"
She sang, looping her arm through his and tugging him toward the door.
"Joy."
Yu's tone was dry, suspicious.
"That's your scheming face. I know it. You're up to something."
Joy puffed her cheeks and tugged harder.
"You'll thank me later."
Yu dragged his feet but allowed her to lead him, muttering under his breath.
"Gods help me…"
The two descended the staircase, Joy chattering loudly to mask the thundering beat of Yu's heart. Each step closer to the front door made the pit in Yu's stomach twist. He had a very bad feeling about this.
When Joy swung the door open, Yu's suspicion turned to dread.
There, parked in the drive, was Theo's sleek black car. The headlights glowed faintly in the dusk. Theo leaned casually against the driver's side door, looking every inch the composed heir he was supposed to be—hair neat, shirt rebuttoned, pants in place. To anyone else, he looked calm, polished. But Yu could see it:
The faint redness on his ears, the too-controlled breaths, the subtle shift of his jaw.
Theo's gaze locked onto him instantly. It was sharp, possessive, and far too steady for a man who had just been alone with his fantasies of Yu not thirty minutes ago.
Joy, blissfully oblivious to the undercurrent of danger, waved cheerfully.
"Brother! Thanks for getting the car ready! Be a good chauffeur and drive us, okay? Yuvin needs to get home!"
Yu's pulse hammered in his ears. So this was her plan. A trap wrapped in sibling innocence. He forced a smile, bowing his head slightly as he tried to gather the courage to approach the car.
Theo's lips curled faintly at the edges—neither smile nor smirk, but something hungrier, darker.
"Of course."
He said smoothly, his voice deceptively calm.
"Get in."
The door clicked open, waiting.
Yu's foot hovered just before the car's polished doorframe.
[Host, this is another trap. Strong likelihood of this being a forced proximity scenario.]
Yu's lips tugged down as he inwardly rolled his eyes.
'No shit. It's pretty obvious.'
He asked anyway, bitterly,
'What if I just say no and walk home?'
[Rejecting will impact the Host's "best friend" link with Joy. Friendship is a core thread. Breakage will destabilize this world's timeline and could trigger a reset to day one. Host's current pregnancy would be nullified. Nullification violates Wish #3 ("to bear children"). Immediate termination of Host Soul will occur.]
Yu's breath caught. His hand clenched at his side.
"…Right."
A sharp reminder of the stakes. He made a mental note then and there.
'No more sleeping with Tragic Targets this early in future worlds. Ever.'
With a weary sigh, he finally moved. Joy was all sunshine, humming to herself as she approached the car. Yu angled his body toward the back door, intent on nestling next to her—safe buffer, safety net.
But Joy grinned devilishly and shoved him toward the passenger seat instead.
"Shotgun!"
She chirped as if calling dibs on his behalf.
Yu stumbled, caught by Theo's waiting gaze. The door was held open, his seat a throne and a prison both. With no choice, Yu slid inside, tugging the baggy shirt lower over his thighs as if that flimsy fabric could protect him.
Theo's lips curved faintly as he shut the door and circled back to the driver's side.
The car purred to life, soft orchestral strings drifting from the stereo. Joy, all sunshine and sparkles, leaned over the backseat with her chin in her hands, eyes darting between Yu and Theo like she was front row at her favorite K-drama. The Kingsley estate lights blurred in the mirrors as they rolled down the drive.
Joy, oblivious—or pretending to be—leaned over the backseat.
"So! Yu, did you and brother have fun talking in the study? Hm? Hm?"
Yu choked on air.
"Joy."
His voice was firm but colored with embarrassment.
"We… talked and… stuff."
Theo's hands tightened minutely on the wheel, knuckles whitening. His voice was smooth, practiced.
"Just talked?"
His glance slid to Yu, quick but sharp.
"Interesting. You didn't seem… so composed when you left."
Yu stiffened, side-eyeing him.
'So this is his game—testing me. Picking at threads until one unravels.'
Joy pouted.
"You two are becoming so close. It's like I'm left out of everything now!"
Theo's mouth quirked.
"Perhaps for good reason."
Yu turned in his seat, meeting Joy's wide eyes instead of Theo's.
"We'll catch up later, Joy. Don't pout."
His tone softened for her, even as his body burned under Theo's proximity.
But Theo wasn't done. His questions came, quiet and deliberate between the hum of tires and the whisper of autumn wind.
"What's your favorite color, Yu?"
"Do you have any hobbies?"
"What's your favorite food? We'll have it for dinner next time."
"What kind of music are you into? You can change the station if you want."
Each query disguised as casual, but Yu could feel the weight behind them. Tests. Probes. Traps.
Yu answered smoothly, each reply affirming but evasive.
"I like green."
"I draw and cook, I guess."
"I'm not picky. Just get anything."
"The music playing now is fine."
His voice was careful, always a layer of tease, never enough substance.
Theo's jaw ticked once before easing. Joy, meanwhile, was practically bouncing with unspent glee in the back.
Yu forced himself to stare out the window, watching autumn trees blur by in gold and rust, praying for the drive to end before Theo asked the one question he couldn't dodge again.
He wanted distance, composure, to pretend the tension in the car wasn't simmering.
Theo's right hand rested on the console, too close—deliberately close. He didn't say a word for a long while after his interrogator-like questions. So, he simply let the silence work on Yu, inching his hand forward by fractions until the backs of their fingers brushed.
Yu stiffened but kept his gaze on the glass, refusing to turn. That should have been the end of it.
It wasn't.
Theo's hand shifted, bold now. His fingers curled, wrapping over Yu's, and in one fluid motion he laced their hands together. A lock. A claim.
Yu flinched, heat rushing into his cheeks, but forced his expression neutral. He would not give Joy the reaction she clearly craved—but the sparkling gleam in her eyes through the rearview was unmistakable. She was eating this up like a live drama unfolding for her entertainment.
Yu tried to tug his hand back, subtle, but the effort betrayed him. Instead of pulling free, the motion dragged Theo's hand along until Yu's own thigh became the resting place of their entwined hands.
Panic spiked, sharp and hot, but Theo only smirked. The faintest blush colored his cheeks, betraying nerves under his confidence, yet his grip tightened. He wouldn't release him. Not this time.
To Theo, it was reassurance, possession, a vow.
To Yu, it was annoying. Suffocating. Another trap.
He bit the inside of his cheek, focusing harder on the blur of passing lights outside, willing the car ride to end before he snapped.
Joy, meanwhile, stifled a squeal behind her hands, her whole body vibrating like she was watching a confession scene.