Because the thing I know about myself is that I am more of a romantic than not when it comes to this kind of stuff. So this will be a challenge. And this is a more or less safe space to do it in -- it's not for anything other than me and the (possibly) few people who stumble across it. That said, I know even before I start that it's not going to be totally XXX or anything because that's not who I am. More "sexy" than "sex"? If that makes sense. But who knows, I'll see how it goes. One caveat: as this very much isn't remotely related to my work and is technically a total waste of time taking away from my actual writing, I'm not going to be editing this or even typing it into Word first. So think of it as a brain dump short story. If you ever wanted to know what my first drafts are like, here you go (Well, okay, the whole Seong/Jumin thing has been like that...but this is the only bit I'm writing up more like a traditional short story).
Welp. Here goes nothing...
After the Party
The RFA party had been both an unmitigated disaster and an outstanding success, depending on how you looked at it. They had raised a record amount of money for charity but Seong wasn't entirely sure how she felt about everything else that had happened. She had been surprised about the relationship between Glam and Sarah, like everyone else. And while she was relieved that their scheme had been revealed, she felt pain for Chairman Han. Was what Jumin had done really the best way to have done it? Yes, it had certainly shocked his father into paying attention, but the look on the elder Mr. Han's face had been heartbreaking. Perhaps he had really loved Glam. And then, when Jumin had announced that he was stepping down as Director...his father had looked beyond stunned. Was Jumin really serious about that? C&R had been his entire life up until now.They hadn't had a chance to talk at the party. Even though Jumin had said he would take no more questions, the reporters had mobbed him until security had to forcibly remove them to another area. But that had still left the guests and the other RFA members, who were all just as shocked at Jumin's decision. And everyone was excited to talk to her in person as well, so she found herself passed between Yoosung, 707, Zen, and Jaehee until she felt like her head was spinning. And that strange man from the Monogamy club kept following her around, mumbling things.
It was getting late and the party was winding down. She was talking with Zen, who was telling her about his new role. He'd told her already, but she was nodding her head and smiling because that seemed like what he needed. Jumin appeared behind her and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head.
"Hello, my princess," he said. "I've missed you."
Zen made a face. "Dude. I will never get used to you all sappy. What did you do to him, Seong Yi?"
"Nothing...yet," said Jumin in such a suggestive voice that Seong immediately blushed beet red.
Zen groaned. "Gah, get a room."
"I don't need to get a room. I have a penthouse," said Jumin.
Seong laughed. Jumin was funny, even if no one else thought so. She wasn't sure how no one else saw it.
"But you're not wrong," said Jumin. "It is time to go. We have to meet my father for dinner. Are you ready, Seong?"
She stopped laughing. He'd said earlier that he wanted to have dinner with his father but she hadn't realised that he meant her to come along with him.
"Okay..." she said. Could she say no? He took her by the hand and security accompanied them out to a waiting car. It was an actual limousine. Was this the kind of car he always rode around in or was it just for the party? She didn't ask. There was a bottle of champagne in the back and two glasses already set out for them on a silver tray.
She hadn't eaten anything at the party and didn't normally drink on an empty stomach, but the thought of meeting Mr. Han made her accept the glass that Jumin offered her.
"It's a Krug Clos d'Ambonnay," said Jumin, taking a delicate sip. "The third most expensive champagne in the world. I wanted to get you a bottle of Goût de Diamants but I wasn't able to find one on such short notice. Perhaps for our wedding."
Seong choked on her champagne. "Ah," she finally managed to say. Was it her imagination or had he become more bold? He certainly seemed so much more...calm. As if nothing was bothering him anymore.
He squeezed her free hand. "Do you like it?"
"It's lovely," she said. It was. Though she wasn't entirely sure that she could tell it was the third best in the world. The thought boggled her mind. How much, exactly, did the third most expensive champagne in the world cost?? She took another sip. She didn't want to waste it.
"Don't worry about father," said Jumin, still holding her hand. "Everything will be fine."
"Okay..." Now was her chance to ask him. "But about that...are you really quitting your job?"
He raised his eyebrows at her. "Of course. If I continue working there, I won't have enough time to spend with you." He leaned down to look her in the eyes. "And I want to learn everything about you, Seong Yi." His smile crinkled the edges of his eyes and warmed them. Warmed her. "Of course, we have our whole lives for that, but I want to get started right away. I don't believe in wasting time."
She nodded and took another sip of champagne. She felt like it was going straight to her head, but maybe that was Jumin. That he could say things like that so easily...
The limousine pulled up to a large house. No, not a house. A mansion. They were in a part of town she had never seen before, which made sense as they'd had to drive through a massive security gate to enter it.
A butler--at least, that's what she guessed he was based on how he was dressed--opened the door of the car for them. They followed the man through a massive foyer, past three sets of grand double doors, and into a dining room roughly the size of a football field. At least, that's how big it felt. The table sat up to thirty people, but there were only three places set. Chairman Han was already at the head of the table. At least it looked like he had already known she was coming, though the thought didn't make her feel any better. Neither did the look on his face.
He stood up as they entered the room. "Jumin," he said. His voice betrayed no particular emotion.
"Father," said Jumin.
"Good evening, sir," said Seong, and bowed. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you." That was certainly a lie but she really didn't know what to say to this man. She would have rather met him under any other circumstances.
"This is Seong Yi, father." Jumin's hand was warm on the small of her back. "My future wife."
The elder Mr. Han frowned slightly. "So you've already asked her then?"
Jumin's fingers twitched. Seong looked up at him and he down at her. It was the first time she had seen him look flustered all day. "Ah, well...no, not exactly." She wasn't sure why, but they both blushed and looked away.
Chairman Han smiled for the first time. "Still the same Jumin, then. You have to do these things in the right order, you know." He waved them to their seats. "You have a lot to learn about love, son."
They sat down across from each other, one on each side of the Chairman. Servants immediately appeared and laid their first courses in front of them.
"I agree," said Jumin.
"Do you?" The Chairman seemed surprised. So was Seong, though she was more used to this new Jumin than his father was. Still, it was strange to see him admit to any shortcomings. He had changed so much since they had met.
"Yes. That was, perhaps, the first thing Seong taught me." Jumin looked very serious. "And that is why I have resigned my position."
"I see," said the Chairman. They all ate their soup in silence for a few long moments.
“I must say that I am surprised. But…if love is truly the reason behind your decision, I will not stand in your way.”
Seong nearly dropped her spoon. She hadn’t expected that.
“Thank you, father. I am glad we won’t have to fight over this because I would not have let you stop me.”
Ah. Seong wanted to kick him under the table. He could have stopped after the “thank you.”
The rest of the dinner passed peacefully enough and Seong caught a glimpse of the charming side of the Chairman as he questioned her. She knew he was finding out as much about her as he could, but he did it in such a way that she didn’t really mind. Now she understood how so many women had fallen for him. Undoubtedly, most of them had come to him because of his wealth and status, but he wasn’t just that. He seemed genuine and a bit of a romantic. But, all in all, she preferred Jumin. There was something more…honest about him.
Five courses later, they bid his father goodnight and climbed back into the limousine.
“Driver Kim, home, please.”
Oh, yes. She’d forgotten that he didn’t know the address of Rika’s apartment. Her heart sank a bit at the thought of going back to that empty place, especially without the party to look forward to. The night before had been bearable only because of that.
“Did you want to drop me off at the station on the way?”
Jumin looked surprised. “Why would I do that?”
“…since you don’t know where the apartment is…?”
“I have no intention of sending you back to that place.”
A number of thoughts ran through Seong’s head and not all of them were good. Had he not changed after all? Did he want to lock her away again?
But Jumin blushed and his voice took on a softer tone, that low rumble like he sounded late at night on the phone. She loved that sound. “I will let you go there, of course, if that is where you want to go. But I was hoping—” he took her hand—“I was hoping you would choose to come back with me. To stay…as long as you want. It’s so empty without you there. And…and I…I think I told you before…I want…tonight…”
Seong stopped him with a kiss, a soft one full of promise. “I want that, too,” she said against his lips. She drew a line of butterfly kisses across his face to his ear and whispered there, for only him to hear, “I want you, Jumin. I choose you.”
Jumin cleared his throat and pushed a button on the armrest next to him. “Driver Kim, take the shortest route possible, please. And I give you permission to break the speed limit.”
###
"I got this for you." He cleared his throat. "Just, ah...just in case."
"Oh. Thank you." It seemed a strange time for a gift, unless... "Should I open it now?"
"Please," he said.
She pulled on the bow and it unraveled. She was about to pull the lid off the box when Jumin stopped her.
"Ah, perhaps...maybe you should open it in the bedroom...I'll, um, be right there..."
She had never heard him quite so hesitant before, so she nodded and took the box with her. Maybe he was as nervous as she was. In the dark of the car, passing under street lights, she hadn't hesitated at all, but in the bright lights of the penthouse she felt her nerves come crashing down. Any courage she'd gained from the champagne was gone.
She set the box on the chair and took the lid off. Inside was...she pulled out a filmy pool of pale white silk trimmed with delicate red ribbons around the edges and the straps. It was a floor length peignoir and a matching robe, so light it felt like a cloud. It was cut simply; no ruffles or lace and fell in one long line. She took it into the bathroom so she could change there and see what it looked like on in the mirror.
It was so thin that it felt like wearing nothing. It wasn't see-through and everything was covered all the way down to her toes but somehow she had never felt more naked than in this moment. She took the red ribbon from the package and loosely tied her hair back. Would he like it? Somehow she thought he would.
(Okay, I had to give at least a nod to the bad end with the colour of the gown and the red ribbon where he keeps the MC trapped and goes full on controlling sadist because even if they made it past that, it's still somewhere inside of Jumin. But this is not that story. This is lovely romantic Jumin who wants to learn to love. He's not tying her up with ribbons now; they are going to be bound with love.)
She went back into the bedroom. Jumin wasn't there yet. She turned down the lights in the room as low as they could go, a pale glow. Should she sit on the bed? Lay on the bed? Wait for him by the door? Go and find him? Should she close the curtains? Leave them open? No one could see them up here, could they? She walked to the window to see.
###
Had he given her enough time to change? Jumin didn't want to surprise her in the middle of putting on the nightgown. Would she wear it? It had been very forward of him, perhaps, but he had seen it while shopping for the party dress for her and hadn't been able to resist buying it. He stood outside the door debating with himself. Wait? Go in? He couldn't remember any time in his life when he had felt like he did now. He couldn't even see her but just the thought of her on the other side of the door and his heart was racing. He'd taken off his tie and jacket, had almost taken off more but then had felt strange about the idea of walking into the room like that. Gah. He couldn't wait anymore. He opened the door and went in, closing it behind him. He didn't want Elizabeth the 3rd to follow him in. Not tonight. No distractions.
Seong was standing in front of the window looking out. And she was wearing the gown. Her long dark hair was pulled back in the red ribbon from the package, standing out so vividly against the white of the nightgown. The moon was full and streamed in through the window. It felt close, like he could reach out and touch it if he wanted to. But the moon wasn't what he wanted to touch. He could see the pale outline of her legs, her arms, her waist, her hips...like she was clothed in mist and moonlight. She was more beautiful than he had even imagined and goodness knows he had thought of little else all day, knowing that package was waiting for them by the door...waiting for them, if she came home with him. And she had. She had come. She had chosen to come with him.
He was there behind her before he even knew that he had moved, like she was a magnet drawing him to her. He reached out a hand and tugged gently at the ribbon. He wanted to unwrap her like a gift, to take away the layers and find out what was underneath. The ribbon fell away and he let it drop to the floor.
She turned to face him. "Jumin...thank you for...this. I hope you like it." A slight blush filled her cheeks. So cute. She was so precious to him.
"No. Thank you," he said. For wearing the gown. For coming home with him. For everything.
He swept her up in his arms and she didn't protest, she simply wrapped her arms around his neck. He carried her to the bed and set her down upon it. She reached up, hesitantly at first, and began unbuttoning his shirt, her fingers moving faster as each button came undone. He stood still as any statue. When she hit the last one she could reach, she stopped for a moment as he looked down at her. Would she continue?
She stood up, slowly, looking him right in the eye as she did. He couldn't look away. Didn't dare. He didn't want to miss one moment. She slid her hands under his shirt, spreading her hands across his stomach for a moment before tugging his shirt up and out. She unbuttoned the last two buttons and then ran her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, down his arms, taking the shirt off as she went. It fell to the floor.
He couldn't wait any more. The tangled feelings inside of him had un-knotted, un-wound...she had undone him. He wrapped her in his arms and they fell back onto the bed. Seong gasped in surprise but the small noise was lost as Jumin's mouth found hers. The first time they had kissed, it had been soft and sweet; the second, deep and long. But this time, he needed more and his tongue was darting and insistent, his hands just as hungry as they roamed her body, so soft, her skin even more like silk than the gown she wore. A part of him knew he was moving too fast, that he needed too much and was worried that she would pull away from him. He took a gulping breath, his face buried in her hair, trying to calm himself, to slow down.
"Jumin..." He could feel her panting breath against his ear. Her hands, her slender fingers that felt like fire as they brushed against his skin...she was fumbling with the clasp of his trousers. "Jumin...don't stop...I can't--"
He pulled himself up on one elbow so he could get a look at her and she stared up at him through heavily lidded eyes. Her mouth was full and red from their kisses, her lips parted as she took short, quick breaths. Oh god, he wanted to eat her up when she looked at him like that. The gown lay puddled around her, half off, half on, the right strap completely broken in half. He got a tantalising peek at the curve of her breasts as she struggled to catch her breath.
"Seong, I'm sorry. I'm...I know I'm going too fast...I can't--"
"Shhh. I know," she said. "I know. It's okay, Jumin." She smiled up at him and leaned into him, into the warmth of his chest. "Don't slow down on my account." She bent to kiss him, her tongue trailing a warm wet circle around his nipple. "I want you, too, you know." She kissed a trail down across his stomach.
Now it was his hands fumbling with his belt buckle. There was nothing else he could do. The battle was lost, he knew it. His plans of taking his time, of taking things slowly, of covering every inch of her with soft, delicate kisses, it was gone, burned away with desire. Desire for this woman, and only this woman. It consumed him.
Naked, he pressed his body along hers until they fit together like two puzzle pieces. She squirmed against him and at first he was confused, but then realised she was struggling to get out of what remained of the nightgown. Damn the thing. He'd buy another one. He'd buy a closetful. But this one--he helped her rip it off. She pulled him to her before he could get more than a glimpse of her porcelain skin but that touch drove every thought out of his mind. It was electric, like every nerve in his body had woken up. Like he had been asleep all his life until this moment. She moved against him, wrapping her legs around him. He felt as if he would explode, all of him, every bit of him. He had to have her now.
He rolled over on top of her, his lovely Seong Yi. She seemed so small and slight without her clothes and her eyes were closed now, her lashes dark against her cheeks, and her mouth, that lovely mouth, open as she made quick little panting noises. He reached down to see if she was ready, was it time, could he wait if she wasn't...but as he touched her there, so hot and warm, she pushed against his hand and moaned his name. He couldn't wait any longer. He thrust himself inside her, a cry escaping his own lips as he lost himself completely in her heat. She wrapped her arms around him as if she wanted to draw him even closer, as if they could somehow merge flesh and become one. They moved together, too fast at first but then slower as they found their rhythm together, a steady pace, like water lapping at the shore. He was drowning. He focused on her face, her sweet face as the waves took them, building higher and higher until it broke upon them both.
He held her close to him. She was shaking or maybe it was him. He didn't even know anymore. All he knew was that he was happy. That he was whole.
"I love you, Seong," he breathed into her ear. Then he said it again, as he kissed her eyelids; again as he kissed her forehead, her lips.
She laughed and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. "I love you, too," she whispered as she curled herself into him like she was finally home.
(Oh sweet heavens, can't believe I had to use the word thrust. And there's gotta be a way to say that other than with the "become one" triteness but meh, I couldn't think of anything else right now... But, eh, whaddaya do? There's some things it's hard to say any other way. I was trying not to be too clinical anyway. Hopefully it works. Maybe I'll look at it again later. I probably could have drawn that out more but I don't think it's too bad for a first attempt at writing something like this and it's more words than I thought I'd get time for anyway. Dunno that I could go much farther without feeling even more embarrassed than I already do about writing this. HAHA this is why I normally just write for kids. I'm so rubbish at being a girly girl and thinking shmexy thoughts.
I'm not sure why I decided to switch POV in the middle and go into Jumin's head. I think I wanted to see his thoughts a bit. That's one of the things I like about the Voltage stuff, that they sometimes provide the love interest's POV. And I suppose I wanted to show that Jumin is actually thinking healthy lovey-dovey thoughts.)
(EDIT: So, this was going to be the last of it. But the way my writing brain works is that I get scenes in my head. Think of it like a movie scene that keeps playing and playing until you write it down...or at least until you put the gist of the idea down on paper/screen. It won't leave my head until I do. And damn Jumin, he won't get out of my head. I keep thinking about what happens next and I am NOT gonna write a freaking book here as I've got other stuff to do. But I will write up this one more little scene, at least enough to get the idea down.)
They didn't set foot outside the penthouse for two weeks, though if you had asked either of them, it had only been a couple of days. Time seemed to pass differently now that they were together with nothing looming in front of them -- no work, no party. Just them.
It wasn't that Jumin didn't want Seong to leave -- he didn't -- but something else, something more. That first night had opened up a floodgate of emotion, of love, of desire. They couldn't stop touching each other. Jumin would find some new way to illicit a response from Seong and think, yes, this is it but then he would find himself kissing the hollow of her neck, writing a love poem with his lips across her smooth back, kissing her wrists and feeling her pulse beating...there was no end to the things he wanted to discover about her. There weren't enough hours in the day or night.
It wasn't just physical, though that did seem to occupy a great deal of their time. They talked -- about their childhoods, their hopes, their fears and mundane things like favourite movies and books and foods.
Assistant Kang kept calling with questions or emailing, but Jumin ignored her as much as he was able. He had faith in her. That was why he had promoted her before he left. And, quite frankly, he had picked up the slack enough times when his father had been spending his time dallying with some new infatuation. The Chairman could handle things this time.
But then Zen kept calling too so Jumin stopped answering his phone. The rest of the world could go on without them for a while.
Zen was pissed. There was no other word for it. Stupid trust fund brat. No one had seen or heard any word from Seong and Jumin for over two weeks. They had virtually disappeared from the Messenger, though the first few days had seem them posting disgustingly cute selfies together--feeding each other at breakfast, making faces at each other, close ups of Seong's face obviously taken by Jumin as half the time they were too blurry to even tell what she looked like. He was rather glad those had stopped at least. But after hearing nothing for a few days, he was worried. Was Jumin keeping her against her will in that stupid penthouse of his?
Seven wasn't too worried, but he was preoccupied with some new project. V had disappeared again. Jaehee was so busy with her new responsibilities that she didn't have a thought to spare for Jumin or Seong. And Yoosung...when Zen had brought up his worries, that idiot had just gone all starry eyed and said it was romantic. So it was up to him.
He skipped rehearsal for the first time in his life and went to the penthouse and convinced the security team (there were fewer of them now, now that Jumin had quit his job), to let him up to the door. It was around lunchtime and he could smell something cooking. Good. That was promising. He knocked on the door.
After a moment, Jumin answered it. He wasn't wearing a suit and for a moment Zen just looked at him. He looked so different. Was it just the casual clothes? No. He looked softer. Had he even brushed his hair? It looked like he'd just gotten out of bed. He even had an apron on, so that meant it was him cooking and not some fancy hired chef.
"Zen? What are you doing here?"
Zen swept in before Jumin could try to shut the door. "Dude! Where's Seong? Is she okay?" He looked around but didn't see her anywhere.
Jumin looked confused as he followed Zen into the living room. "She's fine. She's in the shower."
Zen stopped and looked at him. "In the shower? This time of day? Why would she--" He trailed off as Jumin's face turned a rather brilliant shade of red. "Ah...okay, anyway. Why haven't you answered your phone!? I've been worried sick!"
"We've been...busy," said Jumin, a starry-eyed look about him that Zen had definitely never imagined he'd see on Jumin's smug face. "Did something happen?"
"No--Jumin, you do realise that it's been over two weeks since the party, right?"
"What?"
"You're not keeping her here, are you?"
"No, of course not!" Jumin shook his head like he was trying to clear away cobwebs. "Two weeks? Really? Has it been that long?"
"Yes!" Zen blew out his lips and massaged his temples. What was Jumin thinking? He wanted to ask what they had been doing, but then thought better of it. Maybe he didn't want to know. "You're sure she's okay?"
Just then, the door to the bedroom flew open and Seong came out, a flimsy bathrobe barely tied around her. She was towelling off her hair. "Jumin~! Where did you throw my bra? I can't find it anywhere!" She was laughing and happy, Zen could see that much and more, actually, than he had intended to see. She finished with her hair and then saw him. "Ah~! Zen!" and turned around to flee back into the bedroom.
"Ya! I'm sorry, Seong!" he yelled after her, hands flailing. "I didn't see anything...! I promise!" He flinched as Jumin took a step forwards. What was he going to do to him? "Jumin, it's not my fault, I didn't know--"
But Jumin didn't look angry exactly. "Zen," he said softly, staring at the door Seong had disappeared through, "what should I do? I love her so much."
Zen gaped at him. Who was this new Jumin? He shook his head. Well, at least it wasn't what he'd feared but in some ways it was just as bad. The two of them couldn't stay locked away in the penthouse forever, like some kind of weird fairytale.
"I'm glad, Jumin. But you've got to get out of the house more, okay? Seong's not going to be happy trapped up here all the time."
"She's not trapped--"
"I know, that's not what I meant. I just mean that there's a whole world out there, you know? If you truly want to treasure her, you've both got to get out there. Okay?" Zen clapped him on the back. "Do things together. Like, normal things. Go on a date, right?"
"A date? Yes..." Jumin was talking to himself now. "We haven't been on a date! Maybe Paris..." He fumbled for his phone, already dialing numbers. "Or Rome...what time is it, anyway...?" He'd already forgotten that Zen was there.
Zen sighed and left. He'd done all that he could. At least he was pretty sure they'd get out of the penthouse. That was something, anyway. That, and Seong had looked happy. Everything was going to be okay.
(And before my brain starts thinking up any more scenes, let's just summarise and say that Jumin wants to take them to Paris but Seong, once she recovers from her embarrassment at Zen seeing her like that--thank goodness the robe had mostly covered things--talks him into simply taking her out to dinner. After that, Jumin tries to plan something every day for them to do: museums, the aquarium, movies...he researches good date locations on the Internet, looks up TripAdvisor ratings and generally goes a bit overboard trying to set up the perfect date until finally Seong puts her foot down. She doesn't argue with him because he's good at that and she knows he'll try and pretend he doesn't know what she means, but she knows it's time they settled into something more like a normal life. She fears he'll go a bit crazy if he has nothing constructive to do. So she leaves out a few interesting business articles carefully culled from newspapers and magazines. Gaps in the marketplace. An actual market for an upscale cat hotel and cat wine...soon they have started up a small business together and with something to focus on besides Seong, they start to settle into a rhythm. But when Valentine's rolls around, Jumin has his way and they do go to Paris...)
HAHA and I made this...because I'm pretty sure this is what happened.
She stood up, slowly, looking him right in the eye as she did. He couldn't look away. Didn't dare. He didn't want to miss one moment. She slid her hands under his shirt, spreading her hands across his stomach for a moment before tugging his shirt up and out. She unbuttoned the last two buttons and then ran her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, down his arms, taking the shirt off as she went. It fell to the floor.
He couldn't wait any more. The tangled feelings inside of him had un-knotted, un-wound...she had undone him. He wrapped her in his arms and they fell back onto the bed. Seong gasped in surprise but the small noise was lost as Jumin's mouth found hers. The first time they had kissed, it had been soft and sweet; the second, deep and long. But this time, he needed more and his tongue was darting and insistent, his hands just as hungry as they roamed her body, so soft, her skin even more like silk than the gown she wore. A part of him knew he was moving too fast, that he needed too much and was worried that she would pull away from him. He took a gulping breath, his face buried in her hair, trying to calm himself, to slow down.
"Jumin..." He could feel her panting breath against his ear. Her hands, her slender fingers that felt like fire as they brushed against his skin...she was fumbling with the clasp of his trousers. "Jumin...don't stop...I can't--"
He pulled himself up on one elbow so he could get a look at her and she stared up at him through heavily lidded eyes. Her mouth was full and red from their kisses, her lips parted as she took short, quick breaths. Oh god, he wanted to eat her up when she looked at him like that. The gown lay puddled around her, half off, half on, the right strap completely broken in half. He got a tantalising peek at the curve of her breasts as she struggled to catch her breath.
"Seong, I'm sorry. I'm...I know I'm going too fast...I can't--"
"Shhh. I know," she said. "I know. It's okay, Jumin." She smiled up at him and leaned into him, into the warmth of his chest. "Don't slow down on my account." She bent to kiss him, her tongue trailing a warm wet circle around his nipple. "I want you, too, you know." She kissed a trail down across his stomach.
Now it was his hands fumbling with his belt buckle. There was nothing else he could do. The battle was lost, he knew it. His plans of taking his time, of taking things slowly, of covering every inch of her with soft, delicate kisses, it was gone, burned away with desire. Desire for this woman, and only this woman. It consumed him.
Naked, he pressed his body along hers until they fit together like two puzzle pieces. She squirmed against him and at first he was confused, but then realised she was struggling to get out of what remained of the nightgown. Damn the thing. He'd buy another one. He'd buy a closetful. But this one--he helped her rip it off. She pulled him to her before he could get more than a glimpse of her porcelain skin but that touch drove every thought out of his mind. It was electric, like every nerve in his body had woken up. Like he had been asleep all his life until this moment. She moved against him, wrapping her legs around him. He felt as if he would explode, all of him, every bit of him. He had to have her now.
He rolled over on top of her, his lovely Seong Yi. She seemed so small and slight without her clothes and her eyes were closed now, her lashes dark against her cheeks, and her mouth, that lovely mouth, open as she made quick little panting noises. He reached down to see if she was ready, was it time, could he wait if she wasn't...but as he touched her there, so hot and warm, she pushed against his hand and moaned his name. He couldn't wait any longer. He thrust himself inside her, a cry escaping his own lips as he lost himself completely in her heat. She wrapped her arms around him as if she wanted to draw him even closer, as if they could somehow merge flesh and become one. They moved together, too fast at first but then slower as they found their rhythm together, a steady pace, like water lapping at the shore. He was drowning. He focused on her face, her sweet face as the waves took them, building higher and higher until it broke upon them both.
He held her close to him. She was shaking or maybe it was him. He didn't even know anymore. All he knew was that he was happy. That he was whole.
"I love you, Seong," he breathed into her ear. Then he said it again, as he kissed her eyelids; again as he kissed her forehead, her lips.
She laughed and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. "I love you, too," she whispered as she curled herself into him like she was finally home.
***
(Oh sweet heavens, can't believe I had to use the word thrust. And there's gotta be a way to say that other than with the "become one" triteness but meh, I couldn't think of anything else right now... But, eh, whaddaya do? There's some things it's hard to say any other way. I was trying not to be too clinical anyway. Hopefully it works. Maybe I'll look at it again later. I probably could have drawn that out more but I don't think it's too bad for a first attempt at writing something like this and it's more words than I thought I'd get time for anyway. Dunno that I could go much farther without feeling even more embarrassed than I already do about writing this. HAHA this is why I normally just write for kids. I'm so rubbish at being a girly girl and thinking shmexy thoughts.
I'm not sure why I decided to switch POV in the middle and go into Jumin's head. I think I wanted to see his thoughts a bit. That's one of the things I like about the Voltage stuff, that they sometimes provide the love interest's POV. And I suppose I wanted to show that Jumin is actually thinking healthy lovey-dovey thoughts.)
***
(EDIT: So, this was going to be the last of it. But the way my writing brain works is that I get scenes in my head. Think of it like a movie scene that keeps playing and playing until you write it down...or at least until you put the gist of the idea down on paper/screen. It won't leave my head until I do. And damn Jumin, he won't get out of my head. I keep thinking about what happens next and I am NOT gonna write a freaking book here as I've got other stuff to do. But I will write up this one more little scene, at least enough to get the idea down.)
Zen Interupptis
They didn't set foot outside the penthouse for two weeks, though if you had asked either of them, it had only been a couple of days. Time seemed to pass differently now that they were together with nothing looming in front of them -- no work, no party. Just them.
It wasn't that Jumin didn't want Seong to leave -- he didn't -- but something else, something more. That first night had opened up a floodgate of emotion, of love, of desire. They couldn't stop touching each other. Jumin would find some new way to illicit a response from Seong and think, yes, this is it but then he would find himself kissing the hollow of her neck, writing a love poem with his lips across her smooth back, kissing her wrists and feeling her pulse beating...there was no end to the things he wanted to discover about her. There weren't enough hours in the day or night.
It wasn't just physical, though that did seem to occupy a great deal of their time. They talked -- about their childhoods, their hopes, their fears and mundane things like favourite movies and books and foods.
Assistant Kang kept calling with questions or emailing, but Jumin ignored her as much as he was able. He had faith in her. That was why he had promoted her before he left. And, quite frankly, he had picked up the slack enough times when his father had been spending his time dallying with some new infatuation. The Chairman could handle things this time.
But then Zen kept calling too so Jumin stopped answering his phone. The rest of the world could go on without them for a while.
***
Zen was pissed. There was no other word for it. Stupid trust fund brat. No one had seen or heard any word from Seong and Jumin for over two weeks. They had virtually disappeared from the Messenger, though the first few days had seem them posting disgustingly cute selfies together--feeding each other at breakfast, making faces at each other, close ups of Seong's face obviously taken by Jumin as half the time they were too blurry to even tell what she looked like. He was rather glad those had stopped at least. But after hearing nothing for a few days, he was worried. Was Jumin keeping her against her will in that stupid penthouse of his?
Seven wasn't too worried, but he was preoccupied with some new project. V had disappeared again. Jaehee was so busy with her new responsibilities that she didn't have a thought to spare for Jumin or Seong. And Yoosung...when Zen had brought up his worries, that idiot had just gone all starry eyed and said it was romantic. So it was up to him.
He skipped rehearsal for the first time in his life and went to the penthouse and convinced the security team (there were fewer of them now, now that Jumin had quit his job), to let him up to the door. It was around lunchtime and he could smell something cooking. Good. That was promising. He knocked on the door.
After a moment, Jumin answered it. He wasn't wearing a suit and for a moment Zen just looked at him. He looked so different. Was it just the casual clothes? No. He looked softer. Had he even brushed his hair? It looked like he'd just gotten out of bed. He even had an apron on, so that meant it was him cooking and not some fancy hired chef.
"Zen? What are you doing here?"
Zen swept in before Jumin could try to shut the door. "Dude! Where's Seong? Is she okay?" He looked around but didn't see her anywhere.
Jumin looked confused as he followed Zen into the living room. "She's fine. She's in the shower."
Zen stopped and looked at him. "In the shower? This time of day? Why would she--" He trailed off as Jumin's face turned a rather brilliant shade of red. "Ah...okay, anyway. Why haven't you answered your phone!? I've been worried sick!"
"We've been...busy," said Jumin, a starry-eyed look about him that Zen had definitely never imagined he'd see on Jumin's smug face. "Did something happen?"
"No--Jumin, you do realise that it's been over two weeks since the party, right?"
"What?"
"You're not keeping her here, are you?"
"No, of course not!" Jumin shook his head like he was trying to clear away cobwebs. "Two weeks? Really? Has it been that long?"
"Yes!" Zen blew out his lips and massaged his temples. What was Jumin thinking? He wanted to ask what they had been doing, but then thought better of it. Maybe he didn't want to know. "You're sure she's okay?"
Just then, the door to the bedroom flew open and Seong came out, a flimsy bathrobe barely tied around her. She was towelling off her hair. "Jumin~! Where did you throw my bra? I can't find it anywhere!" She was laughing and happy, Zen could see that much and more, actually, than he had intended to see. She finished with her hair and then saw him. "Ah~! Zen!" and turned around to flee back into the bedroom.
"Ya! I'm sorry, Seong!" he yelled after her, hands flailing. "I didn't see anything...! I promise!" He flinched as Jumin took a step forwards. What was he going to do to him? "Jumin, it's not my fault, I didn't know--"
But Jumin didn't look angry exactly. "Zen," he said softly, staring at the door Seong had disappeared through, "what should I do? I love her so much."
Zen gaped at him. Who was this new Jumin? He shook his head. Well, at least it wasn't what he'd feared but in some ways it was just as bad. The two of them couldn't stay locked away in the penthouse forever, like some kind of weird fairytale.
"I'm glad, Jumin. But you've got to get out of the house more, okay? Seong's not going to be happy trapped up here all the time."
"She's not trapped--"
"I know, that's not what I meant. I just mean that there's a whole world out there, you know? If you truly want to treasure her, you've both got to get out there. Okay?" Zen clapped him on the back. "Do things together. Like, normal things. Go on a date, right?"
"A date? Yes..." Jumin was talking to himself now. "We haven't been on a date! Maybe Paris..." He fumbled for his phone, already dialing numbers. "Or Rome...what time is it, anyway...?" He'd already forgotten that Zen was there.
Zen sighed and left. He'd done all that he could. At least he was pretty sure they'd get out of the penthouse. That was something, anyway. That, and Seong had looked happy. Everything was going to be okay.
(And before my brain starts thinking up any more scenes, let's just summarise and say that Jumin wants to take them to Paris but Seong, once she recovers from her embarrassment at Zen seeing her like that--thank goodness the robe had mostly covered things--talks him into simply taking her out to dinner. After that, Jumin tries to plan something every day for them to do: museums, the aquarium, movies...he researches good date locations on the Internet, looks up TripAdvisor ratings and generally goes a bit overboard trying to set up the perfect date until finally Seong puts her foot down. She doesn't argue with him because he's good at that and she knows he'll try and pretend he doesn't know what she means, but she knows it's time they settled into something more like a normal life. She fears he'll go a bit crazy if he has nothing constructive to do. So she leaves out a few interesting business articles carefully culled from newspapers and magazines. Gaps in the marketplace. An actual market for an upscale cat hotel and cat wine...soon they have started up a small business together and with something to focus on besides Seong, they start to settle into a rhythm. But when Valentine's rolls around, Jumin has his way and they do go to Paris...)
HAHA and I made this...because I'm pretty sure this is what happened.
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