raspberries and mocha | heejake

15

Heeseung's head was pounding, not from the vodka but from the thoughts swirling in his mind. He lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling, phone in hand. He'd been replaying last night over and over again. The taste of the vodka, the weight of Jake's body pressing against his in the staff room, the way Jake's lips had felt—everything was too fresh, too vivid.

Then his phone buzzed, breaking the silence. A text from Jake.

sjaeyun.org
"Hungover? lol"

Heeseung stared at the message for a few seconds longer than necessary before typing back:

urdadseung

"A bit. You?"

He didn't even know why he felt nervous. It wasn't like they'd done anything irreversible. But something about Jake made him feel unsure. Less composed. Heeseung rolled onto his stomach, scrolling up to re-read their previous texts. There weren't many—just some light teasing here and there, nothing too deep. It made him wonder if Jake was just playing around.

Before he could spiral further, his phone buzzed again.

sjaeyun.org
"Nah, I'm good. Might be that I had a good time last night ;)"

Heeseung felt his stomach flip. What did Jake mean by "good time"? Was it just the drinking, or was he talking about...the other stuff?

Just as he was about to respond, a loud knock echoed through the apartment. He groaned, pushing his phone under the pillow and trudging to the door. When he opened it, Riki stood there, arms crossed, a smug grin on his face.

"You look like shit," Riki said, walking past him without waiting for an invite. "Rough night?"

"Shut the fuck up," Heeseung muttered, closing the door and collapsing back onto the couch. He really wasn't in the mood for Riki's teasing today.

But Riki being Riki, wasn't about to let him off that easily. "Sooo, what's up with you and Jake hyung?" he asked, plopping down beside Heeseung.

Oh dear god. Heeseung blinked, unsure of how much Riki actually knew. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on." Riki rolled his eyes dramatically. "I'm not stupid. I saw the way you were looking at him last night. You're into him."

Heeseung's face burned, and he quickly sat up, trying to compose himself. "I wasn't—"

"Sure you weren't," Riki interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. "Dude, just admit it. You like him. And honestly, I don't blame you. He's absolutely beautiful. And very much worth dating or even marrying. He's got em all." he wiggled his eyebrows.

Heeseung felt his stomach tighten at Riki's bluntness. "Don't even think about going there." he warned. Fucking shit for him to leave it to his adopted "son" to call him out so easily. But was it that obvious?

"Fine," Heeseung finally muttered. "I don't know. Maybe I like him."

Riki grinned, leaning back with a satisfied smirk. "I knew it. You're totally falling for him. Dad, what's with him pulling everyone that sees him?"

"I'm not falling for anyone," Heeseung protested, but even as he said it, the memory of Jake's lips against his own replayed in his mind. He hadn't felt something like that in a long time, and it scared him.

"Well, whatever it is, you should go for it," Riki said casually. "It's not like you've got anything to lose, right?"

Heeseung stared at him, surprised by the sudden shift in Riki's tone. "You think I should?"

Riki shrugged, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table. "Why not? You work hard, you take care of me, and you never do anything for yourself. So, why not have a little fun?"

Heeseung thought about it. Maybe Riki was right. He hadn't really let anyone into his life since taking Riki in. His world had been work and Riki, nothing more. But now...now there was Jake. And he wasn't sure if it was just a fleeting attraction or something more.

His phone buzzed again, dragging him back to the present. Another text from Jake.

sjaeyun.org
"See you tonight?"

Heeseung bit his lip, heart racing. This was dangerous territory, but maybe, just maybe, it was worth exploring.

He typed back quickly, before he could second-guess himself.

urdadseung

"Mm. Be there. 😉"