Kissing the Demon (Seoksoo)

Seokmin

Two weeks had passed since I'd learned the truth about who Joshua really was. True to his word, he had answered every question I'd had...often with an alarming amount of detail. Seungkwan had warned me about being careful with how I phrased things with Joshua, but I found I didn't care that he was still low-key stalking me. Some people would call it fucked up, but I found it...sweet. No one had ever cared enough to worry about me the way Shua did. And okay, there was apparently some pissed-off mage out for me, but I had a feeling Shua would be like this even without that threat hanging over us.

He didn't hide it from me now, often popping up between classes to steal a quick kiss, and we even had one very memorable fumble in the old equipment shed one evening after school. There was no limit to the amount of time we were together, and I couldn't be happier. We'd continued our Marvel binge, alternating between takeaways and attempting not to poison the other with the occasional homecooked meal. Then, at night, we gave up the pretence of asking if the other wanted to leave. Those hours were my favourites. Sometimes we stayed awake exploring each other's bodies until dawn, while others, we simply fell asleep with Shua spooning me.

I'd spent more time with his brothers too. I saw them at Seungkwan's place and the club Seungcheol owned when they weren't off chasing cold leads on Blaise and the ghasts. They'd discovered that Blaise was using some obscure ancient magic to mask his location, a fact that pissed off Seungcheol to no end.

Now that they knew they didn't have to hide around me, I had been exposed to the full extent of the siblings' banter. Shua was able to hold his own with them, despite being half their size. It didn't surprise me. I'd always thought of him as a little firecracker, just waiting for someone to light him up and watch him explode. Apparently, his brothers knew exactly where the matches were kept.

It was a rainy Sunday when Joshua broached a subject I hadn't been sure how to bring up. We were in his conservatory, curled under a blanket while the rain pattered gently on the glass overhead. Joshua had surprised me with his latest purchase, a pair of sheer black lace briefs, complete with matching garter belt and stockings. Needless to say, they hadn't stayed on him long. In fact, I wasn't entirely sure if they were all still in one piece. Given the ferocity with which I tore them off, I doubted it.

Covered in a light sheen of sweat, we lay together while we caught our breath. The world was quiet, nothing but the sound of the storm outside to bother us.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Always," I replied. I sat between Shua's legs, leaning back against his chest while he ran his fingers idly over my belly.

"Who made you think you're anything other than perfect?"

The tops of my ears began to burn. "You're biased."

He pinched my nipple, and I hissed. "And you're deflecting the question."

I sighed, wriggling back against him. He took the hint and wrapped his arms around me to hold me closer. I guessed to some, the way we were sitting might've looked weird with our size difference, but I didn't care about them. I only cared about Joshua and how good it felt to be in his arms. "So, as you've probably guessed, my dad wasn't the best when I was growing up. He was always on me to lose weight, calling me 'Chunk' and nagging me whenever Mom plated my dinner."

"Wow." Joshua was stunned. "What a grade-A arsehole. Want me to smite him for you?"

A laugh burst from me. "Nah, but thank you. He's a wanker, but he's out of my life now. For good."

"What happened?"

"I was outed. Dad decided he'd rather have a divorce and a house move than a pansy for a son."