Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"So," I clear my throat. "Now what?"
Donghyuck shrugs, turning on his side to face me. The warmth from our bare bodies pressed closely together under the same blanket is both a comfort and a temptation. The sight of Donghyuck's disheveled hair makes me blush; it reminds me of how my fingers are responsible for messing up his hair while he was doing unspeakable things to me just moments earlier. Just the memory of it sends hot tingles through my entire body.
"We could go for round two—"
"Lee Donghyuck."
"It's a valid suggestion," he slowly drags his fingers across my tummy. "But on a more serious note, I don't know. I wasn't expecting this to happen tonight."
I admire his toned chest, resting my head where I can hear his heartbeat the clearest. Frankly, my mind is still foggy from the state of euphoria Donghyuck had sent me to, so the sound of his steady heartbeat helps me ease back into reality.
"Neither did I. I mean, that was a pretty calm confession, don't you think? In the movies, whenever enemies profess their love for each other, they'd do it while screaming and fighting and cursing each other out."
"And in the movies, the enemies would start dating immediately after confessing their love," Donghyuck adds. "Which, in my opinion, is kind of unhealthy."
I chuckle. "We just had sex, what's the difference?"
"Eh, sex was inevitable, because you're hot. I'm super hot. And you can't deny that there's always been sexual tension between us, like come on, I've seen the way you look at me—"
"What?"
"—but a serious relationship is a whole different thing, Haeyi. I want to love you properly and that includes ensuring that every toxic, nasty part of our previous relationship has healed. It's even worse that we've become like this after pretending that we were dating for a month."
I look up from his chest and a fuzzy feeling blooms within me at the way he looks down at me. "What are you saying? You don't think we should start dating?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
When I don't immediately respond, Donghyuck's eyes widen in panic, hands reaching out to hold both sides of my face. "Not because I don't want you, don't get me wrong. I just think we need more time to figure this out, make sure that our feelings are real and not just our heads messing with us from our fake relationship. Not that I'm doubting my feelings, or your feelings, we just have to be careful. You understand?"
I smile. "Why'd you get so scared? I agree with you, you know. Let's take our time."
"Of course I'd get scared," Donghyuck says, his voice so raspy that it puts me in dangerous territory. "The last thing I would want is to hurt you or lose you. I want to protect you and keep you for as long as possible."
