“S-so, uh, um, nice place.”

Jun chuckles. “Something to drink? You need some sugar after a shock like that.” He gets off his couch easily, jumping his way to an open kitchen, and after an awkward moment, I follow. “You don’t have to be so formal, you know.”

“Sure.” There’s an island in the middle of his kitchen, so I just lean on it, watching him easily navigate the shelves for a glass and the fridge for some juice. “It is nice, though. Freezing, but nice.”

“I don’t put on the heat much, sorry.” He points at his chest before pouring. “Internal hell-o-stat. Do you need it on?”

“Nah, it’s not that bad. I think it’s just shock. Thanks.” I take the orange juice, hands still shaking a little, and sip. It’s tart, but it’s not bad, I think. It would just be awful for him to have bad taste in orange juice.

Jun leans on the other side of the island, grinning at me as I drink.

“…what?” I mumble self-consciously.

“What, what?”

“What are you looking at?”

“You, of course.”

“Why?”

He lets out a long, loud, wistful sigh, laying his head in his hands for extra emphasis.

I just look away, because what do you say to that?

“It’ll be a real problem when you’re behind those miniature little desks with those adorable little glasses calling me Mr. Wen. I already have a hard time keeping my distance.”

“Mr. Wen, huh?”

“, that’s y.”

I snort a moment, holding my empty glass in my hands. “If you say so.”

“Don’t be surprised if I give you lots of detention,” he grins.

I put the glass back on the counter. “I’m an exemplary student, I’ve never received detention in my life.”

Jun leans forward, more and more until he’s only a few inches away. “You’re blushing,” he smiles. “It’s very endearing.”

“Pi-pick on someone your own age.”

“But I want to pick on you. Or rather, pick you up.” He looks down and then back up, eyelashes flitting. “Joshua, what would you do if I kissed you right now?”

I lean back. “W-what?”

Jun retracts and walks around the island, suddenly coming in close and pulling me in before I can escape, towing both his arms around my waist in a web I can’t get out of. “I said,” he repeats slowly, “what would you do if I kissed you right now? Would you slap me again?”

I’m bent back a little, but only because he’s leaning in so far. So close. “Uh… n-no?”

“No? Would you kick me or hit me?”

I just shake my head a little. He’s close. He smells a bit of apple cider.

And then his lips press softly against mine, and it’s amazing. Jun is everywhere: one of his hands is cradling my skull and the other arm is curled around me. I couldn’t escape if I wanted to, and I really don’t want to. His mouth has no taste, just heat, and he’s soft and hot and it’s so pleasant. I’ve got no idea what a kiss is supposed to be like, but it’s really nice all the same.

His thumb brushes by my ear and I twitch, and it’s all over. He pulls away very slowly and surveys me. “You okay?”

I’m sure I’m all red, but I manage not to stutter regardless. “Just, eh, sensitive.”

His sharp eyes slide to my ear and back to me. “Really?”

He brushes his thumb past again and I let out the most embarrassing squeak, jumping a little on the spot before I can cover my mouth with a hand.

Jun smirks like he’s a devil, but not the evil kind, I think. He doesn’t let me go, but moves his hand to join the other on my back. “Good to know.”

“D-don’t tease me!”

“I won’t,” he says softly.

Jun has really thick arms, like strong tree boughs, and they’re so secure around me I feel like I could melt like a popsicle and he’d still hold me up. He holds me close, too, close enough that we’re almost touching at the stomach.

“You’re pretty,” he says, and it almost sounds like a compliment.

“I am?” is all my dumb- mouth can reply.

He cracks another devilish grin. “Yeah,” he says. “You’re really pretty, Joshua.”

What do you SAY to that?!

“Would I be pushing my luck if I tried to sneak another kiss in?”

For a few seconds I wonder whether it would be worth it to act cool and tell him I’d slap him again for overstepping his boundaries. It would be fun to play around, just a little. After all, it’s kind of fun being chased. But I don’t get the time, because he’s kissing me again and my brain scrambles like early Saturday morning eggs.

His hands are on my face again, both of them now, but alongside my jawline and neck instead of near my ears. He seems to move until somehow, I’m braced up against the wall.

He pulls away to let out the teeniest, tiniest little growl. The kind of growl that sinks low into my stomach and makes me want to lose control, just a little. “Joshua,” he murmurs, his voice suddenly very low, “…you’re a very dangerous young man.”

“M-me?” My breath is hard, racking against my ribs harshly. “You’re the demon between us…”

He lets out a growl that sounds more like a feral wolf than anything else before descending again and it feels like being swept away by the sea. My heart can’t keep up and I’m drowning in him, the scent of apple cider, his fingers curling against my skin and the way his lips are on fire to consume me alive. I forget to breathe and it huts but it feels so good that I almost black out from it.

He lets go as suddenly as he had delved in, breathing just as hard, staring at me. “…I liked the way you said us,” he says, smiling. “That’s my excuse. What’s yours?”

“My… excuse?” I look at him, dizzy. “What do I need an excuse for?”

Jun cracks a wild smirk and just wiggles his eyebrows twice, waiting for me to notice.

My arms are up around his shoulders, fingers curled in his hair.

“Oh, .” I unfurl my digits from him and pull my arms down, moving so we’re not face-to-face anymore. I clear my throat awkwardly. “Uh, I’m sorry. I, uh-”

“Stop that,” he mutters angrily, pulling on my shoulder again. Before either of us can get angry, he pulls me in until we’re touching all the way to the chest,