Warning(s): suggestive and mildly ual scenes (no )
Length: 7.7k words

“I’m cheating.”

“Get over it.”

Areum frowns as she turns around and meets Chanyeol’s gaze. It’s past 3AM now, but both of them are still awake after a few hours of rather unethical activity.

“You can’t possibly tell me to get over it.” She rises up from her comfortable position and grabs the covers around her from Chanyeol. “I just cheated on my husband. We made a vow, and I promptly broke it.”

“And you didn’t hesitate to.” Chanyeol yawns and yanks the covers back. “Just go to sleep.”

Areum wishes she was more like Chanyeol. His shamelessness is unrivaled, and he shows no signs of caring that he’s sleeping in a bed that belongs to a married couple. Unfortunately for her, she isn’t him. To her, this entire situation feels dirty and disturbing. Not to Chanyeol, however. As Areum watches him sleep so guiltlessly, she wonders how someone could not care.

But maybe she doesn’t care as much as she wishes does either—because she falls asleep within a few minutes too.

- - - - -

Areum shuts her eyes as tightly as possible while she grips the sheets underneath her with clenched fists. Her toes curl, her back arches, and she can’t feel anything but good. Soft moans escape and Chanyeol hovers over her, grunting right in her ear in between the muttering of his dirty words. His breaths are delightfully warm, and the slickness of their mingling sweat is surprisingly enjoyable too despite its messiness. It’s not how Areum would have liked to start her morning, but it’s what she’s having anyways.

Her breaths stammer for regularity, but they don’t match Chanyeol’s quickening pace, and she ends up breathing harder than ever when a wave of euphoria washes over her.

Chanyeol pulls away too quickly, but Areum doesn’t find it in her rights to ask him to hold her. After all, they’re nothing but two people who wanted to get in each other’s pants. As pitiful as it is, it’s only true.

“That was good,” Chanyeol remarks as he ties the used at the top. He walks to the bathroom to throw it away, and when he returns, Areum can more clearly see his smirk. “We should make this a daily thing. We’d both like it, so it’d be a win-win.”

Areum rolls her eyes. She gathers up the comforter and covers herself with them. “Don’t get so excited. I’m not sure if I want to do this again.” Chanyeol scoffs, obviously skeptical of her statement. He tugs on his discarded pair of pants. “I’m serious,” she says anyways. “There’s a lot of risk with this. If anything gets out in the magazines or if someone takes a picture, we’re dead.”

She shudders at the thought of the imaginary tabloid headlines. Trouble in Paradise! Korean-American actress Areum Oh cheats on her husband after only two years of marriage! Those are only American tabloids, however. The netizens of Korea would be harsher through their forums and cafés. I can’t believe that ing Areum would cheat on Sehun. Who does she think she is? Sehun deserves better.

The worst part of it is that no one except other cheaters would sympathize with her.

And Chanyeol would probably get away with it.

Areum doesn’t know why, but that’s the most infuriating part. Chanyeol, with his stupid smirk and even stupider jokes, getting away with an affair. It’s so maddening that it hurts Areum to think about it. Sure, he might get backlash, but it wouldn’t be as bad as what Areum would have coming for her. Only cannibalistic vultures live in Hollywood, and everyone rushes in at the smell of blood. Areum would be bleeding if news of her affair went public.

“Okay.” Chanyeol raises his hands up in the air. “We’ll keep this subtle.”

“Chanyeol, this is serious.”

“You’re putting too much thought into this.” Chanyeol has finished buckling his belt, so he sits by Areum and leans in closely. “Why don’t I break it down for you? You like me in between your legs,” Areum blushes at his dirty words, “and I like…this. I like you. You’re an interesting woman, and I’m never bored. We’re never bored of each other. Which is why I want to preserve what we have.”

It’s a baseless promise. I want to preserve what we have. The only thing they have that connects them is their movie. After filming wraps up, the two of them will most likely end whatever messed up relationship they have.

Areum eyes Chanyeol carefully. “We can’t start acting any different because of this.”

“Thank god we’re actors, right?” Chanyeol winks, his smirk beginning to make a reappearance. “But it’s a two-man effort, Areum. If you can’t hide this yourself, then there’s no point of me trying. Understand?”

“Yes, I understand—” As Areum rolls her eyes, her phone rings, and she quickly looks over on the floor where it fell.

Chanyeol picks it up for her, but not after he’s looked at it. “Sehun’s calling,” he says blankly, almost disdainfully. “You better answer it.”

Areum looks at the caller ID and can’t believe her eyes. Sehun doesn’t usually call her when he’s abroad because he hates hearing static cover up her voice; he’d much rather have a video chat or an exchange of emails and text messages.

“Hello?” Areum says once she has accepted the call. Chanyeol motions towards the phone, and Areum realizes that he wants her to put it on speaker so she complies. “Sehun, why are you calling?”

“I missed you,” he says from the other line. In front of Areum, Chanyeol rolls his eyes and fakes a silent gag. Areum promptly kicks him. “Areum,” Sehun’s voice sounds tired, “you won’t believe what I’ve been doing these past few days. I recently flew out to the Alps, and it’s so tiring to walk from set to set.”

“Sounds tough,” Areum notes. “It’s not any better here. Candice Lam is a cutthroat director.”

“Yeah, I hated working with her. She’s sort of a when it comes to those still shots she likes so much. Who’s your co-star by the way?”

“Oh, um, it’s Park Chanyeol,” Areum switches over to her Korean for a second. “He said you’ve worked with him in the past.”

“Oh, we have!” Sehun exclaims from the other line. He’s slightly gasping for air. “Sorry, I’m climbing up the mountain range.” Chanyeol rolls his eyes again, but Areum doesn’t kick him this time. “Anyway, yeah, Chanyeol’s nice. He’s really loud and all over the place,” Sehun’s words cause Chanyeol to open his mouth and frown, “but he’s nice. Be careful around him, though. He likes messing around too often.”

“Okay…” Areum eyes Chanyeol who doesn’t do anything to defend himself. In fact, he actually shrugs and seemingly confirms the statement. “So, Sehun. I was just thinking. You’re not…” Areum wants to ask if he’s seeing anyone else, but at the last moment, she pulls out of that decision. “You’re not overworking yourself, right? You’re getting plenty of rest?”

Sehun laughs from the other line. “Of course, babe. Don’t worry about me. What about you? Candice Lam hates it when a scene isn’t perfect.”

“Oh, I’ll deal with her. You go have fun dealing with the Swiss Alps.”

“Alright,” Sehun chuckles. “So,” his voice deepens, “what are you wearing right now?”

Areum’s eyes widen at the same time Chanyeol bites his fist to prevent himself from laughing. She kicks him off the bed, but he drags down the bed’s comforters with him, leaving her scrambling for the pillows to keep her modesty.

“Uh,” she stammers, “I just woke up. I’m wearing sweats.”

“Hm.” Sehun hums lowly from the other line. “I guess I’ll have it to end it here then. I’ll call you in a few weeks, okay? I love you, Areum.”

“I love you too, Sehun.”

When she hangs up, Chanyeol rises from the floor laughing. Areum grabs the fallen blanket from him and casts him a dirty look.

“What are you wearing right now?” Chanyeol tries to mock Sehun’s distinct voice but fails. “He sounds like a total player, Areum. I didn’t know someone so quiet could ask such ual things.” Areum rolls her eyes and huffs, and in response Chanyeol stops laughing and nods. “So it sounded like you really do love him. Keep that up, and we should be fine.”

“I do love him,” Areum asserts. “Just because we’re doing this doesn’t mean I don’t love him.”

Chanyeol stares at her for a few seconds. “Is this your way of showing denial?” he spits out the words.  “How could you say you love him and then have with me in his bed?”

Areum pauses and pretends that she’s trying to untangle a knot in her hair. “You’re annoying me again, Chanyeol.”

He scoffs and abruptly rises from the bed. “Make sure you cover up the marks on your neck before you go out.”

In less than five minutes, Chanyeol has composed himself so that he’s decent. And then he’s walking out the door, leaving Areum alone and sore—and apparently with a marked neck. She groans when she glances in her phone camera that there are prominent dark marks around her neck and collarbones. That will take an extra five to ten minutes to cover up. It’s a five to ten minutes that she needs to use, however, because it’ll be the end of the world if anyone sees them.

- - - - -

A few days after the first night with Chanyeol, Areum finds herself sweating more than usual. It doesn’t make sense since the weather in January is cold—even for LA. There’s no reason to sweat, but her anxiety around Chanyeol and the thought of someone finding out of their trysts makes her nervous all the time. Even standing around Chanyeol is enough to get her heart racing.

“Why are you so antsy today?” Seulgi mumbles as she’s adjusting Areum’s makeup. Areum doesn’t say anything—and she doesn’t have to. Seulgi is a makeup artist, and she knows if a shade of foundation is even a shade lighter than it needs to be. “Do you have makeup on your neck?”

“Y-Yeah,” Areum coughs. “I had an allergic reaction to a new perfume. I just wanted to cover up the pinkness.”

Areum congratulates for a lie delivered well, but Seulgi seems to not have believed all of it.

“Next time,” Seulgi says passively, “don’t just cover up the patches. Do your entire neck. It’ll match your skin better.”

I’ll remember that, Areum thinks to herself. It’s not like I have a choice anyways.

- - - - -

Chanyeol literally can’t keep it in his pants until they arrive at Areum’s home. His hands are all over her as they relax in the back of her car. Good thing her chauffer, Jay, is driving otherwise they would have long crashed.

“Chanyeol.” Areum bites her lip as she detaches herself from his clutches. “Stop.”

“Why? Your driver can keep a secret.” He tries to put his lips against hers again, but she places her hands over his mouth.

“Can we talk?” She’s pleading at this point. She wants to discuss terms of their “relationship” such as what they can and can’t do, but it seems like Chanyeol doesn’t want any of that.

“No,” he states firmly. “What makes you think I want to talk to you when you look so…” His eyes trail down from his face to her outfit which consists of a tight dress that was needed for a dinner scene in their movie. It’s not short nor does it show any cleavage, but it’s tight and accentuates her curves. “able,” Chanyeol finishes. He looks back up at her and practically growls as he leans in to kiss her neck. “Can you just shut up for a second?”

“Chanyeol…”

He doesn’t wait for her to finish.

Before Areum closes her eyes and succumbs to the bliss, she meets Jay’s weary eyes in the rearview mirror. She swears he’s disgusted.

- - - - -

It takes Areum two days until she can face Jay. She was so afraid and embarrassed of his judgment because though he had never said anything about her when she needed a ride with messy hair and makeup, having as he drove was a first. Even Sehun had never tried anything so bold and messy.

“Jay,” Areum says shakily when she gets in the car. “Can I talk to you?”

“If it’s about you and the young man that isn’t your husband, I don’t really care, ma’am.”

Surprised at his rather indifferent words, Areum buckles her seatbelt with a falling heart rate. “You don’t? Why not? I’m… We left a mess on the backseat.” She blushes when she notices that any bodily fluids on the seat are gone. “And uh, I used another service to drive me yesterday.”

“It doesn’t matter, ma’am.” Jay looks at her through the rearview mirror. “I’m just a driver. It’s only my business to drive you from Point A to Point B.”

“So… You can keep this a secret, right?”

“I’ll add it to list.”

Areum frowns. “The list?”

“Where to?” Jay completely ignores her question. He looks at her in the rearview mirror as they pull out of the gated residential community.

Areum was wrong. In his eyes aren’t disgust. It’s pity.

- - - - -

“Chanyeol…” Areum says—or tries to—in between her gasps. She has one leg hooked in the crook of Chanyeol’s arm as he pushes his hips into hers. It makes it easier for her to catch his attention if something’s uncomfortable, but it also makes it harder to get an audible word in. “Ch-Chanyeol.”

“Am I hurting you?” he finally asks, slowing down the movement of his hips.

“No,” she mumbles, and he continues to go faster. “But can I talk to you about something? It’s—”

“Later,” Chanyeol grumbles as he grunts. “Let me finish.”

“Okay, I just—”

“Areum, shut up and just look hot for a few more minutes, okay?” Chanyeol’s words come out along with an animalistic growl, so she does exactly what she’s told and relaxes her body to accept his with more ease.

When Chanyeol does finish (he lied. He wanted another two rounds), he’s too spent and falls asleep a few minutes after pulling himself away from Areum. She’s much too tired to talk much less wake him up, so she places herself closer to his steadily rising and falling chest. His presence is enough for her.

- - - - -

“So what do you like doing in your spare time?”

Chanyeol lifts his head from in between Areum’s legs. His hair is disheveled, casting a comma-like strand to hang over his forehead. There’s a frown settled on his features, and his glistening lips curl up into a scowl.

“You’re asking me for my hobbies while I’m eating you out?” He untangles himself from her legs and scoffs. “Jesus Christ, Areum. If it was that bad, you could have just asked me to stop.”

Areum sits up to grab his wrist just before he slides off the bed. “No, Chanyeol,” she whines, “it’s not that. I just… I genuinely want to know.”

“And why the hell do you want to know now?”

Areum shrugs. “Because.”

Chanyeol scrutinizes her for a few seconds before answering. “I like driving down long roads and reading sci-fi books. Is that good enough for you?”

“Not really, but you don’t seem happy with me.” Areum smiles to ease the atmosphere. “It’s okay, Chanyeol. Just… We can go back to it.”

He continues to stare at her from the edge of the bed. His gaze turns into a frown and into a confused sort of squint.

“Are you usually this compliant?” he asks.

“What do you mean?” She frowns back at him. “You were going to leave, and I don’t want you to leave.”

At her words, Chanyeol opens his mouth slightly. Nothing comes out, however, and he rubs the back of his neck. After a few more seconds of silence, he rises from his seated position and bends down to pick up his discarded clothes along with Areum’s. He tosses it at her, and she catches them with surprise.

“I’m not leaving,” Chanyeol murmurs as he puts his pants back on. “We can talk if you want. What else do you want to ask me?”

“Are you serious?” Areum’s eyes widen. “You’re—You’re fine with me asking?”

He shrugs. “Sure. What do you want to know?” He then joins her on her bedside where he places a hand on her thigh without any ual context. “Well? Do you want me to hold you or something?” It may have been a joke to him, but to Areum the punchline is completely lost. “Seriously?” Chanyeol mumbles. “Do you really…?”

Areum barely gives a nod, and Chanyeol complies and wraps his arm around her shoulders. They spend the rest of the night like that—with Areum leaning her head against Chanyeol’s chest. She asks him a million questions, and he answers them all plus one. He starts asking her questions too, and she laughs a little then a lot. The questions that Chanyeol asks are what Areum classifies as dumb, interesting but dumb. Nevertheless, she has a love-hate relationship with them. And at the end of night, they fall asleep together.

- - - - -

“Chanyeol, look!” Areum places an origami star in his hands.

“What is this?” Chanyeol, who had been getting his hair fixed just before their scene began, asks with his eyes still on the dressing mirror.

“It’s an origami star. I made it.”

“And you’re showing it to me?” Areum nods, and Chanyeol must see it from the corner of his eye. “Why? Why don’t you show Seulgi or, I don’t know, anyone else?”

“I thought you’d like it.” Areum pouts and tries to cutely express her dissatisfaction with his reaction by punching in the arm, but Chanyeol side-eyes her and shakes his head lightly. “What? Is there so something wrong with showing you something?”

“Nah, it’s just weird.”

“You’re weird,” Areum retorts.

“Uh huh.” Chanyeol’s stylist is finally done with combing his hair up, so he turns and gives a warm smile at Areum. “You like it.”

A wave of red heat hits Areum in the cheek. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

- - - - -

After a few weeks of secret rendezvouses at Areum’s home, Chanyeol starts to claim that he’s only “visiting” her so