Properly Tainted

"Does he know yet?" she asks from the edge of her bed. It's eight in the morning and the sun is just starting to rise; the light shines is beautifully through the sliding glass door and illuminates the messied sheets and Sojin's tangled hair. Sojin has nothing but a bra on with her left strap hanging loosely on her shoulder. She watches Taekwoon button up his shirt and fix his belt. It's been... four weeks since they first started seeing each other exclusively? Neither of them keep track and if they do, it's through the number of times Sojin tells him to come over or how many times Taekwoon allows himself in when he's and can't bare to run to his own boyfriend to tend to his ual desires.

"No," he replies quietly. He catches a glimpse of his neck in the mirror hung neatly above the end table on the side of the bed and he almost winces as he takes note of multiple hickies trailing down towards his chest. He presses at the areas and yeah, it is most definitely very tender (tender in the most way, that is).

"Why haven't you told him?" Sojin presses on and suddenly a pair of arms are around his waist accompanied by a pair of small lips nipping at his neck. "I'm not rushing you since I love being your little secret." Taekwoon gently removes her hands before facing her.

"I don't think I want to continue doing this," he says with a sad sigh. "It's not fair to him..."

"Yeah, but c'mon... we have our fun times too." She smiles and pulls him down towards the bed by his shirt collar. Her neck bares deep, red hickies to match the ones on Taekwoon's neck.

Taekwoon nods and caresses Sojin's face, tracing over the modelesque angles of her cheekbones then dipping down to run his thumb over the edge of her bottom lip. She's pretty in the most average way and maybe that's why Taekwoon likes and prefers to go back to her at the end of the day—he's not afraid to taint her. Sanghyuk is someone out of the movies: he's nice and caring, but when it comes down to it, he can get quite aggressive and won't let up until he gets what he wants. Everything he does is perfect, everything about him is perfect. How Taekwoon managed to even score Sanghyuk is something he still hasn't figured out but maybe that's why Taekwoon acts unfaithful the way he does; maybe he wants to give Sanghyuk a reason as to why he shouldn't be with him.

"I love him, Sojin," he whispers, "I love him so much and the longer this goes on, the more- the more I get hurt."

She laughs and leans forward to kiss him; Taekwoon is still. "You're always so melancholy in the mornings. This whole 'I love him' bit wasn't something you were saying when you had your fingers in my hair and your mouth on my neck."

"Sojin..."

"I'm glad you're not the one I'm in love with. There are so many things I don't understand about you." She chuckles. "I guess that's what attracts me to you." She releases her grip on Taekwoon's shirt and in its place, leaves rows upon rows of wrinkles. After smoothing out those wrinkles, Taekwoon heads toward the door.

"Where were you this morning?" Sanghyuk asks as he serves a plate of pancakes to a very tired-looking Taekwoon. Sanghyuk takes a seat across from him, chewing on the end of a pen and absentmindedly drumming on the table with his fingers. He has a job as a waiter at the local diner and out of all fifteen jobs he's had, it's the one he likes the most, plus it's fun. The diner is half empty (it always is in afternoon) but it's nicer that way.

"I was out with a friend," he says. He undoes the paper wrapping on the utensils and looks over his fork.

"They're clean. I washed them myself," Sanghyuk tells him, stifling a laugh. "What was so important about this friend that you had to be gone the whole morning? What? Did he clog his own toilet or something?"

"No, she was actually having boy problems." At least he isn't completely lying. 'Oh' is the only thing he says and a troubled expression seems to undo itself on his face. Taekwoon's head is down and when Sanghyuk allows the two-lettered word to drag a second longer in the air, he glances up worryingly.

"Did you- did you do anything with her?"

"Hyuk-"

He laughs and holds up his hands, palms facing outwards. "I know, I know. I'm probably overreacting. You were just being a good friend, I understand. I gotta take this customer. I'll see you at home later?" He's standing now and has moved on to twirling the pen around between his index and middle finger.

Taekwoon mumbles a small 'okay' and Sanghyuk takes off towards the front of the diner. What would he have said if he hadn't been cut off? Would he have told him the actual truth? I was out having behind your back, he thinks. He shakes his head, ridding his mind of the foul thought, and takes a piece of pancake into his mouth.

His phone buzzes from its place in front of his plate. He takes another piece of his pancake as he unlocks his phone and reads over the message. He doesn't even need to see the name to know it's from Sojin.

[Sojin]: Can you come over later?

[Taekwoon]: No. I told you earlier, Sojin, I'm cutting this off right now.

[Sojin]: Please. :(

[Taekwoon]: No.

[Sojin]: I'll just leave the door unlocked so you can let yourself in.

Taekwoon gives a long sigh after reading the last message. He's slightly startled as Sanghyuk slides back in to the booth with much unneeded ruckus.

"Who were you texting there?" he asks with a soft smile.

"It was no one."

"Was it your girlfriend?" He raises an eyebrow. "I bet it was your girlfriend. Well, tell her that you're on my schedule now." He laughs and Taekwoon sits there with a semi-horrified expression on his face. He will always hate how happy-go-lucky Sanghyuk is and how freely he can joke about things like that. It doesn't seem to phase him which is also another thing Taekwoon doesn't understand (and loves). He's so carefree while Taekwoon is so serious. He likes having fun and making crude jokes while Taekwoon prefers to keep to himself and refuse social interaction with people he doesn't have to interact with. Sanghyuk is his perfect counterpart and that may or may not be a good thing.

"I love you, Taekwoon," he says randomly as he watches him take another piece of pancake. "You are so beautiful."

"I-I love you too, Hyuk," he murmurs shyly and he means it.

"Do you?" Sanghyuk questions him, leaning on the heel of his hand.

"Yes," he says with his head down. "I just- I just can't express it that well," he stammers, pulling the ends of his jacket up to cover his hands.

"There's no need to be embarrassed."

"I can't help it," he mumbles.

Sanghyuk moves to get up and get back to the cash register but Taekwoon's weak grip on his uniform shirt stops him. "I have to tell you something," he says, and he's glad his voice comes out firm and even. "I've been meaning to tell you for a while."

"What-" Sanghyuk starts but he's cut off by the startling buzz of Taekwoon's phone against the table. It's a picture message and the image is of both her and Taekwoon who are in very compromising positions at the edge of Sojin's bed. Sanghyuk can tell immediately that it's him by the short black hair and the blotch of discolored skin just above his elbow.

"T-Taekwoon?"