i feel like this story is condoning harrassment, which i swear it's not supposed to!

Reaction Formation: a psychological defense mechanism by taking up the opposite feeling, impulse or behavior to reduce anxiety

“Hey, squishy.”

Kyungsoo had just watched his girlfriend (ex-girlfriend) walk away with another girl after unceremoniously telling him that she had finally met the one who confirmed her biuality. The club was crowded and noisy and too dark with too many lights (how did that even work?) and Kyungsoo was just a self-pitying ball of awkwardness trying to digest the fact that he was suddenly single a day after Valentine's day. (Which really pissed him off because he had spent hours on Google trying to find inspiration for a romantic date.)

And now some guy just called him “squishy”.

In that tone of voice other people said “y”.

He looked up to see a tan skinny-ish guy, clad in a skimpy shirt, smirking at him, one eyebrow raised suggestively. Kyungsoo's first thought was, “I am not squishy, you moron. I'm the dark lord who can put you in a choke hold right now and render you unconscious.”

His second thought was, “Wait. Why is this guy hitting on me?”

Kyungsoo was definitely not a judgmental guy and he totally believed in love for everyone (except for that girl who stole his girlfriend). But he was socially inept and would rather not be put in situations like this. Also, that smirk was starting to look a little creepy. Holy . Did he drug my drink? Am I going to get ?

“Uh . . . squishy?” Kyungsoo finally choked out when he realized the creepy guy was waiting for a reply.

“Yeah, you.” The guy beamed. “Hasn't anyone ever called you that before?”

“Uh . . . no?”

“Well then, Squishy, you should thank me for giving you this beautiful name,” he said as he settled into the seat next to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo should have said something like “Please don't sit there” or “Please stay away from me”, but all he said was “Please stop calling me that.”

“Then what do I call you?”

“My name is Kyungsoo,” he replied, and he wanted to smack himself because he's too polite for his own good

“Ah. Do you, like, put a dash or something between the two O's when you're writing it to look like your eyes?”

“What?” He started thinking of excuses to get the hell out of there.

“LOL.” Did this guy just say”lol” out loud in a conversation? What the actual ? “Well, I'm Kai. Nice to meet you.”

He held out his hand and Kyungsoo shook it reflexively. Ah .

The creepy guy stared at him while he stared down at the table, seriously thinking of any excuse to leave. He just remembered he needed to visit his grandma at the hospital? But no, that would make him seem like a really irresponsible grandson. And that might wish bad luck on his grandma. He has homework to do? It's past curfew? But that would make him seem like a nerd. His girlfriend just broke up with him and he needed to cry in private? But-wait. Why do I need an excuse? I can totally just-

“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

Kyungsoo whipped his head up to look at Kai. “Yes,” he replied flatly.

“Oh. Sorry.” He didn't sound apologetic, but Kyungsoo realized unfortunately that this guy was the type who could pull off those sad, imploring puppy eyes. Which always pissed Kyungsoo off, because when he tried, he would end up looking possessed and give innocent children nightmares. Not that he ever tried though, because the dark lord does not do aegyo. There was a reason why he was a cat person. Cats would never act disgustingly cute.

He wanted to slap himself for mentally rambling and missing the chance to end the conversation when Kai went on to say, “But I kind of like you.”

“What?” he yelped.

“Yeah.”

The guy smiled and Kyungsoo tried edging away. “But you don't even know me!” he protested.

“So, why don't you tell me more about yourself?” Kai moved closer, devouring the space that Kyungsoo had just created. “Like, what's your uality?” he suggested, as if it was a question everyone asked during first meetings.

“I'm straight,” Kyungsoo answered, glaring pointedly at Kai's hand that was hovering too close to his thigh.

“Ah,” Kai said. He nodded thoughtfully but didn't seem to have any intentions in moving out of Kyungsoo's personal bubble. “Is that why you look constipated right now?”

“Constipated?” Kyungsoo screeched. Why am I talking to this weird creeper

“But don't worry. I won't you or anything 'cause I'm a proud panromantic aual.”

“What does that even mean?” He eyed the tan boy while also cursing his curiosity. (He needed to stop yelling at himself, but he was seriously losing control of his thoughts.)

In his opinion, there were way too many different ualities springing up these days. As aforementioned, he was a firm believer in love for everyone, but it was getting harder and harder to keep things straight (haha, get it? So punny, right?) and easier and easier to unintentionally offend someone. And also easier and easier for girlfriends to break up with boyfriends because of their new-found uality.

“Well . . .” Kai grinned and literally lit up. He looked like he'd been waiting for Kyungsoo to ask that question forever. “Well, panromantic means I can fall in love with anyone, no matter what gender or and-”

“Isn't that what biual is?” Kyungsoo wanted to smack himself (again) for being such an attentive and active listener. And also because it reminded him of his stupid ex.

“That's a common misconception,” the other said, suddenly sounding slightly intelligent. “But no, because 'bi' means two, and there are more genders than that. And also, stop interrupting my explanation, especially since you asked. It's rude.” He pouted and Kyungsoo's eyes widened. What even is he and why am I talking to him?

“Anyway,” the boy in question continued. “The aual part shouldn't be that hard to understand. I'm just not into that frick fracking sorta thing.”

“Uh . . . you like everyone, but you don't want to have with any of them?”

“Yup.” He moved even closer, if that was possible, and Kyungsoo wanted to scream. Does he not know what personal space is?

“How does that even work though?” No, goddammit. Stop asking questions, you idiot.

And apparently Kai had the same thought. “Kyungsoo,” he whined. “I just wanna have some fun. At least pay me if you're going to keep asking questions like I'm your ed teacher.”

“Fun- pay- - wait, what?” Kyungsoo sputtered.

“So, do you get it now?” Kai asked, unfazed and still smiling.

“Yeah, sure. Thanks for your lesson, but I really need to go now. I-”

“Wait, you're leaving so soon?” He pouted again, or maybe he hadn't stopped pouting. No, not those puppy eyes. “But we haven't even started yet.”

“Started what?” Kyungsoo asked, eyes widening even more, if that was possible. He wasn't exactly feeling creeped out anymore. Just a little alarmed and snippets of his mom, his elementary teachers and the neighborhood police telling him “Don't talk to strangers, understand?” replayed in his mind. No, “creeped out” didn't even begin to describe what he felt.

Or maybe he was overreacting.

Probably not.

“Started getting to know each other better, of course.” Kai paused and raised an eyebrow. “Wow. I've never seen someone with eyes as big as yours. Wow.”

“Getting to know each other better,” Kyungsoo echoed dumbly, ignoring the comment about his eyes. He still felt a little suspicious. The other boy exuded a greasy manwhore aura, even if he said he was aual.

“Yeah, like, why do you usually come to clubs?”

“Uh . . .” Kyungsoo tried to reply, but instead found himself warning weakly, “If you come any closer, I'm reporting you for harassment." He covered his chest protectively and stared into the dark eyes of the god (Wait, what? That was wrong on so many levels) who was close enough for them to be literally breathing on each other.

Kyungsoo felt his heart beat quicken and interpreted it as alarm and panic, which only freaked him out even more until his chest started to hurt from the thudding.

And from the little grin that Kai curled his lips into, he could probably hear it too. “How am I harassing you?” he whispered softly, breath tickling Kyungsoo's face.

“B-b-because you're making me uncomfortable? And I told you to get away from me?”

Kai leaned back a bit and pouted. “Right . . . so how about this? Is this better?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo said, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. But then Kai leaned back over. And then.

And then lips.

Against Kyungsoo's lips.

And they might have felt nice, they might have tasted nice, but all that registered in Kyungsoo's mind was that he. Was. Kissing. A. Guy.

Or rather, a guy was forcibly kissing him and that was definitely harassment or assault or something but . . .

No . . .

He shoved Kai away from him. “What the ?”

The tanner boy still seemed completely unfazed. “What?” he asked innocently.

Kyungsoo stared at him, speechless. “What do you mean what? Why the did you kiss me?

“So that's not what you come to clubs for,” Kai mused.

“Who the goes to clubs to kiss random guys without even asking for consent?” Kyungsoo screeched, not as pissed off as he would have expected because his head was full of shock. “Other than you,” he added, seeing Kai's expression.

“It was just a little peck! I don't think our lips even touched,” Kai defended himself.

“That's besides the po-”

“And, didn't it take your mind off your ex, even for just a little bit?”

Kyungsoo couldn't decide whether to widen his eyes in shock or narrow them in suspicion and resulted in a slight twitch. “Were you . . . stalking me?”

Kai rolled his eyes and Kyungsoo couldn't help but notice that he didn't have awkward twitches and that his eyes were normal and that wasn't fair but why the do I care? “Umm . . . no, not really. I'm not some fairy that goes around helping people get over their breakups, although it would be pretty cool if I had wings, yeah?” He chuckled a little. “Anyway, I just saw it happen and I'm a nice person and I was bored so decided to come over and talk to you.”

“And harass me, you mean.”

The greasy manwhore bit his lower lip and a hurt expression appeared on his face. “Why are you so mean? I just wanted to be friends.”

ing puppy eyes. Kyungsoo found himself softening, despite the warning signals going off in the logical side of his brain, because . . . could he admit it? He flinched at that thought. No! ing! Way! Kyungsoo studied the other boy and no, he was definitely not starting to think Kai was kind of cute. Nope nope nope. Because Kyungsoo was the dark lord and even if he wasn't straight, he still wouldn't feel any positivity or attraction towards someone like Kai.

But who was he kidding?

.

Kai eyed him worriedly. “Are you . . . okay?”

“No!” Kyungsoo finally cried, not being able to take the sudden 180 degree flip of his feelings.

“Can I help you?” Kai asked in genuine concern.

There were too many thoughts running in Kyungsoo's mind that he didn't even know what was happening, except that Kai also seemed to have just had an epiphany. He leaned over again under the stare of Kyungsoo's panicking eyes and whispered, “Do you want me to kiss it better?”

Kyungsoo closed his eyes.

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