Min Jae’s hand shot out, reaching for Andy’s wrist. “Wait.”
Andy yanked his hand away. “Don’t do that.” He turned back, facing Min Jae, folding his arms across his chest, waiting, but Min Jae stayed silent. “So, what?”
Min Jae sighed, his shoulders drooping to match his frown. “I don’t want you to go. I know I fucked up earlier. And I know it’s not the first time I’ve fucked up, either. And I’m sorry. But I think we need each other to win this thing. What can I do to get you to see that?”
Andy chuckled again, this time dark and a little damning. “See, that’s all you fucking care about. Winning.”
Min Jae huffed, throwing his hands up. “And you don’t want to win?”
“You’re damn right I want to win.” Andy boldly stepped closer, daring Min Jae to try putting a hand on him again. “I’ve been working my ass off to get this far and I’m not about to throw it all away. But there’s more than one way to win. And I’m not gonna sit there pretending I have feelings for you just to fool the Dream Makers into voting for us.” He leaned forward, putting his hands on the table as he fixed Min Jae with his stare. “Because it’s shady and dishonest, Min Jae. That may be how you do things, but not me. Win or lose, I’m gonna do it the right way. The honest way.” He held Min Jae’s gaze, daring him to look away.
The gears turned so fast in Min Jae’s head Andy half-expected steam to burst from his ears. “You’re calling me dishonest?”
Andy leaned a little closer. “Aren’t you?”
Min Jae frowned. “I’m not suggesting we lie to anyone. And there’s nothing wrong with a little fan service. All the idols do it.”
Andy shook his head. “Look, I’m not gonna debate this withyou. I just wanted to know if you really understood what made me angry, but I don’t think it matters now.” He pushed off the table and stood up straight. “I’m gonna grab my stuff and go back early.”
“What?” Min Jae paled, his eyes suddenly widening. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want to work with you, Min Jae. And I can’t be friends with you. Not if we’re not gonna be honest with each other.” Andy turned and stepped toward the kitchen door.
“Honest about what?” Min Jae pleaded, almost whining with desperation.
Andy stopped, not turning back. “That I really do have feelings for you.” He walked away, heading for Min Jae’s bedroom, waiting for the squeak from Min Jae’s chair, hoping to hear the thump of his footsteps as he rushed after Andy. But, nothing. Fine, if that’s how it was gonna be...
Andy grabbed his bag from the foot of Min Jae’s bed and roughly shoved his dirty clothes inside, ignoring the fact that Min Jae had obviously made the bed and set the bag there while he waited for Andy to return. A good host, maybe. But, not out of care or concern for his guest. Only because that was how you were supposed to be. Which was how Min Jae had always been, and how he always would be. Unavailable, showing his feelings only when it was convenient for his strategy, never bothering to wonder if he was hurting anyone else. Andy was done with all that. Really done.
Andy turned to go to the bathroom and retrieve his toiletry bag, and saw Min Jae standing in the doorway. Something about his stiff posture, his rigid expression, made Andy stop in his tracks. Fear. He was practically shaking.
Min Jae grabbed the door frame with a trembling hand to steady himself. He gulped, but said nothing. Damn it.
Andy boldly locked eyes with Min Jae. “Say it.”
“I don’t–” Min Jae sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t think I can–”
“Just fucking say it.”
“I like you. I have–” Min Jae paused, his eyes almost twitching from the strain. “I have feelings for you, too.”
Andy didn’t hesitate, quickly crossing the raw, fragile space between them, his hands reaching for Min Jae’s face. Their lips met with a desperate, hungry urgency in a collision of pent-up desire and unspoken needs. Min Jae’s kiss was clumsy and uncertain, as Andy traced the curved line of Min Jae’s jaw with his thumbs, mirroring Min Jae’s gentle caress on that rooftop, an echo across their tangled history. With a soft gasp that Andy felt more than heard, Min Jae melted, his mouth opening, his hands finally releasing their death grip on the doorframe to clutch at Andy’s shoulders.
The kiss deepened, tongues tangling, a furious conversation that words had failed to convey. Lips that still tasted of green tea, now mixed with a raw, almost frantic energy. Andy pulled back just enough to look into Min Jae’s eyes. Wide, pupils dilated, a storm of emotions swirling within their dark depths. His fear, already a memory. Only a powerful passion remained.
Min Jae surged forward, his hands sliding from Andy’s shoulders to his chest, pushing him back. He didn’t break the kiss as he walked Andy into the room, their steps unconsciously falling into a long-practiced rhythm. Their bodies remembered all that time in the practice room, touching but not fully connecting. Teasing, but not following through. Andy surrendered to Min Jae, letting him lead until they bumped into the side of the bed. Min Jae pressed on, his heart pounding so strongly Andy could feel it.
They broke apart, gasping for breath, foreheads touching. Min Jae reached for Andy’s hoodie, still tied around his waist, and yanked it free, tossing it to the floor. Then he found the hem of Andy’s untucked t-shirt, his fingers fumbling slightly before pulling it upwards, over Andy’s head, tossing it carelessly to thefloor. His eyes followed the revealed expanse of Andy’s chest, a possessive hunger burning in their depths.
Andy answered that hunger, cupping Min Jae’s face once again, pulling him closer until his mouth found Min Jae’s soft, full lips. He pressed his tongue through, finding its counterpart, inhaling Min Jae’s gentle moan as Andy pushed back, pressing their hips together, feeling Min Jae’s stiffness against his own.
Min Jae pulled away, his breathing ragged as his hands went to his own t-shirt, his movements now decisive, almost rough. He pulled it over his head in one swift motion, revealing the lean, sculpted lines of his torso.
Andy’s breath caught in his throat. He’d seen Min Jae shirtless before, but always through an untouchable lens, held back by propriety and the reality of their circumstances from truly looking. But that reality had become a memory, too, as Andy watched the subtle play of muscle and shadow in the afternoon light filtering through the window. He reached out, his fingers tracing the line of Min Jae’s collarbone, the smooth skin soft and warm beneath his touch. He slid his hands down Min Jae’s chest, provoking a quiet moan as his thumbs brushed against Min Jae’s nipples. He stopped at Min Jae’s waist, gently grasping his hips to pull him closer, their bodies aligning, a perfect fit.
With slow, deliberate motion, Andy turned them, a silent shift of control. He gently but firmly pushed Min Jae backward until he met the edge of the small bed. Min Jae’s eyes widened as Andy pressed forward, his gaze locked on Min Jae’s, guiding him back onto the soft mattress.
Andy pounced, grinning as he straddled Min Jae’s hips and pinned his arms with his hands. “I’m not letting you run away this time.”
