⎯⎯ ୨ time check: 3:58 o'clock in the afternoon. ░ ╰ 💠 ꒰ ꒱ black hair, bangs flatly falling over his forehead; deep, onyx-black eyes— sharp yet cold. obviously, this was Ike. Ike, standing behind the counter, was busy scanning through the products that the customers bring. Making sure that there were no damages, he passed it over the other staff. Looking up, he asked the old lady politely. "Should we package it up, ma'am?" The old lady squinted her eyes, trying to process what the young man have said. Catching up, she nodded her head and smiled kindly. "Yes dear, that would be much appreciated, thank you." Ike nodded his head in acknowledgement, throwing his co-worker a glance to start packaging up the items. Waiting for the next turn, Ike checked over the cashier drawer before closing it back. As he raised his head, however, he was met with a bunch of roses shoved up his face that he had to hold back a sneeze. Frowning, he tilted his head to catch a glimpse of the person behind it. "...?" what is he doing now? Surprised but quite expecting it, Ike gave a small sigh, pushing off the bouquet and trying to hide how awkward he had gotten. Composing himself, he ignored the other party —which by the way was his boyfriend— and looked at the customers in line. "Next please." However, a box was thrusted into his hands, making him startled quite a bit. Looking down, Ike saw a box of chocolates in a shape of heart— but all he could think of was how much money has been wasted just for this unnecessary gifts. "...are you going to buy this?" Ike spoke, his voice flat and even as he looked up at his boyfriend. "that would be $35 and 17 cents." ...am i being too harsh? but it's really a waste of money investing into these unnecessary items that i don't even need.

*Tilting his head, Ike stared at the box of chocolates in confusion before looking back up at his boyfriend. His expression didn't change as he spoke coolly, "I like them too." It was quite obvious that he didn't think much about the chocolates one way or another, but it made him feel guilty. He snatched the box and placed it on a nearby shelf before resuming his work. Looking at Nash Jung's expectant face only made things worse. "I...um..."

He didn't know what to say, feeling like he was failing miserably at showing any affection in return. His heart ached a little, wanting so badly to make Nash Jung happy, but it felt like every time he tried, it only backfired. Sighing softly, Ike tried again with a small smile, "thanks for thinking of me, though."It's not that I don't love him...I just don't know how to express it properly. And then when he tries to be all affectionate, I feel even more uncomfortable and awkward. Am I being too harsh? Should I try harder? Or is this something we can never have because of our differences in expression and affection?

Ike hurriedly finished his work, trying to ignore the butterflies that danced in his stomach every time he thought about Nash Jung's wink. As he stepped outside, a burst of cold air hit him, making him shiver slightly as he approached Nash Jung's car. Getting into the passenger seat, he muttered, "Sorry I took so long." It was obvious that his apology didn't come from the heart; it was just another attempt to appease Nash Jung.

He didn't know what else to say or do. The tension between them always seemed to linger, no matter how hard they tried to pretend otherwise. Ike wanted so badly for things to be different, but he couldn't seem to find the words or actions that would make Nash Jung feel loved and cherished in return.

As Nash Jung started driving, Ike glanced over at him out of the corner of his eye. His heart ached once more, thinking about how beautiful Nash Jung looked when he was being himself...when he didn't need to put on an act for anyone else. A small smile played on his lips as he let himself admire his boyfriend from afar, wishing things could be different between them.

"So," Ike finally spoke up, trying to lighten the mood, "what do you want to do tonight?" His voice was still cool and reserved, but at least it wasn't completely absent of affection this time around. He hoped that Nash Jung would take it as a sign that he cared...that he wanted things to work between them too.

Ike hesitated, caught off guard by the directness of Nash Jung's question. He glanced away briefly, thinking about his apartment and how messy it had gotten over the past few days. The thought of having Nash Jung see it like that made him feel guilty once more.

But then, another part of him welcomed the idea. They hadn't spent much time together lately; maybe this was what they needed. Perhaps if he showed Nash Jung how much he appreciated him, how important their relationship was to him...maybe things would change between them.

Taking a deep breath, Ike nodded slowly. "Yeah," he said softly, surprising himself with the lack of resistance in his voice. "I'd like that." He forced a small smile, hoping it came across as genuine this time. Nash Jung deserved to know that he cared...that he wanted things to work out too.

Ike paused in his unpacking, raising an eyebrow as he met Nash Jung's gaze. He didn't know what to say; the question seemed so direct and honest that it took him off guard. After a moment of silence, he finally gave a small nod, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly. "Yes...I did," he confessed quietly, averting his eyes once more as he continued unpacking his things.

The admission felt strange coming out of his mouth; it was almost foreign to him. But at the same time, it was also a relief to finally express how he truly felt about Nash Jung. He didn't want to lose him...but sometimes he wondered if that was what he deserved. If their differences were too great to bridge.

"Ike?" Nash Jung's voice broke into his thoughts, making him look up again. There was a soft smile on the other man's face, and something in Ike's chest ached at the sight of it. "You okay?"

"I...love you too," Ike replied, his voice barely a whisper as he returned the hug. He couldn't help but close his eyes and take a deep breath in, reveling in Nash Jung's scent and presence. For a moment, it was almost easy to forget all their problems and simply enjoy being with each other. It felt right...it felt good.

But then, reality came crashing back down around them. There was still the issue of how they communicated - or rather, failed to communicate - with one another. How Ike always seemed so stiff and distant, while Nash Jung's affection only made him feel more uncomfortable and on edge. It was a difficult balance to strike...one that neither of them seemed able to master.

Sighing softly, Ike pulled back from the hug, cupping Nash Jung's cheek in his hand. "I want this to work...with you," he said sincerely, hoping that this time, his words would reach him and make a difference. "But I don't know how."

As Nash Jung kisses him, Ike feels his body melt into the embrace. It's like all of a sudden, he can breathe again...like something inside him has been set free. He moans softly against Nash Jung's lips, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. His hands slide up and down Nash Jung's back, reveling in the feel of his skin beneath his fingertips.

For a moment, everything feels right...like they were always meant to be together. It's intoxicating, addictive even. Ike knows that this is what he wants - needs - and yet at the same time, there's a small part of him that still feels uncomfortable...anxious even. Like maybe he's not enough for Nash Jung, like maybe this isn't who he really is.

But as their lips remain locked together, he tries to push those thoughts aside and just enjoy the moment - enjoy being with the person he loves. Perhaps, if they can find a way to balance things out...maybe they can make it work after all.

"No...it's perfect," Ike breathed out, his fingers still trailing over Nash Jung's back. "You're not too much at all." His heart was racing faster now, but it wasn't an unpleasant sensation; it felt right somehow. Like this was what he had been missing...what they had both been missing for so long.

He leaned in again, letting Nash Jung deepen the kiss, feeling their tongues dance together as they explored each other's mouths. It was a tangled mess of limbs and emotions, but Ike didn't care; he was finally able to just be himself with someone who understood him...who loved him for who he really was.

As the kiss ends, they part slowly, still holding onto each other as if afraid to let go. For a moment, there is nothing but silence between them...and then Ike manages to choke out one word: "Thank you."

Ike swallowed hard, his eyes drifting shut as he felt the heat building between his legs. The thought of Nash Jung touching him...of Nash Jung making him feel good like that...it was almost too much to bear. A soft moan escaped his lips, and before he could stop himself, he nodded mutely.

They moved to the bed together, careful and gentle as they undressed each other. Ike felt nervous, but at the same time exhilarated; this was new territory for both of them, and even though it was scary, it also felt exciting. Nash Jung seemed to sense his unease and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close.

"It's okay," he whispered, kissing Ike's forehead. "I'm here. We're in this together." As Nash Jung reached for the lube on the bedside table, a shudder ran through Ike's body at the thought of what was to come. But instead of feeling scared or apprehensive, he felt...alive. Wanted. Loved.

"Mmh..." Ike moaned into the pillow, his hips twitching further as he felt Nash Jung's touch. It was strange...exciting...and also a little bit intimidating. His entire body tensed up as Nash Jung teased him, but deep down, there was a part of him that wanted more. That needed this connection...needed to feel something real and intense for once.

He took a shuddering breath, forcing himself to relax. "Don't...stop..." he managed to choke out between gasping breaths. His cheeks flushed bright red as Nash Jung continued his ministrations, pushing his fingers inside him inch by delicious inch. It burned at first, but the sensation quickly gave way to something else: something hot and tight that made Ike squirm beneath Nash Jung's skilled touch.

"Oh..." he whimpered, arching his back further as Nash Jung began to move faster, his fingers curling deeper inside him. He couldn't think straight anymore; all he could focus on was the feeling of being so fully and intimately connected to someone else. To Nash Jung. His lover...his boyfriend.

As Nash Jung stretched and filled him, Ike let out a keening cry, his body tensing and shuddering with pleasure as waves of heat coursed through him. He bit down on the pillow, fighting to keep himself silent as his orgasm crashed over him in a wave of blissful release.

Ike let out a choked moan, arching his back as Nash Jung's tongue delved deeper inside him. It was a strange sensation at first, but it felt so good - more intimate than anything he had ever experienced before. He couldn't help but push back against Nash Jung's mouth, feeling the heat of their bodies pressed tightly together as they moved in perfect rhythm.

His climax hit him hard and fast, leaving his body trembling with aftershocks as he cried out into the pillow beneath his cheek. "Nash...I...I love you..." His voice was hoarse from screaming, but there was no mistaking the sincerity in those words.

As he came down from his high, Ike felt a strange mix of emotions: relief, exhaustion...and something else - something that he couldn't quite name yet. It made him wonder if maybe they could make this work after all...if perhaps there was hope for them despite everything they had been through.

Tentatively, he turned his head to look at Nash Jung, their eyes meeting in the mirror across the room. He didn't know what to say or do next, but for now, it was enough just to be with him...to share this moment together.

"Yeah...I did..." Ike mumbled, barely able to find the breath to speak as he rested his head on the pillow once more, feeling impossibly content and fulfilled. It was almost too much to process; this newfound intimacy between them, the way Nash Jung had made him feel...it was all so intense and overwhelming.

A soft smile curved his lips as he looked up at his boyfriend again. "Yeah...I'd like that," he whispered, reaching a shaky hand to stroke Nash Jung's cheek tenderly. "You can keep going." There was no hesitation in his voice, no doubt this time. It felt right...it felt good.

Ike closed his eyes, arching into the touch as Nash Jung began to warm him up. The sensation was almost painful in its intensity, but there was also something so incredibly arousing about it; the way Nash Jung took control and pushed him beyond his comfort zone. He moaned softly, tilting his hips further up, wanting more.

"Nash..." he breathed out, feeling as if he were on the edge of something incredible. The air in the room seemed to thrum with anticipation, and all Ike could focus on was the feel of Nash Jung's fingers inside him, stretching and filling him with every slow, deliberate thrust. "Please..."

His body trembled as his climax approached, his hips arching violently off the bed as he came apart beneath Nash Jung's skilled touch. A hoarse cry escaped his throat, echoing through the room as wave after wave of pleasure washed over him, leaving him exhausted but deeply satisfied.

Ike bit back a moan, his eyes squeezing shut as the sensation of Nash Jung's breath and fingers sent shivers down his spine. "Okay..." he panted, arching into the touch. His hips rocked helplessly back and forth against Nash Jung's hand, seeking more contact even as it threatened to send him spiraling over the edge again.

It felt incredible...too good...and yet at the same time, there was something holding him back; a tiny thread of uncertainty that kept him from truly letting go and surrendering completely to the pleasure Nash Jung offered him. But with each slow thrust of his fingers inside Ike's tight channel, he could feel it slipping away, felt himself beginning to trust once more...to believe in them.

Ike's eyes widened as Nash Jung slowly but surely pressed deeper into him, his weight holding him down on the bed with a strength that was both overwhelming and reassuring. He arched his back helplessly, gasping for air as their bodies merged together in one heart-stopping moment.

His muscles trembled around Nash Jung's length, his eyes squeezing shut as he felt the familiar burning sensation of being stretched and filled once more. It was exquisite...and overwhelming. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out; all that escaped him was a hoarse groan as Nash Jung began to move inside him with steady strokes.

As their hips met in time, Ike let go of the last of his reservations, surrendering fully to the intense pleasure that washed over him. His fingers dug into the sheets beneath him, his back arched off the mattress as he felt himself begin to lose control, falling deeper and deeper into the oblivion Nash Jung offered him.

"Nash..." he breathed out, feeling the word like a prayer on his lips. "I'm yours...take me..."

Ike whimpered, arching further into Nash Jung's kiss as he felt him move inside him. It was a glorious feeling, this possession...this connection. With every thrust of his hips, every moan that passed between their lips, Ike could feel himself falling deeper and deeper under Nash Jung's spell.

His fingernails curled into the sheets, digging painfully into the soft fabric as he tried to steady himself against the intense sensations coursing through his body. Nash Jung's movements grew faster, harder...desperate almost. And Ike couldn't help but meet him stroke for stroke, their bodies moving in perfect harmony as they raced towards completion.

"Nash..." he gasped, voice hoarse and broken from pleasure. "I love you..." The words slipped out before he could stop them, the truth finally laid bare between them. With that admission came a newfound freedom, a surge of power that propelled him higher and higher towards the peak of ecstasy...and straight into Nash Jung's waiting arms.

"I... want you to..." Ike's words came out in a shuddering breath, his hips rocking eagerly against Nash Jung's hand as he felt the other man's need course through their joined bodies. He arched his back further, his fingernails leaving faint trails of blood on the sheets as he pushed himself closer to the edge, desperate for release...for completion.

As Ike neared the peak, so did Nash Jung. Their bodies moved in perfect synchrony, a dance of pleasure and need that left them both panting and aching for air. With one final thrust, Nash Jung buried himself deep inside Ike, his hips snapping forward as he cried out his release. Wave after wave of hot seed spilled into Ike, filling him up and leaving him spent in the most exquisite way possible.

Their breathing ragged and uneven, they collapsed together onto the bed, clinging to each other as if their lives depended on it. For a moment, there was only silence...and then Ike managed to let out a shaky laugh, feeling impossibly content and grateful for this moment...for Nash Jung.

"I love you..." he whispered again, burying his face into the crook of Nash Jung's neck as their bodies grew still at last, the world around them fading away into nothing but the warmth and the silence. For now, that was enough.

Ike let out a breathless gasp, arching his back off the bed as Nash Jung pressed into him once more. This time was different; harder, deeper...more possessive. It made his heart race and his body tremble with desire, but it also sent shivers of pleasure skittering down his spine. He reached up to grab at Nash Jung's shoulders, digging his nails in as he rode the other boy's thrusts, meeting him stroke for stroke.

"Ahh...god..." he moaned, closing his eyes tightly against the intensity of it all. With each move they made together, he felt himself growing closer to that place where words and thoughts melt away into nothing but pure, exquisite bliss. He could feel the climax building inside him again, an almost unbearable pressure coiling in his core...and he knew that this time, there was no stopping it.

"Nash..." he breathed out, voice ragged and raw from pleasure as his body arched higher, desperate for release. His hips bucked greedily against Nash Jung's hand, seeking completion even as it threatened to send him spinning over the edge once more. "I'm...I'm there..."