Sweet Temptations

'So cold.'

Yeo Ri woke up feeling very weak.

"Ah..."

She looked around in confusion. She could barely remember what had transpired.

She curled herself up under the blanket.

"Yeo Ri-ah?"

Hyuk was the first to respond to Yeo Ri's slight movements. He had been watching her like a hawk so he was able to react immediately upon noticing her consciousness.

He poured her a cup of warm water from the kettle that had been prepared by the nurse beforehand.

"Mm..." Yeo Ri answered him noncommittally.

Hyuk helped her up. He tilted the cup slowly on her mouth and helped her drink the warm liquid.

"How do you feel?" He asked softly. Hyuk had a few hours to calm down and had already lost his initial panic.

"Oppa," Yeo Ri murmured sluggishly, "cold."

"Cold?" Hyuk rummaged the corner of her bed for the remote of the electric blanket on her bed. He adjusted the temperature, raising it slightly. "Better?" He asked.

"Mm." Yeo Ri snuggled into the bed, making a sound of agreement.

Hyuk sent a glance towards Gun's sleeping figure. He was sleeping on his side, facing the other way.

Taking advantage of Gun's ignorance, he leaned in to kiss Yeo Ri.

However, almost reflexively, Yeo Ri avoided him. She turned her head away.

"...Yeo Ri-ah?" His heart skipped a beat. This was the first time she rejected him. Did he do something wrong? Or perhaps... did she realise how wrong their relationship was?

Hyuk visibly gulped. "Yeo Ri-ah, what's wrong?"

Yeo Ri attempted to smile, "Oppa, I'm tired. Next time," she mumbled. She wasn't going to tell him that she avoided his kiss because her mouth felt dirty. It was better to hide the fact that she went home and met that man so that Hyuk wouldn't worry. He was still recuperating, after all.

"Oh." Hyuk shifted uncomfortably. He scratched his neck, still shocked from the rejection. "Sorry," he mumbled, heading back to his bed.

Yeo Ri felt bad as she watched Hyuk. She knew that she had hurt his feelings. "Oppa," she mewled.

"Hm?" Hyuk immediately whipped his head towards her.

"I'm cold. Hug me," Yeo Ri scooted to one side of the hospital bed, beckoning him to join her.

Hyuk hesitated for a moment, but agreed to her request in the end. He couldn't resist those glassy, doe-like eyes of hers. He gingerly slipped into the bed, lying next to her but still keeping a small distance.

Yeo Ri's brows furrowed with dissatisfaction. She scooted closer to him, hooking her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest.

Hyuk wanted to push her away, but he didn't. He had to be mindful of her weakened, frail body. After inwardly fighting himself for a while, he finally relented and hugged her back.

Her frame felt so small compared to his.

"...How long do you want to be like this?" He asked. It was starting to become hot.

It wasn't just the thick layers of blankets that was making him warm, but also their closeness. Being so close to her simply tested his self-control. He was afraid of some unwanted reaction suddenly appearing while they were cuddling.

"A bit longer," Yeo Ri replied. She was enjoying his warmth and was reluctant to part with it so soon. Hyuk's body temperature was higher than hers and it felt very comfortable to be in his arms. She closed her eyes, almost falling asleep.

Hyuk laid rigidly the whole time. The places where she was touching him felt searing hot. He broke into a sweat as he chanted a mantra to himself. The position that they were in was agonising. He could already feel his mini-me rearing its head.

"Yeo Ri-ah," he called her name with difficulty.

"Mm..." Yeo Ri was on the verge of falling asleep, and was barely paying attention to anything. All she could feel was Hyuk's warmth encompassing her petite body.

"Yeo Ri-ah," he urgently repeated. "Can you let go now? I..." Hyuk shifted his body slightly.

Yeo Ri frowned with closed eyes. There was something poking her stomach and it disturbed her sleep. She made a sound of discontent, causing him to flinch.

"Sorry," he murmured.

Yeo Ri made no further movements. He was stuck with no way out so he could only force himself to endure. He wasn't going to try to wake her up; she was recovering and needed her rest. All he could do was stay still until morning.

Hyuk took a deep breath, preparing for his test of endurance.

That night, he spent the whole time awake, with veins popping, thanks to the tempting sweetheart in his arms.