2.18 ARTIFICIAL LOVE: Time flies

Time flies when everything is so chaotic. There are so many changes in Beomseok's life that he doesn't even really register what happened.

Before he knows it he's back in the city. It's been a year and he still doesn't have a place of his own.

What the heck is he doing? 

Beomseok doesn't know either. He's a bit of a bum and stays at home almost all day. He hasn't gotten a new job, not really. He blames it on Siwoo, because Siwoo owns the best computer on the market with a myriad of games he rarely plays. Beomseok takes over and uses said computer and said games to stream. The next thing he knows, he's generating money online and doesn't even need to find a job.

But it does dawn on him one day that he's been living at Kang Siwoo's place for a year now. The idol got pretty busy after he healed from the crash and since then, Beomseok's mostly home alone.

He never meant to overstay his welcome but somehow it just happened. Beomseok frowns at the thought. He's got money now and he feels a lot better, more mentally stable than the emotional mess he was the year before.

It might be time to properly get back on his feet. 

In fact, it's been a whole year since anything too absurd or weird has happened to him, as though being by Kang Siwoo's side has magically cured him of his strange curse.

Beomseok pockets the thought and surfs for places on the Internet. It's way past noon and he might have just woken up but sue him, his sleeping schedule is completely fucked after his 24-hour stream. Beomseok sits at the kitchen counter and munches on some leftovers. He's browsing through available places nearby and curses how expensive the damn area is.

Sure, he's got a bit of money now, but not that much!

The front door clicks open and Beomseok looks up, confused. Siwoo shouldn't be back too early, he thinks.

But he sees that familiar figure in the hall and Kang Siwoo is grinning at him. Even if he wears a face mask, his emotions are too easy to decipher. Siwoo's eyes tell all, he's like an open book, Beomseok thinks. The idol excitedly tugs his hood off and throws his face mask aside, bouncing inside. 

"Are you surprised?" Siwoo singsongs as hops over. 

He's wearing a yellow hoodie with grey sweatpants but even though his clothes are loose, Beomseok can make out the man's spectacular figure beneath. His hair is a mint green now and it looks magnificent on him like a manhwa character come to life. Lately, Siwoo has been training. There's a tour coming up and there's been a lot of promotion. Beomseok rarely gets a chance to see him. In-person, that is.

"I thought you have practice," Beomseok frowns. He practically knows Siwoo's schedule inside out, as embarrassing as it is. But he's lived with the guy for over a year now and likes to think that he's got the whole gay panicking thing under control.

Only partially, apparently. 

Because when Siwoo swings his arms around Beomseok's neck, pressing in, chest against his back. Beomseok's traitorous heart does little somersaults and he has to stop himself from whimpering. Fucking hell, is he a teenage girl? Beomseok holds back a scowl and tries to pull away.

But Siwoo's stronger than him and doesn't let him, dragging him even closer and almost pulling Beomseok right off the chair. Fluffy hair tickles Beomseok's ear and he whines at the ticklish feeling. "Let go, you're all sweaty."

There's a chuckle and Siwoo only nuzzles him. "They let me off early. My leg started acting up so yeah. And plus, I've already gotten all the dances down to a T! I should be rewarded with some break time, you know? I've been missing my Beomseokie." 

Beomseok grumbles, looking away. His ears are completely flushed red because he can feel Kang Siwoo's stare burning into him. "I mean we live in the same apartment so you can't miss me that much."

A sudden ticklish feeling assaults his ear and his body flinches, gut clenching. An embarrassing squeak is won out of him and he instinctively flails. "What the heck!?"

Siwoo grins around his ear. He's like a dog and doesn't let go even when Beomseok squirms, his arms are tight and hold him in place. "It's punishment," he hums. "Who said you can move out of here? Are you unhappy with me?"

"Huh?" Beomseok hisses through grit teeth, his eyes narrow on his laptop screen, and sees that he's still got the page open with available apartments in the area. "I can't just freeload forever, what the fuck?" He tries to sound disgruntled but the feeling in his chest is hard to put a name to. It squeezes and he feels anxiety. Because a part of him doesn't want to be away from Kang Siwoo even a little. A part of him doesn't want to move out at all. It's a fire-hot selfishness that he wishes would disappear but it won't go away no matter what he does. 

"You can and you will!" Kang Siwoo chirps like a child staking their claim on the highest hill. Beomseok rolls his eyes but the blush on his face only deepens. He really needs Siwoo to let go because his heart is starting to do weird things. The lack of blood circulation is getting to his brain. 

"Don't be a child," Beomseok scolds. He tries to pry those arms off of his neck but Siwoo is still intent on clinging like a baby koala.

Suddenly that childish singsong voice lowers several octaves and tickles the shell of Beomseok's ear. "But I'm serious."

Beomseok shudders and looks to the side. He frowns deeply. "Hyung," he chides with a softer voice, but in reality, he's just trying to hide the subtle tremble there. "Hyung, I can't. We've been lucky that nothing came out of it so far but what if—"

What if there's a scandal because the two of them are living together? Beomseok wouldn't be able to bear it if he's responsible for ending Siwoo's career. 

"I don't care," Siwoo says resolutely. "You think I'm scared of something stupid rumors those shitty tabloids like making up? Yeah, forget it!"

"That's not it," Beomseok rolls his eyes and sighs. "Your career might be endangered."

"And so what? I already have enough money for you AND me." The way he puts it sounds like they're a married couple. Beomseok curses internally because his heart is doing those weird flips again. 

"No, but—" Beomseok ends up stuttering over his own words and it makes him snarl. He feels like he's having trouble getting his point across and that annoys him. 

"Oh," Siwoo blinks, "Are you afraid of the backlash of getting into a scandal with me? Ah, if that's the case, you should have said so sooner! I'll retire right now. It's no problem."

"Siwoo-hyung!" Beomseok's voice is between a snarl and shriek. His face is red but he's not sure if it's because he's angry or embarrassed. Probably a combination of both. "I'm being serious!"

Kang Siwoo it's smiling and his eyes are sharp and intense, reeling Beomseok in and refusing to let go. "I am too." 

Beomseok is rendered speechless. He needs a moment to gather his thoughts but Siwoo is a menace and doesn't give him the chance, leaning in and pressing their lips together.

"Mngh!" Beomseok's had enough and he seals his lips when Siwoo demands entrance with a wet tongue. This cheeky bastard! Feeling infinitely frustrated, he reaches up and mercilessly sinks his fingers into Siwoo's scalp, tugging him away by his hair. "You bastard! Stop giving a guy the wrong idea!"

He's horrified to hear a little moan slip out of Siwoo's lips. A sinful thought unfolds in his mind and Beomseok wonders if this guy is a masochist. Kang Siwoo smiles lazily at him, his eyes are smoldering and there's a shade of rouge on his cheeks. "What wrong idea?" 

Siwoo's knee slips between his legs and kneads his semi-hard erection. 

This. Fucker. There's only so much a man can take!

Beomseok's expression becomes dangerous, pupils dilating as the grip around Siwoo's hair tightens. "You'll regret this," he warns.

"No, I don't think so," Kang Siwoo hums and his intentions are clear.

All of Beomseok's self-control effectively gets tossed in the trash. For the first time, he takes initiative and surges forward, forcing their lips together. 

He's met with a keening sound and it all goes to Beomseok's groin. He bites down on Siwoo's bottom lip, all the pent-up frustration coming to the fore and before long his hands are all over his roommates. When he reaches under that huge yellow hoodie he finds a thin t-shirt. 

Siwoo is more than eager, taking the initiative to toss the giant sweater off. Soon enough, he's on Beomseok's lap and Beomseok can feel Siwoo grinding his erection into Beomseok's thigh!

This damn brat, Beomseok thinks, all of his wildest dreams bubbling up. "I'm going to teach you a damn lesson if you keep messing around like that."

But to that, Kang Siwoo only smirks, "Okay, then do it. Teach me a lesson, Beommie-ah."