Chapter 17

Nix held his breath as Yejun rearranged his legs, propping his right foot up on the wrung of the stool, extending his left slightly. He'd had Nix rest his right hand on the edge of the seat and turn his head slightly so he was partially looking over his shoulder.

Stripped of his clothing, Nix watched out of the corner of his eye as Yejun focused on getting the angles just right, seemingly unaffected by the fact Nix's junk was right there at eye level. Aside from a single whistle when Nix had removed his pants, Yejun had been the epitome of professionalism.

Why did that…bother Nix?

He shouldn't feel slighted, he should be happy. It wasn't like he wanted anything sexual to happen between them, here or anywhere else.

But that didn't change the fact that Yejun was pretty. Like, freakishly, unfairly, next-level gorgeous. Out of all the Demons, he was the one talked about the most on campus. No one had approached him about his situation with them yet, but Nix was sure when it finally happened, the first one they'd ask him about would be Yejun.

Although, according to rumors, more than half the student body already had stories of their own to tell of him. To say he slept around would be an understatement. That was probably why Nix had assumed Yejun would use his good looks to try and seduce him, used to getting whatever he wanted with that face of his.

Satisfied with the pose, Yejun stood and wandered over to another stool he'd set nearby, lifting his sketchpad from the floor to settle it in his lap. He stared at Nix silently for a moment before finally taking up a stick of charcoal from the ledge of an easel.

For a while, there was only the sound of the charcoal scratching lightly against the page and the pitter-patter of the rain against the windows. Nix was turned in such a way that his privates weren't in view, which meant he didn't have to worry about them showing up in the sketches or the final work, and it wasn't like this was the first time he'd been nude in front of the other guy.

All in all, he should have been able to relax.

Instead, his heart seemed to ricochet every time Yejun glanced up from his pad and set that entranced gaze on him. There wasn't anything sexual about it, and yet having all of that intense attention made Nix's skin hum and heat uncomfortably.

He shifted on the stool.

"Stay still," Yejun scolded, though his voice lacked any bite. He flipped the page to a fresh one and started again.

He'd seriously asked him here to model.

Wow.

That…

Wow.

Nix should have realized. If the number of easels in this place were any indicator, Yejun considered his art earnestly.

"Why did you start drawing?" the question slipped out before he could help it and he immediately apologized. "Sorry. No moving. My bad."

"My parents are both artists," Yejun answered anyway, not the least bit affected by Nix's break in silence. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of them. Insu and Sayda Sang?"

Nix thought about it and then his eyes widened. "The famous composer and—"

"The Royal portrait artist," Yejun finished for him. "That's them."

Insu Sang was world-renowned for his skills with the xix, a chordophone instrument. He was marketed as a genius and had been playing since he'd been a child. It helped that he came from a royal bloodline, but there was no doubting his talent.

"I bought tickets for my dad to one of his concerts for his birthday a few years ago," Nix admitted, and Yejun smiled.

"Yeah? That's cool. Did he enjoy it?"

"He did." He'd talked about how great of a son he'd had for months afterward, bragging to anyone who'd listen. "I had to save up almost an entire year for those tickets."

"I'll let you know the next time he plans on performing near your hometown," Yejun offered. "I can have tickets delivered to your house."

"Oh, thanks, but I don't think I could afford to buy them again."

He paused, scrunching up his nose. "I'm giving them to you for free, Firebird. Do you really think I'd make you pay? You're supposed to be my man, remember?"

Nix didn't know what to say to that, so he went quiet once more.

Sayda Sang had been the Royal portrait artist for two generations. She'd started at a young age, brought into the palace at twelve after the death of her predecessor. Every portrait drawn of the Imperial family and their branches since had been done by her hands. Even Lake's which was supposedly hanging in the Right Wing, would have been her work.

Yejun didn't just come from Royalty in the sense of blood or their ties to Club Essential. He came from artistic royalty. No wonder he took this so seriously and was so passionate. If Nix had been following in the footsteps of creative geniuses, he'd do the same.

"What about yours?" Yejun asked then. "What do your parents do?"

Nix watched him apply a few more strokes to the sketch pad. "They're typical office workers. Nothing special."

"What offices?"

"Braxton and Wilde," Nix said.

"They work together?"

"They met there."

"Cute. Office romance." He flipped to another fresh page. "Braxton and Wilde? Never heard of it. What do they do?"

"It's a law firm."

That got his attention and he momentarily looked up, blinking at Nix. "Lawyers?"

"Yup."

"And they're okay with their one and only son wanting to be a game developer?"

Nix shrugged. "Not at first."

"Ah, wore them down." Yejun smiled and started drawing again. "Good for you."

It'd been tough to convince them, had taken a while, but eventually they'd realized he wasn't going to change his mind. It'd been harder for them to argue when Nix had earned himself a full scholarship to Hyacinth University, something he'd successfully maintained throughout all four years.

That was another reason they'd been so against him transferring. He'd given up his full ride at the final hour, and they couldn't fully comprehend why. Branwen was the only reason they hadn't fought him on it.

"You've got a fantastic body, Firebird," Yejun said, and the note was different, less conversational and more…suggestive. But when Nix searched his face, his expression was still focused on his drawing.

"Thanks?"

"Do you work out?"

"Not really." He used to make himself hit the gym for at least an hour every other day, mostly because most of his time otherwise was spent studying. Travel to and from classes had helped keep him lean though, since he hadn't had a car at his old school.

"West will be disappointed to hear that," Yejun told him. "Watching your muscles bunch and seeing you covered in sweat will turn him on."

Nix swallowed and licked his lips, going still when Yejun's gaze shot to his mouth and lingered.

"Lake's birthday is in a couple of weeks," Yejun stated, the change of subject momentarily confusing Nix. "I just came up with an idea of what to get him." He stood with a flourish and then motioned at Nix to stand.

He hesitated but eventually did as instructed, covering himself at the last second.

Yejun grunted at him. "Don't bother, Firebird. I've seen something once and I've got it memorized forever." He tapped the side of his head and then swirled that same finger in the air. "Now, turn around."

Nix slowly did, giving the other man his back.

"You've got a great ass. Round but firm." Yejun paused and Nix felt his gaze practically searing into him. "Put your hands on the stool."

He glanced over his shoulder at the Demon. "What?"

"You heard me. Bend over and put your hands on the stool. Do you need me to come over and help you?"

Nix shook his head, not sure how he'd handle having Yejun that close again. He squeezed his eyes shut and focused on his breathing when he leaned over and planted his palms against the wooden surface of the stool.

"Arch your back slightly," Yejun instructed next, either unaware of how Nix was now blushing or uncaring. "And adjust your stance so your legs are half an inch further apart. Just like that, there you go."

"Is this necessary?" Nix asked the second he heard the sound of the other stool scraping as Yejun undoubtedly moved it closer and then settled back into it.

"Absolutely," Yejun replied. He started to sketch, only speaking again once he noticed that Nix was shaking a little. "Are you cold?"

"No." Was that a joke? He felt like he was about to spontaneously combust.

"Embarrassed?"

He didn't bother dignifying that with a response.

"There's no point in being self-conscious. I'll have those thighs spread around my waist eventually. Oh," Yejun chuckled, "did you like that? Your hole just fluttered."

"It did not." Had it? Shit. "Just keep drawing so we can finish this and I can go back to my room."

"Eager to escape now that I'm starting to turn you on?"

"You are not." Nix couldn't be that easy…Could he? No. No, absolutely not.

"No?" Yejun set the sketchpad down and the sound of clothing ruffling had Nix's spine stiffening. "So the thought of me unbuttoning my shirt doesn't do anything for you?"

"No." Nix listened intently to the sound of him doing just that, followed by the unmistakable hiss of a zipper being undone. He shifted on his feet, grimacing when he felt his balls draw up a second before his dick twitched.

Yejun tossed his pants across the room, making sure they landed in an area where Nix could see and laughed. "Look down, Firebird. Someone didn't get the memo."

He ground his teeth, not having to look to know what he was talking about. "Do not refer to my dick like a separate entity."

"Is that your way of admitting you're horny for me?"

"No!" Nix straightened and spun around, but anything else he'd been about to say died on his tongue as soon as he did.

Yejun had moved closer and was now standing less than a foot away. True to his word, he was naked, all that tanned and inked up skin on full display. A detailed snake coiled its way up his right arm, its head resting over his shoulder, tongue flicked out and aimed toward his burgundy nipple. On the other arm, a dragon made its way down the other direction. There were loose flower petals and vines with sharp thorns through both designs and over Yejun's chest, a couple fully formed flowers blooming on the side of his neck.

Enthralled, Nix's gaze inadvertently trailed lower, following the twist of one vine down his side. He'd mentioned that West was the one who liked to work out, but from the looks of things, Yejun had to as well. His abs were defined and he had that perfect v that acted like an arrow aimed straight at the prize.

Yejun's cock was just as weirdly beautiful as the rest of him—which wasn't something Nix thought he'd ever think in regards to genitalia, but here they were. It was long, longer than West's had been by at least an inch, though not as wide. His head was flushed and rosy, his shaft straight and not too veiny. Even his balls hung in perfect proportion to the rest of him.

He looked like someone had sculpted him from golden marble.

"Wow." It took Nix far too long to realize that single word had been uttered by him, and he froze all over again the second he did.

"Gee, Firebird," Yejun laughed and then stepped onto the dais, putting himself chest to chest with Nix in one swift move. "Thanks."

"I—" Nix was cut off by Yejun's tongue before he could finish. It darted past his parted lips and stroked against his as if it had the right to invade him, the rest of Yejun's mouth following quickly after.

Nix didn't struggle to break free, instead he went still, his hands coming up to settle against the rise of Yejun's hips as the Demon continued to coax him into submission with his skilled kisses, the hard press of his lip piercings forcing Nix to acknowledge this was real and not some twisted dream he was having.

The Demon tasted a bit sweet, almost as if he'd been eating candy recently, and his touch was gentle when his fingers combed through Nix's hair and tilted his head for a better angle.

Yejun kissed him like making out was simply another art form he'd perfected, carefully, but with the right amount of pressure to keep things interesting. To keep the heat in Nix's gut rising and the thoughts in his mind spinning.

"Can I touch you?" Yejun pulled away just far enough to breathe the question against Nix's mouth.

"You're already touching me."

He chuckled and then reached around Nix to grab onto the stool. With one swift move, he tossed it off the daze, laughing a second time when that had Nix jumping.

"Shh," he cooed at him, slowly tugging Nix down so they were both kneeling on the dais. Once there, he set a palm at the center of Nix's chest and eased him the rest of the way until he was lying on his back. Yejun rearranged his legs so they were spread out on either side of him before he leaned back in and kissed him again.

This time was softer, slower, as though he were attempting to mollify Nix. His left hand skated between them, traveling down until he found Nix's hard dick.

The second his fingers wrapped around his solid length, Nix gasped, his back arching.

"You're so hot, Firebird," Yejun said, gripping him with just enough pressure to tease as he started to stroke his hand up and down his length. His other hand tangled in Nix's bangs, sweeping them off his forehead. "All flushed and bothered. You're pink all over, especially," he glanced down pointedly at his dick, "here."

Nix groaned and draped an arm over his face, but that only made the other man chuckle.

"Why are you so embarrassed? I know for a fact that Lake has watched you do worse than this. I bet he fucked you the other day too, didn't he? When he had you alone in the office. It would have been the perfect opportunity."

"No, he—" Nix gasped again when Yejun wrung his hand, momentarily losing his train of thought. "He…With…A toy."

Yejun paused. "He fucked you with a dildo?"

When put like that it was even more humiliating and all he could do was nod his head once.

"Poor baby."

That was not the reaction he'd been expecting, and Nix risked moving his arm just so he could frown at Yejun.

"Plastic isn't the same as the real thing," Yejun said. "No wonder you're so needy." His hand let go of his dick to move lower, his middle finger prodding at his entrance. "Does this feel neglected, Firebird? Need a cock to fill you up the right way?"

"Don't," his frown deepened, "talk to me like I'm a child."

"Is that what you think I'm doing?" Yejun slowly eased that finger inside, smiling when Nix's lips parted and his hands grabbed onto his arms. "Would you rather me be rough with you? Is that what it takes to get you off?" He stared at Nix's dick again, quirking a brow when a thick drop of precome seeped out. "I don't think that's the case."

"No, this is…" Nix shifted on his back. "…fine."

"Fine is definitely one way of putting it." He dragged his gaze down Nix's body and then slowly inserted a second finger, delving them deep and scissoring them on the way out. As he continued to pump into him, he lowered his head to Nix's chest, planting open-mouth kisses across his collarbone and down before capturing his left nipple. He sucked hard enough to cause Nix to cry out, then licked at it and did it again.

He lavished that one bud with so much attention that it started to become hyper-sensitive, and he only stopped once he had Nix squirming beneath him. Then, he transferred his mouth to his other nipple and repeated the process. At the same time, he slipped in a third finger, his thumb pressing against Nix's taint as he drove them in and out of his body.

When he'd had sex in the past, it'd been quick. The men he'd slept with had prepped him so it wouldn't hurt, but they'd been fast about it, only opening him up enough that he wouldn't tear once they took what they wanted. Even with Lake, things had been explosive and raw.

This was so different, and Nix was lost to sensation for a while, reduced to a writhing bundle of nerves and chaotic energy even as he was touched and tasted tenderly. Even those fingers inside of him worked slowly, stretching him until they slid in with ease and with no resistance.

"There you go," Yejun said, slipping his hand free. He tutted down at him when Nix whined at the loss, shifting between his spread thighs. His long cock was leaking as well, and he rubbed the tip around Nix's entrance, slicking it up further. "I lubed my hand earlier. Did you even notice?"

Nix had not.

What the hell.

His cock positioned at his hole and then pushed past that ring of muscle, gliding in with a slow roll of his hips. They both moaned as he inserted himself, filling Nix up until he was fully seated, his balls brushing up against the swell of Nix's ass. He rocked forward, resting his arms on either side of Nix's head as they both adjusted to the fit.

"You're so tight, baby," Yejun growled, capturing Nix's mouth a third time. His tongue stroked in tandem with his cock as he pulled out and thrust back in. "Good Light, fucking you with a toy is a travesty. He has no idea what he's missing."

Nix wanted to mention he and Lake had still gotten off, but then Yejun changed the angle, scraping his cock against his prostate with every inward stroke, and he forgot about everything else.

Yejun blanketed his body over his, careful not to crush him. "Plant your feet on the floor, there you go. Open your thighs wider for me, good boy, just like that." He kissed beneath Nix's chin and across the length of his jaw. "How the hell did Lake wait for you? If it were me, I would have come found you immediately after our first play session on Enigma."

The bright lights in the room made everything visible, but the feeling of embarrassment was gone, replaced with a strong need that had Nix lifting his hips to meet with each and every thrust. There was something almost sensual about the whole thing, about the way Yejun was careful not to hurt him, about how he was staring down as though fascinated by what he saw.

Even though it was purely physical, Nix hadn't felt truly seen in a long time, and having all of that raw attention on him while he was taken in the middle of an open space like this…It was similar to fucking Lake in the office, and yet so incredibly different.

"Yejun." He was close, so close. His muscles clenched and his dick, trapped between them was leaking so much there was a pool of come already forming on his stomach.

"Come, Firebird," the order came the same as everything else had, smooth and easy, spoken with a kiss at the end and a ravishing smile that turned Yejun's dark eyes into tiny stars. "Combust for me. I want to watch you burn and come alive beneath me."

The next time that cock pushed in Nix lost it. He cried out and clawed at Yejun's back, squeezing his thighs around him as he continued to fuck in as deep as he could go. He came, his orgasm sending waves of pure electricity coursing through his entire body as he jerked under Yejun's toned form.

"Ready to feel why real cock is better than a toy?" Yejun asked, and before Nix could follow, he thrust in and ground himself against him. A second later he came, hot shoots of come squirting into Nix's body.

He felt the warmth spread inside of him, felt it fill him up as Yejun continued to pump into him. It seemed to last an impossibly long time before the Demon started to soften.

Nix went boneless all at once, eyes slipping shut even as he felt Yejun pull himself free. He listened, only partially paying attention as the other guy got up and started moving about, only looking when he was suddenly lifted up.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he was brought back to his feet and held there by Yejun until the Demon was certain he could stand on his own.

Yejun picked up the stool he'd tossed earlier and returned it to the dais before twisting Nix around and bending him into a mirror of the position he'd had him in earlier before the crazy, intimate sex.

"You can't be serious?" Nix growled, but he didn't move, keeping the position. He winced when he felt something warm and sticky seep out of his hole and drip down his inner thigh.

"I'm always serious about art," Yejun said teasingly before kissing his jaw and slapping him once across the ass. Then he left him there and returned to his seat, picking up his sketchpad. "This is so much better than the last one. The view is…"

There was a moment of quiet, followed by what sounded like a click that had Nix tensing. "Did you just—"

"Stay still, Firebird," Yejun ordered and started drawing. "If I can get this sketch done within five minutes, we'll have enough time for a second round."

"Second round?!"

"Going to pretend not to want me again?" Yejun asked. "That worked out so well for you the first time."

Nix clamped his jaw shut and pretended not to hear when the Demon laughed at him.