24

Chapter 24

Sunoo’s breath came in sharp, uneven bursts. His body was still pressed against the headboard, fingers clenched into the sheets as if that could anchor him—could stop the way the room felt like it was tilting.

Riki was still here.

He was sitting at the edge of the bed, one leg bent, one arm draped lazily over his knee, watching him. Studying him. Like he was amused. Like he was waiting.

Sunoo swallowed hard, his throat dry.

He should move. Should run. Should scream.

But his body wouldn’t cooperate.

Not when Riki was so close.

Not when his skin was still tingling from where Riki had touched him.

"I should’ve stayed gone?" Riki echoed, his lips curling slightly. "That’s funny, Sunoo. Because I think we both know you didn’t want me to stay gone."

Sunoo’s stomach twisted.

"That’s not true," he forced out.

Riki hummed, unconvinced. "Isn’t it?"

He shifted, moving closer, slow and deliberate.

Sunoo pressed back, his pulse hammering against his ribs.

"Riki," he warned.

Riki ignored him.

His fingers brushed against Sunoo’s ankle—featherlight, barely there. But it sent a jolt up his spine, his breath catching in his throat.

He hated how easily Riki could do this to him.

How he could turn fear into something else entirely.

"You’re shaking," Riki murmured, tilting his head. "Scared of me, doctor?"

Sunoo exhaled sharply. "I’m not scared of you."

A lie.

A terrible one.

Riki’s smirk widened.

"That’s cute," he murmured.

His hand slid higher, ghosting up Sunoo’s calf, his touch lingering for just a second too long.

Sunoo’s entire body tensed.

"Riki, stop," he snapped.

Riki stilled.

For a second, the air was heavy, electric. Sunoo could hear his own breathing, ragged and uneven, the pounding in his chest too loud.

Then—

Riki moved.

So fast that Sunoo barely had time to react.

One moment, he was at the edge of the bed. The next, he was on top of him, pressing Sunoo into the mattress, his arms caging him in.

Sunoo’s breath hitched, his hands flying up to push at Riki’s shoulders—but he wouldn’t budge.

"You’re lying," Riki murmured, his voice low, dangerous.

Sunoo’s nails dug into Riki’s arms, his pulse thundering in his ears. "Get off of me."

Riki only leaned in, lips brushing against the shell of Sunoo’s ear.

"You don’t want me to."

Sunoo hated how his body betrayed him.

How his breath hitched. How heat curled in his stomach. How his skin burned where Riki touched him.

"No," he ground out, twisting beneath him, trying to break free.

But it only made things worse.

Riki’s grip tightened, fingers digging into Sunoo’s wrists as he pinned them above his head. His weight pressed down, forcing Sunoo to feel everything.

Sunoo’s body reacted before he could stop it.

A broken, choked sound slipped past his lips.

Riki went still.

Then—

A slow, dark chuckle.

"Oh," he murmured. "That was pretty."

Sunoo burned.

"Shut up," he hissed, twisting again—but Riki didn’t let go.

He only pressed closer, his breath warm against Sunoo’s throat.

"You like this," he said, amusement laced in his tone.

Sunoo’s heart slammed against his ribs. "I don’t."

Another lie.

Riki could hear it.

Sunoo’s body was betraying him in the worst way possible—his skin was flushed, his breathing uneven, his pulse erratic beneath Riki’s fingers.

Riki’s lips ghosted over his neck, not quite touching. Just there. Just close enough that Sunoo could feel every exhale.

"You’re trembling," Riki whispered.

Sunoo hated him.

Hated how good he was at this.

Hated how his body responded without permission.

And worst of all—

He hated the way Riki knew.

Knew exactly what he was doing. Knew exactly how to unravel him.

"You—" Sunoo gasped, his voice breaking when Riki shifted, the movement pressing them even closer together.

A strangled noise escaped his throat before he could stop it.

Riki grinned.

"There it is," he murmured.

Sunoo’s entire body tensed.

He needed to stop this.

Needed to break free before he lost himself completely.

So he did the only thing he could.

He lifted his knee—fast, hard—driving it into Riki’s side.

Riki cursed, his grip loosening just enough.

Sunoo moved.

He shoved at Riki with everything he had, scrambling out from beneath him, nearly falling off the bed in the process.

His breath came in ragged gasps as he stumbled backward, his legs barely holding him up.

Riki sat up, wincing slightly as he clutched his ribs. But the amusement never left his eyes.

"You’re getting better at that," he mused.

Sunoo’s hands shook.

"You need to leave," he rasped.

Riki exhaled, tilting his head.

"You don’t mean that."

Sunoo’s nails dug into his palms. "I do."

Riki studied him for a long moment.

Then, he sighed.

"Fine," he murmured, pushing himself off the bed.

Sunoo’s entire body stayed rigid as Riki moved toward the window. He watched as Riki glanced back at him, eyes dark, unreadable.

"This isn’t over," Riki said softly.

Sunoo swallowed hard.

"I know."

Riki smirked.

And then—

He was gone.

Sunoo didn’t move for a long time.

Didn’t breathe.

Didn’t feel anything but the lingering warmth of where Riki had touched him.

His knees buckled.

He barely made it to the floor before the shaking started.

Because he knew.

No matter how many times Riki left—

He would always come back.

________________

Ni-kis so obsessed with sunoo🤓

And we are close to the end :(