Archive of Our Own ^beta

"You know," Han Sooyoung began conversationally, "I do know a guy from Sangah's work who keeps mentioning his blind dates aren't going well."

This was not the first time she'd brought something like this up. The difference was that the last few times she had it was before his divorce, and Kim Dokja had been flabbergasted she'd even suggested it. While Yoo Joonghyuk was in the room, no less.

Now, though? Kim Dokja was actually thinking about it.

He'd only wanted to get a quick coffee with her, really. It had been a hot minute since they'd met up in person, the — relatively smooth, all things considered — divorce proceedings and mandatory overtime at work taking up much of his free time. The last time he'd seen her, or anyone really, was when she'd helped him move his stuff out of the room he used to share with his now ex-husband to the guest room downstairs.

Had she judged him harshly for not moving out entirely? Of course. She'd offered her own apartment until he found something he could afford, even, but Yoo Joonghyuk had looked so pitiful when he'd mentioned moving out and the apartment they shared was really nice…

It was only for a few months, he kept telling himself. They weren't at each other's throats, or anything — their friendship was forged over so many years, before they'd ever begun dating. And the divorce had been civil; Kim Dokja just knew he couldn't be the husband someone like Yoo Joonghyuk deserved.

Plus, he knew Yoo Joonghyuk was getting sick of his shit. He couldn't blame him — Kim Dokja often got sick of his shit, and he was the one causing it. Living with him wasn't easy, and his natural inclination to self-isolate and ignore his own well-being would drive anyone into insanity. Best to leave on good terms before he makes his favorite person hate him.

"I can't bring anyone home," he finally said after a moment, frowning at the absurdly overpriced latte in front of him instead of her judgmental eyes. "But what exactly do you have in mind?"

Though he wasn't looking at her, he knew she rolled his eyes at his insistence on keeping the peace with his ex-husband. "Sure you could," she said, as he predicted, but she continued on before he could open his mouth again. "The fact that you're already thinking about sleeping around is good, though. I approve."

"I'm not—"

Han Sooyoung waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you only have pure thoughts in that head of yours, even with all the shitty webnovels you read."

"I resent that? You're also insulting yourself?"

"I'm not included in that, obviously. The smut I write is tasteful. Anyway, dinner would be fine, yeah?"

Kim Dokja thought about it, taking a sip of his drink. Free food was really the best. Han Sooyoung may be obnoxious, but at least she always paid up when she was the one pestering him.

Dinner with someone. In a romantic context.

In truth, his romantic history was rather… lacking. He'd known Yoo Joonghyuk since he was fifteen, and he'd never even kissed another person. From the moment he'd met that protagonist-like bastard, he knew that was it for him. After he'd made the decision to get divorced, he had been trying to psych himself up to get out of that mindset.

It was probably a good idea to agree. Slowly, he nodded, ignoring the growing pit in his stomach. "Dinner would be fine," he agreed aloud. "Probably."

Blind dating had always seemed to silly to him, but, well. How else was he supposed to meet people anymore? He'd had the same group of friends since people actually started talking to him. At work, he was practically a ghost. If Han Sooyoung was the one setting it up, he was sure the guy wouldn't be awful.

Kim Dokja finally did look up at her then, returning her grin with a small smile of his own.

"I'll text you details later, then!"

The day came sooner than he expected. It had only been about a week since he'd gone out with her to catch up, and now it was Saturday night — and Kim Dokja was doing something he hadn't done in months.

Getting ready for a date.

The place Han Sooyoung had told him to go to was not terribly fancy, but not exactly casual. Some quiet, western-style restaurant that was close to a train station. Despite not being far from him, Kim Dokja had never been. Yoo Joonghyuk was always so particular about other people's food, eating out was always complicated.

He was staring at two outfits he'd thrown on his bed, trying to pick the better of the two, when there was a light knock on his door.

"Dokja, what do you want for dinner?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked, kindly not opening the door this time like he'd done for the past week and a half even after Kim Dokja's complaints.

Oh, right, he hadn't… mentioned this. At all. A voice that sounded suspiciously like Han Sooyoung's in his head reminded him that he shouldn't have to now that they were divorced, but he ignored it, just as he often ignored her advice in real life.

So he walked over to the door, opening it himself with what he thought was a convincing smile. "Ah, sorry, I forgot to mention. I'm going out for dinner tonight."

Yoo Joonghyuk looked at him a bit oddly. "You're doing what?" His question was spoken in his usual tone, but something odd flickered on his face as he spoke.

Well, it made sense. They hadn't even been divorced for more than two months, considering they still had to sign the papers maybe it didn't even count yet, and they'd been together for so long. This was why he didn't want to mention it.

"A blind date," he said slowly, trying to keep up his practiced smile. "So I'm not sure when I'll be back, and you don't have to cook for me or anything."

Maybe Han Sooyoung was right and he should've moved into her place. This was incredibly awkward.

The scowl on Yoo Joonghyuk's face was practically murderous, but Kim Dokja ignored that, too. "A blind date."

"Yup!" Kim Dokja turned back around to his bed, inspecting his outfit choices like he was sweating buckets because of the conversation. "I'll see you later, Yoo Joonghyuk."

A clear dismissal, but his door didn't close, and he could still feel Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes on him. "Can you at least tell me where you're going, just in case?"

Always so protective, but Kim Dokja couldn't deny that he was glad their change of relationship status hadn't changed that part of him. He turned around, his smile a bit more melancholy.

"Sure. I'll text you the address and time, just in case."

After what felt like an agonizingly long time, Kim Dokja headed out for his first date with someone other than Yoo Joonghyuk. He was feeling a little weird about it, honestly, but he knew it would be good for him. Both Han Sooyoung and Yoo Sangah told him so, and if Sangah was backing it up, he should probably listen.

He arrived at the restaurant on time, for once in his life, and the hostess took him to the booth Han Sooyoung had booked. Looks like his date hadn't arrived yet, which was fine — he needed a few minutes to compose himself, probably. The waitress poured him some water, he thanked her and pulled out his phone. Reading would help him relax for the date.

But then five minutes turned into ten, and ten turned into fifteen, and the guy still hadn't shown up. Had he been stood up? Kim Dokja sighed, frustrated, contemplating whether he should text Han Sooyoung and bother her about this.

As he was considering it, a text came through from someone different — his ex-husband. He rolled his eyes but opened it anyway, reading the simple things going okay? with a complicated expression.

Part of him wanted to be honest and say that he'd gotten stood up, but that would make him look pretty pathetic. So instead, after the waitress came back around to ask again about his order, he decided to lie.

Thanks, it is, he typed out, debating how much he should spruce his story up. Don't wait up for me, not sure if I'll be coming home toni—

Kim Dokja shook his head, deleting all of that and retyping instead, I'm having a good time, thanks! I'll probably be home late :) Nothing in that was really a full lie, it was nice to be in a restaurant for once even if Yoo Joonghyuk's food was better than nearly anything he ate otherwise. Plus, he could just keep reading on his phone while he ate, taking his sweet time before heading home.

And tomorrow, he'd bitch at Han Sooyoung, and she'd apologize, and maybe they'd try again with someone Yoo Sangah knew instead next time. Yes, he nodded to himself, satisfied. That was a great plan.

"Soooo," Han Sooyoung said in lieu of a greeting when she picked up his call, "how'd it go last night? Sangah said he didn't come into work this morning, so I figure pretty well."

Kim Dokja rolled his eyes. "He didn't show," he told her bluntly, shifting his weight as he waited for the dryer to finish. "Maybe he's sick, since he didn't go to work. That might heal my broken heart. Head of HR is a slave driver, making Sangah go in on a Sunday. No wonder this guy is under the weather."

She snorted. "More like broken ego," she said, and he couldn't even disagree. She didn't bother to voice her agreement regarding Yoo Sangah and that company; there was a reason Kim Dokja celebrated when his contract with Minosoft wasn't renewed. "But I'll figure it out. You're going on one good date by the end of the month, mark my words."

From others, it might've been encouraging. From Han Sooyoung, the threat was palpable.

Truthfully, he was feeling quite put out after last night. His first date with someone other than Yoo Joonghyuk, and he was stood up. How pathetic was that? He was honestly grateful Han Sooyoung had taken it as an insult rather than laughed at him for it. If she was being nice, he must've sounded worse than he thought.

"If I must," he acquiesced after a moment, sighing loudly.

Kim Dokja had expected Yoo Joonghyuk to act weirdly after he had gone on a blind date. It was only natural — despite the divorce, he knew if Yoo Joonghyuk were to tell him he was dating again, he'd probably feel some type of way about it, too. But this was a bed of his own making, and he was determined to lie in it.

Still, he'd expected some weirdness. Maybe a bit more distance, as the reality of everything set in. A bittersweet feeling.

Not Yoo Joonghyuk being clingier than he'd ever been during their marriage.

There was still this wall, this distance between them that was to be expected as they were no longer romantically involved. Only now, instead of more or less staying out of his way, Yoo Joonghyuk seemed to pop up everywhere. More food was shoved in his face. When he was trying to relax and read a book, tea and snacks were brought to him — which, while appreciated, was baffling to Kim Dokja.

He just couldn't understand it. Where was any of this energy during the years they were together? Yoo Joonghyuk had never ignored him, he'd always been attentive, but this was different. Or maybe, Kim Dokja thought, it just felt different now that it was no longer expected.

Still, it was happening, and now he needed to figure out how to deal with it — he had another blind date that evening, courtesy of Han Sooyoung once again.

"Where are you going?"

Yoo Joonghyuk's voice sounded from behind him, startling Kim Dokja badly enough that he jumped. He turned around, slapping the best smile he could muster on his face. "Oh, Yoo Joonghyuk. I didn't see you come in," he said, trying to calm his heart. "What do you need?"

Yoo Joonghyuk did not look impressed. "Where are you going?"

The laugh he gave in return sounded a bit higher-pitched than Kim Dokja would've liked. "Oh, just a date."

For some reason, that made the expression on his ex-husband's face turn darker. "... with the same guy?" He asked, tone kept completely neutral.

"Ah, no," Kim Dokja said with another awkward laugh. "Someone else, this time. Things didn't quite work out with the other guy."

Which was true, but not for the reasons a new relationship might normally fail. He'd apparently not shown up for work for a few days after they were supposed to meet, and he was labeled a missing person two days ago. A really odd coincidence, but in a way, Kim Dokja was kind of glad they hadn't met that night — the last thing in the world he needed was to be a suspect in a missing person case.

Yoo Joonghyuk didn't have to know that, though. While Kim Dokja knew there was no way Yoo Joonghyuk would suspect him of something crazy, with how oddly protective he'd been since the last time he was supposed to go out, he didn't want to fan any flames. They weren't together anymore, and Kim Dokja was not a child — he was allowed to make his own decisions and live his own life, damn it!

For a long moment, he just stared at him. Kim Dokja was well-versed in Yoo Joonghyuk's tells, so he tried hard to focus and see what he might really be feeling underneath that hard expression.

Only, the one thing Kim Dokja could pick out was scrutiny. Which was… odd. Anger, he might've understood. Irritation was natural, Yoo Joonghyuk was almost always irritated about something or another. Even some kind of dejection would've made sense to him.

But scrutiny? Maybe he'd been wrong and Yoo Joonghyuk really thought he'd flung himself headfirst off the deep end, leading him to kill his blind date. Was he being so clingy because he thought Kim Dokja was gonna go next, or that he was going to prison for murder?

… Okay, no, that sounded ridiculous even in his head. Maybe he was scrutinizing him because he'd seen the news or overheard him talking about it with Han Sooyoung. That was way more likely. Why would he even think that? Yoo Joonghyuk was a lot of things, but he'd never been a bad friend or suspicious of the people he let into his life.

"Text me like you did last time," Yoo Joonghyuk demanded, snapping Kim Dokja out of his reverie and back into the present.

"Uh, sure thing…" His reply trailed off quickly upon realizing Yoo Joonghyuk had left his room already.

Ah, how troublesome. Maybe he'd have to ask Yoo Sangah for advice later on if this odd behavior kept up. Nonetheless, Kim Dokja texted him the details, unsure why he didn't just say no.

This time, he did call Han Sooyoung immediately.

"I'm never letting you set one of these up again," he spoke in a rush as soon as he heard the call connect—

Only to be met by the obnoxious sound of her voicemail, telling him she wasn't available and to leave a message she may or may not listen to someday. He sighed heavily in irritation, deciding to leave a long and detailed voicemail about how she was no longer to be trusted and refused to go along with any of her stupid whims anymore with regard to his love life.

He locked his phone and put it on the table in front of him, face down so he didn't have to look at it. Kim Dokja had been sitting there nursing a terrible mocktail because he wasn't about to get drunk alone for over half an hour now. He'd given in and placed an order for an appetizer before calling Han Sooyoung, so now he had to at least wait for that, but all he wanted to do was get the hell out of there and go home.

To cry, probably. Or to binge-read on his phone until he passed out. Maybe both.

Instead, he did something stupid: he called his ex-husband.

To his credit, he picked up almost immediately. "Kim Dokja?" He sounded a little breathless, Kim Dokja noted. Maybe he was out running again, he'd been doing that a lot lately.

No matter. "Hey, um," he paused, not thinking he'd actually get this far. Now that he was talking to him, what was he even supposed to say? My date bailed and I'm depressed but I ordered food and don't want to eat it alone?

"Are you okay?" Yoo Joonghyuk demanded when Kim Dokja couldn't bring himself to say anything else.

"Hah, I mean, relatively speaking." He took another sip of his overpriced drink, closing his eyes in a poor attempt to calm his nerves.

"Are you still at the restaurant you sent me?"

"Yes?" Kim Dokja blinked, unsure where this could be going.

"I'll meet you there, then."

Before Kim Dokja could tell him not to even think about it or ask why he offered, he disconnected the call, leaving him to stare angrily at the now dark screen on his phone. Why the hell did he call him in the first place? That was stupid. He was stupid.

It didn't take more than ten minutes for Yoo Joonghyuk to arrive, he noticed. He slid into the opposite booth with ease, looking more than a bit tired, but still unfairly handsome. Over the years they were married, Kim Dokja kept thinking that one day he would catch him looking at least a little less put together — but even "less put together" meant he still looked way too good to be real. The world was truly an unjust place.

Another pang of guilt washed over him, though. It was rare for Yoo Joonghyuk to look that tired. "If you were busy, you could've ignored me," he said, looking everywhere but at his eyes.

"When have I ever been too busy for you?"

It was exactly those kinds of things that had always made Kim Dokja feel worse. He had been a good husband — a good friend, a good partner, and just a good person to those around him. Sure, he had the personality of a wet paper towel sometimes, and he could be a real jerk when he was in a mood. But his heart was pure, which was something that Kim Dokja could never claim for himself, and would never be something he could claim.

Which was exactly why he had to let him go.

So he ignored that, instead picking at the appetizer in between them. Yoo Joonghyuk wouldn't be having any, but he kept it in the middle for courtesy. "How did you get here so fast, anyway? This is a fifteen-minute drive from the apartment."

Yoo Joonghyuk's expression faltered for half a second. If Kim Dokja had paid more attention, he probably would've noticed.

"... I was in the area," he answered after a beat.

"For what?"

"For you, fool." He said it with such ease that Kim Dokja winced. "You said it was a blind date."

"Well, yeah," Kim Dokja agreed, "but why would that matter? Han Sooyoung is—"

Oh, that was a mistake. He could see it in the way Yoo Joonghyuk's expression grew sour near instantly.

"I'm going to kill her."

Kim Dokja chuckled weakly, suddenly not sure if he was actually joking this time around about how angry he was at her. Should he be honest and say he was agreeing with her and not just humoring her? Should he throw her under the bus some more so he could still live peacefully at the apartment until further notice? Running his mouth was always getting him into trouble; one would think he'd have learned his lesson by now.

But no — once an idiot, always an idiot, it seemed. He sighed with resignation. "Let's just forget about that for now," he tried for, smiling glibly. "So…"

Wow, he sucked at this, he realized. Once upon a time talking to Yoo Joonghyuk had come more naturally than breathing. Now it felt like he was taking an exam and flunking it.

By some miracle of miracles, his ex-husband saved him the awkward embarrassment, deciding to ask about something on neutral ground. "How was work this week."

It was less of a question and more of a demand, as was typical of Yoo Joonghyuk, but Kim Dokja let it slide. He'd not pursued the conversation regarding his blind dates and Han Sooyoung's role in them. It was only fair to throw him a bone in response.

"Fine," he said slowly, trying to get his mind in working order. What had he done that week? Without dwelling too much on what exactly he was doing — and the fact that this was probably the most they'd spoken to each other since they'd nearly finalized the divorce — Kim Dokja rambled about how things were going at the office, how his friends sans Han Sooyoung were doing, and the newest webnovel he'd finished reading.

Throughout it all, Yoo Joonghyuk listened attentively. Kim Dokja was too preoccupied with his stories to notice the smug satisfaction radiating off Yoo Joonghyuk as they sat at the restaurant until nearly closing time.

This odd trend of Kim Dokja getting stood up continued until nearly the end of the month. Han Sooyoung was finally starting to run out of people, and she was getting frustrated on his behalf. The ones she'd gotten to talk with her after the fact seemed to want nothing to do with either of them, refusing to speak. Two of them had noticeable bruises on their face. One of the guys, she told him, went as white as a sheet and power walked away without a word. And there was of course blind date number one, still a missing person. Six dates she'd set up for him, and not a single one showed.

"I'm telling you, it's your crazy ex doing this," Han Sooyoung snapped through the receiver.

Kim Dokja winced, the high pitch of her voice distorting painfully in his ear. "Why would you even think that? Do you know how insane that sounds? This is real life, Sooyoung, not a novel you're writing."

And really, what the hell kind of question is that? This wasn't some stupid K-Drama. Nobody actually went out of their way to threaten or injure someone's blind dates. Maybe sabotage them by showing up, or something, but hurt someone over it? No way.

Besides, despite the fact that Han Sooyoung and Yoo Joonghyuk had known each other longer than Kim Dokja had known either of them, they'd always had a contentious friendship. Of course her first thought would be to somehow pin this on him.

"You're an idiot," she told him bluntly. "You think it's just a coincidence that all these guys stood you up? That the black eyes and avoiding me after are totally unrelated? What's the one thing they all have in common here?"

"You're just looking for a reason that things aren't working that isn't me. It's fine, Sooyoung-ah, I should've expected this—"

He was cut off by a scream of frustration. "How are you this stupid? Use that squid brain of yours and think for once in your life."

"Gee, thanks."

"Is that really all you're going to say to me?"

Kim Dokja sighed, weary and exhausted. "Joonghyuk is a lot of things, but he's not crazy like that, Sooyoung-ah. I don't think he even knows the meaning of the word jealousy. I mean, look at the guy."

The blank stare on Han Sooyoung's face grew more pronounced. "Can't fix stupid, I guess," she said, finally dropping the subject for now.

For now, because Kim Dokja wasn't stupid enough to think she'd let this go anytime soon.

Somehow, after that lunch, Kim Dokja couldn't stop thinking about it. Now that the seed had been planted, it felt like he was looking for the signs that Han Sooyoung had been right.

At first it was small things, like noticing that Yoo Joonghyuk had become increasingly clingier despite the fact that they were no longer together. He'd been making sure he knew what Kim Dokja was doing and where at any given time. Add that to the ever-growing list of things that he'd started back up again — cooking his favorite food more frequently, buying him books "just because", even dropping him off and picking him up from work a few times so he didn't have to take the train — and a very specific picture was being painted.

Kim Dokja had known the divorce wasn't mutual. Yoo Joonghyuk had at first fought the idea, not understanding. Eventually, he'd seemed to give up, accepting it for Kim Dokja's sake.

But what if he hadn't? What if he still wanted to mend things, and the idea of Kim Dokja going on dates had given him the push to keep trying?

… No, Kim Dokja thought to himself, that really did sound ridiculous. Even if Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to get back together, he wouldn't be going around hurting random strangers just for agreeing to a blind date with him. That was a trope he'd read a few times in webnovels, not something that happened in reality.

Besides, it wasn't like Kim Dokja would agree to it. He'd initiated the divorce for Yoo Joonghyuk's sake, after all.

He really did think it was ridiculous, right up until Yoo Joonghyuk had physically manhandled him away from the front door and into the bedroom they used to share while married.

"Hey, what the hell?" Kim Dokja asked as he was thrown onto the bed, bouncing as he hit the plush mattress. "I'm going out!"

Yoo Joonghyuk didn't say anything, turning around instead to lock the door. The soft click sounded more like thunder in the quiet stillness of the room. Why would he bother when they were the only two who lived there? Kim Dokja watched his ex-husband carefully, unsure if he should be worried or not. Despite everything Han Sooyoung had been putting in his head, he did trust the man — he wouldn't have married him in the first place otherwise.

When all he did was stand impassively at the end of the bed, arms crossed tightly over his chest and eyes narrowed, though, he started feeling nervous.

"Yoo Joonghyuk?"

The man in question finally sighed loudly, shaking his head. "You really enjoy testing my patience, don't you?" He asked, causing Kim Dokja's brows to furrow in uncertainty.

What? "What?"

He moved then, sitting next to Kim Dokja on the bed. The mattress dipped with his weight, throwing Kim Dokja a bit off balance as he did. "Kim Dokja. When are you going to give this ruse up? I'm getting tired of it," Yoo Joonghyuk said, making absolutely no sense.

He told him as much.

One of Yoo Joonghyuk's hands moved to Kim Dokja's head, gently carding his long fingers through his hair. It was a gesture that was so intimately familiar that Kim Dokja couldn't help but lean into the touch with his eyes fluttering closed on autopilot. Before Yoo Joonghyuk, he'd never gotten a lot of physical affection. He'd never given much of it, either. When they'd begun the divorce, it was the first thing Kim Dokja noticed he missed terribly — and how touch-starved he'd truly been before he met his husband.

Thanks to that, he missed the way Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes darkened. "I let you have your tantrum," he continued. "I let you pretend the divorce would go through and last. I let you move out of our bedroom and gave you your freedom for three months. Isn't that more than enough time? Aren't you finished running away?"

Kim Dokja could only stare blankly. "What are you talking about?" He asked, throat feeling suddenly dry as he moved away from Yoo Joonghyuk's touch.

He'd seen this man in so many different situations, through so many different emotions. He could read Yoo Joonghyuk better than anyone in the world. And yet still, he'd never seen this kind of expression on his face before.

It wasn't irritation, fully. It wasn't disappointment either. He wasn't sure what it could be called, what it could mean, but his heart quickened its pace, thudding painfully with each beat. Something was wrong, Kim Dokja thought — as if the getting dragged away from the front door by force hadn't been enough of an indication.

"Are you being obtuse on purpose?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked in reply. Before waiting for whatever the hell Kim Dokja could've replied with, he moved closer again, his hand cupping Kim Dokja's cheek with reverence.

The warm touch made him shiver, but the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach didn't go away. "Really, I don't know what you're talking about," Kim Dokja said, words coming out a little shakier than intended.

In lieu of an answer, Yoo Joonghyuk kissed him.

It wasn't a gentle kiss — he bit into Kim Dokja's bottom lip near immediately, drawing blood and causing Kim Dokja to gasp into the kiss. Using that advantage, Yoo Joonghyuk's tongue pushed into his mouth, licking behind his teeth and making Kim Dokja shudder violently.

He tried to pull back, he really did — a hand even came up to weakly hit Yoo Joonghyuk's chest, but his attempts to put things to a stop were foiled when Yoo Joonghyuk forced him to lie down, pinning both his hands above his own. Next, he tried to move his legs, throw Yoo Joonghyuk off of him or something, but he didn't even react. Yoo Joonghyuk had always been much stronger than he was and larger overall. He wasn't even that much shorter, but in terms of muscle? There was no question of who could overpower whom, and it sure as hell wasn't in Kim Dokja's favor.

"Wh—what are you doing?" Kim Dokja asked breathlessly when Yoo Joonghyuk finally broke the kiss. This time he moved his lips to Kim Dokja's neck, nipping at it mindlessly like he was some kind of chew toy.

There was no way he'd admit it out loud, but he'd missed this — missed the intimacy, both physical and emotional. It had been hard, living in the same space, the same space they were in when they were married, no less. Kim Dokja had wanted to pretend it was fine, that he'd made the right choice and done the right thing, but…

"What does it look like?" He asked in return, lips gliding across Kim Dokja's smooth skin.

Kim Dokja couldn't suppress the shudder that ran through him. Yoo Joonghyuk's voice was low, husky, clearly already affected by what he'd just started. The hand that wasn't pinning both of his up made itself comfortable on his waist, giving it a not-so-gentle squeeze before resting on it lightly.

When Kim Dokja didn't answer his question, Yoo Joonghyuk continued, "I know you've missed this." When had he learned to read minds? Or was he just that obvious?

In a feeble, token protest, Kim Dokja shook his head no. "N-no, I—"

"You're lying," he cut him off with a tone that left no room for argument. "Don't lie to me after I've been so patient with you these past few months, Dokja."

Part of him wanted to try and save his dignity. The other, less rational part of him, knew it wasn't worth the fight. Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't wrong — as soon as the kiss had started, Kim Dokja's will to resist started to crumble brick by brick, and it wouldn't be long until it was snuffed out completely.

There must've been some change on his face, because something in Yoo Joonghyuk's darkened gaze shifted. "You'll be good for me, won't you?" He asked, whispering the words directly into his ear. His lips brushed the sensitive skin there, making Kim Dokja shake like a newborn fawn underneath him.

When Yoo Joonghyuk kissed him again, Kim Dokja didn't bother resisting. This wasn't a fight he could win.

Obviously, Kim Dokja did not leave the house that night. For the first time since he'd been going on these unsuccessful blind dates, Kim Dokja was the one not to show.

From the nightstand, his phone kept vibrating, calls and texts from Han Sooyoung that were continuously ignored as Yoo Joonghyuk reminded him just what he had been missing. Whatever protests or arguments Kim Dokja might have wanted to make were gone not even two hours in, fully succumbing to what Yoo Joonghyuk so generously gave him.

In the morning, he was sore — pleasantly, in a way he hadn't been since he'd brought up divorce for the first time. The space where Yoo Joonghyuk should've been was empty, though. And cold. He sat up, stretching as he did, to look around.

On the nightstand next to his phone was a glass of water and a plate of omurice, complete with a small handwritten note in Yoo Joonghyuk's chicken scratch. All it said was, Out getting groceries. If you leave the bedroom, I'll know.

… That was mildly concerning, Kim Dokja acknowledged, but it was fine for now. They'd talk about it when he got back from grabbing groceries. He needed to remind Yoo Joonghyuk that just because he'd let his guard down once didn't change anything — that they were still getting divorced, and there was nothing he could say or do to change his mind.

And, he supposed, he should ask about Han Sooyoung's absurd theory on his involvement with his blind dates. Only so he could tell her off, of course. Not because he actually believed she was right.

With a sigh, he pushed himself up, slowly making his way towards the bathroom connected to their bedroom. That wasn't leaving the bedroom, right? Kim Dokja blinked, realizing he shouldn't care about such a ridiculous request.

But, well. It was easier to go along with it, especially after giving in last night. It would make their upcoming conversation go smoother, he thought.

"Yoo Joonghyuk, I need to talk to you," Kim Dokja said as soon as the bedroom door opened.

Standing in front of him was indeed the man in question, staring at him with narrowed eyes — his default, honestly — and dressed in his usual black on black ensemble. Kim Dokja tried not to frown petulantly. Why did he have to be so attractive? It made any sort of rejecting conversations so difficult for no reason.

"What is it?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the door that was once again closed.

He took a breath to steel himself. "Well, first, I have to ask. Were you interfering with my dates? I know that sounds ridiculous, but Han Sooyoung—"

"Yes."

"Yeah, I thought so— wait," Kim Dokja paused, processing belatedly. "Yes? Did you just say yes?"

Yoo Joonghyuk rolled his eyes. "Obviously. Did you really think I would let you date someone else?"

Let him, like he was his property or something. Despite himself, Kim Dokja felt his face flush at the implication. "What?"

"You're mine, Dokja. I thought I made that clear a long time ago."

Kim Dokja reeled. If he was saying yes, what had happened to that first guy? The one who was still a missing person? Had he really gone around beating people up, just for the grave sin of meeting up with a guy they didn't even know?

This also had the unfortunate consequence of Han Sooyoung being right about his ex(?)-husband being somewhat insane.

Yoo Joonghyuk stalked up to where he stood near the bed, bringing Kim Dokja into his arms tightly. "You're not leaving me," he said with finality. "I let you have your fun to sort yourself out, but that's all over starting today. Do you understand?"

Not really, no, Kim Dokja thought, but didn't voice. Even though Kim Dokja had wanted to leave for his sake, Yoo Joonghyuk was telling him no, in no uncertain terms. He was going as far as to sabotage — and physically injure — anyone who dared to go on a date with him, making sure nobody could touch him besides Yoo Joonghyuk.

There was a part of him that knew he should be terrified of this revelation, of this behavior in the first place. Yoo Joonghyuk had never seemed like the type, when they'd first met or throughout their relationship — had Kim Dokja really broken him that badly? Was this all his fault?

The other part of him, though, relished in this information. He'd spent so much of his life not being wanted, being ignored or at worst hurt for just existing. Never had he thought anyone would want him in a romantic sense, especially not someone of Yoo Joonghyuk's caliber. He was practically perfect. And somehow, someone like that had wanted Kim Dokja.

Wanted him enough to assault someone over it, apparently.

Why did that make him feel warm? Han Sooyoung would kill him if she knew his reaction to this. He'd have to take it to the grave.

Kim Dokja's fingers tentatively gripped the back of Yoo Joonghyuk's shirt, bunching the fabric as he took a shaky breath. "This is… a lot," Kim Dokja said, voice muffled.

Yoo Joonghyuk hummed in reply. "You'll quit your job tomorrow, too," he said, ignoring whatever Kim Dokja might have to say about that. "You've never needed it. I need to keep you in the house for a while after the stunt you've pulled with divorce." He spat the last word out, like it burned the same way acid might on his tongue.

The fingers in Yoo Joonghyuk's shirt gripped tighter.

To: Han Sooyoung
From: Kim Dokja
Hey, you don't have to keep setting me up on blind dates, Sooyoung. Joonghyuk-ah and I have decided to stay together :)

To: Kim Dokja
From: Han Sooyoung
Are you serious? What happened yesterday?

To: Han Sooyoung
From: Kim Dokja
I was being stupid. Don't try and talk me out of it, either.

Yoo Joonghyuk nodded to himself, satisfied. He deleted the messages before placing it back on the nightstand. He'd tell him that he let Han Sooyoung know already, and that would be that. By the time the month was over, he'd forget all about it anyway — Yoo Joonghyuk would keep him plenty occupied, now that he'd sent in Kim Dokja's letter for immediate resignation.

He should've done this three months ago, when he first brought up the preposterous idea of divorce, as if that was something Yoo Joonghyuk would ever allow.

"Joonghyuk-ah…?"

From next to him, Kim Dokja's sleep-addled voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Shh, go back to sleep," he said, petting his hair gently. "It's late, and you're tired."

Kim Dokja hummed, his eyes fluttering closed once more. "Okay. Love you."

Yes, everything was going to be just fine from now on.