something sweet, a peach tree (mark/jaehyun)
Mark begins the summer after his junior year with an unpaid internship and no other plans. But when he agrees to go pick his baby niece up from her music lessons, her teacher, Jeong Jaehyun, catches his eye. Too bad he’s off limits, and not just because Mark’s niece is involved. Jaehyun is 41 to Mark’s 20.
To sate his curiosity about older men, Mark decides to look into becoming a sugar baby. He could use the money, after all. And he seems to find a willing patron right away. But for the first time in Mark’s like, he finds he might be in over his head.
Chapter 5 | prev next mlist
Characters: Mark, Jaehyun, other members of nct throughout
Genre: romance, angst, smut, age gap, sugar daddy!au
Pairing: Mark/Jaehyun
Warnings: AGE GAP (older jaehyun, younger mark)
Rating: Explicit
Length: 5.8k
“Okay, stay right there. Don’t turn around!” Mark smiles to himself as he obeys, patting Princess absently with his back to the stairs. He can hear Jaehyun’s soft footfalls growing fainter as he disappears up them.
It’s Saturday afternoon, about an hour before their dinner reservation. Jaehyun wanted to wait to reveal the suit because, and Mark’s quoting, “You’ll have to try it on, and then I’m going to want you to fuck me, and I don’t want us to ruin it yet.”
Jaehyun returns, socked feet falling soft on his hardwoods. “Okay,” he says. “Look.”
Mark turns, eyes widening when they land on the suit Jaehyun’s holding up. It’s a gorgeous dark green with gold buttons; he also has new shoes for him, a rich brown, all expensive-looking.
“Oh wow,” Mark says. It comes out squeaky. “That’s for me?”
Jaehyun smiles, nodding. “Try it on,” he says, gesturing for Mark to strip.
Mark tugs off his t-shirt and shorts, accepting the white button down first, then carefully pulling the suit on. It fits perfectly—Jaehyun’s tailor must be good, just going off a bunch of numbers. He buttons it, looking up shyly.
“It’s so comfortable,” he says. “How do I look?”
Jaehyun’s eyes might as well be burning holes in him. “Come see,” he says softly, leading him over to the full-length mirror in the hall.
And yeah, Mark gets it. He looks… really good. Sometimes in suits he kind of feels like he’s thirteen again, trying on one of James’ hand-me-downs, which his mother insisted he would grow into. But looking in the mirror now, he kind of just looks hot. The jacket makes his shoulders look broad; the pants are snug on his thighs but not tight.
Jaehyun takes his silence for displeasure. “I know you like blue,” he says. “But you can get a blue suit anywhere. I saw this, and thought maybe...”
“No, it’s perfect,” Mark says, shaking his head, pulling himself from his thoughts to find Jaehyun’s eyes. “Really, Jaehyun. I love it.”
“One more thing,” Jaehyun says, placated, reaching into his pocket. “Okay, two more things.”
First comes a set of necklaces, one delicate gold chain and an even slimmer one with pearls connecting. They’re not heavy, which stops it from looking douchey. Mark’s usual jewelry is plain chains if anything, never this pretty, and he tilts his head this way and that, admiring how they soften the look.
“And this.” Jaehyun produces a gold watch with a white face, clasping it on Mark’s wrist before Mark can even process it.
“Jaehyun, how much did this cost?” Mark asks nervously, gingerly holding his wrist up. He kind of feels like he’s going to break it if he breathes too hard.
“Not that much,” Jaehyun says vaguely, meeting his eyes in the mirror. “Don’t worry, Mark. I’m doing it because I want to.” He wraps his arms around Mark’s waist, leaning around him to kiss his cheek. “I like it,” he says softly. “I like seeing you in things I buy for you.”
Heat curls in Mark’s belly; he swallows roughly, watching the way Jaehyun watches him. The thing is, it is hot. There’s a part of Mark that takes deep pleasure in letting Jaehyun drop all this money on him knowing he’ll be pounding him into his mattress later tonight.
“I like it, too,” he admits quietly, and Jaehyun presses another kiss to his neck before pulling himself away with a soft groan.
“I’m gonna go get changed before I do something stupid,” he says, and Mark laughs, embarrassed but pleased.
Jaehyun dresses in a plain black suit, and he looks fucking amazing. Mark still thinks he looks best in shorts and a t-shirt (or, realistically, nothing at all), but this is good, too. Instead of saying any of this, Mark just pulls him in for a kiss. Jaehyun seems to understand.
Mark’s still twenty, so they won’t be drinking, which means Jaehyun will just drive. They take the dogs out before they leave, and then get ready to go.
In the breath of silence between Mark closing the passenger door and Jaehyun opening the drivers side, Mark realizes he’s kind of nervous. He presses his palms to his shirt under the jacket so he doesn’t leave a sweat spot on the outside. He’s been to formal dinners before, but not like this. Fancy suit or no, he’s still just a kid, and he has a feeling it shows.
“You okay?” Jaehyun’s voice cuts through his thoughts, and Mark realizes he’s started the car already and Mark still isn’t wearing his seatbelt.
“Yeah,” Mark says, fumbling to click his seatbelt into place. “I’m just—fancy things kinda make me nervous. It’s not that I don’t want to go—‘cause I do—it’s just…” He presses his lips together, thinking for a moment before continuing. “I don’t want to embarrass you.”
Jaehyun turns the car back off, reaching a hand out to cup Mark’s jaw. He tugs gently, forcing Mark to look at him. “Hey,” he says. “You’re not going to embarrass me. Anytime you don’t know what to do, just ask me. But it’s just dinner, Mark. The worst thing you could do is use the wrong fork, and trust me—everyone else there is far too self-absorbed to notice.”
Mark smiles at this, relaxing. Jaehyun’s right, he’s being silly. “Okay,” he agrees. “I just, y’know. I want it to be perfect.”
Jaehyun smiles back, leaning in for a quick, chaste kiss before releasing him to start up the car again. “It already is,” he says.
The drive is pleasant. It’s golden hour, and the city lights up in the sun, windows flashing as they pass. The restaurant is on the waterfront, where the sea laps peacefully at the rocks. There’s even valet parking; Jaehyun relinquishes his keys before leading them inside.
“Mr. Jeong, hello!” The host greets them with a smile. “Your table’s ready, if you’ll follow me. Will you be needing the wine list tonight?”
“No, thank you,” Jaehyun replies warmly.
Their table is right by the window, overlooking the water and the stretch of city that sits along the coast. They pass couples and families and business partners. Mark was a little worried about being overdressed, but he fits right in. Clearly, Jaehyun knows what he’s doing. Once seated, they’re handed their menus, have their water glasses filled, and then they’re alone.
“You can get whatever you want,” Jaehyun tells him, opening his own menu. “Don’t look at the price.”
“I’m trying not to,” Mark mumbles, though it’s all he’s thinking about. That it doesn’t matter what Mark wants. Jaehyun will get it for him, not just because he wants to dote on Mark, but because he likes to spend the money on him.
Mark pushes it from his mind before he can get too distracted. He scans down the menu, but if he’s being honest he doesn’t even know what half the words mean. He thinks back to what Jaehyun said in the car. Anytime you don’t know what to do, just ask me. After a moment of deliberation, he looks up. “Jaehyun?”
“Hm?”
“D’you think you could just order for both of us?” Mark asks, running his index finger back and forth over the edge of the menu, nervous. “I just—I have no idea how I’m supposed to choose.”
Jaehyun smiles at him. “Sure,” he says easily. “No allergies, right?”
Mark shakes his head. “I eat pretty much everything,” he says. “But, um,” he adds, taking another glance down at the menu, “I’m not huge on seafood.”
Jaehyun shakes his head, laughing. “You’re in the wrong city, baby,” he says quietly. “Okay, noted.”
Mark politely zones out while Jaehyun mulls over the menu and, when their waiter returns, orders for them. Instead, he looks out over the water. The sun will set during their dinner, and they’ll have a front-row seat to the view. Jaehyun really knows what he’s doing.
“It’s beautiful,” Mark says, nodding at the water, when their waiter leaves. “I bet this place has been here a while. Only way they could’ve gotten this view.”
Jaehyun smiles, nodding. “My parents came to visit, shortly after all the forms had been signed and my company was official,” he says. “I’d only been in the city for a few months, and I had passed by this place quite often. I always wanted to go in, but I just—felt like it needed to be a special occasion, or a reward. So I took my parents here to celebrate.” He tips his head. “I was right, that it’s special. Well, that and the fact that I’m now friends with the owner. Which was totally not on purpose. But fifteen years later, I’m still coming back.”
Fifteen years ago, Mark was, like, five. He doesn’t say this. “Do you still only reserve it for special occasions?” he asks.
“Yes,” Jaehyun says. Mark has to imagine he knows what his next question is, but he doesn’t elaborate, just watches Mark over the table and waits for him to ask.
“So what’s the occasion?” He leans forward, almost involuntarily.
Jaehyun’s smile grows, his dimples deepening. “You,” he says. “I’m celebrating meeting you.”
Mark was expecting his answer to be something to that effect, but not so direct, not so tender. He blinks. “Oh,” he says softly. “Yeah, I guess that’s a pretty good thing to celebrate. Our meeting.”
“I’m glad you agree.” The words have just left Jaehyun’s mouth when their first course arrives. It’s a creamy, pale green soup served in a giant ice cube that’s been hollowed out to function as a bowl.
“Chilled avocado soup with our house sourdough,” their waiter announces with a sort of flourish, setting a steaming bread basket down between their bowls. “Can I get you anything else?”
“We’re all set, thank you,” Jaehyun replies for them.
Mark takes a tentative bite and almost moans out loud. “Oh shit,” he whispers, and Jaehyun laughs.
“Yeah, you can kind of get anything here and it’s guaranteed to be good,” Jaehyun says.
“How’d you get to know the owner again?” Mark asks. “And more specifically, how can I get to know owners of places like this?”
Jaehyun laughs again. “I taught his daughter,” he explains. “It was—god, almost ten years ago now. My business was stable, and I realized with all the marketing talk and business strategy, I hadn’t actually played an instrument in years. So I found a place that was hiring and took on part time work as a children’s music teacher. His daughter was one of my first students. And one day, when my parents were in town, we came here for dinner again. And he was here. And we just got to talking, and now…” Jaehyun gestures around them. “Even though I switched music schools a few years back and I don’t teach her anymore.”
“Your parents,” Mark says, “they must come to visit you often, then?”
“They used to,” Jaehyun says. “I’m their only child, so they didn’t really have anything else to do once I moved out and my grandmother passed. So yes, especially when I was first starting out here. But they’re old now, and Korea is their home. I’m usually the one that does the visiting now.”
“Only child, huh?” Mark scrapes carefully at the bottom of the ice-bowl. “I couldn’t tell—but maybe that’s something you grow out of.”
“Ah, all that selfish only child stuff?” Jaehyun grins when Mark makes a sheepish face. “I dunno, I bet I was like that when I was younger, though I wouldn’t have known it at the time.” He shrugs, setting his spoon down in his empty bowl. “It was nice, in a way. I received a lot of love. But I also received a lot of pressure. I was… my parents’ only chance. And that was kind of lonely. So maybe that balanced me out.”
Mark nods slowly. “Yeah, I can see that,” he says. “My brother and I fought a lot as kids, but we’re the only ones who understand what it was like to grow up the way we did. Which isn’t to say it was bad,” he hurries to add. “My parents are great. It’s just—yeah, I guess it would be lonely without him. No one’s ever gonna know me like he does.” He sets his spoon down too, leaning back in his chair. “And there’s definitely less pressure. Neither of us has to be everything. He’s the family man, and he’s given my parents a grandkid, so I feel more free to chase my career.”
“You said a couple weeks ago you didn’t know what you wanted,” Jaehyun says. “But it sounds like you have things figured out.”
“For now, at least,” Mark says. “Like, my brother got married right out of school. I’m definitely not doing that. I want to live by myself first before I live for somebody else, too. But after that?” He shakes his head. “No clue, man.”
Their waiter returns to swap out their courses—a light, fresh salad that sparkles under the last of the sunlight. Jaehyun keeps looking at Mark, but doesn’t say anything else.
They mostly chat about small things for the rest of dinner—Jaehyun’s lesson plans, what courses Mark is taking in the fall—working their way through the salad and a gigantic steak, finally finishing with an assortment of tiny pastries for dessert. Mark definitely eats a little more than he should, but he’s not totally uncomfortable by the time Jaehyun asks for the bill.
“How much was it?” Mark asks tentatively after their waiter takes Jaehyun’s card.
“Don’t worry about it,” Jaehyun replies, and Mark leaves it at that, though an emerging, perverse part of him wants so badly to know. So he can know how to reward Jaehyun for it. His mouth is going dry; Mark takes a quick gulp of water and busies himself with the button of his jacket.
Their car is waiting out front when they step outside. The sun has dipped below the horizon, leaving just a kind of orange glow at the far edge of the water. Mark ducks into the quiet of the car, finding the seatbelt without looking and clicking it into place.
“Ready to go home?” Jaehyun asks as he starts the car.
“Yeah,” Mark says softly.
Now that the only thing between Mark and fucking Jaehyun so hard he cries is just a short car ride, and his nerves about dinner are behind him, Mark doesn’t try to hide that he’s staring. He keeps his eyes on Jaehyun as he takes them down city streets, watching his fingers on the wheel, admiring the line of his neck, his shoulders, his waist, made all the more alluring by his perfect suit.
“What?” Jaehyun asks when they come to a stoplight and he can meet Mark’s eyes.
“Nothing,” Mark replies with a tiny smirk, knowing he’s being wholly unconvincing and not even caring. The red of the stoplight throws Jaehyun’s face into contrast, the sharp cut of his cheekbones casting shadows. He’ll blow Jaehyun first, Mark decides, blinking at him serenely.
“Yeah, I bet it’s nothing,” Jaehyun says, rolling his eyes and facing the road again as the light turns green. I’ll blow him until he’s close, and then bend him over the couch and fuck him, Mark thinks, grinning to himself. “I bet it’s so much of nothing that I’ll hear all about it as soon as we walk in the door.”
“Maybe,” Mark replies gleefully. “Would that be so bad?”
Jaehyun only grumbles, which makes Mark grin harder. He leans over the console to rest his cheek against Jaehyun’s bicep, looping his arm through his, thumb stroking the fabric of his sleeve.
They arrive home that way, Mark in Jaehyun’s space and Jaehyun letting him stay there until the car is off. Mark disentangles himself almost reluctantly, pushing the door open and stepping out into the cooling night air.
“Upstairs or downstairs?” Jaehyun asks, and Mark flushes at the directness, both embarrassed and pleased.
“Living room,” he replies, and Jaehyun hums as he slips his key into the lock.
The dogs are waiting for them at the door, and after letting them out, Jaehyun shuttles them into the kitchen with their water dish and puts a baby gate up so they won’t be disturbed. Mark waits for him, offering a hand where he can, quiet and patient, before retreating to the living room.
Jaehyun smiles at him as he approaches. He’s taken his jacket off in the midst of all this, and is in the process of unbuttoning and rolling up his sleeves. “It’s almost a pity,” he says.
“What?” Mark asks.
“That you’ll have to take it off,” Jaehyun replies. “I chose well, I think. The color suits you.”
Mark realizes he should’ve probably at least taken his own jacket off as well. He unbuttons it slowly. “It’s now my favorite thing I own,” he says, meaning it. “Thank you.”
Jaehyun helps him out of the jacket, folding it carefully before draping it over the back of a chair. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Mark says, grabbing his waist and pulling him close. “Thank you for dinner, too.” He kisses Jaehyun before he can respond, slow and soft.
“You’re welcome,” Jaehyun says, just above a whisper, when they break apart. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Mm,” Mark hums, kissing him again. “Let me thank you properly.” He slides his hands from Jaehyun’s waist to the button of his pants.
Jaehyun stills, letting him unbutton and unzip his pants, letting him tug them, and his underwear, down. Mark pulls them all the way off, coaxing Jaehyun to step out of the fabric so it doesn’t get crushed. He hands the pants up to him, settling on his knees at Jaehyun’s feet.
Jaehyun’s cock hangs soft between his legs. Mark leans in, pressing a flat tongue to its tip and delighting in the way Jaehyun shivers. He anchors one hand on Jaehyun’s thigh, splaying the other over his hip bone, and takes Jaehyun into his mouth.
It’s easy; it always is. He breathes in deep through his nose and hollows his cheeks and feels Jaehyun harden on his tongue. One of Jaehyun’s hands finds its way to Mark’s hair.
“Fuck,” he whispers. His eyes are already a little vacant, and if Mark wanted to be nice, he would slow down, let him adjust, let the heat of it take him gradually. But Mark wants Jaehyun weak and fucked out. He wants him to have to lean on Mark on the way up the stairs because his knees are too wobbly. He wants to take care of Jaehyun the way Jaehyun takes care of Mark. And if that means breaking him down first, well. Mark’s happy to do that, too.
Mark deepthroats him in one go, a smug sort of satisfaction glowing warm in his chest when Jaehyun gasps and curls over himself, the hand in Mark’s hair tightening into a fist. “Mark,” he hisses, but there’s an unsteady waver to his voice. Mark hums back, and Jaehyun shakes. “Oh, fuck, don’t do that,” he complains weakly. “Are you just trying to see how fast you can get me to come?” Mark shakes his head firmly, swallowing around him with another steady breath. “Because this seems like a pretty good way to find out.” Mark hums again, and Jaehyun spasms. “Could’ve at least given me something to hold onto.”
Mark gives another decisive shake of his head. He likes Jaehyun better unmoored. He shifts one of his hands up to Jaehyun’s, the one clutching at his hair. Something to hold onto, right here, he thinks, rubbing circles into his skin with his thumb and hoping Jaehyun understands. He wants to be Jaehyun’s only anchor.
Jaehyun brings his other hand down to Mark’s hair, shifting them so he’s sort of cradling Mark’s whole head from the base of his skull. Mark arches his back and tries to take Jaehyun deeper, even though his nose is already bumping against Jaehyun’s pubic bone, the head of Jaehyun’s cock already stuffed down his throat. The movement jostles Jaehyun, and he takes half a stagger-step to regain his balance, hiccuping out a moan of surprise. Dark, greedy pleasure unfurls in the pit of Mark’s stomach. He pulls off almost all the way, keeping Jaehyun’s leaking tip in his mouth and swallowing down the mix of saliva and precome that’s threatening to actually choke him, and then takes Jaehyun back in. He moves quickly now, blowing Jaehyun earnestly, gagging wetly and blinking reactionary tears out of his eyes.
“So good, baby,” Jaehyun pants. The pads of his fingers dig into Mark’s scalp. His chest is heaving, and the faintest sheen of sweat glows on his skin in the low light. Mark lets his eyes flutter shut, listening to the pattern of Jaehyun’s breath, the soft moans. He knows he’ll warn Mark when he’s close, because he’s so polite, because he’d never come down Mark’s throat without asking first. “Like that, keep going.” Mark draws in another long, deep inhale. He’s bobbing his head so fast he almost feels like he’s not moving at all. “F-fuck, yeah, close,” Jaehyun stutters. Just a little longer, Mark thinks. You’re so easy, hyung. "Mark—gonna—”
Mark pulls off suddenly, hands flying up to Jaehyun’s wrists just in case. Jaehyun trembles, hips twitching, body tense, but Mark is good at what he does, and after a moment Jaehyun relaxes again, cock still red and hard.
Mark releases him, pushing himself to his feet and giving Jaehyun a kiss, which he barely reciprocates. “Hate me?” he asks.
“No,” Jaehyun mumbles. His eyes are so dark. “Not if you fuck me.”
Mark smiles, offers him another kiss. He returns this one. “Let me go grab some lube,” he says. “Take your shirt off.”
Mark dashes upstairs, trying to ignore how tight his pants have gotten. He snags the lube, forgoing a condom since both of them found time to get tested last week, and hurries back down to the living room.
Jaehyun is where he left him, now completely naked, shirt lying with the rest of their clothes. Eyes still dark. Mark pockets the lube so he can hold Jaehyun with both hands, getting up in his space so he can kiss him—his lips, his jaw, his neck. He crowds Jaehyun back against the arm of the couch, scraping his teeth over Jaehyun’s perfect collarbones.
“Mark,” Jaehyun breathes, and Mark preens. No one’s said his name like that, not ever.
“On a scale of one to ten, how bad would it be if I got come on these pants?” Mark asks softly.
“M-maybe like a five?” Jaehyun sounds wary, but he answers anyway. “My dry cleaner doesn’t ask questions. Why?”
“You said you didn’t want me to take them off,” Mark says, rolling his hips so his bulge rubs up against Jaehyun’s exposed cock to help make his point. Jaehyun moans quietly. “I can still fuck you. You bought them for me to wear, right?”
“Not fair,” Jaehyun complains. “I want to see you.”
“You can see me any old time,” Mark says. Another kiss; Jaehyun tries to keep kissing him, but Mark pulls away, intent on carrying out his plan. “Besides, you won’t be able to see me either way.” He steps back so he can spin Jaehyun around.
“It’s embarrassing,” Jaehyun tries, but he doesn’t sound very convincing, and he goes pliantly, bending over the arm of the couch without even a touch from Mark.
“Why?” Mark asks, pulling the lube out and squeezing a drop onto his finger. He lays a line of kisses down Jaehyun’s spine as he spreads the lube over his finger. “Buy me a pretty suit, hyung,” he murmurs, reaching down with his slick finger to play with Jaehyun’s entrance. “Pay for my dinner, hyung.” He pushes his finger in, watching tremors go through Jaehyun’s body. “Get naked for me, hyung,” he continues, sinking his finger in deeper. “Bend over the couch and let me fuck you, hyung.” Jaehyun lets out a pretty little whine at that, and Mark drinks it in, pleased. “No? I thought you liked it.”
“I do,” Jaehyun says, his voice raw. Mark works his finger in and out, slow. “That’s why it’s embarrassing.”
“But you like that, too.” Even in the dim light, Mark can see the faint pink flush creeping its way across Jaehyun’s skin. His cock twitches in his pants.
“Yes,” Jaehyun whispers, and Mark groans softly, working his finger faster, stamping reverent kisses on Jaehyun’s beautiful back.
“I didn’t really get it at first,” he says quietly. “I’m used to working for everything I receive. But I’m getting it, now. Were you thinking of it when you bought my suit? You never demand it, but you knew I’ll fuck you when we got home, to say thank you. Or—” Mark adds a second finger. “—maybe, that you paying for stuff like that, it’s you thanking me? For this?” He curls his fingers; Jaehyun chokes out a moan. “And it feels like a dirty secret, because no one around us knows? Were you thinking about it when you watched me eat? When you paid?” He curls his fingers again, this time finding Jaehyun’s prostate, and Jaehyun sobs drily. “Because I was,” Mark confesses.
“Fuck, Mark,” Jaehyun mumbles, shifting his hips back to meet Mark’s fingers.
“I was,” Mark insists. He gives Jaehyun what he wants, pushing his fingers in deeper, thrusting faster. “I was thinking about this.”
“Hurry up,” Jaehyun huffs. “Or I’m gonna come, and you’ll have to fuck my thighs or something instead.”
“You say that like I wouldn’t like it,” Mark mutters, earning himself a sigh of defeat. Jaehyun does a have a point, though—Mark wanted to fuck him properly, and anyway, this is supposed to be a show of gratitude, so he adds a third finger.
It’s hardly a stretch, and soon he’s moving with ease. Jaehyun’s thighs are shaking, but Mark doesn’t give him any kind of reprieve, purposefully dragging his fingers slow over his prostate.
Eventually, though, Mark’s own desires win out, and he pulls his fingers out so he can unzip his pants. He shimmies both his pants and underwear down just far enough that his cock pops free, then retrieves the lube, giving his cock a few lazy strokes to spread it before lining himself up with Jaehyun’s entrance.
The first push in is always as mind-numbingly good as the very first time they fucked. Mark takes a long, slow breath as he presses in deeper, fingers bruising at Jaehyun’s hips. Jaehyun lets his head loll forward, curled over the arm of the couch with his back arched. Mark wants to fold his whole body over him, except it would be harder to fuck him like that, so he focuses on bottoming out instead.
He takes a minute there, just breathing, letting Jaehyun relax a little around him. He gets his fingers to unlock so he’s not crushing Jaehyun’s waist.
“You gonna fuck me or what?” Jaehyun asks breathlessly.
“Was trying to be nice,” Mark replies, drawing his hips back real slow, taking a couple shallow thrusts to make sure he won’t tear Jaehyun open. When he meets no resistance, he adjusts his grip on Jaehyun and thrusts into him fast and rough, setting a brutal pace. The sound of skin against skin fills the room, joined by Jaehyun’s soft moans, growing louder when Mark doesn’t let up.
“Baby,” Jaehyun gasps weakly. “Please.”
“I’m fucking you like you asked,” Mark says placidly, grinning when he sees the muscles in Jaehyun’s back get all tense. “What, want me to stop?”
Jaehyun moans out a no, his fingers slipping against the leather of the couch. Mark gives him an extra-hard thrust just to drive his point home, and one of Jaehyun’s knees buckles from the force of it.
Mark reaches around Jaehyun’s thigh so he can touch him, taking his leaking cock in his fist and stroking slow and even, such a contrast to the pumping of his hips. He wants him to come, but not too fast. Jaehyun tries to fuck up into Mark’s palm, but he’s trapped in Mark’s hold, powerless.
Jaehyun’s been reduced to nonsensical moans, shapeless sounds that slip under Mark’s skin and bring heat to the surface. Sweat beads on his hairline, but he can’t slow down. He wants to see Jaehyun come like this, and that desire takes over even his own exhaustion.
Jaehyun raises his head, peering over his shoulder at Mark with tears sparkling in his eyes. “Pretty, hyung,” Mark pants softly. “You’re so pretty.” The tears spill over, darken Jaehyun’s lashes and make them stick together before trailing down his pink cheeks. “Wanna come?” Jaehyun nods wordlessly, and Mark speeds up his hand to match his hips. “So tight around me, I know you’re close.”
Jaehyun screws his eyes shut, squeezing more tears out. His body jerks beneath Mark, and then he’s spilling over Mark’s knuckles with a soft cry, some of his come spurting out to hit the side of the couch, the rest dripping onto the hardwoods between his feet.
Mark releases him, slowing his hips now, heartbeat pounding in his ears. He curves his back, bending down so he can rest his forehead against Jaehyun’s spine.
“Baby,” Jaehyun slurs. Mark hums back, grinding into him slow and deep and filthy. “Fuck, you’re so good.”
Mark whines in the back of his throat, breath hot on Jaehyun’s skin as he tries to kiss him between inhales. Now that Jaehyun’s taken care of, his own needs come to the fore, and he realizes he’s painfully hard. Everything feels different without the condom in the way, new and wet and warm. Mark shakes, grip on Jaehyun’s waist tightening again as he circles his hips, feeling the coil of pleasure in his stomach grow taut.
“Can I—inside?” he grits out.
“Yes,” Jaehyun breathes. He sounds dreamy. “Come for me, baby boy. Waited so long to feel you, for you to really fill me.”
Mark groans helplessly, hips spasming on their own. He gives a few staccato, aborted half-thrusts, and then finally he comes, spilling into Jaehyun, the heat of it almost overwhelming. Jaehyun moans with him, sweet and encouraging, clenching down to help drag out every last drop.
“Oh, god,” Mark mumbles into Jaehyun’s skin, stilling at last.
“Yeah,” Jaehyun huffs. “I can’t feel my legs.”
Mark grins, kissing his spine once before reluctantly pushing away. “Good,” he says. “I worked really hard, I’d be offended if you could just walk away from it.”
“No walking here,” Jaehyun says, and Mark laughs. He pulls out, watching his come drip out of Jaehyun’s hole and down his legs. He smears some of it into his skin with the pads of his fingers, then scoops it up and pushes it back in, making Jaehyun’s whole body jolt. “Stop that,” he complains weakly.
“You’re making a mess,” Mark says, almost snide, but he stops, instead pulling Jaehyun up and turning him back around. His tears are drying on his cheeks; Mark swipes them away with his thumbs. “You’re such a pretty crier, it’s not fair.”
“Is that why you make me do it so much?” Jaehyun asks. Mark lets out a mischievous breath of laughter. “I should get uglier, then.”
“I don’t think you could ever get ugly enough that I wouldn’t want you,” Mark says without thinking, and then leans in to kiss Jaehyun so he doesn’t have to consider what that means. He presses close, kissing him slow and deep, until his own brain feels fuzzy enough that he can pull away.
“I can feel your come dripping out of me,” Jaehyun says, sounding almost apologetic, when they part.
Mark groans softly, letting his hands drop to his sides. “Let me get something to clean up,” he says, turning to walk down the hall.
He returns from the half-bath with a couple of damp paper towels so they can get the come off the couch before it stains. Jaehyun cleans himself sluggishly while Mark works on the floor and gathers their clothes.
“Should I take the gate down, for the dogs?” Mark asks, looping his free arm through Jaehyun’s.
“Nah,” Jaehyun mumbles. “They’ll be fine ‘til morning. And then they won’t wake us up, scratching at the door.”
They make their slow way upstairs. Mark deposits their clothes on the chair next to the hamper, finally pulling the rest of his outfit off as well, before joining Jaehyun in the bathroom.
“You really do like it? When I spend money on you?” Jaehyun looks at him out of the corner of his eyes, like he’s afraid of what Mark’s answer might be. “You’re not just—saying so, or putting up with it, just because you know it’s—it’s something that turns me on?”
Mark knocks his forehead against Jaehyun’s shoulder. “Yeah, I really do like it,” he says quietly. “I was uncomfortable at first because—I hate just taking things. But I’m not just taking. I know it does something for you. And it does for me. Maybe it’s like a fuckin’ Pavlovian response or something, but now every time you buy me something, I’m just gonna think about fucking you.” Jaehyun snorts, nearly dislodging Mark. “It’s basically just, like, really expensive foreplay, but I mean—I’m not complaining.”
“Oh, god, that’s the worst way you could put it,” Jaehyun groans, but he’s laughing.
“C’mon,” Mark says, reaching for their toothbrushes and handing Jaehyun his. “Let’s hurry up and go to bed.”
///
The next morning, Mark wakes in muffled darkness to find Jaehyun propped up on an elbow, looking at him.
“You have bad survival instincts,” he says quietly. “I was staring at you for a while.”
“How was I supposed t’ know?” Mark grumbles, shifting closer to him. “I was asleep.”
“Aren’t we evolved to sense when we’re being watched?” Jaehyun wraps an arm around him, pulling him into his chest.
“By predators,” Mark argues, muffled against Jaehyun’s neck. “You’re not a predator. Maybe my subconscious just knows I’m safe with you.”
“Not a predator,” Jaehyun repeats slowly. “I think some people would disagree.”
Mark blinks. “Why, because of—your age? And mine?”
“Mm.”
Mark nuzzles into him, nose over his pulse point. “Some people don’t know what they’re talking about,” he says. He kisses him, gentle.
Jaehyun strokes Mark’s hair, combing through the knots built up in sleep. “Mm, maybe,” he concedes.
“Do you feel… like a predator?” Mark asks carefully. “When you’re with me?”
“Sometimes,” Jaehyun admits. “Not usually. Not now.”
“What do you feel like now, then?”
“Now?” The rumble of Jaehyun’s voice fills Mark’s head, soothing. “I feel happy,” he says simply. “Which I guess is all that matters. I’m happier when I wake up next to you.”
Mark freezes, some kind of wanting clawing at his stomach, unnamed and all-consuming. “Oh,” he manages. His voice comes out almost at a whisper, but with something else underneath, soft in the way the belly of a lion is soft. “Me, too.”