My jaw drops as i stare at what sits before me. Sehun's closet, in its rawest, un-hidden form. I doubt he'd even have time to cover all of this up even if he did want to keep it away from my view. Shockwaves ripple through my body, but at the same time I'm not that surprised, more overwhelmed.

"Holy fuck, Sehun..."

"I was hoping to ease you into things before i showed you my... collection." He says, his voice sounding far too close for how I'm feeling right now.

I blink at the closet and its contents, taking it all in. Every wall. Every shelf. Every space is filled. Hell, i don't even know what half of these things are, let alone what one would do with them. I'm at a loss and I feel Sehun's hand slide over my naked waist. His fingers slide gently down to my hip, rubbing smooth circles over the dip with his thumb.

"Say something." The plea is deep in his voice.

I wonder how hard it has been for Sehun to date because of this. Someone with Sehun's tastes and style, always having to be careful. To be overly selective and private until he's certain he can trust someone enough. Sehun's been through enough rejection and judgment to last a single person a lifetime. It makes sense that he'd hide this away so desperately, clutched in his hand like a sin. Sehun must have felt kind of lonely in this sense. The world we live in as gay men is already so closed and limited, let alone to have interests that are always swept behind closed doors and called disgusting.

"Where do you put your clothes?" I ask offhandedly and the relived sounding laugh i get makes up for having to push down a bit of my uncertainty.

He points to the stand up boudoir across his room that i for some reason, just noticed, daring to pull my eyes away from his closet for an second. "Oh." I breathe out stupidly.

Sehun sighs and tightens his hand on my hip. "Please tell me what you're thinking."

"Well, I'm not going to lie, Hunnie... this is a lot to take in. Like where did you get all of this? Do you use all of these things? Why do you have so much?" I ask and then i feel a hand on my back, pushing me closer and eventually into the decent sized room. Teenage me would have killed to have a walk in closet this size.

Up close and personal i can see the inside of the closet a lot better. It's organized surprisingly well. Adult toys, kinky items, tools, ropes, even lingerie housed inside the storage area. The way these things are hung up, almost look like how they'd be displayed in an adult store. Organized by category and color. If i take a closer look, I'd probably find they even vary with sizes. It oddly fits Sehun. Being this meticulous even with things like this.

One side of the closet, where the lingerie sits, is immaculately hung up and carefully set. There's a closet organizer built into this side of the wall; one of those stark white, shelves and drawers type of organizers that you'd find in the closet of a penthouse or mansion. There are corsets at the top where a tension bar is set up. So many colors and designs hanging there as if they were waiting to be shopped for. Next to them, separated by a boarder, like each item gets its own special cubby, are leather straps, silver rings, and chains... harnesses. I take a deep breath and wonder my gaze down quickly, not quite ready for that, and find accessories in shallow trays that seem like they are meant for jewelry, but I doubt these things should be used for public wear.

"What are these?" I ask, turning to the younger and holding up two pins, connected by a thin chain that drops down in the middle to another, thicker chain with silver ring attached at the bottom of it.

Sehun smiles, his lips twitching like he's trying his best not to crack up. "Um, these..." He points to the two pins. "Are nipple clamps... and uh, this..." He slides his finger down the long chair and it clicks before he even opens his mouth. "This is a cock ring."

I swallow thickly and advert my eyes from his, quickly placing the piece back in its tray and move on. "What's in the drawers?"

Below the 'jewelry' shelf are six drawers stacked into threes side by side. It looks like a normal dresser, but knowing the contents of this closet, I dare to wonder what's in there.

Sehun hums. "Lots of things. Garter belts, tights, thigh highs, tails, plugs, role play outfits... i think that's it. I tend not to go in there often. Those aren't my style, so I leave them in there."

"They're not your style? Then why do you have them?" I ask, moving on to the other wall.

"Subject. Inspiration. It helps to have perspective when you create a new idea." Sehun says frivolously, his eyes following me as i come face to face with a wall I'm instantly fond of.

This wall is covered in what looks like a metal fence. Tiny squared holes etch the wall all the way across and gives the impression like it's one side of a cage. The metal wall is pulled out a couple inches from the actual wall that peeks between the thin weaved metal links, allowing things to be tied and twisted through the square openings. Which enables numerous bundles and lengths of rope to be strung up onto the wall. Some parts of the grate style wall has hooks for heavier, longer ropes, and some parts have colorful, shorter ropes actually tied into the links. They seem to be organized too. I don't know enough, but i can tell that the materials look similar with each section. There's also stacked cubes at the bottom of the cage looking wall, where multiple bundles of different colored ropes are arranged in perfect piles. They almost fill the crates to the top.

I bite at my lip and think that maybe Sehun's interest in shibari goes a little deeper than I had previously thought.

A little higher up on the grate, about Sehun's eye level, is a bright red rope weaved into the chainmetaled wall, and tied in the front with a bow. Slightly out of place with the harder aesthetic of the rest of the display, but it oddly looks good, and i wonder momentarily if that particular rope is important to him. Then it clicks and my cheeks heat up. It's the rope. The one he'd tied me up with at the party.

I look back at Sehun and he's also staring at the rope with a sense of fondness and nostalgia, before his gaze finds mine and a playful smirk touches his lips. My cock stirs at that look and i swallow thickly, digging my toes into the surprising soft carpeted floor. I turn away from him, and push through, finding the back wall of the closet. This is the wall that makes me freeze and my thighs tense.

Paddles, whips, floggers, crops, other stick looking objects and pain inducing items line the wall before me. They're all hung up precariously, like how you'd see a carpenter arrange their tools on a wall. It looks like a display wall you'd find in a store. Some even in boxes and displayed on tiny shelves that protrude out. Resting at the bottom of this wall is three chests, large and square. They're closed at moment and have keyholes on the front of them giving off the 'valuable' vibe. I swallow and glance back up to the rest of the wall, trying to guess what some of these things are and what they could be used for. On autopilot I edge forward and don't even realize it till my hand is wrapping around a leather bound crop, with a surprising amount of detail etched into the handle. I recognize the design and my eyes widen. I've seen Sehun draw this very design a few times, such a simple, yet unmistakable pattern.

I unhook the object from its place on the kinky display and lift it closer to my face. Licking over my lips and then grinning wickedly, I spin around and aim the crop at Sehun's thigh. My breath catches in a gasp, however, when it doesn't even make it half way before it's caught quickly in a large, strong grasp and held tightly. My eyes flicker up to Sehun and he stares back with a dark, serious expression. My thighs tremble and it's suddenly a bit hard to pull air into my lungs.

He pulls the crop out of my suddenly loose grip and my throat feels so constricted as he reaches out and grabs my wrist. Then he turns me back around to face the wall, and presses his fingers against my shoulder blades, affectingly bending me at a slight angle. The flat, soft head of the crop touches my tailbone and i suck in a harsh breath, securing my hands onto my thighs. My body trembles as he traces the flat leather tip around my back, hips, and thighs. A whine dies in my throat when he trails a searing pattern up my ass, slowly dragging it over the sensitive flesh.

"You look stunning like this, Han." Sehun says in a low tone that goes straight to my groin. I'm half hard again and he's barely touched me. "I'm curious, would you like me to demonstrate what this is used for?"

I bite at my lip and swallow the sob building in my vocal cords. I've never thought about this type of play before. I hadn't considered if I'd like being hit or smacked because i just haven't ever experienced such a thing, but right here, right now. I want Sehun to use me. I want him to make it hurt.

At my nod, Sehun clicks his tongue and then I remember Yixing's words the last time Sehun and i had experimented. "Yes, Sehun. I give my consent." I say breathlessly.

There's no countdown. No asking if I'm ready. The crop smacks across my ass almost instantly and i jolt, scrambling to lock my knees before i end up on my face, and i yelp in surprise. It was slightly different than i was expecting, but not in a bad way. My ass stings, nerves lighting up in the area then spreading through my body like wildfire. Fuck... that's... not bad.

"Again?" Sehun's husky voice asks behind me.

I suck in a sharp breath and relax my body that had tensed at the first impact. "Yes, please."

The approving hum I hear, makes my chest feel warm. I'm a little more prepared at what to expect this time, but it doesn't make the impact any less striking. If anything, it feels stronger, more intense. I gasp out, struggling to hold myself up under the onslaught of pain mixed with pleasure ripping its way through my body. Sehun hits me again without asking and I'm glad. I don't think i could answer, even if I wanted to. This time a moan drips from my tongue and i hear a heavy curse from behind me. I honestly couldn't agree more.

I anticipate another strike, but get nothing after a few minutes and quickly look over my shoulder to find Sehun turned towards his rope wall looking through different styles and sizes, before he selects one and nods to himself. He turns back to me and halts at finding me looking back at him. He raises an eyebrow and holds up the twisted bundle of material, not like he's asking my permission, but my opinion over the one he had picked. It a simple black rope, and looks soft, delicate, yet heavily textured. I know it'll leave a beautiful pattern across my skin.

I bite at my lip and nod, hoping he won't ask me to give him a verbal confirmation. Luckily it seems eye contact and a nod works just as well. He smirks and places the rope bundle under his arm, then narrows his eyes, appraising his gaze up and down my body, then smirks and crosses to the other side, standing before the lingerie side. I swallow thickly and watch helplessly as he picks out a simple black corset with red embroidered flowers across the bodice, and a short, lace edging all the way around the bottom, almost like a skirt, but nowhere near long enough.

He holds it up and then glances back at my body. The pleased smirk that stretches across his face has my dick twitching. Fuck, i won't survive this. I'm going to die in this fucking closet.

"Stand up, baby." He says leaving no room for questioning and i slowly stand as best i can with my body trembling in need.

Sehun reaches out and smooths a hands across my hip, grounding me, centering me. I instantly feel better. That is until i feel the corset slipping around my waist. My eyes widen and on instinct stand up straighter, feeling the fabric being pulled tighter and tighter on my body, as he threads the laces. Air catches on its attempted exist, when he finally started cinching the garment, tightening the material to my body, and holding around me in a way I've never felt before. My heart hammers in my chest and i moan without warning as a particularly rough pull of the strings around the middle of my waist and he pauses. That even surprised me, so i can't imagine how he's feeling.

I mentally groan and drop my head in embarrassment. Sehun, however, knowing my body better than i do apparently, just continues tying up the corset, maybe putting a little more force and tighter binding to the strings than he had before. Fuck, i hate how good that feels. At this point I'm already rock hard and leaking, ready for this man to wreck me... we've barely even started. Yeah, I'm totally dying on this plush carpet. The irony of dying in a closet isn't lost on me.

He finishes tying up the rest of the article and then tucks the leftover strings into the tied panel. I'm thinner than most people, so i can imagine he has a great deal of slack, just as he had with the harness he did at the party. I feel a hand on my hip and it presses, turning me around to face Sehun. I expected the burning embarrassment and even the swooping of my stomach as his eyes find mine, but i could never have predicted the way his eyes burn into my soul, scorching the rest of my insides on the way to it. His eyes are sinisterly dark, blown, and hungrily drinking me in. His need and desire for me in practically palpable in the air.

"Fuck, you look like sin personified." Sehun comments, his voice causing my cock to jump and a bead of precum spills over. His eyes follow it down to the base and then he licks his lips. "I'm going to put you in an strappado and fuck you till you're sobbing, do I have your permission?"

An unwilling moan slips from my lips. "Yes, fuck. Yes. Please."

He nods, closing his eyes, and looks just as wrecked as i do, and judging by the way his thick cock hangs hard and heavy between his legs, he is. When his eyes open, my skin vibrates at the look resting in them. This demon can have my soul if he'd allow me to devote my whole life to him. He grabs my arm and roughly pulls me out of the closet, standing me in the middle of his room, and then spinning me away from him. My arms go behind my back without him even having to ask or prompt and i feel a cocky pride enter my being from the whined curse I hear fall from his lips.

All cockiness drains however by the first slide of the rope over my bare arm. Breath hitching and heart thrashing against my rib cage. I

spread my legs a little further apart, squaring on the floor to hold my need ridden body up. Sehun pets over my ass, slipping a finger past my cheeks and pressing it inside my still stretched and wet hole. I release a whine and arch back into him, meeting the thrusts of his finger as it fucks me. I can never get enough of Sehun's long thick fingers, developed and strong from years of intensive use. His practiced, skilled fingers pull me apart every time.

I whine desperately as he disappears from inside of me, but can't argue too much when i feel the the rope that was just draped over my wrists, folding around them and binding tight. Sehun pulls it through a bit roughly and the loose ends slap against my bare skin making me jolt. His dark chuckle tells me it was intentional. He runs the ends up and around the center of the tie around my wrists and pulls it tight, then begins wrapping the ropes around my arms in a swirling pattern up my forearms, leaving about four fingers length of space between each point on contact till he's one wrap above my elbow. From the right side, he takes the loose ends and brings it up and over my left shoulder to wrap around the front of the joint, like a backpack strap. He curls the rope behind my back, under my bound arms, and brings it up crossing over the front of my right shoulder this time, pulling it behind me once again and crosses it with the part he has leading over my left and loops it around, creating a loose knot at the center of my back between my shoulder blades. He then, brings the ropes back to my left arm and wraps then in the opposite direction of the other ropes swirled up my arms only once to position it around my right arm, before he grabs the very first rope at the top of the ladder like bind up my arms, and loops the loose ends around, and pulls creating what I'm assuming to be a half hitch.

I stagger a bit when he forces me forward while grabbing at the strands across my back from where he'd tied it earlier, and forces the slack through one of the bands there, and snapping the slack through. The ends slap me in the ass as he forcibly pulls them through and i jump. If i wasn't so addicted to everything he's doing, I'd get onto the little shit.

Sehun continues to wrap the ends down each of the individual bands lined down my arms, creating a cinched line down the center of the ladder like pattern. I've seen this particular tie done many times through the numerous hours of scouring the internet in search of appeasing my own curiosity. I had always wondered what it would feel like, but now i know, it's better than anything i had ever fantasized. He wraps the final bit of rope around the ties holding my wrist and jerks them tight, leaving zero room for my arms to move. I'm at Sehun's mercy now and my knees tremble just as that thought.

"Fuck, you look so good like this, Baby." Sehun says, whispering the words into my ear. I feel his hard cock press against my ass as he grinds against me, one of his hands still holding onto the rope ends and influencing my every movement. I shutter at the idea of Sehun having absolute control over me.

He pushes me forward till I'm standing before his drawing table, and bends me over, forcing my chest to rest against the solid surface. My mind blanks for a few seconds and i have to focus on not cumming immediately. This is so fucking erotic, even a young man such as i, who has spent many of hours inside the porn world, is ridiculously impressed. Sehun really is the whole damn package and then some.

"Sehun, please. Please take me. Fuck me. I need you so bad." I beg, not even the slightest bit of shameful about it anymore. I just need his cock, stretching me open, filling my tight hole.

Sehun groans and leans forward, his lips finding my bare shoulder, and biting the taut skin. I moan and arch back when his dick fits into the crevice of my ass. I attempt to grind my hips against his but there's only so much i can do under the combined hold of the corset and the ropes. The only thing i can freely move is my fingers and toes, since Sehun's legs are currently boxing my own, pushing them together and creating a solid barrier with his feet pressed against the outside of mine.

A frantic whine pulls from deep in me, and a low sob falls from my lips. "Sehun, please."

I feel Sehun's lips pull into a smirk against my shoulder and i want to hit him. I want to push him down and take control of his cock, but i can't fucking move, and my own dick pulses at this. Gods, I'm utterly ruined for this man.

Finally i feel his hands on my cheeks as he spreads them apart, exposing my probably abused looking entrance. Is it puffy? Red? Begging? I'm guessing all of the three, when I hear Sehun moan in appreciation and push his thumb inside of me. I gasp out a moan and arch my hips the best i can, while he plays with my hole. I whimper and let my head hit his drawing table, finally just submitting to let him do as he wants.

It seems to be what Sehun was waiting for, when suddenly his thumb is jerked out and the flared tip of his cock is replacing it, spreading me open in a way fingers never could. He fills me so well, so slow. It's maddeningly delicious to feel every inch of his bare cock sliding through my insides. I can feel everything, every vein, every curve, every pulse. It's so good.

He slips inside, snuggly filling every bit of my canal, and my body sings to the melody of his ragged breathing. Good to know that even when he's being a little shit, he's still affected. He pauses for a few seconds when he feeds everything he has into me and rests his head in the center of my back, before he pulls out achingly slow and pushes back in just the same, continuing to fuck me in drawn out thrusts. If it didn't feel so good, I'd complain about the pace. I don't have to fret for very long, however, when suddenly he stands and places his hands on my hips. I barely have time to blink before he rams me full of his thick cock.

I scream as blinding pleasure pulses through my body and Sehun picks up an assaulting pace. I cry out with pitched "aha" and moans, carving them into the wood of his desk, while he continues to fuck me without abandon. I desperately need to know where this boy gets his stamina. I know i won't last long like this, even after cumming earlier.

He presses down on the small of my back, right under where my hands are bound and thrusts in roughly, more than likely bruising the back of my thighs with the force. The desk under me, creaks from the sheer force, and I'll never be able to look at this table the same way again.

Suddenly, Sehun reaches down, grabs my left thigh, and hitches my leg up, forcing my knee onto the table next to me, bending my body and flexing muscles to their fullest extent. I spit out a grainy "fuck" and try my best to keep myself together when i feel him hitting deeper parts within me, my walls tightening around his drilling cock.

Then I feel it. That delicious pull. "Se....hun." I gasp, clutching desperately onto the ropes threaded around my wrists, where the slack drops past my palms. I try to ground myself to anything i can. Forget the closet, I'm about to die right on this table.

"You going to cum for me, Bunny?" Sehun raps into my ear, never once breaking his brutal pace.

I whine and release a heavy sob, desperately arching my hips up to meet his with each stroke. I'm so close, just right on the edge. I need it. I need it so bad. And i get it, pushed over by the feeling of Sehun's palm clapping down on my ass so hard it reverberates through me. White hot energy surges through my veins, my muscles seizing at the full potency of the orgasm that shreds it's way through my body. I'm pretty sure even the people down the street heard the sounds of Sehun's name howled from my lips.

Sehun never once pauses, doesn't even relent when i sag against the table, my body drained and pliant, just continues to fuck my more than willing hole. I feel him straighten behind me and before I'm able to grasp at any sort of bearing, he clutches and yanks at the ropes binding me, pulling me up off the desk a few inches, as he digs his other hand into my thigh still raised and hammers deep into me. The pleasure is almost overwhelming, yet also grounding after such a intense release. I've never felt anything like that and i doubt it will be the last with Sehun as my captain.

One last deep thrust inside of me, filling me to the brim, Sehun cums with a drawn out moan, followed by a curse and my name. He continues to shallowly thrust his hips and spill every last bit into my cavity. It makes me feel dirty, but oddly pleasant. Like an ownership claim. A marking of territory.

He lets go of the ropes, dropping my leg back to the floor, and wraps his arms under my torso, as our breathing slows and our heartbeats return to a safe level. I'm eased back onto the table carefully, as he lets go of my body and pulls out, humming contently to himself. I don't even have the slightest fraction of faith in my legs working properly to try and stand up, so i remain lax against the table, listening to Sehun shuffling behind me. I sigh and feel boneless, numb but in the best way.

All of a sudden a screen is thrusted in front of my face and i see what Sehun has been up to. My lungs empty and my eyes widen as i take in the full force of what i look like bent over this table, tied up, and laced in a restrictive corset. I almost want to look away at how erotic it is. I've never been one to have a negative view of my body, but I've never seen myself look that sensual and sexy. My ass is red, blotchy. My skin is flushed. Cum trails out of my hole and seeps down the backs and insides of my thighs. I look like a wet dream and be damned if i don't feel my dick twitch again.

"Do you mind if I keep this?" Sehun asks, nuzzling against my temple and placing a kiss there.

I nod and swallow the lump in my throat, and realize instantly how wrecked my voice is. "Yes, as long as you send it to me."

Sehun grins and leans in to kiss me. Then his hands grasp my arms and pulls me into a standing up position. My muscles wail at me and i whimper, causing an apologetic kiss to the back of my neck, then to my shoulder, then to my spine between my shoulder blades. I bask in the attention and Sehun begins untying the ropes.

"S-Sehun." I say a bit hesitantly.

He stops and squeezes my hand letting me know i have his full attention. "Yes, Bunny?"

I bite at my lip and take a deep breath. "After you're done untying the ropes, will you take a picture? Of the marks left behind?"

I count the beats in my head of silence that follows before i hear a small pained whine and Sehun's head falls to my shoulder. "Fuck you're perfect. So very very perfect. I've been waiting my whole life for you, Luhan."

My heart cartwheels in my chest and i smile shyly at the floor, thinking that it was really i who has been waiting for him, and he was well worth the wait.

...

I breathe out deeply when Sehun pulls the last of the strings and oddly feel kind of... disconnected. Like I'd just had a part of me taken off.

My lip tugs between my teeth and i turn around to watch Sehun lacing up the corset so the threading is weaved into the bodice properly. He ties the loose ends around the rest of the strings.

He moves towards the closet and i sigh, watching it go. Somehow it doesn't feel right to see it being hung up.

"Luhan?" I look up and Sehun's gives me a curious head tilt, a sort of calculating smile playing in his lips. "Actually, can you keep this?"

I blink at the other, my fingers already itching to reach for it. "But it's yours."

Sehun chuckles. "You're mine now. You're the only partner I'll use any of these things with and you've worn this now. Seems impersonal to just put it back. So keep it."

"A-are you sure?" I ask hesitantly as he now stands before me, stretching his hand out, offering the piece to me.

"Please. Take it as a memory. Whenever you open your closet and find it there, you can think about what happened today." Sehun says with a bright, satisfied look in his eyes.

I swallow thickly and take the corset into my hands, feeling the fabric beneath my fingertips. So delicate, yet high quality. "How much is this particular one?"

Sehun's smile drops and he grimaces. "Don't ask. Just know that Yixing has a shit ton of overstock in his own closet and trust me, there's more where that came from. Don't feel like you're just taking it. I have more lingerie then i know what to deal with."

I sigh and run my digits over the design etched into the corset once again. "Now I'm going to need details about this whole Yixing's company thing."

After Sehun had released me from my bonds, i had asked him about his collection and where he had gotten all of those things in his closet. He dropped the bomb that Yixing is involved in a kinky production company and a lot of the stuff in his closet are things from the brand that Sehun gets for free because of his Hyung. On one level it was relieving to know that not everything in there is an interest of his, but also confusing. There's a lot of things in that closet. How big is this company? Why does Sehun keep so much if it? How is Yixing involved?

Sehun licks over his lips and his eyes flutter a bit. "Um, i will. One day, i promise we'll all sit down and discuss the company, the website, how we're all involved. All of it."

Deciding that's the best I'm going to get, i nod. "Alright, well at least cuddle with me before i have to go back to my dorm."

My beautiful boyfriend beams and climbs onto the bed with me, placing the garment on the drawing table at the end of his bed. I blush as my eyes linger on the wooden desk. He then snuggles up to me and wraps his arms around my body.

"You know. You could always do your homework tomorrow and stay the rest of the day." Sehun suggest after a minute of pleasant silence.

"Less talking more snuggling, Oh Sehun." I demand.

Sehun snorts and nuzzles his head against the side of my neck. "Yes, sir."

I groan. "Sehun, there's not much more my dick can take tonight."

"We both know you can take a lot more." Sehun rasps into my ear, forcing a shiver up my spine.

I whine, but don't even try to push away his hands when they grip my hips as he pulls me into kiss my soul from my body. My dick is apparently a lot more resilient than I initially thought.

>>>>

The same sentence once again passes in front of my eyes, the words echoing in my head, but not a single bit of it is stored or understood. I've been trying to read this chapter for the last hour, but i just can't seem to focus. Part of me wishes i could have stayed in bed with Sehun, but another part of me knows a bit of a breather will do us good. That boy is insatiable and i still need to pass this semester. After i graduate, then i can take a break. Not just for marathoning sex, but also to figure out a direction. I still have to consider my options for some really good medical schools. I've already gotten into a school back home... but I'm not sure if that's the route i want to take anymore.

I sigh and push away the textbook from my lap and glance up at the corset leering over me, hung up on my bathroom door. It's sitting there, shadowing, dominating in it's presence. The more and more i think about it, the more I'm unsure about going home. The school i got into is an amazing, door opening school, but the more i think about it, the more reasons i come up with for wanting to stay.

It's not just how i feel about Sehun or the new family I've found here, but also the things Sehun is awaking inside of me. I don't feel that weak, helpless feeling like i used to back home. I don't feel like I'm constantly looking over my shoulder, questioning my actions. I feel like I'm actually free here. I have a new level of confidence.. of power. It scares me, but i don't want to let go of that. If i go back home... will i sink back into who i was before? Will i lose everything I've found? Will i have to leave behind this person I've always wanted to become?

I bite at my lip and glance over at my room door to make sure it's locked.

When i finally stand before my mirror, eyes trained on the material cinched tightly around my waist, i feel something tug in my belly. It's not as tight as when Sehun had tied it because getting this thing on by myself was struggle enough, let alone to tighten it to his level of strength would be next to impossible for someone who has never even tied a corset before. It still does the trick, though. I got the effect i wanted... the feel i needed.

My hand slowly slides from the top hem, just peeking over my nipples, down to the bottom, dipping into the inward curve of my waist and flaring out at my subtle hips. It clings to every curve, smoothing everything down, and hugs my body. It feels so tight, yet pleasurable in its squeeze. It feels right.

Earlier i had almost scoffed at Sehun pulling this corset off the rack in his closet, but once he put it on me. Once i felt the way it wrapped around my body, delightfully restrictive, i had felt something. I was embarrassed. I wanted it to feel wrong. To feel silly... But i couldn't bring myself to think negatively of it. The second Sehun took it off, i ached to put it back on. It feels so good on my body. The squeeze. The hold.

I look at my body line once again, turning around, seeing the way it drops to a v shape at the bottom of the back to accentuate my ass and how good that looks. A whine bubbles from my throat and that seems to snap me out of it. My eyes go wide and my cheeks burn.

The strings can't untie and the garment won't release my body fast enough after that, as my inner panic nearly rips the piece off of me. My heart breaks the second i consider getting a pair of scissors and cutting the damn thing off, and will myself to calm down, taking it off carefully. I'd hate myself if anything happened to it. Sehun gave it to me. It means something.

I hang the corset back up on the hanger and place it back on my door. I stare at the garment for a few seconds, while it stares back. A lingering want takes me over, willing my hand to reach out and trace my digits down the delicate material and feeling at the lacy lining across the bottom. I sigh and shake my head, forcing myself to turn around and snap my light off.

Sleep doesn't come easy for me that night as my eyes keep drawing open and to the outlined shadow on the bathroom door.

......

My alarm plays through my room way too soon. I groan and will time to back up at least a few hours, but unfortunately I'm unable to control the forces of nature. I climb out of bed, and begin my morning routine. Stubbornly ignoring the expensive article I've been thinking about all night. 

It isn't until I'm out of the shower, drying off, that my eyes slide unwillingly despite trying to fight it, over to the corset. I tug my lip between my teeth, accidently breaking through the flesh a bit and curse. It's just a curiosity. Anyone would be naturally curious about something new. It'll fade with time and i can go back to the natural flow of my life. There's nothing wrong with being curious. I just want to get the new fascination out of my system, as quickly and efficiently as possible. Once i get over it i can place it into the back of my closet and only bring it out at Sehun's request. Simple. Easy. It'll be over as soon as it began.

At least that's what i convince myself of when I'm once again staring at myself in the mirror, securing the corset ties with a tight knot so they won't come undone. Just as last night, it's a challenge to get it as tight as i want to, and lacing it up myself takes a while, but eventually i get it on in an acceptable fashion. I put on a thin tank-top and then a shirt over that matched with a pair of ripped skinny jeans. I feel fear prickling at the base of my skull, but it dissipates when i look at my reflection once more and realize that i can't even tell I'm wearing what i am... and yet, I'm so utterly aware that it's there. I can feel it hugging me, pulling tight at my waist.

I look at the time and my eyes bulge, i don't even have time to consider if this is a good idea. I can't miss this class. I grab my book bag and launch out of my door in a full run. It always takes so long to get to the other side of campus from my dorm.

As i'm trudging across campus, a nervous sweat breaks out across my body. It feels like everyone is starting... like they know. Like they can see through my cloths and know my dirty little secret. A pit of shame forms in my stomach and i suddenly want to rip the thing off. I want to take it off and never do this again, but the time on my watch keeps me from even considering it further.

I arrive at my biology class minutes before it starts and take the seat next to Amber, who looks up and rolls her eyes at me. "And here i thought you'd miss the quiz."

A chuckle that's way too pitched and fake sounding leaves my lips and she gives me an odd expression but lets it slide when the teacher walks in and calls the class to attention. I breathe out a huff of air and steady myself. Amber didn't even question or point out anything about what I'm wearing beneath my clothes. She treated me as she normally does and didn't even seem like she knew something was off besides for my behavior. Maybe I'm just being paranoid.

The rest of class carries on without any issues, even the quiz goes well, and i actually find myself relaxing. I sink into a comfortable head-space and eventually i think that maybe this isn't so bad. Maybe I can get over whatever minor obsession this is and move on with my normal everyday after it's over. Maybe i can just wear it for a day or so and it'll go away. No one will have to know and i satisfy this part of me.

It takes me a minute to realize it, but my fingers had absentmindedly trailed down my to waist and started rubbing over the corset. Suddenly I'm overly aware of the article. I can feel the material under my fingers, feeling it press against my body, my ribs held tightly and secured. The tips of my digits walks slowly down the dips of my waist and how it curves in, smoothed out under the hold of the garment.

"Lu, are you okay? Is something wrong with your side?" Amber leans over and asks.

This gains the attention from the people around us, who all turn around to stare at me. My hand almost jerks away violently at being caught. I feel the blood drain from my face and my heart almost fully stops, before i remind myself to breathe. I had forgotten where i was. That I'm in a room full of pre-med students that of course would notice if someone was rubbing a part of their body. I attempt a natural smile and laugh it off.

"Ah, I'm fine... just stretched too hard yesterday." I say, thankful to whatever higher power allowed my voice to stay stable. 

Amber's eyes narrow and I feel my chest tighten. This is it. It's over. I'm going to be discovered and my life and dream of becoming a doctor will be over. I'll never be able to step foot inside a hospital again without being ridiculed and stared at.

"You were with Sehun all day, right?" Amber teases.

I swallow thickly and rub awkwardly at the back of my neck. "Um... y-yeah."

Amber rolls her eyes. "Listen, I'm glad you're happy with your new boyfriend, but be careful. Can't have you injuring yourself because you two feel the need to fuck like bunnies."

My eyes widen and I'm prepared to deny every bit of it or make up an excuse, but then i watch the rest of the people who were paying attention laugh it off or roll their eyes and go back to the lecture. I blink at this and look over at Amber who just gives me a soft smile.

"They don't care, Han. This isn't China. Quit carrying yourself like you have a dirty secret. It's okay to love and accept yourself." Amber says and follows suit with the rest of the class.

I sit there dumbfounded for a minute and find myself smiling. Truly smiling. It's almost like a bit of a weight has lifted from my shoulders and i relax once again. My vision blurs a bit and i breathe in the first true breath i had in the longest time. People know. The people in my department know I'm gay and have a boyfriend. They don't even care. It's slightly freeing. Liberating in a way.

Amber told me to quit carrying it around like a dirty secret not realizing how on the mark she had been. Even if i told Sehun i was ready to be out and proud, doing so is another matter entirely. Maybe everything will be okay. Maybe I'm once again making it a bigger deal than it really is. Like always...

Maybe I'm making too big of a deal about the corset too... I could massage Sehun and tell him. Get some perspective on why I feel the need to wear it and why it feels so right. Sehun always knows how to make me feel better and what to say to settle my constantly raging thoughts.

Would he like it? It could be our secret. If i texted him right now and told him i am wearing it, could it develop this invisible link between us? Like a thread connecting the two of us despite being so far apart. Would he want to be included in my curiosity? I wonder what Sehun would think. How he'd react. Does Sehun's kinks extend outside the bedroom? What if he thinks I'm odd and tells me that wearing something like this outside of sex is too much. I don't know what I'd do if Sehun looked at me like I'm disgusting or weird.

Suddenly the corset feels a bit suffocating, too restricting. I almost get up to go take it off, but i force the panic down and tell myself to breathe. I trust Sehun. I  trusts the man i love to never turn away from me or judge me because of something i like. Even if i don't know why i like it. It's just a passing fascination anyways. It'll pass soon and there's no sense in telling Sehun anyways, when i probably won't even want to wear it tomorrow.

I sigh and put it out of my mind, going back to my notes.

....

I was wrong. So very wrong. I've been wearing the corset for the past week. Everyday i go to leave my dorm room, i can't bring myself to leave without it. It's almost becoming like a second skin at this point. I've gotten so used to wearing, that it slips my mind that i even have it on until a slight pull when i move or a sudden tight squeeze around my chest will remind me. Sometimes, it's great that i forget about it. It helps ease my comfort about it. But other's not so much.

Like yesterday when Sehun and i were making out on the couch. It was innocent, nice, until Sehun's hands started wondering. I had never moved faster in my life and when Sehun asked me what was wrong i just told him i had a paper due that i had forgotten about and bolted back to the safety of my dorm.

Or... or like right now... standing in the locker room full of my teammates. My teammates who are obliviously changing around me and basically ignoring my presence. They wouldn't be though. I know I'd never get away with it if I stripped my shirt off right in front of everyone and they saw what was beneath.

I swallow thickly, ambling off to the bathroom, barely getting a few uninterested glances. But when i get to the stalls, they're all full and by the sound of it, won't empty any time soon. Fuck men's bathrooms for only having two stalls and a damn swimming pool for a urinal. I clutch my uniform tighter.

Despair settling around me, i head back to my locker and stand there for a few minutes, trying to figure out what to do. My lack of action however is noticed pretty quickly. Sehun, ever intuitive with very existence, asks if I'm okay which obviously earns the attention of Baek, Tao, Yixing, and Jongin. I curse at my stupidity for forgetting that I'm wearing the damn thing.

Panics sets in and i start frantically stuttering and moving around, overcompensating to make it seem like I'm fine. My brain regretfully has no off button even when i know I'm flailing.

"I'm just a bit out of it. I haven't been sleeping well. There's a big test coming up and it's weighing down on me a bit." I mention, moving things aimlessly in my locker.

Sehun sighs and concern is heavy in his voice. "Is that why you've been a bit distant? Why didn't you say anything, i can help you study or something."

That catches me off guard and I bend over to dig through my bag like I'm looking for something. I know i had been sort of blowing him off, only hanging out for a few hours during the day in a public place and then quickly heading home. It's just, i always feel so paranoid that Sehun of all people will see right through me. He'd be the first one to guess my secret and i still don't know how he'd react. Guilt settles deep and familiar into my belly, like an old friend coming home.

An excuse bubbles up on my tongue but dies instantly when i feel it. I halt all movement, not daring to even breathe. A tug. Sure and heavy. Not on my shirt, because i feel the familiar shift of the fabric over my skin... Someone pulled on the corset.

Slowly, i turn my head in the direction of where i still feel the slight pull on the garment. My eyes meet none other than Sehun's. The younger's gaze burns into mine, intense and steady.

I don't even have time to panic or freak out, when, "Show me." slips out of Sehun's mouth, low and husky, sending a shiver up my spine.

"S-Sehun." The stutter comes out barely above a whisper.

Sehun doesn't repeat his demand, but his eyes implore further, explaining his desire to see it. I stand up then and swallow the thick lump in my throat, finally noticing the other's attentions have not strayed. If anything, they have now made a half circle around me, shielding any view from the rest of the locker room. A blockade of safety.

I bite at my lip, feeling my cheeks burn in embarrassment and a bit of arousal. Nothing shocks me more than that last bit. I understood the night of the party that maybe i had a bit of a thing for being watched, but i never knew it extended to things this simple. Anyone to a certain light can have a desire to be watched, or maybe feel the interest to put on a performance. But right here, i shouldn't be turned on, but i am. I'm slightly exhilarated, which is why when Yixing tells me i don't have to do anything i don't wish to, after a few minutes of hesitation, i shake my head.

The shirt comes off easier than i expected it to, even if my hands shake, and I lock eyes with Sehun the second i pull my head free of the clothing. I stand before everyone in my skinny jeans i had worn that day and the corset I'd been wearing all week. I can feel my blood pulsing through my body, thrumming under my skin like electricity pouring into a breaker. I'm terrified and excited at the same time.

Sehun breathes out and he licks over his lips, that dark look entering his eyes and tells me how he really feels about this and god, the relief that sweeps through me is almost euphoric. "Lu..." he says, choking on his words a bit. "Fuck."

"You're stunning." Yixing says a bit more eloquently.

Baekhyun nods when i finally let my eyes slip from my boyfriends and give notice to the others all staring. "So pretty. It looks so good on you. Jongin has a beautiful waist but he still has a very slim dancers body, but yours is practically made for a corset."

I worry that Jongin would take offense to that, but when I look over to him he just nods in agreement with raised eyebrows. "Looks like it was made for you."

I feel a shy smile blush across my lips and i drop my eyes. "T-thank you."

"Almost made for you, that is. A few alterations would make it look even better, though it already looks amazing. How'd you get the ties cinched around you waist so well?" Tao asks, bending forward a bit to get a better look, Kris coming up out of nowhere to fill his space and helping to hide me away from the rest of the team.

"I've been wearing it all week. It took some time to figure it out, but i have to take extra time for myself in the morning to tie myself up. It's practically a workout within itself." I explain slowly relaxing.

Baekhyun steps forward then, his eyebrows pulling together as he crowds a bit into my space. "Do you wear it all day?"

I nod. "Yeah, but i take it off when I'm at home to make sure i give myself a break from it."

Tao purses his lips, seeming slightly concerned. "This fabric is a bit restrictive to wear for that long. You can end up hurting your body that way. Maybe wear it every other day or even taking it off or putting it on half way through the day to prevent that."

I frown and sigh. "It's difficult to get it on and off easily. I need a lot of room and i can't just run to the bathroom quickly to take it off or put it on, but I guess i can take a break every other day." I say dropping their eyes and placing a hand over my stomach, petting over the pretty design over the front.

Baekhyun hums in what sounds like sympathy and i see his hand reach out but stops instantly when a chiding call of his name forces his pause. I look up and see Baekhyun looking guilty, while Yixing gives him a soft, yet firm look, like a mother would when scolding their child. "You ask first." Yixing says.

Baekhyun nods and winces as if he just simply forgot a rule. "Sorry, Lu. Can i touch you?"

I blink at the implication, finally getting it and round my lips, nodding in a sort of daze. Baekhyun's hand continues in its path and his fingers slide over the curve of my waist, following the hem line to the lace around the bottom of the piece. He traces it expertly as only a person who's been up close and personal with something like this, would.

He seems to get lost for a second, tracing over the design and slowly petting his fingers across the material up to my chest and then looks up into my eyes. Baekhyun seems a bit surprised and shakes himself out of it. "Fuck, sorry. It just looks so good on you. Have you ever considered modeling?"

A smooth chuckle pulls us away from one another and Baekhyun is forced back by none other than Sehun. "We can talk about it later. We have practice." He steps around Baek who takes his place in the protective barrier and Sehun gets way too close, way too quickly. I shutter out a breath and watch him lick over his lips and swallow thickly. "Turn around."

A whimper falls from my lips and a don't even hesitate to follow his command. I hear an approving hum from behind me and i have no idea who it came from, but i agree. This dynamic Sehun and i have fallen into is just too fucking erotic. It's everything i never knew i had been craving. Soon, i feel his touch on my back, slowly sliding down one of the sides of the interlaced strings holding the corset together. Then, it's gone and so is the tightness around my waist. Sehun worked the ties open almost within a blink of an eye and frees me from the garment in a quarter of the time it usually takes me. I gasp and tremble a little over how much that alone turns me on.

"We'll talk about this later." Sehun draws the husky words into my ear.

He helps me out of the corset and discreetly stows the piece into my locker, shutting it and picking up my uniform shirt and helping me into it. His hands then find my hips and tickle around my waistband, till he feels at my pants button and unclamps it, sliding my jeans down my legs and helps me step out of them. Then, he picks up my uniform shorts and dresses me in them just as he had with my shirt. By the time he's done, I'm a shaking mess and have to reach out for support against the lockers before me.

I hear a dark chuckle and feel Sehun's presence disappear from behind me and slowly look over my shoulder. Everyone else had gone about their business and weren't paying us any mind... that is, except for Yixing who was standing at the end of the locker row, arms crossed, leaned against the wall. His smirk makes another pulse of electricity slip up my spine. Somehow I think he knows. I think he knows everything. And i can't find it in me to mind.

Yixing nods at me once and stands up, turning around, and disappearing around the corner, probably heading out to the field. A hand finds my shoulder and gives it an encouraging squeeze, followed by another and i watch Tao and Baekhyun pass me, heading in the same direction as their friend.

A smile finds it way to my lips and the weight that had been dragging me down all week is suddenly gone. I no longer feel this shame for this thing even i don't fully understand yet. I no longer feel wrong or odd for this curiosity and interest I've developed. It's amazing. I'm almost emotional at how touched i feel. My friends, my team, my almost family... they've accepted me. All week I've been cycling, worrying, despairing over how wrong this is. Over how people would think of me, but in the matter of seconds, they have shown me love and acceptance. They've given me what I've never had before and i finally don't feel the need to fight or hide. I don't feel the need to put up a wall and keep everyone out.

No judgment. No laughing. No disgusted looks. Just pure happiness and love for something i enjoy. They gave me full support in something even i was struggling to be okay with. I've never felt this before and god, i didn't know how wonderful it could truly be.

Clearly, i was looking at it wrong because i was still holding on to some things. Some painful things. I didn't want people to see, because i was ashamed. I was still thinking of what would happen if people found out about my sexuality, and what the corset represented as my place in it. Being a bottom is the worst role you could take on. To be gay and enjoy being taken by another man, it's shameful. It's disgusting. It's weak... at least that's what i grew up hearing.

I get it now. I get why I'm slightly obsessed with wearing it. The corset represents that role for me. I love the feeling of it on my body. I love how it fits. How the fabric holds my slender frame. How delicate and pretty i feel. I'm not supposed to feel these things. I'm supposed to be a man and men are supposed to be strong, brave, masculine. But I've never really felt that way. I love when Sehun pulls me into his arms and make me feel small. I love when he pets my hair and calls me Bunny. I love putting on this damn corset and feeling beautiful and confident.

My head knew what i wanted before i came to accept it myself, but here, in front of these people i was stripped bare. I showed them my hidden side. I showed them who i really was beneath and they commended me for it. Loved me and praised me. Never have i understood more why Sehun loves them so much. I get it. I get them. And by some amazing turn of fate, they get me too.

Abruptly a kiss is placed to the side of my neck and a gentle squeeze to my hip. "Take your time, Bunny. I'll meet you out on the field."

Sehun gets to the edge of the lockers, but i stop him. "Sehun..."

He turns back to me. "Yeah?"

I smile fondly and a little blurriness clouds my vision. "Thank you."

Sehun grins and gives me a cute little wink, then leaves me there to collect myself. A warmth blooms in my chest and i chuckle at how stupid I had been. Sehun didn't ruin anything. I expected that boy to come in and pull apart the final thread that had been holding me above the water this whole time, and in reality he did, but i never expected him to be waiting to catch me below. Sehun saved me from the biggest danger off all, which was myself.

Even though I'm still learning to love myself and accept who i am, and eventually will become. I have an amazing family here that will love me and accept me enough until I'm ready to do so. I have a whole group of amazing people that will give me enough support till I'm ready to walk on my own and that's something so extraordinary. A part of me wishes i had found them sooner, but another part of me feels that they found me at just the right time.

>>>>>

~Sehun~

I stand before the man's door, bunching my eyebrows together as I once again groan at the pad in my hands. No matter how hard i try, this design just isn't coming out right. The door opens right as I'm about knock on it and i blink steadily at the raised eyebrow of the last person i was expecting to find.

"Taemin?" I ask, tilting my head at finding one of Jongin's friends here of all places.

Taemin grins wickedly and i roll my eyes. There's a reason why him and the demon known as Kai get along so well. They're both little shits. "What can i help you with , Sehun?"

I open my mouth in slight surprise but then just shake my head with a laugh. "What, are you his keeper now? Just because you accepted the job doesn't mean you get special privileges. I'm still technically higher than you."

Taemin shrugs. "But who has control over whether or not you get a check?"

My eyebrow lifts. "Heechul, you twat. Now fuck off from the door before i drop your ass."

Taemin snorts and smiles sweetly at me. "Heechul loves me. Have that man wrapped around my finger already."

"Why does that not surprise me? Yixing!" I call, attempting a different tactic.

"Taemin." I hear a stern call from the man in question and see Taemin immediately revert from his cockily little self and slink back to allow me inside.

I roll my eyes and trail into the room, finding Yixing staring out from his closet curiously. When he sees me he smiles, but then looks at Taemin behind me and narrows his eyes in a chastising way. I don't have to even look to know he's sulking.

"What do you need, baby?" Yixing asks, holding up an arm full of plastic bags I'm sure he pulled out of his private stock. Ah, inventory cataloging. That explains why Taemin is here.

I bite at my lip, worried that i might be bothering the older, but figure he'll be honest on whether or not he has time to help me. "I have a design I'm making that i just can't seem to get right. Would you be willing to go over it with me and brainstorm a bit?"

Yixing's eyes light up and he bounces a bit, setting the bags down just inside the closet. "Absolutely. What is it?"

He patters out of the room and quickly over to me, looking over the pad in my hands and raising an eyebrow. "Is this for a new style you're looking into?" He asks.

Yixing knows i like to play around with multiple designs and elements when I'm drawing out ideas. A lot of the time, half of my ideas don't even make it to the final stage and die off early, but sometime an entire line can be built around a single spark of inspiration. Like our line that's about to debut in a few months was inspired by gothic elements. That all started when I watched Dorian Gray and felt inspired to create a slightly Victorian vibe with darker elements and it took off when Tao and Yixing got involved. So Yixing knows my process more than anyone.

"No, this one... is a personal project." I mention and Yixing looks closer at the design, a sort of knowing smile pulling at his lips.

"I have a few ideas, let's grab Tao. We could use his help on this too." He turns to Taemin who has made himself busy with a clipboard and a stack of boxes piled on Yixing's bed i just noticed. Actually, i just noticed the rest of Yixing's room. It's an utter mess. Kind of reminiscent to how it looked pre-Minseok. "Hey, Tae want to take a brea-"

"Actually, want to go to Tao and Kris's room? Maybe let Taemin have some time alone with this mess and give us a space to spread out." I suggest. We really need a better place to do all of this. I think it's about time Kris and me have a chat about that office building downtown Heechul had been hinting at.

Yixing takes a moment to finally see the disarray his room has become and sighs. "Yeah, you're right."

Taemin grins and gives me a thankful nod, as we walk out. I know how the kid feels. We're both lone wolfs when it comes to our work. Yixing is just trying to help, but sometimes we work better when we can fully immerse into our heads. The older man follows me down the hall and i knock at the door, hearing the classical metal music from the inside. Thank gods. Tao is in a creative mood.

The door opens seconds later and his frown turns into a delighted smile when he sees us. I laugh at his silk kimono and Gucci slides, holding up my sketch book. He smirks slyly at me and ushers us in without a word. Tao cleans off a space on his drawing table and i place the thick book filled with all of my secrets and the inter workings of my mind down on the surface. Few have seen this book and somehow that leaves me feeling immensely satisfied.

Tao looks over the sketch and some of the details i added and then blink, widening his eyes. "Sehun, this is stunning. Is this a new idea?"

I chuckle. Tao is the second person to the three who know how i work. "No, it's a specialty order."

Tao frowns and looks back at me. "I don't do customizations, Hunnie. The production team handles those."

A shy smile pulls at my lips. "It's not for a client. It... it's for me."

When it clicks, i watch Tao's mouth spread creepily wide into a Grinch like grin. "Is this... is it for...?"

"Yes." I say, motioning with my hand for him to save me from further embarrassment.

Tao chuckles. "Aw, look at my baby. He's growing up and becoming the kicky bastard we raised him to be, Yixing."

Yixing snorts to my left. "I have nothing but pride, truly."

I roll my eyes. "Okay, seriously. Help me?"

"Always, Sehunnie. Always." Tao says and pulls out one of his designing pencils, getting to work.

.......

"Sehun-ah. Stay and play with us." An older woman smiles up at me, her tipsy, shuttered words making any idea of doing that completely unattractive. She's at regular in this place and tends to only bother Jongin and me. Some days i wonder why i still work here, but Yixing's right. It gives me a break. A moment to just feel like a normal college kid. Even with annoyances like this, it still gives me the balance i need to not feel overwhelmed about my actual job.

I put on a forced smile and nicely pull her hand off of my thigh. I'm about to make a story to get away, but a hand pulls at my arm and frees me. "Sorry, ladies. I'm going to need him."

I blink and turn to see Tao, smiling his sweet yet don't fuck with me, grin. It's the one he uses for the product team when they disagree on a fabric. "Not fair. We pay enough here. We should be his priority." Clearly, the woman in their inebriated state don't understand Tao's warning.

Tao purses his lips and narrows his eyes, reaching into the small clutch purse he brought with him and pulls out a large wad of money and sets it on the tray I'm carrying. My eyes widen at how many large notes i see in the bundle. "There, I'm sure that's more than you've paid all year. Now fuck your privilege and don't touch my Sehun." He flips them off and pulls me down the stairs from the VIP area towards the bar.

"Tao, what the hell are you doing?" I laugh at my ridiculous friend and he grins happily, like the moment before had never even happened. He stops me at the bar and he leans against it, receiving a drink from Jiyong who winks at my best friend and leaves us be. I swear Tao is the only friend of Baekhyun's that the bartender actually likes. Maybe because Tao can and has gone toe to toe with his younger brother many times.

It's amazing how he can switch back and forth like that. "It's finished."

I raise an eyebrow and tilt my head, confused as to what he's talking about. "What is?"

Tao snorts and sips at his drink. "I know it's been a couple weeks, but, child what is the one thing you and i would both be excited about being finished?"

My tongue peeks out to lick across my lips and then it clicks. Holy fuck. "You don't mean..."

My best friend grins and smirks at me. "Oh, yes. Yes i do. It's in the dressing room."

I reach out and grab his wrist, yanking him to the back room as fast as my legs will carry me.

>>>>

~Luhan~

"Luhan, you're so pretty." A woman drawls, almost cooing at me and i force myself not to flinch at that.

"Uh, thanks." I say handing her the drink she had ordered.

The woman hands me a tip and i smile graciously at her, then scamper away. It gets a little easier every day. Months ago i would have tried to assert my manliness and do push ups or something to prove to her that i wasn't pretty because I'm a man. Gods, how misguided i was. I hate that i felt so self conscious that i needed to be that guy. But it's getting better. I know now who i am and that's good enough. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. Plus... i am kind of pretty.

"Bunny." A deep voice calls to me close to my ear.

A soft smile pulls at my lips and i turn around finding Sehun grinning at me, seeming intensely excited about something.

"What?" i chuckle at his cuteness.

"I have a surprise for you." Sehun says, tugging on my wrist, leading me towards the dressing room.

I glance over my shoulder. "Sehun, we have work."

Sehun waves a hand. "What are they going to do, fire us? Do you know how much i make yearly?"

My head cocks and i huff out a disbelieving breath. "Oh Sehun, not all of us are executives at a fucking company who work in a gay bar for fun. I need this job."

Sehun smirks slyly at me. "Don't worry. If you get fired, I'll be your sugar daddy."

My jaw drops and Sehun cackles as he successfully drags me into the dressing room. I shake my head and sigh, but quickly straighten when i find Tao and Yixing inside as if they were waiting for us. They stop their conversation and grin excitedly at me almost like Sehun had. My nerves pull a bit and i tilt my head.

"What's going on?" I ask looking between the two.

"Well, it's kind of Sehun's idea, so we'll let him show you." Tao says, grinning proudly at his best friend.

Sehun nods and steps forward, letting go of me and crossing the room to his makeup table, then picks up a large black box i had just realized was taking up most of the space. Confusion settles in me and Sehun comes back to stand in front of me.

"I... i know you've been having to wear your corset sparingly recently because it started hurting your abdomen, so I'm hoping maybe this helps." He says and holds the box out for me.

I blink at him and hesitantly reach out, lifting the lid and letting it fall away. There's tissue paper covering some type of clothing article, so i lift them out of the way, but freeze when i see what lays in the box. I blink at what sits before me, staring and trying to make sense of this.

It's a corset. A corset so beautiful, i almost don't want to touch it for fear that this dream will shatter beneath my fingers. The corset is the same shape and size, if not a little smaller than mine. It's black, a desirable color, but with gold embroidery stitched into the bodice. It's a simple shape, no sweetheart bust or effeminate specific details. Actually, the way it's made seems more proper for a flat chest and slender frame. There's also clasps down the front, lining the side with buttons. I've seen many of the front clasped corsets, but many of them are metal and gaudy, but these look like... I step closer and look at the rest of the corset. Actually, even the embroidery looks like that too. The designs swirling and crossing over each other in an almost knotted type of design. It looks oddly familiar, but i can't exactly figure out why.

Then it hits me. "Are these..?"

Sehun grins. "The stitching is designed to look like braided ropes, tied in knots and crossing over each other."

I breathe out, feeling slightly emotional. This is so detailed. It must have taken weeks to do. To embroider thread into a material like this to make it look like ropes and tied knots looping and wrapping around the whole thing. It's amazing. Even down to the clasps, which are exceptionally thin ropes that end in a flat knot, and cover the metal clasps under it. It would be unnoticeable beneath a shirt and won't catch on the fabric either. There's so much thought that went into this.

Tao steps forward and i look up at him, blinking as a level of professionalism enters his eyes that I've never seen before. "It's made from a material that's more stretchy than your first, but also form fitting at the same time. It's something you can wear all day and won't restrict you too much. It also has the front clasps so it can easily be taken on and off from anywhere. The material is lightweight, breathable, and also is sweat resistant, so you won't get too hot and if you do, it won't ruin the corset. The measurements are tailored to you, and we even included the thicker eyelets for the ties so if you desire you can cinch them with a thin rope. I'd recommend only wearing it that way externally, though. Unfortunately the ropes are noticeable under clothing."

Sehun picks the corset up and flips it over. I find the holes that the laces run through are made for larger straps and feel myself heat up. Sehun pulls a thin rope like strand from out of the bottom of the box. It's gold, just like the stitching on the corset. It looks like the larger version of the rope embroidery. This is clearly the rope they were talking about for whenever i want to wear it without covering it up. My jaw drops for the second time tonight as i realize something.

"Wait, this is mine? You made this specially for me?" I ask feeling shook.

Sehun and Tao chuckle at the same time. "Of course it is, Bunny." Sehun says. "I designed it for you."

My heart stops. I lift my eyes to stare right into Sehun's eyes and i feel them fill with tears. "You designed this?"

Sehun tilts his head and gifts me a fond smile. "Of course i did. You inspired me. You're so beautiful, how could i not design something beautiful to put you in?"

"Gods, damn it." Tao suddenly calls out and i look over to find him blinking at the ceiling, fanning his eyes. "You two have to stop."

I chuckle at his ridiculousness and then worry at my lips. "Sehun... this is... i can't accep-"

"Don't you dare. I spent way too long thinking about how amazing you'll look in this. I spent long nights and sleepless mornings making this so i could finish it as fast as possible. I want to see no one else in my genius creation but you, my dear." Tao says, lowering his head and fixing me with a stare.

I breathe out a shuttered breathe and nod. "It would be rude to turn down a gift, i guess." I say tracing my fingers down the bodice once again. "Especially one so beautiful."

Sehun beams and i see the proud energy radiating off of him. Tao pats him on the shoulder and i can tell how much they both put into this. They wanted me to love it just as much as they had. And i do. I really, really do.

"Okay, someone help me into this thing." I say with a determined tone.

Three bodies instantly flutter around me and i stand there letting them play. I silently relish in every second of it. When they finally pull away and I'm properly cinched tight, i take a deep breath and turn to the full length mirror.

It fits me better than my other one ever could. The way it clings to my waist and holds my curves so tenderly, like a lover caressing every bit of me. The gold stands out against the black, stark, bright. It brings out the honey of my brown eyes, and dare i say gives me a wild look. It looks sexy and beautiful at the same time. Tao was right about it being lightweight. It fits like a glove, holding me tight, pressing against me the way I've been missing, but it doesn't feel crushing. I could wear this all day and completely forget about it.

My hands smooth down the dip of my waist and slip to the slight jut of my hip. I turn and look at the rounded bottom, once again curving over the top of my ass. I see someone else appreciated that from the last corset. It also looks amazing atop the black booty shorts that pathetically serve as our work uniform.

"Can someone put eyeliner on me?" I ask, blinking at myself, feeling like I'm on the cusp of something.

Yixing grins, a sinister edge to it. "I'll go get Baek."

He rushes out and i spend a few more moments admiring my body in the corset, the way it fits, hugs. Butterflies erupt in my tummy and it feels so damn right.

Sehun comes up behind me and places a hand on my hip, his thumb rubbing circles over the dips of them. "You look stunning. It's even better than i pictured."

My chest clenches and i duck my head down, blushing slightly. "I can't believe you did this for me."

My boyfriend places his chin on my shoulder. "How could i not? Look at you, Han. You're breathtaking."

Blood pulses through my veins hot and heavy. I meet Sehun's eyes in the mirror and everything is just so damn clear. This is where i belong. This is what i want. There's no more uncertainty about my future or what path I'll take. As long as it leads me to Sehun, I'll take it.

"Who is in need of my services?" Baekhyun breezes into the room in usual fashion, but halts when his eyes find mine in the mirror and his lips part in surprise. "Damn."

I smile shyly and Sehun removes himself from my back, allowing me to turn towards the other. "Any chance you'd be willing to put some eyeliner on me?"

Baekhyun's pupils dilate in sheer happiness and he doesn't even hesitate to bounce over to me, taking my hand and leading me to his makeup table. It's a bit awkward and uncomfortable, but by the time the sassy man finishes his work, he steps back and a satisfied smirk pulls from his lips.

"Fuck." I hear and turn my head to find Sehun staring at me with a helpless, distraught expression. "Baek, you didn't have to be so thorough."

Baekhyun smirks devilishly and winks at me, but refuses to acknowledge the youngers complaints and he blows a kiss at me and zips out of the room just as fast as he had entered. That man will do great things.

I prepare myself and glance over to the mirror, gasping at the person that stares back at me. Clearly Baekhyun wasn't happy with a simple eyeliner look, he had to go full smoky eye. I can't exactly blame him though when i see the way it pulls attention to my eyes and makes them look striking, daring. I stand and make my way over to the full length mirror. I suck in a sharp breathe and place a hand on my stomach. Gods, I've never felt this confident before. I've never felt this sexy.

I find Yixing and Tao's gazes in the mirror, also looking slightly surprised. It feels good. Excessively good.

"Time to get back to work." I say, boldness running through my veins.

Sehun catches my wrist before i can reach the curtain that separates the dressing room from the main floor. "Lu, are you sure... we're... it's kind of busy."

A smirk pulls at my lips and power courses through my veins. "Damn sure."

An expression of understanding and then pride settles over his features and he nods at me, letting go of my wrist. I glance over at Yixing and Tao, who give me similar expressions and encouraging smiles and nods.

I raise my chin and pull my shoulders back, then push the curtain aside.

>>>>

Chickens!!!

Hey, guys. This thing is a monster, isn't it? I got a bit carried away with that smut scene, so it ended up a bit longer than i was intending, but like... I'm not really mad about it? Actually, I'm kind of impressed with myself over that smut. I hope you guys enjoyed it too.

Um, I'm not really in the best place to talk about details. The whole Kyungsoo enlistment things has got me kind of not doing okay. I'll push through and I'll wait for him like the supportive, loyal military wife i am now, but... these past couple of days have not been easy. So i hope you can excuse my silence and despondence... i just need a bit of time right now.

Anyways, I'll see you in the next chapter. XiuChen is up next. I don't know when I'll be able to get that up. I'm about to move back to the USA and over the next month I'll be packing and getting things in order. I'll try to get one more chapter out before that, but please be patient if i can't.

Oh, also, major shoutout to the lovely @Eean_Hyll for making the new "When It Gets Complicated" cover art!! i really do love the new look and am so pleased with how well it came out. Thank you again!! Kisses!!

I love you guys so much and i really do appreciate your love and support more than i can ever articulate. Thank you all!!

~M~