✓ SOUR SWEETHEARTS | JAKE

28 - Tempting Fate

That day, Y/N didn't go home. She stayed at Jake's place, and as they lay together in the dimly lit room, wrapped in each other's arms, the rain continued to pour outside. It was as if the heavens themselves wept for the pain and secrets that had been revealed that day.

"It's really you, angel," He whispered, overwhelmed with disbelief and pain. Was the world so keen on mocking them, he wondered, by bringing Y/N back into his life only to make their lives even more complicated? He gently brushed a strand of hair away from Y/N's face, his fingers tracing the contours of her features as if committing them to memory. It was surreal, the way destiny had brought them back together after all these years.

"Yes, Jake. It's really me." She nestled closer to him, letting his warmth wash away her pain. "I never thought I'd find you again, not after all this time."

Jake pulled her closer as if to reassure both of them that this moment was real, that it wasn't just a figment of their imagination. "I never thought that years later, my first love would be the same annoying neighbor that I couldn't get out of my head," He chuckled softly, his lips curving into a bittersweet smile. "I guess some things never change."

Y/N's fingers traced slow circles on his chest, playfully nudging his side. "I'm not annoying. I'm just... unforgettable."

"Can I kiss you?" His voice was barely a whisper, wondering if the moment was truly right. But he wanted her, he needed to feel her lips against his, to reaffirm that this was real, that she was real. When Y/N responded by leaning in closer, her lips meeting his in a gentle kiss, he wasted no time and pulled her on top of him, making her straddle his lap. Their kiss deepened, becoming more passionate as if they were trying to make up for all the lost time.

"Jake, I never stopped thinking about you," Y/N admitted between breathless kisses. Her hands moved from his chest to cradle his face, her thumbs gently caressing his cheeks as their lips met again and again.

His fingers traced a path down her spine, sending shivers through her body. He broke the kiss for a moment, his dark eyes locking onto hers, filled with desire and vulnerability, as if he were baring his soul to her. "Angel, I've carried the memory of that summer with you, of our time in Jeju, in my heart all these years. I could never forget you." His words brought a bittersweet smile to Y/N's lips. She leaned in to kiss him once more, this time with a hunger that matched his own.

Jake's hands continued their exploration, tracing the lines of her back, the curve of her waist, and the softness of her hips. Y/N's breath hitched as his fingertips danced along her skin, setting her skin on fire. Their clothes were distracted in haste and the two of them became one in the dimly lit room. Y/N's hands roamed his muscular frame, rediscovering the familiar territory that had haunted her dreams and made her feel complete once more. They gasped for breath and whispered sweet promises and confessions as if it was as natural as breathing, as if there was only the undeniable truth that they were meant to be together.

But he knew they were getting soaked in the rain and they were only smiling through the pain. It didn't matter. He was planning on making her fall in love with him so deeply she couldn't remember a time before him. So hard she couldn't bring herself to forget about him or let him go. So when she realizes that his father was the man behind her parent's death, she wouldn't be able to turn away from him, even though the truth would shatter her world.

Was it selfish? It indeed was. But love often walked hand in hand with selfishness and Jake was willing to embrace that selfishness if it meant keeping Y/N by his side.

By the time the rain stopped pouring outside, Jake and Y/N were wrapped in a warm blanket while she rested her head against his chest. "I never thought 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer' meant having you in my bed." His words made her stir and look up at him with sleepy, tired eyes. Then her gaze softened, and she let out a contented sigh as she nestled closer to him. 

"Am I your enemy, Jake?" 

He chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through his chest and into her ear, as she lay against him, his fingers still gently combing through her hair. "No, angel, no" He whispered, his lips brushing against her forehead. "You could never be my enemy. You're someone I never want to lose."

She slightly pulled away and turned to him, propping on her arms. "You won't. But you'll have to promise you won't push me away."

"I promise I won't," He held her hand and intertwined their pinkies. "Pinky promise. And if a day ever comes when you doubt me, when you question everything, just remember this moment, remember us in this cozy little space, and know that my love for you is real. Promise me that you'll remember that I really, really love you so much. I'm gloomy and boring and sometimes messed up, but I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you."

She smiled a little, looking into his beautiful, deep eyes. "I promise. And, for the record, you're not gloomy or boring. You're just... complicated, like the rest of us. But that's what makes you, you, Jake."

"I love it when you call my name." He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and she tilted her head.

"Jake? Or Jaeyun?" 

A soft, genuine laugh escaped Jake's lips. "Both," he replied with a warm smile. "But when you say 'Jaeyun,' it feels like you're the only one who truly knows me, and that means the world to me."

"Jaeyun it is then," Her cheeks reddened at a thought that crossed her mind. "My Jaeyun." His heart skipped a beat at those words, and he held her even closer, letting her wrap her arms around him. 

In that dimly lit room, Y/N thought no storm could ever extinguish their flame. But oh Gosh, how thinking that love, that promise, could protect them from every storm was such a beautiful yet naive thought. How that simple thought tempted fate.