Archive of Our Own

Warm smoke fills Jinyoung’s lungs as he takes another drag of his cigarette. It’s his fifth one today and it’s not even 10 AM, which doesn’t exactly bode well for how the rest of the day will go. He’s not smoking because he’s stressed, because he’s not stressed, not really. Not like some of the morons at this school, all obsessed with grades and college and dating and what have you. But he’s stressed enough. High school isn’t exactly easy for someone like him. The fact that this is his second time doing senior year could be a point in his favour. Or it could be very much the opposite.

“We’re gonna be late,” Yugyeom says from beside him, even though when Jinyoung looks his way, he sees Yugyeom take out a fresh cigarette from his pack.

Jinyoung takes the last few drags of his cigarette, holding back a cough against the harshness that comes with smoking it right down to the filter. Yugyeom is too preoccupied with puffing on his own as quickly as he can before they head inside to notice, at least. The last thing Jinyoung wants is Yugyeom thinking he doesn’t know how to inhale properly, like one of those preppy kids Jinyoung hates.

“Richardson’ll have my ass if I’m late again,” Jinyoung says as he starts walking toward the front door of the school, hands tucked into the pockets of his leather jacket. Yugyeom’s footsteps follow, and judging from the sound of his irregular pace, his friend is trying out a new walk again.

“Whad’you care about Richardson?”

“I’m not repeating senior year a third time, moron,” Jinyoung throws over his shoulder with a sneer. “Besides, I can’t get detention tonight. I’m seeing Cindy.”

Yugyeom reaches his side and nudges him with a too-sharp elbow. “Cindy, eh?” He lets out a low whistle. “Didn’t you fool around at Zekner’s party last weekend?”

“Yeah, so what?”

With a shrug, Yugyeom replies, “Just not like you to go back for seconds, unless. . .” He trails off, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively. “You guys go all the way last time?”

Jinyoung smirks and pops the collar of his jacket. “You know it.”

They reach the doors to the school and Yugyeom groans as he pushes one open hastily, uncaring of anyone who might be walking on the other side.

“How’d you get so lucky with girls?” Yugyeom asks incredulously, the frustration and hint of envy coming through in his words. Jinyoung knows it stems from years of chasing Bambi with very little luck. If Jinyoung had been chasing one girl for that long, he would probably feel the same.

“Some of us are just naturals.” He shrugs and grins at Yugyeom, whipping out the pocket-sized comb he keeps handy and smoothing back the sides of his greased-up hair.

They both laugh as they stroll into class, which has already started and Richardson is standing at the chalkboard looking like a ripe tomato. Yugyeom mumbles some excuse about coming from the school nurse and Richardson thankfully lets it go. Small mercies.

Jinyoung slumps into his seat at the back of the class, in the corner beside the window, inclining his head at Jaebeom and Youngjae already sitting in the desks beside his. He begins fiddling with a loose piece of wood on the desk. By now, almost a full corner of his desk has been chipped away, which just goes to show how he feels about history class.

His gaze wanders out the window, as it tends to do when he’s bored. He’s silently thankful that, even though he was late, Richardson didn’t put up a fight when he claimed his favourite spot.

Outside, some of the senior girls are having gym class, as they always do this time of the day. Today, they’re playing soccer.

At times like these, Jinyoung is grateful for the tiny gym uniforms the school makes them wear. On him and his friends, they’re mortifying, and is why Jinyoung uses every excuse he can to get out of gym class. But on the girls, those same tiny red t-shirts and white shorts are a gift.

As they run around the field, Jinyoung has to close his mouth to keep from drooling. Everything bounces. Those tiny shorts cut so high on their legs Jinyoung can envision what their asses look like underneath. The t-shirts are small, hugging the curves of their breasts and small waists. His jeans feeling tight all of a sudden, Jinyoung shifts in his seat.

It doesn’t matter that Jinyoung’s already slept with most of these girls. The others, he has no interest in sleeping with, despite how so many of them want him—a fact that sometimes still baffles him. Even though he’s got a reputation, it’s never stopped them from saying yes to him whenever he asks.

Jinyoung is about to look back to the front of the class—where Richardson is talking about some war that happened probably a thousand years ago and is no doubt spitting all over the front row as he does it—but something outside catches his eye.

It’s a girl, of course, because there are only girls on the field, but this one is different than the rest. She’s smaller than most, yet that doesn’t seem to stop her as she races around the field, deftly dribbling around the players of the opposite team. Her long brown hair is loose, flowing behind her in the wind as she runs. It’s only when she scores and starts jumping in celebration that Jinyoung’s eyes finally land on her body.

Her t-shirt is one of last year’s versions, Jinyoung can tell because it has the school crest on the left side instead of the right, and is at least two sizes too small for the large, round breasts that threaten to burst through its seams. His eyes trail down, down, past her trim waist, until they reach the tight white shorts that hug every inch of the girl’s sizeable ass and thighs.

Jinyoung swears under his breath. How has he never seen this girl before? He’s confident he’s never slept with her—he would remember a body like that—but the school isn’t huge and Jinyoung thought he already knew every fuckable girl within a ten-mile radius.

“Psst,” Jinyoung hisses and kicks the chair in front of him, “Jaebeom.”

Jaebeom whips around with a blank expression on his face, the unlit cigarette in his mouth almost falling out from the force of his turn.

“What?” he mumbles around the small stick between his lips.

“Who’s that new chick?” Jinyoung whispers, nodding his head at the girl he’s been watching.

Following his eye line, Jaebeom removes the cigarette from his mouth and grins. “Don’t you remember Jackie?”

“Jackie Wang?”

Jaebeom nods. “She’s changed a lot. Just got back from an exchange in Australia for, like, the last year.” He gazes out the window, impressed. “The other side of the world really did her good, huh?”

Did it ever. Hearing her name again, Jinyoung realizes he does know Jackie. They’d been at the same school for years and their friend groups had some overlap. Jaebeom was madly in love with one of Jackie’s best friends, Marky. Meanwhile, Youngjae and Yugyeom had been fighting over the other one, Bambi, for as long as Jinyoung could remember.

Jackie herself had never been much of a looker. Too-large teeth, messy hair, flat ass, and tits that might as well have been inverted. It’s not unbelievable that Jinyoung hadn’t noticed she’d been gone for a year. Before today, Jinyoung had never looked twice at her.

“Jeez,” Jinyoung murmurs as Jackie celebrates another goal by jumping up and down again, the hem of her shirt lifting to expose a few inches of gorgeous golden skin, no doubt a lingering tan from the hot Australian sun. “She’s really somethin’.”

“Somethin’ you’ll never get.”

Youngjae’s joined them in looking out the window now, leaning over Jinyoung’s desk to get a proper look and filling Jinyoung’s nose with his cheap cologne. Jinyoung shoves him back to his seat.

“Yeah? And why’s that?”

“She’s saving it,” Youngjae says with a knowing look, his lips curling around the word “it”.

“No way,” Jaebeom interjects, waving a dismissive hand at Youngjae. “I heard she’s been fooling around a lot.”

“We hooked up on Saturday,” Yugyeom pipes up, nodding.

“But did she give it up?” Youngjae shoots to him, unimpressed.

Yugyeom’s brows twitch in confusion. “Well, no, but maybe she just—”

“Maybe she just nothin’.” Youngjae takes out his pocket comb and smooths back his hair. “Same thing happened to me. She’s fast, yeah, but she doesn’t let you get very far.”

“You’re both morons,” Jinyoung says, rolling his eyes. “She’d go all the way for me.”

“You think so?”

Youngjae is smirking when Jinyoung looks at him again. A challenge.

“Yeah.” Jinyoung resists the urge to puff out his chest. “I do.”

“Let’s make it interesting, yeah?”

Now Youngjae has his attention, and Jinyoung meets his gaze head-on.

Yugyeom looks between them. “Wait, you wanna make a wager that Jinyoung’s gonna take Jackie’s. . .?” He makes a less than subtle gesture that easily conveys what he means.

“Why not?” Youngjae grins again.

“I don’t like competing,” Jinyoung says hesitantly, frowning.

Jaebeom snorts. “You don’t mind competing when we’re racing down at Tiger Road.”

“He’s just being a pussy.” Youngjae gives Jinyoung a shove. “Don’t worry, I’m not competing with you, I just don’t think you can do it.”

That changes things—kinda. Jinyoung doesn’t want to go up against one of his friends, it makes things messy. Sure, he has a pretty good track record, but Youngjae’s own is nothing to scoff at.

“Fine,” Jinyoung sighs. It’ll be easier if he does what Youngjae wants, his friend is too relentless for his own good. “What do I get if I win?”

“Isn’t going all the way with Jackie enough of a prize?” Jaebeom asks.

“Shut up, Beom,” Youngjae snaps, then turns to Jinyoung. “My ride.”

Jaebeom and Yugyeom both gasp. Jinyoung would’ve too if he didn’t always have control of his reactions at school. He narrows his eyes at Youngjae.

“And the same for me if you win?”

Youngjae nods.

“What’s the deadline?”

Smiling, Youngjae pretends to think about it. “I’ll give you until graduation.”

Graduation. That was months from now. If Jinyoung couldn’t get in Jackie’s pants by then, he’d have far worse problems than losing his car to Youngjae. Was Youngjae an idiot? Or did he really doubt Jinyoung that much?

Either way, it would be stupid to pass up on a sure thing like this. Because Jinyoung was certain it was a sure thing.

“You got yourself a deal.”

Jinyoung finally manages to talk to Jackie after school that day.

He’d been thinking about her for the rest of his classes—both the ones he went to and the ones he skipped in favour of smoking with Jaebeom behind the dumpsters. Thinking about a girl wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary for him, but there was an added layer to it this time that made Jinyoung more on edge than usual. Perhaps it was having the bet with Youngjae, the added pressure of proving himself now that the situation had higher stakes than he was used to.

By the time Jinyoung sees Jackie close enough to talk to her, he and the guys are in the parking lot checking out the new car Yugyeom had just bought from his uncle and was going to fix up. It’s a piece of junk right now, but Yugyeom is good with cars. He’ll figure it out. For now, though, the rest of the guys take turns ragging on the kid for spending money on a heap of scrap metal and wheels.

It’s during a particularly heated point of the conversation when Jaebeom has Yugyeom in a headlock for comparing Jaebeom’s mother to the pile of junk, that the girls walk by.

The wind seems to blow a little stronger as Jackie approaches, her long wavy hair tied into a tight ponytail and tied with a white ribbon. She isn’t in her gym uniform now, and as much as Jinyoung would have loved to get a closer look at Jackie in such a revealing outfit, the one she wears now still makes his heart race.

She wears a light blue short-sleeved shirt, the buttons at the centre straining to hold her large breasts underneath. The shirt is tucked into a matching blue poodle skirt, a white belt separating them and cinching her waist tightly. A white silk scarf is tied around her neck, and Jinyoung notices her kitten-heeled shoes are white too.

The bluest sky on the clearest day had never looked so beautiful.

The guys quiet down as the girls pass them. Jaebeom releases Yugyeom from his hold and they all bring out their combs quickly to fix their hair—and have something to do with their hands. Not because they’re also taken aback by Jackie, but because Bambi and Marky are just as striking. Bambi is the tallest, her blonde hair cut short in a bob that accentuates her slender form. Marky is slightly shorter and more filled out than Bambi, but not as short or curvy as Jackie. As if the school didn’t already know the trio were inseparable, Bambi and Marky wear matching outfits to Jackie’s but in different colours—all of them with those same white neckties.

Beside him, Jinyoung can feel the heat coming off his friends. He feels it too as he leans against the hood of Yugyeom’s car and takes a long drag of his cigarette.

“Looking good, ladies,” Yugyeom calls to them, and the others snicker.

Jinyoung isn’t sure what kind of reaction Yugyeom was going for, but it works to at least get the girls’ attention. They exchange bashful glances and smile in the guys’ direction, whispering to each other. If only Jinyoung could hear what they were saying.

As Marky whispers something to Jackie, Jackie’s eyes flit to Jinyoung and his breath catches in his throat. He forces himself to smile, but with the cigarette in his mouth he can only manage a half one. Hopefully it looked more attractive than it felt. Jackie giggles and turns back to Marky as they continue on.

“Go after her!” Youngjae whispers with a laugh, shoving Jinyoung forward to follow them.

Jinyoung stumbles but quickly regains his balance before the girls notice. Hearing the guys laughing behind him, he hardens his resolve. He trots a few steps to swing around the front of the girls, stopping them in their tracks.

“Hiya, Jackie.” Jinyoung drops his cigarette on the ground and stomps it out with his shoe, then smiles broadly and gives Jackie an obvious once-over.

Bambi and Marky stare daggers at him. To her credit, Jackie doesn’t seem phased.

“Do I know you?” she asks politely, her head tilted slightly. The movement shifts the scarf around her neck and Jinyoung can see the edge of what looks like a faded hickey underneath.

With a laugh, Jinyoung takes a step closer. “We’ve been in the same school for years, Jackie, don’t be like that.” Only a few feet apart now, Jinyoung is hit with the scent of Jackie’s perfume. It smells like fruit and his mom’s garden.

Jackie grins widely. “I’m only teasing,” she says, her eyes dancing with mischief. “Jinyoung, right?”

“Yeah.” Jinyoung returns her smile and steps closer again, pleased she remembers his name. From this height and angle, he can see a small flash of cleavage beneath the neckline of her shirt. Trying not to stare, he looks at the other two girls. “I, uh, think Jaebeom was looking for you, Marky. Why don’t you girls go say hi?”

Marky’s eyes narrow and Bambi rolls hers, but they walk away anyway.

“Why’d you ask my friends to leave?” Jackie asks innocently, looking up at Jinyoung from beneath her long, mascaraed lashes.

Jinyoung gives her his best smoulder. “So I can talk to you alone.”

“And why’d you wanna do that?” Jackie blinks twice.

“Jeez, Jackie, you writing a book or somethin’?” Jinyoung laughs and shifts on his feet, then changes the subject before Jackie can pester him with more questions. “I heard you just got back from Australia.”

Jackie’s eyes brighten at that. “I did! It’s such a beautiful country.”

“Looks like you brought some of that beauty back here,” Jinyoung says with a smooth grin. “I barely recognized you.”

A light blush fills Jackie’s cheeks and she laughs. The sound brings a genuine smile to Jinyoung’s face before he even realizes what’s happening.

“Hey, let me take you out sometime.”

Jinyoung hadn’t meant to ask the question so quickly, but the words burst out of him before he can stop it.

Jackie smiles widely, then says, “I don’t think so.”

Confused, Jinyoung just blinks as Jackie starts walking past him.

“Wait a second!” Jinyoung scrambles to catch up as she quickens her pace. “Why not?”

Jackie whips around, a wicked grin on her red lips. “Like you said, we’ve been at school together for years, but you’ve never even talked to me before today.”

“Exactly,” Jinyoung replies quickly, “I’m trying to make up for lost time, here.”

“Or you’re only noticing me because I’m hot now.”

Jinyoung fumbles over his words and covers it up with a forced laugh. “Don’t you think that’s a little conceited?”

Shrugging, Jackie replies, “It’s true, isn’t it?”

He couldn’t exactly argue with that. “No way,” Jinyoung lies. “It’s just, uh, a big school, y’know? You can’t expect me to be friends with everyone.”

“Just the pretty girls.” Jackie starts walking again.

“Well, hey, isn’t that a compliment?” Jinyoung insists, following her. She walks quickly for someone with such tiny legs.

When Jackie still doesn’t acknowledge him, Jinyoung adds, “Oh, come on, Jackie, go out with me.” He grabs her hand and, at the contact, Jackie at last stops and turns, staring intently at him. When she doesn’t pull her hand away, Jinyoung feels a spark of hope. “One date.”

Jackie takes a deep breath, her breasts heaving with the motion. Jinyoung silently praises himself for not staring.

“Fine.”

Jinyoung didn’t actually expect that to work. “Really?”

Now Jackie takes her hand back. “If it’ll get you off my back, yeah,” she replies sassily, but there’s a lightness to her tone and facial expression that gives Jinyoung a kick of adrenaline.

“Cool,” Jinyoung says with effortful calm, smoothing down his hair with his comb to regain his composure. “I’ll pick you up tonight.” Before Jackie can change her mind, Jinyoung turns and strides back to his friends, taking extra care to make sure his walk looks cool. Just in case she’s watching.

When Jinyoung reaches the group again, Jaebeom and Marky are all but making out against the side of Yugyeom’s car, Jaebeom pressed against her and kissing her neck as she giggles and pretends to push him away. Bambi is lying on the hood of the car, looking very unimpressed at both Yugyeom and Youngjae, who are each clearly trying and failing to keep her attention.

When Jinyoung approaches, the guys whoop and holler at him. He grins, splaying his arms out in triumph.

“What’d she say?” Yugyeom asks eagerly.

Jinyoung pops a cigarette in his mouth and lights it. “We’re going out tonight,” he says after he takes a long, dramatic pull.

The guys cheer again, Jaebeom tearing himself away from Marky long enough to nudge him suggestively. Bambi says something about the guys being creeps and pulls Marky away, probably to find Jackie.

“I thought you were seeing Cindy tonight,” Yugyeom says with a low voice as they leave.

Whoops, he’d forgotten about that. He shrugs. “I’ll blow her off.”

“But you already went all the way with Cindy,” Yugyeom insists. “She’s a sure thing!”

“Cindy’s old news.” Jinyoung waves a hand, then winks. “Besides, Jackie might end up being a sure thing too.”

“Bambi’s right, you are a creep,” Jaebeom says, though he’s laughing too much to really mean it. “Marky’s talked a lot about Jackie. She’s not like other broads, y’know. She’ll see right through you.”

Jinyoung stamps out his cigarette with his foot.

“We’ll see about that.”

Jinyoung takes Jackie to the burger joint most of the school frequents. It’s a safe choice for a first date, and a great way to start one since Jinyoung’s always found girls to be more game for fooling around when they’ve eaten.

At the restaurant, they make small talk about how she’s settling back into being at home, the classes each of them are taking, and their plans for after graduation. Jinyoung is delighted to hear that Jackie’s year abroad had actually delayed her graduation by a year. Not only does that make them the same age now, but if she hadn’t gone on her exchange, she would have already been in college now. And if Jinyoung hadn’t failed those three classes, he would be too (maybe). It seemed like the timing was working perfectly in their favour.

Mostly, though, Jinyoung spends the date trying not to stare at the low, scooping neckline of Jackie’s button-down, which is doing a very poor job of hiding her cleavage. Jackie didn’t change after school, but she did take her hair down, and it now rests beautifully around her shoulders.

“. . . and it’s not like I’m a kid anymore, y’know?” Jackie rattles on between bites of her burger, which looks extra gigantic in her small, dainty hands. “I mean, I’m eighteen now! My parents are just being stupid.”

Jinyoung nods, trying to remember what she’s been talking about. Something about overprotective parents and college, he thinks.

“Parents are stupid,” he replies with a shrug. A safe response.

Jackie laughs. “You’re right!” She takes a drink of her strawberry milkshake, her lipstick leaving a red line on the straw as she does. “Gosh, I’d forgotten how good the milkshakes are here!” She groans and takes another sip.

“Can I try?” Jinyoung asks, his eyes still on Jackie’s lips.

With a raised brow, Jackie crosses her arms, a movement that pushes her breasts together. God help him. “You’ve never tried a strawberry milkshake before?”

“Never,” Jinyoung lies. His favourite flavour is strawberry, actually, but when Jackie ordered one for herself, Jinyoung opted for the chocolate to give himself this exact opportunity.

Jackie seems to believe the lie—at least, she doesn’t call him out on it—but she still hesitates as she looks from her straw to his face and back.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared of germs?” Jinyoung teases, leaning in closer. “Or do you still think boys have cooties?”

Jackie scoffs in feigned offense, then pointedly slides her milkshake forward. “Go right ahead.”

Smiling, Jinyoung pulls the glass toward him the rest of the way, then slowly lowers his lips to her straw, right where her lipstick mark is. The milkshake is thick and sweet, just as he knew it would be from drinking it for so many years. When he finishes and looks up again, he finds Jackie watching his mouth.

“Greedy!” Jackie protests, her voice becoming a little nasal and whiny. “You drank so much!”

Jinyoung simply pushes his own milkshake across the table, a silent peace offering. Grinning, Jackie accepts the olive branch and drinks deeply from his glass, not stopping until the milkshake is almost gone.

“Now look who’s greedy.”

Jackie takes another sip for emphasis, then laughs brightly, that gorgeous sound filling Jinyoung’s ears for the second time today. The milkshake is almost at its dregs now, but Jinyoung doesn’t care at all. Jackie could have the rest of it if she wants. And then he’d buy her ten more.

“That’ll teach you to be more polite when you’re sharing drinks.”

“I’m learning so much from you.”

“If only I’d been here last year to tutor you,” Jackie says with a dramatic sigh, “maybe you wouldn’t have failed all those classes.”

Now it’s Jinyoung’s turn to laugh. “So you’ll tutor me this year?”

Jackie blinks, then smiles. “I’ll have to think about that.”

“What’s there to think about?”

She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. “If you’re worth the effort.”

Jinyoung smiles. “Let me know when you figure that out, kid.”

There a moment of quiet and Jinyoung feels a growing tension between them, hot and magnetizing. Suddenly, the ice cream parlor feels too crowded, too full of watchful eyes.

“Wanna go for a drive?” he asks, and Jackie smiles.

It’s only once Jinyoung stops the car a few houses away from Jackie’s—now that he knew Jackie’s parents were a little overprotective, he figured it would be best if they didn’t see him dropping her off—that he realizes he didn’t make a move on Jackie all night. On typical dates, he’d take girls to Ruby Point or the drive-in, both prime make-out spots. Instead, they’d just driven around and talked and driven some more. Jinyoung wondered why the thought hadn’t occurred to him. Was he not as attracted to Jackie as he’d thought?

“I actually had a really nice time tonight.”

Jinyoung turns to see Jackie shyly tucking a stray piece of curled hair behind her ear and biting her bottom lip. No, he’s definitely just as attracted to her as he’d thought. Probably more so.

“Do you have to sound so surprised?”

The sound of Jackie’s answering laugh pulls Jinyoung closer, as if by some invisible force.

“You shouldn’t have drank from my straw,” Jackie says smugly, her eyes darting to Jinyoung’s lips. “You’ve got my lipstick on your mouth.”

Clearly she was trying to embarrass him by the comment, because she wears a satisfied grin on her perfect lips, but it has the opposite effect on Jinyoung. He leans even closer now, watching as Jackie sucks in a small breath.

“I like having your lipstick on my mouth.”

Jackie doesn’t stop him when Jinyoung leans close enough to graze their lips together. It’s a gentle kiss, softer and more tender than Jinyoung has ever had before. But it feels right. Jackie feels right. Her lips are as plump and full as they look, and she tastes like a mix of chocolate and strawberry milkshakes. Jinyoung feels his head spin and he grips the steering wheel firmly with his left hand to keep himself from falling against her.

He only pulls away when he realizes he’s been holding his breath, but he doesn’t go far. The warmth from Jackie’s body fills him with a resounding heat that settles deep inside him. Unable to help himself, Jinyoung leans in again to kiss her once more.

Before he can close the distance between them, Jackie breathes out, “I should go.”

Her wide eyes scream with the opposite desire and Jinyoung sees that look for what it is. Still, he doesn’t push. An odd change in behaviour for him, but he chooses not to think about it too long.

“Okay,” he says, and sits upright in his seat again. “See you Monday?”

Jackie almost looks disappointed. “Yeah,” she says quietly, wiping the edge of her lip where her makeup has smudged. “See you Monday.”

It’s only once Jinyoung drives away that he realizes he’d forgotten all about the bet.

The pep rally is in full swing by the time Jinyoung, Jaebeom, Youngjae, and Yugyeom arrive. In fact, it’s about an hour from being over. But if they’d come any earlier, they would’ve been just like the preppy students and the other kids who actually care about school. Not exactly good for their reputations to be lumped in with those squares.

Teachers usually wonder why Jinyoung and his greaser friends show up to pep rallies at all, given their total lack of school spirit. They’re not wrong in that respect, but they don’t understand that pep rallies offer some other, exciting opportunities.

Mainly the cheerleaders.

Thanks to Jaebeom’s insider knowledge from Marky, the guys knew that the cheerleaders did routines throughout the pep rally, but their last and biggest performance was near the end. After that, the pep rally transitioned into more of a party than an organized school function, so they’d at least be able to hang out with the girls.

And so, Jinyoung and his friends arrive just in time to see the cheerleaders twirling and jumping and dancing around in their tight white sweaters and red skirts. Jinyoung’s eyes scan the group of bouncing girls until his eyes find Jackie, who is wearing a grin as bright as the floodlights in the field around her and waving her sparkly red pom-poms around wildly. Her long hair is pulled back into a high ponytail and tied with a red scrunchie. As was the case with her gym uniform, Jackie’s cheerleading uniform fits particularly more scandalously on her than on the other girls. Some of the more uptight teachers stare, horrified, as they watch Jackie flip and vault in her too-tight sweater and too-short skirt, smiling widely and completely oblivious to the inappropriateness of her outfit.

Jinyoung stares too, but for a somewhat different reason than the teachers.He knows he isn’t alone, at least, because the rest of the guys had all stopped in their tracks once the cheerleaders came into view.

“Here,” Youngjae whispers, pushing a small flask into Jinyoung’s hand, “you’re gonna need this.”

Without a reply, Jinyoung takes a long swig and has to hold back his wince. Curse Youngjae for always bringing vodka, Jinyoung is more of a bourbon or whiskey guy. But Youngjae’s dad is a vodka drinker, which means that’s all Youngjae can get his hands on.

Jinyoung passes the flask to Jaebeom after, who is still staring, slack-jawed, at the cheerleaders. No doubt at Marky, who, as captain of the squad, is dead-centre of the group and doing a very impressive flip with Jackie and Bambi as spotters.

“Beom,” Jinyoung whispers as he pushes the flask against Jaebeom’s side.

No movement.

“Jaebeom,” Jinyoung says again, louder, punctuating it with a sharp nudge of his elbow.

Jaebeom flinches and finally seems to notice Jinyoung. He nods dumbly and takes the flask from Jinyoung’s hand, before chugging what seems like half of it. He winces and coughs, like a wimp, and then hands it to Yugyeom.

“You’re so whipped for Marky,” Youngjae laughs at him, clearly having watched the whole exchange.

“He’s been like that ever since they went all the way the first time,” Yugyeom chimes in.

“At least my girl likes me back,” Jaebeom retorts bitterly. “You two have been fighting over Bambi forever and she’s no closer to picking one of you now than she was a year ago.”

Youngjae shrugs. “She’s a good lay.”

“Yeah, not like Virgin Mary over there,” Yugyeom snickers, inclining his head at Jackie.

“Hey, you leave Jackie out of this,” Jinyoung snaps, pushing up his sleeves in the universal sign of getting ready for a fight.

“Don’t come at me because your girl’s a prude,” Yugyeom laughs, his hands raised in surrender. Yugyeom was never a fighter.

Jinyoung crosses his arms and grumbles, “She’s not a prude.”

“Then why haven’t you slept with her yet?” Yugyeom challenges. “It’s been almost a month since you went out the first time.”

“Yeah, why haven’t you slept with her yet?” Youngjae pipes up, grinning all wide and wicked. “Maybe we should end the bet here, she’s too smart to fall for your moves.”

That wasn’t exactly the problem. Though Jackie was smarter than any of the girls Jinyoung had slept with before, she still fell for most of his moves. The problem was that she always stopped him before things got too far. They made out a lot in the backseat of Jinyoung’s car, and she wouldn’t protest at all when Jinyoung squeezed her tits or ass—hell, she seemed to really like it—but the moment he tried to hike up her skirts, that was it. Jackie would giggle and push his hand away and tell him she wasn’t ready. And Jinyoung, playing the gentleman, wouldn’t push her. If he wanted to win the bet—which Youngjae had begun teasing him about daily, making it impossible for him to forget about it again—Jinyoung would have to be patient. The last thing he wanted to do was push her and end up scaring her off for good.

It was the longest he’d hooked up with someone without having sex, which was weird for him. But what was weirder was that Jinyoung didn’t mind.

See, Jinyoung was having fun with Jackie these past few weeks. Going out for ice cream, walking along the boardwalk, driving around town in Jinyoung’s car. Talking. Laughing. It was just. . . fun.

But the guys didn’t need to know that.

“I’m taking my time,” Jinyoung finally replies, forcing a sly grin on his face. “I’ll have her begging for it by the end.”

Youngjae scoffs, then mumbles something about buying a snack for Bambi for when she’s done her routine. Yugyeom quickly follows him, never wanting to give Youngjae an opportunity to one-up him in front of Bambi.

“These girls, man,” Jaebeom says, patting Jinyoung comfortingly on the shoulder while staring at Marky, who was currently standing at the top of the pyramid with one leg lifted beside her head, “they’re dangerous.”

As the music comes to a crescendo and Jackie lands in a middle split in front of the pyramid, Jinyoung can’t help but agree.

Jackie moans as Jinyoung sucks a mark at the base of her neck, his hands roaming along her body. When he passes them over her large breasts, he squeezes, the soft fabric of her cheerleader’s sweater thankfully thin enough for him to feel more of her than he’d expected. There is an answering tightness in his pants and a tingle of eagerness in his extremities.

He kisses her again, long and deep, exploring her mouth with his tongue and tasting every inch of it. The vodka makes his blood thrum and his head dizzy, and he knows he’s being sloppier, more aggressive than usual. His conversation earlier with the guys didn’t help, and neither do the ridiculously sexy noises Jackie makes in response to each point of contact between them.

They’ve been here before, many times. Jinyoung loves it, and he thinks Jackie does too, their bodies pressed together and their mouths interlocked. But tonight, Jinyoung wants more. And oh, does he want it.

Jackie keeps telling him she’s not ready. He knows that. He understands it. He even respects it. But maybe it will be different tonight. Maybe tonight will be the night.

In a desperate, careless attempt to catch her unaware, Jinyoung sneaks one hand under Jackie’s skirt and slides it along her full thigh. The skin is warm and slightly sweaty from cheerleading for hours before this. Or perhaps from the heat that’s accumulated in the car during the past twenty minutes of their make-out session. Either way, it’s incredibly hot, and Jinyoung bites his lip to keep from letting out a really embarrassing noise as he slides his hand higher.

Jackie, though, really is too smart for him. Or maybe he’s just sloppier than he realizes, because as soon as Jinyoung reaches the fabric of what Jinyoung guesses is her underwear, his anticipation climbing with each stroke of his fingers, Jackie starts to giggle.

“Now, now, Jinyoungie,” Jackie chides and swiftly grabs Jinyoung’s arm, “don’t you go getting any ideas.”

Jinyoung can’t hold back his groan of frustration. He was close, so close, and to have it end just like that is too much for his hormone-raddled brain to take.

“Come on, Jackie,” Jinyoung says, making his voice a little whinier to show how much he wants this. “When are you gonna go all the way with me?”

Jackie blinks. This is the first time he’s asked her outright and he’s clearly taken her by surprise. She recovers quickly, her features schooled into neutral.

“I’m not going to have sex in the backseat of a car at Ruby Point,” she says, unimpressed.

“Everybody does it at Ruby Point,” Jinyoung insists, gesturing to the many other cars parked around them various distances away, “it’s romantic.”

“It’s not romantic!” Jackie huffs and stubbornly sits upright, pushing Jinyoung off of her, though not very hard.

“You know it’ll be my first time, I just want it to be special,” she continues, her voice now taking on a dreamy quality. “With candles, and roses, and someone I’m in love with.”

Well, that was some new information. Jackie had always stopped him in the past, saying she didn’t want to do it yet, but she’d never said what she did want. What factors would contribute to helping Jinyoung succeed in his quest. He makes a mental note of each—candles, roses, and—

Hm.

Jinyoung isn’t sure how to handle that last one, so he uses his default strategy for any uncomfortable situation: deflection.

“What, you don’t love me?” he teases.

Clearly not having expected Jinyoung to focus on that one point, Jackie chuckles. “I want to be in love. You know, love and be loved back.”

“So you do love me?” Jinyoung asks, keeping his tone light, but his heart races at the thought. “You just don’t think I love you back?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t not say it.”

Jackie rolls her eyes. “We’re not having sex, Jinyoungie.”

“We’re not having sex tonight,” Jinyoung corrects with a pointed finger and boops Jackie on her pretty little nose. “S’okay, kid, I can be patient. I can wait until we’re in love.”

“Really?” Jackie raises a brow. She seems skeptical, but her eyes are bright.

Jinyoung nods. “But you have to do something for me.”

“And what is that?”

“Go steady with me.”

Jackie squints those giant eyes of hers. “So you can brag to your friends? Or do you think you’ll have a better shot at getting in my pants if you’re my boyfriend?”

“So I have a reason to beat up any dumb jock that flirts with you. After that show tonight, they’re gonna be all over you.” He brushes a sweat-dampened lock of hair away from her face. “Besides, how are we gonna fall in love if we’re not going steady, huh?”

Jackie chuckles then, at the touch or words, or maybe both. A pretty blush dances across her cheeks. “Fine, Jinyoungie, I’ll go steady with you.”

With a grin, Jinyoung kisses her again, something like relief flooding his body and the jitters he was feeling now finally fading. As always, he tries not to think too much about it.

“You’re pussying out?”

Youngjae looks far to smug for Jinyoung’s liking, but Jinyoung holds down his defiance.

“No,” he says calmly, “I just—"

“You’re pussying out.” Youngjae crosses his arms over his chest and grins.

Jinyoung grinds his teeth, resisting the urge to pummel Youngjae into the ground. “No, I just don’t want it to be a bet anymore.”

“So you’re still gonna try to fuck her.”

“I’m still gonna date her, yeah.” Jinyoung rolls his eyes.

Youngjae laughs loudly. “God, you’re as whipped as Jaebeom.”

“Am not.”

“Then why haven’t you fucked her yet?”

It’s a question Jinyoung has wondered himself many times in the last four months and thirteen days since he asked Jackie to go steady. Four months and thirteen days of no sex. Other stuff, sure, lots of other stuff. But no sex.

“She wants to wait,” Jinyoung replies with a shrug, using the most disinterested tone he can muster.

Youngjae makes a noise that suggests he doesn’t believe it for a second. “You convinced the president of the Chastity Club to let you fuck her in the teacher’s lounge.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t wanna be like that with Jackie.”

Every word of it is truth. Jackie isn’t like the other girls Jinyoung’s been with, and he doesn’t want her to be. He spent the last four years of high school fucking his way around without consideration for who he might have hurt along the way. But he doesn’t want to leave Jackie once they have sex like he did with all the rest. She isn’t some conquest, and her virginity certainly isn’t the prize of some pointless bet.

No, Jinyoung wants Jackie to have sex with him only when she wants to. When she feels comfortable and safe enough with him to take that big step, and he wants to be that person for her. He respects her wishes to wait until they’re in love, even though Jinyoung has no idea what love feels like or how to tell if they’re in it yet. It’s not like he’s ever been in love before, so how could he possibly know what to look for? For all he knows, it’s the way he never stops thinking about her, or the fact that her smile is enough to make him happy even after a long day of pointless school. Or how he wishes he’d never made this stupid bet with Youngjae at all.

Jinyoung glances up at Youngjae again to find his friend looking at him. Like really looking at him. He wonders how much of his thoughts Youngjae was able to see through just now.

“I kinda hate you like this,” Youngjae says, his voice less judgmental than Jinyoung’s ever heard it.

“Me too.”

The sound of the starting bell blares through the hallway as Jinyoung and Jaebeom walk through the front doors. Not into the building, as the bell would have them do, but out.

The annoying alarm is quickly replaced by the sounds of their shoes trudging through the many puddles that line the uneven stone walkway, fresh from the downpour that ended minutes ago. Jinyoung always hated that about spring. The buds blooming on the trees, the melting of snow, the birds’ incessant chirping—it’s nice and all, but not enough to make up for all the damn rain.

They saunter across the school grounds to the parking lot. Sauntering, because even though the post-rain chill makes them both shiver in their thin leather jackets, they don’t want it to look that way to anyone that might be watching. When they reach Jaebeom’s car, they relax a little, leaning against the doors as they each pull out a cigarette.

“So, what’s eating you?” Jinyoung asks.

Jaebeom takes a long drag of his cigarette and gazes skyward, as if asking the heavens to answer the question for him. With a sigh, he lets the smoke billow out of his mouth and nose.

“Marky.”

“I thought things were good.”

“They were,” Jaebeom says with another sigh. “They are. It’s just. . .”

Jinyoung raises a brow and takes a slow inhale. “Bad sex?"

Jaebeom snorts a laugh. “No,” he says, a small smirk pulling up the corners of his mouth, “no, it’s never bad with Marky.”

They share a laugh.

“Okay, not a sex problem then,” Jinyoung says, encouraging Jaebeom to continue. So typical for his friend to ask Jinyoung to skip last period for this conversation, only to make Jinyoung drag the information out of him one word at a time.

“Well. . .” Jaebeom sucks in a breath. “Kinda, actually.”

Oh, Jinyoung doesn’t have the patience for this. “Come on, man, just spit it out.”

A seriousness comes over Jaebeom’s face. Jinyoung can tell it’s really bothering him. It must be something bad. Jaebeom freaks out about everything, because he’s a softie of the highest order, but the darkness in his eye and the worry all over his face is what makes Jinyoung curious. There aren’t many things that get guys his age this concerned when it comes to their girlfriends, unless—

“Marky’s pregnant.”

Yeah, that’ll do it.

There’s an unspoken code of conduct when a situation like this comes up. It’s not the first time one of their friends has had a scare—it’s not even the first time Jinyoung himself has had a scare. But half the time the girl is freaking out prematurely, and the other half of the time it’s a false alarm. Jinyoung takes a steady breath, if only to show Jaebeom that he’s not concerned at all, which hopefully will put Jaebeom’s mind at ease.

“She tell you that?”

Jaebeom nods.

“What exactly did she say?”

“That she’s late.”

“How late?”

“A week.”

Jinyoung nods. A couple days wouldn’t be cause for concern. A week, though, could be something to worry about. Or it could be nothing.

“It could be nothing,” Jinyoung says quickly, assuredly. “She take a test?”

Jaebeom shakes his head, too anxious to be verbal.

“Then there’s nothing to worry about yet,” Jinyoung says, turning to face Jaebeom and holding his shoulders firmly. “Chick hormones are fucked up, you know that. It’s probably nothing.”

Though Jinyoung has convinced himself, Jaebeom isn’t as easily swayed. Still, his eyes flit up to meet Jinyoung’s and he nods once, then a second time with more surely.

“Don’t worry about it for now, man,” Jinyoung continues, throwing his arm around Jaebeom’s shoulders and leading them back toward the school. “Come to Jackie’s party tonight, you need to blow off some steam.”

“You’re right, I’ll be there.” Jaebeom nods and smiles, his jaw finally unclenching. “Her family’s out of town, eh?” He waggles his eyebrows knowingly.

Jinyoung grins, happy to see his friend relaxing. “Yeah, all week.”

Jaebeom whistles. “All week.” He lets out a satisfied grunt. “You think it’s finally gonna happen?”

Fighting the urge to shove Jaebeom into the nearest puddle, Jinyoung smiles again. “She said I can stay over,” he says, pride flowing through him at Jaebeom’s impressed expression, “so, yeah, maybe.”

“It’s too bad you called off the bet with Youngjae,” Jaebeom says with a laugh, “you’d be driving away in his car tomorrow.”

Jinyoung shrugs. “I don’t care about the car, man,” he says truthfully.

Jaebeom turns to Jinyoung and regards him like a parent might a child, with an air of surprise and a flash of pity. But before Jaebeom can speak, someone shoves past them and knocks Jaebeom into Jinyoung.

It’s one of those preppy jock assholes. A group of them, actually, all dressed in their matching varsity football uniforms and looking very much like they’ll be vacationing in the Hamptons this summer. Jinyoung has never even bothered to learn their names.

“Sorry, Lim, didn’t see you there,” the one who bumped into Jaebeom says, not sounding sorry at all. Then he glances at the others, who all snicker annoyingly. “Though I guess I should say congratulations instead.”

Jinyoung sees a muscle in Jaebeom’s jaw clench as he grounds out, “What?”

Clearly that’s what the asshole wanted, because the group of them all chuckle again. “We heard Marky’s got one in the oven,” one of the others pipes up, his voice whiny and shrill.

Jaebeom’s gone white as a sheet and Jinyoung doesn’t know if he’s about to pass out or jump the guy.

“Fuck off,” Jinyoung says with a mean sneer in their direction, hoping to get their attention off Jaebeom.

It works too well.

The first one grins widely. “You must be jealous, Park. At least Marky goes all the way instead of keeping you on the hook like Jackie.”

Anger boils in Jinyoung’s blood and it takes all his willpower to keep himself at Jaebeom’s side.

“Don’t you say another word about her.”

The asshole’s eyes light up, happy Jinyoung’s taken the bait. “You know, I never expected a slut like her to be such a damn tease,” he says, the others smirking and nodding in agreement. “I thought she’d let anyone in her pants.”

Jinyoung knows these guys are looking for a fight. They couldn’t get a rise out of Jaebeom at first so now they’re trying for Jinyoung. He knows it’s a stupid little game, but that doesn’t mean he’s not gonna give the guy what he’s looking for.

“You’ll shut the hell up if you know what’s good for you.”

The jock ignores Jinyoung’s warning and grins. “I could fuck her for you, you know, if you’re having trouble getting past her chastity belt.” He brings his hands up in front of him and gives the air a vulgar squeeze. “I’d love to get my hands on a pair of tits like—”

Red floods Jinyoung’s vision and before he can stop himself, before Jaebeom can hold him back, he’s charging at the jock asshole and tackling him to the ground. He hears shouting around him, but he doesn’t know what they’re saying. All he does is throw the next punch, and the next, and the next, his fist colliding with jaw and cheekbone and skull with each one. His knuckles scream at him to stop, but he keeps going. Even when he feels Jaebeom’s huge form literally pull him to his feet and away from the other guys, Jinyoung stills fights. Only now, he’s fighting Jaebeom. Not really fighting him, not the way he was the asshole who’s now a pathetic sobbing mess on the ground, just throwing his weight at the brick wall that is Jaebeom in the hopes that he can push through him to keep fighting the guy who actually deserves it.

“Cut it out, Jinyoung,” Jaebeom says, completely unbothered by Jinyoung’s flailing attempts to knock him aside. “We gotta scram before someone sees it was us.”

Us. Not you.

Because even though Jaebeom never threw a punch, he’d still go down with Jinyoung if they got caught.

Jinyoung doesn’t have time to thank his friend for his loyalty properly, so he does it instead by running toward Jaebeom’s car so they can both get the hell out of there.

They whoop and laugh as they drive away, the group of assholes who had it coming getting smaller in the rear-view mirror behind them until they’re nothing more than specks on the horizon.

Jinyoung knows he should’ve shown up to the party early, given that his girlfriend is the one hosting it. But by the time they’d gone back to Jaebeom’s and cleaned Jinyoung’s hands up, it was already dark. Time really does fly when you’re hopped up on adrenaline.

Youngjae and Yugyeom had come right over once they heard, which didn’t take long. News travels quick at their school. Apparently, the jocks had tried to twist the story and say that it had been an even fight between Jinyoung and the other guy, but a few witnesses watching from the windows had quickly put those to rest. Luckily, none of those witnesses had tattled on Jinyoung and the jocks didn’t want to embarrass themselves further by telling the real story, so it was pretty likely that Jinyoung was in the clear.

The gossip was doing wonders for his image, though.

As he and his friends walk through the throng of students drinking and smoking in Jackie’s living room, Jinyoung can feel the eyes on him, can hear the whispers about him. But it’s all in awe, all in reverence, so Jinyoung soaks it all up. And even though everyone knows Jackie’s his girlfriend, and that this is Jackie’s house, every other girl he sees either winks at him or flirts with him or full-on asks him to go upstairs with them. Jinyoung gives them all his most devilish smile before declining politely and moving on to find the only girl he really cares to see.

Jackie’s in the kitchen with Marky and Bambi when Jinyoung finally finds her. She’s not wearing her usually school outfit of button-down and poodle skirt, or even a poufy sundress, her go-to outfits for their weekend plans. Instead, Jackie wears something far more form fitting tonight—a black fitted dress that hugs every inch of her curves and cuts off just above the knee, her breasts all but spilling out of the tight bodice of the dress. She wears a black necktie, and Jinyoung thinks how very much she looks like a sexy stewardess. Her hair is done up in a sleek bun and she’s sucking on a round, bright red lollipop. When she sees Jinyoung, she pulls the sucker out of her mouth slowly, her full lips curled tightly around it until it makes a pop sound.

Jinyoung gulps.

With a seductive smile that has Jinyoung’s cock twitching in his pants, Jackie crosses the room idly, dropping the lollipop in an unsuspecting student’s drink as she goes. By the time she reaches Jinyoung, he is completely hard.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” Jackie says, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck and batting her wide eyes up at him. His hands find her waist immediately.

“Sorry, Jackie, I was—”

“Fighting for my honour?” Jackie smirks. She leans up and presses a juicy kiss to his lips, the taste of the cherry lollipop heavy on his tongue.

The kiss, or maybe the joke, gives Jinyoung some of his wits back. He smiles.

“Is it a fight if the other guy doesn’t even throw a punch?”

Jackie throws her head back and laughs, the motion pushing her chest against Jinyoung’s body and her back arches into his hand. Lord help him.

“You shoulda seen him, Jackie, he was incredible,” Jaebeom says excitedly as he pulls Marky in beside him and kisses her on the cheek. Jinyoung hadn’t even noticed the others had gathered around them.

“So I’ve heard,” Jackie says, her eyes on Jinyoung’s bruised hands. “My brave Jinyoungie.” She says it sweetly, but when she looks up at him again, her eyes are dark.

“Should you be drinking that, Marky?” Yugyeom’s voice cuts through the moment, and Jinyoung turns to see him motioning to the beer in Marky’s hand. He’s clearly trying to be quiet but is failing spectacularly.

Jaebeom shoves Yugyeom away from his girlfriend, though he only manages to push the giant man back a step. “Lay off, Gyeom,” Jaebeom growls.

It’s a pretty pathetic display, but Marky eats it up and giggles against Jaebeom’s side.

“It’s okay, Gyeomie,” Bambi pipes up sweetly, “the test was negative. Marky can drink whatever she wants.”

Jaebeom turns to Marky, who nods eagerly. Jaebeom lets out a whoop of joy and scoops Marky up into his arms, kissing her deeply, with no regard to the fact that they’re in public. Jinyoung watches them run off upstairs, probably to find an empty room to celebrate in properly. He smiles, his thoughts on how relieved Jaebeom must feel right now, until a small hand on his arm yanks his focus away.

“Come on,” Jackie says with a demure smile, “I wanna show you something.”

Before he can question it, Jackie pulls him by the hand and leads him through the crowd. He’s too busy watching the sway of her hips in that tight dress to notice that she’s taking him upstairs. To her bedroom.

His breath catching in his throat, Jinyoung can’t say a thing while Jackie pushes Jinyoung inside and shuts the door behind her. When she motions for him to sit on the bed, his body moves without hesitation.

“I heard everything about the fight,” Jackie says softly, fiddling with a pin in her hair before pulling it out and letting it fall in big waves around her shoulders.

“From Jaebeom?” Jinyoung doesn’t even know how he manages to ask the question as Jackie reaches behind her and slowly unzips her dress. The sound of the zipper is the only thing Jinyoung can hear until Jackie speaks again.

“From Marky,” Jackie says, then giggles. “But I guess that’s kinda the same thing.”

Jinyoung lets out a half-chuckle, the sound halting in his throat as Jackie pulls the sleeves of her dress off her shoulders.

“I’ve never had someone fight for me before,” she continues, and slowly shimmies out of the dress completely. “I wanted to thank you.”

It takes every ounce of Jinyoung’s willpower not to whimper at the sight of Jackie wearing a matching set of white lace bra and panties. He can’t take his eyes off her smooth skin, the plumpness of her breasts bouncing gently as she walks toward him on the bed, the curve of her tiny waist and full, round hips and thighs.

“You’re so brave, Jinyoungie,” Jackie says as she reaches him on the bed and straddles his lap. “So brave and so good to me.”

She leans her mouth down to his and kisses him slowly, but with purpose. Jinyoung’s hands find her thighs first, then slowly move to find her ass, where he lets them rest. The lace panties barely covers half her cheeks, and Jinyoung grows more and more aroused at the thought of what her ass looks like in them. He squeezes gently and he feels Jackie melt against him, the heat of her pressed against his groin, where he is so achingly hard. She bites his lip when the length of him digs into her thigh and Jinyoung fights the urge to groan. Then one of her hands finds one of his and she pulls it away from her ass. At first, Jinyoung thinks it’s because he’s gone too fast, but then Jackie brings it around to the front of her. She pushes his fingers against the base of her underwear, and Jinyoung nearly chokes at the wetness he feels there. She moves her hand away but doesn’t take Jinyoung’s with her. Instinctively, Jinyoung begins to move his fingers along the damp fabric gently. She’s already dripping, so it’s not like she needs to be warmed up. But Jinyoung can tell from the way Jackie arches her back further into him, a movement that brings her breasts right to his face, that she likes it.

Jinyoung buries his face in her cleavage as he works his fingers, the fat of Jackie’s tits enough to suffocate him, but he doesn’t care. There are worse ways to go. As he fiddles with the clasp of her bra to unhook it, he kisses and licks along the smooth skin until he reaches her nipple, peaked and pointed. Taking it into his mouth, he sucks slowly, timing it with another gentle movement of his fingers, and Jackie moans softly above him.

“I want all of you tonight,” Jackie breathes, her hands tangling in his hair, the position forcing her breasts tighter against his face.

He knows what she means. He knows and he wants it too. God, he wants it so bad, especially when she’s dripping onto his fingers and her tits are literally squeezing the air out of him.

But his curiosity is too strong, and he can’t ignore the question burning in his mind.

“What happened to being in love first?”

Jackie’s body halts and Jinyoung wonders if he should’ve kept his mouth shut, if maybe bringing it up has now changed her mind.

“I—I don’t care about that anymore.”

Though her voice is sure, Jinyoung pries further. “You’ve cared about it for the last four months. What’s changed now?”

Jackie pulls back slightly, just enough so that Jinyoung can see her eyes. He doesn’t know how, but he sees the emotion in them and recognizes it instantly. It’s pure and true and strong. Only after Jackie locks eyes with him does Jinyoung realize that he can recognize the emotion because he’s felt it too. He feels it too.

Suddenly, all of this feels wrong. He can’t let it happen like this. In the middle of a party, with half their school within earshot. With her thinking that he’s been genuine from the very start.

Jinyoung feels like a liar. Maybe he’s getting too much in his head, but the realization is both overwhelming and a serious mood-killer. He feels the tightness of his pants start to ease, as if to emphasize his decision.

Before Jackie can answer his question, Jinyoung says, “I don’t think we should go all the way tonight.”

Surprised, Jackie’s mouth forms a small ‘o’ and her eyes fill with something like sadness. She steps off him immediately and crosses her arms over herself, trying to cover her nakedness.

“I’m sorry, kid,” Jinyoung says, not really knowing how to explain his decision, “I just need to think about some things first.”

Jackie bites her lip adorably and nods, holding herself tighter. The action pushes her breasts together even more and Jinyoung has to avert his gaze. Looking at her any longer will no doubt make him give in. Quickly, Jinyoung gets up and gives Jackie a kiss on the cheek, before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

“You’re a dumbass.”

Jinyoung sighs. He should’ve known he’d get this kind of treatment when he called Youngjae instead of Jaebeom or Yugyeom. Maybe that’s why he did it. He can always count on Youngjae to tell him the truth.

“Come on, man, I need help.”

“I am helping,” Youngjae insists on the other end. “You’re a dumbass and you need to understand that you’re a dumbass.”

“Okay, fine, I’m a dumbass,” Jinyoung gives in. “What do I do now?”

There’s a shuffling on the other end and Jinyoung thinks Youngjae is about to hang up, but then the line comes through clear again. “Give the chick what she wants.”

“You mean go all the way with her?” Jinyoung shakes his head. “I don’t know if I can, not like this, not without telling her the truth.”

“Then tell her the truth,” Youngjae says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“But what if—” Jinyoung pauses. Maybe Youngjae’s onto something. “Tell her the truth, huh?”

“What are you, deaf?” Youngjae huffs. “I don’t have time for your shit, Jinyoung, I got Bambi coming over later and I gotta get ready.”

The mention of Bambi gives Jinyoung an idea.

“Hey, when she gets there, gimme a call.”

“We’re gonna be a little busy, man,” Youngjae replies, and Jinyoung can hear the smirk in his voice.

Jinyoung rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, after all that. Just gimme a call when you’re done, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Youngjae says. “You gonna tell me why?”

“I got an idea,” Jinyoung tells him, “and I need Bambi’s help.”

Thankfully, Bambi was on board with Jinyoung’s plan. The next day, she and Marky keep Jackie busy for the afternoon while Jinyoung goes over to Jackie’s place to get things ready. How Bambi had managed to convince Jackie to leave her house unlocked even with her parents still out of town, Jinyoung will never know, but he’s not stupid enough to question good fortune.

After that, Jinyoung drives over to the mall and waits for the girls. When Jackie and her friends reach the parking lot, Jinyoung is leaning against his car with a bouquet of red roses. Jackie crosses her arms but smiles.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m a dumbass,” Jinyoung says with a sigh.

Jackie laughs, thank god, and runs into Jinyoung’s arms. “Yes, you are,” she says, before kissing him deeply.

Bambi and Marky make gagging noises behind them, but when Jinyoung looks their way after, they’re both grinning wickedly. He throws them a thankful smile as he helps Jackie into the car.

Jinyoung tells Jackie he’s taking her to the drive-in, but he omits his plan for afterward. Just in case, he doesn’t want to jinx anything. But she seems excited enough, so he thinks she’s forgiven him for leaving the other night.

Still, Jinyoung wants to take it slow at the drive-in. He resolves that he won’t make any moves until he feels Jackie out first and makes sure everything’s good before the second part of the evening.  And so, the entire time at the drive-in, Jinyoung doesn’t make a move at all. Unless, of course, putting his arm around Jackie and pulling her in to snuggle against him so that she smells his new cologne counts as a move.

Okay, he makes one move at the drive-in.

“Do you want to come in?” Jackie asks when they pull into her driveway. Her family is still away until tomorrow, so Jinyoung isn’t surprised she’s asking him, he just didn’t expect it. He thought he’d have to put in a little work first.

“Yeah, okay.”

As soon as Jackie opens the door, she gasps. There are rose petals forming a path and candles lining the stairs to Jackie’s room. It’s a fire hazard, Jinyoung knows, but he figured getting things right with Jackie was worth the possibility of burning down her house. (His priorities have always been a little out of order.)

Jackie is kissing him and pulling him upstairs before Jinyoung has a chance to say anything. He lets her, kissing her back and fumbling up the stairs as best he can until they’re both a mess of laughter and lips.

“Is this why you left the other night?” Jackie asks as they walk into her room and she sees the candles and roses all over the place, and the box of chocolates on her bed.

“It just wasn’t right,” Jinyoung admits. “You said you wanted your first time to be special.”

Jackie raises a brow but doesn’t reply yet.

Jinyoung smiles. “You also said you wanted to be in love.”

“I did.” Jackie’s eyes are full of anticipation.

Jinyoung takes a breath. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I know that I love you, Jackie. I love you so much.”

Jackie grins and jumps into Jinyoung’s arms. “I’ve always loved you, Jinyoungie.”

His heart soaring, Jinyoung kisses her deeply, wholly, until his legs are jelly and he pulls them down onto the bed. He’s getting carried away, though, because there’s one other thing he needs to tell her.

“Listen, kid,” he says, creating some distance between them, “before we do anything tonight, I have to tell you the truth about why I asked you out.”

Jinyoung proceeds to tell her all about the bet, leaving nothing out and being completely honest. He confesses that he fell for her instead and called off the bet a few days ago.

When he finishes talking, he feels ashamed and keeps his gaze downcast. He has no idea how Jackie will react, since he knows that it was a really shitty thing to do.

To his surprise, Jackie laughs.

“Why do you think I made you wait so long?”

It takes Jinyoung a moment to realize what she’s talking about. “Wait, you knew?”

Jackie shrugs. “Jaebeom is whipped for Marky, he told her like an hour after you made the bet and then she told me.”

That explains why Bambi and Marky were shooting daggers at him the first time he talked to Jackie—and why Jackie refused him at first.

“And you didn’t care?”

Another shrug. “I’ve liked you for so long, Jinyoungie, but you’d never noticed me before. So Bambi suggested I go along with it to get back at you. I did, because I thought it would be funny, to string you along and watch you squirm.”

Jinyoung is only a little surprised that Bambi had encouraged Jackie to play him right back. Someone’s been hanging around Youngjae too long.

“But then I saw you falling for me and I realized you might not be such a bad guy. Still, I didn’t want to lose my virginity over a bet, I’m not that big a slut. So I waited to see if you’d call it off first.”

“You’re a lot smarter than me, you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” Jackie says, flipping her hair for dramatic effect. Then she pulls Jinyoung on top of her and wraps her legs around his middle. “Now fuck me, Jinyoungie, before I change my mind.”

“You got it, kid.”