But despite his protests, a nagging warmth crept into his cheeks. Damn it, he thought, wrapping the bedsheet tighter around himself. Why does he always have to get under my skin like this?
Beom sat alone in the sauna, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, the heat wrapping around him like a warm blanket. He leaned back against the wooden bench, staring at the ceiling as the soft crackle of the coals filled the quiet room. Despite the peaceful setting, his mind was anything but calm.
"What am I even doing here?" he thought, his brows furrowing as he slouched slightly. I came here on my own, like some obedient idiot. Sasha didn't even have to drag me. I walked right into this. Beom let out a dramatic sigh, grabbing the ladle to pour water over the hot coals. Steam rose instantly, enveloping him in an even thicker wave of heat.
"It's warm and refreshing, though," he admitted begrudgingly, closing his eyes for a moment as his muscles relaxed. "For once, Sasha actually thought of something relaxing and not borderline insane."
But his moment of gratitude was short-lived. His thoughts shifted, and he scowled. "But where is he?" Beom muttered under his breath, looking toward the door. "The same person who invited me to this damn sauna isn't even here himself. What's the point of suggesting it if you're gonna disappear? Did he get lost? Did he fall asleep? Or worse… is he planning something stupid again?"
Beom's foot tapped against the wooden floor as he started to get impatient. He glanced toward the door again, his mind wandering. Since this is a sauna… His eyes widened slightly, and a faint blush crept up his neck. I'll definitely see him without clothes. He's gotta be shirtless at least. Probably dripping with sweat, too, knowing how these things work.
Beom's hand shot up to his face, covering his eyes. "Ugh, what am I even thinking?" he groaned, the blush spreading. "Why am I so eager to see a man's body? A man's body, for crying out loud!" He rubbed his temples furiously, shaking his head as if trying to dislodge the thoughts.
"This heat is definitely messing with my brain," he muttered, trying to convince himself that was the only explanation. He sat up straighter, attempting to distract himself by pouring more water onto the coals. The steam rose again, and he leaned back, exhaling heavily.
"I am not going to think about Sasha's abs. Or his stupid smirk. Or the fact that he's probably out there shirtless right now, doing…whatever the hell he does." Beom's eyes snapped open as he felt his thoughts drifting again. "Damn it! Why does he always have this effect on me? It's infuriating!"
The door creaked open slowly, the sound echoing in the humid room. Beom stiffened, his heart racing as he glanced toward it. His mind spun with possibilities. If that's him, I swear I'm going to... He froze mid-thought as the figure came into full view.
It was Sasha. Totally naked.
Beom's eyes widened like saucers, his mouth opening slightly before he snapped it shut again. Sasha walked in as if he owned the place, holding two glasses in one hand and a bottle of some fancy-looking alcohol in the other. The steam from the sauna seemed to swirl around him dramatically, like some ridiculous scene from a romance novel.
And then, there it was. Swinging.
Beom couldn't help it—his eyes flicked down, then darted away so fast he thought he might have given himself whiplash. Oh my god. Oh my god. Why is it so big? That's... That's not normal, right? Is that normal? I mean, I haven't exactly taken measurements, but... He pressed a hand over his face, groaning internally. Stop thinking about it!
Sasha, of course, seemed completely unbothered, striding over and plopping down on the bench opposite Beom with a casual air. His huge... girth—and Beom hated that his brain had just called it that—swung between his legs as he sat down, as if mocking Beom for even looking.
Beom cleared his throat, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on Sasha's face. "Why...why are you naked?" he asked, his voice breaking slightly at the end.
Sasha smirked, leaning back against the bench like he was posing for a damn painting. "It's a sauna. That's how you're supposed to be." He poured the alcohol into both glasses, handing one to Beom.
Beom stared at the glass in his hand, then glanced up at Sasha, who was now pouring more alcohol with an infuriatingly relaxed demeanor. His gaze involuntarily dropped, catching sight of Sasha's... girth. Beom's face instantly heated, and he quickly looked away, clenching his jaw. Damn it, stop looking! Focus on something else! But...seriously, why is it that big?
A bitter thought crossed his mind. Mine isn't even that big...ugh, I'm jealous. He groaned internally, wanting to slap himself for even entertaining the comparison.
As if sensing something, Sasha raised an eyebrow at him, his expression one of mild amusement. "More alcohol?" he offered casually.
Beom muttered something unintelligible and extended his glass, avoiding Sasha's gaze like it would burn him. Sasha poured generously, then turned to pour water over the hot coals, causing a hiss of steam to fill the room. The heat intensified, and Sasha let out a low, contented moan as he leaned back on the bench, eyes shutting as he relaxed completely.
Beom watched him out of the corner of his eye, trying to act casual. But as Sasha sat there, all languid and comfortable, the temptation became too much. He let his eyes drift, just for a second. Well...since his eyes are closed, no harm in looking, right?
And oh, did Beom look.
He took in Sasha's entire form like a critic studying art. Okay, he's got a nice body. Fine. I'll give him that. Those abs are ridiculous—are they even real? And that chest...damn, it's like he was carved out of stone or something. Freaking show-off.
His gaze dipped lower, and Beom's lips twitched in annoyance. And then there's that. Seriously, it's like he was built to make other men feel inadequate. No wonder he walks around like he owns the place. He probably does in his mind.
As his eyes roamed, they landed on an unexpected detail, and Beom had to fight the urge to snort. Pink nipples? he thought, baffled. First time seeing a man with pink nipples. What is he, a rare species? Women would kill for that aesthetic. How is this even fair?
Sasha shifted slightly, and Beom quickly snapped his gaze away, his heart racing. Okay, that's enough. Stop ogling the man like a pervert. This isn't some cheesy romance drama. But his brain wasn't done tormenting him. Still...if I had abs like that, I'd never wear a shirt either. And those pink nipples? Ugh, they'd probably look weird on me anyway. He frowned, mentally berating himself. Why am I even thinking about this? Focus, Beom. Focus.
Sasha cracked an eye open, his smirk firmly in place as if he could read Beom's thoughts. "Enjoying the view?" he teased.
Beom nearly choked on his drink, sputtering, "Wha—no! Shut up!" His face turned crimson, and he buried it in his hands, muttering, "This is hell. Actual hell."
Sasha chuckled, his deep voice sending another wave of heat through the room. "Relax, darling. It's a sauna. You're supposed to enjoy yourself."
Oh, I'm enjoying myself, alright—if enjoying myself means having a full-on existential crisis about how unfairly good-looking you are, Beom thought bitterly, but he kept that to himself. Instead, he gulped down his drink and glared at Sasha with all the frustration he could muster. "Pour me another. And stop smirking—it's creepy."
Sasha just laughed, leaning back even further, his smugness radiating off him like the steam around them. Beom groaned, knowing there was no escape now.
Beom sat in the sauna, trying to focus on the heat and the soothing sounds of water dripping from the stones. His mind, however, was anything but calm. He stared into his glass, swirling the drink absently, before glancing at Sasha, who sat across from him, relaxed and sipping his own. "Why does he look so unbothered all the time? Like he didn't just drag me into the middle of nowhere to freeze my ass off before inviting me here. I mean, look at him—completely at ease. Meanwhile, I'm over here questioning my entire existence."
Beom's eyes, as if on autopilot, drifted downward toward Sasha's impressive…girth. He quickly looked away when he realized what he was doing. "Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. Did he see that? Did he notice? Shit, I can't unsee it now. Why did I even look? My mind is betraying me, damn it. Stop thinking about it!"
Sasha's deep chuckle pulled Beom from his spiraling thoughts. Beom stiffened, gripping his glass tighter as Sasha leaned in closer, his smirk growing wider. "Are you trying to make me hard by just staring?" Sasha asked in a low, teasing voice. "Because if you do, I won't hesitate to fuck you right here."
Beom's face turned beet red. His mind exploded into chaos. "Excuse me?! Did he just say that out loud? Is he even allowed to say things like that in a public sauna? Who raised this man—wolves? Vulgar wolves! And why is my body overheating more than it already was? Damn it, Beom, pull it together!"
In a panic-fueled reaction, Beom grabbed the nearest object—a bunch of veniks—and slapped Sasha squarely across the cheek. The leaves made a soft whap sound as they struck. The smirk vanished from Sasha's face as he blinked in surprise. Beom froze, realizing what he'd just done.
"Oh, crap. Oh, no. What did I just do? Why did I think this was a good idea? Did I really just slap a six-foot-plus Russian man with leaves like I'm auditioning for a slapstick comedy? I've gone too far. This is it. This is how I die."
Beom started to edge toward the door, mumbling, "Uh, yeah, I should probably go… That was—uh—sorry about that." His steps were tentative, his brain screaming at him to run faster. But before he could take another step, Sasha's hand shot out and grabbed him by the wrist. Beom barely had time to gasp before Sasha yanked him back with alarming ease and spun him around, pressing him firmly against the wooden wall.
"Ugh!" Beom let out as his front collided with the wall. His heart pounded in his chest. Sasha's strength was undeniable—he barely seemed to exert any effort, yet Beom felt completely immobilized.
Beom turned his head slightly, trying to look back at Sasha, but what he saw made his breath hitch. Sasha's smirk had vanished, replaced with an intense, predatory expression. His piercing eyes bore into Beom's, and for a moment, Beom forgot how to breathe. A shiver ran down his spine, though whether it was from fear, anticipation, or something else entirely, he couldn't say.
"Oh no. That's not the look of someone who's about to forgive and forget. That's the look of someone who's about to make me regret every life choice that led to this moment. Why did I slap him with veniks? Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut? And why does he have to look so…damn intimidating?!"
Sasha leaned in close, his warm breath brushing against Beom's ear. "You've got guts, Beom," he murmured, his voice low and dangerous. "But you should know… I always get even."
Beom's mind screamed, "Even?! What does that mean? Is this a revenge thing now? Oh, God, he's going to kill me. Or worse—he's going to make me like this. Damn it, Sasha, stop being so…so you!"
Sasha's gaze was locked onto Beom's rear, his expression a mixture of amusement and something far less innocent. Beom caught the shift in Sasha's eyes almost immediately, his instincts screaming at him like an alarm bell.