Kiss Me Like You’re Not Married.

The clink of dishes echoed faintly from the kitchen. The women had excused themselves, Ha-eun laughing lightly as she offered to help with dinner, and Seo-yeon eagerly pulling her in to show her the kitchen layout. Their voices faded down the hall.

The children sat cross-legged on the plush rug nearby, their giggles soft and uninterrupted as they colored together in a shared sketchbook. For a moment, everything felt too quiet.

Joon-Won sat down on the sleek leather sofa, straight-backed, composed. His legs crossed with effortless confidence, one hand draped over the backrest, the other loosely holding the tumbler of water Tae-Hyun had offered earlier before the wives decided to leave them alone.

Tae-Hyun lowered himself into the armchair across from him, one arm resting over the arrest holding a cup of water as well. He hadn't said much since they shook hands, save for the tight, polite introductions.. but now, alone, something shifted in his posture. A subtle test of presence.

His gaze wandered over Joon-Won again. Measuring. He let his eyes study the man before him. 'Looks like he squeezes in some time to workout, otherwise he wouldn't look this jacked with all the work he drowns himself with' Tae-hyun thought to himself while he stared at him quietly for a while. His eyes then fell onto his face, taking in his features. His eyes were cold but he can tell there was so much hidden beneath that cold stare, his nose fits perfectly with his face, his lips were pressed in a tight line as if he has so much to say but always keeps to himself. And he had a unique colored hair, the opposite of him. He looked bright in appearance not so much personality wise from what he have seen and heard so far. But nonetheless, He was quite handsome and the type he would've gone for if he wasn't married to a woman, not that he wants the stuck up joon-won.. but he was bisexual after all. So he couldn't help the thought.

When he first came out to his now wife, seo-yeon. Despite his nervousness about the whole thing, to his shock she was very accepting and told him that as long as he genuinely loved her. she didn't care about what his sexuality is. At the time, that made Tae-hyun fall for her even harder.

After a while of him just simply staring and taking in the man before him, he sighs and took a sip of his water slowly. His gaze finding joon-won's. "You work in corporate law, right?" Tae-Hyun asked, finally breaking the silence. His voice was calm, deep. "Seo-yeon mentioned it a few times. Said Ha-eun couldn't stop praising how clean-cut and 'reliable' you seemed."

Joon-Won's lips quirked faintly. He raised his glass, swirling the water absently. He liked how his wife seemed to praise him whenever she gets the chance, she's clearly proud of being with him and that was pleasant to know.

"That sounds like something Ha-eun would say," he replied, cool and even. His cold gaze now locked with Tae-hyun curious sharp eyes. "Though I doubt my clients would describe me quite so kindly. Being reliable doesn't always win you trials."

Tae-Hyun chuckled softly, surprised at the honesty coming from joon-won. "I wouldn't know. I work in architecture. Design and development, mostly commercial spaces." He leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on his thighs. "Your schedule must be brutal. Ha-eun said you've been cutting down on family time because of it?" He threw in the shade with a slight smirk, his eyes glinting with a challenge. Wanting to push joon-wons buttons in any way.

Joon-Won's expression didn't change, but something in his eyes sharpened. He took his arm off of the backseat and mirrored Tae-hyun, resting his own forearms onto his thighs while his eyes clouded with just as much challenge. 'Interesting.' He thought to himself before his lips formed in a slight smirk of his own.

"And your wife said you refuse to take weekends off," he husked back in a calm yet dry tone, tilting his head slightly as he continued. "Your son mentioned you're always at meetings, even on birthdays."

Tae-Hyun slightly taken aback by his response, he blinked, slowly. The faint smirk on Joon-Won's lips widened just a bit at his startled reaction.

'So he had teeth, after all.' Tae-hyun thought while he held the other man's intense gaze.

There was a pause. Then Tae-Hyun leaned back again with an approving nod. "Touché." He mumbled with a slight frown and placed his cup down onto the side table before crossing his arm loosely over his chest.

The conversation hung in the air, taut and glinting like wire. Joon-won, pleased with his reaction took a sip of his water while eyeing the guy who seemed to have realized his words didn't do much damage.

They sat in silence for a few seconds, the sound of children chattering filling the space. Tae-Hyun's eyes trailed lazily over Joon-Won's figure once again, this time lower, the expensive gray button up shirt that was unbuttoned at the top, it hugged him way too perfectly that every little detail underneath it was shown. And he was sculpted that's for sure, the sharp-cut navy coat draped beside him, then his eyes shifted to his hand that's holding the glass, the glint of that wedding band catching the overhead light once again. Even the ring seemed expensive and that made his eyes linger on it longer. Even sitting still, the man had presence. Like a blade too well-polished to be ornamental.

"Must be hard," Tae-Hyun said after a moment. He was becoming more curious about him the longer they stayed quite. "Balancing the image and the reality. All that discipline… I assume it doesn't leave much room for surprises." His eyes were still on the wedding band on Joon-won's finger as he spoke.

"Not everything needs to be spontaneous to be thrilling," Joon-Won replied, a touch lower in tone. "Sometimes control is its own pleasure." He trailed off, his tone taking on an even deeper husk before catching where his eyes seemed to be lingering which he didn't mind. He did spend a lot on their wedding rings, especially his wife's since he wanted her to feel extra special.

Tae-Hyun stilled at that, just a breath, just a shift in his expression, but enough for Joon-Won to notice. He didn't comment about the sudden shift, but the quiet tilt of his head was enough to suggest that he had. He couldn't help it, The way Joon-won had said the last sentence made his brain freeze. 'What the fuck was that..?' For some reason, his tone when he said it made him sit there in silence and shift his gaze slowly from the guys ring to his eyes.

Tae-hyun opened his mouth to say something before his head turned to look over at his wife in the kitchen, laughter erupted, catching both their attention. The clatter of cutlery followed.

Seconds later, Seo-yeon called out, "Dinner's ready!"

They both stood up on cue, neither looking away from the other until the moment broke with the movement of the children rushing past.

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The dining area was lit with warm pendant lights, and the food was laid out generously. Grilled meats, side dishes, a soft bottle of red breathing on the side. Seo-yeon gestured excitedly as she pointed out which dish was homemade and which one was Ha-eun's contribution.

They took their seats, wives across from each other, the husbands too. The kids were in the living room now, eating with trays while a cartoon played softly in the background.

Tae-Hyun poured the wine. Once he reached Joon-Won glass, his wrist suddenly was grabbed firmly, he froze. Long fingers curled around his slim wrist and eyes were locked onto his for a brief moment before letting his wrist go and lifting his own glass, pouring himself some water.

"No wine for me," he said simply after a second of silence and Tae-hyun stunned expression staring at him with the bottle of wine frozen in his hand that have been grabbed a second ago. "It dulls my instincts."

"You sound like you're always working," Seo-yeon laughed broke through Tae-hyun and he sat the bottle down slowly. His gaze taking in Joon-won as he sips his water calmly like he didn't just make the other guy stand there all stunned with one sudden move.

"I like keeping sharp," Joon-Won answered back simply. His gaze finding her, he could feel her husbands eyes on him but he didn't look back at him.

"God, I'd go insane living with that kind of discipline," Tae-Hyun said with a scoff. He leaned in, arm on the table, eyes not entirely joking, he was curious why wouldn't he even let himself enjoy a cup of wine at dinner. "Don't you ever let loose?"

Joon-won finally turned his head back to stare right at Tae-hyun and he sat his glass down, tilting his head slightly. "Depends," He said smoothly, a slight smirk on his lips as he adds. "On who's watching."

The table fell quiet for half a second, not uncomfortably so, but enough for Seo-yeon to blink at Joon-won sudden words and Ha-eun to glance over at her husband, brows slightly raised in confusion at his response.

Tae-Hyun started with his lips parted slightly for a second, just staring blankly at Joon-won's smirking face before he let out a deep chuckle, but there was something tight about it. He tilted his head, his eyes glinting with more curiosity and slight intrest that he didn't dare admit.

"You're different than I expected."

Joon-Won hummed at that and leaned back in his chair comfortably. "Most people say that when they realize I'm not here to impress them." He said, his tone low and sharp.

At that, Ha-eun frowned slightly at him then nudging him lightly with her foot under the table. "Behave." She mumbled to her husband with a huff. Making Seo-yeon giggle lightly at her friends behavior with her husband.

"I'm perfectly behaved," Joon-Won said, the corners of his mouth twitching as he meet her eyes for a moment before he looks down at his plate.

He reached for the grilled mushrooms, the way his fingers moved with calm intent, controlled, steady. Tae-Hyun followed the motion, the subtle tension in his knuckles. His gaze trailed back up to Joon-Won's jaw, the line of his throat, his unfazed expression. Yet Tae-hyun was once again caught off guard with his response. He didn't show it but he was definitely thinking it. 'How could he say such things with a straight face.' He wondered as he picked up his own fork and started eating slowly.

Seo-yeon was talking, something about how their kids hit it off so quickly. Ha-eun laughed again, commenting on how similar the boys personalities were.

And the husbands let them talk, but all the while Joon-Won focus remained with them, but at times, on the silently eating Tae-Hyun.

Then suddenly…

"What did you expect?" Joon-Won asked out the blue, eyes flicking to Tae-Hyun with a gleam of something unreadable. He seemed to still be stuck on their early conversation.

Tae-Hyun head lifted, from eyeing his plate to meet Joon-won's eyes, he blinked in confusion. "Sorry?"

"You said I'm different than expected," Joon-Won said casually, continuing without missing a beat, slicing a piece of meat while he's at it. "I'm just wondering how different."

There it was again. The shift. The slow, deliberate uncoiling of a man who had been measured and professional moments ago, now revealing shades of mischief, sharpness, something bordering on provocative. He wasn't performing. He was peeling, carefully, purposefully. And it was aimed at him.

Tae-Hyun smirked slightly, he liked this it was thrilling to him how they seem to bicker back and forth like teenagers, but something in him was ticking faster now.

"Guess I thought you'd be… quieter," he replied with a shrug, his voice was calm and unbothered as if Joon-won's wasn't making him feel targeted by his forwardness.

"And you?" Joon-Won glanced down the table, then back up with unblinking calmness. "I expected you'd talk more. Given your wife said you never shut up about your job."

Then suddenly, Seo-yeon choked on her drink, laughing and covering her mouth while looking at her husbands frowning face. "O-Okay, that's true. He does talk a lot. But I do love that about you honey I swear!" She quickly added with a giggle and reached out to softly pat his shoulder.

Joon-Won's gaze lingered on his frowning face before he smirked slightly and tilted his head. "I'm listening." He husked, suggesting to Tae-hyun to speak more as he places his fork and knife down. He was full already so he just felt like talking now. Giving him his full attention.

Something flickered in Tae-Hyun's eyes, recognition, amusement, tension. 'What is he trying to do here? Push my buttons? Whatever he's doing is making me confused yet.. curious. I don't like this anymore..'

He was beginning to see it. The other side.

Not the husband his wife described. Not just the polished lawyer with the expensive watch and cold looks who's quite and have short replies to everything.

But the man beneath. Quietly daring. Calculated in the way he picked people apart without them noticing until they were halfway gone. And Tae-hyun was gone now. Instead of giving Joon-won what he asked for, speaking.. he was quite. Just staring at him with eyes that were studying him. In return, the guy in front of didn't avert his eyes away from him, as if he's still waiting but he didn't push any further. He looked pleased with the outcome.

And it unnerved him. intrigued him.

The dinner went on. But that look between them didn't break. 'Maybe I had judged him too fast.. simply from my wife's perspective. Lets see how the rest of the night goes before i decide if he's simply an asshole or there's more to him beneath all this act.' With that thought in mind, Tae-hyun hummed to myself as he leaned back in his chair and took a sip from his wine.