Pray for the Wicked | ATEEZ

54.

In the hours after our return to the palace, I found Hongjoong in the kitchen, the previously dark space now bathed in blush light from sun rays filtering through the grand windows.

He stood by the counter, eyes glued to the view before him.

Odeion resembled that of a pastel mural with soft hues of colours that had been painted across the skies with wide brush strokes. Clusters of clouds obscured the sun which peeked over the horizon, some blooming coral against the pastel blue sky, others periwinkle and peach.

His cerulean blue hair posed a stark contrast to the scene, yet, to me, it was the most beautiful colour of them all.

The same wonder that had etched itself into his every feature the first time he had seen the spectacle settled onto his face then.

Hongjoong looked at the sunrise as if it was precious, something priceless. But right then it made my heart swell rather than break as I watched the way the light from the sun reflected in his eyes, turning them brighter and emphasizing the way they blazed with unquenchable thirst and curiosity.

I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He didn't flinch, but rather leaned into my touch as if he had been expecting me, and I let my eyes flutter shut as I pressed my face into the crook of his neck.

The smell of him was overwhelming, disarming, but there was something else as well. Something sweet. I furrowed my brows as I opened my eyes again only for them to widen at the sight of the counter.

Before him, an abundance of fruits lay spread across the cold marble, brimming with colour and dew as if he had picked them himself. The leaves of the trees beyond the window were heavy with water droplets that lingered even after the morning fog had dissipated. Clever.

"I wanted to spoil you," Hongjoong said, stealing a glance at my face which was radiant with surprise as I tore my eyes from the sizable picnic basket to the mountain of fruits and berries and nuts carefully packed within the wicker.

I snuck a slice of grapefruit to my lips, missing the way his eyes darkened as I moaned at the taste and the bittersweet flavor coated my tongue.

Turning to him, lips parting with gratitude, I froze at the realization that a single moment of inattention had allowed him to step closer. His thumb grazed my chin, wiping away the juice that had already settled in droplets where my jaw came to an end.

In a heartbeat, his lips were on mine, hands trailing to the back of my neck as he pulled me closer and smiled into the kiss.

The son of Lilith tasted sweet, the hints of fig on his tongue revealing that he too had been indulging in the surprise which by then was long forgotten.

The kiss deepened as he lifted me onto the countertop, citrus fruits and berries scattering across the marble and plummeting to the floor as I spread my legs and pulled him closer.

His hands were restless as they traveled across my body before, at last, settling at the small of my back where they came to a rest.

He pressed himself against me, earning a sigh in response as I felt the heat from his skin seep through my clothes as effortlessly as if they had never been there.

Hongjoong pressed a soft kiss to the side of my neck. "We could just stay here, at home," he suggested, the words causing me to shiver and bite my lip as he whispered them against my skin.

"But what about everything you prepared-?" I croaked, swallowing the rest of my question as he pressed another kiss to the skin beneath my chin and I sucked in a quick breath. Flickers of last night etched themselves onto my mind, and I became blind to reality as I relived them.