Solecism

CHAPTER FOUR

It's been five weeks since that night out in the courtyard, and the conversation I'd had with Jeongguk still weighs heavily in my mind. I'd even been introduced to the other Gods already, and while I'd been quite intimidated at first, they've all been nothing but kind to me.

Well.

Almost all of them.

Yunki, the slothful, doesn't really seem to care about my presence one way or the other, and has, for the most part, simply ignored my existence.

I find it funny how different they are from what I'd imagined. Taehyung, for instance, seems hardly angry at all. Rather, he seems chipper, and boyishly innocent. Charming, even, and far kinder than I could ever have dreamed.

I'd grown up hearing horror stories about Hoseok the envious, had always been told that I should not covet wealth.

"It's better to be poor, " the matron had always told me, "lest you invite the ire of the God of envy, for everything you own must be his."

But honestly, he doesn't seem to be very envious of anyone at all. At least, not as far as I've seen. I can't help but think that maybe it was simply her way of conditioning us to expect less, and the idea makes me nearly furious.

Even Jimin seems to be not nearly as frightening as I'd first found him, and though I am still hesitant about the idea of becoming his bride, I have to admit that he has been incredibly kind and understanding. Patient, even, and more concerned with my comfort than I could ever have anticipated.

"Hey! Yue!"

I grin, craning my neck to scout out the source of the voice calling out my name from around the flowering bushes that hide this particular garden bench from view.

It's Taehyung, of course, and he is bounding towards me enthusiastically, holding a rather heavy looking basket in his hands.

"I heard from the kitchen staff that you hadn't eaten anything today, what's up with that?"

I smile, touched by his concern.

"I'm just not hungry, " I reply sincerely. "It's been a rather strange week for me."

He looks thoughtful, the corners of his mouth tilting downwards into the first frown I have ever seen grace his face.

"Are they picking on you? Are they not serving you food that you enjoy?"

For a moment, I see a glimmer of the reason as to why Taehyung is wrath, and I shiver, hoping that he never turns those eyes on me. His pale, nearly ivory hair, glints in the sunlight, and bis blue irises are, for a moment, icy and hard.

"No!" I exclaim, a little too eagerly. "It's nothing like that. I'm just..."

His gaze softens as his eyes begin to fill to the brim with understanding.

"Still trying to catch your footing?"

"Yeah, " I reply, nodding my agreement.

"Don't worry about it too much, " he says, trying to cheer me up. "I won't let anything happen to you. I really like you, after all. You're very kind, and Jimin knows that too."

"You don't think he'd sell me to the sexual services department?" I ask, anxiously twisting my hands together in my lap. "He's been really sweet, and far more patient than I expected, but what if he gets tired of waiting for me to catch my breath? Why is he so set on marrying me anyway? It just doesn't make sense. There are a hundred other ways he could have rewarded me if he felt it truly necessary."

"He's Jimin the lustful, " Tae chuckles in response. "He thinks his cock is a gift to woman kind, what other kind of reward would you expect someone like that to come up with?"

I blink, astonished by both his language and his point.

"Fair enough, " I sigh.

"Can I ask you a candid question?"

I nod, a small amused smile finding it's way across my lips at the idea that a God is asking permission for anything.

"Is there a reason you're so against sleeping with Jiminie?"

That fledgling smile dies upon my lips as I contemplate the answer to his question. He notices how roughly I am wringing my hands, and grasps one of them tightly.

"Are you afraid? You must be a virgin, right?"

I nod.

"That's not really the only reason though, " I admit.

"What, are you not attracted to him?"

A small, ironic smile is spread upon his face.

"Oh, I'm definitely attracted to him, " I confess dryly. "I just find it incredibly unbelievable that I could satisfy a God, and this whole situation is just... Weird for me. He's still a complete stranger."

"What about me then?"

"What?"

I stare at him dumbly for a moment, confusion only growing as he regards me with his signature cheeky grin.

"Are you attracted to me?"

"Well, " I stammer out. "I mean, of course. Who wouldn't be? I'd have to be blind. Where is this coming from?"

His smile doesn't dim in the slightest, even despite the sudden mischievous glint in his eyes.

"So if I kissed you, would you kiss me back?"

Stunned, I struggle to think of how to respond. But Tae doesn't even give me the chance.

Rather than wait for me to answer, he seems determined to find out for himself. He leans forward, and presses his lips so gently against my own that I almost can't feel them at all. Like a feather, his soft lips merely tickle the surface of the skin on my lips.

My eyes, like the traitors that they are, close of their own accord. And as they do, he presses a single hand firmly to the back of my neck, pulling me in deeper until all of my senses are blinded, and only he remains.

My brain becomes little more than mush as I melt into his kiss, and the part of me that should be questioning this is silenced by his nimble tongue as it invades my mouth. Deep down, I can't help but feel like this is wrong. A kiss like this is something that should be shared by lovers, but I can't seem to pull myself away.

I'm not even aware of the fact that I am actively participating, too lost in this indescribable sensation that he is giving me. And as he pulls away, eyes aflame with satisfaction, I groan, and then blush in embarrassment.

"What..." I stammer pitifully, heart thumping painfully in my chest, "what was that?"

"I told you already, " he replies, grinning easily, "I like you."

I frown, an overwhelming sense of guilt crashing over me as I realize just how much I'd enjoyed that kiss. But Taehyung is too busy rifling through the basket he'd brought to notice.

"You really need to eat, " he commands softly, pressing a small container into my hands. "If I find out you're still not eating in the future, I'd hate to think of what might happen to the kitchen staff. I might just lose my temper."

I gulp nervously, unable to abide the idea that I could be the cause of someone's pain over something so trivial. I gaze skeptically at the burnished metal container in my hands, sighing forlornly as I resign to filling my suddenly quite queasy stomach.

Content that I seem to have gotten the memo, Taehyung stands. And after placing a chaste kiss upon my brow, he leaves me to my meal, and an unsettling silence.

To my surprise, once I've opened the lid I discover that inside is my absolute favorite. It's been hard to adjust to the extravagant food that the Gods eat, and as I stare at the poorly made kimbap within, I feel a sliver of my appetite returning.

I stifle a laugh with my free hand, realizing that Tae must have made this himself since it doesn't look like anything that the expert kitchen staff would have pulled together. Despite myself, a small smile spreads across my face, and I dig in merrily.