Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Gi-hun didn't get to ask what In-ho thought of the encounter when they entered the apartment, because the man pushed him against the front door and kissed him.

Gi-hun wheezed for the abrupt change and In-ho took the chance to lick into Gi-hun's mouth with his own tongue.
Gi-hun could only whimper as In-ho's leg found its way between his owns, rubbing the thigh against Gi-hun's pelvis.

In-ho's hand cupped Gi-hun's cheek, turning the other's face to his own liking. In-ho interrupted the kiss only to lick and bite the skin of the neck.
"I hate her." In-ho murmured against Gi-hun's neck, suckling a delicate patch of skin.
"Wha-what?" Gi-hun stuttered. His brain was becoming mushy under such attentions, even if his moral side was loudly protesting that he didn't want that, nor he had consented.

"Her. Your ex wife." In-ho scoffed, biting the reddened area. Gi-hun stifled a keen mewl.
That annoying part of him protested yet again that he didn't want that, that he wanted the Frontman as far away as possible.

"She's a bitch." In-ho added, as his lips moved across his neck, scraping another sensible spot. Gi-hun shivered as his protests died in his throat.
His judgement was becoming more and more clouded, as his body kept trembling under In-ho's ministrations. Gi-hun wasn't even trying to hide how he rubbed against In-ho's leg, seeking a pleasure that was close but still so out of reach.

The bigger part of him, which had been worn down by years of revenge and pain and self-loathing, was tired of chasing. Even if it meant abandoning his morals, even if it didn't sit right in his stomach, not totally.
A discomfort softened by pleasure seemed way better than solid beliefs that hurt whenever they crashed against a comfort that kept being rejected.

"She kept criticizing you, throwing jabs. As if I couldn't listen, while I was ordering her stupid coffee." In-ho murmured with a gravel-voiced tone. It was in stark contrast with the way his hand held Gi-hun's waist and how his thumb caressed Gi-hun's cheek.

"Did- did you hear everything?" Gi-hun asked in a feeble tone, strained from pleasure and embarrassment in equal measures. In-ho didn't have the right to listen, because he surely recognised between truth and lie in his words.

"Difficult to not to, dear. Even if you spoke lowly, it was easy to focus on you two, since you were the only two speaking Korean in a place full of English speakers." In-ho replied, lifting his head to smile.
"It was a private matter." Gi-hun replied, furrowing his brows, his body stilling in offense.

"We are married, I have the right to know about you and your problems. I must, too. It's part of being married, sharing problems." In-ho assured.
Gi-hun scoffed: "We aren't married, not in the way it matters."

In-ho returned to the main topic: "Well, then, as you ex-wife, that woman doesn't have any right to insult you."
His grip reinforced on Gi-hun's body, as his face closed off in barely concealed rage.

"Having the gall to call you a beggar, looking at you as if you were nothing better than a bug under her shoe, insulting your character as if you being you is only an insult." In-ho listed, his rage showing more and more on his face.
Gi-hun gulped, a heavy heat spreading from his belly down to his toes and up to his hair strands. Nobody had ever gotten so angry on his behalf, because someone insulted him in any way.

Gi-hun didn't want to acknowledge that the exception was someone who had orchestrated some mortal games. He refused to recall that what he was feeling was ignited by the Frontman.

"In-ho, I gave her many reasons to do so. It's not entirely her fault if she behaves like that around me." Gi-hun replied. He didn't love Eun-ji, not anymore, but he didn't like when someone was insulted without reason.

In-ho started at him, bewildered. Then his expression softened and kissed him chastely on the lips.
"Oh, honey. How you can still be so sweet?" In-ho cooed, kissing him once again "She doesn't deserve your mercy."

Gi-hun's deadpanned expression was his response.
In-ho chuckled and kissed him on the nose: "Dear, you can think otherwise, but few people would be so lenient towards people like her. She's apart of that crowd kind that thinks they are better from the rest because they are in a higher position in life than where they had started."

In-ho scoffed, his face twisting again in rage: "As if it was her own merit, when she only had the luck to find a rich-enough man that responded well when she opened her legs-"
"In-ho. Stop." Gi-hun scolded, pushing him away.
In-ho, dumbfounded, shut his mouth as he was distanced from Gi-hun.

"I don't love her, I lost that sentiment way before our divorce, and I don't necessarily like all of her traits, but she's still her own person and deserves respect. Furthermore, she's the mother of my daughter. By that, you're implying that my daughter is the daughter of a whore." Gi-hun reprimanded, his tone serious.

In-ho could only gulp and nod.
Fuck, he had let himself be led by rage and jealousy. He didn't want to insult Gi-hun's daughter, not even indirectly.
"I- sorry." he admitted "I didn't think of it like that. It's just- she doesn't have any right to treat you like that. And I already didn't like her on principle, so meeting her only worsened my image of her. Sorry, I would never want to insult Ga-yeong."

Gi-hun's expression softened immediately, which made In-ho calmer in response. And it made his heart beat with more force in his chest, as a pleasant heat returned in his veins. His sweet Gi-hun, always forgiving and kind, even to people who didn't deserved it.
In-ho had to protect him by any means necessary. He couldn't grasp how Gi-hun had survived for so long with his big heart. Probably it had helped his feral side, which only made In-ho's heart beat faster.

In that moment, it felt like Gi-hun was reflecting both sides. His kind expression and words were like a drug, while his unruly hair and his dishevelled appearance let transpire a sharper undertone that only made In-ho hungrier of Gi-hun as a whole.

In-ho returned close to Gi-hun, embracing him, his hands resting at the base of Gi-hun's spine, intertwined, but still so close to that tantalising body.

"Thanks, dear. You're always so forgiving. And I have understood. I can't insult Eun-ji if it implies something bad about Ga-yeong." In-ho assured.
Gi-hun rebutted: "No, I meant-" but then he sighed and added: "Whatever. Yeah, for now."
In-ho grinned.
It was so easy to get something out of Gi-hun.

"Can I know, at least, what she told you at the end, when I exited the café? You were so red." In-ho asked with an innocent tone. He had to make sure that Eun-ji, that witch, wasn't making Gi-hun all flustered.
Gi-hun had the bad tendency to gravitate around nasty people, he had said it himself.

Gi-hun flushed a lovely red once again and the awe surmounted the jealousy that reminded it was Eun-ji's fault, in In-ho's mind.
"It's nothing." Gi-hun mumbled.
"I don't think so, since you're so red. You're cute, you know?"
"Shut up! I'm not cute! 'Cute' is for kittens and pups and girls when you're a teenager! Not for middle-aged men when you're one yourself!"

In-ho laughed: "You're cute. And I'll pester you until you won't tell me why you were so red."
Gi-hun remained silent.
"Honey, don't make me force you." In-ho taunted as he lowered his head, kissing the sore spots.
Gi-hun shivered under his touch.

In-ho took it as an acceptance and he suckled an area which he had previously bitten. The trembling exhale that Gi-hun let out was enough to make In-ho hot all over again, after the scare.

In-ho kept torturing the bits of skin which had already endured his bites, drinking in every whine and soft moan that escaped Gi-hun's lips.

Gi-hun was malleable and soft in every sense of the word. Now that he was eating regularly once again, he had some meat around his bones, which made grabbing and touching him even more thrilling.
But Gi-hun, even if his mind was obviously accepting his new fate each day that passed, was and would always be a stubborn man.

So In-ho coaxed him towards the couch, kissing him on the lips with care, biting his lower lip, taking his time.
When Gi-hun was sprawled on the couch, In-ho towered over him, a devilishly smile on his lips.
"Do you still want to keep it a secret, dear?" In-ho asked in a sultry voice.

Gi-hun had to think for a second or two to get what In-ho was talking about. In defiance, he nodded and thinned his lips, as if to attest that he didn't want to speak.
His protesting part was pleased, at least.

The rest of him, the part that craved nice touches from wicked hands, was anxious, however. It feared that the touches would vanish in exchange of some useless pride.

Instead, In-ho just made a tutted noise of disapproval, but his lips never down turned.
"Maybe, then, I just have to take it from you." In-ho noted, lowering himself.
He raised Gi-hun's shirt and the latter one found his breath trapped in his own throat. Anticipation thundered inside him as In-ho let his shirt pool around his neck.

"Not that I dislike it, with such a sight in front of me." In-ho noted. With a hand he caressed Gi-hun's stomach, reaching lower and lower until he touched the other's waistband.
But there he stopped, still smiling.

He lowered his head and kissed Gi-hun on the sternum, then swiftly moved to the side and took in his mouth one nipple, licking and sucking it.

Gi-hun moaned before his tempered side could stop him, gripping the couch under him. He panted as one of In-ho's hands rubbed and slightly pinched the other, neglected, nipple.

When In-ho let go of Gi-hun's nipple with a slight suctioning noise, Gi-hun thought that he could regain his breath.
He thought wrong.
In-ho only changed nipple to kiss and bite, as he rubbed the now-neglected area. With one of his legs, he forced apart Gi-hun's ones, up until his leg was comfortably in between his husband's ones.
Then, with his free hand, he gripped Gi-hun on the hip and pushed him down, towards his thigh. He held him in place, then slowly moved his leg to rub it against Gi-hun's crotch.

Gi-hun closed his eyes and he raised his hips, seeking once again the friction, as his body grew hotter and hotter.
In-ho let go of his hip, but Gi-hun didn't stop rubbing against the other.
"You're such a sight. I want to eat you up." In-ho murmured against his chest, before returning to his ministrations.

Gi-hun, shredding to pieces his last scrap of pride, moaned wantonly as he lowered his hand. He moved out of the way the trousers and boxer, just the minimum he needed to take his own erection in hand and jerk off, while In-ho kept kissing and biting him on the chest.

He was close, so close...

But then his hand on his erection was yanked away and Gi-hun opened wide his eyes in shock.
In-ho had stopped touching and kissing him. He was smiling devilishly as he kept a firm grip on Gi-hun's wrist.
"No no, dear." In-ho taunted "You don't get to finish until you tell me what she told you."

Gi-hun huffed as his mind scrambled to understand what the heck In-ho was talking about.
When he got it, his stubborn side had put back together his last shred of pride with self-righteous glue and single-minded tape. And it used that pride to strangle his needy and horny side, temporarily subduing it.
So Gi-hun, with only that chunk of pride in his hands, and hotheadedness on his side, frowned and lamented: "If I don't want to tell you, I won't tell you."

And he still had a free hand. He could annoy In-ho enough to get free and finish jerking off. His pride wasn't enough to push down his libido for long.

But In-ho, as if reading his thoughts, took Gi-hun's other wrist and pinned both of them over his head, with one hand.
"Oh, you will tell me." In-ho taunted.

Gi-hun struggled, but In-ho seated himself on Gi-hun's legs, so now the older man was totally at the other's mercy.
No more free hand, no more way to jerk off in fucking peace.

In-ho chuckled and tilted his head: "You're so beautiful, hot and bothered, you know?"
Gi-hun only glared at him. Damned his pride that made him choose the worst option.

"I would gladly help you, really." In-ho assured "You just have to tell me what she told you."
Gi-hun questioned: "Couldn't you just wait until I had finished?!"
"You wouldn't have told me anything." In-ho rebutted.
"Don't you know that when someone's happy, their tongue is looser?" Gi-hun replied.

In-ho hummed, but didn't change his mind. Instead, his free hand lowered and took in hand Gi-hun's erection.
"Still, I can help you. But you have to tell me what she told you. I don't even get it why you're being so stubborn." In-ho noted as he slightly squeezed his grip.

Gi-hun hissed through gritted teeth.
In-ho lazily moved his hand and he circled his thumb on the tip before moving his hand down once more.
Gi-hun wriggled under the other's weight to no avail, some desperate whines escaping his lips.

He didn't want to give satisfaction to that fucker, his pride was clear on that, but In-ho was being a tease. Touching just enough to keep him hard, touching not enough to let him come.
And he wanted to come.
His needy side got the upper hand and punched his pride until it wasn't a pulp.

"She just asked how I was able to 'bag you', her words, not mine." Gi-hun admitted, not looking at In-ho "And told me that she hadn't bought the 'friends' part because you looked at me so unabashedly."
In-ho's smile widened. He teased: "Oh, so it's obvious that we're married. It makes me glad."

In-ho lowered his head and kissed him chastely on the lips.
"You're such a good boy. And I keep my promises." he whispered and his hand moved faster, his grip stronger, not a barely-there touch anymore.

Gi-hun squirmed under In-ho, who still kept his hands pinned above him. He moaned as In-ho jerked him off.
It was easy to close his eyes, but it was kinda hypotonic seeing how In-ho looked at him, with a hunger in his eyes that made him get goosebumps.

Gi-hun came quickly and messily, but In-ho just smiled and marveled at him like he was the finest painting in a museum.

Gi-hun was ready to check his phone for the unknown time in the spawn of 5 minutes, that he heard a voice saying: "Gi-hun?"

He turned around and his breath died somewhere in his throat, leaving a hard knot to swallow. His eyes stung a bit, but his joy overpowered those bitter sentiments.

There she was. Even if years had passed, which they were critical, the ones between childhood and puberty, he would have always recognised Ga-yeong.

She was tall and slim for her age, the childish fat on her cheeks wasn't there anymore. That statement hurt him in the same way it made his eyes sting previously.
Her hair were now kept long, at mid-back length; at least they were straight and dark as he remembered.
She wasn't scantly dressed, as he knew it was a trend among the youth; a small mercy. Still, she was entirely different from what he knew.
Obviously, kids grew up and searched for their style, but it hurt to acknowledge that he wasn't there through all the rebellion and changes that his little girl had made to her style.

She wore a black t-shirt with some band print on it, half hidden by the jeans jacket she had over it, which was full of different pins on the shoulders and chest area. The jacket matched with the jeans she had, which were tight-fitting on the upper part, then they flared from under the knee. To complete the outfit, she had some forest green combat shoes that he knew they were famous (but he couldn't remember their brand even if his life depended on it) and a tote bag of the same shade as the shoes.

So he could say she was different from the kid who had accepted a cheap dinner as her birthday dinner and that wore colourful t-shirts over a long-sleeved shirt, all under some jeans overalls.

"Hi, Ga-yeong." Gi-hun replied, still smiling, not really knowing what to do with his hands.
She slightly inclined her head as a salute.

"You... what kind of style is that?" Gi-hun asked. Fearing to appear insensitive, he added: "I'm sure it has a name and I don't know it. You know my absolute absence of fashion sense."
Ga-yeong smiled, faintly, but it was there and it didn't look forced.
"It's inspired from an alt style and it's called grunge." she explained.
"Grunge?" he repeated, not butchering too much the pronunciation.

"Yes, it's a music genre too." Ga-yeong explained "But I dress like this because it's comfy."
"Jeans jackets aren't a little uncomfy? I like them too, but I wouldn't call them exactly comfy. Something comfy is, like, a jumper or a hoodie." Gi-hun replied.

They started walking aimlessly around the park.
Ga-yeong shrugged: "I guess, I have a lot of band hoodies too. Mom doesn't really like them, but she prefers this over how some of my classmates dress, so she just silently judges."

"Oh, your mom is an expert of judging without saying a word, I think that 'just' is really an understatement." Gi-hun joked.
Ga-yeong chuckled and nodded. She looked towards an ice cream vendor, but quickly diverted her gaze.
"Do you want some ice-cream?" Gi-hun asked.

"No no, it's fine." Ga-yeong replied, but Gi-hun was an expert of that tone, unfortunately.
"It's no worries, my treat, really." Gi-hun assured, taking out a 20$ bill from his wallet.
Ga-yeong nodded shyly and trailed after him as they went to the ice cream wagon. It was small, but it didn't look dodgy.
They looked at the flavours and they went away with their cones, two flavours each.

(Gi-hun pushed aside the embarrassment of letting Ga-yeong do all the talking because he couldn't form a coherent phrase in English.)

(Luckily, it seemed that the ice-cream made Ga-yeong ignore that aspect )

"It's good, isn't it?" Gi-hun asked and Ga-yeong nodded, satisfied, focused on her sweet treat.
They strolled around and they talked about Ga-yeong's everydayness.

She had a tight-knit friend group, they were five friends total, but she spoke about them with a great affection that made Gi-hun happy. She had thriving friendships and he was glad for that.
Her shyness was still there and not really there. She had become more self-assured, but she had remained reserved.

They talked about her school. She wasn't the smartest kid in all of her classes, but she was hard-working and brought home good grades.
She was in a theatre club with two of her close friends and in the theatre group she had many enjoyed acquaintances.

She then animatedly explained how they were going to stage "Alice in Wonderland", a pretty strange story, from what Gi-hun had gathered given Ga-yeong's short summary. She didn't have a leading part, but she was quite pleased by that.
“A leading part means too many lines to remember, I would have surely forgotten some of them during the opening night, which would have been a total disaster. So, I don't think I am ready for a leading role even if I ever got one” she had said, to be precise.
But she did get to play two secondary roles, a mouse and a mock turtle, whatever that meant, that let her be present for more than one act of the play.
Gi-hun was happy that his daughter was satisfied, so he didn't ask why she was so sure she wouldn't be good at remembering too many lines. He avoided that topic and instead he asked how the rehearsals were going.

At some point, Ga-yeong interrupted herself and looked at him. Then around. Then back again at him.
"There's something wrong?" Gi-hun asked, slightly nervous. He had forced In-ho to not be indiscreet while following them around, had he had been such an idiot to let be seen by a little girl (his little girl was smart, but she was still a kid, it should be easy to not be noticed!)?!

He should have put his foot down more and let In-ho understand that he didn't need help or surveillance. But that man had been adamant and Gi-hun had been too focused on meeting Ga-yeong to put up a real fight.
"No, no... It's just. I was curious of something." she noted, not looking at him in the eyes.
There the shyness he knew shone through her cool looks and more self-assured character.

Gi-hun just gently smiled and he asked: "What's the matter? I'm sure it's nothing to be embarrassed about."
"Mom told me that you are together with a man now and I thought that you would introduce me to him, since we haven't seen eachother for years." she admitted.
Gi-hun fixated her in a stunned silence, feeling his face getting hot. Ok, forget what he had said, it was an embarrassing topic.

Ga-yeong took his silence as acceptance and so she added: "And you didn't get to say anything because I kept talking and maybe you were waiting to introduce him and I'm sorry if I made both of you wait. And I'm sorry that I didn't let you talk about yourself."

"I'm not gay, Ga-yeong. I'm not with In-ho as in a relationship." Gi-hun babblered.
Ga-yeong fixated him with an unimpressed stare that was uncannily similar to her mother's one.
"Dad, here it's fine to be gay, even out-loud. Ok, there are some areas and some people who are more homophobic, but it's legal. You don't have to hide it." Ga-yeong assured, exchanging her frown for a more lenient gaze.

"I'm not gay nonetheless!" Gi-hun rebutted, feeling like a petulant kid. And he was past fifty, for heck's sake!
Ga-yeong nodded along: "Well, you're right. You loved mom, I'm sure, so you're bi. I didn't want to invalidate you."

"'Bi'? 'Invalidate you'? What are you talking about?" Gi-hun asked, confused and slightly apprehensive.
Ga-yeong snorted: "Bisexual. I meant that."
Gi-hun only stared at her.
She chuckled: "I guess you're not someone fond of labelling. That's fine, I guess. You're still Gi-hun."

Those words were kind of comforting, but Gi-hun commented: "You sound... such an expert."
"I'm an ally." Ga-yeong proudly explained "It means that I'm not gay, nor trans, nor anything else queer, but I actively support queer people. My best friend is a lesbian. I may or may not risked some detentions because of all the shoutings I did against morons who insulted her."

Gi-hun face palmed himself.
"If you have to insult someone in return, be sure to not get caught" he advised through a sigh "For example, insult with a saccharine voice. Or a low voice. It infuriates people to be insulted while feeling babied."

Ga-yeong grinned: "Why aren't you lecturing me?"
"Because I was the same at your age and in high school too. I always picked fights against who insulted my friends." Gi-hun told, not moving his hand away from his face "I had to get smart, I couldn't get too many detentions."

Ga-yeong faked pondering his words, then she shrugged with a grin on her lips: "Well, thanks for the small lesson on how to not get caught doing something bad. Can I know your boyfriend, now?"
Gi-hun became red behind his hand.
"He's not-" he hissed, then groaned. It was a lost battle. He picked his phone and dialed In-ho's number.

"Hi dear, what got you so flustered with your daughter?" In-ho asked in a taunting voice.
Gi-hun refrained from looking everywhere like a maniac in the chance of seeing him. He ordered: "She wants to know you. Are you coming?"
"Really?" In-ho asked gleefully.
"Do I have to repeat myself?"
"Just a sec and I'll be there!"
"I hope so."
In-ho ended the call.

Ga-yeong had her eyebrows raised when Gi-hun returned to look at her.
"There's something else wrong?" Gi-hun asked.
"You were not nice to him." Ga-yeong noted.
Gi-hun had to refrain from rolling his eyes: he certainly didn't need his daughter to take In-ho's side!
He explained with a strained smile: "He's a bit of a..." “Dickhead” was what his mind supplied instantly, but he settled on "Well, he likes to play dumb. He knows I hate it. He does it nonetheless because he likes that I hate it."

Ga-yeong was nodding, but then she moved her gaze and her eyes widened.
Gi-hun turned around and there was In-ho, smiling charmingly.
"See? Just in a sec I was here." In-ho joked, caressing Gi-hun's back. The latter shivered as In-ho looked at Ga-yeong and introduced himself: "I'm Hwang In-ho, Gi-hun's husband."
Gi-hun glared at him with all the hate he could muster, trying to not be seen by his daughter, but In-ho ignored him to add: "And you must be the famous Ga-yeong. Gi-hun talks a lot about you. All good things, I swear." and he chuckled.

Ga-yeong half-smiled and replied: "It's a pleasure to know you."
Then she turned towards Gi-hun, crossing her arms in the mock of disapproval: "Why did you even deny to be in a relationship with him, when you're married?!"

Gi-hun was trying to conjure up an excuse, but In-ho circled his waist with his arm and pulled him towards himself. While doing so, he explained: "He's still a little touchy about the marriage part. He thinks that it will bring us bad luck; go figure!"
"I can't imagine how he was during the wedding." Ga-yeong murmured, but her 'offense' was peeling away, giving space to curiosity.
"Oh, it was just us signing the papers in front of the officiant and the testimonies. We celebrated by going to dinner afterward. None wanted something flashy, just the legal status and our strong bond." In-ho explained.

From there on, the afternoon was still spent strolling around the park, letting Ga-yeong see the shop windows of nearby stores too. But In-ho took the role of talking and directed the conversation in general. He kept Gi-hun close to himself with an arm around his waist. Nothing scandalous, so Gi-hun let it slide.

Only because there was his daughter: he couldn't let her see cracks in the façade. And it seemed she was delighted in seeing him 'happily married'. So there was no chance he would make a fuss for a simple arm snaked around him.

They even took a picture all together, on Ga-yeong's request.
“I want a memory of this afternoon!” she had declared while taking her phone out.
After some photos, when Ga-yeong was putting her phone back into the tote bag, In-ho had joked that she wanted a photo so she could pick on them with her friends the day after.
Ga-yeong had become very red in the face, looking at the ground.
Gi-hun had laughed it off, saying that she had his permission, and the embarrassment went away from Ga-yeong's face.

As all good things, it ended. Specifically , when Eun-ji phoned Ga-yeong to let her know that she was there to pick her up.
They escorted her towards the right car.
Eun-ji gave Gi-hun a curt nod as Ga-yeong got on the car.

"I hope it was a pleasant afternoon." In-ho wished.
Ga-yeong smiled: "Yes, it was. Have a good evening and night. But mom and I now have really to go or dad is going to lament once again that we are always late."

Her smile stilled as she realised the mistake she did, while her eyes widened.
"Then it's better we let you leave. Have a good dinner." Gi-hun wished, making a step back.
In-ho just followed his movements.

Ga-yeong didn't say anything, staring at Gi-hun, her eyelids slightly lowering with soft but sad emotions.
"You too." Eun-ji hastily said, then she turned on the car and they went away.

In-ho reinforced his grip on Gi-hun waist, his fingers lightly caressing his skin from over his shirt.
"Well, we came on foot, so we have some walk to do." In-ho stated, but remained still.
It was a silent question.
Gi-hun started moving.

While walking towards their temporary apartment, In-ho didn't let go of his grip on Gi-hun.
Half-way through, Gi-hun realised it only because In-ho had momentarily pulled him even closer to avoid a hole.
But Gi-hun didn't put more distance between them.
He wanted to laugh. Or cry. Or both, which was probably what reflected more his emotions in that moment.

During all afternoon, he had been reluctant about In-ho's touch, even if he didn't let it show. Now, he wanted it.
His body almost expected it.

He hated In-ho and what his touch meant.
It signified he was fine with being touched by a heartless man who had killed thousands of people. It implied he didn't deserve anything more. It inferred he was just as corrupted and without morals as him.

Nonetheless, it was grounding.
Without In-ho, he could still walk, he was sure of it. His legs still supported him.
But he wouldn't be able to remain put together in the middle of a road.

When they entered the apartment and In-ho locked the door, they looked at eachother.
"For what it can mean, you two let your sadness show in the same exact way." In-ho whispered.

"She shouldn't be sad." Gi-hun mumbled, stumbling towards the living room, which closer than their bedroom "Nor ashamed. I should be. I am. I have lost the right to be called 'dad' long ago."
He let himself fall onto the couch.

"Ga-yeong can call who she wants how she wants, but words have consequences. You were hurt by them. And you have the right to feel like that." In-ho explained in a calm tone, sitting near Gi-hun.

"I thought everything was going fine." Gi-hun noted, his voice strained and high-pitched.
In-ho circled his shoulders and manoeuvred them as so they were lying on the couch.
"Yes. She still cares about you. She's like you in many ways; she has your forgiving heart. You can still mend everything. But it takes time." In-ho assured, his tone low.

"I know- I know it takes time, it's just-" Gi-hun sobbed, his voice shakier. And so petulant. He felt like a little kid who was throwing a tantrum.
In-ho moved a hand through his hair and started caressing it with careful but precise movements. In-ho's fingers were delicate where his hair were tangled, but his touch on his scalp was grounding.
Sobs shook Gi-hun harder. He knew where his body was going, it always stumbled there, but he felt like he was crashing against it.

Gi-hun's sobs were quickly paired with hot tears.
His hands gripped In-ho's shirt as he hidden his head against his neck, crying like the pathetic man he was.
In-ho didn't say anything. His touches on the head kept going, but the other hand rested on his back, hugging him without the suffocating feeling of arms encircling him.

After crying, Gi-hun had thought that he would be better.
Yes and no.
Truth be told, not really.
He wasn't crying anymore, but he felt empty.
Sometimes embarrassment was strong enough to make him think of how pathetic he was, but then his patheticness returned and he mopped on the bed or on the couch.

The day after the incident, in the evening, he exited the bedroom, where he had changed after a hot, long and pathetic shower, to see that on the coffee table in the living room there was some Korean-style fried chicken.
Gi-hun looked at In-ho, who was sitting on the couch.
In-ho turned towards him and smiled: "I found this take-away place that does authentic Korean food. I guessed that some fried chicken is always well-liked, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Gi-hun agreed, as he sat near In-ho on the couch "I like it. It's one of my favourite foods. Not really healthy, but I think that's the reason I like it so much."
"Well, comfort food is very rarely something 'healthy'. Healthy things tend to make you sadder, than happier, when you eat them."

Gi-hun half-smiled as he took a piece of chicken and a napkin to use as a way to not dirty everywhere.
In-ho copied him, but he used a plate to dirty instead of a napkin. He gave one to Gi-hun, who took it gladly.
"I thought we could watch a film. An American one. I found it with Korean subtitles. Mrs. Doubtfire." In-ho suggested.

"You won't tell me anything about it? I have to go in blindly?" Gi-hun asked with no bite.
"I can tell you that it's a comedy-drama film. Mostly comedy, tho. It has a good ending." In-ho explained.
"Then it's fine by me." Gi-hun assured.

At the end of the film, the fried chicken had been eaten entirely by a good while and Gi-hun was crying silently on In-ho's shoulder.
In-ho just hugged him, caressing his arm.

"Did you like the film?" In-ho asked in a low voice.
Gi-hun nodded against In-ho's shoulder.
"It- it was sweet. And the end... it's a punch in the gut. A good punch, if it exists." Gi-hun mumbled, his voice muffled by the shirt which he was pressing himself against.

"So your tears are happy tears?" In-ho asked.
"Not really." Gi-hun mumbled "I... I should have done differently. He was able to to see his children, because he fought for them. I... I just didn't. I couldn't. I wasn't strong enough for her. I let her think she didn't matter to me."

In-ho hummed disapprovingly: "Maybe, but have you already forgotten Mrs Doubtfire's last words? A parent and a child aren't able to see eachother sometimes even for years, given their circumstances. And years are such a long time, aren't they? But if there's love, then the rest will fall in place, if the relationship has time to be nurtured."
Gi-hun scoffed: "Why are you so adamant that Ga-yeong still cares about me? She could have been just polite. I know- I knew her. She was always polite."

"I don't get what are you implying."
"I'm saying, why do you care so much about my relationship with my daughter? Wouldn't you be happier if I had just you as a meaningful relationship?"

In-ho shook his head: "I may disapprove of strangers, because you're gentle and caring and the world is full of dickheads who are just waiting to hurt someone like you... But I'm digressing."
Gi-hun huffed, his head still nestled against In-ho's neck. His hot breath made In-ho shiver. In-ho had to close his eyes and think of the unpleasant talk with Eun-ji to not let his libido betray him and ruin this sweet moment.

"So, I distrust strangers, but she's not a stranger. She's your daughter. You care about her, even if you did many mistakes because you were a desperate man. And desperation doesn't make good parents, dear. You want to atone for your wrong actions, you really want to, because you sincerely believe that she deserves better."
"Tell me something that I don't already know..." Gi-hun mumbled.

"I'm just trying to say... since you're sincere, if there's love on both sides, then there's a chance to reconnect deeply. And I think the requirements are all there. She hurt you without meaning to and now she's surely sad and she fears that you don't want to see her anymore."
"That's not true!" Gi-hun lamented.
"But that's what she's thinking now." In-ho calmly replied "But if your love for eachother is strong enough, you will be able to overcome this and the bigger problems too."

Gi-hun weakly nodded. He didn't feel ready for any of those obstacles, but for Ga-yeong he would do many worse things.
He had already done way worse things; one more wouldn't change anything.

In-ho stroked him on the arm with more interest, letting silence hug them. Gi-hun's insecurities seemed to shine through his fragile exterior, making visible the tangled mess of a man he was under it. It was what made him, him.
In-ho wouldn't want him in any other way.

As if someone from the sky had heard In-ho's words, the following day Gi-hun phone light up with a notification.
It was a message from Eun-ji.

'Ga-yeong wants to see you again. She would like to go with you at the mall, after school. This Thursday, if possible. Do you have a car? It's not in a walkable distance from school nor our home.'

Gi-hun's joy rotted in an instant after reading the message.
"We don't have a car..." Gi-hun murmured.
In-ho put a hand on his shoulder and noted: "We can rent one. We have the money."

"Really? With such a short notice?" Gi-hun asked, noticing that it was already Monday afternoon.
"We are in Los Angeles, if we can't find instantly a rentable car here, then there's no place where to find one." In-ho noted.
Gi-hun nodded.
"Great. I'll tell her it's ok, then we search for a car so Ga-yeong and I will go to whatever mall on Thursday-" but Gi-hun's plan were interrupted by In-ho's question: "You, all alone with her?"

Gi-hun turned to stare at him: "Do you think I'm not able to drive? I was a chauffeur, once! I think I can drive better than you."
In-ho raised his hands, in a placating gesture: "I wasn't implying any of that, honey. You can totally drive on your own, but you don't know English, especially if it's written. Probably Ga-yeong only knows the mall's name and the car's navigator will be only in English. And you can't use your phone while you're driving, darling, you know better than me."

Gi-hun frowned and puffed his cheeks.
He only looked cuter in In-ho's eyes, but he didn't point out anything as Gi-hun protested with such expression: "And I want to be with my daughter, all alone. We have to bond, not you."

In-ho rebutted: "If you want to be a part of Ga-yeong's life, I have to be a part of it too. I'm your husband and she knows about that. Do you want to make her suspicious?"
"Don't you dare use my daughter for your own twisted plan, whatever that is!" Gi-hun hissed.

In-ho raised his brows: "If I had a twisted plan, I would be pitting you against her, I wouldn't be helping you."
Gi-hun opened his mouth and then closed it.
He shook his head: "I say yes to her, we rent a car until Friday to be sure and then we discuss it."
In-ho nodded and turned: "I'll get ready to go out, then."

As he went towards their bedroom, he smugly smiled. He had already won the argument. Since Gi-hun had put being able to take Ga-yeong to the mall as the priority, it was easy for In-ho to force his hand on the 'being alone' part.

Gi-hun grazed In-ho's shoulder with a feather-like touch. The latter, who was sitting on the couch, turned around with curiosity written all over his face.

Gi-hun's gaze was attentive as his lips curled into a small grin. Or, In-ho imagined so, since the result was more of a shy smile.
"I'll wait for you in our bedroom." Gi-hun told him and he sauntered towards their bedroom.

In-ho's brows shot up in surprise as he admired Gi-hun's retreating form. Sure, Gi-hun had had some nights where clinginess had made him more cuddly or needy.
But they had been more silent and awkward hints. That felt strangely cured in its execution.

Oh well, the only way to ease his doubt was to discover what laid just behind their bedroom's door.

He quickly went into the room and he found Gi-hun on the bed and he was stretching on it. His pijama's shirt had risen the bit necessary to make visible his lower abdomen, which begged to be kissed and marked with bites.

Gi-hun's eyes shot wide and for a second he seemed surprised, then he smiled and gestured near himself.
"Do you want to try if standing can be a new sleeping position?" Gi-hun joked.
"Maybe tomorrow." In-ho rebutted, feeling a little disappointed.
Maybe Gi-hun had just been awkward while trying to vocalise his desire to be cuddled.

But when he was on the bed, half-sitting on it, his back against his pillow, Gi-hun's hand reached his own and squeezed.
In-ho stared at Gi-hun, waiting.
Gi-hun diverted his gaze as a cute little blush adorned his cheeks.
In-ho internally rejoiced. There was a great chance it would be one of his needy nights.

"Can... Can I?" Gi-hun asked.
"Can you what?" In-ho inquired in a low voice.
Gi-hun huffed: "Can I do a little dance with you as a judge? Can I kiss you, obviously!"

In-ho laughed, but Gi-hun stopped him by kissing him. In-ho smiled against Gi-hun's lips and then he reciprocated, his laughter happily dying in favour of such turn of events. Gi-hun shortened the distance between them in few seconds and then he climbered on In-ho's lap.

In-ho's breath cut off in surprise, but Gi-hun's fervent kissing gave him no chance of recovery. Not that In-ho was displeased, as he sighed into the kiss while his hands snugly held Gi-hun's waist.

Gi-hun interrupted the kiss to regain some breath, but he remained close enough that their gasps mingled between them.
In-ho's thumbs circled the exposed skin of Gi-hun's lower abdomen. Meanwhile, Gi-hun's hands gripped In-ho: one on the nape's hair, the other on his shoulder. However, his touch was nothing more short than gentle.

Gi-hun lips curled into a satisfied smile: "Surprised?"
"Gladly. But now you have left me wanting for more." In-ho retorted as he captured Gi-hun's lips. He bit Gi-hun's lower lip and he drank in the other's whimper.

Gi-hun moved on In-ho's lap, scooting closer, as his hand lowered and went to grip the other on the arm.
In-ho, feeling bolder with Gi-hun's enthusiasm, thrust his hips upwards.
As their groins rubbed against each other, Gi-hun moaned into their kiss.
"Again." he whimpered, interrupting the kiss just to utter that single word.
And who was In-ho to deny such request?

So he reinforced his grip on Gi-hun's waist as he grinded their hips against eachother. Quickly they were reduced to whimpers and moans in between of open-mouthed kisses.
In-ho's hands went lower, grabbing Gi-hun's plump ass and rubbing it against his clothed erection, over and over.
Gi-hun whimpered, his voice strained and shaky.

"I-In-ho!" Gi-hun mewled as he was panting.
"Yes?" In-ho asked in a whisper. He was short of breath too, but he didn't want to stop, he couldn't stop. So he kept leisurely grinding his erection against Gi-hun's ass, which he was kneading with a satisfied pleasure.

"You-you're so hard." Gi-hun noted out loud.
"Great investigative skills, dear." In-ho teased, chuckling.
Gi-hun vindicated himself by giving him a light slap against his arm and by forcing In-ho to not move his hips.
The second punishment seemed a bit too much for In-ho. The meagre consolation was that Gi-hun was still pretty close to him.

"You make me want to take back my words before even saying them." Gi-hun threatened.
"I'm all ears." In-ho quickly assured.
Gi-hun's cheeks became redder, embarrassment written all over his face.

"I... I want to-" Gi-hun gulped. Then his eyes held his distinct determination as he added, looking at In-ho dead in the eyes: "I want to blow you."
Had In-ho heard right?!

Gi-hun's determination was quickly crumbling under his self-consciousness, in front of the other's silence.
Before he could take back his fantastic offer, In-ho asked: "Would you really?"
Gi-hun stared at him in surprise.
"Yes? I told you." he replied.

"Have you ever done it?" In-ho asked.
Gi-hun shook his head. But he quickly specified: "But- but I was on the receiving end of- of some blowjobs. I know what I like. Our tastes can't be that different, can they?"
In-ho nodded: "But one thing is giving directions and another one is executing them."

He raised his hands, caressing again Gi-hun's hips.
"But if you want to, you'll make me really happy. I'll help you, obviously." he assured "Other than making things go smoothly, I want our moments to be appreciated by the both of us."

Gi-hun nodded, his eyes fixating him with a mixture of something that In-ho couldn't really discern.
"Soooo... if you let me go, I try. Otherwise, I can be happy to stay here and watch you like an useless log." Gi-hun noted.
In-ho immediately let go of Gi-hun's hips, but he quickly kissed him on the lips before letting him go.

"You could stay on my lap and look pretty, sure, but I quite like the idea of you looking pretty between my legs." In-ho retorted.
Gi-hun huffed as he mounted off the other's lap, his cheeks keeping that lively red.

In-ho slightly widened his legs so Gi-hun could settle in between them. He was half-lying on the bed and he admired the way Gi-hun neared him with caution.
"I don't bite." In-ho joked as Gi-hun was hesitating on lowering his pijama pants and boxers.
"Yeah, the one who could bite in this situation is me." Gi-hun commented.

In-ho understood the comment for what it was for, so he replied in a joking tone: "Please, don't bite, dearie."
Gi-hun huffed but his lips were curled upwards: "Only if you ask nicely."
"But I have already asked nicely."
"The dick at stake is yours, not mine. You should consider what you want to say."

"Pretty please, Gi-hun, honey, could you not bite me?" In-ho asked.
Gi-hun smiled triumphantly and In-ho felt a new surge of fondness invading his senses. It was deepened by the slightest touch of lust, of seeing the man he adored between his legs with the smile of someone who was ready to make anybody bend to his wills.

Gi-hun lowered and he took off In-ho's clothes in quick movements. When he looked at In-ho's erection, his self-assurance quietened, overtaken by his embarrassment. Gi-hun wetted his lips, trying to regain his cool.

In-ho whispered: "You can start by touching it, like you have already done."
Gi-hun lifted his gaze, perplexed. As if he was ready to be mocked.
"As I said, it has to pleasant for the both of us. And I don't expect you to go from inexperienced to expert in the spawn of seconds." In-ho reassured.

Gi-hun nodded as he took In-ho's erection in hand. He started moving his hand, gripping it with enough force to be felt, but soft enough to not hurt in any shape of form.
In-ho exhaled a shaky breath as he closed his eyes, focusing on Gi-hun's touch, believing that, without eyes on him, his dear husband would get bolder.

And then he felt something wet on his tip. In-ho's eyes shot open as he jerked his hips. With his free hand, Gi-hun forced In-ho's hips to remain still. He was still stroking his erection, but now he was tentatively licking him on the tip, with kitten-like gesture. Short and quick movements, but nonetheless there.

In-ho extended a hand that he laid on Gi-hun's head, entangling his fingers with strands of hair.
He caressed his scalp.
Gi-hun closed his eyes for a moment, then his eyelids lifted and there In-ho saw once again Gi-hun's determination.
He was proven right when Gi-hun licked him from the base to the tip, following one of his veins.

In-ho closed his eyes and moaned, gripping with more force Gi-hun's hair. It had been years since he had received some oral sex; any touch felt amplified.

In short time, Gi-hun's hand was confined to being a support, as his tongue sweetly dragged all over his erection.
In-ho panted, trying uselessly to lift his hips in search of more.
It felt unfair how good Gi-hun was by just licking him.

(A speck of pride had been lit in his brain, because he had been absolutely right. It hadn't been just his lust-filled mind's imaginations, as he had jerked off by watching the recording of Gi-hun playing dalgona. Gi-hun, without any whatsoever previous experience, had a fantastic tongue that would do wonders on a dick too. The only disappointment was that Gi-hun wasn't arching his back like during that game.)

"Please...-!" In-ho pleaded, kicking all of his dignity to the side "More, I need you more-!"
As he was panting, Gi-hun lapped him over and over on his tip, as if he was coaxing out his orgasm with a lick at a time, dragging it out in a torturous way.

In-ho re-opened his eyes (when he had closed them?) and admired Gi-hun. He had flushed cheeks, from embarrassment alone or something else too was difficult to know. His lips were still swollen from their previous kisses and his bites. His tongue was lapping his erection, now his movements were a little more deliberate but still on the inexperienced side.
Gi-hun looked fine. Way more than fine. A new word had to be added to the vocabulary to express what he looked like.

In-ho almost wanted to lift him up and cover him in bites and then plunge inside him and fuck him until he was reduced to a babblering mess.
Almost.

In-ho reinforced his grip on Gi-hun's hair, moaning: "More, please...-!"
It seemed Gi-hun really liked being needed, even in such situations, because he lifted his eyes and assessed the situation. Whatever Gi-hun saw, it pleased him, because he lowered his head again and sucked his tip.

In-ho threw his head back and closed his eyes as another moan was thorn from him.
He swore he could feel Gi-hun's satisfied grin as his lips remained on his tip as he sucked and licked.

In-ho heaved as he felt his orgasm building up with a speed that made him think, for a stupid instance, that he had a problem of premature ejaculation.
He tugged Gi-hun's hair, both pushing his head towards and away from his dick, as he panted, fruitlessly: "I'm- I'm-!"

Then his vision went white behind his own eyelids, as he cummed while Gi-hun sucked him dry.
If he had been some decades younger, In-ho was sure he would be hard all over again.
Instead, he was only a middle aged man who, for all of his libido, was still weak to his own body rules.
His dick deflated as he felt satiated in a way that had no relation to food. He tried to regularise his breathing as he lifted his torso, trying to see how Gi-hun was faring.

He was now sitting between his legs, swallowing with a displeased expression. And then, with the back of his hand, Gi-hun wiped away a little trail of In-ho's spent that had escaped his mouth.
In-ho mourned how he wasn't getting any younger. That sight would have made him hard again too, if he had been a barely-adult man.

"You were fantastic." In-ho declared in a breathless whisper.
Gi-hun lifted his gaze as he was startled. He diverted his eyes as he mumbled something unintelligible.

In-ho sat straighter and leaned over to take Gi-hun's face with his hands.
He caressed him as he assured: "You were wonderful. Thank you. I'm sorry for the taste. If you ever want to do it again, at least give me some notice. Pineapples can't do wonders, but they can help."

Gi-hun dumbly nodded. He didn't look sure of anything.
In-ho smiled as he kissed his nose: "Don't you believe me, honey? I think that I acted a little bit embarassingly, that's surely enough prove of how good you were."

Gi-hun's cheeks became red and In-ho grinned.
Then he lowered his gaze and noticed the tent in Gi-hun's pants.
In-ho widened his eyes: "I'm so sorry, dear, I should have guessed! Yeah, you need some help; I'll be so good to you."

Gi-hun let out a strangled cry, but he didn't protest as In-ho pushed him against the mattress and took away his clothes in a quick gesture.
"Another time, when I'm less tired, I swear I'll return the favour properly." In-ho promised as he took Gi-hun's erection in hand.

Gi-hun let out a whimper of pleasure as he closed his eyes. He wriggled a bit, not really escaping In-ho's touch, but exposing his tempting and slender neck.

In-ho grinned as he lowered his face and started kissing the exposed area.
"Pet, you have to talk, otherwise I can't satisfy you as you wish." In-ho chastised as he nibbled the other's neck.

"S-shut up and do it quickly!" Gi-hun protested, but his words were contradicted by his hands gripping tightly the back of his t-shirt.

In-ho chuckled: "As you wish" and then he focused on Gi-hun's body and his reactions.
Gi-hun's moans were music to his ears, as he bit and sucked his neck's skin while jerking him off with a hard and fast pace.
Gi-hun came all over his hand in a short time, choking between whimpers his name.

In-ho would have been more pleased only if they had hit third base, but that idea was way closer to reality than what he had imagined.

In-ho returned to the bed, his hands clean and a glass of water for Gi-hun. His husband took the glass gingerly and drank it in one breath. In-ho smiled as Gi-hun put the glass on his nightstand and mumbled a thanks.
"No worry, you surely needed it." In-ho noted as he turned off the lights.

Gi-hun hummed and, encouraged by the dark setting, neared In-ho and hugged him.
In-ho, surprised even more, complied eagerly and kissed Gi-hun on the top of his head.
"Are you happy, dear? Because I am." In-ho asked.
Gi-hun hummed, but something rang wrong.

"You have something on your mind. Spit it out." In-ho noted gently.
Gi-hun sighed, then tightened his grip on In-ho's chest.

"Is just..." Gi-hun started, sighing "I'm grateful for everything you're doing to help me. And that movie we watched made me think."
"Yes?"
"Love can survive years of distance, but it needs time and dedication to not rot, because the risk is always there." Gi-hun explained "I think I'm at risk of loosing Ga-yeong forever, if I'm not already half-way there."

In-ho kept petting his hair, letting him do all the talking. He seemed to need it. Not only for what he was going to ask, because Gi-hun wanted to ask something, but because he needed to let it all out.

"I need to make Ga-yeong see that I'm reliable. That after years of being a good for nothing, I can be a good influence in her life, not only a biological duty she has to bear." Gi-hun explained, his tone wavering slightly before his resolution hardened once again "I have to prove to her that she can trust me. I... I can't do it if you are always around. She could think that I'm clingy or that I can't function without another one around. I can't give her that image. I have to make her see that I'm indipendent and fine... even if half of the time I feel like a wreck."

In-ho hugged him closer.
Even if his tone didn't waver anymore, his sadness radiated from him in waves.

"Maybe I've always been a wreck. Maybe it's hardwired into me. But I want to do better. I can do better. I'm not gambling, nor I have loan sharks on my ass. Just that gives her a better image of me than what she knew." and he laughed humourlessly "I can do even better. Maybe, in a distant future, I won't be a wreck. But I have to start now. And I can't make her think that I'm not indipendent. Do you understand?"

"You don't want that I go with you at the mall because otherwise it seems that you're babied." In-ho summarised.
"Yeah... Can you stay at home? Please." Gi-hun asked with a desperate tilt in his voice.

In-ho remained silent, making believe Gi-hun he was thinking it over.
Instead, he smiled into the darkness as he held Gi-hun close.

Oh, his husband was getting bolder. But not any brighter.
He really thought he could manipulate him? That he could outsmart him, in that regard?
Stupid thought, but cute try.
Especially considering that he had tried to use sexual acts as leverage.

For how much In-ho craved Gi-hun's touch, he wasn't stupid, nor he could be swayed by sex. Not so easily.
But he found it interesting how Gi-hun had tried that tactic.
He was using it too, more or less, creating intimate moments so that Gi-hun could accept him more by forgetting and forviging his past as the Frontman.

He couldn't deny to himself that he was kinda sad how Gi-hun had used his body as a cheap whore, trying to get some advantage out of it.
And it was even sadder that it didn't work, because In-ho hadn't been fooled. But he didn't want to break his poor husband's heart. Especially if it meant that Gi-hun would try to use intimacy as a weapon, thinking it was effective, while it wasn't.

And by how Gi-hun had reacted, he didn't expect his kindness. Maybe, with time, by overpowering the other's tactics with sweet gesture and words, Gi-hun would stop to associate sex to a bargain chip and instead treating it as just sex.
Sex done between two husbands who very much loved eachother.

It wouldn't be a short road, but it opened many possibilities.
And now a new level of intimacy was in In-ho's hands again! He just needed to be wise.

"I understand what you're trying to say, Gi-hun." In-ho replied "And I get it. But you don't know any English and looking like a fool that can't use an English navigator isn't going to win Ga-yeong over. We can all go together, then I go on my own around the mall and I leave you two alone. I have shopping to do too. And I guess I could appreciate some alone time."

“Oh, pet. You really need me.” In-ho thought as Gi-hun settled more comfortably against him, since he couldn't escape In-ho's grip.

Gi-hun gripped him harder for few seconds, then mumbled: "Thanks. I appreciate it."
In-ho kissed him on the head and closed his eyes as he let his head rest on Gi-hun's one.

In-ho's mind kept working, as if trying to telepathically reason with Gi-hun.
“You can try to be cunning and ruthless all you like, but it isn't in your nature. You're born to give and care. Even when you're trying to manipulate me, you fail spectacurarly at doing so and instead you give me much more than what you can gain. You're lucky that you are with me. Another man, a lesser man, a more evil man, would have abused of your kindness and your good heart. He would have fooled you and given you no sense of false freedom, while making you believe that he was granting you the world.”

Gi-hun tried to sleep. It wasn't what he had hoped, but it was way better than what they had planned.
If giving In-ho blowjobs softened him, he would have started way before.
And if intimacy had made him all hot and bothered, it was only an added characteristic.
It didn't please him, because he hated how his body reacted to that monster, but it wasn't necessarily a negative. He couldn't fake doing enthusiastic sex if he was soft, could he?

With time, Gi-hun was sure he could carve his space in In-ho's controlling hold, up until In-ho couldn't grab him anymore, even if he tried with all of his might.

“You're lucky that I love you, dear, and that I care about you. I'll always protect you from those men, because they are everywhere and they are attracted to your innocence. And what greater way to keep you safe, if not by keeping you closer to me than anyone else?” In-ho mentally noted, his twisted reasoning fueling his plan.

“But since I care about you and your happiness, I'll let you have some 'liberties', honey. Still, I will never be too far away. I love you too much to let you go.”

"Sleep tight, dear." In-ho whispered.
"Sweet dreams to you too." Gi-hun replied, who was still awake enough to mumble.

But he would never be never sharp enough to realise that he had been doomed from that day where he thought he was dreaming getting married to the Frontman.