Page 63 of Villain

Chapter 17:

Nix held his breath as Yejun rearranged his legs, propping his right foot up on the wrung of the stool, extending his left slightly. He’d had Nix rest his right hand on the edge of the seat and turn his head slightly so he was partially looking over his shoulder.

Stripped of his clothing, Nix watched out of the corner of his eye as Yejun focused on getting the angles just right, seemingly unaffected by the fact Nix’s junk was right there at eye level. Aside from a single whistle when Nix had removed his pants, Yejun had been the epitome of professionalism.

Why did that…bother Nix?

He shouldn’t feel slighted, he should be happy. It wasn’t like he wanted anything sexual to happen between them, here or anywhere else.

But that didn’t change the fact that Yejun was pretty. Like, freakishly, unfairly, next-level gorgeous. Out of all the Demons, he was the one talked about the most on campus. No one had approached him about his situation with them yet, but Nix was sure when it finally happened, the first one they’d ask him about would be Yejun.

Although, according to rumors, more than half the student body already had stories of their own to tell of him. To say he slept around would be an understatement. That was probably why Nix had assumed Yejun would use his good looks to try and seduce him, used to getting whatever he wanted with that face of his.

Satisfied with the pose, Yejun stood and wandered over to another stool he’d set nearby, lifting his sketchpad from the floor to settle it in his lap. He stared at Nix silently for a moment before finally taking up a stick of charcoal from the ledge of an easel.

For a while, there was only the sound of the charcoal scratching lightly against the page and the pitter-patter of the rain against the windows. Nix was turned in such a way that his privates weren’t in view, which meant he didn’t have to worry about them showing up in the sketches or the final work, and it wasn’t like this was the first time he’d been nude in front of the other guy.

All in all, he should have been able to relax.

Instead, his heart seemed to ricochet every time Yejun glanced up from his pad and set that entranced gaze on him. There wasn’t anything sexual about it, and yet having all of that intense attention made Nix’s skin hum and heat uncomfortably.

He shifted on the stool.

“Stay still,” Yejun scolded, though his voice lacked any bite. He flipped the page to a fresh one and started again.

He’d seriously asked him here to model.

Wow.

That…

Wow.

Nix should have realized. If the number of easels in this place were any indicator, Yejun considered his art earnestly.

“Why did you start drawing?” the question slipped out before he could help it and he immediately apologized. “Sorry. No moving. My bad.”

“My parents are both artists,” Yejun answered anyway, not the least bit affected by Nix’s break in silence. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard of them. Insu and Sayda Sang?”

Nix thought about it and then his eyes widened. “The famous composer and—”

“The Royal portrait artist,” Yejun finished for him. “That’s them.”

Insu Sang was world-renowned for his skills with the xix, a chordophone instrument. He was marketed as a genius and had been playing since he’d been a child. It helped that he came from a royal bloodline, but there was no doubting his talent.

“I bought tickets for my dad to one of his concerts for his birthday a few years ago,” Nix admitted, and Yejun smiled.

“Yeah? That’s cool. Did he enjoy it?”

“He did.” He’d talked about how great of a son he’d had for months afterward, bragging to anyone who’d listen. “I had to save up almost an entire year for those tickets.”

“I’ll let you know the next time he plans on performing near your hometown,” Yejun offered. “I can have tickets delivered to your house.”

“Oh, thanks, but I don’t think I could afford to buy them again.”

He paused, scrunching up his nose. “I’m giving them to you for free, Firebird. Do you really think I’d make you pay? You’re supposed to be my man, remember?”

Nix didn’t know what to say to that, so he went quiet once more.