This was not like the music teaching gig I'd believed him to live from.

In the weeks leading to the concert, I'd learned that Tae Yang's roles in the band went from composing the music, arranging it, playing several instruments and mixing the electronic components of the songs. In the concert, most of his time was spent DJing, which I thought would've been a lot more chill than what the other guys did.

Quinn had the bulkiest arms and shoulders I'd seen on anyone, which no doubt helped him sustain the demanding rhythm of the drums one song after another. Meanwhile, Ashton and Madison jumped and twirled around the stage, never missing a note from instruments that had to be heavy. And then there was Vera, whose voice never wavered even as she ran up and down and across the stage, hyping up the crowd to a frenzy doubling with every song.

But Tae Yang was a storm on his own.

Although he rarely left his corner, his whole body was one with the music. With a fast tempo song, he jumped up and down, raising his arms until the crowd did the same. With the heavier songs, he headbanged even as his hands flew all across the board to make the complicated sequence of sounds the audience chanted along with. Often, he lent background vocals to the songs. He was always in motion. Always adding depth to the band from his booth.

Soon, he was drenched in sweat and shed his hoodie. The motion lifted his undershirt for a second and showed enough skin to get the whole place shrieking in unison. Not to be outdone, I screamed my throat raw because carajo, my boyfriend was so fucking hot.

"Tae Yang!" I called out, and he must have heard me because he sent a wink my way. It hit me so hard I grabbed onto Leyna not to topple backwards.

"This is amazing!" my friend from work screamed.

My heart skipped a beat as Tae Yang grabbed a red guitar and left his booth. The audience must have known which song would come up next because of that, and the closer Tae Yang got to the edge of the stage the more noise they made.

He put one foot on an amp, tuning the guitar with jarring calm against the frenzy of the crowd before him.

I fanned myself with the collar of my drenched t-shirt, sweating not just because I'd also been jumping around, but because of him. Tae Yang was seducing me from the stage and I was powerless against the heat.

As if sensing my eyes on him, he turned around and found my eyes across the stage. A corner of his lips went up as if he could read my mind and liked the debauchery he found there. I was glad we weren't alone, because otherwise I'd be divesting him of his sweaty clothes.

From clear across the stage, Ashton spoke into a microphone. "Orlando, are you having fun?"

What felt like the whole city replied in unison.

"That's what I like to hear," Ashton told them back. He rolled his guitar back and pulled the microphone from the stand. "Now, I have the great pleasure of reintroducing my great friend Link to all of you."

Leyna elbowed me. "That's yo man, bitch."

I smacked her arm away.

Yeah. He was. I couldn't believe it.

Meanwhile, Vera rushed over to us and grabbed a water bottle from a table loaded with them. She sat before me on one of the chair I had abandoned a while ago and said, "Whew, this is gonna be good, ladies."

"Why?" I asked. "What's gonna happen?"

She tilted her head back to smile at me. "Just make sure to grab tight onto your panties."

That made Leyna burst out laughing but gave me serious concerns, because I was already having a hard time doing just that.

"A lot of you know I had to compete against Link to get the main guitar spot," Ashton said as he circled Tae Yang. "Because this asshole right here is so talented he could be a one man band if he wanted to."

Tae Yang chuckled and to his own mic said, "Too bad I can't split myself on stage, huh?"

From a mic towards the back of the stage, Madison shouted, "Job security!"

After laughing, Ashton continued. "That's why it's such an honor for us to be his band for this, Link's official debut stage as a solo act."

I started clapping even before he was done.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Ashton said, motioning towards his friend. "May I introduce you to THESUN?"

Tae Yang ran a hand across the cords of his guitar, making it groan as he would make me, were his hands caressing my naked skin. I broke into goosebumps all over and shivered.

Then the spotlight was only on him, and although his bandmates were still on the stage they blended with the darkness. All attention fell on the lone guy at the edge of the stage. My heart beat so fast, I was reminded of when I'd been pushed on the national stage in an itty bitty bikini.

Tae Yang spoke into the mic, his body angled towards me as though his words were only for me, and not for the thousands of people out there.

"My Korean name means the sun, and that's what I hope to be in your dark days." He caressed the strings of his guitar once more and said, "Let's go."

The first notes of the most popular song of the moment started, and the roar of thousands of voices reminded me we weren't alone. I grabbed onto the back of Vera's chair as Tae Yang sang into the microphone.

His lips were so close, they were practically kissing the device as he sang. It made it easier to imagine the words were being whispered against mine. As I sang along, it was as though we were sharing a kiss.

As the tempo of the song picked up, Tae Yang played the red guitar with more enthusiasm. I couldn't fathom how he could do so many things at once. Sing with a voice that wrapped like silk around me, play his guitar like he was making love to it, and enchant thousands of people at the same time.

Meanwhile, my entire energy was concentrated on refraining from running onto the stage and tackling him in a big, sloppy kiss.

Tae Yang broke away from the microphone, twirling around like a freaking gymnast as he got lost in his guitar. He fell to his knees, sliding all the way to the edge of the stage. The crowd thundered and I feared they'd fall on him like an avalanche.

But he played on, tilting his head back as though this weren't about music. But about pleasure. Sweat sleeked his skin, glistening under the spotlight. The muscles of his neck strained as he ripped through his guitar. It gave me tunnel vision and all I could see at the end of it was him. My sweet, adorable boyfriend who was seducing the pants off of me from feet away.

In a swift movement, he brought his head forward. His wet hair sprayed sweat in an arch like some Little Mermaid type of shit, except the pornographic version. For a moment, oxygen didn't get to my brain and all my blood rushed south.

"Holy shit," I whispered, the words lost in the commotion. Beside me, Leyna blared like an alarm, watching as my boyfriend sang the final portion of his song to thousands upon thousands of voices singing along with him.

Tae Yang raised his guitar up in the air, standing there as the last notes of the song faded into the deafening response from the crowd. As if frozen in the moment of his dream coming true. And I cried.

"Told ya," Vera said, standing up and motioning towards the chair. "Sometimes it hurts to look at him directly."

Leyna laughed. "Punny!"

And so true.

I was both disappointed to see him return to his DJ booth after that, and glad. Disappointed, because if he had at least one more song out he would've eaten up the world tonight. Glad, because I wanted to keep him for myself just a little longer—and also because he poured a whole bottle of water on him, like some fantasy straight out of my wet dreams. Which was also entirely what he was now, and his top sticking to his skin confirmed as much.

I grabbed onto Leyna in a vice and screamed in her face, "He's going to be the death of me."

All she did was laugh.

I succeeded at keeping it in my pants throughout the rest of the concert, but doubted my willpower when the band joined us backstage. Tae Yang was soaked through as though he'd submerged in a pool after an hour and a half of non-stop action on stage. His eyes shone like stars and his face and chest were flushed beet red. I didn't care I was gross and stank after jumping around like crazy beside the stage. I crossed the distance and threw myself at him.

Tae Yang wrapped his arms tight around me and let me devour his lips as though no one was watching.

"Get a room, you two," someone shouted at us amidst the catcalling and laughter.

It was a pretty good suggestion.

When we pulled away, Tae Yang gasped. "Did you like the show?"

"More than like it," I said, bringing my lips against his ear to whisper. "You were too damn sexy out there. How are you going to take responsibility for turning me on?"

His eyes went wide as saucers. His mouth opened. Closed.

I laughed and pecked his lips. "I can't believe you're the same guy who is both a cutie and who just fucked his guitar in front of the whole city."

Tae Yang choked.

Someone cackled and I turned to find his bandmates in stitches.

Ashton said, "Wow, I've never seen him make that face."

Meanwhile, Madison took a picture to make the moment last.

"You guys are just," Leyna said, flapping her hands in a way that had to hurt. "Ugh, amazing. Like, oh em gee. I can't believe it. Los adoro!"

I smiled. "And thus, a fangirl is born."

I turned to share the joke with Tae Yang, but at that moment he dropped his head on the crook of my neck and swayed in my arms. He'd given it his all and beyond on stage, despite the aggressive schedule of the past month and after flying clear across the country this morning.

I brushed his wet hair and told him, "I got you."

Against my neck, he said, "I know you do."

Mickey and Steve helped bundle Tae Yang into the back of the van. Leyna followed just until that point, where she said she was hopping onto the tour bus with the rest of the band.

She raised a hand and said, "And yes, I promise I'll behave. Sorta."

I snorted and gave her a hug goodnight before climbing onto the back of the van.

"I wish I could take responsibility for the predicament I've caused you," Tae Yang said, and it took me a moment to catch what he meant. As he yawned, it dawned on me he was referring to our earlier conversation backstage, here I'd casually told him his performance had made my lady parts tingle. "But I feel like a melted candle."

I bit my lip so I wouldn't laugh like a maniac. Too bad I couldn't work on fulfilling the fantasies he'd put in my head tonight.

"Get some rest, mi vida. You deserve it."

His eyes were hooded by exhaustion as he stared at me. Slowly, he put his arm around his seatbelt until it only held onto his waist. He twisted around to lay on his back, settling his head on my lap. I brushed his hair from his face and Tae Yang raised one hand to do the same for me.

I leaned into his calloused palm. His skin was hot as though he were running a high fever.

"Thank you for coming to see me," he said, his words slurring and voice low.

I leaned down and stroked a caress of my lips on his before saying, "Thank you for showing me all your facets."

Tae Yang's eyes fluttered closed at the same time as he smiled. "Not all of them, but hopefully soon."

Sí, por favor.

SONG OF THE DAY: ZETA - The Distance

Cee's heart going like

also, merry christmas and happy holidays! ☺️✨