"We become the monsters we're most afraid of."
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"Jimin," she breathed out. "You're allowed to touch me."
His plump lips slightly parted as a gasp escaped him. "I-" he exhaled, his fingertips slightly grazing her cheek.
"I'm someone else tonight...
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Waking up to a pounding headache and a nauseous feeling in her stomach had become a normal thing for Aera. Usually, it wouldn't be this bad but the previous night she had worked extremely hard to drown herself in alcohol so today the aching in her skull was something else.
She curled up under the duvet as her stomach turned in an unfriendly way. Her throat was as dry as sandpaper. The hammering headache intensified with each breath she took and it slowly grew impossible to ignore.
Perhaps some painkillers would help with the feeling of her skull being stretched in every way possible.
This was probably the worst hangover Aera had yet. She tried to sit up which was very difficult considering that the room swirled in every direction. She squinted before opening her heavy-lidded eyes against the dimly lit room. Relieved, she thanked herself mentally for pulling the thick drapes down last night.
Flashbacks from last night resurfaced in her troubled mind as her eyesight struggled to find any type of pain relief on her night stand. Upon taking the white bottle in her unsteady hand, Aera hissed when she realized it was empty.
Suddenly the image of Jimin coming into her room replayed through her memory, making her wince. Her head swung around to look at the spot beside her on the bed.
A relieved sigh escaped her dry lips. If anything had happened, that would be rock bottom for her. Sleeping with her bodyguard, how much more pathetic could she get?
Aera shook her head. It wasn't like she had never felt attracted to him. What woman in her right mind wouldn't?
There had been a couple of occasions where their fingers would brush against each other or he would press his body tightly to hers and she would shudder. She'd ignore that immediately, considering how Jimin never broke through his stoic composure to show her any type of affection.
But last night was different, she felt something different, or was that just a figment of her imagination?
Was it the alcohol?
Aera had been drunk enough to doubt her own judgment but her feelings wouldn't lie to her. And the truth was that she still felt Jimin's arms wrapped around her, holding her in his embrace while she slept.
Her gaze cast over an almost unnoticeable dusty blond hair resting on the pillow beside her, like a reminder that she and Jimin sleeping in a bed together hadn't been just a dream.
Aera laid down again, burying her face in her palms with frustration. She could still smell his scent imprinted on the sateen sheets, the scent of safety and comfort.
She groaned, finally deciding to blame it on the liquor and the fact that she was so much more fucked up that she cared to admit. Yesterday had been tough for her.
Memories from the day before started coming to her in bits and pieces, but she still wasn't able to put them together. The first thing she remembered was how her facial muscles hurt from trying to keep a straight face all day while all she wanted to do was to curl up into a ball and cry.
