escort | njm

eleven.

"You aren't watching Penthouse without me are you?"

To spare herself some shame and control, she wouldn't say that she practically leapt out of bed the moment she heard his voice. Areum calmly removed the covers, and casually walked to the front door. That is what she did, absolutely opposite of that. Her legs went flying out of the covers and dashing towards the door with a heart so close to escaping.

When she opens it, it reveals a Na Jaemin behind it, grinning, wearing the most slavish maid outfit she has ever seen in her entire life. This flew at a marketing company's heir's Halloween party? He's even got what looks to be cat ears clipped to the side of his hair yet he still looked suave and deferential.

"This was what you wore to a fancy company's Halloween party..." Areum asks disapprovingly with her eyes travelling up and down and pretending she isn't just ogling his figure. The way the skirt set loosely at his waist, hugging the curves he could possibly have. "I was forced, she wanted us to match..." His jaws were tightly clenched together, grinding his teeth as he spoke, eyes piercing right at the soul in front of him.

"And this is what she could think of? You look cute though, oh goodies I've got a free helper at home now." Areum couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter, teasing him was none other than her hobby. He shrugs, watching as he tugs off his shoes and steps inside her apartment like it belongs to him and the fact that she didn't even have to invite him in anymore. "What was your date dressed as?"

"Exactly the same as I did duh, just the female version but I'm obviously the cuter one." He chuckles to himself, with his phone dinged with thousands of notifications. Jaemin has got his whole instagram feed looking rather themed, solo shots from suits to suits as his jewelry and suits gradually increase in price. While his tagged feed was a mess, it was a different girl in every picture and not once would one see him with the same girl. "Spare me a can of Coke would you, angel?"

"Yeah sure, in the freezer compartment." He lets out a sigh that sounds so exhausted, so tired and aching, as he leans back against the countertop, head resting on the cupboards above it. "You could have gone home, you know? Why make a trip here..." Even from the couch she could see the droop in his shoulders, the bags under his eyes. He's been going out several times a week for the past month, and he still has a boatload of handwritten assignments sitting right at the top of his desks.

He spends precious hours schmoozing with wealthy businessmen and women, shaking people's hands and posing for pictures in the fanciest clothes he owns and then somewhere when he could be finishing up assignments. The selfish part of her wants him to stay, the part that loves him knows it would be better if he went home. For the sake of his health, knowing how he has never gotten much sleep with him making trips over to her apartment and staying for a good five minutes to at least make a conversation or play with her puppy before heading home. "Nah, I like it here, plus we promised to do it again last year."

Even though they had agreed on Penthouse earlier, his stubborn ass still settled on the recent horror film. And although The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is a good hour and fifty-six minutes long the night ends long before that. They haven't even reached the climax of the spine-chilling scenes before she feels a head hit her shoulder, and crane her neck to find him having fallen fast asleep beside her with his half-drunk can of Coke next to the laptop screen mirroring the movie to the television in front of them. He's still wearing his greasy maid outfit with his cat ear hair clips still on, the black and white cloth material tight against his body.

His lips are parted ever so softly, eyelashes fluttering as little non-sounds exit his mouth, hints, whispers of snores. He hasn't slept over since the first time in forever. She's not sure if she wants this phase of him going home and not sleeping over to continue, or if she just wants to be a little bit selfish tonight, greedy, taking-taking-taking and not giving-giving-giving. He's so beautiful like this, so innocent and gentle and soft. It would be such a shame if anyone had to wake him.

And so, gingerly, she rests her head against his own, breathing in the quiet little sounds that leave his parted lips, memorizing the feeling. It's not the first time Jaemin has accidentally fallen asleep on her, but there is something about this moment, sitting on her couch a few minutes past dusk with peace surrounding them and the only source of light from the television, as the rest of the world celebrates around them, that is so intimate. Like here, in her apartment, she and Jaemin have their own little bubble, tucked away in a corner of the universe far from the noise of the rest of the world, it was as if everyone and everything turned to non-existence.

And it's here that she wishes she could stay forever, for once never wanting the feeling to end. Wanting time to freeze in its very steps, the clocks stop and the orbit halts, and it is just both of them together, forever. Like characters in a movie, on pause for eternity, freezed at a frame when the connection is utterly bad.

That moment ends when he shifts in his spot before eventually coming to, slowly opening his eyes as he turns to look at her. Areum grins at him, dazed and tired, as he sits up properly, staring down at the half-opened laptop and the half-full can of Coke right beside it. "Thought you'd continue sleeping and end up staying over again tonight." Areum jokes, even though it isn't really a joke. Perhaps just somewhere deep down inside her, in the interstice between her bones and the darkest corner of her heart, she had the slightest hope that he would stay.

"Oh, did I fall asleep?" Jaemin yawns, blinking away the sleep in his eyes. It's nearly four-thirty in the morning with the sky gradually lightening. "Just for little while where you missed more than half the movie. I did want to wake you, but I wasn't sure if you wanted to head back to your apartment or anything." He nearly jumps up off the couch at that, like he's got springs in his soles. Suddenly he's wide awake, chocolate almond eyes blown open as he scrambles to gather his belongings, taking the can of Coke he has yet to finish in his grasp. "Don't you wanna stay over?"

"Not at all, it's okay. I'll come by some other time but right nowI have to head home and at least complete some assignments." Jaemin sputters, words moving a mile a minute as he tugs on his weird lacy shoes, scuffed at the tips from wear and tear. It's as if he's desperate to leave like her apartment has somehow offended him or worse, Areum herself. "If you want to stay, you can, Na." She suggests him, standing up to run to the door before he pulls the damn thing off his hinges with how fast he's going. "I don't mind, my bed is big enough for the both of us like you said, there's the guest room if you would like."

"No, I should — I need to get going. I... Jeno's waiting for me to cook his dinner right now, and I totally forgot about that."