Nevermind

Chapter 42: Laying Yourselves Bare

Jimin pulled back and started unbuttoning his shirt to leave his chest partially exposed, in an effort to tempt you to agree to his request. His warm hands slid up your thighs and underneath your skirt and he slowly stroked the skin above the elastic of your stockings.

"Baby, come on" he growled impatiently as he pressed his hips against yours making his arousal more than clear to you. They moved slightly as he was unable to stay still, desperately needing the friction.

You squeezed his shoulders, briefly looking down at his chest and then up at his mischievous gaze. His teasing game was strong, the alcohol being responsible for his exacerbated cheekiness, you assumed.

"Jimin-ssi" you said softly, your voice shaky and unstable as you could feel his fingers caressing your skin delicately despite it all.

"Do you trust me?" he asked and you sighed exasperated.

"Stop pushing it, this is unfair" you said moving your arms down to his chest only to push him off. He let go of your legs and took a couple steps back.

"You know I'm as comfortable as I can be, you know I trust you. But I just can't simply say yes and ignore everything I feel, you don't get it!"

"I'm sorry, aegi" his head hung low, he didn't mean to make you feel bad, "I got carried away."

Jimin turned around and walked away to pour himself a glass of water and try to wash down the alcohol in his system. He should have been more careful with his words, he shouldn't have guilt-tripped you into giving in. It wasn't supposed to come out that way.

As he kept beating himself up about it with a pained expression on his face, you walked in the kitchen quietly. He looked over his shoulder and then faced you, leaning back on the counter, his hands grasping the edges tightly.

"Look, Jimin-ah. I'm not this perfectly sculpted woman, I know my way around styling so my clothes help me show off my best and my make-up makes my features stand out. Without all that...I'm not myself"

"Without all that you're the purest expression of yourself" he replied seriously and your heart clenched, it made you feel ugly. You were hiding behind the prettiest mask you could afford to put on.

Jimin walked up to you and sat you down on one of the chairs by the table. Bringing another chair closer, he sat in front of you and took both your hands in his. You held them tightly for comfort, resisting the tears that threatened to fall from your glassy eyes.

"I like you without all that" he murmured and you looked up at him in disbelief.

"You've never seen me without all of it" you pointed out sure that he didn't know what he was saying. He couldn't possibly know.

"I don't have to see all of it to know I'll love all of it" his choice of words left you speechless, "it's all part of you and it's you that I want."

"It's not pretty, how could you not be put off?" you questioned him not comprehending how he couldn't change his mind when faced with the reality of it.

"I'm not going to lie, I've met all these 'perfectly sculpted women' as you call them. They were pretty to look at, if you will. Yet they were bland and boring, not people I could enjoy being with. I didn't feel like I could share anything with them being so guarded.

They thought I was this perfect man just by my carefully curated image. They weren't honest, they were not real, I was treated with such care that I could say the most ridiculous things and they'd laugh and nod at me.

I didn't want any of it, I wanted a true connection with a real person. That's why I was so happy when I bumped into you, that's why I tried so hard for you to like me. I know I pushed it, but I didn't want to lose my one chance."