In the dark

40

AN: Things are going to get a little spicy. That's all the warning I am giving you.

Peri woke to the feeling of heat all over her body. A small pool of sweat circled the base of her neck. A sense of constriction around her abdomen and legs made it difficult for Peri to move. Peri opened her eyes to find a sleeping Jimin resting the edge of his head against her forehead. His whole face was puffy from sleeping, and the corner of his lips held a droplet of drool. Peri freed her right arm and stretched up to wipe Jimin's lips with the tips of her fingers. The tickling sensation caused Jimin to shift in his sleep. He pulled his body closer to Peri's, and his hand reached up to grab Peri's, locking his fingers around hers.

Peri gave his gesture a toothless smile at how sweet Jimin was. Even in his sleep, he could give Peri a toothache with his sugar-coated personality. However, between Jimin's body heat and the constriction the human koala was providing behind her, Peri had enough. She squirmed her way out of bed and headed to the bathroom. After she left the bathroom, Peri took a final look at the pair in the bed. Tae and Jimin had already conjoined when she came out of the bathroom. Peri raised her fingers to her face and took a mental image to hold in her brain for the rest of her life.

Peri came out of her bedroom, and the only sound that could be heard was Jin screaming at the television. Peri gave him a side-eyed as she bypassed Jin sitting on the floor with a controller in his hands. Before joining Jin in the living room, she made herself a cup of coffee.

Peri sat next to jin on the floor and watched him play a round of a cartoon race-driving game. She sat quietly so as not to wreck his concentration. He seemed not to be having the best round on this track. A variety of items kept coming up from behind him and knocking him off course. Jin would yell at the other characters for throwing things at him or just getting in his way as he tried to make his way out of the pack. Jin's nemesis came in the form of a yellow peel in the middle of the track. Jin's lead was cut short when he spun out of control, and the other vehicles whipped around him, laughing all the while. An enormous dino-like creature with metal spikes all over his body in a tiny kart went as far as to do a celebratory throwing of his hands in the air. Judging by the cosmic shake of Jin's head, that character was the culprit. Jin finished in fourth and was setting up another round when Peri started to speak.

"You know, even if you yell at the TV, they can't actually hear you," she told him mockingly.

"Oh! I know. Still not going to stop me from yelling, though."

"If it's so difficult, enough for you to yell, then why play?"

"Because it is still fun! Haven't you ever played?" He asked her. When Peri shook her head no, Jin looked at her in surprise. He turned his eyes to the screen and returned to the game he was currently playing. Once back at the start, he got up, showing off his red and white flannel pajamas, and reached inside the TV stand for another controller. He sat back down beside her and handed it over to her. "Today, you learn."

Tentatively Peri took the controller from Jin's hand, who only gave her a reassuring smile in return. He first walked her through what each button did, then moved on to the game. Jin selected the easiest mode since it would be Peri's first time on the track. He moved on to the characters, quickly picking his favorite character, while Peri took her time going over which one she wanted. She landed on a giant, white ghost with a crown on its head.

"A ghost. A little obvious, don't you think?" Jin asked her

"Look who's talking?! You picked the main character of the game! It's that a little obvious!" she said, astonished.

Finally, Jin picked a simple track for the pair to race on. Simple being the operative word. Jin had played this game so often that every track was memorized by heart. He could close his eyes and complete the track without ever having to open his eyes.