Bridging Destinies

Chapter 21: Thoughtful Arias

The evening continued on in much the same way and after a few more hours of conversation, play and laughter, some, though not all the men, had begun to retire for the night, leaving only four of us in the living room. Jungkook and Taehyung were on one couch, and Namjoon and I were on another. Taehyung was wide awake looking through his phone and Jungkook was leaning against the couch, his head tilted back against the cushions, with his eyes closed. He appeared to be sleeping, but I could tell he was not. His thoughts were moving slowly through his mind on the precipice of sleep and were not fully cohesive. I left him to his thoughts, focusing on the man beside me. He was holding my hand, his palm facing up with the back of my hand laying against it. Our hands mirrored each other in similar positions and his thumb moved over mine in a soft caress back and forth, tracing along the dip of my palm and mound of Venus.

At some point during the evening, after we had cuddled close to each other, Namjoon had taken my hand in his, and gradually our hands had begun to move around each other. We had softly and slowly explored each other's skin and the curves of each others' fingers, palms, and wrists, smoothing our hands together in a gentle dance, half unconscious. The movement was sensual, intimate, and subtle, as we listened to and spoke with the others. The banter between that of myself and the men had sometimes been raucous and playful or falling into more serious tones as we discussed everything from the arts to politics and the state of the world and all that lay in between. And even as I spoke with the men, my attention flowing around the room, my hand, waltzed softly with his, soaking him in through the tactile sensations.

As the discussions waned and the men slowly withdrew, leaving only the four of us, our conversation grew quiet, with little murmurings between Namjoon and myself. Jungkook and Taehyung, while physically present, had mentally withdrawn, leaving Namjoon and I with the sensation of being in our own world with just the two of us.

In the lull between words, I noticed Namjoon fight off a yawn and studied his face, marking the fatigue in the lines of his features. I said quietly, "You are tired. You should sleep."

He shook his head, and as if my suggestion had spurred it, he fought another yawn, only to succumb to it. He closed his eyes and shook his head, as if to shake off sleep and explained, "If I sleep, you will leave, and I will miss this." He said, gesturing to us cuddled up next to each other.

I smiled affectionately, "Then perhaps I will stay and you will sleep here on my lap." I suggested.

He gave me a soft, sleepy grin, "You'd let me sleep on you?" He asked, and I laughed softly as I nodded in agreement. In the next moment, his brow furrowed for a moment as he considered me, "What about you? You need to sleep, don't you?"

I reached my free hand up to lightly run my fingers through his hair, and he gave a sigh of pleasure at the gesture, almost leaning into my hand. I shook my head, "I rarely sleep." I explained. "My Light sustains me."

He looked back at me and whispered, "Your Light?  That's what makes you glow?" He asked and I nodded silently.

I gently pulled at him and arranged myself so that he could lay his head in my lap, "Come. Lay here." I said, patting my thigh.

In a gesture of agreement and a fluid motion, he turned and lay down, resting the back of his head on my lap. I smiled down at him and stroked his temple, smoothing the hair back, my fingers running through his soft mane. He looked up at me, "Do you sing, too?" He asked.

I returned his gaze, "I have been known to sing." I told him.

He closed his eyes and pulled my other hand, not stroking his hair, towards his chest. He embraced it in both his hands, with my palm laying flat on his chest, against him, "Sing for me?" He asked.