Her Hope | Jung Hoseok

16

Hoseok found himself more at Namjoon's apartment than his own due to latter's busy schedule. He was always away for shooting, collaboration or award ceremonies. At one point, Namjoon has even suggested him to shift in his apartment by pitying him for constant back-and-fro. But Hoseok quickly denied it saying it was no trouble.

Hoseok currently found himself staring at Dahee who was licking ice-cream from her spoon. He watched how her lips curled around the spoon. He quickly diverted his gaze.

'Don't look. Don't look.' He mentally scolded himself to keep his resolve as solid as Himalayas.

"It will all melt away"

Hoseok snapped his head towards her, afraid that he was been caught red-handedly having such thoughts, "What?"

"Your ice-cream. It will melt if you don't eat it" Dahee signaled at his untouched ice-cream.

"Yeah" Hoseok stared at his pistachio ice-cream that he found has already half melted.

Hoseok was having quite objectionable dreams about Dahee for past few weeks and it was getting worse with each passing day. This caused him to lose sleep resulting in forming dark circles beneath his eyes.

"Hoseok?"

"Yes"

"I was thinking about stop taking my sleeping pills" Dahee said making Hoseok raise his eyebrow in question.

"Why? Have you consulted with Dr. Lee?"

"Yes, I have and she suggest I should give it a try"

Hoseok nodded but he still wasn't so sure about it.

His fears came true when he heard a knock on his door at midnight. He opened the door to find Dahee clad in her Pikachu pajama, holding her pillow with her.

"What's wrong?" Hoseok asked even when he had a near sure idea of what exactly was wrong.

"Can't sleep. Can I sleep in your room?" She asked with a guilty smile.

Hoseok pinched his nose bridge, 'This can't be happening! No! No!' His inner consciousness screamed at him but he nodded against his better judgment.

He stepped aside to allow Dahee to enter, she quickly got herself under the covers. Hoseok looked at her settling in the king size bed. Then he sighed at his lack of firmness when it came to her. He went and pick one of the pillows from the bed and spare blanket from the closet. He walked towards the single cushion chair when Dahee stopped him.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to sleep" Hoseok said like it was obvious.

"Yes but you can't sleep on chair!" Dahee gaped at him, incredulously.

"Are you suggesting me to sleep on floor?" Hoseok frowned.

"What? No!" Dahee cried.

"Then what do you suggest?" He asked in a challenging way.

"Bed. It's big enough to fit four people." Dahee tried to knock some common sense in him.

Hoseok looked like he was appalled by the mere idea of sharing a bed together. He shook his head in negation, "That's not happening"

"But why? It's big enough" Dahee argued.

"Nope. I'd rather stay awake all night than sleep with you in same bed. Try to understand, Dahee!" Hoseok exclaimed.

Dahee saw the conflict he was going through, "Hoseok, it's alright. I trust you."

'But I don't trust myself!', Hoseok wanted to scream at her but he calmed himself down and said in an exhausted voice, "Dahee, please try to understand"

Something akin to hurt flashed in Dahee's eyes but then she schooled her face into a serene smile, "I'm sorry to cause you trouble, Hoseok. I should leave now"

She tried to get up from bed but in a flash Hoseok was before her, blocking her way. "Stay. I'll share bed with you"

Dahee opened her mouth to counter but Hoseok shut her up. "Stay" He ordered in finality leaving no space for any further argument.

Hoseok got into the farthest side of bed and turned his back towards her, not allowing himself to look at her but after nearly an hour when sleep didn't grace him, he gave into his desires and turned to look over at Dahee. She was asleep facing him, both hands tucked beneath her head. She looked like a baby in her cute pajamas, Hoseok had a urge to stroke her hair but he refrained fearing that would disturb her sleep. So he settled at fondly gazing at her until sleep took hold of him.

Hoseok woke up with morning sunlight dancing behind his eyelids making him see swirls of red and orange. He wasn't irritated by it, in fact he felt quite content this morning. There was warmed spread against his chest, air nuzzling it and something slightly tickled his nose. He tighten his hold around something soft and pressed it more into his chest.

Hoseok blinked his eyes open when he realized what he was doing and what he was holding or rather whom he was holding. He dipped his head to look at the black hair tucked under his chin. Dahee. But he didn't loosen his hold around her and for once allowed himself to enjoy the gentle warmth that radiated from her body.

He stayed this way until he felt Dahee stirring from her sleep. When she blinked up at him, he expected her to push him away and get out of his hold but she just lazily smiled at him and then tucked her head under his chin again. Both of them holding each other without exchanging any words between them.

They felt at peace in each other's arm.

Their safe little cocoon where no worries dared to touch them.

💜💜💜