Chapter 9 – Why do you like drinking so much?

I thought he’d just walk me back to the door, but Tae ended up coming in with me and sitting down on the bed. I looked at him with a face that said “V… I wanna sleep...” but he totally missed it, or pretended to.

“Noona, let’s drink!” he declared and headed over to the mini bar.

“What is it with you and drinking??” I asked, “You’re barely legal??”

“It’s fun.” he shrugged, from the back of the room and coming back with two brightly colored bottles I assumed were coolers.

“V, that ’s expensive…” I told him, frowning, but he told me not to mind as he opened one and gave it to me.

We sat on the floor, Indian-style, drinking, even though there was a big couch a little way over, and a small table with chairs at the back of the room. We must’ve looked pretty silly. We chatted about today, about Canada, and about his American tour. He was eager to tell me everything and wanted to hear all my stories from home, see all my pictures, and try to memorize the names of my family members, even though he could barely pronounce them since they were all French.

“I’m lucky Noona’s name is so easy,” he smiled, rather sloppily.

Before I knew it, it was already midnight. We’d gone through about 4 of those bottles each, and I, being jetlagged and tired, was already pretty drunk. I’d gotten over my sleepiness as we were chatting, but now that conversation started to lag, it was creeping back up and I could barely keep my eyes open.

“Tae, you should go… or I’m gonna fall asleep on your shoulder right here.” I told him.

We’d moved up to the couch at some point, which was definitely comfier than the floor.

“It’s ok, just sleep here.” he said, forcing my head on his shoulder and I followed without really questioning it.

“Your hair smells nice...” I commented, in my drunken state, and it seemed to please him.

I had my eyes closed and it felt so comfortable just snuggling against him like this. I moved around a bit so I had my head on his lap instead, and promptly fell asleep.

*

I woke up 3 hours later, with my head throbbing lightly and a strong need to go to the bathroom. I was still lying on Taehyung’s lap and he had one hand in my hair, like he’d been it when he fell asleep, and another holding me protectively against him. I untangled myself from his limbs and rushed to the toilet. When I came back, I stared at him, passed out on the couch and wondered what I should do. Obviously I wasn’t going back there to snuggle in his arms. Though it had felt nice, I was slightly disturbed at how we had ended up this way. I tried to recall the events that had led us there, but there didn’t seem to be anything untoward in my memories, except maybe some harmless flirting… Should I go to bed?

When I was jetlagged, I could never sleep much. I slept in little bursts but once I was awake, I was awake. So I just stood there, debating what to do, and suddenly, Taehyung’s eyes blinked open sleepily and he stared at me. Without saying a word, he reached for my hand and pulled me back to him. It was such an unexpected move that I just fell on top of him awkwardly, but though it must have hurt, he didn’t complain and just turned me over into a more comfortable position. More comfortable for him, of course. He had me nose first into his chest, and was holding on to me tightly. Though it was a weird position for me, I felt my pulse quicken all of a sudden, feeling his chest move slowly under my hand, and I was scared. Not in an “I’m afraid for my own safety” kind of way, but “I’m afraid what this will lead to” kind of way.

I’d been with enough guys in my life to know that this was not the way a boy held you when he just thought of you as a friend. This was not the way a boy that you had no feelings for smelled like. This was not the way you felt about being held in the arms of a boy you had always thought of as your little brother………….… until now.

My own thoughts and feelings had me in just as much of a panic as his behavior. I said nothing as he held me close; I didn’t dare move a muscle. I thought maybe he’d fallen asleep again, but his grip on my body belied that assumption. Taehyung was awake, and aware, and for whatever reason he was torturing me with his silence.

After what seemed like an eternity, he placed a kiss into my hair. This was not what I’d been expecting, but it still had the effect of making my heart lurch and I shut my eyes tightly.

“Noona…” he whispered, his voice deep and hoarse.

It was the iest thing I had ever heard.

I kept my eyes shut, faking sleep, and he brushed a finger over my eyelid, gently.

“Noona…” he said again, and I slowly, reluctantly opened my eyes to stare at him.

His eyes were so focused for someone who had been asleep just a moment ago; so beautiful, even in the dark. How could anyone ever resist being looked at like that?

“Noona,” he repeated once more, breathlessly, staring at me passionately.

Then he simply said, “I’m in love with you.”