[CONTENTID1] CHAPTER FORTY FOUR - AN UNLIKELY PAIR[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]

A/N: "Ung" is a more casual, informal way of saying "Ne" and it's pronounced "Awh"(hard to explain but yeah) 

also, i mentioned that I'm starting two new fics soon. The first chapters have been written as well as the forewords. Here are the posters. Should I post the forewords now or wait a while? It's up to you guys!

"Beautiful Monsters" — a BAP + BTS + 2PM mystery, vampire thriller.

"Bonnie & Clyde" — a modern twist on the historic crime tale with Trouble Maker/2Hyun as the main characters. Featuring EXO, BTS, BAP, SHUT UP FLOWER BOY BAND and more.

I also have trailers if you wanna see them ;)

I wake from my nightmare with a jolt. I frantically look around to see if I’ve woken anyone else up, too. Thankfully, they’re all still asleep, including the AIs. Even Karim who is lying on my lap is still sound asleep. I let out a shaky breath and slip out from under the young boy. I pat my forehead with the back of my hand, feeling warm sweat on my skin.

It was another Taemin nightmare, reminding me of all the guilt I should carry for the rest of my life. Only this time, Fei and Minah decided to drop in and also fill my head with hurtful words. I brush my hair out of my face, not bothering to tie it up for once. Upon feeling it, I notice that it’s much healthier than it was last night. Maybe it’s the salmon I shared with Hyoyeon.

I slide off the sofa but don’t put my boots back on. I decide to walk barefooted to the soda dispenser in the corner of the lounge, far from everyone else. I crouch down and eye it up, searching for a way to get a drink out. I pull my combat knife out of my pocket and start picking at the dispenser until it clicks open.

“Wah,” I breathe out as cool air hits my face. I squint my eyes at the interior of the dispenser. Hold up, who turned it on? How did they manage that? Shrugging it off, I grab a can of cola and pop it open. I gulp down the fizzy contents, ignoring the way it burns my throat. I haven’t had anything like this in over a decade.

“Enjoying that?”

I almost splutter the drink. Almost. I look up and find Tao watching me with an amused expression. I make a face at him and stand up straight. I pull the can away from my mouth and my lips. “Ung, I am. It’s good, want some?”

“Sure,” he agrees. I’m about to turn around to grab him his own can when he snatches mine from my hand and drinks from it. My eyes widen at the indirect kiss but Tao is oblivious. He takes a long swig of the fizzy drink before handing it back to me and swallowing. “It’s good.” He slides his thumb over his bottom lip and nods. “Very good. Humans make the most incredible things.”

“Ung,” I mumble, still staring at him. I shake my head and take another drink of the cola, trying to ignore the thoughts in my mind. “What are you doing up?”

“I’m too energised to sleep,” he answers with a shrug. “And I saw you wake up, you looked scared. I thought I’d help you by feeding electricity into this machine.” He walks to the dispenser and pats it a few times, a proud smile on his face.

“Komawo,” I smile, appreciating the fact that he cares enough to try to cheer me up. He shrugs nonchalantly before his expression sobers. My smile falters. “Wae? Why are you staring at me like that?”

“You had a nightmare,” he states, leaving no room for denial. I nod shyly, rubbing the back of arm. “Do you want to talk about it?” Although we’ve already discussed my problems, I feel like talking about them too much will only magnify them. So, I shake my head. “Are you sure?”

“Ne.”

He sighs and walks over, pulling me into a hug. I stiffen in his arms but he ignores it, patting my back gently. “If words won’t work, I hope hugs will. Know that I’m here if you need me, Hyerim-ah.”

“Komawo,” I mumble, relaxing into him. After a few moments, I pull away first and he lets me. Though, his hands stay on my arms, just below my shoulders. I watch as a look of curiosity crosses his face, his eyes pinned on my lips. “Tao-ya. Are you okay?”

“Ung,” he coughs, lifting his eyes to mine. “I’m just thinking about how pretty you are...for a human…and…how much I would like to kiss you.”

“M-mwoya!?”

“Just to see what it’s like,” he quickly clarifies but I’m still skeptical. “I’ve never been intimate with anyone before. No AIs have. I’d like to know what a kiss feels like.”

“Why me, though? Ask Hyoyeon, I’m sure she’d be willing,” I tell him. As much as I like Tao, I do not see him as a man — not because he’s not human but because he’s just not for me. I don’t have to have a reason for not liking him romantically, I just don’t. “Or Taeyeon or Jade. Tell them it’s an experiment.”

“But then I’d be lying.” My eyes widen and I step away from him. “Hyerim-ah. Do you believe that someone…something like me could develop feelings?”

“M-mwo...ya?”

“I think I might be developing strange feelings for you,” he admits and I have to fight the urge to groan brattishly. Seriously!? Join the club, buddy. It seems Hyoyeon was right, something about me must attract multiple suitors. I just don’t know or understand what it is. Is that an arrogant thing to admit despite it being truthful? I'm not quite sure.

“Tao-ya…I don’t think of you that way,” I reply honestly, expecting him to be somewhat insulted. Instead, he just smiles understandingly — albeit a bit sadly.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t expect you to,” he sighs, bringing his hand up to my cheek. “It’s…exciting. I’ve never felt this way before, it has my body secreting sweat through the palms of my hands whenever you’re around. Sometimes, I feel like I actually have a heart and it races. You make me nervous, Hyerim-ah.”

“Y-yah,” I mutter, brushing his hand away. “Stop saying weird things like that. Don’t make things awkward between us. You should just try to get over these feelings, I’m not worth wasting them on.”

“But you are,” he insists, grinning from ear to ear. “I really like liking you, Hyerim-ah. You’re so pretty and clever and funny…you’re strong but soft at the same time. You make me want to protect you. You make me wish I was human.” The last sentence came out more dismal than the others. My heart melts a little at his words and I cup his face.

“You’re perfect the way you are, Tao-ya,” I assure him, his cheeks with my thumbs. “It doesn’t matter that you’re not human, that’s not why I don’t reciprocate your feelings.”

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