She had fallen asleep. At long last. He had waited patiently. All night long he had wanted to study her face in the light of the moon. He bent low over her, his breath touching her face as he noticed the moonlight’s sheen on her countenance. His eyes traced her eyelids and the short slope of her cute, button nose. His gaze lingered on her pretty, pink lips, though he couldn’t actually tell what color they were by the light of the moon. He could feel her breath slipping over his lips as her mouth parted in slumber. He was so near to her. It would be nothing to close the distance between them.
But he had promised her. And he would not take advantage of her. He lay on his side for a long time bent over her. He would always remember this night, even if he never saw her again. That thought made him very sad. But he wasn’t sure how on earth they could be friends let alone lovers. He didn’t even have time to talk to his family, not like he desired to.
But he and she would have this one night. They had stolen a few hours from the day and a few more from the night. They were hidden from everyone’s view. Tonight belonged to only the two of them. They owned the stars brightly shining down on them. They’d gathered the moon and all its rays. They were taking full advantage of this field of green grass. They had each other. He’d given her his words, and she’d shared her own with him. They’d communed over French bread and cheese and a cluster of grapes. Though now he realized they’d never consumed the champagne. They hadn’t needed it. He’d felt slightly drunk just looking into her eyes. And touching her arm.
What would it feel like, he wondered, to hold her hand? And to kiss those pert lips of hers? To hold her in his arms? To call her his own? He was unlikely to find out any time soon.
Time seemed to stand still that night. Jimin lay wide awake, his eyes having grown accustomed to the darkness, and he watched her sleep. Occasionally, he’d glance up at the stars or the moon. But mostly he just studied her sleeping face. And he began to believe that it was possible to fall in love with someone simply by watching them sleep. What was it about her face when she slept? She was achingly beautiful. Vulnerable. Fragile. Precious.
As his eyes studied her face under the light of that glorious full moon, lyrics came back to him. Lyrics that had never before meant much to him now suddenly seemed full of bright revelation. Emotions crashed over him. Feelings assaulted him. Promises whispered in his ears. Opportunity had come knocking. Would he answer the door?
He had not allowed himself to dream of love before. He’d been so young when he’d joined the group. And since then, well, he’d hardly had time to sleep. Let alone dream of love. But tonight, he had all the time in the world to sleep, and instead he was resting here in the dark, wide awake, fascinated by her features. By her very breath. He could feel the gentle rise and fall of her chest with every breath she drew deep into her lungs and released through those parted lips. Those lips that were tormenting him. So close. Yet so far away.
He found he had no desire to sleep. He simply wanted to memorize every detail of her slumbering form. Every hair of her head: all the auburn ones, and the strawberry blond strands, and the chestnut threads, and the flaxen floss. The curve of her eyelids and the fans of her dark eyelashes against her pale cheeks. The straight slope of her cute, little nose that rounded nicely before meeting the space above her beautiful lips. The gentle curve of her oval face. The emerald eyes that he couldn’t see any longer. He felt melancholy at the loss of those shimmering jewels.
Jimin didn’t spend one moment sleeping during the remainder of that day. He was wide awake when the clock marked the beginning of his birthday. He’d been studying her for over two hours. He wanted to stay awake the entire night. To not give in to sleep until the first rays of the sun broke the indigo sky.
But he did doze, off and on throughout the night. Every once in a while, he’d wake up to make sure she was all right. He’d discover the blanket had slid down, and she was shivering. He’d cover her again and then watch her face until he fell asleep once more, his eyes heavy with slumber despite his best efforts to stay awake.
The last time he woke in the darkness, she was shaking like a leaf from the cold. He broke his promise and wrapped himself around her to warm her up. In her sleep, she turned towards him. He pulled her up against his chest. She pillowed her head over his heart as his arm wrapped around her. He pulled the blankets up over them both and kept her warm in the circle of his embrace. He fell asleep with her nestled against his chest. The loneliness was fading away as he gave in to sleep once again. He slept peacefully finally. He’d kept his word. He’d kept her safe. And he hadn’t touched her. Well…not much.
