Let Me Love You

Sleepy Situation

Rowoon rubbed at her eyes. "Why would someone do this?"

"People are cruel. Don't let it consume you. It will just make you angry."

"I'm already angry. I haven't done anything to anyone, and someone decided to destroy what little I have that is mine."

He would angry too if someone had broken into his home and desecrated it. He looked around his sanctuary and understood why she couldn't help but cry. Everything she loved had been in that house. Everything anyone had ever given her had been destroyed. Precious memories she couldn't get back. He would have lost his mind whereas she was keeping it together.

"Where do you want to stay?" he asked. "You can stay here or with Dongwook. It's up to you. I just brought you here since we didn't have a lot of information."

"Do you mind if I stay here?" she asked. Her voice was small, as if asking for help was ard.

Hyuk nodded. "Yeah, that's no problem. I'll sleep in the studio so you can have the bedroom."

Nodding, Rowoon finished her soup. "All my clothes were ruined except for a few items."

"We'll get you some more. Don't worry about anything." He bit his lip for a moment as he mulled over what he should say next. "I don't think you should be alone during the day."

"Why?" she asked. "What did I do wrong?"

Hyuk shook his head. "Not a damn thing. You were a victim of circumstance. I would bet anything that someone has been following you, someone who doesn't want you near us. Some fans are like that sadly. Jiho won't let anything happen to you. None of us will."

He gathered their dishes and placed them in the sink. "I'm going to clean up the bathroom and wash my hair. I didn't want you alone so I didn't while I was in there the first time."

Rowoon nodded and watched him disappear. After doing the dishes, she pulled the dishrag through the towel rack and went to the studio to retrieve her pillow and comforter.

Returning to the bedroom, she finally looked around. Things were very chic with clean lines and modern touches. It was tidy and very put together. Hyuk had good taste and she had taken over his space. He must feel out of place.

The bed called to her, and she sat down on it. She rearranged the bed again before laying down. It swallowed her whole, the softness of the sheets making her extremely drowsy.

Hyuk returned, towel drying his hair. He hung the towel up on a hook then moved about the room collecting clothing.

"Hyuk," she said. He turned to lok at her, one eyebrow raised in question. "Please don't leave me. I don't want to be alone."

He sighed then sat down on the bed, placing a hand over hers. "I only have one bed. If I stay here, we'll have to share. I don't even have a yo."

She closed her hand over his. He could feel it trembling, everything she wanted to say coming there in that one moment.

"Please don't go."

He realized she had sought him out several hours before because she had been scared. She must have had a nightmare and hadn't wanted to be alone. He had been the only one there for her to cling to, so she had reached out without any inhibitions.

In the back of his mind, he remembered asking her to go out with him. She had initially said no and had given no reason for it.. Now she was asking him to stay, to sleep in the same bed. He knew he shouldn't think of it as a step forward, but he couldn't help it. She was in a very delicate mental state, but he wanted to help her for two reasons. She was close to him, and he wanted to be the one she ran to first. He would use this moment to bring himself one step closer to being with her while at the same time protecting her.

He placed his clothes on his dresser then flipped off the light. The room was bathed in the softness of the base lights running along his base boards. He sat on the bed, swinging his legs up and under the comforter. He settled himself in his spot, finally turning on to his side to look at Rowoon.

She looked tired but finally at ease. He could see the stress lines even out on her face as she let the bed envelope her once again. She started blinking slowly again, a sign he'd learned was something she did when she was sleepy. She was becoming comfortable with him, something he wanted to nurture and grow.

He reached out and brushed his thumb across her eyelids, one at a time. With each pass he made, her eyes grew heavier until they finally closed completely. Hyuk waited momentarily before he closed his eyes as well. If she wanted him here, then he would be here. He would stay as long as she needed him. Then maybe - hopefully maybe - he would be so much more than a friend than a coworker.