↳ ❝I'LL BE FINE, sexy.❞
she shot him a thumbs up and a toothy smile to assure him that she could perfectly handle being on her own now. he didn't budge from his seat, though, because he knew better than to actually believe her. jay huffed when he stubbornly remained on the lone chair across the room, mentally cursing him out for willfully wasting his night to stay with her.
the last thing she wanted was to burden him with her overwhelming problems. mr. park didn't need to sacrifice any more of his precious time; she was already indebted to him for saving her life. she was in a healthcare setting now, anyway. he didn't need to worry about her well-being or safety because that's what the nurses were there for.
"miss parker," he shook his head. "i'm not leaving until at least one of your parents arrives to take my place in this seat." he pointed at the visitor's chair where he was currently sitting.
"okay, but my parents are working. i don't know how long it'll take for them to arrive," jay whined with an accompanying eye roll. "plus, i won't be alone. amber here," she gestured to her appointed nurse, who was too busy filing some paperwork to engage in the conversation, "will keep me company. isn't that right, amber?"
the young nurse glanced over her shoulder upon hearing her name and gave her patient a single nod before returning to her duty.
"see?" jay smiled at the seated teacher when her point was (flimsily) proved.
"i'm not leaving you, miss parker," he sternly reiterated, and jay pursed her lips at that. she closed her eyes whilst lazily sinking back on the pillows of the hospital bed.
why was he doing this? jay was certain he had better things to do than keep her company and cater to her needs. her parents both worked the night shift, so she knew they wouldn't get here right away—which is why she wanted mr. park to just go home already!
"you're so difficult," the brunette muttered as she stared up at the ceiling pensively. "so, what do you wanna do?" she pressed up her chin to her left shoulder and carefully watched the look on her teacher's face.
he cleared his throat and gulped when a certain idea crawled into his brain. "um, w-well," he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "we could," he cut himself short and licked his lips nervously.
and then she understood.
jay almost choked on her own saliva as she read his facial expression thoroughly, instantly catching on to the risqué thought that had slyly crossed his mind. "n-no, nothing like that," she mumbled solemnly, closing her eyes as the memories of today began to flash through her eyes.
it was in that moment that she wondered if she would ever truly move on from this—if she would be able to look at grass the same way again—if she would even be able to interact with men without envisioning a tight grip around her neck—if she would ever let anybody else lustfully stroke her skin without flinching away from their touch.
she didn't know.
she didn't know if she'd get past this.
all she could do was pretend that everything was fine and convince herself that she could get over it. she'd deceive her own mind into thinking that everything was fine—that she was fine.
fake it 'til you make it, her conscience advised. it was the only strategy that she was willing try ... at least until she found a welcoming therapist for her to see. the thought of talking out her real feelings frightened her, though. the last thing she wanted to feel is judged, so she hoped she wouldn't get appointed to some fault-finding, misogynistic "professional" who would blame her for what she'd been wearing that night. she scoffed at the thought of being in a room with one.
both teacher and student remained in peaceful silence for a couple of minutes, jay playing with the white bed sheets that covered her bottom limbs and mr. park biting casually on the edge of his fingernails.
their wordless company was all warm and serene, and it stayed that way until amber, the occupied nurse, finally sensed the suffocating tension that overfilled the room. she subtly snuck a glance at jay, and then at mr. park, before deciding it'd be best if she finished up her work elsewhere.
"i'll be going now. you know which button to push if you need any help, right?" the redhead looked at jay, who nodded giddily, with a satisfied smile hidden behind her white surgical mask, and she exited the hospital room in a haste.
the two were alone now, left in private, hidden away from the prying eyes of healthcare workers—and they were both fully aware of what that meant.
jay cheekily popped her lips to allay the settled silence, and mr. park nervously rubbed his hands.
they both awkwardly searched the room for an occupying distraction, freezing altogether when their eyes inadvertently met. jay clicked her tongue before casually looking away (pretending like his piercing gaze had not swayed her heart in the slightest).
mr. park inspected his dull surroundings one last time, secretly double-checking that the room was camera-free, and swallowed his anguish.
"answer me honestly, miss parker. this is crucial to my knowledge," his booming voice startled her, and it wasn't until he stood up that she raised her eyes.
the shaky blonde unhurriedly approached her, building up his courage with each gradual step, and halted when he reached her side.
mr. park met her soft stare and firmly rested his fists on the edge of the hospital bed. the blonde teacher lost himself in the fierceness of her eyes. he figured that the best way to approach his motives, considering jay had just undergone one of the most traumatizing events anyone could ever be subjected to, with tenderness and caution.
even as she wore her hospital gown, and even as she flaunted her messy hair and smudged make-up, he still deemed her the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.
"hello?" she waved her hand and snapped her fingers in front of his face to disrupt the daze he had accidentally fallen into. "earth to sexy," she carried on until he ultimately fluttered his lashes and brought himself back to reality. "exclude me, mr. park, but are you okay? i don't know. it seems like you're a bit nerv–"
"i need you to tell me honestly," he introduced the topic of conversation yet again, but this time—as she heard the clear severity in the tone of his voice—she nodded her head in compliance. "tell me ... if you want me to stop."
jay watched him slowly leaning in towards her lips, her visceral organs dissolving into dust and lungs tightening into stifling coils.
her disbelieving heart somersaulted inside its cage as she realized that this was not part of an elaborate fantasy projected by her own imagination.
this was ... real.
she dreamily squinted her eyes, repositioning the angle of her head to make her parted lips more accessible to him. he slowly inclined himself down unto her, his firm arm still stretched out beside her face, and the cold fingertips of his free hand reached out to tilt her chin upward.
they closed their eyes, forgetting all about the lawful limitations that forbid their union and about the reason they were in the hospital to begin with, their unsteady breaths now becoming each other's primary source of air.
jay almost melted in her seat as she felt mr. park's bottom lip lightly tempt her own, but, as much as her raging hormones implored, she didn't dare initiate the kiss. she wanted to test her will-power—to see just how much resistance she actually contained.
the tips of their noses brushed against each other, and she tightly grasped the thin bedsheets as a way of releasing her frustration. his upper lip began to subtly rub against hers in an almost torturous manner. however, just as mr. park was about to attach their mouths once and for all, she sneakily breathed out a shaky "stop" and pursed her lips.
mr. park heaved a sigh, stubbornly keeping his face close to hers, while trying to fathom why she had purposely (and quite cruelly) toyed with his hopes like that.
he should've expected this, though. who knew if she was even ready for another intimate interaction with a man? he knew it would take time for her to open up again, and he was more than willing to wait.
"i'm sorry," he muttered, hot breath hitting her upper lip as he continued to tantalize her with close proximity.
jay attempted to conceal her amusement, opening her eyes to find him boring into her face with a dark glare.
"i'm just kidding," she laughed harmoniously, proving his thoughts wrong as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down towards her.
mr. park, having lost his balance, fell down on the bed, semi-mounting her.
jay scooted over to make some room and, without much thinking, pushed her plump lips to his own. the enlivened pair closed their eyes again, avidly enjoying the slow and blissful movement of their frisky tongues.
mr. park's fingertips tapped at her cheek as he steadied the pace of the kiss, and, in an attempt to pull her body closer, he accidentally latched onto her ass. jay broke out into hysterics when he did not remove his hand from the area, which unfortunately ended their passionate osculation.
the blonde teacher, too, burst out into a series of giggles at his own sneaky grasp.
jay's wide smile withered away as soon as she realized that that was the first time she'd ever heard him laugh.
"what?" he tilted his head, noticing an adoring little glint in the midst of her eyes.
jay shook her head and snuggled further into her teacher's broad chest, inhaling and comfortably dwelling in his protective warmth.
they remained that way, tangled up with one another, heads resting on the same pillow, and their grins wide with great euphoria.
jay eventually lifted up her head so that their noses kissed, and mr. park gave the corner of her lip a light peck to ease his urge. they mutually acknowledged the closeness of their chests—where the paces of their hearts were gradually unifying into one—and became pleased with knowing that they'd wake up tomorrow morning to find themselves infrangibly linked.
mr. park fondly caressed her cheek, not being able to comprehend why he, of all people, was handed the privilege of being so close to her, of having her perfectly enclasped within his tight hold.
he gave her forehead a long and affectionate kiss, and, in consequence, their wavering lips broke out into a similar drunken beam.
they didn't speak much after that.
seconds, minutes, hours slid by. and when exhaustion finally overtook their systems, they groggily watched each other struggle against their fluttering eyelids. they smiled weakly for the last time before drifting off into their deep and awaited slumber. their grip on each other loosened as they simultaneously set foot into dreamland, secretly hoping that they'd meet, even for just a moment, in the vacancy of their dreams.
~
i'm so into this story omg i keep writing chapters without getting tired ayy help
pictures of the day:
-サラ