Chapter 283: Pajama Trouble

Pajamas.

Damien was really going to see Aira in pajamas.

Sure, he had seen them before, but that was a total accident. This one would be on purpose - and in his bedroom at that. He bet she would look super cute in it. He almost knew they would be red.

"So, are we going to do it or what?" Aira chimed in, making Damien snap out of it.

He realized he had not answered yet. He also realized that she was looking at him, confused at his lack of response to such a simple question.

"Oh, yeah! Probably a good idea! Get nice and cozy," he eventually replied, surprised with himself that he didn't splutter it out as his brain went to mush thinking about how cute his girlfriend was.

With that, Damien stood up and offered a hand to help Aira up.

She took it with a smile. Then, all of the sudden, he hoisted her up into his arms. Her eyes widen in surprise, her cheeks blushing in embarrassment.

"I'll change in the bathroom, and you can change out here. Let me know when you're dressed," he said before kissing her forehead and putting her down again as she nodded.

Damien made his way to the bathroom then to the adjacent walk-in closet.

After he closed the door behind him, he settled on a pair of blue plaid sleep pants and a grey shirt. He almost missed the questioning voice that peeped out from beyond the bathroom door as he changed into his sleepwear.

Aira was calling.

"Hey, Damien?" she asked, sounding somewhat nervous and shaken. 

His first thought was a plain and simple, 'Oh no.' His second thought was, 'What did she find?'

He finished tugging on his shirt before quickly making his way out of the bathroom. His eyes went wide at the sight of his girlfriend sitting on the floor by his bed. She looks absolutely pitiful as she holds a piece of cloth between her hands.

Damien made his way over to Aira in record time, sitting down next to her and noting the fact that she had not changed out of her dress yet.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?" he inquired hastily, trying not to freak out.

He then wonders if it's normal for girls to sit on the floor instead of changing into pajamas. All he has are brothers, and this is the first time he's going to sleep together with a girl aside from his aunt and mother, so he doesn't really know.

Damien looked Aira over a few times, trying to read the expression on her face.

"I'm okay, I just…" she said then trailed off as she held out the garment in front of her.

He noted that it looked like a pair of sleep shorts - cute and red and floral just like he had imagined. What she said next was not at all close to what he had imagined, though, at least not for this night.

"I forgot to bring a sleep shirt," she mumbled, looking upset with herself.

Damien couldn't help but laugh, then. Here he was thinking Aira had found out something about him that she wasn't ready to know.

Or had split her head open on a piece of furniture. Or decided she hated him after all.

"Don't laugh at me...!" she shouted, redness coming in under her cheeks.

"You were the one distracting me while I tried to pack! You kept texting me!"

He had to stifle his laughter for a moment there. Then, he let out, "Sorry. I just thought it was going to be something a lot worse. Do you want to borrow one of my shirts?"

The question left his mouth before he had time to process the implication of it. The second he did, he himself was blushing at the thought of his girlfriend donning one of his shirts.

"It's… It's okay, Damien… I can just sleep in my dress?" she wondered out loud, not looking pleased with the idea.

"No, really, I don't mind. I want you to be comfortable and preferably not wrinkle your pretty dress..." he reassured her, toying with the fabric a little to emphasize his point.

"Borrow one of my shirts."

It wasn't a question.

She looked up at Damien, smiling shyly. But there's something in Aira's eyes that seems to be reading far from shyness as she blurts out, "Well, if you insist."

"T-shirt or hoodie?" he asked, standing up.

She hummed thoughtfully before saying, "I'll say t-shirt. But maybe bring out a hoodie, too? You know how easily I get cold."

"That's what I'm here for, though."

He chuckled as he made his way back to the closet in the bathroom. She blushed a little at the implication.

"But just in case?" she prodded nonetheless to which he responded with another small laugh and a thumbs up.

She was just too cute for her own good.

Damien entered his walk-in closet. Not for the first time, he was overwhelmed with the amount of clothing within it. He wanted something nice for Aira but knew she wouldn't be too comfortable sleeping in something extravagantly expensive.

Opening one of his t-shirt drawers, he could almost feel the sweat beading on his forehead from the amount of stress this choice was causing him. He knew he had to pick something soft and not see-through - or maybe he should pick something a little see-through.

He shook his head at that. That was a bad idea if he was to keep himself in check. He could try to find something red to match her shorts instead.

Damien knew he was taking too long for such a simple task. Starting to panic a little, he just grabbed about ten random shirts of multiple colors, shades, styles, materials, and prices in the end.

When he returned to his room, he found Aira still moping on the floor. He sat across from her, matching her crossed legs, and placed the pile of shirts into her hands.

"Pick one," he offered, hoping she couldn't read the slight panic that made its way into his features.

She hummed quietly as she sifted through the shirts. Moments later, she notably paused at what he thought was just a plain black shirt until she held it up and asked, "Uhhh... Are you even allowed to wear this?" 

Damien grinned brightly.