Hakyeon curls further into the corner of the couch, clutching the warm mug of hot chocolate close to his chest. The steam floats up and warms his cold nose, carrying the delicious scent with it.

The apartmen is silent, with only the sound of the rain hitting the building, and the heater kicking on, to disturb it. He stares out the window, watching the rain come down hard, and the lightning flash in the sky.

He every light, in every room, when he returned home to an empty house. Sanghyuk wouldn’t be home from work until later, and he was trying not to think about being home alone after the horror movie Wonshik had just subjected him to. Normally, he could never be convinced to watch one, but Wonshik had insisted that Halloween was a special occasion, and no, they couldn’t just watch Disney movies again.

Hakyeon never did much for Halloween. He was always too frightened by the simplest of things, so he stuck close to home, and away from anything that could potentially scare him on this dreadful night (although Sanghyuk had dragged him to a haunted house last year, but he liked to block that from his memory). They didn’t get any trick or treaters, since they lived on one of the top floors of an apartment building, but Hakyeon would be grateful for them at this point. At least he wouldn’t be alone for hours, with nothing to think about but the frightening face of the murderous ghost from the horror movie.

As soon as he got home, after switching on the lights, he grabbed Sanghyuk’s sweatshirt from their bed, made a cup of hot chocolate, and curled up on the couch next to the lamp. He wanted to shower, but there was no way in hell he was doing that while home alone. There was always someone being murdered in the shower in horror movies!

The hot chocolate is helping to warm him, but his hands are still trembling. Although, he assumes it’s more from fear than being cold. Having Sanghyuk’s sweatshirt wrapped around him, big and baggy on his smaller frame and smelling of the younger man, is some comfort at least. It falls to his thighs and the sleeves come down to cover his fingers. Sanghyuk likes to complain about Hakyeon always stealing his clothes, but Hakyeon knows he secretly likes it. And Hakyeon likes the way it feels around him and the way he smells like Sanghyuk for the rest of the day after he wears one.

He hears a noise from the other room, and he’s ripped from his peaceful thoughts. His eyes widen, and he looks to the bedroom door, heart racing in his chest.

- he can’t do this. Why did he let Wonshik talk him into watching that damn movie!? He’s going to have nightmares and be on edge for days.

He tucks his feet under himself, and turns back to the window, trying to excuse the noise as something harmless and attempting to convince himself that something isn’t waiting in the bedroom to murder him.

He takes a sip of his hot chocolate and flinches when it burns his tongue. “Ah,” he sticks his tongue out, trying to cool the burning appendage.

The lock clicks and his head turns, his heart immediately lurching in fear before he realizes that it’s just Sanghyuk. Then, he sighs, his tense shoulders finally relaxing as he watches the door open.

Sanghyuk steps in and looks up at him as he slips his shoes off, an amused smile creeping onto his face.

“Welcome home,” Hakyeon says, sighing in relief.

“What are you doing over there?” The younger man asks, approaching him.

“Hiding away from the ghost in our bedroom.”

Sanghyuk raises an eyebrow as he sits down, “Ghost? Huh, I didn’t know we had one.”

Hakyeon pouts, and he knows he probably looks ridiculous, cowering on the corner of the couch, pouting like a child, but he can’t help it. He’s been scared and alone for hours, and all he wants is cuddles and warmth.

“Wonshik forced me to watch a horror movie with him and Hongbin,” he explains.

Sanghyuk chuckles and scoots closer to poke him in the side teasingly, “Were you scared while you were here alone?”

“No!” Hakyeon denies, and they both know that is far from the truth.

There’s a crash of thunder outside and Hakyeon jolts, startled by the noise, and the steaming hot chocolate spills onto his fingers. “Ah!” He quickly places the mug on the side table and Sanghyuk takes his hand, his teasing smile turning into a frown as he inspects the slight burn.

“Come on,” Sanghyuk says, and gently pulls Hakyeon from the couch and into too the kitchen. Sanghyuk pulls up the sleeve of his sweatshirt and runs his fingers under cold water, his touch gentle and careful. Hakyeon smiles as he stares at the concentrated expression on Sanghyuk’s face, the stinging on his fingers momentarily forgotten. He’s always been the one taking care of Sanghyuk, always leading him and watching out for him. He’s never minded it, in fact, he enjoys it.

But Sanghyuk has grown into himself, and the childish teasing he still subjects Hakyeon to, he has matured a great deal. He takes care of Hakyeon in ways that he himself doesn’t even realize.

Sanghyuk puts soothing cream on his fingers and bandages them (quite sloppily, but Hakyeon doesn’t say anything. Sanghyuk just looks too cute with that focused expression as he wraps Hakyeon’s fingers).

They go back to the couch and Hakyeon tucks into Sanghyuk’s side, cuddling close to him and soaking up all his warmth. Sanghyuk wraps an arm around his shoulders, “Jeez, you’re still trembling,” Sanghyuk mumbles, running his hand up and down Hakyeon’s arm. “If you were that scared, you should’ve just called me.”

He looks up at the younger man, sees his cheeks turn a soft pink, and he smiles. Sanghyuk is so unbearably cute when he awkwardly expresses affection and concern.

He reaches up to pinch Sanghyuk’s cheek, and of course, the younger man groans and tries pulling away. He laughs, “Ah, so cute,” he shimmies down, wraps an arm around Sanghyuk’s middle, and rests his head on Sanhyuk’s chest. With a contented sigh, he closes his eyes, “It’s fine, I’m not scared anymore.”