pillowtalk

nichkhun/wooyoung

fluff, g , wc : 7k

I love to hold you close, tonight and always

I love to wake up next to you.

Pillowtalk – Zayn Malik

Nichkhun taps his pen on the opened textbook in front of him, yawning widely to the wall of words he see filling the white page.

He circles the page number—an angry red ink surrounding the number 39, there’s  still more than a few pages to go if he intend to finish his reading for tonight. He knows he’s behind his schedule, he also knows that he’s very sleepy, he’s had a long day dan the bed looks invitingly comfortable compared to the rigidy and creaky chair he’s sitting on now.

There are boxes of his belongings Nichkhun still left unpacked sitting at the corner of his dorm room, some of the clothes he wear he still take right out of the massive red luggage he brought with him. But Nichkhun got his scented candles out,  and it helps to have something familiar, something that reminds him of home even when he’s miles away from it right now.

It’s 2 am and Nichkhun decides he’s had enough reading, that most part of his brain have stopped working due to sleepiness anyway and hope he can at least do a decent work on the quiz tomorrow. He eyes the books scattered on his bed, along with some notes and a few dirty clothes, Nichkhun doesn’t usually like it when things are messy, but he’s had a long day and he’s tired and sleeping in a messy bed is better than not sleeping at all.

But just as he manage to get up from his chair, the door to his room opens up and in come this guy, this boy actually, walking into his dormroom like they’re casual friends, in which they’re not, Nichkhun has never seen this boy before in his life.

Apparently the keys to his room doesnt lock and Nichkhun makes a mental note to have it fixed or talk to somebody about fixing it so random drunken student can’t just walked in in the middle of the night, or  early mornings in his case. but all thoughts left him when the boy stumbles on his knicks on the floor and falls onto his bed.

“ Hello?” Nichkhun tries, but the boy stays silent. “ hey you enter the wrong room, this is my room and..” Nichkhun stops talking when the boy starts snoring, it’s soft and barely audible and it reminds Nichkhun of a kitten purring than anything else.  “ what the hell..” Nichkhun mutters, approaching the sleeping boy with more curiousity than caution. He rules out home invasion—despite the fact that it’s just his dormroom, he’s been living here for two weeks now so, it’s home, for the time being—because the boy doesnt look all that threatening in blue pajamas and fluffy yellow slippers he’s wearing . He’s not drunk either, there’s no smell of alcohol, only minty fresh smell with a hint of vanilla, the kind they have in toothpastes.

“ You can’t wake someone when they’re sleepwalking, “ Nichan tells him through the phone. “..i read somewhere that it can be dangerous for them.”

Nichkhun bites his nails, observing the stranger who sleeps in an awkward position, his arm and shoulder landing half on top of Nichkhun’s textbook and his cheek is pressing on one of Nichkhun dirty old tshirt, Nichkhun winces. “ well, technically he’s not sleepwalking anymore..more like..just..sleeping?” he lets Nichan know, even took a picture of the sleeping strange boy to show his brother. ( He doesn’t want to be creepy, but in his defence, he and nichan has had a lot of pics-or-it-never-happened kind of conversation between them before)

“ No-no don’t take chances, we don’t know what could happen. He doesnt seems like he’s faking it.., the sleeping part. ” Nichan says. “ i dont think he’s a bad guy or something like that.”

“ Well no Sherlock, blue pajamas with yellow ducklings pattern doesnt really scream burglar to me either, i need you to help me find what to do with him.” Nichkhun exasperates. “ i cant wake him up. I can’t just carry him to the corridor and leave him to sleep there, what if someone else woke him? Wouldn’t that be dangerous for him too?”

After going over some choices of what Nichkhun can do, at the end it is decided to let the sleeping boy sleep, and have a conversation with him the moment he wakes up.

Nichkhun imagines the boy might be disoriented later, a little embarrased maybe and definitely very sore, considering that he’s sleeping on top of Nichkhun’s stuff, textbooks and such. So Nichkhun does his best to tidy up the bed, carefully pulling the textbooks trapped under the sleeping boy’s body and fix his limbs into a more convenient sleeping position. He cant do anything about his ratty old tshirt though, everytime he tries to take it, the boy shifts his head and buries his face deeper into it.

By the time Nichkhun finishes everything and sit back on his chair, it’s a little over 3 am. Nichkhun yawn and lifts his feet, his chair makes a creaking sound that seems louder at these hours, he pulls his knee to his chest and leans his head aside against the wall. If anyone is waking up with a crick on his neck  and a sore body, Nichkhun sure it’s going to be him. But sleep comes easy to Nichkhun, and he lets the thought of having a proper conversation with the boy tomorrow lulls him into dreamland.

It’s 7.30 am when Nichkhun’s alarm beeps annoyingly. Nichkhun wakes up with a start at that, almost falling off from his chair. He catches himself though, hand gripping the side of his studying desk to get his balance back. It is at that moment he remembers about last night, about the phonecall to nichan, and most importantly about the reason for that phonecall to nichan. Nichkhun turns his head towards the bed so fast he was dizzy for a moment.

And there it is, his bed. Empty, the sheets slightly crumpled, the strange boy gone.

~

Nichkhun moved in at mid semester of his second year, not the most ideal time but sometimes life does throw a curveball, and Nichkhun is just trying to keep the game playing. This lands him into a new city, a new university, and subsequently, a new place to live.  With his kind of luck, Nichkhun isn’t even surprised when they mistakenly admitted him to the freshmen’s dorm. It’s not half bad because the RA is a friendly guy with a toothy smile that keeps calling him “homie” once he knew Nichkhun used to live in LA like he did, and despite having one and a half year into his study, Nichkhun thinks he’s still somewhat new to everything here. So with the halls officer’s apology and promise of immidiete transfer, Nichkhun accepts the room as his, at least until they have everything sorted out.

Adjusting to new places is tricky, but Nichkhun prides himself for his ability of always finding things to love each time he move to a new city.  He’s been in Thailand and New Zealand, and then moved around a bit with his family during their stay in the US.  He usually falls for the view first, and then the food, the overall ambience of the place and in some instance, the people. Nichkhun is a bit shy, but is not afraid to make new friends.

Somehow he is reminded by the strange boy visiting him the other night, Nichkhun hasn’t said anything to anyone, not even to the friendly RA, Taecyeon. Nichkhun doesnt mean to brush it aside but between the papers he has to make and the books he needs to read and rolling with the everyday punches, it just sort of happen. So he gets his lock fixed and get on with his chores and assignments. The wandering sleeper boy quickly became an experience, other people have drunken frat boys walking into their room by mistake, Nichkhun has a sleepwalker, nothing special there. Might make a good story to tell the table next time he come home for holiday, but that’s about it.

The next time he sees Taecyeon in the hallway, he was asked if there’s anything bothering him, if everything was cool, and Nichkhun shrugs, he has no complaints. Taecyeon pats Nichkhun on the cheek before going on his way, shouting a no playing balls in the corridors how many time I have to tell ya punks to some kids.  It wasn’t until he disappears into a corner that Nichkhun realizes Taecyeon is wearing shorts, bright neon green, in the middle of fall. Ok Taecyeon, a curious case that one.

Nichkhun is typing his 3rd paper when he hears a thud on his door, he turn his head towards the door at that, the light from his laptop screen flickering on his face.

“ Who is it? “ he calls.

There is no reply from the other side. Nichkhun isn’t expecting anyone to come visit this late into the night, and he hasn’t known other students in the dorm other than Taecyeon.

“ Taec, is that you?” Nichkhun tries again, getting up from his chair to get the door. “ do you need anything?” he says to Taecyeon as he turns the handle and open his door.

Only there’s no Taecyeon in sight. There is however, a sleeping boy in blue pajamas wearing fluffy yellow slippers curling on his doorstep, hugging a plushie from last time.

“ Oh man, not you again.” Nichkhun mutters, poking his head to look around the empty corridor. But there’s no one and nothing but silent walls and closed doors.

He’s  thinking to leave the boy there, turn his back and close his door like nothing happens, no one would blame him, right?  The sleeping boy is not his responsibility and he’s bound to wake up in the morning anyway. But then the boy shivers in his sleep and yes, it is a cold night. It’s not winter just yet but the wind has already gone cold and Nichkhun cant imagine anyone sleeping without a proper heating system or at least a blanket. Nichkhun lets out a heavy sigh when he know he’s losing this battle.

“ Who are you? Where did you come from? How can you sleepwalk again? Why are you always ending up in my room?”  Nichkhun asks, persistent. “ I’m going crazy here, do you know that.” He says to the yellow, smug looking chicken with sunglasses, this time poking the plushie on its fluffy stomach lightly.

The sleeper boy is sleeping soundly, peacefully, on Nichkhun’s bed. He has no wallet, no kind of identification with him, the only thing he’s got is the smug chicken . Nichkhun picks it up from the floor after he tucks the owner into his bed.

The smug chicken looks back at him, the fabric soft against Nichkhun’s fingers. Nichkhun flicks its beak lightly and huffs. “ i wanna sleep too..” he whines to the plushie, knowing he’d probably end up sleeping on his chair again like last time.

~

On Tuesday Nichkhun comes back to the dorm after pulling an all-nighter at the library, it’s 4am in the morning and as he fumbles with his key in the coridor—it slips between his notes and he’s trying to rummage it out from his messenger bag-- he notices the lump in front of his dormroom.

“ You have to be kidding me..” he mutters to himself, hands on his waist as he inspects the sleeperboy curling peacefully on his doorstep.

He’s wearing a cream colored pajamas this time—the sleeperboy, with small boats pattern, the sails are painted red and the boat itself, blue. The boy is fast asleep with arms around a penguin plushie, that is wearing leopard printed cape. 

When he’s pushing the door open with his shoulder, carrying the sleeperboy bridal style in his arms, Nichkhun briefly thinks if he should wake Taecyeon up to help him with this issue and makes a mental note to do just that, tomorrow, because he’s too drained right now, tired to the bone and has no wish on doing any explaining at 4am in the morning. So Nichkhun tucks the boy in, shed his own jacket, toes his shoes off and curls himself beside the boy with a contented sigh, telling himself he’ll move to the chair in fifteen minutes, it’s just that he’s been sitting for hours in class and then at the library , he thinks his spine deserve a few minutes break and the bed feels sooo nice. Nichkhun blinks sleepily, cheek smushed against the pillow, the boy’s face upclose with his little nose and tiny pout and Nichkhun fleetingly thinks, so cute.

And with that thought, Nichkhun falls asleep.

The boy is gone in the morning, as expected. Taecyeon is nowhere to be seen and when Nichkhun looks at the smug looking chicken and penguin plushie perched on his study desk, he thinks it’s not really that much of a problem, really. He pinches the chicken’s plump cheek with a tiny smile.

~

It’s becoming somewhat a habit now.

Nichkhun doesn’t lock his door anymore.

( He tells himself it’s because he’s too tired to be carrying anyone bridal style every few nights or so, but really is because he’s worried sleeperboy will be locked out when he happen to wander to his room while Nichkhun is  pulling an allnighter at the library or something )

He uncovers his blanket when sleeper boy enters his room, eyes half opened but is thoroughly asleep, hugging whatever plushie he brings in from where ever it is he’s from. Nichkhun tosses it ( a funny looking banana plushie this time, with drawn abs? this boy has the strangest collection of plushies, Nichkhun swears) to where he keeps all the other stuffed animals ( almost half dozen now, with various shapes and species) and pulls the blanket over both of them. Sleeper boy’s arms are cold so Nichkhun drapes it with his own, falling into position comfortably beside him. Sleeper boy’s hair are soft when Nichkhun sinks his nose into them, falling asleep slowly to the rhythm of sleeper boy’s breathing.

~

“ What is your name?”  Nichkhun blinks in front of the sleeping boy one night, squealing into his pillow next second ,  “ Ahh so cuteee.. look at his little button nose.” Nichkhun whines and bites into his blanket. “ Aegi,” He murmurs, eyes soft on the sleeping lump in front of him.“ I’m going to call you aegi.”

~

“ Sup, homie!” Taecyeon greets him with all his teeth. “Come to Kim’s house party next week eh’? Minjun throws the best parties, I guarantee.”

“ Uh, yeah. Minjun?” Nichkhun struggles to keep the stacks of books he’s carrying.

“ Bedroom eyes, killer shoulders, sings like a muthafackin siren?” Nichkhun winces, Taecyeon shakes his head, “ He sits behind you in English 426?”

Nichkhun’s eyes narrows and then widen when he thinks he knows who Taecyeon is talking about. “ Wait, is he the one who throw pieces of rolled paper to my hair?”

The shameless grin on Taecyeon’s face is Nichkhun’s answer, “ He said it was because you spaced out a lot , so he’s just--, trying to help you refocus. “ He adds. “ oh and speaking of focusing, can you keep your eyes open for me and tell me if you see any strange things lately?”

“ What …kind of strange things?” Nichkhun asks as they passes the common room. Did Taecyeon found out about Aegi?

“ Thief…we might have a thief around here.” He answers Nichkhun, voice dropping just a hint lower. “ I’ve been having reports of stolen personal items , and we think it could be an inside job?”

“ Inside job?” Nichkhun avoid just barely from getting bumped by a couple of kids, running and tossing football to each other.

“ Yah! What did I say about playing balls in the hallway?!” Taecyeon scolds them before returning to Nichkhun. “No breaking and entering reported, so it could be one of the students. He might be among us, taking advantage of our oblivious unsuspecting eyes.“ Sweeping out his arm in a dramatic manner, Taecyeon gives Nichkhun a firm nod.

“ Taec, half of this place don’t lock. There’s no need for breaking anything if you can just enter easily. “ Nichkhun reminds him. “ but will keep my eyes open and let you know if I see anything…strange.” Nichkhun drawls his last word because there, standing not far from them, is Aegi.

He’s passing out flyers, probably for some activity recruitments, Nichkhun got a few since his first days. If there’s golfing club, he’d apply, unfortunately there isn’t any here. But it’s alright, everything is alright because Aegi is wearing an oversized grey sweatshirt and jeans, his finger peeking out cutely as he hands the flyers to students walking pass. He looks soft to touch, his cheek full, his bangs falling gently on his forehead, Nichkhun can actually feel how cuddly and warm it is to snuck his arms around the boy and just hug him tight, burying his nose to a mop of nice smelling hair or, smooth warm nape. Nichkhun is staring, he knows it, but he can’t help it.

“ …all these things coming all at once on me, homie. It’s like the devil has a grudge to make my life miserable.” Taecyeon is still talking, Nichkhun belatedly notices. “Speaking of the devil, oh , don’t let him see me.”

“ Don’t let who sees you?” He says distractedly when Taecyeon cowers and hide his bulk behind him. Nichkhun is honestly confused ( and a little bit amused)  that Taecyeon actually thinks this could work. But wait,  Aegi is walking towards them, towards him.

There must be something wrong with his heart, because after it skips a beat, it goes on to thump faster and faster the closer Aegi is to them. Nichkhun never seen aegi awake before, he was cute when he was sleeping, he is beautiful now that he’s awake. Nichkhun’s smile blooms, and he opens his mouth to say…

“ Yah Ok Taecyeon don’t try to hide I can see your teeth from a mile away!” Aegi shouts. Closer now, Nichkhun can clearly see that his little aegi is upset, the corner of his lips turned low and his lips are pouting.

 It’s so adorable.

“ You said you’ll get to the bottom of this in a few days, it’s been weeks. Weeks!” Little aegi barks at Taecyeon, voice lower and huskier than Nichkhun thought.

“ …Hi.” Nichkhun greets with a smile when aegi lifts his eyes at him. It’s small and uneven, clear as day and mysterious as night,  Nichkhun likes it instantly.

For a second Nichkhun thinks ( hopes?) that aegi would recognize him, but aegi doesn’t, instead he ignores Nichkhun and continues his strings of complains to Taecyeon.

“ Wooyoungie, Wooyoungaah… not now please, I’m helping Nichkhun to his dorm room, can’t you see all the books he has to carry?” Taecyeon answers, deflects. That gets aegi, Wooyoung, whip his head up to see Nichkhun again, this time his nose scrunching a bit. So cute, Nichkhun wants to pinch his cheek, wants to hug him and snuggle close, Nichkhun wants to bury his face on Wooyoung’s soft looking sweatshirt.

“ Hi Wooyoung, I’m Nichkhun. Bye Wooyoung .. ” He grins stupidly at Wooyoung as he lets Taecyeon push him until they’re in front of his dorm room.

“ Piyoung!” Wooyoung quips.

“ Piyoung?” Nichkhun is confused.

Wooyoung marches to catch up to them, pulling one of the flyer he’s holding and shows it to Nichkhun. There’s a Have you seen me? written in large bold letters, the kind people use in missing person’s  flyers. But instead of a photograph of a person, it’s a picture of a stuffed animal. Yellow, smug looking chic with sunglasses, that looked oddly familiar to Nichkhun.

“ Have you seen Piyoung? He’s been missing for weeks!” Wooyoung stares at Nichkhun intently.

“ Umm. I—“

“ Penpen?” Wooyoung pulls another Have you seen me? flyer, this time it’s that penguin with the leopard printed cape.

“Penpen.” Nichkhun repeats him. Wooyoung pulls another flyer.

“ Chanana? Pankay?”

“ I’m--.. uh--..” Nichkhun stutters. He knows where those plushies are, they’re sitting peacefully on his study table. He didn’t steal them, Wooyoung brings them whenever he sleepwalks to his room and left them in the morning. But how do he explains that?

“ Wooyoung I told you we’re doing as best as we can, “ Taecyeon finally steps out from Nichkhun’s back.

“ What if it’s a ert who steals them? What if he’s doing erted things to them?” Wooyoung looks like he’s about to cry. “ Piyounggg..” he wails.

“ He didn’t!” Nichkhun tells them. “ He wouldn’t, I mean.. he probably just have them.. by accident.. some strange situations that he probably couldn’t explain right away. Hell, they could just be siting innocently oh his study table right now.”

Wooyoung wipes his tears with the back of his hand, the oversized sweatshirt engulfing almost half of it. “ You.. you really think so?” He sniffles, looking expectantly at Nichkhun and bless his heart, aegi--, Wooyoung ,is just too cute.

Nichkhun gives a reassuring nod. “ I’m sure they are okay.”

“ Who are you again?” Wooyoung blinks cutely and asks.

“ I’m Nichkhun, and i—“ Apparently it is just his luck that the boys with the football are back, and one of them makes a long throw that the rest tries to catch, which leads them to collide with Nichkhun which makes the whole bunch falls haphazardly like a bad domino, books everywhere, and someone is groaning and unfortunately, the commotion results in his dorm room getting kicked open. Which reveals, well, lo and behold, a row of the missing plushies on top of his study desk.

Nichkhun can hear Taecyeon gasps loudly, and Wooyoung’s AHHHH was clear.

When everyone looks at him accusingly, Nichkhun swallows and says, “ I… can explain?”

~

Nichkhun never seen Wooyoung since.

After the afternoon where Wooyoung found the plushies he’s looking for, lining up innocently on Nichkhun’s study table, Wooyoung never sleepwalked into his room again.

Nichkhun tried to explain, he told Taecyeon and Wooyoung what happened from the first night Wooyoung enters his room. But, after almost a dozen occurrence, of Wooyoung sleepwalking and sleeping in his bed, Nichkhun was stumped when Taecyeon asked him why he never reported it in to him.

“ I don’t have any ill intentions.” Nichkhun stated firmly when some of the student throws him a dirty look.  “ I would never harm Wooyoung, in any way. ” Aegi please trust me, he wanted to say to Wooyoung, but Wooyoung looked so frail, picking up the plushies one by one while sniffling, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. “ Aeg--Wooyoung, don’t cry. I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. I would returned them to you, if I know where to find you.” This time Nichkhun did say, Taecyeon holding him back when he moved forward , like he’s not allowed to reach Wooyoung’s familiar back, even though he’s been hugging it close these few nights.  

Wooyoung buries his face in the stuffed animals in his arms and freezes, when he turns around to meet everyone’s gaze, Wooyoung looked more flustered than angry. “ Let him go.” He said to Taecyeon, “I don’t want to discuss this. I don’t--, don’t try to find me.” He glances briefly to Nichkhun and walked out of Nichkhun’s room with arm full of plushies.

~

Sleeping is not the same without Wooyoung. No matter how many time Nichkhun toss and turns, fluffs his pillow or arranges his blanket, his bed doesn’t feel the same without Wooyoung sleeping beside him. He miss snuggling behind Wooyoung, missed the way Wooyoung would press his back to Nichkhun’s chest and the way he could pull Wooyoung closer, if possible. Nichkhun misses Wooyoung in his arms. It’s ridiculous considering Nichkhun was sleeping fine before Wooyoung walked into his room. Nichkhun even misses the plushies, his desk looks so empty , so cold with only stacks of textbooks and half written papers.

He sees Wooyoung, sometimes, in the halls or even one time in the library, but Wooyoung was quick to avoid him, ducking his head and fastened his steps that Nichkhun couldn’t catch up to him. Not like Nichkhun would, Wooyoung doesn’t want to see him and Nichkhun feel like he should respect the decision. It doesn’t change the fact that Nichkhun misses Wooyoung, missing him so much that instead of falling asleep, Nichkhun is listening to the ticking of his clock, staring at his unlocked door, hoping, that his aegi would sleepwalk into his arms again.

That night also, Wooyoung didn’t come.

~

“ Oops. Sorry. ” A giggling girl bumps into him, looking tipsy and hardly apologetic at all. Nichkhun stares at the golden liquid soaking the front of his shirt, the offending plastic cup now on the floor, getting kicked around by the people dancing in Minjun’s living room. The girl vanishes to the direction of the pool, there, the crowd is even bigger. The music blaring and booming, and everyone seems to be having fun. Taecyeon was right, Minjun really knows how to make a party.

“ Uh, bathroom?” He asks a passing guy who points left to the corridor. The bathroom door was half opened so Nichkhun went right in assuming it’s empty, and that he won’t find anyone making out heavily inside, which of course, considering his luck, is exactly what he finds.

“ Go find your own bathroom, this one is taken.” The guy sitting on the countertop croaks, his small eyes doesn’t look pleased at the interruption. The other guy--, taller, hair debauched and lips swollen, laughs easily, like getting caught making out in a bathroom in a party is a very funny thing. Nichkhun guess everything is funny when one have enough alcohol in their blood. Sad to say for him, he has more alcohol on his shirt than in his bloodstream right now. So when Taecyeon offers him a freshly opened bottle of beer when Nichkhun happens to walk in the kitchen, Nichkhun takes it.

“ Go to second floor, down the hall on your right, last door is a bathroom. Don’t get lost, homie.” Taecyeon saving the day for Nichkhun while still winning on beerpong. One of a kind, that one.

 “ Hello?” Nichkhun knocks this time, poking his head in when there’s no answer. This bathroom is bigger, with bathtub large enough for two people, the fancy kind. He goes straight to the vanity, dabbing tissues on his soaked shirt. It’s his favorite one, he’d hate to have beer stains ruining it.

It won’t come off as easy as he would like it, but just when he reaches to get more tissues, he hears a snoring sound.  it’s soft and barely audible and it reminds Nichkhun of a kitten purring than anything else. Nichkhun widens his eye. He knows this sound. His head spins to where the noise is coming from. The bathtub.

There’s a familiar yellow fluffy slippers on the floor, and when Nichkhun approaches the bathtub he sees a blanketed lump curling inside it. He reaches down and tugs the blanket carefully, at first he sees a mop of brown hair, and then, he sees Wooyoung.

“ Aegi “ Nichkhun exhales.

Wooyoung looks so peaceful sleeping there. He’s wearing his pajamas, the soft blue one with white stripes, with shorts that cuts just above his knees. Nichkhun doesn’t want to interrupt Wooyoung’s sleep, but he misses his aegi so much, before he realizes it his hand already brushing Wooyoung’s fringe back. It’s soft and nice the way he remembers it.

Wooyoung stirs at this, and Nichkhun was too mesmerized by the sight of Wooyoung’s sleeping face that when Wooyoung finally wakes up, it surprises the both of them.

“ Ahh… ert!” Wooyoung jolts back, pulling his blanket up to cover his head.

Nichkhun frowns. “I’m not a ert.” He says firmly, but then sighs as he sits on the edge of the bathtub. “I’m not, I swear. All those times you’re sleeping in my room I never touched you.”

“ You never touched me?, I woke up with you ruffling my hair just now.  “comes a muffled reply and a pair of narrowed eyes , peering from the blanket.

And Wooyoung is actually right,  after all as innocent and comforting as they are,  all those cuddles and hugs as they slots together in Nichkhun’s bed, weren’t those…touches?

“ I never touched you with a bad intention”  Nichkhun explains himself. “ I needed sleep too, you were occupying my bed almost three times a week , I can’t sleep on that rickety chair every night. I swear I never took advantages of you.” He defends himself, but it left him feeling even worse.

Wooyoung’s eyes are still narrowed at him. Nichkhun can’t deny himself any longer, because even though he has no ill intention towards Wooyoung, Nichkhun can’t say that he doesn’t have any intentions at all. He does. He wanted to know Wooyoung, aegi, beyond the confinement of his bed. He want to see Wooyoung awake, want to be his friend, want to be so much more than friends.

“ At first it was a nuisance, you coming into my room.“ Nichkhun confesses, staring at the bathroom floor so he wouldn’t have to see Wooyoung’s judging eyes. “ It was somewhere in the am-s and i was so tired and all I wanted was to sleep, but then you came stumbling in , you with your ruffled hair and your fluffy slippers,  and you just curls on my bed like it was yours. ” Wooyoung makes a small choking noise at this .

“ The next time, you started bringing stuff, things, a chicken plushie with glasses that look like a gangster?” Nichkhun can’t help but smile as he reminisces.

“ It’s not gangster, it’s swag, and his name is Piyoung.” Nichkhun hears some shuffling , when he lifts his head, Wooyoung is now sitting up. The blanket still sort of covering his legs as he hugs his knees close.

Nichkhun nods. “ Swaggy Piyoung, got it.”

“ Good.” Wooyoung murmurs, less fired up.

 “ ever since Piyoung, “ Nichkhun flicks a thoughtful glance to Wooyoung, , who is (actually) listening to him now. “…you keep bringing them with you when you came, all these plushies,  and leaving them with me, when you--, …you know, up and leave, in the mornings. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t tell anyone. I’m sorry I didn’t try to stop you from coming. ”

The music from downstairs emanates through the silent walls, though it sounds all muffled and drowned down. Sometimes there’s a burst of laughter , or even sounds of footsteps on the hallway, but in the bathroom, the noises blurs and buzzes and disappears, Nichkhun can almost hear the sound of Wooyoung’s breathing.

“Why didn’t you--, why didn’t you tell anyone about this, if I was being a nuisance.”

“because you weren’t. You were, at first but then you keep coming the next night and the next night and so we--, kind of worked things out. The bedding and all. I just think of you as my roommate, though we have a slightly smaller bed.” And I love sleeping with you beside me, but Nichkhun holds that one back, not quite sure how Wooyoung will react if he hears it.

Nichkhun knows how crazy this must’ve sound for Wooyoung, he knows Wooyoung could accuse him of lying because, really, working things out with a sleeping person? He doesn’t have to be a law student to know that excuse won’t stand on court. Which he hope is not the direction Wooyoung is going to take because Wooyoung is not going to throw him to jail because of this wouldn’t he?

Oh god, he is so going to jail.

Just as Nichkhun whimpers internally at the notion of his collapsing future, he thinks he hear Wooyoung calling him.

“Nichkhun. Is that really your name? such an odd name to have. ”

“ It’s Thai, actually. I’m Thai, I came from Thailand. “ Nichkhun fiddles with his beer bottle.

“ Did I hog the blanket, Nichkhun who came from Thailand? I’m sorry if I did.”

Wooyoung says again without giving Nichkhun a chance to recoil. Wasn’t Wooyoung about to throw him to jail?

When Nichkhun seems too stumped to provide an answer, Wooyoung shifts so that he’s sitting closer to Nichkhun, “ Aren’t you cold?” he says, lifting a part of the blanket for Nichkhun.

~

“ I started sleepwalking when I was a small child. “ Wooyoung says after Nichkhun crawls into the bathtub to sit next to him, his blanket keeping both of them warm. “ When I was five, my mother got really sick that she has to stay in the hospital. “

“ I’m… sorry to hear that.” Nichkhun replies. The bathtub is hard and cold against his back but Wooyoung, Wooyoung is soft and warm by his side.

“ I missed her a lot. Sometimes when I really really really missed her, something magical happened. I would go to sleep in my room, and wake up the next morning in my mother’s bed. My five year old self believed that a fairy did it, carried me to sleep in her bed to calm me down. “ Wooyoung shifts and  their arm brushes.

“ I sleepwalk when I’m anxious.” Wooyoung says, quietly.

Nichkhun doesn’t know what to say, so he doesn’t say anything.

“ That’s why I’m staying here with Minjun for the first couple of months, so he can keep an eye on me.”

“ Minjun is your…”

“ Cousin.” Wooyoung answers, “ I thought I was doing better I really did, that’s why I asked to move into the dorm,  and Minjun lets me. And it was okay. Until i start waking up in random places. Nothing dangerous, I woke up in the common kitchen once, and then in the hallway, I woke up outside once, on the grass, and it was really cold.” He frowns.

“ Wooyoung…”

“ and then I woke up in your room.” Wooyoung says.

“ So you remember? Waking up in my room? “ Nichkhun asks. Wooyoung doesn’t seem to recognize him when they met.

“ It’s more of a feeling, everything so cozy and warm, and I feel safe, really safe when I wake up there. I…, I  know you’re not a ert, you couldn’t have been. At least I hope you wouldn’t be.  Sleeping in you room was the best sleep I ever had since I moved into the dorm. ”

Nichkhun keeps his silence and so does Wooyoung, the latter glancing at him with the most adorable apologetic look. Nichkhun breaks into a smile finally, and slowly, Wooyoung follows suit, smiling this wonderful smile of his.  In the midst of this the door to the bathroom suddenly swings open and the light from the corridor floods in. Wooyoung lifts his hand to cover his eyes and shouts, “ Yaah, this room is taken!”

“ Dude, this is the bathroom, I need to pee.” The guy opening the door whines.

“ Pee somewhere else!” Wooyoung quips curtly.

Nichkhun laughs.

( maybe there is something about being caught in the bathroom in a party, even if there’s no making out involved )

~

Wooyoung’s mother recovered from her illness and the doctors lets her come home after a month or so, Wooyoung later told Nichkhun. His sleepwalking habit lessens as his grows up, only recurring when Wooyoung is very anxious or nervous about something, and there was midterm that made him so nervous because he wanted to do well. That’s why he started sleepwalking again.

They shared stories for the rest of the night, Nichkhun telling Wooyoung about his brothers and sisters and Wooyoung listens carefully. They also shared the bottle of beer Taecyeon gave Nichkhun, with Wooyoung scrunching his nose at the taste of it yet stubbornly saying he liked it. Nichkhun was amused.

What also happened that night was, when the party subsided, the music calm and the seemingly multitude of people had mill down to a handful, Wooyoung took Nichkhun up to his room.

“ Here.” Wooyoung says, handing an old tshirt Nichkhun recognized as his, he hadn’t even noticed it was missing.

“ What? When?” Nichkhun stares blankly at Wooyoung.

He shrugs, sitting on the edge of his bed, the plushies Nichkhun has gotten familiar with are tucked under the neatly arranged blanket.  “ I woke up one day with that in my hand. I must have carried it back to my room. “ Wooyoung says sheepishly. “I--, can I tell you something but please don’t think I’m weird.”

“ i think we’ve established that this whole situation is weird, ” Nichkhun looks at Wooyoung with a kind smile. “ However, though, weird is.. not necessarily a bad thing? My family gets a little weird sometimes, it doesn’t make them bad, it makes them…special~ “

“ How do you always know the right thing to say?”

“ I don’t , “ Nichkhun moves to sit beside Wooyoung, “ I’m just being honest.”

Wooyoung tells Nichkhun that the shirt helps him fall asleep at night. It smells like a mix of days old cologne and days of unwashed but somehow it calms him down. When he sees his plushies at Nichkhun’s room, as he swooped them into his arm, they all smelled like the worn tshirt and that’s how he knows Nichkhun is not a bad person.

“ This really helps you sleep?” Nichkhun stares at the shirt in his hand bewilderedly.

Wooyoung nods, “ It does, but I think.. I think it’s because it smells like you.”

“ What do you mean?”

“ Here, I’ll show you.”

And then Wooyoung urges Nichkhun to climb the bed with him, he takes the plushies and puts them aside, slipping under the blanket and tucks himself chin high. Nichkhun takes his place in the other end of Wooyoung’s bed.

“ Is this working?” Nichkhun asks after a while, both of them staring straight at the ceiling as the seconds’ stretches, Nichkhun’s hands resting on his stomach.  Nichkhun is reminded of when Wooyoung was sharing his bed, how they would snuggle and how it felt very nice, maybe that was what been helping Wooyoung to sleep better?  So he asks, “ do you want to hug?”

“ Yes please.” Wooyoung replies without skipping a beat, shifting and scooting over to Nichkhun so they can cuddle. No one said anything as they snuggle into each other but they breathe easier after and Wooyoung is soft and perfect in Nichkhun’s arm.

Wooyoung buries his face on Nichkhun’s chest as he mumbles quietly.

“ Hmm?” Nichkhun hums.

You’re so warm and nice to hug, he thinks he hear Wooyoung murmurs. Nichkhun smiles.

“ You are too, Wooyoung” Nichkhun murmurs back. You are too.

~

It’s 2 am and Nichkhun has his laptop on his bed. He’s halfway into his second paper when the door to his room opens up and in come this guy, this boy actually, walking into his dormroom like they’re casual friends, in which they’re not. They’re more than that now.

“ I’m awake. “ Wooyoung lets him know before climbing the bed to sit beside him.

There’s a pout on Wooyoung’s face so Nichkhun puts down the notes he’s holding to wrap his arms around Wooyoung’s shoulder. “ Bad day?” he asks empathetically.  Wooyoung nods. “ Want to tell me about it?” he asks again. Wooyoung shakes his head.

“ More papers?” Wooyoung says instead, poking the scattered handwritten notes with his finger.

“ Yeah. Go sleep if you’re tired ?” Nichkhun offers.

“ No, it’s fine. “ Wooyoung yawns, leaning his head on Nichkhun’s shoulder.

“ Are you sure?” Nichkhun buries his nose in Wooyoung’s hair.

“ Mhmm.. I know you’d rather do your papers than cuddle with me. “ Wooyoung says with a little pout.  

“ Okay, okay. Let’s turn the laptop off first? ” Nichkhun asks, amused.

“ If you want to. “ Wooyoung shrugs, but is moving to the bed and fluffing a pillow—his pillow, the one he always use whenever he sleeps in Nichkhun’s room.

Nichkhun smiles and watches as Wooyoung curls up on his bed, he’s wearing an oversized sweatshirt with hoodie but is sleeveless. And he’s beautiful and mesmerizing at the same time.

Wooyoung doesn’t sleepwalk anymore, he said whenever he feels nervous or anxious he’d just hug Nichkhun and then all the bad feeling goes away. Nichkhun wanted to laugh at the sheer cheesiness but Wooyoung’s eyes was honest, was genuine and it left Nichkhun feeling a bit in awe, and very much floored.

“ Didn’t you say you’re coming?” Wooyoung says to him, stretching both of his arm towards Nichkhun and giving him that beautiful smile, “ comeeee…” he coos.

“ I come, I come…” Nichkhun fixes his laptop aside along with the textbooks and notes to climb into Wooyoung’s arm. Nichkhun wraps his arm around Wooyoung’s middle, and Wooyoung leans his cheek on the top of Nichkhun’s head.

Nichkhun maybe miles from his family right now, in a new unfamiliar world, but right now, warm and loved in Wooyoung’s arm, listening to the steady beat of Wooyoung’s heart lulling him to sleep, Nichkhun feels at home more than ever.