Who here likes some quote-unquote ACTION? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

School ended up being out for another week to sort out the legal repercussions. That meant students got to stay home for longer.

That also meant that Leo had nowhere to go.

"My parents are still in Mexico," he said, leaning back on the plastic chair in Hyuk's room and cradling N's head on his shoulder. "And apparently school is completely closed down for a while."

"You could just go home," Ravi suggested, putting his head on Hyuk's bed and earning himself a shove from Hongbin. "Ow."

"Do you have a spare key?" Ken asked.

Leo shook his head. "My sister took it a while ago and forgot to return it."

"Do you have the money for a hotel?"

"Nope. My wallet is still back at my dorm."

"What kind of person doesn't have their wallet on them?" Hyuk said.

"You don't have it."

"I got shot."

"Fair point."

N nuzzled against Leo's neck. "Well, I live only an hour or so away. You could stay over with me."

Ravi snapped his fingers. "That's actually a good idea."

"For many reasons," Ken added.

Leo raised a foot, threatening to kick.

As it turned out, N's father had been expecting Leo.

"My wife says you're coming with us," he said.

"I...no, it's fine, I--"

"She literally will not let you go without us," Mr. Carleton said, laughing nervously. "I, uh, Ava can be very persistent–"

As if on cue, his cell phone started to buzz, and Mr. Carleton picked up.

"Hi, honey." He put it on speaker and held it out to Leo and N.

"Sam, do not let that boy go home alone from the hospital. It's not safe, and--"

"Hi, Mom."

"Hi, darling. Is Leo with you?"

"Right here."

"You get him home safe, you hear?  He is not going anywhere alone under my watch."

"Hi, Mrs. Carleton. My...my parents actually...aren't home right now."

There was a long silence before Mrs. Carleton spoke.

"Well, sweetie, I can't let you be home alone, either."

"N...sorry, Hakyeon suggested that...I go home with him. To your house."

"Oh, beautiful. I would feel much more comfortable having you do that."

"Really, I don't want to intr--"

"You are doing no such thing."

And that was how, two hours later, Leo found himself standing at the entryway to N's house.

'House' wasn't the right word. 'Resort' seemed more apt.

The house wasn't much from the front; from the street, it looked like nothing more than a box with nice windows and sandstone walls tucked away into a small forest. Inside, though, cream tiled floors gleamed, polished to near-ice shine, and reflected the lights hanging high above. The center of living room was sunken into the ground, plush couches lining the perimeter and Japanese-style floor cushions surrounding them on the ground level. A sunroom connected to the kitchen was filled from the ceiling to the floor by plants of all different kinds, and there was the faint sound of running water. The wide main hallway extended far back, ended at the dining room with a vaulted ceiling, and made a turn into more of the house.

Leo realized that his mouth had fallen open, and he gently pushed it shut.

High-pitched yapping and giggling came from down the hall. A little girl with dark skin and a brilliant smile and a tiny white dog--no more than a puppy-rounded the corner.

"Bubber!" the girl squealed, and she wrapped herself around N's leg.

"Judy girl!" N picked up the little girl and swung her around, making faces. Leo smiled.

The dog slipped on the smooth tile in its rush to greet its owner and fell on Leo's foot, making a grunting noise.

Mr. Carleton patted N on the back. "Ava! We're home!"

Mrs. Carleton poked her head out from the dining room. "Oh, thank goodness. The radio said a snowstorm was on its way. Hello, Leo!"

"H-hi, Mrs--"

"Call me Ava, dear." Mrs. Carleton grinned and wiped her hands down on a towel. "Sam, I can't remember how to bake a turkey."

"I thought I left you...alright, I'll do it." Mr. Carleton gave his wife a kiss on the cheek and disappeared around the corner, leaving Mrs. Carleton to take care of her visitor.

And take care she did. In a flurry of activity, Leo found himself being toured around the house, handed a bottle of iced tea, introduced to Judy again, shown the garden in the backyard, and finally put on the couch by Mrs. Carleton before she left to help her husband.

It was a blur.

N threw himself onto the couch next to Leo and lifted the dog up from by his feet. It wiggled and N's nose ferociously.

"Oh, stop it, Thomas." N gave it a kissy face, and Thomas the dog grunted.

"Thomas?" Leo gave the fluffy puppy a pat on the head, earning himself a palm of saliva.

"Because he sounds like a tank engine when he sleeps. He's not even a year old but he snores like my dad." N put the dog down, and it dashed away.

Mrs. Carleton laughed from the kitchen at something Mr. Carleton had said, and N sighed.

Leo put his arm around N and gently put N's head on his shoulder. "You good?" he asked quietly.

N shifted and threw an arm across Leo's waist. "Yeah, just tired."

Leo gave N a kiss on the forehead.

N tilted his head up, prepared to return the favor.

Suddenly, Judy leaped onto the couch, knocking Leo over.

His hands shot out to catch himself before he hit N, and he found himself staring down at N, lying on his back against the armrest with his hands pushing back on Leo's chest and looking veritably terrified.

"Bubber's friend?" Judy asked, clambering up on Leo's back.

N relaxed and gave Leo a peck on the nose. "Just deal with her for a little bit, okay?" he said quietly. 

Leo got back into proper seated position, pulled N up, and turned to face the little monster.

"Are you Judy?" he asked.

Leo was usually very good with kids, but the child in front of him seemed to take a liking to him more quickly than any other ever had.

Judy pounced on him. "Your hair yellow?" she asked.

"Yeah, I...I bleached it. It's like coloring my hair."

"I want to too!"

"Maybe one day, kiddie."

Mrs. Carleton called out from the kitchen. "Judy, don't bother the guest!"

Judy grinned and ran away.

N grabbed Leo's hand and leaned in close with a look in his eyes that sent a shiver down into Leo's gut.

"Wanna see my room?" he asked.

Of course, N had something in mind when he wanted to show his room to Leo.

As soon as the door shut, N grabbed Leo by the front of his shirt and kissed him hard. 

Leo closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss, shuffling to trap N between the door and himself. He heard N's hands fumbling with the lock.

Even without seeing, Leo could tell N was excited. The way his hands roamed, the way N was pulling, the way N gasped for air.

Hell, Leo was excited too.

Almost without realizing it--as had happened a lot that day--N maneuvered both of them in the direction of his bed.

Leo turned at the last moment to drop N on top of the blue sheets, then leaned down to cradle N's head in his hands.

"G-d, I love you," Leo breathed before kissing him again.