❧

7:00 PM

Jongin awakens to the sound of a door slamming closed and he flinches before blinking rapidly. A sense of confusion washes over him when he looks next to him and sees that the driver's seat is empty. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, Jongin quickly unbuckles his seatbelt while looking up, past the car. He sees the familiar big white house, which is nearly completely hidden by the darkness, and is about to open the door and look for Sehun when he feels what he assumes is fingers gripping the top of his head. In his dazed, half-awake state, Jongin doesn't think twice before letting out a loud shriek and he whirls around, heart racing.

"Jesus, I'm at least a hundred percent the neighbors heard that - and I don't even have any goddamn neighbors," Sehun chuckles before ruffling Jongin's hair. "Good evening, Sleeping Beauty."

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Jongin mumbles an incoherent 'huh' before groaning. "God damn you, Sehun. You ," he whines before opening the door and stepping out. He turns around and nearly takes a step backwards when he sees Sehun; or to be exact, half of Sehun, given the fact that he, just like his house, is nearly concealed by the darkness. Jongin thinks it looks rather terrifying, to say the least; especially now that Sehun's hair is black, which makes him blend into the darkness even more. Jongin is thankful Sehun's coat is a bright-ish shade of camel, or else he's certain he wouldn't have seen him standing there.

"You're so easily frightened, it's funny," Sehun giggles before clearing his throat and locking the car. "Shall we go?"

Jongin nods before running over and wrapping his arms around Sehun's waist. He makes sure not to crush the golden box in the process. ", your house is creepy at night, everything's like...taken straight out of Amytiville."

"I'm used to walking here at night, so I'm not too worried," Sehun chuckles before Jongin's cheek with his thumb. Jongin's nyctophobia suddenly comes into mind and Sehun instinctively holds Jongin closer to him as they make their way up the gravelled path leading up to Sehun's house. Upon arriving at the front door, Sehun easily fishes his keys out of his pocket before opening the door. Jongin practically throws himself into the hallway when Sehun throws the door open all the way, the latter hissing when the bright lights from the hallway suddenly hit him square in the face. 

Closing the door behind him, Sehun quickly slides off his coat before hanging it up on the clothes rack. He watches in amusement as Jongin throws himself on the couch they had all been sitting on less than 24 hours ago, quickly making himself comfortable as he grabs a cushion and presses it to his chest. After removing his shoes, Sehun makes his way towards Jongin and attempts to pry the cushion out of the latter's iron grip. "Going back to sleep already?"

"No," Jongin huffs and lets out a small squeal when Sehun pokes his sides, and he lets go of the cushion before crawling backwards until his back hits the wall. "Don't do that!"

Sehun puts his hands up in defense. "Sorry." He cracks his knuckles before looking out the window. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really," Jongin says in a tired voice before getting off the couch and giving Sehun a back hug. "But thanks anyway."

"Are you sure?" Sehun asks before turning around and burying his face in the crook of Jongin's neck. Despite the largeness of the house, it's dead silent, and he likes it. 

Jongin nods before a thought hits him and he presses his lips together. Lightly patting Sehun's shoulder, Jongin clears his throat. "Hey."

Lifting his head, Sehun looks at Jongin with a curious glint in his eyes. "Hm?"

"Uh, about...earlier," Jongin says and rubs the back of his neck, "I don't mean to pry, but..."

Sehun blinks in confusion before he clears his throat and looks away. "Oh, that. Uh. Sorry for being, well, awkward as hell-"

"You weren't awkward," Jongin moans, "don't worry. I just...Chanyeol told me...you know what, nevermind." He feels a blush creep up his neck.

"Chanyeol told you all about it, didn't he?" Sehun asks flatly before shaking his head. "That idiot. Doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut whatsoever. Anyway, yeah. Uh, it's just that...I'm not used to, um. Well, majority of the time it's mainly been me buying things for people, they never really did the same thing for me, so, I guess that's why I was so...surprised, and well, shocked, I guess? And that's why I uh, acted the way I did in the store earlier. I apologize for that, by the way. In no way did I mean to be rude or ungrateful," he says before swallowing, "it's...well, you're the first person to buy me anything of your own accord, let's just put it that way. And I know it sounds goddamn silly as hell, but it just...it means a lot to me."

Jongin attempts to shove down the lump in his throat that's threatening to suffocate him, hands clutching the golden box as he keeps his gaze fixated on Sehun. The living room suddenly feels so incredibly spacious. He nods in understanding before clearing his throat. "Listen."

Sehun looks up, his hair covering 3/4 of his eyes. "Hm?"

Pressing his lips together, Jongin shoots Sehun a warm smile. "I was actually planning on giving it to you tomorrow, since you know, it's Christmas tomorrow and all, but come to think of it, it's probably best that I give it to you right now. Not to mention that you don't even have any stockings hung up or a tree or anything," he says with a chuckle.

"Give me what?" Sehun asks in confusion, eyes wide.

Without a word, Jongin holds up the golden box he had been given earlier, in front of Sehun's face. He stares at Sehun intently when the latter's eyes widen even more. "Here."

Sehun remains unmoving for a couple of seconds before he slowly accepts the box. "This...isn't this what the, you know."

"Santa gave it to me," Jongin giggles before bouncing up and down in excitement. "I remember. Open it!"

"But," Sehun stammers, eyes still wide in shock and disbelief as he traces the outlines of the rectangular package with his fingers. "He gave it to you, didn't he? It's not right of me to-"

"If you don't open it," Jongin huffs, "I'll open it for you."

With a chuckle, Sehun nods before putting up a hand in defeat. "Alright, fine. If you insist," he says before proceeding to untie the silver ribbon carefully wrapped around the box. 

Jongin watches in both fascination and impatience. "Sehun, how long does it take for you to untie a goddamn string? Four years?" he moans. "It's like you've never opened a gift before," he adds in a sarcastic voice.

Sehun freezes before he averts his gaze so he's looking at the floor. "...I haven't."

Jongin blinks. At first, he's almost positive that Sehun is joking, but, one look at the latter's dead serious facial expression and Jongin quickly flails his hands and arms around. "Jesus Christ, , I'm sorry, right, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, damn it Sehun, I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine, don't worry about it," Sehun reassures Jongin before he unties the ribbon and quickly slides it off the box. "Here," he says, handing the unravelled silver ribbon to Jongin, who gladly accepts it.

Jongin stuffs the string in his jacket pocket while he watches Sehun carefully (and almost choreographically) open the box. Jongin holds his breath when Sehun reaches into it and proceeds to pull out a gray scarf - an exact lookalike of his old one.

For a couple of minutes, nobody says anything and Jongin momentarily panics because does Sehun not like it??? He watches as Sehun eyes the garment in his hands without a word, running his fingertips along the soft gray fabric multiple times. Jongin is seconds away from opening his mouth and blurting out a string of apologies when Sehun takes a step forward and embraces him so tightly Jongin nearly gets the wind knocked out of him.

Jongin momentarily blinks in confusion as his brain attempts to catch up with what's going on. It's not until Jongin feels Sehun shoulders shake that his hands scramble to grab onto the small of Sehun's back. Jongin doesn't know what to say - he can't say anything, his throat has closed up and his tongue is as dry as sandpaper. He opts to rub Sehun's back in a reassuring motion as the latter pulls Jongin closer to him. Despite Sehun being nearly silent, Jongin can tell he's having trouble keeping it together and something tugs on his heart when Sehun lets out a choked whimper. Burying his face in the crook of Jongin's neck, Sehun clings onto the brunet for dear life as the tears fall from his eyes and run down the sides of his face. He hasn't cried like this in a long time - not since him and Jongin (temporarily) went separate ways a month ago - and he lowkey hates himself for it, but this time, however, he can't help it - there's something about Jongin's reassuring grip as well as his soothing voice that makes Sehun want to stay in his arms forever and never let go.

They stand like that for what feels like an eternity until Sehun slowly lifts his head and pulls away. Gaze fixated on the marbled floor, he wipes away a single tear that's making its way down his cheek with the back of his hand before clutching the piece of clothing in his hand. Jongin bites his lower lip, heart constricting painfully as he watches Sehun eye the scarf like it's the most valuable item he's ever laid his eyes on. A part of Jongin wouldn't be surprised if it was. 

"Your jacket's stained," Sehun says after a couple of minutes, making Jongin flinch, "sorry about that," he adds with a dry chuckle, clearing his throat.

Jongin blinks. "You think I care?" he asks before taking a step closer and pointing to the scarf in Sehun's hand. "I asked Santa for a brand new scarf. To be specific, a gray one. Like the one you wore before the dog chewed through it."

Sehun stares at Jongin with glossy eyes. "You did?"

Nodding, Jongin's lips curl upwards when he sees Sehun do the same. "Yeah."

"But why, though?" Sehun asks in confusion, blinking. "I mean-"

"Because you needed one," Jongin says simply before rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, uh, it's no fancy car or anything like that, but-"

Sehun shakes his head, effectively silencing Jongin. Sehun runs his thumb along every crevice of the garment. "This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me," he says in a genuine voice, "I mean it."

Jongin blinks. "I mean, you were most likely expecting a new car or watch or something like that," he babbles, "but-"

"No, listen," Sehun says in a bold tone, placing a finger to Jongin's lips. "If I'm going to be completely honest, I wasn't expecting anything at all."

"Wha-" Jongin's jaw nearly hits the floor and he takes a step back. "Nothing? How come?"

Sehun shrugs. "People don't usually pay people like us any mind when it comes to gifts and such," he says, "especially not during the holiday season."

Jongin swallows. That explains why people like Chanyeol behave the way they do. "I.... Damn it Sehun, I," he stammers, running his hand through his hair while trying to look for the right words to say, "I'm sorry. Jesus."

"No, it's fine, I'm used to it," Sehun says with a reassuring smile but Jongin can sense a hint of sadness in it. "Point is, I probably would've appreciated a new car or watch less than this."

"Why?" Jongin asks, even though he knows the answer. Or at least he thinks he does.

"Well, you know," Sehun clears his throat, "I never receive gifts and such, but I'm sure that if I did, I'd get nothing but cars and watches and stuff, you know, the usual. I mean, I know this sounds super silly, but this," he says, unfolding the scarf, "I treasure it even more than all of my six cars."

Jongin nods in understanding, at a complete loss for words. Reaching out, he takes the scarf from Sehun before proceeding to carefully wrap and tie it around the latter's neck. Taking a step back, Jongin smiles. "Perfect."

Sehun reaches up to touch the scarf around his neck. "It feels perfect. Thank you," he chuckles before staring at Jongin with an unreadable look on his face. 

Jongin feels his face grow hot under Sehun's gaze and he quickly looks away. "Uh."

"Not to change the subject completely," Sehun says absentmindedly and in the corner of his eye, Jongin swears he sees Sehun's eyes trailing over him. 

Shooting Sehun a questioning look, Jongin raises an eyebrow and tries his best to hide his blush. "What?"

Sehun chuckles before scratching the back of his head. "Nevermind."

"O...kay then," Jongin says before stretching. "Jesus, it's late."

Sehun's face falls slightly and he nods. "Yeah, you should probably get home before it gets too dark out. Give me a minute and I'll go fetch my car keys."

Too dark out? It's pitch black outside! Jongin blinks. "Why?"

"So I can drive you, of course," Sehun says in amusement. "Silly goose."

Jongin feels his face heat up. "Uh, well, actually, here's the thing," he says, "I was planning on...well, uh, staying here tonight. If that's alright with you, that is."

Something flashes in Sehun's eyes. "Of course. In fact, I'm glad," he says with a nod. "But...you haven't got anything with you, have you? Y'know, toothbrush and all."

Jongin blinks. He hadn't given that a single thought. "Uh...no. I haven't." Damn it.

"I have an extra one, though, so it's fine," Sehun says before shooting Jongin a thumbs up. "And you can use one of my shirts if you want."

Face growing hot for reasons he can't explain, Jongin nods before turning away. "Yeah, sure, that sounds nice. Thanks."

"Are you tired?" Sehun asks as he adjusts the scarf around his neck. Man, it's soft. He chuckles when Jongin nods before collapsing on the couch behind them. "I take that as a yes?"

"Oomf. Gmrgnhg," Jongin mumbles, pressing his face into the pillow. His right hand the soft velvet-y material of the couch. It feels nice and soft under his touch. He mumbles something incoherent when he feels the couch dip. Looking up, he smiles up at Sehun who smiles back. 

It's not until Jongin checks his watch that he squawks and practically flies off the couch. Pulling out his phone, he looks at Sehun with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry."

Sehun frowns. "What's the matter?"

"It's half past seven," Jongin says in a hurried tone before dialling Baekhyun's number, "Baek agreed to tutor me today at seven since I'm hella behind and all."

Oh. Of course. "Are you late?" Sehun asks before furrowing his eyebrows. He watches Jongin hurriedly presses the phone to his ear. "Is he answering?"

Jongin taps his foot on the floor and waits for a minute. With a frustrated sigh, he shakes his head. "It went straight to voicemail," he mutters before proceeding to text Baekhyun instead. "Which is really...weird, I guess, since Baek always answers the phone no matter what. Especially now that he's started tutoring me again." Jongin's fingers scurry across the screen as he types out a quick message. "Now that I think about it, he hasn't contacted me since we parted on the bus," he adds before pressing 'Send'. 

Sehun bites his lip in concern before moving to stand behind Jongin. ". Uh, I could drive you to his place if you want me to?" he asks, looking over Jongin's shoulder. The text to Baekhyun sits unread.

"Hold on," Jongin mutters before pressing the phone to his ear again. Behind Jongin, Sehun can hear Baekhyun's voice as the latter's voicemail goes off.

~Heya, you've reached Byun Baekhyun's phone! As of right now I'm unable to reply to your message or call, but if you wanna, please leave a message after this voicemail! I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible! Be kind!~

Beep.

"Baek, please pick up the phone, I'm currently at Sehun's place and I just ing realized we'd planned a session for today," Jongin stammers, "um, I know I'm an idiot for forgetting, feel free to whack me upside the head when we meet later, but uh, please reply to my text at least, since it's been a while since I last heard from you. Um, Sehun'll give me a ride to your place, and um, I hate to say this but I literally don't have anything with me at the moment since I left my goddamn backpack in my locker before we left, so would it be alright if we shared your textbook? Just for today? I think I can borrow a notebook or something like it from Sehun, alright? Uh, please call me back the second you hear this, I hope you're okay. Sorry for running off the bus on such short notice earlier, by the way, there was something I had to do. See ya later." And with that, Jongin hangs up before sighing in expasteration. "God damn it."

"Baekhyun likes to go to the library, doesn't he? I think you told me at some point," Sehun says before running a hand down Jongin's arm. "Maybe he's at some...I dunno, book club meeting?"

Jongin cranes his neck so he's staring at Sehun like the latter has grown a second head. "Baek loves reading, yeah, he's a total nerd, but trust me when I say that he'd never join a book club."

Sehun chuckles before planting a soft kiss on Jongin's forehead, making the latter squawk. "Okay."

"Baek wouldn't be at the library at this hour," Jongin says while running a hand through his hair, "not to mention they close at six on Mondays." He looks to the right and a sense of agony overcomes him when he sees the white snowstorm outside.

Sehun nods before something snaps in his head. "Hey wait, are you absolutely sure he isn't studying at home, y'know, without you?"

Jongin blinks. "Why would he? He'd have his phone nearby."

"Then I think I have an idea, wait," Sehun says before jogging to the hallway and getting his phone. He walks back to the living room a second later, eyes focused on the screen.

Jongin watches as Sehun dials a number before pressing the phone to his ear. Jongin is about to ask Sehun what he's doing when the latter speaks.

"Hey, Yeol, uh, sorry to call out of the blue like this," Sehun says into the receiver and Jongin nearly facepalms. Of course. "but we - well, to be exact, Jongin - has been trying to get ahold of Baekhyun since he isn't answering neither his texts nor calls, so just to make sure, do you know where he is? Or is he with you, by any chance?"

Jongin holds his breath and nearly collapses in relief when Sehun suddenly chuckles. Jongin mouths something along the lines of 'can I?' before Sehun hands the phone to him.

"Baek," Jongin nearly yells into the phone, "why haven't you been answering? Listen, I know I'm half an hour late, but are you still up for it? You know, the Math and History thing? I'm so goddamn sorry, I was busy with other things the whole day and lost track of the time-" he halts in his speech and blinks and when he hears...something. "What was that sound? What are you doing?"

Sehun raises an eyebrow before his features suddenly melt into an expression of pure amusement. He turns away and runs a hand down his face, trying not to laugh. Grabbing the phone from Jongin when the latter hands it back to him, Sehun does his best to keep his composure as he speaks. "Sorry for uh, interrupting," he says and nearly cackles when he sees Jongin raise an eyebrow in his peripheral vision, "at least we know where he is. Have a good uh, time, see you tomorrow. Don't forget to study for the Calculus exam," he adds before hanging up and falling to the floor, barely able to contain his laughter. 

With a squawk, Jongin rushes over and bends down next to Sehun. ", are you okay? The 's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," Sehun chuckles before wiping at his eye. "God."

"What're you laughing at?" Jongin whines, smacking Sehun on the arm. "To think that you literally bawled your goddamn eyes out because I gave you a scarf less than ten minutes ago, dear Lord."

Sehun stands up and shakes his head in disbelief. "At least now we know where he is, right?"

"Yeah," Jongin nods. "Hold on, where was he?"

"He was...busy," Sehun says before bursting into laughter again. "Nevermind, forget it." He regains his composure and looks at Jongin. "Will you...you haven't changed your mind about staying here, have you?"

Jongin blinks. "Nope. What, do you want me to?"

"Of course not, silly," Sehun groans before poking Jongin's waist. "I wish you could stay here forever."

With a yelp, Jongin takes ten steps back before placing a protective hand on his waist. "First of all, don't ing tickle me, you moron!" he exclaims before eyeing Sehun intently. "And secondly, that's so...goddamn cheesy, damn you, Sehun."

"But you love me anyway," Sehun says as a matter-of-factly before removing his suit jacket. "Jesus, it's hot in here."

Jongin wordlessly nods and he feels the inside of his mouth go dry when his gaze lands on Sehun's (extremely tight) crisp white shirt. Upon closer inspection, Jongin notices at least three or four undone buttons on said shirt (despite the fact that Sehun's scarf is covering at least 2/4 of his entire chest) and he doesn't know whether he loves or hates it. A certain sensation coils in the pit of his stomach when he sees the outline of Sehun's (awfully defined, much to Jongin's horror) abs and he curses under his breath when his eyes refuse to move.

"Like what you see?"

Nearly jumping out of his own skin, Jongin blinks before a blush creeps up his neck. Sighing in frustration, he shakes his head. "No."

"You know I don't believe you," Sehun chuckles before walking towards the hallway (definitely not missing the way Jongin follows him with his gaze) to hang up his jacket. Making his way towards the living room (and Jongin), Sehun places a hand on Jongin's shoulder. "Are you tired?"

Tearing his eyes away from Sehun's torso, Jongin swallows (he doesn't even know how he manages given the dryness of his throat) before rubbing the back of his neck. "A little, yeah." God, why does he have to stand so close.

Sehun nods in understanding before rolling his shoulders. "Me too, actually." He brushes some dirt off his shoulder while looking at Jongin. "Thirty bedrooms; take your pick."

"Wait, you weren't kidding?" Jongin gapes. ", I thought you were."

"I only use three of them, though, so I technically only have that many," Sehun chuckles. "Haven't used or stepped foot inside the other 27 in years."

Running a hand down his face, Jongin groans. "I'll take...I don't know. Whichever one works best for you."

"I like all of them," Sehun shrugs with a sly grin. "So I guess we'll take the biggest one, then?"

Jongin tenses. "'We'?"

"Yeah, obviously." Sehun nods before proceeding to massage Jongin's (stiff) shoulders. "What did you think?"

Jongin opens his mouth to speak when he feels (and hears) his shoulder pop, and he lets out a shriek and scrambles to get away from Sehun. "Don't touch me there, you ."

"You never said I couldn't massage you." Sehun puts his hands up in defense before turning on his heel and walking towards one of the (many) spiral staircases. "First room's this way."

Jongin jogs to catch up with Sehun and grabs the latter's hand just before they approach the first step. Every step is carpeted, much to Jongin's surprise, and the entire staircase is painted a clean shade of white. Looking around, Jongin sees hundreds of paintings framed in gold as well as exotic looking plants in every corner.  A fireplace the size of a doghouse is built into the wall behind them (on which a golden-framed portrait of a elegant-looking woman is sitting) with a golden chandelier (at least Jongin thinks it's made of gold - the silver diamonds are nearly impossible to distinguish from the actual chandelier) hanging from the ceiling a few feet away. The walls are painted a shade of beige and, for some reason, Jongin likes it a lot.

Taking the first step, Jongin looks up and nearly gets the wind knocked out of him when he sees at least three different floors, each with a similar spiral staircase leading up to it. Sehun skips ahead of him, jogging up the stairs two at a time. Running to catch up, Jongin quickly reaches the top of the steps, nearly collapsing in surprise when his gaze lands on a large marble fountain situated in the middle of the floor. It reminds him of something you'd see in Rome and he swallows before grabbing Sehun's hand again. Jongin walks slowly, in fear of messing up the red velvet carpet spread across the entire floor, despite not wearing any shoes on his feet.

As they make their way down the (one of them, at least) hallway, they pass a room that roughly reminds Jongin of something taken straight out of Harry Potter - six large bookshelves, nearly as tall as the ceiling, line the walls and a big wooden desk sits in the middle of the room; a black office chair behind it. Jongin is at least ninety percent sure that there's a wide window right behind the desk, however, he isn't sure due to the pitch blackness outside. Despite the fact that he's only peeking his head in the doorway, Jongin feels like he's intruding, and he doesn't know why. It's not until Sehun tugs on his hand that Jongin blinks and turns around.

"A little fascinated, are we?" Sehun chuckles at the excited glint in Jongin's eyes.

Jongin blinks again before nodding. "Sorry for uh, being nosy," he says while fidgeting, "I was just...curious."

"Don't mention it." Sehun leans in and wipes a piece of dirt off the wall. "I like it when you're like this; it's cute."

"Is this your office?" Jongin asks, peeking his head in the doorway again. "It's so...professional."

Sehun laughs. "No, no. It's my father's office. Or it used to be, when he lived here with us. I barely use this room, though," he says absentmindedly. "Only a few times a month - sometimes I come in here to do my homework since it's nice and quiet, not to mention there's a ton of good books."

Jongin blinks. "What do you mean, 'when he lived here with us'?" 

"My parents and brother and I all used to live here, until my father's company took off which resulted in him needing to make frequent trips to his...well, work, I guess. When his company blew up two years ago, he figured it was best for him to buy a house that was located closer to his work. And well, the rest is history," Sehun says sheepishly while running a hand through his hair.

"What about your brother? Is his room around here somewhere?" Jongin asks, eyes wide.

"Like I said a while ago, he studies abroad," Sehun replies, "his room is somewhere on the third floor but I forgot where, to be honest. I haven't visited his room in years. I haven't bothered cleaning up in there since he barely visits and when he does, he usually never stays longer than an hour or so. So yeah, pretty useless. He was, or, is a bit of a clean-freak anyway, so I figure his room shouldn't be too...gross," he adds with a laugh.

"Your mother, then?" Jongin asks, practically crushing Sehun's hand to pieces. "Where is she? Wait, I saw a photo of a woman on your fireplace a minute ago, was that-"

Sehun nods. "That's her, yes." He clears his throat before continuing. "She and my father divorced a week or so after the company took off, I guess she couldn't handle the pressure. She moved to America a month after the divorce and from what I've heard, she's remarried now."

"I'm sorry to ask," Jongin says before swallowing. To ask or not to ask. "But why is it that you only have her...you know...and not your father's?"

"She was more...attentive, let's just leave it at that," Sehun says while leaning against the wall. "Now that I think about it, I can't remember the last time I heard from my father. I mean, he sends me money every month and all, but my mother actually...well, you know, cared. Before she met her boyfriend in the US, she used to send me letters and call and everything. I haven't heard a peep from her in four months, which kinda . In all honesty, I hope she's happy with her new boyfriend, though. I heard he doesn't like me very much, however, for some odd reason, which might be the reason why she I'm not hearing from her as often anymore. What do I know, though."

Jongin nods before visibly tensing. Furrowing his eyebrows, he grabs Sehun's hand tighter. A cold shiver runs down his spine. "Wait, hold on, so in other words," he starts before swallowing the lump in his throat, "you live here alone?"

Sehun nods. "Been doing so for two years now, if I remember correctly. My parents bought the house only weeks before my father's company made it big. And then he moved out and my mother moved to America. And my brother, well, he had just gotten into some university halfway across the globe."

Jongin's jaw nearly hits the floor. How is talking so casually about this? "Why didn't you go with them?"

"I decided to stay behind, since, well, as you might know, I was never really that close with my family, so I figured staying here was the best alternative. My mother tried her best to convince me to come with her to the US, but I declined," Sehun says before crossing his arms over his chest. "Not to mention I had just gotten into university. I like this house a lot, though, it's nice; don't you think?"

"Yes, it's frickin' magnificent, but," Jongin blabbers, "doesn't it get...you know, lonely? Or scary? I mean...nevermind, sorry." He rubs the back of his neck.

"Scary? No," Sehun laughs, "lonely? Sometimes. On the bright side, I never have to deal with people hogging the bathrooms," he adds with a loud laugh. "So that's good. Besides, I have Vivi - my mother bought him for me right before she left, by the way. I have no idea where he is at the moment, though. Probably sleeping."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jongin takes a step closer to Sehun before burying his face in the crook of the latter's neck. "Don't go crazy, Sehun, please, I'm begging you."

Sehun blinks before shaking his head in surprise. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I've heard plenty of stories where lonely people who live alone eventually go insane and do crazy things, such as jump off cliffs and hurt themselves and stuff," Jongin babbles. "Don't turn into one of them, or else!"

"Jongin, I'm not gonna go crazy," Sehun says in a reassuring tone, "besides, you're forgetting that I've lived here for over two years already; I would've gone insane at this point, don't you think?"

Jongin mumbles something incoherent before shrugging. "I guess." He lifts his head before running his tongue across his bottom lip, and a great sense of thirst overwhelms him. He doesn't tell Sehun, though.

"Are you thirsty?"

What the. "Uh." Jongin blinks. "How the hell'd you-"

"I'm good," Sehun chuckles dryly before gesturing down the hallway. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No thanks, the kitchen's like, miles away-"

"That's only one of the kitchens!"

"One of them?" Jongin exclaims. "You have more?!"

"There's like six kitchens in this house," Sehun laughs. "I thought you knew that."

"Yeah, well, no," Jongin babbles. "I mean, . I could've figured - nevermind. Wait, now that we're on that topic, why do you have like, four million fridges? In the kitchen I was in, that is."

Sehun shoots Jongin a sly grin. "Where do you think I keep all my bubble tea?"

Jongin nearly cries. "No. Wait. Are you for goddamn real-"

"What? That bubble tea shop is like...far away as hell, it's like a forty minute drive from here," Sehun squawks. "Don't blame me!"

"I'm not, it's just...God damn it, nevermind," Jongin mutters before closing the door to the office room and grabbing Sehun's hand. "Can we move on? My legs are stiff as cardboard."

"Well, you've been standing nailed to the floor in the same spot for fifteen minutes straight," Sehun chuckles before walking down the hallway, "I'm not surprised." Turning a corner, he looks at Jongin. "How about yours?"

Jongin blinks before looking at Sehun. "My what?"

"Your family," Sehun says simply before stopping outside a door and pushing the door open. "I know you have a sister, but what about your parents?"

Stepping into one of the biggest bathrooms he has ever seen in his life, it takes Jongin a while to realize that Sehun is talking to him. "My parents?" he asks dumbly before scanning his surroundings. He sees his reflection in the large, horizontal crystal mirror on the wall and looks to the left; everything is white and so blindingly bright - the walls, the bathtub(s), shower(s), the high ceiling as well as the window sill are all painted white. The only thing that isn't white is the brown-ish flower pot (containing a bright pink flower) which is sitting on the windowsill. Jongin looks to his right and gapes in surprise because is that a freaking jacuzzi???

"Yes, your parents," Sehun laughs before walking over and giving Jongin a small shove. "Tell me all about them," he adds before opening a large cabinet and retreiving two toothbrushes - one silver and one gold. Reaching into the cabinet, he grabs a tube of toothpaste and squeezes an appropriate amount onto both of them. He hands the golden one to Jongin.

Accepting the toothbrush, Jongin is hesitant to even put it in his mouth. Sehun notices and nearly falls to the floor laughing, much to Jongin's distaste (and embarrassment).

"Jongin, put the damn thing in your mouth already," Sehun cackles. He's doubled over and grabbing onto the towel rack for support as he watches Jongin eye the toothbrush in his hand. "It won't bite, I promise."

"Does saliva ruin gold?" Jongin mumbles absentmindedly and he nearly chokes on his own spit when Sehun whacks him on the back. "I'm just asking!"

"If you don't put that toothbrush in your mouth right this second," Sehun says before proceeding to brush his own teeth, "I'll brush your teeth for you. I'm not kidding."

With a roll of his eyes, Jongin mumbles a 'fine' before shoving the toothbrush in his mouth and shivers when the cold metal comes in contact with his tongue. He watches in fascination (for reasons he doesn't and would rather not know) as Sehun hovers above the marble sink as he sweeps the toothbrush over his teeth, before spitting into the faucet and filling a glass with water.  

Tilting his head back, Sehun puts the glass near his lips before taking a swig. However, the water misses his mouth and he curses as it spills onto his shirt. "Ah, ." Jongin wordlessly watches as Sehun walks over to the towel rack, grabs a towel and walks back to stand in front of the mirror. Lightly dabbing the wet spot on his shirt, which is, surprisingly, nearly transparent, Sehun looks in the mirror and chuckles. "You better clean that up."

Jongin blinks. "Clean what up?"

"You're drooling, moron," Sehun chuckles in disbelief before throwing the used towel in the towel basket. 

Sehun lets out a loud laugh when Jongin squawks upon realizing that he is, in fact, drooling all over the floor. Mumbling a barely coherent 'sorry', Jongin rushes over and grabs a towel before bending down and wiping at the white puddle on the floor. Looking up, he hands Sehun his toothbrush (which is, to the latter's disgust, covered in saliva mixed with toothpaste) before groaning. "Damn it."

"Control yourself, Kim Jongin," Sehun says before taking Jongin's towel and tossing it in the basket. Turning on the water, he runs Jongin's toothbrush under the faucet before towelling it dry and putting it back on the shelf in the cabinet, next to the silver one. 

Jongin rolls his eyes. I can't and you know it, he thinks to himself before rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, I need something to...uh...sleep in?" he says (or, asks) sheepishly and forces himself to look away when Sehun turns around, giving Jongin a full view of his wet torso. The latter grits his teeth. Damn you, Sehun, damn you, damn you, damn you.

Sehun shoots Jongin a knowing stare before nodding. "Of course, I wasn't gonna let you sleep in your nasty- clothes if that's what you were wondering," he says before reaching for the light switch. "Besides, I'd like to see you wear one of my shirts."

Of course. Damn you, Sehun. With an embarrassed clearing of his throat, Jongin merely nods in reply before rushing out the door, Sehun hot on his heels. He stands in the (deserted and lowkey eerie) hallway and waits for Sehun to turn off the light. The latter exits the bathroom a second later - Jongin making sure to look away as he brushes past him - and they walk in silence for a couple of seconds before they stop outside another door.

Sehun wordlessly swings the door open and turns on the light before stepping inside. It takes Jongin every fiber in his body not to pass out when the lights turn on fully and the room comes into view. In the middle of said room, a large, rounded bed with curtains sits on a fluffy white carpet. Upon closer inspection, Jongin notices there four or so steps leading up to the bed. Why does he need those? Averting his gaze to the right, Jongin's mouth falls open when he sees two doors that are so large they nearly take up the entire wall. Don't tell me that's-

"A walk-in closet," Sehun chuckles, apparently having read Jongin's mind, "yes. You're right about that."

Jongin squawks. "Stop doing the thing all the time, it's annoying!"

"What thing?" Sehun raises an eyebrow before walking over to the large doors and pulling them open. 

"The whole mind reading thing of yours, it's creepy," Jongin mumbles under his breath and halts when a bright light suddenly hits him square in the face. Hissing, he looks up and blinks in amazement when his gaze lands on a spacious room with at least fifteen individual shelves lining the walls. There seems to be one shelf for every type of clothing - one for shirts, one for pants, one for suit jackets, one for pyjamas, and so on. Something shimmery catches Jongin's eye and he walks towards it. A jar full of silver and gold jewerly; bracelets, rings, brooches, you name it, sits on one of the shelves. Next to it, Jongin sees a large, brown box and upon lifting the lid, he blinks in astonishment when he lays his eyes on a handful of watches, mainly Rolexes. Jesus, what else has he got in here.

"You can have one, if you'd like," Sehun says casually before proceeding to root through one of the shelves across from Jongin. He turns around when he hears Jongin squawk. 

"You mean one of these?" Jongin asks, gesturing towards the box. ", no, what the hell, Sehun, no way, I can't, holy ," he babbles frantically before quickly putting the lid back on and clearing his throat. Taking a deep breath, he shakes his head. "Thanks for the offer, but I can't, I'm sorry."

Sehun shrugs. "Your choice. It's just that I was gonna put them in the basement this week, since I have far too many; I've got at least 50 - I have no idea what to do with them," he murmurs before pulling out a light pink shirt. "Ah, here it is!"

Sighing in expasteration, Jongin blinks and lets out a small shriek when he lays his eyes on the garment in Sehun's hands. "That? No way!"

"I thought I'd gotten rid of it last year, but apparently I was wrong," Sehun chuckles, "and why not? C'mon, it's not like any of my ex girlfriends wore it!"

"That's because you've never had a girlfriend," Jongin mumbles under his breath. He prays to God that he's right (and that Sehun didn't hear him). "I can't wear that, Sehun!"

"Why not? I like it, it'd look great on you," Sehun shrugs before holding it up in front of Jongin. "It's cozy as hell, I think I've worn it once or twice."

Jongin drags a hand down his face. Realizing Sehun isn't taking no for an answer, he hesitantly reaches for the shirt. "It's too big, damn it."

"So what? It's not like you'll be wearing it to a fancy restauraunt or anything." Sehun shoots Jongin an expectant look. "Not to mention you'll look cute as hell in it. Not that you aren't already, but still."

Blushing, Jongin shakes his head in disbelief before clearing his throat. When Sehun doesn't leave, he clears his throat again. "Uh."

Sehun blinks. "Huh?"

"Could you uh," Jongin stammers before rubbing the back of his neck, "like...leave?"

Sehun stands glued to the floor before he suddenly erupts in an ear-to-ear grin. "So you're wearing it, then?"

"I have no other choice," Jongin squawks, flailing his hands around. "Now please, leave! And don't you dare peek!"

Putting his hands up in defense, Sehun nods before walking out the doors with a smug expression. Jongin fans his burning hot face before reaching out and closing one of the doors, just incase. He stares at the (oversized) pink shirt before groaning. He wastes no time in quickly ping his jacket and throwing it on the floor before pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it on the floor on top of his jacket. Hissing when the cold air hits his bare chest, Jongin heaves a sigh before slipping Sehun's shirt over his head and smoothing it out. It nearly goes down to his knees and he mentally slaps himself (and Sehun) in the face. He traces his thumb along the flowy pink fabric and swallows when he catches a whiff of Sehun's scent - his natural scent, and Jongin's chest swells with...happiness?

"Are you done?" Sehun calls from outside the closet. "Can I see?"

A wave of humility washes over Jongin and he clears his throat before balling his hands into fists. "Y-yeah."

"Alright then, I'm coming in," Sehun says before slowly pulling the door open and stepping inside. Jongin feels himself blush even harder when Sehun's mouth falls open. Damn it.

"I told you it was too big," Jongin croak-garbles before scrambling to cover his face with his hands. "Damn you, Sehun, I hate you, I hate you."

For a couple of seconds, neither Jongin nor Sehun say anything. It's Jongin who breaks the ice a moment later when he nearly jumps out of his own skin with a shriek as a result of Sehun (suddenly and unexpectedly) placing a hand on his shoulder. Fighting the urge to run away, Jongin stares wide-eyed at Sehun, who only chuckles - Jongin doesn't know if it's due to his beetroot-colored face or the fact that his scream was far from manly. He settles for the former.

"Calm down," Sehun says in a soothing tone. "You look so nice, holy ."

With an awkward nod, Jongin clears his throat before sighing. "It feels like a dress."

"Well, it's not," Sehun laughs as he runs his hand down the small of Jongin's back. "So no need to worry, hm?" His eyebrows suddenly furrow. "Oh. Dang it."

Jongin's eyebrows furrow. "What?"

"I just remembered I donated all my pyjama pants to charity a couple of months ago," Sehun says sheepishly. "So...yeah."

Jongin blinks in confusion before a sense of agony overcomes him. "Wait," he babbles, inwardly panicking, "are you saying-"

"I don't have any pants for you to wear," Sehun says with a nod. "As in, pyjama pants." He clears his throat before shrugging. "If that's alright with you, that is."

Dragging a hand down his face, Jongin curses his (but mostly Sehun's) entire existence before emitting an agonized groan. "God, Sehun."

"What? It's not my fault I chose to do charity work that day," Sehun exclaims before shooting Jongin a smirk. "And I know you like the shirt, so wipe that terrorized look off your face, it doesn't suit you."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Jongin curses Sehun's existence one last time before exhaling slowly. "I do." 

"I thought so," Sehun says in a knowing voice before proceeding to rummage through one of the shelves. "The pink looks really good with your brown hair, by the way, I like it."

"I know you like it," Jongin whines, feeling his face heat up for the nth time that day. "It smells like you," he adds in a low voice.

Turning around, Sehun shrugs. "I tried looking, but I couldn't find any pants, sorry," he says before grinning. "Are you serious?"

Jongin blinks. "Huh?"

"Does it really smell like me?"

"Uh," Jongin mumbles, "yeah."

"Jesus, I bought that thing six years ago and I've only worn it once or twice since then; it's been sitting in my closet for years, how it managed to retain my goddamn scent after all this time is beyond me," Sehun chuckles before ruffling Jongin's hair. "You look like death, you really need to sleep."

Jongin groans again before slapping Sehun's hand away. "Don't be all lovey-dovey and then proceed to insult me less than a second later," he says before stretching. "You look even worse," he adds but he doesn't mean it, at all - Sehun most certainly does not look like death. In fact, the latter looks like he's just walked out of a spa, and Jongin hates him for it. Honestly, how on Earth does someone manage to look ao effortlessly good 24/7?

"Hey, it's true." Sehun rubs his hand before turning off the light and ushering Jongin into the bedroom. "It's a shame you left your backpack at school, I could've tutored you instead of Baekhyun."

Jongin blinks. "Oh right, you're a Biology major," he says. "Are you good at Math? You are, I suppose." He walks over to a black, leather-y chair that's sitting in a corner and sits down. Man, this chair sure is squishy.

"It's my best subject," Sehun says simply before closing both doors to the closet. Walking towards the bed, he moves to take off his shirt but he barely gets a chance to pull it halfway over his head when he hears Jongin squeak. 

Removing his shirt, Sehun stares at Jongin, who has his entire face buried in his hands. "Is...there a problem?"

"At least warn me," Jongin mumbles under his breath, hands still covering his eyes. 

Sehun blinks before chuckling low in his throat. "What's there to warn you about?" he asks, tossing his shirt on the floor. "I sleep shirtless, it's no secret."

"Still," Jongin says before slowly dragging his hands down his face, and he has to stop himself from nearly choking when his eyes land on Sehun's broad chest as well as his extremely toned and well-defined abs. Damn it. The latter notices Jongin's staring and slowly walks over before bending down next to the chair.

"Are you gonna come to bed or sleep in the chair?" Sehun asks in a low tone before reaching out and Jongin's hand with his thumb. "I mean, you can, but from what I've heard, chairs are incredibly uncomfortable to sleep in; they say it hurts like hell."

Jongin rolls his eyes. "Hilarious," he mutters under his breath before turning his face away. His head is spinning and his heart is threatening to break through his ribcage (for a moment he fears that it actually will), and he doesn't know why. In his peripheral vision, he can see Sehun's bare torso and he fights the urge to stand up and run straight out of the room. Jongin is eternally thankful for choosing to give Sehun his present when he did, because the latter's scarf covers at least 2/4 of his chest, much to Jongin's relief. Clearing his throat, he swallows in an attempt to rid his mouth (as well as throat) of the intense dryness he's feeling. It doesn't work. 

"Come on, you can't sit here forever," Sehun says before placing a hand on Jongin's leg, making the latter flinch in surprise and he nearly knees Sehun in the face. 

Standing up, Jongin's legs nearly give in and he has to grab onto the chair for support in order for him not to lose his balance. He stands there for a moment, attempting to stop the spinning in his head when Sehun speaks up.

"You sleep with your pants on?"

Jongin blinks. "Wha-"

"I'm just asking, it's a little strange," Sehun says before shrugging. "Most people I know don't." He sighs in expasteration when Jongin blushes. "I won't look, I swear."

"It's not that," Jongin starts but quickly goes silent when he sees Sehun's disbelieving stare. "Okay, fine. Fine."

With a dramatic turn-around, Sehun puts both hands in the air. "Do your thing."

Jongin remains glued to the floor for a good minute before he sighs in defeat. He attempts to unbuckle his belt as quietly as possible (although the sound is extremely loud in Jongin's ears) before ping his jeans and slowly sliding them down his legs. Shaking his pants off, he bends down and picks them up before throwing them over the chair behind him. The long, oversized shirt he's wearing suddenly feels like it has shrunk dramatically in length as Jongin attempts to pull it down to cover his bare thighs, with little success. Despite the cold air hitting his exposed lower body, he still feels as if the temperature in the room has increased by a hundred degrees. He bites his lower lip before clearing his throat. "I did it."

"Great," Sehun says before turning around and letting out a quiet gasp. "...Wow."

Suddenly feeling extremely small (not to mention vulnerable) under Sehun's gaze, Jongin scratches the back of his head. A subtle blush slowly spreads across his entire body when the room falls into silence, and despite looking away, Jongin can practically feel Sehun staring at him; at his body, at his bare legs, his oversized pink shirt - Sehun's gaze is burning holes in Jongin's body and the latter visibly swallows. It's not until Sehun reaches for his belt buckle that Jongin scrambles to cover his eyes, again.

Halting, Sehun blinks before letting out an amused chuckle. Silly goose, he thinks before quickly unbuckling his belt without as much as a word. Pulling his pants down his legs, Sehun's lips curl upwards when he hears a choked garble from a few feet away. He looks up just in time to see Jongin cover his eyes with his hands, again. 

"Jesus Jongin, is this your first time seeing a man ?" Sehun chuckles before shaking his head in disbelief. "Or, should I say; half ."

Jongin mumbles a 'shut up' before peeking through his fingers. He watches as Sehun proceeds to untie the scarf around his neck before gently placing it on the treasure chest at the foot of his bed. A warm sensation coils in Jongin's stomach when his gaze (accidentally) travel downwards and he nearly chokes on his own saliva. He's...big, Jongin thinks before he clenches his jaw in shame. God damn it all.

Stretching his upper body, Sehun quickly removes his socks before chucking them across the room. After turning off the light (or, chandelier), he wordlessly walks over to his bed, climbing the few stairs before lifting up the covers and lying down. Looking up, he takes a quick peek at Jongin, whose face is partially illuminated by the moonlight peeking through the curtains. Jongin is just...standing there, and Sehun can tell that he's feeling hesitant. The latter doesn't get to think any further when he hears the sound of soft footsteps closely followed by the bed dipping to his left. Sehun smiles. 

The room falls into comfortable silence for a while. Jongin listens to the wind howling outside as the snow continues to fall before the sound of Sehun rolling over on his side breaks the ice. Despite the room being nearly pitch black, Jongin can tell Sehun is staring at him and he feels his face grow hot (he's thankful that Sehun can't see his reddening face in the darkness). Now knowing what to say, Jongin opts to pull the duvet covers over his body and lets his eyes slip shut. The softness of the (many) pillows under his head does wonders to calm his nerves, much to Jongin's surprise.

Even though his eyes are closed, Jongin is wide awake, and he knows Sehun is, too. Grabbing onto the duvet, Jongin fights the urge to pull it over his head completely when he feels Sehun's gaze burn holes in his body. When none of them say a word, Jongin is about to roll over (seriously, he'd rather not face Sehun, regardless if he can see the latter or not) when he suddenly feels a hand on his cheek, and he nearly falls off the bed in surprise.

At first, Jongin doesn't know why there's a hand on his face and he feels a warm feeling spread across his entire body when he feels (what he assumes is) Sehun's thumb lovingly his cheek. It's a such a simple and gentle touch yet Jongin feels his veins pulsating with a feeling he doesn't recognize. His head is spinning, but in a different way this time, and he quickly swallows before his throat and mouth can get too dry. He subtly wipes his sweaty palms on the mattress, and hopes that Sehun won't notice (or mind, for that matter). 

"What are you thinking about?"

Jongin tenses. "Uh, nothing in particular." He bites his lip when he hears Sehun chuckle low in his throat.

"You know," Sehun says before tucking Jongin's hair behind his ear, "I don't believe you."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jongin clears his throat and blushes. He doesn't even know why he's blushing - if it's due to the fact that Sehun managed to see right through his fib or the gesture. Jongin settles for the latter. "No seriously, I'm not thinking of anything. I'm just a little tired, that's all." Smooth talker Kim Jongin.

"Alright, if you say so." Sehun scooches closer so he and Jongin are lying only inches apart. "If you say so."

Jongin gulps. "Wait, I thought of something."

"Enlighten me."

"If it, uh," Jongin says, "ever gets too, you know, lonely in here all by yourself, you can always call or text me. And uh, I'll come over and um...make you feel...less lonely, I guess." He mentally punches himself in the face. Smooth talker Kim Jongin. Smooth, smooth talker. When Sehun remains silent, Jongin opens his mouth to apologize but his words quickly die in his throat when Sehun suddenly reaches across and pulls him in, and he squeezes Jongin so tight the latter genuinely worries he might break a bone. 

Sehun doesn't say anything, and Jongin buries his face in the crook of the blond's neck and momentarily feels every single nerve in his body relax when he inhales Sehun's scent. It's not until the latter tightens his grip that Jongin feels Sehun's chest press against his and he flushes a deep scarlet (again, he's thankful that Sehun can't see it). The room suddenly grows so hot that it nearly becomes unbearable and Jongin briefly worries that he'll die of heatstroke any minute. He feels both Sehun's hands grab onto the fabric of his shirt and Jongin (blindly) reaches out and plays with Sehun's hair. Jesus, it's soft.

"Cut it out, it tickles," Sehun chuckles before leaning in and pressing a kiss to Jongin's forehead. Except he misses and ends up pecking the latter on the nose, instead. "Whoops, sorry."

"Sehun," Jongin moans in disgust. 

"I can't help it, it's bloody dark in here, I can't see a goddamn thing," Sehun squawks in protest.

Jongin giggles before pulling the covers up to his chin. "I'm gonna ask you the same thing," he says.

"Hm?"

"What are you thinking about?"

Sehun lets out a knowing chuckle. "I think you know."

Jongin blinks. "I do?"

"Yup," Sehun says confidently. 

Jongin furrows his eyebrows and tries to think, which is extremely difficult given the fact that Sehun has his face buried in his neck and is breathing against his skin. It's distracting, to say the least. In a good way, of course. "Uh, I dunno."

"You."

"Me?" Jongin asks dumbly before nearly smacking a hand on his forehead. Of course. "Oh." He doesn't get a chance to say anything else when Sehun grabs his hand.

"Of course," Sehun says as a matter-of-factly before kissing the top of Jongin's hand, the latter audibly gulping in embarrassment. "What else?"

"I don't know," Jongin says, "you could be thinking of Chanyeol, or Vivi, or Baek, or-"

"Yeol?" Sehun asks in confusion before groaning. "Why on Earth would I think of Yeol?"

"I don't know," Jongin moans before squeezing Sehun's hand. "It was just a suggestion."

"Why would I think of my best friend when you're lying next to me?" Sehun asks, genuinely confused. He doesn't get to continue when Jongin suddenly lets out a terrified shriek, and the next thing Sehun knows, a painful sensation is spreading across his entire hand. "What the heck?"

"Didyoujustinghearthat!" Jongin croak-garbles, sitting up at lightning speed. 

Sehun slowly sits up and squints. "What are you talking about?"

"I just heard the door creak open," Jongin whispers, pointing at the door, even though he knows Sehun can't see. "Didn't you hear?"

"Wait, what?" Sehun blinks. "Are you serious? And no, I didn't hear anyth-" he doesn't get to finish his sentence when he feels a certain weight at the foot of the bed, closely followed by the feeling of something...walking around. With a high-pitched shriek, Sehun scrambles out of bed (nearly tripping down the stairs) before bolting to the other side of the bed; Jongin's side. 

It takes Jongin a full minute to process what's going on and he feels a dreadful feeling pool in his stomach. Realizing the basement ghost has probably caught up to them, Jongin is in the midst of contemplating whether to say his final prayers when he suddenly feels something soft and fluffy graze against his arm, and he blinks before bursting into a string of loud guffaws. "Jesus, Hun, you ," he wheezes, clutching his stomach. 

Sehun blinks. "What? What?"

"Your house hasn't been broken into," Jongin chuckles before wiping his eyes, "you just have an extremely silent dog, so no need to worry."

Eyebrows furrowed, Sehun is about to ask Jongin if the latter has gone mad when he suddenly hears a familiar 'yip', and he blinks before emitting a loud groan. "Vivi, God damn you," he moans in agony before trudging back to bed, heart still racing. Once he crawls back into bed, he turns to face Jongin, who is (still) chuckling to himself. "Stop laughing, you moron!"

"I can't believe you," Jongin says, "Vivi scared you less? Please."

"Shut it," Sehun says in a stern tone.

"Your scream, Jesus; you so sounded like a girl."

"Jongin," Sehun warns, "be quiet. I mean it."

"I mean, I couldn't see but I'm at least a million percent sure you were this close to tripping down the steps and falling flat on your face," Jongin chuckles but said chuckle quickly dies in his throat when he feels the bed dip on either side of him, and he lets out a surprised squawk when he feels his hands being pinned above his head. He swallows and feels a blush creep up his neck when he look up and sees the silhouette of Sehun's broad shoulders looming above him. Just like in his dream. Turning his face away, Jongin squirms when he feels Sehun's warm breath ghost over the shell of his ear. 

"I said, be quiet," Sehun whispers right into Jongin's ear, and there's something about the huskiness of his voice that makes the latter shiver.

Heart threatening to leap out of his chest, Jongin awkwardly clears his throat before grabbing Sehun's part of the blanket and covering his face with it. If Sehun wasn't sitting on the blankets, Jongin would throw them right off his body. Seriously, it must be over a hundred degrees in this room. Jongin proceeds to mumble barely audible incoherencies and barely catches Sehun's chuckle.

"Don't worry," Sehun says, stifling a laugh. Lying on his side of the bed, he tucks his hands under his pillow. "I'm not gonna do anything."

Jongin blinks. He prays to God Sehun can't hear the frantic beating of his heart. "No, um...wait."

"I mean, unless you want me to, that is," Sehun interjects and yelps when Jongin slaps his arm. "Okay. Okay. Sorry. Jeez."

"It's not that, it's just," Jongin stammers under the blanket, half hoping Sehun can't hear him. "Nothing. I'm just...nevermind."

"You're inexperienced," Sehun snorts, "I get it, I get it. And quit hogging the blankets, will you!" he exclaims before yanking the covers.

"I am not!" Jongin squawks, hands scrambling for the covers and attempting to grab them to no avail. Huffing, he grabs his own blankets and wraps them around his body, despite the fact that his skin feels like it's melting off his body. Come to think of it, his shirt is practically glued to his chest with sweat and he winces in disgust. 

"It's okay to admit that you are, you know," Sehun says in a soothing tone. "I'm not gonna judge you, if that's what you're scared of," he adds with a small kiss on Jongin's cheek.

Blushing, Jongin grabs Sehun's hand. "Okay, yeah, fine, I guess." He rolls his eyes. His voice suddenly turns quiet. "Don't take this personally, though, I mean I'd love to...uh...nevermind, Jesus."

Sehun is silent for a minute before reaching under the covers and lightly patting Jongin's chest, much to the latter's embarrassment. "We'll wait until you're ready. No need to rush."

Not knowing what to say, Jongin simply mutters a 'okay'. When he feels the bed lightly dip next to him, he fumbles around in the darkness until his hand comes in contact with soft fur. He runs his hands across Vivi's fluffy coat, nearly choreographically, for a solid minute before Sehun's voice breaks the silence.

"I mean, it's not like it would've been remarkable or anything," Sehun says, "since I'm tired as hell and everything."

Jongin blinks before his hand stills, hovering an inch over Vivi's head. "Wait...huh?"

"Not to sound super corny, but I want it to be an experience for the both of us, y'know?" Sehun rolls over and places his hand on top of Jongin's, so they're both (technically) petting the dog. "People don't typically...uh, perform as well when they're on the verge of sleep, but I think you already knew that," he chuckles.

Feeling a spark of electricity surge through his entire body, Jongin clears his throat. He desperately wants to move his hand away but he decides against it. That'd be awkward. "Mhmm."

"Not to mention I wouldn't want Vivi to watch, anyway," Sehun snorts, "it'd scar him for life."

Jongin nearly dies of embarrassment. "I bet." Damn it, Sehun.

"But hey." Sehun sits up and gently shoves Vivi aside before scooching closer to Jongin. "All jokes aside, tell me when you're ready, alright? I don't wanna rush or pressure you or anything, but in case you're too shy to...you know. Point is, don't be afraid; if you're feeling ready, tell me," he murmurs in Jongin's ear while running a hand through the latter's hair.

Jongin shivers as Sehun's fingers caress his scalp. "I will, don't worry," he says before locating Sehun's hand in the dark and interlocking their fingers.

"Promise?" 

"Promise," Jongin sighs absentmindedly before moving to rest his head on Sehun's chest, a wave of security washing over him when he does. He prays to God his excessive amount of body heat (and sweat, for that matter, as well as the vigorous beating of his heart) isn't noticable because dear Lord, that'd be embarrassing as hell. Jongin contemplates moving away in fear of having weirded Sehun out, but the latter's loving squeeze on his hand soon begs to differ. Giving Sehun's hand a small squeeze in return, Jongin lies awake for a while, staring into the endless darkness before him and listening to the sound of Sehun's heavy breathing as well as the rhythmic rising and falling of the latter's chest under his temple, before a sudden, strong wave of sleep overwhelms Jongin as the silence of the room (and house) gradually closes in on him.

❧