Youngjae's exams had started the succeeding week, and all he could remember doing since then was study, study, eat then resume studying.

Himchan would bring him meals, knowing well that Youngjae would not cook during exam season. He did it to save time, surviving on takeouts, which Himchan totally disapproved. So he would leave his home-cooked meals on Youngjae's kitchen counter. Then leave calling out all the best to Youngjae who would call back thanks, his eyes still fixed on his book. He would eat later when he gets too hungry.

Junhong and Jongup would also do their part by leaving him a good luck gift on his door handle every morning. It's usually a dark chocolate bar with a note in a plastic bag. The message in the notes would range from cartoons along with a Fighting! , to heartfelt good luck quotes. The boys did what they can to ease Youngjae's stress.

He was grateful for all their support.

He used public transportation, which he hated, to travel to his university. His car was at the workshop so he had to do away with using the bus even with his perfectly existent license. He is, however, a reckless driver so he kept his driving to a limit.

After his exam he would feel all his energy drained out of him, so he would have a meal on his way back home.

On reaching home, he would start studying for the next exam that would be a day later.

Youngjae let out a long tired sigh as he got out of the elevator to walk towards his apartment. He still had exams and now he was just dying to get them over with. As usual, music played out of Daehyun's apartment,

 He fumbled in his pockets for his keys, "he sure likes his music-"

He stops when he realizes that he doesn't have his keys.

"Well , " he swears emotionlessly, not even surprised. This often happened during exam season as he gets very careless during this time. He would forget his phone or his keys at his university. Sometimes even his bag;

He knows Yongguk is not going to be pleased when he hears that he managed to lose his keys again, for like the 6th time now. Knowing that his spare keys are with Himchan, he dials his number on his phone keypad.

"Hello," Himchan answered his call,

"Are you at home?" Youngjae asked,

"No, I'm with Junhong and Jongup. They wanted to go to some concert,"

"Really," Youngjae groaned, "I lost my keys man.." 

"What again?" Himchan said sharply, "What the heck is wrong with you, kid,"

"Yeah, okay, bye, I bet you guys won't be back until midnight." 

He cut the call before Himchan could answer.

"Either I wait until they come back, here," Youngjae thought looking down at where he stood, in front of his door, "Or I go to Yonggukie hyung's and ask him if I could stay there for a while,"

He then realizes that Yongguk has a girlfriend. 

" my life," Youngjae swore in despair, thinking about the time he was wasting right now, standing outside his apt instead of studying.

Youngjae hadn't eaten either. Feeling tired of the same routine every day, he had thought that he would eat from home for a change. He mumbled curses as his stomach grumbled.

He was at once distracted when the music in Daehyun's apartment changed, to play Ed Sheeran. And it struck him;

"Maybe I can stay at Daehyun's until they get back.." he thought. He wasn't comfortable with the idea, he hadn't talked to Daehyun since their last encounter. His exams had started immediately after it too so he didn't really see him or even bump into him. He would often hear music from Daehyun's apartment, He would, however, know when Daehyun is back at his apartment hearing the elevator beep at his floor and when Daehyun leaves hearing his keys locking his door. He also knew if he had a girl with him, hearing them speak in the corridor. (He just listened to random things whenever he felt bored while studying) 

"What if he's got a girl over?" he groaned in his thoughts, and his stomach grumbled again as if doing so in response.

Sighing he rings Daehyun's doorbell.

He's greeted after a while by a busy-looking Daehyun, With paint smeared on his shirt. His I'm not available expression changed into surprise when he saw Youngjae.

"Youngjae?" Daehyun said looking surprised

"Uhh, Hi.." Youngjae said awkwardly, "I lost my keys and-"

"Get in." Daehyun had said and Youngjae was pulled in by a hand on his wrist.

Youngjae was startled by Daehyun's reaction but was even more surprised when he looked around Daehyun's apartment. It was pretty messy he had to admit, "But at least it's not dirty," he thought as he took off his bag pack.

Daehyun's apartment was somewhat bigger than Youngjae's, whose was something of a studio apartment. But this guy actually had a hall and a separate bedroom. That's not what had caught Youngjae by surprise, though. 

Daehyun's apartment had paintings all over it. There were canvas paintings of scenery, portrait sketches, and even the walls had pictures painted on it. Youngjae stared at the paintings, his mouth open in a small o. He has always at painting, so he could only look around the room in awe,

"You like them?" 

Youngjae looked away to meet eyes with Daehyun, who was watching him,

He cleared his throat, "Yeah," he answered, "I didn't know you painted." 

"Yeah well," Daehyun replied, placing his hand on the table next to Youngjae leaning in, his face a few inches away from the other's, "There are a hell lot of things that you don't know about me," he whispered, meeting eyes with Youngjae.

Youngjae only looks back at him blankly, as if to ask "So your point is?"

Daehyun sighed with a roll of his eyes and turned away to clear his couch off of splayed out portrait sketches.

"Sit," he orders,

And Youngjae did just that. Then quietly looked at Daehyun who had sat across him. Music still played, which could have softened the atmosphere but Youngjae felt awkward never the less. He could, however, figure out that the reason why Daehyun's apartment would often have music playing. It was because he played them while he painted.

"So you lost your keys," Daehyun said. It wasn't a question, it was more like a statement. But Youngjae nodded anyway. 

"I just forgot them at class."

"I thought you did distance ed," Daehyun asked, his eyes genuinely interested.

"I still do. I go for writing exams," Youngjae replied.

"What are you studying?"

"Law, 4th year."

They had continued to talk and Youngjae felt himself relax with Daehyun. 

Youngjae learned that Daehyun really is from Busan and had just finished his degree in arts. Now he is a practicing painter and even sold his paintings. He worked from home at the moment, making as many paintings as he can, wanting to open a gallery in the future. He also mentioned how he loved to eat, which had made Youngjae almost laugh.

Youngjae started to like Daehyun, knowing something about him other than his ' hungry' side. He was a nice guy, talkative but somewhat unpredictable. 

As Youngjae looked around he noticed the portrait sketches that Daehyun had earlier moved from the couch. They were rather sensual looking drawings of girls. Daehyun watched him as he picked them up and looked through them. Most of them were lying on something in seductive poses while some displayed sultry expressions. He felt slightly embarrassed looking at the girls being so... ually objectified? but he really liked how Daehyun had portrayed their sensuality. Especially through their expressions.

"These are really good," he said genuinely, flipping through the drawings,

"Y'think so? They're my booty calls from that week," Daehyun says casually.

And he meant the 7 days of hell that Youngjae had gone through because of him.

"Whoa," Youngjae said seemingly amazed, "So they posed for you?"

"Yeah."

"Ohhh... Then what?" Youngjae asks, impressed but also somewhat shook, "You screwed them later as a reward?" 

Daehyun chuckles, "Maybe."

Youngjae keeps a flat expression, not sure of what to think.

"You want to try it?"

Daehyun had asked him, watching as Youngjae drowned in his own thoughts.

"Sorry?" 

The older locks eyes with him, "I could draw you if you're willing to-"

*GROOOWL* Youngjae's tummy just decided that it's had it.

Youngjae could only cover his face with his hands in embarrassment as Daehyun looked puzzled at being interrupted with an abdominal sound.

"I'm sorry, but could you get me some food?" Youngjae asked, still embarrassed, "I was lazy to eat on my way back home sooo I haven't eaten for like a while now." he laughed awkwardly.

Daehyun had led Youngjae into his kitchen then turned around to look at him,

"What do you want to eat?" 

"What? are you gonna cook for me?" Youngjae asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I am," Daehyun replied, somewhat jumpy.

"Oh wow, okay, umm..." Youngjae said thinking over it, "Pasta I guess"

"On it," came Daehyun's reply, as he opened his refrigerator to take out vegetables from the bottom compartment.

As Daehyun brought a pot of water to boil, Youngjae watched him, still taken aback. But only pleasantly.

While cutting the veggies on the counter, Daehyun shifted to add the uncooked pasta into the pot. Only to pause when he noticed Youngjae still standing, watching him quietly.

He looks back at Youngjae for a while, then walked over to him. Maintaining eye contact, Daehyun quietly placed his hands on Youngjae's waist, who flinched at the sudden contact.

Youngjae yelped, as he felt strong hands suddenly pick him up and place his weight on the kitchen counter. Daehyun then carried on with his cooking as if nothing happened.

Youngjae sat on the counter, blank as he processed what just happened. 

"You could have just told me to sit," he complained, annoyed at being manhandled by a mere stranger. "And I mean that was unnecessary," he thought.

"Yeah," Daehyun replied quietly, his eyes focused on his cooking. "I could have."

Youngjae squints at Daehyun, trying to make sense of what the older just said when Daehyun suddenly hands him a carrot,

"Why don't you chew on this for the meantime," he chuckled. Youngjae accepts it without a second thought and starts nibbling away.

Youngjae watched Daehyun, as he placed a saucepan on the heat with some oil, and added the vegetables. The pasta was soon done and Daehyun led Youngjae out of the kitchen to the hall again. He placed the plate on the table, pushing Youngjae to sit, handing him a fork.

"It's good," Youngjae told Daehyun as he ate, "It's really good," his eyes turning big.

"It's normal pasta, though" Daehyun laughed,

"Well it's a lot better than anything I've made," he mumbles sincerely as he ate. His attention fixed on his food,

Daehyun laughed as he continues to watch him. Youngjae liked his laugh, it sounded heartfelt. He also noticed how Daehyun looked like a little boy when he laughed. He looked adorable basically.

"Why aren't you eating?" he asked, looking up at Daehyun. 

"That would probably take my attention away from you," Daehyun said placing his hand on his cheek, still watching Youngjae.

Youngjae shook his head with a laugh. He's now getting used to Daehyun's incomprehensible speaking. Jongup is someone who he often found a bit hard to comprehend. So he often thought of the boy as someone a bit... different? and now he just added Daehyun in his specie.

His phone rang then, 

"Hello?"

"Yah, I'm back home," Himchan replied, "Sleep here for the night,"

"Okay," Youngjae replied,

"Where are you right now?"

"At my neighbor's," 

"At Daehyun's?" Himchan sounded surprised, but Youngjae was even more surprised at how Himchan knew him,

"Alright, you can come down here if you want." 

"Yeah I'll be coming," Youngjae replied and cut the call.

"Who was that?" Daehyun asked,

"Himchan," Youngjae paused and added, "hyung." Not very used to calling Himchan a hyung as he didn't really see Himchan as a 'hyung'. But he didn't want to disrespect him in front of someone else. "It sounded like he knew you, though,"

"Yeah I met him a few days back," Daehyun said looking thoughtful, "told me that my neighbor is his little cousin,"

"Yeah," Youngjae replied, then made a face at being called 'little', "he's here now so I'll stay at his place for the night." 

"Why?" 

"Huh?"

"You could just stay here," Daehyun said casually.

Youngjae laughs, diverting his attention back to his food, "It's okay, I don't wanna be a bother,"

And Daehyun had stared at him like he was crazy, but Youngjae paid no heed and continued to eat.

A sleepy Himchan greeted him when Youngjae knocked on his door. He was quietly led in and then told to sleep on the sofa-bed. Which had a sleeping Junhong and Jongup on it. He knew this of course since Himchan would often drive the boys to late night concerts as neither of them had their license. The three of them always returned dead-tired. 

Himchan was basically their mom. He goes to Himchan's bed and disturbs a groggy Himchan. "I wanna sleep with you,"  he told, shoving Himchan's arm lovingly.

He cringed at Youngjae's rare sweet words, "Do whatever..." he mumbles,  wearing a lacey sleeping mask from the bedside table.

Youngjae laughs lying down beside him and succumbs to sleep soon after.

Looks like the boy had forgotten all about studying right then.

Casually uses B.A.P song titles as chapter titles (~￣▽￣)~

I'd be happy if you guys left comments, I could use some opinions lol

xoxo