forever and for always: shania twain

Before Seungmin can actually make it towards the staircase, Jeongin peeks his head out of Woojin's room. "You might want to get the tea," he says with a bright grin on his face. "The bags are in my room, and Chan hyung is downstairs."

Then, Jeongin is gone, and Woojin's door is shut, leaving Seungmin with confusion written on his face. It takes a moment for Jeongin's words to finally hit him and when they do, he turns on his heel and enters Felix's and Jeongin's empty room.

Felix's stargazer is off, but there's a sheet of paper next to Felix's new stuffed animal with rough sketches of the creature he and Felix created.

Familiar black bags catch Seungmin's eyes when he lets them drift over to Jeongin's bed. He shuffles through him, picking the small white and green box. Before he can turn, Seungmin looks at the remaining couple of items, debating whether or not to take them. He chooses Jisung's items but leaves Minho's, excitement filling his veins. He might as well begin cooking for the week older male.

Smiling to himself, he starts his small trek out of the room only pause when he can hear Felix's giggles coming from Woojin's room. Before he can snicker with Felix, there's a loud whine followed by Woojin's voice of "shush Felix. Not everything can be made of wishes".

Seungmin laughs as he walks down the stairs. To him, this is how the house was supposed to be and not the quiet it was earlier that day.

He stops in the middle of the stairs and looks at a broad back and blonde hair that isn't too far from him. Chan's head is tilted to the side as if there's something on his mind. Seungmin takes a couple of steps closer.

"Hyung?" he calls quietly calls out. "Is everything alright?"

Chan whirls around, his dark eyes wide as he takes in Seungmin's quiet laugh. He looks sheepish when he rubs the back of his neck.

"I didn't hear you," Chan says.

"I noticed," Seungmin laughs and continues down the stairs. He reaches the older who is watching him with a fond look in his eyes, a small haze taking over them. Seungmin feels the corner of his lips beginning to tug down. "Are you sure you're alright, Channie hyung?"

The blonde blinks and nods, a sloppy smile on his face. "I'm fine."

Quirking a brow, Seungmin nods, wrapping thin fingers around Chan's wrist. He hums at the loud yelp as he drags the other into the kitchen, gently placing the black bag on top of the counter.

"Do you want to help me?" Seungmin asks when he lets go of Chan's wrist.

A look passes over Chan's features when he blinks a couple of times. He really looks at Seungmin causing the younger to shift in his spot at the intensity of his hyung's gaze. "Hyung?" he calls out again.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Chan asks with that haze in his eyes growing larger.

"I'm needed here more," Seungmin says with a small smile. "Who else is going to tell you to get to bed? You won't listen to Wooj hyung or Lixxie. Besides, I can always get notes from Chenle."

the older hums pulling out a chair and placing his head against the counter. "You shouldn't do that do though. You should be in class and get the notes yourself."

"I know but still. I'm needed here more." Seungmin pauses in his words and walks around the counter. "Are you going to be going to bed anytime soon?"

Chan inhales and exhales. "No. There's this part of a song I can't get right, and I want to be able to finally do so."

Seungmin shifts through the bag on the counter and pulls out the box of tea. He notices Chan's tired eyes following his movements of placing the kettle on the stove and Chan's favorite mug, the one Hyunjin and Jeongin had gotten when they all first started dating a few years ago. The two of them had found a red, white, and blue mug, claiming the colors could either be Korean or Australian. Chan had found the action endearing, he told Seungmin once, a piece of home giving him a part of the home he missed.

"And you think staying up for the past couple of days is going to help with that?"

"It's helped in the past."

"Yeah, well hyung, you can't keep doing it. You'll never sleep."

Chan gives Seungmin a wide-eyed look. "I know what you're doing," he says, and Seungmin crosses his arms over his chest, giving the elder an unimpressed stare.

"I'm sure you do," Seungmin says.

The music producer picks up the box of tea and makes a face. "Valerian?"

"It's the only thing that helps you sleep as you can't take melatonin."

"I know but," Chan trails off when Seungmin raises a brow. He smiles showing his gums and his clears his throat. "Nevermind."

eungmin keeps his brow raised at the elder taking in the fact that he knows Chan doesn't like the taste of valerian tea, but if it's one of the only things that can make Chan sleep, then it'll be something he must drink.

The kettle whistles.

Quietly, Seungmin takes the kettle away from heat and pours water into Chan's mug. He clicks his tongue when he doesn't feel the box near him, and he looks up. Chan holds the box in his hand, his face still in a grimace. Without another word, he grabs a single tea bag and places it into Seungmin's waiting hand. Seungmin plops it into the water and hands the mug to Chan.

He turns around and inspects the kitchen to see the neatly cleaned laminate countertops, a rice cooker next to the coffee maker, and a single pan on top of the stove. In the corner next to the table stands a wire bookshelf filled with cookbooks that are never cracked open, a couple of shelves used to hold lunch boxes and other odd supplies from the time Minho wanted to create fancy bento lunches.

His gaze lands on a single black white with Felix's handwriting on the spine, reading The Lover's Recipes. It had been Changbin and Seungmin's idea to compile a list of recipes of everyone's favorite dishes with instructions coming from the internet to calling parents. It had come in handy a couple of times, when someone was sick or when there was a massive date night or times like this.

Seungmin can feel Chan's eyes as he walks across the kitchen to grab the binder. He notices the question at the tip of the older's tongue, choosing to answer his mental question at loud.

"It's for Jisung," he says as he sits down next to Chan, letting the binder plop on the counter. "I want to make him something light to eat."

Chan sips on his tea and looks over the pages.

"He didn't eat this morning," Chan notes. "What makes you think he's going to eat now?"

"It doesn't hurt to try," Seungmin says after a couple of moments of silence.

Next to him, Chan hums as Seungmin continues to look through the pages, finding everything to take too long. He actually flips to the tab with his name on it when an idea forms. It may not be his favorite, but it's something easy enough for him to make quickly.

He closes the binder with a quiet slam and Chan looks up.

"Idea?" he asks, and Seungmin hums standing up. He doesn't make it very far before he's pulled back into a warm chest. Soft lips touch the back of his neck before they're gone. A warm feeling settles into Seungmin's chest.

"Do you have to make it now?" Chan questions, his voice heavier than before and Seungmin can tell when the older is about to fall asleep. He's not there but close enough for an idea to form.

"Well, you never answered my question if you were going to help me. You're free to help or sleep."

"I'll help sleep, how about that?"

Seungmin laughs knowing that should have been an option for him. With a nod of his head, the younger gains a koala while he begins to prep what he needs to.

Chan's head is next to Seungmin's ear. He can hear the older man breathing, but with each ingredient he pulls out, there's a verbal confirmation of what each item is. Taking his koala's suggestion of adding meat, Seungmin waddles around the kitchen chuckling each time he may have to tap Chan on the cheek from snoring in his ear.

He knows the older man wouldn't want to leave him while he was cooking, but something needed to be done about the sleeping on his shoulder while he's trying to prepare. He taps Chan on the shoulder again and turns around in the elder's arms.

"Why don't you sleep?" he asks.

Chan blinks at the question. "You'll be alone," he says. Slapping his face, Chan grins and drags Seungmin away from the counter and spins him around. "We're going to dance because if I leave you alone, then I'll actually fall asleep."

"To which you need, hyung."

"Hush child."

Seungmin makes laughs and shakes his head. "But hyung!"

"I said shush child," Chan says again spinning Seungmin once more.

With a roll of his eyes, Seungmin lets Chan dance with him. At first, it's odd as they awkwardly move without music but with Chan's laugh in his ears, Seungmin spins the older, and their dance session begins.

It's a different feeling when he dances with Chan than when he dances with the others. More like they're enjoying doing silly movements than actual dancing. He feels light on his feet and forgets for a long moment what he's supposed to be doing. It's not until Chan decides it's time to wrap his arms around Seungmin and begins to slow dance that Seungmin remembers he's supposed to be putting Chan to sleep. He sighs.

"Hyung," Seungmin says causing Chan to whine.

"You're not supposed to remember," says the older.

Their movements continue to slow until they're doing that teenager slow dance. Seungmin finds himself pressing those quiet kisses to the elder's shoulder as they spin in lazy circles. Chan presses a gentle kiss against Seungmin's neck to which he finds himself with his wishes in his head. The second kiss, he finds himself wishing that Chan finds the sleep he needs to well in his next composition. The third kiss, he wishes that Chan will come to them when he's tired and ready for cuddles. The fourth kiss, he doesn't get to wish for because Chan beats him to it.

"I love you, Seungminnie. " Chan says.

The familiar rush flows through his veins, anytime he hears those three words.

"I love you too hyung," Seungmin says spinning around in Chan's arms and pressing a long sweet kiss against his lips. "I love you very much, Chan."

The smile on Chan's face is blinding more than it is sleepy. "That's hyung to you, you brat."

"Shh," Seungmin says pulling away from Chan's embrace and pressing a long kiss against sweet lips.

He pulls away to look at Chan's heavy-set eyes and hums. "Sleep hyung, please."

Chan sighs and nods before perking up. "Will you give cuddles if I sleep?"

Seungmin can't help the laugh falling past his lips. "You too?"

"Me too!" Chan cheers with a dimpled smile and his eyes brighter than before. "But who else asked?"

"Binnie hyung and Jinnie. I promise Innie cuddles tomorrow, but I suppose I slide you in my cuddle schedule if you want with the other hyungs."

Chan raises a brow. "And where are Changbinnie and Hyunjinnie?"

"Asleep on my bed," Seungmin replies when the rice cooker dings. "Why?"

"I thought-" Chan says as Seungmin unwraps himself of his hyung to check on the grain. He opens the cooker and hums to himself.

"I went to get them. They've been away for the past few days hyung and needed to rest in their beds."

Chan's lips form an O when Seungmin turns around. He smiles at the younger. "You're working hard today, aren't you, Seungminnie."

Seungmin only hums and looks at Chan expectantly. With a loud sigh, Chan nods again and begins to turn away towards the stairs. Before he can take the first step, he turns around and blows kisses towards an embarrassed Seungmin, claiming loudly that he loves Seungmin more than anyone in the house and by the last step he sees Chan takes, Seungmin can hear Jeongin and Felix's "I love him more, Chan hyung! What are you talking about?".

Seungmin laughs and turns back to his small meal for Jisung, a light feeling fluttering in his stomach. Maybe I have nothing to worry about, he thinks to himself as he begins to chop vegetables and sear meat.