It's really bright.

Your eyelids are a dull red as a result of the light, hence, you know it's bright. Aware of this you open them slowly in order to let them adjust without blinding yourself. Now staring at the ashy ceiling you blink once before recalling you are in Chen's flat.

Actually, you're in his room in his flat. Not to mention in his bed. You have to admit he was right about his bed though. It is a lot more comfortable than his couch.

The morning light is persistent, striking your face and progressively becoming bothersome. Groaning you roll over onto your side. A startled half-shout escapes your lips when you see Chen’s face in front of you. Shutting your mouth you hope you didn’t wake him and watch him cautiously. He shifts his head in his arms but is otherwise asleep. You continue to study him, taken aback.

He stayed... He actually stayed through the entire storm...

You feel a little guilty realizing he fell asleep kneeling against the bed-his bed. His legs are probably asleep and his knees are certainly going to ache. You try to sit up but something tugs at your hand.

It completely slipped your mind that you fell asleep holding his hand. Some reason you blush. You’re probably just being half awake.

Whatever that means it’s you tell yourself and you force yourself to believe it.

His hand is laced loosely through yours and your palms brush as you move. You're very aware of the contact and it makes you question why. It was just Chen's hand in yours. No big deal. You've done it before.

Then why is this time so different?

Pursing your lips you brush off those thoughts and debate what to do until he wakes up. You could always wake him up but, you'll feel bad after what he did for you (otherwise you'd knock him over and scare him awake). Waiting was another option. Although, you didn't think just waiting around for an undeterminable amount of time while awkwardly (you still aren't sure why it is) holding his hand is the best idea.

Oh, I know!

Carefully slipping your hand out of his (you actually have to pry him off, his hand reflexively tightening around yours) you crawl off the bed and tiptoe out of the room. Shutting the door silently behind you, you flit down the hall and to the kitchen. As you pass where the fort still stands you smile to yourself idly and wander to the refrigerator.

For a guy living on his own Chen has a very wide selection of food in his fridge. Then again, he does like to eat. You begin to hunt for ingredients to make pancakes. Gathering everything you need, including a large bowl and a whisk, you start cracking eggs and mixing together your own pancake batter. When that’s done you rummage for a pan then twist the stove to high.

As the pan becomes hot you cook and flip pancake after pancake. To entertain yourself you sing one of the songs Chen sings during storms, one you’ve grown quite familiar with after so many phone call sessions. Your singing goes from soft to loud and normal to ridiculous. With your spatula in hand you use it as a mike and your voice is purposely and exaggeratedly out of key. It sounds terrible but it’s hilarious and you’re having way too much fun by yourself.  Not that you care. After about five pancakes a second voice joins in behind you, adding to the horrible comical sound of your voice.

You clamp your mouth shut and whip around. Chen is sitting on the counter with an amused smile dancing on his lips. Turning back to your pancakes you duck your head and refuse to look back at him. Though you’ll never admit it, you only turned in attempt to hide the pink tint across your cheeks, embarrassed to have been caught acting like a complete moron by him.

Wait, why?

You’re never embarrassed or self-conscious around him. You’ve done countless other more embarrassing and idiotic things in front of him before. This incident by comparison is normal. It’s not something to get worked up about.

So why are you?

“Aw, don’t stop! I was getting into it!” he whines teasingly, unintentionally making you blush a harsher red.

Seriously, what’s going on with you?

“Not all of us can be as talented you, karaoke machine.” you retort, eyes trained on the pancake before you.

“Exactly, that’s why I’m the one who sings in this relationship.” he jokes, poking the back of your head with each word.

Swatting him away with your spatula you hold him with his hands up in surrender at the other end of it. “Don’t get all diva with me or you’re not getting any flat discs of deliciousness.” you threaten.

“Ah, I wasn’t! I won’t! I promise! Now can I have food, please?” he asks pouting and tugging on your arm. Like before you’re acutely aware of the contact and immediately shake him off.

You really hope this will pass.

“Fine, grab a plate and serve yourself.” you say giving in.

He nods enthusiastically and does as you say, even going as far as to grabbing you a plate and fork. Stacking four pancakes onto his plate he waits for you to do the same and leads you to the small round dining table. Sitting across from you he grins before stabbing his first piece of food. You eat in a content silence, both preoccupied eating, just enjoying one another’s company. It's not until his plate is clean that Chen speaks.

"I have something to ask you."

You look at him expectantly ready to give an answer.

"It's... About what you said in the elevator yesterday."

Oh, that.

"What about it?" you ask nonchalant, though you get that conscious feeling again.

"Are-are you still willing to do that? I mean, if you've actually thought it over more and feel that you don't want to that's fine. I'll understand if you don't want to put yourself through that—"

"Hey, I'm not flaking out on you anytime soon. If you need me to do this I'll do it for as long as necessary." you cut in firmly. "Besides, I have to thank you somehow for last night." Your voice is softer and you avoid his eyes.

"You don't need to thank me for that. You're my friend and you needed comfort, that's what I'm here for." he says with a smile in his voice.

"How are your legs doing?" you ask still feeling guilty.

"Well, it took about six falls for me to stand but, they're fine. I'll live." he assures.

"Good, I didn't want to have to carry you everywhere. As the girl I this relationship that's not under my list of responsibilities." you joke, instantly wishing you could take it back.

Chen doesn't laugh, his smile pressing into a tight line. "How exactly is this going to work out? I mean, I've never actually had a-you know. And you know why." he says, ears burning. Seeing him react this way makes you feel a little better about your odd feelings. You weren't the only one acting weird about this.

"Well," you think for a moment not really sure what to say, "We should make it as 'official' as necessary. So... We'll have to actually act like a couple and-and whatever else comes with that.” It’s really hard to talk about this. Not just the subject but with Chen. Chen of all people. You never expected to come to this with him, even if it is a fake “relationship.”

Then again you didn’t expect to have these weird feelings now, did you?