Youngbae was curled up on the couch enjoying a rare night alone in the dorm. Jiyong had taken Daesung and the maknae out and TOP was never around, so Youngbae indulged in a little laziness even though the idea of willful inactivity initially pained him. Before long, the relaxation of having no one to impress and nothing to do became overwhelming and Bae dozed.

His next conscious thought was confusion. When he realized what had woken him up--the sound of keys in the door, then keys being dropped, then loud swearing, repeat--, the confusion turned into fear and unease.

He was pretty sure the noise outside was just drunk Seungri being clumsy but, if that were the case, wouldn't Jiyong or Daesung be right there to help him?

Youngbae had but one choice: get off his and investigate. He hopped up, with both arms raised over his head as he yawned. Noting a twinge in his neck, he hoped for an inebriated bandmate. Much easier than hand-to-hand combat with a burgling psychopath.

He opened the door and suddenly wished for his previous wish back. It was an inebriated bandmate, but not one Youngbae had any idea of how to deal with: TOP.

Drunk Seunghyun was an enigma. His moods changed like the wind. He could go from to childlike to aggressive to despondent in the span of an hour. Youngbae had no experience dealing with schizophrenics but he felt the burden must have been similar.

Youngbae's palms were sweating and Seunghyun wasn't even doing anything. He was in the process of standing after retrieving his keys from the hall floor. He looked terrified, which Youngbae secretly relished; glad to see he wasn't the only one uncomfortable.
 

"Hyung? You get confused? Your apartment's on the other side of town."
 

"No, ah, I just came from there. I needed to see you."
 

"You're in luck. Jiyong took Dae and Seungri out for the night."
 

TOP nodded, but still looked unsure. What did he want and why did he look so miserable about it? Okay, Youngbae was definitely intrigued by this turn of events. Seunghyun so rarely confided in his dongsaeng that, even sad like this, Youngbae had to appreciate the significance of the moment.
 

"You gonna invite me in or just leave me drunk on your doorstep? Because, to be honest, I may pass out out here."
 

"What are you, a vampire? This is just as much your home as mine."
 

"Weird. Doesn't feel like home."
 

"Why not?"
 

They had made it to Bae's former napping spot, the ultra-cushy leather couch. Youngbae sat down comfortably, Seunghyun paused.
 

"What?"
 

He looked as if he had genuinely forgotten the remark he had made and getting sidetracked wouldn't get them any closer to Seunghyun's inner turmoil, so Youngbae steered them back to the problem at hand.
 

"You needed to talk to me, hyung?"
 

"Yeah, uh, I want to...change."
 

"Clothes? Religions? Change what?"
 

Youngbae hated having to be so snappish and curt with his hyung, but his friend's inebriation really cut down on his communication options. And at least that particular response got a little laugh out of Seunghyun.
 

"I drink too much."
 

"I agree."
 

"I want you to help me stop."
 

"Shouldn't you get a professional to help you? I'm not really equipped."
 

"It's not like I'm drunk from when I wake up 'till I fall asleep at night, Jesus Christ."
 

Seunghyun added a soft apology after noticing Bae's wince at his blasphemy. It was possible he'd drank even more tonight than Youngbae originally thought. Youngbae had never heard TOP use the lord's name in vain so angrily in front of him. Tact was his strong suit. And pretending to be sober, apparently that was his second talent.
 

"Seunghyun, I'd be happy to try but I'm not sure my methods will help you."
 

"Bae, please teach me how to resist temptation. Just a few tips. Even cutting down would be better than nothing."
 

Seunghyun was doing that thing where he stared right into Youngbae's eyes and bit his lip really earnestly. It should've been criminal how effective that look was.
 

"You're aware I believe in prayer and meditation, right?"
 

"Of course. I'm willing to try anything. You have all your together, Bae. Whatever you're doing is working."
 

Youngbae was taken aback at his hyung's sincerity and desire to better himself. There was no way he could refuse him.
 

"Let's start by making you some coffee and seeing if you still want to change when you're sober."
 

TOP nodded and they made their way into the kitchen. Youngbae was bustling around, scooping coffee and finding clean mugs as Seunghyun sat at the table quietly, his head bowed. As soon as the coffeemaker cut off and Youngbae fixed two cups, the conversation awkwardly resumed.
 

"So, what made you feel like you need to quit drinking?"
 

"I hate myself when I wake up hungover and remember the stupid I did the night before."
 

"That's so harsh, hyung. Maybe you should try getting to the root of why you drink to begin with?"
 

"What do you mean? I drink to have a good time."
 

"But you keep having bad times, it sounds like."
 

"People like me better when I'm ed up."
 

"Hyung, you know that's not true. I liked you when you were 18 and didn't even allow yourself the calories in one bottle of soju."
 

"But that's you. The rest of the world doesn't see things like you. Unfortunately."
 

"Why do people who don't love the real you matter so much?"
 

"I...don't know. That's pretty much why I'm here, Bae."
 

"Fair enough."
 

They sipped the rest of their coffee in peace but Seunghyun refused a second cup, claiming he was too full. Youngbae was pretty sure the other man just didn't want to be completely sober right now. He also knew he had gotten more information and emotion out of him than was typical, so he considered tonight a victory. He wouldn't push TOP's fragile mental state any further.
They made it back to the couch without incident; this time, Seunghyun sat right next to Youngbae with no hesitation. He looked unusually frail and alone, so Bae pulled the (comically taller) man to his chest, moved them until they were both lying down, and held him. With his mouth so close to Seunghyun's ear, he whispered comforting things to him while rubbing his back. Within fifteen minutes, both boys were asleep.
 

----------
 

A little before dawn, Youngbae woke up to an elbow to the throat. A testament to how used to falling asleep with pointy-limbed bandmates he was, his heart barely even jumped. Somehow, throughout the night, Seunghyun had wound up as the little spoon in an unconscious cuddle. Youngbae wanted to laugh at how silly they must've looked, but he knew he'd better get Seunghyun up before the guys got back. The teasing would be merciless otherwise.
 

He tried gently shaking Seunghyun. Nothing. Picking Seunghyun's arm up and letting it fall and hit himself on the side. A grunt of annoyance. Working his ice cold toes up Seunghyun's pants leg. Bingo. TOP shot up like a rocket, clearly freaking out.
 

"Hyung? What's wrong? It's just me."
 

"I...was dreaming...about penguins. They wanted to get in my pants."
 

Youngbae couldn't stop laughing if he tried. His hyung was so different when he was sober: dorky, shy, himself. He sincerely hoped last night's pleas were genuine. The mere thought of getting to see this Seunghyun all the time (and probably more frequently than he did now, considering the group's lack of non-partying friends) made him feel kind of soft inside in a way he couldn't define.
 

Youngbae told himself that he'd had a weird night, ignored the butterflies (no, the nausea, men didn't get butterflies), and shepherded a still groggy Seunghyun into his bedroom without even asking if he wanted to stay on the couch. The laughter eventually subsided and the two men got into Youngbae's bed, Seunghyun first. Youngbae climbed in after him and laid on his back in such a way that no part of their bodies were touching. It felt awkward, but Youngbae knew Seunghyun was significantly less amenable to cuddles when he was sober.
 

Half-asleep already, Youngbae could do little but relax further when Seunghyun rolled to face him and rested his head on his shoulder.