It was different. Heechul noted, to be honest it had been different for a while as if the house was less empty but this was on a whole over level. It was like there was another's presence. The build up for the house being less empty had been a gradual thing as if items had been slowly added to the large house. Room by room, item by item hardly noticeable at all but now it was a sudden change as if something had shifted and shoved a whole person in the house.

 

He had no proof of it but it was a knowing feeling like the kind you get in dreams where you just happen to know another's name and who they are despite never meeting them before that feeling of knowing and how certain you are. You could know everything in a dream after all it was your head and you could dream and think as you wished, there was always a sense of foreboding in a dream and he felt it now.

 

Unlike a dream however it did not fade when he woke up or over a few hours or perhaps days... no this was haunting him as if it was never going to go. It followed him around like a bad odour always lingering. At least in the house anyway. It made him wonder if the house had became haunted but that was a silly childish thought seeing as ghosts and paranormal simply did not exist out of stories and were the tricks of human imagination. Outside of the house everything was empty, lonely. No one was there. 

 

But inside it was a whole other story, either years of living alone was getting to him or he was just being paranoid either way there was a thickness in the air that wasn't there before, the eyes of the pictures on the all followed him as if he was in a cliched horror film. He did not like it, not one bit and so... he began to spend more time with ZhouMi, even started with sleepovers or rather since they were too mature (or rather too old as Heechul wasn't that mature) for 'sleepovers' nights Heechul just happened to stay over and sleep.

 

His work was improving, as with this step as he was finally meeting deadlines as he had a tall Chinese man breathing down his neck; his sleep and health was also improving as ZhouMi forced him to eat and sleep at proper times and had a very strict routine to be made 'simply fabulous'; and so was his knowledge of Chinese curses, it was a mild shock to the find the normally stoic Chinese had a personality outside of fashion and how much he had actually swore. 

 

It was another surprise to find the other actually owned slacks rather the silk pyjamas Heechul had envisioned him to sleep in. Apparently fashion for when you were awake to experience it but when you were asleep comfort was all you need.

 

Heechul had to admit he was beginning to the like the new ZhouMi or rather the aspects of the others personality he didn't get to see when it was business, business before pleasure after all some ZhouMi kept to. It was good to have a friend though because now he could actually consider ZhouMi one... or perhaps more in the future. Something Heechul could see happening. Then again Heechul had always seen relationships happening but they never did but this time he believed it would fully. Him and ZhouMi had finally truly clicked.

 

He was at ZhouMi's house at the very moment in fact, the lanky Chinese was perched over the stove attempted to cook up a treat. ZhouMi wasn't the best chef but he tried and he was better than Heechul. Heechul could whip up something edible, he had to when he lived alone as he couldn't live off takeaways, but it didn't taste the best.

 

"Hey housewife what's for dinner?"  Heechul asked teasingly, ZhouMi stiffened a little at the name before turning and glaring at the other male offended by the comment somewhat or rather he appeared to be. It was hard to tell whether it was mock objection or true sometimes with ZhouMi. But ZhouMi did appear like a housewife garnished in his apron and wielding a spatula, the stereotypical housewife's choice of armour and weaponry. 

 

"You'll be eating this frying pan if you're not careful." ZhouMi retorted but his lips held a small almost hidden smile before he laughed. The Korean found he liked the Chinese's laugh, it was pleasant to hear and he liked how ZhouMi's eyes crinkled up at the edges then he too laughed as the other teased back. "If you come over even more often I'll have to start charging you rent." He declared waving his spatula towards Heechul. It was a pleasant atmosphere in the room, different to the one back at Heechul's home.

 

"Can I pay with my body?" Heechul winked flirtatiously causing ZhouMi to choke on thin air and stare at Heechul in disbelief as his cheeks filled with a red colour. From choking or blushing Heechul wasn't sure which either way the Chinaman's face was the colour of a beetroot then. "It was a joke." Heechul stated eying the other carefully and smirked inwardly as the other seemed almost disappointed maybe he was correct he would be correct in a relationship happening this time. It seemed there was considering ZhouMi's reaction.

 

"Depends which part..." ZhouMi finished coolly, the answer surprised Heechul expecting one of utter disregard or the offer and questioning of why ZhouMi would wish the other's body. But the answer was interesting, and it made him curious. Carefully he replied with another question.

 

"Whatever part do you wish?" Heechul asked expecting something erted like his or his chest or another more private part but again ZhouMi surprised him.

 

"Your heart."