It’s short, it’s crappy and it’s long overdue. For all these things, I apologize. *Now I’m off to hiding in my evil lair

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          Seunghyun groaned loudly as the bright morning rays that managed to seep through the gaps of the curtains, hit him squarely in the face and is slowly but surely waking him up. Without even bothering to crack an eye open, Seunghyun purposely decided to ignore the destructive morning light, and chase after where his dream left off as he rolled onto the other side of the---

            Oops, wrong move.

          Now that he lay flat against the floor, all sleepiness abandoning him, Seunghyun finally managed to zone in on the sound of his phone ringing furiously and belatedly realizing that he was in the living room rather than his bedroom.

          Groaning for the second time that morning, Seunghyun systematically tried coordinating his sluggish muscles and equally sluggish brain, to try and move his body around.

          Whoever it is who called him that early in the morning must have gone out of their minds. It was a known fact among the people around him that he is never to be disturbed in the mornings, especially with phone calls unless the hospital caught fire or something of equal magnitude.

          Unfortunately for Seunghyun, the caller seemed to be persistent enough to endure until he picked up the blasted call.

          Listlessly, he tried his best to look for the sound, blindly walking straight into his coffee table, before stumbling comically over a stray throw pillow lying about.

          For the second time in a short span of minutes, Seunghyun found himself lying flat on the floor again. This day is quickly turning out to be his least favorite.

          Grunting in frustration as his phone kept on ringing like it was nobody’s business, he got up with a firm resolve to give the caller a good piece of his mind before he threw the phone eighteen floors down below, forever ridding himself of the abominable human technology.

          A few blunders and more cursing (as he stubbed his toe on the same coffee table) later, Seunghyun finally found his phone buried amidst the mountain of papers and medical journals, still buzzing happily.

          Without bothering to check the caller I.D. (a mistake he quite often does), he dragged his limping carcass toward the couch before plonking himself down. Putting the phone to his ear, Seunghyun gruffly demanded. “You better be dying or bleeding in a ditch somewhere and I better be the only ing person on the planet that can save you.”

          Silence.

          “Um, oppa?”

          Seunghyun’s eyes opened in surprise as the sweet voice of his baby sister managed to pierce through the hazy cloud drowsiness in his head.

          “Eun-ji?” Seunghyun asked, biting the inside of his cheek. He felt embarrassed that his sister had to hear him cussing first thing in the morning and swears that from that moment on, he’d check the caller first before answering any phone call.

          “Duh, of course it’s me.” She replied. Seunghyun could almost see her roll her eyes at his silly question. “Who else do you allow to call you ‘oppa’ aside from me…”

          She trailed off in purpose and Seunghyun being the older brother, instinctively knew there was a catch.

          “That is unless you have a girlfriend or something…”

          Eun-ji’s been constantly nagging him to find a nice girl to bring home and introduce to their family, because as he quotes her statement, ‘It should be illegal for a handsome twenty- something man like you, to score zero when it comes to love life’.   

          “Sweetie, don’t you think it’s a bit too early in the morning for that?” Seunghyun cooed into the phone. He knew how much she hated it when he treated her like a baby.

          “Ugh--- I hate you,” she huffed, falling into his bait. “You talk to me as if I’m two years old. Geez, I’m not a baby.”

          “Oh sweetheart, but you are.” Seunghyun argued, grinning widely. “I’ll never forget the time when mom taught me how to change your diapers…”

          A squeak of embarrassment travelled from the other line over the airwaves and Seunghyun could do nothing to stop the bark of laughter escaping his mouth.

          “Ew, just ew...” She said mockingly. “Did anybody ever tell you that you are just plain weird oppa?”

          “Let’s see… you’re the very first I think. So that’s hooray for you.” He taunted while massaging his hurting toe.

          “Ugh, that’s it. It’s either you’re sleep talking right now or today is one of those unfortunate days where you act like a total dork.”

          Seunghyun knows he should have at least asked Eun-ji to mind her words, calling him a dork and all that, but he doesn’t. He believes that it’s what makes their relationship as siblings more special. Seunghyun could proudly say that they’re best friends, with an eleven year .

          “You wound me deeply, Eun-ji…” Seunghyun said, feigning hurt in his voice. “But even so, I still love you no matter what.”

          “Uh-huh,” His sister deadpanned. “Clearly your brain is still addled from sleep. Why don’t you---” She stopped halfway, and Seunghyun could hear his mother’s voice and loud banging on a door, in the background.

          ‘I know mom. I’ll be down in a minute--- yeah, yeah I heard you…’

          Seunghyun heard his sister shout her reply to their nagging mother loudly on the phone.

          “Aish--- I swear mom’s trying to knock my door down.” She said, putting her attention back to his brother. “Anyways, where were we?”

          “She just does that so you don’t oversleep on weekdays. I bet she just got used to doing it for years while I was still in high school. Just be patient with her, okay? And don’t go on yelling your replies at her or I’ll go over there and personally remove your door off its hinges. Got that?” Seunghyun chastised.

          “Positive.”

          “Good. Now what made you call?”

          “Hmmm, it’s nothing really important. Just wanted to say thank you for the gift and for not being late at the party yesterday and blah blah blah…”

          “Oh- ho,” Seunghyun couldn’t believe what he heard. “Is this really my sister I’m talking to? My cellphone must be broken or what, because really---”

          “Okay, don’t get too overexcited there” She cut him off. “Mom made me do it. So yeah, I guess I have to go. I can hear her shouting from the kitchen. Talk to you later, bye~” The other line went dead before Seunghyun could even reply and say that she was very much welcome.

             Tossing his phone away mindlessly, he got up from the couch, stretching his muscles this way and that before he padded off towards the kitchen to fix himself a cup of coffee.

~

          After a quick shower to wash away any excess of potential drowsiness, Seunghyun stepped out of the bathroom, his damp hair tousled and dressed in a white- cotton shirt and his favorite pair of black sweatpants.

            If the low sound of protest coming from his stomach indicated anything, then it was time for breakfast.

          After checking the time, Seunghyun decided to grab something at the bistro a block or so away from his residence, guessing that the place may already be open for business since it was a few minutes before eight o’ clock.

          He grabbed his wallet and keys before shrugging on a navy-blue cardigan and stepped out of his door. With hearty strides, he made his way towards the elevator, smiling for its doors luckily opened just in time.

          Suddenly, Seunghyun found himself with an armful of a platinum- blonde haired man, reeking with alcohol.

          Jiyong.

          “Uhh…” he frankly had no idea of what to greet a drunken man, because obviously ‘good morning’ is definitely out of the choices. And why on earth was he drunk that early in the morning? One thing for sure is that Jiyong looked like he had a long night.

          “Oops!” Jiyong giggled. “My bad.”

          Seunghyun tried helping the swaying man, whose legs were starting to give out, to stand upright  all the while still keeping his hands at bay just in case. It was lucky he toppled over Seunghyun, or else he would’ve fallen flat on his face.

          “Ah, Seung---” recognition seemed to finally click on Jiyong’s head, but clearly having difficulty in remembering the other’s name with his perfectly groomed brows furrowing in concentration. “S-Seung---”

          “Seunghyun” he offered calmly.

          “Seunghyun!” Jiyong exclaimed, clapping his hands like an excited seal. “I knew it was you haha! There’s just no mistaking with those-- those  thick eyeb-eyebur-” He hiccups. “---eyebrows!”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

          Seunghyun didn’t know if he should be offended for being told that he had thick eyebrows or laugh because even in his drunken state, Jiyong still had his smart mouth.

          “Well I’m glad you still remember me…” Seunghyun replied lamely, a smile at his lips.

          “Of course! You’re the stupidly haaaandsome jerk,” Jiyong slurred, as he sloppily took hold of Seunghyun’s face in his hands and not-so-subtly pinching his cheeks a few times. “Who embarrassed me in a store full of people!” he finished, tweaking Seunghyun’s nose after.

          His face scrunched up in surprise at the action, amused laughter bubbling in his chest. The other man always takes him by surprise.

          “Okay, okay. I get your point…” Seunghyun playfully swatted the marauding hands away, causing the other to put at him. “So um, do you need any help getting to your flat or something?”

          “No, no, no!” the blonde refused, shaking his head a tad too many times. “I’m not that drunk, you know. And I have the doors to my key!”

          Seunghyun couldn’t help but snicker at the cute mistake, as he gave way for Jiyong to unsteadily pass by him, but grimaced as Jiyong managed to trip over his own feet and stumble on the potted plant just outside Seunghyun’s door.

          After he made sure Jiyong made it to his own door in one piece, he stepped inside the elevator, ready to feed his ravenous stomach.

~

Two cups of steaming hot coffee and a plate of blueberry cheese waffles later, Seunghyun walked down the all too familiar hallways with lilt in his every step, determined to laze around and watch television the whole day, when he found a small figure hunched against his neighbor’s door. And good god, was it crying?

          “Jiyong?” he carefully approached and sat on haunches beside the sobbing man. “Did something happen? Why are you still out here?”

          Slowly, the smaller man turned to face him, and realized that Jiyong was one of those rare people who managed to look even more adorable when they cried. Even though his nose dripped a bit and his eyes were all red and swollen. Unlike him who looked like a--- nevermind.

          “I- I cahn’t open m’ dhor,” Jiyong sniffled, his words incomprehensible with his stuffy nose and all. “The aliehns toohk m’ keysh!” he then pointed accusingly at the ceiling.

          Seunghyun only shook his head in disbelief. Clearly Jiyong was still punch drunk, if his nonsensical (and admittedly funny) blabbering were enough proof.

          “But it’s true!” he argued, wiping his runny nose with the palms of his hands before Seunghyun’s shirt. “They ‘ave been trying to invade the wor-world using artificially intelligent rowbots disguised as riiice cookers!”

          Seunghyun could only be thankful that there was no one else to see Jiyong making a scene. The front of his cardigan and shirt is practically drenched as Jiyong bawled his eyes about how the aliens took the other pair of his slipper behind his back yesterday while he was doing the dishes, against Seunghyun’s chest.

          For someone who always looked so sure of himself, Seunghyun feels a bit relieved that Jiyong was not all the bravado, ready to bite off anyone’s head once his temper was stoked.

          “Is that why you’ve been crying?” Seunghyun asked, rubbing his hands soothingly on Jiyong’s back.

          “Nooo!” he looked up, fresh tears spilling from his eyes.

          “Then what is it?”

          That’s when Jiyong lurched forward, emptying his stomach onto Seunghyun’s shirt. If he could redo things all over again, he would’ve scrambled away from Jiyong, but since he couldn’t do anything about it, oh well.

          Stunned and stinking, all Seunghyun wanted to do is to jump into the shower but he had more pressing matters at hand with Jiyong, who is now starting to fall asleep.

          At least he stopped crying. Seunghyun thought sarcastically. He then shakes the other’s shoulders, jolting the drowsy man awake.

          “Jiyong, you can’t fall asleep yet. Let’s get you inside, okay?” Seunghyun said, helping the man to his feet. “Now where are the keys?”

          “I told you the aliens took iiit!” Jiyong screeched.

          “Is it in your pocket?”

          “No!”

          Patience, Seunghyun. Patience. He repeated the words in his head a couple of times and looked at Jiyong with a defeated sigh. As amusing as the situation is, Jiyong needed to be in bed and sleep off his intoxication, as much as he needed to peel away the shirt that stuck to his skin.

          After a few minutes of struggling and wrestling, Seunghyun managed to extract the blasted keys from Jiyong’s too-tight (he noted with a blush) pants.

          “Come on Jiyong.” He took the smaller man’s arm, intending to lead the both of them inside. “We have to get you in bed, so you can rest.”

          “I dun’ wanna!” Jiyong stubbornly flings his hand away, as he unsteadily shuffled away from Seunghyun, causing him to lose balance and land harshly on the floor.

          “Aaa-haha-ouuuchh!” Jiyong cried, sprawled out on the cold, hard floor.

          Rolling his eyes, Seunghyun allowed himself a few moments of sadistic amusement, before guiltily eyeing Jiyong’s small frame on the floor and gently picked him up like a child.  Nevermind  that the puke got on him too.

          It’s his own spew anyway.

          “Seunghyuuun---” Jiyong flailed, accidentally whacking the back of Seunghyun’s head in the process. “My huuurts! My beautiful button – wait wait – my beautiful bottom ‘s broken!”

          “Your is fine Jiyong. It isn’t broken okay? This your room?” Seunghyun asked, stopping in front of the first door on the hallway.

          “No. That’s my--- I don’t remember what that room is!”

          Shrugging, Seunghyun continued to the next door and luckily found the correct one. He entered the room with the swaying Jiyong in tow and gently set him down the crisp white sheets. Seunghyun took off the blazer Jiyong wore, since the smaller man has managed to nod off.

          Backtracking out of the room, he managed to find a face towel in Jiyong’s luxurious bathroom, drenching it in water and retraced his steps back into the bedroom where Jiyong slept soundly.

          He could only imagine the look on Jiyong’s face when he told him how he snores loudly in his sleep.

          Seunghyun took great care to not wake the slumbering dragon while he cleaned his face and neck with the towel, then took off Jiyong’s after he finished. He smirked as he watched how Jiyong managed to look so innocent and peaceful while he slept, when in fact he’s the total diametric opposite  when awake, drunk or not. Okay that might have been an exaggeration because Jiyong could be sweet when he wants to, but you get the point.

~

          Seunghyun quickly washed himself from all the puke, and hastily put on a clean shirt. He then snatched some aspirin from his own supply thinking it would be rude to go over Jiyong’s stuff, before grabbing a bottle of Gatorade from the refrigerator as an afterthought.

          Shutting his door, he jogs back to Jiyong’s flat and enters the place quietly. From the doorway of the bedroom, Seunghyun wondered how Jiyong managed to wrap himself around the sheets like a burrito, snoring loudly than ever.

          He fancied on grabbing his phone and taking pictures of Jiyong’s current state and maybe use it as blackmail for future emergencies.

          Setting the bottle of aspirin along with a glass of water and the energy drink on the bedside table, Seunghyun then securely and properly tucked the covers around Jiyong before he turned to leave.

          With a lingering look and a smile on his lips, Seunghyun closed the door with a soft ‘click’.

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Fast Fact: People in Korea don’t come out of clubs till one in the morning--- and don’t stop till 10 in the morning, so I hope it explains why Jiyong was still drunk at that time. I hope you had fun reading this update and please let me know what you think! Thanks a lot ^^

* Oh yeah, mistakes committed are all mine so, shame on me~