Kai isn’t used to this studio. It's further south in the city and he has to travel a long ways to get here and navigate vaguely familiar streets. The building is oddly shaped, and there are always more people in it. Mostly it just takes a while to get to, and he misses the other facility.

When he was younger and still dancing, the pre-collegiate division and general dance studio was housed in the same studio where the company now rehearses. Lots of things have changed during his absence, including this location. This is his mother’s second branch now, where the little kids are taught dance every evening, and if Kai didn’t know that Sehun was just a few rooms down teaching a similar class, he’d feel very much alone.There’s nothing quite as odd as spending three hours teaching wailing children how to move their feet, and at the end of the day to send them home and hear only silence echoing back. At least he survived Day 1. It's only Monday, but this is the only night he's agreed to teach, as per arrangement with his mother.

He packs his bag and changes his shoes, throws on a sweater and tosses his other coat over his shoulder. He’s not ready to leave yet. Sehun promised him a cheap dinner in congratulations for becoming a teacher, and his best friend still has another fifteen minutes of teaching to do.

Kai finds himself poised in the hallway outside of Sehun’s classroom where a long plexiglass window allowed outsiders to see in, and the students to see only a mirror from the inside. A few parents mill around in the hallway. One of them actually recognizes Kai from his younger days. He remembers the woman as the mother of one-time fellow dancer. It seems the woman’s oldest daughter has given up the art, but her younger sister still attends. 

Half a dozen awkward questions later about why Kai doesn’t dance in the company, and he’s exhausted both mentally and physically. He can’t even recall exactly which variation of half-lies and half-truths he gave this time. His answers always change from person to person. 

‘Oh yes, I was gone for a little while.’  ‘Yes, I moved to another state.’  ‘Well, I don’t really dance professionally anymore.’  ‘Yes, my mom spends most of her time at the other studio.’  ‘Well you see, my back isn’t quite in shape…’  ‘Is it an injury? Well, yes and no…’  ‘Yes, I’ve been getting some physical therapy done on it…’  ‘Oh, well thank you for your thoughts and well-wishes.’ 

By the time she found someone else to talk to in the lobby, Kai wishes he had left sooner. Five more minutes till Sehun finishes his class. Kai leans up again the glass and lazily watches his friend. Five years ago he never imagined that Sehun would make a decent teacher, let alone a good one. It wasn’t even his passion, really, but teaching ended up suiting him well. Resting face aside, Sehun actually had limitless patience for kids. It would be a shame if he ever gave it up. He was so much better than Kai.

“Hey, were you waiting long?” Sehun asks as his class finally dribbles out of the room and into the arms of their awaiting parents.

“Nope. Hungry though. What’s this meal you promised me?”

Sehun grins happily. “Ramyun! The Japanese kind, if you don’t mind. I found a good place around the corner a couple months ago. You’ll love it.”

“I’ll love whatever you’re treating,” Kai says, clapping his friend on the back.

“Did you tell your boyfriend that you’re cheating on him for free food?” Sehun jokes.

“What Baekhyun doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Kai winks.

“Tut tut,” Sehun articulates. “Oh well. He’s probably busy tonight anyways, right? Late rehearsals and all that?”

“I think so.”

“You only think? Don’t you know? Don’t you know what he’s up to at every minute of the day? What if he sneaks off on you!” Sehuns gasps, overdoing the scandalized face.

“You mean like how I’m sneaking off him on now?”

“Well, duh!”

“I told him I was having dinner with you tonight.”

“See that’s the kind of thing that’s— oh, what?” Sehun nearly misses the point. “You told him? Psh. And I wanted to have some fun. You’re too tied to each other. It’s boring. You’re such a boring couple.”

“We are not!” Kai insists, although personally he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with being a boring couple. 

“Yes, you are. You haven’t even done anything yet.”

Kai shushes him quickly and looks around, double-checking that they’re out of hearing range of any parents. Once they’re on the street he resumes the conversation. “Well not completely, but we have talked about things…”

“Yeah? Like what kinds of things…”

Things like Kai Bai Bo. Kai doesn’t say that though. He shrugs off Sehun’s attack and demands they find food first. Sehun decides to let it go, for now.

A few minutes later Sehun ushers them into a tiny strip of a restaurant, and the smell of ramyun and spices distracts them completely. He orders off of Sehun’s suggestions and checks his phone while they wait. 

Baekhyun: How was your first day?!

Baekhyun: Were the kids all brats and did you win them over with your charm yet??

Kai grins and hurriedly types in his reply. Baekhyun likely won’t answer since his messages were sent half an hour ago, and if he has his schedule memorized as well as he thinks he does, his boyfriend shouldn’t get another break for another twenty. Not that breaks mean anything when a company is rehearsing late.

Kai: I’m dead. I’m lying in a ditch. I was kicked to death by a million little feet

Kai: About to eat ramyun with Sehun. He’s annoying.

“Hey. You’re supposed to be paying attention to me tonight!” Sehun complains. Kai shuts his phone off not a second too soon. “Quit talking to Baekhyun for a moment, okay?”

“It was just one text. Chill.” Kai beams across the table at his friend.

The arrival of their food signals another halt to Sehun's complaining. Both are starving and the broth is hot, and it nearly makes up for the chill night weather. Kai shivers a little too hard when another group of customers come through the door, a gust of wind behind them. His muscles retract and something in his neck tightens uncomfortably. 

“Are you okay?” Sehun asks in response to the slight frown on Kai’s face.

“Yeah.”

“You sure?” It sounds like a casual question, although Kai knows that Sehun means more.

“Yes. Just a little tired. Been on my feet all day.”

Sehun considers him for a moment with a blank face, and then he returns to his bowl. “Just don’t push yourself, okay?” he adds quietly before taking another spoonful. 

It’s Tuesday evening again before Kai expects to see Baekhyun. Apart from a late lunch on Sunday, they haven’t seen each other since then, Baekhyun because of his rehearsals and Kai because he actually is a student, and his assignments are giving him a lot of grief. He sits in his currently empty apartment and attempts to write an essay, but most of his attention goes to why on earth Kyungsoo’s side of the room always seems to look nicer than his. Kai even made his bed this morning, but it doesn’t help much with the overall clutter of his things. 

He likes Baekhyun’s apartment better. Frankly, he likes Baekhyun’s single bedroom better. His boyfriend is supposed to drop by soon, but then again Kyungsoo is also due home within the hour.

The phone rings just as Kai decides to go back to his work, although the caller isn’t one he expects. 

“Dad? Hey.”

Despite the fact that he lived in the same town as the man for nearly two years, they don’t actually have a habit of communicating regularly now that Kai’s moved back home. 

“Hey, Kai. Just thought I’d call and see how you were doing.”

The last time they spoke was roughly three weeks ago, and Kai hadn’t exchanged more than a few pleasantries about his life, and just a hint that he might be seeing a boy. About his ual orientation, they’d never had a real discussion. His dad didn’t disapprove, but then Kai never elaborated, so there was nothing specifically to approve or disapprove of.

Now locked into a conversation about the weather and movies and holiday plans that Kai wouldn’t be able to attend anyways, he gives up his essay and crawls on top of his bed with the phone still held to his ear. It’s definitely a better way of passing the time than staring at a computer screen. 

“So you don’t think you’ll be able to visit for Christmas this year?”

“No. Probably not. I’ll have some school stuff to work on over the break, plus…” Kai paused to swallow and then fluff his pillow out behind his head. “Plus, this will be the first holiday in a couple years with mom so…”

“Yeah, I understand. Well, how about Spring Break? Do you get that off?”

“I do… maybe. Definitely summer though.”

His dad hums casually through the receiver. “Well that sounds like a plan.” Someone yells in the background and Kai hears other people talking including a yip that sounds horribly like his dog Monggu. “Hey, your brother wants to chat,” his dad says then. “I’m going to pass over the phone. Talk to you later, ok? Call us soon!”

Kai tells him goodbye, and then switches his cell phone to the other ear. His eight-year old half-brother comes on the line shortly after that.

“Kai? Kai?? Kai, I miss you!”

“Hey, David. Missed you too!” He can’t help but smile at his brother’s excited little voice. 

“What are you doing? Are you busy? Do you like New York? When can I come to visit? Monggu misses you!”

Kai laughs into the receiver and tries to slow the little boy down. “Hey, one thing at a time! But what do you think I’m doing right now? I’m talking to you!”

He hears him pout over the line, grumpiness setting in for all of five seconds before he’s off on a rant again about his school day. Kai has a moment of nostalgia for all the times David would talk to him and hang out with him on a near daily basis back when he lived in Houston. Kai hadn’t lived with his dad’s new family, but they had rented a small flat for him that was two blocks from the high school he graduated from, and a block away from Kai’s doctor’s office. He’d borrowed a car too, and could drive to see his family every couple of days. David was one of the people Kai missed most, after his dad and his dog.

“Did you know we got Monggu a friend?” David tells him happily.

“No? You did?”

“Yep. Another poodle. Her name’s Jjiangu, and she’s white and she’s a real toy poodle!” 

“Aww, that’s great.”

Someone knocks on the door, and Kai stands up to answer it, his brother still yapping away about how the dogs got along, and how his mother’s cat hated them both. 

Kai pulls open the door just as Baekhyun is about to pound on it again. He nearly trips into the room, and Kai just grins at him. 

“What are—?” Baekhyun starts to scold. Kai points at the phone at his ear before he can finish, and Baekhyun shuts up. He makes himself at home quickly, dropping his dance bag onto the floor by the bed and throwing himself onto it face first.

Kai only hears half of what David is telling him now. The image of Baekhyun passed out is too good to pass up. 

“Hey, Kai, what are you feeding me! I’m starving!” Baekhyun cries, half into the mattress.

“And then Sadie was sitting on top of the chair and Jjiangu walked by her, and she hissed at her and scratched her nose!”

“Feeeed me!”

“Ooh, is somebody there right now?” David halts his story-telling.

“Yeah,” Kai tells him. “My friend, Baekhyun.”

He hears David make a little sigh of comprehension. “Ahhh, Baekhyun the guy you used to talk about?”

“Yep, that Baekhyun.”

The real Baekhyun, hearing his name, picks his head up and frowns. “Who are you talking to, and why do you make me sound like some kind of nutter?”

“Is he the guy,” David continues, “that you liked? Are you… are you dating him now?”

Kai smiles down at his boyfriend in a teasing manner. “Yep. We’re dating now.”

Baekhyun looks mildly satisfied.

“Oooh. Congratulations? Can I talk to him? I want to talk to Baekhyun! Can I, Kai? Can I say hi, Kai? Pleeeaaase?” 

Kai chuckles. “Yeah, sure. Just don’t scare him, okay?”

“I won’t!”

To Baekhyun he holds out the phone and mouths, ‘It’s my brother, David.’

‘Your half-brother?’ Baekhyun whispers back.

Kai nods and Baekhyun sits up and takes the phone. 

“Hello?”

“Hello. Are you Baekhyun?”

“Yep. Is this David?”

“Yep!”

“And are you the boy who stole Kai away from me for two years?”

The boy on the other end of the line thought that was hilarious. Kai hears his cackles even though he’d given away the phone, as well as the fervent denials that come just a moment later. 

He turns away and starts rummaging in the fridge for something to feed Baekhyun with. Choices are limited, but at least there are some left-overs and a microwave. Gourmet meal tonight. 

“Okay, David. It was nice to meet you too!” Baekhyun calls after a few minutes of play-talking. Kai turns around, waiting to see if he needs to take the phone back. “Do you want to talk to your brother again? … No? … Okay. Bye-bye!”

Baekhyun thumps the phone into the bed and sighs happily.

“Well?” Kai asks. “Now that you’ve met the family?”

“It was just your little brother, so I don’t know if that counts for everyone, but wow — he sounds cute!” 

Kai pouts.

“I mean. You’re cuter, obviously,” Baekhyun amends.

“Better,” says Kai. “Okay, so we have left-over fried rice, left-over takeout, or ramen. What sounds good?”

“Hmmmmm… none of those options.” Baekhyun stands up and slowly trudges up into Kai’s little bubble. Arms encircle his waist and a chin folds itself over Kai’s shoulder.

Kai pretends to ignore him. “It’s left-overs or nothing.”

“And what if I choose nothing?” 

Against his will, Baekhyun starts to pull him away from the tiny closet-like kitchen. Kai shuffles backwards still in Baekhyun’s arms until Baekhyun hits the corner of the bed and sits down, pulling Kai down with him. He topples onto his side, Baekhyun right behind him as he scoots higher up in the bed, arms relinquishing him just long enough to settle right back to where Baekhyun wants them.

“Now isn’t this better?”

“I thought you said you were hungry?”

“Yes, but it can wait. I haven’t seen you in two days. Two days! That’s unreal!” Baekhyun complains. He takes out his frustration by painfully massaging Kai’s back.

“Hey, quit pummeling me. That hurts!”

Baekhyun desists, but continues to mutter. “Whatever. It’s not like you don’t deserve to be beaten. Two whole days and you can’t even make time for me.”

“I had homework! You had rehearsals!” 

“Excuses. Excuses.” Baekhyun holds him tighter. “So, your brother seems to know who I am.”

Kai grunts. “I may… have mentioned your name once or twice.”

“Once or twice?” Baekhyun laughs. “I bet you had a stalker-ish picture of me framed on your wall above your bed.”

Somehow, Kai doesn’t remember how, he ended up rolled onto his back with Baekhyun crouching mostly over his chest.

“Better than the picture you had of me with my eyes stabbed out.” Kai smirks.

There is silence in the room for a full three seconds. Then, “I did not stab your picture!!”

Baekhyun tosses about from the motion of Kai’s chest rocking with silent laughter. His face is so indignant with burned pride and it never fails to make Kai’s heart soar. He covers it up every time with unabashed glee, laughing so hard that Baekhyun can’t get a word in edgewise. He has to hold on to Kai’s body like a surfer riding a particularly turbulent wave, arms and legs clashing. “I did not!” he tries to insist, not caring that his words are lost into the folds of Kai’s shirt as Kai holds him down. 

Kai breathes wildly as his laughter abates, and as he comes back to his senses he realizes that Baekhyun is now snug as a bug, completely on top of him with his head burrowed into his neck. Kai runs a hand through Baekhyun’s sweat-stained silky, black hair, and it’s just light enough that Baekhyun squirms in delight as his nails brush against scalp. 

“Did you come straight from dance?”

“Yes,” comes Baekhyun’s muffled reply. “Why? Do I smell like it?”

“A little.” 

One of Baekhyun’s fists comes up to punch the fleshy front of Kai’s upper arm. 

“I wasn’t complaining,” Kai says. His fingers resume their little dance through Baekhyun’s hair. “Still hungry?”

“Nope.”

“I thought you were hungry.”

“I’m hungrier for you.”

“O-okay…?” 

All Baekhyun has to do to kiss him is lift his head and place his lips just right. Kai gasps when he does, quick to reciprocate. He s his arms quickly down to close around Baekhyun’s waist, urging him upwards along his body, the better to deepen the kiss. Baekhyun parts his knees along Kai’s hips and holds himself up, lips never coming apart. He lets Kai set the pace as they slowly reacquaint themselves with the other’s body. Two days apart, but it’s been even longer since they could really touch other, privately, when no one was around.

Baekhyun grounds down slightly, the thin material of his baggy dance shorts not leaving much to hide. Kai groans and pulls his head back, desperately trying to steady himself, even though he’s the one lying on his back.

Baekhyun goes to work again on his neck, but just then Kai remembers something.

“Baekhyun… Baek… Hey, stop. Wait a minute.”

“What?” Baekhyun whispers. 

“Well, this probably shouldn’t go any further…. here….”

Baekhyun freezes and holds himself up. He suddenly remembers where they are too. “Uhm… where is Kyungsoo and when he is due back?”

“Any time now,” Kai says sadly.

Baekhyun inhales one long breath of air and then sighs. He rolls over, content instead to whine and toss around. Finally, he stills and looks contemplative. “How sound proof is your bathroom?”

“Not very,” Kai admits.

“Damn. Oh well.” He pushes himself into a sitting position side-by-side with Kai, and then slides towards the edge of the bed. With his feet on the ground he bends over and fishes out a pile of clothes from his bag.

“What are you doing?” Kai asks.

“Borrowing your shower. Don’t forget to turn on your shower cam this time.” Baekhyun winks as he hops off the bed. He shuffles backwards towards the door with a cute, expectant smile. “Something hot to eat by the time I get out?”

Kai grins up at him, hands still supporting his halfway sitting posture on the bed. “I can do that.”

“Good,” Baekhyun chirps. He backs into a small shelf in hallway and yelps as he stumbles to avoid half a dozen falling objects.

“I got it. Go shower!” Kai jumps off.

“Sorry! I’ll be quick!” Baekhyun scampers the rest of the way to the bathroom door and Kai just chuckles after him.

Before Kai can start picking up the mess though, he gets a saving text from Kyungsoo including notice of his roommate’s imminent arrival and he’s bearing food. It’s the best news of the day. Or at least the second best news since Baekhyun said he’d come by after rehearsal. 

Kai tosses the left-overs back into the fridge, and since the water in the shower is just turning on, he figures he’s got five more minutes to complete an e-mail to one of his teachers before Kyungsoo gets back and/or Baekhyun comes out.

Kyungsoo gets home first. Kai rescues the bags of food just as his roommate trips over some of the fallen junk. 

“Oww— what?” He surveys the mess at his feet.

“Oh! Sorry! Forgot to pick this stuff up. Sorry, my fault.” He deposits the food on the counter and crouches over the floor to help Kyungsoo pick up a now-scattered pile of mail, a random set of keys, some smallish school book he’d left precariously on the top shelf, now on the floor. 

Kyungsoo swipes up a handful of crumpled take-out receipts, some dollar bills and a few coins. “How’d this stuff get on the floor anyways?” He picks up a small medicine bottle and rattles it around experimentally.

“Baekhyun bumped it on accident.”

“What, did he just not see it?”

“Was walking backwards into it…?” Kai explains.

“Oh. I see. Hey, since when have you been using this stuff again?” He holds up the plastic bottle.

“Uhhm, a few weeks?” Kai avoids staring at it too long.

“Hmm. Oh well. Wanna see what I brought to eat? I didn’t know what he’d eat so I just got an assortment of sandwiches. Surely something will work?”

“Should, yeah. Thanks for getting stuff.” Kai stands up.

Kyungsoo sniffs carelessly. “No problem. Everyone’s gotta eat.”

Baekhyun comes out of the shower minutes later with a towel around his head, clean shirt and shorts. 

“Hey, Kai. Do I have a bruise here?” He lifts the edge of shorts high up revealing his thigh, and Kai blushes since Kyungsoo is also looking. At least his roommate looks away rather quickly, clearing his throat in a polite warning.

Baekhyun looks up, jaw dropping. “Oh. Oops.” He relinquishes the fabric, covering his legs and Kai directs him to the bag of sandwiches. “Food!” he exclaims, excitedly. “Can I eat on your bed?”

Kai nods. He’s already eating and dropping crumbs onto his comforter, so what’s one more to add to the mess?

“Did you bring it?” Baekhyun asks of Kyungsoo. He gnaws off a huge bite and crawls up onto the bed using just his knees. Kai rocks uncomfortably, trying to keep his balance.

“Yeah. It was easy to pick up,” Kyungsoo replies. He spins around rather lethargically in his desk chair, feet crossed and knees up on the armrest. 

“Cool. Well thanks. I’ll treat next time around,” Baekhyun decides.

Kyungsoo grunts to show he heard, and the only noise any of them make for the next few minutes are the sounds of eating and swallowing. Kai thinks it’s a little weird and awkward, but then that’s how he normally is when it’s just him and Kyungsoo. Adding one more person to the mix, even if it’s Baekhyun, doesn’t appear to shake things up very much.

“Ahhh, that was good!” Baekhyun declares finally, tossing the wrapper and then reclining back onto one of Kai’s pillows. 

Kai frowns. “You’re gonna get it wet.”

“Get what wet?”

“My pillow. Your hair?” Kai reminds him.

“Wow, grouchy much?” Baekhyun teases. He scoots further upright though so his head rests against the wall and then looks to Kyungsoo for support. “Is he always this way?”

Kyungsoo just shrugs. “I don’t know.”

“It’s my pillow!” Kai whines. “I like this pillow. It’ll smell if it gets all wet. You don’t take a shower and then go to bed with wet hair anyways. It’s not good for you!”

“I’m not about to fall asleep anytime soon. I’m just resting.” He rolls his eyes, and Kyungsoo smirks sympathetically.

“I’m not even going to ask why you were taking a shower here,” he says.

“Heh!” exhales Baekhyun loudly, embarrassing Kai who shushes him deliberately. “What? I came from rehearsal and you already said I was disgusting so I needed to shower.”

“I didn’t say you were disgusting.”

“It was implied.” Baekhyun sings out, and he purses his lips. 

Kyungsoo continues to rock himself left and right in his chair, enjoying the show. “Hey if you guys want to fight I can take a little walk?” He grins.

“We’re not fighting,” Kai pouts.

“Okay, well if you wanted to do something else, I can still take a little walk.” He grins even more evilly. 

“Been there! Tried that!” Baekhyun declares.

Kai swears he’s going to try hard not to die tonight.

Because Baekhyun insists that Kyungsoo doesn't need to go anywhere — and Kai was pretty sure Kyungsoo wouldn’t anyways — they settle for watching an old movie on Kai’s laptop, which is perfectly aligned to be seen if everybody sits on Kai’s bed. Kyungsoo takes the farthest end and separates himself by a pillow in his lap. Kai tries not to be too clingy with Baekhyun and mostly succeeds. Halfway through it Kyungsoo closes his eyes and dozes anyways.

“Should we stop the movie?” Baekhyun whispers to Kai.

“Nah. He said he’s seen it before.” 

When the movie ends, Kai nudges Kyungsoo off his bed and coaxes him onto his own. Then he pulls a sweater over Baekhyun’s head and insists on walking him home. 

“Want to stop for coffee or dessert somewhere?” Kai suggests, just as Baekhyun yawns. His hair is all dried, but Kai makes sure his hood covers him up sufficiently.

“This late on a Tuesday night? I need to sleep and wake up at a normal hour tomorrow.” He pouts.

“How about dessert then?”

“At this hour on a Tuesday night, Kai? You’re on.”

The place they find isn’t exactly like the coffee shop Baekhyun once followed Kai to, but it is a little similar, and the memories it brings — no longer awkward — make them both smile as they slide into opposing seats of a booth. Baekhyun insists on ordering the biggest pastry they offer, and tea, ‘Because it’s less caffeine than coffee and it tastes better.’

Nothing quite wakes him up, but that’s okay. Kai doesn’t mind this kind of sleepy Baekhyun, and he knows that he truly does need to get enough rest.

“What’s the rest of your week like?” he asks.

Baekhyun has to think about it. “Dance dance. Rehearsals. More rehearsals. A few more classes. Choreo change to accommodate Suho for a few parts. More dancing, and I’m missing something… oh! More rehearsals. Also, an actual dress rehearsal on Friday down in New Jersey, and I’m not looking forward to it.”

“How come?”

“Because… Friday is date night! I’ll miss date night with you!”

“How about Saturday?” Kai suggests.

Baekhyun ponders. “Saturday is another smallish performance but… we’ll probably be back by early evening. It’s a matinee so, definitely home by that night. Okay, let’s do Saturday!”

“Are you sure you won’t be exhausted?”

“Can I say something sugary sweet?”

Kai narrows his eyes, daring him on. “Go for it.”

“I’ll never be too tired for you, Kai.” 

They stare at each other while Baekhyun makes a smarmy, sweet face, and finally Kai looses it.

“Okay, no more late night pastries for you,” he says with as much determination as he can muster.

“Aww, but Kaiiii.”

“No. Come on, you should get back already.”

“Fine.”

They huddle together on the way home, Baekhyun shivering because he was stupid and only wore shorts, but he refuses to be hurried and Kai can’t make him walk any faster.

“You know it’s going to be like this a lot, right?” Baekhyun says when they approach his apartment.

“What?” Kai asks with a slightly sinking feeling.

“Me being busy. For most of the holidays.”

Kai pulls him close and presses a kiss to the side of his head. “I know.”

Baekhyun continues to speak as they walk. “Extra rehearsals. Random performances all over the place. A few out of town trips. Whole weekends gone. A couple whole weeks even.” The more he talks the sadder he gets. “I don’t want to keep leaving you behind…”

“You won’t,” Kai assures him. 

“But—” and for this Baekhyun stops walking completely. “Are you okay with this? With… me doing this? Dancing and going everywhere and…” 

Kai thinks he must be too scared to even look Kai in the face. Baekhyun keeps his head down and stares at the ground.

“We’ll make the most of our time together, though, Baek.” Kai tries to cheer him up.

“But, that’s only half of the problem!” Baekhyun nearly shouts. As if realizing he was over-acting, he immediately quiets down. “Isn’t it?” he asks in a near whisper. “God, I need to sleep… I’m sorry.”

Without having to think about it, Kai hugs him. “No. There’s no problem, Baek.”

“You sure?” His arms wrap securely around his waist. 

“I’m sure.”

“You better be sure,” he adds petulantly.

Kai has to laugh. “Oh, I am.”

4,828 words

So, it's pretty obvious this a filler chapter, right? Hehe. Hope you read some of the text in squint-mode.

I should warn you that I have planned only 3 more real chapters. , Loose-ends, and Epilogue. Is everyone ready for the end? I feel like this is some massive fic and on one hand I'll feel immensely satisfied when I finish it. On the other hand, well... I'll be sad. 

I plan on incorporating or tying up as many side-chapter/character arcs and themes as I've brought up. I'll probably even reread it to see if I missed something I intended to follow-through.

My question for you guys is: is there anything else you want to see happen before the story comes to a close??? Did I mention something and you wanted to see/hear more about it? Let me know in the comments.

<3 Rosie