A loud clattering caused Jinki to jump awake from his sleep, and he looked over at the bedside clock in confusion. It was three in the morning, so what was going on in his kitchen? He got up slowly and flicked the lights on, making sure to stretch before he moved because he knew how sore his body would be from his past month of working. Jinki worked hard with Jonghyun, who worked even harder on their road to turning Jonghyun into an idol. He was still far from becoming one, but his talents were being honed and his determination sky rocketed so much that the two of them spent more time at work than they did at home.

So he expected Jonghyun to be passed out on the couch, not bustling around the kitchen with the stove on, seemingly preparing some sort of meal. Jinki was confused, because he always cooked and left extras in case the younger needed anything, but it looked as if Jonghyun had memorized every nook and cranny of his kitchen. Leaning against the doorway to the kitchen, Jinki watched the younger male cook for a few minutes.

Jonghyun was absolutely oblivious to his presence, so Jinki took the time to watch over him carefully and observe everything that he did. Jonghyun was humming under his breath, his foot tapping as he cut some sort of vegetable at the kitchen counter. Roo was at his feet, and he'd occasionally look down to playfully nudge to pup with his foot. Then, his attention would return to the stove immediately, and Jinki noticed the male's muscles rippling through his tight fitted shirt with every with the knife he made.

He must have watched the younger for a half an hour before the stove turned off. For a moment, Jinki thought that maybe he was being too nosy and that the younger probably needed his space, but he couldn't help but keep watching as Jonghyun yawned, rubbed his eyes, and forced himself to eat right over the stove. Seeing that, Jinki walked over to the male, his footsteps alerting the other male to his presence; but before he could be questioned, Jinki pulled out a plate and poured what Jonghyun had made onto it, quickly shoving the younger to an empty table.

"Did I waken you?" Jonghyun asked softly, but Jinki refused to look up at him as he set the plate of food in front of the younger, then proceeding to take a seat across from him.

"It's fine." Jinki shrugged lightly, crossing his arms on the table and gently resting his head on his arms, "Why did you cook? We have leftovers from throughout the week."

No answer came, and Jinki slowly turned his head back to Jonghyun, who was picking at his food with absolutely no intention to eat it, "I don't know. I just suddenly remembered a food I used to eat back at the orphanage, and thought I could try it instead of burdening you into making it for me."

Jinki glanced down at the food, which looked strangely like a mix of oatmeal and chicken soup. Slowly, he held his hand out, and Jonghyun wordlessly handed his spoon over. Jinki took a careful bite of the meal and blinked at the strange taste before swallowing it and looking up at the male with a reassuring smile, "I've made worse, trust me."

Though Jonghyun chuckled, his eyes held pain as he stood and reached for the plate, "You don't need to make me feel better, Jinki. Give it to me so I can throw it out."

"I like it." And Jinki wasn't lying. Though it had a strange taste, and even stranger looks, Jinki could just taste Jonghyun's honest intentions in it, so he couldn't let it be thrown out.

"You do?" Jonghyun's voice was small and full of doubt, so Jinki didn't answer him and kept eating with the hopes that the male would believe him if he did so.

So, Jinki finished every last bit of the meal Jonghyun attempted to make and stood, walking to the sink to wash out all the pots used, "If there's ever something you want to eat, you can just tell me, Jonghyun. It's not a burden to me as long as you're comfortable."

Jinki glanced over his shoulder to see Jonghyun's hesitant nodding, though he looked so afraid and lonely that Jinki ditched the dishes for the night and crossed back over to him, placing a hand in his hair.

Jonghyun looked up at him and blinked before looking away, "You can go back to sleep, Jinx. I'll just clean up and practice playing music or something."

To that, Jinki's eyebrows furrowed, "Don't you need to sleep?"

Avoiding the question all together, Jonghyun walked back to the sink and dutifully cleaned the dishes.

Feeling frustrated that he was being ignored, Jinki trailed after the younger and placed a hand on Jonghyun's shoulder, which had the male flinch slightly at his touch, "Why aren't you going to sleep?"

Jonghyun ignored him again and increased the water pressure, making Jinki shake his head, "I don't think you heard me, Jonghyun. Why aren't you going to-"

"Because I can't!" Jonghyun shouted, and as it was the first time Jonghyun had raised his voice around the elder, Jinki became slightly afraid. Jonghyun shut the water off in the faucet and leaned against the sink, his head lowered in embarrassment, "I have insomnia, Jinki. I've had it for years, and I still have it now."

Jinki's heart constricted, "But I thought you were sleeping well since you've gotten here since today's the first day I heard anything."

Jonghyun sighed and stood up straight, turning around and looking up at Jinki, neither of them being aware of how close their bodies had migrated together, "I usually just lay in bed until I can fall asleep... but tonight I just really missed my orphanage."

The elder had no words to use to comfort the younger, so he simply took the male's hand in his and tugged him out of the kitchen and to his bedroom.

"Jinki, why are we going into your bedroom?" Jonghyun asked, the frustration in his voice mixed with confusion, and maybe even desperation.

"Sleep with me." The elder shut the door so Jonghyun couldn't leave, which would allow Jinki to watch over him and make sure he actually slept.

 "What?" Jonghyun's eyes widened, and Jinki only now noticed the rims that were slowly becoming more obvious on the younger male's handsome and flawless facial features. Without even thinking, Jinki placed his palm on Jonghyun's left cheek, and gently his cheek using his thumb.

"I want you to sleep with me." Jinki repeated, turning his head slightly to look at the bed, "Just to see if you can sleep better with me. If not, you don't have to sleep with me any more after this."

"Why are you so willing to help me, Jinki?" Jonghyun caught Jinki's hand, though he neither intertwined their fingers or pushed him off, "You said you don't love me, yet you're showing me kindness only a lover would."

Nothing could explain to Jinki why his heart picked up so suddenly, but he stepped away from the younger, turning the lights back off and laying down in his bed once more, "I don't love you, Jonghyun, yet you're the only person I really have left in my life. If I don't take care of you, then what?"

Jonghyun slowly climbed into bed next to Jinki, and though Jinki didn't know what to do next and scooted over to the edge of the bed, Jonghyun didn't seem to mind and closed his eyes. Realizing just laying there wouldn't help Jonghyun fall asleep, Jinki crawled closer and ran his fingers through the younger male's hair. Jonghyun's eyes fluttered open, but Jinki's own eyes were closed, and his lips began singing a soft lullaby he'd only heard as a child.

The two laid there for what seemed like hours before Jonghyun drifted asleep, and with slight pride, Jinki got onto his phone and canceled any schedules for the following day to give the younger more time to sleep. Looking over at Jonghyun once more, Jinki smiled slightly and leaned in, brushing his lips against the male's forehead before he pulled back in shock and confusion as to why he'd just done what he'd done. Gulping loudly, Jinki shut his eyes and let the sound of Jonghyun's breathing lull him to sleep.

Sometime around noon, Jinki felt his own hair being sifted through, and though his body wasn't exactly sleepy, Jinki once again refused to open his eyes until he remembered the previous night's events and slowly opened his eyes to see what had happened. His eyes immediately connected with Jonghyun, from where Jinki's head rested on the younger's chest. Jonghyun had the most brilliant eyes that were obviously well rested, and his fingers never stopped sifting through the elder's hair.

Jinki's first thought was to react as he usually did and push the male away, but he realized one of his arms was wrapped around the younger's waist, while his free hand was connected and intertwined with Jonghyun's. 

"Good morning." Was all that escaped his lips, a breathless and soft whisper.

Jonghyun's lips curved into a beautiful smile that had Jinki's mind blank instantly, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," Jinki nodded and pushed himself up slightly so he could see the male better, "Did you?"

"It was the best sleep I had in years." Jonghyun used the same breathless tone Jinki had used earlier, and he used his fingers to twirl the elder male's hair, "I owe you with my life Jinki. For taking me in, helping me turn into an idol, and even now, erasing a battle I fought for years with a simple night of sleeping together."

Jinki squeezed the hand he was holding and shook his head lightly, moving so that he was laying down next to the male again and facing him at the same time, "We're legally bound together, aren't we? It's only right for me to do these things."

Some of the light fled from Jonghyun as he seemed to realize Jinki's words, and he nodded, smirking lightly, "Though I'm not sure if legally bound together meant you had to beg me to sleep with you and then having me wake up with you all over me."

"I should have realized you'd use it against me." Jinki rolled his eyes and stood up quickly, exiting the room as calmly as he could, "Do you have to ruin every moment we have together, Jonghyun?"

Jonghyun followed closely after him as he marched into the kitchen to make them some coffee and breakfast. Jinki decided he wasn't even going to spare the younger another glance, so long as he only used Jinki's kindness as a weapon against himself each time.

The younger male walked away after muttering something under his breath. Jinki took his time in preparing their food, all the while trying to ignore his inner shouts of protest to go back and place himself in Jonghyun's arms once more. By the time the meal had been prepared, Jinki's face had switched from red to normal expression at least twenty times, and he his lips nervously as he turned around to go search for the male.

Jonghyun had taken his position from the night before, his arms crossed and a smirk playing on his lips as he watched Jinki, "What's making you so red, Jinx?"

"Nothing." Jinki muttered as he attempted to place the food on the table and brush past the younger to the bathroom.

The younger caught his arm, and Jinki froze in place, turning his head to see what Jonghyun could possibly want. 

"You need to be more careful when you cook. There are stains all over your face." Jonghyun brushed at his cheek, and Jinki's eyes almost fluttered shut.

Luckily, Jinki caught himself before he could, and the elder pulled his face back and walked past him to the bathroom, "I'll clean off in the bathroom."

After that, Jinki just couldn't stay around the younger for too long without going red in the face.