The fluorescent light over the sink is a beacon in the dark void of the kitchen, and Junghwan squints as he approaches the refrigerator beside it. He grunts as his sleep-crusted eyes are forced shut even more by the brightness of the fridge lamp. His hands fumble blindly through the shelves until he successfully s a pudding cup. Eyes now fully adjusted, he nabs a spoon from the silverware drawer, Leaning against the counter, he peels the plastic of the top of the pudding and dips his spoon in. He takes an over-flowing spoonful into his mouth and closes his eyes in satisfaction. Damn, he needed that.

“Can’t sleep?” Junghwan’s eyes snap open. Who the hell else could be up at 2AM? Oh, Dongwoo. The usually bespectacled boy in front of Junghwan is unconsciously making his bedhead worse as he runs his hands through his hair.

“Yeah,” Junghwan replies between spoonfuls.

“Me too,” Dongwoo yawns. Junghwan glances down at his pudding. He reluctantly offers it to Dongwoo.

“You want some?” Dongwoo shakes his head.

“Nah, I know how much you enjoy your midnight snacks.” Junghwan pulls the pudding back towards himself.

“Thanks,” He says through a mouthful.

Dongwoo chuckles, “No problem.” The two of them stand across from each other in silence until Junghwan places his spoon in the sink and tosses the plastic cup into the trash can. He retakes his position in front of the sink.

    “What do you do when you can’t sleep?” He asks Dongwoo. Dongwoo shrugs.

    “Go for a walk, usually. Get some fresh air y’know? Or at least as fresh as Seoul air gets.” He pauses, contemplating, “Do you wanna come with?”

    “Yeah,” Junghwan nods.

    “Alright, just let me get dressed. You may want to bundle up too, it’s pretty cold out.”

    “Ok.” Junghwan watches as Dongwoo goes to closet and fetches both their jackets, a hat, and a scarf. He pulls the hat over his bedhead and hands Junghwan his jacket. Junghwan silently puts it on. By the time he is done, Dongwoo has his jacket on too. Dongwoo comes close to Junghwan and wraps the scarf around his neck. Their faces are inches apart, and Junghwan can feel his face redden, even though they have yet to take a step outside. Dongwoo smiles, and backs away before checking his pockets for the dorm keys. Junghwan isn’t sure how he’d explain his relationship with Dongwoo, only that it differs from his relationships with the rest of B1A4. They would occasionally exchange affectionate glances or touches, and when they were left alone together there would always be this kind of tension between the two of them that Junghwan hadn’t experienced with any of the other members. It’s like they’re dating, but they’re not dating, and  he was never sure if he wanted to take it any farther than that. He felt that changing their relationship as Junghwan and Dongwoo would negatively affect their relationship as Sandeul and Shinwoo, as B1A4. Other times, he wished he could just say it all and tell Dongwoo that he likes him without worrying about what will happen in the future. But for now, they’re just going for a walk. Junghwan doesn’t object when Dongwoo slips his hand into Junghwan’s as they step into the frigid air. The world is quiet and still, aside from the sound of their soles hitting the pavement. A light snowfall begins, and their breaths appear in front of them in soft puffs of white. They only stop when Dongwoo pulls Junghwan over to a bench, and they decide to sit and take a break.

    “It’s nice, isn’t it?” Dongwoo asks, and Junghwan hums in agreement. “Late night walks alone always help me relax, but I think I like them better when I can share them with you.” He looks at Junghwan with a gentle smile on his face, his eyes twinkling with happiness. Junghwan’s hand clamps over his mouth to hide his own smile and he turns away, blushing.

    “Ugh, you’re so cheesy,” he whines. Dongwoo laughs.

    “Yeah, I know. But it’s true.”

    Junghwan scoffs, still smiling, until he feels Dongwoo tug at his hand (which he was, in fact, still holding). “Junghwan?” Junghwan turns back towards Dongwoo. The other boy is staring into his eyes intently, and Junghwan’s smile melts into a more serious expression.“Can I?” Junghwan already knows what Dongwoo wants without the need for him to actually say it. Can I kiss you?

    “Yes,” he breathes, and Dongwoo leans in, pressing his lips to Junghwan’s in a sweet but chaste kiss. And Junghwan is okay with that. He is okay with baby steps. This is their happy medium. They’re not going in full throttle, but they’re not going to stop. They’ll ease into it. Dongwoo breaks away, his hands still on the back of Junghwan’s head, his hair.

    “I really like you, Junghwan,” he whispers.

    “I know,” Junghwan murmurs.

    “And you like me too?” Dongwoo says cautiously, as if the answer could be no.

    “Uh-huh,” Junghwan smiles, and Dongwoo returns it with one of his own. He wraps his arms around Junghwan and pulls him close.

    “Thank you,” he sighs.

    The two of them walk back to the dorm a little warmer and giddier than before. They try to enter quietly, and they both shed their jackets and shoes with care before all but flopping onto the couch with newfound exhaustion.

    “Maybe I’ll sleep better if I share a bed with you, too,” Dongwoo smirks from his position underneath Junghwan.

    “Stop it,” Junghwan giggles sleepily, burying his face into Dongwoo’s shoulder.

    “Hey, it’s true,” he says, holding Junghwan tighter, like he might slip away.
    “Just shut up and go to sleep,” Junghwan mutters into Dongwoo’s neck. As they lay there, the sound of their combined breathing lulls them to sleep, Junghwan feels like he has no cares in the world, and he likes it that way, just him and Dongwoo. Junghwan and Dongwoo.

    The next morning, Junghwan is half-awaken by the heavy footfalls of one Cha Sunwoo, who looms over the couch in neon pink boxers with his toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. He doesn’t seem remotely surprised at the fact Junghwan and Dongwoo fell asleep cuddling on the couch, and simply says: “Well, it took you guys long enough.”