Nights like this were rare. In fact, Seunghyun couldn’t remember the last time he’d had both Daesung and Youngbae to himself. Daesung was always in Japan now-a-days, and Youngbae, when around, was usually glued to Jiyong’s hip. But the leader and the maknae both had schedules, and so it was just the three of them left to their own devices.

The city outside was ice and cold and wind-driven rain. Grey light filtered in through the small kitchen window. In an attempt to aid the overtaxed radiator they bundled into sweatpants and hoodies and gave up any hope of separating the socks in the ‘clean’ basket into pairs, settling for  any two that would fit.

Seunghyun, draped in a blanket-cape, suggested a drama marathon and the other two - for the lack of any other ideas - agreed. He settled himself in the center of the couch and used his toes to pull their ottoman up flush against it, so his long limbs could sprawl unimpeded. He hooked his arms regally in his cape and arched an eyebrow at Daesung. He jerked his head to the empty spot on his right and Daesung smiled, leaping over him to snuggle into his side. Youngbae appeared from the bedrooms, laden with fluffy comforters, which he piled on Seunghyun before disappearing back into the kitchen.

Seunghyun kicked the blankets up over him and Daesung. Nicely covered, they began the hard work of heating their nest while Seunghyun flicked through the DVR menu, pulling Daesung into him. After a beep of the microwave and some rustling, Youngbae appeared with a large bowl of popcorn which he promptly perched on Seunghyun’s stomach before diving into Seunghyun’s other side.

Seunghyun whined at the burst of cold disturbing his peace when Youngbae invaded their cocoon, but as Youngbae instantly snuggled into his free side and began warming him, he let it go.

He queued up the drama they’d all five started months ago and then got too busy to finish, as was common. Youngbae mentioned they might, probably, should wait for Jiyong and Seungri but Daesung laughed at him and s a finger over Seunghyun’s hand on the remote to push play.

Easy as breathing, Seunghyun’s arms fitted themselves over the shoulders of his dongsaengs as the drama played out for them. Natural as light, Daesung’s fingers fed him popcorn every time he took some for himself. When he whined that his feet just wouldn’t warm up Youngbae kicked his legs so his hyung could tuck frigid toes between his calves.

Partway through the third episode, with night firmly surrounding them, Daesung’s toes wandered over to join his hyungs’. Seunghyun smiled and shifted a leg to trap Daesung’s feet.

By the beginning of the fourth episode, the popcorn bowl was discarded on the floor by Youngbae. At its end Seunghyun fished the remote from where it had slipped between his and Youngbae’s bodies, fingers blindly pushing the play button because his eyes were caught by Youngbae’s, his smile mirroring that on his dongsaeng’s face. He looked to his other side where Daesung’s expression was matching theirs. As the opening credits rolled they all stretched into each other and sighed in unison.

Shoulders aching, Seunghyun moved his arms by his side and his dongsaengs moved to lay their heads on his chest. Overheated they each draped an arm over the covers, hands resting lightly on his stomach. While the romantic leads played out their angst on the screen Youngbae and Daesung’s fingers intertwined, rising and falling with Seunghyun’s even breaths.

No one was awake to start episode seven.

Sometime after midnight but before dawn Jiyong and Seungri arrived home, to snicker and fall over each other at the sight of their band-mates, passed out on the couch and bathed in the blue light of the vacant television. They made sure to take plenty of pictures of Seunghyun’s slack mouth, videos of his puffs of breath ruffling Daesung’s hair and Youngbae’s fingers lightly Seunghyun’s chest in his sleep. Secure with their blackmail material they wandered to their beds, dropping down the heater so it wouldn’t overheat the cozy pile on the couch.

Youngbae woke first and was delicate in extracting himself from Seunghyun’s limbs. He was careful in the kitchen as he prepared a breakfast of rice and warmed-over leftovers. Daesung woke next, poking and teasing his hyung into groggy grumpiness and then fond affectionate chuckles.

They stumbled into the kitchen together, Seunghyun fastidious in the arrangement - re-arrangement - of his blanket cape. It draped around him majestically as he sat, only to slip off when he grabbed at Daesung, complaining that his favorite dongsaeng couldn’t leave him to sit on the opposite side of the table. Daesung didn’t protest, he simply settled himself onto his hyung’s lap and perched his chin on a fist to await Youngbae’s meal.

Daesung made sure to feed both his hyungs once all the food was laid out. Not that they didn’t feed themselves, but he affectionately selected the prettiest morsels to offer to Seunghyun and Youngbae.

Seunghyun whined, protesting that the rules may be fair but the universe was decidedly cruel when it conspired to make it his turn to do dishes. None of them were sure how it started, who shoved, or teased, or tripped first, but Jiyong and Seungri were pulled from their rooms by the shouts and thuds of an all out wrestling match on the living room floor.

Jiyong hooked an arm around Seungri’s waist and laughed as limbs tangled and hair was pulled. But he and the maknae looked at each other when the mood shifted and punches turned to pulls and shouts turned to ‘accidental’ brushes of lips on skin. As pleasant as it would be to watch the trio of lovebirds, they had too much to do. So the two waded in to break it all up, to groans and complaints all around.

“Next time,” the leader promised them, “next time,” then went in search of food.