The same time he opens the door, Yixing shuts his eyes tightly, ready to brace himself from the usual force that would greet him so strong he’d stumble backward a bit; welcoming him into a pair of warm arms which belong to his Jongdae; and his husband’s cute little face planted firm on Yixing’s chest, smearing him with an affectionate nuzzles rivalling a gesture from a cat.

He opens one of his eyes when nothing happens; scanning the hall to observe any weird movement which might startle him from any direction had he fails to be aware and extra careful. The silent atmosphere makes his stomach churns at the uneasy feeling of his home being so quiet without the cheery sounds of Jongdae he has accustomed to. The rest of the living room is dark, except for the tiny light coming from where he is standing near the entrance, so Yixing carefully slipped on his pair of fuzzy sheep slippers before he switches on the light.

“Baby?”

His feet bring him to the kitchen, eyes sweeping shortly across the dining area just to check on the place. Somewhat, it’s a disturbing silence and for once, chasing away any uncomfortable possibilities that come across his mind just makes him even more anxious and a little panic.

“Jongdae?”

Yixing ignores the relentless beating of his heart so he might appear to be positive and rational. If something goes wrong, he needs to act smart and thinks calmly. He is weighing the possibility that Jongdae might have gone out and forgot to leave a text for him beforehand, and if that’s turn out to be the case, he needs to have a word with Jongdae later on for leaving him so worried and clueless.

He freezes on the spot when his eyes accidentally hooked on one of Jongdae’s grey kitten slippers stuck on the space between the couch and the coffee table, while its other pair scattered abruptly somewhere near their television cabinet.

A sudden rush of the worst scenario bursting through his head and he run towards his bedroom, only now realizing that the door is wide opened and not a single light has been switched on inside. Yixing almost missed the faintest sound of breathing inside, because the idea of someone had broken into their apartment and tried to kill Jongdae is starting to blur out his vision and his thinking capacity apparently.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Yixing stomps his way to the bed, reaching a hand to pull the string on the bedside lamp while sitting on the side of the bed. The room is filled with the colour of orange in instant, and he scoots closer towards the person lying down on the mattress, framing his body with both of his arms as he leans forward.

Jongdae’s breathing is slow and quiet, and if it’s not for the fact that he looks very much like a baby so at peace in his sleep—and the fact that Yixing loves him to death to actually disturb him from his deep slumber, of course—Yixing would already have screamed on his ear to startle the sleeping man awake for making him so worried earlier before. Instead, Yixing bends down to place a kiss on Jongdae’s temple, expecting a pair of dark brown orbs to stare at him sleepily.

He frowns when Jongdae stays unresponsive, leaning down once more to peck on the other’s lips. His husband is a light sleeper. Easily could get woken up even by the distant sound of traffic way beneath their apartment unit. And usually at this rate, he would already have Yixing pinned down underneath him, grinning at his victory for being the stronger one between them. But right now, he is still in his dreamland and Yixing can sense his uneasiness coming back to him.

His thumb sweeps at Jongdae’s cheek slowly, whispering his name as he brings his face closer to inspect anything extraordinary he fails to observe in