They’re hanging out in Andy’s house, just the two of them. Hyesung brought them both a mixture of snacks and soft drinks (“I’m still trying to get over my last hangover so we’ll have to stick with soda for today.”) and Andy has his gaming system ready and running for the both of them to play.

They talk about nonsensical things as they sift through game after game, title after title. They talk about the other members as they try to beat each other senseless at a fighting game. They talk about Andy’s juniors in TOP media as they relax with virtual golf. They talk about their families as they get back in the heat of it with a cutthroat racing game.

By the end of it Andy’s exhausted, but he has to admit that it’s the most fun he’s had in a while. Full with snacks and bloated with carbonated drinks as he was, he still can’t stop the smile that blooms in his face when he beats Hyesung—for the third time!—at the racing game.

“Admit it, hyung,” Andy gloats, “You at this game.”

With a groan Hyesung collapses on the couch, all the while Andy preens himself at another flawless victory over the older man.

“I’m just not at my best is all,” Hyesung huffs, crossing his arms, “My eyes are already tired so my reflexes aren’t as fast.”

“Keep telling yourself that, hyung.”

Hyesung launches himself onto Andy, to which Andy responds with a high-pitched shriek of terror, and starts tickling his sides, smirking all the while. Andy, pinned down and helpless on the couch cushions, can only struggle and squirm as Hyesung hits all his weak spots.

“Admit defeat.”

“Ha—nev—hahaha—never!”

Andy lifts a knee and kicks at Hyesung’s back, catching his hyung in surprise. That’s when he turns the table around by letting Hyesung have a taste of his own medicine. With a single swoop Andy has Hyesung pinned under him while he lets loose a barrage tickles and pokes. Hyesung fights under Andy’s ministrations, but doesn’t actually try to kick Andy off like Andy knows he can.

“Hey—haha—g-get off!”

“No, not until you admit defeat.”

“Andy!”

They go on with their little tickle fight until the both of them are out of breath, shirts disheveled and hairs in even further disarray, and fighting to get air back into their lungs.

“Why do we,” Hyesung gasps, “still do this?”

Andy can only pant in response, gulping down lungfuls of air to try and get his head to stop spinning from the lack of oxygen.

“We,” Hyesung sighs, finally regaining his breath, “are definitely not young anymore.”

Andy still can’t find it in himself to respond with actual words, so he only groans in agreement.

Hyesung laughs at him, but gets up from the couch to go into the kitchen, coming out with a glass of water. He hands it to Andy, which Andy took gratefully, as he watches Andy practically inhale the water with greedy gulps. Leaving not one drop in the glass once he’s done.

“Thank you, hyung,” Andy says, sighing in relief, and looks up to smile at Hyesung.

“Anytime, Andy-yah.”

Andy’s about to ask if Hyesung wants Andy to get a glass of water for him as well when he’s cut off by the sight of Hyesung sitting back down on the couch with a ragged exhale.

“Are you okay, hyung—”

Andy doesn’t get to finish his question as Hyesung leans towards Andy and rests his head on Andy’s shoulder, rubbing his cheek against the soft fabric of Andy’s shirt.

Thump.

Andy’s speechless at first, but he finds his words after a while of silence—with Hyesung still using his shoulder as a makeshift pillow and his chest moving with every soft and even breath. “What’s wrong, hyung?”

“Hmm? Nothing’s wrong,” Hyesung says, turning slightly to nuzzle Andy’s neck, “I just feel like doing this. Is it weird?”

Thump.

“Yes. Frankly, it’s kind of creepy,” Andy says as he squirms when he feels Hyesung’s nose against the sensitive skin of his neck.

“You little .”

Thump.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You’re not usually this affectionate.”

Thump.

“Like I said: I just felt like it.”

Thump.

It takes a while for Andy to realize that the loud, even thumping he’s been hearing is the sound of his own heart beating against his ribcage. Andy doesn’t know why his heart is thumping so loudly with something he’s supposed to be used to—he’s a member of Shinhwa for goodness sake—but he doesn’t have the time to question it, because the next thing he knows, he hears soft snores emanating from the man next to him.

“Hyung?”

No answer. Not that he expects any. Hyesung’s head has gone leaden on his shoulder and his arms lie slack by his sides. Andy groans, resisting the urge to just smack Hyesung awake for having dared to fall asleep on him—while they were talking even!

Not that he actually would do it. He does value his life and Hyesung is merciless when he wants to.

Still, he does realize that Hyesung is tired and Andy knows he should let him rest. But Hyesung isn’t a very heavy sleeper, Andy doesn’t think he can remove Hyesung from him without waking him up. So he resigns himself to his fate and leans back on the couch, trying to get more comfortable with his limited mobility.

He turns his head slightly, very carefully so as to not wake Hyesung up, and kisses the top of his head.

“Good night, hyung.”

He thinks he hears a muttered good night, but he doesn’t pay it any mind as he closes his eyes and joins his hyung in the land of dreams.

A/N: This tooth-rotting fluff is a prelude for rougher tides ahead. Be warned. By the way, I decided to split this into 'acts'. Act 1 is supposed to be rather short so I think one or two more chapters should suffice before the intermission into Act 2. And then we get into the meatier stuff! I'm excited!  ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ