Jiho is warm.

 

Soft, gentle heat envelops him, from his head to his toes, all emanating from the compact little body in his arms.

 

Taeil sleeps quietly, back against Jiho's chest. His even breaths mirror Jiho's in and out, in and out, back touching lightly against Jiho's chest on every inhale. His head is pillowed on Jiho's bicep, baby-soft hair like velvet on his skin. Cool air puffs from between his small, swollen lips, and Jiho smiles quietly to himself as he feels it touch lightly at his elbow. His other arm rests across Taeil's solid waist, hand splayed over his sternum, holding him close.

 

His legs press close behind Taeil's, thigh to thigh and knee to knee, and Jiho takes wicked pleasure in how Taeil's feet stop so soon before his own.

 

Taeil had been so tired when he'd arrived at Jiho's apartment he'd been actually worried for a while. He'd listed to the side as soon as he'd walked in the door, and Jiho wasn't totally sure that he wouldn't have just fallen to the ground had he not been there to catch him. He'd laid against Jiho's chest so heavily then, completely silent, fingers holding so loosely to Jiho's sleeves that they were hardly grasping at all.

 

He knows that Taeil hasn't been getting much sleep lately, had known, but that doesn't make being confronted with the result any easier.

 

He'd immediately led Taeil to his bedroom, pulling off his shoes, socks, and jeans, before laying him down and crawling in behind him. 

 

Jiho is one of the few people on earth that know of how much Taeil loves cuddling, being close to someone as he sleeps and feeling their heartbeat, and he's obscenely proud of having that knowledge. He puts it to use often, like now. 

 

Taeil had given in to sleep almost immediately, small hands curled childishly against Jiho's arm. Before he'd fallen he'd mumbled something, lips soft and smooth against Jiho's skin, unintelligible. Jiho had tried to ask what he'd said, but by the time he'd gotten the words out, Taeil was already unconscious.

 

So Jiho just lets him sleep.