“How are the other boys? How is Hanbin? Are the two of you still staying up all night composing?”

Bobby smiled at his mother's questions. “Everyone's okay, slowly getting better over time. Hanbin's okay. Still staying up a little later than he probably needs to, but, that's Hanbin.”

“Jiwon-ah, you should be making sure he sleeps well. You're his hyung, you take care of him!” his mother scolded him.

Bobby just laughed. “He's not a baby, mom! He knows how much sleep he needs.”

“That doesn't matter! You're responsible for anyone younger than you there, it's important for you to look after them.”

“I try to, I promise! Hanbin doesn't always let me, but that doesn't stop me from trying.” Bobby grinned. Even from halfway across the world, she never hesitated to nag him about his responsibilities. He didn't mind in this case, though.

His mother smiled back at him from the computer screen. “They're your family, Jiwon, you take care of your brothers. Especially Hanbin! You tell him that if I hear he's not sleeping enough, I'm going to call his mother.”

Bobby laughed at the threat. “Oh he'll love that; I'll be sure to tell him.”

Hanbin leaned against the wall, listening to Bobby's middle of the night conversation with his mother. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, he'd just been on his way to the kitchen when he'd heard Bobby's voice in the living room. The first time Hanbin had walked in on Bobby Skyping with his family, he'd been invited into the video conversation and he'd spent ten minutes being grilled by Bobby's mother about how her precious son was doing. Since then he'd randomly dropped into Bobby's Skype sessions any time he heard him having them, and he was always met with a bright smile and an affectionate greeting. Bobby's family was ridiculously welcoming.

He was tempted to go and join Bobby now, but he hung back instead, his mind turning to recent events. It wasn't that there was a problem between he and Bobby, not really, but things had been awkward for the past few weeks, and Hanbin knew it was his fault. Hanbin had always known that there was something special about Bobby—something different that set him apart from the others. There was something that drew Hanbin to him in a way that he'd never been drawn to another person before, something that made him stronger, yet also more vulnerable. It was an awkward feeling that he’d been unsure how to deal with.

They'd occasionally messed around with each other over the years they'd been together, but it had never been anything serious, just kisses here and there, s when they were too stressed out to work, sleeping in the same bed at night when they were feeling lonely. But two weeks ago Bobby had taken it to another level, had uttered a confession that Hanbin wasn't able to deal with yet. Despite constantly yearning for the familiarity of a relationship, Hanbin was willing to admit that he was pretty terrible at actually forming relationships. It wasn't just from a romantic sense, either, he had an equal amount of trouble when it came to retaining friendships as well. Outside of his YG family of brothers, he didn't really have any friends. It was just as well though, because he didn't have time for anyone outside of the business.

But Bobby had spoken words to him one evening, when it was just the two of them sitting outside, and he'd said them so casually that Hanbin still wasn't sure if Bobby had realized he'd said them at all. But Hanbin had heard them and ever since then he'd felt weird around Bobby (which was stupid, and he knew it was stupid, but he couldn't get over it). It was especially stupid because if he was being honest with himself, falling in love with Bobby sounded like the greatest idea in the world. On paper it would be the perfect relationship for him (barring the obvious issues like potentially ending both of their careers, of course) but in practice it was harder to achieve.

He wasn't even sure if Bobby realized the effect it had had on him—Hanbin now felt awkward any time he was alone with him, while Bobby treated Hanbin the same as he always had. That continued familiarity in the face of a terrifying (for Hanbin) confession had only led to Hanbin spending every available minute holed up in the studio, hiding and writing music. It was an effective solution so far, a legitimate excuse for disappearing. It also didn’t hurt that he was getting some good songs written, so in a way the awkwardness was working out well for him, because good songs were the most important thing at the moment.

But now he stood against the wall, listening to Bobby's tearful goodbye to his mother (it was closing in on three years since he'd last seen her, and thinking about it made Hanbin's heart ache, the amount of time he'd been separated from his family incomprehensible) and he knew he ought to leave and give Bobby the privacy he wanted in moments like this, but he was rooted to the spot. If Bobby had truly meant what he'd said to Hanbin weeks ago, and Hanbin had been doing his best to avoid being alone with him since that night, then he realized that things were probably worse for Bobby than usual. Sometimes it was hard to gauge how Bobby was really doing, because he was so good at playing the role of supportive hyung. He was careful to not let anyone other than Jinhwan see him upset (and Hanbin only knew about that from their days together as a trio, when Bobby would sneak into Jinhwan's bed to cry about missing his family, thinking that Hanbin was asleep and not listening, but he'd always been listening).

But as Hanbin stood and watched Bobby now, listening to the shuddering breaths that were fighting to hold back tears, he couldn't help but feel a surge of protectiveness well up in his chest. Watching Bobby cry was difficult, and while Hanbin had always been content before to say that it was difficult only because Bobby was usually so carefree and happy, it was harder now because he felt partially responsible. Maybe, if he hadn’t been doing his best to ignore Bobby as of late, he wouldn’t be ending his Skype call in tears.

Bobby might be his hyung, but Hanbin was still his leader, and he was also falling in love. Bobby deserved something better than sitting alone at three in the morning, crying by himself over family he couldn't physically get to.

Hanbin made a split second decision then, quickly slipping into Bobby's room and heading for his bed. With deft fingers he picked up Bobby's ratty old stuffed bear, grinning to himself despite the situation. Of all the dumb things he'd ever thought about doing, this was going to be the dumbest. But it was for Bobby, so Hanbin pushed on with the plan. He made his way back to the living room, stopping abruptly when he heard Bobby sniffling quietly. Clutching the bear in his hands he made his way around to the other side of the couch, hiding Pooh behind his back.

Bobby noticed him and sat up right away, left hand coming up to wipe at his eyes. “Hanbin-ah, what are you doing up? You should be sleeping.” Bobby's voice was heavy with unshed emotion, the strain of trying to be quiet about his grief.

Hanbin sank onto the couch next to him, purposefully not looking at Bobby. Instead he curled into his side, head resting on Bobby's bicep. He brought the stuffed bear out from behind his back and set it on Bobby's chest. He put on his best Winnie the Pooh voice (which was admittedly quite terrible) and spoke. “Hanbin isn't here, it's just me, Pooh!”

Bobby couldn't help but laugh at the action, though he was more surprised than anything. He couldn't remember the last time Hanbin had done something this dorky. It had been months, surely, not since the summer, in happier times. But more than that he was surprised to find Hanbin cuddled up to him, physically closer than he'd let himself get during the past two weeks. Bobby knew exactly why Hanbin had been keeping his distance lately, and while he'd been desperate to talk to him about it, he knew that Hanbin needed time to figure things out. Usually shoving Hanbin head first into something was the way to go, but when it came to interpersonal relationships, Hanbin needed extreme hand-holding to lead him in the right direction. Bobby understood that, so he'd been patient. It had been difficult lately, given their situation, but Bobby had thrown himself into caring for the other members to make up for the crater Hanbin's aloofness had left in him. So if Hanbin was finally ready to submit to playful closeness, Bobby would play right along with him. “Ah, right, I thought I saw Hanbin but I guess I must have been seeing things.”

Hanbin grinned, finding it hard to keep from laughing. “No, Hanbin is in bed sleeping! You should be in bed sleeping too, Bobby!”

“Should I? You're so wise, Pooh.” Bobby reached out to pat the top of the bear's head, letting his fingers drop down behind the stuffed animal until they brushed over Hanbin's hand.

“Oh thank you, Bobby, it's so nice of you to say that.” Hanbin tried not to laugh as he kept up the facade. “You know what, Bobby?”

“What, Pooh?”

Hanbin turned Pooh’s head from side to side before bringing the bear closer to Bobby’s face. He spoke his next line in a loud whisper. “I really like Hanbin.”

Bobby laughed at the whispered comment, feeling exceptionally grateful to Hanbin at the moment for whatever had prompted him to get over his awkwardness. “I'm happy to hear that, Pooh.”

“Bobby, do you like Hanbin?” Hanbin wasn't quite certain how he was managing to get through this without bursting into embarrassed laughter, but it was so worth it, because the change in Bobby's mood was evident. Hanbin could feel it laying against his arm, Bobby's body language far more relaxed than it had been a minute ago. He’d gladly play the fool if it made Bobby laugh.

Bobby grinned and shook his head, so tempted to call Hanbin out on his dorky behaviour. But he kept up with the charade, because the laughter was good for him at the moment. “Of course I like Hanbin; you know that Pooh.”

“How much do you like him, Bobby?”

Bobby was silent for a moment, contemplating his answer. Hanbin knew exactly how much Bobby liked him, knew that Bobby liked him maybe a little bit more than he should. “I like him as much as I like you, Pooh.”

“Wow,” Hanbin answered, “you must like him a lot, then.”

Bobby couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, wondering what Hanbin was up to. “I do, and I hope he knows that.”

Hanbin smiled against Bobby's arm, pleased with his decision. “He knows.”

“Does he?” Bobby asked, amused that they'd kept this up as long as they had so far. “How do you know that?”

“Sometimes, when you're not around, I talk to Hanbin.”

Bobby stifled a laugh, unbidden mental image of Hanbin whispering secrets to his stuffed bear coming to mind. “Oh yeah? What do you and Hanbin talk about?”

“Stuff,” Hanbin replied, wanting to elaborate but not trusting himself to carry on speaking at the moment. Laughter was threatening to bubble out any second now.

“What kind of stuff?” Bobby inquired, not about to let Hanbin off the hook. He was being way too cute at the moment.

“You know; music, training, honey,” Hanbin tightened his lips and pressed his face against Bobby's arm, silent laughter shaking his core.

Bobby couldn't help but laugh out loud. “You and Hanbin talk about honey?” This was getting ridiculous, but Bobby didn't even care. He felt the awkward tension of the past two weeks evaporating, and with it his heart grew infinitely lighter.

“Oh yeah, we like honey a lot, it’s very good for your throat.” Hanbin answered.

Bobby pressed his head back into the couch, mindful of their sleeping members and trying not to laugh too loudly. As much as he'd kill for the others to see Hanbin like this, he also selfishly wanted to keep this side of Hanbin for himself only. “Well Pooh, you and Hanbin seem like you have a lot in common.”

“We do.” Hanbin answered, flexing the fingers that were holding the bear up on Bobby's chest, taking a moment to figure out how to say what he wanted to say next. “Bobby, if I tell you something that Hanbin told me, will you promise not to tell him that you know?”

“Of course I will.” Bobby promised. Was Hanbin about to say what Bobby had been waiting to hear for the past few weeks?

“You have to promise me you won't tell him; he told me that he's really nervous about saying these kinds of things.”

Bobby was glad Hanbin was currently curled up against him, because he'd probably die a little inside if Hanbin saw the look on his face right now—the world's dopiest smile. “I promise I won't say a word, Pooh.”

Hanbin had drawn himself into a tense ball, because he wasn't good at this sort of thing. He should probably be embarrassed about admitting his feelings for Bobby this way, but something told him that Bobby wouldn't really care how he said it—all that would matter is actually saying it.

“He told me that he loves you a lot, and that he's really lucky to have you.”

Bobby couldn't help but get a little choked up over Hanbin's words—he'd been patiently waiting for them until they'd been ready to come out. This wasn't exactly the way he'd envisioned hearing them, but as he looked down at his beloved childhood treasure, Hanbin's fingers peeking out from the side of a sagging but upright Pooh Bear, and felt the warm breath of his favourite person in the world on his arm, he couldn't imagine a more perfect confession.

Hanbin nervously waited for Bobby's response, because despite knowing how Bobby felt about him, he still felt awkward about admitting his own feelings.

Bobby didn't speak right away, yearning for something more physical. He moved his arm out from under Hanbin's head, instead wrapping it around his shoulders and pulling Hanbin in closer to him until his head rested on Bobby's chest. He smiled when he felt Hanbin's arm squeeze its way in between his back and the couch, and suddenly Pooh was laying face down on his chest as Hanbin wrapped his other arm around Bobby's front, hugging him tightly and burying his face in Bobby's hoodie.

Bobby kept his arm snugly around Hanbin's shoulders, but settled his other hand on Hanbin's face, his thumb softly rubbing his cheek. He lowered his head until he could press his face into Hanbin's hair, closing his eyes and simply savouring the moment. Having Hanbin in his arms like this felt right to Bobby, they melded together perfectly, and Bobby felt at peace. He slid fingers underneath Hanbin's chin, tilting his face up until he could look him in the eyes. He was expecting Hanbin to look away (because despite his admission, Bobby knew Hanbin was still going to be exceptionally awkward about romantic gestures) but to his surprise Hanbin met his gaze and held it, as though he were waiting for something to happen.

Bobby smiled and just stared at him for a few seconds before speaking his answer to Hanbin's confession. “I love you too, Hanbin-ah.”

Hanbin smiled in response, because this time the words didn't scare him the way they had the first time. This time they released a dozen butterflies in his stomach, and he wanted nothing more than to fall asleep in Bobby's arms. He also kind of wanted to throw up just a little, because he felt like maybe this whole being in love business was a tad bit too flowery for him. Maybe though, it was something he would grow into over time. He hoped so.

Bobby didn't expect Hanbin to make any proclamations again so soon, he could see the affection clear in his eyes at any rate—Bobby didn't need words. He did, however, lean his head down for a kiss, pressing his lips to Hanbin's, softer than any kiss they'd shared previously. He felt Hanbin's tongue prodding at his lips first and that was as good as any verbal declaration as far as Bobby was concerned. The kiss was long and sweet, everything Bobby had found himself craving whenever he'd looked at Hanbin during the past two weeks. When they finally parted Bobby remembered how they'd even gotten here in the first place and he couldn't help but laugh.

“I guess we ought to thank Mr. Pooh, huh?”

Hanbin laughed at Bobby's comment, feeling a slight blush start to creep over his cheeks. Had he really declared his feelings vocalizing through a stuffed animal? Embarrassing. “Hyung,” Hanbin said, “that was actually me you were talking to the whole time.”

Bobby grinned and tightened his arm around Hanbin, feeling so ridiculously in love at that moment. “You are such a ing dork,” he said, with all the affection he could muster, before pulling Hanbin in closer for another kiss.

“Mm, but you love me for it.” Hanbin said before pressing his mouth to Bobby's, and all Bobby could think was yes, absolutely yes.