Kihyun fell asleep in Hoseoks arm but his sleep is impermanent when after what feels like barely ten minutes some cruel devil turns on the light.

" And as you can see, my friends, they're in bed and together and everything is fine."

"Minhyuk!" Kihyun groans and hides his face in the pillow.

" Oh, sorry. Did we wake you up?"

He doesn't sound sorry at all.

"What do you want?!" Kihyun asks, his voice muffled by the pillow. Next to him, Hoseok starts to stir.

" Well… from left to right: Changkyun was scared about a possible break up and the involving question of where he should live then, Hyungwon and Jooheon where afraid that Hoseok messed up too much, Hyunwoo was a bit nervous because none of you answered his texts and I'm here to check if your kidney is fine."

"You do know this was rhetorical."

Kihyun slowly sits up and blinks into the light.

And, indeed, there a five pairs of eyes staring back at him.

" Hyung?", Changkyun hides slightly behind Minhyuks back. " Are you two still fighting?"

" You do realise I'm in his bed and not on the couch?" Hoseok slings one arm around Kihyuns shoulder and hangs there like a wet bag.

" I told you, guys.", Minhyuk beams at the others. " I was worried first but after Hyunwoo enlightened me about Wo-- Hoseoks situation I was sure Kihyun would never break up with him out of such a small reason. It's not like he will ever find someone better either way."

"Minyhuk!" Kihyun yells.

" What? Look at you all puffy in your face."

"If we close our eyes for a moment they might disappear and never come back." Kihyun whispers over to Hoseok but said blonde falls back onto the pillow without a word and fast asleep again.

Kihyun envies him to no end, but now that he is awake he can as well just get up for a bit longer.

" Did you eat?"

" Now this is what I wanted to hear. Shoo shoo, my children.", he pushes Hyungwon and Jooheon out the door. " Mom will make us a midnight snack"

"Lee Minhyuk!!!"

 

OOO

 

It isn't too bad Kihyun figures out as he stands in the kitchen and mixes together whatever he can find in the fridge.
Surely, it is late, almost early and he is tired as hell but he can sleep in either way in the morning and after he realised then neither him nor Hoseok wrote the others even a small message to clear things up he feels kind of bad for worrying them.

Cooking for twenty minutes therefore seems to be fine.

Minhyuk comes into the kitchen when he just fired up the pan.

His back hugs are different than Hoseoks. Less protective, less longing and more of the used to kind. Warm, familiar, comfortable. They shared many over the years.

" You doing okay?" Minhyuk asks, the playfulness gone from his voice.

" Yes. As good as it can be tonight. You?"

" I'll be my usual self after a bit of sleep.", he rests his chin on Kihyuns head. " I was really worried about you today."

Kihyun doesn't respond but Minhyuk has known him long enough by now to know he is listening.

" Chihwan went way too far this time and I'll make sure he'll pay for a long time."

"That includes?"

" Ordering 20 pizzas and let them get delivered to  his house.."

Kihyun chuckles and puts a few onions to the noodles.

Minhyuk releases him and leans against the counter next to him.

" But seriously.", he runs a finger over the spot on Kihyuns neck. " This has gone way too far and I hope you won't have a trauma."

"I think it'll be fine."

" You sure."

" I guess."

"I heard about Hoseok."

Kihyun pauses for a moment and looks at him. " How?"

"Hyunwoo told me about… his little problem after we had waited a while for you. If you ask me… I think it is okay. As long as this won't harm you."

" As if he'd ever harm me."

" True."

"We talked about things out. He was honestly sorry for acting so cold."

" You were cold, too."

Kihyun grimaces at the memory and Minhyuk lightly laughs. " I'm happy you have someone that can protect you."

"I can protect myself."

"Leave the feminist home for once, Kihyun."

" This is not a matter o--"

Minhyuk hugs and stops him midsentence. " Yes. Bla bla bla. I don't care.", he pats Kihyuns back. " I'm just happy you're okay and still with Hoseok."

"Minhyuk?" Kihyun mumbles quietly into his shoulder.

" What?"

"He said… he loves me…"

" HE WHAT?! YOU ONLY TELL ME NOW?!"

Minhyuks earpiercing echoes through the apartment and Hoseok is wide awake again.

 

OOO
 

Some time later.

 

Kihyun hums while arranging the clothes he got out of the hamper into a coloured and white pile.

Two things are wrong in this picture: firstly, it is not his apartment, but Hoseoks and secondly, he is strictly forbidden of doing any house chores for them, since Hoseok is the strong conviction that it is not his boyfriends task to do their laundry.

But Kihyun simply couldn't help it. So he took the chance as soon as Hoseok went out to buy some groceries.

He pulls another white dress shirt out of a hamper. It must be Changkyuns. He started his classes around two months ago and for that occasion they went out and bought him a few of those. Kihyun smiles when he pulls it out of the pile. He is really proud of Changkyun and he looks so handsome in the shirt.

Wait…

Kihyun pauses.

Something on the collar caught his eyes.

He leans closer.

Yes.

Red.

Already fading red.

His eyes widen in recognition.

Lipstick.

" HYUNGWON!" he yells through the apartment. It only takes seconds for the younger to pull open his door. Fascinating if you take in his usual laziness.

" What's wrong?! Why are you screaming?!"

" Look at this!!"

Kihyun holds the shirt out for him. Hyungwon rolls his eyes. " Hyung… please. I told you we will do i--"

"No! Look!"

With two steps he is over and shoves it into Hyungwons face.

" Lipstick! On Changkyuns collar!"

" What?!"

He pulls it out of Kihyuns eyes and inspects the spot. He slowly lifts his gaze afterwards, eyes wide.

" It is…"

Kihyun has to support himself on Hyungwon. " Oh god… our baby…."

"Why is he having lipstick on his collar?!"

Kihyun groans. " What if his professor ually harasses him?"

Hyungwon takes in a sharp breath of air. " You don't think…"

"Look at him.", Kihyun pats his own cheeks with his hands. " His squishy cheeks, and the naive eyes. Who wouldn't fall for him?"

"Maybe there is another explanation…"

"What?!"

" Maybe…", Hyungwon is trying to come up with something. " What if he got harassed by a drunk person on his way home?"

Kihyun gasps. " No!"

"Maybe!"

" Kihyun. Why are you doing the laundry again?" An exasperated Hoseok comes into the room.

Kihyun pulls the shirt away form Hyungwon.

"Hoseok! It's bad?"

" What is bad?"

He doesn't know what is happening to him when not only a shirt but an upset Kihyun get shoved into his arms.

" There's lipstick on Changkyuns shirt?"

"Lipstick?", Hoseok takes a closer look, inspecting the spot. " Well... looks like it."

Hyungwon and Kihyun stare at him, waiting for any kind of reaction but nothing happens.

" You don't have to say anything?"

Hoseok loosens his collar, getting uncomfortable under their stares. " What… exactly do you want me to say?"

"He could be harassed by a professor!"

"Or by a drunk on the street!"

"Maybe… he went out on a date and it went well?"

Silence in the room.

Kihyun slowly turns to the next wall only to put his forehead against it. " My baby…"

" Kihyun?"

" On a date…"

" Kihyun… he is 21 years old."

"Go away… you do not care..."

" Have you stayed too long inside? Is it the detergent? Hyungwon? Why did you freeze? Come in guys! What's wrong?!"

 

OOO

 

" Mt tummy hurts."

"Hm.."

"I feel like throwing up."

"Hm."

"I'm so cold my whole body is shaking."

"Hm."

" I'm going to leave you for my boss."

"Hm."

"Kihyun!", Hoseok whines and wiggles on the sofa like a stuffed caterpillar. " I want attention. Give! It! To! Me!"

" Ha?", Kihyun looks up from where he is sitting on the floor. " What did you say?"

Hoseok reaches out for him, a huge pout on his lips. " Attention. Please."

" Yes?"

" Come here!" Hoseok tries to reach him, almost falling from the couch in the process.

" Sorry…"

Kihyun moves over to him until he is sitting in front of the couch and Hoseok can comfortably hug him from behind.

" What did you want to say?"

" Nothing.", an appeased Hoseok answers. " I just wanted you closer."

" It's uncomfortable like that."

" You can always come up here."

His trademark wink.

Kihyun moves onto the couch and snuggles under Hoseoks preheated blanket.

" What makes you stare at the door like a hypnotised rabbit?"

Hoseok slides his hands under Kihyuns shirt until they rest on his back.

" I'm waiting for Changkyun to come back home."

Hoseok chuckles and kisses the tip of his nose. " Still the lipstick."

Kihyun glares at.

" Yes. Still. When I asked him last week he told me he doesn't know about it. But now that I paid more attention to him the past days, he's coming home awfully late."

" He's an adult."

" Still, he worries me."

" Maybe he really has someone and doesn't want us to know because he is shy."

Kihyun plays with one of the buttons on Hoseoks shirt. " He's the youngest. I feel worried about him."

"And that's great. But I promise you he can look after himself."

"He's afraid in the dark…"

" I'm afraid in the dark. And I can still manage."

Kihyun can't help but to smile at his boyfriend.

Hoseok coos. " Ah… so cute."

He hugs Kihyun tightly.

" I love you, Changkyuns mom."

For the first part, Kihyun blushes, for the second part he manages to pinch Hoseoks .

 

OOO

 

Trust is good, but control is better and after a third time he tried to reach Changkyun over his phone and had to wait until late at night to get an answer Kihyun is done.

So one day, he checks out Changkyuns  timetable, collars Minhyuk who slept in until afternoon and makes his way over to the university.

" Can you tell me again why I have to do this?" Minhyuk complains as he trots down the street following a determined Kihyun.

" Because you are my friend and love me."

"Don't you have that boyfriend of yours that loves you a lot?"

" He wouldn't have let me go. He thinks I overreact."

"Wise man…" Minhyuk grumbles.

They find a hiding spot close to the entrance of the building Changkyun has classes in and wait there. Kihyun checks his watch for the nth time. " He must come out any minute."

" You really want to go through with your stalking?"

"It is not stalking. Changkyun is acting weird lately, I have a strange feeling in my gut and I'm worried."

" You are just worried because you know their background story and think he might be doing something stupid."

Kihyun looks at him in astonishment and Minhyuk shrugs. " I've know you for a long time now."

It is ten minutes after when they see Changkyun leaving the building together with his new friend, Kanghyung.

" He's still hanging out with him..."

" They're friends."

"Get down!" Kihyun pulls Minhyuk further away from the street as they come dangerously close to being caught.

The two boys casually chat as they walk down the street and then turn left, not the way Changkyun should take to go home.

" Fishy…" Kihyun mumbles, eyes narrowed.

" Not really. They're just hanging out after classes."

" It is late."

"It is barely 6."

"Can you just be on my side today!"

" If you're side wouldn't include running around outside I'd be in. It's cold.", he pokes Kihyuns arm.  " How can you survive in that thin jacket of yours?"

" Purpose keeps me warm. Let's follow him quickly. The sooner we see he's doing well the sooner we can calm down and get home."

" You can calm down and I get home."

Nevertheless he follows Kihyun down the road, enough space between them and their unsuspecting… victims.

More then once Minhyuk bows to passerby's that give them strange looks, trying to explain why they are hiding between trashcans and behind cars but Kihyun is too busy to even notice that.

" Where the hell are they going?" he mutters when they find themselves in a party area.

Minhyuk keeps rubbing his arms to get a bit warmer. " Maybe they want to grab a drink before going home."

" There are enough bars close to university.", Kihyun gazes around. " This area seems kind of familiar. Isn't it where Hongbin used to work?"

"Oh… damn. Kihyun. I really don't care. Give the boy some air to breath."

" I told you I have a strange feeling in my sto--" Kihyun pauses with a gasps and grabs Minhyuks wrist.

" Holy … Minhyuk…"

" What!?" Minhyuk nags back, having reached the limit of his patience.

" Look… they're entering a building."

" Thank God."

"No!", Kihyun shakes hid arm. " Look!"

Minhyuk does and his eyes widen.