---

Sighing, Sehun ushers Jongin away before the latter gets any second thoughts and ends up with a face full of blood and feathers. Sehun is sort of really glad that he didn't bring his car, because he doesn't even want to think about how many hours it took him to scrub the blood and ink off the seats. Nevertheless, they both walk in silence, and Sehun doesn't even need to turn his head to know that Jongin is looking right at him. In fact, his theory is only confirmed when Jongin accidentally trips over a rock and lands face first in a puddle of mud less than two seconds later. Sehun momentarily prays for his suit as he slowly helps Jongin off the ground.

"My Mom said mud's good for your skin," Jongin says, seemingly unfazed as he wipes his face with his hand. His bright smile glows through the layers and layers of dirt on his face and Sehun finds himself staring perhaps a little longer than necessary. He keeps walking and Sehun doesn't miss the way his tail puffs up when they pass the raspberry bushes.

Sehun blinks. "Is...is there a problem?" he asks, fighting the urge to ruffle Jongin's muddy hair.

Jongin swallows as he moves closer to Sehun, only to move away when he realizes that if he gets Sehun's suit dirty, the latter will definitely get angry, and Luhan's hatred for laundry and washing clothes is still fresh in Jongin's mind. "It's...uh, it's...two weird guys talked to me when I was trying to sleep," he mumbles, opting to stay at an arm's distance from the taller, who blinks.

Sehun raises an eyebrow. "Here?" he asks in disbelief, a pang of guilt coarsing through every vein in his body when Jongin nods. That explains the coat, he thinks before swallowing thickly. The haunting thought of Jongin alone and scared, especially in an area riddled with troubled people, whilst being pestered by said people, is enough to make him clench his jaw in fury. He forces himself to relax when Jongin sends him a puzzled look. "It's...damn it, you should've come to me--"

"But I wasn't starving and the weather was pretty good," Jongin mumbles, blinking when he sees a sparrow land on the gravel five feet away. He nearly drives himself off the edge trying to restrain himself from pouncing on it, but it works, much to his surprise.

As they cross the road, Sehun bites his lip. "Yeah, but--" He clamps his mouth shut and sighs to himself. "I'm glad you're safe," he says after a minute's worth of silence, exhaling a cloud of fog as he unlocks the door to his house. Sehun can picture the muddy shoe prints covering the floor as soon as he walks in the door, but his irritation is short lived when he turns his head and sees Jongin sitting on the floor in the hallway and wriggling his shoes off.

Placing his shoes on the shoe rack, like he's seen Luhan do, Jongin gets on his feet before halting. He doesn't smell any trace of any hybrids that may be lurking around the house, and he keeps his ears straightened just in case. The smell of Sehun's house instantly makes Jongin relax, and the latter quickly finds his way to the kitchen. Jongin is about to throw the fridge door open when he stills. Stomach growling, he waits until Sehun hangs up his jacket before bouncing up and down in excitement. "Can I?" He grins. "Pleasepleaseplease--"

Sehun walks into the kitchen, expecting to find the fridge door already swung open and milk carton on the floor. Instead, he only blinks when he sees Jongin standing by the counter and pointing to the fridge. Sehun is so surprised that he ends up standing in the doorway for a full minute, only to flinch when Jongin whines. "Sure, go ahead," he says, "but don't put your feet on the--" He watches as Jongin pulls up a chair before standing on it. Instead of stepping up on the counter like usual, Sehun blinks when Jongin simply stands on his tip toes and reaches for the cabinet. "Uh--"

Jongin hums to himself as he jumps down and proceeds to fill the glass with milk. He's so thirsty his hands tremble as he brings the glass to his mouth, and he's downed everything before Sehun even has a chance to blink. The liquid travels down his throat and Jongin wipes his mouth before capping the carton and putting it back in the fridge. He barely remembers to put the chair back as he skips towards Sehun, who still has a dazed look on his face. "Why does your face look so weird?" he asks, cocking his head aside.

Sehun blinks before clearing his throat. "It's nothing," he mutters whilst turning on his heel and walking towards the shelf. He bites his lip as he picks up Jongin's purple collar before handing it to the latter. "Uh, here-- Sorry, I should've given it back earlier." He rubs the back of his neck in shame.

Jongin stares at the object in his hands like it's a creature from outer space. He can count the amount of times he's worn his collar on his right hand, and all he recalls is how much it tickled his throat. Nevertheless, he looks up at Sehun with doe eyes. "Can you do it for me?" he asks, still holding onto the glass as he sends Sehun a grin. "I always struggle with the buckle."

"Sure," Sehun mumbles before he moves behind Jongin, the latter wordlessly slurping whatever's left of his milk as he proceeds to wrap the purple band around his neck. Sehun lowkey hopes he doesn't end up choking Jongin to death as his breath ghosts over the latter's ears, making them twitch. Out of nowhere, Luhan's words hit him like a freight train and Sehun doesn't even realize he's been standing motionless for ten seconds until Jongin wipes his mouth.

Jongin fidgets with the rim of the glass until he hears Sehun clicking his collar into place. For some reason, it doesn't feel like it's choking him this time, much to his relief. The silver plate is stone cold against his skin as he turns around and looks at Sehun. "What did you think of Luhan?" he asks, biting down on the edge of the glass. Sehun quickly grabs it before he has a chance to shatter his teeth.

Sehun places the glass on the shelf next to his car keys. "He was nice," he chuckles and runs a hand through his hair. "I wasn't expecting him to be so...well, you know...rowdy, I guess." He shrugs. "But I can see why you're his best friend." A soft chuckle leaves his lips as he eyes the metal plate dangling between Jongin's collarbones.

"Did you really mean it when you said I could sleep here?" Jongin asks, eyes twinkling. "Y'know, when those weird guys came up to me and kicked me and stuff?"

Sehun blinks at the sudden subject change before he clears his throat. "Yeah, of course, I--" He cuts himself off when his eyebrows furrow. "They did what--?"

"Did you mean it? Did you? Did you?" Jongin asks, bouncing up and down in glee. "Why? Why? Why? Tell me--"

"Of course I meant it," Sehun says, still feeling his veins boil with fury as he attempts to calm himself down. He quickly feels the anger seeping out of his system as Jongin continues to look at him with wide, glittering eyes. "Uh, because--" He clears his throat when he feels his neck heating up again. "Because I was worried about you," he says and huffs in defeat.

Jongin is silent for a minute before his entire face lights up. "You were?" He beams, stars in his eyes as he blinks up at Sehun.

"Well yeah, of course I was," Sehun says, rubbing his neck. "I-- It's getting late, hold on, I'll go get your coat--" He turns on his heel before disappearing up the stairs, and Jongin listens as he rummages around upstairs until he returns half a minute later. Sure enough, he's got Jongin's coat in his hands and he awkwardly hands it to the younger. "Here...uh, here you go--"

Jongin stares at the garment for a minute before muttering a low 'Thanks', and Sehun watches with a knot in his stomach as he skips into the hallway. Much to Sehun's confusion, Jongin simply stands on his tip toes before hanging his coat up on a hanger. "Luhan's Dad taught me how to do that," he says, grinning whilst brushing his hands together. "See? See?" He points, only to pout slightly when Sehun only sends him a blank look. "Are you angry again--"

"No," Sehun exclaims, perhaps a little too loud when Jongin's ears twitch in surprise. "I mean-- It's just-- I thought--" He scratches the back of his head. "It's just--"

"I don't wanna sleep in the park, what if those guys find me?" Jongin says, ears flattening when he recalls nearly getting his skin burned off with a cigarette that night. When Sehun only sends him a look, he gestures wildly in the air. "I don't-- I mean, I'll-- Wait, I'll sleep outside your door again, I promise I won't bother you-- You won't even know I'm there--!" A choked sob escapes his throat when he rushes forward and grabs Sehun's broad shoulders. "I don't want them to find me!" He tries scanning Sehun's face, only to find nothing, and Jongin is about to contemplate if he should sleep in a tree tonight (and risk breaking his neck again) when Sehun finally speaks.

"Wait--" Sehun blinks, his eyes softening slightly. "You...you slept outside my door." He runs his hands down his face. "Christ, why didn't you knock, why didn't you tell me--"

"Because I wasn't starving and the weather was okay," Jongin retorts, gaze wild and frantic as he never leaves Sehun's face with his eyes. "I mean, that's what you said!" He blinks, nervously tugging on his collar when Sehun only sighs loudly. "I was just doing what you told me to-" He doesn't get to finish his sentence when Sehun suddenly embraces him in a bone crushing hug that nearly takes Jongin's breath away. Jongin wonders if he should tell Sehun that practically half his face is covered in mud, but Jongin soon forgets all about it when Sehun's calming scent fills his lungs. In fact, Jongin didn't ever think three seconds could feel so short when Sehun slowly lets go.

Sehun sends Jongin a look. "I know you were," he simply says, eyes warm as he ruffles Jongin's hair. "Sheesh, you need a haircut." He chuckles low in his throat when the younger only slaps his hand away. He doesn't think he has the guts to approach Jongin with scissors in hand quite yet, so he figures their at-home haircut might have to wait. "Your face is filthy--"

"So I can sleep here?" Jongin is practically bouncing up and down in excitement. The neighbor's dog starts barking outside but he pays it little attention as he eyes Sehun with hearts in his eyes.

Sehun smiles, almost like he's trying to stifle a laugh when he nods slowly. "Of course you can," he says, and he's about to ask Jongin if he wants a bath when the latter is suddenly pouncing forward. It happens so fast that Sehun needs a minute to process it, and when he does, he blinks before running his tongue over his tingling lips. "What--" It's not until he sees Jongin's face that he squawks. "What was that--"

Jongin blinks. "Uh, Luhan said it's called a kiss," he says quietly, briefly wondering if Luhan might have tricked him when Sehun squawks again. "He said--"

"Whydidyoukissme," Sehun croak-garbles, hoping Jongin won't question him about the obvious blush creeping up his neck as he runs a hand through his hair. Jongin's innocent expression is doing nothing to calm his racing heart and he has to take a deep breath to pull himself together. "Okay, anyway, we gotta clean your face up, so let's--"

"Luhan said people kiss when they're in love," Jongin says, blinking when Sehun only sighs. "It's true, right? He said that, I swear!" He furrows his eyebrows when Sehun looks like he's on the verge of a meltdown. "It's true, right?"

Sehun sighs again before nodding. "It's true, he's right, they do," he says all in one breath as he runs a hand through his hair again. "I don't--" He bites his lip as he tries controlling his raging pulse. "Look, I don't think--"

"He said you sounded more like my boyfriend than my father, so it makes sense, right?" Jongin asks, grinning widely as he wraps his arms around Sehun's waist. He figures Sehun must have been in the same room as Chanyeol at some point, since he picks up a hint of tobacco when he nuzzles his face in Sehun's neck, but he's far too ecstatic to pay it any attention.

Sehun is silent for a minute, carding his hair through Jongin's hair whilst the latter's ears tickle his cheek. "I don't think Luhan knows very much about that," he says softly. "But you're right about...well, the uh, the kissing thing," he adds and immediately regrets it when Jongin presses their lips together without a warning. Sehun only responds by rubbing the small of Jongin's back before checking his watch. "It's getting late, do you want a bath or not?" he asks and wholeheartedly expects Jongin to scurry off and hide behind the couch.

Jongin doesn't run away. In fact, he ends up doing the opposite and he remains perfectly still, with his arms still locked around Sehun's neck. Whilst idea of stepping into the tub makes him want to cry, a part of Jongin figures he should go through with it to show Sehun how brave he is. So, after a brief mental battle, Jongin nods. He definitely doesn't miss the way Sehun blinks in surprise before the latter begins ushering him towards the stairs. Jongin is five steps ahead of Sehun as usual and he patiently waits for the latter to walk into the bathroom. Jongin finds the pink ducky and kneads it in his hands whilst Sehun prepares the bath water. Jongin wonders if Sehun is going to take a bath, too, given the specks of mud on the latter's tie, but he doesn't get to ask about it when Sehun looks at him.

"I know I'm a little late," Sehun chuckles, "but are you alright?" He stands up before looking at Jongin fondly. "That was a scary fall." He shakes the excess water off his hands as he places a few bath toys in the tub.

Jongin nods, even though it takes him five minutes to figure out what Sehun is talking about. In fact, if Sehun hadn't reminded him, he's pretty sure he would have forgotten all about it. "Uh, I'm...good," he mumbles, wagging his tail slightly to make sure it's no longer hurting. It isn't, thankfully. He gives the rubber ducky a squeeze and flinches when he accidentally squirts water all over his face. Great.

"Hey look, your face is pretty much clean now," Sehun laughs and gestures at Jongin, who's sputtering all over the floor. "Maybe you don't need a bath after all," he adds jokingly before his voice turns serious. "That's good to hear." He dips his finger into the water and adjusts the temperature. "God, I got worried there for a second--" A sigh leaves his lips before he chuckles slightly. "Although you shouldn't have scratched her like that."

Jongin huffs. "She said I was 'too old for climbing in trees'," he murmurs, squeezing the rubber ducky impossibly tight as he recalls her annoyed face before he lashed out and slashed her four times across the face. "And I'm not--"

"She was just doing her job," Sehun chuckles as he shakes his head in amusement. "You gotta learn to control yourself sometimes." He sends Jongin a look, the latter only scoffing. "Seriously, you can't just go around scratching people you disagree with, okay?" He puts a hand on Jongin's shoulder and tries to get the latter to look at him with little success. "Okay?"

The sternness in Sehun's voice makes Jongin flinch, and it's enough to reduce the latter to a nodding mess subsequently. "Fine, okay, yeah, sure," he babbles, fidgeting with the ducky in his hands. For a second, none of them say anything, and the running water is the only thing saving them from falling into awkward silence. As Jongin watches Sehun leaning over the tub as the latter adjusts the temperature again, he sits cross legged on the carpet. "Do you love me?" he asks, picking at the paint on the toy with his fingers.

Sehun nearly slips and falls face first into the bath water in surprise, and the younger subsequently gets a faceful of water as he scrambles to grab onto the edge. "What--"

"Yeah, like--" Jongin presses his lips together as he thrashes his head back and forth to rid his hair of water (which Sehun finds pretty pointless). "I mean, Luhan said--" He blinks and looks up when Sehun sighs loudly.

"Jongin, I don't think Luhan knows what that word means," Sehun says in a low tone before turning off the tap. "So I don't think you should take his word for it, honestly," he adds, nearly stepping on Jongin's tail as he turns around. "...Aren't you gonna get undressed?"

Jongin pouts. "So is that a no?"

Sehun sighs. "It's a yes, but not in a Luhan type of way," he replies, hoping he won't tumble and fall right into the tub from how much his head is spinning. He watches Jongin get undressed before the latter steps into the tub, ears twitching as he adjusts to the temperature. As much as he tries, Sehun finds himself unable to focus as he gets on his knees before the tub and proceeds to shampoo Jongin's hair, and in his distracted state, he accidentally manages to shampoo Jongin's ears as well as his eyes, which rightfully earns Sehun a faceful of water and nearly a hundred scratches. Over Jongin's garbled shrieks, Sehun tries to keep his hands out of the water as much as he possibly can, because the heat only threatens to make his already boiling insides combust. After a few minutes, Sehun has to take a step back and open the door, leaving Jongin to rinse his hair by himself when he worries he the heat might be making his head spin. It doesn't work, and Sehun has to lean against the wall so he doesn't fall over.

"What have you been doing lately?" Jongin hums, flicking water off his ears as he stares at Sehun with a curious look. He doesn't seem to be fazed by the fact that Sehun is practically clinging onto the wall for dear life, and the latter doesn't know if he should be relieved or worried.

Sehun bends down and picks up a toy after Jongin accidentally throws it over the edge. "The...uh, the usual," he replies, voice cracking at the last word. "You know, work," he blurts out when Jongin sends him a look. "There's...there's been a lot of it lately, but it's all done now...kinda. Sort of. Well not really, but it's all under...uh, control." He rubs the back of his neck.

"Did you fix your table and computer yet?" Jongin asks, although his voice becomes muffled mid-sentence after he accidentally squirts water right in his eyes. He tosses the rubber ducky away from him in frustration, which backfires after it bounces off the wall and hits him square in the face. "You know, it's not good to laugh at other people's misfortune," he mumbles when Sehun laughs loudly.

Sehun mumbles a quick apology before clearing his throat and kneeling by the tub again. "Not yet," he simply says. "And that's true, my bad." He chuckles lightly and he's about to check the water temperature when he blinks. "Wait, who taught you that?"

It's Jongin's turn to blink. "Taught me what," he mutters shaking his head back and forth when he accidentally douses on of his ears with water. His tail breaks the surface, and Sehun nearly suffers a heart attack when it pops up inches from his face.

"Nothing," Sehun says quickly as he clutches his chest in surprise. He didn't know black fur could look even more black when wet, but he figures you learn something new every day. "It's just...nothing." He shakes his head to dismiss the idea before standing up. "You better get out before you turn into a prune, and so I can fetch a towel."

"I can get out and put my clothes on by myself," Jongin huffs nearly splashes water all over the floor when he crosses his arms in protest. His pout only deepens when Sehun shakes his head. "Why not?!"

Sehun picks up Jongin's clothes, which are lying in a rumpled heap on the carpet, and places them on the toilet seat. "Because you'll slip and die," he says as a matter-of-factly, not even bothering to hold back his snicker when Jongin squawks loudly. When Jongin only pouts and makes no move to get out of the tub, Sehun walks over and pulls the plug. "Come on, it's getting late--"

"Maybe I can help fix your table," Jongin says and Sehun blinks. "You know, to make it easier for you to work." He shivers when the water gradually disappears and swirls down the drain, and Sehun prays he doesn't actually slip and die when he scrambles across the edge of the tub. "Isn't that a good idea?" he asks and Sehun practically dumps an old towel on top of his head before he can shake the water out of his hair and get the walls and floor wet.

Sehun finds himself towel drying Jongin's hair, carefuly to avoid the latter's sensitive ears as he stands behind him. "That's nice of you," he chuckles. All he can picture is Jongin attempting to eat the loose keys whilst helping fix the laptop. The mere thought is enough to make him shiver and accidentally graze Jongin's ears with the towel. He mutters a low apology before clearing his throat. "But I think I'll manage." The smell of his own shampoo in Jongin's hair makes Sehun's insides tingle when he leans in closer. He blinks when he looks down and notices that Jongin's collar is soaking wet. "Crap, we should've taken this off--"

"It's fine," Jongin hums, swaying his wet tail back and forth. It accidentally grazes Sehun's legs, which makes the latter yelp in surprise. "Sorry," he titters as his eyes roam around the room. He suddenly craves a glass of milk, which he figures he deserves, and he turns around. "Can I--" He cuts himself off mid sentence when he sees the look on Sehun's face. "Uh...what is it? Why do you look an-"

Sehun leans away ever so slightly. "You smell like smoke," he says lowly, forcing himself to squash the coiling in his gut as he watches Jongin get dressed. "It's-- Whatever, it's nothing." When the younger skips out of the room and the tub is entirely drained, he turns the light off before closing the door. As soon as they step into the bedroom, Sehun feels a wave of fatigue wash over him and he knows for a fact that he's far too tired to even think about opening his laptop and working. "Put that in the laundry basket, it's got dirt all over it." He gestures at Jongin's blouse as the latter slides it over his head.

Jongin hums in response before skipping into the bathroom. He spots the laundry basket in the corner before he tosses his blouse towards it. The vent is blowing cold air into the room and he shivers when a cool breeze hits his bare chest. His reflection stares back at him, and whilst Jongin unconsciously runs his hand across his ears, he eyes his collar and how the metal plate sits between his collarbones. Out of nowhere, Luhan's words pop into his head and Jongin figures he should help Sehun wash his clothes, since it seemed to make Luhan's Mother happy. Jongin figures making Sehun happy by surprising the latter with clean clothes wouldn't hurt, but he doesn't get a chance to put his plan into action when he hears Sehun call him into the bedroom.

Sehun exhales in relief when Jongin bounces out of the bathroom a second later (because at least he's not killing himself whilst trying to drink hair spray, like Sehun initially feared). He watches as Jongin cautiously approaches his desk and Sehun is glad he chose to get rid of the shards and clean up two days ago. "Don't get too close," he chuckles before sliding removing his suit jacket and sliding his blouse over his head. He's so tired he worries he might fall asleep standing up. "Jongin, it's time for bed--"

Jongin eyes the desk, which looks like it's on the verge of collapsing again, and all he can feel is Sehun's hand grabbing the back of his shirt before the latter quite literally threw him out the door. The thought makes Jongin swallow thickly. He suddenly remembers what Sehun said about his work the day he essentially kicked Jongin out; how difficult it was because of Jongin's antics.

Antics.

Jongin doesn't even hear Sehun calling his name as he stands bolted to the floor, motionless and biting his lip. Deep down, he knows, he's always known that he was the reason behind Sehun, and everybody else, eventually growing tired. As much as it pains him to realize and admit it, Jongin doesn't even want to deny that getting kicked out never didn't hurt because of how differently he and his family members were wired (which he sort of still stands by, but still), but because he never bothered leaving his own side and thus forced everybody else to come to him instead. Jongin suddenly remembers Sehun saying something about not having finished all of his work, and as Jongin eyes the broken table before him, he figures it must be difficult for Sehun to work at a barely functioning desk. The thought of Sehun being stressed and angry all over again makes the hairs at the back of Jongin's neck stand right up. In fact, Jongin doesn't even notice the tear rolling down his cheek until his ears pick up the sound of it hitting the floor subsequently.

"Uh--" Sehun his head aside and stares at Jongin, who is looking out the window. "Are...are you--" He blinks when Jongin suddenly turns his head to look at him. "Are you...uh--"

"I can help you fix this," Jongin blurts out, and Sehun blinks. He points to the desk repeatedly, eyes wide as he stares at Sehun, who only blinks again. Jongin looks back at the table and figures it's not too bad, now that he thinks about it, and that all that needs to be done is replace a few bolts and screws here and there. Frankly, Jongin has no idea how to even operate anything found inside a toolbox, but he figures he'll take a month long course on how to do just that if it means making Sehun feel less stressed and angry.

Sehun blinks a third time. "That won't be--"

"You need somewhere to work, right?" Jongin squabbles, flailing his limbs in all directions. "Right?I mean--"

"I'll do it on Saturday if I have time," Sehun replies, not even bothering to mask the confusion in his voice as he scratches the back of his head. "And I'll just sit on the couch downstairs. Why're you...what's up with--" It's not until Jongin's tail puffs up that he furrows his eyebrows. "Jongin, it's fine--"

"But I don't want you to be stressed and angry," Jongin wails, flailing his arms in all directions. "I promise I can help, I'll do a good job--" He nearly tackles Sehun to the floor when he proceeds to pounce on the latter. "I don't want you to be angry again, I promise I can do a good job--" He doesn't even bother hiding the distressed glint in his eyes as he shakes Sehun's shoulders.

Sehun gently pries Jongin off of him before sending the latter a look. "Listen, I appreciate it, but--" He clamps his mouth shut when Jongin's ears droop. "I just think it'd be better if I did it myself, but I promise I'll let you lend me hand if I need it," he adds and figures he'll most definitely be needing a hand, given how awful he is with tools and assembling just about anything. He rubs the back of his neck when Jongin only erupts into a face splitting grin. "Uh-- Here, hold on, wait--" Turning around, Sehun quickly throws the closet door open. A yelp leaves his lips when Jongin suddenly pounces forward and practically tears the red cape off the hanger subsequently.

Jongin emits a loud squeal of joy as he gives the red velvet a squeeze before flopping down in the middle of the bed and kneading it with his hands. The red fabric is entirely coated with Sehun's scent after being left at the back of the latter's closet, and Jongin feels every capillary in his body relax when he inhales deeply. He soon realizes that he'll be able to celebrate Halloween and wear his costume with Sehun after all, which makes Jongin grin so widely he worries he might split his face in half. Whilst Jongin nuzzles his face in the fuzzy material, he hears Sehun getting undressed behind him. "What do people do on Halloween?" he hums, picking at a loose red thread. "I mean, besides dress up."

Hanging his dress pants on the chair, Sehun glances at his briefcase and knows for a fact that there's no way he's ping it and working. "We usually dressed up and went door to door in our neighborhood asking for candy," he replies, a sense of nostalgia overwhelming him as he climbs under the covers. He sort of regrets it when he sees the look on Jongin's face. "Jongin, I'm working tomorrow--"

"But I think it'd be fun!" Jongin grins, tail practically buzzing with anticipation as he sits up and puts the cape, which he's transformed into a blanket by now, in his lap. "Don't you think? You've been working non-stop lately, anyway, so--" He clamps his mouth shut. "I mean...I just thought...nevermind." His ears flatten slightly as he lies back down. He rolls over onto his back as he stretches and nearly falls clear off the bed in the process, much to Sehun's amusement.

Sehun reaches across and ruffles Jongin's hair. "I promised we'll celebrate it together," he says and blinks when a loud purring noise escapes Jongin's throat. "Think you can hold on for two more days?" he asks with a low chuckle, trying not to fall asleep right here and now. Jongin still smells like tobacco but he quickly shoves the thought to the back of his head.

"Two days?" Jongin's eyes gleam with joy. "What do you do when you knock on other people's doors?" he asks and pouts when Sehun flops onto the mattress and buries his head underneath the covers. "Hey, wait--" He quickly crawls over to Sehun and pokes the latter's shoulder. "Sehun, Sehun, Sehun--"

"Jongin, it's late," Sehun groans, covering his face and head with the duvets. He hears a strong breeze knock the window open and he internally screams at the thought of leaving his warm bed to shut it again. Suddenly, he feels the covers shift behind him. "What are you--" He cuts himself off and emits a rather unattractive squawk after something cold and wet grazes his back. "Whattheheck-- Your hair's still wet, --" He nearly falls off the bed as he turns over and tries to shove Jongin, who has practically crawled halfway under the covers by now, away. "Jongin, get out--!"

"It's cold," Jongin murmurs, sighing in contentment when he's surrounded by Sehun's body heat. It's so nice and warm (and possibly shielding him from potential storms, as well) he figures he'll stay exactly where he is until morning come. "Stop moving around so much, you're letting cold air in," he groans, the heat making him dozy as he grabs the blanket with both hands and proceeds to knead it. Jongin hugs the duvet close to his chest before rolling over and closing his eyes, only for Sehun to groan and yank the covers back. "Hey--"

Sehun pulls the blanket up to his chin before rolling over and facing the open window. "Can't you stay on your side of the bed," he mumbles, a loud sigh leaving his lips when Jongin forcefully tugs the sheet back. "Jongin, give it back, goddamn it--" In his dazed state, he nearly shoves Jongin right off the bed when the latter starts swaying his tail back and forth. "No, I'm not gonna play with you, it's nearly midnight, for God's sake." He groans and fights the urge to cover his head with the pillow. "Go to sleep already--"

"But I'm not tired," Jongin giggles, a playful glint in his eyes. He figures Sehun won't be stressed this time, since he figures playing is a great stress relief. "Can we do something?" he asks, tracing invisible patterns into the white sheet. It's not until he begins drumming his fingers against the mattress in boredom that Sehun finally sits up.

Rubbing his eyes, Sehun reaches out and attempts to grab the blanket out of Jongin's hands when the cold air hits his torso. Inevitably, it doesn't work, and Sehun figures there's literally no use in trying to fall back asleep, so he runs a hand through his hair and curses under his breath. He doesn't even know why he's complaining in the first place, because it doesn't take him long to figure out that he isn't even tired in the slightest, either. Not that he knows why. "Can't you try, I don't know, counting sheep or something?" he mutters, flinching when the window blows open again.

"I tried that once and got to five hundred," Jongin mumbles, playing with his fingers. He vividly remembers reaching 501 sheep before he worried his brain might combust, which in turn only made him feel more awake. "Pleasepleaseplease--" He pokes Sehun's cheek with a pout.

Sehun grabs Jongin's wrist. "Look, we'll pass by the playground on the way back from work, alright?" He lies back down and closes his eyes, hoping Jongin will do the same. "Now try to get some sleep." He sits up like a bullet when Jongin suddenly emits a mischevious giggle, and Sehun barely has time to react when he hears Jongin scampering down the stairs. It almost sounds like a bowling ball falling down the steps and it doesn't take long for Sehun to realize that his blanket is missing. Great. He sighs loudly. "Jongin, get back here--"

The entire house falls into silence until Jongin giggles again from downstairs. "Don't you want it back? You'll be cold," he calls and Sehun can't help but smile at the energy in his voice. "Sehun!!!"

"Yeah, yeah, hang on, I'm coming," Sehun mutters before getting out of bed and nearly stumbling as he puts a pair of pants and a shirt on. In the dark, he barely manages to avoid tripping over the threshold as he makes his way out of the room and walks towards the stairs. The cold air inside the bedroom seems to the rest of the house, and Sehun regrets not putting on a pair of socks as his bare feet come in contact with the floor. He can't hear Jongin anywhere, but he figures the latter is most likely busy finishing up whatever's left of the milk in the fridge. As he reaches the bottom of the stairs, Sehun fumbles for the light switch and turns the light on. "Jongin, don't you dare drink all of the--" He stumbles backwards and latches onto the railing when a flash of white suddenly appears right in front of his face. "Whattheing--"

A muffled, playful snicker fills the air and Jongin quickly removes the sheet off his head. In the process, he manages to mess up his hair to the point that it's sticking up from all the static. "Ghost," he giggles, his grin threatening to split his face in half. "I used to see people dressing up like this on Halloween," he adds, but blinks when he sees the look on Sehun's face. "Are you dying?" he asks, blinking again.

"Yeah, almost," Sehun huffs, attempting to grab the sheet on the floor, only for Jongin to pick it up in a flash and storm off. "Jongin, for real, get the hell back here," he calls as he hears footsteps scamper off towards the living room. As much as he wants to go back to bed and make do without anything to keep him from freezing, Sehun finds himself following after the younger anyway. He approaches the doorway carefully, as to not suffer yet another mini heart attack in case Jongin were to be waiting for him.

Thankfully, Sehun finds Jongin sitting peacefully and kneading the blanket on the couch. The silver plate on his collar glows in the dark as Sehun walks towards him. "Jongin, it's past midnight, what are you--" He cuts himself off when Jongin suddenly presses a button on the remote, and the next thing Sehun knows, a classical tune is blaring out of the speakers as flashes of green and blue dash across the screen. Sehun has to blink the reflection out of his eyes before he realizes it's apparently a rerun of the nature documentary he was supposed to watch with Jongin last week. 

"It's the one I liked!" Jongin squees and Sehun figures trying to get him to go to bed is officially useless when he proceeds to get comfortable on the couch with the blanket. His ears twitch as he watches the animals on the screen run around with stars in his eyes. It's not until a bald eagle appears on the screen that he bounces up and down and points. "I came really close to catching one of those one time!" he squeals and Sehun hushes him in fear of the neighbors possibly hearing.

Sehun stands in the doorway like a statue until a feeling of awkwardness overcomes him and he figures he should go back upstairs. He can't help but smile to himself when Jongin sits up and eyes the bright colors before him almost like he's in a trance. At first, Sehun worries Jongin might be struck by a nerve of impulsiveness and knock the entire television over like he did once, but thankfully, Jongin stays on the couch whilst hugging the blanket close to his chest. Sehun continues watching for a few more minutes until he worries he might actually solidify and turn into a statue, but he doesn't get a chance to tell Jongin good night when a loud booming noise from the speakers fills the air and nearly shakes the entire house. In fear of his angry neighbors breaking the door down, Sehun jogs over and picks up the remote on the coffee table.

"What are you doing?" Jongin asks, his ears perking up when he tears his eyes off the screen and looks up at Sehun. Only half of his face is illuminated but Sehun can see his doe-like eyes. 

Sehun quickly presses down on the blue volume button, after angling the remote towards the screen to get a look at the buttons. "It's too loud," he mumbles before placing the remote back on the table. "Not any louder or you'll be the one dealing with the neighbors, just saying," he chuckles. He looks at the screen just in time to see a fox sink its teeth into a baby rabbit and he winces. Jongin, on the other hand, watches with stars in his eyes (and drool trickling down his chin, much to Sehun's disgust).

Jongin continues watching, following every movement with his eyes until he blinks and looks up. "The one with the dog?" he asks, eyes wide.

"Uh--" Sehun scratches the back of his head in confusion. "Yes...?" He blinks when Jongin's ears flatten. Oh. "Like I said, it's super friendly, I met it once." He watches as Jongin proceeds to cover himself from head to toe with the blanket, with only his ears and hair sticking out. Sehun thinks it looks absolutely adorable. "I'll need my blanket back, by the way-"

"No," Jongin says, voice muffled as he covers his face with the blanket. 

"It's freezing, I can't sleep without it," Sehun huffs, hoping Jongin won't lash out and slash his hand off when he reaches out and grabs the sheet. When Jongin only tightens his grip, he sighs. "Jongin, let go," he says, not wanting a repeat of the pillow incident. "Jongin--"

Jongin pouts. "But you'll watch with me, right?" he asks, the joyful glint returning to his face as he pokes Sehun's arm. "Right? Right? You said so, remember? Remember? You said you would!" He continues jabbing Sehun's arm until the latter swats his hand away.

Sehun's gaze flickers back and forth between the screen and Jongin's barely illuminated face. "I have work tomorrow," he sighs, running a hand through his hair. He has no idea what he's saying anymore, since he's well aware of the fact that he's practically all done with his work. He blinks when he sees Jongin's expression. "What...what is it?"

Jongin blinks before cowering slightly. "Y...you have a spider in your hair," he says quietly, ears flattening. 

Sehun stills before he rolls his eyes. "Right," he chuckles, running a hand through his hair. Just in case. "Anyway, could you pl--"

"It's huge and hairy," Jongin whines, covering his head with the blanket, although he quickly peeks through a crack when a couple of squirrels show up on the TV. 

Sehun stares at Jongin for a good minute before he smiles slightly. He figures that either Jongin's eyes are playing tricks on him or the latter is trying to get back at him for wanting the blanket back (On the other hand, Sehun did somehow manage to miss a large leech on his leg whilst swimming in a river when he was fifteen, but still.). "Sure," he says before sneaking a quick glance at the TV and then back at Jongin. "I'll let you sit down here but only for a half hour, then it's straight upstairs to bed, okay?" When Jongin only hums absentmindedly, he sighs. "Okay?"

"Uh, okay, sure, yeah," Jongin squabbles before he looks up at Sehun again. "I can help you," he says and beams whilst pointing to Sehun's head. When the latter only sends him a look, he grins wider. "I promise!" 

Sehun sighs for the nth time before putting his hands up in defeat. "Fine," he chuckles, making sure not to bump into anything (or even worse, accidentally sit right on top of Jongin) as he sits down on the edge of the couch. "But I'm trusting you with this," he adds in false strictness. He feels the couch shift as Jongin giggles and proceeds to tug at the strands, and Sehun winces when the former tugs a little too hard. Before him, a couple of lions are feasting on a zebra and Sehun suddenly thinks that Jongin's love for this documentary is beginning to make a whole lot of sense.

"Did you find anything?" Sehun hums after a minute of Jongin prodding his scalp.

Jongin giggles. "Not yet," he says, his warm breath tickling Sehun's neck as he speaks.

"So it's hiding then, huh?" Sehun chuckles, figuring he'll need a professional scalp massage afterwards. He continues watching the TV for a while, but he soon gives up on trying to focus when all he can think about is Jongin's breath ghosting over his hair as the latter continues to poke around the strands. It's not until Sehun feels the cold metal plating on Jongin's collar against his neck that he stills. "...Did you find it yet?" he asks and he's about to turn around when Jongin suddenly throws his arms around his shoulders, and the next thing Sehun knows, he's lying on his side with Jongin clinging onto him from behind, all whilst the latter emits a series of loud giggles.

"I was just kidding," Jongin laughs and Sehun fights the urge to cover his hand with his mouth, because the neighbors definitely heard that. "There was no spider in your hair," he says, his giggles echoing off every wall in the house as he keeps Sehun in an iron grip. He peeks his head over Sehun's shoulder to get a good look at the TV and Sehun has to grab his wrist when a squirrel appears on the screen. Jongin uncoils his arms from Sehun's torso before grabbing the blanket and placing it on top of them. "You said you needed a blanket to sleep, so now you can sleep!"

Moving his head so his face isn't squished against the pillow, Sehun tries moving, but his legs feel like they're made out of steel and he quickly gives up. "I knew it," he mumbles before chuckling ever so slightly. He feels Jongin shift behind him, which is closely followed by Jongin nuzzling his face in his back. Sehun tries ignoring the numbing explosion of heat in his chest and tries focusing on whatever is going on on the television as loud purring fills the otherwise silent room. A wave of fatigue hits Sehun subsequently, but his eyes shoot open when Jongin quite literally proceeds to climb on top of him after a rabbit scurries across the screen. Sehun groans loudly, realizing he's seriously underestimated the weight of a cat hybrid as he attempts to shove Jongin off of him before the latter has a chance to break every bone in his body. "Jongin, get the hell off--"

Jongin squawks in surprise when Sehun suddenly grabs his arm and gives him a shove, and in his panic not to hit the floor, he scrambles up on the couch again. Jongin nearly whacks Sehun square in the face as he clings to the latter for dear life, practically stealing all of the blankets as he hides underneath them. His ears twitch as he hears the muffled sounds of squirrels chirping and Jongin feels himself relax when Sehun's body heat surrounds him. "Why's your heart beating so fast?" he asks, blinking in surprise when he places a hand on Sehun's chest and feels his palm vibrate. 

"No reason, it's nothing, don't worry about it," Sehun quickly says and flinches when Jongin proceeds to repeatedly press his hands against his chest. ", that hurts--" He swats Jongin's hands away, the latter popping out from underneath the covers when a couple of eagles show on up screen. Sehun doesn't even need to ask Jongin to roll over and face him to know that his eyes are filled with hearts as he watches the television. He's lying dangerously close to the edge of the couch and Sehun drapes an arm across Jongin's torso to keep the latter from falling flat on his face on the floor. Jongin's hair is still slightly damp and his tail (which is bone dry, strangely enough) tickles Sehun's leg every time he moves it, but Sehun soon finds himself resting his head in the crook of Jongin's neck as they continue to watch the documentary.

Jongin hums to himself whilst he plays with his fingers, quickly growing bored by the TV as he rolls over and nuzzles his face in Sehun's neck. He doesn't think any of his previous foster families ever let him sleep on the couch, much less let him watch TV after bedtime, and his ears flatten in contentment when Sehun wordlessly pulls him closer. "You know the thing you said people do when they're in love?" he asks after a minute of silence.

Sehun tears his eyes off the screen to look at Jongin, who reaches up and plays with his hair. "What...thing?" he asks slowly. The buzzing in his head is preventing him from racking his brain for whatever Jongin might be talking about. 

"You know, the thing we saw on TV," Jongin hums. 

Sehun blinks. "What thi--" He clamps his mouth shut when it finally hits him. Oh. "Oh, that," he mutters, and is suddenly thankful that Jongin is facing away from him when his face explodes with heat subsequently. He has to fight off the impulse to remove the blanket when he worries he might die of heatstroke. He remains silent, hoping Jongin will let it slip, but it's not until the latter looks up with curious eyes that Sehun sighs. "We'll discuss it some other time, alright?"

Jongin pouts, his ears continuing to twitch as he watches the chase scene before him. "Fine," he hums, shivering when the room temperature drops two degrees after it starts raining outside. A hum of contentment leaves his lips when Sehun pulls him closer subsequently. He rolls over and plays with Sehun's bleached locks again. "But Luhan said that people who are in lo--"

"Like I said, I don't think Luhan knows what that word means," Sehun says, carding his fingers through Jongin's hair. He checks his watch, which he's forgotten to take off. "Now please try to get some sleep." He shifts to give Jongin some more space before the latter nods. Sehun pulls the blanket up to Jongin's cheek before slowly sitting up and turning off the TV. The room is plunged into darkness once again and Sehun would have found it downright terrifying if it wasn't for Jongin lying pressed up against him whilst gently kneading his chest (which sort of really hurts, but Sehun doesn't have it in him to tell Jongin to stop).

The rain continues to patter against the window panes as Sehun's eyes roam around the darkened room. He continues to listen to the sound of Jongin's soft, muffled purrs until Jongin gradually dozes off, and Sehun makes sure to keep an arm around Jongin's waist to keep the latter from tossing and turning in his sleep and in turn falling right off the couch. Sehun hears the rhythmic pounding in his chest and he doesn't even realize he's resting his cheek against Jongin's forehead until the latter mumbles something incoherent in his sleep.

Sehun honestly doesn't know how long he ends up lying awake in the dark, but it's not until he manages to filter out the sounds of the wind howling outside that he falls asleep within seconds after closing his eyes. 

---