By the time Jaehyun arrived home, dawn was already beginning to break. Jaehyun laid the jangling keys on the tabletop and settled Taeyong on his bed, peeling off the thick coats gently.

'Taeyong's with me.' Jaehyun dropped Haechan a message, 'I'll make sure you see him when you wake up.'

Just as Jaehyun was debating whether or not to nap alongside Taeyong, there was a mild stirring of covers and a raspy voice breathed, 'How did I end up here?'

Jaehyun was aware it was his selfishness speaking but all the same, there was a tinge of disappointment that Taeyong hadn't first greeted him, said a 'thank you' or even a 'hi'. 'You were sitting all alone by the hanok houses,' Jaehyun answered.

'And...?' Taeyong sounded expectant.

'And what?' Jaehyun asked.

'I was by the houses, but how did you manage to find me?' Taeyong was genuinely confused.

Jaehyun was dumbfounded. That had never crossed his mind. 'You were shivering and alone and when Haechan rang me up I got so worried...' Jaehyun was well-aware he was hardly answering Taeyong's question. At the mention of his younger brother, Taeyong suddenly froze and Jaehyun added, 'Both Haechan and Renjun are fine. I put them to bed and locked the front door before I left last night. Haechan will know you're back when he wakes up,' Jaehyun motioned toward his phone, 'I left him a message.'

'Thank you, Jaehyun.' The words were music to Jaehyun's ears.

'Have you not slept all night?' Taeyong stifled a yawn.

'It's fine, I go without sleep all the time.' Taeyong had almost forgotten Jaehyun was a lawyer.

Jaehyun was still sitting on the edge of his bed. Sustaining a conversation on such a welcoming four-poster bed was tempting to say the least. But Jaehyun wasn't sure Taeyong would be comfortable with him climbing into bed. It seemed ridiculous really, that two people who had once engaged in such intimacy physically and emotionally, could suddenly revert to square one and be bogged down by such things. Even now, the mere brushing of skin against skin still sent ecstatic shivers down Jaehyun's spine. Perhaps adrenaline was what kept both of them high the night before that Jaehyun simply allowed himself to be immersed in such passion.

He knew he treasured Taeyong more than anything. He was sure of it. As if to make a point, Jaehyun looked at the bony figure lying in his bed. Taeyong, he noticed, had dozed off once again. Jaehyun was more than certain because he remembered feeling crazed and frantic as he ran around Seoul just a few hours ago. He also remembered how the world fell into place when he finally saw Taeyong. But was this really 'love'? He couldn't quite figure out just yet and his family wouldn't let him live if he answered in the affirmative.

Jaehyun had wavered between rebellious outbursts of confidence when he had cut his father's line, and deep-seated inner discomfort with his own ingrained beliefs. He despised himself. He hated how he couldn’t stand up to his family, hated his hesitation and confusion. Was it really okay to love Taeyong? Jaehyun wanted to, he really did.

Pushing that thought aside, Jaehyun realised Taeyong was tugging at his shirt sleeve.

'Take a nap,' Taeyong prompted groggily and patted the empty space next to him.

Jaehyun hesitated. It was just sharing a bed, no biggie. He and Johnny, his best friend from home did that all the time. And the exhaustion was really getting the better of him now.

Jaehyun slid under the covers and turned to face Taeyong.

Taeyong edged closer and Jaehyun felt his own hand subconsciously making its way for Taeyong's. His hand grazed down the length of Taeyong's sin