" Jeonghan- ah... " was normally the first thing Jeonghan becomes aware of before he dully recognizes the song that was supposed to be his alarm ringing in the background. And around this moment he would think: how ironic, it's my alarm that should be waking me up. And his eyelids would threaten to close then and there again, his limbs would refuse to move for anything. Well almost.

  " Jeonghan-ahhhhh!" The gruff voice would call from nearby followed by grunts and groans. 

  " Hmmm?" He would hum back, still not fully awake. Because hey, it's cold outside. 

  " Got to wake the others..." Would be Seungcheol's muffled reply. Jeonghan would lie there for three more heartbeats before he sits up fully in the bed and turns off the alarm, pushing his long hair out of his face and stifling a yawn. He would realize that in his haste to get to bed the previous night, he didn't remove his rings nor his bracelets and the cold metal stung his cheeks. Obediently, he would complete the arduous task of waking their members, only to walk back to their sleeping quarters to find Seungcheol still snoozing soundly fifteen minutes later, tucked snugly under the covers. 

  " Yah! Why are you always like that? Wake up!"

  And his last task would be to drag Seungcheol bodily out of bed and onto the cold floor of their dorm. By that time, Jeonghan would be wide awake.

  " Jeonghannieee~" Seungcheol would drape himself across Jeonghan's back as he pulls on his socks and tries to finish the toast singlehandedly while helping Jihoon- whose eyes were still half closed- fix his tie. And Jeonghan would question Seungcheol's intentions in that silent manner of his- a mere tilt of his head and perhaps accompanied by a low "hm?". 

  " Did you happen to see my socks?"

  Jihoon bounded away for toast after his tie was fixed and Jeonghan would sigh and point to the drawer in which he had arranged Seungcheol's socks last night.

  " You really should arrange your socks yourself, you know." Jeonghan would nag, although with little or no heat, only an exasperated sigh. Seungcheol would grin boyishly as he rummages for his socks and nods with a promise to do it next time. But obviously, since this was already ingrained in Jeonghan's routine, Seungcheol never really got round to doing it. Jeonghan didn't mind that much either.

  If he were being perfectly honest.

" Jeonghan Jeonghan Jeonghan!" His name would be chanted excessively.

  " Yes?" He would answer patiently, normally distracted with something else, like vocal practice or maybe watching Hoshi and Seokmin in a dance battle, with Seungkwan being the judge. Really. Which idiot made him the judge? But hearing that note in Seungcheol's voice and at that pitch would have Jeonghan's full attention because it would normally mean...

  " PD-Nim bought us pizza! Shush don't tell the others yet, let's go steal our slices!" And he would drag Jeonghan away to find their loot.

  That conspiratorial tone always means that Jeonghan was in for a treat.

  " Jeonghan..." 

  And the softness in his voice would finally break the dam inside of him, the rich and deep timbre executed in such gentleness made the tears that were welling up inside fall and roll down his cheeks as he huddled into a ball in his corner of the dorm. Seungcheol would say little but he would crouch down in front of him, his hands drawing soothing circles on his back, his broad shoulders blocking out everyone else, everything else, hiding him from their dongsaengs. 

  " It's okay, you're okay. You managed to pull through and I'm so proud of you." 

  And it would only serve to make Jeonghan cry even harder. 

  " Jeonghan?" Jeonghan hated that tone the most. When his name was said so brokenly, filled with despair.

  " I think I screw up so much as a leader. Should I give my position up to someone more befitting? "

  " I only know of one leader." And with a quiet voice that somehow still holds all the steel and conviction of the world, Jeonghan would say two words.

  " Seungcheol."