“What are you doing on the floor?” Chanhee’s voice brought him out of his book and back to the real world. 

“Reading,” Niel mumbled back. His skin was uncomfortably damp, the heavy heat of summer hanging over him. 

“But why the floor?”

“It’s cooler down here.”

The AC had broken the night before. He had thrown all the windows open to catch any hint of a breeze but retreated to the kitchen floor with a pillow in search of at least a little cool air. 

“Is it really?” Chanhee dropped his things by the door and came over to look at Niel. 

He glanced over his book. “It feels like it is.” He gave a half-shrug. “How was the audition?”

“Hmm.” Chanhee pulled a popsicle from the freezer and came to sit on Niel’s hips. “I don’t know. I live in hope.” He offered the popsicle to Niel. 

With a short sigh, Niel took a bite and turned back to his book. He made it half a paragraph before Chanhee spoke again.

“Honey, I don’t think it’s cooler down here. Want to come for a shower?” Chanhee at the popsicle, head tilted to one side.

Niel looked up at him. He flicked his book closed, keeping place with a finger.

“Chanhee, I’m trying to read.” He waggled the book. 

“You’ll feel better after a shower.” Chanhee passed him the last of the popsicle. “It’s too hot in here.” 

Niel sighed and sat up. Chanhee’s face was begging for attention, his lower lip slightly jutting and eyes extra sparkly. With a few bites, Niel finished off the last of the sweet. He gave another sigh and jammed the old ticket stub into his book to mark his place. The begging expression morphed into beaming happiness and Chanhee pulled him to his feet. 

The cool shower helped for about 10 minutes. Niel replaced his sweaty shirt for a thin tank top and shorts. Chanhee seemed appeased by the attention and allowed Niel to return to his place on the kitchen floor. 

Niel opened his book. 

Silence.

He glanced at the bedroom where Chanhee was last seen. 

Nothing.

Niel opened to his page, placing the ticket stub between his fingers. With a last glance at the bedroom he picked up where he left off. 

“Nielie?” Chanhee called, coming out of the bedroom. 

“Yes?” Niel gritted his teeth. 

“Did Jonghyun message you about dinner?” Chanhee leaned onto the back of one of the barstools at the bench. 

“No.” Niel laid the book down beside him. 

“Mm. Dinner at their new house in a week.” Chanhee nibbled a lip and stared into space. 

If he had looked down at Niel he would have seen the displeased expression as Niel waited for him to finish. 

“We should bring something, shouldn’t we?”

He didn’t care. It was too hot to care and he just wanted to read!

“Yes,” Niel said. 

“Mm.” Chanhee lapsed into silence once more. 

Niel tentatively opened his book. 

“What should we bring?”

“Chanhee!” Niel finally burst. “I’m trying to read! Can’t we talk about this later?”

“Oh.” Chanhee blinked and smiled bashfully. “Sorry, I didn’t notice.”

Niel closed his eyes, smiling and biting his lip as he shook his head. 

“I’ll let you read now.” Chanhee nudged him with a toe and wandered away. 

Slowly, not quite convinced, Niel opened his book. He reread a little and began to sink back into the words. 

“Niel!” Chanhee’s voice called. “What happens after we die?”

“Chanhee! I swear to God you’re about to find out first-hand!” Niel sat bolt upright, yelling through the apartment. 

Chanhee giggled, clapping a little at Niel’s reaction. Niel gave him a noise of frustration. 

“OK. Sorry.” Chanhee raised his hands. “Truly. I’ll be quiet now. I promise.” He zipped his lips. 

Niel lay back down. Chanhee was right, it wasn’t any cooler where he was. He was too hot and irritated to move though. He couldn’t wait for summer to end. He picked up his novel, the only distraction he had from the heat. 

He made it a whole page and a half before Minsu returned home.

“Welcome home.” Niel joined the chorus, his voice blank. He didn’t look up from his book. 

He could hear Chanhee and Minsu talking but refused to pay attention to their words. He was reading.

“Hey.” Minsu gave him a soft kick. “Why are you on the floor?”

“Cooler.” Niel kept reading. 

“He says he’s too hot anywhere else,” Chanhee called. 

Niel reread his sentence, frowning at the page.

“He is pretty hot, look at those legs.” Minsu nudged him again. 

Niel read his sentence a third time. 

“Leave him alone, darling. “ Chanhee came and draped himself over Minsu’s shoulders. “He’s reading.” 

“Oh!” Minsu carried on Chanhee’s dramatic tone. “We absolutely shouldn’t interrupt him then!”

Niel glared at them over the top of his book. They laughed at him, both sparking with impish humour. 

“Go away,” he muttered, moving the book so he couldn’t see them. 

“It too hot in here!” Chanhee rattled the barstool in his frustration. 

“Did they say when the AC will be fixed?” Minsu placed his hands over Chanhee’s and kissed his cheek.

“They didn’t reply to my email.” Niel piped up, keeping his book in front of his face. 

“Thought you were reading,” Minsu stretched out on the tiles beside Niel with a sigh. 

“I am.” Niel ignored him.

“There is so much under our fridge,” Minsu mumbled. 

Chanhee descended to sit on Minsu’s hips. Niel’s eyes flickered over the two of them. He tried to keep his face blank as he stared the pages of his book. 

“It’s too hot,” Chanhee complained again.

“Let’s go to the waterpark,” Minsu said. 

“Oh!” Chanhee beamed, clasping his hands together.

Niel tried to remember he was reading. 

“Let’s go to the waterpark!” Chanhee repeated. “Nielie, you want to come to the park?”

“I don’t know.” Minsu tugged at Niel’s sideburn lightly. “He’s reading.”

With a sigh, Niel tossed his book down. It gave a loud clap as it hit the tiles. They laughed at him again and he glared. 

“I’ll come to the stupid park. I give up,” Niel sighed. 

“If you bring your book, I promise we’ll let you read.” Chanhee leaned over and gave him a kiss. 

“Mm-hmm.” Niel shot him a sceptical look. 

They packed light; just towels, money and Niel’s novel. Minsu stopping Niel in the doorway to beg a kiss on the way out. When they returned home, sun kissed and tired from the water, the book had not moved from it’s place.

==========

A/N: This may or may not be a regular occurrence in my household. Guess which one I am... (I only have 1 wife but it's inspired by something my wife and i go through)

Also! Happy Autumn to you northern hemi people! It's coming in to Spring here and I LOVE IT! I hate winter and i hate the winter winds even more.