Taeyong wasn't going to lie - He hated Qian Kun the moment he laid eyes on him. He could go for countless hours just explaining about the things he didn't like about the Chinese immigrant who decided one day to trespass the entertainment industry and ruin his life.

 

But then, he couldn't do anything about his growing loathe. Ever since Kun’s arrival, the man had done absolutely no harm to him. If any, he was extremely nice and more than willing to work with him.

 

There weren't close, much more on speaking terms until the moment Taeyong's company decided to hire Kun's service for their upcoming project. Undoubtedly, it made Taeyong feel betrayed since he felt like his achievements alone weren't enough to prove his worth. The higher-ups were harsh for pairing him up with the guy he considered a threat to his career.

 

The one-sided rivalry was painful to watch. Taeyong was so determined to see any flaws that Kun might manifest in order to break him apart. For the past five weeks of working with him, the kind foreigner never failed to share his home-cooked meals (which Taeyong absolutely loved. Just thinking about them made his mouth water in anticipation) from morning up to the wee hours of staying inside the producer's room. Moreover, he would also offer constructive criticisms and helpful advice that may improve the quality of their work.

 

And what else did Taeyong return as a form of gratitude? Being the ungrateful brat he was, he gave Kun a hard time by making him his lackey. There wasn't a single day when he wasn't commanding the poor man to do even the simplest things for him, such as preparing a cup of java or cleaning the office space during closing time.

 

Taeyong did everything to make Kun quit. He was too engrossed in making his life a living hell he definitely didn't expect the act of kindness he received the moment he fell asleep one day at work while trying to finish their project.

 

His eyes were extremely stubborn since they kept on dropping like malfunctioning shutters. Earlier that day, he had a poor quality of sleep (as always) due to his reoccurring insomnia. To make matters worse, he quaffed three cups of coffee before lunch break which explained why he was palpitating. He couldn't breathe properly, and his fingers wouldn't stop twitching as he tried to type on his computer.

 

Since he was notorious for overworking himself, he ignored his body's attempts to make him take a break. He was listening to his creation when the door opened, and immediately, Taeyong's mood drastically plummeted into several notches.

 

There was a rustling sound coming from a plastic bag behind him before it stopped when Kun halted beside him. His colleague was wearing the most comfortable winter clothes (He badly wanted to know their brand but his ego was even bigger than his head) that perfectly hugged his body. Kun was neither impressive nor lacking in terms of his looks (at least according to Taeyong's biased beliefs), but if there's one good thing that Taeyong was willing to admit about his coworker, then his cute dimples could make the cut.

 

... And also those plump lips. Who knows? He had no idea what was hiding beneath those baggy sweaters.

 

"That's it. You're going to drink this." Kun tiredly declared the moment he slipped right beside the fuming man. Taeyong wasn't thrilled, sure, but when he saw the carton of milk and the paracetamol tablet resting in Kun's hands, his expression became soft.

 

"... And what's that supposed to mean?" Taeyong scoffed, slightly lowering his head to hide the small blush forming on his face. He wasn't dumb. He knew that even with his pathetic attempts to remain lucid, he knew that his nosey colleague had a keen eye since he somehow managed to notice the change in his body language.

 

Kun remained impassive despite receiving a hostile response. Cracking a small smile, he offered the carton of milk and medicine to his companion. "I know you're tired. Please, take this to make you feel better. The night is still young, and we have to polish the track we’re trying to create."

 

Truly, it was a nice gesture. However, Taeyong wasn't planning to accept the tempting offer so without further ado, he spun his computer chair away from the expectant man and wheeled himself across the room. "If you have so much time to waltz off the room and stroll along the streets, then you should've just used your spare time to help me." He snarled.

 

Those words felt like an ice pick trying to impale Kun's heart. Luckily, Taeyong was facing him away so he permitted his exasperation to sink in by clenching his free hand. He had a ridiculous amount of patience but he's still a human who's more than capable of experiencing the five universal emotions.

 

Furthermore, he was aware that Taeyong was purposefully trying to rile him for the past few weeks. Despite the unfriendly treatment, he reciprocated the spiteful behavior with his kindness instead. He had been looking forward to working with him since the start of his career. Taeyong is undoubtedly one of the personalities he looks up to, although he's already contemplating if idolizing him is really a good thing or not.

 

Meanwhile, Taeyong felt miraculously guilty about snapping out without any apparent reason. He didn't expect to lash out his anger considering the fact that he's not in the right state of mind. Kun was a sweetheart for venturing into the chilly night just to fetch him some painkillers and a nice carton of milk. If any, he should be grateful instead of acting like a total .

 

After pondering whether he would apologize or not, he finally chose the former. Begrudgingly, he slowly spun his chair, only to see Kun in a state of deep concentration while finishing the track he was working on. He was wearing his headphones and Taeyong was too shy to disrupt him.

 

 

 

 

 

"Maybe in the morning, I'll apologize." He mumbled to himself before returning to his work.

 

 

He forgot to say sorry.

 

The thing was, the moment he got home past one in the morning, he got a text message from his ex, informing him that he would come by in the morning to salvage the remaining belongings he left in his apartment. It was like adding salt into the wound since Taeyong never wanted to see his ex-boyfriend anymore after all the toxicity he had to endure.

 

Bad breakups never ended up well, and as a price of his failed relationship, Taeyong was clinically diagnosed with insomnia for the past seven months now.

 

He detested taking his sleeping pills since he didn't want to become fully dependent on them. He never missed his appointment for his sleep therapy every weekend but right after that, he felt like the same pattern still haunted him like a never-ending nightmare.

 

Still, his project (yes, he refused to call it his and Kun’s project) wasn’t going to be finished by itself before the deadline. With a sour mood and a sleep-deprived state, Taeyong stormed out of his house. He just hoped that the meeting hours would run smoothly compared to the preceding days.

 

As always, Kun was in his best mood the moment they crossed paths in the hallway. Blinded by his ruined mood, Taeyong blatantly ignored the younger and kept on advancing until he reached the recording studio. There, he wasted no time opening the computer before sitting in front of it. Soon after, he was too busy trying to remember the last part he left before he went home he didn't notice Kun looming behind him.

 

"Do you want some breakfast?" Kun’s voice was very gentle, and yet Taeyong found himself yelping due to his instability. Annoyed, he gave Kun a grimace, only to disappear afterward when he saw the bento box displayed in front of him.

 

Kun was warmly looking at him as if he was a hopeful husband offering the food he just prepared for his lovely partner after a long day at work.

 

Gulp. The fragrance of the home-cooked food was enough to make Taeyong’s knees unbuckle in submission. Absentmindedly nodding, he stood up, and the next thing he knew, he was impatiently pulling Kun towards the pantry room. "Let's eat your grub there. I don't want to leave some stains on my computer."

 

 

 

 

 

He missed the big, contented smile that bloomed on Kun's face as he kept on dragging him down the hallway, their hands tightly clasped together that didn’t separate until they reached their destination.

 

 

As expected, Taeyong succumbed to his lethargy after eight hours of sitting on his chair doing nothing but stare at his monitor all day long. The comeback season was right around the corner which explained the extra effort they were exerting just to avoid ruining their timetable.

 

However, by the time the clock struck nine in the evening, Taeyong had lost it all.

 

"---So if we just lessen the background noise and replace it with a piano accompaniment instead, I reckon that the song would sound better than the one we mixed a few days ago." Kun was explaining some adjustments for their project when he noticed Taeyong on the verge of smacking his own face against the keyboard in front of him.

 

The poor man had been desperately clinging to his consciousness for the past few minutes now. Finally, he was about to collapse on the ground when Kun managed to catch his slumping body. Immediately, Taeyong's eyes fluttered open as he frantically looked around. "H-Huh...? W-Wha... Y-You're saying a while ago?"

 

Kun felt nothing but pure remorse as he observed his coworker. The older was in disarray, and his hair was badly disheveled it could easily pass as a bird's nest. Furthermore, his eyes were bloodshot as a result of his growing caffeine addiction.

 

Instead of repeating his suggestion, Kun released a deep sigh before standing up and rummaging something from Taeyong's bag. The latter was about to slump against Kun's side once more when a loud noise reverberated within the cold room. Kun just slammed the medicine container straight onto the desk.

 

"I had enough of your stubbornness. Either you'll drink this medicine by yourself or I'll forcefully shove one pill down to your throat." As always, Kun was calm but the tone of his voice greatly complemented his threat. He was giving Taeyong an inscrutable expression that successfully made the latter think more thoroughly about his decisions.

 

Gulping the imaginary lump forming in his throat, Taeyong shakily grabbed the pill and wordlessly slipped it into his mouth.

 

"Now rest." Kun demanded. He pointed at the couch residing just below the air conditioner. "At least for a couple of hours. I'll wake you up once I finish mixing the track."

 

"But---”

 

“No more buts.” Kun cut him off. “Don’t worry. It’s not like I’m gonna send our project directly to the higher-ups without consulting you. You’ll get to inspect it first thing in the morning, okay?”

 

What else could Taeyong do? Even his body was betraying him, implicitly berating him just so he could succumb to sleep while it still persists. Chugging the water bottle Kun handed over to him, Taeyong awkwardly tottered over the couch before shoving himself onto its soft surface. It was extremely comfy but cold, a familiar feeling he was so used to enduring ever since he became nothing but a lonely soul in his apartment.

 

He tried so hard to fall asleep. He changed position multiple times and even resorted to wearing two additional sweaters. Despite his attempts to beseech Hypos to let him into his realm, his efforts were still futile. He wanted to sob in frustration and dig his nails into his arms. He was in the same room as Kun, and no matter how hard he tried to avoid trailing his eyes on the younger man’s back, he just couldn’t help it.

 

He needed someone to give him the kind of comfort he could never give for himself.

 

Finally, he swallowed down all of his remaining pride. He was just going to blame everything on his sleep-deprived state first thing in the morning.

 

“K-Kun…? Can you come here for a while?” It was a pathetic whimper, but somehow, Kun was able to hear his pleading voice. Immediately, he gravitated towards the weeping man. He knelt before him and placed his palm on his forehead.

 

“Can’t sleep even with these sweaters wrapped around you?” Kun whispered, absentmindedly brushing Taeyong’s bangs to get a clearer view of his face. Up close, the older looked even more deranged and pitiful. There were dark circles under his eyes, and on top of that, he was sickly pale.

 

“… Do you mind if I ask you to sleep with me?” Taeyong mumbled in utter desperation. Although his eyes were already dropping due to exhaustion, he didn’t miss the dreadful look on Kun’s face. Slurring internally, he realized late that he used the wrong set of words. “… I didn’t mean like that. What I mean is… Can you stay by my side until I fall asleep?”

 

Kun’s shoulders relaxed. Obviously, he was taken aback by the bold statement, but now that the older had managed to clear the air, his demeanor reverted to its normal state. Instinctively, Kun sat beside the curled lump and gestured his colleague to lay his head on his lap. “No problem. Come here, I won’t leave you until you fall into a deep slumber.” He smiled.

 

Those eyes. They were devoid of any judgment.

 

Taeyong was silent for a while before he broke the silence. “Actually… I was thinking if I could sit on your lap until I fall asleep. Is that too much to ask?”

 

What the hell…?! Of course, it’s too much! Regardless, Kun found himself nodding as he tried to absorb Taeyong’s words. In the end, he slowly spread his arms to create a huge gap where Taeyong could nestle himself inside. “Uh… All aboard?”

 

“Thank you.” Was all Taeyong could say before he haphazardly jumped on Kun’s lap. Groaning in satisfaction, he wrapped his limbs around Kun's waist and neck and faceplanted against his chest.

 

Just as Taeyong suspected, Kun’s body was radiating with so much warmth. His torso was surprisingly hard which confirmed that he had no baby fat there. At that moment, Taeyong hardly cared