You glance at the neon red numbers spilling out from your alarm ‘2:00am’ It reads. You sigh softly, at one point it would have served to fuel your anxiety, but you’ve learned to live with being a night owl and enjoyed the quiet it brought. You could hear Baekhyun’s soft breathing behind you. He’s not asleep yet but just like you he’s just enjoying the peace, something that was rare for what with his busy schedule.

While he didn’t often voice it, but you knew that as much as he adored his job the emotional toll it took on him was a heavy one. After 10 years of carefully chiseling out his place in the idol world, piecing together a spotless version of himself to be adored by millions, he was often left exhausted. Outwith the public eye the mask was carefully placed aside leaving someone who was much more sensitive, someone who needed to recharge from the constant charismatic display.

You couldn’t help but feel that the bed was currently a little roomy, without a said lanky figure draping his arms around the two of you - Chanyeol was still in his studio.

He had the weekend off and invited some of his friends round for drinks, and they naturally ended up in the studio despite the fact it was only supposed to be a social call, as usual. And so, every so often, you could hear a familiar, almost inaudible, baritone voice as it leaked ever so slightly through the soundproofing of the small studio space adjacent to the bedoom.

Sometimes you’d swear that you could feel the passion in that room leak out along with it, too big to be contained, the aspirations and the drive ripping at the concrete. It was quite the atmosphere, being in an environment full of people whose love for their craft was so strong. The buzz was incredible. You and Baekhyun would often be there with them - you more so basking in the music and their excitement - much to your lover’s upsets. Their quest to get your ‘seriously better than you think’  singing voice on a track had been pending for a while now.

However, tonight you two had decided to forego joining them, the week's stresses paired with more than a few glasses of wine (Possibly a few beers too) during dinner were more than enough for your combined social batteries for today.

Baekhyun had clearly noted your discontented sigh as a hand slips it’s way round your middle to give you a slight squeeze, moving you closer into his chest. You feel him move slightly and a soft kiss is placed somewhere on the top of your clavicle as he pauses, inhaling, as soft blonde hair tickles your shoulder before he drops his head back down to his pillow.  You snake your arm down over Baekhyun's own interlocking your fingers with his, where it sits on your torso.

You can feel a familiar bloom in your chest, a warm pool like liquid gold, something that was rare in your past - but had become familiar in the past few years with the two. It spreads like easing into the perfect bath, just right. The ultimate comfort, leaving you feeling cozy and loved from such a small gesture.

Sometimes it could be a little overwhelming, the love you received from them. Having one person treat you like this, so tenderly in the smallest of moments,was rare in itself. But two at the same time? It made you wonder what you’d done to deserve this. How did you of all people deserve them.  It was a thought that cropped up in that head of yours quite often, before it was silently quelled by memories of the ‘conversation’ you’d all had about it.

A really ty day turned into a euphoric night where you’d let this thought slip to them through teary eyes,these emotions bubbling to the surface through a swamp of others that had culminated on a ty day. The mention of which led to the most delicate,caring caresses, more than a few delicious bruises and endless strings of praise. It left the three of you weak, and ironically stronger in your relationship.

You shift your gaze to stare out the full length windows of your shared bedroom, veiled lightly by white voiles allowing for a fuzzy view over the Seoul night skyline. The city is still alive, if a little less bustling. You trace your eyes over aircraft warning lights adorning the skyscrapers like fairy lights, trains of building lights trailing down and out of view. When you’d first agreed to move in it took you more than a little while to get used to it all, the lights and the sounds of the city. However it had become calming to sit and observe the world go by below, open window allowing the sounds of cars passing and people enjoying the start to their weekend.

That's when you heard the faint sound of muffled laughter and the shuffling of slippers to the front door and Chanyeol sending off his friends with a slightly jolly goodbye. There was a pause and not soon after you could hear him actively trying to open the bedroom door quietly, like a teenager sneaking back in the middle of the night after curfew,in an attempt not to wake,what he thought were, his two sleeping beauties. 

Baekhyun let out an almost silent snicker in response to this- hot air tickling the back of your neck. As soon as your man opens the door, closing it softly behind him, Baekhyun tightens his grip on you instinctually at the disturbance.

‘What time do you call this, young man?’ he calls, his tone is lazy as his mind automatically turns to make a joke - as it always doed. Chanyeol slowly walks over, with deliberate steps, a mixture of his intoxication and the low visibility, with only the light from outside flooding in the window. He gets close, propping one knee on the bed and leaning down; 'Bedtime’ he says through soft smole. It’s not an invitation, it’s a statement, silently letting Baekhyun know that he’s too tired for the jokes tonight. He inches forward placing a kiss on Baekhyun’s cheek and then leaning just a little further to plant one on yours, it’s tender and caring, if a little sloppy, you can smell the hint of whiskey on his breath. A little final chaser to the night's festivities.  He then pushes himself back down to the laminate of the floor and pads silently into the ensuite to get cleaned up.

"So, who gets the giant hot water bottle tonight then?” you break the comfortable silence once Chanyeol has disappeared, you attempt to roll over so you’re almost nose to nose with the man beside you, Baekhyun lifting his arm away for you to do so. It was always the debate; Chanyeol, you were both convinced, was the human equivalent of the sun, not just in his personality but his damn body heat as well.

‘I think I want him, my feet are cold’ a devilish grin appears on his lips as he hooks a leg over to your calves under the covers. Aimedly placing his freezing foot right on them, making you giggle incessantly as the icy feeling shoots up the backs of your legs. ‘Baek, stopppp, I won't argue!', you pull your lower legs away from him. The room falls quiet again, save for a few giggles, as you smile back at him, face slightly flushed from laughing. He proceeds to gently peck your forehead before adjusting himself so your head was tucked under his chin, an arm pulling you close again.

As if on cue Chanyeol’s lean figure emerges from the diffused glow of the white bathroom lights, all but his boxers discarded. His cherry red hair was vibrant as ever in this light. ‘Room for one more?’ he asks, this time making no efforts to be silent realizing you’d both moved, and were in fact awake.

‘Always’

You’re facing him but make no effort to pull yourself away from your spot burried into Baekhyun's chest. So ,lazily, you stretch your arm over him and lift the covers, showing Chanyeol where he’s sleeping tonight. He clumsily slips his long limbs into the warmth of the duvet, slotting himself in behind the smaller man in front of you. Neither of you see, but Chanyeol’s expression changes from one of a content drunken haze to one of slight surprise, big doe eyes widening when he tucks his legs in behind Baekhyn's own.“ Ahhh, Babe your feet are ing frozen’ he whines words slurring slightly. You already know there’s a glint in Baekhyun’s sleepy eyes… ‘Shhhh, it’s bedtime, remember?”

You can almost hear Chanyeol roll his eyes, a goofy, toothy, smile spreading on his face. As he easily drapes a strong arm, lazily, over both of you, getting himself comfortable. 

This, the strong arms holding you, the loving smiles and the stupid jokes, still peppered with tender moments all the while, this was your comfort zone - this is where you felt contented.