It wasn't unusual for Minho to be awake when the sun finally made its way over the horizon.

It was unusual though that he had been awake in time for him to turn off his alarm, never giving the annoying ringing a chance to start.

As all of his friends and family knew, Choi Minho was not a morning person. Sure he faked it well, getting up at dawn for soccer practice or going for a run as the birds began to sing, but given the choice he'd much rather sleep in.

So why was he wide awake in the middle of winter, when it was forecast to be too cold and snowy for even him to go for his usual run? It was all because of his new enigma of a roommate.

He never would have thought that the kid who puked on his shoes outside the airport would end up being the one taking the recently empty space in his room. The space he was feeling resentment over its sudden new occupant.

Not that he blamed the poor, obviously out of sorts, transfer student.

It was just the idea that so soon after his prior roommate's, sudden departure, the school board had already elected to fill their empty spot.

It made Minho feel slightly sick.

But since there was nothing he could do to change things and no reason to take it out on Taemin, he simply elected to let it go.

Groaning, the athletic boy stretched and hauled himself out of his warm, soft bed, and placed his feet on the coolness of the bedroom floor.  The chill that ran up his spine reminded him that it was still winter in Seoul, it wasn't the warmth of the island where he had spent his holiday with his older brother and parents.

When any of the three weren't running off to "unexpected" meetings and whatnot that is.

He wished he'd taken the Kims' offer like Sulli had and stayed with them for the vacation. At least it seemed like his little sister had had fun.

But then he hadn't accepted because he knew that for most of their free time, Jonghyun would have been complaining about the loss of time spent with Key, thanks to the pretty boy's taste in expensive 5th Avenue clothing and coffee.

While he loved them both like brothers, there was only so much he could take before their weird relationship made his head hurt.

Using the stealth he typically reserved for sneaking around past curfew, Minho tried to tiptoed past the sleeping figure of Taemin.  

He didn't make it past the end of the bed before the blanket burrito, that was his sleeping roommate, shot straight up. Tuffs of black hair poked out the top before the entire package wriggled and, in a valiant effort to free himself, fell to the floor.

Had it been any of his other friends, Minho would have doubled over laughing at the expression of the younger's face when his head popped out of the top of the blankets. It was a mix of shock, confusion and utter horror.

"Are you alright?" Minho asked calmly, walking over to help untangle the tiny boy.

“Fine!” Came a voice that was little more than a squeak. “I’m okay!” Frantic arms pulled at the blankets in vain.

Minho sighed, reaching over to tug the blankets in a way that caused them to simply fall apart. “You really wedged yourself in there didn’t you?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What?” Minho asked confused. “Why are you sorry?”

“You had to help me.” Taemin said softly, “I’m sorry.”

The confusion didn’t leave Minho’s face. “Its alright, I scared you didn’t I? I was trying to be quiet.”

“I’m a light sleeper. I’m sorry.” Taemin struggled out of the blankets at his feet and stood up. The blankets were haphazardly tossed to the middle of the bed.

“Oh. Well that’s alright.” Minho’s eyes were drawn to Taemin’s waist and how slim it looked. He was smaller than Key, if the way his pajama's bagged were any true indication. “I’ll try to be quieter in the mornings. I tend to be an early riser.”

“That’s okay. It’s your room.” One delicate hand scratched at his hip, shirt raising up just slightly to tackle the itch.

“It’s our room.” Minho said. “You live here too now.”

The way Taemin bit his lip and stared disbelieving at Minho made the older boy question his life before coming to Seoul. What had he been through that made him so scared?

Because that was clearly how Taemin felt. It was obvious to someone as oblivious as Minho.

At least someone as oblivious as Key claimed Minho to be.

“But you’ve lived here longer...”

“So? You live here now and that’s what matters.” He gave Taemin what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to shower first.”

Taemin nodded.

“Why don’t you get a little more sleep.” Minho suggested, hand on the bathroom door knob. “I’ll  shower then make some breakfast for us. We have lots of time before class, so I can wake you when food is ready?”

Taemin stared blank faced at Minho before he asked, very quietly. “Can you make pancakes?”

Grinning, Minho nodded. “Yeah, its one of the few breakfast things I can make really well. Pancakes it is.”

The grin that spilt Taemin’s face caused a similar one on Minho’s, the older boy being thrilled that it took something simple like pancakes to make his roommate really smile. He moved to head into the bathroom, stopping when he saw Taemin still standing in the same place smiling.

“Go back to sleep.” Minho ordered, trying to channel his inner Key voice. “I’ll wake you soon enough.”

Taemin nodded at him and crawled back into bed, untangling his mound of blankets.

Even though he was desperate to wait and see if Taemin really did go back to sleep, Minho pushed himself into the bathroom.

His sleepless night would catch up with him later that day but for the time being he might as well continue on as normal.

Or as normal as it was for a teenage boy to have the oddest sense of protectiveness over someone he had only just met.

There was something about Taemin that just screamed vulnerable.

Something that made Minho want to shelter him and fatten him up with delicious, but not nutritious, food like pancakes.

So he showered quickly, ignoring the fact that it was morning and he was a teenage man, and that the little scrap of skin Taemin had shown did funny things to his stomach.

He didn’t like boys, and even if he did, there was no way that of all the boys in all the world, that one with that similar affliction would happen to be his roommate.

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Sooooo....

Comments? Ideas of whats to come? Questions?

Loves ya all!

Kat