Joon crawled under the fresh covers and breathed in the linen scent.  It smelled like Seungho and fresh rain.  The combination of both the fabric softener and Seungho’s musky scent soothed him and made him feel almost giddy with happiness.  He lifted his head as he watched Seungho walk into the bedroom in his pajamas and a towel over his wet hair.  He watched as Seungho ruffled his hair with the towel before tossing it onto the back of the chair.  He felt his chest fill with emotion as Seungho crawled into bed next to him.  He was so glad that he was alive.

Joon blinked, though, as Seungho reached out and turned off the lights.  Darkness filled the room, broken by only a thin stream of light seeping through the crack between the curtains.  Joon felt the usual fear seep within him as his eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness.  Seungho’s movements that had previously filled him with happiness now felt terrifying beside him.  His breathing quickened and his heart raced as the darkness suddenly became suffocating.  He was suddenly back inside the dark and damp warehouse, where all he could see was blackness and all he could hear was his own breath…

“Joon-ah, it’s okay,” Seungho suddenly said softly, his movements having stilled, “You’re safe at home and I’m right here next to you.”

Joon turned to the sound of Seungho’s voice as he strained his eyes to see in the dark.  He could see the silhouette of Seungho’s face in the little moonlight that lit up the room.  Slowly, Joon reached out and touched Seungho’s face.  He felt Seungho’s hands touch his and pull his hand over the contours of his face.  Joon felt the soft fuzzy feeling of Seungho’s eyebrows underneath his fingers.  He felt the soft contours of his eyes and lashes followed by the smooth bridge of his nose.  Finally, he felt Seungho’s soft and full lips press a gentle kiss onto his fingertips.  Joon let out a soft breath as he realized that the fear had dissipated and his heartbeat had returned to normal.  Instead of feeling cold, his fingertips where Seungho had kissed them felt hot.

Slowly, Joon scooted closer to Seungho and touched their bodies together.  He shivered at the familiar urge to recoil.  Instead, he ran his fingers again over Seungho’s face and trailed it down along his jaw line and neck.  Again, he felt himself relaxing as he felt Seungho’s hands gently covering his.  Soon, he had scooted close enough to snuggle into Seungho’s embrace.  He took a deep breath and breathed in Seungho’s scent.  He smelled like fresh laundry and shampoo mixed with his own musky scent.

“I’m going to wrap my arm around your shoulder,” Seungho said softly, giving him notice as to not startle him, “Is that okay?”

Joon nodded and nuzzled his face into the crook of Seungho’s neck.  He shivered slightly as he felt an arm circle around his shoulders.  Again, he ran his fingers over Seungho’s neck and paused above the pulse.  The steady pulse soothed his nerves and helped him relax.

“You okay?” Seungho murmured as he placed his chin on Joon’s head, “Should I back off a little?”

“No,” Joon said into the crook of Seungho’s collar, “Just… stay like this.  I want to stay like this.”

“Okay,” Seungho replied, letting out a soft sigh, “If you get uncomfortable, just push me away.”

“I won’t,” Joon said, placing a hand over Seungho’s heart.  The steady beat soothed him and chased away his fear.  

Silence fell between them as Seungho placed a hand over Joon’s and ran his thumbs over the back of his hand.  Joon snuggled against Seungho’s warmth and felt his eyelids droop.  Soon, he steady sounds of Seungho’s breathing lulled him into slumber.

Seungho woke with a start.  He blinked blearily in the darkness, confused and bewildered as to what had awoken him.  He glanced at the clock on his nightstand; it was still the middle of the night.  The moon streamed in from between the curtains and broke up the darkness.  

He was suddenly alert when he heard a small whimper to his left.  Turning in the darkness, he shifted his weight to face Joon, who had curled up into a foetal position near the edge of the bed.  Alarmed, Seungho flicked on the small lamp and sat up.  Slowly, he reached out and patted Joon’s arm gently.

“Joon-ah,” he murmured, giving Joon a small shake, “Wake up.”  When he didn’t get any responses, he shook a little harder.  “Joon-ah,” he murmured again, “Joon-ah…”

Joon suddenly flinched in his sleep and let out another small whimper.  Seungho took a deep breath as he felt a stab of pain in his chest as Joon curled into a tighter ball while cradling his casted arm.  Swallowing the lump in his throat, Seungho slipped an arm underneath Joon’s head and gently pulled him closer.

“Joon-ah,” he whispered, giving him another shake, “Wake up, Joon-ah…”  Under the soft lamp light, Seungho noticed trails of tears on Joon’s pale cheeks.  He wiped them away with his fingers gently as his gut wrenched with sadness.  

Joon’s tear stained lashes suddenly fluttered open, his eyes wild with fright.  He flinched in reflex and threw out his left arm against Seungho’s chest to push him back.  

The force of the push sent Seungho rolling off the bed in a thump.  The breath was knocked out of him as he sat up from the fall.  

Joon had frozen on the bed, his eyes wide and wet with tears as he stared at where Seungho was sitting.  The hand that had pushed Seungho out of bed was shaking.  He looked up with fright as Seungho stood and climbed back onto the bed slowly.  “I-I-I…” Joon stuttered, looking as if he was about to cry, “I’m s-sorry, I-I…”

“Shh,” Seungho said, giving him a comforting smile, “I’m fine.  Come here…”  He held his arms open and gestured for Joon to move into his embrace.  It was probably better for Joon to come to him on his own rather than pull him into a hug; he didn’t want to scare Joon anymore than he already had.  “Come…” he murmured, wagging his hands gently.

Hesitantly, Joon crawled towards him, pulling the sheets with him.  He slowly scooted close enough and put his left arm around Seungho’s neck.  He shuddered but didn’t loosen his grip. 

Seungho gently scooped him up and placed Joon onto his lap.  He wrapped his arms around him and ran a soothing hand down Joon’s back as he rocked them back and forth on the bed.  He felt Joon snuggle into his neck.  Joon’s wet eyelashes painted streaks of tears onto Seungho’s neck as he murmured gentle reassurances into Joon’s ear.

“It’s okay,” he murmured, placing his cheek against Joon’s forehead, “I’m here.  I’m here…”

“I’m sorry hyung,” Joon murmured, sniffling slightly as he calmed down, “You have class tomorrow and I’m…”

“Are you kidding me?” Seungho said, smiling and rubbing his cheek against Joon’s hair, “I’ll never say no to a cuddle.”  He chuckled as he felt Joon smile into his neck and snuggle closer.  “Although, Joon-ah,” he said softly, “You’re getting too light.”  He looked down as Joon looked up at him in surprise.  “I need to fatten you up; you’re so bony right now your is hurting my thighs,” Seungho teased.

Joon blinked in surprise and his jaw dropped.  “I’m… my…?” he stuttered, looking a little outraged.  He gasped slightly as Seungho leaned in and placed a kiss on his nose.  He flushed a cute shade of pink as Seungho laughed.

“Tell me what you want to eat,” Seungho said, unable to take his eyes away from Joon’s embarrassed expression, “I’ll make it for you.”  He smiled as Joon’s face relaxed into a soft smile.  

“…Rice…” Joon murmured, looking him in the eyes earnestly.

“Rice?” Seungho asked, not sure if he heard correctly.  Of all the things…

“Kimchi fried rice,” Joon said, nodding.  As if on cue, his stomach grumbled, causing him to flush a deeper shade of red.

“Kimchi… fried rice,” Seungho repeated, as he watched Joon nod again.  He couldn’t describe the feeling that rushed through him as Joon looked down at his cast and nodded again.  He felt so… full that he could explode.  “Want me to make it now?” he asked, as Joon’s stomach grumbled again.

“Ah,” Joon said hastily, “No… we should sleep…” He wriggled in Seungho’s lap.

Seungho suddenly felt a rush of heat in his groin as Joon shifted his position.  It was quickly followed by a mental self-slap and scolding as Seungho berated himself.  Now was not the time to be lusting over Joon.  It was completely inappropriate and inconsiderate.  But still…

Seungho cleared his throat and let Joon slide off his lap.  He quickly stood and pulled his T-shirt over his pants just in case.  “I’ll go make some now,” he said, feeling both guilty and a little exasperated at his own reaction, “I’m hungry too.”  With a smile, he quickly shuffled into the kitchen.  He quickly peeked inside his pajama pants and sighed in relief.  Fortunately, he didn’t have to take care of anything.  He couldn’t imagine the guilt that would follow if he did.

Chuckling at the situation, Seungho pulled out a frying pan and began rummaging through the fridge.  The truth was… he was actually a little hungry too.  When he’d woken up to Joon’s cries, he had felt a rush of adrenaline and upset course through his body.  His first instinct was to pull Joon into a tight embrace and cry with him.  Fortunately, he had been in his right mind enough to know that would just make things worse.  Pulling and forcing Joon into any kind of close physical contact at this point would do the exact opposite of calming him down so Seungho had been on his best behaviour to avoid actions like that.  Instead, he tried the tactic of letting Joon come to him on his own and, fortunately, it worked out well.  After the adrenaline rush though, Seungho was suddenly starving and Joon seemed to have mirrored his feeling.

Pulling out the kimchi and left over rice from dinner, Seungho began to prepare the ingredients.  Soon, he heard a soft shuffling of footsteps down the hall and into the kitchen.  He turned to see Joon watching him with a sheepish smile on his face.

“What?” Seungho asked as he cut up the kimchi.  He couldn’t help the smile that spread across his lips at Joon’s outfit.  He had pulled on an oversized sweater they had gotten to accommodate for his cast.  He looked like a child who’d snuck into his father’s closet.  It was both cute and funny looking.

“Nothing,” Joon murmured as he leaned against the wall and watched.  

Seungho started up the stove and drizzled some oil into the pan.  As he cooked, he said, “What else do you want to eat?  Should I prepare some side dishes?  I think we have some ra-”  He paused mid-sentence as he felt an arm wrap around his waist from behind.  He felt Joon lean onto his back and place a kiss onto his shoulder.  And there it was again… that rush of heat.  Seungho mentally dismissed it and said, “Joon-ah?”

“Thank you,” Joon whispered into his shoulders, “For being so… you.”

Turning down the stove, Seungho turned to face Joon.  He was surprised, however, when Joon suddenly leaned in and place a gentle kiss onto his lips.  He watched as Joon pulled back shyly before leaning in again for another kiss.

Seungho had to fight his instincts to pull Joon into a hungry kiss.  He chained the beast inside of himself and let Joon take control.  He felt Joon’s hand cup his face as Joon deepened the kiss.  He let out a soft sigh as Joon’s tongue darted out and ran along his lips.  Again and again, Joon kissed him gently.  Seungho felt himself melt against the kisses, his mind going totally blank.  He opened his eyes in protest as Joon finally pulled back with glistening lips.

Joon cleared his throat and peeked around Seungho.  His eyes widened as he pointed to the pan.  “The… the rice…” he said.

Rice?  Suddenly remembering the food, Seungho whirled around just in time to salvage most of it from burning.  Sighing in relief, he placed the pan in the sink and turned to Joon.  He was hoping they would continue now that the interruption was gone but… Joon’s eyes seemed to have fallen into the plates of fried rice.  Seungho couldn’t help but chuckle as Joon’s stomach grumbled again.

“Let’s eat,” he said, grabbing two spoons from the drawers.  

Joon nodded as he quickly dug into the large plate.  Surprised at Joon’s enthusiasm, Seungho didn’t bother scooping out two bowls or bringing the plate to the dinner table.  Instead, the two leaned against the kitchen counters and ate from the same plate.  

As they ate, Seungho watched Joon scoop up the rice awkwardly with his left hand.  After a few half-scoops, Seungho decided he couldn’t take anymore cuteness.  He took the spoon from Joon and tossed it into the sink, to Joon’s surprise and protest.  Shushing Joon, Seungho scooped up a spoonful of rice with his own spoon and held it in front of Joon’s mouth.

When Joon just blinked in response, Seungho sighed and said, “Ahh.”

Joon turned a brilliant shade of pink as he frowned shyly and stammered, “I-I can eat myself…”

“Ahh,” Seungho repeated, getting a little embarrassed himself.  He had never once fed any of his past girlfriends because it just wasn’t something he had ever wanted to do.  In fact, it had never really crossed his mind… until now.  It was strange how much he found himself thinking of things to do for Joon.

Reluctantly, Joon opened his mouth and ate the rice.  As he chewed, Seungho scooped up a spoonful for himself and ate it.  They ate in silence as Seungho fed the both of them and soon, the plate had been polished clean.  As Seungho cleaned the pot and plate, Joon made a pot of hot water and began rummaging through the cupboards for something.

“What are you looking for?” Seungho asked as he dried off the plate.

“Hot chocolate,” Joon said, pulling out two pouches and smiling at him, “Dessert.”

Seungho laughed as Joon poured two cups of the drink and stirred them clumsily.  He walked over and took a cup.  He sipped his as he watched Joon sigh in contentment.  He was glad that all the traces of fright had disappeared from Joon’s face.  Joon had been so terrified when he’d first woken up from his nightmare that Seungho wasn’t sure what to do.  Fortunately, food had been a sufficient distraction for Joon to forget his terrors.

As Joon emptied his mug of his hot chocolate, he sighed again and walked over to the sink.  Turning on the tap, he awkwardly tried to wash it before Seungho nudged him aside and took over.  As he washed the cups, Seungho felt Joon’s stare on his back.

Wiping his hands on a towel, Seungho turned to Joon and opened his arms.  This time, Joon walked into his embrace naturally.  Much less hesitant than before, Joon leaned in and placed a kiss on Seungho’s lips.  

“Mmm,” Joon said, smiling into the kiss, “Chocolate.”

Seungho laughed in response.  He was surprised, however, when Joon took advantage of his laugh and deepened the kiss.  He felt Joon’s tongue slide along his lips before finding his own.  He sighed as he felt Joon’s hand cup the nape of his neck and push him forward into the kiss.  He felt himself relax against the counter as Joon pressed forward without a single trace of fear.  Half of him worried that Joon was pushing himself too much while the other half didn’t give a damn about anything other than how to further deepen the kiss.  

Seungho pulled away, however, when Joon broke the kiss and let out a shaky breath.  Placing his hands gently on Joon’s shoulders, Seungho gave him a gentle smile.

“We should go to bed,” he said, trying to mentally calm himself down.  His inner beast was raging at the idea of simply going to sleep when things had gotten so steamy.  His conscience, however, berated him for already going too far.

Joon’s face looked both relieved and disappointed at the suggestion.  Biting his lips, Joon nodded and took a step back.  As Seungho started towards the bedroom, Joon suddenly reached out and tugged on the bottom of his shirt.

Seungho turned in surprise to find Joon looking crestfallen.  Puzzled, Seungho watched as Joon looked up at him briefly before letting go of his shirt.  Joon’s gaze fell to the floor briefly before he looked up and gave Seungho a half-hearted smile.

Like a light-bulb going off, Seungho crossed his arms and frowned.  If Joon was thinking what he thinks he’s thinking… “Joon-ah,” Seungho said, his voice suddenly firm, “For the record, I’m only suggesting we go to bed because I don’t think pushing you down and making love to you right now is appropriate.  So whatever you’re thinking… stop it.”  He tilted Joon’s chin up as the latter looked at him in surprise.  “I know you and you have that bad habit of blaming yourself,” Seungho said, pinching Joon’s cheeks enough the make the latter yelp and swat his hand away, “Stop what you’re thinking, you fool.”  

“I,” Joon said, rubbing his cheek, “I wasn’t-”

“Yes you were,” Seungho said.  He sighed and took Joon’s hand in his.  “I’ve already confessed my feelings for you.  Don’t think that anything will change that,” he said, giving Joon’s hand a squeeze, “I still want to kiss you and hug you and I definitely still want to make love to you so much you won’t be able to walk.  None of that has changed because of what happened, you hear me?”

As Joon stared back at him, he visibly relaxed.  With a shy nod, Joon let Seungho lead him back to bed.  As the two slipped into bed, Seungho leaned over and turned off the lamp.  He heard Joon’s breath hitch the instant the room went dark.  Reaching over, Seungho opened his arms as Joon scooted into his embrace naturally.  As Joon snuggled into his chest, Seungho rubbed his back soothingly.  Soon, Joon’s breathing slowed into deep breaths as he fell fast asleep.  Sighing in relief, Seungho closed his eyes and breathed in Joon’s scent.  Like before, the sound of Joon’s soft breathing soothed him and lulled him back into a dreamless slumber.

Author's notes:

You guys wanted fluff... well I'll give you so much fluff you'll be begging me for drama!  This chapter was so sweet, I almost got diabetes just writing the damn thing LOL.  Anyway, here's your fluff!!  I think I might take a quick break from Love Me to finish up Joonthology (it's grand finale time)!  So please stay tuned and check out the last ty one-shot of the series!