Zelo makes a late-night snack for his oldest, hardworking hyung

When Zelo woke up and rolled over in his bed his eyes automatically opened and searched for YongGuk in the bed next to him. Zelo frowned sleepily when he realized it was two in the morning and his eldest hyung wasn’t in bed. He sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes as he gazed blearily around the room. YongGuk was nowhere to be seen which meant only one thing.

Zelo swung his long legs out of bed and into a pair of soft slippers that YongGuk had bought for him so that Zelo didn’t have to wince every morning from feeling the ice cold tiles under his feet. Zelo left his other sleeping hyungs in the bedroom and shuffled out of the room. He yawned widely and headed for the office-like room at the end of the hall where, surely enough, a light was shining out from underneath the door.

Zelo didn’t knock. He walked into the room and saw YongGuk busily scribbling away with sheets of paper all around him. He was so engrossed in his writing that he didn’t hear Zelo enter the room or see him standing in the doorway. Zelo considered scaring the crap out of him but decided against it – there would be other times for that.

For now, he stood in the doorway and admired the way YongGuk’s fingers gracefully held the pencil and swooped across the page from left to right creating something that seconds ago didn’t exist. He noticed the way the tip of YongGuk’s tongue slipped out from between his lips at random intervals and the way he squinted even though he was wearing his reading glasses. (Zelo made a mental note to remind YongGuk to get his prescription checked).

YongGuk hummed a little to himself as he tapped the words on the page that went along with each note and Zelo couldn’t help but smile at YongGuk’s deep voice and the way the skin between his eyebrows furrowed when something didn’t sound quite right. YongGuk was working hard and while Zelo really wanted him to rest he also knew how much YongGuk actually loved his work.

Zelo was quietly backing out of the room when he heard a loud rumbling from YongGuk’s stomach. He heard YongGuk sigh, cluck his tongue, then quietly mutter,

“There’s no time for food right now…”

Zelo frowned at his hyung’s words. He knew for a fact that YongGuk had barely eaten at all this week. He wasn’t sleeping for very long and skipped meals to work on songs. So instead of heading back to bed Zelo went to the kitchen. He got a pack of YongGuk’s favourite ramen from the cupboard and an egg and vegetables from the fridge. After preparing what he thought was a pretty presentable egg-drop ramen he poured it into a deep bowl, placed it on a tray and grabbed a pair of chopsticks.

When Zelo opened the door to the office YongGuk was no longer writing. He was face-down on his papers, fast asleep, but before Zelo did anything YongGuk’s nose twitched at the scent of the ramen and his eyes opened.

“Zelo?” he asked, confused.

The maknae walked over to his hyung and placed the tray of food on the desk.

“Eat,” Zelo commanded.

YongGuk blinked sleepily and opened his mouth without hesitation.

“So I have to feed you now?” Zelo asked, trying to hide his smile.

“I’m tired,” YongGuk complained.

Zelo rolled his eyes, trying his best to look annoyed, and gathered a large mouthful of noodles onto the chopsticks. YongGuk opened his mouth obediently and closed his eyes in utmost pleasure when he finally tasted the noodles.

“Mm, these are really good, Zelo,” he said after swallowing the tasty food.

Zelo smirked and fed him until all the noodles were finished. YongGuk picked up the bowl and finished the broth in one long gulp.

“Thank you so much, Zelo,” YongGuk said, rubbing his belly. “You’re too good to me.”

He made to pick his pencil up and go back to writing but Zelo held his wrist.

“Aren’t you coming to bed?” Zelo asked.

YongGuk looked regretfully at the hopeful maknae and gently laid his pencil down with the air of a teacher about to explain a topic to his student who didn’t understand.

“Zelo...”

“I understand,” Zelo said, nodding. He didn’t want to guilt YongGuk into abandoning his work so he tried not to look too sad as he got up and picked up the much lighter tray from the table.

“Don’t stay up too late,” Zelo said over his shoulder as he left the room and went to the kitchen to wash up the things he had used.

It was a delicate balance, Zelo thought as he washed and dried the plates, to want YongGuk to take care of himself but still want him to be happiest which was what he seemed only when he was writing.

Well...at least he had gotten him to eat something.

Zelo smiled to himself at his accomplishment then almost jumped out of his skin when he felt arms wrap around his waist.

“I thought you’d be sad not happy,” YongGuk said. “Why are you smiling?”

“I got you to eat,” Zelo said, putting away the last dish. “Even if you won’t sleep, at least I did that much.”

YongGuk tightened his grip around Zelo and rested his chin on his shoulder.

“You know that’s not your job, right?” YongGuk asked carefully.

“But if I don’t then who –”

YongGuk placed his hand over Zelo’s mouth and led him out of the kitchen.

“It’s my job to take care of you,” YongGuk said purposefully. “Don’t worry about me, Zelo, I’m just busy these days.”

Zelo frowned as YongGuk led him back to the bedroom and made him get into bed.

“After I’m done writing for this album I’ll be back to normal, ok?” YongGuk reassured Zelo as he kneeled next to the bed to pull the covers up to Zelo’s chin.

“Do you promise?” Zelo asked, biting his lip in dark.

“I promise,” YongGuk said sincerely, “but you have to stop worrying about me and getting up in the middle of the night like this, ok? You need to rest, too.”

“Impossible...” Zelo muttered. “How can you not worry about someone you love?”

“Well why do you think I’m worried about you too?” YongGuk asked. “I know it’s hard right now but I just need to finish these songs then I’ll be lying here with you every night.”

“Every night?”

“Every night until the next album,” YongGuk clarified.

“Way to kill the mood,” Zelo said dryly, making YongGuk start to laugh.

“Would you two lovebirds shut up?” YoungJae’s voice hissed from the shadows. “Some of us are trying to sleep!”

Zelo rolled his eyes because he knew YoungJae couldn’t see him then returned his attention to YongGuk.

“I’ll come back soon,” YongGuk told Zelo, and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead, “I just need to finish this song.”

“I know,” Zelo said, “I’ll be waiting.”

urgh not too sure about this one >_< what did you guys think? and what are your favourites so far? ^^

pic cr