Xiumin was his very own snuggler and even if he was paid to do his job, luhan intended to keep him. 

It was one of those down days and luhan was tired of work and responsibility and loneliness. Mostly he was tired of being alone in his parents old house with the terrible prospect of work the next day and heaps of takeout to eat in front of the television. 

He wanted someone to be there where there wasnt anyone, and probably would never be anyone. 

So he hired someone to snuggle with him. 

It was just that, only snuggling and nothing more. The feeling of someone who he could touch and wrap his arms around, someone who could respond to his actions. 

Xiumin showed up at his door, wearing pajamas covered in rubber ducks and carrying a stuffed bear. 

"Its fifteen fifteen an hour and the rate goes up after three. Deal?" He asked, not wasting a second. 

Luhan nodded, still taking in the boy in front of him. He was soft and round in an endearing way and his eyes were mischievous, his skin pale in the dark glow of the moon. 

Luhan hadnt really thought it through when he'd set this up online, now feeling rather awkward because this was a stranger and how was one supposed to be intimate with a stranger. 

Xiumin tugged him away from the door, bear dangling between the fingers of his free hand. 

"I'm xiumin," he said, and luhan felt more at ease. 

They lay on his bed, comforters crinkling and pillows fluffing around them and xiumin curled up against him, an arm over luhans side and the bear squashed between them. 

Maybe it should have been awkward, holding a person in his arms who he hired to be there, but it felt right and he relaxed. The tenseness of his work was lifted and he didnt think about anything from the outside world. 

Even when it began to rain outside and the clocks minutes ticked by like miles taken by a rocket ship, he just buried his nose in xiumins hair (it smelled almost girly, like apples or something).

The body under his hands was warm and supple, not bony or defined by muscle and he had flares and bumps and curves like any human, all disguised under bright yellow ducks and the felt of the flannel pajamas. He could almost imagine himself falling asleep this way, not alone for once and xiumin in his arms, maybe even forever. 

A quiet beep sounded and xiumin sat up suddenly, checking a watch on his wrist that luhan hadnt noticed. 

"Its been two hours," he said. "I have something else to do."

Luhan masked his disappointment carefully and nodded, pushing himself off the bed and reaching in his back pocket for his wallet. 

He handed over thirty dollars and thirty cents and asked, as xiumin was leaving, "will I see you again?"

Xiumin squeezed his teddy bear and gave a smile. "Only if you want to."

--

It turned out that luhan DID see xiumin again; many times. 

Even with the lingering reminder in the back of his mind that his snuggler was only there for the money, he couldn't help but want him to come back. 

Because the only time when he felt at ease was when xiumin was there, holding onto him with his fuzzy teddy bear and ridiculous pajamas covered in cupcakes or bunnies or whatever, his bright hair fanned out on the pale sheets. 

He came over once a week. Then twice, then four times. And eventually, luhan saw him every day and he began to hope that it wasnt all just for his money (though even if it was he would still spend it if it made xiumin continue to come back to him). 

Because they talked about everything and nothing and even though they werent intimate to an extreme, luhan felt like he knew xiumin and he admitted  to himself that he was probably in love. 

One day, xiumin showed up at his door, a storm raging behind him and his hand without umbrella and he collapsed in luhans arms.

It was different, taking care of him and trying to soothe the older instead but luhan couldn't say he didnt like doing it. 

He was shivering, quiet sobs bubbling from his throat and luhan just held on, wanting to be there while xiumin crumbled. 

He fell asleep there, not stirring when the watch beeped and luhan let him stay, just watching him sleep and twitch every few minutes. 

In the morning, xiumin was still there. 

It was after then that he no longer came around for the money, instead visiting because he wanted to see luhan. It took a while to get him to admit it because luhan found, from further relations, that xiumin was actually rather shy and awkward (and unbearably adorable). 

~~~~

_Luhan later found out that the source of xiumins tears was an ignorant ex who'd come around and opened old wounds. 

And xiumin explained, his chubby cheeks flushed with embarrassment, that he sought for luhan because he though luhan could heal the reopened, revisited scars. 

And luhan did, gladly (but not without taking a kiss for compensation first)._

A/N: this ones an old one actually. I just never got around to posting it :S I got inspired by a ridiculous news announcement I heard on the radio where some famous person had been hiring people to 'snuggle' with them. Everyone thought it was a ridiculous excuse (as do I) but it have me the idea like 'what if this was a real thing?' So I just had to write it