The abrupt interruption of his sleep made Lu Han try to bury himself further from the sound; his hands curling over the fabric of the sheets and his body pushing back until it met something. When he felt his whole body come in connection with something else warm, and breathing, and with it's arms wrapped around Lu Han's waist, he wriggled more. This caused someone's murmuring to brush against the back of his neck and then nuzzle into the space between Lu Han's shoulder blades. With his eyes closed, Lu Han brought his hands up to the arms around his waist and tapped his hand on the skin.

"Xing Xing, let go," Lu Han whined, his voice itching in his throat and he was met with a whine.

He could feel the other squirm and pull him closer. Yixing was a compulsive, middle of the night cuddler. No matter where he was sleeping before Lu Han climbed into the bed next to him, Yixing managed to latch himself onto Lu Han. For Lu Han, who much preferred his space while sleeping and was used to being on his own, he had tried frivolously to stop Yixing from doing it. But after an exhaustive effort, Lu Han gave in. And he had to admit, when he was alone for a long period of time, it wasn't that terrible an experience.

"Xing Xing, the alarms going off," Lu Han drew his voice out into a slight whine.

"Lulu, it's too early," Yixing's voice brushed the nape of Lu Han's neck.

"You don't have to get up," Lu Han returned, his hands pushing Yixing's clasped ones.

"My arms still asleep. It's prickling," Yixing gave information that wasn't needed. "And Tao and Min stole my side of the bed."

"Because I'm lying on it," Lu Han whispered, as he finally felt the other loosen his grip. "And they're kittens, Xing Xing."

It sounded like Yixing fell back to sleep, his voice tampering off into indiscernible murmurs and his body relaxing again. How could he do that? What did he do that made him so exhausted? Lu Han didn't understand it. The alarm was still going off, and Lu Han couldn't sleep again after he was woken up. A wide yawn, and Lu Han sat himself up, his feet finding the floor and the blanket being pushed off his body. He stretched out with one eye squinting to find the alarm clock and fumbled his hand over the buttons until it turned off. He was up way too late studying. It required much more effort to concentrate than it used to be.

"Lulu?" Yixing called out his name.

Lu Han turned his head, opening his eyes more to see his friend curled and still mostly asleep. 

"Mmm, Xing Xing?"

"Can I make you breakfast?"

There was a pause, Lu Han hadn't expected that question."I thought you were still tired."

"I want to make you breakfast," Yixing complained, sounding more like he was trying to get out of something.

Lu Han watched as the other male rolled over onto his stomach, filling some of the space Lu Han left, and buried himself more into the bed. The two kittens had taken up the space right behind Yixing, both curled up and trying to return to their sleep that was disturbed by the two males. Was it bad to compare his best friend to the kittens? Lu Han was too tired to argue against it.

Yixing's voice started again.

"Cause you let me stay with you, and sleep in your bed, and cuddle you, and help me learn Korean, and..."

Once more, Yixing's voice slowly drifted off and Lu Han nodded his head, before he gently rubbed the back of his friend. The other had a good heart. And Lu Han couldn't help but take the offer as enough. The thought was enough, even if Yixing never managed to make the breakfast. 

"Alright, you can make me breakfast," Lu Han nodded his head, his mind finally waking up. He soon brought up his hands to rub the sleep from his face. "I'm going to go take a shower."

- - -

The noise coming from the kitchen when Lu Han came out of the shower led to a couple seconds of confusion until he found Yixing arguing with one of the kittens around his feet. A knife in his hand, and a distraught look as the kitten meowed at him in growing volume. The male fighting with the cat hadn't seemed to notice Lu Han yet, and Lu Han opened his mouth but faltered. The conversation Yixing was having with the kitten. Tao. The kitten Sehun named after noticing it had a bite taken from its ear. Sehun had explained that it looked like Zitao because clearly the kitten had a bad personality and the other kittens didn't like him, so they bit his ear. 

"I gave you and Min food," Yixing's tone sounded troubled. "I don't know what else you want."

A louder meow came from the kitten Tao as it clawed at the back of Yixing's pajama pants.

"Don't you like the food? You can't have this food, this is Lulu's food!"

Another meow, softer and longer this time.

"No, you won't like it, trust me! Look, Min is enjoying the food, see?"

Yixing put the knife down as he bent down, his hands wrapping around kitten Tao's small body before he shuffled himself towards the bowl that Min, the other kitten was eating from. Min seemed quite happy eating the food, but Tao immediately began meowing again as soon as Yixing let go of him. Lu Han would have expected anyone else to get irritated, but Yixing meowed back at Tao. Two meows later and Yixing picked up the kitten who didn't want to eat and began to pet him.

"Is this what you want?" Yixing continued to try to win over the kitten Tao.

The male turned around to paused when his eyes fell on Lu Han. Two seconds and Lu Han felt the laughter coming from his lips. He didn't know why it was funny, but to see his friend at the complete mercy of a kitten; or maybe it was just nerves. He'd been watching Yixing for an odd amount of time, and had yet to get dressed, which meant he suddenly realized he was just in a towel. And a towel made him think of the kiss. Yixing had had a towel of his head, when they kissed.

"What? I didn't want Tao to keep meowing and wake up the neighbours," Yixing defended his actions with confusion, seemingly wide awake now.

"I know, I saw," Lu Han let his friend off and paused, fixing the towel around his waist. He suddenly felt . He was . "I'm going to get dressed, make sure my breakfast is good. I believe in you, Xing Xing!"

Lu Han put two thumbs up waiting for Yixing to laugh in response, before he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and then he left Yixing to the kittens and the food. Lu Han shook his head, paused and shook his head again. The denial he was feeding himself was stuck on whether he felt awkward because of the kiss, or because it was Yixing, or... Lu Han didn't know, but he was sure there could be any reason.

- - -

As Lu Han studied Yixing's back, he wondered how the other seemed almost, the same. Before kiss and after kiss. Yixing continued to be Yixing. Did a kiss change anything? Lu Han couldn't help but feel something was changed after the kiss with Min-seok, and yet, with Yixing, there was this sense of normalcy. With Min-seok, Lu Han grew uncomfortable and pressured. Maybe he was over analysing it. Because in the end, what was he looking for himself? Was he looking to prove his change in taste? Or was he just in a moment of confusion and questioning? Both questions were unanswerable in his current state and as he watched Yixing serve out some of the food, he realized that any attempts he could take to figure it out would be fruitless.

"Hey Yixing, do you think being homoual is a decision or are you born with it?" Lu Han posed the question, and he watched his friend tilt his head.

"Both," Yixing's unhelpful answer still came in a bright manner, before he paused and turned to face Lu Han. "I can't say whether I was born like this, but in the end, I decided I'd accept who I was and I decided I'd do what makes me happy."

Why did his friend suddenly sound thoughtful and wise? Even when he was no real help to Lu Han's current predicament. Lu Han sighed a little and lowered his gaze to see Tao had clearly won. The kitten with the bitten ear was happily eating a food that didn't look like what Min had been eating earlier. 

"Why?" Yixing questioned, and Lu Han had been waiting for it, yet still had no response.

"You know if you give in, they'll become spoilt and you'll never win an argument again," Lu Han stated as he pointed to the now quietly eating grey bundle on the floor. 

"I figure I'll be the one they like and you can be the one who disciplines," came the slightly too delighted response from the other. 

Soon Yixing's back was facing Lu Han, an anxious noise came from the cooking male as he began to make exaggerated movement over at the stove. He must have been burning something, just from the way he started to scold himself quietly while he waved the spatula in his hand before the calm came back again when he got control over the situation. 

- - -

The food was put to his mouth and Lu Han smiled. "It's delicious, Xing Xing. You got better!"

Yixing slumped forward on the table a little as he studied his friend, he knew Lu Han would say his food was delicious even if it tasted like burnt cardboard covered in too much soy sauce. That was just Lu Han trying to look after him. But when he saw the other begin to eat more, Yixing actually did start to believe he had managed to cook well for the other. He'd had a lot of practice back in China while the other was gone. Cooking was one of those skills that Yixing chose to learn because he liked to cook and was equally terrible at it when he started. 

"Did you take classes back home?" Lu Han's query made Yixing shake his head.

"I cooked a lot for a friend, he would eat it even if it was terrible," Yixing nodded his head as he spoke.

"What friend? No one would touch your food after the first try," Lu Han felt his curiousity let his mouth slip and he covered it with his hand. Before he tried to cover. "They were scared it'd ruin their appetites."

"I have eaten my own cooking, Lulu."

"Sorry, Xing Xing," Lu Han apologized with a small smile and then shook his head. "But really, who?"

"You don't know him. I haven't seen him in months, he was really busy and left China before I did," Yixing smiled as he spoke.

"Did you like him? More than as a friend," the next question came with honest curiousity and Lu Han waited for an answer.

An awkward laugh came from Yixing before he lowered his gaze and rubbed his neck. "I did. But nothing happened."

"Why?"

"We both had bad timing, and we kept missing one another. Like in those drama shows, I'd walk past and he'd turn his head two seconds too late. Or I'd lose nerve, take too long and arrive after he left," Yixing answered with a stronger laugh, before he shook his head and he began to bite his nails. "I don't think it would have worked."

There was a moment of silence from Lu Han as he chewed the food in his mouth and nodded; his mood had dampened since hearing the story from his friend. As he moved to comfort his friend, Lu Han realized the other wasn't eating anything and instead giving in to a nervous habit that he'd had since as long as Lu Han had known him.

"Don't chew your nails and eat some food," Lu Han scolded, leaning forward to pull his friends hand away from his mouth.

Yixing's eyes flickered to the other for a second before he shook his head. "I'm trying not to put on weight while I'm here."

"Eat, or I'll practice discipline on you instead of the kittens," Lu Han warned as he got to his feet to get another set of chopsticks. After he found them, he put them down in front of his friend. "Have some and I'll let you teach me some dancing to help you work it off. Okay?"

"You'll let me teach you?"

"Mmm, so eat," Lu Han nodded, sliding into his seat again and picking up his own chopsticks. Happier seeing his friend finally put some food in his mouth. Even if he had to trade a couple hours of dancing lessons to do it.

- - -

Min-seok glanced at the text message from Lu Han again. They had some time before classes, and Min-seok had texted the other to find out if he was home or at school. The response came as, 'On my way~ ^^ Late breakfast'. An exhausted yawn came from the Korean's lips as he slumped against the back wall of the library. He'd been up all night working again, and managed a couple hours sleep before he had arrived at school. It wasn't an unusual routine either. Work all night, sleep in couple hour blocks wherever he could, and then study and attend classes in the middle. When he was younger, he never would have imagined how tired he could get, or how he could let himself fall asleep so easily in public places. But like many times in the years he'd studied at the university, Min-seok found himself falling asleep with his back against a wall, feet propped up on the bottom shelf and head lowered.

- - -

Twenty-year old Min-seok felt someone bump his knee, and he squinted his eyes open, expecting to find someone standing over with a look of annoyance that came when a sleeping boy was in the way of their path. But instead he was met with the face of Lu Han, the Chinese student who was in his classes. Most people knew Lu Han, whether for his face, his intelligence or his personality. A trifecta. The foreign male was tapping his pen on the book he was studying in his lap and Min-seok could see the headphone cord hanging from his neck. This would have been a normal sight from a far, but Lu Han was sitting next to Min-seok's propped up feet.

As if feeling eyes on him, Lu Han's head rose, and he tugged the headphones out with a smile.

"Sorry, I was trying not to wake you," the other apologized to Min-seok who still wasn't sure if he was truly awake. "You can go back to sleep, I'm just studying."

A moment of confusion before Min-seok composed himself. "Why are you sitting here? Usually you study with the group." Min-seok scratched the back of his neck before he added. "I don't know their names"

Lu Han looked as if he pondered it for a second and chose his words carefully. "I like to study alone more."

Min-seok nodded his head slowly. He didn't quite understand that concept. People were hard for Min-seok, he tried to get them to like him and found himself disliked more for it. He said what he thought they wanted to hear, and did what they asked him to do, but none of it quite worked. And if it did, Min-seok felt isolated from the others; it was more apparent to him in a group than alone. He didn't know if it was because he was constantly filtering everything he wanted to say or if it was they way he drew more quiet, unsure of himself, to find people could easily talk around him as if he wasn't there. It might have made him slightly bitter through the years, but he tried not to be.

"You should sleep more, you look tired," Lu Han showed genuine concern and Min-seok shot him a look. "Just pretend I'm not here."

That was easier done than said, as Min-seok thought it was uncomfortable falling asleep in front of someone else. It was why he found his spot; the last row in the most unused end of the library that most students stumbled upon when they went too far searching for a book they needed. No one went that far down unless they had to or they were lost. 

Minutes passed and Min-seok straightened himself up. He couldn't sleep.

"I'm going," Min-seok bowed his head a little, as he climbed to his feet.

"Thank you for letting me share this spot."

One more look was given to Lu Han who smiled up from his book, and Min-seok left in a slightly bewildered state. He hadn't let Lu Han share the spot. Lu Han had come and made himself at home while he was sleeping. It bothered Min-seok for most of the next few days. 'Thank you for letting me share this spot'. What did that even mean, really? Was he being sarcastic? Or sincere? He seemed sincere. But the wording was strange.

- - -

Three days later, and Min-seok turned the corner of the last shelf, then faltered. Lu Han was there again. It had taken Min-seok the first few weeks of school to find the spot and claim it as his, and Lu Han was successfully shuffling in to take over. Min-seok never believed in wars, or fighting. There had to be a peaceful solution to the current ownership of the hiding spot in the library. They could talk it out and decide a routine. Joint-custody of the spot. It would work. 

"Min-seok! I brought you a drink!" Lu Han's bright voice snapped Min-seok out of his thoughts. 

He was mentally writing the speech he was going to give the other. "Huh?"

A flicker of his eyes, and they landed on the canned drink that Lu Han held out to him. It was his favourite drink. 

"You know my name?" Min-seok questioned first as the realized the other had called him by it.

"Of course, you're in my class," Lu Han answered as if it was a requirement to know the name of everyone in all of his classes. "You like this drink, right?"

Min-seok focused on the can still being held out to him and nodded. 

"Good! I was worried I'd get something you didn't like," Lu Han smiled happily and shook the can a little, urging Min-seok to take it. "Drink this and sleep. I'm just going to study again."

It was a difficult task to refuse the kindness of Lu Han and to hold a nerve and ask him to leave. Min-seok caved in; he was probably going to even if Lu Han had been a jerk about it. But the Korean liked to believe he had at least some backbone, and that he was just picking the battles that were worth fighting.

"Thank you," Min-seok murmured as he took the can and contemplated leaving. Could he just leave?

"Sleep. I won't make a noise," Lu Han weakened Min-seok's resolve once more. "I'll feel bad if you leave. I'll think I did something."

Min-seok had no choice after those words, his body slowly slipping down to floor, and his back awkwardly pressing to the wall. Another smile from Lu Han and Min-seok knew he was going to have to remain there until class started.

- - -

The noise woke Min-seok up, his eyes opening just to see Lu Han flinch at the own sound he was making and then ease himself to the floor. He seemed to be trying to make no noise, and managed to make more noise than ever. With an eye half open, Min-seok watched Lu Han tuck his back in front of him and lift up the item in his hand. A Rubik's Cube. Lu Han could usually be found with the colourful puzzle during testing periods or after a big assignment; anxiety and stress led him to Rubik's Cubes. Something must have been on his mind. Without a word, Lu Han began to attempt to solve the puzzle.

Min-seok considered it for a moment before he spoke up. "You're really loud."

"Sorry, Min-seok," Lu Han laughed a little, but didn't shift his focus from the Rubik's cube.

A breath.

"Is something bothering you?" Min-seok asked the Chinese male across from him.

It had crossed Min-seok's mind that he could have the reason. He could have been what was bothering Lu Han. But even if it was, his friend had been there for him, no matter what, and he owed that in return. 

Lu Han shook his head and looked up from the puzzle in his hands, just long enough to give a smile.

"I'm fine."

Did the lie bother Min-seok more because it was a lie? Or because it was Lu Han? Or because Lu Han could be lying because he was asking?